Professor Guinea Pig Family

Ghost King Returns

When Clifford woke up he wasn't in his bed, instead he was tied up and naked as well as feeling groggy, he had a massive headache and couldn't remember what happened between when he went to sleep and now, suddenly a lamp went on in front of him and shone into his eyes, he realised that he was also handcuffed to the table "What the hell is going on?"

Suddenly an all too familiar voice rang out, "That's what I wanna know as well!" The light dimmed revealing the face of Marco.

"Marco!" Cliff exclaimed, squinting his eyes and desperately trying to shake his wrist free from the handcuff.

Marco slapped him across the face with the back of his hand "Don't call me that, it's Ghost King whenever we're not in our public identities, and I know yours so don't try any funny business, now tell me what makes you hero stuff? Why do you think you're worthy or can handle being a superhero?"

"I just want to make a difference!" Cliff exclaimed, his voice filled with determination and sincerity.

Marco sat down and sighed deeply, his shoulders slumped downwards, Cliff was surprised by this sudden change.

"You're not going to hurt me?" Cliff questioned.

Marco looked up, the look in his eyes being one of utter defeat

"You know I too wanted to make a difference once and I sure did, unfortunately it was for the worst." He begins to cry.

"What happened?"

Marco dries his tears and looks up at Cliff "Oh you know the usual, people died because of my superhero stuff and so I decided that it would be easier if I just killed them myself."

"Are you... undead like the gravedigger?" Cliff asked.

Marco looks at Cliff "You could say that but truth is I never was alive to begin with, what about you? What do you think will wait for you on this path that you choose? The path of a superhero."

"Hopefully eternal fame," Cliff replied.

Marco chuckled, "You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain..." He took a sip of his hot cocoa.

"Will you let me go?" Cliff asked.

Marco looked at with a smirk "Maybe, maybe not that's for you to decide, do you wanna go out there into the maelstrom? Or do you wanna stay safe and sound and sane here forever."

"I'll go wherever I can make a difference," Cliff declared.

Marco smiled his sharp teeth bare "That's exactly what I expected to hear, you're a pretty predictable guy," he leaned back in his chair and took another sip of the hot cocoa.

"Is... Professor Guinea Pig okay?" Cliff asked, his voice tinged with concern and curiosity, his eyes fixated on the hot cocoa.

Marco replied with confidence "He's fine, but you on the other hand are in some deep shit, To be a hero you're gonna need to be worse than your villains, you're gonna need to scare the living daylights out of them, you see fear is respect."

"Do you think I'll be able to inspire fear?" Cliff asked.

Marco stood up and walked to the door. "First you're gonna need to experience fear, pure primal fear." with those words he switched off the lights and locked the door leaving Cliff behind in solid darkness.

Cliff struggled in the darkness, wriggling in his chair and pulling at the handcuff, determined to escape.

Suddenly he hears something moving in the darkness, by the sound of it it was quite large. It was also black since he couldn't see it at all, suddenly he felt something stroke against his thigh.