Rating: Overall story rated T

Disclaimer: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and all related characters belong to Nickelodeon.

Warnings: May be some disturbing imagery including blood, gore, maggots and nuggets on the ground for innocent turtles to step upon.

Summary: The world as they knew it has gone to ruins. The shadows, once their greatest allies, now harbour threats so great it's safer to risk walking in daylight, and Mikey and April will do anything to keep what remains of their family safe; even if it means abandoning home and everything they knew. This story is AU and a collaboration between sampsonknight and Zelgadis55.

Comments, thoughts and concrit are always welcome.

Sekai no Owari

Ch 1

An eerie silence loomed menacingly in the air, attempting to drown them as they sifted through the trashed store.

Shivering slightly, though not from the cold of the late spring afternoon, April lifted a dented can up towards the shaky flashlight she had propped in her mouth. Dust and stains covered the can's surface and she winced at the faded wording, wishing the water which leaked from the roof didn't consume this part of the room. All they needed in these hard times were rusted cans that could contaminate the precious food inside.

The brisk wind blowing outside only hindered her, aggravating her nerves to a whole new level of paranoia as her free hand clenched tighter on Raphael's spare sai.

Lingering by the end of the same aisle, Michelangelo nervously peeked around the corner at the smashed glass door even as he listened to April's movements behind him.

A part of him wanted nothing more than to help April with her desperate search but someone needed to keep watch; things were simply too dangerous to do otherwise these days and none of his brothers had been available to join them on their hunt. In fact, he was still in shock over the fact that Leonardo had allowed the two of them to go out alone. Usually, whenever anyone left the lair nowadays, it had to be with a minimum of three in case they ran into trouble and someone was hurt. That way, at least one of the group could defend them while the other helped whoever had been injured.

Leo and Donnie were busy today and no one had been willing to wake the sleeping, exhausted Raph. Especially given how irritable he'd been of late.

Their meagre stockpile of supplies was running dangerously low and it was no longer safe to search the local tip; not after what had happened to the Professor and his friends a month ago. That left them with the only remaining option of looting rundown convenience stores.

"Mikey?" April whispered softly as she stood from her crouching position. She let her eyes glaze over as she contemplated the same can, debating over what it could be.

At first, Mikey didn't answer but he tilted his head towards her to show he was listening. He kept his eyes fixed front, trying not to telegraph how jumpy he truly was.

"There isn't much here... Not unless you're into dog food," April muttered softly. Things really were getting that bad. Food was so scarce in the city these days that she truly worried they would have to resort to surviving on pet food soon. April knew that once upon a time her turtle family occasionally had to survive on such things before they met but she wasn't certain she had it within her to do the same when it finally came to that.

Mikey pulled a face; dog food was disgusting and he really didn't want to go there. Worse, he could just imagine Raph's reaction to being forced to eat pet food again and he wasn't sure what was worse, that prospect or what was waiting outside should they be noticed. "We'll just have to try somewhere else then."

"What other places are there Mikey?" April raised her voice in frustration. Suddenly realising her mistake, April flashed a panicked look towards the broken door. She held her breath as she waited, exchanging fearful looks with Mikey. Finally, convinced she hadn't been heard by anything outside, April eased up and continued more quietly. "All we've found the past few days is pet food and odds and ends. Every store we've entered has already been ransacked and cleaned out long before we even get to them..." With a sigh, a small whimper escaped her as she tried to keep strong. To do so she resorted to a bad joke she felt sure would raise Mikey's spirits.

"We could always take some turtle pellets," she offered, chuckling lightly. "I'm pretty sure I saw a large container back there."

"And what would you eat, April?" Mikey snickered back, making sure to keep his usually boisterous voice soft. It was an anathema to be so quiet but they really couldn't afford to attract attention, especially with only the two of them there. "Cat food? I hear the flaked tuna is delicious. Plus it's got the added bonus that it'll keep your hair all shiny."

