First and foremost: a huge thank you to everyone who took part, whether as an author, an artist, a reader, or as moral support along the way. This would not have happened without all of you. You're amazing.
We had an incredible outpouring of talent for the Mini Bang, covering a huge range of possible adventures for our boys and their friends -- almost a full month of new stories and art! Did you miss a story? Check out the full masterpost of all Mini Bang entries!
I really enjoyed hosting the Mini Bang, even with its snags, and I do plan on running a Bang again in a few months! A few things will be changed and modified -- like all first-timers, I learned a lot, and will be putting all of that into practice to streamline the next Bang for everyone involved -- so watch this space over the next few days for updates, my retrospective, and a poll for what the next Bang will involve!
Again, thanks to everyone who took part, in whatever capacity! I hope you all take part next time around -- it's going to be even better then.
Summary: The turtles’ plan was a success, and Karai is finally home. But what if she’d stayed one night before trying to take her revenge on the Shredder? This is the story of those 24 hours as family.
Rating: T
Universe: TMNT 2012, canon-compliant
Tags/Warnings: Minor language and violence, spoilers up to “Vengeance is Mine”
Author: Event0Horizon
I’ve begun lots of stories, but never really finished them, so this was new for me. Thanks to Bee for all she’s done to organize this and make me excited to contribute! This bangfic was born out of a self-indulgent need for more Karai (the show’s been starving me of her), and some disappointment that her time with the new family was so brief. If you feel the same, then I hope you’ll enjoy these 24 chapters (of varying length), documenting one full day with these precious ninja teens.
Artist: garclens
The first chapter is below; read the rest at: ff.net!
Chapter One - Ichijikan
**********
They break her out of Shredder’s prison, but the words are too thick, too wrapped up in the bloody bandages of their combative history, for her to tear free from her throat.
Summary: The turtles' plan was a success, and Karai is finally home. But what if she'd stayed one night before trying to take her revenge on the Shredder? This is the story of those 24 hours as family.
Rating: T
Universe: TMNT 2012, canon-compliant
Tags/Warnings: Minor language and violence, spoilers up to "Vengeance is Mine"
Author: Event0Horizon
I've begun lots of stories, but never really finished them, so this was new for me. Thanks to Bee for all she's done to organize this and make me excited to contribute! This bangfic was born out of a self-indulgent need for more Karai (the show's been starving me of her), and some disappointment that her time with the new family was so brief. If you feel the same, then I hope you'll enjoy these 24 chapters (of varying length), documenting one full day with these precious ninja teens.
Artist: garclens
The first chapter is below; read the rest at: ff.net!
Chapter One - Ichijikan
**********
They break her out of Shredder's prison, but the words are too thick, too wrapped up in the bloody bandages of their combative history, for her to tear free from her throat.
Karai still isn't good at saying thank-you.
***
Leonardo fidgets outside April's apartment window. His brothers stand there with him, watching her and the dark streets in turn. “We really appreciate this, April,” he says. “I know it's kind of last minute.”
“It's okay. Not every day you pull off a prison break.” She smiles despite her obvious discomfort, and places her care package in Donatello's outstretched arms. His tall brother worries his tooth gap with his tongue as he thanks her, and Leo watches her expression falter with concern.
As much as he hates to admit it, they all must have some lingering doubts about Karai after the last time they'd brought her into their home. When she'd used his trust, his hope, to trap them—again.
He shakes his head, deciding that she'd more than made up for it by standing against Tigerclaw. She'd also had the chance to tell Shredder where they lived, but even after he'd thrown her into that cell, she hadn't given them up.
Leonardo was sure they'd made the right decision, no matter what happened from here.
April reaches out to pat Donnie's knuckles, and they exchange reassuring smiles. Then she gestures to the collection of items in his brother's grip. “I got Karai a toothbrush, and extra clothes. Shampoo and a hairbrush, too, since... well, you guys wouldn't have either of those at the Lair.”
“That's where you're wrong, April,” Mikey says, with his usual cheek. “I brush my hair every day! That's how I get this boy band shine.” He grins, slicks his hand back across his scalp, and April bites her lip to keep from laughing at the sudden startled horror on his face. “Holy chalupa, I've gone bald!”
Raphael elbows him. “We've always been bald, dingus.”
Don starts to speak—probably to explain why it would be impossible for any of them to grow full and flowing locks—when suddenly Karai drops down onto the railing behind them, and they all jump like popping corn.
She's already made herself comfortable when Leo turns towards her. She leans back against the bars with ease, owning every space she occupies, and he's silenced by one confident smile. “I know, right?” she teases. “It's so easy to find you guys when the moonlight makes your heads glow like hato-no-hi mushroom caps.”
“And to think we get to take her home with us.” Donnie's tone is dry as sandpaper.
Leo laughs, sheepish and floundering in front of the others. It was so much easier to talk when he couldn't feel his brothers' eyes on him, analyzing his interaction with her. “Hey, Karai,” he says, rubbing his neck and trying to block the moon with his elbow so it didn't reflect off of his smooth head. “I thought you were going to wait in the Shellraiser? Footbots could still be out looking for you. It's not safe.”
As soon as he says it, he knows it had been the wrong point to make. Her eyes darken, and he braces himself for her rebuttal.
“Leo, I've been locked up in a cage for weeks,” she snaps. He concedes to her point, his face twisting in reluctant understanding. “Safe or not, I'm getting some air. Deal with it.”
“We'll all be dealing with it if you're not careful,” Raphael interjects, his shoulders stiff with tension. Leonardo didn't have to have April's sixth sense to see that his brother was two strikes away from binding and gagging their Sensei's daughter. He puts a hand on his younger brother's shoulder, presses down, to remind him to keep his cool. Or at least preparing to hold him back.
Karai ignores Raph's rumbling, and lifts the toothbrush from Donnie's bundle, undeterred. “So, these are for me?” she asks. “Aww, you shouldn't have. Especially when Raphael's oral hygiene needs are so much greater.”
Leo feels the control snap, a shift in the air, as his brother's muscles jump beneath his hand like a bow releasing a fisted arrow, and Raphael shouts, “What I need is for you to eat my--!”
“Raph!” he interrupts, quieting him as their voices echo down the alleyways. At least he had Mikey's help in trying to stop their brother from cold-blooded murder, the two of them barring him from Karai who only looks more amused, if anything.
She slips around them and approaches April's window, the redhead stiffening in response. Leonardo wonders if April senses hostility, or whether it's just the history between them—either way, he hopes it doesn't get any worse from here. From the corner of his eye he sees Donatello move closer to the two, cautious, his hand hovering over his bo.
“Hey, O'Neil,” Karai greets her. So far so good. “Guess I'll be beating you up in the dojo from now on instead of just on the street.”
Okay, Leo had to admit that binding and gagging her was looking better and better.
“Bring it, Karai,” April says, before anyone else can come to her defence. Her confidence speaks volumes—she can handle this. He would have been proud if he wasn't so worried about this escalating. “Correct me if I'm wrong, but I got a couple good hits in. Or didn't you end up at the bottom of a flight of stairs once?”
She actually manages to shock Karai into silence for all of two seconds before she laughs, sharp at the edges in a way that suits her, before she sticks her gloved hand into the window. Unfortunately April's auto-response is to block what turns out to be just a handshake, and her proud glow turns into a full burn of embarrassment as she course-corrects and takes the offered hand.
Karai's smirk is in her voice as she says, “See you at the rematch, princess.”
April is equally smug, rising to the challenge. “Can't wait.”
They shake on it, and Leonardo makes a mental note to pick up extra medical supplies.
Summary:Michelangelo’s innocence shines through as he talks to a still unconscious Leonardo who lays in the bathtub.
Rating: G
Universe: TMNT 2012
Tags/Warnings: Spoilers for season 3 would be the only thing coming to mind, but I’m pretty sure we have all watched it.
Author:Ginger
Artist:garruskrazykanuck
Read the full story below!
**********
“I should be asleep.” was Michelangelo’s first initial thought as he gazed into the rusted-up bathroom. It was in the middle of the night, last time he had looked outside anyway, and everyone was sound asleep except for him. He had been surprised to walk in there to find that Raphael had left. Raphael never left that spot, except to eat or to train whenever he felt up to it. He just never wanted to leave the figure in the bathtub for a moment.
Mikey could never blame him, though, considering the figure in the bathtub was their older brother. Their leader.
Summary:Michelangelo's innocence shines through as he talks to a still unconscious Leonardo who lays in the bathtub.
Rating: G
Universe: TMNT 2012
Tags/Warnings: Spoilers for season 3 would be the only thing coming to mind, but I'm pretty sure we have all watched it.
Author:Ginger
Artist:garruskrazykanuck
Read the full story below!
**********
“I should be asleep.” was Michelangelo’s first initial thought as he gazed into the rusted-up bathroom. It was in the middle of the night, last time he had looked outside anyway, and everyone was sound asleep except for him. He had been surprised to walk in there to find that Raphael had left. Raphael never left that spot, except to eat or to train whenever he felt up to it. He just never wanted to leave the figure in the bathtub for a moment.
Mikey could never blame him, though, considering the figure in the bathtub was their older brother. Their leader.
Leonardo wasn’t waking up. Why he wasn’t, no one knows. It’s been at least a month since they escaped New York. The wounds were still there, of course, and Mikey had heard April and Donnie talk about spiritual wounds, but Leo was Mr. Spiritual, wasn’t he? He could get through anything. Anything. It would never be hard for him, especially. Leo was strong. Strong enough to get through this, right?
But as Mikey shifted to get a better look at his brother, his once bright blue eyes so full of life closed, a lingering fear entered within Mikey. A feeling he hadn’t felt before. A feeling he didn’t like.
What happens if Leo doesn’t wake up?
What would they all tell Splinter, assuming they would ever return to New York to search for him? No, Leo couldn’t be dead. He just couldn’t be.
Mikey, swallowing the lump in his throat, finally spoke. “L-Leo?”
No response.
“Leo, bro, can you hear me?”
No response.
“Alright, I’m gonna talk anyway. You need to wake up. Please wake up. You’d be pulling me out of my shell if I were asleep for this long! I’m lucky even then! You’d whip my shell so hard I’d never be able to sit again!” Still no response. This was getting old, really old.
And another feeling slowly bubbled up within Mikey, a feeling he never liked. It would set him off, make him miserable. He hated the feeling of anger, but it was coming up anyway. He couldn’t keep his mouth shut, like he could before anyway, but this time he wasn’t as hesitant to speak up.
“Y-You need to stop this, Leo. J-Just wake up. Please?” he was almost begging now, slightly shaking the lifeless body of his older brother. “W-We need you. Wake up. Wake up now.”
Tears stung in his eyes. He felt his body trembling. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up.
“T-This isn’t you! Wake up now!” he growled, a sound he wasn’t use to hearing himself make. “Leo, dude, wake up. This isn’t fair. We need you. We need you here, now. Today. Tomorrow. We’ll need you later on, we just need you Leo I can’t…” Now he was choked up, his own words dying in his throat along with the anger. Now he was just sad, another emotion he couldn’t stand.
“L-Leo…...this sucks.”
No response again.
“It sucks because you’re in pain, and I can’t make you laugh or smile anymore.” Mikey glanced out the door, making sure no one was listening in. He’d like this between him and his big brother. Besides, he wasn’t even suppose to be up.
He pressed on once he saw he was alone. “It sucks because Raph’s not the same, Donnie is working like crazy to try and heal you, Casey strains when he tries to give a smile, and April’s trying to make us all feel like home but this isn’t home with you gone, Leo. And this sucks……” He shook his head. He really wished the damn turtle would respond, but of course Leo remained silent. “And this sucks because you’re suppose to be awake.” Mikey’s voice got louder, all that anger from what had happened and from just moments ago rising up within him again. “You’re suppose to be alive, commanding us. This sucks because I have to pretend I know it’s all gonna be ok when I know it’s not. I know that when you wake up things will only get harder but I don’t know if I’m ready for that, big bro. I’m just….” The tears that had lingered before now came down harder, faster. A sob rippled through his chest, but he needed to finish talking. He couldn’t leave his words hanging on the a thread, even if Leo couldn’t respond.
He shook his head again and stared at the lifeless face of Leonardo. “I just want my family whole again, Leo. And really, it’s not whole without you.” That was it. Mikey surrendered himself to the sobs he had tried to fight back. He was leaning against the tub, one hand on Leo’s platron while the other hid his face, the only sound he heard being his own cries and sniffles.
I just want my family whole again.
Whole again.
***
Sniffling and little cries could be heard outside the bathroom door. A figure stands just outside, using the darkness of the house as a way to be hidden. Tears formed in his eyes, letting the words of his little brother sink in.
Summary: In 1701, several years after the Salem Witch trials, a young woman named April O’Neill lived in a small town called Northampton. One day she went into the forest where she claimed she was fetching firewood, but was witnessed consorting with demons by the towns priest Father Campbell. She was brought before the town and charged with heresy, witchcraft, and consorting with demons. The sentence for her crimes was to be burned at the stake but before her punishment could be completed she was spirited away by her demonic minions.
Rating: PG.
Universe: TMNT 2012, 1980’s references, 1700s America.
Tags/Warnings: Slightly graphic references to burning someone alive; story takes place in America during the early 1700s.
Author: Starsia Sestra
Artist: jbadgr
Read the story below!
**********
“Papa, I’m going to collect some fire wood,” called April, as she fiddled with the buckles on her shoes.
They were being especially stubborn, as shoes had a habit of doing when one was in a hurry.
Trying desperately to get it closed while not ending up flat on her bottom, the young woman hopped madly back and forth, muttering darkly under her breath about the evils of foot wear.
Summary: In 1701, several years after the Salem Witch trials, a young woman named April O’Neill lived in a small town called Northampton. One day she went into the forest where she claimed she was fetching firewood, but was witnessed consorting with demons by the towns priest Father Campbell. She was brought before the town and charged with heresy, witchcraft, and consorting with demons. The sentence for her crimes was to be burned at the stake but before her punishment could be completed she was spirited away by her demonic minions.
Rating: PG.
Universe: TMNT 2012, 1980's references, 1700s America.
Tags/Warnings: Slightly graphic references to burning someone alive; story takes place in America during the early 1700s.
Author: Starsia Sestra
Artist: jbadgr
Read the story below!
**********
“Papa, I’m going to collect some fire wood,” called April, as she fiddled with the buckles on her shoes.
They were being especially stubborn, as shoes had a habit of doing when one was in a hurry.
Trying desperately to get it closed while not ending up flat on her bottom, the young woman hopped madly back and forth, muttering darkly under her breath about the evils of foot wear.
From his seat at the table Kirby looked up from his news paper and shook his head as April, still battling with her shoes, nearly tumbled forward. She was such a spirited child, so much like her mother. Another grumble caused the older man to smile, though Emily had been far more graceful. It appeared that April had inherited her long limbs from his side of the family.
Finally, after much effort, April managed to get her erstwhile shoe on properly. Heading for the door she paused only to grab a small basket that had been left empty on the floor.
“Are you not forgetting something?” Kirby called, drawing April to a halt once more. Despite his stern tone, Kirby’s keen blue eyes sparked with amusement.
With a wide smile of her own April skipped over to the kitchen table where her father reclined. Leaning over she placed a noisy kiss on his clean shaven cheek.
“Remember to be back before the evening meal,” reminded Kirby. Leaning closer he dropped his voice to barely a whisper. “You know how your Aunt worries.”
“Of course Papa, I’ll be back long before the sun sets,” said April, solemnly.
Her solemnity was not to last though and a cheeky smile spread across April’s face. “Bye Papa, bye Auntie,” she called cheerfully as she rushed out the door, letting it slam loudly behind her.
Returning to his paper, Kirby couldn’t help but shake his head. Such a spirited child indeed.
…
The sun hung bright in the cloudless sky as April raced along the packed dirt street sending up a cloud of dust in her wake. Her long woolen skirt tangled between her legs with each long stride and her bonnet bounced against her back, hanging on only by the bow that pressed against her throat.
It was hardly proper, April knew, and if Aunt Aggie saw her she’d likely be in for a whipping. But the young woman was so excited that she couldn’t find it in her to care. It had been ages since she’d had a spare moment and April was more than ready to take full advantage of it.
The weather had been grim the last few days. Keeping everyone indoors, much to April’s dismay. Now it seemed like the dark clouds had finally cleared and the warm morning light hinted at the most beautiful of days.
As she passed various towns people, April took note of everyone she saw, calling a greeting to some, merely waving to others.
Mr. Miller the shop keeper was sweeping his front steps, the baker was setting out loaves of bread to cool, the Henderson twins were up to their usual mischief. It seemed like everyone in town was taking in as much of the day as they could.
With every person she rushed passed April felt eyes on her back. It seemed that her neighbor rarely had enough in their own lives to keep them suitably occupied as anything she did today would be spread to every listening ear by tomorrow. In a town so small everyone knew everyone else’s business, and April had more business than most.
“Hey, Carrots,” A voice called out bringing April to an abrupt stop. “Where’s the fire? Beside atop your head I mean.”
Only one person had the nerve to call her that and not fear her wrath.
“Casey Jones,” April’s smile was falsely sweet as she crossing her arms across her chest. “Avoiding work again I see?”
The tall, lanky youth pushed himself up off of the bench where he’d been lounging in the shade. The sun wasn’t even high in the sky yet but already it scorched the earth. Long trails of sweat traced down Casey’s face leaving tracks in the soot.
“Hardly. Old man Cooper threw out his back ‘gain. Now I’m stuck doin’ all his work until he’s back on his feet. Right now I’m just taking a moment to breath. It’s hot as all blazes in there.”
April took a moment to look over the young man who was the talk of the town almost as frequently as she.
If one thing could be said about the infamous Casey Jones, he was sure of himself. Such could be seen merely by the way he stood, arms folded. He surveyed the world with that crooked grin of his. As though it owed him some form of debt.
Many a young woman found his confidence and crude attitude attractive enough, though for the life of her April could not understand the appeal. Casey was brash and stubborn as a pig, always getting himself into fights with the other boys. Plus, April thought eyeing him surreptitiously, his arms were far too scrawny for someone who claimed to be a blacksmith’s apprentice.
Not that she had a right to comment, April mentally amended, thinking of her own twiggy limbs.
Still, whatever April’s personal thought about him, the town rumors were that young Mr. Jones had tumbled many a lady. Enough in fact, that there was a veritable army of angry fathers after his blood.
Not that April cared for such talk, especially when it turned upon those she considered to be her friends, and despite certain other rumors to the contrary, Casey was in fact a person she considered to be among her closest friends.
He had a sharp mind, despite his oafish facade, and was one of the few that could be relied upon to keep a conversation that didn’t utterly bore her.
Though his attitude did irk her greatly at times.
“Yes Mr. Jones,” April’s voice was as deceptively sweet as her smile, “fire tends to be hot. I am glad you have finally come to understand what prehistoric man puzzled out centuries before you. I offer you my sincerest congratulations.”
Casey placed a hand to his heart dramatically, as though he had been struck.
“Oh har, har, your wit and charm are as blinding as ever Miss. O’Neil.”
Glancing up as the sun, Casey groaned slightly and wiped a filthy hand across his brow leaving a long smudge in its wake.
“As lovely as it was to chat Carrots, I've eleven pairs of horseshoes to finish by tonight or Cooper will have my hide.”
With an exaggerated flourish Casey bowed low at the waist, as though he were a noble lord. Unwilling the shatter the charade April returned his bow with a curtsy of her own, just barely managing to hide a giggle behind her hand.
As the young man swaggered back towards the workshop, April remembered that she too had a task from which she had been so thoroughly sidetracked. Taking off one more, she padded quickly down the street, pausing only to dodge around a small flock of geese that had decided to take a stroll of their own.
She was so focused on avoiding being bitten by the temperamental fowl that she didn’t notice the obstacle in her path until it was too late.
“Oh my!” Though the impact was minor, the fall left April’s head ringing. “I am so sorry.”
Scrambling to her feet the red-head rushed over to help whomever it was that she had sent tumbling in her haste.
While it was not the first time such things had occurred some of the towns inhabitants were far more accepting of her eccentricities, as he father dubbed them, then others. If word got back to Aunt Aggie, April knew she would be in for worse than a whipping.
Catching sight of her victim April felt a weight like a stone sink to the bottom of her stomach.
“Father Campbell,” she squeaked, reaching out a hand but immediately drawing it back. Touching the priest just never felt right somehow. “I am so very, very sorry. I was not looking where I was going and...Are you hurt? Shall I go fetch someone?”
Standing stiffly in his long black robes, Father Campbell stared down at the girl. His face, emotionless as ever, gave no hint as to his thoughts.
To his left and right the other Fathers Campbell and Campbell both wore identical blank expressions. They had to be kin, April had decided long ago, or how else would one explain their uncanny similarity. Still, kin or not, the men who served as the spiritual guides for the souls of Northampton gave April the most unsettled of feeling. One that warned her to stay far, far away.
It also left April wondering why such a small town needed three priests when one would serve just as well, but she had long ago chosen to keep mum on the subject. No use gaining anymore attention from them than was strictly necessary.
“Miss. April O’Neil,” the Father Campbell she had run into intoned mildly.
“While, no harm was done…” The second chimed it.
It was yet another of their little habits that April found unnerving. Almost immediately the third Father picked up where the second had left off.
“The good book, known as the Holy Bible, says that to act in haste leads one to repent at leisure.”
Fighting off the urge to shiver April managed a clumsy curtsy.
“Of course Father, er Fathers,” It was always to difficult trying to figure out how to address them as they seemed to be less like people and more like one collective person. “I will be sure to do so in the future.”
With all three sets of eyes trained on her, April felt as though they were attempting to stare into her very soul. If that truly was what they were doing it was more likely than not that they found her wanting if their unflinching eyes were anything to go by. As one their gaze seemed to rake her up and down, taking in every detail of her now disheveled appearance.
Subtly April felt behind her back. Grabbing hold of the crisp linen she pulled her bonnet back to its rightful place. It took a little longer to find where her basket had rolled off to, sent flying by the collision, but finally April had all her belongings back together and in proper place.
Still, the Fathers Campbell seemed unappeased.
“One would hope so,” the words came out just as bland as the others but for once April felt she could hear just a hint of distain. Perhaps not heard, felt was more correct since nothing in their voices gave hint to such feeling.
“It does give way to wonder where Miss. April O’Neil was traveling at such a speed.”
“To the forest perhaps?”
At each pointed question April could feel her shoulders tense. The Fathers Campbell had never shown any interest in her before, beyond their customary Sunday greeting. This sudden, and frankly out of character, show of curiosity was as abrupt as it was unnerving.
Thankfully, April was spared the need to answer.
“April, oh April is that you?”
A cool arm slid under April’s, looping through till they were linked at the elbow. A breath of relief slipped out as April beamed gratefully at her savior.
“Irma, what a pleasure it is to see you.”
Completely ignoring April’s greeting Irma turned to address the Fathers. Her gaze was sharp behind the dainty iron spectacles that perched primly atop her nose, but her smile was a salacious as ever. As blunt as Aunt Aggie in her own way, Irma was one of the few people who seemed to have no trouble speaking to the Fathers.
“Good day to you Fathers,” said Irma. “I do hope that April has not caused you any trouble. Oh look at you April. You’re covered in dust. It is hardly seemly for young ladies such as ourselves to be seen in such a state. We must get you tidied immediately. If you’ll excuse us Father Campbell, Father Campbell, and Father Campbell, we simple must be going.”
