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It was a damning realization that April was having. Standing on the outskirts of their fallen city. Seeing the plan they spent years making turn to smoke and ash in front of her. If Donnie was there, the distraction would have worked. If Raph was there, more people could have escaped. But they weren’t… and April wasn’t enough by herself. The Kraang overran them so quickly, coming in from all sides. She was lucky to make it out alive. But this was only part one of the plan, and it had already failed. Leo, Casey Jr… She didn’t know where they were. And she’d probably never get to see them again. That realization was the one that hurt the most. Leo, Mikey, and Casey were all she had left. And now… now it was ending… wasn’t it?
Blood ran down her forehead and it brought her back to reality. Mikey was to her left, panic evident across his features as they hid behind a small piece of rubble. The Kraang hadn’t spotted them yet, and Mikey was trying to figure out what they should do next. His hands were shaking, and it made April realize his arm was bleeding. Just like her forehead. And here she was all out of wraps and bandages. Well, that wasn’t true. She had one left. She pulled out a hello kitty bandaid from her pocket and put it on Mikey’s arm. He looked at it then looked back up at her in confusion.
“April we can treat that when we get back to Leo.” He told her.
His voice sounded far away, like she wasn’t really there. Her ears were still ringing. Everything hurt, but not physically. She just felt tired, and she wanted one victory… just one. But she couldn’t do this, not now, not when Mikey needed her. Her next breath brought her back to the moment, the sounds of the gross dog things running around them, the sickening sound of the tentacles as the Kraang did another sweep of the area. It was as if a bomb went off, and April and Mikey were the only survivors.
“S..so April.” Mikey asked, looking at her with worry on his face... but there was also hope. April could see it. Hope that she would figure out a plan, that everything would still work out. That they would still win. Who was she to stamp out his hope? If he thought there was still a chance, then damn it, so did she.
“What’s the plan?” He asked.
The years had been kind to Mikey, minus the whiskers that April was not super fond of. She was fond of his cloak and his new wraps. She took in every feature of her little brother, how proud she was of him. They had come so far. He had worked so hard to get here. He had learned so much from the Mystic Arts. Mikey was no longer the little kid April had met all those years ago. Raph would be proud of him.
“Okay.” She said, “In order for this plan to work, we need to get to Leo to portal him up to the Technodrome. His portals won’t take him there, but a Mystic Warrior could.”
Mikey nodded at her, scanning their surroundings, “And how do we get around this?”
There wasn’t a way, not an easy one. The Kraang surrounded them on all sides. They’d need a distraction to get out safely, and all April had left were two empty guns and her trusty bat. Mikey didn’t even have weapons on him, meaning they were out of options for a distraction. Unless… April gave him a smile, a somber one, and his eyes widened as he shook his head.
“NO.” His voice was firm and angry. Direct, like it was something Dr. Delicate Touch would have said back in the day. April nodded to him, which made him even more mad. She knew he wouldn’t like this answer, but they were running out of options, and they couldn’t give up now.
“I can’t open a portal, April.” He said through gritted teeth, “He’ll need us both.”
“Yes you can Mikey. He only needs one of us.” She said, putting a hand on his shoulder, “And let’s face it. Leo needs you more than he needs me.”
Tears lined Mikey’s eyes, “B…but I need you.”
His voice cracked, and April felt herself sniffle slightly from it. “I know… but we’re running out of time.”
“You don’t… you don’t have to-..” He said as he shook his head, “We can find another way April. I can’t leave… not you, not here.”
“Mikey.” April said, her voice getting more firm as she gripped his shoulder, “You have to get to Leo, I’m just giving you a ten minute head start, then I’ll be right behind you.”
“No, no that won’t work!” Mikey said, trying to wipe his eyes as more tears flowed, “April just come with me, we can fight them together.”
“You have to get the-”
“I don’t want to do it alone!” Mikey cried, fully sobbing now.
It broke April, and she had to blink the tears away to keep her resolve.
“You are the strongest turtle I have ever met.” April told him, sniffling as she forced herself to keep talking, “You are the one that’s been keeping us going Mikey. You’re the hope we’ve been fighting with. If anyone can get that portal open for Leo and save the world, it’s you.”
