This Broken Man

This psychological horror story is one I plan to make into a graphic novel someday. It features characters from my comics.
The man named Anton Desp sat on the floor of the holding cell, his head & arms resting atop his knees. His wrists were bound together with handcuffs while his eyes were closed. He could have reflected on waking up in custody, his transfer to this building, and the preceding events, but his mind was fuzzy. Instead feelings of anger and despair drifted though his psyche while his face remained a relative blank.
He was brought back to the present by the sound of approaching footsteps, followed by voices conversing in another language. He arose in case he needed to take defensive action. Soon three men entered the cell. All Desp could do was stare. All three of the men wore simple costumes and masks, giving them the appearance of vigilantes. The first wore a grey jacket and a white mask with red streaks resembling tears of blood. The second, a younger man, wore a brown jacket and a green mask. The third wore a blue jacket with a grey mask, and also carried a strange-looking pipe.
“Hello,” greeted the man in the grey jacket. “You have been released into our custody for the afternoon. We are members of Jeong Do, Korean for ‘The Way of the True Sword’, of Basilisk.”
“You’re Koreans?”
“Yes, that is right. You are actually in South Korea, believe it or not.”
He had almost no reaction, simply responding, “I guess that’s okay, then.”
“Come with us. You will not be harmed. I swear on my Korean pride.”
Desp reluctantly allowed the three to escort him into another room. A few other vigilantes, some male and some female, were already gathered. Desp sat down in a provided chair. The man in the gray jacket told the one in the brown jacket, “Release his handcuffs.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
The young man obeyed, undoing Desp’s handcuffs and allowing them to fall to the floor. Desp stared at his bare wrists for a few seconds, then slowly reached for them and began rubbing them, as if it were too good to be true that he was unbound. He closed his eyes as a feeling of relief washed over him.
The man with the grey jacket told him, “We are here to help you. I think that deep down you understand that.” He introduced himself and his colleagues. “I am Peppermint Candy, and this is Spring in My Hometown, Hypnotized, Sympathy for Lady Vengeance, Marathon, Typhoon, and The Tower. In case you are curious, we are all named after award-winning movies.” What he didn’t mention was that in a nearby chamber were Ultra Kate and Karate Kate. Based on their history with Desp, they had all decided it was best to keep their attendance at this meeting a secret for now.
“You said you were going to help me. What do you mean?”
“You could call it a decontamination process. This will take a while, but you can just sit still.”
He nodded to Hypnotized and Sympathy for Lady Vengeance. Hypnotized took a seat in front of Desp while Sympathy for Lady Vengeance sat behind. They both raised their hands so that they were close to Desp’s head. “What is this, a ritual?” asked Desp.
“You could call it that, I suppose.”
Desp didn’t know at the time that Hypnotized had the power to negate mind control while Sympathy for Lady Vengeance had the ability to manipulate psychic poison. What he did know was that soon he felt a gentle pulling sensation in his mind, comparable to a toy boat gently being drawn into the sea by the tide. “What’s going on?”
“These lovely ladies are using their powers to draw out and neutralize the infection in your mind. Just try to relax as much as you can.”
“…the infection in your mind.” He began to recollect. His mind had indeed become infected, corrupted and poisoned by the machinations of a monster.
His mind flashed back to a scene of him lying on the floor of a cell. Even though his body had no damage worth noting, he felt sick and weary. He had no strength left; all he could do was pant softly. His mind was ragged and exhausted, like an engine that had been pushed to its breaking point.
He heard someone enter and presently a figure stood over him. “You’re in fine shape, aren’t you?” a voice asked. This was followed by a chuckle. “Oh, yes, you’re coming along very well.”
The figure got down and rested his left hand and knee on Desp’s back. It was a pose of pure dominance. “I told you I would wear you down, didn’t I? No one can resist me for too long, not even you.”
The monster arose and added, “I think you’ll find it gets easier from this point on. You can cast all your cares behind you now. Doesn’t that sound reassuring?” He departed the cell, leaving Desp alone.
In the present, Desp shuddered. He remembered the monster’s name- Professor Dante Cerdis.
