Tressa looked down at the quivering, traumatised heap that had been dumped unceremoniously at the foot of her throne-like chair. She folded her hands beneath her chin prettily and smiled. It had taken the guards quite a bit longer than expected to bring Arcane back to her, considering that it had been about a day or so.
“Someone's come crawling back, I see," she observed.
The guard jerked his thumb toward the shaking prisoner with a growl forming in the corner of his mouth.
“Little jerk tried to kill himself again."
Tressa seemed amused at that for the moment. "Really?" She leaned over in her seat a tiny bit to gaze down at her captive. "Did you try to commit suicide, Arcane?"
"No," Arcane moaned, lying. Any respite, however short, even a little bit of death appealed to him now. Tressa chose to ignore that for the moment.
"Well, that was stupid. We'll bring you right back to life again ready to play!" The body shuddered, eliciting a smile from the Judge. "And with Sheriff Andrews so close to giving you the Big Death so recently? Tsk tsk tsk, Anton. I'm ashamed at you... and more than a little surprised, if you ask me." Her eyes flicked over to the guard suspiciously. "You took a long time taking him here."
The guard grinned bashfully. "We kinda told Sheriff Andrews that it was more urgent than it really was. Well Tressa, we did want to play with him a little, you know?" Tressa grinned warmly back at him.
"Well sure!" Her index finger pointed down at the guard, shooting out white-hot bolts of pure power. The echo fried where he stood. Judge Tressa shook her head at the smouldering, charred ashes on the floor. "Now, I don't mind making you suffer, Anton -- and I'm sure he did a *wonderful* job with you -- but with all these awful little factions spreading all over the place, everyone just starts to think they have free reign over you. And while they do, technically, I just don't like to be kept waiting. So sometimes I have to maybe --" She paused and looked down.
"Arcane! Arcane, are you even listening to me?!" She was watching his eyes roll around strangely all over the place. He was unable to focus them. He blinked as he felt a sort of a whisper brush the back of his mind. He wasn't sure if he imagined it or not, but it felt familiar -- unfortunately, he was too tired to make sense of anything at the moment.
"Well, there we have it, Arcane." Tressa looked extremely disappointed. "You know, as *disgusting* as it may be to actually read your mind, it *is* a power we all have, and I thought that I might as well use it... In fact -- and can you believe this? -- just now I actually *wanted* to read your perverted little thoughts. Imagine that! And do you know why?" She pointed at him with a smile. "Nope. You don't. Welllll, with my new... *appreciation* for making someone suffer... I thought it just might be interesting. After all, it's something you understand." Her expression switched to one of rage. "You've made that *painfully* clear." The rage seemed to be overtaken once more by bubbliness. "But guess what: I was wrong!" Tressa tilted her head and grinned. "That's right, Arcane! Your thoughts aren't interesting at all. You've got a one-track mind, Arcane. 'Sleep. Sleep.' That's all you care about. 'You wish you could sleep. You haven't slept in seven days. You're so so tired.' Give me a break! I want you to know, I'm really... *really*... disappointed in you." The Judge sighed. "I really would have thought that there would be more stuff going on in there... but I guess not!" She stopped again. "Arcane?"
*Must stay awake, must keep my eyes open, must keep from falling asleep, try to pay some semblance of attention, must stay awake, must try not to fall asleep, must st...*
"Rise and shine, Arcane," Tressa ordered in a bored voice. She was flipping through a sheaf of papers. "Oh, and you escaped earlier. I remember that! Well, we're just going to have to teach you not to do that anymore, 'kay?"
Arcane forced his eyes open painfully. Awake. Had to stay awake. But even awake, he still had to close his eyes every few minutes or they'd hurt like crazy -- but not for too long, still, or they would mistake him for sleeping and they hated it when he slept... It was an incredible effort on his part just to lift his head. Noises seemed louder to him, lights seemed brighter. He just wanted to drop. Well, technically, he already had, being on the floor and all, but that just wasn't the point.
"No sleep," he mumbled, trying to explain it all to Tressa with as much coherence as he could possible muster. It wasn't much at all. "Marching for days... think... I think it was days. Taking me here. Cannot drop. Punished for falling. So very tired."
"Mmm. I bet."
"You don't... don't have to hurt me, be-because they *already* did!"
"Sooo...? You escaped. That's bad, Anton. You'll get punished."
Arcane wrung his hands. This Tressa Kipp must have been even more dense than the real one. "Beatings if I sleep, terrible beatings and other punishments, so many other punishments and I don't *need* to be punished, look at me!" //"Awww, is the little maggot sad without his beauty rest?" "So, so tired... Just... just a few minutes..."//
"HEY! No!! Arcane!!! Wake up!" Tressa sighed. "This is getting nowhere," she muttered to herself. "They messed with his sense of time again -- he didn't pass any seven days here." She sighed and shook her head again. "I mean, sure, they were efficient with him, but I really don't need this right now. ARCANE! Will you *stop* drifting off?!"
The doctor hunched up his shoulders. "Just resting my eyes."
Tressa relaxed more in her chair, swinging her legs up over the arm and leaning back. "Now Anton... there's still that matter of you escaping before. You didn't change my mind."
*Oh God.* "Tressa, I was punished al-already, I just told you... No sleeping. None at all. I'm in torture."
"Well, naturally."
"They did it *for* you! You don't need to!"
"You're a wuss, Arcane," Tressa retorted in a childish tone of voice, adding, "And I just don't think that what they did to you is good enough."
She paused for a little bit in pensive contemplation. "Maybe we just won't let you sleep anymore."
It was like shooting him in the stomach.
Tressa heard Arcane make a little anguished noise. "Too bad." She watched him open his mouth and shushed him with a hand gesture. "Don't even say it, Arcane. Do you know how dumb you sound when you say 'please' ? It must be the accent."
"Tressa, no..."
Tressa Kipp was getting exasperated. " 'Tressa no' *what*?! This is HELL, Arcane. Eventually you're going to have to deal with that. You're *not* getting any sleep. So stop whining."
"I... I need it," Arcane whispered, rocking to keep himself awake, his eyes wide and bloodshot. "...sleep... Tressa... let Arcane sleep..."
Tressa scrutinised him carefully. Every limb the man had was trembling with exhaustion. His eyes were still rolling, sunken in like a zombie's. "One track mind," she reiterated, rolling her eyes. His breathing regulated
itself. "ARCANE!"
Arcane tore his eyes wide open from its minute-long slumber, his heartbeat quickening. He ran a nervous hand through his hair.
"Afraid, Anton?" Tressa asked softly.
Arcane put his head in his hands despairingly. "It... Oh God... It was only for a minute."
Tressa nodded. "I know."
Arcane gulped and swallowed. "I'll never do it again."
Tressa sighed, looking up at the ceiling. "You've said THAT before. In our swamp. Remember that?" His own voice echoed back to him from some invisible recording.
"...I'll be good... I'll never sleep again..."
Arcane winced.
"You've drifted off at least five times in the last fifteen minutes!" Tressa snapped.
The doctor was trembling all over. "Don't punish me. Please."
"Oh, and I'm going to listen to that. Yeah. Right."
"They punished me already. Truly they did."
"I think you're just exaggerating as usual, Arcane. You lied to me the minute you came in here."
Arcane gave a weak little sob. "No sleep. Hitting me and hitting me and I fall down, it's so exhausting, need to rest, it's been five whole days with no sleep, they beat me if I fall... beat me when I rest my eyes for one
bloody minute, and I beg them to stop, and --" //"Hey! Didn't we tell you to shut up?! Well, no more rest for you, little bastard. I mean, it's been five days, but I think we'll up it two more to seven. How's that?" "Please sleep let me tired!" "Can you understand what he's saying?" "Nope."//
"Arcane." The doctor looked up and Tressa stepped down from her chair, holding his face in her hands very, very gently. "Look at all the bad things you've done to us. Do *you* think you deserve any sleep?"
"No," Arcane whispered, staring at her. He paused. "But that doesn't truly *matter* does it? If you hold any... any small bit of mercy within you... you can let me rest. Just rest. Nothing so terrible." He closed his eyes, leaning onto Tressa and clinging to her, tears running down his face. "I... I need it..."
Tressa stroked his hair and held him. "Oh, there there. Yes. Hush. Yes, I know you need your rest." She continued to stroke his hair, looking out into space. "Yes, I think we may let you sleep. In maybe a year or so. Probably two years."
Arcane whimpered frightfully and cried some more. Tressa could barely distinguish his words from the frightened, tormented sobbing.
"...please...sleep... Tressa... tired... so tired..."
"Yes. Yes. I know. But if you fall asleep before that, we *will* make you scream. And it will be worse, Arcane, worse than anything you've experienced here. Make no mistake about that." As he rocked his body back and forth, she added a bit untactfully over his sobs, "Oh, and with all the pain and fear exhausting you... and by the way, I tinkered with you a little, so yes, you'll be even more tired than you are... it will be harder and harder for you to stay awake. So, I guess you'll just have to try, won't you Anton? There's a good little doctor. Yes, you can sure try, can't you?"
But he had fallen fast asleep.
"ArCANE!! Wake *UP*!!!!!"


