Chapter Text
April sat on the floor of Donatello’s lab, watching him from across the room as he mixed various glowing concoctions.
No words were spoken; only the whirring of his industrial fan and the occasional clinking of glasses filled the air. She needed to say something, but each attempt got caught in her chest.
She wasn't supposed to talk yet.
He unexpectedly took focus away from his work to stare back at her. The vials on his desk cast uncanny shadows over his face, making his blank expression even stranger. He then flatly spoke:
“Wanna see something cool?”
He would take her continued silence as a ‘yes’.
“Wait outside, so I can show you.” Before questions could be asked, she found herself standing outside the lab doors, with no recollection of ever getting up. The rest of the lair was shrouded in darkness, obscured beyond recognition. She would continue to stand there for what felt like an eternity; just waiting. While entirely able to leave if she wanted to, she was paralyzed by anticipation.
Without warning, screams of bloody murder rang from behind the closed doors. They had to be Donnie’s, yet the sound was so guttural to the point of inhumanity. Her paralysis would soon be broken by the sound of snapping bones, and the pool of blood that seeped through the gap between the door and the floor. She stumbled up the steps, nearly slipping as the leak continued to spread. She tried to pull the handle, but it wouldn't budge. She then pounded her fists, begging for him to open up. But no matter how loud she wailed, she was drowned out by the anguished roars from the other side.
As quickly as they came, the noises had stopped.
The door then unlocked itself and slowly slid open. Reluctantly, she took cautious steps into the lab's pitch black interior. Just a small section was illuminated by the outside, revealing damaged equipment and splattered carnage.
Her temples began to throb; she wasn't alone.
As she turned to run, something swept her feet and knocked her to the ground. In an attempt to scramble away, she felt a strong bite going into the side of her abdomen. Her cries would go unheard as the large animal continued to brutally thrash and tear her apart.
For April, violently waking up in a cold sweat was nothing new. Vivid, yet abstract night terrors of mutated Kraang citizens, among other terrifying creatures, had become an expected part of her nightly routine. However, it wasn't often those dreams were reoccurring. When it first came to her weeks ago, she was so shaken up that she immediately went to tell the guys. Unfortunately, her timing was less than ideal. Their focus was pointed at other matters, so Mikey was the only one remotely interested in her boogeyman.
Despite being the target, Donnie was especially dismissive.
“That’s unrealistic, April. I don't keep live specimens like that in my lab, so me being attacked like that just isn't plausible. You had a bad dream, that's all.”
While she didn't appreciate his snide tone at the time, he did have a point. Master Splinter had once told her that in spite of her unique gift, dreams were also manifestations of a boundless mind. This may have very well been the case, since neither of them were currently mauled by a beast hiding in Don’s laboratory.
However, her gut told her to not brush this under the rug.
As she pressed on, her concerns were continuously disregarded. After lightly teasing the possibility of it relating to his ongoing illness, she was officially told to ‘drop it’.
That was the last time she had spoken to any of them. She figured it would be best to give them space while they worked through this obvious rough patch. Though, this was a choice she had come to regret, as she feared it had been left to simmer for too long.
The recollection left her staring at her bedroom ceiling, warding away any remaining drowsiness. Since there was no possibility of her going back to sleep, she turned on her phone to check the time.
1:23 am
So much for passing that first period test.
Below was an unread notification, which had been sent just two hours prior:
DONNY BOY:
“Hey April, sorry to bother you but could you stop by the lab tonight? I need a favor.”
Well, speak of the devil.
Actually, this was a good opportunity to voice her concerns; hopefully with more success this time. Whatever he needed help with, surely could wait just a little bit longer. She rolled out of bed and changed into her street clothes, posthaste.
While her psychic abilities prepared her for many strange situations, they never foresaw the toleration of sewer stench. Though, memorizing shortcuts to their lair made it significantly more bearable, and allowed her to arrive in practically no time at all. The living room was dark, which made the light bleeding between the lab doors all the more noticeable. She gave a quiet knock, figuring his family must’ve been asleep.
Donnie’s unmistakable voice was muffled by the barrier.
“It’s unlocked!”
She took that as the ‘go-ahead’ and let herself in.
“You do realize it's a school night, right?” She quietly shut the door behind her.
“And I'm really sorry about that, April, but this is important. I promise it won't take long!”
