Mike awoke with a start, bolting up in bed without uttering a sound. He looked around--his room. Not the hall, not Shiina's, his. The one he shared with Brook. Night was over.
"Shell," Mike ran his hand over his hair, shaking his head to clear his thoughts. "Shiina...."
The poor kid. Shit, why was she the one that turned into a monster? She didn't deserve it. She wasn't prepared for it, either. She was just an innocent teenage girl. Something that didn't exist back home anymore, and now this place was tainting her to be just like that.
Anger boiled up in him. He knew there wasn't a damn thing he could do for her now that daylight had come. Mike could only conform to the Institute's song and dance or find his veins pumped full of sedatives. If he was going to find out what happened to Shiina, he'd have to keep his cool.
Shell.
His nurse arrived, and she almost startled back at the expression etched into his face. "M-Michael..."
"Slept wrong," Mike growled, knowing it was bullshit, but he didn't care. "M'ready to eat."
"Oh--" The nurse nodded, and he followed her.
Mike kept his thoughts to himself, glad that the woman was smart enough not to force him to talk. He needed to think. A quick glance at the bulletin board revealed that Niikura was checking for her, and Mike added his worry. Check in, Shiina, check in....
Such was his worry that he actually wasn't hungry. French toast. Actual food, but he didn't care. He grabbed milk, too, and he didn't care that his nurse held his tray for him as he piled food onto it. Mike knew he needed to eat, to keep his energy up, and to listen and look out for the girl. Forcing down food (or something that vaguely resembled it back home, anyways) was one of his talents.
His plans to sit by himself and think were quickly dashed, however, as his nurse happily started leading him away from the line after he had gotten all his food. Damnit. He grit his teeth but didn't argue, knowing he had to keep as calm as possible. Doing something stupid wouldn't help anyone.
How many other people were suffering, besides Shiina? How many others were being turned into monsters, tortured? It was like Shredder all over again. Mike remembered his journey underground, and what Shredder's experiments did to those men and women. Quarry...
"You're going to sit with Bruce today! Be extra nice to him, Michael--he's new!" His nurse chirped, and Mike's head jerked up.
"New?" He asked with mild alarm, a quick jolt going through his body; a new patient NOW?
"Yes," she said simply, giving him his tray and patting him on the back once she seemed satisified he could hold it with only one arm. "Now go say hello to him!"
He didn't see Shiina, so he knew he couldn't help her. The former turtle was still pissed, still terrified, but there was someone who simply didn't know how much danger he was in now. If Mike couldn't help Shiina at the moment, he could at least help the new kid.
Lee's hair was strange, and his eyes were... wider than usual. More round than most humans, as far as he knew. The hair reminded him of Moe of the Three Stooges. The kid had all of his limbs, minimal scarring, and he was also... athletic. Built. Not a lot, but enough that Mike supposed he could be a fighter. Good. They could use more of those around here. Mike could only hope the kid was smart, too.
"Hey," Mike called out to him, voice gravely as he sat his tray down and then his body with a bit of a drop. "Name's Michelangelo, but just call me Mike. Your name isn't Bruce, is it?"
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"Shell," Mike ran his hand over his hair, shaking his head to clear his thoughts. "Shiina...."
The poor kid. Shit, why was she the one that turned into a monster? She didn't deserve it. She wasn't prepared for it, either. She was just an innocent teenage girl. Something that didn't exist back home anymore, and now this place was tainting her to be just like that.
Anger boiled up in him. He knew there wasn't a damn thing he could do for her now that daylight had come. Mike could only conform to the Institute's song and dance or find his veins pumped full of sedatives. If he was going to find out what happened to Shiina, he'd have to keep his cool.
Shell.
His nurse arrived, and she almost startled back at the expression etched into his face. "M-Michael..."
"Slept wrong," Mike growled, knowing it was bullshit, but he didn't care. "M'ready to eat."
"Oh--" The nurse nodded, and he followed her.
Mike kept his thoughts to himself, glad that the woman was smart enough not to force him to talk. He needed to think. A quick glance at the bulletin board revealed that Niikura was checking for her, and Mike added his worry. Check in, Shiina, check in....
Such was his worry that he actually wasn't hungry. French toast. Actual food, but he didn't care. He grabbed milk, too, and he didn't care that his nurse held his tray for him as he piled food onto it. Mike knew he needed to eat, to keep his energy up, and to listen and look out for the girl. Forcing down food (or something that vaguely resembled it back home, anyways) was one of his talents.
His plans to sit by himself and think were quickly dashed, however, as his nurse happily started leading him away from the line after he had gotten all his food. Damnit. He grit his teeth but didn't argue, knowing he had to keep as calm as possible. Doing something stupid wouldn't help anyone.
How many other people were suffering, besides Shiina? How many others were being turned into monsters, tortured? It was like Shredder all over again. Mike remembered his journey underground, and what Shredder's experiments did to those men and women. Quarry...
"You're going to sit with Bruce today! Be extra nice to him, Michael--he's new!" His nurse chirped, and Mike's head jerked up.
"New?" He asked with mild alarm, a quick jolt going through his body; a new patient NOW?
"Yes," she said simply, giving him his tray and patting him on the back once she seemed satisified he could hold it with only one arm. "Now go say hello to him!"
He didn't see Shiina, so he knew he couldn't help her. The former turtle was still pissed, still terrified, but there was someone who simply didn't know how much danger he was in now. If Mike couldn't help Shiina at the moment, he could at least help the new kid.
Lee's hair was strange, and his eyes were... wider than usual. More round than most humans, as far as he knew. The hair reminded him of Moe of the Three Stooges. The kid had all of his limbs, minimal scarring, and he was also... athletic. Built. Not a lot, but enough that Mike supposed he could be a fighter. Good. They could use more of those around here. Mike could only hope the kid was smart, too.
"Hey," Mike called out to him, voice gravely as he sat his tray down and then his body with a bit of a drop. "Name's Michelangelo, but just call me Mike. Your name isn't Bruce, is it?"