The Big Brawl - Part 3
Ue-Sama stepped out of the shadows in an alley in New York, facing Alex, the Turtles, Splinter, Alopex, Tiger Claw, Mona Lisa, Rebecca, April and Casey.
"I am a great warrior, a Daimyo's son and a ninja of ultimate power."
He stared down Alex and Leo with one of his clawed gauntlets worn on his right hand, which he raised up.
"I should be feared and revered."
He then stared down Alex and Leo on top of the Brooklyn Bridge, the pair each wearing one of Ue-Sama's clawed gauntlets.
"But, I once visited a realm called Earth…"
Alex and Leo held up the clawed gauntlets by their faces.
"...where I challenged the warriors known as Leonardo and Alexander to a mortal duel."
Ue-Sama, whose mask was knocked off, gasped as Alex and Leo threw numerous punches at him, knocking him onto his back and knocking his katanas out of his hands.
The two each grabbed one before they jumped forward and stabbed them by either side of Ue-Sama's neck.
"I was defeated…"
Ue-Sama then bowed to his father on his hands and knees.
"...and worse, humiliated by the appearance of my father, the Daimyo…"
The two, as well as the Gyoji, sank into the ground through a puddle.
"...who dragged me back home."
Tier one of the Battle Nexus Tournament started, as the arena was divided into sixteen sections, each having two competitors in them.
"My father is mired in outdated traditions."
The Daimyo then hit a gong with his war staff.
"Begin!" He declared.
Leo and Usagi charge at each other and lock their weapons together, slashing, blocking and dodging each other, as they were basically equals.
"He believes that warriors should duel only for sport and under the official rules of the Battle Nexus Tournament."
The Daimyo watched the second tier of the tournament on his stand with Splinter, Rebecca, Alopex, Tiger Claw, Venus de Milo and Mona Lisa.
"His tournament."
Leo and Usagi kept fighting, their fight being a stalemate at this point.
"I believe that glory can only be achieved by fighting to the death."
Ue-Sama stood by a window high up in the temple that overlooked the arena with a large cloaked and hooded figure standing behind him.
"That is why I must take the throne from my father…"
Ue-Sama then pulled out a dart gun and lifted his mask off his face.
"...and at the same time, I shall take my revenge on Leonardo first. Alexander, I will save for after the tournament."
He then put a poison dart in the dart gun before he aimed at Leo and blew the dart out, which struck him on the shoulder, its effects instantly starting to course through his body.
"The poison from my dart courses through his reptilian veins."
Leo then fell onto his plastron, out cold, leaving Usagi to gasp with eyes wide with horror.
"Leonardo's demise will be my first victory."
Ue-Sama stood in a dark room, turning to the figure, talking to him, who bowed in response.
"All shall bow down before me as master of the multiverse!"
The crowd gasped while Usagi looked down at Leo's still body with horror and worry.
"Leonardo-san?" He said concerningly.
All the eliminated competitors in the infirmary, including Donnie, all watched on in confusion and shock at what just happened to Leo.
"Leo?" Donnie gasped.
Splinter, Rebecca, Alopex, Tiger Claw, Venus de Milo and Mona, all looked down from the Daimyo's seating area.
"My son!" Splinter cried out.
"Oh, Leo!" Venus cried, literally as her eyes welled up, worried about him.
Usagi put away his katana as he crouched down, the Gyoji appearing beside him.
"Warrior, what has happened?" He asked Usagi.
"Something is terribly wrong," Usagi replied, turning Leo onto his shell and placing his head onto his plastron to hear his heartbeat and pulse. "His breathing is shallow."
"This warrior will require a healer at once. The match will be nullified, pending a thorough investigation of this incident." The Gyoji explained, stressing the seriousness of what just happened.
"Very well, but I insist you let me accompany him to the healer's pavilion." Usagi replied, wrapping one of Leo's arms around his shoulders and lifted him up.
Donnie then jumped into the arena, holding his bo staff.
"And I insist you get your paws off my brother!" He snapped in a hostile manner.
"Please, I only wish to help Leonardo." Usagi insisted as he stepped towards Donnie.
"Don…." Leo said weakly, letting go of Usagi and wobbling. "It's alright…."
He then passed out and would've fallen onto his shell if Donnie and Usagi hadn't caught him, the former having put his staff away.
