Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to either of us and we are not making any money off of this. All characters belong to the makers and producers of Swamp Thing.
Warning: mature themes ahead, violence and sexual situations.
Going Under
By AnnGraham and Jacqui
In the largest of Arcane Industry's dimly lit labs Graham was across the room from Dr. Arcane, setting up the equipment for their next experiment. He was carefully checking that everything was spotlessly clean when a sudden wave of the nausea that had been bothering him all day hit hard. The peace of the lab was shattered by a slight but obtrusive sound of broken glass as the test tube slipped out of Graham's hand. He stood, shocked, waiting for the Doctor's response and when it came it was predictable.
"Dammit Graham, you clumsy imbecile, can't you manage even the simplest of tasks!"
"I'm sorry Sir," Graham rubbed his palms on his lab coat and tried to control his tendency to stammer, "I'm just so hot, my hands are sweating..."
"Nonsense man, I maintain this building at a perfectly equable, controlled temperature - it is *not* too hot in here."
"I'm really not feeling very well Sir."
"Oh, just go and make a nuisance of yourself elsewhere, you're beginning to depress me. Go on, shoo." Sighing theatrically Arcane massaged his forehead, suddenly conscious of the onset of a throbbing headache.
As soon as Graham had stumbled into the elevator, Arcane walked over to the thermostat and checked the figures. He was annoyed to find that his vision wasn't entirely clear; he had to squint to see the readout. *Odd, must be something wrong with the device,* he thought, as he wiped away perspiration from his aching brow, it was registering as normal.
Will listened, trying to concentrate as Alec droned on about today's lesson in understanding the complexities of the Swamp, or whatever he liked to call it. Instead all he could seem to concentrate on was how hot he felt, even sitting beneath the shade of a huge old tree. Tugging gently on several scruffs of grass nearby, Will felt his mind drift lazily away from what Alec was saying.
"Will!" Alec spoke louder, voice showing a twinge of irritation. "Will, are you listening to me?!"
"What?!" Looking up quickly, he wiped his sweating palms on his jeans, "Oh, yeah sure, of course I was listening." Even given the fact that Holland was a plant, mostly incapable of portraying any type of expression, Will could have sworn that the person the townspeople called a Swamp Monster, had looked at him with the same tolerantly amused expression his mother reserved for him when he was young.
"Go home Will. You look like you could use some rest."
"I'm fine Alec," Shaking a drop of sweat out of his eye, Will didn't looked very convinced by his words.
"Nevertheless, I believe we've both had enough lessons for today." Holland got to his feet in a move that took more effort than he was used too.
"Okay, if you say so," Will hauled himself upright, standing dizzily before his eyes managed to focus on his seven-foot green friend. "Maybe I do need some rest after all." He turned to go before calling out abruptly. "Hey Alec?"
"What is it Will?" Somewhat wearily Holland turned back to face his young friend.
"Is it just me or are you looking a little, well, a little less green today?" Will tilted his head to the side, absently waving his hand in Alec's general direction. "Did you forget to water yourself?"
"Very funny!" Alec could only shake his head as Will grinned.
"See you later Alec," With a brief wave Will turned away and was soon lost to sight in the dense Swamp.
Suppressing the desire to stay and rest a while, Holland headed off towards a small pond, his usual submerging ground. *I'm getting as bad as Will now.* Shaking his head in amusement Alec didn't spot the pieces of dying moss that were left behind in his footprints.
Dr. Arcane was anxiously checking his temperature, alarmed by the blurred vision that made it hard to read the thermometer. Clearly he was unwell, and he would have a problem narrowing the vague symptoms down to a diagnosis. There would have to be some rather unpleasant medical tests, however there was at least one consolation - Graham undoubtedly had the same condition so he could be the one tested. Serve the little runt right, he'd probably been out and caught the condition somewhere and had the temerity to infect his employer.
Shaking off a feeling of weakness the Doctor took the elevator up to Graham's quarters, expecting that his assistant had taken to his bed. He was surprised to see that the room was in disarray, bedding strewn all over the floor and the smashed remnants of a jug and glass up against the wall. Arcane stooped to pick up a shard of glass and soon regretted it as dizziness swept over him. He sat down on the bed and surveyed the wreckage, puzzled, how did Graham find the strength to create havoc when Arcane was exhausted just by crossing the room?
He flicked on the intercom and called security, "Mr. Graham seems to have gone astray, locate him and notify me. Do NOT approach him."
