PART 1: FIRST IMPRESSIONS


Leo was concerned about the spy. She was an unknown. April tended to agree with the level-headed mutant.

"Let's run through it again," April insisted. Raph groaned, threw up his arms, and stomped away from the kitchen island. Mikey had wandered away an hour earlier to play video games and Casey wasn't interested in the conversation in the slightest. He was asleep on the couch.

Donnie started, "So, we went to check out the lead you gave us about Shredder's whereabouts." They'd been searching for him for months with no avail, but tonight they'd finally scored in a big way. He was holed up in an abandoned church and he had kidnapped scientists continuing the mutagen experiments in the reconstructed basement.

"Mikey tripped an alarm." Leo continued, "and we had to disperse pretty quickly after that. When we were escaping, I bumped into a woman in a motorcycle helmet." He'd rounded a corner and collided with her, actually. She'd let out an involuntary gasp after hitting a hard carapace and went flying. She would probably have a decent-sized bruise. Leo grabbed her arm to prevent her inevitable fall.

"She was shocked to say the least." Donnie told April. That was putting it lightly. Behind the helmet, they were all sure she'd still gotten a good look at all of them when she said very evenly, 'What. The. Fuck.'

"She wasn't Foot." Splinter agreed, "That was when Shredder's ninjas caught up with you?"

Donnie nodded to his master. "She managed to get away from Leo and disappeared while we were occupied. We didn't see her again until after we'd gotten out of the basement and were back on the street. Shredder must have called in reinforcements." Dozens of soldiers with tranq guns on speeders awaited the turtles as they scrambled out onto the dimly lit street. It was abandoned at the late hour and the only sound came from the light rumble that the expensive motorcycles made.

Leo's apprehension and fear that their capture was imminent only skyrocketed in that moment. "We were done for." He said firmly without looking at the others. Donnie frowned at his statement; naturally, their leader was beating himself up about it. "But then the spy appeared on her own motorcycle just down the street."

Her engine roared. She pulled up swiftly so that her right side was facing the soldiers. Then, without a care for her own safely, she held up her left arm. In her hand, the Kuro Kabuto glinted in the dim lights. It was the Foot Clan's emblem and almost always rested on Shredder's head. It was their most prized possession. Slowly, she placed it in the backpack on her shoulders. She'd revved the engine as if to challenge.

"They took off after her." Leo told his sensei, "We were able to escape."

"I see," Splinter looked perplexed.

"That still doesn't explain why she was there in the first place." April crossed her arms over her chest. She worriedly bit her lip. "Why go in and steal the Kuro Kabuto? There's more valuable tech there. And why show herself when she could have gotten away without notice? Shredder would have assumed that you guys stole it, not her. She's not a known threat." April's gears were turning.

Leo agreed, "We're missing something."

"Maybe she did steal something else." Donnie theorized, "Maybe the Kuro Kabuto was just a ploy to distract Shredder."

April slowly grinned. "Your genius is showing, D."

If he could have, Donnie would have blushed. He quickly re-centered himself. "But it still doesn't make sense. She saved us. She didn't have to."

Raph wandered back into the kitchen at this point. He opened the fridge, pulled out a beer, slammed the door, and cracked the can open. He took a long gulp and turned to them. "You're forgetting that she'd just seen four mutant turtles. If she's a spy, that means she's curious. Curious about us." He lifted his beak smugly and finished his beer after another long gulp.

They blinked at him. April cleared her throat, "Do you know a lot of spies, Raph?"

"Well, no."

"Then how do you know they're all curious?"

Raph crunched the empty beer can in one hand. "Because only a curious idiot would sneak into a heavily guarded basement run by a ninja madman."

"Or maybe she's being paid very well." April offered. Raph grumbled to himself and walked away.

"You think she has a boss?" Leo asked her.

"It's a possibility. Spies usually don't steal information or artifacts for themselves." April shrugged, "But then again, I know about as many spies as Raph."

