Alrighty team! Sunday is here! Update time! Wohoo! Please enjoy and let me know what you guys think! :D
"High kick! Jab! Punch left! Punch right! Low sweep! Back flip! Finish!" Splinter commanded as each of them did as they were told. "Yame!" Leo stopped and the four of them all turned to face Master Splinter before bowing at the waist then kneeling down in front of him. "I would like you to fight each other in pairs now to test your progress." They all looked at one another a bit excited as the old rat went on. "You will each face each other than the next team will face off. Donatello will face Raphael. Michelangelo will face Leonardo." They all nodded before getting into positions. "Hajime!" Leo and Mikey stared each other down before Leo charged.
"Oh yeah! Michelangelo is on the move!" Mikey cried before jumping out of the way of Leo's strike. Mikey smirked as he landed, "You don't know what to do!" Leo glared at him before charging once more. "I'm here, I'm there, I could be anywhere!" Mikey said happily avoiding each of Leo's strikes. Leo almost got him, but he missed barely. Then he got an idea and smirked as Mikey continued to taunt him, "How do you stop what you can't even see!?"
Mikey charged at him and Leo waited patiently before ducking down and slamming his fist into Mikey stomached plastron. Mikey rolled on the floor holding his stomach before crumbling to the ground. "Like that?" Leo asked with a smirk.
Mikey held up a pathetic finger, "Good one, Leo." He croaked before dragging himself to the sidelines to wait. Leo smiled at him before looking to Raph and Donnie seeing Raph slapping Donnie's shell as the genius was calling out for mercy. The two then turned to face one another as Donnie joined Mikey. They then got into kneeling into positions. "Oneigaishimasu." Leo said to him.
"Whatever you say." Raph said before they both charged. Raph smacked Leo in the head, but the Leo managed to counter with a kick knocking him down. They then charged again, but somehow Raph was able to grab hold of Leo's wrist and throw him over Raph's shoulder and to the ground winning the match. As Leo held his throbbing shoulder Raph smirked down at him, "Nice try."
"Yame!" Master Splinter called stopping them before they all kneeled in front of him. "You all did very well."
"But I did better." Raph cut in with a smirk. Leo turned to slightly to gawk at his audacity. Then again this was Raphael. He really shouldn't be that surprised.
"This was about self-improvement Raphael. It is not about winning and losing." Master Splinter explained.
"I know sensei. But I won and they lost." Raph went on happily. Master Splinter then pinched the skin between his neck and shell and at once Raph corrected himself, "But what's really important is that we all did our best. Good job everyone!" He cried with fake enthusiasm before Master Splinter let him go with an evil little chuckle of his own. Leo felt himself smirk inside at the righteousness of that moment as Raph rubbed his sore spot, but chose to remain silent.
Master Splinter then went on, "You are all progressing quickly and I am proud of the growth you have made." Leo exchanged looks with the others excited about what he was saying. "However," Master Splinter said cutting their victory short, "None of you have yet to use your Chi energy."
"What do you mean, sensei?" Leo asked confused, "We're in our turtle forms and we use it every time we change like you said."
Master Splinter nodded, "Yes and I am glad you are able to access it, but being able to change forms will not be enough. You will need to use your Chi energy to defeat the Shredder as he will also be using everything he can to defeat you." The energetic air suddenly dissipated.
"How do we do that?" Leo asked softly.
"You must focus like you do when you change and allow the energies to flow through you as a channel. Only then will you be able to access your full potential." Master Splinter answered.
Leo sighed frustratingly, "Yes Master, but how? How can we focus on defeating an enemy when we have to be thinking about constantly focusing our energy?"
Master Splinter shook his head, "I am sorry, Leonardo. That is something you will have to discover for yourself." They all were silent at his words before the old rat smiled at them once more, "Training is now over and you are all dismissed. After all, we wouldn't want to be too exhausted for the tournament tomorrow would we?"
Leo looked up at him forgetting his worries and smiled, glad Master Splinter had remembered. "Oh yeah!" Mikey said looking over to him, "You got a Keendo thing!"
