Everyone sat in stunned silence as they listened to Donnie's experience at the hands of the Shredder. It was painful for them to hear, but it was important that they understand what their brother had gone through.
But everything they suspected was true, the Shredder was so driven by his anger and desire to seek vengeance on everything he had brought upon himself. That there was no scrap of honor or humanity left.
Only Splinter and April truly remained quiet, they were distressed by what Donnie had told them. But they weren't the ones who needed to truly be confronted by the consequences of their actions.
The silence was broken by a whimpered sob from Mikey before the smallest turtle got up from where he was sitting at the table. Racing to where Donnie sat, he tearfully wrapped his arms around his immediate older brother.
"Donnie…" Mikey sobbed, any intentional harm against his brothers distressed him. Donnie said nothing in response as he he wrapped one arm around his younger brother. Raph was shamefully studying the crumbs on his plate feeling more and more like a first class jerk. He did care for his brothers, even though he often gave them a hard time. But there were times he did tease Donnie about being a weaker fighter or did things that could be considered cruel. Still in his mind it was just harmless fun, there really wasn't any ill will intended.
Leo sat quietly his elbows propped against the table. His fingers clasped together with his forehead resting against them. Donnie's earlier accusing statement of "Am I not a member of this team?" continuing to ring through his ears.
And some of the memories Donnie had mentioned; offences that he himself had done had been prominent instead of Raph. Largely Raph had the most physical offences such as dumping Donnie into the pool instead of considering if there was a possibility of another of handling his nightmares. But Leo had never stopped to consider what negative impact he had on Donnie, all he cared was something was dealt with as soon as possible. Yes there were times he pressured Donnie into taking care of locks and hacking into mainframes. He never considered the negative results from such actions.
I don't expect praise for everything I do, but it never seems my efforts are good enough. It's always "Do this faster! Do this better!" Sometimes I feel like telling them try for themselves to see how easy it actually it is
Another statement Donnie had made also drifted into his mind, and that was in response to a statement Leo had given Raph. It was during the time they were being chased by that Kraang stealth ship. Knowing Karai was in danger Leo climbed into the stealth bike.
"Hey, the stealth bike is my thing!" Raph had said in protest.
"Now your thing is to suck it up!" Leo shot back in response as he shut the compartment door, but not before hearing Donnie say "Hey that's my thing." Leo hadn't thought anything of it then because his mind was focused on saving Karai, but in all due respect it should have raised some red flags in his mind. He made a mental note to himself about talking to Donnie about that later.
"Dogpound was wrong." Leo answered his voice holding a firm edge that made it clear that everything he was saying was true. "We never would have honestly left one of our own to face such a fate. If any of us has failed you, then I am the one to blame for it. And it's thanks to April that we were even able to find you in time. "
"Perhaps…" April suggested. "You guys could fill in what things were like for you and what efforts you took to find Donnie." The purple masked turtle nodded also. He knew his brothers never would have truly abandoned him, but he did wish to know what they had honestly done in the effort of searching for him.
"I should start." Leo answered. "I woke up roughly about an hour after you had left, so you may have been just been captured and taken to the Shredder by that point."
(Flash Back)
Leo opened his eyes to the gloom of his small bedroom. He couldn't shake the feeling something was seriously wrong, as for what it was he didn't have the foggiest clue. Sitting up he glanced about the room. His eyes fell on Donnie's empty tatami mat, the covers untouched since that morning. Heaving an annoyed sigh, Leo knew there was only one other place Donnie could be and that was the lab.
"What's the point of having a roommate, if the person sharing the room doesn't even live there?" Leo grumbled as he got up and groggily made his way to the door of the room. In the room across from his he could hear Raph snoring while Mikey happily babbled about pizza in his sleep.
Quietly Leo made his way to Donnie's lab. He wasn't going to rant at Donnie about staying up in his lab, but he could at least encourage the taller boy to at least pack up what he was doing for the night. Sometimes he could get so wrapped up in whatever he was working on he would forget to eat or sleep.
Walking through the lairs common area to the closed metal double doors that served as the entrance to Donnie's lab, he could feel his anxiety rise for some strange reason. The lab was oddly silent. Even this late into the night, there was usually the sound of the purple masked turtle welding or softly muttering to himself. He forced himself not to get carried away; there was a likelihood that Donnie was working on his computer. He could still make out the light clacking sound of the keyboard.
"Donnie?" Leo called out to the closed door and received no response. This wasn't unusual since that meant that Donnie was too focused on what he was doing to hear his brother. Or he was ready to pass out due to the lack of sleep. "Donnie, I'm coming in."
