NOTE: There will probably be grammar mistakes that I will fix later.

"Let's go, maggots! It's showtime!"

Raph could hear all the cell doors creak open as the guards rushed the gladiators out and made them form a line in the hallway. "Hey, Kal!" he called out to his unseen neighbor. "What's going on?"

"We have a game tonight," Kal responded. "So get ready. I'll see you in the arena."

Raph nodded. "Yeah."

Suddenly the door to Raph's cell opened and the wolf guard from earlier stepped inside with an electric livestock prod. "Let's go, Red Stripe!" he barked.

"Yeah, yeah," Raph grumbled as he got up from the floor and walked out of his cell.

He stood in line behind a coyote who wore a leather jacket with spikes on his shoulder pads, fingerless leather gloves, a pair of torn jeans, and skull-shaped earings. Raph wondered if this was his neighbor and teammate and lightly tapped him on the shoulder. "Hey, buddy?"

The canine turned his head and looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "What?" he asked in an annoyed tone.

"Are you Kal?"

"Do I look like Kal?" the coyote snapped before he turned back to the line before him.

"Well, geez," Raph muttered, "I wouldn't know." He then looked at the mutant behind him, a short capybara who wore a simple red vest and a pair of goggles and had a large fan strapped to his back. "Hey, are you Kal?"

The small mutant averted his gaze and seemed a little intimidated. "Please don't talk to me," he said quietly. "You'll get us both in trouble."

"Sorry, I just-"

ZAP!

"OW! HEY!" He turned to the wolf guard, who had just zapped him with the prod. "You son of a-!"

ZAP!

The guard zapped him again. "Stop talking!" he yelled.

Raph glared after him as he walked down the hallway. "I outta shove that stick right up his-"

...

As for the concession stands, an announcer spoke through the loud horn speakers, they are temporarily closed, but our food vendors will be passing out fried cockroach on a stick.

Once again, a crowd of mutants had gathered on the bleachers around the Death Dome to watch the gladiator fight. As usual, Pride sat in his imperial box, but this time he had a special guest with him: the Holy Chalupa, who was still in the wheelchair and connected to the IV pole.

"You're in for a show tonight, Holy Chalupa," Pride said as he readjusted his muzzle. "My gladiators are the best fighters in the world. I wonder how long your brother will last down there?"

Mikey gave him a smug grin. "Raph will win. You'll see."

A bell suddenly rang, signaling the official start of the game, and everyone quieted down as the announcer spoke again, Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Death Dome! Before we begin, let's give a big round of applause for our mighty king, Dominan Pride!

The crowd erupted into cheers and applause as Pride stood up from his seat and waved to all his subjects. When he raised both hands for them to stop, they all immediately became silent and waited for him to speak.

A servant handed him a microphone and he spoke into it as he addressed the audience. "My beloved subjects, welcome to the Death Dome! As a reward for pledging your loyalty to me, I give you another exhilarating gladiator game!"

One of the gates of the Dome opened and seven gladiators, including Raph, walked into the area in a single file. They stopped in the center and turned to the right to face Pride.

"Behold, your champions!" Pride exclaimed, earning an applause from the audience.

When Raph lifted his head to the box, he was surprised to see Mikey sitting next to the king. He smiled big as a tremendous relief washed over him. So Pride had kept his promise after all.

Mikey smiled back to his brother below and was about to call out to him when Pride spoke into the microphone again.

"Those of you who attended last night's game already know of Bear Jaw's tragic end. But let me assure you..." The lion looked directly at Mikey and smirked. "...his sacrifice was not in vain."

The younger Turtle felt sick to his stomach as he was reminded whose blood it was that was now flowing through his veins.

As for Raph, he hung his head in shame. He could tell from Mikey's troubled expression that he already knew.

"And we have a new addition to the Dome!" Pride announced. "Step forward, Red Stripe!"

