Chapter 2:

Artemis moved swiftly and deliberately as a Shaolin warrior should. Her movements possibly even more smooth than Venus's.

Ashia defended herself against an attack with her left bow and swung the bow in her right hand at Artemis.

Artemis turned away from the attack gracefully and used her tail to attempt to trip Ashia.

Ashia blocked her tailed with her defending stick, and looked to her with a sly smile. "You have been training," she stated in an almost purr.

Artemis looked to Michelangelo, who had been watching the entire sparring match. "Would you like to try?" she asked.

Michelangelo pointed to himself. "Me? I don't know if I'm ready for the double bows yet."

Ashia walked away from the clearing. "Have a lesson in soft Kung Fu with Artemis then. She is a good teacher."

Artemis smiled and looked to Michelangelo with her large black eyes, slightly hidden by her black bandana. "Yes, please! And then you can teach me more sewer surfing!"

Michelangelo met her in the clearing. "Now that I'm pretty good at."

"You must first level your Qi," she told him, bringing her hands to her center and placing them together. "Taijiquan is about centering your Qi, and using your opponent's unbalance against them," she explained.

Michelangelo mimicked her pose. He took a deep breath and released it slowly.

"Do not force the balance," Artemis told him. "Allow it to come naturally."

"Easy for you to say," Michelangelo thought to himself. If only she knew that focus and the mental side of martial arts was his worst portion.

"You are far too unbalanced," Artemis said, turning and taking his hands in hers. She placed his hands differently, one in a fist and the other flat. "Do not force yourself to breathe, and do not force yourself to think of anything. Clear your mind."

Michelangelo wondered if she could sense his nerves. He had been so excited to see a girl that wasn't already clinging to Leonardo or Raphael. Now she was even comfortable enough to touch him. How was he even supposed to react? Could he just grab her and kiss her like they did on the television?

"Close your eyes," Artemis told him, looking up at him with just her eyes. She was at least a head shorter than him, clearly the smallest creature in the group.

Michelangelo obeyed her. He closed his eyes and noticed immediately that he could smell her scent stronger and felt the smoothness of her skin on his rough hands.

"Clear your mind," Artemis instructed. "Follow my voice to a quiet place, a place with no walls, no objects, no distractions. There is only light. Follow my voice to this place."

Michelangelo found himself imagining walking away from the confines of his mind and into an open area where there was nothing but white. It didn't feel as though he were confined in the light, but free and in an endless land of white.

"Good," Artemis told him, releasing his hands.

Michelangelo was instantly brought back to the sewer as he opened his eyes in reaction. "That's good?"

Artemis smiled at him. "That is a balanced Qi." She bowed to him. "Lesson complete."

Michelangelo laughed. "That's the first time I've ever completed a lesson with the mind on the first try."

"Yeah, it usually takes at least six or seven, right Mikey?" Raphael said as he entered the area. He looked to Artemis, and leaned down to attempt some intimidation. "Want to teach me?"

Artemis tilted her head at Raphael. "You are so lonely, why?"

Raphael felt himself instinctively move back from her.

Michelangelo snickered beside him.

"Shut up," Raphael snapped at his brother. He looked back to Artemis. "No mind games," he told her.

Artemis nodded soberly. "The way of the Shaolin warrior is that of the mind. Master your mind, and you can master everything."

Raphael lowered his eyes at her. "Mind over matter hasn't worked all that well for me."

"Perhaps because you have less mind than matter," Venus said as she entered the area. "Artemis is a master of the Shaolin art. You should do less talking and more listening to her."

Raphael looked away from Venus and turned his eyes to Artemis. "I'm listening."

Artemis placed his hands in the same position she had placed Michelangelo's only moments before. "Close your eyes," she instructed him.

Raphael scoffed as he closed his eyes. "Let's see you clear my mind."

Artemis spoke softly to Raphael, forcing him to listen closely to hear her. "Follow my voice."

