Chapter 18: Strange Tales

"Casey, can you hand me the 5/8 wrench, please?"

"Sure, Red. Open-ended or socket?"

"Open-ended will be great," April said as Casey placed the desired wrench in her open palm. She went back to work on the generator while Casey held the flashlight so she could see her work. They were in the lair, trying to jumpstart a new generator that April had picked up from the surface since the lair's old power generator had died.

"Here you go." Casey squatted down behind April to watch her work. "How close are we getting to firing this puppy up?"

"Closer . . ." April worked on unscrewing the generator's diesel cap. "But not quite ready for liftoff yet. I want to make sure we have fresh diesel in the generator before we start it. Last thing we want is an explosion down here." She looked up at Casey. "But yeah, definitely closer to having a working generator in here."

"Great!" Casey said. "The sooner you get the electricity flowing, the sooner we can get this place back to normal again."

Normal . . . April thought sadly. The turtles' lair was anything but normal. For the past two weeks they'd had a squad of policemen camped out in their living room. Donnie and Leo had never returned to the lair after that one night. While she didn't want to believe anything had happened to them, it had been two weeks now with no sign of them. They had taken turns going on nightly patrols in search of the two turtles, but nothing yet.

Raph was faring no better. He'd really messed his leg up doing something, and April was worried he would never walk properly again. They needed to get him to see a doctor, but there was nobody topside who she trusted enough to reveal the turtles' existence to. As of now, Mikey was probably Raph's top nurse. The orange turtle spent most of his days in Raph's room keeping his brother entertained.

On the plus side, her dad had made it okay. He'd shown up at the Lair one night, and April had been so relieved to find out he was still alive. He ran errands for the turtles and their friends, going to the surface frequently to retrieve stuff that they needed. He was pretty brave, and she was proud to be his daughter.

But she feared that after this alien invasion, the turtles and their world would never be normal again.

In the dojo, Splinter sat before the giant tree, on his knees, eyes closed, meditating with a candle lit before him to provide some light. He heard the exchange between Casey and April in the other room and reflected on April's words.

The generator was a well-oiled machine, finely honed components to form an effective whole. When the individual parts functioned together as designed, the result was pure power. But should disorder enter the works, then the machine was at risk for malfunction. For failure. Harmony was the key.

And harmony must be restored in this family, Splinter thought. Otherwise the once-well-oiled machine risked falling into a permanent state of disrepair. It was time for the master to make a tweak or two of his own.

Suddenly he was awakened from his meditative state by a call from April's father, Kirby O'Neil. "Pizza's here!" Kirby called.

Splinter rose from his mat and headed into the common area as Kirby entered the lair holding several boxes of pizza from Mikey's favorite place, Antonio's Pizzeria. "Ah, Mr. O'Neil," Splinter said. "Your timing is excellent."

Kirby chuckled. "Ready to dig in, are you, Master Splinter?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes." Splinter gestured to the center of the room to where Casey, April, and Mikey had gathered. "Please bring the pizza and join us."

Kirby brought the pizza to the center of the lair, and everyone grabbed some except for Splinter. As they sat munching dinner, Mikey grabbed a box of Raph's favorite—sausage, sardine, and mayonnaise—and headed for his brother's room. Splinter quietly followed.

Mikey headed into Raph's room with a box of pizza. "Raaaaph . . ." he called quietly. "I brought your favorite pizza!"

He was greeted by the sight of Raphael sitting on his back on the bed. The red turtle grinned. "Hey, Mike," he said weakly. "Thanks, little buddy."

Mikey took a seat next to Raph and opened the box, taking out a slice and feeding it to Raphael. The door opened and Splinter appeared, holding a tray with a tea kettle and two cups. "My son, I have brought you some herbal tea," he said, pouring a cup for Raph.

"Thanks, Sensei," Raph said. "The sooner I heal up, the sooner I can head topside with you guys to look for Donnie and Leo." He leaned his head back as Splinter raised the cup to his mouth, helping him drink.

"Do you really think we'll be able to get them back, Master Splinter?" asked Mikey. "I mean, do you really think it's possible we'll find Donnie and Leo?"

"If I did not believe it was possible, Michelangelo, our search for your brother would have already concluded," Splinter answered. "You must believe it as well."

"I . . . I guess I do, Sensei." Mikey took another bite of pizza. "

"Well, I wish we would hurry up and find them," Raph grumbled, motioning Mikey to feed him a slice. "I would rather duke it out with Shredder and the Foot any day of the week than waste time looking through every reeking alley and pigeon-pooped rooftop for Leo and Donnie."

Splinter poured Raph a cup of herbal tea and brought it to his son's bedside. "So, then, Raphael, you claim the search for your lost brothers to be a poor use of your time?" he asked.

Raph immediately felt guilty. "No, Sensei, it's not that. I mean I really do wanna find Leo and Donnie—we all do. It's just, well . . ." He paused to drink some of Splinter's tea. "It's just that you and April and Casey and Mikey have been going out every night looking for them for like two weeks now. And you've got zilch to show for it. Maybe . . . maybe knocking heads with dorks like Kingpin is what we should be doing instead, you know?"

"I understand your frustration, my son, as well as your restlessness." Splinter sighed. "I too am disappointed each time we fail to locate your brothers. But I do not believe we have looked everywhere, as you say, and for this reason, and many others, we must continue our search. Our battles against the Foot Clan and Kingpin are unfortunate necessities. The only victory we must actively pursue is the return of Leonardo and Donatello to our family. Only then can we allow ourselves a moment of triumph, for then our circle will at last be complete and we will be truly ready to face the hardships that lie ahead."

