CLARISSE

August 31, 1995

2 Days, 10 Hours

ANNA:

I sat on the edge of the hospital bed, brushing the little girl's hair back from her sleeping face. She had not yet woken up. I sighed, wishing that there were something more I could do for her. Leonardo's words haunted me. If he didn't get what he was after, he'll be back. I shuddered. Who would do such a thing? What would motivate a man to take so many innocent lives?

"Anna?" a quiet voice called from the door. "Er, I guess it's Miss Anna now, isn't it?"

I turned and saw a teenaged girl in the doorway. Her long red hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and she was wearing a T-shirt and a pair of jeans that looked slightly too big. She smiled nervously. I returned the smile, glad to see a familiar face. "It's okay, Clarisse," I assured her. "Come in. Please."

She stepped into the room and shut the door behind her. "There's something I need to tell you," she mumbled. "But I'm kind of afraid of what might happen. I guess that's why I haven't said anything yet."

I pulled my hands into my lap and gave her my undivided attention. "What's wrong?"

She avoided my gaze, staring instead at the little girl on the bed. "Is she okay?" she asked.

"She's in a coma," I explained. "But they think she'll be okay whenever she wakes up."

Clarisse sighed. "Jamie has internal bleeding," she whispered, looking down. "They're surprised she's lived this long."

"I'm sorry," I offered, feeling her grief. I, too, had known Jamie. I'd only recently left that floor as one of the children that was being cared for, and moved to another floor where I was one of the caretakers. "I should go see her."

Clarisse shook her head. "She's on so many painkillers, she wouldn't even recognize you. She was really close to the building, with a baby in her arms."

"Was the baby okay?"

She smiled faintly and nodded. "Completely unharmed." She looked down at the little girl in the bed and rested a hand on her forehead, avoiding the tubes that ran into her body. "It's just really hard to... to stand back and watch her die."

Clarisse began to cry. I stood and wrapped my arms around her. She clung to me, burying her face in my hair. Only two years younger than me, Clarisse was nearly a foot taller. But it made no differnce as we hugged each other and cried. Finally, she tried to speak. But I didn't understand her. "What?" I asked, pulling away.

"I said I know why," she sobbed, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Why what?"

"Why it happened. Why someone bombed the home."

I stared at her, shocked, and brushed my own eyes. "Clarisse, what do you mean?"

She stared down at the floor for a long time, then raised her eyes to mine. "There's a rumor going around," she choked. "It got brought over with a Patty's sister, when she came to visit."

I thought for a moment. Patty's sister. That was Christina. "Patty thought she was just being silly, but I believe her. Because I saw them, too."

"Saw who?"

"The Turtles. They were at the building. And they helped to get the girls out."

I nodded. "I know."

"Christina said that they came here," she whispered. "That you talked to them."

I stared at her, reluctant to admit that. "Clarisse, you can't tell people about that," I pleaded.

"I know," she sighed, forcing a smile. "I haven't. And I won't. Like I said, no one really believes it. But I was wondering..." She looked up at me. "Can you tell them something for me?"

I nodded. "What do you want me to tell them?"

"Tell them that he's after me," she whispered. "Because I know things about the foot clan."

MICHAELANGELO:

The knock on the door was unexpected. It couldn't be April; I'd just gotten off the phone with her. That only left one possibility. I looked toward the door, a little startled, and Leo stood up to answer it. "Anna," he greeted. He froze. Beyond him, I saw two figures. One was Anna, and I wasn't sure who the other was. My interest was suddenly peaked.

"I wouldn't have brought her here," Anna whispered, "except she has information you guys need to know now, and I had no other way to get ahold of you."

Leo stepped back, opening the door wider. Anna stepped inside, followed by another teenage girl. I guessed she was seventeen, with long red hair pulled back behind her head. Her skin was pale, but clean and smooth. She wore no makeup, or jewelry, and her clothes were a little too big. But she was really pretty.

"This is Clarisse," Anna introduced. "This is Leonardo and Michaelangelo."

