The gladiators all stood in line to get something to eat before the Games, the Hamato Siblings pulling up the rear. As the line got shorter and shorter, the turtles continued their earlier efforts to get under the Overseer's skin.

"Hey look guys." Donny said, gesturing to Gruell with his thumb. "Gruell's serving gruel."

Leo then caught a whiff of something foul in the air and felt like he was about to throw up.

"Ugh, what is that smell?" he gagged.

"I hope it's Gruell and not the food." Raph commented.

Gruell heard their comments, grimacing in annoyance. However, that grimace quickly became a fiendish smirk as an idea came to him. Eventually, it became the turtles' turns and Mikey eagerly held out his tray,

"Fill 'er up!" he cheered.

Gruell just tapped his ladle against Mikey's tray, unable to keep a straight face.

"Awww." he said sarcastically. "All out of food. Too bad."

Mikey peered into the bubbling cauldron of yellowish gunk, raising an eyebrow.

"Uh, there's like half a cauldron of stuff still there." he remarked, gesturing to the cauldron with his thumb.

"Don't bother Mikey." Hisako told him. "Gruell just doesn't want to share his lunch."

Gruell glared, then raised his ladle as if to strike. Hisako then slipped one hand behind her back, the tip of her finger glowing green as she summoned a fraction of her power. Gruell's feet began to glow, then she flicked her finger, pulling his feet out from under him and sending him falling face first into the cauldron.

"Oops." Hisako said without as much as a hint of remorse.

"Nice one sis." Mikey whispered.

"Yeah, I'm just sorry it wasn't me that did it." Raph added quietly.

The five then took their empty trays, going and sitting beside Mona Lisa and Salcommander. When the former noticed her allies without food, she stopped eating.

"Where is yours?" she asked.

"By now, probably somewhere in between Gruell's horns." Raph replied.

"You will need your strength for the coming battle." Salcommander declared, sliding his tray towards the turtles. "Eat."

Mona Lisa did the same, much to the sibling's surprise.

"You don't have to do this." Leo assured them.

"Yeah, we're no strangers to hunger." Hisako commented.

Mikey's stomach then let out a loud grumble. He covered his stomach, then reached for Salcommander's plate.

"No offense Hisako, but speak for yourself."

About that time, a third tray joined the two offered to the turtles. Everyone blinked, then looked up to see Traximus standing there. He looked at Hisako, then at the seat next to her, which was empty.

"May I?" he asked.

"Uh, sure." she replied.

He took the seat as the turtles began to divvy up the food, ensuring all five of them got some. As they all dug in, Hisako glanced at Traximus in curiosity.

"Thanks for the food." she told him.

"No, thank you." he told her. "I have been a slave in the Arena for so long, I had almost forgotten what it was like to fight with honor."

Hisako just shrugged.

"It was nothing." she told him. "I just know all too well what it's like."

"Know what?" Traximus questioned.

Hisako stopped eating for a moment, just kind of staring at her food.

"Hopelessness, a desire to die and feeling it's the only way to escape your pain." She let out, her voice distant. "I've been there."

The other turtles slowly stopped eating as well. Leo even put an arm around her shoulder in comfort.

"We've all been there." He added. "It's why we're so close."

"Traximus, can I ask you something?" Donny interjected.

"Anything." he replied.

"No offense or anything, but what is a Triceraton doing locked up in here with the rest of us?" Donny asked.

Traximus sighed, his eyes becoming distant.

"Because I believe in the true Triceraton Republic." he explained. "The Republic that valued truth and honor above all things."

Hisako turned to Traximus, gently placing a hand on his arm. Closing her eyes, she could see what Traximus was seeing. Armies of Triceratons were doing battle, but she could tell this was different from what she and her brothers had witnessed. They were fighting to protect, not for conquest.

"Wow..." she whispered.

Traximus glanced at her and she hastily pulled her hand away, turning a bit red. Hoping to save his sister some embarrassment, Leo spoke up again.

"What happened to the Triceratons that turned them into the world conquerors they are today?" he wondered.

Traximus' fists clenched and his teeth began to grind against each other.

