Marvel 2000 Proudly Presents...

# 10
Written by Anthony Crute

1st National bank, 12th street…

Dakota North edged past the police car that blocked her path. She kept her eyes firmly planted on a cop who was keeping members of the public and reporters back from the scene of the crime.

It had been five days since she had her meeting with Len at his office. He was her ex…of sorts, the two had never really ‘officially’ dated. Five days ago he had called her and paid her a retainer instantly before he even divulged what the job was. Dakota obviously handed it straight back and wanted the facts on the case, she wasn’t dumb enough to jump into any case based on a wad of notes waved under her face. She didn’t feel insulted by Len’s actions, he knew she was a woman of principle he probably just wanted the wheels moving as quickly as possible.

She picked her way between a few barricades which surrounded the pavement outside of the bank. She kept her eyes on the distracted officer. The last thing she needed was to be spotted. Once she made it onto the pavement she glanced at the large glass entrance to the bank and headed in the opposite direction. She got to the corner of the bank and turned into the small alleyway next to it. The alley wasn’t really an alley in the classical sense, it only went in about 10 feet before coming to a solid brick wall with a large metal door. She began to make for it.

Len had given her the information on the case…or at least some of it. She had checked it out and found it mostly to be accurate though he did tinge it with aggression and dislike for the man he sent her after.

Johann Fennhoff AKA Dr Faustus was a psychiatrist. He had at one time or another fought half of the superheroes in the damn city or had orchestrated some difficulty for them via his army of manipulated followers. He had come to Len’s attention when he appeared on a talk show and slated the green haired superhero (however subtly) and flaunted his ability to cure other villains.

Len didn’t trust him a damn bit. Having seen the video of the interview Dakota couldn’t help but shake a feeling of mistrust either. She was generally a good judge of character, it had led her well in her modelling career and added to her leaving the ‘biz’ behind. The amount of good people were always low but when they became unnoticeable it was time to leave…it wasn’t the only catalyst to the situation but it added to it.

The life of a private detective hadn’t really redressed the balance. Scum bag after scum bag found themselves with Dakota on their tail but the times she was set there by an honestly good person somehow managed to keep her coming back. Len was one of these people, sure he was blinkered in this case with anger but the fact was she felt he was on to something.

Once the data gathering portion of her investigation was completed which involved her bunging a technopathic mutant a $50 dollar bill she had read every scrap of information on Fennhoff and the three patients who he had been flaunting on television Slither, Mr Hyde and Shotgun.

She had read arrest reports, interview transcripts, late library books, SHIELD classified files, School reports and anything else which happened to be out there. She wasn’t a psychologist like her client or her target but she had always had a pretty good grasp on people and now she had a pretty good grasp on who these men were and what they were like.

The next stage with multiple targets was always the same. She gave her technopathic buddy a couple of extra dollars and he kept his sense open. When someone searched for these guys on the internet or on an intranet he was keyed into she would know about it.

Her personal contacts were then ‘felt up’ (read: paid) for any information they could keep their eyes out for. They went from everyone from bus drivers who kept an ear open to their passengers to a telepath or two who liked to stroll through the park with their minds wide open to all the telepathic noise.

This was a super-based case so she went for the extra-special informants. She should have known as soon as she handed over the money that any break through she got was going to come from somewhere else.

She had been keeping her attention focused on Faustus. He was the big fish she was trying to land so she made sure to stick to him like glue. The other three targets were the job of her various web of informants.

The door opened as she rapped on it. The young cop looked at her and then back over his shoulder and down the corridor behind him. He was fresh faced and dressed in the blue uniform of an officer. He had no decoration, he had only been in the uniform for a couple of years and had yet to make any progress up the career ladder.

“North,” he nodded in acknowledgement and took a step back to let her into the building before he closed it. He held out his hand to shake hers. She quietly and discretely slipped him the $100 dollars he got for giving her a call.

Jimmy was a good guy. He was a good cop and North could see big things for him in the future. He took money sure but he wasn’t dirty. He didn’t take bribes and he didn’t collect from the slush fund that many of New York’s finest did throughout it’s history. He was just in a lot of debt, student debt to precise. He had went to college and grad school before the badge called to him.

“What’ve you got for me Jimmy?” North pushed her hands into the pockets of her leather jacket and flicked her red hair over her shoulder. Jimmy was flustered for a second, he forgot how gorgeous this ex-model was.