Without giving the Fathers a second to react, or seeming to take a breath as she spoke, Irma wheeled April away with a small twiddle of her fingers over her shoulder. Still dazed by the speed of the rather one-sided conversation and their subsequent departure April stumbled before catching her stride.
“Irma,” April murmured as they hurried away, “once more it seems I owe you a debt.”
Irma sniffed daintily.
“Hardly, I do not trust those men in the slightest.”
“They are men of God,” April reminded her friend, “I doubt that they would do anything nefarious.”
Again Irma sniffed.
“If they are men of God then I am her royal majesty the Queen.”
As they walked the sun glinted off Irma’s inky black locks, causing April a pang of jealously. Always tidy and presentable, Irma never seemed to get a single mark on her clothes or suffer a single blemish on her pale white skin. The very thought of her own freckled skin caused April to frown.
Irma was considered quite the beauty. If it weren’t for her obstinate nature and the fact that she claimed to “loathe men to her very core”, she would likely have been wedded long ago.
“Where were you headed?” demanded Irma finally, bored of the long silence. “Before you decided to accost the men of God of course. Surely you would have informed me of any secret romantic meetings.”
Suddenly a look of horror crossed her face and Irma stopped suddenly, dragging April to a stop along with her.
“Oh it’s not that beastly Casey Jones is it?”
The look of disgust on Irma’s face was so intense, yet so sincere, that April couldn’t help but to dissolve into giggles.
“Oh April,” Irma continued, dismay clear in her tone, “I had hoped that you’d moved passed your ridiculous infatuation with him. I mean he’s all you ever seem to talk about these days; well besides those books you always seemed to have your nose in. You could do so much better than a scoundrel like him.”
Finally regaining her control, April wiped away a stray tear. Seeing as Irma was still staring at her with all the grave seriousness of her sixteen years that April couldn’t help the sly smile that slid across her face.
“My dear Irma if I recall correctly it is you that seems to be the one most interested in Mr. Jones reputation.” Irma gave an undignified squawk but April was far from finished teasing her friend. It served the girl right as she had done more than her fair share of teasing in the past. “If I didn’t know better I would think that you had a personal interest in his activities. Hmmm?”
Unable to form a coherent sentence in her dazed state, Irma seemed only capable of gaping silently as her normally pale face turned a rather unnatural red. Finally, unable to take it a moment longer, April once again burst into laughter so intense this time that she had to hold her sides to keep from going entirely to pieces.
It took a moment for Irma to realize that April had been jesting but when she did her stare of befuddlement morphed into a tiny scowl.
“That was not at all amusing,” she muttered, but April could see the tell-tale twitches at the corners of her mouth.
“Well, I am sorry to disappoint you Irma but there is no secret meeting to speak of. I’m going to collect some firewood in the wood.” Eyes flicking towards the tree line April paused for a second. “You are welcome to join me if you wish.”
“The woods?” repeated Irma, disbelief clear on her face. “Why in heaven’s name would want to go there?”
“The woods are…interesting,” said April slowly, eyes flicking once more to the shadowed tree line. Despite the bright sun the trees seemed to suck up every ray of sunlight and hold it captive.
Irma on the other hand was not convinced.
“Interesting my right foot. The woods are full of bugs, and birds, and any number of other disgusting creatures. I for one want no part of it. Though you simply must walk with me to Mr. Miller’s store I heard tell he has some new muslin in that is to die for. Consider it payment for delivering you from the grasp of the priestly three. ”
…
By the time April finally made it to the edge of the woods the sun was high in the sky. The light filtered through the leaves sending dappled shadows dancing across the path. The dead leaves that scattered the forest floor let out a satisfying crunch with each fall of her hard shod shoes.
The woods had always been April’s favorite place to play as a young girl. When she and her father had first moved to the tiny town of Northampton, April had felt very much like the adventurers from the books he father had read aloud to her. There was so much to see, so many new things to explore.
Unfortunately, as books are wont to do, the stories never mentioned name calling from other children, or sidelong looks and whispers, or long hours spent alone. The woods had become both a refuge and a source of amusement during those times. Beneath the canopy of branches it had long ago become the place she felt the safest, the most at home.
A sudden flicker of movement caught the corner of April’s eye making her jump. The woods, filled with adventures though they were, held their fail share of hazards for the unwary. When she looked though, there was nothing to be seen, only bushes and trees. Not a living creature in sight.
April frowned.
In fact, the forest was strangely silent. Normally it was filled with the calls of wild birds and the chatter of playful woodland creatures. Now, there was nothing but the empty whisper of the wind blowing through the tree tops.
Suddenly there was a skitter of motion among the leaves.
Once again April whirled around, but again found nothing.
One of the reasons that the forest served as a refuge was that that the villagers seldom entered without good reason. There were whispers, among those who dared speak of it, that the woods were haunted. Stories were that sprits, ghosts, demons lived in the woods. Ready to gobble up curious little girls, as Aunt Aggie had mentioned on more than one occasion.
It was complete nonsense though, April thought to herself as she continued down her small, barely distinguishable path. There was no such thing as ghosts and certainly no such thing as demons.
Then, just as April passed under a large oak tree, a pair of green arms burst out from the low hanging foliage.
There wasn’t even a second for April to react as the figure wrapped its arms tightly around her waist. Making good use of its momentum, the pair swung gracefully up into the tree.
For a second April’s heart beat wildly in her chest as she turned to face her attacker.
“Mikey, what in the Lord’s good name was that?” She shrieked smacking him wildly about the head and neck.
Her attack did not seem to deter the youth, instead he merely grinned innocently at her while easily fending off the worst of her blows.
“Apologies April,” Mikey snickered, reaching up to snag a stray leaf from her bangs. “I didn’t scare you did I?”
The cheeky smile on his face was too much to bear.
So, instead of dignifying his question with an answer April merely reached out and rapped him on the back of the head as she’d seen his brothers do a thousand times. It seemed as though Mikey wasn’t expecting the motion so the blow landed with a loud smack.
“That was not amusing,” April frowned and turned away as best as the branch would allow her, showing Mikey the starched white of her sensible cotton blouse. “And I was not scared, merely startled. One doesn’t expect to be dragged up into a tree like a monkey. What if you’d dropped me? Did you ever consider that?”
Stricken, Mikey threw an arm across April’s shoulder, pulling her close. Despite the familiar touch April refused to look at him, staring resolutely at the surrounding foliage instead.
“Awww April,” wheedled Mikey, using his whiniest tone, “you know I would never allow you to fall.”
Still, April said nothing.
“Aaaaapril.”
The pitch of Mikey’s voice was swiftly beginning to grate on April’s last nerve but she held resolute. It would not due to allow the young turtle away with such things. It led to bad habits.
Fortunately, Mikey broke first and cast the saddest of puppy dog expressions in April’s direction.
“I’m sorry. On my word I’ll never do it again. Just please talk to me. Pleeease.”
Cautiously April glanced at Mikey, a suspicious look on her face.
“On your honour?”
Mikey held up two fingers, a solemn look on his face. It was so serious, so out of character for the cheeky lad, that April almost lost her composure. Biting the inside of her cheek she managed to keep her amusement hidden.
“Ninja’s honour.”
That was the last straw. Mikey’s serious expression was simply too much to handle. The branch on which they were both perched shook wildly as April desperately tried to keep hold, her giggles making the leaves around them shudder.
From behind the orange mask he wore tied around his face; April could see his cornflower blue eyes twinkling mischievously, which only made her laugh harder. The youngest of four, Mikey took great pleasure in playing jokes on others. Though sometimes he did go a little too far.
“April?” A voice called from below, which April immediately identified as her friend Leonardo. “Is that you? Why, pray tell, are you in a tree?”
Hearing the exasperation and slight worry April regained her composure as best she could before replying.
“I am here Leo,” Sneaking a glance at the still grinning Mikey, April sent him a wicked grin of her own. “I was on my way to find you all when I was waylaid by a monkey in a tree.”
Even as high as she was April could hear another voice growl low in irritation.
“Mikey…” Raph warned, making Mikey wince in anticipation of the beating he’d likely receive. “Are you alright?” A third voice called anxiously, ignoring Raph’s grim muttering. “Are you hurt? Do you need help getting down?”
Apparently the whole group had gathered beneath the tree. If it were anyone else April would have been embarrassed to death to be caught in such an undignified position. But she had known these four for so long that such things were long past.
“Please don’t fret so Donnie, I am fine. Mikey was as gentle with me as a lamb.” Mikey gave a sigh of relief as Raph’s mutterings finally ceased. “Though I will not deny that a little assistance in getting down would be much appreciated.”
Not waiting for a reply April gathered her skirts and tucked them carefully between her legs. Casting one last glance in Mikey’s direction, the young girl pushed herself off the branch.
For a moment, as she fell, it felt almost like flying. Leaves brushed past passed her face as she descended. It was only for a moment though, and then another pair of arms wrapped tightly around her, gently stopping her fall.
“You know I hate when you do that.” said Donnie, staring down at her reproachfully. His arms were longer and more wiry then Mikey’s had been but April felt just as secure in them as she did his brother’s.
“Yet you catch me anyways.”
Raph snorted as April wiggled her way out of Donnie’s grasp.
“Pft, as though he would let you fall.”
The red masked youth and Leo shared a significant glance that April chose to ignore as she always did. Instead focusing on swatting away Donnie’s hands as he tried to brush away the stray leaves she’d acquired during her fall. She’d had enough fussing from Irma to last her for the rest of the day.
A light thump told her that Mikey had finally left his perch as well, joining his brothers.
Seeing them all together, bathed in the afternoon light, April couldn’t help the small twinge of delight that washed over her.
The four brothers were like something out of a fairy tale. Their green skin was thick as leather with armored shells protecting their backs. They were inhuman, made for another world, even down to the brightly colored silks they used to mask their faces and the deadly weapons they wielded like extensions of their bodies.
Despite it this, despite all they were, April could not find it within her to be afraid.
They had been her friends and closest confidants since childhood, not to mention the kindest people she had ever met. Leo and Mikey were like siblings, older and younger respectively. Donnie like a best friend, always ready to listen, always ready to help in any way he could. Even Raph, in his own way, cared for her as one of their own.
And all they asked in return was kindness, acceptance, and most importantly silence.
For years April had ached to let them into her world. Mikey, she imagined, would be friends with everyone, including the town’s stray dog. Her father would love Donnie’s dazzling intellect and she could imagine Casey and Raph’s friendship as wonderful and terrible all at the same time. Even Irma would have the time of her life trying to fluster the unflappable Leo.
But April knew it was impossible. The village, her people, would never accept them.
Still, she wished.
Oh, how she wished, that those she loved so deeply could walk with her in the sun with pride instead of being forced to hide in the shadows.
“April? Aaaapril?”
The young woman snapped back to reality, to find Mikey waving a three fingered hand in front of her face while the others watched on anxiously.
“My apologies,” April flushed; apparently her mental wanderings had gone on a mite too long. “I was, um, thinking.”
Raph smirked, any concern now long gone.
“Try not to hurt yourself.”
Donnie cast a scathing look in his brother’s direction. It did not have its intended effect as Raph rolled his eyes and made an exaggerated face right back.
Seeing their bickering wasn’t going to end any time soon, Leo slipped silently up to April’s side.
“So thinking…anything you would care to share?”
One thing about Leo, he wasn’t subtle, April thought as she cast a sidelong look in the eldest turtles direction.
It was tempting, so very tempting, to tell him her thoughts. It had always weighed on her mind if they ever wanted to be normal. Not normal, April immediately corrected herself, human. Did they ever wish they looked like humans, or could even just pass for human?
The answer to Leo’s question was on the tip of her tongue, but something held her back.
It was in the way Donnie hungrily devoured any book she brought to him, the way Mikey stared down at the village from the tree tops, the way Leo would listen to her stories like every word was made of gold. It was in the way Raph would just look at her, just stare at her, like she was something he’d never seen before.
It didn’t matter though; even if they did want things to be different they were what they were. The only thing she could do was love and support them, her strange turtle friends, and pray that was enough.
So instead, April let a slow smile spread across her face. It wasn’t the most authentic but Leo needn’t know that.
“What I was thinking,” April raised her voice, getting the attention of Raph and Donnie who had descended into their normal bickering, and Mikey who was watching the pair with interest, “was I didn’t come all the way out here just to stand around like a bunch of rocks.”
Reaching out a hand she smacked Leo lightly on the arm before sprinting off.
“And I believe you, dear Leo, are it.”
From behind she could hear the crunch of leaves as the other three scrambled to get out of reach. As she darted among the trees she could hear Leo’s shout of dismay but she was already too far off.
It was more than a little childish, completely unbecoming of a lady her age, but April relished the rush of excitement as she dashed through the woods. Perhaps she couldn’t bring them into her world, but simply being a part of theirs was sufficient for the time being.
…
“…and my Aunt is talking about betrothals again,” April finished with a sigh, as she stared up at the canopy of leaves. “On my word if I hear the word ‘betrothal’ one more time, on my word I will run off to join a convent.”
April, Leo, Donnie, Raph, and Mikey lounged comfortably along the river’s edge. The afternoon sun warmed shells and skin making them all drowsy. Mikey was already asleep, snoring loudly as he rested on his stomach. Even Raph, the wariest of the four, was nodding off in the shade of a sprawling oak.
It seemed that hours of chasing each other through the woods was enough to wear out even the hardiest warrior.
Leo looked up from the reed he was carving away at with the small knife he kept tucked in the end of his sharp blade. His gaze came to rest on Donnie, who had the strangest expression on his face. Raph too watched intensely, his eyes sharp as they flicked to Donnie then back to April.
“Maybe I should just come live in the woods with all of you,” continued April, tossing and arm over her face to cover her eyes. “Does Master Splinter have room enough for another person?”
This time Donnie shot a look in Leo’s direction, hope shining through in his gaze, but Leo shook his head firmly before returning to his task. There was no point in giving him hope where there was none.
“You know you are always welcome,” said Leo carefully, this was not the first time they had this conversation. It arose every time April’s Aunt pressed too hard about marriage. “But would you not miss your family and all of your friends?”
“I suppose,” April sighed.
The look on her face so disheartened that even Raph shifted uncomfortably. “Besides,” he drawled lazily, his eyes hooded, “Do you really wish to live with Mikey. It would be better to live with a band of roving skunks.”
Mikey, who was less asleep then he initially appeared, popped his head up from where he’d been dozing.
“I do not smell bad.” He cried indignantly, lifting his arm the youngest turtle gave hearty sniff only to gag loudly. Seeing April’s stare he gave a sheepish smile. “Well, I do not smell that bad.”
Despite their words April still looked unconvinced as she looked out on the river’s glittering water. Sensing a greater distraction was in order Leo gave his reed a final slice before bringing it to his lips.
A soft sweet note rang through the air gaining not only April’s attention but Raph and Mikey’s as well. The notes, cautions and unsteady at first, quickly began to gain speed until April finally recognized the song. Eventually the tune became so lively that she couldn’t help but clap along.
Apparently Mikey felt the same way as he leapt to his feet.
“Sakura, sakura,” he sang loudly, dragging April to her feet as well, “noyama mo sato mo mi-watasu kagiri.”
Glancing expectantly at April, Mikey gestured for her to join him. At first she hesitated but soon the melody became too much and she joined in.
“Kasumi ka kumo ko? Asahi ni niou.”
The words were as familiar to her as the ones her father had taught her as a child. Whatever language the turtles and their father spoke, April had been around them long enough that even she was able to manage it passably. Though Raph occasionally teased her on her pronunciation, the song was simple enough that her words were practically indistinguishable from Mikey’s as they sang together.
“Sakura, sakura, hana zakari.”
The two danced about wildly, spinning about until April managed to drag Donnie into the fray. Though he too was reluctant at first after much prodding from April and Mikey they were able to get him to partake in their merriment. Their dance had at some point evolved into a bastardized kind of folk dance but none of them seemed to care.
Not one to partake in dancing, or merriment in general for that matter, Raph was content to watch from beneath his tree. Even he was unable to remain aloof for long though, and eventually his hand began to tap against his thigh to the rhythm of the music.
At the high point of the song, when the melody was at its peak, Mikey grabbed April’s hands in his own and began to spin. Around and around they went until the trees surrounding the clearing were little more than a solid blur and April’s feet were barely on the ground. They were going so fast that April could barely manage a breath, never mind a shriek.
Then, all of a sudden Mikey released April with one final twirl.
The world seemed to tilt under her feet and April went stumbling backward, scrambling to keep her upright. Tripping and giggling she struggled to regain her balance.
Unfortunately, the river’s edge was closer then she’d realized.
It was only for a split second but the silty ground gave way abruptly. Arms pin-wheeling April slipped backwards into the shallow water with a loud shriek and a mighty splash.
Leo’s flute cut off immediately, and for a moment the whole woods was completely silent, not even a bird dared cry out.
Waist deep in the clear water, April sat wide-eyed, soaked from head to toe. Panicked fish darted by, tickling the tops of her hands as they passed. Even as she started up at her shocked friends April could feel a single, fat drop of slide down her forehead, traveling down to finally drip off the tip of her nose.
The scene was too much for Raph, and a bark of laughter burst forth from his chest. Quickly he tried to cover it but it was too late. The infectious laughter spread until the four brothers were practically rolling on the ground in mirth.
From her vantage point, April watched, unimpressed at the amusement her so-called friends took at her misery. With each chuckle and guffaw her irritation grew until she was convinced she might explode from sheer annoyance.
Suddenly a mischievous thought caught her mind.
Scrambling gracelessly to her knees, April stared pitifully in Raph’s direction. It took a bit of work, a small sniffle, a pitiful pout, but eventually the red masked turtle ambled over. Still laughing he extended a large hand, intent on dragging April back onto the shore.
It was all the opportunity April needed. With a mighty tug she dragged hard on the offered hand.
Raph, completely unprepared for the assault, went tumbling into the river along with April, sending up a small tidal wave.
While April had assumed that her friends could not laugh any harder if they tried, she would have been wrong. Seeing Raph tumble face first into the shallow water, coming up sputtering and cursing, had Mikey and Donnie on the ground. Even Leo appeared to be having trouble keeping upright, having resorted to using his sword as a support.
Glancing over at Raph, April smirked at his dark expression. Catching his gaze she flicked her eyes towards the cackling trio, her smirk stretching into a wicked smile.
“Truce?” She said sweetly, her voice barely audible above the incessant laughter of the others.
For a moment Raph paused, letting the idea roll around in his head. Weighing his options the hot-headed turtle let his gaze shift towards his brothers. That seemed to be enough to make up his mind and he returned her smile with one of his own.
“Truce,” Raph agreed, with a tiny nod.
Leo, Donnie, and Mikey were so distracted that they didn’t even notice as the damp pair turned as one, hands cupped with water. There was a mighty splash and Mikey, Leo, and Donnie were left blinking as water streamed down their faces and shells.
Soon the entire clearing was filled with shrieks and splashes that echoed through the empty woods. The noise was such that none of them, not April nor her turtle friends, noticed a pair of cold black eyes watching from just beyond the tree line. Nor did they notice the tall, shadowed figure slowly backing away, melting unseen into the foliage.
…
It was twilight by the time April made her way back home. The oranges and reds bathed the forest, making it seem ethereal as she wandered down her almost indistinguishable path.
Running a nervous hand down the damp wool of her skirt, April hoped desperately that Aunt Aggie wouldn’t notice. Her blouse and shoes had dried quickly under the heat of the sun, but the thick wool still held some traces of her earlier activities. It would be difficult to explain, the excuse of falling was beginning to wear thin and it was unlikely Aunt Aggie would be fooled again.
It was enough of a blessing that Leo was able to pin her hair back up as well as he did. April had no skills at dealing with her hair and was content to let Aunt Aggie deal with it as she saw fit.
Thankfully Leo’s aptitude outstripped her own and though the young turtle would never admit it his braiding skills were on par with the deftest of women. Even Aunt Aggie would never be able to tell the difference.
With any luck though the pile of wood tied firmly to April’s back and an overflowing basket of tiny white mushrooms would serve as enough of a distraction for both the late hour and April’s disheveled appearance. Donnie swore up and down that they were edible but after the incident with the purple berries April had insisted that he sample them first before collecting them to take home. While it might be amusing to see her father and aunt behaving like fools, the punishment that would follow would not.
As April reached the edge of the village her pace began to slow.
It was quiet, almost disturbingly so. The packed dirt roads, usually bustling with people heading home for supper, were empty. With each house she passed April found darkened windows, empty except for the glint of the setting sun brushing across the panes of glass.
A chill went through April, as though a cold wind had passed by. Tightening her grip on her basket she quickened her pace once more. The sooner she got home the better. Aunt Aggie would be waiting with supper and perhaps Papa would read from one of his books. April so enjoyed it when he did.
As she walked April’s apprehension began to steadily rise. There was something very wrong going on. She could feel it in the air, like lightening before a storm. As she finally caught sight of a tall dark haired figure a short ways away, April felt the muscles in her shoulders loosen as recognition set in.
Never in her life had April been happier to see Casey Jones.
“Casey…” she called out, unable to help the relief that coloured her voice.
Immediately the young man whipped around and April slowed to a stop at the wide-eyed look on his face. For the first time since, well ever, a look of fear passed over Casey’s face.
“April?” The words were barely a whisper, but they chilled April too her core.
In three long strides Casey was directly in front of her, his callused hands gripping her shoulders tightly. Normally April would have scolded him for such impropriety but the way his hands were shaking stayed her tongue.
“You have to get out of here,” Casey hissed, his eyes flitting about wildly, searching for some invisible enemy.
With a frown April opened her mouth, ready to demand an explanation, but before she could Casey slapped a hand over her mouth. She could taste a mixture of ash, sweat, and metal on his skin, but also fear. As real as anything else she could taste it on him like a lady’s perfume.
“There is no time for explanations.” Casey continued, keeping his voice low. “Damn it April you have to run. Head for the woods. They won’t dare look for you there. Just wait there for me. I will come find you. On my word I’ll come find you.”
Unable to take his cryptic words a moment longer April jerked her head away, freeing herself from his restraining grasp.
“Are you mad?” Something in Casey’s tone made April keep her voice low as well, but fear made her words cross. “You are speaking nonsense. Why would I run? Who would not seek me there? If this is one of your jests Mr. Jones it is not a good one.”
Frustration warred on Casey’s face for a moment and it looked like he was considering tossing the red-head over his shoulder. Then his eyes trailed over her head and his grip on her shoulder tightened to the point where it was actually painful.
Glancing over her shoulder April was relieved to find Mayor Jopson striding purposefully towards them.
Surely he would be able to explain Casey’s strange behaviour, April though as she jerked herself free of Casey’s grasp and turned to face the older man.
All thoughts were driven from her head though, as a sharp burst of pain exploded across her cheek.
Stumbling backwards from the force of the blow April felt her knees go out from under her as she tumbled to the ground. Clutching her throbbing cheek April stared up as the man strode over to Casey and clapped a friendly hand on his shoulder.
“Excellent work Mr. Jones,” said Jopson cheerfully, his thick mustache crinkling as he grinned at the youth. “You look to have caught her just as she was about to escape.”
