It was mid-morning, and monsters were likely to be at work. Fungus wanted to go home, but he knew that was out of the question for the moment. But, this was a good chance to get Wazowski and Sullivan.
Randall and Fungus couldn't stay where they were for long. They knew that the gang and Waternoose would be after them. They had to hurry.
Together, they ran through the streets. Fungus noticed that Randall had no problem seeing where he was going. His eyes were also open wider than he had ever seen them.
"Fungus, I could go through any door to get to my friends, as long as it is in New York City. My friends will know what to do. Even if not, they'll still help anyway." Randall said, breathing hard.
After running more than three blocks, they both pulled up to catch their breaths. Fungus held his chest. "I'm not used to this kind of running, Randall."
"I am. Catch your breath and we'll keep going." Randall said.
"Who… are these friends?" Fungus asked breathlessly.
"Mutant creatures. They know how to deal with all sorts of bad guys. They're ninjas, so they're experts at both fighting and staying hidden. I learned a lot from them."
"I have never known you to stand up for me before. That was brave of you, Sir." Fungus praised. "They must have taught you something."
"Like how to care about others." Randall said. "We have to save the human kids too. We already know they aren't toxic."
"Yes, I know, but the rest of the monster world doesn't know that." Fungus said.
As they neared the factory, Randall vanished for good measure. "Sullivan is the new CEO now since Waternoose was arrested," Fungus explained.
"Then we have to talk to Sullivan." Randall said.
They went into the factory and walked calmly through the building. It was close to noon, and there were monsters walking everywhere. The pair headed straight for the CEO's office.
Other monsters were shocked to see Fungus here after not being seen for a long time. "Fungus! Where have you been?" Many monsters asked.
Randall and Fungus picked up the pace. "No time! Where's the CEO! Where's Sullivan?!" Fungus gasped.
"Slow down. What's wrong!" one of the monsters yelled.
"We need his help! Now!" Fungus screamed urgently.
"Alright! He should be in his office right now." the other monster yelled.
They hurried up to the CEO's office. They soon got there and other monsters had followed him.
Randall knocked on the door. He was slightly ahead of Fungus. "Come in." was heard on the other side.
Randall opened the door and he and Fungus slipped inside, closing the door behind them.
Sulley stood up in surprise when he saw who it was. "Jeffrey Fungus? We haven't seen you for ages. What brings you here?"
Fungus was breathing hard. "Water- noose!" He gasped out, then fell over.
"Fungus!" Sulley ran over to help him up.
"Waternoose and his gang of misfits want to use the Scream Extractor!" Randall finished for him.
Sulley stopped when he heard that voice. It couldn't be!
Randall appeared as he helped Fungus to his feet. He looked over at the big blue monster warily.
"Randall!" Sulley jumped back in alarm. "Why are you here?!"
"To help Fungus. He was being held captive when I found him. I know Waternoose went to jail, but then he escaped. He wanted me to get the scream machine back in order. That's why he kidnapped Fungus and held him captive for however long he's been missing. I just got him away from them. They threatened to kill him if I didn't do as they said. And they have a bunch of human kids who are in trouble." Randall said as fast as he could. He was a little breathless himself. He was talking so fast that Sulley could barely hear him.
"I have to get my friends in order to stop them!" Randall finished.
"You aren't going anywhere, Randall!" Sulley said sternly.
"We don't have time for this, Sullivan! I have to get back to the human world. Please allow me to get help." Randall pleaded with him.
Fungus caught his breath. "Waternoose and the Nomads Gang. They want to use the Scream Extractor to steal children's screams again. Randall says he has some friends who could help take them down."
"That's the CDA's job. Now that Randall has come back, he is going to jail." Sulley said angrily.
"I swear I wasn't going to harm those kids, or your little human girl." Randall held his hands up in surrender. He backed towards the wall.
Sulley stepped forward, then Fungus stepped in front of him. "Please, Mr. Sullivan. Help us."
Sulley stopped advancing on the lizard. "What do you mean about my little human girl, Randall?"
