Marvel 2000 Proudly Presents...

# 16
Written by Anthony Crute

Samson’s office…

Leonard Samson sat in the front office of his practice. His shoulder’s were hunched forward meaning his green hair cascaded down across his face towards the floor. His face was etched with concentration.

It was a similar look to those who sat in the room with him, they’d been silent for a number of minutes all locked into deep thought.

Louise AKA The Blonde Phantom was his right hand woman. She was his personal assistant, his consierge, his confidant and given her crime fighting background for the past 70 or so years she could double for his bodyguard and expert in all things super heroic if needs be. She was a brilliant woman both in the way she looked and in her skills at pretty much every different task she turned her hand to. She was completely stumped.

Arlette Aka Murmur was the teleporting and mind controlling mutant who once served with Alpha Flight Canada’s greatest superhumans. She was now however the assistant of Doc Samson and his personal ‘chauffer’ using her teleporting skills to get him anywhere and everywhere. She was not normally one to tax her brain with super human problems but she was raking over every bit of training she had.

Amadeus Cho Aka Mastermind Excello was the 7^th smartest human being on the planet. His super powered brain was powered by junk food and he had been sitting for the last hour chowing down on every candy bar and bag of chips he could find. He looked up to Leonard like a hero and he needed some way to help him out of the predicament.

Stacy Dolan was Samson’s girlfriend. She was a NYPD detective now specializing in meta-human crimes. She was intelligent, strong and took no crap from anyone. She was so used to being emotionally closed off she was completely lost in this situation as he stomach churned at the thought of what was going on.

Three Superheroes, a boy genius and a police officer sat silently dumbfounded rolling the events around in their head.

Killgrave was on the loose. Killgrave was often known by his other name as The Purpleman. He was by far the biggest mass murderer in American history. He used his powers of mind control to have people do his bidding. He could twist and bend anyone he wanted to his will.

He was currently holding thousands of people in Times Square hostage and demanding to see Doc Samson. If anyone else turned up, anyone tried to interfere he would commit an act of Pandemic mass murder. The police, superheroes and the army had been swiftly kept back by an angry wall of the very people they were trying to protect pushed on by his commands. They had in some cases been dragged into his little game.

Purple man had such a hatred for Doc Samson because he was his therapist. Samson had been working with him very much against his will. He was trying to cure Killgrave of his Psychopathic tendencies and the deep seated problems in his life and personality which had caused them.

He had angered Killgrave, broken him down ready to build him up again and now they had a problem.

“The government is ready to throw the book at that damn guard,” said Dolan breaking the silence. Anger seethed in her voice. “What a god damn moron!” She spat.

Killgrave had apparently promised some prison guard at The Vault all the money and power he wanted if he would half the dose of tranquilizer in his food and drink. Killgrave had promptly commanded him to free him and then brutally injure himself. “The sick purple freak probably thought not killing him was a big reward.”

“He was lucky,” Samson spoke. He sat back and pulled his hair behind his ears. “Everyone else who got in Killgrave’s way as he walked out of The Vault is dead now. The body count is only going to grow.”

“Leo!” Louise snapped “I better not be recognizing the tone of voice I think I am,” she snarled at him from across the room. “You are not going to blame yourself and then go rushing into a fight with him half cocked.”

“What choice do I have?” Len snapped back. The pressure was getting to him. “He will kill those people, he will have no problem with killing every single person and then just taking another thousand hostage. I’ll be lucky if he doesn’t do it out of boredom before I get there.”

“You can’t just rush in...” Stacy began to join with Louise.

“What would you do in a hostage situation only you could solve? I wrote his psychological profile remember and you’ve seen it. He hates me and nothing will stop him from getting the better of me even killing me…or making me kill myself.”

“And you’re just going to be okay with that?” Amadeus asked as he spoke up. He glared at his mentor with a little but too much aggression in his eyes. “You’re just going to leave us behind and go out there to get killed on the idea that he’s just going to turn himself in after you’re done?”

“Maybe there’s a bit more to the plan than that?” Arlette questioned “Like with Living Laser?”