"Come, the healer awaits." The Gyoji said and swirls of blue energy formed around them before the four of them vanished.
Up in the high window of the temple, Ue-Sama and the cloaked and hooded figure stood and looked down at the arena.
"They will be an example. All shall fear me, as master of the multiverse." Ue-Sama sneered before he turned and walked away, the figure turning to him.
The figure then turned back to the arena, his green eyes glowing angrily.
In the healer's pavilion, where the healer stood at one end of the large room, Leo, Donnie, Usagi and the Gyoji appeared by the entrance.
"Wise and beloved master healer, an honoured warrior has need of your gifts." The Gyoji informed the healer.
"Bring him to me, quickly." The healer instructed as he bowed.
Donnie and Usagi lay Leo down on one of the beds laid out along the large room.
Leo gritted his teeth as the healer knelt down on Leo's right and placed his hands on his head, chanting in a weird language, making himself glow blue.
"What's with the Vulcan mind meld?" Donnie asked.
"Vulcan mind meld?" Usagi questioned, having no idea what he was talking about.
"What is the healer doing to Leo?" Donnie cleared up what he meant.
"Oh. He is merging with your brother's spirit in order to determine the nature of his malady." Usagi explained.
"My son!" A voice cried out.
Donnie and Usagi turned to see Splinter, along with Rebecca, Alopex, Tiger Claw, Venus and Mona, entering the pavilion.
"Oh, my son!" Splinter gasped as he approached Leo, everyone else standing alongside Donnie and Usagi. "What has happened here?"
The healer kept chanting until a jolt made him let go of Leo and he stopped glowing, like he was pushed back. As he stood, Donnie and Splinter held him up as Venus knelt down next to Leo with concern on her face.
"He has been poisoned, but the source of the toxin eludes me." The healer explained, shocking everyone.
Ue-Sama, conveniently, entered the pavilion and gasped dramatically.
"Leonardo, poisoned?" He said before approaching everyone. "What fiend would do such a thing? Rest assured, Splinter Sensei…" He took his mask off and bowed to Splinter. "...I will personally get to the bottom of this atrocity."
Rebecca, Alopex, Tiger Claw, Venus and Mona all looked at him sceptically and suspiciously, already guessing that he was the one who poisoned Leo.
"All of you, stay with Leonardo." Splinter told everyone. "I will return shortly. I must speak with the Daimyo."
Splinter walked away, and as Donnie, Venus and Usagi had their attention on Leo, everyone else was able to get a glance of Ue-Sama, who looked on at Splinter with a menacing grin, confirming their suspicion.
Elsewhere, the Daimyo sat in his main chamber, patting the fake letter on his knee.
"What is keeping my son? His message said this was an urgent matter!" He said tensely.
Suddenly, a black cloud formed in the centre of the room, causing the Daimyo to get up and reach for his war staff.
But a chain formed out of the cloud and wrapped around it, pulling it towards the floor, where it let go.
"What is the meaning of this?" The Daimyo questioned.
Then several black ninjas appeared in front of him on the floor and on the support beams above, all wielding spears, daggers and swords, all surrounding him.
"GUARDS!" He yelled.
One of the ninjas raised their sword and slashed at the Daimyo, making him yell in pain.
Back in the arena, which was turned back to normal, all the remaining competitors, those being Alex, Raph, Mikey, Gen, Ia, Kluh and the bug-like creature, stared up at the Gyoji, who hovered over the Daimyo's platform.
"The following warriors will advance to the final rounds of the competition!" He announced, making the crowd cheer. "Ia of Dimension Gribblyitz…" The competitors all gathered together in the centre of the arena. "...Raphael of Dimension Third Earth, Gen of Dimension Second Earth, Kluh of Dimension Levram, Alexander Reed of Dimension Third Earth…" The crowd went wild upon hearing his name, considering his mother's a past champion. "...Michelangelo of Dimension Third Earth…" Raph and Mikey gave each other thumbs up, while Alex looked around, realising that neither Leo or Usagi were among the remaining competitors. "...Dieskrad of Dimension Ebrik!"
"The seven finalists are to meet at the base of the pyramid arena in exactly one megaquagon!" The Gyoji then announced, waving his paddle, before vanishing.
"How long is a megaquargon?" Raph questioned as he and his remaining brothers gathered together.
