Turtles' Big Sister

Mutagen Man Unleashed

"Come on, Mira! You got this! Just send a burst of fire my way!"

"But, Alex, what if I hurt you? It's literal fire. I don't wanna burn you."

Two kids stood facing off against each other. The older one was about 10, with dark skin, unruly black hair, and warm brown eyes. He was dressed in a white combat vest and shorts, and hiking boots. He held a curved kama in either hand. The kid opposite him was younger, maybe 8. Unlike the boy, she was a mutant: a lioness with snow-white fur and black hair tied back in a braid. Her dark bangs framed her green-and-amber heterochromatic eyes. She wore a white combat vest and shorts like the boy, but instead of hiking boots, she had on black combat boots. She held a staff in her hands: a long, rough length of wood with a hooked end.

The boy, Alejandro (nicknamed Alex by his little sister), rolled his eyes. "Oh, chill out, little sis. You won't be able to touch me with that fire of yours. I'll just duck or roll out of the way, don't worry. You won't hit me." He spread his feet and lifted his kamas, smirking at Mira. "But you're welcome to try."

Mira swallowed and tightened her hold on her staff. She gave it a swift twirl and pointed it at Alejandro. A jet of flame shot from the end, and, just as he'd said, Alejandro ducked, letting it shoot over his head.

"Good!" he encouraged, charging at Mira with his weapons raised. "Now, come on! Try and knock me off my feet!"

Mira yelped and dodged as he swung at her. She blocked his kamas with her staff, and the hooked blades settled over the wood. Mira took advantage and spun around, yanking Alejandro around with her. She twirled her staff again, yanking the kamas from Alejandro's hands and sending them skidding across the grass. With one swift move, she crouched and spun, trying to sweep Alejandro's feet, but he timed his flip careful to dodge her foot and jump over her head. He landed behind her and grabbed her arm, flipping her over his shoulder. She twisted to land on her feet and slammed the end of her staff into his stomach. With a grunt, he stumbled backwards, but grabbed the staff and wrenched it from Mira's hands.

He lunged at Mira, ready to tackle her to the ground, and she yelped, instinctively raising her hands to shield her face. A jet of ice shot from her palms and slammed Alejandro in the chest. It knocked him off his feet and sent him flying to land hard in the grass.

Mira's eyes widened in horror and her hands flew up to cover her muzzle. "Alex!" She bolted for her brother and slid down beside him, shaking him by the shoulders. "Alex? Alex! Alejandro! Wake up!"

Alejandro groaned, his eyes fluttering open. He sat up and rubbed his chest where the icy blast had hit him, giving Mira a tired grin. "Nice shot, little sis." He ruffled her hair affectionately. "Maybe I underestimated you."

Mira's eyes narrowed and she swatted his arm. "You idiot! I told you I shouldn't be practicing my powers on you! I can't control them! What if that had been fire I'd hit you with? I could have killed you!"

Alejandro smiled at her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side. "Don't worry, little sis. I won't let that happen. You're getting really good at using your magic. Trust me, before long, there won't be any more unexpected bursts of ice or fire or any other element in the middle of a sparring session. And even if you manage to hit me once or twice, I'm not going anywhere, I promise."

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"I promise."

The last words of her dream echoed in Pepper's mind as she woke up and frowned in confusion. That wasn't a memory of hers like the last time she'd had a weird dream; but she did know those people. At least, she knew the dark-haired human, even if, when she'd last seen him, he was much older than he had been in the dream. She had a pretty good idea of who the girl was, too. And if she was right, then did that explain where her powers came from? She'd inherited them?