Journey to the Center of Mikey's Mind - Alternate Story

Before the meteoroid had struck the Ulixes, Mikey had been sitting pensively in the holodeck room, looking over the New York City skyline as he and his brothers often had before the Earth was swallowed by the black hole created by the Heart of Darkness. The shadowy buildings stretched out as far as the eye could see and a starry night sky which was not visible above seemed to have been exposed on the shadowy blocks of the city below, but instead of stars there was the glittering light shining from each tiny window.

Mikey knew that Leo often used this landscape on the holodeck. His brother would look over the city, posed in a protective stance as though none of this had ever happened and he was surveying the streets for signs of danger. Mikey did not do this. 

Mikey was sat atop a building with his knees pulled in to his chest and his head down. He was thinking, like Donnie had told him to do. Mikey grimaced at the memory. He didn't like it when his brothers shouted at him, much less accused him of being useless. That's what it felt like anyway. Raph's words echoed in his mind:

"We can't trust ya to do anything right!"

Mikey scowled.

"I can too do something right." he muttered to himself. "I've saved his shell loads of times." He thought of their run in with the squirrelanoids and smiled, remembering how he had lead the monsters away from his older brothers even though he had been terrified of them. He thought that was pretty heroic. However, his smile faded when he remembered that his brothers had then had to save him when one of the beasts had pulled him underwater causing him to almost drown.

Mikey's thoughts then turned to the time that his brothers had fallen under the influence of that mutant wasp and he had prepared and administered the antidote. That wasn't at all useless, he thought. Although, he would never have been able to do that without Donnie's instructions...

Many instances like this came to mind as Mikey sat on that rooftop, but one by one they were shot down as he realised that each problem was either caused by him or solved ultimately by someone else.

"Maybe Raph was right," thought Mikey, "maybe I do just get in the way..." He buried his head behind his knees and squeezed his eyes shut, trying not to let his emotions overwhelm him.

Suddenly there was a huge booming noise that shook him out of his reverie, and his seated position. He fell backwards and caught himself with his hands before his shell could hit the floor. His eyes flew open but everything was black and he panicked. After a few seconds the lights started to flicker and Mikey jumped up, alert. He smelt a whiff of smoke in the air and heard the sizzling and crackling sounds of electricity. These sensations were familiar to him as he had spent a lot of time watching Donnie work in his lab, but here Mikey knew that it was a sign of something more sinister.

Looking up, he noticed in the periodic bouts of light that the usually bright white walls and ceiling of the holodeck were now hanging loose by coloured wires, the surrounding areas dusted with dark burn marks. Mikey hurried over to the window of the holodeck and saw that outside the room the view was not much different.

Mikey knew immediately that he had to get out of this room. It could be dangerous. However, as he reached the door it did not open automatically as it should. Intending to pull the door open, he laid his bare hand upon the metallic surface and immediately felt a jolt and a wave of stillness wash over him. It ran up his arm and into his body, spreading out in all directions. 

And it burned. 

He didn't even realise that he'd been thrown backwards and was now lying on the floor, jerking as the electricity curled around and gripped every muscle he had. There was a ringing in his head that was getting louder and louder by the second and before long his senses failed and he knew no more.

***

"Mikey!" called Casey as he and April ran round the west side of the ship, searching for the orange-masked turtle. "Dude, where'd ya go?" 

They were having no luck so far. Casey sighed and scratched his head. He then noticed that April had gone very quiet. That wasn't like her. Even if she wasn't calling out for Mikey, Red always had something to say. He turned around and saw her standing some way back, staring pointedly at the crystal clenched in her hand. It was the piece of the Sol Star that the Aeons had gifted her.

"What you thinking, Red?" he enquired, knowing she must have an idea. She looked up and walked towards him.

"This crystal, it's supposed to enhance my psychic powers. Maybe I can use it to find Mikey." Casey smiled as he caught on to her meaning.

"Oh you mean like contact his mind! I guess it's worth a shot. Try it." She looked again at the crystal fragment, took a breath and closed her eyes. It began to glow softly. Casey gasped. "It's working!"

Suddenly, April's eyes flew open and she gasped, her knees buckling beneath her. Casey grabbed her before she could hit the floor.

"Woah, what happened?" He looked into her big blue eyes and saw fear there.

"Something's wrong! He's... he's in pain!" April got back to her feet and then spun around. "This way, quick!"

As they ran April's breath came fast, her heart beating loudly in her chest. What could have happened to Mikey?

As the pair approached the east side of the Ulixes, the atmosphere changed. The lighting gradually dimmed until it was fading in and out intermittently. The walls and floors appeared scorched and damaged where panels had been blown off by sparking wires. April and Casey slowed and tread more carefully in these areas, but all the while April followed her instincts until they lead her straight to the holodeck.

Everyone else was already gathered there, Leo and Raph being much faster in their search than April and Casey. They all looked up expectantly as the two humans ran in, but their faces fell, seeing that the youngest turtle was not with them.

"You didn't find him?" said Leo, a tight sensation gripping his chest.

April didn't answer at first. She was staring at the window to the holodeck room in horror. Behind the glass was what looked like a torrent of black smoke, curling tendrils that moved like poisonous snakes.

"He..."

Raph rushed towards April and clamped his hands onto her shoulders, looking straight into her eyes.

"April, where is my baby bro?" he said in a quiet pleading tone.

She lifted an arm and pointed towards the clouded window. She swallowed anxiously.

"He's in there."