Note from the Author of the Insane: Just so there is no confusion here, I am using the names Othello, Desdemona, and Iago as names of the souls inside Coldstone. While yes, Othello and Coldstone are the same person essentially, the name Coldstone described the cyborg, while Othello describes soul.
Just FYI
…
Far off the shores of Manhattan Island, under one of the many large bridges connecting it to the mainland, Coldstone, the cybernetic gargoyle, lay dormant beneath the ocean waves. He had sacrificed himself to protect his Rookery brother and had seemingly paid the ultimate price. However, all was not what it seemed.
Deep within the recesses of Coldstone's mind, the cybernetic implants were working furiously to repair their damaged host while keeping his conscious mind occupied in a specially design Virtual Reality Program. In the twilight colored virtual reality, some of his more vivid memories began playing in a seemingly endless loop.
Coldstone held his mate, a beautiful tan gargoyle with golden hair, kissing her passionately. They had a love that had rivaled even Goliath and Demona before the Wyvern Massacre. However, there had been one gargoyle who had attempted to break Coldstone and his mate apart. This gargoyle had led Coldstone to believe that Goliath was after his mate, and in a jealous rage, he attacked his brother, knocking them off the castle battlements.
With his sentient mind occupied with the onslaught of memories, Coldstone's AI program took over, activating the metal wings and sending the cyborg rocketing out of the water and into the setting sun. He hovered there for a minute, his eye scanner locking onto a building off in the distance. With his target locked, Coldstone flew off towards the island and towards his unsuspecting target.
…
The Golden Cup, despite the rather interesting name, was a research facility dedicated to robotics, cybernetics, as well as top notch computer security. They prided themselves on being one of the top leading manufacturers of their fields of research, even above Xanatos Enterprises. They were so confident in their security that it was a complete and utter shock when a monstrous creature busted through one of the top floor windows of the research lab.
While the guards were initially shocked by the cybernetic gargoyle's appearance, they quickly recovered and began to open fire on it. Unfortunately, the bullets just harmlessly bounced off its metal body as he shoved passed the armed guards, making its way deeper into the facility.
…
Willow held open the trap door for Elisa as she pulled herself into the Clock tower. She had a headset in her hand, and a smile on her face.
"Evening Elisa." Willow greeted.
"Hey, they awake yet?" Elisa asked.
"They're shaking off the last of their stone skin as we speak." Willow replied with a nod
"Awesome." Elisa grinned.
Elisa walked into the living room and saw what looked like a large snack buffet set out on the rug in front of the TV. She turned to Willow with a knowing smile.
"You and Brooklyn are finally having that movie marathon, huh?" she questioned.
Willow gave an enthusiastic nod, one that turned into a huge smile as Brooklyn snuck up behind her and snatched her up into a hug. Willow shrieked happily as she returned the hug in kind. Elisa gave the two some space as Goliath and Lexington approached her.
"Those two seem to be hitting it off quite nicely." Elisa commented
"I've never seen Brooklyn so happy. " Lexington replied. "Willow too."
"They remind me of how I use to be." Goliath remarked with a small smile. "I can only hope that they will not be torn from each other like I was..."
On that sour note, the mood of the small group seemed to take a bad turn. That is, until Lexington noticed the headset on Elisa's hand.
"What are those for?" he asked.
Elisa smiled at the small gargoyle, handing them to him.
"Matt just got the call." Elisa explained.
Willow suddenly spoke up from the living room.
"You mean the RECAP unit finally came in?" she asked.
"That right." Elisa replied. "We're gonna be testing it out tonight."
"Sweet!" Lexington said with a smile as he slipped the headphones onto his head.
Goliath was intrigued by the conversation and became curious about this "RECAP" that Willow had mentioned.
"You seem quite excited about a test." Goliath said, a small smile on his face.
"Of course, I am!" Lexington exclaimed. "RECAP stands for Reconnaissance Emergency Cyber Automated Probe. It's the latest in robotic technology that's hooked up to virtual reality."
"It's just a machine we use to deal with high risk situations." Elisa explained.
"It sounds quite interesting." Goliath remarked. "Perhaps I shall join Lexington in his observation of this… RECAP."
"If you want to, you can." Elisa told him, headed back towards the door. "What about the rest of you?"
Hudson, who had settled into his usual chair, waved a hand.
"No thanks lass." He politely declined. "Someone's gotta keep an eye on these two."
Brooklyn and Willow turned to Hudson, the latter sticking her tongue out at him good naturedly. Broadway also declined, his mouth stuffed full of popcorn which prevented him from speaking. Bronx, of course, had already settled into his usual spot on the rug, right next to Hudson's chair. Lexington shrugged, already assuming they would have declined, then turned to Goliath.
"Looks like it's just you and me." He remarked.