"Long enough to see me dominate the finals, bro!" Mikey grinned confidently, slapping the back of Raph's shoulder, making him grit his teeth. "High three."
The two high threed, ignoring Alex, who looked around with a frown.
"Leo and Donnie must be kicking themselves for not making the cut." Raph smirked.
"But, of course, I would never be so unsportsman-like as to rub it in their faces." Mikey said sarcastically.
"I would." Raph admitted.
"Me, too." Mikey chuckled in agreement.
"Well I wouldn't." Alex said seriously, drawing their attention. "Besides, Leo and Usagi aren't present, and either one of them should be present. Something's wrong."
"Actually, you're right." Raph said, realising this as well.
"Well, let's see if we can find Leo and the others." Mikey said and the three walked off.
In the temple, Splinter approached the door to the Daimyo's chamber when he noticed that the two guards on either side of the door were knocked out and lay on the floor.
"DAIMYO!" He yelled, knowing that something was wrong.
He kicked the door open and gasped upon seeing eight of the black ninjas that ambushed him years ago surrounding the wounded Daimyo, whose mask was pulled off.
One of the ninjas threw a knife at Splinter, who held his walking stick out, making the knife stab into it. He then pulled it out and growled as he charged at the ninjas.
But one of them smashed through a paper wall and the rest followed after him, jumping down the temple wall.
Splinter looked down over the edge, seeing that the ninjas had vanished.
"Splinter…." The Daimyo moaned as he tried getting up. "Splinter…."
Splinter turned and approached him.
"Do not try to speak, old friend." Splinter insisted as the Daimyo passed out. "I will seek help."
But before he could do anything, some guards barged in with their weapons ready.
"Step away from the Daimyo!" One of them barked at Splinter as they approached him. "NOW!"
A couple of them then grabbed Splinter by the shoulders as another turned to the door.
"We have the intruder, my lord." He said, which made Splinter worried.
"Wait, you misunderstand!" He said frantically.
Ue-Sama, without his mask on, appeared and approached the Daimyo.
"Father! No!" He gasped as he knelt next to him, pretending to be emotional and saddened. He even covered his face, seemingly crying over what happened.
The Daimyo groaned and reached out, making his son turn to him before he turned to the guards.
"Take him to the healer's pavilion at once." He ordered before he stood and glared at Splinter. "My father trusted you, vermin! He called you friend, and you betray him thus?"
Four of the guards lifted the Daimyo off the ground as he pointed at Splinter.
"Splinter…." He said weakly as the guards carried him away.
"See how he points to the assassin?" Ue-Sama snarled. "Throw this rat in the dungeon!"
The two guards holding Splinter led him away as Ue-Sama put his mask back on to hide his malicious grin.
In the healer's pavilion, Donnie, Rebecca, Alopex, Tiger Claw, Venus and Mona all remained by Leo's side, Donnie placing a cloth on Leo's forehead and Venus holding one of Leo's hands with her eyes closed, which had Alopex place a comforting hand on her shoulder.
Nearby, Usagi stood and watched them.
The healer sat at a table with his back facing the entrance when the guards carrying the Daimyo entered.
"Master healer, you're needed at once!" One of the guards said, making the healer stand. "The Daimyo has been attacked!"
They and the healer walked past everyone and heard towards a large room at the back of the pavilion.
"Hey, what about Leo?" Venus snapped angrily.
She was ignored, as the guards carried the Daimyo into the back room and the healer closed the door when he entered as well.
"I get that the Daimyo's important, but Leo was poisoned, how can he ignore that?" Alopex snapped with a hiss.
"Especially since this is the Daimyo's son's doing." Tiger Claw snarled with folded arms.
"If the Daimyo's injured, then something had to have happened to Splinter." Rebecca realised, making her stand. "I'm gonna go and try to find Alex, Raph and Mikey. The rest of you stay with Leo."
She then ran out of the pavilion.
"I hope they'll be okay." Mona said worriedly.
"Ugh, what can I do?" Donnie sighed as he looked down at Leo. "I'm an engineer, not a doctor."
Usagi reached out to touch Leo, only for Donnie to grab him by the wrist.
"Don't even think about touching him!" Donnie snapped at him, earning a whack to the head by Alopex. "Ow! What was that for?"
"For being unnecessarily rude!" Alopex hissed. "This ronin is the same one that helped Master Splinter when Drako ambushed him, along with Asterion."
