Note: Shout out to Tyroth Darkstorm for his help in the last part of this chapter. Thanks my friend!
Chapter Forty-Five
Hard at Work
In his own workshop, Loki hummed to himself as he sat at a table putting together some gadgets.
Since he found his talent for tinkering and building, his parents had allocated him a room so he could work on his projects.
At first when he discovered his talent, he liked to build his own Transformers figures, and he had shown interest in fixing stuff that had broken down, like the odd toaster, or even radios and televisions.
But of course, his parents didn't allow him to do anything with those until he was old enough and mature to deal with dangerous things, and seeing how irresponsible Rattletrap was with his engineering, they hoped Loki wouldn't follow that road.
As Loki put two wires together, they sparked making him jump slightly, but he grinned as he saw the gadget twitch.
"Got it!" he chuckled "I knew I had the right wiring!"
He put the gadget down and picked up remote before fiddling with it and the gadget began to move.
"By the Gods!" he grinned "I knew I could do it! Now I just need to make more of these little do-hickies for the Knights before their next spy mission! And make sure Rattletrap doesn't get his paws on them!"
As he was concentrating there was a knock on the door of his workshop.
"Who is it?" he called without looking up.
"It's Freya!" he heard his sister call through.
Loki was relieved that it wasn't Rattletrap nor any of the Hamato Clan.
"Come in sis!" he called, and Freya walked in before closing the door behind her.
"How you getting on?" Freya asked as she walked over to the table where Loki was working, and she picked up one of the gadgets which was shaped like a spider.
"Nice work Loki!" she said.
"Donatello showed me how to put these together a few weeks back!" Loki said proudly "They're tiny little robots with cameras inside them as well as a microphone so we can listen into people's most private conversations!"
Freya smiled.
"How many of these are you putting together?" she asked.
"Hoping to have at least five more done before the Chicago Knights head out again, since they need these for their next spy mission."
"Donatello will be proud of you!" Freya said.
"I'm sure he will." Loki said "Well, it's his blue prints he gave me." He looked at the papers before him then sighed.
He had wanted to show Donatello, but Tyroth told him that he had to keep quiet about what he was doing because the brainy turtle, after everything he had gone through needed to rest and recover, along with the rest of the Hamato Clan.
As he thought of the others, he looked at Freya.
"Have you seen Pandora?" he asked.
Freya sighed.
"I did yeah, I went to her room earlier to ask if she wanted to hang later, she said she would, but she said he had some training to do."
Loki sighed.
"She's still training?" he asked.
Freya nodded.
"She's still so angry and after Kemeko left for Japan, I think it's made her even more tense."
Loki fiddled with another gadget then looked up at his sister.
"Has she spoken to mum about her feelings?"
"From what I found out, no." Freya said, "I did hear dad say he was going to try something with her, but I'm not sure what, I saw him heading to the dojo earlier before I arrived."
Loki looked thoughtful.
"Do you think she might talk to him?" he asked, "Or rather, vent at him given how he can pretty much withstand anything thrown at him?"
"I got no idea Loki." Freya replied honestly "I just hope dad knows what he's doing, and that he can help her…I miss the old Pandora."
Loki sighed and patted Freya's hand.
"Me too sis, me too." He agreed.
In the Dojo, Tyroth stood and watched as Pandora punched, slashed, and kicked at the wooden structures before her with spikes sticking out which she dodged and ducked to avoid getting hit.
It was nothing new to Pandora as she was used to this kind of training back in New York, but she was really giving it her all.
Tyroth had offered to give the hybrid lessons as she soon as she was ready, and Pandora instantly jumped at the chance to get started as soon as possible which didn't surprise the Dragon.
The hybrid clawed, and struck and yelled as she did so, then did a backflip before landing on her feet then knelt before the structures.
Tyroth nodded and clapped his paws.
"Very good Tigeress." He said, "Yet that is what I have seen before, the aggression and power you already have, it is nothing new."
Pandora frowned as she stood up straight.
