The ‘Maniacs scattered
as Mesmerman’s body split apart. His head, laughing separately
all on it’s own, watched then scatter about like the insects they
were.
“You really screwed up by coming here, ‘Maniacs!”
Topman spun along the walls avoiding a Malus Messis as it came
at him while being held by a disembodied hand. He was doing quite
well until a hand came out of the gorund and tripped him. Spinning
rapidly about while on the ground, Topman lashed out with his feet
and kicked the Malus Messis away as it dove for him.
Mesmerman laughed as Needlegal took a shot aimed directly at her.
It hit her heavily armoured wrists as she shot them up in defence.
Needlegal grunted, but she had what she wanted. She grabbed the
sphere as it tried to escape for another round. Mesmerman cocked
an eye as she hammered the sphere into the ground and shot at it
point-blank with her cannon. She drew herself up in satisfaction.
The sphere was gone.
Needlegal was then knocked off her feet by more spheres. Mesmerman
laughed again. He could keep this up all day.
Shadowman’s mind spun as he considered the possibilities. “Forget
about these thing, guys,” called out the ninja, “We have to find
Mesmerman himself! He has to be around this place somewhere! Smash
this place to bits if you have to, but find that madman and rip
him to shreds!” To illustrate his point, Shadowman brought out
a Shadowblade and smashed a nearby mirror. The shards flew out
and revealed circuitry and panels underneath … right before going
right back into place and reassembling themselves. Shadowman’s
eyes widened in surprise.
“Oh, you didn’t think it’s be that easy, did you?”
Mesmerman then used the distraction to attack Shadowman’s mind.
The ninja clutched at his head as Mesmerman invaded his mind.
“I know you’re planning something. Someone like you alays has a
plan, right? Do tell me what it is. I really do want to know.”
Shadowman felt Mesmerman’s oily fingers shuffle through his thoughts
as they sought some strategy he was employing. Some method to the
journey to his citadel in the sky. Shadowman fought with all his
might until Mesmerman abruptly stopped.
Snakeman was commanding his snakes to attack Mesmerman’s head directly.
Mesmerman dodged and circled about in the sky as snakes leapt from
the walls and ceiling to get a them.
“Cheat! Cheat! Foul, I say,” cried the head as it avoided a snake
that dove from it from up above.
“Did it get anything?” asked Snakeman. Shadowman shook his head.
“No clue. Keep breaking things!”
“Roger!”
The ‘Maniacs continued to hammer away. For Hardman the task was
irritating more than challenging. Even though the spheres hurt
when they hit him, the damage was negligible. The massive robot
swatted away a sphere zooming towards him and it crashed into a
far wall. The mirrors shattered and it revealed to pale eyes staring
out at him. Only for a moment, however. Within seconds the mirror
was back in place and Hardman found himself being overwhelmed by
attacking spheres.
“Guys, we have a problem!”
Mesmerman laughed. He was rather hoping something like that would
happen.
“Magnetman is here! He’s behind the mirror I just smashed. Mesmerman
can-“ Hardman’s message was cut off as a Malus Messis lodged itself
into his back.
Spark Chan cried out for him, but the sphere rammed into Hardman’s
body. Hardman struggled to remain on his feet, but one sphere after
another rammed into his large frame. Shadowman was in an assault
all on his own.
“You’re hiding something, I know it! There’s nowhere to run here,
little ninja. No place to warp to. Here you’re mine!”
Shadowman felt his mind turn inside out. Mesmerman drew his head
in close. He wanted to see this. He was almost there! There was
something different going on here. Shadowman’s mind raced much
faster than it had the last time he had faced him. Needlegal dove
in and grabbed Shadowman’s body. Mesmerman shot a Malus Messis
her way, but Needlegal parried with her large spikes. It didn’t
matter, though. Mesmerman could get at him from anywhere in the
room and he already had his answer.
“You little devil you,” said Mesmerman with amusement. “You’ve
installed it again! The General’s genius chip!”
