HOSTILE TAKEOVER - CHAPTER 11

No one had seen that there was a new intruder in the room. MacReady was too taken back to say anything. The Batman quickly strode towards Burton and Garner. The crewmembers holding back noticed the imposing figure of the Dark Knight as he past. They moved out of his way as he closed in on Mullins and Burton. Like MacReady, they too thought it was one of those things they had seen being destroyed coming back to finish them all. Screams filled the air from men and women alike as the Batman's presence was realized. Mullins, Burton and Garner were not aware of the menacing shape coming their way. Mullins had his back to the Batman. Burton was too busy screaming obscenities and threats to Mullins and holding Garner tightly around the neck to see. Garner had her view blocked by her own hands as they tried to pry away Burton's grip.

The Batman walked up behind Mullins. Mullins was tensed up. His fists were tightly clenched waiting to be thrown at a target. The Batman put his large left hand on Mullins right shoulder and slowly pulled back. Mullins, feeling the weight of a hand on him, spun around to confront who ever dared to interfere with his business.

"Back off, As…!" Mullins started to yell as his eyes met with an apparition that made his blood run cold.

The Batman made not a sound as he walked passed Mullins towards Burton. Burton and Garner finally saw what was coming at them. Burton's jaw dropped as he watched the Batman move in closer. Garner struggled harder to get away so that this terrible, black thing coming at them could not get her.

"Let her go, now!" Commanded the Batman with an intimidating, deep rasp of a whisper.

Burton dropped the broken bottle. The remnants exploded into a thousand pieces as it hit the cold floor. Burton stood there frozen and incapable of movement.

"I am not going to repeat myself! Do it!!!" The Batman hissed.

Burton struggled to tear his eyes off of the large looming form. He was transfixed on the hulking form in front of him. He glanced quickly back and forth between Garner and the Batman. Just what the hell was going on here? Is that human? The Batman made a half of a step towards Burton with a grim sneer on his lips. The Batman’s word finally sunk in and Burton immediately removed his arm from around Garner's neck. Garner stumbled away from Burton and from…whatever it was…in front of him.

"Jesus! It's one of those…one of those…things!" Cried Burton as he tried his best to maintain bladder and bowel control.

"No, I am not." Corrected the Batman.

"Then…what…the hell are you?" Burton whimpered trying to hold back tears of terror.

Before the Batman could answer, Mullins swung a metal stool at his head from behind. Without looking, the Batman spun around, grabbed the stool and ripped it out of Mullins hands. Before he could understand what had happened, Mullins was lifted off the ground and flung over a table. He landed crumpled on the floor behind it without a clue as to how he got there. The Batman returned his gaze to Burton's. His mirrored eye slits glowed with the dim illumination from the florescent light hanging from the ceiling. This made him look that much more frightening. More demonic.

"I may be the best chance you have of getting out of here alive." The Batman answered.

"Christ, How did… how did you get here? Where is Haines?" Asked MacReady while he pulled himself off of the floor in the back of the lab.

"There is no 'Haines'. I used that disguise to come here unnoticed." Responded the Batman.

"What is that?" Asked Prentiss, the dietician. "You know what it is?"

"That is the self righteous Batman of Gotham City in all of his glory." Remarked MacReady as he walked over to the Batman. MacReady made no attempted to hide his contempt for this interloper.

No one in the room could believe what they just heard. They all heard of the mysterious Batman that haunted the nights of Gotham City. Of how he (it) thirsted after the souls of the evil. Of how it (he) pursued them to no end, without rest and fed on those dark souls night after night after night. Of how nothing could kill him (it). Of how it (he) was Gotham's savior and curse. And now, here he (it) was. This urban legend was right here at the bottom of the world with them.

A cacophony rose from the bewildered onlookers.

"It can't be…What the hell is…Dear God…Kill us all…Don't believe it…Down here with us."

The people knocked over instruments and each other to distance themselves from this black demon from darkest pit of Hell.

MacReady tried to belay the lamentations to no use. The crew kept on screaming and yelling. It was young Carr, the assistant that finally got the crowd to quiet down.

"Wait, wait, waitaminnit! Shut up! Dude, he's just an urban myth. There ain't no Batman." Affirmed young Carr.

