Donnie and Splinter Alone
This story takes place between chapter 3 part 1 and part 2!
Heavy breathing, aching muscles, it was nothing new for Donnie. He was the mind of the team, the scientist, the smart one. But he… he thought he missed something his brothers supposedly had.
The strength to fight, to completely nullify their opponents’ attacks
Today, the brothers and their newly found friend Yuichi, except Donnie, went to April’s place for a party.
But Donnie… He stayed in the dojo for one reason only.
To train harder than he ever could.
And for one reason only.
To protect the ones he loved.
As Donnie aimed his plasma gun at the metal block, it immediately broke. The metal was no match for Donnie’s self-made gun. Furthermore, there were a lot of different materials that were all over the place, broken.
Donnie then placed a stronger metal block in front of him, ready to destroy it.
But he couldn’t. The fatigue was getting to him. Donnie was about to swear when…
“Donatello?” his father said.
Donnie didn’t react. He was just huffing and puffing, sitting on the ground.
“Donatello, you need to take a break. You are so strong already…”
Donnie stood up and went to grab another one of his materials. Splinter tried a different approach. Trying to hype Donnie up this time.
“Donatello, please, listen to me. I know you are an adult now, but… spending some time with me would be amazing. You like… pizza, right? Or one of my old movies! Just the two of us!”
“Just leave papa… I’m busy.”
Splinter did not know what to do. He hasn’t been the best father, to be honest. But since… the incident, he knew he had to act.
“No, Donatello, I want to… stay with you.”
… Donnie didn’t speak a single word, but he did stop walking. He thought there was going to be a monologue from Splinter, and he decided he wanted to listen.
But he was wrong.
“Let’s spar…” Splinter said in a very serious tone. He was determined to connect with his son.
After all, Donnie was hurting.
Donnie obliged and walked to Splinter. Splinter was old and had no mystic powers anymore. But Donnie still had them. He overpowered Splinter with ease. The training from 2 years ago paid off. Splinter was in awe, as he had never realized that Donnie had become so good at martial arts since everything happened.
“You are so strong, Donatello…”
“This is a waste of time…” Donnie said, as he started walking to grab one of the materials again… Splinter, whose eyes started to burn, said something that shook Donnie to his core.
“It wasn’t your fault.”
Donnie stood still, his entire body like a statue. He couldn’t react, only hearing what his father had to say next.
“Leonardo decided for himself that he wanted to fight that… thing. There was nothing you could have done or said.”
Silence arose again, with Donnie starting to clench his fists.
“And even if-”
“It’s not about that dad…” Donnie sighed.
Silence again… Splinter opened his mouth, then stopped. His grip tightened around his staff, knuckles whitening beneath fur.
“Then what is it about Donatello?”
But before he could ask another question, Donnie reacted in the calmest manner
“Why do you even try? It happened, and I have to get stronger so it doesn’t happen again… At least not to my brother’s.”
Splinter started to raise his voice slightly, all in one effort to get through to Donnie.
“Donnie, you are strong enough. Look at all those plates. You would beat one of those things to a pulp now.”
“PAPA, THAT’S ENOUGH. ITS NOT ABOUT BEATING THEM AT ALL. IT’S ABOUT BEATING THEM FAST ENOUGH SO I CAN HELP THE ONES I CARE ABOUT.”
Donnie looked at his father, eyes wide, teeth gritting. He looked completely desperate.
“If I just were stronger… faster… I could have helped him…”
Donnie’s eyes were burning with a sensation only one could describe as an intense pressure that couldn’t get out. In 2 years, he never broke like this, not once. Splinter thought that he was the most resilient of the brothers. But… he was hurting too.
“And now… a complete random stranger is taking a liking to Leo and the others… I don’t know what to do papa. I don’t like it… I don’t like HIM.”
“Donatello… You know that Leo just-“
“Stop it, I don’t care. I need to protect them.” I only WANT… To protect them.”
Splinter looked to the ground below his feet, as he couldn’t get through to Donnie.
“Get out of here dad, I want to be alone. I will get stronger. Defeat our enemies faster than ever. You have done ENOUGH.”
Splinter could only watch as Donnie went back into the stockroom, getting more and more plates.
One after another, they shattered, blisters lying on the ground.
And all for a single reason only…
To become stronger… So he could protect the ones he loved.