Rockwell's Story
It started as a normal day at the lab. I walked through the door, put on my lab-coat, and greeted my partner and close friend Dr. Victor Falco. The only thing that I thought I had to dread was some rather dry paperwork, which I sat down at my desk to do. I suppose I should introduce myself, my name is…well, was, I suppose, Dr. Tyler Rockwell, a renowned neurochemist. I am…was… an average man. Oh, dear, I hardly can remember what I looked like. Well, let's see, I was a little under six feet tall, with brown hair, and a brown beard that I would always try to keep well trimmed, though sometimes I would get so involved in a project that I would forget to shave for quite a few days. My usually choice of appearance was a bowtie and lab-coat, and I would often keep my reading-glasses on top of my head. Though, for all of my formal wear, it was a peculiarity of myself that I did not like to wear dress-pants, and most of the time would wear a pair of blue-jeans, instead. This was the oufit that I had on when all of this started.
Like I said at the beginning, it all started as a normal day at the office, and I was at my desk doing paper work, when an odd man came in. He looked normal enough, but something seemed off about this chap. "Are you the one known as Doctor Tyler Rockwell?"
His broken English bothered me, but I responded, "Yes, I'm him. Who's looking for me?"
"Kraang is looking for Dr. Rockwell. Kraang has an offer and what is known as a favor to ask to Dr. Rockwell."
"Yes, what is it?" After I asked, he pulled out a canister of some sort of glowing… ooze, and replied.
"Kraang would ask of Dr. Rockwell to experiment with this mutagen. Kraang could make it, what is known as, worth your while." Mutagen! How could any human have such technology? We don't nearly understand DNA enough for that sort of technology. Something seemed awful fishy about this man.
"I'm sorry," I told Kraang, "But I have a lot of work I'm doing at the moment. Perhaps another time." If not for his lack of change in expression, I would've assumed that Kraang had become annoyed with me, if not threatening.
"Kraang strongly suggests that the one known as Rockwell reconsiders the offer of Kraang."
"No, no I'm fine. Now please go, I have lots of paperwork to do. Good day." When I peeked out of my office to see if he had left, I noticed him talking with my partner, Falco. At the time, I was concerned about Falco consorting with a suspicious man like that, and hoped that Falco would ignore his offer as I did. If I had know what Falco was capable of, I would've hoped harder, and perhaps of tried to stop him. But, there's nothing to be done about the past. I did what I did, and what happened, happened.
When we left for home that day, I noticed that Falco seemed distracted, and shifty eyed, as though he were anxious about something. "That man that came by the lab today was certainly strange, wasn't he Victor?" Falco startled, and then replied, "Hmm, yes. Strange, indeed." The next day, in fact for quite a few days after that, everything went normally, and I slowly forgot about my strange meeting with Kraang. Victor was more secluded than usual, but, since he had been like this before on other projects, I paid him no mind. Then one day, as I was about to leave the lab and head home, Victor walked up to me and said, "Oh, Tyler, could you help me with a little…experiment that I've been working on?" I had already taken off my labcoat, but had no reason not to help who I thought was my friend and associate. "Alright, Victor, what do you need help with?" As I walked towards him, I was taken by surprise when he grabbed me, and strapped me into something that looked like the chair at the dentist's office. "Victor! What are you doing to me?!"
"I told you, I need your help. I need a test-monkey. And you're the perfect test subject!" I screamed and struggle while he injected me with the same glowing mutagen that Kraang had had before. Then, pain. Horrible pain, that I don't think that I shall ever forget. As I screamed, my screams got higher, and more feral. "Falco!" I tried to scream, but all that came out were shrieks.
Then I heard Falco say, "Now to sedate him." I struggled as much as I could but Falco had tied me tight. Then, Falco injected me with a sedative, and I lost consciousness.
