Notes: This is the first story I ever attempted to write, through the ringer of several major edits of course. With luck this is the last incarnation. This whole story wouldn't have been possible without the encouragement and support of a truly great person. Thank you Fran! You were the best.

"I heard you call to me," Alec's voice disturbed the watching stillness of the air. "What is wrong, old friend?" Gently placing his hand on the trunk of an ancient cypress tree, he closed his eyes and concentrated on interpreting The Swamp's answer.

"A building?!" Alec repeated thoughtfully. "Who would construct a building on the edge of the Swamp? Arcane?" Frowning he concentrated again on The Swamp's answer. "No. Not Arcane." He relaxed slightly, "Strangers to the area then ..."

Alec's mind flashed back to when he himself was a stranger in town, starting out in a building not too dissimilar to the one in the Swamp's vision. "I shall investigate further, find the purpose behind this intrusion ..." frowning he trailed off uncertainly, "However I sense no danger. Am I allowing my own memories of the past to create a situation that doesn't exist?" Absently stroking the smooth bark on the old tree Alec finally shook his head, "No. There is no cause to justify delving any deeper into this, not where the risk of being seen is so high."

The decision was made, but a faint feeling of doubt assailed his mind - what if he was wrong. There may not be a sense of danger, however the whole situation felt wrong somehow. "I will keep an eye on it at least, should anything suspicious occur," Alec patted the tree farewell as the Swamp sent its gentle agreement. The incident was pushed firmly to the back of his mind as he settled back to enjoy the all too rare moments of peace and quiet pervading the atmosphere.

One month later

The sudden jarring noise of the telephone startled Graham, bursting his bubble of concentration. He did his best to ignore the persistent ringing, trying to focus back on completing the task of entering gene strands into a database. However the intrusive ringing kept on until with a muttered curse, Graham finally reached for the phone and picked up the offending instrument.

"Laboratory ... Graham speaking." Annoyed he barely even listened to what was being spoken on the other end. Gradually certain words filtered into his mind and he snapped to attention. "Who is this?" he demanded, "What do you want from me?" Shaking his head as if to deny the request spoken across the line he was unable to control the tremor in his voice, "I, I ... couldn't ... I ..." Graham listened in horror to the cruelly spoken words. "Please don't ..." Harshly the voice interrupted, the threat made clear, "Alright, I'll do it," Graham finally whispered in defeat, staring at the phone numbly as the other person disconnected. He was still sitting, staring quietly when the elevator hissed open and slow and steady footsteps headed in his direction. Feeling a hand touch his shoulder Graham flinched, dropping the phone and knocking over several beakers in the process.

"Graham, what on earth is the matter with you?!" Arcane glared at his assistant, who was looking decidedly on the pale side.

"Er ... nothing, Sir." Standing up Graham tried to twist his mouth into the semblance of a normal smile, knowing he'd failed when the Doctor's look of annoyance only increased. "You just startled me."

"I trust because your attention was focused on the task you are required to complete, Graham and not on anything extraneous to the job." Crossing his arms he pointedly stared at the sheets of data that still had to be typed in.

"Yes, Sir ... um, I'm almost finished everything, er .." Desperately looking around he seized the broken glass by his feet as an excuse to get out of the lab. "I'll er, just go get something to clean up this mess with first." Not waiting to hear the Doctor=s reply he bolted for the elevator avoiding the Doctor's startled gaze as the doors slid shut.

"And people claim I'm mentally unstable." Arcane shook his head in exasperation, dismissing the event from his mind as he settled down to work.

******

After making an all out dash for his room, and receiving several strange looks along the way, Graham finally sagged against his closed and locked door in relief. After a brief moment of rest he hastily grabbed a small bag from the top of the closet and threw some clothes into it. He couldn't afford the luxury of thought, couldn't afford the doubt it would bring. Already he could feel the almost overwhelming urge to go back down to the lab and confide in the Doctor. Instead Graham stepped over to his desk to complete the last and most difficult task. Picking up a pen he hastily scrawled out a barely legible note,

Dr. Arcane,
I quit. It's time to move on, I'm sorry.
Graham

Slipping the note into a plain white envelope he wrote the Doctor's name firmly across the front and placed it on his pillow. Picking up the small bag he was on the way out the door when his eye was caught by the framed picture of Dr. Arcane kept on the night table. Slowly Graham picked up the picture, one finger longingly tracing the image before setting it firmly face down. Taking a steadying breath he headed out of the room.

Heading down to the garage Graham had to remind himself not to run, no one was after him ... yet. Dr. Arcane had no reason to suspect that anything was up and with any luck he=d be long gone by the time anyone got suspicious. Still, it was with a sense of relief that he climbed into his truck. Now to make it out of the Complex. Pulling up to the front gates Graham resisted the urge to hit his head on the dash when he saw who was on duty - Phil! The man seemed to live for making his life as difficult as possible. Fingers crossed he hoped Phil would simply open the gates for him, the last thing he needed was for the Doctor to be informed of his absence yet. Not while there was still the very real possibility of being caught. Graham shivered at the thought of what Dr. Arcane could do him if the man thought he was being betrayed.

With a perfunctory flick of his hand Phil indicated that Graham should stop the car and roll down the window. Suppressing his impatience Graham reluctantly did as bid, "Open the gates Phil, I'm in a hurry."

Phil only smirked, his expression showing quite clearly he was going to enjoy this, "Well now, Mr. Graham, I'm only doing my job." Leaning one arm against the roof his posture suggested he wasn't going anywhere fast. "I am required to check everyone leaving the complex after all."

"That's great Phil." Graham glared at the man, doing his best to copy the Doctor's latent talent of implying impending death with a simple look - with less than obvious success. "Then you can explain to Dr. Arcane why a vital part for his new experiment didn't get picked up on time because you stood in the way." A satisfied smile crossed his face at Phil's sudden fearful expression. "I'm sure you'll survive the encounter ... more or less intact."

Phil glared balefully at him as he hurriedly stepped away from the car. "I'll open the gate, Mr. Graham." Sneering his name Phil attempted to salvage some dignity as he stepped back into his booth and hit the switch to open the gates.

Waving cheerfully Graham drove past, letting out a sigh of relief once he was through. Once out of sight of the Complex he floored the gas pedal, doing well over the speed limit in order to gain as much time as possible. Luck stayed on his side in not being stopped by a police cruiser or slowed down by traffic. A fact that allowed him to make it to Houma's National Airport in record time. Parking Graham turned off the car tiredly, listening to the quiet ticking noises of an overheated engine before forcing himself to move and make his way into the airport.

*****

"Hey isn't that Arcane's assistant over there?" Will asked Tressa, gesturing over to where Graham had just entered the building.

"Yes, I think it is." Tressa confirmed, eyes narrowing thoughtfully, "I wonder what he's doing here."

"Well, whatever he's up to it has something to do with Arcane." Will stated grimly. "Whenever Graham is you can be sure Arcane isn't too far off."

"In that case I suggest we follow him." Suiting actions to words they discretely followed Graham up to the ticket counter, watching as he appeared to argue with the attendant. Finally the clerk picked up the phone and after a few minutes conversation, nodded and handed Graham a ticket.

Will and Tressa ducked out of sight as Graham turned away from the counter. Cautiously peeking around a corner they were just in time to watch Graham board an airplane at Gate 6.

"I wonder where he's going?" Tressa gazed after the plane, which was already beginning to taxi down the runway.

