When the creature withdrew its hand, it was finally clear what it'd done to him. Somehow, it had implanted strange roots and growing vines in Raph's skin - and they were spreading, worming their way in and growing all through his flesh. Strange grass-like growth was spreading with the vines, moving over his face and shoulders, creating moss-like growth over his shell. His drivesuit was missing in this little memory scenario, making the grotesque changes abundantly clear.
The creature left the shack, slamming the door behind it, taking the pitchfork with it. Raph desperately tried to rip the vine up from the floor or off of himself but found it wouldn't budge.
As soon as Raph had judged it was gone long enough, he managed to work his mouth free of the vines and started screaming. He clearly was so lost in this he didn't see Nico because he was calling out for his brother's help instead.
"LEEEOOOOOOO!"
Calling out for his big brother was instinct. It was rare that Raph was ever this terrified but now that he was, of course he was yelling for his older brother first. No matter how much they'd butted heads or argued, Raph knew how much Leo cared about them all, how much he tried to keep them all safe.
A memory flashed, like it so often did in the Drift, light and fleeting, the image of a young Raph - a turtle-boy, not a human boy - clinging desperately to some sewer pipes over a large and dangerous sewer drain. He'd slipped when they'd been playing hide and seek, slid down one of the pipes they weren't supposed to go down, and he could barely hold on as the waters churned below. He was scared - like actually, really, really scared.
"LEEEOOOO!"
And he came. Of course he came. He was always there when they needed him.
"Raph! Where are you?!"
"I'm down here! I slipped! There's a big drain and the pipes are broken and I can't climb up. I'm slipping!"
"Raph, hang on!"
"Already doing that, in case that wasn't obvious!"
"Use all that energy you're using for sarcasm for hanging on!" Leo called out sardonically, and thudding noises came from above, as if he was banging a bent pipe out of the way. "Mikey, gimme your kusarigama!"
He'd come skidding down, hanging onto the chain, grabbed Raph, and helped him scoot up, inch by inch, as Donnie and Mikey helped by pulling up the chain.
"I've got you, little brother, we're almost there."
"LEEEOOOOOOO!"
As the growth took over, threading its way through his skin, Raph curled up in pain on the dirt floor of the shack, weeping now, terrified over changing like this into something unknown. He closed his eyes tight, tears squeezing out and dripping down his face, and then opened them again, revealing that they'd turned into something even less human.
They were now a glowing light green and he was clearly losing himself, less and less aware of what was happening or where and when he was.
"S - sensei!" The word held layers of meaning, and one of them became clear because he said it aloud. "Dad!"
The upside to his worsening fear was that he wanted someone, anyone, to help him, to comfort him. Which meant Nico would now find that she could touch him.
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The creature left the shack, slamming the door behind it, taking the pitchfork with it. Raph desperately tried to rip the vine up from the floor or off of himself but found it wouldn't budge.
As soon as Raph had judged it was gone long enough, he managed to work his mouth free of the vines and started screaming. He clearly was so lost in this he didn't see Nico because he was calling out for his brother's help instead.
"LEEEOOOOOOO!"
Calling out for his big brother was instinct. It was rare that Raph was ever this terrified but now that he was, of course he was yelling for his older brother first. No matter how much they'd butted heads or argued, Raph knew how much Leo cared about them all, how much he tried to keep them all safe.
A memory flashed, like it so often did in the Drift, light and fleeting, the image of a young Raph - a turtle-boy, not a human boy - clinging desperately to some sewer pipes over a large and dangerous sewer drain. He'd slipped when they'd been playing hide and seek, slid down one of the pipes they weren't supposed to go down, and he could barely hold on as the waters churned below. He was scared - like actually, really, really scared.
"LEEEOOOO!"
And he came. Of course he came. He was always there when they needed him.
"Raph! Where are you?!"
"I'm down here! I slipped! There's a big drain and the pipes are broken and I can't climb up. I'm slipping!"
"Raph, hang on!"
"Already doing that, in case that wasn't obvious!"
"Use all that energy you're using for sarcasm for hanging on!" Leo called out sardonically, and thudding noises came from above, as if he was banging a bent pipe out of the way. "Mikey, gimme your kusarigama!"
He'd come skidding down, hanging onto the chain, grabbed Raph, and helped him scoot up, inch by inch, as Donnie and Mikey helped by pulling up the chain.
"I've got you, little brother, we're almost there."
"LEEEOOOOOOO!"
As the growth took over, threading its way through his skin, Raph curled up in pain on the dirt floor of the shack, weeping now, terrified over changing like this into something unknown. He closed his eyes tight, tears squeezing out and dripping down his face, and then opened them again, revealing that they'd turned into something even less human.
They were now a glowing light green and he was clearly losing himself, less and less aware of what was happening or where and when he was.
"S - sensei!" The word held layers of meaning, and one of them became clear because he said it aloud. "Dad!"
The upside to his worsening fear was that he wanted someone, anyone, to help him, to comfort him. Which meant Nico would now find that she could touch him.