CHAPTER 13: A Lacuna in Fate
Hey guys, it's an exciting chapter for me admittedly since we are actually getting into the first part of the angst for this AU. Again this is something I have had and been working on since the series was actively airing. From this point on things are going to get a bit wild. I'll do my best to make it apparent who's perspective we're on. Also this chapter will be on the longer side. TW: Gunshots and blood.
After the scene that played out in the living room, slowly one by one the others disbanded, leaving April and Donatello in a silent embrace in the middle of the pit. She couldn't look at her boyfriend just yet after that display of defiance to his older brother and leader. She could feel his hands gently rubbing her back, bringing her away from her monumental breakdown just inches away from occurring. It felt like an hour had passed before she moved even a little, peeking up at Donatello, instantly being met with his kind, concerned but calm eyes.
Donatello:..Hey there.
April:...hi. I..I feel like I could have done that better, couldn't I?
Donatello: Well..probably. But it sounds like you've had a lot bottled up huh? I think with that in mind…you did your best.
April sniffled, pushing her face back into her boyfriend's plastron and nodding, not wanting him to watch her cry in frustration and embarrassment. Cursing at herself quietly for messing up one of the most important parts of being a kunoichi, keeping your emotions in check. Donatello's fingers lifted her head, looking at her with concern, but understanding.
Donatello: It must be hard..you know going from being alone and having your freedom to constantly being around people and unable to just go…b-but you do understand where we're coming from right?
April: Of course I do! I recognize that you're all trying to keep me safe because you care about me. But I care about all of you too, I want to keep you all safe and I want to be able to do something too…not to mention just breathing fresh air is nice.
April sighed, letting a timid smile spread across her lips from Donatello's chuckle, knowing well that he understood her plights, before moving into the lair, the two of them would often meet privately at her house just to talk, or help her with homework. Shaking her head and letting go of him, April started to trudge away, only to turn back from Donatello grabbing her hand.
Donatello: I..ugh, I might regret this but if you want…I'll cover you. Y-Ya know if you wanted to maybe leave the lair. But only for a little while!
April gasped, the thought of leaving the lair for even half an hour enough to make her want to scream out in joy. Jumping up and down on the balls of her feet, giving Donatello a huge kiss on the mouth before running off to her room to change into something more discreet and reconvening with her partner in crime in his lab. Dressed in her black athletic outfit, going through Donatello's checklist as he opened his exit for the Shell Razer.
Donatello: Do you have your tessen?
April: Check!
Donatello: And your T-Phone?
April: Wouldn't ever leave without it!
Donatello: And a few bandaids just in case?
April: Absolutely D, I got it all!
April stood there staring out into the dark of the sewer exit, just waiting for the green light to run into the freedom of the world. Her eyes darted to Donatello who was now looking nervous, his finger to his chin in thought. He was second guessing himself if he should allow her to go. She could tell by the way he bit his lower lip. Taking one of his hands and kissing the inside of his palm softly, giving him an encouraging smile.
April: Hey. I have my phone. You can even follow me the whole time if you want. I'll be back in 30 minutes like we agreed! In and out..or more like out and in, haha!
Donatello sighed, giving her a smile and nod, wrapping his arms around her and giving her a kiss on the top of her head before releasing her with a nod. Already heading out down the exit, April turned and yelled out for her boyfriend, smiling at the bright red she could see on his face.
April: I'll see you in 30 minutes Anata! Bye!
The freedom for her was something she had been longing for. Don't get April wrong, she absolutely loved the guys and loved living, and spending time with them, but a true moment to be alone and free without them breathing down her neck was something she hadn't had in months. The feeling of the ground beneath her as well as the ability to set her own pace was enough in that moment to make her feel complete. She knew though where she was heading, it had been in the back of her mind since it actively was occurring and it felt like it was siphoning life from her. It was an odd sensation admittedly, she felt like a borderline stalker knowing exactly where to go. I mean it wasn't cut and dry as it would have been if she didn't have her psychic abilities pulling her along to the building. It truly did feel like a beacon in the sky, pulling her in like a moth to a flame.
Getting to the appropriate manhole and making quick work of the ladder, finding herself in a rather clean alleyway maybe a block and a half from her target. If it wasn't for the slight nip in the air pointing to the seasons really shifting, April would have probably pressed right on to her location. Taking a moment before going to the fire escape and lumbering her way to the rooftops in a matter of moments. Truly alone on the rooftops of the city was a new feeling, admittedly she kind of missed having one of the turtles with her at least. It felt akin to entering your friend's house while knowing they weren't home.
The pressure in her head, beating away the feeling of turning back, feeling somewhat guilty in that moment of leaving without anyone with her, but nothing had happened yet. Quelling the anxiety within her by shooting Donnie a quick little text 'All good up here! Just checking in 3' , getting an instant reply of 'Gotcha hotstuff 3' which made her smile. Pressing on over a few rooftops to that eerily quiet street, the pressure increased more and more as she went, hearing the quiet little voices calling to her, 'help me, please help me'.
Dropping down the side of the roof, using the window ledges similar to how she did last time, once again facing the building just as she left it, still calling out for her to go inside it and discover all there was to know. Using her kunoichi skills to her advantage, going around the side of the building to find an alternate entrance. Luckily for her, there was a small vent that seemed to lead into the building, a space that was definitely not an option for the turtles, but one that she could easily use. Cheering for her small stature for but a moment before getting on her hands and knees, shimmying her way within.
It was dark with a capital D. The adventure through the vent had been short but suspenseful thanks to the pounding within her head, the pressure and the volume of the pleas calling to her increasing until she popped out the other side into the dark. Her eyes took a good minute to adjust before she could tell what she was looking at. She was standing in a small office space, not too much in the room but an older looking computer sitting on a standard metal office desk, some file cabinets in the room and a computer chair.
