Song: Problem Child - Simple Plan

The sadness that swamps the room makes my heart hurt. It's physically painful to see how much Elizabetta's condition affects everyone. It's nice to know how many people- and mutants- cared for her, but it's sad it has to come out in such a cruel way.

I turn to my mom. The wrinkles on her face reveal just how skeptical she is of being in the sewers, especially surrounded by mutant turtles. After the Shredder's reign, it's tough to trust again.

I have some business to attend to. "I'll be right back," I tell my mother softly, knowing she would panic if I just left her.

She's actually a lot more agreeable than I expect. "Be careful," she warns me just as quietly. "I don't trust these creatures."

I can't make myself share her misgivings. I spent a lot of time with them a few weeks ago, so I understand them quite well. They may look scary, but underneath they have big hearts. I wouldn't want to be in any other group.

I leave her side and face Raphael. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" I ask, cutting my gaze to a more secluded area of the room. "Over there?" I add out of the corner of my mouth.

Raphael tears his pained gaze away from Elizabetta to nod. He follows me over to the corner, his feet dragging with ground ungracefully. Once we are out of earshot from the others, I launch right into it.

"We can't be stuck underground with a zombant," I tell him, careful to keep my voice low from any straying ears. I don't want to get attacked for my unpopular opinion. "I don't like throwing people out, but even I know we can't keep her around. We've got to get her out of here before she changes."

"I know," Raphael mumbles.

"You've seen how dangerous those things are. If we're stuck in a room with even just one, we're all in trouble. It'll keep spreading until none of us are in our right mind anymore," I continue, as if I haven't said enough the persuade him.

"I said I know," Raphael growls impatiently. "We need to get Liz to the surface before she contaminates us all. I'll tell Leo." Then he heads straight towards the moping blue-clad turtle.

Well, that was easier than I thought it would be, I think as I follow the short turtle. Maybe I'm finally starting to get through to him. Though, he still won't look me in the eyes.

Raphael grabs Leonardo's shoulder to turn him around. "You know what we've got to do, right?" he questions, more cautiously than I expect him to. "We can't leave Liz in here with us."

Leonardo's blue eyes immediately blaze like fire. "But she might not turn!" he protests.

I feel a pierce at my heart. I admire the turtle's concern for her, but the truth of what's happening is just too much. Maybe if he wishes on a shooting star, she will be healed. But until that happens, we have to take the proper precautions.

Raphael shakes his head. "We can't take that chance," he insists a bit more firmly. "You know we've gotta bring her back to the surface, or we're all zombant chow."

"No." Mrs. Jersey stands in front of her daughter, her eyes flashing with determination. "I won't let anyone take my daughter away. We aren't going to do anything with her until she actually turns. Until then, we assume she's not infected."

"Listen, lady, that's not how it works," Raphael growls, taking a threatening step towards the woman. "She's gonna turn into a zombant and infect us all!"

Leonardo pushes between them to face Raphael. "No, she won't! We've just got to wake her up and she'll never turn," he suggests, though there isn't much hope in his words.

"Yes, let's wake her up," Mrs. Jersey agrees with Leonardo, clearly just trying to get away from Raphael's idea.

"No!" Donatello breaks in. "If you wake her up, it might trigger the infection to spread faster. We're better off letting her body fight this through sleep."

"That'll never work," Raphael sniffs, and it isn't just his pessimistic attitude speaking this time. He is closer to being correct than anyone else in the room.

I shuffle my feet as the arguing continues. I look back and forth from human to turtle, feeling my heart break more with each retort. I admire their loyalty to Elizabetta, but it's a losing battle. They know deep down that she is going to turn, and there is no way for us to prevent it. I just wish they would accept it faster.

Amongst the heated discussion, a movement behind Mrs. Jersey catches my eye. I see a glimpse of Elizabetta sitting up slowly, only she doesn't look like herself anymore. She had been completely transformed in a zombant with beady black and long, dangerous claws. A low growl escapes her lips as she sits up to her full height and reaches out for her mother.

"Mrs. Jersey, look out!" I shout, but it's too late. Elizabetta pounces on her mother and starts tearing at her with her claws, groaning and screeching all the while.

I scream and back away, my mother coming to stand protectively beside me. I watch in horror as Elizabetta scores wounds into her mother's flesh mercilessly. She is a monster.

