He felt many things. None of it was good.
Anger. Confusion. Fear. SHAME.
In all those years never once had he ever put his hands on the boy, until now.
Betrayus was in his own quarters, laying in his own dome-shaped bed as he stared off into nothing. He recalled that after Pac ran away when Betrayus committed that awful act, he had begun to freeze like a deer in headlights. It all had seemed to happen in slow motion as his palm met with Pac's cheek. It wasn't a light slap either; he had hit Pac hard enough to cause a faint stinging sensation in his hand.
"It's only inevitable you hurt another one", came a sudden, far from wanted thought. But, he supposed it was true. Betrayus was once no stranger to hatred towards the yellow orbs, more specifically the ones that used to run the government and… HIM. Zac.
He and Zac didn't have an amicable relationship to put it lightly. He recalled those awful days of being kicked or made fun of by him during recess during their elementary school years, or being tripped and also made fun some more of during high school.
Even after Zac got older and quite apparently cleaned up his act (he even issued a heartfelt apology to Betrayus during their high school reunion), Betrayus, petty and arrogant Betrayus, rejected him and his genuine apology. And now, Betrayus was raising Zac's son after he killed him and his wife in cold blood. Ouch.
Regarding his desire to overthrow the allegedly corrupt yellow orb-ran government, that was in truth a cheap coverup for what he really wanted- power. Revenge. To be something no one could make fun of or laugh at anymore. Boy did he show them.
In truth, his quite apparent hatred of Yellow Ones more than likely stemmed from his unpleasant experiences with Zac. How pathetic.
But he just continued to stare at nothing in particular, his entire being riddled with fear and regret. He stared at the hand he had used to slap Pac, and clenched it with a grunt.
"You had to do it", said another intrusive thought, "you should have killed him when you had the chance."
"NO", Betrayus suddenly shouted, his only answer being the silence of his room. His eyes couldn't help but dart over to his bedside table. Inside was his personal blaster he kept for emergencies. The same one he had previously used in an attempt to kill the yellow infant 15 years ago.
He began to tremble as he thought about how easy it would be to dispose of the boy and his cohorts, and continue his hellish reign over Pac World. But no. If only that were true. He fought so hard to get into power over the planet all those years ago, only to eventually be foiled by the one he loved so dearly. There was no denying it. It was coming, and likely very fast if he didn't do something soon.
Now, he had a choice to make.
Option one. Kill his son. Stay in power, continue to rule over the planet with an iron fist and find someone else to succeed him.
Option two. Spare his son's life. Lose power, and more than likely his own life as well knowing how volatile Pac's anger could be. Man, he truly did take after his dad in the worst of ways.
Neither option seemed pleasant, not even the staying in power option. He stood, and inhaled until his lungs couldn't take anymore. Then, he yelled. No, wailed.
He did so for as long as he could muster, ignoring the knocking on his door from concerned soldiers. Hot tears streamed from his fiery red eyes, his vocal chords becoming sore.
He collapsed onto his bed and told his soldiers to go away.
In spite of his cries, one truth rang loud and clear. If anyone was deserving sympathy, it wasn't him. He was a monster, and he knew it. But now, he was a monster with a decision to make. One that would affect the fate of Pac World and its denizens once more.
Mercy, or merciless.