Kia ora! ^-^

So you've just stumbled upon your doom. I'm kidding, it's just a fanfiction that I've been holding off for quite some time now. But I finally decided to publish it for the sake of publishing it. It's quite fun to write :)

After I saw the 2014 movie, I wanted to write a fanfiction with OCs. I thought, "what would happen if the year after April's dad destroyed the lab, Sachs decided to make another mutagen and repeat the experiment but with female turtles?" So I put fingers to keyboard and just started writing. *Looks around* anyone asleep yet?

So yeah, this fanfiction is set in the 2014 movie universe, during 2000 (the year after project Renaissance). I'm not really gonna spoil the plot now... *looks up* oops.

Oh, by the way *makes sign* WARNING: THIS FANFICTION IS RATED T FOR A REASON. OFFENSIVE LANGUAGE AHEAD!

So without further ado *drum roll* I present my failure of a fanfiction! Hehe ^-^

...

Are you still here?

You're... allowed to continue.

Enjoy?

Xx3xX

6:03pm, 1/16/2000, New Jersey

"Declan? Come on, sweetheart. This is the third time this has happened in the past week. Time to wake up."

Declan lifted his head, his vision blurring, then lowered it again with a groan. His mother gave a quiet sigh, the kind that often showed she was frustrated, and reached out a cool palm to press against her son's head. It was alarmingly hot to the touch.

"Declan." Her voice was firmer this time. "Honey, you're burning up. I think it's high time you put your studies aside and get some rest."

Declan sat up and flopped back against his chair, groaning in exasperation. "Mom, I don't have time to rest. This paper is due tomorrow morning."

His mother moved to the kitchen counter, and switched the kettle on. She dodged between the open cupboards, removed the plate of cold soup from the microwave, and closed the fridge door that had been left open for longer than ten minutes. "And if you don't rest, you won't be able to write another word on that paper. You know why you're in this condition, don't you?"

"Yeah, yeah." Declan pushed his pale blond hair out of his eyes. It was dyed, and he'd kept it that way since he started college. "Stress. You don't need to remind me."

"Contrary to popular belief, I do." Declan's mother pulled up a chair and sat down, her eyes shining. Her voice was firm, but her smile was kind. "Honey, I've been through college. I know what it's like, and sometimes I had to put my health first. When the stress builds up and you go to bed late, it compromises your immune system and leaves you suspect to illness. So you need to close the books and get to bed."

"You came here for a reason, right?" Declan asked with a yawn, pulling himself up with a great effort. "Not just to lecture me on all-that-is-holy about sleep? I'm not trying to be an ass, mom, it's just... I'm kinda sick of the whole 'Declan you can't be an engineer if you don't heed my scientific wisdom.' No offence."

His mother smiled uneasily in an attempt to hide that she was a little offended. "Well... in all honesty, I did come for that reason, but not that alone. I need to ask a favor."

Declan grabbed the kettle and went to pour boiling water into a mug, but accidentally poured it on the counter. He didn't seem to notice. "Yeah... which is?"

His mother seized the kettle and put it back in it's rightful place. "I think you've had enough coffee. Now, how do I explain this... you know who I work for, don't you?'

"I don't know, Saxophone someone..."

"Eric Sachs, honey. He's the CEO of Sachs Industries, and a brilliant scientist. I've been honored enough to be selected to work alongside him on his newest project."

"Uh-huh." Declan turned and walked out of the kitchen. "So, what does this have to do with me?"

His mother shifted uneasily. "We'll get to that in a moment. Sweetheart, I need to have a look at those pet turtles of yours."

Declan stopped in his tracks, then slowly turned to his mother. "No."

"Darling-"

"No, don't you dare start me on the 'darling' bullshit. I know what you're pulling, mom, and it's not fucking right." Declan snapped. "You're not using my pets as test subjects for some twisted experiment."

Eliza was certain that Declan knew nothing about the disastrous Project Renaissance- that was classified information. But when his mother, who was a scientist, asked for a favor and to examine his pets, he put two and two together and knew she wanted to use them as test subjects. Eliza was finding herself at an impasse- she'd promised Sachs test subjects, and he'd promised her a place on the project. The only thing she could do at this point was lie.

