!PLEASE READ THIS!
A/N~ this isn't a continuation of the last chapter but rather Donnie's POV of the day the brothers and Mikey met, I know you wanted to know what happened but this chapter is important, I hope you enjoy <3
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POV Donnie:
I examine the machine, waiting for it to brew my coffee, I waited eagerly for the device to finish brewing. I look at my fingers, picking at the chaffed skin from the night before, writing equations upon equations for hours, trying to come up with formulas that could help with the process of creating the retro mutagen, but none of my ideas were working, all of the test lead to failure, I need to do this, for April.
"Donnie?", I flinched at the sudden voice I looked over to see Leo looking at me from the kitchen entrance watching me, 'how long was he there', I turned to the device and poured my mug of coffee, "What's up Leo, need something", the way it sounded made it not a question, I felt Leo look at me, I grabbed my cup and started making my way to my lab, "Donnie what time did you go to bed last night?", he was blocking my way, I looked at him through lidded eyes, I rubbed my head and groaned in annoyance, trying to rid my body of its drowsiness and the growing headache, "At five, okay, I was busy with things I needed to finish okay? Now move.", I went to push him out of the way but he didn't budge, instead he glared at me, "Donnie we've talked about this, you need to go to bed at a reasonable hour, your tiredness is messing with the missions and your training".
I turned around to let him know I wasn't listening, but he followed after me as I rummaged through the cupboards looking for something to rid the nasty taste in my mouth. I grabbed a strawberry pop tart, chewing on it to focus on something other than this conversation. "Donnie! You need to seriously start taking better care of yourself, your eye bags have gotten worse and your diet is horrendous", I turned around and looked at Leo, 'great I've angered the almighty leader', I chewed on the piece in my mouth waiting for him to finish, but he said nothing waiting for me to respond, "Fine Leo I'll try doing better", I walked past him and made a slow journey back to my lab. When I closed my door, all that was heard was, "I'm serious Donnie, this is extremely unhealthy, and training starts in five minutes!", I rolled my eyes at the comment, walked back to my desk consuming the two things in my hands, I closed my eyes to try and rid of the headache, and made my way to the dojo.
I entered the dojo and saw the infamous tree standing proudly in the center as I made my way over to my mat, I sat down as the others and I saw Master Splinter enter from his room. We watched him sit in his usual spot, "For training today were are going to start with meditation, then finish with sparring", "Hai Sensei", that was all we said, as we readied ourselves for training.
(4 hours later)
"Yame!", I looked up from where I was and stood up as Master Splinter signal the end of today's training, "That will end today's training, you are now dismissed", we all bowed our heads responding with our normal responses, "Hai Sensei!". I began leaving for the lab when something from the shrine caught my eye, the mysterious wooden turtle and orange mask, I stopped, and stared at the shrine.
"Master Splinter, may I ask you a question?", I looked over and watched as Sensei stopped in his track, turning to look my way, "Oh course, Donatello, what is your question?", his expression was blank hard to read, I looked back at the shrine, freezing when I heard Leo and Raph's footsteps stop, probably wanting to know the question, "What does the wooden turtle and mask mean, were they for you deceased wife or daughter?". I looked back at Splinter only to meet not with a blank expression but a sorrowful one, sensei walked over to the shrine picked up the mask and wooden carving and rubbed the turtle with his thumb. He starts making his way back to his mat, not to sit on it but to explain. I looked toward the mat, Raph and Leo were sitting ready for what was most definitely going to be one of Master Splinter's past stories. I sat down, waiting for sensei to answer my question, we watched him hold the two items, rubbing his thumb on the carving as if it would disappear any second. "I've told you about the story of how my life changed, how you three became part of my life that very day, corrected?", I nodded my head not waiting to make a response to disrupt the story, "Well there was a part of the story I failed to tell you, I never told you in fear that you would grow saddened from the information".
'What, what information could he be hiding from us that would make us sad', Master Splinter placed the two items carefully on the ground before he looked at each one of us, "The day I escaped from those dangerous men, the day I brought us to our current home, I looked at each of you, I smiled as I saw all of you sleeping soundly from the previous event, but....not all four of you".
The silence inside the dojo that was once quiet was the loudest thing in this room, 'four of us...', I stared at our sensei waiting eagerly for him to continue, "I could never forget his features, his baby blue eyes, and the freckles that adorned his small cheeks and shoulders...", he looked at the orange mask, "This was supposed to be his mask, orange as his bright smile and happy mood, from even before you boys were mutated, he never cried, he only smiled". We watched Master Splinter stand to his feet, making his way over to the shrine placing the carving and mask back down on the altar.
