Author's Notes:
In celebration of Till Death Do Us Part turning one this month here's a one shot about Donnie and Splinter since I didn't get to write about them much considering they died in the first three chapters. This takes place after the chapter "Losing a Friend" and is influenced by the song "O Death" by Amy Van Roekel from the video game "Until Dawn" (Listen to it. It's a pretty good song)
~Enjoy
When I was little I used to believe that only old people died. I thought that life was fair enough to let everyone live until they were really old and then they just expired like old milk. As I got older I learned a different lesson: that death can come for you any time it pleases. Sometimes it's expected, other times it's a surprise, but it's always inevitable. And being in our position, death was always close by, we just never realized just how close until it came for one of our own.
The rare silence of the lair sent Splinter's ears ringing. His sons have been gone for hours and even in his meditative state he listened closely, anticipating any sign that his sons were finally home safe.
He kept his anxiety down with steady breathing when suddenly a pain in his chest right over his heart over whelmed him. Pulling himself out of his meditation with a hiss, his hand quickly retreated to his chest to clench the fabric of his robe. His brown eyes went wide as he realized that isn't a foreign pain. He's felt this pain before a long time ago in another life.
His heard turned in the direction of the sound of screaming breaks outside the lair, his heart beating harder under his hand. He pulled himself to his feet and began to make his way to the door way when Mikey came rushing in, blocking his path to the exit of the dojo.
He stood there silently for a moment, the sound of his heavy breath from running echoing in his head and his bloodshot blue eyes staring straight into his.
"Michelangelo, what's wrong?" At the sound of his words, Mikey broke their eye contact as he turned his head away, his eyes growing with fear. Splinter toke a step forward to reach out to him when Mikey finally spoke.
"Something…something bad has happened."
"What is it, my son?" Splinter toke another step towards him, reaching his hand out to take a hold of his.
"It's Donnie… he… he's…" Splinter moved past his son to leave the dojo but Mikey grabbed a hold of his arm.
He knows what he's trying to do. He's trying to keep him from seeing what awaits him outside the dojo. He's trying to protect him. But Splinter already knows something awful has happened.
"I know, Michelangelo." Splinter responded, meeting his youngest son's eyes. "But, I have to see him."
Michelangelo released his sleeve and he darted down the steps, halting when he entered the pit.
Splinter's heart sank at the sight of his second eldest son standing in the entryway carrying his pale, lifeless brother in his arms. Raph kept his head up and leaned against his own plastron but the way his arm hung lowly at his side past Raph's hand made Splinter's body go cold.
"He's gone." Raph declared before swallowing hard. "Donnie's gone, sensei."
Splinter forced his legs to move towards them, but every step was like a cement block was placed on each foot. His gaze avoided his fatal injury and instead focused on his sealed eyes. Eyes that were filled with such light and hope now shut from the world forever.
"Where is Leonardo?" He chocked out.
"He's with Casey. He said they were on their way, but he hasn't told Leo." Raph answered.
Splinter nodded his head as he inhaled deeply, trying keep his head up before his sons. "Once they arrive, please notify me." He told him as he slipped his arms under Donatello's body and lifted him from Raph. Raph's hands followed under his brothers before Splinter had him settled in his arms.
"You should wash yourself off and tend to each other's wounds. After that you should all rest. This has been a hard mission for all of you, but you are safe now. I will take care of Donatello now. You have nothing to worry about." Splinter addressed them, trying to ignore the fact that Raphael's torso was completely covered in blood. Raph lowered his head in response, letting his arms fall to his side.
"Hai, sensei." He croaked.
With a nod of his head, Splinter retreated to Donatello's lab and shut the door behind him. He laid his son on the examination table, placing his hands on his torso.
How could he have done this to him? He knew Saki's hatred for him ran deep, but to take it out on such a young an innocent life? Oroku Saki was once his friend. His brother. But jealousy and rivalry had torn them apart and led to the demise of his wife and now his son.
His beautiful son.
He ran his hand down the top of his son's head softly, squeezing his eyes shut to keep himself from falling apart.
As much as he wanted to deny it, he knew this was going to happen. Saki doesn't take too kindly to people who betray him, he learned this when they lived in Japan. But a small piece wanted to believe that the Saki he grew up with was still in their somewhere. He wanted to believe that Saki would spare him because despite how intelligent and talented his third eldest son was he was still a child. A child who looked at the word with wide eyes and curiosity. A child who toke what man had deemed worthless and turned it into something extraordinary. A child who was born to be hated by the Shredder because of who he raised by and not because of who he was, never given a chance to prove to the world who he really was. He was brilliant, he was generous, he was kind, and most importantly he was brave.
He was his son.
He gathered an old wash rag and filled a bucket with water and began to clean the drying blood from his son's body.
Leonardo shouldn't have to see him like this.
None of them should have have had to see him like this.
As much as it sounded like it was coming from a small kid it was true, it wasn't fair. Donatello was innocent. He didn't deserve this, none of his children deserved this. This had been his fault and it was children who were being punished.
He should've been there, he should've take Donatello's place.
No.
No, this is not what Donatello wanted.
