Chapter Text
Donatello was having a rough enough day before Leo decided to nearly break his invention.
“Leo!” Donnie yelled as Leo jumped over the table with his skateboard, the same table Donnie had placed his invention on. Leo did a flip in the air, pointing finger guns at Donnie and the rest of their brothers, who sat on bean bags nearby. “Be careful! I just made this!”
Donnie had spent all morning putting the final touches on his new invention, a pair of cuffs he liked to call ‘Daydream’. It was made with his brothers specifically in mind, but now they seemed preoccupied with this nonsense, paying more attention to Leo’s shenanigans than him.
Leo ignored Donnie, landing dramatically with a bow. “And the win of today goes to moi ,” Leo bragged, flexing his muscles while blowing kisses to an imaginary audience. “Thank you! Thank you!” Mikey and Raph burst out laughing at Leo’s ridiculousness, and if Donnie was in the mood he would have laughed too. Instead, he sulked at Leo’s stupidity.
And everyone thought Donnie was the dramatic one. Donnie rolled his eyes. Scoff .
“Well, now that Leo is done, you should all listen to me!” Donnie picked up his invention. He showed it off to Raph and Mikey. “This is what I like to call ‘Daydream’. It’s a machine that can help us-”
“Get off the stage!” Mikey yelled through tears, laughing as he pointed at Leo. Donnie thought he may have been talking to Donnie, but clearly his attention was on Leo. They didn't even have the decency to tell him to shut up directly? A simple ‘tell us later’ would have sufficed.
“You aren’t even listening to me,” Donnie complained, hugging the cuffs to his chest. Leo continued to laugh and blow kisses as Mikey and Raph pretended to boo him, clutching their stomachs from laughing. “Guys?”
Raph wiped at his eyes. “Sorry, Donnie. Leo’s making a scene again. What are those thingies?”
“My invention. I’ve been working on-”
“And how is that going to help us fight bad guys?” Leo asked in a phony British accent, plucking a cuff from Donnie’s hand. “Are we gonna throw it at them? Give them some stylish clothes to match?”
Donnie grabbed the cuff back from Leo, glaring. “No. They’re to help us train. But I’ve designed it to offer the most realistic looking-”
“Okayyy, but what if we just trained here? We have mystic weapons, Donnie! Those dudes don’t stand a chance.” Leo chuckled. “Excuse me, the cool people in this house have mystic weapons.”
“Real mature, Leo. You know I don’t need mystic weapons. My tech can withstand-”
Leo poked at Donnie’s battle shell. “Can this thing create portals?”
“Well, no-”
“Then case closed.” He grinned. “It’s alright, brother, at least you have us to help.”
“My tech can withstand the roughest-”
“Yeah, and I’m bored. You guys wanna see me do another skateboarding trick?” Leo asked his brothers, who all booed him as they began to laugh again.
“Leo is always making a scene,” Donnie muttered. Nobody paid attention to Donnie even as he stood there with his tech in his arms, obviously waiting to finish speaking. “Okay, if nobody wants to listen I guess I’ll just go!” he said loudly.
Everybody continued to ignore him. Donnie sighed, stomping out of there and to the living room. Splinter sat on the couch, his feet propped up as he watched some kind of Japanese movie, a plate of cake in his lap. Donnie caught some phrases here and there, his Japanese still rather subpar. It was some kind of action movie, he could tell that much. They were Splinter’s favorite, a love he had passed down to his sons. But science be darned, Donnie was too impatient to wait until the movie was finished. Donnie stood in front of the screen, waving his arms. “Pops, look what I made!”
Splinter frowned, moving his head to the side. “Purple, move out of the way! This is the best part!”
“There’s a pause button for a reason, Dad.” Donnie outheld his tech like a proud mother. “I give to you…Daydream! This is not your usual, every-day fighting weapon. No no no. It goes on a person's wrists and allows them to manipulate their own senses, immersing them into a world of their own creation! It can be used to help training and- Dad?”
Donnie was cut off by the sound of Splinter snoring. Splinter’s head drooped to the side as he slept, a trail of drool hanging from his lips. Of course, Donnie didn’t expect any less. He expected Splinter of all people to listen? Not a smart move . The plate Splinter had just eaten off of sat on his stomach, jumping up and down with each snore. Donnie sighed, took the plate off, and dumped it in the sink. So much for his new invention. Donnie stomped back to his lair, red in the face.
