She sank to her knees, and looked helplessly up at the door far above their reach. Raph slowly walked up behind her, and place a hand on her shoulder, trembling with anger. "Don't worry, Mona. We'll get up there, somehow, and we'll beat those Kraang into next week! They aren't getting away with this."
"Raph's right, they won't get away with this. But I'm not sure how we're supposed to get to them" said Leo. "The last time we were here, we just went up the elevator, but according to Donnie, they have those locked so tightly now that it would even take him at least a few hours to have it so we can use them."
"Then why don't we just climb up there!"
"Because" interjected Donnie, "Our shuko can't get a grip on those metal walls. The Kraang have some advanced metal alloys in here."
"Do we have to go through this again!"
"Dudes!" added Mikey, "We could just throw me up there!"
"How about I just throw you through a window!" yelled Raph, fist held up threateningly.
"Raph" chastised Leo. "Anyway, Mikey, while that could work, we're not throwing you up there to face who-knows-how-many Kraang all by yourself." While the boys argued, Mona Lisa looked up at the doorway above, doing a bit of measuring in her head. She crouched, coiling her muscles, then launched herself into the air. She came within a foot of the bottom of the platform.
Once she landed, she softly said, "I could get up there myself". Turning to the arguing brothers, she announced, "I'll do it. I can jump up there, and free everyone." The four stared at her incredulously.
"Mona Lisa, we just said that we wouldn't send anyone in by themselves."
"Well, you wouldn't be sending me in, I'd be going in myself."
"If you're going, then I'm coming with you!" said Raph, staring her in the eyes.
She stared right back at him. "And how would you do that, Raphael? You can't jump that high, and I don't think that your brothers could throw you."
He growled lowly in the back of his throat in irritation, he hated it when other people made more sense than him. "We'll find some way, but I can't let you go in there alone." For a moment, the mask of anger and apathy dropped, and she could see that Raph was worried. There was something she had to do, to reassure him, and because she wanted to make sure that she did it in case…in case her plan didn't go the way she wanted it to. She smiled, and cupping the side of his face in her hand, kissed him right on the lips. She drew back, giving a small smile to the incredulous Raph, and untying the scarf around her neck.
She placed the strip of pink fabric in Raph's hand, and curled his fingers around it. "I need you to hold onto this until I come back." Then she scooped up the head of a Kraang droid, and jumped to the platform above.
"Mona Lisa!" he yelled.
"Sorry, Raph. This is personal!" She scanned the Kraang head, and walked through the door.
The turtles watched helplessly as she disappeared through the metal doors. Raph stared down at the strip of fabric in his hand in dismay before letting out a scream, and kicking a nearby Kraang droid. "She had to go alone! Little miss princess had to go and be the hero!"
Donnie considered telling him that technically she'd be a heroine, but Raph was really upset, and Donnie valued his life.
"Why did she have to be so stubborn?! She...she's just going to kiss me and then leave?!" Unable to find more words, he stuck his sai forcefully into a fallen Kraang droid. When it seemed like it was safe to get near him, Leo walked up to him and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Raph, I know you're upset, but she chose to go. She'll probably be fine. Right now we need to focus on getting out of here before the Kraang send in reinforcements."
Raph stood where he was. "You guys go. I'm staying here. I'm finding a way to get up there."
Donnie looked at his older brother with understanding. "Raph, I know how you're feeling" said Donnie gently. Raph stared daggers at him. "Come on, Raph, you can't hide things from your brothers, especially big things like this."
Raph huffed, and crossed his arms across his chest. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Donnie rolled his eyes at his hotheaded brother. "Yes, you do. And I know for a fact that right now you want to do everything in your power to save Mona Lisa, and keep anything from hurting her; but you can't do that if you get blasted in the head by a Kraang droid." Leo gave Donnie a knowing smile as he used his words from the underwater Kraang base. "Mona Lisa will be fine; she proved that she can take care of herself. We need to focus on getting out of here."
"Like, now!" yelled Mikey as he pointed behind his brothers. They followed his finger, and saw that a huge group of Kraang was coming into the lobby. Each one armed, with a few laser cannons in-between.
"Raph, we have to go, now!" shouted Leo. Raph face was conflicted as he looked between the door above them, and the army of Kraang.
Making up his mind, Raph turned towards the doors where they came in. "Alright," he grumbled lowly, "Let's get out of here." The four rushed out the door, and took to the roof tops. They stopped a few buildings down from TCRI; Raph demanded that they at least wait, and watch until Mona Lisa came out. He leaned against an air conditioner, and stared down at the ground around TCRI, waiting to see Mona Lisa come running out unharmed.