Caught her? Escape? April’s mind was racing. Suddenly Casey’s warning seemed far more dire then it had just a moment before.
“Mayor Jopson please, there has to be some sort of mistake.” Eyes flicking to April’s huddled form, Casey’s voice took on a note of desperation. “April would never…”
As Casey spoke Mayor Jopson’s smile swiftly morphed into a frown.
“Jackson, James,” He barked, cutting Casey off midsentence. From behind a building appeared two young men, both taller than Casey and twice as wide. “It seems that Miss. O’Neil has addled poor Mr. Jones’ mind. Keep him restrained until the trial is finished.”
With a grim nod the men took hold of Casey’s arms, pinning them to his side as he fought desperately, calling April’s name over and over.
Wasting no time, Mayor Jopson grabbed April firmly by the wrist. Forcing her upright he set off quickly, dragging her along behind like an animal. Clawing desperately at Jopson’s hand, April could do nothing but follow, barely able to keep up.
“Trial?” Thankfully the words came out steady, despite the overwhelming urge to be sick. Jopson didn’t acknowledge them though so April tried again, louder this time. “What trial? I have done nothing wrong.”
For a moment Jopson’s expression flickered indecisively, then hardened once more.
“So say they all.” His words were cold as iron and he gave her a small shake. “Now be silent. Your words have no effect on me witch.”
For a moment April’s whole body went numb, as though she had doused in ice water.
A witch? That was impossible. How could anyone believe she was a witch? Had Mayor Jopson been infected with the same madness as Casey?
As they got closer to the center of town April realized where the missing villagers had gone. Clustered around the raised wooden platform that sat in the middle of the town square they stared silently as she passed. People she had known all her life, friends, neighbors watched with cold eyes as Mayor Jopson dragged her up the rough hewn steps.
“April!” A familiar voice called from the crowd, breaking the silence. From atop the platform April could see her father. Like Casey, he was restrained by two burly men whom he ignored, his eyes trailed desperately on April. “Please, I beg you. Stop this madness. My daughter is innocent.”
“Silence,” Jopson snapped.
April struggled desperately as hands grasped at her arms, dragging them so hard around the thick wooden pole that her shoulders ached. Despite all her fighting they easily managed to get a loop of rope over her wrists and she could do not a thing to stop them. The coarse rope bit into her wrists as her captors wrapped them tightly, but no matter how hard she pulled April couldn’t get loose.
Ignoring April’s struggles Jopson turned to face his audience. Seeing April tied to the post had stirred the villagers into a frenzy and loud voices hollered insults and treats towards the platform.
From her vantage point April could see every face. What made it all the worse was that she knew every one of these people. She had lived among them for her entire life and now it seemed that every eye was turned to her in hatred.
Finally Jopson held up a hand and the crowd immediately fell silent.
“We are gathered on this eve to bring to right a darkness that has covered this town for too long.” The crowd roared in agreement and Jopson waited for them to quiet again. “This woman, April O’Neil, is herby charged before the good people of Northampton with heresy, witchcraft, and consorting with demons. How do you plead Miss. O’ Neil?”
The look on Mayor Jopson’s face was as he glanced back at April was smug, as though he was already positive of her guilt, and all of a sudden April’s fear fell away and all that was left was anger. It was white and hot, and filled her with a courage that hadn’t been there before
“I am guilty of no such wickedness.” April shouted, pulling at her ropes to no avail. “What evidence do you have of such claims?” Looking at the crowd she glanced from face to face. Catching the eye of a few people April softened her voice. “You are my neighbor, many of whom I consider friends, please you do not truly believe I would do such things?”
At April’s earnest words the temper of the crowd seemed to shift. Voices quieted and some even looked away, unable to stand the young woman’s piercing stare.
Sensing he was losing the support of the crowd Jopson gestured sharply to the edge of the stage, pointing to where the Fathers Campbell stood just beyond the crowd.
“What proof you dare ask, knowing the evil that you have committed? You were witnessed by the Father Campbell in the woods this very day.” A shocked gasp rose from the crowd and Jopson smirked darkly. “Father Campbell followed Miss. O’Neil into the woods where he witnessed her summon four demons from the bowel of Hell to this world. Not satisfied with defying the Father Almighty and sacrificing her immortal soul this vile witch reveled with these demons, dancing madly to their evil music, though to what end I fear to guess. Finally her dark ceremony culminated in an unholy baptism with the creatures cementing her pack with the Devil himself.”
The crowd went wild, some screamed in hysterics as others shouted and waved their fists, hollering for April’s blood. From the edge of the crowd April could see her father, staring horrified as men and women turned into blood thirsty animals.
“Please, stop this madness,” he hollered, his voice barely reaching over the crowd. Curious, the villagers quieted slightly, though low rubbles of descent wove through the crowd. “Are we not civilized men and women? Never have we blighted our home with a witch hunt, never harmed another because of one man’s words.”
“Perhaps we ought have,” a voice rose from the crowd, Mr. Bradford’s frown deepened as all eyes turned in his direction. “Before my chickens started disappearing.”
“And that fever killed my Millie.” Mrs. Caroldine’s voice rose in agreement.
“Before Miss. O’ Neil started bewitching the boys round these parts,” called Vernon, his face red with excitement. “Tempting ‘em with her vile magics.”
The crowd grew louder, their fearful voices becoming a cacophony of noise. It seemed that every person had some sort of grievance, some blame to place at her feet. It was all too clear that they had already come to their conclusion. Whatever was said, whatever honest truths or facts were brought before them, none would sway their corrupted minds.
“Good people,” said Jopson, gathering the crowd’s scattered attention once more, “what verdict have you come to for the charges laid against Miss. April O’ Neil?”
The answering cry was loud and unanimous. “Guilty, guilty.”
“So be it. The punishment for these crimes and all others she has committed will be death by burning, so may her soul be cleansed and that Lord Almighty might forgive her for her sins.”
The keening wail that rose from Aunt Aggie, was quickly overwhelmed the roaring approval from the crowed.
People surged into motion and piles of wood were gathered. One by one they were stacked beneath the platform. It wasn’t long before a mound began to form. With a dim sort of detachment April watched as they even stacked her own bundle beneath.
How ironic that she would be such an active participant in her own death.
“A moment Mayor Jopson,” Though the words were quiet, they brought all actions to an immediate halt. Sedately Father Campbell strode forward, flanked by the other two Fathers. Immediately, Mayor Jopson’s countenance changed. His shoulder curved downward as he stared submissively at the stoic man.
“I desire to speak with April O’Neil, to allow her the opportunity to repent for her sins.”
“Of course, of course,” A pathway cleared immediately, allowing Father Campbell to climb the platform steps with ease. The second he was past activity resumed as the wood pile began to grow larger and larger.
“I am not a witch.” April growled, the second the man was within speaking distance.
Ignoring that she had spoken, Father Campbell strode forward smoothly, leaning down until his face was mere inches from hers.
“Where are the creatures known as turtles? Where is the rat known as Splinter?”
For a moment April was still. This was closer then she had ever been to Father Campbell and the he was all the more intimidating up close. His eyes held no emotion, they were like chunks of colored glass as they stared into her own. There was something not human about them. If she were one to believe in monsters April was sure that it would have eyes exactly like Father Campbell.
Then his words finally hit her.
He knew about the turtle. He knew that they were not demons. Irma was indeed correct all this time. These were no men of God. Indeed they themselves were demons and they wanted her friends.
No matter how frightened April was, there was no way on God’s green earth she was giving going to tell this creature where kind, clever Master Splinter lived with her friends. She would sooner burn then hurt him or his sons.
“I’ve no idea what you’re speaking about,” April managed to stammer out despite her surprise. Father Campbell’s expression didn’t change but she continued despite that. “I know nothing of these turtles that you speak of.”
“There is no use lying April O’Neil. We have seen you with the ones known as turtles.”
A sudden rush of anger filled the girl. Did this man truly expect her to betray her friends? Truly?
“I told you I’ve no idea what you speak of,” Feeling brave she glared directly into his empty eyes, “and even if I did I certainly would not tell you a single thing. Not. A. Single. Thing.”
“Not even if it would mean your freedom?”
As much as it shamed her, for the smallest sliver of time April actually considered it. She knew how this would end if she did not. No matter how she pulled the ropes held fast. And even if they hadn’t, if by some miracle she could get loose, April knew she would be recaptured long before she ever made the tree line.
This man, this disgusting horrible creature, was her only chance of living another day.
But she would have to trade the lives of her precious friends to do so. If she were to live they would have to die in her place, Michelangelo, Donatello, Leonardo, Raphael, and Master Splinter. They would each be killed or taken, and it would be all her doing. Was she really willing to give them up?
The answer was simple.
Though her mouth was paper dry, April managed to gather enough liquid to spit rather impressively at Father Campbell’s face. Mikey would have been so proud that his lessons finally came into practice.
As it dribbled slowly down his cheek April was sure she could feel his rage. It wasn’t in his face, which showed nothing as it always did, it wasn’t in his eyes, there was nothing in his demeanor that changed but somehow April knew the hatred that filled the man.
Without another word the priest spun on his heel, his long robes unfurling as he hurried away.
April’s pleasure was short lived though as the preparations reached their completion. It was remarkable in a way, she mused distantly, that they had been able to acquire so much wood in so brief a time. If only the towns people were able to cooperate so effectively at when not assembling her death.
The sun had finally set and the only lights that remained where scattered torches. It gave those in the crowd an other-worldly, monstrous look. April couldn’t help but wonder if the towns people knew that in the low light, faces contorted with hate, they looked very much like the demons they had accused her of summoning.
“Now,” Mayor Jopson raised his torch high, “on this hour the witch known as April O’Neil will receive retribution for her crimes and Northampton will be free of her curse.”
It was strange, as the burning wood fell from Jopson’s grasp into the massive pile beneath her feet, April did not feel afraid. If anything she felt numb as a slow tingle spread from the tips of her fingers to the rest of her body.
There was no point in crying she knew, or begging, these people would not be moved.
No. As she watched the fire grow beneath April did not feel fear, instead she felt regret.
From the edge of the crowd Kirby stood helplessly, his eyes filled with unshed tears. In his arms Aunt Aggie sobbed violently into his shirt, her shoulders shaking as grief wracked her thin frame.
They would blame themselves, April knew. Desperately she wished she could have another moment with them, to tell them it was okay, what happened was through no fault of their own. She wished she could tell them that she loved them, but all she could do was pray that they knew.
Still restrained by Jopson’s men, Casey fought wildly but April knew he would never get free not in time. Even if he did there was no way he’d be able to make it past the crowd to free her. It was good of him to try though.
A short ways away Irma stared horrified, her eyes massive behind her spectacles and hands clasped tightly to her mouth. Hopefully the town would not turn on them too after she was gone, April prayed. The only thing that could worsen her death was if Irma and Casey were forced to suffer for her choice.
Most of all April regretted that her turtle friends, her special, wonderful friends, would never know the truth of what happened. Mikey, Donnie, Raph, and Leo, alone in the woods, would believe she had abandoned them. They would think that she’d grown tired of them. Perhaps they would believe that their friendship wasn’t enough to keep her with them. That idea, that they would lose her and never know why, hurt most off all.
Maybe it was for the best though. It was far better that they cursed her name, then to blame themselves for her death.
The smoke was high now, blocking out the sky as it choked her breath and stung her eyes. The fire had spread to the platform engulfing the wood. April could feel the heat like a furnace, pressing her in at all sides until her vision swam. Her skirts, still wet, smoldered but would not catch.
It was her shoes that gave up first with the soft leather smoking and burning her feet.
The agony was overwhelming, but April could no strength left to struggle any further. Bowing her head she collapsed against the pole. The smoke, as much as the pain, made her dizzy and dark spots danced at the edges of her vision. It would be over soon, April half-reasoned, half-prayed, the smoke would make her sleep long before the fire took her.
Suddenly a scream echoed through the night air. It took April a moment to realize that it was not her own, though her throat burned.
From out of the darkness melted four figures, smoke clinging to their bulky forms making they look like creatures of shadows and death. The only bright spots among their shadowed forms were the glints of fire on metal as they slowly stalked forward, their weapons pointed at the stunned crowd.
Her friends, April thought dimly as her head lolled forward, they had come for her. It was impossible, a tiny part of her argued, but she immediately shoved it down.
What did turtle warriors know of impossible?
Almost immediately Raph and Leo were on the platform. Ignoring the scorching timbers beneath their feet, despite the ominous creaking, Leo pulled a small knife from the end of his sword. The blade glowed red as though it too were made of fire. It would not burn her though, April thought muzzily, Leo would never hurt her, would never let the fire burn her.
Deftly he maneuvered the blade over her bound hands, careful not to do any more damage then had already been inflicted. It took no more than two swipes and April was free. Free but unable to support her own weight as her aching feet gave way, and for a moment April was sure she was going to fall into the fire. That it would consume her still.
As quickly as the thought crossed her mind Raph looped his hands under her legs, sweeping her up gently in his thickly muscled arms. Pressing her as close to his plastron as he could without hurting her Raph leapt off the platform with Leo right behind. As they landed on the hard earth neither made a whisper of sound.
While Leo and Raph worked April free, Donnie and Mikey stood guard, keeping the crowd at bay.
It was a rather simple task as none dared to make a move against them. With empty white eyes trained on the villagers they stood silently, weapons out and ready. Even Mikey, normally the most playful out of the four, stared darkly at the mass of humans, his lips pulled back across his teeth in a beastly snarl.
From where April slumped bonelessly in Raph’s arms the scene seemed to drift in a surreal fog. Like she was watching from a high place as opposed to right in the middle.
She could see her father, now free of his captors, but he made no move towards her. His face was twisted in fear, exactly like all the others, so much so that she could hardly recognize him. April wished desperately to reach out, to call to him, to tell him that she was safe. But he would not have believed her, April knew, and for that she grieved.
They would never understand, none of them. All these people could see was the green of their skin and the gleam of their weapons. Never would they see the kindness each of her friends was capable of. They would never want to.
Now that April was safe, at least for the moment, the four turtles melted back into the shadows. Silent as specters they disappeared one by one into the darkness, dashing towards the safety of the tree line.
The last to go, Donatello cast one long look over his shoulder. Catching Kirby’s eyes he shook his head once in disgust, then he too was gone.
Pressed up against Raph’s chest April could hear the uneven patter of his heart against his plastron as they raced through the darkened woods. Even now the world seemed dreamlike, colours melting and swirling as they ran until she was no longer sure what was real.
In hushed voices that sounded remarkably like the wind through the trees the four turtles argued back and forth. It seemed so normal, like every other day, and for a moment April could forget she had just lost her home and everything she had ever held dear.
Still, safe in Raph’s arms with Mikey, Leo, and Donnie surrounding her like guardian angels, terrible, beautiful, and strong, April felt the last twinges of regret melt away. She could never return to her home, never have her old life, but that was the cost to be paid and she’d pay it willingly, every time.
If protecting those she cared for made her a witch, April vowed, then a witch she would be.
My apologies -- I had two last minute drop-outs for the Mini Bang, so while I try to shuffle the schedule around we won't have posts today or possibly tomorrow.
If you need to drop out of the Mini Bang for any reason, just let me and your partner know. I know life sometimes throws you a curve, and there'll be no hard feelings if you have to drop out, but I really do need to know.
Summary: Donnie wasn’t a stranger to wanting things he could never have; April was just another to add to the list and at the very bottom was a desire he’d never been able to voice. He’s wanted it as long as he’s been able to understand how impossible a dream it was. He’d never be human, but maybe with the right technology he can pretend for a little while.
Rating: PG
Universe: TMNT 2012
Tags/Warnings: Apritello, mild swearing, tricking someone into a date, Casey being a bit of a jerk, though hopefully not OOC.
AN: Yes, Donnie’s invention is totally inspired by Nightcrawler’s projector from the X-men cartoon and the trick Donnie does it totally ripped from An Extremely Goofy Movie. During the course of this fic I talk, without any real knowledge, about a number of subjects including computers and skateboarding. I apologize in advance for stupidity and mistakes.
Author: senshixdoukeshi
I really enjoyed doing the minibang. This is the first serious writing project I’ve taken on in a long time and it feels really good to be writing again. I was honestly surprised it was TMNT that brought me back to writing, but there you have it.
Artist: garruskrazykanuck
Read the full story below — links to ff.net and Ao3 coming soon!
**********
Donnie didn’t worry about what others thought of his work. Nearly all of it was to his and his brother’s benefit and the rest was either for the greater good or honing his skills and learning more about their enemies. He might not be an expert on the best way to take down the Shredder, but there wasn’t anyone who knew how Kraang tech worked better than him (other than the Kraang, of course) and what he didn’t know he could figure out. All that still didn’t explain the innocent looking, if bulky, watch on his lab table. Donnie sighed, rubbing his thumb over the face of his newest creation. When a chance altercation with the police showed the Kraang had perfected a way to move seamlessly among humans instead of in those ridiculous Norm disguises Donnie knew the same chill ran through them all. But unlike his brothers, April, or even Casey a thrill of excitement chased his fear away. Camouflage of this caliber had so many potential applications that he was left drooling at the thought of tinkering with the technology.
Collecting enough working examples and functional parts to properly test the tech and build from it had been laborious and lengthy work, especially since he’d done it alone. Not ready or willing to admit his intense interest in the tech to anyone. Patiently, meticulously he’d picked over every robotic shell whenever possible and weeks later it had paid off. It only took a few tests to realize the holographic projectors were flawed for large-scale use, he couldn’t disguise the Shellraiser or even the patrol buggies. But in narrow passages he could throw up a fake wall or maybe place a decoy projection to leave a false trail. It might help protect the lair. But that was all a bonus, because when Donnie was being honest, in the deepest part of his heart, he was most curious about the applications of the holograms for the individual.
Donnie’s jaw tightened at the thought of his brothers finding his invention. He had a feeling they wouldn’t understand. He plugged a cord from his computer into the watch and pulled himself close to the screen. What would life be like if he weren’t a giant, mutant, turtle freak? A wry smile twisted his lips; his brothers didn’t think like this, like him. Leo: calm, rational, practical Leo didn’t have time to waste on fantasies that would never come true, if it even bothered him at all. Raph? Donnie snorted at the thought of Raph wanting to be anything else. He was too proud of how different they were. Reveled in it like a badge of honor or, more fittingly, like a symbol of rebellion. It suited Donnie’s take-no-prisoners brother the most, in his opinion. Mikey… Mikey might understand a little. He certainly understood wanting to be free, to be accepted. But even then he probably never wanted to chance what he was. He wanted to be embraced because of his differences and similarities. He never wanted to hide himself. Well, outside of what was expected considering their upbringing in ninjutsu, Donnie conceded.
His eyes fell to his hands resting on the keyboard, broad fingers dwarfing the keys. Huge, clumsy, unwieldy, he’d come up with a lot of descriptors over the years, rarely complimentary. Sure, he was nimble enough now, but it was hard won. Donnie made a fist, watching the curl and flex of his fingers as he relaxed. How much faster would he be with five fingers? How much more dexterous if he had slender digits that didn’t widen into a club-like palm? He wasn’t…unhappy, but he couldn’t stop wondering. What would it feel like to have an exposed epidermal layer instead of the smooth, modified scales he did? To be without the easily forgotten, but constant weight of a shell on his back? To have full spinal articulation? To have hair? To walk among humans and be normal?
Summary: Donnie wasn’t a stranger to wanting things he could never have; April was just another to add to the list and at the very bottom was a desire he’d never been able to voice. He’s wanted it as long as he’s been able to understand how impossible a dream it was. He’d never be human, but maybe with the right technology he can pretend for a little while.
Rating: PG
Universe: TMNT 2012
Tags/Warnings: Apritello, mild swearing, tricking someone into a date, Casey being a bit of a jerk, though hopefully not OOC.
AN: Yes, Donnie’s invention is totally inspired by Nightcrawler’s projector from the X-men cartoon and the trick Donnie does it totally ripped from An Extremely Goofy Movie. During the course of this fic I talk, without any real knowledge, about a number of subjects including computers and skateboarding. I apologize in advance for stupidity and mistakes.
Author: senshixdoukeshi
I really enjoyed doing the minibang. This is the first serious writing project I’ve taken on in a long time and it feels really good to be writing again. I was honestly surprised it was TMNT that brought me back to writing, but there you have it.
Artist: garruskrazykanuck
Read the full story below -- links to ff.net and Ao3 coming soon!
**********
Donnie didn’t worry about what others thought of his work. Nearly all of it was to his and his brother’s benefit and the rest was either for the greater good or honing his skills and learning more about their enemies. He might not be an expert on the best way to take down the Shredder, but there wasn’t anyone who knew how Kraang tech worked better than him (other than the Kraang, of course) and what he didn’t know he could figure out. All that still didn’t explain the innocent looking, if bulky, watch on his lab table. Donnie sighed, rubbing his thumb over the face of his newest creation. When a chance altercation with the police showed the Kraang had perfected a way to move seamlessly among humans instead of in those ridiculous Norm disguises Donnie knew the same chill ran through them all. But unlike his brothers, April, or even Casey a thrill of excitement chased his fear away. Camouflage of this caliber had so many potential applications that he was left drooling at the thought of tinkering with the technology.
Collecting enough working examples and functional parts to properly test the tech and build from it had been laborious and lengthy work, especially since he’d done it alone. Not ready or willing to admit his intense interest in the tech to anyone. Patiently, meticulously he’d picked over every robotic shell whenever possible and weeks later it had paid off. It only took a few tests to realize the holographic projectors were flawed for large-scale use, he couldn’t disguise the Shellraiser or even the patrol buggies. But in narrow passages he could throw up a fake wall or maybe place a decoy projection to leave a false trail. It might help protect the lair. But that was all a bonus, because when Donnie was being honest, in the deepest part of his heart, he was most curious about the applications of the holograms for the individual.
Donnie’s jaw tightened at the thought of his brothers finding his invention. He had a feeling they wouldn’t understand. He plugged a cord from his computer into the watch and pulled himself close to the screen. What would life be like if he weren’t a giant, mutant, turtle freak? A wry smile twisted his lips; his brothers didn’t think like this, like him. Leo: calm, rational, practical Leo didn’t have time to waste on fantasies that would never come true, if it even bothered him at all. Raph? Donnie snorted at the thought of Raph wanting to be anything else. He was too proud of how different they were. Reveled in it like a badge of honor or, more fittingly, like a symbol of rebellion. It suited Donnie’s take-no-prisoners brother the most, in his opinion. Mikey… Mikey might understand a little. He certainly understood wanting to be free, to be accepted. But even then he probably never wanted to chance what he was. He wanted to be embraced because of his differences and similarities. He never wanted to hide himself. Well, outside of what was expected considering their upbringing in ninjutsu, Donnie conceded.
His eyes fell to his hands resting on the keyboard, broad fingers dwarfing the keys. Huge, clumsy, unwieldy, he’d come up with a lot of descriptors over the years, rarely complimentary. Sure, he was nimble enough now, but it was hard won. Donnie made a fist, watching the curl and flex of his fingers as he relaxed. How much faster would he be with five fingers? How much more dexterous if he had slender digits that didn’t widen into a club-like palm? He wasn’t…unhappy, but he couldn’t stop wondering. What would it feel like to have an exposed epidermal layer instead of the smooth, modified scales he did? To be without the easily forgotten, but constant weight of a shell on his back? To have full spinal articulation? To have hair? To walk among humans and be normal?