Raphael found himself in a dark area with random red areas that were dimly lit.

"Follow my voice to a lighted place. Follow me to the place of peace," he could hear Artemis's soft voice.

Raphael followed her voice by climbing a black wall with red spikes. When he reached the top, he found a lighted area that had a field with a soft breeze.

"Follow me to see the light clearly, and feel the peace as it surrounds you," she spoke softly.

Raphael looked around as the tall grass rustled calmly in the wind. A blue cloud passed in the white sky. He could smell fresh water when he inhaled.

"Good," Artemis said as she released his hands.

Instantly Raphael felt the wind stop and the smell of the water vanish. The ground beneath him gave way and he fell into the same black and red place as before. He opened his eyes quickly.

Artemis looked up to him. "Your Qi does not balance well," she told him.

Raphael turned away from her. "It don't need to."

"Artemis has the ability to settle even the most pained soul," Apollo said as he joined the group. "But we did not come here for you to learn from us."

Raphael looked to Artemis. The thought that he should thank her for his moment of peace and clarity fleeted from his mind quickly. Maybe another time when there weren't so many people around.

"Yes! You must teach me your sewer surfing!" Artemis said excitedly.

"It was my understanding that you are ninjas," Ashia said as she stepped up to them. "Are we not to learn your ninjutsu?"

"That's what ya came here for, right?" Raphael said, looking to Apollo. "Then come on big guy, let's get ya started on lesson one."

"I am to train with your brother to learn the way of the sword from a true master," Apollo said calmly.

"Say what?" Raphael said, sounding annoyed.

"You are to train my sister. Her skills are impressive, but she must learn to use small weapons as well," Apollo told him.

"Guess, you're with me then," Raphael told Artemis.

Artemis bowed to him in thanks.

"I'll teach you some chucking too," Michelangelo said quickly.

"Are the lessons finally starting? I thought we were all on vacation for a moment," Ninjara said smugly as she entered the area. "I'll join you."

Artemis turned to Ashia. "Will you join us?"

Ashia smiled at her. "Another time. I came here to learn the way of the ninja bow," she told her as she turned and walked away.

Raphael pulled his sais from their holders and handed them to Artemis. "Lesson one, begin. Let's see what you've got."

Artemis looked at the sais and back to Raphael. "But…you have not taught me yet."

"Learning by experience, huh?" Ninjara said as she approached. "Perhaps you will be a better teacher," she said looking to Michelangelo.

Michelangelo turned from Artemis to Ninjara. "Sure. I'll give you a little demonstration." He pulled his nun chucks out and began to show off his skills. After about a minute of doing a few flips and twists, he stopped and grinned, knowing his skills would be received well.

Ninjara nodded in approval.

Artemis applauded him. "Amazing!" she praised him.

Michelangelo was beaming.

"I did not come to learn your nun chuck skills, but your hand to hand combat. I am a swordswoman myself and prefer to remain that way," Ninjara told him.

Michelangelo put his nun chucks back. "Okay, so we'll start with the basics then."

"Yeah, yeah. Okay, that's enough watching," Raphael said as he turned Artemis away from the two. He wrapped his hands over Artemis's and moved himself close to her so she would need to move with him. "Just follow me," he told her, pushing her arms in his desired position. "Don't think of it like a sword, it's a defense and an offense. Be smooth when you go for a stab," he said as he brought her arm in closer and slid to back out.

Artemis cringed at his closeness.

Raphael released her. "You try it."

Artemis did the same motions he taught her again. She looked to him for his critique.

"Not bad, newbie," Raphael told her as he came closer again. "Let's practice some control." He told her hand with one hand and the sai with another. "Use your thumb to steady it and this finger to flip it up," he explained and he showed her what to do.

Artemis obeyed, and looked to him for approval again.

"What? I gotta praise you every time you do something right? We'll be here all day," Raphael told her.

Artemis smiled at him and bowed. "Thank you."

Raphael rolled his eyes at her. "Whatever. Let's keep goin'."

