"So that's it," April says, slumping back against the wooden swing and staring up at the stars. "She's leaving tonight and if I don't go with her, she's going anyway. She's too scared of the turtles, Des, and Diaval."

Casey's shoulders sag. His dark brown eyes scan the nighttime surroundings, legs gently rocking the swing as the tree branches above them creak in the wind.

"That's rough, Red, but I understand if you want to go with her," he says. His lips fall into a miserable frown and he swallows. "She's your mom. It's just, I don't want—"

"April! Casey!" Destiny shouts.

She bursts from the house and races towards them, panting heavily. April and Casey stand up, stepping forward to meet the wolf girl.

"Des, what is it?" April asks as Destiny skids to a stop in front of them.

She tries to calm her breaths, but she's still completely freaked out by the sudden events. "It's your mother. She's not..." She shakes her head, gripping her curls. "Mikey was right. Diaval was right, I...we should've listened to them! Diaval tried to warn me—"

Casey reaches out and takes Destiny's wrist, turning her arm towards him as he notices four long, purplish bruises appearing on her skin.

"Des, who did this?" he demands.

She rips her arm away from him, clutching it to her chest. "Not important. The point is, whatever mom is, she did something to the others. She got Leo, Donnie, Mikey, and now I don't know if Raph and Diaval are okay..."

"No," April says, her face twisting as she takes a step back. "No, you're wrong!"

"Aw, come on, wolfie. Not you too," Casey groans.

The sound of the door slamming comes again as Raphael dashes from the house, out of breath but alright. He instantly goes to his friends.

"Raph, you're okay!" Destiny breathes, hugging him tightly as soon as he's in reach. "But...w-where's—"

"Don't worry, little sister," he says, returning the hug. He looks back at the house, shaking his head as his gaze finds April's. "Whatever Des told you, she's right. Mom isn't what you think she is," he pants, still trying to catch his breath.

The third newcomer walks onto the porch, making both Raphael and Destiny tense up. Diaval slowly turns his head to the group and starts down the steps, walking with long, uninterrupted strides. Raphael seems to relax slightly, but Destiny only gets more on edge.

"April should go," Diaval says. He stops directly in front of Raphael, although his eyes lock on April. "Mom's looking for you. I could tell her you'll go?"

"What? I never said I was going—" April starts.

She moves towards Diaval but Destiny reacts first, stepping in front of her redheaded friend and blocking any advance with her body. She glares up at Diaval, a snarl on her lips.

"You're not him," she growls.

His mouth spreads into a small smile and he chuckles, just twice. Destiny's claws unsheathe and her fur stands on end as the rough, grating sound reaches her ears. It's the laugh of someone who hasn't laughed in a very long time, like turning on a machine that's been left to rust underground, hidden away.

"You're funny," he says. He reaches out and pats the top of her head as his smile becomes a tiny bit wider. "I'll go get mom."

He turns and walks back to the house. Raphael's body shifts in the same direction but Destiny is quick to stop him in his tracks too. She turns around to face everyone, her limbs starting to tremble noticeably. Casey opens his mouth to speak but she starts first.

"Diaval would've tripped coming down those stairs," she says, her voice low and almost choked. "He would never tell April to go with her mom because he never wants people to choose to leave. He never refers to his own feelings that easily, he tries never to touch other people, and—" She trails off as her eyes mist over, her head slowly turning back towards the house. "And...I've never seen him laugh or smile."

Raphael stares back at her, searching for something to say, but everything falls short and no sound comes from him. Casey moves a little closer to April, hesitating when he notices the look on the girl's face: cheeks pale, eyes wide, fingers trembling, indecisiveness rampant.

"April," a sharp voice says from the patio. "April, I told you to pack your bags."

Mrs. O'Neil's dark green eyes narrow and she starts off the porch towards the four teens. Instantly, Raphael shoves Destiny behind him and forms a protective stance in front of her, April, and Casey, a low growling rumbling in his throat.

"Stay back!" he demands, but Mrs. O'Neil doesn't slow down. "What did you do to my brothers?!"

"April, now," she orders, ignoring the enraged turtle.

"I said stay back, mom...thing!" Raphael shouts, wielding his sais at her.

"Stop it, Raph!" April yells, shoving past him and standing next to her mother. "Stop it right now!"

Mrs. O'Neil grabs April's arm sharply, making the redhead yelp in pain. "That's it," she says lowly. "We're leaving, now!" She starts dragging April away, making her kick and struggle against her.

"What's going on?!" April demands.

"I'm your mother!" Mrs. O'Neil turns around, but she doesn't look like herself anymore. Her face is pink and wrinkly, like a Kraang, and her eyes are luminous and purple.

