One to One

After listening to explanation after explanation from his four sons, Splinter decided an intervention of some sort was needed. Reflecting on the 'incidents' which had plagued his home recently, Splinter found himself zeroing in on Donatello as one of the main culprits. While it was without question that the other turtles could cause trouble on their own, Donatello's signature was all over some of the more interesting situations that had arisen. What concerned Splinter the most was how willing Donatello had become in masterminding the chaos, and the rat feared his son was developing something of a talent for it.

With that Splinter had decided to spend some one on one time with his purple masked son and today he would take him for a long walk through the sewers, where Splinter hoped he would be able to talk honestly with the boy and uncover the reasons behind his recent behaviour. Rising from his kneeling position, Splinter carefully slid back the door separating his room from the rest of the lair and made his way to the entrance, where Donatello stood waiting.

"Donatello, are you ready?" he greeted

"Yes Sensei" replied the turtle automatically, who was standing patiently at the door

Glancing around the lair, Splinter saw his eldest son sat reading while Michelangelo played a rather loud video game. The music blaring from the bedroom area indicated what Raphael was doing.

"We will be back later, my sons. Leonardo is in charge until I return"

"Yes, Master" replied Leonardo looking up from his book

"Ooh, Donnie's in trouble" teased Michelangelo without bothering to look away from his game

With a small sigh Splinter decided it was probably better to just get going.

The rat had been walking through the sewers for 10 minutes with Donatello following slightly behind him. The journey so far had been made in silence with Donatello merely following his Fathers lead. Deeming they were now far enough away from the lair to have a proper conversation without the risk of eavesdroppers, Splinter took a slight step back so he was walking next to his purple masked son.

"Donatello, how are you my son?" started Splinter, looking for an easy way to open a dialogue with one of his quieter sons

"I'm fine Sensei" replied the turtle, who continued to look straight ahead

"Has anything been bothering you recently?" enquired the rat

"No Sensei, everything is fine"

"Are you sure?" asked Splinter

"Yes"

At that, they lapsed into silence once more as they walked through the sewers. Splinter was at something of a loss, he knew Donatello was a quiet turtle and conversations that didn't involve science were of little interest to him but he still expected more of an answer out of the turtle. These short, curt replies were not going to help Splinter in his quest to redirect Donatello's attentions and behaviour. It was time for a different approach.

"So Donatello, have you been working on any interesting projects?"

"Not really Sensei" answered Donatello

"You've been spending a lot of time in your lab" prompted the rat

"I'm sorry, I'll try harder"

"It was not a criticism Donatello"

Splinter was perplexed. He'd tried to make light conversation, which didn't work. He enquired about his sons' projects which would normally cause the purple banded turtle to babble for hours, and was basically dismissed. Turning right at the next junction, Splinter and Donatello headed through a damp part of the sewers with a lot of low hanging pipes. Part of the reason Splinter had chosen this part of the sewers was to check the integrity of the tunnels and ensure nothing was amiss that could bring humans down here. Stepping over a small stream of water running out of a pipe Splinter glanced sideways at his son. Donatello's behaviour today seemed very odd, it was practically emotionless and the turtle had yet to initiate conversation.

"Donatello, the path narrows up ahead, you will go first" he ordered, watching the turtle closely

"Yes Sensei" came the automatic reply, as Donatello dutifully walked forwards a couple of paces.

This gave Splinter the chance to study his son from the back. There was something…off about his body language, or lack of body language. Come to think of it, since leaving the lair Donatello's posture had remained very stiff. Slowing his pace, Splinter continued to examine his son. Surely spending time alone with his Father would not cause Donatello to behave like this? Splinter got no further than that when a creaking sound from ahead drew his attention. The rat could only stare in horror as a large, rusted pipe broke away from the wall and swung towards them, Donatello by now was quite a bit in front of Splinter and seemed oblivious to the danger.

"Donatello, move!" shouted the rat as he threw himself to the ground, expecting Donatello to react in a similar fashion.

The pipe gathered speed as it swung down towards the purple masked turtle who was stood completely still, right in the line of fire. Years of Ninjutsu training and finely honed sense should have saved him, instead a loud metallic bang rang out, and Donatello fell backwards as the pipe crashed into him. From his position on the ground, Splinter looked on in horror as Donatello's decapitated head rolled towards him. The pipe swung over Splinter before slowing to a stop, it's momentum stalled by the collision with Donatello.

In shock, Splinter was frozen in place, staring at the head that had rolled in front of him. His son was dead?

Staring numbly at the head, the rat noticed something that shouldn't have been there. Wires were sparking out of the bottom of his sons head.

At this, Splinter shakily got to his feet and moved towards the turtles body, which was lying flat out on the sewer floor. A series of wires and circuitry were exposed where the head had been knocked off.

Donatello was a robot?

No.

Donatello had sent a robot in his place?

More likely.

