Chapter One:

Donatello woke to his T-Phone buzzing. He nuzzled his face into the soft pillow, wishing for five more minutes. He pulled the blanket up to his chin, sighing loudly. These blankets are softer than normal, he thought. His eyes popped open when he remembered. Next to him, April lay on her stomach, sun streaming in through the blinds of her dorm room, making lines on her bare back. He gulped and pulled the blanket over her, then placed a warm kiss on her head. She shifted in her sleep and he slipped out from underneath the covers, grabbing the phone off the nightstand. When he looked at the screen, Michelangelo's icon popped up. They're gonna kill me. I'm late again… He let it go to voicemail, when he noticed all three of his brothers had called him, multiple times. He dialed his brother's number. It was answered after one ring.

"Mikey, I'm sorry I'm late-"

"DONNIE! Thank God! You have to come down now! There's- Master Splinter- he's-" a crashing sound could be heard from the background, along with Leonardo shouting.

"Woah, woah, Mikey, slow down! What's happening?" He was already slipping his sweats on, trying not to wake her.

"He said- he said he wasn't feeling well. He cancelled training for the day. He went to go lay down. After awhile, he came out and he-he said he thought something was wrong." Donnie pulled the window open and started crawling out, when suddenly the door swung open and her roommate walked in. She was supposed to be gone all weekend! He froze, crouched on the fire escape, phone in hand. He had no idea what to do. He could hear Mikey on the other line, yelling his name into the phone. Frantic, he thought of something to do, and his arm reflexively shot up. He held a finger to his lips and whispered. "Shh!" Emily -was that her name?- gaped at him, her bags fell to the ground, and he glanced over to see April lift her head. Shitshitshitshitshit! She sat up, pulling the covers over her, looking at him, then her roommate, and her face flamed.

"Who-who is…?" she asked, but Donatello was already gone.

"Emily, are you okay?" April asked.

"Someone was in the window! For real this time!"

"I think you're seeing things again…"

Donnie couldn't recall a time he ran faster. It seemed that time itself was slowing more and more as he weaved his way through the tunnels of the sewers, cursing the disguise. He often wondered how humans could possibly navigate in clothing. He found it fascinating that Casey could fight with all that gear and actually hold his own most of the time. But what mattered right now was getting to the lair. He kept Michelangelo on the phone, wanting updates every few minutes.

"Mikey, tell me again," he gasped. "How all this started?"

"He said he wasn't feeling well. He went to lie down, but he came back out, and he said he thought something was wrong- Oh, God!"

"Mikey?!"

"Just get here!"

Click.

"Almost. There." He could see the turnstiles from there, barreling toward the lair. He thought he heard something- Foot Bots? What the hell are they doing here?! He snuck up to the entrance, noting that there were six of them. Leonardo and Raphael kept them busy, slicing and stabbing through the metal effortlessly. He lept over the turnstiles then, attention turning to him. He looked just in time to see one racing toward him on the right and he sent a strong kick into it's stomach. It reeled back, but came at him again. He quickly calculated and spun it into a headlock, where he yanked it's head in the wrong direction and pulled, separating it from the body.

"Donnie! Where have y-"

"Doesn't matter! Where is he?!"

Leo pointed, toward the lab and Donnie burst through the door. Mikey was with him. One arm wrapped around his shoulders, the other holding a bucket. They didn't see him come in and he made his way over. He stepped in something warm and sticky, and looked down disgustedly to find it was not vomit that slid off of his foot.

It was blood.

"Mikey? Master Splinter?" His brother spun around, but his father's eyes lazily rolled to meet his. He was right. Something is very wrong. Just then, their rat master heaved into the bucket, a steady stream of red flowing from his mouth. Donatello choked back tears, bile rising in his throat.

"Donnie?! What's happening?!" Mikey asked. "Wh-why is he doing this?!"

"I don't know yet. How long has he been vomiting blood?"

"Since I last talked to you. That's when the Foot Bots showed up. They came out of nowhere, bro! It was like… Like they just waltzed out of the dojo!" Donatello frowned in concentration, checking their father's pulse.

"So he complained of a headache?"

"At first, yeah… After he had his morning tea and we were warming up, that's what he said. And then he came out later and said something was wrong. He passed out. He came to after about ten minutes and then he… Started..." Tears welled up in Mikey's eyes and he sniffed. Donatello put a large hand on his shoulder.

"He's gonna be fine. We'll figure this out."

"Promise?" Mikey asked. A pang of despair rolled through him when he realized he may not be able to fix this. Mikey's eyes lit up with hope, but he couldn't bring himself to say yes. He smiled half-heartedly in return, nodded, and began inspecting their father. He pretended not to see his little brother's face fall.

"Donatello," Splinter croaked.

