Donnie patted the earth around the potted plant before walking over to the pulsating purple triangle and leaning in, placing the English Lavender inside the life support system he'd rigged inside Dimension X, and leaning back out again.

He started the timer. This would be the 10th plant to undergo this test. He would place a plant inside a specialized aquarium that would provide light, water and nutrients, and leave it there for the equivalent of 30 years. If it came back like it's predecessors, 30 years older but otherwise normal, then his results would all match up nicely. Donnie waited a little longer, then reached back inside the portal to retrieve the plant. Dimension Xs' accelerated time stream certainly came in handy when determining the effects of aging on an organism.

Donnie placed the plant on his desk to study it. 30 years older… with no noticeable differences from a normal English Lavender of 30 years old. Conclusion? Donnie reached for a notepad and pencil. Dimension X did not affect the aging of an organism.

That meant the real point to his experiment could begin in earnest.

Donnie placed his arm on his desk, picked up a scalpel, and scraped. These tissue samples, provided with all necessary components for life by it's own life support system, would show him his own projected lifespan.

How long until… April really killed him.

Donnie picked up the second life support system, switching it out with the one for the plants. He grabbed his tissue sample. Inserted it. And waited 50 years.

It was gone. Dead.

Try again. 40 years.

Dead.

Try again. 30 years.

Dead.

Try again. 20 years.

Dead.

Donnie crumpled, choking as his eyes clouded over. No. So soon… he forced himself to his feet.

Try again. 15 years.

Gone again.

Again. 10 years.

Dead.

Donnie's fingers trembled as he set another sample and waited 5 years.

He dashed back to look, and watched, eyes wide, as his own flesh faded into nothing in front of him.

So that was it, then. 5 years. 5. He was barely 17 and he had 5 years left. But… but he could fight the attacks. This mindless piece of himself… it couldn't do that. He would outlast it, he would fight. So… Donnie choked, laughing. So, maybe 8 years? He didn't know.

He was going to die. Probably before he turned 30 years old.

Poor Donatello.

How sadorable.

He was going to die. Donnie curled in on himself, sobbing, a dimension and a chasm of ignorance between him and his family.