A/N: Here it is, guys, Cooking Up Mayhem, Mikey's story. If you haven't read System Malfunction, the first story in this series, please do so. If not, well, hello little miss/mister rebel, nice to meet you. I hope that you like this story and that you're not too confused as to what's going on here.

This disclaimer applies to all chapters of this story! I do not own anything! I'm not getting paid to write anything, trust me, I wish I was, but I'm not… but if anyone wants to donate some time and leave a review, please fell free. I own only my OC's and my story line. All that other legal BS for copywrites applies because although I wish I owned TMNT, I don't.

5seedapple here to give you guys a friendly reminder that sex will be happening in this story, which means that if you don't like it, you can skip it, or just not read my story, the choice is up to you, but you have been warned. Also, there will be blood, violence, gore, all over bad language, death and new to this story, castration. (For those who may find that last topic sensitive, don't fret, I won't be going into too much gruesome detail and it will only be once. I did think that deserved it's own warning though and will warn you prior to it's happening.)

Inspirational, amazed, impatient and all around good reviews are welcomed, appreciated, and will be publicly thanked as I move through this story. If you are going to be a negative Nancy and try to flame me you will be completely ignored. Now, on with the show!

*)O(*

Mikey moved through the lair in an agitated depression. His mind hopped from one thing to the next, unable to even settle down to finish playing the new game he got. He was torn. With Donnie's proposal, everything seemed to sink in. Sara was it. There would never be another female in the world who would be able to stand being with a turtle. If such a woman existed, surely he would have found one by now, but noooo… Donnie scooped up the only one on the earth. While New York wasn't the whole earth, it was his whole world. He lived and breathed the city life vicariously through the people that they saved, or by watching TV. His all over down trodden mood was sinking him, like lead weights on his legs, into despair and realization. He would never find someone for him.

He'd lived with the hope of finding someone just for him. Someone who would laugh at his jokes, tell him silly stories of when they had been young as they laid in bed together at night. Like any man, he'd fantasized what would happen after the lights went off. He wanted to hold somebody and know that they were the one for him. He scoffed at himself. Being a guy, he probably shouldn't have been thinking about 'The One' as if he was some love struck teenage girl, but to Mikey that idea was very real.

He'd introduce himself and she wouldn't be frightened at all. They would laugh with each other and plan amazing pranks together. They would get closer over time, and she would be the first to make a move. They would realize they'd fallen in love and decide to get married. He even had an ideal image for her with curly blond hair and shimmering blue eyes. Just one dimple on one side of her face when she smiled. She'd laugh like a wooden wind chime, light but heartily. He shook himself and growled low.

"Dude," Raph said suddenly. "You okay?" Mikey looked up and realized he'd found his way into the kitchen. He looked around for a way out but he knew he'd have to explain. "Stupid game," he said and let out a smaller, less frustrated growl. He eyed Raph. There was someone a girl would want, muscled as all get out with a distinct bad boy vibe. As was his nature, Mikey's mind found a silver lining in the middle of a thunderstorm. "You mind spotting me in the dojo of a minute? I want to work out some of this frustration."

"The games that bad?"

"Yeah," Mikey grumbled, not used to lying.

"Then come on over to the dark side, my friend," Raph joked.

"Do you have cookies," Mikey asked, trying to lighten his mood.

"Nah, but we do have peanut butter protein shakes," Raph laughed as they headed for the gym. Mikey donned his cloak of joy and merriment, holding it close like it was a shadow at high noon.

*)O(*

Rebecca Reeder tossed her oversized bag down on her bed and belly flopped beside it. She let out a long groan as her high heels slipped from her feet and tapped against the plush carpet of her room. She was beyond exhausted. She'd thought that getting a job in New York would have been easy with all of her father's influence still lifting her name up in the business world. As it appeared, that wasn't the case. She'd walked up countless flights of stairs, and stood for hours in elevators, and do not get her started on trying to maneuver in this damned city. Stinky cabs, crowded sidewalks, rude people and the once attractive smell of pretzels and hot dogs tainting her nose. Still, she wasn't done.

