Ok, standard disclaimer. Gargoyle copyright belong to Buena Vista, Disney, and Greg Weisman. What I am writing here, I am writing because of how much I admired the show, and wish to try to be as good as the show actually was. I am not making any profits off of this, so please, don't sue! And if anyone wants to use anything from my stories, just tell me before you do and what you plan to do with them.
Non-standard. This story is a TGS spin-off staring Sharon Nomura, a.k.a. Sakeo or The Huntress. Originally Larry Davison's creation, I thought that her character could be more developed than it was the TGS Gargoyle stories Guardians and Safrices, I took the liberty of doing so. Hope you like her. And to give credit where it is due, Fleur Rine and Kitainia helped me edit this one.
Note: This story probably wouldn't be shown on the The Disney Afternoon with the original Gargoyles, rather it would be shelved rights next to R. L. Stine's The Last Vampire series, or shown with Buffy, the Vampire Slayer. In other words, this story is PG-13, NOT for younger viewers due to some violence, nudity, and language.
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prologue
"If you could have any wish you wanted, what would you wish for?" asks the dorky looking man sitting across from me. Strange man this person, I have only met him once before but I can't get that one encounter with him out of my mind. I mean, I was just sitting there, eating a quick lunch in the local mall when this guy comes up and starts asking me about my belief in God. A bit stunned by this, and his apparently honest innocence I answered him truthfully, something I haven't even done with my parents on that subject. For you see, as dorky looking as he is with a dress shirt, oversized glasses, and pens poking out of his front shirt pocket, his eyes have an intensity about them that compels you to answer him. But despite that intensity there is no malice or subdued hatred or sadness in them, like so many other 'dorks' have, so you answer him honestly as well. I did, and instead of going to another table and repeating the process as I thought he would, he just left. Just walked right out of the food court never to be seen again, until now.
Once again, I notice him just when he sits across from me, and asks, "If you could have any wish you wanted, what would you wish for?" This time I manage to catch myself from saying the first thing that came to mind, and instead just raise an eyebrow. I manage to last about ten more seconds under the gaze of those memorable eyes before I smile slightly and say, "Anything? How about being put into the Gargoyle universe as an immortal Human-by-day-Gargoyle-by-night wielding the powers of the Archmage in his prime?"
He just nods and replies, "Thought that was what you would say." And then reality takes a holiday.
Suddenly I am no longer in the mall, but zooming at an incredible rate of speed along... something. I am just able to glimpse objects rushing past me before they disappear in the distance. But this only lasts so long before I get far enough away (or everything else moves far enough away, I can't really tell which) to see the Big Picture. It is the most frighteningly beautiful thing I have ever seen. For one moment I am not just above a single world, but above many, nearly countless in number. For one moment I can see EVERYTHING, every tree, every pet, every person and their alternates in the other worlds. I also see something else, a light and a darkness that is spread across the worlds, completely enveloping some in one or the other, but most of the worlds have a mixture of the two. The light and the darkness are fighting one another, and the worlds, no the people in the worlds are their battle ground.
I start to take a closer look at the light and the darkness, but don't get the chance as one of the worlds starts zooming towards me (or am I zomming towards it?). I just see a quick impression of Vikings attacking a Scottish castle, of the top of a police station being blown up, and voice of one who has been alone too long before reality comes back from its holiday.
I reel in shock trying to get a grasp of what just happened to me, but I don't get the chance as my entire body starts to feel more pain than I have ever felt in my life. I scream out in agony from it, a scream that turns into a roar that would do a lion credit! And almost as quickly as it began, the pain stops, leaving me laying on my back, heart hammering in my chest and trying to find out just how hurt I am.
Ok, no more pain for some reason, and I can still feel everything all right, legs, chest, back, tail, fingers- TAIL?!?! I take a shuddering breath, and for the first time notice the triple beat of my heart, instead of the double beat I am so used to. Needing to confirm what I think has happend to me, I slowly raise my hands before my face and open my eyes. Yep, four fingers, with no fingernails and each one ending in a wicked curve like that of a hawk's talon. Re-focusing my eyes beyond my hands, no my talons now, I see a very tall building with a castle on top of it. Sitting up there as if it was an offering to the sky, it is the same castle that I 'saw' being attacked by Vikings.
I take a deep shuddering breath, trying to calm down, and I say to myself, "OoooK! This was completely unexpected."