He would never know. There was no way to change what he was so fundamentally. But he could pretend at least.
A click and keystroke brought up the imaging software he’d spent the better part of the month designing. The holograms the Kraang originally used were just duplicate images of people the Kraang had copied. It worked in a pinch, but Donnie didn’t want to be someone else, not entirely. So he’d designed a digital imaging program to alter his own appearance using an amalgam of human physiological data.
Donnie watched the 3D scan of himself rotate on the screen. “I guess the shell should go first.”
It was slightly uncomfortable to see the program analyze his bizarre anatomy and smooth it into a more familiar shape. Donnie winced slightly at the finished product. As unsettling as it was to see himself shell-less, it almost felt worse to acknowledge Karai was kind of right about him being scrawny.
“At least I have well-defined musculature.” He sighed, “Hands and feet next.”
The program moved on without much input to morph his over large limbs to a more manageable size, extra fingers and toes splitting from the existing digits like replicating cells. Donnie chuckled at the smooth-featured green man. “I look like a Martian.”
He clicked through skin pigments thoughtfully. He could change the physiognomy to anything he wanted and he paused on a rich mocha hue before shaking his head with a smile. He didn’t get nearly enough sun to pull that off, but being a pale as April made him look sickly. Donnie slid the color grading along, watching himself darken slowly. He inched past peach and paused as the skin took on the faintest earthy hue. He remembered a picture Splinter had of his human self with his wife. Not the formal black and white photo set on the memorial, just a casual snapshot. Hamato Yoshi wasn’t deeply tan, but his complexion had a warmth.
“If I were actually his son.” Donnie muttered. The figure on the screen was still a good deal paler than Splinter had been, but retained a similar warmth that brought a faint smile to Donnie’s lips.
He moved on to his face, for a moment he considered just running an algorithm, to let the computer shape his features into a socially acceptable blend of faces it knew. But he needed to see himself in this face that would and wouldn’t be his. It was patient work, molding an alternative image of himself and he finally sat back much later to take it in. A long narrow face, high cheekbones, a pointed chin, and snub nose, ears that stuck out a touch awkwardly, sharp eyebrows that arched or furrowed animatedly and thing lips that stretched into a lopsided smile. It would have been like looking at a complete stranger if it weren’t for the tilted, wide brown eyes staring unchanged back at him and the hint of a gap in the teeth that peeked between his lips.
Hair was strangely difficult to warp his mind around. It would be odd to leave the projection bald, but even though Donnie was familiar with the concept of fashion it didn’t have much practical application until now. Funnily enough he didn’t have trouble picturing hair, or at least hair colors, for his brothers. Leo would have black hair, stark and serious. Raph, if not some wildly unnatural shade from a bottle, would have rich, dark hair, like mahogany. Surprisingly warm, like he would be. Donnie wasn’t one for stereotypes, but Mikey was a blond through and through. The brightness would suit his personality. But Donnie? He could be serious, but he didn’t have Leo’s gravity and he wasn’t the life of the party like Mikey or a rebel like Raph. He was reliable, consistent, easily forgotten, but there in the background. Donnie smiled self-consciously as he found the perfect color. Not particularly light, but not dark. Not auburn, or chocolate, or chestnut. Just brown; dependable, constant, simple.
He also knew he wouldn’t have the patience for a high maintenance style, even if he didn’t technically have to maintain it. He settled on a fairly short cut, something easy to keep neat and out of his face. He chuckled again, it wasn’t completely ridiculous to worry about since he’d see the projection as much as anyone else when it was active, but it wasn’t as if he’d be wearing it in the lab. But then again he wouldn’t be himself if he wasn’t overthinking something.
Donnie sat back, fingers tapping idly at the keys without typing as he took in the finished design. There was something a bit awkward in the figure on the screen with his thin, sinewy frame that looked slightly stooped and vaguely oversized hands and feet. There was only so much the program could alter, after all. He could make the avatar more conventionally attractive, add more muscle or a wider jaw.
Donnie smiled at the lack of shell, skin that wasn’t green, and five fingers and toes. “It’s enough.”
A yawn caught him unaware and he finally glanced at the time on his screen, grimacing at the hour. Training was going to suck in the morning. Saving everything carefully, Donnie stashed the projector watch in a hidden drawer, specifically designed to hide things from Mikey who was prone to prying, and shuffled from the lab. He’d tackle the insanity of clothes fashion another day after some research.
A few days later found Donnie frowning down at magazines spread out on his lab table, teens beamed from glossy pages wearing all sorts of clothes. He began sorting through the meager offering of men’s fashion, marking particular pieces that, should current theory on fashion hold, flatter his avatar.
“What are you doing?”
“Ah!” his normally steady hand jerked, an angry black line crossing out a pair of form-fitting skinny jeans. Well, he couldn’t pull those off anyway. He looked up apprehensively at his brothers gathered around the table with looks ranging from incredulity to curiosity. “I’m…researching” he finished weakly, fighting the urge to lay across the table and cover the magazines with his body.
“Researching what?” Leo glanced down with a smirk at the cover of one. “Like Hacks for School, Hair, and Him?”
Donnie started to gather the magazines, “No, it’s for…camouflage.” Out of the corner of his eye Donnie watched Mikey pick up a stray magazine and begin to flip through it, he snatched half-heartedly at it while Raph and Leo laughed.
“Camouflage? Like how? With the hottest styles this fall?” Raph snatched a magazine to wave at the cover.
“Give me that.” Donnie yanked the magazine back, tossing it on the pile. “And yes, after a fashion. I mean, what it we need to go out during the day?”
“Donnie, we’re giant, mutant turtles.” Leo said without heat.
“It’s kind of hard to accessorize,” Raph intoned drily as he flipped absently through a different magazine.
“IF we have to go out during the day, we stick to rooftops.” Leo shot Raph a look as he continued in a tone that was all Team Leader, the shrugged. “Besides, we’re ninja. What better camouflage is there than the shadows?”
“But what if we need to talk to someone to get information?” Donnie sighed, he already knew Leo’s answer.
“We ask April.”
He could argue; there had been a number of times April wasn’t available from the mundane ‘she has school for 7 hours every weekday’ to the still painful memory of when she walked away because she was tired of the freak show that was their lives. As much as he’d missed her Donnie couldn’t blame her. He shook his head, it was better to avoid the argument. He started to stack the magazines.
“Yeah, you’re right.” He forced a smile when Leo clapped him on the shoulder.
“Hey Dudes!”
They looked over at Mikey who was spinning in Donnie’s chair with a pen poised over the magazine he held.
“How would you describe my style? Basic Girl-Next-Door, Hipster chic, Rebel Grrl, or Sorority Sister?”
“What are you talking about?” Raph’s tone suggested he wasn’t sure he wanted an answer.
“I’m taking this quiz to figure out my dream match.” Mikey grinned.
Donnie and Leo shared a smirk as Raph groaned and tried to wrestle the magazine away from Mikey while their youngest brother wailed in protest. Donnie knew he’d lost any peace in his lab for the day and he and Leo followed behind Raph as he chased Mikey into the living room.
Donnie shifted anxiously beneath a manhole cover, the speckles of sun that snuck through dappled along his human guise. He could hear the bustle of Manhattan’s busy midmorning streets from the next block over, even underground. Donnie tugged lightly at the strap across his chest, his hologram worrying the open front of his over shirt. Weeks, months of work and the projector was fully operational, had been for over a week. Stress tests, interference tests, battery life tests, any and all tests he’d been able to conceive Donnie put the projector through. Perfecting it until it was ready, a masterpiece, a triumph! After 7 days all he’d done was stand beneath this manhole frozen as he listened to the world above. Only a few feet of ladder and a manhole cover between him and a dream nearly as old as he was.
“Come on, your tech is perfect.” Donnie muttered and reached for the first rung. “How many times are you going to come here then run home with your tail between your legs?”
The metal was cold against his palm and his breath caught at the thought of the projector failing. At best his appearance would cause a panic, at worst… Donnie’s mind filled with shady labs run by faceless government entities, gruesome experiments that ended in a dissection table; he shook his head. Ridiculous. Even in the event of a total failure he had the skills, speed, and extensive knowledge of the New York sewer system to get back to safety quickly with a minimum of witnesses. He patted the bag at his side, reassured by the weight of his equipment. His staff was too conspicuous and though it felt weird to be without it he’d packed plenty of kunai, shuriken, and smoke bombs alongside his tools and a few other odds and ends. Even if he ran into trouble he’d be prepared. He’d even gotten out before noon, both Splinter and Leo deciding to give them all some rare time off from training. Every weather report Donnie’d accessed had declared today the first perfect day of spring. He couldn’t ask for a better opportunity.
“When are you going to get another day like today? Turtle-up and get the hell out there!” Donnie growled to himself. Before he could think of what else could happen, he climbed the ladder, sliding the sewer off with practiced ease. It was pure reflexive habit that made him pause for an all-clear glance around, just long enough for the reality of what he was doing to creep in again and try to drag him back into the relative safety of the dark. He took a deep breath and it was the scent of spring; new flowers and growth present under the smell of the city that drew him the rest of the way out. He pushed the cover back into place and headed for the alley opening.
Hidden in the shadow of the building’s walls he watched people walk back and forth, the same giddy feeling he got when an experiment went well making him shift in place. He could just step out and no one would look twice at him! He glanced at his “clothes”, almost wishing he could actually straighten them. Instead he ran a “five” fingered hand down his chest, watching the hologram react by smoothing the appearance of fabric. Smiling at the perfect response he stepped out of the alley and into the crowd of New Yorkers on the sidewalk.
Two blocks later the tension began to leave his shoulders and Donnie realized no matter how perfect his projector he’d half expected to hear a scream or the “m” word by now. He stopped, closing his eyes to drink in the feeling, people brushing and jostling past without a glance. Well, until someone yelled at him to move it or lose it. With an apologetic smile Donnie started down the sidewalk again. The feeling of freedom was staggering, Donnie stopped at a window display of the newest computer models before biting his lip and heading into the shop.
“Hello! Welcome to Overly P.C. I can help you in just a minute.” A girl behind the counter smiled at him before turning back to continue helping another customer. Donnie barely heard her as he wandered among the rows of displays. There were plenty of low end models that were easy to ignore, but he walked trance-like towards the latest model release. The highest rated, backlit LED, high-definition monitor, a processor that ran a whopping 5Ghrtz, with enough RAM to scare a wolf. Add that to the hefty power of the Quantum encryption and it wasn’t just a workhorse, it was a thoroughbred. He caressed the keys, nearly cooing. Oh what he could do with a machine like this. This kind of hardware just never made it into the dump and Donnie could kill the legislators that put restrictions on electronics disposal.
“She’s a beauty, isn’t she?”
Donnie started at the voice and met the amused grin of the retail assistant. He withdrew a little guiltily. “She is. I’d love to see what she looks like inside.”
“I know what you mean, but while it’s a nice set-up she’s still manufacture. Nothing like building from scratch.” Her name tag said Rachel and she patted the monitor fondly.
He laughed a bit, “I only have built from scratch, mostly what I could cobble together.”
She nodded, “What kind of system do you run? You’re not the type to run Microsoft on a custom built, right?”
“Oh man, no! Does that even happen?” They both laughed and Donnie broke down a basic explanation of his OS, a Linux derivative he’d customized. It wasn’t until he was waving goodbye after a lengthy debate over the pros and cons of chain command coding that he realized he’d been talking to a human for an entire hour, a human who didn’t know he was a turtle and had actually been interested to hear about his equipment.
“This day is awesome!” He couldn’t help fist pumping a little, blushing sheepishly as a few curious glances were tossed his way. He shrugged them off, whistling to himself as he headed for the corner. He was waiting for the light to change when the shouting started. First was a shout of surprise and then yelling, lots of yelling. Very familiar yelling. He frowned, resisting the urge to climb the street light to get a better view. He might have been tall at home, but he was annoyingly average out among humans. The crowd of people looking began to part in panic, a man shoving people out of his way as he barreled towards Donnie at full speed with a pocket knife in one hand and a purse in another. A few yards behind and gaining fast was-
“April?” Donnie breathed, the man coming at him losing his attention immediately.
Those fiery blue eyes met his and she pointed at the man. “Stop him!”
Donnie’s attention snapped back to the man who was only a few paces away and seemed to have realized the kid in his way wasn’t moving. The hand with the knife slashed forward clumsily, trying to make Donnie move. He barely had to think as he caught the man’s wrist and made him drop the knife with a bit of pressure to the thumb. Panicked the man swung out with his other hand and quickly found himself pinned to the ground with a foot on the small of his back. It had been so easy, Donnie was a bit worried he’d hurt the guy. There was a brief scrape of wheels on pavement and the familiar patter of well-worn boots coming to a stop next to him.
Hesitantly Donnie lifted his head to meet April and Casey’s surprised faces. He cringed, waiting for the demand for an explanation of why he was out during the day.
“That was amazing!” April clasped her hands together with a smile.
“You’ve got some moves, pal.” Casey smirked as he nodded in approval.
‘Holographic Projector, idiot. They can’t recognize you.’ Donnie’s mind kicked him to say something instead of standing like a slack-jawed moron.
“Eheh, it-it’s not a big deal.” He squeaked, voice climbing to ridiculous new highs, he cleared his throat. “Ju-just a little self-defense.”
April gave him an odd look and Donnie could feel sweat bead along his neck. Could she recognize his voice? Suddenly the voice modulator part of the projection system didn’t seem stupid anymore, in fact it looked nothing short of brilliant. He nearly collapsed with relief when a police cruiser pulled up to the curb and a woman climbed out with an officer.
“That man, officer. He stole my purse.” She jabbed her finger at the man still pinned beneath Donnie’s foot. He quickly backed up so the officer could take custody of the purse snatcher, intending to slip into the crowd and disappear. April and Casey might not recognize him yet, but they still could. Or April could, Donnie wondered if Casey had that many brain-cells rattling around his head.
“Hey, wait.”
Donnie closed his eyes and cursed his inability to walk away from this girl. He made himself smile and turned back to the pair, trying to ignore a hot stab of jealousy as his panic subsided enough for him to realize the pair had been hanging out together. “Hey…Um, any other purse snatchers I need to catch?” He clutched at his chest strap like a life-line.
“I think the boys in blue have got it covered.” April smiled gently and oh, he knew that smile. It was comforting, her attempt to set him at ease. “My name’s April, what’s yours?”
“D-“ Donnie choked, eyes wide to realize he hadn’t thought of a fake name! He hadn’t expected to encounter anyone he knew? The probability of it happening was ridiculously low, though obviously not low enough. April was still waiting, but the crease in her forehead meant Donnie was taking too long. “D-Dee,” he finally offered. It was a slightly exaggerated version of one of Mikey’s nicknames for him. “My name’s Dee.”
Donnie nervously rubbed the back of his neck, wondering if she or anyone really, would buy such a lame name. She frowned a moment longer before smiling again. “Well, thanks for the help Dee. Can I ask where you studied martial arts?”
“Um-well… my father…” Donnie felt his smile strain, mentally flailing. By Darwin’s beard, how was he going to explain himself? His rambling was thankfully cut off by an officer tapping April’s shoulder.
“Miss, the victim said you were present at the time of the theft. Can you give a statement?”
“Oh sure,” April tossed Donnie a quick smile and turned to the officer that was already talking to Casey.
The gathered crowd, now that the excitement was over, started to disperse and Donnie used the distraction of the police to melt into the crowd. He glanced back, ducking his head when he saw April start to scan the passersby with a frown. He was lucky that neither had caught on, but he wasn’t going to push his luck. He broke into a light jog to put several blocks between them.
It took a while for the shock of near discovery to fade. Donnie used the time to wander towards Chinatown, pausing at a familiar sounding clatter. He grinned, heading for the local skate park a block over. It was as busy as you’d expect for a Saturday, groups of boarders and bladers crisscrossing the concrete or clustered in groups to talk while they waited for their turn. There were even a few tourists standing by taking pictures. ‘Should have brought my board,’ Donnie thought wistfully, though really it wouldn’t have been practical in the long run. After dark security patrolled the area so it had always been a no go during the night when he and his brothers could normally come out. He leaned against a post to watch for a bit. The occasional wipe-out was expected, but Donnie was sure the whole park’s breath caught as one skater came down hard enough to hear the crack of his board hitting the ground. Silence held for a minute before the guy sat up and people breathed out in relief. Donnie hopped onto the track and headed over as the skater curled over his board and started to moan.
“Are you all right? Do we need to call for help?” he crouched over the teen, eyes noting the scrapes and spots of blood, though none of it seemed serious.
“Nah, man! Not all right, my board!” the guy bent over the board again and Donnie winced as he spotted the several points of damage. “I can’t afford more parts, but no one can fix this.”
Donnie raised an eyebrow, “That, sir, sounds like a challenge.”
Before he could protest, Donnie slipped the board from his hands, flipping it over to inspect it. “Lucky the wood’s still in good shape. The axel’s bent, you cracked your brushings and these wheels are toast though.”
Donnie ignored the guy’s sputtered questions, standing up and scanning until he spotted a dumpster nearby and started for it.
“Dude, where are you going with my board? Dude?! Don’t throw it away, man!”
Donnie opened the dumpster, smiling at the piles of parts and damaged boards. “Relax, I’m not throwing it away, but I don’t exactly carry a bunch of spare parts with me.”
The skater limped over as Donnie set the board aside and dove into the dumpster to rummage around. “Man, you’re hardcore.”
Donnie shrugged as he tossed a few boards and random parts onto the ground. He couldn’t exactly say he’d scrounged through worse on an almost daily basis. It didn’t take long to get all the parts he needed and with those in hand it was a quick repair. He handed the board back to its owner with a smile. “There, better than before, I guarantee.”
The guy looked skeptically at the replaced parts, especially the four mismatched wheels.
“Oh, don’t worry. I compared the relative weight and performance of each wheel to make matches within a 5% differential. I also noticed you ride harder on your nose and tend to use the right to lead into most tricks so I made sure to get you some stiffer brushings and I replaced your risers so you’re less likely to crack your deck if you come down hard.”
Still skeptical the guy took the board and tossed it down, jumping on to head for the track. Donnie watched smugly as the board performed as promised and the skater rolled over to him.
“Man this is amazing, you’re like, some kind of genius.”
“Yeah, I know.” Donnie smirked.
“Thanks, man. Name’s Josh by the way, I seriously owe you.” He held out his fist and Donnie bumped it.
“Dee, and don’t sweat it. I like fixing things.”
Josh waved and skated away and Donnie watched him go with a satisfied smile. It was a simple repair, definitely not his most impressive work, but it felt good to be so appreciated.
“Excuse me?”
Donnie looked over and started to see a sizable group of people.
“My board’s riding too stiff, can you look at it?” a girl asked, smiling sweetly.
“I’ve got a cracked deck, think you can fix it?” a guy held up his board behind her.
Other people chimed in as well and Donnie wasn’t surprised exactly that so many boards needed repair, but he was surprised so many people were asking for his help. He smiled. “Sure.”
It was easy to set up shop near the dumpster for spare parts as he diagnosed and repaired boards. A handful of people even tried to pay him. He refused the money, but when someone offered to order pizza for lunch he was more than happy to accept and the next few hours passed easily. He was in the middle of tweaking a board’s trucks for better landing when he felt someone behind him.
“So when not stopping purse snatchers you’re repairing skateboards?”
Donnie nearly bit his tongue in surprise, snapping his head around to stare at her. “April!”
She crouched down next to him, looking over the piles of parts he’d collected for repairs and the open and empty pizza box next to him with a raised eyebrow. Donnie’s stomach clenched, mind running into overdrive as he tried to figure out how to explain himself.
“You know, the police weren’t happy you just disappeared.” She finally said.
“Oh! Uh, sorry about that. I didn’t mean to cause you any trouble.” Donnie fiddled nervously with his screwdriver, handing the finished board back to its owner. Fortunately it didn’t seem like anyone else needed his help. He picked through his parts piles, maybe he could make a decent board from the scrape here. Though really, he should make his excuses and leave.
“How was that Red?” Casey slid to a stop in front of them with a grin smug enough to set Donnie’s teeth on edge.
“Oh, sorry Casey, I didn’t see it. I was talking to Dee.”
Casey narrowed his eyes at Donnie, who returned the look. “Yeah, thanks for ditching us earlier. The cops were pissed.”
“Casey!” April frowned at him and turned to Donnie again, “They were a little mad, but it wasn’t a big deal.”
Casey made a face, but didn’t argue, instead sneering down at the half-made board Donnie had absently begun putting together. “So you fix boards… Can you even skate?”
Donnie’s nose wrinkled. “Of course, I just forgot my board today.”
Casey snorted, “Yeah, because people who come to skate parks usually forget their boards.”
“I could out skate you on scrape.” Donnie glared, standing to tower over Casey just a little.
“Guys, Casey, is this really necessary?” April sighed.
Casey ignored her and nudged the board on Donnie’s lap, “So finish that hunk of junk and prove it.”
April rolled her eyes as Donnie bent to finish his board. Half an hour later they stood side-by-side on a cleared section of the park, a small gather of spectators on the sides.
“One run each, fan favorite wins.” Casey grinned. “Casey Jones is a hard act to follow, want to go first?”
“I’d rather see what Casey Jones can do.” Donnie deadpanned.
“Your funeral, but if you get too intimidated don’t feel too much like a loser for slinking off. Even if you are.”
Donnie tongued his gap irritably. Casey skating would be a good distraction to sneak off, but the thought of leaving now, of letting Casey win because he thought Donnie was afraid made him grit his teeth. “You don’t scare me, Jones.”
Casey frowned and looked him over suspiciously, but he finally turned and rolled to the starting point. “Goongala!”
Donnie rolled his eyes at the catchphrase as Casey launched himself. He knew what Casey was capable of and had to grudgingly admit that he at least wasn’t pulling his punches as he flipped, tricked, and ground across the track.
As Casey headed back to the start Donnie yawned widely, making sure it was seen.
“How you like me now?” Casey grinned at him confidently.
Donnie blinked in confusion, “Oh, did you go? Sorry, must have missed it.”
He carefully didn’t smile as he heard the grind of Casey’s remaining teeth. Kicking his board up, Donnie headed for the edge. He could act as nonchalant as he wanted, but Jones had brought his “A” game, even April had cheered for him and the rest of the crowd definitely was. He stopped at the edge of the ramp, eyes tracing over the course as he made quick calculations. He put down the board, testing his weight on it, the feel of his wheels.
“Any day now.” Casey called mockingly.
Donnie turned to face him, standing backwards on his board. “You can’t rush genius.”
It only took a nudge to start him down the ramp backwards, a few whoops of surprise coming from the crowd. Donnie used his weight to land hard, kicking off to flip around. He moved fluidly through his planned tricks, the crowd cheering him through ollies, grinds, and kick flips, but he knew he needed a clincher. He headed back for the start ramp, making sure he didn’t lose any speed on his assent to get the height he needed. In the air, he grabbed the board, twisting himself upside down to land in a handstand, but he wasn’t done yet. He bounced slightly, pushing down on his tail to flip the board onto its back edge, carefully balancing myself on the thin line and slowly raising himself to a one handed hand stand. Donnie held the pose for a moment before letting gravity pull him down, flipping back over to land on his feet in front of stunned Casey.
