Forward And Back Again
Breathing Room
"I never thought in all my years that I'd see you again," Queen Jhanna told the Turtles and everyone else who was gathered before her in the throne.
Everyone had gotten away from Earth just in time. However, John Bishop, due to his sacrifice, was not able to make it.
Queen Jhanna looked slightly older but still relatively youthful. The fact that she was of a different species from the stars was the likely account for her aging much more slowly.
"It's a long story," Donatello told her. "We were able to get here because of Alkaid's teleportation Transmat on Earth."
"We had no choice but to flee from Emperor Zixx's forces," Leonardo added.
The Queen of Slandon looked at the grieving Alkaid who was still mourning the death of her husband.
"Please tell me all about this," Jhanna told them. "But first, let's get those children some sanctuary."
oooo
"Glad to have you back," Torbin Zixx told Boss Zukko as he entered the room. "So how'd it go?"
"Bishop has been eliminated," Zukko told him. "As you instructed. However…"
Zixx frowned, not liking where this was headed.
"The Turtles, their rat master, and the woman all escaped," Zukko went on."I was not able to follow or trace them because Bishop's last dying act was to set off an explosive."
From head to toe, Boss Zukko was damaged and charred, even as he gave his report. It was a miracle that he was somehow still standing and functional, even as a cyborg. As Torbin Zixx glanced briefly at Boss Zukko's body, he thought he saw something wiggling in the stomach cavity of the cybernetic Triceraton.
"Am I seeing things?" Zixx whispered quietly. For a second he swore he saw a red tentacle.
"Rest assured," Boss Zukko promised. "I make it my personal vow to find those Turtles and bring them before you."
"I, uh, like your enthusiasm," Zixx smiled. "But first, why don't you take a rest and get fixed up? Can't have you going out there looking like you've walked out of a fallout zone."
"Thank you, your majesty," Boss Zukko bowed and walked away.
oooo
Raphael and Renet entered the garden where Alkaid was resting. On the ground was a small makeshift gravestone she had made for Bishop.
"Anything you need?" asked Renet.
"Just one thing," Alkaid told them. "Promise me you'll take the heads of Boss Zukko and Torbin Zixx."
Raph and Renet looked at each other. Raphael had never been one who'd taken a life before, short of those times he thought he and his brothers had destroyed the Shredder, only for the Utrom to keep crawling back like a cockroach. Though in the past, there were villains like the now-redeemed Bishop and Karai back when she attacked his home that did make him feel tempted to take a life.
"I know how you feel and I sympathize," Raph told her. "I plan on personally delivering the kind of beatdown to Zixx for all the things he's done."
"Do you have any intel on the Zixx Regime on Earth that can help us?" asked Renet.
"I do," Alkaid took out a drive and handed it to Raphael. "It contains the locations of the main government facilities on Earth that Zixx splits his time between."
"This might be just what we need," Renet realized. "Say Alkaid, let's say hypothetically, Emperor Zixx decided to hold a very powerful time lord captive. What facility would he use to keep someone like that caged?"
"Hmm, if he were to keep someone like that captive," Alkaid looked down in thought. "It would be at the Aion Citadel. Since my husband opened up Earth to intergalactic relations, the Aion Citadel has been used as the chief scientific facility of New York City for the most advanced scientific research on light speed travel, black hole technology, and even unconfirmed subjects like the multiverse."
"The multiverse, huh?" Raph half-grinned. "Well whaddya know?"
Raph thought back fondly to his time teaming up with two other Turtle teams as they fought the returning Utrom Shredder in Earth Prime.
"Anyways, the multiverse can wait," Raph snapped back to reality. "Renet, do you believe all of this can be undone if we rescue Lord Simultaneous?"
"He most definitely can," Renet confirmed. "Erm, assuming he's still alive…"
"What do you mean undone?" asked Alkaid.
"Well, I didn't want to say anything back there," Raph sighed. "But now that everything's gone from bad to worse, I guess there's no choice. Listen Alkaid, I know this is gonna sound like more bad news piled on top of the bad news you already have but…"
"Tell me," Alkaid said firmly. "I want to know."
"Alright," Raph conceded. "Listen, this timeline you have where you're married to Bishop and Torbin Zixx is Emperor… all of this was never meant to be. It's an altered timeline created when Torbin Zixx returned back to our timeline in the 2000s to meddle with time and space."
The news struck Alkaid as hard as Raph and Renet expected it would. She looked devastated that none of this was truly meant to be.
"In the real timeline before Zixx messed things up, Earth is at peace with Bishop as President of the Pan-Galactic Alliance," Raph finished. "That's what we were trying to restore because Zixx's meddling cost me and my brothers someone in the future that we cared about."
"You… mean in the real timeline, John Bishop is still alive?" Alkaid asked.
"Alive and kicking," Raph answered.
