Welcome! If you're new to me as an author than I have a few things to go over before I begin. First of all, this Fic takes place in the 2k3 universe (2003 version). Second, I use this symbol :: to represent a jump in time or perspective (I will also tell you the POV each chapter is in). I would also like to thank my, I, Erasmus fans for pointing out how annoying it was trying to figure it out lol.

If you've seen the TMNT 2k3 episode "Same as it never was" you'll know that this Fic is based on why Donatello left his brothers. If you haven't seen it, it doesn't matter because everything will be explained in the Fic. I guess that's about it and if I think of anything else to say then I will let you know. Enjoy! Your input is much appreciated BTW!

The beautiful cover photo is by Luminoire on deviantart.

Disclaimer: I don't own TMNT, just any OC's that may or may not jump in.

: Chapter 1:

(Donatello's POV)

I was a mutant, a creature that was nothing more than an unfortunate animal that needed to be executed in order to restore peace to the earth. My brothers kept trying to tell me I was unique like them, made for a reason. I use to think to myself, "How could we be unique if we were the only ones of our kind?" I always tried to answer that question and eventually that answer came in the form of a letter from an anonymous being. It wasn't for my family's knowledge though; it was specifically addressed for "Donatello's eyes only." Whoever this person was, who were they? And how did they know I existed?

My name is Donatello if you haven't figured that out already. My brothers and I were mutated after a truck full of mutagen crashed and littered the sewers with the extremely radioactive material. It ended up turning four baby turtles into mutants within a few days along with the rat we now call our father. He took us in under his wings and rose us his own and even taught us the ways of Bushido, an ancient Japanese battle art.

My brothers and I accomplished great things during our years as teenagers. We defeated countless numbers of enemies who tried to destroy the earth and even killed one of our arch nemeses and his gang, Hun and the Purple dragons. Yet, as the years dragged on and we reached well into our mid-twenties, our home lives started to go downhill. Our once marvelous leader, Leonardo, became so solitary that it almost hurt me to even look at him in the eye whenever he came home from whatever he did at night. Every time I saw him he had a new set of scars somewhere on his body from doing God knows what. Raphael the same, we never saw much of him at all and it was like a family reunion was in store whenever he would finally show up. His visits were short lived though. He would usually only return to bump money off us or collect a free meal but he was still our brother and we loved having him, at least I did anyway. Leo and Raph fought like they had never fought before and usually it ended up with someone getting hurt. I figured that was why they were never around, to keep from killing each other.

I suppose the worst transformation I've seen any of my brothers go through was Michelangelo's. I couldn't have believed that such a happy, free spirit could go from "no cares in the world", to straight up serious and lethal. No more video games no more comic books, he was so different, and I hated it. His voice even went down what seemed like a hundred octaves and it was like he practically turned into man overnight.

As for me, I eventually had to go down the same path that my brothers did so I figured I should have probably gotten over with it as soon as I could. I too grew apart from them and spent most of my time doing research and coming up with new weapons and supplies that could be used in the military. I sold them online as anonymous and pretended that I had a Master's degree in Aerodynamics and Weapons Manufacturing so people would use them, which they did. I was the main source of income for this family while everyone else kept to their own devices and such. I guess their un-appreciation for me and all the hard work I did for them is what ultimately drove me to leave.

So here I sit, with this envelope in my hands, wondering what contents await me inside.

"What is that Donatello?" Master Splinter, the only one who changed the least in the last decade, walked up to me with a concerning look on his face. I hid the small yellow envelope behind my back and pretended that the letter didn't exist.

"Ah you know just, checking my email."

"Without a computer?" He cocked his old, wrinkled head.

"Ummm…" I never was the one who was good at lying. "Yes?"

Splinter calmly held his hand out to me in disbelief. I sighed and pulled my hands out from behind my back and placed the envelope in his furry paws. I hadn't even opened it yet so I hoped that whatever was in there was appropriate.

"It is from Russia."

"Russia?!" I swiped the envelope back from his grasp and ripped the seal open. "I don't know anyone in Russia."

"Sure thing Dr. Rosenberg." Mikey walked up to us with a glass of milk in his hands.

"Don't you have something better to do Michelangelo?" I tried to shoo him away.

"What like snoop around in your business?"

"Boys, enough fighting." Splinter demanded. "Donatello, proceed."

I gently pulled out the contents inside the envelope and sat down at my desk. I was afraid to open it with these two staring down on me like vultures just in case it was something important that I didn't need them to know about. I carefully opened the stack of folded papers and began to read the letter from the first page in my head.

