Hello, guys! Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the views to my stories the last few days! I want to give a special thank you to those who gave this story, "A Robinson Storybook," "A New Life," and "The Sheriff's Daughter" some love!
Speaking of which, the next chapter will be a time jump to the year 2059 when Wilbur and Karena's daughter starts high school. I have written a series based on this and I'm debating whether to use some reimagination or not in this story. If I do, Lily and Donnie (that is, her father) will definitely be more involved. I may have to replay "High School Story" on the game called Choices to see if I need to incorporate some of Diana's story into this. I won't spoil what will happen, but for those who have read my stories in the past, Diana is a very strong character who makes quite the difference in the people around her.
But, for now, enjoy this chapter!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything related to "TMNT," "Meet the Robinsons," "Criminal Case," "Toy Story," "Lord of the Rings," nor "Choices: High School Story." I only own Lilianna, James, Little Donnie, Mika, Ryan, Justine, Isamu, Venus, Athena, Anna, Jasper, Charity, Marjorie, and Antonio.
September 14, 2055 - New York City, New York, USA
LILIANNA'S POV
"Are you serious, D?" Mother asked with shock. "Of all the conclusions you came up with, it's Ashley being in one or all three of these gangs?"
"How is that possible?" I asked.
"Ashley could have been one of those secretarial people working for the Shredder or Hun or the Don," Dad explained.
"Wait, now you're making me wonder if Ashley has ever worked at TCRI," Mother said, putting a hand on her forehead.
"Mom, Ashley wasn't alive when the Kraang were around."
"Though I think you're on to something, April," Dad chimed in. "Amy must have done a background check on Ashley before hiring her. Lily, can you gather any information on that?"
"I can try. That reminds me, Dad, may I speak with you alone?"
"I'll be in the bedroom, D," Mom told him before leaving the lab.
"What's up?" Dad asked me, crossing his legs.
"How do you feel about your job right now?" I asked.
"To be honest, it isn't the same," he answered with a frown. "I miss actually being there in person. My students were part of my world. I never thought I'd say this, but I hate the Shredder right now for being alive and preventing me from doing what I love to do."
"Now how did you feel when you did that autopsy all those years ago?"
"Lilianna!" Dad exclaimed in shock. "That was a good sixteen years ago! Why are you asking me about this now?"
"Please, Father, answer me."
"Well..."
He looked away for a moment before turning back to me.
"It was a thrill doing an autopsy. I saw the human body in a different way. Even though I hate the thought of working with dead bodies, at the same time, I think I'd fall in love with it if I did it again and again. Again, Lily Mae, why are you asking me about this?"
I let out a deep breath.
"Amy is looking for candidates to become a coroner next summer and you're one of them."
"I'm sorry, what?"
"Amy asked about you. And to be honest, I thought of you, too, when I heard the news."
My dad now crossed his arms and gave me a small glare.
"You know how I feel about time travel," he told me. "Why would I work for an agency that promotes time travel?"
"Dad, I've only been there for two days and I assure you we are not promoting time travel. We investigate all the incidents that occur during time travel that are enough to change time altogether. Dad, you'd help us prevent changes in time by autopsying people who weren't supposed to die. You'd tell us and then we'd quickly act on it. That is all you'd do."
My dad's expression relaxed.
"I never thought of it that way."
"Will you promise to at least think about it?" I asked. "And Amy says if she does hire you, you'll be protected as a mutant."
He sighed.
"I will think about it, but I cannot guarantee anything more."
I smiled.
"Thank you, Dad. And you have the entirety of the school year to think about it."
September 17, 2055
DONATELLO'S POV
"Thank you for joining us in our little meeting, Raph."
"Anytime. I take it you want to know what I found about Angel Jones?"
"Yes, please," Lily answered.
"I spoke with Casey. Angel is not his sister."
Lily and April both threw their hands up in the air.
"Whelp, so much for that lead," April grumbled.
"No, wait!" Raph exclaimed. "That's not all! As a retired lieutenant of the police force, I was able to get help running Angel's face through the database. And Angel Jones doesn't exist."
"But if you were able to run her face through a database, wouldn't it mean you were able to find her real identity?" I asked.
"Yep. The face is a one hundred percent match with Ashley Faris. It turns out, Ashley was arrested for a robbery in 2037. But, since she was a teenager, she had the charge taken off the record by conducting community service."
"Sounds like she's sloppy," Lily replied.
"Was sloppy, Lily," I corrected her. "Amy and Renet both said she disappeared without a trace. Which means she must have gotten practice from somewhere in order to achieve this. Like you said before, she's a skilled thief. But this also means that she is able to manipulate everything and everyone around her. She definitely trained under somebody."
"Shall we call a Hamato Clan meeting?" April asked.
"I think that's wise," Raph answered. "I know Ashley was T.I.M.E.'s problem, but if she's involved with one of these gangs like Donnie said, then it just became our business."
We called the meeting in the dojo and the entire clan was able to meet. Athena, Venus, Ryan, Wilbur, and Anna were all able to join us.
"Thank you all for coming," Leo started the meeting. "To start off, I'd like you to remember the days when Wilbur was a suspect in a theft investigation."
"Gee, thanks!" Wilbur replied sarcastically.
"But wait, Wilbur's innocent," Mikey said in confusion.
"That's right, Mikey," Renet replied. "And then Lily got hired to take the thief's place as our new profiler. Ever since she came back to New York, she's been focused on the thief who disappeared just as quickly as she came. And she came up with quite the lead. Lily?"
