Chapter 2: A Pecuiliar Turn of Events

The Professor began to turn towards his companion when he suddenly felt the the cold, brittle barrel of a pistol pushed against his back.
'I- I had nothing to do with this! Do- don't shoot me, please!' the Professor stuttered.
'I know it wasn't you. Just stand still. This will all be over in a minute.'
The professor stood, his hands behind his head, for what seemed an age; though he knew it to be less for the sun remained on the horizons edge without nights shadow casting itself over the world. Eventually, the door to his villa swung open and another character entered our ever growing tale.
Thadeus von Borl, Professor Jean-Croissant's faithful butler for over two decades, stood at over a seven feet in height. His gaunt, pale figure was at all times covered in a thick cloak to hide his freakish thinness, the product of a deficiency caused by a misplaced gene. He stepped into the room, saw the Professor and stranger locked in their dangerous, violent drama and near fainted in horror. He quickly recovered, pulled a pistol of his own from its holster and took aim at his masters captor with surprising speed.
'Inspector, you've finally caught up with me.' he said 'But this will be the last time we meet. This will be your last day!'
'Just drop the gun and come quietly.' the stranger said.
'Ha! You think I'll give up that easy? When I'm this close to victory?'
The Professors mysterious captor threw him to the side, leapt across the room and ducked for cover beneath the villa's staircase. Thadeus fired after him, grabbed hold of the Professor and pulled him into the next room.
'Stay here!' he spat at him, before turning the corner, raising his pistol and charging after his foe.
The stranger leapt out from the staircase, fired his pistol while in midair, and sprinted from the foyer into the adjacent kitchen. Thadeus, showing incredible dexterity, moved to the side just as the projectile shot past, avoiding a bloody death.
Meanwhile, the Professor had recovered from his shock and began sidling towards the two combatants. Sidestepping into the foyer, he caught a glimpse of his kidnapper, firing on Thadeus from the other room, and realised, with the horror of sudden dreadful knowledge, that his kidnapper was himself! Through some fluke of nature or an ungodly manipulation of her laws, he had somehow been duplicated!

prev chapter