Chapter Three
Promotion!
In the playroom, the kids were keeping themselves occupied until the adults asked them to come into the main lair.
Pandora and Loki were playing Mortal Kombat together whilst Sonia, Freya and Kemeko were cheering them on.
Pandora was playing as Scorpion whilst Loki was playing Sub Zero.
Like Kemeko, Pandora decided to wear her kimono, and she had settled on her red one with burnt orange and gold decoration as well as wear her hair loose yet like Kemeko put a small bun on the back with a red and gold hairpin with hanging amber gems.
Freya was wearing a Viking style burgundy dress with a corset top with gold laces and decoration and her hair was done with two braids around her hair whilst the rest hung loose.
Loki was wearing a Japanese style jacket with trousers. It was black with red and gold decoration. A Birthday gift given to him by the Hamato clan.
Sonia meanwhile wore a stylish fifties style green dress with black detail and a black sash and an emerald bow in her amber hair that was done in a high ponytail.
"Get over here!" Pandora roared as Scorpion impaled Sub Zero with his rope dart.
"NO!" Loki lamented as Pandora gave the final blow to his character and Shao Khan's voice was heard.
'FINISH HIM!'
Pandora smirked then performed Scorpion's Fatality on Sub Zero.
'Scorpion Wins! Fatality!"
Loki cursed in dragon tongue and fell back into the bean bag he had been sitting on whilst Pandora did a victory punch.
"Oh yeah man! Eat it!" she pointed at the Geckoling.
Sonia chuckled.
"Alright Pandora calm yourself!" she said then looked at Loki who was sulking slightly.
"Up for round two?" she asked.
Loki looked up at the Chameleon and a determined look flashed across his face.
"Oh, you bet! I'm gonna beat Pandora down before the day is out!"
"Good luck with that!" Pandora retorted blowing a raspberry.
Freya and Kemeko just shook their heads.
"I have to say, those two are so bad when it comes to gaming!" Freya quipped.
"Tell me about it!" Kemeko replied "Both wanting to slaughter each other in Mortal Kombat or Injustice, it's crazy!"
They looked back at Loki and Pandora as they were about to start another game.
"No way will you beat me this time Pandora!" Loki growled.
"Dream on Loki!" Pandora spat.
But before the Geckoling and Turtle/Lizard hybrid could begin a Rematch there was a knock on the door and Michelangelo appeared.
"Hey kids!" he called as he stepped inside.
All the kids stood up and to attention and Michelangelo took a moment to take in how they were dressed for Kemeko's big day.
"Oh wow!" he said, "You all look great! So smart!"
"Thanks Uncle Mike!" the kids said in unison and the girls did a Japanese geisha bow whilst Loki bowed like a ninja would.
Michelangelo smiled.
"Wonderful bows kids, I hope you're ready for the party! Especially you Kemeko! It's your big day!"
Kemeko blushed as she looked up then saw Michelangelo hold out his paw take her hand.
"Your dad's waiting for you!" he said.
Sonia gently nudged Kemeko forward and the young human girl walked forward to take Michelangelo's paw and the youngest turtle lead her outside the playroom and the other kids followed.
No sooner did they enter than the kids saw how the lair was made up.
There were balloons and streamers and bunting as well as three banners saying 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY KEMEKO' in big letters and characters.
One was coloured red and in English.
The Second was coloured blue in Japanese and the third was coloured green and in Dragon Language.
There were tables with lots of food like sandwiches, cocktail sausages, crisps and many more as well as a table piled with presents.
Kemeko gapped as she looked at the decorations then she saw her father, grandfather, Aunts, Uncles, and the Chicago Knights all gathered.
"Happy Birthday Kemeko!" they cheered.
Behind her, Kemeko heard Sonia, Pandora and the twins cheer the same.
Then some music began from a boom box which Donatello had set up which was the birthday song then everyone sang along to wish Kemeko a very happy birthday.
Kemeko blushed harder and lowered her head, yet Michelangelo gently placed his finger under her chin to pull it up.
"Soak it up kiddo!" he encouraged "This is the best day of the year!"
Kemeko chuckled and blushed harder and she saw her father walk over.
"My beautiful Lotus Blossom." He said, "My darling turtle child."
He held out his hands to her and Kemeko took them gratefully.
"What a beautiful girl you are becoming!"
Kemeko smiled and bowed to her father.
