The Mutant Ninja Turtles

Donatello's Biography: Part 16

By B.C.

Candle Thoughts

            "Prison was better than I expected. Clean bed, clean food, and solid ceilings. Not at all like the decomposing hell holes depicted on film. However, it dawned upon me rather quickly that there was a reason for my well treatment. I was after all a demon. Better to not anger the gods too much. They took blood, skin, spit, and just about anything that didn't involve causing me any serious injury. After two days of terrible, but clean food, two men came to talk to me. Although my Chinese was basic, so were their questions. Who are you? Why are you here? Where did you come from? The basics. They weren't impolite. They weren't pushy. I told them the truth as I knew it, and as it pertained to their questions. After six hours of interrogation I was released. I didn't know why, and I honestly didn't care. I just walked right out. I would later find out that there had been some suspicion of me being some American made creature. Since they didn't have enough information to accurately deduce my intentions in China, I'm assuming they released me to observe me. My predictions were confirmed when I frequently noticed strange men watching from various locations. But I didn't care.

            I left China only a few years after arriving. I headed to Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam. I traveled through Indonesia and the Philippines. I even spent some time in Japan. That, however, was difficult. Needless to say, they are very observant and strict were immigration is concerned. I didn't stay long. I found my self back in China, only this time I headed to the mountains. I found the monks, the temples, and the bliss. I've taken my martial arts to levels I never thought possible, and I've taken my mind to levels that aren't possible."

            Raphael stopped. His gaze seemed to drift passed the wall he was staring at. Ape, who was dumb struck by his briefing, looked at me. I then leaned forward and said "Yo, Raph. You okay man?" Raph quickly turned back to me, and gave me an embarrassed smile.

            "Oh, yeah, I'm sorry. I sort of got lost in my memories."

            "I would too if I had seen what you have seen." Ape said. I was sort of stunned too, though. I mean, c'mon its Raph here. Raph.

            "Man, have you changed."

            "No, I've grown up. But I've rambled long enough. Where have you been all this time?" I suddenly felt like I was at a high School Reunion, and I had spent the last ten years eating pizza and playing video games. 

            "Oh, well, uh, I kinda just stayed at the lair. I cleaned it up. It's nice now. I still practice training, and I've been reading a lot. Ya know, to keep up to date."

            "That's good. I'm glad to see you've grown up too. Heh, Mikey, the irresponsible one. The one who couldn't iron his own clothes was alone all this time."

            My god, I have changed.

            "We've all had to grow. Haven't we." I knew that voice. I looked up to the hallway, and down the white wall hall. Raph, who was sitting, facing me, had to turn around to see. And then out he came. Donnie, the long lost brother. Donnie wore an all white suite. Only his tie was a light shade of purple. He looked pampered, even a little snobbish. But I immediately ignored these thoughts. Donnie's my brother, and he's a good guy.

            He walked towards us in a strut. Raph stood, turned around, and reached out for a hug, grabbing Donnie and pulling him close. Donnie didn't flinch. He hugged back like his suite didn't cost as much as a small car, and the dirt would wash right out. Sure enough, when the hugging was done, Donnie's suite was few shades of brown, but he didn't even notice. Donnie then looked at me with a look that said "Why aren't you here getting hugged too?" I walked up and we all had a good one. Donnie gave a big smile and gestured us down the hall.

            "Come, I'm sure you are all hungry. It is noon after all. Name what ever you want. My cooks will have it prepared."

            We ate our lunch, pizza, had a few laughs, and told a few stories. We were all in high spirits. I felt a little bad. No matter how into our stories we got, it was only a matter of time til it came back to Leo. Damn him, damn him for dying. I shouldn't think that way though, but when I saw the three of us gathered around a table eating pizza and talking of our separate adventures, I couldn't help thinking how wrong Leo was. I stared at the table for a moment, lost in my thoughts. Stop it Mikey. There's no point. He made his choice. When I looked back up, Donnie had lit a cigar. Mr. Health lights a cigar?

            "When did you pick up that nasty habit, huh?" I asked.

            "Well, one must have his vices, I suppose."

            "So, what have you been doing all this time Donnie? I know you invented an engine, so please elaborate." Finally, thank you Raph. I was waiting for someone to bring that.          

            "Very well, but not here. Please follow me." Donnie gestured for the butler to clean up after us which I felt a little bad about, and we followed Donnie. He took us through the little den that me, Ape, and Raph waited for him in, and went out the glass doors that led to the backyard.

            The backyard was beautiful, full of well trimmed bushes and lots of grass. There was a fountain in the center that had one of those weird looking angels with a pot that pours water forever, ya know what I mean. Towards the end there was a large rise that looked like a small concrete temple. It had a Japanese look to it, but was barely ten feet tall. Once we got close I realized it looked like one of those prayer temples, because it had a prayer box, and the bell ropes.

