Author's Note: I've finally got the next chapter up! This one's taking place during and right after April's little stunt. We'll be seeing some brotherly angst and the nightmare plaguing Donnie since the incident. And a little surprise at the end, too! But I want to thank everyone who's given this a review, and thank you for all the favorites and follows! As soon as this story's over, I'll be publishing my next two works: Transcendental and The Power Inside Him. I'll still be writing for the Turtle Dove series and do some one-shots, too! Anyway, be sure to enjoy this chapter!

Chapter 10: Darkness' Chokehold, Part 2

Meanwhile

Michelangelo caught his reflection in the sudsy water before running a sponge over several glasses. He usually dreaded doing the dishes for any reason, but Donatello appreciated a peanut butter milkshake so much that he decided to be on clean-up duty. He helped Donnie get to bed not long ago-checking his shell and setting up the proper padding-before cleaning up the remnants of their aged blender. The cycle would repeat tomorrow; he or Splinter would get Donnie up for breakfast and check his shell all over again.

Since Donnie woke up, Leo and Raph hadn't lifted a finger to help with his care.

The thought made him angry for a moment, but his anger usually burned out into fatigued irritation. The most Leo did was donate his blood to help Donnie survive, but Raph didn't even help with the transport. He didn't believe his brothers didn't care about Donnie, yet they still let his care fall squarely on his and Splinter's shoulders. They were the ones that gave him his medicine, cleaned his shell, helped him in and out of bed, cooked his meals, and so on. Was it too much to ask that they chip in and relieve some of the weight?

Probably because they're too busy being mad at April.

That's right…they spent most of their time brooding over what happened. While Leo wasn't as vocal as Raph over April, Mikey could tell that the eldest brother didn't want much to do with her, either. Weird, since he easily forgave Karai over the things she did in the past. And Raph didn't have much trouble forgiving Slash when he tried to kill them all. Maybe he was just too forgiving, but if April made the effort to right her wrongs, what right did they have to stay bitter? It wasn't like they helped the situation, anyway.

Leo always told her 'ninjas only'. Raph always told her she wasn't good enough. They ignored her freaky behavior with the crystal. Now they weren't helping their wounded brother. It was time he put his foot down. And as turtle luck would have it…

"Hey, Mikey, what're you doing up this late?"

Mikey stiffened at Leo's innocent question. The second set of steps told him Raph followed shortly behind. He didn't know where they'd been, and he honestly didn't care right now. They just waltzed in like they didn't have a care in the world. Mikey put the sponge down harder than intended with a slam of his hand, and he could sense the two elder brothers jump.

"Mikey, are you okay?" Leo asked quietly.

"And where's Donnie?" Raph cut in.

The turtle in orange hunched his shoulders up, but didn't bother to turn and look at them. Instead, he replied in a harsh murmur, "Went to bed. You guys kept an eye on him while I was gone, didn't you?" He paused to add dramatic effect, then added, "Oh, wait, you didn't…you were busy 'training' and put it all on me again."

"Wait, you were gone?" Leo suddenly asked, which caught Mikey off-guard. "I thought you were in your room or playing games!"

"If he was, I would've seen 'im." Raph interrupted, the tone in his voice showing his lack of interest in the situation. "Figured he was skateboarding or somethin'. Donnie seemed okay on his own."

Raph's tone-the same he used when he ordered pizza-broke something in Mikey. His hand suddenly slammed down on the kitchen counter before he swiftly turned to face his older brothers. They always lectured him on stuff, but now it was his turn and they wouldn't dare try to walk away or brush him off. "I've had it! Sensei and I've been taking care of Donnie since he woke up, and you two haven't even lifted a finger to help! You just assume, 'oh, they've got it, so we can do what we want'! I thought ALL members of the family had to step up when one got hurt to show them they CARE!"

Leo frowned and shot back, "Of course we care, Mikey! We just assumed you didn't need any help-"

"No! I know why you shoved it all on me! It's because you thought it was all my fault!" Mikey immediately countered before Leo could finish his feeble defense. Every bit of anger he kept buried beneath since the incident came out in a massive pop of the cork. "I got a newsflash for you, Leo: we're all at fault for what April did!"