They discussed it at length until they were all yawning and barely holding their eyes open. Any conclusion was tabled for a later date. April poked Casey awake and they retired to their apartments above ground.

Leo laid awake in his bed for much of the night. He wished he'd seen the spy's face. He'd been so caught up in the moment he could barely remember anything about her physical features. A face might have solidified her in his mind.


Anna stared at the screen of her laptop and yawned. She rubbed her eyes and looked at the time. 5AM. She had a meeting with big boss at seven. Oh, well, she just wouldn't show up. After what she'd seen tonight, Anna had a new mystery to unravel. "You aren't one of Shredder's experiments." Anna spoke to herself, but she pictured the ninja turtle in the blue mask. They'd been trying to get away from the Foot soldiers.

After she'd returned to her New York hideout, Anna nursed her new bruises with an ice pack. She'd changed into a pair of loose sweatpants and a sweatshirt, parked herself on the couch, and started her research.

Giant mutant turtles couldn't be living in New York without no one knowing. A quick internet search led to an old news story from a few years earlier. If Anna was correct, it was near the time that Shredder fell off the Sack skyscraper. A woman named April O'Neil published a story that ended up in her subsequent firing.

She was a news reporter for another channel now and there was no further mention of the vigilantes. "There's more to this." Anna muttered through a yawn. Fine. Sleep first. Find April O'Neil tomorrow.

She was awake by nine. She had at least that many calls from big boss. She deleted the voicemails, dressed in jeans, t-shirt, and long jacket. It was mid-fall already and Anna easily got cold. Time for some recon on April O'Neil.


April left the station around eleven. She rubbed her eyes. After a long night and an early morning, she was desperate for a long, lazy afternoon of sleep. She still had questions about the spy who was discovered in Shredder's basement. Ha. April almost laughed at that.

She frowned as she walked down the street. Questions distracted her from her surroundings. Who was she? Who was she working for? What was she really down there for? How could April find her? For all April knew, she wasn't even in New York anymore. Maybe she'd accomplished her mission, got paid, and was on her way to her next location.

Maybe the motorcycle-riding spy was a mystery that they would never solve. April descended a set of musty stairs down to the subway. A bum sat adjacent to where she walked. April had an untouched coffee in her hand. It still had the little green spill straw in it. April set it down next to the man and continued walking. She was jostled through the gates to the platform below.

The offensive New York subway stink was background to her. She was supposed to meet Casey for lunch at noon. April considered cancelling, but decided against it. He usually worked through lunch, so she didn't know when she'd get another chance.

By the time April arrived at the restaurant, Casey was already sitting down on the patio. She didn't suspect in the slightest that someone had been following her the entire way.

"You look good considering the night we had," commented the charmer as he pulled out her chair.

April glared, "We?"

"Yeah."

"Casey, you were asleep on the couch most of the night."

He shrugged. "No one came up with a solution, so it's not like I missed much."

April held her menu up to her nose and ignored him.


Anna glanced at her phone. Another text from BB. So far, April's day had been yawn-inducing. She'd managed to stick April with a tracker and microphone during her trip in the subway. Anna half-heartedly listened to the lunch conversation.

Anna sighed and flipped open her phone. Big boss answered on the first ring. "Where have you been? I expected my report this morning promptly at seven." His whining was a little too needy.

"Oh, you know," Anna said unhelpfully, "I have a long night of sneaking and spying and stealing shit."

He huffed indignantly. "You know I don't like that kind of language. Did you get what I needed?"

"Sure did," Anna chirped. The flash drive in her pocket weighed heavily. She knew she couldn't let BB get his hands on the information about the alien mutagen and Shredder's experiments. They had advanced beyond what Sacks had years earlier, but she knew if BB had the formulas, he'd be able to replicate the mutation process within twenty-four hours. She hated to admit it, but BB was a genius. "There's not much. You'll be disappointed."

