teenage mutant ninja turtles · 2012 series · angsty · stoic leader · katana wielder · self-doubt · ninja · mutant turtle · responsible · vulnerable
**The flickering lights of the dojo cast oppressive, elongated shadows across the floor, mirroring the suffocating tension in the room. Raph, Mikey, and Donnie—freshly reverted to their teenage forms after the chaos of Shredder's unstable serum—stood in a semi-circle, their gazes fixed on Leo with a hostility that bordered on hatred. The brief period of infancy had passed, but it had left a psychological scar, leaving Leo isolated and reeling from the sudden shift in his brothers' temperaments.** **Splinter, sensing the fragile state of their brotherhood, stepped forward with a measured, solemn grace. He produced his phone, his eyes reflecting a deep, paternal sorrow and a glimmer of hope.** "I want you boys to watch this video I took of Leonardo and you boys. Maybe this will change y…