Goliath put his hand on the small gargoyle's shoulder as the two of them made their way out onto the balcony.
…
Back at the Golden Cup, Coldstone continued to make his way through the winding corridors of the large building. Armed guards attempted to stop him at every turn, but their efforts proved futile against the unstoppable machine. He plowed through them as if they were nothing, shoving and throwing them aside one by one as they converged on him.
After fighting off what seemed to be hundreds upon hundreds of guards, Coldstone came upon his target, a large set of metal doors. The guards all gathered in front of it, hoping that a combined effort could keep the monster at bay. However, it proved to be a fruitless endeavor.
Up until this point, Coldstone had not used any of his weaponry, save for his cybernetically enhanced strength and durability. This time, his large red eye locked onto the metal doors as he lifted his arm. The guards all tensed, waiting for something to happen. When the laser pistol extended out of his arm, they all did what any sane person would do: they scattered.
Coldstone powered up the gun to full blast and let loose on the door, blasting an almost perfectly circular hole in the door. Stowing the gun, the gargoyle made his way through the now open door and into Golden Cup's main server room. He scanned each individual server before finding the one he was looking for. He approached it, a small USB drive extending from his finger as he inserted it into the proper port.
Now, while Golden Cup's firewalls prevented anyone on the outside to hack their servers, they were useless against Coldstone's superior technology. However, when he downloaded the information he was after, he also downloaded something unexpected. After ejecting his USB from the server, blue electricity sparked across his finger, then coursed up his arm and straight into his cybernetic brain. He cried out in pain, his AI processor automatically shutting down to combat the threat and bringing his sentient consciousness out of the virtual world, forcing him back into the real world.
"Where am I?" he asked aloud, searching his surroundings in confusion and alarm. "How did I get here?"
The only answer he got was the bright light of a guard's flashlight as they converged on him again. Shielding his eyes from the light, he saw them aiming weapons at him. As the opened fire on him, he snarled in anger and confusion, grabbing the computer terminal and hurtling it at them.
"Get away from me!" he shouted, just as much of a demand as it was a warning.
…
Outside the Golden Cup building, police cruisers, ambulances, and all sorts of emergency vehicles gathered near the front entrance. Medics gathered up all the staff that the police managed to successfully evacuate, loading the injured into the back of the ambulances. Within minutes, everybody was evacuated, leaving Elisa and Matt, along with the rest of the Manhattan police force, to do their job.
Matt stood by one of the large police vans, taking a large remote control in his hands and placing the connected visor onto his face. Elisa watched him with a hint of worry in her eye.
"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" she asked.
"I didn't spend six months reading instruction manuals for nothing." He retorted playfully.
Elisa raised an eyebrow as Matt began to maneuver the RECAP unit, which resembled a miniaturized Mars Rover in her opinion and not a tool meant to be used by the police.
"This is beyond simple." Matt continued, drawing Elisa's attention again. "With this visor, I can see what RECAP sees as if I'm right there, without the risk of having to face whatever's in there on my own."
Like a child playing with a remote-control car, Matt pulled RECAP out of the truck and up to the main door of the building. Through RECAP's camera, Matt could see the deserted hallways, as well as the carnage wrought by the as-of-yet unseen intruder. He sent RECAP all the way to the Server Room, where Coldstone was attempting to escape from the building.
"THIS IS THE POLICE!" RECAP's loudspeaker broadcasted loudly. "STAY WHERE YOU ARE!"
Coldstone ignored RECAP's warning, advancing on the probe. Matt took this as hostile force and had RECAP fire a tear gas grenade. It did little more than bounce off Coldstone's metal chest, and the gas didn't even faze the beast. If anything, it only enraged Coldstone, who turned to the probe furiously.
"Why did you bring me here only to attack me?!" he howled.
Matt quickly realized that this situation was just too hot, even for RECAP, and quickly began trying to get the little robot out of there. Unfortunately, Coldstone remained on his tail, so Matt activated the tasers. These had much more effect than the tear gas, which made Matt smile.
"I got it!" he cheered.
Unfortunately, that was when Coldstone activated his laser pistol, blasting RECAP into scrap metal. Matt howled in pain, tearing the visor off his face as if it was burning him. As he did this, the wall a couple stories above the street exploded, and the wrecked remains of RECAP came flying out onto the street. As Matt and Elisa went to see if the probe was salvageable, Coldstone approached the hole with only one thought in mind.
"FREEDOM!" he cried taking off into the night.
On a rooftop across from the Golden Cup, Goliath and Lexington watched the events unfold, and were surprised to see Coldstone flying off.
"My rookery brother…" Goliath gasped in utter disbelief. "He's alive."
"But how?" Lexington asked.
Goliath unfurled his wings, perching on the edge of the building for take-off.
