Younger April stood with her mouth open in complete shock, Casey pressed his hands on her shoulders quickly as she took a shaky step back. "Wh-What is this?" she mumbled, leaning against Casey.
"She's like an older April, guys!" Mikey suddenly announced, jumping over the sofa and rushing in front of Future April, beaming up at her. "Hi there! I'm-"
"Mikey," the older April cut in, smiling down at him before wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly. Mikey froze as the woman held him but soon his hands crept up and hugged her back awkwardly.
"Hey!" a gruff voice suddenly shouted, alarming the older April as she let go of the younger, hyper-active turtle. Raph strode forward, glaring at the woman suspicisiouly. "What's your story, then?"
April placed her hand slightly over her mouth to hide a little laugh. Straight to the point, as always, Raphael. She shook her head slightly and then cleared her throat, "I know my appearance must be..." she glanced at her younger self, "startling," she decided, "but it's me, guys. A 46 year-old April O'Neil."
"That's impossible!" Leonardo said calmly, stepping beside Raph and folding his arms. "How can there be two of April?"
"Time travel," Mikey rolled his eyes, "Duh!"
"Sort of," April smiled at the orange-masked turtle before continuing, "I come from a future that's...a lot different to the world you live in," she was lead down to the sofa by the three turtles, who sat her down on one of the cushioned chairs. "I come from a time that will exist if the actions of others are unchanged."
"Unchanged?" Raph raised his eyebrow up. "How so?"
Older April bit her lip, could she explain to them? She had no idea where to start..."A future where the Shredder has complete control," this statement earned several gasps. "It's a world where we struggle to survive...it's also where your brother, Donatello, is trapped at this moment in time."
"Donnie?" Mikey's eyes were pleading as he gripped the cushion he had previously been sat on.
"You can't be serious!" Raph's temper got the best of him. "You're saying that our brother is trapped in a world where Shred-head is trying to kill everybody?!"
"Yes," April answered, her facial expression and tone deadly serious. "That's exactly where he is."
"No way," Raph shook his head fiercely, Leo placed a comforting hand on his shoulder before turning to the future April and giving her an apologetic look.
"I need your help," April suddenly stated, her tone almost pleading. "I need to return to my world as soon as possible; your brother is being hunted as we speak and there's honestly only so much that our Leonardo, Michelangelo and Raphael can do."
"Well, if there's older versions of April and the turtles," Casey interrupted, slouching in his seat. "Does that mean I'm there too?"
"Also, you only mentioned myself, Raph and Mikey," Leo added. "What about older Donnie? Where is he?"
April inhaled the air around her sharply. She gave Casey a sad look, "Casey was...a good friend and a great warrior," she answered, turning to Raph. "Especially when Raphael needed him, vice versa."
Her nails dug into the soft sofa as she thought about answering Leo's question. She looked up at him, "Donatello...is dead, Leonardo. He died a long time ago."
"What?" everybody in the room exclaimed, the three turtles shouting the loudest.
"He's dead?" Mikey whimpered.
"What happened? Why is Donnie dead in the future?" Raph demanded, clenching his fists.
"The Shredder," older April whispered, hugging herself, old memories of herself and the other turtles that had arrived too late to save future Donnie's life haunting her once again.
Deciding that that small response was enough to make everybody grow worried and concerned, Leo and Raph dropped the questioning and turned to Casey and April who both looked extremely anxious.
"Leo," the younger April started. "We have to help her- I mean, older me. If we ever want to see Donnie again, we need to hurry!"
"I know that," Leo mumbled, looking at Raph and Mikey for their thoughts, feeling a little more confident when Mikey nodded and Raph gave a thumbs-up. "Okay, Future April," Leo grinned. "What do we have to do?"