“W…why can’t we save the world? Why just me?” He said, his arms shaking.
"If only one of us survives this… and unfortunately that's how it's looking, Sundrop." She looked past him, to the battlefield field around them. "I'd rather it be you." She looked back to him as he clung to her.
Mikey hadn’t hugged her like this in a while. A hug where he wrapped his hands around her neck and his legs wrapped around her waist, fully clinging to her like a koala. He held onto her as tight as he could, and April couldn’t stop herself from crying as he sobbed into her shoulder.
“I can’t lose you.” He said, his voice soft and breaking.
“You won’t.” She told him as she rubbed his shell, “I’ve got two mags left in my guns, I’ll draw fire away from you so you can run, then I’ll meet up with you.”
“Please don’t lie to me.” Mikey said softly, still not letting her go, “We both know what you’re doing.”
“We’re running out of time Mike and Ikes.” She said softly, pulling back from the hug. She knew he was reluctant, but they had both faced a similar situation before. If they kept this conversion going neither of them would make it out of this.
“You’re my favorite Big Sister.” He said in a whimper, holding her tightly one last time.
“You’re my favorite Youngest Brother.” She told him, and he slowly pulled back.
“Maybe I could fend them off for a while.” Mikey tried, his voice sounding desperate. He was pleading with her, trying to get her to try any other option then the one she had already settled on.
April adjusted Donnie’s goggles on her head, and gave Mikey a look of determination. It was too late to change her mind. She was going to save her little brother, she had already decided.
“Michelangelo, this is an order from your commanding officer.” She told him, “You are to not look back and run as fast as you can to Leo. You are to protect your older brother and Casey Jr to the best of your abilities. You are… to save the world.” She gave him a smile on that one.
The sound of the Kraang was getting closer, and Mikey turned towards the way to Leo. He turned back to April, tears streaming down his face. And for one heartbreaking moment, April didn’t see the older battle worn turtle. She saw the little turtle she met in the alleyway all those years ago. The turtle she trained with, the one she cooked with. Her little brother she helped teach math and English. Her little brother she drew funny pictures with. Her little brother she had promised her family she’d protect. And she knew this was the right thing to do.
“I know you’ve seen a lot of things Mike.” She told him as she gave him a grin, refusing to cry in front of him, “So you turn around and you keep running. Promise me you won’t look back.”
“A…April.” He tried, choking on his sob as he shook his head.
“Promise me Mikey.”
He looked at her and put his hands up to his heart as he lowered his head, then very slowly nodded.
“Good.” She said, “Now run, as fast as you can.”
Mikey wiped his eyes, and with one last look to April, turned and started to run. April ran the opposite direction and threw the useless guns to the ground, yelling loudly as she gathered as much attention as she could. She put her bat up to the sky and watched as it glowed an electric green.
“Come get some you sons of bitches!” She screamed to the sky, knowing they’d all hear her.
Memories flashed through her head, Raph, Donnie, Splinter, Draxum, Casey. Her family. Her family that they took from her. Angry tears poured from her cheeks. She could see them clear as day. Raph helping her make plans late at night when the others were sleeping. Donnie making new gear for them to use, showing April how they worked just in case. Draxum training her, showing her everything there was to know about mystic powers. Casey. Her grip tightened on her bat. Casey, her rock after she lost Raph, her second in command, the woman who had left a son behind. April’s tears fell to the ground, staining the already destroyed dirt and sand as she continued to sob, her arm held high as it continued to glow. She closed her eyes and focused on the rage she felt. It burned red hot in her chest, and she could only compare it to when she saw savage Raph, how he only screamed and attacked. April was pissed, she was more angry than she had ever felt. These alien bastards had taken her family away from her, and had laughed as they did it.
She could see them all there, her family, talking and laughing like they used to before this happened. Leo making a joke while the rest rolled their eyes, even though Mikey would give him a small chuckle. All of them eating pizza together. Or Raph giving directions for what the group should do next. It made her think about what he would have done differently if he was there with them. Would it have worked if he had made the plan instead of her? He wouldn’t like her talking down to herself like that. He’d probably say something like, ‘You’re better than that April, everyone makes mistakes. You just need to see the good things your plan did.’
