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On a secluded, empty apartment rooftop, a gaggle of teens stood in a circle. They collectively cheered and whooped with joy.
"One more, one more, one more!" Leo, Mikey and Donnie chanted together.
Raph stood in the middle of the mini circle, choking slightly as he shoveled another marshmallow into his large, bulging mouth.
"I think he's gonna burst!" Mikey shrieked, hiding behind Donnie just in case Raph decided to projectile over them.
"Nah, he can handle one more," Leo insisted, patting his older brother's spiked carapace. "Can't ya, big guy?"
Raph made a muffled sound of protest.
"See? Perfectly fine."
"One problemo, 'Nardo," Donnie lifted up the empty bag. "We ran out."
"Huh. Well that's a bummer."
"I told you we should have bought the jumbo size!"
"Those are way too big. I need some marshmallows for my late night hot coco!"
"It's always about you, isn't it?"
"Yes!"
"Jumbo sized would have worked better! Admit it!"
"Never!"
"Guys..." Mikey whimpered, eyes widening as he saw Raph start to gargle unintelligible sounds. "Um...guys!"
They all cringed as he spat out soggy marshmallow gunk.
"Ewwww!"
"Gross!"
"That's disgusting- I can't even look."
Raph wiped his mouth triumphantly. "I did it."
"No, you didn't. It only counts if you keep them in for a minute."
"Alright," Raph walked over to Donnie. "How long were you and Leo arguing?"
"Um, lemme check," Donnie glanced at his tech gauntlet, humming. "One minute and seventeen seconds."
Raph grinned, pumping his fist in the air. "Booya!"
Leo and Raph dissolved into more petty bickering, but Mikey wasn't having any of that. He frowned, peering towards a lone A/C vent. He swore he heard some movement from behind it. "Shh!" He hissed at his squabbling brothers who abruptly stopped. "Do y'all hear that?"
"Hear what?"
The box turtle looked serious. "I think we're being watched. Keep your voices down."
Donnie pulled down his goggles. "If we are, I'll be able to tell." He started to speak abnormally loud. "So if someone is out there hiding, you better just come out now."
There was a high pitched yelp. Then a crash.
The brothers looked at each other in concern as two teenagers- a boy and a girl tumbled out from behind the vent.
"Ow...some kunoichi I turned out to be." The girl groaned.
"Red, you've seriously gotta work on your stealth skills," The boy teased, helping her stand up.
"Gasp, humans!" Donnie yelled, flailing his arms like a maniac. "Everyone act naturally."
Leo strolled forward. "Why hello there! We're just on our way to the local science fiction convention-"
"We need your help." She cut him off. "Please."
There was a long pause.
"Uhhh say what now?"
The girl was only a few years older than them. She was petite, with flaming red hair, blue eyes and an abundance of freckles dotting her rosy cheeks. She wore a yellow shirt, jean shorts and black boots. What surprised, no, concerned them the most was how she reacted to their appearance. There was no fear in her eyes, in fact she looked as though she recognized them.
The boy on the other hand, was the antithesis of her. He was tall and lanky, with wild black hair tied back with a messy bandanna. He wore ripped jeans and a black hoodie.
"Woah! We really are in a 'nother dimension." The boy gave a gap toothed grin, looking as though he had been whacked in the head one too many times. "Holy similar, more turtles!"
"Whaaaaat?" Mikey gaped. "We don't know what you're talking about, yo! We're just normal human teens."
"We know you're really mutant turtles, so you don't need to pretend that you're in costume," The girl said quickly.
"Were you two following us?" Raph asked.
"No...I mean...yes?" She sighed. "We were following you, but I promise we're not evil or anything."
"What gives?" Leo folded his arms. "Who are you and why were you doing the whole 'creepy stalking in the shadows deal'?"
She glanced at them wearily before taking a deep breath. "My name is April O'Neil."
"No way!" Mikey exclaimed. "We know April O' Neil too!
"Except she doesn't look anything like you," said Raph thoughtfully. "Our April isn't some white girl. No offence."
"And...you are?" Donnie glanced at the boy with an uninterested expression, eyebrows raised.
"The one and only Casey Jones!" The strange boy slicked his hair back and did a goofy air guitar pose. "Dude, are you a cyborg?" He reached a hand out to touch Donnie's purple battle shell, who promptly slapped it away. "That is so metal!"
“Casey, focus!” New April scolded.
"Okay, we have your names but who exactly are you?"
April, still distraught, continued with her explanation. "We're not from here. We're from another alternate dimension. Which might explain why there's another April living here, that you guys know. And there are other mutant turtles that we know. Our friends."
"Another dimension." Raph repeated. "Other mutant turtles?"
"Where's the other Casey Jones? Is he as handsome as me?" Casey whined, trying to sneakily poke Donnie's shell again, only to be smacked in the face by one of his robotic spider appendages.
April continued. "Our friends were trying to stop these series of earthquakes created by the Kraang."