That was okay, she had something important to discuss as well. She glanced around the room. “Okaaay? What is it?”
Donnie began to nervously fidget with his hands.
“Oh, it's no big deal, really, just need a personal favor y'know? From one bud to another?” Donnie anxiously laughed.
April raised a brow. “What's with those?”
She pointed at the orange two-fingered welding gloves he was beginning to pick at.
“Oh these?… um… lab safety?”
Bullshit. Like he ever practiced lab safety.
The way Donnie suspiciously stood at the other end of the lab felt too familiar; it was creeping her out.
“Sooo… are you gonna come over and tell me whatever it is you need?” She took a cautious step back.
“Oh… I want to stay over here, actually. If that's alright with you.” He too took a couple steps backwards.
April rolled her eyes and turned around. “Well, if you're not going to tell me then I guess I'll be heading home. I do have a geometry test in the morning.”
He instantly fell for her bluff. With little grace he ran towards her, bumping into everything in his path. He stopped just five feet from where she stood.
“Wait! Don't go! I'll tell you everything, I promise!”
He held up his hand, using the other to grip the edge of a table while catching his breath. April’s eyes widened as she was finally able to get a good look at his face: His skin was pale, textured and slightly flushed. His eyes were sunken, and sweat was visibly beading off his head.
“Oh… You look terrible, Dee.”
“Wow, thanks.” He grumbled.
“No seriously, you look like you're about to pass out! Let's sit down.”
No fight was put up there; he was in a losing battle against gravity. She guided him to one of his rolling chairs before pulling up another for herself. She was about to sit down, when she noticed his face twist.
“What's wrong?”
“I'm sorry… could you grab a colloid pack from the climate chamber?” He pointed past her to the steel box nestled in the corner. Although confused, she didn't bother asking.
She frowned when opening the door revealed nothing but two lonely gel ice packs.
Why aren't these in a normal freezer?
She opted on just taking them both out. After handing them over, he put one on the chair’s backing, letting his shell secure it in place. The other rested on top of his head.
“Can you tell me what’s going on now? This is… concerning.” She eyed him up and down as she sat. She hadn't seen a turtle this sickly since Leo was unconscious in her tub.
He took a minute to collect his thoughts before starting. “Okay, so as you know I've been crazy swamped trying to figure out Karai’s brain worm. Well, before that I had taken on the task of finding a retromutagen for her unique mutation. Which is why—”
“Donnie— your teeth!”
Her eyes widened, and without hesitation she reached for his face, causing him to instinctively push her hands away. The commotion knocked the ice pack off his head.
His tooth gap was a sensitive subject, and knowing this made April conscious not to bring it up. However, this wasn't about a gap; most of his teeth were missing.
“Donnie. Tell me what the hell is happening. Now.”
Donatello narrowed his eyes. “I was getting there, until someone decided to attack my face!”
He was seemingly oblivious to how terrifying this was. She wanted to argue, but needing an explanation kept her lips tight. She feared this was going to take awhile.
“For weeks, I worked on this retromutagen and have made no progress. Now with the brain worm added to the mix… it's impossible! You'd think by this point I’d be finally getting somewhere, but no! I just cannot understand—”
This time, April wasn't the one to interrupt him. His face had suddenly dropped in disgust. He grimaced as he rotated his jaw, searching for something with his tongue. When he opened his mouth, three adult teeth effortlessly fell into his hand.
April clasped a hand over her mouth to stifle a scream, while gripping the desk tightly to prevent herself from falling out of her seat. It was so clear now; her best friend was deteriorating right before her eyes. She couldn't speak, couldn't breathe. Any sudden movement and she was going to be sick.
Things didn't feel any better on Donnie’s end: he had just lost a handful of teeth in front of someone he liked. Although romantic feelings had begun to fade, the humiliation was just as strong. The shock and embarrassment prevented him from registering the bigger issue.
Donnie let out a panicked laugh, and shakily dropped the loose teeth into a nearby paper bin.
“That's okay! I-I never liked them anyways.” Bloody drool dangled from his bottom lip.
April continued to stare at him with glassy wide eyes. That terrified look was the final push Donnie needed to stop beating around the bush.
He wiped his mouth and continued on. “I went through so many variables, ran so many tests, and they got me nowhere. As if that wasn't bad enough, in order to test any new batches I need samples of Karai’s DNA, which—surprise, I don't have unlimited access to! I was burning through resources with nothing to show for. So I guess I just…”
He stared down at his hands, analyzing and pulling at loose threads on his gloves.