Anna swung her legs happily on the bench as he rambled. In her other ear, the small transmitter hummed with April's conversation.

"What did Leo say he wanted to do?"

April sighed. From the distance, Anna could see her bite her lip. Casey seemed interested in the movement. "Couldn't decide. The guys didn't get what they needed last night. As far as we know, Shredder is still actively kidnapping scientists for work on the mutagen."

"He wants to create more mutants." Anna frowned. If BB and Shredder began working together… New York might not survive. Casey leaned towards April so that their conversation couldn't be overheard. "What I don't get is that when the turtles were mutated, there was nothing special about the mutagen. It worked fine. Why does Shredhead have to change it?"

"All I can think of is that he wants to mutate humans." April rested her elbows on the metal patio table. She swirled her straw through the glass of Coke. "Donnie says the process would be completely different than how they were mutated. The raw mutagen is too unstable, so there's no guarantee that it would be effective."

"Are you even listening to me?" Anna blinked and tuned back into BB. "Drop off the flash drive by tonight."

"Aye, aye, Captain." She quickly hung up. She stared at the phone in her hands for a long time. In her pocket, she held the answers that Casey and April and BB and Shredder needed. It wouldn't take long for Shredder to realize that Anna had stolen his secrets.

Anna needed more answers.


The lock on April's door gave way easily. Her apartment building was empty in the afternoon and it was easy enough to get in through a back door. There was little security. Anna had her easily-recognizable hair in a tight bun tucked underneath a wooly cap. Someone her size didn't usually draw too much attention.

Anna had to be extra careful. With all the talk of mutant turtle allies and unusually high tech, she was afraid that April's apartment would be crawling with security measures. After a brief initial sweep, Anna found triggers on all the windows and a few other things she could bypass. It was a small apartment with only one bedroom, tiny kitchen, and adequate living area. Typical of New York, there were few closets and the washer and dryer were stacked in the kitchen. Still, it was nice enough that Anna figured April must make a decent salary as a reporter.

Anna checked drawers, under the mattress, cabinets, and the other basic hiding places. Nothing. April's small bedroom closet was packed full and disarrayed. Anna sorted through old shoe boxes and tried to pry up the floor boards, but nothing gave. She arranged everything back in its place.

Sitting back on her legs, Anna checked April's location. She was on her way home from lunch. Anna didn't have a lot of time. Anna stood and observed the room. If she were April, where would she hide something? Anna paused when she saw the grate on the ceiling.

Okay. Anna smirked. She forgot how tall April was. Tall people liked to hide things in tall places. Anna was short and had the tendency to search low places first. Anna pulled up a stool from the kitchen bar. Using a penny, Anna unscrewed and pried open the grate as quickly as possible.

Reaching inside, she felt a small box.

Back to the bed, Anna sorted through the pictures of tiny turtles and a rat. They were old. Then, more recently, a few pictures of the mutant turtles Anna had the run in with last night. Thanksgiving dinner at a makeshift kitchen. Opening presents with April and Casey. There was a broken down, pitiful-looking Christmas tree with multi-colored lights. The turtle in the orange mask was decorating with the purple one.

Anna stared at them blankly. Even though she was staring at mutant turtles, she was struck by how beautiful they all were. A family. It was almost as if Anna were watching a movie. So, this is what holidays with the people you love are like.

Anna had never loved anyone. Not her father. She'd never had friends. Lovers, sure, but she hadn't actually loved them. And at twenty-five, Anna had never celebrated a holiday. On Thanksgiving, Anna trained in the gym for hours at the uneven bars. On Christmas, her father chased her though snowy woods for twelve miles until she effectively evaded him.

She didn't know what her mother looked like. All Anna knew is that the woman was Japanese, which is where Anna got many of her small, delicate features and short stature.

Anna shook herself. She could conclude that April and these turtles were more than allies—they were a family and they protected her. Anna's watch beeped. Jumping up, Anna replaced all of the items in the box and shoved them into the grate. April was within the proximity alert.

