#anatawa hitori ja nai

[angelkitty54]

So, I was rewatching some God of War 4 playthroughs and was suddenly hit with another rottmnt AU idea (coz I've got turtle brain right now I guess). Also inspired by all the different Separated AU art 'n' stuff floating around. So yeah, this be a separated au.

Right so! Splinter manages to escape Draxum's lab with all 4 turtles, but a couple of years later, when the boys are still toddlers, he is found and attacked (probably by the Foot? Maybe also by Big Mamas people? IDK yet) and during all the chaos the boys are lost/stolen. The only one he was able to save is Leo.

Raph somehow ends up underground, stumbling into the Hidden City where he wanders the streets homeless for a time before being found by Big Mama. Savage Raph be fighting in the Battle Nexus.

Mikey is taken by the Foot and raised to be an assassin (maybe trained under Tiger Claw?) joining their quest to resurrect the Shredder.

Donnie is swept away down a storm drain and believed to have drowned. But somehow or another (haven't fully figured it out yet) ends up as part of the Purple Dragons gang. Except they're a proper gang here and not just a small group of delinquent teens.

Thing is, during those first few years together, Splinter encountered and eventually befriended a young woman by the name of Tang Shen. Having recently lost her own baby girl, she found comfort in helping Splinter with his own children. Tho she did not know what they really were for a long time, as he kept his distance and she turned a blind eye to anything strange (New York, what a town, amiright?). Eventually she did find out tho, but by then they had gotten to be close friends despite everything.

After the attack, a badly injured Splinter went to Tang Shen for help. Realising they were still being hunted, Splinter decided to leave in order to protect his one remaining son, but Tang Shen insisted on staying with them. The three ultimately end up leaving the city altogether and moving out to a property on in the country. Which is how Leo comes to grow up in a relatively isolated cabin in the woods.

At first Splinter made many trips back to search for his lost sons, but as time passed without any sign of them, he eventually gave up hope. Focusing instead on keeping his one remaining son safe. Tang Shen however always maintained the hope that they would all be reunited one day.

Despite everything they had lost, the three did live happily together for many years. Until Leo was about 10-11 years old and Tang Shen fell sick and never recovered. Losing her was a heavy blow for father and son. Things taking a turn for the worst when their enemies finally track them down shortly thereafter. This be the part where I picture Splinter fighting off the foot soldiers all Dad of War style like: "LEAVE. MY. HOME!!!"

With their home no longer safe they are forced to gather up what they can and leave. This is when Leo discovers one last gift for him among Tang Shen's belongings. Matching scarves for him and brothers, each with their names embroidered on them, and a journal. Turns out Tang Shen had been investigating the other's whereabouts of her own, and tho she had no definitive proof, she had found some leads. The journal had all her findings as well as a message for Leo that inspires him to try and find his long lost brothers and reunite his broken family.

Convincing Splinter that the city would be the best place to hide the pair finally return to New York, making their new home hidden away in the sewers. Knowing his overprotective father would freak if he knew what he was doing, Leo begins his own investigations in secret, picking up where Tang Shen left off. During his search he encounters and befriends April who joins him on his quest. And 2 years or so later, the pair accidentally stumble across what they'll soon come to find is their biggest lead yet: a strange blue and yellow dog thingy...