Chapter 3: Tech Support
A/N: Yay! Another chapter is here! I have to admit, I dread this one as I'm not that confident about writing Donatello as I am about writing the others, but this will be a good test to see if I can do it right. Thanks to all of those who have been kind enough to read, review, follow, and favorite this story. That means the world to me that you like this story so much. Thanks a million. I hope you enjoy this chapter, too.
Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters belong to Nickelodeon. I only own the plot and nothing more.
A lot of changes happened in our lives. I have noticed upon studying humans that many humans don't like change and often shy away from it. Master Splinter always taught us to embrace and flow with change. Easier said than done I guess depending on the change. I was the type to try to go with the flow, but so many changes kept happening, it was hard to keep up with them.
The first change was when Tony Salini left us. Granted, he had to do it because his uncle died and he was the next in line to take over the pizza shop, but it was the hardest thing ever for us. Tony was our friend, and it felt weird not having him in our lives anymore. Raph took it the hardest and felt it was a betrayal. He made a vow never to speak to Tony again. I felt that was too harsh, but that's the way Raph is sometimes. He's notorious for holding grudges against anybody as long as he feels it's necessary. I didn't feel like Tony deserved it though because he didn't have a choice. Still, it was really quiet without him there with us. Mikey also took it hard because he was very fond of Tony and liked him as more than a friend. For a few weeks, Mikey just stayed in his room and sobbed over Tony's absence. I felt bad for him, but there was nothing I could do even though I tried to comfort him. Mikey just wouldn't be comforted. Leo and I took it in stride because we understood why Tony did it. We knew he felt bad about it because of the look on his face. But life sometimes hands you obstacles you can't change no matter what, and this was one of those times.
Another change was when April left for college. This was a change I had been dreading every time she mentioned she wanted to go to college. I was hoping she would study at NYU so she could still be close, but April was the type to want to go on an adventure and not stay close to home. She figured since her dad was okay now it was time for her to move on, so she left for California. I didn't want her to leave me, but at the same time, I couldn't force her to stay. It wouldn't be right. And considering that we weren't an official couple (not that she had ever been mine to begin with), there was no reason to keep her here in New York. She said goodbye to me and said she'd Skype me and e-mail me when she got the chance, and I had to be thankful for that. Since then, I've gotten a few e-mails and a few Skype calls, and while it's good to hear her and see her face, it's not the same as having her here. This is one change I wasn't prepared for and I know Casey wasn't either. But neither of us had a claim on her, so she was free to do as she pleased. I loved her enough to grant her that request because I didn't own her and didn't want to be one of those guys who controlled her. But it wasn't the same as having her touch my cheek and running my hands through her hair. It wasn't the same thing as having her in my lab with me while I worked on a project. But it was something I had to deal with, so I did.
The next change was when Leo decided to go to Japan with Karai. Things hadn't been going well between Leo and Raph, and I couldn't understand why. Sure, those two fought sometimes, but they always made up for it. This time it didn't seem like they would ever make up the fight. I tried to be the peacemaker and talk to both of them, but they didn't listen to me. I wasn't happy that Leo was leaving, but I knew it was the only way for him to get any peace of mind away from Raph. So while I understood the change, I didn't like it and wished it didn't have to happen for our family to remain whole. So Leo left and we tried to go through the motions of doing what we did before, but it wasn't the same. I wanted purpose in my life and while I didn't hate being a ninja, it just wasn't the same without the four of us.
Then I received a call from April that changed the way I looked at things. I was in my lab going over some notes when my computer beeped, indicating that I had a call. I logged onto Skype and saw that it was April.
"Hey, April, how's it going?" I asked her.
"Pretty good, Donnie," she answered. "How are you?"
"Could be better," I answered. Then I filled her in on what had been going on since she left.
"Wow!" she said. "No wonder you're on edge. Well, I wanted to let you know that I found a job that would be perfect for you. It's a tech support job where you work from home and help people fix things. One of my friends from college told me about it, and I immediately thought of you since you're so good at fixing things."
"Thanks, April, but I'm not that good at it," I said bitterly. "I can't even fix the cracks in my own family."
"Donnie, don't say that," she begged. "It's not your fault these things have happened. And this is all the more better for you taking the job. It'll give you a sense of purpose now that Raph's gone his way and Mikey's got his party business to start. I think it would be good for you, so you should take it."
"You really think so?" I asked her.