"Prime Leader Zanramon happened." he answered. "He turned our once proud Republic into a dictatorship that seeks naught but galactic conquest. He has forgotten our creeds of honor in favor of victory, no matter the cost. Any race that dares to oppose him is annihilated, a fate your Salamandarian allies know all too well."

Mona Lisa leaned into Salcommander, the latter pulling his sister into a hug.

"I was one of the few who could see the corruption and deceit tainting our noble heritage, and so I spoke out against him." Traximus continued. "I even attempted to rally my fellow Triceratons in a revolt against him. Unfortunately, I placed my trust in the wrong Triceraton and he turned me in. Now, I have been branded a traitor, forced to fight for the amusement of the Prime Leader for the rest of my days."

"Dang... That's harsh man." Mikey commented.

"Couldn't have put it better myself Mikey." Leo agreed.

"After being a slave for so long, I had given up hope for revolution, or for the return of the true Triceraton Republic." Traximus continued, his eyes dark.

"You can't give up hope, Traximus." Hisako insisted. "There's always a chance."

Traximus snorted.

"Look around you, young one." he told her, gesturing to their dim surroundings. "Many of us have been here for years, and we will be here until we are unable to fight, then we will die while the crumbled remains of the Republic cheer on our murderers."

"Yeah, well that ain't gonna be us." Raph declared.

"We've been somewhere that makes this place look like a day spa." Donny added.

"If we can survive that, we can survive anything." Leo said.

"And besides, as our Master Splinter always says," Mikey added, doing his best impersonation of his Sensei's voice, "'Happiness can be found in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light'."

Hisako chuckled.

"Mikey, that's a Harry Potter quote." she corrected.

Mikey faltered, but quickly recovered.

"So?" he asked. "I still stand by it."

"You do that, lil bro." Raph told him, giving the orange turtle a noogie.

The Hamato siblings all broke into a fit of giggles and chuckles as Mikey tried in vain to try and free himself from Raph's grip. The two Salamandarians shared in their moment of reverie, and even Traximus found himself smiling. Still, even with the assurance of the siblings, for Traximus, hope was still nothing more than a dream.

...

The Fugitoid was led out of the barrack that had served as his prison/quarters by a pair of Triceraton guards. They brought him onto a cruiser, which began transporting him to the Arena of Carnage. Through the window of his transport vessel, he could see that the games were already in full effect.

"You're in luck, Fugitoid." One of his guards commented. "The Prime Leader is giving you a seat in the Royal Box. You'll have the best view of the games."

"How wonderful." He replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Soon, the transport landed, and the Fugitoid was led down the gangplank. There, Prime Leader Zanramon was waiting for him.

"Professor Honeycutt." he declared. "So glad you could join us."

"Not that I had much of a choice." Fugitoid responded, approaching the Prime Leader.

Zanramon simply ignored the barb, ushering the Fugitoid deeper into the arena. After a minute or two of walking, they came out onto this large balcony overlooking the entire arena. The Fugitoid looked out, unable to keep the look of awe on his face. From there, he could make out every inch of the arena with an almost perfect view.

"I figured you would like to witness your friends' defeats in person, Professor."

"I do believe you mean their victories." He replied, not taking his eyes off the view. "I stand by my prediction that they will survive."

Zanramon just snorted.

"We'll see about that."

...

Down in the slave barracks, all of the gladiators were preparing for their inevitable matches. They all adjusted their minimal armor, taking helmets from a large rack available to them. The Hamato Siblings considered the helmets, but eventually decided against it.

"The less weight we have to carry, the better." Donny rationalized.

"I just hope they give us some weapons this time." Raph grumbled. "I'd literally take a stick if I had to."

Donny gave Raph a pointed look, causing the red turtle to realize what he said.

"No offense Don." he hastily added.

About that time, Gruell walked back into the barracks, cracking his whip to get everyone's attention.

"Gamarons!" he shouted. "Humanoid! You five will be the first to battle before our honorable Prime Leader!"

The Hamato Siblings all walked towards Gruell, who gave them all a cruel smirk.

"I will enjoy watching the five of you perish." he growled. "No go choose your weapon!"

He reached into his pocket, pulling out a remote and hitting the single red button upon it. A side door opened up, revealing a storage room full of various weapons. The siblings all went inside, hoping to find something suitable to use for their upcoming battle.