"Declan, just listen to me." Eliza said quickly. "Sweetheart, Mr Sachs has developed something that could very well be life-changing. It's a... serum that could actually extend the lifespan of any organism that receives the serum. We've already tested a mammalian organism, and we just need reptilians. I can promise that your pets will be cared for and not mistreated in any way. Just think about it... we're at a breakthrough, honey, and it could very well mean that you'll be able to keep your pets for many years to come. This serum could save lives. All I need is your pet turtles... just for a little while."

Declan raised an eyebrow. "How long is a little while?"

Eliza hesitated. "Two weeks."

Declan bit the inside of his cheek, glanced around, then sighed in exasperation. "Fine. But if anything happens to them, I'll walk straight into your lab and take them back. Deal?"

"You have my word." Eliza extended her hand, which Declan just stared at. Finding she was going to get nowhere, she straightened up and brushed off her coat. "Now, dear, may I see the specimens?"

"Oh yeah, and another thing." Declan turned to glare at his mother. "Don't call them specimens."

He sighed and gestured to a large tank in the living room. "They're in there. Be careful with them, alright? Cheyenne will freak if anything happens to them."

Eliza didn't hear what he said- she was busy staring at Declan's pet turtles. "Fascinating. And what gender are they?"

"All female." Declan said, running a hand through his hair. "Their mother died a few weeks ago after Anna and Sonia were hatched. Cecilia and Emilie were from last year's clutch."

"Sisters, then. Very sweet. Did their mother lay any other eggs?"

"Not sure... I don't think she was completely fit to breed. But she had these four, and they're doing well. Just be really careful with Anna and Sonia... they're still really young."

Eliza stared in wonder at the small creatures. Two of them were snoozing on a rock, another was contently swimming and the fourth was almost pressed up against the glass, floating in the water and glaring at her.

"That's Emilie." Declan laughed. "She doesn't like you."

"Isn't that a shame?" Eliza told the small turtle. "Don't worry, I'm sure we can put aside our differences and be friends."

The turtle just continued to stare at her. She didn't seem to trust the scientist.

"And who is the one swimming?" Eliza asked, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose.

"Anna."

"So the other two must be Sonia and Cecilia. Right, now that we've established that, I'll need something to carry them in."

Declan mumbled something under his breath, but reluctantly went off and came back with a small portable container. He carefully relocated the turtles to the portable tank, then handed it to his mother. "Just... be really careful. Please. They mean a lot to me."

Eliza smiled, reached out and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her son's ear. "Only a mother could understand, Declan. I promise that I will do my very best to ensure they are well cared for."

Declan managed a small smile. "Yeah, well, if you don't... Cheyenne will flip. So can I... come see them every once in a while?"

"Of course you can." Her voice was soft, promising. Then she paused. "Just one quick question... how on Earth did you come up with such names for your pets?"

Declan shrugged demurely. 'Hmm... courtesy of an overly excited girlfriend."

"Ah. Makes sense." Eliza pushed her glasses up again. "Well, I'd better be on my way. I'll be in touch."

Before she made it out the door, she turned to smile at her son. "Thank you, Declan."

Eliza's heart rate sped up with every step she took down Declan's driveway.

She'd just lied to her son's face. Yes, the project was run by Eric Sachs, but it's purpose wasn't to extend the lifespans of organisms it came into contact with. It was to test a mutagen that was supposed to have extraordinary healing properties. Eliza had her doubts that the mutagen would seriously harm the turtles, but she needed the money to pay off her debt for Declan's house. Her son came first and foremost.

The container holding the turtles sat on the passenger seat as she anxiously drove back to the laboratory. There was an unnatural fluctuation in her breathing patterns, so she gripped the steering wheel to try and calm herself. Thankfully she came to a red light which gave her a little more time to compose herself.

Thankfully she made it to the laboratory with no other problems. Tightly gripping the container, she made her way into the laboratory, where her colleagues were waiting with Eric Sachs himself. The man grinned when he saw what Eliza was carrying.

"Here she is, the woman who is going to get us the breakthrough we need." He walked over and stuck his hand out for her to shake. Cradling the container in one arm, Eliza reached out and shook his hand. His grip was firm. "You're just in time, Dr. Scott. May I examine the specimens?"

Who was Eliza to tell Sachs not to call them specimens? Shaking, she held out the container. "Of course, sir."

