Madrigal Xanatos strode confidently through the airport lobby. Anyone who compared her to her son David would know where the latter's prideful, even pompous air came from. Dressed in a feminine business suit and expensive high heels, anyone passing by would have assumed she was a CEO. A gold necklace of glittering emeralds adorned her neck, while matching earrings dangled from her ears. Her steel-gray eyes were intense, with a hint of mischievous laughter behind them. Her brown hair graced her straight shoulders, and she had the posture of a ballerina. The only indicators of her age were the gray strands in her hair and the fine lines in her face. Madrigal hailed a cab.
"Eyrie Building, right?" the cabbie asked.
"You note the family resemblance?" Madrigal inquired, straining to look at the driver.
It was a woman, in her forties. Long, brown hair hung down her back. "Seeing your grandson. If you could have swallowed your pride. Petros doesn't hate you. And you don't hate him."
Madrigal strained to see the cabbie. "Do I know you?"
"Fortuna Dakotis. Lady Fortune for short."
"I've never heard that name before. How do you know...are you some sort of psychic?"
"No, I'm just your basic average human. David resembles you, anyway. I'm told I resemble my mother." The taxi pulled up in front of the Eyrie Building. "Ride's on the house."
"Thank you," Madrigal said, climbing out. She strode through the office building, with the air of a queen. Up the elevator, to the top floor, through several corridors and finally the master bedroom. She walked straight to a small baby cradle and pulled out a stuffed giraffe from the shopping bag she had been holding.
Baby Alex looked up, gazing with his bright blue eyes.
Madrigal dropped the stuffed animal and picked up Alex, who cooed happily.
"What are you doing with my baby?!" came a voice. A tall redhead stood in the doorway.
***************************************
(Albany, New York, USA)
David Xanatos walked up to the secretary's desk. "Is Governor DeZevalda in?"
"No, he's in a meeting," answered the secretary in a flat monotone.
"Translation: he's napping." The tycoon turned to Owen and whispered.
"Sir!" The butler objected. "I have limits."
"Back-up plan," muttered Xanatos. He opened his rather thick wallet and waved a $100 bill under the secretary's nose.
She snatched the money. "Go right in and make yourself at home." She placed a placard on her desk that read "back whenever" and waltzed out, humming "Who Are You."
Xanatos opened the door. "Governor?"
The governor was seated at his desk, feet up, snoring loudly.
"Governor!" The businessman snapped. "WAKE UP!"
Carson DeZevalda's eyes fluttered open. He was dressed in a black suit. It was hard to believe, with his heavy build and bratwurst-like fingers, that he was related to Carmella -- who looked like a sneeze could blow her over. However, the hair and facial features were practically identical. "That was a nice nap," he whined. "So, Mr. Xanatos, what brings you to Albany?"
"How'd you get elected, Carson?"
"I kissed a lot of babies? Seriously."
"Bill 78 passed. So I decided to do a little last-minute lobbying."
"Now why on earth would you want the Gargoyles Protection Act passed? Especially since I can veto the whole thing or do a line-item?"
"People are getting hurt by the Quarrymen's antics."
"As long as it's not me."
"I thought you hated extremists."
"I do. But the majority of Quarrymen were arrested or scattered in that train fiasco. If I pass that bill to squash them, the press is going to make me look like a tyrant. What's the point? Their leader's in prison, they're rapidly falling apart."
"Makes you wonder why people supported Castaway in the first place."
Carson leaned back in his chair. "Sometimes a leader emerges and is followed for a while. Doesn't matter what he encourages, as long as he's got style. And Castaway's got style. Not a lot of sanity, but style."
"I'm told the Original Dirty Half-Dozen were like that."
"I'm amazed, Xanatos. Really am. I always thought you were a savage capitalist. Machiavelli reincarnated. The kind of guy who employs people in third-world countries and pays them next to nothing for maximum profits. The kind of guy whose house looks like a rummage sale when the taxman comes to the door. I guess I was wrong."
"Are you implying I'm soft?"
Carson smirked. "Like a marshmallow."
Xanatos leaped forward and grabbed the politician by his shirt. "I don't care if you're Walt," he hissed in Carson's face. "Unless you have a death wish, never call me soft!" He threw Carson down. "Now, what do you have against gargoyles?"
"Nothing. I think they're magnificent creatures who deserve to share this planet with us. Heck, they deserve it even more than we do. But protecting them isn't going to get me into the White House, is it?"
"I can make you pass it."
