A/N:

Raaahgraaborgahhh!

This wasn't supposed to take this long! But, after hitting more then 10k words and still going, (longer then any other chapter or one shot I've written), I decided to break it up, post a good chunk of it, and let you guys have at least that little tidbit while I continue to beat my head against the conclusion of this arc. So go ahead and enjoy both my pain, and Leo's.


Of Honor and Respect: Part Two


"So who's ready for a night filled with awesome and education?!" Casey gleefully raised both eyebrows at me through the rearview mirror, grinning widely as he let go of the steering wheel of the parked Party Wagon and leaned back in the driver's seat. "I can see that Leo totally is!"

Sandwiched between Karai and Shini in the back seat, I slouched, arms crossed. "Let's just get this over with."

"Psh. Now is that the type of attitude to have, Leo?" Karai scoffed as she unbuckled and started getting out of the vehicle. "You should be excited! We're on a super secret ninja spy mission!"

"The signs are in the trunk, don't forget them!" Shini reminded them all. "Mikey requested that we hold that one up front and center!"

"Oh yes. Wave around the brightly painted signs covered in all the glitter." I sighed as I pushed my door open, slid out, and reached back in to grab my duffel bag. . "Because, y'know, 'Super Secret Ninja Spy Mission' after all."

"It's just two hours, Leo." April said comfortingly, patting me on the shoulder. "You just need to survive for two hours."

The cool night breeze wafting through the parking lot ruffled my hair, and I glanced over towards the well lit building with large letter proclaiming 'Bradford Dojos'. I could faintly sense three colorful auras touch down on the roof of the gym, and I exhaled slowly, eyeing the roof in hopes of catching maybe even a slight glimpse of them.

On one hand, it was extremely comforting to know that my brothers were going to be nearby and watching.

Buuut... on the other hand, they were my brothers and they were going to be watching, gleefully viewing every humiliating moment of the whole event on some HD screen that Donnie dragged along up there on that roof. I knew that they would all be enjoying themselves waaay too much at my expense. I was never going to hear the end of this.

The truck lid was pushed shut with a click, and, with the lovingly crafted squares of cardboard covered in paint and glitter tucked safely under Shini's arms. "'Super Secret Ninja Spy Mission Distraction Props' are ready to go!" she cheerfully chirped.

"Check and check! Alright, everybody ready?" Casey asked as he pressed the key fob and the modified volkswagon gave the 'I'm Locking!beep-beep' alert.

Karai grabbed my shoulders and answered before I could. "Of course! Let's get this party started!"

"Hurray. Can't wait." I muttered as I was ushered along reluctantly.

We wove between the rows of parked cars in the small parking lot lit by tall street lamps as we made our way towards the lights of the squat, cement square building. And then, as we rounded around a row of SUV's, I froze midstep and stared in horror and disbelief as the entrance came into full view.

No...

Were those really...?!

Yes! They were!

On either side of the entrance, there were really two actual inflatable waving tube guys flopping around with flailing arms, painted black with masks so they looked like tall, thin, wildly gesticulating ninjas.

I could only stare in disbelief at the tacky display.

Was this a dojo, or a shady used car sales lot?!

There was a sudden, momentary flash of brilliant white light that nearly blinded me, accompanied by a clicking sound effect.

I paused, and slowly turned to narrow my eyes at Casey.

"Sorry!" he apologized absently, glancing at his phone screen, and tapping at the screen. "Didn't realize it was dark enough out here to trigger the flash function on the cameraphone. I kinda promised Mikey, though."

"Mikey's hoping to create a photo collage with the footage we get tonight." Shini nodded in explanation, and then waved her hands across the air. "He's going to title it 'Leo's Faces of Offended Outrage'."

Casey paused for a second, noting the look on my face, and then brought up his phone and snapped another picture.

"Come on, Leo." April sighed with an air of tried patience, reaching down to put a hand on my back to usher me towards the door. "We still have to get you signed in."

I hoisted up the duffel strap further up on my shoulder and grudgingly followed her in, resigned and determined to get this night done and over with.

We walked between the tacky, flailing inflatable tube ninjas, and pushed open the two glass doors covered in a large decal of human Chris Bradford giving a high kick and a thumbs up, as well as several fliers detailing tour schedules and advertising new merchandise.