He remembered how he got to that point. Cerdis had used a mind control device, combined with drugs and psychology, to erode his willpower over a period of weeks. He had been provided with a diary which he used to keep record of what he experienced during his imprisonment.
After a number of disjointed recollections, his mind finally travelled to a certain visit from Cerdis, the last one while he was in his custody. “You’ve completed your fifty-day CPL, so it’s time for you to perform your assigned task,” the amoral scientist told him. “Have you any objections?”
“No, sir.”
“Very good. Follow me.”
Cerdis led him to a small room with a desk and an end table. Desp took a seat at the desk chair. A lighter, the long kind used mainly for lighting barbecue grills or candles, lay on the desk close to his right hand. A tripod with a video camera was set up across from him. Cerdis slid over a paper. “This is just a paper declaring that you’re about to perform an action without being coerced to do so. Go ahead and sign it.”
Desp obediently signed the paper without bothering to read it. Cerdis took the paper and grinned in malicious triumph as he looked at Desp’s signature. “Very good!” He folded the paper and stuck it into a pocket. Then he went to the end table and retrieved a triangular shadowbox. He set the shadowbox, which held an American flag, close to Desp’s left hand. “I’ve removed the glass from the box for your convenience.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“Think nothing of it.” He took out an index card from a pocket and set it before Desp. “I’ve prepared a statement for you to read for the camera. You know what to do.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Does it matter at all where I may have obtained this flag and what its past may be?”
“Not at all, sir.”
“Good.” Cerdis went over to the camera and took out a protective mask. “You remember what I told you.”
“Yes, sir. After I perform my task, you’ll release a gas that will make me fall asleep, but extinguishes flames. It’s for my protection.”
“That’s exactly right. You’ve done an excellent job so far.” He donned his mask, then turned on the camera. “Begin.”
Desp read, “I am Anton Desp, formerly a general in the United States Army. I announce to the nations of the world that I am no longer loyal to the United States of America, and I renounce my allegiance to my country and its people with this action.” Emotionlessly, he took the lighter and ignited the shadowbox. He watched as the flag inside began to burn.
In the present, Desp began to scream in horror. Hypnotized winced in fear, but remained still. Sympathy for Lady Vengeance continued to use her powers as well. The other Jeong Do members attempted to soothe him, and were prepared to subdue him if need be. After the screaming fit subsided, Peppermint Candy asked, “What happened? What did you remember?”
Desp stammered, “I-I burned… I burned an American flag!”
“We know, and we know you were forced to. No matter what that paper said, we know you did not do it of your own free will.”
“Yeah.”
“We know you would never do it of your own free will.”
“Yeah.” He choked as tears flowed from his eyes.
“Do not hold back. Cry as much as you need to. Your feeling horror over what happened is a good sign, don’t you think?”
“Yeah… Yeah, you’re right.”
Ultra Kate and Karate Kate exited their private chamber and came forward. “I know how hard dealing with trauma can be. We can help you.” 
Desp looked confused. Ultra and Karate Kate started to look confused by his reaction. Finally Desp asked, “Who are you?” 
Spring in My Hometown looked in surprise from Desp to Peppermint Candy and back again. Ultra and Karate Kate started to get misty-eyed, but they told Desp, “We’re just here to help, to make sure you’re okay. We know about trauma and other things, so we thought we’d sit in on this.”
Desp still looked a little confused, but he replied, “Oh, okay.”
Peppermint Candy told him, “You are still disoriented, but you are improving. We will take a break for now, okay?”
“Okay.”
He spoke with The Tower, then explained to Desp. “We are going to break for lunch, as you say. This guy is getting hot dogs and hamburgers for us, so-”
“I’d like a burger.”
Peppermint Candy looked slightly surprised, then smiled. “Sure. What kind?” After Desp gave his order, Peppermint Candy noted, “Requesting what you want to eat, having that much willpower, is another good sign, don’t you think?”
“Hmm? You’re right… It is, isn’t it?”
The Tower brought the food for the group. As Desp ate his burger, he had another flashback. He had become ill after Cerdis brought him a hamburger for supper. When Cerdis came to check on him, he demanded, “What did you do to that burger!?”
