Heya Readers
So sorry for the late upload on this one! I know it's been since April, but I had writers block for a bit. Hope you're enjoying the summer and enjoy this latest chapter!
Chapter Fifteen
In the kitchen, the turtles, Mona and Splinter sat at the table to discuss what Pandora had found, as well as discuss the fitting punishment for the two girls for disobeying them.
"It's the work of Dr Arden, I'm sure!" Donatello growled "I'm sure of it! After all the specimens he's collected to create his disgusting experiments!"
"You're not wrong Donnie!" Leonardo said, "Who else would want specimens from the zoo?"
"No-one else I know of!" Mona agreed.
"No clue!" Michelangelo added.
"Well, it was sheer luck Pandora happened to be there when they dropped the paper," Raphael said, "Yet her actions are inexcusable, her going topside without an adult!"
"We have told her time, and time again never to go up to the surface! Never to leave the sewers without an adult!" Mona added then sighed in disappointment.
"She is a curious child." Splinter soothed placing a paw on his adopted daughter's hand "Yet being curious doesn't mean breaking the rules."
Mona nodded.
"Well, even if she was in the right place at the right time, she needs to understand the seriousness of her actions, her and Kemeko."
Leonardo sighed and shook his head.
"I'm hesitant to be too hard on Kemeko." He confessed.
"What?" everyone asked together.
"Splinter told me that Pandora said Kemeko only followed to make sure she didn't get into trouble, Kemeko was looking out for her, just as I would look out for you guys,"
"But still Leo." Raphael said, "Both girls went topside when they weren't supposed to, and Kemeko could have told us then and there before?"
"But that would be squealing!" Michelangelo piped up "And nobody likes a squealer! OW!" he winced as Raphael whacked him over the back of the head.
"No Raph!" Leonardo cut in "He is right, Kemeko showed her loyalty to Pandora, and in a way, I admire her, but still, she shouldn't have gone topside."
"So, what do we do?" Mona asked, "Well both with the incident topside and the map?"
Donatello took the map and studied it.
"Well according to the information Pandora gave sensei, those criminals plan to break into the zoo at midnight tonight, I say we discuss where to hide in the zoo and give them the element of surprise!"
"Sounds good to me!" Michelangelo grinned "I sure love surprises!"
"Likewise!" Mona smiled "Those idiots won't know what hit them! And hopefully we'll find out more information about what they plan to steal for Dr Arden!"
"Agreed babe!" Raphael smirked.
"That settles it." Donatello said, "Now, about the girl's punishment."
The grown-ups nodded.
"So, we going to agree to the following?" Leonardo asked...
Back in the playroom, the girls awaited their fate.
Even though it had been about half an hour, it felt like a lifetime.
Kemeko had stopped crying and was taking a few deep breaths, and Pandora was pacing the floor.
Both girls jumped as they saw Raphael, Leonardo and Monalisa appear.
"Girls." Monalisa said in a serious voice "Both of you have a seat."
Pandora instantly sat down and swallowed hard as she looked at her mother.
Kemeko felt the tears return as she looked at her father.
"Okay girls." Raphael said softly yet seriously "We have decided that, as much as your actions Pandora, lead us to evidence of wrong doing topside, it was still very naughty and wrong of you to leave the lair unsupervised, that goes for you too Kemeko, despite the fact you were looking out for Pandora, as any loyal cousin, honoured sister and friend would do."
Kemeko wanted to smile, yet she didn't, as she knew both her and Pandora weren't off the hook.
"We have decided girls." Leonardo said, "That your punishment will be tough exercises every morning before breakfast, lunch and dinner, and no TV, DVDS, or Ipads for a week!"
The girls sighed sadly, yet they knew they deserved their punishment, Pandora especially.
"What time you would be having TV or Ipad time." Mona continued "You will be doing backflips and hardcore training, and also, you are not allowed to leave the lair for the duration of your punishment."
"When this week is over, you both will have to work very hard to earn our trust back before you go exploring in the sewers." Leonardo added.
"We understand." The girls sighed.
"I'm sorry." Pandora said, "but I know I deserve this punishment, more so than Kemeko."
Raphael nodded.
"We're glad you understand Little Geisha." He said, "But through this punishment, the message will sink in." he looked at the clock "Now both of you get ready to go to bed."
The girls nodded again, then with their heads hung in shame and guilt, they walked off to their rooms to get ready for bed.
Leonardo sighed as he watched a shameful Kemeko walk to her room.
He hated seeing her so upset, but he knew he had to discipline her if she disobeyed the rules.
Mona and Raphael looked at each other.
"I'm pretty sure I know where she gets it from." Mona said eyeing Raphael.
"Me?" Raphael asked.
"Well, you can't deny it Raph." Leonardo clarified "You used to wander off in places you weren't supposed to go in the sewers, especially when we played 'Follow The Leader'"
Raphael frowned at Leonardo, but he knew he was right.
"That was such a bad habit of mine." He said.
"I remember Splinter found out you had gone into an out of bounds area in the sewers," Leonardo continued "He wouldn't get you join the rest of us for a week because of that, and everytime we went off to play, he made you do hard training."
Raphael groaned as he went slightly red.
"Don't remind me!" he sighed "But you're right, I guess I do see my childhood disobedience showing up in Pandora."
"I was no angel myself." Mona said "Well, I did all kinds of things, like sneaking out to a party when my parents said I wasn't allowed to go, then when they found out, because dad caught me sneaking back in, I was grounded."
"We've all done naughty things!" Leonardo said "and we all knew Pandora and Kemeko would do something similar, but hopefully after their punishment, they'll think twice not to overstep the mark!"
"Let's hope so fearless!" Raphael agreed "Come on, let's get back to the others to go through our plan of action, then make sure the kids are in bed."
So the girls have been given their punishments for disobeying the rules of going topside. Hardcore exercises during free time, and no screen time for a week. Seems appropriate I think.
Still, the mutants have to act on the evidence Pandora found.
Stay tuned to find out. Hopefully the next chapter will be longer!
Stay safe!