Doom Patrol #16 - The Song of Love (Part 16)

Night comes and goes with little possibility of sleep. As the first rays of morning penetrate their small cell, Larry and Rita finish catching Niles up on everything that’s happened, and how they came to be here. Niles listens with astute interest as Larry finishes the tale, clenching his fists when he gets to Eric’s betrayal. They share the gloom of their cell in silence. Niles looks over to Cliff, staring pensively at the ground. He hasn’t said a word since they got here.

 

Niles: Cliff? You haven’t said anything all night. What’s troubling you?

 

Cliff pulls his gaze from the floor, Brain’s words still echoing through his mind.

 

Cliff: Huh? Yeah, I’m fine.

 

The four of them sit there for an hour or so, attempting despite the humidity of the morning to go to sleep. It doesn’t come. After a while, Rita sits up and finally plucks up the courage to ask the question they’ve all been wanting to ask since they arrived.

 

Rita: Niles… what did you mean before, when you said you had to leave? Where were you going? And no dodging the question this time!

 

Larry and Cliff look at Niles. Niles fidgets uncomfortably against the wall. He takes a moment before answering.

 

Niles: It’s… complicated.

 

They watch him eagerly.

 

Niles: There’s a lot I can’t tell you. Not because I don’t want to, believe me… but because it would be irresponsible of me. However, due to the current circumstances…

 

He looks around the cell.

 

Niles: I may not have much choice. Perhaps I was wrong to think you all unready…

 

He takes a long, drawn out breath. He is about to speak, but before the words can see the light of day a rumbling noise comes from behind the door. All of them look over to it as it is heaved open and Mallah, grin on his leathery face, barges in.

 

Mallah: It’s time.

 

Before anyone can protest, he grabs Niles under the shoulders and hauls him onto his back. Larry jumps up, but halts as Niles raises a hand to him.

 

Niles: Listen to me! Find Senec – tell him Niles Caulder sent you! He’ll know what needs to be done…

 

Mallah slams the door shut behind him, and just like that he’s gone. Larry looks round to the others, and is comforted by the fact they look just as confused as he is.

 

 

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Every step Mallah takes causes Niles great discomfort as he bounces around on his back. Mallah adjusts his grip, pulling Niles’ arms over his shoulders. Niles murmurs uncomfortably.

 

Niles: Don’t you get tired of lugging people around all day? It seems that’s all you do.

 

Mallah looks ahead and grunts.

 

Mallah: I enjoy it. Keeps the mind active.

 

Niles: But I remember you, Mallah. You used to be such an excitable little chimp; so full of life. What happened?

 

Mallah: Life grinds you down. I read Sartre and smoke cigarettes now. What more can I say?

 

Niles sighs as Mallah walks into the central room decked out with machinery. Niles isn’t surprised to see Brain, proudly stood to the side of the machine he had called ‘The White Room’. As he is dumped on the ground, he spots a forlorn looking Eric Morden sat on a crate at the edge of the room, looking at his feet. Mallah steps over Niles and joins Brain.

 

Brain: Niles Caulder… after all these years, our debt will be settled.

 

Niles sits up on his arms and groans.

 

Niles: Oh not this nonsense again. If you’re going to kill me bloody well get on with it.

 

Brain scoffs obnoxiously.

 

Brain: And ruin all my fun? Oh no no mon cheri, we do this on my terms I am afraid. Mallah, prepare ‘im.

 

Mallah moves around the other side of the machine and disappears out of view.

 

Brain: Mallah will momentarily administer a small, epidermal injection to your spine. Following this, you will lose all control of your body and will be completely paralysed.

 

Niles: Afraid I’m going to run away, are you?

 

Brain: Silence!

 

Niles smirks.

 

Brain: You will then be placed inside the void of the White Room, where you will be subject to… uhm… torture… of the mind… and soul…

 

Niles frowns and holds up a hand.

 

Niles: A moment, if you would. Are you even remotely certain of what this thing will do?

 

Brain pauses for a second.

 

Brain: The creators of the machine left detailed instructions…

 

Niles: Yes, on how to build the thing. But do you actually know what it will do to me once I’m inside?

 

Brain pauses again.

 

Brain: Well… not exactly, no.

 

Niles sighs.

 

Niles: So you don’t even know if this thing will work?

 

Mallah re-emerges from round the machine, clutching a syringe and a straitjacket.

 

Mallah: Of course it will you ‘airless monkey! I ‘ave worked long and ‘ard to ensure this machine is in perfect working condition! Your death will be as unpleasant as it needs to be!

 

He joins Brain and glares at Niles on the floor.

 

Niles: Your master here didn’t sound so certain.

 

Mallah looks round at Brain.

 

Mallah: Really, my love?

 

Brain: Of course not! I know ‘ow ‘ard you ‘ave worked! It is impossible it will fail!

 

Niles: If you’re so uncertain why don’t you test it out?

 

Brain and Mallah go quiet. Brain considers for a moment and laughs mockingly at Niles.

 

Brain: Very good, Caulder, very good. And who would you ‘ave me test it on, eh? Myself, perhaps? Mallah? Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice and… you shall not again!

 

Niles chuckles along with them for a moment and turns and points over to the corner of the room.

 

Niles: What about him?