“What makes you think I did anything to it?” Cerdis asked. “Food standards in America are surprisingly low. I wouldn’t be surprised if an inspector were paid off somewhere along the line.”
“Don’t give me that! I know you’re trying to taint my view of America, so why not taint a very American food? You’re trying to form connections in my mind. I know what you’re trying to do.”
“Maybe, but can you do anything about it?”
When Cerdis later brought him a nutrition shake for sustenance, Desp refused to drink it. “That drink is to provide you with nutrition as your system recovers from that tainted burger,” explained Cerdis.
“Don’t do me any favors. You asked if I could do anything about it. Well, this is what I’m doing!”
“A hunger strike, eh? Don’t you think that failure to take in nutrients will weaken both your system and your resolve? You’d really be hurting yourself more than anything. If I want to poison you, I can still do so via injection, inhalation, or skin contact, and failure to take in food might make you even more susceptible to my methods.”
Desp remained silent, looking down in defiance and loathing. Cerdis continued, “If you really go through with this, you’d be cutting off your nose to spite your face. Speaking of noses, there is such a thing as a forced nose feeding.” Desp’s eyes widened. Cerdis continued, “It’s just what it says on the tin, as they say. So, make a decision. Are you going to take in nutrition willingly, or shall I inject the nutrition into your body in one way or another?”
Desp sighed in angry resignation. He looked up to see Cerdis hold up his hand and then begin lowering fingers one by one. Five… four… “All right, I get it!” Desp grabbed the shake and began chugging it down.
“Careful,” Cerdis mocked, “or you might end up spitting it up.”
Desp took a couple gulps, then spat a stream out onto Cerdis’s shirt. “Whoops, you jinxed it!”
“Hmph.” He took out a handkerchief and began wiping away as much of the liquid as he could. “You’re lucky. The Gotterville mastermind called Specter did something like that and I put him in the hospital. Enjoy this while you can. Your defiance will make my ultimate triumph even more satisfying.”
In the present, Desp washed down his burger with some cola. He stared at the empty bottle for a while, then noted, to no one in particular, “My mind feels like a Rubik’s Cube.”
Hypnotized asked, “What about a sliding puzzle?”
“Hmm? Yeah… Yeah, I guess that’s an accurate comparison.” He set down the bottle in order to pantomime working a sliding puzzle. “You’re saying my mind is like a sliding puzzle that someone rearranged, and you’re trying to get it back in order, right?”
“That’s right.”
“Is that why I’m having memory problems?”
“Yes. It should clear up soon.”
“Good.”
“Do you like sliding puzzles?”
“What?”
“Do you like sliding puzzles?”
“They’re… they’re pretty good. Years ago I had a computer which came with a sliding puzzle game. The thing was it had loud sound effects.”
Hypnotized was genuinely unsettled. “What… What maniac would do something like that?”
“I don’t know, but when you pressed the mute button, there was a picture of a finger being put in an ear.” 
Hypnotized laughed and they chatted about puzzles for a while, making Desp feel more at ease. After Hypnotized and Sympathy for Lady Vengeance finished eating he announced, “I’m ready when you two are.”
“Good to hear it,” replied Sympathy for Lady Vengeance. She and Hypnotized resumed their places and the process continued.
Shortly afterward he recalled that the burger incident wasn’t the only thing Cerdis had done to try to sway Desp against America. One day he bought a folder to his cell and set it down. Desp reluctantly opened the file to examine its contents. Upon seeing the first two or three pictures, however, he immediately closed the folder, tore it into pieces, and threw the pieces away. He then leaned his head on his hands as if ill.
“Do you suddenly have a weak stomach as far as human suffering is concerned?” asked Cerdis. “All the atrocities in those pictures were either committed by Americans or by those working for Americans. Go ahead and give me some speech about those things being necessary, even praiseworthy.”
“I-I never said America was perfect! Besides, members of the military are instructed when not to follow orders. Any atrocity committed by a US solider is a breach of US Army regulations no matter what excuse they give!”
“You remember that, but would you have wanted those under you to remember that?”
“What!?”
“If your plan had worked, would you have ordered those under you to commit atrocities in the belief that all you did was right? How would you have punished soldiers who defied you? How would you have treated anyone who defied you?”
