Clan Vs Magic

by TVfan

It's been three years since the Journey, but the arrival of a new villain sets the stage for some dramatic changes in the Clan's life as Goliath and Elisa's marriage approaches. (These are older stories, so I apologize if they aren't super great in advance. They're file transfers from the Gargoyles Fan Website where my pen-name is SN... I've forgotten my password there... )

1. The Changing and The Wedding

All the characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company. No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder. All original characters are the property of SN.

Note: I'm disregarding the events in the "Goliath Chronicles", with the exception of "The Journey" because I do not wish to use the rest of the "Goliath Chronicles" as canon to my story. This story takes place however three years after "The Journey".

The Changing and The Wedding

By SN/TVfan

Email: Sam_Nary

Castle Wyvern

David Xanatos stood on the high battlements of Castle Wyvern. He had managed to dodge both Owen and Fox for the time being for a few thoughts to himself. He had come a long way from the man who once attempted to "conquer the world, gain immortality, and kill Goliath and his clan if they got in the way". He couldn't help but smirk that he had now become the man who took the sternest position on defending the gargoyles… well, after Detective Maza at least.

Xanatos looked out over the city, it was calm, peaceful, and quiet, but this disturbed him. The clan hadn't caught "Castaway" yet, and despite Maza's best efforts, the NYPD still didn't consider placing an arrest warrant on him for blowing up the clock tower. Xanatos had been able to foil the attempts by both the Quarrymen and Assistant District Attorney Margot Yale from formally accusing the gargoyles of any crime related to that incident, but both still held some degree of power over the city. Owen had informed him that last night that the clan and Maza had brought in twelve Quarrymen that had attempted to beat a poor kid senseless. He also continued to monitor Yale's activity. Twice she demanded warrants to search Wyvern for the gargoyle clan for "questioning", and twice, the NYPD sent Maza and Bluestone. Either, Maza and Bluestone WERE New York's best detectives, or Ms. Maza's boss knew what Maza was up to, and supported the gargoyles as well.

The one thing that did trouble Xanatos was the upcoming wedding that was to happen tonight. It was coincidently Maza's night off, and after much pestering by both family and clan members, she and the clan leader finally decided to "tie the knot". Now, Xanatos didn't disapprove of Goliath and Maza's love for each other, but he knew there were problems. This calm and peaceful morning was one of them. The Quarrymen held rallies all day, and exercised their leader's insanity at night. Reported Quarrymen attacks on gargoyle supporters were almost as common as reported gargoyle "attacks" on everyone. Castaway was planning something. Xanatos could feel it.

Quarrymen Headquarters

A man wearing a silken red robe slowly walked up the stairs to what looked like an average New York apartment building, but he obviously knew that it wasn't. After barely knocking twice, another man, in an outfit that resembled a NAZI storm trooper's except the armband held the Quarrymen insignia, and there wasn't a swastika on him.

"You're late," the storm trooper growled.

The robed man took immediate offense to this statement, "I came here because I was asked to come here by your boss," he snarled back, "I quite frankly don't care what his time tables are, I am merely performing a small favor."

Before the storm trooper could answer, the robed man waved an arm and chanted something in Latin. Jon Castaway, who had just been coming down the stairs, watched the surprised young storm trooper disappear in a flash of light and reappear as a donkey.

"He made an ass out of himself," the robed man snickered.

Castaway chuckled and then held out his arms in greeting, "Hello friend, my organization could use your assistance."

"Indeed," the robed man said, shutting the door.

Elisa's apartment

"Mom!" Elisa moaned, "I just got off work a few hours ago! Let me sleep!"

"Come now, my little girl is getting married, and weddings take time to plan!" Mrs. Maza sighed, "If you worked during the day and took today off, you wouldn't have this problem."

Elisa chuckled to herself, "If I worked during the day I wouldn't have met Goliath."

Her mother sighed as Elisa lay back down and pulled the covers over her head. She was about to doze off when they were viciously pulled off.

"I said 'weddings take time to plan'," Mrs. Maza said sternly, "What part of that didn't you understand? Now get dressed! We must go down to shop and pick up your dress."

"Can't you do it?" Elisa moaned again, "The clan isn't making this much fuss over this with Goliath!"

"I am trying to bring some class to your wedding, young lady," Mrs. Maza answered, "Besides, I can't show you off if you aren't there!"

