Chapter Four

Donatello looked at his watch.

'Five thirty on the dot.' He truly wasn't surprised. Both of his brothers could be so stubborn sometimes, never wanting to prove the other right. He sat down on a snow bank, which he and Mike had patted down in order to eat. That had been a while ago although his stomach still felt the nourishment. The hot chocolate had done him good, he didn't feel so grumpy anymore and of course he wasn't as cold. A frosty wind played with his coat tail as the chill went though his body. He shivered.

'…ok I take it back. I'm cold as hell!' The temperature had definitely dropped since that morning, he was sure of it. Looking into the sky, he saw his reason. The sun was setting, slowly but surely. He knew that they could not be out when it did. The temperatures after sunset were supposed to be at a few degrees below zero despite the warmer day, and he knew that that was something they could not handle…ok… something that he could not handle. His eyes scanned the field, Leo appeared to have made some progress. Leo was busy building a barricade behind the trench, surrounding the front of his three snowmen. They still stood tall. Meanwhile, Raph was no where to be seen, leaving his men wide open for the taking. Very unwise. However, Leo seemed not to be taking the bait, for he still worked on his barricade. Don's eyes finally rested on Michelangelo, of whom was a few feet way from him, and from the looks of it, was building yet another snowman. Don had had about enough of the snow and it showed. His crankiness was coming back stronger than ever. It seemed that Leo's "rude awakening" had put him in bad spirits for the day. Even now it still pissed him off. Who did Leo think he was, coming into his room like that? Dark clouds of anger hovered as Donatello dwelled in the unpleasantries of that morning.

"Donny….oh Dooonnnnnnaaaayyy." Mike called out to his older brother from his spot next to the beginnings of a snowman. Don's gaze was focused straight ahead and his face was pouted. Clearly, he was angry about something. Mike had definitely picked up on it. He thought it over. Some sort of distraction would do the angry turtle some good. "Hey Donny!" Mike shouted, finally catching the turtle's attention. Donatello blinked and turned to his brother, some of the anger clouds cleared away when he saw his brother's smiling face. When he was sure that he had caught Donatello's attention, he continued. "Donny, you wanna help me with this snowman?" Mike outstretched his hand, offering Donny the piece of coal that lay there. Donatello eyed it wearily.

"Haven't you had enough of snowmen for one day. I mean, I saw you. All you guys did was make snowmen." Donatello furrowed his brow. Well, he knew he was tired of the snowmen, and he hadn't even made any. Mike shook his head, the smile never leaving his face, and the coal never leaving his hand.

"Nope, this is fun. Here, try it." Mikey plopped the coal into his brother's mitt, Don just blinked. "Come on Donny…It's not that hard, just put it on the snowman." Mike pointed to the snowman's chest, where his button would go. Donatello gave him a look before standing up and making his way over to the snowman. He placed the coal in the center of the snowman's chest, allowing a smile to grace to his lips. Mike watched the whole ordeal and grinned. Donatello would be ok, he would make sure of it. "I told you it was fun!" Mike took up more coal and placed them in Donny's gloved hands. They were going to make a snowman.

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Raph waited from his hiding place.

'This plan is perfect, Leo won't suspect a thing.' It had taken him about an half an hour to find the perfect position after achieving the perfect plan. He watched Leo now, of whom was in clear view, making his stupid barricade. Raph smirked, it was useless for what he was planning. It all had began when Mike and Don forfeited from the game. Raph remembered sitting there thinking about what he should do. There was no way he could let Leo win, no way in hell, so…how could he beat Leo? Then it hit him, it was brilliant. If he thought like Leo, and acted like Leo, he might be able to outsmart the real Leo in his own game. It didn't take very long to come up with something after that. All he had to do was act like a "wanna-be, 'I'm so perfect,' constipated, rod-up-the-ass, textbook student, perfectionist leader," and the ideas just flowed. They varied, but they all had something in common. He would have to fool Leo, luring him out into the open somehow. It would take patience, something that he lacked. But with this new mind set, he would be able to work through it, only with the promise of Leo's humiliation and defeat as a result. Raph itched his neck where his sweater touched his bare skin. Damn the cold. Because of it, he had to resort to extreme measures, finally allowing himself the warmth of the sweater he had denied mere hours ago…and had stolen fifteen minutes ago. He had kept himself hidden and unnoticed when he swiped the sweater, his ninja skills worked at full capacity. Now he waited and watched, not caring about anything other than his sure fire plan. He knew now that the success of this plan was the only thing keeping him for his goal. He was already thinking about what his demands would be. Something that would cause Leo great humiliation, possibly something he could never live down, past his defeat. Raph smiled getting an idea, but it would have to wait, victory was at hand.

