Not Alone

by TJHECTOR

-Warning: Coarse language. Some blood. No angst!

-Summary: The Nightwatcher's got a stalker. Night-watching can be a pretty lonesome job, while being a baby/silly (well at least your family think so) brother can be, too. But you're not lonely anymore when you got some companion, even if something unexpected happened. A Raph- Mikey-centric one-shot. Set in 2k7 movie, before Leo came back.

-A/N: Just re-watched the 2007 movie and found this fan art online that shows Mikey asking the Nightwatcher to sign a picture for him. It was after that I thought maybe Mikey would try to stalk the Nightwatcher huh? (He's done something similar in 2k3, and 2k12, right lol)

And I'm a bit tired of the angst in The Longest Sunset, let's have something for a change.

-Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT, they're too awesome it'd be too selfish if I owned them alone.

"Hey, dudes!" When Mike waved his arms in mid-air and shouted with excitement running toward the kitchen like a crazy puppy, I knew it was coming, again. "You know what? You know WHAT?"

Oh, I don't know. I honestly don't, and don't wanna hear, either.

"What, Mikey?" Don put down the welding gun and pushed back his goggles irritably.

"Bet he crept himself out this morning when he looked inta the mirror," I smirked and rocked back and forth in the kitchen chair with merely two of its legs supporting the weight.

It was an ordinary morning for us Hamatos—Splinter hadn't emerged from his room for his soaps, while we were already gathered about the kitchen area for breakfast.

"You won't believe whom I saw last night!" Mikey exclaimed.

"Who, that night-watching guy?" Donnie sighed. "Gee Mikey. You just can't stop talking about him twenty-four-seven, can you?"

"It's the Nightwatcher," Mikey corrected him. "And no! This time it was different. I was very close when he knocked out these two huge guys packing guns. But man you won't believe how good this dude is! He dodged the bullet like, like in the Matrix! Dude! Man my heart almost leapt outta my throat!"

"Mikey, you must be careful," Donnie said, standing up from his chair and starting toward the fridge. "Can't let him see you."

"Why?" Mikey asked, plopping himself down to the chair Donnie just left. "Sometimes I think he's not human, y'know? He's just too good. Those skills, he could be a ninja! Or a mutant…Like us! We could be friends!"

Donnie smiled and frowned, taking out a half-full pizza box.

"Hey Don, gimme a bottle," I said suddenly.

"What, beer in the morning?" Donnie asked. "Isn't it a bit too early?"

I yawned. "It's afternoon fer me."

Donnie's brows knitted tighter together as he put the pizza into the microwave.

"Why don't you sleep at night, Raph?" the tech-support bastard asked.

I raised an eyebrow and ignored the question.

"If you find something to do out there just like Mikey and me—"

"Hey, hey, Brainiac," I held up both of my hands, "Let's not go there, huh?"

"Oh, so now you don't want to fight," Donnie said.

"I never wanna fight," I said, yawning again. "I just said that we're turtles, why bother ta do human jobs."

"Because you'll get something better to do with your life?"

"Like I'm doin' nuthin'."

"You just sleep all day—And what's with your shoulder?" Donnie asked suddenly.

I glanced at my right shoulder, which was wrapped up in bandage. "Nothin' serious. Just a little scratch."

"Were you out last night?" Donnie questioned.

"Hey, that sounds familiar," I wrinkled my nose, "oh wait, you're not tryin' ta do an impression of…uh, no offense, Leonardo the Great?"

"I'm not," Donnie said, and I could see that good-natured nerd's face was actually growing red.

"You're not in charge, Don," I growled. "Ya leave me alone."

"I'm not trying to forbid you to go out or anything," Donnie raised his voice, "I'm just asking about your injury—"

"There's no fuckin' injury, okay?" I said, annoyed. "I'm fine. Fine as new. Now gimme dat beer."

Donnie mumbled something under his breath, opening the fridge and taking out the bottle I needed. He tossed it toward me without looking.

