Raph let out a huff of breath in disbelief. He tried to speak, but no words came. Leo stood still, shock trapping him as well.

He had a scar across the left side of his face. Most of it was hidden by his mask, but the tips of the scar still showed. His plastron was covered with minor scratches and scrapes. It was almost an exact mirror image of Leo in Raph's dream.

But this wasn't a dream.

"We thought you were dead…" Leo breathed after a moment of hesitation. His blue eyes glittered with sadness and doubt emitted from his facial features, as though he was questioning whether or not Raph was a mere hallucination.

Raph stood, speechless. What was he supposed to say to Leo?! He hadn't seen him for over a month…

Leo didn't move from his spot; he stood frozen and looked onward unsurely. As he studied his brother, his eyes hovered over the Foot emblem across Raph's plastron.

"Foot…?" Leo murmured, though it sounded more like an incredulous question. His blue eyes flashed back up to connect with Raph's gaze.

Raph spoke up, seeing his brother's alarm rising. "It's not what it looks like," he said quickly, forcing himself to throw a hint of growl into his tone. Just so Leo didn't know that he'd changed a tad more than he should have. He didn't want Leo to think he'd grown soft…

"Then what is it?" Leo demanded. He seemed to be trying to keep his leader figure, but a trace of panic still managed to etch its way into the blue-banded turtle's voice.

Raph grumbled. Leo wouldn't understand. He never understood, so this time wouldn't be different.

The hothead dropped his gaze and huffed.

"It is what it looks like… Isn't it?" Leo asked, hurt glazing his eyes for a split-second. "Why would you join the Foot, Raph?"

Raph sighed, turning his head so that his expression was hidden from Leo's view. Why did this have to be so difficult!? Why did Leo have to show up in the first place?

"Raph!" Leo snapped, the slightest hint of desperation slipping into his tone. "Talk to me!"

Raph lifted his gaze, shaking his head the slightest bit. He turned and forced his legs to carry him away from Leo. He could've gone back—no, he should've gone back—but if he did, everything he'd done for his brothers—the whole reason he had surrendered himself in the first place—would mean nothing. The struggle between the side of him that wanted to go home and the one who thought it best to remain at Shredder's battled as he departed from Leo.

"Come back with me!" Leo called after him. "Raph…" He paused, hesitating. "We need you!"

Raph halted, turning his head so that he could look at Leo over his shoulder. He spoke in barely a whisper, making sure his voice was so quiet that Leo couldn't hear him. "I'm sorry..." he said, "That's why I can't come home."

He shook himself and continued quickly onward, back to Shredder's lair, ignoring Leo's calls pleading him to come back home.


"I'm surprised you came back," Karai said as Raph stumbled back to the dungeon.

"Yeah?" Raph asked, practically collapsing in a sitting position next to a back wall.

Karai took a step toward him. "Of course," she said. "You've no desire to stay here anyway." She shrugged carelessly and looked down at him.

Raph grunted. She knew that was wrong. She knew he had the best reason to stay: The safety of his brothers. "Yeah, whatever," he growled under his breath, leaning his head back against the brick wall and closing his emerald eyes.

Karai fell silent, other than the muffled shuffling noises, and suspicion rose inside Raph. He cautiously opened his eyes. Karai sat to his left, looking at him with an expression he couldn't place. Compassion? Worry? No, it couldn't be. She didn't care at all about him.

"What?" Raph asked gruffly.

Karai shook her head, turning her gaze away. "You're doing this all for your brothers…" She spoke in a way Raph hadn't ever heard her speak before. Her tone wasn't taunting or smug. It wasn't gruff or evil. It was gentler and slightly sympathetic.

Hah. Yeah. Sympathetic. That was likely.

"Why do you care?" Raph grumbled, not in the mood for Karai's act.

Her gaze snapped back to Raph. "I don't have anyone who cares like that," she growled, her voice rising as her sympathy diminished instantly. "Your brothers had better be grateful to have someone who is willing to risk his life for their safety."

Raph narrowed his eyes, almost confused. He studied Karai suspiciously. Why was she acting as though she cared? She couldn't be serious. "Stop trying to make me feel bad for you," Raph grunted, turning his gaze to stare at the brick wall opposite of him.

"I'm not," Karai said, and she would have actually sounded sincere if Raph hadn't known better.

Her struggle to gain his trust meant nothing to Raph. Not after all the threats she'd made towards his brothers. He would never have the slightest positive feelings for her.

Never.

"Sure you're not," Raph muttered sarcastically.

"Look, I'm trying to be your friend here. If you don't want that, then fine," Karai said, shifting slightly.

Raph glared over at her. "Fine," he said dismissingly.

Karai growled and stood, exiting the dungeon with a slam of the metal door.

Raph huffed. She was just trying to manipulate him into trusting her. Then she'd be able to break him down easier.

Well she wasn't going to trick Raph.

He was smarter than that. He was smart enough to understand that her shown feelings were insincere. Of course she didn't care. She was the enemy. She was merely trying to pretend so that he would fall for her tricks. That would make it easier for her to manipulate him. If he was dumb enough to believe that she would actually try to help.

Why would she? She'd never shown him the slightest hint of compassion or mercy since he'd first come across her. Why would she change now?

She was manipulative. That was all.

He rolled his eyes and lay down on the cold, stone floor. He couldn't help but miss his bed. And his brothers. And his sensei. And Spike... He shook himself and closed his eyes, but there was something that was bothering him. Something was keeping him up; and he couldn't help think it might have something to do with Karai.