The tired man listened intently. Had he heard a sound from under the rubble? He signalled to the others for silence. Perhaps he was mistaken; his nerves strained having assisted in the search for survivors for two days and nights. Crestfallen, he started to turn away when he heard the sound again. “I`m certain that there is someone trapped under here!”

One of the other men called out: “Doomlord! Doomlord! We have found another survivor!”

The alien working with the civilians and the international disaster relief teams was in fact Enok, son of the alien Doomlord. Deftly, he ascended the rubble close to where the noise had been heard. The men watched as Enok surveyed the surrounding area. With his piercing eyes, domed head, pointed ears and sharp teeth, they wondered how a being that looked so evil could be their benefactor.                       

Enok raised his right hand and uttered the command “Energiser to disintegrate!” The strange ring shone an eerie light at the rubble, which vanished, and the men stared down into a crater and saw a little girl looking up at them. Somehow during the earthquake the falling building hadn`t crushed her. Again the alien ring shone its` light, but this time the glow enveloped the girl. She rose up out of the crater and into the arms of the rescuers. The men rejoiced, their fatigue temporarily forgotten.

Enok was lifting a boulder as a tearful woman approached him. He lowered it and the woman took his hand. “Thank you Doomlord! You have saved my daughter. I thought she had died and you have returned her to me.” He stared at the woman and squeezed her hand affectionately before his face hardened. Since his arrival in the Middle East he had helped rescue many survivors of the natural disaster, but with each life saved, knew that he could never atone for the lives he had taken. “I must continue my work!,” he said, letting go of the woman`s hand.

In Bradfield, England, Doomlord and their landlady, Mrs. Souster, were watching the news on television. The news report dealing with the earthquake in the Middle East was giving as much coverage to Enok`s presence as to the disaster and it` s victims. “My goodness Mr. Plumrose, I know that Mike`s doing a good job, but I’m sure there are a lot of other people helping out!” Doomlord knew the reason that “Mike” was receiving such attention from the media. Having been hypnotised by Doomlord`s energiser ring, Mrs. Souster saw only the human faces of her son Mike and commercial traveller Eric Plumrose when she looked at Enok and himself in their true form. “Mike`s efforts are indeed commendable!”

Doomlord was saddened by the report, which told of the death and suffering caused by the earthquake. Initially, he had intended to go to the stricken country himself before realising that here was a perfect opportunity for Enok to not only help people but to have something worthwhile to occupy his mind, for his son was increasingly dwelling on his attempts to stop killing humans for their blood. So it was that Enok was entrusted with his Noxian energiser ring, something that Doomlord would not do under normal circumstances, as the temptation may prove too great for Enok, who may use it to dispose of potential victims.

A subsequent report also arrested Doomlord`s attention. In Africa, Colonel Mombassa, the leader of an unstable country, had refused to yield to international pressure and provide safe passage for aid convoys attempting to reach the country`s  starving rural population, arguing that all of his soldiers were needed for national security. As a result, anti-government rebels were attacking and looting the convoys. Doomlord already knew that Colonel Mombassa was responsible for siphoning huge sums of money from his country`s  economy, which came primarily from diamond mining, and that he cared nothing about the hundreds of thousands of people whose crops had failed through lack of rain. Since becoming aware of this abuse of power, Doomlord had vowed to end Colonel Mombassa`s regime, and on Enok`s return, would take steps to do so.

As the days passed, the attempts to locate survivors in the Middle Eastern country had ended, and Enok prepared to leave. The authorities were grateful for his efforts, which had contributed significantly to the two hundred lives saved from the ruins after the earthquake. The official who conveyed the appreciation of the country’s government raised his hand in a gesture of farewell as Enok teleported home.

Back in England, Doomlord eagerly awaited his sons`s arrival. In the past few days he had become increasingly angered by the news reports from the African country governed by Colonel Mombassa. The images on the television were of starving people, many of whom would soon be beyond help.

As soon as Enok materialised in the hallway of the boarding house, Mrs.Souster came from the kitchen to embrace her “son”. “Mike! It` s great to have you back safe and sound. I was worried that there’d be another earthquake while you were there! Come and sit down and you can tell me all about it. You can tell Mr. Plumrose too; he`s in the lounge watching t.v.” Enok went into the lounge while Mrs. Souster returned to the kitchen to put the kettle on. Doomlord rose from his arm-chair delighted to have his son back. “Enok, it is good to see you again! I am only sorry that I must leave you at once, but if I do not take immediate action many lives will be lost!”

Enok was disappointed, but as he listened to Doomlord`s account of the situation in Africa, understood. He returned the energiser ring to his father, who placed it on the index finger of his right hand. Mrs. Souster passed Doomlord in the hall. “I hope that the “business trip” goes well Mr Plumrose,” said Enok.

