Art by johnyume

Sarina isn't sure of how she's going to find her way out of the sewers, but that doesn't stop her from running as fast as she can in the opposite direction of the lair. Her eyes are starting to sting again and she tries to force it away. She hadn't known what tears were before, but after a bit of research, she remembered that she has an internal protocol in place that stops her from releasing tears all the time. It could, in fact, cause her to short out. It was reckless of her to be so vulnerable the other day, crying so freely like that.

She skids to a stop as she notices a ladder leading up and out of the dark tunnels. She rubs her eyes, stiffens her resolve, and starts to climb. As she goes, she mutters under her breath.

"It's better for me to leave," she reminds herself. "April was friends with them first. I have no right to stop her from visiting."

She reaches the manhole cover, pausing as she peeks through the four little holes spilling pale moonlight onto her face. She braces one hand against it, and with a heaving shove, the heavy lid tips and collapses onto the pavement with a ringing, metallic thud.

She gets out and drags the lid back into place. Once finished, she brushes dirt from the knees of her white jumpsuit and continues on towards the street. She breathes deeply as a cool, night wind passes her. There's a nip in the air that comes with the changing seasons and the few trees that dot the sidewalks have almost entirely lost their leaves, and those that still cling to the branches are orange and red and yellow.

Sarina finds herself staring at one of those trees. She's seen pictures of autumn, but she's never truly experienced it. She brushes her hand along the bark and feels a shudder roll through her at the rough texture. She keeps going, letting her fingers slip from the tree only once her arm isn't long enough to reach it anymore.

The streets are empty and she has the occasional, fleeting thought that maybe she shouldn't walk so freely out in the open, but the truth is that she doesn't care. She's never walked down a sidewalk, never felt her cheeks turn pink from the nips of winter's tiny teeth, and she's never seen such a bright moon. It distracts her from the dull ache in her chest.

"Sarina! SARINA!"

She stops and blinks rapidly, but does not yet turn around. She honestly believes that she just imagined the calls, but when the voices ring out again, she vetoes that idea. She pivots to find Raphael and Michelangelo rushing towards her from the nearest alleyway. She goes back to meet them in the hidden space.

"Thank shell we found you," Michelangelo says. He moves to hug her, then stops mid-movement with a small frown. "What was that all about?"

Sarina feigns ignorance. "What was what about?" she repeats.

"Don't play dumb with us," Raphael says. "You shoved Mikey, you talked about how all you are is a Kraang." He crosses his arms over his chipped plastron and arches an eye-ridge. "Random outbursts like that are kinda my thing."

Sarina bows her head. "I have outworn my welcome," she admits. She glances out of the alley, just able to see the prongs of the TCRI building in the distance. "I have decided to return to TCRI so that things can go back to normal."

"No way, dudette," Michelangelo says, holding up one hand. "Our normal includes you now."

Raphael shrugs. "At least, it could."

"I have disrupted your natural order by preventing April from visiting you," she insists. "It is—"

She stops abruptly as a sharp buzzing sounds in the back of her skull. Her head jolts upwards, eyes widening as her heart starts to pound yet again. Raphael and Michelangelo perk up, Raphael's hand flying for his weapon.

"What is it?" he demands, searching for what's alerted her.

"Someone is coming. We must flee," she urges. She casts a darting glance over her shoulder and her eyes flash. She secures one turtle's hand in each of hers as she starts to run. "Come. No time for questions."

The brothers follow her with little hesitation, albeit they're not free of confusion. The trio disappears around the corner just as Kraang bots appear from the other end of the street, guns raised.

----------

Inside the laboratory, Donatello and April stand apart from one another in tense silence. Donatello fidgets, his fingers tapping against his hip, and April glances at her nails and pushes her cuticles back into place absentmindedly.

"So...how's everything?" he starts.

She purses her lips. "It's fine," she says. "You've been busy?"

"No busier than usual."

More silence.

April stops fiddling with her nails and sighs, crossing her arms over her chest. "Donnie, I can sense that this isn't what you want to talk about," she says. "It's better just to get this over with."

He takes the chance and runs with it. "I think you're wrong about Sarina."