Topman lost his footing again and a sphere hit home. It was Spark
Chan who asked the question on everyone’s minds.
“What’s he talking about?”
Shadowman tried to focus. Mesmerman was shorting his mind out from
the inside. He had gotten into him. It hadn’t taken long either.
“It was my trump card,” explained the ‘Maniacs leader, “for facing
the General. I knew I wouldn’t be able to match him. Not if he
could analyse my moves as I made them. But … with that chip…”
“It drove you insane the last time you used it,” said Needlegal
hotly. Shadowman withdrew from her support and focused on fighting
Mesmerman.
“I relied too heavily on it then. I figured that, in small doses
it wouldn’t do permanent harm, nor would it act as quickly. I was
trying to use it now, in order to …”
Shadowman clutched his head as Mesmerman asserted his influence.
“In order to figure out a solution to the ‘me’ problem, right?
Tough luck! There is no solution and that’s what drove the
General batty!”
Shadowman’s head jerked back as Mesmerman found the chip and overloaded
it with information. Too much information! Shadowman’s mind ached.
It felt like ages before Mesmerman let him go. Shadowman found
he had lost control of his own body. There was something … on him!
“That’s right.” Mesmerman laughed again and Shaodwman resisted
the urge to stand. Resisted and failed. Something had him. He could
barely think through the pain. He withdrew a Shadowblade and came
at Needlegal.
Needlegal used Shadowman’s clumsy charge to throw him to the ground.
She followed up by shooting her Needle Canon. The look of confusion
on his face told the entire story and she knew Mesmerman’s MO well
enough to see what was going on.
Mesmerman chuckled to himself. “Looks like the little lady has
it figured.”
Sparks flew and Needles stuck in midair or a moment. And then the
space around Shadowman’s body. The Ninja reached for his back and
felt for something that wasn’t there. Or at least … something Needlegal
couldn’t see.
“He’s hacked into our minds!” called Needlegal to her team. “Reset
your visual sensors!”
Spark Chan fought off Mesmerman’s body parts and set up an electrical
field for herself and Snakeman. Robots had to shut themselves down
for a moment in order to do this. In the middle of a battlefield
it had obvious risks. Mesmerman laughed as he hamemered at the
electrical field surrounding the two ‘Maniacs. Hardman then pounded
the ground as he landed before his friends.
“Yer not getting’ at ‘em” The ‘Maniac was battered. Huge welts
pock-marked his body where orbs had done their damage. By the time
Snakeman and Spark Chan came back online they saw Hardman defending
them against attackers they couldn’t see.
A veritable swarm of Mesmerman bodies had descended onto the team
on their tentacles as the floating holographic form of Mesmerman
laughed from it’s place in the air.
“You wanted me? You got me!”
--------------------
Doctor Light was putting
the finishing touches on the anti-Mesmerman virus. “We’ve almost
got it, Mikhail.
“Right, Tomas.”
Cossack exhaled audibly. It had not been easy. The sheer speed
at which they had to work was incredible. He hadn’t even been prepared
for it all this morning, but the Mechanical Maniacs had come to
him and shown him what had to be done.
“All right,” called Doctor Light from across the room. “Get ready!”
Drillman looked at Light anxiously. The stressed doctor had slipped
his mind. “Wait, ready to do what?”
Light flipped some switches and the Mesmerman Head hummed softly.
Drillman seemed to sweat.
“We’re going to upload the virus now. I’m not sure if it’ll work,
but it’s about as ready as it’ll ever be.”
“Wait,” said Diveman, “This ain’t cool.”
Cossack ignored his creations and turned his attention to his computer.
“Everything’s ready on my end. I’ve worked out the kinks in he
programming. You’ve done marvellous work, Tomas.”
“And I couldn’t have finished it without you, Mikhail. The hardware’s
all set. It’s a shame Roll and Kalinka couldn’t be here to see
this, but they’re doing very important work right now by attending
to those poor people.” Light turned his attention to his instruments.
