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Previously on Gargoyles

"He is using her."~ Hecate

"Using my mommy?"~ The Gwyhena Sidhe (The Storm II: Downpour)

"We are going to destroy one city. Destroy every structure, burn it to the ground and kill everyone. Use as evidence to get the world to sway to us." ~Thailog

The humans have ruled this land for far too long. It is my time now. ~Renepep ( The storm pt I: The Gathering of Clouds)

"Everybody here is my enemy. Everyone shall suffer."~Thailog

"He’s heading for the Eyrie!" ~Fox Xanatos (The Storm II: The Downpour)

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"He is heading towards the Eyrie tower!"

Fox’s cry of alarm reached everyone’s ears, including Thailog’s. A cruel smirk broke out across his muzzle. "That is my next goal." He called out to all who was within hearing range and threw a ball of green fire towards the castle. The tower was still miles out of range of his blast and even he could see the the tiny speck hovering over the castle and the outlines of a forcefield shielding the entire building.

It was enough of a threat for Fox. The lithe mecha suit zoomed ahead of the small steel clan army. The lazer rifle embedded into the arm of her suit fired the minor stings of lazer rifle at him.

It was her other hand that was the problem. Emerald green energy build up around her hand and seemed to ahbsorb the heat from the fire Thailog had crated. The attack struck him in the side. and sent him tunbling a few feet before he managed to right himself.

"You bitch!" Thailog’s voice rumbled. This was the second time Xanatos’s mate had injured him. The energy the armored woman had used was enough to cause him to actual bleed. He turned to her, ready to unleash his full wrath.

Only one of the Lexington robots had followed the steel clan along with Fox. The small robot raced far ahead of the others. It’s tail curled or it’s back like the tail of a scorpion and fired lazer blast after lazer blast.

Thailog did not care if he was struck repeatedly. His new hide was able to take on several hits without feeling much pain. Each sting was like touching food that was freshly taken out of the fire, a small and fleeting pain. It was still an annoyance. He waited until the small machine had flown close before he swatted his tail at it, snapping it’s head off and sending the rest of it’s form to crash down to the streets below.

He paused when a helicopter lowered itself in front of him by a few feet. Two more helicopters flew in behind it. The machines must have caught up with him when he had foolishly angered Fox. Thailog turned towards his left as a Quarryman helicopter angled around the buildings. Another Quarryman copter and a National guard helicopter were circling around to trap him on his right.

"Do your worst," Thailog breathed before turning back to face the robots. Two more Lexbots was already whirling towards him, taking on the image of a buzz-saws. Thailog sent forth his green fire at full blast and a spherical shape. The robots tumbled out of the sky.

He was distracted long enough for the helicopters to launch their attacks on him. He felt the missiles strike him in six places. Two managed to zero in on the right wring, almost together at the same spot. The explosion was enough to create a hole through the leather and surround the flesh with blisters. The third struck his left wing and left a another patch of burnt flesh. The fourth struck him on his back, right between his wings, the fifth just above the base of his tail and the sixth his upper thigh.

Thailog roared out in pain. The smaller weapons used by the clan and the machines were simple insect bits and pinches to him. The missiles felt like the lazer burns he received when he was mere gargoyle.

The pain in his wings caused him to tumble out of the sky for a few seconds. He was able to catch the wind with his wings before he would have struck the ground.

"Big mistake," Thailog flew straight for the three National Guard Helicopters. Green fireballs leaped from his hands and struck two of the choppers. The strength and power of the spheres were strong enough to crack through glass. The black gargoyle turned towards his right and roared out another seismic wave. The waves from his roar were enough to toss the helicopters backwards.

He turned to see what the robots would do. To his amusement, they along with the members of the clan who had caught up, head straight for the crashing helicopters to try to rescue the people inside. A few of the Quarrymen rose past him on their hover cycles.

Thailog relished in a brief moment. Already his earliest injures had healed. The small cuts from Goliath’s sword and Othello’s halberd had completely healed. The bullets that had struck him an the steel tipped arrows had fallen out due to his healing rate. It wouldn’t be long before his more severe injuries have healed. He may receive more as the battle wore on, but he knew in the end he would be the victor.

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It was obvious that Baridi-Enye was surrounded. Her deep faceted eyes was able to pick up all directions surrounding her. She was able to see the humans and gargoyles crouched down like a leopard stalking it’s prey. Their weapons were next to their sides.

Her pivoting ears were able to pick ups the sound of long objects being thrown from above her but didn’t have enough time to run away from the weapons. She embraced the sharp edge of the spears as they pierced through the flesh in her shoulders, one of plunged down into the middle of one her many legs. One struck her back. A few more struck the long serpent like tendrils that grew out of the back of her head.

"I don’t think this is working," Kuvo growled from his place in the brush. The crimson gargoyle resembled a lion even more than usual with his chest and stomach pressed against the grass.

"It is working," the plump human told him. Jared’s dark hair was plastered against the back of his neck, the sides of his head and his forehead. Sweat dripped down his face. "They are distracting her."

"They are feeding her," Kuvo corrected. He watched as the demoness was drinking in her pain. The top eye on her angular face seem to sparkle more than the other two. A look that seemed she was pleading for more.

"It’s not her true food," Jared reached for a kerchief from his pocket and used it to wipe his sweaty face.

"Its the food she is willing to eat when there is no suffering off others." He watched the group of gargoyles gliding over her in worry. There were only two more spears left. "I fear for what will happen when they run out of spears."

"Oh ye of little faith," Jared pointed at towards the distance. Several dark shapes were gliding from the north. "They are here."

"Are you certain this is going to work?"

"Remember what the historical text read and what was written on the Website."

The last spear was dropped and the pointed edge of the weapon struck her between the shoulder blades. Despite the blood trickling down her back the demoness appeared to have been in more of comfort than pain. The moist sparkle in her eyes died down when she had noticed that no one else was carrying any spears. Baridi-Enye lowered her head till her long snout was pointing down. Her long tendrils pointed straight up a the gargoyle. One darted forward like a striking serpent. A small sound followed. Her long ears were able to pick up the sound as well as the cry of a wounded gargoyle.

Kuvo stood up when he had seen the darting tendril and saw a female gargoyle freeze in the air for a few seconds. despite the dark of the night, he could see the golden spots against her rose colored skin. "Sarafina!" He cried as he tried to rise. He was only able to make it half way before he was pulled back down to the ground by Jared.

"Stay," the human grunted. He had to use ever muscle to pull down the huge gargoyle. "It would do her no good."

"She is my second in command," Kuvo answered. Even as he said those words, two more of Baridi-Enye’s tendrils darted towards the cheeta spotted gargoyle.

"Don’t do it," Jared warned as Sarafina plunged to the ground. "Don’t look." Even he barely could view the wounded gargoyle. Three puncture wounds formed over her body. Blood seeped out and traveled across her skin in small rivulets. "They are almost here."

Kuvo looked up at the approaching gargoyles and the nets they had carried with one eye. The other was on the demoness. He felt the bottom of his stomach fill with lead at the sight of the long tongue shoot out of the bottom of her long snout. The tongue flicked out over Sarafina. The demoness was feeding off of her pain and suffering.

A mighty roar was sounded from the area above Barid-Enye and Sarafina before a golden orange gargoyle dropped down and landed on the demons back. Effa Ra’s hair billowed around his head like the sun’s corona as he fought against the demoness. His ram like horns reflected the moon light as well as his twin scimitars before they became stained with Baridi-Enye’s blood.

The strange looking demon turned around and tried to shake off the former Egyptian Gargoyle. Her large hands had grabbed onto his shoulders while his legs kicked out and his lower talons dug across her flesh and become blood stained. She could cause him pain and feed off of him, only if he wasn’t such an annoyance. Instead she reached out and touched him on the forehead with her finger ending in a needle like claw.

A net dropped down from above her even before she let go of the gargoyle she had instantly killed. Her tendrils tried to slip through the web like netting. Two more dropped down on top of her, making it difficult for the long extending to even be able to go through the holes.

"Now!" Jared leaped to his feet. "Activate the nets!"

Electricity cackled over the netting, but Baridi-Enye received no pain. She could grab onto them, yet she could not remove them. They had become a force field to contain her. She stared at Jared, her crystal eyes had turned as black as onyx.

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The two armies stood facing each other, the tanks were aimed at the opposing forces while soldiers stood on the sides and behind the tanks, each one equiped with a rifle. One side had extra help in form of large and glorious beasts, and a figure that hovered above, using a pair of feathered wings.

"Your master is afraid to come himself," the angelic figure called out to the Bolivian soldiers. His long golden hair floated around his head in a halo.

"He does not believe in overkill," Odin responded in Norweigan, earning a few confused expressions from the soldiers he hadn’t explained too.Unlike Loki he chose not to create a grand guise for hismelf and tried to blend in with the humans. He took on the glamour of a Bolivian general. "Our enemy is from Norway," he had explained to his soldiers. "A few of their scientists had developed a high level holographic device that these terrorists had stolen as well a some geneticaly altered beasts."

"That is what they are?" one of the captains pointed to one of the winged lions. "They were able to creat lions with wings and creatures from mythology?"

"Not quite," Odin said. "Their true forms are far more hideous."

"They are using the holographic device on the creatures?"

"They have the Argentinans duped."

"What lies are you telling them?" Loki asked. He flew closer to his enemy. "What false promises did you tell them?"

"None of the sort, Loki." Odin answered in Spanish, with the hopes that some of the soldiers would know about Norse mythology, or at least read Marvel comics. "Unlike what you have told the Argentinians."

"Don’t turn it back on me. You are the one with the stench of brimstone about him."

"You can’t use your machine any longer. I know the passcode."

Loki blinked. "Passcode? What are you talking about?"

"I shall disable your disguise," Odin’s voice grew deeper and took on an echo. "By removing the scales from their eyes." The words echoed through the minds of all the mortals and cast a ripple over the beasts. Thier majestic beauty shifted becoming something more frightening. The Unicorns shifted into Jotun trolls, the griffins into regular trolls and the lions into wolves, the largest being Fenris.

Loki watched as his soldiers stood away from the beasts, several looked like they wanted to run. "What have you done?"

"I have disabled your hologrpahic machine," Odin answered in a matter of the fact tone. He turned to the nearest captain. "When I give the order shoot at the monsters. Try not to shoot at the people."

"Sir, yes sir." The captain waved to the other soldiers and relayed the message.

"Illusions?" One of the Argentianian soldiers shouted to Loki. "You lied to us. We thought you destroyed those monsters."

"Now," Odin called out and aimed his rifle at Loki. "I need to take out his jet pack."

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"We are almost upon the false prophet!" Luna called out. She was dressed in the tan camaflogue uniform of a soldier. She chose to disguise herself like a civilian. Her skin darkened to match the other humans, she left her hair unchanged. "The true spirit shall lead us to him."