"I do not understand," Ninjara said as she turned her paw on the sewer floor. "My feet must be well planted when using my sword skills," she explained.

Michelangelo shrugged. "Yeah, but a lot of ninjutsu is based on aikido, so you gotta be able to move freely and trip up your opponent. You also gotta be able to be ready to grab and throw somebody if you get close enough," he told her.

Ninjara pushed a stray strand of black hair that had fallen in her face back into place. "Show me again," she said with a soft sigh.

"Hey, Mikey," Raphael called. "Can we borrow your student for a minute?"

Michelangelo shrugged. "I don't care."

Ninjara turned to face Raphael. "What do you want?"

Raphael molded his body into Artemis's again. "Come at us with your best sword attack," he told her.

Ninjara unsheathed her sword. "A shame you are using a young girl as a meat shield," she told him and she moved into attack mode. She moved lighter on her feet than Leonardo did when he used his sword. She was across the room in an instant, with her sword coming down from above over the two.

"Stay loose," Raphael whispered into Artemis's ear. He instantly felt her release her tension.

When Ninjara's sword came down, Raphael moved the left sai toward it and turned it to the side to push the sword away from them, he then turned his right sai and placed it below Ninjara's throat.

Ninjara looked to him with wide eyes.

Raphael released her and then let go of Artemis. "And that's why no sword can stand against my sai."

"Most impressive," Artemis told Raphael.

"Try me again," Ninjara ordered him, lowering her eyebrows to express her distaste.

"Look, lady," Raphael began, "I got a pupil already."

"I cannot allow you to make a fool of me without returning the favor," Ninjara told him.

"One more time then?" Raphael said, taking his sais from Artemis and getting into position. "Bring it on."

Ninjara came at him with multiple attacks, but Raphael blocked each one, diverting her sword with his sai effortlessly.

Raphael smirked at her cockily. "Had enough yet?"

"Once more!" Ninjara said as she leapt at him again with her sword over her head.

Raphael disarmed her of her sword and smiled at her. "Yeah, that was a good try."

Ninjara lowered her eyebrows at him.

"How about we take a break?" Michelangelo offered.

Artemis looked to him. "And after, may you teach me to use your nun chucks?"

Michelangelo grinned at her. "Sure!"

Raphael shook his head at his brother, rolling his eyes to fully express his annoyance.

Ninjara snatched her sword back from Raphael. "No one has ever disarmed me," she told him.

Raphael shrugged. "Sorry to break your record."

Ninjara looked to him with her orange eyes. "Train with me," she told him, a command more than a request.

Raphael lowered his eyes at her. "Look, lady, I got a student," he said, motioning to Artemis.

Artemis bowed slightly. "I do not mind. Michelangelo may train me," she told him.

Raphael turned to face her with confusion. "Say what?"

"For today?" Artemis said, watching him with her hands palms together as though she were praying.

Raphael looked to Michelangelo with a large grin overtaking his brother's face. He sighed. "All right," he agreed.

Artemis smiled at looked to Michelangelo.

"Come on, Ari," Michelangelo told her. "I got something to show ya." He took her hand and pulled her out of the clearing.

Raphael watched them run away. He sighed and shook his head as he turned back to Ninjara.

"He does not hide his desire well, does he?" Ninjara said, motioning to Michaelangelo with her nose.

Raphael shrugged. "He doesn't spend a lot of time with girls."

Ninjara smirked at him. "And you do?"

Raphael looked to her as his mouth dropped open slightly. "So what if I do?"

Ninjara shrugged and walked past him, swaying her tail behind her. "Then you won't need to fear being alone with me."

Raphael watched her leave the area and shook his head. What was that even supposed to mean?

^.^

"There you go," Michelangelo said as he steadied Artemis on the skateboard. "You're startin' to get the hang of it."

"I do not feel I am 'hanging' very well," Artemis told him.

