Fighting their way down the stairs proved a lot easier than fighting up. The Mutanimals had taken care of most of the Kraang already, and those that remained had probably been called to Prime's defense, or to guard the humans. There were only a few here and there running up the stairs, who between Rockwell, Donatello, and Michelangelo, were no challenge to defeat.
As Donatello suspected, they only came across a substantial amount of Kraang upon reaching the level of the humans' containment.
There were the usual two on either side of the hall door, which they removed without any issue, then Donnie peeked through the window into the expansive room.
The number of soldiers inside was impressive, but it wasn't anything they hadn't dealt with recently, and Donnie's first idea was to charge in and battle the small army. Then he remembered Leo and Raph weren't with them. The group he was with was also worse for wear, himself included. No, direct fighting would not do.
"We'll need to go stealth on this one," he whispered. "It's dark in there. I can't see much, but there's too many Kraang for the three of us. I need to get a closer look to figure out what to do."
Mikey and Rockwell nodded.
Donnie peered through the window a while longer. Every few seconds, a pair of Kraang would pass the door.
He calculated their pattern, then waited, and at what he deemed the opportune moment for slipping in unnoticed, he opened the door and let the three of them in.
Donatello estimated the next Kraang patrol would be in position to see them in two seconds if they didn't get out of the way.
A vat of mutagen sat in the center of the room, lined with a belt of control panels at desk level.
"Come on," Donnie hissed, rushing towards the vat. He dove and rolled under the panels.
Michelangelo soon ducked under the table-like ring and crouched beside him.
Rockwell was not as fast.
Donnie glanced between his ally and the Kraang that would spot him if they caught any glimpse of his movement.
He wanted to yell, "Come on, hurry up, they'll see you!". His heart pounded against his ribs.
Rockwell slid under the panels just as the patrol caught sight of him out of the corner of its eye.
One of the Kraang soldier's heads whipped towards them.
Donnie became painfully aware that the panels, while they provided some cover, were no hiding spot to withstand closer examination. He found himself wishing that the Kraang's giant, pink robotic lenses of eyes had been built with some form of pupils. The robot might not have spotted them at all, or it could be sizing them up before it chose to move. It was impossible to tell.
The Kraang soldier's companion, now a few paces ahead, noticed its partner was missing. The second robot beeped at the first.
The first continued to stare.
It beeped in response, looked straight ahead, and resumed its patrol.
The trio let out a collective sigh of relief.
Donatello took some measured breaths, then took the opportunity to properly examine the room from the safety of his hiding place.
The room was lit partially by the pink veins of energy that stretched the walls, and by the green glow of the mutagen in the center.
Donnie timed the Kraangs' movements, and at a safe interval, poked his head out from under the panels to gaze up at the giant vat.
A pipe system ran in all directions from the top of the vat. The pipes fed into numerous small, transparent hoselike tubes, all twisting together in a tangled, yet patterned, mess before feeding to their respective places on the wall. Each tube remained identical distance from the next, like a twisted factory line. Every one stopped just above the head of a human.
Donnie hadn't noticed the humans before, and was glad he hadn't.
Every human stood still as a statue, perfect posture, unblinking, emotionless. Their eyes stared ahead, directly into those of the person on the opposite wall, too blank for them to possibly be comprehending. No one could stare into the abyss of these people's expressions and not show any emotion.
Unease, pity, helplessness, fear. All these things bubbled in Donatello's gut as he looked at the Kraangs' victims.
No, he corrected himself. All of Kraang's victims.
The humans showed none of these emotions. The empty expressions they exchanged betrayed they'd already been stripped of their individualities.
There was no need to look for the mind control devices; the trio already knew they were there, tucked out of sight under scarves and collars and hair.
Donatello mused, had he walked into this room not knowing, he would have assumed these were all new designs of Kraang disguises.
He dismissed the feelings which twisted his gut. No use in worrying over the humans when he could save them.
Donnie looked at Mikey and Rockwell, beginning to formulate a plan. His thoughts scattered with one look at Michelangelo's face.
"These humans," he whispered, voice on the verge of breaking, "They all have their own lives, as complex as yours and mine."
Donatello thought he saw tears beginning to form in the corners of his baby brother's eyes.
"They all have ups and downs and people they love, things they love to do. Favorite things to eat, favorite stories, fondest memories. They all have people they grew to know over years, and times they didn't understand each other." He looked at Donnie. "And moments when they finally understood. They have people waiting for them. People who care for them. Even if they don't think so." He hugged his knees to his chest. "How can Kraang do that? Just- just wipe that all away, what? Just because she can? Does she even know-" He put a hand to his eyes.
Donnie sighed. "I know. We're going to free them. They won't have to worry about the Kraang much longer."
"The Kraang are just like them."
Donatello started. "What?"
Michelangelo gestured to the soldiers around the room. "She controls them. We wouldn't call the humans Kraang now that she controls them; they're still humans. And these guys? They're Utrom. They had lives like the humans. Lives like us!"
Mikey looked at Donnie with a newfound defiance shining in his eye. "We have to save them. All of them."
