Disclaimer: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is the property of Viacom, Nickelodeon, Kevin Eastman, Peter Laird and all organizations associated with said names. This is non-profit.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Exile
by BrownEyedBirdie
Author's Note: This marks the end of a story arc that I've been working with these first few chapters, namely Donnie taking charge. When they advertised "The Invasion" with Donnie stepping up as leader, I thought that would probably carry on even onto the farm, but I think Donnie's feelings of guilt (as you saw wrapped up in the first chapter) would keep him from wanting to take leadership. But I think he's got something in him that is leader-like; it's what can keep him relatively calm in most situations as he has matured. I plan to put an overall theme for a certain number of chapters that ties each chapter together, making it very episodic, but each could be a stand alone too.
Thank you for all the great reviews, particularly to my guest named "MsMuffetsTuffet." Nothing gets me more inspired than a good "Squee!" Weiterlesen!
Chapter 5 – De Facto
Two weeks had passed since the Turtles arrived on the farm. In that time, they'd had no trouble with being traced for using the power. Donnie seemed to have worked his magic properly disbursing the different connections and, as he said, the result was probably only an extra $1.50 on some people's bills. The boiler continued to function, providing hot clean water and allowed for hot meals. The knocking continued, which Donnie said was probably unavoidable with such an old unit, but it didn't seem to bother anyone much. Mikey had been diligent looking after the chickens and they'd produced a good couple days of eggs, which allowed for warm breakfasts and more smoke bombs.
But, at the start of their third week, winter returned in a blizzard of cold fury. The temperatures dropped to below freezing, with the wind chill taking things even colder. This meant staying inside most all the time. Leo stayed in the kitchen as it remained the warmest spot in the house. The other Turtles stayed wrapped in blankets near the fire until Casey grew tired of being crammed in the kitchen. He spent one morning cleaning up the fireplace and chimney. By that evening, a fire was roaring in the fireplace.
"Winter is not cool," Mikey grumbled.
"We heard you the first 12 times, Mikey," Raph answered. He and April sat together playing cards, glancing every so often to the kitchen where Leo slept.
"Fire is going out," Mikey observed, "Where's Donnie?"
"He said he was going to check on the fuses," April said, "Then get more firewood."
As if on cue, Donnie came in, carrying an oversized load of firewood. He was dressed in at least 10 layers of clothes. Mikey began to laugh.
"Dude, you look so pumped," he said, "You look like a pro-wrestler."
"Yeah, well, just call me stone cold," Donnie chattered as he removed the layers. His beak had turned as purple as his mask. He dragged a chair to the fireplace and sighed in relief.
"Everything look good?" April asked. She laid down a card and Raph growled.
"Everything steady," he said, "And with heaters cranked right now, we're even less likely to be noticed."
"So, we've got power, heat, food, a source of income," Casey said, ticking them off on fingers, "We're set here. So what's next?"
Everyone was quiet for awhile. April beat Raph at cards two more times befreo Raph quit.
"This is ridiculous," he said, "We need to do something."
"Like what?" Casey said.
"We need to have a plan," Raph replied, "Leo always had a plan."
"I don't even think Leo would have been sure what to do at this point," April said, "We need a direction to go. It's like we're at a crossroads. We've got survival under control, now we need purpose."
"So how do we choose our purpose?" Mikey asked, "Who's going to call the shots on that?"
"I say Raph," Casey said.
"No!" Raph said sharply, "I've done the leader thing and I don't want the responsibility. Leo could do it. I've said before that I don't mind risking my own neck, but I won't risk anyone else's life. I mean, for crying out loud, I was ready to attack the Shredder without any thought to the rest of you, if Mikey hadn't stopped me."
"Well, I'm not gonna be leader," Mikey said, "I don't think it'd be neat."
Raph felt the light go off in his head.
"We need someone responsible," he said, "Someone who can think on their feet and outthink our enemy."
April caught on and continued excitedly.
"Someone smart," she said, "Who can think outside the box and who knows how to make things work, no matter how disconnected or broken they are."
"Someone who knows how to work around barriers," Raph said with a grin.
"Someone who can make a mistake and only let it push them to get better," April said, "Someone who isn't afraid to let anything stop."
"Someone who holds us together."
"Someone with the ability to smile and make us smile too."
"Someone who likes pizza!" Mikey crowed.
"Okay, I get the hint," Casey said, "And I'm all for taking charge."
"Uh, no offense, Jones, but we didn't mean you," Raph said.
"Who else is there?" Casey asked.
"They mean me," Donnie said softly.
"We did say smart," Raph said, "But we didn't say "modest."
"But you can say "abdicate," Donnie said, "Because I'm not going to be leader."
"But you're perfect," April said. Donnie rolled his eyes.
"I've already seen what being a leader is like," Donnie said, "It didn't work out so well with the Turtle Mech."
"That's one incident," Raph said, "The odds were against us to begin with. But you gave us a last stand. Kraang Prime was taken down, even if it was for just a moment."
"Raph, you said yourself that taking the responsibility was something only Leo could do," Donnie said.
"Actually, I said I couldn't take responsibility," Raph said, "But you're just a responsible. You lead us out of New York."
"I only did what Leo said," Donnie argued, "I did what we should have done from the beginning."
"But you've been the one taking the point on everything we've done here," April said.
"Donnie, you're were able to get power to this place, hot water and fix up Leo," Raph said.
"It was your idea to let me keep the chickens," Mikey said, "I never would have thought about selling the eggs. You gave me something to do that's important."
