The Rise of the Fat Mogul (The Defenders Saga Book 2) (20 page)

“What's that?” Oscar asked.

“Maybe I don't have to bring all of it back.  Maybe I could just bring back the stuff we need, you know?  Maybe I can keep some of it from getting loose.  That wouldn't be so bad, would it?”

“And we can’t forget the fact that Artie has his growing meta-human army for us to think about,” Alexa added.  “Don't you think that the world could use a little help from us with all of that?  What would happen if the world was completely defenseless against whatever Artie's got planned?”

“Do you think you can do it?” Oscar asked.  “Do you think you can control what comes back?”

“I won't know unless I try,” Buddy answered.

“One minute until oxygen depletion.”

“So?” Buddy asked, looking around the group.

“Whatever the hell it is, just do it,” Murphy yelled.

“I'm with Murphy,” Talmadge agreed.  “Do it.”

“Well, I guess the question is, what's worse?  That, or whatever Arthur's got up his sleeve?”  Oscar simplified.

“Knowing Artie, it's possible he's already got that as a possibility.”

“Which means that by killing us off, that wouldn't be a problem, would it?”  Ryan asked.

“Depends on if that can be killed,” Oscar added.

“Are we seriously considering the idea of bringing Dominion back?” Zero asked, suddenly appearing alert.  “Our most dangerous rival, the destroyer of worlds, the one who called himself the Angel of Death?”

“I haven't heard anyone mention Dominion, Mr. Hamilton,” Murphy responded.

“Thirty seconds until oxygen depletion.”

“I can't do it,” Buddy decided.  “No matter what it might mean to me, to us, I can't be responsible for bringing that back into this world.”

“I agree,” Oscar replied.

“Me too,” Alexa joined in.

“You know I don't want that sucker back around,” Ryan said.

“So, it's decided then,” Buddy concluded.  “We just sit here and wait for death.”

“Wait for death?!” Murphy screamed.  He contorted his body to be alongside Buddy and reached for his arm.  “If there's anything you can do to get us out of this situation, you had bloody well go ahead and do it or--”  As Murphy made contact with Buddy, his eyes rolled back into his head, as did Buddy's.  The bubble became silent.

“It's happening, isn't it?” Zero asked.

“I'm afraid so, chum,” Oscar answered.

*******

Buddy stood in the middle of the very familiar dark room, spotlight shining on him.  Just at his feet he saw the figure of Murphy, curled up on the floor.  Or was it Memphis now?  Buddy looked down silently, trying to decide what would be the best next course of action.

“Wh...Where am I?” Murphy asked as he slowly lifted himself off the ground, looking around at the empty surroundings.  His eyes fell upon Buddy.  “Did you do it?  Did you save us?  Where are the others?”

“It's just you and me in here.”

“And where is here?”

“Hard to explain.”

“So, are we safe now?”

“I'm not sure if anything I do now could be considered safe.”

“But...but, I have a wife and kids.  I have a family.  Will you be able to get me back to them?”

“You have a family?”

“Is it so hard to believe that a man like me could have a family?”

“Well, no, but, well, it's just that--how do I put this?”

“Bluntly would be preferential.”

“If only we had more time,” Buddy growled.  “If only I knew what would happen.  If only-”

“Life is filled with what if's Mr. Jackson.  I find it best to stick with the facts.”

“That's exactly the problem, Murphy.  You don't know the facts.  In fact, you don't know anything.  Everything about you is a lie.  Your name, your job, your family.  It's all part of some weird government strategy.  But for what?  I don't get it.  Why would they have brought you back at all?  Why couldn't they just leave you in that purple zone to live out the rest of your life oblivious to, well, everything.  And even more important, why do I have to be here with you right now being put in the situation of returning you to the state that I had to fight so hard to get you out of?  Why me, dammit!”

“Why you indeed,” an all-too-familiar voice came from behind Buddy.  He turned and saw the evil face of Damon Memphis grinning wildly at him.  “Are you really that surprised to see me in here?” he laughed.

“Damon!” Buddy yelped.

