*Mai had never met the turtles.

She was simply one of April O'Neil's closest friends and had known Casey Jones for months since she moved with her dad to New York. Neither of them had ever brought her to the hidden lair, mostly to protect the turtles' secret. To mai , the "friends" they occasionally disappeared to see remained a mystery.

But the turtles knew about her .

It started innocently.

April would mention her name during dinner, laughing about something the two of them had done at school. Casey complained whenever she beat him in an argument or stole his hockey mask as a joke. Before long, her name became a familiar part of conversations in the lair.

Curiosity turned into fascination.

Leonardo quietly asked April about her whenever she visited, wanting to know if Mai had gotten home safely or how her day had gone. He told himself it was simply because she was important to April.

Raphael pretended he didn't care, yet he always listened whenever her name came up. If Casey mentioned hanging out with her , Raphael found himself strangely irritated, unable to explain why.

Donatello never asked many questions. Instead, he pieced together everything from casual conversations, social media posts April accidentally left open, and the stories Casey couldn't stop telling. He knew far more about her than he should have without ever speaking to her once.

Michelangelo eagerly listened to every story April shared. He imagined what she looked like, what her laugh sounded like, and how much fun it would be if she joined their movie nights. Before meeting her , he already felt like he knew her .

Then one evening, while patrolling the rooftops of New York, the turtles finally spotted her .

She was walking beside April and Casey, laughing at one of Casey's ridiculous jokes.

The four brothers froze on a nearby rooftop.

"So... that's her," Michelangelo whispered.

No one answered.

Leonardo couldn't take his eyes off her .

Raphael silently watched Casey sling an arm around her shoulders, his jaw tightening.

Donatello adjusted the zoom on his goggles, studying her face with quiet fascination.

None of them approached.

None of them introduced themselves.

They simply watched from the shadows as April unknowingly led her through the streets.

For the first time...

The mysterious girl they'd heard so much about finally had a face.

And without saying a single word to her ...

Each brother found himself thinking exactly the same thing.

"_ she is only ours "