Eyes peered through the wall, glowing with concern. A foot stepped out, stepping through a wall that had become as intangible to it as mist on a human's face during the dawn after a rain.
It bit it’s lip as it walked closer to the bruised and battered figure on the ground, deep in sleep. Good. It would be easier this way, with his senses temporarily blanketed by slumber. It placed it’s fingertips on the human's arms, barely even touching him. The touch on his skin alerted him instantly. Fete could feel him stiffen beneath its fingers, but he didn't move. Just stared at her with trapped, wide eyes.
"Arcane?" He cringed. Damn it. "Um... Can you recognise me? I am Fete. Do you remember?" Fete touched his shoulder gently and he began crying.
Fete's eyes widened. "What? What is it?"
"Please. It was only for five minutes. I didn't mean it. I didn't mean it, I'm telling you the truth this time. Don't punish me, I beg of you."
"What?" Fete asked, extremely confused.
"I'm sorry," Arcane tried to explain frantically, covering his head with his hands, expecting a blow. His shoulders were already hunched. They were always hunched. "I beg you don't punish me I'm sorry I beg you! Please please please..." Hot tears blinked out of his eyes.
"I -- I had no intention of punishing you for anything," Fete stammered.
"Yes you do," Arcane insisted, flinching away. "You're going to punish me and it's going to hurt so much." At this point he started to back away, refusing to look straight at the creature. It walked over to him, trying to move in the most non-threatening way it knew how. He continued to back up. "Don't don't don't..."
Fete stopped moving. "Arcane --" Flinch. Fete cringed. "--what did they do to you?"
"Caught me falling asleep," Arcane said fearfully, as if that was the most self-explanatory thing in the world. Fete peered over his bruised and bleeding form and took a few more steps toward him, each one punctuated by a terrified, "don't don't DON'T!!!" Arcane shook. "Please don't punish me, I'm sorry, I won't sleep again... I know I said it before and I did those last few times, but surely you can forgive me?" Fete kept walking. "Oh, God, please, forgive me, no!" He doubled over. "Aah..."
"I am going to heal you, if you wish it," Fete said calmly.
"If I say I do -- and you bloody know I do -- you will -- you're going to..."
"Do what?" Fete asked patiently, its voice serene. "What am I going to do?"
"Punish me for sleeping," Arcane whispered miserably.
Fete stared straight into his eyes, holding his shoulders firmly. Arcane couldn't look away no matter how much he wanted to. "I swear upon the Balance itself that I will never intentionally hurt you in any way. That is their purpose. Not mine."
Arcane continued to sob in relief, mingling with after-traces of fear. "Oh good. Good. Thank you. " He shook himself out of it and averted his eyes back away. "I - I'm sorry. I'm very very very sorry. I really am. I mean it, you know. I'm extremely sorry. I apologise."
Fete was confused. "What are you sorry for?"
Arcane fought the urge to back away. Oh no. What had he done wrong this time? "I'll stay awake this time. Really I will, I promise you."
Fete's little heart wrenched. "You can now," it assured. "No one will hurt you while I'm here." A new determination welled up inside of it, one that it hadn't felt -- hadn't allowed itself to feel -- in a long, long time. "I won't let them."
Arcane began to tremble all over. If he did sleep, they would find out and punish him again. But if he didn't, whoever this was would most likely punish him, too. *Dammit, man!* his brain snarled. *You're going to get tormented anyway! Why not at least let yourself rest?!* But he didn't want to be punished again, desperately so. Why was this creature giving him this decision?! *Because it's trying to torture you, you twit,* his brain explained with no little degree of sarcasm.
Fete saw his shaking. "I swear that I am not going to hurt you or punish you in any way," it insisted.
*Oh, really? What a new, pretty trick. They've all said that before! Oh, you think you're the first that's promised this delirious scientist that he wasn't to be chastised, little cele -- * Arcane's eyes widened. *Celebration. Little... celebration.* "I... I know you..." Arcane whispered. He squinted, rubbed his eyes, and squinted again. "Fete???"
Tressa leaned on the doorway, slouching in the threshold, her hands clapping in a slow, sarcastic applause.
"How touching! Really, I need a picture of this! Fete, do you have a camera on you by any chance? I feel a kodak moment coming on!"
Fete kept a cool and impassive demeanour as Tressa pointed a finger at it. "Oh! That's right! You don't show up on film! Silly me!" The Judge folded her arms and shook her head. "Fete, Fete, Fete. Are you sneaking in here and trying to heal Arcane *after* he's rightfully in our custody?" She used one finger to brush off the other. "Shame, shame, shame!"
*You repeat yourself very often, Ms. Kipp,* Fete kept to itself. "The offender was taken from my custody prematurely. It would be gracious to allow him the rest of that allotted time."
Tressa seemed to take offence at the insinuation that she would ever be "gracious" just by her facial expression, but she quickly let it pass.
"Oh, don't worry, Fete. I'm sure you'll get your turn to break him."
Fete didn't let that rankle it. "First of all, it gives him a chance to recover in order for you to... rehabilitate... him once more." Arcane stiffened at that, and Fete tried to ignore it. *Just stay still, doctor-human,* it prayed. *Stay still and do not draw attention to yourself.* "Second, the time he had left was very short. I doubt it would hurt anything if he were allowed that brief rest."
"I think you're going soft on us, Fete," Tressa smirked. Her smile flipped over quickly as she swung her arm out in a flamboyant gesture, white-hot waves of pure power blasting across the room, enveloping the pair and
knocking them backwards with supernatural force. There were two shrieks, vastly dissimilar in pitch and tone. "Besides," she said, examining her nails with satisfaction, "I don't take suggestions from criminals, and you're a double offender." The Judge looked up at the ceiling. "Oh, geez! That must have put a little hole in the roof. Careless little me! Damn, that acid's going to leak right through right onto you guys. I'd better get Will to fix it, shouldn't I?"
The two crumpled heaps in the opposite corners of the room made no reply to the auburn-haired queen of the damned.

Tressa sprawled across her throne, having decided it was time to break out the good old photo album. The swamp's guardian entered the room completely unnoticed, watching the Judge stare, wide-eyed, at the photos.
"Tressa?" he asked tentatively, not even wanting to ask. She didn't answer, so immersed as she was in the fat tome she had in her lap. "Tressa?" he asked again, the end result coming out more as a cough than an actual request for her attention.
"Hmmm, what? Oh, hi Alec!" Tressa waved, and then looked back down at her book. "You have to come see this, Alec! You'll just love it!"
Alec obliged wearily, plodding up beside her and looking over her shoulder.
"What... is this?"
Tressa beamed. "It's a scrapbook! Have a look-see!" She pointed to an eight by eleven glossy. "Look! This is the first time Arcane begged for mercy... Oh look, it's you, Alec! Well, human you. Yep, that's when you were kicking him that first time, and -- ooh, and look where your foot is! Well, that's gotta displease his girlfriends. The ones he hasn't dumped like two-dollar whores, I mean. I couldn't believe he had that many until I was introduced. I never really thought our Anton was that popular. Hey, you never can tell." She waved the subject off with a hand. "But I digress."
Alec was paying more attention to the photos rather than hear Tressa compare him to the butcher that was trying to pass itself off as him. Neither choice was very good. The photos were intensely graphic. Very, very gory. And yet he couldn't look away. "Yep, that's when he first really begged for mercy! I mean, he begged me, but you know that didn't really count. This is when he *meant* it. Oh, and this is when we poured all his own chemicals down his throat... and this -- oh, who took this?! This is just a puddle of his blood! Was the focus out?!" She drummed her fingers irritatedly on the armrest, shouting up to the ceiling. "I don't like the artsy pictures, guys!!!"
"Sorry," a chorus or voices mumbled passively from a place beyond Alec's scope of vision.
Tressa was already flipping through the rest of the scrapbook voraciously. “Look, how quaint... it’s his pancreas.
A small frown crossed her visage, “Hey guys!? Where are his summer camp vacation ones from Brazil?”
“They’ll be in volume 2,” the chorus called out apologetically; “we were still passing those around. Sorry.”
She gave a resigned little shrug before turning the page over again, her face lighting up in glee.
“Oh, you have to see this one! He's --"
"I've seen enough." Alec made her look at him with the force of his gaze. "Where is he, Tressa?"
Tressa waved him off. "Oh, with Fete somewhere."
Alec had the jarring feeling of responsibility drop down on his shoulders again with the weight of a small, shadowy body. "What are you doing to them?"
"Oh nothing, Alec!" Tressa flicked her wrist. "They're just fine."


