The Rebellion of 3024
By Kay
Disclaimer: I don't own TMNT. But hear you me, Eastman and Laird... I have a Leonardo figurine at the mercy of Jungle!Leo action figure's whip and he's not afraid to use it. You have seven days to give me the rights. Or else.
Author's Notes: Just a cute, fluffy drabble showing one of the rarest things ever; that of the Leo Acting His Own Age! Because Mike and Leo don't get nearly enough fun, simple interaction. Thank you for reading it. 3
"Bro, do not step on the heroes," Mikey warned as one of his brothers did the impossible leap and entered his room. He thought, before he looked up, that it was probably Don wanting to know where his latest shiny gizmo was (it was on Mikey's dresser, somewhere) or Raph demanding to know where his CD player was (also on the dresser, somewhere, though Mikey wasn't about to tell him that). Both of these thoughts were wrong.
Leo crouched and picked up the Zombie Spiderman action figure, making a dubious face. "And this is supposed to be a hero?"
The shock could not withstand the awesome power of his excitement over the newest figure in his collection. "Heck yeah! It's not his fault he's a zombie and wants to eat brains. He resists the crawling urge," Mikey recited automatically, "and continues to work on finding a cure."
"He's a scientist, too?"
"Leo," Mikey said patiently, leaning forward from his place seated on his bedroom floor, "Donny's a hero and a scientist, too. It's not exactly unheard of, y'know."
His older brother made a face and, to Mikey's greater surprise, folded his own legs under him in the mimicry of a meditative position. He studied the mess sprawled out over Mikey's bedcovers and out from under the bed, like an avalanche of colors and plastic limbs. "So, uh… what are you doing again?"
Admitting that he was playing Rebellion of the Year 3024 in Metropolis was such a bad idea. Mikey instead shrugged, trying for casual. It felt more lame than he intended it to, though. "Just… messin' around."
Leo nodded encouragingly and didn't say anything else.
"Uh…" Right. What was he supposed to say? Elaborating was not going to end well. Then again, Mikey reasoned, his big brother may not always approve of what he did, but he knew Mikey well enough that nothing would be a surprise, honestly. What was he afraid of again? Oh. Yeah. That Leo would ask him to go train if he didn't look like he was being semi-productive. "Well," he hedged, "you see, it's like this…"
Leo smiled.
"Uh…" Mikey picked up Captain Marvel and Booster Gold. "Okay, so I was busy…" Think! Oh man. "Strategizing!"
Leo blinked, his grin faltering. "Strategizing?"
"Yeah!" He waved Booster Gold manically, grinning until his cheeks hurt. "Like, y'know… this dude here is the misunderstood champion of the people, right? That's us. And… and Lex Luthor is Karai and her stupid little ninja minions. So I'm setting up battle stimulations to help us in the future against the threat of… like, death!"
There was a moment of silence. Leo tilted his head, gaze unreadable. "Mikey, are you feeling okay?"
"What? Fine! Why?"
Leo nodded as if this confirmed something he already suspected. He gestured with Zombie Spiderman, which he had yet to release, towards the crowd of fallen action figures making up the majority of the floor. "Are those the casualties of the battle?"
Yes. "No," Mikey mumbled, scattering a few with one sweep of his hand. "There aren't any casualties. They're just… y'know, in case we need help kicking Luthor's bald ninja butt."
"That's too bad."
"Huh?"
Leo smiled patiently. "I was just thinking, it looked like it would make a cool rebellion."
No. Freaking. Way. Mikey raised his head slowly. "What, really?"
Zombie Spiderman joined Wonder Woman (seventh wave, he loved her) in the trenches of the makeshift cityscape. "Yeah, these could be the forces of justice against the evil corporations who have brainwashed the people." Leo pointed to the X-Men figures huddled on Mikey's pillow. "That's the mutant branch, working undercover and from the sidelines to overthrow the new dictatorship."
Mikey stared at him.
His older brother hunched his head down against his shoulders in embarrassment, avoiding Mikey's line of sight as he fiddled with the Blue Beetle at his toes. "But the Foot against us is good, too," Leo mumbled, sheepish.
Mikey furrowed his brow. "Bro?"
"Um. Yeah?"
"It's not the forces of justice. It's the Justice League. And I, uh, love you."
It'd been a long time since he'd heard Leo laugh like he did after that, and Mikey felt his heart swell in remembrance. "So we're on?" Leo asked by way of answer, reaching out and nabbing Robin for his own. Mikey let him get away with it just because that at least left him all the legions of Batmen at his fingertips. Bruce Wayne had about eighteen alter egos. It was beautiful.
"You bet we are. It's 3024, by the way."
"In Metropolis?"
Some days, Mikey remembered why Leo was the coolest big brother ever.
The End