32: Battle in the Light Grid- Endgame

The Static Man turned its attention back to the Fat Man, who was standing again. ‘Time to end this, I think.’

‘No,’ said Professor Palimpsest.

‘What?’ The Static Man looked around for the disembodied voice.

‘What’s the matter?’ grunted the Fat Man as he threw a punch, hitting the Static Man in the gut.

The Static Man doubled over and the Fat Mankneed it in the face, sending it staggering back. The Static Man quickly recovered its balance, taking a menacing step forward.

As the Fat Man watched, a face rippled across thesurface of the Static Man’s stomach.

‘Indigestion?’ asked the Fat Man. ‘You should be careful what you eat.’

‘I can control this,’ said the Static Man.

The Fat Man hit it in the face. ‘Really?’ He hit it again. ‘You sure?’ And again.

The Static Man fell over, a face bubbling up in its chest.

‘There’s only one way to defeat it,’ said Professor Palimpsest’s face. ‘One, one, one. Interface. Unleashed. Full force. Will overload it.’

‘But -’ the Fat Man began but the professor cut him off.

‘Yes, yes, I know. It will kill, kill, kill you as well.’

The professor’s face wavered momentarily. ‘It’s the only way. Only way.’ The face contorted. ‘Ahhh.’ The professor’s face separated as if being pulled apart by unseen hands, dissolving back into the static.

The Static Man sat up. ‘I have dismembered his coding.’ The Static Man stood. ‘And now I shall dismember yours.’

‘I will defeat you,’ chuckled the Fat Man.

The Fat Man clasped his hands together, forming a double fist, and thrust it at the Static Man. A rush of static poured from the Fat Man’s hands, ramming into the Static Man, forcing it back against the grid’s perimeter. The Static Man howled with rage as it thrashed and twisted under the continual impact.

‘You’ll destroy yourself,’ yelled the Static Man.

‘And take you with me,’ said the Fat Man.

With great effort the Fat Man closed in step by-step, power rushing through him and into his opponent. The Static Man lost its form, its face becoming blobby and misshapen, its arms melting into its sides.

As he neared, the Fat Man’s steps began to falter. The Static Man reformed. ‘It’s doing more damage to you than me. I’m stronger. I can survive longer than you. You can’t channel enough.’

The Fat Man staggered to his knees, still discharging the Interface into the Static Man. But the discharge was weakening.

‘It’s frying your coding.’ The Static Man tooka step forward, pushing against the discharge of energy. ‘You are channelling less and less.’