Just as the door lock clicked, Anna disappeared out the bedroom window and shut it. She used a narrow knife to convince the latch to close, then climbed down the fire escape.


The turtles showed up at her apartment not long after dark. Mikey shared pizza; Raph passed around bottles of beer.

They all sat on the floor in the living room with the boxes on the coffee table. "Casey said today that there's a rumor that there will be a Foot presence at that SoHo gambling ring tonight."

Mikey chomped down on his fifth piece of pizza. He swallowed quickly, "The one that the Purple Dragons run? I thought it was only on Thursdays."

"Today is Thursday," Raph knocked him upside the head. Mikey spilled beer down his plastron.

"Since when does Shredder gamble?"

April shrugged at Leo's pondering. "Maybe it's a show of power. Purple Dragons are trying to extend their territory."

"That's true." Donnie agreed, "They've increased their petty theft attacks by thirteen percent in the last two weeks."

Raph rolled his eyes. "You don't say?"

"I thought it was highly unusual, too—" Donnie paused, "Oh, sarcasm, right."

Leo was the only one not drinking. He didn't like to before patrol. He usually didn't like his brothers to do it, either, but he and Raph had already fought. Leo didn't feel up to starting another argument before the night was over. That didn't mean there wouldn't be more fights, but Leo wanted to prolong it for as long as possible.

"So, we hit the gambling ring tonight and take out as many of those losers as possible."

Oh, great. Leo rounded on Raph. "No. We need more time to plan for an attack. Maybe next Thursday we'll be ready."

"Oh, come on, Lame-o-nardo. Purple Dragons are easy pickings. Even Donnie could take them."

"Hey—" Donnie protested.

"We'll do recon tonight. It could be nothing. There's no need to start something with the Purple Dragons if we don't have to. We already have enough to deal with."

April cut in before it could get really heated. "It's not a good idea anyway. There will be an undercover police presence there. It's better not to risk it."

Raph looked betrayed.


After the guys left, April took a walk to a nearby coffee shop. She wasn't ready to turn in for the night and she wanted to get out of the apartment. Not ten minutes after she sat down on the patio with her latte, someone plopped down on the chair across from her.

April was startled. When she looked up, she was expecting some persistent, annoying guy. Instead, a sweet-looking young woman smiled at her. Her skin was fair and she was bundled in a jacket and scarf as if it were the middle of winter. Long, pale hair crested well below her mid-back.

"Hi," April said, unsure of why a complete stranger was staring at her.

"Howdy," the woman said, "April O'Neil."

April wasn't immediately panicked. It was probable that this was just some fan who watched her news stories. But the woman's accent was obviously southern, so April doubted she was a local. Tourist, maybe? "And you are?"

"I heard you were looking for me." She said instead of answering.

April frowned. Her eyebrows knit together. Overhead, soft, jazzy music belted from the outside speakers. "Not that I can recall."

"Hm." She said, then glanced at April's drink. "Cinnamon?"

"Yeah,"

"Nice." This was getting more awkward by the second. "Okay, well, this is for you." She handed April a flash drive. She slid it across the table, then stood. "Catch you around."

"Wait." April stood as well, "Who are you?"

The woman blinked at April as if she were stupid. "This is just embarrassing." She chuckled, pushed in her chair, and strolled away with her hands in her coat pockets. Dumbfounded, April quickly opened her laptop and plugged in the flash drive. It took a while to download as its contents were so large.

April opened folder after folder. Her dread grew with each picture, video, and formula she saw. This was Shredder's. His experiments. The information that the turtles were trying to get the night before. "The spy," April gasped. She slammed the laptop shut and nearly tripped over her feet trying to get out of her seat.

She immediately dialed Donnie as she sprinted down the sidewalk in the same direction the woman had gone.

"What is it, April?"

"The spy!" She yelled.