"How? I don't take bribes."
"Let's just say I know how to put the pressure on when temptation doesn't work."
"Blackmail?" laughed the governor. "There's nothing in my closet but clothes."
"What's worse than staining your name? Making it laughable?" Xanatos opened the envelope Carmella had given him and spread the contents on the desk. "Here's a picture of you at age two naked. And here you are at age four with a hot dog up your nostril! Oh, and here's you as a teenager with acne, thick glasses, and braces! Not to mention that awful greasy hair."
The politician went cold inside. "Where did you get these?"
"I can get anything I want. If you don't sign that bill right now, these pictures are going to be plastered all over the New York Times. Sign it, and the photos are yours."
"You win! I'll sign it." Carson unfurled the official bill, hastily signed it, and then stamped it with the official seal of the State of New York.
"Can I keep a copy?" asked Xanatos.
"Fine." The governor pressed a button on his intercom. "Martha? I need a copy made." No answer. "Martha?" He groaned and turned to his copier. He placed the sheet of paper face-down, only to crush his fingers when the cover accidentally slammed down. He freed his fingers and proceeded to make a copy of the bill. "Happy now?"
"Thank you, Governor." Xanatos gave his hallmark satisfied smile and left.
Carson was now alone in his office. He returned to his plush chair and closed his eyes. "Being the greatest governor in the greatest state of the greatest country of the greatest planet in the universe is so exhausting." He fell asleep again. "Zzzz..."
*****************************************************
"You have visitors, Mr. Castaway," the guard informed as John Castaway sat at the glass booth.
The blonde man looked astonished. "Jason, Robyn? What are you doing here?"
"What are you doing here?" Jason answered.
"Just a minor setback in the hunt. Nothing to worry about."
"The gargoyles?" groaned Robyn. "Why?"
"Why? Need I remind you that the Demon tried to destroy all of humanity? Or that Goliath nearly killed us all?"
"Look what happened to Dad," Robyn whispered. "If you keep at it, you'll die too."
"This is war, Robyn! Casualties are inevitable. I thought we were together. To back each other up no matter what! Jason, look at yourself! It pains me to look at you!"
"It pains me to look at you," Jason retorted. "Don't make the same mistake I made."
"You attack them," Robyn added. "They retaliate, you attack again. Where does it end?"
"I won't back down. I'm fighting till the bitter end," Castaway growled. "I'm not who I used to be. Too cool and considerate. It appalls me how wimpy I used to be. If I had wiped out Goliath's clan at the clock tower, we wouldn't be having this conversation."
"That's because you saw them for who they were! We didn't!" Robyn shook her head. "You can hide behind the colored contacts, plastic surgery, and mustache, but underneath it all, you're still Jonathan Canmore."
"And you're still our little brother," Jason finished.
"If you won't help me, you'll only hinder me." Castaway rose, then leaned toward the glass. "Oh, and in case you two were wondering, this did not go well."
Elisa had listened in, but refrained from saying 'I told you so.' She was silent for most of the trip back. Finally, she said, "I'm sorry."
Robyn turned to her brother. "Jason?"
"Yes?"
"Remember what you said about ghosts? I think we saw our brother's ghost today."
"Yes, Robyn," Jason agreed sadly. "It seems our brother is both dead and awake."
"He went mad that night," quipped Elisa.
"Yes, but maybe there's a way to shock him back to reality," Robyn commented. "What did he do?"
"Perjury, attempted murder, illegal possession of weapons, in no particular order."
"Too dangerous to be out," Jason sighed. "Justice should be served."
"Someone else's definition of justice," Robyn snorted. "Justice should be tempered with mercy, but it still have a retributive feel to it. Maybe if we defeated the Demon, Jon would have his revenge and then he'd have no reason to hunt gargoyles anymore."
"Good luck," Elisa interjected. Without thinking, she added. "Not even Macbeth was successful with that--"
"Who?" Jason asked.
"Never mind," the policewoman quickly said.
Wait a second, thought Robyn silently. Lennox and Macduff are two characters in Shakespeare's play Macbeth. I knew that name sounded phony. Now, how could a historical king of Scotland be around? Sorcery, of course. Like the Demon. They're obviously acquainted, and from the way they attacked each other, they're probably enemies...
Elisa dropped the siblings off at their home, then headed to her own apartment to get some sleep.
