Over the next week, Randall relied on Mikey to bring him his food during the day and he also woke Mikey up for training in the mornings when the clock went off and he didn't hear it.
His family was noticing something different about Mikey, and there was something different about the lair. Leo and Splinter sensed there was something else here, but what? They would look around and find nothing.
They weren't hurt or anything, but in the morning, they would notice some food items were missing. They thought it was because Mikey might be having midnight munchies. Mikey always got that blame. Mike said he didn't do it.
Randall had been taking some things from the fridge at night. It was part of his plan to get the family to notice something was different in here. But he wasn't doing anything to plan to hurt them.
After more than a week, Don was up working late on something for the security system for the lair. He decided to take a break. His family had let him work tonight.
He went toward the kitchen to get something to drink and just as he stepped into the entrance, there was a giant lizard standing at the fridge with the door open.
"Hey!" Don said.
Randall gasped and he instantly vanished.
"Who are you?" Don asked, but he heard nothing.
"Are you still here?"
Randall had made it out of the room and back to Mikey's.
Don was nervous and he took out his bo. "If you are dangerous, we can be too." But he sensed the room was empty. What he had seen made him nervous, if that creature was what was raiding their food. How did it ever get past their security?
Don instantly got everyone up. He wouldn't wake everyone up unless it was an emergency.
Mikey yawned. "What's going on, Don? A turtle needs his beauty sleep."
"Guys. As you have been sensing something secretive going on in here and out there, I have to say that I saw a strange lizard in the kitchen a bit ago. It's never been detected by my security."
"Could it have been sent by the Foot?" Raph asked. He was on alert about it if it was.
"I hope not. Then we are in trouble." Don said. He swallowed that this creature wasn't one of their creations. He had vanished just as fast a Foot Tech ninja could.
"We must find this lizard and know what it wants." Splinter said. "Keep on the lookout for it, my sons."
Mikey knew exactly who he was talking about. But he swore he would watch out. He went back to his room and talked to Randall.
"They know about you now. But Donny is the only one whose seen you." Mikey said.
"I know. I'm making myself be known slowly. But I'll be willing to meet them soon." Randall said.
Randall continued to leave little clues. He was just doing playful little pranks.
Taking their weapons and placing them in unusual places. Still taking food out and eating it. The turtles didn't like it too well, but Mikey was impressed by it. Those were things he did, but to his brothers, not his father.
Randall had managed to take Splinter's favorite tea to the bathroom. Raph had found it there. Splinter had been ticked. Now this lizard was taking his things too.
It was amazing how it was never seen. All the family was paranoid now except Mikey. He was often giggling with Randall in his room behind their backs. Mikey wasn't organizing it, but he was impressed with Randall's pranks.
"This has been fun, Randall, but maybe it's time you were really introduced to them." Mikey said. "I hate being blamed for things I didn't do."
"Yeah. I just wanted them to sense my presence before I showed myself to them."
…
After dinner the following night, Mikey approached his family, who were watching the news for anything of an escaped lizard on the loose. Don had even asked April if she could find anything.
"Guys." Mikey spoke up. "I have something to say."
"We're trying to find out if there's a lizard that escaped from somewhere." Leo said.
"You won't find him on the news, guys." Mikey said.
The others turned to him. "Do you know something of this lizard, Michelangelo?" Splinter asked.
"Yes, I do."
"No wonder you've been acting so weird lately." Raph said. "You think these incidents are funny."
"Because they aren't happening to me, but no. And I'm not doing them. Guys, I have something to tell you. I met the lizard and brought him here. He saved me one night from the Foot clan and Hun was about to clobber me. He stopped him." Mikey explained.
"So where is he then?" Raph demanded.
"Right here." Randall said as he appeared before them.
Their eyes all widened. He was standing right behind Mikey.
"The pranks were all my doing and it was never meant to cause harm, just to let you be aware of me being here." Randall said.
"Who are you?" Leo demanded firmly.
"Randall. Randall Boggs." Randall introduced himself.
They all noticed that Randall had more arms and legs than a typical lizard. And he stood upright. Plus he talked. And although there were chameleons that could blend, they couldn't go completely invisible.
"Where are you from?" Don asked.
"Louisiana last time I checked, but where else is my business only."
"You weren't made by the Foot to track us down, were you?" Raph demanded.
"No. I've never associated with humans. I hate them."
"We have human friends. You hurt them and you will have trouble." Raph growled.
"I talked to him about our friends, guys. April and Casey haven't been down here for awhile, but they come down sometimes. He'd be willing to meet them, but he just meant that he had bad experiences with them down in the Louisiana swamps." Mike said.
