story by Jephael
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This story takes place in February of 1999.
Irma yawned as she and April O' Neil walked down the street. "I had the weirdest dream last night that you and Shredder fell in love at a masquerade ball!"
"Ugh, why would I ever want to be in a relationship with that creep?! Besides he's dead now!"
"Well, I was watching that new Romeo and Juliet movie before I went to sleep. After all, Valentines is a few days away, and you know I get!"
"That's not exactly a romantic comedy, like you usually watch this time of year."
"I've been getting sick and tired of all those cheesy, unrealistic happy endings."
April let out a giggle. "You're crazy, Irma!"
"Gee, thanks. So where are the Turtles?"
"They should be here any minute. I told them we'd meet up at this exact spot."
"Why near a run down tech warehouse?"
"Because this is near the spot we first met her." answered Donatello as he and the rest of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles approached.
"Yea, I'll never forget that very first episode!" Raphael quipped.
"So why did you want to meet us here, April?" Leonardo asked.
"The chief asked me if I would like to do an in depth report on some of the adventures we've been on throughout the years. And what better place to start then the first time you rescued me from Shredder's goons?"
"Whoa, that's a mondo cool idea! I wonder if Bebop and Rocksteady wouldn't mind reenacting some of the fights we've had with them!" Michaelangelo suggested.
"I dunno, that might mess with their heads a little too much, especially since Raphael still gives them a hard time every now and then." Donatello remarked.
"Well, they can be so klutzy! Remember what happened to the fondue pot during our New Years party?"
"True, but you shouldn't raise your voice at them." Leonardo replied. "Deep down they're like a couple of big kids!"
"Maybe we could focus on the adventures that they weren't involved in." Donatello suggested. "There was quite a handful of stuff we all went through separate from each other back in 1990."
"Like when I met Bugman, or when Raphael got his brain switched with a cab driver?" Michaelangelo brought up.
"Or when Leonardo wouldn't stop bossing us around, so we zapped him with that personality altering ray?" Raphael added.
April sighed. "Well, I guess we could go that route, but the boss really wanted us to cover most of the times you faced off against Shredder and Krang!"
"Look, why don't we go to Channel 6 and talk it over with... what's your new manager's name again?" Donatello asked.
"His name's Lee Michael James." Irma answered.
"He has three first names?" Raphael asked.
"Nope, James is his family name, and Michael is his middle name. He usually likes to be called Chief anyway."
"Well, I'm just glad the dude is so fond of us!" Michaelangelo remarked.
"Right. Remember how Burne Thompson used to treat us like we were a menace?" Donatello mentioned.
"Oh, please don't bring him up again!" Raphael griped.
"Oh, don't worry about Burne, guys! He retired shortly after that whole ordeal with those H.A.V.O.C. mutants!" Irma exclaimed.
"So why did you and Vernon stay at Channel 6 after Burne and April quit?" Leonardo asked.
"I never officially quit, guys. I just went on sabbatical around the time that Dregg started popping up in the city!" April mentioned
"Boy all of this reminiscing is making me hungry. What say we check in on Zach and Buffy over at-"
"I'm gonna have to stop you right there, buddy!" Raphael interjected before Michaelangelo could finish. "Buffy and Zach told us that they've been getting complaints from the customers that some of their pizzas were missing slices, and it usually happens when you're around!"
Mikey made a sheepish grin. "Well, I was just making sure they were all coming out just right!"
"You don't eat the customers' food, Mikey! Buffy could get fined with a serious health code violation!" Donatello said sharply.
"And you don't want to risk jeopardizing this opportunity to be the face of your own pizza parlor!" Leonardo added.
"Okay, I'm sorry!"
"We're not the ones you need to apologize to." Raphael stated sharply. "Now come on, lets get out of the cold and head to Channel 6!"
About halfway back to the news station the group spotted what looked like an old, overweight gentleman in a trenchcoat and fedora.
"Whoa, that dude's wearing the kinda duds we used to wear when went out in disguise!" Michaelangelo pointed out.
"Wait a minute." April said as she walked up to the person. She couldn't help shake the feeling she knew this person. "Pardon me, sir?"
"Yea, what do you wa-?" The man said as he turned around and looked April right in the face. "April O' Neil?!"
"Mr. Thompson?!"
