
This is actually something spontaneous I wrote in a Turtlepedia forum thread comment, about what to expect when Renet is introduced to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2012 TV series. Some users expected it to be Michelangelo's first love interest, but I pointed out that the show has been repeatedly going out of its way to give Mikey and Leatherhead as many romantic love scenes as they can cram into a modern kid's cartoon. Considering it would be insulting to viewers to give Mikey a new lady love without at least acknowledging that his relationship with Leatherhead existed, I speculated many possible scenarios this could happen. Then, at the end of the post, I wrote a somewhat random scriptlet, giving context to this scene. This screenshot is actually from a series of flashbacks shown in the episode Into Dimension X in the second season, it describes a scene that could have happened as early on as It Came from the Depths in the first season. But since the third season's Battle for New York, Part 1 and Part 2 demonstrated that Mikey and Leatherhead still cannot keep their hands off each other at literally every opportunity to do so (three tender romantic embraces in one two-part episode!), it seems likely there have been many more moments like the one shown in this screenshot. This scriptlet takes place sometime after Battle for New York, when the turtles have moved back into their lair and Leatherhead is now Slash's second-in-command of the Mighty Mutanimals. I wrote it to retain the show's TV-Y7 content rating as much as possible, as if it could be a scene lifted from an episode. The funny thing is, since I wrote this spontaneously, it shifted to become more about Raphael than about Leatherhead. In the end, it was so much fun to write, and so well received, that I decided to republish it as fanfiction.
(Raph and Donnie are in the kitchen. Leatherhead is curled up on the living room floor. Leo walks through the living room to the kitchen.)
LEO: Good morning. Hey, Leatherhead.
LEATHERHEAD: My friends.
LEO: Did you come to see Mikey? Where is he?
LEATHERHEAD: Michelangelo is right here.
(Leatherhead reveals Mikey, sound asleep next to him. Leo proceeds to the kitchen.)
LEO: Where's breakfast?
RAPH: Mikey hasn't made breakfast.
LEO: You mean...
DONNIE: Leatherhead spent the night. I don't think Mikey even slept in his room.
RAPH: Like Leatherhead could fit through the doorway.
DONNIE: I don't know, Raph. Slash isn't much smaller than Leatherhead, and yet I've noticed he doesn't seem to have any trouble fitting through your doorway when he sneaks in at night.
(Raph looks unnerved, but quickly regains his composure.)
RAPH: Hey. He's hardly sneaking in. We're training together.
DONNIE: Uh huh. Training. In the middle of the night. In your eight-by-twelve bedroom. With someone at least twice your size. Without leaving so much as a scratch on your wall posters.
RAPH: We...strategize! ... Shut up!
LEO: Yeah, if by "strategizing," you mean getting all warm and comfy and saying, "I love you, man."?
RAPH: Who gave you the right to listen at my door?!
(Mikey wakes up.)
MIKEY: ...Leatherhead. Did you let me sleep in? Are they mad because there's no breakfast?
(Raph is startled.)
RAPH: Yes, that's exactly it! ... We're hungry, Mikey!
(Raph looks to Leo and Donnie.)
RAPH: Not a word to Mikey.
DONNIE: He already knows. Mikey does the same thing with Leatherhead, only they don't sneak around the lair at night as if it's some big secret.
LEO: It's okay, Raph. Some turtles have blankets to keep warm, and some turtles have seven-foot mutants to keep warm.
MIKEY: Raph didn't know we knew? Dude, even Leatherhead knows.
LEATHERHEAD: I advised Slash to ask Splinter for permission to visit unannounced.
(Raph freezes stunned.)
RAPH: Sensei knows?!
DONNIE: Sensei was the first to know.
LEATHERHEAD: Slash thought you would prefer discretion.
LEO: Chill, Raph. None of us will make fun of you.
DONNIE: Casey would.
LEO: —Casey would. ...because he already knows. But we won't make fun of you.
MIKEY: Haha, Casey was laughing so hard! Good times...
DONNIE: Mikey may make fun of you a little.
RAPH: ... I'm not hungry anymore.
(Raph starts walking back to his room.)
MIKEY: Say hi to Slash for us!
RAPH: He wasn't here last night!
RAPH: ...I mean... He's never... We... He... Train... Strategize...
DONNIE: Like that ship hasn't already sailed.
MIKEY: Dude... You should see your face right now.
(Raph dagger-eyes Mikey, but Leatherhead positions to guard Mikey.)
LEATHERHEAD: Raphael. My friend. There is no need for any of us to fight.
MIKEY: Look, bro. It's all good. And if you're hungry later on, there's still some lettuce in the fridge. Chew on your leaf if you understand me.
(Leatherhead lowers his head and sighs. Mikey smiles at Raph perfectly. Raph glares at Mikey, then at Leo and Donnie who are trying hard not to laugh, then back at Mikey.)
RAPH: I hate you all!
