Chapter Text
Donnie loved technology. It was an extension of himself! There, in the lair, he was the second oldest mutant turtle brother. But on the internet? He was Bootyyyshaker9000, just a normal tween with a normal home.
And his father finally thought they were old enough to have their own phones! Or, rather, Splinter had been persuaded by the constant nagging by his four sons. And after a wonderfully elaborate plan (made by Leo) to convince him that they were mature and responsible enough - Pops had agreed with only ONE. SINGLE. CONDITION. if this condition was broken, you would lose your rights to engage online.. FOREVER.
This condition was simple: Be careful with your identities. Which meant; no photos. No personal information. Not your phone number. Not your real name, where you live or anything that could disclose where they are.
Fair enough.
Leo and raph mostly used their online life to watch videos and follow people they admired. They were the family's source of finding good shows to watch together. Everything from movies, to cartoons to home makeovers (that would inspire the turtle tweens to redecorate) and other fun things they could do/watch/read together.
Leo would also find interest in watching DIY videos and raph, who was gaining an interest in workouts in this time of his life, would look up various exercises.
Mikey had just discovered the beauty of dramaticized cooking shows - where chefs fought and battled against time to make elaborate cakes, french cuisine and swedish bakery.
Undoubtfully shaping the young artist's interest in cooking forever.
Donnie, however, did all of the above and more.
The internet was a vast library of infinite knowledge. He would read and read until his eyes went sore at midnight. But, he was a typical 10 year old with a hyperfixation on Jupiter Jim like his brothers, too. And if he wasn't reading up on the encyclopedia on whatever had caught his interest lately, he would hop around the web for J.J. trivia. Landing upon a website for fans to chat, draw and write fanfiction. With the discovery of this, Jupiter Jim suddenly had more content to devour. Amazing non-canon adventures would be his bedtime reading, sometimes even reading well written ones aloud for his brothers.
On this website, he met Captain_space.
It was a happenstance, really. He had read a post by Captain_Space and had agreed wholeheartedly with them.
However, there was a nitwit that aggressively disagreed in he comments bellow. And Donnie had done the only right thing - and replied about how dumb they were for disagreeing. Because clearly, Captain_Space was correct.
Donnie and Captain_space started a private DM.
The DM turned into hours of chatting, goofing, sending J.J. memes and gifs to one another. Donnie even shared his favourite theories, and Captain_Space was bewildered with excitement.
It had been fun, so much fun. He didn't want to say goodnight when the time came.
Donnie had never had a friend before.
But it felt good. It felt exciting.
Her real name was April. And because she had shared that with him, he felt obliged to share his. He considered giving a false name, but just his first name couldn't be too bad, right?
Donnie, short for Donatello.
He knew he promised his dad not to. But Splinter didn't know how the internet worked these days! Maybe back in his days you weren't supposed to share anything, but nowadays it was the first thing you did!
Real name on your profile, your face as your icon, which state you lived in, what all your favourite things were, etc etc.
Pops was just out of touch.
Donnie decided not to tell anybody about her though. A part of him wanted to share her with his brothers. Everything was just twice as fun if the guys were in on it too and he knew April would love them (she seemed kinda lonely).
But honestly? another part of him knew that if he shared his friendship with her, Splinter would find out. And he would say that a close friendship like that would end in tears...
Because how could he keep it up?
Two months, talking every day during her spring break, she sent selfies to him doing whatever it was she was doing at the time. Alone. She was never with anybody. Donnie could spot her parents in the background sometimes. But mostly it just seemed like he was the one she was hanging out with - even outside.
That's what people did, friends did, they did that. Sent selfies, hung out. Things he could never do with her.
All he could send photos of was his bed or pictures of his food. Nothing to give away that he lived in a sewer or that he was a mutant. Only normal looking things.
Donnie could sense her disappointment and curiosity of why he couldn't- nay, wouldn't send selfies back.
She had jokingly asked if he was a creepy adult.
Bootyyyshaker9000: No! Gosh no! I'm not! I'm 10! If anything, you're older than me!
April: haha, yeah, no I believe you. It's just, y'know? A little weird. I'm being really open about who I am and stuff. Makes me curious what keeps you from it?
Bootyyyshaker9000: um.. Look, April. My dad doesn't want me to, okay? He's really worried about creeps.
April: Cant you show him my video messages and selfies tho?
Bootyyyshaker9000: No! I'm not allowed to have online friends.
April: What? Why?
Bootyyyshaker9000: it's complicated. I just can't, okay..?
April: Your dad sounds kinda strict Don.
Bootyyyshaker9000: I guess? He has his reasons.
April: is it... Your mom?
Bootyyyshaker9000: I don't have a mom.
April: No, I know, but is that why?
