Contractually Obligated Cowabunga

Lou would probably get targeted by the Purple Dragons, they would probably try to put a control device on him but there's no sneaking up on this dude. And even after the stuff from season 1, he probably doesn't take them super seriously because they're dumb kids and he's seen way worse. So they just. Tell him about the arena and he squints a little like "that kinda sounds like the Nexus.... are there contracts? Who's in charge? What are the fights like?" And honestly, I think Lou's got a lot of pent up feelings he's likely not dealing with. Dude needs therapy BAD. And yeah, he probably trains the kids and tussles with them, but he's holding wwwaaaaayyyy back, he knows he's much stronger than the boys and he can't go all out. And at first he's probably dismissive and sneering at this arena because, god, no, this is just like what happened with his dad, isn't it? Except it's not...not really...and he sees humans getting in on it (can't fight the humans, no sir) and they get to walk away happy. And Bebop and Rocksteady are tearing into each other, going full force the way Lou hasn't been able to. And...well...okay, he'll give it a shot. Just ONE fight though. Except it feels good. Of course it does. He wins, obviously, and then cries in a corner somewhere because that was a lot of stuff he just vented through a fight. But it felt...nice? Therapeutic. Maybe a few more rounds wouldn't hurt.

And the kids notice he's been loosening up more, but they think maybe he's finally chilling out. "Old people are weird." "I'm thirty…something." "Yeah, old." It's fine for a little bit, maybe a week or two. Lou isn't interested in material prizes, but he likes treats and little luxuries he missed during the apocalypse, so the stuff he earns from winning fights is like food, sweets, maybe a few trinkets but nothing that really stands out. It's fine, this is good for him. (Kitsune is probably careful to keep him away from the other mutants, make sure he never sees them before or after the fights.) He doesn't come every night, only when he feels like he's going to burst and can't take it anymore, when something's clawing under his skin and he needs to let it out. And during the fights, he's too focused, maybe. And he probably never got close to anyone else anyway, he doesn't know them never wanted to know them. Maybe this is just how they are.

And then Raph shows up.

No. Uh-uh. He is not letting Raph do this to himself.

Lou stars berating himself for not noticing that Raph needed some help, that this Raph had a temper and a veritable bloodlust that he was struggling to control. The kid needed and outlet, needed help, and Lou hadn't noticed because he was too caught up in his own head. He should have been better! This kind of thing could get someone killed! Obviously he tries to talk Raph out of joining the fights, tries to get him to go home, tries to force him to go home. But Raph just gets angry at Lou and asks why is it okay that Lou does it, but not Raph!? Lou, obviously, tells him to GO. HOME. Raph refuses. Lou tries to stop him. Raph dodges him and runs off to join the fights. Lou, steaming mad and a little frustrated and wondering if this is how his own Raph felt, stomps off to confront Kitsune. She can't let Raph fight, he's a child. Kitsune is all sweet talk, "He asked to come here, this is what he wants. Why shouldn't he get a chance to prove himself?" "If you let Raphael fight, I'm done. I'll tear this place apart. You hear me?" "What I'm hearing is that you might need a little more convincing…" And Lou realizes he's deep in the lion's den. He's in Purple Dragon territory and they have him surrounded. He fights back, obviously. And he's sending Dragons flying left and right. Until he pins one of them to the wall by their neck, his hand around their throat, and they're scrabbling to try and escape and--

They're kids. They're fucking kids. And the one he's holding is so afraid.

And…and he…he falters.

And that's when they jump him.

And that's when they get him.

And that's the last thing Lou remembers.

---------------

Raph's been in plenty of fights.

He's never fought a soldier.

And Lou is a soldier with nothing to lose. Even under mind control, he fights like he's fighting for his life. He is lethal, he is fast, and he is dangerous. He never showed how much he was capable of against the kids when they sparred and for good reason. He's terrifying.

It all ends well, of course. Despite having Lou, all they have of him is his strength and fighting abilities. They don't have his clever mind. So everyone is freed in the end, the mind control device is smashed, and Lou proceeds to have a major breakdown and Krang PTSD flashback and locks himself up for a while until the kids kick the door down and drag him out and make him live his life again. He's a miserable sad sack for a while, mopes around and tries to avoid them. Raph doesn't let him, demands sparring matches and demands that Lou not hold back. "I wanna fight you for real! You're like the only guy I feel like I don't gotta pull my punches on. Everyone else…" "…you feel like you'll hurt them if you don't hold back."

And yaaayyy bonding~