"Alterverse" is based on the concepts of the science fiction show "Sliders." If you like the "Alterverse" stories, then you may want to check out "Sliders" on the Sci-Fi Channel. Azariel is my creation.

"When in Rome, do as the Romans do."

-Old Saying

EARTH 370, GAIA ROMANA

"It is as if someone has turned back time itself!" Goliath exclaimed. All around them stood massive pillar-studded buildings of gleaming white marble. A massive palace loomed in the distance, oveshadowing a massive dome-like structure. The architecture was unmistakably that of ancient Rome, but here these buildings stood, pristine and new looking.

"We can find the reason for this later. We should make it our primary concern to capture Azariel so that we may return home."

Little did they know that the greatest shock was yet to come. As they entered out onto the expensive roads they saw not only humans dressed in clothes appropriate to the era, but a large population of GARGOYLES mingling among them and interacting peacefully! However all of them suddenly came to a mysterious halt as a turquoise-skinned male gargoyle clad in the trappings of a roman Legion and armed with a large pike passed through the crowd. He strode by until his eyes fell on the clan. He slowly approached.

"Evenini' to ye, my name be Tyrus. I'm the leader of Caesar Golithian's elite guard, the Dragon Legion. And I can tell by your strange attire that you are definitely not from this territory. So what brings ye here?"

"We are travelers on a mission to find a renegade gargoyle called Azariel. He brought us here through sorcery."

Tyrus turned his attention to Goliath and gasped. He fell to his knees and looked up at the lavender gargoyle.

"Pardon my suspicion, I beg you! I did not realize it was you, Caesar!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Caesar Golithian, surely you must be playing a jest on me! Why have you left the palace?"

"Caesar Golithian? Who are you talking to? My name is Goliath."

"Caesar, be you all right? I feel it would be best to return you to the palace at once."

Goliath looked at the him, then turned to the others.

"What should we do?"

"We might as well go with him, Goliath. This 'Caesar Golithian' ought to be able to sort things out."

"Agreed."

Goliath turned and faced Tyrus. The turquoise gargoyle remained bowed at his feet in a state bordering on worship."

"Very well, Tyrus. You may escort my friends and myself back to the palace."

"Excellent my lord! If you would be so kind as to follow me?"

With that he rose to his feet and began marching to the palace. Goliath and the rest followed him onward to the massive structure looming in the distance.

THE PALACE OF CAESAR GOLITHIAN

Golithian sat quietly in the library of his personal chambers, reading an ancient mainuscript given to him as tribute from one of the many foreign governors under his rule.

Suddenly there was a loud knock on the door of the room. He rose slowly and opened, only to find a familiar face awaiting him.

"Ahhh, hello my brother Thailothian. What brings you here?"

His ebon-skinned twin brother entered the room and stared at his brother.

"Nothing, my brother. I merely wished to see you."

"Why is that?"

Thailothian slowly entered the room, his white hair flowing down his back and his eyes burning with crimson light.

"I want to remember what my beloved brother looked like before I did away with him and claimed the throne that was rightfully mine...."

"Are you mad, Brother?"

Thailothian slowly drew a long-bladed dagger from its sheath on his belt and thrust it towards his brother's chest.

"All hail Caesar!" he laughed evilly.

MAIN CHAMBER OF GOLITHIAN'S PALACE

As Goliath and the others entered the palace, everyone who saw him fell to their knees. He was about to say something when a very familiar form appeared from the corridor.

"Thailog!?!?"

The ebon-skinned, white haired male gargoyle looked at Goliath with equal shock, but it soon passed and he walked over and placed a taloned hand on his shoulder.

"I was worried about you, my brother. I could not find you anywhere in the palace."

"Brother?"

Tyrus softly whispered something in Thailothian's ear.He looked at the warrior and gave him a quick nod of understanding.

"I am your brother Thailothian, Golithian. I am sorry to see that your memory is giving you grief. But now if you'll excuse me, I must attend to personal matters."

Without so much as one more word he turned and left.

