Hey Readers! Welcome to a new story!

So, I had posted a new Ninja Turtles story about two weeks ago, but after re-reading it, I realized it wasn't really working out the way I'd hoped it would, so I scratched it and decided to start with a whole new story. I kept my OC from that story [Francis Roxwell], but I've changed the plot, character traits, and even his mutant abilities. For those of you that read the old one and liked it, know that some of the plot elements and ideas from that story will be included in this story.

I hope you all enjoy this first chapter!

Meet Francis:

Donnie POV:

"For the last time, Leo, we're not gonna sneak into a movie theater to watch a movie," Donnie said exasperatedly, scanning the buildings around them for any sign of mystic activities. It was nearly 10 pm, and Donnie was fed up with Leo's constant one-liners and complaints."We still have half an hour of patrol left; besides, we're watching a movie back home after this."

"Lighten up, Bore-meo," Leo said in his usual light-hearted tone, polishing his Odachi sword and rolling his eyes a little. "It's been, what, two weeks since anything's happened? No bad guys, no new mutants, no world-ending activities. What're you worrying about?"

"It's been too quiet," his brother replied. "We usually deal with something crazy every other night, but now…" He shook his head, taking off his mystic goggles. "Something's about to happen."

"Oh, please! Do you expect this 'something' to just fall out of the sky?"

At that moment, something fell from the sky, knocking the blue-masked turtle to the ground and sending him rolling across the roof. It took Donnie a moment to get over his shock before he pulled out his bo staff, aiming it at the intruder. Leo quickly got to his feet, holding up his sword as they both examined the individual in front of them

The mutant had brown fur all over, save for a white spot around his right eye, and floppy ears; his snout indicated he was part dog. He was dressed in a plain jacket, jeans and tennis shoes, and wore sunglasses, despite the late hour; he used an elastic band attached to the glasses' arms to keep the sunglasses on his head. A green beanie covered the top of his head, and a backpack sat on his back. There were no visible weapons, but the two turtles knew by now that appearances could be deceiving.

"Woah," the mutant dog said, his voice betraying he was a teen as he gaped at the two turtles in front of him. "Who are you?"

"We could ask you the same question," Leo said, pointing his sword at the mutant dog. "Who are you and what's your deal with falling from the sky?"

"Smooth, Leo," Donnie muttered.

"What? That hurt!"

"Don't hurt me," the dog teen said quickly, holding out his hands in front of him to show he was unarmed. "Please… I'm F-Francis. Francis Roxwell. And as to what I am…" He looked at his hands. "I... I'm not exactly sure. I think I'm a mutant; I… I'm kinda new to this whole… look."

Donnie and Leo exchanged a quick glace; there was no doubt the teen was a mutant, but this one sounded like he'd recently been bitten by an Oozequito and was probably going through a rough time. They lowered their weapons. "How long ago were you bitten," "Leo asked.

"Maybe a month," Francis replied, slowly standing up, still wary of their weapons. "I'd heard people talking about mutants appearing around the city, but I hadn't met any before today."

"A month? What've you been doing all that time," Leo asked.

"Just… moving from place to place." The way the mutant answered the question showed that he didn't want to discuss the matter any further, in Donnie's opinion. "How long ago were you guys human?"

"Uh… we never were human, per se," Donnie said, absentmindedly tapping the ground with his bo staff. "We were mutated to become more human around 13 years ago."

The mutant dog frowned. "Wait… so you guys… weren't human before?"

"... Yes."

Francis looked shocked at that reveal, but to the turtles' surprise, he soon smiled. "That's… awesome! So you used to be regular turtles and now you're mutant turtles? That's really cool!"

The two brothers exchanged confused looks; they weren't used to anyone finding them 'cool,' and it took them a few moments to realize that they should say something. "Why thank you," Leo said graciously, smiling as well. "We also happen to be ninjas, so don't be afraid to compliment that!"

"Wow! So you're… teenage mutant ninja turtles," the teen asked.

"Good title," the blue masked turtle agreed. "There's two more of us, but they're at home right now."

"Cool!"

The mention of their family reminded Donnie of one fact they'd all ignored up until that point. Oozequitos didn't mutate whole families, meaning that the mutant dog was probably on his own. "Francis," he asked carefully, "what about… your family?"

The teen's grin faded, and he suddenly looked very distant and morose. Immediately, they could tell that they'd brought up a sore subject. "… It's just me," the mutant dog eventually said, unable to look either of the brothers in the eye.