Sure enough, it was Burne Thompson. "Yea, it's me. Wow, you look like you haven't aged a day."
"Sorry that I can't say the same for you."
"Well, I have been kinda drowning my sorrows with a lot of Philadelphia cheesesteaks! I never got quite over what happened to Channel 6, no thanks to that villain Shredder!"
"You mean you no longer blame the Turtles?"
"Nah, I came to terms with the fact that you were right all along. I just wish I had the chance to... hey, is that them there with Irma?"
Irma, Leonardo and Michaelangelo all waved to Mr. Thompson, though Donatello and Raphael maintained stoic as they were both somewhat bitter over the way the former news manager used to treat them.
"Why yes. We're actually on the way to see the current news manager over at the new Channel 6 building. Would you like to join us?"
"No, not really. Those days are behind me. I'm just a fat old man wallowing in his regrets. But if you would like to catch up with me, I'll be at the Far East Animal Society where my old girlfriend Tiffany has been working."
"Gee, I feel kinda sorry for him." Irma said sympathetically.
"Same here, dudette." Mikey added.
"Not me. That guy was a jerk!" Raphael boasted.
"I agree. He loved giving us a bad rap! I kinda hope Obento has Usagi kick him out of the animal shelter the minute he gets there!" Donatello said in disgust.
Leonardo shook his head, ashamed at how petty his two brothers were behaving at that moment.
Several minutes later, April, Irma and the Turtles were at the new Channel 6 building.
"Ah good, I'm glad to see you're all here!" Lee Michael James said in excitement as he called his secretary over. "Julie, be a dear and fetch our honored guests some beverages."
"Sure thing, honey!"
"Honey? Don't tell me you two are-" Donatello started to assume.
"Oh no, I treat everyone that way, sugar. It's kind of a southern thing. I'm originally from Virginia!" the young lady said.
"She sure has made my job a whole lot easier!" Irma boasted.
"Anyway, April here was discussing with us what you had in mind about doing a special report on us." Leonardo said to Mr. James
"Oh right! So after April and Irma's old boss used Mr. Fenwick to besmirch your name at such a crucial point in your heroic endeavors to beat your arch nemesis, I realized it caused so much distrust in the city, it was no wonder Dregg was able to convince them that he was good, which almost cost us the entire planet! But I'm getting ahead of myself here. We want to start at the beginning of your story and work our way to where you are now, having recently turned three of your former foes into trustworthy allies."
"Well, I wouldn't say they're trustworthy!" Raphael joked.
"Speaking of our former boss, we all ran into Burne Thompson on our way here, just a couple of blocks away!"
"That's quite a coincidence. As much as I don't care for the way he mistreated the Turtles, he was an amazing journalist once upon a time." Mr. James replied. "I wouldn't mind getting his perspective of how things transpired over the years."
"I invited him to join us here, but he declined." April said.
"Yea, the dude's on his way to meet up with an old flame, who apparently now knows some old friends of ours!" Michaelangelo replied.
"I don't really know if we should do this report. I mean we were never that keen on being in the spotlight before." Leonardo spoke.
"That's because we were a lot more naive about humans back then." Donatello remarked. "Not all humans are judgmental creeps, like Burne Thompson was!"
"Age certainly plays a role in that!" April's boss commented. "It's been said that those past the age of 40 struggle to accept change."
"Tell me about it! My grandfather once threw a fit when he saw me using a compact disc player." Irma replied.
"I don't exactly agree with Leo here, but I do feel like we really should leave the past where it belongs, and not bring up old wounds." Michaelangelo said. "I'd rather we talk about all of the good we're doing for the city currently, not all the crazy shit that happened ten years ago!"
"He does make a good point." April replied. "I'd rather not reminisce about all those times I had to be rescued from various criminals, let alone Shredder and his goons!"
Mr. James nodded understandingly. "Well, I guess we don't have to go that route if reliving those bad memories makes you upset. But what else is there to talk about? Like, what do you guys do in your free time, besides eating pizza and playing video games like other teenagers?"
"Well, we all have our unique personalities and interests." Donatello began to exclaim. "I'm the inventive genius, Leonardo's the cunning warrior, Raphael's the hot-headed, yet lovable jokester, and Michaelangelo just likes to have fun! But in the end, it's what we all have in common that makes us both a team and a family!"
