Hardman's Bar

By Hadrian Howell (Hardman)

Chapter 23

It was a big room, with obvious similarities to the Oval Office in the White house. Behind the desk was a sliding door with a balcony outside, with filing cabinents all along one wall. As I entered the room, the door slammed shut behind me, and no amount of pouncind seemed to budge it. I swore loudly.

"No need to be so vulgar, Hardman," a cold stab of a voice told me from behind.

"It figures,"I growled, turning to see Mesmerman's varied pieces mimicking a laid back sitting position. "This whole thin' was a trap, wasn't it?"

"Oh, indeed. Fortunately for me, you're as stupid as you look."

I stood with my back to the door, ready to move on a moment's notice. Mesmerman was much more relaxed.

"It was so easy to take control of the others," he said nonchalantly, pouring himself, unbelieveably enough, a glass of whiskey. He filled two glasses and slid one away from him, offering it to me. "It's always easy to take control of them. It would be a snap for me to claim YOUR mind as well, but I haven't. Want to know why?"

"I really prefer ta be left in th' dark on this one," I sneered.

"Too bad," Mesmerman smiled like always. "When I forced Needlegal to torch your bar, a side of you was unleashed very few have seen. A raging, out of control machine bent on revenge. A perfect source of the Evil Energy I need to survive."

"I played right into yer hands like a good lil' pawn, didn't I?" I spat, disgusted with myself more than him in some ways.

"You've had a temper for a long time, but you've always curbed it with heavy drinking," Mesmerman shrugged. His whiskey glass was still full, since he didn't have a mouth to drink it with. Mine was too, since I was still against the door.

"And it looks like all that drinkin' was, in some weird way, justified," I muttered.

"Indeed," the cold, high laugh came again, reverberating off the walls.

"So are ya gonna end it now? Or are ya just gonna get me sloshed?"

Mesmerman's laugh died out, and he looked at me like a cat looks at a mouse. "Well, I had intended to slice you to ribbons, but--"

He was cut off as a bright blue beam of light blew a hole the size of MY fist in his head. I leaped to the side as the laser slammed into the door and bounced off, ricocheting around the room and smashing everything before fizziling out.

"About damn time," I grumbled, picking myself up. As I did, an arm reached into the room from the hole in the glass door to the balcony, unlocked the door, and slid it open. Geminiman stepped in. He looked down at the now motionless pieces of Mesmerman and kicked what was left of the head.

"Not NEARLY as smart as you thought you were, were you, you bastard?" Geminiman said, taking the glass of whiskey that had been offered to me from the desk and downing the whole thing in one shot.

"Good plan," I grinned. Most people only assumed Geminiman could create one copy of himself, but he could actually create up to six. This piece of information had eluded Mesmerman when he's taken control of a pair of Geminimen and thought he was done.

Gemini coughed, not used to the booze. "Wow," he huffed. "That's a weird feeling."

"Ya get used to it," I shrugged, turning around and smashing the door open.It was easier this time. Nobody was holding it closed with the power of their mind.

"I have no intention of getting used to it," Geminiman said, storming past me. We went back into the main hall of the building, where the other Maniacs had already garthered, confused looks registering on their face.

"Okay," I bellowed as gemini and I arrived, "Now we're all here fer real, what do we do?"

Gauntlet had only just opened his mouth to speak when the world shattered.