What you say? It's impossible for a character not to have any gender? Hey it's fiction people, anything can happen. And in my fics anything can.

Betrayal

"So did you get the third degree from Roadblock?" Althea asked the next day.

"Not really, we just talked about stuff for hours. I don't think he was really mad at me 'cause I didn't get in trouble," Todd said. "You?"

"Hoo boy! What a night!" Althea rolled her eyes. "The only thing that saved my butt was that I remembered a few choice incidents from Dad's past, and some of them weren't that far back. My sisters are driving me crazy with questions. And I think even Claudius is catching on because he's looking at me like I'm a lunatic."

"Well you shouldn't have snuck in like that!" Todd fumed. "I'm still mad at you."

"I said I was sorry!" Althea turned red. "I was just…curious."

"Yeah well how would you like it if I was 'curious' with you huh?" Todd snapped. Then he saw the look on Althea's face. "Are you serious?"

"I don't know why you haven't snuck a peek at me before," Althea grinned.

"I am not really quite sure how to respond to that," Todd turned red and gulped.

"DON'T!" Shipwreck shouted, peeking his head around the corner.

"D-AAAAAD!" Althea shouted. "Todd wouldn't do anything!"

"Of course not," Shipwreck snapped. "Him I trust! You on the other hand is quite a different story!"

"Oh god," Althea groaned.

"I don't want you taking advantage of this nice innocent boy at least until you two are seniors!" Shipwreck snapped. "Call me old fashioned but once you guys are near graduation you can do whatever you want!"

"Dad you are so embarrassing me!" Althea snapped.

"Well somebody has to protect this boy's virtue!" Shipwreck snapped.

"Why are you losing it?" Althea asked. "It's not like we were making out or anything. I mean you knew stuff like this was gonna happen!"

"Yes I did," Shipwreck said. "I tried to tell myself in a mature and rational manner. But then I realized I don't have to be mature and rational about this! I'm a father! I have the right to be as insane and as irrational as I want! If I didn't think you two were such a perfect match I would forbid you to see him again!"

"Yeah like that would happen," Althea snapped at him.

"Yeah well fortunately I'm not that irrational," Shipwreck snapped.

"Since when have you ever been rational?" Althea snapped. "It's not like I set up a camera in…"

"Okay that's enough of that!" Shipwreck turned pale.

"I thought so," Althea smirked.

"Don't give me that smirk young lady as if you've won anything," Shipwreck said.

"Does this phrase sound familiar Dad? 'Attention K-Mart Shoppers…'"

"Where did you hear about that?" Shipwreck yelped.

"Uh I think I'll go ahead to the dojo now…" Todd wandered away leaving the two to argue. He walked across the compound. He saw Xi when he got there. Both looked at each other in uncomfortable silence. "Um…Hey."

"Hello," Xi said softly. "I apologize for yesterday. It will never happen again."

"Oh uh yeah…that," Todd gulped. "Look Xi…I like you as a guy. Okay technically you're not a guy but…but…"

"I only wanted to show…" Xi stopped. "Affection. I realize now that my actions were inappropriate. It was an impulse."

"Well I certainly know about impulses," Althea sighed as she walked in.

"I will not bother you any more," Xi turned to walk away.

"Xi wait!" Althea spoke up. "I…um…I'm sorry I slugged you."

"You were in the right," Xi said.

"Yeah well…I overreacted," Althea sighed.

"Look why didn't you tell us you were…what you are?" Todd asked.

"Hawk and Lifeline thought it would be better if I did not mention it for some reason," Xi said. "They said few people had experience with life forms that did not have a gender."

"Let me get this straight," Althea said. "You don't have any boy or girl…parts? None at all?"

"I am neither male nor female," Xi told them. "I am neuter."

"That sounds more like a thing you do to a dog." Todd looked at him.

"It is what I am," Xi shrugged.

"So Cobra created you like that?" Althea asked.

"I was created in a lab after all," Xi told them. "They decided to exclude gender from my kind so that we would not have any distractions or have any…complications."

