The Rise of the Fat Mogul (The Defenders Saga Book 2) (27 page)

“And how?”

“As long as I've got you here, you can't cause any more trouble out there.  I'll stall you for all of eternity, if I have to,” Buddy felt small.

“Now that's where you're wrong, Buddy.  Well, you're always wrong, but this is where you're wrong once again.”

“The burning fires of perdition are still raging within the realm of the earth outside of this mental prison you've placed yourself in.  Having us joined in mental combat with you won't do anything to delay the destruction of this wretched creation.”

“Hey, you don't even know what all I've got planned out there.  You ever heard of the Cherufe?  Because they're going to totally kick your--”

Both of the Damons laughed wildly in unison.  “You think the mythical creatures of a long dead race of humans can truly pose any threat against us?  I am the chosen one of God, the Creator of all that is.  Do you honestly believe anything he has placed within this once green earth can destroy me?”

“You ever consider the idea that these things might not be of this earth?”

“Nonsense,” Damon laughed further.  “God is the creator of all.  Were these supposed beings of fire and metal truly alien in origin, they still would be of the same father.  The father who sent me to destroy his creation once and for all in the purging fire.”

“Can you guys stop doing that?  I'm really starting to get dizzy here,” Buddy stalled.

“What?  Little old Buddy Jackson can't handle a little spinning?  Are you too weak to manage turning on a pivot foot?”

“Wait a second,” Buddy exclaimed.  “I know what's going on here.”

“Oh yeah?” one of the Damon's said indignantly.

Buddy locked his eyes on the one who had just spoken and shot him a giant grin.  “You know what, Jeff?  No matter how many times I get to do this, it never gets old.”  The target's eyes widened as Buddy swung forward and landed his fist in the face of the offender.  The fake-Damon's body fell to the ground and shifted into the form of Jeffrey Flores. 

Buddy turned and glared at Damon, who was still spinning around him.  They locked eyes.  Damon's face turned into a dark grimace.

“You don't yet understand, do you, Buddy Hero?”

“Understand what?  That you and Jeff were trying to fool me into thinking this was just a mind game?  That you were linked in order to attempt to overwhelm me?  Or that I'm ultimately winning once again?”

“No,” Damon grinned, “you don't understand that we have already won.”  Damon laughed again.  Jeff stood and joined in the laughter.

“Yeah, and how do you suppose that is?” Buddy asked, feeling indignant.

“Because, Buddy,” Jeff answered, “we're not actually here.  We're just imprints left in your mind.  Damon gave me the idea, based on how his memories were left in your head.  When you touched me in the blaze, I did the same thing.  We're ghosts.”

“Which means,” Damon laughed, “that we’ve now taken over the mind of the stalwart Buddy Hero, the man who would defeat us.  Except, now that we’ve taken over, you’re no longer a threat to anyone.”

“You know what, Damon?” Buddy asked.  “I think I finally understand you.”

“Oh, do you now?” Damon asked, his eyebrows rising.  “And what is it that you understand?”

“That you're nothing but another of Arthur Flores' lackeys.  You and Jeff both.  You've both just done whatever that fat old man told you to do.  Why is that?  Are you both looking for a father to love you?”

“Shut up, Buddy!”

“So here you both are, throwing a tantrum that will end in the destruction of the world.  It's quite brilliant that you two are pretending to be the same person.  You are the same person.  And after all that Arthur's put you through, after all of the games, the manipulations, and everything else, you still sit here looking for his approval.  Well, I've got news for you, for the both of you.”

“Oh yeah?” Jeff asked.

“Arthur's dead, and he didn't give a shit about either of you.”

“Those words would possibly have purchased some time for you, Buddy Hero,” Damon began, “but as we've already told you, we're nothing more than figments of your imagination, items created based on the memories still residing within your feeble brain.  The idiom of 'words will never hurt me' has never been so true.”

“Maybe not,” Buddy smiled, “but how do you feel about sticks and stones?”  A baseball bat appeared in Buddy's hands and he swung it at Damon's head.  The darkness fluttered momentarily.

Damon stumbled backwards a few steps.  “Oh, Buddy,” Jeff laughed.  “Don't you get it?  You're barking up the wrong tree.  Attacking us isn't going to do anything to get you out of here.”