In the hallway, Doomlord paused. Enok had worked well and had saved many lives, but now he had returned Doomlord was concerned that he may once more be seized by the urge to kill. The fact remained, however, that although he was responsible for his son, there would be occasions when he must trust Enok. Turning his mind to the task facing him in Africa, Doomlord adjusted his energiser ring and commanded: “Teleporting!”

Minutes later, the doorbell rang and Enok went to answer it. Before opening the door, his features seemed to melt and flow, until he had changed into his human guise of Mike Souster. At the door were two young men. “Are you Mike Souster?” asked one of them. “Yes. What do you want?”

The other man thrust a knife into Enok` s chest. Enok slumped to the floor as his assailants bolted towards a waiting car.

Not hearing any sound from the hall, Mrs. Souster called out: “Mike, who was at the door?” Receiving no reply, she got up and went to investigate.

“Mike!” She ran over and knelt beside him. Her eyes widened and her breathing came in shallow bursts before she screamed until her lungs burned.  

Colonel Mombassa, a huge man in a khaki uniform adorned with many unearned medals, sat at the head of a large mahogany table addressing his senior politicians and military staff officers. “I am pleased with the success of the mining operation. The new vein is yielding deposits beyond my wildest expectations. If, as the Chancellor suggests, the extraction continues at the projected rate, ours will be the most affluent nation on the continent!”

The Colonel opened his mouth ready to continue the meeting, when Doomlord appeared before his eyes. “Doomlord!” he exclaimed.

“Indeed!” replied the alien tersely. Doomlord looked around the table and came straight to the point: “Gentlemen, it is fortuitous that you are so conveniently assembled. None of you are fit to hold office and will follow my instructions!”

The Colonel was incandescent with rage: “You dare to come into my palace and dictate to an elected government? You are nothing more than a puppet of the West, sent to gain control of our natural resources! Go! You have no jurisdiction over us!” When Doomlord showed no signs of leaving the room, one of the military men pulled his pistol from it`s holster and fired at him. The bullets ricocheted harmlessly off the alien. Unhurt, Doomlord calmly raised his right hand and commanded: “Energiser to disintegrate!” The eerie glow from the ring enveloped the man, and in moments he vanished, ceasing to exist! Two soldiers on guard outside the conference room had been alerted by the shots and burst in, brandishing automatic rifles. Being confronted by Doomlord they stopped in their tracks. Again Doomlord raised his right hand and the light shone from his ring, this time in the direction of the hapless guards. Seconds later, they too ceased to exist! With his arm still raised, Doomlord`s ring began to emit a pulsating light in the direction of all the men seated at the table except for the fuming Colonel, who, though enraged by the alien`s intrusion, could do nothing to stop him.

The men at the table were mesmerised by the light as Doomlord addressed them: “You will organise democratic elections and donate all of your personal wealth to the famine relief operations. The United Nations aid convoys will receive protection from the armed forces and you will open negotiations with the rebel leaders. When these tasks have been accomplished, you will all relinquish power!” Doomlord watched as the men put away their paperwork and left the room in order to carry out his instructions. Colonel Mombassa sat dumbfounded. “What have you done?” he whimpered. Doomlord then took the dictator`s head in his hands and the entire contents of his twisted mind transferred into that of the alien. The inhuman brute lay dead. Doomlord felt a strange sensation, one that he had not previously experienced. The evil perpetrated under the regime of Colonel Mombassa eclipsed any that Doomlord had hitherto encountered. The images of cruelty now in his mind sickened him, and, in a state of shock, he sat and wept, trying to assimilate the horrors witnessed by his victim.

Summoning all the mental strength he had gained during his training to become a servitor of Nox, he struggled to cast away the distressing images.

Once more in control of his emotions, he went to the body of the Colonel and stripped him of his uniform and dressed himself in it. Then, he used his ring to obliterate any trace of the dead man. Folding his arms across his chest, Doomlord` s features seemed to melt and flow, until he became the exact duplicate of Colonel Mombassa.

Doomlord`s final act before leaving was to arrange for the release of a written announcement in which Colonel Mombassa would state his intention to abdicate and leave the country to live in exile.

The policewoman sitting with Mrs. Souster in the hospital waiting room looked at the landlady`s anxious face. Her son’s wounds were serious and a surgeon had begun to treat him on arrival. “Do you want anything?” she asked softly.

“No thank you. How much longer will it be before we know something?”

The double doors leading from the reception area swung open and a uniformed police sergeant accompanied by a middle-aged man in plain clothes walked over to them. “Good afternoon constable”, said the older man as he showed her his identification, “I`m Chief Superintendent Marcus Thorpe and this is Sergeant Ward. Our division is now in charge of investigating the attack on Michael Souster. Might we have a word?”

The policewoman explained what had happened. “Very good Constable,” said Sir Marcus, “stay with the lady will you? If there are any developments please let us know at the station. We’re setting up an incident room there.”

Sergeant Ward noticed the change in his superior`s expression as they got into their car. “Is something bothering you sir?”

“I’m not sure. It could be that the attack on “Mike Souster” was random, but if it wasn’t…?”

