"I have been worried sick! What did you think you were doing?" Draxum yelled.

"I had no choice, alright!" Sil bit back.

---

Everyone else huddled outside the kitchen that Sil and Draxum decided to take over when their shouting match began. "You were irresponsible, undisciplined, and have a total lack of stealth skills. You have great power but no means of using them properly and to your wit!" 

Sil rolled her eyes and leaned back into her seat. "With great power comes great irresponsibility," 

"What was that?" the baron growled.

"Oh come on! You throwing around these insults and whatnot won't change the fact that I was caught okay? We both know that is situation is an occupational hazard." Sil answered with a ferocious voice. 

"Di-Sil!" Draxum spewed, quickly correcting himself before accidentally revealing the girl's identity. "You are the Silver Knight. Getting caught should be the last thing to ever happen to you. Thank the mystic forces the artifact fell into the hands of my creations."

"You're creations?" 

Draxum cringed. There remained many things that Sil had yet to find out about his past. "Don't get mad, but you remember my evil warrior scientist phase?" Sil nodded slowly. "Well, those turtles and the rat were the results of that incident all those years ago."

"What is 'that' incident?" Sil tilted her head questioningly.

"Sil! 'THAT' incident, remember? Lab on fire, I was grouchy for three months?"

"Ohhh.... that incident..." she remembered it well, the grouchy Draxum at least. She was the only one that got the grumpy baron to cheer up. What a time. 

"Okay, I'm not mad. Just a little disappointed you didn't tell me until now. Either way, what do you want me to do about this?" she gestured to the silhouette of the group of people outside the kitchen door and also the still-standing fact that the Silver Knight's heist had been foiled. Draxum huffed. Annoyed with their behavior, he called them out, "Quit hiding like cowards,".

The door barged open and in fell the mutant family and two humans. "I reckon you heard all of that?" Sil asked no one in particular. Leo grunted and pushed up from the floor, "Yeah we did. But enough with you asking us questions. How in the universe's name do you two know each other?" 

"I think she made it pretty clear when she said 'Uncle Drax'," the baron sasses. Leo could not believe it. The slider kept glancing back and forth between Sil and Draxum, "But you.... and you... sheep... and you human, how, wha..?"

Out of nowhere, Donnie popped up with Splinter perched on his shoulder. The purple genius grabbed onto Sil's and Draxum's hands, examining them through his goggles, "There does not appear to be any biological sign.... maybe emotional?" Splinter nodded in agreement and sneered at the baron. 

"I adopted her, ratman.." Draxum said, pulling his hand from Donnie's. The unbothered purple genius continued to examine Sil's hair and face.

"Aww, I think it is wonderful that Draxum considers a human as his niece. I'm so proud you are finally coming out of your shell," Mikey sauntered over and hugged the baron, the latter could do nothing lest he faces the wrath of Doctor Delicate Touch. 

"Maybe they are related because of Sil's mystic powers," Raph snapped his fingers as if a lightbulb went off in his head.

"Or maybe, Draxum kidnapped her data very young age and brought her into a life of thievery!" April pointed accusingly at Draxum, Cassandra already drawing out her baseball bat in case she needed to beat the sheepman to a pulp.

"Guys, he did not kidnap me. We found me wandering the streets of the Hidden City when I was younger and took me in. When he found out about my mystic thingy, he helped me learn how to use it." Sil told the two girls with a slightly worried smile. "Ah, I see. Well either way, if sheep dude does anything to hurt ya, just let me and Cass know," April replied gleefully. "We will splatter him to the ground! Girls gotta stick together," They both fist-bumped, and Sil couldn't help but feel touched. She's never had a girl group before.

Draxum sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, "Can we please get back to the matter at hand?".

"For once, I agree." Splinter crawled off Donnie's shoulder and stood on the table. "Just so we are all clear, you and Sil are arguing about the meteorite and how she got caught by my sons, yes?"

The Silver Knight and the Baron nodded. "She should have been more careful. Who knows what would have happened if someone else got to you."

"You mean her previous employer?" Raphael asked with all seriousness. Draxum nodded, "I assume she's told you about their interest in the meteorite. Yesterday, since she disappeared away from their radar, their leader placed a bounty on Sil's head."

He then turned to face his niece, "They know you found the artifact. They saw you with the package."

Sil groaned and ran her hands over her face, "That can't be. I was very aware of my surroundings,"

"Then how do you explain this?" Draxum revealed a wanted poster bearing Sil's full alias and a hefty bounty of seven thousand yokai credits.