“It could be nothing, but…”

“If it’s nothing I want my C note back,” North smiled. She wasn’t going to take her money back. Jimmy was putting his career and even his freedom on the line by letting her know about whatever it was he ‘found’.

Jimmy was leading her down a corridor and then began to ascend some stairs. “What I found was something you’ve been looking out for.” He stopped on the first landing of the flight of stairs and knelt down.

Dakota nearly tripped over him. She didn’t know why but stopping at that position surprised her. “I found this,” Jimmy put his finger up close to a small trickle of red. It was clearly blood.

“Any reason why this is different from any of the other millions torrents of blood gushing around this city at any minute…why have I been looking for this?” North didn’t mean to be short but she had been tailing Faustus for close to four days and so far had found nothing out of order in anything he’d been doing. He was just a busy psychiatrist and minor celebrity. It had been four days of very late nights and very early mornings sitting in her car for god knows how many hours outside of buildings that he had went in to.

“This,” Jimmy pulled his cell phone out of his pocket…which he shouldn’t have strictly had on him when on the job and in uniform. He pressed a few buttons and called up a cell phone picture.

North took it out of his hand and looked at it. In the pool of blood was a portion of something which looked like reptile skin like alligator or snake skin boots. “I figure you’d like to know. One of the guys you’re keeping you’re eye out for is a snake guy right?”

Dolan nodded. “You got any of the skin?”

Jimmy shook his head. “Hell no, that would be tampering with evidence. That’s a big no no. I’m happy to sell you info after the lab guys have been in and took their samples and photographs and all that’s left is clean up but I’m an honest…”

North nodded and held up her hands in surrender. She knew all of this about Jimmy, it had been a stupid question. It had however let her crowbar in her next question without seeming too unreasonable.

“Since you’re happy selling me info after the lab guys got what they need…any idea what they got?”

Jimmy eyed her from his position. She was wondering whether he was going to ask for more cash or not. “Mutant…well human but mutant. You know what I mean? I don’t judge. But yeah he’s X-gene positive.”

“Slither? Any closer ID?”

“Nope, we don’t have his DNA on file.” Jimmy shook his head and then shrugged. “Were petitioning through to SHIELD for any reptile mutant DNA ID’s they’ve got so well be able to finger him once they get back…if it is him.”

“Send me this,” she handed him back the phone. “Anything else?”

Jimmy shook his head. North gave her thanks and Jimmy led her back to the door he had let her in through. He checked around as he shoved his head into the open and then let her walk past him. She felt her phone vibrate in her pocket as the picture came through. She gave it another glance and then dialled Len’s number. This was the first break of any kind on the case so she wanted to share it.

Samson’s office,1 hour later…

The usual gang who Amadeus had taken to calling ‘Scoobies’ following a marathon of Buffy The vampire Slayer. Doctor Samson and Louise had both taken much pains to point out to Amadeus that the inner circle in that show actually helped out the superhero while he and Arlette seemed to do little to help.

Amadeus shrugged it off and was now sitting at his lap top computer tapping away animatedly. He had entered into a new project just that morning when he caught a glimpse of The Doc’s itinerary. He was currently trying to decipher the true identity of every superhero in the city. He was finding it harder than he had initially expected.

He occasionally tossed up furtive glances from his screen to the two women who sat at desks opposite one another in the office. He was watching for any sign of interest from either of them. If Louise knew what he was doing she was sure to try and put a stop to it and he would have to go back to his previous fad of entertainment cracking the locations of secret AIM and Hydra bases scattered across the continental United States…he was bored of that.

Arlette he looked at for a different reasons. She was his first crush. Doc Samson had asked him about his feelings for Arlette when he picked up some kind of subtle hidden signal…the fact Amadeus went bright red and became a babbling idiot whenever he was around her. That happening to the boy genius of Amadeus who was the seventh smartest person on the planet (using Reed Richards’ standardised meta genius IQ test).

The Doc seemed to take it all in his stride thought Amadeus. The green haired shrink had set himself up…after being appointed by Amadeus’s SHILED handler to be his mentor. He was going to guide him through the finer points of life, things you can’t find in a text book or published scientific paper. He had so far enrolled him in public school so he’d mix with (read ‘be bullied by’) normal kids and gave him a job so he’d have some money (which was mildly ironic given the fact that it was on Doc’s orders that he wasn’t receiving his salary from SHIELD).