"Indeed." Usagi replied as he pulled his weapons off his kimono and placed them next to a lantern, which he grabbed. "I only wish to examine Leonardo-san." He then walked back to everyone. "I mean no harm."
"Is your name Usagi?" Tiger Claw asked.
"It is." Usagi nodded.
"Then we can trust him, Donnie." Tiger Claw turned to Donnie. "He's the ronin Alex talked about."
"Well… alright." Donnie finally accepted the fact that Usagi only wants to help. "Go ahead."
"If you would be so kind as to hold this for me, like so." Usagi held the lantern out to Mona.
"Sure." She said, taking the lantern and holding it over Leo.
Usagi then, with help from Venus and Tiger Claw, moved Leo onto his left side, making him moan in the process. Usagi then pulled out a crystal out of his pocket.
"What's that for?" Alopex asked curiously.
"Observe." Usagi replied, holding the crystal near the lantern, which formed a rainbow coloured light, which ran over Leo's neck on the right side, showing the mark of where the poison dart struck Leo.
"What is that?" Venus asked.
"It is the entry point of a dissolving poison dart…" Usagi replied, pulling out a bag from his kimono. "...a rarely used weapon, nearly impossible to detect, even by a trained healer."
He then opened the bag, revealing its contents to be herbs.
"Now that we have located the source of the toxin, I have some medicine that might help." Usagi then revealed, pouring some of the herbs onto a cloth. "With your permission."
"Do it." Venus instantly replied, wanting to make sure that Leo will turn out fine.
Usagi then placed the herbs directly onto the mark on Leo's neck.
"All we can do now is wait." He said to everyone.
"Thank you so much, Usagi-san." Venus said gratefully with a bow.
"You are welcome, Venus-san." Usagi bowed his head.
"Thing is, considering the Daimyo's son is behind Leo being poisoned and the Daimyo being attacked, we just might have to protect them in case he plans to put them out for good." Tiger Claw noted.
"You are right. We'll keep guard in case those assassins decide to show up." Usagi replied.
Meanwhile, Alex, Raph and Mikey walked through a market square, trying to find the others.
"Make way! Battle Nexus finalists coming through!" Mikey said loudly as they walked. "That's right, feast your eyes on Mikey the Magnificent, defeater of some of the greatest warriors in all creation!"
This annoyed Alex and Raph so much, they whacked the back of Mikey's head.
"Will you give it a rest already?" Raph snarled.
"Yeah, not only are you drawing unwanted attention, but you're also trying to claim victory too soon." Alex scolded.
"Psst, hey, you three." A voice said, drawing their attention. They turned to see Gen stepping out of the shadows, holding up a bag full of coins. "Care to place a wager on me for the next round? I'm the odds on favourite at three to one."
"Beat it, rhino. Find some other sucker." Raph snapped at him.
"Yeah, we're not interested in gambling." Alex frowned with folded arms.
He and Raph continued walking, while Mikey approached Gen.
"Wait, what are the odds on me?" He inquired.
"The long shot? Ha, two hundred to one. Alexander has significantly better odds than you." Gen replied.
"Long shot? Moi?" Mikey said, very much annoyed. "Whoa. I gotta get in on that action."
He then ran after Alex and Raph.
"Hey, guys." He said, touching their shoulders, making them turn to him as he held his hand out. "Come on, break me off some bank."
"Shell, no, Mikey." Alex shook his head as he and Raph grabbed Mikey by the arms and led him away. "Besides, we need to find the others."
"Exactly, so forget it, bro…" Raph said before he turned to Gen. "...and you can stick your horn in someone else's business, rhino!"
"Your loss." Gen waved off as the three continued walking.
"Hey, hey, hey, what were you two thinking?" Mikey questioned as he walked sideways. "Two hundred to one! We could clean up."
"Lose your shell, more likely." Raph retorted.
"Yeah, you have a low chance of winning, bonehead." Alex added as he and Raph continued on.
This made Mikey grumble before he ran after the pair.
"Hey!" He snapped before he stood in front of them. "What? You don't think I'm a contender?" He then started tapping Raph's plastron. "You think I'm a bum? A cream puff? A lightweight? A loser?" Alex and Raph stared at him. "You can stop me any time here."
"I will when I disagree with you." Raph retorted as he poked Mikey's plastron.
