#mutanimals

Here we go...

"Rockwell!" He smiles, uncomfortably. "I- Uh, didn't see you there."

"Obviously. Your back was to me."

"...Right." Donnie swings his arms, eyes darting about the room, seeking escape. "So, um, I think I should get to the lab, to, um, my experiment, that's there, in the lab-"

"Nonsense, you came all the way here, so you must've thought it could wait." Rockwell dismisses, float-turning away. He spins a finger and an invisible hand shoves against Donnie's carapace. "But I-! Oh! Oh, okay, going over here then-!"

They end up looking over some blueprints that Rockwell found in the TCRI archives. Donnie's not surprised. He's been keen on picking Donnie's brain about the Kraang at every opportunity since it's easier than learning all the information for himself.

Must be nice to have a crash course in complex alien technology and chemical composition simply because someone else took the time and energy to comprehend it in human terms.

Over time, Donnie's learned that it's easier to spend time with him when he keeps his focus on controlling his thoughts. It's a waste of energy to convince Rockwell that he's incorrect about anything, and any time his mind trickles in any direction other than science, he ends up getting snide comments or mocking looks. Thinking about April is definitely a hard no.

The belittlement gets better when he's not countering it. Besides, Rockwell has a doctorate, and he makes junk out of other junk. Nothing he's done comes close to the things real scientists can accomplish.

Donnie does wish he can finish a single thought though.

"I'm not saying you can't replicate this kind of technology. I'm asking why you would want to." Donnie leans on the console. "The Kraang wanted to use this to remake greenery into exploding crystal. If they gave up on the project th-"

"That's so short-sided, Donatello." Rockwell rolls his eyes. "Even if the project was dismissed, that does not mean others cannot improve upon it."

"It's one thing to attempt to understand Kraang technology, but I don't think we're anywhere near-"

"Your intelligence being too minimal to make improvements says nothing about my capabilities."

Donnie stares at the screen, blueprint blurring beyond recognition, and decides to change the subject. "Maybe. If you think the ri-"

"Science is inherently dangerous. The risks are what make the breakthroughs worth it. A real scientist would know that."

There are a lot of things Donnie has come to terms with, and a lot of facts that he's clung to, because he knows that Rockwell is wrong when he says that he's not as intelligent, and he knows that he's wrong about making improvements to Kraang tech that they barely understand, and about so many others things that he refuses to give the time of day because he's wrong. But this...

Something about it feels like the monitor landing on his chest. Makes his brain explode in fiery red sparks. Has every feral, threatened, vindictive, Raph-like instinct ready. It's like he can't breathe.

"A real scientist? Are you trying to imply something, Rockwell?"

"Oh, don't insult my intelligence."

"My bad! I forgot the insulting is meant to be one-sided."

Rockwell sends him a disgusted look. Donnie raises to his full height and matches it. "I have done no such thing."

"You haven't!" Donnie hand slaps the keyboard off of his desk. "So, you treat everyone this way? And here I thought I was special!"

"What is this?" Rockwell looks him over, shifting his chair back. "A tantrum? Aren't you a little old for those?"

"Donnie?"

That's one of his brothers. "You want to talk about too old?" They can wait. "Sure! Let's talk about the adult- the real scientist who can't be bothered to do his own research, so he has to steal it from a seventeen-year-old without a degree! I would love to finally talk about THAT."

"No Slash-"

"I've been waiting for this."

"I don't need your research!"

"One person between two of us is the mind reader and I'm sure he knows EXACTLY how full of SEWAGE that lie is to both of us."

"Ah." Rockwell crosses his arms. "Sometimes I forget there is no reasoning with a child. It's a wonder I keep making that mistake."

"The WONDER is why I keep GIVING YOU the time of day when you CLEARLY HATE ME!"

"Okay-!"

Someone catches Donnie, yanking him hard enough that the force of them pulling back overwhelms his attempt to lurch forward. They end up hitting the ground and rolling onto their plastrons.

His little brother's voice is talking. He can't tell what he's saying through the ringing in his ears, but that's the tone that he uses when Raph loses his cool and they need to pacify him before he kills someone.

Donnie wasn't going to kill anyone. He was going to do something to him, but it probably wouldn't have been murder.

He's saying that, along with a bunch of other commands for Mikey to let go of him. He wants to get to Rockwell. Mikey doesn't have anything to do with this. "Did you hear what he said?! Not a real scientist! What am I, fake? An illusion!? A child! Saved the world countless times and he dares! A child! I am real! What does he know! Not real?! I-I'm as much a scientist as anyone can be! It’s a load of sewage! Sewage!"

