Forward And Back Again
Old Acquaintances
"Torbin Zixx?!" Raph groaned. "Are you freakin' kidding me?!"
"Hey, I saved you, didn't I?" Zixx grinned.
Raphael got up weakly.
"Oh yeah?" Raph pointed a finger at him. "And just how many more times have you backstabbed us?!"
Finally, the other Turtles were done fighting the Purple Dragons as the last of the thugs got knocked out.
"Is that who I think it is?!" Donatello's eyes widened.
"Raph, what's Torbin Zixx doing here?" Leo asked.
"You should ask him that," Raphael responded huffily. "He shows up out of nowhere… in the present! Just like that!"
"Hey hey," Zixx said, trying to reassure the situation. "I do have a story to share about why I'm here and I will. But first, I'm sensing a lot of hostility here."
"No offense," Leo told Zixx. "But you don't exactly have the best history with the four of us. You can understand why we're apprehensive."
"Point taken," Zixx acknowledged. "But on a brighter note, you guys DID get me back during our last team up. I was on the run from that crime boss for months before I narrowly paid back my debt with interest. So what do you say we call it even?"
"I say I'm about to give you the beating I was gonna give Mikey earlier!" Raph advanced on Zixx threateningly.
Leo had to hold Raph back again like he did with their younger brother.
"Hold on," Donny told the group and walked off to with his radio. "Let me get something squared away real quick."
"You think we haven't forgotten all the times you suckered us?" Raph growled at Zixx. "And then you come waltzing in on us during our time and act like we can be buddy-buddy?"
"Calm down Raph," Leo reminded. "He did save you from Mr. Touch."
"I would've had him!" Raph insisted.
"You sure did," Zixx sneered. "Your face is the deadly weapon which really hurt his fists!"
"And you haven't changed one bit, you two-bit sleazebag!" Raph snarled at Zixx.
Finally, Donatello went up to the group.
"Alright guys," Donny informed them. "I radioed the police with an anonymous lead and they'll be here in less than ten minutes. Let's find somewhere more private so we can continue this with Zixx."
oooo
A little while later, the Turtles and Zixx stood on top of an empty rooftop in Manhattan.
"Alright Zixx," Leo promised. "The floor is yours."
"Don't make me mop you with it," Raph warned.
"Thank you," Zixx bowed his head slightly. "Now, all of you must be wondering how I've made it to your time era."
All four turtles nodded in agreement.
"Well, it all started when I was on a mission to stop Boss Zukko," Torbin Zixx told them. "He was building a time machine, you see. And his goal was to return to your time era to give the Triceratons of your period valuable historical knowledge during their invasion of Earth so that they would win the war. I tried to stop him but I was captured."
"You're good at that, you know?" Raph snarked.
"So anyways," Zixx didn't appear to even be bothered by Raph's comment. "Boss Zukko was still in the experimentation stage of his time machine tests. So he decided to use me as a guinea pig."
"So he had you thrown back to the present to test his time machine?" asked Donatello.
"And here I am," Zixx spread his arms open, smiling.
"So… what do we do now?" asked Mikey.
"Now?" Raph declared. "Now we dump Torbin Zixx like yesterday's garbage and move on with our lives."
"Raph, do you really think it's a good idea to let a future time traveler roam freely in his past?" asked Donny.
"We sure as hell ain't gonna let him in our lair!" Raph pointed out.
"Guys, let's huddle for a moment," Leo told them.
"Excuse us for a second," Donny told Zixx who merely nodded.
"You can't be serious letting him back to base?" Raph glared at Leo in the team huddle.
"I don't like it anymore than you do," Leo pointed out. "But you know what the alternative is?"
"That's right," Donatello finished for Leo. "We let him roam free in the present. And being that he's from the future and doesn't belong here, who knows what he could change in this time era! One wrong step and Cody might not exist!"
"Just so we're clear, none of us like this solution, right?" asked Raph.
"Not really," Donny admitted. "There are people we consider friends who are more than welcome to our home. Like Leatherhead or April or Usagi and Gen…"
"Hey, who says Gen is welcome?!" Mikey dissented. "I haven't forgotten how he stole my Silver Sentry comics the last time he came over!"
"My point is," Donny concluded. "We have a tight-knit group of people we consider close friends and allies. But Torbin Zixx isn't one of them. And probably never will be. But does anyone have a better idea other than letting him roam free in this time period and do who-knows-what to affect the future? Because the only solution I can see is allowing him to come to our base under close supervision."
oooo
Raph stood against the wall gloomily back at their lair.
"I don't know how you talked me into this," Raph grumbled.
"It's only temporary," Leo stood by his side as Zixx in the distance planted both feet on the table to drink coffee. "As soon as we find a way to bring him back to the future, he's gone."
"Of all the people in the future who could've come back to see us," Raph crossed his arms. "Why'd it have to be him? I would've loved to see Cody, the Inuwashi Gunjin, or even Constable Biggles of all people! But Zixx?"
"Well, he gave us his 'official' story," Leo said skeptically. "Whether or not that's true remains to be seen. But Zixx did bring up a good point back there."
"What's that?" Raph tilted his head at Leo.
"We did get him back the last time we met," Leo reminded Raph. "So technically, we have a clean slate with each other."
"And what if he wants to make that slate dirty again?" Raph asked.
"That is possible," Leo replied. "But from what we know of Zixx, he isn't the type who goes too far. He's a cheat, a con man, a dirty player, and an unrepentant thief. But he isn't a murderer. In fact, he saved us the first time we met and when we were imprisoned by Boss Zukko, Zixx did let us out."
"Yeah, he saves us or busts us out so we can be future patsies for him," Raph huffed. "Nice guy, that Zixx."