The seemed to be full of activity. Drillman wasn’t technologically
inclined, but he didn’t like the look of it.
“We’re getting a signal,” said Light happily. “The head’s connected
to Mesmerman’s network. But it’s unable to act. The time is now,
Mikhail!”
“Right!” Doctor Cossack pressed a button on his mouse and the virus
was instantly transmitted to the head. This was it! The end of
Mesmerman! Using his own network against him, with notes taken
from general Cutman’s Desert Gulch lair, both Light and Cossack
together would end this war once and for all!
All those hopes ended when a Drill Bomb exploded the battered head.
Light was thrown from his computer had a Pharaoh Shot decimated
his work station. Mikhail went to move to his friend, but there
was a bright flash of light and, before he knew it, he was beside
Light and facing his own creation. For the first time Cossack had
a chance to look them in the eye … and he didn’t quite recognise
them.
Drillman stepped in front of his team. With contained anger he
withdrew his sabre.
“Doctor …”
“Drillman? Everyone? What have you done!?”
Cossack was beside himself. It was surreal. One moment victory
was at his fingertips and the next … the next …
Drillman turned his fury to the pair of doctors. Light was having
trouble breathing. His already frayed nerved seemed about ready
to snap. Not that it bothered him. Drillman had more pressing concerns
no, what is quite inappropriately called, his mind.
“Doctor, I’m afraid you just don’t know who your friends are.”
--------------------
Hardman was the last to reboot his systems. He wished he hadn’t.
With resigned rage he grabbed a hold of a Mesmerman bodsy and tore
it’s tentacles free form it’s back. He very much preferred to believe
the damage he had received was due to Mesmerman’s floating body
and not these creepy squid-things.
Another came at him and he blasted a Knuckle which tore through
it and every single one of the Mesmermen behind it. Mesmerman himself
seemed somewhat distracted. Which only meant that these things
were being controlled as some sort of automatic defence system.
Don’t think you don’t have my attention. What’s going on in this room
is very important to me.
Shadowman dodged more Mesmermen as they made their way to him.
His head ached. The grinning menace overloaded his chip, but he
knew he had gotten off light. His entire mind could have been wiped
out. …. as it stood all he had was a colossal migraine. He could
still hear Mesmerman giggling at him
Think all you want, but that chip won’t help you beat me.
Needlegal riddled the Mesmerman with as much damage as she could
throw at them. One after another they fell. But not quickly enough.
Their cruel tentacles latched onto her armour and began to pull
at it. Peeling her like an orange. She extended her armour and
started to tear them apart.
Snakeman had his search snakes out and was forced to fight hand-to-hand.
His knife had gotten itself lodged inside of a Mesmerman, but it
pulled away and he has resorting to using his fists. He was still
doing well, however. His snakes provided him with a functioning
line of defence. The smaller ones had the ability to really get
at these quick Mesmermen and disable them in various ways. He was
actually beginning to feel pretty confident in himself until he
heard Mesmerman in his mind.
Snakes eh? How cute. But I think they like me better.
At that moment Snakeman felt Mesmerman push a part of his mind
away. He had the odd sensation of looking at himself from several
angles and he felt … anger and hatred. And glee.
Snakeman dove for cover as his own Search Snakes began to attack
him! The King Cobra leapt for his face and Snakeman batted him
away. The Black Mamba made a dive for his back and Snakeman narrowly
avoided it. This was very … bad. And Mesmerman was laughing all
the while.
Topman continued on his way all around the room. Kicking every
Mesmerman that came his way. He knew that if those tentacles managed
to interface with his systems he’d be down for the count. Maybe
even for good! But there was no use in it. They were everywhere.
He shattered the mirrors around him as he made his way all around
the room. Until he felt himself being knocked off his feet by something.
Topman looked back and saw something that filled him with dread.
Magnetman was awake.
