Donny sighed as he looked at the calendar he really wished the it would come
"Don, worrying won't make it come any faster." Raphael said, and leaned on the back of the couch, a look of annoyance starting to cross his face.
"Sorry raph I'm just a little nervous, I really just want to pass," said Donny smiling weakly
Raph shook his head. "I know but pacing back and forth, and glaring at the calendar is annoying, and I'm trying to watch TV!"
Donny sheepishly smiled and shrugged
Leo suddenly ran into the room with Mikey hot on his heels. "Hey Donny! It came! Your degrees here!" He said, and grinned as he held out the envelope.
Donny excitedly grabbed the envelope ripping it open to examine its contents
"Oh my god!" He cried, his expression hard to read.
"What's is its?" asked mikey looking at his brother
"I-I passed, with the highest grade in the class!" Donny cried happily, throwing his arms in the air happily.
"Way too go don!" said Leo clapping his hand on don's shell
Behind them Raph and Mikey high threed each other as they whooped loudly.
Donny gleefully smiled "And professor sofo wants me to come in person to get my degree!"
Mikey looks toward his brother again. "Who's Professor Sofo?""He's the top professor of the university, re runs everything, and I think he even owns the university"
Raphael took the envelope from his brother, and looked at it a moment. "Well... if you go I hope you have a dress for the occasion."
"A dress?" asked Donny looking confused
"Yep, because right here." He turned the envelope so his purple wearing brother could see."It says you're Ms. Dona Tello."
"Whoa looks like professor sofo is expecting a lovely lady not a ninja turtle"
Donny lowered his head sadly. "Aw man."
Leo sadly smiled at him "sorry don, you couldn't go anyway remember were giant talking turtles"
Don nodded numbly, and flopped onto the couch as he tossed the letter and envelope onto the ground with a sigh.
"See ya later don" said mikey "Hope you feel better"Don looked up and nodded as the other three turtles left the room.
Donny sat up on the couch picking up the letter rereading it
"I worked too hard on this to just give up, I need to get this degree." He said with determination in his voice. He looked at the letter again. "Okay, so I have a couple of days till I have to show up..." A small smile came to his lips as an idea struck him. "That might just work." He mumbled and headed into his lab.
--------
Leo knocked on Donatello's lab door waiting for it open "Come on don you already missed breakfast, were going to start training soon"
He knocked once again, and when he still didn't get an answer, he opened the door and looked inside.
The room was empty of any living being only filled with empty beakers; test tubes and other things lay scattered on the long worktable including a white piece of paper
Leo walked into the room, looking around. He spotted the note, and read it.
Hey guys I know you'll be a but peeved but I really want that degree and after all of my hard work I'm not willing to let it go, tell sensei sorry for missing practice
See you guys in a day or two
Donatello
Leonardo blinked and dashed out of the lab with the note to find his brothers and Splinter.
------
Donny yawned stretching as the train came to a slow stop
He looked out the window seeing the forest around the train station, marveling for the moment at the natural beauty before he looked down, blushing.
Don hoped the antidote would work otherwise raph and mikey would have a field day with this
Even though she couldn't figure out a way to change to female and human, he was able to at least change his gender,
She pulled her trench coat tighter as she walked out of the train compartment
"I hope they decide I'm not worthy of being dissected."
She exited the train pulling fedora down over her green features looking up as she heard "Ms. Dona Tello?"
Don looked up at the source of the voice, which was a tall red head, wearing blue-rimmed glasses and a lab coat. She noted his buckteeth when he smiled.
"Are you one of professor Sofo's students?"
"Yes ma'am." He said, and led her out of the station to a limozine that was waiting.
Two other men stood by the limo one was bald the other also had red hair
"Could we see your lovely face?" One of the men asked.
"You probably won't want to see it," she said pulling her hat further down trying to cover more of her face
"Of course I want to see your lovely smiling face." Tittered Sofo as he reached for Donatello's hat.
She backed away a few paces her gloved hands holding her hat in place
Sofo frowned at this. "Come now, you can't be that ugly looking."
"Umm... I'm shy"
Sofo tsked. "Alright, but I will see your face at sometime."
Donny nodded
"Now, please get into the Limo, and we shall be on our way."
