Chapter 20

"I'll be the first to admit I misjudged you… but… Why does Yuuma have your hair cut?" Melee asked her brother Knuckle.

They had the six for a good three hours, their haircuts were done and they appeared happy. However what surprised her were the styles. None of them were like Amai's to say the least.

Yuuma adopted Knuckle's style. Two long stripped bangs down the front and a small ponytail in the back, the rest of his head was shaved his hair he had dyed half white. The other half remained blue. Tempest kept his hair long, but had a good foot trimmed off, yet his hair was braided and even dyed. The braids had white, black and blue hair tied into each other in small braids and braided again! He looked rather good with that.

Titan as taken to Garou's hair cut. Long pointed hair that stood on end, yet didn't quite have the same volume Garou's did. Rimuru went for a far shorter crew cut look yet kept some of his hair long enough to spike up, he even had a frost look going with his and incorporated white color into his do. Athena cut hers to shoulder length, yet fluffed up. She could be a model! Yuki had a look similar to Street's his head was nearly shaved, yet he kept enough hair to have it cascade down the side of his head in small bands, like how Yuuma's bangs were.

"How did you dye their hair? Also how did you get Titan's to spike like that?" she asked.

"Slime" Street said proudly. "Apparently we can make what is needed for hair needs, so the slime here can strip out color and put it into the hair follicle and strand, We can also make our own type of gel that will give the hair properties to stand on end like Titan and Rimuru's. Not bad if I do say so"

They were all happy with their look and were pleased with how it made them feel. Yuuma boasted that he didn't share any sort of 'style' Amai Mask would have. "He wouldn't be caught dead with this," he said proudly.

Melee had to agree with him on that.

"Mom…" came the voice of a very nervous Yuki. "We were talking… would… Alley let us try the bands?" he asked.

She was stunned to the request, but looked to everyone who nodded. Yuuma however could care less about them. "I'll try them since everyone else is, but I am going to wear a mask in public!" he protested.

"Wait, what?" Melee demanded.

"Dad said I could!"

How ironic that Garou was nowhere to be found at this point, but she also understood his reasoning for a mask. People would pester him and consistently ask if he was 'Amai Mask' or related to him. Melee sighed and gave in to the notion of the idea of him wearing something in public.

As for the bands…

She sighed aloud and nodded. "If Alley has them ready, go ahead." She announced.

There were smiles to be found, some even nervous. Titan in particular, Tempest himself was rather scared of the idea too! Yet, the curiosity was too great to ignore. It wasn't long until Snek's children arrived too, they froze at the sight of the six.

Pythan's jaw dropped.

"NO WAY!" he announced.

"We caught up to you." Athena said proudly. "Are you going to get your bands today? We are too!"

Melee knew things are about to get interesting…

#

Alley had set up all the bands needed, there was a set for each of the six and then Snek's children. However, she paused as some of them appeared altered. "Genus… have you been working with these?" she asked.

He shook his head. "The alien technology I leave strictly in your hands Alley, I don't mess with those just to be certain."

"Two sets of them are altered… I know that's not my handy work… I do admit it isn't yours either…" However before she could say anything more, Yuki came into the room, looking about rather desperately. He, however was quick to get to the table, he reached for the two sets that she noticed the alterations too.

"These… may not work…" Yuki explained.

Alley's arms crossed. "Oh?" she asked curiously. "Why is that?"

He peered away rather embarrassed. "I… sort of toyed with them a little. They were the ones from Suiryu and Max… they left them out… and I found your notes…"

"Those notes were written in alien… you do realize that?" she demanded.

"I know… I tried to read it, but instead… tinkered with them…"

"Yuki, these are very dangerous if not handled properly, you do know that? This is taking someone's genetic information and altering it drastically!" she scolded. However he merely nodded his head to her, Alley looked over the bands and inspected the changes made to them.

"What's the purpose of the changes?" she asked.

Yuki sighed. "I noticed the last time when Suiryu and Max changed, there was a cool off period of about 12 -24 hours before they were rendered human. With Genus's help I was able to take samples of mom and dad's DNA and was able to filter the monster genetics out of it. So when we wear them, we will turn within the hour rather than waiting for the bands to calibrate." He explained.

Alley was impressed. "You are aware you won't get a clean DNA sample right?" she asked. "Despite the notion of filtering out the monster component within the structure, you will have damaged DNA."

Yuki nodded. "Yet according to the notes made by Genus and the genetic structure, we targeted the areas that where if there were damage, the genes will actually repair themselves without compromising the over all stability of the DNA."

Alley turned to Genus who nodded. "He found a way where there were aspects of DNA that could be damaged and repaired on its own, he also somehow magnetize the Monster DNA to where the DNA will heal itself in order to remove and clean the sample… honestly, I wonder why I never thought of it myself let alone saw the practicality of it. It can be done on small scales but large scale… it's far too dangerous."

He brought up the samples, he used the scale discards from both Amai and his mother, and was somehow able to clean it up well enough to make a nearly perfect human genetic match. "Which is why our cool down period to change into human would be an hour rather than 12-24." Yuki explained.

"How do we test it though?" she asked.

"I volunteer." He said. "This is my work, so I will take the risk."

She was hesitant on the notion, Genus however said it would be safe. "He is not altering his genetics drastically, if something goes wrong he has placed in a fail safe and will turn back to his original serpent state if need be."

Alley sighed to it all, she isn't one to take drastic risk. Yuki seemed far more adventurous. "Okay… you can test them. I do suggest though you have a bathrobe near by, since you are naked after all." She explained.

Yuki smiled as he reached under the desk and took out a robe… he was prepared this whole time.

With a sigh, she gave the nod. Yuki placed on his modified bands, and the, like before, he struck them along their sides against each other. The friction active the change and soon it calibrated.

Alley however froze as Yuki was already reacting to them… his scales were starting to vanish…