Chapter 5: Back to the Battle Nexus
A/N: Well, it's finally here! After spending so much time writing and getting schoolwork out of the way, the fifth chapter has arrived! I hope you all enjoy it. I must warn you that I'm not that good at fight scenes, but I have tried my best to do well. If it seems too lame, I'm sorry. Schoolwork has taken up a lot of my time, but I'm back. I want to get this posted because I have a big research paper for my one English class to do, and that will require a lot of work. So, if the next chapter takes too long to get posted, this is why. Now, I want to thank my loyal reviewers who were kind enough to read the last chapter. Thanks to: Cynlee, Mikey's Kunoichi, Mac, Anime Fan Team, Mewfem, I LOVE MIKEY, Chibi Rose Angel, Dr.JNHardy, and shellsboy24. You guys totally rock! Now, on with the story.
Disclaimer: I don't own the Turtles. I did throw a party for their 100th episode. Turtles belong to Eastman and Laird. Congratulations on 100 episodes, guys! Here's to 100 more!
The next morning, Kaylee opened her eyes and leaped out of bed. She couldn't wait to eat one of Mikey's tasty breakfasts. It was so much better than the food she used to eat at the orphanage.
She went downstairs and found Leonardo, Splinter, Lisa, and Kaia watching the news. Well, at least three of them were watching the news. Kaia was busy drawing in her sketch pad. Kaylee hated the news. It always made her sad to see death and hear about it. She liked to focus on happy things.
Splinter saw that she was up and greeted her. "Would you like to watch something else?" he asked her.
"No thanks," answered Kaylee. "Where's Mikey? Shouldn't he be cooking breakfast now?"
"Your brother is still sleeping, my daughter," replied Splinter. "We will let him rest. You may have your own breakfast for today."
"But I can't cook like Mikey can," protested Kaylee.
"But you can eat cereal," pointed out Kaia. "We still have some left. That's what I'm gonna have." She went into the kitchen and got the Cocoa Puffs out of the cupboard. Kaylee got out the Pop Tarts while Splinter put them in the toaster. Thanks to Leonardo, Splinter had learned to use this appliance as well as the microwave. Then Mariel, Donatello, Raphael, and Destiny entered the room.
As they were sitting down to eat, Michelangelo came into the room, followed by Klunk. "Morning, everybody," he greeted them.
"Good morning, my son," Splinter greeted back. "Did you sleep well?"
"Yes, Sensei, I did," replied Mikey. "I'm sorry I overslept though. I wanted to make you guys a good breakfast since we're going to the Battle Nexus later on."
"It's okay, Mikey," said Kaylee. "We have cereal."
"Come on, Mikey, eat with us," urged Leo.
"Don't mind if I do," said Mikey cheerfully. He sat down beside Kaylee and Raph gave him a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch.
After breakfast was over, the Turtles and the girls had a short training session. Splinter had decided that the girls would train, too. He felt that they would benefit by learning the skills so that they could defend themselves against foes. They were doing very well so far, and Splinter had confidence that they would be able to handle themselves in a dangerous situation if they needed to.
Splinter ended the session with a pleased smile on his face. "Very good, my sons and daughters," he commented. "This was a good session. I do not want to overdo it today, since the Battle Nexus is tonight. Dismissed." They bowed to him and left the dojo.
"Man, that was a good practice," said Kaylee. "I can't wait till I'm good and old enough to compete in the Battle Nexus Tournament."
"Um, I hate to break it to you, little sis, but no women compete in the Battle Nexus," said Mikey.
"You're kidding!" gasped Destiny. "Why not? Does the Daimyo think women are too fragile or somethin'?"
"Probably," teased Raphael. "You'd be scared you'd break a nail." That earned him a punch on the arm from Destiny.
"Raphael! Destiny! That is enough!" chastised Splinter. "Women did compete in the Battle Nexus years ago. At least, one woman did."
"Who was she?" asked Lisa.
"The Daimyo's wife," replied Splinter. "She was a good warrior and could beat even the strongest man. Her participation brought scorn and hatred from the other combatants. They felt it was not fair for a woman to compete."
