Raph and his brothers were running over the rooftops of New York City. Cori or "Crow" was with them but strangely not April or Casey. Raphael couldn't remember why. His brothers and Cori were just recklessly running around when Donnie got a signal from his mutagen tracker. "It's coming from the harbor," he said. At once they began to run to the harbor. Finally they reached it and found the glowing mutagen like a beacon in the night. Mikey bent over to grab it but was thrown through the air. "Mikey," Leo shouted. He landed on the wooden deck with a loud thump.
Leo rushed to him as a hoard of foot ninjas appeared. Their leader was Rahzar. Before Raph could even blink the fighting started. There was a clashing of metal. There seemed to be more ninjas than he thought at first. Throughout the fight, Raphael watched Cori with a careful eye. He didn't want anything to happen to her. Raph didn't know how long the fight was but it felt like they were fighting for an hour. His muscles began to grow sore and he hesitated more than he should have. While looking around he saw Rahzar approach Cori from behind. His claws were outstretched.
"Crow, no," Raphael shouted. He flung himself in front of her. A sharp pain dug into his gut. He looked down. Thick blood was running down his stomach. Rahzar had stabbed him. Raphael collapsed on the ground. His breathing came in sharp breaths. Each one hurt more than the last. Raph heard a thump next to him and saw that Cori had fallen. She had been stabbed as well. Despite his efforts he couldn't protect her. Suddenly everything stopped. The fighting stopped, everyone was frozen in place. As if time had stopped. Raph noticed that his wound did not hurt anymore.
He looked down. It wasn't there anymore. Not even a sign of a scratch. Raph looked over to Cori. She was frozen in place too. She didn't move, not even the slightest of twitches. Either that or she was dead. Raph stood up. It seemed impossible. How could you stop time? "Donnie, did ya do something cause I am really freaked out," Raph said. He heard a shuffling sound behind him. He turned around. Cori was shaking. Raph reached out to her but then jerked his hand back. Cori's features were being warped. She looked almost like a… Raph screamed and jumped back. "This has to be a dream, has to be a dream," he reassured himself.
Cori was now a giant cockroach. The thing approached him. Raphael tried walking backwards but his legs didn't seem to work. "Raphael, what are you doing?" Raph covered his face with his hands. The thing was talking to him. "Please tell me this is a dream," he said. "Yes, Raphael, it is a dream. And I'm afraid that this dream won't be pleasurable." The voice of the thing was unlike Cori's. It was a low masculine voice. Smooth and silky. Although Raph wasn't horribly terrified anymore he was still freaked out. "You have made a mistake Raphael, one that you do not think was unnecessary. Do you know what that mistake was?"
Raph didn't say anything. He planned not to say another word to the thing. "You don't know do you," it said with an incredulous tone. "Look around, what do you see?" Raphael looked around. He didn't notice it before. It was Leo. He was stabbed by a foot ninja. His face of shock was frozen on his face.
"Because of your carelessness you failed to notice that your brothers needed you more." "No, but Cori was going too…" "Who was really more important, a girl you met a month ago? Or you're brothers who you have known for fifteen years," it said.
Raph stood there motionless and ashamed. He should have been there for Leo, but Cori would have met the same fate. Wouldn't she? "Raphael," it said, "there will be a time where you must know what you could do, what you would do, and what you need to do." It stood up so that it leaned over Raph. Its features again disappeared and were replaced but this time with Slash's body.
"If I was you, I would leave your brothers and go with the girl. I don't even know her that much but I know she'll be better than those punks," he said. Slash's features turned into Splinter's. "No, Raphael. You must be loyal to your family," Splinter said. "Well which do I do," screamed Raph. "I can't just save one just to know another will die." Splinter faded into air slowly. "Don't leave," cried Raph. "Remember my words Raphael, remember them," it said. Its body was out of sight but the voice echoed throughout the harbor. Raphael sunk down to his knees. "Don't leave me," he whimpered.