Professor Hamato Donatello,

Upon an urgent matter that is currently taking place in Moscow, Russia, we are requesting your assistance immediately. You're failure to comply in the next 24 hours will result in your removal from New York City, and you're transportation to Moscow by force. Your airline tickets are provided in the folded section of this envelope and your plane will be departing at exactly 6:00 am at the Brooklyn airport. You are expected to pack lightly as all living necessities will be provided for you. You are to travel alone and all extra guests will be imprisoned immediately. Upon your arrival, one of our top assistants will be waiting to take you to your living quarters and will be able to provide you with more information.

Head of Organization, Doctor E. Lemming

"Oh God…" My heart was racing and my palms had become drenched with sweat. I could feel myself shaking and eventually Splinter me after I had lost my balance and collapsed into Michelangelo's arms.

"What is it Don?" My brother asked in a worried tone.

"Nothing Mikey…I'm fine." After I was able to stand back up, I quickly grabbed the envelope and checked for the tickets that this person claimed to exist. Sure enough, there it was passport and everything. "It was just someone complimenting my work on the…stuff." I couldn't even think I was so out of it. Was this person seriously going to kidnap me if I didn't drive to the airport and fly all the way across the world to Moscow? I sure wasn't going to wait and find out though. The fancy seal at the bottom of the letter that read "E. Lemming MMC" proved to be legit as well. This was real, almost too real.

"Do you need to lay down my son?" Splinter asked me. I looked at my wrist and read the time the best my blurry eyes would allow me to. The plane leaves in 3 hours. That should give me enough time to get around and head to Brooklyn without being noticed by my brothers.

"Yeah, I'll just, go to my room and take a quick rest." I allowed Michelangelo to escort me to my room and help me to my little mattress on the floor.

"You sure you're alright bro?" He asked in his deep tone of voice.

"Yeah, I just need to get a little shut eye that's all." I pretended to close my eyes and fall asleep until he finally left the room.

"Holler if you need anything." Once I heard the door close behind him, I jumped out of bed and grabbed my suitcase. This Lemming person told me to pack lightly but I sure as hell wasn't leaving my weapons behind. I packed an extra pair of throwing stars and my retractable Bo-Staff that would easily fit inside my little suitcase. In another bag, which was the duffel bag I always carried with me, I packed my first aid kit, a toothbrush, toothpaste and a small wooden frame from off my dresser. Before I put it into my bag, I took a minute and closely examined what picture was printed on the front of it. It was our family long before it practically fell apart. Michelangelo, Leonardo and even Raphael were all smiling while I tried to hold out the camera far enough to get us all in the picture. It was a silly little thing, but it was practically the only thing I had left that reminded me of what things use to be like around here.

After I packed the rest of my lab supplies into the duffel bag, I zipped it up and put both of the bags next to each other by the door. I debated if whether or not I should leave a note or something for my brothers to read concerning my whereabouts but I figured it would be easier on them if I didn't. I wouldn't want them coming to look for me even though I'm sure they'll try anyway. Once I had everything packed that I thought I would need, I grabbed my tan trench coat and hat from the rack on my wall and carefully slipped them on. For a while I just stared at myself in the little cracked mirror I had hanging there and looked at what a decade of working in the lab can do to a guy. My fingers were cracked and dry from overuse and even stained different colors from countless numbers of harmful chemicals that were spilt on them. My face still looked the same despite the few battle scars I bore on it. My purple bandanna was practically undestroyed since I always had a spare in hand if the other one got destroyed. I still looked like my old teenage self, but I guess my thinking process was most changed. Leaving without telling anyone where I was going, that wasn't like me but I had to do it, for their sake.

"I can't believe I'm doing this." I said to myself. Lemming sounded legit though, like he really needed my help in Moscow but the only out of the ordinary thing was that he knew my first and last name. The only other person who knew that would be the Shredder. After I realized this, I started to second guess my decision to go yet I really didn't want to find out what would happen in 24 hours.

"Alright Lemming, let's see if you actually exist." I sat down at my desk and brought my small laptop to life. I typed in "E. Lemming" in the search bar and was surprised at the results. My Russian was a little rusty around the edges but I was able to translate the website I was brought to. He was real alright, and he was the head of a Russian organization known as the "Moscow Mutant Control." I suppose that explains the MMC on the seal at the bottom of the letter. That's all this website would tell me though. Everything else required a password and I really didn't feel like hacking into my own computer today. So the only reason I'm deciding to go is because of a bonafide seal and a passport with an airline ticket. So when this turns out to be a trap and I'm killed, I would like my gravestone to say "Here lays idiot, killed by his own curiosity."