So yeah, we were only at the entrance to the building, and I was already regretting everything about this.


We stepped inside the building housing the dojo, and was greeted by the sight of a crowd of people milling around in the entrance area. To my relief, there wasn't a huge number of people, this was a demonstration and not an actual show, after all, and thus it seemed to mostly be local people, those curious to see some martial arts in action, and friends and family of the students, some more enthusiastic then others. It looked more like the crowd that would show up to a school sporting event then the fanbase of a celebrity.

I also quickly noted, with some distaste, that the entry room also, conveniently, doubled as a large, well stocked gift shop.

Because of course it would be.

On our way back to the ticket stand, we walked through shelves and racks filled with a wide variety of overpriced merchandise, where they were selling everything from shelves upon shelves of Bradford themed food and drink, to racks of branded clothing, to rows of action figures. There was Bradford Dojo tabi socks and gloves and padded armor and gi's, and even a wide variety of ninja weapons, both toy versions for kids and real (if poorly made) versions for students.

I noticed a bobble head Chris Bradford (shirtless with rippling pecs, of course) on a shelf, and paused to poke at it, watching the head wobble about with narrowed, judgmental blue eyes.

There was a camera click as Casey snapped another picture.

I turned my blue eyed glare towards him instead.

Ignoring my look, he lowered his phone and reached over to pick up the bobblehead, turning it over and examining it thoughtfully. "I should get one of these for Raph." He commented offhandedly. "I bet he'd get a kick out of it."

"Oh my gosh! Look, Karai!" Shinigami bent over to examine shelves of DVD and VHS tapes. She ran a hand over the titles, reading them off. "'McQuinn, the Lone Wolf', 'Firerunner', ha! They even have both Alpha Force One and Two here! Oh wow, do these bring back memories!"

Karai walked up next to her, and reached over to pick up one of the DVD cases, making a face. "Oh, how could I ever forget the long, painful nights he always called 'Cultural Education'." She made air quotes around the phrase, her nose wrinkled. "Recruits were always fighting over who got to go out on patrols those nights, they were always coming up with any excuse to get out of it."

"Hm." April was looking around, and pointed towards a staff member with a clipboard standing next to a doorframe, talking to a young teen with a green mohawk and what I assumed was his father. "Hey guys, I think that's where Leo and I are supposed to go."

Karai nodded, and put the DVD back as she glanced at the line formed at the ticket booth next to the double swinging doors to the gymnasium. "We'll go get in line for tickets while you get Leo checked in, April."

"Come on, let's go! I want to get seats front and center!" Shini eagerly grabbed Karai's hand, pulling her towards the line.

"Good luck, Leo!" Karai laughed as she followed her wife, Casey tagging along while scrolling through his phone screen with a wide grin on his face, probably texting pictures to my brothers.

I sighed and nodded to them as April gently herded me off to the check in station.

"Oh, I'm sorry, ma'am." the attendant glanced at her, then down at me. "The line for tickets is over there. This area is for tonight's guest students."

"Oh, yes, that's why we're here." April nodded, putting a hand on my shoulder. "This is Leonardo Hamato. He's from the Roosevelt Primary School, and was assigned to tonight's class."

The attendant looked at me and blinked, frowning, then back down at his clipboard. "Wait, are you certain? There must be some mistake. This program is only for sixth grade and up."

I folded my arms. "Well, unfortunately, it so happens that I am in sixth grade, so, alas, that statement doesn't exactly disqualify me."

The attendant looked between me and April, looking surprised and a little doubtful. "Are... are you sure? You look a little young."

"Yes, I am sure of which grade I am currently in, thank you." I sighed, fingers on the bridge of my nose. Why? Why did this always happen? "And, for your information, I'm thirteen."

"Is there paperwork or something I should be filling out here?" April wondered out loud, her eyebrow arching at the attendant.

"Oh! Uh, yes." The attendant cleared his throat and quickly put on a more professional face, glancing down at his clipboard. "Well, you are on the list, so after I see some form of ID, I'll need you to complete and sign these, please." He pulled out a few sheets of paper and handed them to her.

