Once they were back in the lair Splinter went to work taking care of Don's minor injuries, berating him for his disobedience, his overconfidence and his foolhardiness. Relieved that he wasn't going to get blamed for what happened, Mike left his brother to their father's care and went to stand a safe distance away to watch the unfolding events. He didn't see or hear Leonardo and Raphael walk up behind him and started when his blue masked brother put a hand on his shoulder.
"Mike what's going on?"
"Donnie's in trouble all the way up to his neck, that's what's going on." Mike said shaking his head.
"Why, what did he do?" Leo looked toward Don and Splinter.
"Do you want me to keep it PG or do I have to go through the whole horror movie?" Mike said pulling off his Turtle Titan mask and looking at it with disgust.
"Was it that bad?" Raph looked alarmed.
"Let's just say Don made Casey look like a normal well adjusted person."
"I can hear you back there you know Mike." Don said angrily turning to look at his brother. Mike saw a glint in Don's eyes and actually took a step backwards.
"Uh, sorry Donnie." He smiled apologetically.
Splinter dabbed Don's arm with hot water, and the black masked turtle clenched his teeth trying not to show any sign of pain.
"I cannot believe you have disobeyed my orders Donatello, you above all your brothers." The elderly rat said angrily shaking his head.
"I'm fine Sensei you shouldn't worry so much."
"How can I not worry, you have been seriously injured and have only just woken from a deep coma. You have not had a chance to completely regain your former strength or abilities.. You could have gotten killed."
Splinter reprimanded as he finished bandaging his son's wound.
Don looked up at his father and sighed. " I apologize for disobeying your orders and worrying you Sensei, but I had to."
Splinter he looked up at his other three sons and gestured in the direction of the kitchen. "I want you all to go to the kitchen, your brother Donatello and I need to talk."
"Yes Sensei." Leonardo said, bowing slightly.
Mike sighed and bowed as well. "Aye, aye Captain."
"Come on Mike, I'll make you some tea." Leo put a hand on his brother's shoulder and led him to the kitchen.
"Donatello." Splinter said pointing to his room, Don got up and stomped towards it. Splinter sighed. He was beginning to worry about Donatello. His intelligent son had been acting strangely ever since he had woken from his coma. He was darker, his manner tainted by a slight ring of arrogance that Splinter had never seen before. Where before Donatello had always held back in fights, always taking care never to harm others unnecessarily; he did not hold back now. He was no longer the gentle soul he had been; his movements were cold, precise and even violent. And as apparent by Don's display of fighting skills on the streets above, he was also stronger, swifter and faster than he had been. It wasn't just all that that caused Splinter to worry about the mental health of his son however, it was his sons newly developed instability. Splinter had listened in on the conversation between Don and Mike up on the rooftops and was now seriously wondering if his son hadn't lost his mind. Splinter had seen how Don sometimes developed that strange light in his eyes and it even sent shivers down the elderly rat's spine. The Splinter was perplexed, he knew that the turtle who had just woken up from his coma was his son Donatello…and yet he wasn't Donatello. His mind still had the slight resonance that Donatello's mind always had..yet it had the resonance of something else as well. Whatever it was he knew they could not afford to let Don continue on the way he was going, Splinter knew that if they did they would be standing at his graveside by the end of the month; and he was determined never again to loose a member of his family. He thought of loosing his Master Yoshi again and squeezed his walking stick tightly. He would not loose any one of his sons…even if it cost him his own life.
Don was standing sullenly in the middle of the room when Splinter came in and closed the door. Splinter walked to within a few feet of his son and then calmly folded his hands over the top of his walking stick.
"Tell me my son, what have I done to cause you to loose your respect for me?"
Don's eyes widened and his jaw dropped. "Sensei, I will never loose my respect for you.."
"And yet you question my judgment, ignore my warning that you should not go to the surface and you almost get yourself killed in the process. Even then, you still continued to question my judgment and my wisdom."
The shock in Don's eyes was evident as he quickly knelt before his father and put a hand on his Sensei's small shoulder. "Sensei, I do not question your judgement, nor do I find you in any way weak. You are the greatest and most skilled fighter I have ever seen, and I believe that you are even wiser than Master Yoshi himself."
"Then why is it, my son that you continue to question me? I do not restrict you to the lair to punish you, but because I care for you. You and your brothers are my life my son, you four are all that I have in this world. When you were injured I feared that you would die my son, and you cannot imagine the pain that I felt at the prospect of loosing you. I would rather die the most painful death imaginable a thousand times over, than loose one of you…my precious sons. I was overjoyed when I knew that you would live, and though my heart is still joyful that you are still here my son. It is sadened once again by this change I see in you."
Don looked down, " I wish I could appologize for being what I am Sensei, but I cannot."
Splinter regarded his son with a searching look. "I was there when you had your, discussion, with Michelangelo above. I overheard your statement as to who you belive yourself to be. Is this why you do not listen?"
Don looked up surprised again. He hadn't meant for anyone else to hear what he had said to Mike. "You might think I am crazy Sensei, but I am not that Donatello. You base your assessment of my condition on what you know about him..but not about me. You aren't wrong Sensei, merely misinformed. That Donatello wouldn't be up to going up to the city, I am different."
Splinter's expression didn't change. "Explain."
"Something, I don't know what, happened in that accident. The Donatello you're thinking about went to sleep, and I woke up. I am not who he is; I am more than he is, more than he could be, more than he would even want to be. He values his intelligence over his ability to fight, he values peace, talking things out, he abhors using his skills to injure others. I am different; I value both intelligence and fighting skills, I believe that both mind and body can be a weapon..and used together they can be the most powerful weapon of all. If one is lacking the other will be weakened. I value action over words, fighting over talking, I value the strength that comes from superior abilities. The likes of Shredder, and his Foot Ninja, or those Purple Dragons..they are evil, despicable, vile excuses for human beings. Every day they lie, they cheat, steal, destroy, and defile anything and everything they come in contact with, they do not deserve mercy..they deserve justice, they deserve pain. I have no qualms with giving them everything that they dish out, in double portions. And I can do so as well." A fierce and angry look on his face, Don stood and backed away from his Sensei, opening and closing his hands. "My mind remembers Sensei, everything you've ever taught him, every technique of Ninjitsu he's ever seen; and my muscles do whatever my brain tells them to. I'm sure he could do the same if he wished it; I am sure that if he really tried he could be as good as Leonardo, but he doesn't wish it..he holds back. I do not, and I will not."
Splinter regarded his son for a few minutes and then his eyes narrowed.
"I see." Splinter said. "You have given me much to think about.
Don regarded his Sensei crossing his arms across his plastron. "I apologize if you do not like who and what I am, but I will not change. I am better than he will ever be, and I like it."
"I am sorry too my son. Very sorry. You may leave now, I have much to meditate on."
Don raised an eye ridge. "That's it, you're not going to punish me?"
"No my son, I do not believe it will do any good." Splinter shook his head and turning went to the back of his room where he simply sat down and began to meditate.
Don's eye ridges furroughed at the answer and he turned and stalked out of the room.