Leo visibly tensed up at the mention of April, and Raph instantly balled his hands into fists. But Mikey didn't care if they were getting angry; he felt he earned the right to feel angry right now. "I can understand Donnie right now, but I'm willing to forgive her if it means he'll get better. But you guys don't even want to mention her name around here!" An accusatory finger pointed towards Leo. "Mr. Ninjas Only never wanted her around and always made her feel like she didn't matter! Oh, but you wouldn't dare say that to your girlfriend! And you were more than willing to forgive her for trying to kill us, and you helped her almost get us killed, just so you can make her like you!"

"Mikey-"

"And let's not forget how you gave Donnie a hard time over her! You told him he wasn't trying hard enough to cure that brain worm! He was working without sleep while you sat on your butt and did nothing! Who's the one not trying hard enough, Leo!?"

The leader in blue had a retort ready, but his baby brother calling out his hypocrisy made him visibly shrink. At least Leo had the decency to feel guilty, which garnered some sympathy from Mikey. But he wouldn't let that show just yet, because it was Raph's turn. "And you! You always told her she wasn't good enough; always made her feel like she never belonged! Yet you easily forgive Slash for trying to kill us-kill Donnie-and you forgave Mona Lisa just 'cause she said she loves you!"

Raph growled out, "Shut up Mikey-"

"And you were the one who always told Donnie he wasn't good enough! Who went out to look for your sorry butt only to get caught by Don Vizioso!? Who almost got killed trying to rescue Mr. O'Neil 'cause you said he was 'sadorable'!? Who was the first guy Slash went after 'cause you couldn't keep your mouth shut!?" To further the point, Mikey hammered down, "Who did you pick as the easy target!?"

"I said shut up-"

Mikey wouldn't let Raph have an edge this time, and all the anger he harbored towards his hot-tempered brother and the situation as a whole came out in one precise strike. "I bet you wanted April to kill Donnie! Then you wouldn't be saddled with an 'uncool' brother the rest of your life! You're mad at her 'cause she didn't finish the job-"

A fist connected with Mikey's cheek and sent him to the floor. Seconds later, Leo fought to hold Raph back before the turtle in red could beat Mikey to a pulp. Raph only saw red in his vision and sought to hit the one thing that fueled his anger at the moment. Mikey saying this was his fault too was one thing, but flat out accusing him of wanting Donnie to die? His baby brother hit a new low on that one. He would make sure Mikey never accused him of such a thing again, even if it meant knocking several teeth out or fracturing his skull-

"YAME!"

Leo found himself on his butt as a long arm swooped in and struck Raph in the neck. The turtle in red seized and visibly winced, letting go of his bloodied brother and dropping to the floor in seconds. Leo immediately swooped in and picked Mikey up, wiping stray blood from his nose and cheek, carefully watching Splinter standing over the stunned Raphael. It only took seconds for the pressure-point paralysis to wear off and Raph to try and seize Mikey again. However, Splinter wouldn't have any of it and held him back.

"Raphael, please explain why you decided to assault Michelangelo." Splinter demanded in an even tone, too even to allow his sons to be calm. "Also explain why you and Leonardo left Donatello alone hours earlier."

Raph completely ignored both questions with a guttural growl. He felt too angry to give any comprehensible words, let alone an explanation. Especially since he had to listen to the garbage coming from Mikey's mouth and no one defended him. Leo didn't stick up for him; just stood there feeling sorry for himself after Mikey chewed him out. Now Splinter threw him under the bus…

"I'm not gonna…not gonna stand here…" Raph gritted out, getting to his feet and glaring daggers at his baby brother. "…and let 'im say…that I wanted Donnie dead-"

Raph cut himself off when he heard a scream. He knew it came from no one present in the kitchen, and the direction of the noise meant it came from the bedroom hall. He saw Mikey immediately spring from Leo's grasp and dash for one room in particular…

Donatello ran as fast as he could through the streets of New York. He glanced behind him for a split-second and found the pavement cracking with ghostly-blue light. He ran faster, hoping to get away from his pursuer, ignoring the blue light coming closer and closer until it was a hair away from his shell. That was when he realized his shell wasn't damaged and he could run, but just the feeling of the light behind him made his shell burn. He had to get away before it got him.

