*What's this? I had to throw in one more chapter, because you guys have overwhelmed me. 300 reviews for my mini fic? ::is humbled:: Some people wanted to see Mike get a little justice. He gets it, and then some. Please enjoy. :)

Leo's head jerked up when the door to the walk-out basement was flung open. He couldn't stifle a startled gasp when he saw the messy state of the purple-masked turtle. "You weren't supposed to go outside! I thought you were working."

His brother's eyes narrowed. "Did you have something to do with this?"

Leonardo shook his head rapidly. "Absolutely nothing, Don. Raph and I sort of heard through the grapevine that Mike was going to attempt something, so we steered clear."

"Thanks for warning me." Donatello stayed on the other side of the door, but gave Nathaniel a little push into the room. "Where's your dad hiding?"

The five-year-old cast a sly grin over his shoulder. "I don't know."

"You said you knew where he was, Nate!"

A faint snicker announced Raphael's presence as he entered from the hall. "Did 'y forget how to use silverware, Donny?"

"Say one more word, Raph. I dare you." The younger turtle threateningly displayed his remaining ammunition.

"I ain't the one who attacked you, Genius."

"You also didn't bother to share the information you had."

Raphael shrugged. "We didn't think you'd be down this early. Tell you what though – I'll go get the Pipsqueak for you. Would that make you happy?"

"You know where he is?"

"I'll hand-deliver him. Be back in a second." Raphael turned the corner into the hallway, and Nathaniel chased after him.

Leonardo cast a glance at their retreating forms, and decided to talk fast. "Mike really wasn't trying to target someone in particular. It could have been any of us, depending on who decided to join the kids. Raph and I want to plan something for him later. How about you let this go, and team up with us?"

"Who says I can't do both? He'll be less suspicious of retaliation if I go after him now too."

The blue-masked turtle chuckled. "Okay, Bro. Whatever you think."

"How'd you figure out his plans in advance?"

"Tim told me, Charlotte told me…you can't expect kids to keep a secret that big."

"Which is why we won't say anything abo—" Don cut off at the distinct sound of dragging feet.

Leo motioned to him for silence, and his brother nodded.

"OW, Raphy, I can walk, I can walk!"

Raphael chuckled evilly. "Get it over with, Chucklehead."

Michelangelo stopped struggling in the older turtle's grasp for a moment when he made eye contact with the purple-masked turtle. "How about a rain check?"

"How 'bout you get your shell outside?" Even Nate latching onto Raphael's leg didn't slow him down while he shoved Mike through the door frame.

The small turtle shot through the door after his father, and Raph promptly locked it behind them. Leonardo hopped to his feet to look through the window, and grinned with satisfaction as he watched Donatello pelt their youngest brother with the remaining cakes. He saw Nate scooping up pieces off the cement and knew the encounter was far from over; not with Michelangelo egging the five-year-old on to defend him.

"I hope this don't mean we're missing out," Raph said pointedly.

Leo gave him a secretive glance. "Not by a long shot. Don figured he'd be less likely to suspect something tonight if he got him back right now."

"He gonna help us?"

"He's in, Raph."

"Still gonna need more people."

"It's taken care of. All you have to do is keep your mouth shut for a few more hours."

"Since when do I give stuff away?" Raphael scoffed.

"You get eager sometimes."

"You're not gonna suck the fun out of this, are you?"

"It was my idea for us to gang up on him!"

The red-masked turtle flopped down on the couch and propped his feet up on the cushion. "I'll make sure Mikey knows it too."

Raphael relished in the fragrance of the open fire mixed with hot dogs, along with an undercurrent of bug spray. The combination of scents was reminiscent of the freedom that Lotus Salvus offered, and always a welcome addition to an evening at the mountain hideaway. We could work out a fire at home too, but it wouldn't be the same in New York. There's no replacing the feeling you get from this place.

The clash of metal on metal called him away from drawing any more comparisons between their two homes, and Raphael looked over his shoulder to catch Charlotte and Tim mock-fighting with two of the roasting tools. He rapidly gained his feet and plucked the long skewers out of the would-be fencers' hands.

"We don't play with sharp things," he told them sternly. He snuck in a half-smile as Leonardo approached them. "At least, not 'til you're older."

Leo shook his head. "Didn't I just take one of those away from you, Tim?"

The three-year's old smile was his only defense. "Um…maybe?"

The blue-masked turtle crossed his arms. "Uh huh. I want you to both sit on opposite ends of the log for a little while. Go."

Raphael hid a snicker as the small turtles scampered away. "I might expect something like that from Jayden, but Charlotte?"

"I'm sure Tim was encouraging her. She's quick to follow someone else into trouble."

A sudden high-pitched wail made Raphael want to cover his ears, even though they were outside. "Alexis is definitely Jazz's kid, no doubt about that," he muttered, and looked around for the source of the toddler's distress.

Raph picked the little girl out a few feet away, rooting around on the ground to retrieve something. He and Leonardo only had time to take a couple of strides her direction, when Jayden reached her first. Something about the way the three-year-old patted the girl's back was almost comical, but the red-masked turtle held in his laugh.

