Anton goes to the Garden of Allah villas and calls Graham to say that he's relaxing at the spa. He tells his assistant that solitude is what he needs, and hangs up to approach a woman, Roxanne. They end up in bed, and that night, Roxanne leaves to go back to her room. Once she leaves, the door opens again briefly and then a second time. A man, steps into the light and says that he's back and it's been a long time. It's LaRoche, who says that he's in Anton's dreams and beats the scientist.
The next day, Anton goes to the asylum where LaRoche is locked and asks how she let La Roche loose. LaRoche's doctor, Williams, says that La Roche is still there and shows Anton the man, in a coma.
Later, Will comes to the asylum to do some work as a handyman. Williams is glad to have him, and explains that one of their patients used his own blood to draw a figure on the wall. She tells him to clean up and Will goes to work. The patients gather around him and he quickly leaves to check on the patient's window. The man in the room is LaRoche, and as Will fixes the window LaRoche says that the previous patient Mr. Scott was the one who broke the glass, cut himself, and bleed out to make the drawing. Will points out that LaRoche doesn't seem crazy, and LaRoche says that he isn't. He explains that he's there because Anton put him there.
LaRoche explains about Anton lured him into a business deal, double-crossed him, and made him look insane. He tells Will that Anton is a cancer in Houma, and then he came in screaming that LaRoche beat him up. As he talks, LaRoche takes out a pocket watch and uses it to hypnotize Will.
As Will goes, he asks Williams how long LaRoche will be there. She says that LaRoche's release could come at any time once he overcomes his obsession with a swamp beast that it out to get him. Williams thinks that LaRoche has finally let it go.
A man dumps poison into the swamp.
Back at the Villas, Anton meets Roxanne for dinner and Graham calls to tell him that someone is dumping poison in the swamp. Anton doesn't care, and she storms off when he snaps at her. LaRoche walks by Anton, and Anton goes after him. He yells at LaRoche, telling him to stay away.
Swamp Thing finds the poison in the water and absorbs it. He staggers out, weakened by the poison, and collapses on the shore. Swamp Thing telepathically contacts Will to summon him, and says that he'll be better in the morning when he can photosynthesize. Will tells him that it's time to stop Arcane and starts to go, but Swamp Thing warns that his outburst isn't like him. The teenager says that he's tired of it all and walks away.
Back at home, Will is making supper when someone calls. Soon at the spa, a figure turns on the gas in Anton's room and leaves. Anton wakes up and shuts off the leak, and yells out at LaRoche telling him to show himself. He goes back inside, unaware that Will is hiding in the shadows.
The next day, Anton goes to the asylum and confronts LaRoche, demanding to know how he got into his rom. LaRoche says that he was in group therapy, and Williams confirms LaRoche's story. The ex-businessman asks to talk privately to Anton. Once Williams leaves, LaRoche takes out his pocket watch and says that if anyone should be angry about what happened, it should be him. He says that he doesn't hold a grudge, and hypnotizes Anton. Anton shoves away the watch and tells LaRoche that if anything strange happens to him, LaRoche will spend the rest of his life there.
Will is at home practicing the guitar when the phone rings.
After recovering, Swamp Thing hears a chainsaw and goes to investigate. He finds a trail of cutdown trees, and Will cutting down another one. Swamp Thing tells him to swamp, and Will swings at him with the chainsaw. The creature easily blocks the blow and finds Will nonresponsive. He uses his power to free Will from the hypnotic spell, and tells Will that he was the one cutting down the trees. Swamp Thing has him remember who called him, and Will realizes that it was LaRoche. He remembers the watch and nothing after that, and figures that he poisoned the swamp. Swamp Thing says that they can't let LaRoche be released from the hospital.
Will goes to the hospital and tells Williams that LaRoche hypnotized him. However, she doesn't believe him. Williams then goes to LaRoche's room and tells him what Will said. LaRoche hypnotizes her into believing him, and says that he'll need to leave that night.
Arcane calls Graham to tell him that he's coming home early.
Will is at home and gets a call. He answers the phone and then throws it down, and LaRoche realizes that his plan has failed. As he leaves, Swamp Thing is there to greet him and LaRoche screams in fear. He runs back into the hospital and yells that the "swamp beast" has come for him. LaRoche runs out into the street just as Anton is driving by, and Anton accidentally hits him. Williams and the orderlies come out, and Anton tells them what happened. The doctor says that LaRoche is okay but his hysteria has overwhelmed him. She says that she's sending LaRoche to a larger facility.
Later, Anton drives to the swamp and yells to Swamp Thing. Swamp Thing emerges from the shadows and Anton figures that Swamp Thing visited LaRoche. He says that now he doesn't have to worry about any visits, and Swamp Thing suggests that Anton has had his own hallucinations... and wishes him a good night's rest. Once Swamp Thing leaves, Anton imagines hearing LaRoche in his head and hastily leaves.
Written by Gadfly on Nov 5, 2017