Early the next morning, Donatello and April are hard at work in the barn. April waits patiently on a stool, looking up at the Kraang-like headpiece fastened around her head while Donatello searches for metal clamps near her.
"Um, Donnie, is this thing safe?" she asks.
Donatello chuckles softly. "Absolutely," he promises, turning to her and clicking some clamps together. He reaches over and attaches them to electrical prongs, mumbling to himself. "Now let me adjust the straps and plug this baby in."
He turns on a box that resembles a radio, lighting up the purple accents. He swivels a knob as the machine buzzes. April's mouth opens in nervousness as the headpiece begins to light up, whirring faster and faster.
Before anything happens, the machine shuts off with a quick shower of sparks and a bit of smoke. April blinks and pouts. Donatello groans and Dr. Cluckingsworth lets out an assuring cluck as she glances at the machine.
"Whoa, April," Michelangelo says as he walks into the barn. "Check you out! Is that a tiara? I love tiaras."
"It's not a tiara," Donatello says, his voice holding the bite of irritability. He adjusts the headwear as April observes. "It's a psychic neurotransmitter."
"Whoa..." the orange-masked turtle gawks. He points at his brother. "That was my second guess."
"Donnie salvaged it from the Kraang ship," April says. "He's going to use it to test my psychic powers."
"Cool!" Michelangelo gushes as he settles down next to her. He folds his arms beneath his head and rests his chin on it.
"Okay, starting...now," Donatello says, restarting the machine. He starts tuning the dial, watching April closely as he keeps fiddling with the knob. "You feel anything?"
The machine whirs and beeps. The little bars at the front of the transmitter start to glow a Kraang-ish purple.
"Hmm...mmm...." April hums, thinking. Her face falls. "Nope."
"Okay..." Donatello spins the dial a little more, giving the machine a quick punch. "How about now?"
"Oh," she gasps, smiling a little as she closes her eyes. "That tingles."
"Okay, April, now...focus on the card," he orders, lifting a small card up in front of him. The silhouette of an airplane can be seen on the other side. "Close your eyes and tell me what you see."
"I see...I see..." she starts. Michelangelo pokes his head over Donatello's shoulder, watching. Her eyes open. "A bird!"
"Oh, so close," Michelangelo says. He sticks his arms out like wings. "It flies like a—"
"Ssh. You'll spoil the test," Donatello scolds as he places the old card down and gets a new one. "Try again."
She places one hand on her forehead as she thinks. Donatello and Michelangelo gaze at the card, where there's the silhouette of a monkey clearly visible.
"Hmm. I'm gonna say..." April mumbles. Michelangelo starts imitating a monkey and Donatello elbows him sharply as April opens her eyes. "A fish?" she guesses.
"Ooo ooo ahh ahh ahh ahhh!" Michelangelo keeps hinting, leaping in place and waving his arms around.
"Mikey!" Donatello snaps.
YOU ARE READING
Forest Mutation (Book Two)
Fanfiction"In Saskatchewan, when I couldn't fall asleep, I'd watch the moon and think about how across the country and over the border, you were probably out on a rooftop beneath the same moon. You were the first person I enjoyed the moon with. Every other ti...
