April wasn't going to make Randall work on weekends, other than just any garbage. Throwing trash in the dumpster out back.
The family came over on Sunday to see how Randall was doing so far. Randall said he liked it here so far. But it had only been two days.
Randall was still interested in doing a few patrols a week, just not every night. Maybe just two nights a week would have been fine. But he would have to be down in the lair to start out with them, although they could come to him too. They would work it out.
…
By the end of next week, April paid Randall as she said she would do. She would only pay him in cash, as he wouldn't be able to cash it himself.
Randall counted it. He counted $100. Then he looked at her.
"It's a lot for low income, but it's better than nothing."
"Thanks, April." He said.
"You're welcome. But save it as much as possible." She said.
"I plan to." He said.
He was glad to get his first payment. In his world, he would have been paid a bit more, but he wasn't there anymore and he didn't have to find a real job anymore, so he accepted what he got. If he kept on saving it, he could have enough to pay even $200 in rent to April, but he had to wait until next month to start paying the rent he felt he should pay.
…
Over the course of the next few weeks, Randall did his best working in April's shop during the day, and making sure to not be seen. He mostly stayed in the back of the shop, where he wasn't noticed as much. If someone came into the shop, he instantly vanished. His hearing was really good, so even if it was no one other than April, he still vanished for good measure.
April saw that his vanishing reflex was strong. But she was proud of him that he was remaining secretive from the public.
She paid him weekly. His work ethic was high. If the job was more demanding than it was, she would have paid him higher wages, but the job was fairly slow and calm. So both April and Randall had times to just relax and talk between customers.
Even though Randall was living in April's apartment building, he and her were getting to know each other more, but only as friends and a business relationship. He was keeping his end of the deal in letting April have her private evenings with Casey when he came over and wasn't looking for a vigilante night.
Randall went over to the turtles' lair a few nights of the week to hang with Mikey and Don mostly. Especially on the evenings when Casey came over for romantic evenings.
Randall went out on patrols a couple of days a week. He was still just as good at scaring his enemies as ever. And he was still good at scaring. He swore the adults were more scared of him than the kids were.
It was now the month of early August. It was hot and humid outside. Hot for humans, but good night air for the reptiles.
Randall had started to organize his days carefully what he was going to do, after his work shifts with April.
Saturdays and Sundays were for hanging out at the lair for fun. One day for Mikey, one for Don. Mondays he also started going to Leatherhead's place too. He did want to get to know the big crocodile more. And LH was clearly fine with it.
Tuesdays and Thursdays were his patrol nights with all the turtles. Fridays he wanted for himself, and Wednesdays were for trying to hang out with Leo again. He was trying to gain the leader's trust again and Leo was trying to help him in his reforming. And some of it was for Splinter as well.
Randall didn't hang out much with Raph. But he would go on patrol with him sometimes on his patrol nights if they decided to split up. Randall had his own phone, but he had to rely on his invisibility at times to stay safe and he couldn't be carrying anything. If there was an emergency, he and whichever turtle he was with would rely on the turtle's phone.
That was the new schedule that Randall had come up for himself. He would always go to bed real tired each night. It definitely kept him busy instead of just sitting down in the basement alone.
Sometimes on the weekends, before Casey would come around, Master Splinter would make a trip over to April's to have their own little practice sessions in a back room. One time when Randall was on his way out, he did catch sight of what was going on.
He was still careful around the wise rat. He didn't want to betray his trust again.
Splinter had a small talk with Randall that even though he didn't live with him and his sons anymore, it would still be wise to keep up his ninja training he had started. He would be happy to help him out and have private sessions with him or he would work out with April.
Randall had his own ways of fighting enemies. He could only learn so many different kinds of ninja moves because his anatomy was way different than the humans or the turtles. Most of the ninja moves were more for two legged beings.
Randall agreed on private lessons along with April. He did need some sparring partner. And April was clear to not go easy on her just because she was a female. She was a determined woman and not a damsel in distress. Though there had been the rare occasion.
…..
The Foot Clan had seen the turtles were back in town and they were under orders to find out all they could about this lizard that had been seen with the turtles. A few at a time would edge near their enemies.
Leo began to have sixth senses about being watched. It made his brothers edgy too. If Leo told them to vanish, they all would find places to hide. It was easy for Randall, to just really vanish, but he stayed close by.
The humans actually saw the lizard's disappearing act. How did he do that? They would find out soon enough.