"It's going to be alright, Sensei-"

"The… Tea… Foot…" His eyes rolled back into his head and he slumped into Mikey's arms. He laid him down on his, starting to clean up his blood-soaked fur.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Donnie whispered angrily. Leonardo and Raphael walked in, both covered in a shimmery layer of sweat. The purple-masked brother made his way around the desk, taking note of everything he could. All the while, he pondered what his father was trying to say. Tea? The Foot? How did they find them? Where could they have snuck in? He had sensors set up for miles down the tunnels and had an entire security system in place. If it detected something, it would have alerted all of their phones and set off an alarm. He could hear Leonardo asking questions, but promptly ignored them. Their father groaned in his sleep, head rolling to one side. The fur around his mouth was stained red and foamy. Donnie reached out and opened Splinter's mouth to inspect it. He used a flashlight to peer back into his throat, where he saw burn-like sores. He gasped when suddenly it all clicked into place. After he had his morning teaThat's when the Foot showed up. It's like they just waltzed out of the dojo!

"DONNIE! I'm trying to-"

"Not now, Leo. I-I think…" He trailed off, practically running to the dojo, into Master Splinter's room. He picked up the ceramic cup and sniffed. Something was off. He always drank green tea in the morning, but there was something different about it. He scraped the rim of it with his finger, and sure enough, a powder-like substance coated it. "No," he whispered. He ran back into the lab, holding their Sensei's death sentence.

"Donnie, what's-"

"He's been poisoned!"

April sighed when Donnie's phone went to voicemail once again.

"C'mon, babe. Answer your phone," she whispered to herself, beginning to type away at her laptop, deciding to start early on a project that was due the following week. She pretended not to see Emily walk in and her cheeks burned red. She didn't mind occasionally telling her roommate that she was crazy for seeing a giant turtle on the fire escape, but it was starting to happen way too often. This time, it wasn't her fault. She was extra careful, sure to only have him over when she knew she'd be gone all weekend. But she came back early. April couldn't help but feel a little irritated with her. All she wanted to do was have a nice, romantic weekend with her boyfriend (who she only gets to see on weekends and in visits the damn sewers) and Emily had to come back and ruin it all, walking in on her, naked in bed. She stopped herself from smacking her palm against her forehead. How fucking embarrassing. She knew he'd feel too exposed to come up again any time soon. He would try to talk to her about "safety" and the importance of him not being caught. He wouldn't want to risk it again. And, while she saw the severity of those things being compromised, she missed him. A lot.

"Hey, um, April?" She looked up from behind her reading glasses, tilting her laptop screen down.

"Yeah, Emily?"

"I… Wanted to… Talk to you about something…" April raised her eyebrows. She felt something like fear, and maybe… Anger? She tried not to purposefully use her powers for petty things like this but she could tell that there was something bothering her. She closed her laptop and smiled, waiting for her to continue. "I… Well, my friend, she… Her roommate moved out. And… She wanted me to, uh… Take her place, if you will…"

April nodded, narrowing her eyes at Emily.

"I, uh… Said yes. I said I would. I already talked to the housing office about it and they're going to let me… I just didn't want there to be, ya know… Hard feelings. I just… We have the same major and everything and we can help each other and-"

"Oh, no. It's fine. Totally okay." She tried not to smile too big.

"Okay… But, um… I'm moving out today… That's why I came back early… My boyfriend's gonna help, and she'll be around. So if you, I dunno. I just wanted to give you a heads up, I didn't know if you needed to study or anything."

"Oh, yeah, I… Actually, I was gonna go hang out with some friends today, anyway. Are you sure you don't need my help?"

"Yeah! It was, uh… Nice rooming with you." She smiled and awkwardly shook April's hand, then walked over to the corner, putting things in boxes. Immediately, she got up and gathered a bag. She would go down to the lair today, to study. She hadn't seen the guys in forever. And she could see her Dad, too. The thought made her smile. She was starting to feel a little too cramped in there anyway.

The crisp, early March air sent a shiver down her back as she pulled on a giant sweater and some boots. It was only a twenty minute subway ride to get to the closest entrance by her father's apartment. She dialed his number when she boarded the train.

"April?"

"Hey, Dad! How are you?"

"I'm doing alright. Is everything okay?"

"Yes, I… Actually I wanted to see if I could stop over today? My roommate is moving out and needs some space, so I figured I might as well come see you. And then I was gonna stop by and see the guys…"

"Oh, honey… I'm actually working tonight. Remember how I told you about that therapy that I started going to? Well, they helped me get a job at the library around the corner. I work until close. Would you stay over night? I can see you tomorrow." She couldn't help but feel a little sad. She really did want to see him. He sounded so happy. He sounded better.

"Oh, okay then… Um, I might stay. I'm not sure yet. I'll let you know before ten o' clock."