Doomlord`s molecules reassembled in the hallway of Mrs. Souster`s boarding house. He called out to let Enok and his landlady know he was back. Receiving no reply, he went into the kitchen. On the table was a note written in jerky handwriting. Enok had been attacked and Mrs. Souster had been unable to contact Eric Plumrose on his mobile telephone. At once Doomlord adjusted his energiser ring and, folding his arms across his chest, commanded: “Teleporting!”…....

..............Only to reappear in the hospital car-park. In a dimly lit corner, Doomlord`s features warped into those of his human identity. He soon found the waiting room and went straight to Mrs. Souster, who erupted into tears on seeing him. “Mr. Plumrose,” she sobbed, “I`m so glad you’re here.”

They sat together for four hours before a nurse brought them news: “The surgeon says that the operation to stem the internal bleeding has been successful. Your son has been moved to intensive care.”

“Thank you,” said Mrs. Souster gratefully. Doomlord patted Mrs. Souster gently on her arm.  “I am certain that the constable would agree that you should go home and try to rest. Tomorrow morning I will collect you and bring you back here. I will stay overnight and if anything happens I will inform you.” Mrs. Souster was reluctant to leave. “The gentleman may be right,” said the policewoman persuasively, “you should go home for a few hours- I’ll drive you.”

Mrs. Souster kissed Doomlord on the cheek. “Goodnight Mr Plumrose,” she said in a weak voice. The policewoman nodded to Doomlord and they left him to begin his vigil.

At Bradfield police station, working on the hypothesis that the attack on Enok was motivated by revenge, Sir Marcus had been reading the reports on the unsolved murders that Enok was suspected of. He looked up as Sergeant Ward entered carrying two polystyrene cups. “Any luck sir?"                                              

“Well, we know that Enok has enemies, but the assailants would have to know where to find him…”

“You`re not suggesting who knew his secret set him up?”

.......“Until we get some concrete information I`m not discounting anything. One thing I have learned from the report on the death of Stephen Johnson, a murder victim that we suspect was killed by Enok, is that he was known to the police before his death. He’d been arrested a year ago for assault and was known to associate with local drug dealers.”

“And you think that maybe this Johnson` s pals somehow found out who Mike Souster really was and attacked him?”

.......“I think that it`s a good starting point. We’ll go and have a chat with Johnson`s friend, Gary Rogers. I’d also like to speak to Johnson`s girlfriend, Shelley Taylor. She was with Johnson at the time just before his death.”

“I’ll get the car sir,” said the Sergeant, finishing his tea.

In the silence of the hospital waiting room, Doomlord was haunted by the fear that his son would not recover. He had created Enok in order that he may experience parenthood, and had pleasure in watching his son`s development. Over the last decade and a half they had been separated and having been recently reunited, their relationship had become stronger.

Doomlord had a more immediate concern, however. Maintaining human identity for several hours had caused him to become fatigued, resulting in the trembling sensation he now experienced within. Needing to revert back to his true form, he got up quickly and left through the front entrance. In his haste, Doomlord failed to notice the man from the waiting room follow him into the gloom of the wet, misty evening, where he located a suitably secluded corner of the hospital grounds. Doomlord was about to change from his human guise when he sensed the danger behind him. He jumped at the man, who had pulled out a pistol. The two of them landed in a heap on the floor, the man dropping his weapon. In a wild panic, the man bolted, Doomlord giving chase, and assuming his true identity as he ran. The man turned his head, and, seeing Doomlord close behind, ran straight into the road and into the path of a speeding car. The driver of the car slammed on his brakes as the body of the man was catapulted into the air and landed with a sickening thud. Standing over the twisted shape of the body, Doomlord knew that he would learn nothing from this human.

****************************

Sir Marcus and Sergeant Ward were in the process of interviewing a less than responsive Gary Rogers. “We know that you and Stephen Johnson were close friends”, said Sir Marcus, sensing that Rogers had something to hide, “and that you were all convicted for selling drugs.”

“That don` t make me a killer!” said Rogers aggressively.

“Try telling that to the relatives of those you supplied!”

“I won’t tell you anything!” snarled Rogers.

“Just one more question: who told you that Mike Souster killed Johnson?”

The solicitor representing Rogers chimed in.  “My client doesn’t wish to answer that question on the grounds that it may implicate him. Now, if you have no proof of Mr. Rogers’s guilt you must release him!”

“It`s okay, I can answer him”, said Rogers, “I don`t know who killed Steve and I don`t know any Mike Souster!” Despite his apparent bravado, the young man was clearly agitated. Sir Marcus quickly followed up with another question: “What if I was to ask Shelley Taylor?”

“She wasn’t there…” The room was silent save for the whirring of the tape recorder.

****************************

In a lonely corner outside Bradfield hospital, Doomlord, hidden in the shadows, had had time to regain enough energy to resume his human identity. As he walked into the hospital reception, a security guard stopped him. “I’m sorry sir, but no-one is allowed in at the moment.”