"I found file folders in a hidden safe the thief had created in my office," Lily explained. "After I analyzed them, I gave them to my dad, who analyzed them himself. These folders contained every single member of the Foot Clan under Shredder, the Vizioso mob, and the Purple Dragons."
"Why would this thief have information on all of our enemies?" Leo asked, also displaying confusion.
"Because this thief was part of the Purple Dragons," I chimed in. "Raph did a face-check of one of those members and it's her."
"But I thought the Purple Dragons disbanded in the 2020s?" Mona Lisa chimed in.
"It's possible they've been working in the shadows this entire time," Lily suggested. "And they decided to emerge just as she disappeared."
"The Vizioso mob and Shredder's Foot Clan have been active as well," Karai replied. "Shini and I have been trying to drag them out and Shredder just reclaimed his throne. Anytime we try to get back in, we almost die."
"Oh, boy," I said, shaking my head.
"What about the rest of your clan, Karai?" Leo asked.
"They're following the Shredder now. Shini and I are pledging ourselves to the Hamato Clan until the Shredder is taken down once and for all."
"So it sounds like we have two objectives: find this Purple Dragon thief and find a way to destroy the Shredder clone. Does anyone have an idea on where to start?"
"The thief's name is Ashley Faris," Lily started. "Unfortunately, I do not know most of her history. But I do know she graduated from Hartfeld University with her bachelor's degree in 2047. But Hartfeld University is not in New York; it's in California."
My face lit up. Just when I was about to glance towards the half-elf, Anna's face lit up as well.
"Allow me to go to Hartfeld University to gather information about your thief, Lily," Anna said with confidence. "Perhaps I can find something to help you along in your investigation."
"While Anna takes care of that, we'll need to split up to interrogate the three leaders of the three gangs," Leo suggested.
"Lily, Athena, and I will handle the Don of the Vizioso mob," Wilbur replied. "Lily and I have history with them."
"I'm going with you," April chimed in. "T.I.M.E. and Channel 6 News have worked together since the beginning. And you're going to need someone who knows more about the Don than anyone else."
"Like an ace reporter," Wilbur said with a wink. "Good idea."
"I'll take Casey, Mona Lisa, and Venus with me to interrogate Hun," Raph announced.
"I'd better go with you, Raphael," Renet chimed in. "Now that we know Ashley, at least, was a Purple Dragon, I'd like to gather more intel for Amy."
"Then it looks like Donnie, Karai, Ryan, and I are going to see the Shredder," Leo finished. "Unless I'm missing anyone else who would like to join me?"
"You forgot me!" Mikey exclaimed.
"You forgot Mikey," Raph and I spoke at the same time as he did.
Leo chuckled.
"I'm sorry, Mikey, you can come with us."
"And, of course, Shinigami will be coming with us," Karai replied, giving her husband a small glare.
"What about me?" Ryan asked. "Is there anything I can do to help?"
"Ask my dad if Ashley Faris has ever been to Todayland," Wilbur chimed in.
"Alright, we have our assignments," Leo replied. "We'll all meet again one month from now."
September 25, 2055 - San Francisco, California, USA
ANNA'S POV
I had made plans ahead of time to meet with the Dean of Hartfeld University. I spent yesterday making the long drive to San Francisco, which I enjoyed very much because the trees were already changing colors to signify the autumn season. I was going to spend the weekend in San Francisco to meet with the Dean and to explore the city with Jasper and Charity.
After dropping Jasper and Charity off at an amusement park, I made the drive to Hartfeld. I found the building I was looking for and I took the elevator all the way up to the top floor. I knocked on the Dean's door and opened it.
"Excuse me, Dean Marjorie Tucker?"
She looked up and smiled at me.
"Yes?"
"I'm Anna Swan of Crane & Swan Counseling & Law."
I held up my business card with my picture on it, and her face lit up.
"Oh, yes! We spoke on the phone. Please, sit down."
She sat behind her desk while I sat in front of it.
"Dean Tucker-"
"Marjorie, please."
"Oh! Well, alright, Marjorie, I'm here representing the Temporal Investigation Management and Exploration Agency and I have some questions about a former student of yours named Ashley Faris."
"Is this part of a background check?" Marjorie asked.
"It's more complex than that, ma'am. This is actually part of an investigation against her. I need to know if Ashley had any marks in her record here at Hartfeld."
"Well, Ashley was a model student. All A's. Heavily involved in the basketball team. She was part of a sorority. But when she wasn't doing that, she was always studying."
"By marks, ma'am, I meant criminal marks. Has Ashley been caught doing something she wasn't supposed to do?"
"Once. There was a gang that formed at Hartfeld and Ashley joined. She stole money from a fraternity and was arrested. But she pleaded that it was a prank and she showed remorse. She was pardoned with a year of community service and always assisted that same fraternity she stole from."
October 2, 2055 - New York City, New York, USA
VENUS'S POV
I drove the Party Wagon alone to the city to meet my parents as well as Casey and Auntie Renet in Chinatown.
"Hey, hey, Venus!" Casey greeted me.
We did our secret handshake.
"How's the farmhouse?"
"The three of us have been taking very good care of it," I answered with a smile. "Athena's home with her husband today. How's Shadow?"
"She's good. She's backpacking in Europe."
"That's very impressive!" Mother replied.
"Alright, we're all here now," Father chimed in. "Let's go find the fortune cookie factory."
"If it's still the fortune cookie factory," I replied.
"I thought it was a tattoo parlor," Casey said, scratching his head.
"No, I'm positive it was a fortune cookie factory!" Renet replied adamantly. "Let's go and surprise them!"
We ran from rooftop to rooftop until we reached the factory.
"Now we wait," Father instructed us.