April looks down and screams, noticing that her mother's hand has morphed into a slimy tentacle, a tentacle that is now wrapped around April's wrist. Casey, Raphael, and Destiny's faces flood with varying degrees of shock.

"What the heck?" Casey gasps. His face hardens. "Let her go!"

They dash forwards, Raphael slicing the tentacle holding April clean off with a swipe of his sais. The Mom-Thing roars and starts convulsing as Casey helps April to her feet. Destiny readies her uchigatana, her palms starting to sweat as she flexes her fingers against the handle.

Mom-Thing's fingers start popping and she begins to transform before their eyes. April stumbles into Casey.

"Oh my gosh," she whispers.

"I think I'm gonna puke," Casey gags.

Mom-Thing's skin is now pink and blue, and her face is gooey, pink, and Kraang-like with big beady magenta eyes. Her head is attached to a long neck and large pointy ears stick out from spiky blonde hair. Six massive long legs, almost like an insect's, emerge from her grotesque body like tree trunks and her back has six large tubes that connect to her body. A giant crater in the middle of her back only makes her appearance all the creepier. She roars out at them.

"Move!" Raphael commands, urging his three friends towards the barn. The depleted group breaks into a sprint. "Hurry! Hurry!"

Casey stops to grab an axe from a tree stump, the other three blowing past him. Raphael holds the door open for his human friend, his eyes darting between the ever-approaching beast and Casey.

The Mom-Thing screeches as she gives chase, but the barn door is slammed and bolted before she can reach them. She screeches like a messed up monkey, pounding on the door as the two mutants and two humans ready themselves. The roaring suddenly stops and the only sound for a long moment is the sound of their scared breaths.

"Is...is she gone?" Destiny whispers.

The ground behind them explodes apart as Mom-Thing appears, screeching and clawing at them as dirt flies everywhere. Her face splits in half, the gap running midway down her neck before stopping, both halves moving on their own accord. The teens grimace and Mom-Thing screeches before flinging a tentacle at April.

Raphael shouts and slices it off again as Casey leaps at the monster. She clamps down on him with her two face halves and chucks him into the hay loft.

Destiny growls and puts her sword away, morphing into a wolf and readying herself. She leaps at the thing with Raphael, both of them dodging her clawed hands and aiming blows at her neck and face. She screeches and monkey howls at them as Raphael kicks her firmly in her sphincter-like mouth.

She roars, climbing up the walls until she's hanging upside down from the roof. She shrieks and starts shooting green slime at the ground, but the wolf and turtle dodge them rather easily.

There's a loud whoop from the roof as Casey swings down from the hay loft, axe flashing, and the Mom-Thing turns to look at him. He slices at her neck with his weapon and she collapses back to the floor, stirring up dust.

Casey lands and flashes a triumphant grin as the Mom-Thing struggles to get back up. Destiny returns to her humanoid form, panting, and Raphael moves back to April's side. Mom-Thing roars and looms over the ragtag group.

"There's no way to stop this thing!" Raphael says.

"She was frozen when we found her. Maybe we can freeze it again," April suggests, a sense of urgency in her tone.

"No, we fry it!" Casey decides. He grips his axe and laughs. "Time for Casey Jones to play some offence."

He rushes forwards with a scream. The Mom-Thing lurches at the noise and tries to smack him, but he's quick and evasive. He slides underneath the beast and pops up behind her near the electrical panel, lifting a hand to his mouth.

"Goongala!"

She shrieks, spinning around and flinging one of her hands his way. He jumps out of the way so that she hits the panel instead, electricity rocketing through her system. A scream echoes through the barn.

Destiny tenses, terrible memories surging through her: water, burning, crying, the smell, the exhaustion, the pain. She stumbles back, holding her head as her knees buckle. Raphael and April notice immediately, but Raphael is the first to reach her.

His hand grasps her shoulder. "Des, come on, don't think about that! Keep fighting!" he pleads.

Destiny shakes her head forcefully, refusing to open her eyes as her fingers tighten against her scalp. "No...no...no! Stop!" she shrieks, trying to wrench herself out of his grip. "STOP IT!"

The Mom-Thing stops moving for a moment as the electricity cuts out, but she spins around and shrieks at them again with astonishing resilience. Destiny refuses to watch, still caught up in her own little world. April's hand replaces Raphael's.

"Okay, that didn't work, Casey," Raphael grumbles to his friend as they step in front of the two girls.

"We've just got to hack it to pieces!" Casey shouts.

They scream and rush at the monster, but she's ready for them. A giant red tentacle—fingers and all—erupts from her back crater, snatching the two boys up. She drags them back towards her, bringing them closer and closer.