"Mikey, are you saying that you associate me as a cat?" April smiled brightly. Then she paused to think a moment, "Wait, where did you hear that cat tuna is delicious?" she asked, chuckling more. Suddenly she was plagued with the delightful, humorous image of him probably being the one that tasted it out of simple curiosity one day. Then she remembered once more how they did have to eat such things on occasion to survive while growing up and sobered.

Mikey's new-found jovial mood immediately subdued at the memory of coming across Klunk's broken and torn apart body shortly after this all began. As far as he knew, none of his brothers had mentioned his loss to April, as she too had already been dealing with the sudden loss of someone dear to her at the time.

The silence rose uncomfortably again, causing April to notice the unexpected sadness her friend unintentionally projected. Unsure of what exactly she'd said wrong, she dropped the subject and instead cast her gaze back towards the street. Swallowing hard, she figured it was time someone suggested this, "Mikey, we might need to start raiding abandoned homes for food..."

Mikey sighed despondently. Raph and Leo had argued that idea at length several times the last few weeks. Personally, he hated the idea; it felt so wrong on so many levels. Unfortunately, with the pickings growing ever slimmer, he knew soon there would be little choice. Thousands upon thousands of homes sat empty and forgotten, and the people that once lived there no longer needed their stores. It was stupid to just let what food and other supplies might be there go to waste just because he didn't like the idea of breaking in. However, doing so was far more dangerous than what they were already doing due to so many factors. They definitely would need backup if they were to go down that path.

"Okay... but, we gotta go home and talk to Leo first," he sighed reluctantly.

Nodding, April joined in with the sigh, then froze as her body started to shiver.

The shadows outside were growing, which only meant one thing.

They were coming!

At April's sudden silence, Mikey glanced back, seeing her fear telegraphed across face and body. "What's wrong, Ape?" he asked softly, his own fear rising sharply to join hers.

She shuddered and clenched the sai so tightly her knuckles whitened. "We should leave... the shadows are large, Mikey... unnaturally large for this time of day... from... from all around!"

Mikey swallowed back his fearful reply. In the past, he'd have been only too happy to be extremely vocal about what frightened him since voicing his fear made it easier for him to deal with, despite the ridiculing from certain brothers. Now, however, he knew caving into his instincts would be a very bad idea, especially since he was the one responsible for keeping them both safe. He nodded, noticing the angle of the light outside. It was late afternoon, moving on towards evening. They had to get home soon anyway; being out after dark was the last thing they wanted or needed.

Nodding silently, he quickly moved towards the broken door, being sure to stay in the shadows as he crept forward. He felt relieved to note April holding onto a corner of his shell, both for her own comfort and to let him know she was still there and wasn't left behind. It would only take a split second for chaos to explode, and to be accidentally forgotten or separated in such a horrific situation was a terrifying probability.

Having reached the door, Mikey could make out the individual shadows encroaching upon them and fear ripped through him like Raph through Dragons. There were dozens of them and still moving closer. They couldn't stay here any longer. It was far too dangerous.

"Mikey?" April reluctantly whispered into his ear-slit, her breath ghosting lightly against him, "What is it? Is it...?"

"We're surrounded..." Mikey tried not to squeak. He clenched his hands tightly around his weapons.

"Please say it's just ominous shadows that are only being cast from nearby buildings," she whimpered, pulling his shell back ever slowly so as not to trip over her own two feet.

"Just by shadows, cast from nearby buildings," Mikey immediately obliged. Then, unfortunately, he couldn't help himself, "And by..." he gulped.

Fighting to ignore the urge to slap Mikey over the head like she knew Raph would in such circumstances, April instead took another step back, "The back door?" she inquired nervously.

Nodding, Mikey replied, "The back door."

Keeping an eye on the front door all while glancing behind towards their destination, they slowly backed up as Mikey carefully led the way towards the exit he'd scoped out when they originally arrived. It led into a trash filled alleyway with far too many hiding places but trying to go out the front door at this point would be suicide. They could only hope the alley was still clear.