The casual whirring and buzzing of machinery helped calm Donnie’s anger. He slid the Daydream cuffs onto a special contraption he had built earlier that morning to display them. The cuffs were no weapon, Leo was right about that, and Donnie was saving his new weapon inventions for another time, but they were designed specifically to help take down their enemy, Baron Draxum. The cuffs were designed to send waves through the nerves and into a person's brain that would help alter all five of their senses and immerse them into a world of their own design. The cuffs could transmit waves that allowed the person, intended for Donnie and his brothers, to see threats that weren’t there in order to help train. Like virtual reality, but in real life . The cuffs even activated the pain receptors in a person's body, not enough to entirely cause harm, but a small tap to make the user aware that in real time, they would have been hit. Donnie wanted to use it to help them all simulate fighting Draxum and the Foot Clan, to better train themselves against their different fighting styles. So much for that idea. Donnie slumped into his chair, tapping into his supercomputer for a distraction. So what Donnie didn’t have mystic weapons like his brothers? He had successfully fought villains without mystic powers. He could defeat a villain all by himself, no mystic brothers needed.
Donnie scanned the security cameras around New York, trying to detect any sort of mystic energy. They were set up to alert him whenever any sort of mystic energy was detected, and the faces of all the villains Donnie and his brothers had to deal with were registered into the computer system. Almost as if the computer knew he was waiting for something, a beep sounded from the camera to the lower right, which displayed an alleyway in upper New York where Donnie had recently installed cameras. Huginn and Muninn, Draxum’s annoying yokai henchmen, stood directly in the middle of the alleyway, digging through a trash can. Gross . Whatever they were doing, no matter how unseemingly suspicious, had to be investigated. Donnie grinned, this could be his moment. “Raph! Leo! Angelo!” Donnie called from his room. “We got a Huginn and Muninn sighting! Let's report! Pronto!”
There were no replies. Of course there weren’t. Donnie groaned as he dragged himself out of his chair, poking his head out from his door. His brothers were still in the middle of the room, now tapping away on their phones. “Guys? Huginn and Muninn sighting? Kind of suspicious?”
“What? Oh yeah, sounds like you should check it out,” Leo droned, still looking at his phone. “We’ll wait here.”
Donnie slapped his forehead. Couldn’t his dumb dumb brothers listen to him for once? If he went alone, who would preach stories of his success? “I’m not going out there alone! Draxum could show up at any second. Anyone want to come with?”
Mikey raised his hand. “I’ll go!” he squealed, tossing his phone aside. Donnie cringed as it fell to the ground without care. “This is perfect for some brotherly bonding time.”
“Right. Brotherly bonding time.” At least Mikey would be willing to listen. Maybe Donnie would even get time to explain his invention. “Let’s go, Angelo.”
”Coming! This should be fun.”
”Right. Fun.”
Donnie and Mikey arrived at the scene swiftly, using the jetpack installed into Donnie’s battle shell. Mikey hopped off of Donnie’s back and whipped out his kusari-fundo. Donnie took the lead, tapping into his wrist tech. According to his surveillance footage, the gargoyles were still there, their mystic glow registering on the screen. Without his other brothers there, this would be his chance to show them how wrong they were about Donnie. Donnie’s tech could defeat Draxum, even if it was just his goons. “Alright, little Angelo, follow my lead.”
“On it,” Mikey whispered, standing closely behind Donnie, his chest against Donnie’s battle shell. Slowly, they peeked around the corner of the alleyway. Donnie was used to venturing out in New York solely in the nighttime, when it would be harder for humans to spot him. So it was easy to see in the dark, but Donnie put his goggles on anyway, hoping for a better view. Sure enough the two gargoyle-like yokai were hidden in the dark. “What do you think they’re doing?”
“Looking for something, clearly. Listen, on three, we’re going to approach them, okay? One, two…”
Mikey jumped into the alleyway, spinning his kusari-fundo through the air. “Stop right there! In the name of the law!”
Donnie face-palmed. So much for discrepancy. “Mikey! Not part of the plan!”
Huginn and Muninn turned to face the turtles. Huginn laughed, pointing at them like they were circus clowns in a computer lab. Oddly out of place. Humiliating. “Look who it is! See, Muninn, I told you they’d show up.”
“Okay, you were right. This is like, so embarrassing for me.”
Donnie and Mikey looked at each other with blank expressions. Huginn continued to laugh, falling backwards. “Oh my gosh! Their faces!”
Muninn snorted. “Yeah, you would think the leader one would show up. Or the cool blue one? These dudes don't seem like much of a challenge.”
“Nah. The orange one has that cool weapon!”
The leader one? The cool blue one? Donnie nearly laughed, but felt offended instead. Donnie was still a challenge. He readied his tech-bo, pointing it between the henchmen. “Well, we may not be the best ninjas, save for myself, but we do know a thing or two about defeating evil henchmen.”
“Since when?” Mikey whispered.
