Venus was tired from the night before. The sheer amount of the Foot-Bots that they faced took a lot out of her. She wasn't sure how the two mystery mutants did so.
She lazily tied her bandana over her eyes and head, carefully braiding the tails to the way she liked it, and walked out into the kitchen of the lair. A lizard mutant was sitting there, a lab coat was being worn and glasses covered her eyes. A green and gold tail was seen curled around her left side while she was sitting. Her head was looking down and resting on her left hand, which was raised. A mug of coffee was in her right hand.
Mona Lisa was like the older sister that Venus never had growing up. Having a major love for physics and mechanics, Mona was the tech-head of the lair. She looked tired, most likely stayed up all night long. Venus sat down across from Mona Lisa, waiting for the lizard mutant to notice her. She never did.
"What is this? No 'good morning, Vee?'" Venus asked.
The only response she got was a snore. Venus leant closer to the table, looking at Mona Lisa's face at a different angle. She saw her eyes were, in fact, closed. Venus sat back up, smirked and slowly reached her hand forwards, towards the coffee in Mona's hand. She ever so slowly pushed the mug so it was under Mona's nose. The steam rose from the mug to Mona Lisa's face. The lizard mutant shook her head and opened her eyes.
Mona Lisa looked at Venus and immediately awoke even more. A kind smile flashed across her lips. "How was your sleep, Vee? Better than mine, I hope." Mona Lisa asked.
Venus shrugged. She didn't know. Lots of dreamless nights. Had them since she was young, ever since her magic was prominent. "You know the answer. It was bad." Venus answered.
The teenage turtle looked around the table and saw the thick notebook of Mona's. Everything that she was able to gather on something that Mona Lisa had an interest in since meeting Venus. Venus reached out to it and turned it to face her, seeing the most recent of notes.
"Got no further, did you?" She asked, not taking her eyes off of the notes.
Mona Lisa shook her head, taking off her glasses. "Further away, to be truthful. Magic is truly a mystery."
Venus reached over, placing her left hand on Mona's right shoulder. "Take my advice... and give up while you still can."
Mona Lisa pushed the hand off, smiling. "Never. My parents never taught me to be a quitter."
Venus laughed and stood up. She fixed herself some cereal that was getting close to the use by date. They got into a silence that they could hear the regular sounds of the sewers. Droplets of water that echoed around the sewer tunnels. The stale air that whistled through the lair. The odd subway train that ran above them and shook the lair when it passed.
"How was the patrol last night? Stop anything? Maybe those Purple Dragons?" Mona Lisa asked.
"A few heists. One mugging. But something was better than helping the city." Venus answered.
Mona leant towards Venus, hoping to get what Venus was about to tell her.
"We may have found another enemy of the Foot. Two mutants, fighting an entire legion of Foot Bots. Even Fishface and Rahzar were beaten." Venus whispered.
Mona was intrigued by this turn of events. "Did you get their faces? We can contact them again."
"No. Only grey tails. That's the extent of how I know that they are mutants."
"Any murals or coats of arms on their equipment?" Mona asked. Venus only shook her head. "Then we have nothing."
They finished and cleaned up. Mona Lisa went into her lab and Venus sat on the couch, seeing as how there wasn't any training for today. Venus was channel surfing, sifting through the channels on the TV, searching for anything interesting. Ten minutes later, Mona Lisa burst into the room.
"Venus, you need to see this!" She yelled before running back into her lab.
Venus was quick to respond. She leapt over the back of the couch and ran into the lab. The turtle flicked the light on, illuminating the dark lab. Mona was hunched over her computer, having an email up. It wasn't anything new to her. Mona Lisa kept in touch with her old friends. But, it was by an unknown address. Venus approached and read it over Mona Lisa's shoulder.
To whoever is the turtle I saw last night,
I issue you a challenge tonight. Over by the docks.
Bring your weapons. All of them
They read the sender, who planted what must be an alias.
"The Knight?" Mona asked.
"The one that was in the armour, most likely. Didn't know he could be so technologically inclined." Venus answered.
She left the lab, fetched her fans from her room and entered the dojo. Luckily, her father, Master Splinter, was training himself. A katana was in his hands, the human sized rat practicing various strikes and blocks with the sabre. He stopped his training and looked at his daughter.
"Ah, Venus de Milo. How come you're here?" He asked, curious.
"Can..." Venus began to ask, but stopped, flustered. She was always nervous whenever she tried to speak with her father.
Splinter carefully laid his katana down and picked up his walking stick. He walked over to Venus, the stick clicking each time it hit the tatami mats. He laid his hand on Venus' shoulder.
"Something obviously troubles you, my child. Much so that you require extra training to overcome this trouble, yes?"
Venus didn't answer verbally. Only nodded her assent. Master Splinter walked back over to his katana and placed it onto the weapon racks that surrounded the room. He picked up a bokken, the same dimensions as the katana he just used, and laid his walking stick down. The ninja master walked back to the middle, head held high.
"Come, Venus de Milo. Fight me as if your life depended on it." He said, before quickly raising the bokken and rushed Venus.
Venus raised her fans quickly, startled by the quick start. She had to get ready.
Nightfall came and the humans of the day left the streets and the workplaces. Only those who didn't want to get caught or party goers were out at night. Little did they know that something that isn't human walked the streets.
Venus was walking through, keeping her mint green face covered by a hood and her skin covered by the clothes which she had bought for her by April. The rain beat down on her and the streets, drenching everything that wasn't covered.
Venus knew the way to the docks, yet enjoyed the views of the streets. If only she could see the streets during the day. That would make her life easier. Or could lead her to her death. Unfortunately, fate and life hardened her to be a warrior. A shadow warrior, but a warrior nonetheless.
She made it to the docks, calmly climbing over the high fence and into the area. She saw the Knight standing there, his round shield on his back and his sword on his left hip. She revealed herself from the darkness, throwing the hood down.
"The Knight?!" She yelled.
Said person looked at her, seeing as his alias was called. Venus could see that the helmet that he, or her, wore looked like a dog's head. Long snout, raised skull and ears on the top on each side.
"And you are?!" The Knight yelled back. It sounded male, but voices cannot answer a question on gender. Voices can be modified and changed.
"Venus!" Said turtle yelled.
She reached inside her jacket and pulled her fans out. She kept them folded. The Knight reached to his hip and unsheathed his sword. The ringing sound persisted and rung throughout the darkness. The Knight pointed the tip at Venus, holding it with two hands.
They stared the other down, sizing the other up. Looks are always deceiving.
Both ran at the same time. They met in the middle, weapons clashing.