Arcane waited, trying to gather his strength, while the minions surveyed the compound. As it happened the search didn't take long, a perimeter guard reported that Graham was making an unsteady progress towards the main gate. The Doctor forced himself to hurry, despite his weariness and the beginnings of a dull ache in his limbs. He wanted to be the one to catch up with Graham, a tussle with an armed guard could be disastrous.
Breathing heavily and stiff with muscle spasms, Arcane was in some pain when he loped across the yard. Had Graham not been so unsteady he would have struggled to catch him and it was with difficulty that he grabbed his assistant's shoulder and spun him round. Arcane stumbled back in shock, Graham's face was drawn into a vicious snarl - teeth bared and spittle running down his chin. His eyes were blank, showing no recognition of his employer. He struck out with one arm and knocked Arcane off balance, which caused the weakened scientist to fall. Arcane sprawled on the ground, just being able to drag himself up enough to watch Graham's progress to the gate.
Fortunately the guard had enough sense to let the man pass and Arcane could just glimpse Graham stumbling off towards the Swamp.
The last thing Graham remembered before waking up face down in the dirt was of making his way to his quarters, intent on lying down and trying to sleep off whatever bug he'd managed to pick up. The next thing he knew he was in the Swamp, surprisingly comfortable lying on a patch of cool soil and leaves.
Weakly, he shoved himself upright, shivering as he noticed for the first time how wet his clothes were. "What happened?" shaking his head in confusion, he had to lean against an old tree in order to make it all the way to his feet. Staggering slightly, still feeling a little dizzy Graham slowly and cautiously made his way towards where he hoped Arcane's Complex was.
As he walked back Graham vainly tried to remember what happened and how he ended up in the Swamp. Ten minutes and a migraine later the only things he managed to dredge up from his black hole of a memory was the impression of breaking glass, which didn't make any sense, and the sensation of heat and dizziness.
At the same time Graham was heading back to Arcane's Complex, Will was tossing and turning in extreme discomfort. After getting home from chatting with Alec, he'd been so dizzy that all he could do was collapse in bed and try to sleep it, whatever it was, off. Unknowingly Will kicked off all the blankets, his body temperature spiking dangerously high. Abruptly his eyes snapped open, pupils so dilated that no speck of colour remained. In a flash of a second his expression turned from sleepy confusion to mindless rage.
Arcane made his way back to the main building, trying to overcome the dizziness and nagging pain in his joints that just made him want to rest. He paused, wiping sweat off his forehead, and took a deep breath before using the intercom to call Stella. Inevitably she had heard about Graham's strange behaviour and was full of questions. Arcane snapped at her, he had no answers and no time to waste discussing the matter with an employee. He brusquely ordered her to take a sample of his blood and run some routine tests, and was harshly sarcastic when she expressed concern for him and for Graham. Stella was particularly concerned when the Doctor insisted that he would go search for Graham on his own, despite his evident weakness. Arcane could not bear to let anyone see Graham in the state of mindless insanity he had exhibited earlier. As soon as that became known then his own condition would come in for speculation and he dreaded that more than anything. His greatest fear was of losing his own grasp on sanity. No, he had to locate Graham himself before anyone else saw him.
For the tenth time in a row Graham stumbled over yet another low lying root, if he didn't know better he would have guessed that Dr. Holland had purposely arranged everyone just to trip him up! Pausing to wipe beads of sweat of his forehead, he continued his uncomfortable trek towards the Complex, muscles protesting even the smallest movement. The eleventh time he tripped up, Graham came to the decision to just stay where he was. Really, the ground wasn't that uncomfortable, kinda cool and springy ... *yeah, I think I'll just rest here for awhile.* Sighing softly, he dug his fingers more firmly in the loose dirt, mind drifting into a light sleep.
It had been several hours since Alec Holland had sent Will home to rest and he had spent that time wandering the swamp listlessly. His usual connection to the forces of nature seemed dull and his senses blunted by an almost overwhelming lethargy. He had hoped that exposure to sunlight would improve his energy levels but that didn't seem the case, and now it was raining in a light but persistent shower which seemed to drag him down still further.
Holland trudged wearily into a small clearing which came as close to the road as he normally dared to venture. Seeing a huddled form lying beneath a tree he blinked rainwater out of his eyes and stooped to inspect the still figure.