"I saw a child that looks like her in the warehouse where this gang was. The Nomads have a lot of captive human kids. I didn't know if it was her or not." Randall said. "I promise, I want to get some help to take them down. Sullivan, I'm not the same monster I was the last time you saw me. Yes, maybe you had every right to throw me through that door. It led me to finding my true path. One that led me to finding some special friends that changed my life for the better." He explained.
Sulley could see a change in Randall's demeanor as he talked. And he wasn't squinting like he used to. His words seemed sincere.
"I know Waternoose is loose and he has to be stopped." Sulley said.
"I know how, but I need my friends for help. They know all about taking bad guys down." Randall said.
"If they are from the human world, it would be too risky to bring them here." Sulley said. "We have to get the CDA. They are now known as the Crime Detection Agency, instead of Child Detection Agency."
"I saw my Wanted sign, and what I was wanted for. I can't let them see me, Sullivan. Not yet anyway. I swear, after all the punishments I suffered in the human world, I learned my lesson. You see these scars on me?" Randall pointed to some of the ones he had gotten in the other world. He even showed the ones on his back, where the Shredder had sliced him.
Sulley saw the nasty scars on Randall's back and elsewhere too.
"I got all these scars from fighting alongside my new friends, who helped me to become a way better monster than I used to be. I know more about justice, honor, and compassion now." Randall explained.
Sulley was hearing things in Randall's voice that he had never heard before.
"I also just recently recovered from injuries that I thought I would die from, a pierced lung being one of them." Randall pointed out the scar on his right side. "I had far more injuries than my friend, Mike."
"Mike? You have a friend named Mike?" Sulley asked.
"Michelangelo is the long name. And, there's Donatello, Leonardo, Raphael, and their sensei, Master Splinter." Randall said. "Their human friends, April and Casey. They became my family out there. They taught me the things I know now. But anyway, I came back here to just see how life had gone on without me here. I wasn't intending to get this deep into it. I'm sure they're wondering when I'm coming back. I need to get back to New York. Any door there could get me there. Please, Sullivan."
Sulley knew that Randall couldn't be making all this up. "Alright, Randall. I'll help you, but you still have to face up to what you did."
Randall nodded. "I will, after this is over and Waternoose is no longer a threat. I have a feeling he'll come after you, Wazowski, and the company."
"We have been keeping on the alert for him." Sulley said, and then he knew they would have to go to Roz's office to get the papers.
Randall vanished as they left Sulley's office and went down to see Roz. Some other monsters had followed because they had been concerned, but they went back to their own business when it seemed things had calmed down.
"So, what's going on, Mr. Sullivan?" A female monster asked.
"Going to Roz's office for some paperwork." Sulley answered. "This is our business only."
The female monster went about her business right after she was sure things were fine.
Soon, they were all down by the office. Sulley went over to talk to Roz. "Hello, Roz, I need some files for doors that go to New York City."
"For what reasons, Mr. Sullivan?" Roz asked in her customary grumpy grandmother voice.
Sulley had to think quick. "To see what doors have gone bad lately, and might need improvement."
Roz was still skeptical. "Very well. I'll get you some of those door papers. Wait here."
Sulley sighed. "Very sneaky." Randall said in a low voice to the right.
Sulley didn't say a word to him.
Roz retrieved four files for him. Their check-out cards were in the files too. Sulley stamped the cards while Roz got the files ready. Sulley gladly took them when she offered them to him. They went back to the office and took a look at them.
Randall looked at the information. He saw that one door seemed close to April's place. "I'll take that one. It'll do fine to get me there and back." he said.
"Alright, but we have to do this sneaky-like. Fungus will stay and monitor the door station." Sulley said. He took the file with him to where they were going to sneak the door down.
They went to a hidden area in the factory that had been closed down for a long time, but still worked. Sulley slid the card key and it sent for the door, a blue one.
The door came through and now that they were alone, Randall reappeared. He was anxious to get back.
"It might take awhile for me to get back. Why not have Fungus talk to the authorities and get back to that hideout? I'm sure my friends will want to come here anyway. I know Donatello does."
