Donatello was half relieved when April hung up, though he still wished to talk for a while longer. Looking at the same things on his desk for hours on end was becoming sickening.

He left his workspace and went to the kitchen to get some water and something small to eat. He knew he should have an actual meal, but once he was working, it was hard to pay much attention to anything but his objective. The snack would prolong his break for only a few minutes, and then he could get back to work.

Donnie selected a protein bar from the kitchen cabinet and filled a glass. While opening the food's package, he noticed his fingertips ached, raw from overworking. Lovely. Another problem to add to his ever-growing list.

He decided to pace the dojo-living room hall to give his back a break from long hours in his chair while he nibbled at the refreshment.

Leo left the dojo as he was passing, and after spotting the dark bags under Donnie's eyes, gave him an understanding nod and continued on.

Donatello made a few laps around the hall, and returned his glass once he was done. The break had done him some good; he could feel the tight knot of confusion start to loosen in his head.

He started down the hall once more, and paused at the living area to observe each of his brothers in turn.

Leonardo had apparently stopped to do the same. Donnie momentarily wondered if Leo chose who fulfilled each role in his plans in the moment, or if he thought it out ahead of time and considered each of their strengths and weaknesses carefully.

It was a question the genius had pondered several times, one that had first emerged when he noticed how well-suited the team's individual members were to the tasks Leo assigned them, and it came to surface once again upon seeing the contemplative expression upon his leader's face as he surveyed each of them. It seemed a logical thing for the eldest turtle to be thinking about at the moment; who would do what during tonight's patrol should they run into any Kraang.

Or maybe he was thinking of the barriers that had appeared between the brothers. That was a reasonable possibility, as well. It couldn't have escaped the blue-clad turtle that his team was not at its best.

Not that Donatello had helped that, he thought bitterly to himself, looking first at Raphael beating the training dummy, then at Michelangelo watching cartoons.

Well, watching wasn't entirely accurate. The youngest turtle lay chest-down on the floor in front of the TV, head pillowed on one arm while he watched the other trace lines on the dull concrete.

Donnie exchanged glances with Leonardo. The lopsided frown Leo gave him said the oldest turtle felt guilty, too, or at very least, troubled.

Donatello mused a few more minutes outside the lab would probably do him some good. He sat right beside his baby brother, a gesture that should have been friendly, but given his recent atrocity, felt nothing short of intrusive.

Donnie wasn't expecting the invisible wall that seemed to stand between them. He knew he should have been expecting it, but he was just so used to Mikey being the one to spark conversation. One of the skills Donnie would admit his little bro did have an advantage over him, was conversation. Regardless, it was worth trying.

"What episode is this?" Donnie asked, taking the first bricks off the top of the invisible wall.

"I dunno," Michelangelo admitted.

For most people, that answer would have been considered progress, but Michelangelo was usually so passionate about his cartoons. To Donnie, Mikey had just put another brick on the wall.

Donatello panicked in the silence that followed. Breaks. Breaks were not good. Breaks made conversations seem choppy; forced. He knew that from several awkward conversations with April.

Those were more instances Donnie wished he had his brother's social intelligence.

How did Mikey usually keep people engaged in talking? He'd bring up the strangest points. People would be interested because they never saw what Mikey said coming, and even if it was to only dismiss the young turtle's comments as far-fetched, his additions kept the conversation going.

Then maybe he should try to say something strange?

"Do you ever wonder what it would be like to be a flower?"

Mikey turned to him, eyebrows furrowed. "What?"

Maybe that was a little too much. Donnie could feel Leo's gaze on him. He realized Mikey usually provided those kinds of outbursts; it was charming when it was him because it was so… him. For Donatello to bring up something outlandish was uncharacteristic. It felt forced. Donnie mused that was probably because it was.

Nevertheless, he had Mikey's attention.

"You know." he shrugged. "It would be… different. Just… in a field, not doing much. Sun, rain… might be peaceful."

Michelangelo stared at him.

Donnie struggled to think of more to say. Each time silence fell between them, it felt like mortar pouring between the bricks of the invisible wall, like each failed attempt would further cement the unlikeliness of the wall breaking down.

"And humans come up with all sorts of meanings for them. There are entire websites dedicated to what each one means, and each usually has more than one meaning. The meanings can even be so detailed, that different colors of the same species of flower can have specific meanings. For example, it's specifically the pink carnation that says, 'I'm sorry', and the purple hyacinths that ask forgiveness, and…" He realized the rabbit trail his subconscious was leading him down, and cut himself off.

Cement poured between the bricks. Donnie let it this time. He couldn't risk apologizing to Mikey. Mikey would just get himself hurt.