Sachs took the container, and peered at the small lifeforms. "Perfect. They're just what we need."

He smiled warmly at Eliza. "You promised me the test subjects, I promised you a place on the project. Welcome to the team, Dr. Scott."

Her colleagues broke into applause, and Eliza found herself positively beaming.

Sachs had explained the purpose of the project in detail, and Eliza had absorbed every word. It was a relaunch of Project Renaissance, which had ended in disaster last year.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Sachs had said to the group of scientists, "I have a good feeling about this project. It's the year 2000, and it comes with a fresh start. I'm fully confident that this year we will achieve something spectacular. Every single one of you in front of me is going to change the world."

Eliza knew that playing a role in the project would mean an income beyond her wildest dreams. She had immedietly opted to provide test subjects, which Sachs was more than pleased about.

"As some of you may know, I worked alongside Dr. O'Neil last year to develop a mutagen with intricate healing properties. However, our success was short-lived- the laboratory was set ablaze and Dr. O'Neil tragically lost his life. This year we will honour Dr. O'Neil by continuing his research, and we will reach the breakthrough that he would have wanted to achieve.

"Project Renaissance was conducted on four reptilian life forms and a mammalian organism. Because the fire struck before we saw any changes in the test subjects, it would be preferable to repeat the experiment on life forms of the same class. If any of you can provide suitable test subjects for the project relaunch, it would be immensely appreciated."

Eliza was just a laboratory assistant when she overheard Sachs speaking, and spoke to him afterwards. He had offered her a place in the project if she provided the test subjects.

"If you can provide the specimens," Sachs had told her, "I will be more than glad to offer you a place on the project. To have reptilian test subjects is by all means satisfactiory, but it is something else entirely to have test subjects of a different gender. If the mutagen has the same affect on females of the same species as it does males, we will have achieved something life-changing. Do you understand?"

She definitely understood- there was no argument. All she had to do was convince Declan to allow her to borrow his pets. She'd stopped by later that evening to find her son asleep on piles of notes at the kitchen table, the smell of soup wafting through the air and Green Day's latest album blasting from the stereo. Eliza supposed that it would take a weight off of her son's shoulders if she took away one of his responsibilities.

And now here she was, privelaged enough to be partaking in the Project Renaissance relaunch. She sat with one of her colleagues while she waited. Sachs soon returned, clad in a lab coat and latex gloves. Clutching her clipboard, Eliza watched as Sachs carefully removed Sonia from the container, who didn't seem disturbed by the sudden movement.

"Administering mutagen." Sachs held up a syringe, and Eliza turned her gaze away. Injections made her feel nauseous. "Dr. Scott, I need you to log the exact date and time the mutagen was administered, and the names of the specimens."

"Yes sir." She glanced at her watch. 1-16-00, 6:43pm, Sonia

Cecilia was next, and this time Eliza watched the process. Cecilia didn't seem to mind the injection- she just put up with it. Emilie seemed a little uncomfortable, but Anna flailed desperately to get away from the sharp object. However, the process was over quicker than Eliza had expected. She had recorded the required information, and colour coded each turtle. Soon they were placed in a glass tank, and provided with food. It was almost like they had never left.

Almost.

2 weeks later...

"Mom?"

Declan carefully made his way through the darkened laboratory, stepping over stray test tubes and crumpled notes. He nervously gripped the strap of his bag, and examined his surroundings. Okay, nothing looked officially shifty, but he was prepared to grab the turtles and run if some kind of freak of science jumped out at him.

"Come on, mom, you asked me to bring you dinner. It's gonna go cold."

He spotted a large glass tank, and smiled in relief. He gave his pets a once-over, ensuring they were just asleep and not dead, then pulled out a small container from his bag.

"Declan! What are you doing here?"

Surprised, Declan lost his balance and crashed into the table behind him. He pulled himself up, and started picking up the fallen papers. His mother stared at him from the desk beside the tank, her eyes visibly bloodshot behind the round frames of her glasses. She was obviously lacking a good night's sleep.

"Shit, mom, when's the last time you slept?" Hah. Coming from him, that sounded pretty hypocritical.

Eliza sighed in exasperation, took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes. "You haven't answered my question."