"It's cool, Ari," Michelangelo encouraged her. "Just think about how you got me to relax. You gotta be loose."

Artemis steadied herself and the board no longer tilted. "I believe I am ready."

"Okay, let's teach you to move it," Michelangelo told her.

"Artemis," Apollo said as he approached the two. "What are you doing?"

Artemis leapt off the skateboard and bowed to her brother. "I was learning to ride this board," she said immediately.

Apollo shook his head at her. "We did not come here to learn this," he said, eyeing the skateboard as though it were garbage.

"We were taking a break, so I thought I'd teach her some other stuff," Michelangelo told him in an attempt to keep Artemis out of trouble.

Apollo looked at him coolly. "I thank you for the thought, but perhaps our time here is better spent in training or resting," he explained.

Artemis lowered her head.

"Sure, dude," Michelangelo said, easing the tension, "Ari, I'll go show you some more chucking moves, okay?"

Artemis nodded and bowed to her brother as Michelangelo pulled her from the sewer carrying his skateboard with him.

Apollo watched after them, narrowing his eyes to small slits.

"He's a little too serious, huh?" Michelangelo said when he felt they were out of earshot.

"He is afraid to lose focus," Artemis explained. "We must master our abilities to be able to find a cure."

Michelangelo stopped walking. "So you two are looking for a cure too?"

Artemis nodded. "You seek a cure for your master as well, do you not?"

Michelangelo nodded soberly. It hadn't occurred to him that she may wish to return to being human. "Yeah, but only Splinter will need the cure if we find it. He's the only one that was human before the ooze got to him."

Artemis tilted her head to see Michelangelo's face. "You seem sad," she told him.

Michelangelo shook his head and continued walking, pulling her along. "It's nothing. Let's just get back to some training, okay?"

^.^

Venus took Artemis with her to practice with the Chinese Short Axes that she had come to master.

Artemis seemed much more at ease with Venus teaching her, rather than Raphael.

Apollo had gone to his room to meditate.

Leonardo saw Michelangelo watching the two girls training together, and decided this would be a good chance to talk to his brother. "Hey, Mikey," Leonardo said as he approached him.

Michelangelo turned to his brother.

"I was thinking we should go get some more food since we have so many mutants here now," Leonardo told him.

Michelangelo shrugged as he stood from his seat. "And we've been volunteered to go?"

Leonardo smiled at him. "You got it."

^.^

The two turtles carried the grocery bags through the sewer.

"We have gotta get better disguises," Leonardo stated.

"It's not like we have a lot to work with," Michelangelo said, pulling his trench coat closed more. "Not much hides the shell."

Leonardo knew he needed to say something now, or he wouldn't get another chance. "Hey, Mikey," he began.

"Yeah?" Michelangelo said as he continued to walk.

"I've been wanting to talk to you about Artemis," Leonardo continued.

Michelangelo stopped walking. "What about her?" he asked, turning to his brother.

"I know we don't get a lot of girls around, and especially not any mutant girls, so I just wanted to-" Leonardo rambled the speech that he had prepared in his mind.

"To make sure I don't get excited?" Michelangelo interrupted. "Or to make sure I don't imagine we could be together?"

Leonardo sighed. "Look, Mikey, she's just been a little sheltered, so I don't want you to come on too strong."

Michelangelo looked away from his brother. "Like you when we met Venus?"

Leonardo gave Michelangelo an older brother stare. "That's not what we're talking about."

Michelangelo looked to him again. "And why not? You did everything you could to get attention from Venus when she came here."

Leonardo knew he could not deny his brother's words. He had been quite excited when Venus arrived the first time to help them fight the Dragonlord. Chung I had sent her to assist them and lost his life when members of The Rank attacked his home in hopes of ambushing Venus. Instead, they killed Chung I, who had no martial arts training. He had only bought Venus as a baby turtle and accidently dropped her in the sewer that had some ooze in it. He retrieved her, but she began to grow into a human-like form and he could no longer give her to his niece as a gift. He chose to be honorable and raise her as his daughter, and sent her to the Monks to learn the art of Wushu. Leonardo had been overly attentive to her and even begged her to return to live with them after the battle with the Dragonlord had ended and she had completed her grieving for her father. "I was younger then, and I didn't know how to react."

