#riseoftheturtles

Splinter shoved Mikey away with surprise, "Him? Purple? Donatello has a -". Right at that moment, Donnie and Sil decided to stroll in. The five people in the hall were either struck with sheer bewilderment or immense shock or experiencing both at the same time. 

"-A girlfriend?!" April and Splinter shouted at the same time. Cassandra was forced to spit out her hot coffee all over poor Leo's face. 

Sil and Donnie froze. "N-no no. You got it wrong. I am not his girlfriend." Sil explained, successfully hiding her blush, Donnie just nodded furiously, "Yeah.. yeah whatever she said." With all eyes on them, Sil and Donnie quickly parted ways. Sil went to sit beside Raph and Donnie sat between Splinter and Leo. Leo gave Sil a hard glare, growing protective over his twin. Mikey plopped down beside Sil and quietly mentioned who April and Cassandra are to which she thanked him.

Splinter however felt pride growing from within his furry chest and made the 'winky eyes' at his purple son, "I must say, Purple. I am surprised as I am proud that at least one of my sons has inherited my Lou Jitsu charm." The tiny rat man pulled Donnie in for a father-son hug. "We will go over the flirting step later so you can quickly make her my daughter-in-law"

Donnie sighed but didn't have the courage to deny anything. So naturally, Splinter took it as a good sign. April then shimmied towards Donnie, Cassandra draping herself across his back, "Dee, you did not tell me of your new girl." April started. 

Cassandra shook her head displeased, "That is unacceptable in the world of friendship. The girls must always find out about their friend's love life. How dare you not inform us of such a momentous occasion." April nodded in agreement, "You gotta introduce Cass and I properly later,"

Donnie sighed, "You do realize that this is not what we want to discuss today?" though he assured the girls of a proper introduction later.

"For once, Donnie's right. We have a situation on our hands so where in the yokai universe is Draxum?" Leo butted in the chatter and asked Splinter in a hushed tone. "He will be a little late my son. I suggest we start before him if the matter is as important as you say."

Leo nodded. "Alright, gather around everyone. I think today's topic is pretty clear. It's about her!" Splinter put his hand up like an excited teen about to ask a really stupid question but Leo cut him off immediately, "NO! No stop, no. It has nothing to do about any of us giving you grandkids."

Splinter scowled and put his hands down then gestured for Leo to continue. "This person right here is the thief we were pursuing yesterday," the red-eared slider pointed an accusatory finger toward Sil. Mummers broke out between Cassandra, April, and Splinter. "She managed to steal a meteorite from the museum of natural history and was about to get away. Thankfully, we stopped her just in time."

April gave Leo a confused look, "You called me all the way here for something urgent. How is stealing a meteorite that urgent?"

Leo smirked, "You see, April. She's not a regular human thief and that meteorite is not a regular meteorite. Our little thief claims that the meteorite has some fancy rare material that has something to do with yokai, mutants, and humans. Our thief herself has mystic powers"

Once he got the attention of his father and friend, the leader in blue continued to explain Sil's alias, nickname, and mystic powers. "How does a regular human have mystic powers? Are you part mutant?" Cassandra asked with interest.

Sil shrugged her shoulders, "I think so. I know I am human for obvious reasons but have no idea where the yokai or mutant part mix in" 

"I mean no offense but you're a thief, right? Correct me if I'm wrong, but you wouldn't be stealing this specific meteorite for just decor. Whatever property this space rock has could be most probably used for something scientific background, so in conclusion, someone with a high level of knowledge of human, yokai, and mutant biology would possibly burn everything on their part to get their hands on something priceless as this. Your buyer must be some crazy science dude. Right, Sil?" by the end of her crazy theory, April was at the edge of her seat, dripping bullets of sweat. Sil was astounded, "You theorized all that just now?"

Mikey patted Sil's shoulder with a kind smile, "Yeah, she's Donnie's best friend forever. Sticking around Donnie all the time would do that to you,"

"Also, she is a professional journalist in the making," declared Donnie as he proceeded to fist-bump his best bud.

Sil smiled softly and turned her attention to April. "I'm impressed, and yes. That is why I stole."

The curly-haired brunette cheered, "I'm crushing this thing, and thank you. You wouldn't be able to disclose whomever you're working for?." Sil gently shook her head, "Private and confidential, I'm afraid."

The noise and excitement in the room gradually died down as each person took in whatever information they could. Finally, Splinter decided to speak up. "Sil, this is very important news. I must ask, however, as a father and protector of my family. If you and your employer who would be most likely a yokai themselves, are working with something as powerful as the space rock, you would be on any bad person's capture list. Am I right?"

Sil eyed the rat man carefully. "That is true," she confirmed. "My employer is not the only one who would have use for such an artifact. Whoever knows of its properties will stop at nothing to get their hands on it. The components in that rock could solve thousands of unanswered questions about yokai, mutant and human life. We might have the missing link in the palms of our hands, the discovery of the millennia."