Donnie suddenly stopped when the ground in front of him exploded in bright light and concrete debris. He shielded his face with his arms before daring to look at what came from below. Then he saw her slowly rising, arms spread out as though she was some great deity. Her eyes glowed that ghostly-blue light that made her appear angelic…but there was nothing angelic about her. He knew he looked into the light that only brought death and destruction.

"You can't run anymore, Donnie. You can NEVER run from me."

The turtle in purple took a frightened step back before running in the opposite direction. He had to find his brothers and Splinter before she got them, too. He just had to get to the manhole cover and he would be safe for a moment. He saw the manhole cover just ahead…and then saw who stood on it. He immediately skidded to a stop and backed away again.

"April…why are you doing this?" Donnie asked, fear and confusion heavy in his tone. "Why do you want to hurt me this much?"

April narrowed her glowing eyes. "You really don't know what you did, Donnie?"

Donnie only shook his head feverishly and replied, "No, I don't! I didn't do anything to you!"

He realized quick that his answer didn't sit well with April as she raised a hand to him. Instead of a smack to the face, he found himself levitating off the ground in-sync with April's hand. His limbs immediately flailed in the air, hoping in vain he could break free of her psychic control. This was just like that night…that night when April tried to kill him. Why did she do it, if not over the crystal? Why did he have to relive this?

April opened his mouth, and he got the answer to one of his questions.

"You RUINED my life!"

Donnie suddenly found himself careening off a car when April swung her arm. It felt just like the night the chemical plant explosion threw him into a car and knocked him unconscious. This time, though, he remained awake to feel the pain of the collision. But from the way he floated back up and the angry expression on April's face, she wasn't done.

"This is for keeping me trapped in the lair because of your 'sister'!" She slammed him into a telephone pole with a loud CRACK.

She then threw him into the side of a brick building, watching him drop to the ground. "This is for mutating my FATHER!"

Donnie panting and twitching didn't faze her in the least. Instead, she levitated him again and sent him into a small water tower on a neighboring building. "Have this for your stupid pursuit of my affections!" With Donnie embedded in the tank, she laughed coldly and added, "Why would I ever love a freak of nature like you?"

The turtle panted and wanted to scream in pain, but the shock of April's revelations stunned him into silence. Was this how April really felt about him? Did she really believe he ruined her life just for being around her? For all those accidents they had no control over? Then to hear her mock his feelings towards her made his heart shatter. The crystal did a good job of bringing out what was buried beneath, he realized.

"Now have this…for treating me like a helpless princess!" April raised her hand and threw him into a billboard.

Donnie, now bloodied and shaking, raised his head to the angry redhead. He didn't know why he even bothered as he felt emotionally defeated. Despite his resignation to April hating him, he found himself pleading, "A-April…please…stop this…"

It was too late. Donnie found himself in a familiar position: suddenly raising high in the air with his shell facing the pavement. He opened his mouth to scream, but found he could only whimper pitifully. He managed to turn his head enough to see April's expression, seeing a cold smirk and narrowed eyes drinking in his terror. For a brief moment, he thought he saw the image of a black creature overlapping April's form. That creature…it couldn't be.

"And this…"

"A-April, please…"

"This…is for being born!"

Donnie screamed as he plummeted to the pavement. His screams ceased the moment he heard the cracking sound of his shell mixed with voices frantically calling his name.

"Donnie!"

Mikey burst into the bedroom to find Donnie screaming and thrashing in his bed. The turtle in orange immediately went to grab his brother and calm him down, but Donnie had enough strength to throw him off. Leo, Raph, and Splinter arrived just in time to see Mikey thrown to the floor, which prompted the eldest turtle to step in. Fueled by guilt and Donnie's frantic screams, he rushed over and suddenly embraced his genius brother.