"No, he's real, all right and what do you mean 'There is no Haines?' You telling me you were here this whole time under my nose dressed up as an old military fart? Just what the hell are you? Why are you here?" MacReady snapped.

"Bruce Wayne asked me personally to come here and help." The Batman countered.

"Now, wait a minute. You’re something most people have heard of but never seen. Hell, there aren't even any pictures of you. Most people don't even believe in you, yet you are doing a 'favor' for some spoiled rich idiot? Come on, gimme a break." MacReady wondered incredulously.

"He did me a favor a few years ago. I'm just paying him back so don't worry about it, MacReady."

MacReady scoffed as he turned away form the Batman.

"He's…he's real?" Asked Carr sheepishly.

"Well, you don't strike me as the owing-a-favor type." Added MacReady.

"Well, that's just friggin' great! First of all you two waltz in here telling us about an old, frozen alien. Then one of you turns out to be a mythological boogey-man playing dress up. That's just wonderful. What's next, Bigfoot in drag?" Burton said with every ounce of disgust and sarcasm he could muster.

"Now comes the blood test MacReady mentioned." Answered the Batman. "We are going to find out where that arm went. From what Mr. MacReady has told us, the blood test will find out who is who." Batman informed the befuddled crowd.

The Batman went over to where he was standing while in the guise of "Col. Haines." On the floor next to the crumpled up fatigues was a large black case. The Batman picked it up and brought it to the table that Mullins took an informal flying lesson over. Inside were vials, disposable needles, what appeared to be several mini-blowtorches and a strange looking metal box. The vials were all marked with the names of all the camp members. Two others were marked with MacReady's and his name. The Batman lined them neat on the table.

"Now I'm going to ask all of you one at a time to come up here and have some blood drawn so that we can test you." Said the Batman.

"Go to hell. There's no way some Halloween reject is going to stick me." Bellowed Mullins.

MacReady walked up to Mullins face to face. He gripped his flame-thrower tightly as he stared Mullins in the eyes. "You don't have much choice here. Either you take the test or I'll burn you were you stand."

"Try it murderer." Mullins sneered not backing down.

"Dammit, Mullins, that's enough!" Shouted Grant. "You'll take the test like all of us." Grant didn't like this, not one bit but it had to be done and he had to maintain order.

"Wait, How do we know ‘Dracula junior knows how to do this?" Asked Stephens flippantly.

The Batman turned his head to Stephens. He didn't say a word to Stephens but the message was clear. "Do not challenge me." He then went over to the box and pressed a green button on it. A muffled "Whoosh" could be heard from inside.

"What's with the box?" Inquired MacReady.

"Just a precaution." Replied the Batman.

The Batman returned to his work. He picked up one of the mini blowtorch, which were about four inches long and two inches wide. He fit it into a round cap that would screw into and seal off the top of the vials.

"I'm going to ask Mr. MacReady to go first, then I will. After that, we'll check all of the personnel who were in contact with the appendage, then the rest." The Batman said in an impersonal tone.

MacReady set his flame-thrower on the bench. He took off his jacket and rolled up the sleeve on his left arm. The Batman tied a rubber ribbon around MacReady's upper arm to expose the vein better. With the precision of a trained medic, the Batman drew a sample of blood from MacReady's arm with minimum discomfort. He then took the vial and screwed the top into place with the torch inside pointing down.

"Aren't you going to point the flame-thrower at me? Just in case?" Asked MacReady.

"That is not my style." Replied emotionless the Batman.

"Yeah, but, If I was an imitat…"

" I don't kill." The Batman interrupted.

The Batman moved to the metal box. He flipped up two arms on the top of the box. These formed a holder for the test tube. The Batman inserted the test tube in the holder. The Batman ignited the mini torch. A jet of blue flame shot down wards into the blood. The blood boiled and hissed as it the flame evaporated it in the vial.

"MacReady's clean. Now, it’s my turn."

"Does this test work on a vampire's blood?" Carr whispered to Russo, the electrician.

"Yes, it should and no, I am not a vampire." The Batman said without looking up.

Carr could not figure out how the Batman heard him from where he was standing. What the hell was this thing?

