Alternate ending-This is what would have happened if Donnie had escaped. If I hear demand for it, I can do another Alternate ending where Donnie does not survive his injuries from hostage.

Donnie raced down the halls of the Foot Clan stronghold. Every one of his injuries painfully protested with every step. His muscles still felt numb from being electrocuted several times by the personal thunder storm that he had experienced in his cell, not more than an hour before the Shredder paid him a visit. It made actual movement difficult causing him to stumble and nearly collapse more than once.

In truth Donnie hadn't been able to do much to avoid the man-made lightning. His phobia of thunder kept him rooted to one spot, clutching his head in his hands as he curled in a ball and rocked himself trying to keep from panicking. His fear of thunder was a phobia he had had since he was ten years old…maybe longer than that. One fortunate thing about living in the sewers your whole life is that most of the time you weren't all that aware of the weather outside thankfully making thunderstorms a rare experience. But whenever one was bad enough, loud enough to echo through the tunnels of the sewers, he would freeze up in fright. To this day Leo was the only one who knew, and his older had always been there to comfort him, until now at least.

Up ahead, Donnie could see a door marked emergency exit. His vision was blurry from exhaustion and all the abuse he had undergone since his capture. But he could still make out the cautionary sticker on the doors push bar. 'WARNING: Emergency Exit, Alarm will sound.'

He could hear the Foot Soldiers several yards behind him while he raced to his freedom. This was his only chance, his only chance to return to his family. The emergency door was coming closer…and closer. Donatello reached out to push through the door…he was actually going to make it. ~Don't worry, Father…Leo…April…Mikey…Raph….I'll be home soon!~

Slamming into the door he nearly tumbled face first onto the city street as the alarm blared behind him warning the entire complex that the emergency door was used. It was day light out so he needed to move fast if he wanted to get away from this place. Using what strength he had left he leapt for a fire escape attached to the nearest building and climbed to the roof, keeping alert for his pursuers and praying he didn't meet any one like Fishface, Dogpound, or Karai. He was in no condition to fight any of them. Quickly scanning his surroundings he saw he was on the east side close to the river. That was where he would head, there were sewer pipes that drained off into the river and he could use those to get home.

The screech of the door opening and the alarm blaring behind him told him his pursuers were not far behind. Donnie didn't pause for breath or look back to see if any had followed him to the roof. He made a break for the river it was his only chance of escape. Focusing on the faces of his brothers, sensei, and his beloved April he kept moving using every ounce of stamina in his body.

A shuriken suddenly imbedded itself in the tar paper at his feet. Looking up to the roof of the building's water tower, Donnie was dismayed but not surprised to see Karai. Dogpound and Fishface were like too conspicuous for day light, or Karai felt she was more than enough to handle a weakened Turtle. He was so close to the river, it was only feet away.

"That's as far as you get, Turtle." Karai hissed.

"I don't want to fight you, Karai." Donatello stated knowing that in his weakened state he was no match for her. He remembered Leo had expressed the belief there was something in Karai that was good. And as much as he believed that Leo was fooling himself, he also wanted to believe that Leo's hunch was right.

"Even if you could fight me, there's little chance of escape." Karai smirked. "I could slit your throat right now. After all, your brother Leonardo betrayed me and tried to kill my father. It's only fitting that I repay the debt in kind."

"We only attacked your father because he wants my brothers, sensei, and I dead." Donnie answered.

"Of course…" Karai growled like a tigress. "The Shredder wants vengeance for what your master has taken from him fifteen years ago. A desire I want to see fulfilled. Every moment your master breaths my father's honor is stained further."

"If you truly believe in honor…then what do you call this." Donnie stated as he pointed to the bruises and gashes on his body.

"A means to an end" Karai scoffed. "It's your teacher honor you should question, not mine. If you knew what sort of things your Master has done to my father, you'd leave your brothers and pledge yourself to be with the Foot."

"I don't know what sort of life you've had with the Shredder." Donnie stated walking slightly forward keeping his eyes trained on Karai. He could see the approaching Foot Soldiers a building away, confirming that Karai was there to hinder his escape. They didn't approach as they waited for Karai to give the signal. "But the Splinter I know would never torture an enemy or an innocent to get information. There is no honor in causing harm to another, whatever the purpose." The injured Turtle backed towards the edge of the building. There was a five foot walk way between the building they were standing on and the east river. His steps were slow and he used his dropping adrenalin to his advantage appearing weak. He'd have to chance falling instead of jumping.

