[ WP ] Pitch a gritty reboot for a children 's show .

When flesh is pounded for long enough you can feel the skin come away from the meat and all that's left is a saggy mess where once there was a person. The guy at my feet was strong, tough, but he could n't last, not against me. 
 
 `` ***NEXT FIGHTER ENTER***'' 
 
 I hear the door behind me open and two Korean men run in and drag the body out, leaving a slick trail of blood behind. I wonder if he's dead, but I do n't care enough to check. 
 
 I hear the chain link door shut and clench my fist, ready. If I get past this guy then I'll have survived the night, survived the gauntlet of death in this underground fight ring and I'll have made enough money to find my Master. But that's all *if* I survive. 
 
 His voice is deep but I do n't turn around yet. He laughs, `` What is this guy? A fuckin' Lizard?'' There is is, there's the passion, the desire. I latch onto his insult and let it fuel me, bring anger back into my muscles. 
 
 He's still laughing when they ring the bell and I can feel him charge me, feel his feet pounding across the floor that's as much blood as it is sand by now, but I wait. I let him get close, keep my back to him, confident in my protection and then when he is close enough to reach out I move. 
 
 Humans, so slow, so weak and so breakable. Without looking I snap his shin with a low blow and then flip over and catch him on the side of his head. I've hardly looked at this guy and he's a puddle on the floor. 
 
 I bend down, nice and slow, ignoring the hooting and yelling from all around the arena and I lean in, close enough for him to hear. `` I'm a fucking turtle, bitch.'' 
 
 ***** 
 
 Upstairs in the office Xiau Min takes his time counting out my winnings, his bodyguard staying close, his hand resting on the butt of his gun, just to remind me. 
 
 Finally he pulled free the stack of notes and tossed it across the table. `` You fought well tonight Leo, but too quickly. I need fights to last so I can get more betting going.'' 
 
 This fuckin' jerkoff wants me to make fights to the death last longer. `` Sorry Xiau, I'll try to beat your guys to death more slowly next time.'' 
 
 Fr a moment there's tension in the air and then he laughs and a moment later we're all laughing. `` Stay and have a drink with me Leo, I do n't know anything about you.'' 
 
 The room stinks of wealth, he's a mid level mobster running an illegal fight ring, I used to take these guys down for fun, now I need him to make money. `` Sorry Xiau, I've got somewhere to be.'' I tuck the money back, into my shell and bow slightly before turning and taking me leave. 
 
 I was n't lying, tonight's a big night, my informant has been working for months to get me what I need and tonight he's supposed to come through. Before I leave the club I pull on my long raincoat and retrieve my swords from the weapons room; I feel more complete when I wear them. 
 
 I have to hurry, to get across town to 53rd and 9th, but luckily I know a short-cut. Through the sewers, hitching a lift on trains as they go past, I can make my way there faster than in a taxi, not that a taxi is likely to pick up a seven foot tall turtle. 
 
 I make it there on time and wait in the alley, but something's not right, he's never late. After five minutes I start to pace and as I get near the end of the street I see a cop car, shit, no two. They're heading my way in a bad part of town, I start to get a bad feeling. 
 
 The body was stuffed into a dumpster and I just have a chance to check the pockets before the searchlight is turned on me and I hear the sirens. Before they can get close I'm long gone, again into the sewers where they wont follow me. Tonight has been a failure and worse they knew I'm coming for them. The police were just there to let me know that they could and would reach me, they were a warning. 
 
 I need help; I need something I have n't had for a long time, I need my brothers. 
 
 ***** 
 
 Don's just where I knew he'd be, ensconced in his base behind metal doors and an array of sensors. As I approach I can feel myself being scanned a dozen times and the door opens ahead of me automatically. A soft voice floats to me through invisible speakers. `` Welcome Leonardo.'' 
 
 I wait in the antechamber and a few minutes later I hear him approach, but when I finally see him I have to hide my surprise. Don was always the one who cared about the fighting the least, but I had n't expected him to change this much, to lose this much muscle. 
 
 He smiles warmly as he approaches and we embrace. `` Jesus Leo, you look like shit.'' I ignore it but he's started to analyse me. `` Is that *blood* on your knuckles? What the hell have you been doing tonight?'' 
 
