After Venus' ominous theory of their deceased master trying to reach out to them, it was time to just sit down and relax. Personally, she would have liked spending more time with Michelangelo. A full sixty minutes of reading and playing with each other left him senseless in his bed. Once Mona couldn't take the toxic air he produced as he slept, she jumped out of the cradle and settled in the living room. The TV remote urged her to push all the buttons as it was blinking with bright colors. Soon, she read the labels on the device, learning the on\ off button, as well as the volume and next channel. On the main screen, Mona sat back on the bean bag, slowly brushing her strands. Her brown hair was out and un-teased, looking like brown flowing water on the ground. Her eyes were fixed on the screen as she watched a new American movie she took interest in. It was clearly intended for young children, but the fact that it featured live talking animals amused her. Running around a barnyard, various farm animals communicated and trained with a young zebra who wished to race with the well known thoroughbred horses.
Once a wisecracking pelican crash landed into the scene, the lizard lady heard tiring steps behind her. Coming in from the dojo was Leonardo. His big palms massaged his face as he took a deep breath from his nose.
"Hey Mona Lisa." He called from his throat. At the sound of her name, Mona turned away from the screen.
"Leonardo, haven't seen you in a while." When the turtle came around the couch, he threw his weight onto the couch, grasping to the back of it with both arms. Mona set her brush down, mid stroke.
"I was with Raphael. I told him that he should stop bothering you so you and your sister could stay here without his stupid attitude in the way." Earlier, the two argued like they usually do. It was part of their morning ritual. I just so happens that Mona was not too fond of continually waking up with you-know-who's feet dangling over her head. Raphael did argue that it wasn't intentional and rather blamed Mona Lisa for always sleeping where his feet were. Of course, the fight must continue when one blamed the other. Mona couldn't stifle the laugh as she thought about Raphael's reaction when she told him off. Let's just say it wasn't pretty.
"And what did he say after you told him off?"
"The usual, storm off to who knows where." He grunted.
"That turtle is going to drive us all off a cliff. You are way more mature than he is." She rolled over on the pale bean bag. She faced the mutant turtle, using her arm to prop her head up. Leonardo's bashfulness was harder and harder to control now that these girls have been complimenting him since the day they got here. Living with women is so fulfilling, so how come TV show men try to run away from them?
"Well, I am the oldest." He bragged, shaking the end of his bone armor. The hard, white tissues clicked against his plastron as he did.
"Yeah, but sometimes Mikey doesn't throw such hissy fits like him."
"Raph is just… I don't know. I think he's misunderstood, and given to what he is, that's probably all he'll ever be." After the thought, he stopped toying with his chest and slumped. It wasn't Raphael's fault that he was a teenage mutant and that he doesn't have the same clarifications and acceptance of what they are, like his three brothers did. The lizard lady began to massage the back of her neck with a single knuckle. Upon touching her spine, she could feel the slight movement of her tail moving by her hand placement.
"Well, I don't see our condition as a curse. It's rather a blessing to be such a rare specimen as well as find others that are just alike." Leonardo looked straight at her. Her brown eyes showed full of promise and wisdom from the dark pigments.
"That's… very well spoken Mona." He said quite surprised.
"Of course it does, Venus said it." She confessed, laughing in her voice. Leo chuckled with her. Even after a couple days, he knew Mona isn't exactly a poet, unlike her sister.
"Venus is pretty soft spoken, and kind, and gentle." The turtle nodded his head with every reason, fading his gaze away from Mona.
"Leo?" She asked suspiciously. Seconds later, Leonardo met her gaze again. Her brown was raised and her eyes were surprised. He knew what she was silently asking.
"No, no, no." The top of his bandana tails flew side to side while his hands shook in front of him. "I'm just putting it out there." Dang! First Mikey, now Mona Lisa? So when the girls compliment them, it's okay, but if he compliments them, it's a whole love relationship? Totally unfair.
"You know, her name 'Mei Pei Chi' means Beautiful Turtle Energy, and her nickname is after the Roman love goddess."
"Really? I knew about the Roman part, but I don't know Chinese. I do know some Japanese, thanks to Splinter and Google Translate. You know what that is, right?" Mona shook her head.