When I awoke, I found that I had been put in a far too small cage. I could not move. "Falco! Falco, you monster!" I wanted to say, but once again all that came out were shrieks and other feral noises. That was when I began to realize what had happened to me. I looked around my small cage, and was shocked to see a lot of brown fur in the place of the slightly pale skin that I had expected to see. My shirt was ripped to shreds, and my shoes were split. As my eyes adjusted to the dark, I saw that my feet had changed to look more like hands. The feet of an ape. It was then that I came to a full realization as to what had happened to me. I cannot describe to you, what it is like to lose one's humanity. Your eyes are different, your limbs are different, everything on your body that you knew so well is no longer the way it should be. It is a very shocking and disturbing occurrence. Victor had said that he needed a test monkey, and now he had found one. When Falco entered the lab, I was overcome by a rage that I had not known I possessed. I yelled and screamed at him, and shook the bars of my cage like a common zoo animal. And, though I was beginning to realize that it was futile, I threw words at him. "Falco! You inhuman, evil monster! You two-faced liar!" And other sorts of insults. As I began to calm down, I heard Falco's voice say So, he can't talk. That's a plus. But, though I heard his words, his mouth didn't move. "So, Rockwell, how do you like your new home? A bit, cozy, I'd imagine." As if he can answer me, now to get down to the real testing. I was thoroughly dumbfounded, for, even though I distinctly heard that last statement, Falco's lips did not form it.
"Now, to make sure that you don't escape while I'm doing my testing." With that, he shot me with another sedative. This time when I awoke, I was once again in the dentist chair. Hmmm. Fascinating. It seems that my altered mutagen may have worked to perfection. Short-range psychic abilities are that much closer to being mine. Better run a few more tests, just to be sure.
"Psychic abilities! Have you gone mad, Falco?!" I tried to yell, with the same results as before. "Ah, so you're awake. Yes, Tyler, with your help, I'm going places that no man has ever been able to before. Psychic abilities! With this power at my disposal, no man could stop me from doing anything. I'd be one step ahead of everyone! I'd be a god, knowing peoples' deepest hopes and fears, knowing in advance any action that they plan on doing! And it's all thanks to you, and that corporate fool, Kraang!" Falco had gone mad, that was the only logical reason for any of this. Although, under the circumstances, nothing was very logical anymore. I had to escape from this place, and this mad man! But, escape to where? I couldn't just sit around and give this mad-man such powers, but where could I go? No human would accept me, and I didn't want to be close enough to hear anyone's private thoughts. It doesn't matter where, I decided, as long as it's where Falco can't get me, or my abilities. And so, one stormy evening, I planned my escape. Whether from my mutation, or as a fail-safe by Falco, I have cuffs on my neck, wrists waist, and ankles. These, at least the ones on my wrists and ankles, would be the key to my escape. Dr. Falco would not be expecting a gentleman like myself to escape with brute force, so this is exactly what I would do. One day, I have no idea what one, for time no longer had a meaning for me, when Falco was about to sedate me to take me for more tests, I attacked! I bashed my way out of the cage with my cuffs, both on my feet and hands, and stuck Falco with his own sedative. Then, I ran. I ran out the window and up to the roofs and ran, on fours as much as on twos, knuckle-walking like a gorilla most of the way. When I was completely out of breath, I stopped and rested on the roof top of an office building. I was free, and the world was safe from Falco. I bided my time for a few days, not caring what happened to me, as long as I was away from Falco. Really, other than staying out of his clutches, what more purpose did my life now hold? I am somewhat ashamed to say that my days were mostly spent staying out of sight, and my nights were spent in rummaging around in dumpsters for edible food. I stayed like this for a few days, until one night, when I met a strange couple walking in the alleys of New York. Another mutant, and a turtle as far as I could see. And, stranger still, there was a red-headed girl with him, walking with him as casually as though she were walking with another human. Since I had not quite learned how to control my psychic abilities, I could hear all of their thoughts. From their thoughts I gathered that the turtle's name was Donnie and the human girl's April. At first, I was merely curious, and then I thought that maybe I could find a home with them, after all, why would a mutant mind another mutant? And April didn't seem to mind mutants at all. But then I heard their thoughts. We need to find that monkey, and get him back to Falco. Looking back, I admit that I may have acted rashly, but I wasn't going to let anyone bring me back to Falco. "Well, staying calm under pressure is the hallmark of a…" I dropped to the ground ready to fight for my freedom. I was somewhat surprised to see the turtle, Donnie, pull out a stick. Got to protect April. No monkey is going to hurt my girlfriend! I barely heard him, my only thought was on escape. I attacked like a wild animal, and because I could read his every thought I easily avoided all of the turtle's attacks. When he was no longer a threat, I was going to attack April and grabbed her by the shoulders, but I sensed no hostility from her. She didn't want to hurt me, she just wanted to know that I was ok. "It's alright. Everything's going to be fine."
