Forward And Back Again

Retrieval

"I really shouldn't have drank that much," Raphael told Renet as the two of them sat on top of a futuristic business building. "Why didn't you stop me sooner?"

At that point, Raphael was nursing a massive hangover from all the drinking he did to drown out his sorrows.

"Well, I tried, but you wouldn't stay still in one place long enough for me to tell you about what happened," Renet reminded him.

"So let me get this straight once more," Raphael asked. "My family really isn't dead? They just got sent back in the past by Shredder and Zixx?"

"That is correct," Renet replied. "Those energies used from the time staff match the kind of blasts used to send people far back."

Raphael looked down thoughtfully.

"Do you know exactly where or when the Shredder sent them?" asked Raph.

"That I don't know," confessed Renet. "But what I do know is that the Shredder, when he handed the staff to Torbin Zixx, re-animated the time scepter and gave it power again. If I can retrieve my time scepter, we can use it to find you family again."

"So, uh, do you have an idea for retrieving your time scepter?" asked Raph, rubbing his head over the hangover. "As you can see, right now I'm not exactly an ideas guy…"

"Just leave it to me," Renet took out a bag.

"What'cha got in there?" Raph looked on.

Renet reached inside and took out a futuristic dress, in addition to a green wig.

"Is there still trick or treating in the future?" Raph muttered quietly.

"Torbin Zixx being a philanderer and a playboy is a well known fact," Renet took out a magazine, showing Raph.

On the cover was Emperor Zixx cavorting with various women, both human and alien.

"He's a sleazy bastard alright," Raph nodded.

"There's only one way to get close enough to Torbin Zixx to retrieve my time scepter," Renet informed Raphael.

"Oh man, don't tell me you're gonna join his entourage," Raphael frowned. "You okay with doing this?"

"There might not be any other choice," said Renet. "It's the only way to get my time scepter back again."

"Alright," Raph agreed reluctantly. "But I'll need to get close by to make sure Zixx doesn't go too far."

Raph got up but soon felt the effects of the hangover again.

"Ow… I really shouldn't have drank so much."

"Good news is we won't have to do anything until tomorrow," Renet told him. "That's when Zixx has the party at the Governor-General's building. I'll introduce myself to him there."

"What new name you gonna go by?" asked Raph curiously.

"I'm thinking… Clair."

"Totally random," Raph nodded. "I think it'll work."

oooo

The next day.

"Alright Renet," Raph spoke to Renet on his communication link. "You ready to do this?"

"I'm making my way to the line," Renet told him in response. "Is everything good on your end?"

"Affirmative," Raph said with much more clarity now that his hangover was over and he was more focused on getting his family back. "I'm making my way to the ventilation system. Based on the map I got, I think I know which room Zixx will try to take you to."

"Good luck, Raph," Renet told him.

"You too, Renet. I'll be there if things get dicey."

oooo

The line was long and the wait even longer but eventually, Renet was able to get into the building with her forged ID that she and Raph got from an alien street vendor.

Inside were all sorts of people, from alien diplomats to businessmen to military officials. But Renet wasn't there for any of them. Her mission was to find Torbin Zixx and get close enough to him to find the time scepter she needed.

So far everything was going alright. She looked sufficiently different enough in her makeup, dress, and green wig that nobody there suspected her of being Renet.

She had no idea where Raphael was right now but so far, she was crossing her fingers and hoping he was going to be nearby.

"So you know when the Emperor is going to show up?"

Renet turned around. There were some women at the party, apparently there also to try to get to meet Zixx.

"Who knows, but I have heard rumors," a dark skinned human girl told the other female party members. "People are saying Zixx is now a figurehead and there was some kind of internal coup."

A green alien girl with purple hair grimaced.

"So all of us are lined up here to meet someone who doesn't even have his own house in order?"

"Pretty pathetic if you ask me."

"What happened exactly?" asked Renet, walking up to the group.

"We don't know the details," one of the girls replied. "But look up Zixx's press speech from yesterday. You can tell by his body language that he's a completely different man now."

"Wow, that's a shock," Renet said.

"Ladies… how are all of you this evening?"

To Renet's surprise, Torbin Zixx finally walked up to them.

All of the girls looked at Zixx and realized he sounded like a defeated man the minute he opened his mouth for a greeting.

"I think I see the Governor-General over there," one of the girls pointed out.

One after another, the girls left to go speak with Darius Dun in the distance instead, leaving behind only Zixx and Renet.

"I… well, this bites," Zixx sighed, realizing he wasn't going to get as far as he'd hoped.

"Aren't you supposed to be the Emperor?" asked Renet.

"I was… or still am," Zixx's shoulders sank. "Heck, I don't know anymore."

Zixx's entire demeanor was different now that he was absolutely aware of his status as a figurehead under the TriShreddatron.

"Say, what's your name again?" asked Zixx.

