Good afternoon, readers! As you can see, this chapter is a bit longer than the last few were. Things are going to get a bit intense, and also a bit steamy. Not sure what I mean? Read on and find out! As always, I do hope you enjoy this update!
Once they had returned, Mikey was immediately tended to. Leo and Raph looked on as Splinter and Donnie cleaned and dressed his wounds, Raph curling his lip as Mikey whimpered from the pain. Leo's jaw tensed up, green colored blood staining the towels which were tossed aside before his arms, legs, and foot were bandaged. Once this was done, he was left to rest, even his sleep anxious. He muttered as he slumbered, speaking fragmented phrases about a boy, claws, and a boat, among other things. It made no sense to anyone who happened to hear him when they wandered by his room to check on him.
"I can't believe that maniac was down here." Leo spat, his fists clenched. "He knows where we live. What's to stop him from coming into our actual living quarters?"
April shook her head. "We need to get to the bottom of this. Look, I need to go... I have an interview with the Smiths tomorrow." She paused, breaking eye contact with Leo. "Amelia's parents." She cleared her throat. "I'll keep you posted on what I'm able to get. If we can find this guy, we can also shut down Grayson's claims against you."
"I'm more worried about the next victim than what some small-minded jerk thinks about us." Raph said, Leo glancing at him in surprise.
"Him being elected and rounding the four of you up- or the five of you..." April nodded toward where Splinter was boiling some herbs. "... is not going to help anything or anyone." April replied. "Solving this will kill two birds with one stone."
"April, I know you're on a tight schedule..." Donnie began to tread lightly. "... but are you sure you're okay staying by yourself after this? This creep might know where YOU live. I'm concerned about you being all alone out there... especially at night."
She sighed. "I mean, I guess I can always stay at Casey's if the offer still stands... maybe I should give him a call." She shrugged. She could take care of herself for the most part, but she knew Donnie had a point. They needed her right now, so she had to stay alive and in one piece.
"Oh... that's not exactly what I meant, but..." Donnie's voice faded as April took out her cellphone, sighing as he decided to just go back to looking through the scans on his computer. Just as April was about to call Casey, a thought came to his mind. "You know April, um... I can set up a surveillance system at your place if you want." He added unsurely. "There's a programmable feature where the visuals on my end are disabled unless there's an emergency alert. You know... for privacy purposes."
April thought about this for a moment before smiling at him gratefully. In the background, Raph nudged Mikey, trying to keep from laughing. "That would definitely give me piece of mind... thank you, Donnie. That's actually a good idea."
Donnie blushed in response, a huge grin on his face. "A- Anything for you, April! I- I mean, you're welcome."
"So does tomorrow sound okay? I can leave you my spare key." April asked.
"Sure, y- yeah, that's fine." Donnie replied in a higher pitch than normal.
Raph and Mikey continued to snicker, despite the seriousness of this situation. Leo shot them a look before glancing at Donnie, rolling his eyes a bit. Could he be any more obvious?
"Donnie. Anything on that DNA?" Leo asked, trying to bring his brother back to focus.
Donnie snapped out of his stupor, adjusting his glasses. "N- Nothing yet... I'm sorry, Leo, but a few stray cells are going to take a longer time to produce something. If I had something better, like a solid skin sample, even a strand of hair or a fingernail, that would make a world of difference. It's going to be mostly sitting and twiddling my thumbs until-..." Another thought came to mind then, clearing his throat as he saw April about to make a phone call. "U- Uh, April?"
"Yes?" She replied.
"I- Instead of waiting for Casey, maybe I can walk you back to your place?" Donnie asked as Leo pinched the bridge of his nose. "I- I can bring my equipment and install the system tonight instead of waiting for tomorrow, if you want. The sooner, the better, right?"
April blinked in response, thinking it over. "Are you sure? Don't your brothers need you here-"
"Oh, it's fine! Totally fine. I mean, Mikey's all fixed up and healing, sensei's keeping an eye on him, Leo's doing great at managing everything here, Raph's patrolling the nearby tunnels in the meantime, and the cellular data results for our mysterious assailant is still processing, so everything's covered." Donnie nodded as he tried to smile convincingly, clearing his throat when he noticed Leo staring at him flatly.