Cassandra picked up the bounty poster, "Wanted by the Baron of the North..."

"Pray-tell who this is, Baron. I assume you know him?" Donnie questioned while taking a seat beside Sil. 

"The Baron of the North is another warrior alchemist. Much younger than myself but heinous and an anti-yokai hater. Hates mutants, especially humans that possess mystic powers." 

The others soaked up the information like a sponge. "Especially humans that possess mystic powers? You say that like there is more than one mystic human," Leo replied.

Draxum breathed deeply. Sil knew what he was about to say, she heard it many times before. "There were many humans with innate mystic powers, once. The Baron of the North hated it so he sought to kill every last one of them, and he did."

"What about Sil? She has mystic powers," Mikey pointed out.

"Sil's mystic powers are not innate, Michelangelo. Humans with innate mystic powers are able to control the powers balance within themselves," The baron explained.

"When Draxum found me, my powers were fluctuating all over the place. It was so unstable that if he had found me later, I'd already be dead. That doesn't happen to mystic-born humans." Sil added quietly.

"Does the meteorite have anything to do with this whole situation?" the slider asked, his blue mask imitating how his brow bones furrowed in worry. 

Draxum nodded, "Yes, because I finally found out why it's so important to the Baron of the North. Aside from providing the missing link that would connect the roots of mystic-kind and human ancestry, it contains a chemical that allows a non-mystic user to gain mystic energy."

Sil felt her heart race as her intense gaze met with Draxum's. The purple genius felt his brain explode with conclusions and thought, "You mean-"

"That same chemical can be found in Di- I mean, Sil's blood. Foreign in nature but fused unnaturally into her DNA."

Jaws dropped, including Sil's. After years of chasing answers, it's finally come down to this. Still, how did anyone get the chemical before now? Who tampered with her DNA? Was she made? A product of some experimentation? Little did she know, the same questions ran through Donatello's brain. 

Leo noticed the shift in Sil's demeanor. Her eyes glistened and her lips trembled. She was doing everything she could to not break at this very moment. As much as Leo didn't trust her, yet, he could understand the shock she was going through. It's the same shock he and his brothers went through the first time they found out they were mutants. Only this time, neither Sil nor anyone else could say with determination that she was indeed a human, or mutant, or yokai.

The red-eared slider nudged Donnie's foot from under the table to get his attention. The slider nodded slightly towards Sil, who remained at the border of panic. Donnie got the message, 'comfort'. He had to provide 'comfort'. No matter how much Leo felt distaste for the idea of Donnie, his twin, being close to the Silver Knight, Hamato Leonardo had to admit that the two could make a matching pair. If that were possible at all.

The genius' face wrinkled in natural distaste. He was never a person too fond of physical contact unless he initiated or allowed it to happen on instinct. That's it, instinct. As much as his brain said no, his little heart felt an arrow of sorrow pierce through it. As if he felt all her pain at once. Shock, fear, and loss. Letting his natural instincts take over, Donatello gently reached for Sil's hand that lay on her lap. He gave a light hold when she flinched. She gasped a little from the contact but calmed down when Donnie ran his thumb over her knuckles. 

' I'm okay ' she thought. ' I'm alright '.

Donnie for once thought of the idea of having someone to care for, possibly love. He still remembered Dianne, which Casey Jr said was Donnie's alleged wife. Maybe, the timeline has changed. Destiny could be rewritten right? He wasn't stuck to some random girl just because the future said so? Either way, if Sil could give him a new path to take, Donnie would grasp and hang on to it like the world was about to end. 

Only if he knew.

The small detail did not go unnoticed by Draxum's and Splinter's watchful eyes.

"I know you have the meteorite with you. Is it safe?" Draxum asked with worry. Donnie nodded, "I have it in my lab. It's still intact, but I've run a few scans on it,"

Draxum nodded. "There can only be so much done in your lab. I suggest we bring the meteorite to my lab in the Hidden City. I could use your analysis and brainpower to properly study the rock." Donatello nodded, ready to take on the challenge in the name of mystic science.

"I would need you and your sons to help me," Draxum said, turning to Splinter. "With all the heat on the meteorite and the bounty on my niece's head, we are bound to run into trouble,"

Splinter looked away for a moment. Sending his sons into another villain showdown was the last thing he wanted for his family. They already almost lost their lives to Shredder. Then the Krang came along and almost killed them all. Splinter knew the toll it took on all his boys, especially the newly appointed leader in blue. It didn't go to question when Splinter asked Leonardo to make the final decision. 