At first, Raph stood there and glared up at the lion, then the wolf guard zapped him with the prod. He took one step forward and the crowd cheered loudly, but it only made him feel worse and he refused to acknowledge them.

"And now let me introduce you to the other champions! Howler of the Coyote Tribe!"

The coyote Raph spoke to earlier stepped forward and let out a howl, living up to his name.

"Leebo the Quick!"

The capybara with the fan on his back waved timidly at the audience.

"Jack Rippit!"

A mutant hare that wore a cowboy hat and a calfskin vest showed off his unusually long claws.

"Captain Papio!"

A baboon wearing an eye patch over his left eye and tape around his forearms and legs screeched at the top of his lungs as he bounced up and down.

"Bull Zai!"

A large mutant ox in a grey Tang suit blew air out of his nostrils and stomped his right hoof.

"And finally, Kal of the Wild Meerkat Clan!"

Raph's eyes widened in surprise. "'Wild Meerkat Clan'?"

A mutant meerkat with a red Mohawk stepped forward and pounded his chest in respect. He wore a grey shirt, a black leather belt, brown cargo pants, combat boots, and a pad on his left shoulder. And his eyes looked just like Mira's.

Raph continued to stare at him. Could he be...?

"The fighter left standing will have the privilege of dining with me in the temple tonight!" Pride said. "Let the game begin!"

The mutant armadillo from last night walked into the arena dragging a heavy bag. He let each gladiator reach into the bag and pick out a weapon, and when it was Raph's turn, the Turtle declined, opting to use his fists instead. After they chose their weapons, the gladiators spread out to different parts of the arena.

Raph took a deep breath as he waited for the game to start and looked around at all the other gladiators. He would stand back and avoid the conflict for as long as he could and would only fight if one of them came at him. He trusted that Kal would keep his promise and come to his aid, but he wouldn't be totally surprised if the meerkat stabbed him in the back, both figuratively and literally.

The bell rang again and Captain Papio was the first to act. The baboon threw his spear at Bull Zai, but he used one of his mighty horns to deflect it. The ox then charged straight at Papio, who did a big leap and landed on top of his head. Zai shook himself widly but Papio held onto his horns, laughing the whole time.

Infuriated, Zai pulled out his morning star and flung it at the monkey. But Papio jumped off his head just in time and latched himself onto the cage of the Dome. The ox ended up hitting himself and he fell to the ground unconscious.

Ooh! the announcer said. That had to hurt! Looks like Bull Zai is out for the count!

Jack Rippit leapt at Howler with his claws out and swiped at him, but the coyote ducked down and dodged the attack by a few inches. Howler then swung his flail at the hare and one of the spiked balls managed to hit him in the face. Rippit became disoriented for a few seconds before he snapped out of it and came at Howler again.

Meanwhile, Leebo was flying around the Dome thanks to his large fan, but then Papio, who was still latched onto the cage, jumped at him and grabbed him by the ankles. The baboon then reached for the strap that attached the fan to Leebo's back and ripped it in half. The capybara screamed as he fell but Raph caught him before he could reach the ground.

The Turtle gently put him down. "You okay?"

Leebo looked up at him surprised. "Um, y-yeah. Thank-"

Suddenly Papio did a flying kick and hit Leebo in the chest. The poor capybara was propelled across the arena and he crashed into the wall, leaving a crater shaped like his body. It was apparent from his dazed look and the stars floating around his head that he was unable to fight.

And Leebo is out! the announcer said.

Papio then turned his attention to Raph and threw a punch at him. But the Turtle caught his wrist and flipped him onto his back. Before the baboon could get up, Raph stepped on his chest and pinned him to the ground.

"If you know what's good for you, Curious George," Raph warned, "you'll stay down."

Papio sneered at him. "Kiss my big red-!" Suddenly another foot that didn't belong to Raph kicked the baboon in the face, knocking him out.

Kal looked up at the Turtle and shrugged. "It's not over until they're all unconscious."

