Raph pulled a panel off from his bike and drilled in the bolts. "There, that oughta lighten the load," he climbed onto the bike.
"That's a die cast aluminum frame," Casey called out, next to Raph with his bike as well. "It's already light."
"Well now it's 18 ounces lighter, giving this Shell Cell a death of the edge," Raph commented. Casey took the drill from his hands.
"You're dreaming, after I tweak the throttle response on this baby, you'll be spitting it's dust for a week," he bends down to work on his bike, but Raph grabs the drill back from him.
"Not after I lighten the shift linkage," he replied. Casey took the drill back again.
"Not after I modify the compression ration by 3 percent."
The two glare at each other then turn back towards their bikes, working on them. Raph glances over his shoulder at Casey. "Hmm, compression ratio. Good idea."
Then the whole lair started to rumble. "What the shell?" Raph and Casey see a bright light not too far off coming the main room of the lair.
"Casey, stay here!" Raph ran off, meeting with Mona who was staring along with everyone else as a portal floated above them.
"Master Splinter, what's going on?" Leo questioned, as Donnie rushed in.
"We've seen that kind of energy before," he pointed out, and as soon as he did, the ultimate ninja emerged from the portal.
"Drako!" Splinter exclaimed.
"And the Daimyo's son," Leo finished. "This is what we've told you about, Master Splinter. They've merged somehow, combined together."
"All into one ugly package," Raph commented as he walked into the room, squinting his eyes from the bright light. Mona had rushed in along with him, after putting Elizabeth down for a nap when she heard the commotion as well.
"We told you we would return," the Ultimate ninja declared. "We told you we would have our revenge!"
"Revenge this, whack bag!" Raph yelled running to them, spinning his sais. The Ultimate ninja used the time scepter freezing Raph in midair as he jumped to kick. He grabbed Raph with his tail, throwing him into the pillar.
"As if you could simply fight us! We control time and space with Lord Simultaneous time scepter! We are unbeatable," the ultimate ninja declared.
"Someone quick!" Donnie called as everyone jumped at the ultimate ninja to stop him. "Grab the-" He shoots out another blast of energy freezing everyone.
"Now we will have our vengeance," Drako said. The Daimyo's son glared, looking at Leo.
"Leonardo, destroy him first!"
"No, we agreed. The rat first then the Daimyo, your father," Drako answered, looking at Splinter.
"Then Leonardo." The Daimyo's son replied.
"They will pay, all of them." Drako declared.
"Yes, all of them will learn the meaning of suffering across time and space!" All Raph saw was a bright light before he found himself falling. He landed on the ground with a thud. Raph groaned as he stands up rubbing his head. He looks around to find that he wasn't in the lair anymore. He was in the middle a desert on some strange alien planet.
"Where the shell am I?" he asked himself, panicking. "Master Splinta! Leo! Mona! Wait a minute, where's that Drako ninja freak? He had the time scepter and...and where'd that bozo send me?" Then Raph hears a revving sound not to far off in the distance with a smoke trail following behind it.
"What the?"
A couple of bikes jumped up from a rocky slope, now the heading straight towards him.
One of the bikes notices Raph on the screen. "Falcon, someone's on the track!" A girl with blue hair reported.
"Hoooollllly sheeell!" Raph shouted, running away. The the bikes managed to miss Raph but one spirals out of control and crashed. Raph stops and looks at the bike. He walked over to it.
"What's the big idea?" Raph demanded. "Cant' you see I'm walking here?! Huh?" He sees two of the riders are injured and jumped down from the bike. "Hey, you guys okay?"
"Not for long," Falcon groaned. Then a pack of four legged hairy creatures jumped out and started to charge towards them.
"Uh oh, I take it these freaks aren't friends of yours?" Raph commented, nervously. Falcon struggled to stand up.
"We gotta get out of here!" he crawled over to the bike, pressing a button. The bike stands back on it's own and Falcon picked up his partner, turning to Raph. "Can you ride?"
"Can I ride?" Raph answered, looking at the bike in awe. The pack of hairy creatures were coming closer. Raph helped the two racers back into the bike and hopped on. "Hang on, cuz we are gonna..." he stops, looking at the controls. There were too many buttons, which one was start?"Let's see," Raph presses one but it doesn't work. He tries another, nothing. "Okay, I give up. How the shell do you start this thing?" he began to panic, seeing the beast coming even more closer.
