There Is No Normal Life, Just Life

Summary: DonPOV "My feet padded against the rooftop… I shifted the weight of my duffle bag so as not to drop it as I ran." Bishop captures Don when he visits the junkyard and experiments of him. Don now must learn how far he will go to life a 'normal' life.

Italics - Don's thoughts

Bold Italics – Flashbacks

Chapter 1 (Prologue)

My feet padded against the rooftop. My breath escaped from my mouth as tendrils of vapor when it met the cool air of the night. I shifted the weight of my duffle bag so as not to drop it as I ran.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid," I mumbled to myself between pants.

I vaulted myself between buildings trying to find a safe manhole to flee down. Finally I reached the edge of the building, grasping the edge I looked down. I could easily see the manhole in the ally below. I almost jumped down to the fire escape but I stopped myself. Something was wrong. Suddenly three men stepped out of the shadows and surrounded the manhole. I refrained myself from screaming out in frustration. This is the third manhole I've come across and at least three men or more has guarded all of them. I could easily go down there and knock them out but I don't have the time. I'm being followed both on the ground and on the rooftops.

A thump sounds behind me. I spin to see a man land on the roof at the rear of me. I quickly whipped out my bo and knocked his feet out from underneath him. I then turned towards the next building as he fell to the ground. I get a slight running start before I bound to the next building. I landed hard; my knees buckled. I promptly regained my balance and glanced behind me. At least a dozen men have joined the now standing man on the rooftop I have just departed from.

"Shell," I cursed, turned again and started to run once more. They're getting to close for comfort, I thought. Maybe if I loop around to a manhole I've already visited then they might have left it unguarded because I have already left the area. Deciding to follow this new invasive plan I changed direction back toward the junkyard I had come from. Not a half-hour before I was unbothered, as I looked for a new part for the toaster that Leo had broken again.

Leo! I should call h- the shrill sound of my shell-cell sounded against the quiet of the night that had recently been broken by my running. I shifted the bag on my shoulder for a second time as a reached for the vibrating device. I removed it from my belt and flipped it open.

"Hello?" I gasped.

"Hey Don. Where are you? I'm getting worried, you haven't been back yet," Leo's voice responded from the other end of the device.

I did not acknowledge his question at first. I flipped to the next building before I answer, "I don't know." I paused. "Somewhere between Fifth and Seventh."

"Don are you okay? You sound like you are running!"

I desperately wanted to laugh at Leo but decided that my breath is better used for losing my new stalkers. "That's because," I took a breath, "I am." My legs are beginning to burn but adrenaline pushed me to continue sprinting.

"What?" he yells into to cell, startling me. I fumbled for the contraption, which I almost dropped in surprise. "Who from?"

I once again ignored his question as I leapt to another building. "They have blocked all the manholes. I can't get to them without being caught. I can't-" I broke off as I heard the patter of running feet to my left. I quickly changed direction again and started running to the right.

I must have forgotten I was talking to Leo because I suddenly heard someone scream "Don!" from my hand. "Sorry," I replied. "It's hard to run, talk, and think at the same time."

"Who is chasing you? Where are you?" Leo questioned me once more. Not waiting for an answer he made an executive decision and informed me, "We're coming to get you."

"NO!" I shouted. "They'll catch you too. It's-" My shell-cell is suddenly ripped from my hand and crushed beneath a black shoe. The shock and force of my shell-cell being taken from me leaves me unbalanced and I spun clumsily toward the culprit.

"Bishop!" I growled. Regaining my balance I reached for my bo only to be hit on the side by a plasma gun that was fired from one of Bishop's men. The pain is immediate; my side burned from the blast. Gasping I fell to my hands and knees.

"Donatello." I looked up at Bishop. "It would be easier if you just come with me," he said coldly. I scoffed at him and stood up. Yeah right, no way in shell I'm going to go quietly. Bishop must have interpreted my internal response because he warned, "I wouldn't." Ignoring him I once again reached for my bo; too late. I heard the hum of a plasma gun and only had time to grunt as I got hit again and blacked out from the pain.