Pushing open the doors, he didn't find the purple masked turtle anywhere. The only person in the room was none other than April O'Neal. The human girl was sitting at Donatello's desk quietly typing out some notes Donnie had taken on observances they had made on the Kraang.
Pausing in what she was doing and looked up at Leo with a kind smile. Leo smiled back in greeting.
"Looking for Donatello?" April asked.
"Yeah," Leo answered as he glanced around the large room. The ShellRaiser was in the garage so obviously Donnie was doing some work on it. Against a back wall was a large blanket covered object that could only be Pulverizer, or "Donnie's pet monster" as everyone called the hapless human turned blob.
"He went out." April answered as she went back to typing up Donnie's notes.
"Alone?" Leo asked his eyes snapping to her concern. Donnie normally didn't leave without telling someone.
"He said something about finding something at the military waste yard that could help with the Shellraiser." April answered, but she had an odd note of worry in her voice. "He should be back soon, or at least that's what he said."
"The Military Waste yard is 15 minutes away on foot." Leo thought aloud. "How long ago did he leave?"
"About an hour ago." April answered as she glanced at the clock on the computer. Leo had his T-phone out in an instant and was pressing Donnie's speed dial button. "It's possible he was waylaid by the storm."
"I'd like to hope so." Leo answered as he pressed the send button on his phone. Holding the phone to his ear slit he listened to the connection ring once…twice. "Come on…come on…Donnie please pick up." He whispered as panic began settle upon him.
"This is Donatello," Donnie's voice mail message answered. "I'm unable to take your call at this time, please leave a message and I will get back to you as soon as possible."
Groaning in frustration he redialed so if Donnie would at least know it was urgent, once again he got Donnie's voice mail.
"Donnie, it's Leo." He spoke into the phone trying not to sound as worried as he felt. "Contact me the moment you get this." Sighing he ended the phone and looked at it as if hoping it would suddenly ring and provide him with the answers he wanted. He suddenly remembered, April had a T-Phone as well. Perhaps Donnie did try and get in contact. "Did he try to call you?"
"What?" April asked confused.
"Did Donnie try to call you?!" Leo asked anxiously. April grabbed her phone and saw Donnie's number on her recent call list…but it had only been active for about five seconds. Which meant that he had either called her but changed his mind or…or he had tried to contact her but something prevented him from completing the call. The worried look in her eyes told Leo all he needed to know as he left the lab and rushed to the dormitory.
(End Flash Back)
"I can take it from here, Leo." Raph said as he decided to pick up the story.
"Aww, but I wanted to talk about what happened." Mikey complained.
(Flashback)
"Guys wake up." Leo yelled as he rushed into Raph and Mikey's room. Raph loudly snored trying to drown out his older brother and Mikey's contented babbling about pizza in his sleep. "Raph, Mikey" Leo yelled louder. Raph grunted one last snore before opening one annoyed green eye and glaring straight at his older brother and leader.
"This better be important, Leo." Raph growled as he rolled over onto his shell and sat up.
"It's Donnie, he's missing." Leo answered worriedly. Raph rolled his eyes as if this wasn't important enough to wake up for.
"Is that all?" Raph snorted as if this was beyond all concern. "The dork probably got himself lost in the tunnels again."
"That hasn't happened since we were four years old." Leo pointed out not liking the fact Raph was making this into a joke. He was seriously beginning to worry something horrible had befallen their brother.
"Then maybe he ran away from home again." Raph groused as he lay back down and pulled the covers over his head. "He'll come crawling back once he realizes there is nowhere he can go." Smirking as he heard his older brother growl in frustration. As nonchalant as he was trying to be, even Raph couldn't deny he felt some concern about Donnie, but he didn't want to openly admit he was concerned.
"According to April, he went to the military junk yard an hour ago and hasn't returned." Leo responded.
"When did you become Donnie's mother?" Raph snidely joked with a yawn. "He goes that junk yard all the time. Probably saw some other things he thought he could use for all those contraptions he makes that, get this… don't work."
"This is serious Raph, he could be in danger." Leo shouted.
"Leo" Raph groaned tiredly as he sat up on his tatami mat once again. "You know as well as I do...Donnie is a big boy and can handle himself. Heck, if anyone did try to attack, he'd probably bore them to death with one of his talks about things no one gives a flip about. Now Mikey on the other hand, he can't go anywhere without a baby sitter because he's got a big old neon sign that just shouts "Come, beat Me!"
