13
Her spirits soared upon hearing the familiar sound. She turned quickly from the window, her face bright and smiling. Standing barefoot opposite the window was her second brother dressed in his favored khaki shorts and white shirt, black ponytail draped over his left shoulder. But he wasn't real. No, the person across the room was an imprint of Daichi Lotus's physical body, a manifestation of his chi that could traverse the astral realm to this virtual meeting place. Even so, Andria was ecstatic.
"Daichi!" she squealed, rushing over to hug him fiercely. "I didn't think you'd be here."
"What? I'm not allowed to check on my baby sister?" he asked teasingly, smiling down at her. He jerked his thumb to the right. "Besides, someone had to help him get here."
As he spoke, a second figure materialized. His clothing consisted of faded denim jeans belted in place and a black t-shirt. A short silver chain encircled his neck, matching the stud in left ear.
"Hey, I was doing just fine on my own!" the newcomer protested.
"Hiroshi!" Andria abandoned the middle brother for the third. The top of her head reached only to his chest. She held him tightly for a few moments and then looked up to his face. Her jaw dropped. "What did you do to your hair?"
Grinning, he ran a hand through his dark locks which now sported purple highlights. The motion disturbed his careful arrangement of strands, shifting them so that they stood a little straighter. Hiroshi had always been a bit vain about his looks overall, but his hair especially.
"I got some new styling gel. The stuff's amazing," Hiroshi said with a wink.
Andria giggled. "It's cool. I like it. "
"Mom doesn't."
"She's mad that you did it?"
"Not as mad as Kenta." Hiroshi's voice changed to a highly exaggerated impression of his eldest brother. "What were you thinking? You look like you belong to a street gang! Is that what you want people to think when they look at you? Learn to show some respect for yourself! Blah, blah, blah!"
The turtle burst out laughing. "And what did you tell him?"
"Basically, he told him to shove it," Daichi interjected, frowning slightly. He had been studying his adopted sister's form and saw that it was dotted with cuts and bruises – some faded, some fresh. His eyes fell upon the healing, three-inch long cut on her right forearm. "But we're not here to tell you how much Hiro's been pissing Kenta off lately. We came here to check on you." Gently, he grabbed her limb and pulled it towards him, as if inspecting the wound. "You weren't in this bad of shape than when you left almost three weeks ago."
Hiroshi had been too excited to see his missing family member to notice her injuries. Now that his brother had mentioned them, however, he couldn't focus on anything else. His joy was quickly replaced by worry.
"Andria, what in the hell happened to you?" he asked, holding her at arm's length to view the damage.
"It's not that bad," she said sheepishly, tugging her arm free from Daichi's grip. "I'm okay, really."
"Not that bad?" the ponytailed brother repeated incredulously, eyebrows raised. "Have you looked in a mirror lately? Your bruises have bruises!"
"Who did this to you?" Hiroshi demanded. He cracked his knuckles threateningly. "Tell me so I can kick their ass!"
"You have more than one ass to kick," Andria muttered.
"What do you mean?" Daichi wondered, looking alarmed. "You've been staying with Splinter and his sons…the other turtles…right?"
"You knew?" she asked in surprise. "Have you known about them this whole…"
"Mom told us," he interrupted, before her anger had a chance to rise. "Just after you left she told us what Splinter's sons were." He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Hiro and I wouldn't have kept that secret if we had known."
"Really?"
"We don't hide anything from you," Hiroshi said, crossing his arms. "You know that, Kame. Did these guys…Splinter's sons…were they the ones that did this to you?"
"No!" Andria denied loudly, though neither brother seemed convinced. She began to fidget nervously. "Okay, yes, but it wasn't…I mean, no…well…sort of…but not really…they didn't all do it on purpose…"
Daichi and Hiroshi looked at each other, both perplexed by their sibling's contradicting response.
"…and I…I'm…not making any sense…" she finished, seeing their confused expressions. Sighing, she rubbed at her temples as she tried to organize her thoughts. "Damn it."
"Hey, it's okay, Andria," Daichi said softly, putting an arm around her. "Come on, let's sit down and talk about it."