The Doc seemed to see no issue with Amadeus’s crush on Murmur (he hated how he called it a crush). It was apparently healthy and a normal part of development to have infatuations with females of a similar age most probably those who are a little older and unobtainable such as celebrities. When Amadeus asked what made him think he didn’t have a chance The Doc just laughed. It was the one time he’d seen him even break a smile since they’d been to visit The Vault.

The big green haired mass of muscle had been acting like another Gamma infused fella. That of course was an overstatement, he had yet to trash a town or level a city in anger but he had been wandering around like a bear with a bad head all week.

He had stomped into work the day after the broadcast and ended up smashing five coffee mugs throughout the course of the day. The second day after the broadcast he broke his own desk. The third day he broke Louise’s desk and the replacement desk he had bought for his own.

The majority of his work load he had cancelled. He was in no state to perform his duties correctly. In doing his psychotherapy and psychiatry whoever it was on he needed to be in either a good or passive mood. He needed to be receptive and open. He was currently grouchy, sullen and angry but he at least had the courtesy to notice as much.

He was not going to endanger or hurt anyone through his action or inaction because he was locked in his own little funk over something he couldn’t control. He’d set up measures to deal with those patients who desperately needed to see him, those who were a danger to themselves if they were left too long and those who were a danger to others if they didn’t get their weekly session.

Amadeus’s and the two women’s attention turned to the door as it opened and Dakota North strode in. “Ah Miss North, perhaps you can give us something to lift the black mood he’s in. Preferably indisputable evidence?”

North pulled the lips at the side of her mouth and moved her hand in a ‘kinda’ gesture to show anything she did have was shaky at best. “Any advice from the seasoned detective?”

Louise looked at her coyly and smiled. She had spent many of her formative years since the 1940’s operating as a detective in and out of a domino mask and cocktail dress. She had a great deal more experience in detection than…well anyone.

“I’ve been doing reading on more than Faustus and his buddies. Len free to see me?”

Louise nodded and pressed the button on her intercom. “Leonard, North is here.”

There was a sudden stomp from inside the office followed by another before the door to Samson’s office swung wide open. The green haired shrink was half out of the door. He looked half crazy for the briefest split second because he had a chance now to prove all of his hunches right. North surely had found something.

He ushered her inside the office. His eyes briefly met those of his employees. They looked nervous, they were worried for him and he knew it. He was worried for himself truth be told. He had been getting angrier and angrier as the days went on mostly through his own impotence to act in any useful way. This had only made his strength get more out of his control.

The door to his office closed behind him. Amadeus and Louise exchanged a glance of worry. Arlette was still busy with her computer and had really failed to notice anything was going on other than the events of her game.

In Samson’s inner sanctum North looked around. She had known Len for a good long time before and despite only being in his office once she could tell it was all wrong. Len was what is both commonly and professionally known as anally retentive most of the time. He was a stickler for tidiness and yet reports, files and books lay open and strewn across nearly every surface.

She moved one from the arm of the chair and caught sight of some of the highlighted words ‘Slither’ was the one which stood out predominantly to her. She had a brief second thought about going on now. Len seemed like he was getting obsessive and she wondered would she just be adding fuel to the fire now.

“So what have you found…I was going to ring you later. I hadn’t heard anything for a few days, I was beginning to worry.”

“Oh come on Len, there is no reason to worry about little old me. I’m a big girl, I can…” She trailed off. She caught a brief flash of guilt cross her friend’s face. It dawned on her he had been worried about her not finding any evidence not actually worried about her.

She wasn’t sure whether to take it as a compliment to her abilities or not. She continued undeterred. “I’ve been following Fennhoff. I’ve got a full report on every minute of it and as much about his intentions at each place as I can figure to type up…nothing too ground breaking, illegal or even shady as best as I can figure it.”

Samson’s face creased in annoyance. He tightened his hands as they rested on the desk top. “Nothing? Explain it as best as you can, there might be something you missed. Some clue you didn’t realise about…or misunderstood?”

North shot him an annoyed look. “Two heads are better than one, I’m obviously not insulting your skills,” He quickly added.

“No doubt,” this exchange was much more chilly…or heated depending how you looked at it than any she had with Len in the past. Even the one in which they broke up their ‘arrangement’ had more warmth to it than this.