“I don’t know, I just thought it sounded cool,” Donnie whispered back. He returned his gaze back to the henchmen, trying to remain cool and calculated. “Well, gentleyokai, allow me to introduce you to the powers of my tech-bo!” Donnie slammed the butt of his tech-bo into Muninn’s stomach, launching him into the wall. Bullseye. Mikey covered Huginn, the rope of his kusari-fundo wrapping around the yokai’s small frame.
Mikey spun Huginn above him like a cowboy. “Yee-“ Mikey shouted, tossing Huginn upwards. “-haw!”
Huginn looked like he was going to be sick, nearly plummeting to the ground before using his wings to stop the fall. “Not cool! Hey, goo dude, help!”
“Goo dude?” Mikey asked. A rumbling sound erupted from the trash can, and Mikey gasped as purple goo began to drip out, forming into a small, one-eyed lump of slime. It growled at the two ninjas, specks of goo flying in the air. “Ooooh, goo dude. Gross.”
Donnie turned back to Muninn, who had pushed himself off the wall and was flying out of the alleyway, turning the corner and disappearing. “Mikey,” Donnie called out, running after Muninn, “you cover Huginn and the goo-dude, I’ll cover Muninn.”
“On it!”
Donnie raced down the alley, turning to catch up to Muninn. To take proper precautions, Donnie kept his guard up in case Draxum decided to show. Not that there were any signs of him yet, but one couldn’t be too sure. Donnie caught sight of Muninn turning into another alleyway, and bounded after him, remaining stealthy.
“Caught you, Muninn,” Donnie said, slowly approaching the yokai. “Now, what exactly is your motive here?”
Muninn laughed. “This!”
Suddenly, vines slowly began to slither out of the side of the abandoned building to their right, veiny and unnaturally purple. Oh no . Donnie could recognize those vines anywhere. Donatello gasped as the vine shot around his arms, dragging him into the abandoned building. He tried to scream out for Mikey but the vine wrapped around his mouth, preventing any noise from coming out but muted yelling. The vines sat him on the floor of the abandoned building. It was dark save for a few blinking light bulbs hanging from the ceiling. Trash and broken bottles littered the floor. Clearly the city had not cared to check inside for a long time. The smell was horrible too, a pungent odor of smoke and garbage. The most horrific sight of all though was not the messy scenery, but Baron Draxum standing right in front of Donnie.
“Well well well, if it isn’t the purple one,” Draxum crooned, watching as Donnie struggled within the vines. The purple one? Was that what Donnie was reduced to? He thought he would at least be known as the Smart One, or the Science One. But the Purple One ? At least Leo got to be the cool blue one. “Oh, hold on. Stop struggling.”
The vine around Donnie’s mouth slithered away. “Mikey!” Donnie tried to scream. “Michael, help me!”
Draxum laughed darkly. “Oh, he can’t hear you in here. I’ve made sure of it.”
Donnie tried to wiggle out of the trap, but the vines were wrapped tight. He could feel them seeping into his skin, sure to leave marks. “Why exactly did you bring me here?” Donnie questioned, slumping forward. He tried to access his battle shell, but the mystic vines prevented any movement, and he couldn’t tap into his wrist tech. “I mean, why just me?”
“I wanted to talk to you. Creator to creation. Father to son.”
“Oh please. You’re not my father,” Donnie spat. The very idea was ridiculous. Draxum had told them the last time they met that their DNA had been taken from famous action star Lou Jitsu himself. Draxum might have created the ooze that helped make Donnie, but that was all.
“Aren’t I? Did I not make you? Am I not just as much your father as Lou Jitsu would be?” Draxum smiled, or at least what passed as a smile with him. It was cold, and too sharp. Like a blade. “I haven’t brought you here to fight, but rather to offer you my praise.”
“P- praise ?”
“These past few times we’ve encountered one another, I’ve grown impressed with your building abilities. The technology you create, it’s astounding. I’ve never seen such flawless work.”
I’ve never seen such flawless work . To receive such a compliment from Draxum felt like a metaphorical punch to the face. An error in his database. A paradox ripping reality in half. Not even Splinter had told him that before, at least not for a long time. Something wasn't right. What kind of game was Draxum playing at? “Okay, so?” Donnie said, pretending like he wasn’t flattered. If Draxum of all people thought Donnie’s tech was impressive then Donnie must have been doing something right. Donnie had seen Draxum’s lab and couldn’t lie that he hadn’t found Draxum’s work to be incredible.
Draxum’s gaze drifted over Donnie, a look Donnie recognized because he did it himself. Draxum was analyzing him. “I see myself in you, you know. Your urge to build and create, a genius at such a young age, but shunned from everyone else for your brilliant ideas. Ignored because nobody else understands your worth.”