With ease he threw Topman aside and into the far wall. Magngetman
had remained motionless for far too long. He heard Mesmemran’s
voice in his mind. Now there was nothing of Kenta Eigen left. It
was buried deep within a mass of stormy water. He saw Hardman fighting
copies of his master all around him. Effortlessly he picked up
the massive robot. Magnetman almost smiled. Almost said something
sarcastic. But even these things could not be expressed on his
face.
“Kenta? It’s me… it’s Hard!”
Magnetman drew the ‘Maniacs closer to him.
“Ya gotta snap out of it, Kenta!”
Kenta had an odd look in his eye. Without flinching Magnetman seized
control of Hardman’s arms. He could feel the other robot resisting
him. He could feel the servos whirling and resisting him. He could
hear Spark Chan urging him to stop over the comm. Line.
“Fight it, Kenta! Please! Remember who you are!”
But if Magnetman understood her he showed no sign. Hardman could
feel his Hard Knuckles being forced out of their sockets. Normally
he could give a release command, but they were stuck on the locks.
The pulling was keeping them locked onto his arm. It was horribly
painful and he could hear Mesmerman enjoying every single bit of
it.
Until Magnetman sopped. Within a minute Magnetman dropped the sore
‘Maniac before falling from the air himself. His ever-present shield
of dust was gone. Everyone felt Mesmerman’s shock.
Shadowman blinked. He saw his outstretched hand. He had done something.
Then he felt massive cables lift him up and heard Mesmerman’s voice
shriek inside of his head.
What did you do!?
And that was when the second Mesmerman burst out of the crowd of
bodies that seemed to bury it alive. The first seemed shocked to
see another mass of floating orbs grinning back at it.
“I know who I am,” said the second Mesmerman. “I’m you.”
--------------------
Doctor Light was fighting to stay conscious. He was feeling faint.
Fright was overwhelming him. Threatening to close in on him. Drillman
stood there brandishing his sword at them. He was talking about
things that the Doctor didn’t quite grasp. But one thing was clear:
Mesmerman had taken over Cossack’s Creations. All of them.
Light felt a surge of despair. The ‘Maniacs were counting on he
and Cossack to upload the virus into Mesmerman’s systems. Light
calmed himself. It wouldn’t do anyone any good if he had a heart
attack. Everyone was focused on Cossack at the moment. They were
almost completely ignoring him.
Light put his hand into his pocket. There was still hope. Roll
and Kalinka were both out of the room. And this computer … it wasn’t
truly a stand-alone machine. All of Light’s files were linked to
a central mother computer he had carried with him as he hid from
everyone during the war. The last saved copy would be on that computer.
Although the interruption during the sending phase was problematic.
It could be that the latest virus had been corrupted and the last
backup would have to be used. Furthermore, losing the head was
a real loss. It was their key into Mesmerman’s network. Still …
there was a chance. There was always a chance. If they could broadcast
the virus over normal communication frequencies then … perhaps
Mesmerman would receive it then. They could narrow it down further
by broadcasting on the frequencies they knew Mesmerman used. Although
Mesmerman may have a firewall in place for those sort of situations
…
It was a long shot, but it could work. Remaining as silent and
as still as he could Doctor Light used his cell-phone to message
Roll and Kalinka.
--------------------
“You’re not me. There’s only one me and I’m lucky to be him!” Mesmerman
threw an unseen hand into this impostor’s mind. To his surprise
the impostor blocked it away and threw a hand of his own.
“I quite agree! Only I’m allowed to be me!”
The first Mesmerman blocked the second’s as easily as his own had
been.
“Well, then,” said Mesmerman with some exasperation. “If you’re
me then you’ll join me in the fun game I have prepared.”
“No,” said the second. “No, I don’t think I will. I see it all
clearly now. I’m Mesmerman. And I was made to kill myself.”
“Then do it and save everyone some confusion!”
“I think I will.”
The Second Mesmerman drew out a Malus Messis and flew over at the
first Mesmerman. The first one spun his pair of scythes around.
His expression looked somewhat vexed as he blocked the second Mesmerman’s
attack.