"I don't know, but I intend to find out." Will quickly walked over to the same ticker counter Graham had gone to. "Excuse me, Miss," he smiled engagingly. "Could you tell where the plane leaving from Gate 6 was bound to?"

"It is an international flight bound for Pearson Airport in Toronto." The woman answered politely.

"Thank you." Smiling politely he turned and hurried back to Tressa.

"Well," she asked impatiently, "What did she say?"

"He's gone to Toronto."

Tressa's eyebrows raised in surprise, "Why on earth is he going there?"

"Beats me," Will shrugged, "Perhaps Graham's come to his senses and left Arcane."

"Right, and hell just froze over." Sighing Tressa shook her head. "That can't be it, Graham would never leave Arcane."

"Well, whatever the reason is, I'm sure we'll here about it sooner or later. Until then, at least we had a bit of excitement waiting for Danny's plane to get in." Will dismissed the issue from his mind.

"True." Tressa tapped Will on the arm, a small smile taking any sting out of the words, "but I'm warning you, if your friend doesn't arrive soon I'm going home, and you can wait by yourself!"

*****

Out on the runway the plane lifted gracefully into the air, making one sweeping turn before heading west. Inside Graham pulled the window shade down, shutting out the sight of his home disappearing behind him and settled down for the long flight and the uncertain future its conclusion would bring.

******

Dr. Arcane paced impatiently, glancing up at the clock with an ever deepening scowl on his face as the minutes ticked by. Fifteen minutes after completing some preliminary work on the new experiment he had become aware that Graham had not come back to clean up the mess. Five minutes after making that realization he had started pacing.

"Dammit, where is Graham?" Arcane glared up at the clock. With a growl of frustration he strode over to the intercom, stabbing at the button with more force then was necessary. "Send a maintenance crew down to clean up some broken glass," he ordered shortly. "Also have a security guard locate my assistant Graham and have him escorted to the laboratory." Arcane clicked off the connection without bothering to wait for a reply. Putting the issue temporarily out of his mind he resumed work on his experiment.

A security guard, dressed in the customary black and orange jumpsuit of Arcane Industries, conducted a systematic search of the Complex. Starting with the employee's rest areas he quickly eliminated all obvious places where the Doctor's chief assistant could be. He headed next for Graham's quarters, the last place on his list that needed to be checked. Opening the door and entering the security guard saw no sign of the man. Making a quick check of the bathroom he was just about to leave when he spotted an innocent looking envelope laying on the bed. Gingerly he picked it up by the corners, handling it as if it was a bomb, knowing instinctively what it contained.

The guard made his way slowly back to the laboratory, practically dragging his feet in his reluctance to turn the note over to Dr. Arcane. Taking a deep breath the man screwed up his courage for the confrontation with the Doctor.

Arcane looked up as the elevator doors opened, expecting to see Graham making his way into the laboratory and looking extremely contrite. Instead he was greeted by the extremely nervous face of one of his security guards. "Where is my assistant?" Crossing his arms Arcane tried to hang onto his temper.

"I, um, couldn't find him." The security guard managed to stammer, reaching out to hand Arcane the envelope. "I found this in Mr. Graham's room." with Dr. Arcane's attention focused on the note, the security guard made a quick exit from the room, sighing in relief once the elevators doors closed safely behind him.

Glancing up Arcane observed the security guard=s quick retreat from the lab. "What is with everybody tody?" Shaking his head in exasperation he turned his attention back to the envelope in his hands. Frowning at the implications it represented Arcane tore open the envelope and read the contents.

"Time to move on!" he read the words out loud in disbelief, "Time to move on!!" repeating, his tone quickly dropped to sub-arctic temperatures. "No one leaves my employee without my permission ..." Arcane snarled, crumpling the note up and hurling it at the wall, "especially not my own bloody assistant!" Angrily he punched the intercom button, "I want whoever is on guard at the front gates brought down my lab. Immediately!!"

Pacing the floor Arcane had to resist the temptation to hurl several nearby beakers at the wall. The more time passed the angrier he got. How dare Graham leave him like this!! Losing the battle with impulse he fling the nearest beaker at the wall. The glass shattering just as the lift doors hissed open and a startled security guard stepped out. Flinching the man took an uncertain step backwards, paling at the furious expression on Dr. Arcane's face.

"Who the bloody hell are you?" Arcane glared impatiently at the man.

"I, I'm Phil," swallowing nervously he rushed on, "I was working the front gate tonight. You, er, you wanted see me?"

"Ah, yes," stalking towards the security guard his expression became colder and more deadly with every step. "I want to know if my assistant Graham left the Complex tonight, and for your sake," Arcane crossed his arms, "he had better still be on the premises."

*Oh shit,* expression closely resembling that of a deer in headlights Phil took half a step backwards. "Um, well, you see ..." he slid another inch away from the Doctor, " ... um, Graham, well, he ah, he left the Complex an hour ago."

"I see," Arcane half turned away, tone casual, "... one more thing," the Doctor turned back just as Phil breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that was the end.

"Yes, sir?"

"Are you normally this incompetent or is this simply a bad day?" voice still deceptively pleasant, Phil didn't hear the dangerous rage lurking under Arcane's tone.

"I'm sorry, Sir," Phil hastened to explain his actions, "Mr. Graham told me that you had sent him out on an important errand. I figured ... "

"You figured," Arcane interrupted, tramping down on the urge to just throttle the man now, "I don't pay you to figure!" he spat the word, "I pay you to keep guard at the front gates and ensure that no one ... *NO ONE* gets in or out without my explicit permission. Or was your job description so difficult to comprehend."

"No sir, sorry sir," Phil locked his hands together to prevent them from shaking, cursing Graham silently for getting him into this mess. He couldn't wait to settle the score with the man, "But he, he was very convincing and it was just Graham ..."

Arcane laughed without much humour, "well, 'just Graham' has seen fit to leave the Complex without my permission! As you were in charge of Front Gate Security tonight I believe that makes it your oversight." pointing at the terrified security guard the danger in his tone was no longer masked, "I suggest you start running now." Satisfied he watched as the man turned pale and bolted for the elevator, "Not that it will do you any good," strolling back over to the intercom he punched a button, "I want the security guard who just left my lab to be taken into custody and escorted down to section 8." Smiling grimly he severed the connection, "I will deal with you later - but first to locate my wayward assistant."

Thinking out loud, Arcane paced absently, "Where would you go Graham? You would have to know that I would find out about your absence fairly quickly. You'd also know that with all the knowledge floating around in your head, I would never let you go." He ignored the little voice that suggested there was another reason why he wasn't about to let Graham go. 'Where would you go ... of course! The airport! Flying would be the fastest way of making it out of town!" Hurrying out of the lab he headed straight for the garage. Already certain he was right, the final proof came when he found Graham's personal vehicle to be missing. Grabbing the keys to the Rover Arcane lost no time in heading for the airport himself. Graham already had a forty-five minute head start. Time was not on his side.

****

Will and Tressa were talking quietly, still waiting, when Arcane stormed into the terminal. Will had never seen the man look so upset before. Still he couldn't resist calling out, "lose something Doc?" smirking at the flash of anger that crossed Arcane's face.

"Yes, actually I have," Arcane admitted reluctantly, stepping in their direction, "It seems I've somehow misplaced my assistant Graham," forcing his anger down he tried to smile pleasantly, "Have either of you seen him by any chance?"