"What?" she demanded.
"I mean," Tyroth said as he stepped forward to the hybrid "You have shown what your family have taught you, and what you know, but if you wish to learn my skills, you must be ready to abandon what you know."
Pandora blinked as she looked at the dragon.
"Abandon what I know?" she asked.
Tyroth nodded and shook his head.
"Yes and no." he said, "But to put my point across, you must remove your weapons."
Pandora gasped.
"But…"
"Trust me!" Tyroth said in a stern voice "Remove them!"
Pandora nodded and instantly removed her metal claws, tail blade and placed Mr Swinger to the side.
"There." She said holding up her bare hands and her tail, "I am unarmed."
She then placed her palms together and bowed to Tyroth.
"Sensei, I am ready."
Tyroth gave a small smile and placed his hands on his hips.
"Now," he said in a serious voice "What I will tell you might sound a bit strange but trust me on this. If you manage to go berserk, you will need a target, and that will be me."
Pandora looked up at the dragon, her eyes widening.
"You?!" she squeaked.
"Yes." Tyroth replied "Without your weapons and finer techniques, you won't be able to cause any major harm to me even during such a state. My healing ability will allow you to unleash everything you have at me without risk, and with my strength I can restrain you with ease, if necessary."
Pandora looked at her uncle, seeing his serious face, she could tell he was being truthful, but she didn't want to hurt the man, or rather Dragon mutant she looked up to and loved as an uncle.
"I understand..." she said, "But Uncle T, I don't want to hurt you!" she said in an honest tone.
Tyroth smiled softly.
"I know, Geisha." He said "But better me than anyone else. Just imagine what might happen if there was someone else here instead of me, or if you made a run for the village. You could end up hurting several others, potentially badly, including those that can't drink the water."
Pandora looked at Tyroth and let his words sink in as she knew who and what he spoke of.
Her as well as the rest of her family were unable to use Mutopia's magical water to heal should they be badly hurt and the last thing she wanted was something tragic to happen if she accidently struck them.
"I understand." She said softly.
"I pray that you do." Tyroth replied sternly "This isn't something to be taken lightly. Going berserk will be a last resort if you ever will use it at all."
He took a breath.
"Now, in order to do that, you need to find a source to your anger."
"Okay?" Pandora asked.
"In short, something that makes you really angry." Tyroth explained "It could be a person, or something that has happened, it could even be something that hasn't happened yet, like it was my first time."
He glared as he remembered that horrific time when he was captured by the Foot those years back.
"The thought of all the Foot could do to my loved ones, that's what drove me over the edge."
As Tyroth said that Pandora closed her eyes as she thought of the ones who made her so angry and at once, the faces of the Foot Clan came to her mind.
Hanako, Arashi, Dr Arden, the Venomous Five and Shredder.
As she thought of them, she spoke their names in order.
Tyroth observed her and nodded.
"I see," he said, "No shortage of enemies."
"No shit!" Pandora spat "And all of them make me so angry, they hurt my family! Almost killed my mother and father, Uncle Don, Kemeko!" She clenched her fists as she thought of them.
"Then focus on all of them as a whole." Tyroth said as he watched Pandora "Feel the rage boiling inside of you but hold it back!"
Pandora glared and gritted her teeth as she thought of those who hurt and tortured her and her family.
"You bastards... you shits... you monsters..." he murmured then she looked up at Tyroth.
As the hybrid looked up, Tyroth felt a pang in his stomach as he looked at her, seeing the fury and anger in her and he got ready for her.
"Keep going, Pandora." He encouraged "Imagine them even worse than they already are. But keep holding your rage back, you mustn't let it out yet."
Pandora listened and imagined those hateful people and creatures who had tried to kill her and her family.
She saw them turn from their original forms into more demonic creatures, they smirked at her, their eyes turned soulless, and they began to laugh cruelly.
"I will tear you apart! Rip you!" Pandora clasped her hands and unclasped them as she thought of them and the rage boiled within her, yet she kept Tyroth's words in her head 'Hold your rage back, don't let it out yet!'
