Disclaimer: Same as before. Marvel is owned by Disney. Blah blah.

HFG: Anyways, new chapter! Features Kasady and Phineas.

Life certainly held many surprises for those who lived at Ravencroft. First, despite the fact that Ravencroft was a men's asylum, they had been given a woman inmate. Second, said woman inmate instantly took a liking to the super criminal known as Doctor Octopus. Thirdly, it was revealed that she was the catalyst in a new therapy method that involved getting your memory erased. And if that wasn't all, currently Cletus Kasady, known serial killer, had his sights targeted onto her.

And he wasn't planning on letting her go.

Kasady just knew he could use those abilities, even if that wasn't what had him drawn to her. Sure, her memory manipulation could be a useful tool, but it wasn't true power. It wasn't what captivated him. Most men would have gone for the fiery hair, the bright eyes, or even the smile that flitted across her face when she knew she had done right. But not him. After all, he wasn't a normal man.

He saw the insanity within her, and he craved it. He wanted to use it, to harness it for his own use. He was a sociopath; she had an identity disorder. Their personalities were perfect together! Personality disorders, anyways. After all, when one didn't believe in man's so-called "morals", and the other had a personality that was more than willing to drop a man like a fly, then there was a connection there.

He was absolutely lucky that her cell was right across from his.

It was October 30th, the day before Halloween, and she was currently asleep in her room. Her arm was lying lightly across her stomach, and her head tilted delicately to the side. Strands of fire blocked his complete view of her, or at least her face, but he didn't need to see everything to know that she was sleeping peacefully. Idly, he wondered which was dreaming: Memory, or Mary? Did they share a body whilst in dreamland, or did each of them have their own? Memory had complained about the dark…

Oh, if he got a hold of her, Memory would be spending a lot of time in the dark. He would draw Mary out, teach her to exercise control over the other personality. And, once Mary had everything she would need to retain the control even with Memory out and about, he would find Memory. And he would do the same to her. Innocence was something he detested, unless he was defiling it. Memory, so pure and untainted, would become nothing more than a carbon copy of himself once he was done with her.

Many didn't know, but he, too, had once been innocent. Weren't all people innocent at one time or another? Everyone entered the world crying and screaming, sucking their thumb and staring at the world with angelic eyes. The only difference between himself and Memory was that he had lost his innocence at such a young age. He was but three when his father threw the first blow. From there, it had all gone downhill.

"Psst! Hey, Octavius, you here?" Kasady hissed over to the cell beside him. He waited a heartbeat, two, then grinned. Either the fatso was asleep, or Kafka had decided he should have an individual therapy session. The situation didn't matter to Kasady – not really. All he cared about was that he was alone, so to speak, with the ever-impressionable Memory/Mary.

Oh, the doctor thought he was being clever, thought he was a sly little fatso, didn't he? But, the truth was, he wasn't. Everyone saw the way he watched the woman. Everyone saw the way he acted, the way he made sure none of the men stepped out of line around her. It had started with a simple conversation, perhaps a need in that pathetic mind of his to be chivalrous around the one woman in this crazy house that wasn't going to feed him garbage about false healing. However, upon realizing exactly what she was capable of, he became over bearing. Constantly hovering when she around the general population, always keeping those cold blue eyes on her.

He believed her to be the next member of his Sinister Six, or whatever ridiculous name he decided to give his team. He believed her to be the key to victory. But, the truth was, now that Kasady was there, with her, with him nowhere around, those dreams were going to go straight down the metaphorical toilet. Which was probably, Kasady thought with a snigger, where Octavius' nerdy head had been shoved all throughout middle and high school.

"Memory…" he sang, keeping his voice light and gentle, "Memory, will you wake up, please? I want to talk to you…"

She stirred slightly, letting out a delicious noise. Very slowly did her eyelashes begin to flutter, until, finally, her eyes opened. In a move that made him both amused and infuriated, Memory's first glance was to the cell beside his. Her first word was his name, too, as she called out, "Otto?" quietly.

"He's not here, my dear." Kasady purred as he stood, walking over to the bars of his cell. He had to admit, as Memory's eyes flew over to him, he saw fear. Fear, especially her fear, made him giggle insanely. He had not seen such lovely terror in so long, it made him giddy. Even if it disappeared as quick as it had made its appearance, it was still enough to get him going. "I called you. Do you mind if we talk?"

