A low moan broke the silence of the dark room as Vince tossed restlessly against the thin mattress of his bed. Sweat beaded across his brow, soaking the pillow he held in a tight grip. His eyes clenched shut against the images in his head…horrible, bloody images which tortured his dreams. He let out a pained cry as he stared helplessly at the unconscious prone forms of his wife and son. He struggled to reach them, to protect them, but as fast as he ran he never seemed to get any closer, as if he was restrained by some unseen force. His eyes widened in horror as a dark figure stepped out of the shadows, looming over his wife and son. Chess smiled twisted as he held a large knife casually in his gloved hands. His spoke softly, though his voice seemed to echo out of the surrounding darkness.

"I will find out who you are, Cape, and I will hunt down the ones you love."

Vince gathered the cape in his hands…or at least attempted to… his hand passed through it as if it were nothing but smoke as he tried to grasp it. Chess's dark laughter echoed through his mind as he tried to move. The blade of the large knife gleamed brightly against the darkness as Chess plunged it downward toward Dana's unprotected back.

"Nooooooooooooooooooo."

The primal scream tore through the night as Vince jerked upright, chest heaving and haunted eyes searching wildly for the dangers which lingered on the edge of his mind. His body shuddered heavily as a tortured sob escaped his lips. The pillow fell unnoticed to the floor of the lair as he swung his feet over the side of the bed and buried his face in his hands. It was only a dream…and yet it had seemed so real. He focused on a breathing exercise Ruvi had taught him, attempting calm his mind and slow his racing heart. After a few minutes, he rubbed a rough hand over his face and reached down to retrieve his running shoes. Exhaustion haunted him, but he would not be able to sleep again that night.

oOo

Somewhere across town….

The long since abandoned warehouse reeked of mildew and decay. The smell of salt water from the bay mixed in creating a noxious combination. The few overhead lights swung gently as the rusting metal creaked in the breeze from the broken windows casting eerie shadows on the ground below.

"Is it working?"

A pair of dark haunting eyes, set deep into a thin pale face, rose slowly as if coming out of a deep trance. His nearly white blonde hair was cropped short against his pale scalp, adding to the unearthly tone of his appearance. The effect was completed as his features were obscured by the fumes which wafted from the wicks of various candles and sticks of incense, providing the illusion that he appeared to be simmering in and out of existence with the smoke. A rough sketch of The Cape lay in front of the candles. The dark eyes settled on the man at the edge of the room.

"You doubt my work?" The words floated out, cold and concise.

"Not at all." Fleming said calmly, though his words were clipped. "However, you do normally have more to work with than you do with this one."

"He has a strong mind. He will be harder to break than the others, but everyone has their limits. The human mind can only sustain so much, before it breaks." Came the reply.

"You will be able to find out who he is?" Fleming asked. He looked away briefly as the bottomless dark eyes centered on him. It was unsettling. The doctor was a risk. A rejected and scoffed by modern science…however his results were quite effective and Fleming needed efficiency. The Cape must be dealt with.

The man nodded. "Once his defenses are completely down, we should be able to find out anything you want to know."

"Good" Fleming said as a manic smile spread across his face. That was very good news, indeed.

"What I am to do then?"

"You are not to kill him." Fleming frowned momentarily before the evil smile returned. "I want to have my fun, first."

A/N: This story was languishing on my computer unfinished until The Red Fedora agreed to help me with it and finish it out so that it could be enjoyed by the readers. This is a collaboration piece. Enjoy the show