꧁𝑴𝒂𝒎𝒂'𝒔 𝑩𝒐𝒚꧂

Arc l: Redemption (Chapter 1)

Donnie's feet shuffled along on the asphalt as he lagged behind his brothers, too deep in thought to tune into the conversation going on at the moment. Knowing them? They were likely talking about the most recent win or what to get from Huesos for a 'victory dinner'.

He's the smart one, he knows this; his brain is wired differently, too much and simultaneously not enough information processing at a higher speed than he can even begin to comprehend, than anyone could begin to comprehend. His technology is beautiful, futuristic in a way that would never be able to be discerned by regular humans, and yet. . .

And yet no one seems to care? His family always seems exasperated when he pulls out a new invention, always seems impossibly tired, annoyed, aggravated when something goes wrong; he knows they love him, and he loves them too, but he needs a validation of sorts, something he hasn't gotten in his lifetime.

Maybe he's wrong for thinking about it, but he can't get her voice out of his head, the strange almost made-up sounding words she used to describe his bug-busting machine, and yet she had sounded so. . Prideful? It may just be wishful thinking, but she called him a genius, a twinkle in her eyes that he thought may have actually been genuine. She'd appreciated his hard work, his dedication to his craft, the effort he'd put into his tech, and although her motives were. . Less than ideal, she still praised him. Made him feel worthy, made him feel appreciated.

The foreign feeling thrummed underneath his skin, sinking deep into his veins and lighting a fire in his body. His brain ran, running a mile a minute, replaying her words, what she said, the context and her tone and anything else that can be analysed, trying to find any fallacies in her words, any reason to suggest that she was lying, was deceiving him.

. . . . . And yet he found none.

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The turtles arrived home, it was nighttime by now. Everyone was absolutely exhausted, well, everyone but Donnie. He seemed to be lost in thought, too busy thinking to even show a lick of drowsiness or exhaustion. That's how it usually was, though. Every time someone looked at him he seemed to be fiddling with his tech, making new data, or lost in thought.

Donnie left the main lair, going into the lab and shutting the newly made doors with a satisfying metallic click as the hinges locked into place to ensure they didn't slide open. He sat in his rolling chair, leaning back and staring at the dull gray ceiling above him. He couldn't get those thoughts out of his head. And yet new thoughts entered, ones that caught him off guard somehow. They. . Didn't sound like his own, but simultaneously did.

What if you joined her? A voice suggested to him, an almost devious twinge to the tone. Like there was some other underlying reason.

I'm sure she could use some help. After all, you are the tech guy. Perhaps you could be of use to her, prove your worth to her somehow. Make her even more. . . Proud. The voice rang, echoing in his brain like a calming symphony among a cacophony of inaudible harmonies.

"What. . . ?" He murmured, sitting up in his chair. Confusion struck him dead in his tracks, brows furrowing and face drawing up slightly.

She seemed to really like your bug busting machine. . . I'm sure she could use more smart little devices like that. And who knows? Maybe you could gain more much deserved. . . Praise. The voice taunted, like a Cheshire cat amongst a thousand white rabbits. Should he trust it? It. . Is his conscious. . . It couldn't have been anything mystic that was just messing with him, that woman wasn't capable of such.

"I- well. ." He muttered, trailing off and staring at his suitcase, which was neatly placed on a table nearby and ready to be put away in his storage space.