Chapter 10: Salvation

"Alright team," Leo said. "It's going to be a simple mission. We sneak in, find the lab, and destroy the virus."

"Sounds good to me," Raph smiled. The team of ninjas gathered together in the lair later that night, finalizing the plan for that night's break in.

"Donnie, you got the Solution?" Leo asked.

"Yep," Donnie said, pulling out a vial filled with a clear, colourless liquid. "Mrs. Kennington and I just finished it. All we have to do is mix it in with the virus and the whole batch goes down the drain."

"Alright," Leo said, "Raph and Donnie will take out the virus, me and Mikey will search the place for any of the missing scientists. After the building's clear, we set the place to blow. Everyone clear?"

"Yep," Donnie nodded.

"Got it," Raph confirmed.

" . . ."

"Mikey?" Leo said

"Hmm? Oh, yeah. I got it." Mikey smiled.

Leo rolled his eyes, "Let's move."

Oo0oO

The rest of the day in the Kraang lab was spent analyzing the newest mutant. This tree was probably the most incredible thing that Laura had ever seen. The bark on the thick trunk glowed with a soft, relaxing light that reflected off the light blue, shiny leaves, casting patterns over the walls that danced as the air currents played with the leaves. But the most astonishing thing about this tree was what it was doing on a molecular level.

"I can't believe this," Sandrum said as he studied a printout. Looking back at the mutagen, he could see that there was a discolouration in the elixir around the roots. The original green turning a deep blue that rivaled that of the ocean. This discolouration only served to further confirm his findings. "It's actually breaking down the mutagen into it's most basic components and using them as nutrients to grow."

"Mutagen for food," Laura said. "The change in colour is most likely due to the roots secreting some sort of enzyme to break it down, then using protein pumps to transfer the nutrients into it's vascular system."

"By breaking down the mutagen," Sandrum continued, "this specimen has become immune to it. The Kraang's mutagen can no longer affect this life form. It will forever live as it is, never to mutate again."

Tim . . . Laura thought. Her brother was currently encased in a combination of mutagen and gastric juices. If there were enzymes that could break down the frozen mutagen, then her brother would be free. . . or at least he wouldn't be frozen solid. But still, an improvement.

This tree is the hope for Tim. I've found it. I way to fix Tim . . . Laura's eyes began to water at the thought of her little brother.

Finally, she would hear his voice. Finally, she could see his smile. Finally, she could tell him how much of a blasted moron, utter idiot, stupid bone head, complete nitwit that he was . . . and how much she loved every bit of him.

"Are you alright, Laura?" Sandrum asked, noticing her watery eyes.

Laura swore under her breath as she tried to press her tears back into her eyes. "Yeah, sorry. Just something in my eye," she said unconvincingly. Before turning to look at the clock. It was late in the afternoon, and the sun would be setting soon.

"I'm just gonna . . . I'm just a little tired is all," Laura said, before sitting down in front of her computer. She glanced down on the desk where her note book lay with all of her different coloured pens. . . and the remains of her little wooden ruler.

It was worth it, Laura thought, smiling to herself. Tim's gonna be one step closer to himself.

"I'll send you the data," Sandrum said, "Make sure you finish the report before turning in for the night. I've got to go report in on what we've found."

"Alright," Laura said, opening the file that appeared in her inbox. Sandrum left her to her write up, leaving her alone in the lab.

As the door slid shut, Laura let out a long sigh in relief, before turning to face her brother's salvation. The beautiful tree stood tall and proud, gleaming and sending shapes of light dancing across the walls.

"Now I've just got to find to a way to turn your breakdown process into a serum," Laura told the tree. She sighed again, leaning back in her chair, "I wonder how long it will take. Don't even know how long I have . . ."

A glint caught Laura's eye among the flashing lights of the leaves. What drew her attention was the colour. The bark glowed with a soft white light, which is what swirled around on the walls now. Instead, this new gleam was purple. Squinting her eyes, Laura tried to see where this new colour was coming from. Laura watched in awe as even more purple lights began glowing within the light blue leaves of the tree.

Now curious, Laura found a larger step ladder and propped it up against the side of the mutagen tank, whose mutagen level only decreased more as the tree transformed it into nutrients and sucked it up. She was careful to avoid the massive roots that protruded from the sides of the cracked glass, climbed up to the lip of the tank, and pulled herself up on the ledge. She glanced nervously at the elixir whirling around beneath her, but only momentarily. Her curiosity got the better of her and she reached up to the lowest branch of the tree and struggled to pull herself up.

She stood in the branches, bracing herself on the large trunk and laughed as the patterns of light passed over her body in beautiful patterns. The bark on the branches were rough and smelled of soil after a fresh rain. Laura lost herself in the miracle of nature in a place that was so un-natural.

Another purple glint drew her attention and she looked for the source. Not far away, Laura spotted the small, purple fruit and reached out to touch it. It was soft under her fingers and the small fruit easily broke off from the branch. Laura held it up to the flashing light of the leaves to get a better look, and surprised when she recognized it.

"You're from earlier," Laura realized, making the connection. This tree must have been the result of a secondary mutation from the original mutant that she and Sandrum created earlier that day.

"The flower," Laura mused, "It must have produced viable seeds somehow. And the seed somehow managed to get into the open vat . . ."

Realization struck her and she smiled in disbelief, "Who needs lids anyways."

A/N: Bit of a shorter chapter, I know. But I just had to end it off there. Just sounds so right :P Next chapter will be extra long, promise. And it's looking like this story will also be 12 chapters, so the end is nye (or however you spell it). XD