Swamp Thing had yet to completely heal.

He had grown back his missing arm and legs, but still he was weak. It would take a few more days until he could regroup his proper strength.

As he lay in the bayou, enjoying its verdant flora and wildlife, he nearly felt content. But still there was something missing:

Abby

He had called to her, but she had not come. His heart ached in her absence. He wanted to see her so much that he was racked with emotional pain.

Maybe if he called her, again...

Then he allowed himself to think of Tefe. He hadn't seen his daughter in days; weeks. He wondered how she was faring. He wished that she would come see him, too. But that was probably asking for just too much.

Instead he reveled in his loneliness, enjoying the bog the best he could.

And that was when he was visited by the Sorcerer of Stones.

"Why have you come to see me?" asked Swamp Thing.

The Sorcerer, an old man with a long white beard, looking like any fictional character from a fairy tale, laughed.

"You honestly don't know?" he asked.

"No," replied Swamp Thing. He smiled. "But please, tell me."

"I have traveled from Stonehenge to tell you of this," said the Sorcerer. "I hope it makes you feel much better than you look."

Swamp Thing laughed. "That shouldn't be too hard."

"You have defeated the Earth Elemental," said the Sorcerer. "You have passed your trial."

"What trial?" asked Swamp Thing. "I was only fighting for my life."

"Oh no," replied the Sorcerer. "It was much more than that. It is - was - a power struggle between the Stone Element and The Green. It was a war of the earth, if you will. And you have come out its champion."

Swamp Thing meditated over this for a moment. Then he quietly spoke:

"But why choose me?"

"Because you are the champion of The Green," said the Sorcerer.

"No," said Swamp Thing. "That would be my daughter. I no longer bear allegiance to The Green."

"You are mistaken, my friend. You are its champion, and always will be. Now, you must embrace an even greater power."

"What do you mean?"

"You have absorbed the Earth Elementals being. You now own power over the rocks and stones of earth."

"And if I don't want it?"

"It's much too late for that now."

Swamp Thing leaned back against the stump supporting him. He sighed. He was now burdened with another power that he truly did not want. He was an Earth Elemental? What next?

"When the time comes," continued the Sorcerer, "you will face your next trial."

"And what would that be?"

"It is the Parliament of Waves. You now rule over the earth, so next would logically be the waterways."

"When the time comes, you say."

"Yes," replied the Sorcerer. "You will be given ample time to heal before the next trial."

"I guess that's better than nothing," said Swamp Thing.

"Yes. Now, I must be going. The guardians of Stonehenge beckon me. And please, don't stay a stranger. Come and visit us."

"I will," replied Swamp Thing. "I've appreciated your company."

"As have I," said the Sorcerer, and then he was gone.

Swamp Thing was returned to his lonesome. He looked towards the wildlife inhabiting the swamp. An alligator crawled lazily back into the bayou, while overhead a snake hung limply down.

"I still have my friends," Swamp Thing told himself.

But still his heart hurt. There was only one thing in the world he truly wanted: And it seemed the one thing he couldn't get.

Why was Abby avoiding him?

He didn't know. He would leave her alone for now. And maybe she would feel some of the loneliness that he was feeling. Maybe her heart would hurt like his.

Maybe...

"This is bullshit."

Pilate Voorhees leaned forward, putting his hands on his knobby knees. He looked into the aquarium that contained Agent Romero's head.

"I can't believe she was killed in a car accident," said Pilate. He had sent his agents to secure her corpse as soon as word of her death had reached him. The rest of her body had been too mangled to work with, so Voorhees had had it burned. But the head remained perfect.

"To think she was getting so close to capturing the Swamp Thing's daughter", he said.

"I'm sorry," said Gustav. It sounded weak, but it was the best he could come up with. "But there are still things I can do with the dismembered head."

"Like?" asked Pilate.

"I can reanimate it," Gustav told him. "The electrodes I have hooked up to her, now, will still keep the brain functioning. It'll take a little work, but I can have her, excuse me, IT back to life."

"There are reports that the Swamp Thing is still alive. And I haven't come any closer to capturing his daughter. So tell me, in blue Hades, I'd want that for."

"It's possible that you can obtain the last pieces of information she might have had for you," replied Gustav. He sighed. "It might not be a bad idea."

"Don't tell me about ideas," said Pilate. "I have plenty of my own."

"Would you mind if I took the time to reanimate the head, then?" asked Gustav, timidly.

"Do what you want," Pilate told him. He stood up. His crooked knees popped as he stood up. He walked over to the wall where Lilly, naked, was still chained. She had been losing a massive amount of weight. Her ribs were poking out beneath her breasts. And cold breath plumed out from her lips. "This is what truly holds my interest."

He reached out and grabbed one of Lilly's emaciated breasts. He turned her nipple until she let out a gasp.

"I can do with her whatever you'd like," said Gustav.

Pilate turned towards him.

"I want the Swamp Thing tissue in her," said Pilate. "I want her tested against its origins. I want to make a super-powered human being that can stand up to the Swamp Thing."

"I'll get right on it, sir," said Gustav.

Pilate flashed him a toothy grin. His buckteeth stood out prominently.

"I know you will, Mr. Gustav," he said, "if you value your life."