THE SANCTUARY, INSIDE THE LABYRINTH, BENEATH MANHATTAN, IN AN ABANDONED SECRET CYBERBOTICS FACULITY, IN THE SPRING OF 1997
Claw (Theodore West)
I find Sharon in her room lighting candles in front of two pictures. The mutagen she took a few months ago hasn't had time to really change her yet, it has just added panther features to her formally human body, and of course a pair of bat-like wings. Otherwise she is mostly unchanged, even has hair still growing out of her scalp as opposed to my own bald plate of short orange fur, though as the mutagen continues it's work on her that should fall out shortly after her tail shrinks into nonexistence, it's already lost about a foot from what it was a couple weeks ago. She's kneeling on her black fur covered knees, wings resting on her shoulders, and her shrinking tail wrapped around in front of her. With that white robe she has taken to wearing to lately she wouldn't be out of place in a church. That is if you ignored her cat ears, claws, and occasional flicker of bioelectricty along her fur. Otherwise she's beautiful.
She notices me, "Oh! Sorry Claw, did you want something?"
I point to her candles, clasp my claws in front of me and bow a little, then turn to leave.
"Don't worry, you're not interrupting me. I was about done anyway."
I point to her candles again, and give her a questioning look.
"It is a ceremony used in my parent's country to honor your dead ancestors. Honoring those who came before you is a strong belief among the Japanese, shrines are set up all over the country with hundreds of candles in them, at any time about half of them are lit."
I take a closer look at the pictures, strange they seem familiar, but I haven't seen any of the Nomura family except.... my eyes widen a bit in surprise. I shake my head, then put my hand to my throat and stick out my tongue.
"They might as well be dead to me. Being in the Witness Protection Program means that you have no contact with others as long as you are in danger. And as long as the Yakuza are in Chinatown, my parents will always be in danger. They testified against the Yakuza, and now their very lives are an offense against Yakuza 'honor'!" She's so angry at this that I can see little flicks of her bioelectricty flowing in and around her clenched fist. I clap a little and hurriedly point to my own claws, then her hand. She looks down at it in surprise and slowly unclenches her claws, dripping a little blood from where they punctured her palm . "Heheh, sorry Claw, I thought that doing this might calm me down a little. Believing that my parents may be able to hear me while I do this is a comforting thought. I know they told me to come here to protect me, but still I miss them."
I put my claw on her shoulder and look at her a little worriedly.
"Don't worry, I'll be fine. Just still trying to accept what has happened. Accepting the fact that I...." she sobs a little," that I will probably not see them again." I try to comfort her by massaging her shoulders. "Thanks Claw. You, Talon, Maggie, Dr. Goldblum, Deliah, the clones, and even Detective Maza have been like family to me. Even given me reason not to try to get the Yakuza's mercy by surrendering myself to be Takeo's concubine. I'm sorry that you-" I slap her on the shoulder and point to my wing and chest, shaking my head a little. The only trace they got shot is some scar tissue, as soon as that heals up a little more I will be flying again on regular patrols.
"All right! I'll stop saying I'm sorry. You are protectors, you know the risks, and accept them as part of protecting." I point at her, and she sighs, "And now I am as well, if I want to be. I will do that now that I have the power to, and be a part of the clan here." She raises one of her handlike claws, "It's just that...." I wait for her to finish, looking curiously at her, not hard to do when you look like a giant tabby. "Claw, you had this change forced upon you, and then you had to find your place in the world. I willingly gave up some of my humanity to have the power to fight the Yakuza. Sure, I was angry and desperate to do something instead of being the, as so many Americans put it, 'damsel in distress' but that doesn't change why I orginally injected myself with the mutagen. To fight the Yakuza, Tommy Kimura in particular. And since then what have I done? Gone on a few patrols, fought some thugs, gave Tommy a scare, and now I am mourning my parents as if they are already dead!" She doesn't clench her claws this time, but some bioelectricty arcs between them as she whispers, "What have I done to honor my parents safrice?"
I grab her by the shoulder and start dragging her out into the outer Labyrinth where all the homeless people live. I make sure I have her attention and I swing out one arm as if I was saying 'Behold!'. We have attracted alot of people in the few years that we have been protecting the Labyrinth. Sure, the people are still homeless, but the people we have here don't have to worry about drug dealers that are usually attracted to official homless shelters, we scare any of those off! Nor do they have to worry about starving to death, or freezing through the night. Dr. Goldblum has also been giving them some basic medical care, better than most shelters would give at that. And our leader Talon even uses his old police connections to give them a hand off the street if they so wish. They have this much because we mutates and Gargoyle clones protect them. I watch Sharon as I show her this, and see that she sees this too.
"Yes, protecting these people, this place, it a worthy deed, and you, Talon, Maggie, and the clones have dedicated your lives doing so. But it just doesn't feel like I am doing enough." I hold up my claws and make the sign for family and point to myself and where the others should be. Her face grows even sadder, "No matter what happens I will consider you and the others family, and not only because of what you have done for me, but because I truly consider you to be. I..... I just have to honor my parents as well, wherever they are." She stares off into space for awhile, automatically returning greetings back to passerbys while I stand there and think of what else I can do to cheer her up, her smiles were rare before, now they are only ghosts of what they were.
