Emotionless Mutation (Book Three)

Chapter 29: Lessons in Family

Sarina wakes to the sound of her cell door sliding open. She yawns and her eyes flicker for a few seconds before returning to their full brightness. She's about to get up when two metal hands grab her shoulders and yank her from bed, making her yelp.

"Excuse me! That's very uncalled for!" she snaps to the Kraang on either side of her, tugging against their hold.

The Kraang waiting outside the door moves to her, gun raised. "In preparation for the transport of the one known as you, Kraang must reboot your system," it states. "The one known as you has undergone unauthorized emotional modification. Kraang will fix this."

Sarina's pupils dilate and she plants her feet, tugging against her captors. They don't give up, starting to mechanically scold her, but she's not listening to them drone any longer. They've already taken away her freedom, they won't take away her memories or her feelings.

More Kraang arrive, surrounding her on all sides. They manage to get her out of the cell and into the hallway, but she's still fighting against them. She grits her teeth as her palms start to glow. She blows the head off the nearest droid and spins to the others, firing off blast after blast as the Kraang scramble to stop her amongst shrieking orders. She's burning with determination, she will get out, they cannot—

There's a pinch on the back of her neck and a cool, numbing sensation spreads through her entire body. Her hands shut off and she collapses into a useless heap, her vision starting to fuzz at the edges. A Kraang droid appears above her holding an empty needle. More appear after it.

"Kraang has sedated the one known as Subject 60184," the Kraang says. "It will not do that which is harm to Kraang anymore."

Sarina's head lolls to the side as she's lifted onto a Kraang gurney and rolled off along the hallways. She tries to wiggle her fingers, but they're unresponsive. She can feel her heart beating and she knows she's breathing, but it's like everything from the neck down has gone to sleep. She realizes with horror that she will be awake to witness the moment they perform the mind wipe.

She shuts her eyes and takes a deep breath. At least, once it's done, she won't remember how amazing it is to be able to feel. She won't remember the smell of pizza or the feeling of Donatello's hand or the sound of Destiny's strange, barking laughter. She will be just as she was: a robot, a hollow shell of a mutant.

The only downside, she supposes, is that the Hamatos will remember who she is and, should they ever meet again after this, she won't be able to recognize them. That's a low risk, considering she won't be on Earth for that much longer.

The gurney stops inside a room with a strange machine attached to the ceiling. Sarina is lifted from the gurney and placed on the table beneath the contraption. A droid starts pressing electrode pads onto Sarina's head, face, and neck. Each electrode is attached to a wire that links to the machine on the ceiling. As Sarina stares at it, she gets the strangest sense of déjà vu.

"Prepare for reboot," a droid says from a control panel a little ways away.

It presses a button and a whirring fills the room. Sarina's eyes fall shut and she clings to the image in her head of Donatello, of his gap-toothed smile, his eyes, his mask. She tries to remember the feeling of his hug, of his gentle touch, but everything fades to black and she has to let go.

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"Sarina, wake up. I don't have much time."

Sarina lets out a soft groan. Her head is pounding all over, making her feel sick. Her eyes snap open and she gasps. If she feels sick, then...

There's a Kraang in a Normal Norman suit standing beside her, expression blank. Sarina sits up, vertigo smacking her in the face and making her wobble. The Norman's hands instantly grasp her shoulders, steadying her gently. She frowns at the touch. It's so...not Kraang-like.