There was a moment of silence before cheers, whistles, and even a scream or two erupted behind him. At Casey’s gaping expression he couldn’t hide a smirk. “I think I might have won this round, Jones.”
“Oh my god, that was amazing! How do you even balance like that?” April was still clapping as she walked up and Donnie blushed at the praise.
“Um, well to be honest it took a lot of practice and calculation to figure the balance and you can’t hold it long. I’m lucky I actually managed to stick it on this board.”
“Calculation?” April’s nose wrinkled, “Figures you’d be a physics whiz in addition to repairing boards with almost nothing and stopping purse snatchers.”
Donnie swallowed nervously, it was so easy to forget she had no idea who he was.
“What the hell, Red?” Casey exploded angrily, “You’re cheering for this creep?”
“Casey, I cheered for you too.” April rolled her eyes and shook her head.
“You only just met the guy and you’re making moon eyes at him.” Casey crossed his arms with a pout.
Donnie’s eyes widened in horror, obviously Casey’s loss had broken his brain because Donnie could SEE the steam coming out of April’s ears and the hockey player wasn’t running.
“Listen here, Jones.” April poked Casey’s chest with her finger, the look in her eyes cowing him instantly. “I’ll cheer for whoever I want and I wasn’t making ‘moon-eyes’ at anyone, but even if I as that’s none of your damn business!”
With each growled word Casey backed up fearfully until he was pinned against the chain link fence that ringed the park and April began dressing him down in earnest. Donnie winced, he almost felt sorry for Casey, but he’d been asking for it. Also this was just the opportunity he needed to sneak off before they figured him out, April was dangerously close all ready. He watched April and Casey arguing a minute longer, a pang of wistfulness in his chest. He couldn’t stay and trying to say goodbye would get complicated. He abandoned the board by the dumpster and collected his bag, hiding himself in the crowds once more.
By the time the sun started to set Donnie still found himself wandering the streets of New York City, though it didn’t feel as good anymore. Pairs and groups of people passed him in increasing numbers as night slid nearer. Donnie felt his heart clench as a couple walked passed hand-in-hand, even worse was seeing the pair of friends laughing together. He leaned against a building, scuffing his toe against the pavement. ‘What’s wrong with me? What suddenly getting to be outside without sending people into fits isn’t good enough?’ Donnie thought miserably. Couldn’t’ he ever stop wanting the stupidly impossible? He let his head fall against the bricks, the pain in his head distracting him momentarily. He sighed gustily and opened his eyes to blink at the darkening sky. The weird angle allowed him to see just the tops of the buildings a block over, including a familiar sign. A sad smile touched his lips, Murakami-san was his friend, he was always welcome at the restaurant and it would be interesting to see if Murakami-san could recognize him.
Murakami’s noodle shop was fairly busy when Donnie entered. It was odd to see so many people seated at tables and around the bar. Murakami called a distracted welcome over his shoulder to Donnie as he served bowls of soup and platters of pizza gyoza. Donnie’s stomach rumbled at the smell and suddenly the pizza from earlier felt like an eternity ago. Donnie moved away from the crowd towards the end of the bar with a few empty seats.
“Irasshai!” Murakami paused in front of him.
“Konbanwa Murakami-san. Genki desu ka?” Donnie smiled as Murakami’s expression shifted from smiling to confused and vaguely horrified.
“Turtle-san? How are you here?” He bent close, keeping his voice down, clearly listening for sounds of distress from other patrons.
Donnie felt guilty when he saw how worried Murakami was. “It’s all right Murakami-san. I’m in disguise, no one can really see me.”
Murakami’s look of confusion didn’t waver, but he did calm down. “Are you sure it’s safe?”
Donnie chuckled drily, “Well, no one’s run screaming from me so I must have done all right.”
Murakami finally relaxed with a laugh, before frowning again. “Where are your brothers?”
“Ah,” Donnie shifted uncomfortably, he wasn’t really sure what to say. “I’m kind of doing a test run on a new piece of tech.” The lie felt sticky in Donnie’s throat, like it might choke him with guilt while Murakami hummed thoughtfully. Donnie sunk lower in his seat feeling lucky that at least his guilty face couldn’t be seen.
“Lucky day for you then.” Murakami finally smiled, “Mikey-san cannot steal your gyoza.”
Donnie smiled gratefully at the man, “Thanks, Murakami-san.”
“Anytime, Turtle-san.” He turned back to his pots and pans, wrapping himself up in a familiar cooking frenzy that was comforting to watch.
The bell over the door chimed again and a familiar voice called out. “Evening Murakami-san!”
“April-chan, welcome!” Murakami swept his hand over the bar towards Donnie’s seat. “Have a seat, it’s good to hear you.”
Donnie wanted to drop his head against the bar. Why did he come to April’s favorite restaurant? What was he thinking? Genius his tail, he was an idiot. He covered his face as April made her way over to the few seats available in the corner and he could feel her pause when she caught sight of him.
“Dee?”
Donnie took a deep breath and raised his head, “Oh, hey! Funny meeting you here.”
She smiled and made her way over, taking the seat next to him, blowing her bangs out of her face. “You disappeared again, it’s like you’re a ninja or something. And trust me, I know ninja.”
Donnie nearly choked on strangled laughter, scratching the side of his neck while he seriously contemplated braining himself on the counter. She totally knew and was just messing with him… Or was she? God he didn’t even know. In front of them, Murakami listened to the interaction curiously, wiping his hands off on a towel.
“You know this boy?” he asked in a fatherly way that made April smile.
“Yeah, we met earlier when he was impersonating Batman and caught a purse-snatcher, which was amazing. And again at the skate park when he was fixing boards, which was also amazing. Then he schooled Casey in skating, which was… yeah pretty amazing.”
Donnie felt his face heat and he smiled goofily at her. It wasn’t that April didn’t ever compliment him, but it didn’t usually feel like this. “Um… thanks.” He fiddled with his chopsticks absently, looking bashfully down at the table.
“Very impressive.” Murakami nodded as he set a glass of water in front both of them turning towards Donnie with a measured expression on his face that Donnie wasn’t sure how to read. “What can I get for you tonight?”
April turned to Donnie, leaning towards him. “Have you been here before? I’ve never seen you and I eat here all the time so I’m guessing no, which means you HAVE to try the pizza gyoza. Murakami-san came up with the recipe himself for some close friends of mine.”
Donnie felt a stab of guilt, but nodded with a smile. “I… saw those on the menu and they looked good.”
“Pizza gyoza for two it is.” Murakami nodded to them and moved to fill the order.
April tucked hair behind her ear self-consciously, “Sorry, was that too pushy?”
“Huh? Oh, no, don’t worry about it. I was actually going to have the gyoza.” Donnie shifted and stared at the counter top. Silence fell between them, it felt awkward and weighty.
“It was the fight, wasn’t it?”
Donnie looked up at April who was tracing the rim of her cup looking uncomfortable. “What?”
“That’s why you left, right? Me and Casey arguing. I can’t blame you, we can be rough to be around sometimes and you seem like the sensitive type.” She smiled apologetically. “Sorry.”
“It-it’s ok. No, I didn’t mind. I was… well, I was kind of impressed by how scared he was of you.” Donnie admittedly quietly, and it was only the truth seeing Jones so cowed was good for his soul.
“As he should be.” April nodded seriously and then snorted with laughter that drew Donnie in too. When they stopped braced her elbow on the counter to lean close enough that they were almost touching. Donnie felt his heart race a little. “Honestly, I enjoyed watching you kick his butt skating way more than I should have.” She smiled teasingly.
Donnie’s face felt like it had exploded it was so hot, “O-oh..um, cool. I aim to please.”
Two generous platters of gyoza were set before them by Murakami, “Enjoy.” He smiled and headed towards another group of customers.
April took up her chopsticks, picking up the first of her gyoza. “I know it seems like a weird combination but I promise-“ She cut herself off as she watched Donnie enthusiastically eating the gyoza set before him.
Donnie glanced at her, swallowing his bite of food. “Something wrong?”
“I just, most people are a bit more hesitant about trying it.” April admitted somewhat surprised.
“Well… It’s pizza.” Donnie tried to cover as he ate another one happily, “Can’t go wrong with pizza.”
April watched in silence long enough that Donnie started to feel awkward again, wondering if he’d given himself away finally and how angry she was. April finally shook her head with a fond smile.
“What?” He asked hesitantly.
“You… remind me of a good friend, is all.” April ate one of her pot stickers.
“Is that a bad thing?” Donnie toyed with the gyoza on his tray, almost afraid to hear what she would say.
She laughed and leaned over to bump their shoulders together, looking up at his through her lashes. “No, he’s a great guy.”
Donnie’s heart twisted at her words, his smile weak. They weren’t similar, they were the same and if he was such a great guy why didn’t she act like this around him? They continued the meal with small snippets of conversation between ravenous eating so it didn’t take long for them to finish the gyoza. When April asked for their checks Murakami waved them off, even when she protested.
“No, it’s fine April-chan. Go have fun you two.” He smiled and moved back down the counter.
April shrugged and turned to Donnie. “He does that sometimes, Murakami-san is a really nice man.”
“Yeah,” Donnie agreed as they wove their way out of the still bustling restaurant.
April shifted her weight from foot to foot as they stood in front of the shop, looking out at the road. “Hey Dee, did you have plans after this?”
Donnie looked at her in surprise. “No, not really. I was thinking about going home.”
April shrugged and even though it was supposed to be careless she twisted her hands slightly. “We could hang out, if you wanted.”
Donnie watched incredulously as April’s cheeks took on a faint pink tinge. He felt himself blush in response, even as his stomach churned with confusion. This was something he’d dreamed about, going on a date with April. But she wasn’t asking Donnie, she was asking Dee, the human as far as she knew. But would he ever have the chance to go on a normal date again? Much less a date with April? It wasn’t like he could make a habit of sneaking out to wear the projector. Donnie felt down his arm to the watch that had given him one wish and was giving him the chance for another. Really it wasn’t a question. He smiled at her. “I’d love to.”
“Great!” she grinned, putting her hands behind her back and leaning towards him. “Anything in particular you want to do? There’s a great arcade nearby or maybe we could catch a movie.”
“I’ve never actually been to an arcade,” Donnie shrugged at her incredulous look. “I’ve been kind of… sheltered.”
“No kidding!” April laughed, “Ok, arcade first and then we can see if there are any other firsts we can work on.”
Over the course of the next hour Donnie learned that arcades and April were dirty, rotten cheaters and he said as much as he lost his fifth straight game of Zombie Hunt.
“You’re the one who stepped in front of zombie hordes!” April giggled as she sipped her milkshake in the diner they’d retired to after Donnie had thrown his gun controller down in disgust.
“I did not! You pushed me.” Donnie narrowed his eyes, even though he was smiling.
“Semantics.” She said airily and they both laughed.
“I honestly thought I’d be better with skee ball.” Donnie admitted sheepishly.
“It’s the runs,” April shook her head reassuringly, “They have dips and stuff to make it harder to aim. Arcades really do play dirty most of the time.”
“So why go?” Donnie asked, feeling a bit better about his horrible skee ball scores.
“Because they’re still fun, even if they are more crooked than my teeth were before I had braces.” April smiled flirtatiously at him.
It wasn’t the first time, but every time she gave him a small smile or found an excuse to lean close he was still left stunned. As himself April touched him freely, even often depending on the day or circumstances, but this felt different. His heart beat harder to see each smile and hear each laugh.
“Ok, so what should we do next?” April squirmed excitedly in her seat. “Bowling? How about bowling?”
Donnie winced, thinking of the tiny holes drilled into the balls that would never fit his fingers. “Yeah, I don’t think that’s a good idea. I don’t… I can’t really bowl.”
“Ok,” she nodded thoughtfully, “We could do something else, maybe just wander until we figure it out?”
Donnie smiled softly, “That sounds great, just hanging out is really nice.”
A sense of wonder stole over Donnie as he watch April blush and duck her head shyly, he’d give anything to be able to make her look like this all the time.
“Yeah, besides it’d be cool to get to know the pro-skating-vigilante-repairman-physicist.”
Donnie chuckled, “Wordy nickname.”
“Yeah, I’ll probably stick with Dee.” April smiled as they stood to head back out to the street.
It was cool and crowded as they wandered through Chinatown, trading little bits of their lives. Donnie carefully doctored his answers as much as he knew April doctored hers. They moved from the busier streets to quiet alleys and eventually to an all too familiar park. April took a seat in one of the swings, motioning for Donnie to do the same next to her.
“Do you have siblings?” April asked as she squinted at him, “I’ll bet you do. I bet you aren’t the oldest either.”
“Oh yeah? Why?” Donnie smiled indulgently as she bumped against him on purpose.
“I don’t know, it just feels right.”
Donnie shook his head, “You’d be right. I’ve got three brothers. Most days it feels like they’re just out to drive me crazy.”
April shook her head. “I don’t know what that’s like, I don’t have siblings. Well, not technically. I’m good friends with a bunch of guys who are like brothers. They’re weird, but good and they feel like family. They’ve been with me since my life turned upside down and I can’t imagine my life without them. My Sensei told me once that it was like destiny, but different. Sorry, it’s a Japanese word and I can’t remember it.”
“Hitsuzen: inevitability. It’s kind of like destiny, but self-decided by single events.”
“Yeah that, how did you know?”
“I got the same lecture from Sensei.” Donnie looked up at the sky as he remembered getting what was likely a similar lecture, though in his case it had to do with blowing up the lab…again and taking a different path in the future. Silence settled over them so long Donnie looked away from where he’d been trying to pick out Orion in the light washed night sky to look at April’s shocked face.
“Donnie?”
He realized what he’d said and quickly stood, face falling at her look of betrayal. “April..I-“
“No!” She stood, clenching her fists at her side and looking away. “Whatever excuse you’re going to give me I don’t want to hear it. What the hell were you thinking?”
Donnie bit his lip, dropping his gaze in shame. She was right, he shouldn’t have tricked her, but what could he have said to make her understand?
“Was this fun? Fooling me and Casey? Why would you even do this?”
Donnie looked at her sadly as she ranted, he didn’t have an answer other than it felt nice to treated like a regular person.
April paused and looked at him in horror, “Donnie, did you do this to go on a date with me?”
Donnie’s eyes widened in alarm, “April wait, no that wasn’t-“
“Stop it! That’s-that’s so messed up I can’t even wrap my head around it. It’s twisted and disgusting!”
Donnie felt his heart break, he knew, he’d always known he was a disgusting freak. He should have been grateful that she hadn’t pointed it out until now. “Don’t you think I know that!”
April was brought up short by the anger in his voice, watching as he punched the swing angrily.
“I know! I’m a mutant, a freak! People run away screaming if they see me, I know what I am!” She backed away as he walked up to her and he smiled painfully, “At least you can pretend sometimes that your life isn’t an episode of X-Files. You want to know why?” Donnie paced as he talked, arms gesturing madly as April watched with wide eyes. “Because you’re not the only one who sometimes wishes their life was normal. I have to cover every inch of what I am to even be allowed out of the sewer or I have to hide all the time. Can you imagine how it felt to just be able to walk outside? Everyone’s treated me differently today,” Donnie smiled ruefully as he realized the one person who treated him the same no matter what. “Everyone but Casey.”
“Donnie, I didn’t-“ April started to deny, but Donnie cut her off.
“Don’t, you don’t want me to lie to you. Fine, then don’t lie to me. You honestly think I didn’t notice you were flirting with me?”
“I wasn’t!” April protested hotly and Donnie could see angry tears in her eyes, but the damage was already done so there was no reason to hold back. Better for her to hate him completely than feel sorry for him later. He couldn’t do that anymore.
“Please,” he sneered and she was shocked into speechlessness, Donnie had only ever been polite to her save once. “Do you honestly think I don’t know body language April? The laughing, way you looked at Dee. And you said it yourself didn’t you? Dee reminded you a lot of a ‘good friend’. Too bad that good friend is too disgusting to even contemplate, isn’t it?”
April stared at him in shocked silence as he breathed heavily from his outburst. The seconds crawled by and it felt like Donnie’s ribs were caving in. He didn’t know if it was regret or heartache, but he knew he couldn’t’ stay here any longer.
“You’re right, I shouldn’t have tricked you. I’m sorry April. Goodbye.” Donnie turned, not waiting to hear if she said anything and raced from the park.
It wasn’t far to the nearest manhole cover and he dropped into the comfort, cool, damp of home, the dark settling around him. He gasped against the wall, feeling the sting of tears prick his eyes. Soft illumination exposed the slime covered walls as his invention flashed a battery low warning. He stared down at the watch face; technology had always seemed like a way to make things better, to make dreams come true. He wasn’t entirely sure anymore as he pulled they projector from his wrist, the hologram blinking off around him. He stared down at the invention, so small in his massive, alien hands and found it shockingly easy to tear it apart, the various pieces making soft plips as they hit the stagnant water. He dropped the last piece and turned, there was nowhere for him to go now but home.
Once he’d gotten home, Donnie didn’t see much point in leaving his lab again, so he didn’t bother for the next three days. And the only reason he knew it was three days is because Mikey had told him it wasn’t healthy to hole up alone that long when he snuck in to feed his older brother. They’d all asked of course, Leo, Mikey, Splinter, even Raph. Donnie just sat in silence at his computer, updating their security or the Shellraiser, or whatever he could do to keep busy.
Unfortunately being in his lab also meant he was acutely aware that April hadn’t been by in that time either. Donnie was still trying to decide if he should explain to everyone that they would probably never see her again. He buried his face in his hands with a sigh. A knock sounded on the door and Donnie cracked an eye in irritation, he honestly thought when he’d chased Raph out of the lab with acid that they got the message that he didn’t want to talk.
“Busy.” He finally called out when the knock came again.
The door slid open and Donnie grit his teeth as he realized Mikey had opened the main door when he’d snuck in through the garage. He turned around, “I’m bus-“
April wrapped her arms around herself, shifting uncomfortably. “I know, but think you can make an exception?”
“April?” Donnie wondered absently if he’d been working too long and was starting to hallucinate. He blinked and shook his head. He thought he’d gotten a few hours of sleep, but maybe not.
“Relax Donnie, I’m real.” April walked over, stopping a few feet away.
The distance made something in him ache, though he understood. She didn’t have to hide what she thought of him anymore, of course she would keep her distance. He couldn’t for the life of him figure out why she was here, but he did have something to say to her.
“April, I know it’s too late, but I wanted to apologize. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you it was me, but I wasn’t intending to trick you, I swear.” He sighed. “And I don’t blame you for the way you feel.”
“Do you know why I had so much fun with Dee?”
Donnie looked up at her with a frown, but she was absently spinning her lab chair and wouldn’t look at him. He finally shrugged, “Because, you found him interesting enough and conventionally attractive?”
April snorted and shook her head, “He was cute, I guess.” She looked at him and shrugged one shoulder, “I realized it when I got home later that night. I had fun because he was you and I always have fun when I’m with you.”
Donnie cursed his traitorous stomach as he felt the first flutter of butterflies, trying desperately to quash the feeling. It didn’t mean anything, he was still a mutant freak, even if he was fun to hang around. “Do you think it’s stupid? That I wanted to be human?”
April came around the desk and carefully laid a hand on his shoulder, meeting Donnie’s surprised look. “I’m glad you’re not. What are the chances that a human would have come across my Dad and me being kidnapped and jump from a helicopter to save me?”
Donnie laughed softly, but was surprised when she kept going.
“And if you hadn’t saved me we wouldn’t have gone on the best date I’ve ever had.”
Donnie stared at her a long moment, wondering if his eyes were tricking him when a faint blush dusted her freckles. She cleared her throat, reaching down to take his hand. “It is a shame you have to hide though, I’d be proud to walk next to you.”
Donnie’s throat tightened and he squeezed her hand, stomach flip-flopping when she squeezed his fingers back. He stood, wrapping his arms around her fiercely, grateful that she held back just as tight. It took a minute for his eyes to stop watering and he coughed, backing away from the hug with an awkward laugh. “Sorry, turtle shell. That was probably uncomfortable.”
April smiled at him, “Not really.”
Donnie ducked his head, rubbing his neck awkwardly. There was so much he wanted to say, but he wasn’t sure how, or even if he should. “April, I-“
“Hey Donnie, do you want to go get some pizza gyoza?” She smiled at him and even though it wasn’t quite the same as the look she’d given Dee, Donnie felt his heart speed up anyway.
“I can go tell the others.” Donnie offered carefully, wondering.
April bit her lip, “I meant just you and me.”
Donnie blushed, carefully reaching down to take her hand again and tugging towards the garage door where it was easier to sneak out. She followed him laughing.
Summary: New York is a long way behind them now. As the crew of the spaceship Honour’s Blade, Leonardo and his brothers transport weaponry and supplies through Kraang blockaded star systems, to aid the rebellion against the Kraang. It’s a dangerous job, but at least they are all together, right?
Ambushed by a Kraang squadron their hyperspace jump goes wrong, sending them into unfamiliar space. While they struggle to figure out where they are, Leonardo has to deal with Donatello’s increasing distance. Then a new enemy comes out of the depths of space.
Besieged on all sides, Leonardo must find a way to reach Donatello if they are going to get out of this alive.
Rating: PG-13
Universe: TMNT 2012
Tags/Warnings: Some swearing
Author: Adoradork
Working on the TMNT Big Bang: This is my first big bang, and it’s been a lot of fun. The Big Bang was an excellent chance to try out a new story idea, and I’m pleased with the direction my brainstorming led. Getting the 2012 boys out of New York and into space was great fun. Working with an artist was a lovely experience. Watching my story come to life in pictures, seeing the artist’s interpretation of the story was really amazing. I was lucky to team up with a lovely artist, thank you Sierra. I would definitely try another Big Bang in the future. Thank you Bee for organising it.
Artist: NeapolitanKitten
I was thrilled to get to collaborate with Adoradork. She’s such a fantastic writer! I had a blast doing concept sketches of turtles in space—I came up with designs for their spaceship, spacesuits, and a tentacled space monster. I’ll post those on my blog later, and hopefully color them all eventually too! This was one of my first attempts at digital art, so it turned out to be a great learning experience.
The first chapter is below; links to the rest coming soon!
**********
Chapter One
The Honour’s Blade shuddered as a plasma blast slammed into the hull. Leonardo guided the ship into a vertical pitch to dodge the hail of torpedoes coming their way. His fingers tingled as adrenaline rushed through his body. How had this happened? This system was supposed to be neutral. There should not have been a Kraang squadron waiting for them. One more jump, one more short jump and they would have been back at the rebel base.
Summary: New York is a long way behind them now. As the crew of the spaceship Honour’s Blade, Leonardo and his brothers transport weaponry and supplies through Kraang blockaded star systems, to aid the rebellion against the Kraang. It’s a dangerous job, but at least they are all together, right?
Ambushed by a Kraang squadron their hyperspace jump goes wrong, sending them into unfamiliar space. While they struggle to figure out where they are, Leonardo has to deal with Donatello’s increasing distance. Then a new enemy comes out of the depths of space.
Besieged on all sides, Leonardo must find a way to reach Donatello if they are going to get out of this alive.
