Slash's Revenge

Chapter 20 - Too Late

*Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise.

*Author's Notes: Here's chapter 20 of 'Slash's Revenge' and I'm not even sure how describe this one. Let's just say it's one of my favorites in the story and leave it at that.

Immense thanks to all of you. I'm incredibly fortunate to have so many amazing friends, followers, and readers. You're all wonderful! Thank you so much.

CJ

----------------------------

Chapter 20 – Too Late

Each step he took seemed more difficult than the previous one, like trying trudge through a pit of tar, but he kept going regardless. Fear compelled him onward; a psychosomatic motivator of sorts.

If Donatello had to venture a guess, he'd say he was going about a quarter mile per hour, tops, even with the aid of the broom/crutch he had haphazardly grabbed back at the apartment. At this rate, he might reach the lair before the next millennium. Heavy emphasis on the word 'might.'

Maybe if he didn't have to stop to rest every thirty feet or so, he'd already be back home. As it was, he guessed he had only traveled about a mile since leaving the warehouse who knows how long ago. The pain was seriously messing with his perception of time and distance. Most likely, it was affecting his sense of direction as well. Hence, the reason he didn't dare slip down into the sewers at this point. In his currently debilitated state, he could easily get lost in the endless, murky corridors beneath the city and no one would ever find him.

Would that be such a bad thing?

Running low on faith, as well as energy, Donatello leaned his carapace against the graffiti-covered brick wall of the building beside him. The structure provided his grievously injured leg a much-needed timeout. The limb could barely support any weight. It was yet another reason his momentum had been reduced to a sloth's pace.

Then, there was the fact that he was trying to stay hidden. He had opted to stick to the dark alleyways to keep his presence undetected, but this required him to cower behind garbage dumpsters anytime he thought he heard someone or something approaching, slowing his progress even more.

Perhaps leaving the shelter of the warehouse wasn't such a good idea after all...

But the genius turtle had worried that staying in one place for too long would increase the likelihood of Slash finding him, while at the same time, decrease the probability of his family coming across him. If Donnie didn't have any idea where he was, he could only assume his family was just as clueless as to his whereabouts.

If they were even looking anymore...

"Pathetic. You always have been. That's why your brothers haven't come for you yet. They know you're weak and useless, so they stopped searching. I mean, why bother, right?"

Rubbing his right forearm back and forth across his droopy eyes, Donatello attempted to brush away the gathering moisture. A combination of sweat, tears, and utter exhaustion was making it hard to see.

"Awwww, does little Donnie need a nap? Should I get you your baba and blankie?"

The patronizing voice sent a shudder down the length of the brainiac turtle's spinal cord. Not so much because of the condescending words themselves, but because of the sickening realization that the person speaking them wasn't actually there.

The figment of his imagination now standing right beside him was simply a visual representation of his gradual descent into madness.

At least he still had the presence of mind to recognize what he was seeing wasn't real...