Upon arrival at the suite, the Canmore siblings found Carmella waiting in front of their door. Her cheeks were flushed. "Jason. I have unbelievable news. Your paralysis can be reversed with surgery." She handed him a brochure titled Cybernetics and You. "It's experimental, but you're in otherwise perfect health. And this particular procedure is less invasive than precious ones. Only the spinal cord will have implants to repair the nerve damage. No built-in lasers or anything weird."
Robyn arched an eyebrow. "How much will this cost?"
"You won't have to pay."
Jason glanced through the brochure. "Is there a downside to this?"
Carmella shrugged. "You'll set off metal detectors. Listen to me. You have so much more to gain than lose from this."
"When do you have this planned?"
"A surgeon is waiting at Manhattan General this minute."
"Shouldn't he have a while to think it over?" Robyn protested. Either that girl's an angel in disguise or she's in love with my brother.
Jason elbowed his sister. "I'm getting the surgery."
"What?" cried Robyn. "This short notice?"
"I refuse to be a burden to you, sis. Especially since my own stubbornness put you in this position. You deserve to live your own life."
"It's your choice. You're so like Dad! Stubborn as a black bear!"
"Carmella's right," Jason shot back. "What have I got to lose?"
*********************************************
(Castle Wyvern)
"The photo wasn't enough," explained Madrigal. "I had to see him." Alex cooed happily.
Fox shook her head. "I knew I had to meet my mother-in-law someday."
"You named him well. Alexander has a bold connotation. Alexander the Great, Alexander Pope, Alexander Hamilton."
Fox agreed. "A lot better than my birth name."
"Which was?"
The redhead made a face. "Janine."
"It's a beautiful, dignified name."
"It makes me sound frumpy!" Fox evaluated Madrigal's appearance. "Are those Colombian emeralds?"
"Flawless Colombians. The set was designed by Cartier."
"I realize where David got his expensive taste."
Now it was the brunette's turn to wrinkle her nose. "You didn't think it came from Petros, did you? That man makes an ascetic monk look greedy!"
**********************************
(Manhattan General Hospital)
Robyn squeezed her brother's hand. "Good luck."
"Don't worry about me," replied Jason with a wan smile. "I survived getting shot with a laser. This should be easy." The gurney was pushed through the double doors of one of the hospital's operating rooms.
Carmella was standing by a plate-glass window, staring out.
Robyn joined her. "Do you do this with all your patients?"
The therapist didn't answer.
"Where'd you get the money to pay for this? Not your salary. Did you rob a bank?"
"No. The money came from the proverbial castle in the air."
"Stay away from my brother," snapped Robyn. "He's been through enough." She headed toward a pay phone and flipped open the yellow pages. Turning towards the M's.
In a nearby hallway, Ann Arky strolled. It was her day to observe the surgeons at work. The last thing she wanted was a patient malpractice suit. "What's all the fuss about today?" She took a bite of doughnut.
A nurse looked very excited. "A cybernetics expert is working with the surgeons to repair a paralyzed man's spinal cord!"
"What?!" Miss Arky choked on her doughnut. The nurse had to do a heimleich maneuver in the middle of the hall.
******************************
Castaway slipped into his second-in-command's car. "It's good to be out."
"It better be," replied Chester Berkeley. "We drained our treasury to bribe the parole board. You weren't supposed to be eligible for at least another ten years."
"How have things been in my absence?"
"Hairy. Membership is down by eighty-four percent."
"Curse your 730 math SAT."
The rest of the ride was silent. Chester parked his car in front of Castaway's old office and the two men went inside.
"I guess we have to be more discreet now."
"About that, John."
"What, Chester?"
"It was so much easier to ride the wave."
"I beg your pardon?"
"You see, thanks to the gargoyles rescuing that train, people are accepting them. We were playing on their fears. Since that fear is mostly gone, our power is substantially reduced."
"You haven't turned into a gargoyle lover, have you?"
"Of course not!"
"Good. Go on."
"I still don't love gargoyles, but I don't hate them anymore. When I first saw them on TV, I thought nothing with fangs and claws could ever be good. I was shallow and stupid. Don't you see, John? We've got to take our power back and use it in ways that make sense."
John shook his head. "You're crazy."
Chester handed over his Quarryman's hammer. "In case it's not obvious, I quit."
"You'll be sorry for this, Berkeley!"
Berkeley was already halfway out the door. "When?"
"When's the date?!" John ran to his desk drawer and dug through. In a few minutes, he found a silenced pistol. Too late. There was the sound of a car peeling out of the parking lot. Castaway sank into his desk chair, put the gun back, and groaned loudly.
