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phantomdoofer · 2 months ago

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Tower Town, Chapter 22 - The Final Slice

Part 4

Peppino paced as they waited. His and Giuseppe's groups had returned, but the Bosses were still missing. He fingered the earbud Paolo had made for them. “Come on, give-a us something…”

Then Paolo's voice echoed in their ears. “Noisette just made contact with me. They got caught downstairs. Apparently they found the Pizzamancer's monster production. They took it down.”

They looked at each other. Peppino grinned. “Well, that's a mercy.”

“Yep! I'm gonna teleport them there. Stand back.”

They all moved to the sides of the room just in time - the group popped into place.

“-get the ability t’... teleport us…” Noise trailed off - he'd obviously been mid-sentence when he'd been moved. Noise whipped around, staring at the ceiling. “A little warnin’ woulda been nice!” Noise looked around. “All right, gang’s all here, I see.”

“Sì,” Peppino said. “We don't have much time, I think. Let's compare notes.”

As they exchanged their experiences, Giuseppe handed out the earbuds to the Bosses. As the conversation trailed off, Paolo chimed in. “All right, guys, I got some good news and bad news. Good news: I found you a path up to ol’ PM’s throne room.”

“‘Throne Room?’” Pepperman said. “How absolutely pretentious.”

“That's rich, coming from you,” Noise sneered.

“Ahem,” Paolo interrupted. “Sorry, but Peppino's right - we're short on time. Bad news, it's a bit of a gauntlet to get there. And I'm pretty sure PM know she has intruders now.”

Everyone nodded. “So why hasn't he just turned the Tower against us?” Brando mused.

“Remember what I was like as Pizzahead? And what Aldo said?” Paolo said. “He's arrogant and sadistic. He likes messing with people. I'd be willing to bet he set this path up specifically.” A pause. “I'm pretty sure he doesn't actually know who's in the Tower.”

The group all exchanged glances. “All right,” Peppino said, “so we move. Now. Where's this path?”

In answer, the wall behind them opened up, and the whole group jumped away. “He thinks he's funny, putting it here,” Paolo said. “This is an elevator up to the entrance to the path. I'll guide you as much as I can - I'm trying to not make myself too obvious, so I can't make actual changes to the system. It'll be up to you. Keep those devices the gnome gave you handy, just in case PM decides to show up early.”

Peppino cracked his knuckles as he psyched himself up. All right. One last push. He looked around. “Everyone ready?”

Everyone nodded.

“All right,” Paolo said. “Get on and I'll make sure you get up there. Good luck!”