Donny smiled as she got into the limo relaxing on the comfortable seats
Sofo climbed in after her, and sat nearby, the other man closing the door before Getting into the drivers seat and driving off.
"So Ms Dona Tello how was your trip here?"
"Oh, it could of been better, it was pretty rough."
"How so some of the train workers treat you badly?"
"Yes,plus the living space I was given was very cramped."
Sofo nodded "Yes most train compartments are rather small"
"I didn't know that till I boarded the train. I don't travel by train often."
They remained silent through the rest of the trip sofo studied her as she sat by the window gazing outside
Donatello made sure to keep her hat down to try and disguise her real self.
She'd rather not be cut up into pieces anytime soon
"Enjoying the lovely countryside Ms. Tello?" Sofo asked her,
"Yes, its much more than I usually see at home"
"What is your home like?"
"Its mostly apartment buildings, I rarely see any real plant life"
"Ah yes, the big city. Those people don't know what they're missing."
"Yeah, its very pretty out here"
Sofo simply nodded as he looked forward again.
The limo slowed to a stop in front of a large fancy looking building
Donatello blinked and looked at the building.
"Wow."
Sofo chuckled. "Impressive hmmm?"
"Yeah"
Sofo smiled as his man came around to open the door again. "Allow me to show you around, and get you settled in."
Donny nodded following behind sofo
---------
Splinter looked at each of his son's from the back seat of the turtle van, Leonardo drove as raph gave directions or he at least tried
Leo looked at his red brother. "Raph, are we lost?"
"Um. I think so," he said examining the map not being able to read head or tails of it
"It might help if you turned it right side up..."
Raph glared at mikey before turning the map right side up
"I knew that." He grumbled, and it only earned him a snicker from Mikey as he finally started to make sense of the map. "Uh, think you turn right here,"
Leo nodded turning right as the red masked turtle had instructed
Raph nodded. "I think we're back on track now." He said. "Least I hope." He said under his breath.
A few twists and turns later they drove down the highway "We have to take the Slande exit, its just up ahead"
"Slande exit got it." Leo said, keeping an eye out for said exit, before he pulled onto it.
As they traveled down the road the city became smaller and more plant life seemed to appear
"Wow, look at the scenery." Leonardo said as he drove.
"Its pretty nice" said mikey peeking out
"Indeed it is my son, but please, keep your eyes on the road." Splinter said.
"Yes sensei"
Leonardo said and looked back to the road as he drove. "Ok, um, a couple more miles, and you'll want to turn left, and according to this we should just about be there."
"Got it," said Leo, not noticing April's news van close behind them
Raph nods. "Here we go, Elm Street." He says as they reach it
They drove up Elm Street as buildings seemingly vanished from general sight and more plant life became seen
Raph peers at the map again. "Raph, are you sure this is right?" Leo asked skeptical.
"Yeah its says right here, and yes mikey I do have the map right side up" said raph knowing what mikey would be saying in a few seconds
"Seems like we should be seeing some buildings or something..."
"Well mostly the map shows only roads and big buildings, and the biggest building is that university," said raph pointing at the map
Leo leaned over a bit to look at the map.
"Leonardo keep you eyes on the road" warned splinter
Leo eeped and sat forward again. "Sorry Sensei." He said.
"We do have another car behind us its best not to crash"
Leo looked in his rear view mirror and saw the news van. "What the...it's April's van."
"Wonder where she's headed?"
"Maybe we should pull over and ask her." Mikey suggested.
"I do not know I think there's are other people in there with her"
"Good point Master."
---------
Donny smiled as she looked around the huge room she eyed the bed before jumping on it flopping down on her shell
"Are you comfortable Ms. Tello?"
"Yes thank you for asking" said Donny blushing realizing she had left the door open
Sofo stepped inside the room. "Still in your hat and coat I see."
"Yeah, like I said I'm a bit shy"
"Does it not make you rather warm however?"
"A little, but I'm fine"
Sofo hmmed.
"Is it okay if I have a little time to my self?" asked Donny
"Of course, will you join me for dinner later?"
"Yes I'd be glad too"
Sofo smiled and gave a bow, before he stepped out the door closing it.
Donny waited a few moments making sure he had left pulling off her hat letting out a sigh
"About time I can remove these."
