Fears and Insecurities

Ness gripped his baseball bat, glaring at the closed double doors in front of him. He had navigated Moonside, bartered his way through those monkeys, and ultimately beat the hoard of mechanical guards that surrounded the premise. He was on the top of the Monotoli Building; only inches away from the room where Paula would be held. There was only one last opponent to fight: the sick old man that put them through all this grief. He had no right to take her from him. No right! From the top of a building, living a comfortable and snobbish existence, he had succeeded in making Ness’ life a living hell, dismissing him as another victim to getting more power. He would regret what he did, Ness would make him pay!

He marched to the door, and kicked the double doors open. He looked around the office, and it disgusted him. Elaborate furniture, foreign rugs, gold-plated everything! All this wealth that this bloated, useless politician amassed, all while he hired fat pigs like Pokey Minch and kidnapped girls that were ten times the man he was. He looked around the room, and his eyes settled on his target. The last enemy that needed to be eliminated. Geldegarde Monotoli.

He felt his legs burst with speed, his arms ripple with power. His breathing got steadily quicker. There was only word he could use to describe how he felt. Hate. Hate for this subhuman scum.

“Wha… Please…” the old man muttered pathetically. He was a big man when he orchestrated kidnappings and killed of his friends and people who couldn’t defend themselves like Everdred, but now he had the nerve to grovel for forgiveness.

“Is that what Evereded said when you killed him?”

The old man’s eyes bulged, as if he suddenly realized who he was messing with. It was too late now, he should have thought of about Ness before he killed Everdred. He would enjoy this, and he wondered how many swings of his bat the old man could handle? Well, only one way to find out. Ness broke into a run, and the old man did likewise. As he tried to hide behind his desk or one of his other over-priced crap, he tripped, falling on the ground.

Good, Ness thought. He hoped the scum broke his leg or his back. He hoped anything happened that would make his beating even more painful. No matter what Ness did, he knew it wouldn’t be enough to avenge everyone that was hurting because of him. He had to risk his life, and old fools like him could just sit in their plush offices and make big decisions. It wasn’t fair! But at least Ness could knock one of them down a few pegs.

He slowed to a walk, a grin on his face. He’d enjoy this. He took a practice swing. One blow to the head would crack his miserable skull open. Then maybe he’d toss the body out the window, let everyone see what became of the great and powerful Geldegarde Monotoli.

“Well, look at you,” Ness said, spitting on him. “Just a cowardly cry baby begging on your knees for forgiveness. You disgust me.”

He prepared to take the swing, one blow, and then he could be happy with Paula once again, and show Giygas and his cronies what happened when you messed with him. Maybe he’d go down and drag Pokey up and make him watch what happened.

“Ness, it’s over. I’m safe. Please don’t hurt Mr. Monotoli!”

++++++++++

Geldegarde Monotoli wanted to run. He wanted to flee in his private helicopter, evade the judgment he knew would come. He wanted to, but his legs refused him. He just stood there, facing the door, wrenching his necktie. He knew what he did, and a new layer of shame and guilt washed over him every second. Sweet Paula had tried to console him, but Monotoli knew right from wrong. He wouldn’t flee, he’d take his punishment in a manner that would be the first in his life: like a man.

Suddenly, the door burst open. Maybe he won’t be too mad Monotoli thought to himself. It was possible. However, even at his age, his eyesight was still well enough to see the pure hate on the boy’s face. Rightfully so, he supposed, but he let out a small gasp as he noticed the baseball bat. He was going to get beaten senseless, maybe even killed. He didn’t know what was going to happen, but fear resonated through his rapidly beating heart and the growing pit in his stomach. His office seemed small at the moment, the walls closing in on him.

Wha… Please…” he stuttered, unable to formulate proper words. This was his just end. He had faced down large business tycoons, power-hungry politicians, and even a few senators. But he was going to meet his end at the hands of a thirteen-year-old boy.

“Is that what Everdred said when you killed him?”

Monotoli’s heart nearly stopped. Besides Paula, he was also the thief’s friend. But even worse, at the end of this entire nightmare, it finally sunk in that he had taken another life, had callously and foolishly asserted his power to its limits, for his own selfish gain. He was a monster worse than the demons in Moonsisde, a man of greater ill repute than the humble thief whose life he had taken in that alleyway.

That was when the boy charged at him. Monotoli took a single step back, and then turned and fled, his legs acting separate from his brain. He had to avoid the pain, just as before, he was a coward that couldn’t face up his consequences. As he ran, he stumbled, tripping over a rug and falling flat on the ground, face-down. Feeling humiliated and vulnerable, he quickly rolled over, now facing the boy, Ness.

He was walking towards him, a demonic grin spread across his face. This was out for blood, Monotoli could tell. His blood.

“Well, look at you,” Ness said as Monotoli got spit on. “Just a cowardly cry-baby begging on your knees for forgiveness. You disgust me.”

Monotoli realized he was right. Once the most powerful man in Fourside, he now groveled as a scared child, fearing the inevitable beating he was to receive. He couldn’t even speak, fearing that he would enrage the boy further. He swam in thoughts of despair, which rose as a suffocating flood against his morale and will to live. He hoped against hope that the boy might find it in his heart to forgive an old man who deserved his death as a repentance for all his sins.

“Ness, it’s over! I’m safe! Please don’t hurt Mr. Monotoli!”