Chapter 18: Brain Damage

Marcus Anthony was shocked when Chris Beaker spoke to him from the air but his mind worked fast, in the first few seconds of the attack he realised that he was outmatched. He quickly ran through the options and realised that his best defence was to vanish.

Creating a solid copy of himself he quickly faded into the wall of his office and watched the battle take place.

He only gave his copy enough power to fight back, but this was only to make Beaker waste power until he couldn't fight back and that was when Marcus would strike.

When Chris Beaker split himself into three Marcus gave a smile, this would be the place to destroy the man completely as there was no way he could keep three of him running forever.

He watched as Beaker managed to stick the copy of Marcus to the floor and then the desk and decided now was the time, he was still fresh while Beaker must have been feeling the effects of the spells he had created.

He stepped out of the wall and struck ... it was obvious that Beaker would be the one on his left, it was the side that the type of person Beaker was would prefer to hide - opposite to where people would expect. "I have you now!" Marcus said his fist aimed at the back of Beaker's head. Only to have his glee fade as his hand went straight through the figure.

"Hello again Marcus." One said as the two remaining figures turned to face him.

"Yes, hello again Marcus." The remaining Beaker said looking at the arm going through its body.

Marcus didn't stop but turned and attacked the right hand Beaker which also failed to respond. "Then this must be you!" He said and went for the middle Beaker only to see his fist emerge from the image.

"BEAKER WHERE ARE YOU?" Marcus called out looking around the room and ignoring the three images completely.

"I'm still where you sent me! You didn't realise that that place was the one area where I could draw power and use it." I said as I merged with the left hand image. "You see Marcus if you had studied the White books in your library then you would have seen this ... only you stayed with the Black book, that's why you've failed."

Marcus still looked around but his anger was rising. "FAILED? I'LL SHOW YOU WHO'S FAILED." He picked up the phone and dialled a number.

"This is Marcus Anthony, on my order close down the Electric grid." He said to the person who answered and then his face dropped " ... NO I DON'T WANT A PIZZA!" He said and slammed down the receiver.

"Oh dear, was it a wrong number?" I asked innocently, my voice being relayed by the Nemesis units in the room.

Marcus still ignored what he considered to be images of me and looked around the room. "Just what the fuck have you done Beaker?" He demanded.

"Nothing much, this building is isolated from the outside world. As soon as I entered the place I moved everything into another dimension, it's just a slight turn from our normal one. I've ensured that your phone system is scrambled, so don't expect anyone you know to answer ... pity, I could have done with a Pizza."

"Don't be so cocky Beaker! Just what have you done?" Marcus demanded throwing a blast of light through the image in the middle.

"Don't waste your energy Marcus; it will only drain you quicker. I must admit that your copy was quite a work of art, I could tell there was some form of magic around it, but I had thought it was a shield." I said with a smile, one that was duplicated by the other images of me.

I muttered a short phrase and the Marcus stuck to the desk faded from sight. "Oh yes, talking about shields..." I created a shield around Marcus, but this one was air tight. "I'm going to need one shortly, as soon as I arrive there." I completed the statement without Marcus noticing anything was amiss.

"I'll be expecting you, don't you fret Beaker. I've got just the spell for you, but in the meantime..." He gestured and the spell rebounded from the shield I placed around him, striking him instead. "Beaker what have you done?" He asked again.

I sighed. "Still the same question Marcus? I've told you the whole building has been..." I began.

"No dammit, what have you done to me?" he reached out and felt nothing but when he cast another spell the backwash struck him. – The only reason he had felt nothing was because the shield followed his movements.

"I thought you wanted a few minutes to yourself, Marcus. Are you having difficulties?" I asked, watching his breathing increasing and then the thing I expected happened; with a sound like thunder the shield collapsed, hitting Marcus with sound and air.

He passed out with the effects and I cast a light glamour spell over him while he was defenceless. This was to make him more ... agreeable; if only to suggestions I made not to his actual looks (it would have taken a lot of glamour to change that!).

In the meantime I checked that the building was now secure and Shifu reported all the employees were out and accounted for – they had been handed over to the Home Security people. My talk of moving the building into another dimension was just invention on my part; and the Nemesis units had scrambled the phone lines.

A groan from the floor told me that Marcus was coming around, I dissolved my duplicates and perched myself on his desk so that I was looking down at him when he opened his eyes, "Hello Marcus how are you feeling?" I asked him.

Marcus looked puzzled as if he was trying to remember something. "You're Beaker ... why am I on the floor?" He asked.

I gave a smile and held out my hand, being prepared for an attack, but Marcus took it and got to his feet. "You fell over and struck your head. Now you were going to show me your library weren't you?" I asked him.

"I was? I don't recall that, things seem fuzzy at the moment. But how can I show you my library? Isn't it in my mind?" Marcus shook his head as he spoke.

I nodded, "Yes it is, but if you give me permission to do so I can enter it from mine." I said patiently.

"So all I have to do is to accept you as ... what?" He asked

"Just say you want to be my apprentice. That way I'll be able to show you how to increase the power of your spells." I said watching Marcus as his eyes started to change back to normal.

