[ WP ] Knowledge is power , and magic is might ... but all of that energy has to come from somewhere . Write a story where fat is the natural human storage of Mana or MP .

James was starting to slow. The dirty asphalt sapping his strength with every lumbering stride. Risking a quick glance over his shoulder rewarded him with the knowledge that his pursuer was having no such issue. Gared Thornbeck was closing fast, the ground trembling with the strain of his impressive girth. James had never seen anyone so fat in all his life. 
 
 The day had started off so well, too. The last client had walked out the door more than a month ago. She'd actually come through with the payment, just when James was starting to think he'd been scammed. He'd finally been able to catch up on his rent and had even had enough to mollify Tall Ernie after that bad run at the track last week. The little mom & pop store on the corner where he caught the bus that morning even had fresh chicken and waffle biscuits. It was all aces. Until Phil called. Phil was James sometime partner, most of the time employer. Phil would find the clients, and James would hit the marks. 
 
 James prided himself on being a good thief. He prided himself on being a good dad. He took a lot of pride in his barbecue skills. Most importantly though, he took pride in staying in shape, and that pride was starting to hurt a little more every time James looked back at Gared. The corpuscular giant waddling inexorably toward him, steam pouring off it in the crisp winter air like some mad steampunk abomination. 
 
 Phil had called earlier that day, just after James had stopped by to see Tall Ernie, and was quite a bit poorer than he had been hoping to be at this time of the day. Phil was like that. He always called when he knew you could n't say no. `` Steal a statue from some rich guy. He's moving it today. He do n't think nobody knows about it, so security will be real light.'' That's what Phil had said. Now here was James, running for his life down the middle of the street being chased by some of the best security money can buy. 
 
 Gared Thornbeck. 
 
 Gared `` The Beachball'' Thornbeck was one of the highest paid lardomancer security experts in the world. With good reason too. The man had more power in one of his comically swollen sausage fingers than any ten other lardomancers. He was famous for it. Somehow he had figured out how to compress the fat in his body, allowing him to be almost infinitely fat. You just did n't mess with the man, or anything he was hired to guard. So it was, understandably, a bit confusing for James to see him on what was supposed to be a simple smash and grab. He should be sitting at home counting his money, not trying to outrun a human bowling ball. 
 
 A sharp left turn into the alley behind an old bakery brought James up short. The other end of the alley was bricked up. 
 
 How could that be? I scouted this exit only a few hours ago, thought James. 
 
 `` Where did you think you were going with my employers property, Mr. Sharedon?'' 
 
 Slowly James turned around to see `` The Beachball'' blocking the only way back out of the alley. His eyes darting everywhere, looking for some way to defend himself against this titan of obesity. Nothing. All of his backup supplies had been taken. 
 
 `` How did you know I'd come this way?'' asked James, holding his hands out to show he was unarmed. 
 
 `` You've gotten sloppy James. Waist line not quite as impressive as it was. Used to be, you'd case a job like a civilian. Had to preserve that precious little bit of power you had. Now you walk in and try to look invisible with your half-assed'do n't look at me' spell, and you know what you look like to me? An Ass. Of course I knew you'd go here. I steered you here.'' 
 
 Gared reached inside his coat and pulled out a pack of unfiltered camel cigarettes. He always carried a pack with him on jobs these days. He always seemed to need them lately. He tapped a cigarette out of the pack and held it out to James, the end flaring to life as he moved. James smiled and stepped forward to take the cigarette. He barely felt it when the blade Gared was holding went through his chest. He looked shocked as Gared stood there holding him aloft by the sword lodged in his ribs. He tried to talk but the blood clogging his throat would n't form words as readily as the air he desperately tried to pull into his ruptured lungs. 
 
 `` Damn. I did n't mean to hit the lung, I really was going to share this smoke with you. It's a pity. I told you not to steal from me again, James. I did warn you'' Gared gunted, while setting James down and planting a foot on his chest to free the sword. 
 
 No need to waste a cigarette, thought Gared. So he stood, and smoked, and thought about what he was going to tell Phil. Obviously this was Phil's fault, James never did anything without that little rat's approval. James had n't seemed to know it was Gared he was stealing from. Maybe he'd been a little too hasty in killing him. No matter now though, Gared never was the type to shed tears. He was the type to handle business. Right now, it seemed Phil was his business. 
 
 Stubbing the cigarette out with the toe of his massive gucci loafers, Gared waved his arm through the air. The excess fat flapping, and humming with the power of his craft, he ripped a portal into the air. Kneeling by James body he rifled through his pockets until he found his cell phone. Biometrically locked. Gared focused his power on the phone and swiped his finger across the biometric reader. Unlocked. Gared smiled and pocketed the phone. Yeah, it was time to pay Phil a visit. He stood and brought James with him, throwing the corpse over his shoulder. Putting one foot through the portal, Gared stopped to look back on alley. 
 
 `` Well, ca n't leave it like this.'' said Gared, and with a nod of his head the wall at the end of the alley dissolved into dust and drifted out toward the street. `` Time to go see Phil.'' 
 
 He stepped through the portal and it closed behind him. Nothing but a red smear on the dirty alley floor to mark the passing. 
 