"Got it," Raph grinned down at the meerkat. "So you're Kal?" He took his hand and shook it. "Nice to finally meet you."

"Same. You were expecting someone taller, right?"

Raph shook his head. "Nah. From my experience, size doesn't matter."

As they continued to converse, the whole audience watched in confusion. Why weren't those two fighting each other?

Just then Rippit did a midair spin kick and hit Howler in the face. The coyote stumbled back a few steps before shaking his head and charging at him again. The hare bent backwards just as Howler swung the flair at him and did an axe kick. Unfortunately for the coyote, Rippit's foot collided with his...nether region.

Raph flinched, feeling sorry for the guy. "Ooh, man. Ouch."

Howler dropped to his knees howling and grabbing his crotch, then he curled up in fetal position. Even though he was still conscious, it was clear that he wasn't going to get up anytime soon and so the armadillo ran in and dragged him out of the arena.

Now it was down to three gladiators: Rippit, Raph, and Kal.

The hare looked directly at Raph and smirked. "Sorry, Red Stripe," he said in a southern accent. "It ain't nothin' personal." He then charged straight at the Turtle and prepared to swipe at him with his long claws.

But then Kal pulled out his two daggers and with one swift move sliced all of Rippit's claws off before he could touch Raph.

The crowd unanimously gasped. Pride was surprised as well and he raised an eyebrow. Mikey put a hand on his chest and breathed a sigh of relief.

Raph grinned, both grateful to meerkat for saving him and impressed by his speed.

Rippit stumbled backwards in shock as he stared down at his now normal hands. "Mah...Mah claws," he whimpered. Just as he looked back up, Raph punched him in the face and he fell to the ground out like a light.

And Jack Rippit is out! the announcer said. Now Red Stripe and Kal are the only ones left standing! What will they do next?

Everyone in the crowd held their breath as Raph and Kal turned to each other. Then to their surprise, Kal grabbed Raph's arm and lifted it.

"I share this victory with Red Stripe!" the meerkat declared.

All heads immediately turned toward Pride. It was ultimately up to the king whether there could be more than one winner, which rarely happened. With a low growl, the lion stood up from his chair and glared down at the two gladiators.

Mikey tightened his grip on the arms of his wheelchair. Raph bit his lower lip.

Then Pride slowly started to clap and he smiled under his muzzle. He motioned for the servant to bring him the microphone and spoke into it, "Behold the winners of tonight's game: Red Stripe and Kal!"

All of the mutants stood up from the bleachers as they applauded and cheered and some even began to throw flowers into the arena.

If he wasn't crippled, Mikey would've jumped out of his wheelchair in joy, but he still whooped and cheered for his brother. "Who-boo! Yeah! Wait to go, bro!"

Raph smiled down gratefully at Kal. "Thanks, man. I knew I could trust you."

The meerkat simply grinned in a way that reminded him so much of Mira. It couldn't be a coincidence.

...

Later that night, Raph and Kal sat across from each other at a long table in Pride's personal dining room, with the king, himself, sitting at the head and in the largest chair. As promised, they got a decent meal for their victory in the Dome: garden salad and fried buzzard.

Mikey was also present and he sat next to Raph, but his older brother hardly looked at or spoke to him during dinner. In fact, Raph lost his appetite when saw the blood bag that was still hanging from the IV pole and he just watched everyone else eat.

Of course, Pride couldn't eat without taking his muzzle off and Raph got to see his hideously scarred face. The lion noticed the Turtle staring at him and stopped eating his buzzard leg. "Why aren't you eating, Red Stripe?" he asked as he licked his exposed upper gums.

"I'm not really hungry," Raph muttered as he looked back down at his full plate.

"I hope it's not because of my face? I understand that it can be quite unsettling."

"No," Raph shook his head. "I just...don't have much of an appetite right now."

"I see," Pride wiped his lower lip with a napkin. "Perhaps some mating would lift your spirits?"

