A/N: Here we go again, you all. I'm starting to struggle with this story a little, so any review will be appreciated. In my experience the right review has made all the difference in some stories, especially something as long and complicated as this.

Speaking of long and complicated, let's recap a moment. Leo's trying to lead the US army to victory, seeing this as the most stabilizing factor for the future that outweighs the greivances mutants and others have. This army is the biggest. Mike's fighting for a human-mutant victory, and sees Leo and the US army as the best option for this although he's not totally in their favor. Raph's for a mutant state within (or instead of) the US, specifically a reptile mutant state as humans still count as mammals, and he has another at his side, Darin, another mutant turtle whose witness to an act of brutality by humans against his own family rallied him to Rapheal's cause. Their army is primarily composed of mutant lizards whose growing population threatens to surpass humans, and whose unilateral hatred threatens to lead the world in a wrong direction. Previously Donatello had joined Raphael's side, but did not unite with his views and when another option came forth in the form of Nikki, Darin's brother, whose small army strived to forge a unity of humans and mutants living freely and not under the subjection of US army law, Donatello took up that side instead (and in the process saving Nikki's life). And we move forward from there.

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Once well outside Raphael's territory, Nikki and Donatello started to relax for a second. Nikki leaned against a tree.

"Wow. I did not know how that was going to turn out", he declared, finally releasing his breathe.

"Yeah", Donatello agreed with far less enthusiasm.

"Donatello? You're with me, right? For real?"

Don put his hand in Nikki's.

"I'm with you. But I…don't know how useful I'll be. Nikki, I believe in your convictions but I'm not a warrior, and I can't fight against my own brothers, even if they're wrong."

"Even if they're going to tear this world apart?"

Don dropped his hand and turned away, looking back at the field of trees hiding an entire mutant army bent on human destruction.

"I don't know", he replied.

"That's okay", Nikki answered, "You don't have to do anything but be with me. When everyone finds out an original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle is on my side, I'll get thousands flocking to me. This war is in the bag."

Caught up in the high of possible victory, Nikki backflipped onto a rock before flipping out his communicator to contact his home base.

Don, meanwhile, thought of the thousands flocking to Nikki's side who would, as a direct result of fighting to unite mutants and humans under a new government, have to kill his brothers. At least Leo and Raph, maybe not Mike. What was Mike even doing with Leo anyway? He wasn't army. He and Don had vowed not to join, not to cause the war to accelerate in this manner. And now look, both had broken their word.

Lost in the overwhelming thoughts of being the catalyst for civil war in the United States, Don didn't notice Nikki's composure turn from hyper-excitement to anguish.

"Well", Nikki managed to state in a flat voice, "Looks like we're off the battlefield."

"What?"

"Yeah, my little piss-ant army got crushed while I was out. My number 1 was nice enough to leave me a message about it."

"Is your number 1 dead?"

"I don't think so. She was using a US army broadcast channel. But my numbers 2-8 are, and, frankly, everyone else was just cannon fodder."

"I…I'm sorry, Nikki", Don gingerly touched his shoulder. Nikki shook it off.

"No you're not. This makes everything less complicated for you. Just go home, you're work here is done."

"Nikki", Don sighed, choosing his words carefully, "Look. You're concept, the ideals you're fighting for, are solid. But you need better leadership to carry them out. I…I'm not leaving you. We're just going to have to rebuild this from the ground up."

"It took me years to get to this point and it got crushed in hours."

"These are different years and different hours. We can do this."

"How?"

"Follow me."

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A/N: Didn't see that coming, did you?