April glanced over the sheets, her lips pursed, and nodded. "I'm going to need a moment to read through all the fine print first."

The attendant gave a sigh, obviously realized that April was going to be one of those mother types, and dutifully compared the driver's license and student ID handed to him against his checklist. "Of course, ma'am. They just need to be signed before the presentation begins. Let me know if you have any questions."

"I have one." I pulled out a piece of folded paper and held it up to him. "I need to get this signed for my school, to prove that I've been here. How do I get that done?"

"Ah." the attendant nodded. "Yes, don't worry. Master Bradford will sign that for you at the end of the class."

I paused, and eyed the man. "I don't suppose we can just skip the whole middle man, get it signed now, and just say that this whole thing happened?"

Both the attendant and April gave me a look.

"It was worth a try, at least." I sighed, slipping the paper back into my pocket.

"As I said, Master Bradford will sign it after the program is complete." the attendant said firmly. "Now come on into the room please, we still need to get everybody else checked in as well."


We were led into a room that had a few folding chairs set up, as well as a table with cups of water and Bradford Dojo granola bars. There was also a row of lockers, and a few changing rooms in the back. As April sat off to the side and meticulously went over the sign in sheets, discreetly going over the details with Donnie, I assumed, to make sure nothing in there would compromise our clan, I went over to stand with the other kids in the waiting room.

"Alright, if everybody calms down, we'll begin." The attendant tried to get everybody's attention, comparing us to a clipboard. "I do believe that everybody is here now, so let me welcome you all to Bradford Dojo's Incorporated, where together we can learn to earn the respect. I will be going over the rules here, and then you'll each be given a complimentary official 'Future Bradford 2 Tuff Crew 2' uniform to wear tonight. Additional uniforms and accessories may be purchased at a discount after the program is over in the gift area, as well as brochures for the Bradford Dojo lesson plans. We hope you enjoy your time as part of the Bradford Dojo family, and hope you come away tonight feeling the respect!"

As the attendant went over the rules we were expected to follow tonight, I glanced around, clutching my bag to my chest. There seemed to be about nine other kids, varying in age from a girl who looked to be about my age, to a few that looked like they could even be seniors in high school. My fellow 'troubled youths', I supposed. Of course, I was the smallest, because that always seemed to be the way things went in my new life. I heard a few derisive coughs of 'shrimp' and 'runt', but, for the most part, the kids mulling around me were too excited to pay much attention to the small kid hanging in the back.

There were adults as well, parents and other family members. Some of them were well dressed, and others obviously came from rougher walks of life.

"Ah! Here are my students for tonight! Welcome! Welcome!" The attendant was interrupted as the doors to the waiting room swung open, and suddenly the room was filled with a confident and intense energy as a tall, broad chested man strode into the room.

This was a man who instantly attracted everybody's attention, and he not only knew that, but he reveled in the fact. He was flanked by two smartly dressed assistants who seemed to be constantly busy, talking into headsets, shuffling papers, and adjusting wires on the large man.

Even if I didn't exactly remember Chris Bradford from my past life, I had seen enough promotional material that I could instantly tell who this was.

Jack Bradford definitely bore a striking resemblance to his late uncle, though his face and build were a little more slender then the pictures and cutouts I had seen. He seemed to be trying to emulate his uncle as much as he could, his hair and beard were styled in the same manner, though his of a more reddish hue, and he even wore similar clothing, currently sporting a sleeveless shirt that showed off his muscled arms and chest. I noted that despite his cheesy Hollywood aura and outfit, he still moved with an easy and confident grace, obviously comfortable and in control.

"Sensei Bradford!" one of the students quickly moved up to him, stars in her eyes as she held out a small poster. "Could... could I get your autograph?! I plan to hang this up in my room!"

"Of course!" Jack flashed her a shiny white smile. "Tonight, you are all my students, and my students are always treated like VIPs!"

He held up a hand, and, taking the cue obediently, one of his attendant placed a permanent marker in his palm. He spun it with a flourish, and quickly went about writing some sort of inspirational message on the poster. I couldn't read it from here, but it was probably something to do with 'Respect' and all that nonsense. The other kids quickly began crowding around him, holding up books and photos and other things to sign, and he charismatically stopped to talk to each one of them.

