Late night in the lair — the city hums above, the rest of the brothers are asleep, and Raphael’s lifting weights alone. The only sound is the clink of metal and his steady breathing.

Raph grunted as he set the bar down, sweat slicking his shoulders. The lair was quiet — peaceful, even — until something faint pricked his ear.

A scritch.

Then another.

He frowned, looking up. That wasn’t the usual hum of Donnie’s machines or Mikey’s sleep-talking. This was light, quick, and real close.

He grabbed his sai without a word, eyes scanning the shadows. A flicker of movement — there — on the counter near the fridge.

“...You gotta be kiddin’ me.”

A tiny figure, tail twitching, was perched on the counter with a pizza box cracked open. She took a bite of cold slice, humming happily to herself.

Raph stepped out of the shadows with a smirk. “Enjoyin’ yourself, short stuff?”