Feeling rather shaky after watching his son lose his head and even more so after discovering it was a robot, Splinter sunk to the ground between the head and the robot body.

Why would Donatello send a robot out for a walk in the sewers? Was he that desperate to avoid talking with his Father?

While Splinters feelings were most definitely hurt, and his nerves were completely shot having witnessed what he believed what his sons death there was one feeling which overwhelmed the rat completely.

Anger. It took Splinter a moment to process his feelings and when he finished he slowly loosened his grip on the robot head which now had deep claw marks in it from where Splinter had been crushing it. There was no way Donatello would avoid a stern talking to now.

Upon re-entering the lair Splinter found things much the same as when he had left, he had only been gone for an hour and half after all.

"Nice walk in the sewers?" called Michelangelo having heard the lair door creak open

"Where's Donnie?" asked Leonardo, quickly noticing his brothers' absence

"I was hoping you two could tell me" replied Splinter, his tone of voice indicating he was in no mood for games

"He went with you, Sensei" explained Michelangelo as if his Father was somehow becoming senile

"Not exactly" replied the rat

At that point Splinter lifted the robot turtle head into view, complete with purple bandana

"You killed him?" exclaimed Michelangelo in horror

"Is that a robot?" questioned the blue masked turtle, leaving his seat to approach the rat

"It appears so. Donatello decided to send a robot to accompany me, unfortunately he neglected to program it with Ninja reflexes and it was decapitated by a falling pipe" seethed Splinter

"Woah, that's so freaky!" said Michelangelo who was now leaning over the couch to poke at the head "Did you not realise it was a robot?"

"Of course I didn't" snapped Splinter, though he couldn't help but wonder how he had failed to distinguish between his son and a robot version.

"We haven't seen or heard Donnie anywhere in the lair" said Leonardo answering Splinters original question

"Hard to hear anything over Raph's lame music" complained Michelangelo, drawing attention to the loud music that still blared out through the lair

At that moment, something clicked with Splinter, he was so lost in thought as things came together he barely realised what Leonardo was saying to him.

"Do we need to search for him? Maybe he was kidnapped and replaced with a robot, this could all be a trap" rattled on the leader until his Father raised a paw to silence him

"I am certain this is Donatello's doing, I also believe I know where to find him"

With that Splinter made his way to Raphael's room, robot head in hand. Michelangelo and Leonardo did not follow him, but began to whisper to one another, no doubt exchanging thoughts on just how much trouble their brother was in.

Deciding to not bother with pleasantries Splinter threw the door open to find Raphael seated in his hammock, with Donatello; head still attached seated on a chair besides him.

"Ever heard of knocking" muttered Raphael, who clearly knew he was about to be punished

Not bothering to reply, Splinter swung his walking stick bouncing off both turtles heads

"What was that for?" complained Raphael, turning off his music so he could hear Splinter

"I had to be certain you two were not robots" replied the rat angrily, bringing the robot head into view

"Oh…that. Yeah, ask Donnie" said Raphael grimly

Donatello merely sighed as if this was inevitable.

"Donatello, explain this now" seethed Splinter, patience running at an all time low

"I was curious to see if I could make a life like robot that could pass for me. So with Raph's help I made a remote controlled robot duplicate of myself. I pre-programmed in a series of responses that would normally answer most questions I'm asked. Raph and I sat in here directing the robot and listening to the conversation, we chose what the robot said to every question you asked him" explained Donatello in a very detached manner, which only seemed to infuriate his Father more

"Donatello, do you not understand how rude and disrespectful it was to send a robot out with me"

"You didn't realise it was a robot" observed Donatello

"I wished to spend time alone with you, in an effort to curb behaviour exactly like this"

"I'm sorry, Sensei. It was in the interest of science, I had to know if the robot could pass for me" replied Donatello, sounding every bit as robotic as the head in Splinters hands

Splinter took a long deep breath to calm his temper. Clearly this was going nowhere.

"Donatello, you will have extra practice every day for the next month followed by meditation with me. Raphael you will join him" commanded Splinter as Raphael signed and Donatello merely nodded his head in acceptance.

"Donatello, you are also banned from you lab for the next two weeks. After that all projects must come to me for ethical approval until I trust you again" continued the rat

At that Donatello exploded out of his seat in shock.

"You can't do that"

"Yes, I can. Leonardo will help to enforce this punishment by locking your lab"

At that Donatello fell to his knees in defeat, knowing his eldest brother would follow Splinters directions to the letter.

"You two will go and remove the robot turtle's body from the sewers and destroy it. No robots are to be built again. Understood?"

"Yes Sensei" replied both turtles

With that Splinter left Raphael's room and headed to the kitchen, throwing the robot head in the bin along the way. After all he had suffered through today, he was in desperate need of a cup of tea.

A/N - Not my favourite chapter but I couldn't get rid of the idea. Please review, would love to know what you think!