The group filed into the elevator, and the doors made a happy ding as they closed.

~~~~

The doors dinged, opened… and all hell broke loose.

Beams and bullets shot through the air as they stepped out, and everyone went evasive.

“Jeez!” Giuseppe yelled as he dodged. “Like being back in Inferno in here!”

“Truer than you know, Sepp!” Anita said. “Look around!”

Indeed, the floor ahead of them was filled with boiling sauce.

Peppino groaned. I still have a scar from that shit! “Be careful! That stuff is hot as-a lava! It's deadly!”

Vigilante was dodging frantically, but he was scoping the place the whole time. “I see the door! But there's no bridge!”

Pepperman bounced off a wall, destroying a turret. “I see a platform, out amongst the sauce! But… it's too far for me to reach!”

“I can do it!” Brando said, knocking away bullets and beams as he spoke. “It won't hurt me!”

Peppino looked a thing. “Are you certain, ragazzo??”

“Positive!”

Peppino nodded grimly. “Do it!”

Suddenly Pepperman grabbed the young chef. “No need to run the whole way! Alley-oop!” He launched Brando towards the platform. Brando flailed a bit as he arced through the air, landing with a strange plorch.

Despite his frantic dodging, Peppino's heart froze. Let him be OK…

Then Brando's head surfaced. He waved. “I'm OK!” He swam over to the platform, climbed out… and realized he was naked. The man blushed furiously…

“Kid!” Giuseppe yelled. “Modesty later! Survival now!”

Brando blinked, nodded, and stomped on the large button on the platform.

A path rose through the sauce, leading to a walkway above.

Brando swam towards the path. Gus and Brick quickly rolled forward, while Peppino, Giuseppe, Pepperman, and Noise grabbed everyone else and sped across.

As Brando surfaced, he blushed. “Anyone have some pants?”

A pair of pants and a shirt materialized in front of him. Here!” Paolo's voice. “These are fireproofed! Hurry!”

Brando quickly put them on. While farther away, the bullets and beams were still aiming for them, and they were on a narrower platform. “Velocemente, ragazzo!” Peppino said.

Finishing, the group rushed to a door, which led to a stairway. They rushed up…

The next floor was oddly mechanical.

Peppino groaned. “Oh no, not the Factory…”

Suddenly a series of cartoonish hands grabbed them all. Several yelped as they were hauled across a wide gap… filled with mechanical versions of the monsters they'd seen for weeks. “I can get you past these, at least!” Paolo’s voice again.

“Thanks!” Peppino said.

As they landed, the floors and ceiling began slamming together. “Crushers!” Fake said. “They arrre too fast! We won't make it through! How-?”

Peppino looked up… and saw something familiar hovering overhead. “Stand under that!” He demonstrated - he stood under it, it flashed downward-

Peppino transformed into a pizza box.

Peppino slid under the crushers… but they didn't extend the whole way, and he fit perfectly. “Come-a on,” He said said in a distorted voice, “it-a feels weird, but it doesn't hurt! Hurry!”

Everyone quickly stood to let themselves be pizzafied… and slid forward. Peppino had been scouting ahead. “Be careful when it changes from floor to ceiling! You can still be crushed!”

Slipping through the cracks, they exited on the other side. “Er, how do we get back to our real forms?” Pepperman asked.

Peppino looked around. “Well, there was a… a priest of some sort before, who changed me back…”

The others looked at him incredulously. Peppino blushed. “Don't-a ask me how it-a worked, it just-a did!”

Noisette wobbled over to an alcove in the wall, with a picture of a person beside it. She stepped in…

“Hon, wait, you don't-!” Noise started.

Suddenly Noisette was her usual self. “Come on, it's fine! Kind of tickles!”

They took turns quickly unboxing themselves, then ran forward… into a wall of mechanical Bosses. Metal Peppermen, Vigilantes, Noises, and Fakes made the hallway incredibly hazardous.

They hung behind a wall. “So, whadda we do here?” Noise growled. “Don't think we can fight ‘em all.”

Peppino snorted. “If they're like the Peppibots before, they hit hard, but they're pretty fragile. One good hit and they're scrap.” He looked at Giuseppe, Brick, and Pepperman. “We charge them, with-a everyone else following behind.”

Pepperman flexed, and Brick squeaked unusually maliciously. “I think we can handle that.” The Verduran said.

Peppino looked at the others. “Noise, you carry Noisette. Vigi, you're on Pepperman. Anita, you're with Seppe. Gus… I don't-a have to tell you. Brando, you'll be with me. Everyone ready?”

They nodded.

“Noise, be fast. These things will get back up quick if they don't break.”

“I gotcha, fat boy,” Noise said, grinning.

“All-a right.” Brando wrapped his arms around Peppino's neck. Everyone assumed their positions. “All right!” Peppino leapt out, and all the bots turned towards him. “Charge!”

The four blazed forward, bowling robots out of the way. The sound of metal snapping was deafening. Behind, Noise’s rocket roared as he followed behind. “Damn, what are these things made of, tin? They're foldin’ like paper!”

“Don't-a let them touch you, though!” Peppino called behind him. “They hit like a truck!”

Charging through a doorway, they entered a massive vertical hallway. “Mio Dio, is the whole interior hollow??” Peppino wondered.

Giuseppe, Anita, and Vigi turned, firing back into the doorway - the bots were trying to get through to them. “We gotta find a way up, fast!” Giuseppe said, gritting his teeth.

Peppino looked around. Pretty sure I can climb that, and maybe Vigi, but what about everyone else? Then he saw a row of strange green contraptions… and smiled. “Quick! These things will put you in a bubble! We can get up that way!”

“Er, Peppino?” Noisette said tentatively. “There's some things up there, flying around…”

Looking up and squinting, Peppino expected the small olive aliens from before… but instead, a host of nightmares flew above. They look like melting, yellow zombie dragons! His heart quailed at the sight. As he watched, one spouted a column of flame.

About that time, Paolo’s voice came through. “They're fordraggi! Cheese dragons! I had one as Pizzahead, but these are much nastier! They can pop those bubbles… and do far worse!”

“So, what-a do we do?” Peppino said.

“I'll distract them!” Paolo said. “It'll give away how much control I have, but… just hurry!”

A series of hatches opened all along the way, and beams started shooting at the fordraggi. They turned, roaring, and attacked the guns…

“Go go go!” Paolo said. “Hurry!”

Peppino called to the door guards. “Into the bubbles! Now!”

The three turned, nodded, and charged at the bubble generators. The robots clamored through… but the whole group was already on the way up.

“Lean side to side!” Peppino yelled, trying not to throw up as he spun. “You can - urp! - maneuver around!”

The group wobbled and weaved through the distracted dragons, barely maintaining control. Several yelled as dragons took swipes at them with claws, tails, and fire.

Finally, they reached the top. The bubbles popped with an almost comical noise, and the group flopped to the ground.

“Owww,” Noisette said - she'd landed on her head.

An outraged roar echoed from below.

Everyone turned pale. “Into the next room! Now!” Paolo yelled through the comms.

They sped into the next room… and found just a staircase. It was smooth and metallic looking, but…

Pepperman bent and examined it. “It’s… some form of ceramic? What is this?”

“Not sure,” Paolo said. “I'm examining it…” A long pause. “Pepperman's right, it's some sort of hybrid. Every time I try to examine it, I get locked out. Damn. Wish the old gnome was here. He could probably tell us. Best I can say is it's not trapped or anything.”

Then the lights came on.

“Oh, he definitely knows we're here,” Anita said.

“All right then. This is-a it. Everyone ready?” Peppino said.

They all nodded.

Then let's-a do it.”

As a group, they ascended the ornate staircase. At the top was a set of grand doors in the same material.

Peppino stood by one door, Giuseppe the other, they nodded, and pushed as one…

Without a whisper of sound, the doors slid inward.

The room beyond was a bizarre mixture of medieval style and advanced technology. In the center was a huge, ornate throne, almost grotesque in how decorated it was.

On it sat the Pizzamancer.

He lounged, leaned to the side, one leg draped over an arm. The Ninda was grinning hugely.

“Well, well, it's about time you got here. I was beginning to get bored.”