Clarisse smiled. "Hi."

Anna cast a pleading gaze at Leonardo. "You might want to get your brothers. Maybe Splinter too. I think everyone's gonna want to hear this."

"Hear what?" Leo demanded.

"I know who bombed the building," Clarisse mumbled, looking down at the rug. "And why."

It was all the explanation Leonardo needed. He left the room quickly. I turned my attention to the two girls. "You can sit down," I invited, clearing away some of the mess. "If you can find a place to," I added, grinning.

Anna moved to the couch, and Clarisse perched nervously on the edge of the chair Leo had left. "Want something to drink?" I offered.

Clarisse shook her head. Anna smiled at me. "No, it's okay, Mikey."

Leonardo and Donatello walked back into the room. "Now Raph!" Leo called behind him.

Clarisse looked up and smiled nervously at Donny. He held a hand out to her. "I'm Donatello," he greeted. "You can call me Don."

"Clarisse," she whispered back, shaking his hand. She seemed slightly more at ease, noting his friendly smile.

Raphael stumbled into the room, tying his bandana behind his head. He'd been sleeping. "What the hell do you want, Leo?" he slurred. "I just..." He stopped as he saw the unfamiliar girl. "Oh."

Splinter came out of his room and joined us. "What is the problem?" he asked calmly.

Leo turned to Clarisse. "You have information about the bombing?"

Clarisse took a deep breath, and nodded. "Yes, I do."

"What do you know?" Raphael demanded.

She closed her eyes. "I know that the building was destroyed by a man named Shredder. I know that he did it because he wanted to kill me."

We all looked at each other. She couldn't have gotten that from the media. Shredder's name had never actually been mentioned in any news publication. The only one who knew he was the one behind the vast majority of the plots we dealt with was April, and she'd been sworn to secrecy.

"How do you know about Shredder?" I asked.

"And what does he want with you?" Leo continued.

"Give her room to speak," Splinter ordered. I looked to him briefly, then back at her.

She shifted nervously. "My brother was a student of his. A member of the foot clan. He did it as sort of a... vigilante mission." Her eyes closed and she sighed. "He was always doing things like that. Ever since he was thirteen and the police used him in a sting operation to bust a gas station selling cigarettes to minors. But this time he got in over his head."

"So he infiltrated the foot clan to get information about them?" Don asked.

"Hmm, now where have I heard this before?" I asked, grinning at Raphael. He glared back at me.

Clarisse stared at us for a moment, then sighed. "He visited me almost every day," she informed. "And he told me things, and said to go to the police if anything should happen to him. About a month ago, he just disappeared. I haven't seen him since."

"So you think Shredder found out he was giving you information," Leo assumed.

"Yes," she whispered.

"Doesn't explain why he'd blow up a whole building full of kids," Raph snapped.

"Yeah," Donny agreed. "Bombing is very non-confrontational. It doesn't fit his MO at all."

"He'd kidnap you or something," I added, looking to Leo for confirmation.

"He tried," Clarisse whispered. We all turned back to her.

"Tried?" Raph challenged.

"There was an abduction a while ago," Anna explained. My mind stopped on that thought, racing back through the past few weeks.

"My roommate. There were dozens of them."

I remembered that...

Raphael laughed cynically. "They took the wrong girl. Yep, that sounds like the foot clan alright."

"It's not funny!" Clarisse shot at him. "They killed her, even though she wasn't me."

"I remember," I interjected. They all turned to me. "I remember that abduction. I didn't know that's what it was, though. But I remember fighting with a whole bunch of foot soldiers near that building." I turned to Anna. "It was... two weeks ago, maybe? Saturday night?"

She nodded. "That's right."

"There were a few of them who got away," I continued. "But I didn't know they had anyone with them."

"So his foot soldiers got their asses kicked and he didn't even get what he wanted," Raphael mumbled, staring down at the floor. "I'd say that's enough to piss him off."