Splinter turned to leave. "Until then, however, we must continue to search for your brothers. For without them, we, too, are lost."

Mikey and Raph sat in silence as the weight of Master Splinter's words sank in.

That night, somewhere in downtown New York, a manhole cover in the middle of the street lifted slightly. Mikey peered out through the gap, checking for any signs of activity. "All clear, dudes," he whispered down. "Let's go."

He leaped out of the manhole cover followed by April and Casey. "Dudes, I can't believe we're doing this again," Casey grumbled as they skated across the street and climbed up a fire escape towards the rooftops.

"Master Splinter says finding Leo and Donnie are our main priority right now," Mikey reminded Casey as they reached the rooftop. "If we spot any signs of Karai, that's a plus, yo."

"Mikey, we've been chasing our tails every night looking for turtles we're not even sure are still in New York," said Casey.

"Don't even go there, Casey," April said as they leaped across the rooftops. "If Splinter says his sons are alive, then they're alive—end of story."

"But we never find them," said Casey. "And meanwhile Shredder and his creeps keep putting the squeeze on us tighter and tighter. All this ninja training you guys are doing can't be for nothing. The way I see it, Shredder needs a serious butt kicking and we should be the ones giving it to him."

"No way," said Mikey. "At least, not yet. The Shredder and his forces are too powerful, and we are way outnumbered and outgunned."

The group ran across the rooftops of New York City in silence. They went back and forth, side to side, and searched every nook and cranny that they could find as they moved silently through the night. For another night they returned home empty-handed in disappointed silence.

Splinter called a family meeting as soon as Mikey, Casey, and April stepped foot back in the lair. The orange turtle brooded over a slice of cold leftover pizza as Splinter began to talk.

"Recently, we have experienced setbacks as we face the continued challenges of this new life," the rat began. "For some of us, relationships have been lost and self-confidence has been shaken—emotional wounds that sting no less than the physical blows we have all borne. But just as our bodily injuries heal, so too must our hearts and minds if we are to ensure our survival. And you have all set your minds and bodies to good work." He turned to April. "Miss O'Neil's recent procurement from the surface has provided us with vital new materials to our home."

April smiled. "Thanks, Sensei."

"Casey Jones, you found discipline when uncontrollable fury could have easily ruled the day," Splinter added. "Michelangelo, you have shown tremendous courage in the face of terrible danger."

He paused, smiling at them before continuing, "Now we must take these experiences—this new knowledge—and move forward with purpose."

"You mean like comin' up with a good game plan, right, Master Splinter?" asked Casey.

"Yes, Casey Jones—a plan to gain even more knowledge, which, in turn, we may be able to use to repair that which has been broken," said Splinter. "And to fix other things before they need fixing . . . so to speak."

"Preventative maintenance," Kirby O'Neil spoke up.

Splinter turned to April's father. "Just so, Mr. O'Neil. It is becoming clear that our enemies benefit from alliances. Yet these are power-hungry alliances built upon greed and hate. And we have something they do not possess." He placed a hand on Michelangelo's shoulder affectionately. "A true family, each member ready and able to do their own part to benefit the whole. "Together, we are far more powerful than the weapons we hold in our hands. And, together, we must act."

"I agree with you, Hamato Yoshi," said a voice from behind them. "And I know right where we can start."

Turning, the group was greeted with the shocking sight of a man who had just stepped into the lair through a flaming circular portal of some kind. He wore a red high-necked cape with blue robes and an ornate medallion hanging from his neck.

"I'm Doctor Stephen Strange," said the man. "I need you to come with me."

The group reached for their weapons, and the cops drew their pistols. "I know not how you entered," Splinter growled menacingly, "but you will threaten our home no longer."

"I'm not a threat," said Doctor Strange. "I'm an ally. I'm here to help you."

"What makes you think we trust you, freak?" Casey shouted.

Doctor Strange said nothing, moving his hands in a twisted pattern around his chest. The medallion on his neck spun and projected a greenish image, as if they were watching a video screen. The screen showed Leo and Donnie on a rooftop after their fight with Bullseye, and Thor appearing in the Bifrost. Thor then rocketed them back up and they disappeared.

"Wait," Kirby said. "Is that . . . Leo and Donnie? What happened to them?"

"They were taken from our world into another one," said Doctor Strange. "I've been tracking their movements across time and space. They are currently on the edge of the known universe, travel-weary but safe."

"They're alive," Mikey gasped. "I told you they were alive!"

"Yes," said Strange, smiling briefly. "But I will explain more later. For now I'm taking you back to my home. The Lair is no longer safe for you. Shredder has hired one of the world's greatest hunters to track you down, and a place unprotected by magic is not secure." He motioned to the portal. "Quickly."

"I don't know, Red," Casey whispered. "This guy gives me the creeps."

"Casey, he knows who Leo and Donnie are," April whispered back. "I really think he's on our side."

"We must prepare your brother for travel," Splinter told Mikey. He and April went to Raph's room and explained the situation. Raph was not too thrilled at the idea, but he listened to reason and allowed April and Casey to carry him out.

Mikey ran to his room and grabbed a wooden shipping box and stuffed all of his action figure collection inside. Then he grabbed his sci-fi movie posters off the walls, his skateboard, and his life-size cardboard Chris Bradford before he headed into the kitchen and opened the freezer.

There, staring back, was the gooey pink face of—"Ice Cream Kitty!" Mikey said. "Come on, buddy. We're getting out of here."

"Mrow!" replied Ice Cream Kitty. The mutant monster had once been a stray cat that Mikey had adopted before accidentally mutating it. Now it was his best friend, and he wasn't going anywhere without it. He stuffed Ice Cream Kitty into a cooler and took several licks before heading back to the main room.