"Wait. You told them about us?" Sulley demanded.
"A little. They won't betray your world to anyone. They have to hide themselves as it is. They know what we have to go through, because they are often thought of as monsters themselves, but they aren't." Randall replied.
"How do you know we can trust them?"
"They are mutant turtles, Sullivan. Not humans. They are hated by lots of humans anyway, like we are. But I know they can help take Waternoose down."
"I will do what I can, Randall." Fungus said. "I'll keep the door active."
Randall nodded. "I have to go now. I'll be back with the help we need." He promised. He took a deep breath and opened the door, going through and closing it behind him.
There was a sleeping little boy in the room, but Randall paid him no mind. He went over to the child's window and pried it open. He shut it again after he went through. It was unlocked and that was a good thing. It was a way back to the monster world. He went to April's shop, which was only a few blocks away.
…
Sulley and Fungus were surprised that they were in this position. After all Randall had done in the past, and even being exiled, he was willing to help them take the enemy down. He definitely wasn't the same lizard they had known before.
They went back to Roz and told her that there was a good reason that the CDA needed to be on alert now more than ever - that Waternoose was a real threat and Fungus knew where to find him. Roz summoned the CDA immediately.
The CDA listened to what Fungus and Sulley had to say. Sulley revealed that Randall was back again, and that he was getting them the help they needed to stop Waternoose.
"You could be charged with treason for helping the fugitive, Mr. Sullivan." A CDA agent warned.
"Randall doesn't sound like an enemy anymore. He said he's trying to help us." Sulley said. "Believe me, I was ready to turn him over, and he said he's willing to face his crimes when this is over."
"Good." The CDA agent said.
Fungus led the CDA to the warehouse where it had all happened. "This was where the Nomads Gang and Mr. Waternoose were staying." he said.
The CDA went to investigate the warehouse. When they went inside, they found nothing in it. They must have moved out.
"We found nothing in there, Mr. Fungus. Are you sure this is the place?" An agent asked.
"Yes. I'm sure. I was held here for weeks." Fungus said. "They threatened to kill me! Randall saved me from them."
None of the agents had known Randall to be a courageous monster. Now, Sullivan was a monster. He knew to do that stuff, to risk his life for another. The CDA suspected that Randall was playing them for fools, so that he could get back to the human world and not face his crimes.
There were wires and some leftover cages strewn around, but all the children were gone. The machine had to been moved with absolute precision and careful management. The gang must have known that Randall and Fungus would go back to the factory for help.
But the big question is, where had Waternoose and his gang gone to?
The CDA had to let this go for now. There was no way they were going to find them like this.
Fungus and Sulley went back to the factory to do their jobs for the day. Well, Sulley went back to do his job as CEO and Fungus went home for a brief time to get himself cleaned up and fed. Then he would head back to the door station.
….
Randall made it back to April's shop, and he was glad to be back. He was lucky he hadn't been arrested this time around. He went into the shop and revealed himself to her upstairs.
"Randall! You're back! Mikey's been worried about you." April came over and hugged him. "Of course, they all are."
"I figured. I came back, but I can't stay for long, April. I need the turtles' help. There's something going on in the monster world, and I need them, now!" Randall said urgently.
"Alright. Let me call them."
"It's better if they come here. There's a door waiting for us," Randall explained.
April called the turtles. At the lair, the guys were getting ready to go on patrol when Leo's phone rang. He was just polishing a katana when he picked up. "Hello?"
"Leo, it's April. Randall's back. He's here and he needs you and your brothers to come instantly. Something's wrong." April said.
"What?" Leo asked.
"I don't know. You'll have to get here first." She said.
"We're on our way, April. Thanks." Leo said and hung up.
Leo summoned his brothers. "Guys! April said that there's trouble going on with Randall. He's back and he needs us."
Mikey was thrilled to finally get an update.
"Then what are we waitin' for?" Raph demanded.
"Let's go." Don said. He made sure to pack his duffel bag with supplies, even explosives should they be needed.