"Oh my Gosh, that's it!" Lee Michael James said in excitement. "Of course! You're more than heroes! Using your ninja skills to fight crime is just a job, but deep down, you want to be like the rest of us!"
"Exact-a-mungo, dude!" Michaelangelo replied. "Like ask us about our dream jobs!"
"You mean our dream jobs!" Raphael said in a snarky manner as he spun his finger around, pointing at himself, Leonardo and Donatello. "Yours already came true, two stories ago, pizza dude!"
"Two stories?"
"Uh, nevermind, Mr. James." Leonardo replied, not wanting to explain their silly habit of addressing the audience. "We should really go catch up with Mr. Thompson at the animal shelter. I've been meaning to pay Obento and Usagi a visit anyway."
"I'm still a little hurt that they didn't come to our holiday party at Cowabunga Pizza!." Michaelangelo said with a sigh as he and the other Turtles proceeded to leave. "I even whipped up a special carrot and asparagus pizza for them to enjoy!"
Irma began to follow them, but quickly turned back to notice April was still facing their new boss. "Aren't you coming along?"
"I'll catch up with you guys in a moment. I just wanted to chat with the chief concerning uh... a different story I'm working on!"
Irma made a concerned face before she was ushered out by Julie.
"Finally!" Mr. James said as he removed his human face, and outfit, revealing himself to be none other than the alien bat Wingnut. "I can't believe we've been masquerading as news people for over a year now, Screwloose."
The alien mosquito emerged from the guise of Julie. "Well, unfortunately, that's how long it took to get that blasted Mind Changer to work properly. Last time we were on Earth, we took over that military academy and brainwashed all of those teenage boys. But when that darn Zach kid and his Turtle friends showed up, they managed to foil my plans!"
"So we now know it works, because Miss O' Neil here has been following our orders quite well." Wingnut remarked as he adjusted a small tick shaped device that had been attached to the back of her neck, covered by her hair.
"Not exactly, Wingnut. My initial plan was to convince her to tell me where the Turtles live, but apparently her own willpower managed to fight back, as she refused to betray them. So I had to resort to my second plan, and have you as Lee Michael James tell her that you wanted to have her do an indepth report on her history with them!!"
"Yea, and that's how you got them out of hiding! So what's the problem?"
Screwloose let out an exasperated sigh. "The problem, you ding-bat, is that unless I can figure out a way to make the Mind Changer's effects permanent, the moment she leaves this building, our control over her will wear off again, and my plans to make the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles our personal slaves will be ruined!!!"
"Aw man, that sucks! Hey, we should probably send her down to meet up with them before they get suspicious!"
"Oh very well. Hopefully by the time they come back later in the evening, we'll have the Mind Changer ready for them!" Screwloose said with a laugh as he turned to April. "Miss O' Neil, as soon as you leave this office, I want you to forget everything Wingnut and I had just discussed! Got it?"
"Your wish is my command." April said in a monotone voice as she obediently left. Once she got back to the lobby, she found Irma and the Turtles waiting patiently for her. "Hi guys. I hope you weren't waiting too long."
"Nah, it's only been like five minutes... and twenty-three seconds." Raphael joked as they all left Channel 6.
"So what did the chief want?" Irma asked.
"Oh just... huh, that's funny. I can't seem to recall anything that happened after I stayed behind."
"How well do you guys know Mr. James and his secretary?" Leonardo asked in a concerned voice.
"Yea, I have to admit, there's something weird about those two!" Donatello said.
"I was having the same de ja vu type vibes as well." Michaelangelo added.
"Now that I think about it, Lee Michael James is a rather peculiar name to go by." Irma said.
"Oh, you guys are just being paranoid!" April said with a giggle.
"Hey Donatello, where'd you park the Turtle Van?" Raphael asked as he noticed that it was beginning to rain.
"Not to worry. I recently installed a special remote control system, so I can summon it to wherever we are." Don explained as he pressed a button on his Turtle Comm.
"Far out, dude!" Michaelangelo stated.
Within minutes, the Turtle Van showed up and they were on their way to the Far East Animal Society.
Back at Channel 6, Screwloose was having a very difficult time trying to figure out how to get the Mind Changer to work the way he wanted it to so he could permanently brain-wash the Ninja Turtles. "Oh, this is hopeless! We'd have better luck controlling circus monkeys with this useless contraption!!!"