Samson was usually so good at reading people and making his own emotions and intentions clear at the same time, to see him so rigid in his mindset with all of his focus directed on one ting so that he was cancelling work and insulting her even if indirectly and inadvertently was disconcerting at best.

“I’m sorry Dakota,” Len sat back. He rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands and then ran both over his face and into his long green hair. North now noticed it was possibly a little longer than she had seen it in some time. He kept it long but normally at a reasonable level, she couldn’t be sure with him sitting down but it certainly looked longer now but it could have been due to it being a little unkempt. He looked like hell if she was honest, his eyes were bloodshot and large bags hung from under them. He hadn’t slept in a few days which normally his gamma irradiated constitution could deal with little difficulty but the level of stress and pressure he was putting on himself meant it was showing on his face. “I really don’t know what’s gotten into me. The idea that Faustus is out there doing who knows what and I’m powerless to stop him is driving me mad.”

North nodded. “So nothing to do what Detective Dolan accused you of? You’re not a little annoyed…dare I say jealous that Faustus may have done something you couldn’t?”

Samson was silent as the words of his ex and his current…though he was unsure about that status at the moment rolled around his head. Was this some petty jealousy which had sent him into a blind rage?

It was most certainly a possibility. He cursed the little voice in his mind which admitted that. He also cursed that it might have taken him so long to admit it. He’d realised fairly quickly that he was in no state to practice therapy with his patients but he had not even considered the option that Dolan may have been right about what she said.

Hearing north say it now made him rethink. He and Dolan had a turbulent relationship so the natural reaction was a volatile one which led to their near week long estrangement now after their last set of heated words.

It could be true but something just didn’t ring true with that idea. He didn’t know why. It could have been sheer gut instinct, rational abstraction or his almost innate ability to read people no matter how well they try to hide something but the nagging feeling that Faustus was up to something just wouldn’t go away.

North took her phone from her pocket and pressed a couple of buttons and slid it across the table. Samson picked it up and studied the picture. He flicked his eyes up to North too look for clarification.

“Bank job, blood tests say a mutant but they don’t know if he’s known or not. These scales belong to the same mutant,” North raised and eyebrow and shrugged at the same time. It was a motion letting Samson know that it could be something and it could be nothing.

Samson however was now smiling…it was an unusual to see a superhero smile at the thought of a bank robbery having been committed. “Obviously there are who know how many lizard mutants in the world…in the city alone. Half of that Serpent Squad I’d bet are mutants so it’s not a lot to go on but it’s the first hint of a hint.”

“It’s enough,” Samson nodded as he stood up and grabbed his jacket from the coat hook on the wall off to the side of his large replacement desk.

“Enough for what?”

“A warrant,” Samson nodded. He was pulling his jacket on and raking around in his trouser pocket as he went.

North sat forward. “A warrant? This? Len this is nothing…not yet. You’d need a lot more to even provide a thought that Slither is behind this and then you’d have trouble getting a warrant for Faustus after that? The police won’t touch this.”

Samson shook his head as he pulled out a small white piece of plastic and glided his finger across it’s front side. He turned it to face North for a second. She recognised it instantly. S.H.I.E.L.D. was spelt across it in large letters, a picture of Len and the shield emblem which was now pulsing with light donned the front. “My clearance with SHIELD, this will be enough for a primary investigation. Once I get the ok a warrant will be issued which the NYPD will have to act upon.”

Samson turned and smiled as he began to open the window of his office. “A SHIELD agent will be assigned to help with the investigation…by help I obviously mean oversee, you know how SHIELD are.”

Len climbed onto the ledge just as a mass of metal came to rest just outside of the window. It was a SHIELD hover car. The driver/pilot welcomed Samson with a salute. “Who do you think that will be?...ask Louise to hold my calls on the way out…oh and keep up the investigation please. If this does fall through then next time I will need some more solid evidence even with my contacts.”

North got up and moved rapidly towards the window as the hover car began to drift sideways away from he building and Len sat properly in the seat. “Wouldn’t you much rather just wait until we have that evidence?” North cried out after him.

Samson paused for a second. “I can’t afford to wait, either he’s up to something and not being able to stop him will drive me mad or I’m barking up the wrong tree and not knowing will.”

He gave a signal to his driver and the car shot forward before banking sharply and gaining altitude.

