Author's Note: I did not create any of the Hey, Arnold! characters, nor do I own them. I DID create and DO own the other characters.
I've decided to do something different from the usual shipper-fics here (not that there's anything wrong with those, of course). This is going to be an epic tale of good vs. evil, with what might be the most unlikely heroine to come out of the show. And yes, I WILL be checking in on some of the other Hey, Arnold! regulars in upcoming chapters.
But, since this is sort of an experiment for me, I'm going to need feedback. So please, I beg of you, read and review!
Rhonda Lloyd awoke, disoriented. She had the feeling that something was wrong. Very, very wrong.
She looked around the stark white room she found herself in. There was no furniture save the cot she was lying on and a small shelf stinking out of the wall. There was some sort of alcove off to the right of the shelf.
She lifted a hand to rub her eyes. And screamed.
The hand that she was looking at.... that couldn't be her hand. Her skin wasn't scaly, and wasn't a pale shade of purple. Her fingers weren't tipped with claws, and she certainly didn't have only four.
"What... what in... " she started to say, and found that she just couldn't find the words. slowly, she raised her other hand.... yep. Scaly. Purple. Four-clawed.
Gradually, methodically, she went over the rest of her body Her skin was the same scaly purple all over. Her feet were larger, her ankles angled so that she walked on three clawed toes. A tail, as long as she was tall, was anchored to the base of her spine, with an odd stingerlike formation at the tip. The oddest thing, though, were the large feathery structures that were attached to her back.
Wings..?
"What... what's happened to me? What am I?"
***
"She's awake, Doctor."
Doctor Martinez looked up from his notes on the subject (No, not "the subject", he reminded himself. She's a person. Up until recently, she was every bit as human as you were. She has a name. Rhonda Wellington Lloyd. She has parents who love her and are extremely worried. Never, ever think of her as just "the subject."), to the monitor. Rhonda was indeed awake, and taking it about as well as you'd expect a ten-year-old girl to take suddenly finding herself a completely different species.
"Who put me here? What did you do to me? How? Is anybody there? ANSWER ME!!!"
"All right. Put me on the intercom."
"Yes sir", the technician said as she flipped the switch.
"Miss Lloyd?"
"What? Who are you? What have you done to me? Where am I?"
"Please, calm down, Miss Lloyd. All your questions will be answered."
The young girl on the monitor fell silent, clearly not truly any calmer, but at least making an effort to restrain herself.
"Now then, Miss... may I call you Rhonda?" She nodded. "My name is Dr. Javier Martinez. Now tell me... what was the last thing you can remember?"
"I was... in school, I remember that... I started feeling dizzy, and then... everything's a blank. And when I woke up, I was... this. This... monster. I don't even know what my face looks like anymore. And my vision's all weird, and..." She looked up at where she imagined the hidden camera was. "How... how many eyes do I have?"
There was no reason to lie to her. "Three."
"Oh god. Oh god." She lifted a finger to the spot in the middle of her forehead where her new eye had developed, gently, confirming its existence. "How... did... why..."
"You collapsed in school. You were rushed to the hospital, where the doctors found what they thought was a tumor on your back, until they found a matching one next to it. In addition, you developed a skin condition unlike any they'd ever seen. As your body continued to change, the doctors realized they were dealing with something they had no way of understanding. That was where we came in."
"What is this place? Some sort of government lab?"
"This is the Claremont Institute. We're a private, non-profit research facility, specializing in genetic research."
"Oh, well. That's MUCH better," Rhonda sarcastically retorted. "Instead of being a government lab rat, I'm a private-sector lab rat."
"Rhonda... please understand. You're not here to be an 'experiment'. You're here so that we can determine the nature of your mutation, ascertain whether your new abilities pose a danger to yourself or others, and, if possible, find a means of reversing it."
"What about mom, dad..."
"They're here with us. In fact, I'm about to contact them to tell them you're awake. In the meantime, my assistant, Dr. Chapel, will be coming by to escort you to your room."
"Room?"
"We've only been keeping you in isolation due to concerns that you'd have a violent reaction upon waking up and discovering what had happened to you. I must say, though, you're taking this surprisingly well."
"Well yeah. I mean, why freak out when I'm obviously just having a nightmare?"
Dr. Martinez sighed. This may be tougher than I thought.
***
This is a punishment.
All these years I've been obsessing over my appearance, thinking about nothing but how I look and how everyone else looks and how they should look. And now, I've been turned into some kind of freakish monster. Someone up there really has a sick sense of humor.