"Watch it," I grumbled as I almost missed catching it.

"Um, guys," Mikey interrupted hesitantly, "can we go back to the Nightwatcher?"

Donnie opened the door of the microwave and retrieved the heated pizza inside. "Nightwatcher it is."

I resumed my position of rocking in the chair, back and forth, man am I falling asleep. I sipped the beer slowly.

"Ya know?" Mikey said with a grin, "what if Nightwatcher wasn't a dude? What if he's a she?"

"Jesus Christ, Mikey," I grunted. "I'm sure he's a guy."

"Hey, how'd you know?" Mikey asked. "If she's a mutant, I'm a mutant, you guys think there's a chance I could ask her out? Oh! And we could start a crime-fighting duo, and we could roam the rooftops of Manhattan!"

"Roam alone, Mikey," I smirked. "Roam alone."

-O-

C'mon, Mikey, I didn't dodge that bullet like in the Matrix. I almost laughed when I heard him said that.

After the breakfast, I retreated to my room and crawled up in my hammock. That damn bullet seared my goddam right shoulder, and I was more than grateful that doofus hadn't seen me got shot, or else he might come running like he was gonna rescue a damsel in distress.

The first time I noticed that I got a stalker was about a month ago. A week later I discovered that it was Mike—the clumsy ninja had been about as stealthy as a rhino.

He didn't follow me every night—hell, he couldn't find me in the city most of the time. But sometimes he did. Like last night.

But it was kind of nice last night, you know, nice. Huh, don't know if it's the right word. Anyway. It was not that bad last night, when I knew Mikey was there, watching. After I finished off those two gun-carrying motherfuckers, my shoulder was bleeding like crazy and it became all wet in my suit and I was starting to feel a little lightheaded. However, somehow the idea of Mikey being there on the next rooftop gave me some strength to go on, like I wasn't alone or something. Technically, I was alone, because I was the Nightwatcher then. But yeah, Mikey was there, so I wasn't that alone…I don't know how to put it. Anyway, ya get my point.

I always got some medical supplies on my bike just in case, and I had been learning how to patch up my own wounds, too, since Donnie would nag and get suspicious if I came to him too often.

-:-:-:-:-:-

I set out into the night. After sleeping through the whole afternoon and the early evening, I felt like a new person, well, new turtle again. I got on my bike and started to rove the streets. I kept the radio on all the time so I would know at once when they played my tune. But if there were nothing big, I'd just patrol like usual. Normally I'd just patrol. Dozens of low-class scumbags appear at a daily basis; some of them packed guns, some of 'em don't. Most of the time they just snatch your wallet or tear your skirts, and hopefully I could show up in time to trace your wallet back for you or beat the man on the top of you to half-death. Yeah, I wouldn't mind doing the dirty job. The dirty job—that's kinda my job, uh-huh?

Oh sweet Donnie-boy, if ya only know what kind of job I'm doing.

Sometimes they broke into a store. And that was the case tonight. I rode with top-speed and when I arrived I saw that someone had made it there ahead of me.

"Hey Nightwatcher!" that someone yelled at me when I jumped out of my bike seat and ran toward the appliance store, the exact one the police broadcast reported. The voice sounded so familiar that I almost didn't pause and think about who could it be. But when I looked into the shattered front window of the store and found it empty, the person who had yelled at me spoke again.

"Uh, Nightwatcher?" he said, sounding hesitant. "I got 'em for you."

I turned around, and there he was.

Goddammit, Mikey. He must've discovered I use the radio…

I growled.

"Where are they?" I tried to keep my voice very low so he wouldn't recognize me.

Mikey smiled and pointed at a streetlamp behind us. "There?"

I glanced up. Yeah, that looks like something I'd do, but…

"Who're you, whatcha doin' here?" I asked and took a step forward.

Mikey grinned nervously. "I-I'm a friend? Or…or a fan, yeah! I just thought what you do is pretty cool and good so I…"

"Go home," I said, "You'll only slow me down."