"Same here." Alex said as he folded his arms. "Face it Mikey, even if Raph's eliminated from the finals, there's no way you'd beat me."
"Now let's go find the others." Raph then reminded him of what they need to do and he and Alex walked off, Mikey catching up with them.
"Right, we wouldn't want them to miss my incredible Battle Nexus triumph." Mikey bragged, walking backwards in front of the pair.
"Not really, because you won't be champion. None of us deserve to suffer your constant bragging twenty four seven." Alex retorted.
"Hey! Ye of little faith, bro. I have what it takes to win." Mikey retorted back.
"Yeah, to being sent to the infirmary if you face me." Alex replied, grabbing Mikey and pulling him back before he could crash into a cart, where he noticed a shorter and slimmer Kluh. "And you've been taken out if you knocked the contents of that cart onto Kluh, who would've wanted to beat your shell for doing that."
"That's Khul? Jeez, it's like he's the Hulk." Raph noted upon looking at Kluh, who stared them down as they walked past him.
"Why does he -?" Mikey had his mouth covered by Alex as he dragged him along.
"Don't insult him, Mikey. You'd regret it." Alex hissed in his ear.
Down in the temple dungeons, Splinter was meditating in his cell when Ue-Sama showed up on the other side of the cell bars.
"How can one remain so calm in the face of such serious charges?" He questioned Splinter.
"I could never bring harm to the Daimyo, as you should know." Splinter spat back with contempt at him.
"All too well." Ue-Sama snarled back as the cloaked and hooded figure appeared behind him. "For it is I who ordered the attack on my father!"
This made Splinter open his eyes and glare at Ue-Sama with even more contempt.
"Oh yes, even as we speak, your friend, the Daimyo, lies in the healer's pavilion, not long for this world." He sneered. "And your son, Leonardo, lies there as well, poisoned by my hand. And soon, Alexander and his mother will suffer by my hand as well. My father forced me to bow before you, your sons, Alexander and his mother, and your friends! Now, you will bow before me…" He then pulled out the war staff. "...for I am the Daimyo now!"
"You will never earn that title!" Splinter spat back as he stood. "You know nothing of honour!"
"Honour?" The figure growled, making Splinter gasp, as he recognised the voice. "This has nothing to do with honour, little ratling. This has to do with power!"
He tore his robes off, revealing himself to be Drako.
"Power and vengeance!" He then snarled.
"Drako!" Splinter gasped in horror as Drako leaned his head close to the bars, making Splinter back away.
"Yes, I'm pleased you remember me." Drako sneered. "How's the leg?"
Splinter glared back at him with a growl.
Alex, Raph and Mikey continued their way through the market square, looking for the others when the Gyoji appeared before them.
"Attend, attend!" He yelled. "The final stage of the Battle Nexus Tournament is about to begin!"
He then moved his paddle and he and the three brothers were consumed in a bright light, reappearing just outside the arena with Gen, Kluh, back to his large and muscular form, Ia and Dieskrad.
"Welcome noble warriors to the final stage of the Battle Nexus tournament!" The Gyoji explained, making everyone turn to the arena, where a large bubble formed before turning into a large platform in the shape of a hexagon, which hovered over the ground of the arena. Then four sections formed on top of it.
"Before we begin, all matchups will be determined by random lottery." The Gyoji then announced, forming a puddle, which then turned into a sphere that hovered above the ground. "However, due to a disqualification, we are left with an uneven number of combatants…" Everyone gathered around the sphere. "...therefore, the odd warrior will automatically advance to the next level."
"You're in luck, Mikey, warriors don't get any odder than you." Raph joked as everyone started putting their hands in the sphere.
When Alex pulled his hand out, he held a dagger that had purple cloth attached to it. He looked around and saw that Ia had the same colour as well.
"Looks like you and I are fighting this round. I do hope you won't get upset if I end up beating you." Alex told her.
She bowed her head to him, her way of saying that she won't be upset, so Alex bowed back. They then vanished and reappeared in one of the four sections.
Dieskrad pulled out a dagger with a yellow cloth, which matched Kluh's, so the two bowed to each other before vanishing as well and reappeared in another section.
Then both Mikey and Raph pulled their hands out, both having daggers with green cloths attached to them.
"Uh-oh." Mikey gulped.