"I'm sorry Claw," she cuts me off before I start to contradict her, "and no, not about your wing or whatever has happened, but for being such a, how do you say it? A 'party pooper'? I just need some time to think about what to do now." And she goes to one of the exits from the labyrinth as I move to join her. "Thanks Claw, but I need to be alone for awhile, and to practice some of the aerial tricks that Talon is teaching me." With that she quickly heads to the nearest exit, nodding at my 'be careful' sign.
IN THE SKIES ABOVE MANHATTAN'S CHINATOWN
Sharon (Sakeo Nomura)
"Let's see now, how do you do this.... make a short dive to gain speed, tilt your wings back to go up and.... ARRRGH!" I lose speed and stall half-way through the loop, losing a few dozen feet before I get air under my wings again. I learned how to spot updrafts, use them, and do barrel rolls easily enough, but I just can't seem to get this loop right! Maybe if I dive into the top of a loop for practice before I try looping up into one....
I spot my old home, my parent's tailor shop below me and my heart actually skips a few beats from nostalgia. I know it's a risk, but I land on the rooftop. It's a near moonless night, and I exchanged my white mourning robe for some darker clothing back at the Labyrinth, nobody should see me if I'm careful. This place has so many memories of when I was growing up, my father showing me the difference between silk and cotton, of listing to mom telling how she and father first came to America, of first learning how to ride a bicycle.... of how Takeo came and ruined our lives by trying to force me to be his wife. Of the weeks we lived in fear, hoping that he would drop his unwanted attention, but not daring to refuse him outright because he was Yakuza, and refusing Yakuza is dangerous.
I sit on the rooftop remembering what it was like to be fully human. Thinking what in my rage I gave up, and what I have gained. I've lost my parents, my old home beneath me, my friends... Well Gary Phillips may still talk to me, but he got enough of a scare when Takeo and his sanshita put him into the hospital, no need to scare him with my now furry face. As for what I have gained, well I am now able to fly - a joy that I can't see myself not doing now, I have gained a family that care about me as much as I do them, and I have the power to... I hold up my claws and start an arc of bioelectricty between them... to do more than I did before. Much more! The question is will I use it to just protect with the rest of my surrogate family, or...
"Here is the place Kenichi." says a voice in the alley below.
"Ok we're here, what did you want to show me?" replies Kenichi. Being careful not to be seen, not that my black fur can be seen against the sky, I peek over the edge of the building. Takeo's sanshita! What are they doing here?
"Remember Sakeo and the rest of the Nomuras?" Kenichi nods. "Well this is where they lived."
"So?"
The other gestures grandly, "Well, look at it! Just one year ago this was a thriving talior shop, with a happy couple and their beautiful daughter living with them. Beautiful enough to gain attetion of our Daigashi."
"I have not seen her yet, you mean this is where the Nomuras live?"
"Use to live. Takeo wanted their daughter as his wife. They were not very cooperative, we had to beat up one of Sakeo's other suitors. But that didn't break their stubbornness, in fact her parents went to the police and betrayed the trust we had put into them when we rented their shop for some of our less legal meetings. They tried to testify against the our entire family. You see the results here." And he gestures to the bordered up windows of the talior shop. "Nobody lives here anymore Kenichi. Nobody is even willing to buy it because of the reputation we gave it. It is a shrine of what it means to defy the Yakuza. Even if you are lucky and survive as the Nomuras did, your life will be ruined. You will live the rest of your remaining days looking over your shoulder watching for the bullet that has your name on it." I tighten my claws on the edge of the roof and growl softly at hearing this, fortunately they don't notice.
Kenichi shifts his weight from one foot to the other, looking very uncomfortable, "I don't know Tsutomu, I mean being the bouncer for the casino is one thing, but this is about murder."
"No, this is about your honor Kenichi. That whore had the gall not only to refuse you, but publicly humiliate you. If you want to get your honor back, you have to do something about it! We Yakuza cannot allow such rebellion to go unpunished. Now if necessary I will go and do it for you, but you will not regain your honor in the eyes of our, or any other Yakuza family. You will always be the coward, not good for anything. Is this what you want Kenichi? To be a mere dekata in our family for the rest of your life, never amounting to anything more?"
Kenichi looks even more uncomfortable at this, but at the word coward he gets angry and then resolved, if how he is standing is any indication. "No Tsutomu-sama, I don't. Give me a gun, I will do what I have to do to regain my honor."
Tsutomu nods solemnly, "Here take mine, it is completely untraceable. As soon as you use it go to the casino, the rest of the ikka will give you an alibi. Just make sure you don't get caught by the police on the way, and nobody will testify against you." He smiles widely, "This is what it means to be a Yakuza, and we all have to do our part to maintain the fear that keeps others obeying us. Now go and bring honor not only to yourself, but to our entire family!" And with those parting words Kenichi goes off to do his duty, leaving Tsutomu alone in the alley. And I knew what I must do.