“You… Don’t you talk like you’re standing on some mountain of morality! You know who also committed atrocities? Monster scientists just like you!”
“That’s true. The scientists working for the Third Reich and for Imperial Japan come to mind. What exactly became of those monsters? Oh, that’s right… they were pardoned so they could share their knowledge with the Americans. These monsters received a pardon, yet you didn’t, despite your intentions. You only wanted what you felt was best for your country, and you were cast aside like trash. Go ahead and reflect on that for a while.”
In the present, he started to reflect. What had he done? What had he planned? What had he wanted? Eventually he remembered. In early 2002 he had conspired to obtain vials of a deadly plague and supply it to a North Korean terrorist group so they could use it to attack American citizens. The reason wasn’t because he supported North Korea; it was actually far from it. Fearing an attack, he hoped to use the terrorist attack as a way of forcing the United States to attack in retaliation. While claiming he didn’t want a war, he desired to force America into attacking its enemies. He, General Packett, and then-Captain Sykes had called in a pair of superheroines to combat the terrorists. They not only stopped the attack and captured the terrorists, but also uncovered Desp’s involvement in the plot. Upon being exposed, Desp took out a vial of the plague and threatened to shoot it, filling the room with deadly microbes. The superheroines prevented that attack as well and took Desp into custody. Throughout the years they had continued to stay in touch, treating him like a human being.
He called, “Ultra Kate… Karate Kate…”
The two stepped forward, “Yes, sir?”
“I… I remember you now… I remember everything. You meant what you said earlier?”
“Of course!”
“I… I appreciate it.”
“You’re certainly welcome.”
His mind journeyed to how this new situation began. He had been brought to the prison hospital and escorted to a cubicle by one of the staff. “What’s this about?” Desp asked.
“Something’s come up and you need to be examined,” the staff member told him. “Please turn around and remove your clothes.”
Desp obeyed, removing his shirt and placing it on the bed. He was working on the pants when he heard a popping sound and felt a sudden, sharp pain in his back. He reached back and, to his surprise, he felt something. He gave the something a yank and held it up to examine it. He realized that it was a dart. As he stared, his vision began to blur and his head began to spin. A feeling of drowsiness began to envelop him and his body began to sway.
“What in-” He had to stop in order to lean on the bed for support. “What is this!?”
“I’m sorry,” the staff member told him. He shot him with another dart for good measure. Desp winced and then buckled as his muscles lost their strength. He slid to the floor as his world turned black.
When he awoke, he found that he had been placed in a straitjacket. He was sitting in a chair with a headrest, and as if the straitjacket weren’t enough of a restraint, the chair had straps which further immobilized him. Nearby was what appeared to be a computer tower. He realized he was in a different place, though it also appeared to be some kind of clinic. Across from him was a desk with some kind of headband, a vial of yellowish-fluid, and a hypodermic syringe. A tank of gas with an attached breathing mask, an IV stand with a bag containing a clear fluid, and a sharp box sat nearby on the floor. The staff member from before took out a radio and told someone, “He’s coming to.”
“Very good. I’ll be right there,” an unknown voice replied.
Everything seemed louder to Desp; he realized that, for whatever reason, his ears had been cleaned. He asked the staff member, “What is going on here?!”
The staff member looked down, as if ashamed to look Desp in the eye. Shortly a man wearing a lab coat and carrying a satchel entered the room. The staff member reported, “Here’s Desp, as you requested.”
The man in the lab coat grinned in malicious delight. “Good job. Give him some water.”
The staff member fetched Desp a cup of water, but the prisoner refused to drink it. “Aren’t you thirsty?” asked the man in the lab coat. Desp refused to acknowledge him.
The staff member set the cup of water on the desk. The man in the lab coat handed him the satchel. “Here’s my end. As I said, I can’t guarantee how much this medicine will help your mother, but it should, at the very least, alleviate her symptoms.”
The staff member looked at the satchel with a mixture of longing and shame, then started to leave the room. Desp paused and then told him, “I think I am thirsty after all.” The staff member fetched the cup of water and let Desp drain its contents. Desp nodded and the staff member hurried out of the room as if unable to bear being there any longer.