That was a can of worms not even Donnie wanted to touch. Technically, sure, he had one. But she was probably a turtle. A turtle that was not mutated and could not speak to him.
On another technicality, Splinter wasn't really his biological dad either. He considered Splinter his father all the same though. Just as he considered his brothers as family. Family was not by blood, after all.
But what could he say to April? He didn't want to lie, she was too perceptive and he'd eventually trip on himself trying to keep up.
And it would end in tears... Perhaps it was better to give a non disclosing truth.
Bootyyyshaker9000: Uhh.. No. Look, dad's just really uneasy about the internet. He's just protective. I don't want him to find out I'm talking to a girl. He'd take my phone away.
April: Not gonna lie, still sounds weird. And.. I don't want to assume things, but isn't that a little abusive?
Bootyyyshaker9000: No! Ugh, he's the greatest dad in the world! Look, he just... Doesn't get it.
April: Yeah, ok. Sorry.
Bootyyyshaker9000: it's ok. I get that you're worried about me lying. But if I take selfies and send'em, he's going to ask why I take selfies.
April: uuhh, 'cause your a vain boy? ;P
Bootyyyshaker9000: Harr harr. And it's you're. ;)
April: lol.
April: But seriously. My parents know about you. And they are worried of me sending selfies to you but you're not.
Oh no. She talked about him to her parents? That can't be good. She's talking about him - in normal circumstances that would be good! A progression in a friendship!
But Donnie was not a normal boy.
And this friendship was escalating into territories that would break THE. ONE. RULE.
April: If you can't send pictures, how about a call?
Bootyyyshaker9000: a call?
April: Yeah! A phone call! :D Your dad can't be around all the time and everywhere, right?
Bootyyyshaker9000: right.
THE. ONE. RULE.
Bootyyyshaker9000: Sure. Okay! Uh, now?
April: Sure! if you can?
Bootyyyshaker9000: Sure... uuhh... Let me just go somewhere else.
April: *excited red panda gif* :D!!!!
Donnie sat still on his bed in his purple hoodie, his purple bandana and big square glasses.
What was he supposed to do now?
April was his friend, his first and only friend! And honestly? April was so cool and great in every aspect that Donnie considered her an exceptional best friend too.
He wanted to keep her in his life. She just... Got him.
Donnie could vent about something that bothered him and April would just understand. Sometimes she even had solutions he never even considered.
He knew he would lose her if he couldn't provide some evidence of who he was.
He gulped down his anxieties and nonchalantly wandered out towards the sewers.
His brothers were playing video games - Pipe man. A red little guy jumping up and down pipes, fighting little fungus monsters.
Seemed ironically fitting for them, he thought.
Splinter was in the kitchen. From what Donnie could tell, he had just gotten there and wasn't done thinking about what they should eat.
Buying groceries wasn't easy.
First of all, they didn't really have any money. So a lot of their stuff were from charities or people online that gave away things in exchange of it being picked up.
Second of all, disguises were... Not difficult but it came with rehearsal of a lie and keeping your head under a cap, inside your hoodie, shielded by a scarf (yes, even in the choking dry heat of summer).
Their father would save the money for important things - like medicine. Things you couldn't get for free. So if they could, they wouldn't waste money on food. A lot of things came from the dumpsters.
Donnie and his brother's didn't mind. They could all tell Splinter felt guilty about their situation and didn't want to make it worse for him. They put on brave faces and they would do their best to keep their chins up for any food.
Sometimes Donnie wondered if that's why Mikey was so cheery? The youngest had always had a knack for optimism and seeing the bright side of things.
To mikey, limited food was just another way to get creative! ... Maybe that was why he liked cooking shows so much? Maybe his little brother wanted to learn all the ways you could use food to get the most out of it.
It made Donnie feel like he had to do better, too. He was the smart one after all. He would get all the knowledge he could, he would support them too. He was a big brother, through and thru.
He was going to be brave!
He didn't feel brave in the sewer with his phone.
He felt like he was betraying his dad. His green little thumb hovering over April's profile on their chat.
Just one button away and he'd talk with April, live, for the first time.
He shouldn't.
He couldn't.
it was against the ONE. SINGLE. RULE.
Donatello let out a deep, heavy sigh of defeat. He couldn't do it. His dad would be crushed. And what if he found out Donnie had done this?
What if he was heard? What if April didn't think he sounded enough like... well, a ten year old boy? He did, right? He sounded ten.
But what if she didn't think so? What if this meant she wanted more? A photo? He couldn't.
He just... couldn't.
"I'm sorry April." He whispered to her profile picture of a Jupiter Jim meme.
And some pipe next to him let out a whistling puff of steam. Donnie yelped and began juggling his phone in his hands, nearly tripping and dropping it into the sewer waters.