Now almost to the rear of the store, Mikey saw something move in the corner of his eye near the front. Without a word, Mikey chanced turning to find the door to the staff room and stepped inside, quickly pulling April after him. Closing the door and barricading it, the two made their way to the back exit. Mikey reached out a hand to grasp the handle, suddenly fearing to turn it. As he took a deep, calming breath, he felt April fidgeting behind and finally turned the handle. He slowly inched the door outwards, peeking through to make sure nothing would be in their faces and relieved to see they were alone, Mikey opened the door all the way and stepped out.

The faint smell of rot on the breeze met them as the sun overhead slowly dipped towards the horizon. The city at night was far more dangerous to them than it had been for a mutant to wander about in the day when the city was still populated. April could feel a chill in the air that had absolutely nothing to do with the warm temperature outside. What was behind them haunted her and she could hear it banging at the doors inside as if repeatedly walking into and rattling them, but still, even with knowing exactly what was inside, whatever was in hiding out here was far more terrifying. Taking a look to the right, April couldn't see anything alarming yet that could change in an instant, making her think it might be best if they made directly for the rooftops. Although, that would be a challenge since on the way here she'd noticed most fire exits were either destroyed by humans desperate to protect themselves or otherwise occupied and therefore inaccessible.

Stepping forward, April caught sight of unexpected movement from the corner of her eye. To her horror, she saw something reach for Mikey's leg and startled, she shrieked, making Mikey jump right as it grasped for the bottom of his coat.

Mikey followed April's terrified gaze right as he felt unexpected tension pull on his trench coat. In fright, he looked down and unable to help himself, screamed. Without thinking, Mikey quickly snatched a nunchaku from its holster, gave it a quick whirl to build up the momentum and bashed the offending thing violently off him.

A sickening crunch rang out into the late afternoon air! The stench of decay grew far stronger as a small amount of rotting, maggot filled gore splashed up, coating the lower part of his coat and leg. Grossed out, Mikey wailed, "Ew! Ew! Ew! I'm covered in it!"

"Mikey, you're being too loud" April winced; she'd been just as guilty.

"Sorry, Ape," Mikey apologised immediately, still recoiling in disgust. He kicked his attacker away and looked for the closest exit of the alley, gulping in fear. They'd been heard.

Looking the other way, April cringed to see the other end also flooding with dark, slow moving shadows.

"Mikey! We're surrounded and there's no fire escape we can use or get to!" April squeaked, no longer caring about being quiet since things couldn't get any worse than they already were.

"What?" Mikey asked in shock. "But there's one over there! I scoped it out when we got here!" he exclaimed, turning to point. Then froze as he realised there was another one of those… things on there, it's attention focused intently on them as it reached out, clutching impotently at the air.

"I believe it's occupied Mikey and it doesn't look like it'd be good company unless you want to be... Mikey, we need a way out now!" April whipped out her borrowed sai; two runners raced straight towards them, one far fresher and faster than the other.

"Shell!" Mikey swore, looking around wildly. He'd promised Leo and Donnie he'd keep April safe and now there was no way out, except... "Down!" he gulped, already running for the nearby manhole cover.

Frozen by the terrifying suggestion, April's eyes widened, "Down...? Meaning down there? Are you insane Mikey?"

Mikey swallowed as he nodded "Unless you've got a better idea." Going down into the dark, dank sewers so far from home really was a bad idea these days. At least near home, they regularly cleared up the area but anywhere else? Anything could be down there and with all the shadows and the lack of power...

Trusting April to have his shell while he pulled up the manhole cover, he quickly lifted it. "Get in, Ape but stay on the ladder until I can make sure nothing's there."

Nodding, April reluctantly took her eyes off the faster runner. Following Mikey's instructions, she didn't dare tuck away her sai as she clenched at the cold steel ladder with sweat-slick hands. Descending down, April stopped halfway, avoiding getting too close to the bottom since anything could be waiting in hunger to snatch her up.

