Over the next few weeks, Mikey began to seem to sneak away from his training sessions a lot more lately. And Leo was being even more harder on his brothers than necessary.
Even when Randall trained with them, he was also noticing Leo's most strict behavior. It made him be more wary of him now. He began avoiding going to the lair a lot more. He began sticking to April's more. He could train there at her place as well.
Mikey was just wanting to avoid his moody brother too. He knew Leo was making their workout sessions more of a real fight rather than training sessions.
When Mikey noticed that Randall wasn't coming to the lair as much, he began to sneak off to join him a lot more, and even during one of their training sessions. His brothers and father had a suspicion they knew where he was.
Leonardo was so ticked off at his baby brother that he went in search of him instead of his brothers. When he reached April's basement, he heard talking in Randall's room.
"Let's watch this cool movie." Mikey said as he was ready to watch a Silver Sentry movie on the tube with Randall. Then, the door slammed open, hard. It made them both cringe.
"Michelangelo! Get home now!" Leo yelled out.
"Oh, hey Leo. I didn't see you there." Mikey whimpered. He saw how hard his eldest bro and leader was glaring at him. "Eep." He then sauntered out of the room, past Leo.
Leo then glared at Randall. The lizard raised his hands in surrender. "I didn't ask him to come here. He did that on his own." He defended himself.
Leo didn't say anything. He just left.
Randall breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't need Leonardo pissed at him too. Sure, he had trained with Leo before, but he wasn't going to train with this version of him if he could help it. Too bad for Mikey though. He knew Mikey was only coming to him to get away from Leo.
He hoped this wouldn't go on much longer, that hopefully Leo could come to terms with what happened.
…
Another night, at the end of September, the turtles and Splinter had gone for some practice topside for once. Splinter was just observing. He let his sons take the lead. And Leo sure did at that.
He was running along and got on one rooftop and Raph got to him first. He hopped on the side. Leo could sense him. Raph threw a sai at him. Leo took out one of his katana and deflected it. Then Don came down from another roof on the other side of him.
Don tried to hit him and Leo jumped away. Don now stood next to Raph.
"You're asking for this, Leo." Raph warned.
"Big time." Don added.
Leo nodded at them to bring it on. They both attacked together. Leo knocked Raph away for a moment while Don managed to knock Leo's swords away and then Raph came at him again. He kicked Raph away and got his swords back and he and Don had a little spar before Don was knocked away into Raph across the roof.
When his brothers were down, and Leo saw nothing from Mikey, he went over to the other two, thinking they could do way better.
"Again." Leo ordered.
"Leo, if I gotta attack you one more time, I'm gonna really attack you!" Raph warned.
Don was on top of Raph's shell. "I'm all for training, but aren't you going a bit overboard?"
"I said, Again!" Leo sharpened his voice.
"Alright, that's it! You and me are having words about this attitude of yours lately-" Raph stalked to Leo, wanting to get him to talk, but was interrupted.
"Raphael, Leonardo, enough! Your brothers are not incorrect, Leonardo. It is sufficient, for today." Master Splinter wisely said. "Let us collect Michelangelo."
"Hey, where is Bozo the Turtle?" Raph goofed in his question.
Mikey was a few rooftops over, but on the side of a fire escape, trying to watch a Silver Sentry show through a window and drinking a soda. "Best. Show. Ever." He said slowly.
Then there was someone clearing their voices from above him. It had been Raph, but Mikey saw his whole family above him.
"Oh, hey. Is the break over already?" Mikey nervously asked. He joined them on the rooftop.
"Mikey, you've been blowing off all our training sessions lately." Leo said sternly.
"What's the big deal? So I missed one little sparring match." Mikey said.
"If I have to put up with Mr. Intensity's little war games, so do you." Raph warned him.
"You aren't taking your studies seriously, Michelangelo." Splinter said.
"Calm on guys. I'm the-" he began but was interrupted by Raph.
"Don't say it! Don't you say it!"