"I..I'm Rockew.." I tried to say.
"What? What is it?" She couldn't understand me. I howled in frustration and climbed back up the building, away to someplace where I hopefully wouldn't be found. I had few more days of peace, all of them spent on high-alert. Not a high-enough alert, I'm afraid, because I was spotted by an old lady with insomnia. I wonder where that monkey went. It was that turtle, Donnie, again! And, by his thoughts, I could see that he brought his three brothers and that girl, April, with him. They were trying to bring me back to Falco! I ran, and ran, and dodged, trying to get them off of my trail. When I had them grouped back together and confused, I looked around for a place to hide. There had to be somewhere that I could hide! Then I saw a dumpster and went for it. "Please don't let them find me, please don't let them find me." I whimpered (quite literally) while rocking back and forth inside of the dumpster. I wonder if he's in here. It was April, and she was opening the lid of my hiding place. She reached her hand out to me, with only friendliness and calmness in her eyes and thoughts. It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you. Come on out. I grabbed her hand, and she pulled me out of the dumpster. Then, out of nowhere, a chain shoots out and wraps around me. I scream, that momentary peace forgotten and the feeling of escape returning. "Great, we caught the monkey. But we're not any closer to finding Rockwell." Said the turtle with the red mask, who I gathered was named Raph. "I am Rockwell!" I screamed, to no avail. April looked deep into my eyes, and I saw understanding in them. This is Dr. Rockwell. I sat in shock, with no clue how she knew who I was. "Actually, we're a lot closer than you think."
"Really? How?" asked Donnie.
"I think this is Dr. Rockwell." Yes! Yes! I am Rockwell! This sparked the hope that they, or at least April, knew of my predicament, and of Falco's true intentions. Now we can get him back to his lab. So much for that hope. I kicked and yelled and struggled all the while that they dragged and carried me back to the lab. "No! Falco is evil!" I tried to warn them. I never stopped struggling, and struggled more when Falco put me back in the chair. "Poor Rockwell…"
" Falco, you dirty lying snake!" Now that I have Rockwell back in my grasps, my plans will be completed. The last lingering thoughts in my head were April's. Poor Rockwell, it's so sad that he got mutated. Yes, poor Rockwell, poor everyone. Then Falco shot me with another sedative, and lost consciousness. This time, I woke up to a hypodermic needle digging into my skull, the most pain I've felt since that of my mutation. "Stop struggling, Tyler, you were always so dramatic!" (For the record, I was never dramatic.) The pain was too much, and I passed out once again. Rising back to consciousness, I heard, of all things, ninja noises. I looked over, and saw that Donnie was defeating Falco! The only thoughts I could hear were those of Falco, many of which are unrepeatable to younger readers. Then Falco lost consciousness, and all of the thoughts in the room were those of success. I struggled to get out of my chair, hoping that the turtles wouldn't forget me and leave me here. Luckily, Donnie noticed my struggle and let me out. I went to the window and opened it. Then I stared at Donnie with gratitude, wishing that I could tell him thanks for all that he's done. "I'm no psychic, but I think he's trying to thank us." I nodded my head and left to the street. You may not be a psychic, Donnie, but I certainly am thankful that you helped to defeat Falco. And good luck with April, she's a lucky girl.