Elisa gave a deep sigh and then buried her face in the pillows.

Outside Elisa's room, Mr. Maza and their youngest daughter Beth were busy sitting on a couch, enjoying some breakfast.

"Jeez, you'd think Elisa didn't want to get married," Beth joked.

Mr. Maza only smiled, "I'm sure she does, but I'm also sure that she'd sooner get married in her work clothes than put on a wedding dress with only twenty minutes sleep."

The returned to their meal as Mrs. Maza came out.

"What are you doing?" Mrs. Maza demanded, "There's a lot of work to be done!"

"Eating," Beth answered with weak smile.

"Diane, why don't you let Elisa sleep for a little while, and have some breakfast with us. From what Elisa has told me, gargoyles aren't real big wedding fans either," Mr. Maza sighed, "Besides, if you keep this pace up, Mrs. Xanatos is going to blow the house up because you're in the way of her plans for the wedding."

Diane Maza was about to answer when Mr. Maza spoke again, "And the shop that has Elisa's dress won't open for another three hours."

Quarrymen Headquarters

The robed man in Jon Castaway stood in a large basement facility inside the Quarrymen's headquarters. It looked much like a command center he'd seen in the many science fiction shows he'd seen recently. Before them was some sort of "table" that housed a screen with a map of all of New York City.

"The beasts live here, atop the Eyrie Building," Castaway said pointing to a red dot on the screen. "My sources tell me that their leader is to marry this woman tonight."

The screen's image changed from a map of New York to an image of a woman. Black hair, tan skin, red jacket, black tee-shirt, and blue jeans.

"A gargoyle is marrying a human woman?" the robed man asked with large degree of skepticism, "You do know that when gargoyles choose their wives and husbands, or mates as they like to call them, they only choose other gargoyles."

"The clan's leader isn't the smartest of gargoyles, sir," Castaway snarled, "And, they only choose their own kind because they are no more than beasts! They can't feel real love."

The robed man sighed, "What do you want of this woman?"

He watched Castaway pull a sinister smile over his face, "I want you to perform a similar spell like you did to my doorman on her."

The robed man couldn't help but smile as Castaway leaned forward to explain the rest of his plan.

Nightstone Unlimited

"Ms. Destine, please!"

"No, no mutates, Sevarius!" Dominique Destine snarled into her phone, she could hear Doctor Anton Sevarius pacing in his lab.

"But Ms. Destine, you've tried clones, and failed, and you tried a virus that would annihilate all human kind, and failed," the doctor pleaded, "A mutate clan with its added electrical power could easily kill the clan for you!"

"You fail to grasp the fact that Xanatos had you create mutates for the same purpose, and HE failed!" Dominique Destine yelled into phone again, "What I want you to do is to find a way that rids me Macbeth, but leaves me immortal!"

She heard the doctor growl as he hung up. As she herself hung up, she thought to herself, "If you don't do as I say, I'll visit you tonight and you'll learn why Macbeth named me Demona!"

Meanwhile in his lab Sevarius grumbled loudly. The first batch of mutates failed because one of them was Elisa Maza's brother. Now why would it occur to Demona that Derek Maza would blindly listen to Xanatos and ignore his own sister! He new that only mutates could defeat the Wyvern Clan for her. With the gargoyles gone, she would be free to launch whatever genocidal plan she wished! Although Sevarius new that once the gargoyles WERE dead that he would need to change sides, since death was the farthest thing from his mind.

Sevarius also hated Demona's new plan involving Macbeth. From what he was told, there was no possible way to undo the Weird Sisters' spell and leave her immortal. He had told her repeatedly that he could only kill Macbeth's body but leaving his soul alive, and free to posses any living being he so chose to exact his revenge. Now a fight to the death between Demona and Macbeth was actually quite appealing to Sevarius, but he knew that every news station would be drawn to it, and eventually his involvement in everything would be revealed. If this happened Sevarius knew he couldn't turn the entire world into his mutate slaves from prison.

Sevarius plodded along with his formula. If Demona wanted Macbeth dead, then he would give it to her, since despite her naked hatred for humanity, Demona actually paid him quite well. As he worked, Sevarius picked up a phone.

A female answered him.

"What is it boss?"