Leonardo watched his father's silent request. The red-eared slider turned towards his other family members. April and Cassandra standing beside him looking concerned over their new girl-friend. Mikey hugged Draxum's and Splinter's arms. Raph placed a hand on Leo's shoulder, "We trust you," he told the younger Hamato.

Lastly, Leo glanced at Donnie and Sil. Something about them made him feel a great urge to protect them at all costs. As if in some past life, they did the same for him. Casey Jones Jr never mentioned about how the others died, just that they did at some point. Leo felt overwhelmed but in the end, he made his decision. Raph trailed his gaze with Leo's, landing on his genius brother and the she-thief. The oldest Hamato smiled fondly, seeing not just Leo, but Donnie too growing up before his eyes. "Made your decision?" Raph asked his blue-clad brother. 

Leo nodded, "Yeah,"

"Alright, pops. We will help Draxum,"

The Baron let out a shaky breath, thanking Hamato Leonardo. "I have a question," Raph asked all of a sudden. "Sil has a bounty on her head. Wouldn't every bounty hunter on the hunt for her be searching every inch of the Hidden City?"

Mikey hummed as it dawned on him, "Raph is right. Draxum, we can't just march to your lab without getting Sil a disguise,"

"What about April's yokai friend, Sunita? Doesn't she have a cloaking broach? Maybe she knows one that could give Sil a yokai disguise." Splinter asked, turning to April and Cassandra.

April placed a finger on her lip thoughtfully, "It could work. I'll drop by Sunita's place tonight and fill her in with the details." Cassandra nodded, "We could also use an extra eye in the sky" the ex-foot recruit smiled proudly.

"You're gonna recruit Junior, aren't ya'?" Raph asked with a mischievous smile. "Ya know it," Cassandra smirked.

"Good, good. Get him on board. We will also need a way to smuggle Sil back to the Hidden City." Draxum informed.

"Why smuggle when you have Neon Leon? I can just portal us there," Leo pouted.

"Because, dear brother, whenever you portal us to the Hidden City, we always appear somewhere else in the world. Though, I would not mind you accidentally portalling us to Tahiti again." Donnie hummed, remembering the warm sun on his skin. Raph and Mikey churred. 

Leo groaned, "Fineee... so what do you suggest DonTron?" The slider slinged his arm over Donnie's shoulder. "We could always call in Hueso's favor. He owes me for the mocking dish of Hawaiian Pizza that he sent over for my birthday, " the soft-shell grimaced as he spoke. 

"Great idea, Dee. Whose gonna ask him? Mikey, Raph?" Leo poked them with his fingers only to make Donnie laugh mockingly.

"No, no no no. You, my dear brother, faceman, will do the asking."

Leo gasped, "Donnie, you know I can't do that. Not after the prank, we pulled on him,". Donnie faked sadness and noogied his brother. "Not my problem. You owe me a favor too, I'm calling it in." Leo relented but the two continued to bicker, Sil could not help but giggle. "It would be the greatest help you could offer me. Glad to see you trusting me a little," she told Leo.

The slider blushed unexpectedly, "Yeah, yeah. Whatever. I'm doing this for Donnie,"

"Now that that's settled. We need one more thing. If we do get ambushed I need Sil to get away from us as fast as possible and run to safety. She will need her mystic powers for that." Draxum pointed to the cuffs around her hand. 

---

Seated comfortably in the rotating chair, Donnie delicately held Sil's wrist as he unlocked the meticulous cuffs. Sil daydreamed. Thinking about everything the day had brought about.

"And... there we go." Donnie exclaimed with child-like happiness. "Give your powers a try?"

Sil nodded. She felt the powers collecting at the tips of her fingers as she conjured up a mini-portal big enough for her hand to pass through. When she withdrew her hand back, she brought a cup of steaming coffee. "Works just fine," she laughed, handing the cup to Donnie.

Donatello laughed. "You ready for tomorrow?"

Sil glanced at him from under her lashes, "Honestly, I don't know. It's a lot to process."

Donnie nodded thoughtfully. He then did the unthinkable and reached for Sil's hand. She gasped in surprise, and also at how softly he held her palms. "I-We'll be there with you along the way."

Sil watched him with glittering eyes, "Thank you, Donnie."

Donatello's heart swelled, 'for you, everything.' he promised silently in his soul.