North swore as she watched him go. The next time she saw her…after the initial bitching she was going to have to admit to Detective Dolan that she thought she might be right about Len’s current state of mind drive with this case.

Two Hours later, the elevator in Doctor Fennhoff’s building…

“You’re a real piece of work you know that,” spat Dolan only with a lot more swearing between words at Samson. She had of course been assigned to be the police officer to this case given it’s superhero connotations.

She had been swearing since the SHIELD mandated warrant had been given to her in the precinct. The uniform officer who had driven her over just kept his mouth shut and learned a host of new words he’d yet to experience even given his years on the force. She quietened down for a little while as they approached the building they were now in as she tried to calm herself for her duties.

When she saw their accompanying SHIELD agent standing outside of the building she exploded with renewed vigour in the shouting and screaming.

“Stacy if you let me explain,” Leonard tried to intercede in her rant. It was not appreciated.

“You don’t need to explain anything it was all down in the warrant special agent Samson…and it’s Detective Dolan if you don’t mind. It was made clear to me at the station that my personal opinions of your pigheadedness were not to interfere with the case and that I am to do my duty of searching this man’s place of business based on some spurious evidence which may or may not be even linked to an individual who is linked to him.”

There was silence for a few seconds. Samson didn’t know how to respond without having his ‘girlfriend’ go off at him again…which she would no doubt find a way to do anyway.

“You just get an idea in your head and god know the genius that is Leonard Samson can’t be wrong…he’s so cock sure and self confidant of his own brilliance that it’s full steam a head on the slightest whim regardless of what anyone else thinks or the evidence that he doesn’t have…real scientific and rational.”

Samson was about to respond to that jibe when the lift doors opened and Dolan steamed straight out into the waiting room of Fennhoff. She pulled the warrant from her pocket and pushed it into Samson’s chest behind her. “You serve it.”

She strode away straight past the secretary who was trying to speak to her and opened the door to Fennhoff’s study.

The rotund red head looked up form his note pad and the figure who was lying on the couch looked up too at the contingent of officers and superhero SHIELD agent who had just burst into the room.

“Faustus,” Dolan shot Samson a look as he spoke. This was by the book he remembered. “Doctor Fennhoff…this is a warrant issued by both SHIELD and the NYPD to search your place of business and your home for any and all evidence we find there pertaining to a bank robbery late last night.”

Fennhoff took the paper and looked over it. He ‘harrumphed’ annoyed at the imposition and then nodded. “My office is open to you Doc…Agent Samson.” He fixed the green haired man with an icy stare. Samson returned it without holding back. To both men the other was the only person in the room.

Faustus broke the stare as he turned to the man who had been lying down but now stood next to him with a very anxious look on his face. Samson had never met this man before but he recognised him instantly as the gun wielding killer villain known as Shotgun.

“Everything is ok, take deep calming breaths and go to the place we talked about. Use the relaxation exercises I taught you.” Fennhoff moved his finger slowly across Shotgun’s vision giving him something to focus on.

“I’m sorry I wont be able to help you too much with this enquiry. The health of my patient is more important to me than some silly little power game…secondly I know nothing about this bank robbery.”

“I find it interesting you added that part second…I’m sure an innocent man would be defending himself off the bat.” Samson grinned as he spoke.

“An innocent man doesn’t have to prove his innocence…or did I mistake the rules of the law in America?” Fennhoff snorted “…besides I am sure you understand that the well being of patients is the most important thing to a psychiatrist…though maybe not given your track record.”

“What exactly does that mean?” Samson’s smiled was gone. A grimace of aggression replaced it.

“Well giving the brainwashing of Living Laser at your hands and giving up on poor Aaron to become little more than an animal I don’t know how highly you place your ethics…or how effective you can claim to be.”

Samson let out an audible growl. The comments about Living Laser had hit a nerve. If he was in more a sane mindset he would have perhaps added another degree of thought into his self diagnosis that perhaps in Faustus he saw not only a dark example of what his chosen profession could be but a dark mirror of himself, his own choices. If Fennhoff could be so intelligent, in the same career and still make so many mistakes morally could Samson’s own truly be reproachable?

“And with that you’re done,” Dolan pressed her hand into Samson’s chest and pushed him away as best she could. He didn’t budge.

“Dolan, you do not want to test me now.” He glared down at her and then back to Faustus.