“... lost control. The rejected retromutagen spilled everywhere, April. All over the table, my notes, on me. I ran so many tests, all my vitals came back clean! I figured I had washed it off quickly enough… that my immune system would just care of the rest… obviously not.” A dry chuckle was let out.
“I guess there’s no room to deny it now. I’m experiencing symptoms of some sort of…um…” he swallowed hard “...secondary mutation?”
It had already been over a week since he made this horrifying discovery, yet finally admitting it out loud carried a unique sting: one with added embarrassment. It would've been one thing had this just been a freak accident. However, he was the one to contaminate himself with failure during a fit of stress-induced rage. All was made so much worse when he continued to ignore the countless red flags over the coming weeks. He had no one to truly blame but himself.
April was at a loss for words. As much as she didn't want to believe his story, everything clicked. He was hunched in his chair, continuing to stare at his hands. Occasionally he glanced up at her, awaiting a response. Even a backhanded comment about it being more in line with Raphael’s character would've been welcomed.
She had nothing.
Dead air weighed heavily until the silence was finally broken.
“Is… is that why…?” She tapped on her own teeth.
He nodded, and without a word pulled on the corner of his mouth to reveal his back row. She leaned forward, only needing a second of analysis to see the razor sharp molars that had been tucked away. The sudden stitch in her side, accompanied by the pounding in her chest, urged her to flee while she still had a chance. The warning signs were hard to ignore, but April had to remind herself that she wasn't the one in true danger. Inaction would only lead to more catastrophic consequences.
She swallowed her anxiety and straightened her back. She wasn't going to let fear turn her premonition into reality.
“Could I see your hands?” She reached out. He was hesitant, but after removing one of the gloves he slowly placed his hand into her’s. She lifted it closer to her face, making sure to be as gentle as possible while inspecting.
His once blunt fingers now had sharpened tips. April always found it fascinating that her friends didn't naturally have claws, much like their demutated cousins. However, this was far from normal genetics, and his hands were horribly inflamed as a result. Every part of his mutation appeared to be excruciatingly slow and painful; she couldn't even begin to imagine.
“I'll help in any way that I can... please tell me how!” April quietly cried, holding his hand closer.
Don cleared his throat. “It shouldn't be too difficult, really. Just a matter of manipulating a DNA sample into an antidote. But I can't do this, and make any progress on the brain worm agent without an extra set of hands.”
April’s comforting demeanor immediately fell. Her brow furrowed as she released her grasp.
“Yow—Hey!”
“Are you insane?! You're eligible for dentures, and you're still fussing over that stupid worm?! This needs to be top priority!”
“It's not a ‘stupid’ worm! This could be Master Splinter’s only chance at getting his daughter back!—”
“—And what about his son?! He might lose you if this isn't taken care of!”
Donnie looked appalled. “Do you think I'm dying?"
April eyed him up and down. Not entirely what she meant, but judging by his current state, that wouldn't be an unfair assumption to make.
Donnie groaned, lightly pressing his still gloved thumb between his eyes. “I’m well aware of how dire this is looking, but I cannot just drop the reversing agent. Not with everyone still counting on me! I can't keep letting them down... It wouldn’t be fair.”
April let out an exasperated sigh. “Look, I want Karai back too. But what isn't fair is for them to keep expecting a cure from you while this is going on!”
“Technically it wouldn't be a full cure, since I can only work on the brain worm serum right now. But about that…'' he chuckled. April raised her brow.
“You haven't told them.” That would explain the ice packs.
He slowly turned his chair away from her.
“I just… can't have them know I screwed up this badly. They already think I'm a failure. It's… embarrassing…”
“So you're just… not going to let your family know you're dying because you're embarrassed?"
He gasped. “So you do think I'm dying!”
“Donnie! You're not taking this seriously!”
He rolled his eyes as he began massaging his temple. “I am taking this seriously. You wouldn't be down here if I wasn't.”
“If you actually took this seriously you wouldn't be thinking about other projects!”
“Oh please.”
She narrowed her eyes and leaned in closer. “You also wouldn't have told me to ‘drop it’.”
He opened his mouth to counter, but nothing came out. He had almost completely forgotten about April pulling him aside to warn him of, what she believed to be, a psychic vision. He didn't think much of it at the time; oh what a mistake that was.