"Where was your Master's honor when he took my mother from me?!" Karai challenged. Donnie paused…Splinter killing the mother of a young child. That didn't seem right; the Splinter he knew would never have harmed an innocent woman. There had to be more to the story then what the Shredder had told his own daughter...unless… Karai was never Shredder's daughter to begin with. And now that he thought about it, Karai did have some characteristic features that seemed eerily familiar. Features he had seen in a photo he had seen every single day of his life.

"Seize him!" Karai ordered the Foot Soldiers. The soldiers rushed forward, some of them throwing weapons such as shuriken and kunai at the young turtle in an attempt to disable his escape. Donnie pretended to stumble over the edge of the building falling to the walk way below. He felt one ankle turn when he landed, but he couldn't focus on it now as he rushed to the railing and jumped into the East River. Like before he didn't look behind him to see how far his enemies were behind him, several shuriken flew at him some bouncing harmlessly off his shell. Other missed their mark but were lucky enough to graze the flesh of his arms, legs, and occasionally his face. He had just climbed over the fence and was going to dive into the East River when a sudden pain in his left shoulder caught him off guard. A kunai had imbedded itself in the shoulder joint of his arm. Losing his footing he pitched forward and plunged into the river water below.

The cold water was a shock to his system as he crashed through the surface. Every instinct in his body told him to get to the surface for air, but he forced himself to ignore it as he let the water carry him away from the Foot; away from Karai. It felt like forever before he dared to resurface allowing his lungs to fill themselves with sweet, sweet air. He didn't see the Foot or Karai anywhere, which was good but he wasn't going to ignore the probability that he was still being watched or that further danger still lurked in the water. Catching hold of a drainage pipe he pulled himself out of the river, favoring his injured shoulder. He wanted to pull the kunai out of the wound, but that wasn't a wise decision. While the injury itself could only be a flesh wound, there was a likelihood of bleeding to death before he reached the lair.

Struggling to his feet he took off in a limping run he would sometimes take pipes that doubled back to help throw off anyone who may have been following. It was when the familiar track way and the sight of those all too familiar turnstiles that he felt the adrenaline rush that had been carrying him through his escape ebbing away. He was becoming weak and light headed making the lair feel like it was fifty miles away instead of fifty yards.

He could hear the sound of Leo's favorite Space Heroes movie playing. Something the 'Leader in Blue' always turned to when he was distressed. His footsteps were becoming more wobbly but he continued on forward using the wall for support. He was so close to home…he couldn't pass out now…not while he was just feet away from home. He heard the video go silent as April said something to Leo. He couldn't hear what it was, due to the exhaustion causing everything sounded distorted. A fierce wave of dizziness over took him as his whole body went numb and everything around him seemed to blur until he pitched forward and was lost in the blackness of unconsciousness.


"Leo" Leonardo looked up at April, muting the video as he noticed the horrified look in her eyes.

"What's wrong April?" Leo asked in concern.

"I think I just found out how the Foot knew Donnie would in the Military Junkyard last night." April gasped.

"What?! How?!" Leo was instantly on his feet.

"I was retrieving a pen that had rolled under the ShellRaiser when I discovered a listening device on one of the back wheels." April answered. "They must have heard Donnie say he was going to the junk yard and that's…."

"That's how they knew he'd be there!" Leo growled in answered as he marched towards his brother's laboratory. Storming into the room he picked up the microphone he was going to make the demand of having Dogpound lead them to their brother when he heard the sound of something large hit the floor in the tunnel just outside the lair. Clutching the microphone he went to the garage entrance to see what it was, one hand reaching up for one of his swords in case it was a threat.

Peeking out of the garage entrance he glanced out, but didn't see any one. Stepping further out into the tunnel he scanned about looking for a threat. Again he didn't see anything, it was when he was turning back into the lab that he noticed something green lying on the ground several feet from the lair. His heart did a jump and he unconsciously crushed the microphone in his hand as he numbly started forward; letting the broken remains of the tiny electronic device slip from his fingers. His eyes trained on the figure lying on the ground.

"Leo?" April asked in concern as the blue masked turtle appeared at the turnstiles. His blue eyes focused on something up ahead that she couldn't see just yet.

"Get Raph and Splinter right now!" Leo answered in a rush before he ran to whatever he had been noticed within the tunnels. "It's Donnie…" April didn't need further encouragement as she rushed to the dorm rooms.