She shed her coat walking to the bathroom
The room was quite spacious, with all that she could need, and decorated with flowers.
She turned on the sink before splashing water on her face cleaning away the sweat from her hat
She grabbed a towel to dry her face, looking up in the mirror.
Her face seemed smaller and a but more softer she blinked confused before remembering
"Oh yeah, I changed genders, wish I could of changed my look though."
She knew if she did figure out how she'd be able to walk around freely and not wear the trench coat
But unfortunately her lab was back in the lair.
She walked back out of the bathroom peeking out the windows seeing a huge lake
"Wow, it's so beautiful"; She thought as she watched the light of the sun play across the waters surface.
She squinted her eyes noticing the odd number of fish at the side of the lake
"That's odd, why would they be out there..."
She now really wished she had brought some of her gadets
Shelooked around wondering if perhaps she could sneak out to get a better look.
She pulled her coat back on and eyed the height of the window to the ground seeing if she'd make the jump without hurting herself
The jump wasn't that high, and could be manageable as far as she could tell.
Donny walked a few paces back before jumping out of the window
She crashed through the glass, and landed on the ground in a roll.
she looked up at the broken window her shoulders sagging knowing she'd be in deep for it later on
She froze for a moment, waiting to see if the noise attracted any attention.
Donny darted into the shadows her ninja instincts kicking in
She watched the area, and when noone appeared to be comming, she moved toward the lake.
she eyed it seeing what appeared to he a ton of fish swimming below the waters surface
She was amazed by the sight, and again wished she had her instruments with her.
she wondered what was attracting all of these fish torward the back of the universtiy
She looks around the area trying to figure it out.
"Ms.Tello?"
She blinked at the voice and turned around quickly.
one of sofo's students stood behind her
She blinked. "Um, yes?" She asked.
"I thought i heard glass breaking are you alright?"
She thought over what to tell him.
"I came out to look at the area, i guess i didn't hear it" donny said hoping he'd
buy the lie
The student nodded, apparently buying it for the moment. "So you are alright?"
He asked again. "I'll have to tell someone about the glass breaking".
Don nodded "Yes, i was wondering why are there so many fish around here?"
"Oh that, for some reason they always choose this spot for spawning, happens every year"
"Okay.." said don not buying the story that much
The student nodded. "It's odd, but then what can you do." He shrugged. "Have you seen much of the grounds Ms. Tello?" He asked changing the subject.
"No only as far as this"
"Oh! Well, the lakes only one part of it, the grounds are quite lovely this time of year. I can show you if you'd like."
"Thank you I'd like that"
The student nodded and motioned for her to follow as he turned and walked off.
Donny eyed the lake before following the student
The student showed her around the grounds, showing the flowering trees and other plants. He pauses however as he thought he spotted a vehicle on the drive up.
The van drove up the lane parking
Donatello's eyes widened recognising the news van, and then the folks exiting it, or at least one of them. "Oh no, what are they doing here, if they recognise me, I'm in trouble." She thought frantically.
A excuse came to donnys mind, she coughed into her had "If you excuse me i don't feel so well i think i need some rest"
Student looked back to her, and nodded. "I should go inform professor Sofo, as I don't believe he was expecting the press." He said, and headed off to do just that as the crew
looked around for a moment.
Donny quickly vanished into the shadows heading inside of the building hoping that april wouldn't see her
It was a few minutes before Sofo stepped outside, and reguarded the news crew, before he stepped closer. "Can I help you?" He asked.
"If its alright were going to film a news story on the amount of fish here, it is kinda odd"
"I would rather you not." He said.
"But-" "No buts could you please get off my property, and if you wish to stay put away the cameras"
April sighed in resignation, and motioned for her crew to put the cameras away. "Could I atleast get a look at the place?" She asks. "No cameras."
She nodded unhappily complying to his demand
"However, you are welcome to look around, as long as the cameras stay in the van."
Don watching from the window cursed her bad luck
"Great, now what am I going to do." She said with a sigh,
Donny rubbed her temple trying to collect her thoughts, with april here it meant that guy veron or something was probally with her and he hated the turtles and would try to expose her.
The thought came to her that perhaps this was a bad idea to come.