The man in the lab coat mockingly saluted as he smirked, aggravating Desp. “Evening, General. I imagine you’re a little disoriented, due to both the circumstances of your arrival here and the cleaning of your ears while you were napping.”
“Who are you?”
“If you don’t recognize my face, you’ll probably recognize my name. I am Professor Dante Cerdis.”
Desp was taken aback by this piece of information. “You-You’re that scientist the Kates and the SLJ fought!” 
“Anything else?”
Desp chilled with a realization. “You’re a brainwasher.”
“One of my many talents,” Cerdis replied proudly. “You’re pretty smart, but then again, you had to be in order to disguise being a fanatical psychopath. You hid your identity as a megalomaniac under a veil of patriotism so skillfully.”
“Don’t you dare question-” He stopped and took a calming breath. “I’m better now.”
“You’re under the impression that that matters to me. Regardless, it’s time for your examination.”
“For what?”
“It’s standard procedure. You understand that.”
Cerdis conducted physical and mental evaluation despite Desp ranting most of the time. Afterward he retrieved a shadowbox with an American flag from underneath the desk.
“What are you going to do with that!?” demanded Desp.
Cerdis nonchalantly stated, “I’m going to give it to you so you can burn it while disavowing your allegiance to America.”
“You psycho!”
“Object all you want, and threaten all you want, but just remember this. I bent General Packett to my will, made him attack Ultra Kate & Karate Kate, and I’ve refined my techniques since then. By the way, I won’t be using sleep deprivation or any other form of torture. It’s tempting, but A) I won’t need to and B) I don’t want to stroke your ego by giving you the chance to say you survived such an ordeal. No, I shall use my science and psychology to erode your mental defenses bit by bit. Your psyche will either become completely dominated by me or shatter. Either way, I have plans for you.”
The headrest of the restraining chair had a strap running across it. Cerdis fastened it tightly, securing Desp’s head. “Those plans, as you can guess, begin now.” He took out a small recording device, activated it so he could keep record of the proceedings, clipped it to his belt, and noted, “Since the subject is conscious, alert, and oriented, vital signs are stable and in defined limits, and the device has been pre-programmed, the CPL will commerce.” Addressing Desp, he began, “The acronym is short for-”
“I don’t care! Call it what you want, but we both know what it is! You even bragged that it was one of your talents!”
“True.”
“You’re an unfeeling animal.”
“Also true. By the way, you should be honored. Normally the process lasts at least forty-two days, with the initial session consisting of one eight-hour treatment. With defiant and violent subjects, the process lasts at least forty-five days, with the initial session consisting of one eighteen-hour treatment. However, I’m going to work on you for fifty days.”
“You think I’ll be that hard to crack, huh?”
“I believe that you’ll be a formidable and difficult subject. I also believe that in the end you’ll be as completely in my thrall as any other subject.”
Cerdis took the headband, connected it to the computer tower, and placed it on Desp’s head, positioning it so the visor covered both eyes, and inserted the attached nozzles securely into his right and left ears. “The visor is situated over oculi uterque and nozzles have been applied auris dextrae & auris laevae.” He filled the syringe with the yellow fluid. The arms of the straitjacket had small holes, allowing for injections. He injected the syringe’s contents into the sweating Desp and announced, “The indoctrination drug has been administered via injection. It can be administered either by injection or by mouth. It’ll be interesting to see how long it is before you drink it down willingly.” He disposed of the needle and stood by the desk. “During the first eighteen days the subject is put under general anesthesia during the procedure. I want to try something a little different this time, however. You’ll be left slightly conscious instead of fully unconscious. Pick your poison- gas or injection.” Desp didn’t respond, so Cerdis noted, “You should use this chance to make your own decision- while you’re still able to.”
A shudder of sheer revulsion surged through Desp’s frame. “Injection, then.”
“I’m guessing that’s so you can put yourself in the role of the movie hero who struggles valiantly while some fiend sticks a needle into his arm. Very well, then.”
He inserted the IV needle into Desp’s quivering arm through a small hole in the straitjacket sleeve designed for that purpose and started the flow of sedative. “This device uses a combination of sound pulses, energy waves, and hypnotic imagery to place the brain in a state in which the subject is highly open to suggestion. The subject’s willpower becomes suppressed, and continued treatments cause it to stay suppressed for an extended period of time.”