"Run!" Casey yells, grabbing Donatello and April. He takes off out of the lab, struggling to drag his shocked friends to safety.

But no one is more terrified than Leonardo. He watches Elizabetta with round, blue eyes. He seems to be completely paralyzed from the waist down.

Raphael returns from shoving Michelangelo out the door. "Leo, we've gotta go!" he snaps impatiently as he grabs Leonardo's arm. He pulls Leonardo out of the lab and shoves my mother and I forward at the same time, grumbling the whole time about how annoying we are being.

Out in the main room, everyone seems to recover from the scare.

"She changed so fast!" Donatello breathes, his face full of curiosity and amazement. "How incredible!"

"Yeah, that's not what we care about right now," Raphael says gruffly, casting wary glances back at the laboratory. "We've got to get her out of here."

"What happened to Lizzy's mom?" Michelangelo asks the question no one else dares to.

Every one of us exchanges uncertain glances. Honestly, none of us really know the answer to that. But I definitely have my suspicions.

"She got scratched by a zombant," is all I can get out. I don't need to explain the rest of the gory details, and everyone seems glad that I don't try to.

"She's... She's gone," Leonardo whispers, his eyes wide with astonishment. "How can she be gone?"

"We're gonna be gone too if we don't get out of here!" Casey reminds us. "Look!"

As he pointed at the door, I see Elizabetta stumbling towards us. She lets out an excited screech when she spots us and starts to hobble our way. Her long arms lash at us as she tries to get a few scores in, even though that is impossible from so far away.

"To the sewer tunnels!" Leonardo announces immediately, seeming to recover from his shock at last. "We'll lead her back to the surface!"

We charge out of the lair and down into the sewer pipes. I make sure to stick close to my mother, who looks as if she is starting to lose her mind. She has seen more horrors in one day to last her a life time. I silently agree with her, having lost my best friend to the same monstrous fate.

I shake my head quickly. This isn't the time to think about Lilac.

We finally reach a ladder that leads to the surface. When it's my turn to climb out, I rush up the bars. I inhale deeply as I reach topside, relieved to be out of the stench of the sewers.

"Everyone stand back," Leonardo orders. We do as we're told while he looks down the manhole, waiting for Elizabetta to come out after us. After a short pause, though, Leonardo just looks confused. "Huh?" he mumbles.

"What's wrong?" April asks as we tentatively wander back over.

As I strain my neck to peer down into the sewers, I see the dilemma. Elizabetta seems to have lost all interest in us the moment we went upwards. I witness her spin around and wobble away, her attention directed elsewhere.

"Maybe she can't climb," Donatello hypothesizes while tapping his chin.

"She better not touch my human underwear collection down there," Michelangelo sniffs, looking no angrier than a little kitten.

Donatello ignores him. "We need to get her out of the sewers, otherwise we won't be able to go home," he tells Leonardo anxiously. "We can't stay down there knowing that zombants are roaming around."

Leonardo looks discouraged, but he gathers himself enough to nod. "I know. We'll stick it out up here for a while. At least we know where to find Elizabetta when we get an antidote." There is a short pause, then Leonardo adds more forcefully, "You are going to find an antidote, right?"

Donatello gulps and nods. "I'll do my best, I promise."

Leonardo drops his gaze to the manhole again, a sea of sadness swimming in his blue depths. His three brothers surround him, each placing a comforting hand on his shell.

At least he still has his family.

I don't even have a chance to attempt comforting the turtles before my mom pulls me to the side. Her stature is slouchy and discouraged, and the wrinkles around her eyes seem to have multiplied from the stress. Her body quivers, no doubt from the horrendous events of the day. As I look into her eyes, I realize what she is thinking a moment before she says it.

"We're going home, Luce," my mother decides as she brushes her tangled hair out of her eyes.

Though I expected her to say such a thing, it still shocks me to hear it. "We can't go home!" I protest. "It's not safe there."

My mother seems surprised at my objection. I don't blame her; I'm never one to argue with a direct command. This time, however, there is more at stake than my lack of obedience. We are surely going to die if we step foot back in our house, if we even make it home.

My mother recovers from her surprise quite quickly. "Our home is our best bet," she insists, clearly not sure how to handle my disapproval. "We have food and shelter there. We won't have to worry about those... those zombants finding us. We'll be safe, Luce."