"Yeah, but to blow up a whole building?" Donny questioned, disbelieving.

"Well, maybe there was another reason too," Leo suggested.

"Or maybe Shred-head's finally gone off the deep end," I answered coldly.

"It doesn't make any sense, though," Don sighed. "Why kill so many people just to get rid of one?"

"It makes no sense to you," Splinter said quietly. "But to one with no respect for human life, it is an easy solution."

"But it doesn't fit his MO!" Donny cried. "It doesn't fit his signature. He's too confrontational for that! It's like assuming that we'd use a machine gun to get rid of him, because it'd be easier."

"Donatello's right," Leo mumbled. "He would have gone himself."

"Maybe he couldn't," Anna suggested. We all looked at her.

"What do you mean?"

She shrugged. "Maybe he was hurt or something, and he didn't want to risk a fight with you guys."

We stared at each other. Nobody said anything for a long time. "That is a distinct possibility," Splinter finally admitted.

"I just... thought you guys should know," Clarisse whispered. I suddenly remembered that she was there. "Even if there's nothing you can do about it."

DONATELLO:

I still didn't quite believe it. Bombing was the last thing Shredder would do. But there was no convincing Clarisse. "Did you go to the police with the information you have?" Leonardo asked.

She shook her head. "I was too afraid."

"What exactly do you know?" Raph questioned.

"Where he's operating," she sighed.

"We could go there and end this for good," Leo suggested. I shuddered at the thought.

"And take on the whole fucking foot clan, Leo?" Raph challenged, reading my mind. "On their turf?" He glanced at Splinter, whom he'd obviously forgotten about for the length of that sentence. "Sorry, Sensei."

Splinter nodded slightly, acknowledging the apology, and Raph turned back to us. "Well," Mike started, "if the police raided the place they'd..."

"Be committing mass suicide?" Raphael finished for him. Mike stared back, dumbfounded for a moment.

"The police cannot stop the Shredder," Master Splinter agreed.

"Yeah, we established that a long time ago," I sighed.

"But it would force him to relocate," Mike observed. "And that would take his energy off of blowing up buildings."

"At what cost, Michaelangelo?" Leonardo asked dryly.

"And even so," I sighed, "it's only a matter of time before he gets his act together. And then his revenge kick will be worse."

"Perhaps it's best you stay quiet, Clarisse," Leo advised. She nodded.

"And in the mean time," I added, "maybe it's not such a good idea for Clarisse to go back up there."

"It doesn't matter," Leo mumbled. "Whether she's there or not, if Shredder thinks she is it's all the same."

"How would he know you weren't killed in the explosion?" Mike asked her.

"They released victim's names," Anna answered for her.

"And my name wasn't among the victims."

I thought about that for a minute. "April might be able to..."

"Completely fabricate a news story and spoon feed it to the city of New York?" Raph suggested, smiling. "That could work."

"It's possible that they missed someone," Mike agreed.

"But there are a lot of people already who know that I'm alive," Clarisse reminded us.

"Perhaps in this case, honesty would be the best course," Splinter suggested.

We all turned to him. "What do you mean, Sensei?" Michaelangelo asked.

"If Clarisse gave information to the police, putting herself in danger, they would surely take necessary precautions to protect her."

"And put her into a witness protection program," I finished, beginning to understand. "Nobody would know where she went, but they'd know she wasn't here."

"But what would she tell the cops?" Mike asked. "What could she tell them that wouldn't send them all running out to get themselves killed?"

"It doesn't have to be about the bombing," Anna informed. "People are placed in witness protection programs for all sorts of reasons."

"Yeah, but we need this to make the ten o'clock news if we want Shredder to hear about it," Raph reminded her.

"And there's no way they'll be allowed to say her name," I mumbled. "She's an endangered witness and a minor."

"Perhaps April's experience would offer a great deal of possibility," Splinter informed. "I suggest you speak with her, and find out what she might be able to do for us."

"Good plan," Mike smiled, jumping up and over the back of the couch. "Can we pick up a pizza on the way?"