The four turtle brothers ran through the sewers to get there fast. They were antsy for an adventure, but more so to help their friend.
They soon arrived at April's house, and there was a little reunion, but not a long one. Randall got down to business right away.
"Guys, I wish this reunion was under better circumstances, but I need your help right now. I found out my ex-boss was sent to jail, and I know he's going to try something evil. He has escaped from jail, and he has to be stopped. He and a gang of other monsters stole my old machine that I made and wanted me and my former assistant, Fungus to finish it so that they could steal kids' screams again. Now they might be coming after the factory. Please, I have a door standing by for us to go back through, and you guys would have to stay in the shadows and all, like you do here. Just until things are cleared up." Randall explained in a hurry.
"I'd be glad to help, and to see your world." Don said.
"We'll be glad to help in any way we can, Randall." Leo agreed.
"I've been dyin' for an adventure." Raph smiled.
"What are friends for?" Mikey added.
"Thanks. Let's go." Randall said. He was glad he could count on them.
"Be careful." April warned.
"We will, April. We'll be back as soon as possible." Leo promised. The four turtles and the lizard then left and went the few blocks to the house that Randall had remembered. They snuck in through the window, and as promised, they got into the monster world through the closet.
The turtles were amazed at the size of this large room.
Fungus was standing in the room, watching the door. He was more than shocked to see that Randall was telling the truth. He had some new friends here to help. They seemed to be reptilian too, but unlike any he had seen before.
Randall saw the look on Fungus's face. "It's alright, Fungus. They're the friends I told you about."
The turtles turned at his words and looked down. There was a smaller monster in the same room. Deep pink, three eyes, wore glasses, wore a hard hat, had two arms with four fingers, and three toed feet.
"So you must be Fungus?" Leo asked gently.
"Yes… yes… I am." Fungus replied nervously.
"Randall has told us about you and some of the things you guys do here in this world, but don't worry, your secret's safe with us." Leo said to Fungus. "It is nice to finally meet you."
"So… who… who are you?" Fungus was still nervous.
"My brothers and I are called the Ninja Turtles. I'm Leonardo." Leo introduced himself.
Don waved. "I'm Donatello."
"Michelangelo." Mikey said with a smile.
Raph had more of a serious look. "Raphael."
"So, Randall told us about the problem." Leo said. "We're here to help."
"What happened at the hideout with the gang and Waternoose, Fungus?" Randall asked.
"I led them there, but the machine had been moved. It's gone, and so are the kids. The CDA thought I might have been pulling something and they are now after you. They want you to face your crimes." Fungus explained.
The turtles looked at Randall. They knew he had caused trouble, and this was confirming it more. But he had already done his time of punishment with the turtles.
"I said I would face it when this is over." Randall said, looking at the turtles.
"What would happen to him?" Mikey asked.
"There would be a hearing, a trial, there would be witnesses talking about what happened and what they saw. Randall would get a chance to tell his side, and then it would be decided whether he gets banishment, or he could be sent to jail. Or, they could even let him go as innocent, depending on how he tells his story." Fungus explained.
"That's how it's done in our world too." Don said. "Or at least it is for human criminals. Creatures like us would probably just be thought of as evil, and turned over to the government for study, if we weren't simply killed on sight."
It gave Fungus the chills to think about it.
"Well, that's enough of that talk. Is it time for action yet?" Raph demanded.
"We don't know yet, Raph." Randall said. "We need a place to put these guys until the time is right. What do we do, Fungus?"
"Mr. Sullivan might have an idea. You wait here. I'll get him. The factory is about to close for the day anyway." Fungus said. Then he scrambled out of the room.
"Is this Sullivan is really as mean as you say?" Leo asked.
"Many think of him as a hero. I was the one who wasn't liked much. At the time, I had learned not to care about it, but when I was scaring, I wanted to be recognized for my work. That I was doing something right." Randall explained.
"That's how we have felt before too, Randall." Don said.