THAILOTHIAN'S QUARTERS

"Curse the Gods! How is it possible that he still lives?!?!" he threw one of his books across the room where it made a large crack and lodged itself in the stone wall. There was a bright flash of light behind him, and he turned and beheld the strangest looking gargoyle he had ever encountered. He was clad in strange armor and wore an odd "half-helmet" over his face. But most startling of all was the fact that the stranger bore more than a slight resemblance to himself!

"You desire the Caesar dead?"

"Yes!"

Azariel smiled an evil smile and looked at the nearly identical "double" of his father.

"Then perhaps I can be of service....."

PRIVATE QUARTERS OF CAESAR GOLITHIAN

"Goliath quietly studied the massive library that surrounded him. He reached up to remove a volume from the shelf, only to feel the fabric of his robe yank tightly around his arm.

Tyrus and the others had insisted that he and his companions dress in a manner befitting his station, and Goliath had not been given a chance to protest before he found himself squeezed into this cursed thing. Lex and Brook were having no such problem with theirs, however, and he secretly thought Elisa looked like a goddess in hers. The sun rose, filling the sky with light as the gargoyles' flesh solidified into stone. Even Elisa stretched back onto the soft pile of cushions she was reclining on and fell into a deep, tired sleep. The adventure on Nightworld had been extremely tiring, and they had not had a chance to rest. She didn't notice the shadowy figures slowly creeping into the room............

PRIVATE QUARTERS OF CAESAR GOLITHIAN, THAT NIGHT

"Help!!! Caesar Golithian has been slain!"

The palace staff rushed into his chamber and gasped in horror. The Caesar's to gargoyle companions lay shattered,. and lying dead on his bed was the Caesar, a long-bladed dagger piercing his chest, his lifeblood staining the sheets. And the human woman lay asleep, her hands and robe smeared with blood.

Tyrus forcfully grabbed her and shook her awake.

"Murderess!"

"What are you talking abou- My God!" Elisa saw the shatterered remains of Brook and Lex, and laying between them with a dagger buried in his chest was Goliath. And worse yet, here hands and clothes were covered in blood.

"Yes, ye certainly did a job on our beloved Caesar! Now you shall pay for your heinous deed! You die at sunrise!"

THE CATACOMBS BENEATH THE PALACE

Goliath awoke to the sound of a familiar laugh. It took him a moment to realize who it was, but then it came to him.

"Azariel."

"Indeed, Goliath. I hope you find your accomadations acceptable!"

Goliath tried to lunge at the evil gargoyle, but found he was chained and shackled to the wall. Azariel laughed again.

"Come now, do you think me a fool? I may be a bit of a risk-taker, but leaving you unrestrained wouldn't be a chance, it would be suicide!"

Goliath looked around at his surroundings. Lex and Brook were chained to the wall on either side of him. But something made panic chew at his heart.

"Where is Elisa?!?! What have you done to her?!?!?"

A dark form clad in imperial robes with a crown atop his head entered.

"Thailog!"

Azariel shook his head and made a pitying gesture as he looked at Goliath.

"I would have thought you would have learned by now. This is not the Thailog you knew. This is Caesar Thailothian!"

Thailothian regarded Goliath with a humored look.

"Well now I know why I met the brother I'd just killed. Azariel here was kind enough to explain that occurrence, and help me remedy the situation. And don't worry about the human. She will be executed at dawn for murdering our beloved Caesar!"

Goliath's eyes burned with unholy rage and he tore at the air in front of him.

"You fiend! You are every bit the monster the Thailog I knew was!"

Azariel snarled and slashed Goliath across the face with his bladed gauntlet.

"Now, now. That is no way to be talking to Caesar! And no way to be talking about any version of my father!"

"FATHER!?!?!?"

"Oh yes, Goliath. After you betrayed her, Mother was heartbroken! When she found out about the Thailog project, she could not resist using it to her advantage. She secretly altered Father's initial programming, thus creating herself the perfect mate. Your appearance and strength, the cold ruthlessness and cunning of Xanatos, and her feelings toward the human race. They make quite the couple, actually. And they made certain I became the best I could possibly become."

"You cannot be serious!"

