꧁𝑴𝒂𝒎𝒂'𝒔 𝑩𝒐𝒚꧂

Chapter 8

Raph went to help his younger brother as he stumbled back, but was cut off by the loud voice in the speakers again.
"Fighters, are you ready?" The voice in the speaker questioned, the crowd going silent in anticipation at what the reply would be.

"Purple, are you okay?" Splinter asked, expression dropping worriedly.

"I'm fine! I'm fine—" Donnie snapped, straightening up his stance despite his head screaming in protest. The ground began rumbling, the crowd going dead silent in confusion as they looked around to find the source. He suddenly tensed again, whipping around and facing towards the area where the strongest rumbling seemed to diverge from. "Everybody get down!!" He screeched, running to Splinter and spinning his tech bō, which turned into some sort of metal shield for the rat and himself.

Nobody protested, all either running out of the arena in a blind panic or hiding beneath or behind the seats. Those in the VIP balcony crouched down, covering each other for protection. Raph covered everyone else in the balcony with his body for added protection, curling his tail around to keep them close and block any debris that made it past his shell.

Frida leaped from her own balcony, hopping on the heads of the seats and towards the softshell swiftly. She couldn't let him get hurt, not by something as bad as what this could be if it continued. She couldn't let her own brother get harmed. She didn't trust the rat man, either. What if he took the shield for his own? What if he used Donnie as a living shield instead?

Suddenly, the wall in front of the young softshelled turtle burst open, debris flying everywhere and smacking hard against the barrier that he had created. The shield had protected the duo from the oncoming rubble quite easily, it was the vines that followed that had been the issue.
Frida ran towards them, terrified beyond admission. No, no, no! She thought frantically, watching as whatever the offending plants were went straight at him.

Large, veiny purple-pink vines erupted from the earth at an alarming speed, shattering the shield as soon as they made contact and sending the softshell staggering back. Splinter gasped and ducked under another, making sure the terrapin was okay before being shoved away by the newer turtle. Donnie stared at his—quite possibly—completely destroyed piece of tech in shock as Frida held him steady so he didn't collapse. His vision swarmed, letting out a whine as his head throbbed with a more intense pain than before. Frida just cooed and looked up, breath hitching in her throat as she saw the attacker himself. Wasn't that the same man who helped destroy Mother's office?

He looked back up, spotting the large figure of what looked to be. . . Draxum? He quickly pressed another button on his bō, watching it struggle but eventually shift into its naginata form. He noticed the outer shell of the bō was cracked, and pieces were missing from its exterior, but it should hold for at least a little while longer. It had to. That was his only way of protection other than his battle shell. He was useless without it, especially since he had no tech cuff to assist him as well as of now.

The sheep man stepped down from his viney platform and onto the arena floor with a metallic thump, looking down at the trio with a deadpan expression before muttering something to Huginn and Munnin, the goyles on his shoulders.

Big Mama burst from her announcers box, launching herself towards the arena with an enraged hiss. The other four followed from their places on the balcony, making their way towards the arena floor frantically. They ignored the swarms of yokai running out of the arena, merely jumping over them on the way.

"Pathetic worms, I assumed you'd be better than this. Baron Draxum is severely disappointed in you all." He locked eyes with Donnie for a split second, before the former spat at him disrespectfully and glared. The alchemist only scoffed lightly at the gesture before looking at the others, who now stood beside Frida, Donnie, and Splinter.