If talking about something bizarre was plain uncharacteristic, Donatello reasoned talking about the things he usually liked talking about would be more natural. There were plenty of subjects, too. His projects, new tech, metallurgy, advanced theories… all of which would be rubbing salt in a wound after he called his brother an idiot.

"Hey, flower boy, have you figured the mutagen out yet?" Raph said.

"I'm working on it," Donnie replied.

"It really doesn't look like it," Raph said, gesturing to Donnie, then the TV screen he was sitting in front of.

Donatello supposed Raph was still sore from when he had chewed him out, and tried to brush his tone off.

"Taking a short break."

"Great, and just before the Kraang plot. Sounds like a wonderful idea."

Donnie raised a brow at him. "If you want to identify a strange alien substance for me, be my guest."

"At least I'd be doing something."

Donnie tried to read Raph's expression, but couldn't tell what he meant- that Raph wanted to help out, or he was criticizing Donnie for spending time outside his lab. Maybe both.

He tried to ignore it. "Best to clear my head before starting again."

"Something you obviously didn't do before taking the hook swords."

Ah. So he was still upset.

Leo scowled at Raph. "Leave him alone. He's been working hard."

"He's the only one of us who can do anything, and he's not!"

So much for letting his mind rest. Who could relax with those two at each other's throats?

"Donnie's well aware of what could be at stake, he is acting accordingly. If taking some time is what he thinks is best, then I trust him with that decision."

Raph stepped closer to Leo, fists clenched. "Are you kidding? Time is exactly what we don't have to spare!"

"Especially once the Kraang mutate the humans to control it," Mikey said, not looking up from the floor.

Donatello stared at him, eyebrows raised. "What?"

It took Michelangelo a second to realize what he'd said. His eyes grew wide, then he shrugged, looking away from Donnie.

Raphael pinched the bridge of his nose. "Mikey, that's impossible. Stay out of this."

Donnie shook his head, thinking it through. "It's completely possible."

Mikey met his gaze.

"What are you talking about?" Leo asked.

"The substance has strange time properties. It took me a while to realize, since it's a Dimension X compound. At first, I thought that was normal for Dimension X things, having the temporal differential and all, but then I realized that those laws would no longer apply once the material was removed from the dimension. If it really does allow manipulation over time, it makes sense that it would be the characteristic of the substance the Kraang would want to control."

Leo scratched his chin. "But if that's the case, then the humans would gain time control abilities, but still be mostly human. They wouldn't be dependent on the Kraang like they were during the invasion; why would the humans work for them?"

"They wouldn't have a choice if they were mind-controlled," Raph said.

The four exchanged glances.

"What do you think the Kraang would want time control for?" Leo asked.

Donnie tapped a finger against his opposite arm. "They could use it for a number of things, depending on how powerful this substance is. But with the sheer amount of mutagen they have in their possession, if they manage to control that many humans, best case scenario is they use it to predict each of our attacks so that we can never stop them again."

"Uh, that was the best case?" Mikey said.

Donatello nodded. "Worst case, they gain control of all of history and rewrite the world as we know it."

"Yeah," Leo said, "Yeah, that's bad."

"So you're serious?" Raph asked. "You think the Kraang are trying to control time?"

"It's the most logical answer."

Raph frowned. "Then what do we do?"

At that moment, Donatello's phone rang. April. Best to update her.

He put it on speaker. "Hey, April."

"Donnie!" Her panicked voice sent Donatello's heart plummeting to his stomach. "The Kraang are going to start capturing humans in less than three hours, and they're not waiting long to mutate them after that!"

The turtles started.

Leonardo leaned closer to the phone. "Do you know where their base is?"

"It's TCRI again. That's where they're planning to take everyone."

"Are you alright?" Donatello asked.

"I'm fine. They didn't see me spying. I'm heading to the lair as we speak."

"No," Leo said. "We need to leave right away. You tell everyone who will listen to barricade themselves inside."

"But we're going to need help," Mikey said.

"We'll ask the Mutanimals. Their lair is pretty close to TCRI."

"I talked to Dr. Rockwell today," Donnie said. "From what he told me, they should be on patrol on the other side of town about now."

"Notify them. We'll have to start by ourselves. They can come as reinforcements whenever they arrive."

"Stay safe, guys," April murmured.

"You, too," Donnie replied. "Thanks for all your help." The call ended from the other side.

Leo motioned for them to head to the Shellraiser. "We have to go. Now."

Donatello ducked into his lab and fetched the last of his retromutagen, just in case, before racing to the Shellraiser.

Despite the countless hours he had spent trying to be prepared, he felt anything but as they started towards their destination.

Next chapter Wednesday! Have a great day, y'all!