Emotionless Mutation (Book Three)

Epilogue

The evening keeps winding down. A few more stories are shared, mostly from Melanie, Diaval, and Karai, and eventually, everyone is too exhausted to continue. Master Splinter declares that all the dishes can be left for another day and that at the moment, sleep is more important, and he heads off to set up beds for their new guest.

Melanie hugs Destiny goodnight while Diaval reaches over and pats the top of her head, both gestures making her tail wag. The turtles mumble a few goodnight wishes and wander off to their rooms, Donatello only leaving once he gives Sarina a kiss. Her and Destiny head to their room while the remaining humans head to the dojo.

Sarina lays awake, staring up at the ceiling. After a few minutes, she rolls over and stares up at Destiny's bed, lips pursed.

"Destiny?"

There's a beat before the covers rustle and Destiny's head appears over the edge. "Can't sleep?" she asks.

"Yes."

"Me too." The wolf-raven adjusts herself into a more comfortable position before continuing. "What's on your mind?"

Sarina's eyes flash, making Destiny squint against the brightness. "I feel strange. I did not know much about Shredder at all, then I was told about him and all his evil deeds. All of you experienced pain at his hand and the same could have gone for me, but...it hasn't." She exhales, rolling onto her back again. "I never had to worry about him and I never will. I feel a sense of immense peace. I cannot imagine what you are feeling."

Destiny smiles a little. "I feel peaceful too, but hey, knowing me I'll start having nightmares about zombie Shredder coming back from the dead." She laughs, but it dies quickly and her eyes go wide. "Are zombies a possibility?"

"I highly doubt it."

They linger in silence for a few seconds before Destiny whispers, "What do you think will happen now?"

"I do not know. I suppose that I will continue to date Donatello and grow more skilled with my abilities." Sarina lets a dreamy smile decorate her features. "Oh, and I will let my hair grow long and beautiful, and one day you and April will be able to teach me how to style it and Donatello will be able to run his fingers through it. I imagine that will feel lovely."

"Do you think it'll stay white or will it become blonde?"

"I hope it will stay white. That will fit my aesthetic."

Destiny laughs. "Oh yeah, that's so important."

Sarina shuts her eyes and breathes deeply, then lifts herself to her feet. She climbs onto Destiny's bed and settles next to her, earning a look of confusion from the brunette, but Sarina is undeterred.

"There is so much that will be different now," she whispers. She rests her hand between them, eyes darting towards the bed as she frowns in thought. "It is terrifying yet undoubtedly exciting."

Destiny smirks and rests her hand over Sarina's, giving it a squeeze. "Well, no matter what, I've got my best friend by my side, right?"

Sarina's eyes glow a little, just enough to illuminate Destiny's eyes. "Yes, yes you will, and so will I."

They fall asleep next to each other, hands intertwined between them, and Destiny sleeps through the night. When Leonardo checks on her the next morning, peeking his head into the room, the sight of them just about melts his heart. He leaves only to retrieve Donatello, who grins like a dope and shuts the door.

"They're so adorable. I love them so much," he says.

Leonardo grins. "Me too, Donnie. Me too."

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The office cubicles within TCRI are emptier than a ghost town and the levels adorned with Kraang tech are nearly identical, save for the abandoned remnants of alien tech.

A group of humans move through the building in silence, some collecting whatever they can in cardboard boxes while others mark down the findings in journals. A man with greying hair opens a door and wanders into a rather large room lined with cabinets, most of them utterly empty. He checks each box and drawer, finding next to nothing of use. His brow furrows and he sighs, pausing to sit down on the nearest box and clean his glasses.

As he puts them back on, he notices a smear of pink gel on the floor. He stoops to examine it, noting the red undertones and the texture that walks the line between lotion and putty. He digs a spare sample tube from his coat pocket and scoops some of the substance up, staring at it at eye-level with growing interest.

"Sir."

The man looks up to see one of his colleagues at the door. His eyebrows furrow and he straightens up. "Yes? What is it, Hanovitz?" he asks.

"You're not going to believe what we've found on their old security tapes," Hanovitz says, her face paling slightly. "They look like...mutants."

The man's stormy eyes brighten. "Now, this...I have to see."

End of Book Three