Murdoc, Russel and 2-D are in the games room. 2-D is busy playing a video game, totally engrossed in the characters on the screen. Muds and Russel are playing pool. Murdoc walks round the table, chalking up his cue and studying the positions of the balls on the table. Russel is keeping a close eye on him.

"You havin' a problem there, Russss?" hisses Murdoc, eyeing the large man and smiling. He carefully puts the chalk on the edge of the table.

"I ain't takin' my eye off you for a second. I know you bin cheatin'." answers Russel, folding his arms over his large chest and pursing his lips. Murdoc shoots him an evil smile and blows on the tip of his cue, then runs his tounge over his teeth and smacks his lips. Then slowly bends down to line up his shot. Russel moves impatiently, shifting the weight from one hip to another. Muds looks at him from across the table.

"I don't NEED to cheat tosser. I know how to play. Heh, heh." he says and finally takes his turn. The cue ball flashes across the table, striking his ball with a resounding crack, it strikes two of Russels balls and sends them across the table, one striking one of Muds balls and dropping it nicely into the corner pocket. Muds stands and and smiles triumphantly, shooting Russel a quick smile. Russel tilts his head and sighs heavily. Murdoc has dropped one insult after another, throughout the whole game, that, coupled with 2-Ds constant grunting and the sound coming from the young mans video game, slowly grating on his nerves and wearing him down. Murdoc sees the tired look in Russels eyes. The bassist knows all this and has been using it to win. Murdoc lines up his next shot and knocks one of Russels balls out of shot from the pocket and settles it near the cusion, but fails to pot his own, Not that that bothers the devious old man, as he has nearly snookered Russel in the proccess.

"Can I have my shot now?" says Russel, unfolding his arms, grabbing his cue and moving to step up to the table.

"Wait!" says muds suddenly and holds out his hand. "Lemme just do a running count. I have one ball and the black. You have one, two, three, four balls and the black. That means...Oh! I'm winning, what a lovely surprise. Haw, haw, haw." he sneers and steps back, making a grand gesture to an invisible audience. encouraging silent appraise. "Thank you, thank you. it's been lovely entertaining you all here tonight. No autographs please." This just infuriates Russel further. He stares angrily at muds his eyes flashing and storms over to the table.

"Are you suggestin' I can't count!?" he snaps, his anger almost at breaking point, his patience almost worn thin. The large man grips his cue hard, knuckles straining against his skin. He turns his head sharply in 2-Ds direction and wishing the 'Little blue idiot.' would turn the volume down at least, so he could just think. Murdoc is unfazed by Russels growing fury. He leans against his cue, crosing his ankles and looks down at his filthy nails, yawning.

"Oh no. Not at all." he says, waving the back of his hand towards the table. "Just take yer shot. I'm sure you can catch up. I mean it's only four balls and the black." he continues calmly with a slight chuckle in his voice. Russel grits his teeth.

"Yessssss, level 6!" shouts 2-D suddenly, punching the air.

"Will you shutup!!!!" bellows Russel like a raging bull, turning on the young man. 2-D ducks and scrunches down, turning to see what happened. He looks up from his spot on the floor in front of the television and sees Russel looking larger than ever, breathing hard, nostrils flared, staring down at him. He thinks for a second and slowly moves back a bit further away from the angry, black American.

"Oh sorry." 2-D says in a tiny voice, hoping this doesn't cause Russle to snap and insert him into the wall. Face first. Russel turns back to Murdoc and sees the old mans eyes, glinting like diamonds under his hairline.

"Uh, ah, ahhh." says Muds, wagging his finger from side to side at the infuriated drummer. "Anger and the fine art of pool, just don't go together. You'll miss yer shot you know." he continues, then goes back to studying his nails. Russel knows Muds is stirring. So he takes a large cleansing breath, trying to calm down. He chalks his cue and checks his shot. He can see what Muds has done and knows this will be a tricky shot. If he can hit the edge of his ball just right, he can hook the shot and bounce it off the corner of the pocket cusion and pot the ball. But if he hits it wrong, he'll waste his shot. Or, if he hits the black, he'll give Muds two shots and the game. Muds clears his throat, needling the drummer even further. He glares at the bassist, who just innocently looks at him. Russel lines up and shoots, the cue ball is heading in the right direction, but it has too much speed and Russel knows it. It stikes his ball exactly as predicted and hooks it, but the momentum takes the ball too high and it misses the pocket.

"Oh man." the drummer complains, dropping his face to the table. Murdoc grins and almost does a little dance of joy. Russel, feeling deflated, steps back from the table.

"My turn!" announces Muds brightly. Russels ball now clear, Muds has a straight shot to the pocket.

"Damn!" says Russel, thrusting his fists towards the floor and nearly stamping his foot. Muds takes his shot, slaming the ball home.

"Hmmm. I'm on the black." says Murdoc smiling up at Russel.

"In more ways den one." says Russel under his breath, folding his arms over his chest and leaning heavily on the back of the lounge. Murdoc looks up and purses his lips then lets a strange smile creep across his lips.

"Aww, do I hear sour grapes? Tsk, tsk, tsk." he says, then walks around the table to check his last shot, but sees that Russels free ball has slightly screwed him up. He sneaks a look at him and reaches for the chalk. Russel waits fuming and breathing angrily through his nose. Muds walks back round the table, chalking his cue. 'one more and i'll have him so angry, his head will explode.' thinks the devious old man. He puts the chalk back down on the edge of the table.

"Ya ready?" he says, needling him one last time. That does it. Russel looks away and over his sholder in annoyance. Muds quickly tips the cue ball an inch to the left, giving him a much clearer shot. "No, no. Don't look away. Yer gunna wanna see this." he says, pushing Russel to the breaking point, and almost over the edge completely. Russel looks back completely enraged. He pulls himself up to full height and grinds his teeth, eyes flaming and steam coming out of his ears.

"Just take the damn shot!!!!!!" he roars. Muds complys, slaming the ball home and winning the game.

"Tah dah! I win." says Muds, bowing to his invisible audience and blowing kisses.

"FINE!!!!!!!" snaps Russel slaming the cue down on the table. He storms out, growling like an angry grizzly bear. Murdoc chuckles and walks to the table near the lounge. He reaches down and picks up the $100.00 sitting on it.

"You cheated." says 2-D in a tiny voice, peering up over the top of the lounge. He'd paused the game and had been watching them. Muds shoots him an evil look, before he shoves the money deep into his pocket.

"You tell him and, and, and.... I'll rip yer lungs out!" Muds stammers, annoyed and angry at being caught out. He reaches over the lounge to grab the young man. 2-D lurches back.

"I woz jus' sayin'." says 2-D, throwing his hands up in surrender. Muds just snarls and walks out the room. 2-D shrugs and goes back to his game. "Thats why I won't play you, you cheatin' git. I ain't THAT dumb." he adds quietly and goes back to killing sprites.