"Thank you, daddy." She spoke then Leonardo embraced her, and she hugged him back.
Leonardo after he pulled back, smiled then gestured to the table that had the pile of presents.
Kemeko's eyes went wide as she saw the many gifts, yet she wasted no time in unwrapping each one and thanking the one who had given it to her.
Amongst the gifts were a new art set in a large suitcase from April and Casey as well as a new easel as Kemeko loved to draw and paint.
A few books and a paint set from the Chicago Knights.
A couple of new Kimono dresses from Master Splinter and Old George.
Some trendy clothes from Pandora, Sonia and the twins who had clubbed together their pocket money to buy them for her.
Kemeko had also been given an updated iPhone, Shell-cell, and computer (curtesy of Donatello and Hacker).
After she had unwrapped everything, she was surrounded by wrapping paper which Monalisa quickly gathered and got rid of.
The last thing she wanted was anything getting lost in the mess.
"Wow!" Kemeko cried as she looked at all her gifts "Thank you so much everyone!"
"You're welcome kid!" the voices chorused.
"No worries Kem!"
"Many happy returns sweetie!"
Leonardo smiled then he walked over.
"That's not all Lotus." He said and he glanced at Tyroth and Master Splinter.
Kemeko looked up at her father and raised an eyebrow.
"No?" she asked.
The blue masked turtle shook his head and he turned to Tyroth who walked over and lead her to the centre of the lair.
As the dragon did that, Pandora beamed.
"Yes!" she whispered, "I know what's gonna happen!"
Loki, Freya, and Sonia looked at each other and grinned before looking at Kemeko who looked at the Dragon who stood tall and serious.
"Hamato Kemeko." He said, "From the day you were born, we always saw great potential in you to be a great Shadow Warrior, you might be the only human within your clan, but you have shown that despite the difference in species, you are a strong, fearless and amazing child and are growing into a beautiful yet deadly warrior."
Kemeko smiled proudly.
"You have shown the grace and precise accuracy of the praying mantis and snake in your kung fu training, and now you are thirteen years old, the time has come, we as the elders have decided that you are ready to begin the first level of topside patrol!"
Pandora squealed and clapped happily for her cousin/honoured sister, but she was shushed by the other children and Tyroth gave her a half smirk/frown before looking back at Kemeko.
"As you patrol the streets with your family and fellow warriors you will weld your official weapons!"
He then turned to Leonardo and Splinter who stepped forward and knelt before Kemeko holding up her signature weapons which consisted of a bladed four-pointed boomerang which looked like Jade's weapon in Mortal Kombat, yet it had four blades in their instead of three, as well as two short tanto blades in their sheaths attached to a belt.
Leonardo held the tanto blades whilst Splinter held the bladed boomerang.
No sooner did the Hamato Clan see the Tanto they recognised them.
"Karai's tanto." Michelangelo whispered softly and Raphael nodded.
Kemeko meanwhile looked at her weapons and beamed.
"My weapons…" she breathed.
Tyroth nodded and the Asian girl took the weapons, and she clipped the tantos around her waist as well as took the boomerang and held it up.
"Welcome to the team, Hamato Kemeko!" Tyroth said proudly and everyone clapped and cheered as Kemeko beamed.
"Cool weapons!" Loki said.
"I know right!" Freya agreed "I love that bladed boomerang!"
Pandora crossed her arms and smiled proudly whilst Sonia gave Kemeko two thumbs up.
Leonardo hugged Kemeko again.
"So proud of you!" he said, "I can't wait for you to join me topside and see all you've learnt!"
"Me too dad!" Kemeko smiled.
Leonardo looked down at Kemeko.
"Ready to enjoy the rest of your birthday?" he asked and Kemeko nodded before going to join the other children who cheered and clapped their hands for her as well as requested to look at her weapons.
Watching his daughter go, Leonardo sighed.
"You look like your mother." He thought, "And soon you'll weld her tanto in battle, it's going to be so hard to tell you the truth behind the blades, but I have to come clean, one thing I do know, your mother would be so proud of you, and be honoured to know you hold a piece of her with you."
He watched the children chatter together excitedly then turned to the others to join the celebrations.
So Kemeko has been promoted to Level One of topside patrol, meaning she will be facing lower level street crime and she's been given her offical weapons, the four bladed boomerang and her mother's tanto! Yet she doesn't know the tanto belonged to Karai, yet she will find out soon enough.