Chapter Six

"Thank... you, my... friends... but... I must do... this alone..." said the Swamp Thing in his low, rumbling voice. He stood completely still. The Challengers looked around at each other, confused and waiting for something to happen.

After several painfully quiet moments, the Swamp Thing finally said, "Something is... wrong... the Green... it is... denied to me... I... cannot leave... this body..."

"Why would you think you could?" asked Ace. The Challengers had known Alec Holland from a time before he learned that he was a plant elemental and could transfer his "spirit" elsewhere and grow a new body from whatever vegetation was readily available. He had done so spectacularly in Gotham City, for instance, when he grew a thorny, flowery body out of a bouquet of roses. But the Challs knew little of this, and would have been unaware that any powers the Swamp Thing displayed then were permanent.

"You do... not understand... I..." Holland stopped speaking suddenly, as if realizing where he was for the first time. "Here...? But... no... oh, no..."

He turned and looked down at the desecrated grave at his feet. There was quite a bit of overturned soil, but no trace of any body at all. And there certainly was no skeleton.

"This... grave. It is... mine, I... buried... Holland here... How can this... be...?"

"I thought he was--?" Rocky whispered to Red before the other shushed him.

"I do... not understand... what is... happening... what has... happened..."

"That makes five of us, Doc," said Ace. "Don't worry, we'll help you figure it out. You're among friends now."

The Swamp Thing glared at the man. "'Friends'...? I have no... need of... human friends... Please... leave me... leave... now..."

"Dr. Holland, we--"

"LEAVE... NOW... I CANNOT... GUARANTEE... YOUR SAFETY FROM... ME IF... YOU DO NOT... LEAVE..."

"You heard the man," said Ace, the Swamp Thing wincing at the use of the word "man." "Let's leave him to his privacy; he's earned it."

The Challengers respectfully nodded at the swamp creature and turned to leave, piling back into the Challenger Jet.

"I don't think it's wise to leave that man alone at a time like this, Ace."

"Neither do I, Prof. That's why we'll be tracking his movements. We promised to help him, and we're going to stick to that promise."

The Swamp Thing then made an agonizing noise that, if there were any human ears to hear it, would remind one of a suffering animal in anguish. The creature was not animal, but he was certainly suffering. Within him, though, burned a determination to return to his home, the home he had made for himself before he was forced away from this planet. If Abby were anywhere, she would be waiting there for his return.

The creature who wore the form of man began walking south through the murky swamplands, avoiding all signs of civilization.