"Donnie." Leo motioned to his computer screen, showing the uploading DNA scans. "We can't play around with this."
Donnie exhaled sharply, pulling his brother aside. "Leo, I already told you earlier, it's not like I can really do anything about it right now. It's probably going to take anywhere from twenty-four to forty-eight hours to even register the genomic sequence because we have such a small sample." He spoke lowly. "So can you just let me do this? Please?" He strained his voice a bit.
"Alright, alright, I get it... just go." Leo sighed, Donnie hurrying back over to April, eventually following behind.
"Sorry about that April, Leo, um... was just asking me about some of the security functions on my computer during my absence... you know, just in case." Donnie said. She chuckled, raising her brows.
"Okay, then, let's go." She turned to Leo. "I'll keep in touch." She said as she tucked her phone back into her pocket, Donnie releasing the breath he had been holding.
"Alright. Be careful." Leo nodded.
"Let me know how Mikey is doing, okay?" She said to Raphael.
"You got it." He nodded. "Just uh... don't get too frisky, you two." Raph smirked, Donnie glaring daggers at him and mouthing something as April glanced to the side, wearing an awkward smile. The pair then headed into the tunnels. Donnie assisted April, lifting the manhole for her and taking her hand to help her out.
"You first, m' lady." Donnie said, April chuckling and shaking her head as he let her in front of him. "You know, I've actually gotten into reading some literature... well, before all this stuff started."
"Moving away from science, huh?" April asked.
"Oh, never." He smiled. "Just broadening my horizons is all. Well, as much as I can muster from being cooped up in a sewer. I may be a mutant turtle, but at least I can be a cultured one." Donnie said.
April's smile faded a bit, stopping to look at him. "Donnie..." She sighed. "... I don't care what Grayson or anyone says. You... shouldn't have to hide away from the world. We shouldn't have to walk these streets in fear. We should be... free to have peace of mind, to just... be people."
Donnie chuckled lightly, but there was a somber tone to it. "But April, I'm not a person."
At this, Donnie blinked in surprise when she placed her hands on his shoulders. "Look at me."
"I- I am. No problem there." He smiled crookedly.
"You are just as much a person as anyone out there. You're more of a person than that-... monster that's hurting and killing people. You're more of a person than that bastard Grayson Roberts. He may not want to accept that, but I will make sure everyone else does. I trust you and your brothers more than anybody." April said.
Donnie's smile softened at this. Losing himself for a moment, he drew April into a gentle hug. "I trust you more than anybody, too." He blinked his eyes open, then, taking a small step back as he rubbed his arm. "Don't- Don't tell my family I said that."
April couldn't help but laugh. "You can trust me on that one." She winked, and he scratched the back of his neck for a moment.
"Let's get you home. It's getting late." Donnie said, the pair continuing on towards her apartment.
Once they reached there, April went to her room to organize her things, Donnie placing down his bag to take out his equipment.
"Hey... I'll be a few minutes, I'm just going to hop in the shower." April said. Donnie froze for a moment, mentally reminding himself to breathe before nodding.
"Sure, uh... great." He said once again in a higher pitch than normal. April closed the bathroom door behind her, Donnie shaking his head to snap himself out of it before he went back to setting up his equipment. He didn't need a chair or step stool, being tall enough to begin installing the wireless device before mounting the adhesive plates for the cameras. He stuck his tongue out in concentration as he finished installing the first camera, about to move on to the second.
Meanwhile, April stepped out of the shower, opening the linen closet before swearing under her breath. She looked around for a moment before opening the door a crack, water dripping from her hair and skin. "Hey, Donnie?" April called from the bathroom.
Donnie was jostled from his concentration, fumbling a bit. "Y- Yes?"
"I, uh... forgot to take my towels out of the dryer... do you mind grabbing one for me? Just go past the kitchen and to the right." April asked, biting her lip in embarrassment.