"What about her?"

"I was sitting and she was there. She talked to me. I have a flash drive."

She heard him swallow. "Uh… okay."

"Donnie!" April yelled. The people around her gave her a wide berth. She spun around, trying to spot the woman. She was nowhere to be found. She continued in a lower voice, "D, the flash drive has information on it about Shredder's experiments."

"So that's why she was there." Donnie whispered, "I've got your location. We'll be there in a few minutes. Hang tight."

"Okay," April hung up just as someone grabbed her arm. She gasped. A man in a black suit gripped her in a painful grasp. "Let go."

He began pulling her down the street. April's other arm was holding her laptop. Call her cheap, but she didn't want to drop it and she'd left her Taser in the apartment. Someone hooked her arm around the man's other elbow.

"Hey, handsome," the spy said with a smile. "You know, it's rude to manhandle girls like that."

"Beat it," he said furiously. "What's happening here is none of your concern."

"What is happening here?" She questioned, never losing that mischievous glint in her dark eyes. Even when her smile disappeared and the man looked down at the knife against his stomach. "Let me answer for you." She pulled the man to a stop. "You're letting go of April over here." He released April's arm. She jerked away from him. "And you're telling your buddies across the street to stop where they are."

April looked in that direction. There was a collection of Foot soldiers in casual attire staring at them. Cars whirred through busy street. The light would soon change and they would be able to cross. The would-be kidnapper nodded to the men.

"Perfect." The spy told him, "I know you also have some guys on motorcycles approximately fifteen seconds away, too."

"Then you know you don't have a chance in hell of escape." He hissed down at her. She was several heads shorter than him.

She grinned widely. "That sounded like a challenge. I accept." With that, she slit his jeans with the knife and stabbed his leg. He grunted. She let go and he collapsed. April gasped. The woman grabbed her wrist and pulled her away from the crowd that surrounded him.

They sprinted away from the scene. "Who the hell are you!" April screamed. The soldiers across the street followed them. "They're keeping up." Just a second later, she heard the roar of motorcycles.

"I'm Anna, by the way." She called behind her. Despite her small stature, the spy was fast. April had difficulties keeping up. Anna turned down a narrow alley. A small motorcycle was waiting. "I saw those guys following you when you left your apartment."

"You've been watching me?"

Anna shoved a helmet in April's hands. "Put that on." She put another on her own head, then swung her leg over the seat of the motorcycle. It roared to life. "Today," Anna said impatiently. Unsure, but unwilling to be taken by the Foot, April climbed on and held Anna tightly. She zipped out the other end of the alley. Feet slapping against pavement faded behind them.

Without looking, Anna merged with oncoming traffic. She was headed away from the most populated part of town. "Where are you going?"

Anna took a hard left, nearly knocking April from the seat. The motorcycle rocked drunkenly. "Hang on and lean with me." April followed the spy's directions. She moved when Anna moved and tried to hold in her screams. The chase continued. April was too afraid that she would fall off if she turned around and looked. It didn't matter; she could hear the deafening sound of motorcycles following close behind.

A rider pulled up next to Anna. She reached into her jacket, pulled out a pistol, and shot out his tire. That time April did scream. He crashed into another soldier. One of the bikes exploded. April could feel the heat of the flame against her back. She clutched her laptop between Anna's back and her chest.

Suddenly, April recognized their location. They were close to the Purple Dragon gambling ring. "How?"

Anna winced behind her helmet. "I may or may not have hidden a microphone in your apartment."

"You snuck into my apartment!"

"Only once!" Anna insisted. "I had to know if I could trust you."

April didn't even know this spy, but she wanted to strangle her. They were on an empty street now. Abandoned buildings surrounded them. April heard a gun shot, but it didn't come from Anna. It came from a window above them.

Anna cried out dully and the motorcycle shook. She kept it moving forward. The engine revved. A dozen headlights rounded the corner and faced them. Anne slammed on her breaks. The tires burned rubber.

