Chapter 8: Leo contacts Mikey

Back in the real world in 2105, the Turtles had Zixx tied to a chair. Raphael's sai was pointed at his throat.

"Remember, Zixx. No funny business. I'm watching you."

Zixx smirked, "You won't kill me, Raphel. Not unless you wish to lose the only chance you have in getting your brother back."

Raphael growled and grabbed Zixx by the collar. "You are so smug!"

"Raph!" Leo frowned and grabbed his wrist. "Let him go. He can't do anything while tied up."

Raph gave Zixx one final glare before letting him go. Zixx smirk never faded, and it annoyed the Turtles.

"So what do you know about the orb and how can we contact Mikey?" Donatello asked him.

"I would show you, but I will have to be untied first."

"We don't trust you, Zixx. Just tell us what to do," Leonardo told him.

"If you insist," Zixx shrugged, despite being tied up.

He preceded to explain how he had obtained the orb. Zixx had traded an alien weapon for the rare orb and had plans to sell it to the Triceratons. When he discovered he had an orb that could alter time, he decided to rise the price. Since Mikey was the last one to use the orb, it was still in the Turtle's power. The only way for Mikey to give up claim of the orb was to convince him to give up its power, it could not be controlled by anyone else until the orb had succeed its master's wish.

"Okay, but that doesn't explain how we can contact him," Donatello frowned.

"I'm afraid that's all I know about it," Zixx told them.

"You're lying!" Raph growled. "Tell us the truth, Zixx!"

"Even if I did tell you, you wouldn't believe me."

Leo held Raph back before turning to Zixx. He stared into the bounty hunter's eyes for a long moment as he decided on if he should believe Zixx or not.

"So there is a way?"

Zixx nodded, but he didn't hold a smirk. "It's a long shot, and it doesn't always work. But there is a way to contact Michelagelo using the orb's power."

"And how do we access it?"

"You will have to connect it to a teleportation device. With both technology and the orb's power, you should be able to contact your brother."

Donatello was already on it and took the orb to the teleportation device he and Cody have been working on. It was still incomplete and meant to send them all home to 2007, but the tech Turtle was desperate. "Is there a time limit on how long we can speak to him?"

"I don't know," Zixx shook his head. "I only know that it's the only way to contact someone who's used the orb's power."

"Well, then. I guess we're just going to have try it," Leo said. He left Zixx to Raph and joined Donnie by the teleportation device.

"You think he's telling the truth?"

"I don't know," Donatello told him. "But I'm willing to try anything if it means we can talk to Mikey."

It took some time, but Donnie had the teleportation device and orb connected. He examined the screen and found a weak spot that could allow the orb's user to be contacted.

"So Zixx is telling the truth..." he mumbled. "That's a first. Now to figure out how long we have."

After running a few more scanners, Donnie breathed a sigh of relief. "It can be done! We can do it!"

He turned to the others and started blabbing so much that Raph put a hand over his mouth.

"Why don't you try explaining it to us in English, Donnie?"

"Sorry, I just can't believe Zixx is telling the truth!" he took a breath and explained what he had discovered based on Zixx's theory.

"Zixx is telling the truth about us being able to contact Mikey, but it is limited. We have three to five minutes at most and with the teleportation device, we can use the orb to take us to Mikey's exact location. We won't physically be there, but it will look like we are. We should be able to see him, too."

"So let's go!" Raph declared and turned to the teleportation device. Donatello held him back.

"The orb will only let one of us contact him."

"I'll go," Leo volunteered. "You two stay here and keep an eye on Zixx. Make sure he doesn't try to escape or sabotage the orb or teleportation device."

Raph didn't look happy, but he reluctantly agreed. "Just convince him to come back."

"I will, Raph."

It was quiet in the lair. Almost too quiet and Mikey had a funny feeling that something wasn't right. He decided to check up on the turtle tots.

"All this stuff about my brothers makes me a little worried. I just need to calm down and...ahhhhh!"