***************************
Knock, knock.
Macbeth glanced at the security camera. Shrugging, he opened the door. "So we meet again?"
Robyn was on the doorstep, arms crossed. "You've got some explaining to do...Macbeth."
TBC
"Eyrie Building, right?" the cabbie asked.
"You note the family resemblance?" Madrigal inquired, straining to look at the driver.
It was a woman, in her forties. Long, brown hair hung down her back. "Seeing your grandson. If you could have swallowed your pride. Petros doesn't hate you. And you don't hate him."
Madrigal strained to see the cabbie. "Do I know you?"
"Fortuna Dakotis. Lady Fortune for short."
"I've never heard that name before. How do you know...are you some sort of psychic?"
"No, I'm just your basic average human. David resembles you, anyway. I'm told I resemble my mother." The taxi pulled up in front of the Eyrie Building. "Ride's on the house."
"Thank you," Madrigal said, climbing out. She strode through the office building, with the air of a queen. Up the elevator, to the top floor, through several corridors and finally the master bedroom. She walked straight to a small baby cradle and pulled out a stuffed giraffe from the shopping bag she had been holding.
Baby Alex looked up, gazing with his bright blue eyes.
Madrigal dropped the stuffed animal and picked up Alex, who cooed happily.
"What are you doing with my baby?!" came a voice. A tall redhead stood in the doorway.
***************************************
(Albany, New York, USA)
David Xanatos walked up to the secretary's desk. "Is Governor DeZevalda in?"
"No, he's in a meeting," answered the secretary in a flat monotone.
"Translation: he's napping." The tycoon turned to Owen and whispered.
"Sir!" The butler objected. "I have limits."
"Back-up plan," muttered Xanatos. He opened his rather thick wallet and waved a $100 bill under the secretary's nose.
She snatched the money. "Go right in and make yourself at home." She placed a placard on her desk that read "back whenever" and waltzed out, humming "Who Are You."
Xanatos opened the door. "Governor?"
The governor was seated at his desk, feet up, snoring loudly.
"Governor!" The businessman snapped. "WAKE UP!"
Carson DeZevalda's eyes fluttered open. He was dressed in a black suit. It was hard to believe, with his heavy build and bratwurst-like fingers, that he was related to Carmella -- who looked like a sneeze could blow her over. However, the hair and facial features were practically identical. "That was a nice nap," he whined. "So, Mr. Xanatos, what brings you to Albany?"
"How'd you get elected, Carson?"
"I kissed a lot of babies? Seriously."
"Bill 78 passed. So I decided to do a little last-minute lobbying."
"Now why on earth would you want the Gargoyles Protection Act passed? Especially since I can veto the whole thing or do a line-item?"
"People are getting hurt by the Quarrymen's antics."
"As long as it's not me."
"I thought you hated extremists."
"I do. But the majority of Quarrymen were arrested or scattered in that train fiasco. If I pass that bill to squash them, the press is going to make me look like a tyrant. What's the point? Their leader's in prison, they're rapidly falling apart."
"Makes you wonder why people supported Castaway in the first place."
Carson leaned back in his chair. "Sometimes a leader emerges and is followed for a while. Doesn't matter what he encourages, as long as he's got style. And Castaway's got style. Not a lot of sanity, but style."
"I'm told the Original Dirty Half-Dozen were like that."
"I'm amazed, Xanatos. Really am. I always thought you were a savage capitalist. Machiavelli reincarnated. The kind of guy who employs people in third-world countries and pays them next to nothing for maximum profits. The kind of guy whose house looks like a rummage sale when the taxman comes to the door. I guess I was wrong."
"Are you implying I'm soft?"
Carson smirked. "Like a marshmallow."
Xanatos leaped forward and grabbed the politician by his shirt. "I don't care if you're Walt," he hissed in Carson's face. "Unless you have a death wish, never call me soft!" He threw Carson down. "Now, what do you have against gargoyles?"
"Nothing. I think they're magnificent creatures who deserve to share this planet with us. Heck, they deserve it even more than we do. But protecting them isn't going to get me into the White House, is it?"
"I can make you pass it."
"How? I don't take bribes."
"Let's just say I know how to put the pressure on when temptation doesn't work."
"Blackmail?" laughed the governor. "There's nothing in my closet but clothes."
