Good afternoon, readers! Happy New Year to you, and I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas/Chanukah season! I do apologize for the lack of updates on this- I was a bit swamped with a few other projects I was working on. Now that some are out of the way/close to completion, I am going to place some of my focus back on this fanfiction- and just in time for the IT 2017 DVD release too! So, if you have been anticipating this for a while, the wait is finally over!
As they made their way out of Central Park, Donnie hushed a terrified Caleb, looking up at the sign of a building. "This is it." He gently set the boy down, crouching down to his level. "Listen carefully to me, okay, Caleb? You're going to go in here. These people are going to help you and take care of you." He said as Caleb looked up, seeing the word "Orphanage." He then looked back up at Donnie.
"Y- You look like a monster... but you helped me. Why?" Caleb asked, Donnie's expression softening.
"Because sometimes, people are different than how they look. Someone who isn't a monster may look like one... and someone who is... may not seem that way at first." Donnie explained to the boy. To his shock, after several moments passed, he inhaled sharply as the boy hugged him.
"The scary clown took my mommy away. Do you think my daddy will ever find me?" Caleb asked.
"I'm sure he will, Caleb." Donnie said as he hugged him back. "Go on now. It's not safe out here."
Caleb nodded, beginning to go up the steps. He stopped, looking back. "Mister... what's your name?"
"Uh... it's Donnie." He replied, clearing his throat.
"... I want to save people like you when I grow up, Donnie." He said before continuing up the stairs, knocking on the door. Donnie was in shock for a moment, snapping out of it when the door finally opened. He ducked down, keeping out of the light which poured through the door. A woman gasped upon seeing Caleb, scooping him up and taking him inside. When Donnie heard the door shut and lock again, he exhaled a sigh of relief, his heart feeling warm.
It was in this moment he understood why Leo was so hell bent on doing this. The life a child was precious, and he had just delivered him to safety.
Just then, he felt his communicator vibrate, taking it out as he got to his feet. "Mikey? Where are you? Are you and Leo alright?"
"Yeah, Raph came and tried to help kick Pennywise's butt, um... but he got away. Leo wanted me to make sure it didn't come after you." Mikey said.
"Well, I hope not! At any rate, tell him that Caleb is in good hands now. I'll start making my way back and keep an eye out for anything unpleasant." Donnie replied.
"Alright, see you later, alligator!" Mikey piped, Donnie rolling his eyes playfully as he pocketed his communicator.
Meanwhile, back in the lair, Splinter attempted to meditate in order to keep his nerves in check. Casey watched as April paced anxiously, biting on her knuckle.
"You know Red, I think you're starting to make an indent in the floor." Casey said, to which she shot him a look.
"I'm glad that this is amusing to you, Casey." She snapped.
"Look. Take a deep breath. They're going to be fine, okay? Just... sit down, try to relax." Casey replied.
"I can't relax... I'm worried sick." She sighed.
"Hey. Do you see Mr. Miagi over there? Those are his sons- well, kind of, but you know what I mean- and he's being all chill. If he can manage it, so can you." Casey said. "No one's saying you shouldn't be worried. Hell, I'm worried too. Just... try and think the best, maybe."
April blinked. She never would have expected this from him. "Thank you, Casey. I... guess you're right." She said before lowering herself to sit on the couch beside him. Just then, she felt her phone vibrate, digging into her pocket and taking it out. When she looked at it, she sighed with relief. "Oh... they're okay. Donnie just messaged and said that they're heading back, and to meet them outside."
Casey glanced over. "Wait, why do they want you to meet them outside?"
"Donnie's going to take me home. He said that Pennywise escaped after they got Caleb. They don't want to take any risks." April said, Casey rolling his eyes.
"Of course he would use that as an excuse..." Casey muttered under his breath. As they spoke, Splinter had opened his eyes, flickering his ears as he too sighed with relief.
A short time later, April headed up, looking over when she heard footsteps. "Donnie... thank God you're okay."
"Yeah..." He said as he approached. "Come on, let's get you home. You shouldn't be out for too long."
"Okay..." April said, looking around. "Where are the others?"
"They're on their way. I wanted to take care of you, first." He replied.
"Okay... I'll catch up with them tomorrow then. I'm so glad you guys were able to save Caleb." She said as the pair began to head down the street. She looked up when she felt him hug an arm around her shoulders. "Donnie?"