"Sometimes in our culture, we have a practice of sacrifice for those we love," Alkaid said slowly. "If it means that John Bishop can continue to live, then I wish for you to restore your original timeline, even if it means he and I will have never met. I have faith that the children we've raised together will still be able to make it in the world he helped to create if he's the one who becomes Earth's guardian."
"Yeah, he's a pretty watchful guy," Raph admitted. "He's always watching over the world and trying to keep it safe."
"It sounds like John understands the meaning of sacrifice in any timeline," Alkaid finally smiled a little bit.
oooo
"Boss Zukko," a scientist working for the Aion Citadel walked forth.
He was a bald human wearing a mechanical eyepatch and decked out in a futuristic scientist's uniform.
"I wish to have my restorative CR bath ready," Zukko told him.
The Triceraton cyborg was still damaged from his fight against Bishop and the Aion Citadel was where he normally went to recover from major injuries.
"It is available whenever you're ready," the scientist assured him.
"Is there anything else to report on your studies?" demanded Zukko.
"Well you see," the scientist told him. "My team and I were able to get a lock on the multiverse based on the schematics you gave us and we found something most fascinating."
"And that is?" asked Zukko.
"It would appear that right now, the multiverse is not static," the scientist told him. "It is also in flux. Currently, there are new universes being born. It's amazing, really… almost like the multiverse is like a self-reproducing organism."
At once, the scientist noticed a look of horror stretched out across Boss Zukko's face.
"Sir, are you alright?" he asked.
"Yes… yes," Zukko shook his head. "It has been a long day and I am tired. I will retire to my CR bath and meditate on your words. In the meantime, continue studying the phenomenon and report back to me your findings."
"Will do, sir," the scientist nodded.
"So," Boss Zukko walked to his chambers with a dark scowl. "Even now, the multiverse continues to give birth to accursed mutant turtles. That will have to be remedied soon!"
oooo
The next day.
The Turtles, Splinter, and Renet stood before another large Transmat system, this one belonging to Queen Jhanna.
"It's unfortunate your stay here can't be long," Queen Jhanna told them. "You Turtles once helped me defeat Moriah. I owe all of you a debt for that."
"Just so we're clear, having Lord Simultaneous undo everything won't have any bad effects on Queen Jhanna, will it?" Leo asked Renet.
"It shouldn't," Renet answered. "The Queen's life is largely the same in our original timeline."
"We'd love to stay and get to know your planet longer," Donnie approached the Queen. "But unfortunately all of us have a mission and we need to focus on it."
"Our Transmat should get you back to Earth with very little problem," Queen Jhanna looked at the device. "It's set to the location you specified."
"So guys," Leo huddled together with the rest of his team. "Are we ready for this?"
"Let's go in there and kick Torbin Zixx's ass," Raph answered. "Give him the beatdown he rightfully deserves."
"I'll focus on freeing Lord Simultaneous," Renet added.
"Alkaid gave us an entire layout of the area, including those rooms where Lord Simultaneous is most likely being held hostage," Donatello looked down at his drive.
"Think we'll even encounter Torbin Zixx there?" asked Mikey.
"Maybe, maybe not," Leo replied. "He does want us captured so maybe he'll try to go there himself. Either ways, is everyone ready?"
"Ready," Mikey nodded. "I just wanna get this over with so I can go back and give Raph a wet willy on horror movie Mondays!"
"Mikey, I'm gonna grab that finger and twist it off the next time you try something like that!" Raph growled.
Alkaid walked up to the group.
"Before you go, make me one promise," she told them.
"You name it," Raph told her.
"Make sure both Boss Zukko and Torbin Zixx pay for what they've done," Alkaid requested.
"Gladly," Raphael smiled, cracking his knuckles. "I wouldn't say this for any other Bishop but I'd happily avenge the Bishop I got to know in this time."
"Let's do this," Leo told the group.
The Turtles, Splinter, and Renet got on the Transmat which hummed to life. Soon, the machine teleported all of them back to Earth as Queen Jhanna, Alkaid, and the other people of Planet Slandon looked on.
oooo
"Sir, there is something you may need to look at," Viral told Torbin Zixx who was doing his usual morning routine of scanning the whole city.
"Oh?" Emperor Zixx turned around. "And what would that be?"
"There have been some expenses run up," Viral informed him.
"What kind of expenses are we talking about?" Zixx zoomed in on a screen of an alien being arrested by the police in Central Park."
"Well, since I help balance your accounts," Viral told him. "I must inform you that funds have periodically been removed from your treasury."
At once, Torbin Zixx stopped what he was doing.
For Zixx, money had always been a concern for him, both growing up and even when he became a mercenary in the original timeline. He knew what it was like to have very little and how everything could be taken away from him in an instant with the kind of mercenary and smuggler life he led. And someone messing with his money was not a slight that could be overlooked.