A nearby inmate, Kasady wagered it was Kraven, snarled, "Hey! Keep it down! Some of us are trying to sleep!"

"Talk to me like that again and I'll rip out your entrails to use as my Halloween decorations. How would you like that, kitty!" Kasady yelled right back up, glaring daggers at the wall. There was a low, snarling growl, but no voice answered his. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he noted that it was unusual for Kraven to back down so lightly, but decided not to question. After all, he had something better to do…

"Why would you want to talk to me?" Memory's voice broke his ponderings, "Kasady, am I right? Why would you want to talk to me? I'm a mutie, remember? No one around here likes mutants… We're freaks." Her eyes became frightened again, and she looked desperately around her cell, as if some boogey monster would jump out of the shadows and haul her back. It was lovely.

Kasady clucked his tongue sympathetically. "My dear, dear Memory. So charmingly innocent. You don't understand this, but all of us in this place are freaks. Look at Kraven, Maxwell, even your Otto. He's the biggest one of them all. I'm a freak, even if I don't have powers." He placed his hand gently on the bars of his cell. "But there's one difference between myself and those whom I've spoken of. Do you know what it is Memory? Do you care to know what it is?"

Memory hesitated, glancing around yet again. He saw her eyes fly to the cells on either side of him, even to the cell on the floor above him. She was searching for a clue, for a hint as to how she was supposed to properly answer this question. Unfortunately, no aid was received from any of the other inmates, and so she released a shuddering breath. "I-I don't… But I want to."

Hook, line, and sinker! Grinning madly, he responded, "I embrace the qualities that make me a freak, that make me different. The only one inside you – Mary – she embraces it as well. You showed a want, a need, to become one with your powers yesterday. I can help you there. I can show you what you must do to fully become one with your abilities."

"What if I don't want to? What if I want my abilities to go away?"

What was it with people now a days? Always pushing away a bit of their soul, a part of them was meant to be theirs. For Kasady it was the lust for blood. The first droplets of crimson that appear as dirty silver sliced the skin were always enough to send him into euphoria. He had the courage to be able to do as he wanted. Now, he would give her that strength. With two simple words, he would break the bonds holding her back – reveal the truth he had shown no one else.

"You don't."

There was a reason that the not so good doctor had been away from his cell at the very moment Kasady was using his powers of persuasion upon Memory. A visitor had come to speak to Octavius about legal matters, and Doctor Kafka had been given no choice but to allow the meeting. After all, no matter what the conditions, no one could be denied a conference with his lawyer.

Touching his fingertips together, Doctor Octavius glanced across the table at the man who bore this news. He was tall, with salt-and-pepper toned hair and grey-tinted glasses that hid his eyes. Octavius knew this man well, trusted him even, and knew very well what matters his "lawyer" had brought to the table. A smile crossed his face as he glanced at the manila folder before him.

"According to the details I've received, your release should be on the move within the next few days. I have already found you employment, and your experiments are on the move." He put his hand on the folder, slid it forwards. "The lab you have requested, I have already gotten everything settled, lease and utilities are paid for the next four months. Everything will be ready when you get out."

"Excellent, Phineas." Octavius opened the folder and scanned the details. Despite the multitude of the information, his mind processed it without any form of trouble. "It's good to see there are still some competent people out there. Unlike the staff of this hospital."

Clucking his tongue, Phineas grinned. "Now, now, Doctor. Don't let Kafka hear you say that. She'll argue you need more time here. And none of us want that."

"No… None of us do." He pulled out a page. There was a design printed on this white sheet, an experiment he had been working on before his capture. He had nearly forgotten about it, which showed how important it had – or hadn't – been to him. "What about my special project? Is that on its way there as well?" His blue eyes narrowed at the thought of the one experiment he loved dear being so far away.

But that smile curled into a grin. "Of course. It was the very first I sought after. It is on its way to you as we speak. It should arrive within the next twenty-four hours."

"As usual, Phineas, you have out done yourself yet again." Octavius closed the folder, passed it back, "My experiments safe and sound, a new lab to return to, and my release imminent – what more could I ask?" He stood then, and offered his hand. "Thank you."

"It was my pleasure, Octavius." He stood as well, and took the proffered hand. They shook.

"Until we meet on the outside, farewell."

"I look forward to it." And then, where only Octavius could hear, Phineas added, "Master Planner."

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