"How horrible!" said Mariel softly. "Did she prove them wrong, Master Splinter?"
"Yes, she did, Mariel," answered Splinter. "She won the competition."
"So, she became the Battle Nexus Champion?" Kaia asked.
"Yes, she did," Splinter replied. "But sadly, that became her downfall. After the tournament was over, she was walking down the street to get some air. Then, some of the other combatants set upon her. She was outnumbered and could not fight back. She was beaten to death."
Kaylee gasped. "Oh no!" she cried.
"I'll bet the Daimyo wasn't too happy," Destiny commented.
"No, he was not," Splinter said, shaking his head. "He arrived at the scene and found his wife dead. He arrested the ones who had killed her and ordered that they be killed for the crime. Then he called off the Battle Nexus for good. He never wanted to host the tournament again. Of course, that would change once he got over his grief. That was around the time that my own Master Yoshi started to fight in the tournament."
"So, the Daimyo didn't allow women to participate because he was afraid something similar would happen to them," Mariel said thoughfully.
"Exactly," Splinter said. "So, do you understand why this had happened, my daughters?"
"Yeah, I do," Destiny said. "I just think it's a shame that someone so good had to die."
"I know," Lisa agreed. "It was cruel. They were just jealous that she won. That's why she died."
"They were also mad that a woman beat them," Mariel pointed out. "They thought that if they killed her, they would be justified by their actions."
""Well, I'm glad the Daimyo punished them," Kaylee declared. "They deserved it."
"But he should have given them a trial," Kaia said. "That would have been the honorable thing to do."
"I agree, Kaia," Splinter said. "However, things are a bit different in the Daimyo's world than in our world. Now, I would advise you not to speak of this while we are at the Battle Nexus. We do not want to stir up old memories. Do you understand, my daughters?"
"Yes, Sensei," the girls replied.
"Good," Splinter said. "You may amuse yourselves as you like. I will let you know when it is time to leave." He smiled at them and went to his room.
The day flew by fast for Michelangelo, something he wanted to avoid. But before he knew it, it was time to leave for the competition. He gave Klunk a big hug saying, "Good-bye, Klunk. This may be the last time you'll see me as Battle Nexus Champion." Then he followed the others out the door, carrying his beloved trophy.
"So, how are we getting to the Battle Nexus?" Mariel asked. "Are we taking the Battle Shell?"
Kaylee giggled. "That would be funny," she said. "The Battle Shell at the Battle Nexus."
"No, we are going to walk," Splinter answered.
"Where exactly is the Battle Nexus?" Lisa asked Leo. "Is it in New York?"
"Not exactly," answered Leo. "It's in another dimension."
"Another dimension?" repeated Mariel. "That's not possible."
"Actually, it is," contradicted Donatello. "We've been to a few different dimensions."
"When are we goin' to get there?" whined Destiny. "My feet are hurting!"
"We are here now," said Splinter. They had stopped before an alley. The Turtles and Splinter started to go through with the girls following, but Kaia was scared. She was afraid someone would attack them, but Leo reassured her that she was safe. Splinter began drawing on the wall that they stopped before with chalk. After this was done, he began to chant. Suddenly, the portal for the Battle Nexus appeared.
"Wow!" exclaimed Kaylee. "That's so awesome!"
Everyone jumped into the portal, the girls screaming as they slid. Then everyone landed together with a thump.
"Where are we?" asked Kaia.
"This is the Battle Nexus," replied Leo.
"It's very beautiful," commented Lisa.
"Where's the tournament held?" asked Mariel.
"In the arena," said Don. "There's a big crowd that comes to watch."
"Then we'd better hurry if we want to get a good seat," said Kaylee. She started to walk off, but suddenly a portal appeared, and she backed up.
"What's going on?" asked Kaia fearfully.
"It looks like this is our preliminary round," said Leo.
"Preliminary round?" repeated Destiny. "What's that?"
