Chapter 13
-Sphere-
Four teens sat on a rollout tatami mat in the center of the classroom as Splinter paced in front of them. "Unlike the traditional form of detention, you won't be sitting here waiting for time to pass. We are going to do something productive and it will require hard work."
April noted the way Donatello and Leonardo sat, both were uninterested but obedient, with a sort of a grin and bear it mentality. Raphael was slightly hunched over, detention wasn't anything new to him; he couldn't care less about what Splinter was saying. Michelangelo, on the other hand, was enthusiastic, more so about the person he was texting than with what Splinter was saying though.
April's attention shifted back to Splinter, he stood still but April could see the wheels turning behind his rodent eyes. Then he made his move. In one swift movement, he used his tail to grab his walking stick, bringing it to his hand in an instant. With the flick of his wrist he tapped the tip of the stick beneath Michelangelo's phone, knocking it out of his hand.
The action was so fast that it took Michelangelo a few seconds to realize his phone was even gone. "Hey!"
Leonardo's mouth was open wide in awe at what he'd just witnessed. "Amazing."
Splinter turned his head toward Leonardo and quirked an eyebrow. "How much of that could you see?" he asked.
"All of it." Leonardo said. "How did you do that so fast?"
"That is not important. It is more impressive that you could see my actions." He said. "I'm curious, have you taken martial arts before?"
"No, I've always been interested in it but the only sport I am allowed to participate in is tennis." Leonardo admitted, "My father thinks that fighting is boorish."
"Could you be more stuck up?" Raphael said. "My father this, my father that," he mocked, "Grow a pair." He said. "You've always been like this. Since we were kids." At that Raphael fell silent, it was as if he'd let something slip that he hadn't meant to.
"Um…" Michelangelo started, breaking the tension with the mere reminder of his presence, "Could I have my phone back?" Splinter shook his head. "man…" Michelangelo whined but didn't protest any further.
"Are you still upset about that?" Leonardo asked. "It was a million years ago. Our friendship wouldn't have lasted anyway."
"Yeah, because you're weak!" Raphael said, "Of course tennis is the only sport you can play, you aren't physically strong enough to play football, like me."
"Oh? And physical strength is important?" Splinter asked, trying to draw the topic back on track.
"Well, yeah." Raphael said. "No one can get past me, I'm all muscle, baby." He said, and to emphasize his point he flexed.
"Is that so?" Splinter asked. "Okay. Prove it." he said, pointing at Raphael and Leonardo respectively. "Step forward." He waited for them to do so and made his way over to Leonardo so he could whisper something in his ear.
Leonardo nodded with understanding then froze, April read a mixture of fear and excitement behind his blue eyes. Splinter stepped aside, joining April. "Raphael, attack Leonardo." He said.
"With pleasure." Raphael said, cracking his knuckles before meeting Leonardo in the center of the mat. "You've been asking for this for a long time, rich boy."
Raphael thrust his fist forward and with all the power he put behind it, April was sure he'd kill Leonardo, had the punch landed. But it didn't, instead Leonardo stepped aside, causing Raphael to stumble forward.
Raphael quickly regained his footing and turned back but before he could attempt another attack, Leonardo ducked down and swept his leg across the mat, bringing Raphael to the ground.
"What the shell?" Raphael said. "No friggin' way." He pushed himself up, ignoring the hand that Leonardo offered to help him up. "What did he tell you?"
"He said that I was supposed to let you attack me and rely on my instincts." Leonardo said, "but I'm still not sure how I was able to do that."
"You are a natural, Leonardo, with training you could become a martial arts master." Splinter said, then turned to Raphael. "I can sense that your power comes from a place of good, a need for survival, I can help you channel that anger into something useful."
"What about us?" Michelangelo said, "That was really epic, what can you teach me and the D-man?" he asked, slinging an arm over Donatello's shoulders.
"Please stop calling me that." Donatello said. "Taken out of context it could have an entirely new meaning, a meaning I don't want to be associated with." He said, April let out a small giggle and noticed the small color change on the turtle's cheeks as she did.
"I can teach all of you to be better versions of yourselves." He said. "You will learn to be a team, you will form strong bonds that will last a lifetime. Bonds that will last beyond time and space." He said. "If you aren't interested then you may take a seat at a desk and remain quiet for the next half hour." He paused, "but if you are then training begins right now."
"I'm interested." Leonardo said.
"Me too." Raphael and Michelangelo said in unison.
It took Donatello a few extra moments of contemplating before he gave his answer but he, too was interested.
Then, Splinter turned toward April, "What about you?"
"Me?" April gazed upon the turtles as they sat respectfully in front of Splinter, the scene was more than familiar, in fact, it was nostalgic and more palpable than the other feelings she'd had that day. "Yeah, I'm interested too." She said.
"Good." Splinter said and gestured to a space on the mat next to Donatello, where April took a seat. "We'll start with meditation."
"Mediation? I thought we were gonna learn to train to be better fighters." Raphael complained.
"You are, but without a clear mind, you will lack the focus required to train under my guidance." He paused for a second after catching April's eye. "I am, however, going to teach you something that I normally save for the final lesson of mediation. Obtaining your Spiritual Symbol." He said.
"What's that?" April asked, as he seemed to be directing his speech toward April, specifically.
"It is a symbol that is unique to everyone, it is what encompasses your very being, who you are in the spiritual world."
"Like a soul?" April asked.
