Chapter Nine: Assassination Triangle

Warner wanted to tear him apart, Audrey wanted Warner cold on the pavement and Freakazoid…he didn't want to hurt anybody. He didn't want anybody to get hurt either. Dexter had told him numerous times that everybody's life mattered, no matter who they were or used to be or would be. Everyone was equal.

The concept escaped him mostly. If everyone was equal then how come everybody didn't have super powers, why was it Dexter was seen as the misplaced link in society? He didn't understand, so every time Dexter spoke Freak did what he always did when he didn't understand.

Smile and nod.

Smile and nod.

Smile and nod.

Today there was no way out however, he had a job to do and if it wasn't done right people were going to get hurt. There was a possibility he could get hurt or…worst. Worst meant something happening to Dexter. That was the worst possible thing he could imagine happening, something happening to Dexter.

It played over and over again in his mind. Over and over.

He remembered the day Dexter had gone away. Though their time apart was short Freakazoid remembered the terror that had overcome him, the fear consuming him and manifesting into a burning hate. It was a disgusting feeling that left his mouth bitter. Maybe Freakazoid wasn't human, or knew exactly how to feel but he knew he didn't like being alone. Without Dexter there was nothing to smile about.

Freakazoid had begin to grasp the concept of worrying, and slowly developed an understanding to why Dexter worried all the time. Humans were frail, but even Freakazoid's apparently, weren't so indestructible either. They both knew they had to be ready for whatever a super genius like Warner had planned.

Dexter had been practicing his telekinesis. He'd gotten pretty good at it too. He could pick things up and move them here or put them there. But Warner, that madman was something else entirely. Freakazoid feared that man. Warner and Dexter were a lot alike actually, the blue teen compared them in a matter of seconds; both intellectual outcasts pining over a girl, both acquiring abilities, both still clinging to what they knew.

"There it is Dex", he said quietly, examining the rundown building with a curious eye. It was old and falling apart, probably from an explosion yet the lights were on. Only on one floor though. "And there he is"

'He's sending us an invitation', Dexter mused with caution. 'Freak you've got to be careful…don't go barging in there'

"I wasn't gunna", Freakazoid lied, heaved over himself and pouting. "Jee wiz Dex", the super teen leaned back and kicked his foot out like a scolded child. "But just so we're clear…you want me to…to…" he led.

'We've got to play this from a tactical angle, Freak', Dexter paused to think then added. 'No wire transportation, nuh-uh'

"Um, Dex…" Freakazoid wearily cautioned from his tone a dislike for Dexter's plan. "Stealth mode isn't exactly my thing?" he scratched his head nervously. "I'm not exactly, you know…quiet"

'Well you're going to be', Dexter snapped, mentally urging Freakazoid forward. 'Pretend you're playing a game of laser tag with Cosgrove or something'

"Kay, I mean you're the boss right?" Freak chuckled tenderly, rubbing the back of his head. "You want ninja I'll give you so much ninja the fad will dry up"

'See, that's the kind of attitude I've been looking for'

Freak felt the warmth of Dexter's smile. He cautiously, stealthily approached the broken down building. Both boys however were completely unaware of the extent of Warner's abilities and the fact that he was counting every step they took in his direction. Inside the building he waited in the shadows, smiling patiently as his specimen eventually walked right up to his backdoor. Reaching up and easily yanking the wooden barriers down Freak climbed inside, his feet landing silently on the debris ridden floor.

It was dark but not at all because the building didn't work. Feeling the lack of current Freakazoid noticed immediately that Warner had redirected all outlets to the upper floors. Just as well he hadn't leapt into them.

A whining noise rung in Freak's ears, he covered them but it seemed to seep through. There was a speaker system built into the facility and he assumed Warner had activated it. When the annoying screech settled Freakazoid heard the condescending tone of Warner echoing through the halls.

'Freakazoid', he said happily, eagerly. 'My boy you've come to visit, how kind of you to save me the trouble of going outdoors'

"Warner", Freakazoid clenched his fist, making sure his back was to the wall in case the doctor had any plans of ambushing him. "Where are you?"

