Chapter two: Betrayal

Game over. He had won. Lex awoke to a boom of thunder and felt it fitting. He looked at the rubble that once was the Great Hall and began to prepare a mental list of things to do. First things first. Lex began to clear a path to the nearest computer, which it turned out, was a comstaion in the hallway.

"Cassandra send a cleanup crew to the Great Hall and ready the dungeon for three gargoyles, that are to be kept separate. Then meet me in the auxiliary computer room with two guards."

"Right away sir. Will there be anything else?"

"I will want the tactical report with projections and the time table for complete world domination."

"Of course sir."

*****

The world was a living, shifting thing. It had no shape and was ever changing its color. The only thing that stayed the same was his body. Which was odd seeing as he was supposed to be dead. ~So this is the afterlife. No tunnel, no bright light, no pearly gates, no fire and brimstone. I wonder if I'll get reincarnated. ~ And as he floated in the chaotic cyberscape, he thought. And as he thought, thus the world took shape. Out of the nothingness grew ground. Not any particular ground, just something that could be differentiated as down. The ground was, to put it plainly, a stationary green color. This gave him a sense of direction and he noted that down was nowhere near him. The fact that the other five sides were just as far away never really crossed his mind. Then came the innate realization that with down came gravity, and thus gravity was born. Brooklyn screamed as he fell, somehow unable to open his wings. ~Maybe I really am going to hell and the place I was in was limbo. ~

Brooklyn hit the floor with a bone-jarring thud. He opened his eyes and saw four pairs of feet standing on a stone floor. Raising his gaze, he saw his old, and last living rookery brother, a human female, and two mutate guards. He slowly began to stand up, mindful of his bruised and battered body. The two mutate guards walked behind him and grabbed his arms as he gaped at Lex. Ever so slowly, realization dawned as the pieces began to fall into place.

"You betrayed us." Brooklyn stated, still in shock. "It was you all the time, not Xanatos. Why the deception Lex? Why pretend to be on our side?"

"Because it was fun toying with you and the rest of the rebels. Besides, if I hadn't, I'd still be contending with you and your allies. Enough of this chitchat! My guards will escort you to your cell. Don't even think about trying to escape. The cells are gargoyle-proofed and the guards are highly intelligent and absolutely loyal to me. And now you must take your leave so I may retrieve your mate." Lex said calmly as Brooklyn was dragged towards the dungeon. "Cassandra, send in a pair of guards with tranc guns. Demona has a good chance of posing a problem."

"Of course sir."

*****

The world pulsed around her like a heartbeat. With each pulse, came a new color; shifting gradually from one hue to another. It was like a living thing. Demona knew she was still in cyberspace, knew that she was alive, knew she was alone, and instinctively knew that her mate and her daughter were alive although she had seen Xanatos kill them. It was warm, like a womb, and she floated there curled into the fetal position. And as she floated, she remembered everything. Her love, her betrayals, her hate, her losses, her loneliness. And as she thought, thus the colors shifted ever faster. She found herself being turned upside-down in the pulsing room, and the pushed downwards as both the colors and the pulsing intensified.

She found herself falling in air and screamed, even as her wings opened. It didn't help in the short fall, and Demona found herself dumped uncerimonially on the floor of the castle. She managed to push herself up onto her hands and knees before she heard two clicks of guns cocking.

"Well, well, well. Isn't this a site. The mighty Demona kneeling before me. I will remember this for a long time."

"You will never get away with this Xanatos!"

"Oh yes. Your famous ruts. 'The Vikings are at fault. The humans are at fault. Goliath is at fault. Xanatos is at fault. You sound like a broken record. Well I got news for you my dear. Xanatos is dead. And I already have gotten away with it."

"So you are the betrayer. I had expected differently from you Lex."

"But it wasn't my fault. I was forced to do it. I thought that was your favorite excuse. What was it you always said? Oh yes. 'What have I, no what have they done.' Your loneliness led to attempted genocide, so you of all people should know what happens when hate and resentment festers. In fact, I can blame you for all this. Yep. All this misery and subjugation is all your fault."

"I did nothing!"

"If you hadn't suggested cloning the clan to Thailog, the war wouldn't have happened."

"That isn't true!"

"If you hadn't seduced Brooklyn and brought with you Rebecca to seduce Broadway, I would've never felt alone."

"It's not my fault!"

"That's what you always say! It's *never* your fault; you're totally blameless. You're a goddamn *saint*. Well sister, hate to tell you this, but you caused the blood on your hands. Your shit sticks too. Guards! Take her cell and sedate her if she resists. I want her to have time to think about everything *she* has done."

*****

The colors ran into each other like water. As soon as one color reached her, another pushed it out of the way; like a river. Soon the cyberscape changed. Angela found herself standing on a rock of pulsing color. A horizon was created and the top part became a chaotic war of shifting color. The river took up the lower part. But a river without banks is a strange sea; and thus more pulsing solid area was added, far enough from where Angela stood that it would have been futile to swim to shore. The water fascinated her. It seemed so peaceful and hypnotic. Angela bent down to look at what she was a fish, but was actually a color fluxation, and found herself falling headfirst into the rushing river. And as she was swept downstream, she found that she could not surface long enough to breath.

She was washed out onto a stone floor, as still as a statue. And even as medical help was about to be called for, she took a breath. Lex pondered the facts for a while before turning to his human aid.

"Cassandra, I want you to select a team to find out what happens in long term storage. And if it can't come under my control, I want it either fixed or terminated."

"Right away sir."

Angela stood up, wiping non-existent water out of her eyes and took a look around. Her eyes grew wide and her mouth fell open. There stood Lexington, who she had seen get captured by Xanatos' mutate army, standing next to a human woman and a pair of mutates. The mutates, formally standing at attention like stone, advanced on her yet she felt little fear. Lexington, of whom Goliath had spoken well of, forced his attention on her and smiled, a cold smile devoid of warmth.

"Hello my dear. I hope things were not too uncomfortable for you. I have not had the honor of meeting many female gargoyles since I woke, Demona and her ill-fated clone not withstanding, and had not expected to lay eyes on someone as beautiful as yourself. I had begun to think I would remain mateless, seeing as I had thought my small clan and the clones were the only gargoyles left in the world. But you had to come from somewhere."

Angela just looked at Lex. The Lex Goliath knew seemed naught but a legend. The Lex she now saw was twisted and evil; a betrayer and a tyrant. She began to wonder how long she, Goliath, and Elisa has been gone, and what had happened to corrupt him; had Goliath's tales been true. She knew not what to say and Lex did not care that she stayed silent. The quiet seemed to suit all beings there.

"Well my dear, Goliath seemed pretty attached to you, which is funny seeing as he was brought up to think of all children belong to the clan, even when humans could plainly see a family resemblance. What did Goliath call you? Oh yes. Angela. That's such a lovely name. It's really funny Angela, how Goliath went from stoic preserver of tradition to proud papa. But then, forty years can change a person. I will speak with you later, my dear Angela, and I will learn of the place from where you came and where you have been. Guards, gently escort Angela to her cell. Cassandra I'll be in the throne room. Make sure no one disturbs me."

"As you wish sir."