Chapter 68

So excited I was for the new episode tomorrow! Here's the newest chapter please let me know what you think!


With only a week until the competition, Claire was stressed out about her routine. She was able to complete it fine in front of the guys and even in the studio, but a part of her started to over-analyze everything. She had seen competitions where people got docked points for such minimal stuff.

She sighed as she walked into the studio for work. Since she would have to doll herself up for the competition, she wore a simple black leotard. Valentine's Day was also coming up, but Raphael and the boys had to explain to Zoey, Holly, and Claire, that, since Master Splinter was Japanese, they were taught about Valentine's Day and White Day. Valentine's Day in Japan is where girls would give chocolates to boys and then, on March 14 one month later, the boys would reciprocate.

Zoey and Claire were invited by Holly to come over to her house after the competition weekend to make homemade chocolates for the boys. However, Zoey and Claire had a heated discussion about whether Holly was going to give Michelangelo giri-choko (courtesy chocolates) or honmei-choko (chocolate of love).

Samantha, a junior in a local college, came over to Claire. Although most people at the studio called her Sammie.

"Hey, so since you, Zoey, and a few of us are going to the competition, Coach Foucault wants us to demonstrate our routines. Plus he wants to show the younger kids what you need to be like in a competition."

"C-coach is here?" Claire asked nervously.

Coach Foucault was the original trainer of Zoey's sister Courtney and was recognized as one of the best coaches in the Northeast.

"Yeah, is Zoey coming?"

"She's in the locker room. She had a tear in her leotard she needed to fix."

Zoey, wearing her favorite pink leotard, walked out of the locker room and walked over to Claire and Sam.

"Hey, Zoey, you have your ribbon on you?"

"In my lock...aw man don't tell me we have to-"

"Yep..."


Claire decided to go first in the routines, just to get it over and done with. Her red clubs reminded her of Raphael's sais so she devised a plan. She had been watching him spar and train with his sais and hoped to utilize his moves.

The song, Played A Live by Safri Duo, began and Claire immediately started with a dramatic start. Her pivots and turns were strong. She spun her clubs around as flipped and lifted her legs high behind her.

Zoey watched, incredibly impressed, as Claire did her routine.

Claire even added a new part to the routine by tossing the sai behind her, having it stop on her back, and then bouncing it into the air before she caught it.

Once she finished, she struck what she felt was a ninja pose, her left leg stretched out in front of her, her right leg crouched tight behind her, her left hand, holding a club like a kunai blade, was in front of her chest. Her right hand was on the floor, holding the other club.

Everyone clapped, until Couch Foucault shook his head.

"I expect you to correct your mistakes. Your traps are far from where they need to be. Make sure you keep in time with the music, often you were a few seconds off. And, for God's sake, keep your face camera-ready! You need to make the judge's fall in love with your expression!"

Claire wrung her clubs together nervously as he talked. She felt guilty she hadn't been as good as he wanted.

He was representing her for the competition and she was disappointing him.

When Claire went back to the sidelines, Zoey put her hand on Claire's shoulder.

"You're fine. It was awesome!"


Since Claire was closing that night at the studio, she took the extra time to practice and try to improve her routine. While she was spinning her clubs in her hand and switching from her left leg being in the air to the right leg, Zoey walked over. The dark-haired girl was out of her leotard and wearing her black winter coat over a pair of jeans and white sweater.

"Hey, Leo is here to walk us to the Lair," Zoey said.

"I'm going to stick around for a little longer. You go ahead."

"Are you sure? It's pretty late."

"Yeah, if I need I'll just call Raph."

"Well, that's why Leo is coming. Apparently something happened with Spike."

Claire stood up from her position and stared wide-eyed at Zoey.

"What happened to him?"

"He mutated. He beat up Don and Mikey really bad and Raph is pretty upset. I'm going to run to the 24/7 store and get some medicine and supplies for them."

Zoey walked out of the studio, leaving Claire with her thoughts.

Claire was devastated. Spike was one of the cutest little reptiles she ever knew.

After another half an hour of practice, Claire locked up, set the alarm, and headed home. Right now, she knew Raphael probably wanted to be alone. And she wasn't in the best place herself to be cheering someone up.

Why was Couch Foucault so lenient with Zoey and the other girls but tough on Claire and Sam? All Claire wanted was to make the legendary couch proud of her.

A pizza delivery boy was running down the street ahead of her screaming. She rushed forward and caught him by the arm.

"What happened? Are you hurt?"

"Giant! Run!"