“Who in the Hell is that?” asked Geminiman as he stared at the
strange battle overhead.
Spark Chan shook her head. “It couldn’t be … Docman, could it?”
Shadowman appeared from behind them. “Of course it’s Docman,” said
the blue ninja. The two ‘maniacs turned towards him and saw he
had been severely injured. Sparks flew from his joints and he had
a slight limp to his step. “We need to fan out and get to Magnetman.
We have to take him out.”
Spark Chan looked confused. “Take him out? He looked pretty taken
out to me…”
“That was The General’s anti-Magnetman weapon. It came to me right
after I deployed it. Small plastic nanobots.”
Geminiman furrowed his brow. “Plastic nanobots? That sounds rather
unlikely. And why did Mesmerman allow you to do that? Simple overconfidence?”
Shadowman shrugged. “I must have put a command into my head and
deleted the memory of doing it. It’s the only way to thwart a mind-reader
like Mesmerman. To not think of what you’re doing when you’re doing
it.”
Geminiman nodded. It was a smart move. Not thinking was the key
to beating a robot that drew it’s power from thought itself.
Shadowman continued, “But there’s no telling what the General made
those nanobots do. They could make him do anything, really. We
have to take him out right away. Because…”
Shadowman triailed off as Magnetman rose from the ground. The vacant
look was still in his eye, but there was also something … different
about it. Mesmerman (one of them) turned to him in surprise. Below
him the Mesmerman robot began to break apart. They attacked both
Mesmermen at once.
“This is a bit of a problem,” said one Mesmerman in surprise.
“Indeed it is,” said the other, “I thought my control over that
one complete.”
“I think we had better team up in order to beat him, don’t you?”
The other Mesmerman gave him a queer look. Right before stabbing
his midsection. “Why would I think that?”
--------------------
Roll received the message while tending to the removal of the Siege
Joe armour from the little boy. Most of it could be removed by
her and Kalinka, but they needed a real doctor to remove the rest
of it.
“The doctors are in trouble!”
Kalinka turned to the lab assistant in confusion. “What?”
“There’s not much details … and his spelling is worse than ever
… but the computer’s been taken out. We have to access the backups
ourselves.”
“And how will we transmit it? They have the damned head!”
Roll was already on the computer and following the doctor’s orders.
“There’s something seriously wrong. I’m calling Rock and Proto
right now. Doctor Light says to use the general systems. I think
he wants us to transmit the thing on Mesmerman’s general frequency
and hopes it gets into it’s system somehow.
Kalinka was almost beside herself with panic. “But that will never
work! A robot like him was made with things like this in mind.
We need direct access to his systems! We need that head! We have
extras but they're all in the lab with Light and my father!”
Roll’s shoulders sagged. “Kalinka, if that head was still available
... or if we had access to any of the others ... I don’t think
the Doctor would ask us to do this ourselves.”
--------------------
Mesmerman were going crazy. Not only was Magentman picking them
off like flies, not only were there Mechanical Maniacs still attacking
them, but the two Mesmerman had access to all of the drones. They
struggled for control.
The room itself was going haywire. The mirrors were revealed to
be mere illusions. The actual room was nothing like the glittering
battlefield that had sprung out of some twisted dream of Geminiman’s.
It was full of cables and wires. All of it with no sense of order.
Monitors, most broken now, flashed colors and images. Tubes and
wires were everywhere. And still, all around them it was going
mad. Parts of the mirrored illusion tried to reassert itself in
places. In other it was a humble abode. And yet still, in others,
it was the Technodrome. And, allt he while, the ‘Maniacs found
themselves not only fighting Mesmerman bodies, but also warped
imaginings out of Docman’s mind. Hardman found himself blasting
Protoman away with a Hard Knuckle.
“This is really creepy.” Hardman shook his head. He rather liked
Blues.
Needlegal found herself face to face with the master of the Shutdown
Code itself. Senator Keigle. “You have to help me,” screamed the
senator, “I don’t know where I am! I don’t know how I got here
… you have to save me! Please, I have a family!”