He is just walking off when I was upon him. Before he even knew what was happening I grabbed him by the back of his coat, lifted him up, slammed him against the wall and held him there off the ground. "You should not have given him your gun Ji-san. It could have helped you just now, and don't bother screaming, you have taught the people in this neighborhood a little too well. Just how many times have you used this place to give lessons to people?"
"Who are you? Don't you have any idea who I am!!?" He tries to turn around to get a good look at me, but is unable to move much with his chest and face grinding into the wall, or kick too well.
"You are a poor wakashu following a foolish daigashi who apparently doesn't believe that I will actually carry out my threat against him."
"Bwahahah! You are the foolish one if you think you can do anything against the Yakuza and live Baa-BaaaaAAHHHH!"
I hold him against the wall with one had, my other re-charging with bioelectricty after the rake I gave him across the backside. Interesting thing about this bioelectricty, it casturizes the wounds so I don't get any blood on me, though it is very painful for the recipient. "I would not insult the one who holds your life in their claws. If you wish to see daybreak you should start answering my questions. Starting with who Kenichi is going to kill, and where."
"I'm not going to tell you anything! AHHH!" I add another slash across his back, horizontally this time.
"Think carefully before you open your mouth again Tsutomu-san. I am ruining this nice tattoo you have back here. Oh, why don't I just save you the trouble and tear the whole thing off?" And I start sinking my claw into his shoulder, cauterizing his wound so it doesn't bleed.
"Wait wait! Kenichi is going to kill one of the waitresses at the casino."
"The one that Tommy runs? What is her name?" And I withdraw my claw from his shoulder.
"Kai."
"Very good, where is he going to kill her."
"She's going to be picked up as soon as she arrives at work, then killed at a nearby warehouse."
"Why would Tommy go to the bother taking her somewhere else? Why not just kill her at her home?"
"Because Kai is going to be a star! Our honorable daigashi is expanding the business into snuff films." Snuff? I'm going to have to ask Talon what those are, nothing good I bet. Tsutomu tries to get back some of his arrogance by sneering at me over his shoulder. "If you are going to try to rescue her, I should warn you, Takeo's best men will be there. Even if you get past them, they will enjoy making you a guest star, or just hunting you down like an animal afterwards!"
I throw him as far as I can into the alley, he recovers pretty quickly, must have had some martial arts training. But as soon as he turns and looks at me he freezes and becomes as white as a ghost. I let him have a second to get the whole effect of my winged-feloind form and then I say, "I am the only one who does any hunting around here, it is time that Tommy learns that. If he is still alive later, make sure he knows that I will catch him one day. If he doubts you, show him your back." And I blast him with a bioelectric bolt, not enough to kill him, but he won't be waking up anytime soon.
ON ONE OF THE ROOFTOPS NEAR TAKEO KIMURA'S CASINO
I can't believe that Takeo is still an overdressed bully with dreams of being a modern day warlord! That scare I gave him last December should have stopped him. I could not have under done it, I made him soil his pants! Yet here it is, the casino still running, and according to what I overheard from Kenichi and Tsutomu Takeo is still in charge. I should have come back and checked things out earlier, made sure that Takeo wasn't hurting anyone anymore.
But he still is, and even using my parents and I as an example to others. What's more he is hurting others, I specifically warned him not to do that. I wonder if he has found another woman to be his concubine, or if he is still fixated on me. Not that he would still want me in my feline form, I don't think I can even give him children anyway. At least with a fully human partner I can't. No matter, I am going to stop Takeo no matter what.
It is less than an hour before Kai arrives, and is promptly taken out back and stuffed into the back of a van. I follow the van to one of the nearby warehouses, just as Tsutomu said. The van just goes right on inside, an automatic garage door opening for it. Heh, just like the security entrance into the Sanctuary. I am able to land on the roof and find a skylight to force open. No alarms sounds, and I don't see any wires, so I jump right in and start finding out what is going on exactly.
It looks like I came into one of the offices, wonder what legal cover Takeo is using for this place. Or maybe he is renting it? No matter, at least the door opens from the inside so I don't have to force this one open as well. Don't want any noise to give me away. The main bay is not well lighted for normal human eyes, and there are plenty of containers to hide behind. In fact the only place that has any lights is near the center of the warehouse, the Yakuza and Kai are already there and are setting something up. Camera equipment? Well Tsutomu did say that she would be a star, but what kind of film stars someone who is about to be killed? No matter, I have to focus on what I came here to do, get Takeo!