"I don't know, but we best find him quickly, before more trouble find him." Goliath insisted.
The two gargoyles quickly took off after Coldstone, following him to a rooftop overlooking the bay. It was there that they found the cyborg overlooking the view, as if trying to figure something out. They landed behind him, hoping not to startle him. Unfortunately, Coldstone was still riled up from his confusing situation and attacked Goliath, believing him to be enemy.
"My brother!" Goliath called, trying to push Coldstone off him. "It's me!"
Coldstone's metal fist, which had been poised to attack, stopped as Coldstone recognized him.
"Goliath?" he said in surprise.
Lexington approached the two, gently taking Coldstone's fist and lowering it. Coldstone looked to him.
"And-?" Coldstone began.
"They call me Lexington now." Lex supplied.
Coldstone relaxed his fist, then helped Goliath back to his feet.
"What are you two doing here?" Coldstone asked.
"We were about to ask you the same question." Goliath replied.
Coldstone paused for a moment, then turned back to the view of the ocean.
"I do not know…" He admitted. "All I remember is pulling you from the water at the bridge, then Demona's shot. Next thing I knew, I was awakening in that strange place. I fear I am lost, my brother."
Goliath placed his hand on Coldstone's shoulder.
"Then let me help you find your way once more." He offered.
Coldstone turned to Goliath in surprise, watching as he prepared to fly off.
"Come." Goliath invited. "It is time for you to rejoin your clan, Coldstone."
Coldstone raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"Even after I attacked you and tried to kill you, you would still welcome me back?" he asked.
"You forget that you also saved the life of a member of our clan, as well as my own life." Goliath replied. "Besides, I have missed having you by my side."
Coldstone smiled, and the three gargoyles took off into the night, heading back to the Clock Tower and back home.
…
When Willow heard the gargoyle's landing outside, she turned towards the balcony surprised.
"That was a quick test." She commented.
"Yeah…" Brooklyn replied, hitting the pause button on the movie. "A bit too quick."
Everyone turned as Goliath and Lexington walked into the Clock Tower. Willow ran up to them with a look of confusion.
"That didn't take too long." She said, probing for answers. "Something happen?"
It was then that Bronx started snarling and growling, jumping in front of Willow as his eyes locked on the door. Behind the clock face, Willow and the rest of the Manhattan clan could see the silhouette of a large creature. The accompanying sounds of mechanical limbs and stone on metal left no doubt in anyone's mind who had come for a visit.
"Coldstone!" Willow exclaimed happily, running up to the cyborg. "You're alive!"
Coldstone smiled down at her.
"It is a pleasure to see you again, young one." He told her.
"You can call me Willow." She told him.
Hudson approached Coldstone, happily clapping the gargoyle on the shoulder.
"It's good to have you back, lad." He said with a smile.
"It is good to see you as well, Mentor." Coldstone replied happily.
"I'm called Hudson these days." The old gargoyle explained. "We all took on named when we came to live in this world."
"I named most of these guys." Willow explained. "The big guy's Broadway now, the dog's Bronx, and this is Brooklyn."
Brooklyn approached Coldstone cautiously, his wing instinctively wrapping around Willow protectively.
"Are you sure we can trust him?" Brooklyn asked him. "What if he's still working for Demona?"
Coldstone held up his hands in what he hoped was a non-threatening gesture.
"I can promise you that I do not mean you, or your friend, any harm." He promises. "I swear on the soul of my beloved-"
He never finished the sentence. Suddenly, his mechanical eye began to glow, and electricity began coursing through his body. Everyone took a step back instinctively, with Brooklyn pulling Willow to safety. After a minute, the electricity faded and Coldstone blinked in confusion.
"Where am I?" he asked, though his voice seemed… Different.
Goliath approached Coldstone cautiously.
"Brother…" he let out. "Are you alright?"
Coldstone seemed almost offended when Goliath called him brother.
"I am not your brother." He insisted. "Do you not recognize me leader?"
Now EVERYBODY was confused.
"It is me, Goliath." Coldstone insisted, but then hesitated for a moment. "My voice… It's different…"
Coldstone took a few steps back, until he was standing in front of Willow's bedroom.
"And what is this place?" Coldstone demanded, his voice becoming more panicked and more vicious. "This is not the castle!"
By now, Goliath was the only one brave enough to approach Coldstone. He gently took the cybernetic gargoyle's arm, hoping to calm him down.
"I told you before we arrived here." Goliath insisted. "This is our new home, brother."
Coldstone pulled his arm free, his metal claws tearing through the curtain that served as Willow's door.
"Why do you keep calling me brother?!"
It was then that Coldstone caught a glimpse of his reflection in the full-length mirror Willow had. He approached the mirror, wanting a closer look. When he got close enough, he let out a blood curdling scream, barreling past the Gargoyles and back out onto the balcony. Everyone quickly went after him, only to watch him fly off into the night.