"Casey Jones doesn't wait around!"
"You haven't really changed, have you, Jones?" Renet asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Come on!"
"CASEY!" my parents and I yelled at the same time.
We all rolled our eyes at each other.
"We'd better go after him to be sure he doesn't hurt himself," Renet suggested.
Auntie Renet held on to my mother as we all flipped down onto the street. Casey burst open the door and we followed him in, but it was empty.
"What the?" Casey asked with shock. "Seriously?"
"Let's look around for clues," Father suggested.
"What do we look for, Raphael?" Mother asked.
"Anything out of the ordinary."
We separated and tried to find clues about Ashley being a part of the Purple Dragons or her whereabouts. But we found nothing. We all shrugged and started to leave. Suddenly, I sensed someone coming in, and he was heading for...
"Father, look out!"
Luckily, my father sensed him coming as well and threw him on the ground.
"I may be getting older," Father told his opponent. "But I still have my sais."
"What are you doing here, Turtle?" the older man asked.
I took a closer look at him. He had bleached his hair blond and wore shades to cover his brown eyes. He wore an all-black outfit and had lots of tattoos on his body, especially a purple dragon tattoo on his chest.
"Wait a minute, you're Hun?" I asked.
"And who are you? Another freak?"
"Well, that didn't hurt at all."
I rolled my eyes.
"Alright, scum, what do you know about Ashley Faris?" Casey asked.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Hun sharply replied.
"Does the name Angel Jones ring a bell?" Father asked.
"Angel?"
Hun immediately got up.
"Do you know where she is?"
"That's why we're here!" Casey yelled.
"We're here looking for Angel Jones," Mother explained. "Who is really Ashley Faris in disguise."
"Well, I don't know who Ashley Faris is," Hun replied. "But Angel went off to college to pursue a psychology degree shortly after I got arrested for theft."
Auntie Renet grinned.
"Would you tell us about what Angel was like?" she asked, twirling a loose strand of hair.
"She's got guts, that's what I'll say," Hun answered. "She was always eager to learn how to rob a bank or steal a wallet. She was in high school when she joined us and she robbed her first grocery store. But she got caught and got arrested. We let her out, and then I got caught. I hadn't heard from Angel since."
We glanced at each other, knowing we weren't going to get anything else out of him."
October 9, 2055
LILIANNA'S POV
Wilbur and Athena joined me and my mother at Antonio's house. Antonio expressed his surprise when he opened the door.
"Agent Robinson."
"Antonio."
"April O'Neil."
"Antonio Vizioso."
"And you two are...?"
I rolled my eyes.
"We're both Agent Hamato," I introduced my cousin and myself, realizing I met Antonio as Aumanil. "We're here to follow up on a lead in our theft investigation on Ashley Faris."
"I don't know who this Ashley Faris is, but go ahead and ask your questions."
"Ashley had files in her office of every member of the Vizioso mob," Wilbur explained. "We may have reason to believe Ashley was part of the mob herself."
"Like I said before, I don't know Ashley. Now scram before I use the guns on you."
"Again, you are aware that your guns are illegal in New York. You're lucky we didn't obtain a warrant to search your home."
"We only came here to look for answers," Athena chimed in. "Are you absolutely sure you don't know Ashley Faris or Angel Jones?"
"No," Antonio sternly replied. "Now scram."
I read his mind and I could tell he was lying. But his eyes were on my fingers.
"Agent Hamato, you look familiar-"
I waved my hand in front of him.
"You will forget we came here today," I manipulated him.
"I will forget."
"Thank you for your time."
The four of us walked out of the house and went back to Channel 6 News to drop my mother off. The four of us gathered outside just before my mother went inside.
"Antonio's lying," I spoke up. "I read his mind."
"I think he's lying, too," Wilbur replied. "I know a liar when I see one."
"Wilbur, I don't think he's lying. I know he's lying."
"What did you find?" Mom asked.
"Ashley's his half-sister."
"WHAT?!"
October 17, 2055
DONATELLO'S POV
"I can't believe we're about to go into Shredder's lair again," Mikey spoke, sounding nervous.
"You mean my lair," Karai hissed.
"We're about to find out if it's truly your lair or not," Leo replied.
The four of us, plus Shinigami, kept an eye out for any suspicious activity.
"It's quiet," Shinigami spoke.
"Too quiet," I chimed in.
We glanced up at the hole that still existed in the church that became Shredder's lair back in the 2010s. Leo pointed up towards the window, and that was our cue to take it to the rooftops. We snuck into the church with no issues. To our surprise, there were only two people in the lair: Shredder and Stockman.
"Do you have the information, Stockman?" Shredder asked.
"Yesss. Angel wasss very ussseful. Sssshe took the informaaaation and reorganizzzzzed it into neat filesssss. You will know everyone who issss related to Sssssplinter."
All of our jaws dropped open. Not only did Ashley have information about our enemies, but she knows about all of us as well.
"No wonder Lily was knocked out," I whispered. "Ashley knew everything."
"Excellent. It seems that Donatello was a fine doctor, keeping tabs on all his patients."
The five of us crouched together in a circle.
"We need to find a way to destroy those files," Leo whispered. "Donnie, weren't those the medical records Stockman tried to steal?"
"Yep. Anna and Lily then tried to stop the Shredder in Japan. We thought they were successful."
"Stockman must have made a copy of the records," Shinigami chimed in. "What do we do?"
"We need a plan," Leo answered. "But not here. We need to go back to the lair and discuss this with the rest of the family."
"You're just going to let the Shredder have our medical records?" Mikey asked in a loud whisper.
"What izzz this?!" Stockman suddenly asked behind us.