"At least we're not fighting with brooms this time." Hisako commented, sifting through everything.

"Yeah, or a giant alien tooth." Raph added.

"Holy shell, guys!" Mikey shouted.

Everyone turned towards where Mikey was, gathering around the orange turtle. He has located a roll of cloth that had been thrown into the room haphazardly and had unrolled it, revealing the weapons that had been taken from the siblings when they were captured.

"I thought I'd never see these again!" Hisako gasped, picking up her belt with her tessen.

"My katanas!" Leo exclaimed, reclaiming his swords.

"My bo staff!" Donny practically squeed, grabbing his staff and checking it for damage.

"Now we're talking." Raph said with a grin, taking his sai and twirling them in his fingers. "Now I don't feel so naked."

Mikey was practically hugging his Nunchucks, nuzzling them with his face.

"Awww, did you miss daddy?" he asked in a baby voice. "Daddy missed you. Daddy missed you."

The other Hamato siblings looked at Mikey, shaking their head.

"When we get home, remind me to ask Master Splinter if he dropped Mikey on the head as a baby." Donny requested.

"Way ahead of ya, bro." Raph replied.

Now properly armed, the five of them filed out of the weapons room, making their way out of the barracks. As they walked past, Salcommander had to hold Lisa back to keep her from trying to interfere.

"Good luck, my friends." she told them, reaching out for them.

Raph looked back at her, giving her a hopeful smile as the door to the barrack slammed shut behind him.

...

Once again, the Arena was packed full of Triceratons, all of them eagerly awaiting the latest fight of the games. Up in the Royal Box, Prime Leader Zanramon and the Professor both sat, perhaps the most eager for the next fight to begin.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Triceratons of all ages, we have a special treat for you all to enjoy."

The cheering seemed to double at the prospect of the announcer's words.

"Our first fight is a five on five battle, starring our newest Gladiators, the off worlders that succeeded in vanquishing a Spasmosaur!"

The large gate opened up, allowing the Hamato siblings to enter the arena.

"That's right folks, the four Gamaron warriors and their humanoid ally!"

As the crowds continued to cheer, Mikey waved to the crowd, kissing his hand and sending them out into the crowd. At least until Raph smacked him upside the head. Leo, meanwhile, managed to catch sight of the royal box, and the cyborg occupant currently staring down at them.

"Guys, look." He hissed. "It's Professor Honeycutt."

All of them glanced up at the Professor, Donny letting out a sigh of relief.

"Looks like he's in good condition." he said happily.

"Unfortunately, he's up there, and we're down here." Raph reminded him.

"We'll worry about that later." Leo declared. "Right now, let's just see who our opponents will be."

"And now, the moment you've all been waiting for!" the announcer boomed. "For the first time in dobashes, I present to you... Monza-Ram and the Triceraton All-stars!"

The gate on the other end of the arena opened up as five Triceratons emerged. All of them were armed with large weapons ranging from broadsword to maces to club, and even a shock staff and a latajang. And all of them towered over the Hamato siblings.

"We who are about to fight salute you!" The five of them said in unison, raising their weapons high.

Hisako let out a gulp.

"Umm... I think we had better odds against the Spasmosaur." she muttered.

...

Down in the barracks, the other gladiators were watching the introductions on a large holoscreen broadcasting the fight. When the All-stars came out onto the field, Salcommander grimaced.

"The All-stars..." he muttered, "The Prime Leader's personal favorites."

"None have ever defeated them." Traximus added, looking down. "Not even me."

Lisa felt her heart seize a bit as she continued to watch the fight.

...

The All-stars moved in on the turtles, their various weapons raised to attack. The turtles all got into defensive stances, Mikey exchanging a glance with Leo.

"Any chance these guys are like Traximus and share his general dislike for the Triceraton Republic?" he questioned.

"I don't know." Leo replied truthfully.

One of the Triceratons, one with triangular war paint on either side of his face and wielding a large broadsword, let out a loud battle cry.

"For the Republic!"

With that, the Triceratons charged towards the Hamato siblings. The five of them took a stance, ready for the fight ahead.

Donny brought his staff up to block the blow of a Triceraton wielding a mace. He then pushed him off and let off one staff strike after another, ones the Triceraton was barely able to block. One strike hit him in the face, causing him to stumble back a bit. Donny used this opportunity to leap up and kick him in the chest.