Casey saw Mikey and groaned. "Geez, Mike, we're not going on vacation," he said.

"I can't leave Ice Cream Kitty behind!" Mikey protested.

Splinter turned to Captain Stacy. "Thank you for all you have done for my family, Captain," he said. "Our home is yours. You are free to use it as long as you need."

"No, thank you," said Captain Stacy, smiling. "It was the least we could do to repay you. We'll take good care of the Lair for you while you're away."

Having said their goodbyes, the group followed Doctor Strange into the portal. A strange tickling sensation filled their bodies, and soon they found themselves falling from the sky directly above a residential neighborhood in New York City. Screaming, Mikey braced himself for the landing—

—which never came. Amazingly, they fell through the roof of the building into the top floor room. Mikey stood up, glancing around. There was a giant circular window behind them letting in the moonlight. Shelves of books hugged every wall as far as the eye could see. Tables covered with manuscripts and strange artifacts were everywhere. Candles provided the light.

Casey was laughing hysterically. "That was so cool! Can we do it again?"

"Are we in your super secret lair?" Mikey asked.

"Yes," said Strange. "Welcome to my Sanctum Sanctorum." He hovered over to a collection of books and began perusing through them.

Kirby O'Neil looked around in awe, moving over towards Doctor Strange. "I must say, the portal thing was a neat trick," he said.

"It's no trick," said Strange. "I've mastered the mystical arts, the willful manipulation of reality at the quantum level. It's science, not trickery."

Mikey and Casey were beside themselves with giddiness. They ran around the room, checking everything out. "This is so cool!" Casey said, reaching for a box on a table. Instantly the cloak around Doctor Strange's neck undid itself and flew over to Casey, rat-tailing his hand. "Ow!" Casey cried, pulling his stinging hand back.

"Do us both a favor and don't touch anything," said Strange as the cape flew back around its neck. "These are magical relics, not common trinkets. Understood?"

"Not a problem, Doc. Won't touch a thing," said Mikey.

The entire Sanctum is a mystical gateway to other realms," he said. "It was constructed to keep the interdimensional entities they contain from escaping into our world. That's why you must touch nothing."

Mikey wasn't listening anymore. He went over to the corner where a tall object was covered by a giant purple cloth. Yanking the cloth off, he revealed a giant mirror, with an old frame. "Whoah!" Mikey said. "April, you'd dig this. You're into antiques."

"Not the Mirror of Amythea!" Strange cried. "It creates your moral opposite!"

"Ooh, that's a good trick," said Mikey. He bent forward, staring intently at his reflection in the mirror.

Strange ran over. "Get away from it!" he shouted.

It was too late. Mikey's reflection began twisting and contorting. His reflection now had a crown of small horns, sharp teeth, and blazing red eyes. Evil Mikey grinned wickedly at the real Mikey.

"Aah!" Mikey shouted as the creature leapt through the mirror, now a shimmering purple portal, and tackled him. The creature cackled wildly as it dealt Mikey repeated blows. The orange turtle covered his face with his arms, doing his best to block them. In the struggle Mikey's cooler had tipped over, and now Ice Cream Kitty sprang at Evil Mikey, defending its master. "Meeyow!" the cat hissed, clawing viciously at the evil creature's eyes. Evil Mikey hissed and reeled back, off of Mikey.

"Hiyah!" Splinter kicked the creature, sending it flying into a bookshelf. The bookshelf toppled over and collapsed on top of the creature. Snarling, Evil Mikey kicked the books off of him and charged normal Mikey, jumping back into the portal with him.

"Aah!" Mikey screamed. "Help, doctor dude! I'm pulling me into the mirror!"

Strange's hands contorted and began glowing purple. "I summon the Enchanted Chains of Askeroth!" he shouted, flinging his hands behind him. Glowing purple chains made from mystical energy appeared from his hands and flew towards Mikey, wrapping around the turtle and pulling him back to safety.

Evil Mikey jumped back out of the portal, chuckling evilly as it approached Doctor Strange. Now new faces began to appear in the mirror: Splinter, Raphael, April, Casey, Kirby, Ice Cream Kitty, even Doctor Strange himself. These demonic creatures climbed out of the mirror and advanced on Strange.

But Strange held his ground. "Begone!" he shouted. "I banish you all back to the Mirror Realm!" Pointing his hands at the creatures, purple lightning bolts flew from his fingertips and crashed into them, launching them back into the swirling surface of the mirror with screams. Doctor Strange turned to face Mikey, raising a hand and telepathically replacing the giant curtain over the mirror again. "I said don't touch anything," he said sternly. "And you keep touching things."

"Sorry, dude," Mikey said sheepishly.

Later, the group sat around a table in the downstairs kitchen area of the Sanctum while Wong served them sandwiches he had picked up from a local deli. Wong was Doctor Strange's best friend and servant. He took care of the house while Strange was away. "Like a magical kung-fu butler," as Mikey had put it.

Raphael had been put in a magical bed that would walk around the house on its four legs, allowing for the red turtle to not be confined to one room. He was at the table with the rest of his friends enjoying dinner. As the group dug into their food, Strange said, "I have invited you into my home for two reasons," he said. "The first being that the Shredder has hired a professional big-game hunter by the name of Kraven to hunt you down. This man is extremely dangerous, and has never had a bounty he didn't claim."

A wooden footrest approached Mikey under the table like a dog, bumping into his leg affectionately. Mikey in turn pet the footrest affectionately, much to the annoyance of Ice Cream Kitty.

"But why would you bring us into your home?" Kirby asked. "Are we of that much importance?"