Doomlord protested: “I`ve been here for several hours waiting for news of a friend of mine who is in intensive care; I just stepped out for a breath of air.”

A nurse who had overheard the two men went over to them. “Excuse me, did say that your friend`s in intensive care?”

“Yes, he was admitted early this afternoon. His name’s Mike Souster.”

The mention of the name caused a fleeting look of anxiety to pass over the woman’s face. “What’s wrong? Has something happened to him?” asked Doomlord impatiently. The nurse ushered him by the security guard. “Sir, would you mind waiting in the reception office?” she said, indicating a door behind the front desk, “I’ll be back in a couple of minutes.”

Disturbing thoughts ran through Doomlord `s mind; why had he been allowed into the hospital?  What had happened in the hour he had spent outside?

Eric Plumrose`s anxious face relaxed slightly when the doctor came into the reception office. The man in his forties was used to delivering news on a patient`s condition, but what he had to tell this man was without precedent. “I understand that you are a friend of the Souster family?”

Doomlord nodded. “Sir”, said the doctor, “I`m not sure how to tell you, but it would appear that Mike Souster is really Doomlord!”

Doomlord thought quickly. “Doctor, I must say that I find your sense of humour in very poor taste!”

“Sir, I promise you that this is no joke! The bed in intensive care that was previously occupied by Michael Souster is now occupied by Doomlord. He`s in a coma and is suffering from identical wounds!”

“Come doctor, I live in the same house as Mike. Don`t you think I would know if he was an alien?”

“If you follow me, I`ll show you. We can see him from the window in the corridor.”

They made their way up a flight of steps and stopped at the door of a small office at the head of the intensive care ward, where the nurse who had made the discovery waited. She joined Doomlord and the doctor as they peered through the glass and into the dimly-lit ward, where the alien lay.

“You see”, said the doctor, “I knew that you wouldn’t believe me unless you actually saw him!”

“Oh I believed you doctor. Are you the only ones to have seen him?”

“Yes, but I called the police before I came to see you; they should be here soon. Forgive me, but you don`t seem to be terribly surprised that your friend may be an alien!”

“I have known all along that your patient is not human…” Open-mouthed, the two humans watched as the features of Eric Plumrose seemed to melt and flow into those of Doomlord. The doctor stepped back in horror, shaking his head in disbelief, while the nurse was frozen with fear. Doomlord raised his right hand and his energiser ring pulsated, emitting a strange light that mesmerised the humans. “You will tell the police that the call was a hoax. Michael Souster discharged himself without your knowledge. You will now go about your duties as if nothing had happened.” The doctor and nurse left, their memory of the night’s events erased from their minds.......

Doomlord went into the intensive care ward and stood at the foot of Enok`s bed. Enok must have reverted to his true form in order to conserve strength in his weakened condition. This gave Doomlord a more positive outlook, as in his true form, Enok`s Noxian metabolism would aid his recovery. After adjusting his energiser ring, Doomlord reached out and touched his son`s hand.  “Teleporting!” commanded Doomlord; and the two aliens vanished.

Sir Marcus and Sergeant Ward sat face to face with Shelley Taylor and her solicitor. Shelley, in her late twenties, had been defiant when she had been arrested. Since learning that Gary Rogers had confessed to stabbing Mike Souster however, she had become visibly shaken. “You`re in a lot of trouble Shelley”, said Sir Marcus, “Gary Rogers has told us that it was you who knew that Mike Souster was suspected of killing Stephen Johnson. What we want to know is who told you?” Shelley looked to her solicitor for guidance. “You don`t have to answer that question”, said the smartly-dressed woman in her thirties, “but it may be in your interest to co-operate.”

“I promised that I wouldn’t tell anyone”, she said hesitantly.

“Wouldn’t tell anyone what Shelley?” probed Sir Marcus.

“He’ll end up in trouble if I tell you-he said not to tell the police.”

“Who told you?” Sir Marcus`s voice was hard. The girl looked at the floor and began to speak: “I didn’t believe him at first, but he kept ringing me up, telling me that it was Mike Souster who did it. I told him to tell the police if what he said was true, but he said that they wouldn’t do anything about it because Mike Souster worked for the government. I still didn’t  believe him and asked how come he was telling me all this anyway? He told me that he was a civil servant who had found out about Mike Souster and wanted justice for Steve. I told Gary about the calls and he lost the plot, wanting revenge for Steve`s death. I knew that there was something wrong, but Gary wanted to believe Mike Souster was the killer.” Still staring at the floor, she began to cry. For Sir Marcus, the investigation had taken a sinister turn.

Early the next morning, a man walked slowly through the London park and up a hill, which provided a bleak backdrop for a turbulent sky. The clouds slid quickly above the solitary figure as he approached the bench on the hilltop, where another man was already seated. The waiting man, dressed in an immaculate pin-stripe suit, didn’t immediately acknowledge the newcomer as he sat down; then spoke without looking in his direction. “I told you not to contact me again! This had better be important!”