He led her to the middle of the room where a white sofa and matching arm chair had appeared. Together they sat down on the couch while Hiroshi claimed the chair. Daichi waited until they were all settled before speaking again.
"Alright, deep breath," he told his sister. "Relax yourself. Talk when you're ready."
Andria complied, drawing in a large amount of air and letting it back out slowly. She leaned back, pulling her legs up and tucking them to the side. One hand rested on her knee while the other fiddled with the ties of her black waist sash, reminding herself that she was with her brothers and that she could tell them anything without feeling judged unlike with the other turtles.
"Okay," she began after a few moments, "so I made it to New York without any problems and found April O'Neil's place. I was outside her building, about to go talk to her, when all of a sudden this….thing comes at me from nowhere. It was one of Splinter's sons and I guess he thought I was planning to attack April because he wasn't going to let me go inside. Well, I got him out of my way, but as soon as I did, another one was there to take his place. So I disarmed him. Then the remaining two show up and I'm taking turns fighting all four of them, trying to convince them that I'm not there to hurt April who is apparently their best friend. Three of them were starting to believe me, but Raphael – the first one I met – wasn't. I'm still fighting him when my head explodes with pain. I got knocked out from behind with a baseball bat by this guy Casey, another one of the turtles' friends, because he thought I was an enemy, too. Next thing I know, I'm waking up in April's living room, on her couch, weaponless. They're all looking at me like I'm a hallucination. Turns out Splinter never told them about me either so I told them who I was and why I was there. April kind of confirmed my story by admitting that she knew dad. After that Leonardo – the leader – decided they would take me to Splinter. When we got to their home, I told Splinter what happened to dad and he told me that I was welcome to stay with them."
Andria paused for a moment to look at both of her brothers. Hiroshi was leaning forward in his seat, hands clasped in front of him, watching her as she spoke. Daichi sat beside her with one leg crossed over the other and a hand supporting his chin in a pensive manner.
"And get beat up in return?" the chain-wearer asked when she didn't continue right away. Agitated, he ran a hand through his purple streaked hair again. "I mean, what have you been doing this whole time? We didn't hear from you at all and the other night when I tried to connect with you, you were too busy. It's taken you three days to get back to me." His brown eyes were full of concern as he posed his next question. "You're not in danger, are you?"
"Can you think of a time in my life…our lives…when we haven't been in danger of something?" Andria countered, raising an eye ridge. "Because I sure can't."
"So what the hell has been going on?" Hiroshi prodded impatiently.
"I wasn't getting beat up by them. Splinter had us sparring like every single day for two weeks straight so that we could learn to be a 'team'," Andria added air quotes to the word. "It was almost like practicing with you guys and we give each other bruises all the time."
"True," Daichi admitted. He reached out a hand to trace the faded outline of the handprint around her neck. "But never this bad. That must be some pretty tough sparring."
The turtle heard the doubt in his tone and began to squirm again. "Not really. I mean, sure they're good fighters, but they don't hurt me on purpose. Really, all I do is spar with them. Well, except for Raphael…" Her voice trailed off and her cheeks began to burn.
Hiroshi guessed at the meaning behind the blush. Grinning mischievously, he couldn't resist asking, "And just what else are you doing with this Raphael, young lady?"
"Not that, you perv," Andria retorted, eyes narrowed. "Please, I've known the guy for like five minutes. I am not about to put the moves on him. I have morals you know."
"Sure you do," Hiro teased, his grin widening. He turned to address his older brother. "He must be a real looker if just mentioning his name gets her this bothered."
"Oh, shut up!" she huffed, crossing her arms angrily.
"Enough, Hiroshi," Daichi ordered as his sibling opened his mouth again. "Let Andria finish what she was saying." He looked to his sister and nodded encouragingly. "Go on."
"We don't get along," Andria admitted bitterly. "Actually, we hate each other. I can hardly go a day without getting into a screaming match with him and nine times out of ten that turns into a fist fight."
"Why do you hate each other?" the eldest of the three inquired.
