CHAPTER 14: An Endless venture for them all.
This is from Donatello's perspective.
Watching April run away from the lair with a pep in her step definitely hurt Donatello, he didn't like watching her leave him or their life they had been living behind, even if it was only for 30 minutes. Although the way she excitedly called back out to him, calling him Anata made the heat rise into his cheeks. He did have to admit that he had a very bad soft spot for her teenage girl, especially now that she was his official girlfriend. He knew how happy she was to finally be accepted onto the team and then to be revoked the way she was, it was killing her inside.
Donatello: I am sure a little break will be okay…
Although as the time went on, even sitting at his desk and working on various little projects to try and keep his mind off the fact he had just let his precious April, someone with a big bounty on her head at the moment from two different villainous powers, run off into the streets of New York at 1 in the morning, he couldn't help but keep his eyes glued onto his T-Phone screen. Even her check in text made his heart both stop and then flutter at the fact she had the hindsight to message him one at all.
Although once the 30 minute mark was approaching rapidly, Donatello couldn't help himself but to start pacing in his lab. The movement helped him from having a terrible anxiety attack over all of the little things that could go wrong to his sweet April. It was a gift, they would often joke, about how chaos and trouble seemed to follow her like a dark cloud of some kind. Donatello looked to his computer where the tracker app was running, something Donatello had programmed into all of the phones. There was her little pink dot he had programmed for her, just sitting at a building near the warehouse they were at the other day.
Wait a moment…Why is she back there?
Donatello looked at the app quizzically, clicking his mouse a few times before opting to shut the program down and restart it, choking it up to a bug in the system. I mean sure Donatello was a genius, he could do just about anything given the right parts and ideas, but even he couldn't promise that a bug wouldn't occur from time to time in his programs and apps. Donatello tapped his food, staring at the clock on his wall, watching the seconds hand twirl around the clock face again and again, darting from the clock to the exit April had taken.
And then the 30 minute mark hit. Donatello felt his heart stop for a good few seconds, standing and walking towards the exit as if it would bring her back to him. Biting his thumb in anticipation, but even after the next five minutes she didn't show. Now the panic was setting in, running over to his computer and clicking around, the program popping back up to show her whole icon for the tracker to just be gone. This was some kind of sick joke right? Donatello just stared at the screen of his computer, desperately trying to formulate some level of rationality.
Donatello: I…I'll give her another ten minutes. I mean..m-maybe her phone died..
It was agonizing, sitting there completely still for what seemed like forever. Donatello's eyes glued to the clock on his computer, he swore he didn't even blink the entire time. The 10 minute mark came and went, and there was no change. The way he shot to his feet, his computer chair crashed to the ground. He already had his phone to his ear, running out towards the living room, frantically trying to keep himself from spiraling out of control, but the sound of endless ringing with no response didn't help.
Donatello just stood there on the steps of his lab, his face twisted into a concerned and terrified mess. He felt sick. He was going to be sick. Donatello ran to the bathroom, pushing Michelangelo who had just finished bathing out of the way, slamming the door behind him and losing it. Mikey, Raphael and Leonardo standing in the doorway of the bathroom, looking at Donatello like he was a mad man. Between his sobs and hyperventilating, Donnie attempted to stand, requiring assistance from Raphael who walked him out of the bathroom.
Raphael: The hell is happenin' Donnie! Talk to us!
Mikey: Bro, the way he pushed me out of the way and ran in there, you good, D?
Leonardo: Donatello! Earth to Donnie! What's wrong?
Donatello: A-April…She, I felt bad! She looked so miserable! I-I just wanted her to…Oh god April..APRIL!
The three brothers looked at Donatello in shock, watching their brother's head fall into his hands, truly starting to spiral out of control. Leonardo crouched down in front of Donnie and made him look into his eyes. Raphael was already itching for some kind of answer to start moving while Michelangelo sped off around the lair to check for their red-headed friend.
Leonardo: Donnie, I need you to take a deep breath and explain to me what is wrong. I understand there is something wrong with April.
