Title: Consequences
Rating: T
Summary: While mutated into a monster, Donatello escapes into the city and commits a terrible crime. The mutagen Bishop released into New York has claimed victim after victim, and a young reporter is slowly putting the pieces together. Raph/OC, Mikey/OC, Leo/OC
Chapter 1It was a somber group that returned to the new lair. Master Splinter appeared instantly, his aged eyes searching for Donatello. He visibly sagged in relief upon seeing his son, returned to normal, safely resting in Leo's arms. Leo crossed to the battered couch and laid him down. It was only then that he turned and noticed Raphael was also carrying someone.
"Who is he?" Leo asked surprised. The boy in Raphael's arms seemingly came back to life, snapping out of his daze and pounding his fists against Raphael until the mutant dropped him to the ground.
"My mom…the fire…that monster!" he sunk to his knees and then screamed again when he realized he was in the company of even more monsters. His mind finally succumbed to the stress and shock. His eyes rolled into the back of his head and he slumped harmlessly to the floor.
"Don't tell me…" Leo trailed off in horrified understanding.
"That woman! Donnie killed -"
"Donnie didn't kill anyone! He wasn't himself! He was - "
"My sons, I think you need to tell me what has happened tonight immediately," Master Splinter ordered harshly, his worried eyes flashing between the unconscious boy and his blood splattered son. Leonardo looked to Raphael for the summary of events.
"We was trackin' Donnie with the cure we got from Bishop and Stockman. When we found him, he was attackin' something. We pushed him back and injected him with the cure, but some trees nearby were on fire, and this wrecked car was leakin' gasoline, and when I looked up, I saw that Donnie had been attackin' a person – a woman – and this kid had crawled out of the car screamin' and cryin'. The fire found the gas trail, so I grabbed the kid and Leo grabbed Don, and we dove into a ditch to escape the explosion. Then the sirens came and we had to run so nobody saw us."
"And the woman?" Splinter asked shakily, already knowing the answer. Raphael winced at the memory.
"Ripped apart. We were too late," he replied painfully. The small family looked in unison at Donnie's sleeping, harmless form.
"Until he has recovered, we will not tell him," Splinter said firmly. The three brothers nodded. Mikey bent down and scooped up the boy.
"I'll put him in my bed. We should call April, so that a human will be here when he wakes up," Mikey advised. Leo nodded, trying to speak past the lump in his throat.
"Good thinking, Mike. I'll put Don in bed and bandage him up. Raph, you go get April." Raphael nodded and left the lair wordlessly. Master Splinter stood alone in the living room, his eyes troubled and full of worry. He shook his head and sighed in despair. There was nothing more that could be done. Warily, he crossed to the television set and flicked it on to the news. Already, footage of the terrible fire rolled in front of his eyes. Splinter turned the volume up slightly and listened, his stomach clenching as the reporters announced that the woman, an employee of the junkyard named Becky Presley, and her seven-year-old son Devon, had perished in the flames.
TMNT
April and Casey arrived soaked through and frightened. Raphael had informed them of the situation. Raphael gestured at Mikey's room and wordlessly moved to watch the story further unravel on the evening news. Of course, the police had not yet realized a mutant monster had been involved, but Devon's call to 911 had been played, and the owner of the junkyard was currently being interviewed. A male, blonde reporter held the microphone in front of him, the blaze burning in the background.
"What do you think Becky Presley hit?" the reporter asked. The owner shifted his considerable bulk from foot to foot, scratching at his beer belly.
"Coulda' been anything. Lots of strays hang around lookin' for scraps – homeless people, too. It was probably some big dog," the owner replied. The reporter pulled the mike to his own face.
"What about a monster? Reports of giant, mutated monsters have been flooding the police stations. Have you seen any mutated animals in the junkyard?" The blonde moved the mike again and waited expectantly. The junkyard owner sneered and hooked his thumbs in his overalls.
"There ain't such a thing as monsters, fella. Becky hit a dog. She drove like a maniac. Probably wasn't even watchin' the road."
The reporter sighed, but nodded in acceptance. He turned to the camera and summarized the story yet again.
"I'm Cougar Watson, reporting for channel nine news. We're here at the New York junkyard, where there has been a terrible fire and two fatalities. Just a few hours ago, a woman crashed her car at the same time lightening set fire to some surrounding trees. The fire spread to her car and caused a small explosion. The authorities inform us that she and her son were most likely killed instantly." The reporter turned to the junkyard owner. "What can you tell us about Becky and her son Devon?"
The owner shrugged, staring off into the distance almost absently.
"She hadn't worked for me long. Her and the kid moved here from Louisiana. Didn't have no family. She did alright at her job, but hadn't found a place to live yet. I was lettin' her stay in a trailer here at the junkyard."
Casey sighed, standing up and beginning to pace nervously.
"This is horrible! Don's never gonna forgive himself, and that kid's an orphan now!"
Raphael stood up as well, crossing the room and picking up the leather supply belt loaded with the cures from Bishop's laboratory.
"I can't stay here just waitin'. Not if those monsters are out…eatin' people an' I'm sittin' here with the cure." Raphael looked to Splinter, half-expecting protest, but the rat was silent. Splinter merely looked to Casey.
"Perhaps you should accompany him, Mr. Jones." Casey nodded, pulling his ever-present baseball bat out of his golf bag.
"Come on then, Raph. Let's go find us some monsters."
The two friends left the lair, just as Mikey emerged from Donnie's room.
"He's awake!" Mikey exclaimed. Master Splinter instantly sprung to his feet and crossed the room before Mikey could even turn around. Inside the small, fastidiously clean bedroom, Donnie lay on his bed, feebly drinking from a glass of water Leonardo held for him.
"My son…" Master Splinter began. Donnie pulled his head back and looked at his father.
"Master Splinter," the mechanic croaked weakly, "What happened? I was sick at April's and then…I can't remember anything." Leonardo met Master Splinter's eyes knowingly. The old rat nodded imperceptibly and crossed to the bed to sit at Donnie's side.
"Nothing you need to worry yourself over. Rest now, my son. You have been through a great ordeal." Donnie nodded, almost instantly falling asleep when Splinter began to comfortingly stroke his brow.
"Everything is going to change. Donnie's going to change, isn't he?" Mikey asked quietly, staring at his sleeping brother. Leonardo nodded grimly.
"Yes, Mike. Everything will change now. We will just have to stick together as a family, as we always have."
Silently, the three of them watched Donnie's exhausted form, each thinking his own thoughts about what the future might hold.
A/N: I know these first two chappies are a bit short, but they'll get longer as I progress. I might not update for a week or so, as I have finals going on right now, but check once a week if your interested, especially on Fridays.