The nightlife of New York had fascinated her since she was a teen. She'd wanted to be one of the beautiful women who danced all night and slept all day, but responsibility had kept her from it for a whole month. Now, an old friend had offered to take her out on the town, his treat. She couldn't say no, he could possibly be her new boss. They'd known each other while they went to a private middle school together. She'd crushed on him hard. He'd been two grades above her and the year he went to high school was the year her mom and dad had split.

He'd recognized her when she'd went for an interview. She had been pretty sure that she'd been nailing the interview, confident that this last one was going to be the one. Then he'd noted the school name on her resume. Everything had clicked and she'd told him she was impressed with how far he'd gotten in such a short amount of time. He joked about how much better she looked without glasses. She cringed, remembering all the times he'd stood up for her when she got bullied. He hadn't been able to tell her that she'd gotten the job, but he had invited her out. She'd accepted, hoping to better her odds.

Now she was wishing she hadn't. Her feet and back ached. Her hands throbbed from keeping them clenched all day. She had a headache from all the sounds. The only reason she wasn't asleep was because she knew she had to do this. So, she groaned, got up and went to the bathroom to get ready. She'd need something else to wear besides business attire.

She found the club just a couple blocks from her house and waited to see Liam, hopefully her new boss. He rounded the corner and waved to her. He wore casual clothing, blue jeans and a t-shirt with a jacket. Winter hadn't quiet lifted its hold on New York yet and it was cold enough that breath misted. She waved back, excited to finally get in line. Liam got closer and engulfed her in a hug. Rebecca sputtered a bit, thrown by the gesture. Instead of getting in line, Liam called out to the bouncer and the bouncer nodded to them. Liam led her into the club.

*)O(*

Sara was going over a section of the city that they didn't often patrol because it was more densely populated. Mikey ran beside her, her partner for this area tonight. She could tell he'd been down for a while but she hadn't been able to drag anything out of him. He'd been working out with Raph here lately and while everyone found it odd, no one said anything because getting Mikey to train at all was an accomplishment. As she jumped and twisted to land on another roof she realized they were getting close to the cut off area, any closer and there would be too many people for it to be safe to patrol.

Mikey ran a little ahead and Sara watched his shell. The bounce wasn't there in his step. He didn't throw any jokes back at her. She was worried for him. She went to speed up, to catch up with him when she heard the sound of trashcans banging together and a woman's voice. Mikey must have heard it too. He skidded to a halt and turned to the sound. "Hey! Stop it!"

That was all they needed. They ran to the sound as the woman's voice got louder and more hysterical. They found the source. A woman who was clearly drunk trying to fed off a much larger man who seemed to have his wits about him. "Come on, you know you want to." Sara's stomach turned. She knew where this was going to go. They had to stop him. "Get. Off, ME!" The woman screamed this time, loud and ringing in the alley. She kneed the guy in the crotch and pulled away. The man doubled over but reached out and grabbed the woman's arm. She looked to Mikey. He looked back and they nodded as a loud crack rang through the air. They looked back to see the man drawing back again. He'd hit her, hard.

Sara jumped, using a spout to slide down to the ground. Mikey jumped straight down, his bones dense enough to take the fall. She ran in the shadows to the man, careful of a light on the back of the club. She remembered Splinter's training as she hurried to the woman when the man punched her again. A ninja is only a ninja if they remain unseen. She didn't have the fear of being seen so much as they guys, but that was only because she wasn't a mutant turtle. She threw a smoke bomb at the pair and watched as Mikey grabbed the man, hitting him hard on the back of the head.

Sara went to the woman. "Hey, it's okay now, my friends dealing with that asshole. Let's get you out of here."

"He, he's my boss…" The woman mumbled. As the smoke started to lighten, Sara could see that her top had been ripped a little and her skirt was missing a patch along the hem. It looked like she'd been fighting him for a while. "I don't care if he's the president, if you say no then he shouldn't touch you." Sara told her.

"He's just drunk…" The woman said. Sara knew that even the woman didn't believe that shit, but was trying to rationalize what was going on. "Drunks don't try to rape people, only rapists do that." Sara affirmed. "You need to find a different boss." She could hear Mikey kicking the guy a couple times, driving home the point with 'friendly reminders'. The woman's eyes got big and she wondered if the smoke had cleared enough for her to see Mikey. Sara looked back and she was able to make out a shadow approaching them. "Is she okay?" Mikey asked.