At the table, Splinter finally sat down with Michelangelo as Zixx drank his coffee.
"Not gonna lie," Zixx smiled. "You guys are some great hosts!"
"My sons are already acquainted with you," Master Splinter said to Zixx. "But I did not meet you back when we were in the future. I am Hamato Splinter."
"This is our dad," Mikey told Zixx.
"I, uh, see the family resemblance," Zixx managed an awkward smile.
"Here's your sandwich," Donatello gave Zixx his food.
"Thanks," Zixx smiled. "Time traveler or not, I still need my grub."
As Donatello sat down, Zixx continued eating until he consumed the whole sandwich.
"So tell me," Zixx asked. "How did this motley family come together? There has to be some story to a mutant rat raising four mutant turtles, right?"
The turtles and Splinter looked at each other. None of them had been prepared for Zixx to ask such a question. And considering they didn't fully trust Zixx, they weren't sure what to say.
"It is a strange story," Splinter finally broke the silence.
Raph and Leo looked at each other, wondering what their master would say next.
"I was once a human who was part of an ancient ninja clan that survived to this age in secrecy," Splinter continued. "However, my sons and I were betrayed by our clan and led to our execution. Before we met our demise, a powerful tengu demon offered me power to save my family and I took his offer. He transformed us into the mutated forms you see before you now and I was able to defeat the clan that had betrayed me. Afterwards, my sons and I journeyed here to begin a new life."
Raph could hear Leo breathing a sigh of relief. None of them trusted Zixx and nobody wanted to share the family secret with him. The fake origin story Splinter made up on the spot, however, was convincing enough as Zixx looked intrigued.
"Wow, so that's how you guys were made," Zixx smiled. "You wouldn't consider selling me the movie rights to this, would you?"
"Eh, we prefer to keep this superhero origin story to ourselves," Mikey smiled.
"Well, I have to admit," Zixx acknowledged. "I am feeling a little tired. It's probably time I hit the hay."
"We have an extra guest bedroom," Donny told him. "But first, we'll need to get you through a security scan. No offense, but you've got a lot of futuristic gear on you."
"Oh right," Zixx realized. "My bad."
The intergalactic mercenary took off his hood, revealing a human face. He was an olive skinned human with black hair on both his head and face. The Turtles had trouble determining whether he was Greek, Middle Eastern, or Latin American.
"So you are human underneath that mask," Leo noted.
"Yeah, I figured the name might throw people off," Zixx admitted.
"I always thought you were someone from the Federation," Donatello confessed.
"I'm about as native to Earth as fried chicken and pizza," confirmed Zixx. "Torbin Zixx is just a name I took on because of all the anti-human prejudice in alien outlaw circles. I had to find some way to bring in the bread and butter and what better way than having an extraterrestrial sounding alias so alien clients could take me more seriously?"
"Well in any case, we can get you settled down once I run you through a full body scan and you take off your gear," Donny told him.
oooo
That night, Raph had trouble going to sleep and their uninvited guest was the sole reason.
True, they really didn't have many options and allowing Zixx to roam free in modern times was a really bad idea but letting the unreliable mercenary stay with them was another affront altogether.
A knock was heard on the door.
Curiously, Raph opened it up.
"Hey Raph, need pointers on how to handle Touch and Go next time?" Mikey asked.
Raphael frowned.
"No Mikey," he shook his head. "I don't."
"You sure?" asked Michelangelo. "Because you didn't do so hot against Mr. Touch. And who better to coach you than Michelangelo, Battle Nexus Champion!"
Raph closed the door.
"I swear, I'm gonna make that clown eat his own orange bandana one day," Raphael grumbled, falling down on his bed.
Then it dawned on Raph that Torbin Zixx was still staying at their lair.
"Might as well," Raph grabbed one of his sai's.
Placing it underneath his pillow, Raph dozed off to sleep, holding his weapon tightly.
oooo
The next morning, Raphael opened the door to a pleasant surprise.
"Huh, well look at that," Raph smiled. "Mikey finally learned to respect my boundaries."
None of Raph's Zipline drinks had been taken. As far as Raph could tell, this was progress.
"Alright, now to hit the shower," Raph moved towards the bathroom with the tub, taking with him a bottle of his energy drink.
As he got closer to the door, Raph uncorked his drink.
"Coming through, Raph!"
Mikey leaped over Raph's head, planting his hand on Raph's head and launching himself over his brother. Michelangelo entered into the bathroom before Raph could with an obnoxious laugh.
"Hahahaha!" Mikey snorted.
"Agh!" Raph growled. "Mikey! I was first in line! Open this door right now!"
Raphael banged against the door a few times.
"Why thanks Raph! Don't mind if I do!"
Mikey briefly opened the door only to snatch the Zipline drink from Raph's hands. Immediately, he closed the door again.
"Mikey!" Raph growled. "One of these days, I'm gonna make you eat your own nunchucks!"
Finally, Raph gave up. Michelangelo always loved getting on his nerves and it was something he had to live with day in and day out.
"Ugh, what's the point," Raph finally sighed, turning away from the bathroom.
"Little brothers can be so annoying, can't they?"
Raphael found himself face to face with Torbin Zixx.
"My guest bedroom has a spare bathroom," Zixx told him. "You can use it if you want."
"I…" Raph was almost allergic to the idea of showing gratitude to Zixx.
However, he then remembered his situation and how he now had to possibly wait on Mikey for another fifteen to thirty minutes.
"Thanks, Zixx," Raph finally muttered.
"You say something?" Zixx leaned in.
"I said thanks," Raph told him again before walking off. "Now quit pushing your luck."
To be continued.