She sighs. "Donnie—"

"She's not like the Kraang. She doesn't have a hive mind, in fact, she's got a very healthy sense of individuality. I want you to give her a chance," he rambles.

Her eyebrows arch. "Irma didn't have the hive mind either," she says. He opens his mouth to speak, but she cuts him off. "She was my best friend for a year. She got me to trust her and then she turned on us. How can you expect me to trust Sarina when that happened?"

"You think we haven't thought about that?" he demands, his tone gaining an edge as he walks closer to her. "Irma attacked us too. This isn't all about you."

Her mouth twists into something between a sneer and a frown. "I'm being cautious. I'm not ready to trust some...some Kraang mutant!"

"She's not a Kraang!"

"Then what is she?"

His mouth flaps like a gasping fish. "She...uh, she's...she's a cyborg Kraang test subject," he says.

"See? You can't even describe her without using the word Kraang!"

"You're just letting fear paralyze you instead of, I don't know, maybe being cautious but still polite?"

"I am being cautious!"

"I think you're being dense and paranoid!"

"Well, I think you're being overly sensitive and emotional!"

"Look who's talking!"

Outside the laboratory, seated in the living room, Destiny, Leonardo, and Casey grow more and more concerned. Donatello and April's voices have gotten more annoyed and keep climbing in volume.

"You know, maybe it was a bad idea to have them talk on their own," Leonardo says. "Or at least, not when they haven't even talked about the other stuff that's going on."

"True, they've probably both got a lot of feelings that have nothing to do with Sarina," Destiny agrees. Her and Leonardo share a knowing glance.

Casey looks towards the doors separating the two groups. "I don't know about Donnie, but April's really been stressing over this whole thing," he says. "Not just about Sarina. She feels really bad for hurting Donnie."

"And do you?" Destiny asks.

Casey flashes a sheepish grin. "About April? No, I'm really glad she's my girlfriend. Do I feel bad for Donnie?" He swallows and rubs the back of his neck. "Yeah...surprisingly."

"It was bound to happen to one of you someday," Leonardo says. "This'll pass. Just give it time."

There's a loud crash from inside the lab and the trio startles. They waste no time in hurrying to the lab and yanking the doors open, ready to intervene, but the scene before them freezes them in their tracks.

Donatello seethes, the shattered remains of a beaker littering the floor, and April looks as if she's about to throw some punches. They're both screaming at each other, unaware of their new spectators.

"Look, I'm sorry, but I made my choice and I don't regret it!" April snaps.

"I don't care that you picked Casey, I care that you made me think you would pick me! What about that kiss at the farmhouse?!"

"I...I don't know, I was feeling a lot of things, Donnie."

"Feelings," he imitates. "God, I hate emotions. If nobody could feel, maybe we wouldn't be arguing right now!"

"Oh, for once we agree!"

"You know what? Get out! I'm done arguing with you!"

"Fine! I am too!"

"FINE!"

"FINE!"

April turns and storms towards the doors, seemingly uncaring of the three others watching them. She brushes past them, tears welling in her eyes, and Casey is quick to go after her.

"Red, hey! Wait!" he calls. She doesn't stop, making him turn to his remaining friends. "Sorry, guys, I'll call you later."

He follows his girlfriend out of the lair, abandoning the mutants behind him. Leonardo goes into the lab and without a word, grabs a broom and starts to sweep up the broken glass. Donatello slumps into a chair, quivering as he presses the heels of his hands against his eyes.

"Leo, I'm sorry," he croaks. "I'll clean that up. You don't—"

"It's okay, Donnie," the older turtle says. "I've got it."

Destiny tiptoes past the glass and settles next to Donatello. His shaky breaths get heavier, face still covered, and the wolf mutant wraps her arms around his head and shoulders. He unfurls only to return the hug, eyes squeezed shut and face buried against her.

"It shouldn't have g-gone that far," he mumbles. "I...I was just so angry."

"I know," Destiny says.

"Stupid...stupid...I hate this."

She looks up at Leonardo just as he dumps the glass into the trash can. Her ears flatten against her hair and she droops her head onto his, her cheek squishing slightly. "I know," she repeats, even softer than before.