*Arcane's assistant,* he realised, *Graham.* The Swamp creature turned the man over and checked his shallow breathing and feverish brow. Given the state of the ground he had been there some time, since before the rain. Holland stooped over Graham, *Arcane,* he thought, *Arcane's assistant is here so whatever is happening leads back to him. It always does.* He was too tired and confused to reason clearly or to wonder why Graham was sick if it was his employer who was to blame, all he knew was that he had lost his connection to the swamp that was his home and that a rage was building inside him that needed an outlet.
Alec Holland swung Graham over his shoulder and, given a new surge of energy by his anger, set off towards Arcane's compound.
When the huge, angry form of Houma's Swamp Mutant reached the gates of Arcane's complex the two guards on duty held their ground for only a few seconds before running for cover. They had both heard enough rumours, and the decision that they weren't paid enough to take him on was easy to make. Thus Alec Holland's progress to the main lab was uninterrupted; he saw only the fast retreating backs of employees running away.
Holland burst through the door of the lab without bothering to open it. Anton Arcane could barely register his presence before Holland had thrown Graham's still form across the lab, sending him crashing into the wall behind Arcane. The Doctor looked round sharply, for a moment he was afraid that Holland had brought him a corpse. He was relieved to see Graham stir a little and his first impulse was to go check on him. This was thwarted when Holland grabbed him by the collar.
"Arcane," he ground out the word as if it was a profanity, "I've bought you back your creature."
"Very good of you, old chap, I'm sure." Arcane tried to maintain the level of breezy sarcasm with which he normally greeted Holland but it was a struggle. He felt so damned ill, he could hardly focus on the mutant, and he was worried about Graham even if he had no intention of admitting it. Holland roared a sound of rage and pain that Arcane had never heard before.
"You sent him to poison me, poison the swamp. Again Arcane. Too often, I've borne this too often and tolerated you too long."
The Doctor struggled in his grasp and tried to focus more clearly, he'd never heard Holland like this - crazed, rambling. He could just make out through his blurred vision that the swamp creature's leaves were drier than they should be and had an unhealthy yellowish tint.
"Holland, you're sick?"
"You know I am. Now give me the cure." Holland tightened his painful grasp on Arcane's shoulder.
"Alec please, I've done nothing" Arcane was genuinely afraid, it had been a long time since he had really felt that Holland would do him serious harm but now the mutant seemed seriously out of control.
"NO MORE LIES" Holland roared, he shook Arcane viscously. "GIVE ME THE CURE!"
"I can't, please Alec can't you see I'm sick too, so is Graham. I didn't do this."
Holland was too filled with rage to even begin to listen. He hated Arcane with such a fierce passion, the man who had taken everything from him and left him a lonely, monstrous outcast. He could take his revenge now, it would be so easy to break this fragile human body, smash it against the wall.
He hoisted Arcane up, unmoved by the shrieks and pleas for mercy. Then one rational thought fought its way through his feverish rage. Kill Arcane and he would not get a cure.
He lowered the Doctor to his feet and for a moment stood panting, trying to think.
Holland caught sight of the flicker of a flame off to one side. A Bunsen burner. He looked at the naked flame, then back at Arcane. The scientist had his sleeves rolled up and Alec Holland twisted round his arm to expose a bare forearm. He dragged Arcane over to the burner and held his arm above the flame; "The cure." He said.
"Alec, please listen, please don't hurt me. Please."
"The cure." Holland repeated, unmoved.
Getting no response he slowly lowered Arcane's arm into the flame. He remained unmoved by screams of pain, simply repeating his demand. Then the smell of burning flesh reached Holland's mutated senses. It stirred something inside him that mere words couldn't touch.
*What am I doing?* He thought, *Torture, even torturing this monster - how can I? What am I becoming?*
In a sudden upsurge of disgust Holland dragged Arcane away from the table and threw him down. He stood shaking in the middle of the lab while the Doctor crawled away from him, sobbing in pain. Almost as if by instinct Arcane found his way to Graham who was still groggily trying to stay conscious, he clutched at Graham's hand and the two of them huddled together against the wall gazing fearfully up at the deranged swamp mutant.
Clutching Graham's hand tighter Arcane tried to block out the worse of the pain, feeling oddly reassured when he felt his assistant's fingers press back against his. With great effort Arcane focused his attention on the angry Swamp Monster now bent on destroying much of his lab. "Alec," Shrinking back further against the wall as Holland turned towards him, "Listen Alec, just think about this. You can see that Graham here is sick," Pulling himself upright, Arcane gestured at himself, "As am I. Why would I create a virus only to infect myself? It just doesn't make sense. This is someone else's doing Alec. We need to find out who and how."