'Why I'm here', he said with a light chuckle. 'Come on up, Freakazoid I have been waiting for you'

The tone of the doctor was unnerving to say the least. Freakazoid felt his teeth chatter at the thought of being in the same room with him, but that was his heroic duty and Dex was right about them fixing their mistake. He pushed himself off the wall and began running full speed down the hall, eyes scanning the building for a fire escape. Ducking left he kicked the door down and didn't miss a beat as he hit the stairs and went up.

'What's the matter Freakazoid?' Warner taunted, disdain seeping into his tone. 'Don't want to chit chat? Don't want to say anything stupid?' there was a pause in speech where Freakazoid heard the mutated doctor's batted breaths 'Aren't you just eager to get up here, to defeat me…but you are running a fool's errand. You can't beat me'

When he reached Warner Freakazoid knew because he felt the warmth of the energy, saw the glow of the lights. He wasn't about to be stealthy now that Warner knew he was here and where he was apparently. The door was newer than the others and it took a few good kicks to bend the metal inward and force it open. As the hunk of ore hit the floor and slid out into the light of the lab Freak jogged inside, ready for anything.

He didn't expect to find Audrey curled up on the floor of a cage crying. Aside from seeing the sleuth captured, crying wasn't ever something he expected her to do, heck he didn't know she could cry. She was still wearing that strange costume choice of hers, which brought Freakazoid hesitantly closer. Looking down he saw why she was shuttering as the air leaving her lungs solidified in little short puffs of breath. The temperature of the lab was fine but apparently Warner was subduing her by using her new cold blooded form against her.

"Audrey?" Freak whispered under his breath as he set his hand against her impound.

She was trapped inside a glass enclosure, like a cage he thought. It was easy enough for him to break. The encasement shattered with a simple punch though it startled Audrey who spun her head towards him her ebony hair fanning the side of her defined cheekbones. Fear filled her eyes till she saw through blurry vision that it was Freakazoid standing over her. Her lips parted but nothing came out except for a small exclamation of joy.

Leaning besides her he reached out and gently touched her frail shoulder. Before the hero realized it she had flung herself into his arms, pushing her body as close as she could to his in order to steal his warmth. She felt sort of nice and cuddly for a snake so Freakazoid loosely wrapped an arm around her shoulders and helped her to her feet.

Audrey somehow climbed up into his arms and clung to his broad chest to keep her dainty feet off the stone cold ground. It only took a moment for Freak to begin to feel the chill of the encasement himself, but it was nothing serious for a warm blooded creature. He shuffled the glass to the side with his foot as he cautiously stepped out of the cage.

"It'sss a trap", she breathed out through bated breath.

"Figured", he quirked his head and smiled, dimwittedly charming the snake. "Came anyway"

"You're sssuch a good boy", Audrey whispered as she closed her eyes and began to drift off. "Sssuch a…good…"

Her weight slacked in his arms as she suddenly drifted off to sleep. As Freakazoid surveyed the room he saw various lab equipment, chemicals and cages with animals…dead animals in them. Holding Audrey Freakazoid ventured further into the lab. They past a table littered with needles, all the tips dripping a strange green liquid. He walked into the backend of Warner's workspace to find nobody there.

'Hello Freakazoid'

Freakazoid spun on his heels, eyes wide. How had he walked right past the doctor without seeing him? Warner hovered centimeters from the floor, his body limp as if it were on strings; his skin was translucent, Eyes yellow, hallowed in face to make him appear a walking corpse. That terrible chill shot through Freakazoid again, making him shutter and back away. He didn't know what to do. Dexter had to have a plan though, right? Dexter, his mind called out, Dexter.

'Just you and me right now I'm afraid'

That voice, Warner's voice, came not from his lips but from within the heroes head. He had invaded his mind but how? Dexter, Freakazoid hadn't heard him since he entered the facility. Warner somehow grabbed hold of his human half and severed their link without him even realizing it. Even worse, where was Dexter?