"So what do we do now?" Wingnut asked.
"That mind control chip we planted on the back of O' Neil's head is still active! Maybe we can amplify the signal by a few blocks. Then when they head back this way from seeing her old boss, we can command her to... damn! If her willpower is too strong to give away the Turtles' hide out, she won't want to attack them either!"
"So, why don't we just attack them ourselves?"
Screwloose made a sly grin.. "Yes, that could work. We can even use the Mind Changer to make April put herself in danger to lure them to just the right spot!"
Meanwhile in Little Tokyo Town, April, Irma and the Ninja Turtles made their way to the animal shelter just as the storm subsided.
"Thank goodness the rain finally stopped!" Irma commented.
"For sure. It was pouring buckets the whole ride over here!" Michaelangelo added.
"Hold on a second, guys." Leonardo said before they exited the Turtle Van. "I was wondering. Do you think Tiffany might still be afraid of us?"
"Oh come on! If she's been hanging out with Usagi this whole time, I'm pretty sure she won't scream her head off at the sight of us!" Raphael said as they got out and entered the building.
"TURTLES!!!" the blonde woman in question shrieked in delight. "I was hoping you would all get here!"
"Uh yea, we were just having a talk with the current boss over at Channel 6." Irma replied.
"Well, come on in! Usagi, Obento, Burnsie and I were just listening to your sensei talk about the early days of your training."
"Master Splinter's here?" Leonardo said in shock.
"Of course I am here, my sons." the wise rat said as he approached them. "Obento and I have maintained our friendship for quite some time now, and together we have helped Usagi learn more and more about our world."
"Okay, so how did Tiffany end up working here?"
"After my third break up with Burnsie, I was in a pretty major funk! I started thinking about how dumb it was for me to be afraid of turtles or any other type of animals, just because of some dumb prank my idiot brother pulled on me. So I looked up the want ads to see if there were any type of pet shops or zoos that I could work at and get a better understanding of the animal kingdom. Next thing I know, I stumble upon an ad for this quaint little place. Obento and Usagi welcomed me in right away and told me how they're good friends with all of you!"
"Master Splinter, you are a sneaky little rat for keeping all of this from us over the years!" Raphael said in a teasing manner.
"It wasn't that difficult. None of you ever bothered to ask me about where I go when I head out on my retreats."
"I always presumed that it would've been considered rude to ask." Donatello said with a chuckle.
"So who was it that found out where Mr. Thompson had gone off to?" Michaelangelo asked.
"Believe it or not, Vernon played a big part in that." the former news manager answered. "Before I left the city all of those years ago, I confided in him that he was like a brother to me, and I promised to keep in touch. He knew exactly where I was this entire time."
"During the holiday party April and the others planned last December, Mr. Fenwick and I were discussing how he had managed to get over his fear of rats, which lead me to let slip that I knew of Tiffany overcoming her fear of turtles." Splinter exclaimed.
"So then Vernon contacted you to let you know where she was!" Leonardo said to Burne Thompson
"On New Years Eve, as a matter of fact! I started going on a diet right then and there, but I only managed to lose a couple dozen pounds. I figured that was my penance for being a jerk to you four over the years." Mr. Thompson said as he hung his head in shame.
"Hey dude, all is forgiven..." Michaelangelo said as he wrapped his arm around the former news hound, before looking sternly at Donatello and Raphael. "Right, dudes?!"
Donatello exchanged glances with Raphael and let out a sigh. "Well, if we can forgive the likes of Rat King, Bebop and Rocksteady, I guess we can forgive Burne Thompson." the brainy turtle said as he shook hands with Mr. Thompson.
"This calls for a celebration! Lets go to Cowabunga Pizza and-"
"Nope, you're still banned." Raphael interjected.
"Says you, bud!"
Obento had been sitting quietly with Usagi during the entire conversation, when Irma walked up to them. "Hi."
"Oh hello... Irma, isn't it?" the samurai rabbit spoke. "I remember once giving you several stuffed animals that I had won from a street vendor when I first arrived in this world so many years ago!"
"Yes, that was very thoughtful. I'm sorry that I assumed you were a mutant back then, but around here most talking animals are usually mutants... though sometimes they can be aliens from other planets or alternate dimensions like yourself."