The Batman removed one glove and made a tight fist. He was about to jab the needle into his wrist. He then stopped and handed the needle to MacReady.

"Here, you do it. Just to show you no tricks."

MacReady aimed the needle at the Batman's wrist. A large vein protruded out from the Batman's thick, muscular wrist.

"Look at that! That's just a glove! He's really a man… I think?" Noted Bower, the carpenter. The crowd murmured with incredulous awe.

MacReady shakily stuck the needle in the vein. The Batman didn't wince with MacReady's novice attempt.

Macready picked up his flame-thrower. He aimed it toward the Dark Knight without thought or care. With his free hand, MacReady repeated the test exactly as the Batman did with same results. Negative, The Batman was human. Or at least he was what he was as the crew thought.

"Now, We will test the crew that came in contact with the thing." The Batman stated.

MacReady brusquely led those crewmembers away from the others. They drew blood from each one and placed it into the tubes with their names on them. To the surprise of MacReady and the Batman, the tests on the members went without a hitch. No one was an imitation.

MacReady swung the flame-thrower towards the direction of the rest of the crew. "Now, the rest."

Again blood was drawn into the proper tubes. The rest of personnel were wound up so tight that they could have exploded.

"We'll do the meteorologist." Whispered the Batman.

Taylor looked around at everyone for strength and understanding. She nervously made her way towards the waiting Batman. She still wasn't sure what this dark figure was or what was going to happen with her test.

Like before, the blood sizzled in the test tube. Taylor sighed in relief. If she could let down her defenses for a moment, she would have cried.

"Are you sure this test works?" Asked Dr. Post.

MacReady just stared at the Doctor. His expression was answer enough.

"Now, Dr. Zane." The Batman said in a cold, emotionless tone.

Dr. Zane, Late of Los Angeles, was a blonde-haired, blue-eyed, deeply tanned extreme sports enthusiast. A man in his mid-thirties, he loved nothing more than a great challenge. The jovial, hot-shot with a zest for life was offered the position at TOMAR due to his excellent medical skills and ability to get along with everyone he meets. He honestly took the job just to be one of the few people to say that they spent a year in the frozen south. That was a challenge to boast about. "Boo-Yah!!!"

The doctor strolled up to the Batman with his chest puffed out. The Batman knew that for all of his bravado, the doctor was as frightened as the rest. Zane held out his muscular right arm to be tapped for blood. He flexed it a little at the Batman as a way of trying to intimidate him. The Batman took no notice at it and repeated the test.

Like the ones before, Zane was human. Zane was visibly relieved with results as sweat poured from his brow and a small chill ran down the length of his spine as he walked away from the Batman.

"Now, Profitt." Commanded the Batman.

Profitt, the lab assistant strode up to the Batman and readied himself for his turn. His blood was taken and the mini-torch was hooked up.

"This crap doesn't work." Reiterated Post.

The flame snapped on. Immediately the blood inside shrieked in pain. Quickly, the Batman hit a red button on the box. A lid underneath the tube slid open. The tube fell into the box. Flames shot out of the opening as the tube filled with the screaming blood shot down to be incinerated. The lid slammed shut cutting off the dying howls of the alien blood.

"Oh, shit! It works! It works! Run for it!" Screamed Riley the plumber.

"Profitt" started to convulse and pulsate. With a sickening crack, his spine broke it's self at the pelvis. . His upper body swung backwards with his head now on the floor touching his feet. He was bent completely in half the wrong way. His clothing ripped and shredded as his flesh quivered and heaved. His legs spread wide at the crotch as the same revolting snaps were heard as the bones broke and twisted into a horrific configuration. The legs grew long, as did his arms. The arms also snapped and broke as the worked themselves to form new angles. The legs and arms now resembled that of ungodly arachnid limbs. The head was still upside down. Again with sickening snaps and breaking, it's head wrenched around till it was right side up. It's neck elongated to bring the head up to the top of it's horrid frame. This grotesque abomination of what was once Profitt screamed with an unearthly bellow. Everyone inside the cramped room stumbled and fell to evade this monstrosity.

