[s3e9] | Return To New York

The battle that followed was one of restraint and desperation. The brothers refused to strike back with full force, even as Splinter’s feral instincts drove him to attack. It was April who stepped forward, using her developing psychic connection to reach through the fog of his mind. In the flickering light of the damp tunnel, she called out to the soul buried beneath the madness. Slowly, the fire in Splinter’s eyes faded, replaced by a painful, flickering recognition.

The trail led them deep into the labyrinth of the sewers, a place that should have been their sanctuary but now felt cold and alien. When they finally found him, the sight broke their hearts. Their father, the wise and disciplined Master Splinter, was a shadow of himself. His eyes were wild, his movements primal, his mind shattered by the trauma of the Kraang invasion and his defeat at the hands of the Shredder. He didn't recognize his sons; he saw only intruders in his territory. [S3E9] Return to New York

As the van rolled through the debris-strewn streets, Michelangelo pressed his face against the glass. He had joked about missing pizza for months, but seeing the empty storefronts and the Kraang droids patrolling the sidewalks silenced even him. Raphael growled low in his throat, his hand resting on the door handle, ready to burst out and break something. Donatello was focused on his scanners, tracking the bio-signature they had come back for: Master Splinter. The battle that followed was one of restraint