“Damon?” Murphy questioned.  “But—“

“Not now, Murphy,” Buddy scolded.  “What are you doing here, Damon?”

“Don’t you know?” Damon cackled.  “You’re the one who put me here, left me inside your insipid mind to while away the hours looking for my release.  And to think, you brought it right to me.”

“But,” Buddy stammered.  “But, you’re not real, are you?  I mean, I erased you.”

“Real is relative, don’t you think?  What is a man but a collection of his memories?  Since you happen to have all of mine, I would have to wonder what makes you not me.”

“What is going on here?” Murphy asked in confusion.

“Shut up, you idiotic imbecile,” Damon screamed. 

“You set this up, didn’t you?” Buddy cried out.  “You’re the one who made this all happen!”

“I’m nothing but a collection of memories stuck inside your head.  How do you think I can be blamed for anything?  If anyone were to blame, I believe it would have to be you.”

“I knew I shouldn’t have come here,” Buddy shook his head in regret.  “I can’t believe I even thought for a second about releasing you to the world again.”

“Ah, but you really had no choice in the matter, did you?  Perhaps this is truly all part of His plan, all part of His will.  Perhaps, as always, you are nothing more than a pawn to this game of judgment.”

“I’m sorry, fellas,” Murphy joined in, “but I’m really feeling at a loss here.  Where are we?”

“And you,” Damon said as he neared his doppelganger, “you sniveling fool.  Where did you come from?  Are you some hidden part of my psyche made live or perhaps something created by those fools to fill my empty frame?”

“I…uh,” Murphy cowered under the man who scowled at him.

“No matter,” Damon growled.  “You won’t be around to worry about any longer!”  He leapt at the old man and in a flash of light they were both gone.

CHAPTER 22

Buddy opened his eyes, turning quickly to see Murphy open his.  The group dared not breathe as they waited to see the results of what had happened in the minds of these two powerful individuals.

“Five seconds to oxygen depletion.”

Murphy closed his eyes; an oval appeared in front of him, filled with swirling clouds.  He swam through the zero-gravity environment to enter the oval.  The rest of the group followed quickly.  Buddy pulled Zero in behind him.

“This place,” Murphy said as he entered the purple void.  “It looks so familiar.”

“So, you don't remember everything?” Oscar asked.  “Like who you are, for instance?”

“Of course I remember who I am,” Murphy scowled as he struck out at Oscar.  “You’d do best to keep your distance, Red Rocketeer!”

“What happened, Buddy?” Ryan asked as they all moved backward from Murphy/Memphis.

“Well,” Buddy stammered, “it looks like Damon might have been waiting for this moment to get out of my head.  He’s in there.  All of him.”

“Help me,” Murphy/Memphis cried out.  “I don’t know what’s going on.”

“So, they’re both there?” Alexa asked.  “Murphy and Memphis?”

“God you are so insufferable,” Murphy/Memphis spat as he turned, created a new oval, and escaped.

“We had better hurry,” Buddy said as he pulled Zero toward the opening.  “Don’t want to get ourselves stuck in here without an exit.

On the other side of the void the group found themselves standing directly in front of the Sun City Convention Center once again.  Murphy/Memphis was curled up in a ball on the ground at their feet, flames sputtering around him, burning holes in the grass. 

“Well, that was a lot of work for nothing,” Ryan scowled.  “We're right back where we started.”

“But at least we're still alive,” Oscar responded.  “That's something to be grateful for.”

“I think there’s plenty to be grateful for,” Talmadge spoke.  “I mean, who knew I had super powers, right?  Of course, now The Bumblebee seems like a pretty stupid name.  It doesn't really match my powers at all, does it?  I'll have to come up with something new, a new costume, I mean, there's a whole lot of stuff for me to get done to prepare for being a real superhero.  I probably won’t need all these gadgets anymore.  Beastmaster?  What do you think about that one?”

“What do we do about him?” Buddy asked as he gestured to the man who was writhing in apparent agony below them.

“Naw, Beastmaster sounds too much like a supervillain's name.  Maybe The Cryptid!”

“Murphy?” Alexa asked the man cautiously.  “Are you okay?”