Needlegal felt herself staring at the frightened, sweaty man. This
was Docman’s unconscious working against them all.
Needlegal felt herself shiver as a Rolling Cutter dispatched the
senator. “It looks like things have gone straight to Hell without
me around to guide them.”
Needlegal felt a surge of rage. “You!”
The General gave a condescending huff. “No, not me. I’m dead remember?
But … if I’m dead…”
Needlegal couldn’t help herself. She stabbed the General as he
was contemplating his own existence. Within moments there was nothing.
Both he and Keigle has been holograms created out of the subconsciousness
of the mad Docman. But all around them … madness.
Needlegal felt another stab at her back. And then another. She
turned around and saw an army of Cutmen, regular ones this time,
attacking her. She was heavily armoured, but the Mesmermen had
done their job well. She as beginning to fail.
Hardman crushed the army of Cutmen as Needlegal was slipping out
of consciousness.
“Need a hand, gal?”
“Thanks, hard.”
Together they attacked the variety of opponents that came their
way.
Snakeman was having problems of his own. Each one of his snakes
was attacking him now. As well as each other. His head ached. He
could hear the sounds of the Mesmerman battling it out in his mind
as well as seeing it play out right in front of him.
They’d each sprouted new limbs and grappled with their attackers
on a physical level. Both laughed as they gained the upper hand,
but the mirth was fading. This was becoming a seriously insulting
matter now, for the both of them. Impossibly, they both thought
of themselves as real.
“If you’d just stop being so stubborn about it we could get along
famously,” Snakeman heard one of them say.
“We’ll get along great once I’m by myself again!” said the other
as it grappled with it’s Malus Messis. They’d gained new limbs
as they fought for control over their own weapon. As they did so
Snakeman did the same with his snakes. It pained him to do so,
but he had begun to fight with them physically. He could rebuild
them. He was sure of it. And yet, snapping Boomer’s neck made him
feel so guilty. These snakes were his friends. Part of himself.
He hated doing this. He knew he couldn’t even retrieve them this
time. Not with the way they were attacking him.
Snakeman lost his breath as Jack, his Rhinoceros Viper, bit into
him. He was made to handle snake venom, but this was too much,.
He kicked Jack away and felt his pain as one of Mesmerman’s foot
came down to crush him. But he could feel Mesmerman, both of him,
in his mind. Still, he had a sense on which one was real … and
which one was Docman. Docman wasn’t concerned with Snakeman at
all. And it was that Mesmerman that Snakeman allied himself with.
Mesmemran turned in surprise as Snakeman mentally attacked him.
Using the connection to his snakes that Mesmerman has usurped, Snakeman tore into Mesmerman and
forced him to back away. At the same time, in the physical world,
a Mesmerman body came at him and gave him a swift punch in his
torso. Another latched onto Snakeman’s back and the green robot
felt himself slip away fromreality.
If you want to play, I can spare some attention.
Meanwhile Magnetman had not let up on his assault. All around him
Mesmermen split apart and exploded. And still they came at him.
One even managed to latch onto his back and tried to draw him into
Mesmerman’s world, but Magnetman didn’t flinch. The offending Mesmerman
was torn apart and hurled at the twin opponents. The entire room
was a shifting mass of colors and swirls as the two Mesmerman struggled
for domination. Magnet was not distracted, however. Using a small
portion of his power he tore a piece of the floor and hurled it
at the two holographic Mesmerman.
“I’ve had about enough of you!” said a Mesmerman as it created
ten Malus Messis in front of him and hurled it at Magnetman. Almost
automatically a shield formed of destroyed Mesmerman bodies leapt
up to his defence. Only to find the Malus Messis pass right thought
them undeterred. Mesmerman roared in triumph as Magnetman as torn
apart by the free-floating scythes. Spark Chan, who had been keeping
her eye on her old friend, screamed as she saw the scythes rip
into his body and spray his internal components all across the
battlefield. She ran to his body as it fell to the floor. A surge
of Mesmermen prevented her from reaching it. She found herself
assaulted by hands and tentacles. The robot master reached deep
within herself and let looks a blinding flash of pure electricity.