The turtles glanced at each other, seeming to catch on to the weight of the situation. "Has anyone else approached you to steal for them before your current employer?". Sil thought over Splinter's new inquiry for a moment. There was one other, but it was a long time ago. "Yes, there was but I refused."

"Why?" Splinter asked. "Ethical reasons and the fact that they were widely known to mishandle powerful items."

"Were they yokai or mutant?" Donnie asked. "They were yokai. It's best to forgo the details" Sil told him and turned to Splinter and Leo, "You are right that to think that there are bad people after this artifact. The first person who asked me constantly keep an eye on my being since I am known for making heists on important mystic artifacts. They have a deep network but remain very discrete and secretive."

Leo hummed thoughtfully before giving Sil his full attention, "Does said person spy on you?" he asked with a hint of worry. Sil nodded. "I even had run-ins with their spies. They mostly leave a word of threat to scare me back into working for them. Promising me huge sums of money and wealth and other fortunes."

"And you didn't accept it?" surprise washed over the leader's face.

"Nope. As I said, they had ethical issues. Massive ethical issues. Since I am human, I don't want to simply hand over my race to a potentially dangerous individual who poses a high chance of using whatever is in the space rock to destroy humanity." the girl replied in all honesty. Leo remained baffled. All this while, she could actually be a  good person?

Sil watched conflict race over Leonardo's face so she gracefully saved him from overthinking, "I know you're the leader, Leonardo. I also understand why you will remain skeptical of me, however, do not peg me for some cheap bastard who steals for her own benefit without thinking about the consequences others would face." Leo listened eagerly.

"I want answers desperately and in my search for what I am, I will carefully choose who to trust. I've known my employer for quite some time and their reason for the study is completely humane." Leo could see that Sil trusted her buyer. Still, he thought about the potential dangers this situation would bring if the rock fell into the wrong hands.

"How do I know you're not lying to me?" Leo started while his family watched him spew out questions of hows, ifs, and whats. "How do I know that this isn't an elaborate plan and some well-thought-out lie for us to let down our guard? What if you're working for the bad guys? How can you assure me that in any situation, my family would stay safe and away from danger?"

Sil ran the questions through her head once, twice, and thrice. All eyes were on her and waiting. Raph being the oldest and having a sense of leadership turned a serious stare. Splinter sitting straight up and his person demanding all respect and honesty. Donnie, Mikey, April, and Cassandra waited for her response. 

Sil saw that this family loved each other dearly and sought to protect each other to the very end of each other's breath. How she longed for a life like this. To make her point, she decided to stand up. Before speaking, her mind made a natural response to give Donatello, one of the turtles who has shown her much care aside from Raph and Mikey, a meaningful look, which he received as sincere and scared. 

Sil then stood straight and looked Leo and Splinter in their eyes, "I am not lying to you. How to prove that, I have no idea but I have no benefit in lying. If you really want to know about the bad guys, give them another day to sense the disappearance of my presence in the Hidden City. As soon as they realize my absence the city will be scattered with bounty hunters all in search of whatever price they place on my head. This of course means, that the longer I am here, the longer I am kept away from doing my job, the higher the risks of those goons hurting you and your family along the way."

The Silver Knight took a deep breath to steady herself and continued, "I am a criminal. I steal to make a living and survive and most of the time it gets me into many dangerous and life-threatening situations. This could very well be one."

She then braced herself to allow one part of her life's story to be exposed. Sometimes in delicate situations like these, one must compromise their vulnerability. "There was once a family of yokai who tried to help me recuperate after receiving some heavy injuries from a run-in with the goons. I was grateful and soon as I was healed, I left. A few weeks later I returned with some money to pay the family as gratitude. I-, their home had been reduced to ashes. I remember seeing their charred bodies, father, mother, and child. I learned a lesson to never let any innocent family help me ever again."

She felt a tear rising in her eyes but she quickly blinked them away. She watched Splinter, Leo and the others process the story for as long as they needed. From his seat, Hamato Yoshi observed his family in silence. His eyes then settled on Sil, who had her head held down with a look of shame and regret. With a small grunt, Splinter walked over to Sil, tapping her lightly on her knee to get her attention. "What you went through is horrible. No one should ever be forced to witness that. I understand the warning you give. Though I may not be a hundred percent certain of your innocence, I put a great amount of trust in you and believe your story." 

The thief gulped the formed lump in her throat and nodded. The Hamato father turned to his son in blue, asking in silence what he thought. Leo breathed calmly and met Sil's gaze, "For now, I think I can trust you."

Sil thanked him silently, watching as Leo approached her till he stopped about a foot away, "If you lie, I will gladly meet you at the end of my blade". The thief lowered her gaze slightly. Agreeing with what Leo demanded. "I understand," she confirmed.