"I do, I don't know about Venus though. I'm more techie than her because I major in physics and she's into magic." Mona was the last one he would have thought was seriously intellectual. Maybe Venus' knowledge of magic and super naturals would have surpassed her sister's knowledge, but now she's like a mathematician. The look on Leonardo's face told Mona Lisa that he was indeed surprised by that little known fact.
"Is that so? You better tell Donnie. He could definitely use a lab partner." Mona waved her scaly, green arm.
"Nah, that'll just take away Venus' job."
"What do you mean?" He sat up a little higher.
"Venus hands him his tools and helps out with stuff. What'd you think she does all day?"
"I don't know. Maybe work on her balance like she does, or hang out with you."
"Barely, now." Her body switched over, letting her back fully sink into the bag. "Sometimes, I miss Venus, but she seems to pull away from my grasp." She demonstrated while clenching her fist close to her face and closing her eyes. The turtle sat uneasy. His next question was going to be a little touchy and he didn't know how Mona could take it. If misunderstood, she could take it offensively.
"You aren't trying to control her now, aren't you?" He asked nervously. Mona's eyes shot open and her fist fell to the chair.
"No, oh no. I just know what's best for her. She's so naïve that she'll be into everything."
"There's nothing wrong with a little slack in the rope. If it's too tight, the rope shall break." He finished his story with his hands. The reaction from Mona was indecisive, so he slowly set them down in his lap and looked back at her in an awkward silence.
"I swear you sound like a fortune cookie sometimes." She mumbled. Then, she picked up her brush and resumed detangling her hair.
As Leonardo tried to make sense of the movie she was watching, he found his gaze wandering back to her. Every time, her arm would go above her head and slide back down through her hair. The ball-ended bristles of the brush sliced through the millions of strands attached to her scalp. It was addicting to watch her tresses flow lightly around her.
"Can I try?" his gruff voice muttered. Mona stopped between strokes, almost shocked about who had asked. Not many boys ask to brush a girl's hair for her. They'd rather touch it.
"Yeah, sure." Without hesitation, Mona rose to her feet all while briskly handing him the blue box brush handle first. She stood before him, back turned as she parted his legs slightly apart to make a space. Leonardo wasn't exactly sure what she was doing until she was sitting on the floor, in between his legs, resting her back on the couch and her arms on his knees. "I'm not tender-headed so don't worry about pulling a little." Leo sat there dumbfounded. He wasn't even sure if he truly asked her or she just read his mind. Internally, he began to panic. Fearing Mona could feel his fear, because he's paranoid like that, he held the handle of the brush and gave it a little yank on her head. "Hey, I said a little!" She shouted back at him. Her dulled claws scratched her scalp where it hurt the most. Leonardo fearfully ripped the brush out of her hair and put it beside him.
"Sorry. I guess I just need some more practice." He sounded discouraged. Mona turned around, half-facing him as she looked up at him.
"You've never brushed hair before?" He shook his head depressingly.
"I've never touched it, but I've seen people on TV and Splinter do it." He tried to find a way to wear he had such an experience, but they weren't valid here.
"So, you've never tried to brush his hair?"
"Sensei has fur, and it's not exactly long enough to brush." He explained.
"I understand."
"So, how do you do it?" The sudden enthusiasm made Mona's heart skip a beat. Leonardo let his smile show through to show her how determined he was to learn how to get it right. Mona turned to the other side of him to retrieve the brush. In doing so, she grabbed a section of her hair and began to demonstrate for him.
"Just take a small part, and then brush it in full strokes." After a couple strokes, with Leo's attentive eye hanging on each one, she offered the stick of bristles back to him. "Think you could handle it?" The lizard smirked. The ninja turtle rolled his eyes and grabbed the brush from her hand.
"Alright Mona." Carefully, he tried to copy what Mona was doing earlier. Soon after a couple smooth strokes, he felt like a professional. His quick expertise made him brush a little quicker and smoother, feeling Mona relaxing more between him and the couch.
"Hey, when you're done, you could play with it." She offered. Leo slowed down his pace, but tried to pick up the slack once he realized what his arms were doing.
"Play with it?" he asked, pulling a piece of hair along her hairline back to him.