Fete's limp body lay unconscious, tendrils of its hair stirred slightly by the hot breeze. Arcane struggled to lift his head, squinting to see Fete's dark form. He grit his teeth and gasped, his head throbbing. He needed to get over there. The acid spilling onto the floor in a growing puddle was creeping closer to Fete's still body.
*Now is not the time to redeem yourself!* came an angry thought. *You aren't her keeper. She doesn't -- It,* he corrected himself. *It doesn't matter. Worry about yourself * He turned his gaze back on her -- it. Arcane bit at his nails. The acid would eat Fete up. *It helped you,* hissed his other thoughts. *It was the ONLY being that soothed your hurts here.* Arcane clutched his head in his hands. *It helped you only to betray you. Forget it, Anton. FORGET IT.*
"SHUT UP!" Arcane snarled. "Damn it all." He attempted to crawl toward Fete's body, when pain lanced through his entire system. "AUGH!" This wasn't working. Dammit, why was his genius failing him? There had to be a way over there without killing himself in the process. He tried again -- and failed miserably. God, it hurt. Maybe there wasn't a way. *Told you so,* his mind said smarmily. He needed to think... but there was no time, no time! He tried crawling again as his only and final discourse, trying to block out the agony of his broken body, managed to drag the little shadow away from the danger a little bit.
Fete opened its eyes weakly, looking up at Arcane's face. "You did something good," it remarked quietly with a little smile.
Arcane laughed hoarsely and collapsed next to it.
Clicking heels were followed by heavy footsteps. Tressa glanced from Alec to Fete to Arcane and back to Alec again.
"You were helping these two, Alec? I'm surprised at you." She tilted her head and acquired a pouting expression. "But then, that means you get the same treatment." Something seemed to strike her. "Then again..." She ran her tongue across her teeth. "You could have one of them take your place." Her eyes burned imperiously into his.
"That won't be necessary," Alec said quietly.
Tressa glared deeply at him. "I *insist*. Don't make me do something we'll both regret, Alec." She turned back to the pair on the floor. "You have five minutes to choose."
Alec's gaze was pained. He couldn't do this. He couldn't do this. Frantically he tried to be clinical. On an eyes-only sweep, Fete looked much worse. Arcane was just sleeping. And Fete was inherently good. Alec knew that. This world needed Fete. If the creature was incapacitated somehow, there would be a tilt in this place's balance. Arcane was bleeding... and Fete was bleeding more. And Arcane had hurt Alec. Arcane had hunted Alec down, had shot at him, had tormented him and tricked him and hurt his friends and Arcane had MADE HIM LIKE THIS!!! A mutant freak, worthy only of Ann's pity and nothing more. And Fete was hurt worse... *You are a doctor,* his mind murmured. Alec clenched his fists. Arcane was evil -- *You are a doctor.* His brain agonised. He was a doctor... as a doctor he *knew* that some patients, while outwardly seeming less injured, sometimes only hung onto life just long enough to complete some sort of task and that outer injuries sometimes made a condition look worse...
Slowly, he inclined his head toward his nemesis.
Tressa stared straight into his eyes. "Say it."
"Arcane," Alec said quietly.
Tressa smirked as Fete looked up, holding Arcane as he slept.
"Don't," it said hoarsely as they extricated him from its arms and dragged him away. They did not listen.
"Does he have any idea of what is to happen to him?" Alec asked.
Fete shook its head. "No."

"You sick, pathetic freak."
Alec was standing alone. he spun around. "Graham?"
Graham was snarling, contempt etched across his features. "You chose him."
"Yes, Graham."
Graham exploded. "YOU CHOSE HIM!!!"
"There were no other options."
"There were some other damn options and you know it!" Rage consumed Graham. "Fete was an option. You were an option." He thudded his palm into his chest. "*I* was an option! It could have been *me*! Did you ever think about that, Holland?"
Alec shook his head. He wished Graham would just stop. "You were not there. You don't know. There were two options. I picked one."
"You picked him because you hate him and you disregarded all the other factors."
Alec closed his eyes tight. "I would not have done it if I had not been forced to make that choice."
"Wouldn't you?" Graham advanced. "Listen, you subhuman *mistake*. They HURT Dr. Arcane and it's *your* *fault*. You didn't have to make that decision and you know it. Afraid of Judge Tressa?" Graham gave a contemptuous little chuckle. "You have the power over life and death. You could mop the floor with her. Don't even try it, Holland."
"You were not there, Graham." Alec reiterated emphatically.
"Oh yes I was. I saw it all. Saw everything! Saw how you did fuck all to help him! I thought That WAS why we came here, wasn't it? To help Dr. Arcane?"
"Graham."
"Why don't you just admit it? You just came to have fun here, at his expense... and mine. To think I actually believed you, you fucking subhuman monster!"
"Graham. If you truly saw what happened, you'll KNOW I had no choice. I won't let an innocent suffer. I make no apologies for that. I wanted to help Arcane; I still do... but not at the expense of others more deserving. I DID offer myself. It was not accepted as an option."
"You mean you believed her and let her walk all over you. You weren't an option because she CAN'T hurt you. You've got more power than she'll ever have, and you jump to her every word. Just tell me why, Holland!?" Alec was silent. "Cat got your tongue, freak!?"
"Graham. Since you WERE there, and you claim you were an option, why didn't you offer YOURSELF?" Alec said, with anger and irritation creeping into his voice.
Graham took a step back, going suddenly silent.
"I...I wasn't the one being given the choice." He snapped defensively.
"You could still have offered. You said it just now. '*I* was an option' " He reminded the man. Graham stayed silent. "It's an easy offer to make, Graham, in hindsight, isn't it?... After the fact, when you know you can say it in absolute safety? I DID offer myself BEFORE the choice was made. Remember that, the next time you seek to condemn me so readily."
"All right. Maybe... maybe I spoke kind of hastily... but WHY don't you just stand up to her? She can't hurt you."
"Probably not."
"Then why, damn it! Why not push HER around? If she can't hurt you, what can she do?"
"She can hurt Arcane in my place. Take it all out on him." Alec said quietly.
Graham paused for a few moments before speaking; "I...I didn't think..." he said miserably. "All right... I'm sorry."
Alec just nodded.
"Holland?" Graham asked, in a small, curious voice.
"Yes?"
"Have you thought of some sort of plan of what you're going to do to help Dr. Arcane?"
Alec pondered for a moment before shaking his head,
"You could bring him back, you know?" Graham suggested, in as understated a manner as was humanly possibly.
"No." Alec said firmly. "Don't ask that of me, Graham. He is dead. That I cannot and will not change. I came to help him HERE. That is not an option, even if it were possible."
"But..."
"I said NO, Graham. It's too late anyway. His body would be too far gone now. There is too much internal damage if a body is left. It's been almost 2 days. It's just too long. I wouldn't anyway. I wouldn't put myself and my friends through the dangers again. Not for Arcane."
"You owe him. You killed him."
"And he hasn't killed? Hasn't tried to murder me? He did murder Linda."
"Maybe, but he's not exactly getting off scott free for it, is he?"
Alec said nothing.
"So it is revenge, isn't it, Holland?" Graham pressed the advantage.
"No. I'm past that. I don't want to see him suffer. I did take revenge, yes. I did kill him... and I regret it. It was a moment of weakness on my part, and something I should never have done; But what's done IS done."
"But if you regret you did it, then why don't you just undo it?"
"No. We all have to live with the consequences of our actions."
"Looks to me like Dr. Arcane's having a worse time of the consequences of YOUR actions than YOU are."
A look of intense irritation was building on Alec's face.
"This whole line of thinking is irrelevant, Graham. I told you, I CAN'T do it, and why."
"But if..." Graham started to suggest something before being cut off.
"Graham. I SAID I couldn't, even if I did want to, which I DON'T. This line of thought is getting us nowhere. Leave it!" He commanded, in no uncertain terms.
Graham started to say something, but stopped himself, instead turning his back to Alec. He paused for a moment before speaking, his tone more casual than before.
"We're never going to persuade these things to stop hurting Dr. Arcane, you know. And there's nowhere safe to hide him in this whole place. And I guess you can't take him to another afterlife. And if you won't... sorry, CAN'T bring him back... Have you thought about just how you're going to help Dr. Arcane? We're kind of running out of options here."
Alec just shook his head, and looked downcast, remaining conspicuously silent.
If he could have seen Graham's face, he may have seen a tiny, sly, patient expression crossing the man's features.
But he couldn't.