"Demona has decided to continue with her plans to kill Macbeth; I want you to step up Project: Resurrection!" Sevarius ordered, "I want it done by tomorrow night!"

"Yes sir," the woman replied.

Downtown Manhattan

Mrs. Maza practically dragged a still drowsy Elisa along the street.

"Not so fast! I'm still tired, and you wouldn't let me have any coffee!" Elisa demanded.

"I'm sorry dear, but we must hurry, just because the shop is now open, and won't close for several hours, does not mean that we can take our time," Mrs. Maza answered, "There may be dozens of young brides there, and if it takes too long, you'll miss your own wedding, and your father and I will have to stay here till I hear you say, 'I do'."

Elisa moved a bit faster. In the end, the final fitting and picking up the dress, took much less time than Diane Maza hoped, and probably more time than Elisa feared. Elisa couldn't help but feel relieved as they left the shop.

"Okay, are we done now?" Elisa asked, "We have the dress. The Xanatoses have the decorations, Broadway has the food, Hudson will perform the ceremony, and Goliath will be there."

"What about the reception?" Diane demanded.

"I thought that Goliath and I would have a nice glide to ourselves, and skip the reception," Elisa sighed.

"Nonsense!" Mrs. Maza answered, "I'm sure Broadway has a cake prepared, and it's a tradition in every wedding to have a reception. Your father and I had a reception at our wedding. Derek and Maggie had a reception after their wedding…"

"At your insistence," Elisa interrupted.

"Don't back talk young lady."

Castle Wyvern, Dusk

Goliath roared loudly as he burst from his stone shell for the night. He looked out from his perch to find things much calmer than they had been over the past few days. He felt glad that things were calm. While he and Elisa did agree that it might be better to solve the problems involving the Quarrymen before marriage, he did feel a great sense of happiness now that tonight, he and the woman he loved would be one, now and forever.

Goliath heard a slight 'ahem' and turned. He was startled not find his love, but Owen standing behind him.

"Good evening Goliath," Owen greeted in his usual monotone.

"What is it, Owen?" Goliath asked, trying to sound polite.

"Mr. Xanatos has requested that you and the clan gather in the main hall now, before the wedding ceremony," Owen answered.

"We must make one quick patrol first, just to make sure everything is safe," Goliath growled.

"Mr. Xanatos has told me to tell you that he believes that the Quarrymen already have something 'big in the works' that would put you all in great danger," Owen said, "He would prefer that you save activities that could get you all killed to nights that aren't supposed to be joyous."

Goliath frowned, to some extent he preferred the old Xanatos, and the new one was not willing the take the sort of risks the old one was.

"Is Elisa here?" Goliath asked.

"No, Detective Maza is not here. Neither are her family, the mutates, or Detective Bluestone. So far, your clan and Mr. Xanatos and his family are the only wedding guests here," Owen answered.

Goliath was about to answer when a great scream reached his ears. It sounded like that of a frightened person, and then changed. Both Goliath and Owen swiftly moved over to the side of the tower to look down. What they saw surprised them more than the sound. There was no one there.

Eyrie Building Entrance, Dusk

Elisa felt slightly embarrassed walking down the streets in the dress. Not that it was a bad dress, but for one thing, Elisa just didn't feel comfortable in it and the other, she didn't like the looks that most people were giving her. Her parents were close behind, with Beth along side.

"Everyone is staring at me," Elisa said.

"Let them stare," her mother answered, "You look wonderful, Goliath will be very happy."

"I hope so," Elisa sighed.

Then just as they turned the corner towards the Eyrie Building's main doors, Elisa found herself face to face with a man in a red robe.

"Ah, you must be Detective Maza, I presume?" the man said slyly.

"I am. Who wants to know?" Elisa replied.

The man chuckled, "You don't need to know me, yet. I have a little wedding gift for you though."

Elisa stood paralyzed with fear as the robed man raised his hands and began to chant in Latin. At the end of the chant, emerald green lightning shot from his fingertips and surrounded her. Almost immediately, Elisa felt massive surges of pain wash through her. She and her family could only watch in horror at what happened next. First Elisa watched her hands shift from the five fingered hands of a human being to the four fingered talons of a gargoyle. Her feet extended ripping through the overpriced shoes her mother made her wear. Then the pain got harsher. Elisa screamed in both terror and pain as her organs inside her began to shift and change, and as her spine pushed out to form a tail. She screamed again bones grew and her skin stretched to form her wings, but even before her wings were completely grown, her scream had changed into something that could only be compared to the roar of a lion, tiger, leopard, or jaguar. It had changed into a gargoyle's battle cry.