Mikey said it anyway, "Battle Nexus Champion!"
Raph growl roared.
"What?" Mikey asked.
"What, is you rub your big win in our faces every chance you get. Mikey, you keep the trophy on top of the TV." Don explained.
"It's a wonder you don't wear that thing around your neck!" Raph snapped.
"I tried. The chain kept breaking." Mikey said.
"You won the Battle Nexus by sheer dumb luck." Raph said.
Mike glared at him. "If I remember correctly, I beat you fair and square."
"Ooh, I don't want to see this." Don said and walked away. He always had tried to be the most peaceful of the brothers.
"Michelangelo, you need to train." Splinter said. "And more importantly, you need to approach your accomplishments with humility."
"You mean like, being the greatest warrior in all the multiverse, right?" Raph snarled the other way as Mikey went on. "Come on, training? I'm the-"
Then a glow appeared in the sky, interrupting Mikey's rant. It was a familiar kind of portal that had opened up. Then out jumped a big purple and green giant being. It was Mikey's former opponent at the Championship.
Mikey was knocked back into a wall and looked up. "Kluh?" he questioned. What was he doing here?
Than a bunch of other Levrom warriors jumped out of the portal as well.
"Mikey, hang on!" Raph tried to jump to his brother's defense, but a Levrom soldier knocked him to the ground on his plastron, keeping him from reaching Mikey.
Don, Leo, and Splinter all got their weapons ready. "What is the meaning of this?" Splinter demanded. "The laws of the Battle Nexus-"
"Take them all!" The leader, Amarg, and Kluh's father ordered.
Each one of them went up against a Levrom. Then Kluh continued with Mikey. "Where were we, Champion?" Then he threw Mikey into a brick wall. He tried to bash his head in and the turtle jumped away.
"Maybe we could talk about this? Over coffee or something?" Mikey offered, but Kluh was having none of it.
All of the turtles and Splinter were busy with the Levroms and another portal entered the scene. Out came the Gelgi, the Daimyo's right hand servant of the Nexus.
"You are to cease all combat on the orders of the Great Daimyo." Gelgi said.
"On what grounds? My son and I were told this fight was approved." Amarg challenged angrily.
Everyone ceased fighting.
"Your son, Kluh, will face the champion in the right time and place, at the orders of the Battle Nexus rules, as it has been ordained for all time, Amarg." Gelgi said.
Mikey was surprised he was hearing this. He had to ask if his father was hearing this. "Master Splinter, what the shell is going-"
"Silence, Michelangelo." Splinter said. "Am I to understand that Michelangelo has been challenged?"
"Due to the interferences in the last match, Amarg has appealed on Kluh's behalf. In third Earth's rules, a rematch." Gelgi explained simply.
"You're not saying-? Don, what's he saying?" Mikey wanted to hear it for sure.
"I hope he's saying what I think he's sayin." Raph said excitedly.
"You're going back to the Battle Nexus, Mikey, to fight Kluh. Man, it stinks to be you." Don was equally excited for this.
"There will be no ordained combat outside the arena, Amarg. We are fully aware of your distain for Battle Nexus rules. In three days, the champion will face Kluh in the arena to defend his honor." The Gelgi said.
Amarg was ticked off that it couldn't be done any other way.
Kluh pounded a fist into the roof, making an indent. "Three days, Earther. Then I will grind your bones to dust." Kluh threatened before he and his father, and their Levrom warriors disappeared.
Mikey felt relieved when that was over. "So, uh, who's up for some training?" Mikey asked.
"I can't wait to see you get pounded into paste!" Raph said happily.
"But you don't need to train, remember? After all, you're the Champion!" Don remarked happily.
Mikey winced at his own words, now that they were all backwards. He turned to his father, hoping he didn't want his father to see him get hurt.
"Master Splinter, you'll train me, right?" Mikey asked.