I looked over at my brothers only to see the same expression that was showing on me as well, confused and sad, I looked back at sensei, quickly standing to my feet, "Sensei did you at least go back for him?", he didn't turn around he just continued starring at the shrine, "Donatello, you must understand the circumstances", with that response I instantly knew he didn't even try looking for his lost son, my lost brother, he just gave up, "It would have been dangerous if I went back for him, I would have been putting you three through danger, whether that was bringing you with me to find him or leaving you here". I stared at the ground, full over so many emotions, but I couldn't pinpoint what, anger, confusion, sadness, whatever it was I continued staring at the ground, "How-...Did you know how old he was?...", even though I was looking at the ground I felt Leo and Raph stare at me, I waited only to hear our sensei sigh, "I am...unsure, but most likely a year or two younger than you Donatello". I looked at splinter, 'now I know what this feeling is...it's disgust', I bowed my head not making eye contact with anyone, "Thank you for answering my question Master Splinter", I could hear the slight venom in my words as I left the dojo, I needed to leave that room, I needed to think.
I sat down holding my head at my desk, I took deep breaths in an attempt to calm myself down, small sheds of tears falling down my face, 'I had a little brother... how could he leave him behind without even going after him. I could he- wait that means he left a newborn with dangerous men?! And he didn't even try to save him, how...how could he', I could think any coherent thoughts, I grabbed my head, and laid it on my metal desk hyperventilating from the newfound information when something about the story of how our lives began brought something to light, 'He said those men all looked alike and carried large vial filled with some type of green liquid...MUTAGEN?! So that means he was taken by the kraang!'.
I grabbed my self-made laptop and logged in with the code to open my computer. 'Maybe if I find the kraang system, and somehoowww- Ah ha!', I found the private classified folders upon folders on Kraang information. Still, it was all in what I assumed was kraang, 'Maybe if I...', I typed into the system and firewall changing the codes to fix the language, typing in the codes and numbers the files slowly changed from the unknown language into English, 'Shell Yeah!'. I scrolled through the files, the thousands on thousands of files but three stuck to me, their technology, experiments, and prisoners. 'Prisoners...maybe...', I opened the files and saw that the file was subcategorized into three categories: Humans, Mutants, and anthropomorphic creatures. I clicked on the mutants prisoners, and the file opened to more files, I looked at my computer shocked, 'Dang they're really organized', I looked through the many types of mutants they had, and found the file I was looking for, reptiles.
I stared at the thousands of files that loaded on my computer, but this time it wasn't subcategories, but instead numbers with a mutants headshot above it. I scrolled down the many files, seeing reptiles ranging from a snake, chameleons, crocodiles, to a turtle, 'Turtle...', I looked at the file of the only turtle in their files, I clicked the file, and the file opened with tons of pages.
"Experiment Code: Experiment 13911-525; Features: Baby blue eyes, freckled creeks, freckled shoulders; Lasted Charted Height: 4'5, Last Recorded Age: 7, Mutation DNA: Diamondback Terrapin and Human; Skills: Photographic memory, understands and speaks Kraang, and agile fighter", I stared at the description, the small part of Master Splinter's words repeated in my head.
I could never forget his features, his baby blue eyes, and the freckles that adorned his small cheeks and shoulders.
Features: Baby blue eyes, freckled creeks, freckled shoulders
'Could they be the same...but his last recorded age was 7, so... maybe it was just a coincidence', I solemnly stared that the files, scrolling through reaching the last page, seeing a photo of the turtle he was researching, 'He looks just like us', I looked at the photo, but stopped when I saw a comment typed underneath the image.
"Experiment 13911-525 files were last updated on the earth date, September 10, 2008. The mutant was last seen in the weapons workshop, disappearing right before TCRI was intruded on. If any Kraang sees Experiment 13911-525, report the sighting to Subprime".
'Disappeared?! Does that mean he escaped', I smiled at the plausible information, 'he has to be alive, but where, maybe he's still in New York, I'll text Casey and see if he knows about any turtle mutants that he and Tortuga possibly saw-'. My thoughts were broken by the noise of someone knocking on the lab door, "Hey Donnie, you good in there, you've been quiet since training".
I clicked out of the files, erasing all traces of my presence, and deleting all the files. "Oh uhhh...yeah Leo, I'm just working", I cursed at my airy voice that rang through the lab, I listened to the silence that filled the air, "Okay, well get ready for patrol, we're leaving in ten minutes", I stared at the door, 'Ten minutes but it's only...6:30?!", I closed my laptop, and placed it inside the desk cabinet, "Kay!". I looked at the long-forgotten quarter-filled coffee cup, grabbed the cup chugged the remaining amount, and grimaced at the cold temperature coffee. I left the lab, making my way to the dojo, before I stopped at the entrance, praying that Master Splinter wasn't inside. I stepped inside and to my gratitude the dojo was empty, I walked over to the weapons shelf, grabbed my bo, and slid it inside its harness. I left the dojo faster than I enter making my way to the entrance where Leo and Raph waited for me, Leo stared at me, to which I blankly stared back, I had no mental energy to argue with him, "Let's go".
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There was no criminal activity tonight, no purple dragons, none of the Shredder's goons, not even any kraang activity, and along with that, I haven't seen one mutant, not even Experiment 13911-525. We stopped on a roof, I continued to look at the alleys and streets near us, but there were only humans, "Donnie?", I looked back and noticed the two of them staring at me, "You've been unusually quiet during the patrol, are you good?", I looked at him with a blank expression, "He's probably thinking about his girlfriend, April~", usually I would either argue at him, but I couldn't, the thought of me having a younger brother, left me speechless, Leo looked down at the ground and sighed, "Look since there's no criminal activity, let's head back to the lair", we turned back and journeyed back towards the manhole cover that leads to the lair.