About to follow, a sudden pull on his trenchcoat jerked Mikey back, choking him. Struggling frantically and cursing the need for disguises even in times like these, Mikey ripped the buttons open, shrugged off the coat and tossed it back. He whirled on the spot, gratified to see his coat covering its head and let loose with a hard push kick, knocking it back hard enough to slam it into the nearest, overflowing dumpster.

Looking up, April was terrified to realise she'd lost sight of Mikey. Her heart pounded as she waited, hoping he'd be back and that she wasn't left alone out here. For a moment, she wondered how long it would take for him to turn; everyone was different. Finally, he reappeared sans disguise, looking over his shoulder in fear as he prepared to jump down after her. Suddenly recalling tucking away the can from the store, she looped one arm through the ladder so she wouldn't fall and one-handed, reached into her bag. "Mikey use this, it's dog food anyway," she called softly. Tossing it up, a part of her felt guilty wasting even pet food, but it was either that or...

Without looking down, Mikey reached out and instinctively snatched up the can. Immediately drawing his arm back, he let it fly with unerring accuracy, wincing at the terrible sound as it hit true. Knowing even the second runner would only be slowed ever so briefly, Mikey took note of where April clutched tightly at the ladder and jumped down, pulling the cover back in place as he dropped.

Once he landed, Mikey crouched into a defensive stance and turned, looking all around into the gloom nervously. Mikey felt relieved to discover nothing in the immediate vicinity besides him and April. Unfortunately, that didn't mean they were in the clear, however. While there were far less of those things down here given how few entrances were open to allow them entry, it was dark and shadowy, not to mention that the sewers were basically one ginormous maze of enclosed space, making it far easier for things to go unnoticed until too late. No. He and April were definitely not much safer down here than they had been up top, especially with evening fast approaching.

Mikey groaned in dismay. Leo was so going to kill them both if those things didn't get to them first, but especially him.

Taking that as her cue that Mikey didn't find any indication of danger, April stepped down from the ladder and leant in towards him, "Which way do we go now? You know the sewers far better than I do."

Mikey glanced around. He liked it even less down here than topside. At least up there, they could see what was coming for them. "This way," he murmured nervously.

Knowing it was best they keep silent, April followed without a sound; anything in these passageways would hear them coming with ease. She only hoped she wouldn't give them away by simply walking. It wasn't that her sneakers made much sound, it was more fear that she might kick little stones or splash into unnoticed puddles and so on. While her ninja family regularly gave her some training on being stealthy since she moved in with them, she hadn't grown up down here and the darkness made it hard for her to manage. Then, there were her nerves.

After walking what seemed like hours, April pressed her chest against Mikey's shell and whispered softly, "Mikey, is it me or is the stench thicker than before? I mean, the sewers never smell nice but it's really getting worse the further we go..."

"I really wish I could say it's just you but I've been noticing it for a while too," Mikey reluctantly admitted, continuing to glance around as if paranoid as they walked.

The fetor continued growing heavier with every step, making both fight against the desperate need to retch. Suddenly, odd, disturbing sounds echoed lightly off the walls and ceiling, plaguing them with uncertainty and making them realise staying down here hadn't been such a bright idea after all. Really, there was only one explanation and when it came down to it, did they dare see if they were right? Was there a blockade ahead and if there was, was it really wise to keep going? Doing so could very well put them into a danger far worse than the one they were already in. The night upon them made the streets more unsafe than ever, and the sewers, while safer than above, were a maze too narrow and filled with dead ends, sudden corners and obstacles.

"Mikey, I think we should turn back," April suggested tentatively as she pulled at his shell.

"And go where?" Mikey asked, clenching his fists anxiously around the weapons tucked into his belt. His every instinct screamed to agree with her but Mikey knew they would be safer only if they could get home and so despite April's continuing wordless protests, he pushed on until they reached a junction up ahead. There he paused, suddenly terrified to peek around the corner.

The sounds of unholy scratching clawed into their ear drums, twisting at their hearts and thrusting them into a horror unlike any other. The worst wasn't the sound reminiscent of nails on a chalkboard, no. Instead, it was the ungodly sounds that bellowed before them. It didn't notice them, that much was for certain, for it would have started to hunt them if it did.