"It's okay, Lexi, it's okay," Jayden soothed. "You can have my hotdog. "

"That's very nice of you, Jayden," Leo told him.

The little purple-masked turtle gave him a huge grin. "I ate three!"

Raphael guffawed loudly. "I bet you did!" He elbowed Leo meaningfully. "Everybody thinks me and Mikey are the bottomless pits. You wait until these guys grow up."

"Well…most families have to set up college funds. We can start saving up so the rest of us don't starve," Leo said reasonably.

"I think we'll all have to contribute to that one," Jazz inserted, coming up behind them. She scooped Alexis up off the ground. "You 'bout ready to go home?"

"No! Dog!" She grasped the hotdog bun tightly in her fist, as if her mother was going to steal it from her.

"You have time to finish your hotdog, Lexi." Jazz rested the girl on her hip. "You guys gonna head back soon?"

Raphael gave her a conniving smile. "We'll get around to it."

Jazz winked at him. "We can wrangle the kids."

"Act normal around Becky, okay? If she catches wind of anything, she'll blow our cover," Raph reminded her.

"I got this, Turtle. You're not the only one who can scheme, y'know."

He gave her a dark look. "How could I forget?"

Jazz smirked. "Okay, well…have fun."

The red-masked turtle sought out Olivia to say goodnight as most of the group started packing up for the short hike back to the house using the last of the fading daylight. After seeing his little girl off, Michelangelo was his next target. He hooked an arm around his youngest brother's neck and yanked him down onto the log.

"Easy on the merchandise!" Mike complained.

"Why? You gonna shatter into a million pieces?"

"You'd feel bad if I did."

"Ah, quit your whining, Chucklehead."

Donatello dropped to an old stump on Raphael's right. "You guys don't feel like heading back yet? I could call it a night if anyone else is tired."

The red-masked turtle shot him a murderous glance. What is he doing? We have this all planned out! If we start back now, it'll ruin everything! Donny raised his eye ridges innocently in return and Raphael hardly contained a growl.

"Tired?" Mike repeated the word as if it was a foreign concept. "The night is young, Donny, and I've got a few more hotdogs to eat."

"If there are any leftover from Jayden," Leo added, sitting down in the fire circle. "It's such a nice night anyway. It'd be a shame to waste it. It'll probably be too cold after this."

Mike shook his head. "Yeah, so no being a spoil-sport, Donny. We don't have to rush home or nothing just because the sun goes down. Not like we have a curfew, right, Raphy?"

Raphael chuckled, but it wasn't for the reason his little brother probably imagined. When he made eye contact with Don again his brother smiled, as if to say, "See? I knew what I was doing."

"No curfew for us, Mikey," he agreed. "Grown turtles can stay in the woods for as long as they want."

Leonardo ran a finger over the facing of his cellphone and replaced it on his belt. "Or until our wives call us to come home."

"…Are you sure we don't have any more marshmallows?" Michelangelo found it hard to believe. Betcha Raph is stashing his own around here. Just gotta get him to admit it.

"I'm sure," Leo said dryly. "I told you, we only had two bags."

"I knew I shoulda brought my own," the orange-masked turtle muttered. He glanced at his watch, and the glowing numbers informed him that it was pushing 10pm. It was still technically early enough to go back to the house to restock on supplies, but he wanted to spend some time with Becky too.

Donny stood and stretched. "I suppose now that the food's gone, you're probably ready to go home."

Mike grinned. "That's as good a reason as any."

Leonardo rose to begin the process of putting out their fire. "We should take the new short-cut back. Raph and I both thought it was faster."

Michelangelo shook his head. "With as many times as we've been through these woods, there's no way you guys found a quicker way home."

Raphael snorted. "Wanna bet, Pipsqueak?"

The youngest turtle folded his arms in return. "What'll you gimme?"

The two oldest turtles exchanged a glance.

"I dunno, Leo, what do ya think? Dish duty for two weeks might cover it."

The blue-masked turtle nodded. "Sounds fair. Which side of this argument do you fall on, Don?"

Michelangelo gave his purple-masked brother the saddest eyes he could muster. C'mon, Bro, you gotta pick me!

"I have to go with what's familiar," Donny answered. "I guess Mike and I will take that bet."

Mike whooped and thumped an arm over Donatello's shoulder. "The triumphant twosome!"

"You ain't triumphant yet, Shellhead."

He smiled sweetly. "Only a matter of time, Raphy."

Now that mention had been made of a race, Mike had a hard time standing still while Leo made sure the flames were completely out. He stayed close to Don's side, ready to lunge at any given moment. He knew better than to take his oldest brothers for granted; Raphael in particular was known for cheating in such contests.

Michelangelo couldn't have been happier when the others were finally prepared to go their own direction. "See you suckers later!" He nudged Donatello's side right before he took off, not bothering to wait for a response from their brothers.

The purple-masked turtle had the only flashlight, but it wasn't really needed on such a well-worn path. The faint moon-light that filtered through bare tree branches was plenty for Michelangelo to find his way by.

"Keep up with me, Donny!" he called over his shoulder. "We both have to beat them!"

"I'm right behind you, Mike! Don't you worry about me."