Donatello: I…I let her go out on her own. We agreed upon a 30 minute outing on her own with her tracker on and her tessen. W-While I was…tracking her whereabouts with her T-Phone the program was a-acting up so I reloaded it but when I went back to the program it…she was gone. That only happens if the phone dies or the phone breaks..
Leonardo stood up, looking disappointed in his brother but quickly changing his tune. Donatello really hated that look when Leo gave it to him, but he felt as though he deserved it. Shakily standing up and looking between his two older brothers for some level of guidance, Michelangelo coming back into the room in a hurried manor.
Mikey: Well her stuff is still here, so she wasn't plannin' on leaving for long.
Donnie: I told you it was just meant to be a quick in and out! Or out and in as she said…but that's besides the point!
Leo: Well where on the map did it say she was before you reloaded it.
Donnie: It kept saying she was at the warehouse from the other day but I thought it was just a bug in the system!
Mikey: Is it worth bringing Master Splinter into this?
Donatello felt weak in the knees. Already feeling a mixture of guilt from allowing April to go off on her own as well as not trusting April enough on her own, bringing his Sensei and father into this to add judgment? That would probably make him pass out at this point. Taking a peek to see Leo already eying him up before replying to Mikey.
Leo: No, I am sure there's nothing super wrong. We still have time, we can take the Shell Razer and do a quick look!
Leo turned and gave Donatello a quick pat on the shoulder before turning to head to the lab, Mikey looking at his tallest brother, offering some level of comfort with his own pat on the arm. The two walk in silence to the lab and are greeted by Raphael honking the horn.
Raphael: Let's GO! WE GOT 4 HOURS OF NIGHT LEFT!
Pulling up to the warehouse they were the other day was somewhat of a feat for Donatello. For not having any real proper instruction or certification to drive a car, Donnie was relatively good at it. Tonight however with the anxiety and chaos that he was going through, he couldn't give less of a fuck. After running into one last trash can for what seemed like good measure, he looked back at his brothers who, for lack of a better word, all looked as if they were going to die.
Donatello: ALRIGHT! Let's move guys! I didn't see April or manage to ping her phone the entire drive here.
Throwing the door open the four fanned through the warehouse, making quick work of going top to bottom, however this only made Donatello's anxiety worse. Not finding a single trace of his beloved girlfriend. Michelangelo was now on full calming duty for Donatello who was frantically pacing while Raphael just looked at him dumbfounded.
Raphael: I am just at a loss for words here. How did you lose a whole person?
Donatello: I told you this wasn't meant to HAPPEN! God I just wanted to see her smile as she has been so SO very patient with all of this!
Donatello gestured frantically to everything around them that remained in the warehouse and then to himself, looking at Raphael who could only offer his younger brother an unimpressed look. Michelangelo gave him a look before offering Donatello a careful pat on the back of his shell. Raphael turned to see Leonardo on the upper floor of the warehouse, offering nothing but a shrug before jumping down to their level. The group exhaustedly walked to the back end of the warehouse, jumping out of a broken window to the streets.
Leonardo: Well we have looked everywhere in there and there's no sign of her…although now that we're out here I feel the need to keep looking so let's split. Me and Raphael will take the rooftops while Donnie and Mikey will take the streets. Do not hesitate to call one another, got it?
The group quickly disbanded leaving Donnie and Mikey stalking the streets slowly. Donatello had to admit that while he didn't subscribe to the idea of energy or magic, after getting to understand a bit of April's psychic abilities he had to admit there was definitely something there. At this moment, the streets were definitely giving off a bad feeling, it was definitely amplified by the way Michelangelo was clinging to his arm making it difficult to move.
I can already see the sky getting lighter and we have hardly made any progress! This is all my fault. How could I have done this, I just wanted for her to feel more secure in herself!
Donatello stopped walking for a moment, feeling Mikey bump into his back which only made him spiral even more, spinning around to face his little brother and expecting his typical level of apologetic empathy, but Mikey wasn't even focused on his brother. Mikey was staring intently down the dark alleyway to the point it made Donatello uncomfortable. Following his brother's gaze to a corner in the back of the alleyway, it was dark but there was definitely something there, and it was most definitely alive.