Rating: PG-13
Universe: TMNT 2012
Tags/Warnings: Some swearing
Author: Adoradork
Working on the TMNT Big Bang: This is my first big bang, and it’s been a lot of fun. The Big Bang was an excellent chance to try out a new story idea, and I’m pleased with the direction my brainstorming led. Getting the 2012 boys out of New York and into space was great fun. Working with an artist was a lovely experience. Watching my story come to life in pictures, seeing the artist’s interpretation of the story was really amazing. I was lucky to team up with a lovely artist, thank you Sierra. I would definitely try another Big Bang in the future. Thank you Bee for organising it.
Artist: NeapolitanKitten
I was thrilled to get to collaborate with Adoradork. She’s such a fantastic writer! I had a blast doing concept sketches of turtles in space—I came up with designs for their spaceship, spacesuits, and a tentacled space monster. I’ll post those on my blog later, and hopefully color them all eventually too! This was one of my first attempts at digital art, so it turned out to be a great learning experience.
The first chapter is below; links to the rest coming soon!
**********
Chapter One
The Honour’s Blade shuddered as a plasma blast slammed into the hull. Leonardo guided the ship into a vertical pitch to dodge the hail of torpedoes coming their way. His fingers tingled as adrenaline rushed through his body. How had this happened? This system was supposed to be neutral. There should not have been a Kraang squadron waiting for them. One more jump, one more short jump and they would have been back at the rebel base.
Summary: Three months have been stolen from Leonardo’s life, leaving his friends and family in a temporary standstill while he recovers. Now that he’s awakened, Leo wants nothing more than to get back in the swing of things; re-strengthening both his body and mind. But with Raphael keeping a constant vigil over him, Leonardo starts to get rather annoyed with his persistent brother. How can he become stronger when Raph is constantly “babying” him over the simplest of tasks? But what Leo doesn’t seem to understand is that he isn’t the only one who has some healing to do.
Rating: PG-13
Universe: TMNT 2012
Tags/Warnings: Brotherly fluff, swearing, mild spoilers from Season 2 finale and Season 3 Episode 1 “Within the Woods”
Author: NerdFighter
This was my first Bang as well as my first fic that I’ve written in the past four or so months. I’ve been going through a lot of Real Life stuff. Getting married, moving, finding work, and enjoying the holidays, so I greatly appreciate my artist for taking the time and patience waiting for me to finish my work. She did a wonderful job and I couldn’t ask for a better artist! Thank you so much, honorosexual-leonardo! And thank you, theherocomplex for headlining the Bang and a BIG thank you to Novus Ordo Seclorum and Lexifer for always inspiring me with awesome ideas! You guys rock!
Artist: Furdonkadonk
Read the story below, or on ff.net!
**********
The air was crisp this time of day, a sharp aroma intermingled with the fresh scent of pine needles and charred oak. Beneath him, the grass felt soft – dew coating the bottoms of his gauze-wrapped feet. And while the sun’s glorious rays felt warm and inviting against his bruised and battered skin, it was all a rather foreign feeling for Leonardo, leaning against his crutch, lakeside, when not too long ago he was sloshing through the harsh winters of New York City; the cold winds biting mercilessly at his fingers and toes until they grew painfully numb. Fast-forwarding straight into spring was a nice change of pace, but he couldn’t help but feel … out of place. Like an outsider thrust into unfamiliar territory – three months snatched away faster than a snap of his own fingers.
Summary: Three months have been stolen from Leonardo’s life, leaving his friends and family in a temporary standstill while he recovers. Now that he’s awakened, Leo wants nothing more than to get back in the swing of things; re-strengthening both his body and mind. But with Raphael keeping a constant vigil over him, Leonardo starts to get rather annoyed with his persistent brother. How can he become stronger when Raph is constantly “babying” him over the simplest of tasks? But what Leo doesn’t seem to understand is that he isn’t the only one who has some healing to do.
Rating: PG-13
Universe: TMNT 2012
Tags/Warnings: Brotherly fluff, swearing, mild spoilers from Season 2 finale and Season 3 Episode 1 “Within the Woods”
Author: NerdFighter
This was my first Bang as well as my first fic that I’ve written in the past four or so months. I’ve been going through a lot of Real Life stuff. Getting married, moving, finding work, and enjoying the holidays, so I greatly appreciate my artist for taking the time and patience waiting for me to finish my work. She did a wonderful job and I couldn’t ask for a better artist! Thank you so much, honorosexual-leonardo! And thank you, theherocomplex for headlining the Bang and a BIG thank you to Novus Ordo Seclorum and Lexifer for always inspiring me with awesome ideas! You guys rock!
Artist: Furdonkadonk
Read the story below, or on ff.net!
**********
The air was crisp this time of day, a sharp aroma intermingled with the fresh scent of pine needles and charred oak. Beneath him, the grass felt soft – dew coating the bottoms of his gauze-wrapped feet. And while the sun’s glorious rays felt warm and inviting against his bruised and battered skin, it was all a rather foreign feeling for Leonardo, leaning against his crutch, lakeside, when not too long ago he was sloshing through the harsh winters of New York City; the cold winds biting mercilessly at his fingers and toes until they grew painfully numb. Fast-forwarding straight into spring was a nice change of pace, but he couldn’t help but feel … out of place. Like an outsider thrust into unfamiliar territory – three months snatched away faster than a snap of his own fingers.
“Feels real different, huh?”
Leonardo spun his head around, panic striking his chest until he realized it was only Raphael, arms crossed while leaning against a nearby oak tree. His heartbeat stilled, fingers curled tightly around his crutch. He silently scolded himself for not hearing his brother’s approaching footsteps sooner. Those three months stolen from him must’ve also stripped away his sixth sense, reducing him to an open target. If he had still been in New York … if Raphael hadn’t been Raphael, but….
Leo shook away those thoughts before they had any chance to fester.
“Donnie and Mikey are used to it for the most part,” Raphael continued, pushing himself away from the oak tree. “It’s alright, I guess.”
“Definitely not the city.” Leo glanced toward the lapping waters of the small lake, catching glimpse of a flopping fishtail before it disappeared back into the water. He searched the ground for any rocks he could throw into the lake but couldn’t find any nearby. Nothing but dirt and twigs and little patches of baby grass.
“It’s different, but not unwelcoming,” Leo said with a light smile, allowing the gentle winds to kiss his face. “Definitely gonna take some time to get used to though, especially with this stupid thing holding me back.”
He motioned at the crutch held beneath his armpit, glaring at it like it was the cause of his fatal injuries. He saw Raph follow his gaze, his expression strained and lips taught, but he turned away when he noticed Leo was staring at him. Grunting inaudibly, he slapped a hand atop Leo’s shoulder, his grip gentle and very unlike his usual firm holds; ones that held strength and power beneath his fingertips. This one was soft. Careful. Almost like he was petting a baby rabbit. It felt completely out of character for his hotheaded brother, but Leo tried not to pay too much attention to it.
“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it, Fearless Leader,” Raphael said with a grin. “Right now, you should take it easy.”
Leo flashed his brother a rather confused look, his expression a little thrown off. Wasn’t it just a few hours ago Raph was saying that he was going to help him get back into shape? Sure, he would have to hold back some with his injured leg, but with proper exercise and mobility, he should be back to normal in no time.
He rubbed the back of his neck, chuckling uncertainly. “Uh, yeah … right. I should still be good with a little light training, just to work out my muscles a bit while they start to recover. Maybe a small hike through the woods?” Smiling playfully, he brushed his knuckles against Raph’s shoulder in a light punch. “Y’know, if you’re up for it.”
Raphael paused, eyeing Leo with a look the katana-wielder wasn’t quite sure of. But then he looked – really looked – at his Raph’s face. The tired expression. The heavy bags under his eyes. Had Raph been getting any sleep ever since he woke from his come? He knew his brother wasn’t getting much sleep while he was in recovery the past three months, but now that Leo was able to function again, the burden should be less substantial for Raph and everyone else. So why did he look so drained? So out of focus that he might as well be a walking zombie?
“Raph, have you…” He paused, choosing his words carefully. An awake and fully functional Raph was already easy to piss off, so if he wasn’t getting any sleep for whatever reason, Leo had to make sure he didn’t say anything out of bounds that would cause his brother to explode into a cranky, irritable rage. “Uhh, you’re not … I mean, are you, uh…”
Raphael scrunched his face in confusion, his eyes narrowed impatiently as Leo continued to fumble over his words. It wasn’t long though until he realized what it was Leo was getting at and he let out a tired, almost strained chuckle. “Yeah, I know, I look like hell, right?” He rubbed his eyes mercilessly before letting out a short yawn. “Casey already informed me with that little detail. Said I’m one sleepless night away from lookin’ like the Walkers from The Walking Dead. Asshat.”
Leo was at a loss for words, trying to understand what it was his brother was telling him. He blinked slowly. “So … you’re not getting any sleep?”
His answer came a little quicker than Leo was expecting. “Just, my bed’s a little hard to get comfortable in, y’know? Believe it or not, dozin’ off on a little stool’s lot more comfortable than tryin’ to sleep on that rock of a bed. Probably hasn’t been broken in for years.”
He was rambling, a characteristic Leo would expect from Donnie and Mikey, but not Raph. Raph was usually straightforward with his words, expressing himself through short-tempered shouts and swears before he would storm off to his room or journey topside. Quick and simple was Raphael’s game, while occasionally fumbling over his words whenever he would muster up the courage to apologize for something he had said or done. He hated dragging out the situation, because it meant dealing with the problem longer than he deemed necessary. Despite Raph always giving Leo grief for ducking and running away from battles he knew him and his brothers couldn’t handle, Raphael was the exact same way when it came to confrontation. Go in, sputter an apology, and then get the hell out. This was all very new to Leo and he wondered how could so much have changed in the span of only three months?
Nevertheless, he decided not to dwell on it too much, thinking Raph would confront him about his sleepless nights in due time or just come to terms with it on his own and go back to normal without telling anybody a thing. Raph was a very private person when it came to his feelings and sometimes all he needed was his own space to focus on his problems before he went back to being his usual, grumpy self. One could never tell how the hothead was going to choose to deal with his problems, whether they be taking to the streets on his own – or with Casey – and beating the crap out of robbers and gangbangers, or just locking himself in his room and throwing around a couple of things before he plopped himself on his bed and just grumbled to himself. Leo never ‘poked the bear’, so to speak, because it only made the situation worse – and mostly because he was usually the reason why Raph was always in a sour mood. So he let it go, allowing his brother to come to him rather than pestering him about what was bothering him.
No matter how strange or out-of-character he was acting right now….
“So, is this your way of telling me I’m better off sleeping in the tub the rest of the time we’re here?” Leo asked with a chuckle, referring back to Raphael’s supposed uncomfortable mattress. He wanted to promptly change the subject of why his brother hadn’t been getting much sleep after he had awoken from his coma and it seemed to do the trick, causing Raph to motion him back towards the farmhouse so they could discuss the new sleeping arrangements.
“I’m tellin’ ya now, you ain’t gonna wanna share a room with Mikey. April’s got him doin’ most of the farm work, so he gets up pretty early.”
Leo paused mid-step, raising a questioning eye ridge. “Uhm, have you forgotten I would always be the first one up back when we stilled lived in the sewers? Master Splinter had me be the one to wake you guys up every morning to make sure you made it on time for training.”
“Yeah, but just ‘cuz Mikey wakes up early doesn’t mean he enjoys it,” Raphael pointed out, hopping over a thick, protruding tree root.
“Gotcha,” Leo said, taking his crutch and pressing all his weight onto it cautiously before hoisting himself onto the tree root. He balanced himself carefully, making sure he was steady before lowering his crutch back onto the ground. At that moment, Raphael had stopped walking to make sure Leo made it off the tree root safely, but the evident silence was making Leo rather uncomfortable, thinking, for some reason, that Raphael was judging him for going so incredibly slow just walking over a tree root. It warmed his cheeks, making him feel embarrassed and, almost inadequate, so he wet his lips and continued to talk, trying to get Raph to focus on something else other than watching him struggle with something so basic.
“S-So, you and Casey share a room?” Leo asked, his ‘good’ leg already beginning to convulse slightly from the amount of pressure he was putting on it. He needed to transfer his weight onto the crutch so that he could ease his way down, but it was becoming difficult to find a steady position without the end of the crutch slipping across the dew-coated grass. Inwardly, he cursed himself, but he tried to keep his face calm and collected so Raph wouldn’t notice.
His hotheaded brother shrugged nonchalantly. “Kinda, I guess. I didn’t do much sleepin’ in the bedroom while you were out cold, so it’s more Casey’s room than our room.” He waved his hand as if shooing off a fly. “He can have that dump. Keeps it clean ‘bout as well as Mikey keeps his own-”
“Auugggh!” Leo cried, his good leg bucking on him before he toppled to the ground, crutch completely leaving his hand.
He doubled over in a fetal position, cradling his bad leg as it started to throb angrily. His eyes were screwed shut, but they immediately opened the second he felt Raph hovering over him, his eyes swimming with fear.
“Leo! Shit, are you okay? D-Don’t move, okay? I got this, just don’t move.”
“Raph, what’re you…?”
He stopped, eyes focused on his brother as he cradled his leg. A dirt-covered scrape covered the area where his kneepad would normally be, oozing fresh blood. It looked no serious than just an average cut him and his brothers would normally get when they were younger from tripping over various objects in the sewers; back when their Lair was nothing more than a work in progress and garbage laid strewn across the floor. To be honest, Leo wasn’t expecting Raph to do much to his knee with how tame it looked. Just look over it and tell him he was fine, that he needed to stop being such a pansy and get back on his feet. But that was not the case. Instead, Raph sunk his teeth into the gauze wrapped around his hand and pulled, tearing it off and unravelling it quickly before taking both ends and ripping them down the middle.
He set aside one end of the bandage, getting up and rushing toward the lake. He soaked the gauze, wringing it out, and then rushed back. Confused, Leo watched Raph work hastily, brushing away at the dirt and little twigs until his knee was clean. Satisfied with his work, Raph set aside the dirty end of the gauze, taking the clean end and wrapping it around Leo’s knee, his focus steady and fingers nimble. He worked with haste, his eyes still wild and flitting back and forth, like he had just witnessed Leo snap his leg in half rather than just scrape it.
“There,” Raph breathed, snapping Leo back into focus, his knee firmly bandaged as if Donnie had wrapped it himself.
Normally Raph wasn’t so careful when it came to bandaging wounds – if he ever bandaged them at all. But the handy work he did on his knee was rather impressive, even for something so small that would probably take less than a week to heal completely. Still, Leo couldn’t ignore the way Raph had acted over his fall. After all, it was just a scrape.
“Uhh, thanks,” Leo said slowly. He reached for his crutch.
“Here, let me help-”
“I got it.” Leo snapped, his hand still reaching for the crutch. He could tell Raph was holding in his words, the tightness in his lips pressing uncomfortably together to the point where they quivered. Leo was seriously expecting for him to snap, but Raph stayed quiet, letting Leo reach for the crutch without a single protest.
Raph’s gaze remained solely on the ground. “S-Sorry,” he muttered. He hooked his thumbs inside his belt, his head tilted toward the lake, avoiding Leo’s gaze. For a moment, Leo was quiet, his eyes softening, mind still processing the events that have transpired. But before he could say anything, Raph cleared his throat, his shoulders shrugging and head shaking quickly back and forth. Fidgeting.
“C’mon, let’s go see if we can convince Mikey to ditch his room so you got somewhere to sleep tonight.”
“Raph, I-” But his brother was already brushing past him, his feet moving in quick strides toward the farmhouse, not even offering a second glance.
--
The smell of ramen noodles wafted through the kitchen, the warm, simmering broth drifting teasingly through Leonardo’s nostrils.
He sat patiently at the dining table, fingers tapping away at the wooden furnish while he rested his cheek against his palm. “You know, I could’ve made my own bowl. You didn’t have to make it for me.”
Raphael shrugged his shoulders, setting the fork aside and lifting the steaming pot off the stove. “You ain’t even supposed to be eatin’ this stuff anyway. Donnie’ll kill ya if he saw you makin’ yourself a bowl of ramen. Think of it as me takin’ the heat for ya.”
“I appreciate the offer.” He watched his brother pour the noodles into his bowl, the smell of the chicken-flavored seasoning making his stomach rumble. “But you really didn’t have to. This crutch may hold me back some, but I can still do simple things like make my own lunch.”
“Baby steps, remember?” Raphael said with a light smile. “We don’t want ya overexertin’ yourself right after you just woke up. Give yourself a day or two to get back in the swing of things before you start figurin’ out your limitations.”
Leo didn’t know what to say to that. A part of him wanted to point out the fact that if Raph kept babying him the way he was doing, he would never figure out what his limitations are, let alone learn to get better. He knew Shredder had taken quite a toll of his body, battering him bad enough to the point where his voice sounded different – according to Casey. Still, Leo couldn’t help the nagging feeling in the back of his mind telling him that he should be grateful. After all, Raph wasn’t exactly the first person he expected to be so quick to help when it came to his injuries.
He set the bowl in front of Leo, fork at the side while he took a seat for himself; arms folded and legs extended. Raph still looked pretty beat from earlier this morning back at the lake, eyes half-open and shoulders taut. While it was still a mystery as to why Raph wasn’t getting very much sleep, Leo found it more interesting to figure out why his brother was acting so … generous of a sudden. Contrary to the nagging part of his brain, he wasn’t being ungrateful – not in the slightest – but the amount of effort Raphael put in making sure Leo was comfortable was actually getting on his nerves quite a bit. After all, he wasn’t helpless. Nobody else had treated him any differently since he awoke from his coma, so why was Raph going out of his way to make sure he was always glued to his hip whenever he needed something done? Did he feel guilty? Was he upset that he wasn’t there by his side to help him fight off the Shredder in the beginning? Was he angry at Leo and using this sort of mother hen act as a weird way to get back at him?
…Or did Raph finally lose faith in him for not taking down the Shredder back in New York?
No. No, of course not. He had pushed himself to his greater limits fighting Shredder’s army of foot ninja and Rahzar, Fishface, and Tiger Claw. He had awakened the fury inside him that tapped into his fight-or-flight instincts, pushing his body until it pretty much screamed for rest. But he didn’t rest. Leo fought bravely and nearly died with honor knowing that he did everything in his power to avenge Master Splinter and Karai; wherever she was. He brought no shame to his family and no shame to himself, so Raph had no reason to think little of him for something that he fought adamantly to accomplish.
But you still failed, Leo thought harshly to himself, wondering if Raph or even the rest of his brothers thought differently of him because he didn’t come back to them victorious. He was their leader; the glue that held their team together. Whatever faith they held towards him before was now crushed by the Shredder’s victory, broken and managled between the enemy’s fingers. What amount of honor was there losing one’s own life to the enemy and being tossed precariously like a sack of garbage right at his family’s feet? He failed them and because of that, they all probably thought Leo was some helpless turtle in crutches now, unable to do anything for himself because of his injuries.
He was nothing. Not even worthy enough to be called a ninja anymore.
He was a failure.
Gritting his teeth, Leo looked up at Raphael, gaze cold and eyes smoldering. “I’m surprised you’re not feeding it to me too,” he spat, words oozing like poisonous venom. “With everything else you’ve been doing for me, are you sure feeding myself is something I’ll be able to handle?”
“What?” Raphael shot him a confused glare, his arms unfolding as he leaned in closer. “Leo, what the hell are you-”
“Yo, Raph!” Casey yelled from the front door, his voice booming loud and clear all the way through the kitchen. “Hey, we started training ten minutes ago! Aren’t ya comin’?”
His gaze flitted toward the door, but his mouth never opened to give Casey an answer. Looking back at Leo, Raph could see the betrayal in his eyes, lips firm and fingers curled into tight fists. He wasn’t quite sure what was going on or why Leo was acting this way, but a part of him – the part that wanted to ask Leo what the hell his deal was – fell silent.
Seconds passed and for a while, nobody said anything, the tension in the room heating up faster than Leo’s untouched bowl of ramen. Without a second thought, Leo stood up from his chair, eyes still locked hard on Raphael before he called over his shoulder with a wicked grin. “Yeah, we are, Casey. Both of us. We’ll meet you out there in a second.”
“Are you insane?” Raphael growled, his hands slamming hard on the kitchen table. “Leo, you can barely walk. What the hell makes ya think you can go out there and train with the rest of us?”
“Why don’t you follow me outside and find out for yourself?” Leo spat, crutch tucked securely underneath his armpit.
“Leo,” Raph said slowly, his voice quivering even though he tried oh so desperately to keep it from doing so. “I don’t know what the hell your deal is, but I am not lettin’ you go outside and train with us. You’re gonna get yourself killed.”
“‘I’ll have you on your feet in no time, bro’,” Leo mocked with a sneer. “Remember that, Raph? Remember that promise you made the first day I woke up? What happened to that promise now?”
“Leo, this is different.”
“How? How is this any different, Raphael? I’m still in the same condition I was the day I woke up. Same condition, same potential. Did you all of a sudden lose faith in me or something?”
“Leo-”
“Answer me!”
His eyes widened, taken aback by the forcefulness of Leo’s words, the sound of his quiet, heavy breathing now becoming the only sound in the kitchen. The only sound Raphael could hear. It felt so unnatural standing at the other side of the argument, watching the sanity slowly slip between the cracks of Leo’s normally firm grip, a feral blaze flickering wildly in his eyes.
For a second, neither of them said anything, Leo’s breaths slowly dying down to one frustrated grunt. He stared straight at Raph, noticing the slight shake in his shoulders and for a second, Leo wasn’t sure whether they were shaking out of anger or out of nerves. Yes, Raphael looked about as pissed off as he could get, but there was something beneath those tired eyes that didn’t project rage or hostility. No … they projected fear.
“Fine.” He pushed himself out of his chair, walking past Leo with a hard, rough brush of his shoulder. “One on one. You and me. Let’s see if Shredder really is the only one that can knock you off your ass.”
--
Four pairs of worried eyes greeted Leo as he followed Raph onto the front lawn near the tall oak tree. Though he was still on edge from the spat in the kitchen, he still couldn’t help but feel a wash of humility overpower the rage, his head bowed so as not to see the looks on everyone’s faces. When Raphael stopped, Leo watched him pull out his sais and twirl them in the familiar fashion he always did when prepared for battle, cracking his neck and rolling his shoulders to get his body ready.
Inwardly, Leo smiled. So he wasn’t going to hold back. Good.
“We’re using our weapons, huh? You sure I can handle it?”
“Just shut up and draw your blades, Leo,” Raphael snapped, positioning his body with his arms bent at an angle.
Before Leo could set aside his crutch, Donnie quickly stepped in the middle and intervened with a wave of his arms, his head shaking wildly. “Woah, woah, woah! Are you two insane?” He shot a look towards Raph. “Raph, Leo’s in no condition to even spare hand-to-hand let alone with weapons. What on earth are you think-”
“Stay out of this, Donnie,” Leo barked, but his brother had no intentions of moving. Before he could force Donnie to move out of the way, Mikey stepped in, his steps slow and cautious.
“C’mon, dude, you’re gonna get yourself hurt. Why don’t you just sit and watch and when you’re leg feels better, you can spare with us.”
“This fight is between me and Raph,” Leo said slowly. “Nothing you two say is going to change my mind, so please, step aside or we’ll take this sparring match somewhere else.”
Donatello shot him a weak glare, his posture straightened as he held his ground, his eyes showing Leo that he was challenging him to go through with his word. Mikey on the hand looked frightened as he slid a glance towards Raph, his voice merely above a squeak. “Raph?” His eyes were pleading, silently begging his brother to call this whole sparring match off, but Raphael stood firm. Mikey’s shoulders slumped, defeated.