Raph frantically began to press on of the buttons to start the bike. "Come on, come on, start!" Suddenly, lights came on at all the buttons lit up. "Lights, that's good. Now which one is go?" Raph hears a growl coming up from behind him.
"Aw, shell." Raph turned to see the creatures pounce. Raph quickly pressed another button and finally manages to get the bike to start, just as the creatures attacked. He speeds the bike forwards driving up an mountain, over a gap, landing on the other side, safely. Falcon looks back and turns to Raph, who was smiling.
"Not bad."
"Brace man, this is the ultimate challenge. One planet, three days, five racing machines as Race commissioner Morrey has promised, anything can happen on the hostile world Laotora. Just ask Godman Falcon of Team Fitts, whopping apple two minutes behind the others on this day of the USP RA charity race event," the sports announcer announced.
"Rub it in, why don't ya?" Falcon muttered, bitterly.
In the infirmary, an mechanic was holding a part of the bike explaining to Falcon. His navigator rest resting on the bed, with a broken leg.
"And these servos, they burn out. That not good for impellers, they crack. I'll need to be replace. Lois sub-frame, two very bent."
"Can you get the bike on it's wheels by the next race?" Falcon asked the robot.
"Alright, but it's gonna be tight."
Then someone came on the vid comm, revealing an pink alien with a wrinkled face, wearing a blue uniform. "I'm sorry to break this to you, Falcon, without bringing in another team to replace you, Team Fitts is out."
"Commissioner Morrey, you cannot disqualify us!" Falcon argued, angrily.
"You can't ride without a navigator," the commissioner stated.
"But it wasn't our fault!" Falcon protested.
"Let it go, Falcon," his partner called out. "it's just a charity race. It doesn't count towards the championship."
"No, I'm finishing this race even if I have to navigate this bike myself," Falcon stated. Morrey laughed.
"Ha! Then who would be your pilot?" he retorted, pointing a finger at him.
"Hmm," Falcon turns to Raph, who was sitting in a chair. "Him!"
"Me?!" Raph pointed to himself, surprised.
"Him?" Morrey and Falcon partner asked.
"Trust me, he can ride. He's got the balance of a messy machine. Your people, Methania. It's amazing." Falcon explained.
"It's against the rules, but...since this isn't an official USB RA race, I'll make an exception," Morrey answered before cutting off the call.
"Look, I'm sorry you beefed it on account of me," Raph said, standing up. "But, I can't stick around. My brothers, my family, and Master Splinter are probably in trouble. I gotta find a way back home." He had to get back to his daughter and Mona.
"I know, I know, you told me," Falcon told him. "You don't even know how you got here, but now that you jammed me up, you think you're just gonna bail?"
"I'm really sorry, but,...I gotta get home!" Raph replied, and started walking away.
"Wait, Raphael," Methania called out. Raph stopped to listen to her. "Maybe we can help you. My uncle is the premiere subspace temporal mechanics theorist in this sector. If there's a way to get you back, he'll figure it out. We'll take you to him...after the race."
Raph sighed. What other choice did he have? It could be the way to for him to get home...
"Okay, deal. Count me in."
The next morning came, as spectators watched from their seats as the race track was set on an icy terrain.
"Good morning, all beings and life forms. This is Nobby Bloe, bringing you day two live from the crew frozen waste course." Raph, Falcon and the other racers drove out from their starting stations. "The drop-off is complete, racers moving to the starting grid. As for us, we'll be locating to the minister."
Bike 6 drives past Raph, spraying snow on him and Falcon. "Gonna beef it again, Falcon?" the driver mocked.
"Hey!" Raph shouted, then turned to Falcon. "Friends of yours?"
"That's Tripper Nitro and Jag Maggiore of Team Koyoshada," Falcon explained. "Watch out for them, they don't play nice."
"The flag is up, they wait for the signal," the announcer announced. "And..." The light flashes green and all of the racers sped off. "They're off!"
Just as the race had started, Falcon noticed an alert flashing on the screen. "What? I got a nikon already? A 40 foot drop into the ice tunnels."