Mikey was spinning his Nunchucks while circling another Triceraton, wielding a shock staff. Mikey ran forward and started swinging his chucks at him wildly. The Triceraton spun his staff, blocking the blows. The Triceraton then tried bringing his staff down on him, only for Mikey to use his chain to block it. He then wrapped his chain around the staff and flung it out of the Triceratons hands. The Triceraton looked down at his empty hands for a moment before Mikey brought his chucks together, smacking him in the head.

While that was going on, Raph was dancing around the attacks of a club wielding Triceraton. With every swing and smash, Raph danced around it. Finally, the Triceraton attempted to bring the club down on him, but Raph just jumped out of the way, landing on top of the club. Raph then ran forward on the club and jumped towards the Triceraton, punching him in the face.

At the moment, Hisako was keeping occupied by a Triceraton wielding a latajang, a staff with moon shaped blades on either end. The swings and swipes were so constant that if it weren't for her training and accelerated mind, it would be nearly impossible for her to keep up with it. After back flipping away from another strike, she threw one of her tessen at the Triceratons face, disorienting him. She then took the opportunity to run forward and slice at him with the other tessen, knocking him back.

During all this, Leo went straight on with Monza-Ram, dueling sword on sword. As the two warriors traded blows with their blades, he attempted to befriend the alien warrior.

"Monza-Ram!" Leo shouted, narrowly avoiding the Triceraton's blade. "You don't have to do this!"

"Yes I do, Gamaron." Monza-Ram replied, adjusting his grip on his sword. "I don't have a choice."

"You always have a choice." Leo insisted, bringing up his swords.

The two swordsmen clashed, Monza-Ram's strength forcing Leo to slide through the dirt.

"You don't understand." the Triceraton insisted. "I have to do this. It is the only way to restore the honor of my troop."

Leo's eyes glanced about the battlefield, where his siblings were all busy holding off the rest of the All Star team. Monza-Ram took advantage of this distraction in order to disarm the blue turtle. Leo let out a yelp, then dove for his swords, recovering them quickly in order to avoid a nearly deadly blow.

"Tell me something, where's the honor in this?" he asked, gesturing around him.

Monza-Ram faltered for a bit, and Leo ran with it.

"They may call you All Stars and cheer you on, but that doesn't change what you are." He quipped. "You're a gladiator, and if you continue down this path, that's all you'll ever be!"

By now, Monza-Ram had ceased his attack, though he'd yet to lower his weapon. The other All Stars were in a similar state, all of them eying Monza Ram as they held off the rest of the Hamato siblings.

"Look, I don't what you did, and frankly, I don't care." Leo declared, pushing Monza-Ram aside before sheathing his swords. "But if you want to restore your honor, fighting for the amusement of a tyrant like Zanramon isn't the way to do it."

"What do you suggest then?" Monza-Ram snapped, though he seemed more desperate than angry.

"Fight for something honorable." Leo replied. "Do something that benefits not just you, but everyone."

"He's right." One of the All Stars said.

Monza-Ram blinked, then turned to see the All Stars all ceasing their fight one by one.

"There is no honor in this." A second All Star spat, dropping his mace to the ground.

Soon, the shock staff, club, latajang joined the pile. The crowds had fallen to a hush, completely shocked by the sudden turn of events. Monza-Ram looked back at his fellow All Stars, then back at Leonardo.

"The choice is yours, Monza Ram." He told him. "Make the right one."

Monza Ram looked at his weapon, then up at the Prime Leader, who was on his feet in outrage.

"Strike him down!" Zanramon demanded. "Do it now!"

Monza-Ram's grip tightened around his sword for a brief moment, then he released it all together. It clattered to the ground as he stood up straight, looking right into the eyes of the Prime Leader.

"No!" He exclaimed. "We will no longer do battle for your amusement Zanramon!"

By now, the crowd was shouting in protest, confused as to what the heck was going on. Zanramon himself looked just about ready to explode. He jumped to his feet, slamming his fists on the edge of the balcony.

"Kill them all!" he screamed.

The two gates leading into the arena opened up as armed guards began pouring in. All of them were armed with laser rifles which they began aiming at the gladiators. The All Stars wasted no time reclaiming their weapons, the Hamato siblings all gripping their own.

