Chapter Text
The bright fluorescent lights clicked on as lightning crashed outside the window, a heavy downpour of rain beating against the windows of the Ravencroft Institute for the Criminally Insane.
“Well, that’s ominous,” the red-haired doctor in the white lab coat and thin-rimmed glasses murmured.
“Dr. Cade, do you plan on seeing the patient any time soon or are you just going to comment on the aesthetics?” Dr. Ashley Kafka asked in annoyance.
“Dr. Cade will see the patient when he is ready,” the dark haired woman next to Dr. Cade replied. She wore her lab coat buttoned all the way up, concealing everything underneath.
“Thank you, Dr. Locke,” Cade smiled, snapping his fingers.
“Alright, bring him out. It’s showtime.”
“This is the highly recommended specialist you spoke of?” one of the orderlies at the door asked Kafka.
“I was just reading his resume. It didn’t mention attitude problems,” Kafka muttered, pressing a button.
Slowly, three orderlies wheeled a large upright gurney into the room. The man strapped to the gurney weakly stretched against the restraints, giving off soft and tired grunts of pain.
“The power…” he whispered.
“Need the power…”
“Hi, John!” Dr. Cade waved. “I’m your new doctor! Sorry about the straps, we just wanted you to be sit in one place long enough to enjoy the show!”
“This isn’t some entertainment, Dr. Cade,” Kafka folded her arms in disapproval.
“Entertainment can be found wherever you need it,” Dr. Cade replied.
“Alright crew, places! We’re starting in three, two, o-”
Before he could finish his sentence, the door swung open.
“What is this?!” J Jonah Jameson demanded furiously.
“Ah, Mr. Jameson! How kind of you to join us,” Dr. Cade nodded.
“I was to be notified of all of his treatments! What is this and who are these people?!” Jonah turned to Kafka expectantly.
“This is Doctor Arnold Cade, and his partner Doctor Joan Locke.”
“And they are playing Frankenstein with my son why exactly?!”
“They came highly recommended,” Dr. Kafka explained calmly.
“Dr. Cade is an expert in energy. He has a revolutionary treatment procedure that could potentially reverse the effects the spores had on John’s mind.”
“And you didn’t tell me about this, why?!” Jonah snapped.
“Because you’re a bit of a stickler, Jonah, and I really don’t have the energy or the scissors to cut through all that red tape,” Dr. Cade shrugged.
“Dr. Cade!” Kafka exclaimed, shocked by her co-worker’s flippancy.
“What did you just-” Jonah began before Cade held up his finger to his lips.
“I think your son is trying to tell us something.”
Everyone quieted down.
“Power…I…need…the power…nothing without the power…”
“It’s just the same as since he got here,” Jonah grumbled.
“Well, gee, maybe he wants the power back,” Cade shrugged. “Locke?”
Locke pulled a small red stone out of her pocket and tossed it to Cade.
“Anyhoo, who am I to say no? It’s time for your treatment, big guy! One big old power sandwich coming right up!”
Everyone except Locke rushed towards him as he pressed the stone against John’s chest.
There was a blinding flash of light that knocked most of the orderlies back as Cade and Locke jumped behind a table. When they stepped out, there was a smoking crater where the gurney used to be. A smoking, hairy body stood up from the wreckage, a red glow radiating through the smoke from his chest.
“Whew! Gee, Locke, when I predicted the stone would activate any cells left affected by the spores, I didn’t know one of them would be the hair follicles,” Cade muttered as he stepped over the table.
“What did you do to my son?!” Jonah asked from where he had been thrown to the floor. Dr Kafka lay next to him, out cold, her head having struck the counter painfully.
“Isn’t it obvious?” Cade asked, pointing to the towering figure.
“I cured him! Only technically, but still! And hey, I dig the werewolf vibes, those are classics.”
“Are you sure we can control him?” Locke asked.
“One way to find out,” Cade shrugged.
“Yo, Johnny! Give your old man a lift.”
The towering behemoth picked Jameson up with one hand.
“John! John it’s me!” Jameson cried.
“He can’t hear you,” Locke informed him.
“Whosover sticks this stone on his chest shall possess the power of the Man-Wolf, I guess,” Cade shrugged. He lit up.
“Hey, that’s a good name! Man-Wolf!”
Man-Wolf just stared.
“Anyway, time for real introductions,” Cade smiled, tossing his lab coat off as Locke slipped him into a white blazer atop the green shirt and yellow bow tie he had been wearing under. Locke pulled off her coat to reveal a form-fitting black bodysuit.
“I’m Arcade. Not a real doctor, so don’t try this at home. This is Miss Locke. Also not a doctor, don’t know if Joan is her real name and don’t really care.”
Man-Wolf just held Jonah patiently awaiting instruction.
“Anyway, welcome to the show, Man-Wolf. You are gonna be a massive help. Oh, and so are you, Man-Wolf Sr.,” Arcade winked at Jonah.
“After all, what doesn’t add suspense like a good hostage?”