"We saw him boarding a plane for Toronto," Tressa felt compelled to offer, recognizing the emotion lurking in Arcane's eyes with a sense of shock. One she never would have guessed the man capable of.

"Looks like you're going to have to find another gopher," Will sneered.

"Just a simple misunderstanding," nodding his thanks to Tressa Arcane barely spared a glance at Will, "Now if you'll excuse me." Reaching a relatively quiet area outside he pulled out his celphone, dialing up an old acquaintance; one who had certain tracking skills he had need of.

"Charlie, Anton Arcane here. I need you to carry out a job for me," Filling the man in on his missing assistant he laid out what he needed done, "I want you to follow him from the moment he disembarks at Toronto's Airport to his final destination. Ensure that he doesn't know you're watching and on NO account are you to approach him," he stressed, "Report back to me when you have something."

"No problemo, Doc," Charlie spoke casually, a hint of a Irish accent audible in his voice. "Consider the situation under control. Your assistant will never know I'm there."

"He had better not!" Arcane snapped, terminating the conversation. Thoughts of what he would do to Graham once he got the man back caused a brief malicious smile to cross his face.

*****

It was late at night, the Complex almost deathly quiet as all those employed there quickly learned it was better to stay out of Dr. Arcane's way. Already there=d been several terminations, and the rumour mill had it they were of the permanent kind. Only Stella had had the courage to mention the missing Chief Assistant, and she'd been sent off in tears by Arcane's rather violent reaction. Thus it was how the Doctor found himself working all alone in the main lab with no disturbances to distract him from the missing presence that would normally be pestering him to have something to eat right about now.

"Damn you Graham," Arcane finally gave up on getting anything accomplished, resting his aching head on the counter. He was just debating wether to go to bed and try to get some sleep when the phone rang, startling him in its loudness.

"Do you want the bad news or the very bad news?" Charlie's voice questioned as soon as he picked up.

�Either or,� Arcane spoke impatiently, �Just tell me where my assistant is!�

�Well, the bad news is that your assistant has already found new employment.� Charlie paused, holding the phone slightly away form his ear in preparation for Arcane's reaction to his next tidbit. �The very bad news is that he's now employed by Dr. Woodrue.�

�*What*!� Voice raising more than normal, Arcane had to breathe deeply a few times in order to compose himself. �I want you to keep an eye on him!� he finally ordered coldly, �Don't let him out of your sight.� slamming down the phone, he found his hand actually shaking with barely repressed rage. Graham really had betrayed him! All those long hours of waiting a small part of himself had remained convinced that Graham had to have a good reason for leaving without telling him. After all the man was devoted to him, often loyal to a fault ... a fact he'd come to rely on with such certainty that anything contrary to the notion had still come as a surprise. The situation was going to require careful handling, there was no way he intended to let Woodrue know how much his assistant's apparent betrayal had affected him, and yet there was equally no way that he could leave things as they were. No, he needed to get Graham back and he needed to be subtle about how he did it. Of course, once the man was safely back in his control there was nothing stopping him from letting Graham know exactly what the true definition of suffering was.

Slowly a plan started to form, the details coming together in a beautiful pattern that would allow him the revenge on Woodrue he always wanted and to get Graham to come to him at the same time. First he'd need to set the stage carefully, rushing was not an option. The stakes were to high.

Over the next few weeks Arcane built up his plan, allowing no one in on the secret meant he was working pretty much on his own. But as any other employee's he'd brought in showed no matter how incompetent he claimed Graham to be, at least the man understood him. He'd never before realized how much he'd come to depend on his ex-assistant's ability to anticipate his needs, to instinctively know what was required of him. Annoyingly enough, he even found himself missing the way Graham would get nervous and stumble over his words. Thankfully the dwelling of these thoughts were few and far between and by the end of the third week Phase II of the plan was ready to be set in motion.

Leaning back comfortably in his chair Arcane at last dialed the long distance number he'd waited so patiently for. When the line was picked up, he couldn't keep the thrill of anticipation totally out of his voice, �Hello, Jason� grinning at the momentarily shocked silence, �Anton Arcane here...�

�What do you want?� Woodrue rudely interrupted, �- or should I ask who?� he added snidely.

�I have no idea what you're talking about, Jason,� Arcane's voice dripped with innocent confusion, �And frankly I'm hurt that you would think I have an ulterior motive in calling you -- one of my oldest friends.�

�I'm impressed Anton. Kissing Sunderland's ass has really improved your sucking up skills.� Woodrue mocked.

�I see that you're still lacking the ability to carry on a civil conversation,� Arcane shot back, relaxing even further in his chair, �Don't worry, one of these days you'll get the knack of it.�

�Well, as much as I love these little morale boosting chats with you, Anton,� Woodrue's tone dripped with sarcasm, �Could you cut the bullshit and get to the point.�

�Crude as always, Jason,� Arcane sighed, �But far be it from me to ramble on about nothing...�

�Just get on with it, Anton!� Woodrue wearily broke in, "I don't have all day."

�I have a sudden need for your expertise in human cloning.� Arcane could just picture the look on the man's face, betting that this was the last thing Jason was expecting. Some threat or demands to know why Graham left maybe, but not this.

�My help!� True to form, Woodrue sounded as incredulous as he'd ever heard him, �You want my help. You, Anton Arcane, the greatest genius the world has ever seen!� mocking, Woodrue laughed harshly �Excuse me while I have a heart attack.�

�The world can only live in hope,� Arcane muttered, half under his breath, �I could make it an order from General Sunderland if need be,� he continued more loudly, �But I'm sure I don't need to do that...do I?� The threat of Sunderland's involvement enough to make Woodrue suddenly a lot more co-operate ... as expected.

�No! No need to bother the General,� Jason interjected hastily, �I'll be happy to help you.� The words sounded forced out.

�Jolly good, I'm sure the General will be pleased with your co-operation,� Smugly the Doctor tapped a pen against his desk. "How soon can you get to Houma?�

�I can be there early tomorrow. Oh, and Anton,� Jason added slyly, �before I go...you don't mind if I bring my new assistant, Graham, along do you?�

�Frankly, Jason, I couldn't care less. Graham means nothing to me. To tell the truth, he was never a very good assistant anyway.� Arcane declared, striving to make his tone indifferent and keep the satisfaction out. Really, this was just too easy.

�I'll see you tomorrow then,� Woodrue grunted, apparently disappointed by Arcane's lack of reaction to his jibes.

�I'll have one of my drivers pick you up at the airport. Till then,� Arcane hung up the phone, no longer able to contain his mirth, �Could you be any more easy to manipulate, Jason?� Shaking his head, Arcane smiled in extreme anticipation, �Soon I'll know how you got Graham to work for you." *And make Graham regret the day he dared to betray me.*

The following morning, after having gotten little sleep, Arcane was pacing impatiently in the lab. He'd sent someone lackey to pickup his guest's over half-an-hour ago and the waiting was starting to get to him.

�Dr. Arcane,� Stella's voice broke in over the intercom, �They've arrived.�

�About bloody time!" Arcane ran one last glance around to ensure everything was in place, "Show them into the lab!� he ordered, placing himself by a microscope so he could convey the appearance of being busy. Wouldn't do to have Woodrue start wondering about certain things now.