"It is a beginning round to determine who will fight in the tournament," replied Splinter. He walked up to one of the aliens who had come through the portal and bowed to him. The alien bowed back. It was very big and towered over Splinter. The Turtles followed their master's lead and took a stance in front of the other aliens. Then the battle began.
Although they weren't fighting as a team, the Turtles and Splinter seemed to feed off of each other's minds. It was as though they all knew what to do and they were advising one another through a secret code. Even though the aliens were bigger than them, the Turtles and Splinter were fighting almost as though the aliens were as big as Foot Ninjas.
There was a tense moment when the alien Leo was battling threw him to the ground hard and prepared to crush him. Kaia screamed and tried to rush down to help him, but before she could take two steps, a blue dome surrounded her and the other girls. Then the floating man known as the gyoji appeared.
"Battle Nexus rules clearly state that there can be no outside interference," he stated.
"Nice going, Kaia," grumbled Destiny.
"I'm sorry!" wailed Kaia. "I just thought Leo was gonna get hurt!"
"But he's fine," Lisa reassured her. "Look!" Kaia looked and saw that Leo was indeed okay. He had just defeated his alien and was standing with a smile on his face.
In no time at all, the other Turtles and Splinter defeated their competitors as well. The gyoji declared them the winners of the bout. Then another portal opened and the Daimyo came out to greet them. Standing beside him was his ten-year-old son Ve-Sa. He had red hair and green eyes and glanced shyly at everyone from behind his father.
"Hamato Splinter, welcome back," greeted the Daimyo. "I see you and your sons are ready for the tournament."
"Yes, we are," said Splinter.
"And who are these fine young ladies?" inquired the Daimyo. "Friends of yours?"
"No, these are my adopted daughters," replied Splinter. Then the girls introduced themselves.
"It is an honor to meet all of you," said the Daimyo graciously. "Allow me to introduce my son, Ve-Sa. He is learning the ways of ninjitsu as well."
Ve-Sa smiled at them. "Call me Ve for short," he said.
"Pleased to meet you, Ve-chan," Kaia said. The others followed suit.
"So, where's the tournament held?" Destiny asked. "I mean, where's the arena?"
"It is not far," the Daimyo replied. "We will walk there."
As they walked along, Ve asked them questions about their lives and how they met the Turtles. The girls answered freely and asked Ve about his life. Then they entered a room filled with statues.
"What's this place?" Kaylee asked.
"This is the Pavillion of Past Champions," the Daimyo answered. "All these statues are of those who have won the Battle Nexus before. I believe three of these statues should interest you." He gestured to three statues that stood in a row.
Kaia gasped. "That's Master Splinter!" she said. "And that man must be Hamato Yoshi, right?"
"Correct, Kaia," Splinter said.
"And that other one is Mikey," Kaylee said. "Cool!"
"Yeah, it is kinda cool," said Mikey nervously. He was still thinking about how he might lose his title.
After they went to the Pavillion of Past Champions, they found themselves in the arena where the tournament would take place. The girls saw many warriors standing in the middle of the arena. Among them were some of the Turtles' friends including Traximus, a Triceraton warrior they had befriended, Miyamoto Usagi and Gennosuke, two of Leo's good friends who were a samurai and a bounty hunter.
"It is almost time," declared the Daimyo. "Come, we must go sit. You five girls will be sitting with Ve-Sa and me."
"Thank you very much, sir," said Lisa. The others also said thank you to him. Then after giving the Turtles and Splinter hugs of good luck, they followed the Daimyo and Ve to the top seat.
"Warriors, welcome to the Battle Nexus," said the Daimyo. "You have gathered here today to fight for glory and honor. All of you have come far and wide with one goal in mind. To become Battle Nexus Champion! Now, let the tournament begin! Prepare yourselves for the first round!" He lifted his war staff, and it emitted a glowing light. The light spun around the arena where the warriors were standing and created dividers as the warriors were paired up. "Begin!" the Daimyo commanded, and they did.