Tefe nearly gagged at the smell of the man. He reeked of cigarette smoke and stale sweat.

"Hello Tefe," he said.

She looked up at him. He was wearing a dark blue three-piece suit draped by a raincoat. His blonde hair was unruly and not combed. Tufts of it stuck out over his ears. And he was smoking a cigarette.

"How do you know me?" she asked.

"I know a lot of things," he told her. He held out his hand, motioning towards the booth where Tefe and Perv were sitting. "You mind if I have a seat?"

Tefe thought about it for a moment, and then shrugged. As much as this man seemed to unsettle her, she couldn't deny that her interest was piqued.

"Go ahead," she said, holding out her hand.

"Move over ugly," he said to Perv.

Perv shot him a look of disgust, but did as he was asked.

The man slithered into the booth.

"My name is Jimmy Coffey," he introduced himself. "I already know you, Tefe. But who is your friend here?"

"I'm Perv," he said, and ignored the Coffey's offered hand.

"Indeed," said Jimmy. He smashed out his cigarette in the ashtray and immediately lit another. He snapped his Zippo close with a fluid movement. Tefe saw that he was smoking non-filter Pall Mall.

"What do you want?" asked Tefe.

"I think it's time you went and visited your father," said Jimmy. "I'm just here to make sure you stay on that course."

"My father?" said Tefe. "How do you know him?"

"Let's just say we're old friends and leave it at that."

Tefe took a bite of her hamburger. She was getting used to the stink of Jimmy Coffey.

A waitress came over to the table. Jimmy ordered himself a cup of black coffee. He looked at the waitress, a smile crawling across his face.

"Do you still have sex only while wearing your socks?" he asked her.

The waitress was taken aback. She stared at Jimmy, her mouth hanging open.

"Be careful," Jimmy told her. "You might catch a fly that way."

"But, how do you..."

"How do I know? I know plenty of things, little girl. It's just like you won't have anal sex with your husband, even though he practically begs you every time you have sex. Poor fella, he is." He laughed. "Now, dear, what say you bring me that coffee?"

The waitress stumbled away. A different girl brought Jimmy his coffee.

"Now, where were we?" He took a drink of his coffee and grimaced. "That's some nasty shit," he muttered. He stared at his cigarette. "Ah yes. There's this business about going to see your father."

"You can say anything you want," said Tefe. "But I'm not going to see him. I have other things to do. I'm still searching for my own life."

"Oh no," said Jimmy. "You're still searching for the Tree of Knowledge."

Tefe was shocked that he knew this, but she didn't let on.

"That's right," she said. "And I'm heading to Africa to find it."

Perv looked at her. "Africa?"

"Yep," she said. "And you're going with me."

"I am?" Perv dipped a fry into a pool of ketchup and tossed it into his mouth. "This is news to me."

"Well, now you know. And knowing is half the battle."

Jimmy laughed.

"What's so funny?" asked Tefe.

"You two are funny. I'm getting a blast out of this."

"And you're crazy," Tefe told him.

"Yes, well, that's the truth. I was just released from a mental institution, you see. I'm a certified nut, alright."

"Anyways," said Tefe, "you can tell my father I won't be home for awhile."

"I'll do that," said Jimmy. "But do you know how lucky a little girl you are? You had a top-notch assassin after your cute little ass just recently."

"Is that right?"

"Yes," said Jimmy. "She was working for an old windbag named Pilate Voorhees. She was supposed to take you back for some serious testing. You know, more business involving your father. But, she ran into" - he took a long drag on his cigarette - "some nasty business. Lost her head, you might say."

"We've got assassins after us?" said Perv. "This is some crazy shit. You're going to Africa by yourself, Tefe."

"I've already told you that you're going to," Tefe told him. "Now shut up."

"Whoa," said Jimmy. "You're one pussy-whipped dude."

Perv ignored him.

"Anyway, I've done my part in this whole business. I told you that your father is alone, and that's the best I can do."

"My father still has my mother," Tefe told him.

"No, he doesn't. He's called to her, but she won't come. Why, I don't know. But she's avoiding him."

Tefe sighed. That sounded just like her mother.

"So," said Jimmy. "That's it for me." He finished his coffee, stubbed out his cigarette, and immediately lit another one. Then he stood up from the table, straightening out his suit. "I bid you goodnight."

And then he was gone as quickly as he'd come.

"This is getting to be too much," said Perv. "We had an assassin on our ass. We could've been killed. And now you're talking about Africa?"

"Not talking," said Tefe, "doing."

And she took another bite of her hamburger. She could still smell the stink of Jimmy Coffey.

Abby took off her clothes.

As the moonlight filtered in through her bedroom window, she thought about the Swamp Thing.

She knew that he still loved her. And she loved him, too. It just wasn't in the way that he needed her. She wanted to still be his friend, but she couldn't give him anymore. Not right now.

Still, she couldn't deny that she felt weird without him contacting her. It'd been a few days since she'd heard from him, and she was starting to get worried. She wrestled with the thought of going to see him, but knew that right now wasn't the time.

She slipped into bed.

The thought of Swamp Thing was still strong as she fingered herself and thought about him. Unfortunately, she couldn't reach orgasm.

She sighed. She turned over and went to sleep.

She didn't dream...