"What have you done to me?" Elisa gasped looking where the robed man was, but he was already gone.

Elisa looked around and saw that her folks and sister were equally terrified of what just happened, and now even more people were watching.

"Come on! Let's get out of here!" Elisa yelled, and hurried her family into the Eyrie building.

Across the street, hidden from view in an alley, Castaway smiled to himself. He pulled a small device that looked like tape recorder, "Quarrymen mission log, number three-hundred, phase one of Operation Cleanse is complete. The old wizard has completed the spell turning the race traitor Maza into a gargoyle."

Then tapping a small digital camera resting on a cross beam, "And I was able to record her transformation, and her chasing of her own family into the Eyrie building. Everything is going according to plan."

Great Hall, Castle Wyvern

"I don't get it Goliath, why are we all here now?" Lexington asked.

"All I know is that Xanatos believes that the Quarrymen have some sort of plan 'in the works'," Goliath answered with a heavy sigh.

"Yeah, and I'll bet that scream you heard was part of it," Brooklyn added, "Why aren't we out looking for those scum bags?"

"Because, Brooklyn, I asked Owen to ask Goliath to bring you here for your own safety," came the voice of David Xanatos behind them, "You must trust me on this. It was too quiet out on the battlements this morning, when Fox and I can normally hear Castaway screaming his hatred for miles."

Goliath turned to face his former nemesis. "That should be taken as good news, perhaps Castaway is losing his grip on his organization."

Xanatos stared into the clan leader's eyes, and said coldly, "Goliath, you and your clan have fought ME before; I can tell when someone is planning something sinister, because I've been there! We all know that Jon Castaway is really Jon Canmore, the only one of the Hunters on the loose! I bet he has some sort of ambush planned for tonight specifically."

"And you would advise my clan to do nothing?" Goliath roared back, "This is our protectorate! We must protect it from those that would do evil! If we do nothing it will only give Castaway the confidence to launch an assault against your building and the clan's castle!"

Xanatos backed off, "Fine. Go out and get yourself killed. I'll just tell Detective Maza that you didn't care enough about her to remain here for the wedding."

That line broke Goliath's last nerve. Despite the fact that Xanatos had kept his word that he would protect the clan, Goliath was continually bothered by Xanatos and Owen providing their "advice" as to how he should run things. He was about to charge when Angela and Broadway held him back.

"Father, I agree with you that we can not simply ignore the Quarrymen's attacks on our kind and those who would help us, and I agree with you that Xanatos has no right to advise you on how to run the clan, but he is trying to protect us!" Angela said.

"Yeah, if he didn't care about what happened to the clan he would have let us go," Broadway added.

"Xanatos makes his moves based on what is best for Xanatos Enterprises," Goliath snarled, "It would be bad for his business if our clan were to be killed outside the Eyrie Building."

"True lad, but 'tis be yer weddin' night," Hudson answered coming into view, with Bronx along side, "It'd make Elisa very happy to see you now."

Xanatos smirked at the whole scene. Angela, Broadway, and Hudson were "defending" him. Although he knew that Angela and Broadway didn't want a fight and Hudson probably had his own reason, they were defending him. Xanatos presumed that the clan wouldn't defend him because of who he was, but then Xanatos didn't really care. He owed a debt to the Wyvern Clan, and he would pay it. No matter what it cost him.

Deciding to try and calm things down a bit, Xanatos stepped forward, "I'm sorry Goliath if my motives do not seem entirely noble, but you must trust me that I am entirely concerned with the clan's safety. I can not pay back my debt to you if you die."

Goliath chuckled slightly at this, "Again with the 'debt thing', eh Xanatos."

Lexington then came up next to Goliath, "Well, if everyone is done fighting, perhaps I could ask, where is Elisa? She should be here by now."

Then behind them they heard a weak voice say, "I'm right here."

Nightstone Unlimited

"You're sure this will work?" Demona demanded.

"I'm positive it will work," Sevarius replied with a confident smile, handing Demona the syringe that contained the poison that would kill Macbeth's body.