"Yes," said Strange. "I'm not sure yet, but I've been having visions lately and you and your two brothers are in the center of it. Which brings me to the second reason I brought you here. War is here. An intergalactic war, upon which hangs the balance of the universe. You all need time and training. Of the martial art and ninjitsu kind, which Wong can provide." He turned, looking at April. "But your training is of a different sort."

April swallowed her bite of ham and rye. "What are you saying, Doctor?"

"April, it's no secret to me that you were born with psychic abilities," Doctor Strange said. "It's also no secret to me that you found a magical relic during your space adventures, the Aeon Crystal of Telepathic Wisdom. Whether you know it or not, the relic imbued you with some kind of base magical abilities. I would like to continue your training in this area specifically. Your powers are crucial to the fight for Earth."

"Hang on a second," said Kirby. "You're going to teach my daughter to become—a witch?"

"Of a sort, I suppose," said Doctor Strange. "But the good kind."

April looked down at her hands in amazement. "I've got magic?" she said. "Sweet!"

"No, not 'sweet'!" Kirby protested. "You're talking about getting my daughter into witchcraft! We should be talking about getting the magic out of her, not into her!"

"Mr. O'Neil, once magic touches something it stays there," said Strange. "No matter what you do to try and get rid of the smell, it still lingers in some form. If we want to take back control of our planet, your daughter is our best hope."

Kirby sighed in frustration. "Why don't we take a shortcut? You could loan her one of your crazy magic necklaces."

"That's not how magic works," said Strange. "The Eye of Agamotto is an ancient mystical relic, not a toy. It can access infinite dimensions—and no, you cannot touch it, Michelangelo."

Mikey froze, hand outstretched towards the Eye of Agamotto. "Woah, you read minds, too?" he asked. "Awesome!"

Strange turned back to April. "If you're going to work with me, know there is no quick and easy path to master the mystical arts. But it's not overselling it to say that the face of the universe is at stake. We need you, April."

April stood up, staring down at Doctor Strange with a determined grin on her face. "I'm ready when you are, Doctor."

April went to bed so excited, she could hardly wait for the morning. She was going to get to learn real magic!

"Check it out, dudes!" Mikey said the next morning. "Doctor Strange, aka the Sorcerer Supreme, is gonna teach April how to teleport!"

"It takes years to master travelling spells," said Strange. "I was thinking of starting smaller. This way."

As Wong led the others away for martial arts training, Strange and April headed deeper into the Sanctum. "Let us begin your lesson with a small set of simple tasks," said Strange. He produced a piece of paper from thin air.

April grabbed it excitedly. "Oh, cool! Like demon-banishing and potion-making?" But when she saw what was written on the paper, her tone changed. "What? 'Sweep floors'? 'Dust shelves'? 'Vaccuum'? These are chores!"

"There is no greater lesson than the one found in the mundane, April," said Strange as he floated off to attend to his mystical duties, leaving an irritated April behind to start cleaning.

Meanwhile, Mikey, Casey, and Wong were training with Splinter in the Sanctum's makeshift dojo. Mikey blocked a strike from Casey and dropped, sweeping his leg in a kick that knocked Casey off his feet. "Hyah!" Mikey crowed. "Sweep the leg!"

"Whoulf!" Casey grunted as he hit the ground hard.

Mikey laughed, but his victory was short-lived as Wong delivered a palm strike to the back of the orange turtle's shell. He went down hard, groaning next to Casey.

Splinter banged his cane against the floor. "Again! Show me again, Michelangelo. And this time, do not lose focus of what is truly important. Incapacitating Casey Jones is worthless if Wong is able to do the same to you. You must strike and forget. The past is gone and all that matters is your next move."

"To celebrate victory prematurely is to invite early defeat," said Wong.

Mikey bowed respectfully to Splinter. "Yes, Sensei. Sorry."

Splinter smiled. "Apologies are unnecessary, my son. I only ask that you learn from your mistakes and strive to rectify that which is wrong. Training is everything. If we underestimate the importance of training, then we underestimate the formidability of our enemies."

"I hope April is okay," said Mikey. "Doctor Strange doesn't seem like an easy guy to get along with."

Casey swung his hockeystick at Mikey in frustration. "The way I see it, April's off at magic camp while we're stuck training!"

Wong delivered a sweeping jump kick which Casey ducked under. "Gotta stay sharp. Hone our skills," Wong said simply as they continued training.

April dusted between two books on a shelf, sending a small dust cloud into the air. "This isn't learning mystical arts. This is slave labor," she complained. She continued dusting, brushing over an old leather-bound book on a table stand in the middle of the room. The ornate cover caught her attention. "Hmm," she muttered, putting the duster down and flipping through the book's pages. "Maybe I can find a shortcut in here."

She stopped at a page as some words caught her eye: A spell for summoning the Weird Winds of Watoomb. "A wind spell!" she said aloud. "Great idea! I'll blow the dust right out the door." She scrunched her face, concentrating on pronouncing the strange words. "Sick . . . sikatar, sinsatas . . . s . . . Cincinnati?"

Immediately a breeze entered the room. April's hair whipped about her face as the breeze picked up speed, gathering the dust and dirt from the room. "I did it!" she whooped. "Who needs studying? This stuff is cake!"

But the wind continued to pick up speed, not stopping or slowing down. Soon books and papers flew off the shelves, whipping around the room at lightning speeds. Oh, April, what did you do? April thought to herself. She went back to the book, flipping pages frantically. Okay, there's got to be a reverse spell in here. "Um . . . uh . . . magana, serrana . . . um, a banana?"