"Yeah, like being hit in the head with a shovel. I've also been shot at and chased off. I just don't trust them." Randall said.
"It's easy to understand that. We've have had our share of not being understood by humans too. That is why we remain down here, for our safety. We can't have anything compromise that. Do you understand, Mr. Boggs?" Splinter stated.
"Yes, uh, Splinter is it?"
"Yes."
"I promise I won't do anything that would be dangerous to bring humans to the lair. I avoid them."
Splinter saw the lizard was sincere, but there was something about him that he sensed was off. He hoped this lizard wasn't dangerous.
"So what are you?" Don asked.
"A lizard monster."
"Are there more of your kind?"
"No, not here."
Don began to ask more questions. Randall tried to answer them, but if anything were to betray his world to them, he just wouldn't answer or say he didn't know. He knew they weren't yet ready for the truth behind of why he was really here in the first place.
Given that the answers he gave the family were satisfactory enough for now, Mikey then offered Randall a full meal as part of the family. Randall accepted.
Mike and Randall walked off to the kitchen.
"What do you think of him, Father?" Leo asked.
"There just seems to be something about him that is off. Just watch him carefully, my sons." Splinter said. "Even if he is not with the Foot, he could have been a trouble maker elsewhere too."
"We will." Leo said. "Even I don't completely trust him."
"He betta' not take my blades again or he will get it." Raph said.
"I think he understands now, Raph." Don said.
"Whatever." Raph then went to go lift weights.
Don went back to his lab and Leo went to meditate with his father before bed. They weren't going to go on patrol tonight to welcome their new guest.
Mikey cooked up some salmon and hamburger for Randall. "I'm not much of a vegetable eater." Randall said.
Randall happily ate the food given to him. Mikey was a good cook. He was going to have a good weight on him in no time if he kept eating like this. But he didn't want to be fat either.
After his dinner, Mikey went to watch TV. Randall got on the couch next to him. He curled his tail on his right side. His front legs dangled off the front of the couch.
Mikey noticed how Randall sat on the couch. It was unique.
Randall leaned on the armrest part. He began to relax his body. He hadn't watched TV in a long time. Just to finally really relax was something. Human TV was something new to him.
Mikey flipped the channels until they were watching an action movie. It even involved a hero like the Silver Sentry. "I love this movie." Mikey said.
"You would."
"What? This isn't good?"
"This is just new to me. I haven't watched TV in ages." Randall replied.
"You can learn a lot from TV too, not just in a classroom. Splinter schooled us, along with Don."
"I bet he learned the quickest?"
"When it came to anything science, yes. Leo's the best at learning katas in ninja training. He'll practice a new one until he practically knows it in his sleep."
"And Raphael?"
"He just fights. He's the hothead." Mikey just said of how he saw his brother fight, which was really more of act and react.
Randall could make out and hear Raph beating the stuffing out of the punching bag. At least before he would lift weights.
They watched some more TV, but the more relaxed Randall got, the more he began to drift to sleep. He let his body slide down to where he was really comfortable. Mikey didn't seem to mind as the tail was resting next to him. Soon, he too fell asleep.
Randall watched a little more and then he fell asleep. His head was on the armrest as a pillow.
Leo and Raph came away from their before bed activities and saw the TV blazing away. They saw Mikey on the couch. They went over the check on him.
"Yo, Mikey, time for bed." Raph said softly.
"Shh! I think he's already asleep." Leo said.
They saw Mike was asleep, and next to him was Randall. The lizard did look relaxed while asleep.
"Let them sleep." Leo said. Then he went and got a blanket and put it on them both. Then he and Raph went to their own rooms. Leo also reminded Don to go to bed soon. Raph had turned off the TV.
Don had to finish a project before bed. It was critical.
It was 3 in the morning when he finally finished. Don yawned and knew he couldn't fight sleep any longer. He left the lab for his room, but he decided to check on Mikey first. He knew he had been watching TV earlier.
Mikey was now sleeping on Randall's back. He had the blanket over him too. Randall looked like he was deeply asleep too. He was on his stomach with his head still on the armrest. His fronds were just about flat against his head.
Don couldn't help but smile. This was a cute scene. He couldn't help but sneak and get the camera. He took a picture of that. Then he went to his room.
In the morning at 7 a.m., Klunk was hungry for his breakfast. He knew that Mikey was the one that fed him. He had seen his turtle master on the couch earlier and decided to check to see if he was still there. He was.
Klunk jumped on the couch and ended up jumping right on the Randall's shoulders, putting his claws in.
