A/N: Hey guys! This fic is based off of the song Everglow by Coldplay. Happy reading! (Oh I just love angst…) I'm sorry in advanced,
They reached her just after the rebar pierced her skin, and exited her abdomen. And they knew from the moment they reached her she wasn't going to make it out of there alive. They hadn't even begun to assess getting her up through the rebar and out. These last moments, they knew, had to be dedicated to goodbyes.
April deserved that much.
"April…" Donnie croaked, watching her pale eyes with pure fear. He was losing the one human who'd accepted him. He was losing the girl he loved. His best friend, whom he'd trusted with his secrets, whom he'd never thought would go. It wasn't anybody's fault. An accident. But of course they would all blame themselves. They hadn't been there when April missed the ledge of the next rooftop in her jump, and fell four stories onto a vacant plot alley, with leftover construction materials like the rebar now inside of her, like she was just a ring to adorn it.
Her eyes searched theirs, like she couldn't comprehend what was happening. She'd felt the needle like bar prick her back, and she'd felt the piece of her stomach being sawed through like a donut hole. And she'd certainly felt the impact once she'd slid down the bar and hit the concrete. But she couldn't believe this was how her life would end.
Mikey could barely look at her. He was the last one across the rooftop before April, and he'd turned first to her scream, just in time to catch her hand slip from the edge. He'd also been close enough to hear the squelch as the bar impaled her.
Raph kneeled down beside her, a mixture of emotions coursing through him. Anger that they've allowed this to happen. Sadness that he is watching his friend die. Surprise that April missed the ledge, when they'd trained on these roofs for months now since returning to Earth. And lastly resentment, because he should've gotten to spend more time with her, with everyone he loves.
"I love you," Donnie whispered, kneeling beside Raph and taking her clammy hand.
Leo stood alongside Mikey, holding his baby brother, trying to hide his face as the tears began to fall. He'd failed his family, as far as he was concerned.
April shouldn't have fallen. She shouldn't have even gone training that night. None of them should have. But Leo, he suggested they go out for a night session, just to hang out. It shouldn't have ended this way. And to him, it was his decision that caused it.
"I'm so sorry," Leo blurted out, holding onto Mikey.
"You'll always be our best friend April…" Raph mumbled, his voice cracking. He placed his hand over Donnie's on April's.
She sucked in a huge breath, her entire body shuddering. The blood dragged down the rebar shined in the moonlight.
Mikey and Leo stepped closer, kneeling down themselves.
Mikey held onto Leo's hand, and Leo took Donnie's hand.
"We…We love you April," Mikey stuttered, finally forcing himself to look at her face. Into her wide eyes.
"You're our sister, and we won't ever forget everything you've done for us," Leo continued, bowing his head in respect.
His brothers followed suit.
The light faded from her eyes. Her hand jittered, and then her breathing stopped.
"We love you April." They all whispered together, the tears falling harder than ever, as they muttered the Japanese healing mantra as one. It would not work, they figured, but they couldn't help themselves. She would be hard to let go of. Maybe they never would move on from this tragedy.
After a few minutes of their chant, Donnie let go of her hand.
"We need to…We need to bring her to Kirby."
All hands dropped. Leo stood, unsheathing a katana from its pouch on his shell. His hand shook, as he faced the bloody rebar ahead of him. He would have to cut it down, before they could remove it from April's body.
He breathed in, and sliced forward, the bar flying back at the opposite wall of the alley, clanging as it hit the wall and then the floor.
His breathing picked up.
April's blood on his katana shined back at him.
He lowered the weapon, shutting his eyes.
"We need to get her out of it, we need to remove the rest of the pipe."
Raph stood.
"I'll pull it out." He glared straight forward, refusing to look at her as he gripped the slippery bar. He gritted his teeth almost hard enough to induce cracking.
And then he pulled.
There was a squeak, and a splosh as it exited her body. As soon as he saw the tip, we tossed it as far as he could away from himself.
The Soul Star around her neck glowed.
"We need to go…We need to go now," Raph said slowly, holding his hands in fists at his sides, trying to ignore the feeling of the blood on his hands.
April's blood…
Mikey wiped away his tears. Donnie stood, and lent his little brother a hand.
"I want to hold her…I want to carry her to Kirby." Mikey said suddenly, rubbing his eyes.
His brothers nodded, and Mikey bent over to pick her up into his arms.
They were silent as they began to walk out of the alley.
There was a cough.
April's eyes opened.
The Soul Star's light dimmed.
"April…?!"