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April slouched into the lab, falling into a beanbag without saying a word. Normally, Donnie wouldn't have even have stopped his work as her loud entrance was made. Contrastly, however, the silent entrance demanded his gaze. He turned in his chair.
Sat, melted into the bean bag, April scrolled through the phone that he had designed for her; her hood pulled tight over the usually smiling face and bushy hair. "Hey April," Donnie began timidly. "Anything good on there?" His friend's eyes didn't move from her phone. She stopped scrolling, sliding the phone into her jacket pocket, followed by her hands. The bean bag threatened to consume her whole at this point. A mutter came from inside the folds of the seat, telling Donnie April was alive at least, "No, not really.".
"Anything… exciting happening in that building they call a school?" Donnie wasn't sure how to approach this meak April. The lack of energy that was always brought to his lab by her worried him. He hadn't realised how much he relied on her loud and joyful presence and how routine it had become until it was missing.
A sigh emanated from the void, "It's so hard. Everything is so hard all the time. I don't even have time to breathe anymore. I know it's nearing the end but it doesn't need to be this difficult at every given moment, y'know? Well, I guess you wouldn't. You're a genius." April gave a self pitying laugh.
Donnie knew he wanted to help his best friend but, he wasn't sure how. "I dunno," he began. "I know what it's like to be mentally drained, even with my big, beautiful brain." His attempt to lighten the mood resulted in a small laugh from the bean bag. Still, in the barely visible position, April met Donnie's eyes, just as they moved to the ground. "I get sucked into my work all the time. Sometimes so much I forget there's a world around me. My brothers aren't the best at pulling me out of my fixations, not that I let them either. I know they worry about how intense I get. Most of the time I crash before I realise how drained I actually am."
April emerged from her void, readjusting herself in the beanbag and removing her hood. "When that happens," Donnie stood, and walked towards the lab door. He pressed a button, left of the door causing a metal door to descend from the ceiling, casting the lab into darkness. Another button pressed illuminated fairy lights, trimming the walls atop high cabinets and shelves winding between bottles, jars and machines. The lights granted a soft glow to the whole room.
Staring at the glowing lights, April was amazed by the calm they caused to wash through her. "I turn on these lights," Donnie continued as he scrolled through his phone. "And play music." Soft music, filled with soft words took over the room, intensifying the feeling of detached calmness. Donnie approached April's corner and lay down on the floor next to her. "My brothers don't know I do this. Maybe I should tell them. I know it'd ease their minds." He closed his eyes. "I just enjoy having something only I know about." Opening his eyes, he turned his head to face April, who peered down at him softly. "I'm happy to share this with you though. If you want to that is."
Standing up, and walking over, April lay down opposite to Donnie so that both their eyes were in line with each other. The pair glanced up at the lights surrounding them, becoming one with the gentle music. "Thanks Dee. Thanks for sharing this with me." April smiled.
They lay, for perhaps hours before Donnie spoke, "Promise me something April. I've crashed too many times. I don't want you to go through that. I can't look after myself most of the time, but at least… promise to let me look after you. Come to me anytime you need to. I'll always be here for you." April's smile grew as she sat up, crossed legged.
"Then let's both make a promise." Donnie sat up, matching April's crossed legs, a curious look on his face. "If you need to chill, or," Her look grew stern, "I tell you to," Donnie gave a nervous but knowing laugh. "Then we will. Promise to let me, look after you." Her stern look eased into a friendly one, "Ok." Donnie smiled. "I promise." April returned the grin adding, "I do have one suggestion though." Standing up, she continued "I know you're not big on touching, let alone dancing but," April's outstretched hand invited Donnie to stand. "Dance with me? Sometimes it's nice to just move your body to the music."
Donnie's eyes moved from his friend's hand to her easeful face. "You don't have to be any good, c'mon" April reassured. For the first time Donnie could remember, he willingly took another person's hand. He'd never so much as poked one of his brothers before but yet, somehow, this felt, natural and safe. April beamed as he stood up, softly smiling, unable to stop staring at his hand, intertwined with another. As April began to guide their bodies back and forth to the music, Donnie observed how bright her face had become in these short hours, and felt his own body become lighter as they continued stepping to the music. April began to spin herself in circles using Donnie's hand, making them both laugh. "Feeling better?" Donnie asked as they switched their music to faster tunes. "Loads. Thanks Tello." "Anytime O'Nell"
…
"April!" The purple, hexagonic shields barring the door to the resistance headquarters came down and the door was flung open. Rushing inside April was swarmed by a heavy and full hug. The perpetrator quickly bolted the door shut once more and primed the shields, using the computer attached to the cave wall, once more. "How have you been?" he asked her enthusiastically, still working on the computer. "I've been good!" April Replied warmly. "Training the new recruits keeps me busy. It's rewarding for sure." As he turned around, April was met with Leo's worn and weathered face. "Doesn't stop me from missing my family though." She admitted with a small smile, which Leo returned. "It's been too long." he agreed.
The two began down the carved corridor. "Sorry to pull you away, but, well" "Leo." April stopped him. "Don't apologise. You know I'm only a call away. Always for you guys. You should have called me straight away." "I know." Leo responded regretfully. "We just, thought we could handle things on our own. We didn't want you to worry." April raised a stern eyebrow causing Leo to add "Stupid I know.".