"Yeah, stroke it, braid it, do stuff. It feels really good when people do." From the sudden tenseness in his legs, she could feel him worry behind her. It was very unlike him to get so nervous over such little things, but this was very new and exciting for him. At first, he backed off, and then calmed himself down enough to take some of her strands into his hands. Mona sighed once he felt him relax as he toyed with her hair. He combed and twisted her hair around to his fancy, freeing any tangled hairs along the way.
"Donatello, do you consider yourself the best fighter?" Venus asked as she handed the turtle in question two micro-sized screws. Both were in the lab, away from all the noise. Donatello had his dark goggles over his eyes, adjusting them accordingly as he held out his hand for the screws and fastened them down with a screw driver.
"What?" he asked inattentively, trying to complete his work. Venus repeated.
"Do you believe you are the best fighter? Amongst your brothers, I mean." She asked over his shoulder. The scientist lifted his goggles over his head and searched around his desk.
"Honestly, I don't know." He continued searching. Venus took note of it as she rolled a stool/swivel chair and sat behind the working turtle.
"You seem to be very familiar with delicate puzzles and use an abundance of precision, so it would seem you would be the best one."
"I wouldn't call myself the best." Humbled Donatello.
"So, which one of your four are the best?" She repeated.
"I can't answer that question, Venus!" That was the first time Venus ever heard Donatello raise his voice, and she barely felt it coming. Ashamed, she sulked down in her chair. Donnie knew Venus was a sweet girl, but she was so distracting! Hearing the stool squeak as she slumped made him feel awful, especially since he didn't turn around to face her. Instead of leaving her question unanswered, the scientist sighed and continued working on his project. "I mean, there are a lot of different ways that make us better than the other." The air was lighter than before when Venus looked up from her downward stares and searched for the front of Donatello's face.
"Like what," she asked carefully. "If you don't mind me asking?" Donatello let out a chuckle. This girl will not stop at nothing until all her questions are answered. It was almost like a reflection of him.
"Raph is always out or blood and Mikey has a "flare" to his style that makes him unpredictable."
"Really? I would take Raphael more for a Roman warrior than being a blood-thirsty vampire." The male turtle dropped the small contraption in his fingers and turned his chair around to half-face Venus.
"You misunderstood. "Out for blood" is an American Idiom for seeking revenge or harm." He explained. Venus cocked her head a little, and he had to admit, it was a little adorable.
"Oh? So would Michelangelo harnessing flares also be an Idiom?" She propped her foot onto the stool and wrapped her opposite hand around her ankle. Gravity almost pushed her over, but she smoothly regained her balance to sit how she wanted to.
"Yes, having "flare" is like having a style that makes you special." The terrapin ninja nodded and turned back around to his desk, hoping that his favorite helper's questions were all answered.
"Michelangelo does seem to be a "special" one." Venus added. She could see Donnie's shell slightly bounce up and down as he chuckled once more at his amusing helper's comments. Then, she tensed up. "Don't tell him I said that. I do not want to risk losing his trust."
"Your secret is safe with me." He said whimsically, putting both turtles back in relief.
The glass screen was lost as the two six foot turtles searched around the small space to find it. Donatello never moved out of his chair as he used the wheels under him to look. He returned to his work after Venus found it underneath his toolbox, taking great care to not smudge the edgy object. Upon sealing the glass down, Donatello realized he left out another part of Venus' question.
"I left out that Leo is far more disciplined than any of us." This was more than true amongst all who knew Leonardo. Even as a child, he tried to prove his worth. The reason why? To please Splinter of course, as well as fulfill his dream of being the ultimate ninjitsu master. There is a third reason, but it should be brought up another time.
"Leonardo does greatly honor the values of bushido, as I see him train and meditate greatly on it, but he lacks balance. I fear he focuses so much on being perfect that he may one day be greatly angered if he fails." The male turtle would have dropped his things instantly. Not one time had anyone criticized Leonardo for trying hard, except for Raphael, who just wants to go his own way.
"Too much of a good thing isn't good." He added as he pressed plastic to secure the glass. Venus smiled genuinely.
"Not always, Donatello."
The light blue bandana tried to look over the inventor's shoulder. It was very interesting on what he was trying to create. At first, it was a series of microchips and wires, but now it was evolving into a large piece of plastic. "What exactly is this program you are so persistent to fix?"
