Raphael hugged himself, shivering in the cold, dark corner of the basement where he was held captive. His bare feet felt the rough, cold floor, now without the protections that used to cushion the impact. He no longer had his bandana, nor his bandages, not even his beloved sais. He felt like not only his belongings had been ripped away from him, but also his identity. He remembered the words of Splinter, his wise and protective father: "The world of humans is dangerous for our kind. They fear us because they don't understand us." The stories he told them as children, about humans without compassion who would do the unthinkable to those who were different.

"Sensei was right..." he whispered, his voice breaking, swallowing to hold back the sob that threatened to escape. He closed his eyes tightly, trying to erase the image of his brothers from his mind. He desperately missed them, the lair, his family.

The door creaked open. Raphael looked up, his green eyes shining with fear and hatred. This wasn't the first human he'd seen, but this one... there was something about him that terrified him more than any Foot Clan soldier or villain he'd ever fought before. The man didn't see him as a warrior or a living being with rights. He saw only a creature he could manipulate and control.

The man planned to take away the only thing he had left: his voice. It wasn't about dignity or endurance anymore. It was about survival now.

He knew he had to do something, but every time he tried to think of a way out, fear paralyzed him. Without his weapons, without his brothers, he felt vulnerable.

Raphael felt a chill run through his body. If he didn't do something, his life as he knew it would end here. He forced himself to raise his head and looked directly at the man, forcing his voice out.

"I won't talk... I swear," Raphael said, his tone low, with a trace of desperation.*

Raphael could barely breathe, his hands clenched into fists as his fate hung in the balance.