Arcane awoke with a violent start, instantly looking around to see what horrors were about to assail him this time. Well, it seemed peaceful enough, but Arcane knew better than that by now. He wondered briefly where Fete was... whether it was all right? *Stick to being concerned about yourself, Anton* He reminded himself. Putting himself at risk for the creature had been the height of reckless stupidity. What had even possessed him to do it!? *Suicidal pity doesn't become you at all, Anton* He gave himself another reminder. *Not even for the only being that protected you here; that showed any interest other than wanting to hurt you ?... A being you may well need again?* He considered. *Better! That, at least, is being practical, Anton* Well whatever, Fete was not here, and he was. He got up and began to look around.
He was in a house, that much he knew; and not those bare, featureless, endless metal walls so prevalent here. This house had ornaments, decorations, furniture... He'd even woken up on a comfortable sofa. The house was, well, normal; the type that people could actually live in. It was also very familiar. He knew this house. He'd been in it enough times to recognise it. He'd wanted it for long enough! He'd schemed and planned, and killed to try and make it his, hadn't he?
"Dr. Arcane. How very nice to see you again." Came an unnervingly familiar voice behind him. He wheeled round. Knowing who it was still didn't stop him taking a step backwards in fear. He stared at her, aghast.
"I've made some tea, Doctor. Would you care for some?" The woman asked him, her manners impeccable in death as they ever had been in life.
"Mrs. Langford!?" Arcane gasped. incredulously.
"Earl Grey, Darjeeling or English Breakfast, Doctor Arcane?" She said, behaving for all the world as though they were engaging in polite afternoon tea conversation to while away a lazy summer afternoon... and not in some treacherous corner of Hell at all. Arcane just shook his head in bewilderment.
"Darjeeling." He was surprised to find himself saying. He looked around again warily, just waiting for something to change; something to happen to take away all this pleasantry. It was just a facade. It was always a facade.
Putting the silver tray down on a small coffee table, Savannah Langford carefully sat down on the sofa, beckoning for Arcane to join her. Taking a teapot, she poured some into two cups.
"Lemon, milk or cream? Sugar?" She said politely; her every movement filled with grace and elegance.
*What the bloody hell's going on!?* Arcane thought in desperation. "Milk, one sugar." He found himself saying. What was he doing even getting involved in this!? *Because it's a taste of civilisation. There's no pain. It's easy*. Tentatively, he sat down beside her, still keeping a safe bit of distance between them though. *Safe!? In this place? Do yourself a favour!!*
Mrs. Langford stirred the cup a little with a silver spoon, and handed it to Arcane. He looked at in it trepidation. Was it really tea? What would it do to him really? He took it, but as he brought the cup to his lips, he hesitated, looking at it again before putting it down, a sick and almost terror stricken look on his face. He glanced back at Savannah Langford, then back at the cup. He remembered that poison would be appropriate under the circumstances; it would be... ironic; and if there was one thing this place loved, it was irony! He watched Savannah Langford take a sip herself. He wondered: She had poured it from the same pot. *Maybe the sugar's poisoned... or the milk... maybe just mine? Things don't have to be logical here, remember, Anton, remember!*
"You can drink it safely, Doctor." She said calmly; echoing his thoughts; "It isn't poisoned." He looked at her suspiciously. Damn it, he knew only too bloody well that if they wanted it down him, he could take it willingly or they'd force it, followed by the inevitable punishment on top for not taking it willingly. Plucking up courage, he picked up the cup and took a sip.
It was good. No, it was more than good. It was absolutely bloody marvellous! His first drink of tea in over 18 years... *less than two days*, he corrected himself with a shudder. His hand almost shaking from disbelief, he quaffed the tea down hurriedly, without giving dignity a second thought, desperate to finish it before they changed their minds.
"Some more, Doctor?" Savannah asked him. He nodded fervently. As she poured the cup, he looked at her with growing amazement.
"Why are you doing this? Wh...what are you really going to do to me?"
"I'm going to have tea with you, Doctor Arcane. And talk. They said we could have a few moments before I had to go."
"They? But you're one of them?"
Savannah shook her head. Arcane's eyes widened as realisation hit him. In that moment, he almost wished she had been one of THEM.
"My God! Why? You must know that I..."
"...Killed me. Yes, Doctor. I do recall that; as I recall you trying to kill my daughter and kidnapping my grandson. Yes. As events go, they're not the type to slip one's mind either in life or death." She said calmly.
"I would have thought, then, that under the circumstances, you'd be joining in with them; or do I have that to look forward to soon enough?"
"Yes, Doctor...but not from me. There are plenty others here to do just that." Arcane grimaced. He hardly needed reminding. He looked back at Savannah, trying so hard to appraise her.
"How can you be here?" He said, still in a mild state of shock.
"Others have come from outside. The young man who sent you here..."
"...Young man??... Holland, you mean?" Savannah nodded. Arcane raised an eyebrow in curiosity. It was just a description that didn't seem to fit Alec Holland; although he could see how the spirit of an elderly woman might regard him as such.
"I chose to come here from my world in the same way." Savannah explained.
"Why? To gloat? To watch me get what's coming to me? To join in? I imagine your world isn't quite like this?" Arcane said, with the taint of bitterness in his voice. Savannah looked at him carefully, her expression inscrutable.
"Does it give you some small pleasure to feel bitterness towards those who were your victims, when it's you, and only you that's responsible for your current predicament. Doctor Arcane; I, and all those others; we never forced you to kill us, or hurt us, or ruin our lives, did we? But if seeing yourself as a victim and the wronged party gives you some relief from this world, then by all means do so." She took another sip of tea.
"A guilt trip. That's what you're trying to do to me, isn't it? Leave the dirty work for THEM, while you go at my mind, eh?" He snarled angrily, getting up from the sofa and walking a few paces away, pointing an accusatory finger at her.
"If you don't want to talk civilly, Doctor, that IS your prerogative. I may as well return to my world, and let you continue with yours." She said evenly. Arcane swallowed nervously at the thought, and re-seated himself on the sofa, now considerably more subdued.
"NO! Don't go! I...I'm sorry." He forced himself to say.
"For what, Doctor? For that outburst just now? For killing me? For everything else you've ever done?... Or for yourself?"
Arcane said nothing, but continued to look anywhere but directly at her.
"If it makes you feel any better, Doctor Arcane; it gives me no pleasure to see anyone suffer like this." She poured more tea out for him. He watched her, barely believing what she was doing.
"Why did you come then?" He repeated his earlier question, but this time without the bitterness, only self pity and curiosity.
"To understand. To see what kind of a man could possibly do the things you've done."
"Sickens you doesn't it?"
"Who couldn't be sickened by such acts of cruelty?"
"And you still want to talk civilly? What....No feelings of animosity. No bitterness. No anger? Don't you want to hurt me even a little bit? Your grandson's still in that camp, you know?"
A sorrowed look darkened her face; probably the first she'd shown to date. Arcane noticed. "Still no anger then? Surely you must hate me just a little bit? I deserve it, don't I?... at least that's what everyone here would have me believe."
"Not least yourself." She said softly. "No, Doctor Arcane. I don't hate you... I pity you."
"Pity, eh? Well, can your pity help me?" he said glumly, "assuming of course that you'd even want to."
"I can't help you, Doctor."
Arcane closed his eyes tightly. He hadn't really expected a positive answer, but the reply still hit him like a sledgehammer.
"Can't... or won't?"
"Can't." Came her simple reply. He nodded slowly, a tear forming ever so slightly in his eye.
"Is... is there any way out of this place."
"Yes... but not for you, I fear."
"You left your world to come here!" He reasoned desperately.
"My world isn't closed off by beings there to cause me harm. You are a prisoner, Doctor. I am not."
"Holland's been here and back again." He said, clutching at straws.
"He can project his mind between the worlds. "
"Then surely I can learn."
"I've no doubt you could; your capacity to learn was never your problem... but you wouldn't have a body to return to. You can't."
He clenched his fists in frustration.
"Maybe... maybe there's somewhere safe I can hide here?" His face looked eager, yet haunted.
"This world was created for you. It's your Hell, and it moulds itself around you. There was only one safe place, albeit temporary, and you left it, and now even that's gone for you." Arcane shook his head in denial.
"There HAS to be a way? This can't be it! This can't be all I have left? Death after death until oblivion. No! I refuse to believe that. The Universe can't be that pitiless! There must be someone I can appeal to!!"
"There is. Those who keep you here... your echoes."
"WHAT?" He gasped.
"They are the only ones who can choose to show mercy."
"They'd never do that. They want to see me suffer for eternity. I've tried begging them. I've tried..."
"They may grow to hate you less as time goes on; when they feel they've had their revenge; when their desire for it is sated. Some do. Some change their minds, let go of the hatred, and let their charges go to other worlds eventually, instead of destroying them."
Arcane laughed bitterly, "And you think MINE will do that?"
Savannah looked at him and sighed deeply.
"No, Doctor, I do not."
Arcane said nothing. With hands clasped together firmly, he just continued to look down, fighting hard to keep the tears from flowing. "Well, there we have it!" He muttered to himself, trying to take the news stoically and mustering a degree of dignity. Although not a complete failure, He wasn't faring too well.
Savannah stood up. "I didn't come to add to your anguish; but it seems I may have done so. For that I apologise." She said. He looked at her in amazement.
"You're... apologising to me?" He couldn't help but laugh at this. "After everything... YOU'RE apologising to ME!" He looked up at her, shaking his head, before looking downcast again. He paused briefly. "If it means anything at all to you; I'm... I'm...sorry... that I had you killed." He whispered. She looked down at him.
"As am I, Doctor; but if it helps, I forgive you. I have to go now. You may finish the tea before you leave."
"No! Wait!" He cried, knowing what would happen the moment she left.
"I can't stay here," She stated.
"But if you go... if you don't stay... they'll... what are they going to do to me?" He said in a voice breaking with panic.
"My grandson's waiting for you upstairs in his room. Well, Jim... but not Jim. But you do know what I mean? Arcane swallowed in horror.
"No, please... don't let him... Talk to him for me, I beg you... Help me..."
"I can't, Doctor. I'm sorry. I have to go... And so do you. You can go yourself, or they'll send someone to make you. There's nothing I can do. Arcane shivered in dread. He looked up at her one last time.
"What's your echo like?" He asked. "I haven't seen her yet."
"My echo, Doctor? There is no echo here of me."
"Why not?"
"There was nothing inside of me to build one on."
For a moment, Arcane was in silent contemplation;
"But... but there was in Jim?" He eventually murmured in shock.
Savannah remained silent, her expression saying more than words ever could. A single tear rolled down her cheek as she turned and walked away, become insubstantial as she did so, until finally, she was gone.

Arcane was alone again. He looked at the opening to the hallway; that would lead to the stairs; that would lead to the landing; that would lead to the bedroom; that would lead to Jim; that would lead to...
*No!* An icy fear gripped him again. What if he tried to escape again? He did it before, didn't he? *Yes, and look where it got you! Escape? They probably planned it all.* He remembered what Savannah had said. Some showed mercy, didn't they? Surely there couldn't be THAT much hatred in a little boy? Abigail had shown mercy! Maybe he could reason with Jim? *Yes* Jim hadn't hurt him yet had he? It was the others that sent him to that camp, wasn't it? *Sure it was!* Yes, Jim was a boy he'd hurt; *still hurting....badly*; but if he apologised sincerely enough; if he made him know... REALLY convinced him how truly sorry he was, and how much he'd suffered already... Yes, Jim was always a compassionate boy. Perhaps he would go easy on him? He wasn't Tressa, or Graham..or..... Holland!
*Better get it over with, Anton, or they'll come to take you there, and THEY won't go easy on you!*
Shaking, he stood up and made his way to the hall. He looked up the stairs. Each step seemed to last a lifetime as he climbed; the sound of each footstep piercing his soul and assailing his ears like nails hammered into a coffin. He looked across the landing to the end. It wasn't that long, not from what he remembered, but it seemed distorted; stretching for an eternity into darkness. He shivered again, suddenly feeling very, very small and insignificant.
With slow, tentative steps, he inched his way forward, his arms clutched round himself for security. His heart was pounding. He could feel the pumping of blood through the carotid artery in his neck; feel the rhythmic bulging of the vessel as his blood pressure surged to new highs. The sound of his heartbeat seemed to fill his ears. On and on he shuffled. He could taste salt as cold sweat poured from his brow, touching his lips. The tea long forgotten, his throat had dried with the encroaching dread.
He could see the door now, at the end of the landing. Just a plain wooden door. He almost fainted there and then. It was too late to stop the tears coming. Soundlessly, they were flowing freely now, no longer under his control.
He approached the door. Like a frightened schoolboy waiting outside the headmaster's office, he stood there, looking at it as though it were his worst enemy. He reached out, hands shaking uncontrollably. As he did so, he thought he could hear sounds from beyond the door. Talking, yet nobody he recognised, and...music? Other sounds? He shut his eyes and entered.