MacReady was only a few feet away from "Profitt-thing", but the frantic crowd engulfed him and hindered his attempt to destroy it. The Batman too was blocked by the frenzy. He pushed people aside without remorse. He quickly reached for an item in his belt and produced it without looking in a smooth movement. It was a batarang with a thin line attached to it. With a blinding whip of his right arm, the thing was entangled with the line as the batarang flew around it. Struggling, the thing that was once Profitt flailed it's misshapen limbs sending equipment on the tables hurtling in all directions. It tried to make it's way towards any one it could grab. It lumbered frantically near ‘Second-in-Command’ Larson. Larson desperately attempted to get out of the thing's way. The Batman noticed this and tried to grasp the thin line that had been ripped from his hands as the thing raged in agony. Closer and closer it made it's way to Larson. Larson screaming in terror was cornered with no escape. In a swift lunge, the thing clasped it's horrible arms around Larson. Larson could only scream as an awful opening split vertically down the top of the thing. The thing awkwardly tried to put Larson into the opening headfirst. His upper torso disappeared inside. The Batman made his way to the thin line. With all of his tremendous strength, he pulled the line backwards. The thing toppled over sending Larson flying into the fuse box on the wall. Sparks flew from the fuse box as circuits shorted out. The room went dark as the screaming and wailing grew louder. A searing stream of hell spewed from MacReady’s flame-thrower and covered the ‘Profitt-imitation’. The darkened room lit up from the intense glow of the blazing alien horror. Another burst erupted from MacReady's flame-thrower brightening the room more as it enveloped the thing. The thing writhed as fire consumed it distorted shape. With an thunderous shriek, the thing slumped over dead as the flames rendered it's god awful mass into a blackened husk.

Some of the personnel raced over to the thing with fire extinguishers. MacReady blocked their path.

"Move, we gotta put the fire out or it will burn the whole complex down!" Yelled Grant.

"No, not yet!"

"Dammit, MacReady, move or I'll…" Started Mullins.

"Not yet, that thing is not dead yet." Answered MacReady.

"MacReady!" Screamed Grant. "So help me, move your ass or…"

"You won't do a God damned thing!" MacReady hollered back.

MacReady turned towards the burning hulk. With a motion of his hands, he signaled the men to douse the fire. Grant, Mullins and Carr rushed over and smothered the pyre.

Dr. Post approached Larson who was prone on the floor covered in blood and an awful green-yellow goo from the waist up. His pants and boots were scorched and smoldering. Post opened a medical kit and reached to Larson to turn him over.

"Stop!!! Don't touch him!!!" Yelled MacReady.

MacReady raced over to Post and pushed her out of the way. With a short pause MacReady looked over the unconscious Larson. Methodically, he aimed his flame-thrower at Larson. The Batman understood MacReady's intent and jumped at him. Before The Batman could stop him, MacReady unleashed a jet of liquid hell at Larson. Everyone lamented at the sight of their friend being so callously murdered in front of their eyes. The Batman slammed his enormous fist into the side of MacReady's jaw halting the flow of fire and sending MacReady bodily into a cabinet. MacReady worked his way to his feet with The Batman waiting for him. The Batman yanked MacReady off the floor by his jacket lapels.

"What the hell are you doing!?!" Cried MacReady.

"You murdering bastard! You killed that man after all your protesting of innocence. You cold blooded…"

Unexpectedly, Larson jumped up and screamed with the same blood-curdling wail as the ‘Prentiss-thing.’ Larson's body expanded and bloated as fire danced over it. It grew in size as strange tentacles emerged from it. What was once was Larson now was an immense tumorous mass with tentacles floundering in it's death throws. Many mouths could be seen growing and forming on this horror as the flames consumed it. It grew more tentacles as it burned. The only hint that it gave to show it once resembled a human being was Larson's head was still visible hung down on the right side of it's form. Along with it thrashed a perfectly formed left arm. The Batman dropped MacReady and backed up. MacReady let loose with another blast. The "Larson-thing" dropped to it's knees and fell forward silent and still. Everyone watching was frozen with shock. After a few moments MacReady motioned for the three to put out this fire also.