“I had to!” said the other man, “the operation will have to be delayed- our agent failed to kill Doomlord!” The man in the pin-stripe suit continued to stare ahead.

“We can’t. Everything’s set for this afternoon. If I went to the organisation and told them what you’ve told me, we `d both die and the operation would still go ahead anyway!”

“How can the operation go ahead when we know that Doomlord is alive?” said the other man. “That,” said the man in the pin-stripe suit “is something that we must try and deal with later on. At least those thugs dealt with Doomlord`s son!”

The man in the pin-stripe suit noticed that the other man was squirming.

“What is it?” he asked sharply, “what else is there?”

“The police have arrested them. Shelley Taylor told them about me!”

The man in the pin-stripe suit shook with anger. “And you came here knowing that the police are on to you?” For the first time the man in the pin-stripe suit looked the other man in the eyes. “You cannot allow yourself to be taken by the police-you have your capsule?”  With these words, the man in the pin-stripe suit took his leave.

Enok lay perfectly still on the bed. His breathing was normal, and being removed from the hospital didn’t seem to have had an adverse effect on him. Doomlord turned to see Mrs. Souster at “Mike’s” bedroom door. “He doesn’t look well enough to have been discharged”, said the perplexed landlady, “that hospital doctor was irresponsible. I think that we should get our own doctor to look at him.” Doomlord raised his right hand and his energiser ring pulsed. “You need not be anxious about Mike,” said the alien to the mesmerised woman, “he will make a full recovery.” The ring ceased emitting it`s hypnotic light and Mrs. Souster sat contentedly at the foot of Enok`s bed. “Thank you for looking after Mike last night Mr. Plumrose. I sometimes wonder what we’d do without you.”

“Think nothing of it Mrs. Souster. I must go now; I`ll see you later.”

On the upstairs landing, Doomlord adjusted his energiser ring, uttered the command: “Teleporting!” before vanishing, and to begin his hunt for Enok`s attackers.

Sergeant Ward knocked on the door of Sir Marcus’s temporary office at Bradfield police station and walked in. “Sir, we’ve just had the call listing back from Shelley Taylor’s mobile service provider and you won `t believe who our civil servant is!”

“Come on Sergeant, don `t keep me in suspense!” said Sir Marcus. He would have to wait for a reply though, as Doomlord materialised before their eyes. Startled, Sergeant Ward was about to take action but Sir Marcus raised his hand in a gesture of restraint.

“I can `t say that I `m surprised to see you Doomlord.”

“Do you know who attacked Enok?” said the alien impatiently. Sir Marcus knew better than to try and deceive Doomlord. “Sergeant, you can share what you found out with Doomlord.” Reluctantly, Ward told Doomlord about the attack on Enok being motivated by revenge; then added: “The owner of the mobile phone used to contact Shelley Taylor was an Anthony Bradley, which, it transpires, is an alias used by a member of M.I.5.!”

“That’s preposterous!” said Sir Marcus, “why would a member of M.I.5 provoke a revenge attack on Enok?”

“I do not know Sir Marcus”, said Doomlord, “but rest assured, I will!”

The police officers watched as, after touching his ring, the alien commanded: “Teleporting!” before disappearing, and leaving them to wonder what he had meant.

In a corridor inside Thames house, the deputy chief of M.I.5., Sir John Henderson was on his way back to his office after lunch. He addressed his secretary, who looked up from her monitor as he passed. “See to it that I am not disturbed this afternoon.” He walked into his wood-panelled chamber and had closed the door behind him before he saw Doomlord seated at his desk. “My God, Doomlord! What are you doing in here? I’m going to contact security!”

 “You will do no such thing Sir John, for I know that the men who instigated the attacks on my son and I were acting on your orders!”

“You can `t come in here making wild accusations!” protested Sir John.

“In your absence I have accessed your records,” said Doomlord, “the men who attacked us were acting on your instructions!” Seeing the alien advance, Sir John raised his hands in front of him. Doomlord slapped them away and took the terrified man `s head in his vice-like grip. “Doomlord, p-please let me explain!” stuttered Sir John.

“You will indeed tell me everything that you know!” Sir John died as the entire contents of his mind were absorbed into Doomlord`s.

Sir John Henderson had been a member of the Cartel, a sinister global organisation bent on world domination. Doomlord had encountered the Cartel before and exposed some of it’s number and killed others. Until now, the Cartel had gained it`s power through the recruitment of corrupt political, business and military leaders from every country. It`s new plan was to be a departure from it`s usual insidious methods. In every country, agents of the Cartel were to detonate explosive devices which would release a gas rendering any human not wearing one of the Cartel`s respirators completely docile. Consequently, the Cartel would be able to take control of the planet.

