April woke up screaming, her tangled sheets wet from her sweat, pillows scattered the floor. Catching her breath she looked around the dark room, the once unfamiliar smell of the lair now bringing her comfort as the panic slowly faded.
Just a nightmare she thought. She lay back down, taking a deep breath and closing her eyes.
Donatello sat against his doorway, looking out over the pit, wincing with Aprils last scream. He'd been sitting here for only a quarter of an hour, but the frequency of his visits were only increasing with the rate of Aprils nightmares. He heard her sigh and only wished it was to signal her return to sleep.
Standing up, he leaned against the doorway, knowing the darkness disguised his presence. He listened to her breathing slowly beginning to even out. Satisfied, he turned back around into his lab, sitting himself at his desk, flicking the fluorescent lights on. He opened the first of many books, immersing himself in solutions to the problems.
The stress of the past events had finally reached April's unconscious mind, haunting her in her sleep. Her father still in the grasp of the Kraang. Shredders vendetta to destroy the turtles and Splinter, had finally released themselves in her dreams in a whirl of blades and mutations.
"Donnie... Donnie… Dude, wake up…. This isn't funny man! Donnie wake up!" Mikey leaned over his brother, perched on his desk, grasping his shoulders trying to shake him awake.
"MIKEY GET OFF!" Donatello sat up abruptly, pushing his brother off his desk, watching groggily as his textbooks fell alongside Michelangelo. He squinted at the bright lights of his room. Morning already? He thought, groaning.
Leonardo entered Donatello's bedroom, hearing yelling followed by a loud crash, noises that only spell out trouble. Leaning against the doorway he smirked at his two little brothers already fighting on the floor.
"Bro you weren't waking up, what was i supposed to do?"
"Oh i don't know, how about letting me sleep Mickey!" And with that Donatello got up and left his bedroom, brushing past Leonardo.
"Late night Donnie?" Leonardo asked.
"You could say that…"
Mikey smiled "bet he was spending all night thinking about you know who..." His blue eyes darted around the room searching for an escape route. He sped past Leonardo and Donatello, jumping between the two turtles before they could grab him. He made a beeline straight for the pit. "Oh April… Donnie wanted to tell you what he'd been thinking-" Donatello rushed to tackle the laughing turtle to the ground, a blush beginning to creep its way onto his green cheeks.
April appeared from the kitchen, crossing her arms over her chest, smiling at the two figures wrestling on the ground, "good morning you two, playing nice i hope" raising an eyebrow at Donatello, who had Mikey in a headlock, trying (and failing) to look innocent. A light pink blush rushed to his cheeks, he chuckled "oh sorry April, i mean um good morning April, i uh how are you?" flashing her a crooked smile. He released Mikey who gazed at the couple intently.
Donnie stood up and walked over to April, not waiting for her answer. "April are you sure you're okay staying down here with us?"
April gave him a puzzled look, "what do you mean? of course i am, i mean i do want to go the surface today, that doesn't mean i don't love this place! Just have, you know, 'human' things to do. School work, disappointingly being one of them and i wouldn't mind having some human food."
"Pizzas human food" Mikey chimed in but Donatello cut him off.
"Wait, you're going topside? Today? Now?" He grabbed Aprils hands, "April its not safe".
"I'm sure I'll be fine Donnie. I've got my T-phone" releasing her hands from his grip, trying hard to steer her gaze away from the concerned, wide eyed one staring back at her. She turned her back on the two of them, walking up the stairs out of the lair, only turning to wave goodbye.
Donatello stood in silence. Mikey coming to stand beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"I don't have a good feeling about this Mikey" Donatello said. Shaking his head. He reached for his T-phone on his belt, making sure it was there, safe and secure.
April walked the streets of New York like she owned them. Enjoying the fresh air. She headed straight for her school, finishing this homework assignment was probably pointless since it felt like she missed many others because of her lack of attendance lately. Why not, she thought, gives me an excuse to have a break from training. She walked up to the front doors of her school. It was already late afternoon.
She laughed to herself, remembering her good morning greeting to Donatello not long ago, funny how her body clock was all confused because of the turtles and their nocturnal habits.
The school was open after hours on weekdays for students like herself desperate to catch up on work. There were normally a few people around but today the school halls were empty and dead silent. She looked around, a pinching feeling entered her gut. She was nervous. Somethings not right. She turned to walk out of the school, trusting her instincts. She heard a distant laugh echo through the halls.
April froze, holding her breath, she turned around, feeling the strangers presence.
"The Famous April O'Neil, did you miss me, Princess?"
Karai leaned against one of the many lockers that lined the hall, "And i thought you weren't stupid enough to go wandering without your animal friends, looks like for once, i was wrong".
"Karai..." April gasped, stepping back and turning around to make a run for it, she bumped straight into the rough, furry chest of Dogpound.
"Where are you going little girl?" Dogpound flashed his yellowing fangs at her, grinning, grabbing the front neck of her t-shirt and lifting her up, growling at her.
April started screaming, kicking at Dogpound, clawing at his paws with her finger nails. He dropped her. Karai walked towards the pair, leaning over April.
"Oh how dramatic. I thought Splinter was training you to become a Kunoichi. He is failing obviously" and with that Karai kicked April in the side of the head, the sharp sudden pain making april squeal, knocking her unconscious.