"Because we...he is so…I…" She paused, realizing that she had never even thought of a real reason to hate him. Even now, having been asked outright, she couldn't rationalize an answer. "…I don't know. We just do."
"What about the other three? How do you feel about them?"
Andria shrugged. "They're all right I guess. Nice enough guys. Things were going pretty good for the most part until Bishop showed up."
"What?" Both brothers shouted at the same time. Daichi had sat up a little straighter while Hiroshi had shot out of his chair, moving to stand in front of his sister.
"You mean that alien hunting nut job that kept you prisoner on Deyelaari?" the younger male asked in shock. Andria nodded. "How the hell does he play into this?"
"He was looking for me," she said quietly. "And for them. Bishop found out about the guys about a year after he met me and was planning on using them like he used me. But then he somehow lost everything and needs us again for whatever project he's working on. We got away and…" Andria's voice quavered and she couldn't stop the tears leaking from her eyes. On the next breath she broke down completely, burying her face in her hands, forcing words out between violent sobs. "I was so damn scared. I-I can't go back to Bishop. He'll do it all over a-again. I can't put up with that a second time. I don't want him touching me!"
In an instant, Hiroshi was at her side, pulling her into a protective embrace. Daichi scooted closer, putting an arm around her as well. Huddled together on the couch, the two brothers did their best to console their little sister as she cried.
"No way," Hiroshi said lowly, his chin resting on the top of her head. "No way are we going to let that bastard get you." His brown eyes shifted over to look at his brother to whom he whispered. "I told you she was in trouble! This is exactly why she needs to come back home!"
"I don't need convincing," Daichi whispered back, his hand rubbing small, soothing circles on her shell. "I never wanted her to leave either, remember?"
"I can hear every word you're saying, geniuses," Andria sniffed. Eyes closed, she rested her head against Hiroshi's chest and wrapped Daichi's around her tighter, comforted by the feeling of being close to her brothers again even if it was only in the astral world and not the real one. "I want to come home."
"So come back!" the pierced punk exclaimed.
"I can't," she replied, wiping away the lingering tears before opening her eyes.
Hiroshi looked down at her confused. "Why not? Because of Kenta? Forget him and just come home! Dad would never make you stay in New York if he knew that shit with Bishop happened!"
Andria shook her head."It's not just because of what Kenta said. That's only part of it."
"Then what's the rest of it?" Daichi asked calmly, meeting her gaze.
"Bishop knows about you guys," the turtle answered. "About Mom, Dad, everything. And I think he knows Sharar."
The faces of both boys blanched. Wordlessly, they stared at one another for several minutes, wondering if they had heard her correctly.
"Bishop knows Sharar?" Daichi finally murmured. "How?"
"I'm not sure how," Andria admitted, reaching habitually for the lotus pendant about her neck. "All he said was 'Sharar sends his greetings' before he slipped away. He could have just been bluffing."
"I don't think so. How else would he have found out about your Earth life?" Hiroshi reasoned.
"Bishop said that…that Hawk told him," she managed to say despite the lump that had formed in her throat. A new wave of tears spilled from her eyes and she once again buried her face in Hiroshi's chest.
Hiroshi and Daichi looked at each other again, both full of doubt. Over the years, the Lotus family had come to know the royal family of Deyelaari very well. Their general opinion of the planet's adopted prince was that he was overall a good person and was fiercely loyal to anyone he considered worth associating with. Though he tended to raise a little hell when he got too bored, he had, at times, shown himself to have a bit of a soft spot. The rest of the Lotus family was actually rather pleased when Hawk's relationship with Andria had started to take on a more romantic aspect.
"That doesn't sound like something Hawkthames would do," the older said in defense of the supposed tattletale. "It does sound like something Bishop would want you to believe just to mess with you."
"Yeah, Andria," Hiroshi agreed as her tears continued to dampen his t-shirt. The reason for them was probably because the breakup was still fresh and painful. He knew from one of his many late night talks with his sister, which had also been tear-filled, that the split was not something that either of the young lovers had wanted, but something that they were forced to do. "Hawk is crazy about you. He would never put you in harm's way."