It had been intended that Doomlord and Enok be killed first in order that the operation go ahead without opposition. Although the Cartel`s agents had failed, the plan was to be carried out on schedule, leaving Doomlord too short a time to prevent the gas, developed in a country of the ex-Soviet Union, from being released into the Earth `s atmosphere. Reaching into the top drawer of Sir John `s desk, he took out the respirator that was to have been used by the treacherous M.I.5. officer and put it on.

Doomlord then raised his right hand as his energiser ring shone it’s eerie glow at Sir John’s body and it disappeared. Touching the respirator, Doomlord knew that he was powerless, his only hope that he be able to reverse the effects of the gas.

The workman checked his rear-view mirror and signalled to turn left into the multi-storey car-park. He reversed the transit van into a space and stopped. Reaching across to the passenger seat, he pulled the holdall towards him, unfastened the zip and made sure that his respirator was there. Glancing over his shoulder he saw the green light on the bomb, indicating that the timer was in operation. In less than half an hour it would explode. Now, he would take up his position and await further orders.

Doomlord had materialised at Mrs. Souster`s boarding house; the landlady pleased to see her lodger. “Hello, Mr. Plumrose. I didn’t expect you back yet.” She could see the worried look on the human face of the commercial traveller. “Is something wrong?”

“It’s nothing really. How’s Mike?”

“He opened his eyes a few minutes ago and tried to speak.”

Enok was indeed looking more healthy thought Doomlord as he stood at the door. Alas, there was only one respirator between them and, for a time, Doomlord faced a quandary as to whether to place it on his son or Mrs. Souster, assuming the gas did not affect Noxians. His objective mind soon arrived at the conclusion that with Enok injured and Mrs. Souster without the power to reverse the effects of the gas, he should keep it.

The next two hours came and went. Doomlord remained at his son’s bedside. On one occasion, Enok`s eyes opened, and they shone as he recognised his father. Even this exertion proved too much in his condition, and Enok fell quickly back to sleep. Doomlord turned to his landlady. “Mrs. Souster, I have to go and meet a client. I’ll…” He stopped, aware of the glassy-eyed expressionless face of the woman. He tried to speak to her again, but, getting no response, he realised that the Cartel had released the gas.

Doomlord raised his right hand and an hypnotic light pulsed into Mrs. Souster`s eyes.

“You are free, no longer under the influence of the substance in your mind!” he commanded. Mrs. Souster`s eyes remained blank, the energiser ring having failed to break the control held over her.

Doomlord went downstairs and into the street. The birds were singing and a faint breeze rustled in the trees. Everything seemed quite normal. As he continued to walk in the direction of the town, he happened upon a traffic jam. The engine of every vehicle was turned off and the drivers sat staring straight ahead, motionless. Doomlord knocked on the side-window of one car and the man behind the wheel failed to acknowledge him. Doomlord`s attention was suddenly diverted as an explosion shook the ground. On the horizon, a huge black cloud of smoke billowed into the sky.

Adjusting his energiser ring, he commanded: “Teleporting!” vanishing…....

…...Reappearing near a petrol station, and the cause of the explosion. A petrol tanker had driven into one of the pumps and erupted into an inferno. Concentrating his energiser ring`s beam on the burning vehicle, it disappeared, leaving only small pockets of flame. There was nothing further to be done here, so Doomlord prepared to teleport to the country in the ex-Soviet Union where the gas had been created.

The “workman” who had left the incendiary device that would release the gas across central London transmitted his report over the radio in his respirator: “Everything is proceeding according to plan. I’ve sent my men out to patrol our zone and they report only a small number of obstacles on the roads. Bancroft has taken control of the emergency services and Sir Phillip is arranging for our first national televised broadcast”. Similar reports from around the world indicated that the Cartel were now in control of the entire planet.

Doomlord materialised in the wooded area just outside the secluded compound where scientists in the pay of the Cartel had created the gas now controlling the Earth’s. Cautiously, he moved closer to the main gate where two armed men wearing respirators were standing guard. A third man patrolling the wood saw the alien and attempted to double back and alert the others. His luck ran out though. As he passed within ten feet of Doomlord he stood on a twig. Swiftly, the alien caught hold of him. The sight of Doomlord`s merciless visage petrified the guard, who struggled in vain against the vice-like grip that held his head in the huge hands. The entire contents of the man`s mind transferred into that of Doomlord. Careful not to dislodge his respirator, Doomlord stripped the man and dressed in his shirt, trousers and boots. Crossing his arms over his chest, Doomlord`s features seemed to melt and flow until he was the exact double of the dead man. The guard had been a member of the country’s secret police but money had ensured his loyalty was to the Cartel.

.......At the gate the two guards didn’t seem at all suspicious and waved him through. Doomlord walked into the main building, a large concrete single storey structure, past a female receptionist wearing a respirator. She too, paid him no attention; continuing to type away on her computer keyboard. Doomlord encountered several other humans on his way to the office of the chief scientist. He knocked on the door. “Come in,” said the voice. Doomlord entered, but before he could react he was struck by a projectile and fell forward, unconscious.