“Oh yeah,” Buddy asked cockily, “seems like that knock to the noggin' did something.  I'd be more than willing to try it a few more times on the two of you.”

Damon laughed.

“Besides, I don’t know if you two know this, but I’ve spent a fair amount of time unconscious during my life and if there’s one thing I know, it’s sure-fire ways to way up from a dream.”

“Oh yeah?” Jeff scowled. 

Buddy's smile grew larger.  “How do the two of you feel about heights?”  The floor dropped out from beneath the trio and they all fell fast toward a dark empty nothingness.

“How the hell do you think falling is going to wake you up?” Jeff snarled.

“It's not the falling that does it,” Buddy answered as a flat surface appeared beneath them.  “Let’s see if you can stick the landing.”

*******

Buddy jumped awake, breathing heavily into the hot air.  He looked around and found himself still within the heated arena of Damon's flames, still that much more uncertain as to how to defeat the menace in front of him.  Yet, he learned one additional item that he hadn't previously been aware of.  Jeff and Damon were working together.

But first, Buddy realized, he needed to find a way to get out of this fiery hell and stop Damon and Jeff from burning the city to the ground.  He stood, crouched down as low as he could, and jumped into the air.  Within seconds he found himself above the blaze.  Looking down at the city below him, he was quickly able to determine where the center of the fire was located.  He landed roughly on the ground, still in the midst of the flames, the earth still melting around him, threatening to pull him under. 

Buddy jumped again, lunging toward the area he had spotted earlier as the center of this now miles-wide burn-fest.  Once his head got above the flames, he noticed several creatures walking toward the edge of the fire which were glowing like hot embers.

“The Cherufe!” Buddy thought to himself. 

“Buddy, where are you?” came a voice in his head.

“Talmadge?” Buddy thought back.

“Yeah,” the voice said strongly.  “I've found the Cherufe.  They're on their way in.  Have you found Damon yet?”

“On my way,” Buddy responded.  “Can you direct them to my location?”

“I'm not sure.  I wonder if,” Talmadge paused.  “Okay, yeah, I think so.”

“Okay,”
Buddy smiled.  “Bring 'em in.”

CHAPTER 29

Buddy stood, knowing Damon was near.  He walked around in growing concentric circles, finding it difficult to know if he was walking around a common center point or just aimlessly wandering in the blinding light.  He heard shuffling nearby and moved toward the location of the sound.

“Damon!” Buddy yelled.

“Gruffle garn,” the deep voice said.

“What?” Buddy asked.

“Hey,” Talmadge's voice rang in Buddy's ear, “it's the Cherufe.  They've found you.”

“Oh,” Buddy replied, “can't see a damned thing in this place.”

“Felg pord.”

“Okay,” Buddy said slowly.  “So, since you boys, or whatever, are here, can you help me out?  Any chance you can see?”

“They say yes, Buddy.”

“Perfect,” Buddy clapped his hands.  “So, can you have them look for Damon?  I thought I had a lead on where he would be, but I'm struggling in here.”

“No problem,” Talmadge answered.  “They say he's just a few feet away from your current location.  They're offering to give you a lift.”

“I'm hot enough in here already.  I'm not sure a piggy-back ride on a pile of magma is really how I want to spend my time.  Any chance you could have them, you know, like, smother Damon or something?  We really need to put this fire out.”

“And you think that dousing Damon will put the whole thing out?” Talmadge asked in incredulity.

“It's a start, isn't it?  Maybe it will at least dim the lights a little so I can see what's going on around here and actually be of some use.”

“Okay,” Talmadge responded.  “They say they're going to do whatever they can.”

“Let's hope it's enough.”

A loud sizzling noise was heard nearby as the flames dimmed in brightness.  Buddy was still unable to make out his surroundings, but he felt the pain in his retinas decrease.  He ran toward the continuing sound of sizzling that occurred nearby. 

As he neared, he could make out the outlines of four boulders, the only things seeming to have somehow survived the blazing heat.  The rocks were situated around a central point, so Buddy pushed his way to the center of them and found a fifth similarly-sized stone toppled over and glowing a bright reddish-orange.

“What's going on here?” Buddy asked out loud.

“The Cherufe have extinguished Damon,” Talmadge answered.  “The one known as Mapu is lying on top of him, absorbing all of the heat energy being expelled.  Pacha is currently doing the same with Jeff.”