“Agent Samson…you just growled at a suspect and threatened a police officer of the NYPD. You walk away NOW!” Dolan stared up into the eyes of Samson with fire burning in her own. She wasn’t going to back down from the behemoth of a man.

He met her stare for a few seconds before turning away. “Faustus,” he spoke as calmly as he could. “My reputation, the reputation of my chosen career and the well being of patients means more to me than you will ever know…if I find anything to show you’ve abused your powers and cast us in a bad light I will stop at nothing…”

“Samson! Now! Get out of here you’re done!” Dolan pointed angrily out of the door. “Get out of here! Say one more word and I’ll personally go to your superiors and tell them you’re not fit for duty and have these searches cancelled.”

Samson fixed her gaze and then moved it to Fennhoff. He smiled back smugly. Samson swore and left the room.

“I apologies Doctor Fennhoff. We’ll conduct this search as quickly as we can and then get out of your hair…an officer will of course be posted at your door and the door of your home to ensure no tampering until you can accompany us to continue the search.” She watched his face for any sign of something she could read, she was good at reading most people…Samson most of the time was an exception. Fennhoff it seemed was another one. “I’ll have the complaint papers for agent Samson forwarded to you as soon as possible should you wish to make one…he can be troublesome at times.”

Fennhoff nodded his understanding. “Most troublesome I am sure…something must be done.” He paused for a second. “I will take those complaint papers, thank you.”

That night, Doc Samson’s apartment…

The spatial park view apartment of Doc Samson was usually as immaculate as his office. It however now looked much like his office did at the moment…with a tornado tossed down on top of it.

Samson had stormed straight home in a sprint and a series of leaps from Fennhoff’s building and barrelled straight through the door slamming it behind him.

The SHIELD uniform he was forced to wear when acting as an agent was ripped clean of his body in a matter of seconds and tossed sideways taking out some of his ornaments. He overturned his seating area with an angry swing of his foot.

It flipped over knocking his television to the floor. It seemed to set off a chain reaction as Leonard Samson trashed his own apartment in a fit of anger at what had occurred at Fennhoff’s office.

He had been since that moment sitting silently in the centre of the floor. He first was wallowing in his own anger. His anger at Faustus, his anger at Dolan for not believing him and most of all his anger at himself for giving in to his emotions and his pigheadedness.

The anger began to subside and he focused on the final point. He was not happy with himself at the moment. He wasn’t thinking with a clear head as he always tried to do and he was letting his emotions especially his anger get the most of him.

He now sat as he had for a couple of hours crossed legged in amongst the chaos of destruction that was his apartment. He had been practicing meditation for many years now. Trouble controlling emotions was something which ran with being Gamma irradiated and he wasn’t going to let it get the better of him.

He held in his hand the Star of David pendant which had been passed to him by his father as he died. He focused on it. It was his tether, his safe home base. It reminded him of his parents and his family history, his religion and his morals. It let him focus and get out of himself…away from the massive flood of emotions.

He exhaled as he began to bring himself slowly out of his trance. He felt calmer now and more relaxed. He prepared himself to make apologetic phone calls to not only Dolan and North but Amadeus, Louise and Arlette. He had not been an easy boss to live with.

Boom!...Boom!...

“Knock Knock!” His front door exploded open as the figure of Shotgun fired two massive blasts into it with a shotgun held in each hand.

The door fell in on itself and a streak of green shot across the room directly towards Samson. He threw his hands up and caught the long neck of Slither as it hurtled towards him.

Slither’s fangs were mere inches from his face. They dripped with venom and the snake like mutant hissed. Samson pushed back against him and then hunched forward as another shot rang out. This one managed to grazed his side sending the metal shots from the shells stinging through his body.

Slither’s teeth now found their mark as he surged forward. His neck tightened around Samson’s and his blade like teeth darted in and out across the back of Samson. Leonard let out a grunt. He knew poison would be injected with each bite.

He tossed his body weight back and came down on the head of Slither. He quickly launched to his feet struggling with Slither’s body while he went as he began to unwrap the reptile body.

A blast of shell collided with his shoulder sending him spiralling sideways. While he went down he whipped Slither with his full might and sent the hissing mass of limbs and snake parts across the room into the form of Shotgun who collapsed backwards with the force of the throw.

“You really think a couple of shotgun blasts and mutant venom would really slow me down for too long?” Samson growled as he immediately began to climb to his feet. He could feel his vision blurring slightly and the pain racking his body but he had a strong constitution and would heal soon enough.