"Training, Michelangelo? Oh, I'm sure there are other things I can be doing. Reading comics, or watching television. Oh no, I'm going to go eat pizza. Pizza sounds very appetizing right about now, with pepperoni and karma." Splinter said as he followed Don and Raph off the rooftop.
Mikey felt so alone right now in his time of need of support for a big battle like this. It was like they didn't even care about him anymore. He had three days to live, so he thought.
"I'll help you train." Leo said from behind him.
Mikey turned. "Leo, really? You'll train me? You're the best brother ever!" Mikey ran and hugged him.
"I wouldn't go rubbing my shell just yet." Leo said. "We've got a lot of work to do."
"Can Randall come see this too?" Mikey asked.
"Sure. He's never been there." Leo said.
For once, Leo was calmer, but there was still that hint of anger in his voice. Leo still loved his brother and wanted him to be prepared for anything. He would do what it takes to get his little brother to focus.
They were going to go tomorrow night.
…
Later in the evening, Mikey went over to the basement and knocked on Randall's door. The lizard answered it.
"What do you want now, Mike? I hope Leonardo isn't looking for you this time." Randall grumped.
"No, he knows I'm here to invite you to something special tomorrow night." Mikey said.
"What's that?"
"Um, I've told you about the Battle Nexus Championship before."
"Yes. What about it?"
"Um, I've sort of been challenged, by my old opponent. He wants to take me on in three days." Mikey said.
Randall's eyes widened. Wow! That was big.
"I was wondering if you wanted to come support me?" Mikey asked with a pleading look.
"Now this is something I want to see." Randall's behavior perked up. He just wanted to see this dimension they were going to. "I'll be at the lair. What time?"
Mikey told him about six.
"I'll be there." Randall said.
…
Randall told April he was going to the lair tonight. He was doing something special tonight with the turtles.
When he got there, they were preparing to depart. They all said hello and went topside to where Splinter drew the Nexus marks on the wall in the alley.
"I'm glad you're all coming to support me." Mikey said.
"Support? I wouldn't miss you taking this beating for all the world!" Raph scoffed.
Randall knew Raph meant it. Mikey did pick on him quite a bit.
Splinter said the chant that opened the portal and they all walked into it.
When they walked out, there was nothing around. "No one's home. Let's head back." Mikey said.
He was hit on the shoulder by Raph.
"Enough. Rules dictate that Michelangelo must present himself to the Hall of Past Champions." Splinter said.
They all went to the Hall of Past Champions. Randall was impressed with all the diversity of the beings here. And then he saw Mikey posing. He couldn't help but smile. It was an impressive statue.
"Knock it off, Mikey. You're gonna attract pigeons." Raph scolded.
"I think somebody's jealous." Mikey retorted. Raph stuck his tongue out at him.
Leo and Don were watching and heard a noise behind them. It was the Daimyo's son. They probably could understand why he still had some fear in him, now that he was a kid again. Randall had scared him good last time. Randall saw him too.
The Daimyo appeared and welcomed them as his guests and was proud to say about Mike honoring them in battle once again. Mikey was still nervous about the whole thing. He just wanted to go home.
Then the Daimyo transported them to the area above the arena. There were other beings fighting down below. Randall was amazed at this place. He had never been here before, so it was easy to be fascinated by it.
"Uh, Gelgi, I thought the tournament was held only every three years." Don stated.
"True, Donatello. But in honor of the Championship, we are also holding what you would call exhibition matches." Gelgi replied.
There was a fight between two warriors of two different races and one was zapped out after he lost. Randall was shocked.
"Oh, yeah, I forgot about that. If worse comes to worse, I get zapped out before I take the big loser nap." Mikey said.
"Yeah, but not before you get a good beating." Raph said.
Randall wanted to go explore. They went to go do that, but that was where Leo and Mike split off to go do some more work to prepare Mikey what he was going to have to do. "We have work to do." Leo said as he guided his baby brother away from the group.
Randall stopped when he saw Leo pulling Mikey away. "Come, Randall. Leonardo has something he needs to do with Michelangelo." Splinter said.
