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"C-can't you hear me...?" Peter asks. "Don't pass out on us yet, Signalman." "AAH!" "So tender. You are like human veal!" says the recording from the torture of Signalman by Dr. Moon in a video that Peter is forced to watch. "Help me...!! Stop it...!!" Peter says again. "...Why won't you stop?!" Peter says as he watches Signalman getting cut up. "Can't you hear me screaming?!?" Peter says but all that comes out is "...NNNN..." "Don't you love reality television, sexy? It's so visceral. Oh, that's right. You have needles in your larynx. No worries..." Says Phobia while rubbing on the naked, chained up Peter. "...I like the strong, silent type." she says as she moves her hand down his stomach.

"What? No "turn you head and cough"?" Walter asks Dr. Moon. "I'll save that for Phobia. She loves playing "Naughty Nurse." Walter, I have bad news and worse news." Dr. Moon tells him. Walt tells him that he knows that he is dieing and to tell him something new. "Your myeloma has experienced a sudden rapid increase. It is, in my estimation, a reaction to your metahuman abilities." Dr. Moon states as Walt asks for the worse news. "Your grandson's marrow is not a suitable match." Walt gets up from the examining table and tosses it across the room. Dr. Moon asks if he is finished, which Walter says for the moment. "Good. Now, would you like to use the phone? The untraceable line?" Dr. Moon asks.

D.E.O. Los Angeles Offices. "Attempted rape, assault, burglary, murder--oh, I'm sorry, manslaughter...not quite the qualities I was hoping for in a Dad. All this and the World War II Atom as a Grandfather. And none of this is helping me find Peter and Ramsey." Kate tells Cameron, while sitting at a desk going over papers. "It does explain Ramsey healing so fast from the, um, accident he had a few months ago. Hopefully, any passed-down super-genes will keep him safe a little longer." Cameron says. Kate asks Cameron for how long, that her father murdered her Mom right in front of her. "Katey, he had a few chances if he wanted to kill Ram. He must need him for something. And we did find Peter's car, and--" Cameron states before being interrupted by Kate. "And everything seems to have evaporated from there. Dammit, what good is being a Superhero if I can't save my own--" just then, Kate's cell phone starts to ring. "This is Kate." "What? No "Hi, Dad. How are you doing?" Now. Katey, listen close, 'cuz I'm only gonna say this once. Your kid and pathetic ex-husband are still alive. If you wanna keep it that way, you won't screw around with me, got it?" Walt tells her. Kate agrees then Cameron asks who it is, and Walt asks, "Is it that hot blonde piece o' tail from the D.E.O.?" Kate says yes then Walt tells her, "If you tell it's me, I'll beat Peter to death. With Ramsey." "Cam, it's the office. I'll take it in the hall." Kate says. Walt then tells Kate to pay attention.

"You have reached the voice mail of Kate Spencer..." "C'mon Kate, where are you?" Damon asks into the phone. "Matthews, have you seen Spencer?" "Hey, Howard. Uh, yeah, I just got off the phone with her. She's on her way back from doing some research and..." "Of course she is. I want to know the moment she sets foot back here." Howard tells Damon. "Absolutely." Damon responds and then Howard slams the door shut. "Whew. Dick." Damon says under his breath. "Oh excuse me--" "No" Howard says walking away. "Um, OK. Charmed. I'm here to see Damon Matthews." the man tells to the receptionist. She asks, "And you are?" "Todd. Todd Rice." Damon pokes his head out and says, "Todd? What are you doing here?" "I switched shifts with someone at the center and stopped by to see if you wanted to play hooky with me." Todd explains to Damon. "I wish. My big boss is out for the blood of my immediate boss and I'm trying to prevent the bloodshed. Plus, I'm swimming in my own workload, sorry." Damon states. Todd tells Damon no problem and asks for him to walk him to the elevator. They talk while waiting for the elevator about making a dinner date later in the evening. Damon tells Todd, "You're too good to me." "Yeah, well... The things we do for love." Todd says before giving Damon a kiss goodbye.

"Dammit, Kate! Let me go with you!" Cameron tells Kate. "You know I can't do that. He said to come alone, and that's what I'm doing." Kate responds. Cameron tells Kate that her stubbornness is going to get them all killed. "Maybe, but if I bring the D.E.O. in there, guns blazing, they're dead anyway. Look, he thinks I'm driving to meet him. The copter ride gives me three, maybe four hours lead time. I can do this, Cam. I don't have any other choice." Kate states, then Cam asks her to call if things get hairy, which Kate agrees to do as she gets onto the helicopter. "Here, take this! It's my lucky "Zippo!" I had it with me when I kicked Batman's ass... and it'll let me keep an eye on you, you bull-headed twit." Cam says as the helicopter flies off and she switches her watch to tracking mode.

"Nice outfit. What, you here to give me a lap dance before I go under?" Walt asks Phobia. "Tempting... But I'm here to prep you for surgery." Phobia answers, holding an old fashion shaving razor. "Why d'ya have to shave my chest? I'll get the marrow intravenously." Walt asks, which Phobia answers, "Because it's hot." "Doesn't my Phobia have a delightful bedside manner?" Dr. Moon asks walking into the room holding a thermos type container. Walt says that she is a real Florence Nightingale and asks what is the container. "A little radioactive cocktail that will destroy your cancerous bone marrow." Dr. Moon states and Walt says, "Sounds great." Dr. Moon tells Walt, "I hope you like fruit punch flavor."