Slithering around the room as to not disturb anything, April felt around in the dark against the wall, her hand wrapping around what seemed to be a doorknob and tentatively turning it, the click of the door opening getting a small hiss from her mouth in protest at the noise. Thankfully beyond that the door opened silently to reveal the only other room to this building. It was there where April put it all together, from the dream that had been haunting her, to the feeling of dread and fear that creeped out of this building.
From a street light outside illuminating the room partially, one could see that sitting around the room were cages upon cages of little animals, each of them having some level of bandaging and marks from something. From squirrels, raccoons, opossums, rats and mice to birds, even a few small foxes and rabbits. It was eerie for sure, seeing all these animals sitting silently in these cages, very orderly. Almost too orderly for a wild animal. Taking a step into the room, April froze up, feeling every creature in the room stop and look at her. Her heart wanted to leap from her chest, waiting for some kind of alarm or even a light to turn on to set in stone her mistake but nothing came. Easing her stance a bit, a quiet female voice called out in the dark.
?: A-Are you here to hurt us?
April couldn't contain her gasp, her reflexes something she was forever thankful for, gripping her tessen in her right hand and her T-Phone with the flashlight on in the other, zeroing in on the direction the voice came from, only to see a cage of miscellaneous birds sitting against the wall.
April: I-...No. No, I am not here to hurt anyone. Where are you?
?: Oh that light is so bright! Down here!
April looked down slightly to the bottom cage to see a sight that she couldn't fully believe she was looking at if it hadn't had been for the last year or so of her life. Sitting in the cage directly below the birds was a cage with an otter, her little hands gripping the bars of the cage tightly, her eyes staring back up at April with intensity. Dropping her tessen to her side, her brain instantly clicked the pieces together of what exactly she was looking at.
April: By darwin's beard…you..all of you…oh oh god no.
April slipped down to her knees, looking at all of the animals around her who were scared, fully aware of everything occurring around them. April bringing her attention back to the otter sitting before her, who was looking at her still, April commended her mentally for her bravery.
April: How long have you been here? Do you have a name?
?: I mean we don't really name one another like you human's do but the human who comes here every so often called me Tess. I've been here for a long time…
April: Tess…Tess what is going on here?
Tess: I don't understand it much. Animals show up here in these boxes and we are given shots that are slimy and green, and food. Some live. Some don't.
April felt her anger start to build in her chest, gripping her closed tessen tight in her hands. How could mutagen be distributed like this, it was chaos to experiment on animals like this with such a potent and powerful alien substance. Tess's voice broke April from her thoughts, her eyes locking her down.
Tess: P-Please. We just want to go home…to the parks and to the skies, waterways and what have you. We won't hurt anyone just please…
The room started to fill with pleas and begging from the creatures around her. The sheer amount of emotional energy in the room was enough to make April feel nauseous and dizzy, but her determination to right a wrong she somehow felt connected to was stronger than any kind of reasoning or judgment that could reach her in that moment. Jumping to her feet and going around the room, using her T-phone as a light to navigate the various lock systems and clasps. The commotion, the reunions, the joy at being given freedom after having it spontaneously taken away was overwhelming in the best way.
Running out of time on her own freedom, April made quick work of finding the latch to the roller shutter to the front doors. With a loud rattling, light from the streetlights breached the darkness they were all kept in. And with a muscle straining push from April the front door was open and the cool night air was rushing into the building. Looking as though she was robbing a pet shop, April moved her arms, gesturing for all the previously captive creatures to run and flee into the world. The chaotic stampeding around her of birds, reptiles, mammals alike all running to freedom, it was exhilarating.
A cry coming from the crowd being the only thing that made April herself stay back before running off into the night herself.
One of the towers of cages collapsed due to the chaos, trapping a little fox by the leg. Dashing to its rescue, frantically pulling at the mess of metal sitting before her, the sound loud enough to set off some kind of alarm system, sending April into a panic of her own. The poor little fox terrified, gnawing at its leg for some kind of freedom and accidentally biting April on the wrist, the adrenaline in her body giving April the final push to get the mess of metal off the little pup.
Watching as the fox bolted to freedom, the sound of the alarm eventually stopped as if someone turned it off, but April was too preoccupied with what she had just done to think of the alarm. She had just saved a whole collection of animals who were being tormented by the likes of the Kraang and their mutagen, all thanks to her abilities.
Staggering to her feet, standing in the open doorway, April smiled proudly to herself. Taking her T-phone and checking the time, she was going to be a few moments late but telling Donatello what she had just accomplished, she was sure he wouldn't be too upset. However, as April stood there, typing out a message to her boyfriend, it seemed the universe had other plans for her. Even though she excelled at agility and flexibility with her kunoichi training, nothing could have prepared her for the click that emanated out from behind her.
She shifted on her feet at the sound, that shift being something that ended up saving her life in the long run. The shock, the burning oh god the burning in her left side was engulfing all of her. It was both so warm and so cold at the same time as she dropped to her knees. Where was her T-Phone? She had just been holding it, hadn't she? It was all so very slow, but also so very fast. Looking to her left hand where she was holding her phone, all that she saw was wet redness. The stench and taste of iron filled her nose and mouth. Gripping her side and letting out a guttural noise, she knew she was bleeding but still couldn't piece together how or why or what had exactly happened.
It was so hard for her to keep her eyes open, she felt so cold, so tired all of a sudden. It must have been from how hard she was working on her training dummy blueprints, of course how could she have forgotten that's what she was doing. The light from outside being cut off at the roller shutters fell back down, returning to darkness.