"Get your slimy suckers off of me!" Raphael demands as they struggle. They get nearer to the crater.

"Casey, Raph, no!" April shouts.

Her words do nothing and the boys disappear into the body of the beast. Destiny forces her eyes open, her vision hazy and spiralling. April's face appears in her line of sight, her bright blue eyes wrought with desperation. The Mom-Thing screeches, earning the redhead's attention.

"This is not happening," April says, the heels of her hands pressing against her forehead. "It's not. It's not!" she shouts.

"April..." the Mom-Thing croaks. April slackens, hands falling to her sides. "We can be together. No more pain. No more sorrow."

With a sickening squelch, the faces of Diaval, Leonardo, Donatello, and Michelangelo appear in holes at the base of Mom-Thing's neck. Each face is white-eyed and blank.

"Join us," Michelangelo groans.

"Become one," Leonardo rasps.

Destiny trembles and grips her forehead, her breaths picking up as she curls her knees into her stomach, her pounding head and heart becoming all she can focus on. April backs up, her arm extending in front of Destiny. Mom-Thing dips her head down, revealing that she's shifted its shape back to that of Mrs. O'Neil's.

"One of us! One of us!" she chants.

"April..." Destiny croaks. She reaches her hand out and grasps her friend's hand as tears start running down her face. "I...I d-don't..."

April says nothing as she stands over the wolf girl protectively. She stares at the monster in fright, but with determination evident in her eyes.

"You are not my mother!" she shouts.

Destiny's face slackens, her wild green eyes lifting to face her friend. April is being brave. April is standing up and fighting back and she's up against her mother. All Destiny is fighting right now are memories.

If April can do it, Destiny knows she can. She pushes herself to her feet and clenches her hands into tight fists. Her eyes snap with ferocity as she flanks April. The monster keeps shrieking.

"I'll distract her, you look for another option," Destiny says.

She grits her fanged teeth at the creature, her shoulders heaving, and lunges. Mid-leap, she morphs back into a wolf and clamps onto Mom-Thing's legs. Mom-Thing roars, only slightly put off by the attacker, and one half of her face focuses on the vengeful wolf while the other looks at April.

April books it for the barn door, but she can't get away fast enough. The monster's hand tentacle erupts from her back and snatches her up. At the same time, Mom-Thing manages to flip Destiny off of her and pin her down with her large claw. Destiny returns to human form, but it does little to free her from the crushing grip of her assailant.

"We will be a family again," Mom-Thing says as she brings April nearer. "It's all we ever wanted."

"April!" Destiny shouts, crying out as Mom-Thing leans more weight onto her claw and adds further pressure to the wolf girl's body.

"No! NO!" April screams as Mom-Thing's face looms closer and closer.

April throws her head back and screams as a bright yellow light erupts from her forehead, making the Mom-Thing cry out in her gargling howl as the entire barn is encased in light. In an explosion of goo, the monster is gone and the light shuts off. Every teenager that was taken lays on the barn floor, soaked and exhausted.

The turtles groan, struggling to their feet. Casey tries to lug Diaval upright even though both humans keep losing their footing. Destiny pants heavily, shaking with exertion and feeling absolutely and utterly unable to shove herself off the ground.

"Are you guys okay?" April asks, the only one still on her feet and generally unscathed.

Donatello stumbles into her, moaning. "Let me put it to you this way. I'm pretty sure...I swallowed about fifteen pounds of slime." He whimpers and covers his mouth. April smiles lightly and hooks his arm over her shoulder, patting his shell.

"I feel like if puke could puke, it would be us," Michelangelo groans. He gags heavily and makes a retching noise, spinning around and aiming his noises towards the floor in the event of him losing his composure.

Leonardo rubs his little brother's shoulder before looking up at April with a weak smile. "Thanks April."

She returns the smile and heads from the barn with Donatello at her side, Michelangelo and Raphael following with no conversation between them. Destiny slowly sits up, but she doesn't yet move to follow the other people trickling from the barn. She stays put, her body still on high alert.

Diaval watches her from his side of the barn. His face has reverted back to his usual, blank expression, but that falters as his eyes shift to the bruises on her arm. Heat floods him and he lowers his head. He shuffles from the barn without a word.

Destiny buries her faces against her knees, but her wolf ears still swivel towards the sound of approaching footsteps. The sound stops just long enough for someone to sit down next to her.

There's a soft breath. "Destiny?" a smooth, comforting voice asks.

She slowly lifts her head, dragging her hand across her damp cheeks. "I'm fine," she says instantly, refusing to look at the blue-masked turtle. She shifts her shoulder and a faint stinging rolls down her arm, making her move her hand to hold it. "Just...tired. I can handle it."

