And, Love

Part 33

It was brighter than Mikey thought, the glow of the billboards around him. Almost blinding as he added a final touch to his own screen, as dead as the security cameras around it.

Most people below not noticing. A few stopping to point or comment. But no one really paid much mind. It was, after all, New York. And weird shit happened in New York.

Like aliens. Mutants. Ninjas. Sewer dwellers.

His phone rang the alarm. Five minutes left. Mikey sat back, not fully satisfied, but it would have to do. Hurriedly he climbed back to the top, leaping off with the skateboard Donnie had made him, using it to control his descent to a further away roof top.

Mikey landed gently, packing up the machine. Fist holding his bag in place. He knew that the distance from the crime would make it harder to trace.

Phone going off again. Two minutes.

Silencing the device as he moved, leaping from rooftop to rooftop, making his way to the ground. Putting on his mask, pulling up his hood.

Gloves and jacket speckled with spray paint, but no one would notice, or if they did they'd look away. Mikey's fist bunched in his pocket.

He was invisible in the world. People only looked at what they wanted to see. And he wasn't one of those things.

He knew that, but it still hurt. Eyes moved to the billboards, he could faintly see his artwork.

Stopping a way off he pulled out his phone, set it to record, holding it up to the screen.

"You see this?" He whispered into the mic as the lights went back on.

Security cameras were recording now.

People noticed the giant symbol, rainbow splattered, messy. Murmurs as people stopped around him. Phones rising to join his.

"What do you think?" He couldn't help smiling as he ended the video, sending it.

Looking around, moving along to his motorcycle, tucked away, locked down. Still waiting for him. Bird shit on the seat. Mikey winced. Donnie would beat him for that.

Mikey stopped. "Oh shit." Dread filled him, heart dropping. "Ooohhh shit." He jumped on the bike, flooring it back to the lair.

He'd completely forgotten about the dojo. His promise to clean. Leo was supposed to live stream the kids play.

"Shit!" He took a turn too tight, wobbling back up to his wheels. "Shitshitshitshitshit!"

Squealed to a stop. Threw off his mask, dropped his bag of cans as he strode through to the living room.

"I am so-"

"You." Raph cleared the distance in seconds, murder in his voice.

Mikey's hands flew up as he stumbled backwards, "I know!" He whined, tripping, falling onto his shell. "I know I fucked up!"

"Oh no." Donnie looked over from the couch. "You didn't just fuck up." Donnie held up his phone, the latest news story about the defacing of the billboard. "You're dead." Donnie didn't look like he was joking either.

"I should pound you into a cream and smear you in the sewers!" Raph threatened, fist bunching in Mikey's sweater, half lifting him off the ground.

Free hand curled in on itself, rose to hit him. Mikey flinched, eyes squeezing shut.

"Babe."

Mikey's gaze shifted to Raph's significant other, popped up from beside Donnie on the couch. They shook their head.