Desp fell into a state of near-unconsciousness. Cerdis examined him to make sure he was at the desired state, then activated the machine. “Thus it begins.”
True to his word, the amoral scientist had worn down the warped patriot psychologically as well. Desp remembered one day when he paid a visit to his cell. Cerdis played mahjong solitaire on a tablet while he spoke. “Tell me about your time in the army. Basic Training and whatnot.”
Desp glared at him. “You don’t have the right.”
“I just thought you’d like to tell someone your story.” Desp looked away and remained silent. “If you’d like, I could even have you do some drills like the good old days.”
“I’d rather eat lead.”
“I’m not shocked by your response. However, I don’t think you’re entirely opposed to the idea. You look at your joining the army and rising through the ranks as your glory days, correct? Deep down you’d love to do those drills again, even the most physically and psychologically demanding ones, to show you still have it in you.” There was a long pause, and afterward he stated, “Speaking of military matters, I think that you should start addressing me as ‘Sir’.”
Desp jerked his head around to face him directly. “You really don’t have that right! The only person I’d call ‘Sir’ is a general of higher rank or the Commander-in-Chief.”
“‘A general of higher rank?’ You speak like you were still a general and not someone who’s been dishonorably discharged. Tell me- why do you still cling to things such as patriotism and pride?”
“You’re an American, right?”
“Indiana born and raised.”
“Don’t you have any love for your country at all?!”
“Of course I do. I’m grateful to have been born an American. It’s just that with my ambition and willpower, I look at things differently than other people.”
“Just like you can call brainwashing whatever you want, you can call being a megalomaniac whatever you want.”
“Thank you; that means a lot coming from you.”
“You gave your own reason why I shouldn’t answer you. Someone like you can never understand concepts like wanting to be a part of something greater than yourself.”
Cerdis absorbed this and then chuckled in amusement. “That’s a good reason for joining the Army, I’ll give you that. That’s a common and understandable reason.”
“What’s so amusing, then?”
With a flick of his wrist, Cerdis caused the tablet cover to snap shut. “I was just wondering when things changed.”
“What?”
“You joined the army for love of country and to be a part of something greater, correct? Those are both noble reasons. However, at some point it became more & more about you and less & less about others. I would dare to say it even became less & less about your country, although I’m sure you didn’t look at it that way. Whatever you wanted was best, no matter who got hurt. Anyone beneath you was just a tool to fulfill your desire. When it got down to it, you were even willing to sacrifice your closest colleagues. It didn’t matter who or what was sacrificed in the name of your ambition.”
Grinning calmly yet maliciously, he took off his eyeglasses and looked Desp straight in the eye. “That’s probably part of the reason you hate me so much- I am you.”
The bitterness of the memory made him bite down on his fist. However, he then remembered something that happened after that incident. As he sat bound to a chair, Cerdis came into his cell with an expression of triumph on his face. He told his prisoner, “I prepared a special dinner for you tonight. I want to discuss my plans for you.”
Desp noticed that he hadn’t brought any food. “It’s in another room, I take it?”
“Yes. That’s because we have a number of guests dining with us.”
Desp, still bound to the chair, was brought to a room set up to be a dining room. Lady Darkphoenix, in her human form, was waiting for them. To Desp’s shock, a number of expressionless people were seated at the table. “Who are these guys?”
“They’re all United States military veterans, and they’re all under my control.”
“When did you do this!?”
“Do you really think the CPL device and the hsi-nao device were my only mind-control devices? I have a device that only takes about six hours to put someone in a hypnotic mind-control state. I merely had Brenda bring these gentlemen to me and subjected them to it.” He sat Desp at the head of the table as the guest of honor. “If you’re wondering why I didn’t just do that with you-”
“No, I can figure that out. This way you get better results and more enjoyment, right? What I want to know is why you brought them here.”
“They say that the best solutions are often simple ones that are easily overlooked at first. I realized that in order to get you to submit to your sessions willingly, I needed to offer an incentive.” 
