This is a bit of an experiment that got into my head a short while ago. At first I was utterly perplexed, but then I got excited and even more excited as it started to play out. I don't know how others will take it, as it is unusual, but nothing ventured nothing gained, right? Hope you'll take a chance.
Not sure exactly when this takes place, but I know it's after "Slash and Destroy." I don't see this being longer than three or four chapters. There's only one word the reader may or may not know, and you may still be able to understand from the context. If not, a note will be added.
Thank you for reading and I hope you'll fav, alert, review, and continue with this story.
And enjoy, of course!
Night had fallen hours ago and Donatello and April had finally started their way back to April's aunt's apartment, books beating against their sides. Casey "Punk Face" Jones had blissfully left them alone for the evening and Don couldn't be happier. He smiled at April whenever she spoke, chuckling and inching closer, backing away every now and again when he lost his nerve or realized just how close he come. She thanked him for going over the last trigonometry lecture with her, sighing to herself.
"Seriously, I don't know what I'd do without you, Donnie."
Don's breath hitched, a nervous laugh escaping him. "Aw, you would have gotten it on your own. You're already smart."
Don nearly choked when April blushed, glancing between her and the sidewalk as they made a turn.
"Still," she said after a quick recovery breath, "you've been a big help. I mean, my grade has just shot up and it's all thanks to you. And now I can explain this lesson to Casey when I need to tutor him tomorrow." April failed to notice Don's face fall or his eyes roll, grinning as she continued, "Hey, you should come! It's been a while since we've hung out together like this. And I think we could really make some progress if we offered our own methods of teaching to him. Maybe he'd understand things more if he was exposed to both..."
Don doubted Casey would be able to understand much of anything he had to say, trigonometry related or not. But a chance to spend time with April, minus his brothers and the fumes in his lab could not be passed up so easily. Even if he was stuck with the angry puck head Jones.
"Donnie? Donnie, are you in there?"
Face burning, Don nodded quickly and took a minor step away. "Y-Yeah, I'd love to study with you and...Jones. Sit out at the park on a cool night, pour over some mathematics." Try in vain to make Jones understand it, Don added to himself.
"Great! I've been worried about you lately-" Donatello ducked into an alley when several cars sped past, joining back with April once the last taillight disappeared into the distance. "I know you've been working on that retro-mutagen, but sometimes I'm worried you're pushing yourself too hard." Guilt crept into her face and Don shook his head.
"It's really not so bad, April. I mean, someone has to do it and a lot of people are counting on that retro-mutagen." They were only a couple more blocks away from the apartment, but both Donatello and April's footsteps slowed to a crawl. Don strained to see more from his peripheral vision, keeping his face locked straight ahead. The turtle's heart almost stopped when April reached for his arms, the girl smiling nervously.
"Don."
"Think of all the people it could help, all the lives it could fix-" Don made a show of looking behind, eyes darting from April's face to the side, his head not moving. April felt both hot and nauseous, skin ready to peel from her bones.
"It's only one person," April muttered. She followed Donatello's lead in not turning back. Every move she made felt heavy with someone else's eyes on her and she glanced up at Don.
"Just one?" He didn't ask her how she knew, mind whirring with possibilities and plans. At April's nod, he whispered, I know you're not going like this."
"Don..."
"But I'm going to hang back and give you time-"
"No," she hissed.
"We're too close to your aunt's apartment. If we stick too close, and too close together, it'll give her time-"
"Her?"
"I'm pretty sure it's Karai. Anyone else would have attacked us by now and I don't see why they'd send a single Footbot."
April raised an eyebrow. "What of they're trying to find a location, like before?"
"I think they'd stick with the swarm tactic. It's the best way to give a single Footbot the time to gather the data and get away safely."
"I still don't see why I have to go around while you-"
Donatello came to a complete stop, tugging April by the arm. She gave him a perplexed look, her eyes drifting to the rooftops. She wasn't sure if the shadows were moving or not, but her chest tightened at the thought. Looking back at Don, she blinked at the small smile on his face.
"You already know there's just one person there. We haven't been attacked yet, so that rules out Fishface and Rahzar. I don't think they'd send one Footbot to do a team's job. I'm almost one hundred percent certain it's Karai and we both know how she feels about you."
April rolled her eyes and nodded. "But, Donnie-"
"We both have working t-phones. If things get really bad, we can contact my brothers and they'll come back me up."
"Don..." she groaned, shoulders slumping.
"It's more important that you're safe and location unknown." He gently squeezed her hand, unsheathing his staff and swinging it between them. A single shuriken flew toward April, embedding in the staff instead.
Her lips turned up. "You better call me in half an hour."
Don's heart fluttered. "Y-You got it. Maybe forty-five minutes-just in case."
Three more shuriken rained down from above, Don turning and swiping them away with his staff. He listened for April's footsteps and she skidded into an alley and started sprinting down into another block, eyes zeroing in on a lone, shadowed figure moving along the rooftops. Taking a deep breath he jumped onto the awning of one apartment and propelled himself to the wall of its neighbor building. Hopping between the two complexes, Don made his way to the roof and shot south to intercept the attacker.