Leo hummed, "I guess you need to stay with us for now. Until Donnie can properly analyze the rock, it is not leaving the lair."

"Also, we should let Draxum see it before we decide on anything else." Donnie approached his brother. "What about your employer? Won't he be searching for you too?" the purple turtle asked, and the blue turtle turned his own curious gaze toward Sil. 

"Uhm, Sil? Why do you have that weird look on your face?" Mikey asked, pushing his head between his brothers. Raph, Cassandra, April, and Splinter all huddled in to see what Mikey pointed out. Sil wore an expression between mild astonishment and shock. "Is she having a stroke, Purple?" Splinter asked from his perch on Raph's shoulder.

"I don't think that's a stroke Mikey," Cassandra told him while waving her hands in front of Sil's face. It was enough to wake Sil.

The thief shook her head, "Did you say, Draxum?" 

The brother's shared a look. "Uh, yeah."

Sil took in a deep breath. Maybe she just dreamed of them saying that name. Yeah, that could be it, right? Another Draxum. A doppelganger. 

"Hey, Sil? You feeling good? Your face is a little red," Leo gently placed his hand on her shoulder and turned to a slightly worried Donnie. Sil didn't even register is when Donnie's hand went to her forehead. "She doesn't have a fever," he then cupped her face and observed her pupils. His fingers drifted to her wrist where he gently pressed to find Sil's pulse. "Rapid pulse and dilated pupils," Donnie announced.

"She's panicking." Leo concluded, "But of what? The name?" Leo thought for a while, "Sil, is it about Draxum?"

Sil once again broke into a panic, but she managed to speak, "You guys mentioned Draxum?"

"Yes, we did," April worriedly replied. "Like the Draxum? Baron Draxum!" Sil urged, eyes blown wide. 

They were about to say yes when a loud booming voice rang in the hall. "Alright, what's with the meeting? I am missing my fancy breakfast, you know. Not to mention the terrible morning I had."

Sil tensed and froze. "Hide me!" she whisper yelled. Donnie instinctively placed Sil behind him while the others quickly turned towards Draxum with uncomfortable grins on their faces. "Why does it look like you're hiding something?" He questioned them. 

"We're not hiding anything!" squeaked Raph. The sweat drenching his mask said otherwise. "Then why do I smell your fear stink?" Draxum pressed. "Ahaha, my son just woke up from a nightmare about a demon puppet bunny. Nothing fishy going on here." Splinter laughed nervously.

Draxum squinted his eyes. He was making them very uncomfortable. "Whatever. I just hope this meeting is worth my time. I am expecting an important drop-off, a very special item, of immense value and power."

Sil tensed from behind Donnie and grabbed onto his shoulder out of fear. Donnie silently extended his hand to grasp hers, calming her a little. Sil prayed silently to whatever for the newcomer to stop talking. "If the item goes into the wrong hands, it could spell danger for both mystic and humankind." Draxum continued to rant.

Donnie sneakily reached his fingers to Sil's wrist and pressed on her pulse. Something began to click in the giant brain of his. Sil panicked at Draxum's name. Sil asked them if they were referring to the Draxum. Baron Draxum. When she heard Draxum's voice she asked to be hidden. 

"Oh, bummer. Lost in the mail huh? Maybe file a complaint?" Sil cursed and tugged on Mikey's mask tails to shut him up. Donnie felt her pulse quicken. 

"File a complaint? Clearly, you do not understand the weight of my problem. This item had to be retrieved with the most secrecy. Studying it would answer my questions about human and mystic-kind. Unfortunately, our communication got cut up yesterday so I think my thief ran into some trouble" 

Oh, shit. 

"Holy truffle mac and cheese!" 

Everyone in the room turned to look at Donnie, Leo sending him an 'I'm going to kill you if you rat us out, sign.' 

"Why do you look nervous, Donatello?" The purple genius flinced when Draxum called him out. With the intense stare from the older yokai, it was easy to drown out the panicked looks his family gave him. On the other hand, Donnie felt Sil tremble. He felt once again for her pulse. Everything cliked into place. Mr. Hamato figured out who Sil's employer was. 

"Answer me" 

Donnie slipped, "We are totally not hiding your possible thief from you and definitely not in any possession of any mystic meteorite!" 

"DONNIE!" Everyone shouted in disappointment. The softshell turtle chuckled nervously. "Whose legs are those? Who's standing behind you?" Draxum pointed to the obvious pair of legs hiding behind the purple turtle. 

With one giant step, Draxum pushed away the Hamato with his purple vines and lifted Donnie by the legs with another. 

"WHAT THE?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" 

The color on Sil's face drained a little. She offered a small wave and a weak grin. 

"Uh haha. Hey, Uncle Drax..."