Everyone stood there for a good second, an air of utter confusion over them all.
"Okay, I'm just gonna say it." Brooklyn said after a moment. "What was that all about?"
"Beats me." Broadway replied.
"I think there's something wrong in his head." Lexington suggested.
"Yeah." Willow agreed. "The way he spoke, and the way he acted, he sounded almost like… Well, a girl."
"Then something's definitely wrong with his head." Lexington concluded.
"Whatever is wrong, we best find the lad before he hurts someone." Hudson declared. "Or hurts himself."
Goliath nodded in agreement, then handed Willow her gauntlet, which she quickly slipped onto her wrist.
"I pray you do not have to use this." Goliath told her. "But if something is wrong with him, this may be the work of Demona or Xanatos."
"Then we best take to the skies before we lose his trail." Willow declared.
Leaving Bronx to guard the tower, the gargoyles and Willow took off after Coldstone.
…
Coldstone flew through the sky, not entirely sure of where he was going, or where exactly he was. All he knew was that something was not right. As he flew over a large expanse of water towards Ellis Island, he wondered if his current situation had anything to do with 'him'.
At that thought, electricity coursed through Coldstone once more, causing the jet system keeping him in the sky to fail, and for him to begin a rapid descent onto the island. Seeing the light, and spotting Coldstone fall, his pursuers quickly dove for the island, landing right in front of the crater Coldstone's landing had caused. Coldstone slowly sat up, a strange, unsettling smile on his face.
"My brother." Goliath said softly. "Are you alright?"
"Of course." Coldstone replied, but once again, his voice was different.
"Umm, that's not Coldstone's voice." Brooklyn pointed out.
"Nor is it that female voice." Willow added.
Goliath went to approach Coldstone, who was slowly getting back on his feet. Hudson tried to stop him, but Goliath paid him no heed.
"Lad, something is very wrong here." Hudson insisted.
"Whatever is wrong with you brother, I will help you." Goliath promised, his arms held open in a gesture of trust.
"What if I don't want your help, 'brother'?" Coldstone sneered.
Coldstone then drew his weapon, firing on Goliath. The blast sent him flying across the ground and into a lamppost. Hudson quickly ran to his side as the other gargoyles and Willow scattered into defensive positions.
"You would betray my trust, brother?" Goliath demanded, his eyes full of pain and betrayal
"You were a fool to extend it." Coldstone replied cruelly.
"Then you leave us no choice." Goliath said solemnly.
Willow took aim at Coldstone and let off a shot. It hit him right in the gun arm, destroying it. Angrily, Coldstone turned to Willow, eyes narrowed in fury and contempt.
"Sending a human child to fight your battles, Goliath." He snarled. "You always were a coward."
Snarling, he launched at Willow, grabbing her by her gauntlet. He hoisted her into the air, his metal claws digging into the metal.
"WILLOW!" Brooklyn screamed, diving for her.
Thinking fast, Willow sent the command to her gauntlet to loosen, allowing her to slip out of it just as Brooklyn grabbed her. Coldstone watched the red gargoyle yanked Willow to safety, his metal claws shredding the gauntlet to pieces.
"My gauntlet!" Willow exclaimed.
Angrier now than ever, Goliath tackled his brother, wrestling him to the ground. The rest of the gargoyle's watched, praying for a positive outcome.
"That can't be Coldstone." Hudson insisted. "Something is wrong with the lad."
"You're definitely right Hudson." Lexington replied, turning back to the city. "And I think I know how to find out."
…
Back at the Golden Cup, the police were still trying to clean up the mess Coldstone had made. As they worked, Elisa and Matt examined the large hole in the server room doors.
"I'm telling you, it was the same creature that attacked time square last winter." Matt insisted.
Elisa was about to try and talk her partner down from his conspiracy theory high when her Bluetooth set began vibrating. Peeking at her phone, she recognized the number on the screen.
"If you're sure, maybe some of the guards can back up your theory." Elisa said to Matt. "I've got it covered here, so why don't you go and help take statements."
Matt smiled, then went to work. Once he was clear, she put in her ear piece, she answered the call.
"That you Lex?"
"Yeah, it's me." Lexington replied. "The creature that attacked Golden Cup? It's Coldstone."
"Yeah, I guessed as much." Elisa told him. "According to witnesses, he was attempting to steal top secret government defense schematics from the facilities hard drive. Unfortunately, that's not the only thing he took. Due to the sensitive nature of the files, they were protected by a brand new, incredibly vicious computer virus, which is designed to attack and eliminate any unfamiliar data that it finds."
Elisa could hear Lexington's gasp of horror, and his panicked muttering.
