Mᴜᴛᴀɴᴛ Aᴘᴏᴄᴀʟʏᴘsᴇ: Dᴏɴᴀᴛᴇʟʟᴏ's 200 Dᴀʏs ❪✘❫ 𝑁𝑂𝑇 𝐶𝑂𝑀𝑃𝐿𝐸𝑇𝐸𝐷

29 || 𝐒𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐄

A Few Days Later...

𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝟼𝟹

During the last few days, Zero had studied Donnie closely and so did Four. Both of them had different intentions with this mutant turtle and only one of those intentions was beneficial.

Four intends to help Donnie realize that this group is not for someone like him and that joining this Joker Clan is a terrible mistake. Four promises anyone who came in contact with Zero's group would feel his wrath and unforgivable gestures of torture and pain. He wants to get that turtle out of here as soon as possible or else Donnie will lose his entire true personality forever. There will be no coming back from it.

Zero, on the other hand, is always smiling at the idea of this mutant becoming one of his greatest soldiers with those thick scars being sliced across his face. He longs for Don to be a rampaging man-killing machine with the eeriest whistles, hoots, and animal-like behavior. To be an individual who won't show any remorse and be nothing but a pure monster.

At this very moment, Four is watching Don speak to a few other Jokers around a fire, laughing and sharing irrelevant topics that weren't important to be shared with this group of animals... Each female that was near Donnie wanted to be close to him, they weren't afraid at all. The boys got to learn about the turtle's behavior and how they can mirror it, becoming a little more aggressive and confident with themselves.

There's gotta be a way for Four to convince Donnie to escape, but at this rate, he is spending time with the Jokers, and he fears it might be nearly too late. Four feels lucky that he didn't let this 'family' sink into his head. He's fought it for so long. Now that he's met Don, he feels like this might be a very small window of escaping, too. Four could have a second chance if he left the Jokers.

The young man who wishes he didn't affiliate with Zero and his people got to see the change Donnie was experiencing. Just a few days ago, Donatello, or Rep, didn't want anything to do with these people and was determined to leave this place until it just reeled him in like a large-mouth bass from a wide-open lake. Zero used his people like fishing poles, tossing in the bait, which was absolute freedom to do whatever they wanted as far as murdering others and harassing one another. Eventually, Don would latch on to that triple hook and get his gums and cheek stuck with those filthy thoughts and words. He's caught. And Four hoped he could do something about it sometime soon.

Then, Four felt like this was the correct time to intervene and warn Donnie about the damage this would do to him in the long run. He may have current mental issues as far as figuring out who he is and used to be, but Four knows that this is a must. An absolute must-- to save Donnie from himself.

Four got up from the damp log he say on near the fire and approached the crowd of Jokers that surrounded the mutant turtle on his log seat. But just when he was about to have Donnie all to himself, Zero interrupted his people by emerging from the crowds. "Fratres mei! Sorores..."
(Translation: "My brothers! Sisters...") He says. "Libet recipere membrum novissimum familiae nostrae."  (Translation: "I'd like to welcome the newest member of our family."

Right away, the other Jokers that had surrounded the fresh, smoking fire cheered and hooted loudly. Donnie looks over his shoulders and in front of him, seeing the joy spew from every member of the Clan. Strangely, whenever they made an insane amount of noise, the infected never came running. But hearing the positive noise come from every Clan member made him feel good inside. He must have impacted these guys for the better... or something.

Zero continues to speak aloud to his people about how Donnie has shown great potential in becoming a Joker and would be an excellent addition. He mentioned how the newcomer showed impressive hunting skills, shared fighting strategies, and how to find better food and be stealthier. Donnie never should have revealed these secrets of his to this mentally ill group. Zero is pleased with his ex-enemy betraying his old family and finding the Jokers. Just associating with Zero and his Clan was basically a spit to Donnie's true family. That he became someone "better". Zero believes Don will never go back to his family now that this... ceremony will take place.

