Author's Notes: Still alive, still writing, not much else to say I guess... ;P

Disclaimer: I own Violet, the plot...and the "new one" ;)

Chapter 23: New Beginnings

Next thing I know, I'm being dumped in a dark room, the door closing automatically. I run at it and attempt to open it again. It's sealed tight.

Sighing, I go and sit on the rather uncomfortable bed in the room. I take up a cross-legged position that feels comfiest and inhale slowly, trying to calm myself.

As I continue to control my breath, I swear I can sense someone else in here…as if something or someone is watching me. I put it down to security cameras as I try to keep calm when I catch the glint of something from the other end of the cell.

Before I can react, something pushes me from the bed onto the floor, pinning me down as it inspects me.

"What are you? Another…" they falter slightly before hissing the word "…experiment?"

"Experiment?" I smirk to myself. "I wish…I was captured by Bishop because…" I stop.

"Because?" they don't actually sound that threatening…they sound scared.

"I'm pregnant," I say quietly.

They shift off of me quickly. "I'm sorry…really…I didn't know! Just…don't hurt me…" the form cowers backwards, away from me.

I crawl after them, trying to trace their shape in the darkness. From what I can make out, they seem to be a humanoid turtle like me.

"I'm not going to hurt you…" I whisper as they hit the wall. I come up just in front of them, barely making out their face.

They sigh, "I…I know…"

"I'm Violet"

"C…Ciara" she manages to stutter out quickly, still cowering in the corner.

"Ciara," I say her name slowly. "Why are you so scared?"

She jumps slightly as I come up next to her, leaning against the wall and placing a hand on her shoulder.

"I…I…" she shakes her head, I can tell she is almost in tears. "It's all because of her…"

I tilt my head in confusion, "Her?"

"Doctor Akamai Voss…the woman who created me" she sighs. "She studied under a whack-job named Baxter…"

"Stockman?!" I ask surprised, only to receive a nod. "He taught her?"

"Yes…" she shivers, "She was a child prodigy so he became her mentor when she got to college"

I sigh, "Let me guess…she's a psycho?"

She nods, "I hate her…"

"How did she create you?" I ask slowly, trying to piece it all together.

"…Well…she got interested in genetics and stuff soon after she finished college and had left Baxter…so she used her pet turtle and…and…fused it's DNA with lizard and Human DNA to create her best experiment ever…me…"

I shift a little closer to her, bringing my arm round her shoulders so I'm now hugging her. "If it's any consolation…it's mostly Stockman's fault I am what I am"

She lifts her gaze and locks eyes with mine. "You weren't always like that?"

I giggle, "Nope, I was human…but that was so long ago" I sigh, "I forget that most of the time"

My eyes are now adjusting to the darkness and I can finally make out some of her features. She has black scruffy looking hair, which is long at the front and short at the back. Under her eyes are quite big bags, and her eyes are an aqua blue colour. Her plastron is a dirty cream colour, while her carapace is black.

"I feel so naked…don't you?" she asks as she hugs her legs closer.

I shake my head, not sure how to answer that. I instead say, "I like your hair"

She smiles shyly, implying to me she really hasn't had any experience with others…EVER.

"We'll get out" I whisper, "My family will come…"

"Family?" she asks me slowly, "You mean…there's more of you?"

I smirk, "Yeah," I see a small glimmer of hope in her eyes. "Mikey…uh, my mate…will never give up"

"You feel love?" she dips her head, "Akamai…used to love me…before college"

"What?"

She becomes tearful again, "I was there for her…whenever the world was against her, she'd hold me close and forget her problems…I was her pet for a few years before everything…but she left to go to college, leaving me alone…I waited, knowing she'd come back and love me again…but it never happened". She looks sadly at me, "She came home…and…held me, making me think she had missed me when I saw her smile…I was wrong…she was planning so much…" she breaks down, hugging into me as she cries.

"You…remember all of that?" I ask, going pale. "My brothers…they were mutated from pet shop turtles, but they don't remember anything pre-mutation"

She looks up, nodding slightly. "You…" she gulps, "You won't leave me?"

I smile at her, "No, I won't. We're friends"

"Friends…" she says quietly, still hugged up to me.

"How sweet" an unfamiliar voice interrupts, making Ciara jump and squeeze me closer to her. "Are you girls enjoying yourselves then?" The voice is obviously female, leading me to realize that this must be Akamai Voss talking.

"She's coming!" Ciara cries into me, "I hate her…I…hate…"

I stay strong "Don't worry" she glances up at me, "I'll protect you"

The door opens, a lot of light spilling in and almost blinding me.