The bedroom was empty, no turtle tots!

"Come on, guys. Now is not the time to play hide and seek on your big bro!" he began to panic as he searched the bedroom. He looked under the bed, in the closet, any corner that could hide a tiny turtle. Mikey rushed out the bedroom and looked all over the lair. The tots were truly gone!

"This is not good! If Master Splinter finds out...I don't want to think about that! Stupid, stupid Turtle!" He grabbed his nunchucks and was about to search the sewers, but he thought he heard someone calling out to him. It sounded like Leonardo!

"Leo?"

Leonardo appeared before Mikey, confused and dazed. He looked around until his eyes focused on Mikey.

"Mikey, it's you! You're alive!"

"Leo? Am I daydreaming? Seems like you're here...but you can't be."

"Listen, Mikey. I don't have much time," Leo told him. "We're all in danger, and I need you to come back to 2105!"

Mikey frowned and crossed his arms. "And why should I do that? I'm perfectly fine."

"I know you may think the world you're in is real, but it's not. It was created by your desire to change things, Mikey. The longer you stay here, the more permanent it becomes."

"'Not real', huh? And how do I know you're not just part of my imagination?"

Leo reached out a held Mikey's shoulders. Mikey was convinced.

"Back home Raph, Donnie, and I are disappearing, Mikey. We believe it has something to do with you wanting to change things."

"What about Cody, Master Splinter? Are they okay?"

"They were not affected."

Mikey still wasn't convinced. "How do I know you're not just telling me this to try and get me to come back and take your abuse again?"

"You think I would lie about this, Mikey? This is serious!"

Mikey pushed past him, "Sorry, Leo. But I've got responsibilities now. I'm a big brother and your tiny versions are missing. I have to find them before they get hurt."

"Mikey, I'm begging you to listen to me!" Leo told him, grabbing his forearm. "This world is something you created! It doesn't exist! If you don't come back, we'll disappear and you'll be stuck here forever!"

"Sorry, Leo. I had enough taking orders from you and the others! If this is my chance to change things, then I'm going to do it!"

"Mikey!" Leo begged. But Mikey did not turn around and Leo's vision of him faded away.

"No!" Leo yelled as he realized he had returned to the present world. He tried pressing all kinds of buttons on the computer. "I have to go back! I have to bring back Mikey!"

"Leo!" Donnie and Raph held him back.

"What happened?" Donnie questioned. "Were you able to talk to Mikey?"

Leo ignored him and tried to get the orb's power connected to the teleportation device to work again, but the teleportation device's power was useless now. The little power it did have has been used up.

"No!" Leo cried, slamming his fit on the keyboard.

"Leo!" Donnie said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "What happened?"

"I saw Mikey...but he wouldn't listen to me. He's not coming back."

Raph and Donnie were shocked to hear this and unsure what to say. Zixx started laughing.

"Shut up, you!" Raph threatened.

"I knew he wouldn't listen to you! You're all fools!"

"But why?" Leo clinched his fits. He turned to Zixx and grabbed him by the shirt. "Why wouldn't he listen to me?!"

"Leo! Stop!" Donnie held him back. "Zixx is our only way to get Mikey back."

"Actually, I'm afraid you're on your own now!" he kicked Leo in the stomach and broke free from the ropes using a secretly stashed knife. He grabbed the orb and saluted the Turtles with a grin.

"Goodbye, my friends. It was a pleasure to meet you, but now I think it's over!"

"Come back here!" Raph screamed and chased him to the window. But when he opened it, Zixx was nowhere to be seen. The floating vehicles driving by at a distance was all he could see.

Zixx reappeared in the ally under the building's penthouse. His held up the orb to the sun and it glimmered in the sunlight.

"This is too easy! Soon, Michelagelo. You and all the other trapped souls who used the orb will become slaves to the Triceratons. And I'll get my well deserved pay."

Then he made his way to the market to meet with his buying customer.