Obento let out a laugh. "Tell us, Irma. If you could have any of these animals in my care as a pet, which one would you like?"
"Aw, that's so nice of you to offer! Well, maybe I could browse around just for the heck of it!"
"Hey guys, I hate to spoil this touching reunion and all, but the chief has been buzzing my cellular phone for the past three minutes." April said. "I think he wants to talk with us back at Channel 6!"
"Yea, Vernon's been telling me all about that Lee Michael James guy who took over after I left. Something's not quite right about that guy." Irma mentioned.
"You mean Mr. James or Vernon?" Raphael joked, causing both Michaelangelo and Tiffany to laugh as they were playing with several hamsters in an open pen.
April scoffed at their concerns. "Oh come on. He's a swell guy."
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you've got a crush on your new boss!" Raphael remarked.
"What?! Of course not! Don't be so silly! Though I have to admit, he is rather handsome."
"Okay, now I know something's up!" Irma said sternly.
"I guess it wouldn't hurt to do a little snooping." Donatello suggested.
"Guys, you're gonna get me in trouble!" April pouted.
"Okay, look, look, look! Why don't a few of us go with April back to Channel 6 and have a chat with Mr. James?" Burne Thompson said.
"Wait, you want to go back?" Michaelangelo asked.
"My interest wasn't that piqued up until now. I guess I'm a little bothered by how loyal April is to my replacement."
"Well, to be fair, you treated her badly just for having us as best friends!" Raphael commented.
"Well, that's all in the past, and I'm really concerned about April."
"I know. She's been acting sort of odd ever since we left Channel 6." Donatello mentioned.
"That settles it! Raphael and Michaelangelo, you take April, Irma and Burne Thompson back to Channel 6 in the Turtle Van! Donatello, you and I are going back to the lair with Master Splinter to do some research!"
"Ooh, this gives me a chance to try the new internet modem!" Don said in excitement.
"Tiffany, are you coming along?" Mr. Thompson asked.
"I'd rather not. After a heavy storm, earthworms usually show up on all over the sidewalks. I may have gotten over my fear of turtles, but worms still give me the creeps!"
"You wouldn't want to visit my world then, Miss Tiffany." Usagi replied.
"Y'all come back now!" Obento called out as their guests proceeded to leave. "I've always wanted to say that!"
Back at Channel 6, Screwloose had finished recalibrating the Mind Changer. "Finally! As soon as the Turtles get back here with Miss O' Neil, we can- Wingnut, what in the world are you doing?!"
"I'm trying out this funky potato costume!" the alien bat said as he put on a pair of sunglasses and a sombrero. "Now I'm ready to attack those Turtles in style!"
Screwloose grumbled as he noticed the Turtle Van just a few blocks away. "Oh shoot, they're almost here!" the mosquito said in excitement as he frantically powered up the Mind Changer and took out a microphone. "Miss 'O Neil, if you can hear me, have the Turtles meet us in the main lobby and- will you take that damn outfit off?!"
That very same moment in the van, April began to remove her yellow jumpsuit.
"O' Neil, what- what the heck are you doing?" Burne Thomson blurted out loud.
"Mr. James wants us to meet with him in the lobby."
"In our underwear?" Irma asked.
Back inside the news room, Wingnut was struggling to get out of the potato costume, which he ended up tearing in half. "Can't I at least keep the hat and shades on?"
"No, take all of it off!" Screwloose realized he had been shouting the same commands to April through the Mind Changer's microphone. In frustration he slammed it onto the ground and dragged Wingnut out of the studio.
Back in the van April was now completely naked, having taken off her boots and undergarments.
"Okay, now I know something weird is going on!" Raphael said as he and Michaelangelo both forced themselves to keep from looking at their best friend's bare bottom.
Irma managed to gather up all of April's clothes. "I dunno what's gotten into you, young lady, but- Mr. Thompson, what are you doing?"
"Call it a reporter's intuition." Burne replied as he looked closely into April's eye. "Irma, check the back of April's neck!"
"What for?"
"I think she might be under some kind of hypnotic mind control!"
"Now why didn't we suspect that?" Raphael asked sarcastically.
Just then Donatello called them up on the Turtle Van's communicator. "Hey guys, Leonardo and I did some digging on Lee Michael James, and came up with something rather interesting. He and his wife Julie were a pair of socialites who survived the sinking of the Titanic over eighty years ago, but they died in a tragic car accident in the year 1940!"
