Together As Mutants (Book Six)

CXI. Annalise's Change

"I'm sure we can do this without completely changing you...but it's risky," Sarina says, holding a vial of modified mutagen up to her eye level. The intelligent cyborg purses her lips. "Best case scenario, your body shows no physical changes but your genetic makeup changes."

Annalise fidgets in her seat, lips pressed together. "And...worst case scenario?"

"You mutate into a turtle."

She swallows. "Okay, gotcha."

Sarina glances towards the door of the laboratory, her eyes flashing as she gains a troubled look. She sighs and looks to her blonde sister-in-law.

"Are you sure you don't want to tell Mikey? Donnie can keep distracting him...but-" she starts.

"If I tell him, he'll stop me. He doesn't like it when I make sacrifices for him." Annalise smiles lightly. "Please, Sarina, just do it. It'll be...a surprise to him."

"Right before you head off on your honeymoon?"

"Yup."

Sarina's eyes flash again. "As you wish." She turns around and grabs a syringe, her face going blank with concentration. "Now, this is going to hurt. The mutagen literally changes the physical properties of a person's appearance in ways that even I can't understand fully. It hurts, so...you're prepared to mute yourself or give me permission to do it myself?"

Annalise nods. Sarina moves forwards, wielding the syringe and taking a deep breath.

---------

Annalise doesn't feel like she's screaming. All she feels is burning pain throughout her entire body. The mutagen is flowing through her, changing her from the inside out. The blonde can't even concentrate on anything going on around her, just the pain.

Then, just as suddenly as it came, the burning fizzles out and her hearing returns. She opens her eyes, seeing that she's laying on the laboratory floor with Sarina kneeling over her. The younger woman blinks a few times as she slowly pushes herself up.

"Well? What happened?" she asks, looking down at herself.

Sarina helps her to her feet, smiling lightly. "Good news, you're not a turtle. I modified the mutagen in enough ways for the change to be moderate." She steps back and takes a few seconds to analyze the changes. "Your muscle density has become thicker, like that of a turtle's. Your back has expanded a tiny bit, but it's not too noticeable." The cyborg moves around the back. "And your tailbone has grown longer. You sort of have a tail now."

"Well...that's..." Annalise stops as she looks back at Sarina. "Wait, how'd you know-"

"I checked, simple." The cyborg winks. "Ready to show Mikey?"

She gulps. "I guess so..."

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"YOU DID WHAT?! BECAUSE OF WHAT?!"

Annalise winces a little at Michelangelo's loud exclamation, his baby blue eyes wide and shocked. Donatello, who's currently stationed behind his brother, gives Sarina a pointed look.

"I got slightly mutated...with a turtle," Annalise repeats.

"In order for you two to have children. It was her request," Sarina adds.

Mikey's bottom lip trembles. "But...I thought you said it was possible! I thought you said-"

"We researched everything, Mikey," the cyborg continues. "The only way reproduction between our inter-species couples can work is because of one common factor...mutagenic DNA."

"I was the only one who wasn't slightly mutated," Annalise adds, stepping closer to her newlywed husband. "Even Taylor is slightly different because of the Mutacorp thing."

He moves closer to her, gently cupping her face in his hands. "But...you didn't have to change for me. It would've been selfish of me to ask you to do that just because of kids-"

"But it was my choice, Mikey. I wanted to do it for us, okay?" she whispers. "We have a chance now. You can have those kids you want so badly." She laughs a little. "I'm still Annalise. I'm just...half turtle or something."

"More like 23.93% turtle," Donnie cuts in, moving past them to stand next to Sarina. "You're still 76.07% human...roughly."

Mikey drops his sad look, nodding a little bit as a smile flickers across his lips. "Well...okay, if it's what you want."

She hugs him tightly, something he returns willingly. Donnie glances at Sarina and smiles proudly.

"Good job, wifey," he murmurs, kissing the side of her forehead.

She giggles. "I thank you, husband of mine."