Doc Samson shook his head. “Nothing like that, no triggers or suggestions in place.”

“Oh,” Arlette nodded her head back in understanding. “Then you are a complete idiot then.”

Leo fixed her with a glare. She stared right back. She like everyone he surrounded himself with was exceptional, she felt absolutely no fear.

 “Can anyone give me a better plan?”

“Headphones, white noise, sniper from The Shield Helli-carrier, an EMP wave perfectly matched to his brain waves?” Amadeus offered. “You give me an hour and I can come up with hundreds!”

“And in an hour all of those people could be dead, sure we’d have a way to stop him but they’d all be dead. You come up with the idea whilst he gets his kicks with me and then give it to someone else. Let someone else take him down and all those people walk out unharmed.”

“Why the hell do you always have to play the hero!” yelled Dolan. “You can decipher and break down everyone else in the god damn world but what about yourself. Where does this need come from for you to always put yourself in harm’s way and anyone who cares for you be damned?”

“I can’t change who I am,” he said with a shake of his head. “I don’t understand why everyone is getting so angry.” He lied, he knew exactly why. He was furious himself. He was about ready to tear the entire building to pieces just to feel better. “I’m going to go, we’ve all thought it through and we all know it’s the only way. Killgrave has a grudge against me and it’s only me who can slow him down. I just want to speak to you all one at a time.”

“Amadeus you’re first,” he motioned into the back office with a nod of his head and vanished into the other room followed by his young companion.

They moved into the room and quietly sat on the other side of the des to one another. “Come on then, I know you’re going to have a lot to say on it now were alone,” Samson said with a resigned smile.

“Please don’t do it,” he spoke with his eyes full of tears. “Please don’t,” the attitude, the intelligence far beyond his years just dropped away and Amadeus was a boy again. He was a child scared of losing a friend, scared of losing someone he loved.

“I have to,” he said simply. “I’ve got a chance however Amadeus a chance most people don’t get. This right here, I have the chance to talk to everyone I love and to tell them how I feel. You’re one of them, Amadeus I love you as if you were my own son.”

Amadeus was silent. He couldn’t look Samson in the eye. “I’ve known you, been working with you since you were 5 years old and cracked the SHIELD database. I’ve watched you grow and I’ve watched you change, you’ve become one hell of a young man. It’s why I know you’re going to be fine without me. I just want you to remember all of the money they offer you, all the science you do…when you end up head of SHIELD, leading the Fantastic Four or President of the United States just remember to follow your heart. You know what is right better than anyone else.”

The women waited in tense silence waiting for Amadeus’s voice to be raised I a shout. He was an impetuous young boy who didn’t know how to respect his elders.

There instead was only a quiet murmur for 5 minutes or so and then Amadeus opened the door and walked into the office tears in his eyes. He held in his hand a piece of paper. “He’s given me everything,” he said as he moved into a hug from Dolan. She knew Samson looked at Cho as if he was his son.

“Louise can you come in please,” Samson called. The blonde woman moved into the room closing the door behind her.

“Louise,” Samson sighed.

“You really are a magnificent ass aren’t you,” she smiled showing her white teeth through her brilliantly red lips. “You’re going to run off and fight him with everything you’ve got even though you know he can beat you with just a whisper.”

“You understand I don’t have a choice right?”

She nodded. “I also know Leonard that even if you did you’d still do this because you’re a hero. It’s why I work for you.”

“I thought you needed the money?” he smiled.

“God no, I’ve got enough in the bank to buy and sell your cute little Gamma butt and always have. I’ve worked for you because I found it interesting, you’re the only superhero I’ve ever met who would rather think through a problem rather than rush in ready to punch, who thought about the people he fought as people rather than punching bags and a man who when he’s got no other option will do what he needs to. Like Living Laser, Absorbing Man even that nut Faustus”

She moved around the table and kissed him on the cheek leaving a big red smudge on his face. “You remind me so much of my son,” she smiled. “He died back in Vietnam trying to be a hero like his mother, he had a little too much of me in him running straight in without thinking things through.”