"Now focus on me!" Tyroth said "Project the object of your fury onto me. I am the one you want to hurt!"
At those words, Pandora opened her eyes as she fixed them on Tyroth, her eyes were flashing, and her teeth were bared and a low growl came from her throat and Tyroth recognised it being like Raphael's growl of anger.
"Hold back, just a little longer." Tyroth said holding up his paws in front of him, ready to brace for the impact from the hybrid who looked ready to pounce!
"Focus!" he said then he gritted his teeth and nodded "And... Release!" he barked.
It was then Pandora roared and she ran at Tyroth who instantly jumped over her letting her pass underneath.
He kept a constant eye on her while trying to avoid her, not fearing any harm she would cause him, but wanting to add more frustration to her rage, hoping that it would aid in draining her inner anger.
Pandora roared in frustration and slashed the air with her fingers, she then turned back to Tyroth, her eyes were flashing and almost soulless and her teeth were still bared, as she ran at him again
Tyroth braced himself and he stood up tall and straight and he let her attacks connect with his chest, standing his ground as an immovable guardian.
Pandora screamed and started to punch, slash, and kick him, her anger and rage blinding her to everything.
In a normal sparring session, she would never have done this sort of thing to him, but now in her moment of rage, she was seeing Hanako, Arashi, Dr Arden, the Venomous Five and the Shredder before her and not her beloved Uncle.
The dragon grunted a bit, while the attacks won't cause him any serious harm, there was still a lot of force behind each one of them. Despite the onslaught he received, he kept a close eye on the raging Pandora, in case she was to suddenly take off from the training room.
Luckily the door was shut, but not locked so even if she did try and go for the door, he would still be able to catch her as she would attempt to open the door.
"The rage will fuel her for a while longer," Tyroth thought to himself as he watched as well as winced a little "But sooner or later, she will run out of steam. Keep going, Pandora, hopefully when this is over, you will feel much better."
After a few seconds, Pandora kept going but then her movements got sloppy and slower and before long she collapsed on her knees and fell against Tyroth's chest then against his legs, sweat dripping from her forehead and her arms aching.
At the same time, she started to come to her senses and tears erupted from her eyes as all her emotions began to spill out.
Seeing the exhausted hybrid, Tyroth lowered himself to his knees and gently pulled Pandora into a hug.
"It's okay, Pandora." He soothed as the hybrid sobbed into him "I'm here."
"She took my dad's voice..." Pandora wept "They almost killed mom! Kem...Uncle Don!"
"Let it all out, Geisha." Tyroth encouraged softly as he stroked her hair.
"The bitch...the monsters..."
"I know... I know... We'll get them one day."
"I'll kill them all!" Pandora snarled as she clawed at Tyroth's chest in stress "Even if it costs me my life!"
Tyroth frowned.
He had hoped that this session would help her let go of her anger, or properly vent it, but that seemed to not be the case.
But still, it could just be residuals speaking, and maybe she would be calmer again once she had some time to rest.
He hoped it was either the case, and she would be a little calmer later in the day.
"They will pay... pay with their lives..." Pandora murmured as the dragon continued to hold her and gently shush her.
"They will pay...die... suffer..." then there was silence and Tyroth felt Pandora slump fully as she fell asleep from exhaustion and emotion in his arms.
Tyroth sighed relieved and he stood up holding the hybrid close.
"Rest now, girl," he whispered to her and gave her a kiss on the forehead "And maybe you'll feel more like your old self again when you awaken."
He then walked to the door to take Pandora to her room, yet as he did, the door opened, and the Dragon almost jumped out of his skin when he saw Monalisa standing there….
So Loki's been building some spybot gadgets, and Tyroth has been teaching Pandora the berserker rage hoping to curb her anger, he's managed to wear her out after training her, but Monalisa has appeared in the dojo, what's going to be the outcome of this?
Well keep checking back to find out!