Randall hadn't expected to be woken up like that, with weight on his shoulders and a big hissing and growling cat that jumped off of him. He cried out in surprise. His sudden movement also woke Mikey up too.
"Whoa, Randall, where's the fire?" Mikey asked.
Randall panted a moment. He saw Mikey was right behind him. "The cat woke me up. And were you sleeping on me?"
"I guess I was. I move in my sleep sometimes."
Randall still felt where the turtle had been on his back.
"Guess I should go feed Klunk. That might be why he woke ya up." Mikey got up. "Sorry Klunk. Randall didn't mean to scare ya, but you scared him." Mikey said as he went to the kitchen to feed his cat.
Randall still wasn't crazy for the cat. He checked for wounds. Klunk had sunk his claws in a little bit before he had jumped off of him. Small minor wounds. He would be fine. He also checked himself over for anything else and his body felt fine.
He got off the couch and went to the bathroom. Then he went to the kitchen to see Mikey starting breakfast a little early. More pancakes, eggs and sausage and toast were going to be served. A big breakfast.
"You spoil your family with food." Randall said.
"It's the best way they let me usually. Leo and Don can't really cook. You can't even trust Leo with a toaster. Don gets tired of fixing it all the time."
"How could you not know how to use a toaster? It's easy to use."
"I know, right."
Randall got himself some bread. Then he put it in the toaster. "Just like that."
Mikey saw that Randall could seem to be trustworthy in the kitchen. Randall joined him in making the food. Something he wanted to relearn. He had used to bake before a long time ago.
The family all joined them when the food was smelling good and done.
"Morning everyone, Randall and I made breakfast this morning." Mikey greeted.
They were all surprised to hear that. Randall came in carrying the sausages and toast.
"I used to bake and cook all the time when I was younger." He said. "Mike helped me relearn some old skills."
At least on Randall, he could carry twice the amount of food on plates with his two pairs of arms.
The others were yet to be impressed by Randall's cooking. The family trusted Mikey's cooking though.
Klunk had also been fed and he went to a safe distance from the lizard.
When all the food was on the table, they all sat down to a nice breakfast, Mike taking the most of the pancakes. Randall took more sausages. But everyone got some of the food. All in all, it was a good breakfast.
In the end, they all did thank Randall and Mikey for making the breakfast.
Randall still reflected back on one time in college when he had made cupcakes and they had been ruined when someone had crashed into him right in front of some girls he was offering them to. He had just wanted a friend.
He was seeing that these guys seemed impressed with his cooking, besides Mikey helping him. "Thanks for saying you liked it. I haven't cooked for anyone other than myself for so long."
"Don't you have anyone else to care about you?" Splinter asked.
"No. No parents. No siblings. No relatives that I know of, as I was raised in orphanages and foster homes all during my childhood. Barely any friends."
Splinter, Raph, and Leo were the most still weary about Randall. Don was still watching carefully too, though Mikey had seemed to be totally relaxed around him. But it was sad to hear that story.
"Where are you really from? You tell that like how humans sometimes raise unwanted kids." Leo spoke up.
"The bare minimum of me telling you where I'm from is this. Let's just say another world. Different from this one, but similar in habits." Randall said.
"Why are you here? Why don't you go back to it?" Raph said.
"I can't. They don't want me there. And I've grown to not wanting to go back anyway. I have nothing there to go back to." Randall did know that if he did go back, he would only want revenge and that might land him in jail or worse. He had wanted to go back, until he met these guys. He at least wanted to stay for a little while to see how it worked out before deciding anything else.
"Okay. That is enough. Take a little time to relax before training so the food can digest a little first and then we are going to have training. Randall, you are free to watch." Splinter said.
"Thanks."
It was an hour before training started and Randall did watch not far from behind Splinter as the turtles trained.
After the turtles did their own katas and sparring, Splinter wanted to evaluate Randall. "You seem in such fine shape that you took care of yourself so well in so long. Michelangelo said you fought off Hun, the Purple Dragon leader the night you met him? So you must be able to fight?"
"Yes. I can fight. But I'm just not a big heavy weight fighter. I have my own way of fighting."
Randall then stood up on his very hind legs, doubling his height. He made some moves that were like a martial artist's.
Splinter could see he was in fine shape and must know some skills. He wanted to see them. "I want to see what you know, Randall. In fluid movements."
The turtles were all watching too, as they wanted to know what Randall was capable of. They knew their sensei might consider him for training too eventually. April had been.
Randall showed what he could do with his movements. It even meant climbing walls. He even vanished and stole the stick out of Splinter's hands. It really surprised the rat.
