"Hey April, hand me that wrench over there."
"Sure thing, Don," came the reply. Tool in hand, Donatello continued repairing the half-demolished invention that had been in his bag. "You're lucky you didn't land on it on your shell," April mused, watching him work. "You'd have to throw the whole thing away as scrap metal."
With a laugh, Donatello responded, "With me, there's no such thing as scrap metal." Even as he tinkered with the screws on the casing of his gadget, something bothered Donatello. He was in his familiar home. The sounds of his brothers sparring carried over from behind the desk he was working at. April offered him her assistance as she waited for Casey to reply to her instant messages on his laptop. And yet…. "What day is today?"
April looked up at him. "Hm?" Donatello repeated his question, not sure why he decided to ask it. With a moment's thought, April answered, "Thursday." Noting Donatello's contemplative frown, she asked, "Why? What is it?"
It took Donatello a moment before he could put his finger on it. "That's funny. Mikey's usually crashed in front of the television by this time Thursday nights, watching his program. In fact…." He paused for a moment before looking over at his family. "By this time on most nights, we're usually done training."
From the corner of his eye, he saw April shrug. "Maybe Splinter thinks Mikey and Raph need the workout. With all of the weird happenings going on lately-"
"That's just it," Donatello interrupted, so deep in thought that he hadn't even realized that he had stood and was narrowing his eyes at his brothers sparring by the pool. "I remember someone telling me that I should be training harder. If only…." If only I could get rid of this mental block.
In the back of his mind, Donatello could remember being chastised on his fighting style, being told that he was far too passive. It was a complaint Splinter had often voiced, but this dim memory didn't seem to contain Splinter. For some reason, it was Leonardo that was bearing down on him. And yet Splinter was still a part of the conversation. If Donatello had only been more aggressive, this phantom Leonardo was saying, then maybe Splinter wouldn't have-
His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden bright light coming from the bridge over their pool. As the light turned a blinding shade of turquoise, Donatello heard a clatter as April rose from her chair, knocking it to the ground. "Oh no," she cried out, a hand going to Donatello's arm.
"Arm yourselves, my sons!" Splinter called as Michelangelo and Raphael merely gaped at the widening portal. "It would appear that Lord Hebi has sent his mercenary to attack us once more." Donatello uncertainly unsheathed his bo, seeing that the only person who had actively armed himself at their sensei's bidding was Leonardo.
"And this will be the last time!" Leonardo growled besides his master. As Donatello gasped in shock, Leonardo ran straight for the portal just as shadowy figures could be seen emerging from the other side. "Miyamoto Usagi!" Leonardo screamed out. "Leave my family alone!"
"Leo!" Donatello called. "No!" But it was too late. Just as Leonardo leapt for the portal, a small, lithe being jumped into their lair, two katana unsheathed and waiting. Seeing the airborne turtle make towards him, a simple change in his direction made it possible for him to not even have to worry about a fight. Leonardo could do nothing to change his course by the time he realized that Usagi's twin blades were aimed directly at his abdomen.
Chilled, Donatello willed himself to look away. Everything was too silent, too eerie. He had almost convinced himself that they had missed one another, when the droplets of crimson began raining down into the green water of their pool. He could hear his own pounding heartbeat just before perceiving the unmistakable sound of his brother hitting the bridge. Of his brother's body hitting the bridge.
Holding his breath, Donatello slowly turned his head. His steady yet booming heartbeat making him feel as though he were caught in a macabre film, he managed to see just as Miyamoto Usagi landed on the ground. A smirk overcame the rabbit's white, sadistic face as he gazed lovingly upon his bloodied swords. "And so," he whispered into the deathly quiet lair, "it ends."
Donatello realized that April's grip upon his arm had become one of steel. It seemed as though no one in the room dared to breathe, dared to move. Everything was frozen, preserved. Recording the passing of an older brother who never wanted anything more than what was best for his family. Time had to stop, time had to cease to exist… because time without Leonardo suddenly didn't seem to matter to Donatello.
Someone finally broke the stillness with an anguished cry. Donatello had expected Raphael to be the first to strike, and was only the more amazed and appalled when he saw that it was Splinter.
Splinter dove for the treacherous mercenary Usagi, ready to destroy him for taking away his most responsive pupil. Just as he was but two inches away from the still-smirking rabbit, a large, brown, fur-covered fist crashed out of the portal and collided into him, sending the rat flying.
The second assault got the three turtles moving. As Michelangelo and Raphael assumed offensive positions, Donatello pried April off of him and leapt closer to the grisly scene. Behind Usagi, the feared assassin warthog Kojima stepped into view, cracking the knuckles of his oversized clawed fist. "Enough, old rat," he snorted, reaching behind him as he spoke. "Succumb to darkness, as is fitting for vermin of your kind."
What happened next was a quick sequence of events that drove Donatello into a rage that he had never known possible. From behind his back, Kojima withdrew three of his potent bombs and flung them at the injured Splinter. With another gasp, Donatello found himself suddenly immobile as a look of realization and then disappointment overtook Splinter's face. "No!" The word came from two voices at once, and Donatello merely stood back as he felt Raphael from his side and April from behind him rush to Splinter's defense.
And then the grenades went off.
The explosion was more powerful than Donatello had anticipated, knocking him off his feet. As his shell hit a wall, he heard three screams rise up from the sudden cover of smoke. One was old and feeble, another was angry and disbelieving, and another was high-pitched and feminine. But Donatello knew that they all shared one distinctive quality. They were all death cries.
Pushing himself up to his knees, Donatello gripped his bo in both of his trembling hands. Gone, he realized. Gone. Gone. Four people. Four people I love. Gone. His sadness quickly manifesting itself into anger, Donatello jumped to his feet. Passive. That's all you are. You didn't move. You didn't attempt a rescue. You're selfish. You spend all your time with your stupid machines, and now your family has been diminished to one brother.
Looking up, he saw the large and intimidating shadow of what could be none other than Kojima approaching him from the darkness. But not anymore, he thought more towards the advancing figure. Leo fought you once to protect me and the others. He let you live. I won't. For Leo's honor, I won't.
But first, that murderous little bunny is going down.