"What's worse than staining your name? Making it laughable?" Xanatos opened the envelope Carmella had given him and spread the contents on the desk. "Here's a picture of you at age two naked. And here you are at age four with a hot dog up your nostril! Oh, and here's you as a teenager with acne, thick glasses, and braces! Not to mention that awful greasy hair."
The politician went cold inside. "Where did you get these?"
"I can get anything I want. If you don't sign that bill right now, these pictures are going to be plastered all over the New York Times. Sign it, and the photos are yours."
"You win! I'll sign it." Carson unfurled the official bill, hastily signed it, and then stamped it with the official seal of the State of New York.
"Can I keep a copy?" asked Xanatos.
"Fine." The governor pressed a button on his intercom. "Martha? I need a copy made." No answer. "Martha?" He groaned and turned to his copier. He placed the sheet of paper face-down, only to crush his fingers when the cover accidentally slammed down. He freed his fingers and proceeded to make a copy of the bill. "Happy now?"
"Thank you, Governor." Xanatos gave his hallmark satisfied smile and left.
Carson was now alone in his office. He returned to his plush chair and closed his eyes. "Being the greatest governor in the greatest state of the greatest country of the greatest planet in the universe is so exhausting." He fell asleep again. "Zzzz..."
*****************************************************
"You have visitors, Mr. Castaway," the guard informed as John Castaway sat at the glass booth.
The blonde man looked astonished. "Jason, Robyn? What are you doing here?"
"What are you doing here?" Jason answered.
"Just a minor setback in the hunt. Nothing to worry about."
"The gargoyles?" groaned Robyn. "Why?"
"Why? Need I remind you that the Demon tried to destroy all of humanity? Or that Goliath nearly killed us all?"
"Look what happened to Dad," Robyn whispered. "If you keep at it, you'll die too."
"This is war, Robyn! Casualties are inevitable. I thought we were together. To back each other up no matter what! Jason, look at yourself! It pains me to look at you!"
"It pains me to look at you," Jason retorted. "Don't make the same mistake I made."
"You attack them," Robyn added. "They retaliate, you attack again. Where does it end?"
"I won't back down. I'm fighting till the bitter end," Castaway growled. "I'm not who I used to be. Too cool and considerate. It appalls me how wimpy I used to be. If I had wiped out Goliath's clan at the clock tower, we wouldn't be having this conversation."
"That's because you saw them for who they were! We didn't!" Robyn shook her head. "You can hide behind the colored contacts, plastic surgery, and mustache, but underneath it all, you're still Jonathan Canmore."
"And you're still our little brother," Jason finished.
"If you won't help me, you'll only hinder me." Castaway rose, then leaned toward the glass. "Oh, and in case you two were wondering, this did not go well."
Elisa had listened in, but refrained from saying 'I told you so.' She was silent for most of the trip back. Finally, she said, "I'm sorry."
Robyn turned to her brother. "Jason?"
"Yes?"
"Remember what you said about ghosts? I think we saw our brother's ghost today."
"Yes, Robyn," Jason agreed sadly. "It seems our brother is both dead and awake."
"He went mad that night," quipped Elisa.
"Yes, but maybe there's a way to shock him back to reality," Robyn commented. "What did he do?"
"Perjury, attempted murder, illegal possession of weapons, in no particular order."
"Too dangerous to be out," Jason sighed. "Justice should be served."
"Someone else's definition of justice," Robyn snorted. "Justice should be tempered with mercy, but it still have a retributive feel to it. Maybe if we defeated the Demon, Jon would have his revenge and then he'd have no reason to hunt gargoyles anymore."
"Good luck," Elisa interjected. Without thinking, she added. "Not even Macbeth was successful with that--"
"Who?" Jason asked.
"Never mind," the policewoman quickly said.
Wait a second, thought Robyn silently. Lennox and Macduff are two characters in Shakespeare's play Macbeth. I knew that name sounded phony. Now, how could a historical king of Scotland be around? Sorcery, of course. Like the Demon. They're obviously acquainted, and from the way they attacked each other, they're probably enemies...
Elisa dropped the siblings off at their home, then headed to her own apartment to get some sleep.
Upon arrival at the suite, the Canmore siblings found Carmella waiting in front of their door. Her cheeks were flushed. "Jason. I have unbelievable news. Your paralysis can be reversed with surgery." She handed him a brochure titled Cybernetics and You. "It's experimental, but you're in otherwise perfect health. And this particular procedure is less invasive than precious ones. Only the spinal cord will have implants to repair the nerve damage. No built-in lasers or anything weird."