Mikey, Karai, and I freaked out as we turned around.
"We're not going to anymore!" Leo yelled.
Shinigami and Mikey lunged towards the mutant fly, but they missed and landed on the floor. The rest of us flipped down to the floor with them. Suddenly, the Foot Clan emerged, surrounding us.
"You are all traitors!" Karai yelled.
"Not traitors, Karai," Shredder responded. "You are not flesh and blood of the Foot Clan. You are a Hamato, Hamato Yoshi's daughter."
"For once, you tell the truth!" Shinigami yelled.
"Yes, and it is the truth I stand behind. The last of the Hamato Clan must be destroyed and Aumanil will be the first to die."
I roared and charged at Shredder.
"Donnie!" I heard Leo yell as we dueled.
I was impressed with how much I had improved since the original Shredder's demise. This was the longest I had ever lasted against any Shredder that came our way. But I was angry that this clone had threatened to take my daughter's life. I suddenly took a hit.
"You show passion, Donatello," Shredder spoke. "You are not the wimp you used to be. Aumanil has taught you well."
"I taught HER!" I yelled back.
Our duel continued. I twirled my bo staff around and took Anna's advice to heart about the exposed parts of his body. I eventually knocked him down to the ground with a spinning back kick and held my naginata at his throat.
"Read my lips and listen to me speak loud and clear," I threatened him. "You lay one finger on Aumanil, and I will kill you. Understand?"
The Shredder seemed shocked at my threat. I turned around and sheathed my staff. My family had their jaws dropped open again as they had heard my threat. But I walked right past them.
LILIANNA'S POV
"Alright, everyone, meeting time," Uncle Leo announced. "Let's discuss what we have discovered this past month. Anna?"
"The dean practically praised her," Anna explained, rolling her eyes. "She called Ashley a model student who was only arrested once for robbing a fraternity. That mark got taken off the record because she did community service for that fraternity."
"Speaking of robberies, Hun confirmed Angel participated in a robbery when she first started," Uncle Raph explained. "The Purple Dragons broke her out and that was how Hun got into prison. But Angel disappeared, going to college for a psychology degree."
"Antonio would not talk to us," I chimed in. "But I did find something out that he didn't have to say, or perhaps he refused to say it. Ashley is his half-sister."
"So I take it this means Ashley was part of the Vizioso mob as well?" Dad asked.
"I'm not sure. Like I said, Antonio refused to talk. I don't know exactly how Ashley fits in to this, but now I can see her being Italian. But she's gotta have learned how to rob a bank or store somewhere for her to rob T.I.M.E. itself."
"So what you are saying, Lily, is that there is a whole history to Ashley that we do not know about?" Auntie Renet asked.
"That's exactly what I am saying. Ashley Faris is a skilled thief and, from what we have learned, a con woman, disguising herself everywhere she goes. She tried to disguise herself when she robbed T.I.M.E., but I saw right through it."
"So Ashley, behind-the-scenes, has been robbing since high school and always made sure she never got caught," Anna proposed.
"Which explains her clean history," Auntie Renet replied. "Anna, she went to school in Hartfeld this entire time. Can you dig deeper into this?"
"I can try."
"Search for news articles, newscasts, anything that Ashley may have had a hand on," Mom suggested.
Anna gave a firm nod.
"Ryan, anything in Todayland?" Leo asked.
"No. Cornelius confirmed Ashley Faris was never in Todayland. But he did improve his sentry robots' artificial intelligence to keep an eye out for her. And what about you guys?"
"Anna, Lily, do you remember the time you two went back to Japan to try to erase our medical records from Stockman's tablet?" Uncle Leo asked.
"Oh, don't tell me Stockman still obtained them?" Anna asked with dread in her voice.
"He made a copy of our medical records and had Ashley, disguised as Angel, organize them and file them for the Shredder," Uncle Mikey explained.
"But that's not all," Shinigami chimed in. "The Shredder knows who you are, Lily, and he threatened to take your life first. He wants us all dead."
"I told him that if he laid a finger on you, I'd kill him," Dad spoke.
"You did what?" I snapped at him. "Father, that's not like you!"
"Lily, your father took this threat to heart and immediately fought the Shredder," Uncle Leo explained. "If he had threatened Ryan, I would have done the same thing. Your father loves you. He's willing to sacrifice his life for you if he could."
I let out a few deep breaths and looked into his amber eyes.
"Dad, promise me you will not kill the Shredder because of me."
"Lily-"
"Because if you do, I will never speak to you again!"
I got up, walked out of the sewers, and flew home.
November 20, 2055 - San Diego, California, USA
ANNA'S POV
"Thank you for letting me come over today."
"It's no trouble at all," I told my friend. "And besides, I missed having you here in California."
Lily smiled at me, but it quickly faded.
"Is something the matter?" I asked.
"Are you sure it's no trouble? What about Charity?"
"Jasper volunteered to take Charity to the beach so we could spend time together."
"Bless his heart! How's Charity doing?"
"She's doing well! Can you believe she's six months old?"
"I can," Lily answered with a chuckle. "Mika's now four months old. She has mastered the art of laughing and sitting up."
It was my turn to frown.
"I'm sorry I missed Mika's arrival."
"Don't worry about it," Lily assured me. "There was a really bad storm that happened while I was in labor and my dad and my husband couldn't even get there in time."
"That's unusual to have a tornado in New York," I replied with some shock.
"None of us had ever seen a tornado before! Unless you count the time Uncle Mikey was possessed by a 2,000-year-old ghost and got wind powers out of it. My dad had to fight his brothers inside that whirlwind."
