Michel with Romain and Duke and his brothers ran down the corridor with what energy they had left. Suddenly, a whizzing shot whizzed past and created an invisible barrier that they all bounced off.
“And where do you think you delinquents are going?” yelled the Master, stumbling forward, cane aimed right at them.
They all turned around. Duke’s brothers started growling.
“Nice growling, chaps. I thought the lunatic was meant to be powerless or dead or something.”
“You killed Eleanor!”
“You deserved it! You made everyone’s life a misery.”
“I haven’t even started. You can take away my source of power but you cannot take away my rage!” The Master fired his cane as Michel dived out of the way with Romain. The shot punctured a hole in the wall. “I should have destroyed you ages ago. Now feel my wrath!”
All of them dived to the other side of the corridor as a blistering shot whizzed past them.
“Got any ideas?” asked Michel.
“You know what they say? The best form of defence is attack! Basset Hounds at the ready!” Duke growled and paced towards the Master.
“Tally-ho!” Duke’s brothers paced towards the Master, growling.
The Master chuckled as he pointed his cane at Duke and his brothers, “How I loathe animals.”
Michel looked at the tin of peaches he was still holding then hurled them at the Master who raised his hand and stopped the tin in mid-air, making it fall to the floor. He charged his cane as Duke and his brothers sprinted at him; Michel rushed over to Duke and yanked him clear as a shot hit Duke’s brothers, stunning them.
“Brothers! Baron, Titan, Earl!”
Duke’s brothers didn’t answer. Their already weak-looking bodies looked weaker still. Duke and Michel cowered against a wall with the Master standing over them.
“Stupid peaches!”
“Never be angry with food!”
“You pathetic, dim-witted creatures. Even at five percent of my power I can still squash you like an annoying, buzzing fly.” The Master thrust his left hand out towards Duke and Michel and lifted them high into the air, pressed against the wall, heads touching the ceiling. The Master closed his hand into a fist, making them choke and struggle for breath. Michel tugged at the pressure he felt around his neck, which was like a noose getting ever tighter as the Master sniggered and clenched his fist even more. “I’m going to slowly drain you of life. The last thing you’ll see will be me, grinning, warts and all.”
“I never thought I’d be starving for something other than food,” Duke said through a strained voice.
“You can do what you want but you’ll never be the Master of the Corridor again.”