Robyn arched an eyebrow. "How much will this cost?"
"You won't have to pay."
Jason glanced through the brochure. "Is there a downside to this?"
Carmella shrugged. "You'll set off metal detectors. Listen to me. You have so much more to gain than lose from this."
"When do you have this planned?"
"A surgeon is waiting at Manhattan General this minute."
"Shouldn't he have a while to think it over?" Robyn protested. Either that girl's an angel in disguise or she's in love with my brother.
Jason elbowed his sister. "I'm getting the surgery."
"What?" cried Robyn. "This short notice?"
"I refuse to be a burden to you, sis. Especially since my own stubbornness put you in this position. You deserve to live your own life."
"It's your choice. You're so like Dad! Stubborn as a black bear!"
"Carmella's right," Jason shot back. "What have I got to lose?"
*********************************************
(Castle Wyvern)
"The photo wasn't enough," explained Madrigal. "I had to see him." Alex cooed happily.
Fox shook her head. "I knew I had to meet my mother-in-law someday."
"You named him well. Alexander has a bold connotation. Alexander the Great, Alexander Pope, Alexander Hamilton."
Fox agreed. "A lot better than my birth name."
"Which was?"
The redhead made a face. "Janine."
"It's a beautiful, dignified name."
"It makes me sound frumpy!" Fox evaluated Madrigal's appearance. "Are those Colombian emeralds?"
"Flawless Colombians. The set was designed by Cartier."
"I realize where David got his expensive taste."
Now it was the brunette's turn to wrinkle her nose. "You didn't think it came from Petros, did you? That man makes an ascetic monk look greedy!"
**********************************
(Manhattan General Hospital)
Robyn squeezed her brother's hand. "Good luck."
"Don't worry about me," replied Jason with a wan smile. "I survived getting shot with a laser. This should be easy." The gurney was pushed through the double doors of one of the hospital's operating rooms.
Carmella was standing by a plate-glass window, staring out.
Robyn joined her. "Do you do this with all your patients?"
The therapist didn't answer.
"Where'd you get the money to pay for this? Not your salary. Did you rob a bank?"
"No. The money came from the proverbial castle in the air."
"Stay away from my brother," snapped Robyn. "He's been through enough." She headed toward a pay phone and flipped open the yellow pages. Turning towards the M's.
In a nearby hallway, Ann Arky strolled. It was her day to observe the surgeons at work. The last thing she wanted was a patient malpractice suit. "What's all the fuss about today?" She took a bite of doughnut.
A nurse looked very excited. "A cybernetics expert is working with the surgeons to repair a paralyzed man's spinal cord!"
"What?!" Miss Arky choked on her doughnut. The nurse had to do a heimleich maneuver in the middle of the hall.
******************************
Castaway slipped into his second-in-command's car. "It's good to be out."
"It better be," replied Chester Berkeley. "We drained our treasury to bribe the parole board. You weren't supposed to be eligible for at least another ten years."
"How have things been in my absence?"
"Hairy. Membership is down by eighty-four percent."
"Curse your 730 math SAT."
The rest of the ride was silent. Chester parked his car in front of Castaway's old office and the two men went inside.
"I guess we have to be more discreet now."
"About that, John."
"What, Chester?"
"It was so much easier to ride the wave."
"I beg your pardon?"
"You see, thanks to the gargoyles rescuing that train, people are accepting them. We were playing on their fears. Since that fear is mostly gone, our power is substantially reduced."
"You haven't turned into a gargoyle lover, have you?"
"Of course not!"
"Good. Go on."
"I still don't love gargoyles, but I don't hate them anymore. When I first saw them on TV, I thought nothing with fangs and claws could ever be good. I was shallow and stupid. Don't you see, John? We've got to take our power back and use it in ways that make sense."
John shook his head. "You're crazy."
Chester handed over his Quarryman's hammer. "In case it's not obvious, I quit."
"You'll be sorry for this, Berkeley!"
Berkeley was already halfway out the door. "When?"
"When's the date?!" John ran to his desk drawer and dug through. In a few minutes, he found a silenced pistol. Too late. There was the sound of a car peeling out of the parking lot. Castaway sank into his desk chair, put the gun back, and groaned loudly.
***************************
Knock, knock.
Macbeth glanced at the security camera. Shrugging, he opened the door. "So we meet again?"
Robyn was on the doorstep, arms crossed. "You've got some explaining to do...Macbeth."
TBC