"Man those guys really are sick," Todd grumbled. "So what do we call you? I mean 'he' or 'she'? Or is there another thing we say?"

" 'It' I suppose," Xi shrugged.

"That don't sound right to me," Todd said.

"Me neither," Althea said. "Which do you prefer, he or she?"

"I suppose to make things easier 'he' is just as good as any," Xi sighed.

"Look why don't we all just start from the beginning, friendship wise?" Althea asked. "We both like you Xi. And now that we know about…well we'll be a little more sensitive. Okay?"

Xi was about to reply when a loud explosion rocked the base. "What was that?" Todd yelled.

"THE BASE IS UNDER ATTACK!" Hawk shouted through the intercom.

"Come on," Althea shouted. "We gotta get to safety!"

The base rocked with explosions, the smell of smoke was everywhere. They were about to run out the door of the dojo when several figures blocked their way. Several men in dark outfits and masks blocked their way. "Get them!" One of them shouted.

"Who the heck are these guys?" Todd yelped.

"I don't wanna stick around to find out!" Althea yelled. She leapt and kicked one of them to the ground.

The next thing Todd knew he and the others were fighting for their lives. Xi turned invisible and took out several guards. Todd and Althea used their fighting moves to take out several more. Todd used his acid slime as well as his regular slime to disable many of them. But still more came. "Where the heck are these guys coming from?"

Suddenly Stormshadow appeared. "They are Cobra soldiers!"

That was when Xi shoved Stormshadow aside. "Xi what are you doing?" Todd asked. Xi grabbed him and shouted, "Althea run! Get away from Stormshadow!"

"Why?" She shouted. "Xi where are you taking Todd? Xi!" She shouted as they ran away from the dojo.

"Hey we can't leave Althea!" Todd broke away and started to go back for her. Xi swiftly hit Todd in the back of the head, knocking him unconscious. He carried him over his shoulder.

"What's going on?" Althea shouted as she tackled another intruder. "Why did Xi do that Stormshadow? Stormshadow?" The next thing she knew her world was enveloped in darkness.

************************************************************************

Todd awoke to the sounds of shouts and explosions. It took him a full minute to realize that he was being carried away. "Huh? Xi put me down! Put me down already!"

Xi did so. "Xi what the heck is going on?" Todd shouted.

"Come on," Xi pulled Todd along. "This way!"

"Where are we going?" Todd asked. Then he saw Masaru. "Master Masaru what's going on?"

"I think Althea has been captured!" Xi said. "We have to get her!"

"What?" Todd shouted. "Why didn't you let me go get her?"

"Don't worry Todd," Masaru said as he gently put his hand on his shoulder. "She'll be fine. You're both safe now."

"What?" Todd gasped as he felt something sharp in his shoulder. Then the entire world went black. He fell into Masaru's arms. Masaru placed him on the couch.

"I don't understand," Xi looked at Todd's unconscious form. "What are you doing?"

"Protecting him," Masaru told Xi. "You and I have to go now."

"Wait, something's wrong here…" Xi said backing away.

"I'll say."

They both saw Stormshadow standing at the door. "What's going on Xi?" Stormshadow asked.

"Stormshadow, hurry! This thing just attacked Todd!" Masaru snapped. "He's the traitor!"

"What?" Xi spun on him. Before he could react a ninja appeared out of nowhere and knocked him unconscious. To Stormshadow's surprise three other ninjas appeared.

"Master what are you doing?" Stormshadow asked. "I recognize those ninjas! They are outcasts from our clan! They left to go fight Cobra and their leader is…." He trailed off. His eyes narrowed. Without warning he unsheathed his sword and charged. He dodged the other ninjas and sliced at Masaru.

Masaru easily dodged and leapt away. "Missed!" He hissed.

"Did I?" Stormshadow asked in a cold tone. He pointed with his sword. Masaru's sleeve was torn on his left arm. An old burn mark was on it in the shape of a star.

Stormshadow glared at Masaru. "I recognize that wound Masaru. Or should I say Darkshadow?"