We jumped down into the alley, and looked around the alley for any suspecting eyes, "Do...", I looked away from them at the ground, hearing the cover stop moving, "Do you guys think there's a possibility that he's still alive", scratched my arm picking at the uneven scabs in my skin, "Do you think he survived", I felt a hand that was placed on my shoulder, I looked up to see Leo, "Donnie, you heard Master Splinter, he was left behind with dangerous men, not to be a downer, but there's a very low chance he even survived after that night", that wasn't what I wanted to hear, why was I the only one affected by this new information, how are they so calm after hearing about how sensei left a newborn alone, left behind our younger brother.
"Now come on Donnie-". *Klank*, we all reached for our weapons, staring towards the origin of the noise, "Who's there?!", Leo's voice demanded. We crept closer to the trash container, trying to find the spy, but the figure ran across the alley, climbing up the fire escape towards the roof, "HEY WAIT!!", I followed after the figure up the fire escape onto the roof, I ran after the figure, chasing them across roof after the roof. The figure looked at us through the side of his hood, "Hey kid wait!!", the figure continued running, but laughed and blew raspberries at us, waving their hands at us, 'Wait he has three fingers, and their green, could they be?', I looked at the figure running noticing his stature, they wore no pants, showing off their wrapped green skin, "Raph, Donnie, you guys split off so we can surround them and catch them and see why they were spying on us", I looked at Leo and nodded, "Leo, just a heads up this kid is a mutant so be careful, we don't know what they're capable of", he nodded, acknowledging my observation. I ran to the side, dashing toward the next building while keeping my eyes on the mutant, 'Shoot they jumped down', I ran across the roofs, sprinting for the street they leap into, I stood still looking around, watching the street for any of my brothers or the mysterious mutant.
From the corner of my eye, Leo climbed up the fire escape that the hooded figure jumped on the roof from, I continued my path, keeping in the shadows watching the figure, keeping my distance from the chase to not scare the mutant. The figure looked back, stared at Leo, but looked around looking for something, most likely us, and jumped down into another alley. I ran over to the building they jumped from, watching Leo run out into the street, looking around, 'Did he lose them, where did they go?!', I charged toward the edge looking for anything out of place, anyone out of place, but everything was normal, no humans were out, no chaos was being caused just silence. I walked back roof that overlooked the alley, looking at the area around it, thinking of what could have happened, how the kid could have escaped so easily from trained ninjas, I sat down catching my breaths and thinking of what could have happened.
I closed my eyes feeling my T-phone vibrating against my leg, I pulled out my phone, sliding my back against the wall.
"Hello, this is Donatello-"
"Donnie, did you see where the kid went, I lost them, they jumped into an alley, and just disappeared, they were nowhere near the alley, do you see 'em"
"No Leo, I saw the alley they jumped into but there was nothing, it's like he vanished but that's impossible"
"Well believe it, Donnie, cause neither of us is with them"
'Of course, Raph is part of this call', I pinched my browbone in annoyance.
"And Don, how did you know the kid was a mutant"
"Raph did you not see their hands, their skin, THEIR LEGS, the kid's skin was green, and had three fingers, plus he wasn't wearing pants, just a hoodie"
"Well sorry I'm not looking at everyone's legs and hands"
Before I could say anything, I heard something, it was very quiet but it was faint, 'laughing...', I looked around the alley one more time, when I spotted a silhouette, crouching behind the big trash containers, wearing the same hood as the figure.
"Don, you dead or something"
"Shut up Raph", I whispered into the phone watching the mutant catches its breath.
"Oh, you did not!!"
"Dude, shut up, I found them"
"What where", Leo finally spoke.
"The alley you jumped into, they're hiding behind a trash container-"
"Where?", I jumped when I heard Leo and Raph's voices whispering loudly, "Aggghh! Geez don't spook me like that, anyways they're right there", I pointed at the trash bin, "Behind the trash container". We looked over the edge, "Well let's get that kid, making no noise", I looked at Leo dumbfounded, 'Did this dude really say that'.
We jumped into the alley walking toward the crouched figure hanging their head, heavily breathing, trying to catch their breath. We stood in front of the figure watching for any sudden movement, Leo point his sword toward the figure, waiting probably for dramatic effect. I watched the figure pull up their mask, they barely looked up and froze, staring at the end of the sword, their shoulders were stiff looking up at the sword until their eye landed on Leo.
The kid glared at Leo, eye shifting from Leo to Raph, then to me, I barely noticed how his baby blue eye softened for just a second before they glared at me, 'Baby blue eyes-, wait what is that device over this kid's eye, is it like binoculars?', the kid started hissing, no growling at the three of us, they crouch lower, glaring at Leo as he walked closer to them, hovering his hand over his right leg, "Hello kid, now tells us, why were you running?".
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Leo + Raph: 14
Donnie + Casey: 13
Mikey: 11