   I don't want to defy her. I really don't. Nevertheless, this is more than an act of rebellion. It's a way of survival.

   "We can't leave now," I try to persuade her. "The zombants are really strong. They might break right through our front door like that almost did back at the restaurant. At least we would have protection with the turtles. And besides," I change my tone to a softer one as a familiar pang of sadness shakes me. "Lilac is out there. I have to find her."

   Disregarding my first part of the argument, my mom confronts the rest. "Lilac knows the way back home. I'm sure she's waiting there right now," she replies with a hint of her usual comforting nature.

   I shake my head, my stomach dropping at the remembrance of the truth. Lilac isn't in her right mind anymore; there's no way she can find her way back home.

   "Lilac turned into a zombant," I explain quickly, my throat tightening as tears well in my tears. I can't cry, otherwise she won't take me seriously. I have to show her I can make my own decisions- even if it kills me to break her heart.

   My mother raises her eyebrows in astonishment, though she doesn't appear too sad about it. She puts a hand gently on my shoulder. "I'm sorry sweetie, but that probably means she won't come back. I know that's not what you want to hear, but staying out here won't help bring her back. It'll just get you hurt."

   "You can't say that!" I object, my eyes watering even more. "You can't say she's gone. She's not gone. She'll come back. I've just got to find her first, and I know the turtles can help me. Besides, I want to help them solve this zombant puzzle. You know I can't sit around and watch people suffer, knowing I could have done something about it."

   The group must overhear our conversation, because Leonardo pipes up. "Your assistance isn't necessary," he says, grateful but skeptical. "We're ninjas; we've got this."

   For the first time in my life, I am actually being stubborn. "I want to be there for Lilac," I reiterate. "And I want to help. I'm not going home."

   My body is practically shaking from emotions. Fear, because of what could be happening to Lilac as of this moment. Annoyance, because my mother is being so pushy. And also a hint of anger, because no one is listening to me. Why can't they just let me help? Yeah, I'm not clever or strong. But I am small and fast. Surely that counts for something?

   My mother steps closer to me, rage fueling her eyes with fire. I have never seen her so angry at anyone except my father. It gives me chest pains to know that I'm not making her happy, but this is something I have to do. I can't always please her with my choices.

   "We're going home," my mother orders through gritted teeth as she grabs my wrist. "Come on."

   "No!" I yelp, yanking my arm out of her grasp. I feel a tear roll down my cheek, and I silently scold myself for acting weak. "I'm staying with them."

   What happens next is something I never expected. "Fine!" my mother spits, before spinning around and storming down the sidewalk.

   I stand there, paralyzed with shock. I didn't mean for her to go; she is supposed to stay with me! Did she really leave me behind so easily? She always sticks by me, no matter what. Why would she leave me like that?

   "Mom, wait!" I call out for her, but she doesn't respond. I watch, feeling betrayed, as my mother turns the corner and disappears behind a building. She is gone.

   I can't hold back my tears anymore. I let the dam break lose, my cheeks becoming soaked in a matter of seconds. I bury my face in my hands and sob into them. First, we left my dad. Then Lilac got infected. Lastly, my own mother has given up on me. Am I going to lose everyone?

   A hand touches my shoulder, jerking me out of my pitiful position. My gaze lifts to meet Raphael's tough, bright green eyes. I am surprised to see that a hint of sympathy lurks around the edges of his face, making him appear just the faintest bit worried about me; something I never expected from a turtle like him. Or a turtle in general.

   "If you want to go with her, we'll find Lilac for you," Raphael suggests gruffly, but obviously in an attempt to comfort me. "We'll fix her up and send her right back home."

   I am touched by his offer, but I shake my head. "No, I want to be there," I press once again. "She's my best friend. She would be there for me if it was the other way around."

   I expect Raphael to ridicule me for saying such a thing about a silly dog, but he doesn't. Instead, he looks to Leonardo, as if waiting for his brother to make a decision. When Leonardo nods his consent, Raphael gives my shoulder an awkward pat and says, "We've gotta move."

   I inhale deeply and wipe my tears away as the others start to walk. I linger at Raphael's side, grateful for his efforts to help me. I never thought he would be so kind to me. Maybe he is trying to show me that I don't need to apologize for treating him like a monster. Or maybe, just maybe, he has finally recovered from his grief and is making up for lost time.

   Either way, at least I haven't lost everyone.