"So we're dealing with time travelers again?" Michaelangelo asked.
"No, not time travelers... stolen identities!" Leonardo corrected him. "Whoever April and Irma's new boss and secretary really are, they're using the names and likenesses of a couple who passed away decades ago!"
Irma managed to find the tick shaped device clamped to the back of April's head. "I found it!" she said as she managed to pry it gently off her friend.
April's eyes fluttered as she came back to her senses. "Oh, what the... AHH!!! Why am I standing around completely naked?!"
"Somebody's been mind controlling you, using this!" Irma showed April the deice that had been attached to her, while Burne Thompson, Michaelangelo and Raphael exited the van.
"Whoever this imposter really is, he is a sick pervert!" Raphael remarked.
"For sure. Who knows what kind of creepy shit he has planned." Mikey added.
"I won't stand by and let this creep besmirch the good name of Channel 6! Lets go, you two!" Burne ordered as he marched in with the two turtles flanking him. "Okay, Mr. James! Nobody makes one of my best reporters take off her clothes against her will!"
"Hah, you were right, Screwloose! She did hear your orders!"
"Shut up, Wingnut!"
"Screwloose... and Wingnut? Of course!" Michaelangelo said as it all clicked in his head "Those are the same bogus aliens me and Donatello helped Zach deal with when-"
"Oh for the love of pepperoni pizza, we don't have time for all of that exposition! We gotta take down these alien pests here and now!" Raphael interrupted as he drew out his sais in frustration.
"And people say I've always had a short fuse." Burne commented as they ran up the stairwell where they found Wingnut and Screwloose trying to dispose of their human costumes.
"Okay, that is just disturbing!" Raphael commented.
"All right, you bogus alien freaks! The jig is up!" Michaelangelo shouted.
"Looks like they got us dead to rights." Wingnut said as he and Screwloose raised their hands up.
"Huh, do they always give up this easy?" Mr. Thompson asked.
"Just the dumb ones." Raphael commented.
"Dumb?! I'll have you know I went through a lot of trouble getting that Mind Changer operational again after your friend Zach damaged it!" Screwloose said angrily.
Wingnut looked curiously at Raphael. "Hey, weren't you wearing purple that time?"
"No, that was my other bro Donatello." Michaelangelo exclaimed.
"We just saw all four of them together earlier today, you twit!!!" Screwloose shouted. "Gah, you know what?! To heck with all of this! I can make a better living gathering plankton chips from the barrier reef and selling them as organic snacks to the college students at Intergalactic U!"
"Why don't you dudes just go back to your home planet?" Michaelangelo asked.
"Because it's gone!" Wingnut said, suddenly bursting into tears. "After the last time you defeated us, we headed back to Huanu-"
"You mean Flagenon! I'll never understand where your people got the name Huanu from!" Screwloose retorted.
"Well, what the heck kinda name is Flagenon?! Not that any of it matters because when we got back there, it had been obliterated by a bunch of guys made out of rock."
"A bunch of guys made out of rock?" Raphael said as he and Michaelangelo looked in shock.
"Yea, we overheard one of them refer to himself as General Traag, and he was talking to some guy with a funny voice name-"
"Krang?" both turtles said at the same time.
"Yea, that's the guy. Can we uh, put our hands down?" Wingnut said as he composed himself.
"Sure, go ahead. Look, this is gonna sound like a wild coincidence, but Krang used to be an arch nemesis of ours from Dimension X." Michaelangelo said,
"Dimension X? Where's that?"
"It's kind of a long story. But here's the deal. If we were to use Donatello's dimensional portal to send you there, you could track down Krang and get even with him, But you have to promise never to cause anymore mischief here on Earth." Raphael said. "Is it a deal?"
"Sounds good to us!" Screwloose said as he and Wingnut shook hands with Raphael and Michaelangelo
"Hold on a second! What if Krang were to find out we were the ones who sent them to Dimension X to go looking for him?" Michaelangelo said in a concerned voice.
"Given the old brain bag's current mental state, I wouldn't worry." Raphael replied.
Just then, Irma arrived with a fully dressed April O' Neil. "Sorry we took so long. April was still in shock over- what the heck?!"
