Chapter Text
Stairwells are not one of Michelangelo's favourite places to have a fight. Too cramped, too easy to get surrounded, not to mention all these steps. Which they either have to race down or race up depending on what they're doing at the time. Exhausting. But if they're stuck fighting in a stairwell, it's probably because they are in a rush to get somewhere and their enemies are determined not to let them.
So maybe it should be a good thing that Mikey finds himself moving unusually quickly down the stairwell they had originally been trying to get down. Except it hadn't been by choice and now everything is spinning head over foot, enemies and family and railings (oh my!) are flying past him in a dizzying array of colours, smearing together as he zips past, and honestly he thinks he might puke.
But the ground is coming up fast and he needs to find a way to slow down, so he ignores the queasy, dizzy feeling and reaches out an arm where he thinks the closest stairwell should be. And success! He feels the metal railing hit his hand, locks his eyes onto the row of balusters and grabs at the closest one as he passes. He grips at it desperately, feeling the burn in his hand as it slides down the spindle until —
Pain erupts in his shoulder and up his arm. Too close to the stairwell to redirect much of his momentum sideways, his arm takes the full force of his sudden stop. The full weight of his large, shelled body jerking on his shoulder as it's pulled out of place.
Mikey is stuck reeling for a moment, the world no longer spinning but the pain radiating from his shoulder enough to fuzz out his senses. He has to concentrate to keep his aching hand clasped tightly around the spindle. Looking down briefly, he notes the white tiled floor only a few flights below him from where he hangs in the open air at the centre of the staircase. At least he's not a turtle pancake right now.
He hears someone shout his name. The voice drifting out of the droning buzz in his head as the world shifts and suddenly the clashing sounds of a fight begin to filter back in. He looks up just in time to see Leo land on the railing next to him, quickly grabbing at Mikey's other arm and pulling it up over his shoulder as he guides Mikey and himself over the railing and onto the landing. His shoulder burns as the pressure is taken off of it. Mikey unable to do much of anything with it as it drags across the railing and smacks down against his side.
Leo sets him down on the ground for a moment, peering up to check on the fight above them as Mikey groans unhappily.
"Man, now I know how yo-yos feel," he grumbles as Leo turns back to him to take a look at his mangled shoulder.
"Aren't yo-yos supposed to go back up?" He teases lightly, checking Mikey over.
"Yeah, but like, to do all the cool tricks you gotta stop it right at the bottom of it's — Ack!" Mikey yelps, suddenly interrupted in his explanation by Leo pulling his arm and popping his shoulder back into place.
"Leoooo! No fair!" Mikey whines as he cradles his aching shoulder with his other hand, sharp spikes of pain running up and down his arm. Leo just gives him an apologetic grin and rubs his head affectionately.
"No time, Mike. Get down to April and get the Battle Shell started," he orders as he presses one of Mikey's chucks into his good hand.
Huh. Guess he must have dropped it before being shoved over the railing.
Leo doesn't wait to hear Mikey's response, dashing back up the stairs to help Donnie and Raph finish off the rest of their enemies.
Mikey sighs dramatically and turns to make his way down the final few flights of stairs — this time at a more reasonable pace. His shoulder throbs as he holds his arm stiffly against his side, his other hand ready with his nunchuk to dispatch any stragglers.
Yup, it's official, fighting in stairwells is the worst.