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

32 || 𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐉𝐀 𝐖𝐀𝐘

Grizzy: Italics indicate Donnie and the Jokers speaking in Latin.

****

Day 66

Pacing back and forth in an open area next to the camp, Donatello turned on his serious attitude as he announced his knowledge to the Jokers, about a hundred or more. They are silent, too... how silly for a loud Clan. But if they are to learn about surviving the correct way-- the ninja way, they must listen closely. Donnie used whatever knowledge he had available, what he remembered, and what was relevant to these life skills as a surviving individual.

He held his staff in his hands, feeling its strength, and flexibility, and noticing the blood and dirt stains on the ends of it. This is the retractable and electrical staff he built a while back when he lived in New York."To survive, you must change your ways..." He says, glancing at Zero just a few feet behind him, listening to the lesson. Don faces all the different Jokers in cloaks, raggy clothes, and exposed skin and feet. If they keep dressing this way, they will certainly shorten their chances of outrunning infected, living foes, or the environment itself. "Running barefoot won't help your feet! Loose clothing, open-skinned sleeves... No protection for your body will get you killed. You'll be bitten, you'll fail to adapt to weather changes, too. I suggest you gear up heavier. Yes?"

"Yes, 126!" They all replied, their responses overlapping each other. 

The more Donnie spoke Latin, it was beginning to drill into his head. It might as well be English to him if he speaks sentences this long. "Today, and from here on out, I will teach you the skills and traits of a ninja!" He paused. "You'll learn to remain patient, to work alone, and to stay focused even when trapped in one's own thoughts... how to be invisible, create strategies, precision, and balance. With these, you'll live to see the next day and overrule."

The Jokers murmured with excitement, eager to learn the ways of Donnie and his background. They believed if they mimicked and learned his lessons well, they could discover their own skills and master them to conquer enemies of any kind. "Until then, bring out your staffs." He commands, holding his own in front of him, watching every Joker mirror his movement.

Donnie stood tall in front of his family, looking at each face carefully until his attention was drawn to two of them. "You." He says firmly, pointing his finger out to a male at the end of the crowd. He's tall, fit build, and had a dragon tattoo on his left shoulder. Once he was addressed, he gulped, nodding to the turtle. "Come next to me." The young male Joker approached Donnie, doing what he was told. Donnie chooses another Joker, this time a male much shorter than the first. "You, come here." Says Donnie, pointing to his left side. As soon as the boys were beside the mutant, he took two large strides back and spoke aloud. "What do you notice about these two men?" He asked the Joker Clan.

No one answered right away, but someone gladly had an answer. She spoke out from the crowd, just behind two people in the front. "Both are different heights."

"What else?"

"Their body builds." Says another.

Don repeated his question but he was looking for a specific answer. "What else?" His tone is more aggressive. There are no other answers and he rolls his eyes at the Jokers for their lack of obvious knowledge... Well, at least to Don it's obvious. "Combat experience!" He answered, facing the boys. "Different combat experiences can define an opponent's fate! Today, we are going to watch these young men fight..." 

"F-Fight?" One of them questioned Donnie. 

"Are you refusing my lecture?" Donnie circled the shortest Joker, now standing behind him.

"No, sir." He says boldly.

"Good." Don said, looking at his master, Zero. The Joker leader nods his head once, signaling Donnie to begin the fight. The mutant looks at the two Jokers and commands them to start fighting, but the other Jokers must remain silent.

The two youthful Jokers exchange uneasy glances with one another as soon as Donatello delivers the order to start fighting. Donnie's patience was wearing thin since they were taking too long, so he felt the impulse to take a rapid breath and give a loud, deep growl to tell the Jokers to start. He roared at them, and one of the Jokers sprang at the other. The boys let out moans and groans, and the struggle intensified as a result of the battle staffs the Jokers in training were given colliding and slapping each other every other second. Donnie could see that the shorter Joker was having trouble, while the taller Joker was winning.

His vitality was almost gone, and blood was running down his nostrils. The more towering Joker caught the mentoring turtle's attention and he turned to face him, demanding to know how this combat would end."Finish him!"

The taller man obeyed, gaining velocity with the tip of his staff and ramming it to the shortest Joker's temple, causing his body to do a complete 360 and lose drastically in the mud.

"Good." Donnie smiled at the taller Joker. "Strength!" He paused, coming up to the winner. "Your name?"

"Seventy-One." He panted, holding his staff firmly.

"Seventy-One. You have please me and our master." He says to him before looking at the rest of the crowd. "You do not turn your back on your enemy! Do not accept surrender! You fight as if it is your last fight ever!"

Donnie proved his point about facing off against several formidable opponents when he checked on the vanquished Joker and saw that he would survive. Sadly, he had a concussion that will require a long time to heal, therefore he will miss the remainder of the training.

The mutant turtle proceeded to coach the other Jokers, observing each one's abilities during one-on-one face-offs. Don would occasionally show the Jokers basic ninja moves to help them get by. He is amazed at how quickly they pick things up. Since they were formerly Foot Soldiers, they have a good deal of martial arts experience. They would soon take a break and head back to their tents for the remainder of the day, at which time they would have scrapes, bruises, and physical aches.

Zero is pleased with the training Donnie had performed today. He came up to the turtle as he wrapped up the lesson and says, "You have yet to please me with these skills you promised me."

"Did I not do well today, Master?" Donnie asked.

"Tsk!" Zero scoffed. "One day is not enough. You know that. Tomorrow you will train them harder! Understood?"

"Yes, Master." Don replied, walking from Zero so he could rest for the night. When he got to the tent, Four was already asleep, his back facing Donnie. The turtle looks at the young man in his blankets, staring at him for only a second until he finally goes to his side of the tent. 

Donnie looked up at the top of the tent, spotting some ripped threads in the cloth as he reclined on his blankets and pillows. He could see, with squinted eyes, that the sky was growing progressively darker and that, soon, the stars would emerge for the night. Somewhere in the bushes outside the camp, crickets were making a symphony of melodies, and he could hear them as he enjoyed the stillness of his home. He then kept an ear out for any infected that might be hiding.

He was always perplexed as to why he had never spotted a Stalker or Runner. He couldn't quite put his finger on that. Why, since joining this group, has he not encountered any infected in this area? Are there any traps put somewhere away from the camp? Exist covert patrols? Are Donnie and the Jokers situated in a region with a low concentration of sickened and mentally gone humans? Donnie is just relieved that he isn't right now near those beasts, regardless of the outcome.

Now he best rest up for the night so he can continue training the Jokers in the morning. If Zero wants more training for his people, he will push and push until Donnie may not be able to take any more of this activity. It looks like this is an opportunity for Zero; now much Donnie can take before he breaks. This will prove his strength for the Joker Clan.