(If you witnessed the three entire book and chapter rebrands out of mental breakdowns no you didn't)
The base was quiet as Mikey and Carrie tread to her house for additional supplies. Inside, Carrie easily found the singular can of beans that was given out to everyone each day, but she was determined to find Banana Kid something better to eat, so she throughly searched the whole kitchen in hopes of finding something else.
Meanwhile, Mikey kept his eyes on the windows, searching intently for signs of someone lurking outside. All those times that JJ had secretly spied on him during his visits with his friends, and somehow knew the things that they said to each other... he didn't want to risk JJ overhearing any information about Banana Kid, if there was a chance he was here.
"Even though Usagi is the main threat right now, JJ is also a danger to Banana Kid." Mikey thought, getting teary-eyed. "Banana Kid... he's just the sweetest, selfless person I've ever known, and he's done nothing but give his life for the safety of his friends, yet he gets all this in return? I wish I could change the world. I really do. I'd make everyone peaceful, so nobody will ever have to suffer like the people I've seen get hurt and killed. All of my friends would be safe, and JJ would be himself again. We could all be together, like how it used to be."
"You shouldn't have come with me." Carrie said, interrupting Mikey's reminiscing. She seized a cup of soup; a little past its labeled date, but still edible due to its safely stored condition, and prepared to heat it up. Mikey enjoyed the sight of her going out of her way to make something special for Banana Kid with the limited resources they had down here, so much so that he forgot to acknowledge what she'd just said.
Even though he was glad Banana Kid would be getting a nice warm meal soon, he found himself naturally craving the same thing. His stomach growled softly as he imagined what it would taste like. Even though he'd only been down here for a few weeks, it felt like forever since he'd been able to eat something other than plain beans once per day.
"Hey." Carrie said more firmly, finally getting his attention. At this point, she'd already put it inside the microwave - surprisingly, she'd been able to use it successfully. "You should've stayed with Banana Kid."
"He's hidden away." Mikey retorted, his nails digging into the skin of his fingers. A nervous habit. "You're not. He knows where you are. Besides, we'll be back with Banana Kid soon. I just want to help protect you in case anything... happens."
"He's not here right now." Carrie said levelly, with more sympathy for his anxiety this time. "And if he does show up, the windows and door have all been locked, and in the worst case scenario, I have places to hide myself if he gets in."
Mikey blinked at her slowly. Despite his instincts to protect her because of her small size, she seemed perfectly capable of protecting herself. After all, in the good old days, she used to casually build nuclear missiles and vigorous security houses. He shouldn't doubt her.
"Okay." He said quietly, though it was clear he was still unsure. Carrie watched him for a while, observing as he huddled himself against the wall and stared at the ground, his face contorting as his mind filled with thoughts of fear, worry, and dread - things that, before all of this, the once carefree turtle had never thought of for more than a handful of minutes during dangerous situations.
Now, it was his everyday.
Mikey's concentration was broken when he felt a small paw on his arm. Carrie was now at his side, her head tilted to get his full attention.
"Tell you what," She said softly. "If it'll help make you feel better, I absolutely pinky promise that I won't get hurt if you go back to give this soup to Banana Kid. It's so sweet that you care so much about me and Banana Kid, but this paranoia you have isn't healthy, and I know it's because of JJ. You have to try as hard as possible to shake off his influence."