Lone Pine, California. Population 975. "God, this place looks like the set of "The Accused". I couldn't stand out any more if I'd come in my costume." Kate thinks while walking through the small town and into a small tavern/restaurant. "Hey there, Pretty Lady. What can I get you?" says the man behind the bar. "Coffee, black. Do you know of any isolated places for sale around here? I, uh, work for, um, a celebrity who likes his privacy and I'm scouting real estate. It can be a foreclosure property, run-down, whatever. Any ideas?" Kate asks. The man thinks and says to the man sitting at the bar, "Hmm, you know of any place, Mitch?" "Lemme think... Oh, there's that old Marsten place. Nobody's been out there in, jeez, six years. Some fancy doctor and his family own it, but seems like they just disappeared." Mitch tells Kate. "Care to draw a lady a map?"

"I've got an idea! I'll build a mini-teleporter! Yeah! How hard could that be? I'm a moron." Dylan thinks while sitting in his workshop. "Now, if I were a teleported fat guy, where would I go? Is he still even on Earth? Better yet, is he still even alive? God I hope so." He continues to think before getting interrupted by a sensor alarm. "Please don't be Kate! Please don't be Kate!" He says, going to check who is at his door. "Dylan, I know you can see me. Turn off whatever ridiculous death ray you have and let me in." Cameron says into the camera." "Death ray"? What sort of a geek do you think I am?" Dylan asks Cam. Cam says, "Do you really want me to answer that?" Which Dylan answers no. "I need your help. Kate tells me you have a teleportation device." Cam says while Dylan says under his breath "Aw, geez..."

"Aren'tcha gonna do the procedure someplace sterile? I mean, I won't have an immune system for a while, right? And this place looks like a frat house bathroom floor." Walt says to Dr. Moon. "I am doing this as a favor to one of your former employers, Mr. Pratt. Under the circumstances, you should consider yourself lucky. Now drink the isotope and I'll be right back." Dr. Moon tells Walt and leaves the room. "Phobia, come now. We have work to do." Dr. Moon instructs her. "Don't be such a stuffed shirt, Moon! We have time. Besides, all work and no play..." Phobia says to Dr. Moon and he answers that he is anything but a dull boy. "...Damn! The perimeter alarm is flashing. I'm sure it's nothing. Keep him alive until I get back!" Dr. Moon tells Phobia as he heads to the surveillance cameras. "Damned deer! We need a high-voltage electric fence!" Moon states as suddenly the power cuts out. "Hmmm? Someone wants to play?" Moon says as he clicks on some type of Infra-red device... "I love to play."

"Is that you, love? You want a little game of hide and seek?" Phobia asks out loud. "Hey, Mengele! What's goin' on here?!?" Walter asks sitting up from the table. "I guess it's too much to hope the bad guys will come outside to investigate. Good lord, this place is creepy. I wonder how many dresses made of big girls are hanging in the closet?" Kate thinks as she cuts the power to the building and enters the home. Dr. Moon peeks out from a hidden room and thinks as he flips a switch to close the shades on the windows, "Ah, Manhunter! It's been so long since we've had a superperson to entertain!" "Crap. Why don't I have night vision goggles on this suit? It has a bread maker attachment, for God's sake." Kate thinks as the shades slam shut. "That's it, my pretty one... The element of surprise is sooo erotic... So exciting..." Dr. Moon thinks as he sneaks up behind Kate and then says boo to her which frightens Kate. Dr. Moon slices Kate on the face with one of his scalpels. Kate walks backward avoiding his attack and trips over a dead body. Dr. Moon gets on top of Kate and says, "I'd rather you were on top... But this will do." as he licks the blood off of the scalpel. Phobia enters the room and tells Moon, "Darling, our meal is getting cold!" Dr. Moon responds, "Not now, Phobia... look who I found!" Just then, Kate head butts Moon in the nose, which knocks him off of her.

"Bitch! I'll have your eyes for this!" Moon says, running toward Kate. "If I had a nickel for every time I've heard that..." Kate says as she takes one of Moon's scalpels and shoves it into his throat, which makes Dr. Moon fall with a thud. "Moon... Get up! MOON!!" Phobia yells, then fires her gun in Kate's direction screaming. "You won't get away this time, Manhunter! And your death will be--" Phobia says while Kate sneaks up behind her. "Keep talking, psycho. I hope this works." Kate thinks as she puts her mask over Phobia's head. "--Eh?! You disappoint me!" Phobia says, grabbing Kate by the neck and tossing her into the wall. Picking up Kate's staff, Phobia tells her...





"I thought you might be a worthy opponent."




"Looks like I was wrong!" Phobia says....




Shoving the staff through Kate's stomach.




To be continued

Characters:

Peter Robinson
Kate Spencer/Manhunter
Cameron Chase
Damon Matthews
Dylan Battles

Signalman
Howard
Todd Rice

Phobia
Walter Pratt
Dr. Moon

Unnamed Bartender
Mitch (man is small town)

Issue summary written by: glguardian (Tad Dupre)