Grey had not died when he fell supposedly to his doom. His skeleton was too strong for a four-story drop to kill him, now that he was super-strong. He had managed to crawl back to Alvosta,'s building, and was extremely careful about letting no one see him.
Still weak, he entered the room with a hissing groan. "Massster! Help me!"
Alvosta took one look at his slave and shuddered. Then, he grew angry. "What the hell happened to you, Grey?!? One lawyer did that to you? That was your only assignment today wasn't it? How the hell did you fail?!?"
"Masster, it was not the lawyerrr. It wasss…" his eyes lit up in hated memory, "Nightmare!"
"Who's that?"
"His law partnerrr. I ssssaw him put his mask on and then we fought. He wassss- strong. But- it was not my fault master! He caught me by surprise! I was looking for an easy murder, not a fight!"
"Grey!!!! You let him beat you didn't you!?!?!" Alvosta's anger was rising like lava in a volcano. "You let him beat you in a fight, him who had nothing but a mask??????"
"Massster!"
"Don't 'massster' me, you fool! This Nightmare was a match for you! If he knows that we are connected, he'll be able to put me in jail for life! We have to get rid of him, once and for all! What is his real name?"
"Sssssomething Marlinnn, I think. Why, master?"
"Because we are going to pay Mr. Marlin a visit tomorrow night, and this time you will not lose. Right, Grey?"
"Yesss massster. You are merccciful massster!"
"That's a joke. I am going to make you stronger than before! Take this," he said as he handed Grey a vial. "Drink it all, and you will be stronger. You will be strong enough to defeat Nightmare, once and for all. Do I make myself clear?"
As he raised the glass to his lips, Grey murmered, "Yesss master."
Standing by Freddy Dock's bed, John contemplated what to do after his friend recovered. Was Grey still alive? He had not found a body when he checked later, but with skin like that, maybe decomposition was faster than in a normal body. Who knew? Second, how had he gotten that way? People with gray skin super-strength don't just pop up out of no where! What if more Greys were on the way? Nightmare could never handle them all! He had barely handled this one!
One thing was for sure. Next time, he'd be ready. Grey, if still alive, was not going to surprise him again with a visit, whether at home or in the office. He was going to be ready.