Leo laughed as Donnie raised a finger, "Its pronounced Kendo, Mikey."
"Like dat stupid Barbie doll thing girls are always talkin' about?" Raph asked with a grimace.
"Yes, it's pronounced like that, but it has nothing to do with dolls. It's a Japanese art of fighting. Kendo is derived from-"
"Don't know, don't care." Raph said cutting Donnie off.
Donnie scowled, but chose to stay silent. "Leonardo," Leo looked over to the smiling rat, "Good luck." Leo smiled back at him as his chest swelled. Right now he felt like he could do anything,
"Man I'm hungry." Mikey said drawing the attention as he stretched.
"Me too." Donnie agreed.
"You guys want to go to Antonio's for pizza?" Leo asked excitedly.
"Heck yeah!"
"Sure."
Leo looked over to Raph, "You coming too?"
Raph looked at him for a second before rolling his eyes then started to walk away, "I got better tings ta do den play with you babies. See ya Master Splinter!" He called before disappearing.
"Goodbye Raphael." Master Splinter answered.
"What was that about?" Donnie asked confused.
Leo shrugged, "Who knows." They all then changed forms and exited the subway. "Bye Master Splinter!"
"See you later!" Donnie called.
"I'll bring you back a slice!" Mikey added before they broke the surface.
Quickly they made their way down to Times Square and Leo led the way to Antonio's. As he pushed the door open he smiled as he saw the kind owner call to him. "Leonardo! How are you doing, eh? You solve that big problem yet?"
Leo smiled and nodded as he, Mikey, and Donnie walked up to the counter. "Yeah I figured it out. Thanks. These are my friends Mikey and Donnie." Leo went on introducing them.
Antonio nodded, "Good to meet you! Now what can I get for you fine gentlemen?"
"Pizza!" Mikey cried excitedly.
Antonio laughed, "Okay pizza it is." He then started to roll out the dough. "What kind of pizza this one gonna be, huh?"
"Cheese, jalapeños, jelly beans and maple syrup!" Mikey answered happily.
Both Donnie and Leo cringed, but Antonio burst into laughter. "That's a very funny! Good joke!"
"He's not joking." Leo said seriously.
Antonio paused then smiled, "I'm all about trying new things, but perhaps that a little too new for me, my excited friend." Mikey looked a little down so Antonio went on, "I don't have any maple syrup, but I do think I have some jelly beans in the back, huh?" Mikey looked at him excited and Antonio winked at him.
As Antonio continued to work, Leo looked around and noticed a sufficient lack of customers. "Where is everyone?" He asked out loud.
Antonio scowled just a bit before he answered, "There is a new pizza place that just opened up around the corner. Real nice sit down restaurant. It's a making me lose my business." He answered sadly.
"Oh no." Leo breathed. Antonio's had the best pizza and he was Leo's friend.
"That's awful." Donnie sympathized.
Antonio nodded sadly as he placed the pizza into the oven, "Yes it is. And there is nothing I can a do about it."
"Is there anything we can do to help?" Leo asked wanting to help him.
Antonio smiled at him, "Leonardo my friend, I wish there was."
"I know what you could do!" Mikey cried happily, "You could open up a toping's bar!"
They all looked at him like he had grown a second head, "A what?" Donnie asked confused.
"A toppings bar!" Mikey said again not losing any luster. "So you make just a regular pizza then they can add whatever they want on it like jelly beans!" He then walked over to the center of the joint, "You could put the bar here. Like a salad bar, but for all kinds of toppings and charge for each topping!"
Donnie then placed his hand on his chin in thought, "That could actually work. If you got your marketing big enough."
Antonio looked contemplative then smiled, "I will certainly look into it."
They spent the rest of the time relaxing and having fun. Leo learned a lot about Donnie and Mikey. Donnie wanted to be a scientist with an emphasis on Physics and Chemistry. Though he was knowledgeable in pretty much everything.
Mikey wanted to be a super hero.