Leo knelt down beside the unconscious figure of his younger brother, a million questions and emotions flying through his mind at once. How was he able to escape? What did the Shredder do to him? Was anyone following him? Would he be alright? Was he even alive? To ease his mind, Leo reached down checking Donnie's throat for a pulse. He smiled in relief when he felt a gentle thrum between his fingers. It was slower and threadier then he liked, but Donnie was alive…for now at least. His blue eyes raked over Donatello's body as he carefully rolled him over onto one side resting his younger brother's head on his lap. There was hardly an inch of Donnie's olive green skin that wasn't discolored with bruising or marred by burns or cuts and scratches. One leg looked swollen but didn't seem broken; it was possible that it was sprained, twisted, or fractured. The kunai in Donnie's shoulder bothered him somewhat. Leo wanted to pull it out, but didn't dare. There was a chance the blade of the throwing knife had sliced into an artery, removing it could result in Donatello bleeding to death.

"Donnie!" Raph cried his brother's name he jumped over the turnstiles and rushed to where Leo was kneeling. Mikey following close behind.

"Donnie?" Mikey asked softly as he knelt beside the unconscious form of his immediate older brother; his innocent blue eyes taking in the depravity of Shredders malice towards his family. "Is…is he?"

"He's alive…" Leo answered as he placed a comforting hand on his baby brother's shell as though trying to reassure him that everything will be alright. "But who knows what sort of hell he's been through just to get here."

"Come on" Raph stated as he carefully gathered Donatello's body into his arms. "Let's get him home."


"Set him down." Splinter said his three sons entered the lair once again, his strongest son cradling the body of his smartest son in his arms. Leo branched off to go retrieve the first aid kit. April stood by holding a quilt in her arms, her eyes saddened and horrified as she took in all that damage inflicted on her mutant friends body. When he came back Leo saw Splinter had removed the Kunai from Donatello's shoulder. The wound bled openly, but Splinter reassured Raphael, Michelangelo, and April that was fortunately just a flesh wound. But the blade had not been far from cutting though an artery, so it easily could have been a lot worse.

"I can't believe he managed to escape the Shredder." Mikey commented with awe.

"Yeah," Raph agreed. "We had difficulty taking on the Shredder with just the four of us."

"The Shredder is a cunning adversary," Splinter stated as he began dressing the shoulder injury. "But he is blinded by his anger and his hatred towards me. And that is where his weakness lies."

"And now that one of you has managed to escape him," April pointed out. "He won't be careless enough to allow any opportunity to escape next time."

"There won't be a next time." Leo firmly said. "I won't allow it."

"Holding enemies hostage is not customary of the Shredder." Splinter sighed as he finished dressing the shoulder wound and carefully rolled Donatello over so he was lying on his shell. Mikey placing a pillow underneath Donatello's head as Splinter tended to the rest of Donatello's injuries. "I doubt he will consider that option again."

"I should do a sweep though the sewers." Leo stated feeling helpless. He wanted to beat in the Shredder's skull for everything that had been done to his brother…to his family. But vengeance would have to come later, for now they had to make sure that none of the Foot we're wondering around. "Just to make sure he wasn't followed."

"Count me in." Raph agreed. "I hope I find one of those Foot-punks, because I'm all for a relaxing smack down."


"Donnie…"

Donnie could hear someone saying his name.

"Donatello…"

He had been fooled before. He had opened his eyes expecting to find his brothers, but was disappointed to find himself still held in the clutches of the Shredder. It would be cruel fate indeed if he was to find himself in an obscure tunnel of the sewers, or worse yet imprisoned once again.

"Donnie, please wake up." An angelic voice said as a gentle hand stroked his cheek. This was new; the voices never touched him before. He had to look, if only to confirm where he was. Slowly his mahogany brown eyes weakly fluttered open and April's face blurred into focus. Her cerulean filled with concern which was replaced by hope.

"Donnie…" She softly voiced his name.

"April…" He said as he reached one hand out to her…he had to know she was real and not a dream. April smiled softly as she caught his large hand three fingered hand in her smaller five fingered hands and pressed it against her cheek.

"I'm so glad you're alright." She said meaning every word. Donnie smiled at her, but it faded as he glanced about the lair. His brothers and father were nowhere in sight.

"Where are…" He asked in worried tone.