“Wait, you're saying these rocks are the Cherufe?” Buddy asked, looking up at the one behind him and making out a face hidden within the glowing granite.  He thought he saw the rock smile at him.

“What were you expecting?  Lizard people?”

“Okay, so they've taken down Damon, for now.  What do we do about the fire?”

“Alexa seems to think she can put it out.”

“Do it already,” Buddy said urgently.

The winds picked up around Buddy and he felt the cool air refreshing his skin.  He sighed in relief as the light of the fire died down around him, revealing a flat and shiny landscape.  Suddenly, Alexa was at his side with a big smile plastered across her face.

“Hey big boy,” she said, “miss me?”

“Of course I missed you,” Buddy responded.

“Like the new look,” she grinned.

Buddy looked down and remembered his clothes being vaporized in the fire.  He sheepishly looked at her and asked, “Any chance you could nab me a change of clothes?”

“Sure thing,” she said, disappearing and reappearing with a pair of jeans and a white T-shirt in her hands.  “Although, I have to say, I prefer this costume.”

“Uniform,” Buddy corrected as he dressed himself.

“Okay, so, did we win?” Alexa asked. 

“Damon and Jeff are restrained for the moment, so it seems to me that Ryan could use the Mind Wiper and we can call it all a day, right?”

“I'll go tell him,” Alexa frowned before disappearing.

“So,” Buddy said, looking at the rock monsters in front of him, “you guys from around here?”

“Gerawf chulnk!”

“Hey Buddy,” Alexa said, returning in a cloud of dust.  “Ryan says it's not working.”

“What's not working?” Buddy asked.

“The Mind Wiper.  He says it can't get a lock on either Damon or Jeff, like they're almost not even here.”

“Well, that's impossible, isn't it?” Buddy asked, looking at the rock Talmadge had said was named Mapu.

“He says that the only person he can lock onto in this mess is you.”

“What?”

“There's one other thing,” Alexa continued.  “He said that when he tried to lock onto you, he got some really weird readings, almost as if there was more than one person's worth of memories in your mind.”

“Well, I do have Damon's memories up there from our last battle.  Heck, I've still got all the memories from the big Mind Wipe from back in the day, right?  He wouldn’t be the first person to tell me my brain is all screwed up.”

“He said he thinks Damon and Jeff are actually in your mind; that they left their physical bodies behind so they could hide inside you.”

“That’s insane,” Buddy laughed.

“Is it?”

“Isn't it?”

“You’re the guy who’s had the memories of a genocidal maniac stuck inside your head for the last six months and you’re calling this weird?  Even after all we’ve been through just today?”

“Wait!” Buddy exclaimed.  “If he can see me on that device, and he can see that Jeff and Damon are in there, couldn't he, you know, remove them from my mind? Wouldn't that get rid of them for good?”

“Maybe, but I’m still not sure that--”

“Nevermind,” Buddy said agitatedly.  He crouched down and looked at Alexa.  “I'll tell him myself,” he said as he shot up into the air.

Buddy landed ten feet away from Ryan, who yelled in surprise at the sudden, unannounced arrival of the leader of The Defenders.  “Buddy!”

“Okay, so, Alexa and I came up with a plan.”

Alexa appeared at Buddy's side.  “I had nothing to do with it.”

“Okay, fine, I came up with a plan.  You can see me on the device, right, and Damon and Jeff inside me?”

“Yeah,” Ryan said, looking questioningly at Buddy.

“Great, so, delete them.”

“Delete them?”

“Delete them, remove them, erase them, wipe them, whatever you want to call it, remove their memories from my brain.”

“You know, I’ve been thinking about that, and I’m not sure--”

“I've already told him that, he doesn't seem to care,” Alexa cut Ryan off.

“I don't care what it means; get them out of my head.  Damon's already been in there for far too long and the idea of Jeff being in there a moment longer absolutely disgusts me.  Get them out.  Now!”

“I’m sorry, Buddy, but I really don’t think I can be respons-“ the device in Ryan’s hands suddenly lit up brightly. 

“See, look, you barely had to try,” Buddy smiled.

“I didn’t do anything, Buddy.  This thing’s running on auto-pilot.”

A flash of light escaped the orb and Buddy fell to the ground.