Family is Forever

Battle Nexus: New York: Part 1

Aria's POV:

I can't believe it took any of us, especially me, to this long to realize that in all the time Dad's been in the human world, we hadn't thought to take him on a tour of the city. Luckily, that all changes today.

Raph: "Guys, guys, get a photo of me dropping a Hibernator on Big Spiky & Big Blinky, and Jolly Green Torch Guy!"

April: "This family needs to learn more about its hometown, which is why I entered us in a citywide photo scavenger hunt. And we're gonna win."

Mikey: "So what do we win when we win?"

Splinter: "Street cred! The only currency that matters in this city."

Leo: "And we'll do it with our special brand of teamwork-where my siblings do the work, but we share equal credit."

Dad: "Can we hurry this along? I left Sloppy Joseph in charge of my kitchen."

April: "Yeah, that's on you, Barry."

Me: "I'm sure it'll be fine, Dad. Besides, this allows me to show you all the best parts of NYC! And it's nice to get some father-daughter time outside your lab, don't you think?"

Dad smiles with a nod until the sky suddenly glows bright red, and he, Splinter & April disappear, along with all the other people in New York besides the Turtles and me.

Leo: "Donnie, what'd you do?"

Suddenly, we hear an all too familiar laugh and look up into the sky to see...

Turtles & I: "Big Mama?"

Big Mama: "Ladies and gentlemen, it's the moment you've been waiting for-my long-promised, fantasmic, whiz-bang: Battle Nexus: New York!"

Donnie: "I'm sorry. 'Whiz-bang, New York, what, what, what'?"

Big Mama: "Smile turtle-boos & Draxum Jr. My bloodthirsty audience is paying top didgery dollar to watch you get destroyed by Battle Nexus champions."

Leo: "Uh, we didn't sign up for this."

Me: "What did you do with our dads and sister?!"

Big Mama: "Not to worry. The people of New York are in the palm of my hand, all properly pacified inside this thingamajig. Your task is simple. Defeat my champions, and you win your city back. Fail, and you lose it all."

Leo, Mikey, & I: "What?!"

Donnie: "I have only one question. How dare you?"

Raph: "It's ok, guys. We got this. As long as the Mad Dogs are together, we can teamwork through anything."

Big Mama: *giggles* "Well, of course you silly billies can work together, just not how you think."

Big Mama snaps her fingers as we're all split up to fight different champions alongside our enemies, with Donnie & me paired up with Hypnopotamus.

Big Mama: "Each of you is linked to a common enemy, and you'll need to work together to complete a challenge against one of my Battle Nexus champions. Cortex is the smartest Yokai in the Hidden City."

Me: *coughs* "Second smartest."

Big Mama: "And the cruelest."

Donnie: *coughs* "Second cruelest."

Donnie & I share a smirk as we're thinking of the same person: my Dad.

Big Mama: *growls* "Lose, and he keeps the turtle in his collection of game pieces."

Donnie: "Scooch over, Hypno. Chess is Aria's & my domain."

Suddenly, Donnie & I are each transformed into half of our chess pieces, Donnie as the right and me as the left half.

Donnie: "Well played, Big Mama."

Hypno: "Oh, no."

Big Mama: "If any of you somehow win your battley-bings, come to my hotel and set your people free. Do be sporting chaps & chapettes and put on a fantasmic show for us. My subscribers are paying a fortune to watch you all suffer. Now, on with Battle Nexus: New York!"

Me: *thoughts* "Hang on, Dad. I'm coming."

Hypno: *whispers* "Hey, just quietly, full disclosure-I don't know the laws of this sport."

Donnie: "Oh, for the love of-"

Me: *thoughts* "On second thought, this could take a while."

3rd Person POV:

Meanwhile, Draxum, April, Splinter Todd, Foot Recruit, and the people of New York are on a sunny cruise, but it's secretly an illusion created by Big Mama's orb. While Draxum realizes this right away, the others have their doubts.

April: "Wow, Todd, this is the best lemonade ever!"

Draxum: "You all must stop consuming this citrus paradise and wake up! This is an illusion!"

Splinter: "I don't know. Todd's Lemonade Especial tastes pretty real to me."

Foot Recruit: "And magical! As promised."

Draxum: *sighs* "No! We are trapped inside Big Mama's mystic orb. Look at where we are and who we're with. How did we get here? Where are the Turtles & Aria? Who even likes Foot Recruit?"

April: "Well, I guess, now that you mention it, it is a little odd."

Splinter: "Stop trying to ruin a good thing, Draxum. I'm a parent of 4 teenage boys. I need this!"

Draxum: "Then let us cheers to fun in the sun."

Draxum, April, Splinter, Todd & Foot Recruit all raise their glasses in a toast.

Draxum: "Observe!"

Draxum uses his powers to reveal that they, as well as the turtles & Aria, are being watched by Big Mama and the Yokai of the Hidden City.

April: "My friends!"

Splinter: "My kids!"

Todd: "My besties!"

Foot Recruit: "My enemies!"

Draxum: "Told ya."

TO BE CONTINUED