Mikey looked back the lizard. Randall nodded at him. Whatever needed to be done had be done. The others would show him around the place since they had time for the time being.
First, they were all shown where they were going to stay for the next couple of days while awaiting the tournament. Then they went sight seeing around the little village surrounding the palace.
In an arena, Kluh was so ready to take his opponent out of the picture. He was so pissed that it couldn't have been done the way he wanted to do it.
"I could have ended the turtle right there, Father. Why must we bend to the Daimyo's rules?" Kluh asked his father, standing behind him.
"Because we will show them all who witnessed your defeat at this turtle's hands. We will take our honor back by force!" Amarg replied.
A wizard Levrom stepped forward. "All has been arranged." he said.
Outside the village, Leo and Mikey were climbing a tall mountain. "I gotta get out of here." Mikey complained. He was really scared for this fight to happen. When they made it to the top, Mikey looked around. "Wow! Is this why you brought me up here? So I can hide in a cave?"
"I brought you up here to help clear your mind, Mikey." Leo replied. "To push you beyond your limits, to where there are no limits, and no one or anything will ever catch you off guard again." He got more furious in his words.
"Uh, we're still talking about me, right?" Mikey asked, unsure if Leo was talking about him or not.
"In this life, we only have each other. If one of goes down, we all go down, so focus, Mikey." Leo said.
"Maybe I can still forfeit." Mikey joked.
Leo got Mikey to meditate with him afterwards and they began practicing their moves later. That night, they joined their family and friends for dinner in the dining hall. It was great new food for Randall to try. And this was how the other half lived.
Soon after, it was time for bed.
Mikey was worried that Kluh would sneak into his room and finish him in his sleep. He didn't sleep too well that night.
…..
Leo and Mikey continued their practice moves the next day away from their family so Mikey could concentrate on clearing his mind once again.
The rest of the family tried to enjoy themselves. They were having some lunch in the same place Raph had had a downing shake after he had lost to Mikey last time here. Randall wondered how Leo was getting his friend to focus since Mikey wasn't exactly the most focused turtle of the group.
Raph, Don, and Splinter were relaxed enough, and did want to see Mikey finally shut up about being the champion. But yes, they wanted to see if he could show his true potential too, to rightfully earn the title. Raph still hoped it would be Kluh though the most. Then Mikey would stop driving him nuts about the title.
Randall then brought up the subject, "If the Daimyo's son poisoned Leonardo during his fight against Usagi, why doesn't he get a rematch fight too?"
"That is a good question, but unlike Kluh, Usagi is our friend. He wouldn't dream of it. Maybe someday." Don explained. "Leo's more than grateful to him for saving his life."
"There are not a whole lot of true warriors out there that fight with true honor." Splinter said. It was understandable.
Mikey wished all his brothers and Randall could be doing this training too. But all his older bros had lost in their fights, so they weren't having to do this.
…..
The next day was the most nerve racking for Mikey. He was so nervous he couldn't even eat before that evening's tournament.
Raphael was the most fired up to see this fight take place. Don's enthusiasm had calmed down more, but he too wanted to see how well the fight would go. They all just wanted Mikey to learn a lesson from this, that he wasn't above everyone else just for winning one fight. But it was a technicality, not a real winning situation at the time. That was going to be changed tonight.
Splinter, Don, Raph, and Randall were all standing where the Daimyo would be announcing the fight to begin. It would be shortly. Raph was ampted for the excitement. Randall was still mainly just curious about this, but still concerned for his friend.
Somewhere else, Leo and Mikey were preparing in the last moments before Mikey was to defend his honor.
"I don't want to get pummeled, Leo." Mikey said nervously.
"Michelangelo, you can win this. I know you can." Leo encouraged.
"Champion, if Leonardo believes you can, then I do too." Ue, the Daimyo's son, stepped up to say so.
The Gelgi appeared. "It is time, Champion."
Mikey took a deep breath. "Here goes nothing." Then the Gelgi made him disappear for his rematch, leaving Leo standing with Ue.