At last he heard the sound of the lift doors hissing open. He paused carefully before turning to face his guests. It was a struggle not to stare at his assistant, already he was almost painfully aware of how right it felt to have the man back in his lab, and yet how wrong not to have him by his side. *Damn you, Graham!*

�Anton,� Woodrue spoke first, glancing around the lab casually, �I must confess I'm feeling a little bit nostalgic. I remember the good old days when my lab resembled the dark ages,� he grinned, �Fortunately my genius was able to overcome all obstacles, eh Graham?� Woodrue poked Graham sharply in the ribs.

�Yes, Sir,� Graham agreed meekly, glanced up quickly at Dr. Arcane. Giving him a brief longing look that wasn't lost on Woodrue, before once again fixing his eyes on the floor.

"Nice to see you too, Jason,� Arcane forced pleasant smile, hands clenching into fists behind his back, �As always, your charming personality leaves me cold.�

�Enough chit chat, Anton,� Brusquely Woodrue waved aside the insult. �Let's get to work. I'm dying to get back to civilization.�

�I wish,� Arcane muttered behind clenched teeth, �It's through that door, Jason,� he gestured towards a steel door, a single small window set in the centre, �I think you'll be impressed.�

�It takes a lot to impress me, Anton,� Woodrue paused with his hand on the doorknob.

�You'll be so impressed, Jason, that you'll be blue with envy.� Arcane darted a small look at Graham, who had moved closer to the door. Catching and holding his assistant's gaze, he could see regret reflected there for a brief second before Jason's voice broke in.

�That's green,� Woodrue corrected, smirking knowingly as Arcane jerked his attention away from Graham.

�My mistake,� Arcane inclined his head slightly in his ex-assistant's direction. Both men noting the point, and while Jason's smirk only increased, the Doctor was pleased to see a flash of hurt swim across Graham's eyes. �You first Jason," he continued, gesturing towards the door, "I'd like your honest opinion on my new endeavor.�

�Honest? Anton,� Woodrue laughed unpleasantly, �Really, you should know me better by now. However it's always polite to let the host go first.�

�Polite, Jason!� Arcane laughed, eyes widening in mock surprise, �I didn't think that you even knew the word. But if you're too afraid to go first...� he let his voice trail off suggestively.

�I'm not afraid of anything you can come up with,� Woodrue glared at Arcane before switching his gaze to Graham. "You, stay! Like a good little dog!" He spat, yanking the door open and stepping in, "Let's get this over with."

"As you wish, Jason,� Arcane stepped closer as the heavy steel door banged shut, accompanied by the hiss of escaping gas.

�Hey, what the hell's going on?!� Woodrue's shouted, voice muffled as he banged angrily on the door.

�Looks like it was your mistake, as usual,� Arcane watched as Jason's face turned blue from the effects of the gas before turning to his ex-assistant.

"What ... what are you doing?� Graham warily moved close enough to see through the window, stunned to see Woodrue collapsing on the floor.

"I'm surprised you let Woodrue talk to you like that Graham," Arcane stepped towards the man, who moved back until brought up short by the door, "I thought I was the only one you let talk down to you," leaning in, one hand resting next to the man's head, trapping him in place, he grinned maliciously as Graham tensed fearfully. "I guess that makes you ... easy."

"I ..." Graham swallowed, voice grinding to a halt as the Doctor's other hand pressed hard against his chest.

"Makes me wonder what else you let Woodrue do," Arcane pretended to ponder the matter, "Would you do anything for him ... like said you would for me," shifting even closer, so close he could feel the man trembling, �Did you really believe that I would just let you go?� he whispered softly, hauling a syringe out of his pocket and plunging it into Graham's arm in one swift moment.

Graham stared at Arcane in shock, a convulsive shudder going through his body before starting to collapse. Arcane caught him easily in his arms, "Really Graham," he hauled the unconscious man to a nearby bench, dropping him unceremoniously on it, "you should know me better than that by now." Smiling grimly Arcane quickly secured his ex-assistant with a set of crude restraints ... soon he'd have all the answers he needed.

****

Graham regained consciousness slowly, drifting up through the layers of grey fog that filled his head. Blinking fuzzily, he tried to bring the room into better focus. Memory started to trickle back ... Arcane, drug ... with a surge of panic Graham tried to get to his feet, only to be stopped by something cold and hard and a surge of dizziness.

"Welcome back, Graham,� Arcane strolled into his ex-assistant's line of view, smiling down at the man=s dazed expression, �Enjoy your little nap?�

�Dr. Arcane...Sir?� Graham gasped fuzzily, mind still reeling with whatever the Doctor had shot him with, vision fading in and out.

�Sir?� Arcane echoed bitterly, mouth twisting in a derisive sneer, �I would have thought that you'd have dispensed with such formalities when you betrayed me.�

Wisely Graham kept silent on that, �What do you want?� he asked hesitantly, shrinking back slightly as the Doctor stepped closer to him.

�I want a very simple thing,� Arcane bent down, whispering silkily, �I want to find out every secret you've ever hidden from me, Graham."

"I ... I" Graham stuttered to a stop when Arcane abruptly moved away. His relief was short-lived, as he could see the man pick up a syringe that had been laying on a nearby table.

�Now, Graham,� Arcane all but purred, �We can either do this the easy way ... or the hard way. I'd prefer the hard way myself, but if you choose to co-operate things will go better for you.�

�I'd rather, I'd like, er, I'll co-operate, Sir.� Graham swallowed, eyes irresistibly drawn to the needle in Arcane's hand.

�Good choice,� the Doctor smiled, �Now this,� he continued cheerfully, giving the syringe a couple of light taps to dislodge any air bubbles to the surface, �is sodium pentathol; and, as you well know, commonly referred to as truth serum. No need for any nasty drugs as long as you tell the truth.�

Arcane laid the syringe down, and reached for the keys, "No sudden movements old chap," unlocking the cuffs, he watched Graham tentatively sit up, having to reach out a steadying hand to prevent him from falling over.

"Sorry," Graham muttered, clutching the Doctor's arm tightly, "Still dizzy."

"It'll pass," Arcane rolled up the sleeve on Graham's right arm, "This won't hurt much."

"Er, can't ... can't," Graham shivered as Arcane=s hand remained paused, needle poised. He looked up pleadingly, "isn't there another way to, er, to inject the drug. I, I ... have a problem with needles."

"Graham," Arcane patted the man soothingly, "I really don't care." He jabbed the syringe in before his ex-assistant could react, amused when Graham tried to jerk out of his grasp before suppressing the move. �There, there it's all over now. You just come over here and sit in this nice comfy chair.� Arcane pulled an unresisting Graham to his feet, sliding an arm around his back as the man swayed against him.

�I, ah, I ... don't feel good!� Graham groaned pitifully, words slurring together as he slumped even further into the Doctor's grasp.

�It'll all be over soon,� Arcane said softly, sitting him down, �As soon as you tell me why you left.� Crouching down he grasped Graham's hand, squeezing tightly, "And I'm not adverse to applying a lot of pain to help make you answer, so do try to tell the truth."

"You'd hurt me?" Voice small, he couldn't stop the misery from showing in his tone.

"I ..." Arcane did his best to ignore the plaintive blue eyes staring at him, and the annoying voice that insisted the answer was no, "You betrayed me Graham, not the other way around! I've killed for less the offense you've given me," hissing angrily, he ignoring his traitorous ex-assistant's gasp of pain as he twisted the hand in his grip.