Soldiers around her cut a clear path towards the south half of the island. Weapons fired around and the stench of death lingered in the air. They were almost there. She and her sisters could sense the form of Huitzlopochth and if they were using their true eyes they would have been able to spot the former mortal from miles away.

"This way," Selene floated high above them. Unlike her sisters she did not don a mortal disguise, instead she made herself translucent and surrounded by a glowing corona of white light. She pointed to a clump of trees surrounded by jeeps. "The false one hides within here."

"We shall remove his mask and stab his left eye," Luna called out. "It is the only way to kill him."

"They are the ones who shall stab him, sister," Phoebe joined up with her sister. Like Luna she had taken on a mortal guise, except she had allowed her hair to darken to medium brown hue. "We may remove the mask."

"All things are true." Luna told her.

"False one!" Huitzlopochth floated up from is hiding place. His loin cloth was replaced with one made out of fine leather and was oiled till it shone like silk. His upper body was covered with golden armor and he wore a cloak of brightly colored feathers. "You shall not defy the prophesy."

"Phrophesy?" Selene flew towards him. "What prophesy. There is none that speaks of the Unseelie trying to fool the world."

"I create my own prophesy," Huitzlopochth exlpained. Reddish orange light surrounded his hands. "And this is my prophesy." He shot the energy towards her.

Selene held out her hands and created a shield of pale blue light. The sheild absorbed the energy shot from Huits. "Your phrophesy is that you will be defeated by me, human!"

"Human?" The insult stung him. "I am an Unseelie."

"You may be Unseelie, but you are not one of the third race," She fired off a blast of her own energy. "You are still human."

He deflected her attack with a smack of his hand. "I am immortal." He fired more blasts at her."

"A human mage granted immortality," Selene corrected, her shield took on more of his blasts whil she fired at him. What he did not know was that her shield was absorbing his attacks, making it more powerful.

"I don’t have to worry about iron and you do." He continued firing at her while deflecting her own attacks.

"I know your weakness." Her shield tingled from his blasts.

"And I know all about you. I know you are one of Oberon’s spoiled guardians. Did he order you to get off your high horse to help the mortals?"

"I am not here to help the mortals." She increased the amount of her blasts. "I hate being out here and I shall have my vengence by taking it out on you." She formed the shield into a sphere and threw it at him.

"No!" He barely had time to try to block the bomb and even in his defense was not enough. He was struck in his chest and sent tumbling backwards.

Selene flew towards his falling form. "As much as I would enjoy seeing your pain when you crash I want to hurry this up." She grabbed his arm and carried him down to the ground, where her sissters and a few of their soldiers were waiting.

"We’ll take it from here," Luna grabbed him from behind and pinned his arms to his back.

"I’ll remove the mask," Phobe pulled off the golden mask from his face, removing the obsidian sheild over his left eye. "And they shall stab him in his mortal eye." She nodded at the closest soldier.

The young man nodded back at her and plunged his blade into Huitzlopochth’s eye

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The Lihanon Sidhe glared out at the city from her perch on the bridge over the Thames river. Her milky white skin and long train of platinum blond stood out amongst the dark sky. Her pale green gown was contrast in color to tiny and few red and orange flames that cackled from various parts of the metropolis.

The City. Only a few buildings were damages and large messes were made everywhere else. The people were in panic either shutting themselves off within the homes or racing around the street. The damn city should have been hers and Mab’s. They had released several beasts to aid them, including a whole manticore pack and an army of Spirggan’s.

It would have been hers if it wasn’t for the gargoyles and their human friends. The winged annoyance had sprung into action as soon as soon as the sun had set and they broke free from their stone sleep. Their human friends were prepared and had soliders and officers informed even before the Unseelie attack. Some of the human friends fromed oraganised groups of the braver citizens to help fight back.

Several went straight for the Manticores. They were able to avoid their rows of sharp teeth, long claws. They knew the creatures more powerful weapon were their scorpion like tails. The attacked them first. They had either burned or cut them off.

The others went for the spriggans. They were armed with weapons of iron and with. They were able to defeat the underlings white quickly and not only that they lent their weapons to some of the more braver humans. Those that didn’t run or hide and tried to use blunt objects to smash against the skulls of the goblins.

"We are loosin’," The Lihanon Side spoke in a bitter tone. She could see a few gargoyles gliding in the distance.

"They hurt our kitties," Mab spoke softly. She had grown further by a few inches until she came to the Sidhe’s hip. "Our kitties only wanted to play with them, bat their paws at their cars and sharpen their claws, but now the bad people hurt them. We should hurt the bad people and make them dead."

"That be a temptin’ thought, acushala," Lhianon sighed. "The truth be is it we would be amongst the dead before dawn broke out."

"Many would be punished." Mab’s bioluminescence became even brighter for a few seconds.

The taller fae brought a finger to her mouth. "I wonder if we did the smart thing. I be thinkin’ we should of stuck wit the southern hemisphere."

"Everyone had a spot but us."

"We could of been a bit more convincin ta the humans in the other villages, had them fight along wit us. Shouldn’t have started out in London."

"You could have played with us instead." the child like voice spoke from behind. The Gwnyhna Sidhe still wore the light purple blouse with puffed up sleeves and the white jumper skirt with pearl buttons and frilly edges she wore when she played with Seneca.

"Sweet miracle," Lihanon’s eyes lit up in delight. "My baby has returned ta me."

"Does she want to help us punish the bad people?" Mab stared at the new arrival suspiciously.

"I want to punish the real bad people," Gwenny nodded. "But I don’t know where they are."

"Over there, dear child," Mab pointed towards the cities. "Those on foot and wing who are beating out servants in the face and already hurt our kitties."

"They are not the real enemy."

Lhinaon grabbed her youngest by her pointed ear and pulled her close."Are ye daft?" She pointed to the city. "Its the gargoyles and the humans who oppose us. They are the enemy."

"And those who serve Him." The last word out of Mab’s mouth was spoken with such bitter venom, almost as if he could spit it out of her mouth like spoiled food. "Those who don’t listen to reason and the truth and are still willing to serve their rotten king."

"Not them," Gwenny shook her head. "The true enemy is the Cubus and the other demons."

"Where are ye getting yer blarney from? The Cubus freed Mab and he helped free the four who were trapped together. He’s the one who is helpin’ us take over what should be rightfully ours."

"And when that happens," Gwenny dragged her finger across her neck while making a strange sound in her throat. "He’s taking it over for himself and those in hell, not Hades or Anwyn or Mictlan, or, Hel’s kingdom but the real hell. The firey pit of despair at the bottom of the universe."

"He wants to eat the cake that we worked hard at baking?" Mab asked. "Not allow us to endur any of the sweet taste and cut off our tongues instead?"

"That’s his main task. He wants our kind to die and bring on the Apopalips for his kind. He’s been plotting for a long time."

"Apocalypse," Her mother corrected. "Where did ye learn o this bit of news?"

"Hecate told me. She found out from a friend who was killed by the Cubus. He knows how to kill our kind and he will. I told Gara and Reggie, but they don’t want to help you. Gara was about how you dug this grave, but I had to warn you." tears began to run down her face. "I don’t want him to hurt you or my friends."

"Hecate?" The Lhianon Side had no idea the hybrid creature had been free. "Are ye certain?"

"I am very certain." She wiped away the moisture gathered at the corners of her eyes. "I want to help you but I have to go home and help protect my friends." The tears continued to stream and she shook with sobs as she faded away.

"There was no scent of a crocodile in her tears," Mab observed after the young fae had faded out of view.

Lhinanon nodded "She weeps sincerity. I believe Hecate did visit her and warn her, now can we trust what Hecate told her?"

"Hecate loves to play her games," a nostalgic look overcame Mab’s eyes. "Before I was punished because of Him, I would play with Hecate. Her head was overfilled with ideas. We use to run and skip and ride rainbows. She made us small and we swam in dew drops. She made us big and moved around the stones in the circles."

"She always was a bit unpredictable."

"She loved to give surprises."

"If something wanted ta stop her fun she would do anything possible ta stop that force."

"Fire and brimstone can stop anyone’s fun," Mab nodded before turning to face her friend. They shared the same look before glancing back towards the city.

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Goliath glided straight towards the human with non working parachute and grabbed him by his middle. He was thankful he had returned his sword to it’s hilt after Thailog had attacked several of the robots and tried to glide away. He did not want to risk harming the humans that were able to jump out of their crashing helicopters.

"Hand him to the machine," the detached voice of David Xanatos came through the steel mask of his exist. "We can’t let any of you land."

Goliath nodded. "Aye. We need to be in the air." He handed the still frightened human over to the steel robot that followed it’s master. If Goliath had landed to set the soldier down there would be no way for him to glide back up. He could not risk climbing up the side of a building when there was a possibility that Thailog might set it on fire.

"I don’t like the way he is just floating there," Xanatos had observed. He nodded towards Thailog with his head. The former gargoyle had just floated in the sky. His wings spread apart to keep him in the air. "He looks like he is waiting."

"Waiting or trying to heal," Goliath said. "He no longer has the metal tipped arrows my rookery sister and Jerry had fired at her and she no longer in his skin. There are no longer any bullets."

"He’s like Demona?"

"I don’t think he is immortal like her." Goliath answered. It almost seemed that speaking her name was a magic spell. His former love had glided into the area and kept on going straight towards Thailog. "He has a stronger hide and can heal faster."

"We can’t just allow him to heal."

"He’s far stronger than he used to be. It’s going be a while before we can even injure him enough to the point we can kill him."

Xanatos turned towards Goliath. "Please tell me you are still not willing to try and save him."

Goliath closed his eyes. "I’m not certain."

Demona glided at a mediocre speed. Goliath knew that she was in no hurry to save the humans and he knew that keeping the sound of her wings close to a dull whisper helped her get close to Thailog with out him knowing she was even behind him.

Matt was not too far from behind her. He had kept his own bronze wings at same level as hers and was able to glide at the same pace as his mate.

"I sent some of the robots to distract him." Xanatos pointed at the two Lexington robots flaying around Thailog. The machines were not even trying to attack him. The kept darting around like insects.

Demona waited until she was only a few feet behind Thailog before she aimed her bazooka at his back. She stared up, only briefly to see her mate fly over the dark gargoyle. That was only the second she would allow back before she fired. The arsenal was not a lazer, but an actual bazooka that was fired into the back of the beast. The actual projectile struck him in the chest, leaving behind a small gaping hole, surrounded by burnt, blistered skin.

Matt didn’t wait for the projectile to strike when he pulled back the trigger on his gun. He emptied his clip into Thailog’s neck, creating a pattern that almost resembled Braille.

Thailog roared in anguish. With one hand he grabbed one of the small robots from it’s flight. The green flame engulfed his claws and the machine and kept on burning until Thailog threw it down.