"April... it's very important that I keep you close. I don't want anything happening to you." He said to her, to which she smiled a bit.
"Nothing's going to happen, Donnie. You don't have to worry." She said as they continued along. He took them along a shortcut through several alleyways, and she blinked when he stopped suddenly. "Donnie? What is it? Is something wrong?"
"April... there's something that I... wanted to say." He said, turning to look at her.
Meanwhile, Casey glanced at his phone, rolling his eyes as he ran a hand through his hair. He then felt his turtle communicator vibrate, taking it out to answer. "Well, it's about time..."
"Sorry... we're making our way back now." Leo said on the other end. "Are you guys okay there?"
"Yeah... April got Donnie's text, she's waiting by the manhole to be 'escorted' home." Casey rolled his eyes.
Leo closed his eyes for a moment, glancing over to the side flatly. "Really?"
"Uh... why are you looking at me like that?" Raph and Mikey stepped out of the way as Donnie posed the question, Raph giving Leo a nod.
"He checks out." Raph said. "This is definitely our weirdo braniac."
"Donnie, this is no time to be thinking about romance." Leo snapped at him.
"What are you talking about?" Donnie asked.
"Casey knows about the text you sent April. Do you have any idea how dangerous it is to have her stand on the surface by herself?" Leo lectured.
"What?! Who told her to do that?!" Donnie nearly choked.
As Casey listened to this, a chill trickled down his spine. "Leo. Leo!"
"What is it, Casey?" Leo responded.
"Put Donnie on. Now!" He jumped to his feet, grabbing his jacket as he sped toward the tunnels.
Leo frowned, handing the communicator to Donnie. "Uh, Casey? What's going-"
"Did you text April asking her to meet you by the manhole? Yes or no, Donnie, this is serious." Casey demanded.
"No... Casey, I don't understand- Casey?" Donnie's heart skipped a beat when he heard a click, looking up.
"Donnie, what's going on?" Leo asked.
"We have to get back to the lair. Now." Donnie said barely above a whisper before sprinting ahead.
"Donnie. Donnie!" Leo shouted after him, the other siblings exchanging an uneasy glance before running to catch up.
Meanwhile, April blinked in surprise. "Donnie... look... I know we've already talked about your- your feelings, and all of this that's going on probably isn't helping... but is this really the best time to be-"
"I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow, April." He said, gently taking her shoulders. "I could lose you at any moment. If we... leave things unsaid, undone... we both have to live with that forever."
April bit her lip, looking down. "Donnie... I have been... thinking about it. A little. I mean... I don't know what 'we' would be like... I'm just... I don't want to hurt you. If we tried something and it didn't work out... I would hate myself if I broke your heart."
"There's no way that could ever happen, April." He moved closer to her, and April felt her back make contact with the brick wall of the building as he leaned one of his large hands against it. It was difficult to see him in the low light, one side of his face being silhouetted. "So... we have nothing to lose from at least trying it out by that logic... right?"
"I... I don't know, Donnie. This isn't... very good timing." April stopped, inhaling sharply when she went to separate from the wall, only to feel his other hand apply light pressure against her shoulder, keeping her in place. His face lowered, his cheek brushing against hers to whisper into her ear.
"Are you scared, April?" He spoke lowly. When she glanced at him, drawing her head back, he licked his lips.
Splinter looked up when he heard footsteps, getting to his feet as he made his way toward the sound. "My sons, thank goodness you are alright." He said as they approached.
"Dad, where are April and Casey?" Leo asked, tense.
"Why, April left some time ago to meet with you, did she not? And Casey left suddenly only a few minutes ago." Splinter answered.
"Oh my God..." Donnie breathed, turning without hesitation to run out of the lair.
"Donnie, wait!" Mikey exclaimed, going after him.
"Leonardo, what is it, what's happened?" Splinter asked with worry.
"I don't know, but I think April's been tricked. We need to find her as soon as possible." Leo turned, looking at Raph. "Stay here."
In response, he threw his arms up. "Leo, what if-"
"Do as I tell you, Raphael!" Leo shouted, staring at him angrily before heading out of the lair. Raph hissed a sigh, shaking his head as he stared at the floor.