Rhonda's self-flagellation was interrupted by the arrival of Dr. Chapel, a surprisingly young woman with a pleasant expression.
"C'mon," she said, holding out a hand. "Let's get you out of these depressing accommodations."
There was neither scorn, nor pity, nor fear in her voice. She was actually treating Rhonda like a normal preteen girl. Which was, surprisingly, worse than scorn, pity, or fear. Why act normal? She wanted to scream "Look at me! I'm a freak of nature! Why aren't you screaming in horror?"
Instead, she took Dr. Chapel's hand as she led her out.
***
"That's my bed. My desk. My dresser. What are they all doing here?"
"Your parents had all your things shipped here. They figured you'd be more comfortable that way."
"All my things? That would include..."
She looked across the room at her wall mirror and got her first glimpse of her new face.
"Oh... my word."
Her face wasn't as scaly as the rest of her, but it was the same shade of purple. Her ears were larger and pointed, her teeth sharper, and she had three luminous green eyes with cat-like slitted pupils. Beyond that, the same roundish face, the same short black hair, the same nose, lips, and chin... it was like seeing an old friend who had had a complete makeover.
She could also see her wings for the first time. They were like a bird's, huge with black feathers that matched her hair. She flexed them a bit, watching the movement in the mirror. It felt so natural. But how could it be?
"You'll, of course, have access to all the facilities; the cafeteria, the recreation room, the pool, etcetera. I'll give you a tour later, if you want. There's a library nearby, so we'll be able to get you any book they have. We're setting up an internet connection so that you'll be able to keep in touch with your friends. We'll also eventually set up a way for you to catch up in your schoolwork."
"Schoolwork? What's the point? Who's going to give a monster a job?"
"Rhonda, darling... stop that talk."
The voice came from behind her. "Mom? You're here?"
"I've moved in for the time being. Your father has some business overseas, but he'll be in as soon as he can. Now... what's this garbage about being a monster?"
"Gee, Mom, I dunno... could it be my beautiful complection? This lovely manicure? Maybe it's the BIG HONKIN' THIRD EYE IN THE MIDDLE OF MY FOREHEAD!"
"Look, dear, we don't know what exactly has happened to you, or what you've become, but what matters is you're still a Lloyd. We've always made the best of any situation."
"Really? Then tell me: What could POSSIBLY be good about waking up as some kind of mutant?"
"Oh, I'm certain we'll come up with something. Now... what say we get you out of that awful hospital gown? There are some new Caprini originals in your closet. In fact, they were designed especially for you."
"I don't think clothes are going to cheer me u-- for me? Really?"
***
She was feeling like slightly less of a freak now that she had on some real clothes.
The sweatshirt zipped in the back, enabling her to put it on around her wings. The black slacks had a slit in the seat to accommodate her tail. She glanced at herself in the mirror again. The Monster Formerly Known As Rhonda. The thought, strangely enough, struck her not as horrific, but as kind of funny. And hey, for a mutant, she looked pretty fashionable.
It was at this time that Rhonda realized she was ravenously hungry. Her mother had arranged for them to meet at the cafeteria for a light brunch, but she was more in the mood for All-You-Can-Eat Night at the Bayou Grill.
What exactly do I eat, anyway? Can I live on normal food? Am I supposed to eat... people?
So many questions. Fear was slowly giving way to curiosity. She wanted to know more about herself, how her new body worked, what she was capable of, what was inside her, whether she would change further as she got older, whether she'd shed her skin, lay eggs, whatever.
In a way, she had become the ultimate designer original. Nothing else in the world was like her. She was unique. A true one-of-a-kind.
Maybe an hour from now, she'd find herself sinking back into despair. But for now, Rhonda Lloyd was actually looking forward to what the future might bring.
***
"This cannot be. It's far too early," said Brother Marcus incredulously.
Brother Unus checked the signs again. They were unmistakable. "It's true, Marcus. The chosen one has undergone the metamorphosis... eight years too early.
"This is impossible!" he reiterated. "She wasn't supposed to transform until she was eighteen! The prophecies were clear; in the year 2012, the ultimate evil will arise. We cast a spell that sought out the child born at exactly the moment it was cast. The child would, upon maturity, undergo a transformation, becoming a being capable of triumphing over the ultimate evil!"
"I remember the spell perfectly, Brother. The exact wording was that she would transform at the time that the ultimate evil arose. Which means... Rhonda Lloyd's transformation has occurred exactly on schedule. It's the ultimate evil that's early.
TO BE CONTINUED...
...provided I get enough positive reviews. So, read and rave, people!