Donatello was fighting the same tree-like being he had faced last year. "Oh, shell," he muttered to himself. "I hope I don't mess up this time." He got into a stance and got ready for his opponent to come at him. The tree-like being gave him a nasty smile and charged at him, but Don was ready. His bo staff swung and tripped his opponent. The tree-like being tripped and tried to sideswipe Don, but the brainy Turtle was prepared. He vaulted over and turned around. Then, Don managed to disarm his opponent and hit him in the head. His opponent went down and lay there. Don leapt at him and he disappeared. The purple-clad Turtle was stunned. Had he just beaten the tree-like being? Yes, he had. He hadn't got eliminated. Don was very happy. For once, things were looking up.
Meanwhile, Leonardo was fighting an alien with spots on his body. It almost looked like he was suffering from chicken pox or the measles. However, despite his appearance, he was a pretty tough fighter. He had a spear-like weapon that flashed brightly. Leo sized up his opponent and went in for the attack. The alien was tough, countering every move that Leo threw at him. The blue-clad Turtle felt that he wouldn't win, until the alien made a mistake. Leo used this to his advantage to trip up the alien and move in for what would have been a killing blow. The alien gave a roar of rage as it disappeared in a flash of blue light. Leo smiled happily, glad that he'd beaten the alien.
Raphael wasn't having as tough of a fight as his brothers were. He was fighting an alien with three eyes who didn't seem to have any experience in fighting battles. Raph managed to beat it fairly quickly, which he felt was unfair. He loved it when his opponent put up a fight. This alien, however, was slow to retaliate. In no time at all, Raph managed trick him and pull off a tricky move he'd invented, making the alien disappear. Raph grinned in triumph and hoped that his next opponent would be tougher.
Splinter was fighting Traximus. The Triceraton warrior was reluctant to fight Splinter because of his relationship to the Turtles. Still, he did what he had to do. He charged at Splinter with his axe held in front of him, but the old rat was too quick. Splinter used a flurry of moves that Traximus had a hard time countering. Traximus tried a sweep with his axe, but Splinter jumped and gave him a flurry of kicks. Traximus fell against the wall, and Splinter got ready to give him a final blow. The Triceraton warrior disappeared before Splinter could land the blow. Splinter bowed as Traximus left.
Meanwhile, Mikey was fighting Dijinn, the one Splinter had fought last time. The Turtle in orange was very nervous. He had a feeling that he wasn't going to win. Dijinn charged him, but Mikey dodged under. When Dijinn charged again, Mikey tried to duck, but this time it didn't work. Then Mikey tried using some of his own moves, but Dijinn countered them. Mikey was doing all he could, but it wasn't working. Dijinn landed a heavy punch and sent Mikey flat on his shell. Before Mikey could get up, he saw Dijinn's fist coming towards him. He let out a high-pitched scream before he disappeared and appeared in the elimination box.
"Where am I?" asked Mikey, looking around him.
"You are in the elimination box," said the gyoji. "You have been eliminated from the tournament."
Mikey gasped. "Are you kidding me?" he cried. "How could this happen? I can't be out of it! Tell me this is just a joke!"
"I am afraid this is no joke," said the gyoji gently.
"Do you know what this means?" gasped Mikey. The gyoji didn't answer. "It means I'm not the Battle Nexus Champion anymore!" Mikey wailed. "I'm a loser! A nobody!"
"Do not be discouraged, my friend," Traximus said sympathetically. "One cannot win all the time."
"Traximus, what are you doing here?" Mikey asked. "Are you still looking for warriors to help you with the war with the Federation?"
"Not this time," Traximus answered. "I just came because I enjoyed it last time. Your brother named Raphael puts up a good fight."
"Well, you could've beaten him if you knew how," Mikey commented.
"How could I have beaten him?" Traximus inquired.
Mikey smiled a little. "Just make him really mad," he explained. "He'll lose his focus. But don't tell him I told you that."
"I won't," Traximus promised.
Then they heard the Daimyo say, "Congratulations on making it to the second round. Now prepare for tier two!"
"It looks as though the second round is starting," said Traximus.
"Yeah, I guess so," replied Mikey.
"Are you going to watch?" Traximus asked him.
