When Mona Lisa Smiles

You Can't

"So, just where is this Supercomputer?" Raph whispered, padding silently after his lizard-like companion.

"From what I'd gathered from the structural specs it should be-"Mona began, but her turtle companion cut her off. 

"Wait, aren't structural specs like high-tech blueprints?" He asked. 

Dark brown eyes were clouded with confusion as she stared at him. "Well, not exactly, but basically, yes."

"Uh-huh, uh-huh. So if this is one of the Krang's most vital and essential computers as you say it is how did you get the blueprints to one of their most closely guarded technologies?" Raph asked curiously.

She looked at the ground. "I was on Earth infiltrating a top-secret Krang location. I hacked into their computer database hoping to find their latest invasion plan. Except this time I got something even better. A complete set of layouts and blueprints for many of the Krang's top military strongholds, most of which are located deep within Dimension X itself. That was when I found the file on the making of the Supercomputer and what it was for. Unfortunately, before I finished..."

"You got caught."

"Exactly." She stated blandly. 

Raphael looked at her, trying to rationalize exactly what they were about to do. "So, you know what it was for and how they made it. Got any ideas on how to shut it down?"

"We'll find one. We just have to." Earthy brown met neon green as their gazes locked.

Raphael cast a glance back at the empty hallway. You'd think they'd be a little more concerned that we broke out... "So where are we headed?"

Mona pressed herself tightly against the corner before scanning the adjacent hallway for any guards. Nothing. "It's just around the corner."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go bash some bots and clean some hard drives."

Mona Lisa smacked him. "Slow down, hothead. What we need is a plan." When all she got was an expectant glance she face-palmed. Looks like I have to plan this on my own. She thought. "We have to take care of the Krang and shut down the computer."

Raph grinned and smacked his right fist against his left palm. "I'll be the one taking care of the Krang."

She smirked. "You think I can't do both?"

Raph smiled, crossing his arms over his plastron with a playful look on his face. "And they say I'm the hotheaded one."

The green duo approached the large white doors with caution. Raphael regarded the giant lock with frustration and vehemence. He hated computerized locks with a passion. I wish I had a sai with me right now. I'd have that thing sparking like fireworks on the fourth of July.

Mona tapped the emerald green shoulder, interrupting the red-masked turtle's intense glaring contest with the locking mechanism. "Don't worry, I'll take care of it." Mona Lisa used her long, deft fingers to remove the repair access panel just to the side of the lock. Her eyes narrowed as she focused on three different colored wires: Red, Blue and Green. "This could be dangerous..." She mumbled, prompting Raph to glance over at her nervously. The light green lizard positioned the green wire between her teeth and bit down as hard as she could, cleaving it in two. Raphael could only stare in astonishment.

The giant doors slowly slid open and Mona Lisa immediately headed inside, turning back towards her amphibious companion, who still hadn't moved an inch. "Well? You comin' or what?"

She did an about face and headed further into the room, her wavy brown hair swaying gently from side to side as she sauntered up to what appeared to be a huge and extremely intricate control panel. The room was cylindrical and high-ceilinged with the u-shaped control center standing about waist high at its core. In front of the control station was a rectangular tactical station that was currently displaying a holographic image of Earth and at the back a giant curved viewing screen spanning the entire height of the wall from top to bottom. The entire setup was then connected by glowing pink cables to four power cells, two on either side of the giant screen. After taking in the surroundings, Raph followed her in slowly stopping just behind her so that he could look over her shoulder as she worked. Her light green fingers flew across the control panel as she stared at the screen and tried to crack the encryption that would grant her access to the supercomputer's storage base.

"How do you know what you're doing?"

"I don't really. What little I know about Krang technology I learned by watching them. This is what they call a triploid encryption, it's extremely complicated, one mistake and-" An alarm rang out and alert lights began to flash all through the base, "that could happen. Great. We have about three minutes before this room is swarming with Krang."

Six Krang bots burst through the door and began shooting. "Mona Lisa!" Raph yelled as he tackled her to ground, both of them narrowly avoiding being shot in the head.

"Then again I have been wrong before." She noted dryly. They jumped over the control center to take cover. She turned to Raphael and yelled over the sound of the Krang plasma fire. "You're a ninja, you got any bright ideas?"

Green eyes narrowed, "Just one." Raph flung himself over the u-shaped barrier and charge the Krang, narrowly escaping several shots before he was close enough to attack. He grabbed the nearest Krang bot and held it in front of himself using it as a living (or somewhat living) shield. The turtle used his new shield's gun to take out three of the five remaining Krang before he flung the bot with all his might into the last two Krang. The little brains went running off every which way as he continued firing the gun at them. He picked up another gun and threw it to Mona Lisa who had emerged from behind the control panel.

"Nice work." She said, with an impressed grin on her face. The grin faded when she saw the look on Raphael's face.

"That was just the first wave, more are on the way. We need to be prepared." He picked up another gun in his left hand before he turned to look at the computer. "If we're going to destroy that thing we need to do it now."

He looked into her eyes and she nodded. "There's not enough time to decipher the encryption, we're going to have to find some other method of destroying it." She stated evenly.

The red-banded turtle narrowed his neon green eyes in thought. Before realization dawned on him and an unreadable expression covered his face. "Get out of here. Now"

Brown eyes looked up in confusion. "What? What are you going to do?"'

"The only way to destroy it is by rupturing the power cells." Mona Lisa's eyes widened. Raph pushed her away violently. "Go Mona, I don't want you anywhere nearby when I do this."

"No! I'm not leaving without you, Raphael. You came back for me. You saved my life, and I am not going to let you sacrifice yourself! You have a family back home and friends that love you. You could die in the resulting explosion! You can't take the risk!"

The hothead's bright green eyes were strangely calm. "Yes I can. I am perfectly willing to die for the safety of my brothers, of my world. It's my choice, Mona, and nothing can stop me from making it."

The lizard girl saw the determination and conviction in those beautiful green eyes, and she made her choice. "Then I'm staying." Raphael opened his mouth, but he silences him by pressing a finger to his lips. "You never left me behind. I'm not leaving you behind either." The turtle nodded as their eyes locked: neon green to chocolate brown.

They turned towards the power cells, exchanging eye contact one last time before shooting through them. Raphael ran back and grabbed her hand, pulling both of them down behind waist-high control panel as the room went up in smoke.