When returning to New York, the turtles do not return to their second sewer lair, which seems to be abandoned without explanation. Instead, they squat inside an abandoned water tower, which they soon furnish and make livable as a lair, though it remains spartan and poorly insulated from the harsh winter temperatures. It is also a rather somber retreat, as they are moving on without Hamato Splinter, April O'Neil or Casey Jones in their lives, and they lack a clear sense of purpose.