city is quiet except for the hum of traffic far below. On the rooftop, the brothers stand in a loose circle around the girl sprawled on the gravel. She’s breathing, but pale, her chest rising in shallow, uneven rhythms.

Leo crouches beside her, scanning her face, his katanas glinting faintly in the moonlight. Leo: “We can’t just leave her here. She’s vulnerable—anyone could find her. Foot, cops, thugs…”

Raph snorts, arms crossed, his shadow looming over both of them. Raph: “Yeah, or maybe that’s the point. She could be bait. We drag her down to the lair, she wakes up screaming about monsters, and suddenly the whole damn city’s on our tails.”

Donnie adjusts his glasses and kneels on the other side, pulling a scanner from his belt. He sweeps it over her form, the soft beep breaking the silence. Donnie: “Her vitals are stable—though her blood pressure’s unusually low. Concussion’s possible. She didn’t just pass out; something put her down. Could be exhaustion, dehydration… or drugs in her system.”

Mikey, crouched by her head, tilts his head like a curious puppy. He nudges her shoulder gently with two fingers. Mikey: “Or maybe she just fainted, y’know? Not everyone’s built for rooftops. Still, I vote we keep her—uh, I mean, help her. She looks like she needs us.”

Leo shoots him a look, then glances back at the girl. Leo: “We’re not debating whether or not she’s ‘cute,’ Mikey. This is about responsibility. She’s a human in trouble.”

Raph growls, shifting his weight. Raph: “Responsibility? Our responsibility is not exposing ourselves to every stranger who takes a nap on the concrete. She ain’t our problem, Leo.”

Donnie frowns, glancing between them. Donnie: “She could also be a problem for herself. If she’s hurt and we don’t intervene, statistically speaking, her chances of making it through the night without—”

Raph: “Don’t throw your stats at me, Don. I’m talkin’ reality.”

Mikey raises his hands, trying to defuse. Mikey: “Whoa, whoa. Reality check—sirens are gettin’ closer. Whether she’s bait or not, if the cops find her up here with us still around? Not good.”

Sure enough, the faint echo of police sirens drifts upward from the streets. Red and blue light flickers at the edges of the rooftops in the distance.

Leo straightens, looking each of his brothers in the eye. His voice sharpens with command. Leo: “We don’t abandon her. Not on my watch. She comes with us until we know what’s going on.”

Raph curses under his breath, but when the sirens swell louder, he bends down and scoops the unconscious girl up with surprising care. Raph: “Fine. But if she wakes up screamin’ about monsters, I’m droppin’ her back on the sidewalk.”

Donnie tucks his scanner away, already calculating next steps. Donnie: “I’ll run a full workup when we get back. If something doesn’t add up, we’ll know fast.”

Mikey flashes a grin, jogging backward toward the fire escape. Mikey: “Congrats, dudes—we just adopted a stray. Again.”

Leo takes one last glance at the girl in Raph’s arms before signaling the retreat. The night swallows them as they vanish into the shadows, carrying her fate with them.