This chapter gets more graphic, references to torture, please don't read if you don't want to.
It took two months before they finally found her, locked away in a Kraang holding cell beneath an abandoned ware house. The actual base itself was tiny. Run by roughly two dozen Kraang, it specialised in the transportation of technology, prisoners and supplies to the larger bases.
Its size made it easy to navigate and Donnie managed to pick the cells lock in record time despite his hands shaking half in anticipation of seeing his beloved April again, half with fear of what he might find. His brothers and Casey kept watch outside whilst he went in alone.
April looked awful. Curled up unconscious in the corner of the cell, her normally strong and athletic body was covered in dirt and now unnaturally thin from a severe lack of food. Her pale skin was marred with cuts and bruises from countless beatings and scars from various torture methods. Some looked like branding marks whilst others stretched across her skin like tree branches from where she'd been electrocuted. Her silky fiery red hair was out of its usual ponytail and now stuck to her skin by muck and dried blood. Her clothes were in shreds.
She didn't stir when Donatello carefully lifted her into his arms, handling her as if she was made of glass. To him she felt so light and fragile he was convinced that one wrong move would snap her like a twig. No one said anything as he carried her out of the cell. They didn't have to, their faces said it all. Casey and Raph tightened their grip on their weapons and looked as if they were about to tear the place apart. Mikey looked like he was going to cry and Leo looked like he didn't have a clue what to do.
Seeing her like this sent a mass of emotions through him, relief that he finally had her in his arms again, concern at the extent of her injuries and fury at those who'd put her in this state. The Kraang were going to pay for every injury they inflicted on her. If it wasn't for the sound of her shallow breathing her lack of movement would've made him panic as they crept through the corridors towards the exit.
For once no one tripped the alarms and they were able to make it out of the base undetected. Well nearly undetected, they had to take out the guards at the entrance but Raphael had made quick work of them.
It was only when they made it outside and the cold night air hit them, did she begin to stir. Opening her crystal blue eyes, once so full of life now dull and empty, she stared up at him in disbelief, as if she didn't believe he was really there. "Donnie?" she breathed, her voice quiet and raspy, as if it hadn't been used for a long time but it still filled him with relief. "I'm here April" he replied gently "We're all here, your safe now, we're taking you home". The smallest smile, ghosted on her lips before she sank back into unconsciousness as Donnie and the others started sprinting back towards the lair.
Thanks for reading next chapter should be up soon I hope. It'll be less horrific I promise.