"Why should I believe you," Bitterness and grief threaded through his deep voice, "You've done nothing but try to destroy me and all those I care about."
Using the wall for support Arcane gained his feet, trying to appear as non-threatening as possible when Holland gave a small growl and took a step towards him. "I swear to you Alec, this is not my doing. You, you can search my entire Complex, look through the records. I have nothing to hide."
Shaking his head in confusion Holland didn't want to believe in Arcane's words. This monster had taken everything from him! But the man's words made sense, the logic driving the unreasoning rage further from his mind. What he had done ... scared him more than anything else. Arcane may have made him into a monster but he'd never lost his humanity. Not until now. *I have to get out of here, talk to the Swamp, find out what is happening to me.* "If I find out you had anything to do with this Arcane I will be back!"
Without a further word Holland left the lab and the complex, gratefully making his way towards the Swamp and letting its calming presence soothe and relax him.
Sighing in relief Arcane slid down to sit besides Graham, cradling his injured arm. Closing his eyes and breathing deeply he did his utmost to ignore the burning pain. Feeling a faint touch on his shoulder he looked up wearily staring into Graham's concerned blue eyes.
"Doctor," Voice rusty and low Graham inched closer to the Doctor, "Are, are you okay? What happened?"
"Of course I'm not okay," Too tired to make the words forceful Arcane just stared at his assistant. "As to what happened that's something I'd like to know myself." Reaching out he grabbed Graham's arm, fingers tightening painfully. "I'd also really like to know where you've been and why you saw fit to leave my Complex."
"I, I don't remember ... honestly," Graham gasped as Arcane's grip tightened enough to leave bruises. "Please, Sir ... you're, you're hurt. Let me help you."
Swallowing Arcane released his assistant, slowly getting to his feet once again. "Go get the first aid kit." Making his way over to a stool he watched his assistant's somewhat unsteady progress across the lab. As soon as his arm was taken care of he'd check to make sure Graham was alright. The man had been rather violently thrown against the wall, and the last thing he needed was a concussed assistant, not when there were so many things to do.
Stumbling back Graham looked at his employer for a minute before gently taking a hold of his arm and straightening it. When Arcane didn't say a word Graham took the anti-burn cream out of the kit spreading it over the burn as softly as possible. He glanced up worriedly when Arcane's face paled. Biting his bottom lip he applied the bandage as quickly as he could, sighing in relief once everything was done. "Sir?"
Taking a deep breath Arcane forced his attention away from the pain and onto his assistant. "I'm fine Graham, the question is are you?"
"I'm, I'm okay. Sir." Graham swallowed heavily at the sudden interested look in Arcane's eyes. "Really." Even to him his assertion sounded weak.
"I think I'll be the judge of that Graham." Holding his assistant's head still he carefully felt for any bump or wound. "Holland did throw you rather hard against the wall. And there is the matter of your strange behaviour and the destruction of your room ... which by the way will be coming out of your salary."
"Destruction? er what destruction?" Holding himself perfectly still Graham suppressed a shiver as Arcane's fingers brushed against the back of his neck.
"You don't remember?" Frowning Arcane released Graham, attention drifting away at this new piece of knowledge. "What do you remember?"
"Waking up in the Swamp, trying to walk back ... not much after that."
"Interesting." Smiling suddenly Arcane patted Graham's face. "I think it's about time I found out what exactly is happening, Graham. And you are going to help me."
"Er, how?" Not liking the look on the Doctor's face, he became even more nervous when Arcane slid an arm around his shoulder.
"Why by being my test subject of course." Arcane grinned at the sudden fearful look that crept onto his assistant's face. "Don't worry Graham, I'll be gentle. I promise."
Graham lay back on the gurney, twitching nervously as Dr Arcane prepared to take another sample. He'd lost count of the number of tests that had been run on him in the last 12 hours and he added feeling like a well used pin cushion to all the other miseries of being ill. He ached all over and he couldn't shake the strange, hallucinatory images that kept floating in and out of his mind. There were periods when he got so confused he couldn't even remember what he'd been doing just the minute before, all he knew was how oddly Dr Arcane looked at him after these episodes. He forced himself to keep still as the doctor drew off yet another vial of blood and, groaning with the exertion, forced himself up so he could help prepare the slides.