Thailog turned toward Demona. The pain in his neck was minuscule compared to the pain in his chest. He did not pay attention to the other Lexington robot, even when it converted to razorblade mode and flew strait into the back of his ankles. The machine broke halfway and few to the street in three pieces. The wound was cut in deep, all the way to the bone where blood gushed out.

"You try to kill me again?" Red serpent like eyes had become illuminated while the green flames lithe up on both hands. "This is payback." The flames shot towards Demona.

"Demona!" Matt released his hold on his gun and soared towards his mate.

"No my love!" Demona new her protests would fall on deaf ears. She grabbed onto his golden body and tried to maneuver him when the flames struck so that she would receive most of the fire.

The fire didn’t engulf them. Demona’s back, wings, and tail were covered with peeling skin and bubbled up bluish purple blisters with several black patches, and most of her hair was burnt black and flalling out in clumps. Matt’s back, wing and arm were covered in blistering second degree burns.

Both of them opened their eyes and saw they were surrounded by some sort of bubble that protected them. The last of Thailog’s fire bounced off and around the barrier.

"Buckle up guys," Fox’s voice came out through the vulpine mask on her suit." You are about to get a ride." She wore no gloves. One hand was held out over the two weregoyles. She had created a barrier made out of the very air and the moisture found in the air. Her other hand was held out towards Thailog. She had created a shield for her self out of the flames he had used.

"Ride?" Matt asked. His mate had already lost consciousness and he gingerly held her in his arms, careful as not to injure her further.

"I’ll try to keep you from bouncing." she sent the bubble to the street. She did not allow it to drop and kept it’s descent the same as the speed of a gargoyle gliding in for a landing.

"The pretty little vixen," Thailog purred. "I have forgotten how clever you are, nor did I see how powerful you have become." He tried to increase the strength of his flames. "Are you chosen also?"

"I am not chosen." She felt some resistance to her shield. "I just choose. I choose to protect my family and those that I care about." She held out her other hand. A glowing energy shot out and struck Thailog on the arm. The eyegaurds of her mask seemed to glow with bright green light.

Thailog grunted and hissed when he had been struck. "No more playing nice." He increased the power of his flame to full blast, all the wile trying to ignore the pain on his arm.

The fire cut through her resistance and smacked straight into the center of her . The blast was not strong enough to cut into her armor it was enough to send her tumbling backwards through the air.

"Fox!" Xanatos cried out. The rockets on the back of his suit propelled him to his wife.

"Two in one blow," Thailog said before he released a seismic roar at the two of them. Xanatos had just grabbed onto his wife’s arm when they were struck and both of them tumbled down towards the side of a building.

He stared at his arm where he had been struck by the magic. It was lighter in color, a deep brownish gray and covered with creaked and weeping blisters.

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Three pairs of black eyes stared at the Sanctuary workers and the government officials. Eyes that had been clear and sparkling like diamonds a few seconds before had darkened to Onyx. Baridi-Enye continued her cold hard stare while she reached up to the netting holding her down. Her large hands were able to grab onto the material but the electricity kept her frozen in place. She sent out her long tongue and immediately recoiled. She couldn’t taste anything.

"She is frozen in there?" Kuvo had stood up shortly after the electricity was turned on.

"It appears the electricity is holding her," Jared replied. He tried to take step towards the battle field, but was held back by his friend.

"Let me approach first," the gargoyle offered."Everyone, stay back. Do not go near her." His command went to the clan mmbers who stayed back amongst the rushes and to those who were landing. "Try not get too close."

"My mate is too close," the elephant like creature, Mokae protested. He was the first to land and the first to step closer to both Baride-Enye and her victims. He did not stare at the trapped demons

"Not before me." Kuvo ran ahead and placed himself between the demon and the large gargoyle. He stared at her, watching her shake her netting even further and try to slip her tendrils through the tiny holes with no success."How is she."

"Still alive," Mokae answered in a harsh tone. He knew why Kuvo did what he did. If the demons broke through she would have attacked their leader first and not him. He swept his mate up into his arms. "Sarafina?"

"Mokae," she spoke his name weakly and reached up to stroke his trunk. She had a puncture wound on her collar bone near her right arm and another bleeding wound in her arm. A third had struck her right leg.

"I know you will live," he brushed the end of his trunk against her brow ridges.

"Baridi-Enye is contained," Kuvo approached them. "We just don’t know how to kill her."

"Me," they were answered by a stranger. "I will kill her." the creature who had addressed him looked somewhat human. Her copper skin was more like a gargoyle’s skin. Her legs and arms below her elbows appeared to have been covered in a thicker hide. Bony lumps of flesh started behind the sharp spines on her brow ridges and extended back to her head. Her hair was smooth and black, except for the places where a few streaks of gold lined through it.

"What are you?" Kuvo growled out his demand.

"I am the demon slayer." She responded and pulled out a scythe from its sheath on her back.

"Demon slayer." Kuvo wasn’t sure if he could trust the new comer. He didn’t know what she was or if she was on their side.

"She came out of no where," a lavender gargoyle had answered. He had the short and bristling mane of a zebra and the same pattern of stripes covering his body.

"Kuvo," Mokae whispered from behind him. "Look at Baridi-Enye’s eyes." The dark eyes of the demon had paled into pearls. The creature was afraid.

"I will have my redemption," the slayer brought down her scythe in two quick slashes. The curved blade cut through the netting and sliced off the ends of two of Braid Eye-s tendrils. A third cut and she managed to free the demoness and slice through one of her legs until it was hanging by a thread.

Barid-Enye shrieked as she broke three from the last partakes of her cage. She ran towards the slayer, draging the nearly severed leg along. The rest of her tendrils curled around. Two of them darted forward in a quick snap.

The strange woman flattened her self to the ground. She had missed the second attack but not the first. A long gash raked across her back. She sprung forward racing while low to the ground and rolled under Bardi-Enye’ long legs and brought the edge of her scythe up. She cut half way through two of the demon’s legs.

The demoness stumbled back. She only had two good legs left and it was awkward for her to move. She turned her head just as her enemy had rose too her feet. Another of her tendrils darted forward and met it’s make. A bleeding wound was created in the warrior’s arm.

The woman cried out in pain even as she swung her scythe and cut off another tenderil,even as it was raising up to make it’s attack. She knew the other three were spent and needed to rest for a short while before they could attack.

Baridi-Enye was in pain and she had caused pain. Her eyes had lightened to a light gray. The pain she had just received as not the kind she wanted. She was hobbled and can only had three of her tendrils. She still was able to feed off of the pain of the warrior woman. Her tongue darted out in front of her rival.

The woman removed her sword and swung it at Baridi-Enye’s tongue. The blade of her weapon cut through the long pink worm like protrusion.

The eyes instantly went back as the demon lunged for the warrior and pinned her golden body down with her own awkward weight. She spread out her hand, her long finger stuck out.

Xyl stared at the small needle like projection on her fingers. The touch of instant death has been known to infect anyone and everything. There is a possibility it might kill her. She would not let it touch her. She was too damn close. She just had to kill the last of the fifth ills and the serpent demon. Redemption will be hers.

Xyl kicked out against Baridi-Enye’s chest. The force of her kick was enough to shake back her arm. The hybrid grabbed onto the demon’s hand, right where the kill finger was joined to the row of knuckles. She squeezed hard. Her rough hand was strong enough to snap the finger back.

Baridi-Enye screamed. Moisture leaked out from her jeweled eyes. Dark oil like substance dripped from where three of her tendrils were severed, out of her long snout like mouth and from her legs. She had healed from where and sheen she was struck by the spears. They were not the real pain, just something that could fuel her. The warrior woman caused her real pain.

A large black panther bounded from the shadowed thrushes. The jungle cat had kept still and quiet during the Sanctuary’s main plan. He staid by the side of his wife when Sarafina was attacked. and when Effa Ra was killed. He didn’t move when Xyl appeared. He couldn’t hold back any longer. The panther leaped onto Baridi-Enye’s back and tried to force his weight against her and push her down.

Xyl took up the opportunity and pushed the demon back. The combination of her shove and the panther’s weight sent her fall backwards to the dirt. She grabbed onto the hilt of her sword and stepped onto the demoness’s stomach.

"Fara Maku," Jared’s call out to his friend was mimicked by Tea. "You have done enough."

The panther growled at Baridi-Enye and leaped back away from the demon. He ran back to the thrushes where his wife and the others were still hiding.

Xyl did not even wait for the panther to leave. She stood over the demon and plunged her sword straight into the creature’s chest. Xyl carved down towards her, creating a slash shape cut. More of the black fluid poured out from the wound. Xyl cut deep again and a new gash crossed over the first. Xyl plunged her sword into the center of the x until the pointed edge came in contact with Baridi-Enye’s spine.

Baridi-Enye’s arms and two good legs kept thrashing while Xyl had cut across her chess. Her thrashing decreased when the second cut was carved in and came to a slow stop.

"Is she dead?" Kuvo asked. He had cursed himself that he was not brave enough to lend the strange woman a hand like Fara Maku had.

"Almost," Xyl replied. She picked up her discarded scythe. With one swing she severed the head of the Baridi-Enye. "Now she is. This one can be killed by decapitation."

"This one?" Kuvo took a step towards her. He was till cautious of such a creature. "What do you mean this one. Are there others?"

"There were." She pulled out her sword. With the demon dead she no longer had to keep it impaled. "All of thet Five are gone. I just have one more to hunt down."

"Why are you doing this?"

"Redemption," she replaced the sword into the leather hilt on her back and slued the scythe onto her back. She stepped towards the jungle and kept walking until she disappeared from view.

"That is how she arrived," the zebra striped gargoyle whispered.

"She was sent here by some unknown force?" Kuvo asked. "She was sent her to fight Baridi-Enye?"

"If she was sent here then why didn’t she arrive sooner?" Mokae’s voice was low. "Safarina might not be injured and Effa Ra wool still be alive."

"She said there were others," Zebra snapped at him. "She could have been fighting the others. She had wounds even before he started to fight."

"Enough," Kuvo roared. "Let us not discuss the warrior. We need to get Safarina back to the Sanctuary and prepare Effa Ra for tomorrow night." Hopefully the worst would be over and they could have the wind ceremony in peace. They also had to dispose of Baridi-Enye’s remains.

________________________________________________________________

"So you do wish to fight me," Gidja said. the tall and lanky Outcast said with no hint of shock in his voice nor surprise in his dark eyes. "Do you wish to use magic, beasts, or just fists?"

"Tattler," Kumiho hissed back. Her eyes were a glow with a golden brilliance. Her pointed black ears laid back flat against her head. "Loud mouth, attenion seeker."

"Calling me an attenion whore is an insult, how?" His wiry eyebrows were raised before he hindicated the area around them with a single sweep of his tattooed arm. "We are in an abandoned field, not likely to attract a lot of attention."

"Boot licker of Oberon." Her two thick foxtails doubled to four. Her long black hair was shrinking, being drawn back into her head. Her black gown hugged her body and changed into a bodysuit of fur.

