It wasn't often that anyone heard loud music coming from a particularly intelligent turtle's lab. But when the three brothers did hear music from the fourth on such occasions, it normally wasn't a good sign.
It was a particularly bad night for them. They had failed to save April's father from the Krang, and the brothers knew Donatello had taken it the worst. After they had dropped April home and returned to the lair, the smart ninja immediately locked himself in his lab. It wasn't until Sensei was filled in with everything that Raph, Leo, and Mikey all heard the raspy sounds of Nickleback playing from the lab. "Rockstar" was currently ringing through the doors and into the hall. Sensei excused himself, saying something about meditation, leaving the other three brothers alone. It was a few moments before one spoke up.
"Poor Donnie," Mikey frowned. "He's really taking this hard."
Leo nodded. "You know how much April means to him."
"Yea, well I think he needs to snap out of it."
Leo glanced at his hot-headed brother, ready to snap at such a remark, but quieted upon looking at him. Though Raph's tone was a bit harsh, the sincere concern in his bright green eyes gave him away.
"I agree," Mikey jumped up. "I say we go talk to him."
"I think he just wants to be left alone right now..."
"Can it Leo!" Raph stood alongside Mikey. "Lets go see what's going on in that smart head of his."
Leo hesitated as the song "If today was your last day" started playing. With a sigh of defeat, he nodded.
"Alright. But we need to have a plan of attack, or he'll just push us away."
The brothers nodded and huddled closer together, trying to think of a way to cheer their brother up.
Donnie sat at his desk staring blankly into his computer. Nothing was displayed; he wasn't even working on anything. It had become such a habit for the turtle to be staring into his computer screen that even now he couldn't tear himself away from it. Donnie sighed and tried to drown his thoughts in his music, turning it up a bit louder. He knew Sensei wouldn't mind, and he was fairly sure his brothers would get the message that he wanted to be left alone...
His thoughts were inturuped by a sudden knock at the door. The purple masked brother scowled to himself and simply turned his music up a little louder, drowning the sound out. None of his brothers had any injuries that evening. They would surely get the memo now. Donnie leaned back into his chair and closed his eyes, letting the song "Lullaby" wash over him.
Without warning the volume drastically turned down. The sudden lack of noise caused to Donnie to jump up quickly from his restful position; and face to face with his three brothers. Rusty eyes narrowed into a glare at the three turtles before him.
"What are you doing in here?"
"We knocked dude, and you didn't answer," Mikey answered innocently. "We wanted to make sure you were okay."
"I'm fine!" Donnie snapped. "I don't like people just barging into my lab uninvited though."
"Well you weren't answerin'," Raph crossed his arms in a typical tough guy manner. The hot-headed turtle's glare rivaled Donnie's at that moment. Sensing a fight, Leo casually stepped between them and placed a hand on Donnie's shoulder.
"Donnie, we know you're having a tough time with the mission tonight. You do know we are here for you, right?"
Donnig shook Leo's hand off his shoulders and walked over to the med table. "I told you guys I'm fine."
Leo sighed and glanced back at the other two. Mikey clearly looked like all hope for the evening was lost. He had even lost his child-like gleam in his eyes. And Raph... well, Raph's eyes said it all. While he still held a pretty firm glare toward Donnie, Raph's eyes had glistened over with dispare and worry. Leo desperately wracked his brains for something to help their brother. Looking up, the brothers saw Donnie fiddling with the straps on the table, normally reserved for special cases where Raph was freaking out or when Mikey had to get a shot. And suddenly, it hit Leo. The eldest turned toward his other brothers again and smirked. Mikey and Raph instantly got the same idea and nodded.
Donnie was too busy in his own mind to hear Leo, Raph, and Mikey sneaking toward him. It wasn't until Raph shouted "Get 'em!" that he knew something was going down. It took almost no time before the genius found himself on his own med table, strapped down by the arms, wrists, and ankles. The other three flicked on a light over head and so that they could get a better view on their brother as he struggled in his binds.