She nodded. "Yeah, I do. It'll make you feel better about everything that's going on."
"Well, if you insist, I suppose I should give it a shot," I replied. "Thanks for this, April. I owe you one."
"No, you don't owe me anything," she said. "I'm glad to help you out. I miss you and I wish I could be there."
"I know, but you need your education. Do you like college?"
"Oh, I love it. It's just so awesome, and I've made a lot of good friends."
"Well, that's good."
"Yeah, but there's only one problem."
"And what's that?"
"None of those friends are you, Donnie. They're nice and funny and smart, but they aren't you. No one can hold a candle to you, Hamato Donatello. I know it's not fair of me to say that, but it's true."
"And no one can hold a candle to you, April O'Neil," I replied. I knew I shouldn't be saying that or thinking these thoughts, but I couldn't help it. April made my world complete, and it was hard for me to be away from her. I constantly worried about her safety even though she was now a kunoichi and could handle herself just fine. It was just a matter of being overprotective even though I had no right to be that way.
"Well, I better get going. I have to work on a term project with my group. I'll talk to you later, okay?"
"Okay," I said. "Have fun with your group."
She laughed. "Thanks," she said. "Have fun with this job."
"I will," I said. "Wait, is there anything I need to know about it?"
"I e-mailed you the details, so you should check it and see if it works out," she answered.
"Okay, I'll go do that. Talk to you later."
"Talk to you later. Bye."
The screen went blank, and I closed out of Skype and logged on to my e-mail to see what April had given me. The link seemed pretty straightforward, and I immediately went through the application process without a hitch. I wasn't sure if this job was going to be the key to helping me deal with all of the changes surrounding us, but it was worth a shot.
A few days later, I heard back from the site and was accepted as a tech support representative. It made me feel good to know I had a purpose in life and that I could use my knowledge for something.
If only I could do the same for my family.
22222
"This is Donatello speaking. How may I help you?"
"Yeah, my Internet keeps disconnecting on me every time I try to log on, and I don't know why."
"Have you tried reconnecting?"
"Yeah, but it keeps doing the same thing."
"Okay, shut down the computer and reboot it. Maybe that'll help."
After a few minutes, the woman said, "Yeah, that worked. Thanks for your help."
"Always glad to be of service. Have a nice day."
Another call came in not two seconds later.
"Hello, this is Donatello. How may I help you?"
"When I put my computer on this morning, it started smoking. What's up with that?"
"Your fan may not be working anymore, so you'll have to get a new one."
"Okay, can you order me a new fan?"
"I'm sorry, but we don't do that here. We're merely tech support. You would have to go to Best Buy for something like that."
"Well, why can't you do it?"
"Because we don't do that. We merely help people with their technical problems and give them instructions."
"Seems to me that if you're a tech support service you would be able to purchase a new fan for me."
"Well, I can't, so I'm really sorry, sir. You'll just have to go to Best Buy or a computer shop for that."
"You know what? Fuck you and fuck your company. I'm never doing business with you again!"
I sighed as the caller hung up. Sometimes I hated this job with a passion, but it was the only thing keeping me going on some days. When my shift was over, I logged out and put my stuff away. I exited my lab and ran into Raph who was just coming home from yet another patrol with the Mighty Mutanimals.
"Hey, Raph, glad to see you're in one piece," I joked.
He glared at me. "Have fun with your little tech job?" he asked.
"Yeah, I really like it," I lied.
"It's ridiculous," he said. "You're just tryin' to be somethin' you're not."
"At least I'm trying to earn some money for our family," I retorted. "What are you doing to earn a living?"
"Takin' care of crime like we should be," he answered. "I may not get paid like you do, but at least I'm still doin' what Splinter trained us to do."
"Yeah because Splinter trained us to look for a fight," I said sarcastically.
"Screw you, Donnie," he spat. "I don't need this!" Then he stormed to his room.
I sighed and went to my own room to try and catch up on sleep. Raph was wearing on my nerves, and I was getting tired of fighting with him. I could see why Leo left, and for a moment, I wished that I could leave too. It wasn't any fun being here with the family like this. Why did everything have to fall apart so quickly? What had happened to us?
22222
The smell of bacon and eggs woke me up out of a sound sleep, and I knew Mikey was cooking breakfast. I got up and made my way to the kitchen. Sure enough, Mikey was cooking and greeted me with a smile.
