Stronger

Chapter Seventeen

   He was up. At least, his mind was awake, but his body was lazy, and he continued to lay on what he knew was his bed, without opening his eyes.

   He could hear voices from somewhere out in the lair. They were muffled, but constant, like they were arguing about something. He listened to them for a minute before sighing and lazily daydreaming about pizza.

   It felt nice here. Warm and toasty. Now if he could just stay like that and forget about problems like Brief that would be amazing.

   His eyes fluttered open and he jerked up. "Oh my gosh, Brief!"

   Mikey leapt out of bed and walked to his door, no longer half-asleep anymore. He paused at the door, hearing the heated conversation much clearer now. He frowned when he realized that more than four voices talked simultaneously, and slowly opened the door and slid out.

   When he peered into the living room, his tensed up muscles relaxed. "Oh, you all came."

   The seven turtle faces in the room turned to him. "Mikey!" Leo said cheerfully, leaping up from his chair. "How are you feeling?"

   Mikey hugged him back. "I'm fine. I was just tired."

   "Yeah, both Donnie's came to that conclusion. But that was the only thing they both agreed on. Everything else and it's a battle of opposite ideas." Leo gave him a strained smile.

   Donytoo snorted. "Well half the things this 'brainiac' says is completely wrong. Like, how can fifty different modes fit in one bo staff? And I refuse to believe in magic. The tonfa I get. The odachi I can understand. Both can happen because of science. But an unlimited bo staff? A Kusari-fundo that comes alive and has a mind of its own?"

   "Mikey, show him the Kusari-fundo," Donnie piped up. "Maybe then he might believe it."

   "You really need to show me this weapon!" Michael said, bouncing in his chair. "I would love to have something like that!"

   Raphie snorted. "Yeah. And you would wreck half the world for Brief."

   Mikey grimaced. "Maybe not in the lair. Something might break."

   "We have a Dojo for a specific reason," Donnie pointed out.

   "That's shell and all," the small Raphie grumbled, "but that brings us no closer to taking Brief down." He crossed his arms and glared at the two purple banded turtles. Donnie glared right back but Donytoo hung his head.

   "What did you guys come up with?" Mikey asked, taking a seat at the table.

   "The introductions at the beginning," the large Raph said. He grinned slyly at the other one. "Raphie doesn't like his nickname."

   "It's NOT Raphie!"

    "Anyway," their Leo said, ignoring him. "I'm The Second. TS for short. Raphie is ours, Donytoo is ours, and Michael is what we came up with. Your Leo is Leon, but generally you guys do not change your nicknames."

   Mikey nodded. "Okay. And of the plan to defeat Brief?"

   Everybody paused at that moment, looking around the house like something caught their attention and needed immediate checking. Mikey sighed, watching their body language. They were all tense and did not seem to know what to do with themselves.

   "It involves me, doesn't it?" he sighed. "I have to go up to Brief or something and get him into a certain position so you guys can attack?"

   The Second eyed him. "Well, yes. Something to that effect. How did you know? Are you okay with that idea?"