Song: Wasting Time - Red

"Casey, over here!"

A familiar voice rings out as I jog around the corner. There, peering through the shadows, is a pair of gleaming white eyes. In the distance, four more sets of eyes study me as they try to figure out if I'm a threat.

"Raph, buddy," I greet the first stealthy figure. As I approach him, he slips out of the darkness to reveal his green skin and matching eyes. He wears a rather large grin, a rare expression for someone as hotheaded as him.

We're interrupted by a newcomer. "Casey!" Michelangelo bounces forward and body-slams me. He engulfs me in a tight hug and nearly takes me off my feet in the process. "Did you hear what's gonna happen? We're gonna get Lizzy back!" he answers his own question as he releases me from his death grip.

I shrug the little turtle off as Leonardo and Donatello materialize. Both of them look eager, though it's obvious the blue-clad turtle is the most enthusiastic. Lucy follows the turtles more uncertainly, her gray eyes shooting me her usual suspicious looks. Finally, April approaches with a twinkle in her blue eyes.

I can't stop myself from letting their excitement contaminate me. "Well, where's Lizzy?" I demand as I eagerly glance around.

"We can't bring her to the surface until she's cured," Donatello responds promptly. "We have to give her the medication in her current habitat to minimize risks."

"Whatever, dude," I brush him off with a wave of my hand. "Let's go down to the sewers, then!"

Leonardo leads the way as we jump down into a manhole. The turtles go first, followed by April and I. Lucy is the last one, and the only skeptical one at that. Raphael has to coax her down the ladder.

The sound of nasty, angry groans fill the tunnel the moment we drop to the ground. Noises bounce off the walls and confuse me so I can't tell where they originate. Lost, my team and I are forced to wait for the creatures to come to us.

And it doesn't take long. Within mere seconds, shadows of limping figures are cast onto the walls. The disconcerting moans grow louder as they round the corner. The creatures appear in the most unattractive manner, with drool and other unidentifiable substances hanging from their jaws.

Immediately, the group of zombants fix their glowing, black eyes on us. Each of them look familiar to an extent, but the mutant in front is the most recognizable. Her skin has been morphed into a dark, dirty pink. Claws and overgrown teeth jut out of her body, along with fragile legs. Despite her lack of humanity, however, there is no mistaking Elizabetta's fiery spirit as she guides the other zombants.

"Is she their leader or something?" I question as the zombant stench slaps me across the face. I wrinkle my nose and take a step back.

"I suppose it's possible," Donatello responds. "Creatures like these tend to pick the most intellectual member to take charge. Since she has previous experience in the sewers, they might have 'elected' her leader since she seems smart down here."

Leonardo's blue eyes flash with admiration. "That's my girl," he mumbles.

"Let's change her back and get out of here," Raphael grumbles loudly. "It smells worse than Mikey's bedroom."

"Don't pick on my natural scent!" Michelangelo complains, which causes the zombants to turn their attention on him.

I push my way in front of the others with my hockey stick guarding them. "Do what we came to do and let's get out of here!" I say sharply.

The zombants have already started to force us back. I can practically taste their rank breath as it gushes into my face. I stare straight into the eyes of Elizabetta as her unpleasant form limps towards me, a snarl on her decaying lips.

"We've got to separate her from the others," Leonardo announces as he swings out from behind me. "Raph and Casey, take the right flank. Mikey and I will cover the left while Donnie injects her. April, guard Don and jump in if things start to go awry."

"And you stay out of harm's way," Raphael orders Lucy, who gives a tiny nod of agreement.

April looks offended. Her blue eyes blaze indignantly as the rest of us fall into our positions. "Are you kidding me? I want an important job!" she complains as she removes her tessen.

"We all have important jobs," Leonardo briskly waves her whining away. "We don't have time for this. Team, hold them off!"

At our commander's word, Raphael and I insert our weapons into the herd of zombants. We peel Elizabetta away from her group and force them back. With flexed muscles and grunts from the effort, Raphael and I manage to create a rather large gap in the herd.

"Agh!" Raphael growls as he dodges a swipe from a zombant. "Watch it, nasty!"

"They're probably thinking the same thing about you," I snicker as I give the herd another shove.

Raphael glares at me, but a gleam of humor flashes in his green eyes. "I was talking to you," he fires back.

I roll my eyes and ignore his harsh joke. Ensuring that my defense against the creatures is strong, I take the opportunity to glance back at Donatello.

Unfortunately, the purple-clad turtle is having trouble getting a proper hold on Elizabetta. She swipes and swerves anytime he makes a move toward her. Since he doesn't have the hand-space to remove his bo-staff, he has no choice but to continually play a cat-and-mouse game.

"Lizzy, come on!" Donatello grumbles, his voice cracking with fear as claws almost graze his shoulder. "I have good intentions!"

"Donnie, can you hurry it up over there?" Leonardo grunts. Perspiration drips down his cheek as his katanas fight to hold off the zombants.

"I'm doing the... Best I can!" Donatello pants as he ducks under another deadly attempt. "I want to help, Lizzy! Allow me that one thing," he continues to plead with her.

A sudden surge in the zombant ranks nearly makes me topple backwards. I quickly regain my balance in order to retain my position, but by then the zombants have made it forward a few inches. A yelp almost escapes my lips as teeth chop a centimeter away from my nose.

"Donnie!" I yell.

"Hurry your shell!" Raphael adds impatiently. Clearly, he is struggling just as much.

"DON'T PRESSURE ME!" Donatello shouts, his voice echoing through the sewer tunnels. The noise only excites the zombants even more.

"Donnie, watch out!" April leaps into his battle just in time to save him from a poisonous bite. She curves around the creature and, taking Elizabetta's arms with her, pins them behind her back. April grits her teeth as she fights to keep the zombant in place.

Unfortunately, April isn't strong enough to steady Elizabetta. An arm breaks free from her grip and lashes out at Donatello.

Donatello responds in the nick of time. He avoids the attack and clings onto the independent arm, forcing it behind Elizabetta. However, it requires both of his hands to hold her, and he ends up dropping the serum.

"No!" April gasps as the needle hits the ground and rolls away.

"Don't let go," Donatello says as Elizabetta shifts under April's slacking grip. "We might not be able to pin her down again if she breaks free."

"Dudes, my arms are giving out!" Michelangelo whimpers. His nunchuck chains are beginning to shiver violently under the zombant weight.

"Lucy!" Leonardo shouts the girl's name as his feet start sliding across the ground. "Grab the needle and inject Lizzy!"

Lucy's gray eyes widen slightly. "Me?" she asks softly.

"You're our only chance," Leonardo insists desperately, his blue eyes bloodshot from the strain on his muscles. "None of us can move. Just insert the vile into her neck."

"You have to do this," Raphael puts in, his voice harsher than the blue-clad turtle's.

"But I... I don't want to hurt her," Lucy protests uncertainly.

"For shell's sake, Luce!" Raphael snarls as he throws himself against the zombants for the twentieth time. "Will you stop being such a baby and do something worthwhile for once in your pathetic life?!"

Time seems to stop and everyone holds their breath. For a moment, it looks as if Lucy might take Raphael's insult to heart. Then she darts across the room and retrieves the needle. Balancing it expertly between her fingers, she jabs it into a gnashing Elizabetta without hesitation.

Then the injected zombant collapses.