"Good, I gotta make up for that lousy start," Raph commented and the bikes drop down into the tunnels. Then Falcon gets another alert.
"Got another caution," he explained. "There's subterranean life down here,"
"What is it?" Raph questioned.
"Worms!" Falcon told him.
"What?"
They drive into the dark tunnel while the race cameras followed behind them.
"Worms, Commissioner?" Nobby asked from the ship stadium. "Just how big are these worms?"
"Well, they dug these tunnels, that's all I know," Morrey replied.
"We've got to stop the race!" Nobby was about to press the button to warn the spectators and racers but Morrey grabs his wrist.
"Absolutely not. Ratings are up because this is the most hostile planet we've ever raced. A little danger never hurt anybody," Morrey stated.
"Sounds like you're hoping someone gets hurt," Nobby pointed out.
"Never," Morrey answered. "But, make sure your race cams keep up with the action, just in case."
Back in the tunnels, Raph manages to speed past some of the other racers. He drives up to an three way intersection up ahead.
"Which way? We've got three tunnels ahead," he asked.
"Uh, uh," Falcon looks at the map on the screen. "Middle!" As Raph drives up to the path, a giant worm pops out, lunging at the two racers. Falcon and Raph screamed.
"I mean left!" Raph quickly makes a sharp turn, but now the worm was chasing them, right on their tail. The rest of the other bikes drive into the middle tunnels. Raph tried to steady the bike as he struggled through the icy ground.
"Okay, those ain't your average snake crawlers." Raph commented.
"Somebody should've warned us!" Falcon yelled then bike 6 drove right out in front of them. "Hey, look out!" The bike crashes into Raph and Falcon. The two bike begin to slide out of control.
"I can't hold her!" Raph shouted. "There's no traction! We're going down, Falcon!" Both bikes crash on the ground. Nitro activated his bike's stabilizer's getting back on it's wheels again. "Oh, that jerk Nitro tore the hydraulics when he slammed us! We got no stabilizers."
Raph and Falcon got out from the bike. "Then we gotta lift it ourselves," Falcon replied. Then the two heard the worm growling not too far behind them. It eats the race camera, destroying it.
"Whoa, massive worm alert!" Nobby exclaimed, seeing what had happened. "That thing just ate one of our race cams!" He turned to another camera, seeing the worm. "And it ain't looking good of Team Vincent Koyoshada!" Methania gasped as she watched the race from the infirmary. "They better get their bikes and gear fast!"
Raph and Falcon struggled to push the bike back onto it's wheels. Raph turned to the other racers that crashed into them. "Nitro, give us a hand!" he called out, but the team drove off just as the worm closes in. "Okay, think fast, think fast!" Raph said to himself, looking down at the crack, that the worm created, below his feet. "Where's a trapdoor when you need it? That's it!" Raph takes out his sais and starts stabbing them into the icy floor. "Get on!" He and Falcon hop back onto the bike as the worm began to advance in on them. Raph stabs through the ice once more, and it started to cave in. The bike falls landing back on it's wheels again, but the worm was still chasing after them as well.
"Way to race, Raph," Falcon told him.
Suddenly, Raph begins to phase. "Raph?"
Raph shakes his head as it stops. "Whoa, what was that?"
Morrey stepped out from the elevator, talking on his phone. "No, no, double the moxie. I want tomorrow's race heavily promoted, if you think today is intense, we're gonna send the ratings through the roof! The ad money is gonna flood in."
"What exactly is going on here, Commissioner?" Methania called out, as she walked towards him, supporting herself with a crutch.
"Something bothering you, Methania?" Morrey questioned.
"Giant ice worms?" she demanded.
"That was a surprise to me as well," Morrey told her. "but everyone was aware that this was a harsh planet. And I have your signed wavers to prove it. Now move aside." He brushes past her, walking away.
"I'm sure the race council would like to know that you're turning this event into a death match," Methania threatened.
"Be careful what you say, Methania," the commissioner reminded her. "You might hurt my feelings. And don't forget, you need my approval if you ever want to race again."
Back in the tunnels, Raph sees that there's a jump up ahead. "Give it a gyros on high fret, we've got some maneuvering to do!" he called out.
"Got it!" Falcon answered. "We'll be out of the glacier in five seconds. Better pick up speed."