Leo nudged his brother. "Dude," he whispered, "why'd you have to ask that?"

"In case he needed help getting home," the techy turtle replied. "How many mutant teens have we come across?"

"None."

"Exactly. We couldn't just let him wander away from his family-"

"Well I don't have one," Francis interrupted, and the turtles realized that the teen, being part dog, probably had good hearing. "And it's fine… you two didn't know. I'm just flying solo right now."

"Oh…" There was an awkward moment of silence between the three teens, waiting for something to happen. "So…" Leo eventually said, "cool glasses."

The teen nodded at the compliment. "Thanks. I'm blind."

The two turtles gaped at that. "What?"

"I'm just messing with you," the mutant dog replied, laughing a little. "But my eyes are messed up; they're super sensitive to bright lights, and I wear these so I don't damage them any further."

"Photophobia," the purple masked turtle asked.

"Yes, actually."

"Wait, so he's scared of getting his picture taken," Leo asked, confused.

"My eyes are sensitive to light," the mutant dog explained again. "And ever since I became a mutant, I have to wear glasses 24/7 or else I'll get these annoying migraines and I could actually go blind."

"Wow," Donnie said, then remembered it was rude to find other people's health issues cool. "How'd you end up flying through the air?"

"That's kind of a funny story," Francis said. "I-" He suddenly stopped talking, giving them a curious look. "Wait… you guys are mutants too. So does that mean… Can you guys… do stuff?"

"What?"

"Like…" He lowered his voice. "Magic? I mean, freaky stuff that normal people, or mutants I guess, shouldn't be able to do?"

The two turtles blinked in surprise; they knew that all new mutants seemed to have some sort of special ability, but they hadn't heard of any being able to do magic before. "Like what," Donnie asked, wondering what the teen was talking about.

"Like… this." The mutant dog held out his hands, which suddenly glowed with a green energy, causing the air to hum a little. Donnie and Leo stared in shock, impressed and also a little wary.

"It started happening after I was… changed," Francis continued. "I can lift stuff with my mind, create constructs of what I think of, and, as I found out today, fly."

"How?"

"I tried to do that Iron Man thing and propel myself into the sky, and I got a little carried away with how much power I put into it. I ended up shooting myself into the sky; it took me a while to figure out how to land." He gave Leo an apologetic look. "Sorry about that."

"No problemo, man," Leo said, casually displaying his portal sword. "We've got powers too. This baby can create portals to anywhere, and Donnie's staff is pretty much a one-turtle army!"

"Cool," the mutant dog said, staring at the sword with awe. "You two sound like you have a pretty interesting life." He readjusted his backpack. "Well, it was nice meeting you two… uh…"

"Donnie."

"Leo."

"Donnie and Leo," Francis repeated. "Nice meeting you, but I better be going. Glad to know there's some mutants out here; makes you feel less…" He cut off, quickly hiding the awkwardness with a smile. "Well, see ya around!"

"Bye," the turtles replied as they watched the mutant dog make his way towards the fire escape. Something was nagging at Donnie, but he couldn't quite place it. Seconds later, he recalled the teen mentioning being on his own… probably without food to eat, or a place to live, for that matter, if he didn't have any family or friends, and if he had only become a mutant a month ago. He didn't know how his brothers would take it, since it wasn't exactly their type of thing, but he knew he had to at least offer to help the teen.

"Wait!" Francis turned around at Donnie's call, giving him a questioning look. "We're having a movie night at our place with pizza. Wanna come?"

The mutant dog looked surprised by the offer, as did Leo, who gave his brother a confused look. "Are… are you serious," he asked, his surprised expression turning into a frown. "I'm not even your friend; we just met. You don't have to invite me to make yourselves feel better or because you feel sorry for me."

"We're not asking because we feel sorry for you," Donnie said, sounding slightly patronizing. "We're doing it because we want to be your friend."

"Yeah," Leo added, agreeing with the idea as he realized where his brother was going with this. "C'mon, it'll be fun!"

Francis hesitated, looking uncertain for a few moments, though the two brothers could tell that the idea was intriguing. "Will there be cheese pizza?"

"Of course!"

The mutant dog looked thoughtful for a few more moments, but eventually nodded, walking back towards the two turtles. "Okay. Sounds like fun!"

"Great," Donnie said, pulling out his shell cell. "I'll just tell the others."

"So you can create portals with that thing," Francis asked Leo, examining the mystic blade. "Where'd you even get that?"