(Raph storms back to his room.)
RAPH: Wake me up when it's never!
(Raph and Donnie are in the kitchen. Leatherhead is curled up on the living room floor. Leo walks through the living room to the kitchen.)
LEO: Good morning. Hey, Leatherhead.
LEATHERHEAD: My friends.
LEO: Did you come to see Mikey? Where is he?
LEATHERHEAD: Michelangelo is right here.
(Leatherhead reveals Mikey, sound asleep next to him. Leo proceeds to the kitchen.)
LEO: Where's breakfast?
RAPH: Mikey hasn't made breakfast.
LEO: You mean...
DONNIE: Leatherhead spent the night. I don't think Mikey even slept in his room.
RAPH: Like Leatherhead could fit through the doorway.
DONNIE: I don't know, Raph. Slash isn't much smaller than Leatherhead, and yet I've noticed he doesn't seem to have any trouble fitting through your doorway when he sneaks in at night.
(Raph looks unnerved, but quickly regains his composure.)
RAPH: Hey. He's hardly sneaking in. We're training together.
DONNIE: Uh huh. Training. In the middle of the night. In your eight-by-twelve bedroom. With someone at least twice your size. Without leaving so much as a scratch on your wall posters.
RAPH: We...strategize! ... Shut up!
LEO: Yeah, if by "strategizing," you mean getting all warm and comfy and saying, "I love you, man."?
RAPH: Who gave you the right to listen at my door?!
(Mikey wakes up.)
MIKEY: ...Leatherhead. Did you let me sleep in? Are they mad because there's no breakfast?
(Raph is startled.)
RAPH: Yes, that's exactly it! ... We're hungry, Mikey!
(Raph looks to Leo and Donnie.)
RAPH: Not a word to Mikey.
DONNIE: He already knows. Mikey does the same thing with Leatherhead, only they don't sneak around the lair at night as if it's some big secret.
LEO: It's okay, Raph. Some turtles have blankets to keep warm, and some turtles have seven-foot mutants to keep warm.
MIKEY: Raph didn't know we knew? Dude, even Leatherhead knows.
LEATHERHEAD: I advised Slash to ask Splinter for permission to visit unannounced.
(Raph freezes stunned.)
RAPH: Sensei knows?!
DONNIE: Sensei was the first to know.
LEATHERHEAD: Slash thought you would prefer discretion.
LEO: Chill, Raph. None of us will make fun of you.
DONNIE: Casey would.
LEO: —Casey would. ...because he already knows. But we won't make fun of you.
MIKEY: Haha, Casey was laughing so hard! Good times...
DONNIE: Mikey may make fun of you a little.
RAPH: ... I'm not hungry anymore.
(Raph starts walking back to his room.)
MIKEY: Say hi to Slash for us!
RAPH: He wasn't here last night!
RAPH: ...I mean... He's never... We... He... Train... Strategize...
DONNIE: Like that ship hasn't already sailed.
MIKEY: Dude... You should see your face right now.
(Raph dagger-eyes Mikey, but Leatherhead positions to guard Mikey.)
LEATHERHEAD: Raphael. My friend. There is no need for any of us to fight.
MIKEY: Look, bro. It's all good. And if you're hungry later on, there's still some lettuce in the fridge. Chew on your leaf if you understand me.
(Leatherhead lowers his head and sighs. Mikey smiles at Raph perfectly. Raph glares at Mikey, then at Leo and Donnie who are trying hard not to laugh, then back at Mikey.)
RAPH: I hate you all!
(Raph storms back to his room.)
RAPH: Wake me up when it's never!
Category Story / Fanart
Species Turtle / Tortoise
Size 1280 x 720px
File Size 572.7 kB
Listed in Folders
Already been reading IDW, but I'm not quite as attached to it as I was to 2K12's Mikey, Leatherhead, Raph and Slash. IDW Slash is already very similar to 2K12 Leatherhead - the beating heart and conscience of the team who's already close to Mikey. But IDW Slash also shares 2K12 Slash's level of personal caring and concern for Pete - giving Pete a nightlight to help him with his nightmares was one of the sweetest off-screen acts ever attributed to Slash.
And, to be honest, I've completely stopped watching 2K12 episodes - they're just too bad now - season 4 and much of season 3 are a complete non-entity to me, and I've already switched over completely to Amazing Adventures for more (mutually non-canonical) 2K12 stories. In just four issues, AA already has much better writing than the TV show has had most of the past year, and it seems to respect its own continuity a lot better. No more derailment of my favorite characters.
And, to be honest, I've completely stopped watching 2K12 episodes - they're just too bad now - season 4 and much of season 3 are a complete non-entity to me, and I've already switched over completely to Amazing Adventures for more (mutually non-canonical) 2K12 stories. In just four issues, AA already has much better writing than the TV show has had most of the past year, and it seems to respect its own continuity a lot better. No more derailment of my favorite characters.
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