LEONARDO:

"Do you guys realize how quickly I would get fired for something like that?"

"Well, you don't have to lie, really," Mike offered. "Just... twist the truth maybe."

April sighed as she poured herself a cup of coffee. "Guys, we don't even report witness protection stuff; we can't."

"Why not?" I asked.

"Because there's no available information. It's all kept under wraps to protect the witness's safety. Even if I could sensationalize it enough to put it on the air, how would I explain how I came by my information?"

"What if you did an exclusive interview," Anna suggested, "with the girl who knows why the building was bombed? But have it all backlit so you couldn't see her face."

"Shredder would know who it was," Donny considered. "But nobody else would."

"And at some point ask her what she's going to do now," Anna continued. "And she could say something about how she's moving somewhere else, for her protection."

"What happens when the police come and demand that I tell them who that interview was with?" April challenged.

"She said she'd only speak to the camera on the condition of anonymity," I offered.

"Yeah, don't they have some kind of agreement?" Mikey asked. "Like attorney client privelege, you know?"

"Not when we're talking about a crime here," April answered coldly.

"Maybe she didn't tell you anything more than what you caught on camera," Raph shrugged.

"Are you suggesting I lie to the police?" April questioned.

"No," Raph answered. "I'm suggesting you only ask questions you want answers to."

"They'd want a sketch," April sighed. "They'd talk to every person who came from that orphanage until they found her."

"But she'd already be gone," I mumbled, watching April. "Go get your camera and do your interview now. Get it on the news tonight. We can get her out of the city, and she can stay here until we do."

April glanced at the clock. "Guys, it's two o'clock already. I need to get permission for a truck or at least a photog and find some place to..."

"No," Don interrupted. "No photographer. Just you."

"Too risky," Mike agreed.

"You can shoot it in the lair," I suggested. "Or here, although that might raise questions. We need as few people as possible to know about this."

"Leo, everybody's gonna know about it when it goes on the air," she informed.

"This isn't..." Clarisse stammered. She glanced up at April. "... going to put you in danger, is it? With Shredder?"

April laughed. "If Shredder wants the whole story, I'll tell him. You're staying with the Turtles until they get you out of the city."

"Not a good idea," Donatello answered. "You do that and he might try to negotiate a trade."

"If he comes after you," I mumbled, "you tell him she's already gone."

"And beware because he's probably going to be pissed," Raph added.

"I don't want to put you in danger," Clarisse stated.

April shook her head. "Shredder already hates me, Clarisse," she informed. "This won't make it any worse than it already is."

"It's not wise to provoke him, April," I sighed. "Perhaps it would be best if you stayed with us for a while after after you air this piece. Or one of us can stay here with you. Just until we know."

"Yeah, we don't want to take chances with your life," Don agreed.

She sighed. "Okay. But there's no way I'm gonna get this on the air tonight. How about I come down tomorrow morning and we'll shoot the whole thing in one shot?"

"Hey April?" We all turned to Raph. "You expect us to believe that you can't get this on the air in eight hours worth of time when CNN could do it in thirty minutes?"

April crossed her arms over her chest. "I don't work for CNN, Raphael," she snapped. "And you're asking me to do something that could put me out of work for good. If tomorrow's not soon enough for you, find someone else to do it."

"Tomorrow's fine," I interjected, before Raphael turned this into a full-fledged argument. "In the mean time, Clarisse can go back to the hospital and get her belongings, then come stay at the lair."

"I don't have anything at the hospital," Clarisse answered quietly. "There's really no reason for me to go back." She looked up. "I mean, it doesn't really matter if they worry about me when I'm going to drop off the face of the earth anyways."

"Eventually her name is gonna get back to the police," April mumbled. "You do realize that, right?"

"She'll be gone by then," I assured her, turning toward the door. I stopped before I reached it, and looked back at her, resting a hand on her shoulder. "Thanks, April."

She smiled and shook her head slightly. "The things I do for you guys..."