'Dexter's with me', Warner clarified. 'The reason you cannot hear him is because while we speak I am dealing with the boy in your subconscious'

"You're in my head!?" Freak exclaimed as he nearly dropped the Queen realizing the doctor was walking around his mind. "Ew, gross. Invasion of privacy! How about you buy a guy a smoothie first next time", Letting his head drop into his chest Freak grumbled irritably, "I feel so violated"

'You should feel privileged Freakazoid', Warner chided quietly. 'With your help I will perfect my formula'

"Look Doc I'll be completely honest with you", Freakazoid commented as he swung his heavy head up. "You probably shouldn't take anymore of that stuff…I mean, what if you turn into a giant brain or something?"

'I don't need this body', he hissed as a physical force represented his irritation, the wave unsettling Freakazoid's ground. 'I can be anyone I want if I really put my mind to it'

Freakazoid felt Cobra Queen stir from her slumber. Wiggling in his grasp she made a subtle whining noise as if she were having a bad dream. She suddenly went rigid, then as quick as a striking snake twisted her neck around and sunk her fangs into his forearm. As her razor sharp teeth tore through his superhuman flesh blood poured down his arm, dripped into a small glossy puddle on the floor.

Letting out an unhinged hiss Freakazoid withdrew his hold on her. The Cobra Queen landed on her feet, nearly coiling her body into a fine twist to do so. Freakazoid's eyes watered as his wound began to burn his skin feeling like it was on fire. And she bit down to the bone with her eyes looking up at him in horror. Audrey trembled as she ordered her body to move, to let go but it didn't listen to her. Warner was pulling her strings.

A sharp scream snuck through Freakazoid's gritted teeth. Poison slipped into his veins and mixed with his half human blood. Feeling woozy Freakazoid took a knee and Audrey mirrored his movements, teeth dug into his blue flesh with an iron clamped jaw. Tears swelled in the corners of her eyes, trickled over the lightly scaled texture of her cheek.

"Let that teach you a lesson about letting wild animals out of their cages", Warner spat as he mentally yanked Audrey's head back, her mouth dripping with blood. "A poisonous one at that, isn't that right pet?"

He pulled Audrey back to him and linked his arm over her neck, resting it on her lean collar bone. She still couldn't talk, but through her tears she could see a blur of red and blue falling to the floor. Freakazoid clutched his arm as he landed on his knees and hunched over, bringing all of himself to his center.

"Dexter…" he coughed as the poison gripped him. "…Dex…come out come out wherever you are buddy, I'm…in a bit of a bind here"

xxx

Dexter

"Freak?" Dexter ducked behind a desk as a pipe bomb exploded behind him. "Yesh, will you cut it out!? You're going to kill me!"

He had been trapped inside a mental image of school by the telepath, David Warner and was currently giving his best effort at escaping. The chalkboard read Dexter's name over a line with the pinnacle sequence below it and on the other side of an adjacent equal sign was Freakazoid's name written in all caps. Warner entered looking human. Dexter squeaked as he scrambled out of another incoming attack and towards the window. Grabbing the sill he banged and pulled with all his might in an attempt to open it but the window refused to budge.

"I had hoped you would be a more worthy opponent", Warner sounded utterly mad as he lifted a desk from the ground. "How does something so weakly willed control the Freakazoid?"

"It isn't necessarily a matter of will doctor"

Warner threw the desk at Dexter. The thin framed boy acted on instinct and covered his face with his thin trembling arms. Before the desk reached him it exploded and only a single bolt bounced off his forehead.

"It's a matter of substance", he narrowed his eyes, tried to concentrate.

Dexter acted under the assumption that he was in control and in that state of mind lifted a desk and sent Warner a taste of his own medicine. A thick laugh left the doctor as he easily batted it off course. It flew into the chalkboard and exploded, sending a cloud of chalk dust wafting into the air.