"I am so gonna enjoy this." Raph grinned with delight as he poked Mikey's plastron with the dagger. "We're talking a lifetime's worth of get-backs here."
Gen then pulled his hand out of the sphere, seeing that his dagger had a red cloth.
"Yes, I advance to the semi-finals." He pumped his fist. "You should've bet on me while you had the chance, fools."
The Gyoji then waved his paddle and Raph and Mikey vanished and reappeared in the third section of the third tier of the tournament.
"You wouldn't consider forfeiting like Master Splinter, would you?" Mikey hoped as he backed away from Raph, who pulled out his sais and leapt at him with a growl, making Mikey backflip away, making him stab the ground. "I'll take that as a 'no'."
Alex pulled out his katana as he and Ia stared each other down.
The latter thrust her staff at Alex, who stepped aside and kicked it away, managing to knock it out of her hands before slashing his katana at her, to which she leapt up in the air and landed in a corner of the section they're contained in.
Knowing she's waiting for him to charge at her, Alex did so, making her jump over him and land by her spear, which she grabbed as Alex turned to face her.
Ia then leapt at Alex, thrusting her staff at him again, but he fell onto his back and grabbed her before kicking her over him, making Ia crash onto the wall behind him.
He got back up on his feet and leapt at her, swinging his katana down at her before she could get back up, hitting the ground as she vanished before she could be hit.
She reappeared in the infirmary, looking around before she looked down at the arena, where she saw Alex looking back at her. The two bowed to each other, respecting each other.
Dieskrad approached Kluh and grabbed hold of his spear when it was swung at him, but Kluh swung the other end at Dieskrad, hitting his stomach before grabbing him and pinning him to the ground.
Kluh raised his spear over his head, ready to strike him down, but Dieskrad vanished before Kluh could hit him, making him stab the ground.
Dieskrad reappeared in the infirmary, getting on his knees and roaring as he slammed his fists on the floor.
Raph and Mikey then started circling each other in the arena.
Then Raph charged at Mikey, who leapfrogged over him on his shell and kicked the bottom of his shell, making the crowd cheer and Raph growling.
"Hear that crowd, bro?" Mikey asked as he held his arms out. "That's me they're cheering for."
This just made Raph growl more as he stormed up to Mikey.
"That's right, me, not you, but me, not you, but me." Mikey egged Raph on, getting on his nerves intentionally.
Raph roared as he now charged at Mikey, leaping at him to deliver a kick, but Mikey ducked, making Raph lose balance and roll onto his plastron.
"Okay, now you're just getting sloppy." Mikey mocked him, making Raph growl again as he got back up and sent slashes at Mikey, which he dodged with ease, even with his hands on his hips.
"WILL YOU SHUT YOUR TRAP!" Raph bellowed with each slash before stopped, gritting his teeth while Mikey stared at him innocently.
"Why, does my talking bother you?" Mikey then asked, making Raph slash at him again, but he dodged with ease. "Am I distracting you somehow? Making you lose focus, messing up your concentration? Finally getting on your nerves, perhaps?"
Raph started sweating as he fell to his knees and closed his eyes, trying to control his anger.
"Or maybe you're just a teensy-bit worried that I might actually beat you." Mikey delivered the final blow to Raph's anger.
With that being the last straw, Raph roared as he charged at Mikey, who ran towards a wall and flipped off of it, making Raph crash right into it. He held his head as the crowd gasped before he vanished.
Raph groaned as he found himself in the infirmary.
"I don't believe it, Mikey beat me!" He gasped in horror. He then ran to the edge and looked down at the arena, seeing that Alex was still in the tournament, which made him sigh with utter relief as he fell to his knees and placed his hands together. "Oh, thank goodness! Alex is gonna beat him! I won't suffer from Mikey's bragging!"
"I see you've been eliminated from the tournament, Raphael." Asterion said as he and Traximus came up behind Raph, making him turn to see them.
"Yeah, kinda bummed, but at least Alex is still in. He'll give Mikey the beating he deserves." Raph replied as he stood and faced them.
"Either way, defeat is a harsh mistress." Traximus then told Raph, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Care to drown your sorrows in a Serosion liquid protein supplement?"
The three later sat in a cafe at a table by the railing as a waitress approached them with three glasses on a tray, which she placed in front of the three.
"This one's on me." Traximus told Raph and Asterion, pulling out some coins and handing them to the waitress, who then walked away as the three grabbed their drinks.
"We should properly thank you, your brothers and Mona Lisa." Asterion told Raph.
"For what?" Raph asked as the three raised their glasses.
"Our freedom." Asterion replied.
Asterion, Traximus and their fellow gladiators ran from the Tri-Sports Arena down a hallway as laser blasts struck the ground.
"Back in the arena on the Triceraton Homeworld…"
An explosion went off behind them as they ran for a Triceraton carrier ship.
"...the amount of mayhem the six of you caused upon kidnapping the Prime Leader allowed the rest of us to escape."
"That Triceraton gladiator world was a messed up place, huh?" Raph replied.
"I'm afraid things have grown far worse." Traximus said grimly.
In space, a fleet of Federation ships fired shots on the Triceraton Homeworld.
"The Federation and the Triceraton Republic…"
Starfighters from both sides then flew in and started a dogfight.
"...have escalated their senseless war to insane proportions."
"Many have perished in this senseless conflict." Traximus then said, his eyes forming a glare in contempt of this war. "I have come here, mainly, hoping to find recruits to help me overthrow the Triceraton Republic…" He then slammed a fist on the table. "...and the Prime Leader's corrupt regime!"
He then calmed himself when a patron walked by.
"Although, it seems not even the Battle Nexus is immune to corruption." He then said.
"What do you mean?" Asterion asked, as he didn't know what he meant as Raph took a sip of his drink.
"I heard word of an attempt on the Daimyo's life by some cowardly assassin rat." Traximus explained, making Raph spit out his drink and Asterion to shot up onto his feet.
"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?" He bellowed.
"Did you say 'rat'?" Raph questioned.
"Goes by the name of Shard or Sliver." Traximus said as he scratched his head.
"It's Splinter!" Asterion snapped.
"That's my sensei and he's definitely no assassin!" Raph told Traximus.
"Exactly! If anything, he's friends with the Daimyo!" Asterion then told Traximus.
"What else have you heart?" Raph asked, grabbing Traximus' shoulders.
"Only that he was caught in the act and imprisoned in the palace dungeon." Traximus revealed.
"By Jupiter's bolt!" Asterion cursed, slamming his hands on the table, cracking it.
"No way! It's gotta be a frame up!" Raph snarled before he jumped onto the railing. "I'm gonna bust him out right now!"
Traximus then grabbed Raph's arm.
"Raphael, that is a rash, foolhardy and extremely dangerous act!" He scolded before he grinned. "Count me in."
"And me." Asterion stepped forward.
"And me." Rebecca's voice said, making the three turn to see her standing by the table.
"Rebecca? What are you doing here?" Raph asked.
"To help you. And guess what, the Daimyo's son is behind all this. He even poisoned Leo." She revealed.
"HE WHAT?" Raph raged.
"Don't worry, he's in the healer's pavilion and the others are with him. They'll keep him safe." Rebecca reassured him. "Now let's go and save Splinter."
In the healer's pavilion, the healer chanted in the weird language as he sat by the Daimyo's head.
In the main room, Leo was still unconscious, while a couple of guards stood on either side of the door that led to the back room.
All was silent until three balls were thrown in through an upper window, which made the guards pull out their swords as they landed on the floor and rolled towards them.
The balls then unleashed smoke, which made the guards cough before they were knocked out and fell to the floor.
The smoke then made its way into the back room, overcoming the healer, who coughed before he blacked out.
Four of the black ninjas then jumped down into the man room and walked towards the back room, though one of them stopped and turned to Leo.
"What are you doing?" One of the other three asked him. "Our orders were to end the Daimyo's life."
"And so we shall…" The odd one out replied, walking up to Leo's katanas and picked them up. "...but we will make it look as if the turtle creature finished the work his master started."
He then threw one of the katanas at the ninja that questioned him, which he caught.
The four then opened the door and entered the back room, approaching the Daimyo.
The ones with the katanas then raised them over their heads, ready to strike him with the killing blow, but when they swung them down, they were blocked by Tiger Claw and Usagi with their weapons.
The two were wide eyed before they and the other two were whacked away by Donnie, Alopex, Venus and Mona, Leo's katanas being knocked onto the floor.
"Be alert, all of you, I have encountered these assassins before." Usagi warned the others as they got into fighting position, while the ninjas pulled out their weapons, one a spear, one a chain and the other two swords. "And they are extremely skilled and dangerous."
"Trust us, we've dealt with others like them before." Tiger Claw snarled as he glared at the black ninjas.
The one with the chain threw his weapon at Donnie, who ducked and rolled away as Tiger Claw sliced the chain clean through with his machete.
Donnie rolled up to the ninja with the chain and was blocked a few times before he whacked the ninja away.
The other three ninjas then charged at everyone else.
Usagi and Mona dealt with the ninja with the spear, the former blocking his weapon while Mona crouched and spun, whipping her tail at the ninja's legs, knocking him off his feet and making him roll back before he charged at them again.
Alopex, Tiger Claw and Venus dealt with the ninjas with the swords, all three going back and forth between them, slashing and blocking the ninjas with the odd kick or tackle, which was dodged by the ninjas.
At some point, Usagi swung his katana at the ninja with the spear, who blocked him by making the katana stab into the long handle of the spear, then he twisted the spear so that the katana was ripped out of Usagi's grip and then whacked him away through a paper window into the main room.
This made Mona roar before she kicked the ninja in the back, launching him into the main room as well
While Alopex, Tiger Claw and Venus dealt with the other ninjas with the swords, Donnie and Mona ran into the main room.
They looked around until a chain wrapped around Donnie's staff, which made Mona instantly leap at the chain and pull it down with her weight, making the ninja that Donnie faced off fall down and land on his back.
He soon got to his feet and spun his chain before throwing it at the pair, who jumped away, making the end of the chain hit and crack the pillar that was behind them.
The ninja then approached them before Donnie glanced behind him at a jar, which he grabbed and threw its contents, which was black dust, at the ninja, blinding him, while also making the chain wrap around himself. This allowed Donnie and Mona to kick him away and knock him out.
While Alopex, Tiger Claw and Venus were busy with the ninjas with the swords, the one with the spear walked up to the Daimyo, which Donnie and Mona noticed, as he raised his weapon up, ready to kill the Daimyo.
But Mona leapt and grabbed Usagi's katana, keeping the spear up.
"This belongs to Usagi, pathetic lowlife!" She hissed before whipping the back of his head with her tail, knocking him down and the force of the fall made Usagi's katana get pulled off the spear.
Just then, Usagi gained consciousness and ran into the back room, where Mona threw him his katana, which he caught in mid air and then kicked the ninja with the spear away from the Daimyo as he got back up.
"Thank you, Mona Lisa." Usagi said gratefully.
With Alopex, she faced off one of the ninjas with a sword on her own, blocking and slashing at him simultaneously. He threw a kick at her, but she ducked and slashed his leg before he could pull back, making him stumble and crumple up, allowing her to kick him in the face and get launched at a pillar, which knocked him out right away.
Tiger Claw and Venus surrounded the other ninja with the sword, both attacking all at once, giving him no chance to defend himself while he tried punching, slashing and kicking them, only for them to barely dodge his attacks. Eventually, after tiring him out, Venus slashed her tessens against the ninja's arms and legs, allowing Tiger Claw to tackle him onto the floor and then both he and Venus axe kicked him in the head and chest, knocking him out.
Donnie swung his staff against the ninja with the spear repeatedly, but would get blocked every time until Mona and Usagi jumped in and kicked him in the back, making him fall onto his chest. Donnie then whacked his staff against the ninja's face, knocking them out.
"Do you think that's all of them?" Alopex asked.
Usagi turned to the main room, where he saw more ninjas appear on the rafters above. Everyone turned and got into fighting positions.
"You just had to ask." Venus grumbled.
"I get the feeling we are in for the fight of our lives." Usagi then said as the ninjas jumped down onto the floor, ready to fight the five of them, all armed with weapons.
I don't know if this is an unpopular opinion, but I personally think Mikey didn't deserve to be Battle Nexus Champion, and it's mainly because of what he did to Raph in the third tier of the tournament. Aside from a few moves, all he did was mock and annoy Raph so that he'd be sloppy and make himself be eliminated. If he actually fought against him, and not be lazy by using the Spider-Man approach, he may have actually lost. And even if Leo wasn't poisoned and was able to make it to this point in the tournament, he'd easily beat Mikey, regardless of his raw talent.