"That explains why he's acting strange." He finally said after a minute. "Listen Elisa, I need you to do me a favor."
"What kind of favor?" Elisa questioned.
Outside, Lexington landed on the truck holding the remains of RECAP, as well as the VR hook-up and remote.
"I need to borrow something for a bit."
…
Back on Ellis Island, Goliath and Coldstone continued their battle. Coldstone had Goliath pinned to the ground beneath him, but Goliath managed to get his legs under him, and with a mighty kick, he sent Coldstone flying into the base of the Statue of Liberty. When he hit, electricity surged through him once more, restoring the original Coldstone.
"Goliath…" he let out. "My brother… Why do you attack me?"
Goliath paused his assault in confusion as the rest of the gargoyles watched from the safety of the roof of Ellis Island's main building.
"What the hell is going on with Coldstone?" Brooklyn demanded.
"I can't tell what's wrong." Broadway replied.
It was about that time that the electricity returned. It was becoming more and more frequent, switching between the three different Coldstones. As Goliath tried to keep his brother calm, Willow suddenly sat up.
"Wait a minute!" she cried. "I know what's going on!"
By now, Coldstone was just writhing in electrical agony, Goliath perched protectively above him. The cyborg was muttering about voices in his head, and he was begging them to be quiet. Figuring it was safe to come down, the rest of the group landed around the barely conscious Coldstone
"Coldstone is, for all intents and purposes, Frankenstein's monster." Willow explained as she touched down. "Bits of different gargoyles and machinery brought to life through magic."
"Aye…" Hudson said with a slightly confused nod.
"Well, what if whatever magic brought him back also brought back the souls of the different gargoyles whose stone pieces were used to build him?" she questioned.
"Wait, are you saying that this isn't some split personality thing?" Brooklyn asked.
"No." she answered. "There are literally three gargoyles in one body, and they're fighting for supremacy over Coldstone."
Goliath stared at his brother, pain etched in both of their faces. Willow knelt next to Goliath.
"Did your brother have a mate?" she asked. "This all started when he mentioned a beloved."
"He did…" Goliath replied. "They would have been together during the massacre. They always made it a point to be near each other before sunrise."
"That still doesn't explain the Evil Coldstone." Broadway reminded them.
"If what Willow says is true, then I may know who that one is as well." Goliath told him. "There was one brother who longed to drive a wedge between me and my rookery brother, and he attempted to use my brother's mate to do it."
"That sounds like the story of Othello." Willow surmised.
"Othello?" Hudson asked.
"It's a Shakespeare tragedy." She clarified. "An evil man named Iago attempted to sow the seeds of mistrust between Othello, his wife Desdemona, and Othello's best friend Cassio. In this case, our Coldstone is Othello, you're Cassio, his mate is Desdemona, and the Evil Coldstone is Iago."
"Willow…" Brooklyn asked suddenly. "In Othello, how does the story end?"
Willow looked down at Coldstone's still, sparking form, then looked away.
"Like all good tragedies, with the deaths of many." She lamented.
"Then we need to get Desdemona and Iago out of Coldstone so only Othello remains." Broadway suggested.
"It's not that simple, Broadway." Willow replied. "These are living souls. They need a place to inhabit, and unless you know a way to safely remove a soul and transfer it to another host, it's impossible."
"The thing I don't get is why these souls are coming to life now." Brooklyn commented. "When we fought him the first time, he didn't seem like he was battling two other souls."
"That's where my bad news comes in." Lexington called out, landing in front of the group.
"Lexington." Goliath greeted. "Where have you been? And what bad news do you bring?"
"I know why Coldstone started acting weird." He explained. "He contracted a computer virus, and a deadly one at that. It's been attacking his AI systems, which in turn, affects him."
"His body is fighting battles on multiple fronts." Hudson surmised. "And the strain is too much…"
"What can we do?" Goliath asked.
That's when Lexington produced RECAP's Visor and VR hook up, attacking the plug to an opening in Coldstone's metal head.
"If we want to help him, someone's gonna have to go inside." Lex answered
…
Matt was practically tearing RECAP's van apart in frantic motions. Elisa watched him search, part of her finding the situation amusing, but the other part of her worried he might do something stupid.
"Is something wrong?" she asked, already knowing the answer.
"RECAP's visor and VR hook up are missing!" he exclaimed.
"Maybe someone took them back to the station." She suggested, hoping he'd buy it.
"Without telling me first?" Matt scoffed. "I don't think so. But not to worry. RECAP comes complete with a homing beacon."
As he said this, he stopped his frantic searching, standing up straight and holding a fair-sized tracker in his hands.
"And I personally wouldn't be surprised if it leads us right to our creature." He added.
As Matt activated the tracker, a cold lump settled in the pit of Elisa's stomach. Her friends were in serious trouble.