The ignored fire alarm rang out as water poured down on the crew and their unwanted guests. Slowly and deliberately raising his arm, the Batman pushed the button that stopped the alarm and water flow. MacReady walked over to the lab doors and opened them. Fresh air rushed in as the rest of the crew hastened out. They fled to get breathable air, not to mention to distance them selves from the dead monstrosities. Most were coughing from smoke inhalation and the smell of incinerated flesh, which flooded the lab. Weeping and cursing could be heard in the hallway. One or two got physically ill in hall. The sight of one of their friends mutating into a hellish abomination and another set ablaze then becoming one of those things was enough to sicken the most jaded of people.

MacReady hollered at the crew leaving with out taking his eyes off the carnage. "Don't go no where. We're not done testing yet!"

The hallway went silent as death. MacReady got up and moved over to the bench were the test equipment was to assess any damage. The Batman stood a few feet in his way. MacReady passed the Batman with out saying a word.

"MacReady." The Batman spoke.

Thud! MacReady struck the Batman in the side of his head with a furious right cross. The Batman's head reeled as he staggered back a step. MacReady stood his ground.

"Don't you ever lay a hand on me again, you sanctimonious, self-righteous freak! You understand me! Never again! You may think your crap works in Gotham, but not here! This isn't some green-haired jackass or some crazy broad who gets off dressing like a cat! This thing will kill us all. Here, Gotham, everywhere! You can't beat the shit out of it and lock it up in a nuthouse. So get that crap outta your head, you hear me! Down here, it's my way or we all die! You high-and-mighty pointy-eared prick!"

The Batman was silent. MacReady inspected their test equipment. Although some was damaged in the frenzy, most of it was salvageable. MacReady straightened out what left and readied it to begin again.

"Wasn't there something we could have done for Larson?" Asked Dr. Post

"Yeah, burn him. He was gone the minute that thing got him." MacReady said with out looking up.

"Nothing at all?" Prodded the Batman.

"No, dammit, nothing. Once it gets you that's it. Done, finish, end of story. Get it? You gotta kill them. That's they only way. So forget your code of decency. That doesn't apply here." Snapped MacReady.

The crewmembers in the room were aghast with the sight of MacReady punching the Batman let alone living to talk about it. For the moment it took precedence over the remains of two burnt corpses that once were their friends and colleagues.

For once, Carr was a loss for words. He stood directly over the remains of the mutated Larson staring wide eyed. His mouth hung slightly opened. He was rooted in place and frozen in shock.

MacReady pushed Carr away from him without regard. Carr snapped out of his stupor and returned to reality. MacReady looked over the remains for any signs of life.

"Now, you three." He said to Grant, Carr and Mullins. "Get some large blankets or a tarp or something to carry these things out in the snow with. Use shovels to pick it up don’t use your hands. And Grant, have some one get a tractor and dig a quick and dirty pit a little away from camp. We've got to burn these things some more to be sure they're good and dead."

Grant looked at MacReady and reluctantly obeyed his command. Grant was out of his league here. He could not believe what had happened even though he had witnessed it first hand. Grant ordered Carr and Mullins out of the room to get the tarps and shovels.

The ones that were standing in the hall cautiously looked back into the lab. They couldn't believe the carnage and damage that had occurred.

Garner found the nerve to speak up. "Uh, Mr., uh, MacReady. Could we finish the test some were else? The smell…"

"No, we'll do it here. Why burn down another room?"

Burton looked a little distraught and crushed having to re-enter this abattoir that was once a laboratory.

Grudgingly, the crew filed into the room. Taylor immediately burst into tears at the sight of the dead bodies. Bower, the carpenter tried his best to repress his dry heaves at the odor of burnt flesh. Dr. Post covered here eyes as not to see the twisted forms that lay before her. Carr and Mullins returned and moved away debris and wreckage to clear a path for the removal of the bodies.

"Why did Prentiss attack Larson if Larson was one of those…things…also? Asked Taylor trying to make sense of the carnage they had just experienced.

"Larson wasn't one at first. That's how fast it works, if it has too. Just like that you're dead and it takes over." Said MacReady with out remorse or looking at Taylor. He didn't have time to be nice. It wants to take you when you’re alone so that it has time to do the job right. If it needs to, it can do a rush job like in Larson’s case. It grabs you and works on you fast and dirty. Hell, it could put a piece of itself in your food or drink, like a drop of blood maybe, and gets you from the inside out without you knowing. That one takes time but can be done and it works well.