"Hm." I heard the director muse, and I glanced up at her, noticing the way she was studying me. "This might be a problem. I don't think we have a uniform in your size."

"Oh, that's okay. I brought my own." I put my bag down on floor and pulled out the black and blue gi my brothers had made for me, showing it to her.

She glanced at it, bit her lip, then sighed in resignation. "Well, it's not the right color, and not official Bradford brand, but I suppose it will have to do. It's better then sending you out in an outfit too large."

"Oh, is this one of my students today as well?" I heard Bradford coming up behind me, and turned to see him kneel down to give me a winning wink. "And just what is your name, little warrior?"

I eyed him. Was he... patronizing me? I dutifully pointed at the obvious name sticker they had plastered on my chest at the door. "Leo."

"Ah, a little lion. Of course!" I grunted in surprise as Bradford threw an arm around me and turned us towards the photographer, beaming broadly as his photographer quickly snapped a couple of photos of us together. He held up his hand, and his assistant handed him a silver pen. "Well, I'm here to tell you that Bradford Dojos can mold fierce warriors out of even the smallest of cubs!" he smiled widely at me as he used the silver ink pen to autograph the sleeve of my gi that I was holding.

He got up, gave me a friendly ruffle of my dark black hair, leaving it sticking up everywhere, and went to talk to the next student.

I stared at the sprawling silver signature now prominently displayed on the blue sleeve of the gi that my brothers had made for me, then slowly turned to look up with big, mournful eyes at April, who had just finally handed in the papers and was just walking up to me.

She cleared her throat and leaned down to smooth my hair down comfortingly. "I'm sure it'll wash out." She covertly whispered in my ear understandingly.


So after Jack Bradford finally managed to get his fill of publicity photos while chatted with all the kids, he left to get ready, promising to see us all soon. We finished going over some final details, everybody changed into their uniforms, and then we were all escorted out of the locker room to the specially prepared 'Future Bradford 2 Tuff Crew 2' guest room, where we would wait for the show to begin.

"Oh man, this is going to be awesome!" A brawny kid with short, spiked blonde hair bounded up next to me. "I can't wait to learn some sweet moves!"

I glanced up and eyed him. This was a kid who looked like life had given him some hard knocks, and yet he looked so excited and eager for this chance. I bit my lip for a moment, mulling it over, before I finally heaved a sigh and nodded, turning back to the guide walking in front of us. "It'll be... interesting."

Okay, just because I wasn't enthused about this meant that I should ruin it for everybody. I had to remember that these kids with me genuinely just wanted a chance, and they thought they might find it tonight. All I needed to do was keep my head down, figure out if they were in any danger, and if they weren't, just... let tonight happen. Even if I didn't agree with everything that Bradford stood for, if he was genuinely trying to help kids, then who was I to judge?

The disinterested attendant led us through a door into the large gymnasium-like room that housed the dojo, where the crowd was already gathering, getting ready for the event. We were walking against the back wall, behind the large bleachers set up facing professional grade mats with the Bradford logo printed prominently in the middle, the whole area surrounded by lights and cameras, so most of the crowd didn't even notice us.

I sniffed the air curiously as we walked in a group. They must be using the strangest incense. It didn't smell like any usual scents that we ever used in our own dojo. In fact, it smelled more like... like...

No...

They wouldn't!

I froze, and stared in absolute horror across the room, where people were lined up at a counter, walking away with bags of popcorn, candy, and even hot dogs.

Was... was that a... a concession stand?!

They had actually set up a concession stand in their DOJO?!

But...

I...

They...

How could they even...

I... I didn't even have words!

*Click*

I paused at the sound of the camera, then slowly turned with narrowed blue eyes. "Really? You too, sensei?"

April cleared her throat apologetically as she proceeded to text the picture she had just taken. "I'm so sorry, Leo, but Mikey cornered me."


The adults were escorted to special seats to watch, and we waited in the back room with the director and several attendants as we waited for our cue.

