Forced Betrayal by Robert T. Jeschonek Page A

it. End of the world versus a paltry few lives, remember?" Again, he raises his hands, palms up, like the balances of a scale, and dips one down just a little. "But we couldn't take that chance. Would you?"
    "You make me sick." Hericane's voice is a hiss.
    "Don't give me that shit!" Suddenly, Mogul goes from goofy stoner to outraged prick. "You self-righteous fuck !" He stops at the end of the aisle and glares up at her. "If you were given the same choice, only that was some stranger about to blow the lid off, not your girlfriend , you would've done the exact same motherfuckin' thing, and you know it!"
    Hericane's aura glows brighter. "You don't know anything."
    "Oh, okay. So I'm the big dumb fuckin' idiot." Mogul makes a face and flutters his hands. "The big dumb fuckin' idiot who kept the world from ending by keeping big boy there stocked up on human happy meals . What've you accomplished lately? Alienate your supposed girlfriend to the point where you didn't even know she was in imminent danger ?" He waves a hand dismissively, voice dripping with disgust. " Please. Go fuck yourself, lady."
    Hericane sets her jaw and drifts toward him. I think she's getting ready to fry his ass. Permanently.
    I think he knows it, too. I think he's playing her. Before she can lash out, he flings up a hand and shouts at her. " Now ." He holds that way for a moment, gaze locked with hers, frozen on the brink of potential annihilation by any of a dozen different powers she could possibly unleash at him. "You have a decision to make."
    "A decision." Hericane stops drifting. Her glow dims the slightest bit.
    "You want him ?" Mogul points at Stalwart. "You want to make him pay ? Go ahead. But let's be clear about this. Without him manning the Portcullis, the world will end today . The Manifestation will come through and lay waste to the planet."
    Hericane is silent. She turns to stare at Stalwart.
    "The Refraxus opens in--let's see." Mogul checks his watch. "Less than five minutes from now. So the end of the world, the real Armageddon, will finally kick into high gear in less than five minutes. Or... "
    "Or what?" I ask him.
    " Or , we keep the status quo," says Mogul. "We all walk away and forget this ever happened. Because we know what's at stake , and we're all grown-ups here."
    "And how many more people will die?" I say. "How many more will you have to sacrifice to him to keep the Manifestation at bay?"
    "It. Doesn't. Fucking. Matter! " Mogul claps his hands together. "If the world keeps turning , we're still out of the red . We're still coming out ahead!"
    "Not Mardi Gras," says Hericane. "She's not coming out ahead."
    "You and that fucking Mardi Gras!" Mogul grabs his head and spins around in frustration. "Look, I'll give you the guy who killed her, all right? Justice will be done! It's him , right there! Bird boy!" He points at Widening Gyre. "Happy now? Do you think you can play ball like a big girl? "
    Hericane glares and doesn't answer.
    "Come on, will ya?" says Mogul. "We're saving the world here! It's what super-heroes are supposed to do !"
    Still, Hericane remains silent.
    Mogul lets loose a huge sigh and points at his watch. "We're running out of time here, my friend. The Refraxus will be opening any minute now. What'll it be?"
    Hericane hangs there a moment more. Everyone watches, wondering what she's going to do.
    But I think I know. I think I know what I would do in her place.
    "Well?" says Mogul.
    That's when Hericane announces her decision. She does it with actions, not words, so there's no misunderstanding.
    And her message comes through loud and clear.
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    *****
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    It happens so fast, I can barely see, she's mostly a blur. But the steps she follows are methodical and logical. She's thought this through.
    She goes after Widening Gyre first. The man who killed her lover. She flashes across the auditorium and blows through him like a cannonball. The falcon-headed chaos god explodes in a burst of flesh and feathers. As his