"Those guys were crazy to make this bet. Some people have to learn the hard way, huh?"

Don chuckled. "That they do, Mikey. That they do."

They sprinted for the next five minutes in silence, with Donatello only a couple of steps behind Mike. When the lights of the house came into view in the distance, the orange-masked turtle put on another burst of speed.

"C'mon, Donny!"

"Still behind you!"

Mike spied a familiar fallen tree across the path a couple of yards away, and immediately went into launch mode. He was airborne for a couple of second before he landed, not on the soft earth he'd anticipated, but a fluid that immediately captured his feet. His momentum propelled him forward even though his legs were stuck fast. The fact that he was falling hardly had time to register before he landed flat on his plastron.

Confusion was the first emotion that lit through his mind as he struggled to rise on all fours. It took a few seconds to sit up in the strange muck , and the clothes he'd donned against the cool evening weren't helping matters. He was so bewildered, he could only think to call his brother's name.

"Grab a hold of this!"

Mike couldn't see his brother terribly well, but yanked hard on the rope that'd been thrust into his hands. He expected Donny to help him up, and was rewarded with a heavy dousing of the same darkly colored substance that had trapped his feet to begin with. It was only then that he understood.

"DONNY!" There was no hope of seeing his brother now, but he definitely heard him laughing. A wet towel struck his plastron, and Mike at least had the presence of mind to catch it.

"Better get a move on, Bro! This is still a race!"

The sound of Don's retreating footfalls meant he had no more time to lose. Michelangelo rubbed his eyes to clear his vision, and threw the towel aside. He latched onto a tree root and used it as leverage to help him escape the cleverly laid trap. Humph. Donny's not getting away that easily! His body felt a little stiff from the sticky drenching, but that wasn't going to stop him.

With some coaxing he fell into the rhythm of another sprint, telling himself that he'd catch up his traitorous brother in no time. His eyes were busy scanning for a sign of Donatello in front of him, and he couldn't be bothered with the ghostly white patches of material in the naked trees over the path. If they're trying to scare me, it's not—

The rain of leaves and pine needles that cascaded over his head halted the turtle for a couple more seconds, and made him decide to abandon the regular path altogether. Forget this. Get back to the house, and I can catch all of them.

Michelangelo darted straight into the trees, running as fast as he dared over the uneven soil and tree roots. He was relieved when he reached the edge of the forest line that signified the beginning of Lotus Salvus' property, but then seriously irritated to see all three of his brothers hovering by the back porch.

"You're slower than molasses, Mike!" Leo's voice rang out to meet him.

Molasses. Nice. The orange-masked turtle was half-tempted to go back into the woods rather than face their teasing. But how can the king of pranks run away when his loyal subjects strike back? I must not show fear. The thought made it hard not to smile as he stalked across the yard toward the rest of the turtles. "Three against one? How is that fair in any universe?"

His brothers were laughing much too hard to respond, and he stamped his feet to get attention. "Hey! What'd I do to deserve all this?" He stretched out his arms plaintively, and found them covered in leaves, twigs, and pine needles.

Leo was the first one who could breathe enough to talk. "Do you really need to be reminded?"

Raphael shook his head. "You ain't the only one who can dish it out first, Chucklehead!"

"And you!" Mike turned to Donatello. "You were supposed to be my teammate!"

"You turned my own son against me," Donny retorted.

"Jayden was the first to volunteer today!"

"You corrupted him, and now you have to live with the consequences."

"Oh, this isn't over," Mike assured him.

"It never is," Don replied. "But you might want to come in a little closer."

The orange-masked turtle took tentative steps. "Why? You're not done torturing me yet?" His eyes shifted rapidly over all three brothers, but they had nothing in their hands.

Raphael grinned wickedly. "What makes you think ya can't trust us, Mikey? You scared or something?"

"No – but you ought to be. The only thing worse than my pranks are my retaliations!" His speech was meant to strike fear in their hearts, but the flood of warm water that crashed over the railing of the deck above him sort of ruined the moment.

Mike shook his head violently, flinging water droplets along with it. He focused on the deck and saw the shadows of two men that he immediately recognized. "You guys are going on my list too!"

"You can't come in the house like that!" Greg told him. "You look like the Thing that crawled out of the swamp!"

Raphael snickered. "I think it's a vast improvement."

"You guys are all hilarious tonight. You've got no idea how much trouble you're in."

"It won't be the first time," Brandon said glibly. "Are you going to stay put? We really are trying to help you now."

"It's gonna take about twenty more buckets to do me any good." He fixed on his brothers again, and gave them a begrudging smile. "You played your parts well. But this is only the beginning."

A second bucket of water cut down on the impact of the threat, causing him to choke before he could talk again. "Could you guys give me a warning at least?"

"Sure, Mike. Shut your mouth and stand still. We'll take care of the rest," Brandon instructed.

The orange-masked turtle obeyed, but managed to sneak another devious look to his brothers. To take them down together, or to take them on one by one, that is the question. Well, I can figure it out later. I have many hands at my disposal to help out too. These group pranks are more fun than working alone.

"Sleep in fear tonight, dear brothers."