"Insatah kin-satala!" April turned to see Doctor Strange standing in the doorway. After the Sorcerer Supreme recited the incantation, everything returned to the way it had been. The books and papers went back on the shelves, and the wind disappeared. Strange grabbed the book from April and frowned at her in disapproval. "April, there—are—no—shortcuts!" he said, hitting the book with his palm after each word for emphasis. "Mastering the mystic arts takes patience. Start by focusing on what you are doing in the now." The book flew from his hands and back to the table as he moved towards a shelf.

April had had enough. She didn't see how being Doctor Strange's maid was helping her get any closer to mastering her powers. "Then teach me something!" she cried "Anything!"

"Just keep at your chores and pay attention to what you're doing." Doctor Strange pulled a book off the shelf and flipped it open, leaving the room. "I am overly occupied. The forces of Dormammu the Evil One are rising."

Dormammu? But before April could ask any more questions, the door magically slammed shut. Frustrated, she moved on to her next chore: mopping the floor.

After finding a bucket and a floor mop, April went about the task of mopping the Sanctum's various hallways. The job was not easy. It took her almost an hour to make her way through the twisted maze of the Sanctum. She was almost done mopping the last section of the floor. As she moved the mop into the corner to finish, the wall suddenly retracted about twenty feet, leaving her an entirely new section of floor to mop. "Ugh," April groaned. "Seriously?"

She mopped the new part of the floor only to reach the wall and have it retract again. "Come on!" she yelled. As she went back to mopping, it happened a third time. Having had enough, April kicked the bucket over in a fit of rage. "That's it!"

The soapy water sloshed across the floor, and words appeared in the suds. Curious, April bent down and looked closer. "Verkava vee?" she read aloud.

Immediately the troublesome wall returned to its original position. April backed up in amazement. "Oh, sweet!" she cheered. "I'm learning spells! This is so cool!"

She ran back down the hall towards the door Strange had disappeared into. "Hey, Doctor! I did it!" She pushed open the door to see Strange standing before a giant swirling orange fiery portal in the center of the room. The Sorcerer Supreme was obviously concentrated, holding his hands before him.

"Zervata, casala . . ." Strange chanted. Suddenly, he detected a disturbance in the room. Turning, he saw April standing in the doorway, mouth open in shock. "April! What are you—?"

Suddenly an all-too familiar laugh filled the room. A shiver ran down April's spine. That laugh . . . I know that laugh!

Strange grew pale. "The spell's been broken. Get away!"

A giant hand reached through the portal and grabbed Strange, pulling him into the portal. He disappeared and a giant face with long facial hair and an ancient Chinese hat appeared in the center of the portal, laughing. "It's me again!" the face said. "Remember me, April O'Neil? The great and powerful Ho Chan! Soon Dormammu and I will return and the universe will be ours!"

Still laughing, Ho Chan disappeared with Strange before the portal shrunk and vanished completely.

"NO!" April shouted.

"It's all my fault," April moaned, pacing back and forth in the upper room of the Sanctum Sanctorum, her hands to her head in despair. She had just finished explaining the recent events to her friends. "The doctor told me he needed to focus and I messed him up!"

"It's not like you meant to banish Doctor Strange into a dimension of pure evil ruled by that screwball spirit Ho Chan or anything," Casey offered, trying to make things better.

"But she did," said Wong.

Ho Chan was an ancient ghost sorcerer that the turtles had encountered several times before after a run-in with the Purple Dragons had caused the evil spirit to be released from the dagger he had been imprisoned in.

"Dimensional door?" asked Raph. The red turtle's magical bed had brought him up here. "Give me a break! It's all Vegas tricks. Smoke and mirrors. And you bought it, April."

"Dude!" Mikey shouted. "Don't say that out loud, bro. You don't want to offend the magical gods of magic, trust me."

Wong turned to April. "Try and remember the spell Doctor Strange said that opened the portal."

"I can't remember!" April cried. Suddenly she perked up. "Wait a second. Strange pulled out a book when he was lecturing me on being a total mess-up. Come on!"

She led them to the room where she'd performed the wind spell. She ran to the shelf Strange had taken the book from, then climbed a ladder to the top, searching for it. "Got it!" she crowed, pulling the book out. "This is it!" She flipped frantically through the index. "I saw Ho Chan, and he mentioned this guy. Dormammu." She held up the book to reveal an enormous purple face marked by a bunch of straight-line scars that ran from the top of its head to its chin, and two blazing violet eyes.

"Dormammu?" Wong gasped. "Are you sure?"

"Positive," said April.

"For the record, dudes, let me just say Dormammu is a terrible name," said Mikey. "How about Lord of Chaos? Or Lord of Darkness? Or Lord of the Dark Dimension?" His face lit up. "Ooh! I know. Ski Mask the Dimension God! Get it, guys? Because his face looks like he's—"

"We get it," Raph groaned.

"Who is this guy?" asked Casey.

"A powerful being trapped in the infernal Dark Dimension, forever trying to break down the magical barrier to earth," Wong said. "Dormammu would conquer the lives of all mankind."

"Ooh, the boogeyman's coming to get us!" Raph joked.

April didn't appreciate that he wasn't taking this seriously. "Yeah!" she shot back. "And the only person who could stop him was Doctor Strange."

"No," Wong said. "We can too. But I won't let Doctor Strange be stranded in the Dark Dimension a minute longer. So get cracking on that book, April."

"Me?" asked April.

"Yes," said Wong. "Doctor Strange would have wanted you to."

April swallowed hard. She wasn't anywhere near ready; she'd barely learned how to make walls return to their proper positions. She took the book from Wong and looked for the spell. "Okay, I think I have it. Zer . . . vasiaz . . . zabbazar . . . ados sana?"