"Yeah, I think so, it looks like we got here in time," she answered.

"Are- are you guy's superheroes?" The woman asked, they'd gotten that a lot here lately and even ran with it when people were as drunk as this girl was. Sara laughed but Mikey responded. He cleared his throat, "Turtle Titian, to the rescue!" Mikey said with conviction. The woman blinked. "Wait till you see his costume," Sara said softly. She knew this routine by heart now. They'd be able to help her and she wouldn't freak out, so long as Mikey didn't touch her. Mikey stepped through the smoke and put his hands on his hips, looking up and away as if looking to the future. The woman smiled.
"Nice," she slurred. She looked around. "Where is Liam?"

"Is that his name?"

"Yeah, where is he?" She asked again.

"I've got him tied up and waiting for the cops."

"No! Don't call the cops! I won't get the job and my dad will kill me!" The woman pleaded. Sara and Mikey exchanged looks. No way, they were calling the cops. This dude was going to jail for sure. "Just, let me see him." The woman asked. Sara looked to Mikey. He shrugged and stepped out of her line of sight so she could see the guy, Liam. Sara watched as the woman held her top together and walked over to the man. Then she let her jaw drop as the woman's foot went back and she delivered a field goal kick straight to his exposed nads. Sara didn't even possess that piece of anatomy but it hurt just to watch. Mikey physically jumped back and a hand went to cover his lower two plates on his plastron. The woman then let go of her top and slapped Liam in the face as he cried at the abuse to his nether region, reducing the man to a pile of whimpers and moans.

The woman walked back to them. She was probably two steps away when the tears started. Sara reached for her and encased her in a hug. The woman heaved in her arms. "Hey, how about I take you home, okay? Mikey - I mean Turtle Titian will stay here to talk to the cops. He'll just say you ran away and he couldn't stop you, okay? Your name won't even get mentioned because we don't know it."

"Rebecca… My name's Rebecca."

"Becca, I like that name," Mikey soothed. "But I won't tell the cops, okay? We don't need the pork convention to show up at your place and cause you anymore problems, okay?" Mikey's joke got the woman to laugh a little and her tears dried up. "Thank you, Mikey- I mean Turtle Titian, and… Raccoon Girl?"

"Banshee," Sara laughed. "Now come on, let's get you home." Sara nodded to Mikey on more time before steering the girl out of the alley and to her home.

*)O(*

Rebecca woke up late. She'd been drunk last night but she remembered all of it. Liam getting her refill after refill of a mango tasting drink, him touching her too high on her thigh, which prompted her telling him that she was leaving. Him following her out to the alley. She remembered the vomit inducing fear over knowing she wasn't strong enough to fight him off. The fear that she was going to lose everything. The pain in her face after being struck was still there.

Then confusion as smoke filled the air, but there wasn't any fire around. Then…Banshee… and Mikey, or Turtle Titian saving her. She remembered the feeling of satisfaction when she kicked Liam squarely in his family jewels and the walk home. Banshee helping her to get into bed and telling her that everything was going to be okay; that she'd left her number on the frig if she ever needed her, but that she needed to get a different job ASAP.

Rebecca couldn't agree more. She whimpered at the pain in her face. She was sure she looked hideous. She got up and went to get aspirin. She'd need to, for sure, and she was going to have to cancel all of her other interviews for the next couple of days, probably even a week.

Rebecca busied herself with phone calls and rearranging her calendar while icing her face on and off. She'd already missed a couple and they weren't willing to negotiate, her hopes for the others falling as they told her 'We'll get back to you.' or 'We're booked until…' She'd chanced a look in the mirror earlier and grimaced. Her lip was split, she had two black eyes and her left cheek was severely swollen. She had scratches on her chest from where Liam had ripped her shirt. She looked like a walking domestic violence case.

By the time she'd made all her phone calls and had everything written down, it was getting dark. She'd spent the whole day either on hold or negotiating for a time when she didn't already have something booked. She frowned but then stopped when it pulled at her cheek. She saved the number on her fridge into her phone, deciding to call and thank her personal heroes for saving her innocence. She almost pressed the button before someone pounded at her door.

