Does it almost feel like nothing changed at all?

Hurts Like Hell

I loved

And I loved

And I lost you

And it hurts like hell

***

This is literally the worst.

Donnie flicks the globe sitting to the right of his computer, leaning a bit further into his palm. The silence in the lair is deafening and his boredom is immeasurable. He has half a mind to pull a Mikey and start irritating their impossibly inconsiderate brother with the usual 'how much longer?'s or 'are you there yet?'s that Mikey used on them when he was bored.

It grates on their nerves to no end, so he knows it would work...

...But Leo would know he's doing it on purpose and that would just make him less likely to let him attend the next mission.

Rockwell has already deemed him more or less out of serious danger. No need to jinx his chances prematurely.

He wonders how Sensei managed it. How he managed to keep his cool knowing his family was out in the field. How he didn't smother himself in worry. How he could stand not knowing what was going down at that exact moment as the unease settles into the pit of his gut. How he always seemed so composed whenever he greeted them home, poking questions about their missions that often went unanswered.

Donnie lowers his finger, watching the globe spin. How often did they do that?

Dismiss him out of turn because of the importance of a mission. Ignore his questions because they were seen as an attack on their ideas instead of an offering to help. They never listened unless he didn't allow them a chance to walk away, or had to speak over them...

Though, that mainly started after their fifteenth mutation day and their new freedom. He wasn't hovering behind their shells anymore. They could make their own choices. So they took advantage. He gave them independence and they took it in stride.

He swallows a lump.

Did he ever regret it? Letting them go up?

A soft sigh as he stops the globe and sits back in his chair.

You're doing it again. Get a hold of yourself, Donatello. Your brother is missing. Focus on that.

"Everyone ready?"

Donnie jolts in his seat and realizes that Leo must have queued into the group frequency. There's a notification on his screen. He clicks it to give confirmation and the transmitter on Leo's person begins forcing its way through the building's mainframe.

This is far from its first rodeo after their many incursions over the past week, and it gets inside within seconds, exactly as Leo's slightly irritated voice chimes in with a tone of warning, "Donatello."

Donnie doesn't know why he has to bother checking in when he is literally just sitting in the lair and out of any sort of danger. He opens up the camera feed before turning on his mic. "Yes. I have eyes inside."

"Good."

Donnie pulls up the cameras for the floor underneath his group, scanning it over as Leo adds, "And we're clear?"

He nods and then catches himself. "You're clear."

"Then we're headed in. Dial if you see him so everyone can reign in on your positions."