Casey narrowed his eyes, striding briskly down the street. "Come on, Red... where the hell are you...?" He said lowly to himself, drawing his sweatshirt hoodie over his head. He knew there had been something suspicious about the text April had received, and he cursed himself for not being a man and staying with her on the surface until he was sure she was safe. He felt something vibrate then, taking out his communicator.
"You better be the real thing, or I'm going to beat the ever loving-"
"Casey, it's me. No fakes." Leo cut him off. "Where is April?"
"Not with either of us, that's the problem. Can't Inspector Gadget track her down or something with one of his gizmos?" Casey asked.
"He said there's some sort of signal block coming from April's end, so he can't pinpoint her location on his GPS unit." Leo replied.
"Of course. Things always go wrong when we NEED them to work." Casey stopped then, narrowing his eyes. "Hang on. Leo, I'll get back to you. I thought I heard something from an alleyway up ahead." Casey ended the call, shoving the device in his pocket as he proceeded with an air of caution.
Meanwhile, April bit her lip. "Donnie... I don't think this is a good idea. We need to take a step back here, and-"
"But you can't take a step back, can you, April?" Donnie chuckled. "Why the hesitation, April? I was under the impression that you weren't afraid of anything."
"It's not about being afraid, Donnie, it's about the fact that you're- what has gotten into you?!" April grunted as she tried to push him back while he continued to chuckle lowly.
"Funny. That's actually what I was just thinking about you." Donnie smirked darkly then, looking her up and down. Realization made April's expression change, furrowing her brows.
"Donnie, I need to go. Donnie- let me go-" April shoved her weight against him, but he would not budge. She dug into her purse as he laughed, clenching her teeth as she tazed him. He emitted a painful hiss, April moving away from him as he collected himself. When he slowly looked at her, his eyes reflected an amber color in the low light. "I knew it." She narrowed her eyes. "Donnie would never do something like this. Tell me where they are." Silence passed between them, and she inhaled sharply. "Tell me what you did to my friends!"
"... I don't understand what you mean, April. Come here. I promised I would always keep you close."
"Stay away from me. You're not Donnie." April took a step back.
"Of course I am. Come on... stop playing so hard to get."
April eyed the way out of the alley, about to break into a run. However, she felt herself being seized, the breath knocked out of her lungs as she was shoved against the side of the building. She winced when she felt an abnormally long tongue slobber the side of her face, Donnie chuckling lowly as what she knew to be his normally chivalrous demeanor deteriorating into something more vile. Of course, she knew however, this was not Donnie. This was the creature wearing his appearance like a mask.
"They'll find me, you know. They'll find me and-"
"And they'll weep when all the good parts of you are all gobbled up already!" It laughed mockingly.
Just then, the sound of a gun going off was heard, followed by the sound of a pained shriek.
April inhaled sharply as the pressure against her back was lifted, stumbling a bit as she tried to regain her footing. She then realized that Casey was standing at the entrance of the alleyway, holding a handgun.
"Red, come on!" He shouted. "Stay low!"
April began to make her way to him, but as she did, eyes the color of blood emerged from the shadows, grabbing her ankles and dragging her back into the darkness.
"April!" Casey shouted.
Meanwhile, Leo, Donnie and Mikey began to hurry their pace. "Casey's weapon activation sensor was triggered, he may have found them!"
"Come on, no time to waste!" Leo replied, the trio heading towards where Casey was located.
She emerged, running to Casey as he ushered her behind him. He shot the handgun several times into the darkness, backing away slowly. When he heard a cry of pain, he stopped, his eyes widening. "Oh shit..." He said as someone stumbled into the light. "A- April?!"
"N- No, Casey!" She said from behind him, turning him around as April whimpered, her shoulder bleeding. "That's the thing. You have to kill it."
"C- Casey... please..." April whimpered. "It's going to kill both of us if you don't-"
"Casey. Finish this." She hissed in his ear. "We have to get back to the others."
Casey lowered the handgun, glancing over his shoulder. "April... don't you know?"
Leo, Donnie and Mikey turned the corner, just down the street from where the others were.
"Come on, come on! Stay with me April, come on!" Donnie exclaimed.
"Know what, Casey?" She asked.
"... They're dead." Casey said to her, to which she furrowed her brow.