Demona gave a half chuckle. If Macbeth could be killed without killing her and costing her of her immortality, the clan's actions, Goliath's relationship with that witch Elisa Maza, and everything else that was wrong with the world.

"You'll be paid once Macbeth dies," Demona snarled as she pressed a button that opened the large office windows.

"Where are you going?" Sevarius asked.

"To a wedding," Demona replied with a sinister smile.

Outside the Labyrinth

"Claw, is it clear?" Talon asked.

The large tiger mutate nodded. Talon, closely followed by Maggie, pulled himself through the manhole.

"Come on we gotta hurry!" Talon exclaimed, "Goliath and Elisa may already be saying 'I do'!"

The three mutates ran down the alley, and leaped up onto a nearby fire escape. Then after climbing up to the roof, they launched themselves into the sky, and headed directly for Castle Wyvern.

Castle Wyvern

Goliath stood dumbstruck at what stood before him. The figures of Diane, Peter, and Beth Maza were all recognizable. What stood in front of them however, was much different. It was a female gargoyle with tan skin and black hair. The outside of her wings were black, while the inside was a reddish shade. On top of all this, this female gargoyle was wearing a white wedding dress, with a few touches of bright yellow.

"I-I-I don't know what to say," he stammered.

"Lass is that you?" Hudson asked.

Elisa nodded, "Yeah, it's me."

Broadway came forward next, "How did this happen? Did Puck do this again?"

Angela blinked, "Again?"

"Before you came here from Avalon, Demona stole Titania's mirror and summoned Puck through it," Goliath explained, "While she had him chained, she made a series of easily ill conceived wishes of Puck."

"Mother wished that Elisa was a gargoyle?"

"No, I think she wanted me dead, but phrased it so poorly that Puck was able to trick her, in the end everything returned to normal," Elisa answered before Goliath could say anything.

"As for this," she explained, pointing to herself, "We were just arriving as the sun set, and some guy in a red robe was standing outside the entrance. He had a hood over his face, and no one saw it. He chanted something that I couldn't make out, so I can't even tell you what language he chanted in, and then poof!"

Goliath stepped forward, and quickly scooped Elisa up into his arms in a strong hug. Suddenly, and almost instinctively, Elisa wrapped her wings around Goliath.

"We will find this man," Goliath rumbled.

An amused chuckle interrupted them, "Perhaps that could wait till after the wedding."

Elisa looked over Goliath's shoulder at Xanatos, as everyone in the room said, "WHAT?"

Xanatos simply shrugged, "Well, we are here for a wedding, are we not? Besides, this will give Goliath and the Detective apparently another short time together as the same species."

Elisa looked back at Goliath. He looked both jubilant and reluctant all at the same time. Looking into his eyes, Elisa saw it.

Goliath released her from his embrace, and said, "It is your decision, my love."

With that, tears suddenly came to Elisa's eyes and she ran from the room. Her parents and sister moved to chase after her.

"Elisa!"

New 23rd Precinct Headquarters

Matt Bluestone was just packing up his brief case when Castaway entered the office.

"Watch it mister, I know why you're here," Bluestone snarled at him.

"If you know that I'm interested in saving our species from being murdered in the night by these demons that haunt us, than why do you behave so aggressively toward me?" Castaway replied with an all too confident grin, "Instead of giving me the hero worship I rightfully deserve."

As Castaway walked into Captain Chavez's office, Matt thought to himself, "Yeah, you deserve hero worship as much as Demona deserves to be the uncontested ruler of the world. You're both assholes!"

"What do you want?" Chavez asked as Castaway came in.

"I've come again to show you that these demons are not to be trusted!" Castaway exclaimed.

He pulled a small camera from one of his jacket pockets and placed it on Chavez's desk. After opening the display screen Castaway pressed the play button. What followed caught Maria Chavez completely by surprise. It was what appeared to be Detective Maza and her family walking along a street outside the Eyrie Building. She then suddenly stopped, wrapped herself in green light, and changed into a gargoyle. She then chased her family into the Eyrie Building.

Castaway watched Chavez's reaction with hidden pleasure. The tape he was showing had been edited, so that what Chavez was actually watching was actually two separate recordings. One was Maza's transformation. The other was Maza 'chasing' her family. What Castaway had conveniently edited out was the scenes involving the red robed man.

