Luke didn’t look for Mindy directly, but casually asked the little turtles whom she was close to if she had been doing any “extra school activities” recently.
Donnie hemmed and hawed; clearly, he was hiding something.
Luke simply hummed in acknowledgement before he cut the communication.
Donnie pondered for a moment, then suddenly jumped up. “Not good. Something big happened.”
Bewildered, Mikey raised his head from the game console. “What’s the big deal?”
Donnie said, “Mr. Bruce just asked me if I knew what Pink Bear has been up to recently.”
Mikey was stumped for a moment. The girl in the pink bear suit on the TV screen was hit by the Hell-level big boss’s ultimate move, “super laser cannon.” She screamed and puked blood before falling to the ground.
A huge K.O. popped up on the screen.
The boss laughed wildly, and the two minors trembled.
Mikey gulped hard. “No~ way~ right? This is just a game.”
Donnie said miserably, “I know Mr. Bruce won’t beat us up. After all, he’s never beaten us up, or even scolded us…”
Mikey was relaxed.
Donnie, however, added, “But if Master finds out, he’ll definitely confine us to ‘Mikey’s bad room’.”
Mikey was angry. “Hey, excuse me? Am I the only unlucky one? Can the three of you escape?”
Two round heads suddenly stuck themselves through the door. It was Raphael and Leo. “Who did something bad?”
“Why are we being confined in ‘Mikey’s bad room’ again?”
Donnie told them about Luke’s question, and the two little turtles were stumped.
Raphael asked, “Then, should we apologize to Master first?”
Leo said, “Idiot, Mr. Bruce was just asking. Besides, wasn’t it just a passing thought?”
As the four little turtles bickered, Luke cut the communication and chuckled. “Interesting. The little guys have their own secrets now.”
He was very calm about it. He wasn’t angry, disappointed, sad or anything like that.
Kids all had their own little secrets. It could be a crush, an embarrassing episode that nobody knew about, a prank that had yet to be discovered, and so on.
Thinking that, Luke chuckled. “Time to show you my amazing detective skills. Tremble, children!”
Selina had just finished her shower after training, and was walking down the stairs with a bottle of Dr. Pepper.
Seeing a certain person acting foolishly on his own, she rolled her eyes. “Do you need me to remind you that our agency currently only has one job that is not earning us any money? Are you going to demonstrate your detective skills to the air?”
Luke turned around and looked at Selina, who was only wearing a bathrobe. “Can’t I rehearse?”
Selina took a sip of her cold soda and smacked her lips. “Tell me about it.”
A moment later, she exclaimed, “Is your brother going out with Mindy?”
Luke’s eyes twitched when he heard that. They were still kids. Couldn’t it be a little more innocent reason?
But he had to admit that it was indeed a possibility.
Mindy had just entered tenth grade, and Joseph was about to enter seventh grade. These two guys were especially precocious, and might really have a “secret thing.”
Of course, he didn’t think it was likely.
It was more likely that these kids were playing at carrying out some sort of “secret operation.”
It would be beneath Batman to check their communication records outright.
So, he nodded. “It’s decided. This will be our agency’s second commission.”
Selina spat out her soda. “Why are you going up against kids? Who’s hiring you?”
Luke silently raised a finger and pointed at his nose. “Me. It’s a commission for myself.”
Selina: “…”
The dog head, who had been watching silently: “…”
…
The next day, Luke’s family gathered together; even Grandpa Drax was with them.
Claire was also here, but she didn’t stay in Luke’s apartment in New Jersey with everyone else. Instead, she made her own arrangements.
It had been a long time since they last met, and it was a very lively gathering.
Cindy, who was almost two years old, was the little princess of the family. She was kissed and hugged, and giggled happily.
But the people she liked the most were… Luke and Selina.
It was impossible for a two-year-old girl to remember them, but their “chi” was the most attractive to her.
The father could only hide on the side and wonder jealously why his little angel ignored him. God wasn’t fair.
If he asked Luke the question directly, he might get the right answer — because his chi was too weak.
Apart from that, little Cindy’s favorite was… Gold Nugget.
It was pure fate.
The little princess liked to run around with the dog head.
The dog head really couldn’t stand this little tyrant whom it couldn’t beat up or be fierce with, so it simply used Dollar to fend her off.
Dollar, this middle-aged “nanny,” was simply a marvel at keeping kids company.
Then, a certain father doubted himself even more. Am I not even as good as a dog?
It wasn’t until Luke dragged him out that the father stopped feeling sorry for himself.
Luke wanted to ask Robert and Catherine if they needed a place in Nassau County or New Jersey.
Robert didn’t say anything and left the decision to the head of the family, Catherine.
Catherine shook her head with a smile.
Firstly, this small apartment in New Jersey was enough for the family to gather for a short period of time.
Secondly, they couldn’t leave Drax alone in Texas.
Robert and his wife could take turns living in New York and Texas, but Drax definitely couldn’t.
The old man was already used to everything there.
It was uncomfortable for him to spend half a month in a metropolis instead of on his own ranch, where he could drive his beloved modified truck, play with guns, drink, ride horses and feed the cows.
In comparison, letting Joseph return to Texas every year to visit his grandpa was a better choice.
That was because the old man’s heart was now full of little Cindy.
The old man had always insisted that Texan men should be tough and wild, but little Cindy was a girl, and girls just needed to be cute.
Besides, little Cindy was more lively and energetic than Claire had been at that age.
She was always excited about going to her grandpa’s place to play, and was very happy to ride the horses, walk the dogs and feed the cows with him.
The old man treasured her.
If Robert and the others came over to New York and took away the old man’s only grandchild who could keep him company, he would be too lonely.
Luke didn’t force them.
Robert, Catherine and Drax were all homebodies.
Since they were living comfortably in their hometown, there was no need to force them to change their lifestyle.