Kai is being held by a couple of Yakuza thugs, and angrily screaming into her gag. Let's see now.... there are five Yakuza and Takeo. Two are holding Kai, another two are setting up the cameras and lights, and the fifth is Kenichi himself, all of them should be armed. I should be able to take them all if I can get them by surprise, the trouble is Kai herself, she is probably going to get caught in the crossfire.
While I am trying to figure out how to do this Takeo goes up to Kenichi and gives him what I can only call a pep talk.
"I almost thought you were not going to make it Kenichi." says Takeo.
"I would not disappoint you Daigashi." responds Kenichi.
"Good! No man who is shamed by a whore would get far in my organization. Now you get your chance to give back what she gave to you, and have some fun while doing it!"
"What do you mean?"
"You are aware of why we are bringing her here and not just shooting her on the street? What the cameras are for?"
"I thought the cameras are for the other Yakuza, um, a sign of trust to the Kashimoto-Oyabun. That we would provide him with proof of what we do for him."
"No no. Do you honestly think we would do that to you, to our ikka? No! Your face will not be shown on camera, and unless you have some very distinctive mark on you, there is not a chance of really proving who is on the tape, at least enough to convict you in court."
"Our tattos."
"Who is to say that they are not fake?"
"Then, why are we going to this much trouble? Even take that risk?"
"Let me give you your first lesson on business other than casino guard duty. We make these videos for a some select customers with a very selective taste, and to intimidate those who would defy us. There is nothing quite like seeing somoene you once knew being used before she dies to take the fight out of you." He grins a little, "Especially when you can't do anything about it even after you see the video."
Kai manages to get her gag loose, "You Ji-jii!!!"
Takeo just slowly turns and walks over to her, meeting her defiant glare with one of stern indifference. Then almost casually backhands her so hard that she would have fallen if not for the two men holding her up. He gives her a moment to recover before he grabs her chin and forces her to look at him when he says, "You should have learned your proper place woman. It is that kind of attitude that got you here." And just to humiliate her further he tears off the front of her clothing, and it is only then that she shows the first sign of fear. "Re gag her you two, and make sure it stays in this time. Women should been seen, not heard."
It is all I can do to stay in the shadows and not go charging out there, electric bolts flying. As it is I have to stay behind one of the larger containers until I calm down enough to stop the bioelectricty from flicking about my limbs. A true hunter waits until their prey is vulnerable, then they attack!
Takeo is again speaking to Kenichi. "Come now, enjoy yourself! If you are good enough at this, I may consider you as a permanent position in this."
Kenichi's face lights up at the possibility of a promotion, "Really Oyabun-sama?"
"If you make a good enough show. Now, lets get started!" He raises one hand and waves it about dramatically as he yells, "Lights! Camera! ACTION!"
I am forced to watch while I wait for a chance to strike. Now my Okaasan and Otoosan raised me not to swear, but dammit when am I going to get my chance! I can't while everyone down there is armed, I would at most be able to take out two, maybe three before I get a bullet through my chest. I don't think the camera operators are armed, they are just average workers, not really part of the Yakuza. But still, how could I possibly disarm four people without- ah hah! They seem to be doing it for me. After they stripped Kai, made some kind of rope harness for her and hung her from the ceiling with it, they are also stripping off their clothes, along with their gun harnesses! Except for the two thugs that were holding Kai, the cameramen, and Takeo. He keeps on some sort of vest, covering the scars I gave him. You think that just covering them up will solve your problems Takeo? You are about to learn differently.
One of the thugs gets his hand on his gun, alerted by the light of my bioelectric charge no doubt, before I hit them both with a single powerful bolt. "Haven't you learned your lesson Tommy? Didn't you remember what I was going to do if I ever caught you harming others again?" I say as jump down from the top of the container, spreading my wings wide to break my fall.
Kai, already frightened by what was happening to her, just looks at me and faints. The other three Yakuza have enough courage to not run right away, but they do jump up and start looking around. As for Takeo himself, the look on his face is priceless! Maybe I should keep the video after this and- can't let myself get distracted.
"You! Nooo, you're not real!" He tries to keep his arrogance, but is overwhelmed by his fear as he starts backing away from me on all fours. He's actually quite fast that way, but not nearly fast enough.
"What? Wasn't my mark on your back enough?" I pick him up by his vest, and quickly rip it completely off dropping him back on his naked rear. "Start running, and give my some spor-!!!!" and my entire back bursts into flame, driving the breath from my lungs before I can even scream. I guess one of the camramen did have a gun.
I must have blacked out for a second because I find myself on the floor looking at the world through a red haze of pain. "What are you waiting for, kill her KILL HER!!!" yells someone, Takeo?
"What is that thing, some sort of demon?" yells someone else.