Declan stared at her, confused. "Uh... you asked me to bring you dinner, remember? Now answer my question."

"Have I slept?" Eliza stifled a yawn. "It doesn't matter. What's the time, sweetheart?"

Declan pulled out his old phone, which happened to be a prized possession. "Uh... five past seven."

"Shit!" Eliza cried. "I was supposed to administer the mutagen at 6:43 but I fell asleep... move aside, son, I need to get to the specimens..."

She trailed off as she ran to get the syringe, leaving Declan standing there. Declan tried to process what she said, and one word in particular stood out.

"Hold the phone." He snapped. "Did you just say mutagen? Mom, you told me it was a serum. Mutagens affect the base sequence of DNA and increase the frequency of mutations, and are generally categorized as carcinogens which are cancerous... Mom, what the hell are you doing to my turtles?"

"Exactly what I told you." Eliza yawned, taking Sonia out of the tank and injecting her with the mutagen. "Healing them."

"From what!?" Declan cried. "You told me you were attempting to extend their lifespans, not heal them! They don't need healing, mom, they're perfectly healthy! Unless..."

He stopped, his eyes on Cecilia who was currently being injected, and his jaw fell slack. "Oh no. No no no."

Eliza eyed her son, confused, then moved on to inject Emilie. "What?"

Declan put his face close to the tank, examining the turtles. "Don't fucking tell me you've been injuring them just to heal them with some cancerous crap!"

"Declan, you're jumping to conclusions-"

"Jumping to conclusions? I'm jumping to conclusions!?" Declan shouted. "Mom, they're my pets! I agreed to you using my turtles on the terms that no harm would come to them. You gave me your word that you wouldn't hurt them. You fucking lied to me!"

"I did no such thing!" Eliza retorted, turning so suddenly that she almost dropped Anna. "Declan, I told you the truth and nothing else. When I asked to borrow your pets, my intentions were to simply provide Sachs with test subjects. I told you that, didn't I? Sachs is a good man, and he has no intentions to harm these turtles. So you have absolutely no right to lay accusations on me."

Declan stared at his mother in disbelief with his mouth open. Slowly he closed his mouth, and his eyebrows knitted together. "That's it."

He stormed past his mother, glancing around the room. He disappeared out of Eliza's line of sight for a moment, then returned with the container he'd originally given to Eliza. On his way back he stumbled over an empty canister, knocking over a folder. Cursing, he picked it up, but paused when his eyes fell on the first page.

"Toxin... political advantage... mutagen..." His eyes darted over the page quicker than Eliza could move towards him. "Once the mutagen becomes adapted to the DNA of the test subjects... blood will build immunity of humans to toxic affects? So this guy is planning to release a toxin into the atmosphere only to showcase himself as the answer to the problem? That's both sick and nonsensical! How the hell can you administer humans with reptilian blood? Reptiles are cold-blooded whereas humans are warm-blooded. But the biggest problem is that this Saxophone asshole is planning to completely drain my turtles of blood for his pathetic political dreams!"

He crumpled up the page, threw it aside and walked back to the tank. "But as far as I'm concerned, his dreams are screwed."

Eliza could only watch as Declan reached into the tank, and relocated the turtles to the container. "Declan, stop it. Put the specimens back!"

"They're not specimens!" Declan spat. "They're my pets!"

This time Eliza raised her voice, which she hadn't done in a long time due to her high blood pressure. "Declan, put the damned turtles back!"

Declan put the fourth turtle in the container, and sealed the lid. "Trust is pretty fragile, mom, and you've broken it more than once. This time you've crossed the line. So I suggest to find yourself some new test subjects."

He pulled a package out of his bag, and threw it at her. "Here's your fucking dinner."

Declan turned on his heel and stormed out of the laboratory, carrying the one thing that Eliza had hoped would bring them closer together. She seized the folder and tore out every note she could find, stopping to tear each page into indecipherable pieces. Finding that was pointless, she grabbed the clipboard with the records of mutagen administration from both Project Renaissance and the relaunch, and tore the pages apart. How could Sachs repeat the experiment if he didn't have any physical record on how much mutagen he'd administered to the test subjects in the past? Maybe he would find a way. But not immedietely.

If the project meant Eliza had to lose her son's trust, then it meant absolutely nothing to her.