"It's not fixing, it's inventing. Well, sort of." The turtle dropped his invention and turned to Venus. "After Bell's first original blueprints and some modern modifications, I will be able to equip each of us off-circuited and undetected cellular devices." After explaining, Venus nodded her head and recited part of his speech. It shocked the olive turtle. She actually listened to his entire explanation. Usually he would be cut off by someone impatient or ignored by a zoned-out brother. Someone fully listening to him was a first. Soon, he had learned that Venus' strong points in life is listening. Just like how her magic works.
"What is a cellular device?"
"It's like a box that you can call or message people with." He used his thumb and pointer finger to create a box shape. Venus recognized it immediately.
"So, it is like a pager?"
"Yes, but it is actually a mobile telephone." The Chinese turtle grew excited.
"You are kidding? There are mobile telephones? How long ago have these been invented?" The female terrapin almost exploded in excitement. It was so great that she clenched the edge of his shell, just between where the antennae and camera sat. Donatello felt her squeeze it a little for it was tight in her grasp. Could this girl not keep him from smiling at her cute antics?
"Truthfully, about forty years." He relieved her from her happy tensions.
"I have definitely lived the sheltered life." She breathed, letting the shell slip out of her grasp. Donnie reached down under the desk and pulled out a cardboard box. It was banged up respectively as he opened it. What was inside amused Venus. More of these cell phones were inside, finished and with a turtle shell painted on the back of each one. The hexagon in the middle of the phone had its grooved lines in different colors. Of course, they were red, orange, purple, blue, and yellow.
"What's cool about these is that these phones can communicate each other on opposite sides of the world. Also, each of our phones is equipped with tracking chips, instant dialing, and a few other things to keep Mikey and everyone busy." Donnie set the box atop his desk so Venus could rummage through it. She picked up one of the phones, carefully observing it and putting it up to her hidden ears. "Can I take a picture of you for your contact?" Donatello asked.
"It works like a camera too?" She held the phone in front of her face and looked for the lens, which was quickly located in the front and back upper corners.
"Yep. It has music as well." Venus set the phone back in the box.
"You are truly a genius Donatello!" She exclaimed, making Donatello smile even more with those big lips of his. Ultimately, he wanted to tell her that it wasn't his idea to combine a camera and music player into a mobile phone, by why stop all the compliments? He turned the phone on and navigated to the camera button. In a few seconds, he found the button and Venus set herself up for her picture. She went for a fun pose with her head slightly turned with a mischievous smile, with her chin supported by her hand. After a couple snaps, he relieved her and they both went to look at the photos. "Not too shabby, right?" She leaned over his shoulder to see. Donatello looked over to her when she rested one of her hands on his shoulder as she balanced herself on her toes.
"Very tasteful Venus." He commented. Then, he brought the phone down and pushed some buttons on the amazing touch screen cell phone. "And your dial number is going to be '1'."
With permission from Donatello, Venus has handed a ready made phone for her to explore. After all, she's going to have to learn how to use one before hers was finished. It amused her as she could touch any part of the glass screen and it would instantly have something pop up before her. If she didn't know any better, she would think it was magic itself. Meanwhile, Donatello was finishing up the final steps to completing the device. He noticed an error in the private signals he encoded in the phones.
"I'm going to need the antennae signals transmitted through the battle shell." The blue hooded terrapin pointed at Donatello in confusion.
"The antennae from your shell?" She tried to correct him. With a smile, Donatello got up from his chair.
"Come with me." Respectively, he grasped her hand, making her dropped the phone back into the box as he gently pulled her along. Ideally, Donatello didn't know what got over him to grab her hand. It seemed so much like a Mikey thing. She would have been perfectly able to follow behind him without his guidance like his brothers would have. He tried to look at Venus in the corner of his eye. She didn't seem alarmed nor rejected his guidance, so it only eased him to trudge on.
The two trailed down the sewer and climbed up a ladder that led to a manhole. Venus suggested that it wouldn't be a good idea to surface, but the purple clad turtle didn't stop once he was halfway up the ladder. The female turtle couldn't help but follow behind him until her lifted up the manhole and helped her climb out. Where they ended up was dark and cold. The ladder led them to an abandoned garage on the corner of Eastman and Laird. Venus had a once over of the facility and wasn't at all impressed with the tools and cement. A hand grasped her shoulder, pulling on her to turn around. Slowly, her eyes made contact to one of the most memorable sights she will ever take in. "I present to you, the Battle Shell. I know the name's corny. That's because Mikey named it." Several hundred feet in front of them was a large van with yellow paint and green turtle print covering the entire vehicle from the doors to the tinted windows.