Donatello nodded. "We will."
They fell silent as mechanical whirring approached. Three Kraangdroids walked around the vat, and stopped right where they were hiding.
Donnie grabbed his bo and prepared to leap out, but stopped when he heard beeps on the panel above.
They were so close. He could reach out and touch the robot if he tried, and yet the Kraang remained oblivious.
"Kraang. What is the status on the capturing of the humans for mutation?"
"Kraang was unable to capture the intended number of the humans in the time which was granted to Kraang. Kraang believes this may be because one of the humans known to humans as 'teenagers' did that which is known as 'break in' to the news station called Channel 6 news and broadcasted a message to warn other humans about the plan Kraang is planning."
Donatello suppressed a laugh. He made a mental note to congratulate April later.
"Kraang has received orders from Kraang to start the next phase of the plan that is known as the plan to mutate the humans." The alien raised its voice. "Other Kraang are to report to Kraang Prime- the Kraang known as: Kraang, Kraang, Kraang, Kraang, Kraang..."
The list continued, and the selected Kraang headed out the door. How they knew who was who, Donnie was curious, but would never find out.
"Kraang shall start the phase of the plan that is the plan that Kraang requested Kraang to start."
More beeping on the panel, then the vat lurched, and something inside it hummed.
Mutagen oozed through the pipes, heading towards the humans.
"There's no time," Mikey said. He drew his nunchucks, extended the blade, and swiped at the robots' legs.
The Kraang tumbled unceremoniously to the ground and ran from their vessels, screeching.
Soldiers gathered around the fallen robots, communicating in electronic bleeps and tones.
A burst of rings from Rockwell's helmet disrupted the air and sent the congregating Kraang flying back.
Donnie and Mikey emerged from hiding and disabled the robots with a quick few stabs and swipes.
"Focus on the mutagen," Rockwell said. "Michelangelo and I will hold them off."
Donatello traced the mutagen on its course through the pipes. The pipes at the very centers of the walls moved faster than the others, probably because of their positioning. At the current rate, they had fifteen seconds until the humans were mutated.
Ten, he corrected himself, remembering the mutagen would freefall once it hit the sharp decline just above the heads of its unknowing victims.
His eyes flew over the panel in a frenzy, barely picking up any information before moving along. There must be a code to close the tubes, or something. The Kraang were intelligent, they would know to have an emergency stop.
Even after decoding so many Kraang symbols, there were still a lot he didn't know, and processing the ones he did recognize took precious seconds.
Eight seconds left.
Did that symbol mean true? Or did it mean false? Oh, he always got those two confused! Why did that one have to be there, it changed the entire meaning of the line of code! Did Kraang code even work like the code on Earth?
Six seconds.
He abandoned the panels and looked at the top of the vat. The mutagen steadily drained.
Wait, the top? Didn't it make more sense to drain from the bottom, and have gravity pull the liquid?
Five seconds.
If it wasn't draining by gravity, then it must be some kind of suction. If he could just reverse the suction, then all the mutagen would drain back into the vat.
Four seconds.
He hurriedly navigated the panel. Where was it? Where was it?
Three seconds.
Donnie found the controls for the vacuum, which he assumed was what controlled the pipes.
Two seconds.
He typed in the code he remembered for reversal, which he'd run across several times in his studies, and typed a wrong character.
One second.
He hurriedly typed the code again.
The screen turned green, and more code began filling the panel.
Something clicked inside the vat, and the humming grew louder. The mutagen began to retrace its course.
"Yes!" He yelled.
"No!" Michelangelo cried.
He followed his brother's gaze to the centermost person.
Mutagen had already fallen onto his head.
He looked on the other side. It was the same for the girl standing there.
Michelangelo rushed to the first person's side, uncorked the retromutagen, and poured it over him. "What about the other one?"
"I've got it," Rockwell said, levitating his own vial of retromutagen over the girl's head and doing the same.
"Okay, we've un-mutated them," Donnie said, deflecting a laser with a twirl of his bo. "But they're still mind-controlled, and even if we take the mind-control devices, we're mutants. They won't listen to us. We won't be able to guide them out."
"I'll communicate with them psychically once their devices are removed," Rockwell said, levitating away from a laser aimed at him. "I'll be able to stay out of sight, and instruct them from a hiding place."
"And you really think they'd comply with a disembodied voice over a mutant?"
"These people have just been abducted by aliens," Rockwell said. "I don't think they're going to mind much, as long as I can prove I'm on their side. Besides, I only need one person to trust me, and then I can have them guide everyone else."
"Alright, but we need to get back to Kraang Prime quick. Who knows what she's doing to stop the rest of the Mutanimals." Donnie groaned. "We only have one dose of retromutagen left!"
Rockwell blasted another Kraang with his helmet. "You go. There are few enough Kraang for me to handle now, then I'll free the humans. Stop Prime!"
Donnie sheathed his bo, and gestured to Michelangelo. "Let's go!"
I'll have to skip Sunday's chapter for the sake of time, so the next one should be Wednesday. Have a great day, y'all!