There's a laugh from him, quiet and short, but a laugh. "You still insist on doing it by yourself," he says. She pouts her lip out slightly and she hears him shift in place. "You're frustrating like that."

"Well...you...you can deal with it," she retorts. She sniffs deeply and drags her knuckles beneath her eyes again, collecting stray tears.

"Des, could you look at me, please?"

She frowns, but slowly turns her head towards him. He tilts his head and smiles softly when she does, extending his arm to her. She observes it like a dog does to a suspicious handout from a stranger on the street.

"Come on, I think Mom-Thing cut your arm," he says, his sapphire eyes darting downwards.

She follows the look to where there is indeed a small cut on her bicep. Her lips part and she gently pokes her skin, watching as blood swells up to the surface. "Oh..."

He flashes a telling smirk and wiggles his fingers. She takes his hand and tugs her upwards as he too gets to his feet. Once they're upright, Destiny lets her hand fall from his and hang limply at her side, her hair falling over her scarred face as she droops her head.

"Des, did something else happen while we were gone?" he asks. "You're usually not this quiet, unless..." She glances at him through her streaked bangs and he purses his lips. "Unless you're scared or thinking too much."

She shuts her eyes, giving herself a hug as she swallows. "Casey tried to electrocute Mom-Thing...I lost my grip, and..." she admits. Her fingers brush over the bruises on her arm but quickly dip away. "And...that's all."

Her voice breaks and squeezes her eyes shut tighter as tears reappear. It doesn't take long before a strong pair of arms surrounds her, holding her close and petting her hair in soothing motions.

She exhales and buries her face against Leonardo's shoulder. He stinks of dampness, hay, and musk, but it's still him and he's still the comforting presence she knows. She feels her heartbeat start to slow as her breaths even out, her arms slipping from their tightened hold around her torso.

She feels one of Leonardo's arms release her as he starts walking back home, tugging her along with him, but even as he steps to her side he continues to hold her up with his free arm. She rests her head against his shoulder as they go, looping her hand with his.

When she focuses on the events of the past instead of the moment in the now, Leonardo rubs circles on the back of her hand until she releases the tension. When Leonardo stumbles, Destiny acts as his missing crutch.

----------

"When I downloaded the data from the Kraang ship, I discovered the creature wasn't really April's mom," Donatello explains as the group stands in the Kraang ship. Diaval, as per usual, chose to stay on the outside instead of going inside. "It just had her memories."

"So...what was it?" Raphael asks.

"Some sort of early infiltration experiment that utilized a combination of Mrs. O'Neil's DNA and Kraang DNA, but it was too dangerous," Donatello responds, making his usual hand gestures alongside the explanation.

"So the Kraang put it in a deep freeze." Raphael nods in understanding as he crosses his arms over his chipped plastron. "It all makes sense."

Destiny purses her lips, rubbing the fresh bandage on her arm as she glances at April. The redhead hasn't moved from her spot next to the empty capsule, knees hugged to her chest and eyes downcast, her thoughts one million miles away.

"Guys, do we have to talk about this right now?" Leonardo asks under his breath as more attention flickers to the sorrowful girl.

Casey is the first to wander over to her. He sits down by her side, tapping the ground as he looks up at her. "April, you okay?" he asks earnestly.

She sighs. "Yeah, it just...feels like I've lost my family all over again, even if it really wasn't my mom," she says, meeting his eyes. "Maybe she really is gone forever, but maybe...maybe she's still out there somewhere."

"You can't give up hope," Leonardo says, making her look up at him. He holds his hand out to her. "Trust me on that."

Her frown disappears and she takes his hand. He pulls her to her feet, then steps back as the rest of the turtles, Destiny, and Casey smile at her with no small amount of love in their eyes.

"And you haven't lost your family," Michelangelo points out. "'Cause we are your family." He wraps his arms around Donatello, Destiny, and Raphael as he grins, earning smirks. April chuckles. "And I want to say to my bros," Michelangelo continues, breaking from the hug, "I was right! In your face! In. Your. Face!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold up," Donatello says. "Didn't you mention something about mutagen being spilled in the woods?"

"Uh...yeah." Michelangelo blinks innocently.

"Well, do you remember where it was?" Raphael asks.

"Mm..." he strains to remember. It's like there's a lightbulb struggling to appear over his head, but it shatters. "Nope."

"Oh no. You know what this means, right?" Leonardo's eyes grow wide.

Destiny sighs heavily and brushes her hair from her face with a quick, sweeping motion. "More potential mutants. Awesome."