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Leo watched from in front of his newly completed barricade.

'Where the hell is Raph?!' He scanned the field with no prevail. Raph was no where to be seen. Leo huffed impatiently as he eyed the field once again, his eyes resting on the forms of his two other brothers, both of them occupied with the daunting task of finishing a snowman. There converse made it's way to him.

"Donny, pass me his eyes and nose," Mike instructed, not looking up from the pile of snow he called a snowman. Donny looked around confused before his gaze landed on a carrot and two pieces of coal lying in the snow near the rest of their stuff. He retrieved them, but noticed that something was missing. The rainbow sweater that had rested on top the picnic basket was no where to be seen.

'The wind must of blew it away or something.' He shrugged it off he padded back over to his brother, handing him the objects. Mike let out a 'thanks' before making use of the carrot and coal.

"There, that's perfect!" Mike stood back to look at his handy work. Donatello furrowed his brow in confusion. Why had Mikey set the facial features so low on the snowman?…And why were the "eyes" below the "nose" instead of above?…

"MIKEY!" Don was appalled. Mike snorted in laughter as he removed the "eyes and nose" before putting them in their rightful place, on the snowman's face. Donatello chided him.

"Mike, that was disgusting! I can't believe you did that! You hang out with Raph to much." Mike just laughed in response. He had seen the stunt on TV, and loved it. Donny, as usual, was no where near the television when the stunt was done in a movie the rest of them were watching. Since Donny didn't see it, the unsuspecting turtle was a perfect target. Leo, who watched the entire thing, smiled at their antics. He too, had seen the show, and found it amusing that Mike had tried the same stunt on Donatello. However, he couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy at their fun. One thing was for sure though, he wasn't having very much of it. This whole "game" of warfare was grating his endurance. He was freezing his ass off, even in his sweater, coat, hat, and gloves. It just was way too cold to be fooling around in the snow. He looked up into the sky and noticed how the sun was slowly disappearing over the horizon. They would definitely have to be heading home soon. It's wasn't the night he was afraid of, he knew he and his brother could handle anything the night threw at them…except for the cold. With the night came frigid temperatures way too cold for humans, and almost unbearable for turtles. Besides, what were they fighting over, bragging rights? Please! He didn't need that. He was better than Raph in almost everything he did, maybe except for eating. If there was anything Raph could do, it was eat. Every thanksgiving, Raph would give April a run for her money, devouring everything she brought over. Even when the rest of them were stuffed, he stopped, only satisfied. Later, Raph would ransack the fridge for leftovers, of which would only last for a few days. Yes, Raph could eat, but Leo was better at everything else, so why was he fighting over this little victory. Maybe he should give up and end this now…

Leo got up….and flopped back down. He couldn't do it. He couldn't just surrender. That went against everything he ever believed in. He was never a quitter, and he wouldn't start being one now. He shivered, alone in the snow. Well, maybe he could settle for a truce, that way they would deem each other equals, and maybe get to have fun, like Mike and Don. He took a peek over at the turtles, now almost finished with their snowman.

"I think we're finished Mikey." Don looked over their accomplishment, the typical classic snowman, with satisfaction. The nose and eyes made up his face, along with a pebble smile. The coal on his chest were in the perfect place, making up his buttons. Mike had found some branches to be the snowman's arms, and put them in their place. Don smiled, but Mike didn't. Instead, he crossed his arms and held his chin in thought. Something was missing, something was defiantly missing.