He looked hurt. "B-but I know some martial arts! I can help!"

And then suddenly I heard some noise.

"Someone's still in the store," I uttered, alerted.

"No, it's impossible," Mikey's eyes widened, "I checked, and I—"

"Ya stay away," I warned him, and then slowly walked toward the store. I looked cautiously from the shattered glasses, but saw nothing.

Stalking the noise carefully, I moved with smallest movements possible. I guessed it was behind the counter. So someone was hiding in there, and he might have a gun, or he might not, or…

"Watch out!" Mikey cried.

It was behind me. Shit. My fucking shoulder bailed out. Fuck. I heard gunfire and the next moment I was on my back.

I peeked from the corner of my eye and saw the sucker with the gun ran of the front door…toward Mikey.

"Mikey!" I howled, but my voice was drowned in another series of gunshot. I struggled to get up and staggered toward the direction of the door.

Oh fuck. That stupid kid.

I looked down and saw Mikey lying on his shell. Blood on the pavement. Is he shot? Is he shot? Is he? Where does the blood come from?

His left arm, and his right leg. A hole and a graze. Nothing fatal, nothing fatal, Jesus Christ Lord fucking cocksucker I'll kill him the first chance I got why would Mikey show up? Why did he fucking show up?

I panted and knelt down beside him.

"Yer a'right?" I asked.

Mikey looked utterly shocked. I leant down and pulled him into my arms.

"Y'll be fine," I said, "Y'll be fine."

Walking toward my bike, I felt hot fluid traveled down my plastron, and under my right collarbone there was a spot that burnt and throbbed…now had I only begun to feel it.

-O-

I lay Mikey down, his carapace against the wall. We had gone back into the underground. This was my, what –do-you-call-it, secret hideout in the sewers? Huh, funny.

We were still some distance from the lair, but I gotta do something about Mikey's wounds, or else he might bleed to death—the one on his arm was pouring crimson redder than my mask. I knew how to do this, I knew.

"Hey there kid," I said, "am gonna stitch that wound," I gestured his left arm.

Mikey looked at me. He still hadn't recovered from the jolt, I could tell. It was the first time he got injured by a gun, and he had been pretty quiet so far. No moans, no tears. Brave man.

"Hurt like a bitch, huh?" I asked, my clumsy fingers hurrying through the first-aid kit.

He nodded, and smiled. Man. He smiled. How did he manage to do that?

"Thanks," he said, "you're right, I'm a drag."

"No yer not," I said, "you warned me, huh?"

-O-

I told him to talk to me, so that he wouldn't fall asleep during the stitching-up and the patching-up.

"You don't talk much," Mikey said.

I shrugged.

"Bet it's great to have a big brother like you," he smiled.

Now what does that mean?

"Not that my bros aren't good enough," the kid shook his head and sighed while kept that smile on his face, "it's just that...they're different."

Finishing stitching up his arm, I began to bandage his leg, at the same time listening closely at his words.

"Y'know I got this big brother…he's the oldest, and he's been away for a while," Mikey said, his head drooping a little. I gave him a gentle shake to wake him up.

"Uhh," he blinked, "sorry, I did that again?"

I patted his shell, "keep talkin'," I said gruffly.

Mikey tilted his head as if trying hard to remember where he had left off, "oh, so, yeah. Ever since Le—my oldest brother left, my other two brothers became…a little bit not themselves…especially my second big brother, he's always…a-angry and…he's just kinda…secretive, hmmm. He sleeps all day and no one knows what he's up to. When he's not sleeping, he would just argue with my dad and another brother. When I want to cheer him up by inviting him to watch a movie or something, he'd just…tell me to get lost," he smiled sleepily and sadly.

I had patched up both of his wounds; now I only had to take him back to the lair.

