CHAPTER FIVE
The battle with 'Baxter' ripped through most of the sewer system. Walls came crashing down as the Turtles threw mouser after mouser poured out from the pod craft against several walls, triggering tiny explosions.
The mousers also served as a protective shield, preventing the Turtles from getting closer to the craft so they could inflict damage.
Leonardo cut through some of the mousers forming the shield, but Baxter and his craft quickly supplied fresh robots to complete the circle just as the Turtles thought they could get inside of it and work their way upwards.
"This is the definition of insanity, we keep trying the same strategy and all we get are the same results" said Raphael frustratingly.
"We've got to aim just a little higher, don't concentrate on the mousers, go for the root of the problem" said Leonardo, running towards Michelangelo, raising one foot to lean on his shoulder and leapt high in the air to take a shot at Baxter within the module. A sparkling orange flash lit up as his sword struck through the machine.
"There, every time he lowers altitude, give the upper half a good kickin" said Leonardo.
The Turtles polished off the latest contingent of mousers being sent forth from the module, and just as a fresh batch was prepared, with Baxter lowering the pod so as to distribute them, the Turtles ceased their chance and kicked and landed blows on the central dome as it did so.
This combined attack seem to send it into a frenzy, and it began glowing orange more brightly, just as Rocksteady had before in his own encounter with the amphibians.
"Taggart, help me" Baxter screamed at the communications screen as tiny explosions erupted within his cockpit.
To his horror, Taggart's features blurred and changed to that of a small five year old redheaded girl.
"I'm sorry, Taggart's not here anymore, you can call me Shadow" the little girl said, and turned off the communications screen.
Baxter screamed as his pod exploded.
The Turtles high-fived each other in triumph and moved in closer to inspect the wreckage.
They found Baxter, charred and quivering, flicking in and out of existence. He beckoned Donatello closer and whispered something in his ear.
After hearing what Baxter had to say, Donatello closed Baxter's eyes as he finally slipped away. His body flickered orange one last time, and phased out of existence.
"What did he say?" asked Michelangelo.
"He said something about his master pushing a theory into the narrative and replacing one that already existed" replied Donatello.
"Which makes about as much sense as dada" said Raphael.
"You think it has something to do with replacing the theories you've come up with?" said Leonardo
"Exactly, think of it in the way people view comic book narratives...sometimes you don't like where that story's heading, so you change it in your head, it's called head canon"
"I'd rather I be shot out of someone's head cannon" remarked Raphael.
"Come on, we'd best check if Master Splinter's OK back at the lair, we also need to replenish our energies, we can't keep this up forever, we'll suffer fatigue" said Leonardo.
The Turtles made their way back to their lair where they found it wrecked and ransacked.
There was no sign of Splinter.
The television, slightly dented, was still on, and a marked VHS tape sat next to the VCR.
Michelangelo read the label.
"For you four" he said.
The Turtles switched on the television and found a captive April, bound and gagged, surrounded by Shredder, Rocksteady and Bebop.
Michelangelo clenched his fist in anger as his temperature rose in a boiling rage at the sight of April helpless. It was a sensation he couldn't quite place, but his mind raced back to the prior conversations the Turtles had about the state of reality, and things became quite clear.
Only one emotion, one reality, could make him feel as incensed as he was now, and the part of him that grasped this truth vowed in that one instance to do everything in his power to put this all right.
The Turtles listened in to their enemy as he made his intentions clear.
"Greetings you arrogant amphibians, I speak to you now from the city's now even more derelict warehouse storage district. By now I'm sure you've spent every ounce of energy putting your best work into valiantly attempting to dismantle my army and save the world, but I'm afraid it's all been for nothing. So long as I have the Technodrome and the resources of Dimension X at my disposal, you cannot hope to succeed. Within five standard hours, I will unleash the full might of my favourite dimension on this wretched planet and its conquest will be complete. You have two choices, stop me, or save not only your lady reporter friend, but also your mentor Splinter, and just as there is no rest for the wicked, so too shall there be no rest for you" he said tauntingly.
"Come and get 'er Turtles, we'll be waiting" said Rocksteady.
The VHS message came to an end, leaving the Turtles reeling emotionally.
"How can we keep this up? We'll be spent before we even reach either of them" said Raphael.
"And they didn't even give us a hint of Splinter's own location" said Leonardo.
"We gotta pull it together buds, there's no telling what they'll do to her, but I know what I'll do to them and that's what got me pumped" said Michelangelo, eager to get on with things.
Donatello pondered things, and came to some surprising conclusions.
"I think if we put our minds to it, we can give ourselves a big advantage. Reality is what we make of it, if we concentrate really hard, mediate a bit, we can erect some kind of aura around our existing paradigms and allow us to power through our exhaustion"
"In other words, put enough coins in the slot and we won't have to sweat the strain of this living arcade game?" Raphael remarked.
"Ok Turtles, what we're about to endure is going to leave a mark, so let's make sure we give everything in our path a lasting scar from our special blend of reality" said Leonardo.