But this was a full failure, one where she knew the cost. If Raph was really there with her he’d say something like ‘Don’t give up just yet! You have to fight!’ Or-
“Don’t touch her!”
April’s eyes widened in shock at the sound of the voice. She’d recognize it anywhere, no matter how long it had been. That was Raphael.
She saw his red outline clearly as his right hand connected with one of the dog things, sending it sprawling into the one next to it as they screamed.
“Don’t tell me you’re giving up now!” Raph told her as he gave her a grin, “You were just getting to the good part.”
“Raph?” She asked, her voice dying halfway through as she stared at him. He gave her a grin, and punched the next Kraang that approached.
She hadn't seen him in years. And to see him now, smiling at her as he took another swing, it was enough to keep the tears flowing. But it was him, well not all of him. It was a glowing red outline of him, the same way Karai had looked when she had helped them fight the Shredder. Had she brought him here?
“What?” Came a sarcastic voice to her right and she turned to see a familiar tech bo with a hammer on the end. The end of the hammer ignited with a purple fire and launched itself into a charging dog, in time with Donnie’s swing as the purple outline of Donnie appeared. "Are we giving up or something?"
“You know what to do, April. The fight is not over.” Splinter said from behind her and she turned to see him give her a nod of determination as he destroyed a dog with his tail, teal light around him, just like his mother.
“Do not give them an inch.” Draxum told her from the other side, his outline a dark maroon as he appeared to the right of Splinter.
April was frozen in place, in awe of the people around her. But the world itself seemed to stop as a familiar hockey stick shredded a Kraang monster to goo.
Casey stomped it an extra time for good measure, her outline a black and gray one as she turned April. April took her hand down and realized her hands were still glowing, the magic was still running through her. Unconscious or not, she had caused this. She didn’t know how or why, but she was thankful.
“... You're all here.” April muttered, her voice small as she clamped a hand to her mouth.
“Of course we are.” Casey told her as she put her hockey stick over her shoulder, “You needed us.”
April felt new tears start to make their way down her cheek and she tried to calm her breathing as she looked at the group. They looked just like she remembered them, right before she lost them. They were surrounding her on all sides, protecting her from the seemingly never ending swarm of Kraang monsters.
“What's our plan here guys?” Donnie asked, whacking another dog into a crowd of them as a purple explosion went off.
“April's not gonna be able to fight as hard if she's using her power to keep us here.” Raph said, throwing punches left and right as he turned to the group. “It's some pretty dire odds. But we've faced worse, I say we smash our way out.”
“Understood.” Draxum said with a small grin as he and Splinter began attacking the Kraang behind April.
“Leave none of them still standing!” Casey shrieked as she swung towards a group on April's left, hacking them to bits with her custom made chainsaw hockey stick. April couldn't help but smile at her, knowing the weapon was in good hands now that her son had it.
“What do you say, April?” Donnie asked, giving her a grin as he nodded at her.
She swung her bat on her wrist, then nodded to him and gave him a smile as she turned towards the monsters, “MAD DOGS AHOY!”
Every single one of them screamed the same battle cry, though it was different from April’s. As the group charged in, they all screamed.
“APPRRIIIILLLL O’NNEEEIIIILLLL!!!!”
April was sure she didn’t have any tears left to cry, yet some still spilled at that as she smiled softly.
The five of them put up quite a fight, keeping a solid wall around April so nothing else could get through. And the three or four that did get through got a face full of April’s bat. However it pained her to realize that Raph was right, and she really couldn’t fight while she was stretched this thin with her mystic powers. She was met with that conclusion when she swung too high and was bit in the side by one of the nasty dogs. With a swift kick a few well placed bat strikes the creature was off of her, but the damage was done. Her shirt was staining crimson, and the concerning look on Casey’s face told her it was a pretty nasty wound.
But that meant nothing, April was running on pure adrenaline and determination. Not a single one of these things were going to get past her. Not a single one of them was going to get to Mikey, not while she was still standing, not while she was still breathing. She screamed angrily to the sky as she swung again and again, over and over as more and more of the nasty monsters came for all sides. Even as they kicked and bit and snapped at her, she kept fighting, for Mikey, for her family. It didn’t matter how many times she got hit, she’d make sure they went down first. And then… much to April’s utter surprise… they stopped.