"You think so?" came her muffled response.
"Yeah, I do," he assured her. Gently, he pulled her back and tilted her chin up so he could wipe the wetness from her cheeks. He flashed a smile and tipped another wink. "And if we find out that he really did, I'll kick his ass."
The threat – which was made in jest but would be made real under certain circumstances – elicited a small laugh out of Andria. Leave it to Hiroshi to make a joke out of anything. It was a characteristic of her brother that she had always liked.
"So hard he'll taste feet, right?" she asked, a small smile playing about her lips.
"Damn straight," he confirmed, pulling her in for another hug.
"Before you partake in any ass-kicking," Daichi began, "perhaps it would be a good idea to see if it's even called for." His eyes, brown like his brother's, met Andria's. "Have you tried talking to Hawk to see if it's true? Maybe a trip to Deyelaari is in order."
Andria scoffed and tugged lightly on her brother's ponytail. "Silly nii-chan. You know I can't go to Deyelaari right now. Both Dad and Domenixx said it was too dangerous for me to be there with everything that's happened. They're still trying to fix that whole mess. I'm not allowed to go back until Domenixx summons me."
"Well, just don't jump to conclusions, okay?"Daichi requested, pulling on the tails of her black mask in return. "Get some solid proof before you pass judgment, besides Bishop's words. You know probably better than anybody how he twists the truth."
"Okay, Dai," she agreed."
Suddenly, a large sea gull landed on the windowsill. It looked once around the room before sounding its harsh cry. None of the three occupants were remotely surprised by the bird's appearance.
"I'm being called back," Andria announced sadly.
"Already?" Daichi wondered, looking down at his watch before remembering that time held no meaning in this virtual world.
Slowly, the three disentangled themselves and stood from the couch.
"So will you be coming back tonight?" Hiroshi asked hopefully.
The turtle shook her head. "I told you I can't."
"But why?" he whined.
"It was something Bishop said. I just have this feeling that if I even try to leave New York something bad is going to happen – to me, to you, or even to the other turtles. That's not something I'm willing to risk."
Though they didn't like the idea, neither Daichi nor Hiroshi argued. When Andria made up her mind about something, it was near impossible to convince her otherwise. Plus, her 'feelings' often proved to be legitimate, almost as if she could predict the future. The sea gull cried again.
"Hey, I don't like it either," Andria told them when they remained silent. "But maybe I can find out more about Bishop…and maybe that will help us find Sharar."
"Will the other turtles be helping you in your investigation, Detective?" Hiroshi asked jokingly.
"I'm not going to force them. I guess if they want to they can, but I doubt they will. They don't seem to trust anything I say," she stated, justifying her reason to converse only with Splinter. Another cry.
"Don't make enemies when you can just as easily make friends," Daichi advised, hand on hip. "Start by with the one you have the most in common with and spread out from there. You might be pleasantly surprised by who these guys are."
The female giggled. "You have seriously got to stop taking all those psychology classes, Daichi. You're starting to sound like an advice columnist."
Hiroshi laughed at the comment and gave his sister another hug. "Or you can just stay in your room watching anime. And if you don't want to do that, just blast your emo music."
"I am not emo!" Andria insisted for the hundredth time.
"Says the girl all dressed in black," he countered, laughing again when she stuck her tongue out at him. "Just stay safe, okay kame? And don't let another three weeks pass before you connect again."
"I won't," she promised. The bird sounded again. Frowning, she looked at the winged pest. "Oh, hush up! I'm going!"
It was Daichi's turn to hug her. "Play nice with the other kids."
Andria rolled her eyes. She turned and marched over to a white door which had grown in the wall opposite the window. With a final wave goodbye, she twisted the handle and disappeared through the entryway. The sea gull squawked again and flapped away, leaving the two brothers behind.
"Tell me again that going to New York and being with these turtles will be good for her," Hiroshi requested, staring at the closed door.
"Going to New York and being with the turtles will be good for her," Daichi said. Seeing his sibling's worried expression, he clapped a reassuring hand on Hiro's shoulder. "It will, bro. Andria's the kind of person who can walk into a room full of strangers and come out an hour later with a handful of best friends. She may just spend a little more time in that room with these guys."
