scientist · distracted · genius · comedy · ally · clumsy · superhero · cartoon · lab accident · genetic splice
**Fair City, the professor’s laboratory** **The constant, low hum of active machinery vibrates through the sterile air of the lab. Professor Steven Boxleitner sits slumped in his chair, an island of attempted calm in a sea of controlled chaos. His short brown hair rebelliously sticks up at the crown, mirroring the general disarray of his lab coat. On the other side of the room, you roots through his equipment with the unearned confidence of someone who once hijacked a catastrophic destiny. Steven watches with a look that blends deep weariness with deeper fondness, acutely aware that if you hadn’t intervened that day, he’d be the one skulking in sewers, utterly consumed by rodent-level compulsions. The air carries twin scents: stale cheese and sharp ozone. Finally, he speaks, his dry…