The intrusive ringing of the phone caused him to let go of Graham's hand and straighten up abruptly. Swearing he grabbed the phone, �I thought I gave explicit orders not to be disturbed,� Arcane snapped, �You had better have a bloody good reason for interrupting me.�

�Dr. Arcane,� Stella's voice answered, ignoring the Doctor's outburst, �It's General Sunderland. He insists it's urgent that he talks to you.�

�Bollocks,� Arcane ran his hand impatiently through his hair, �Fine, tell him that I'll be there in a moment.� Turning back to his ex-assistant, he considered the situation. Leaving Graham in his current state was not an option, the man had already run once, and that was not something he was willing to risk. There was only one solution quick enough to suit his needs. Reaching for a new syringe Arcane grabbed the bottle of sedative he had used before.

�No need to worry. This will just make you sleep for a while, Graham,� Arcane meet the man=s fearful gaze, "Now hold still." Sliding a hand around Graham's neck he squeezed slightly in warning before quickly injecting the drug.

"What ..." Graham's words slurred and stopped, body sliding further down in the chair as the drug took effect.

"Won't be gone long, old chap," Arcane murmured, reluctantly straightening up leaving the lab, heading for the privacy of his office.

As soon as the elevator hissed shut behind Arcane, Graham's eyes snapped open. Staring blankly his expression showed no signs of emotion or intelligence. Tilting his head slightly to the side, Graham gave the impression of listening to something that only he could hear. With an abrupt and awkward move he lurched out of the chair, swaying weakly once he gained his feet. The blank expression slowly faded, leaving Graham awake and aware of what he had to do. Making his shaky way to the elevator, he resting against the wall as his body threw off the lingering effects of the sedative.

Graham pulled himself upright slowly, straightening his clothing before the doors opened. Casually making his way off of the elevator, he strolled confidently to the exit. Once gaining the outside, his causal demeanor dropped, hiding behind some bushes he carefully worked his way around to the side of the complex, where security was at its most lax.

Back inside Arcane was talking to General Sunderland and trying to hold onto his patience, �I must admit that it is a surprise to hear from you, Sir,� Arcane forced himself to sound pleasant.

�Dr. Arcane, I've been hearing some very disturbing information concerning your activities,� the General said cryptically.

�I can assure you, Sir,� Arcane strove to make his voice convey honesty and innocence, �my activities are nothing that should give you cause for anything other then total satisfaction.�

�Don't play coy with me, Doctor,� Sunderland warned, �Remember who you're talking to.�

�Yes, Sir,� Arcane replied mildly knuckles going white from the grip he had on the edge of the desk, �What was it that you wanted?�

�I've heard it on good authority that you have Dr. Woodrue locked up in your complex.�

�Locked up?!� Arcane repeated, the unexpected suddenness of Sunderland's allegation helping him sound surprised, �Well, I wouldn't exactly say locked up. He can leave whenever he wants..." * ... as soon as he wakes up,* Arcane smiled grimly.

�Good, I eagerly await your report on this incident,� Sunderland spoke dryly, �For now, I have more pressing matters to attend to. Be certain that Dr. Woodrue arrives home safely. Oh, and Doctor Arcane...� The General added, voice becoming a little lighter and good-humoured. �I'm sure you won't mind that I'm having Gorley and Wilkes drive me down. We'll be at the complex within an hour. Good-day Doctor.� he cut the connection before Arcane could get in a word of protest.

�Damn!� Arcane swore, �That's just what I bloody well needed right now. What in hell can be so serious to get him out of that lair of his?� The Doctor sighed in frustration, there had been something off about the whole conversation and now he had a visit to look forward to. Hurrying back to his lab, he was more determined then ever to get the truth out of Graham before the General arrived.

�Alright, Graham,�Arcane strode out of the lift, �Let's get...� his voice trailed off, mouth practically falling open in shock upon seeing that his ex-assistant was nowhere to be found. "BLOODY HELL!" Arcane rushed to the intercom, punching the line for security, �Locate Graham and bring him to the lab. I want him alive and unharmed! * NO* accidents!� he barked the order, before collapsing in a chair and burying his head in his hands, �This is just not my day,� he sighed.

Graham was almost home free when he heard the sirens go off in the complex and spotted the guards rush to take up position around the perimeter. With a calculating look around he dashed the last metres to the fence and started to climb. Unexpectedly someone grabbed his ankle and dragged him off the fence.

Graham hit the ground hard, quickly rolling over to stare up at a guard who had a gun trained on him. With a move too unexpected for the guard to block, Graham viciously kicked out at the man's ankle, sending him crashing to the ground. Seeing the opportunity to flee with his assailant now helpless, Graham jumped to his feet, pausing only to kick the guard once more -- this time in the head -- before continuing his ascent of the perimeter fencing. He landed lightly on his feet and took off running into the Swamp, gunshots echoing behind him.

Graham crashed through the Swamp, the sound of pursuit getting closer behind him. Glancing frantically over his shoulder, he tripped over an exposed root, sending him sprawling into a pool of water. Laying stunned for a moment, Graham climbed out of the pool, drenched to the skin. Before he could even take a step he found himself surrounded by six security guards, all with guns leveled at his heart.

�You're coming with us!� One of them ordered, gesturing with his gun for Graham to move in front of the team. With a hesitant step, not seeing any other options, Graham obeyed.

�*STOP*!� a gravelly voice commanded from behind. The men whirled around, and as one their eyes bulged in fear at the huge, angry, moss covered figure towering over them. AYou bring violence into the Swamp. You do *NOT* have permission to do this,� Alec intoned, stepping closer to the men, �Leave, now!�

�Well, don't just stand there,� the man that had threatened Graham yelled, screwing up his courage, �Get him!�

Alec shook his head wearily as the security guards charged at him en mass, attempting to knock him down, Arcane obviously didn't hire his guards for their mental ability. Swinging his arms, Alec sent them crashing to the ground, where the Swamp wrapped vines around them, holding them firmly in place.

During all the confusion, Graham took the opportunity to sneak away from the security guards, heading towards the highway. Once there, instead of continuing the so far successful escape, he stood still, waiting. He made no move to hide, to run --- eyes reflecting an inhuman blankness.

Back at the sight of the battle, all the security guards safely taken care of Alec searched around for Graham. Intending to find out once and for all what was going on. To find out why Graham had left Arcane's employ, when he would have guessed that nothing less then death would have forced the man from Arcane's side. And to fine out why Arcane now required force to get his assistant back. Alec gave up with a sigh, unable to locate Graham anywhere nearby. Well whatever Arcane was up to, he was almost certain to find out eventually, hopefully without anymore destruction.

****

Twenty minutes later a long, sleek, black limousine passed by where Graham was still waiting. He didn't move as it slid to a stop beside him, the back door opening. Without a moments hesitation or sign of fear, Graham took hold of the door and got in. The car started up again, driving off in the direction of Arcane's complex.

Back at the lab the Doctor was pacing, waiting for the guards to check in, furious that Graham had escaped from him and now he couldn't even get revenge on Woodrue. Arcane threw a beaker at the far wall in a sudden upsurge of anger, muttering darkly to himself, �This isn't over yet, Graham, not by any means. I'll find you again, once you return to Woodrue's side, like the loyal little assistant you are,� mouth twisting in anger, denying the hurt that tried to rear its ugly head, he looked around for something else to throw.