She sighed again knowing her was her idea in the first place. donny wondered if she could get out of here
She paced infront of the window trying to decide what to do, and was thankfull her brothers didn't decide to come looking for her, or so she thought.
-------
Leo sighed as raph and mikey argued wether all of them should head out
"If we all go out at once, there's more of a chance of being seen stupid!" Raph said.
"Raphs right it be best if we went in pairs" said leo finally interving
Mikey sighed. "Ok." He said.
"so i guess we'll break up into groups, raph you go with sensei, i go with mikey" said leo
"And if anything happens use the turtle comm"
Raph and Mikey nodded. "And remember to try and stay out of sight." Leo added.
Raph pulled on his trench coat jumping out of the turtle van
Splinter put his own disguise on and followed his son. He was shortly followed by Mikey and Leo in their own trench coats and hats.
Leo looked around he and mikey walked by the lake seeing the large amount of fish
"Dude, that's weird", look at them all." Mikey said. " I don't think I ever seen that many before!"
"Must be breeding season" said leo
"Still weird." Mikey remarked, and looked around, making sure he stayed in the shadows.
Leo moved forward mikey sticking close as they spotted april talking too the other news casters
"Think April's here cause of the fish?" Mikey asked Leonardo.
"Probally i don't know any other reason she would be here"
"Heh,true.
Raph and splinter meanwhile were closer to the school looking around for an enterance
"Where do you think Don is in this place Sensei?" Raph asks.
"i do not know my son, but we will find him"
"I hope so, I don't like the look of this place."
"It does seem quite odd since i don't see many students wandering the grounds"
"I know, seems like there'd be a bunch of them wandering around or something."
Splinter nodded "Now lets find an entrance"
Raph nods and makes his way carefully around the building. He comes to a door, and listens to it a moment, before trying the doorknob.
The door creaked open showing a large globe with a few spinning circles around it
Raph blinks. "What the heck." He says as peers inside, opening the door a bit more after checking to see if any humans were around.
he cautiously opened the door walking inside
"Man, I wish Don was here, he's probably know more about this..."
Raph looked at the machine for a few more moments before splinter walked in closing the door slowly behind him
He pulls out his turtlecomm to call Leo and Mikey, they maight want to know about this.
"Hey what are you two doing down here?"
Raph blinks and looks up at the voice.
A redhead glared at him
"You shouldn't be here, you, you, whatever you are."The redhead moved around to try and hit the intruder alarm inside the room.
Raph moved on instinct his sai barely missing the mans hand by an inch
The red-head yelped in alarm. "Don't touch that button buster" Raph warned.
"Why you.." growled the redhead geek
Raphael took up his other sai. "I don't believe this is a good time for a fight." Splinter spoke up trying to reason with his son.
"Yeah i know but what am i suppose to do he isn't going to let us just walk away and forget us"
The redhead tries for the button again. "Don't even think about it!" Raph shouts.
the redhead ripped off his shirt showing huge muscles
Raph blinked.
"So you want a fight i'll give you one" said the redhead lifting a table off the ground
"Master Splinter, head for cover!" Raph shouted and as he rushed toward the red head.
The redhead threw the table at splinter before he threw a punch in raph's direction
Splinter manages to jump out of the way of the table, as Raphael tries to block the punch from the red head.
The redhead threw body weight on the turtle knocking him over before he picked him up swinging him around by the leg
"Argh!" Raph shouted, and then yelped as he was thrown into a nearby wall, landing on the floor hard. He groaned and tried to get back to his feet.
The redheaded man charged at raph not letting him get up slamming him against the wall
Raph yelps as he's slammed into the wall, and he just falls to the floor again, trying to get past the pain, but it's hard/
splinter kicked the redhead's feet out of under him, then knocking him across the room
Raph manages to get up to his knees and shakes his head trying to clear it. "Ugh, anyone get the license of the truck that hit me?"
The redhead got up weakly charging at splinter throwing a volly of punches
"Sensei! Look out!"
Splinter dodged the punches once again sweep kicking the man's feet out of under him making him smack his head on the floor
Raph pulled out his turtlecomm again wondering if he should call for back up.
The man got up again blindly charging at splinter his glasses now broken he could see at all
Splinter ducks the blindly thrown punches and he manages to hit the redhead behind the head and knock him out.
