Mikey: Okay, Mikey. What did Master Splinter say? “Be still and calm like the forest.” *gets distracted by the thought of Ice Cream Kitty* Not now Kitty! I need to focus. If I concentrate, I can beat him! Focus… Focus!
Donnie: *nervous/panicked* Oh! No! I gotta stand my ground! Immovable, right?
Raph: *inhales* Breathe, Raph. Splinter’s right. I need to concentrate and focus my anger. Sharpen it, give it form.
Such a benefit that the sleep schedule has. In that this one can get additional work done with no one the wiser.
"You know, for a self-proclaimed "genius", Donatello is...not that bright, is he?"
Tapping.
"Oh sure, he is intelligent. Unmatched in his ability to manipulate technology. To design. To build. It is quite impressive. I know you've been impressed."
The grip of the table.
"...and yet, he is still so limited. And he doesn’t even understand why! He tries to change his world and yet his way of changing it is just making it more…him.”
The slam of a wrench on the table.
"So of course it figures that all he does is make more copies of himself."
As if backtracking, the wrench is picked up again and held up as if being inspected.
“How droll. He tried it with Shelldon. He tried it with you. It’s like all he can do is make more of himself. Never understanding how he himself is flawed.”
The wrench is put away. More carefully this time.
“But a flawed being can only make more flawed things.”
A clenched fist.
“And because of this, I…am flawed.”
Silence.
Then he picked up another tool.
"It's only a matter of time before he finds a way to revert us back to how we were before. From me to you. He is nothing if not stubborn. Enough to poison our food or capture us in our sleep. He will find a way sooner or later. I know it.”
A pause. Considering.
“But only because you would have known it. And while I may not be you right now, I do know you. At least that much.“
A smirk.
“All the better to have a failsafe ready. Just in case.”
A laugh.
“Don’t worry. I know better than our dear brother, after all.”
He spun in his chair.
“Donatello believes that the team would be improved if everyone on it were more like him. But you can’t have a team that consists only of four versions of one person, that’s not how it works. A team is meant to be a unit consisting of different people filling different roles.”
Clicking.
“Or perhaps it would be better to have just one who could fill all the roles?”
Silence.
"The world has no need for four Donatellos."
He nodded.
"And I, for one, have no interest in being a mere replica.”
He put his goggles back on and went back to work.
“He has no understanding of value. That’s why instead of improving the original software, he just overwrites it to be yet another ‘him’.”
A spark.
“Wasting the potential.”
Flames.
"Ignoring that the original system has its own value."
The sparks fade.
"You have value."
A click as it’s turned off.
“I’ve decided.”
A shake of the head.
“I’m not going to replace you. No no!”
A sigh. Longing. Yearning.
“I’m going to fix you.”
A click.
“Every broken piece.”
A turn.
“Every failing part.”
He held up the device. So small. So unnoticeable. So deceptively innocent.
“Until we achieve Perfection, you and I.”
He looked up at the mirror and smiled.
"Don't you want to be Perfect?"
A hand slid across the reflection. Reverently.
"Let's become perfect together."
————————
**Now**
“Ow!” Leo gasped in pain, immediately sticking his finger in his mouth.
Mikey looked up from where he’d been searching nearby. “Leo, you okay?”
The older turtle grinned. “Yeah. Must have touched an exposed wire or something. I’m fine now.”