The figure's attention remained solely on April now, Don getting close enough to see several shuriken sitting ready between her fingers before he dove at Karai's middle, sending her spilling onto the roof. Her head scraped the cement and she growled, kicking the turtle in the stomach. Coughing, Don grabbed her hand and jerked the weapons out of her fingers, the metal clattering around their heads before he kicked her and rolled away.
Karai and Donatello stood up without breaking their eye lock, breathing hard. Karai's eyes were flashing, the gold almost burning in anger. "What's wrong, did I ruin your date?"
Don jumped, jaw dropping. "It wasn't a date, we were just studying together." Karai snorted, charging at Don and throwing a punch to his face. He stepped away, grunting when she kneed his stomach. Growling, he swung his staff around and knocked her back, sending her stumbling forward.
"Oh, that's right," she tried between breaths. "She's into that other one now, right?" Don's blood burned, stomach coiling painfully. "I hope you didn't actually think that would last. You do remember you're a turtle, right?"
"Shut it," he snapped, swinging around again, missing her head while he stepped around each of her punches and kicks.
"What, hit a nerve? You turtles sure are sensitive." She smirked when she saw the blush through Don's skin, easily dodging his angry swing. "And I thought you were supposed to be smart. Do you really think you have a shot with her, or do you just like torturing yourself."
Donatello caught himself, easing back into a neutral stance before he could throw another useless punch or swing. She's baiting you, calm down. Baiting you.
"And what about you?" he said, narrowing his eyes. Shuriken and kunai sailed toward him in a metal wave, Don moving his body around them fluidly. "It's the Kraang that are after April, but what about you? I thought you were only angry at us?"
Karai glared. "It is just them. We're working together, what did you think I would do?" She didn't give him time to answer, pulling out a small sword and charging again. Don whipped his head away, feeling the wind breeze by his skin.
"And that's why you tried to have her destroyed? That's why you're attacking her now?"
What am I doing? Just finish up and go! Stop talking to her. Just stop.
Karai hissed, aiming for his head again. Don ducked low and kicked at her ankle, hearing a faint crack as Karai lost her footing. Gasping in pain, she fell into a roll, eyes burning.
"So what? You're all doe-eyed over some girl you don't even have a shot with, why do you care?"
"I care because she's important to me and everyone's after her," Don shot back. "She has enough going on without you trying to kill her."
"Oh, and I don't?" The venom in Karai's voice made him flinch. Her eyes were unusually bright and Don barely noticed the sword in time to dodge. "I don't have problems of my own? Especially thanks to your turtles, to Leo." She spat the name out and this time sliced Don's shoulder, blood trailing down his arm and he jumped away. Karai did not relent, swinging again and again, leaving Don with barely enough time to dodge or block. "I have to hunt this girl down for the Kraang and make sure my father stays safe and my honor secure, and I have to make sure nothing happens to April, because she's so important and the Kraang need her." Karai was breathless, her words and the fight exhausting her.
Another cut, this time in his leg. Everything felt too hot and Karai's voice was so loud to Don's ears. "And why? That's what I don't get. What makes your little princess so special, what makes her so great and important?" Donatello gasped when he felt the edge of the roof, grunting when Karai kicked him over. Dropping his staff, he grabbed Karai's arm and dragged her down with him, both landing on the fabric of an awning before it tore and dropped them to the sidewalk.
Snarling, Karai lifted her sword and made to jam it into Donatello's neck. Don shouted and kicked Karai square in the chest. She coughed and sputtered as she flew into the street, stopping to catch her breath when Don heard it.
A car. It sped down the street, blowing two stop signs and heading straight for Karai. Don was already struggling to get up, blood oozing out of his wounds and body swaying. Karai was still coughing, head shooting up at the screeching sound as she clambered to her feet, howling when her ankle snapped again and she dropped to the road.
Don saw it, heard the crack of her bone and the pain in her voice; saw her struggle to drag herself away, one hand fighting to grab a kunai to blow the tires out or shatter the glass or something to slow down the vehicle, and before he even knew it he was throwing himself across the road.
His arms caught around hers and he wrapped himself tightly around her body, using his momentum to send them both crashing into the trash cans on the other side of the street. They landed hard on the ground, skulls snapping on the concrete and skin tearing on gravel. Karai's breathing was harsh and uneven, Don pushing himself up.
Their eyes met. Brown on gold, both wide, searching, completely at a loss. Don's heart lodged in his throat, racing and stealing his voice. Blood roared in his ears and he could barely breathe. A single black strand sat in the middle of Karai's forehead and for a moment, they only stared at each other.
"Do-Doushite?"
Don blinked, her voice shattering his trance.
"I-I don't know. I don't know."
She stared, mouth parted slightly, taking several more deep breaths before kneeing him in the stomach and rolling over. Don doubled over, gasping for air as he watched her stumble to her feet. She glanced back at him, eyes still wide as black smoke exploded between them, concealing her.
When it cleared, Don was alone.