The last insult amused him. "Boot licker that is a good one. Yes I’m hanging out under his robes ready to kiss his toes. You were not there when I insulted him. I thought he was being unreasonable for trying to teach us humility and he forced me to abandon the island for good." He stopped in his laughing to see that she was completely covered in black fur. Her tails had now numbered in six, legs had gained haunches while her hands and feet shifted into paws. Her nose and jaw fused into a snout. Her long ears appeared pointed, more like devil horns than fox ears. "So, it is phsyical combat."

She said nothing and bounded for him. Her sleek body raced through the air and she leaped form him. Her sharp claws reached for his silver skin and dug in.

He raised his fist, now rock hard like a sledghammer, and it came on the middle of her back in one strike.

Kumiho rolled across the air currents and rose back to her feet. Undaunted she flung her tails toward him. One bcame a long coiling whip of fire and extended towards him.

He was ready for her fire attack and summoned a torrent of water from the clouds above. The water headed straight for her tail, quelching out the flames.

She looked like she had another idea on her next move to attack and would have executed if it not were a newcomer, a tall young man in blue robes. Black feathered wings had sprouted from his back like a dark angel and the head of a bird rested on his neck.

"Raven?" The Outcast wasn’t sure if he would have been able to take on them both.

Raven ignored him, his knees bent and head lowered until his beak readed Kumiho’s ears. He whispered something that caused the Kumiho’s eyes to widen and regain it’s glow.

"We may continue this later," Kumiho said, her human like guise had returned before she had finished her words. She took Raven’s hand into her own and the both of them disapeared.

"I wonder what that was about?" Gidja asked despite the fact there was no one there to listen to him.

________________________________________________________________

All the remaining robots had begun to attack Thailog. Without Xanatos or Fox to guide them the steel and iron clan went by their main program: to attack Thailog. Those that resembled Goliath’s form flew around the large dragon like beast. Their lazer cannons fired off several heated blasts at him. The robots designed to resemble Lexington were already in buzz saw mode.

Thailog attacked the smaller robots first. He hurled fireball after fireball onto the small machines, willing to weather out the burns from the other robots’ lacers and their scratches and the stabs from their skewers. He was able to destroy several before they were even able to get within a few inches from him.

One sliced into his side. It might have even cut deeper if Thailog hadn’t smashed it. One slam of his fist and it crashed the ground. Sparks cackled around it’s frame. The other cut deep into his shoulder. Thailog turned his head toward it and roared.

Once the Lexington robots were indisposed he went after the others. One hand he controlled his steady flame and the other he hurled the fire in spherical form. Whenever a steel or iron clan robot flew past his head he released a seismic roar. The robots dropped round him like flies. Some of them he slammed his fist into their plated faces and others he grabbed them and smashed them together.

Goliath had wanted to watch the event and create a plan. He couldn’t attack, not with some of his clan members on the ground.

He glided down till he was thirty feet above the ground. It was high enough to allow him to gradually climb the air currents and low enough to see those running on the ground. He could make out the golden body of Matt standing next to Demona. He found the armored forms of Xanatos and Fox, both were moving. The only other humans on the ground were the uniformed soldiers of the National Guard.

"Brother," Othello swooped down and grabbed Goliath by the hand. The black gargoyle’s velocity along with the aid of Goliath’s wings had propelled them up higher into the sky. "Do you have any ideas?"

"Have you consulted with Lexington?" Goliath asked.

"They were still fighting the creatures Thailog had brought," his rookery brother sighed. " I have also learned that Macbeth is helping the police with the crowd control."

"It would be better that he didn’t get near Demona, not with her current condition."

"We don’t have any idea on how to stop him do we?"

"Lexington is one of our best strategists." Goliath said while watching Thailog lay waste to the last members of the steel clan. The dragon like creature was worse for the wear. He hadn’t completely recovered from the burns brought on by the helicopters. Blood was still dripping down from the gashes caused by the Lexington robots. His let arm was still severely wounded from Fox’s magic. "All I can think of is keep on attacking him and do not allow him to heal."

"Our weapons are not strong enough," Othello pointed out. "We all should have brought the same weapon as Demona. We need Fox and the flying vehicles the humans use."

"Or we can use them," Hudson glided towards them. "Look." He was pointed towards the quarrymen on their hover cycles. A dozen of the blue suited men and women flew their vehicles towards the draconian gargoyle. They were armed with just their hammers. Several were carrying the lazer rifles off the hunters. Whenever they came close to the creature they fired and and quickly pulled away.

Thailog responded with his fire balls. Several attacked him at once and he was able to strike at one or two with his fire. The quarrymen would jump from their bike and either be picked up by another or released a parachute.

The non human members of the quarrymen fought along with the humans. Wolf swooped down on his large furry wings and threw his charged up hammer at Thailog’s head when Thailog was distracted by a few other members of the quarrymen. The hammer struck the side of his skull.

Both Jon Canmore and Hyena flanked the sides of the dark beast. The weregoyle fired his lazer rifle at Thailogs neck while Hyena released an electrical charge at his wing with an extended finger.

Thailog had just threw a fireball at a quarryman on cycle when the three way attack came. He roared at Wolf and raised his hand towardsHyena. Another glowing fireball developed in his talons.

"Don’t you even think about it." Jackal landed on his back. The metal claws of his glove sank into the flesh while the flame thrower of hs other handt fired off at full blast. The flames singed all around even caused the flesh on face to turn pink. "I heard you like fire." He raised his fist, made to be as hard as a quarryman hammer. The same electrical force that gave hammer it’s full charge engulfed his fist as he brought it down with all his strength.

Thailog growled and spun around, trying to attack one of the other pack members was pushed out of his mind. The pain the cyborg on his back had caused was just as bad as the missles.

"Thailog!" Goliath bellowed out the name of his clone and came towards him with the sword raised.

Thailog squinted his eyes towards him and raised his fist behind him. One hand grabbed around Jackal’s thigh and the other was raised towards Goliath.His knuckles smacked into Goliath’s chest and sent him back. Without that interference he was able to deal with the pest that clung to his back.

"Jackal!" Hyena screeched out her brother’s name. Eyes that were usual wide with insanity were wide out of fear for once. It took the combined strength of Wolf and Jon to hold her back while her arms flailed out like an attacking cat.

Flames poured out of Thailogs hand, completely engulfing the cyborg. Jackal’s screams of agony were brief and died out before his skin blistered and turned black. Flecks of flesh fell off. With a quick twist. Thailog had managed to break the center of his body before hurling it down.

Hyena tried to force herself out of Jon’s and Wolf’s arms. "No, my brother. He killed him. He killed my brother!" Where once was a strong woman ready to maim and spill blood for pleasure there was a frail weeping creature.

"He will pay lass," Jon told her in his most soothing voice. He allowed her to seek comfort in his arms. He supported both his her and her weight by his large wings. "He will pay. We do not allow anyone to take a member of our clan and live." He gently brushed the back of her hair.

"Canmore," Goliath soared towards the three remaining members of the pack. Both Brooklyn and Othello followed behind him. "We need to talk."

"Not now," Wolf snapped at him. His lupine snout was pulled back to expose his teeth. "We got some killing to do."

"Now is not the time for your stupidity," Brooklyn pointed at him.

"I’m grieving here, asshole."

"Shut up, both of ye," Jon’s eyes briefly lit up. "I know what ye want Goliath. Ye want us t’ team up and work together." He stared down at Hyena and glanced back at Thailog. The former gargoyle was glaring at the other helicopters that had arrived. "I have signaled for our air ship to arrive. I am willing t’ work wi ye until that thing is dead."

"What?" Wolf blinked. "I thought we were already working together."

"Not together enough."

"We have to fight with them again?" Wolf’s low voice took on the petulant tone of brat’s whine.

"Do what he says," Hyena choked out between tears. "I want justice. I want him dead."

"That sounds more like vengance than justice," Othello brought up.

"Perhaps we will have a little of both," Goliath suggested. He glanced back over at his clone, watching as Thailog watched the few members of the Quarrymen who were still riding around on their air cycles.

"There is no such thing as a little vengance," Jon said. He allowed Hyena to drift from his arms when she was strong enough to fly around on her rockets.

"We need to come up with a plan," Goliath said, his eyes were on his rookery brother. "Have you any contact with Xanatos?"

"I’ll check," he pressed his talon against his head phones. "Xanatos, can you hear me? Fox can you hear me?" He was quiet for a few seconds. "I got em."

"Have Xanatos talk with the human soldiers on the ground. They need to get word to have their helicopter pilots to pull back."

"What good is that going to do?" Wolf asked while Othello relayed Goliath’s message. He was answered with a jab of Hyena’s elbow to his chest.

"The last time they attacked Thailog fired back," Jon explained. "We are trying to keep casualties at a minimum. Goliath wants us to wait until Lucius arrives with the ship."

Goliath blinked. "Canmore is right." It was almost scary how the two different leaders thought along the same wavelength. "When we first attacked Thailog he could have killed us but didn’t. He wanted to keep us alive a little longer to play with us like cat often plays with a mouse."

"Right before it goes for the kill," Hyena agreed. Her voice was still dry from her crying. "He’s trying to torture us by keeping us alive."

"He heals fast." Goliath stared down at the sword in his hands. "He even heals from this sword and it is the only weapon that can defeat him."

"There has to be something more to the message," Brooklyn said. "Something we are not doing right."

"It will be something I will have to figure out on my own," Goliath said. "Until then we will havev to toy and distract him until both the airship and Fox are ready to attack."

"Why Fox?" Wolf asked. "What does she got that we don’t."

"Magic," Jon answered, the images of Fox helping to prepare the potion that freed Jason from his possesion came back to him. "Enough t’ cause Thailog some serious harm."

"We just have to inform the others."

_____________________________________________________________________

A sphere of fire erupted in the middle of Fifth avenue. The dying embers revealed the Cubus. The once calm demon had a look of panic painted across his face. His plans were being undone.

"Australia, Madagascar and Argentina," he muttered the names of some of the places he had visited. The Unseelie who were sent to take over those lands were defeated. The others were still fighting, but with Oberons minions to oppose them they did not have much of a chance. "Everything was in place, the plan was certain to work. That Undine bitch and Hecate. They were the ones who alerted Oberon."

The sound of heavy footsteps brought his atention to the group of national gaurd soldiers who had just ran up to him. All of them were armed. The normal civalians had already fled.

"Everything seems to be so well organized doesnt it?" The Cubus asked. "The Ills are defeated and my son is missing and you mortals are part of it as well as Oberon’s ilk."

"Keep your hands in the air," one of the soldiers barked. The cubus could detect the fear in his voice.