Murphy/Memphis turned toward the source of Alexa’s voice, a look of absolute terror on his face.  “What have you done to me?  My head, it burns.  I--”  He attempted to stand and fell to his hands.  He lowered his face to the ground and grabbed his head. 

“No,” Talmadge said, oblivious to what was occurring around him.  “People would never get it.  They'd probably think I was calling myself cryptic.  Although... The Cryptic Cryptid does have a nice ring to it, doesn't it?”

“Agent Murphy,” Oscar said, walking next to the man, “perhaps you should come back to my lab so I can run a few tests on you.  The changes that are currently happening to your body could be, well, I don't really know what they could be.  All the same, I think it would be best if we--”

“In what world do you believe I would eagerly come along with you?” Murphy/Memphis erupted, sparks flaring in the corners of his eyes.  “I’m no fool.  You may have rid yourselves of me once, but I assure you, that foolishness will not happen again anytime soon.”

“Um,” Ryan said, backing away from the enraged man, “perhaps we should talk about all of this somewhere else.  Somewhere, you know, where there are fewer people around to get injured.”

“You'd like that, wouldn't you, son of Oscar Reed.  You'd like me to think you care about the safety of others.  I know the truth.  I know what this is all about.  And I will not stand for it any longer!”  Murphy/Memphis burst into flames, but the flames sputtered around him, making it difficult for him to stay afloat.  His suit burned slowly, the smell of singed tweed accompanying the sight.  “Help,” he said weakly.

“Damon,” Oscar said slowly, “Murphy?  Maybe we should take a second and--”

“You have had all the seconds you should be allowed, Red Rocketeer,” Murphy/Memphis yelled.  His aura of flame grew brighter around him.  Flashing brilliantly, it struggled to continue its existence before it finally went out and Damon/Dennis fell to the ground, unconscious.

“Well,” Buddy said after a moment of silence.  “That could have gone worse.”

The figure of Damon/Dennis exploded in a ball of fire.

“Umm...” Talmadge said, backing away slowly.  “Is he supposed to do that?”

“I'm not certain there's much precedent on this,” Oscar responded.  “So, I couldn't even begin to guess what he's supposed to do.”

The perimeter of the bonfire that had at one time been Damon Memphis/Dennis Murphy grew, causing the quintet to continually move away as they spoke.

“Is there anything we can do?” Alexa asked.  “It seems pretty dangerous to just let this fire keep getting bigger.”

“I've got the goo gun at home,” Ryan replied.  “It should be able to douse the flames pretty easily.”

Krakakoom!
The flames bellowed as their rate of growth increased.

“Not sure I'll even be fast enough to get the goo gun before this gets out of hand,” Alexa responded.  “What do we do?”

“We have to contain the fire, and fast,” Oscar replied nervously.  “Lexy, dear, could you do one of your little tornado things around Memphis here and see if we can't pull some of the oxygen away from him.  Maybe that will help put the fire out.”

“Anything you say, Dad,” Alexa said right before she disappeared.  A wind grew around the group as the fire blazed on.

“Ryan,” Oscar asked, “do you have anything that you can use for fire retardation?”

“Checking my systems now,” Ryan said as he fiddled with the device on his wrist. 

“Okay, keep me updated,” Oscar had to yell now over the growing wind storm around them.  A funnel appeared, causing the fire to be pulled upward into the sky in a fiery tornado. 
Krakakshk!
The flames burst into the air and through the funnel, as another explosion occurred within the dangerous fireball that had once been Damon Memphis.

“I don't know what you did, Buddy old pal,” Oscar responded to the situation, “but I think you've somehow managed to make Damon even more dangerous than ever.”

“Okay,” Buddy yelled, “but what can I do to fix it?  Do you think if I go in there and touch him again that I can take away the memories and bring Murphy back?”

“It might be worth a try,” Oscar replied as he looked off to the horizon,” but...”

“But what?” Buddy asked.

“But, that,” Oscar said, pointing to something in the distance.  Buddy looked and saw a group of people flying through the sky in their direction.  In the center, he could just barely make out the figure of Jeffrey Flores.