It shot through the army of white robots and cleared a path she
was quick to take.
Spark Chan finally got to the dismembered body of Magnetman. The
scythes were gone now. They were lost in the struggle between Mesmerman
and Docman. Spark Chan found herself crying. For all of Magnetman’s
amped up power, he was useless in the fight against the holographic
Mesmerman. His body could pass through solid surfaces as if they
were nothing … he had used that to his advantage and now … Kenta
was gone.
She looked at him then and wondered how much of him had survived
these long months of War. He was hardly recognisable. Miraculously
Kenta opened his mouth. Spark Chan was feeding electricity into
the robot now. She was desperately trying to keep him from crashing.
“Spark … Chan?” asked the red robot.
“I’m here,” said Spark as she kept a force field around them.
“I …” there was so much for Kenta to say. For the first time in
what seemed like years his mind was free. But the guilt … he remembered
t all. With stark clarity, he remembered tearing cities apart.
Tearing people apart. And enjoying it.
“I’m sorry, Spark Chan. I’ve … I just can’t stand these memories
…!.”
His systems failed and Magnetman was finally deactivated. For a
long moment Spark Chan couldn’t move. Finally, the Mesmermen broke
down the force field and ripped into Spark Chan’s body with their
tentacles. To Magnetman they did nothing more.
--------------------
Doc Robot watched Wily pour over the mess the General had made
of his lab. Granted, it was rarely used … and most of his work
had been replaced by newer, better ideas, but it still grieved
the doctor to see his notes and contraptions everywhere.
Wily gave a start as Artilleryman landed from the ventilation shaft
above.
“I hope you have the money to pay for the crap I’m going through,
old man.”
Wily shook his head. “Even if I don’t I’ll just steal some from
somewhere. Money’s not a problem. It grows on trees.”
Wily was muttering to himself. He could hear the Scissor Army engaging
his troops all around him. It was annoying. He wished they would
find a quieter way to kill themselves. Wily had to concentrate.
The General had used this place … a little. Surely there had to
be some anti-Mesmerman contraption he could repurpose. Something
he could use. But all he could fine were bits and pieces of discarded
robots the General seemed to have been working on. Like his beloved
lab was some sort of … garage.
Doc Robot called to him, “Master, Master!”
“What is it, Doc Robot? Can’t you see I’m sulking.”
“But, Master … look!”
Doc Robot held it out to Doctor Wily like a child holding out it’s
valued treasure. And, indeed it was. It was a battered head of
Mesmerman. This one, however, seemed to have been repaired a bit.
And it’s eyes were flashing.
“Connect it to an isolated computer. Let’s see what’s going on
inside of that thing.”
Doc Robot tuned on a nearby work station. It shone with the Scissor
Army logo and asked for a password. Doc Robot simulated a click
of a tongue in annoyance and pulled out a wire from behind of his
ear. Doc Robot them plugged it into the computer and used his own
algorithms to hack his way inside of the station. Soon he relinquished
control to his master who rolled his eyes in displeasure.
“That lousy good-for-nothing copy of Cutman has changed everything
around! Well, it’s still good enough to see what’s inside of Mesmereman
here.”
The Doctor plugged Mesmerman into the computer and read what was
going on. His gaze intensified as he went over it a second time.
A smile broke out when he read the master manipulator’s mind a
third time.
“They’re trying to send him a virus,” said the Doctor with glee.
“Really?” said Artilleryman with incredulity.
“Yes,” continued Wily. “But it’s incomplete. Why … this thing couldn’t
even break through my systems. But, still … Artilleryman,
do you still carry that computer virus around with you?”
