Stranger in the Mirror

Progress

    "You did a lot of good today, you know." April continued cleaning the wounds, moving up and down her arms. She didn't look her in the eye. "You saved Little Mikey, yes, but you also saved all of us. You really saved all of New York."

    Cassandra grunted in response. She picked at a scab on her cheek absentmindedly, and April couldn't stop herself before she grabbed her wrist and pulled it away from the newly opened wound. Cassandra blinked, surprised, and April decided subtle comforts and conversations weren't going to work here. Cassandra was a blunt person. And, as much as April sometimes liked to pretend otherwise, she was too. Without letting go of her wrist, she opened her mouth and stopped holding back.

    "You know, I was suspicious when Casey first wanted to trust you," she said, "You're a Foot Soldier. You take orders and obey Shredder. And I have no idea whether it's because of you personally or because your dimension's Foot Clan is a cult or something, but you pretty much worship the guy as a god. Then you started working with us, and I just assumed you wouldn't betray us because you were desperate to get home. I thought that that was the only thing protecting us." She hesitated, loosened her grip on Cassandra's wrist, but the other didn't pull away.

    April sighed. "But you proved all of us wrong. You really care about this team now, don't you? You protected us all back in New York. I know you helped Raph when he was breaking down—both Raphs, actually. You've done so much for the Mikeys. You work with all of us to keep this farmhouse taken care of. But the thing is, none of that's needed if you're only with us to get home. You do so much more than the basic necessities."

    April finally let go of her wrist. Cassandra let her arm hover in place for a few moments, then slowly set it back down in her lap. She clenched her teeth tightly, glared holes into the ground beside her, but did not respond. April took a deep breath.

    "You try to hide it, but you care for us." She hesitated for several long moments, carefully pushing the loose orange strands of hair behind her ears. "Can I just ask what scares you so much about being on our side?"

    It may have been a mistake to ask that, but April didn't really care anymore. She needed an answer. And, whether Cassandra wanted to admit it or not, she knew Cassandra needed to talk about it. She reached out and took Cassandra's hands, offering as much silent encouragement and comfort as she could bear. Cassandra finally met her eyes.

    "I may not have known many of you, but the April and turtles of my universe... They're the enemies of my clan." Cassandra pulled her hands away, but gently enough that April wouldn't take offense. "That makes them my enemies too. I don't have much back home, but I do have my clan. I swore loyalty to it at a very young age and it means everything to me. Serving the Shredder is my only mission in life. If I can't do that, I'm failing at everything that matters."

    April hummed in thought, putting away the cleaning sprays and wipes. "You're worth more than what you can give while serving," she said, beginning to unwind the roll of bandages instead. "You're more than just a Foot Soldier. You always have been."

    "I'm not," Cassandra hissed, "The Clan is my whole life. If I was not with the Foot, I don't know what I'd do. I don't know who I'd be at all. That's why I'm not with you, and I won't ever be on your team. I am just here to get home... and that's it."

    Cassandra flew to her feet, knocking April off balance as she'd just been about to wrap her arms. April frowned, rising to stand in front of her. She crossed her arms over her chest, and Cassandra did the same, possibly hoping to intimidate her into ceasing this argument. But April was stubborn, a gift she'd proudly inherited from her mother, and was not one to back down so easily.

    "You're not just a Foot Soldier no matter how hard you want to be. You're so much more than that. You're a loyal, protective friend who has no fears about jumping into danger to protect those she loves—just like our version of you. You're lying to yourself, Casey. So," April pointed to the seat, narrowing her eyes, "sit your butt back down so I can finish wrapping your wounds. You're going to reopen them if you're not careful. And I literally just finished cleaning up all the blood."