"I'm afraid one of your detectives is really one of gargoyle demons, one of my agents filmed this while spreading pamphlets at my instruction. I don't know the fate of the family that she attacked," Castaway sighed.

"And I'm afraid twelve of your men were dropped off at the 19th precinct and a little boy claims that they attacked him!" Chavez answered, "I refuse to believe that Elisa Maza is a gargoyle and that she attacked her own family."

"I can not be held responsible for the actions of my men when my do such barbaric things against my orders," Castaway sighed, "My men are to educate the people of this city to realize that these gargoyles are no more than threats to the entire human race. It is not my fault if some of the people take the human race's safety into their own hands."

"You could also tell your men that I will not order the New York Police Department to go out and arrest gargoyles, because some members of your organization go around half-cocked!" Chavez growled back.

"Very well then," Castaway nodded, picked up his camera and left.

Chavez had responded exactly as he expected, as a by the book cop who didn't see anything visibly wrong. But, she did look concerned at the notion that Elisa Maza suddenly changed into a gargoyle. He had to make one more stop before he would come back here.

Castle Wyvern

Mister and Missus Maza found Elisa four rooms away. She was slumped in a chair looking out of a window. Her new wings were drooping lazily.

"Elisa?" Diane asked.

"I was hurting him mom!" Elisa sobbed, "I know it! Secretly I'm sure that Goliath is to some extent HAPPY that I'm currently a gargoyle, but he loves me too much to force me to stay this way, and he knows that I want to return to my human life, and if that means becoming human again, so be it. But that hurt Goliath! Oh, I've hurt the one man I that I want to be with! I hurt him! I hurt him!"

Elisa continued to sob the words out as Diane and Peter came in.

"Elisa, Goliath looks that you could beat him over the head with this whole castle and still not hurt him," Peter said, "I'm sure the only reason he feels happy about you being a gargoyle is because he is a gargoyle."

"And as much as I hate to say this, David Xanatos is correct, we did come here for a wedding," Diane chimed in, "Maybe you could tell him that you're willing to be a gargoyle for the ceremony and until we catch the robed man."

"He won't want me; he won't be with someone who hurts him," Elisa sobbed again, "That's why he isn't with Demona."

"You did not harm me, my love," came a low rumbling voice.

Elisa looked up, tears rolling down her face. Goliath was now standing in the doorway. Her parents looked at him.

"Elisa, I know that my feelings are…I guess shallow is the correct word, but you must not believe that you are responsible for them," Goliath sighed, "If you wish to return to your human form before we have our wedding, than I will see to it that everything within my power is done to that end."

Goliath put his hand under her chin, "I would do this because I love you. And always remember that I would not love you any less if you were human and not a gargoyle."

Elisa put on a weak smile, "Really?"

"Of coarse my love, when we met you were a human, and when we first kissed you were a human," Goliath answered, "Do not use a man's use of sorcery to trick you into thinking that I would prefer you to be a gargoyle."

Elisa stood up, "But you do think I look stunning like this don't you?"

Goliath blushed a little, "Yes, your parents have picked out a very nice dress, but it's not exactly what I'm used to."

"Yeah I like my work clothes too," Elisa added while simultaneously smacking the back of his head slightly.

"If you two are through flirting," Diane growled, "I would like to see you get married now."

Elisa took Goliath's arm and then followed Diane and Peter back toward the great hall.

"Auntie 'Lisa's a gargoyle?" young Alex asked.

"For now anyway," Lex answered patting the toddler's head.

"David, how did this happen?" Fox demanded.

"All we know is that some guy in robes did this to her with magic, and since Puck has denied any knowledge of the event, I don't know anything else," Xanatos answered.

A few slight thumps were heard as the group turned to see that Talon and the mutates had finally arrived.

"Don't tell me we missed the entire ceremony?" Talon asked.

"No," came Elisa's voice.

When Talon looked over in her direction, he and his fellow mutates did a massive double take.

"A man in red robes did this to me, we don't know anything else," Elisa said calmly, "Goliath and I have decided to have the ceremony first, and we'll deal with him later."

Talon shrugged, and escorted Maggie to a seat as the clan, the Xanatos family, Diane and Peter Maza, and Owen Burnett scrambled for their respective positions.

Demona landed on the high battlements of Castle Wyvern. She had seen that Xanatos and his family were in the Great Hall with the mutates and the clan. Even Burnett was there.