The middle-aged man in the lab-coat removed the ring from Doomlord`s right hand and placed it inside a small wall safe. “I will learn the secrets of the alien’s weapon at a more convenient time,” he said thoughtfully, looking down at Doomlord. The other man in the office, head of security, was still surprised that they had captured Doomlord so easily.

“I knew that he would come,” said the scientist, “after our agent in England failed, it was inevitable that the trail would lead here.” The scientist pressed a button on his desk console and two guards came and took Doomlord away. The security officer was still puzzled. “How did you know that Doomlord had taken the identity of one of our men?”

“When you assist in co-ordinating a plan to take control of the entire world, you leave nothing to chance. I knew that Doomlord was our biggest threat, so I made it my business to learn everything I could about him in order to find his weakness. No human technology can record his image, so I made certain that our surveillance monitors were under constant scrutiny.”

 The two men left the office and walked down the corridor towards the surveillance control room. “I have been instructed that when we are successfully in power, my next project will be to modify our work to take control of Doomlord `s mind- Imagine having him at our disposal!” The security officer opened the door of the surveillance room and the scientist indicated a screen to the left of the others. It showed their alien captive on the floor of a cell.

Slowly, Doomlord regained his senses, his head pounding as his vision came into focus. On the ceiling, he noted that his cell was fitted with ultra-violet lights, which would supply him with energy while not in contact with sunlight for long periods of time. He remembered that the man in the office had been holding a pistol. They had been expecting him. He assumed a sitting position and saw that his energiser ring and respirator were missing. The gas didn’t affect Noxians. A voice came over the intercom on the wall: “Welcome Doomlord. I am honoured to make your acquaintance. I will save you any unnecessary exertion and inform you that your cell is impregnable; is situated thirty feet below ground level with walls made from reinforced metal.”

“When I escape you will wish that you had killed me when you had the chance!” said Doomlord, glaring up at the wall-mounted camera in his cell. The security officer was uneasy about having Doomlord as a prisoner, but the scientist was merely angered by the alien’s defiance. “We `ll see..,” he muttered.

After pounding on the walls with his mighty fists, Doomlord began to wonder if the scientist was correct. His only hope may be that, somehow, Enok would learn of his whereabouts and have sufficient strength to free him.

Enok struggled as he manoeuvred his legs over the edge of the bed. The skin around the wound in his chest throbbed against the stitches holding it together. He looked at Mrs. Souster, who was just sitting there, staring into space. “What’s wrong?” he asked. When she failed to reply, he called out for his father. Taking some clothes, he made his way to the bathroom to get dressed before slowly, painfully making his way downstairs. Something was very wrong. What had happened to Mrs.Souster and where was his father?

In order to find answers to his questions, Enok had to summon all his energy in order to warp into his human identity and leave the boarding house. He had reached the main road into town before he encountered anyone. A solitary vehicle, a 4x4 with a klaxon mounted on the roof, came towards him at speed. “Remain in your homes to await further instructions!” said the stentorian voice. Passing him, the driver of the 4x4 noticed that Enok wasn’t responding to the command and swung the vehicle round. Instinctively, Enok started to run, but only managed a short distance before the 4x4 pulled up beside him. “You’re coming with us!” said the passenger as he got out. Folding his arms across his chest, Enok reverted back to his true form. “I think not!”

“Doomlord! But you`re supposed to be dead!"

Enok attempted to grab the man but, in his injured condition failed to do so. This gave the man the chance to get back into the vehicle as it sped off. Enok took the lid from a nearby dustbin and threw it in the direction of the fleeing 4x4 and it shattered the back and front windscreens. The driver swerved and the 4x4 hit a lamppost with sickening impact. Walking as quickly as he could, Enok went over to the wreckage and found that the passenger was dazed but still alive, and, taking the man `s head in his hands, he extracted the entire contents of his mind.

So, these men had been members of the Cartel organisation and every human was now under their control. Enok stripped the man and dressed in his clothes. To complete the disguise, Enok put on the man`s respirator, something he didn’t appear to need, and assumed his form. The men in the 4x4 had come from the local police headquarters, so he would go there in an attempt to learn more.

Fighting the pain of his wound, Enok trudged the mile or so to the police station, where one of the Cartel`s stopped him as he entered. “What happened to you?”

Enok`s human face reflected his condition, and he had to think quickly. “We crashed the 4x4. Gerry was killed.” Enok stopped as the guard stepped back in surprise. “Your hands, they’re swollen like balloons!”

Too late Enok realised that in his weakened condition he could no longer retain human form. His human features seemed to melt and flow, until his true identity was revealed. The Cartel operative called out to his colleagues but they received no opposition from an exhausted Enok, who sank to his knees. 

Doomlord slid down the wall of his cell. His human jailer had been very thorough. Even the doors to the lift shaft were too thick to break into. All seemed lost. If only Enok could manage to locate him.