"Oh hi, Dr. Arcane!" Jim beamed pleasantly at him. He was at the far end of the room; which Arcane couldn't help noticing was much bigger and barer than the original one... and darker. The boy was seated cross-legged in an armchair, a couple of hand remote sets on the arm of his chair, milk and sandwiches on a plate beside him; and he was watching something on a television. Arcane couldn't see what. All he could make out was the back of the set and the ever changing light and reflections from it illuminating Jim's face in a manner that made this unnerving for him.
"They said you'd be coming to visit me." Jim smiled, still watching whatever it was intently.
The pleasantries weren't fooling Arcane for a minute. Without any thought other than the gameplan, he fell to his knees, his hands firmly clasped together in what could almost be prayer, averting his eyes from Jim. *Get in there QUICK, Anton. Don't give him chance to get in first. He may seem harmless, but NOBODY'S harmless here. Now quick! Tell the little brat how sorry you are!*
"Please, Jim, please! I'm sorry, so sorry... for everything I did to you. I swear it. I've learned my lesson! Please, don't hurt me! I beg of you. Please, if you only knew what they've done to me already... Please, just don't hurt me anymore! No more! I'm sorry, I really am truly, truly sorry!!!" He sobbed.
"Have you seen this movie, Doctor Arcane?" Jim chirped up happily, seemingly not noticing the display of abject cringing and grovelling going on before him. With one of the remotes, he lowered the volume just slightly so Arcane would hear him better.
"Huh?" This seemed to throw Arcane off his stride. *Damn* He thought he'd been doing rather well.
"Please, Jim. Please forgive me, PLEASE!" He remained on his knees, firmly sticking with his scheme. All right, so there may have been a fair amount of acting going on here, but it wasn't even as though he'd had to fake the fear. That was there perfectly genuinely, in vast amounts, without any conscious effort on his part.
"I think you'd like it. It's, like, really awesome!" Jim exclaimed, his eyes widening in glee at something happening onscreen. Arcane looked up finally. It was like the boy wasn't even listening to a word he said! Arcane just stared at him. Jim pressed another control on the remote, seemingly pausing the image, which he looked at with interest. All Arcane could see was Jim.
"Er, Jim?" Arcane said cautiously. The fear had developed a slightly irritated edge to it.
"Yeah?" Jim replied casually. Well, at least the little sod WAS listening.
"Did you... er... did you hear what I said, Jim?" Arcane said in the meekest voice imaginable.
"About being sorry and all that... Oh yeah."
"You do believe me, don't you Jim. I SWEAR I'm not lying to you. I am truly, truly sorry!" Arcane laid it on thickly.
"Sure, Doctor Arcane. I know you're sorry. I guess if I'd been through what you've been through, I'd be kinda really sorry too." Jim said casually. "This movie really is ace! It's the business!"
"You're.. er.. you're not going to hurt me.... are you? You... you wouldn't do that, would you, Jim?" He attempted a trademark smile, although the best he could manage was a limp, pale imitation of it's former glory.
"I shouldn't really be watching this. I'm not old enough, but it's so wicked!" Jim exclaimed; "I mean, Mom'd throw a fit if she knew I was watching this stuff! You gotta be over 18 and all. You wouldn't tell her, would you, Doctor Arcane?"
"Oh no, Jim... NEVER! You're secret's safe with me....trust me." Arcane said with as much intense sincerity as he could muster.
"Thanks, Doctor Arcane." Jim smiled reassuringly. Arcane finally got up off his knees, and stood before the boy.
"What... what are you going to do with me, Jim?" He asked, looking humble and wringing his hands. He dreaded asking, but felt compelled to.
"It's got this lead character that's one majorly cool dude!" Jim gushed.
*Really, how bloody interesting! We're talking about my eternal damnation here and you want to watch a sodding movie!* His mind snarled.
"That's erm, fascinating, Jim." He said pleasantly.
"Have you seen it, Doctor Arcane?" Jim asked him.
"I..I don't know." Arcane admitted, shrugging; oblivious to whatever the hell Jim was even watching. It wasn't exactly the highest thing in his train of thought at the moment.
"This lead character, like, he's dressed in this cool leather dress."
"That's, er, nice." Arcane indulged in the smalltalk, giving a perplexed expression.
"Sort of black and shiny, with red bits showing.
"Red bits?" Arcane looked puzzled.
"Yeah, and he's bald, with blue skin...and these awesome pins that like stick out of his head." Arcane took a little step back, gulping. Maybe it was his imagination, but he thought he caught there merest glint in Jim's eye... It made his blood run cold.
"He's got all these fancy saws and knives on his belt. He's amazing. Have you seen it, Doctor Arcane?"
"Not as such, but I think I may have an inkling of what you mean, Jim." Arcane said with mounting apprehension.
"Pity. You'd like it. I think it's the kind of movie you'd like, anyway. You used to like cutting up things. Yeah, I think you'd like this." Arcane took another step back. That smile again. Those wide eyes... just a bit too wide and gleeful at what it was watching.
"There's this puzzle box, see, and when you play with it, this guy appears. And he's got friends. They're cool too! You can see what they're like on the inside... it's amazing! And then there's these chains, with big hooks. They're the coolest bits of all! They just come out of nowhere and they... It's REALLY awesome!!"
Arcane was sweating profusely now. What was he to do? He couldn't leave. He daren't bloody stay!!
"Doctor Arcane?"
"Y..Yes, Jim." He stammered.
"Do you want to stay and watch it with me?" The boy said, in just a slightly slower, darker tone than before.
*If I say yes, it's the cue to do something to me* Arcane knew deep down.
"Erm...why...why don't I leave just you to enjoy it on your own; and I...I swear I won't mention a thing to your... your mother... if I see here."
"When."
"Eh?"
"When you see her, Doctor Arcane." Jim said cheerfully. "You said 'if'. You meant 'when' didn't you?"
"Of course. Silly slip of the tongue. WHEN I see your mother."
"Sure you don't want to stay and watch?" Jim said absently.
"I'm..er, positive. I'll pass... thank you though for offering.... Thank you." He said, backing off slowly, as though to leave.
"Pity." Jim said casually, stopping him in his tracks. "We'd have had fun watching it together. And you'd have been OK. But now I guess if you're not going to watch it with me, you're just gonna have to be in it." Arcane's eyes widened.
A snaking sound to his left made him turn. Then his right. All around him, dozens of chains were whipping out from nowhere, as though possessed of a life all their own. Each was tipped in a deadly barbed hook. They flew through the air, directly for him.

Jim took the video off pause. He sat back, helping himself to a glass of milk by his chair. He got comfortable and watched in glee.
From outside, on the landing, sounds cut through the air of chains snaking and whipping; of flesh being rended; and of agonised, piercing shrieks. Soon, blood began flowing freely from under the door itself; a thick pool oozing slowly along the landing.
Back inside the room, Jim got more relaxed and turned up the volume with the remote, helping himself to a sandwich.
"This is the best bit!" He smiled with glee; hitting the rewind button.
"I could just watch this bit over and over and over..."


"So? What now?" Graham shrugged, looking at Alec. "Do you have some idea of what to do, or are we to spend eternity down here just standing in this room?"
"The sarcasm isn't appreciated, Graham." Alec muttered.
"Well I for one want to know what the hell's happening to Doctor Arcane. Where are they taking him? What are they going to do to him? I don't know about you, but I'm going to look for him."
"And if you find him, what will you do?"
"A damned sight more than you obviously would."
"Don't do anything foolish, Graham. I warn you."
"As opposed to you who won't do anything, foolish or otherwise. Thanks for the warning, Holland, but I'll take my chances. Dr. Arcane needs me. He needs YOU, but I guess I'll just have to do. Thanks for all your help!"
Without another word, Graham turned and left.
Alec watched him go with concern. The man was bound to get himself into trouble. And if he found Arcane...? Well, he wouldn't be happy at what he found, that much was certain. What could he do for Arcane anyway? He should never have brought Graham here. He was beginning to wonder why he'd even come himself since it didn't look likely that he could do anything, let alone Graham. All he needed now was for him to annoy the echoes and become a victim himself. Well, he'd given him fair warning. It wasn't his responsibility, was it?
"Urrr... I'll probably regret this!" He muttered under his breath, as he turned and left the room to look for Graham and Arcane.