"I SWEAR TO GOD IF YOU DON'T LET ME GO THIS INSTANT I'LL... I'LL!"
"You'll what?" Raph leaned over the table, ginning absolutely evilly at his younger sibling. "I don't think you're in any position to make threats..."
If looks could kill Leo, Mikey, and Raph would've been vaporized at that very moment in time. Donnie struggled against the bonds again as the other two brothers inched closer. The smart-guy huffed.
"So, why exactly am I trapped in my own lab?"
Mikey smirked. "You're the smart one Donnie, figure it out," he finished with a small poke to the turtle's side.
Donnie half gasped half giggled the second Mikey's finger touched his skin.
"You guys wouldn't..."
"Oh, but we would," Raph grinned cracking his knuckles.
"This is for your own good Donnie," Leo replied.
And with that the brothers attacked.
Donnie's laughter howled as he struggled to free himself from his trap. Mikey had taken a spot above the purple turtle's head, lightly tickling Donnie's neck, reaching for his collar bones once in a while earning a high pitched shriek. Raph was busy playing Donnie's sides like a piano, shooting up to tickle under his arms off and on. And Leo had the purple clad turtle's feet, toes, and knees pretty much tied up.
"HEHEHEHE GUYS STAHP! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHA! I-I-I CAN'T TAKE IT! HEHEHEHEHEHEHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Donnie was in a writhing mess, tears of mirth pouring out of his eyes. The other three laughed at his pleas, surprised how ticklish Donnie really was. They remembered their genius brother was SUPER ticklish when they were kids, but it had seemed that nothing had changed. It was different to hear their smart brother laugh; it wasn't a common sound as of late.
After a few minutes of tickle torture, Leo glanced up at his partners in crime and grinned. Raph and Mikey nodded and soon went in for the kill. Leo lightly but quickly scratched all of his fingers across Donnie's foot and toes, a well known ticklish spot for their poor patient. Raph grinned and began to lightly grab at Donnie's hips; earning shriek after shrieking laughter. Mikey altered his position, using one hand to tickle across Donnie's collar bones and the other to alter his underarms.
"ACK! NONONONONONOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Donnie screamed before dissolving into even more uncontrollable laughter. As Donnie wriggled and struggled, he felt his energy slipping away from him, and after a few minutes Donnie could no longer struggle; just lay and laugh at his fate. Leo instantly noticed when Donnie was running out of energy, and glanced at his brothers. Raph and Mikey were already slowing their tickling until all that was left was a giggling Donnie. Leo smirked as he too stopped his tickling and started to release Donnie. Once freed from his binds, Donnie slid onto the floor and wrapped his arms around his sides, still giggling a bit uncontrollably.
"That was SO not fair!" Donnie said as he re-gained his strength and composure.
"Hehe! Sorry Donnie. We didn't know what else to do bro," Mikey grinned and pulled Donnie into a one-armed hug.
"I hate to admit it, but I do feel better," Donnie smiled.
"I knew it would help," Raph grinned as Leo rolled his eyes.
"But you know what would make me feel even better?"
All three brother's stopped in their tracks. "What?"
Donnie smirked. "How about a fair fight?"
Donnie quickly grabbed Mikey from behind and began tickling the youngest brother's sides. Instantly, Mikey squealed and quickly fell to the floor, trying to curl into a protective ball. Raph out of no where put Leo in a headlock and started swiping his fingers across the leader's neck, while Leo began tickling Raph's sides. Soon it was nothing but a mess of tickling turtles as each one grabbed whoever they could find to tickle, earning a form of laughter from each one.
Unknown to them, a wise set of eyes had fallen upon the turtles. Sensei gazed from the open door of the lab at his sons playing. He knew he should be getting after them for disturbing his meditation with the noise. But it was so rare for his sons to bond like this. And after the night Donatello had, Sensei could tell he needed this time most of all. Silently, he closed the door to the lab, blocking most of the sounds of laughter from within. With a smile he slowly made his way back to the dojo to continue his evening meditation.