“ Shunned ? I’m not shunned.”
Draxum shrugged. “Well, your brothers have their mystic weapons do they not? What do you provide for them anymore? Their weapons are powerful, filled with magic and nearly unbreakable. And you have…well, science.” Draxum gestured to Donnie’s battle shell. “But what good is science when magic can do everything science can do and more?” Draxum leaned in closer. “You could be so much more if they just let you shine. But to them you are nothing.”
“That’s not true.” Donatello thought back to earlier, how his brothers ignored him as he tried to show them what he had made. How whenever Donnie spoke of his latest invention his brothers would whine and complain. How Splinter hardly listened before falling asleep. That wasn’t because they actually didn’t care though. They were just teasing, right? That’s just what family does. Donatello frowned, scooting himself as far back as he could away from Draxum. “You don’t know me…”
“Don’t I? I created you.”
“Yeah, well, that doesn’t mean you know me.”
“Aren’t you tired of being just the brains of the group? For being ignored despite having brilliant plans? Don’t you want to show the world what you can do without your brothers?”
Donnie didn’t know how to respond, nor if he should. Of course he wanted to show the world what he was capable of. His brothers had their mystic weapons. They didn’t need his tech anymore, because magic did all tech could do and more. But Donnie could prove science could be just as powerful, if not moreso. “Well…”
“I want to make you an offer, turtle. There is so much you’ve been hidden from your entire life. Truths that have been stripped to lies. Lies you believe as truths. Things that can alter your entire perception of me. I can show you all this and more. All I ask for in return is your help.” Draxum pulled a compass looking object from his armor. It glowed blue beneath the night sky, with an M engraved onto the front. The same type of object that had sat in his father’s cabinet, the one that had helped transport them to the Hidden City for the first time. This one was green rather than blue, a green as sickly as ooze. He offered it to Donnie. “Use this if you would ever like to talk to me. Just know, it won’t work unless you use it with true intent.”
“I’m not taking that,” Donnie said, standing his ground. “I know how to get to the Hidden City. Besides, I don’t need you. I have my brothers.”
“Do your brothers need you? What do you have to offer them anymore?”
Donnie went quiet, staring at the ground. Draxum laughed. “That’s what I thought. Now, please, take it, Donatello. It’s not only access to the Hidden City, but you will appear wherever I am at the moment you use it.” He shooed Donnie away. “Run along now. Your brother would hate to keep waiting on you.”
The vines slithered off of Donnie. The compass glowed from within Draxum’s palm, and Donnie couldn’t deny the curiosity eating at him. He didn’t have to take it, but Donnie feared what would happen if he didn’t. Besides, after Donnie took it, he didn’t need to actually use it. No. Instead he could study it, or use it to infiltrate Draxum’s library. It was genius. Donnie took the compass, slipping it into a compartment in his battle shell that would not open for anyone but Donnie. Nobody had to know about this. Not yet at least. “Thanks.”
“Think about what I said. Your brothers may not rely on you, but I know I can. You just have to realize your worth.” And just like that, with a flash of purple smoke, Draxum vanished. Donnie picked himself up, dusting the dirt off of him and desperately wishing for a shower. Focus . He needed to find Mikey first. Draxum’s goons should have left as well, so Mikey had to be looking for Donnie. Somehow Donnie would need to keep Draxum a secret, even if the marks around his arms were deep and somewhat painful. It wasn't like he was keeping it a secret because he was going to obey Draxum, but because Donnie knew he could deal with it himself. Besides, he would tell the others eventually. Just…not now. Donnie found the closest exit to the building and ventured out into the dark. Mikey was a few blocks over, rummaging through the alleyway trash can. “Donnie!” Mikey gasped. “I thought he might have buried you in the trash can!”
“Why, dear Aneglo, would he do that?” Donnie questioned, trying to calm his nerves. He knew Mikey had no clue about Draxum or the compass, but Donnie had never been a good liar. What if Mikey found out? Don’t stress, play it cool . “Don't worry, I handled Muninn. Nothing to worry about. Let's head back home.”
“Aww man, so I missed all the fun?”
Donnie pushed Mikey forward, nervously looking back like Draxum might pop out at any moment. Mieky didn’t seem to notice the marks around Donnie’s arms, and if he did he made no comment on them. “Nope. No fun at all. You missed nothing at all, Angelo.”
“If you insist!”
Donnie tried at a smile, but it wouldn’t form. He felt like he could feel the compass burning into him. Into his battle shell and straight through his heart. Burning his mind until he couldn’t think of anything else.
What was he going to do?