Part 98: Double-cross

"Get the picture back up! Now!" Toros ordered the red haired Englishman.

"Alright! Alright!" Mad Mod yelled back while pushing several buttons at once. "Damn! There's a bloody virus in the system that's causing trouble!"

"Well, fix it!" Toros screamed.

"Settle down, brother," Astra placed a soothing hand on her brother's shoulder. "WSe have to be patient. Let us savor this moment of victory. Though we did not see it, we know that Shadowcobra had destroyed his, former, comrades."

"Yeah," Dagger added, "What she said.

"You're right, Astra," Toros smiled under the helmet.

"Walla! There you go, the picture is back!" Mad Mod yelled triumphantly.

"And just in time too," Vermin grinned.

On the screen, it showed Shadowcobra inserting his Final Vent card into his scepter. "Final Vent!" Genocide now stood behind the exhausted Pluto and Draco. The composite beast formed a swirling black vortex in the middle of its chest right before its master shouted out, "DARKHOLE CRASH!" and jumped into the air, executing a perfect drill kick that slammed Pluto and Draco.

Right into the black hole.

The dragon and dog Knight yelled out in anguish as they were sucked in and crushed to oblivion. The Titans all averted their eyes from the scene. When the screaming had died down, they slowly opened their eyes.

"No…" Jinx shook her head in denial, sobbing, fresh tears falling from her eyes. "Draco…"

"It cannot be…" Starfire whispered in disbelief. "How could he…? Friend Draco…Pluto."

"Pluto…" Blackfire gritted her teeth and tried to fight back the tears that were coming.

"I can't believe it," Beast Boy gasped.

"Pluto…" Cyborg's lips trembled.

Terra was shocked to silence and was unable to utter a word. Robin didn't know what to say. And Raven? Raven felt herself betrayed by the one she loved the most.

"Yahoo! Whoopee!" Vermin whooped, "What a show!" he threw his fists up.

Dagger began dancing an Irish jig. "The Dog and Dragon are gone! Let's celebrate!"

Astra looked knowingly at her brother and Toros shrugged.

"I guess you were right," Toros said.

"Told you," Astra replied.

"Now, let us hold up our end of the deal," Mad Mod said, "Let us open the door."

"Very well, Moddie," Toros said, "Open the door."

The door suddenly appeared and it was slowly opening up. Shadowcobra slowly walked through and faced the Gamemasters. His emotions were unreadable from behind the faceplate. He didn't even face the Titans.

"It seems that you've won," Toros approached the Snake Knight, "Congrat-"

"Save it!" Shadowcobra hissed abruptly, "I only did it for the Titans, not you."

Toros was not the least bit miffed at Shadow's disrespect, or he did not show it. He cleared his throat and then continued, "Even so, you did do as we asked and remained the last survivor of that game."

Shadowcobra remained silent.

"The Survivor Cards, please," Toros told him.

Shadowcobra, without hesitation, drew out the two Survivor Cards that had belonged to Draco and Pluto before handing them over to Toros. The Ox Knight grabbed the cards greedily and smirked under his helmet.

"Now, the Titans?" Shadowcobra asked impatiently.

"Oh, them?" Toros said, still caught up in his reverie. "Astra, please release them."

Astra nodded obediently and snapped her fingers, deactivating the energy barrier the Titans were encased in. She then said, "Deal with the shackles yourself, snake."

"Fair enough," was Shadowcobra's reply as he made his way to The Titans. Some of them would not even look at him and those who did, stared up at him with either disgust or confusion.

"Traitor!" Robin said hatefully.

Jinx spat, "How could you! They were your friends!" She still had tears falling from her eyes.

"Shadow…Shadowcobra…how could you have done such a wicked thing?" Starfire asked, begging for an explanation. She too was crying.

Blackfire insulted him, "You're a big jerk! A clorbag!" she added, gritting her teeth hatefully, "A monster!"

"A traitor…" Terra whispered, slowly.

He turned to Raven and she didn't even want to look at him. She spoke, deadpan, "I don't even know you anymore."

Toros began checking the cards and then he turned to Shadow to speak, "I think we have a problem here," Toros began to say.

"What?" Shadowcobra turned and glared, irritated by the Gamemasters' leader. "I did as you asked and remained the last Knight standing. Also, I gave you the Survivor Cards."

"Oh, you didn't disappoint us when you killed your friends, but you see," Toros held up the two Survivor Cards, "I only see two cards here and there are supposed to be three." Dagger, Astra and Vermin slowly took out their weapons.

"You want mine," Shadowcobra said. It wasn't a question.

"Well…yeah," Toros chuckled.

"It's not a complete set without yours, snake," Dagger said to him.

Shadowcobra took out his scepter, "You have to take it from me then, by force."

"What makes you think you can fight us, you slithering snake?" Vermin said dangerously.

Dagger cracked his knuckled and prepared his sharp talons, "You're exhausted and weak. Plus you used up a lot of your power to get here."

"So why don't you be a dear and hand over that Survivor Card of yours," added Astra, twirling her weapons around. She was armed with a pair of maces.

"After all, you're alone and outnumbered," Toros finished, cracking his knuckles and flexing his muscles. "But if it's a fight you want…"

Shadowcobra suddenly hissed and then he started…chuckling?

Chuckling? Huh?

The chuckling turned to snickers and then he blew up, laughing out hysterically, "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!"

"WHAT SO FUNNY?" Toros yelled angrily.

Shadowcobra stopped laughing and then he began to say, "You are definitely the stupidest team of Zodiac Knights I have ever had the dishonor to meet."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Vermin demanded angrily, cracking his whip.

"HEADS UP!" yelled a familiar voice. Suddenly, three humanoid shapes fell from the ceiling and tackled the Gamemasters to the ground. The four Gamemasters struggled against the ones who dared to interrupt their fun.

Toros then got a good look at one of them, "YOU!" he shouted in disbelief.

"Hello!" greeted the one who had tackled him.

"Nice day for a trip, don't ya think?" added the second tackler.

It was Draco and Pluto, and they were both pretty much alive.

Copycat said sweetly, "Don't forget about little old me now."

Draco, Pluto and Copycat got off the Gamemasters and then stepped towards Shadowcobra standing close to the Snake Knight.

"HOW?" Toros demanded, "How are you two losers still alive?"

Copycat stepped forward, "That would be my fault. You see, I smuggled in a little virus that messed up your little cameras and then I used an illusion to make you think Shadow here," she indicated to Shadowcobra with a finger, "Offed Draco and Pluto."

"You guys fell for it," Draco added.

"Took the bait," Copycat grinned.

"Hook, line and sinker," Pluto finished, grinning.

The Gamemasters all stared at Shadowcobra. The Snake Knight then said, "Can you say, double-cross?"

To Be Continued…