She was still new enough to life in New York that she kept all four of her locks locked but the sound of the door rattling wasn't comforting. She panicked for a moment, wondering if it was the police. She rationalized that they would have already said that they were, and that Banshee had guaranteed her that she would remain anonymous. The pounding resumed and she swallowed. Was it Liam? Was it someone he had hired to get revenge and finish what he'd started? Rebecca clutched her phone.

Quietly, she walked over to her now silent door. She opened the cover quickly and looked out. Three men stood outside of it. She didn't recognize any of them. None of them spoke. One turned around in a lazy spiral and she covered her hand with her mouth. A handgun stuck out from his pants. She slid the cover back in place and backed away from the door. Liam had sent people after her. She looked around, unsure of what to do. She looked at her phone and then the door. She pressed the call button and went to her bedroom, sure that they wouldn't be able to hear her from that distance. The phone rang twice then a male voice answered. "Hello?"

"I need to speak to Banshee," Rebecca whispered.

"Are you in danger?"

"Yes, she said to call her… tell her that she's going to need Turtle Titian, too."

"Can you call the police?"

"It's Saturday in New York, they'll never get here in time, please; I just need someone to scare them off."

"Okay, hold on, you live at 12 F, correct?"

"Yeah, could I… talk to her?"

"Yeah, just a minute…" The man called for a Sara, which was probably her real name and then barked out a rough Mikey.

"Becca?" Banshee's voice said suddenly.

"There are three guys outside of my door and they won't stop knocking, one of them has a gun. I'm scared. Can you help me?"

"You should really call the cops."

"They'll take at least 45minutes to get there, there are two major traffic accidents cutting off the quickest routes to her house," the male voice said, as if he was fully aware of what the cops could do in this situation. "How long for us to get there?"

"Ten minutes if we go ahead of you." The guy said. Banshee sighed. "Okay, Mikey goes in first since she knows him." What sounded like an okay and Rebecca could tell they were talking to her again. "Alright, Becca, here's what I need you to do, okay? Go to your bedroom window and open it up, the guys are going to come in from there by the fire escape, okay?" Becca made short work of the task. "Now what," she asked.

"Do you have anything that you can use as a weapon handy? A baseball bat, a knife, even a lamp…"

"I've got…" Becca said looking around. Oh, how she wished that she'd gotten a gun like her dad had told her to. "Don't we all," Banshee said and Rebecca realized she'd said that aloud. Her eyes landed on her decorative katana that she'd gotten while on a field trip to Japan. "I've got a sword…," she said softly. The pounding at her door started up again.

She nearly dropped the sword as it spooked her. "Is that them?" Banshee asked.

"Yeah," Rebecca breathed.

"Alright… Now do you have any training with that sword that you've got?"

"Katana, and no, none." She could hear a disappointed sigh from Banshee and wondered what her survival rate was at this point. How much time had gone by? It felt like a half hour or half a day but it couldn't have been because no one had crawled through her bedroom window yet. She heard a loud bang and jumped. "What was that?" Banshee asked quickly.

"I think they're trying to get inside now…" Why was she so calm while she was freaking out so badly?

"Lock your bedroom door. It'll give you a little longer…" Banshee seemed to pause just long enough for Rebecca to lock the door. "Now I want you to grab a pillow and a blanket from your bed." Banshee said softly, almost a huff, as if she was running. Rebecca followed her orders quickly. "Tuck a corner of the blanket under the door way, enough to almost jam it." A couple of huffs as a break in her instructions were impeded. "Don't you have a bathroom adjoined to your bedroom?"

"Yes," Rebecca whispered as another, louder crack sounded through her apartment as she tucked another fold under the door.

"Get in it now!" Banshee ordered, as if she knew exactly what Rebecca knew. They were inside. Rebecca scrambled, jumbling the phone and the katana with a pillow tucked under her arm. She made it to her bathroom and barely stopped from slamming the door. "Becca?"

"Yeah!" She yelled in a whisper. She was shaking. Everything was tunneling down. She was going to be sick, she was sure of it.

"Lock that door, too." Banshee said calmly. "Do you have the pillow still?"

"Yeah," she breathed as the lock clicked way too loud.