Arcane was already working on the sample, preparing it for analysis with an exaggerated care that betrayed how much his own health was deteriorating. There had been several spillages when his hands had started to shake during delicate operations and this wasn't helped by the obvious pain he was experiencing using his injured left arm. Graham had suggested that his employer should get the burn treated properly; he did remember that conversation ending badly though the details were vague. Certainly the Doctor had thrown a selection of glassware at him, and screamed a selection of his favourite terms of abuse but then the confusion set in, Graham had strange recollections that couldn't be true, of actually fighting back, throwing things at Arcane, screaming and yelling himself. No, not possible, he never fought back, he just took it. Fighting back was just in his fantasies. Still, he looked around the lab, there was a lot of damage here for just one of the Doctor's temper tantrums and even the recent unfriendly visit from Alec Holland didn't account for it.
Arcane had finished with the sample and set it aside carefully to await any development from his latest test. Graham moved up carefully to stand alongside him. 'What are you looking for this time Sir?"
Arcane turned to face him; he was flushed and sweating, his glazed eyes not quite focusing on Graham. "That's just what you want to know isn't it Graham? Snooping into my work, stealing my secrets, always here, always prying into my business?"
His voice was low but with just an edge of hysteria that Graham found frightening. Arcane moved closer, looming over him, and Graham tried to back away. "I'm...I'm your assistant Sir, I'm here to help you. It's my job to be involved with your work."
"That's what's so cunning. Waiting all these years, biding your time, letting me think I could trust you. I should have known I can't trust *anyone*" Arcane was shouting now, his face a mask of rage, he virtually snarled as he grabbed Graham by the shoulders.
"You can trust me," Graham said, "you know I would never harm you Sir, you know that."
His words had no impact, it seemed unlikely that Arcane could even hear him, he seemed to have lost all contact with reality, he was listening to other voices now.
"Ha ha" he screamed, "it all makes sense, I should have realised, All these years, everyone I thought I could trust, all conspiring against me. Even my own mother."
He tightened his grasp on Graham's collar and shook him hard, his face taking on a shrewd, if totally mad, expression. "She sent you, didn't she?" He shook harder, "My mother sent you. Don't try to lie now. It all makes perfect sense."
Graham struggled against the hold that was choking him, "Sir, please let go," he gasped, "I haven't done anything to you, no one sent me, I promise."
Arcane's grip did loosen, more because he had lost all interest in his assistant. He gazed around wildly. "My enemies, they're all here," he lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper, "they come in through the walls you know. Oh yes, through the walls." He let go of Graham and let him stagger free, almost falling. Arcane began running his hands over the smooth surface of the nearest wall. "It's the masks you see, the disguises; they can hide in the walls. But I'm on to them now, oh yes, I've got them now."
Arcane's voice was rising to a maniacal shriek; Graham cowered away from him, terrified. The Doctor bared his teeth in a crazed snarl, he was spitting, foaming at the mouth. Graham tried to make it to the lift without attracting his attention but it just wasn't possible. Arcane made a frantic lunge and dragged him to the ground. He pinned Graham down with his full weight and began to claw at his assistant's face. "Let's see who you really are, who they've sent to get me."
Graham cried out in pain as the Doctor's finger nails clawed at his face, he tried to struggle and just found the strength to push Arcane off him. Enraged, the Doctor reached up to the lab table and brought down the heavy stand that made up the base of the Bunsen burner. He brought it down on Graham's head with a sickening crash.
Arcane woke to the lab in near darkness; he was lying on the floor surrounded by wrecked equipment. He could barely lift his head, it ached so badly and he felt so strange. He tried to concentrate, there was something important, something he should remember. "Graham," he called, almost as a matter of habit. That was what he did when life got difficult, he called for Graham. So why did he feel that something was wrong...? He struggled up on to his knees, hoping he could manage the effort of standing, but then he saw the still figure just a few metres away.
He crawled over to it. "Graham," he whispered, giving him a gentle shake, "come on old chap." Arcane saw the pool of blood that was already coagulating around Graham's head and he remembered ... something. He remembered himself with something heavy in his hand, bringing it crashing down...
"No, no, it couldn't be." He was afraid to touch Graham, he was lying too still, and there was too much blood. "Come on old chap," he whispered, "wake up now. I think I was a bit out of it for a while but it's all right now, you know I wouldn't hurt you. Not really." Graham didn't stir, Arcane knew he wouldn't. He just didn't want to confirm it, confirming it would make it true. Finally he reached out a trembling hand and placed his fingers on Graham's neck, still allowing himself to hope that there would be a faint pulse. There wasn't.