"Nah, not right now," answered Mikey. He didn't think he could bear to see his brothers fight. It wasn't that he wasn't happy about them advancing, but he was afraid his brothers would rub it in his face that he'd lost.
Meanwhile, in the arena, the tournament continued. Donatello was facing an alien who was kind of pudgy. Still, despite the appearance, this alien was a tough fighter. He was blue with intense eyes that startled Don for a minute. But the brainy Turtle had a few tricks up his sleeve, and he used them. The alien didn't know what to think, but he couldn't counter some of Don's moves and got eliminated.
For Leonardo, Fate had taken over once again because he found himself facing Miyamoto Usagi for the second time. He smiled at the samurai and said, "I guess this is déjà vu, huh, Usagi?"
"Yes, Fate has played a trick on us again, Leonardo-san," said Usagi. "As I said last time, may the best swordsman win."
"Bring it on," said Leo drawing his katanas.
The battle was very intense. Leo and Usagi were evenly matched. Every time one of them would try to execute a move, the other would counter it. For a little while, it seemed as if the match wouldn't end, but Leo had an idea. As Usagi charged him, Leo swept his feet out from under him and moved in for the blow. Usagi gave Leo a smile as he disappeared. Leo bowed at the place where Usagi was moments before.
Meanwhile, Raphael was battling Gen. At first, Raph felt he had this battle won, but he really didn't know how tough the bounty hunter rhino really was. Raph, like Leo, tried every move he could think of, but Gen countered it. Finally, Raph managed to flip Gen over, making the rhino land on his back. Then Raph flipped up and made the bounty hunter disappear.
"Yes!" yelled the red-clad Turtle in triumph. He was so glad he was able to advance to the next round. "Mikey must be kicking himself," he muttered.
Splinter didn't have the good luck his sons did. He was fighting an alien that was as quick as he in countering moves. Even though Splinter was good, he had a hard time matching this alien's technique. Still, Splinter fought hard, using as many moves as he could. The battle ended when the alien knocked Splinter's stick out of his hands, kicked him against the wall, and made the final blow, but Splinter disappeared.
When Splinter appeared in the elimination box, he saw Usagi talking to Traximus and also saw his son Michelangelo sitting against the wall. The old rat could tell that his son was troubled and decided to talk to him.
"What troubles you, my son?" he asked. "Why are you sitting here by yourself?"
"Oh, hey, Sensei," said Michelangelo. "What are you doing here?"
"I was eliminated from the tournament," answered Splinter. "Why are you so troubled?"
"Well, I am a little bummed," explained Mikey. "I lost my trophy. I'm no longer Battle Nexus Champion."
Splinter smiled gently. He knew how much that trophy had meant to Michelangelo. "That is not true, my son," he said. "You will always be a Battle Nexus Champion even without a trophy."
"What do you mean?" asked Mikey.
"You have your statue in the Pavillion of Past Champions, do you not, Michelangelo?"
"Yeah, I do," said Mikey. "What's your point, Master Splinter?"
"My point is that because you have a statue, you will always be considered a Battle Nexus Champion. You are not a loser, Michelangelo. You are a good warrior who fought well."
"Thanks, Sensei," said Mikey, bowing to him. "You really know how to make someone feel better." He smiled.
"I am glad I cheered you up," replied Splinter. "Come, we will join your other brothers and sisters. The intermission should be now."
"Okay," said Mikey. He followed Splinter out of the elimination box and over to where the girls were sitting. Usagi and Traximus joined them.
"Mikey!" cried Kaylee. She ran to give him a hug. Mikey picked her up and swung her around. She squealed happily.
"Hey, we saw you fighting out there," said Lisa. "You were pretty good."
"Yeah, you rocked, Mikey!" said Kaylee.
"Hey, thanks, guys," said Mikey with a smile.
"Hey, here comes Leo, Don, and Raph," said Kaia. "Hey, guys! Good job on advancing to the next round."
"Thanks, Kaia," said Leonardo with a smile.
"You're not too upset, are you, Mikey?" asked Raphael.
"No, not anymore," said Mikey. "Master Splinter told me that I'm still a champion because of my statue."