Arriving at the end of the corridor, the pair were met with a fortressed, metal, garage-like door. "It's gotten to the point where he's completely locked us out." Leo indicated towards a computer with a retinal scanner and keyboard. "None of our logins will work. We don't know what to do." April put a hand to the cold metal, in a whisper saying "Oh, Donnie.". "I think he thought we were gonna forcibly drag him from the lab. I'm still considering it." April elbowed his immense arm. "Sorry. I just," Leo's eyes fixed on the door. "I've seen him sucked into his work so many times before. But this is… it's something else. It's a different kind of obsession." He looked down at April, who met his gaze. "You were the only one who could ever get through to him when he was fixated. The only one of us who could ever touch him. If anyone on this planet; this universe, can pull him out of the abyss, it's you April." He gave a pained smile. A smile, which made April hug him as tight as she could. Leo returned the hug. "Tell the others not to worry." April reassured. "I'll get our Donnie back." Pulling away, April noticed Leo's smile seemed less somber.
"Here's the override key for the door." Leo handed her a large, thick, metal key. "He gave it to his assistant when they built the lab. We didn't want to use it until we at least tried everything else first." With a slightly hopeful look, Leo smiled and turned back down the corridor, taking one of the branching tunnels to the left. A deep breath, and April stuck the key into the center of the metal door where a keyhole resided. Donnie's robotic voice chimed out "Override activated." The door ascended into the ceiling.
April moved into the lab, The door descending behind her. The darkness of the caverness lab was haunted by a dull purple glow. Papers, blueprints, half finished machinery and lose parts scattered the desks, floors and walls. The disorganisation affronted April. It was something Donnie could never stand in his workplace. Coffee stains were visible on many of the papers on the desks. The source of the purple glow, a purple screen the height and breadth of the cave wall attracted April's attention. "That stupid key." A mutter entered the space. At the base of the screen, "Get out Leo. I'm fine. Make sure you tell that assistant she's fired." Donnie stood, staring ahead at his screen, ninpo keyboards at his fingertips, where he typed furiously.
"Don't even-" "Dee. It's me." Donnie froze, rigid. The ninpo keyboards buzzed and glitched, before evaporating. Whatever words he had planned on using to bash Leo were lost. His head turned, slowly to his side. Donnie wasn't wearing his purple mask. His eyes were sunken, worn and bloodshot. His scaly skin was pale and his markings faded, despite having just used his ninpo. April approached her brother, her closest friend step by step. "Donnie, what have you been doing? You've locked everyone out." Indicating the door, she added "Literally."
Donnie's neck turned to face forward. He focused down at his hands, which only now fell from their typing positions. He gazed up at the oversized screen, filled with information, equations and diagrams. "I-I need to keep them safe." The broken voice stuttered under the weight of it's owner's task. 'Leo was right.' April thought. She too, more so than the others had seen Donnie in his worst times. But this was a new depth, one she had never seen.
April reached Donnie's side. He had grown even more since last they met, but somehow, had also withered. Looking at the screen, April noticed a map, indicating each resistance hideout many of which, covered by a red 'X'. "They keep finding us." Donnie began. April stared up at her exhausted brother not sure what to make of him. "They keep seeing through my designs. Getting smarter. I need to keep getting smarter. I need to keep everyone; us safe. If they get to us," Donnie for the first time, looked at April. Meeting his eyes, April was overwhelmed by the fear, the dread, the mania she could see etched into her most dear friend's face. "Our family, I could never forgive myself."
Without warning Donnie's knees buckled. Leaving his head level with April's. The tears hiding just on the edge of April's eyes poured out. April moved to pull Donnie's face into her chest, resting her own into his. Slowly, Donnie's body melted into April's, eventually leading the pair into a lying position of the cold stone floor, April never relenting in her grasp. The friend's remained that way for what could have been days.
Eventually breaking the thick silence, "You promised you would call me Dee." April's sad voice caused Donnie to open his eyes. He stared at the ground. "I… I lost sight of everything." he admitted. "I think that's putting it lightly." April smirked. Donnie's neck craned to meet April's eyes. "You cared about everyone so much, that you couldn't leave them care for you."
Donnie sat up, crossing his legs. April followed. "You know you've terrified those brothers of ours with worry. I've never seen Leo so shaken." "L-Leo. Oh no. Oh Leo." Donnie held his head in his hands. "I've said so many horrible things. I-I didn't mean to I just… I just". "Hey!" April moved to sit in front of Donnie. She placed her hands on his, softly moving them away from his face. "Look at me." Donnie's head raised, his face contorted with regret. "You know it's ok. They'll forgive you. All they want, all I want, is for you to come back to us. We love you Dee. Always have and always will."
Gently removing her hands from Donnie's as she stood up, April closed her eyes and opened her palms, facing up. Small, green, ninpo infernos were released and danced in the air. The cold cavern seemed to warm, the dull purple quashed by the soft fiery lights. Donnie, mystified by the twirling flames, didn't notice April taking out her phone. Music the two of them had bonded over for many years, in both their worst times, sounded between them. Donnie met April's glassy eyes. Accepting an inviting hand, Donnie stood up.
The two moved close together, swaying side to side, holding each other as if to never let go. A feeling they had both forgotten and needed. April rested her head on Donnie's chest "I'm sorry April. I tried to help so much that I let everyone down." "You could never let me down Dee. We're all just… trying to survive, in any way we can." The pair's sight met once more. "We were never prepared. We could never have known any of this would happen. We're living the impossible just by existing here and now. You, none of us, have anything to be sorry for. We're all going through the same pain. Here. Together. So don't lock us out again ok Tello?" Donnie gave a small smile. Small, and sincere. "Thanks O'Nell. I won't." Behind the overworked and sleep deprived exterior, behind the worn and dry eyes, for the first time, a glint of the Donatello April knew, was found.