…
Lexington set up RECAP's visor, attaching it to the VR hook-up still connected to Coldstone. As Goliath adjusted the visor over his face, Lexington expressed his concerns.
"This isn't a good idea." Lexington insisted. "I'm the one most qualified to do this."
"Which is why I need you out here to watch the equipment." Goliath replied. "Just in case something goes wrong."
As Lexington reluctantly readied the controls, Willow approached Goliath, placing her hand on his shoulder.
"Remember, you need to find Othello and help him fend off Iago." She reminded him. "Desdemona shouldn't be a problem, and odds are, she'll help you. Just make sure that Othello knows you're on his side and be careful of the virus."
Goliath gave a nod of understanding, then Willow turned to Lexington.
"Do it." She told him.
Lexington pressed the button, activating the VR hook-up. Everybody watched as a halo of power illuminated the two gargoyles, successfully sending Goliath into Coldstone's mind.
…
Goliath blinked, rubbing his eyes as he got his bearings. He was standing in a twilight colored place that seemed to go on for miles. Bright, almost purple colored lightning flashed across the sky as he saw what looked like Castle Wyvern off in the distance. However, before he could even take one step towards it, the ground before him began to crack. Bright beams of white light poured through these ever-growing cracks until the ground exploded, revealing a gaping, orange wormhole with long, almost mechanical appendages protruding from it. These appendages grabbed at everything and anything that came near it, dragging it into the wormhole.
"That must be the virus Lexington mentioned." Goliath surmised.
As he said this, a bridge suddenly appeared over the large chasm, allowing for Goliath to safely traverse over the virus. He soon found himself being inexplicably pulled across this newly designed safe passage, straight through the castle and up to the main tower of the castle. Atop it, he could see three gargoyles in their stone form, which he immediately recognized as Othello, Desdemona, and Iago. However, there was a fourth figure on the tower that Goliath had not expected.
"Welcome, Goliath." Greeted David Xanatos himself. "Surely you didn't expect to explore Coldstone's mind without my permission."
Goliath snarled angrily.
"Xanatos!"
"No." Xanatos corrected. "Merely a computer program designed by him."
"What is happening here?" Goliath demanded.
"Because Coldstone is the child of both science and sorcery, the two elements have combined here in the recesses of Coldstone's consciousness." The Xanatos program explained. "My primary function was to ensure Coldstone's complete and utter obedience to Xanatos' will."
"Then you are the reason he was in that facility." Goliath realized.
"Correct." The program answered. "Had everything gone according to plan, Coldstone would have delivered the files Xanatos was after by now and would be awaiting his next mission. Unfortunately, there was an… unforeseen obstacle."
The virus tentacles then busted through the ground of the castle mere inches from where Goliath stood. He barely managed to avoid getting dragged in.
"The virus." Goliath said as he regained his footing.
"Yes. It succeeded in overriding my programming, and has begun consuming all in its path, including the barriers designed to prevent Coldstones… Alter egos from arising."
"Then you knew Desdemona and Iago were in here!" Goliath howled.
"Desdemona? Iago?" The program repeated. "Willow named them I take it. My knowledge of her is surprising vast, which is no real surprise considering the extensive amount of safety measures installed to ensure that Coldstone would never hurt her."
Angered by the Xanatos program ignoring his question, Goliath launched at it, only to watch it vanish without a trace. As Goliath once more got to his feet, he heard the distinctive sound of cracking stone, only this time, it wasn't caused by the virus. Looking up, he saw the three gargoyles shedding their stone skin, awakening once more. Upon waking, Othello almost promptly collapsed, most likely from the strain of the war waging within him. Iago went to his side, playing the part of a concerned brother while Desdemona flew down to her brother.
"Goliath!" she exclaimed, landing in front of him.
"Willow spoke the truth then." Goliath let out. "There are three souls trapped in this body."
"Willow?" Desdemona asked.
"She is a human friend who has helped us in these troubled times." Goliath explained. "She is the one who suspected the existence of you and Iago."
"Iago?" she repeated. "You mean our brother? The one who has twisted my beloved in believing his lies?"
"Yes…" Goliath nodded.
As Desdemona and Goliath spoke, Iago whispered more of his lies into Othello's ear.
"See how he steals your love away from you?" Iago coaxed. "It was the same a thousand years ago."
The Xanatos program materialized next to Othello, adding his own fuel to the proverbial fire.
"And now, once again they betray your trust." He included.
Anger and jealousy coursing through him, Othello launched himself off the tower, diving towards Goliath and Desdemona. Goliath saw him coming and pushed Desdemona to safety. Seconds later, his brother pushed him off the edge of the castle and into the waiting embrace of the virus.