"Alright dear, well I'm walking in right now. I gotta go. Love you bunches!"

"Love you too, Dad… Have fun at work!" She grinned to herself at the sound of him chuckling on the other line.

When she rounded the corner from her Dad's apartment, she checked and double-checked before she dropped into the sewers. The smell hit her harder than she expected. After awhile, she got used to it again. The walk was longer than she remembered, and she felt relief when she saw the turnstiles. She walked through them to find Raph, Mikey and Leo all in the living room, looking dejected. She felt something from them and her gut sank when she realized something was wrong. Her arrival didn't even register with them until she said something.

"Guys? What's going on? Where's-"

"April?!" Mikey asked, running to hug her. "Oh, April…" He sobbed into her shoulder then, and she looked to Leo. He cleared his throat.

"Um… Master Splinter. He…" Her heart sank. She gulped.

"Is he…?"

"No… They- The Foot. They somehow snuck in…" She watched him blink away tears. He shook his head and walked away. She wanted to reach for him, but he was halfway across the lair already, pausing at the door of the lab.

"Raph? What…?" Mikey still sniffled into her shoulder, and she glanced toward the lab, where no doubt, Donnie and Splinter were.

"They poisoned him, April. He just… He wouldn't stop vomiting… All that blood… Fuckin' bastards!" Raph looked down at the floor, his jaw clenching.

"Oh, God… Oh… God." She pulled Mikey deeper into her embrace and tears welled up in her eyes. They heard the door of the lab creak and glanced to see Donatello creep out slowly, shoulders slumped in defeat. His head hung low and her heart thudded in her ears. Leo practically toppled over, trying to get information out of him.

"What's happening? Aren't you supposed to be working on him? What's wrong? Can we see him? I need to see him." Don closed his eyes and put a hand on Leo's shoulder. April gulped, a knot forming in her gut.

"Leo… I just came out to say that he's not doing well right now. It's… Not looking great." It was then that April saw the blood splattered on his hands and plastron. "He has severe damage to his stomach and digestive system. I fear… The only way to fix the damage is to… Do surgery." Leo took a step back and she watched the air huff out of him, as if Don had just insulted Space Heroes.

"Then, do the surgery. It's simple. Fix this," he demanded. April looked back and forth between the brothers, wishing she could hold Donnie. He looked so broken.

"It's not that simple. A surgery in this environment is already risky enough. He could get an infection. As well as that, we don't have the supplies to perform one. The surgery itself would kill him." He sighed. He didn't want to have to explain to them that their father was dying; and there was absolutely nothing he could do.

"Well, what are our options?" Leo asked.

"I could try to flush it out. But that could result in permanent damage. It may hurt him more than help him."

"What else?"

"I could do the surgery, and try to repair it, like I said. But it would open him up for infection, as well as the fact that I would only have a slight medical understanding of how to do it. And we don't have any equipment to make it safe for him. Simply cutting him open could kill him. Make him bleed out." Mikey pulled out of April's embrace and squeezed her hand, before walking over to Raph, who stood with his arms crossed over his plastron, tears welling. He wiped them away angrily and Mikey offered a hand on his shoulder, but he flinched away from the gesture. Leo stood, arms dangling at his sides, looking absolutely helpless.

"What else?"

Donatello glanced at her, and she felt her gut twist. She almost felt sick. Tears stung her eyes and she pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose, trying to look strong for him. But she knew.

"We wait."

The room fell silent.

"No," Leo whispered. Almost inaudible.

"Listen, guys… I talked to Master Splinter about it, and-"

"No!" he shouted.

"Leo, please-"

"NO! Do something about this, Donatello! You're supposed to be the genius! Figure something out!" Donnie looked at his hands and then at Leo.

"You-you can come see him. All of you. If you'd like. But he's… Out of it. He's in a lot of pain." Leo pushed past him immediately, knocking his shoulder into Donatello's. She watched his browridge pinch together. Raph and Mikey followed. April walked up to him and planted a soft kiss on his cheek before they entered together. From what she could see, Splinter looked off. Almost small. Frail. His kimono was stained red, a brighter shade, as was the fur around his mouth. His eyes glazed over, but he still managed to smile slightly at the sight of his sons. Her heart thudded in her chest when she got closer.

She could feel it.

His peace. His resignation. But also the twinge of fear beneath it all. He knew he was going to die. They all did.

He tried to speak and Leo removed his oxygen mask.

"My sons," he croaked. "I want you to know, that no matter w-what, I-" he was cut off by a coughing fit, and their hands instinctively went to his aid. She crossed the room, to him, and his eyes found her. She offered a comforting touch to his arm and he reached to squeeze her hand. He was weak and his hand shook. "My family… I love you." Mikey sniffed and wiped his nose.