The crowd out in the main room took their seats and hushed as the lights dimmed. There was a special, pre-programmed foreword, talking about Chris Bradford and his career, and about how Jack was following in his uncle's footsteps to honor his memory. I could only imagine how Karai and Shini were rolling their eyes at the saintly way they were painting the former Foot lieutenant. They were making it sound like he spent his life founding orphanages and rescuing kittens and puppies.

But then, finally, it was time. The lights dimmed, colored beams flashed around excitedly, and as we filed into the room as rock music boomed loudly and the announcer enthusiastically introduced us.

"Ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of Bradford Dojo's Incorporated, please give a warm welcome to tonight's honorary members of Jack Bradford's Future Bradford 2 Tuff Crew 2! Take a good look at them now, ladies and gentlemen, for tonight, under the instructions of Sensei Bradford, we will see them transform before our very eyes into proud warriors, as Master Jack will show them how to earn the respect of the world!"

I glanced up to see the scattered crowd in the half full bleachers, all of them clapping and cheering. April was seated in a specially marked section in the front row, along with the other parents-slash-adult chaperones. Combing the crowd above, I picked out the others sitting smack in the middle. It would've been pretty hard to miss them. Their fellow onlookers sitting next to them were leaning away a little and giving them strange side looks, but that didn't seem to deter them in the slightest. Even Karai was holding up signs covered in blue glitter as she winked at me, cheering me on.

Huh. Well, Casey was obviously enjoying himself, a fully loaded hot dog in hand. So somebody had taken advantage of the freaking concession stand in the middle of a freaking dojo. And honestly, Casey, I could understand, but, for some reason, Shini was holding a Slushee cup as well, and Karai had a bag of popcorn! Neither seemed at all properly scandalized like they should be! I had thought that they, of all people, would understand! This was supposed to be a dojo, a place of decorum, tradition, and order! I briefly wondered if my brothers were watching this up on the rooftop, and what they thought of it all.

I sighed and rubbed the bridge of my nose. If I was being at all honest with myself, that large bag of cotton candy sitting next to Shini was probably at Mikey's request.

We all lined up at the edge of the mat as instructed, gave a respectful bow to the audience, and then we turned and lowered ourselves down in a seiza position to wait as instructed. I sank down into the familiar pose easily, but some of the other students awkward and fidgeting with the unfamiliar kneeling position. I noticed the spikey blonde kid next to me seemed to be having a bit of trouble getting comfortable. I cleared my throat and caught his eye, then subtly demonstrated to him how to adjust his feet. He blinked, wiggled a bit as he adjusted his stance like I showed him, then smiled gratefully at me. Then we all turned our attention back to the Bradford-branded mats covering the dojo floors as the rock song faded and morphed into a dramatic electronic thrum.

Colored beams of light flashed around the room, pulsed, and moved to focus on a doorway, and then there he was.

Jack Bradford burst through the door and came jogging across the center of the mats towards the audience, arms up and gesturing towards the crowd enthusiastically, encouraging the roar of applause and whistles. He was wearing the same outfit from before, the chest bearing shirt and jeans that Chris Bradford had been so famous for, but was now also armed with a commando belt filled with survival gear and weapons strapped across his chest. Beside me, my fellow students shifted in excitement and cheered as well.

I risked a glance behind me to see that April was calmly seated and doing a quiet but polite golf clap, obviously not nearly as enthusiastic as the people around her. Karai was leaning forward and eyeing Bradford like a hawk getting ready to pounce on a mouse. Raising an eyebrow at the sight, I turned back around to eye the martial arts instructor, almost feeling bad for him. Heavens help him if he were indeed working with the NeoFoot.

Jack Bradford jogged back and forth in front of the crowd for a few moments, waving and pointing and generally trying to work up the energy levels. Then the music quieted down a bit to a less deafening level, and Bradford took front and center.

"Good evening, New York!" he cheered to applause. "It's good to be back in my Uncle's home town! Such an amazing crowd we have tonight! And let me tell you all!" He gestured towards us. "We're going to see some amazing things from these students tonight! Let's give them all another hand!"

There was another enthusiastic round of cheering, and I groaned and covered my face as glittery signs were waved wildly about.