"Hey, D, nice to see you up," he said. "So, how's it going?"
"Good," I answered. "How was your latest party?"
"Pretty good although the kids beat me up a little," he replied. "I never thought kids could be so brutal."
I smiled at him. "Well, maybe you shouldn't have introduced them to the toy nunchucks," I told him. "Maybe then they wouldn't beat you up."
"I thought it was a cool idea," he protested. "And it's better than them being real. Just imagine what would have happened then."
"You better hope they don't grab onto your real ones then," I teased him.
"They won't, bro," he reassured me. "I always have those stashed in the van."
I was about to say more when Splinter walked in. We both smiled and bowed to him.
"Good morning, my sons," he greeted us.
"Good morning, Sensei," we chorused.
"Where is Raphael this morning?" he asked us.
"He's probably still in bed," I answered. "Do you want me to wake him up?"
"Yes, practice will be starting soon," he said.
I knew it wasn't a good idea to wake Raph, but when Splinter told us to do something we did it no questions asked. I got out of my chair and made my way to Raph's room. Ignoring the Stop sign on the door, I knocked loudly.
"Raph, it's time to get up," I said. "Sensei wants you downstairs."
No answer save for a loud snore.
Sighing in exasperation, I opened the door and went into my brother's room. He was in bed out like a light. This definitely wasn't good. I went over to his bed and shook him.
"Raph, it's time to get up," I said. "If you don't get up, Sensei's gonna make you do flips." I shook him one more time and that's when I got a reaction. Before I could process anything, I was thrown across the room and landed in a heap next to his wall.
"What the hell do you think you're doin', Donnie?" he demanded.
"I'm doing what Splinter told me to do," I replied. "Sensei wants you downstairs so we can have practice after breakfast."
"Who died and made you leader?" he retorted.
"Nobody, and I thank the stars for that," I said. "Let's go."
Grumbling, Raph followed me downstairs. He didn't have any eggs or bacon but opted for cereal instead. Mikey served me some food, and we all ate. Mikey tried to inject some conversation into the meal, but nobody was really willing to even talk to him. Raph just leveled him with a glare that would have killed Mikey on the spot if looks could kill, making Mikey wilt in his seat. Seriously, Raph had a problem, and I wasn't sure if I was equipped to handle it.
Practice was a disaster. Now that we were down one Turtle, we could no longer spar the usual way. That meant that two of us would have to spar while one of us sat out. I was hoping I'd be the odd Turtle out, but not today. Splinter had me sparring with Raph while Mikey sat out. Yeah, this definitely wasn't going to go well. Mikey sat out while the two of us got ready to spar. We bowed to each other and Splinter gave us the command to begin.
Right away, Raph tried to tackle me, but I dodged him and leveled an attack of my own. He narrowly missed getting hit on the head which caused him to get mad and get even rougher with me than usual. I managed to counter his attacks and tripped him up with my bo, causing him to fall on his face. Before he could get up, I pinned him and leveled my bo at his neck, ending the match.
"Yame!' Splinter called. "Well done, Donatello. I see you have gained a lot of confidence. Raphael, it seems you are losing focus. Perhaps it would be best if you did not get home so late at night."
"Why should we even do this anymore, Sensei?" Raph asked. "We already know it all."
Splinter leveled him with a stern look. "There are many things you know, that is true," he conceded. "However, there are still things you need to learn, and that is why we still practice. I am not going to let you boys fall behind just because Leonardo is not here. Now is not the time to slack off, my son."
"Whatever," Raph muttered. "I still think it's stupid."
Splinter struck the floor with his walking stick. "That is enough!" he chastised. "It is not up to you to tell me when you have stopped learning. Ten flips. Now!"
Raph sighed and went to the corner to begin his punishment. Once he was done, he stormed out and went to his room. Mikey went to the pit to watch TV, and I was about to go to my lab when Splinter stopped me.
"Donatello, I would like a word with you," he said.
Wondering what this could be about, I followed my father into his chambers. He sat down, and I sat across from him, my eyes roving around to look at the room. I hadn't been in here for some time, and I couldn't help feeling that maybe I was in trouble for something.
Sensing my thoughts, Splinter smiled at me. "I am not here to scold you, my son," he said gently. "You did well today, and I am proud of you. However, I do feel that Raphael is taking your brother's absence the hardest out of all of you."
"It's been hard for all of us, Master Splinter," I corrected him. "And I think Tony's absence is to blame, too."