"You mortals really are stupid," The demon smiled as he sent a flame towards them. He turned towards the nearest building and released several fire balls onto it. All he needed was one city, or a burough of a city, destroyed. That image will be enough to secure the world. He knew his champion will succeed, but there was nothing wrong with speeding up the process,

________________________________________________________________

Renepep had fed on the source that he greatly needed, living humans. Both heads had swallowed several humans, all ended up in his belly. The village he concurred fed him well and avatar several humans he was full, but he was still thirsty.

"Your drink shall be ready soon master," the female servant bent down in front of him. She had once been an ordinary human woman but the bite of his fangs had caused her to transform into the creature that stood before him. Her skin had remained the same bronze color yet it had thickened and turn into scales. Her hair retracked and skin flaps formed at the sides of her head and neck. Her eyes were turned to a pale yellow color and the pulse became thin and oval shaped. The last of the transformation was her face. Her nose and mouth hard merged into a snout with pits on each side, near her nose. A part formed in her upper jaw where a long forked tounge slipped through.

Good the golden serpent nodded his two heads. That was another thing he had missed, servants. Those who sever him without a second thought. He had six in the village. There was a seventh, but there was a great distance between them and there was something blocking Renepep’s mental command.

Five more of his servants entered the room, carrying a plastic child’s swimming pool, pale green in color and covered in polkadots. They set it down in front of their leader and ran out, returning minutes later with heavy jugs under their arms. They were filled with milk which was quickly spilled into the pool. After the last drops had they left and returned with large jars of honey. They repeated the process with the honey and the pomegranate juice and the mead. They used large spoon to stir the liquid up.

Excellent Renepep lowered his heads, both were pressed together. The two tongues darted out of his mouth and lapped up the drink that was prepared for him. Sweet nectar cream. The mere scent of the drink sent a tingle down his back, but the taste had him in ecstasy. It was one of the few times he wished he had eyelids so that he could close theme from the pure enjoyment

"Doess my masster enjoy hiss drink?" The female servant who had dressed him spoke again.

"My poor masster," she folded her hands across her chest. "You desserve it after caging the humanss."

I shall give them their orders once I have finished. He spoke again without even having to look up at her. He did not want to look up until after he had finished drinking.

He had plans for the humans, that part was true. They would be forced to live under his ruling. They would worship him and follows his laws. The servants he had created would enforce the rules. If the other humans do not whish to cooperate he would have them killed and or eaten. Human sacrifices will come once in a while.

He reflected back on all that he had conquered. He ate several humans, smashed some of their beuildings, turned some humans into servants and imprisoned the rest. He had only conquered one village. He didn’t care if it was one. He had told the Cubus he conquered and killed at his own pace. If he just wanted the one village so be it.

"Masster!" another servant raced back into the building. "The humanss have esscaped. They are heading here." He rubbed his scaled hands togehter in fear. His eyes had a look of uncertainy in them. He had no idea if his master would snap at him for the information or be greateful that one of his servants had warned him. "They are armed. It sseemss the are foolishly willing to attack you."

Escaped? One head stared up while the other kept drinking. They dare to escape and they dare to come here?

"They are on their way," the servant danced around, frantically. "They are fighting the otherss."

They shall die Renepep lunged towards the doors. The combination of his weight and the bulk of his head was enough for him to barrel through the doors.

The servants were right. The humans had broken free from the buildings set up to be used as prisons. All of them had grabbed onto something that could be used as a weapon: a car bumper, a tree branch, a large rock, anything. several were fighting with the other five Renepep’s servants The humans out numbered the snake lie beings and my were cringe towards the snake man.

You shall all die If he killed all of them so be it. He could always take over another village, or better yet a town or a city. He lowered his heads to snap at some of the humans as they came near with their weapons.

A deep cut to his lower jaw caused him to recoil from the pain. Nobody could have been strong to have wound him nor fast enough.

"Don’t attack him, attack the servants." The voice belong to a woman who stood tall and proud. Armor criss-crossed across her copper body. Long black hair flowed down from behind her thick forehead. The sword in her hand was stained from his blood. Her other arm hung limply.

You freed them. Who and what are you?

"I am Xyl," she spoke. She didn’t hesitate before she raced toward him with her sword raised.

Renepep withdrew back as she ran for him and dove to the ground before she jumped. He crawled across the sand on his segmented belly. He circled around where she was running and continued to slither around until he had created a barrier. His first goal was complete. He had her surrounded. His second goal was to keep coiling around in an attempt to confuse her.

The woman who called herself Xyl stood her ground when Renepep had begun his attack. hey eyes were glued to the train of golden scales they kept moving around her. She sprung forward towards a random section of the snake and grabbed onto his side with her good arm. She rode along with him as he continued to move and climbed up his back. Her long finger nails were able to sink around his scales as she climbed up the best she could despite her injured arm.

Renepep slowed down when he felt the woman climbing up his side. He came to a full stop when she was on his back. Don’t you even think of trying to cleave your weapons into my hide while you ride it. He turned to face the woman onto of his own back and darted forward, both his mouths were open.

The foolish creature fell for it. Xyl waited until they were within handspred of her before she lurched forward. She landed on the nose of his right head. She pulled out her scythe as she climbed. Her eyes were on the center and she jumped off his nose, towards his shoulders. The curve of her scythe got caught between his heads.

________________________________________________________________

Rubble. There had to be rubble and smouldering ruins every where. There should not be a single building. If the Cubus’s plans were going to come into fruition he was going to have to make sure the city, or at least one of the boroughs was destroyed. He needed that image to show the world. He could show a fabrication, but without he way communication was in that day and age the people around the world would know the truth.

"I know he is destroying the rest of this place," The Cubus mused as he laid assault to another to another building. "I will help you,my friend. We will not let them take what is rightfully ours, not after all that has been prepared."

The guttural cry of a cougar brought him to a pause. "What’s this?" He recognized it as the sound of a female gargoyle. It appeared that some of the clan were not fighting with his champion. "Some of you are willing to fight me? Come on out little gargoyle."

The dusky rose colored gargoyle that pounced on him was not a little gargoyle. True she was shorter than him, but for her species she was a tall female with good muscle tone. Her talons grabbed down onto his shoulders while she snarled. Her eyes were illuminated. She was dressed in a crisp white blouse and green vest with a mastching mini skirt. Her golden hair hung in curls around her head.

"My aren’t we are pretty one," he pulled her off his body. "Almost a shame I’m going to have to kill you."

Roars matching to those of male gargoyles were heard along with the howl of wolves. His plan to simply snap her neck came to a halt when he felt sharp fangs in his leg. Looking down he saw the muzzle of a werewolf clamped onto his calf.

The gargoyle in his hand roared again as she slashed her claw against his arm. He threw her off and kicked loose the wolf that had begun chew  on him.

"How many?" He stared at the small army that had gathered. There were nine other gargoyles along with the blond female. Most of the males had eye as red as the average female, and two of the other females had eyes that were purple. They were accompanied by a small pack of werewolves and a snow leopard mutate. "Brave and yet stupid." He clenched his hands into fists. He was ready to take them all on.

________________________________________________________________

"How are we going t’ keep him distracted?" Hudson asked. Goliath, Othello, and Brooklyn had glided over to where the other members of the clan in were and told them Goliath’s plan. The three pack members had told the same information to the few remaining members of the quarrymen still on their bikes. "Our weapons do not hold up much to his hide."

"Even if we try to just glide around him would be a bad idea," Angela had some difficulty trying to keep in the air. When Thailog had grabbed her around her wings he bent them back. He did not break the bones, just merely bent them back until they were sore. "He could just burn us or use his roar."

"We don’t really have much options," Jerry said glumly. "I’m almost out of arrows and I think Desdemona is the same. I’m not sure about Gloria’s guns."

"I only have one more bullet left," his wife held out her gun. "Not like that is going to do much."

"I will go near him," Goliath said. "I will be the one to distract him. I know how he thinks. He would want to keep me alive the longest, so I would suffer the most."

"What are you going to do?" Brooklyn asked.

"Talk with him." His answer had caused the rest of his clan to blink.

"Do you think this wise, brother?" Desdemona asked him. "He is unpredictable."

"It’s only until the Quarrymen’s ship has arrived," Goliath clasped her arm. "I am not about to let him lay harm to any more of my clan." He let go of her hand and glided straight towards his clone

Thailog slowly glided closer to one of the helicopters that had approached the area and stayed the distance. He was nearly completely healed from the burns he had received from their missiles earlier, yet the pain was still fresh on his mind. He noticed the copter was just hanging there. The most likely reason was it was waiting of others to arrive. He was not going to give the soldiers inside the satisfaction.

"Haven’t you caused enough damage?" Goliath asked as he neared him. "I believe you have made your point."

"Leave," Thailog barked at him. He did not remove his eyes from the helicopter.

"How much more damage are you going to cause?" Goliath made his way in front on Thailog.

"I told you, I’m not going to stop until this island is a burning gravel pit."

"Why do you want that?"

"For what has been done to me," Thailog growled and pointed to himself.

"You did this to yourself. I have offered you a chance to join our clan and you have refused. Is that the way you were programmed?"

"This is what I want," his voice rose. His clone father was getting more and more annoying. "This is not programmed into me. Xanatos would never want this."

"You are being fed lies by the Cubus. You are just a tool to him."

"He has opened up my eyes."

"He has taken advantage of you," Goliath pointed to the castle. The enchanted border Puck had created was more clear. "Whatever has changed you has also programmed you, or was this always part offer design. Were you not ever capable of love? Are you willing to take away the lives of those who once stood by our side? Those that had once loved you? The eggs in the rookery and all the innocent lives who never even come across you?"

"Innocent?" Thailog chuckled at the word. "There is no such animal."

"Thailog-"

"Shut up." A green flame developed in hand and shaped into a sphere.

"No!" Goliath swooped down to his arm and brought the edge of his sword against Thailog’s wrist. The cut did not go into deep, but it was enough to cause Thailog to loose his grip. The fireball slipped from his hand and fell straight down.

"I had enough of you." Thailog slammed his fist into Goliath. The force was strong enough to cause the gargoyle to fall straight down at an angle and crash through the stained glass windows of a church.

________________________________________________________________

The force of her jump combined with her superhuman strength caused the scythe to land straight down with Xyl. The blade cut in deep, deep enough to separate the heads and the large serpent until Xyl’s feet touched the scales.

Foolish woman the words echoed in Xyl’s head. That will not kill me. Your weapons will leave no lasting damage upon my flesh.

"You think these are ordinary weapons," Xyl kept holding onto her scythe in one hand and limply her sword in another. The bone was fully broken when the Baridi-Enye hurt it and it was half way healed.

No weapons can.

"One spear was able to."

One head lashed at her and was met with her sword. The creatures fangs locked against the blade. It didn’t kill me.

"But a weapon from the same metal can." She was prepared for his other head and raised her sword when the other lashed down at her. The edge of the blade got locked behind his fangs.

I am immortal The second head lashed back, taking the sword and Xyl with it. He left the woman no other choice but to release her hold on her scythe.