And then, with the smell of pizza, hot dogs, and popcorn wafting by, Jack began his lesson, walking back and forth before us as he told us of his uncle's vision and dreams, some sort of drivel about respect that I somehow managed to channel my orange and red brother and fully tune out, and finally giving a few demonstrations of kicks, punches, and knife throwing, just to show how skilled he was.

And, to his credit, he wasn't bad. He landed each attack and throw quite accurately against the mannequin he was demonstrating on. He wasn't on the level of my brothers or April, of course, but I could see how he could be considered a leader in the field.

I was just starting to think that I might be able to make it through the night with surprisingly little issues, when a problem arose.

Apparently, we were expected to participate.

"Tonight, you are my students!" Jack paced slowly past us as he continued his long winded lecture. "And, tonight, I will be your Sensei, your teacher!" He threw his arms out wide to the side. "Can I get a 'Hai, Sensei'?!"

"Hai, Sensei!" the kids beside me echoed smartly. I didn't join them, choosing to sit silently, eyes narrowed as I watched him.

Jack continued pacing the stage. "Tonight, I am here to share with you all the wisdom and knowledge that my uncle passed onto me. Listen to me well, my students, and heed my words, for tonight is the night that will change your life! Tonight is the night you start earning the respect!" He stopped and pivoted on his heels to point at us. "Can I get a 'Hai, Sensei'?!"

"Hai, Sensei!" the reply this time was even louder and more enthusiastic.

Once again, I just clenched the fabric covering my knees in my hands and remained stiff and silent.

"Oh ho!" Jack apparently noticed, and stopped in front of me, eyebrow raised. He had a confident smirk on his face, as if he had seen this all before. Which would make sense, I supposed. This was a program for troubled kids, after all, and often times that came with a problem with authority figures. "It seems we have a doubter in our ranks this evening. Such a strong warrior spirit in one so small, I admire that."

"With all due respect, Bradford-san, I already have a sensei, and you are not her." I said tightly, keeping a calm, neat seiza.

I could almost feel April's groan and slow facepalm behind me. Yup. This was a point I was prepared to be quite stubborn about.

Jack seemed a little surprised, then amused. "Oh, wait, really? That's what this is all about?" He looked at me thoughtfully. "You already have some experience in martial arts, then?"

I merely gave a slight nod.

"Well, it is good that you're showing your sensei such respect! It speaks well of you as a warrior!" Jack apparently decided, and nodded approvingly. Then he struck another dramatic pose. "But fear not, little one. I don't mean to supplant your teacher, only to show you an alternative path. You can have more then one sensei, you know."

"Indeed." I said coolly. "But, once again with all due respect, you are not one of them."

Jack paused, studied me for a moment, then grinned. "Your name was Leo, wasn't it? Come here, little lion." Jack took a step back, gesturing for me to step up to a mark on the mat across from him. "Let me give a little demonstration."

I exhaled slowly, blowing a stray tuft of hair that dangled over my forehead. Okay, this was quickly turning into a worst case scenario. "I... I'm not sure this is the best course of action. For either one of us."

"Oh, don't worry. I'm not going to hurt you." Jack gave me another signature brilliant white crooked smile. "I am a professional, after all, and I would never injure one of my students!"

Not seeing any other options, I sighed and reluctantly stood up to stand on the indicated mark, eyeing him carefully and trying to figure out the best way to handle this.

Should... should I just throw the match?

Hm. That might work. This whole thing was all a sham anyways, and I wouldn't gain anything by humiliating him in front of his students and audience. Despite his poor taste in, well, just about everything, he seemed like a nice enough guy, and I just wanted this night to be done and over with. The quickest way to be done with this was to let him prove his dumb point, then he'd move on to the other kids.

"Alright, my students." Jack turned to address the others. "Remember this, every battle begins and ends with respect. If you respect your opponent, they will respect you! Thus, every proper match in the dojo begins and ends with a bow." He turned to me and bowed and, following tradition, I returned the gesture, more out of politeness then anything.

He took up a stance. "Alright, little lion, we're just going to display a few simple moves here. Don't get frustrated if you cannot strike me, just remember that I am a professional with years of experience. This is a learning exercise."

I sighed and mirrored his stance half-heartedly.

