Dagger From the Mirror (ROTTMNT/TMNT 2012 Crossover Fic)

Knowing Gaze

Mikey was full of surprises, even if he was now in full control of his own actions again.

His April had thought that she had a good idea of how he'd act now that he was free. Usually when Mikey got scared, he would attach to the side of someone he trusted and refuse to let go. He became clingy. That was just how he reacted to scary situations he couldn't immediately fix. Surely, April thought, having just escaped evil mind control would lead to the same reaction. Right?

Wrong.

As soon as their discussion with the turtles of this world ended, Mikey had backed away from everyone, staying at least five feet apart from the rest of the group minimum, including his April. Why, April wanted to know, would he avoid her of all people?

Strangely enough, the only person he was speaking to normally was his counterpart., and he just tried to subtly move away from everyone else. He attempted to make the movements not too obvious, but April was on the lookout for anything out of the ordinary with him—she was worried! He was avoiding her and that wasn't normal.

No matter. She figured that maybe he just wanted some physical space from other people. Technically, this world's Mikey was the same person as her Mikey, so maybe that was why he was an exception. He wasn't going to avoid himself or something like that. In all honesty, it made zero sense to April, and she'd be lying if she said she didn't feel a little jealous that her little brother-figure was avoiding her and not someone he only just properly met an hour ago, but she tried to be understanding. Mikey just went through a traumatic experience. If she just backed up a bit, gave him some space, then it wouldn't be a problem. He'd talk to her normally again in no time.

But then an hour passed, then two, and he still barely spoke to anyone. Only Michelangelo. He turned in for bed at around 3 am, earlier than anyone else in their nocturnal group would even consider sleeping, and slept in his counterpart's room. April watched with sadness when he wouldn't even look at her as he said good night.

"Is it just me," She asked this world's Donatello after the door was shut, "Or is he avoiding me a little bit?"

"No," Donatello agreed, "It's not just you. You're right."

Leo crossed his arms from where he sat on the ground a few feet away, giving up on his short attempt at mediation for the time being. "He wasn't really talking to anyone, April. Not just you."

"He was talking to me!" This world's Mikey exclaimed, "We were having fun, I showed him Ice Cream Kitty, he loved her!"

"Yeah, but you're still the only one he was acting even remotely comfortable with," Raph said, "New April is right, it's kinda weird, considering she's the only one he's actually close too."

April huffed, "Normally when he's upset, he hates being alone! We've been close for so long, he tells me everything. Is he mad at me?"

"He's probably just stressed out from everything that's goin' on, you can't blame the little guy for that," Casey piped up, entering the room from the kitchen with a bag of chips. He sat next to this world's April, offering some of the snack to her before turning back to the other April, "I mean, come on Red Number 2, give him some time."

"Red Number 2? Really?" Donnie rolled his eyes, and Casey shrugged.

"I'm not upset at him, I'm worried!" New April exclaimed, "What if something's really wrong? He just got back, I don't wanna lose him again. I'm really really worried..."

"Why don't you just ask our Mikey to talk to little Mikey?" Raph asked, raising one brow and leaning back against the concrete ledge of the pit. "He's the only one he's talking to anyways. He can go ask what's wrong."