"Risus debet!" Zero shouted, causing the others to shout happily.
(Translation: "He must smile!")

When Donnie heard those words, he wasn't entirely sure what Zero meant. Is it a metaphor? A silly expression from the Jokers? Does Donnie actually have to smile? What does this mean exactly? Before he can think about the possible answers, Donnie is suddenly gripped forcibly, feeling his wrists become restrained. The turtle was forced to his knees in the viscous, thick mud by the powerful and eerie Jokers. As he fixed his gaze on the massive flames in front of him, he noticed that other Jokers were encircling it and clutching their weapons. Startled by their power, he let out a cry and yelled loudly, but there were too many of them on top of his legs and rock-hard shell. "Stop!" He snarled.

"Nunc unus ex nobis fies, turtur!" Zero bellowed at him, breaking into the middle of the forming circle with a thin sanitized knife made out of a deer's femur bone. The edges of that bone looked incredibly sharp, too. So sharp that whoever crafted it has a very creative and steady hand.
(Translation: "You will become one of us now, Turtle!")

The fear is coming out of Donnie now that he is the lowest to the ground and his acquainted friend, Four couldn't do anything to help him. All he could do was watch until it was over. To add to the ceremony, the Jokers immediately smiled out of the blue, chuckling, cackling, singing nursery rhymes, and were just...insane. Donatello could feel the tension rising above him from the haunting voices, unable to break free from these people. He's trapped and there is no way out from this human group. He won't be prepared for what happens next. To be certain, it is a moment in his life he will never forget. There would be no way to erase a significant and terrible memory such as this...

Zero knelt in the mud as Don was still restrained. The Joker leader came closer to his mutant with the bone knife, showing him how well-carved it was. Since it is white, it is meant to turn red... "It's time to smile." Zero says quietly in English, grinning wider than ever. Then, he lines the tip of the knife up against the reptile's leathery skin on the corner of the left side of his mouth. Donnie grunted, trying to resist the knife, but the Jokers who held him had pinned his head into the mud, slathering his glasses up in filth and covering his scales. Before the slicing could begin, Zero whispered some words that sent chills up the mutant's spine. "Im 'iens ut noceat vere malum..." He chuckled.
(Translation: I'm going to hurt you really bad...")

Don's eyes widened at those words, unable to register them internally. Before he could let the sentence settle, the bone knife was already being dragged across Donnie's cheek, splitting the skin and dying the porous bone knife white. The turtle screamed in agony, feeling his hot blood dripping from his face and his skin open up. Then, the right side was being gashed, the brand new marking reaching about five to six inches long each. The pain Donnie experienced was excruciating, so painful he nearly passed out into the mud because he couldn't retain it.

Soon, Zero relieved the knife from Don's face, cackling like a psychotic maniac-- which is what he is. Right away, Don felt his arms be released, and he collapsed into the squelching mud with his blood mixing in with it. His muscles are weak, his mind is attempting to pump him some natural adrenaline, and now he owns the markings. The smile is done. He still heard the Jokers laugh at him, making fun of how much pain he couldn't endure and others encouraging him to stand up and embrace the Joker markings. 

Eventually, Don took in many deep breaths with the many members standing over him and he gained the strength to rise from the ground and hold his head high to reveal the damage to his cheeks. When each Joker got a gander at the freshly made slices in Donnie's face, they roared louder than ever. They're joyful and proud of their new brother's official welcome.

When the mutant slowly got to his feet, he enjoyed the attention he was possessing and stood tall under the twilight weather. He shifts his gaze to Zero, making intense eye contact, creating a new connection. The pain is beginning to become bearable and to show that Don is accepting the new scars, he nods once to his new leader.

Zero bows his head.

****

𝐆𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐳𝐲: 𝐇𝐞𝐲, 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞! 𝟐𝟎𝟎 𝐃𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐝!