Battle Nexus Lizards/Raph x Mona (ROTMNT fanfic)

2

She watched on into the Arena with a sick sense of adoration for her latest champion, watching down above all her paying customers, she did not hate or dislike them, she did not think of them as less then. In truth she saw them as necessary pillars to her empire she couldn't take for granted. Her people were important. If not for them her kingdom would have no inhabitants, she would have no rule, and she needed to rule. Like a mother over her offspring.

Suddenly reptilian sounding footsteps slapped along her tile floor and only got louder.

Why oh why didn't her snuggle muffin give his turtle tots any shoes?

"Well, well well! If it isn't Mister Raphael! Tell me dahling, did you bring my little snuggle muffin with you? And aren't there usually three others that trot along behind you like little baby ducklings?"

While the thought of his brothers as ducklings was amusing, he couldn't forget what brought him here either.

"Big Mama, let me enter the arena! I need the reward money for a motorcycle I really want!"

She was taken aback by Raph's honesty.
"What? No vague 'I need money,' with no explanation? Not even a little tiny baby white headed lie about needing it for your daddy kins?"

"The bike is so cool that if you saw it, you'd get just how cool and important it is," Raph shrugged.

Big Mama motioned to a man slave to bring her tea.

"I do appreciate the honesty my hibiscus red friend, so be it! You can enter my little tournament! Under one teensy weensy...condition,"

The spider yokai took a sip of her Earl Grey.
"If you lose to my champion, you have to face them over and over until you win!"

"So, I get free do overs?!"
Raph asked, eyes widened as excitement got him, but then reason came back in.
"I still get the reward money when I inevitably win though right?"

Big Mama had a good chuckle at that behind her teacup.
"Of course, my dear Raphael, with the empire I've built I can appreciate a dollar, as anyone should! You still get every sixpence! No whozits, whatzits, ifsies, andsies, or fannies!"

Raph hummed, mulling it over in his head.

"Alright, you're not gonna change the conditions at the last second again, right?" Raph asked, knowing full well whatever she said next would probably be a lie.

"Oh of course not! Last I did that I almost destroyed New York and unleashed that ghastly Shredder out into the world! I'd rather learn from my mistakes than come back for seconds!"

The two shook hands and for a moment Raph believed he could trust her but wouldn't allow himself to really believe it.

Whatever the catch was, he was gonna get out of it. No problem.

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"I cannot BELIEVE Raph is doing this stuff while we're stuck with the egg run!" Leo moaned.

"Oh, c'mon, Leo! Every once in a while, one of us is gonna do a solo mission while the other three are stuck running errands." Mikey said swatting the air.

"Methinks he just doesn't like the circumstances Miguel," Donnie snickers.

Leo's face was redder than Raph's bandana. "Can we JUST focus on the mission already?! I can't help but get the sinking feeling Raph's gonna get himself in trouble. It's not like him to do something irresponsible and risky,"

Donnie shrugged, "Could it simply be our eldest brother has had a moment of weakness like any living being that...y'know...isn't me?"

"Well let's also not forget! Raph made a good point, he needs things to do outside of family stuff, and besides! We faced three genocidal alien warlords! Raph can handle Big Mama and Repo Mantis!" Mikey reassured.

It only somewhat worked on Leo.

"I just...I can only hope you're right..."

He rubbed his brow and took a breath, before slamming his fist into his open palm, confidence seemingly regained in one instant.

"...but we have a mission to focus on! So where is the...?"

The three looked around at each store in front of them. Game Start, Comics Comics Comics, Best Tech, Skateboards Galore, Mike's Art Supplies, each shop making the turtles more and more wanting to use the egg money on literally anything else, but sure enough, Bro's Grocers Co. was at the end of the tedious line of much better-looking shops.

Leo led the charge with enthusiasm for the grocery store.
"Alright, fellas! Let's get our eggs and...fellas?"

Mikey and Donnie were gone the very second Leo turned his head. He caught wind of the two of them staring into the windows of Best Tech and Mike's Art Supplies each.

Leo snatched them by their shells dragging them each away.
"You two are seriously not doing this right now!"

Mikey put his hands in the air.
"The art supplies store had my NAME on the building, I gotta at least peek inside!"

"I was just window shopping!" Donnie added defensively.

Leo rolled his eyes heading inside the store. "You two are not entitled to moments of weakness,"

The two brothers hmphed in frustration, but knew Leo was right.

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"And in one corner we have returning Battle Nexus Fighter, one of the sons of Lou Jitsu and ultimate powerhouse, Raphael Hamato!"

Raph excitedly ran out with more assurance than he'd ever had, determined to win for the sake of what he wanted.

An even number of boos and cheers rang out in the Battle Nexus. An older woman about Splinter's age among them and cheering for Raph, he caught her in the corner of his eye and politely waved hello.

She must've been a fan of Dad's back in the day, he thought.

"And in our next corner, a returning champion of the Battle Nexus-"

The crowds began to clap twice and stomp, as music began to blare on the speakers Raph didn't even know the arena had. Lights even dimmed and fog rolled out. Whoever it was, they had to have meant business.

Then she walked out. To fireworks and airhorns.

"MANDA GECKOOOOOOO!"

Her pink and green colored body markings, with a body that could crush any who saw her, the sounds of Raph's heartbeat must have been so loud she could hear it on the opposite side of the stadium.

Her bandana was in a luchador style in bright pink, she wore a torn-up black muscle tee with torn jeans as fishnets poked out from underneath, her pink hoodie was tied around her waist, the spiked collar and bracelets were maybe overkill, but she didn't care, she liked them. Framing it all was red hair swooped back, revealing the intricate side shaves in a zig-zag pattern along the side of her head.

The two locked eyes, but neither of them forgot why the other was here.