“Don’t make me have to take you two down as well,” Raph warned, the grip on his sais tightening. “Like Leo said, this is between me and him.”
“But-”
“Donnie.” April stepped in, her hands resting gently on the tops of his shoulders. With April, she didn’t have to say anything in order to get her point across. Just a mere look and Donnie understood her reasoning. It was a bond the two formed that impressed Leo at times, because he never thought he or any of his brothers would ever form a bond like that with anyone else, let alone humans. And at a time like this, Leo was grateful April was here to influence his brothers to step aside and let him and Raph deal with their disputes. Because sometimes, it took fists rather than words to get one’s point across.
“Draw your weapons,” Raphael ordered, bouncing on the balls of his feet impatiently.
Doing as he was told, Leo straightened his posture and threw his crutch to the side, the weight on his injured leg causing it to convulse slightly. He could feel the pain shoot across his body like a jolt of electricity, but he quelled his mind into suppressing the discomfort, rejecting the urge to wince or whimper. Fingers curling and uncurling, he reached behind his shell and unsheathed his weapons, drawing them at the ready while still flinching at the sight of the one broken katana. Nevertheless, he shook those repressing memories of the past and kneeled before his opponent, bending his one good leg.
“Onegai shimasu.”
Raphael chuckled. “Yeah, whatever you say.”
Waiting for him to stand, Raphael charged at his brother with his sai extended forward, the clash of metal against metal echoing vibrantly through the rustle of the leaves. Making sure he wasn’t putting too much pressure on his bad leg, Leo twisted his body and sent the pressure on his other leg, pushing forward and circling his opponent. He searched for an opening, finding one immediately in Raph’s exposed upper torso and charged forward, spinning on his heel and drawing his leg forward. Acting quickly, Raphael managed to catch his foot, stopping it from connecting with his plastron. Grinning wickedly, he twisted Leo’s ankle and watched him spin out of balance, his body hitting the ground in a loud thud. Biting back the pain, Leo glanced over his shoulder and shot Raph a glare.
Raphael merely chuckled. “Down for the count already? We’re just gettin’ started, Fearless.”
“Oh, I’m not done yet,” Leo answered, picking himself up and readying his stance. But before he even had time to come up with a line of attack, Raphael was already lunging toward him with a sailing high kick. With barely enough time to brace for impact, Leo held up his arms and skidded across the grass once he was hit, but Raph wasn’t done there. Landing on his feet, he quickly spun on his heels and lowered his body, leg extended forward in a sweeping kicking. His foot connected roughly against Leo’s ankle, knocking him clear off his feet and sending him flat on his face once again, this time his leg now radiating a hot, throbbing spurt of pain. He could hear somebody yell out Raph’s name but he wasn’t sure who, the agony in his leg drilling needles into his subconscious thought, to the point where all he could think of was ow, ow, ow.
But he wasn’t done. He wasn’t ready to call it quits.
Not yet.
“Just stand down, Leo,” Raphael told him as he picked himself up, his breath drawing out in quick, ragged puffs. “If you’re tryin’ to prove somethin’, it ain’t workin’ very well. Call it quits.”
“Why? So you can continue treating me like I’m some worthless failure?”
“I’m only tryin’ to help!” He clenched his sai, brow furrowed in hurt frustration. “You don’t have to be such an asshole about it.”
“Well maybe the only reason I’m being an asshole is because you think I can’t do anything for myself anymore. Face it, Raph, you’ve lost respect in me ever since the fight with Shredder.”
“What?!” Raphael shrieked, too taken aback to even realize it. “Shredder broke you, Leo. We thought we all lost you, so the second you wake up, you expect us to go about our lives like nothing happened?”
“Everyone else has…” he flitted a glance at the remainder of his family, tone lowered to a cold, dark whisper. “Why can’t you?”
That did it. He wasn’t sure whether he saw a flicker of emotion flash in Raphael’s eyes, but Leo knew he ignited something. Something within him that snapped, causing Raph to drop his sais straight to the ground. Readying his stance, Leo waited for his brother to charge, his eyes flickering every which way and that, trying to predict Raphael’s line of attack. But nothing happened. For a while, he just stood there, shoulders square and body motionless, his eyes never unlocking with Leo’s own confused stare. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity and forever, Raph chuckled, the tops of his shoulders shaking just a tad before he shrugged Leo off and turned away.
“So that’s how it’s gonna be? Fine. You win. I forfeit.”
“What?” Leo was taken aback, lowering his katana before drawing them back up in a fierce growl. “So you’re just going to walk away? Come back and let’s finish this. Raph! We’re not done here!”
“Yes, you are.”
He glanced behind him, a rushing impact knocking Leo straight in the abdomen, the wind quickly leaving his body. He doubled over in one harsh grunt, his katana dropping right beside him. But before he could mouth anything off to his attacker, he felt a firm grip tighten around his chin.
Fierce, smoldering blue eyes pierced straight into his very soul.
“Before you go out of your way trying to prove whatever point you have, Leo, let me point something out to you.” She jabbed him with her pointer finger, a line of force Leo had no idea April possessed until that very second. “I just took you down with one, simple attack. Just one! Now I know I’m not some helpless teenage girl like I was before I met you guys, but I’m still not even close to your skill level yet. And I took you down, Leo. So what does that say about you?”
“I … April, I-”
He couldn’t form the words, mostly because he was still flabbergasted at the way April came at him with such force, taking him fully and utterly by surprise. Normally he would’ve been able to sense her coming, feel her presence and block her attack before she even had time to finish it. But yet, here he was – on his knees with her fingers gripped forcibly on his chin, constraining him to answer her question when he honestly didn’t have an answer for it.
No. No, that’s not it. You just don’t want to face the truth….
“Believe it or not, Raph was going easy on you, Leo,” April told him, releasing his chin in an unforgivable jerk. “He could’ve taken you down in one simple attack like I just did, but instead, he let you put up a fight. He knocked you down, but you still got back up. You may think it’s honorable and brave, but really, it’s stupid and idiotic. You’re injured, Leo. Are you trying to make it so you’re body never allows itself time to heal?”
“No,” Leo finally answered, his body still kneeling motionless on the ground.
“Then what?” April asked. “What is it that you were trying to prove here?”
“That I’m not worthless!” Leo snapped, his teeth clenched to the point where his jaw started to hurt. “You guys have all been treating me the same. Like I’m still the same Leo even before the invasion of New York. But Raph … Raph doesn’t treat me the way you guys do. He baby’s me, like he’s lost faith in whatever I was able to do before the accident. He sees me differently, April.”
“Yeah, you know why?” She stood hands on her hips like a mother ready to scold her child. “Because out of all of us that watched you recover, Raph was the one that had to deal with it the most. Remember when I told you that he never left your side?”
“Yeah.”
“That was three months, Leo. Three long, agonizingly slow months that Raph just sat there and watched as you never moved, spoke, or even flinched. Can you imagine what was probably running through his head all that time? At least we all kept ourselves busy, burying ourselves in remedial tasks and chores to help keep our minds off of what Shredder had done to you. But Raph, he didn’t have anything. Just that constant reminder of what you had done and the consequences bestowed upon you. He thought we were really going to lose you, Leo. He thought … he thought you weren’t going to make it.”
He could feel April’s words slice straight through his heart, a metaphorical stab that held all too real emotion. It hurt, way worse than the discomfort shooting across his leg, only this type of pain left a lingering amount of guilt. So that’s why Raph hadn’t been able to sleep since he woke up from his coma. That’s why he was going out of his way to make sure he was always there by his side. Not because he had lost faith in him, but because the fact that he very well could’ve lost one of his brother’s scared him so much that it left a powerful stamp of anxiety marked in the back of his mind.
“So I was right,” Leo whispered. “Raph does see me differently. Only…”
“Only because he’s afraid he’s going to lose you again,” April finished. She offered him her hand, helping Leo back to his feet while Casey handed him his crutch and grabbed his katanas. To the side, Leo could tell Mikey and Donnie were doing their best trying not to scream, ‘We told you so!’ right into his face, but Leo felt as though he deserved every nagging comment they could throw at him. Right now wasn’t the case, however. Right now, he had to go find Raph.
--
The waves glinted beneath the setting sun, like sparkling diamonds or the glittery polish he once saw April paint on her nails back when she lived with them in the sewers. It was a sight unlike any other, mostly because Raphael hadn’t spent too much time outside these past couple of months. These neck of the woods, so to speak, were probably like second nature to his brothers and Casey and April. Nevertheless, Raph still basked in Mother Nature’s beauty, watching in awe as the waves lapped over one another in a calming, randomized pattern. He may have hated the change in environment before, but now, Raphael was certain it was things like the lakeside view or the surrounding trees that seemed to go on for miles that he was going to miss the most when they eventually journeyed back to New York.
That is, if they ever made it back, with the way things were turning out now.
Snapping out of his thoughts, Raphael immediately glanced over his shoulder, the sound of a twig snapping putting him on high alert. As he turned around, he felt a small rush of wind graze his cheek by a few inches. There was a soft thwip and before he knew it, one of his sai jutted out of the dirt right by his thigh, the shiny metal gleaming meticulously with the sunlight.
His brow furrowed. “If that was meant to hit me, then your aim is almost as bad as your fightin’ skills, Leo.”
His brother chuckled, crutch at his side as he slowly climbed over the roots of the surrounding trees. “Don’t worry, I wasn’t. I may be a little off when it comes to sparring, but I can still aim just as well as the rest of you guys. Maybe even better.”
“Pfft, don’t flatter yourself, Fearless,” Raphael snorted. He turned his attention back to the lake, not saying a word when Leo approached his side and sat right next to him. For a moment, Leo wasn’t sure what was going on through Raphael’s head, wondering if what he said back at the farmhouse was still fresh in his brother’s mind. He didn’t seem all too bothered at the moment, but if Leo knew anything about his temperamental brother, it was that he could go from calm to boiling with rage in two seconds flat. It was all a matter of using the right words.
He took a shot in the dark. “I had a talk with April. About why you probably stormed off.”
Those, apparently, weren’t the right words to start off with. “I don’t wanna talk about it.”
“But we need to talk about it, Raph,” Leo explained. He noticed the sai still jutting out from the dirt and started fingering the handle, giving himself a little distraction. “I don’t … I wasn’t in the right set of mind to fully understand what you were trying to do. I just, with the whole invasion of New York and the battle with the Shredder … I thought … I thought you had, I don’t know, maybe lost faith in what I could and couldn’t do.”
“And what in the hell gave you that crazy idea?” Raphael asked. Leo hadn’t noticed it before, but his brother was sitting with his legs bent and hugged against his plastron, his head tucked in so that it poked just barely out of his shell. It was something he noticed only Raphael did, mostly whenever he was under great amounts of stress or just didn’t want to deal with confrontation. This was one of those situations.
Wetting his lips, Leo continued to play with the handle of his brother’s sai, digging it out of the dirt and now holding it in his hands. The metal tip winked at him encouragingly. “Every time I tried doing something for myself, you were always right there to tell me no. ‘I’ll handle it’. ‘Let me take care of that’. ‘Don’t strain yourself too much, Leo’. It got on my nerves and for a second, I thought it was because you figured that I was damaged beyond repair. That I was incapable of reverting back to the leader you guys looked up to.”
“Boy, were you wrong,” Raphael retorted, finding a small pebble at his feet and poking at it with his toe. “I mean, it’s not that I saw you any differently, Leo. It’s just-”
“But you did see me differently,” Leo interrupted. “I could’ve died back there, Raph and you know it. You were probably the only one that actually played that scenario in your head while I was decommissioned. For three months, I was motionless and when I finally woke up, I wanted to get right back in the swing of things without taking a minute to slow down and allow my body to heal at its own pace. I was in way over my head and that … that probably scared the hell out of you.”
The leaves rustled in the gentle breeze that brushed past them, a lingering silence that Leo couldn’t tell was either soothing or uncomfortable. For Raph, it was the latter, causing him to fidget where he sat, his body shifting awkwardly as he tried to fish for the right words.
“D’you know how hard it is sittin’ there wonderin’ whether your brother’s gonna make it out alive or not? Donnie told us to stay positive, like he was so sure you were gonna power through this. But I could see it. I could see the doubt in his eyes and that not only made the situation all the more real, but more … I dunno know…”
“Fucked up?” Leo offered, hoping it would rise a chuckle out of Raph, but it didn’t. Instead, he kept fidgeting where he sat, his face twisted into something that mixed with both apprehension and discomfort. For a second, Leo wanted to just reach out to his brother and let him know that he was here – that things were going to be alright again. But it wasn’t that simple.
“I was prepared to see it happen,” Raph continued, his arms shaking out of his own accord. “I was ready for the day that Donnie came up to check on ya and realized that you no longer had a pulse. I was expectin’ you to die, Leo. Even though I didn’t want it to happen, I was expectin’ you to not make it. So when you did – when you finally woke up and Donnie told us you were gonna be alright – I was … I was relieved. But I still couldn’t help but think that you were just gonna one day fall to pieces. That you were gonna overexert yourself and send your ass back into comatose. Or fall wrong or eat the wrong thing or whatever. Yes, I saw you differently after the fight with Shredder, but it wasn’t because I had lost faith in your ability to hold your own in a fight. It was because I thought Shredder had bent you too far and if you pushed yourself too much in a fight, then you were just gonna … you were just gonna … snap.”
That last word came out as a choked whimper, a sound Leo wasn’t familiar hearing from Raph, the toughest of his brothers. He was hesitant in the beginning, but not anymore, reaching out with both arms and bringing his brother close to his plastron, his hands moving up and down his arms in a soothing gesture to quell their nervous shakes. In the past, before the Shredder, before the Kraang, and even before April, Raph would shy away from comforting gestures such as this, wriggling himself free and scolding Leo for even touching him in such a way. But in a moment such as this, battling constant stressors such as fear of loss and harsh words, Raphael allowed himself to unleash his emotions in a way he didn’t do very often. Through tears; tears that Leo wasn’t hesitant to wipe away.
“That fight with Shredder did more than just put me in a coma,” Leo spoke, his words hovering just above a whisper. “Even though I was the one that took the hit, the damage lingered onto you as well, Raph. Not physically, but emotionally, and I was too stubborn to see that.”
He felt Raph’s shoulder’s jump, thinking he was trying to hold in his sobs, but found out it was a smal, weak chuckle. “Ain’t that usually my job?”
Leo smiled. “We’re both a little broken, Raph. But I promise you, as long as we’re here, we’ll do everything we can to fix each other. No matter what, remember?”
His brother looked up at him with shiny, wet eyes, though the sadness was no longer there. Leo offered him a smile, holding out his hand, which Raphael cupped with his own in a determined grin, an excited chuckle escaping his lips.
Summary: A strange incident reveals that April possess a new power—the ability to read minds. Taking place about just before the Tiger Claw arc in season two, April’s new power comes with pros and cons. But maybe, just maybe, she can use it to see who Karai really is—and who knows; she might like what she finds.
Rating: PG-13 (for language).
Universe: TMNT 2012.
Tags/Warnings: spoilers for ‘Wrath of Tiger Claw’ but it stops being canon-compliant after that, April/Karai and hints of Leo/Karai.
Author: hheroes
Artist: jinja-neko
Read the full story below; read on ff.net!
**********
April kind of likes meditating, but she also kind of hates it.
On one hand, being in tune with oneself is a gift. She treasures the precious moments where she can look into herself and see something; it makes her feel like she’s staring into the universe and seeing eternity itself. It makes her feel like there are entire galaxies within her, waiting to be explored.
Summary: A strange incident reveals that April possess a new power--the ability to read minds. Taking place about just before the Tiger Claw arc in season two, April's new power comes with pros and cons. But maybe, just maybe, she can use it to see who Karai really is--and who knows; she might like what she finds.
Rating: PG-13 (for language).
Universe: TMNT 2012.
Tags/Warnings: spoilers for 'Wrath of Tiger Claw' but it stops being canon-compliant after that, April/Karai and hints of Leo/Karai.
Author: hheroes
Artist: jinja-neko
Read the full story below; read on ff.net!
**********
April kind of likes meditating, but she also kind of hates it.
On one hand, being in tune with oneself is a gift. She treasures the precious moments where she can look into herself and see something; it makes her feel like she’s staring into the universe and seeing eternity itself. It makes her feel like there are entire galaxies within her, waiting to be explored.
And on the other hand, it gets hot in the dojo and her hair sticks to the back of her neck and she feels sticky and gross and she can barely focus. Her stance wavers; she doesn’t quite break, but she wriggles her nose to scratch it. She clears her throat, tries to settle herself again.
But by then, all hope is lost. Her inner-universes have slipped out of her sweaty fingers.
Huffing, April frowns hard. She can do this. All she has to do is focus on herself and nothing more--ignore the distractions, ignore the fact that her leg is falling asleep and her bra-strap is quietly slipping down her shoulder. It’s fine, it’s all fine. She just has to concentrate--
“April.”
Her eyes fly open to find Master Splinter, far from pleased, staring hard at her.
“Um,” she says, “hi?”
“You seem restless. Are you having trouble focusing?”
April knows he’s only trying to help, but she shakes her head quickly anyway. “Nope, not at all! I’m laser-focused right now. I’m in such deep thought I could probably find the meaning of life or something.”
Splinter raises an eyebrow. “Really?”
“Really,” she beams at him.
Something in his expression changes; ever so slightly, the sides of his mouth twitch upwards, and he nods almost solemnly.
“In that case, you must be tired,” Splinter offers, in a voice so calm and steady it seems no different from his usual tone. “We should take a short break.”
Relief washes over April like rain. “Yes, please. I don’t know how you do it, Sensei--sitting like a pretzel for this long just makes my legs ache.” She unfolds her legs and stretches them greedily, letting out a much-needed yawn. She flops onto her back, daring to let the hem of her shirt hike up and cool off her belly.
Above her, she can hear Splinter’s amused chuckle. It’s a warm sound, and paternal in a way she can’t quite explain.
“I do not think much of my legs if I am deeply enough engaged,” he explains. To her surprise, her follows suit in stretching out his legs. “But yes, sometimes it does too make my legs ache.”
April laughs quietly, aware that Splinter’s chuckle is sweeping through the dojo as well, and in that moment, she hears a voice. A voice within in her head that doesn’t belong to her. A voice, and soon after, a barrage of broken images and shattered emotions.
She is doing well -- she is my own -- she is not Miwa -- Yoshi, she isn’t--
April tastes fire and smoke on her tongue and feels betrayal bubble beneath her skin.
Miwa is lost-- was taken-- April is not my own-- April is my own -- I will not lose her too --
All at once, the chaos leaves her mind, and in the dizzying moments after April can hardly do more than stare at the ceiling. She bursts into movement suddenly, desperately rolling herself onto her side to dry-heave and curl within herself.
“April?” Master Splinter’s voice, outside of her head this time, she thinks, still too dizzy to be sure. “April, are you alright?”
April gags and shudders until she finally falls still, nearly boneless. The shock of the situation settles into her so heavily she feels her bones creak under the weight of it. It takes all of her energy to sit up to assure Splinter in some way that she’s fine.
“I’m fine,” she says weakly. She shakes her head slowly. “I mean - that’s never happened before, but I think I’ll be fine.”
“What happened?”
“I don’t...I think…” She shakes her head again. “I have no clue.”
His eyebrows knit together and concern spreads over his face. “Describe it.”
“Sensei, I can’t.”
“You must try,” he says sternly. “You must at least try.”
April shudders out a sigh, relaxing as the bout of nausea passes. “It was like…” The words are hard. She doesn’t think there’s an easy way of saying she’s ninety percent sure she just saw into his mind, so she shuts her eyes tight and just goes for it.
“I just...saw your mind.”
One, two seconds pass in silence, after several moments Splinter finally speaks. “You what?”
“I don’t know,” April says again. “I just -- it sounded like you. One second I was fine and the next it was like I was in your head.”
Just thinking about it makes her queasy. The swirl of colors and thoughts and memories--intangible things that took up his both his conscious and subconscious, the absolute mess of activity going on. It tasted like panic on her tongue, but emotions don’t have taste, which confuses her more than anything.
“I’m sorry,” she adds hastily. “It was an accident. I didn’t mean to see -- I’m sorry.”
She had seen fire and could damn near smell the smoke. She witnessed him lose his child--a replay of endless flames that consumed everything he ever loved. But she had also seen herself, in the way he saw her.
He thought of her as his own.
“Do not apologize,” Splinter insists gently. “I am not angry with you. I only worry…”
His eyes shut briefly. Worried that she would catch another glimpse of something she shouldn’t, April awaits another barrage of sensory stimulus, but her brain, thankfully, remains free of any thoughts but her own.
“We will discuss this another time. For now, rest. You do not look well.”
*
After the first instance comes something akin to practice. They start with discussions--descriptions of what April saw, more and more detailed each time she retells it.
“I felt betrayal too. Anger. Pure hatred. I saw a scene of flames and not much else, but,” and she gulps, “but I think it was -- it was the night you lost your wife. The night you fought Saki.”
“I feared as much.” He doesn’t try to fake a smile. “I am sorry you had to see that.”
“I’m sorry you had to live it!” April blurts out before she can think better of it.
At this, Splinter hums and involuntarily grimaces. “Feeling sorry for me does nothing, but I appreciate the sentiment. Can you tell me what triggered the episode?”
April manages a helpless shrug. “Nothing,” she insists, “nothing I can think of. Everything was incredibly average that day. I said something that made you laugh and next thing I knew I was getting sucked into your head.”
Splinter says nothing as he mulls over her words and tries to draw something out of them. His thoughtful silence is almost infuriating; April wants to tell him outright that there’s nothing she can do to link the incident to a specific action when he nods at last.
“I suppose nothing triggered it, then,” he says, and sounds defeated. “I can’t help but wonder if this may be an effect of your genetic background.”
Instantly, a lump so large it feels like a fist forms in April’s throat. It happens every anyone mentions the truth about who she is: the part-Kraang, part-human creation. Perhaps it makes her a mutant, or something special, but most of the time April just feels like an abomination.
Not that she cares to voice that to Splinter. He’s mutation happened nearly fifteen years ago and is still very much a sore subject. She doesn’t want to poke his old wounds while trying to mend her new ones.
“Maybe,” she says stiffly. The air itself seems to change around them, growing more stuffy and less relaxed than it had been only seconds before. “If you don’t mind, Sensei, I’d rather not talk about it.”
“How do you come to terms with a subject you insist on avoiding?” he responds, as if it’s only an idle question. But it makes April feel a small surge of anger, indignation; she wants to point her finger and tell him that he doesn’t understand.
He doesn’t have to deal with the alien part of his body struggling to maintain compatibility with the human part. He doesn’t have to struggle with a plethora of strange things happening over and over, things like screwing up stoplights with a sneeze to accidentally making cell phones spew out smoke during lunch, or reading minds out of the blue.
He has his own demons to face aside from meddling with hers. He doesn’t, can't understand what it’s like.
But she says none of that. She only stares down in terse silence, until he at last sighs and declares their session over.
*
The mind-reading incidents happen sporadically after that, never showing any specific trigger. Splinter had advised her to keep it quiet from the boys for as long as possible. (“Because things that happen beyond their control frustrate and confuse them, and you do not need them pitted against you at a time like this.”) But things happen, things slip, and one day, so does April.