“No,” Shotgun laughed as he wriggled free of Slither who was also righting himself and coiling ready to strike if he needed too. “The shells and poison however will slow you down enough to make this easy.”

There was a crash of glass and masonry from behind Samson. He ducked instinctually and then turned to face the figure he already knew would be there.

Mr Hyde stood across the room from him shirtless and covered in tracks of blood where he smashed through the glass. It didn’t seem to hurt him, indeed he seemed to like it. He grinned sickeningly.

He was a huge imposing figure who took up most of the room. Zabo was a psychopath and Mr Hyde was even worse. He had strength nearly matching that of The Hulk and a sadistic streak a mile wide. He had once put Hercules in a coma. If there was one person Samson didn’t want to go up against when he was less than 100%.

Hyde snarled like an animal and then roared. Samson launched forwards. All his attention was now on the massive behemoth. He managed to get the first blow but it seemed like the monster never even felt it. He brought his full might down with a blow of his elbow to the back of Samson’s head crumbling him to the floor.

The world was spinning but Samson knew he had to fight. He had to get up and fight for his life. Faustus had sent his mercenaries to kill him and so far they were doing quite well.

He seemed to be going in slow motion though. Slither’s venom was taking effect. Hyde grabbed him by the hair and lifted him kicking into the air. His free hand slammed hard across Samson’s face before he tossed him like a wet dishrag into the floor. Samson landed with a sickening thud as his limp body collided with it.

Samson tried to struggle again still fighting against his attackers. Hyde laughed manically and hoisted the green haired psychologist into the air again. He pulled him close against his body and squeezed with all of his might until he heard a crack.

Leonard slid out of consciousness.

Later…

The first Leonard knew he survived was when he heard Hyde’s laughing. He tried to move but couldn’t. he remembered the crack and wondered if it had been his spine. Was he now paralysed?

The cold metal he felt pressing against his body as he tried to move told him no. He was still able to move but was being restrained. He struggled against his restraints but to no avail.

Pain raced through his body as he did so. He felt each of the three broken ribs which Mr Hyde had apparently inflicted upon him.

“Ah Leonard you’re awake.” It was Faustus' Austrian tinged voice. Samson couldn’t see him because of the bright pulsating light which shone down directly onto him. “I was afraid Mr Hyde had been a little too effective. I wouldn’t bother struggling-Mr Hyde couldn’t escape when it was his turn.”

“Faustus I knew you couldn’t be trusted…knew you couldn’t have stopped them from offending.”

“Oh I could,” Faustus’ voice filled with laughter. “I could most definitely have cured them if I had chosen…I however took a different path. Once my success with these three is seen I will have villains being sent to me in their hundreds to act as my army.”

Faustus laughed gently. “An army of slaves to do my bidding and no matter if they get caught or if anyone suspects anything you cannot blame a psychiatrist when a dangerous criminal relapses…they’ll just be sent back to me and I will get away scot free.”

“I’ll stop you,” Samson growled. He tried to struggle free again but once again the restraints didn’t budge.

“No my friend you wont…it is possible that at this key stage of my plan you could have stopped me…only you. Your knowledge and the power you wield both governmentally and in the superhero community you could have thrown a spanner in my works. When you turned up today having discovered one of Slither’s crimes I knew I had to act. You however gave me a better idea…a way to improve my plan. You’ll help me.”

“I’ll never help you…whatever brainwashing you’ve used on the three stooges wont work on me. I’m prepared, I’m ready.”

Faustus laughed. “Indeed I would normally agree with you. Slither’s venom however pumps through your veins slowing your mental functions, your body is focused on the pain racing through it and the drugs Shotgun’s bullets were laced in are all taking their toll on you.”

“It doesn’t matter…” Samson suddenly let out a scream of agony. He felt the skin on his back rupture as something was driven into his back all the way up his spine. The needles stabbed into his spinal cord.

“The psychotropic drugs about to be pumped directly into your spine however will make my job…sooo muccccchhh easieeeeeerrr.” Faustus voice seemed to fade out as the drugs began to take effect.

Faustus smiled as Samson’s eyes rolled back in his head. “Prepare the machine,” he smiled to his three little helpers as the procedure began.

To be Continued…

Next Time: Faustus plan becomes clear but will it work and what does it hold in store for our hero?