"Something like that." He said. "Are you all ready?" he asked, and continued after he'd received a collective nod from his students. "Close your eyes and focus on your breathing. In and then out." He said.
Focusing on Splinter's voice April did as he instructed and after a while began to feel lightheaded. Something pulled at her spirit, yanking it from her body. April opened her eyes at the odd sensation only to discover that a yellow sphere was hovering just outside of her reach. She looked toward Donatello only to discover that he and the other turtles were in a state of suspended animation.
"A sphere." Splinter said drawing April's attention back on him. "Your Spirit Symbol, represents completeness, unity, equality and acceptance." He said.
"Splinter, what's going on?" April asked.
"Take hold of your sphere and all will be revealed." He said.
April cupped the sphere in both hands. The moment her fingers came in contact with it, her memories came rushing back all at once. In an instant she remembered everything: Losing her power, losing faith in the team, her betrayal… her new-found feelings for Donatello.
"This world, in which you now find yourself is merely an illusion created by your insecurities and deepest fears. Everything about this new world is designed to give you comfort so that you will remain here." Splinter said. "I have traveled across the astral plane in order to tell you to leave this foolish simulation of yours."
"Stop." April said. "even if this world isn't real, I can live a normal life and so can your sons. We all have possibilities here, my mom's here, I can go to the prom with Donnie, I can dance at Leo's wedding, or hang out with Raph and Mikey at the skate park."
"April, your team needs you. Your real brothers." Splinter said, "Think about what your symbol represents. They are incomplete without you."
"That's not true. They are fine without me." April admitted. "I am unnecessary and no matter how much I train or how much I want it, I will never measure up. Sooner or later they'll see that and leave me behind. I'll be alone again…" April brought a hand to her mouth. There it was. Her true fear.
"April." Splinter said, kneeling down to place a gentle hand on her shoulder, "my sons would never abandon you. You gave them acceptance when they needed it, they will extend the same courtesy to you." He said.
"Acceptance?"
"Yes." Splinter said. "It isn't lost on me that my sons think themselves monsters. On the path they started on, it was only a matter of time before their loneliness got the better of them. Everything changed when they met you. You gave them hope that they would one day fit into world above. It is because of you that they became a team." He said. "You five are linked together by the strings of fate."
At those words, April felt a tug at the sphere in her hands, a yellow string appeared, connecting her heart to the Sphere. She felt another tug, this time, as a blue string connected to the sphere, followed by red, then orange, and finally purple. April watched as each color faded into the center of the sphere where they released an explosion of color.
"Reclaim your real life, April. Right your wrongs, because no matter how bad things get you can always come home." Splinter said before vanishing.
April drew the Sphere toward her body, hugging it as close to her as possible. She wanted to go home, she was ready. She couldn't let herself be run by fear anymore. April and the Turtles had formed an unbreakable bond and were linked together forever. The sphere sank into April's body and she passed out from the sheer about of energy of the action.
April gasped, her eyes snapped open violently and her head stung as her consciousness collided with the harsh reality of her true world.
Fighting against her pain she tried to figure out where she was, the way her breath bounced back against her face as she breathed told her that she was in a confined space. Once the haziness of sleep dissipated, she noticed that there was a small window in front of her, through it, she could see the supercomputer from the heist.
April tested her arms, they were weighed down by several wires as they coiled around her like thin snakes. Clawing her fingers through them she managed to free her hand. Her head was pounding, the pain was the worse around her temples. She reached up and discovered that two thick wires were imbedded in her temples, one on each side.
April wanted to panic but decided against it, she had to do something more productive, like get out of her prison. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, with one swift yank removed the wires from her temples. "Agh!" April hissed, the pain was immense but she couldn't give in to it as this could be her only chance to escape.
With the brain wires gone, April set about removing other wires around her body. Hopefully removing them wouldn't set off an alarm. She yanked them away and kicked forward, the door to the chamber opened and she swam free of the sea of wires. She took a step out of the chamber only to come crashing down on the cold floor.
She was naked and cold and her body was numb from non-use. Just how long had she been trapped in there? She let out a growl of frustration and began pushing herself up off the ground, using a pillar in front of her to climb to her feet. When she was standing she noticed that it wasn't a pillar at all but another chamber. With someone inside.
Donatello.
April thumped her palms against the window, "Donnie! Wake up." She yanked on the handle but it wouldn't budge. "Oh my god, Donnie, please, open your eyes. We have to get out of here." She pleaded but he remained unconscious. Giving up, April placed her forehead against the glass in defeat. "Please, Donnie…I love you."
The sound of footsteps pulled April away from the chamber, she must've set of a silent alarm. "Donnie, I swear, I'll come back for you." She said and pushed away from the chamber, falling to the ground again, her legs still not up for strenuous activity. Luckily, as she landed she saw a pile of her clothes. On top of the pile sat Donatello's mask, she grabbed the stack of clothes and got dressed.
She looked down at Donatello's mask and made a vow, tying her hair up with it. It was a vow that she would return it to him once she'd freed him. And she would free him, no matter what it took. Even if it meant facing Leonardo.
AN:
Wow, this chapter was a doozy. I had to stop myself from writing more about that alternate world of April's. (Maybe I'll write a separate story set in that world). Anyway, what did you think?
As for the comments on TMNT 2018, I have mixed feelings about it but I will give it a chance. After all, I did hate the new movies until I saw them, they grow on ya. At least well discover it together.
See you in the next chapter, where April will have a ton of fun escaping the enemy compound only to discover that New York isn't exactly the way she'd left it.