With Tori knocked out in the other room, Leonardo found himself feeling concerned. Donatello came bearing news that made him fearful.
"There's a chip of some kind in the back of her neck." Donatello explained, "I don't know what kind it is. I don't know if I could remove it safely. Even if I could, we don't have the equipment for that kind of operation."
The tense turtle paced as he explained the new developments. "She might be out for a while."
"Well, it's part of your techno stuff, why don't you just hack the stupid thing?" Raphael's arms were crossed.
Donatello clenched his fists. "It's not that simple. I-" The turtle's eyes widened, "It's crazy enough, it might just work." He grabbed his older brother, who growled. "Thank you, Raph!"
"Who'd have thought Raph would have an idea like that?" Michelangelo earned a whack on the back of the head for his little remark. He looked up, and saw Raphael's smirk. They watched as Donatello ran around the lab. It almost looked like there were three of him. He screeched to a halt in front of his brothers.
"I've got it!" He ran over to a monitor, and his brothers followed. Let's say they didn't quite share his enthusiasm.
"See, the chip was built for long term use, so it must have a back door of some kind to update software and things like that. If I can hack into it, I might be able to undermine the programing and ultimately disable the chip!" He grinned at his brothers, unable to contain his excitement at the discovery.
The guys looked at him. "What?" Michelangelo asked.
"He can break the thing." Raphael explained.
"Oh." Michelangelo pumped his fist. "Do it Donnie!"
Donatello, however, isn't listening to them.
"He's already working on that thing?" Raphael asked.
"Yeah. The sooner I finish this, the sooner we're safe."
"Alright. We'll leave you to the techno stuff."
"Wait." Donatello added, not turning away from the monitors. "It needs to be in close range, otherwise it might not work."
"So?" Raphael growled.
"So, could you bring Tori in here?"
"Sure thing dude." They leave it to Michelangelo to do as Donnie had asked. The youngest turtle went to retrieve Tori.
"Hey, sleeping beauty. I'm here to get you.~" The girl didn't respond. Michelangelo shrugged it off, and picked her up. He ignored the way she lay limply in his arms. He took her from her room, and deposited her onto a steel lab table. The young turtle failed to notice one of her fingers twitch.
LINE BREAK
Donatello struggled with a difficult piece of code. He didn't notice Tori sit up, and look around. She turned toward him, and her eyes blazed. She hopped off the table, and approached the turtle. She kicked something, and Donatello turned around smiling.
"Oh, Tori…" He pauses, noticing something off. Tori's eyes. His own brown eyes widen as he noted hers aren't the same as they were earlier. Her eyes are more red than brown. The turtle raised his hands. "Uh, Tori?"
Tori's head tilted a tad too far to be normal. "Yes?" She held her hands behind her back, and tilted her head to the other side. It's even more disturbing the second time.
"Oh, Donnie." Her head snapped straight. "I hope you're ready."
Tori lunged, and revealed a scalpel. Donatello dodged it, and faced the Hatter.
"You really should put things away when you finish with them." Tori paused, and one finger touched the side of her face. "Now, where would I put you?" She grin was menacing. Donatello pushed the panic button on his T-phone. There's no way he could do this alone.
Normal Tori was one thing, but the Hatter was an entirely different ball game.
He sighed, relieved as his brothers burst into the lab. Three sets of eyes lock onto the Hatter. Leonardo and Raphael grab her arms, and pull her to the table. Michelangelo secured her wrists against the sleek table. The two turtles let go of her wrists, and Michelangelo tied her ankles. Donatello, along with the others, breath deeply, grateful that another crisis was averted. The youngest checked the bonds, making sure they don't cut off circulation. Making sure they'll hold if she tries anything else.
Donatello grabbed a mirror and goes back to the computer. He positioned it carefully. The reflection let him see Tori, laying prone on the table. If she moved again, Donatello will know about it. He returned to the code. He gained access to a file called 'Hare and Hatter'. The turtle looked over the code, weighing his options. The Hare and the Hatter. What's that about? The turtle gazed at the screen. If that is the Hatter, then who is the Hare? He glanced at the mirror, and saw Tori test the bonds. They hold, and she doesn't bother moving. Donatello left the file. Another file caught his eye. 'Control'. He looked through it.
"So, Tori doesn't have complete control of herself."
He deleted the file after making sure it wouldn't change any of the other code.
"That should be better." Now it should only activate if she's in danger. The turtle continued his search. He reached for his coffee mug, and took a sip of air. He glanced into the cup, and got up.
"I could use a stretch anyway."
Wandering to the kitchen, he saw the clock. Two thirty. He set the coffee maker, and waited for it to finish. Donatello took the opportunity to wander around the lair. He got bored, and returned to the lab.
"I'll get the coffee later." He left his mug in there as a reminder.
Two hours later, he remembered the abandoned pot. He leaned back in his chair.
"Well, it's not like I've made much progress." The turtle sighed. The thought of coffee was enough to get Donatello out of his chair and into the kitchen. The hot liquid was poured down his throat. It warmed his stomach, and he smiled. The pot, and mug were brought into the lab as he continued his work. On his way to the table he glanced at Tori. The Hatter was gone. Her eyes have returned to their normal warm brown color.
He jumped a little when she snored softly.
He smiled, and continued to code. After a while, the turtle stretched again. His mug was empty. His clock read five twenty. It's about time I went to sleep. The turtle yawned, and passed out in his chair. He didn't see Tori look around and wonder why she's tied up again. He didn't hear her mutter,
"It must have been the Hatter."
He didn't hear her whimper as the code reset according to his modifications. He didn't see her strain against her bonds. He doesn't see her body lift from the table. Donatello doesn't hear her silent scream. None of them do.