Donnie froze, his stomach flipping. Was he dreaming? Had he completely misheard what she said? "O- Oh, yeah, sure..." He barely croaked out, deducing that neither of his pondered scenarios were the case. He placed his tools aside, getting up to make his way over to her laundry area. His mind was spinning as he opened the dryer, the towels sitting inside. Being polite as he was, he decided to drape one for April's immediate need on his shoulder, folding the others neatly and placing them on the shelf to the side. As he did so, he noticed how soft they were. Living underground, small luxuries such as these were hard to come by. He glanced around instinctively before holding one of the towels to his face, feeling its soft texture. It smelled lovely. What was this scent- lavender, perhaps? He cleared his throat when he snapped back to reality, placing it with the others. He began to wander back towards the living room when he thought he heard a soft thud, stopping for a moment. "April? Are you okay?" He called out. When he got no response, he proceeded forth with an air of caution, not wanting to come upon her while indecent.
When he turned the corner however, he quickly realized that his efforts were for naught.
He stopped dead in his tracks, his jaw dropping as April stood before him, dripping wet and without a stitch of clothing. He nearly passed out from the shock, having to hold the wall a bit to keep steady. His mind screamed for his legs to turn him around, even muster so much as to simply look away. He was fully aware that remaining as he was, ogling at her like some scoundrel, was wrong on so many levels. He then tried to form a cohesive sentence, even a word, but nothing passed his lips save for awestruck stammering. In that moment, he was convinced that the sight before him had completely short-circuited his brain.
April only giggled lightly in response, water collecting around her feet. "Sorry... I thought I'd save you the trip." She said before approaching, not breaking her gaze. Donnie couldn't move a muscle if he tried, eventually feeling the towel slipping from his shoulder when she took it, gently patting her face dry. At this point, he was sure his heart had stopped as well. "Did I... scare you?"
"U- Uh... uh..." Donnie continued to stammer, having no idea what to say, much less do. He had been trying desperately to come up with a shred of a logical explanation as to how this was happening, but his mind had become like a dry well. All he could think about was how beautiful April was; moreso than he had imagined, as much as he didn't want to admit even to himself. "A- April-" He could feel his throat tightening up. Beads of sweat accumulated on his forehead. "M- Maybe you sh- should-..." He shakily willed his arms to move, gently taking the towel back into his trembling hands as she finished drying her face. He gently wrapped the towel around her shoulders before releasing the breath he had been holding. He was about to take a step back when he felt April's hand slowly snake out from within the soft folds of the towel, resting on his forearm as she stared into his eyes.
"Donnie... I know you like me." April said softly, her hand reaching up to touch his face gently, sending shivers down his spinal column. "I see how you look at me... I see how you try not to be jealous when I'm with Casey." She smiled. "You're just such a gentleman about it. Even now... any other guy would have went to town. But you're not any other guy."
Donnie's voice cracked for a moment, trying to collect his thoughts. "I-... April, th- this is-... this is all rather sudden-"
"Shh..." She traced a finger over his lips. "It's okay. I like you too, Donnie. I could never bring myself to hurt you. I was so relieved when you offered to take me to my place. Just you and I... no one else around... it's perfect. I knew this was my chance to show you how I really feel." As April moved closer, Donnie backed up, feeling the wall pressing against his back before she hugged around his waist. He bit his lip as her towel fell to the ground.
"April, I-... I really, really like you..." He said breathlessly, unsure of what to do with his hands. He finally resolved to simply allow them to hang at his sides, his fists clenching and unclenching. He began to hear his own heart pounding in his head. "I- I just don't want to do a- anything improper. Y- You mean everything to me, April. I- I want to respect you, and h- honor you, and-..." His voice faded as she began to smirk playfully.
"Come on... aren't you going to give me even one kiss? If you're good, I might let you dry the rest of me off." She said barely above a whisper. Her face was not even an inch from his, his eyes crossing as she gravitated dangerously close. She finally closed the space, her lips brushing against his teasingly.