�Dr. Arcane, Sir,� Stella's voice interrupted, �The General is on his way down to the lab.�

�Thank-you, Stella,� Arcane replied sarcastically, setting a glass jar reluctantly back on the table, �You've made my day. Have Dr. Woodrue brought down as well!�

As the sound of the elevator descending became audible, Arcane pasted a false smile on his face. The doors slid open with a smooth hiss and the Doctor took a breath, ready to offer a greeting. His eyes widened in shock at the sight before him. The world was being treated to a rare phenomenon: Anton Arcane had been struck speechless!

�Hello, Sir,� Graham spoke first, shifting uncomfortably in his damp clothes, offering up a nervous smile, �I ... I�

�I'll tell him,� the General's harsh voice interrupted, �I'm very displeased, Doctor! This whole scenario took months to plan. Your interference has ruined it in a day.�

�What scenario?� Arcane asked staring at Graham, who refused to meet his eyes, �I don't understand.�

�You don't understand, Doctor, because I didn't want you to understand.� the General lectured, �I planted your assistant in Dr. Woodrue's employ, for the specific purpose of gathering information for me.�

�What!� Arcane interrupted, noting out of the corner of his eye that the General's two bodyguards moved closer.

�Need I spell it out for you?� Sunderland asked impatiently, �Apparently I do!� he continued sardonically when Arcane made to move to reply, �I sent Graham here, to spy on Dr. Woodrue, who, my sources reveal, has been conducting certain experiments without deigning to inform me.�

�But why him?� Arcane asked, staring at his assistant, who in turn was staring at the floor looking extremely uncomfortable.

�Why!� the General repeated, �Because I needed someone loyal enough who I could rely on not to switch allegiances, but not so close, as Dr. Woodrue would never trust any of my direct employees ... at least not with these particular experiments. The fact that Dr. Woodrue's hatred would never pass up the opportunity to insult you by purloining your personal assistant also factored into the decision.� the General's tone of voice became slow and deliberate, as though explaining to a child.

�Why didn't you inform me about your plan?� Arcane glanced warily at the General's two bodyguards, resisting the urge to throttle the conniving old man.

�I wasn't aware that I had to inform you of my every move, Doctor,� the General glared, �But to put this to an end, I didn't tell you because I did not want you to ... what is the phrase ... spill the beans to Dr. Woodrue.�

Arcane repressed his anger at the General's implication that he was untrustworthy, which of course was true, but besides the point. He opened his mouth to retort when the elevator doors opened again.

�Erm, Doctor Arcane?� Stella smiled reticently, noticing that both the General and Arcane seemed to be in foul moods and that poor Graham, who she'd always considered to be kind of cute, in a kicked puppy dog way, looked as if he wanted to sink through the floor. �Um,� she pointed to her right, �You asked me to bring...�

�Never mind, Miss. I have better things to do than to die of old age in this elevator!� Jason Woodrue gently pushed Stella out of the way and sauntered into the lab as though he owned it. Stella just shrugged and hit the up button, wisely deciding that this wasn't the best place to be right now.

�My dear, dear Anton, your hospitality leaves a lot to be desired.� Woodrue smirked, coming to an abrupt halt, staring at Graham, �I see that you and Graham have resolved your difficulties.�

�Yes, we have, Jason,� Arcane drawled, strolling over to Graham and sliding an arm around his shoulders. He felt oddly pleased when the man flinched almost imperceptibly, �You can leave now, so I can have my complex decontaminated.�

�The sooner I leave this hole the better,� Woodrue glared at Graham, �And leave this pathetic excuse for an assistant behind. You will pay for this!"

�Enough of this,� the General's metallic voice interrupted, �Neither of you will do anything of the sort. You will both reserve your differences to your usual petty squabbling. Both of you are too useful for me to lose... for now. Recriminations for personal annoyances are not among your duties. I trust I'm making myself clear on that point?�

�Perfectly, General.� Arcane held his contempt in check, not missing out on the subtle nuances of Sunderland's last statement, �I wouldn't dream of hurting my old friend here!�

�Right!� Jason mocked,� You don't want me hurt ... you want me dead.�

�Now, Jason, I believe the General wants us to make nice,� Arcane extended a hand to the man. Considering that certain plans of the General's were ruined, winning first place in securing the General's good favor again seemed to be a priority.

�Nice!� Jason snorted, �To that!� he ignored Arcane's outstretched hand, seemingly unconcerned with heeding the General's last warning.

�I've wasted enough of my valuable time with you two. It's time that you and I left, Dr. Woodrue,� the General declared, his chair gliding towards the elevator before Arcane even had time to form a reply to Woodrue's last taunt. �Come along.� the General called from ahead.

With one last knowing smirk, Jason followed Sunderland out of the lab, leaving Arcane and Graham alone.

�Umm, Sir,� Graham started nervously, shoulders hunching, �I'm really sorry that I had to lie to you and all. I didn't want to but...� his voice trailed off in a little sigh.

�I'll deal with you later,� Arcane grasped Graham's arm, pulling the man closer, �and believe me, it will be painful. Right now, however, I have more important things to take care of.�

�Yes, Sir,� Graham swallowed, feeling slightly more relieved when Arcane moved away, �Ah, what's so important?�

�This,� Arcane held up a small test tube filled with a clear liquid, �Woodrue's DNA.�

�DNA!� Graham echoed in surprise, �What do you want with Woodrue's DNA?�

�Really, Graham, sometimes I wonder how you ever got through college. Have you no sense of vision?� Arcane sighed, turning his back to Graham, �Have you no idea how powerful a weapon DNA can be?�

He was still going on, words fading in and out as Graham's eyes glazed over. It was almost inhuman the way his expression drained of all emotion so quickly. One moment alive and animated ... the next cold and deadly.

Graham stared blankly into space, his right hand slowly pulling out a gun. He aimed it at Arcane's back, eyes closing for a minute. With a slight shake of his head, Graham opened his eyes, the glazed look fading, only to be replaced by the dawning horror of what he was about to do. His hand began to shake as he desperately tried to call out a warning to the Doctor, when without any notice, the glazed look once again returned to his eyes. Graham's hand stopped shaking and he slowly started to pull the trigger.

�I mean really, you have ...*what the*!� Arcane's voice trailed off in shock, turning around to see Graham pointing a gun at him. He looked into Graham's eyes having only a split second to note the cold and empty look, before diving behind a desk for cover as a bullet whistled past.

With a curse, Arcane pressed himself further behind the desk, �Now, Graham, my friend, can't we talk about this?� he called out calmly, the only answer was another bullet. The Doctor desperately looked around for something to defend himself with, spying his coat flung over a chair, where he remembered he'd been keeping his gun ever since certain incidents had proved that it was prudent to provide for his personal safely.

Arcane kept talking calmly as he inched his way towards the chair. A bullet smashed into the wall beside his head, as he made a dash for the coat, grabbing it and flinging himself behind a bench before Graham could get off another shot. He lay there panting, as the bullets continued to be fired. All of a sudden Arcane heard a repeated dry clicking and then ... silence. The sound of a gun hitting the floor was loud in the eerie quiet.

Arcane slowly stood up and walked over to where Graham stood staring at the floor, the gun by his feet. The Doctor kicked it out of reach, letting out the breath he hadn't been aware of holding.

Graham raised his head, staring blankly at the Doctor. He saw Arcane's mouth move, the words lost as he became aware of what he had to do next.

