The next morning Baxter and Barney were out taking a stroll through the city and catching up with each other on what had happened with them during the time they had separated.

"Shredder called me all those nasty names," Baxter was saying. "He treated like an insect long before I became one. He was the meanest person you could ever meet. So mean, in fact, I don't think he can rightly be called a person. If I ever see him again it will be too soon."

"I'm also through with Pinky McFingers," Barney said. "He wasn't a nice guy either and I found out afterward how he was just using me and my scientific genius to take over the world. I'll never join someone who's credentials go against my better judgment ever again."

"Me neither," agreed Baxter. "And if Shredder were to come here right now I would tell him off and I'd..."

Just then the ground beneath them began to tremble violently. They watched in shock and horror as the street in front of them cracked and broke wide open within seconds and then there was a loud roaring of something big and metallic. Then out from the depths came up a module transporter which Baxter instantly recognized.

"Oh no! It's Shredder!" he exclaimed in abject horror.

"Are you sure it's him?" asked Barney fearfully.

"I'd know him anywhere," said Baxter. He reached into the pocket of his new lab coat and took out the turtle-com which the Turtles had given him in case of emergencies like this one. "Come in, Turtles," he said urgently. "Shredder just drove in."

No sooner had Baxter made this call then the door of the module opened and out stepped the Shredder with Rocksteady and Bebop on either side of him.

"Why, hello there Baxter," said the Shredder in a mockingly pleasant voice. "Nice to see you've become your old self again."

"Actually," said Barney. "My name is Barney. This is Baxter, he's my twin brother."

"Why, I didn't know you had a twin, Baxter," said the Shredder in surprise. "And I'm sure we'll find a use for him as well. After all two heads are better than one, even if they're both knuckleheads!" The Shredder gave a demented chuckle. "And now that you are human again, Baxter, you may prove useful to me again."

"I have no intention of joining you again, you evil, conniving metal-masked arch-nemesis!" Baxter exclaimed furiously. "You were never good to work for and now that my life is back on track I will work only for those who serve the forces of good in the Universe."

"That goes for me too," added Barney.

The Shredder looked momentarily stunned and then rage appeared in his beady eyes. "You don't mean to say you are actually planning to join forces with those blasted Turtles!"

"Yes, I do," said Baxter.

"But they were the ones responsible for what happened that turned you into a fly. Don't you remember?" the Shredder exclaimed incredulously.

"No, they weren't," said Baxter. "What happened to me was an accident that the Turtles had nothing to do with.. If anyone was to blame for it was you... and perhaps myself as I was a fool for joining you in the first place, and I won't make that mistake ever again."

"Baxter, I'm warning you," said the Shredder with his eyes blazing. "If you do not join me you shall perish along with the Turtles."

"I am willing to take that risk," said Baxter standing his ground.

"Then so be it!" the Shredder shouted as he reached behind him and pulled out what looked like a mini explosive device.

"Not so fast, Shred-head!" Raphael suddenly yelled out.

"What! Not the Turtles again!" the Shredder groaned irritably.

"Cowabunga!" Michelangelo yelled out as he and the other Turtles jumped down on top of the Shredder and his two mutants.

Raphael and Donatello threw some ninja kicks at Rocksteady and Bebop while Michelangelo and Leonardo wrestled to get the explosive out of the Shredder's hands. Finally the Shredder lost his grip on it and it was tossed forward and struck the ground heavily.

"Now look what you've done, you careless tortoises!" the Shredder shouted. "That was an explosive that goes off on impact!" Then he grabbed Rocksteady and Bebop and hurried with them into the module.

As Shredder made his escape underground the Turtles all took hold of the Stockman brothers and ran for cover. They hadn't run too far when they heard an enormous explosion from behind them and they all leaped down onto the concrete ground and put their arms over their heads. When the blast had ended and most of the smoke and debris had cleared they slowly got up and dusted themselves off.

"Shredder should know better than to play with dangerous explosives like those," said Donatello as he checked his shell for damage.

"But you can never tell him to fight fairly," said Raphael.

"Thanks for getting here just in time," Baxter said gratefully.

"Of course we did," said Leonardo. "We got your call and we took the shortest cut here. Now we'd better head home before they get back."

And so they did and they told Splinter what had happened.

"I fear that Shredder will soon be back again and more dangerous than ever," Splinter said. "I can sense him starting this activity as we speak."

"The Shredder has a means of finding out what's going on with us in this world, I just wish we could learn what is going on with him in his," said Michelangelo

"Yeah, and then we could plan a better strategy ahead of time," added Leonardo.

"Hmm... Maybe we can," said Barney thoughtfully.

"What do you mean?" asked Donatello.

"I mean that with the right coordinates I might be able to hook up this TV set to pick up airwaves from Shredder's Technodrome," said Barney.

"What a brilliant idea!" said Donatello. "And I'd be happy to help."

"And so would I," added Baxter.

And so Donatello and the Stockman brothers worked together all day and most of the night on fixing the TV set to pick up inter-dimensional airwaves. Finally they finished and searched until they found the channel that had Shredder and Krang on it.

"It works! It works!" exclaimed Baxter in victory.

"Guys, Master, come check it out! Shredder's on the tube!" called Donatello to the others.

Everyone rushed in and gathered around as they listened to the exchange between Shredder and Krang.

"Blast those pesky Turtles for getting to Baxter before I could!" Shredder cursed loudly.

"I tried to tell you that what's happened before seldom happens again. But did you listen to me? No!" Krang said scolding.

"Hmm... There must still be something I haven't yet tried to do... Something that is bound to not fail... The Shredder thought hard for a time and then his evil eyes lit up with triumph. "I've got it! The Turtles have faced me and many others many times in the past, but have very seldom faced them altogether, least of all all at the same time. And you know the phrase, 'United we stand, divided we fall'? Well, I have the connections to Planet Earth and Dimension X and many others by which to round up a whole armada of anti-turtle attackers to conquer the world and perhaps the Universe even!"

"Shredder, you never cease to amaze me with your unwavering perseverance," said Krang. "Are you certain there's no way the Turtles can win out this time?"

"Of course I am certain!" exclaimed the Shredder, offended by the questioning. "With my new armada of anti-turtlists the Turtles will become nothing but a big bowl of Turtle soup!" The Shredder laughed manically.

"Hmm... I just hope you realize that too many cooks spoils the broth," murmured Krang.

The Turtles, Splinter, and the Stockman brothers all stood in stunned silence as they had heard Shredder's new means of attacking them and the world. Finally Leonardo spoke.

"Well, if he is going to gather up all of those on his side then we should do the same!"

"Yeah, if it's a war he wants it's a war he'll get!" added Raphael.

"I don't like the sound of this," Baxter moaned fretfully.

"Don't worry, dude," said Michelangelo "We have friends and allies in many places, and many more than Shredder does and if we all work together we can win."

"The power of good is far stronger than the power of evil," added Splinter. "Even in times of great wars like the one I sense is about to start."