Mikey clapped a hand over his mouth and made retching noises. Seconds later, he belched and a flock of ravens exploded from his throat, flying upwards towards the ceiling of the Sanctum and cawing. Mikey was amazed. "Whoah, dudes!" he said. "I just barfed crows! Told you magic was real, Raph."

One of the crows pooped on Raph, leaving a white splotch on the red turtle's head. Raph growled in anger.

Oops. Flustered now, April tried again. "Zer . . . vassin, zer . . . vaseen? Is it with a '-sin' or a '-seen'?"

Casey's upper lip began tingling and a long beard appeared, growing until it was halfway down his chest. Casey covered his mouth in shock. "A beard?!"

Raph laughed uproariously as Casey glared at him.

"N-Nissaverse?" April tried.

Raph stopped laughing as a funny feeling came over him. "Hey! Heeeeey!" he shouted, his voice becoming more and more high-pitched as his head shrank to the size of his fist.

April was almost beside herself with embarrassment. She went back to the book again. "Survayseen . . . survasheeyus . . . nissaverse?"

In an instant all was back to normal. Raph's head had returned to it's normal size, Casey's beard was gone, and the crows had disappeared. "Stupid parlor tricks," Raph grumbled, crossing his arms.

As tears sprang to April's eyes, Kirby approached her and put a hand to her shoulder. "Focus, April," he said. "Take your time. You can do this."

She smiled up at her dad, and suddenly the fear of failure was gone. Determined now, she read the inscription in her head then closed her eyes in concentration. "Zervassa . . . z-zava . . . zorat zama . . . zaraveen!"

A trail of blue light strands appeared from the book, swirling round and round before joining together in front of them. The light connected and expanded to form the portal Ho Chan had taken Doctor Strange through. April grinned broadly. "Yes!" she shouted. "I did it!"

"You five stay here," Wong instructed the rest of them. "Smash anything that comes through that isn't me or April. We'll find Doctor Strange."

Before anyone could argue they jumped through the portal into a world unlike anything April had ever seen before. From what she could see, the Dark Dimension was just this giant void, like it was the space between universes. All she could see was distorted space, with many of what appeared to be planetary and meteor-like objects of various shapes and colors. April caught sight of a winged creature zoom overhead in a shadowy blur.

"Welcome to the Dark Dimension, April," said Wong.

"This place is creeping me out, Wong," April said, clutching her tessen. "I'm seriously freaking out."

"Just keep your mind on our mission, April," Wong instructed.

The pair leaped onto a smaller sphere made of rock which turned into a twisting pathway of green crystal that stretched hundreds of feet into the air. A distance away from them was a human figure lying on the path. "Strange!" Wong called. "Is that you?"

They ran towards the man but were suddenly stopped when the air in front of and behind them began shimmering. A group of creatures appeared from the air, creatures with human shapes but taller, and made out of a black shadowy energy. They had no faces except a single glowing red eye in the middle of their heads.

"What the heck are those?" April asked.

"Mindless Ones," Wong said grimly. "Dormammu's mindless servants. We must drive them back." Swirling circles of magical energy appeared around Wong's fists, and he charged the nearest Mindless One, forming a whip of fiery energy that disintegrated the creature.

April followed his lead, tapping into her psychic powers to lift up a Mindless One and send it crashing into a group of others like bowling pins. But there were too many of them, and they surrounded her. She screamed.

"April!" Wong cried.

Mikey, Raph, Kirby, Casey, and Splinter stood in front of the portal, tense and waiting for action. "Magic's real, bro," said Mikey. "Look at the portal."

"Yeah, Raph," said Casey. "How can you think magic is bogus when you're staring into an interdimensional gate?"

Raph rolled his eyes. "So Strange has a fancy light show. Big whoop. I'll find the off switch and show you it ain't real!"

"Yeah?" asked Kirby. "And I suppose they aren't real either?"

Raph looked at the portal to see an army of Mindless Ones approaching from the other side in the Dark Dimension. He swallowed. "Now that's a good trick."

"Raphael, hide yourself," Splinter ordered. "You are not ready for battle." The magic bed walked off quickly, taking Raph to safety while the rest of the group drew their weapons and prepared for a fight.

Wong slashed through the Mindless Ones on top of April with his magic whip. "Get off of her!" he shouted. Having reduced them to pebbles, he helped April to her feet. She was shaken, but all right.

"Thanks, Wong," she said, brushing the rock dust off of her. Then a familiar voice filled their ears: "Back into the shadows, foul one!"

They looked up to see a giant stone column, at the top of which battled two figures. "It's Doctor Strange!" April realized. "And Dormammu!"

Dormammu had increased his size to an incredible level, as tall as a skyscraper in New York City. Built of pure mystic energy, Dormammu's hands were eclipsed by clouds of dark magic. Doctor Strange did not falter, whipping a purple magic chain whip in the air over his head. "This is the end, Dormammu," he vowed. "Even if I have to give my very life, I will keep you here forever!"

The whip struck Dormammu across the face, and the lord of the Dark Dimension reeled. "You lowered your defenses, mortal," Dormammu growled in a voice that sent chills up and down April's spine. "And I won't stop until all the lives on Earth are mine. Beginning with yours!"

He fired two streams of black magic energy at Strange, who quickly created a mystic shield of energy to protect himself. But Dormammu's energy blasts were too powerful, and the shield disintegrated as the energy beams wrapped around Strange's body and lifted him up to Dormammu's eye level. Dormammu cackled evilly as Strange groaned in pain.