"Gee! Well, I'm glad you and Mika pulled through."
"Amen to that!"
Lily paused, her frown coming back.
"I need to talk to you about something."
"About Ashley?"
"My dad, actually. I haven't spoken to him since that meeting last month because I kept refusing his calls."
My brows furrowed in confusion.
"Why are you refusing his calls? That's not like you."
"It's not like my dad to threaten to take a life. He taught me better than that."
"Okay, Lily, let's be rational, or irrational, here," I replied, clasping my hands together. "Say you were there fighting the Shredder and he had just threatened to kill one of your children. How would you feel and what would you do?"
Lily blinked a few times, realizing why her father did what he had to do.
"I'd probably do the same thing he did," she finally answered. "But I'd never take a life!"
"And neither will your father," I assured her. "Don't forget, he's already tried killing Don Vizioso only to realize at the last second it would be a mistake that would haunt him for the rest of his life. You're Donatello's little girl. He did what he had to do because he loves you. He'd die first before you. And that's something you will learn as well as Little Donnie and Mika's mother."
We suddenly heard knocking on the door.
"Who could that be?" I asked in alarm. "WHO IS IT?"
"Donatello."
Lily and I both got up to answer the door, and there he was.
"Hey, Lily Mae."
"Hey, Dad."
"Can we talk?"
"I'll leave you two alone," I said, starting to make my way upstairs.
"Anna, wait," Donnie replied. "It's okay. I had a feeling Lily would come here to find you after a while. You can stay."
I led them to the dining room table and we took a seat.
"Would you like some coffee?" I offered the Turtle.
"I'd love a cup. Thank you."
I got up and grabbed a coffee cup.
"Dad, I'm sorry," Lily started. "I'm sorry about how I spoke to you."
"No, Lily, you were right."
We both blinked at him.
"What was I right about?" Lily asked.
"Listen, I've been doing a lot of thinking since that night," Donnie explained. "You reminded me of who I am, what I like and dislike. It's just... when the Shredder threatened you and said you would be the first to die, I swore I would not let that happen and I took charge, which is not like me. And I may have threatened the Shredder I'd kill him if he even lays a finger on you, but I would never take a life. My purpose is to create life, to save lives, to guide people along in their lives."
"Father, I know."
Lily put her right hand on top of his.
"You taught me about preserving life throughout my childhood. Everything I am is because of you and your teachings. And I hope to pass your teachings on to Little Donnie and Mika as well."
Donatello smiled.
"I'm honored. Little Donnie spoke about how you teach him and I'm very proud of you both. In fact, you remind me of someone very special."
"Oh? Who is that?"
"Splinter. He has always listened and always challenged our thinking while transforming us into the best people we can become. He carries wisdom like no other."
"I often dream of Splinter teaching me how to be an effective sensei. I'm proud that I remind you of him."
"Will you forgive me of my actions?"
"Father, there's nothing to forgive. Anna helped me realize why you did what you did and it's because of your love for me. If it was my children who were being threatened, I would have done the same thing."
They hugged, and I could not help but take a picture. They turned towards me with shock on their faces.
"Now, before you say anything, look at the picture!" I defended myself.
I put my phone down on the table as the duo looked at it.
"Okay, that's a good shot," Lily replied with surprise.
"Anna, has Mikey been teaching you how to be spontaneous?" Donnie asked with a grin.
I shrugged.
"It could be Mikey. It could be Charity. It could be Jasper. It could have been anyone."
We laughed.
"There's something else, Lily Mae," Donnie continued. "I've thought about what you asked me to do, about the coroner's position."
"And?"
"When the applications open up for the position, I'm going to apply."
Lily gasped with delight.
"Dad, that's amazing! But what convinced you to do that?"
"Your mother, as always," Donnie replied with a chuckle. "She's noticed how saddened I've become with my teaching remotely and she encouraged me to try something new. And besides, I want to help you put Ashley behind bars where she belongs. She thinks a new job will bring a new kind of light into my life. It's been almost forty years since I started teaching. And your mother's right. I need to try something new while I'm still active."
Lily grinned and happily embraced her father.
"I'll let Amy know!"
"Oh! That reminds me. Anna, did you find anything more about Ashley?"
"I found quite a few articles from her time at Hartfeld that proved to be interesting," I explained. "San Francisco was losing a lot of money. There was always a bank being robbed or a store being robbed. There was a robbery once a month with wanted signs all over the city. Tourism was lacking there as a result of the robberies. But the police could not find any clues to pin anyone for the robberies, so they ended up encouraging the owners to call their insurance companies and they got their money back. And, equally as unfortunate, only the security cameras were witnesses, and this robber was well-masked. The cameras couldn't even make out the gender of the robber."
"What do you think, Lily Mae?" Donnie asked his daughter. "Do you believe Ashley is behind all these robberies?"
"She had to get practice from somewhere and I think she did just that in San Francisco."
"Well, the Shredder is clearly staying in New York," I chimed in, putting my right hand on my chin. "I can call Alopex and Tiger Claw back to California. Tiger Claw has a keen sense of smell and Alopex has great intuition. Maybe they both can find something the police haven't found."
"And what about you?" Lily asked.
"I'll be going with them. I have keen hearing."
"Then we're all putting our trust in you, Anna. We're not going to find anything more in New York with no one willing to talk to us. We'll keep doing our night patrols. If you find something, please call me."
I gave her a firm nod, knowing what my next assignment for the Hamato Clan was going to be.