"We love you, too," he whispered. Splinter leaned his head back against the pillow and smiled, closing his eyes. She gasped at the happiness that emanated from him. Contentment. She looked over to find Donatello gathering some objects together on his desk. A bowl, incense, rice… What could all that be- Oh… When she looked closer, his hands tremored. Oh, Donnie… She left Splinter's side, to go to his. She reached for his hands, and he froze.

"Donnie," she whispered. He looked at her, his big brown eyes barely seeing. They were blank with fear. With grief. Finally, he nodded and walked away. A piece of paper caught her eye. It was blank, except for a single line at the top. In Donatello's scratchy, small lettering it read: Last Will and Testament.

The lair was eerily quiet that night as Splinter drifted in and out of consciousness. Leonardo sat by his side, unmoving. Raphael hit relentlessly at the punching bag. When April tried to get him to stop, he ignored her. She could see the blood soaking through the bandages on his knuckles. Michelangelo lay on the couch, crying until he had finally tired himself out. He lightly snored, and April pulled a blanket over him. She turned at the sound of Donnie exiting the lab, slowly shutting the door. He looked at his feet, and the two met halfway. She looked up at him questioningly, and he shook his head. Relief washed through her.

"He's asleep. Like you should be," Donnie whispered, then glanced over to Raph, who grunted loudly as he kicked the bag so hard, the chain rattled.

"I can't sleep… And I already tried… He wouldn't budge."

He sighed defeatedly.

She gripped his arm, and he grabbed her shoulder with one giant hand.

"April, I-" he stopped himself, closing his eyes. His throat worked and she saw his other hand clench into a fist.

"C'mon," she whispered, leading him to his room. He tried to fight it at first, looking over his shoulder at his brothers. Muttering excuses about things he needed to tidy up. Things he needed to do. He gave up as they walked through the entrance. The door clicked shut and he turned to her, eyes swimming with tears. She cupped his face with her hand, and he leaned into the touch. His tears spilled over, staining his mask a dark purple.

"Donnie-"

"I-I couldn't…" he gulped. "... Save him, I-" His breath caught in his throat when a ragged sob escaped his lips. "He's… I couldn't…" His knees gave out then, and he slumped to the floor. Violently his shoulders shook, as it all surged up in him. Strangled cries erupted from deep within his chest and she dropped to her knees, too. With a hand, she tilted his face to her, but he turned away, collapsing into her shoulder. Her lip trembled as she stroked his head.

"I c-couldn't s-save him," he hiccuped.

"Shh, it's okay. You did everything that you could."

"I couldn't save him," he said again.

Raphael stopped in his tracks when the muffled sounds of sobbing could be heard through the lair. He listened closer to find it coming from Donnie's room. Between the wails, he heard April's attempts to soothe him. All of the oxygen hissed out of him at once. He shook his head, and made one last attempt at punching his anger out, before it was all too much. He plopped onto the floor hard, panting. His knuckles ached, stung, but he merely stared forward, allowing the tears to flow freely. He unwrapped his shaking hands and sucked in a sharp breath when the fabric over his right hand clung to a knuckle that had split open.

"Let me get that," he heard someone say. He looked up and found Michelangelo smiling halfheartedly down at him, eyes puffy and bloodshot. He wrapped a warm hand around Raph's arm and helped him up, heading toward the lab. He realized, suddenly, what was in there- who was in there and he felt his lungs start to ache. He dug his heels into the floor, and the turtle in orange stopped to meet his eyes with a concerned gaze.

"All the supplies are in there. It's the only way to-"

"I can't." Raphael pulled his arm out of his brother's grasp. "I can't." Mikey sighed.

"Okay, bro. I'll grab it." Raph blinked back tears, wishing he could be strong enough to walk back in. To quit being a damn baby. But when he went to follow Mikey, he got a glimpse of the floor. The blood that surrounded the place where their father lay, dying. Leo turned and saw him, and he flinched away from the door.

He was gasping for air now, clutching his chest and neck. The more he tried, the harder it was to suck in any oxygen. His blood rushed behind his ears in time with his speeding heart. Sweat seeped out of his pores and a rush of pain spread over his heart, his lungs. His shell hit the wall and he slid down it, pulling his knees to his chest. No I can't die. Not now. Not like this, he thought, somewhere distantly. He shook his head back and forth, wanting it all to be some sick joke. The muffled voice of his brother could be heard to his right. He saw Donnie come into view and time seemed to slow as he felt hands on him. He was shouting something, and though he watched his brother's lips move, he panicked when he couldn't understand it. To his left, Mikey came into view and he also tried to say something. Did he hear the words "panic attack"? Something about hyperventilating? Black spots started to patch their way across his vision, the concerned faces of his brother's the last thing he saw before the lack of oxygen got to him, making his consciousness slip away.