"Donnie…Donnie, it's okay." Leo whispered, holding Donnie firm despite his struggling. "It's just a nightmare, you're okay."

"N-No…no…" Donnie shook his head against Leo's shoulder. "A-April…she…a-always h-hated me…"

Leo wanted to tell him that wasn't true, but feared doing so would agitate Donnie further. It was when he placed his hand on Donnie's shell that he noticed how damp the bandages were. When he pulled his hand back, he found faint traces of blood on his fingertips. Once again, Donnie's struggling agitated his shell. He put aside the idea of scolding and just kept holding his brother. He could feel tears threatening to escape while he gently rocked Donnie.

"…I'm so sorry, Donnie. I'm so sorry…"

Leo apologized for both the pain Donnie went through and for neglecting him in favor of his own self-pity. He could feel Mikey join in the embrace and offer Donnie comfort from his nightmare. He could hear Mikey murmur, "You're gonna be okay, D."

For a moment, they could hear Donnie mumble, "A…eon…"

Splinter glanced to his side and found Raph biting his lip in anger, fingers digging into the skin of his biceps. However, he could also see tears threatening to spill from his green eyes. Before he could address his hot-tempered son, he suddenly heard the sound of the Cheese Phone in his room and rushed to answer it. That left Raph alone to watch his three brothers in a pile on Donnie's bed, unwilling to participate. Not because he cared little of how Donnie felt, but because Mikey's accusations still burned in his mind…how it all summed up to him being the reason Donnie got hurt. If he stepped in and tried to comfort Donnie, he would just make things worse like usual.

Splinter returned, this time with a grave expression on his face. It was right when he returned that Raph suddenly bolted to his room and slammed the door. The rat could hear faint sobs coming from his son's room, but would check on him in a moment. Right now, he had to reveal the hard truth to those present…even Donatello.

"…That was Kirby." Splinter muttered. "April…April used her powers to strangle him and regain the crystal."

Leo and Mikey immediately paled, and they could feel Donnie start shaking again at the mention of April. Mikey especially felt a pit in his stomach; he thought April had improved since their talk earlier. The crystal had a greater hold on her than they realized, and perhaps simple talks wouldn't be enough now. But now that Donnie heard that April harmed her own father…

"Sh-She's dangerous…" Donnie murmured over and over. "S-She's evil…i-it's made her e-evil…"

"A-April's not evil, Donnie. She's just really messed up right now." Mikey insisted in a whisper. "She's just-"

"Don't defend her!" Donnie retaliated. "S-She cares more about that crystal than us! O-Or her own dad!"

Leo let go of Donnie and asked, "Is April still there?"

Splinter only shook his head, replying in a low voice, "No…when she released her hold on Kirby, she disappeared from the apartment. There is no telling where she is now."

Mikey immediately wanted to go and find April, but wondered if another talk would do any good. That and he knew Raph ran to his room with tear-filled eyes. Guilt over his earlier words gnawed away at him. But he also had to comfort Donnie, too. He was torn on what to prioritize until…

"I'll go find her."

Leo volunteering to look for April caught them off-guard. He and Raph were the most hesitant to make amends with her besides Donnie. Was there an ulterior motive for Leo to volunteer, or did he truly want to make peace to help Donnie and April both? The others watched Leo get up and head for the door, not knowing what could happen. Before he could get to the hall, Leo felt a firm hand on his shoulder and his father looking at him with worry.

"…Be careful, my son. She is in a volatile emotional state."

The leader in blue only nodded and went about his way. He made sure to grab his swords before leaving in case anything went down. Once he left, Splinter and Mikey were left to comfort and doctor the petrified Donatello, hopefully getting him back to sleep.

But they couldn't shake the fact that he muttered what sounded like 'Aeon'.

And that's the end of this chapter! As you guessed, next is our one-on-one with April and Leo. I hope I didn't tear anyone up too bad, and I apologize for Mikey coming off pretty harsh. But stress and pent-up anger can make your thinking less-than-clear. And now we see that Donnie has some sort of clue as to what's influencing April. Perhaps he got a glimpse during the incident? We'll find out later! Just be sure to stay tuned for the next chapter!