"Speaking of that, can we go back to the Pavillion of Past Champions?" asked Kaia. "I didn't get to see all the statues."
"Sure, we can go there real quick," said Leo. "Then we can walk around the marketplace."
"Sweet!" said Kaylee. "I can't wait to go back."
They headed back to the Pavillion of Past Champions. Kaia went among all the statues, looking at all of them. She couldn't believe there were so many past champions.
"Hey, look at this guy," said Kaylee. "He's so big." The others came to look at the statue. It was of a man in armor with spikes on his hands.
"Whoa!" Mikey exclaimed. "That looks like Shredder."
'That's what I thought, too," Leonardo said. "I saw it when I got attacked by the assassins."
Raphael growled. "Don't tell me he was a Battle Nexus Champion too!" he snarled.
"Well, considering that his statue's in this pavilion, I'd say it's a possibility," said Don matter-of-factly.
Raph gave the statue a dirty look. "C'mon, let's get out of here," he muttered.
They left and went out to the marketplace, looking at the various stands that were out. They saw many of the aliens that had competed in the tournament. Some were friendly and waved as the group passed, but others just turned away when Kaylee said hello.
Then the gyoji appeared to tell them that the third round was about to start. The girls, Mikey, Usagi, Traximus, Gen, who had joined them a little later, and Splinter wished Leo, Don, and Raph good luck. The three Turtles thanked them and headed back to the arena.
"Warriors, prepare for the third round," the Daimyo said.
The gyoji led them to a glowing portal ball. "This round will pair you by random lottery," he said.
The contestants picked a color and were paired in that way. Whoever got the same color were the ones that fought one another. Leo, Raph, and Don weren't fighting one another, which was a relief to them. They found the ones they were facing and got ready to fight.
The third round was a lot harder than the previous two rounds. It was a lot more intense, and the Turtles could feel that their opponents were determined to win. Don grew nervous and made a mistake. His opponent used it to his advantage and Don was eliminated. Leo and Raph managed to beat their opponents, putting them in the final four with two other aliens.
"The fourth round is about to begin," the gyoji announced. "The ones advancing to the fourth round are Leonardo of dimension third Earth, Galanga of dimension Malk, Raphael of dimension third Earth, and Emio from dimension Fedra." He conjured a portal. "Step through the portal," he told the contestants. "It will pair you randomly."
Leo and Raph wished each other good luck and stepped through. Each was paired with one of the other aliens, who looked a little intimidating. Raph just snarled and prepared to fight while Leo bowed to his opponent. Then the battle began. It was close many times as both pairs had near wins. Raph was getting anxious, and even Leo was a little worried. Luckily, both Turtles managed to defeat their opponents, making themselves the final two contestants.
Raphael couldn't believe it. "I have to fight you?" he gasped at Leo.
"Looks like it," Leo quipped.
The gyoji transported the two Turtles to their final arena. Raph and Leo bowed to each other and got ready to fight.
"Well, good luck, Raph," Leonardo said. "Don't get upset if I beat you."
"In your dreams, Sword Boy," Raph retorted. He pulled out his sais. "Let's do this," he said.
"You're on, Hothead," Leo said, drawing his katanas.
Clash! Clash! Clash! Leo and Raph kept countering each other's moves. Having sparred with each other many times, the two could tell what the other would do. It was a battle that no one had seen before. Both of them gave it their all. Then Leo managed to knock Raphael down and made to finish him off, but Raph anticipated this He flipped Leo over, only intending to make him land on his shell. But the red-clad Turtle put too much force into it. When Leo landed, he landed in an awkward position with his right leg under him. He even felt it snap.
Raph was shocked. "Leo!" he cried. He hurried to his brother's side. "Where does it hurt?" he asked.
"It's my ankle," Leo said weakly. "I think it's broken."
"Oh, man, I'm so sorry!" moaned Raph. "I didn't mean to do that!"
"It's okay, Raph," Leo reassured him. "I know you didn't mean it." He smiled at his brother in red. "Take the championship," he said. "You can be Battle Nexus Champion. All you have to do is make a killing blow."
