The Grand Battle [Game Over!]

Originally posted on MSPA by Dragon Fogel.

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"So, it's come to this," the Director said to his uninvited guests. "I can't say I expected you to find a way to me, but that doesn't mean I am unprepared."

Eximo drew its knives and advanced towards the Director. Aeon looked down at his adaptive tool thoughtfully.

Thinking the world might still be affected by the subconscious, he concentrated, and a string of energy emerged from the handle of the tool. Aeon cracked it like a whip towards the Director, binding him with it. Eximo sped up, and prepared to strike with four knives.

But then the energy whip unwound itself, and struck Eximo. The vacuum cleaner was knocked to the ground. Then the Director simply gazed at it, and Eximo was lifted into the air, then flung at Aeon.

"You fools. Do you have any idea who you're dealing with?" The Director advanced. As he did, a series of swords, spears, and axes materialized in the air around him, floating and following him.

Eximo quickly extended enough arms to lift itself off of Aeon, and helped him to his feet. The various weapons started flying towards them; Eximo extended as many arms as it could, grabbing weapons out of midair, while Aeon concentrated and created a shield, which closely resembled Emily's.

But as Eximo touched a floating sword, it burst into flames. The vacuum cleaner recoiled and rapidly struck its now-burning hand against the ground.

"We won't be having any of that," the Director said calmly. "Don't you understand? In this world, not only do I have my own powers, but I can summon anything I please with a thought. And anything you summon, I can turn against you."

Aeon's shield suddenly seemed to weigh several tons, and he fell to the ground. He tried to dismiss it, but the Director's will held it in place.

"I can fight in this world more effectively than you can, and I was already more than a match for the two of you. Indeed, even if all eight combatants were here, this would hardly be a challenge."

The weapons swirled around Eximo and Aeon, then slowly they reshaped themselves into a steel cage. The bars crackled with electricity.

"I could just destroy you both," sneered the Director. "But I really do intend to have a winner for this battle. I've given you a nice little arena, free of distractions, so I recommend you get this fight moving before I decide to do it for you."

"Why?" Eximo asked. "What is so important about this battle that even now, with your combatants united against you, you insist on seeing it to a conclusion?"

The Director laughed.

"Important? You fools. It isn't important at all." He raised a hand, and a stadium appeared to surround the platform, an audience of faceless Directors watching the battle.

"But it's entertaining. To watch you struggle, to see you come this far... only to have all your progress be meaningless. I can still make you fight for my amusement." He laughed again. "Well, I suppose you don't have to fight, but really, what do you think will be worse - what you can do to each other, or what I can do if you refuse to cooperate?"

Aeon looked worried, and could sense that Eximo was afraid as well.

Then, suddenly, Aeon's face broke out into a grin.

"I know what this is really about."

A crack appeared in one of the bars of the cage.

Eximo seemed to understand, as well.

"As do I. The Director is afraid. Here, in this world, his mind is exposed to us. He covers his fear by forcing us onto the defensive."

The crowd of Directors booed.

"We must be getting close, if your fans are that upset about it," Aeon said, smirking. Another bar began to crack.

The Director said nothing. The cracked bars began to resolidify.

"You're trying to act as if this doesn't really bother you," Aeon said. "But we're not fooled. If you really had as much control of this place as you say, the cracks wouldn't have appeared at all."

More cracks appeared, all over the cage. Then, the damage was quickly repaired.

For a few tense moments, there was a struggle as the cage shifted from broken to solid repeatedly.

Finally, it shattered. Splinters of metal flew all around the arena, then faded from existence.

The Director said nothing.

"What's the matter?" Aeon jeered. "Not in the mood to gloat any more?"

In an instant, the Director moved to Aeon and grabbed him by the throat.

"As a matter of fact," he said angrily, "I'm not."