SURPRISE! I got so motivated that I decided to write another chapter. I think I might stick with this story for a bit.
LittleMiss IceQueen, thank you so much for the reviews! I'm going to answer your questions here instead of in a message in case any other readers have the same thoughts. Yes, I plan on writing stories after every episode in the series, excluding the Mutant Apocalypse, which will occur in another story of mine ("Lilianna")... eventually; I'm currently in a writer's block there. There will be some stories in between episodes as there were some that aired after quite a while. But I also plan on making stories after the series ended, lasting about six and a half years after the last episode. There will be 160 chapters total in this story.
This chapter is a little different. I am not as smart as Donnie, but I have enjoyed writing about what he has done here. Enjoy!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything related to "TMNT," nor do I own Nelly's "Just a Dream" (Sam Tsui and Christina Grimmie's cover) nor Christina Grimmie's "Ugly."
October 24, 2012
DONATELLO'S POV
Right after Splinter gave us the hardest lesson possible as punishment, I got into my lab and got on my computer. I logged in to my email and started typing.
"Hey, April.
Sorry I went AWOL. Splinter grounded all of us for skateboarding in the lair and I couldn't get on the computer. I couldn't come see you either.
How are you doing?
Donnie."
I sent the email. As I waited for a reply, I turned on some rock music and I got to work in repairing the tPod. At some point, I wondered if I needed to take another trip to the military junkyard.
Suddenly, I heard a ding, ding, DING! April had replied to my email. I smiled as I read it, always happy to hear from her.
"So that's why I didn't see you this weekend! I take it everything is okay now?"
I rapidly typed my reply.
"Yeah, we're fine now. We've got quite the story for you. Is it okay if I stop by?"
I glanced at the tPod again. After everything I had done today, spending time with April sounded wonderful. My invention could wait until tomorrow. I put it in my pocket as my computer beeped again.
"Please do! I wanna hear everything!"
I smiled again. I grabbed my bo and headed out of my lab.
"I'm going to April's!" I yelled.
"Say hi to her for me!" Mikey yelled back.
I ran out of the lair and decided to do a small patrol on the way. I smiled the entire time, thrilled that I was topside and not having to worry about the Stockman Pod. I truly loved this world and all it has to offer.
I eventually reached April's apartment and knocked on her window. April opened it with a sparkle in her blue eyes.
"Donnie! Hey!"
"Hey, April."
"So, skateboarding in the lair, huh?" she asked in amusement.
"It was Mikey's idea," I explained with an embarrassed chuckle. "We tried to get out of it, but Splinter wouldn't hear of it. He's stern when he needs to be."
"All fathers do. So, how did you cope?"
"I invented this."
I took the tPod out of my belt pocket and showed it to April.
"Uh, Donnie, it looks broken."
"And that's the story. Mikey named it the tPod and he volunteered to try it."
"The tPod?" April asked in amusement. "Did you model it after the iPod by any chance?"
I glanced down at the tPod with determination in my amber eyes.
"I want my inventions to not just help my family, but the world as well. But I've always wanted to learn about the world and everything in it."
April gasped in awe.
"I've gotta know: have you ever asked yourself what you want to be when you grow up?"
I chuckled.
"No. Until our first patrol, all I could imagine myself doing was inventing gadgets and creating cures for diseases."
"Your last name... it's Hamato, right?"
"Yes. Why?"
"How would you react to someone calling you Dr. Donatello Hamato?" April asked with a smile.
I smiled fondly, suddenly finding new hope in myself.
"Honestly? I'd love it. To make an impact on the world would be the most magnificent thing to happen to me."
"Just think of all you can do with your genius intellect," April replied. "You could find a cure for cancer someday!"
"But I cannot prevent death," I replied, frowning. "I'm not a god."
I smiled again.
"But if I can make the world better for one person, I'd be happy."
"One person at a time."
"Exactly."
"I think you should go after your dreams, Donnie. And I'll back you up every step of the way."
I blushed. And then, I smiled in contentment. It felt so nice knowing I would have support no matter what.
"Thanks, April. But people would be afraid of me right now."
"It takes baby steps, Donnie. Think big, but start small. So, how are you going to fix the tPod?"
"I'd have to go back to the military junkyard to find a replacement AI microchip."
"AI? Like artificial intelligence?"
"Yes."
"So you specialize in robotics? Fascinating! So, Mikey tried the tPod. Then what happened?"
"Oh, right! The story! Well, despite us being grounded, we snuck out of the lair to skateboard topside. After Leo had a little accident, we discovered someone trying to break in to a building. Of course, we stopped him and we returned to the lair without getting caught. The next day, we discovered the same guy armored up with the tPod and broke into TCRI."
"Is that how the tPod broke?" April asked.
"I'm getting there. We snuck out again and fought the guy. But we had to retreat back to the lair and Splinter caught us. We had to tell him everything. Thankfully, Splinter gave us permission to stop Stockman and gave us some advice. But Leo had to destroy the tPod to beat him. And here I am now, trying to fix it."
"May I see it?"
"Certainly."
I handed her the tPod and she examined it.
"What were you planning to do?"
"I thought about melding it, but I may have to build a new one from scratch."
"May I suggest something else?"
"Sure."
"Look at my phone."
April took out her phone and handed it to me.
"What am I looking at?" I asked.
"Look at everything."