The boy kept running but Claire went to investigate. If this "giant" was a mutant, she had to find it and warn the boys. And if there was a canister with some ooze still in it, she could give it to Donatello for more retro-mutagen testing.

Trying to be careful, Claire opened her duffle bag and pulled out her police baton. She tried to listen to the littlest of sounds, but it was incredibly quiet.

She didn't hear the massive creature appear behind her. It was draped in a car cover with a hole to stick it's face through.

Claire whirled around and braced herself for some type of attack.

"I-I'm not going to hurt you. I want to help. My name is-"

"C...Claire?"

She stared up at the mutant with a confused expression.

"Do I know you?"

"My name is Slash," the creature said with a groan. "But you knew me...as Spike."

The turtle grunted and fell to one knee. Claire went to his side and cradled his head.

"My little Spike? What happened?"

He chuckled darkly.

"Fell off a roof. Hurt myself pretty good."

"Let's get you somewhere safe."


Claire led the large turtle to the previous Kraang detention facility the boys had told her and Zoey about. It was still empty and destroyed from when the turtles fought the Newtralizer.

Slash ripped off the car cover and showed his cracked shell to Claire. It almost seemed as if it was a clock that read 3:07, one small crack from the center to the first section of the shell and another, larger crack near the bottom. Two of the large spikes on the center of his shell were broken off.

"Oh, sweetie," Claire said wincing. "This looks painful."

She pulled out her phone and searched what to do for a normal turtle's cracked shell.

"Don't worry, I'm going to run to the store and get some stuff to treat you. Are you hungry? When did you eat last?"

Slash chuckled and laid on his stomach on the floor.

"You sound like a mama bird...but yeah, I could eat."

Claire rushed to the store, grabbing items the website said she would need, as well as a few food items. It took most of the money out of her bank account, but she was planning on asking for extra hours at work anyway to fix her routine. The clerk, recognizing her from the late night snack runs she and Zoey did, asked why she didn't come with her friend who was there only minutes before.

"Just a little busy."

When Claire got back, she started opening packages of cupcakes and muffins for Slash to eat while she repaired his shell.

"So...does Raphael know-"

"I didn't call him, if that's what you're asking. There's gotta be some reason you're out here in the cold rather than the Lair. Spill."

As Claire treated the wounds with an antibiotic cream first, Slash told her everything. About teaming up with Raph, trying to take out the turtles, and then him falling.

She almost stopped treating him when he described hurting Mikey and Don, but she knew he could die if his wounds weren't treated.

"Slash..." she said trying to use epoxy over the cracks. "Why? How did you become so violent?"

"I've always been like this," he said eating more food.

"But then why not hurt me? I'm sure I distract Raphael."

The turtle thought carefully, but memories of her kind smile and words clashed with thoughts of eliminating her.

He groaned and put his hand on his head.

"It's like a puzzle in my brain. There are so many pieces but some are blurry. I just try mashing them together to make them fit."

Claire silently continued to treat him but was wondering if maybe the ooze had affected Slash's personality. Based on the turtle's encounters, perhaps some people's anger and fury overcame them after their mutation.

One thing was certain: she knew her sweet little Spike was in there somewhere, and she was going to get him back.


For the next four days, Claire secretly took care of Slash's wounds. He was getting better and making the old auto garage his home. The girl was also taking up any extra shifts she could at the studio to make sure she was fully prepared for the competition.

A part of her knew she was ready, but after what couch Foucault said, she was becoming anxious and scared.

And all this time away from the Lair created a bigger problem: Raphael was growing suspicious. When he would ask her what was wrong, she knew he didn't believe that she needed the extra money and that was why she was taking shifts.

So it didn't come as a shock to her when he snuck into the studio once everyone else had left. She had been working on her club routine but seemed out of focus.

"Your technique looks great. Why are you so stressed?" he said walking over to her.

He brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she sighed.

"Foucault sounds disappointed in me. I want to make him proud of me..."

"Zoey told us about how he had you guys demonstrate, but I don't think it's as bad as you think. Back when we were kids, Master Splinter used to always correct us instead of encourage us. One time, Donnie snapped and started going on about if he couldn't do it right, he was going to give us being a ninja. I think then it kicked in for sensei to explain why he always was tough on us: he knew we could be the best. I guess he thought if he was too easy on us, we wouldn't try our best."

Claire smiled and hugged Raphael tightly.

"I love you."

He blushed and cleared his throat.

With a mumble, he said "love you too."

OC Fact Time! Holly is petrified of driving. She lost her father in a car accident two years ago in a snowstorm. She has since not attempted to drive and rarely can stand being in a car.