A smile broke out on Artilleryman’s face. It looked like this mission
would be worthwhile after all …
--------------------
Geminiman retrieved Neeldegal’s body from the swarm of Mesmermen
that descended on it. The struggle for control had set everything
in chaos. Inexplicably Blues had come to help him, but he knew
it was merely the copy of his mind that Docman retained. Sure enough
it disappeared and Geminiman was left along. He had to find his
team. He had to regroup!
His team found him. Shadowman came down from out of nowhere and
slashed at a Mesmerman trying to get to him.
“How’s she doing?”
“When I have a minute I’ll bring her ‘round again. She just needs
a reboot.”
Shadowman grunted. They’d all taken heavy damage before and lived
to tell the tale. Only this time … This time the odds were against
them. Docman was not programmed to help them in any way. The only
consolation was that he was not programmed to hurt them either.
He was just programmed to attack Mesmerman.
Unfortunately that didn’t help them when it was twenty to one.
Shadowman threw his blades at more oncoming Mesmermen.
“I can’t get anyone on the comm,” said the ninja.
“They’re all probably really busy.”
Shadowman paused in his speech as he struggles to keep back yet
another faceless drone of Mesmerman’s. “You know … I actually thought
we could win this one.”
Geminiman laughed. “Yeah, me too. I guess … for what it’s worth,
I-“
Mesmerman cut them off with a loud shriek of pain. Both of them.
It was followed by a resounding shriek from the Mesmermen all around
them. Shadowman and Geminiman both covered their ears on reflex
until they reduced the audio input from their sensors enough to
compensate the sound.
“What … going on?” asked Geminiman, mostly to himself.
“I think … I think this is us winning.”
All around the world Mesmerman copies let out an inhuman shriek.
In Skull Castle, near Napalmman’s control room an invisible Mesmerman
let out a cry of pain that attracted the attention of the Scissor
Army. Across countries, in Berlin, Mesmerman who were rebuilding
the Syne Co. complex shrieked without warning. And, even in Tech
City, Mesmerman’s agents Drillman and Cossack’s Creations howled
as their master was torn apart from the inside out. Of all of them
Drillman was loudest in his cries of pain. It was more than he
could bear.
One by one the agents of Mesmerman fell. Bright Babe was first.
Diveman followed behind. It was followed by each one of Cossack’s
Comrades until, finally, Drillman fell as well.
Everywhere on Earth Mesmerman’s bodies were being destroyed by
the virus. Torn apart from the inside out. It was merciless and
there was nowhere Mesmerman could hide form it’s fury. Everywhere,
all his bodies were being destroyed all at once. By the connection
they all shared, the greatest power of Mesmerman had been turned
into his greatest weakness.
It was no different on the Eden Space Station. The room shone bright
red as Mesmerman’s mind filled with pain. Everywhere systems were
shorting out. The satellite itself rocked as it’s engines files
and it’s cloak dissolved. The Mesmermen that had been attacking
the ‘Maniacs fell one by one. Snakeman was released from the icy
grip of Mesmer World as his battle abruptly ended. Spark Chan felt
the tendrils of a Mesmerman let her go. Hardman felt the same and
Topman rushed to his side to see what damaged had been sustained.
Needlegal’s systems had rebooted just enough for her to watch as
both Terrors of Perception turned in on themselves as they screamed
in the air and faded out.
Docman then lifted himself out of a mass of bodies that he had
been buried under. He was still clutching his head, screaming to
himself.
“It’s over?” said Needlegal with some confusion.
“It sure looks that way.” Geminiman replied while he gathered himself
together.
Spark Chan put down the body of Magnetman. “He didn’t want to be
brought back. That’s what he said before he …”
She let the words trail into nothingness. Still, they had done
it. They had hung in there and saved two of their friends. With
Mesmerman gone, the last commanding officer of the Scissor Army
was gone. The last mastermind behind the war was finished. It was
over.
This is what they thought right before the shrieking Docman was
sliced into two halves by Mesmerman’s Malus Messis. The ‘Maniacs
turned slowly and saw him standing there. His grin was firmly fixed
on his face … but his eyes shone with fury.