Aden...had an ugly childhood full of pain and abuse. It taught him how to fight and survive, how to run and hide and cut ties. It didn't teach him much else. So Aden ran. He crossed an ocean, grew up, and discovered the world. Made his life his own. Soul-deep pain notwithstanding, he fought to be happy. Aden made do. Until the aliens invaded his neighborhood. Smoking rifle in hand and still coming up short, Aden makes a life-ending choice...and is rewarded beyond his wildest dreams. Or, perhaps exactly to his wildest dreams...Tinea's dreams, come to life through DNA-changing Vanguard science. This work is set in the universe of RavensDagger's Stray Cat Strut, but it ISN'T necessary to read that first. Further, Tinea and Leah has been recognized officially as canon by master Raven himself. Cheers! I develop my own plot and characters. Thank you for reading. :) What to expect: Plot is discovered, not designed. Consequences shape events, rather than scenes being designed to push plot. Upside: characters, relationships, and setting are particularly strong, plot can get WILD in amazing, unexpected ways. Downside: pacing risks getting bogged down until the author finds the groove. - occasional slowburn sections that may feel a little aimless - gratuitous violence against unthinking aliens- get points, buy gear- cybernetic upgrades- organic augmentations- a perhaps more serious approach to transforming male to female, using sci-fi DNA morphing- maturity from both female leads- girls' love, from the soft and cuddly, to the (clearly marked) steamy and kinky explicit- many, many chapters The cover art was drawn for me by Jero, who can be found on my Discord server - links in each chapter.I do own rights to all images, including commercial. Royalroad staff has designated this story as Original so that I may post my Ko-Fi link in the chapters. TnL is still a fanfiction-slash-extended-universe-slash-canon-thing for Stray Cat Strut, regardless of the "Original" tag. :)