Mikey spat out his water and Kal nearly choked on his salad.

Raph looked at the lion horrified. "I-I...mating?" he chuckled in disbelief. "Uh, heh heh, no thanks. You're not my type."

Pride pulled his head back as he laughed. "No, no! Not with me! I meant with the female servants in this temple. They'll do almost anything for a few extra coins."

"Excuse me?" Raph looked at him appalled and disgusted.

"Oh, you prefer male? Very well, then. I'll arrange for-"

"You know what?" Raph couldn't take it anymore and stood up from his seat. "You can take me back to my cell now. I'm done here."

"Wait!" Mikey grabbed Raph's arm. "Raph, I need to talk to you." He then turned to Pride. "Can I have some alone time with my brother, please?"

Pride rubbed his chin as he thought about this, then he nodded. "Very well."

...

The two brothers were allowed to talk alone for fifteen minutes on a balcony near the top of the temple. They had a fantastic view of the city, but it was eerily quiet and not a single light was on in any of the stone buildings that surrounded them.

"This place gives me the creeps," Raph mumbled. "He gives me the creeps."

Mikey reached over and touched his brother's shell. "Raph, there's something I have to tell you. It's really import-"

"Wait." Raph looked down at him with sad eyes. "Before you say anything..." He knelt down in front of his brother and gently held the arm that had the IV needle inserted into it. "...I'm so sorry, Mikey. I wish I didn't have to...you know, do what I did last night. And I don't blame you if you hate me for it-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, bro," Mikey cut him off. "Let's make something clear: I could never ever hate you." He placed his hand over Raph's and smiled warmly at him. "I know why you did it, and it makes me glad to have a brother who loves me that much."

"It...It does?" Raph could feel the tears of relief coming.

"I mean," Mikey sadly lowered his gaze, "I wish that Bear Jaw guy didn't have to die and I would give back his blood if I could, but what's done is done." He raised his head again and looked at Raph with a serious expression. "Right now, we've got another problem: Pride is planning to destroy the Oasis."

"What?!" Raph stood up in shock and his shout echoed throughout the whole canyon. "Are you serious?! Why?!"

"He's afraid that everyone will leave if they ever find out about the Green Place. And what's worse is that he's gonna use the nuclear warhead to carry out his evil plan."

"When he's planning to do this?"

"I think he said tomorrow."

Raph's face blanched. "Tomorrow? Well, where he's keeping the bomb?"

Mikey shook his head. "No idea, dude. It could be anywhere in the city."

Raph sighed heavily as he leaned over the railing of the balcony. "Well, that's just great. We not only gave him the map to the Oasis, we also gave him the power to destroy it. This is exactly what we tried to prevent."

"We can't give up, bro."

"I never said anything about giving up, Mikey. I just..." He rubbed his temples. "I just need to come up with a plan."

"Well, what about that meerkat friend of yours?"

Raph glanced over at him. "Kal?"

"Yeah, you two seem to be pals. After all, he saved your life in the Dome. Maybe he could help us."

"I don't know, Mikey. I mean, Kal's a great guy, but I don't think he would rebel against Pride." Then it occurred to him. "Unless..."

...

After dinner, Raph and Kal were returned to their cells and the guards turned off all the kerosene lamps, but the Turtle refused to sleep. Once he was sure that the guards were gone, he whispered to his neighbor, "Pssst. Kal. You asleep?"

"Not yet," Kal whispered back. "What's up?"

"Sorry, but there's something I have to know. You said you had a sister, right?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Was her name Mira?"

For a moment, there was total silence, then he could hear the scuffling of feet and he just knew that Kal was now standing up. "How do you know Mira?" he asked with some urgency in his voice.

"I ran into her in the desert a month ago. She helped me and my brothers find the Oasis, and now she's part of our family." He smiled to himself. "She's a good kid, and she's a lot like you: brave and noble. I kinda suspected that you two were related."

"She found the Oasis?" Kal breathed. "So it does exist?"

