12 Chapter 12: All Part of Being a Dragon, Part 4

"But I have been faithful," Azrael said, and Theresa had never heard that emotion in his voice before, such dejected sadness. It felt as if his stomach was made of stone. "I did everything that You asked of me."

"And We thank you," the voice said. "But your time has passed. You have earned your rest."

"And now You're just throwing me away?"

"Must you use such words?" the voice asked, its delicious tones unwavering. "Other firms employ only the X models now; it is very important to Our stockholders that We do the same. In addition, Our customers do not want Us using an outmoded A. Z. unit for readjusting. Thank you for everything you have given Us, but it is time to move on. You will no longer be able to manipulate the Tapestry, Azrael. You will also remit your familiar to your successor for upgrading."

"But X-Fifty-Nine, he's... he's caused nothing but chaos, death, and unraveling for centuries."

Theresa felt warm, soft lips brush Azrael's penitent forehead. It was like being kissed by sunlight, by music, by joy. "We do not choose to recall that," the voice said. "Remit your familiar to him immediately. You have Our gratitude, Azrael, always."

"You can't do that to her!" Azrael cried as he raised his head. For a fleeting instant, Theresa glimpsed a face. It was flawless and featureless, a blank, shining oval. Then the brilliant light inside of the seraph bore into Azrael's eyes like blades of fire, and he screamed.

Darkness swallowed the world. Theresa felt Azrael's body fall limp. She expected him to sob, but he did not. The agony in his skull had faded, but she felt an equal suffering inside his chest. It was as if maggots were squirming within his heart. He silently held his genuflection, his body immobile.

Theresa could bear no more. She lifted her head from the water of her partner's memories, and disengaged her tail from his ear. She looked up at his comatose body, wondering if he was even aware of her intrusion. She slipped her tail underneath his mirrored glasses, and gasped. His eye sockets were two empty holes, scarred and blistered.

"Oh Azrael," she said, "I'm so sorry."

She kissed his cheek, and crawled down the length of his sleeping body. She felt around the floor until she found the pool of water. She lapped at it. It was cool, and sweet.

"All right," she said, "I know you're watching."

X-Fifty-Nine unfolded his body out of the air. His sphere of purple flames shone down on them once more. "I guess I'm yours now," Theresa said. "I have no choice."

"There is always a choice," X-Fifty-Nine said, extending his spider-like body to the ceiling. "But what will you do? You cannot help him. You can stay trapped in this world with him, fending for yourselves like beggars. A broken, blind man and his pet chameleon, lost in the tunnels with the other derelicts. Or, you can do as They want, and join me - as a Dragon."

Theresa puffed her neck. "I have conditions," she said. X-Fifty-Nine raised an eyebrow. "First of all, you take care of Azrael, make sure he leaves the Tapestry immediately."

"That is easy."

"Second," Theresa said, "you must undo what you have done. All those innocents you murdered today, for a start."

X-Fifty-Nine smiled. "What a heart you have," he said. "I promise, I will never have done those things. I am... respectable now."

"And I'll be a Dragon?" Theresa asked. X-Fifty-Nine nodded. "All right," she said, "let's link up." She climbed upon his shoulder, and extended her tail towards his ear.

She froze.

Her body jerked and trembled as indigo rings of light exploded up her spine, and into her brain. The scales of her tail bubbled and cracked, melting into a gleaming armor of cobalt steel. Her legs grew, and bulged with muscles. The change made its way to her stomach. Burning hooks slashed away inside of her, rearranging her organs. She retched and choked.

"I could simply upgrade you," X-Fifty-Nine said, "but it's much easier this way: if you were always a Dragon, if you were always mine."

Theresa shrieked Azrael's name. Her memories melted into globs of wax that ran down the inside of her skull to thrash and reform at the bottom. She twisted and screamed as her life was devoured by chaos.

"Are you all right?" X-Fifty-Nine asked.

Terrance took a deep breath. "Ugh," he said. It was hard for him to think. "It was that final attack, threw me for a loop. Give me a minute, would you?"

"Of course," said X-Fifty-Nine. He stroked Terrance's back. It sent a small shiver up the Dragon's spine. He licked X-Fifty-Nine's fingertips. He adored the salty taste of his master's skin. "It's a tragedy, Azrael going rogue like that," X-Fifty-nine said. "I always held him in the highest regard."

"He was a nutcase," Terrance said. "He turned a whole train of commuters into chickens just to get to you, remember?"

"To us, brother," said X-Fifty-Nine.

They gazed at the sleeping form at their feet. Terrance watched his glowing reflection in Azrael's mirrored glasses. He felt disorientated for a moment, as if almost remembering something from a forgotten dream. He shook it off. "He's just an obsolete A. Z. model," he said. "I can turn the bastard's brain off like a light bulb, if you want."

"No need," said X-Fifty-Nine. He clamped his giant hand on Azrael's jaw, opened his mouth, and placed it under the leaking pipe. Terence smirked as the drops plopped against the former manipulator's tongue. "He won't feel anything," X-Fifty-Nine said. "He'll drown long before his coma is finished, just another derelict that met his death in the tunnels."

"Couldn't happen to a nicer guy," said Terrance. X-Fifty-Nine raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. Terrance felt his scales grow warm. Had he said something wrong? All he wanted to do was be more like his master. Being hard was part of the job; it was all part of being a Dragon.

"Let's get out of here," he said. And with a ripple of the Tapestry, his master complied.