"Wh- What? What the hell are you talking about? No! They can't be!" She exclaimed, her eyes welling up with tears. Meanwhile, he glanced at the other April, who was holding her wounded shoulder as she simply stared at him silently.
"Just kill it already! It's going to kill us both too if you don't!" She exclaimed. As Casey took out his handgun, he took the safety off as the trip of turtles were within eyesight.
"Fine by me." Casey said as he turned, pointing the gun at the bleeding April. The turtles stopped upon seeing the scene, their tension spiking.
"Oh, not this confusing thing..." Mikey groaned. "They ALWAYS kill the wrong one!"
"Not this time." Casey said before elbowing the April behind him, making her tumble back before whirling around, firing at her several times. Donnie emitted a girly scream as she fell to the ground, gasping wheezily. "Stay back." Casey said to the other turtles as the bleeding April made her way over, staring down darkly at the April he had shot. As she tried to crawl over to them, April wrenched the gun out of Casey's hand, emptying the cartridge in a barrage of bullets. Once the downed April stilled, they all gasped as she slowly reverted back to Pennywise.
"How did you know?" April breathed as Donnie sped over to her, applying pressure to the wound on her shoulder.
"I know I got a few hits on that thing. The fact that she didn't look roughed up at all, too perfect..." He said. "Also, it tried too hard to act like you. I don't know how, but I somehow just... knew."
April blinked. "Wow, Casey... nice thinking on your toes."
"Uh, you guys..." Mikey whimpered.
"Well, thankfully you're alright. We were worried sick." Leo said. "We need to make a new plan. Go back to the drawing board, see if there's any way we can make sure this threat can be averted for good."
"The first thing we're doing is getting April some medical assistance! Casey, how could you do this to her?!" Donnie exclaimed, motioning to her as she held her shoulder.
"Listen, they switched or something and I couldn't see! That thing was probably counting on me shooting and killing April and then feasting on me!" Casey replied.
"Guys..." Mikey whined.
"So that means you should be mister trigger happy?! You could have blown her head clean off!" Donnie's voice cracked. "You can't just be shooting everywhere unless you're sure!"
"Thanks for the advice, boy genius! I thought I was shooting at the creature!"
"That would have been a wonderful excuse." Donnie's voice lowered.
"Will you both knock it off?! I'm trying to concentrate on messaging Raph, so stop making a scene." Leo snapped.
"Oh, don't act like you're such a martyr, this whole thing happened because she thought she was with YOU. It knows you have some lovesick crush on her and was trying to act all cute." Casey continued to bicker with Donnie.
"Casey, that is not his fault, just like this isn't yours. Both of you just drop this, please..." April sighed, closing her eyes.
"Hello, Earth to everyone!" Mikey cried.
"WHAT?!" The other two turtles and Casey exclaimed.
"The other April is gone!" Mikey pointed to a now lone pool of blood on the ground.
The others looked back, and upon realizing that Mikey's words were true, they began to scan the area.
"Keep vigilant!" Leo exclaimed. "Come on, we've got to get April back to the lair to patch her up. We move together."
The group finally reached the lair, Raph looking up when they entered. He sighed lightly when he saw they had April with them, Splinter going over to make sure they were alright.
"So. Let's review the outcome of tonight's mission. Yes, we managed to get Caleb back and return him to safety. However, we nearly lost several people tonight." He glanced over at Raph, who curled his lip.
"Stop staring at me and just say what you want to say." Raph spat.
"I made something very clear at the beginning of all this. No one goes alone. You broke that very rule that could have gotten us killed." Leo said.
"We're all here, aren't we?!" Raph exclaimed.
"By the skin of our teeth and a pinch of luck." Leo said. "Donnie and Caleb could have been attacked with no one to help defend them, April was practically abducted and nearly killed, Casey was almost-"
"And both you and Mikey would have met your maker if I hadn't gone back. So who's life is worth more, Leo? Yours? Mine? You think it's going to be any easier to hunt this thing down if it takes a couple of us first?" Raph rose a brow arrogantly. "You think that just because you come up with some flowery plan that everything is going to go the way you want? The world isn't like that, Leo. I'm not just going to stand around and let things go to shit."
"Neither am I Raph, but we can't just charge in head first without taking precaution! There is a reason why I say the things I say!" Leo exclaimed.