"Yeah. It really is a paradise, Kal. You can drink all the water you want and not have to pay a cent for it." The smile on Raph's face dropped. "That's why Pride wants to destroy it."

The meerkat gasped. "Destroy it? But that means..."

"Mira will be destroyed, too. And it's all gonna happen tomorrow if we don't stop him, Kal."

"Over my dead body," Kal growled. "He threatens my sister, he threatens me." He then shouted to the other gladiators, "Guys, wake up! Wake up!"

The others groaned and grumbled in their cells as they woke up.

"What do you want, Kal?" Howler gruffy asked.

"Some of us are trying to sleep," Captain Papio yawned. "What, you wanna brag to us about your big win?"

"Yes, how was that delicious meal, by the way?" Bull Zai bitterly asked.

"Guys, listen," Kal sternly said. "Remember the Green Place I told you about?"

Howler snorted. "You mean the imaginary paradise that doesn't exist? Quit trying to fill our heads with dreams, Kal."

"But it's not a dream; it's a reality. Red Stripe came from that place."

Papio snickered. "Yeah, right."

"No, it's true," Raph confirmed. "I live in the Oasis. It's everything you heard about in stories and more. I know it sounds impossible, but you gotta believe me. Pride does, and now he wants to destroy it."

There was a pause before Jack Rippit answered quietly, "Then let him."

"What?!" Raph shouted incredulously.

"Jack, have you lost your mind?!" Kal yelled.

"When Pride has his mind set on somethin', there's no stoppin' him," Rippit said.

Leebo sighed and said gloomily, "He's right. He's too powerful. You'd have to be crazy or suicidal to fight him."

"Yes, and even if this place does exist, it's not worth dying for," Zai said.

"Oh, yeah, how would you know?!" Raph angrily pounded on the bars. "You've never even seen it!"

Suddenly Papio spoke up, "Red Stripe's right."

"Papio, you're nuts," Howler grumbled.

"Maybe I am, but we're all gonna die anyway. Even if we stay alive for years, Pride will eventually become bored with us and have younger, stronger gladiators kill us. And I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm tired of living this way."

"Papio does has a point," Leebo meekly said. "And I don't want to fight anymore."

"You never wanted to fight since the day you got here, twerp," Howler growled, "because you're a wuss!"

"I am not!" the capybara snapped.

The coyote snorted. "Are too! So how could you possibly stand up against Pride?"

Leebo was now very angry. "You don't think I would?! I'll show you! Red Stripe, count me in!"

"Well, if Lame-O the Quick is in, so am I!" Howler said.

"Wait, guys," Rippit said. "Do y'all even know what you're agreeing to? You're talkin' 'bout treason here."

"Well, Pride was never my king," Kal retorted. "He kidnapped me and forced me to fight in his bloody games. And now he's planning to wipe the last Green Place and my sister off the face of the Earth. I have no reason to stay loyal to him."

Zai released a heavy sigh. "My late wife would be heartbroken to see me like this, groveling before a tyrannical thug. She'd want me to do the honorable thing, and so I shall. My friends, I will join you in the rebellion."

"Well, Jack?" Papio asked Rippit. "Are you a yellow-bellied snake, or are you gonna cowboy up and join the fight?"

The hare stayed silent for a moment before he asked bitterly, "Why should Ah do anythin' fer any of y'all? All ya ever do is beat the tar outta me. And just a while ago, Kal done cut mah claws off. But Ah guess we're all buddies now, right?"

"Jack, listen," Kal said with some remorse in his tone. "I'm sorry that I hurt you. I don't expect us to become friends after this, but we all want the same thing, and that's freedom. You miss your family, don't you?"

Rippit sighed softly. "'Course Ah do."

"Then just this once, let's work together and break out of here. And let's show everyone else that there is still hope for a better life."

"So do any of you have a plan?" Howler asked.

"I do," Raph said loudly. "Now all of you, listen up..."