Donatello knew this was his fate and he knew this was going to happen. He wanted him to stay behind, despite how this mission was going to end.
He warned him himself.
Splinter's meditation was interrupted by the sound of his bedroom door being opened and then closed. It was very late at night and far past the time his sons should be in bed so this sudden trespass was much unexpected.
"I need to talk with you, sensei." Donatello requested as he stood in front of his closed bedroom door.
"It is very late, my son and based on your very sluggish performance during training you need rest. Can this not wait until morning?" Splinter asked.
"Sensei… Father, I've done something awful." He said as he knelt before him.
This entreated Splinter's attention, for it was rare that Donatello ever addressed to him as his father.
"What is it, my son?" he asked with concern.
"These past couple of weeks, well months by now, I've been working for the Shredder." Splinter sat up straight, his attention captured. "He's been holding me captive since that one night I came home late with those bruises and I told you I fell in the junkyard. He lets me go at the end of every night and then after dinner I go back to work on this weapon he wants me to build."
"My son, why did you not tell us this before?" The hurt in his voice made Donnie wince as he avoided his worried eyes.
"Because I got scared, sensei!" His voiced raised. "I got scared like a stupid fool and I did as he ordered. I made that stupid portal that he's unveiling and he's only unveiling it because of me because I messed up and now he's after me! I thought I could out smart him by reversing the weapon's main objective but he's found out my plan. He's trying to lure us in to get his revenge on me for betraying him."
"How does he know that the weapon doesn't work?" Splinter asked, confused.
"Because he knows everything! Every move I make, everything I say, everything I do! He said he knew that we lived in the sewers and that's all the information he needed to kill you guys if I told you what was happening or didn't go back every night. And now he knows that I've betrayed him. He tested the portal early and discovered that I tampered with it. He's going to find me and get his revenge for defying him. And now…I'm going to die." He admitted, his shoulders lowering at his realization. "I'm going to die."
"No you're not, my son. We'll figure a way out of this-we'll leave the city if we have to." Splinter confirmed.
"There's no way to avoid this, father. If we leave the city he'll unleash his weapon and kill everyone, and I'm not going to let thousands of people die for me. Shredder is determined to get his revenge on me now and you of all people know how determined he can be. I've delayed my fate as much as I can but now I think my time is finally up. Shredder's going to kill me tomorrow and there's no way I can avoid this."
"Please, Donatello, there must be something we can do to keep this from happening." Splinter's words were almost a plea.
"My fate is sealed, sensei. I just never thought I would go out this way… so soon."
Splinter lowered his head as he processed what his son was telling him.
His child was going to die at the hands of his enemy and there was nothing he could do to stop this from happening. All he could was listen to his son and obey his wishes.
"What is it that you want me to do?" he asked.
"I need you to pretend nothing is going to happen. I don't want the others to worry, if they find out then they'll try to stop this from happening and it will only put them in more danger. They can't know about this, any of this! They… they wouldn't understand." He responded disheartened.
"Thank you for telling me, my son. I will do as you ask me to." Splinter agreed.
Splinter's worried eyes watched as his eldest sons loaded the Shellraiser, preparing for their mission to infiltrate Shredder's lair. Their eyes were filled with such determination, such hope that they were going to succeed, but this mission wasn't going to be like the ones before.
He wanted to tell them. He wanted to keep them here and protect them from the evil that awaits them above ground because that was his job. He was their father and he was keeping them from knowing the dangers that they were about to experience. But, he respected Donatello's wishes, and his wish was for him not to say a word.
Not wanting to watch the torment of his sons preparing to leave, Splinter trudged to the dojo where he found his third eldest son.
Donatello sat on his knees, starring up at the tree that stretched up to the moonlight that shined through the grate in the ceiling. His mask hung around his neck and his bo staff laid before his knees.
Splinter quietly approached his son from behind and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"You're brothers are almost ready to leave." He told him.
Donnie toke in a deep breath before placing his staff in its holder and standing up to face his father.
"Show courage and determination. Show him that you're not afraid of him and that you are not afraid of death this will make you stronger than him despite the outcome. You are stronger than him Donatello, and I am so proud of you for being so brave and strong all this time."
Donnie lunged forward to wrap his arms around his father. Splinter returned the embrace, stroking the top of his troubled son's head.
"I love you, my son." Splinter told him.
"I love you too, father."
Donnie toke a step back and pulled his mask onto his face and over his eyes. "I am ready."
He ringed out the wash rag, dying the water red, and placed them in the sink to wash out later. Then he toke some white cloth and wrapped his son's torso with it.
When his son was clean he placed a white sheet over his body. Taking one last look at his young son's face, he placed a kiss on his forehead and placed the sheet over his head.
The sound of a motorcycle engine roared louder before going silent outside the lab.
Splinter covered his mouth with his hand, taking in a deep breath.
"Where is he? Where's Donnie?" He heard his eldest son scream from the other side of the door followed by low inaudible talking. Leonardo was home now and it was time for him to be there for the rest of his family.
Giving the covered body one last glance, he opened the lab doors to see Leonardo being blocked back by Raphael and April. His dark blue eyes quickly met his, open wide and pleading for his father to say something.
"Leonardo... I need to talk to you."