"Use it… just like you did the blanket." Yep, Banshee was either running or having grade A sex. Huffs broke into her instructions and Rebecca started to panic. This was not the time for instructions to be delayed! She needed every bit of help she could get! She stared at the pillow, realizing she hadn't even started to follow what Banshee had told her. "Got it?" Banshee asked.

"Not yet…" Rebecca fibbed. Trying to get down to level, she let the katana fall by accident and it clanked a little. Rebecca held her breath, listening to see if anyone else heard it. "What was that?" Banshee asked and Rebecca could have sworn that she'd almost shit herself when the silence was broken. She finished stuffing the pillow into the door the best she could and whispered as low as humanly possible, "The katana."

"You still have it? Good job! Are you done with the pillow?" Was that happiness in this woman's voice? Who in the hell had the gall to be happy right fucking now! "Yes, now what," Rebecca said instead. "Hold it, blade down and stand a little behind the door, but far enough so it won't hit you if it slams open." Banshee huffed. Rebecca could hear something out side of the bathroom and swallowed her stomach back down her throat. "The guys are almost there-" A loud powerful sound of wood splintering shattered any remaining calm inside of Rebecca. "Put the phone down, if any one comes through that door, swing on them like you're chopping fire wood!"

She dropped her phone, cringing as it shattered on the tile. Like she was chopping firewood, she remembered. She wrapped her hands around the handle and held on tight, her knuckles turning white. She could feel the shaking turn into a tremor. She raised the blade up and behind her head. She could hear their voices now. Their steps thumped even on the soft carpet in her bedroom. One of them yelled, but she missed what they'd said because of the blood in her ears and her eyes locked so intently on the knob to the bathroom. Then she heard one of them grunt.

Straining her ears now, hoping to get some forewarning before they broke into her tiny sanctuary, she heard another grunt followed by a yell. "What the he-" the man didn't get the last syllable out before something cut him off. She shrieked when something landed against the door hard enough to rattle it and cause a dent to come through on her side. A roar stopped her short as a yelp of pain came from the other side of the door. All the while she stared at the brown thin wood, ready to either keel over from a heart attack or die trying to defend herself. She heard one more thump and then everything went quiet. It was the kind of quiet that signaled someone's death in a horror movie. The kind of silence where your ears almost popped from strain of trying to hear anything. When the next sound came, it was a knock on the door.

Spooked beyond anything she'd ever dealt with before, she went to chop down on the non-existent threat and ended up throwing the katana at the door hard enough that it stuck in it and quivered at the abuse. Someone yelped and a brief ruckus occurred on the other side of her damaged barrier. "It's just me, Becca," a voice called. Mikey/Turtle Titian was on the other side of the door.

When the body receives signals that you are no longer in danger, it seems that for a few euphoric moments, all the adrenaline in your body is converted into sheer joy. The world stops and all you're left with is a peaceful Zen that monks spend lifetimes trying to achieve. You can breath one or two full, hope filled breaths without focusing on anything else than that. It's more than enough to make you cry before your body comes down and everything is chaos. Your body basically becomes pudding, unable to hold you up any longer. Your heart works faster than a teenage girl texting her crush. You realize that your fingers are cold and that they won't stop shaking… your whole body is shaking. Your lungs burn trying to gulp air like a fish out of water. All while Niagara Falls rings in your head and your vision fades for seconds or minutes.

Rebecca felt it all. Endorphins raging, fighting for dominance inside of her body as she sunk to the floor and hoped she hadn't peed herself. She was going to be sick. She was just quick enough to lurch over the bathtub and heave her stomach there instead of the floor. The force of it only made everything else worse as her body tried to find balance. She heard something outside of the door but ignored it. She decided right then and there, she hated New York.

*)O(*

Becca hadn't said anything back and Mikey was starting to worry when he heard the distinct sound of someone throwing up. He grimaced but didn't move from his spot near the door. The tip of a blade just barely peaked through the wood and he fixated on it. She would have had to chuck it pretty hard to get it stuck like that. Honestly, it impressed him. He was also glad that he'd followed Sara's order not to open the bathroom door for any reason. No doubt, he would have been turtle soup later that night if he hadn't been prepared for a sneak attack. Leo was telling the others to hog tie the intruders up and to take them down to the alley.