"April, are you sure about this? What if I invade your privacy?"
"You won't, I promise. I have no secrets."
April winced.
"Asides from your secret, I mean."
I tapped every single app she had on her phone. Based on what she had, she enjoyed sharing her life with her friends and family on social media. It was also very clear that she followed Christina Grimmie on YouTube. I made a mental note of the name for the future. I also found a music app on her phone as well as quite a few drawing apps. Her drawings, including one of me, were incredible. I easily saw her as an aspiring artist.
I gasped.
"I got it! I'll make a phone! I'll even put all these neat apps on it."
"How are you going to make a phone?" April asked with a smile.
I gave her a gap-toothed grin.
"By doing what I do best: gathering junk."
October 25, 2012
I spent the day learning about the telephone. My research took me way back to 1876 when Alexander Graham Bell was granted the first patent for it. After reading about how the telephone evolved, I drew two prototypes. One prototype was a landline phone for Splinter, shaped like a wheel of cheese. The other was a cell phone, shaped like a turtle's shell.
When the time came for me and my brothers to do our daily night patrol, I went alone to dumpster-dive near April's apartment to search for any spare parts. When I grew dissatisfied with what I found, I moved on to a junkyard outside the city. I grinned, finding quite the collection of old computers and other technology that was no longer being used.
Putting everything in my satchel, I returned to the lair and got to work. I had almost turned on my rock music. But then I remembered April's passion for Christina Grimmie and looked her up on YouTube. I also remembered April suggesting I listen to her cover of Just a Dream. I looked it up and played it.
I was intrigued at how softly the song started. Then, I heard a voice that was not Christina's; it was a man's voice. After only a few seconds, Christina joined in, and they created the perfect harmony.
Then, I heard drumbeats as the male singer continued with the first verse. I got to work in making the cheese phone. I discovered that making the landline phone was easier than I thought it would be, easily figuring out the puzzle that these wires created. When I started to work on the receiver, I heard Christina's voice ringing in my lab.
"Another riding, I swear, I see your face at every turn. Trying to get my Usher on, but I can't let it burn. And I just hope you know that you're the only one I yearn for. More and more will I miss you, when will I learn?"
I could tell Christina had a loud passion in her voice, and I was immediately hooked. I smiled and continued to work in carving the phone receiver.
"Didn't give you all my love, I guess now I got my payback. Now I'm in the club, thinking all about you, baby. Hey, you was so easy to love. But wait, I guess that love wasn't enough. I'm going through it every time I'm alone! And now I'm wishing that you'd pick up the phone! But you made the decision that you wanted to move on, 'cause I was wrong."
I continued listening to the song where Christina and her partner sang two melodies at once, and they sounded incredible. Throughout this time, I created the shell for the phone, which simply looked like a cover. After I smoothed it out to make it look like a wheel and carved some small holes in it, I started to spray-paint it yellow. By the time I finished painting the shell, Christina and her companion had just finished singing the song.
"It was only just a dream."
I stood back and felt proud of my accomplishment. It truly did look like a wheel of cheese. But then, I decided that it was going to be enough for the night. I turned off the lights in my lab and went to sleep.
October 26, 2012
Before I started to work on the cell phone, I looked up more of Christina Grimmie's music. I learned she had released an album in 2011 and I listened to it. As I listened to her first song Ugly, I found it much more difficult for the wiring to come together for a much smaller phone, especially with big fingers. I decided to use some tools as I listened to the chorus.
"And if they make you feel ugly, just imagine everybody in a birthday suit, to imagine everybody in a birthday suit."
I chuckled at that, retrieving a screwdriver and pliers. I was practically wearing my birthday suit. I blushed, realizing April was already seeing all of me with all my imperfections. I started to wonder what she truly thought of me as the bridge started to play.
"Who cares what everybody's thinking? Who cares? Sometimes it's cool to be uncool. Who cares if that ship is sinking? It really doesn't matter, 'cause only you know what's good for you."
I smiled, slightly feeling more confident in myself. April was my best friend. She had already accepted me for who I am, mutant and all. I continued piecing the wiring together as the song came to an end and the next one started to play.
I ended up working with the wiring all night and listened to Christina's album multiple times. All eight of her songs were amazing, though I could not truly comprehend April's favorite song Liar, Liar and why she liked it so much. It sounded like a song used to break up with someone because of lies from the other person. Then I started to wonder if April had ever loved someone before. I promised myself to ask her later.
This time, unlike the cheese phone, I struggled trying to finish the cell phone. I decided to put it off for now and go to sleep.
October 27, 2012
I continued working with my invention that I had now called the tPhone. The rest, along with Splinter's lesson, had definitely helped me relax and reset my brain. I was able to finally piece together the wiring in its proper place.
The next step was making the cover, which I had designed to look like our shells. Again, this was a delicate procedure, but thankfully, this would be bigger than a normal cell phone.
By the time night came, I had finished my invention! I tried turning it on. To my delight, it worked! Now I had to make at least three more for my brothers.
Before I could get started, my computer beeped, indicating that I received an email. I went to my desk and saw that April had messaged me.
"Donnie,
Kraang spotted in a warehouse on Division Street in Chinatown!
April."
I grinned.
"Hey, guys!" I shouted. "We've got Kraang on Division Street!"
"Let's move!" Leo shouted in reply.