"Can't you control him?"

"Can you shut him up?"

They drag him to his feet. Leo's saying something about going home.

His older brothers have hold of his arms. Donnie can't see straight, can't stop shaking with the adrenaline that they won't let him get out, until Mikey's wrapping his hands around Donnie's and promising, "'Course you're a real scientist, Dee. 'Course you are."

And it's not a full reset of emotions, but the flipped switch goes off again, and Donnie doubles over to catch his breath. He stares at grip around his quivering hands, feels his brother's supporting his weight, letting the haze of fury fade. He shrugs them off and they let him.

They're exchanging looks around him.

They've left the warehouse.

When did that happen?

Leo clears his throat. Donnie winces.

"That could have gone better."

He looks at them warily.

Raph's grinning, "Nah, I think that went great."

The only bright side is that none of his brothers were surprised that he'd lost it on Rockwell. They actually had a bet going on it.

Raph had lost, but he didn't seem to mind that much.

Donnie spent the next two days trying to figure out how he was going to face any of the Mutanimals again, much less Rockwell. Leo had assured him that Slash actually had a conversation with Rockwell about his behavior and nobody else was going to judge him any differently for losing his temper. Donnie didn't buy it.

As irritating as Rockwell can be, he's not so sure that he's the one that deserves a lecture. He was acting like a child, throwing a hissy fit in front of all their friends, and he doesn't even have so much as a high school GED, so how could he call himself a real scientist?

Denying it doesn't do Donnie any good.

According to his brothers, neither does avoiding his lab, but he prefers working in his bedroom right then. And he's not avoiding it. He literally can't. It's an immoveable several feet of walls and a roof. He has to walk past it whether he wants to or not.

Sometimes when Donnie messed up, he makes something to smooth over his brothers’ tempers. Reduces the tension. He doesn't know what to make Rockwell. He has the sneaking suspicion that he's not going to like anything if he discovers that it's been made by Donnie's hands.

Donnie crumbles up the blueprint. Maybe a snack, like he used to grab something cheesy for Splinter. Monkeys like fruits, right?

Someone's in his doorway.

Of all the people that Donnie was willing to accept arriving at his bedroom door, Rockwell wasn't even on the list. He tenses in shock, mouth open, watching his judging gaze travel over the room.

It takes everything in Donnie not to get up and start shoving things out of his view. "Rockwell?"

His voice is squeaky. He hates when it does that. Rockwell turns his attention on Donnie, but he can't read his expression.

Finally, he states. "...I don't hate you."

Donnie's mouth opens and shuts. It takes him a moment to remember that it's the last thing that he'd shouted at him before everything became a blur of chaos. He swallows, heart rate picking up speed and doubt creeping in. "...You don't?"

"No." Rockwell admits, distinctly uncomfortable. "Though I could see why you'd come to that conclusion."

Another bout of long silence.

He gestures for the desk chair. "Might I...?"

"Yeah," Donnie pulls his legs up to tuck them underneath him. "Sure, yeah, go- go ahead."

Rockwell sits down. Donnie takes advantage of the moment, "Look, Rockwell, I- um, I shouldn't have lost it like that. You were right. It was childish and- immature..."

"You are not the only one who was acting below their usual maturity." Rockwell counters, leaving Donnie reeling. "Leatherhead informed me that I have been treating you in the same way that Falco had been treating me. And that treating anyone as lesser is unacceptable in their eyes. I do not fully agree, but... I only have so many friends in this form. I will not be the reason I lose any of them."

Something in his expression is vulnerable. Donnie has never imagined that the ape could ever look anything but self-assured. "...Is that your way of saying we're friends?"

"There are many layers to the things I express," He dismisses. "And if you agree to forgive my transgressions, I will agree to be better at treating my colleague like the aspiring intellectual that you are."

Donnie raises an eye ridge at his outstretched hand. "And you're going to stop saying that an ape is more intelligent than a reptile."

"There is no need to continually state the obvious."

"Good enough for me." Donnie gets off the bed, and they shake on it. As he goes to leave, Donnie adds, "I still don't think it's a good idea for you to mess with alien technology when you don't fully understand it."

"And I'd still ask you not to underestimate my prowess in the same way I now know not to underestimate yours." He suddenly turns, "By the way, why is it that you don't have the kind of severity on the field as you did in the warehouse. The way you normally fight-"

Donnie doesn't need to read minds to know where that’s going.

He crosses his arms, glaring him down, and Rockwell seems to consider the words about to come out of his mouth.

Based on a comment from the Mutanimals community.