Leo smiled and told them he wasn't entirely sure what he wanted to do for the rest of his life, but he really did enjoy training. Maybe he would open his own Dojo one day. Eventually they all had to go home. Mikey had saved a few 'normal' pieces of pizza for Master Splinter as he had promised and Donnie took the rest home with him. Leo still had leftovers from the previous night. The young man walked to the bus stop but something caught his eye. Not seeing the bus anywhere he walked over to where he saw two men who looked exactly alike walk into an alley.
In the words of another, his turtle sense was tingling and he knew something was off about them. Remembering Master Splinter's teaching Leo stuck to the shadows and remained as quiet as he could as he followed them further into the alley. Finally they came to a stop and turned to one another.
"Kraang. The one known as Kraang Prime wishes Kraang to know the beginning known as the end has begun." One man said to the other. Leo blinked. They were talking weird.
"Kraang now knows of this. Kraang thanks Kraang." The twin said back before they both walked away and out of the alley. Leo was about to follow them when he heard the bus behind him.
Quickly he made his way to the stop not wanting to wait an hour for the next one. As he rode his way back to his place he couldn't help, but think about what he had overheard. Never before had he heard such a strange way of speaking. And those men looked exactly alike. They even wore the same suit. And as he continued to go through the moment in his head he also realized that both men hadn't shown any emotion whatsoever when they spoke. That wasn't normal. And what the heck was a Kraang and what was a Kraang Prime? And what did they mean by the beginning of the end?
Leo sighed and shook his head, no point in worrying about something that had nothing to do with him. He needed to let it go… but he couldn't. Something was wrong about those men and Master Splinter had been teaching them about using their instincts and listening to what they told you. Maybe he would ask Master Splinter when he saw him next.
..::-::..
Mikey walked happily back into the lair, as he had dubbed it, carrying a box of everything he owned. Some comic books, his other pair of clothes, trinkets he had found over the course of his homeless career, action figures, a couple books including a cooking book he was excited to try out, and his small teddy bear. He would never part with it. Ever.
"Ah Michelangelo, I see you have returned." Master Splinter said as he walked out of the room above where they practiced, "Do you have everything?"
Mikey nodded, "Yep! All right here in this box!"
Master Splinter seemed to frown somewhat before a smile took over and he nodded. "You may chose whichever room you desire and do whatever you wish to do within it to make it your own."
"Sweet! Thanks Master Splinter!" Mikey cried before racing over to where the rooms were. He checked each one before deciding on the one closest to Master Splinter's room. Not that he was afraid! Oh no Mikey wasn't afraid, he just didn't like to be alone. Mikey went to work setting up his room and laying the mats and few ratty blankets on the floor that made up his bed before placing his things around the room. His room. Mikey smiled before falling onto his bed and smiling.
"Are you finished?" Master Splinter asked coming into the room and looking around. There was not enough nor sufficient bedding for his like, though.
Mikey nodded, "Yep!" He then stood and smiled at him, "Thanks for letting me stay here with you. I really appreciate it."
Master Splinter smiled at him as well, "It is my pleasure Michelangelo. It gets very lonely down here and it will be a welcomed change to have another here. Though," He paused stroking his chin hair, "I believe a more sufficient bed and blankets will need to be gathered."
Mikey looked over at the bed that had been his own for a while now a little confused, "What's wrong with it?"
"I doubt it is very comfortable for one." Master Splinter answered giving him a look, "And if you are going to be staying here you will need a proper place to rest."
Mikey nodded agreeing with him, "But where are we going to get a bed? I don't have any money."
"I believe a trip to the dumb will be in order." Master Splinter answered with a mischievous twitch of his whiskers. "Would you like to come with me tonight?" He asked knowing the answer.
"Would I!?" Mikey cried excitedly, "When can we go!?"
Master Splinter chuckled, "We may leave tonight after it gets dark. There we will be able to find a suitable bed for you and more supplies for our home."
Mikey's heart swelled in happiness at that word. Home. He hadn't had one in a very long time and Mikey was excited to be sharing it with Master Splinter and his bros when they were around. Right now Mikey felt like the luckiest kid/super hero turtle in the whole world. Nothing could make this better… okay maybe another slice of pizza, but then it was perfect!
..::-::..