Mikey didn't even notice at first that Sara had finally arrived because he was listening to a solid stream of cussing on the other side of the door. "Is she okay?" He heard and turned to look at the woman he saw as his sister. She didn't have any of her make up on but she did have her bandana wrapped around her face to protect at least part of her identity. "Yeah, I guess she wanted turtle kabobs for dinner though," he joked as he pointed to the door.

"I thought I told you not to open it!"

"I didn't, all I did was knock!" Mikey said as he put his hands up. "I know better by now not to do the things you tell me not to!" He joked to hide the fact that he was a little hurt by her comment.

"She's scared to death… has she said anything?"

"No, but she did puke."

"Hold on," Becca's voice came through the door. "Cause I haven't pissed myself yet, and I don't plan to start!" Mikey recognized the tone of a joke in her voice and started to laugh. The girl had a sense of humor, at least. Sara got closer to the door and asked, "Are you okay?"

"Besides almost shitting myself, yeah… just give me a minute…" Becca trailed.

"Okay, I'm going to get the guys out of here, okay?" There was no reply to that statement. Sara turned to the guys and they all nodded. This would be where she would take over so the girl wasn't traumatized anymore… for now. The men had been Purple Dragons. They would keep coming back and the next time it wouldn't be to just kill the girl and leave; they'd take her as a prize and torture her endlessly. She would have to be relocated.

When Sara eyed him as well, he became defensive. "Costume, remember?" He whispered.

"She's not drunk anymore, Mikey," Sara said softly, trying to ease the hurt of her words. Truth hurts. "But," he started when the door swung open. Mikey winced taking in the damage to the girl's face. Last night there had only been a little bit of swelling, but today her face looked like a Mac truck had hit it. Becca smiled at them shortly before eyeing him suspiciously. She cocked her head to the side then the other. She looked at Sara then back to him. Her mouth fell open and he expected it. It happened every time. She'd scream, cry, pass out, and they'd have to formulate a new plan on getting her set up somewhere else. Instead, she closed her mouth and probably tried to raise an eyebrow but the swelling prevented it. "Uh, Mikey? Is that a costume?" She asked, her voice wavering. She looked him up and down, scrutinizing him.

Maybe the black eyes were keeping her from seeing too well. He doubted it as the woman started to walk around him. "Becca?" Sara asked the girl, surprised.

"He's not in a costume." Becca stated, sure of her findings as she stood back in front of Mikey. Mikey stood completely still, amazed. Sara had been the only other person to react like this. Then the woman jabbed a finger into her cheek. She yowled and Mikey jumped in surprise. "I'm not dreaming." Another statement. Becca scrunched her face, an impressive move considering the swelling there. Then she stood on her tiptoes and touched his face. She was just tall enough to reach his cheeks and even though it startled him, he stood still. "You're real," she said, amazed. "You're a turtle, right?" She withdrew her hands. "I mean… uh…"

"Yeah," Mikey said, breathless. "I am." He stood there, locked in place and not looking away. She was a little shorter than Sara was and her hair was a golden blond that caught the light. Her eyes were a deep blue that lightened around the iris to the color of a swimming pool. Her frame was small and besides the bruising, she looked like a china doll with fair skin. Amazement at this fearless woman sparked something inside of him.

"Becca," Sara said softly. "We need to get you somewhere safe. These guys won't stop coming back here until they have you, do you have anywhere to go?"

"No… My dad kicked me out a month ago." Becca said as she finally turned away from Mikey. "Didn't you say 'guys' by the way?" Becca asked but then turned to Mikey. "Are there more of you?"

"Nah, honey, there's only one me," Mikey joked instantly when she almost smiled he saw two dimples form beside the corners of her mouth. "But I do have brothers."

"Are they-"

"Sure are," Mikey cut in for her. He knew that question by heart. "Do you want to meet them?"

"Sure," Becca laughed softly. Mikey caught the glare that Sara was giving him but ignored her. He couldn't take his eyes off of Becca.

*)O(*

A/N: Hey, I know I said that this would be out a day after System Malfunction ended but I couldn't get it right with the way I had it down at first so I spent a whole day going -… um no… wait, wait, yeah, that will work… damn it, no it wont, what if I try this?- and pissing myself off. I hope it's long enough to make up for that and that you guys liked it! PLEASE REVIEW!