Chapter 14
-Vision-
As the footsteps drew nearer, April had a chance to take in her surroundings, it was a good thing the supercomputer generated its own light. Through the violet glow of the machine, she could see just how massive it had become since the last time she'd seen it.
From her vantage point, she could see that the computer was made up of several rows of cabinets, each one probably holding enough processors to feed the Hivemind for decades.
She crawled down to one end of the aisle and was shocked by what she'd discovered. As it turned out, her and Donatello's chambers weren't the only ones in the room. Attached to the end of each row of cabinets was a chamber containing a psychic student. April felt a sense of shame over her selfishness, of wanting to stay in the alternate world when these students, her classmates, needed her.
April's thoughts where interrupted when the footsteps finally came to a halt just beyond the door. She picked up on bits of a two sided conversation as one fumbled with the lock on the door.
"This is a waste of time." A mam said, his voice hesitant. "No one could get out of those chambers, even if they did manage to wake up." He said.
"Quit your complaining, we are under direct orders from Evixus to make sure the Hivemind remains operational." The other voice said. "Look, if we split up it shouldn't take that long."
"Crap." April breathed, there was nowhere for her to hide. If they searched the room from both ends, she'd be caught for sure.
April butted up against one of the cabinets and called upon her power, she could feel the electricity of it leaving her mind only to fizzle out before returning with a snap, like a rubber band. She hissed, it was no good.
Her only other option was a physical fight, but if that was going to work she'd need the element of surprise. Glancing in the direction she had come, April came up with a cringeworthy plan.
The hesitant guard entered first and shuffled toward one end of the supercomputer while his friend took the other. He lazily swung his flashlight down each aisle and gave a yawn. "There's nothing here. Maybe it was a computer error."
"This computer doesn't make errors. It's gotta be something to do with the chambers in the back." The proud guard said, "check them."
"Why do I have to do it? That monster really creeps me out." The hesitant guard said. "What the heck even is it?"
"A turtle, I think." The proud guard answered. "Anyway, you're the one who said no one could escape."
"Yeah well, that thing isn't human."
The pair continued their conversation as the hesitant guard stepped up to Donatello's chamber to check on him. He shined his flashlight through the glass and jumped slightly at Donatello's unresponsive face. "The monster is still there." He said.
"Well good, then check the other one and let's go."
The hesitant guard turned his attention toward April's chamber, she was there, sleeping soundly. He was going to give the all clear until he saw the purple headband in her hair, which drew his attention to the fact she was no longer "plugged" in. "I found the source, she must've pulled the wires free."
"I knew it, happens all the time, just a muscle spasm." The proud guard said, "Hurry up and reattach her."
The hesitant guard went to open April's door and her eyes snapped open, startling him. "What the-!?" April didn't give him the chance to finish his sentence as she pushed the door open with as much strength as she could gather. Calling Donatello a monster multiple times was going to cost him. The door hit him in the face, breaking his nose, and he fell to the ground in an unconscious heap.
The proud guard came around the corner just as April stepped out of her chamber. "I don't know how you managed to escape the Hive but you won't get any further." He said, jabbing his heavy flashlight at her.
April jumped back slightly to get out of range. "You don't have to do this. Whatever Evixus has told you is untrue, let me go and I can save everyone from his hold." April lifted her hands defensively, it was a small shift in her stance, not easily noticeable to a nonfighter, ready to stop the flashlight's assault if need be.
"You misunderstand." He said, "You seem to think that we are all being held captive, when in truth, it's quite the opposite."
April gestured toward the supercomputer, "The way I see it, those students are being held against their will."
"Oh, yes a chosen few, including you and that monster, must donate their minds to the cause, but it is a noble sacrifice." He replied. Easy for him to say since he wasn't one of the "chosen", April mused.
"Evixus offers to share his vast knowledge of the cosmos with us. It is freedom, not captivity." He continued, "You claim you want to save everyone, then get back in your chamber."
April glared, she wasn't getting anywhere with this guy. "I can't." She took a tentative step forward and he whipped the flashlight at her, April ducked and grabbed him around the middle before thrusting her body upward, the guard flipped over her shoulder and landed, headfirst into her chamber, "it's occupied." She slammed the door shut just as he lost consciousness.
Now, that was over, she quickly began searching the hesitant guard's body for anything she could use as a weapon. In her current state of fatigue, she was lucky she'd managed to take down these two guards. Who knew how many more guards there were, adrenaline only got you so far. She needed a plan.
Splaying out what she'd gathered in front of her she bit her lip, a lighter, a flashlight with batteries, and some shoe laces. Slim pickings. She glanced up at Donatello's face. "What do I do with these Donnie?" she asked, knowing he couldn't answer.
She stared down at her supplies and gasped as a distant memory entered her mind, it was as if Donatello was answering her question after all.
"Check this out, April." Donatello said, gesturing for April to stand behind a window of shatter proof glass. She looked on as he secured a BIC lighter, upside-down, to the wall using duct tape. He flicked it on and hurried to join her behind the glass.
After a few moments the lighter exploded with a loud pop. The lighter's plastic casing slammed against the glass before landing on the floor. "It's an IED." He explained proudly.
"An improvised Explosive Device, really, Donnie?" April asked, she wasn't too sure she wanted Donatello messing around with such things. He should be disarming bombs and preventing explosions, not creating them (at least not on purpose).
"Don't worry, I am studying the basic principle of them to see if I can integrate them into the lair's defense systems. This is a relatively small IED, mostly good as a diversion." He said, "What you do is break the lighter so the fluid can seep out. Then secure it upside down to a wall or something. Eventually the flame will melt the casing and when it does… Boom." He said.