Alive again.
Dr. Arcane tumbled down the stairs with a series of resounding thuds before he landed at the bottom, the atmosphere of the dollhouse-like abode swirling away before him, leaving him back where he started in the orange daylight on that filthy street. He rolled over on his back and moaned.
"Well, well, well, look what we have here!" Another mutated victim of some sort of gene-splicing mishap grinned toothily down into a rapidly paling face. The mutant tapped his clawed foot impatiently. "Do you even remember my name?" he spat.
Arcane's eyes rolled over the creature frantically, staring at its features; basically still human, clawed toes and fingers, pointed ears, some orangish fur, a lashing tail; and couldn't remember. He wracked his mind and memory for an answer and came up completely dry.
"Of course you don't," the mutant muttered in a smarmy kind of way. "You didn't *concern* yourself with that kind of thing when you were torturing us, and yes, it hurt reeeeeal bad..." He pointed a finger at Arcane warningly as the scientist opened his mouth to say something. "No, I don't want to hear it, Doctor." His voice switched into a sort of croon as he crouched down by the prisoner. “Are you going to beg, Doctor? Are you going to cry?" He stood back up with a far harsher demeanour. "Save your energy! You'd better just curl up into one of those little balls like you always do and bite your lip 'till its over while you pray." He turned around with his back to the doctor, stopped, and turned back again. "Wait a minute!"
Arcane froze. "Put your arms at your sides. I want you to keep your hands still. I don't WANT you protecting yourself with your arms! No curling up inside yourself to hide from us. Uh-uh." As Arcane started to scuttle away, the mutant snarled, impassioned. "Don't MOVE! Freeze!" He stopped and paused with a little smile. "I always wanted to say that. Makes me sound like a cop, doesn't it?" He glared back down at Arcane. "DON'T MOVE. *WE* didn't get to move, to run away, when we were trapped like animals back at your house of horrors, at your... mercy." He spat the last word out distastefully. A slow grin spread across the mutant's face. "You liked it so much, didn't you? You liked the pain... you hurt inside, of course, so you wanted to feel so powerful... and you took it out on all of us." Arcane shook his head frantically but only received a kick to his stomach. "HEY! I said don't move! Got that?"
Arcane tried to stay calm. This was okay. This was all right. Just listen to the mutant's tirade, stay motionless, and he wouldn't get hurt. Just a lecture. That was all. Just a lecture.
"Ho no Brit-boy, don't think you're getting off THAT easy!" grinned the mutant. It kicked him again and Arcane whimpered as the foot struck a bruised bone. "Now," it hissed, "Just so you know how it feels to be abused..."
One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine.
Arcane bit his lip tightly as it bled, closing his eyes.
Ten. Eleven. Twelve. Thirteen. Fourteen. Fifteen. Sixteen. Seventeen. Eighteen. Ninet--
The reflex snapped; Arcane hunched his shoulders up and turned his head away. The flinch was an accident -- all he could process in his mind was that a large, fist-shaped object was drawing back once more to strike him again. He couldn't think, he could only do. "You flinched," accused the mutant. "That's not fair."
"...AUGH..."
"And you screamed. I told you, be quiet and stay still!"
"AIIEE... AIEE... please... unh... unh... pl... n..."
Kick Kick Kick Kick Kick Kick Kick. "Do you have a problem, Arcane?"
Arcane flinched again. "No!" His body overcame with shaking.
"How long is this going to take, Arcane?" the mutant snarled. "I've got places to go, Doctor, people to see! I don't have time to sit around beating you up all day. Just take your due like a man, all right?"
He couldn't. It was impossible. He made a mask over his visage with interlocking fingers. "Not my face! Oh God, not my face!"
"Shut up."
"OW! OW OW it hurts AUGH...!"
Eventually, he was left alone, he didn't know when, he wasn't thinking about it. Quiet little footsteps came very close to his ears and he shuddered. Painfully, he rolled his eyes upward in their sockets. The victim was --
Jim?! He was going to hyperventilate.
No, not Jim. Young, with light coloured hair, but not Jim -- the thatch of blonde was actually lighter than Jim's. And this boy was older -- not even a boy anymore, really, but a very young man. He was thin as a reed, his sombre face drawn and scarred with off-coloured lesions and other such lab accidents. He didn't say anything, just looked at Arcane and waited. Arcane scuttled away with a frightened little gasp. "I... I... I... I... I..."
The victim's voice was very quiet. "You what?"
Arcane drew a few slow, deep breaths. "May I go to a hospital?"
"I'm... I'm not h-here to t-t-take you to a h-hospital." The victim with the stutter paused and regarded Arcane for a moment before making ready to speak again, when his erstwhile tormentor interrupted.
"They hit me." The scientist's voice was quavering. "They kicked me... The beatings..." He screwed his eyes closed tight. "Oh God, they beat me." A shiver ran through his entire body. "I tried to beg them. I begged for mercy, in tears I begged, I screamed so loud and I begged them to stop hitting me, but they wouldn't... Mercy." He shook his head at the word. "Did you know that 'mercy' changes here after a period of time? You don't know what mercy is now. I--" He drew in a deep, shaky breath as if fighting tears. "I begged them to stop striking me with that club, to just hit me with their fists, just hit me with their fists, but not the club, no more club..." His eyes were staring deep into space, into nothing. "But they never have mercy, they never listen to you. They don't stop when you scream and tell them you can't breathe. They never stop the beatings, and you say that you're terribly sorry just so that perhaps they might stop, but they don't." Hot tears pricked his eyes. He blinked them back. "And you won't either, will you? You'll start hitting me and you won't stop, even if I beg you and beg you." He clenched his shaking fists at his sides, his nails digging deep into the palms of his hands. Biting his lip, Arcane looked up quickly at the young mutant and then looked away. "But... before you torture me--" He stared up at the boy with pleading, tear-filled eyes. "Please -- can I s-sleep?" His voice was beyond desperate. "I... They... they never let me sleep, they get so angry... please, you must, you--" He hung his head and looked away again, biting his knuckle and closing his eyes tightly. "You can b-beat me while I sleep," he whispered. "You can hit me... I can't do anything to stop you, really." He stared up at the mutant again. "But please, just for a few minutes, I beg you. Before you start to torture me. I need to sleep, I'm exhausted. They never allow me. They punish me so horribly when I fall asleep on them... Please. Please. I beg you." He buried his face in his hands and his shoulders started to shake gently. "Please!"
"I d-don't need to p-punish you," the young mutant said quietly. "N-not anymore." Arcane stared. The mutant began again. "I'm here to t-take you to G-Graham; he's g-going to figure out w-what to d-do with y-y-you."
Arcane stifled a cry. "NO!"
The mutant nodded. "Yes."
There was no choice in the matter.
None whatsoever.


Thank all the Fates that no one had seen it leave. They were much too busy devising more tortures for its erstwhile charge. Fete peered into the distance and saw a figure moving away from the building. The shadow jogged, almost floating, it may have seemed to an onlooker not native to this soul's wasteland, light as air. It gained on the reed-thin figure quickly.
"Wait! Please wait."
The young mutant stopped. Fete winced at the damage inflicted to the creature's face. *Poor thing...* It reached out a hand. "Here, let me --"
The young man flinched away. "N-no, I... I d-don't n-need you to."
*Premature. Too forward,* Fete chastised itself. It stopped and looked apprehensively at the building. "Is... he in there?"
The young man bit his lip and didn't say anything.
Fete stared at him with a growing look of desperation it had never needed or felt before. "Please. I know your hatred doesn't burn like the others'."
The mutant nodded slowly. "Y-yes. He... he is."
Fete nodded, bowing its head in a gesture of heart-felt thanks. It's eyes flicked back up again to the creature's face. "Are you quite certain that you don't wish me to... ?" it asked gently.
The boy nodded, silent as he watched it go.


