Remember [Book 1]

36 - Donatello

After the whole Shredder and the Stealth Ship day, the rest of us went on our regular routine again. There wasn't much to hear from either the Kraang or Shredder and his clan. The city was awfully quiet. April visited and helped me with a side project. Her, Naomi, and Mikito continued to train as well during the passing time.

Then during a calm day, the secondary project I was working on turned something up that was unknown to me. The water concentration was off. It was instead filling up with something different. I sent April out with Mikito to fetch some more sewage. It didn't take long for them to return. When they did, April and I took over with analyzing the sewage, finding the odd concentration, and making a complete beaker of the solution. It was a difficult process but I was thankful I had April and Mikito to help.

A clank came from where Naomi was working on my primary project. As I looked up to see what she had done, she cursed under her breath and popped her head out from the cockpit. Her expression was sour. "Can you get me a screwdriver and a screw? This one came loose." Mikito got up to help the lizard. Naomi thanked her and returned back into the dense hull.

I couldn't help but smile and return looking through the microscope. The chemical I was getting from the sewage and water concentration was beginning to look more and more deadly. It had the build of acid but nothing looked like anything from the other elements.

After a few hours, Mikito left to get food. She never returned. April and I finished the solution. Now looking into the microscope, I was semi surprised to see Kraang components. So this was a Kraang element. Maybe? Or just a concoction of theirs. It had water elements to it. Was it really Kraang water? Kraang water that was worse than pure acid?

"April, could you hand me something? Food or natural substances," I asked, still staring into the microscope. It would take a while for the Kraang water to melt through the beaker. If I was lucky. April left and returned shortly. Turning away from the observation, I saw what she had brought. Mikey's left overs. "Thanks."

She smiled. I felt a small rush of blood to my cheeks but I quickly turned away to test my theory before I could get too distracted. Taking a piece of the pizza, I dipped it into the beaker of the solution. Sure enough the water destroyed the slice particle by particle. I let it drop in the solution, watching how quick it ate at the pizza slice.

"So..." April muttered, looking at the beaker. "What do we do?"

I leaned back in my chair. "Well, first we need to start looking for the base that's changing the water solution. It'll either be close to water or in the water. Then when we do that, we can warn the others." I sighed and looked at the beaker. "With miles of water, I hope we find the base soon..."

"I can look for it," Naomi's voice piped up. She walked up, wiping her hands off. "And the sub's done. I think. You may need to recheck a lot of it."

"That's fine," I reassured her. "Thanks, Naomi." The lizard nodded and took my desk chair, spun it once around then sat down. I turned to April then, "I'll go get the others then."

Stretching as I got up, I went to the door of the lab. It sounded like everyone was in the main room. Good. So this would be easy, instead of searching the lair like usual. I popped my head out of the door and looked at the turtles gathered around the TV. More Space Heroes... Leo and Mikito were the only two really invested in the show at the moment I peered out. How did Leo lasso Mikito into such a silly show?

"Hey, guys," I said with a cheery tone. Leo turned the TV off and turned around to face me. Everyone else turned as well. "Guess what me and April have been working on?"

"Oh! I know!" Mikito grunted and raised her hand with a grin. "Analyzing sewage!"

Maybe I should have been a bit more specific on who should guess. I sighed and gave a small smile with a nod.

"Who says you don't know how to show a girl a good time?" Raph said, slightly sarcastic, as he fed Spike.

"But why?" Leo asked. "Aren't you tired of the sewers as it is?"

I shrugged, "It's the same precaution I use for the sewage as we do for the cameras around our lair." I paused. "And science." Another pause. "But this is really important so you all should come look at it."

Everyone got up. Raph picked Spike up who was in mid chew. They all climbed into the lab. I closed the door behind Mikey who walked in last. As they circled around the counter with the Kraang water, I took another slice of Mikey's pizza.

"Basically, the Kraang have been changing Earth's water into... Kraang water," I started. I held up the pizza slice up like it was a treasure to mutant-kind. "Now watch as I dip Mikey's sardine-shrimp pizza into pure Kraang water."

Without another word, I dipped the pizza into the concentration. As it did with the first pizza slice, the water destroyed the slice molecule by molecule. This time I pulled it away.

Mikey, watching in horror, cried out, "How do you sleep at night?"

Holding the slice back up I looked at the others, "The concentration is small, currently. If it were to grow into this kind of concentration the entire population will be injured, or worse."

"Including pizza?" Mikey whined. He was looking his head out from besides the counter.

"Yes, Mikey," Naomi sighed from her station at the desk. "Don't you think people are a bit more important?"

My younger brother looked like he was about to start a fit. Instead, he grabbed the pizza box that I had set the beaker on. "I don't want to live in a world without pizza!" He yanked the box away, sending the beaker flying toward April.

"Look out!" I shouted. The pizza slice from my hand dropped as I reached for the red head.

April screamed as a portion of the solution landed on her arm. The rest of us gasped. I stared in fear for the longest time at April's arm. Eventually she opened her eyes and looked at it. I was as amazed as she was.

"What?" She asked, turning her arm every which way.

I took a step toward her and took her arm. She was warm but nothing serious. "Amazing," I whispered. "You're not injured."

"How?"

"I'm... Not sure..." I muttered.

Naomi interrupted April, "Hey! I got the base!"

Taking one last careful glance at April's arm, I went to see where the base was. It was in the middle of the East River. Goodness that was deep... Thankfully I started my work on the sub. Else we may have gotten to the base too late.

"Thankfully you made the sub, Donnie," Naomi praised me. I gave a small smile in response.

Leo was also looking at the screen. He then turned to the rest of us. "All right, team. We have a mission. Girls, was come?"

April answered before the two mutants, "Can't. Unfortunately I have an essay due." She shouldered a pack she had picked up to come look at the computer screen with us. "And, equally unfortunate, the base is on the bottom of the East River. So, I'll have to pass on this one."

She started to head out. "Wait!" I blurted out. Taking a steep forward, I banged my knee on the desk. It caused me to stumble over the desk and land on my butt on the other side. I heard a snicker from the someone behind me, but I was focused. "You have your T-Phone, right?"

It was a silly question, but a sudden feeling of dread had come over me. Like something awful was going to go down. If I wasn't there... She could get hurt.

With as much kindness as she could, April held out her T-Phone. "I'll be fine, Donnie. I promise." She turned and left the lair.

I looked down as Leo asked the same question to the other two girls, "Would you two like to come along?"

"Sure!" Mikito piped up. I turned around just in time to see Naomi nod. "I wanna go in the sub!"

"Sub?" Leo asked, turning to look at me.

I gave a smile, "It's what I've been working on recently."

"Then let's go!" Mikey hopped up. He fled to the sub.

The others followed in suit. Guess that settled that.