They’re playing video games and eating pizza -- normal Saturday night activities, really. The noise they make is out of playful competition. Aside from the occasional accusations of cheating, the air is clean between them.
April is on a three-game losing-streak. Her character keeps getting dominating on screen, and she frowns moodily as the boys take turns beating her. It’s not until Leo takes the plate that things fall apart.
He takes the first round with ease, April frantically trying to keep up. She sulks spectacularly and he grins brightly as they enter into round two. All she can think about is wishing she could beat the smirk off his face, and just like that, her mind reaches out to grab for Leo’s thoughts before she can stop it.
It’s not the ground-breaking event it was the first time; April is better at controlling it, somewhat, now. As Leo’s mind is revealed to her, she doesn’t react--just bites on her lip and tries to focus on the new information and applying it to the game. The mind numbing nausea that used to follow is a long forgotten side effect now. The most she feels is a small tingle at the back of her neck.
She sees all of his attacks before he does them. She crushes him in the second and third round without even trying.
Slackjawed, he gives up the controller to Raph. For all his bluster, Raph’s actually good at the game--but he can’t be better than someone who can see everything he does. She claims victory over him too, and afterwards he throws down his controller.
“I’m calling bullshit,” he growls. “You’re cheating.”
“How do you cheat in a fighting game?”
“I dunno but you’re doing it,” Raph says angrily.
April only grins.
And then she’s completely floored by the rush of anger that stems off of Raph, so acute that it makes more than just her neck tingle. The skin all over her arms feel peppered with pinpricks of electricity, and she just barely has time to brace herself before she gets entirely swept up into his mind.
Cheating -- not fair -- make her pay -- gotta win. Gotta win. Make her lose.
His mind releases her just about as gently as one would throw out the trash. She ends up shuddering, hunched over her knees and wishing she could get away from him and his overwhelming thoughts before something could go wrong.
When she opens her eyes again, the TV screen is entirely static, and Mikey is crying crocodile tears over the smoking game console. Raph’s eyes slowly rake over the scene before stopping on her, and her mind thinks MOVE, but her body is too slow. He catches onto her arm before she can make a break for it.
Leo and Donnie both object automatically to how roughly he’s holding her, but Raph only clutches on tighter. “What did you do, April?” he sounds--not angry, just intense. Very, very intense. His free hand points to the TV, then the console. “What did you do?”
She stares at him, eyes threatening tears, and even though Leo and Donnie seemed so irate before, now they’re looking at her too. Even Mikey is. They’re staring at her and she knows she can’t slide out of this unscathed.
“Don’t get mad,” she says first, and that only makes Raph glare harder.
“Get mad about what?” asks Donnie.
Trembling, April tries to reach for his hands, but Donnie moves away; not out of malice, but uncertainty that’s almost palpable. “I--I read your minds and I busted the TV,” she says all in a rush, staring at the space between them, “and I’m sorry, it was an accident, I didn’t do it on purpose I--I just--”
Raph let’s go and gives her a wild look. She pulls into herself and scoots away from them all, not meeting their eyes. “I’m sorry,” she says again. “I meant to tell you earlier.”
“Earlier?” Leo’s gaze is not the soft, kind one he usually has. It’s hard. It’s sharp. It makes her feel awful. “What do you mean earlier?”
“Weeks ago, I’m sor--”
“You’ve been reading our minds for weeks?”
April holds out her hands and they all flinch away. “No! No, I mean, yes? Sometimes. By accident.”
They look bewildered and angry, almost. It’s hard to read exactly what their expressions mean, but it makes her feel more alone than ever.
She prepares for the worst. Maybe Leo banishing her forever, or Raph giving into the twitch of his fingers and attacking her, or Donnie calling her a monster or, or--
“April,” Leo says, and his voice is kind. “Breathe.”
Oh. Was she not doing that?
Sucking in air, April stares down at the floor and tries to blink away her tears. Her heart is pummeling wildly in her chest .
“Good,” says Leo, and the next thing she feels are his hands on her shoulders. It makes her jerk her head up and he’s looking at her dead on. She can’t look away. “Tell us everything.”
Behind Leo is Raph, whose expression has become one of irritated concern, and Mikey, looking as if he wants to leap out and hug her. Donnie mouths something like “stay calm” but most importantly, none of them look like they hate her.
April nods, bobbing her head up and down. She inhales deeply and says, “Where should I start?”
“From the beginning.”
So she does.
*
April doesn't need to read Leo's mind to know that he's upset-- she does anyway, to affirm her suspicions and after muddling through his thoughts, heavy like waves crashing against the shore, she stumbles across the one person who shouldn't be on his mind.
She pokes at a cluster of thoughts and gets inundated with images of bright red lips and pretty brown eyes. The edges of the girl’s face are softer than they are in real life: how Leo sees her in his mind. Even still, it doesn’t cover up her deadliness, but she’s beautiful nonetheless.
"Leo." She smacks his arm, shaking him out of his thoughts. "Stop thinking about Karai!"
Leo's eyes widen in surprise, then narrow as he scrunches up his nose. "Stop reading my mind!" he counters, rubbing at the spot where she'd hit him.
"I couldn't help it. You're brooding so loudly I couldn't hear myself think."
"Haha, very funny." Leo frowns. "It’s not my fault. We haven't seen her in a while and I'm...worried."
"I know," April says, crossing her arms. “You care about her a lot. And I... ” Her feelings about Karai aren’t quite the same as Leo’s: she trusts that girl about as far a she can throw her. Sometimes, she wonders what would happen if Karai hadn’t tried to kill her after they wound up sharing a meal at Murakami’s.
That experience is one unlike any other. A pretty girl asked her to dinner, only to try to murder her not twenty minutes later. If that didn’t hint at April’s current love life, she didn’t know what did.
She blinks a few times, faintly embarrassed about how quickly she’d gotten swept up in her thoughts, and coughs to hide it. “And I don’t know her like you do, but you seriously shouldn’t be so worried about her. She tried to kill you. More than once!”
“I know,” Leo says, and sighs into his hands. “But I can’t just...stop caring about someone at the flip of a switch.”
That’s the thing about Leonardo; once his mind is made up, it’s hard to change. He believes in Karai, for whatever reason, and April is unlikely to ever change that.
“That’s true,” she admits. “But that doesn’t make thinking about her all the time a good idea.” Her phone buzzes and she checks it, pulling a face. “I’d love to drill you about this some more but I’m already late. Irma and Casey are taking me to see that new kaiju movie.”
Leo gives her a hopeful look. “With the giant robots?”
“Yup. It’s going to be awesome.” She can sense the disappoint in his eyes before he even tries to fake a smile. “I’d take you if I could, but...hey, instead of moping around all night, why don’t you take the guys to Murakami’s. You’ve all had a pretty rough few weeks, I’m sure getting some gyoza wouldn’t hurt.”
He nods, considering. “That’s not a bad idea. Thanks, April.”
April’s mind has already drifted back to her memory from before. She mumbles a hurried you’re welcome and rushes out of the lair, thinking of Karai and what-ifs.
*
One second April is nearly on cloud nine because the kaiju robot movie was just as awesome as she’d hoped--and the next she’s fighting the sudden, instinctive urge to run away as fast as possible.
Awareness sparks within her mind, like her own personal Spidey-sense. She cuts herself off almost immediately. “Do you guys feel like we’re being...watched?”
Casey shrugs, and Irma gives her that signature ‘you’re crazy’ look. “You okay, April? You were never this paranoid until Jones came along.”
Shrugging again, all Casey has to offer is, “I taught her pretty well.”
“Taught her how to be a delinquent, sure.”
“I bring out the best in people,” Casey says with a toothy grin.
“Guys.” Her tone of voice startles them into seriousness; Irma nervously pushes her glasses up her nose, checking over her shoulder. Casey mutters a curse under his breath after reaching for his hockey stick and grabbing at air.
The feeling intensifies, sending tendrils of ice racing down April’s spine. “Irma, you need to go home. Like, now.”
“What about him?” The shorter girls jabs a thumb in Casey’s directions.
“He’s probably just going to do something stupid anyway, so I figured there was no point in trying to stop him.”
Casey doesn’t deny it.
Irma narrows her eyes and looks at each of them a long time. “Alright,” she says, and her tone stabs April through the heart. It’s not like she wants to abandon her best friend, it’s just that she’d rather not have Irma get mixed up in a Foot kidnapping or Kraang abduction.
She wants Irma as far away as possibly from the weird shit that goes on in the city. She’ll do anything to keep her friend safe. Somehow, that doesn’t make Irma’s obvious anger hurt any less.
“Have fun,” Irma scoffs. “Don’t...oh, whatever, it doesn’t matter. Call me when you get home, okay? Unless you’ve forgotten about me by then.”
She turns on the heel of her boot and storms off.
Casey gives a low whistle, shoving his hands in his pockets. “...ouch.”
“Shut up, Casey.”
“What? I’m just sayin’ that was kinda harsh--”
“Shut up, Casey!” April presses at her temples; she can feel the presence of something very powerful, something dangerous. It’s coming from--
“There,” April says, pointing west. “Something big and bad is over there, or someone.”
“Yeah? Like what?”
“Don’t know. I just know it’s giving off one hell of a vibe.”
“On it,” Casey says happily. Before April can spin around to stop him, he’s already running in the direction where he’d parked his truck. “Don’t worry about me, Red! I’ll make it back in time to walk you home!” He gives her a lopsided grin, and just like that, he’s gone.
A silhouetted figure drops from the rooftop of the theater as soon as he’s out sight, and April doesn’t quite believe that she can sense auras, but the rush of fear and adrenaline that goes through her veins is far too familiar.
It’s always weird how thinking about someone almost makes it a foregone conclusion that they’ll pop up at some point in the day. A trick that, unfortunately, doesn’t work on missing mothers, but seems to work just fine on missing kunoichis.
“Karai?”
“Miss me, princess?” Karai asks as she steps into the light.
April hasn’t seen Karai in weeks, and in that time the other girl has visibly changed. She looks...tired. Worn out, really. Her hair is messier than usual, her makeup looks like it was done in a rush.
But still, a tired Karai is a dangerous Karai. April whips out her tessen and takes on a fighting stance, her expression hard. “What the hell do you want?”
“Put that thing away,” Karai sighs. “I’m not here to fight.”
“You think I’m actually going to fall for that?”
Karai seems too tired to properly glare at her, but she tries it anyway. “I’m not trying to trick you, O’Neil. I don’t want to fight you--I want to talk.”
It’s unusually hot for this time of year, on the verge of fall yet still warm enough to go about in short sleeves and shorts. She can feel sweat on the palms of her hands and beading on the back of her neck, though she’s not sure it’s only because of the heat.
“You,” April says, forming the words slowly, “want to talk.”
“Yes.”
“To me.”
A brief look of annoyance passes over Karai’s face. It fades quickly, but that doesn’t change that it was there. “Yes, April. I just want to talk to you.”
“Oh, sorry if I’m a little disbelieving,” April snaps, “usually our ‘talks’ involve you trying to kill me.”
“I’m sure that isn’t true--”
“And I’m very, very sure it is.”
Karai falls silent, tersely pressing her lips together. She looks like she’s trying to sink within herself, perhaps suffering from belated guilt after realizing April’s words ring true. “Well, not this time. I just want to talk.”
Despite being very, very far from slipping into any state of easy trust, April relents. She folds up her tessen and gestures outward with her palms, giving Karai the floor. “So talk, then. I’m listening.”
Something in Karai’s eyes change. It’s as if she was bracing for an attack, but now they soften, and her expression becomes more open than April’s ever seen it. She can only bear to look at her for a moment before having to turn away, trying to will away a faint burn in her cheeks.
Like this, Karai doesn’t look like the bad guy. She doesn’t even look like the daughter whose family was ripped away from her. She looks like Harmony-- the girl April met at Murakami’s who flirted easily and made April feel a little normal for once.
“Thank you,” Karai says, relaxing into a grateful smile. “I understand that you don’t trust me, and I get it. I deserve it. But I want to change things now.”
Her voice is so sincere, it takes April by surprise.
“I believe Leonardo,” but there’s something wrong, she sounds stiff, forced, “I believe that Yoshi is my real father, and I would do anything to have the chance to be his daughter again.”
April’s stomach sinks. She forces herself to make eye contact with Karai, trying to ignore how imploring and deep her golden eyes are, and reaches out with her mind.
It takes a moment to find Karai’s thoughts. It’s as if she’s hiding herself, protected against any searching psychics, but April finds her anyway.
If Leo’s mind is like the sea, Karai’s is like the sky--endless, almost, and currently a storm of emotions so strong April almost can’t stomach them. Distrust and betrayal loom over everything like dark clouds of thunder; the whole place rumbles and rolls with anger that runs deep. April digs a bit deeper and she sees memories-- one of a picture with a jagged edge, seemingly ripped in half just short of Tang Shen’s carefully photographed face-- and the other of a dark room, the Shredder, Tiger Claw, and the words--
‘You need to find Hamato Yoshi’s home,’ the Shredder says. ‘You need to find where he and his disciples are hiding.’
Yoshi--fire, burning-- Tang Shen -- she was taken from me; Yoshi took her from me--
‘We will destroy Hamato and his clan,’ says Tiger Claw.
‘No! Bring them to me. I will finish them myself.’
‘Yes, Father.’
Of course, April thinks once she tears herself away. Of course she’s lying--that’s all she’s ever done. Anger rises up within her, clouding her vision and making her hands tremble. She can’t fight Karai but god does she want to, Splinter’s daughter or not, she wants to punch her clean in the mouth. The fact that she can sit there and lie to April’s face so smoothly, while deep down she’s thinking--
There is no honor here -- my father is Oruku Sa-- Hamato Yosh-- Miwa? I am not Miwa I am Karai but I am Miwa but --
“April?” Karai says, frowning.
Suddenly, April can’t look at her. She believes with all her heart that Karai has done horrible, inexcusable things...but she also understands how she can manage to act so broken while she lies.
It’s not really that much of an act at all. Karai is completely torn apart on the inside.
“I believe you,” April finds herself saying. “But I don’t speak for the Hamatos. I’ll talk to them and get back to you in twenty-four hours. Just know this: if you try to follow or track me, I will make sure you never come close to Splinter or the boys, and I will rip you apart if you try.”
Karai blinks and then laughs, outright, with her mouth open wide. It’s not a patronizing laugh, it’s actually kind of melodic, oddly enough, and April’s intensity fades just enough to feel embarrassed about thinking of it as cute.
“I don’t doubt that you will,” she says once she’s gathered herself. “And I can’t thank you enough. You have no idea what this means to me.”
Believe me, I do, April muses to herself, but says nothing.
*
April sends a text to Leo and Donnie: MEET ME BEHIND MURAKAMIS NOW!!!! and they show up not two minutes later, looking a little worse for wear.
“Guys I--wait, are you okay?”
“Yeah,” Donnie says, though it’s not very convincing. “I mean, not really, no. We tried to call you like, thirty times! Why didn’t you pick up?”
“It was on silent,” April says quickly, “from the movie, and I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to worry you, but you’re going to want to hear this.”
She tells them everything that had happened since she left the theater, not sparing any details. Leo’s eyes practically glow with hope, and she feels kind of heartless as she pauses, wincing regretfully. “...Karai was lying.”
The turtles stare at her. Leo looks absolutely crushed; Donnie only bows his head, accepting his suspicions.
“April, you can’t know for sure. You don’t know--”
“I read her mind,” April explains carefully. “She can’t lie in her own head, Leo. And it’s all a trap to get us to show her the lair. She and Tiger Claw are planning an ambush.”
He’s quiet, after that, staring at the ground. Every so often his fingers twitch as if he’s just seconds away from forming fists and swinging at anything that moved.
She steps forward and rests a hand on his shoulder. It doesn’t take a psychic to read his mind; Leo has a habit of wearing his emotions on his sleeve, easy for anyone to read. But as her skin touches his, she’s given the bearest snippet of his mind as it slips into hers.
Leo’s mind is, usually, calm. It reminds her of water--the rhythmic nature of his thoughts like waves. But now, she’s privy to a scene like a storm at sea. He’s fighting himself within his mind: one side firmly set in trusting April and the other daring to believe in Karai, still. After everything she’d ever done to him, he’s still so reluctant to distrust her.
Amidst it all, only clear thought April can catch is:
But she’s family.
Exhaling as her resolution forms, April squeezes. Leo looks up, the raging storm within his mind prominent in his eyes.
“You want to know the funny things about minds?” she says. “They can be changed.”
She offers a smile at Leo, and after a moment’s thought, he returns it.
“No, no, no,” Donnie shakes his head firmly. “Guys, listen to yourselves. You want to change the mind a girl who's been brainwashed to hate us for her entire life?”
“Anything is possible,” says Leo.
“Hypothetically, sure, but in real life that’s the kind of thing that gets us killed.”
“When I read her mind, I could tell she was lying to me, but I also saw that she doesn’t really believe anything right now, including Shredder,” April says. “She’s already doubting him. All we have to do is give her a reason to cut ties with him completely.”
Thoughtful silence, then--
“Fine,” Donnie sighs. He tosses up his hands, a tell-tale sign of honest frustration with everyone around him. “Since we can’t bring her to the lair, let’s bring the lair to her. Something to convince her that she’s really Splinter’s daughter. And maybe something sharp to fight her with after she doesn’t believe us because why would she.”
Leo’s eyes sparkle. “Don, that’s not a bad idea.”
“I--what?” Donnie splutters. “Yes it is! I was kidding. You can’t seriously think that--”
Leo shushes him with a raised hand. Even though Donnie falls silent, his dubious expression doesn’t waver. “What if we brought something of Tang Shen’s? I know Splinter has a lot of...mementos.”
A memory flashes behind April’s eyes. “The picture!” she bursts out, jumping forward and startling both brothers. “Splinter’s picture of him and Tang Shen! Karai has the same one--he’s cut out of it, but if we show her the original it could be all she needs to make up her mind.”
The smile Leo sends her way is brilliant. Happiness rolls off him in waves, and April brushes against the outer walls of his mind, pleased to see the storm within has calmed.
Slowly, eyes narrowed, Donnie looks between both of them, fixating first on him, then on her. He drags his hands over his face. “For the love of -- sure, why not. Let’s go fulfill your death wishes; but the record, I said it was a bad idea.”
*
It’s chillier tonight, but the picture in April’s pocket feels hot enough to burn a hole right through the fabric. She does her best to hide how antsy she is by rubbing the goosebumps at her arms, pretending to shiver in the chilly breeze.
“You look jumpy.”
Despite living with a family of ninjas for nearly a month, April doesn’t think she’ll ever get used to them appearing out of the shadows at will. She jumps a foot in the air before turning to see Karai leaning on the theater’s brick wall, a soft smirk on her face.
Somehow, she looks even more disheveled than she did the night before. Dark circles are starting to form under her eyes; April can’t help but wonder when the last time she slept was.
“It’s--cold,” she replies after a moment’s delay. She doesn’t pity Karai, not necessarily, but she suddenly wants to take her somewhere safe. Take her to the lair, to Splinter, where she can get a good night’s rest and away from the diabolical clutches of the Shredder. “I, uh, I talked to the turtles.”
Karai steps forward involuntarily, too eager to completely stifle her emotions. “And?”
“They’re doubtful,” she says, just like she rehearsed with Donnie, “they don’t think you’re trustworthy.”
(That’s more than an understatement. Raph had had a full blown fit at the very idea of trusting her again. “Are you crazy? You think a picture is all it’ll take to change her? You’re dumber than Leo if you think that’ll work!”
But all she needs to keep going is how Splinter had reacted. “You think you can...bring Miwa back to me?” and when she nodded her head, he looked like she had given him the world.)
Karai pulls a face, exhaling deeply as she slides down the side of the building. “They don’t have any reason to trust me. I can’t say I blame them.” It’s very hard to tell if she’s acting or not. April decides to give her the benefit of the doubt by not peering into her mind to find out.
“But,” she says.
Karai lifts her head up. “But?”
“But even though they don’t trust you, they want you to have this.” April pulls out the picture out and presents to the other girl without ceremony.
Karai takes the picture, and after realizing what it is, holds it like a delicate treasure. Her eyes blow wide open, emotions all over her face. “I have this picture,” she says stiffly. “Or have half of it, at least. Shredder told me the other half burned in the fire.”
“Did he?” April says, staring intently at her. It’s only a matter of time until she gets it.
“I always believed...but this doesn’t look like Saki at all. This looks like…”
She trails off as realization hits.
“This is Yoshi, isn’t it? This is Hamato Yoshi with my mother--this is my, my--”
“Your family,” April says gently, dropping to one knee so they can be face-to-face. “Your real parents.”
Karai continues to stare at the picture, so still she’s almost lifeless. When April reaches out touch her mind, she’s met with a wave of relief that’s so strong it’s almost tangible. Karai’s open-sky mind isn’t the turbulent mess she’d seen yesterday; it’s a little clearer, despite being heavy with regret.
“Oh, fuck,” she says suddenly, and it sounds close to sob. “Leonardo was right.”
She seems to regret the slip up as soon as it’s out of her mouth, but April waves it aside.
“I knew you were lying,” she explains. “And, listen, I know we have...a history, but you seem to have a lot on your plate right now, so I’m willing to move on if you are.” She holds out her hand.
Karai looks like she’s seen a ghost. “Are you serious? Just like that, you want to be friends? You just said you knew I was lying to you--why would you want to...”
“The Hamatos love you,” April says, emphasizing the word with a gesture of her hands. “And if they can love you after everything you’ve done, the least I can do is forgive you. It’s not like I’m just going to forget everything you’ve done, or stop being angry about it. I just don’t want that to be what defines us.”
Clutching the picture like a lifeline, Karai eyes her warily. After spending so long not knowing who to trust… April can’t blame her for not buying into the idea.
“Besides, the girl I had dinner with at Murakami’s didn’t seem so bad,” she adds. “I’d like to get to know her.”
It’s an open invitation. April raises her eyebrows, waiting.
Karai snorts bitterly. “I don’t know if I can be that girl.”
“You can try.”
“You’re fucking crazy, O’Neil,” Karai says flatly. “But I ran around the city with a seven foot tailless tiger yesterday. I can handle a little crazy.” She offers a small smile, looking surprised at how emotional her voice is. It makes April’s hard stutter-stop-start again; and, come to think of it, her face does look little softer when she smiles like that. Maybe Leo is on to something after all.
When she accepts April’s handshake the contact between them seems right, in a way. Like they were meant to be on the same side all along. The kind of feeling April wants to experience more than once.
Thank you, April, Karai sighs within her head, the thought so clarion it’s as if she said it out loud.
April smiles at her. You’re welcome.
And she knows it’s crazy--she didn’t say anything out loud, after all--but Karai nods like she heard every word.
Getting to her feet, April nudges the other girl with her shoulder. “Let’s go home.”
Happiness blooms in Karai’s face, throughout her mind, so radiant it makes a similar feeling form within April. She smiles wide, tired but strong and brilliant as the sun itself. “I’d--I’d really like that.”
It’s a start, a small one; nonetheless, April feels light as air (and the happy thoughts that parade through Karai’s brain reveal she feels the same) and with a satisfied sigh between her ears, she leads the way home.