And with things that kept on happening why the turtles were so on edge had Randall asking why they even protected humans when he had seen how dangerous and stupid they were to pollute and hunt and kill everything that was different to them?
"We know they do those things, and that's why we just usually defend and fade away, the way of the ninja." Leo said. "But we also don't like to see others being bullied to others, and that's why we protect them when we do."
"Randall, you've come a good long way from what you did two years ago. And you've helped us when we needed it most. We know it's not always easy to understand why we protect humans when we know how dangerous they can be, but protecting the ones out there who need us also gives our lives meaning, in that we are doing something right, even if it means not always getting the gratitude we deserve. But then, it's just better to not be seen." Don added on.
Randall could understand the part on not being seen. The turtles, even Raphael at times, were showing him a better way of living and treating others than how say like what the RORs had taught him back in the day. And when he saw how Mikey loved being a super hero, this was the best way he got to do that too.
The turtles may not have gotten the gratitude they deserved for saving human lives from the humans, but at least they did do something useful with their lives and their time. It gave meaning to their lives and it made them feel proud of themselves for getting bad guys out of the way, even if it meant near sacrifices. It was about protecting those you care for, despite judgments.
…
Another enemy was back in town and he needed something to finalize on his army of super soldiers. He decided he needed Splinter.
Bishop knew Splinter was unique among the mutants because he was the only mammal mutant.
He set about orders to find the mutant family. They sent devices into the sewers and the devices traveled everywhere.
When the agents were sure that some had reached their destination, sound began to be heard. Sonic sounds.
On this Monday, Randall was down in Leatherhead's lair, working on a project with him and learning the chemistry of it. The sounds started and it hurt both their ears.
"What is that noise? Make it stop!" Leatherhead cried out.
"I don't know! But it's driving me crazy!" Randall added.
The sonic sounds were also driving the rats in the sewers crazy too.
In the lair, it was also affecting Master Splinter as well. It was hurting his ears more than it bothered the turtles.
"We have to get him out of here." Don said.
They got into the elevator and got in the Battle Shell to maybe head to April's place. But there was still no escape up top either. They saw it was affecting rats, but not humans.
A helicopter located the turtles' truck and tried to capture it. Raph was driving and he did some swerving, but eventually, some pieces got into their truck and they let out some gas grenades.
The gas was so powerful that the turtles couldn't breathe and Raph swerved right into an abandoned alley. It was near Leatherhead's home.
Don hit an emergency button on his phone before the turtles jumped out of the truck just to have some clean air. They were immediately unconscious.
Leatherhead began to hear a beeping sound and still holding his ears, he saw on his phone that there was an emergency up top. Despite the sonic sounds, he said to Randall, "There is trouble on the topside just above us. It's the turtles."
Randall nodded and they both went up top to find out what was wrong.
They managed to get topside and looked outside. There were black trucks parked all around the turtles' truck. LH had a plan.
"Stay here until I handle the men in black. I recognize them as Bishop's men. Then I'll need your help to make sure the turtles and Splinter are alright." LH said.
"Alright." Randall said.
Randall saw how mad Leatherhead got and he went out full attack on the humans. He knew he didn't want to be attacked by him. But he would fit in perfectly in the monster world if given the chance.
Randall did have his new contacts in and while he saw Leatherhead attacking the men in black, he saw some agents take Splinter out of the truck and they took him into one of theirs. He couldn't let that happen. He saw the turtles were unconscious and were of no help at the moment.
The lizard groaned and he ran as fast as he could to catch that truck that took off with Splinter.
"Subject has been apprehended, Agent Bishop."
"Good." Bishop said on the other line.
Splinter was now to be taken to a secret lab.
Randall caught up with the truck and jumped onto the side of it. He climbed up to the top of it. It was raining outside, but it didn't matter right now. Randall held on for dear life. He put one of his hands on an antenna on the roof just to help him stay on while keeping all the rest of his feet and hands hooked to the truck. And he knew being in the rain was a risk, but he wasn't letting these human monsters take off with his friends' sensei.
When Leatherhead was finished with the humans, he looked around for Randall. "Randall, where are you?" There was no answer.
Then he realized that he must have taken off after the truck that had Splinter. He hoped Randall wouldn't get caught by that nasty man.
Leatherhead carried two turtles down to his lair at a time. He could only wait for them to wake up and they would go and find Randall and Splinter.
Yes, the ending scene was from Bishop's Gambit, though I have turned it around. This is an AU, where the turtles didn't go to space and Honeycutt is not in this story.