Donnie couldn't hold back any more. He delicately returned her kiss at first, not wanting to frighten her, despite feeling petrified himself. His heart pounded in his chest a mile a minute, but after some time, he surprisingly began to relax. He moved one arm to hold her close, threading his other hand through her wet hair. After what seemed like an eternity, she broke their kiss. He slowly opened his eyes, wearing a lovesick grin.
"April, this is a dream come true... I-" His eyes widened a bit when he looked down at her. April now had white greasepaint on her face, makeup the color of blood smeared around her mouth. She smeared it further when she licked her lips, her expression darkening.
"Want me to nibble on your face now, Donnie?" Her chuckle had a sinister air to it. "After all... now that you've had a taste, now it's my turn." April's voice became increasingly demonic, her mouth suddenly unhinging to reveal a huge set of razor sharp teeth.
"A- April?!" Donnie squeaked out as he tried to push the horrific sight away, surprised at her sudden strength as she shoved him hard against the wall. She opened her mouth wider, if that was even possible, and Donnie's face twisted as he felt sharp teeth pierce his shoulder. He could not comprehend just what was happening as he attempted to pry their clamp-like grip from him. Just then, a high pitched scream erupted from behind them, the monstrous April suddenly veering to the side where she sprawled upon the ground. Donnie shook his head in absolute confusion at what seemed to be a second April now standing before him. She wore nothing but undergarments, screaming shrilly as she beat the first with a metal baseball bat. He finally snapped out of his stupor when she called his name.
"Get behind me!" She grabbed his hand as the first April hopped to her feet, appearing like a monster out of a horror movie. As Donnie looked between the two, he almost felt ashamed- here he was, a mutant ninja with years of fighting skills, and he was the one being ushered behind the woman he swore to protect. His fingertips lightly graced over the skin connecting his neck to his shoulder, drawing back to see his own blood upon them. The two moved back as to their horror, the first April transformed before their eyes, a sadistic clown now standing before them. "What the hell are you?!" She screamed, keeping a tight grip on her baseball bat.
"That was very, very rude, young lady." The clown said with a pout. "Just because you don't want to take advantage of the 'turtle soup' special doesn't mean I shouldn't have to miss out!"
"You're insane!" Donnie shouted. "This whole- situation is insane!"
"What's the matter, Donnie? Don Don Donnie Don!" The clown giggled. "You think your silly little gadgets and gizmos are going to help you? Well, at least I'll have more toys to play with when you join the rest of your filthy brood, hehe!"
April screamed, raising her bat as she was about to charge. Donnie grabbed her shoulder, not about to just stand back and let her run head first towards danger. "Get the hell out of my apartment!"
"Ooo... I see why you like her. A feisty one. She'll have a nice seasoning when I get to her."
"You aren't touching a hair on her head." Donnie said as he finally regained his senses, taking a step forward. The clown hissed, his eyes darkening as he smiled slowly. He then emitted an ear piercing shriek, charging for the tall-statured turtle. "April- April, come on!" Donnie exclaimed, trying to get them both out of harm's way. April stood her ground, however, rearing the bat back as it made contact with the clown's head. He hissed, baring sharp teeth as she hit him again, relentless. Forced to retreat, he scrambled to a nearby window, hopping out of it. April stuck her head out, her eyes darting to see if she could find where the intruder had gone.
He seemed to have vanished into thin air.
She clenched her teeth, slamming the window shut and locking it. She and Donnie took a moment to recover from what had just transpired, each of them taking in a deep breath before she looked over at him. Her skin trembled a bit, just now noticing the goosebumps on her arms and legs. Knowing for sure that this was no fake, Donnie grabbed the towel on the floor, glancing away as he extended his arm. He felt the towel slip from his hands as April took it, wordlessly drying the damp hair clinging to her skin before wrapping it around herself. Silence remained between them for a short time before Donnie finally spoke.
"Are you alright, April?" He asked calmly.
"I think so... what about you?" She replied. "You're bleeding..."
"I'll be alright." He said. He knew they each had to make sense of what they had seen, what they had experienced... but for now, they both needed to recover from the ordeal. Donnie jumped when he felt something buzz suddenly, taking out his communicator as he groaned. "Hello?"