I grabbed my bags and slowly opened the door to my room. Everyone must have gone to bed since all the lights were turned out and not a noise could be heard from downstairs. I carefully stalked down the steps and made my way to the lair's exit. Before I walked out, I turned around and sighed deeply at the old, cracked place I will always call "home." I had no idea when I would be back and I hoped my brothers wouldn't kill each other before then. I knew they would hate me for this, but I technically had no choice and maybe my curiosity actually was getting the better of me.

"I love you guys, never forget it." I walked out the door and slowly let it close behind me. I made my way through the endless tunnels of the sewers until I reached the edge of Manhattan at the dark of the night. From there, I took the Brooklyn Bridge over and caught a cab to the airport.

"Where's a fellow like you headin at this hour?" He asked me in a British accent.

"I honestly have no idea." I answered. "Well I do know, but I don't know…you know?"

"It's too early to be thinking like that lad." He chuckled. "I had one of those times in my life; when I went out on a limb and explored the world. Look where it got me lad." He laughed again. I smiled but stayed silent and examined a row of photos he had running down his rear view mirror.

"Is that your family?" I asked.

"Yes sir. They're the love of my life." He said with an emotional tone. "You got a family lad?"

"I did…before the world caught up to them." I sighed.

"Family is one of the most important parts of bein' human lad. I learned that the hard way after I lost them in a car accident." He pointed to the row of photos and tightened his lips.

"I'm so sorry."

"It's hard for a man to find meaning to life without his loved ones to share it with. That's sort of what Manhattan is to me though, keeps me sane all these years."

This cab ride suddenly went from awkward to extremely emotional and depressing. I felt like this guy just wrapped up my entire life in a nutshell and threw it at me with excessive force. This entire trip to Russia is just going to be one big guilt trip that's what. If Lemming brought me all the way over there for no reason, I'll show him what a real pissed of mutant can do.

When we arrived at the airport the cab driver refused to take the money I owed him for the ride.

"Take care lad. I hope everything for you works out." He smiled and waved as he drove off into the dark night leaving a very confused turtle on the edge of the street. I put the bill bag into my wallet and headed over to the airport. It was almost time for the plane to depart; I made it just in time. I went through airline security and bag check and then handed my ticket to the receptionist who returned it with a strange look.

"So you're the passenger. That jet has been waiting in our docks for over 6 hours now." She said after handing me back my ticket.

"Jet? Like a private Jet?" I asked.

"Yes, it's here all the way from Russia. You better hurry though. Its captain is threatening to sue us for your tardiness." She pointed me in the right direction.

"Alright, thanks." I walked down the long hallway and met a well-dressed man by the doors to the loading docks.

"Hamato Donatello?" He said in a Russian accent. He recognized me? But I was in full costume.

"Yes?" I stiffened my posture after expecting him to pull out a dart gun and shoot me with it.

"Right this way, we've been expecting you." He opened the doors behind him and led me out into the cold night. He waved his hand in the air and immediately the Jet's engines started up and small door opened to the inside. "Please enter." His English was horrible but as long as I had the jest of what he was trying to say, I could make due. Once we boarded the extremely fancy aircraft, my bags were taken from me and an airline assistant offered to take my coat and hat.

"No thanks." I told her.

"It is alright Donatello; we know that you are a mutant. You may remove your cloak if you wish. Plus it will make our crew feel safer if you do." Another well-dressed man with dark sunglasses held his hand out to me. So these guys are scared of me?

"Sure, but I think I'm open for some answers in return." I slowly removed my hat and cloak and placed them in the female assistant's arms. She looked a little bit surprised at my appearance; no doubt she'll want a raise after this night.

"Now please sit down. All questions will be answered upon our arrival at Moscow."

First lie of the night, not off to a very good start guys. At least they allowed me to keep my Bo-Staff on hand but it seemed like someone was watching me from every angle.

"So what is it, 10 hour flight?" I asked while sitting down in a smooth, leather seat comfortably but still keeping a head count on everyone in the room.

"Jet travels quickly. We make it in 7 hours." Someone with even lesser English skills answered. Great, 7 hours in a room full of people that I'm still not sure are 100% friendly.

"When will I meet Lemming?" I looked to the first man I had met.

"In time." He said. I could see that this was going to be a very long and very sleepless 7 hours.

I know that Hun doesn't die in the SAINW but I didn't think he really played a major role in the episode except that he was stuck to Baxter Stockman so I took him out. Hope you guys don't mind too much. How do you like it so far? Your feedback is SO appreciated good or bad!

This chapter was a teaser for what is about to come *:)*