The ground was covered in blood and Kraang guts. What was once dirt was now a mixture of pink goo and sweat. April held her side as she took a deep breath in, then another one out. It hurt to breathe, but April kept going, using her bat to lean on as she looked at the others. They were all still on guard, with Splinter and Draxum still keeping a look out as Raph, Donnie, and Casey approached her to check her over.
“It’s bad right?” April said, trying to chuckle.
“I’ve seen worse.” Donnie said with a shrug, trying to act uninterested. But it was obvious with the shake in his hand to the worry on his face it was a pretty bad bite.
“If we hurry we can get you to Mikey and Leo before the plan ends.” Raph said with a grin as he held out a hand, “I could carry you.”
April opened her mouth to retort when a loud metal whirl filled the air. April froze, as did the others. The sound was one they had all heard, one that they had trained themselves to hear. It was the sound of a charging metal Kraang armor. The sound of Kraang armor that was approaching rapidly, right on top of them.
“GET DOWN.” Raph screamed, throwing himself over April as the rest of them scattered in different directions.
The armor collided with the ground with a loud BANG and sent the group flying in different directions. April couldn’t help but feel strange, even as the impact picked her off the ground, leaving Raph as the only thing keeping her safe. He wasn’t really there, she couldn’t fully feel him. It was like the cold absence of where his heat normally was. It felt wrong in a way, a coldness where she was used to warmth. It made the fear and pain she had been trying to push down bubble back up to the surface as tears filled her eyes once more. She had missed Raph so much, and now to get him back as a ghost? It seemed almost like a cruel joke.
“You okay?” He asked, concern on his face as he looked at the freshly fallen tears on her cheeks.
“Yea.” She said, trying to smile, even as she bottom lip began to tremble. “I… I just miss you.”
“I’m so sorry Sis.” He said softly, tightening his hold, causing her to whimper as the coldness enveloped her.
The conversation was cut short as the dust settled and a mechanical humming filled the air. It was the sister kraang, with the almost animalistic machine, down on all fours as it hummed and clicked. The back of it clicked in and out of place, like vertebrae readjusting themselves as it looked over the group of them.
Draxum turned to April, giving her a sincere smile she normally never got from him. It quickly ended as his look changed to a more serious one as he turned to the younger group. “Get her-”
His words were cut off as the machine moved, inhumanly fast and the claws tore through his outline, leaving nothing but maroon smoke as Draxum vanished before her.
April felt nauseous as Draxum disappeared in front of her. She thought she might actually be sick, but it was much worse than she realized. She had thought she was using her magic to keep them here, but they were also using their magic to keep her here. And with Draxum gone she felt injuries she hadn’t known she had started to emerge, as well as an overwhelming sense of tiredness. She almost stumbled, and Raph had to grab her to keep her upright.
“Go!” Splinter told the three of them, putting his hand up as he prepared to charge, “I will buy y-”
He never finished his sentence as the creature turned towards him and sprinted, ramming him head first into a piece of debris behind him, and just like that, Splinter was gone. April steadied herself on her bat, wobbling slightly back and forth as tears obscured her vision.
“Splints!” She screamed as she reached for him, only for Donnie to grab her wrist and start pulling her the opposite direction.
“April he can’t feel anything, he’s fine.” Donnie said with a grunt as he tried to pull her away, “But you will, so we have to go!”
She tried to move, honestly she was trying, but everything hurt and she felt like she had run five different marathons back to back. Nothing was working, Donnie might as well have been dragging her at this point. Which felt a little worse since he was just as cold as Raph was.
The world seemed to slow down, seconds taking years as Casey slowly turned and met her eyes as the mechanical beast approached Casey at lightening fast speeds.
“Love you Hon.” She said softly as she gave April a sweet smile.
April screamed until her throat went hoarse, as Casey too turned to smoke in front of her. She turned away from her and tried to make herself walk, every step hard and harder as the goo seemed to stick to her feet.