"Sometimes I think about moving out," Mikey said suddenly, "asking if my human friends could let me crush some nights before I found another place. I don't want to leave my father and brothers, but if they keep going on like this, I'd rather be alone…I can always visit them when I want to…"

His body started to swing from left to right, slightly.

"Hey there," I said, "c'mon, don't go to sleep."

"Can't help it," he mumbled, "it hurts."

"I-I don't have anythin' to ease the pain, sorry," I said.

Mikey smiled.

"Huh, it's funny, big, scary, metal-ish vigilante like you apologize for not having anything to kill a little pain."

"I know it hurts," I said, "I do. Just hang in there for a little while."

"I'll try," he mumbled.

"Uh…Michel-angelo?" I asked. He had told me his name, and now I gotta act like I wasn't familiar with it.

"Yeah?" he lifted his chin up.

"I don't think movin' out's a good idea," I said, "actually that'd be a stupid thing ta do."

He chuckled.

"What is it?" I frowned.

"That's exactly what my brothers would say," he smiled, "and that's why I gave up on the idea."

"Good," I said, "I'm…I'm sure your brothers…uh…care, uh, care about you. Uh, especially that second brother ya talked about, the…"

"The always-angry one?" Mikey smiled. "Yeah, I hope you're right."

You don't hafta hope, Mikey. Geez.

"Now I'm gonna take you home, a'right?" I asked. He had told me the way to the lair, too…though he didn't need to.

"Thanks," he smiled again. He just can keep smiling, right? And he isn't pretending…those smiles come naturally and sincerely.

I lifted him up and carried him in my arms. He felt heavy and solid—he's just as strong as anyone of us, it suddenly occurred to me, or, maybe, he has become just as strong as anyone of us ever since Leo left, and we've never noticed it.

We set off toward the lair.

-O-

I tried to keep him talking, but he passed out right after we passed the main junction. So I quickly stripped off my metal suit and gears, and regained my true identity.

I picked Mikey up once again and started to run at my top speed. When I arrived at the lair sweating all over and heart racing like crazy, I shouted Donnie and Splinter's names at the top of my lungs, and they brought Mikey into the infirmary.

I had disappeared into my room before they came and picked Mikey up. Looking down at my chest, I found the bullet still stuck in my plastron—my metal outfit had saved me, reducing the force of the assault once again. There were still a lot of blood, though. A small crack ran down across my right chest.

I pulled out my sai and picked the bullet out. It dropped on the floor with a light noise. I grabbed a towel and a roll of bandage from my nightstand, which had become constantly occupied by stuff such as needles, threads, bandage, Band-Aid and antiseptic now.

-O-

I told them I found Mikey just outside the lair.

Fortunately Mikey's injury wasn't that serious. He was just worn-out and lost some blood. He woke up the next afternoon, and I was there when he opened his eyes.

"Hey, how ya doin' Mikey?" I asked him as gentle as I could.

He didn't answer at first. I passed him a glass of water.

"Um, somethin' wrong?" I asked, frowning.

"No," Mikey said, drinking from the glass. "I…I don't know if it's a dream, but…guess who I saw last night?"

Now he had that silly smile plastered on his face again. Can't believe he just woke up.

"You won't believe it!" he grinned, weakly but happily.

I was intending to say 'knock it off', but instead I forced out a smile, "uh, who?"

"The Nightwatcher!" now he was beaming. "He saved me! We talked! And dude, he's such a nice guy! You'd think he's this manly man macho guy and don't talk at all, but he's actually very easey-goin'! And tender, too! He even said sorry 'cause he didn't have any painkillers to give me."

Oh really, maybe he'll take you to the prom if you asked. I swallowed that sentence back into my stomach, too.

"Huh," I simply snorted offhandedly.

"But I'm glad I'm home," Mikey said, looking at me. "It's kinda scary out there when you got hurt and alone, isn't it?"

Yeah, of course.

But we're not alone.

I smiled; Mikey stared at me, a bit confused, but he smiled back, too.

—The end.

-A/N: Reviews are always appreciated! :D