That gave quick witted Dexter Douglas an idea. Dexter ran to the chalkboards and grabbed the eraser off the rail so that as he ran past Warner he clapped them together leaving his opponent choking in a smokescreen while he dashed out into the hallway. Panic gripped Dexter who had been playing the cat and mouse game since they entered the facility. His telekinesis was no match for Warner's telepathy while trapped inside his mind.

"Freak!" he called in desperation. "Freakazoid!"

"He's not coming to save you Mr. Douglas", Warner chuckled as he cleared his throat. "In fact I'm quite sure he's counting on you this time. What a shame"

"What did you do to him?" Dexter growled as he clenched his fists.

"Tick tock Mr. Douglas", Warner smiled darkly, his face twisting. "You're running out of time you know", his head lowered, eyes clouded in shadow. "Once the Freakazoid is on my slab that will be the end of both of you"

On his slab? Was he going to dissect them? Oh no, Dexter thought as he planted his feet. This situation was dire, more so than originally thought. He'd have to find a way to break Warner's hold on him. There had to be a way, they were in his mind after all. That gave Dexter leverage…right?

xxx

Freakazoid flew back, his body crippling the structure. He lay amongst rubble, coughing as the dust and debris got into his physical lungs. A table flew towards him and he used what energy he could to roll to the side. The maneuver proved useless as his entire body lifted off the ground, despite Freak's efforts at clawing at the ground, and bounced off the ceiling. As Freakazoid felt the warmth of blood dripping down the side of his face Warner's dark chuckle rose above the senseless battering.

"Have I broken you Freakazoid?" he laughed, hovering above the wreckage of their bout. "Have you had enough?"

Freakazoid forced his trembling body to stand, coughing a quirky, "Please sir, may I have some more?"

"As you wish"

Warner sent a wave towards Freakazoid and the teen flew back, but dissolved into electricity before he could strike anything further and vanished. Leaping from the nearest outlet he lashed out at Warner, but it was in vain. He froze mid air, just as his body solidified. Fist outstretched, inches from Warner Freakazoid's blue eyes opened wide in frustration while Warner sneered. Slowly by no will of his own his fingers uncurled and flew back.

Audrey watched from the sidelines in horror. Warner kept her close by, immobilized for the most part. She sat side saddled her hands digging into the flesh of her thighs, nearly breaking the scales there. Freakazoid was being pummeled, helpless because of her poison. Now, Audrey was a villain but this was just cruel. It made her feel guilty knowing he was being punished because Warner had some twisted thing for her and she, well she had some twisting thing for the blue hero. As much as she wanted to destroy him she wanted…

"David!" she hissed venomously. "Stop it already, he's had enough!"

"Oh no my darling meander", Warner chided. "We have just begun. After I assess the specimen Freakazoid we will move on to grandeur pastures with one less deterrent"

Warner lifted his hand and when he spread his fingers, Freakazoid's limbs did the same. His body was tugged by Warner's mental strings till his joints popped. Freakazoid gasped as his arms twisted painfully behind his back. His body trembled and then suddenly slammed into the floor. Freakazoid coughed and latched onto his arm which felt like it was going to burn off.

"Ow!" he hissed as he tried to get to his feet. "Can't we just talk things out? Why do boss battles have to be so violent?"

"Pleasure", Warner cracked a wide sharp smile. "I enjoy causing you pain. I want to see you broken"

The crazed doctor laughed like a child waiting in anticipation for the firecracker to do its duty on their ill fated toy as he flung defenseless Freakazoid across the room. Freakazoid couldn't fight back, poisoned and at a disadvantage. He wished Dexter were there to at the very least comfort him, tell him he could win. Freakazoid hit the wall and crumpled into the debris.

He didn't get back up.

((Author's Note))

Oh boy, long time since I updated...um, sorry I got distracted with other stories again. Good thing there's only two more chapters left. Feedback might help me pump the chapters out quicker and get started on the third book. Yup i've already decided to write a third book. This time i'll work the details out a bit more before I get started though...and of course finish this story. ^_^

R&R friends