"No, but I may be." says yet another voice. Dammit, why won't my limbs work properly! I hear some gunfire, bullets hitting something, a 'whoosh' like a lighter fluid helped fire coming to life, the breaking of a gun (I know how that sounds, the Gargoyles do it all the time), and a "Boo!". Quickly followed by screams (I did not think the male voice could go that high), the sound of pounding feet, a distant door slamming, the smell of urine and feces, and someone whining as he hyperventilates. "I would seriously consider a career change if I were you." And the hyperventilating stops. I hear some chuckling, but for some reason that stops in mid chuckle, and the voice says, "Oh shit, what am I doing? I enjoyed that!"
I try to get up, but the pain flares up and I see stars as I yell and slump back to the floor. "Hey hey, easy there, you got pretty torn up by that bullet, don't try to move for a moment. I'm going to try something." I feel whoever it is lay his hands on my back as he says a single word that seems to echo all through the warehouse and within every thing, including my own body. Strangely the pain responds to the word and is suddenly bearable, at least enough for me to see again. Kai stirs a little in her harness, moans, and starts fluttering her eyes open. Suddenly they go wide open and settle on someone above and behind me. "Oh hello miss. Um, you may want to sleep just a liiiittle bit longer." Kai's eyes roll up into her skull as she faints away, again. "Hmmm, nice girl, attractive too. Not much on conversation though." I am only able to see the dark green taloned feet of the other, not Lexington. "Can you get up, um, Sharon isn't it? Here, let me help." And some Gargoyle talons reach down to lift me up.
"Thank you." I say as I hear approaching sirens.
"No problem, lets get out of here before the cooo-" And that is all I hear as before I black out. Guess that pain was not as bearable as I thought, perhaps I should talk to Kai later and start an exclusive club, WWFEFM, 'Women Who Faint Every Fifteen Minutes'.
A NEARBY ROOFTOP, A FEW MINUTES LATER
I find myself on a rooftop, laying facedown on some air conditioning unit, and the flashing lights from the cop cars in the street below. "Welcome back to the world of the living Sharon. Um, you better rest a bit before you try getting up. You'll survive, I stopped the bleeding, but that bullet went through both your wings where they connect to your torso and actually skated along a couple of your ribs. Just a big flesh wound really, but all those muscles are going to be torn up until they heal, and you are going to be in alot of pain until they do."
"I do not know if I said this, but thanks." I just lay my head in my arms and try to deal with the intense pain across my backside, actually moaning a little.
"You did, and you're welcome. And now that I have a captive audience, I might as well be the first to give you the third degree. JUST WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!?!?!!!! If that camera guy had taken a second to think about where he was aiming, and not just automatically shoot for the center of his target, you would be one dead mutate." I raise my head and squint through the slight haze of pain, forcing myself to take a god look at my rescuer. Pretty average looking green gargoyle. His skin and wing spurs are so dark that they are almost black, but his wing membranes are the same shade of light green that Lexington is. I can only tell his skin color by looking at his face and arms though, for instead of the normal Gargoyle loincloth he is wearing bluejeans and a tight fitting black T-shirt with the painting of tiger's head on the front. Both his shirt and jeans are ripped to make room for his wings, knee and elbow spurs, and of course the tail. Though he doesn't have the girth of Broadway, or even Burbank, I get the impression that he doesn't have the muscles to prevent me from punching his gut into his spine, no matter how strong his hands are. Even his face has some fat on it. I don't think he is quite as tall as Burbank or Hudson, but his wings could easily match Goliath's. His double clawed wings are made for long glides, not quick maneuvers between buildings. His tail would not be much help either, for it is not really that long and seems, well, fat. He also has some of the largest horns that I have even seen, I am not talking about the little things that Malibu and Brooklyn have, or even the larger curved ones that Coldfire supposedly had when she was flesh. No, these ram like horns must weigh at least five pounds each as they form a nearly perfect helm rising up from his brow in one mass and not separating until they are somewhere behind his head, but they must for they curve back around to his face and start curling back up to his forehead. I bet that if you strung a wire between the tips of his horns that they would go right through some of his top teeth. And if the human clothes were not enough he is also wearing a pair of glasses hooked over his large elf like ears, looking kind of strange peeking out from sideburns of dark brown hair.
I continue looking him up and down until I am sure I see everything I can, while he just stands there with a look of mild disgust upon his face. "Who are you to ask me this? You are not a part of any clan I know."
"I am someone who knows about Goliath, Xanatos, the Labyrinth, and" here he folds his talons over his gut and switches to a priestly voice, "is concerned about the welfare of your soul, my daughter."
"My soul is just fine, it is my body that I'm worried about." I try to sit up, but the lancing pain on my back nearly makes me black out again.
"Your body will heal in a few months, though you may want to get a splint on that later. Your soul however is in major trouble, I saw what you did at the wearhouse. Now I'm sorry for not introducing myself earlier, but you seemed preoccupied."
"Just how long were you watching me?"
