A/N: Hey guys! Sorry for the lack of updates; I've been on vacation and have just been overall busy with life in general XD

Here's a drabble based off a picture/idea from the awesome xkatattackx125x on tumblr, which I had planned on turning into a full short story but soon scrapped the idea after thinking it over. It works as a one-shot though :)

I hope you enjoy it!

I OWN NOTHING. BUT BOTH THESE SHOWS GIVE ME ALL THE FEELS.

Tainted Soul

"ARGH!"

With a savage kick, Raphael sent the satellite dish sailing across the rooftop, letting it crash into the alleyway below with little as he angrily paced the rooftop back and forth.

"This always happens! Why does this always happen?!" he growled aloud, fists clenching and unclenching at his sides with the need to hit something, break something, do something to quell the fire raging within the pit of his gut. "Why does Leo always do this?!"

It was just another night on patrol. Raph and his brothers had come across a robbery in progress – not the Purple Dragons, for a change – and had quickly gone in to put a stop to it. Turns out there were more thugs inside than they'd first thought, and worse still, they were tough. They were huge, muscular guys that looked as though they lifted trucks for a living, and it'd been pretty difficult to knock them all down, even with their superior skills. But with teamwork, they managed.

Then one of them pulled out a gun on Donatello.

Raph should've seen it coming. He knew what was going to happen, and yet he'd been as frightened as Donnie at the sight of the gun, too afraid to breathe in fear that it would set the goon off.

When the thug's finger moved, so did Leo.

And it was only when the shuddering 'bang' had sounded that Raph finally snapped out of his trance, but Leo was already on the floor, blood pooling from his right shoulder as Donnie cried out. Mikey was at their side an instant later, tears of fear streaming down his face as he screamed his brother's name.

It hadn't stopped there. The goon started to laugh, looming over his younger brothers and their unconscious leader.

"Look at ya, filthy monsters! Ya think just 'cus ya know some fancy tricks that'cha could be like us?! Ya ain't got no business crawlin' around our city, actin' like ya own it! Yer nothin' but a bunch'a freaks!"

It was then that Raphael had seen nothing but red. And afterwards, when the thug had been pummeled to a bloody pulp and Leo had been resuscitated with assurance of recovery, Raph had stormed out of the lair, the same raw emotions raging through him like fire, the same words echoing in his head…

At first, Raph believed he was mad at Leonardo for making such a stupid move, risking his life again. But if he hadn't, Donnie would've…and that goon…

…those jerks thought they could just shoot them down like dogs just because they were different? That thug was going to take away his brothers just because they looked funny?!

And he wasn't the only one, either. Shredder, the Purple Dragons, all the enemies they'd made before their mutation – even the people they saved – they would all rather see his family in cages, in chains, in labs, or stuffed and mounted on walls rather than allow them to live the way they'd always wanted…to be normal.

With a ragged yell, Raph kicked at an air vent, leaving a dent in the metal structure. Then he let himself fall to his knees, his head bowed, fists clenching on his lap as he squeezed his eyes shut.

What's the point of all this?! Why do we have to suffer for this?! Why can't we just be normal? Why can't they just accept us?! Why should we bother to save their lives if all we ever get in return is…

"Yer nothin' but a bunch'a freaks!"

"…screw this," he snarled under his breath, his voice trembling.

"Screw them! Screw them all!"

"Ah, there it is again…"

The window of his secluded fortress opened, sunlight beaming through the stained glass windows like a spotlight. In its wake, myriads of butterflies took to the air in flight, their pure white delicate wings fluttering soundlessly, bathing in the brilliant light their master had provided for them. The man stood in the midst of these creatures, staring out into the world beyond his hidden domain, a wicked smile growing across his masked face.

He could feel it. Another poor tortured soul had called out to him. And for the first time, the call had come from beyond the borders of Paris, the city of which he was forced to dwell. Somewhere in America, if his calculations were correct…

"Hm? What's this I sense?"

There was something strange about this particular individual. Something that not even he had ever come across in the time he'd possessed his miraculous.

This person, this boy, this child he had sensed…he was not human.

He was neither man nor beast, and yet he could think, he could walk, talk, behave, and feel like any other. How curious…

He grinned.

"A poor lost soul, without a place in this world to call his own. Such easy prey for my Akuma…"

Lifting up his left hand, he allowed a single white butterfly to land atop his palm, before he gently covered it with his other hand. Closing his eyes, he let the dark energy flow through his fingertips, drowning the light that encased the pure little creature, reducing it to black and swirling purple as he removed his hand. The creature, now tainted with hatred, fluttered from his palm and set off through the window from whence the light shone through.

"Fly away, my little Akuma, and claim the heart of this creature."

As he watched his beautiful new creation fluttered away into the distance, he couldn't help but chuckle with glee.

This was simply too perfect.

He wasn't sure how long he'd been sat there on his knees, his head bowed and fists still shaking with rage. Time seemed to have lost all meaning in the face of his anger. But soon, he heard the faint sound of flapping wings.

Opening his eyes and lifting his head, Raph looked up. The sound was coming from a single, oddly colored butterfly that fluttered through the air. Raph raised a brow. "What kind of butterfly is that?" he muttered aloud. He'd never seen one that color before, or that big. Was it a mutant or something? Nah, mutants were often doubled in size once the mutagen hit them…

Then Raph realized the insect was flying purposefully towards him.

His eyes widened, his whole body stiffening. "H-Hey, back off!" he stammered, clambering to his feet and drawing out one of his Sais as the strange creature drew closer. "Get back, freaking bug! Get away from me!"

With a swipe of his weapon, the insect burst, vanishing into nothingness.

Then, as the silver metal of his Sai turned black, Raph's body grew numb, his thoughts a haze, the world around him a dull blur. His vision swirled, a tainted shade of purple, his green eyes narrowing as he stared ahead…

"Poor, poor little boy," said a low voice from the fringes of his numbed mind. It was dark, ominous, yet it was a soothing lullaby, a cool balm for his aching heart. "You don't deserve to live such a life simply because you're different. You deserve much, much more…"

"…yes. I deserve much more," Raphael echoed, fists clenching around the handles of his Sais.

Though outwardly Raphael had tensed, a wave of calm had washed over him from within. It was as though someone had wrapped their arms around him, drawing him close, a hand stroking the back of his head soothingly, like a parent consoling a crying infant. Nothing could touch him, nothing could hurt him. Here, with this disembodied voice ringing in his ears, he was safe…

"Dear child," the voice continued, "I am the one who will grant you everything you desire, and aid you in protecting everything you hold dear. I sense such anger in you, my boy. I sense a passion, a craving, a fire, a thrill for the fight, for the chance to belong. And I, Hawkmoth, shall give you that chance."

Raph hesitated. "…you…you will?"

"Yes. I shall bestow you with a new name – Kasai no Shinri, 'Fire Psycho' – and the power to teach those who wronged you a lesson they won't soon forget…but for a price. Do you accept?"

Raphael grinned, chuckling lowly.

"Yes, Hawkmoth," he said, letting the dark energy bubble forth from his defiled Sai and consume his body. "I, Kasai no Shinri, will do whatever it takes!"

Hawkmoth chuckled. "Excellent. This is surely going to be entertaining."

A/N: *Le Gasp!* Whatever happens next, I shall leave up to your imaginations XD

Hope you enjoyed that, and more are on the way :3