January 3, 2056 - New York City, New York, USA
DONATELLO'S POV
I sprinted my way to the World Trade Center and took the elevator of the first building all the way to the observatory deck. I was deeply admired at how the history of New York City was portrayed since before the 1600s up until today. I carried a frown when the old World Trade Center appeared and then disappeared in the blink of an eye. But when I arrived, I smiled again.
I walked towards the hostess, who gave me a strange glance but quickly corrected herself.
"Do you have a reservation?" she asked me.
"I'm supposed to meet with Amy Young."
"Oh, yes! She's right over there."
She pointed towards my left where Amy and another woman were sitting at.
"Thank you so much."
I walked towards the table and the two women got up.
"Donatello!" Amy exclaimed, giving me a hug. "Thank you for coming!"
"You know, I've never been inside this building," I replied. "It is absolutely incredible!"
"Isn't it? Lily was the one who suggested it to me. Donatello, I'd like you to meet our current coroner, Dr. Grace Delaney. Grace, this is Dr. Donatello Hamato, Lily's father."
"Another Hamato?" Grace asked with surprise. "And a humanoid turtle, no less! I'm very pleased to meet you. Is there a name I can call you for short?"
"Donnie, please."
"Well, let's take a seat so we can get started and order our food," Amy suggested.
A waitress quickly came by to take our orders and the interview began.
"What do you do now, Donnie?" Grace asked.
"I'm a professor at Todayland University, teaching remotely from my lab. I teach biology, physics, and chemistry. I was the head of the STEM department when I was teaching in person but I had to resign from that position recently due to circumstances that popped up."
"How long have you been there?"
"Since 2018, ma'am. I hadn't even turned twenty-one yet when I started."
"You must be a genius!" Amy replied with surprise. "To become a professor at only twenty years of age is a very impressive achievement. What do you have college degrees in?"
"I have a bachelor of science with a double major in biology and physics, a master's degree in science with an emphasis in biology, and I have three doctorate degrees: biology, physics, and medicine."
"Medicine, really?" Grace asked. "I take it that means you have a practice?"
"Yes, in the city. At first, my practice was just for mutants, but since the COVID restrictions were lifted and the mutant acceptance law was passed, I've been helping ordinary people as well. But I am the most successful as a professor."
"Do you have any other skills, Donnie?" Amy asked.
"Oh, I've got skills galore in the field of science! I can fix anything, no matter if it's old, brand new, or advanced. I work with mechanics at home. I'll do chemistry experiments at home as well. I'm also gifted in technology."
"Okay, now you've got me curious. Do you have skills in psychology and history?"
"Yes, to both. I've studied psychology to help my patients with mental issues or gifts. History was something I read just for fun."
"Do you speak any languages?" Grace asked.
"Unlike my daughter, who can speak at least ten languages, I only speak Japanese, Spanish, French, and English."
"Well, you're going to have to add Latin to your resume if you're going to work at T.I.M.E.," Amy replied.
"I know some Latin, but I'm willing to relearn the language if necessary."
"Now say we select you to be our next coroner. Would you be ready by June?"
"Absolutely. The school year ends in May and I've turned in my notice after winter semester ended. I've come to terms with my career in Todayland ending in May. I'm looking forward to trying something new, God-willing."
"One more thing, Donnie," Grace chimed in. "I'm sure you're aware being a coroner involves doing autopsies. Have you ever done an autopsy before?"
"Yes, once. It turned out to be fruitful to recognizing an epidemic in Todayland."
Just then, the food arrived.
"Thank you," I told the waitress.
"Well, the interview part is over," Amy announced with a smile. "So, let's enjoy our meal and just enjoy each other's company."
We got to know each other on a personal level for the next half hour before I returned home.
March 5, 2056 - Westport, Connecticut, USA
LILIANNA'S POV
I sparred with Little Donnie to show my parents what all he could do. In his almost six years of life, Little Donnie was a very fast learner, already mastering the basics and intermediate level of ninjutsu. He reminded me of myself when I was his age. We were both eager to fight with our little hearts. My son's ability to use telepathy had also improved, but it was not perfect. I struck him in the leg.
"Ah!" he cried.
He stopped for a moment, giving me the advantage of disarming him.
"Do not stop for anything, Donatello," I told him. "If you can still stand on two feet, you can still fight. If someone strikes you like I struck you, you keep going. Take advantage of the situation to off-balance your opponent."
"Hai, sensei."
"Shall we go again?"
"No, Mama. May I go get a drink?"
"You may."
Little Donnie set his staff down and ran inside.
"He is more patient than I was at his age," Dad said. "I'm impressed."
"Wait, am I going to hear a story of my husband as a six-year-old?" Mom asked, smirking at him.
"Nice try, sweetheart."
Mom snapped her fingers but kept the smirk on her face.
"Do you remember when I was six, Dad?" I asked. "I wasn't patient, either. In fact, I remember feeling frustrated because there was something I couldn't master."
"The front flips. I remember. Yet, Little Donnie handled those like a pro! You are a good teacher, Lily Mae."
"Dad, not in front of the kids!"
"The kids are inside," Mom replied. "But anyway, let's go inside and join them."
"Have you heard from Anna at all?" Dad asked as we sat down at the table.
"Just to check up on me and the kids and vice versa," I answered. "Regarding Ashley, nothing."
"I'd usually say no news is good news," Mom chimed in. "But this is starting to worry me. Anna mentioned all those robberies were not put on record because there were no witnesses nor clues."
"Yeah, if Tiger Claw cannot sniff anything out, then Ashley is more skilled than we can imagine," Dad replied. "We'd have to be extra careful when we eventually find her."
Suddenly, my dad's T-Phone went off.
"Donatello."
"Yes, Grandpa?" Little Donnie asked.
