Ch.3: A Predator Escapes
Back in New York, a tireless yawn echoed out through the confines of a metallic room, as the restless, African American genius Baxter Stockman worked impatiently with the new project he had been hired to achieve. An unusual request, from a scary-looking man.
The metal-plated fiend had found him one night, a few days after the whole scandal at TCRI. TCRI was a fantastic research facility where a scientist like Stockman could really show his zeal. His specialized, robotic creations proved valuable to the company in more way than one, and yet it was his partner, Dr. Chaplin, that seemed to be granted with all the credit.
Chaplin had admired Stockman's work, especially when designing a powerful suit that would be impervious to almost any attack. He was even looking to help improve the armor, by bringing a live alligator to work, so that he could study its scales, to increase the armor's endurance.
Stockman hated Dr. Chaplin for hanging around, but another he hated was the secrecy from their boss. The boss was a solid-looking man by the name of Traag, and Stockman could only guess that he had his own agenda.
Some rooms in the upper levels of TCRI were sealed off, open only to the few workers who were seen loyal enough to be given access.
What were they hiding up there, Stockman wondered, the curiosity was breaking him, and one night, he decided to find the answers. Convincing Dr. Chaplin to join him, after he had finished feeding the alligator, Stockman led the way up to the upper, and hacked into one of the top secret rooms on the floor.
When the door slid open, the sight before Stockman and Chaplin was to inspiring for words. Right in front of them stood the most high-tech equipment any of them had ever seen; big-screened computers wall to wall, a giant, canister-like container filled with glowing ooze, and weapons that looked like they could keep the armed forces at bay.
"Incredible" said Stockman, picking up a vial filled with ooze " this unlike anything I've ever dreamed!"
"No wonder it's top secret" said Chaplin " I'd hate to think what they do if they found us here,"
"Why don't you find out?" came Traag's voice from the door, making both scientists freeze in fear.
Stockman reacted fast to avoid getting caught. Slipping the vial into his coat, Stockman grabbed for the weapon nearest to him, and then fired at the canister in the middle of the room. The glass case shattered, and a river of ooze poured out on the floor.
Traag immediately jumped out of the way, allowing Stockman to duck by and escape, but Dr. Chaplin was left behind to face the fury of Traag.
Stockman had been in hiding ever since, working his way until he was granted an opportunity by the Shredder. To pursue a new project, that would be most rewarding when complete.
Waking up from his remembrance, Stockman got up from his chair and walked over to look at his project. Floating inside of a clear, glass tube a dark, turtle-like figure hovered, spikes covering different parts of his body and shell. A black mask decorated his eyes, while dark wrappings twined his hands.
He was huge, powerful, a weapon of mass design, combined from a small sample of blood, mutagen, and a dark scale from the demon who had recently rampaged through the city streets.
"You shall be the ultimate weapon" said Stockman " and serve the Shredder well. Help him get revenge on his foes, and then slash the world to pieces,"
Meanwhile, over at the labs of TCRI, General Traag as he was more formally called, entered into the communications room, and typed in the code to reach his homeworld. The face of an alien brain, with eyes and mouth, soon lit up the big screen.
"Ah" said the brain " General Traag, what do you have to report on Earth? Are things nearly ready for the invasion?"
"Not quite Lord Krang" said Traag " but I expect it will be soon. Some complications have been made present in the city lately that slowed down our plans,"
"Oh" said Krang " like that Nightwatcher character you reported about, or the traitors you discovered a few days ago? Has the last one been caught?"
"No Sir" said Traag " I'm afraid the men are still looking for him. But the other one, Dr. Chaplin, is safely under our lock and key,"
"Swell then" said Krang " Now that Dimension X has been conquered, new resources must be found, and soldiers obtained. You're helpless on that side until we get the portal working again. Darn Neutrinos, and their fancy joy rides!"
"The mutagen I provided should be enough to make a small army" Krang continued " and if we can force the Nightwatcher to join the cause as well, that would icing on the cake. Get busy Traag, and don't disappoint me,"
With that said, Krang signed off, and General Traag stood firm.
"I won't disappoint you, My Lord,"
Meanwhile, deep inside the bowels of TCRI, gold eyes gazed angrily into darkness as a large alligator, trapped in chains glared out to the bars of his cell. His body stung with the fresh cuts from where General Traag had flogged him. His favorite punishment for whenever someone was out of line.
Slowly, images flashed across the gator's mind, filling his soul with more and more hate. The pressure of that ooze as it fell down upon him, the painful transformation to his current form, the torture that followed after he had changed, and the sight of his friend never coming back to save him.
Anger burned bright in his eyes with each and every flash, until the creaky opening to the prison door, as one of the guards came to give him food, finally snapped him to rage.
Ripping down the chains that held him bound, the mutated form of Dr. Chaplin sliced his way past the guard, and then crushed his way down the hall seeking escape. His time to be free had come at last, and anyone who dared stand in his way was dead.