On ground level, in his office, the scientist sat, pondering the day’s events. The plan had succeeded, and with Doomlord incarcerated, complete control would be assured. His peace was shattered as the security officer burst in. “We’ve just had a report from England! Doomlord`s son walked into a police station and collapsed!”

“So, he lives!" I want him restrained and brought here immediately!”

 “A doctor has examined him and it may be dangerous to move him!”

“If he dies enroute then it will be one less hindrance to our plan!”

Reluctantly, the security officer left to make arrangements to have Enok transported to the compound.

The sound of the aircraft engines had woken Enok some time ago. He didn’t move in case one of his captors should notice. He was strapped onto a stretcher, which was secured to the floor of the 'plane. He could see a man reading a file seated nearby. He felt stronger and could easily break his bonds, but wanted to find out where he was being taken. For now, he would rest…

The sound of the wheels being lowered roused him from sleep. The 'plane vibrated as they connected with the tarmac of the runway, slowed down and finally came to a halt. Two men walked up the aisle, disconnected the stretcher from the floor and carried Enok to the side-door of the 'plane and down the steps that had been pushed against the fuselage. The men stopped at a transit van, and the man from the 'plane opened the rear doors. Once the stretcher had been stowed inside, the man got in and examined Enok`s wound, which seemed to be healing at a fantastic rate. The front and passenger doors opened, slammed to, and the van`s engine started. “Get us there as quickly as possible!” shouted the man at the rear.

The condition of the road deteriorated as the van progressed through the dense forest. By the time it had arrived at the checkpoint outside the secret compound, the human occupants were quite nauseous. The gates were opened and the van sped up to the main entrance. The scientist and the security watched as Enok was carried inside.

Doomlord turned his head on hearing the lift descend. As it stopped he could discern the sounds of a scuffle. All at once a klaxon burst into life.  The lift doors opened and Doomlord was astonished to see Enok standing in front of him, the two guards unconscious at his feet. “Come Father!” said Enok, gesturing towards the lift door. They stepped in and Enok pressed the button to send the lift back up to ground level.

Above, the security officer had ordered the evacuation of the building. In the reception area he gave orders to three of his men: “We must buy them some time!”

Hurrying through the corridors as fast as Enok`s condition would allow, Doomlord reached the entrance to be met by a hail of machine gun fire from the security officer and his men. The bullets ricocheted off the two aliens and killed two of the guards. The security officer and the remaining man were desperately trying to reload their weapons as Doomlord and Enok advanced. Enok struck the guard heavily, flinging him through the entrance doors. Doomlord picked up the security officer and, making his way outside, threw him in the direction of the escaping 4x4s. The man landed on the front windscreen of the lead vehicle, causing the driver to lose control. With no time to stop, the other 4x4s collided heavily with it. The survivors stumbled from the wreckage and surrendered. The chief scientist recovered his senses and bolted. His lungs burned as he ran, but Doomlord had seen him and soon caught up to him. The man pleaded in vain as Doomlord grasped the man’s head in his hands and sucked out his mind.

After securing the surviving scientists and guards, Doomlord retrieved his energiser ring. Then, he and Enok proceeded to the main laboratory. With the knowledge gained from the mind of the scientist, they could begin to work on reversing the effects of the gas.

Hyde Park was empty as Doomlord set the timing mechanism on the explosive charge on the missile containing the gas he hoped would counteract that which had been released by the Cartel. Retreating to a safe distance, he looked on as the missile soared upwards and detonated, scattering it’s microscopic payload into the atmosphere.

Doomlord now waited for evidence that the gas he had released had had the desired effect. Leaving the park, he saw that some people were emerging from nearby buildings. One man, still slightly dazed, almost walked into him. “S-sorry Doomlord, I didn’t see you!” His missile had succeeded. Work could now begin on the production of similar missiles that would free the rest of the 

Earth’s population.

Two weeks later, Doomlord and Enok, who was now fully recovered, were seated in the Whitehall office of Sir Marcus Thorpe. 

“The Prime Minister has asked me to request that you meet with him so he can thank you both personally for liberating our country. The United Nations would also like to express its` gratitude.”

“I did not thwart the Cartel to win plaudits!” said Doomlord, “the Earth is our home and the Cartel could not be allowed to succeed. You have apprehended those responsible?”

“Most of them are in custody. With the information you supplied, Interpol and the F.B.I. have arrested most of the Cartel `s senior members and are attempting to root out the rest.”

“If that is all Sir Marcus, we will take our leave.”

Sir Marcus shook them both by the hand and, standing side by side, the two aliens’ teleported…...

…....back to Bradfield. On hearing the front door open, Mrs. Souster, who had been changing the bed linen upstairs, strode down to see her son and lodger in the hall. “I was so worried when I woke up this morning and you were both gone!”

Doomlord and Enok looked at one another as their human faces smiled. “It’s a good thing we have you to look after us Mrs. Souster,” said Doomlord.