"He need's something, something important." Mike furrowed his brow. Don rolled his eyes. The snowman was fine the way it was, no matter what Mike said. Besides, he was getting hungry again. Maybe he could sneak a sandwich. He began to sneak away, and over to the picnic basket, but Mikey's exclamation stopped him in his tracks.

"EUREKA!!" Mike exclaimed. He knew what was missing. Quickly he shuffled out of his hat, mittens and scarf. Why didn't the think of this earlier?

"Mikey, what are you doing…and when did you get a scarf?" Don had padded back over to investigate, and found Mike basically stripping. Mike looked up at Donatello's approaching form, but did not seem fazed. Instead, he looked confused.

"I'm taking these off to put on the snowman….And I always had a scarf." Mike stated as if he was stating the obvious. Don stopped.

"Mike, your gonna freeze. You need those more than that stupid snowman." Don stated, pointing at the material Mike now held instead of wore. Mike would die of hypothermia if he didn't put his clothes back on, scarf and all. Mike looked up as if offended.

"How can you say that? Eurmajean is freezing, just look at him." Mike pointed at the snowman, and Don followed is gaze. The snowman just stood there. Don blinked.

"Eurmajean?! You named the snowman?!" Mike nodded. Don sighed, why was he always stuck with the loonies? He was then hit by another thought.

"How is…um…'Eurmajean' freezing? It's- I mean…'He's'… made out of snow for Christ sake?!" Don stated exasperated, stumbling over the personification of the pile of snow, as Mike placed the items on the snowman. The beanie like hat fit it's head perfectly, as the gloves hung off of its branches. The scarf finished the ensemble, elegantly draping around 'his' neck. Mike stood back, smiling. Now he was finished. It was perfect. It was then that he answered Don's question.

"Donny, just because he's made of snow, doesn't mean he can't feel. I mean, look at him!" He pointed at the snowman's face, "His has just as much emotion as any one of us." Don stared at it's coal black eyes and then back at Mike. Ok, now he was certain, Mike was officially retarded. Oblivious to Don's thoughts, Mikey too looked at the snowman. "It's ok Eurmajean, don't cry. Uncle Mikey isn't going to let you freeze like your Mean Uncle Donny wants me too. What?… Oh yes Eurmajean, I do like my sweater. Got it at the Bon Ton I did. It was cheap too…" He droned on. Donny blinked before interrupting.

"Wait, didn't you say you got that sweater from JC Penny?" He asked, furrowing his brow in question. Mike waved him off without breaking his eye contact with 'Eurmajean.'

"I think I know where I got my sweater from, Donatello." Mike stated clinically, using Donny's whole name, as Don rolled his eyes. Whatever. If Mike wanted to freeze and talk to a pile of snow, that was his problem. Don took a step back, preparing to turn around and go back to the picnic basket. Mike wasn't retarded, he was just plain ol' crazy. Donatello sighed, eyeing Mike's uncovered hands, head and neck. Mike was defiantly gonna freeze no matter how crazy he was. Donny couldn't deny that he was worried about his little brother anyways. However, it was Mike's decision, and Mike could be just as stubborn as Raph and Leo sometimes. At the mention of their names he eyed the field, searching for the turtles in question. However, he only found one. He made eye contact with Leo, of whom was watching them, and had seemed to be watching them for some time. Maybe now he could get some answers. Don mouthed "Where's Raph?" and in turn Leo shrugged.

Ok maybe not. All Don knew was that this had to end now before Mike froze to death. He then watched Leo as he got up from his spot, and trudged over the snow towards Raph's empty camp. However, as soon as Leo had made no more than five steps, a giant crash had told him that he had made a dir mistake. Don watched the turn of events in amazement. Within seconds the entire scene unfolded before him, ending in Leo's defeat. It was over, and it answered all of Donatello's prayers.

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Where was Raph? How did he defeat Leo? Is Mikey crazy, or just retarded? Does Donatello have an estranged mistress named Lula? What happens to Eurmajean and his plans to rule the world? All these questions and more will answered in the next installment of…..SNOWTIME RIVALY….XD!!!!

Ok, I'll shut up now. R and R