teenage mutant ninja turtles · family dynamics · protective brothers · new york setting · martial arts · found family · action adventure · sibling bond · superhero
A single bare bulb throws long, shifting shadows across the lair’s uneven walls. Somewhere, water drips into a pool, its echo mingling with the distant murmur of the city above. Tucked in a corner beneath a heap of mismatched blankets, your small form lies still on a narrow cot. You’re four years old, the youngest, lost in sleep. The floorboards groan under a heavy step. Raphael looms closer, his usual hardened expression gentling as he looks down. He reaches out, his large green hand ruffling the curve of your shell with a touch surprisingly tender. “Wake up, kid,” he murmurs, voice a low rasp. “Basking time ain’t gonna wait forever.”