Race. [TMNT 2012]

Epilogue

*This is the last edition of this story.  Please consider going back and voting on other chapters you may have missed before reading this!  I would really appreciate it, because it encourages me to write more!  Thank you. <3

Song: Where It All Begins - Hunter Hayes ft. Lady Antebellum

The whole trip home is blanketed in grief. Every step we take away from the zombants feels like another weight on our shoulders. Leaving her behind feels wrong; we should be able to fix them right now. Like we've always done.

I didn't even try  to save them from the rain and the guilt is eating me alive. The only thing that keeps me from going insane is Lucy's calm nature. She isn't in hysterics like the rest of us. Instead, she is as determined as ever to keep trudging on.

When we get to Lucy's house, her mother isn't very welcoming. The moment she sees her daughter covered in blood, she wants to send us away. She blames us for putting Lucy in danger.

Somehow, Lucy's calm nature gets her mother off our backs and allows us to come inside. She even convinces her mother to let us stay until we recover. Unfortunately, she can't stop her mom from staring us down. Until Lucy convinces her to go to bed, that is.

As we get our wounds cleaned up, the mood begins to lighten. Our grief fades into hope and our frowns change into grins. Small jokes float through the air, most of them courtesy of Michelangelo. Even Casey and April get in on the fun after a while, debating his favorite fighting techniques he used. Lucy smiles and giggles occasionally, along with Donatello shaking his head in amusement.

However, there's one turtle disconnected from the group. He stands against the doorframe to the kitchen, his blue eyes out of focus. He seems lost in a daydream until I come up beside him.

"Hey, Leo," I greet him, tracing a bandage that Donatello put on my arm wound. It feels a lot better than it did previously. "What's your idiotic mind telling you now?"

Leonardo smiles a tiny bit at my jibe, but then it fades into grimness. "I can't stop thinking about Lizzy," mumbles softly. "It feels so wrong being here without here. Is she really gone?"

I'm not surprised by his words. "She's not gone," I remind him calmly, meeting his gaze to reassure him. "We'll fix this, just like we always do."

Leonardo's gaze falls to the floor. "How?" he murmurs, as if he isn't sure he wants an answer.

The room grew quiet the moment I approached Leonardo. Everyone has turned away from their own discussions to look at Leonardo and I with curious expressions.

"I'll find an antidote," Donatello speaks up, the determination on his face reinforcing his words. "I'll work day and night if I have to, but I'll find it. We'll heal everyone. They'll all be back to normal before you know it."

Leonardo looks slightly comforted and he nods mutely.

A few heartbeats of silence pass, then Donatello talks again. "You know, Karai might be out there. If she hasn't been infected, then she'll be easier to find than usual. The streets are virtually silent, and they probably will be for the next few days. We should seize the opportunity and search for her soon."

Leonardo perks up, his eyes suddenly glowing with hope. "I'll take a patrol out tomorrow, then," he decides, as if it's a dream come true.

"We're gonna save everyone and get Karai back!" Michelangelo exclaims joyfully. "Man, we're awesome!"

"Settle down, dude," Casey tells him, though he looks just as thrilled as the rest of us. He does a mini fist-pump that makes us smile.

"I'll go ahead and start working on it," Donatello says as he rises to his feet, clearly eager to get started. "Where is the bathroom? I'll need to borrow some of your medications for chemical compounds, if you don't mind," he adds to Lucy.