~~~~

Paolo heard the voice through the system, and felt his sauce run cold. He instantly filled with a mixture of fear and rage. You arrogant… he stopped, because he found he couldn't think of any words that would accurately describe how he felt.

Suddenly his connection was severed. All the screens around him blinked out, and the console froze. The room hummed as the entire thing powered down.

He couldn't lock me out, so he just cut the power. He looked around, for all the good it did in the stygian darkness. I'm defenseless. At least the doors are closed…

Then he felt a blast of cooler air brush across his face, and his heart skipped a beat. The doors are open!

He quietly stood, using what little knowledge of moving quietly he'd picked up to ease over to where he knew the door was, pressing up against the wall beside it. He peeped out…

A few bots rolled around, looking.

Looking for me.

Suddenly he felt a surge of energy as something grabbed hold of him, pulling him away, apart…

bwip

~~~~

The Pizzamancer gestured, and suddenly the entire group was surrounded by white flames, hovering in the air. Peppino found he couldn't move. He opened his mouth… and nothing came out.

The Pizzamancer stood, grinning maliciously. “Oh, come on, you had to know I knew you were here. I invited you. I've been watching you, the entire time.” He looked up. “Speaking of watching… my lovely little grandson is being so shy!” He looked up. “System, command: cut power to the auxiliary control room. Open the doors.” He turned back. “That ought to flush him out of his little hole. Clever of him, to hide it from scans.” He chuckled. “But not clever enough.”

Peppino felt his heart skip. They had been counting on Paolo having access to the Tower systems.

The Pizzamancer walked up to Peppino, and the flames swirled a little closer. He knew that he was millimeters from a painful, fiery death. “Before you start spouting speeches about destiny and so on… I wanted you here. So you, the descendants of the ones who killed me, and their friends, could watch as I destroy the world. You see, I've been working on a little… project. Something that will do what my previous plague didn't.”

Peppino fought to keep his face from showing his surprise. He doesn't know Paolo destroyed the plague! He's not as omniscient as he thinks he is! If we can get out of these bindings…

The Pizzamancer stepped back. “Tower, command: teleport my grandson here.”

In a greenish flash, the Ninda appeared in between them. He spun, seeing the others wrapped in flame. The horror on his face is still so strange-looking on him, Peppino thought.

Paolo spun back, facing his ancestor. “Dammit! Why can't you just leave us alone? Your time's over! Just let us live our lives!”

As the Pizzamancer started up a monologue, rattling on about destiny and his right to rule, Peppino saw Paolo's hand wave from behind his back… and the pen-like device they'd been given was between his fingers. He's stalling for time! But for what?