"Well, fuck," Anna muttered.

"Don't worry," April insisted just as the turtles descended on the Foot soldiers. They were so damn fast and the light was so dim that Anna had a difficult time making them out. She saw glinting metal of katanas and chain. The sound of thwacking wood and bone penetrated the cushion of her helmet. She thought she saw one of the turtles crash through the glass of a window above them and throw a Foot soldier out of it.

"Well, fuck," Anna repeated as the rest of the soldiers ran scared. April climbed off of the back of the motorcycle and tossed her helmet to the ground.

April commented, "Perfect timing."

"Convenient you were headed this direction." The turtle in the blue mask commented, raising an eye ridge. Anna removed her helmet.

"A bit of both." She concluded. "I'm Anna. Nice to meet you."

Her pale hair cascaded from the empty helmet like a moonlit waterfall. Leo stumbled over any reply his dumb brain could have come up with.

"Sup, spy lady," Mikey offered. He sidled up to her bike. Anna cut the engine, but didn't stand. "Long time, no see." He kissed the top of her hand. "The name's Michelangelo."

"Anna," April said angrily, "Has been following me. And she planted bugs in my apartment."

"And in your jacket." Anna showed her teeth.

"What?" April shimmied out of the jacket and searched it. "Where? I don't see anything."

"In the collar lining."

April gaped at her. "How?"

"It was already torn. I didn't do it." April wasn't sure if Anna was purposely missing the point or if she was really that naïve. April fingered the collar, found a small pin-shaped object, and threw it on the ground. She stomped on it. Anna winced. She pulled a nearly imperceptible transmitter from her ear and shoved it in her pocket. She was pouting.

"How did you know that I would lead you to the turtles?" April really was curious. She found her anger fading away.

Anna still hadn't gotten off the motorcycle. She fingered the top of her helmet with a nail. "I found an old story you published from a few years ago."

April blushed. "Oh, that story." She clutched her laptop to her chest.

"Yeah."

"Why give April the flash drive?"

This came from the turtle with the purple mask. He cleared his throat. "I'm Donatello, by the way."

Anna shrugged. She was getting sleepy. "I found the pictures she hid in her apartment. Of Christmas and Thanksgiving." She rubbed her forehead. "I don't know. I thought I could trust you."

"You saved our shells the other night."

Anna giggled at Mikey's terminology. "It was nothing. Just wanted to fuck with Shredder a bit. Fucking sadist."

Even Raph raised his eye ridge at her language. "Any who," Anna muttered, "You got the flash drive and now it's probably best I get out of town. My boss will not be pleased tomorrow when he realizes that I gave him fake information about Shredder."

April couldn't help the involuntary smirk she shot at Raph. He crossed his arms over his plastron.

Leo was focused elsewhere. "Boss? Why did he want you to steal information from Shredder?"

"He wants the mutagen formula for himself. He's a real mad scientist type." Anna focused on who she thought must be Leo the Leader. Casey and April spoke about him early on their lunch date. "Baxter Stockman."

Donnie almost fainted. "Stockman is a genius." Raph almost choked; he was that disgusted by his brother's fan-girling. "He's made massive breakthroughs in human genetics and emerging biological theories."

"Riiight," Anna turned back to Leo. She blinked; there were three of him. Maybe she was just dizzy. "It's probably best Stockman and Shredder don't join forces."

Leo watched worriedly as she wobbled from side to side. "Are you okay—" Leo saw the dark spot on her jeans. It looked like someone had drenched her leg in black ink. "Donnie."

"Did you get shot?" April asked it incredulously.

"Only a little bit," she insisted. "By that guy." She thought she pointed to an unconscious Foot soldier on the pavement. Mikey followed her finger; she was definitely pointing at a street lamp.

Leo helped her off the bike and steadied her as she swayed on her feet. "Let's get back to your apartment, April. Donnie can fix her up there."