Chapter Text
The air in Donnie's lab crackled with anticipation as he finalized the antidote. Lina, her heart pounding with a mix of excitement and apprehension, stood beside her brothers. The time had come to tell them she couldn’t wait any longer even if she wanted to.
Raph, ever the most impatient to get this over and done with, reached for the antidote first, determined to turn back no longer be in this form that him so uncomfortable. The liquid shimmered in the vial as he took a deep breath and downed it and the transformation started to unfold.
"Eww, you couldn’t make it taste any better Donnie, it’s disgusting ," Raph said to Donnie, looking down at his hands as if expecting something different.
Mikey and Donnie exchanged glances before Mikey followed suit. Donnie, holding the vial, turned to Lina. Their eyes met, and a moment of hesitation hung in the air.
"you're up Leo" Donnie said, extending the antidote towards her.
Leo, it felt terrible to be called the name she grew up with, it was familiar but that didn’t make her like it anymore, it felt like a dagger to the heart to be called that.
Lina hesitated, feeling the weight of truth pressing down on her. She took the vial, the cool glass a stark contrast to the warmth of her palm. As she brought it to her lips, she paused, the liquid hovering inches away she couldn’t bring herself to do it, she won’t bring herself to do it she wasn’t going back to the way she was before.
"Guys, there's something I need to tell you," Lina began, her voice tinged with vulnerability and fear.
Raph raised an eyebrow, Mikey tilted his head curiously, and Donnie fixed his gaze onto her. Lina took a deep breath, gathering the courage to share the secret she had guarded, no matter how nervous or anxious she was it had to be done.
"Since that mist changed us, I've been feeling something I never expected. It's like... I finally feel right in my own shell. And, well, I've been trying to find the right time to say this, but... I don't want to change back."
Silence descended in the lab, a long pause was present as her brothers processed what Lina had just told them. Raph blinked in surprise, Mikey's eyes widened, and Donnie, for once struggled to find words.
"I've picked a name for myself—Lina. And, I want you all to know, I'm still the same turtle you've known. Just... a bit more me."
The weight of her confession hung in the air, as she waited for a response. Raph was the one to break the silence. "Well, Lina, you better get used to us calling you that 'cause if it makes you happy, then who cares?" Normally Raph didn’t get like this with his family but he could tell Lina needed support right now, so he dropped the tough guy act just this once.
Mikey, with a smirk, added, "Yeah Leo, sorry I mean Lina, you do you big sis. We got your back."
Donnie, his initial surprise replaced with understanding, nodded. "We're family, Lina. Whatever makes you happy, we'll support you."
With those words, Lina felt a surge of relief. The antidote, though ready, suddenly seemed less crucial. In that moment, she realized that acceptance and understanding from her brothers meant more than returning to a form that never truly felt like her own. As they shared a moment of acceptance, the turtles embraced the changes that bound them together.