But the Sorcerer Supreme was not out yet. "Beware, Dormammu," he said. "Beware the Eye of Agamotto!" The medallion around Strange's neck began glowing green and opened to reveal a green glowing gem at its center. "By the light of all that is good, I strike you!"

The eye fired a powerful blinding flash of green energy straight at Dormammu's chest. "Aaargh!" Dormammu snarled, reeling backwards.

April and Wong had made their way to the top of the pillar, and now charged Dormammu. "Get him, Master!" Wong cheered. Dormammu stepped back, losing his balance, and the movement of his foot struck the two and sent them flying.

Dormammu toppled over the edge of the pillar and fell out of sight. As he fell, he roared, "I shall return at the appointed time, Strange! You cannot stop Dormammu!" As a parting shot, he fired blasts of blue energy from his hands, which struck Strange directly. The Eye of Agamotto absorbed most of the blast, forming a blue shield around the medallion before it vanished.

Doctor Strange fell from the sky, hurtling after Dormammu. "I gotcha!" April shouted, using her psychic powers to catch Strange and lower him gently to the ground, where Wong ran over to make sure he was okay.

"I can't belive . . . you came," Strange gasped. "How did you do it?"

"I opened the door, Doctor!" April said. In all the excitement, she had forgotten about her recent accomplishments.

"Excellent. And you closed it?"

You're an idiot, April, April thought to herself. "Uhh . . . no?"

"Not good," Strange said grimly. "Dormammu's hordes will march on Earth."

"Can you teleport us?" Wong asked.

Strange shook his head. "Too weak. My battle with Dormammu drained my strength." The trio began walking back towards the portal entrance, leaping from rock to rock. As they drew closer, Strange began recovering. "My powers . . . are slowly restoring. I can feel the portal growing close."

They looked up. The path in front of them wound slowly upward, to the entrance to the Dark Dimension. "There it is," said April. "Let's move. We're almost out."

Meanwhile, in the Sanctum's room, the battle against the Mindless Ones was on, full force. No matter how many Mindless Ones they reduced to pebbles, a dozen more took its place. Mikey spun on the ceiling from his nunchuks, pulling out a pair of ninja stars. "Let me show you a little trick my big bro Leo taught me!" he shouted, flinging the stars at the Mindless Ones. The pieces of metal phased harmlessly through the creatures. Mikey swallowed. "Or not."

Splinter leaped into the air, striking one Mindless One with his staff and kicking another one in the forehead. "Keep these evil creatures back!" he shouted.

Suddenly, the Mindless Ones all exploded. Wong and April and Doctor Strange had come back through the portal, and Wong had released a blast of energy that disintegrated the Mindless Ones. "It's about time!" Casey said when he saw them. "Can someone close the door now?"

Doctor Strange faced the portal and spun his hands. "Zarasala zala zaladine!" The portal vanished, and Strange, now completely empty of energy, fell to his hands and knees, breathing heavily.

"Boo yah!" Mikey cheered. "We did it, bros! The Earth is safe." He began doing a victory dance. "In your flaming face, Sizzlelips!"

As the adrenaline rush wore off, a growing feeling of guilt overcame April. She sighed. "I'm sorry, Doctor. It's all my fault. I quit. I've learned my lesson."

Suddenly, without warning, the Eye of Agamotto began glowing bright blue. "No. No, you haven't," said the voice of Ho Chan. "Not yet!"

Strange threw his head back, his eyes a blazing blue as the Eye of Agamotto fired a blue burst of energy into the ceiling that swirled and split into a firework pattern. Raph's bed was just walking back into the room, and Raph saw the whole thing. "Enough with the fancy light shows!" he said.

The firework clustered into a ball of blue energy with Ho Chan's face on it. The ball then flew down and passed through everyone in the room, delivering a powerful psychic attack to each of them that knocked everyone to the ground.

The ball grew into the form of Ho Chan, floating in the air above the downed heroes. "Finally, I am free!" he laughed. "The world will bow before Ho Chan!" He made a fist and brought it into the ground, punching a crater in the floor that scattered the heroes. "None shall challenge what rightfully belongs to Ho Chan! The universe is mine!"

"Not while my sons are here to stop you, demon!" Splinter said. "Hajime!" He leaped for Ho Chen only to have the sorcerer hold up a giant hand and knock him down.

Ho Chan chuckled. "Giant hands!" he laughed. "My contribution to the martial arts. Foolish rat! Your power is nothing to me." He headed for the door but was stopped by Strange. Infuriated, Ho Chan extended his fingers and fired lightning bolts from his long-nailed fingertips.

"You will not pass!" said Strange, forming two mystical shields and blocking the lightning. "I see now your plan was to cling to me after a battle with Dormammu, that I might bring you to the real world. But you will never escape while I still breathe!"

"A condition easily remedied," Ho Chan said, ceasing the lightning bolts and slapping Strange to one side, where he sprawled on the floor. "Our game has been fun, but I've got places to be. Bye-bye!" The evil sorcerer ghost floated away as the heroes ran to Strange.

"Doc!" Mikey cried.

"You must contain the evil," Strange gasped. "Keep Ho Chan from the outside world. My apprentice knows how."

"But Wong's out, too," said Raph, looking over at Wong. The magician was buried underneath a mountain of books that had collapsed on him. He was alive, but unconscious.

"I speak . . . of April," said Strange.

"What?!" April was shocked. "All I know are a couple of cleaning spells, and how to dust and sweep the house really well!"

"Use the house, April," Strange replied. "Remember your lesson in the mundane."

"You gotta believe what he taught you, April," said Kirby.