Michelangelo lowered his brow at his brother. "So because a mutant hottie dropped into our sewer now that we're a little older, it makes a difference?"

Leonardo shook his head. "No. It's not our age, Mikey. You've just got to be more careful with her."

Michelangelo looked away from his brother. "What if I don't have time to be careful?"

Leonardo lowered his brow at him. "What are you talking about?"

Michelangelo lowered his eyes to the floor of the sewer. "They're looking for a cure," he explained, "and if she finds one, she'll take it and be human again."

Leonardo thought back to when Apollo told him about their story. He had seemed very desperate to be human again, but Artemis seemed horrified of humans. Would she really want to return to normal? He placed a friendly hand on his brother's shoulder. "Things aren't always that simple, Mikey. Maybe…maybe things will turn out differently."

Michelangelo gave a sad smile to his brother. "You don't believe that either," he said knowingly. He let out a soft laugh and started walking back toward their home. "Come on. I'm starving."

^.^

Raphael set on the floor across from Artemis.

Artemis was as calm as the surface of a lake first thing in the morning, but Raphael was more like boiling water in a pot.

He stood, scoffing and throwing his arms out to the side in frustration. "This ain't workin'!"

Artemis opened her eyes calmly and shook her head at him. "It is not a quick process," she told him softly.

Raphael turned to face her. "But you can get me where I need to be," he told her. He came closer and reclaimed him place on the sewer floor. "You can just take me there like you did before."

Artemis looked at him with an emotion in her eyes that Raphael couldn't place. It had better not be pity though. "How will you get there when I am gone?"

Raphael shrugged. "Got a point there."

Artemis watched his face for a moment. "You have so much torment. Why?"

Raphael broke eye contact with her. "I don't expect someone like you to understand, but I wasn't ever human. When I mutated, I got all the human feelings and even started to look like 'em, but now it's even worse. I could have been an animal, but instead I'm a freak."

Artemis tilted her head to the side as she processed what he said. "Someone…like me?"

Raphael shrugged. "Someone who can be human again when you find a cure."

Artemis lowered her eyes, staring absentmindedly at the floor. "I will never be human," she told him.

Raphael looked to her with just his eyes. "What's that mean?" he asked, sensing there was more to her words than just the idea that a cure may not be found.

Artemis looked to Raphael with a sad smile. "I was never human."

Raphael felt a silence overcome the room. "Wait, but your brother said…"

Artemis shook her head. "Apollo isn't my brother," she said with fondness. She looked to Raphael with her yellow lizard eyes. "Apollo was a young boy who found me in the street as some boys tried to run me over with their bicycles. Human boys are so cruel… but not him. He was so gentle, and kind, and protective…"

"So, are you saying that he was a kid and you were…."

Artemis smiled at him. "His pet newt."

Raphael was speechless. He had been operating under the idea that she was a human that had been mutated, not that she was a kindred spirit to him.

Artemis looked away from him. "I owe him more than I can repay. I won't rest until I find a cure for him."

Raphael let the silence fall over them for a moment. "Then…when you find it, what then?"

Artemis shook her head. "I do not know."

Raphael shrugged. "Well… you could always stay here."

Artemis looked at him with an expression he couldn't read.

"Pasta A La Mikey is served!" Michelangelo's voice rang from further in the sewer.

Artemis smiled excitedly and stood, nearly dashing out the door before she remembered that she had been training with Raphael. She turned and bowed to him. "Thank you for your hard work," she told him.

Raphael nodded and waved her off. "Yeah, yeah. Go see your boyfriend."

Artemis grinned at him as she trotted out of the room.