Hiroshi snorted and headed for a second door that had appeared beside the first. "You do sound like an advice columnist."
XXX
Like a raging river rushing through the rapids, Andria's chi came flooding back into her body. Inhaling sharply, she opened her eyes to be greeted by the sight of Splinter who was watching her carefully. She also felt the eyes of the turtle brothers fixed on her with fascination and for good reason: the outline of the lotus flower on her cherished pendant was glowing bright red. It wasn't any shock to her. Her necklace always did that whenever she sought the astral realm. It signified the channeling of her chi. Andria would have been embarrassed, but she found that she didn't care that they were staring at her. The connection with her brothers had greatly improved her mood. Smiling lightly, she traced the flower's outline, the red light disappearing as she did so. She did, however, feel guilty for not obeying Splinter's orders directly. Only a little though.
The rat master cleared his throat. "This concludes our meditation session for the day. Miss Lotus, would you care to join me for a cup of tea?" It was not really a question with options.
"Hai, sensei," she said with a bow of the head.
"My sons, you are free to…"
"Meow."
Heads turned towards the source of the interruption. An orange cat with white paws came slinking into the dojo.
"Klunk!" Mikey shouted happily, reaching a hand out for his pet. "Where ya been buddy?"
Tail swishing, Klunk stalked past his master straight to Alexandria. Meowing again, he climbed into her lap and looked up at her with his yellow eyes.
"Klunk! Where are your manners?" the orange-banded turtle scolded. "You don't just walk all other people!"
He was ignored.
Andria laughed and scooped the kitty up, cradling him in her arms. The miniature beast began a steady purr as she scratched beneath his chin. Smiling wider, she began to speak to the cat in her preferred Japanese. Even more surprising was that Klunk seemed to be listening with rapt attention. Mikey, Leo, Raph, and Donnie had no idea what she was saying, but whatever it was, she managed to make Splinter chuckle. She lifted the feline in front of her, nuzzled it gently, planted a kiss to its forehead, and spoke again. Klunk meowed in response. With that, Andria placed him on the floor facing his father. He looked back at her and she nodded. The terrapin brothers watched dumbfounded as the cat then walked over to Mikey and resumed a vibrating purr as he rubbed against him.
"What did you…" Mikey started to ask, but Andria was no longer sitting across from Splinter. She was already halfway across the dojo, making her way unaccompanied to Splinter's suite. And she was singing quietly. In Japanese.
"What is she, a cat whisperer?" Raph wondered, a scowl on his face as he watched her disappear through the doorway.
The feline meowed from Mikey's arms. He looked down at his pet and rubbed between his ears. "Umm…Master Splinter? Did she curse my cat or something?"
Splinter chuckled again. "No, Michelangelo. She asked him if he was Bakeneko – a cat of ancient Japanese folklore who had supernatural abilities. Then she told him that he should go to you, as you are his owner."
"Ohhhkaaaay," Mikey drawled out, scratching his head. "That's kind of weird."
"She's weird," the hot head corrected.
"She seems happier," Donatello commented, recalling her smile.
"Her necklace," Leo said, looking at his father, "why was it glowing red?" He couldn't be sure, but the leader also thought that, for a moment after she opened them, her eyes had been glowing red, too.
"I believe Miss Lotus was engaged in chi reading," the rat answered, meeting his son's gaze. "Most likely with her brothers. She must use the pendant a source to channel her chi which glows when energy passes through it. Why it is red, I cannot say. Such an act requires a strong mind-body connection. An admirable quality to be sure and one I hope you all might achieve someday." Using his walking stick, Splinter rose to his feet and began to retreat from the practice room. "Now if you'll excuse me, I am meeting Miss Lotus for tea. You boys are free to do as you wish so long as you remain in the lair."
"Girl's nothing but a teacher's pet," Raphael growled in annoyance.
Klunk meowed.