April was amazed at her dad's change in attitude. He'd been wary of his daughter's powers before, but now here he was supporting her one hundred percent. It was inspiring, and touching. Determination set in, and April looked up at the door Ho Chan had gone through. "Let's send this pathetic poltergeist back where he came from!"

Ho Chan moved quickly through a hallway, bound for the front door. April ran after him. "Erala veram!" she shouted, and orange energy appeared at the ends of her fists. Whoah. Cool!

Ho Chan charged down the hallway, which suddenly grew longer and longer. Though Ho Chan floated through the air, he soon realized he was getting nowhere. In fact, the end of the hall was farther away than it had been. "What trickery is this?" he asked. Moving for the end of the hall again, the wall backed up even further this time. "I'm trapped in here!" the ancient demon sorcerer realized.

"I know, right?" Mikey gloated. Ho Chan turned to face April, Casey, Mikey, and Splinter, standing behind him.

"It's you," Ho Chan said. "How dare you keep me from freedom?"

"Just me, Ho Chan," April shot back. "And now it's time to banish you back to the darkness, you evil jerk!" She spun her hands, reciting another spell. "Sinsalas . . . sally . . . salty?"

The spell had an accidental affect, causing Mikey to grow a set of donkey ears. "Hey!" Mikey shouted. Then he wiggled his ears. "Whoah, this is cool! I've never had ears before. Wait'll Raph sees this!"

The group was struck by a sudden blast of lightning from Ho Chan. "Blah, blah, blah," the evil wizard ghost said. "Bo-ring! The Sorcerer Supreme has fallen, and so shall you!" He increased the lightning, and the heroes groaned in pain as Ho Chan laughed maniacally. "I knew my day would come!" he cried. "For I am tireless and unwavering, unlike you undisciplined apes. My time is now!"

The lightning intensified again. April's mind fought through the pain, thinking, remembering. What was that spell? I gotta remember. Focus. Oh! "Insatah kin-satala!" she shouted, and a powerful gust of wind blew down the hall. Ho Chan shouted and the lightning stopped.

The heroes looked around at April and the windstorm she had generated. "You made wind?" Mikey asked. "You never needed magic for that, April. Just me and broccoli. Heh."

But April smiled. It had worked perfectly. The wind had blow the Mirror of Amythea down the hall past the heroes next to Ho Chan. The purple curtain had slid off, revealing the mirror's surface, which began shimmering purple again.

Ho Chan had recovered from the wind attack, and looked at April. "Another foolish trick?" he jeered. "Haha! You toy with forces you don't under—" He stopped, staring in shock as another Ho Chan appeared from the mirror.

"The reflection's your opposite, Ho Chan!" shouted April. "He's the good guy!"

"Ahh!" Ho Chan screamed. "I don't want to fight someone as good-looking as you!" Good Ho Chan did not share this view, punching Ho Chan in a blow that sent the ghost sorcerer sprawling back into the wall. The two Ho Chans began fighting.

"Great job, Red!" Casey congratulated. "Now let's bust these ghosts!" He skated down the hall towards Ho Chan, baseball bat at the ready. "Goongala!" he shouted, jumping and smacking Ho Chan with his bat with every bit of force in his body.

The blow knocked both Ho Chans back into the mirror, and the real Ho Chan turned back to face the heroes. "Release me, mortals!" he shouted. "Right now! I command it!"

In an instant Doctor Strange appeared in their midst. "Everyone, step aside!" he ordered. As the heroes obeyed, Strange used a spell to open the Eye of Agamotto and release a powerful blast of mystic energy at the mirror.

"You cannot do this to me!" Ho Chan protested, but it was too late. The beam intensified, and the mirror gave way, shattering and sending glass flying everywhere as Ho Chan wailed in despair, trapped in the Mirror Realm for eternity.

"Magic!" Mikey said, rubbing his donkey ears. "It is just too awesome!"

That evening, the group reunited in the upper room of the Sanctum. Raph and Wong were both in magical beds now, and able to attend the gathering. Wong was recovering from his injuries, and should heal up by the next morning. Raph would be bedridden for a while, though; Strange had examined his wound and found that his leg bones had been almost completely crushed by Absorbing Man. While a simple painkilling spell would reduce Raph's pain, there was little else he could do save giving it time to heal.

"Gotta say, I'm impressed, April," Kirby said. "Never thought you'd learn so much in one day."

April beamed. "Well, they're just little tricks, but you have to start somewhere, right?"

Doctor Strange affectionately patted April's shoulder. "And even the simplest of spells can save the world," he said.

Mikey was wiggling his ears in Raph's face. "Now do you believe in magic, bro?"

Raph grinned. "I believe in magic, all right." He started laughing. "And I also believe you've never looked more ridiculous in your life!"

That night, April went to bed and slept better than she had in a long while. Blame it on the extensive psychic drain from using magic. She didn't know how Strange did it every single day.

But that night, she had a terrifying nightmare. In it, she was descending through the clouds towards New York City. The city was ablaze, and rioters filled the streets. In her ears, she could hear Dormammu's terrible voice.

"I am going to show you something beautiful, mortal," he said. "Everyone screaming for mercy."

Images began flashing past April's view, images of herself, her family, her friends. "You want to protect the world, but you do not want it to change," Dormammu went on. "I shall return at the appointed time—when all is in readiness. And your miserable life, your precious immortal soul, will forever be mine! Now I am free!" A horrible evil laugh filled her ears, growing louder and louder, drowning out all other noise, even her own thoughts.

April woke up screaming so loudly that everyone had run into her room. She wouldn't talk to anybody about what she'd dreamed, but she couldn't go back to sleep even with her father staying in the room all night.

She would think about that dream for a long, long time.