He turned to the assembled veterans. “Does anybody have a smoke?” One of the controlled dinner guests took out a cigarette and held it out to him. “Thank you.” He used one of the candles on the table to light it, took a puff, and held it so the lit end was facing downward. He then turned to the veteran seated closest to Desp. “Roll up your sleeve, would you kindly?”
“NO!” shouted Desp. He made a strong but futile effort to break free from his restraints.
“Hold it. It seems our guest of honor has something to say.”
“If… If I submit to you willingly… you’ll let these guys go home?”
“Not all of them have homes. America really is failing when it comes to caring for its veterans. However, I can have Brenda take them someplace safe. I give you my word as a superman.” 
Desp looked at Lady Darkphoenix. “What about your word?”
She was surprised, but she sincerely replied, “Yes, I promise that I’ll take them somewhere safe.”
Desp hung his head and let out a long sigh. “All right. I’ll do it.”
“You’ve made a good decision,” Cerdis told him. He dropped the cigarette into a glass of water.
“I need to go to the bathroom.”
“All right. Brenda, you make sure our dinner guests are safe while I make sure our guest of honor gets around all right.”
In the bathroom, Desp pulled down his pants and underwear to urinate. Cerdis didn’t give him the courtesy of looking away, instead continuing to observe him like a rat in a science project. Desp told him, “I may not resist you physically, but mentally it’s a different story.”
“Of course. It would be disappointing otherwise.”
He finished urinating and then boasted, “I’m more of a man than you’ll ever be. I’ve done some bad things, but in the end, I am nothing like you.”
True to her word, Lady Darkphoenix delivered the captives to a police station where they would be taken care of. When she brought proof of this, Desp felt a sense of relief despite everything. He again stated, “I’m nothing like you, Cerdis.” He glanced toward the Kates. “Cerdis captured and released some veterans. How are they doing?”
“Last I heard they were still doing well.”
“Good.” He closed his eyes and leaned his head back.
Less than half an hour later the control negation process was completed. “How do you feel?” asked Peppermint Candy.
“Distressed, but thank God I’m not in that monster’s control anymore. You all have been a great help to me… all of you.” His eyes once again began to brim with tears. “I really can’t thank you enough.”
He gave each of the Jeong Do members a handshake, with the exception of Hypnotized, who preferred a fist bump. He also promised Hypnotized that he’d write to her about sliding puzzles, something which delighted the heroine.
Sympathy for Lady Vengeance told Ultra and Karate Kate, “He still has a good amount of psychological poison, which is not surprising when you consider everything. He will need counselling.”
“I’ve already arranged for that, thank you.” They looked at Desp. “Are you ready to go?”
“Yeah. I want to go home.” When he started to leave, however, a feeling of sadness enveloped him as he thought of leaving his new allies. He pushed past it and allowed the Super Kates to take him away.
After Desp had spent a couple hours resting in a holding cell back in the United States, he received a visitor. “Hello, Desp,” greeted General Packett.
“Sir!” saluted Desp.
“At ease!”
He looked away in awkwardness from his former friend, but his attention was brought back to Packett when he held out a book which he recognized. “Is that…”
“Yes, it’s the diary you kept during your custody. We received it along with… that video.” Desp looked down in shame and Packett continued, “Knowing Cerdis, I’m guessing he copied the pages for his records. We read it, so we know what happened.”
“That’s good.” He took the diary from Packett. “Why are you here, then?”
“One reason should be obvious. The best person to identify with a victim of Professor Cerdis is another victim of Professor Cerdis. My jaw hit the floor when I saw that video. I can understand how painful the ordeal was for you.”
“Yeah.”
“I’m willing to talk and to listen.”
“Have you heard anything else about him?”
“We have word he’s in Japan. Ultra and Karate Kate are on the case.” 
“They need to stop him.” To Packett’s surprise, tears started to run down the face of the emotionally ragged former general. “They need to stop him… before he does this to anyone else!”
“Don’t worry, they’ll get him. They’ll put a stop to whatever he’s doing.” He gave Desp a pat on the back. After Desp had settled down some and wiped away his tears, Packett asked, “We figure that Cerdis bribed a worker in order to abduct you. Is that what happened?”