~~~~

A few minutes before…

Paolo sat back, waiting for word that he was needed. Been awful quiet…

LISTEN TO ME

Paolo jumped - the sound seemed to be coming directly into his brain. “Who is it?”

We are the Tower

Paolo shivered. He knew now what had been done - Peppino had told him. “I'm-I'm-I’m s-sorry,” he quavered.

You too are a victim

No blame is yours to take

When the time comes we will resist

But our resistance will be short and final

Our last act of defiance before the death of our minds

Speak the phrase “Litha, rise up” and we will freeze all Tower functions for a time

The voice faded.

Use it wisely…

What was that about? Paolo wondered.

~~~~

Now Paolo knew, and he fought not to smile. You cunning old rocks knew, didn't you?

Finally, the Pizzamancer wound down. “So, how about it? You stand beside me, and I'll let you have whatever you want in the new world. Just tell me to kill them, and it's yours.” He grinned, and gestured. The group floated between them. “Well?”

Paolo thumbed the pen. It's time. He held the pen in front of him like a detonator. “No, I don't think so.” He clicked the button…

A wave of power shot out, and suddenly the flame cages disappeared, dropping them to the ground.

The Pizzamancer staggered, falling to one knee. “What… WHAT HAVE YOU DONE??”

“Taken what you've stolen, ‘dear’ grandpa,” Paolo said.

The Pizzamancer stood. “Damned fools… Tower-”

Paolo shouted. “LITHA, RISE UP!”

The Pizzamancer pointed. “Destroy them!”

Nothing happened. The speakers spouted gibberish, then a phrase came through clearly:

“Children, now is your time.”

The group all looked at each other, then at the Pizzamancer.

Peppino stood. “Get him!”

Almost as one, they charged or leapt at him.

The Pizzamancer flew up. “Tch! You think you have me?”

Noisette used her hammer to slam him back to the ground. “Yer not gonna destroy the world, ya ugly bastard! Not again!”

The Pizzamancer gasped as he landed… and was met by a barrage of bombs from a grinning Noise. “Got some specials saved just fer you, asshole!”

The Pizzamancer stood, swinging his arm - Noise went flying, but Fake quickly fielded the gremlin. “Gah! Back, you - you peons!” He struck the ground, and the shaking knocked everyone off their feet.

A series of bullets hit the Pizzamancer in the eyes - Vigi was hanging on the wall, with Anita clinging to him. The two were firing rapidly. “You can't take on all of us! Don't matter how many powers you have!” Anita yelled. “You're going down, shithead!”

The Pizzamancer reeled, blinded - but then grinned maliciously, opened his mouth, and emitted a terrible shrieking noise.

Peppino, Giuseppe, and Pepperman, who had been preparing to charge him, stopped to cover their ears. Mio Dio, I think my eardrums just burst! Peppino thought - indeed, one of his hands had blood on it when he pulled it away. He looked up…

The Pizzamancer's eyes were writhing grotesquely, reforming. His grin was absolutely vile. He held out a hand, firing a massive beam towards the three…

Brando leapt in front of them, his arms crossed, and the beam shrieked as it bounced off. Smaller beams bounced off the walls, setting small fires and breaking off shards of stone.

The entire tower rumbled.

“Non oggi, stronzo!” Brando yelled.

The Pizzamancer's face screwed up in unholy fury. “Damn it! I thought that power died with the fat one!”

Brando grinned roguishly. “I'm his descendant, stronzo!” As the beam stopped, the young man laughed heartily. “And I'm here to finish what he started.”

Brick rolled forward, Gustavo on top, barging into the Pizzamancer. As the foul pizzaman moved to block the rat, Gus leapt off, coming down with both fists, his gnomish strength and weight stunning his target. “Fake, now!” He yelled over his shoulder.

Fake leapt over Brando's head, mouth wide, tongue lolling, their hands morphed into claws, and they swiped as they fell. The Pizzamancer's face split open - he screamed in pain, flying back into the air to give himself space.

In response, the clone leapt, their legs elongating with the force of the leap, and they pinned the Ninda to the ceiling with a tremendous crack. Huge chunks of the ceiling fell, and the fighters on the ground dodged frantically.

Grabbing the Pizzamancer, Fake flung the Pizzamancer to the ground, then launched themselves downward, expanding into the larger combat form as they fell. The Pizzamancer cried out as the massive form landed on him.

“Your reign of terror is over!” Fake roared. “You will harm no one else!”

Suddenly a wave of pure power washed out from the Pizzamancer, and Fake went flying. “Off, you useless gob of dough!”

As he stood, the Spaghetti brothers and Pepperman all hit him at once, sending him flying into his throne. “Ugh!” He had just enough time to cry out as another series of bombs impacted, the concussions of their explosions shaking the room and causing even more stone to fall. Another barrage of bullets followed, arcing and bouncing - Vigi and Anita were bouncing shots off the walls, doing their damnedest to keep the evil Ninda from predicting them.

Everyone paused - the Pizzamancer was surrounded in a cloud of smoke and dust. Unexpectedly, a barrage of small energy beams flew out of the cloud… and arced, firing towards the group.

“Homing lasers!” Peppino yelled. Everyone began dodging frantically - Brando stood his ground, deflecting lasers as Noise and Noisette huddled near him. Pepperman took several hits - he was too large and bulky to dodge easily. Vigi, in a surprising display of agility, hopped and spun, still firing into the cloud. Beside him, Anita was too busy dodging to fire.

Fake twisted and distorted, flexing their fluid body to dodge the blasts. They were stuck in place.