 He ushers me in and I drape my coat across a chair. Almost immediately a small robot tugs it off and disappears with it. `` I've been doing what I do every night Don. You *know* what I've been doing.'' 
 
 He rolls his eyes and thinks I do n't see, but I see him. `` Leo, when are you going to accept, Splinter's dead, he's not coming back.'' I do n't argue but I toss a small folder onto the table. `` What the fuck is this?'' 
 
 `` Just look.'' I spin a chair around and sit down. 
 
 He takes his time and leaves through the images. `` Are these real?'' I nod. `` And recent.'' I nod again. He drops them down on the table and they spill across the wood. It's hard to look at them, my old master in pain, being tortured. 
 
 He seems hesitant. `` I do n't... what do you want from me Leo?'' 
 
 He'll be no use in a fight. `` My contact is dead but he had this on him.'' I toss across the files I found on his body. `` Encrypted, useless to me, but to you...'' 
 
 Now I'm playing his game. `` I'll find out what's on them and find out where he is, but you ca n't go up against them alone...'' 
 
 I shook my head slowly. `` No for that I'm going to need Raf and Mikey.'' 
 
 ***** 
 
 
 I knew Don would know where to find Raf; he's never been able to keep away from trouble and it seems that's only got worse since the last time I saw him. As it turned out he was going to be easy to find, just very hard to get to. 
 
 Blackhill Prison. It's not the kind of place they put muggers or rapists, it's the kind of place they put mutant freaks, or in this case, seven foot turtles who like breaking skulls. They keep it out here in the middle of nowhere so if any of them escape they have plenty of time to stop them before they reach civilisation. Of course, that's a double edged blade, as it means that civilisation takes a long time to reach them too. 
 
 I'd chosen my ride for nostalgia's sake, a pizza van. I'd gone over the plans again and again with Don and there was no clever weakness, no sneaky sewer and no lucky break that meant I could spirit him away. If I was going to get Raf back then it'd have to be the old fashioned way, head on. 
 
 Two hundred yards from the gate I wedged a brick on the accelerator and rolled out the door, up and running as quickly as I could stop rolling. I heard the pitter patter of gunfire as they realised the truck was n't stopping and then the world went bright and loud as the truck hit. 
 
 Fuck knows how big the explosion was, I'd packed it with as much fertiliser as I could steal and Don had given me a few treats to make it burn hotter; from the sound of the screams it was working. 
 
 I moved at a flat run, heading for the walls. Right now every guard would be fixated on the front and on locking the place down, the shaped charge I placed on the wall blew a hole big enough to get through and the daisy chain flashbangs were enough to leave the two guards on the other side down and helpless. 
 
 No witnesses, no one left alive, my blades would drink well tonight. Steel bars and tough guards blocked my way, but I had enough toys to put both down. Don's termite charges had me through each door in seconds and my blades took care of the guards. They did n't carry guns inside the walls, apparently for safety reasons; it got a lot of them killed. 
 
 I checked me watch, six minutes since the gate blew, fourteen dead guards and one last door. I moved into the final corridor and ran down, counting doors, looking for the number I needed. The hinges gave first and the door crashed down and I looked into cold angry eyes, it was my boy. 
 
 It was hard not to smile, he had been ready to leap but on seeing me he stood and walked past me into the hall. `` Took you long enough.'' 
 
 I shrugged. `` This was the first time I needed you.'' I flipped over his sai and for a moment I saw true pleasure on his face, but it was replaced quickly enough by a scowl. I nodded to the door. 
 
 It took longer getting out, Raf had some anger issues he needed to work out and the guards were more than obliging. I'd have hurried him but he needed the practice and it was nice to see he'd kept in shape. Unlike Don he'd always enjoyed the mission, always loved the work. 
 
 An hour later we were far away, heading back to the city in an minivan with legit plates. He finally asked the question. `` Why now? What's happened?'' 
 
 I was n't sure how to phrase it, so I came straight out. `` Splinter, I found him.'' 
 
 There was no protest, just a nod of the head. `` What's the plan, when do we move.'' 
 
 `` Soon, we just...'' I looked over and he realised what I was going to say. 
 
 `` We do n't need him, he's too unpredictable.'' 
 
 I shook my head. `` This time we do.'' 
 
 ***** 
 
 It got too long so I have continued in a reply below.