            Donnie walked up and pulled the ropes a couple of times, then walked up and pushed something in the bush. After a second I could hear that sound when someone is hitting keys on a keyboard, and the bush slid to the right, and I'll be damned if it wasn't a genuine hidden door. Me, Ape, and Raph all looked at each other like "What the fu@#?" Donnie turned and gave a little cocky smile, that little cocky punk. He waved us on, so we walked up to the temple. When I was close enough I could see there was a staircase that lead down. It wasn't the dirty stone type in horror movies, more like the secret military Indiana Jones kind. The steps were metal as was the walls. There were little lights every few feet that pointed up, and they had a little bit of a greenish tint. Why were they a greenish tint? I don't know. But the whole place was starting to give me the creeps.

            When we reached the bottom, there was a small square room. Opposite the stairway was a large rectangular outline that consumed most of the white wall. In the center of the room was a sunken living room equipped with four white leather couches and a small white table in the center. I felt dirty just being there. Too much white. It made me squint even though it was kinda dim. The light was coming from above from fluorescent light fixtures, the usual.

            "If you guys don't mind, I'm going to change into some more casual clothing."

            "Oh, go ahead. We'll just chill in this creepy ass room." I said this more out of nervousness than smartassness. Donnie just smiled reached into the clean white wall and made a door appear. Well, I'm sure the door was already there, but from my point of view he might as well have just used the force to create it.

            "How much money does Donnie have?" Ape said with a yell, her eyes a little larger than usual. Raph just waltzed over to the nearest couch and plopped down. How did he get so relaxed, especially here?

            "Donnie has always been the smartest of us where technology is concerned. I wouldn't be surprised by anything."

            "Well, he does have good taste." Ape added, and she took a seat next to Raph. I sat across from them, raised a leg on my knee, and leaned back in my attempt to relax. I was about to say something when Donnie walked in the room. He was now dressed in a simple button up shirt and some khakis with sandals. Talk about contrast. He sat down to my right, and Ape and Raph's left.

            "The reason I have brought you all down here is because what I am about to tell you is top secret. If for some reason any of the information I am about to disclose to you is overheard, it could mean us versus the United Sates army. This room is completely protected, hence we are here." Donnie's words hung in the air. I felt like I was about to find out who shot Kennedy.

            "I told you I built a new engine. I lied. I've been developing new technologies that allow for the animate and inanimate to be united." Donnie stopped. We were motionless.

            "Wait, you mean Biomechanics, right?" Raph asked.

            "Yes."

            "But the government already has that technology. Hell, they created B.I.F., and if memory serves, that's the thing that made the ooze."

            "Exactly."

            I was lost.

            "Raph, in all the years we've been fighting…whoever and whatever, we have never found B.I.F., never."

            "We came close. Remember? When we found that lab a few years back? B.I.F. used to call that place home, and so did those 79 canisters of ooze, two of which Shredder got."

            "Well, the number of canisters is still under dispute. But you are right. We were close. Just not close enough for me." Donnie looked down as he said this. His posture had changed. You could see he was thinking hard.

            "I chose biomechanics for a reason. So I could gain access to information, information that pertains directly to us. The government does already have biotechnology, but no domestic scientist has discovered it yet, and for good reason. Apparently, any one to discover biotechnology is immediately given cash, a job, and anything else they want so long as they do three things. 1) They have to work for the government, 2) they have to lie to their family and friends about their work, which means they can never discuss their work, and 3) they can not perform any experimentation outside government facilities. Until now, I have followed two of the three rules."

            "Which one did you break before?" I asked timidly.

            "The third one Mikey." Donnie got up and walked to the wall with big rectangular outline which was behind me. I expected a big television or something, because it looked like a small movie screen. He stood to its right and pushed the wall, and once again some small pad seemed to materialize from thin air and he pushed buttons. The rectangle moved backwards inside the wall and then up. It wasn't a screen. It was window to a room. I could see machines and computers glowing and blinking in what seemed like and endless lab. But my eyes weren't focused on the background. The two large tubes in the center, perhaps just a few inches on the other side of the glass, had my full attention.

            "Jesus!" Raph said in a whisper, as he slowly rose to his feet. Ape covered her mouth, and only let a mild squeak escape. I froze. I knew it was wrong, but what do you say when you see a ghost. Staring at Splinter and Leo for the first time in years, I found myself speechless.

To Be Continued…

Author Notes:

            I think wanting to do anything BUT study for finals is making me a little more active in my writing. Since I seriously plan to end this story soon, I am considering going through the old chapters and updating them for spelling errors and poorly constructed sentences. Because when it becomes just another archive file, I want it at its best. It is my first published fanfic after all, so I'm allowed to be a little proud. Okay maybe I shouldn't be. I am getting a little frustrated finding material for research on my next TMNT fic. I want the next fic to be very original, and very well plotted. I will probably write a large portion of it before I begin publishing it on the net, so I can keep publishing chapters even when I stray from it for a while and not write anything for it for months. Well, as always, you criticism is appreciated whether positive or negative, and thank you again for reading. Oh, and for those who are interested, I posted a little personal babble in my profile. Thanks again.