Shadow Mutation (Book Seven) [UNDER MAJOR EDITING]

Chapter 35: Trying to Help Her

Casey leans against the doors to Donatello and Sarina's laboratory, watching the two intelligent mutants examine the last vial of inanimation mutagen. Leonardo and Destiny lay on the couch in the living room, sleeping quite soundly in each other's arms. Michelangelo and Raphael are also rejuvenating themselves with naps, leaving Annalise to do her Chemistry homework in complete silence with Master Splinter in the dojo.

"Yo Nerdatello, Flash," he calls, sauntering in. "Still trying to decide what to do with that mutagen?"

Both mutants sigh heavily, Donnie's russet eyes falling on Casey first.

"Yes, in fact, we are," he says in a rather haughty tone.

"It's difficult to decide. We could create a sort of weapon against the shadow beasts or some sort of power source-" Sarina lists.

"I've got an idea," Casey suggests, smacking his hand on the table as his eyes narrow. "Make a retro-mutagen for Zilla!"

Donnie arches an eye-ridge. "A retro-mutagen? That would-"

"She has a family that misses her. If she can go back to being human, it'll solve everything!" the teen continues. "I don't want her to have to live like this anymore!"

"It's impossible, Casey," Sarina murmurs.

"Especially considering how long it took for me to find a retro-mutagen for normal mutagen," Donnie adds. "It would take months at best, and we only have this one batch! We ruin it and-"

"You guys are geniuses!" Casey shouts, wincing a bit as he rolls his shoulder. "Shadow's done so much for us, can't we do this one thing for her?"

Sarina gets to her feet, moving towards her taller friend with a sad look in her electronic eyes. "We can't. There's too many factors that make your idea more and more impossible. There's the amount of inanimation mutagen we have, the fact that this kind is simply the Necromancer's recreation of the mutagen that actually mutated Zilla-"

Casey doesn't want to hear anymore. He shakes his head and brushes past his pale friend roughly, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Fine! Do what you do!" he snaps.

He slams the laboratory doors shut, stalking away from the lair and feeling as though steam is about to come out of his ears.

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It's colder outside when he gets back to the surface, a few stray snowflakes tumbling down onto the sleeping streets. Casey's sneakers slap against the pavement as he stomps down the sidewalks, annoyed with Donatello and Sarina's rejection of his idea.

She's part computer, he's a genius, why can't they just try? he demands.

He slows down, looking around in the nearby alleyways for his shadow friend. He doesn't want to go shouting her name, seeing as that's rather weird and suspicious, but he really has no other way of contacting her.

"Hey Zilla? You around?" he calls.

He waits a moment or two. A cold breeze brushes across his back, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He turns around slowly, coming face to face with Zilla. They both smile involuntarily, albeit their smiles are small and not as enthusiastic as they could be.