 

Eric, still sat moping on his crate, is startled and looks over at them. Mallah looks at Brain for a second and shrugs. Brain goes quiet, and after a moment whispers under his mechanical breath.

 

Brain: Everything ‘appens for a reason…

 

He snaps back into life.

 

Brain: Fine Caulder. ‘Ave it your way. Mallah, prepare ‘im!

 

Mallah rushes across the room. Before Eric can even register what’s going on, he is pulled to his feet and dragged over to face the White Room. He tries to plead with Brain, but a meek grunting sound is all his mouth can produce. Mallah forces his arms into the straitjacket and secures it tightly around his body. He then seizes Eric by his scalp, pulling him into the air like a wet dishcloth, and jabs the needle into the base of his spine. He squirms, thrashing his legs about wildly, then goes still. A bead of sweat drips down his forehead and into his wet, unblinking eye. He tries to scream, but it makes it as far as his throat and gives up – it’s like his jaw is wired shut. Niles watches with morbid fascination as Mallah holds his rigid body securely against his chest and pulls the door to the White Room open.

 

Niles notices how the machine’s interior seems to go on forever, like a morose optical illusion; a terrible white horizon stretching out into a bleak infinity. Mallah drops Eric down on a single seat in what must be the centre of the machine and closes the door on him. Niles shifts uncomfortably on the ground. Mallah goes to a control panel next to the machine and presses a couple of buttons. A terrible mechanical sound fills the air as the White Room buzzes into life, and Niles is suddenly aware how glad he is to be out here and not inside the machine, now vibrating angrily. Mallah grabs a lever, the lights in the compound flickering madly, and pulls it down.

 

 

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Larry paces around the cell anxiously. He watches Cliff as he tries and fails one more time to pry the door off its hinges and fall back against the wall, defeated.

 

Larry: We can’t give up this easily!

 

Rita sits on the ground, replaying Niles’ final words in her head.

 

Rita: What did Niles mean – ‘find Senec?’ What’s Senec?

 

Larry: That’s not gonna matter if we can’t get out of here. Come on big guy, one more try!

 

Cliff holds his hands up.

 

Cliff: It won’t budge man, I’m tellin’ ya. Can’t Casper the unfriendly ghost come out?

 

Larry: He doesn’t exactly take requests, Cliff…

 

Cliff: How convenient…

 

Rita: BOYS!

 

She stands up, arms to her side, and glares at them. Larry is about to reply, before he realises why she’s shut them up. The walls of their cell begin to shake as if hit by a minor earthquake, and the single bulb suspended from the ceiling starts to flicker.

 

Larry: Oh god… Niles…

 

He opens his jacket and puts a hand on his chest. Nothing.

 

Larry: Come on, please…

 

Cliff goes over to him and stares at his chest, like a hapless father watching his wife in labour. He raises his fists encouragingly and bounces up and down on his knees.

 

Cliff: Yeah, c’mon buddy… you can do it! I didn’t mean what I said before!

 

They both stare at Larry’s chest as the tremors intensify. As nothing continues stubbornly to happen, Rita takes a breath and unbeknownst to the boys kneels down.

 

Rita: Here goes nothing…

 

She focuses all her attention on her right hand. She pictures herself as the hulking mass of flesh in her bed, as the puddle on the floor of the cave, as a monster hiding away from the world… and remembers Cliff’s words: ‘I don’t think you’re a monster…’ Her arm melts. She grits her teeth and concentrates all her energy on her now flat right arm, keeping the rest of her body together. Her arm shifts, and she winces as she imagines it twisting along the ground. After a few seconds her arm responds, and it begins to stretch out across the ground of their cell and towards the door like a fleshly, shapeless snake. It reaches the gap underneath the door and pushes through it to the outside. She winces as she focuses her attention on now getting it to move upwards, and sure enough it does. She feels it winding its way up the cool metal door of their cell like a rapid growing vine, stopping as it reaches the bolt on the outside of the door. She shuts her eyes, imagines herself undoing it, and opens her eyes in surprise as she hears the bolt slide out of its lock and the cell door creak open.

 

Larry and Cliff don’t move. Rita falls back against the ground, exhausted, and focuses on reforming her arm.

 

Rita: A woman’s work is never done.

 

Larry and Cliff dart over to her, lifting her up gently.

 

Larry: Rita… wow…

 

Rita: Niles…

 

Cliff pushes the door open fully and makes a break for it, followed closely by Larry and a recovering Rita. The three of them run down the corridor and towards the source of the noise, careful to maintain their balance as the corridor around them shakes violently. They burst into the compound’s central room and freeze when they lay their eyes upon the White Room, shuddering aggressively and smoking. The wires sprouting out from its roof tremble as brilliant white light radiates out from a single window on its door, casting deep shadows around the room. They spot the Brain and Mallah, embracing to the side of it, and a deep dread fills their hearts. They are about to cry out for it to stop, but notice Niles, sprawled across the ground before it and covering his eyes. They rush over to him.

 

Rita: Niles! What’s happening?

 

He holds up a hand.

 

Niles: I think we may be about to find out…

 

They stare at the White Room as its movement reaches an erratic crescendo and ends. They shield their eyes from the dazzling white light that fills the room as the door erupts off its hinges and a silhouetted figure emerges from within.

 

Done