^.^

Michelangelo watched Artemis as she took a slurp of the pasta he had made. "Whatdaya think?"

Artemis swallowed the mouthful of pasta. "Interesting," she told him.

Michelangelo smiled at her. "So…um…I was thinking we could watch a movie together," he asked her sheepishly.

Artemis lowered her eyebrows in confusion and looked to her brother.

Apollo gave her a reassuring look and turned his gaze back to the meal that he would need to finish eating without complaint.

Artemis turned back to Michelangelo. "What is this…movie?"

Michelangelo smiled at her. "It's like a book with pictures, but they move and talk."

Artemis nodded at him. "All right. I will join you."

Apollo watched Michelangelo for a long moment, and then returned to his meal.

^.^

Michelangelo pushed some DVDs around in the large cardboard box. He needed a movie that wouldn't require a lot of explanation, but that would still be entertaining. He picked up two cartoon films and looked between the two of them.

"Mikey?" Raphael said, noticing his brother. "What are ya doin'?"

Michelangelo looked to Raphael and then back to the movies. "I'm watching a movie with Ari tonight," he said as though it explained everything.

Raphael walked closer to his brother and looked over his shell to what he was looking at. "You're gonna watch a cartoon?"

Michelangelo looked over his shoulder at his brother. "I thought that'd be the easiest."

Raphael folded her arms and looked down at his brother curiously. "Why don't ya just go sewer surfin' with her?"

Michelangelo shook his head. "We need to give that a break for a while. Her brother wasn't a fan." He picked one of the movies and placed the other back in the box. "Besides," he said as he stood and faced his brother, "I've got a plan."

Raphael watched his brother as he skipped away. He shook his head, imagining the plan that his brother may have.

"Red turtle," Ninjara said as she approached him.

"It's Raphael," Raphael responded, lowering his brow at her.

Ninjara nodded, but seemed unaltered by his tone. "Raphael," she corrected, "Would you spar with me again?"

Raphael smirked at her. "Well, ya must like punishment. Let's go," he said as he led her into a more open area.

^.^

"Okay," Michelangelo said as he came into the room and place a bowl of popcorn and two sodas on the broken coffee table in front of Artemis, who was dutifully perched on the old couch. "I'll just put the movie in," he said as he pulled the DVD from its case and placed it in a DVD player that was missing some paneling. He returned and sat next to Artemis on the couch, grabbing the television remote as he took his seat.

Artemis watched him as he set the movie up. She looked to the tube television and scrunched her nose a little. "This is a movie?"

Michelangelo smiled at her. "Just give it a minute."

Artemis nodded and looked back to the television. The movie began to play, and she was entranced by the motion picture before her.

Michelangelo watched as Artemis fell into the movie, this being her first ever experience with watching television. He observed that he found her to be cute as she watched with wide eyes. He thought about taking her hand, but decided it would be better not to push his luck.

"True love's kiss will break the spell," the main character said, looking quickly to his sidekick.

Artemis furrowed her brow in question. "A kiss will counteract magic?" she asked innocently.

Michelangelo shrugged. "It's kind of a fairy tale thing. Almost everything can be fixed with a kiss in the movies."

Artemis nodded, obviously not fully understanding, but satisfied with his answer. She turned her attention to the television again.

The main character took the sleeping princess in his arms and placed his lips on hers.

Michelangelo imagined what a kiss would feel like. A real kiss. A kiss with someone he liked. He cast a sideways glance at Artemis, his eyes lingering on her reptile-like lips for a long moment. He felt a heat rise in his cheeks when Artemis raised her fingers to her lips and touched them gingerly while never taking her eyes from the television. He pulled his eyes away from her to bring himself back to reality. They weren't on a date. Yes, he was trying very hard to make any interaction with her date-like, but they weren't actually on a date. She probably didn't even understand the significance behind the kiss in the movie. She probably wouldn't understand what it meant if he took her hand. It would really make a mess of things. Venus had spent so much time with them, and even she didn't fully understand everything when it came to romance.