That was it, April thought. If she could amplify the explosion with the batteries from the flashlight then she might be able to escape without being seen. But first, she needed to find a weak point in the room, since she only had one shot at this, it had to count. Glancing around at the smooth surface of the concrete walls surrounding her, she grew certain that the wall wasn't going to yield to escape attempts.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
Running water? April followed the sound of the dripping to its source and found a small drainage pipe in the corner of the room. It was collecting runoff from the Supercomputer's cooling system. The drain was only about the size of a soccer ball so there was no way she'd fit. At least not yet.
April grabbed the lighter and rigged it the way Donatello had shown her, then added the batteries, she tied the IED together with the shoelaces so that the lighter was upside down. She used the rest of the flashlight to pry the drain open so that the IED would fit inside.
She turned on the lighter and lowered it into the drain, keeping hold of the shoelace, while gaining distance. After a few moments the bomb went off, sending bits of floor flying everywhere. April dropped the string and was gone before the smoke cleared.
April dropped down into the drain and pulled herself through the slime covered tunnel, all the while fighting off claustrophobia. The tunnel was so dark that she cursed at herself for not bringing the second flashlight. She shimmed through the darkness a few more feet before placing her hand on what she thought was solid ground only to pitch forward, falling into an aqueduct.
It swept her away with such power and speed that April was having a hard time keeping up. She choked and tried to claw her way to the surface but should couldn't tell which way was up. Panic took hold of her and she gasped, allowing water to fill her lungs. It burned, people often said that drowning was a peaceful way to die, they had no idea what they were talking about.
Finally, the pipe let out, releasing April into the cold, unforgiving arms of the Hudson River. April drifted to the surface, the current wasn't as strong as the aqueduct, but in her weakened state she found it hard to fight it. Eventually, she washed up on the soggy riverbank.
April, unable to fight off her exhaustion any longer, was about to give her body over to the inviting embrace of sleep, when she heard the voice of Splinter "April."
April lifted her head slightly and watched as her beloved sensei, shrouded in a blue light, took careful, purposeful steps toward her. "Master Splinter. I did it. I escaped."
"You did well." He said. "But, escaping was only the first step in your spiritual journey." He sank down next to her and placed a soothing hand on her back, "You rely on your power to give you a sense of purpose, but your power is something you can do, it is not who you are. It is a dam, blocking your spiritual path. Run like water, find a way around, adapt and flow like a river, let nothing block your path."
"What do you mean?" April asked, but she was so tired she wasn't sure she'd actually said it out loud.
"Rest now." He soothed. "For when you awaken you will face your greatest opponent."
April woke up in a familiar dream scape, just in time for Tidal Wave's drill like arms to come crashing down upon them. And just like last time, as the Turtles leapt to safety, April slipped from the ledge. She held on tightly as the dream replayed itself up to the point where Leonardo called her dead weight.
After Leonardo ditched her, April managed to pull herself up and over the ledge and readied herself to follow the Turtles. That is until the rest of the city was enveloped in a thick fog, leaving only the lone building upon which she stood. "Guys! Wait for me, don't leave me behind!" she called, but only her echo called back.
"Pathetic." April turned around to face the owner of the voice and narrowed her eyes.
"Karai." April said.
A legion of foot soldiers emerged from the fog until she was surrounded on all sides. April reached around for her tessen but it wasn't where it should be.
"Looking for this?" Karai asked, fanning out the metal fan before grazing a finger over its sharp edge. "Someone with telekinesis doesn't need a weapon like this." She said.
"Give that back." April ordered.
"This was never meant for you." Karai said. "all of the things you have, belong to me. Splinter is my father and those Turtles are my brothers. You've had enough fun playing my replacement, but now it's time for you to learn your place."
Karai rushed at April, tessen held perfectly in her dainty hands, the foot soldiers keeping a tight ring about the two of them. There was no escape. The foot clan's princess swiped the tessen at April's face, letting her hear the familiar whistle it made. The weapon may have been meant for Karai but it was April's now and it called to her.
April sank down into the splits, narrowly avoiding losing the tip of her nose, then, flipped over before sweeping her body across in a failed attempt to trip Karai. Even though she missed, she was able to gain some distance from the deadly kunoichi.
"You'll never be as good as I am." Karai said. "You are weak and pathetic." She pulled a few shuriken from a pouch behind her and tossed them perfectly, April took three swift jumps back as the sharp stars landed at her feet in rapid succession.
Karai stalked toward April, ever the predator. "You're a fool to think that my brothers actually care about you." Karai jumped at April and twisted the redhead around, holding her from behind. "There's only one reason why you are still around," Karai held the tessen up against April's throat. "You are a placeholder."
Let nothing block your path.
"Like water. Adapt and flow." April whispered before reaching behind Karai to grab the handle of her tanto knife. Finding it, April pulled it free of his holster, cutting Karai's side in the process.
Karai released her and April turned around, meeting Karai face to face. "I am a proud member of the Hamato Clan and I won't let you tell me that I'm not good enough, I won't let you call me weak, you won't block my path anymore!" April screamed, thrusting the tanto knife through Karai's chest.
The princess of the Foot Clan stumbled back, knife still embedded in her flesh, blood spilling from her pink lips as they formed a peaceful smile. Then Karai's body melted away and reconstituted into another version of April.
"It's me." April said, "I was the one telling myself that I wasn't good enough."
At that revelation, April's dream scape melted away and she found herself standing on the bank of the Hudson once more.
"I'm proud of you, April." Splinter said, apparently, he'd never left her side. He placed at single shuriken in her hand, "There are five pedals on the Hamato crest, one for each member of the clan." He said. "Join together as one and defeat Evixus."
"Hai, Sensei." April bowed, and Splinter melted away.