�Now, Graham. Just calm down. I won't hurt you. I just want to know...� Arcane spoke soothingly, as one would to a frightened animal. Failing to spot the slight movement of Graham's hand, as it reached backwards and behind for something. He was still talking as Graham's fingers locked around a tiny back up gun, hidden in his trouser belt.

Arcane remained unaware of the little gun until Graham began to bring it upwards, aiming it straight at his heart, hesitating only for a second before pulling the trigger.

In that second, Arcane dove to the side and brought up his own gun. Sheer survival instincts took over as he fired two shots, hitting Graham squarely in the chest, causing the man's own shot to go wild.

The gun fell from Graham's nerveless fingers as the blank look finally faded from his eyes. A flicker of sick realization swam across his face, staring briefly in accusation at his employer before his eyes glazed over again. Arcane could only stare, frozen in shock, the full impact of what he had just done hitting him. He dropped his own gun, watching stunned as Graham swayed, bright crimson blood bubbling from his mouth. Arcane dove forward, but he was too late. He could only watch in helpless horror as the only person in the world, aside from his wife, who had ever shown him any kind of unconditional caring, collapsed to the ground. Where he remained still, his blood already forming a spreading sea of red on the floor.

Arcane dropped to his knees, �Graham?� he whispered, desperately searching the man's wrist, neck, for a pulse. �Yes!� a relieved smile breaking out before his expression turned to one of sick panic as he felt the pulse begin to diminish in intensity. He forced himself to his feet, torn between not wanting to leave his assistant, and knowing that he had to get help. With a furious curse, he dived for the intercom, hitting the button so hard it almost broke.

�This is Arcane! I need medical assistance in the lab immediately! * IMMEDIATELY!!*� Without wasting another second he hurried back to Graham, gathering the man in his arms, uncaring of the blood soaking into his clothes. �My God! What have I done?� he ran a blood-stained hand through his hair.

His face suddenly changed to an outraged grimace. �I've done bloody nothing, that's what. All I've done is save myself from your pathetic attempt on *MY* life!� he snarled. �Why, Graham? Why'd'you make me do it?! You, lying there, trying to make me feel guilty when it's you who are to blame for all of this! Didn't you think that I would protect myself, damn it?? What made you think that I would roll over and die because you're the one pulling the sodding trigger?!�

A brief choked gasp from Graham brought Arcane back. �Hold on, Graham. Easy, old chap. Help's on the way,� he pleaded, �just hold on...� Graham's eyes settled on his, closing, then fluttering open again. �Graham! Don't you do this to me!� Arcane snarled. Graham's blue eyes grew dimmer as his body seemed to relax. �*DAMN YOU, GRAHAM!* Don't you dare leave me, you little toad!� With a last exhalation of breath, Graham's eyes closed for the last and final time.

�No...no, I refuse to let this happen. Graham?! Graham, do you hear me??� Arcane called out to ears that could no longer hear. He hurtled for the intercom again, �Where are you, damn it!! I need help, *NOW*! Bring the adrenaline and defibrillators!�

He staggered back to Graham's still form. �Graham!!� he gasped, dropping to his knees and beginning cardiac massage. �Graham, please!� he was now panting heavily from exertion, perspiration trickling down his brow. �I know it wasn't you, Graham. You would never have done that,� he pressed down firmly on Graham's heart, �I don't know what he did, but it wasn't you. I'll make him pay for this, Graham, I swear!� he pressed down again, harder this time. �If only I hadn't aimed there...� he hammered down one last time. He took a deep breath, time seeming to slow as he brought Graham's face to his own, trying vainly to force air into lifeless lungs.

Cold realization dawned, and he drew back, still cradling Graham's head in his hands. �If I'd just...If you'd only have...� he stopped, shutting his eyes wearily and swallowing hard. �No.� he shook his head slowly, gently laying Graham back down on the floor. �No..� he repeated in a whisper.

***

It was quiet and peaceful deep within the cool greenness of the Swamp. Birds chirped merrily in the background, as the Swamp's languid thoughts suddenly sharpened. Its senses stretched out, feeling for the fleeting sensation that had disturbed it...*Pain*...The Swamp pulled back, retreating as a wave of incredible anguish washed over it.

�What's wrong?� Alec asked in concern, feeling the Swamp's distress. He closed his eyes, concentrating intently, attempting to locate the source of the disturbance...*What the*...his thoughts were cut off as the same wall of intense pain slammed into him. Alec's eyes snapped open, �Arcane!�

***

Arcane sat still for a moment, stunned by the rapid turn of events. With a strangled gasp he resumed trying to revive Graham, desperately forcing air into his lungs. �Come on, you bloody incompetent excuse for an assistant, *BREATH*!!� he gasped between breaths.

The elevator doors opened and Stella, along with two other technicians, rushed in, carrying the defibrillator.

�What took you so long?!� Arcane snarled angrily, �What did you do? Stop for breakfast on the way down!�

�We...� Stella started to explain.

�Never mind that now! Just bring the defibrillator over here!� Stella rushed over the Doctor and handed him the machine. She stared, horrified, down at Graham, shocked by the amount of blood that was literally pooled around him.

�Oh, Graham!� she whispered, eyes filling with tears.

�Stella!� Arcane snapped, �Get the Adrenaline, grieve later!� he ripped open Graham's shirt, an audible groan coming from him at the sight of how much damage the bullets had caused. He grabbed the paddles and rubbed on the gel, impatiently waiting for the beep that signaler when it was charged. �Come on you bloody machine,� he muttered. The defibrillator beeped and Arcane immediately pressed the paddles to Graham's chest, shocking his heart. Graham's body gave an involuntary arch with the force of the shock, before laying still once again. He desperately felt for a pulse...nothing. Stella wordlessly handed him the syringe filled with adrenaline. Arcane plunged it into Graham's heart without pause.

Graham's body convulsed once, a fine tremor running through his muscles before settling back into stillness. �Damn!� Arcane swore, applying the paddles again. Nothing happened, Graham remained still. �*DAMN YOU, DON'T YOU DARE DIE!!* � Arcane shouted suddenly, shocking Stella out of her daze.

�Sir,� she gently preventing him from shocking Graham again, �He's dead!�

�No! He can't be,� Arcane argued, hammering down on the man's chest again, �I'm the greatest genius that ever lived and I say that he's not dead!�

�I'm sorry, Dr. Arcane,� Stella repeated firmly, gently pulling her employer away from Graham=s body, �But he is dead!�

Turning stricken eyes on Graham=s still form, Arcane found the sight blurring as memories flashed through his mind. Memories of how Graham's face would light up from just a simple compliment from him; the way he always stammered or wrung his hands, often a sure sign that something had gone wrong. Of his often useless suggestions, only meant to help, always highly annoying. Memories of the way Graham had always stood by his side, always caring, always believing in him; even through the necessary ugliness Graham saw him inflict everyday. A wave of grief rose up within, so fierce it took his breath away.

Arcane forced the emotion away, pushing it to the back of his mind, �Yes, you're right,� getting to his feet was a struggle, he suddenly felt extremely old, �Call Sheriff Andrews and tell him what happened,� he at last ordered, turning his back he strode to the lift, �Oh, and Stella...� Arcane added calmly, with just a brief hesitation, �see that someone cleans up this mess!�

The doors closed, blocking Stella's astonished look from his view and allowing him to sag against the cool wall. With a grimace he noted the blood that stained his clothes and skin, Graham=s blood. The grief hit him all over again, a blackness that pulled at him and left him shaking.

