The plan had gone perfectly. Well, until the Foot started cornering me. I was supposed to lead them away from their stash of mutagen, buy my bros some time to grab it and then get out. But the warehouse had quickly become a maze, crawling with Foot and crates.

I heard my bros chase after me, bags packed and clinking. I've barely had time to register their presence then Karai is in front of me and I'm blinded. I fling my arms up to my face and yell out, but the light takes me over and pulls me into… I'm not sure.

I just feel lost at this point. Floating, but different parts of me are at different places. The sensation reminds me of one time when one of Donnie's things exploded…

Ok, so it didn't 'explode'. I was poking something I admit I shouldn't have been and I got a zap. Not anything too bad, but it was enough to throw me on my back, smacking my head on the ground. Don was quick to be at my side then. He sounded panicked when I wasn't responding to anything he said or did. But I was stunned, as I am now, relishing in the disjointed freedom of self.

But I'm scarred. My sight isn't floating and blurred like it was then. It's white, harsh and unnatural – kind of how I imagined death as a kid. I try and draw my arms back to me, suddenly dreading this. I'm so not dying! My last words will not be, "Sure can, Leo!"

My body comes thundering back to me, and the spaceless white starts careening away from me.

No… I'm careening away from it! I don't have to worry about it for too long though, because I land quickly, but hard. Slightly dazed, I roll onto my stomach and try to take in where I am, but my head is spinning. I rest my head on my arms, deciding to instead hear what's happening around me. But there isn't much. I can figure out there' a few trees, but that's all I can pick up. Oh, and the dirt I'm lying on.

The feeling passes and I get up, wobbly at first. I dust myself off, picking little stones out of my skin. Where ever I am it hasn't rained in a long time, the ground is flat and dry. But it's not hot, which is confusing.

"You ok, boy?" I turn around to see a man leaning against a cane a foot taller than he is. His skin is a pasty yellow and the white hair on his head is pulled down and tied into his waist length is potentially the coolest dude I have ever seen.

"I'm cool. Where am I?"

He chuckles, "You didn't mean to fall out of the sky did you?"

"Does anyone?" We share a laugh and he gestures me to follow him.

"So what's your name, boy?"

"Michelangelo," I say, cringing at the sound of what has to be at least half of this guy's bones cracking and popping. "My bros call me Mikey though."

"Well, Michelangelo, you've landed here in Nexus."

Master Splinters' old 'stranger danger' lesson chimed in my head, but a quick pat of my belt comforts me – I'm armed. I also think I could take this guy if he tried anything. But I'm a ninja, out in a flat plain save for a few trees. This isn't my element.

"So where are we going?" I ask.

"To the closest town, Diam. It's a fair trek." I wonder is he means in general or just for him – and after half an hour-ish I still don't entirely understand what he meant, save got a bit of thirst.

And it then when it hits me – how do I get home? Plans are Leo's thing; ideas Don's; and I'm sure Raph has a thing relative to my current situation. But I generally follow them; I don't need to make plans. I mean, I'm not immune to coming up with something (have you seen my pranks?) but with Leo, Raph and Don to rely on I don't need to think about this sort of thing.

Actually, I don't think cross-dimensional travel crosses their minds too much either.

Is that what this is? Another dimension? Seems like it; at least that's what I can gather from the slightly alien trees and, of course, my yellow guide.

"So, where is Nexus exactly?" I ask. The man lets out a heavy sigh and stops walking to look at me.

"Relative to what? Your world?"

"I guess?"

"I can't answer that question for you, boy."

"Well, do you know how I can get back home?"

"Got any magic?"

"No."

"Here in Nexus portals are made with magic. If you aren't magically inclined yourself then you buy some." He paused and looked me up and down. "If you don't have magic, how did you get here?"

I have to think back to that flash of light. All I can guess is that Karai 'persuaded' the Kranng to build her something. "A machine, I think. I'm not sure. It happened really fast."

"If that's the case, boy, you can really only hope whatever brought you here can take you back."

He starts walking again, and I follow him slowly, sort of stunned. What if I can't get back? I'm panicky now.

"How much does magic cost!?"

"You'll be working for years." He throws me a glance over his shoulder. "You can stay with me. I have a spare bed."

I feel a bit overwhelmed and stop dead in my tracks. He turns and stares at me quizzically. This dude just met me and he's offering me a bed for what could be a very long time. I can't bring myself to say anything, so I dip my head and bow.

"What are you doing?"

"Thanking you," I mumble coming back up. "I was taught bowing is respectful."

He gives me a funny look and glances up at the sky before wordlessly moving on. I follow, still a little staggered, and after about thirty minutes we reach a little town.

"This is Diam. Don't bow at anyone here. You'll freak 'em out."

Most of the homes on the outer edges of Diam were mud houses and the closer we got to the town's centre the more wooden ones popped up.

"Keep your head down, don't talk, don't make a scene." I nod and slowly the crowd around us thickens. The old man grabs my hand and leads me along.

The crowd isn't huge, maybe a few hundred, riddled mostly with men, women and children with orangey tan skin and dark, dark hair. Raggy clothes and thinness looks like the common feature amongst most of the people. The old man takes us up to the very front of the crowd. In front of us there's a stage, empty save for three chairs and a pedestal topped with a bowl full of papers.

The crowd quiets down and three people walk on stage – a man, a woman and a guard. The guard is decked out in shining gold armour, with a spear to match and teal detailing and cape. The man looks like the townspeople, just fatter and better dressed. The woman however has bright red hair, pink skin and is wearing a body suit so tight she might as well not have worn it. The guard and her sit down and the man steps to the front of the stage, and it's now I realise the nervous tension in the crowd; people fidgeting, dead silence. I glance at the old man and he just presses a finger to his lips. It's oddly comforting.

"Hello, people of Diam!" the man on stage boomed. He had not microphone, but his voice was so loud my ears rang a little. "As you know, I am your mayor and we are here to celebrate this year's Battle Nexus!" He cheered and began clapping his hands in spastic motions. No one reacted to his enthusiasm, the crowd roaring with silence and he broke into a sweat. The woman behind him huffed, getting up and pushing him into his seat.

"Yes! And as many of you know the king was displeased with this year's entry numbers and has called for town's people, such as yourself, to compete. Let us see again Diam's name being called." She raised her arms above her head, and after a second an image appeared of a bowl full of papers and a man dressed in bejewelled robes with green skin. He plunged his hand into the bowl and picked a piece. He unfolded it and roared, "And the final town is Diam!" The image disappeared and the woman brought her arms down.

"That's it?" I murmur to the old man and he gives me a short glare. I look around and see stricken faces and down cast eyes. I suddenly feel intrusive.

"And as a volunteer town, one towns person will compete in the Battle Nexus!" the woman flicked her ponytail and drove her hand into the bowl. She picked a paper and her lips curled as she yelled out, "Bliss Sato!"

The broken wail easily over powered the gasps of the crowd. To my left the crowd parts and a thin, young woman comes to the front. But she is quickly followed by four small children, who scream and cry, crowding her. Whatever resolve she might have had crumbles.

And I'm not sure what it is exactly that consumes me, but I know why it does. I see my family in this huddle of people; one parent and four kids. I can't leave them like this, with that fear.

And that's what it is, that's what's coursing through me; fear. I'm scared for these people; these kids; this mother; this family.

"Wait!" I lunge towards the stage, my hand raised in the air. "I'll take her place!"

So, obviously Nexus is not the same as the nexus from 2k3. This is my creative liberty, if you will.

Tell me what you think. :)