"And you've never expected anything in return," April said.
Everyone looked at Casey.
"Oh, well, um," he stuttered, "You got us Internet." Everyone sighed in defeat.
"I appreciate the kind words," Donnie said, "But it's not right. Master Splinter chose Leo to lead. If he had meant for me to lead, he would have said so. I won't take something that I have no right to have. Leo will get better and he'll take charge again."
"Donnie, we don't know when that'll happen," Raph said, "We need you right now."
Donnie stood up and stared hard at everyone.
"It's not me," he said and left the room. Mikey started to follow him but April stopped him.
"Let him have some space," she said.
Donnie sat in the kitchen, watching the snow falling outside. The others had gone to sleep hours before. Raph had decided to take the evening off and leave Donnie alone with Leo. Sitting close to the fire and toying idly with a bunch of wires hanging off an old hard drive, Donnie looked at the army cot. Each time he looked at Leo, he felt a knot of guilt and shame pull tighter in his throat and chest. He would hear his words echo back to him as though off the sewer walls.
"The Turtle Mech is our only answer. Be reasonable."
"You're the one who's too slow. You're leading us into disaster."
What had he been thinking? Risking the Lair, his brothers, April, all so he could play with a new toy he'd created.
"So, you'll never guess what the others asked me today," Donnie said cheerfully to the sleeping Leo, "They want me to be leader." He began to laugh in the hopes of chasing back the scream building in his gut.
"Imagine me doing what you do," he said, still laughing, "I mean, who am I anyway. What could I possibly be to lead everyone out here? Or anywhere?"
Donnie stared miserably at the hard drive before slapping it on the counter. Then he began to pace up and down the kitchen.
"I mean, why would they listen to me?" Donnie said aloud, "I'm not you. I'm not Splinter. Why in the name of Galileo's "Two New Sciences" would anyone take anything I had to say seriously?"
Donnie stopped his pacing and looked at his hands. Long fingers capable of picking locks, solder wires and metal into tools and weapons and spin his staff with the speed of a windmill.
"I'm not even the best fighter," he said, "I'll have to lead training sessions, missions; I'll be the one to plan everything. That's not something I was ever meant to do. Why would they even want me to lead?"
"I speak "tech talk, for crying out loud," Donnie continued to talk to Leo's prone form, "I can't talk like a leader. I can't inspire, can't organize or say the right things at the right time."
Donnie finally sat down on the floor next to the cot and looked hopefully at Leo.
"It would be really nice if you woke up now," he said, "Because I'm not a leader. I'll lead everyone into disaster. Wake up, Leo."
Donnie put his head in his hands and waited. Leo did not wake up.
"I wish none of this had happened," Donnie whispered hopelessly.
As he drifted off to sleep, unbidden, he heard a quote in his head and it began to slowly fill him with resolve.
The next morning, everyone sat together in the family room, eating cereal and watching the updates on the continuing snowfall. Donnie came out of the kitchen, carrying a large mug of coffee. His tired eyes were red and itchy. The purple mask hid the dark shadows that had blossomed overnight.
"Yo, D," Mikey said, "You stay up late watching TV or something?"
"No," Donnie said, "Stayed up late talking. Leo's almost as good a listener as Timothy was."
Raph watched Donnie closely. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but something was different.
"As I talked, I came to a decision," Donnie said. The television clicked off as everyone listened.
"I've got no business being leader," he said, "But I think that may be the point. I remember reading a story about a man, a boy really, who fought to save his country from an evil tyrant. When a great king asked the boy if he was prepared to rule the country, the boy answered that he did not wish to rule and the idea was terrifying. The great king said that because of that answer, the boy truly was ready to lead because he knew his limitations and his strengths."
"I don't know what all I can do," Donnie continued, "Things are not so clear to any of us right now. But I do know that right now, whatever we may wish, we have a choice on which direction to go and I think I can at least help us take the first steps."
"So does that mean you'll do it?" Raph asked.
"Yes," Donnie answered, "But with a few conditions. I'm putting Raph in charge of training sessions. They'll go better that way."
"Yeah, okay," Raph said, surprised but pleased.
"April and Casey, I think you'll have to be the ones that continue to do the shopping, but we'll each take turns going along to help."
"Sounds fair," Casey said.
"And I think you may find you'll have a bigger job here pretty soon," Donnie said, "This cold weather is going to start some big changes pretty soon."
"Okay," April said.
"What about me, D?" Mikey asked.
"You'll still have the chickens," Donnie said, "And we're all going to start patrols again. It's a smaller area to cover than the city, so I think we'll take turns on a schedule. Mikey, you can put together a schedule of patrol assignments. Nightly shifts, patrolling the grounds, watching the road from the house; that sort of thing."
"Can do," Mikey said.
"It sounds like you've got everything in hand," April said. She squeezed Donnie's hand encouragingly, but Donnie's hand remained still in hers.
"Just remember that it's temporary," Donnie said, "I'm done the minute Leo starts quoting Captain Ryan again."
"Splinter would be proud, bro," Mikey said, "And, for what it's worth, I think he would have made the same choice."
Donnie smiled and, for the first time since leaving New York, felt the knot of guilt begin to loosen.
*()()()*
Has anyone picked up on the pattern I'm making with these chapters yet? I hope so; I didn't think I was terribly clever, but I thought it was unique at least. And this is the last new chapter for this year. The new year will start with a new arc story line that may shock a lot of you, but I think you'll be drawn in to it. See you in the next chapter.