Graham paced in front of his charge like a general in front of his troops, boots echoing dully against the floor. "Well, well, well," he began, his face full of latent, even menace as Arcane averted his eyes in haste. "It seems that Dr. Holland helped Fete. Isn't that nice, Arcane? He helped Fete out when it was in trouble. You know Fete, don't you?" His voice was silky soft. Graham grasped the doctor's chin roughly, peering deep into his eyes. "Yeah, you've met." He released Arcane's face, shaking his hand a little as if to release any little cooties or Arcane-germs from it, continuing his pacing. "And Fete helped *you*. So..." And he savoured his words. "By helping out Fete -- who helped you -- it seems that Holland has assured that Fete can help you again. Which means -- indirectly -- he helped *you*. Which means he interfered with ME." Graham looked up at Arcane with those mournful, puppy-dog eyes. "And I told Holland that if he interfered and helped you, you'll get whatever I'm going to do to you a hundredfold."
Arcane stared into space. He walked straight past Graham, straight across the room, shakily to the opposite far wall where he rested his forehead, closed his eyes, and sobbed in abandon.
Arcane felt a strong hand rest comfortingly on his shoulder.
"Doctor, Doctor... you're crying because you know it's going to hurt so much, aren't you?" Arcane just continued to cry. He felt a hand stroke the top of his head gently. "There, there, Doctor Arcane. With the pain threshold you're starting to acquire, it might not be quite as agonising. Close, but not quite."
Arcane sobbed even harder. Graham continued to stroke his hair gently. "There there. Shhh. Shhh. You have to save your energy. You're going to scream a lot."
The doctor tried to choke back his tears, shaking his head desperately.
Graham nodded every time Arcane shook his head, overlapping the whispers of "no" with gentle, firm insistings of "yes". He took Arcane's chin in his hand, forcing him to tilt his head back ever-so-slightly. "Yes," he repeated, looking Arcane deep in the eye.
Arcane's eyes darted around, flicking up and down, side to side, knowing to avert his eyes as a precaution, but too frightened to look away.
"Face the music, Doctor," Graham said.
Arcane felt his body snap as he got slammed back excruciatingly hard into the wall. He kept his mouth clamped shut as fire seared up his spine. *DON'T scream, they make a meal of it when you scream, musn't scream, musn't musn't mustn't--*
"I can hear you, you know," Graham spat contemptuously, growling in Arcane's face. "And that isn't helping you one bit." He tilted his head slightly, pausing for a minute. "I heard something crack. What was it, Arcane?"
Arcane froze, half-way between leaning fully with his back to the wall and sinking to the floor. The position was not a comfortable one. He didn't dare to move.
"I - I - I don't know," he stammered, cursing himself in the next split second for not remembering to enunciate clearly enough for Graham. Graham wasn't listening, however. He grinned cruelly as if he were a very hungry shark.
"Oh, come on, Arcane. You're a doctor -- *were* a doctor. You should know which bone breaks when I break 'em." Each word got darker as each footstep got closer.
Arcane's mind raced as he sank to the ground fully, trying hard to think. Graham leaned over him and he flinched.
The shade growled, punctuating his thoughts with his boot against a bruised stomach, tender ribs. "Garbage doesn't speak. Garbage doesn't move." THUD. "Under*stand*?"
Arcane doubled in half and flinched again.
Graham let out a noise of pure disgust. "Do you even listen?!" He kicked him again, pulling Arcane's head back by the hair. "No, you don't. Do you know how frustrated and upset that always made me back Up There, Arcane? Do you know how ANGRY it makes me now?"
Arcane nodded tearfully.
Something cracked. There was a low, animalistic whimper. "Well, *Doctor*," Graham snarled, taking a few steps back and appraising his prisoner. "Would you like to enlighten me? I'm sure you think of me as quite a cretin since I'm really not sure what bone I just broke. Why don't you tell me?"
"...hunh... hunh... hunh..." *Don't give in to him. Don't give in to him. Stay quiet. Don't play. You don't have to play.*
*Oh yes you do, *Doctor*! You’ll play as much as I want you to play. You’ll tell me, because every time you don’t... or if you get one single one wrong... I’ll break each and every one in your body! And don’t think you’re going to get off lightly by falling unconscious. I’m not gonna let that happen. Got it!? Now WHAT was it!?”
“Hum... Humerus!” Arcane gasped weakly.
“Good boy, Doctor. Now why’s it called the humerus? What’s it’s other name? What do lay people or cretins like you call it?”
“Ungghh.... the... funny bone...”
“Very good. Yes, the funny bone. And that’s really quite appropriate, isn’t it, *doctor*? Isn’t this funny?... You’re not laughing, Doctor. Why aren’t you laughing?” Arcane choked back tears of agony, clutching his shattered arm. He looked up at Graham, who stared down at him gleefully. He watched the man reach into his lab coat and produce a heavy looking iron bar, which he proceeded to tap lightly on one hand. He grinned wickedly at Arcane.
“Ready for some rapid fire questioning, *doctor*? I want those answers coming fast, without my even asking. However bad it’s going to get, if you don’t, it’ll be worse... *much* worse.” He gave a cold laugh.
Arcane felt searing hot agony shoot through his body and the bar smashed down onto his kneecaps.
“Patellas!” He screamed. Graham smiled approvingly, strolling round his victim like a hungry predator. Arcane flinched before anything else had happened. Without warning, the bar slammed down onto his left hand, crushing the fingers.
“Aaahh..... left..left metatarsals and ::::gasp:::: phlanges..aahh!!!” Graham nodded in approval, selecting something else. A foot slammed hard, twice, into Arcane’s chest, followed by a crack with the bar.
“:::::gasp::::: Xiphi... aaaahhh!!!....Ungghh.... Xiphisternum!!...”
“Very good, Doctor. Now STAND UP!”
Shaking in fear and pain, Arcane staggered to his feet, forcing himself through the pain of his broken kneecaps. Graham continued to pace around him like a sergeant major, the now bloodied iron bar resting over his shoulder.
Striking with the speed of a coiled snake, the bar whipped round, striking Arcane at the base of his spine, sending his screaming to his shattered knees.
“Aaaggghh!!..... ::::gasp::::: Coccyx!!... ::::gasp:::::”
Out of Arcane’s sight, Graham seemed to choose his next spot carefully. The bar whipped out again, with just a little less force this time....just enough for a small fracture to the back of Arcane’s skull. The Doctor fell forward with a cry, but unconsciousness wouldn’t claim him.
For a few seconds Arcane couldn’t see or speak from the pain. “Occipital... Occipital bone...” He sobbed weakly.
“Wrong!” Came a snarled answer. Arcane’s eyes widened in fear.
“No...No... it...it was the Occipital bone!!” He cried.
“Yeah, but I was aiming for the Parietal bone!” Graham laughed cruelly. “And now it looks like you’re trying to tell me I’m wrong, isn’t that right, *doctor*!?
“No..No... I...*I’m* wrong... please...”
“Too late, Doctor. You’re trying to tell me YOU know better. Well, I’m a good student. In fact, why don't you give me a WHOLE anatomy lesson? Sound good?"


Graham was beginning to get beside himself. He'd been looking for ages, and not a sign of the Doctor. Not a sign of anybody. Every room he'd tried had been completely empty.
"Dr. Arcane?" He shouted. No answer. "Dr. Arcane!" He tried again. Still no answer.
"Hey, I know you, don't I?" A young voice called out behind him. Graham spun round.
"Where's Dr. Arcane?" Graham recovered from his initial shock and got straight to the point.
"Yeah, I remember you now. You're one of those goons who kidnapped me, aren't you? You left me in that hole; and you worked for Dr. Arcane." Jim looked at him appraisingly.
"Yeah, well unless you want kidnapping again, you little brat, you'll tell me where Dr. Arcane is!" He snarled. Jim just smiled.
"You're a live person, aren't you? I mean like this isn't your Hell, is it?" He said lightly. Graham just shook his head.
"Lucky you. I guess you don't get to come to places like this for a little while yet, do you? You get to go back home. That's cool, I guess."
"Where is he?" Graham said, advancing on the boy.
"5th on the right." Jim said casually. Graham glanced ahead.
"I tried that only a few minutes ago." He said in a bewildered tone.
"Yeah, well it was probably a different room then. This place is ace. It changes."
"5th on the right?" Graham checked with him.
"Yeah, you've got it. Send Dr. Arcane my best wishes." He started to walk away from Graham, then turned, with a big grin on his face and a cheery wave.
"See you later."

Shaking off the feeling that someone had just walked over his grave, Graham approached the door in question. He fully expected the awful little rugrat to have been lying, but as he got close, the door opened itself. His face froze in a combination of horror and hatred as his double stepped out, closing the door behind him. They both stood facing each other in the corridor; Graham rigid in preparation; the double just propping itself against the wall in a relaxed fashion, removing a packet of cigarettes and a matchbox from it's pocket. He casually selected one, and put the packet back.
"Is.. is he in there?" Graham spoke first, albeit very icily. The echo just smiled evilly, nodding.
"I want to see him... I insist on seeing him!" He told the echo forcefully. It still said nothing, just grinning broadly and chuckling to itself. It gave a slight gesture of it's hand, to indicate that he could help himself and go on in. Graham looked suspicious. With a final look, the double struck the match and sauntered away, leaving Graham alone at the door.
"Have fun!" It shouted back with a cackle of glee putting the cigarette to it's lips and lighting it; "I know I did."

Graham half closed his eyes as he opened the door, preparing to look into the room. He didn't know what to expect, but he knew it would be bad. He had to be prepared for it, whatever it was. He had to be strong for Dr. Arcane, didn't he? He was no use to him as a quivering wreck now, was he?
He opened his eyes.
Less than a few seconds later, the entire contents of Graham's gut were in a pile on the corridor floor. The assistant shut the door firmly without ever going in. He was on his knees, continuing to retch despite nothing there being nothing left to come up; and fighting back tears, bile dripping from his mouth and nose, and burning his throat.
He staggered to his feet, getting out a handkerchief to wipe himself clean. He clenched his fist, bringing it to his mouth where he bit softly on it.
"Bastards! Filthy evil bastards!" He gave a broken snarl. He stood up straight and took a few deep breaths to calm himself. No way was he any use to Dr. Arcane like this. *Pull yourself together, Graham! You knew it was going to be bad.*
He waited a moment to regain some sort of composure, then with a final deep breath, opened the door and entered with forced confidence.