"Well, this didn't go exactly like I'd hoped." Leo lamented.

"And how exactly did you expect this to turn out?" Raph asked. "All of us skipping out of here, holding hands, singing kumbaya?"

...

Down in the slave barracks, Mona Lisa had seen enough. She turned to Salcommander, a determined look in her eye.

"We must help them." she insisted.

"I agree." Salcommander replied. "But how-?"

Before he could finish his thought, there was the sound of someone getting punched, then the sound of somebody hitting the ground. Guards and gladiators alike turned to see Traximus standing above a now unconscious Gruell, holding the remote for the weapon's vault. He hit the button, then charged at the guards.

"Arm yourselves my friends!" he shouted as he held the guards at bay. "It is time to show Zanramon that he cannot control us any longer!"

The other gladiators ran for the weapons vault, grabbing any weapon they could lay their hands on. Salcommander and Mona Lisa did the same, the latter even grabbing a sword for Traximus.

"Traximus!" she shouted. "Catch!"

She then tossed the sword to him. As he caught it, he began swinging it wildly at the guards, knocking them down one by one. He then charged forward shoulder first, mowing down the remaining guards as he made his way outside. Mona Lisa, Salcommander, and the rest of the gladiators followed suit.

...

Back out in the arena, the guards had begun to close in on the gladiators, forcing them into a tight circle. They all had their weapons up in defensive positions, but they all knew it would do little good to protect them from the oncoming bombardment of laser fire.

"Guys, I'm honored to call you my brothers." Hisako told them. "You're the best family I could have ever asked for."

"Even me?" Mikey asked.

"Even you, Mikey." she replied without hesitation. "Especially you."

Up on his balcony, Prime Leader Zanramon gave an evil grin, sticking out his left hand with his thumb out. He turned his thumb down as the guards powered up their lasers. The 10 unfortunate gladiators all braced for the blasts, but that's when a different sound was heard. It sounded like an earth shattering roar. This was soon followed by a loud bang, one that shook the entire arena.

"What the shell?" Hisako swore.

There was another bang, and this time, it was accompanied by the sight of one of the gates buckling outward as if something heavy was slamming into it. Finally, a third bang echoed through, sending the gate off its hinges and into the stadium seats. From out of the open gate, a huge, pale white worm slithered out into the arena. It let out a loud roar, its mouth splitting into three pieces as charged. It slithered its way through the arena, taking out several guards in the process. Some of the guards tried shooting at it, but their laser blasts just bounced off the creature's thick hide.

"Okay, what the shell is that thing?" Donny squeaked.

From atop of the strange worm, three familiar figures could be seen. Raph's eyes went wide and his face broke out into a huge grin.

"Mona Lisa!" he exclaimed.

"Salcommander!" Mikey shouted.

"Traximus?" Hisako questioned.

"Quickly, get on the kraathatrogon, lest you wish to become its dinner as well!" Lisa shouted.

The Hamato Siblings wasted no time grabbing onto the creatures hide and climbing on to join their allies. Once they were all in, Leo looked back over at the Royal box, where the Professor and the Prime Leader were watching the entire scene.

"We need to get up there." He told Traximus, who was steering the oversized worm. "That cyborg is our ticket home!"

"Say no more my friend." Traximus assured him.

He flicked the kraathatrogon's antenna, sending the worm charging towards the balcony. Seeing the charging beast, the Prime Leader grabbed the Professor to try and get away.

"Come Professor, we're leaving." he declared.

"We're not going anywhere." The Professor replied, pulling his arm free of the Prime leader's grip.

"And what makes you think you have a choice?" Zanramon snapped.

That's when the professor held up his right arm. His metallic hand sunk into his arm, allowing for a large blaster to form in its place. It hummed with power as a red light began to get brighter inside the blaster.

"The ion blaster currently aimed at your chest."

As the professor held the Prime Leader at blaster point, Traximus pulled the kraathatrogon to a stop, causing the Hamato siblings, Mona Lisa, and Salcommander to slingshot onto the balcony. They all landed on their feet, the turtles giving the Prime Leader a bunch of cruel grins.

"Hey there, Prime Leader." Raph quipped.

