Shadow Mutation (Book Seven) [UNDER MAJOR EDITING]

Chapter 32: Getting Their Answers

Casey can honestly say that he's never seen Zilla look so nervous. Despite how she has her discouraging and negative moments, nervousness is not something that usually comes up around her. Yet, as the shadow girl floats before every teen and Master Splinter inside the lair, she looks like she's a second away from disappearing and staying away for a few hours.

Everything about their daring jump from the building rooftop has been told, earning high-fives from Raphael and Michelangelo whilst Leonardo and Donatello looked less than pleased. The purple-masked brother was not especially fond of Sarina being shoved off the rooftop against her will. Casey simply earned a few glares from Leo after having been so cuddly with the turtle's girlfriend. In Casey's defense, he's still alive and couldn't care less about the leader in blue's reaction.

"When I was fourteen, I discovered the Necromancer's plan," Zilla says, her hands clasped in front of her as she fiddles with her own fingers. "At first, he wanted to mutate all of New York with the inanimation mutagen. He believed that it would be the best way to make the people suffer for...as he put it, abandoning him and being their usual selfish selves. I sabotaged his supply and destroyed everything I could. When he couldn't find more, he changed his plans."

Casey's eyes widen. The others look to each other, Master Splinter's ears raising in curiosity as they continue to listen. Zilla shudders, closing her eyes as she takes a deep breath. Casey knows just how hard this must be for her to be so open with them.

"At first, he exacted revenge upon me by sending one of his first shadow creations to attack my parents," she says, Casey instantly noticing how she avoids the fact that they're both men. "When my dad's wound was shaded, as Donnie has called it, I snuck back to my old home and healed him. Necromancer saw what I had done and became more and more obsessed with my abilities and the properties of shadow mutants." She brushes some of her hair behind her ear, her front teeth snagging on her lip for a second. "I obviously destroyed all the inanimation mutagen he had managed to scrounge up. His few shadow beasts slowly lost their minds until they were, simply put, mindless killing machines. He was forced to destroy them and start over. For these last few years, his only goal has been to make the mutagen again and create an army that will destroy New York, piece by piece, with an incurable disease."

Donnie raises his hand, stopping the shadow's story. She nods towards him, making him instantly lower his arm as his face scrunches pensively.

"But why does this guy care about you and the shadow mutants? What does he have against New York?" he inquires, earning a few agreeing nods from everyone else.

Zilla purses her lips as she takes another deep breath. "From what I've managed to discover since my mutation, he's a genius that was offered a position at Mutacorp Enterprises. That's how he knew so much about the Kraang and the mutagen. However, he had a wife that he left everything behind for, starting a taxidermy business instead. His wife died of brain cancer quite abruptly after a few years of marriage. Wallace was left to care for his daughter, but..." She chokes, sympathy overwhelming her for a second. "But his daughter got the same cancer that his wife did, and despite everything he tried to save her life, she too died...and she was only eight years old."

Annalise whimpers, clapping her hands over her mouth as her ice blue eyes well with tears. Mikey wraps an encouraging arm around her shoulders, cuddling her against him and comforting her. Master Splinter's face floods with understanding, his ears flattening against his furry head as his russet eyes fall shut.

"He's angry. He hates that no one helped him when he needed it most, that he was left with the bills and his dying child and was told that there was nothing that they could do. He hates people in general now, his grief causing him to see the world through a veil," Zilla continues, her accented voice almost haunting in the dead silence of the lair. "He wants to bring his daughter back to life using...my help, and wants to create more mutants that will make everyone else suffer from a disease that can't be cured. He has lots of animal subjects to mutate, all he needs is more mutagen." Her face takes on a stony countenance. "I'm going to ask all of you for a favour, the only return I will request for my deeds towards you. Please...stop him from bringing this city to its knees."

"Shell yeah! I say we go show this evil bastard a thing or two!" Raph insists, getting to his feet as his fists clench.

"Raphael, think before you say such words," Splinter utters calmly. "This man...Wallace...he's not evil. He is simply broken beyond repair. Grief can drive a man to things he is not proud of. I am sorry to say this, my children, but I know his feeling all too well." He inhales deeply, gripping his emerald staff a little tighter. "After Shen and Miwa were taken from me, I too felt angry at the world. My thoughts were clouded and set into disarray. I felt a deep hatred like nothing I've ever felt before." His smile is more sad than happy, each of the turtle's faces softened. "Gaining all of you as my sons brought me back from that pit."

"But Sensei, the Necromancer isn't going to stop until the city has fallen and he has his daughter back!" Leo says, getting to his feet. "Just because he's grieving doesn't mean that-"

"Leonardo, I did not say that you mustn't stop him," the rat interrupts gently. "I am simply saying that you need to see that his actions are not because he is evil. He is not like Doctor Sabrian, whose only intention was a blind pursuit of knowledge at the expense of others. He is not like Circa, who simply did what she did because she had become bored. He is doing this because he feels there is no other way to cope with his feelings, and so he wants to release his pain upon the people."

"He's broken," Zilla echoes. "He's a broken man with a broken spirit. That's all."

"We'll stop him, Shadow dudette," Mikey says, flashing a smile her way. "Heroes gotta keep being heroes, right?"

"Get to work, my children. I will make us all tea," Splinter offers.

"I'll help!" Annalise pipes up, getting to her feet and hurrying after the rat.

Everyone in the lair disperses, chattering to one another about plans. Casey smirks as he hears Donnie and Sarina discussing the possibility of handheld concentrated light cannons to weaken the shadow beasts.

The vigilante's eyes travel to Zilla, who looks like a huge weight has been lifted off her chest. He moves towards her, ushering her to move to his side. She obeys.

"Look...uh...thanks for telling us everything," he says, rubbing the back of his neck. "I know that was probably super hard for you to do."

She nods, her bright eyes staring off into some point in the distance. "Yes...but I feel that those answers were only needed now."

"One thing I don't understand though," he adds, making her arch a shady eyebrow. "Why would you care if the city became shadow? You wouldn't be alone anymore. You could touch people, touch the buildings...it'd be a place where you could belong."

She shakes her head. "No, I don't want anyone to live like I do. I have to hide from sunlight, I can't eat or dream anymore. Touch is only one of many senses that could be restored, but there's still too much at stake. Besides...the shade infection doesn't create more mutants, it just kills by sapping energy little by little." She takes a deep breath as she runs her hand up her arm. "If Wallace managed to recreate the pure inanimation mutagen...I don't want to know the suffering people will go through."

He doesn't have a response, choosing to only nod his head absentmindedly. She glances at him, gazing straight into his eyes. She smiles a little after a second or so, making him pout his lips as he arches an eyebrow.

"What?"

A soft chuckle shakes her shadowy body. "Do you know what my favourite colour is?"

"No..." He smirks, crossing his arms over his chest. He doesn't care about the randomness of her question, which is probably just her way of changing the topic. "What is it?"

"Brown...like your eyes," she answers. "I just like that I can look at you and see my favourite colour. It's...nice."

"You're weird," he laughs.

A wistful look flickers over her features. "Yeah, I know."