Xyl flew back and landed a few feet behind the serpent where she sprawled across the sand. Her skin had barely come to know the texture of the grit before she crawled to her feet. Renepep was having trouble slithering around to approach her with his sliced body. She ran towards his tail.

You are the tricky one. Renepep recoiled his tail before Xyl could have a chance to grab at it and darted for her with his jaws wide open.

Xyl waited until she could feel the hot breath on her skin before she jumped. She cleared his snout and landed on his face. She did not take any time to rest and climbed over his head and down the back of his neck.

You have made a flaw. It’s now easier for me to kill you. His other head had an easier time to make an attack on her with the partial bisection.

Xyl rolled down his back when he made his attack. His jaws lashed onto his own flesh a few inches from her. His mouth clamped down on her left foot in the process his fang biting her. Using all her strength she managed to wrench her foot free and step onto his snout. She raised her sword and brought down through the top of his head. She used a little muscle and forced the blade to penetrate into his skull through his brain.

______________________________________________________________________

London, England.

The news on the television screen was good, at least Ekidna had thought so. The reports of the small monsters and cat like creatures had stopped. The remaining beasts seemd to have faded out of sight. There were a few mentions of how the conflict in the Southern Hemisphere were fizziling out in the same manner.

"It’ss over," Blake Edwards said. His pale yellow eyes were focused on the runes that were hanging around his neck. The symbols were no longer glowing with the soft blue light they had a few minutes ago. His grip relaxed on the bottle of Guinness he was nursing.

Ekdina turned to him. "All the battles seem to be fading."

"No, it’ss not jusst that. Renepep is gone." He set the bottle down. "I feel nothing from him. Even that tiny connection I felt when he wass sstill assleep iss gone."

"What does that mean?" All Ekidna knew was that it was good news. She didn’t know the exact details, but she knew she was going to like the answer.

"He iss dead!" Edward’s serpentine snout was pulled back in a grin. "I don’t have to wear thesse any more." He pulled the necklace he had worn for the past three years off. "I sstill feel nothing."

"Are you certain?" She slithered closer to him.

"Joy," he grabbed her hands. "Being releaved, and a tad bit dissapointed." He glanced down at his hands. "I wass hoping I’m be turned back into a human."

"Maybe it will take a few hours."

"I don’t think sso," he shook his head. "I felt mysself changing when I was firsst bit. I don’t feel any bit of the tingle I felt before."

"Does it matter if you change or not?"

"I guess I was jusst hoping," He wanted his beer again. Half of him wanted to celebrate with the beverage. The other half wanted to mourn what he considered to be his permanit loss of his humanity. He was never completely sure until now. "You sspend mosst of your life ass the sspeciess you were born and then you are ssomething elsse."

"You are something else." She pulled him back closer to her. "In the complimentary way." She wasnt sure what she should say. From her time of living with Dr Edwards she had seen what an intelligent creature he was. She learned of a few of his bad traits, such as his glory seeking, but that was long gone. She still had a hard time of seeing the handsome snake man as a human. "I guess I would feel the same if I were turned human."

"When I wass human I knew what I wass.’ He stared into her eyes. "When Renepep wass alive I wass a sservant. I’m not even that."

"You are Dr Blake Edwards. Don’t try to be any specific species. Just be." She pulled him closer until his body was against hers and they held each other.

_____________________________________________________________________

The serpent stopped moving . The other head fell to the ground, lifeless. Even the luster that was once in its jewel like eyes had faded. Xyl slid off it’s scaled body and approached the other head. She had no idea if it was still alive and pretending to be dead, or if it was just trying to throw her off. With her good arm she raised her weapon, reading to strike at the base of it’s neck.

"Racal, what are you doing?" The voice belonged to an old friend. It was the being who had saved her from becoming the concubine of a demon and made her into a warrior. The same being who materialized in front of her.

"Hecate?" Xyl still held onto her weapon when she looked up at the woman. Was the being there to watch her as the warrior makes the final seath blow to the serpent. The being was smiling, and what did she just call her "What did you say?"

"I asked what you were doing," Hecate replied as she landed in front of Xyl. The being spun around her, taking in the destruction Renepep had caused. "You don’t have much strenght left. You might want to find a comfortable place to lie down and get ready for your eternal sleep."

"What did you call me?" The weapon felt almost to heavey to hold and the pains from her wounds had increased. She stared down at her injured arm and dropped the sword. The thick bark like flesh was gone, the sharp points had shrank and smoothed into and ordinary elbow. The bruises had become more noticleble. "What?"

Hecate reached out and gingerly tocuhed her broken arm. "There are doctors here but none that can cure the type of poison that is coursing through, Racal." She lowered her eyelids. "I’m sorry."

"Racal," her original name felt foreign to the former demoness’s mouth. She stared down at her body. Her legs had thinned and smoothed like her arms. They were covered with large bruises and deep bleeding cuts, several would need suturing. One bruise took up most of her right shin and one cut ran down her thigh from the middle to her knee. She was still dressed in the outfit Hecate had given her. There were a few jagged scrapes down the middle of her stomach. She reached up and touched her forhead. The knobs and spikes were gone. "I’m human again."

"And dying," Hecate started to fade. "You did it. You have met your goal and destroyed all the demons, but you won't survive to see the next hour. I wish there was something I could do, but not even I know how to cure Renepep’s deadly poison."

"I’m just glad that it wasn’t the other head that bit me." Racal slid down until she was seated in the sand. She watched as several people were rushing towards her. They should probably give her a bed to sleep in until she died, no she had been dead for thousands of year. She was now truley immortal and will soon be reunited with her children.

"Sleep well my friend." Hecate fought hard to keep the tears from falling. She had lost two close friends and the battle wasn’t over. "Your name shall become known." She said before she faded out completely.

________________________________________________________________

Wolves covered the Cubus’s body like a crudely made coat. The pack had waited until the demon was distracted before they all attacked at once. Their jaws clamped down through his flesh and their claws raked down his body. He peeled them off his skin and threw them down, only to receive a slight burning feeling from the electricity shot from the lone mutate.

"You can only hurt me," he threw one of the wolf at her. The force of the impact was enough to send both of them sprawling. "You cannot kill me."

A roar from behind had grabbed his attention and he spun around in time to grab onto the arm of the tan female gargoyle. He bent her arm back until he could hear a snap.

"Delilah!" Ivory white arms of the male hybrid were wrapped around his neck and shoulders. The Cubus flipped the gargoyle over his head.

"Don't worry. Both of you will die together," The Cubus replied, not noticing until he felt another pair of hands on his shoulders. "You haven’t learned your lesson?" He was ready to grab another gargoyle when he noticed there was something odd about it’s dark blue hands. They did not end in four pointed claws, but in five human fingers. He felt two more hands, then four, and then six.

"Bad demon," the voice that hissed into the Cubus’s ear was one that he hadn’t heard in over a year. It was accompanied by the end of a long tongue brushing against the back of his neck. "Kali, angry."

"Kali, I appreciate your help, but don’t you think you should be at your post?" The Cubus tried to look at her.

Kali’s eyes were both focused on him. Her mouth was set in a scowl. "No."

"What do you mean?" He tried to pull out of her grip but she held fast.

"Tell us the best part about the take over," Set strode up to him. His face had the same expression as Kali. "About when we take over the world. You know the part when the humans bow towards us and what happens after."

"What are you doing here?" The Cubus demanded. He looked around him and saw the confused expressions of gargoyles and angry Unseelie. "Why aren’t you doing your job?"

"Job?" Set pulled out a scimitar and pressed the point against the demon’s chest. "What would our job be? It wouldn’t be us doing all the work and then you swooping and take credit?"

"I don’t know where you would get such an idea," the damn Undine bitch. She must have gotten word to the Seelie and they told their darker half his plans. "It is quite laughable."

"We are not laughing." Set shoved the point of the scimitar in further.

"Me own daughter told me," the Lihananon Sidhe had said. Her mouth was wide open, teeth had sharpened to their fullest. "We will be yer pawns no more."

"Mortals go home," Mab had turned to Labyrinth dwellers. "We are going to give him a spanking." She had returned her gaze to the Cubus. Her eyes glowed a bright green while she grew in size until the top of her head was at the same level as Lhianon’s shoulders.

"Reign in your bloodlust, Mab," Set’s eyes glowed a bright gold. "I’m going to have the first stab." Golden light erupted out form his hand and lit up his fingers and weapons. "Hold him for us, Kali."

________________________________________________________________

"Goliath," the voice pierced through the darkness in Goliath’s mind. It sounded like the voices of those who he had respected: Hudson, Macbeth, several of the clan leaders from around the world blended together. It also remind him of an old gargoyle that bore a great resemblance towards him. A gargoyle that may have been his biological father. "Goliath wake up."

"Who are you?" darkness still filled Goliath’s vision. He was in pain through out his body. He could feel the sharp shards of glass penetrating his skin. His chest hurt from where Thailog had struck him and his back and wings were in agony from where he landed.

"Open your eyes my child."

"Are you a priest?"

"No. They are for humans. I am the other dragon."

"The dragon? Do you wish to corrupt me the way you and the Cubus have corrupted Thailog?"

"I do not corrupt anyone. It was the Yang, the dragon who the Cubus respected, the pet of the Dark Beast."

"The Dark Beast?"

"He is known by other names: Iblis, Ha-Satan, Kroni, Asmodi, Lucifer and more. I am not his pet."

"You are not he?" Goliath forced his eyes to open. He was blinded by the brilliant white light that entered his eyes and forced him to squint. "Where are you."

"In front of you." The light dwindled till it appeared to outline of a serpent like creature. The long body ended in vulpine shaped head. It’s long horns curved back, long catfish like whiskers extend from his snout and his chin, waving around like ribbons in the breeze. "You are the one who can use the sword. The message was for you."

"The sword is of no use. It barely cuts. It is just as weak as the other weapons."

"He shall be slain. The weapon marked of Yin’s chosen’s vein."

Goliath blinked. The image of the glowing dragon had disappeared. "Jalapena." Goliath sat up. The battle was wearing out on his body and mind. Thailog had struck him so hard he was hallucinating. He shook his head. He had to get all of his thoughts back together.

"He shall be slain. The weapon marked of Yin’s vein." The last words of the dragon echoed in his mind.

"The weapon marked of Yin’s vein," he picked up the sword he had cast aside. The statue he carried was right next to it. What did the dragon say? That he was the real dragon and the one connect to Thailog was his yang. "He was the yin." He picked up the statue.

The second his hand came in contact with the figure he felt a new feeling tingle through him. The pain from being struck by Thailog was gone and a new energy coursed through his veins. He felt even more energetic than he did when he first woke up from stone sleep. He stared down at his hands an arms. A glowing energy surrounded his limbs and claws, the same color as the dragon he had seen earlier.