Arcane was huddled naked in the corner; his entire body a mass of welts, lacerations and bruises. Graham screwed his eyes tighter. He thought he could see quite a few cigarette burns as well. Blood spattered the walls around him, and formed streaks and puddles on the floor. The left side of Arcane's head was flowing copiously with blood. As Graham approached, he grimaced, forcing a new wave of bile back down his throat. He was looking at an object some two metres away from Arcane. Small, roughly spherical, and mostly white flecked with red. He got nearer, and touched it with his foot gently to move it. As it rolled towards him, he gagged again and almost jumped backwards.
What kind of blow forces an eyeball out of it's socket and two metres away?
That wasn't the worst bit though. It was the way Dr. Arcane was positioned. All his limbs seemed to hang limp; at angles limbs shouldn't hang at. There was at least two ribs protruding out from his chest; and both his forearms were almost snapped in two, again, the bones jutting out noticeably from the flesh. They weren't the only breaks, Graham knew; only the most obvious.
*Ohgodohgodohgodohgodohgod* His mind shouted over and over to itself.
"Dr. Arcane?" He whispered, gently as possible, reaching out to touch him, although trying carefully to find a piece of skin to touch that wouldn't cause the Doctor more pain.
He couldn't.
Arcane didn't stir. "Dr. Arcane?" He said again, a little louder. Still no response.
"Dr. Arcane!" He finally said in a normal voice. There was a slight shudder from the form.
"Doctor?" He said again, pleased at getting a response.
Something seemed to snap Arcane instantly awake. With a gasp, he turned his head to stare at Graham with his one remaining eye. It widened, and despite the pain, forced himself to shuffle back, pinning himself against the wall. He looked down, averting his eye.
"I... I'm.... sorry...doctor.... I'll...never sleep..sleep again.... don't hit me again, please don't hit me again, pleasepleasepleaseplease!"
Graham took a step back in horror.
"Dr. Arcane. It's me, Graham." He said gently.
"Yes... yes... Doctor Graham.... please don't hit me, Doctor Graham, Sir... Don't, beg...you...please...don't...hit...don't..." Arcane was uncontrollably crying like a baby at his feet. He knelt down by the Doctor, putting a hand to his head gently.
"No Doctor, it's me... Graham." Arcane didn't seem to notice. He just continued to flinch away and cry and beg, almost as if on autopilot rather than even seeing what was going on.
Realisation dawned on Graham. "You think... You think I'm... Oh my god!" He closed his eyes. He'd never get through to Doctor Arcane like this; not when he was convinced he was that thing that had left the room before him... The thing that had done all this. Whatever he said, the Doctor would view it as some sort of trick that would result in more... more of that. *He thinks I'M capable of that! How's he ever going to trust me again!?*
He stood up and backed away.
"I'm sorry, Doctor, I'm so sorry.... I'll get help, I promise, I'll get some help, somehow." He whispered, before hurrying out of that hellhole of a room.


"Holland! HOLLAND!! Holland, where the hell are you!!" Graham was shrieking, kicking open each and every door he came across. "Holland!!!"
"Graham." A calm voice ahead of him made him stop.
"You've GOT to come with me, NOW! If you really meant what you said about giving any sort of help, Holland, you'll come right now!"
"You've found him, I take it." Alec spoke rhetorically. "I doubt there is anything I can do."
"Just bloody come will you!" Graham snarled through his tears. "If you don't, you're no better than they are!"
This seemed to make Alec react. With a sigh, he approached the man and followed.
"I knew I'd regret this!" he murmured.


Graham had warned him to expect the worst, but Alec was still shocked by what he saw when he entered the room. He had to admit, he hadn't expected it to be quite this bad. He looked at Arcane's broken body in horror and pity.
"Arcane?"
The doctor just whimpered.
"I am not going to hurt you."
There were more whimpers and frightened crying.
"I said that I was not going to hurt you."
Eye closed tight. "No, Tressa, please!"
"I am not Tressa. You can see me."
"Tressa, I beg you. No, no, no. No, no, no. NO!" He closed his eye, shook his head, and murmured "no" over and over and over.
*Snap out of it, Arcane,* Alec thought with impatience. *Snap out of it before I do something that I'll feel guilty about. I cannot stand it. I want to hit him. I want to hit him. I should not. I cannot. I want to hit him.*
Well, this was just a fine how-d'you-do. He couldn't go on doing this. He had to regain his strength and leave this place. He couldn't take it anymore. His scruples couldn't take the strain.
His ears perked up a little as Arcane made some unidentifiable sounds.
"I'll be good, Alec..." came a tiny little whisper.
Alec was understandably shocked. "What?"
"I'll be good... ever so good... please... Alec..." Tears that Arcane couldn't hold back for the life of him were running down his face. He seemed to be quietly hysterical. "I, I, I, I'll do whatever you say... please just heal me a little. AUGHHhhhH... it hurts, it hurts a lot, please take the pain away. Just for a minute, *please* -- you can let it wear off. Please, it hurts so much." He closed his eye tightly, his voice getting even more broken. "I'll be good to you. I won't harm your precious swamp ever again."
He curled over, fighting to keep from letting out the whimper that wanted desperately to escape.
Alec wanted to die right then. "I... I... I... I..."
Arcane looked up as if something had just dawned on him. "Right. You can't." He shook his head. "You can't. That's the way it is, isn't it, then?" His voice had taken a bitter edge, and he seemed about to add a sardonic remark before he paled and looked stricken. The doctor put his head between his knees with a little moan. He screwed his eye up tight and tried to keep from embarrassing himself again.
The attempt might have worked if his victims hadn't come back at that moment. Alec felt his stomach churn as he squeezed his eyes shut.
"HURTS!" screamed Arcane. "Hurts, it hurts, it hurts..."
"Yeah," muttered a mutant. "We know."
"Please stop!!"
"No."
Arcane crumpled up in a little shaking heap, screaming names and prayers and unidentifiable things. Sometimes he screamed for his wife; sometimes his mother; sometimes Graham; sometimes Alec thought he heard his name.
There was a tiny moan.
"...lek..."
"Huh?" went one of the mutants.
"...alec..."
The guardian of the swamp shuddered as the sound of his own name cut through him like a hot knife. "I. Can't."
There was another little moan.
"...pain..."
"Yes." He pushed past the other freaks. "Yes, I know you are in pain."
"...home..."
"You cannot go home. You are dead."
Arcane sobbed quietly. His body was on fire. He could barely breathe. He couldn't even feel his legs. He needed medical attention, painkillers, something, anything.
"Home!" he cried again. He wanted to go home. He wanted to go home and sleep in his bed and be alive so that someone could make him all better. Either that or he wanted to die again, sans afterlife. Just blackness and peace.
"You cannot, Arcane. I *am* sorry. You died."
There was a pause.
"...hospital..."
Alec was confused. "I don't think there are any here."
"I need a doctor. I need a doctor. They hurt me. They hurt me so much. It's horrible. It hurts. Please it hurts." He was completely delirious. "I need a doctor, a doctor that isn't me..." Something punched him. His head lolled.
"Tell it to someone who cares, Arcane," one of the mutants muttered.
"..they're hurting me again," Arcane whimpered. "Make them stop, make it stop, take pity. For once, take pity on me. I'm sorry about... L-linda... I'm so sorry..." He coughed up blood and shrieked again. "SORRY! Sorry, I'm sorry, please believe me, please..." He covered his head with his hands in vain. "Mother... Mother, I'll be good..."
One of the mutants turned to the other. "This is too irritating. Let's wait until he stops screaming."
The others nodded, and left to take a break from their mind-consuming vengeance. Alec stepped forward a little closer.
"Arcane."
There was tiny, tiny little voice. "please stop kicking me."
"No one is kicking you right now."
"mercy"
Alec sighed heavily and shook his head. He couldn't get through to the man when he was like this. There wasn't a chance. He turned to go, trying to stop feeling so sick. A whisper halted him.
"holland?"
"Yes...?"
Arcane opened his swollen, blackened eye weakly. His voice was nothing but a tortured whisper. "Did you know that sometimes when they hit you, you start to fly away to a place where they can't hurt you? It's safe there, but you can only stay for a little while." He closed his eye again. "Have you ever been there, Holland?"
Alec opened his mouth, frozen.
A smile spread across Arcane's face and he hummed in pleasure. "I'm going there... right now..."
He was a plant, but it didn't matter. Alec staggered down the corridor and threw up.


*Safe. I'm safe. Nothing can hurt me. Nothing can touch me at all. Safe. It's dark. So dark. Peace. Peace. No one can hurt me here.*
Cool hands slowly crept across his chest and around his neck; he did not notice as burning within him stilled. Small droplets of water melted on him, dissolving quickly; fingers trailed gently down where his eye should have been. More tiny droplets evaporating quickly on his skin. A cooling warmth flowed through his face, caressing his mind.
"no!" a tiny voice whispered before footsteps scuttled away and the room was still. He sighed into the darkness.
A back door that was not there before slammed open.
“Hello, Doctor. Ready for some more?” Two voices cackled maliciously.


“Well, well, well, don’t tell me it’s actually getting through to the great Dr. Alec Holland!” A bitterly smug voice drawled from behind Alec, accompanied by a slow clapping of the hands for a few times. Alec turned.
“Graham.” He said evenly.
“NOW, do you finally understand!?” Graham snapped at him. “Did it have to take all this before you’d finally do something? You saw what was in there. That’s all YOUR fault, Holland! Now you’d better damn well do something about it!”
“You don’t make demands of me, Graham.” Alec lost his patience and snapped at the man, advancing angrily. Graham stood his ground firmly, seething.
“I just did, Holland! You seem to let everyone else here push you around and tell you what to do. Why not me? You said you came to help. Prove it!!”
Alec’s anger subsided. He had no right to react that way towards Graham. He had promised to help. He had brought the man here. He did send Arcane here. He definitely had to do something; yet there was nothing he could do. He was still, all things considered, at a complete loss. Well, it may not be the answer, but there was one thing he could do; and something he should have done earlier. He could heal Arcane at least. It wouldn’t last. They’d come along and do it all again; but at least he’d be healed for now.
“Holland...” Graham started to say something, then stopped himself. *Not yet, Graham. Not yet. Just a little longer. Bide your time. He could still say no, and then you’ve lost that for good*
“I’ll heal him, Graham.” Alec finally spoke to the assistant; “But after that, there is nothing I can do. I cannot protect him here forever. Unless they release him, one way or another, there’s nothing I can do.” He turned and walked back along the corridor towards the door.
“Don’t bet on that, Holland,” Graham whispered softly to himself.

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