"Why?" Raph questioned.
"There's a bit of a jump," Falcon answered, sheepishly. "Full throttle, Raph!"
"Already on it!" Raph replied, speeding out of the tunnel over the gap. The worm chases after them as well, as they flew over a giant cavern below them. It plunges down into while Raph and Falcon landed on the other side, now back in the race.
"You'll be relieved to know that we picked up signals from both Teams Koyoshada and Fitts," Nobby reported. "They're on the move, though Falcon is way off course." He hears the doors open and turns to see Methania.
"At least they're okay, huh, Methania?"
"Yes," she walked up to him. "Say, uh, Nobby, we've known each other for a long time. Please tell me the truth. What is the Commissioner up to?"
"What I know and what I can prove are two different things, Methania," Nobby answered.
"I think there's a way to get proof," Methania explained. "but, I'll need your help."
Just outside of the tracks, Raph and Falcon were driving along an icy cliff side. "Come on, Raph, we've got a lot of time to make up," Falcon told him, but something was wrong. "Raph?"
Raph was beginning to phase and he couldn't grab a hold of the bars as he tried to grab them.
"This ain't good!" Raph exclaimed. "It's like I'm fading away!"
"We're drifting, get control!" Falcon shouted.
"I...I can't! I can't grab hold of the bars!" The bike drives off the edge of the cliff and falls down into the deep ravine.
As the bike began to plummet further down, almost touching the bottom, Raph was struggling trying to grab the handles. He suddenly stops phasing and quickly grabs the bars, maneuvering the bike. "Better hang on!" Raph drives the bike over an ice ramp. "Get ready for a little off-road action, Raph style!" It flies over the other racers, landing right in front of them, back on the tracks. "Alright!"
Team Koyoshada watched in shock. "What the?"
"Unbelievable! Somehow, Team Fitts not only got back on course, but they gained the lead! And Team Fitts is first!" The crowd cheered as Raph's and Falcon's bike raced past the finish line, first. Raph drove the bike to the mechanics and he and Falcon jumped off, taking their helmets off.
"What happened to you out there?" Falcon asked.
"I don't know," Raph tried to explain, shaking his head, not knowing either. "It was the same kind of feeling I had when I got here, like...like I was being pulled out of something."
"Oh, you can't abandon me now, we're in a middle of a race!" Falcon argued.
"Hey, it's not I have any control over it!" Raph retorted. The mechanic walked down the stairs heading towards them.
"Racing good, track not so good. Nice that you lived though,"
"Thanks Muk, better check her over top to bottom, she went through a lot." Falcon told him, walking away with Raph.
The robot mechanic looked over at the bike, which was now steaming and blowing smoke. "You think? Alright."
The next race begins to start as it was in a tropical rain forest.
"Good evening, all beings and life forms. And welcome to the third and final race of this planet's racers charity event. Coming to you live from the moonlit rain-forests of Torah." A ship drops down and the racers drove out from the doors as it opened. "And there's the drop off, with sinking sludge pits waiting for them, the last thing these racers need to worry about is the mysterious mutt riders, I hear are cannibals. Good thing Commissioner Morrey has somehow convinced them to allow us passage through their land. The flag is up and they're off!"
The bikes raced through an swampy area, but Falcon notices an alert on the screen. "A caution area. Zero visibility through the sludge pits."
"Zero visibility?" Raph repeated, now driving into an foggy area.
"Instruments only, I'm raising the chasis to great the speed up, we'll make it," Falcon reassured. Raph smirked as they drove past an river. But, unexpectedly to everyone, there was something else lurking the waters, hiding. A couple of strange aliens emerge from it, riding manta ray like creatures, flying towards the riders.
"A new caution," Falcon reported.
"What?" Raph asked.
"The Mud Riders, they're attacking!" The hostile aliens dive down, taking out an team.
Back at the racing stadium, Methania sees the commissioner walking down the hall. "Alright, Nobby, there he is. Keep the race cam on the action, but out of sight." she told Nobby through the cameras and started walking over to him.
"Race cam two online," Nobby said while the cameras followed behind Methania, staying hidden. "And ready to go live, Methania."
"Commissioner!" Methania called out. "Commissioner Morrey!"