Raphael thought for a minute. Yes, he could finish Leo off and become Battle Nexus Champion. He could get back at Mikey for all the times he's shoved it in Raph's face. He could stand above his brothers, the best of them all. But then he looked at his brother in blue. Leo needed this. He'd been screwed out of it last time. Plus, he was the one who was dedicated to ninjitsu. Leo deserved to win, and Raph was determined to make it so.
"I'm not gonna finish you off, Leo," he said decidedly. "You deserve this more than I do. You should be the Champion. I'm forfeiting."
"Are you sure?" Leo asked him.
"Dead sure," said Raphael.
Then the gyoji appeared. "Do you wish to continue?" he asked them.
"No," replied Raph. "I forfeit. Leo deserves to win."
"So noted," said the gyoji. Then he made the announcement to the crowd. "The warrior Leonardo will need to go to the Healer's Pavilion at once," he said.
Raphael helped Leo up as the gyoji transported them to the Master Healer. He examined the Turtle's leg thoroughly.
"Is he gonna be okay?" asked Raph anxiously.
"He will be fine," replied the Master Healer. "It is broken, but I can set it. He will make a full recovery as long as he is careful." The Healer then set to work on setting Leo's ankle. The Turtle in blue winced, but Raph was there to hold his hand. After the ankle was set and bandaged, they were taken to the Daimyo who presented Leo with trophy and declared him Battle Nexus Champion. Then he transported everyone back to the Lair.
"Wow!" exclaimed Kaylee. "That was awesome!"
"It was just as exciting as any wrestling match," commented Destiny. "But, Raph, why didn't you finish Leo off? Didn't you want to win?"
"I thought I did at first," admitted Raphael. "But I felt that Leo deserved it more than me. Plus, I wasn't gonna pull a Shredder and hurt my brother while he was wounded. There's no honor in that."
"You did the right thing, Raphael," said Splinter. "I am proud of you."
Don settled Leo on the couch and got him an ice pack and some painkillers. "You won't be able to train for a while," he warned. "You'll have to stay on the couch for a few days. I'll go to April's later on to see if she's got crutches for you."
"Will Leo be okay?" asked Kaia worriedly. She was crying.
"Kaia, don't worry," Leo reassured her. "I'm gonna be fine."
"Hey, Raph, I just thought of something," said Mikey. "You've achieved something that no one else has before."
"What's that?" asked Raph.
"You've managed to get your butt kicked by not one, but two of your brothers," laughed Mikey.
Raph growled. "Oh, that's it, Mikey," he snarled. "You're dead!"
Mikey let out a girlie scream and ran away while Raph chased after him.
Leo smiled. He knew that nothing would change between Raph and Mikey. They would always tease each other like that. Yet, he knew that they loved each other dearly. And now they had five sisters to love, too. He watched as Kaylee begged Raph to stop chasing Mikey and Destiny cheered Raph on. He saw Lisa smile and go to her room to read while Mariel and Donnie smiled and headed to the lab. Kaia was by Leo's side. She wouldn't leave.
"Kaia, go on to your room," commanded Leo. "I'll be okay."
"I want to stay with you," replied Kaia. "You're hurt."
"It's just my ankle," Leo reassured her. "I'll be fine. Once I get back on my feet, I'll spend time with you, okay?"
"Okay," said Kaia. She kissed her brother on the cheek. "'Night, Leo. I love you."
"Love you, too, sweetie," said Leo. "Sweet dreams." He kissed her on the cheek and watched her go upstairs. He knew that she'd worry about him all night. Just like Raph would too. They all shared a special bond, and Leo liked that. He wouldn't trade it for the world. That was his last thought as he drifted off to sleep.
A/N: Wow! Fifteen pages! This is the longest chapter I've written so far. I hope you like it. Mikey fans, please don't kill me because I made him lose. I wanted to teach him a lesson that he can't win all the time. I hope you like who I chose to win. Please read and review. What did you think of the 100th episode? I thought it rocked, but I feel sorry for Donnie. I hope they find a cure for him soon. Catch ya on the flip side.