Donatello had always been a quiet soul, never wanting to burden the world with his own problems as he tried to fix others'. But today all the teen wanted to do was break down and cry... April, the girl he'd loved since the day he first saw her, had saw fit to let her mutant suitor down. And rather harshly at that.

As Donnie sat alone in his lab he sighed. Looking over one of his machines, as if to find some problem to fix, the brainiac didn't really see it there. All he could find were the words she'd said to him...

"Donnie... You have to give this up. You're seriously creeping me out. I mean, do you honestly think I would date some freaky, giant turtle? Besides... I'm with Casey. "

'Freak'

Don held his head in his hands, struggling to keep a hold of his usually well managed emotions.

'Creep'

He shot out of his chair, pacing as he continued bottling his feelings.

'Casey'

The turtle lost himself briefly, smashing one of his mechanical projects. He was happy no one checked in at the noise. His face, usually calm or happy, was contorted in pain and anger.

"I need to take a walk... Try and calm myself away from the others."

Once an emotionless visage was put on the scientist started on his way out of the lair. He considered himself lucky none of the guys asked where he was going, not wishing to lie to his brothers. And once he was a decent ways away from the lair he let the facade fall, struggling to breathe steadily as he cried.

Donnie's choice soon proved to be unwise when the kraang ambushed him. So far from the lair that his cries for help went unheard, so consumed by depression he'd not noticed them coming, so upset he'd left his equipment at the lair... The ninja never stood a chance.

TMNTTMNTTMNTTMNTTMNTTMNT

"Donatello?"

A strange, familliar voice called the mutant teen back to conciousness.

"Donatello!"

Said turtle groaned and forced his eyes open, what he say made him jump. In the cell connected to his was an old acquaintance, Leatherhead. The gator's slitted golden eyes looked at him with worry from the other side of a thick glass wall.

"Leatherhead?! You... You're alive?!" Donnie exclaimed, a mixture of shock and relief visable on his face. His cellmate smiled and nodded in response "I am... Very thick skinned..."

The two sat in silence a while, as if trying to figure out if the other was real or not.

The mood was soon changed not by either of them, but by the kraang. Donnie's eyes grew wide as a hissing sound came from the vent in his side of the cell. He was being gassed! LH seemed more upset than him, now trying fruitlessly to smash the barrier between them.

Donnie slumped to the ground as the gas started to run its course, looking at the colossal mutant furiously trying to save him. As his world was going dark, and the kraang entered to grab him, he struggled to look at the gator.

"DONATELLO!"