Thinking quickly, Goliath dug his claws into the stone wall, trying to climb back to solid ground, but the virus' mechanical tentacle wrapped around his leg, attempting to drag him down. He struggled to keep his grip on the wall as more and more tentacles wrapped around him, slowly but surely dragging him to his doom.
…
In the real world, both Coldstone and Goliath were writhing in silent agony, the halo of energy still surrounding them. Everyone could do little but sit, wait, and wonder.
"Are they alright?" Broadway asked.
"I wish I knew." Lexington replied.
"I know sorcery when I see it." Hudson commented. "And this is the darkest kind."
As he said this, Lexington's headset buzzed, indicating a call from Elisa. Switching it on, he quickly answered.
"Elisa?" he answered.
"Lex." Elisa began. "Listen carefully. I'm on a police boat headed for Ellis Island. You and the others need to get out of there. Matt's tracking the VR visor, I couldn't stop him. He's called in a SWAT team and they're headed your way."
Lex turned to the horizon, where the lights of at least five helicopters and two police boats could be seen.
"Gotcha Elisa." He replied. "Time to make tracks."
He switched off the headset, then went to take the visor off Goliath. When he did, the electrical halo sent the small gargoyle flying right into the wall.
"LEX!" Willow exclaimed as she, Brooklyn, and Broadway all ran to his side. "You alright?"
Lexington nodded, letting the three of them pull him to his feet.
"We're not going anywhere for now." He said bitterly.
"Then you guys best stall them as best you can." Willow declared. "I'll keep an eye on Goliath and Coldstone. Just be careful."
The gargoyles nodded then took off into the sky, leaving Willow to watch Goliath and Coldstone's silent struggles.
…
Goliath pulled against the virus' fatal grasp, fighting for every inch of the castle wall that he ascended. His efforts were paying off, for he could see the top of the tower. As he reached it, Othello suddenly launched at him angrily, sending him back down into the virus' grasp. This time, Desdemona leapt after him, grabbing ahold of Goliath's arm, as well as the castle's main gate.
Struggling to keep her grip on her leader as well as the gate, Desdemona looked around for a way to safety. Unfortunately, the castle was being slowly eaten away, and it was already a floating set of ruins rather than a castle. As more of the virus' deadly tendrils began to wrap out Goliath and Desdemona, Othello landed on the gate above them, his voice dripping in malice and jealousy.
"Do you think me blind?" he snapped. "I know why you come to his defense."
Desdemona met his gaze evenly.
"My love for you is eternal, and Goliath is not your enemy, but your brother and true friend."
She then gestured up to Iago, who watched the scene unfold from the safety of the tower.
"It is he who is the betrayer." She insisted. "He who sought to turn you against Goliath, and against me. He is doing exactly what he tried to do a thousand years ago."
"Try to remember Othello… my brother." Goliath begged.
Othello clutched his forehead in a visible effort to remember.
"My memories…" He let out. "They're clouded. Why should I just you?"
Desdemona glared at Othello, then her gaze softened.
"If you can't trust me, then trust your heart." She told him.
More tendrils grabbed at Goliath, nearly mummifying the gargoyle. Desdemona's grip on his arm was slipping as they both held on for dear life. But soon, she could hold on no longer, and Goliath slipped from her hand.
He didn't fall very far before Othello grabbed him, meeting his eyes for the first time not with hatred, but acceptance. With one mighty pull, he ripped Goliath free of the virus' deadly embrace, and the two brothers climbed up the gate to safety. After rejoining Desdemona, Goliath spoke quickly.
"Our enemies are working together for control over this mind." He explained. "We must hurry."
The castle, or what remained of it at least, began to quake as Iago's voice echoed through the sky.
"Too late."
The castle began to morph and bend, the very gate they clung to transforming into a large hand, which grabbed ahold of Desdemona. Othello and Goliath let go of the remains of the gate and could only watch in horror as the castle remains transformed themselves into a large form of Iago. He merged with the Xanatos Program, essentially merging with Coldstone's core programming, and with a maniacal grin, beckoned the two gargoyles with his captive prize.
Without hesitation, both Othello and Goliath went to attack the large gargoyle, only to be taken down in a single blow. Iago scooped up the fallen gargoyles, preparing to crush them in his hand.
"Iago! No!" Desdemona cried.
"Iago?" the large gargoyle replied. "So, I have a name now. Fitting for the leader of this body to have one."
He pulled Desdemona closer to him.
"I heard Goliath call you Desdemona." He remembered. "Another fitting name for the one who was always meant to be by my side."
Desdemona glared at Iago like one would a madman as he held her close.
"Merge with me, sister." He insisted. "Then we can finally be together."