"Oh, I assure you I am, 'Grandfather!' But now, I have business to attend."

"And I have an execution to arrange."

The two of them left the room, evil laughter echoing behind them. Brook and Lex winced in pain and looked at Goliath.

"So what do we do now?"

"I do not know. These chains are too strong for me to break."

"So this is it, the end."

A clanking sound echoed outside in the hallway, and Tyrus entered. He suddenly was overcome with shock, seeing three gargoyles he had seen dead with his own eyes.

"What in Aries' name be goin' on here?!?"

"Your 'Caesar' is working with an enemy of ours, and he killed his brother. It was the true Caesar Golithian's corpse you saw."

"And why should I not think ye be some creature of sorcery?"

"If I were a magical being, would these chains hold me?"

"Aye, ye have a point there."

"Will you help us stop Thailothian and our enemy?"

"If he killed Caesar Golithian, then it be my duty to help you!"

Tyrus quickly unchained them and gave them a worried look.

"If we are to save the human woman, we must act quickly. 'Tis less than two hours until dawn."

They rushed from the room, not even seeing the pair of burning eyes watching them.

PUBLIC SQUARE OF ROME

A large crowd of onlookers, human and gargoyle, surrounded the cross, snarling and shouting horrible obscenities. The sky was just beginning to lighten as Thailothian entered the square, accompanied by a royal procession. Behind them came four massive gargoyle Legions, each carrying one end of the two support beams that held the cage Elisa was imprisoned within.

The mob grew vicious when they saw her, their cursing even more loud as they hurled spoiled vegetables and refuse at the cage. When they at last reached the town center Elisa was violently pulled from her mobile cell and tied to the cross. Thailothian stepped toward the crowd and cleared his throat. The crowd grew nearly silent as he began to speak.

"My people, behold the evil slayer who has ended the great life of my benevolent, loving brother Golithian! She has spilled his blood, and now hers shall be spilled in turn!"

The crowd cheered so loudly that it was deafening as the hulking executioner slowly approached Elisa and drew forth an iron hammer and three long nails. He pushed the first into the palm of her hand and slowly raised the hammer.

Without warning a chourus of inhuman screams echoed and four winged forms glided downward toward them. The crowd gasped as they saw them. It was Golithian and his companions!

"Your game ends now Thailothian!"

Thailothian roared and looked at them.

"GUARDS! SEIZE THEM!!!!"

The legions charged toward them, swords drawn and tails lashing. And through it all the executioner's hammer grew closer and closer to the head of the nail. Goliath leaped toward him and slung him from the platform and quickly tore away Elisa's bonds. She fell weakly into his arms as the others held Thailothian's guards at bay.

"I have Elisa! Let us go!"

The four of them leaped off into the dying night, followed by Tyrus. They followed him to a small cavern outside of the town.

"We will be safe here for the day. The human Legions are not aware of this place's existence. I will see you tomorrow night, Goliath."

He slowly petrified, followed by Goliath, Brook and Lex. Elisa collapsed onto Goliath's stone form and fell asleep as well. And watching them was the same pair of burning eyes.........

THAT NIGHT

The Clan and Tyrus awoke with a roar. Goliath gently helped Elisa to her feet and held her close.

"Goliath, I thought you were dead...."

"Shhh... I know. It was Azariel and Thailothian's doing. And we learned something rather startling about our mysterious foe......"

BALCONY OF CAESAR THAILOTHIAN'S PALACE:

Thailothian stood before the gathered crowd of his subjects and spoke.

"My people, last night's events are a shame to me, that I would let the murderess who slew my dear brother Golithian escape. But I swear to you, before this night is done she will be found and punished, as will the vile lookalike that keeps her from justice!"

The crowd cheered as the Legions headed off into the night, swords gleaming in the torchlight.

SECRET CAVERN OUTSIDE THE CITY

The loud voices and clanking of armor echoed outside as panic gnawed at the clan. Goliath looked at the others.

"You four run. I will delay them."

"Goliath! You can't........"

"Elisa, I must do this. Now go!"