"He shall be slain," his voice matched with the dragon. "The weapon marked of Yin’s  vein." He took his sword and pressed it against his hand. The blood came incontact with the metal, causing into to glow a golden white light.

________________________________________________________________

The Cubus grimaced from the pain being pummeled against his body. The members of Unseelie each took their turn to fire several magic blasts against him, some were more powerful than others.

"Not dead?" Kali’s grip on his shoulders increased. She was the only one who didn’t attack from the front and kept her hold on him.

"Pain," the demon spat out a mixture of blood and teeth. He would regrow them later. The area around his eyes were swollen. Their magic had left similar bruises and injuries all over his body. "All you can do is hurt, but no death."

"Looks we’ll just have to up the ante," the fae barked and threw more blasts of energy towards him.

"Keep it up," he felt the fingers slip off of him. To his his horror he flet tendrils of fire coil arounds his legs and pull him down. He sated to see nothing as his feet sank below the street, but he could feel it.

"Dot let him go, Kali!" Set instructed.

"Something pulls," Kali explained as she tried to keep a hold on The Cubus’body. "Can't hold."

"What?" the demon spoke before his head went under. The last vision were those on the surface staring at him in bewilderment.

He felt his decent increase once he had slipped beneath the subway levels. He was pulled down faster than any vehicle could possibly travel, down through the mantle, the layers of the core and out the other side. He was pulled passed Terra, beyond all the other planets to a home that was familiar.

"No!" He cried out. "I just needed more time." He couldn’t look into the faces of his co demons, he couldn’t admit he had failed.

"You failed." A voice boomed all around. "Just like your predessor failed a thousand years ago.

"I still have time. It’s not fully over," the Cubus cried out in fear. "Just let me have another chance."

"Enough. It will be centuries before we can send out another to try again." The final words cause the pillars to shake before the Cubus disentigrated, his cries reached the ears of the other demons and devils.

________________________________________________________________

Even though Goliath was touched by the power of the dragon he still wasn’t able to fly. He scaled the inner walls of the church faster than he had ever climbed before and took wing through the window he was thrown into.

Not much time had passed since he was struck by Thailog. The clan and the quarrymen were still alive the helicopters were intact. Helicopters? There were several more closing in on the dark dragon. Sadly he did not wake up fast enough. Thailog had attacked the first helicopter, the vehicle was a smoking wreck on the street

"Goliath?" Brooklyn wondered if he should have approached his leader. Goliath was not only surrounded by a golden light it extended from his wings, making them appear larger and from his tail. "What just happened."

"I am the Yin’s chosen," Goliath answered and raised his sword. The illumination that covered it gave it the appearance of a burning lava.

"Fire Trucks and ambulances are all around Timesquare," the crimson gargoyle told him. "At least where they can get access, and some are about to come here, again where they can get access. Fox is also ready."

"Good," Goliath did not remove his gaze from the sky. He could see a large ship, similar to what the Hunters had used, approach them. "Tell them and the air ship to surround us and for Fox to be beneath us."

"Us?" Brooklyn blinked.

"It will be just me an him," Goliath answered and resheathed his sword. The energy did not burn through the leather.

"Just you two? Goliath don’t do it."

The command fell on deaf ears. Goliath soared straight towards his clone. His new aura had silenced the sound of his wings and put them on stealth mode. Thailog’s hands were glowing with fire, ready to attack again.

Goliath didn’t slow down as he neared Thailog. "Thailog." He had only simply addressed him before he struck him in the face. The force was enough to cause the clone's head to fly back.

"Well," the dark gargoyle rubbed the side of his face. His clone father’s strike was hard enough to cause him pain. "Somebody has been eating their spinach."

"I should thank you for that last blow," Goliath watched as the helicopters closed in around them. All of them carried two missiles. The weapons were bigger than the arsenal of the last onslaught. "It has opened my eyes."

"More than open," Thailog studied his clone father’s aura. "I am still the chosen one." A fire ball had appeared in his hand.

Goliath drew his sword and brought it against Thailog’s arm before the clone had a chance to react. The blade cut deep, to the bone and caused the transformed gargoyle to loose another fire ball.

Thailog snarled from the pain and roared at Thailog. The force only caused Goliath to be pushed back a few feet. "How is this possible?"

"I am the Yin’s chosen."

"I see," Thailog studied him. He could still see the bruises he had caused earlier. Goliath wasn’t feeling them. " I am still more connected than you." He turned towards the helicopters. "Nice stalling."

"You may be connected," Goliath grabbed onto his wrist. "But I have been chosen by the true dragon."

"Before this night is over we shall find out who the true dragon is." Thailog grabbed onto Goliath’s other wrist, preventing him from using the sword again.

__________________________________________________________________________

"Where did he go?" Set demanded. He paced around where the Cubus was drawn down through the earth."Where did he go?"

"Down," Kali told him. Her voice was dejected. She still felt responsible for not holding onto the Cubus tight enough.

"Down where?" Set asked.

"He’s not the only one who had disappeared," Amatsu said. He had noticed they had lost a few membesr. "Where is Mab, the sidhe and Raven?"

"Mab?" Set stared around amongst his troops. There was no sign of the faerie. "Lihanon? Raven?"

"I donae sense here presence," the White lady said. The beautiful woman was dressed in a billowing white gown white. His skne was pale and her hair was the same hue as her dress. Despite her beauty, the mere sight of her was a bad omen for any mortal. A worried expression had crossed her face.

"They had left," a cold voice answered the question.

"Maybe They knew," another voice, different, yet similar, had answered.

"We were coming," the third voice chimed in. It was followed by the materialization of three tall women in a white robes with blue sleeves. They resembled each other in every way except their hair color. One had hair the color of honey, the second had hair that was dark as night and the third had hair that was the same silvery white as moonlight.

"Great," Amatsu said through clenched teeth. "The bitches of Eastwick."

"And us," The Bin Sidhe appeared. Her glowing eyes were cast in a glare. "Hello cousin."

Before the Lady in White could even reply, more of Oberon’s court had arrived: Odin, Coyote, Grandmother, Bloody Bones, Gidja, Atlas, Olifat and several others.

"I know the look on your faces," Coyote had said while their surroundings had changed from the tall sky scrapers of Manhattan to one of Avalon’s lush forests. "You are busted."

"They have teleported us," The Kumiho snarled. "They tracked us down on a fox hunt and were ready to bring us home."

"What can I say cousin?" Kistune replied. He was the same height as Kumiho, had the same sleek features, almond shaped eyes and nose that was almost pointed. He also had the same pointed ears and fox tails as she did, only his were as firery red as his hair. "You made it quite easy for us to track your scent.

"We never wanted this island," Set tried to explain while the sisters raised their hannds in unison. "We just wanted the world, and we were the ones who were decieved."

"On that aspect you do have some of our sympathies," Grandmother kept her glare focused on Kali.

"Those three announced our arrival!" Kumiho pointed at the wyrd sisters. She saw the pixies and sprites swarming around them along with a few gargoyles. "They are ready to gloat over our misfortune."

"At least we can take comfort in knowing they shall also be punished," Set’s gaze was fixed on the outcasts. "The high and mighty Oberon might find it amusing that the outcasts are on his land."

Odin placed a hand on Gidja’s back. "They are outcasts no more. They shall be welcomed back. We will speak on their behalf and praise them."

______________________________________________________________________

Goliath tried to pull his wrist away from Thailog’s grip, but the clone still had a stronger hold. In fact his other hand was slipping from Goliath’s grasp.

"You are trying to make it difficult to keep you alive the longest" He had butted Goliath in the chest, sending back a few feet. "Now to finish the rest of this islaaaaaa-"

Flames from Fox’s hand had struck his tail, singing it before pulling back.

Goliath charged for Thailog again with his sword raised. He was met with several more of Thailog’s fireballs. The green flames were sliced in half by the sword.

They were at a standstill. Thailog showed no sign of slowing down from throwing fireballs at him. Goliath kept his focus on his clone. He could still see the air ship nearing them and what appeared to be several small missiles being fired.

The missiles struck Thailog on the back. several struck him on various places on the shoulders and the back of the neck. It was enough to distract the former gargoyle for a few seconds, and a few seconds was all Goliath needed.

He charged towards Thailog and plunged the sword into Thailog’s chest.

Thailog roared out in a constant cry that changed pitch and octave until it died down in a sputter. With a shaking arm he grabbed onto his clone father. "I am champion."

"Not for long," Goliath told him. His eyes were on the second fleet of missiles that were being launched towards them.

After the first missile had struck Thailog he was released from his grip. He was also released from The dragons energy. The previous pain from being thrown into the church had returned along with new pain. He watched as the other missiles struck the former gargoyle, the largest were launched from the quarryman airship. The last thing he saw before he blacked out was the dark dragon being engulfed in explosions.

________________________________________________________________________

Brooklyn was the first one to glide towards his leader when the first missile had struck. He had tried to increase his speed with Goliath had begun his descent. He was only a few inches from his leader when he tried to grab him his arms.

He reached for Golaith’s arms and snatched air the first time.The memory of Goliath not being able to catch Elisa was on his mind when he tried again. On the second attempt he grabbed his leader by his thick wrist.

"Gah!" The grunt escaped his beak when he felt his wings pulled out of joint. The sudden extra weight he had grabbed was too much for his wings.

"Give him to us lad," Hudson and Othello had joined them. The elderly gargoyle had grabbed onto Goliath’s upper back while Othello had grabbed onto his legs.

"Rest your wings," Celila had grabbed onto Brooklyn. "I’ll carry you down."

"Thank you," the crimson gargoyle told her as they had already begun their descent.

The others had landed first. Angela had immediately ran to where her mother and step father were being treated. Demona was already halfway healed of her burns and sitting up on the gurney the paramedics had set for her. The expression on the immortal’s face was of deep surprise, complete shock to see humans treating her in her gargoyle form. Matt remained where he stood while he was being checked out.

"Careful," Mercutio had warned when Cecilia and Brooklyn finally landed. He pointed to the twisted metal rubble that had once been an iron clan robot. "They are everywhere."

"We’ll be careful," Brooklyn answered as heard the loud impact of something large striking the ground. He searched around for more of the robots and found the metal forms scattered everywhere and near one of the intersections he saw the remains of the other helicopters. It was a wonder how some of the ambulances had it made it to where Demona, Matt, and Xanatos where until he saw the wheels of one of the vehicles still on the curb of one of the sidewalks."I want you to find Lexington and have him call Wyvern. Goliath is on his way."

Several of the soldiers were in the process of cleaning up the area. They worked together to carry one robot at a time. They were going to need more vehicles to take care of the helicopters.

"Brooklyn?" Cecilia’s voice was stern. "You are not gong to ask Mercutio how his team did?" She pointed to her mate. The web wing had several scratches across his body and a few deep cuts in the lather stretched across his limbs and the single arm in the center. A ring of deep violate encircled his neck.