"It's kinda a long story," the blue masked turtle replied. "So there's this giant underground city that's-"

As Leo explained the Hidden City to Francis, Donnie texted the others to let them know that they were bringing a friend with them. He had no idea how they would react, especially Raph, but it was obvious to the techy turtle that the mutant dog probably needed friends at that moment. They'd never encountered another teenaged mutant like themselves, as well as never met a mutant with his powers, so he knew that things were about to change. Radically.

...

Mikey POV:

"I'v got the pizza," April called as she walked into the lair, Mayhem perched on the topmost box.

"And I'v got the popcorn," Mikey said brightly, placing the bowl of popcorn on the table in front of the couch.

"Thanks again, April," Raph said, taking the pizza boxes and setting them on the table, smacking away his younger brother's hand as he tried to snatch one of them. Mayhem teleported onto the nearby couch, curling up on one of the pillows. "The movie's all queued up; just gotta wait for Donnie and Leo."

"And their friend," April added.

"What friend," Mikey asked, slyly trying to open one of the pizza boxes behind Raph's back.

"Didn't you get his text," she asked, pulling out her phone and reading the message. "'Be back from patrol soon. Bringing friend.'"

"Our shell cells died," Raph said, taking her phone and looking at the text. "Who's this friend of theirs? We don't exactly know a lotta people outside of you."

"Maybe it's Todd," Mikey suggested, about to grab a slice before Raph pulled him back from the table.

"Why would he be near him," April asked. "Doesn't he live outside of the city? What about his dogs?"

"And Leo and Donnie are supposed to be on patrol in the city," Raph said, frowning. "They should be here by now…"

"D'you think something happened to them," Mikey asked.

"Maybe. It's hard to-"

Suddenly, a glowing blue portal opened up in the air, and three individuals fell through it, landing in a heap on the floor. April, Mikey and Raph were quick to recognize two of them as Donnie and Leo, and Mayhem looked up in surprise.

"Rio," Donnie sputtered, climbing to his feet. "RIO?! How could you be off by 4818 miles?!"

"Hey, you're the one that suggested I use the portal sword," Leo countered, helping their friend to his feet. "And that's a cool name; Rio Leo. I gotta remember that!"

"That was awesome," the visitor said excitedly. "I've never left the country before!" He then noticed Mikey and the others, stopping mid-sentence and gaping at them.

"Everyone," Donnie said, "this is Francis; he's here for the free pizza."

"Uh… Hi," the mutant dog said, giving them a nervous wave. "Nice to meet you. You must be Donnie and Leo's family."

April, Mikey and Raph stared at the visitor with a mixture of awe, apprehension and worry; they weren't exactly sure what to think. Most mutants they encountered were adults who already lived on their own and didn't need the support of anyone else (and some of them were evil, but they usually dealt with them). But a teen like themselves… it was uncharted territory, dealing with a mutant their age. However, they knew they couldn't just stand there gaping, and quickly smiled.

"'Sup, dude," Raph said, figuring he should go first as the leader. "The name's Raph. This is Mikey and April, and that's Mayhem."

"Woah," Francis said, kneeling down next to the couch to get a better look at the teleporting creature. "Is it a boy or a girl?"

"A boy," April said as Mayhem teleported to the top of the mutant dog's head, whacking him in the face with his bushy tail. "He likes you."

"I'm flattered." The mutant dog slowly stood up, allowing Mayhem to jump into his arms as he looked around the room. "Are we underground," he asked, sniffing the air a little. "In the sewers?"

"Yep," Mikey said. "Good 'ol home sweet home, baby! Nice shades, by the way. Can I try them on?"

"Mikey," Donnie started to say, but Francis nodded.

"It's fine," he said, slowly unclasping the band from around his head as Mayhem jumped to the floor. "Just don't break them; I'd rather not try to find another pair." He took off the sunglasses, his eyes shut tight and covering them with his free hand as he handed the glasses to a confused Mikey, who tried them on.

"His eyes are light sensitive," Leo said, flopping down on the couch as he reached for a box of pizza. "He wears sunglasses to keep from going blind."

"Wow," April said sympathetically. "Did it come with your… I mean, did you just-"

"About four years, but my old pair broke; I found these at a kiosk," Francis replied, holding out his hands for the glasses. When he received them, he put them back on, re-attaching them to the band so they wouldn't slip off. "I got mutated about a month ago. Crazy stuff."

"What about your fam-" Raph's question was cut off by a quick glare from Donnie, who was shaking his head, telling him to drop the issue. Immediately understanding, the leader changed course. "I mean… Would ya like some pizza?"