"Declan, calm down. I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You're not listening, Cheyenne! I've said twice now that my mother wanted my turtles just to please some insane guy with dreams to, I don't know, rule the fucking city!"

"This is New Jersey. It's not like he'll be at an advantage here."

"I'm pretty sure his company is based in New York. But I'm being serious here, Chey, this guy was actually planning on releasing some kind of toxin into the atmosphere just to cure everybody and win their favour!"

"Was he even in the running for the local election?"

Declan groaned in frustration. "You're completely missing the point here! It doesn't matter about politics, what matters is that the people have a saviour! The dude thinks he's Jesus Christ reincarnated or something!"

Cheyenne sighed and shook her head, got up, and grabbed a container of blueberries out of the fridge. She sat down again, and held one out to Anna. "Look, Declan, it's getting late... can't we just talk about this in the morning?"

Declan stared at his girlfriend. "Doesn't this mean anything to you? My mother just lied to my face and practically poisoned our pets!"

"They seem okay to me." Cheyenne replied. She held Anna in the palm of her hand and raised her to eye level. "You're fine, aren't you, baby girl?"

Anna just ducked her head and continued eating away at the blueberry. Cheyenne seemed more than satisfied. "That's my girl. Yeah, she's fine. Declan, you should probably get some sleep. I think all this stress is wearing you out."

"And what are you gonna do?" Declan retorted. "Sit here and talk to turtles?"

"Of course." Cheyenne said matter-of-factly. She took more blueberries, and put one in front of each of the other turtles. "These are my home girls, and we've got some catching up to do."

"Oh, please." Declan scoffed.

"I thought I was your home girl." Melanie, Cheyenne's best friend and their flatmate, entered the kitchen and walked over to the fridge. "Besides, what are you going to catch up with them on? Like, did they meet any nice boy turtles while they were playing test subjects?"

"That's a good question." Cheyenne gave Anna an inquisitive look. "Well, miss? Did you find love during your lab adventures?"

Anna seemed more in love with the blueberry than anything else.

"She's too young." Melanie laughed, and reached out to pick up Emilie. "What about you, Em?"

Emilie looked at her as if to say, "don't bother asking."

Melanie grinned. "She'll be a hit with the boys when she's older."

Declan had had enough at that point. "That's it, I'm going to bed. Goodnight, turtle whisperers."

"Hah, you're one to talk!" Melanie called, throwing a water bottle after him. She turned to Cheyenne. "I'm going to bed too, Chey. Don't stay up too late, alright? We have a coffee date tomorrow."

"Then staying up late won't be a problem." Cheyenne laughed. She carefully scooped up the turtles, and went back to the tank in the living room. "Goodnight, Mel."

"Night, Chey." Melanie called back.

Cheyenne grinned and carefully placed each turtle in the tank, then lightly tapped on the glass. "Goodnight, girls. Don't worry about what Declan said... he's probably just over-tired."

Cheyenne was an early riser, and that went without saying. Declan was the complete opposite- he slept in for as long as he could. But Cheyenne was usually up at 6am to go for a run and practice Jujitsu, which she'd been practicing since she was young. After she'd endured particular hardships, she figured that she needed to prepare herself mentally and physically.

Being careful not to wake Declan, she got up and quietly got changed, and pulled on a pair of trainers. Not bothering to brush her hair, she pulled the messy strawberry blonde locks into a ponytail. Figuring she could do with some protein before she left, she headed downstairs to make a smoothie, but stopped once she reached the bottom of the stairs. Something just didn't seem right. Maybe Declan was telling the truth, and his mother could have broken in to steal the turtles. It sounded crazy, but if the project was as important as Declan said...

Her heart pounding, Cheyenne walked quickly to the living room to make sure her beloved pets were safe, but she stopped dead in her tracks. She definitely wasn't expecting to see something like this.

"DECLAN!'

Xx3xX

Oh noes :o I guess Cheyenne will believe Declan now *evil grin*

So that's the first chapter :) was it okay? Reviews (and follows... and favourites) and criticism is welcome. I appreciate constructive criticism- it helps me improve my story. I'd also like to know if I've made any mistakes on the 2k14 movie plot.

Stay posted for the next chapter! Merry Christmas! :D (and may you recieve presents and food. Food is good.)

Xx3xX