With the stench now so potent, April fought desperately to hold in her gag reflex, unwilling to risk drawing attention to them by bringing up her earlier lunch. The mangled carnage and blood before them were more than she could bear. While they had seen such horrific displays many times before, this time it was somehow just too much.

Shaking her head violently, April tugged at Mikey's shell, begging him with her eyes to turn back; it wasn't worth the risk to sneak by them to the other passageway, it was foolishness. They needed to find another way or find a safe place to wait it out in until daybreak when it would be safer to return to the surface. This wasn't the time to make such rash decisions, no matter how much they wanted to be back at the lair, back at home…

Mikey suppressed a whimper at what he heard and what little he could see. He should have listened to April. He should have! Mikey immediately backed up, eyes fixed on the junction when he saw something peripherally on the other side of the waterway. Horrified, he turned his head slowly, seeing one of the monstrous nightmares reaching for them, its rotting flesh hanging from its bony arm in sinuous chunks.

It was all Mikey could do to hold in his cry of fright as he picked up the pace. That's when he saw another on the other side, also reaching towards them. Without thinking, Mikey grabbed April and slung her over his shoulder, running back the way they'd come as fast and silently as his ninja training would allow.

Once again feeling like a rag doll, April held in her protests, lamenting the fact that when the going gets tough she becomes one turtle or another's luggage. Looking out over Mikey's shell as she bounced with each step, she watched the shadows slowly disappear into the distance. Luckily for them, there were few runners down here and the chase was not on. Even so, she realised Mikey didn't stop; it was like he was on a mission but... did he even have a destination in mind?

"Mikey, they're not following us. You can put me down now," April said calmly despite the throbbing beat of her heart which had leapt into her throat. It was a miracle on its own that her voice wasn't shaky.

"Not yet," Mikey muttered stubbornly as he raced further away from home. They weren't safe yet; not that they were likely to ever be safe again.

He continued running for several more minutes before finally slowing down. However, he still didn't put April down, looking around as though paranoid. Finally, sure there was nothing and no-one else nearby, he stopped to examine the nearby wall.

"Well... this is a nice view," April stated wryly as she stared at the opposite wall, "So, are we wall shopping now?" Somehow, she hoped managing the joke would ease Mikey as his silence alone was nerve-wracking; he hadn't even voiced a pun or bad joke since they left the surface. Not that their situation was anything like a joke but when he became this way, she always feared the worst.

Mikey twitched. He hadn't seen or heard anything for a while now but that didn't mean nothing was there. "Shh," he begged with a whimper. He reached out, feeling the wall as he searched.

Falling silent, April blinked. Did they seriously just switch roles? Oh, but if Raph heard about this he would have such a field day, relishing the chance to make fun of Mikey for his rare silence.

Letting out a breath, April forcibly relaxed her tense body, keeping an eye out towards the darkness just in case. She had the feeling there was nothing around but still, she could tell Mikey was being cautious.

Finally, feeling the small protrusion in the wall he was searching for, Mikey pressed it and the wall moved, exposing a doorway. Pushing it open, Mikey prayed it was well oiled enough that it wouldn't give them away and stepped inside. Only when the door was sealed behind them again, did he breathe deeply in relief and put April down, unable to meet her gaze.

Tilting her head at him for a moment, April let out a relieved sigh before daring to speak, "What is this place?"

"A bolt hole," Mikey answered quietly, looking everywhere but at April. "We set a few up around the sewers years ago when the Foot was the biggest thing we had to worry about. You know, just in case we were ever cut off from home and needed somewhere safe to hide," he shrugged.

"It's not really comfortable but at least we'll be safe here until morning when we can risk going topside again," Mikey explained, moving further into the small room. At the back sat a small box, containing a few blankets and some emergency rations. He stared down at it, swallowing.

"How sound proof is this room?" April asked. She sat down carefully on the cold floor near where he stood.