When the movie was over, Michelangelo turned off the television. "So, what did you think?" he asked.

Artemis smiled at him lightheartedly. "It was interesting," she told him.

Michelangelo put the DVD back in the case. "Not the reaction I was going for, but okay."

Artemis looked to him with her large yellow eyes. "I do not understand. Why did the witch curse the princess, and why would CPR reverse the curse?"

Michelangelo chuckled a little. "Not CPR. It was a kiss. The idea is that true love can defeat anything, so a kiss can break any evil spell." He thought for a minute before answering the first part of the question. "And I guess the witch was jealous because the princess was beautiful and everyone liked her."

Artemis nodded and looked at her hands that were sitting poised in her lap. "I understand how she must feel."

Michelangelo looked to her with confusion. "You do?"

Artemis nodded. "Beauty is important to humans. Humans do not like you if you are not beautiful, and if humans do not like you…they hurt you," she explained, watching the blank screen as she spoke.

Michelangelo placed his hand on top of hers, feeling the smoothness of her skin. "I think you're beautiful," he said without filtering his words mentally.

Artemis looked to him with her large yellow eyes, a questioning stare imploring clarification of the words.

Michelangelo realized what he had said, that he had somehow moved closer to her, and that his hand was now on hers. He reflexively removed his hand, holding both of his hands up in surrender, and pulling himself back at the same time. "I mean, uh…I think humans would think you're beautiful, so you don't have to worry about that."

Artemis smiled at him softly. "Thank you," she said softly.

"Maybe we should get to bed," Michelangelo told her, hoping to not destroy the mood any more than he had already.

Artemis stood and bowed to Michelangelo. "Thank you for allowing me to join you for the movie."

Michelangelo smiled and stood up, rubbing the back of his head. "Ah, don't mention it."

Artemis smiled at him and began walking towards her room.

Michelangelo almost called after her, but he thought better of it and let her walk away. He could make this work. She could like him back, and maybe she'd be willing to live with him, or he could move back to China with her. He'd have to figure that out later.

^.^

"Do you not sleep?" Ashia asked, nearly causing Donatello to leap from his shell.

He turned to face her. "I'm just updating my surveillance system before I got to bed."

Ashia looked at him with her catlike eyes. She moved closer, running her fingers over an additional keyboard and mouse that were off to the side as she approached him. "Could you teach me your technology?" she asked him.

Donatello swallowed the lump of nerves that had settled in his throat, but could not control the heat rising in his cheeks. "S-Sure I could!" He secretly hoped that he didn't sound too optimistic.

Ashia gained eye contact and gave Donatello a soft grin. "You are unlike the others," she told him.

Donatello watched her, captivated by her beauty and flawless movements. "W-What do you mean?"

Ashia looked around at the scattered motherboards, hard drives, and various other technologies. "You seem satisfied with this life," she told him.

Donatello was confused by her comment at first, but then he felt he understood. "Oh, my technology? Well, yeah, it keeps me busy."

Ashia shook her head. "No. While the others search for who they are, you have already found what you need in this technology. It is your greatest strength, your identity, your passion, and your lover."

Donatello lowered his brow at her. "I don't-"

Ashia looked to him with a powerful gaze. "This…technology is your everything," she told him. "I understand. I am curious, is it really all you desire?" Her eyes softened as she spoke the final sentence.

Donatello noted what she said. For a moment, he was about to argue, but he realized that she was right. His entire life was dedicated to creating technology and training in his ninjutsu. He truly only trained to be a ninja because Splinter wished for it, though. He poured himself into his work with technology because it occupied his hands and his mind, but had it caused him to ignore his desires and needs? "I…don't know."

Ashia smiled at him sadly. "Go to sleep soon, Donatello," she told him. "Morning will be here soon." She turned on her heel and walked away from him.

Donatello turned to say something more to her, but she was already gone. He sighed and looked down at his keyboard. Was this technology really holding him back?