"I've been under mind control plenty of times before, but that was definitely the first time I was ever ordered to strip down to my birthday suit! Which one of those two creeps is responsible?!"
"That was kinda my fault." Wingnut said, taking the blame. "I was goofing around with some old costumes and Screwloose yelled at me to take them off, and accidentally shouted into the Mind Changer's command mic."
"So wait, were we working for you guys this entire time?" Irma asked.
"Yea, I was Lee Michael James and Screwloose was Julie."
"To be honest, I'm kinda glad this whole charade is over and done with!" the alien mosquito admitted. "I was getting sick and tired of doing that cheesy southern belle voice to fool everybody. Also... that Vernon guy wouldn't stop making goo goo eyes at me."
"I call dibs on breaking the news to him!" April said aloud.
Raphael and Michaelangelo couldn't help but chuckle.
Burne walked up to April and Irma. "Ladies, you've put up with a lot over the years when I was in charge. That's why even though I no longer have any direct say in the matter, I would really like to see the both of you take over as the news managers for Channel 6!"
"Really... the two of us?" Irma asked.
"I-I can't believe this!" April said in excitement. "But, do you think the current owners will accept us in that role?"
"They had better! But like I said, it's out of my hands. I'm heading back to the animal shelter to say goodbye to Tiffany one last time."
"You mean you're not sticking around?" Michaelangelo asked.
"Nah, I have some commitments back in Pennsylvania I have to deal with before I move up to Maine. I've always like their seafood up there. Who knows, maybe I'll get a job teaching aspiring young reporters the craft of journalism!"
"If that doesn't work out, you could always get a part-time job as some cranky old lighthouse keeper!" Raphael joked.
Burne let out a chuckle. "I really am sorry I never got to know you Turtles better, but that's just something I have to live with. So long, everyone!"
Several minutes later, Michaelangelo and Raphael were back at the lair, along with Wingnut and Screwloose who they brought with them in the Turtle Van.
"Okay, dudes. You can remove the blindfolds!" Mikey stated.
"How about that? We got to see their hideout after all!" Wingnut mentioned.
"I'm afraid you're not getting the full tour here. We're taking you straight to the lab so Donatello can send you off to Dimension X!" Raphael exclaimed.
"Then we can get even with that Krang jerk for what he did to our home planet!" Screwloose said in excitement.
Leonardo and Master Splinter showed up to help escort the two aliens into the lab where Donatello was firing up the pan-dimensional portal generator.
"Okay, you two. This is a one way trip! We really don't want Krang to get wind of how you both made your way to Dimension X!" Don exclaimed.
"Don't worry! When we're done with Krang, there won't be anything left of him but a bloody smear on some gravel!" Wingnut said in a menacing tone.
"Uh, right. Good luck with that!" Leonardo said, somewhat concerned.
Donatello proceeded to open the portal, which Wingnut and Screwloose leaped into, and the portal quickly closed.
"Do you think they're really going to be able to kill Krang?" Michaelangelo asked.
"They won't get to. He's already dead!" Don replied.
"What?" Leo, Mike and Raphael all shouted together.
"Yea, I was talking with our old pals the Neutrinos while preparing the portal, and they told me that General Traag was upset that he and the other Rock Soldiers never got the chance to invade Earth, so they revolted against Krang who happened to be working on some powerful explosive, which ended up wiping out all of them."
"So that means all life in Dimension X is now free from Krang's rule?" Leonardo asked.
"Precisely! Come to think of it, I feel kinda bad for not letting Wingnut and Screwloose in on that information."
"Hopefully, they will not be too disappointed when they find out." Splinter stated. "Now, what say we go over to Cowabunga Pizza?"
"I can't go because I'm banned apparently!" Michaelangelo griped.
"Yes, Raphael told me about you eating the customers' pizzas. However, I spoke with Zach and Buffy the other day and they said all is forgiven and you are welcome back... so long as you be well supervised!"
Michaelangelo looked nervously at all three of his brothers who were smirking menacingly at him. "Uh what- why are you dudes looking at me like that? Oh come on, I learned my lesson! No, not the bib!!! I outgrew that dumb years ago!!! Man, this so humiliating!!!"
"Maybe you'll think about that next time you steal paying customers' food!" Leonardo said, as he, Donatello and Raphael all laughed at Michaelangelo's expense.
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