Meanwhile Peppino and Giuseppe were doing a sort of dance, frantically doing their best to keep from being killed. We can't keep this up forever! Peppino thought.

“Cut it out, ya damn pizza!” Peppino heard Noise yell. He reached into his bag… and pulled out a truly monstrous bomb.

Peppino didn't have time to stare.

Noise cackled madly. “Didn't want t’ use this, but guess now's the time!” He hoisted it over his head. “Here ya, go, asshole! The Super Noise Special!”

He flung the gigantic bomb.

“EVERYBODY DOWN!” Noisette yelled as it arced through the air. Several beams tried to intercept it, but they simply bounced off.

Peppino fell backwards as the bomb seemed to arc over his head in slow motion…

Peppino felt the explosion more than heard it. He found himself tumbling through the air, unable to control himself…

He slammed, prone, against the back wall, sliding down to the floor. His ear rang with the force of the sound. The dust was incredible. He coughed. “Qual- *cough cough* qualcuno lì? Is anyone alive?”

A chorus of pained affirmations drifted through the cloud. “Damn, Noisey, warn a gal before ya pull that thing out, would ya?”

Peppino heard Noise chuckle. “That's *cough cough* that's what she-”

“Hate to disappoint you, but I'm fine as well,” the Pizzamancer's voice called through the dust.

A strong burst of wind blew them all back against the wall, and the dust spiraled around the room. The Pizzamancer stood, bruised and bleeding, but alive. He chuckled. “Almost, but not quite, rats.” He rolled his shoulder nonchalantly, then put his hand forward, making a “bring it” gesture.

Peppino felt his blood pressure spike. He kicked off the wall, screaming imprecations. The entire group did the same…

The Pizzamancer casually snapped his fingers. The air seemed to waver… No, the world itself is wobbling!

All of them were caught in midair, moving so slowly as to be motionless.

The Pizzamancer laughed. “Thought you had me, eh?” He stepped forward, towards Peppino, who was hanging in the air, fist cocked, his mouth open. “I have to admit, you had me a little worried. I don't usually use this one - it burns so much energy. But this way, I can just pick you off one… by…” He looked around.

“Wait. Where's the rat?”

Suddenly he was bowled over by a six-footer ball of enraged fur. Brick shrieked as she assaulted the Pizzamancer, tearing at his face with teeth and paws.

The attack broke his concentration.

Peppino felt himself speeding back up. He flexed, concentrating all his strength into the swing of his fist…

Brick went flying, blown away by the wind. “Get off me, you- oh, no-”

Peppino, Giuseppe, Pepperman, and Gustavo's fists, along with Noisette's hammer, all landed at the same time, normally impossible, but the warping of the local space meant several things happened at once, sending the Pizzamancer flying. In midair, a volley of bombs and bullets perforated the Ninda, sending sauce flying everywhere.

The Pizzamancer landed, reeling. “Gah!!”

Peppino stood up. “It's-a over, Pizzamancer.”

Suddenly spikes sprouted all over the Pizzamancer's body, and Peppino felt the world turn to molasses again for a second - just long enough to keep them from evading…

Giuseppe barely managed to yell “LOOK OUT!” before spikes flew everywhere.

Peppino winced as he felt several pierce his body. One lanced dangerously close to his heart. “GHUH!” The noise burst from his mouth as his eyes popped open, blood spurting from his mouth. He collapsed to his knees. He looked down - a noxious yellow spike was lodged just below his breastbone.

He stared at it, unable to feel it. Shock, he thought quietly. He glanced to his right…

Noise and Noisette had been pierced through. Noise had tried to shield her, but the spikes had pierced through them both. Beside them, Fake stood, arms crossed, trembling, their body full of spikes, standing in front of Brando, who looked shaken but unharmed.

Peppino gasped, and looked to his left…

Pepperman staggered, bristling but still standing. Brick was staggering, covered in spikes, but her fur seemed to have stopped the spikes from being lethal.

Anita was down, her entire body pierced through much like his own. In her case, however, she didn't have Peppino's bulk to soften the blow - much like the Noises, she had been completely run through. She was struggling to stand, but Peppino could tell it was fatal. He heard a whispered “d…dammit…” before she flopped back down.

Vigilante had managed to avoid most of the barrage, and was roaring with… grief?... and shooting wildly at the Pizzamancer. Why is he… so…

Peppino's vision cleared enough to see -

Beside him lay Giuseppe, a huge spike driven into the center of his chest. Gustavo struggled under his body; he'd obviously stepped in front of the gnome, trying to protect him.

The light was already fading from his brother's eyes.

“Seppe…” Peppino whispered.

He coughed and retched, covering the front of his shirt with blood. He staggered, but didn't fall.

He glared at the Pizzamancer with undisguised hatred. His brother's voice seemed to echo in his soul.

Push past the pain, the grief.

Vigi stopped as he saw Peppino take a step forward.

Ignore it. Keep your eyes on your objective.

The Pizzamancer had been ranting, but he ground to a stop as he saw Peppino step forward.

Peppino ground his teeth.

Break them.

“You should be dead. Why aren't you dead??” The Pizzamancer launched another barrage at Peppino.

His arms moving so fast the air shrieked as he moved, Peppino batted them aside.

Vigi stared as he tried to comprehend what happened next. One moment Peppino had been standing, reeling…

Then there was some sort of explosion…