"Yes, please," the mutant dog replied.

"I got it," Mikey said happily, rushing forward to grab the top box. However, he tripped over Mayhem, landing on one end of the table and causing the other to fly upwards, carrying the pizza with it. All four boxes flew into the air, their contents flipping through the air.

"NO," the four turtle brothers yelled, starting forward to try and save one of them, but were stopped when all the boxes suddenly froze mid-air, surrounded by a green light. Staring for a few moments, they watched as the boxes slowly rightened themselves and settled onto the ground next to the table.

They turned to find Francis lowering his hand as the green glow faded away from his hands, looking embarrassed. "Sorry," he muttered, fiddling with the straps of his backpack. "First thing that came to mind…"

The turtles and April stared at him for a few moments, too stunned to say anything. However, it was April that spoke first. "That… was AMAZING," she cheered, giving him a big smile. "I'm calling it; coolest mutant power ever!"

It was as if a switch had been hit, and all of a sudden, the rest of the turtles followed April's example, congratulating and praising the mutant dog, who seemed taken aback by the attention. He shook his head.

"It's nothing," he said modestly, scratching behind his ear. "It's nothing like creating portals to Rio."

"Dude, you're like a Green Lantern," Mikey said, looking at the mutant dog with awe. "Can you make me fly?"

"Uh… I've never tried it on another person before…" However, the mutant teen slowly lifted his hands as a green glow surrounded his fingers and Mikey, who floated a few inches into the air.

"Cowabunga, baby," he yelled excitedly, twisting around in the air.

"So Francis," Leo said, picking up one of the pizza boxes and handing it to him, "are you a fan of Lou Jitsu or Jupiter Jim?"

"Well," the mutant dog replied, taking the pizza box and opening it to reveal a cheese pizza. "I… don't know who any of those guys are."

"Don't worry," April said. "I didn't either when I first met these guys."

"How did you meet them," he asked, selecting a slice from the box and taking a bite of it; his concentration broken, Mikey floated to the ground, looking disappointed. "You seem human."

"I'm still human," she confirmed. "I met them five years ago when they saved my life; we've been friends ever since."

"She's our only human friend," Donnie explained, opening another pizza and taking a slice of the veggie pizza. "Our bridge to the human world above."

"Like the Avatar," Francis said.

"Wait, the TV show or the movie," Raph asked.

"The TV show, of course!"

"Glad to see someone has good taste in TV besides pizza," Mikey said, grabbing two slices from the box and eating them. "What're we watching?"

"Lou Jitsu Seven: The Conniving Crusade," Leo said, walking over to the TV. "A classic."

"So who's this Lou Jitsu guy," Francis asked, finishing his piece of pizza and grabbing another.

"Only the best martial artist to ever live," Raph explained as he picked up Mayhem. "We've seen all his films."

"We wanna be just like him someday," Mikey said, sitting down on the couch next to the mutant dog. "That's why we're gonna be ninja heroes!"

"It is not that simple," someone spoke up, and the group turned to find Splinter standing in the doorway, holding a cup of tea. "It takes many years of training to become one as skilled as Lou Jitsu."

"So when you said your dad was a rat," Francis said quietly, gaping at the mutant rat, "you meant an actual rat."

"And I suppose you assumed I was the other kind of rat," Splinter asked sharply. "The type that is despicable and deceitful?"

"N-No sir," the mutant dog said nervously, looking embarrassed and worried. "I didn't mean-"

"Pops, stop scaring our friend," Leo said in an almost bored tone, putting a friendly hand on the mutant's shoulder. "This is Francis; he's here for movie night."

"Fine," the old rat said, trudging towards his room. "I swear this place will be crawling with teenagers before I know it!"

"So… your dad," Francis said awkwardly after a few moments of silence, "he seems… nice."

"Don't let that tough exterior fool you," April said kindly. "He's a softie."

"Yeah," Leo said sarcastically. "He's like a teddy bear."

"I heard that," Splinter yelled from the other room.

"Yeah, don't worry," Raph agreed. "He'll get used to you."

"Used to me," the mutant dog repeated. "You… you guys wanna hang out with me? Here? Again?"

"Why not," Mikey asked innocently. "You're pretty cool, plus we've never met a mutant our age before."

"And, since you're still new to the mutant world, you're gonna need some help and friends to stick with," Donnie added. "It's not exactly an easy place to live in."