"Who is it?" Zixx asked in a much more serious tone.
"I reviewed footage of all financial institutions and machines in this city based on the times of the withdrawals," Viral told him. "Almost every last footage has been blurred out by some sort of EMP. However, I did find one raw, unedited video."
Viral opened up a screen for Zixx to watch. In the video, they saw a Triceraton walking towards a financial transaction device on the wall, making a withdrawal.
"Boss Zukko?" Zixx's eyes widened. "My own advisor has been robbing me blind?!"
"It would appear so," Viral replied.
"I can't believe this," Zixx growled. "Why would he do something like this?"
"I'm afraid you'll have to ask him yourself," Viral answered. "He is currently at the Aion Citadel. I believe most of your misappropriated funds have been going there, for some unknown purpose."
"Hmm," Zixx thought back.
At some point, he recalled having a disagreement with Boss Zukko over scientific research into the multiverse. During that time, he saw very little need to research such a topic since he was happy enough in the universe he currently had and didn't care much about alternate universes out there.
On the other hand, Boss Zukko wasn't too pleased about his decision not to add more funds to his projects, though he didn't press the issue too much at the time. Now it was apparent that Zukko was working his own agenda.
"Alright, that's it," Emperor Zixx decided. "Viral, it's time for me to take my troops and go on a little fact-finding mission at the Aion Citadel. We'll see what Boss Zukko's really up to."
"Yes Emperor Zixx," Viral bowed. "Shall I accompany you?"
"Yes," Zixx agreed. "You can have the honor of shorting out that cyborg if we really need to."
oooo
Near the loading bay of the Aion Citadel, a team of scientists were fast at work in loading their new cargo.
"I've received word that Emperor Zixx will be paying us an impromptu visit," the lead scientist told his team. "Everyone be on your best behavior and remember to present yourselves accordingly before his majesty."
As the team of scientists continued their work, a small device was thrown to the floor below all of them.
"What's this?" one of the scientists looked down at it.
At once, the device went off, short-circuiting all the security cameras nearby and taking out all the scientists with a powerful EMP that also was calibrated to knock out organics.
"The coast is clear," Donatello motioned for the team. "Alright everyone, remember the plan."
The Turtles, Splinter, and Renet leaped onto the loading dock and quickly surveyed everything. Getting inside was their primary objective and there was only one way.
"Hang tight guys," Renet grabbed one of the scientists, dragging him to a corner of the building where a column could give her cover.
After a short while, Renet emerged from the column wearing the scientist's clothes.
"Raph considered peeping in on you, you know," Mikey told her.
"Oh shut it, Mikey!" Raph slapped his younger brother upside the head as Renet chuckled.
"Alright, on to the next phase of our plan," Donnie told them.
The Turtles and Splinter leaped inside one of the metal cargo boxes mounted on an anti-gravity loading cart. Leo grabbed one of the white sheets and covered all of them up.
"One last thing," Donnie reminded Renet. "Just press down on the blue button."
Immediately, Renet pressed down on it, activating the loading cart. At once, the anti-gravity generator hummed to life and before Renet knew it, the cargo box with the Turtles and Splinter inside felt about as light as a feather.
"Alright, let's do this," Renet smiled, pushing the mutant family inside the building.
oooo
As Boss Zukko continued to watch the scientists on the lower floor work on portal technology to access the multiverse, the door opened up from behind him.
He turned around, seeing Torbin Zixx, Viral, and multiple soldiers flood into the room.
"Emperor Zixx, I was not expecting this surprise visit," Zukko told him.
"Good, this isn't a courtesy call," Zixx told him in an angry tone of voice.
"Really now?" Zukko smiled. "Is that any way to talk to your most loyal advisor who stood by your side and made you what you are today?"
"Drop the act, Zukko," Torbin Zixx pointed a finger at him. "I know you're been embezzling from my treasury. And for what? Studying the multiverse?"
"I have my reasons," Zukko said simply.
"Oh, so you don't even deny the crime?!" Zixx was aghast. "Stealing from the Emperor is an offense punishable by death!"
"You're forgetting just one thing, Zixx," Zukko told him. "I made you Emperor. And I can just as easily unmake you."
"Alright, I've heard just enough," Zixx frowned. "Viral, de-activate this clown."
"At once," Viral created a cybernetic chainsaw with her arm and moved towards Boss Zukko aggressively.
Boss Zukko revealed a remote in his hand and pressed down on it. Immediately, a powerful, paralyzing shock coursed through Viral's body, causing her to cry out in pain. When it was over, Viral sank to both knees as smoke emerged from her body after being short-circuited.
"You're forgetting who calls the shots," Zukko reminded Emperor Zixx. "Perhaps it's time I taught you your place after all."
To be continued.