April had the feeling that she was suspended in unconsciousness. Her body seemed to float through time and space, but she could not move. All around her, voices went through the soft ringing of the air. Voices she recognized at once.
The Kraang.
She struggled to wake up, but it was as if a heavy sedative kept her limbs pinned to her sides, rendering her helpless. One awful voice rang out above the others, just distinct enough from the other Kraang that April recognized it too—Kraang Prime. A surge of revulsion shot through April. The last time she had heard that voice, she had been hooked up to some kind of monstrous machine. Kraang Prime had told her that her mental energy was the secret to mutating Earth.
But now, as April floated through the haze of unconsciousness and voices, she could sense apprehension from Kraang Prime.
And Kraang is certain that the mental energy of the one called April O'Neil will be sufficient for the purpose which is the purpose of Kraang? Kraang Prime's words—or thoughts—entered into April's perceptions.
No, Kraang Prime, one of the Kraang replied.
Blinding red anger shot through everything. What is the reason for this?
The mental development of the one known as April O'Neil is not as great as Kraang thought. It has grown great, much greater than before; its power is a danger to Kraang. But it is insufficient for the purpose of the purpose of Kraang—the purpose of mutating the planet.
And the DNA of April O'Neil?
It is insufficient alone. Only the mental energy and the DNA together will suffice.
Then Kraang must prepare preparations for the administering of the injection which is the injection to fully unleash the powers which are the mental powers of April O'Neil.
Kraang Prime, this is that which is too dangerous. The powers of the one known as April O'Neil are sufficient to kill Kraang already. Kraang does not know what will happen when the administration of the injection is administered.
Kraang will do that which is as Kraang Prime says. Bring the one which is known as Karai and tell April O'Neil if she threatens Kraang the one called Karai will be terminated. Will that which is the implant which has been implanted in the brain of the one called Karai function as designed?
Yes, Kraang Prime. If the one known as April O'Neil attempts to kill Kraang as before, then the implant will detonate and kill the one known as Karai.
Implant the implant in that which is known as Experiment 272 as well. Perhaps now is the time which is the time for the introduction of Experiment 272 to the one known as April O'Neil. Begin at once. Kraang Prime's patience is wearing thin.
April's heart pounded. She couldn't even understand the rest of the Kraang's chatter after that; she was so lost in horror and astonishment she could hardly think straight. Donnie had said that the Kraang they found around her were dead—did she really have that kind of power? And the Kraang did have Karai, after all. It had been everyone's fear the day that Karai disappeared when Kraang burned the adoption agency to the ground, taking all the children with them. At least Karai was alive—but who knew what they had done to her since her capture?
What could have been moments or hours later, April felt herself coming to. Slowly, the world around her materialized. She was in a Kraang lab, surrounded by Kraang. Off to one side, an unconscious Karai was held up between two Kraang droids.
"One known as April O'Neil," one of the Kraang said. "Do not attempt to resist with the resistance of killing the Kraang using mental energy or—"
"Yeah, yeah, it will kill Karai too," April snapped. She struggled against the restraints. "I didn't even know that I could kill Kraang with my 'mental energy.' But listen to me, you gross brain-blob. I don't need mental energy to kill you."
"Kraang finds this that which is 'amusing.' The one known as April O'Neil can do nothing." The droid turned to another of the droids. "Kraang, is Experiment 272 that which is known as on the way to this place which is the place which is here?"
At that moment, the doors to room slid open and two Kraang walked in, propping up between them a red-haired person. April strained to get a better look. Could this be the clone that the turtles had mentioned? The clone's hair fell away from her face as her head lolled, and April's heart nearly stopped. She had seen that face dozens of times behind glass, a face that was almost exactly her own but subtly different—her mother's face.
"Mom?" April cried, struggling even harder. "Mom?"
"One known as April O'Neil," said one of the Kraang, "meet the one which is known as Experiment 272, also known as the one known as Renee. This one also will die if April O'Neil uses her mental energy to destroy Kraang."
"That's impossible..."
"Kraang also finds this to be that which is 'amusing.' Kraang! Tattoo the numbers which are the numbers of April O'Neil, the one also known as Experiment 273."
One of the Kraang came forward with some kind of laser tattoo gun, which burned the numbers into her wrist in seconds. April flinched at the pain.
"Now, Kraang, bring the serum which is the serum to unleash the full power of the one known as April O'Neil's mental energy."