"Yes, but I think this has more to do with Leonardo," he answered. "Raphael is lost without your brother, and it is taking a toll on him and causing him to behave in a manner that is very distressing to me. That is why I feel that you need to keep an eye on him. This team needs a leader, and I feel that since Leonardo is not here that you will make a fine leader yourself."
I gaped at his words. "But, Sensei, I've never led anyone before," I protested. "And wasn't the agreement that if Leo wasn't able to lead that Raph would take his place? After all, Raph is second in command."
"Yes, but Raphael's mental state is such that leading would be impossible for him to do," he replied. "Therefore it will be up to you to take your brother's place, Donatello. I feel that Leonardo would have wanted it to be this way."
"I don't think that's a good idea, Sensei," I said. "I just don't think I'd be fit for the job."
"There is no shame in trying, my son," he said gently. "Both you and Leonardo are good strategists, and that is what is needed in a leader. I know you do not want to do this, but you have no choice, my son. You must do this for your brothers. They are counting on you."
I wanted to refuse. I wanted to shout out this wasn't fair to put this burden on me so quickly and so soon. But I knew that Splinter had a point. Raph wasn't in any fit state to be the leader, and Mikey definitely wouldn't be a good fit with his short attention span. That left me to take the role that my older brother had cherished for so long. I knew it would be a challenge, but this was the best thing for all of us.
I sighed. "Okay," I said. "I accept, Sensei."
"Good," he said. "Then it is settled. You may go now."
I left his room and went to my lab, knowing that I had signed up for something I wasn't ready for. It was just another reminder of how I had to fix this family, though I knew that it was going to be a monumental task. Shaking that thought out of my head, I turned on my computer, ready to face the onslaught of customers I had to lead and help with their problems. I would deal with this when the time came, but I had to focus on my job first. Then I would worry about patrol.
22222
I was ready for patrol early and saw that Mikey was ready too. Last to come out was Raph, who grumbled about the whole thing and how pointless it was.
"I was supposed to patrol with Slash," he complained.
"You can't just abandon your brothers, Raph," I insisted. "You have a priority with us, too."
"Well, I wish I didn't," he grumbled.
I ignored him and led them to the surface. I scanned the building, looking for signs of activity just like Leo would do. Then I turned to my brothers, a serious look on my face. "Okay, Raph you take west, Mikey, you take east, I'll take north and then we'll meet up here and patrol south together."
"Wait, you're letting Mikey go off alone?" Raph asked. "We always go in pairs."
"Yes, but since we have only three of us instead of four, I decided it would be better to go alone for the first half of patrol," I answered.
"But what if something happens to him?" Raph asked.
"He has his T-Phone, Raph, and as long as it's on, I can track him," I replied. "You worry too much. Besides, you're all about going it alone nowadays. Why would this be a problem to you?'
"I'm not worried about me, Shell Brain!" he snapped. "I just don't think it's right for Mikey to go off alone."
"Dude, it's gonna be okay," Mikey said. "I can handle myself. I'm not a little kid, Raph."
"You know how you are when your focus is challenged," he retorted. "You'd probably run into a Foot Ninja and get creamed."
"Raph, that's enough," I said, injecting as much authority in the words as I could. "I've made my decision, and that's final. Mikey will go off alone and we'll meet back up here later."
"Well, you know what? I think your leadership sucks, Donnie. I'm tired of this team. I'm gonna go patrol with a team who knows what they're doing. Later." And before I could say anything, he backflipped off the roof and disappeared.
Mikey put a hand on my shoulder. "Don't sweat it, D," he said gently. "Raph will come back. Let's just patrol together and forget about him."
"Yeah, you're right," I said. Then I smiled. "Race you!" I took off and could hear him following me. But despite my words and how I tried to hide my fear from Mikey, I knew that this wasn't the way things should be. Raph should be patrolling with us, not the Mighty Mutanimals. As much as I liked the team myself, it wasn't right for Raph to abandon us for them. I knew Leo would be ashamed of me and how I failed to keep Raph in line. Leo would have been more persistent while I just let him go without forcing him to come back. This definitely wasn't a good start to my stint as leader, and I had a feeling that things weren't going to get better any time soon.
A/N: And that's the end of another chapter. You know, that wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. I'm getting the hang of writing Donnie now. Next up will be Mikey's chapter and we'll see how he's taking all of this. Feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.