Morning Routine

Donatello stretched his green-gloved hands above his head and yawned. Sunlight streamed through the curved walls of his dome home, casting rainbow patterns across the floor. Every surface around him sparkled with art supplies—paintbrushes hung in neat rows, tubes of paint organized by color, and canvases stacked against the walls.

"Time to check my inventory," he said to himself, pulling on his dark blue supersuit. His green mask felt snug against his light brown fur as he adjusted it over his big eyes.

He grabbed his clipboard and started counting. "Red paint, check. Blue brushes, check. Yellow—" He stopped. Where were the yellow paint tubes? He'd left six on the shelf yesterday.

Donatello scratched behind his small antlers. Maybe he'd moved them somewhere else. He activated his X-ray vision, scanning through boxes and cabinets. Nothing.

"That's weird," he muttered, making a note on his clipboard. Outside his dome, the bustling sounds of Woodland Metropolis were already beginning as deer and humans started their day.

The Floating Evidence

By lunchtime, Donatello had discovered three more missing items. His purple brushes, silver paint markers, and an entire box of pastels had vanished.

"This isn't just forgetfulness," he said, tapping his clipboard with a green glove. His small antlers caught the light as he shook his head.

Outside his dome, he heard splashing sounds. A crowd had gathered around the central fountain where a woman in paint-splattered overalls stood knee-deep in water. Her short black hair dripped as she held up a purple paintbrush.

"Found these floating in here!" she called to the growing circle of deer and humans. "Someone's been dumping art supplies in our water!"

Donatello activated his super speed and zoomed outside. The woman—a shoemaker named Rosa according to her name tag—was pulling more items from the fountain. His yellow paint tubes bobbed between lily pads like colorful fish.

"Those are mine!" Donatello exclaimed, landing beside the fountain with a splash.

Rosa looked up, her brown eyes wide. "Your supplies are clogging our fountain. The water pumps can't work properly."

More art supplies floated to the surface. Someone wasn't just stealing—they were dumping everything in the city's water system.