"Great going sensei" said raph as he walked over to his father
Splinter nodded. "Thank you Raphael."He said. "Think we should call Leo and Mikey? They might want to know about this..."; Raph asked.
"That would be a good idea, just incase he finds them"
Raph nodded, and pushed the button on his comm to call his other two brothers.
--------
Donny sighed sitting in her room her curtains drawn and a huge pecie of wood over the busted window, sofo probally was fed up with her wearing her coat all the time, she could guess he wanted to see her.
There was a knock at her door.
"Ms. tello may i come in?"
She blinked at the voice of Sofo. "Um, give me a minute!" She shouted/
she quickly pulled her hat and coat back on
"Come in!";
Sofo entered the room "Ms. tello i heard you weren't feeling well, are you feeling any better?"
Donatello blinked, for a moment, and then nodded. "Oh, uh yes, I'm ok now, thank you for asking." She says politely.
"Are you still coming to dinner with me or would you rather stay here and rest?"
She thought of joining, she was hungry, but then she worried of what he'd think of her hat and coat at dinner.
She bit her lip as she decided "I'll see you at dinner" she said
Sofo nodded with a smile that could almost be flirtatious. "I look forward to seeing you then."
She felt a small blush form on her cheeks "I hope you don't mind if i stay in coat it is a bit chilly"
Sofo reguarded her for a moment. "I hope I get to see you in something other then that at some point. I do wonder though where the rest of your clothes are, I don't recall any luggage."
"I don't really carry that much but i do have other clothes with me" she lied
Sofo looked skeptical for a moment, and then nodded. "Alright, I will see you at dinner then, I will send someone to come get you when it's ready."
"Thank you professor sofo"
"Welcome."
sofo left the room closing the door behind him leaving donny on her own
Don let out a breath she didn't know she was holding, and took off her hat and coat again.
shereally wasn't looking forward to the moment to when sofo actually saw her
She was sure he'd just see her as some sort ugly freak.
she winced thinking of that, some reason she held a little hope sofo had an open mind,
she didn't know why but she did like him.
"Come on Don, don't be stupid, no human would like a mutant turtle, least not in that way." She said to herself.
She leaned against the wall musing for a moment before sighing walking to the bed sitting on it
She sighed and wondered what she should do.
Don knew he'd probally pester her until she showed her self and that wouldn't go well,
She yawned tiredly staying up all night changing gender made her pretty tired..
Sheleaned back onto the bed, perhaps a short nap before dinner would be good.
She closed her eyes easily falling asleep
Yes, it was nice to finally sleep after so long, and she hoped it'd last atleast a few hours, though she did forget to lock the door to the room.
-------
"Mikey get over here, you have to see this" said leo
Mikey snuck up next to his older brother. "What what?"
Leo pointed to a stream leading to the lake, the stream was totally full of fish you could barely see any water from all of the fish
Mikey blinked. "Whoa, that's freaky. Geez, there's no visible water..."
"It defintly can't be fish breeding there are a ton of diffrent kinds in here"
Mikey walked closer to peer at the fish. "Heh, I don't think so, what could be causing it?"
"I don't know maybe the thing raph and master splinter saw"
"Maybe, where'd they say it was? They do all look to be heading toward the back of the building."
"In a lab at the back, we better check it out"
Mikey nods, and heads toward the building again. "Man what happened here I wonder."
He said as they passed by the boarded up window, and unknowingly Don's room.
"Dunno, but they must have had something break through it"
"Weird, heck this whole place is weird." He stated as he continued sneaking.
Leo nodded, he paused as he heard the sound of footsteps, he tapped mikey on the shoulder
Mikey stopped as he heard them as well, and quickly looked around.
They stayed in the shadows as another tall orange haired man with black rimmed glasses
walked by he carried a medium sized box
"Man,what's with everybody here having red or orange hair?" Mikey asked in a whisper after the man passed.
"They must like hair dye alot" commented leo as he noticed the brown roots
Mikey had to admit however that that guy was the first he'd seen with prange hair, the others being red heads. "Must be, I bet they have a happy barber" He said, and looked around again before creeping forward.
They sneaked away from the man heading for the back of the building