Mikey shrugged again, not really sure on the specifics; he was the wrong turtle to ask that question of. The walls were thick though, so... "Dunno, Ape, but as long as we don't raise our voices too much and you don't snore, we shouldn't be heard."

April nodded; that made her feel more at ease. Fumbling, she pulled out her shell-cell, ignoring the rude comment over her snoring. She'd never snored a day of her life and even if she had, it wouldn't have been as bad as Raph's. "We should give them a call. Leo's probably wondering where we are and I'd prefer not to make them worry more than they already must be."

Mikey's eyes widened as he suddenly remembered his brothers. He watched her intently as she dialled.

To both of their dismay, the cell blinked out in large letters, 'No Service'. Moistening her dry mouth which suddenly felt like a desert, April glanced up at the worried turtle, "I think we might have wandered out of range..."

"Shell..." Mikey flopped to the ground in dismay and buried his head in his knees. He'd messed up so badly today but what else could they do? "I'm really sorry, April..."

Placing a gentle hand on his shoulder, April shook her head, "Mikey, this isn't your fault. I was the one that suggested going to that store and I was the one that screamed out catching that mob's attention in the first place."

Mikey shook his head miserably. "Not for that, for everything else. For not paying attention to how far from home we were when we know the Shell-Cells have a really limited range now. For not paying better attention and noticing the shadows in time... For not listening to you back there... Shell, April! I was supposed to be the lookout and protect you and I couldn't even do that right. I didn't even notice them..."

Letting out a chuckle, April didn't say a word. Instead, she waited for him to respond.

Mikey looked up, canting his head at her in confusion.

April beamed and poked playfully at his cheek, "Mikey, you did fine. Shit happens and you know that we only have so much control. Besides, I think you're worse off acting like this. Feeling guilty over things that can't be controlled is Leo's thing, not yours. Yours is to smile and see that the glass is not half empty." She let out a sigh and placed the cell away, "You know, your brothers have more confidence in you than you realise. Sure, they'll be worried sick about us, but neither of us are out here alone. We have each other so they know we'll be okay. So please, just smile again... the world is dark enough lately."

"Okay," Mikey agreed, smiling back at her as requested. He was glad to know that April at least didn't blame him. Things would be very different once they finally reached home, however, and he'd be lucky if Leo ever allowed him out again.

"See, that's better," April said softly. She leant forward and rested her tired head on his broad shoulder.T

Relishing the comfort of her touch, Mikey wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. For several minutes they sat like that in a comfortable silence before a loud rumble disturbed the quiet, making Mikey sit up straight in embarrassment.

"We haven't eaten since lunch time," April offered understandingly, "and even then, what we had wasn't much." She knew the sound all too well, regretting how her friend's stomach had to interrupt the moment; she'd been quite warm and now felt the cold clawing back into her.

Glancing back to the nearby box again, Mikey wondered how long it had been since any of them checked in on this hiding place.

"What's wrong, Mikey?" April asked. She peered over his shoulder to see what he was looking at.

Sighing, Mikey reached for the box. He pulled it closer and opened it. "There should be some food and water in here but, I dunno how old it is," he admitted worriedly. He pulled the thin blankets from the top and passed one over. Then he pawed through the box, pulling out several old and dented cans.

April cringed at the sight, "Do I want to know what's in them or should I close my eyes for this one?"

Mikey looked cheekily at April, the twinkle back in his eye. "Well, you have a choice. Cold spaghetti, cold diced tomatoes, or dog food."

"Well then... how about your turtle pellets," she smirked, taking out a container and placing it in front of him.

"Cold beefy stew it is, then!"

"Good choice," April smiled, putting away the turtle food.

To be continued

A/N - This story has been written as an RP between Sampsonknight and myself with her in charge of certain characters and myself in charge of others, however, it's been written as a real story, much as you see above. No guarantees but we'll try to post a chapter every 2- 3 weeks. Next week though, I will be posting 'AOtGO' ch 27.