"It's, it's very…big." She forced herself to say, trying to not knock that smile off of proud Donnie's face.
"That's just on the outside. This is the ultimate armored car with bullet tolerate metal, oil slicks, trash cannon, and guns and rockets coming out of every angle." he exclaimed.
"Very impressive, Donatello. Did you do this all by yourself?" she asked genuinely.
"My brothers helped me a little. I dealt with the circuitry and they ordered what they wanted. That's why there's a flat screen TV, mini disco ball, shaved ice machine, and surround sound." He laughed to himself. He knew his brothers loved him, but they were very demanding of him. It was his place on the team to be wanted. "Come inside."
"The moment that you own it, you better never let it go, you only got one shot, do not miss your chance…" The words grew louder in volume as the approached the vehicle. Donatello put his ear to the door. Venus copied Donatello, wondering what was the matter with his little baby.
"Raph?" He asked himself before opening the car door. The inside was as gaudy as the outside. Sitting inside the colored material, Raphael was sitting in the driver's seat with the seat leaning back to full extent, nodding his head and humming along. The click of the car door shook him out of his trance and opened a lay eye to meet the visitors.
"'Sup. Just listenin' in the car."
"More like running the car battery." Donatello complained.
"You're smart; you can charge it up again." Raphael never understood that even though Donatello could do something, it wasn't always as easy as it looks, just like how parents think it's easy to earn an A in school.
"Who are you listening to?" Raphael slowly turned his head and squinted his eyes.
"C'mon man, it's Eminem." He almost cried.
"Excuse me for not recognizing it. All rappers sound the same to me." Donatello responded sassily. His family knew very well that he doesn't keep up much with the rap world. He was more of a rock and R&B kind of turtle.
"'Ey man, take your skinny self to the next room, please." His red clad brother pleaded.
"I'm just going to check the antennae readings. Hop in the back, would ya."
"Alright." Raphael grumbled as he brushed past Donatello. The tall turtle slid into the driver's seat and Raphael plopped onto his usual chair in the back of the car.
"Come on in, Venus." Donatello's inviting words weren't exactly pleasing, but the vehicle did interest her secretly. Once inside, Raphael closed the door behind her and guided her to another chair to sit on. The car bounced a little when she sat down. Donatello instantly went to work on the task at hand; Raphael leaned back in his chair, listening to the hard rap music he was listening to previously. Awkwardly sitting, Venus looked down at her toes, fiddling her fingers as she tried to listen along to the talking rhythm of rap.
"Wow! Such strong words from a chocolate candy." She commented. She hoped the incredablility would start a conversation with the most unruly of brothers.
"Seriously? That's his stage name, Venus. He's a human being." Raphael snapped.
"Don't get snippy with me! I am a magician, anything is possible." Venus defended herself. Raphael scowled, and then softened up with an impressed huff. "It is very empowering."
"He's the real deal in the rap world."
"So, this is really what you do all day. You truly lounge around all day." Raphael sat up little more from his shell.
"Who said I did that?"
"Shh!" Donatello whispered harshly. The two turtles in the back watched him turn sharply to do so and then return to listening.
"Michelangelo, don't you remember?" Venus barely whispered, trying not to disturb her friend any more than she had.
"Oh, right. He's an idiot." Raphael leaned back into his chair again. "I do more than that like… like…" his eyes rolled to the back of his head as he searched for an answer. Venus leaned into him and smiled sarcastically.
"Yes?"
"I… uh… work out and I… throw punches around the gym…" His words stumbled out of his toothy mouth.
"You are not convincing me Raphael." He didn't like the challenging laughter in her voice.
"You really wanna see what I like to do?" He challenged her, shaking the car when he abruptly sat up.
"More than anything." She challenged back with the best good-girl-trying-to-be-bad look. Raphael smiled in her face.
"Hey, Don. You done yet? We're goin' to the dojo. You, me, and Venus."