"So you're saying that I would be more powerful if you help me?" He said but I realised that it was now too late he was shaking off the effects of the glamour spell.

"Of course, you have some power within you but with my help I could teach you how to increase the efficiency of your spells, you wouldn't be caught out by surprise." I said with a smile.

Then Marcus lunged for me taking hold of my arms and muttering a spell, I found myself being overwhelmed.

"You will give me access to that power, show me now!" Marcus said as I went unconscious, opening my eyes inside my library. I shook my head; I felt that something was wrong, but it obviously wasn't! Now, what was it I was supposed to do ... Oh yes, I called out

"Aristotle, can you allow me to enter Marcus Anderson's library." I said seeing a pattern on the computer screen on my desk; I had to see what it was ... it was ... was ... I found I couldn't move and then the scene went black again.

"Of course Chris, as Marcus has given you permission I can allow it." Aristotle's voice said and a doorway appeared in the wall.

I stepped into the doorway and was in a ruin of a library, a pile of torn and damaged White, Green and Yellow books were thrown on the floor, only the Black books were in a perfect state. Marcus was standing in the middle of the room with a smile on his face.

"You know I think you were right. I need to know how to increase my control over people. Now show me." He ordered.

I stopped to pick up a White book. "You've done something to me haven't you?" I asked hesitatingly as I held the book in my hands, it was torn in two and the cover was held by just the stitching.

He crossed his arms and gave a smug smile, "Of course, after I realised that you had placed a spell over me I managed to throw it off, but I'm ordering you not to do that. You will accept your new role as my teacher and do everything to help me ... Do you understand?"

I smiled back, "Yes, of course Marcus." I said seeing a twitch in his face as I said that.

"You will call me Master. That is what I am." Marcus said with a sneer.

"Yes master. Now what do you want me to do?" I asked him.

"You said outside that you can increase my power in the world? ... Just how do I do that?" He asked.

I nodded, "That is simple master, all you do is to combine the spells in the White books along with those in the Black, and the subsequent pairing will increase your power threefold." I said and then looked at the wreck of white books, "But unfortunately you've destroyed the book that would have helped you." I said holding up the torn book and showing it to him.

"Can't you replace the book?" Marcus asked.

I shook my head, "Oh no master, the library of the world will only allow one copy to each mage, I'm afraid you cannot receive another." I said and then thought for a moment... "But there might be a way..." I said and paused.

Marcus quickly jumped in, "What would be the way?" He asked.

"Why ... to send the damaged books back to the library, and then see if it will repair them for you." I said, "in that way you're not getting new replacements but restored books instead." I said picturing the book in my hand and making it vanish.

"Will it work?" Marcus asked the question with hope in his voice.

"I don't know ... only the library can answer that." I said

After a few minutes the book returned, there was something that looked like sellotape® over the cover and the pages were stuck in with glue - on the cover was the message, "These books depend on your care and protection, this is all I will do. LOTW."

Marcus grabbed the book from my hands and then started to read it. "This is rubbish; all the pages are mixed up. Can't you sort it out?" He said throwing it back to me.

I nodded, "Yes a simple spell could do it." I said and waited.

Marcus also waited and then glared at me, "Well ... go ahead and do it." He ordered me.

"Certainly Master." I said and taking the book in my hands I pictured the pages in order and then said 'repairo - departo' – not original but it would do. The book began to shake and then the pages flew out of the covers and began rotating around the room. Marcus was watching the pages and didn't notice that some of his Black books were beginning to disappear.

The pages then settled back between the covers of the book and then it tightened up as the bindings repaired themselves. I handed it back to Marcus who began riffling through the pages.

He reached out and took a Black book and after glancing at the White book he created a fireball, but stood back when it found it was twice the size of a normal fireball. He looked at me and smiled. "It works ... are you telling me that all I have to do is to follow this script and my skill will increase?" He said.

I shook my head, "Not at all Master, your power is improved, but as to your skill ... that will need practise, you will have to spend long hours and work hard to improve your ability to use the spells wisely." I said.

He glanced sharply at me. "Are you mocking me? I order you not to." He said

"I am not mocking you, you've already told me to do all I can to help you, if you do not like what I say then I can't help that, it's the truth ... or do you want me to lie to you, Master?" I said.

"NO! You will never lie to me Beaker, I want to hear the truth at all times." Marcus said and carried on reading the White book in his hands.

"Well if that is what you want Master, who am I to refuse your order ... I'm just a better mage than you would ever be." I said simply.

Marcus looked up at me sharply. "How dare you say that to me? I am the one in charge I've proved that I'm better than you are!" Marcus said.

I tried to look puzzled, "I don't understand Master, you told me never to lie to you and then you tell me something that is obviously incorrect." I said.

Marcus stared at me and then shook his head. "You are wrong; I have to be better than you as I control you." He said

I nodded, "Yes you control me, but then you do not have the subtlety of use. That comes with proper training." I said blandly. Behind his back more of Marcus' Black books disappeared from the library.