"The who??" Leo questioned.
"Evil aliens that resemble brain blobs but hide in robot bodies that want to mutate the Earth into a replica of their homeworld: Dimension X."
"Ah, makes sense. Keep going."
"We managed to find a series of portal doors leading to different dimensions. We were going to enter the one to Dimension X- but then they found us." She swallowed. "The Kraangdroids started attacking us, and there were so many...we were outnumbered. Leo, Mikey, Donnie, Raph, and I—”
"And Casey Jones!" Casey interjected.
"-fell into this portal leading to," She gestured around the saturated, flatter world. "Here."
"What happened to your turtle compadres?"
"They were kidnapped by a giant mutant hippo!" Casey exclaimed.
"Hypno..." The four turtles from this dimension muttered in unison.
"We really need your help to get our boys back and stop the Kraang from invading Earth." April said.
Raph looked at New April and Casey suspiciously, turned back to his younger brothers, then back at April and Casey. "Can you excuse us for a second?"
"Sure." "No problem!"
"Huddle up boys," Raph gathered the turtles in a circle like they were in a football match. "You know what this means right?"
"Do alternate dimensions exist?" Leo squealed. "Ooh that reminds me of that Lou Jitsu movie: Lou Jitsu vs. Lou Jitsu! You know the one, where he fights his clone."
"And aliens are real! Like in Jupiter Jim!" Mikey added.
"Yes, but what else?"
"The multiverse may or may not be a thing and there are other versions of ourselves?" Donnie stated dryly. "Come on. This sounds ridiculous, they're probably two drunk idiots messing with us. I need a proper scientific explanation before I start trusting these clowns." He narrowed his eyes at Casey, who winked. "I can do a full brain scan in twenty seconds-"
"Blah blah blah science blah!" Leo snarked. "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, Don! How many times do you get to say you saved yourself? That's like, the coolest thing ever."
"Plus, we're heroes. That's what we do," Raph agreed. "Other April made it sound like we're her only hope."
"Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope!" Leo batted his eyelashes and pretended to faint.
"I still think we should..."
"I wonder what other me is like!" Mikey giggled. "Does he like comics? Pizza? Cartoons? Painting? I can't wait to meet him! We'll totally be BFFs!"
"Three against one, D. '' Raph shrugged, turning to face New April and the strange boy Casey. "Alright, we'll help you save your friends. The Mad Dogs are on the case!" He put his hands on his hips. "We may be small-time superheroes, but our resume includes rescuing kitty cats from trees, beating up paper thieves, and battling rampaging mutants!" He listed off each groundbreaking achievement with his fingers.
"That last one we're still working on," Leo quipped.
April looked at them in relief, staring off into the distance. "Thank you. Let's hope they're alright."
"Guys, what is she looking at?" Mikey whispered.
"Shhh she's doing the dramatic look into the distance thing."
"Ohhhhhh."
Leonardo woke with a swollen, bleeding lip and aching joints. He groaned, silently frustrated that his body was taking forever to properly adjust and wake up. It was too dark and too blurry for him to see anything, and every movement he made caused his limbs to burn.
Blearily, he blinked and opened his blue eyes, wondering where on Earth he could be. He had no prior memories of being captured, so he was left with his own foggy recollections on how he ended up in this situation. He tried to move again, the rattling of chains snapping him fully awake at once. Which would explain why his wrists hurt like hell. It wasn't just his wrists though, oh no, it was also his legs, plastron, upper arms, and ankles. It was absurdly elaborate.
All in all, not a great start to the week.
It wouldn't be so terrible if he had any idea how he got there in the first place. He didn't see who nabbed him. Just a bright pink light, a giant top hat for some reason and then...well, nothing else. This couldn't couldn't Kraang related (although they had been fighting then last, this didn't seem to be Kraang-y), certainly not Shredder. Maybe Blister Stickman? Or some miscellaneous mutant who wanted revenge for whatever reason. The turtles had so many enemies that it was hard to keep track of them all.
He was about to contemplate further, when he heard a groan. He twisted his neck to see Donatello waking up near him. He wasn't bound, but instead trapped in a tall glass cylinder box. Confused and disoriented, he started banging on the glass, shouting words that Leo couldn't hear. One way glass.
"What the shell?"
To his right, lay Raphael tied up in rainbow scarves, which would have been a funny sight had the circumstances been different. He was awake and was furiously thrashing about.
He didn't see Michelangelo anywhere, which was concerning.
"What's the big idea? What is this?" Raph demanded, glaring at Leo as if this was all his fault. "Where's Mikey?"
Donnie seemed to be saying something too, but no one could hear it.
"Mikey?" Leo called out, growing anxious.
"Uh...dudes? Little help here?"
"Do you hear that?" He asked Raph, since Donnie was unable to answer. They all collectively looked around the room. It was empty, save for a giant top hat.
"Bros, I'm stuck!" cried Mikey again.
