Demon Riot and Carlton Drake

Chapter One

Carlton Drake was a man of many successful times. He was also a man of many un successful times. And one of those unsuccessful times happened to have occurred very recently. In fact, it had taken place right in his own business.

Drake was very proud of his success. Making and building the Life Foundation hadn't been easy. Finding people who were actually good at their job was also another challenge.

Drake was a curious person by nature. He had made the Life Foundation to better understand science and to help other people. And it had been a wonderful success.

Until Eddie Brock came along. Yes, Carlton had heard about this reporter and had even watched him on the man's own TV show, the Brock Report. He was more than happy to accommodate an interview with the man to help lift up the name of the Life Foundation.

But of course, the interview had gone wrong. There was no call for what Brock had asked about. He had just asked Drake about—

Drake didn't even want to think about it. The man had tainted his work and in doing so had gotten Drake in much trouble, losing a million dollars worth of equipment he was going to use to construct a rocket to launch into space. What he was searching for, only Drake knew. Of course, Carlton had cleared himself of his mess, he was an expert in doing that, and life had continued on like normal.

But he still held a grudge against Eddie Brock. A grudge that, over time, had become bitter and sour.

Carlton now sat at his desk inside of the Life Foundation, trying to get some work done. He was trying to get some work done before he would retire home and it was really starting to get frustrating. This formula just wouldn't work!

After attempting multiple times without success, Carlton decided it was time to leave. Starting to take off his goggles, he placed them on the hanger beside him and then started to take his lab coat off.

It was then that Carlton felt very warm. Odd. He must have accidentally put the thermostat on high for some reason. Walking over to the object hanging on the wall, he looked at it.

Hmm. 70 degrees. Reasonable.

Then why was he so hot?

Suddenly Drake felt another presence in the lab with him. He turned his head to the right and then to the left, but saw no one.

Then why did he feel like he was being watched?

Walking back to the coat rack, he began to untie his lab coat from around his middle.

"Oh, don't take it off, Carlton, it suits you."

Carlton jumped and his eyes darted around the large lab, but there was no one here. He would have heard the door open.

"How do you know my name?" he asked, confused and just a little freaked out.

"Oh, I know everything about you, morsel," the deep, rough voice growled.

"How could you know everything about me? That's literally impossible, the human mind is so complicated and—"

"Who said I was human?" The voice sounded amused.

Drake's mind whirled with possibilities.

"Well, the only logical explanation for this is that either you are a ghost or a demon. A higher life force," he whispered amazedly.

"Yes. You have something I need, morsel," the voice said and it seemed closer this time.

"Uh, what exactly do you need because I don't think that you would want anything that's here. It's just chemicals and tests. Scans."