"What's the matter, not enjoying the games?" Mikey asked sarcastically.

As the turtles taunted their impromptu prisoner, Donny's eyes were locked onto the Professor's weaponized arm.

"Holy chalupa!" Donny let out. "Is that some kind of... ion blaster built into your cybernetic arm?"

"So that is how you escaped from Darius Dunn..." Zanramon muttered quietly. "But if you had that this entire time, why not escape sooner?"

"Because unlike you, I have people I want to protect." The Professor replied. "And I wasn't about to leave them in your vial clutches."

"Aw professor," Mikey let out. "We like you too."

"So what should we do with him?" Hisako wondered.

"I got an idea." Raph replied, cracking his knuckles.

With one deft punch, he sent the Prime Leader careening over the edge of the balcony, right into the gaping maw of the kraathatrogon. The two Salamandarians, the Professor, and the remaining four siblings all winced as it swallowed him whole. Raph just clapped his hands together triumphantly, smirking.

"Been wanting to do that since we first ended up in this mess." he said.

Turning away from the chaotic scene of the Arena, the group returned to the matter at hand.

"Professor, do you know how to get out of here?" Leo asked.

"Indeed I do." he replied, returning his hand to normal. "Follow me to the hangar bay."

He began running through the halls of the arena, retracing his steps back to the hangar he'd been brought in from. As they prepared to round a corner, they were immediately assaulted by a platoon of Triceratons open firing upon them. They all scrambled behind the corner, narrowly avoiding getting riddled with holes.

"You know, maybe we should have kept Zanramon as a hostage." Hisako said softly.

"Don't worry." Salcommander assured her, cracking his knuckles. "We won't need one."

"You ready G'Throkka?" Lisa asked, a knowing smile on her face.

"Ready Y'Gythgba." he replied.

Together they charged out from behind the corner, dodging and weaving through the blaster fire with expert precision. With the swords they took from the weapons vault raised, they hacked through the first row of blasters, reducing them to bits of metal and machinery. As the Triceratons stood there with their broken weapons, the two made short work of then with their fist, feet, and tails.

From behind the corner, the Hamato siblings and the Professor watched the battle in amazement. Raph's jaw was practically on the ground as he watch Lisa kick tail like he'd never seen before.

"You ok there Raphie?" Mikey asked.

"Never better Mikey." he replied, his eyes never leaving Mona Lisa.

Soon, the guards were all on the ground unconscious, and the two Salamandarians were plucking bits of machinery off their swords.

"Come, reinforcements will not be far behind." Salcommander declared.

"You don't have to tell us twice." Mikey replied.

They all continued on their way to the hangar, eventually making it to their intended destination. As they searched through the various ships for one they could take, Donny caught sight of a sleek, ornate one near the end of the hanger.

"Holy shell, guys!" he shouted.

Everyone turned to see the cruiser Donny was referring to. The Professor gained a sly grin as he looked at the purple turtle.

"You have good eyes Donatello." he complimented. "That is the Prime Leader's personal cruiser. It is perhaps one of the best ships in this entire hangar."

"Well, ole Zanramon isn't gonna need it anymore." Raph declared. "Can you fly it Professor?"

"Can you all fight?" he asked.

"I'll take that as a yes." Raph replied. "Come one everyone."

The other turtles and Hisako all piled into the cruiser, eager to put the Triceraton Home world in their dust. However, both Mona Lisa and Salcommander remained off the ship.

"Raphael..." Lisa began. "We cannot come with you."

"What?!" Raph exclaimed. "Why not?"

She took Raph's hand, holding it tightly.

"You and your family helped me to find mine again, and for that, I am eternally grateful."

"However, now that we are reunited, we must now continue the fight we began oh so long ago." Salcommander added. "We will aid Monza-Ram and Traximus in overthrowing the corrupt Triceraton regime, so no star system must suffer the same fate as Salamandaria."

"Will... will I ever see you again?" Raph asked.

Mona Lisa smiled at him.

"I hope we will." she replied.

Then, she gently kissed Raph full on the mouth, causing the red turtle to go wide eyes. His entire face was as red as the lowlights in his hair as she released him.

"Good luck Raphael, and safe journey home." she told him, waving goodbye.