Friendship
He'd never really considered the possibility of having neighbors. The idea of having friends was even more far-fetched. After all, he was a monster. Any humans he might happen to meet wasted no time in vacating his territory, a fact for which he was grateful. He wanted nothing to do with them, having been a… guest… of that insane government agent. Humans were dangerous, and he didn't need friends.
Everything had changed so quickly. Discovering there were other mutants, like him, living in the tunnels had been a bit of an unpleasant shock. How dare they invade his home, encroach upon his space? Soon, he came to like and respect the ninja brothers and their Master. Having a best friend was a novel experience for him, one he enjoyed immensely. He even agreed to meet their human friends, despite his reservations.
It wasn't until his friend was ill, beyond his power to restore, that he realized he'd been right all along. Having friends meant he was vulnerable. Having friends meant facing his worst nightmares, walking into the facility he'd only barely escaped, willingly. He discovered, through friendship, that love was stronger than fear, and that some risks were worth taking.
A/N: I think, since people seem to enjoy guessing at which character's pov each piece is in, I'll start leaving them here, but each one will be identified in the next chapter.
Moments was from Mike's pov. The challenge was to describe the first moments a sentient creature experiences upon awakening/gaining sentience for the first time.