"What is going on?" Leo cringed and looked up into gentle but stern face of Master Splinter. April standing close behind him.
"Hero boy, over here woke me up to tell me that Donnie went AWAL." Raph answered flippantly.
"Donnie's missing?!" Mikey suddenly woke up surprised. Splinter's eyes seem to harden with anger a second, but just as quickly softened to concern and fear.
"Tell me everything!" Splinter calmly demanded.
"Well you see." Leo said reluctantly. "I woke up and noticed that Donnie was more than likely still up, so I went to the lab to see if Donnie what he was doing. However when I got there, April informed me that he had gone to the military junk yard and hasn't returned."
"Have you tried contacting your brother?" Splinter calmly said after a moment.
"I have," Leo answered. "And it meets with no response."
"He contacted me." April answered as she showed the older rat the five second call. "Or attempted to at least."
Splinter stiffened and a worried look filled his eyes.
"The three of you must go, find your brother." Splinter answered. "I fear something may have happened to Donatello."
"Hai Sensei." The three turtles answered as Raph and Mikey climbed out of bed and started to leave the lair.
"Aww yeah… night hike!" Mikey crowed as he followed alongside his brothers.
"Wait up, I'm coming with you." April answered as she followed her companions.
"Out of the question, April!" Leo said.
"Donnie's my friend, Leo." April said as she firmly put her hands on her hips.
"He's more that, sweetheart." Raph snarked under his breath.
"He's always been there for me," April continued. "And I want to be there for him. I know you guys are trying to protect me…"
"Right because there's a race of aliens who want to get their slimy tentacles on you," Raph said.
"I know I can help." April insisted. "And as long as I'm with the three of you, wouldn't I be protected." Leo sighed reluctantly.
"Alright, but stay close to us."
(End Flash Back)
"When we reached the Military Junkyard, it was like the place was abandoned." April explained.
(Flash Back.)
The sky over head was roiling and lightning flashed like giant cracks filling the sky. Rain was falling in sheets as the four turtles and human girl left the sewer tunnel that exited the hillside overlooking the "Fort McKinney Military Waste Facility". The human girl was the only one who was wearing a bright yellow rain coat, or any sort of protection against the elements. The first thing that came to mind when she saw the darkened windows of the security barracks was concern. Donnie had said security was lacking in bad weather, but she doubt the guards would just leave the place.
Cautiously they approached the fence, Leo's eyes traveled to the security cameras and saw the red light that indicated activity was off. That meant the security barracks didn't have a feed. Living proof Donnie had been here.
"Tell me again why we out here in the cold pouring rain, instead of the warm dry lair where we belong." Raphael grumbled as he stood in the pouring rain.
"According to April, this is where Donnie said he was going." Leo answered as he climbed over the fence. The others followed, with Mikey carrying April over the fence with him. Leo's ocean blue eyes scanned the various mounds of government issued garbage trying to find anything that seemed amiss. April fell instep beside him, using her T-phone to see if it could give them some clue to where Donnie could be located...if he was still here that is.
"Ooo, Donnie is going to be in so much trouble." Mikey teased. It wasn't often when Donatello was scolded by Master Splinter, and that was no doubt what the large Rat would do once they brought Donnie home.
"That's why we are here, Mikey." Leo answered. "He could be in trouble already. What if he's hurt or maybe in danger? If he's still here, will find him."
"It's pouring rain Leo," Raphael growled. "Odds are the lightning caused interference with his T-phone and he's probably hiding somewhere around here to get out of it like we should be."
"Dude, you almost sounded like Donnie just now." Mikey commented which was responded by Raphael slamming his youngest brother down on to the ground. April continued to dial Donatello's phone number, when she saw something flashing among the garbage several feet away. Her eyes widened as her whole body felt oddly numb. She approached the flashing object and picked it up; she knew at once what it was. It was Donnie's T-phone. Scanning the area she had notices some signs of a struggle. It was hard to make out in the rain softened earth, but she could see the foot prints of some gigantic animal like creature. And of course a dent in the side of a jeep where something had been slammed into it.
"He wouldn't do that." Leo answered. "Not in this weather."
"Oh yeah?" Raphael challenged smugly "And how exactly do you know that?"
"Guys" April interrupted as she rushed to her companions.
"What is it April?" Leo asked.
"I found this…" She held out the T-phone she had picked up from the rubble.
"Uh, duh" Mikey said not putting two and two together. "It's a T-phone, we all have one of those remember?"
"This isn't just any T-phone, Mikey" Leo answered realizing who it belonged to. "It's Donnie's"
"Wait how the shell did the Millitary get Donnie's T-phone?!" Mikey exclaimed "And why the shell did they just throw it away?"