Francis seemed to freeze, taking in their comments for a few moments before answering. "I… I'm just not used to anyone wanting to hang out with me…" He laughed a little, his foot tapping the floor incessantly. "Sorry…I didn't mean to get all pitiful."

April and the Turtles exchanged quick looks at the mutant dog's words. They'd been friends for years, and even before that, the Turtles had each other and April had her friends at school. It was almost humbling, hearing Francis talk about not having friends, and they all knew they needed to change that.

"Well," April finally said, looking him square in the eye, "you better get used to it, 'cause we're gonna all be friends for the rest of our lives!"

The mutant dog was shocked by her statement, but soon gave her a huge grin. "Thanks," he said gratefully, turning to the turtles. "All of you."

"No problem," Raph said kindly, smiling as well. "You're welcome here anytime!"

"Yay, we're all friends now," Leo said happily, some of the sarcasm returning. "Now it's movie time!"

The seven friends readily agreed, and soon they were all silent as they watched the movie, save for the occasional noise of someone eating pizza.

...

Francis POV:

Francis lay awake in his sleeping bag, facing the sky above him; he had found a roof to sleep on, and only hoped no one came up there and found him. He had left the Turtle's home over an hour ago, but he still couldn't stop thinking about how readily they'd accepted him as a friend; they'd even given him a basic shell cell so they could keep in contact.

Even before he was a mutant, he wasn't a popular kid; he would often sit by himself, trying not to think about how everyone else seemed to have friends while he didn't. Sure, there were some people he was friendly with, but they were just acquaintances; nothing more. Then, as if to make things worse, he becomes a mutant, which only ostracized him farther from the rest of humanity. He thought that it was the final sign that he'd be alone forever, and was starting to prepare himself for that destiny.

The mutant dog was still amazed that Donnie, Mikey, Leo, Raph and April actually wanted to be his friend. It was almost overwhelming to think about; someone wanted to be friends with him. They weren't affected by his appearance or his personality, and not only that, they were probably the coolest individuals he'd ever met. They were like superheroes, and apparently knew about some hidden world under the city that was full of all sorts of creatures and mutants, just like them. Suddenly, it was like he was human, and didn't have to worry about being different from everyone else. It was almost too good to be true.

It probably is, a nagging thought in his head said. They probably just feel sorry for you.

"No," he muttered. "They don't." He yawned, knowing it was time to sleep, but also time for the most bothersome part of his day. Experience had taught him that sleeping with glasses on could cause them to break, and at the moment, he couldn't afford broken shades. Taking a deep breath, he slowly took off his sunglasses.

Francis knew better than to keep his eyes open when his sunglasses weren't on, but he always risked one small look before closing them for bed, just to see if there was any change. He had been truthful with the Turtles about needed the glasses because of his sensitivity to light, but there was another reason he hadn't told them about.

Sure enough, there it was, floating a few feet above him; he had no idea why it only appeared when his vision was unobstructed, but he could sometimes sense it when he had his sunglasses on. The figure was faceless and lean with humanoid features, glowing the same green color his hands glowed whenever he used his powers. It never spoke, it never attacked; it just lurked there, like some sort of shadow he couldn't shake. Francis had no idea what it was, but only knew that it appeared right after he was mutated.

"You better not ruin this for me," he told the figure only he could see as he set his sunglasses off to the side. "I have friends now, so you better not start talking or try any crazy stunts!"

The green man remained silent and unidentifiable, staring at him. It better not cause any problems; even if the Turtles were mutants too, the mutant dog doubted they'd find what he saw normal. It was just another secret he'd take to the grave, and one he wouldn't tell anyone, friend or foe. Finally, the teen closed his eyes, but there was still the faint silhouette of the person imprinted on his eyelids as he drifted off to sleep.

And that's the first chapter! The story's gonna continue with the friendship between Francis, April and the Turtles, and will feature events from the series [though some things will be different, given the addition of my OC], and will probably play out like a bunch of one-shots, though some will be a multi chapter story arc. Also, the green man that only Francis sees will play a key roll in the story, given the title, as it is one of the many secrets he has.

Also, if any of you are curious, yes, photophobia is a real disease, and no, I don't have it. I just find it really cool.

Other than that, I hope you've enjoyed this first chapter! Favorite and follow to keep updated on new chapters, and feel free to leave a review with your thoughts! Have a great and safe week/weekend!

-aggiefrogger

I do NOT own Iron Man, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, or Green Lantern in ANY way, shape or form.