"Sorry, D, I'm on the phone," Dad corrected him before returning to his caller in another room. "Hi, Amy. What's up?"
"How are you feeling?" I asked my son.
"Good. But I'm tired."
"We do practice a lot, don't we? At least you aren't practicing for five hours yet."
"FIVE HOURS?" Little Donnie yelled in shock.
"Hey, hey, lower your voice, please," I whispered. "Grandpa's on the phone."
"Really? Holy cow! I'm surprised!"
"Well, that's good news," Mom said, nodding her head in Dad's direction. "But where's Mika?"
"Right here, Mom," James suddenly spoke.
He turned around to reveal Mika in a sling James made to carry her around so he could use both hands.
"What are you cooking over there?" I asked.
"Scrambled eggs, if that's alright with you."
"Of course."
My dad suddenly came back into the living room with a grin on his face.
"Amy just offered me the job!"
"Oh my gosh!" Mom exclaimed. "Really?"
"What did you say?" I asked excitedly.
"Well, I said I'd take it!"
"Take what?" James asked.
I smacked my head.
"Oh!" he exclaimed. "The job! Right! Congrats, Dad. Sorry. I'm distracted."
"When do you start?" Mom asked.
"I'm orienting with Athena once school's out and then I train with Grace in June," Dad answered.
"I'm so glad things with T.I.M.E. are mostly back to normal," I said. "It's just the whole theft thing."
"Well, at least your dad will be able to help you more."
We ate breakfast, celebrating my father's news of his new job.
April 21, 2056 - New York City, New York, USA
DONATELLO'S POV
"And this concludes our time together in this class. If you have another class with me, I'm sure I'll see you one more time. Otherwise, let me say, it has been an absolute honor to be your professor this semester and for the last thirty-eight years. I will miss teaching you and all my students and I wish you luck in your future endeavors. You are all strong, unique individuals who are destined for the best one day. Don't ever give up, open new doors, and keep moving forward."
I finished my very last video I would ever create for Todayland University. I leaned back in my chair and blew out a breath I had no idea I was holding.
Thirty-eight years. That was a long time to be in the same job. But I spoke the truth. I did feel honor and accomplishment in everything I did as a college professor. But now, that chapter was over. I would then spend the next week typing up the final exams and then I would spend finals week grading those exams. And then, I was done for good.
My T-Phone suddenly rang and I was surprised at who was on the caller ID.
"Donatello."
"Donnie, it's Justine. You need to come to Todayland, now!"
"Whoa, slow down, Justine. What's going on?"
"It's Ryan and Isamu. I just got home and they're on the floor and not moving!"
"Hang on tight, Justine. I'll get Leo and we'll be right over."
I hung up and yelled at the top of my lungs.
"LEO!"
I quickly gathered my medical bag and put all the necessary supplies in it.
"Donnie, is everything alright?" Leo asked.
"It's Ryan and Isamu. They're hurt!"
Todayland, North Montana, USA
JUSTINE'S POV
I paced back-and-forth as Ryan and Isamu were being treated in separate hospital rooms.
"Justine, they'll be fine," Leo tried to assure me. "Donnie's doing the best he can."
"I'm so scared, Father!"
I ran into my father-in-law's arms and started crying. He did not hesitate to hold me and calm me down.
"We heard what happened!" we heard Franny's voice ringing through the hall. "Justine, are you okay?"
"Not until I know what's happened to my family!"
The door suddenly opened. Uncle Donnie emerged with a frown on his face.
"Donnie!" Franny exclaimed. "How is he?"
"Isamu's going to be fine," Uncle Donnie explained. "He was knocked out, but there's no internal bleeding or any other cause of concern."
"And Ryan?" I asked.
"Ryan took quite a beating. I did manage to wake him up, but he's very weak. He's very lucky to be alive."
"What's going to happen to him?"
"Donnie, do you know who did this?" Leo asked.
"No. Ryan mumbled when he tried to talk," Uncle Donnie explained further. "He has a lot of bruising around his lips and his eyes. Justine, we need to keep him overnight for precautionary measures. I will let you know when he wakes up. Isamu, too."
"Is Isamu awake?" Franny asked.
"Yes. You may go see him."
Leo and I went into a room to see Isamu.
"Isamu?" I whispered.
He moaned, but he turned my way and smiled at me.
"Mom! Can you hug me?"
"Of course, sweetheart!"
I gave my son a hug and he managed to hug me back.
"Thank heavens, you're okay! I was so worried when I found you asleep at home."
"Mom, a woman was in our home. I couldn't see her face. She wore black all over her body."
"Go on, Isamu. Did she say anything?"
"She was looking for Donatello. But all I said was he's not here. She called me a liar and slapped me in the face."
Isamu suddenly started crying.
"It's all my fault, Mom! You've always told me to let strangers in and I let one in because she said she's Grandpa's friend."
"Shh, it's not your fault. You did what you could do. Is that when Daddy came in?"
"Yes. He heard her slap me and he yelled at her to get out. She must have thought he was Donatello because she started fighting him. But I passed out before I could see anymore. Where is Daddy, anyway?"
April 28, 2056 - San Diego, California, USA
ANNA'S POV
I had just put a one-year-old Charity to sleep. I smiled and leaned down to give her a kiss on the forehead.
"I love you, sweetheart."
I walked out of the room. I suddenly started to feel thirsty and thought it was a good idea to go down the stairs to get some water. So that was what I did. I grabbed a glass from the cabinet and prepared to get the water when suddenly, I felt myself being grabbed from behind!
I muffled screams and eventually released the glass, the glass breaking on the floor. Thankfully, I remembered how to fight and flipped this person over.