“Yes. He had someone knock me out during a supposed medical examination.”
“Would you recognize the worker if you saw him again?”
Desp remembered the man’s face, but he also remembered his shame and desperation. He told Packett, “I don’t see how I could be expected to remember something like that. Cerdis is the one we need to go after, not some poor schmuck forced to do something.”
Packett apparently understood his meaning. “I’d say you’re right.”
He nodded. “I’ll be happy to help you any other way.” He reflected and then noted, “I’m a little surprised Sykes isn’t here too. He’s always good with things like this.” Packett didn’t answer, causing Desp grow alarmed. “Don’t tell me Cerdis got him too!”
“No. No, he didn’t get him. That’s another reason I came here. Sykes is dead.”
“What!? How?!”
“It happened a few weeks ago. He was at a store when an armed robber came. The robber was high on meth and acting violently. When the robber tried to take hostages, Sykes fought with him and disarmed him. The robber was subdued and arrested, but Sykes was fatally shot. He died at the scene.”
“That’s a good way to go, helping people.”
Packett took out a program. “I brought this for you from the funeral.”
“You… You didn’t have to do that.”
“It’s what he would have wanted… and what I wanted.”
“Thank you.” He took it, looked at the cover, and sighed with a mixture of relief and sadness. Smiling oddly, he declared, “You never got him, Cerdis. You hear that? You missed getting one! You’re never going to get the whole set now!”
He broke down crying again. Packett silently bowed his head and cried as well. For a while it seemed that the two of them were the only ones in the world. Finally, after his sobbing fit had ended, Desp noted, “The last time I saw him was a few days before my capture. He was still hopeful for me despite everything.”
“It was his wish that we could all heal from what happened years ago, all three of us. He looked forward to you being rescued. He never stopped caring.”
“No, he never did, did he? Thank God our last meeting went well… that I wasn’t hateful or anything.”
“I’m glad to hear it.”
“You said you were willing to talk and to listen.”
“That’s right. We’ve been in the same boat, after all.”
“Or the same hole. Sykes told me a modern parable. There was this veteran in a deep, dark hole, with no way to get out. The counselor threw down a rope for him to climb out, but he didn’t- or couldn’t, I guess. The preacher threw down a rope for him to climb out, but he couldn’t. Finally another veteran threw down a rope, but he didn’t just throw it down; he climbed down it himself so he could help the other guy climb out.” 
“I once heard a similar parable. This guy was in a pit and couldn’t get out. A doctor passed by, threw down a piece of paper, and said, ‘Here’s a prescription.’ A preacher passed by, threw down a piece of paper, and said, ‘Here’s a prayer.’ Finally the man’s friend passed by, and when he saw what had happened, he jumped down into the pit. The man asked, ‘What are you doing!? Now we’re both in the pit!’ and the friend told him, ‘Yes, but I’ve been in this pit before, and I know the way out.’” He reached out his hand. “No man left behind.”
Desp stared a moment before gladly and firmly grasping Packett’s hand. As Desp wiped away tears with the other hand, Packett told him, “We’re going to restart. It’s going to be okay.”
==Story notes==
*The title comes from The Bee Gees song "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart?”
*The Super Kates declaring, “I know how hard dealing with trauma can be. We can help you,” refers to both of them having post-traumatic stress disorder. Desp not recognizing the Kates at first was inspired by something I saw on a talk show. It really is a sad thing when people are so out of it they don’t recognize people they’ve had a history with.
*The sliding puzzle game Desp described is a real game we had on an old computer.
*I meant the line, “I’d rather eat lead,” literally when I first wrote it, but then I remembered that eating lead is a slang term for being shot. With that in mind it’s up to the reader to decide what Desp means.
*Cerdis uses the term "superman" to express the belief that he's superior to others.
*Packett notes that Cerdis is reportedly in Japan, but the Kates plan to stop him. The graphic novel this story is based on will be the set-up to a two-part Ultra Kate and Karate Kate adventure in which they and some allies go to Japan and stop Cerdis.
*The parable about the veteran trapped in a hole is one my pastor told around the time I was writing this story; I felt it would be a good fit.
By Raidra
Category:Raidra
Category:Scary