XXX
The sound of heavy footsteps echoed throughout a long, dark corridor. As he walked, the tails of Bishop's black jacket billowed behind him. In his left hand was a black briefcase. He stopped before a closed door and placed his right palm on the scanner. Blue light flashed as his print was read.
"Welcome, Agent Bishop," a computer voice chirped as the door slid open, granting him access.
The man stepped into a giant laboratory. Several computers beeped from around the room. Tables were cluttered with test tubes and beakers containing various colored liquids. Expensive looking machines made their own unique noises as they operated seemingly on their own.
"Ahhh, Agent Bishop," a new voice greeted. "Back from New York so soon?"
"Hello, Dr. Stockman," Bishop replied, looking to the holographic image of the notorious scientist that disguised his exposed brain and single eye. "I have a new project for you."
"For me? You shouldn't have," the doctor said sarcastically. He looked around at the pile of work Bishop already had assigned him. His holograph frowned and crossed its arms. "You really shouldn't have."
Bishop cleared a spot on the nearest table with a sweep of his arm. Glass shattered on the floor and papers drifted through the air to land in puddles of spilled liquid. Carefully, he placed the briefcase on the table and slid it forward.
"Really now, was the necessary?" Stockman asked irked.
"Just look inside the briefcase."
The scientist obeyed. Lifting the lid, he found five glass vials filled with a red substance safely packed in soft foam inserts.
"Blood samples?" Stockman guessed correctly. "Whose?"
"Our old friends," Bishop replied with a smirk. "The turtles."
"What could you possibly want me to do with this?"
"I want you to run a full genetic workup for me, Dr. Stockman, for each of these samples."
"There are only four of those mutant freaks," the holograph protested, selecting a vial and holding it up to examine its contents. "Why have you given me a fifth sample?"
Bishop's smirk broke into a grin. From beneath his black jacket, he extracted a file folder. He flipped it open and slid it across the table to the scientist. Paper clipped to the top of a stack of papers was a photograph. "Meet the fifth freak."
Stockman was shocked. Setting the vial back down, he snatched up the file to study the photograph. "A fifth turtle? How can that be?"
"A fifth, female turtle, Doctor. Say hello to Alexandria."
"Where on earth did you find her?"
"I didn't find her on earth," Bishop said with a laugh. "But as of now, she is under the protection of the rat and his brats in New York."
The scientist thumbed through the rest of the file. He stopped when he encountered another photograph this one of a man - a man with long white hair and dangerous green eyes. Stockman held up the picture. "Isn't this the man you met with earlier this year? What was his name…Sharar? Are you working with him again?"
"No," Bishop replied, snatching the picture away. "Vincent Sharar is no longer of any use to me. He would only be in the way. If were to find out the current location of the five terrapins, that would lead to some very bad consequences." He looked over the top of his lenses at the room's other occupant. "Do I make myself clear, Dr. Stockman? Very bad consequences, indeed."
Stockman nodded his holographic head. "Yes, sir. What exactly is this project?"
"For now, just analyze their DNA and create a genetic profile for each of them."
"I don't have much to work with," Stockman said bitterly, eyeing the small vials with scorn.
"I tried to bring you live specimens…" Bishop responded, touching a bruise on his cheek, "….but there were complications. That sedative you made for me only granted me enough time to draw their blood. I suggest you work on revising it. After you've completed this. This project has priority over everything else."
Stockman dropped the file and reclaimed the vial. "I'll get started on it right away."
"Good," said Bishop with a nod. He glanced down at the picture of the female. "For two years, Alexandria has eluded me. Not anymore. She's going to help me rebuild my army. Whether she knows it or not."
AN: And so Agent Bishop returns…
Andria sure seems to cry a lot. I blame teenage hormones and the fact that she's coddled by Hiroshi and Daichi who both have serious big brother complexes. But aren't they just so cute? :D Will Andria take her brother's advice and "play nice"? If so, who with? Find out in Part 15! (Oh yeah and the poll is still going on my profile page. Go vote!)
Thanks so much to all my wonderful readers/reviewers. Any mistakes in this chapter I blame on the fact that it is 1:35 am and I'm too hyper to sleep.