"It's Clair," Renet replied. "I can tell you've got a lot on your mind. Want to talk about it?"

Torbin Zixx's expression changed, showing a little more hope in eyes now that at least one woman still had interest in talking to him.

"You know something, Clair?" Emperor Zixx finally sighed in relief. "Let's go talk."

"Lead the way," Renet told him.

oooo

In just a few minutes, Renet found herself in the Emperor's chambers.

"A room fit for a king," Zixx announced. "Or so I thought…"

The room was nice, spacious, and ceremonial. However, "ceremonial" was the key word, now that Zixx no longer held any real power.

"Something's eating away at you," Renet told him. "Why would you feel that way when you have everything?"

"That's the thing Clair," Torbin Zixx told her. "I don't have everything. I mean, I thought I did but all this time, I never really did."

As Torbin Zixx talked, Renet looked around the room, scanning the entire place for the time scepter.

"So it turns out I'm not even running my own empire anymore," Zixx told her as she sat down on the bed with him. "All the decisions are being made for me."

"Really now?" Renet tried to sound interested. "What's really going on?"

"I… I can't go into details," Zixx sounded frustrated. "But I just need to get my mind off of everything."

By that point, Renet saw the time scepter underneath one of his pillows.

"Think you want to help me get my mind of all this stress?" asked Zixx, putting a hand on Renet's shoulder suggestively.

Renet instinctively shuddered the minute Zixx touched her.

"Wait, what're you reaching for?" Zixx noticed.

By the point Zixx had touched her shoulder, Renet had already had her hand close to the time scepter.

"Hey, that's royal property!" Zixx cried.

Quickly, Zixx grabbed her and threw her to the floor.

"Agh!" Renet cried.

As Renet tumbled to the ground, the green wig fell off, showing her true hair color.

"Wait a second, you're her!" Zixx cried.

Realizing what she was after, Zixx quickly reached for the time scepter. At that point, the air vent on the ceiling broke open. Raphael leaped down, kicking Zixx away from the scepter and sending him crashing to the floor.

"Agh!" Zixx cried as he hit the floor hard.

"You and I have some unfinished business, Zixx," Raph promised.

"Oh great, not you again!" Zixx cried.

"I'll make you pay for what you did to my family!"

"Oh, that?" Zixx shrugged. "Would it help if I said I killed your brother under duress from the TriShreddatron threatening my life?"

"No, you ain't getting off easily this time."

"Fine by me!" Zixx took a swing at Raph.

Raphael dodged the swing and drove his fist into Zixx's liver.

"Aaaahhh!" Zixx cried.

Relentlessly, Raphael punched Torbin Zixx, across the face and then into his stomach. Grabbing the mercenary, Raphael threw Zixx to the floor, getting on top of him and punching him repeatedly. Renet had already told him that his family was alive but even with that knowledge, the anger over being repeatedly swindled by Zixx made Raph beat down Zixx like he really did murder Michelangelo.

"Raph, I got the scepter!" Renet told him. "We can go now!"

"Not just yet," Raph took out his sai.

Torbin Zixx spat out some blood.

"Wait, you're not serious, are you?" demanded Zixx.

Before Raphael could answer, the door busted open, revealing the TriShreddatron.

"Oh great!" Raph cried. "Him again!?"

"What is the meaning of this disturbance?!" demanded Ch'rell.

Taking advantage of the situation, Torbin Zixx took out a taser from his suit and shocked Raphael.

"Aaaahhh!" Raph cried.

After the mutant turtle was loosened up enough, Zixx grabbed Raph's fallen sai and struck him across the face with the blunt end, knocking Raphael off of him.

"Ugh," Raph fell down, rolling near Renet.

"Hang on Raph, I think this scepter is ready," Renet helped him up.

"How fortunate the two of you are here," the TriShreddatron raised a single hand brimming with the energies of Lord Simultaneous. "Now I am able to tie up ALL loose ends!"

"Hold on tightly Raph," Renet held Raph by the hand as her own time scepter brimmed with energy.

At once, Ch'rell unleashed a powerful blast that seemingly consumed Raphael and Renet, annihilating a huge portion of the room. By the time the blast cleared, there was no trace of either timestress or turtle and most of the bedchamber had been destroyed.

"Wow, you really vaporized them," Zixx noted, getting up.

"Return to the festivities at once, Zixx," Ch'rell ordered. "I did not give you permission to return to your chambers."

"But… can't I even catch a break?!" Zixx complained.

Ch'rell looked down at the green wig on the floor that belonged to Renet. It didn't take long before he pieced together what really happened and how Renet had deceived him with a disguise.

"You have proven that one such as yourself who can be so easily fooled does not deserve greater power or prestige," the TriShreddatron towered Zixx in an intimidating fashion. "You rest only when I say you can rest! Now return to the festivities or die!"

"Y-Yes boss," Torbin Zixx's shoulders sunk in defeat.

To be continued.