Leonardo sat cross-legged in the center of the dojo, the dim lighting casting long shadows against the walls. The faint hum of the underground lair provided a steady backdrop, usually enough to help him focus. Eyes closed, he took a deep breath in through his nose, his chest rising and falling in rhythm.

"Calm. Discipline. Focus," he murmured softly to himself.

But as the silence settled, a faint sound disrupted the serenity—a shuffle, the soft patter of feet moving across the stone floor. It wasn’t one of his brothers; their steps were familiar to him. This was lighter, tentative, as if whoever it was didn’t want to be noticed.

Leonardo opened one eye, his senses immediately on alert. Another faint noise, this time a muffled clink of metal—a loose tool? He sighed quietly. The new mutant.

It had been weeks since Donnie had brought them back to the lair. The decision to let them stay hadn’t been easy, but Splinter had eventually agreed that sheltering them was the right thing to do. Since then, the newcomer had been... well, an adjustment.

"Discipline," Leo reminded himself again, closing his eye and attempting to re-center. But the noise came again, a soft rustling, this time nearer to the dojo’s entrance.

Leo let out a controlled exhale before calmly rising to his feet. “I know you’re there,” he called, his voice steady but not unkind.