“Louise I’m so sorry I knew about your daughter but I never knew…”

“That’s because I never told you,” she smiled. “I’d like to thank you, he was only a baby in that war but being with you makes me feel I got him back a little bit. I can see what he’s like a little.”

Samson smiled and put his arm around her bringing her in close for a hug. “Now enough of his sappy crap,” she laughed gently. “You need to talk to the other two and get on with your day.”

“You’re the strongest woman I ever met and I’ve known most of the Avengers,” he smiled and with one final gentle kiss she turned and exited.

Arlette walked through the door a second later. She turned to shut it but was met by Samson as he walked passed her. “I wanted to do this first before I speak to Arlette,” he moved into the centre of the room and bent to one knee. “Stacy Dolan, I love you more than anything or anyone I have every met so even though I know with what I’m about to do this is really un fair I just want to ask if I get through this. If I survive my fight with Purple Man will you marry me.”

There was silence in the office for a few seconds. “You bastard, I can’t believe you’re off to fight Purple Man and you ask me that” swore Dolan “Yes I will.”

Samson stood up and threw his arms around her and began to kiss her. It was like a movie kiss as he lifted her off her feet.

“Arlette with me please but we have to be quick,” he held onto Dolan’s hand as long as he could before vanishing into the room with Arlette just behind him. She shut the door. He turned instantly to her.

The others stood quietly in the outer office, there was so much to say but no one could bring themselves to speak. They waited for an at least quiet Arlette to exit the office (she was not prone to crying). They sat like that in silence for about two minutes before there was a muted glow of light and a barely audible ‘Crack’ as Arlette teleported away.

They looked at one another and then moved en-masse to the door of Samson’s office. Dolan opened it and swore loudly, Samson was gone.

Later, Times Square…

The hair on Samson’s neck were standing up bristling with nervous tingles along the surface of his skin. He stood looking out at the sea of humanity which stood before him. They were going absolutely wild with delight, mad with anger, insane with despair.

They stood in their massed numbers violating one another in a way which would normally get them arrested for public ludeness if the police weren’t joining in themselves. They however seemed to be as into this as everyone else.

There  were others who beat one another violently slamming massive fists into one another’s faces and bodies. The most disconcerting part of it all however was when they would suddenly shift groups  and launch full of passion into one of the other groups without missing a beat.

Purple Man’s power had always fascinated Leo. Killgrave was possibly the most adept mind controller in the world. The majority of others could control your body, maybe speak through your mouth but you kept your consciousness; the feeling of being ‘you’. Killgrave however was different.

The best anyone could figure it was that Killgrave whenever speaking issued Infrasound waves. Infrasound had some amazing abilities, it caused neurons and body membranes to vibrate. It had been used in small scale experiments to cause hallucinations or to give someone the feeling that their was a more powerful being watching them. It was believed now to be where people got a feeling of spirituality from or saw ghosts. Killgrave whether he knew it or not could control that.

He could make you believe whatever he told you, he told you to feel something and the emotional centers deep in your brain (usually beyond control by any methods) sparked into life screaming with whatever he told it. It was fascinating and terrifying from a neurological point of view.

Samson walked slowly into the crowd. They seemed to ignore him.

Killgrave’s large purple face filled the screens which dominated Times Square. He looked bored with the ‘festivities’. He had been watching this for an hour or so now and his mind had now drifted onto other things, he was simply awaiting Samson.

His face shifted and looked up a second before the screen’s changed to show a close up of Samson walking through the ‘partying’ crowds. It then cut back to Killgrave. “Stop!” he commanded.

Instantly the crowds silenced and stood still. They were completely silent, they stood staring silently without blinking.

“Good Doctor it is so good to see you,” Killgrave grinned on the big screen “I have been waiting for you for all of this time.”

“I’ll do whatever you want Killgrave just let these people go,” Samson yelled. He continued to pick his way through the crowd.

“How I’ve looked forward to making you pay for everything you’ve done to me,” he snarled. “You’re probably realizing now that clearly I can’t hear you…you however can hear me.” He grinned widely and winked at the camera. “Before I talk to you however I have one quick request for everyone else…get him!”