Well, if a small part of it is all it takes then couldn’t it just run up to all of us and get us with hand sweat?" Pondered Bower.

I don’t think so. If that could be done, then it could say ‘Tag, you’re it!’ and we would all have been taken over by now." Offered MacReady.

Once again an uneasy silence fell over the group as no one knew what else to say.

"Can someone do something about the lights in here and out in the hall?" Asked the Batman.

"Yeah, I'll take care of it." Said Russo, the electrician.

Russo went over to the fuse box and opened it. With his mini-flashlight, he inspected the damage.

"Good, It's just some blown fuses from the impact. I'll have it working in a minute or two."

The Batman stood still and silent. MacReady did the same. The people in the room started to get antsy in the awkward silence.

"Well, are we gonna finish this or what?" Asked Stephens.

"When we get the lights back on and everyone returns." MacReady stated without an ounce of movement.

"This should do it." Informed Russo as he flipped some switches.

Sparks flew from the board as the lights flickered back to life.

"Ahh, dammit! Christ, dammit!" Russo hollered as he jumped back holding his hand. "Shit! Shit! Shit!"

Dr. Zane rushed over to him to see what was the matter. MacReady got in his way. He stopped and stared him deep in the eyes with high anger.

"He could be hurt badly!" He said as he pushed him out of the way.

"Wait, he hasn’t been tested yet. He could be one of them." MacReady yelled as he forcefully grabbed his arm.

"We will test him and see. Then you can help him." The Batman added.

The Batman looked around for Russo's tube of blood. He found it a few seconds later on the floor smashed and burnt. It must have been destroyed during the conflict with either Prentiss or Larson.

"We will have to draw some more blood from him. His blood was destroyed." The Batman informed MacReady.

"The hell you will. I hate needles and you aren't gonna stick me again. I got burnt pretty bad there and I'm bleeding like a stuck pig so get the blood from there or not at all, you leeches." Russo cursed.

The Batman handed MacReady an empty tube. MacReady went over to Russo to get the blood. Russo was bleeding badly. His fingers on his right hand had severe third-degree burns on them and blood was starting to flow.

"Hold your hand over this." MacReady asked Russo.

Russo raised his injured hand over the tube as instructed. He painfully held his fingers and thumb together to form a funnel of sorts. His blood flowed slowly into the tube a trickle at a time.

"Well, is that enough?" Asked Russo.

"Almost." Responded MacReady.

Russo grunted at the answer. His face winced as the pain intensified.

When MacReady felt that there was enough blood in the tube, he had Russo raise his hand up to slow the flow of blood.

The tube was fit with a mini-torch and fixed to the box as the others. The torch roared to life boiling the blood inside into nothingness.

"Okay, take care of him." The Batman ordered Dr. Zane.

Zane led the injured electrician out of the damaged lab and down the hall to the medical center. The Batman and MacReady waited for young Carr to come back to test him and the rest. They were close to the end and wanted to finish as soon as possible.

When Carr returned he was tested first. He too was clean. To the relief of all, everyone else was clean, also. The relief was short lived. The crew split up and went about mulling around in the camp lost in a daze at the memory of the terror they had witnessed.

_____________________________________________________________

It was dark in the room. The lights from the hallway let a shaft of illumination stab a narrow pathway in for guidance. The computer banks inside sat still waiting to blink to life for any user. The door shut soundlessly completely darkening the meager interior. A small flashlight flickered to life to guide the way of the silent intruder. A computer monitor blinked on as the hard drive next to it hummed with power. With a few stokes of the keys, the desired commands were met. It was a scrambled chat room that was found. More manipulating with keys produced a message for an unknown recipient.

"Goal met and prize found. Two personnel dead. Two new arrivals threaten to expose plan. One is MacReady from original Outpost #31, the other claims to be the Gotham City Batman. Unknown if he really is. Thought Batman was just myth. Might be risk to mission. Advise."

A moment past and the reply was sent.

"Loss acceptable. Guard prize till full complement of crew arrives in two days. Will smuggle out then. Take caution around intruders. Must not interfere or discover operation. Exterminate when able. Make it appear to be an accident. Do not raise suspicion. Repeat, eliminate intruders."