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Raising four teenage boys was not easy, but Splinter got along well with all of his sons… for the most part. Raphael was difficult.
He is just a moody teen. He cares about me deep down.
Well, that was what Splinter hoped, anyways. But lately, he had become doubtful.
It’s not his fault. You told him not to hold back.
After their latest practice, Splinter had found himself on the ground, struggling to breathe. He was always happy to see the Turtles grow stronger, but this wasn’t just stronger. This was rougher. Meaner. It was not the fighting style that Splinter had taught at all.
He choked me. He’s trying to kill me.
When Raphael finally let go, he just stared at Splinter, with no apparent emotion in his eyes. Splinter held out his hand, but Raphael just walked away.
That was the last thing Splinter saw before his arm fell limply to his side and everything slowly faded to black.
He will turn back around.
He didn’t.
A few hours later, it was dinner time. Splinter did not eat much, because his throat was hurting. He wasn’t hungry, anyways.
Donatello didn’t say much. Leonardo was his usual kind self, and Michelangelo tried to crack jokes. But without Raphael, it just wasn’t the same. He had left the sewers shortly after hurting Splinter, and still hadn’t returned.
He will come back and apologize any minute now.
He didn’t.
Even though Raphael had broken his trust, Splinter still wanted him back. Seeing his family fall apart made him feel like he was losing everything. He’d felt that way before after being betrayed by Oroku Saki, but then fate had brought him the Turtles. For a while, he’d felt whole again, but what if they also started turning on him? What then?