It's cold here.
That's the first thing Raph notices as he approaches the foggy lake.
It's cold. And he's alone.
He doesn't understand; his brothers said they'd meet him here, but there's nothing there but the misty lake, a dock still damp, and a lost red ninja.
"Hello?" He called, but no one answered.
So he decided to wait. To wait for his brothers so he could tease them and scold them for being late and worrying him. In his own way, of course. He sat at the end of the dock, his feet dangling over the water, and he waited.
And waited.
And waited.
It was around nightfall when it hit Raph that they...they were not coming. He refused to believe it, however. He continued to wait and wait until the next noon. Still no one came.
But then,
footsteps.
Someone was there.
He looked up, eagerly, but his smile died when he saw the red hair and blue eyes and the pale skin that never could belong to a mutant turtle.
"April."
The name is familiar but holds no comfort for the red one.
"I'm sorry."
Raph shakes his head, refusing to acknowledge or accept the words from her lips.
"Nothing is wrong."
He speaks with a tone of denial and firm rejection.
April paused, but didn't let it go.
"Raph, I'm sorry."
"NO!" Raph sudden;y roared, knocking her away and running into the woods.
Nothing was wrong, nothing was wrong, nothing was wrong...Except it was a lie.
His brothers weren't coming home.
They weren't going to head back to New York.
They weren't going to save Master Splinter and the City.
They weren't going to stop the Shredder.
They were done.
Gone.
Destroyed.
Defeated.
Raph was alone. No Leo to argue with, no Donnie to tease, no Mikey to give noogies.
Nothing was wrong.
Except that everything was.