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

Mikey's eyes snapped wide open but his vision was as black as if they were still closed. He felt hysteria rising within him.

"Oh man, oh dude, I'm blind!" he thought in utter horror. However, before he could cry out in distress, he stopped, noticing that the darkness surrounding him was moving.

"What the shell..." he mumbled confusedly. He pulled himself up off the floor where he was lying and turned about, searching for something, anything.

But he was completely alone, surrounded by contorted shadows and an unbearably thick silence which smothered any sounds that managed to escape through his trembling lips.

Where was he? What happened? He had so many questions and there was no one to answer them.

"Pathetic." Mikey's head snapped around as he heard a voice. It was a voice that he had come to know well over the last year or so, ever since it's owner had woken from a three month coma.

"Leo?" Three shapes emerged from behind the blackened curlicues and as the figures came into view Mikey's face stretched into an overjoyed smile.

"Guys!" Mikey cried with relief. He bound towards his brothers in a hurry, so glad that he would no longer have to face this dark and unfamiliar place alone. He asked them what was going on. The three older turtles looked at eachother and then laughed. Something about their tone made Mikey feel uncomfortable. It was kind of menacing, in a way that he had only ever associated with bad guys. His shoulders hunched a little and he shuffled back slightly, looking up at his brothers.

"What?" he asked timidly. Donnie stepped forward, towering over Mikey.

"Are you really that stupid?" he chuckled cruelly, a gap-toothed grin decorating his face. Mikey's jaw dropped a little. How could Donnie say that to him? "I thought it was obvious. Anyone with half a brain -"

"But he doesn't have a half a brain, Don." finished Raph. Mikey stared at his second oldest brother with wide eyes. 

"Not you too bro!" 

He looked at Leo, hoping for an explanation, but the leader just rolled his eyes.

"Donnie just tell him. He'll never get it by himself. He's useless." But before Donnie could say anything Mikey interrupted. What Leo had said had struck a nerve, and he wasn't sure why, but it definitely hurt.

"Hey! I am not useless!"

"Pfft!" snorted Raph. "Don't kid yerself Mikey. If it weren't for us ya wouldn't be able to do anything."

"Not true!" bellowed Mikey, "I can cook and I can fight and -" Donnie's face wrinkled in disgust.

"Ugh, I wouldn't touch your cooking with a seven foot staff. It'd probably give me some sort of disease."

"And yer no help in a fight. Ya just get in our way. Or worse; ya get into trouble and expect us to save yer sorry shell!"

"You need us Mikey. We don't need you."

Mikey was fighting back tears now. He clenched his fists and yelled:

"I don't need you! I can look after myself!" The three ninjas laughed again, which only fueled Mikey's rage.

"Oh really?" smirked Leo, "Well let's test that shall we?"

"Wh...what?" Mikey looked up at his brother, puzzled. He heard Raph mutter to Donnie:

"Bet ya ten dollars he won't last five minutes." Donnie shook his head and replied:

"I'm not taking a losing bet." Leo continued.