"You don't suppose...?"
The hat started to shake.
"No way." Raph grumbled.
"That's not possible."
"I'm in the hat, yo!"
Leo blinked. "Can...can you get out of the hat?"
"If I could get outta it, do you think I'd be yelling for help??"
"Of all the things to trap us..." Raph said, shaking his head in disbelief. "Chains I get. Scarves, maybe. But a freakin' hat? Whoever kidnapped us must be nuts."
"Or really obsessed with magic tricks," The hat- er Mikey commented.
"Do we know anyone who likes magic tricks?" Leo wondered. "I don't..."
Heavy footsteps entered the room, interrupting their very important discussion. "Finally you blasted reptiles are awake!"
All heads turned to face the stranger. He was a plump mutant hippopotamus clad in a purple suit and a pink turban resting atop his head. He crossed his arms, tapped his hooves irritably and scowled at his prisoners in exasperation.
"Who are you?" Leo demanded. "What do you want with us?"
The hippo started to laugh. He laughed for what seemed like several minutes, cackling so much that tears started to form from his eyes. "Crikey, you don't remember who I am? Stop spinning a yarn, you're offending me! We're old chums, eh?" His only reply was blank stares. He stroked his beard. "Although, you do look a wee bit different..."
"Hypno, darling~" another voice, this one sounding more irritated said. The second strangest creature any of the turtles had seen appeared, hopping on top of the hippo's broad shoulder. He was another mutant, a purple worm with a blond pompadour. "These aren't the turtles!"
The hippo- Hypno apparently looked confused. "But they are turtles...?"
"No, no. Look closely," The worm wiggled off Hypno and pointed at Leo. "The blue one doesn't have red stripes on his face. And the red one is much too small! These are obviously other turtles. Perhaps from another world..."
"Is anyone going to explain what's going on here?" Raph growled. "Who are you hideous freaks?"
Now it was the worm's turn to maniacally laugh. "I am World famous reporter Warren Stone, longtime enemy of the ninja turtles!" He struck a pose.
"We've literally never seen you before." Leo said.
"I can't even see them!" Mikey complained.
"And this is my roommate, slash accomplice, slash boyfriend, slash it's complicated Hypno Potamus. Only I get to call him Ron though~"
"Cool, never heard of you, don't care." snapped Raph.
"Never heard of me? Ugh! The nerve of this guy!" Warren huffed. "They really must be from an alternate dimension if they've never heard of me. Me! Warren Aloysius Stone!"
"Quite right!" Hypno agreed. "How do you suppose they got here?"
"How should I know? You're the one with the amazing magic powers!"
"Amazing, y'say? Warren, dearest, you flatter me."
"If you could just show us the exit that would be..."
"It's true, my love." Warren blushed.
"Ahem!" Leo cleared his throat. "We're still here. Hi."
"So, what you're saying is..." Hypno looked sheepishly at Warren. "We captured the wrong turtles somehow?"
"That's precisely what I'm saying," Warren leaped back into his boyfriend's hands.
"That's embarrassing."
"Not necessarily. I think we can use this predicament to our advantage." His lips curled into a sinister smirk.
Leo shared a looked with Raph. These fools seemed as competent as two paperclips, but they needn't be so cocky. They didn't even know where they were, and there was a strong chance Warren and Hypno were more powerful than they thought. Dimwitted didn't mean they couldn't be dangerous.
After the mutant earthworm and hippopotamus had their mostly silent conversation, they turned back to their hostages with matching evil grins.
"Do it." Warren sneered. "Start with the red one. Once this is complete, we'll send them like a gift basket to Big Mama!"
"Big who??" Raph growled, struggling against his bindings. "Oh you wait till I'm outta of this, I'll clobber you! I'll stick my sai right up your big ugly snout! And you," He snarled at Warren. "I'll just step on you."
"A'ight chum," Hypno chuckled darkly as he approached Raphael. "Now this'll only be difficult if ya make it difficult. So behave yarself, and we'll have a right good time."
"No, don't!" Leo protested. "You're making a mistake. Do whatever you must to me, not my brothers."
"Touching." Hypno clicked his tongue. "Truly, I'm weeping at your noble sacrifice. How 'bout I do all three of you at once?"
"Four!" Mikey corrected angrily from the hat. "There's four of us!"
"Who cares? Just brainwash them already!" Warren demanded.
"I changed my mind. I think I'll do the lil' one first," Hypno reached into the hat and pulled out a fluffy white rabbit. "Oops. My bad." He cleared his throat, embarrassed and picked up a struggling Mikey with the other hand.
"No!" Leo and Raph chorused. Donnie banged on the glass with both fists.
"Let me go!" Mikey shouted.
"Keep your eyes open lad," Hypno snarled. "Cause this'll be the last thing you'll ever remember."
All of their eyes went wide as the mutant shouted a powerful spell, causing Mikey's pupils to spiral.
"MEZMER-ROOOOOOON!"