futureorangeturtle:
“A rubber ducky? Oh man I haven’t had a rubber ducky in years!” Mike exclaimed gleefully. “Talk about your silver lining!”
He grinned at Leo’s laughter and offered him a cheeky wink. “Well, if you were the size of oh, say, Leatherhead… then I would absolutely insist on being carried off into the sewer sunset!” He looked over himself briefly again, then smiled reassuringly. “And I don’t think I’ve got anything open enough to worry about now that the gash is covered up, so unless you actively shove me into raw sewage I should be fine.”
He snorted as Leo helped him over the beam - he didn’t really need the help, but he could tell it made Leo feel better to provide it, so he accepted the assistance without comment. “A good chunk of said weight is shell, yes, but the rest is all grade-A, high-density turtle beef, thank you very much! It contributes to the magnetism, y’know.” He paused, then added thoughtfully, “Or possibly gravitational pull.”
Leo’s quiet words made something twist deep in Mike’s chest, but he simply nodded with an understanding little quirk of his mouth. “I know,” he murmured as he sat down on the pile of bricks that Leo had steered him to. As Leo stepped away to make the call, Mike watched him for a moment, then turned his attention to scanning their surroundings for potential threats. Leo’s conversation was little more than a quiet background murmur, and Mike didn’t bother trying to eavesdrop on it. They’d been lucky so far - nobody else seemed to be around this area, but it wasn’t entirely dark yet and Mike wasn’t going to let his guard down. The last thing they needed right now was to get spotted and wind up in a fight.
Their luck seemed to be holding out for once though - apart from the occasional pigeon, Mike saw no movement until Leo started heading back to him. He scanned their surroundings one last time, then blinked as Leo spoke up. “Marius, Marius… why does that sound familiar?” His brow furrowed in thought even as he got back to his feet. “That’s gonna bug me all day now…” He shrugged slightly, then returned his attention back to Leo. “Disappearing into the sewers sounds good,” he replied with a matching lopsided smile. “Lead the way.”
Leo chuckled at Mike’s comments, struck by the similarity between the older turtle and his own brother. “Don’t worry, I probably won’t shove you into raw sewage,” he said lightly. “Just make sure your personal gravity doesn’t pull us in.”
He smiled sheepishly when Mike asked about the name Marius. “It’s from Les Miserables. Jean Valjean rescues Marius by carrying his unconscious body through the sewer. But, uh - well, you seem like you’re planning to remain conscious. And, like you said, I’m no Leatherhead.”
He made sure Mike seemed steady on his feet before slipping silently ahead a handful of paces, peering through the crumbling wall to the darkening street. “Things look clear for now,” he said quietly. “We’ve got a little ways to go until we reach the nearest manhole. It’s not far, but we’ll need to be quick. We’re on the edge of Purple Dragon territory. Stay close, okay? I’m counting on you to tell me if you need help.”

