"Since you left the casino to follow that van. Now I am not that good of a glider, and the way I was following you wouldn't get me into the FBI, you should have spotted me long before you got to the wearhouse. But you were so focused on getting, what's his name... Tommy, that you didn't notice me at all."
"I do not mean to complain, but do you make a habit of following strange people?"
"It's not everyday you see a winged feloind, and I would have introduced myself at the wearhouse as I said. But you were preoccupied and I know enough about ambushes to not interrupt someone who is doing them. Didn't want to put that girl at risk, and that is why I say your very soul is in trouble."
"I do not know what you are talking about." Damm this pain.
"Did it not even occur to you to rescue that girl? Or was scaring the bejeebes out of Tommy more important? You could have used one of those bolts of yours to break the rope that was holding her up, then played cat and mouse with the Yakuza while she got away. Instead you pretty much ignored her while you did your avenging demon act on Tommy. Which got you a bullet through your wings. I ask again, just what were you thinking?"
"I do not have to listen to this!" and ignoring the pain I force myself to get off the air conditioner and start walking to the roof edge.
"Oh my, take a look at that girl. She put up a good show of bravado at first, but it looks like she's scared of her own shadow now." I stop at the edge of the roof and look down at the entrance of the wearhouse. They gave Kai a blanket to wrap around herself and some police officer is trying to comfort her, but not being very successful. Not even my ears can tell exactly what she is saying, but I am sure that it is not much more than jibberish. She is cowering whenever anyone approaches her and is shaking so badly that she can barely hold the cup of whatever they gave her, coffee probably. "What do you think will happen to her?"
For some reason I actually stop to think about that for a second. "If she testifies she will probably be put into Witness Protection. If she doesn't..... the Yakuza will probably finish the job they were doing. If she starts using that brain she may even live, as some Yakuza's personal servant and toy." I then demand, "What does it matter?"
The strange Gargoyle just looks at me and says, "Don't you still care for your fellow woman? Or has the mutagen affected you that way as well?"
I start to snap something in reply, when the meaning of his words actually sinks in. Instead I close my mouth and say, "No. I just hate Tommy too much for what he has done, and is still doing. I now have the power to stop him, and I intend to use it." I look back towards Kai, "What happened to her would never have happend had I made sure that Tommy was stopped months ago."
"Maybe, maybe not. Weither Tommy was still around or not, the Yakuza would be. And they are really the ones who arranged all this. Tommy is not much without the Yakuza giving him the actual power."
"Then I will take down the entire Yakuza organization. Do not try to stop me." And I leap off the side of the building.
"I won't have to!" The pain of spreading my wings is too much, I am forced to crash into a dumpster in the alley. "A Yakuza bullet will do that for me." Dammit! By the time I dig my way part way out of the dumpster two cops are in the alley.
"What was that noise?" Asks the first.
The second flashes his light around the alley, shinnies it right on me for a second then moves on as if he didn't even see me. "Probably just some stray. Come on, we better be here when the caption comes. Clark and Underwood will be here as well, these guys we're arresting are Yakuza."
"Heh, you sure you want to go back there? With our luck they'll have us cleaning off that naked perp. Just how he managed to get his own shit on himself I'll...." and they walk off. How did they not see me?
The strange Gargoyle lands next to the dumpster with a big thump and nearly falls over. "Whoa! Another thing I will have to learn, landing!"
"Why did not those officers see me? That one shined his light right on me!"
The Gargoyle grins widely, "I recently acquired some powers of my own. And though I don't know what I'm going to do with them yet, I'm not going to reveal myself to the police just now, and I don't think you want to either."
sigh "Thanks again. You have been a great help." I say as I get out of the dumpster and start looking for the nearest entrance to the Labyrinth.
"You really are set on this destroy the Yakuza idea, aren't you."
"Yes, do not try to stop me."
"'Live by the sword, die by the sword', or in this case 'live by bioelectric lightning, die by a bullet'. As I said, I won't have to. You'll be stopped by getting a bullet through you, your chest or head this time."
"Not before I hurt them." Ignoring the slight pain, I start lifting up a nearby manhole. This sewer should lead right back to the Labyrinth.
"Arrgh! Fine, but if you are going to start living by the sword, you better learn how to use one! If only so you last longer."
I stop, "What are you saying?"
The Gargoyle grins and pulls out a large black piece of cloth from somewhere. "Let me show you something. See, nothing unusual about this cloth, no hidden pockets, no false lining, or anything like that." He says as he turns the cloth about, showing both sides, then suddenly throws it over my face. I hear that same whoosh that I heard in the wearhouse as I quickly throw the cloth off my face and jump back. I am no longer in the alley. "Taaadaaaa!" says the Gargoyle.
"What? How?"