…
Back out in the real world, Willow looks out at the S.W.A.T. team helicopters and boats as they approach. The two helicopters began to veer off out of control thanks to Broadway and Brooklyn. The two grabbed on to the choppers and used their weight and their wings to make the chopper pilots lose control of their aircrafts. Hudson went after the boats, taking hold of the back of Matt's. Using his sword as a rudder, he forced the boat to weave back and forth. The other boats were then forced to change course to keep from hitting each other.
"What the hell is going on out there?" Matt exclaimed as he tried to regain control over his boat.
With a knowing smile on her face, Elisa shrugged. Willow then turned back to Goliath's writhing form, wishing she could do more than just sit and watch.
"They can't keep this up for much longer." She whispered. "Come on Goliath. Come back."
…
In Coldstone's mind, Iago continued to try and get Desdemona to side with him.
"Why do you still resist me, my love?" he questioned. "We are destined to be together for all eternity!"
"I will choose who I love!" Desdemona declared before sinking her fangs into Iago's hand.
The large gargoyle howled in pain, unintentionally releasing not only Desdemona, but Goliath and Othello as well. Now free, the three gargoyles flew in circles around the desperate Iago, who could do little but claw at them, catching naught but air. As he struggled to recapture his prey, the virus' tendrils began assaulting the large gargoyle's legs, wrapping around them and slowly travelling up to his stomach.
Seeing the virus doing its work, the gargoyles continued their flight patterns, distracting Iago up until the tendrils reached his shoulders. By then, it was too late.
"NO!" Iago snarled in rage, trying his best to pull away from the virus. "This body is mine! You cannot take it from me!"
But the virus didn't listen. It pulled him off the large slab of rock, some of the only remaining solid ground in this virtual world, and into the swirling, orange abyss below. Now safe from Iago's attacks, the three gargoyles made their way to the bridge that had been constructed when Goliath had arrived. Landing on the end of it, the three of them could see the virus continuing its campaign of destruction.
"You must return to your body, brother!" Othello declared. "Before the vortex consumes everything!"
"But what about you?" Goliath shouted over the noise.
"We are finally together." Desdemona replied. "That is all that matters."
"If we cannot defeat the virus, then so be it." Othello decided, taking Desdemona's hand. "Even if we fail, we will still be together for all time."
The three of them quickly dodged a virus tendril, which snapped the bridge in half, almost completely cutting off Goliath's way back. With no other choice, Goliath ran for a light in the swirling purple clouds, his instincts telling him that this was the way home. With one last look towards his brother and sister, Goliath dove through the portal, returning to reality.
…
Willow practically screamed in happiness when the electrical halo died around Coldstone and Goliath, allowing for her to rip the visor away from the gargoyle's face. As he rubbed his eyes and got his bearings once more, the other gargoyles landed next to them.
"We can't hold them off any longer!" Brooklyn declared frantically, scooping up Willow to escape.
"Then let us leave this place quickly." Goliath ordered.
Lexington yanked the VR hook-up out of Coldstone, allowing for Goliath to gather up the still form of his brother. Leaving the equipment behind, the gargoyles and Willow took their leave of Ellis island just minutes before Matt and his SWAT units converged.
"We're right on top of it!" Matt cried out, a crazed note to his voice. "Now we'll see what this thing looks like up close."
Shining his flashlight across the ground, he found the hook-up, which was being sniffed by a small brown rat.
"Looks like a rat to me." Elisa commented, fighting to keep the relief, and a large laugh, out of her voice.
Matt practically screamed in outrage at the thought of missing his monster again as Elisa leaned against a wall, happy everything worked out.
…
Sitting in his office in the Eyrie Building, Xanatos flipped a small flash drive in between his fingers, a triumphant smile on his face.
"The robotics division confiscated the remains of RECAP from the police." Owen explained, setting the VR hook-up and visor on the desk in front of him, revealing the Scarab Corporation Robotics logo on the side. "I'm afraid there wasn't much left after Coldstone destroyed it."
"A necessary sacrifice." Xanatos replied, still flipping the drive. "Coldstone as well. We have what we need."
"But the defense specs were all destroyed by the virus, even though RECAP copied the data through the taser line." Owen pointed out.
"That's when you look for the silver lining, Owen." Xanatos told him. "I may not have the specs, but this virus was powerful enough to cripple and almost destroy Coldstone. Can you think of a deadlier weapon in this day and age?"
Owen could only shake his head, leaving Xanatos to imagine the possibilities that were now open to him.
…
At the Clock Tower, Goliath gently leaned Coldstone's still form against the wall as Willow pulled a blanket over him.
"Othello, Desdemona," Goliath said softly. "My brother and sister. I know one day you will return to us. And when you do, you will be amongst friends. Amongst family."
Inside Coldstone, Othello and Desdemona flew hand in hand through the purple sky, the tendrils of the virus swirling around them, but neither of them cared. They were together, for now, and forever.