"Let's get you back to your father." Leo said, but then he saw the boy gasp and was looking at something behind him, making him look back too, taking out his katanas.
It was Amarg and four warriors. "You and the boy will be going nowhere, Turtle! Except perhaps to join your weakling brother in the afterlife!" Amarg snarled at them.
"Whatever dishonorable plan you're hatching, the Daimyo will stop you." Leo warned them.
"The Daimyo see us as barbarians. But we Levroms are not without our own… magic. At this moment, my wizard is removing the safety spells surrounding the tournament. The fight between my son and your brother will be a fight to the finish. I will have Michelangelo's head on my wall! That… is the Levrom way!" Amarg exclaimed.
"Look out!" Leo warned the boy and knocked him aside as the Levrom warriors attacked him.
Ue was knocked into Amarg, where he looked up at the monster man in fear. Amarg laughed evilly as he reached down for the boy and was going to put him in a sack as a hostage against the Daimyo using his war staff on the Levroms.
Amarg left with the boy in the sack while Leo fought real hard to defeat the cowards who were fighting him right now. He just hoped Mikey would be alright, and Ue.
…
In the arena, Mikey was waiting for his opponent to show.
"Now, we settle this fight by ordained combat." The Daimyo announced. Then he got a weird feeling in his head after he had set up the guard lines around the special arena so there would be no interferences this time. It was like a force field.
The Daimyo was feeling the effects of Amarg's wizard. "Something… is not right." He held his head. Splinter noticed something was off with his friend too.
Mikey looked around and then Kluh appeared, finally. He began twirling his weapon and charged the scared turtle. Mikey dodged and jumped on his weapon a couple of times. One time he was hit by the weapon after the second time and then thrown into the wall. The weapon had knocked the wind out of him for a moment.
Mikey's family was shocked at that. Splinter gasped. Randall was stunned that he had seen that happen. Then, this was a new opponent for him to see.
"That's not right!" Raph pointed out.
"Why didn't Mikey disappear? Kluh's weapon shouldn't have even touched him." Don stated.
"Daimyo, what is happening here?" Splinter demanded.
"Someone is altering the laws of the Battle Nexus." The Daimyo said.
"Yes!" An evil voice said from behind him, making him and Mike's family turn to face it.
It was Amarg and more Levrom warriors.
"Now, the combat is mortal! And my son's victory will be even more victorious when the turtle lays crushed and lifeless!" Amarg sneered.
The others couldn't believe they were hearing this. "You did this!" Raph demanded. "You and me are having words!" He started walking toward him with his sais drawn until Splinter stopped him.
"You presume too much, Amarg. The essence of the Battle Nexus flows through me. I can feel your wizard even now. I am going to put an end to-" The Daimyo started calling on the powers of his war staff when he was interrupted.
"You will do nothing, Daimyo! Unless, you would risk this!" Amarg yelled. A Levrom ran up to him, holding a sack. He took something out of it; the Daimyo's son!
"No!" Don said in concern.
"No! Not my son!" The Daimyo said sadly. Amarg smirked evilly. The Daimyo walked forward and laid his staff down in surrender.
Randall saw the boy had tears coming down his face as he squirmed. He could see this situation was cowardly, and maybe there was something he could do about that. He got behind the others and lowered himself down so he wouldn't be seen. He vanished.
Down in the arena, Kluh had come to Mikey and was now picking him up and he punched him into the wall. He fell to the floor. "I should be… porting out of here… any minute now."
Then Kluh picked him up again by the left arm. "No one to save you this time. No interference." He punched Mikey in the stomach and ribs several times, winding the turtle even more.
Mikey looked unconscious, but he was just waiting for a moment, and he reflected on what Leo had told him about how if one of them went down, all of them went down.
Mikey finally realized what it was Leo was telling him about focusing. He opened his eyes and he yelled and kicked off of Kluh's chest, making him fall to the ground. He cannon balled around the arena and landed.