“Come on, April.” Donnie was saying, his voice sounding desperate as they continued moving, even at the slow pace they were taking. “Don’t stop now.”
April stumbled and hit the floor on her knees, grunting angrily at her pace. The monster was above her, the claws inches from her face.
Raph screamed as he jumped over April, colliding his fist with the center of the monster, sending it spiraling off to the side. It was back up in an instant, but so was Raph, and he continued to throw punch after punch, even though it wasn’t seeming to deal that much damage. April pushed herself back on her feet even as every bone in her body protested. She watched in absolute horror as the monster grabbed Raph’s hand and pulled it off. Raph didn’t look in pain, more just confused as he looked down at the stub where his hand had once been. It only stopped him for a few seconds before he swung with the other fist as hard as he could, knocking the creature back a couple of feet. It charged him, putting its hands inside his chest as he turned to April with an apologetic frown on his face.
“I’m sorry Big Sis.” He said, and April relieved her worst nightmare as he slowly faded in front of her, torn apart by the armor.
She couldn’t move anymore, she couldn’t feel her feet as she stared at the mechanical beast in front of her. At least it wasn’t fighting Mikey, it was here, wasting time with her while Mikey made it to Leo and Casey Jr. She pulled her bat up with a glare of utter hatred as she stared down the monster. It charged her as she swung with her bat. The monster roared in anger as April pushed it back, further and further. But then the glow faded, and the bat cracked in half.
April tumbled to the ground until she finally stopped, her back flat on the rubble as she let out a groan. Donnie was to her right, looking at her with a smile she had seen him give hundreds of other people. People who needed one last smile.
“Don’t get up okay A?” He said as he put a hand on her shoulder. “We’re gonna rest here for a minute. Then you can get up.”
She nodded at him, giving him a small smile. He was lying, and she knew that. She probably couldn’t get up if she wanted to, but she wasn’t going to think about that right now. April held her side, her other hand reaching out to grab Donnie’s.
“You’re still here.”
He smiled as he gripped her hand, “You’re the one keeping me here. Not that I’d leave if I could.”
“I… I guess I just didn’t want to be alone right now.” She said with a soft sad chuckle. She felt more tears run down her cheek, mixing with the sweat and blood on her face, “Leo’s gonna be pissed I didn’t say goodbye.”
Donnie rubbed his thumb over her knuckles, “Leo’s had his fair share of goodbyes.”
The light around them became a blinding red, and April knew what was coming. Donnie gripped her hand in both of his.
“You put up a brave fight.” He told her, and she gave him a watery smile.
“Do you think Mikey made it?” She asked.
There was no way Donnie knew. While he was here helping here there was no way for him to know if Mikey had gotten any farther then when he had first appeared. But April didn’t care… not right now.
“Yes.” Donnie said with utmost certainty, not a hint of doubt in his voice. “He got there because of you. Because you gave him the chance. They’re gonna save the world April. Because of you.”
She grinned and closed her eyes, waiting for the blast to come, to turn her to nothing but dust, but it never came. She opened one eye to see the mechanical beast had gone, taking the awful noise with it. April knew there was no point in getting up, or trying to walk, even now the world was feeling colder and more distant by the second.
“I think we took out a fourth of their army.” April told Donnie, even as she felt herself drifting, “I’m sure they can regroup all that tomorrow… but for today… today we really wounded them huh?”
“We sure did.” Donnie said, tears welling in his eyes as he blinked them away.
“Hey you can’t cry.” April told him as she grinned, “I’m coming to see you soon, remember?”
He nodded, sniffing slightly as he wiped his eyes. April looked past him to see a bright light of orange power that erupted in front of her, miles and miles away. She grinned at the light show with a knowing smirk.
“Told you Mikey made it.”
She grinned up at Donnie, and realized he was gone, nothing left but purple pixels that slowly disappeared. She let out a breath and felt the world around her start to slow. As of this moment she had convinced herself she was merely resting and could get up at a moment's notice to leave. But she knew she wasn’t actually going to get out of this one. She closed her eyes and smiled, at peace with it all. Because she knew the next time she opened her eyes:
She'd get to see her family again.