"Sorry," Brooklyn said. "How did you do, and more importantly what had happened to your neck?"

"The creeps are all dead," Mercutio grinned. "One of those little rat things jumped me and wrapped their tails around my neck like one of those alien face huggers." He shrugged. "All in all I’m feeling like the rebels on Endor after the second Death Star was destroyed."

"Mercutio," Cecilia glare at him.

"What? I do feel that way."

"I’m sure the world is celebrating," Brooklyn turned to approach the large burnt object in the middle of the road. "If this is truly over."

"Pretty much is," one of soldiers paused. A single steel clan arm was slumped over his shoulder "Been hearing it from my fellow officers. Argentina and Chile, and South Africa had surrendered to the other countries. and the waring factions in Australia and the other countries have been defeated, same with England."

"How?" Brooklyn blinked.

"Some really don’t know how, nor if they knew about the strange monsters. Haven’t heard from the other places, but in in London it’s been noted that the gargoyles had fought against them."

"Great," Brooklyn had hoped he truly did sound as grateful as he felt. He continued his way to the burnt mass. At least the national guard liked them. He didn’t know how the rest of the city felt.

There were already several soldiers surrounding the burnt mass of flesh that had once been Thailog. "We have things covered here." One of the soldiers told him as he neared. He was holding the sword Goliath had used to stab Thailog in his hand. The glowing energy had died down.

"This is still gargoyle business," Brooklyn held out his hand. "And that is gargoyle property."

"This is our duty," the soldier stood, unflinching. "We’ll take care of it."

"We have to make sure its dead," the crimson gargoyle tried to explain. "I have to make sure he can no longer harm the city. It is my duty as second command of the Manhattan clan."

"Something is moving inside!" Another soldier cried out.

Brooklyn took back the sword from the soldier and shoved the men and women aside to get near the mass. Nothing seemed to be moving until he saw s a bulge rise in the center and then die back down. The bulge came again, followed by the soft sound of a child sobbing.

A child? "Don’t tell me he swallowed a child alive," Brooklyn jabbed the sword into the masse, a way from the pounding. The second the blade cut through the burnt flesh, it crumbled into powdery ash around a small gargoyle child, no more than ten years in age.

"What the hell?" the soldier Brooklyn had been arguing with stood by his side. "What happened was he pregnant?"

"Males don’t get pregnant," Brooklyn couldn’t believe what the other soldier had said.

"Kid looks like a five year old," a different soldier replied.

"Ten," Brooklyn corrected and bent down to help the child up. Only a little ash stuck to the child’s silver skin, creating dark gray streaks. The back of his wings were dark blue with a lavender lining. His hair was light blue. "You don’t have to cry." He brushed his little hands, trying to take them into his own.

The hatchling opened his eyes. "I’m sorry," he choked out. The spiked ridges over his eyes were like those of Goliath. In fact the rest of his face was like Goliath’s. "I’m sorry." He allowed himself to fall towards Brooklyn’s chest and continued to cry.

"It’s going be okay," Brooklyn stood up with the child in his arms. "We are going to go back to the castle, check on Goliath and it’s going to be okay."

________________________________________________________________

"Thank me?" Goliath asked from his place on the tallest tower of Wvyern. He was able to speak despite the fact his body was still in it’s statuesque form. "I should be the one thanking you."

"I have chosen well," His form became transparent. "I need just one thing for you to do."

"What is it?"

"I need you to wake up."

The command was still on his mind when his vision was filled with shadows and he could feel the remains of stone sleep on his skin. He stretched, sending the stone pieces to go flying in several directions. His roar cried out to the night, except he wasn’t outside. He was in a recovery room of Wyvern’s medical wing. He could feel the softness of the bed beneath him and the scent of disinfectant. There was another scent in the room that was more inviting. The senct of the woman he loved.

"Goliath!" Elisa had been waiting in the room with him, seated in the small chair in the corner. She sprang to his side the second he had awaken. "I don’t know if I should hit your hug you." She did not look healthy. Her eyes were pink from crying and there were gray semicircles under her eyes. "You went charging up to Thailog like that and held onto him when the missiles struck him."

"Hug me," Goliath pulled her in bed with him. He hated making her feel upset, even when it was while he was sleeping "Allow me to hug you, my Elisa. Allow me to kiss you." He brushed his lips against her eyebrows. "The children? Where are they?"

"In their room. the went to sleep an hour ago. They should be awake." She allowed herself to go limp in his arms, all stress she had felt while he was asleep was released from her body. "How do you feel?"

He grabbed his head. "Wonderful and yet worried. Thailog and the Cubus have been defeated?"

"Thailog has been defeated and the Cubus disappeared," Elisa tried to explain. "The clones were fighting him when the Unseelie arrived and began to fight him. Margot and Brendan watched when his body was drawn into the Earth."

"How do you know all this?"

"Brooklyn and the others told me," she felt herself drifting off and sat up sharply. She wasn’t going to allow herself to sleep until her husband had been debriefed on everything. "Some of the clones even told me what happened to the enemies. The Unseelie told them to run off, but Margot and Brendan stayed behind to see what happened."

"How were things on your end of the chaos?" He could not get enough of her hair, the scent of it, the way it shone in the lights and the way it felt in his talons.

"Mostly just ushering panicked people to their homes and inside stores and restaurants, anything that got them off the streets. I arrived in your neck of the woods when something interesting happened."

"Is that so?" He wiggled his toe talons. Part of him wanted to stay in bed with Elisa, and the other part wanted to check in on his clan. "Tell me."

"Travis Marshall and his news team did not waste any time trying to get coverage. They arrived at the end of the street where Canmore and his quarrymen where. Marshall overhead them talking and began filiming."

"The city knows about Canmore?"

"He’s been officially outed as weregoyle, and he was calm about it. He didn’t shout when he confessed," her smile shifted to a scowl. "Nor did his temper raise when he told Marshall he ws going to continue his hunt of gargoyles."

"He lost a member of his clan. He was still grieving too much to be angry." Goliath chose not to address the part about Jon continuing his family’s vendetta. "What about the others, the clan, the police, your brother’s clan, and Macbeth?"

"The others are probably waiting for us, I haven’t talked with Macbeth yet," Elisa said softly. Her smile had shank. "Matt and I have to go to a ceremony for the members of the precinct who died. There were more from other precincts, and Derek’s clan is recovering. Derek is lucky to be alive."

"Oh Elisa," he reached out brush her hair with his talons. "How bad is he hurt?"

"He had a broken arm and a few broken ribs, but that is not the worse part. His legs have been broken and severely burned. They had to remove them. He also had his eye damaged."

"I am sorry."

"He was the lucky one, Natalie didn’t make it."

"I want to do something for Talon and his clan." He gently removed her form his lap."What of Xanatos? and Fox?"

"David fell asleep with Alex in his bed," Elisa explained and briefly paused at the fact she addressed the owner of the castle by his first name. " He is getting ready to speak with Marshall. Fox is now getting some sleep. She spent most of the day grieving for Jackal and Dingo."

"Dingo?" Goliath felt more grief over the Australian member of the pack than Jackal. Dingo had redeamed himself, had turned into a noble hero.

Elisa nodded. "Robyn had informed me from his hospital room."

"Were are the others?"

"They are probably heading towards the dining hall." She stood up when he did. "Where are you going?"

"To find my clan. Come with me."

Elisa was correct in her assumption. The weregoyles were already waiting in the dining hall and the others were entering the area.The weregoyles were still in slings and covered in bandages. The rest of his clan were mostly healed from the previous evening. The only one missing was Desdemona

"My rookery sister?" Goliath tried to squeeze back the tears that he felt developing. "She’s not... not..." He couldn’t finish.

"She’s alive," Othello smiled at him. "She is with your other son."

"Other son?" Goliath blinked. The tears merely fell in small drops without any more being created.

"Thailog didn’t exactly die," Brooklyn struggled as he tried to explain. "The dragon part did and when I approached his remains there was something inside. I stabbed at it with your sword and the body crumbled and there was the last part of Thailog."

"Last part?" Goliath raised his brow ridges.

"There was a gargoyle child inside. That child is Thailog," Brooklyn rushed the words out. "We think that is what Thailog would be like if was born as a hatchling instead and hadn’t had his age advanced. It has been ten years since Thailog was created."

He had another son. Parental concern washed over his body. "Where is he."

"In his room with my mate," Othello sighed. "He remembers everything about being Thailog and it grieves him. There is nothing like the sight of a depressed child."

"Elisa had told me it was over."

"It is over," Hudson spoke up. The elderly gargoyle was missing a part of his tail, Goliath remebered seeing Thailog burn off the tip. "After we all arrived home we checked the network. All the evil caused by the Cubus had been defeated." He held up the rolled up Newspaper. "It’s in the paper."

"And all over the internet," Lexinton pointed to the laptop he had placed on the table. The front page image of the London tribune was on the screen. "The clan in England is considered heroes," his talons flew across the keyboard. The image on the screen changed from the british newspaper to ones across the world. "Some papers have confirmed the locations of the clans from China, Nigeria, and Peru."

"I think some of the new clans in the north have also been confirmed," Angela said. "The leaders of the Massachusetts clan and Connecticut clan want to know if they need any help cleaning up the city."

"Tell them yes." Goliath held up a hand. "I’ll look at it later." The news of the Unseelie’s defeat along with a new gargoyle child, Talons injury, Natalie and Dingo’s death, the city’s knowledge of Canmore being a weregoyle was enough to cause his head to spin. The news of what happened around the world was too much."Xanatos is getting ready for an interview?"

"Downstairs prepping for an interview," Brooklyn explained. "They want to interview us also."

"He has told us we want such a thing?"

Brooklyn slowly rose his hand. "I sort of agreed. A lot of reporters wanted to speak with us last night."

"Why isn’t Owen speaking with them instead?"

"He’s not here," Angela spoke up. She still had her hands on her father’s arm. "Oberon accepted him back."

"What a night," Goliath rubbed his head. "How long will he be gone?"

"He promised Kitty he will only be gone for a weekend our time." Angela let go of him.

"I need to step outside," Goliath announced before he entered the nearest door to the courtyard. He needed to feel the fresh air on his skin.

"Wait," Elisa had caught up with her husband when he had neared the exit.

Goliath ignored the feeling of the dirt and grass and made his way to the edge. He glanced out over the city, his home he had sworn to protect. The fires were long gone and there were dark patches amongst the island of lights. When he and his clan first arrived they were small number of six and they city did not know they existed. His clan had nearly tripled in size and they city, as well as the world know they are real.

"Brave new world is it?" Elisa had joined him. "People are going to know the truth about gargoyles."

"That we protect," He placed a hand on her back. "They have no reason to fear us."

"Many already accept you." She embraced him.

He kissed her on the top of her head. "A brave new world indeed." Goliath stared up at the stars. They seemed more brighter, more sparkling that night.