"Alright. If this is what you want, come on then!" Mikey egged Kluh on. Kluh was ready.
He charged again, ready to take the turtle down once and for all.
Up on the podium area, the Daimyo and the mutants were waiting for what was next. Randall had vanished.
"I lost my son once. I can't lose him again." The Daimyo said sadly in defeat.
"And you won't!" The voice said. Something invisible snatched the boy out of Amarg's grip.
"What?" Amarg was dumbfounded.
Randall had snatched Ue and moved him over to the turtles, where he put him down. He reappeared after that.
"Way to go, Randall." Don said. Randall nodded and looked back at the enemy.
Leo then came running up and his swords clanged with two more of the warriors.
"That's impossible. No one can defeat four Levrom warriors." Amarg was in shock at seeing the blue masked turtle up here. He was also shocked to see the lizard do what he did.
"Nothing is impossible, Amarg. Especially when one fights with true honor." The Daimyo now picked up his war staff again, now that his son was out of danger. He picked up Amarg and his henchmen.
Down below, Mikey continued the fight against Kluh. He hit him in the face and used his nunchuku on his legs and then kicked him so hard he fell over after his weapon was broken in half by Mikey kicked through it. Mikey started twirling his chucks over his head.
As the Daimyo had the Levroms in his power, he said, "Gaze upon what you have done, Amarg. Now your son's life hangs in the balance. I will let Michelangelo decide your fate, and the fate of your son." He declared.
"NO!" Amarg was mad.
The others looked down below to see the final outcome of the face off.
Down below, Kluh was now ready to give up. "Do it. Finish me."
Mikey's chucks stopped spinning. "I don't think so. My father taught me better than that. Besides, you're already finished." He said and put his finger on Kluh's head, pushing him back. He fell back onto the ground. He was defeated.
The crowd's cheers rang out. Even Randall and Mikey's family were happy that he had won honorably this time, especially since he had almost been able to be killed. They weren't always fond of his kidding around, but they didn't want him to die.
The Levroms were taken to the dungeon for later punishment. Mikey later decided that they should go back to their world and not be allowed here again. The Daimyo agreed. He made them go back to their world, but declared they would never be allowed to return.
Later, there was going to be a party. The turtles and Randall were all given special garb to wear to the party. It was all in their chosen colors. Randall wore a special kimono that was purple. There were four arm holes.
All of the audience was in the Great Hall attending when they got there. They all waved at their audience.
"Michelangelo, step forward." The Daimyo said.
Mikey looked at his father, and Splinter motioned for him to do so. He walked up to the Daimyo and bowed.
The wise king held a medal in his hands. He laid it down upon Mikey's shoulders and around the neck of his garb. "Michelangelo, I award you the Battle Nexus medal, for unparalleled honor."
Mikey smiled and held the medal proudly. He had truly earned this title this time. He bowed again.
The others were happy he was alive, but now they knew they would never hear the end of it.
"And I thought the trophy was bad." Don said.
"I am never going to hear the end of this. I'm gonna have to move out." Raph complained.
Randall smirked. He knew he himself wasn't ready to fight other creatures just yet, at least not ones like Kluh. But he was glad he had gotten to partake in this special occasion.
Leo soon wandered off. Mikey saw him go. He followed him.
He found Leo by a wall. "Leo." Leo turned to him. "I wanted to say… thanks."
"You did good, Mikey. You did good." Leo said, laying a hand on his shoulder. He was proud of his little brother.
The Daimyo also thanked Randall for saving his son from Amarg. He could see that the lizard had become an invaluable part of his friend, Splinter's family. His invisibility had saved his son today. Amarg hadn't seen it coming.
Soon after, the Daimyo beamed them all back home. It had been a wonderful adventure, if a bit unnerving as well because of what happened. They had all just hoped for a fair fight to begin with, whether Mikey had lost or won. But he had proved that he truly deserved to be the Battle Nexus Champion. He just needed to stop rubbing it in their faces so much.