"How? One of the powers I was talking about earlier, free demonstration. As for what, this is the house of one of the ten greatest warriors in the world." I stare up at the house, though castle would be more accurate. The place looks just like one of the old castles of the middle ages, complete with turrets and twenty foot high stone walls. Who could afford this kind of luxury, much less live in it?
"I still don't know why you brought me here."
"Because, if you ask him nicely and tell him that you are a friend of Goliath and his clan I think he will teach you the skills you would need to wage a one woman war on the Yakuza."
I turn to look at my rescuer, twice over. "Why? Why are you doing this for me? You are concerned about the state of my soul, how will learning from this person help that?"
"Ah, so you do use that brain of yours!" I growl and light up my hands with bioelectricty. "Hey hey, enough of that! It will help you for not only he is a great warrior, but he is highly honorable, and knows first hand how quests for vengeance can only lead to your own destruction. He will teach you his sense of honor as he teaches you in the art of war."
I let the electricity in my hands die down, "I still don't see how that will 'help my soul'."
His face gets very serious as he says, "Because, it will prevent you from losing the rest of your humanity. It will prevent you from becoming as monstrous inside as you are outside. It will protect the Sakeo Nomura that Hiroshi and Mariko loved and raised as their daughter. Think about that."
I just stand there and look him, then at the doors to the castle. "But why are you-" I hear that whoosh again and turn back to the Gargoyle just in time to see a large ball of flame shrink into nothingness. Good trick, it didn't even leave a burn mark on the ground. Amazing how weird my life has gotten since I met the Gargoyles, I am not really that surprised at what I just saw.
I look back to the castle door and think about what he said.
epilogue
A winged green figure watched from the trees until Sharon finally knocks on the door. It is almost immediately opened by an old white haired and bearded man in a trenchcoat, Macbeth. After some conversation they both enter the house, and the winged figure nods to himself as he disappears into a ball of flame with a whoosh.
Almost instantly an identical ball of flame appears on the shoulder of the Statue of Liberty and leaves that winged figure on its shoulder. He sits down and just gazes out at New York, deep in thought. Unnoticed to the figure a human form steps out from the shadows behind him and approaches him.
"Well, you have been given great power, enough to make a grab for world domination if you wanted to, and immortality to top it off, what are you going to do now? Continue doing what you did with Sharon?" The winged figure laughs to himself, "Hahah, that's a riot! You yourself know you're no priest. Actually make a grab for world power? You don't want that kind of responsibility, even if you rule the world as a tyrant!" The shadowy figure seems get more substance and color, revealing himself to be a well dressed, though greasy looking human, with eyes that have a 'devil may care' gleam to them. He just stands there and looks closely at the winged figure as he continues to talk to himself. "Come on now, you have to think of something to do with your now vastly increased life!" The greesy looking human finally comes to a decision and opens his mouth to say something, but the winged one's wandering gaze stops suddenly as he gets a grin from horn to horn. He bounds to his feet, yells out "Why, you get a girl of course!" and disappears into a ball of flame.
The greesy looking human traces the other's gaze to what he was last looking at, and settles upon the office building of Nightstone Unlimited. The human's still open mouth slowly grows into a wide grin, and he starts laughing wildly. Falling over from the force of his laugher and slapping the shoulder of Lady Liberty. "HAHAHaHah, this is your champion?! The immature child who you have given enough power to rule this world?!? He may have helped some with Sharon, but do you honestly think he will be able to do anything with Demona? She has been in our camp for over 800 years, and has helped many into our loving embrace, especially the entire family of Scottish royalty! She's our champion in this world!"
"He may be immature in alot of ways, but not in the ones that count." Says a dorky looking man with intense but kind eyes as he steps out of a haze of light.
"Muahahahaha!!! He's going to offer her his heart, and she's going to rip it out and eat it! Unless he starts following her with absolute loyalty! Either he becomes her Second in Command, or becomes so grief stricken that we can easily step in and bring him into our embrace. No matter, for either way we win!" And with a some parting laughter the greesy well dressed man loses color and becomes a shadow, which quickly fades into the surrounding darkness.
"Or he actually gives her something that you have denied her for centuries, an equal that she can trust. Someone she could share the rest of her life with and not be alone anymore." With that parting statement the dorky looking man's own form becomes a silhouette of pure light before it too fades, leaving Lady Liberty as the only witness of the events that happened on her shoulders.
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If you have any trouble with the Japanese I used, take a look at the Glossory created by Sno.
A tidbit on the new chacter, I actually planned to have him in the next one of this series, but for some reason the spirit of creativity wouldn't let me write about Sharon without writing about him first. Amazingly he fit rather well into this story where I planned to use some other characters. Weird how stuff like that happens.
If you liked this story, please drop me an e-mail saying you did. If you didn't like it, please tell me why. Just e-mail me so I know people are actually reading my works please! ?:)
Revised 4-4-99