I was a little startled when a loud sound bite of a dramatic electronic deep male voice echoed through the speakers, 'Combat, Begin!'.

As if this were some sort of video game!

Oh wait... Crud, this was going to give Mikey ideas, and I was going to have to spend hours talking him out of it!

I faintly heard a phone camera going off, but among the music and the crowd noises, I couldn't pinpoint just which one of my family was responsible.

The music changed to dramatic battle music, and Bradford lunged forward towards me. He moved with a quickness and grace that was fairly impressive, so I had to give him props for that as I watched his arm reach out for me. I didn't attempt to dodge or block, and was quickly knocked face down on the padded mat below.

"K.O.!" The speakers blared out dramatically, and the match over almost as soon as it had begun.

"Oh, booo!" I heard Casey scoff from the bleachers.

I heard some of the kids snickering, but I ignored them as I started to push myself back up. This was not a real dojo, and it was not worth the effort. To just get this done and over with was the tactically sound course of action right now, and what they thought of me made no difference. That's all I needed to do.

"Oh, come on, little lion!" Jack laughed, grabbing me and hoisting me up to my feet. "You didn't even try! Show some pride!"

"You won. Isn't that what you wanted to happen?" I glanced back at my seat, wanting nothing more then to stop being the center of attention. "Are we done now?"

"Oh no, small one. We are far from done with our lesson!" Jack pointed at me dramatically, then turned to the crowd, proudly proclaiming. "And here, at Bradford Dojos, I will teach you how to earn respect!"

The crowd gave an enthusiastic cheer.

"Oh, come on, Leo! Are you really going to take that?!" I heard the indignant cry from the wildly waving glitter sign section.

Bradford grinned at me as he moved into his sparring position across from me again, obviously wanting to go another round. I gave a resigned sigh as I realized that he wasn't going to let this go, and lifted my arms up in another half hearted pose.

"Oh, what is that?" Jack shook his head in disappointment, his hands on his hips as he studied me. "I can see why you ended up here, if that's all you've been taught! Your teacher obviously needs to work on her lesson plans, if that's the best she can do."

My eyes narrowed and my jaw tightened just a little at his words.

"Ah! There we go!" he noticed with a smirked. "There's a spark of fight in there after all!" He stepped back and took up a stance again. "Now again! You obviously need to be shown what a real Sensei looks like!"

This time, I didn't move into a battle ready posture to humor him. I just stood there, ramrod straight and fists clenched, waiting.

"Combat, Begin!"

Bradford rushed at me, just as before. But this time, his grab only met empty air, and almost faster then anybody could follow, he was flipped over, face planting hard down onto the mat.

There was a moment of shocked silence, and then Karai's voice cheered out, "Kick his ass, Leo! That's my little brother!"

Bradford pushed himself up, and he looked at me dumbfounded, as if he was still trying to figure out what exactly had just happened.

"K.O."

The announcement was a lot more hesitant this time, as if the sound crew wasn't quite sure if they should be playing it for their boss's own defeat.

"O...Okay." Bradford cleared his throat, getting back up to his feet. Then he seemed to pull himself back together, and laughed, obviously trying to regain face. "Well done! So! You do have some skills after all! I underestimated you, little lion." He turned back to the other students. "Another lesson you must learn, always get up even if you get knocked down! You only lose if you give up!" He turned back to me. "Very well, let's try this again! Now I know I don't need to hold back!"

I merely blew some hair out of my face and narrowed my blue eyes at him.


I had to admit, Jack Bradford was an interesting character. More then I thought he would be, at any rate. Despite his sham of a dojo and utter lack of proper respect for etiquette, he apparently took his martial training seriously and was actually quite skilled. He obviously worshiped his uncle, and yet, at the same time he held a strong desire to prove himself against his uncle's shadow. He played the showman quite well, and knew how to play to both his audience and his students. At first, as we sparred, I could tell that was holding back quite a bit. He was, after all, sparring with a child, and he didn't want to hurt me. That would be bad publicity, of course! Though, if I were honest, I had to admit some begrudging respect for the level of physical control he showed.