Sulley was on Laugh Floor F right now, telling Mike the situation. Mike was doubtful of anything if Randall was involved. He would only be trying to scheme again, and involving Fungus would only lead to trouble.
Just then, Fungus ran onto the floor, slipping into some cans. Other monsters saw him. Sulley went over to help him.
"Are you alright, Fungus?" Sulley asked.
Fungus was breathing hard from the running, but replied, "Yes. Sir, Randall is back. He needs you."
Some other monsters had heard him. A lot of them had never wanted to see that cranky lizard around the factory again.
"Let's go." Sulley said. "There's a situation with the CDA." He ordered the other monsters to stay where they were.
"I'm not missing this action." Mike said. "Besides, I have a few words for Lizard Boy!"
The three of them left the Laugh Floor and went to the secret room.
"Randall did return with the friends he told us about." Fungus said on the way.
"What friends? Lizard Boy hasn't got any friends." Mike remarked sarcastically.
Sulley was really annoyed by Mike's attitude. "Randall said he was going to bring some additional help to help us catch Waternoose and the gang he's now associated with." Sulley said. "He didn't say anything about them, other than that they weren't human."
Mike would like to see this, to see something that the lizard wasn't trying to lie about. He still remembered being captured by Randall and almost harmed. Sure, they had been friends and roommates back in college, but at their old job, they had managed to become enemies. Mike was always rubbing taunts in Randall's face. Randall used to make fun of Mike and pick on him. He wanted to have some harsh words with him again now.
They soon arrived at the room. Sulley and Mike were definitely not expecting to see what they saw. Four humanoid giant, green creatures standing with Randall. They all turned to look at them. They had shells on their backs, and all wore different colored masks. They also carried weapons.
The turtles were a bit surprised to finally meet the rivals Randall had told them about. The one-eyed cyclops monster and the big, blue and purple furry one.
It was hard to break the stalemate. Everyone was shocked at seeing the other, with the exception of Randall and Fungus. Randall decided to talk first.
"Sullivan, Wazowski, these are my friends that I told you about. These are the Ninja Turtles. Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Raphael." Randall introduced his friends, giving hand gestures at each one as they were named off.
Sulley knew not to be rude to new guests. "Uh, nice to meet you, guys. I'm James P. Sullivan, but you can call me Sulley." He waved. "This is my best friend, Mike Wazowski."
Mike was still shocked.
To the turtles, these guys didn't seem like bad guys.
"We're glad to be here, Mr. Sullivan. We would like to help in any way we can. We know what it's like to have enemies threatening our world and our lives." Leo said.
Mike finally pulled out of his shock. "So, uh, how do you think you can help us?"
Don spoke next. "We need to get a look at things first, so that we can see what we have to work with, and who we are fighting."
"Donny here is great with technology." Mikey said.
"The factory is about to close, but we can go over everything in my office." Sulley said. "We need to wait for at least an extra half hour to make sure the other monsters are gone first."
Soon, they all heard a bell ring. "I need to go tell Celia that I'll be late getting home." Mike said, and he took off.
"Celia?" Raph asked.
"His wife." Sulley said.
"Figures Wazowski would tie the knot after I was gone." Randall said sarcastically.
"So, what has happened so far that makes this so dangerous?" Leo asked. "I mean Randall gave us a rundown on what happened, but we just need to be clear so we know what we have to do."
Sulley went on to explain the basis of what happened before, and then Fungus took over once it got to the part of Waternoose's escape. Randall was hugging his arms to himself when the story was over. That was when Mike rejoined them.
"Celia understands I'm going to be late." Mike said.
The others all looked back at him in understanding. Hopefully, she would be out of danger.
"Are the others all gone, Mike?" Sulley asked.
"Yes. They are gone. It's safe to leave this area now." Mike replied.
"Good. This way, guys." Sulley began leading the way out of the room and through the hallways. There were sections of night shift work going on, but it was in a different area of the factory, so they were confident that they wouldn't be seen.