Managing to grab it just!
BLIP!
"OhNo."
April picked up right away. "DONNIE?" Her voice was squeaky and excited, just like in the videos she sent.
"Ah- erm- h-hi!" He fumbled, keeping the phone near his face. "I- Uh- Hello!"
"Aaaawwh! You sound so cute Don!" She squealed. "I can't believe we're finally talking!"
He smiled, looking around in the sewers in fear that his family might hear him. He hushed his voice. "S-so do you, um, believe me now? I'm real?"
"Yeah! uh, why do you sound so scared?"
"Erm- I uh, I don't want my dad to hear me is all."
There was a small pause.
"Dude, are you sure you're okay? I know I've said it before but your dad sounds really strict. You can't talk to people on the phone or in text? How would you talk to your friends then?"
"He's really not that strict, just... Y'know? And besides, you're kind of.. sort of... My only friend?"
"Wh- really? Does he not let you have friends?"
What could he do to convince her? Everything he said came out wrong. He didn't want her to think his dad was a bad dad! He did his best! For a mutant rat with four sons, he did try his best!
But that question she asked.
Technically, he didn't.
And he didn't want to lie, but he couldn't tell the truth.
So more half-truths.
"it's more that I can't have friends. April."
Another pause from April.
Donnie bit his lip. At times like this he would have turned to his phone and asked April for an advice or moral support.
But this was April. On the phone. Oh gosh he was talking to April!
It was so exciting and scary and forbidden all at the same time!
He liked it.
"That doesn't sound very... Is he mean to you?"
He didn't like it anymore. "no."
"Promise? You can talk to me Don." Her voice was soft and sweet, like the older sister he never had but always wanted.
Not that Raph or his younger brothers weren't good enough, they were! really! But there was something about April as a sister that made him feel at ease.
"I-I know. But it's fine, really. I just can't tell you why. But I'm not in danger or anything. And I'm not covering up for my dad just because I love him, either."
"Promise?"
"I swear it. I galaxy swear it." He held up his hand, even if she couldn't see it.
"Alright... Well, it's great to hear your voice Donnie." He could practically hear her smile those words out.
He sat down and curled up his knees into his hoodie, watching the stream of green water beside him gently go past.
"What's that noise anyway? Are you outside?"
"Huh? Oh, no, it's just the sewer- erk- I mean, the, uh, yes! I am outside!"
"Sewer??"
"No, no! I meant steamer! A- uh- Im in a laundry room!" He smacked his face.
"Uh, o-kay?" April chuckled. "That's where you go for your dad not to hear you?"
"Ugh, April. c'mon."
"Sorry. I'll drop it." For now she did, but Donatello was sure it was only for now. "So, did you see that video I sent you? What did you think?"
"Oh! the review! Yeah it was good, though he keep confusing his subjective opinion with objective. So it's not so much a technical review as it is more a ramble of opinion masked as factual!"
April laughed.
Donnie smiled widely.
He made her laugh! He was hearing her laugh! Live!
it wasn't just a L.O.L, it was a real laugh, full of life and spirit.
He was just like a regular boy now, hanging out with a friend on the phone.
Even if he was in a sewer and she was sprawled on her bed.
April was the coolest person in the entire world (next to his family of course.)
"Purpleeee?" He heard his father's voice echo in the sewers. "Puuuuuuurpleeee?"
"DONNIEE! POPS SAYS IT'S DINNER!!"
Donnie scrambled up to his feet. "I-I gotta go April!" He whispered. "See ya later!"
"Lets hang out soon okay?"
"Yeah, yeah!"
"Maybe in a park?"
"Sure, yeah, I gotta dash."
wait what did she say?
"Cool! Looking forward to it! talk to you later!"
"uh-"
she hung up.
He stared at his phone. At April's profile. She messaged a happy smile and a purple heart.
April: Have a nice dinner Don! It was great talking with you!
He shoved his phone into his pocket and ran back to where Raphael and his dad were looking around.
"HIGUYSIAMHERE!" Don popped out from around the corner, looking as stale as a roadkill. "WHAT IS UP??"
"Oh! there you are purple! Were you exploring?"
"Yes! Exploring! Not doing anything else! Absolutely not talking to people because that would be BAD."
Splinter blinked, then gave his purple clad son a pat. "Yes! good! And it is dinner! Orange has helped me again. It is stew tonight."
"Sounds great dad."
Raph gave Donnie a quizzing look. Donnie flashed an awkward, nervous, smile and followed Splinter into the lair.
Hands tucked into the pouch of his hoodie, holding the phone.
The evil device of lies, friendship and promises.
He had broken THE.ONE.RULE.
This was going to end in tears..
Wasn't it?