"Leo, Raph, and Mikey are doing a sweep of the sewers to make sure there aren't any Foot Ninja running around looking for you or the lair." April explained. "And Splinter…"

"…Is right here." A kind and deep, thickly accented voice stated from the entrance to the Dojo. "I'm so glad to see you awake my son." Donnie smiled in response at the sight of his father. He had never been happier to see the wizened rat. However that smile faded as he remembered what Karai had said to him.

"Where was your master's honor when he took my mother from me!?" Donatello didn't want to believe the probability. But it was one the made most sense, Karai was the same age Miwa would have been if she had lived. And while Miwa's tiny body was never found it was assumed that she had perished in the fire that took the life of her mother. Splinter cocked his head slightly sensing the conflict brewing his third sons mind.

"Is something troubling you, Donatello?" He asked.

"Sort of…" The young turtle answered as he painfully tried to sit up further on the pillows. Before he continued Raph loudly complained as the other three Turtles entered the lair.

"I can't believe we didn't come across a single foot soldier." Raph griped.

"Relax," Leo chided his younger brother. "We'll give the Food what's coming to them soon enough."

"Hey," Mikey smiled excitedly. "Look who's awake."

"Donnie!" Leo and Raph said their younger brother's name in unison as they all rushed to the pit. The three of them bombarding him all at once with questions.

"How are you feeling?" Leo asked in concern.

"How did you escape Shredder?" Mikey asked.

"It's good to have you back, Donnie." Raph interjected, a proud half smirk crossing his face.

"I'm glad to be home again," Donnie answered somewhat tiredly, truly glad to see the smiling faces of his brothers once again. He still felt weak from blood loss and his injuries throbbed with pain whenever he moved. "As for how I'm feeling, I'm okay. And for how I escaped…that's a long story I don't know if I'm up to telling." Leo the others looked each other and nodded. Donatello had been far too much recently, it was better not to push him before he was ready to explain his ordeal.

"Sensei…" Donnie asked hesitantly. He didn't want to ask this of his father because of how painful it would be, but he knew in his heart that Splinter needed to know…to know the probability was possible. "Let's say hypothetically that Miwa is alive but she has been raised to believe the Shredder was her father?" The older rat seemed to ponder his son's words.

"Donnie, what are you getting at?" Raph asked as the others looked at each other in confusion.

"It was something Karai told me when she attempted to intercept my escape." Donnie said. "She had said that Splinter had taken her mother from her…but that's not true is it, Sensei?"

"Donnie, she's a Kunoichi." Raph snorted. "And she's the Shredder's off spring, she probably told you that to make you doubt Splinter."

"Maybe…" Donnie answered, though not entirely convinced. "I can't shake this feeling there is actually something familiar about her."

"Deception, seduction, and tricks of the mind are indeed the weapons of a Kunoichi," Splinter answered as he stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Weapons in which she has mastered well, but it is also highly possible that Karai is as much a pawn as she is an enemy. So the only truth she knows may be what the Shredder has told her. As for her true identity…that is a question that must be answered another day." Donnie knew this action was his father's way of avoiding a question he wasn't comfortable with answering. There was much their father had spoken when it came to his past, but there was much he had not told them.

"For now we must give thanks that our family is whole once more." Splinter proudly said. "Donatello, it was a very brave act to escape the clutches from an enemy. A true ninja does not simply wait for rescue, but finds the first means of escape and takes it knowing there will not be another chance. And for that I couldn't be prouder to have on such as you as my son."

"This calls for a Pizza." Mikey cheered as he started for the kitchen. "Or rather my Chicken noodle pizza soup. Drink a little of that and you'll be on your feet and fighting shape in no time, Donnie."

"Why don't I help," April said sensing Leo and Donnie needed some alone time. Raph placed a hand Donnie's good shoulder and smiled.

"We really missed you bro," He said before he went to his room to retrieve Spike. "But don't ever scare us like that again, don't know what we'd do if we lost you?" Both Leo and Donnie watched Raph's retreating shell for a moment before their attention was back on each other.

"You sure you're okay, Donnie?" Leo asked.

"Yes," Donnie answered. "I'm just exhausted after everything that's happened." Leo nodded in understanding. Reaching out he pulled his younger brother into a hug, being mindful of his brothers injuries.

"I couldn't be prouder to have you as a brother." Leo whispered into Donnie's ear. A tired look of happiness crossed Donnie's face as he returned the gesture.

"I couldn't be prouder to be your brother." Donnie whispered as he closed his eyes and fell into the gentle embrace of sleep.