It was freezing outside. A thick layer of snow was covering the roads of New York.

"This is too easy," laughed Michelangelo. "Those thugs just kept slipping on the snow!"

"You're one to talk, Michelangelo," said Raphael. "Didn't you just get some snow down your shell, just a moment ago?"

"Well, people don't exactly do snow removal in rooftops, y'know," said Michelangelo.

"Guys, let's stay focussed," said Leonardo.

"And let's keep moving," said Donatello. "As long as our bodies are in motion, we'll stay warm. If we were to stand still in this kind of cold, our body temperature would drop too fast and we…"

"Alright, alright, point taken," said Raphael. "Sheesh, we've been doin' this for years now, Donatello."

"Just saying," said Donatello. "It's important to know why…"

"I know, I know," said Raphael impatiently.

"Hey, what's that?" asked Michelangelo. He pointed down the street beneath them.

Two figures were there. One was standing, the other looked like he was about to strike.

"That guy's in trouble," said Leonardo. "Let's go for it."

"I have a better idea," said Donatello. He picked up some snow and formed a snowball.

"Uhh… you really think that's gonna work?" asked Michelangelo.

"Trust me," said Donatello. "With the right volume and thrown from the right angle…"

He aimed for the individual that had now started running towards the other. He threw it with all his strength and…

Yes!

The attacking person got hit in the face and fell down. The other was watching him as the attacker was coughing on order not to choke in the snow he got in his mouth.

"What's that guy just standin' there for?" asked Raphael.

"Run, dude! Run!" shouted Michelangelo. When the person was looking up to see where that voice had come from, they quickly pulled back. They waited.

"Are you ok?" they heard a girl's voice ask from where the two individuals stood.

"What the hell was that?" asked a young guy's voice.

"I have no idea," said the girl. "I think someone was trying to be a hero." She laughed. "Boy, did they get you!"

"Stupid little brats," the Turtles heard the guy say.

"From the roofs? I don't think so," said the girl. "You ok? Think we can still move on with the training?"

"Training?" repeated Leonardo softly. "They were just training?!"

"Wow… do I feel stupid," said Donatello, scratching the back of his head.

"Oh boy," said Raphael. "Out on the street, in the snow? That's…"

"… crazy?" asked Donatello. "I don't think so. I think it's brilliant."

His brothers looked at him in confusion.

"Training in inconvenient places," explained Donatello. "We should train here, too!"

"Are you out of your shell?" asked Raphael.

"Think about it," said Donatello. "We'll improve our fighting skills in this kind of areas and we'll be prepared for anything. Training at a higher level."

"Literally," said Michelangelo.

"Hey, I get it," said Leonardo. "That's not a bad idea. Not bad at all!"

"But not for tonight, I hope?" said Raphael. "I'm still ready for some real action!"

"Yeah, let's move on," said Leonardo. "This was false alarm, anyway."

As everyone stood up, Donatello took a moment to carefully look over the edge of the roof. It was only one person standing there now.

Guess that guy really got pissed, thought Donatello. Hang on… Is that…?

The girl was staring at him. Donatello quickly stepped back from the edge, out of her sight.

Oh shell, it's Naomi! She saw me!

Naomi had seen Donatello only as a shade on the rooftop, but she had felt it was him.

So you are still around, she thought. And this time, I'm wide awake. Now I know you're real.

"Donatello?" asked Leonardo. "What's wrong?"

Donatello was not going to lie to them. "It's her," he said.

"What?" asked Leonardo. He stepped toward the edge of the rooftop, but Donatello stopped him.

"Wait," he said. "She's looking this way. You can't look now, you'll reveal yourself."

"You think she's still looking this way?" asked Leonardo. He got on his hands and knees and carefully looked over the edge. "There's no one there," he said.

"Huh?" Donatello followed his example and looked over the edge again. She was gone.

"What the…?" he whispered.

"Maybe she didn't see it was you," said Leonardo. "Maybe she went home. Let's go."

"Yeah," said Donatello, staring at where Naomi had stood just a minute ago. "You're… probably right."

"Oh my God, there's four of you?!" they suddenly heard behind them. All four Turtles turned around and saw the girl climbing over the edge of the roof. Her eyes and mouth were wide open with shock.

"What the… how did you… but…" stammered Donatello, looking from the place where she had stood to where she was now.

She was leaning on the roof gutter. It was cracking. The next second, it was starting to break down and Naomi grabbed the rooftop's edge. When she tried to climb up, she put her foot on the breaking gutter for support. But it let go of the wall.

"Naomi!" shouted Donatello. Leonardo acted in a flash. Naomi lost her grip, but Leonardo caught her hand just in time.

"Gotcha!" he said.

Leonardo pulled her up. Naomi was too busy staring into his eyes to move on her own. Leonardo lifted her up and carried her to the middle of the rooftop. Naomi looked at the others.

There's four of them…

She finally pulled herself together and struggled in Leonardo's arms.

"Hey, let go of me!" she yelled. "Put me down!"

"Whoa, easy there, lady," said Leonardo, trying to keep his balance. "I just saved you, remember?"

"I can walk on my own! Let go!"

"Shh! You want the whole neighbourhood to hear ya?!" said Raphael.

Leonardo put her down and Naomi leisurely calmed down.

"That's Naomi?" asked Michelangelo. "Wow, Donatello, you were right! She has grown tall! And look at the clothes!"

Naomi was wearing a long, wide-sleeved black coat, a ridiculously long scarf and the strangest hat, with cat ears and sleepy looking eyes on it. What must her regular clothes be like?

"Michelangelo!" snapped Donatello at him. "Careful what you say!"

"Whoa, whoa, wait," said Naomi. She stood up and wept the snow off her legs. "You guys all know who I am?"

"Nice goin', Michelangelo," said Raphael.

"It's best if you forget about all this," said Leonardo.

"I already have forgotten something," snapped Naomi back. She looked at all of them. "Right?"

The Turtles looked at each other.

"What should we do now?" whispered Donatello to Leonardo. Leonardo sighed. "I… guess I don't have any other choice…"

"What do you mean?" asked Naomi insecurely as Leonardo took a step towards her. He vanished and appeared behind her. Naomi froze.

"I'm sorry, Naomi," he said.

She felt a light bump on the side of her neck. Darkness surrounded her, consumed her immediately.

"It's for her own good," said Leonardo. "When she wakes up, she'll think it was just a dream. Donatello, you know where she lives. You should bring her home."

Donatello nodded, picked Naomi up and took off to her house. The others stared after them.

"You're right, Michelangelo," said Raphael. "She has a… pretty interesting style of clothes…"

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Finally, I finished this chapter, I've been working on it since this morning (no class tomorrow ftw xD).

Still looking for the right timing to place a super special awesome plot twist (YGO Abridged fan :P). Until then, I'm letting the bond between the Turtles and Naomi get just a liiiittle stronger ;-)

Thanks for reading! ^^