"The audience is uncomfortable with your presence," Machina went on, not looking away from Jason. "I do not wish them to be uncomfortable. Go. I will take care of him, and the Winter prince."


"But, sire--"


Machina didn't move. One of his cables whipped out, almost too fast to see, punching through the knight's armor and out his back. The cable lifted Quintus high in the air and threw him into the wall. Quintus clanged against the metal and slumped motionless to the ground, a jagged hole through his breastplate. Dark, oily blood pooled beneath him.


"Leave," Machina repeated softly, and the knights scrambled to obey. They filed out through the door and slammed it shut, and they were alone with the Iron King.


Machina regarded Jason with depthless black eyes. "You are as beautiful as I imagined," he said, walking forward, his cables coiling behind him. "Beautiful, fiery, determined." He stopped a few yards away, the cables settling back into that living cloak. "Perfect."

Jason's purple eyes widened as he looked at the motionless body of the fighter. He looked at the king,baring his fangs and forcing his frills to expand,but instead of threatening it only looked more so like a natural crown. Shade sat back on his hunches,smiling at his brother with a wild pleasure. "Yes. His egg was left to die in the moon fields,but surprisingly his life pushed through.Determination was in him from the start." Jason's tail twitched but it made a clinking noise as the glass of it scraped and tapped together.

Machina regarded Jason silently, then gestured behind him. A loud clanking began, and something rose out of the ground beside his throne, as if it was borne on an elevator. A large, wrought-iron birdcage came into view. Inside was their brother...

Behind Jason, Ash growled a curse and tried to stand.

Jason's heart almost stopped as Flasher,a black haired boy of 25 with toxic green colored markings along the sides of his neck glowing to show dragonic sybols. They said nothing specific,but trailed down past the black torn shirt he had on. His sleek black wings with hints of green in them where limp besides him and his graceful tail curled in. His bright pink eyes closed. Jason looked to Ash quickly,shaking his head no for the prince to move. Shade laughed. "Your softer than I remember,caring for a brother you barely knew and then not wanting a random faey to stand against his own pain?! You care to much Shadow,to much! And clearly,as I said when we where small,it's ganna get you killed. And where are you now? At the point of a shattering not even you can survive~!"

Ash growls in protest.

"My dear, you misunderstand me." Machina's cables waved threateningly. "I did not take your brother because I wanted him. I did it because I knew it would bring you here," he smirked

Flasher opened his eyes,they where a bright pink contrasted to his slightly darker skin than Jason's,and they pinned to Jason's. He had graceful but strong features,they emphasized and demanded his majesty that he would also have in his other forms. Jason was shaking,his body cracking farther and farther. "Why do you want me?" He said,softly. But his elegance was still in his tone and it clearly enraged his brother.
"Your stupid,stupid as heck. You never learn do you?! Your an idiot! A soft,weak,useless hide of scales!!!" Soon Shade was yelling,standing on his hind legs with his majestic wings spread wide. He looked about ready to tear his brother to shreds with anger that seemed built up over years and years.

Now Ash knew where Jason got the useless hide of scales line from. Machina smiled. "You were well protected, Jason. Robin Goodfellow is a formidable bodyguard, and I could not risk taking you without drawing attention to myself and my realm. Fortunately, your brother had no such protection. Better to draw you here, of your own volition, than risk the wrath of Oberon and the Seelie Court. Besides" Machina's eyes narrowed to black slits, though he still smiled at him. "I needed to test you, make certain you were truly the one. If you could not reach my tower on your own, you were not worthy."

He growled,glaring with a cracking snout at the iron king. "Worthy of what?" His body was shaking and he had to drop onto his hunches due to not being able to hold the weight on the almost fully glass limbs. His tail didn't twitch anymore,and his sides where stiff and cracking more as he tried to breath. Shade didn't seem to agree with anything that meant Jason had worth. His expression turning to just pure rage and anger as he stood on all fours. "Nothing in my opinion,unless it's death." He murmured,seeming to utterly hate his twin. "And if not that,everything you love...no,everyone you love to die." His voice was soft but colder than hot ice.

Machina didn't respond to either of them "Of course, I would be glad to give over Flasher. For a trade. Make a deal with me."
Ash grunted in protest to that

Jason sighed,gently placing a talon a gentle as a breeze to Ash's shoulder. "Fine....a trade." He said,his brother Flasher pulling to a stand and shaking his head and saying in a voice that in any other condition would be strong. "Shadow...no....Silver needs you,the dragons....If those things get to the thresh hold...it's over! Y-You have to go back!"