They had one very resourceful friend here. Randall gave the stick back. "Sorry, but you wanted to see what I could do."
"Thank you, and yes." Splinter said. "That would come in handy for you. Vanishing."
"I can do more than that. I can make my skin blend with just about any surroundings."
"From what I've seen you do, those are like things in common with Earth lizards like chameleons and geckos. Blending and climbing walls." Don said.
"It took me a long time to learn how to control it. And there are times where it can happen that I can take on the look of someone else's colors."
Don found that informative. "Can we see?"
Randall gave a slight eye roll, but he changed into the color of the floor, then he moved over and the gold color of the pillar. Then he turned green, to a shade of green matching Mikey's.
It was impressive alright.
"We could always use backup out there." Don said.
"Could he come Leo?" Mikey asked.
"This is all impressive, Randall, really, but you should have some more training before we let you come out with us." Leo said.
"That's fine." Randall said. He was eager to learn new things. Things that would help him stay safer.
Some new moves began to be taught to him that morning. He even sparred a little with the turtles, even goofing off a little bit. It was being used with his invisibility.
Raph got ticked at him for tripping him and stealing a sai and climbing the wall with it.
"Give it back, Lizard!" Raph yelled.
Randall just laughed. "Come and get it!"
"Why you!" Raph put his shoku climbers on his hands and he began going after him.
"No, Raphael. Leave him be." Splinter said. "Randall, give it back please." He asked nicely.
Randall still giggled, but using his tail, he flung the sai to the floor.
Raph was growling when he got his sai back.
"You need to learn to lighten up, Raph. He was only playing." Mikey said.
It had even made Don and Leo laugh a bit.
Raph hated being embarrassed in front of others and losing fights.
"I haven't played like that seriously with anyone for a long time." Randall said, coming off the wall.
The others were all wondering if Mikey was being the influence on this guy. He definitely had his own special ways about him.
Splinter concluded training was now over. They were free to do what they wanted.
Mikey wanted to watch some TV again. Raph went to his punching bag, and Leo went with Splinter to meditate and talk. Don headed to his lab.
All during training, Donny had noticed that Randall was squinting a lot. Something must be wrong with his eyes.
Randall wanted to see the genius turtle's lab for himself. He was smart too. He told Mikey that he was going to talk to Don.
Mikey didn't like it when Randall said he wasn't going to hang with him. He liked having a special friend.
Randall went to the lab. He saw the purple masked turtle hunkered on a chair working on something metal.
"What are you working on?"
"Ah! Don't do that!" Don jumped. "My brothers do that to me all the time, especially Leo."
"Sorry." Randall came forward.
"Just be careful in here."
"I know better than to destroy someone's plans for special inventions. I've learned some engineering too."
"Really?"
"Yes."
"I could let you make your own special invention and then show me what it does before we show the others." Don said.
Randall knew he couldn't make anything like the Scream Extractor.
"Is there anything that seems to be of the utmost importance that you need help with?"
"I need a new piece for the Battle Shell."
"The what?"
"Battle Shell, our truck."
That day, Randall spent the day with Don. He showed him what he knew on fixing up a truck with the right parts. And Randall was having fun working with machines again.
After dinner was when he hung out with Mikey again.
Don had been impressed with Randall's knowledge of mechanical skills. He might trust him to help out at times when he needed it. Other than just along with April or Leatherhead. He fit right in with them.
Raph just ignored the lizard. Leo was still the ever watchful leader.
As for Don, he could see that Randall had put his face real close to everything. He must have some vision problems.
Before bed, Don approached Randall again. "Randall, I have to ask, do you have vision problems? I noticed how you squint and you were putting your face so close to see everything when you were helping me today."
Randall sighed. "Yes. I don't see well. I can see to where to not run into things, but I just don't see things long distance."
"You're near-sighted then."
"Yes. I just have been as far as I can remember."
"I know you have yet to meet April, but I could get her to get you a pair of glasses, or contacts. Or maybe I could read up and correct your vision. But I would have to examine your eyes."
Randall hated eye doctors. But this could be the chance of a lifetime, to get corrected vision. But could Don do it?
"Are you a doctor too?"
"I am the family's doctor. As you know, we don't have a human doctor, though April will help us out at times with injuries."
"I'll just stick to glasses if you can get them for me, but I can't wear them when I go invisible. They would give me away."
"That's why contacts would also come in handy too." Don said.
"Yeah, I suppose."
"Will you let me examine your eyesight tomorrow?"
"Alright."
Randall longed to see perfectly again. He would let him look at his eyes tomorrow.