"Hey, are you done at April's yet? We need you to come home and help out with a few things here." Leo's voice was heard.
"Look..." Donnie ran a hand down the side of his face. "I'm not coming home tonight."
"Are you serious right now? Donnie, you need to knock it off with this whole teenage crush thing and-"
"We were both just attacked, Leo! INSIDE the apartment! We were here for no more than a half an hour and I nearly had my jugular torn off! So if you don't mind, I'd appreciate if you got off my case for a second!" Donnie snapped. Silence was heard on the other end for a moment, Leo taking time to process what he had just heard.
"Are you both okay?" Was his first response.
"We're fine." Donnie answered, a hint of annoyance in his voice. "I'm bleeding a bit, but not fatally."
"Was it him? Did you get a good look at the perp?" Leo asked.
"Leo... I don't know what it is." Donnie replied. "This is nothing I've ever encountered before."
"What are you talking about?" Leo asked.
"This guy- mutant- whatever it is... impersonated April, and then BIT me." He said, glancing to the side as April approached, dabbing his shoulder to clean his wound a bit. He did a double take then, tilting his head as he knelt to the ground upon seeing something. He reached out, picking up the small object.
A tooth, sharp as a razor.
"He bit you?!" Leo exclaimed. "Donnie, what the hell is going on-"
"I have no idea, but... maybe now I can find out. I just found a tooth that it left behind. With some time, I can deduce what we're dealing with. A lot sooner than with a few stray blood cells."
"This is getting more complicated by the day... but if anyone can figure this out, it's you." Leo replied. "Look... I'm sorry for snapping at you earlier. Just let me know if anything else happens."
Donnie smiled then. "Thanks, Leo." They said their goodbyes, Donnie pocketing the communicator before going over to where April was grabbing some bandages. "Are you sure you're okay, April?"
She nodded, walking back over to patch up his shoulder. "Yeah... I guess I didn't think he would come here... I knew there was a chance of it happening but..." She looked up at him. "I'm glad you were here with me tonight."
When he realized how close she was, Donnie felt his face turn hot once again, rubbing his neck as he glanced away shyly. "Well... you were the one that went into attack mode... I just stood there like a brainless idiot."
April sighed. "Donnie... what is this guy? How was he able to do that? It's almost like he's some kind of... shape shifter."
"Well, it's very possible that he's a mutant. With that said, we may be able to see a benefit of the Mutant Registration act. Mutant ID information is all in the government databases... the very database that I happen to be able to access." He smirked. "We have enough DNA now to pull up everything we need to know about him. With that information, we can track him down."
"Sounds like a plan... right now though, I need to dry my hair and get into my pajamas before I freeze." April replied.
Donnie's face fell, realizing that underneath her towel, April was still in nothing but her undergarments. "Y- Yes, of course, um... I'll go back to the cameras then-" He nearly tripped over himself as he moved past her, April unable to help but giggle.
"Oh... and Donnie?" April glanced over her shoulder at him.
"Yes?" Donnie replied as he reorganized his supplies, his back to her.
"Can we please talk about what I walked in on earlier? Maybe tomorrow morning?" She rose a brow and smirked as he froze, not daring to look behind him. "I'll take that as a yes. Goodnight, Donnie."
He rubbed his face in embarrassment, muttering a goodnight to her before holding his head in his hands. This had to most frightening, yet humiliating evening of his life. He exhaled slowly, forcing himself to resume concentrating on installing the surveillance system. He worked all night, finally crashing and sleeping soundly on April's couch. It wasn't quite big enough for him, the lower half of his legs hanging over the side of one armrest and hovering above the floor. Deep down, however, he thought even this was luxury compared to the sewer.
Well, I'm sure you're reeling as much as our shaken up pair is here! With their mysterious attacker coming at them from all angles, is there any way to stop this? Will they be able to solve his identity, or lack thereof? Find out more in the next update! As always, thank you for your kind words and support, and see you next time!