One of the droids approached, holding an enormous syringe. Before April could even react they had plunged the needle deep into the muscle tissue of her arm and depressed the plunger. Burning hot pain spread from the site all through her body, slowly creeping up toward her head. When it reached her brain, her mind lit up with white fire. She started to scream as her perceptions exploded. Thousands of Kraang's minds filled her perceptions, their thoughts as oddly composed as their speech. She could sense Kraang Prime, somewhere far away, communing with the others. Somewhere, she sensed Donnie's presence and sensed fear racing through his mind. She sensed the unconscious rhythms of her mother and Karai's brains, as the brain stems communicated lungs breathe heart beat lungs breathe heart beat over and over again.
And somehow, she felt that she was truly seeing the world as it was for the first time in her life, as if something deep inside of her had been waiting for this moment from the beginning.
Sedate the one known as April O'Neil and remove her to the location which is the location of testing. The telepathic order shot through all the Kraang's minds.
A Kraang droid approached, holding another massive syringe.
NO! April shouted through her mind. All the Kraang squealed in pain, reeling back as if she had dealt them a blow. She reached out with her thoughts, swatting the syringe away from the Kraang's hand as if doing this was something she had known how to do her entire life. Shock flooded through her as she watched the syringe fall to the floor. If she could do that...
She closed her eyes, concentrating on the restraints that held her down. She imagined them opening and releasing her, and within seconds they sprang open. April sat up, triumphant, with waves and waves of mental energy coursing through her brain.
One of the Kraang held up a remote of some kind. "One called April O'Neil. Cease or the ones known as-"
April turned her gaze on the droid who challenged her. No. She jerked her head to the side and the remote went flying.
For a moment, nothing happened. April stared the Kraang down, while each of them glanced at the others for reassurance.
This is known as what is 'not good.'
Kraang Prime was in error.
Kraang is that which is 'doomed.'
The one known as April O'Neil is psychotic.
A grin crept onto April's face. She held out her hands in front of her and shouted, "Go!"
All of the Kraang turned and ran, crashing into each other as they competed for the door.
The Kraang droids holding April's mother and Karai let them fall to the floor and joined the mass of hastily retreating Kraang. April got up from the exam table and ran where her mother and Karai lay on the ground.
"Mom," April said, choking back sobs. She shook her mother, desperately trying to get her to wake up.
Within a few moments, Renee's eyelids fluttered open. She looked at April for a moment, her focus dazed. April could sense that her mother's mind was strangely blank, with something robotic about it. Her mother sat up and brushed her hair from her face, revealing a blinking device at her temple.
"A mind control device," April whispered. She reached out to remove it.
With a snarl, Renee swatted April's hand away. April sensed the alien thought shoot through her mother's mind. Subdue the one known as April O'Neil.
"Mom? Mom, you don't have to do what they say. I'll get that thing off you."
Renee lunged forward and landed a heavy fist on April's jaw. April flew backward and hit the floor. Renee scrambled for the syringe of sedative on the floor, her hand almost closing on it before April swept it out of her reach with a thought. Renee let out a cry of pain and grabbed her head.
Finally, April managed to climb to her feet. She closed her eyes and focused on the mind control device, imagining that she was pulling it off.
Renee screamed in pain again. April could sense the implant in her mother's brain sending out short bursts of electricity. April immediately stopped trying to remove the mind control device, her heart pounding at the horrible realization that went through her. If she actively used her mental energy at all, a power surge would go through the implant. She might not even have to do anything as drastic as whatever she had done to kill the Kraang before to accidentally kill her mother or Karai.
"Guess I'll have to remove it the old-fashioned way," April muttered. Heart still racing, she charged her mother and tackled her to the floor. She grabbed hold of the device and started to pull. More electricity shot through the implant.
"They're...linked somehow?"
"Yes, one called April O'Neil," Renee said, her voice cold. "Remove the device and the absence of its magnetic pull will detonate the implant in my brain. Kraang designed it specially this way to prevent you from doing what you're trying to do. You can never win."
"Mom, it's me. Your daughter."
"I know who you are. And if you don't cooperate with me, they'll kill me and the one called Karai. Kraang wants you alive, so I'm not going to kill you. But don't think I won't make you miserable." Renee punched April in the gut, knocking her away.
April sprang up to her feet, clutching at her stomach. "Mom, please. You have to snap out of it."
Renee dove for the sedative syringe and grabbed it. Climbed to her feet. "Cooperate, or I will hurt you!"
"Mom..." April sensed other thoughts stirring in the room like white noise, but she was too focused on her mother to make much sense of them. "Mom, please don't. I don't want to hurt you."
"The sentiment isn't mutual." Renee charged April, holding the syringe high.
Karai sprang up from the floor and ran to interpose, landing a high kick on Renee's chest. Renee flew back across the room, hit her head on the exam table, and collapsed to the floor in a heap.
"April," Karai said, panting. "What is going on here?"
April stared at her mother, her heart torn into a hundred different pieces. "I don't know."