After his story had been told, Randall was now unsure of how his friends would see him. But he had told them what happened too, at least from his point of view. He hoped they still understood. He brought up the rear. At least Wazowski hadn't been there when it had been told. He knew that he would have lived to torture him even more in front of his friends.
When they got to the office, Sulley led the turtles inside. Mike stepped in front of Randall.
"Don't think for a second about double crossing us, Lizard Boy! Don't think I've forgotten what you did to us!" Mike glared at him angrily. "How can we be sure that you and your friends won't betray us?!"
"I know what I did before! And these guys helped me get my priorities straight. They can be trusted when humans can't be, think of it like that. And they aren't human. I've been through some tough times with them when I told them what I had done, and many more times after that with their own enemies, even an evil alien." Then Randall showed him the scars on his back. "You see these marks? That alien did this to me." He exclaimed.
Mike could see the scars alright. They looked nasty.
"You can trust the turtles more than you could any human, Wazowski. With the exception of a couple of human friends of theirs. This time, I'm going to do the right thing. I'm not going to let Waternoose destroy the factory, or the kids he wants to use. And he used to threaten me more than you would ever know. I have some revenge to dish out on him." Randall growled. "I regret ever making that machine now. I'm going to destroy it!"
The others were listening too. Mike and Randall had to get this settled now before there could be anymore proceedings.
"First, we have to find them, Randall." Leo said. "That may not be so easy."
"If only Splinter would have come too." Randall said.
"He was wanting to have some time alone anyway." Don said. "He figures we can handle things. He trusts us."
"Who's Splinter?" Fungus asked.
"Our father and teacher." Leo said. "He's a mutant rat instead of a turtle."
"Oh." Fungus said.
Sulley began showing the turtles who Waternoose was and who the Nomad Gang was, according to Fungus and Randall's descriptions of their story. Randall showed them what the Scream Extractor looked like.
"Are you sure you could take on this tough gang?" Sulley asked. "They are much taller that you are."
"We've taken on giant monsters before, Sullivan." Raph said. "I'm ready for some butt kickin' action."
"We take on gang fights all the time at home." Don said. "So, we have a feeling we know what we're up against."
Fungus later started talking to Don about math calculations and the others were surprised at how well they clicked. But then, Randall wasn't too surprised. He had a feeling they would. So at least Don had made a new friend.
Leo started talking battle strategies with Sulley, discussing how they could take Waternoose and the gang down and for Don and Randall to destroy the machine, even the hideout if necessary.
As Sulley talked about what they could do, and what he did for this company now, Leo could see he wasn't evil, and he was a good leader for this company.
Michelangelo was curious about the little green dude. He went over and started talking to him. Randall noticed this.
"So uh, what is it that you do here, Mike?" Mikey asked.
"I'm a comedian. I'm the top Laugher here." Mike said. "You really trust Randall?"
"Randall has been my best friend, in fact. He's recently recovered from some injuries that nearly killed him when he took a blast from a helicopter. He saved my life by doing that. We were grateful to him. He's helped us a multitude of times when we've been in trouble. So we are now helping him." Mikey explained.
"Randall was once my best friend too, way back in our college days. He was a good study partner. We hung out and went to football games too. We studied scaring together. And then, he joined another fraternity. I later learned I wasn't as scary as I thought I was, or wanted to be. Everyone was right about me. But, Randall did try to help me out before he changed." Mike explained. "He was very shy when we first met, and I had to give him confidence."
Mikey had never seen Randall like that. This guy didn't seem so bad. Eventually, they started talking about jokes and pranks. Mikey even talked about how Randall helped to pull pranks on his brothers.
Randall was looking around, and he could see that the turtles were becoming more comfortable with the monsters they had just met. There were some things they were sharing in common with them. Raph soon moved over by him.
"It never hurts to make new friends, since we usually have such a hard time making friends in our world." Raph said.
"I know. Especially when you're seen as the hothead, the outcast." Randall replied. His arms were crossed. He was at a loss of what to do for the moment. He just hoped this wouldn't take too long.
They all talked for a few hours. It was well after nine when they decided that it would be a good idea to leave the factory for some basic needs.