But then I stopped following his expected script, and as he kept getting knocked down over and over again, obvious cracks began to appear in that control. His punches and kicks grew more frustrated, more erratic, and more dangerous. He was, like his uncle, a proud man, and he losing face, and, like his uncle, he didn't know how to deal with that.

The more logical side of me was telling me that I should probably put an end to this. Continuing to poke this hornet's nest wasn't the smartest or wisest thing to do.

The thirteen year old in me, though, was secretly enjoying this whole fight waaaay too much to stop.

"I am the master of this dojo, and you will respect me!" Jack Bradford hiss through clenched teeth, swinging around in a kick that was probably far too forceful to be used against somebody as small as myself, but it didn't really matter, as I had already ducked under it and danced back.

Being only thirteen, and a short thirteen year old at that, I didn't have anything close to the reach or the strength of this adult, but I did have the advantage of speed and agility. Not to mention, I had residual memories of my past life, my brothers training me, and April as a sensei, and most of the time, my sparring partners now were giant, highly skilled mutant turtles with decades of experience. As skilled as Bradford was, any one of my brothers could've easily folded him up into a pretzel with little effort.

"You're losing your temper." I chided him, leaping back lightly from the kick and moving inwards to swipe at the back of his knee.

He twisted around to avoid the attack, his face red and tense. "No. I. Am. Not! I am the one in control here! You will show me respect!"

Anger made him sloppy, and he overreached, leaving an opening. I was quick to dart in and exploit it. And, in a second, Jack Bradford was once more sent flailing down to the mat below.

"K.O!"

The soundboard guys apparently had lost all hesitance, and almost seemed to be enjoying themselves.

The tone of the audience had changed dramatically as well, and there was whispering, giggling and even outright laughter as this master of martial arts kept losing over and over to a small child.

"Again." Jack hissed angrily as he pushed himself back up to his feet.

Long gone was the easy confidence, the smiling face of the friendly showman. Jack Bradford was breathing heavily, his posture tight, and his face dark and red. He was seething, humiliated, and on the verge of completely losing control.

Up in the bleachers, Karai, Shini, and Casey could be heard laughing and cheering me on, obviously thoroughly enjoying the whole scene. But, just beyond the fuming and panting Bradford, I could see April-Sensei, still sitting with the other parents. She frowned, crossed her arms and gave me a look.

I swallowed, then took a step back, slowly exhaled, and stood up straight.

"No." I stood there for a moment, breathing just a little heavily from the exertions, then gave a polite bow. "You were an honorable opponent, but I believe I have proven the worth and honor of my sensei. You have other students to attend to, and I don't wish to take up more of your time."

"Oh, no you don't! This is my dojo, and you will fight me!" Bradford hissed angrily, tensely taking a stance. "I am Jack Bradford, nephew of Chris Bradford, and three time world champion martial artist! I will not be mocked!"

"You are on the verge of losing control." I said firmly. "You need to calm down before you do something you regret. We are done here." I turned away, and took a few steps, intending to take my seat at the edge of the map once more.

And then, in an instant, it was almost as if something in me snapped into place, and I had moved before I even realized it.

One second I had been walking away, and then in the next, I had instantly twisted back around, the palm of my hands pressed tightly together, having caught the airborne knife blade midflight before it could strike the back of my head.

The laughter and chattering from the audience stopped instantly, leaving only the peppy prerecorded music playing, which now sounded hollow and empty as it echoed through the silence. Everybody could only stare in stunned disbelief, as if they weren't quite sure what they had just seen, or how they should react.

Bradford, breathing heavily with his arm still extended from the throw, slowly pulled his arm back, his eyes widening as he seemed to only just then start to realize what he had almost just done.

I exhaled slowly, and then calmly shifted the knife in my grasp so I was holding it by the handle, examining it. Everything in that moment felt surreal. I felt... older. Wiser. More experienced. In that moment, I didn't feel quite like myself.

Or... maybe more accurately... I felt more like myself then ever.


A/N

Yeah... there's a few spectators that were watching that fight that just might take exception to what just happened...

Oh, and I should probably mention that it took a bit of detective work, but I finally managed to figure out from 2k12 April's ID card that she went to Roosevelt High School, so I used that for Leo's school.

Anyways, part three coming soon! I promise!