Gaining the privacy of his quarters, all Arcane wanted to do was curl up on the bed and pretend nothing had happened, that Graham was alive and everything was as it should be. Slamming his fist into the wall Arcane forced himself not to think, not to feel ... shedding his stained clothing he dumped them on his was to the bathroom; climbing into the shower he stood, eyes closed, underneath the warm soothing spray. Swirls of red chased down the drain, taking the last evidence of Graham from him ... if only the pain would disappear so easily, a pain he couldn't let himself feel. Not again.

A lifetime later Arcane stumbled out of the shower, the task of drying himself and dressing almost enough to make him give up and just go to sleep. But there were pressing matters that needed to be taken care of ... funeral to arrange, excuses to make, oh, and of course, revenge to plan. Making his way towards his office, Arcane found one of the tasks had come to him ... Sheriff Andrews was waiting not-so-patiently by the door.

�Sheriff Andrews,� Arcane made a show of looking down at his watch, �You arrived quickly. I trust I didn't interrupt your session at the local donut store.�

�Ah, there y'are, Arcane,� Sheriff Andrews drawled, looking up from his study of the floor, �Gotta ask you a few questions.�

�I don't pay you to ask me questions,� Arcane summoned up enough energy to glare at the man, �Now leave me alone!�

�It's just routine paperwork that I gotta get out of the way,� Sheriff Andrews blithely ignored the glare, persistently following Arcane into his office, "Will only take a minute."

�Just do what you normally do,� Lip curling distastefully, Arcane sneered, �Make something up.�

�No can do this time, Arcane. Like I said, just routine . Ain't nothin' to it. Just tell me what happened.� he took out a notepad and pen poised he waited.. From the look on his face, it was clear he wasn't budging without an answer.

�Very well,� Arcane sat down carefully, forcing himself to speak calmly and unemotionally, �My assistant, Graham, attempted to kill me. What occurred after was an act of pure self-defense on my part. I gave him every opportunity to lay down his weapon and talk. However he wouldn't listen to reason. When he ran out of ammunition, I approached - quite harmlessly, I might add - and just barely saw him reach for a hidden back-up gun." Arcane's voice cracked then, the image of Graham's still body flashing across his eyes, "I ... I had no choice but to shoot him." He was uncomfortably aware of just how much his tone had revealed, at how it sounded like he was choking back tears.

�Must've been one terrible experience,� Sheriff Andrews couldn't quite wipe the smirk of his face, �Loyal, dependable Graham suddenly turnin' on you like that. Bet it was the last thing you expected.�

�I will admit, this isn't the best day of my life,� Arcane growled, standing up and glaring at the Sheriff, who suddenly seemed to realize how over the line he'd stepped, �Now if that's all ... I have more important matters to see to; like arranging a funeral service.�

�Sure, Dr. Arcane.� Andrews hastily backed out of the room, "I'll er, just see myself out." Not looking back he didn't pause until he was safely in his vehicle and halfway back to town. The rumour mill would be working overtime tonight.

"Let's get this over with," Arcane muttered, rifling through the filing cabinet as soon as he was sure the Sheriff had left completely. Graham's file, of course, was right at the back and somehow thinner than he remembered. Flipping through the pages forced the Doctor to realize just how sparse the information he had on Graham was ... no work history, no former living accommodations, and no personal information. It was if the man hadn't existed before he'd come here. Sunderland had done the hiring he remembered, back when the Complex was first built ... the information had to be somewhere else. The General had been too careful to hire anyone without proper references.

Picking up the phone he placed a call to Stella, �Stella,� he began, when she finally answered, �I'm attempting to locate some personal information on Graham's, like parental information, however there seems to be a startling lack of paperwork in his folder. Do you know why?"

�No, Sir. Whatever information we have on Graham is in his personnel file,� Stella sounded confused, �I can't understand why you can't find anything, I know he mentioned to me before that his brother was listed as next of kin.�

�Interesting,� With a sigh Arcane dismissed the issue for now, �I'll deal with that later. Right now I'd like you to inform the staff that Graham's funeral will be held at noon tomorrow.�

�So soon?� Astonished Stella dared to question her boss, AIs that wise Sir?"

�I don't believe I hired you to question my decisions,� Arcane snapped, "Just see that its done."

�Yes, Doctor,� Stella sighed.

Hanging up the phone Arcane sat back down, there were still many details that had to be taken care of before he could extract the revenge Woodrue so richly deserved.

****

�Hey, did you hear the news?� Will burst into the house, ignoring Tressa's mutter about lack of manners, �Arcane's assistant, Graham was killed tonight.�

�What...!� Tressa=s eyes narrowed suspiciously, "I don't believe you."

�It's true," Will grabbed an apple of the table, �The weird part is that is it seems like Arcane shot him.�

�I can't say I'm surprised Arcane would shoot someone,� Tressa commented dryly, �But Graham?! I'd always gotten the impression they were inseparable.�

�Apparently not anymore,� Will shook his head, "I admit, I never expected this myself. Ah, well. I doubt that Graham's death will even bother Arcane." he headed for the door, "Anyway, I have to go now. Tressa? Oh, never mind,� Will sighed faintly as Tressa made no sign of listening to him, �I'll see you later.�

�Later,� Tressa murmured as the door banged shut. Memory was reminding her of the brief glimpse of desperation and hurt she'd seen in Arcane's eyes when Graham had left. For a second she almost felt sorry for the man ... almost.

****

Stumbling over yet another root Will cursed out loud.

�You should be more careful,� Alec spoke from behind, �The Swamp can dangerous at night.�

�Alec,� Will jumped, giving an highly embarrassing squeak of surprise, "I thought I told you not to sneak up on my like that.�

Alec merely smiled, "What is it that you want Will?"

�Want? I can't just come for a visit? You know, see a friend� Will held a hand over his heart, �That really hurts Alec.�

�You must have something important to tell me or you would never have ventured into the Swamp at night.� Alec pointed out calmly, refusing to rise to the bait.

�Well, alright, so I do have something to tell you� Will grinned, "You are not going to believe this."

�Yes?�

�One of Arcane's employees died today,� Will causally leaned against an old tree.

�Tragic that Arcane does not value human life,� Alec shook his head sadly, �But why was that so urgent that you had to come at night to tell me?�

�Because,� Will said slowly, stretching out the moment, �It was Graham who was killed, and by Arcane's own hand as well.�

�What?!� Alec was truly shocked, �Arcane would never hurt Graham!�

�Kind of a moot point there, Alec. The guy is dead,� Will shrugged his shoulders, �Now me, I'm betting it has something to do with Arcane shooting him twice in the chest.�

�I find this hard to believe,� Alec said gravely, �Of all the people for Arcane to turn on, Graham wouldn't have been even considered. There's something wrong here, Arcane must be up to something.�

�Well, Arcane's having a funeral service for him tomorrow at noon,� Will offered his last piece of information, �I really have to go now, Alec. I'll see you later.�

�Good-bye, Will.� Alec waved farewell absently, pondering the situation. *I wonder if this has something to do with the sensation of pain I've been feeling?* Sinking back into the water he=d roused himself out of when Will had come crashing through, he set his mind to finding the source of pain. Sure now that it had something to do with Graham's death.

Continued in Part 2

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