Samson swore loudly as the crowd surged directly towards him. He braced himself as the first wave of fists and feet slammed into him as the people simply ran towards him and began to pile on lashing out at him.

It took him a few seconds before he realized that honestly they weren’t going to do any damage. He by now had hundreds of people in a circle around him and on him and he still found it fairly easy to walk forward simply pushing them back. This however was not to be the hardest part.

“Samson…fight back!” laughed Purple Man. He must have known that the attacks from the people would  do next to no damage. He was a master at causing pain however, an expert in hate and so he knew exactly what buttons to push.

Samson balled his hands into fists and lashed out at the people closest to him. They flew backwards wiping out people in all directions with their bodies. When he hit them they stayed down. He threw his shoulder into the people around him sending them crumbling to their knees.

Purple Man watched the people flying around the air from the mass of people and he laughed. He knew no matter how much Samson felt he was enjoying it that somewhere in there the green haired goliath was hating himself.

The people suddenly shifted their position like the rising of a wave as a ball of them shot into the air and one by one dropped away. They fell as their grips couldn’t deal with the force of the air as Samson leapt into the air.

Purple Man cursed. Samson was at the apex of his leap when he realized what he’d told Samson to do ‘fight back’ and that was exactly what he was intending to do. Samson touched down causing a massive ripple to race through the ground toppling Purple Man over.

“Stand still! Don’t come any closer!” he barked at the green haired goliath. Samson did just that.

“On your knees!” he barked. Samson’s legs folded and he dropped down onto his knees, his body sunk so that his hands pressed against the floor as he crouched there shoulders slumped forward with his hair hanging over his face.

“Oh how the mighty have fallen,” he grinned as he crouched down on the other side of the little raised platform. “All of the talk, all of the superiority when I was being doped up to the eyes and it’s all just faded away now hasn’t it. Now that I am back to my true self.”

He grinned showing his deep Purple gums to Samson. “How about I start having my fun…Cry for me.”

Leonard’s eyes immediately began to well up with tears. The thoughts that he held back whenever possible of his father and how he had died a shell of his former self filled his mind. The tears which he could normally hold back so easily also began to flow. He sobbed loudly as his tears dripped to the floor.

“Now crawl towards me and like the blood from my boots,” Purple Man laughed as he stood up and watched the massive figure begin to move forward on all fours sniveling like a child.

Samson got close to him and then lowered his face. His tongue extended and brushed against the leather of the man’s boots. An irony tang filled his taste buds.

“Stop,” Purple Man said with some measure of glee. He was very happy with himself all of a sudden. “I’ve had a better idea. You’re going to pick me up and take me to your loved ones. The people you care most about in the world where you’ll then tear  them apart and when that is done you will pleasure me sexually amongst their remains.” He laughed after he’d given the command.

Len stood up and faced Purple Man. His arm stretched out and gripped his throat tightly.

Purple Man gasped for air and tried to issue a command, he lashed out at Samson but the massive arms and chest of the man barely felt the flea bites.

“I have learned so much in the time I’ve worked with you…a lot more in the last few minutes. I can see we need more therapy sessions,” he shook the struggling villain violently.

“I have been through a lot more in all that time too,” Samson smiled “One thing I’ve discovered in that time was during my problems with Doctor Faustus when Arlette couldn’t control me. When you’re under the influence of mind control you’re untouchable to another’s.”

A big grin spread across the face of Doc Samson.  “Murmur said knock you out!”

Leonard planted his other hand on the small of Purple Man’s back and hauled him into the air before slamming him down with a mighty scream of triumph into the floor. The man’s body stiffened for a second and then went limp as he lapsed into unconsciousness.

Samson’s fingers moved to check his pulse, he was alive. Samson didn’t want to admit it but he did get a little bit of pleasure from the action he’d just performed.

He stood up to face the crowds who were now snapping out of the control of Purple Man and were quickly falling head first into a panic. “If I can have your attention please,” said Samson as he picked up Purple Man’s microphone. “If you please just remain calm help will be arriving any minute now. I’m Doctor Leonard Samson and I’d just like to say if anyone needs some help dealing with the events of today I can assist. I’m here to help.” 

THE END