More Than Just One

Chapter 2

With 2012 Mikey
This wasn't right. No, Mikey was very sure he didn't go to sleep on the most comfortable pillows ever. His sensory issues even happily welcomed the warm, smooth surface. The weighted blanket around his shoulders just forced him closer to the... turtle? Bed? It didn't matter.

That was until someone above him started to speak. It was confirmed who was sleeping on was, in fact, a very large turtle.

"Don't wake him up," his pillow said.

"But he looks off," someone said, almost a whine. "Just a few tests—"

"Donnie," his pillow grumbled.

"I agree with Don on this, Raph," a new voice said lazily. "Mikey doesn't have freckles, or that colour of skin. Plus, we would know if he got that bad of a bruise."

Gently, Mikey was moved to sit up. He groaned, cracking his eyes open. They immediately snapped wide when he saw who was holding him.
A very large snapper turtle with a mask the same colour as Ralph's was looking at him with worried sympathy. Behind him, a thin turtle decked in purple stood beside a slider turtle in blue.

"Who are you?" The snapper asked.

Mikey blinked before answering, "Michelangelo."

"Impossible," the slider chimed.

"Not really," the purple one rebutted.

"Improbable, yes. Impossible, no." He leaned on the back of the couch, "Just a few simple questions should clear this up." He then looked at his arm, where there was a screen, and typed something. "Alright, do we look like your brothers?"

Mikey nodded slowly. They had an uncanny resemblance to Donnie, Ralph, and Leo, but these three seemed... happier. Their lair seemed more open, less dark and sad.

"What are your brothers' names?"

"Raphael, Leonardo, and Donatello," Mikey responded.

"Last one," the purple turtle said. "What are you?"

Mikey held back a laugh before answering, "Teenage mutant ninja turtle."

The three stared at him. Did he say something wrong? Were they not mutants? Was it too much information given?

"That's so much cooler than what we thought!!" The blue one hollered. "So much better than mutant turtle ninja teenagers!"

Mikey snorted, but hid it with a cough.

"Right," the red one said slowly. "If you're... from another..."

"Universe," the purple one finished.

"Universe, then we're your bros from this universe!" The red one said with a worried smile.
Mikey nodded slowly, "So... Raphael?"

The snapper nodded.

"Donatello?"

The purple gave a curt nod.

"Leonardo?"

The blue one gave a two-fingered salute.

"You dudes are so much different than my bros," Mikey said with a sigh. "So much more rad."

"I have confirmed on many occasions that we are, in fact, rad," Donatello said matter-of-factly.

Leonardo slung an arm around Donatello's neck, "Tell us all about your universe!!"

Mikey sat at the table with his other-brothers (making him shudder. He does not want buttons for eyes). A box of pizza was between them. They each shared the differences between their universes.

He learned that Raphael (who they called "Raph") was the leader here and was a giant teddy bear. As well, Leonardo ("Leon") was probably exactly who Leo wasn't. Donatello was close to Mikey's Donnie, but seemed to care a bit more.

Mikey carefully tiptoed around how his Raph hit him and how his Leo frequently called him useless. He couldn't ruin this time, even if it was stolen.

"And this is the skate ramp," Leonardo introduced.

Mikey's eyes went wide. A huge ramp sat in the middle of a six-storey tunnel. Various light sources shone through the darkness. Clutter lined the area, making it feel more lived-in. The walls were spray painted bright pinks and oranges, spelling out each of their names. The ramp was also painted, seemingly by the same person.

"Wait, you all skate?!" Mikey asked excitedly.

"'Course we do," Raphael answered. "We ain't lame."

Mikey grinned so hard his cheeks hurt. His brothers hated when he skated in the lair, but here, there was an entire ramp.

Awestruck, Mikey watched his brothers skate. They were all amazing at it—like they had been doing it since they hatched. It was all so care-free. They yelped in excitement whenever, cheering each other on. 80s music played from a boombox by the ramp's end.

What made Mikey go cold for just a second was when four metal arms came from Donnie's shell. They held onto his skateboard while he went up the ramp, so he could pose for Raph's picture.
"Come on, dude!"

Mikey snapped out of his daze and grabbed the last board—an orange one with various stickers and hand-made art. He jumped on, riding up the ramp, smiling. If he stayed here forever, he wouldn't mind at all.

"Who painted the walls?" Mikey asked once they were all seated on the floor.

Leonardo followed Mikey's gaze, "Our Mikey."

"He's so talented," Mikey said.

There was a moment of silence before he remembered.

"Oh no."

"What?" Raphael asked.

"I have to get back," Mikey said urgently. "Your Mikey is probably with my brothers, which... isn't a great thing."

Leonardo looked all the more suspicious, "Why?"

Mikey looked around for an escape. He couldn't tell them! They would think he's weak.

"Michael," Donatello said.

His fists clenched and unclenched.

"Mikey," Raphael said softly. "We just want to protect you—you're our bro! If the other versions of us are hurtin' you, they're gonna get a talking-to."

Mikey felt tears well up in his eyes.

Raphael stood up and Mikey bolted.

"Mich—"

The door slammed before Mikey could hear the end. He fell against a wall, fat tears rolling down his cheeks. He was weak, wasn't he?