"And WHAT exactly would my dear experiment need protection FROM?" the woman asks from the doorway, her hands on her hips.

I stand, Ciara now cowering behind me in the corner. "We haven't met" I glare at her, "But you must be Akamai Voss…"

I look at the woman in the doorway. She has shoulder-length brown mousy hair, large square glasses that reflect the light, making it impossible for me to see her eyes, and she's wearing a long white lab coat over some blue jeans and a yellow shirt.

She grins, "Please, call me Dr. Akamai, child"

"Okay Dr. Akamai, now tell me what's going on?" I demand.

"Touchy!" She folds her arms, leaning against the wall. "Bishop told me you were a…difficult one" her grin seems to widen as she talks. "But I have a special treat for you girls today"

She approaches us, a syringe in her hand, ready to inject us. I step in front of Ciara, blocking her from Dr. Akamai.

"I was thinking of…a makeover" she pushes me so that I lose my balance and fall next to Ciara, but I hit my head on the wall and lose consciousness as I hear Ciara scream.

"It's a dud"

I stare at my smarter brother, unsure how to react. "You mean…" He shakes his head in response.

"Her shellcell was in one place, and her tessen in another, but neither were the place we wanted" Leo speaks, tracing his finger over a map in the back of the Battle Shell.

"Mikey…"

I shake my head, "No, no, no, no, no!" I am close to tears. "She's close…I know it"

"Mikey…I'm here…"

"But we don't have a way of finding out…Bishop can easily cloak her readings from me" Don points out.

"Yeah, but he can't sever our link"

Mikey can feel me…I knew it! "I'll never give up either Mikey"

"When you think about it-"

"I told you not to hurt her!" Bishop's voice shouts from a distance.

I groan, going to rub my head only to find my hands stuck in place. As I look down I go pale, finding myself strapped to a lab table again. As I desperately look about, I see Ciara opposite me, looking just as scared.

"Ciara…" I moan slightly, still kind of dazed.

"Ah, awake again" Bishop comes over and tilts the table down so I can now fully see Ciara. "I'm sorry some people don't seem to understand their orders"

I don't say anything, feeling really confused as to what's happening.

"Ready to talk?"

"No…" I close my eyes, the area I hit throbbing with pain.

I notice Akamai move over to Ciara, now tilting her up so she can see me. "That's too bad, I thought your new friend might want to hear some of your stories" Bishop continues as I see Akamai begin preparing tools behind her and Ciara.

"What do you want to know?" I ask tiredly, trying to save Ciara from my tortures.

A grin comes across Bishop's face. "I'll start simple for you. How long have you been pregnant?"

"About a week"

"Any symptoms from it?" I notice what seems to be a voice recorder near me, apparently recording the conversation.

I glance at Ciara before continuing. "I keep wanting to find the right spot for my nest," I don't tell him my fighting's been affected…he doesn't need to know that. I get the impression he knows I'm not saying everything though.

He folds his arms, "How in control of your empathic abilities are you?"

I merely shrug, choosing not to answer, tiredness whelming up in me again.

"Remember…answer carefully preggers" Akamai grins as she picks up a buzz saw.

I open my mouth to speak, but close it again, thinking about what I say to them. "The fairest flowers sooner fade" I whisper.

"What?"

I don't answer, closing my eyes from feeling a little light-headed. I open my eyes again, feeling somewhat closer to Mikey.

"I'm not going to tell you any more! Work it out for yourself!" I hiss.

Bishop pushes his glasses up slowly, a dark look on his face. "Fine, have it your way". He walks over to Akamai and takes the saw, moving back over to me. "Are you sure that's your final answer?"

"YES!" I yell out, refusing to tell him anything more.

He's ready to ram the saw into me, but pauses. I look up at him, a clearly defiant look still taking over my features.

"It's too bad, I was looking forward to keeping you around" he grins, "I guess you'll need much more persuasion"

He rams the saw into my right shoulder, causing me to bawl, tears running down my face as screams of pain escape my lips. I feel blood pour down my right hand side suddenly.

I lean forward and heave from stress, the taste making me feel even worse. I don't even notice when he replaces the saw on the table next to the others.

I close my eyes, still crying loudly. 'Gotta be brave…' I keep thinking, not wanting to give in to this guy.

"Violet…" Ciara sounds scared, close to tears as well.

"Doctor…could you take care of this mess?" Bishop gestures at me, the wounded, bloodied shoulder in particular.

She moves over, inspecting it carefully. "Of course sir"

I feel another injection forced into me, making me much sleepier. "Be…brave…" I manage to mutter before the drugs kick in and make me lose consciousness.