"Oh, besides the fact you like hearing your own voice?" Raph sneered, to which the others either groaned or shook their heads.
"I'm glad that this is all a game to you. Maybe when something serious really does happen to one of us, you'll appreciate my commitment to strategy a bit more." Leo said before shoving past his brother. "Casey, you can walk April home."
"Um, Leo, maybe just for good measure, I can-"
"Donnie, put a can in it and let it go." Leo snapped, Donnie clearing his throat and looking down before turning to shuffle out of the room.
As Leo plopped down, rubbing his temples, he glanced over when Splinter sat beside him. "Leonardo." He spoke quietly, to which Leo leaned his head back, sighing.
"Dad... I don't understand. I don't know how we're going to get this thing. Yeah, we saved Caleb, which I'm very relieved about. But if we can't control this creature and it continues to hunt people down, what good is it? We have to eliminate the enemy, that's the only way we're going to save this city."
"You are right about all of these things, my son. As I have already told you, not all enemies can be defeated in the same way. A warrior must learn that the blade is not the only weapon at their disposal. The true weapon comes from within. This weapon can be used for good, or for evil. It is for this reason it can exist in many forms. This creature uses lies and deception as a means to destroy others. How can you counter this? With truth, and clarity." Splinter said, Leo looking at the ground with his brows furrowed.
April sighed, rubbing her forehead as Casey walked beside her. "What a night..."
"Tell me about it. I really am sorry that I shot you." Casey replied.
"I'll be fine, thankfully the bullet only grazed me." She said.
"About what happened back there, though... when you thought that was Donnie... how did he- it-... I mean, were you... convinced?" Casey asked.
"For a second there, I was... it was like he knew Donnie inside out, right down to every detail of his appearance... until he tried to make an advance on me, that is." She shook her head. "Donnie would never treat me that way, no matter how much he likes me."
Casey rose a brow. "So... he really does like you, huh? Not just a high school crush sort of thing."
"It's not easy, Casey. At the end of the day, Donnie is still one of my best friends. I've saved him... he's saved me... they're the only family I have. I don't want to hurt him." April frowned lightly. "And while all this chaos is happening, I can't even consider the thought deeply enough anyway."
"Don't have to put that much thought into it, Red. You either want to try something and see how it goes, or let it go." Casey shrugged, the pair stopping as they exchanged a glance. "You've got nothing to lose. If he really cares... he'll understand."
"Casey, with everything going on, the last thing I need is to think about hooking up with someone." April said flatly.
"Isn't that the best time to think about it? When everything is falling apart? When you need someone to keep you together?" April stopped at this to look at him.
"What are you saying, exactly?" She asked.
"I'm saying that I need to get this thought out of my head. The thought that I could have killed you tonight. Because you are one of the few people that keep me together."
April's expression softened. "Casey... it was an accident."
"Well, I'd rather think about a nicer accident, then." He said before gently taking April's shoulders, drawing her towards him as he closed the space between them. After a few moments, the kiss was broken, April staring at him in silent shock. Her cheeks were flushed, her mind reeling from the pleasant sensation. "See? Now we can both have nice dreams tonight." He smirked lightly, placing an arm around her shoulders.
"It would be nice if I even knew what to say at the moment." April breathed.
"Come on, Red, you know you liked it." Casey joked.
"I'm not debating that, I just think my mind went blank." April replied.
"That's how you know it was good." He chuckled, the pair continuing along their way. As they did, someone emerged from the shadows, watching them.
Donnie could feel his heart sinking. What began as sneaking out to make sure Casey had gotten April home safely had quickly changed into heartbreak. What was he thinking? Did he think he actually had a chance to claim April's heart?
Did he think he actually had a chance to be loved in the sense he longed for?
He retreated into the darkness, quickly and silently, shaking his head as he made his way back underground. Casey eventually walked April up to her stoop, bidding her goodnight before heading for his own apartment. They all took that night to reflect and recover from the events of that day, their sleep transitioning them into a morning filled with uncertainty.
Alright, another chapter with a nice dose of action! I will hopefully update much sooner going forward, so please let me know what you thought in the meantime! I thank you all for your support over the course of our hiatus, it is greatly appreciated! Keep an eye out for upcoming chapters, and I will see you next time!