Goliath charged out of the cave and attacked the Legions barehanded. The others lingered until Tyrus forced them to go as Goliath continued his battle. They were out of sight when at last one of the legions managed to strike him down with a blow to the head and drag him off into the darkness of the night.

LATER

Tyrus cautiously led the others back to the cave, but to their horror, there was no trace of Goliath. Blood stained the ground, and there was a large streak of it drug through the dirt back toward the city.

"Goliath......"

Tyrus looked toward Elisa with a grim look.

"Do not give up all hope. He may yet live, at least fer a while."

"What do you mean?"

"If he's alive, then he'll be in the Arena."

THE ARENA

"Goliath heard voices roaring above him as he slowly came to. He looked about, his vision somewhat blurred, at his surroundings. A cell, he was in a cell. Suddenly the door opened and a group of guards entered and forced him to his feet. they drug him out the door and into the open air. He heard the roars of thousands of voices as he dimly became aware that he was in an arena of some sort or another. He was jarrewd awake by a booming, familiar voice.

"I give you the one who helped the murderess escape!"

The crowd booed loudly and threw rotten vegetables at him as the gates before him slowly rose with a massive, ear-splitting screech. The crowd saw who was emerging and began to chant.

"Wild Man! Wild Man! Wild Man!"

A shadowy form clad in a black wolfskin and wearing bladed gauntlets on both hands streaked from the gate and out into the light. And in doing so gave Goliath a close look at his face. A face that he had once known, but had been changed dramatically.

"Jackal?!?"

It was him, without a doubt. Only not the cybernetically altered version Goliath had faced, but the human Jackal, the Jackal that had existed before the upgrade.

His chain of thought was cut short as the barbarian version of Jackal bellowed a hideous laugh and sprang at him, bladed gauntlet-clad hands slashing wildly at Goliath. He dodged the attack, but was caught of guard and Jackal slashed a deep cut into his chest. He grunted and stumbled backwards as the crowd cheered. Jackal lashed out again, only to have Goliath dodge the attack and counter with one of his own, lashing Jackal in the ribcage with his tail. The savage leaped again, this time slicing into Goliath's leg. Goliath roaed in pain as the fight continued........

OUTSIDE THE ARENA

Elisa and the others heard Goliath's agonized roar. Elisa cringed as she heard the familiar, maniacal laughter from within and the roar of the crowd.

"We best be hurryin' if ye wish there to be enough left of Goliath to be worth the savin'."

"Yeah, good point."

They charged headfirst into the arena.

THE ARENA

Goliath was wearing down, bleeding from several large, vicioous cuts. Jackal laughed again and raised his clawed glove-covered hand and prepared to strike a killing blow. Suddenly a spear whizzed through the air and pierced Jackal's chest. The savage vomitted blood and fell to the ground as Goliath turned and saw the others. Thailothian screamed in rage.

"What is the meaning of this!?!?!?"

Tyrus stepped forward and regarded him with a stare that radiated hate.

"People of Rome! Behold the three that were 'killed' by the 'murderess!' Here they live, but the true Caesar Golithian is dead, dead at the hands of the usurper Thailothian! 'Twas his dagger that pierced Golithian's noble heart, not that of this woman!"

"Treason!"

The crowd, apparently moved by Tyrus' speech, roared in anger and charged the imperial box, throwing the Legions guarding it from the seats to their deaths on the floor far below. Azariel suddenly materialized and raised his turbolaser at Goliath.

"What does it take to kill you, Goliath?"

He fired a shot at the clan, who somehow managed to dodge it. Suddenly a magical bolt of energy blasted from the shadows and struck Azariel's weapon. He snarled as Goliath climbed to his feet and joined the others in slowly cornering their enemy.

Azariel chuckled then began programming his warp belt.

"He who fights, then runs away, lives to fight another day, as they say!"

He hammered the button on the "buckle" of his warp belt and vanished into a vortex, the clan leaping in after him. In the chaos of the riot, no one noticed the mysterious pair of burning eyes that emerged from the shadows and was revealed as a mysterious, cloaked form. The being quickly muttered a few words, and was also consumed in a vortex, following the one of Azariel.

***END***