"AH!" she screamed.
I was quite surprised when I discovered my burglar was a woman. But then I realized...
"Ashley," I said out loud.
Suddenly, I felt myself falling on the floor. I was going to take this chance to call out for help.
"JASPER! HEL--"
My mouth was covered again and I attempted to kick Ashley to free myself. But she was stronger than she looked and held on.
"Why are you digging into my past, Ms. Swan?" Ashley angrily asked.
I tried to answer but could not. I tried moving as much as I could to get free. But I could not.
"Anna?" I heard my husband coming down the stairs. "Are you okay?"
I muffled his name but Ashley's hand remained clamped over my mouth. Suddenly...
"Let my wife go, NOW!"
I glanced up to see Jasper pointing my sword at Ashley. In return, Ashley took out what looked like a lightsaber and pointed it at him.
"Really?" Ashley asked while I got myself free. "A sword? What is this? The medieval times?
"Says the woman with the lightsaber from a galaxy far, far away," Jasper snapped. "Now get out of here before I call the police!"
"Jasper, don't let her get away!" I yelled. "That's Ashley!"
"What? Okay, I'm calling the police."
Ashley kicked the phone out of Jasper's hand while pointing her lightsaber at me.
"One move, Jasper, or your wife dies!"
I closed my eyes and telepathically called April for help.
"I don't know how you know who I am, Ms. Swan, but if you continue to investigate those robberies, then you will die by my boss's hand!"
Ashley then made her move to escape but was cut off by Jasper. He tried to strike her with my sword only for Ashley to cut my sword in half with her lightsaber. She escaped.
I let out breaths I didn't know I was holding. Then I felt myself shaking and curling up on the floor.
"Anna!" Jasper yelled, quickly running over to my side. "Are you alright?"
"Call Donnie, please!" I pleaded with him, placing my phone in his hand.
For the first time since my grieving my father, I cried.
New York City, New York, USA
APRIL'S POV
"April, it's me, Anna. Ashley's here and threatening to kill me. Please get help!"
I gasped. I sprinted out of bed and into my husband's lab.
"Donnie, something's wrong--"
"Jasper, is everything alright?" he asked on the phone. "Oh dear. We're on our way."
Donnie hung up.
"April, Ashley just tried to kidnap Anna!"
"I heard Anna speaking to me just now," I replied with worry. "She's scared, D."
"Let's go."
San Diego, California, USA
Donnie and I took the portal to Anna's house. She and Jasper were holding each other on the floor in front of the counter. Anna was crying with fear in her green eyes.
"Anna, are you okay?" Donnie asked, checking her pulse.
"I think so, but I've never felt so traumatized before!"
"What did Ashley do to you?" I angrily asked her.
"I think she was trying to kidnap me because I was investigating the robberies she committed in San Francisco."
"She just admitted to you that she did all that?" Donnie asked with surprise.
"Not in so many words. She just asked me why I was investigating her past. Then she threatened me, said her boss would kill me if I continued my investigation."
"Her boss?" I repeated. "So Ashley's not working alone."
"That, or she's working for someone," Donnie suggested. "Did she give you any clues as to who she's working for?"
"No," Jasper answered. "That threat was all she left us. Thankfully, we're okay."
"Praise Jesus for that," I replied.
"Have you heard from Tiger Claw or Alopex at all?" Donnie asked.
"Yes, but they haven't found anything to pin Ashley down. What do we do now?"
Westport, Connecticut, USA
LILIANNA'S POV
I felt horrified reading my dad's texts. Just last week, Ryan and Isamu were knocked out by an unknown woman. Thankfully, Ryan survived his injuries. Tonight, Anna was almost kidnapped by Ashley and was traumatized by her actions.
I sat at the kitchen table alone and meditated on what all had happened. While everyone else through we had gotten nowhere with our investigation into Ashley, I learned a great deal about her.
Ashley had joined the Purple Dragons using the alias Angel Jones, and she had created files of all our enemies. After Hun freed her from her prison sentence for a store robbery, Ashley went off to college in California, where she committed one known robbery and numerous others that were unknown to the public. Anna discovered that Ashley was, indeed, responsible for the robberies, but she also discovered Ashley worked for someone. Unfortunately for us, no one was willing to talk about Ashley and she left very little evidence behind as to her whereabouts.
I heard knocking on the door and I was thankful for the distraction, even though it was confused.
"Who's here at eleven o'clock at night?" I asked.
I got up and went to answer the door. To my surprise, Wilbur was standing at the door.
"Hey, Lily."
"Wilbur! Please come in."
We walked back in the house and took a seat at the dining room table.
"We're going to have to talk quietly," I told him. "The children are asleep. James is upstairs in bed, though I don't know if he went to sleep or not."
"That's fine," Wilbur replied. "I heard a lot's happened and I was wondering if you were okay."
"I'm fine. It's Ryan, Isamu, and Anna I'm worried about. Ashley, for sure, attempted to kidnap Anna for digging too deep into her past. It may have been Ashley who knocked Ryan and Isamu out because she thought Ryan was my dad."
"It's a good thing your dad's leaving the university," Wilbur said with a sigh of relief.
"It was a good thing he was working remotely in New York. Otherwise, he would have been kidnapped, probably to try to get to me."
"So, what are you going to do?"
"Wilbur, I think the problem is we have way too many hands in this investigation. And now people, my family, are getting hurt."
"So what are you suggesting?" Wilbur asked with a raised eyebrow.
I glanced up and glared.
"Wilbur, tell everyone to not investigate anymore and live their lives as normal. I'm going to investigate Ashley Faris alone."