While he wasn't aware of his predicament, he was still sick, exhausted, and overstimulated. Had he been in a better state of mind, he wouldn’t have dismissed her so adamantly. However, that didn't excuse the fact he brushed away concerns from someone who cared about him. Perhaps if he had given her the time of day, things wouldn't be spiraling so out of control.
“I'm… I'm sorry April. I really am.” His head hung in shame.
April sighed and inched her chair a bit closer. “Hey, it's okay, I’m not mad. Honestly, I never really was… and I'm not buying the whole ‘family thinking you're a failure’ thing. Dude, they really need to know about this! If you won't tell them I will—”
“No! Please don't, April, I'm begging you!” He nearly fell out of his chair to face her with pleading hands. “I promise to temporarily shelve the brain worm project if you keep this between us!”
She raised a brow, and a slight smirk formed. “You really promise?”
“I'd stake my life on it!”
His choice of words left a poor taste in her mouth.
She rolled her eyes. “Fine.”
A huge smile was plastered on his face before he quickly slapped a hand over his mouth. Her averted eyes reminded him of its current state.
He awkwardly rocked his chair. “Well, I know it’s late. Sorry for holding you hostage. We can start tomorrow when you get out of school.”
April squinted. “Tomorrow? But I'm here now!”
Donnie tilted his head. “But you said you have a test, correct?”
She scowled in disbelief. “Are you kidding me right now?”
“What? I'm taking this seriously!”
April pinched the bridge between her eyes “You might not have until tomorrow!”
He looked up to the ceiling, shaking his head. “April, April. While I appreciate the enthusiasm, it’s been weeks. Highly doubt that extra day is going to kill me.”
“Really.”
“Really really.” He mocked.
“Alright then.” She jumped out of her chair.
“Stand up.”
Donnie looked up at her like she grew five heads. “Sorry?”
“Yeah, you heard me. Stand up straight. You haven't done so this entire night.” She crossed her arms. “If you can do that, then I will leave right now and come back when school lets out.”
Don nervously chuckled. “You can't be serious…?”
“Try me.”
He leaned forward and placed his forearms on the table, bracing himself to stand up. Within the minute he was slumped back. The remaining ice pack was now banished to the floor.
“I… I can't. This is as far as I can go. I think I developed terrapin scoliosis.”
She rolled her eyes. “Here, let me see”
When she got behind him, she began brushing her fingers down the center of his shell, making him grunt in discomfort. His scutes had begun to raise, causing its once smooth texture to become ridged and coarse. Actually, now she could see just how protruded his spine had become, resulting in a warped shell that was completely covered in hairline cracks. The longer she stared, the more bizarre it looked.
Has he always had a tail?
She gasped when it finally dawned on her.
“Donnie, your spine… I think it grew! It’s no wonder you can't straighten out… there's nowhere else for it to go!”
He let out a dry laugh. “Well isn't that something.”
“So you didn't know?”
“No, because I'm not a strigiform that can spin its head around to check!” What was meant as a snark reply came out as more of a pathetic whine. What he previously rationalized as a side effect of relentless lab-work, was all along just another part of his underlying nightmare. He had spent so many weeks downplaying this condition, and now the gravity of it all was coming down in tons. He clenched his fists to stop the shaking, but that only served to remind him of how sore his fingers had become. He had been in pain for so long, how could he convince himself that this was normal?
“Oh, April… please help me… I'm so terrified…” His sobs were sudden and violent. Once the floodgates were open he couldn't stop.
“Woah woah—hey hey hey!”
April ran in front of him and got down to his eye level, nearly slipping on the rogue ice pack in the process.
“I DON’T WANT TO DIE!” He wailed with a lost concern for volume.
She grabbed him by the shoulders. “You are not going to die! I promise we will get through this, but you need to cooperate and stop being so difficult!” She winced at her wording. She hadn't meant to come off so abrasive, especially with him this vulnerable. But there was some truth to her words; she was fed up with him giving her attitude during any attempts to help. This wasn't lost on him, and he gave a desperate nod. She pulled him into a hug that he was too shaken to reciprocate.
“Please… just let me help you.” She whispered, desperately trying to fight back tears of her own. She too was terrified; it was all just so horrible. There had to be a way to reverse this, and she wouldn't rest until they figured it out.
How could she?