"And let's go live to Race Commissioner Tangent Morrey for a few comments," Nobby turned on the camera, recording.
"Why are the mud riders attacking the racers?" Methania demanded.
"How should I know?" Morrey claimed. "They gave us permission to race through here."
"No, they didn't!" Methania argued as Morrey looked down at his phone. "I checked." Morrey turns to her with a look in shock, while the camera still recorded staying hidden. "Their response was no and they threatened retaliation for anyone who dares to invade their forest," Methania held out a contract in front of Morrey's face.
"Where did you get that?!" the commissioner asked, snatching it from her.
"You sent our riders out there, knowing they probably wouldn't survive?"
"Well, look at it this way, they're giving their lives for a good cause," Morrey told her.
"What cause? Your ratings?!" she questioned, angrily.
"Those ratings are going to keep planet racing going for a long time, sweetheart. So we lose a few racers, big deal! They're a dime a dozen, I'll get more and-" However, Morrey stopped when he noticed the race camera hovering above Methania. "Huh? What? The race cam! Um, clearly the mud riders are, uh, acting like savages having changed their minds and attacking our racers. I promise to personally look into it." He walked away, while Methania turned to the camera.
"And I imagine the race council will looking into Commissioner Morrey's plan and racing ethics, but right now, let's check back to our embattled racers."
Raph and Falcon are right in front of Tripper Nitro. "So how are we doing, Falcon?"
"Hustling, Nitro's gaining!" Falcon shouted, seeing Nitro's bike gaining on them. Raph revs the bike and jumps over a ramp. Team Koyoshada catches up and drives right past them.
"See ya at the finish line, losers!" the driver laughed. However, a couple of mud riders were right in their path. One knocks the bike down with their spear. "You we're warned yet you still trespass on our lands, outworlder!" Another one shouted. "Now you will pay!" They began to advance closer towards the two riders, angrily, with spears in hand.
"We have to help them!" Raph said.
"Forget it, you got a short memory," Falcon, argued, shaking his head. "They left us for worm food, remember?" he reminded Raph. Raph stopped the bike and jumps off running towards the two downed riders. "Raph, get back here! What about the race?!" Tripper backs away in fear as one of the mud riders close in on him. Raph jumps in front of him, and quickly takes down all three aliens. He turns to Tripper.
"Get on your bike, now!" Raph yelled.
"Don't have to tell me twice!" Tripper answered, as he ran to his bike, along with his partner, while Raph held back the mud riders. Tripper looks back at him, his navigator as well, confused.
"Why is he helping us?"
"Who cares? We got a race to win." They started up their bike and drove away. Raph manages to take down the last mud rider then runs back to his bike.
"Nitro's taken the lead, you're a fool, Raphael," Falcon complained.
"It was the honorable thing to do," Raph argued, starting the bike and drive off, chasing after the other two riders.
"There's no room for honor in racing," Falcon pointed out.
"Winning without honor is not winning," Raph growled. His eyes widen in surprise not believing his own words that had come out of his mouth. "Jeez, I'm sounding like Leo right now. Glad Mona's not here to hear this."
Raph manages to catch up to Nitro's bike and was now right on his tail. "Finish line is just beyond the farms. First one through the gap cinches the lead," Falcon told him as they managed to gain in the lead.
"And here comes the front runners down to a stretch! It's Team Fitts, No, it's Team Koyoshada! It's..." Raph's bike makes it past the finish line by just an inch. They have won the race! "Yes! Fitts takes the cup in the USP RA charity race event!" Raph and Falcon wave to the cheering crowd.
"Not bad." Falcon commented. Nitro and his partner stop their bike and glare at Raph and Falcon. Tripper throws his helmet down in anger. Raph jumped down from the bike, and Falcon does as well, taking off his helmet. He holds his hand out to Raph, and Raph takes it, shaking it. "Way to win the race, partner."
Raph sees himself beginning to phase again. "H-Hey, it's happening again. It's pulling me away from here."
"Raph, listen, just remember...that if you do anything else in your life, you were once a planet racer. Not everyone can say that."
Raph smiled and places his hand on Falcon's shoulder. "And you remember, race with honor." He finishes and faded away.
"I'll remember, Raph. Winning without honor, that's just not winning." Falcon smiled, and turned to the waving and cheering crowd.