"Everyone spread out," Leo commanded as he chose to ignore Mikey's question "If you see anything, report immediately."
"I see a lot 'a things," Mikey answered. "What sort of things are we looking for?"
"Anything that belongs to Donnie." Leo responded
"What if all looks like it belongs to Donnie?" Mikey asked innocently.
"Mikey," Leo said with an exasperated sigh. "Just stay here with April."
"Can do, chief." Mikey answered.
Raph and Leo carefully picked their way in two different directions. While April stood near Michelangelo, her tessen at the ready.
"Do you suppose Donnie's okay?" Mikey asked the human girl as he stood defensively close to her with his kusari-gama.
"I don't know," April answered. "I want to believe that he's alright. And I know he isn't a weakling, but…"
"Uh Leo," Raph called out interrupting April's comment. "I think I found something." April, Mikey and Leo all rushed to where Raph was standing. The red head gasping as he noticed he was cradling a familiar wooden staff in his hands. The wooden pole was snapped in two with only a few splinters and the cloth binding feebly keeping it together. Imbedded in the wood were strange tooth like indentations.
Leo numbly took the broken weapon from his younger brother, a look of immence concern filling his eyes. His eyes traveled from April to Raph all of them unconsciously coming to the same conclusion. Something very bad had befallen Donatello.
"Are those… teeth marks?" April asked as she touched the jagged indentations in the wood.
"Yo Donnie!" Mikey yelled out into the gloom of the night. "Donnie, where are you? Come on out dude, this isn't funny anymore!"
"On the contrary, I'm finding it rather amusing." A familiar feminine voice spoke, startling everyone. Standing on top of one of the refuse mounds stood Karai, a self-righteous smirk on her face. All the Turtles pulled out their weapons in response. April also stood her ground behind Leo, snapping open her tessen.
"What do you want, Karai?" Raph growled menacingly at the Kunoichi.
"I couldn't help but notice, one of your brothers is missing, Leo." Karai coyly stated. "Now what his name again…Danny?"
"Donnie!" Leo sternly corrected. "Donatello, to the likes of you!
"We don't want to hear any of your lies, so be a good girl for once and leave us alone." Raphael threatened.
"Well if that's the case," Karai answered continuing to dance around the subject. "Then perhaps you don't care that I know what happened to your brother? My father is probably entertaining him as we speak."
"The Shredder has…" Leo started to say, his face taking on an almost ashen look. April placed a hand on the blue masked turtles shoulder as a gesture of solidarity. While she hadn't been directly involved in any battles against Shredder, she had seen and heard enough to know that Donnie being in the clutches of that horrible man was not a comforting thought. Raph went stock still his sai dropping from his hands, Mikey made a small whimpering noise his throat.
Karai pulled Donatello's eye mask from her belt, letting the strip of purple cloth dangle from her fingers teasingly, before she let it drop. The eye mask fluttered to the ground like a lost soul carried on the wind. Leo rushed forward catching the strip of purple cloth in his hands and held it protectively to his heart.
"Where is he, Karai?!" Leo growled. His eyes seemed to glow white with hatred. Karai herself was taken aback by the intensity but she recovered herself quickly.
"That comes with a message from my Father." Karai answered. "You have 24 hours to surrender your master and the girl that stands with you. That is if you wish to see your brother alive again?"
"Right, so the Shredder can murder him in front of our very eyes!" Raph snarled.
"What happens to your brother is no business of mine," Karai answered indifferently. "He means nothing to me. And even if he did, I can't tell you what I don't know." Karai's eyes landed hard on April's blue eyes though the question was directed at her. "The question should be, what does he mean to you?"
With that said the Kunoichi then jumped away to the darkness, leaving three angry and grief stricken turtles and one human girl in her wake. Leo continued to kneel on the ground, his shoulders shaking as if he was fighting back tears. Before he angrily brought one fist up and angrily slammed it down on a nearby piece of refuse. The angry sky over head echoing the pain that was collectively shared in their hearts.
"Come on." Raph said putting a hand on his brother's shoulder. "We need to inform Master Splinter." Climbing to their feet everyone left the junkyard for the lair. April paused a moment and picked up Donnie's bo staff from where Leo had tossed the broken weapon aside in order to grab his own swords. She hugged it close as she looked up at the sky the rain masking the tears that fled from her eyes. April herself didn't consider herself religious, but at that moment…the only thing she felt she could do was pray.
(End Flash Back)