Chapter 8 -Clairvoyant-

"I think she's awake, Don."

"I can see that, Mikey," said Donatello. It was all he could do not to roll his eyes. "Hey there. Are you ok?" he asked the girl, holding out his hands to her, to show her he wasn't holding a weapon. Raphael showed no such courtesy. He stood in a defensive crouch, his sais firmly in his fingers, scowling. Leonardo left his swords sheathed, on the principle that the katanas were too terrifying a weapon to brandish in the woman's face just as she woke up. Besides, if four trained ninjas couldn't handle one injured woman, he reasoned, they should all hang up their masks.

Michelangelo stood grinning at her. "'Sup?"

Sylvia's gaze shifted from one to the other, finally stopping on Donatello, who was closest. She watched him with wide, silver eyes, but made no effort to speak.

"What's your name?" asked Donatello gently. She stared, but didn't answer.

"How did you find our Lair?" asked Leonardo sternly. Her gaze flickered to him, but still she did not answer.

Michelangelo tried. "Hey, Dudette. My name's Mikey. How come you took our pizza? That was rude, Dude." She glanced at him, but looked back toward Donatello. A frown creased her brow. Donatello found himself feeling very peaceful. This girl was no threat. She was welcome to borrow his tools any time.

A goofy grin settled on Michelangelo's face as she turned toward him. This chick was friendly! Shell, they should invite her over to play video games. After all, what were a couple pieces of pizza between friends?

Raphael's hands lowered as if of their own accord when her eyes locked with his. His hold on the sais loosened. A confused look crossed his features, then his face relaxed into a rare half-smile. Leonardo watched his brothers out of the corner of his eye. The girl's gaze seemed to have the same effect on each of them. It was as if they were… hypnotized.

That's ridiculous, thought Leonardo. No way can this girl just look at us and put us under some kind of spell. Sylvia's gaze met his own. She's pretty, that's all. And harmless. She wouldn't hurt anyone. I wonder why I was chasing her, anyway…

Slowly, he stepped back from the table, leaving no obstruction between the girl and the exit.

***

It was working. Sylvia projected peace, friendship, security. She was no threat. She was harmless. No one was in danger, no one meant anyone harm. They were all friends.

She slid off the table, gasping a little as her arm twitched, protesting the movement. She glanced down, distracted. Her arm was encased in an expertly-wrapped splint. She must've broken it when she fell, and the turtles… the turtles treated her injury. Sylvia smiled. She projected her very real gratitude, and saw the one in the purple mask smile in response. So he was the medic of the group, as well as the engineer.

He has a nice smile, she thought. She moved slowly toward the door. The turtles stood, each with a goofy grin, watching her, but made no move to stop her as she picked up her bag and moved toward the door. She was slightly surprised at her success. It was only possible to make people believe things they wanted to believe.

Perhaps the turtles wanted to believe she was a good person. This was a rare quality, found only in good people. People with evil intentions were far harder to influence than the good-hearted, Sylvia had found. Good-hearted people looked for the good in others. Evil tended to seek itself out.

She was nearly to the door when she heard it. Scritch, tap. Scritch, tap. Scritch, tap… She cautiously opened the door, still smiling over her shoulder at the dazed turtles.

"It seems our guest has awakened. Welcome to our home." Sylvia started at the new voice, her concentration broken. She turned to the source. If she could've made a sound, she would have screamed. A four-foot tall rat stood regarding her calmly, wearing a robe and carrying a wooden walking stick. Sylvia backed up involuntarily, trembling with shock.

The blue-masked turtle was the first to react. "Hey! Where do you think you're going?" he cried, shaking himself as if he were just waking up.

The one in red crossed the room with a growl, grabbing Sylvia's arm. She felt anger from him, fear, and violence. He was the source of the feelings that had frightened her when she first woke up. She tried to jerk away, but his grip on her arm was vice-like, and the glittering anger in his eyes warned her against resisting him.

***

"What? What happened?" Donatello turned, staring. He felt strange, as if he'd been dreaming. He looked at the empty bed, then toward the door where Raphael had the girl's arm in a death-grip. She was looking at Raphael as if he'd devour her whole at any moment. Raphael was returning her terrified stare with an angry scowl, undoubtedly compounding her fear ten-fold.

"Raph, take it easy," said Donatello. He wasn't sure why, but he felt sorry for her. She didn't look dangerous. But she found her way past my security systems and into the Lair, he reminded himself. I can't let myself be fooled by appearances.

"What just happened," demanded Leonardo, stepping closer to the girl. "What did you do to us?"

"She didn't do nothin', Leo," said Michelangelo, still sporting the remnants of a grin. "I was gonna ask her to play Road Rage IV with me!"

"Don't be stupid, Mikey," growled Raphael. "She was playin' some kinda mind game wit' us. What gives, lady?"

The girl squirmed, trying to break Raphael's grip. Leonardo caught her other arm. She glanced from one to the other fearfully. Donatello was startled to see tears welling in her eyes. She stopped fighting and stood, limp, as if defeated. It made his heart hurt to see her looking so helpless, so defenseless.

"Don't worry, Miss, we're not going to hurt you," he said, coming forward. "We have some questions, that's all."

"Yeah, like how the shell did you find our Lair?" Raphael glared, unrelenting. The girl still didn't answer. It occurred to Donatello that she hadn't made a sound since she'd woken up.

"Language, Raphael," said Splinter mildly. "What is your name, Miss?" he asked. Donatello waited. Usually people responded to Splinter's practiced calm. He had a reassuring presence, at least to those who'd never seen him take down a pack of Foot Ninja single-pawed. The girl's eyes flicked to his face, and she visibly relaxed.

Splinter's reaction, however, startled even Donatello. His eyes widened, and he stepped back, holding up his paw as if in defense. Donatello started forward toward his Sensei, but the moment passed in an instant, and Splinter was once more his normal calm, collected self. He was watching the girl with a look Donatello couldn't quite place.

"It would seem our young guest is gifted with a special ability," said Splinter quietly.

"What ability, Sensei?" asked Leonardo.

"She is a clairvoyant, my son."