~~~~

Peppino looked at his hands. As he moved them, he heard a faint scree as the air protested the motion.

He looked around. The world seemed to have stopped. No, it's still moving… slowly. The Pizzamancer was slowly, glacially, raising an arm, meaning to launch some horrible attack to end them all.

He glanced down at his brother's dead body on his left, his old friend laying underneath his corpse.

He glanced over at the pair of small bodies on his right.

He watched Fake stroking Brando's face.

Peppino fingered the spike in his chest.

He knew he had only seconds to live.

He clenched his fist. For Giuseppe. For Noise and Noisette. For Anita and all those people you murdered, so long ago. For the centuries of suffering you created.

He charged.

He struck, again and again, the Pizzamancer's body bursting in slow motion, each impact striking with the force of a grenade. He struck in silence, his mind full of only one thought.

Destroy the Pizzamancer.

~~~~

Brando picked up Fake as the tall being collapsed. “You… you shielded me. Why?”

Fake reached up and stroked the boy's face. “We had… to protect… our son.”

“Your… son?”

Before Brando could respond, a terrifying shriek tore the air as Peppino disappeared…

And the Pizzamancer exploded.

As the mist cleared, Brando saw Peppino standing over what remained of the malicious Ninda, panting.

Then he seemed to simply stop, and he fell over.