"What a lovely lapse in security," Demona thought to herself, "Not that Xanatos's security would present me with much of a challenge."

Hudson stood on a raised platform above Goliath and Elisa, who stood in front of him. The chairs were arranged in a half-circle around them. From right to left it went Peter and Diane Maza, Talon and Maggie, Beth Maza, Angela and Broadway, Lexington and Alex Xanatos in his lap, Brooklyn, Claw idly patting Bronx's head, David and Fox Xanatos, and finally Owen Burnett, whose stern face made the joyous event look like a funeral.

"Smile," Xanatos said, elbowing Owen.

Owen ignored him.

"Friends and clan members," Hudson began, "We're gathered 'ere today to join Goliath with Elisa Maza. Male warriors of the clan must be wise in choosing their females, for that female will always be his closest aide and friend."

Hudson then looked at Goliath, "Goliath, lad, do ye acknowledge the responsibilities of holding this female as yer mate?"

"Yes," Goliath answered, "I solemnly declare that I love her with all my heart."

Hudson returned his gaze to audience, "A female must also choose wisely, for the male will be 'er guardian and friend."

Then looking to Elisa, Hudson said "Lass, do ye accept the realities of choosing this male as yer mate?"

"Yes, I agree," Elisa answered, and then added, "Goliath has always been their catch me, even from the beginning."

Hudson then watched as Elisa took Goliath's wing talon in her three.

"Does anyone present object to this marriage?" Hudson asked.

No one said anything.

Hudson then continued, "Well then, in the eyes of this clan and all present, these two are one, now and forever. Goliath, you may kiss yer mate."

They did, each wrapping their wings around each other. Diane Maza looked over to her husband. She took his hand smiling, remembering their wedding.

"I promised myself I wasn't going to cry," Peter grunted.

"Hush now," Diane answered.

Just then suddenly the doors of the great hall were shattered as Demona was thrown through it by a Steel Clan robot. Demona got up quickly and met the mechanical copy of Goliath head on, tearing first the arms and then the head from the body.

"Why Demona, if I'd known you wanted to see the wedding, I would have had Hudson wait a little longer!" Xanatos smirked.

Demona whirled around to face the billionaire. She had come here to declare her objections to Goliath marrying Elisa, and thereby condemn them both to being single by the clan's rules. What she saw perplexed her however. Before her, Goliath was embracing a female gargoyle. A female gargoyle that looked remarkably like Elisa Maza.

As soon as Elisa looked up to see Demona, her eyes quickly began blazing with a bright red light. Most of the clan was too stunned to do anything, and those who weren't stunned simply watched the two females stare at each other. Both Elisa's and Demona's eyes were shinning bright red.

"How?" Demona growled.

"Man in a red robe, probably a friend of yours," Elisa growled back.

"Why?" Elisa growled again.

"To object to this wedding," Demona replied with a snarl.

The two females began to step toward each other. Brooklyn had now got up and was preparing to turn on Demona. Goliath quickly grabbed Elisa, holding her back, as Claw and Broadway rushed to do the same to Brooklyn. Demona then lunged with all her might to hit Elisa.

"Oh no you don't," Xanatos sighed, and then karate chopped the back of Demona's head.

The red maned gargoyle fell to the floor. As she moved to get up, Hudson had moved around and placed a heavy foot on her back.

"Ye be too late fer that lass," Hudson said calmly, "Goliath and Elisa have been recognized as mates."

He released Demona and stood up she looked greatly depressed and angry.

"I'll be back," she snarled, and then departed through one of the great hall's windows.

"We'll be waiting," Elisa growled.

It took awhile to sort out Demona's appearance, but it was generally decided that her jealousy was to blame, and that no real plot was afoot. Once that was all done, everyone was seated a very large table, with Elisa and Goliath in the center. This was Diane Maza's reception for Elisa and Goliath.

"Well, again, accept for Demona," Broadway said, pausing to down another slice of cake, "I thought it was a lovely ceremony."

"Yes Father, you and Elisa look wonderful together," Angela added.

Goliath smiled, "Thank you."

Elisa had barely touched her food. She merely gripped Goliath's arm and refused to let go.

"Hey, Earth to Elisa," Beth called, tugging on one of Elisa's wings, "How are you feeling?"

Elisa smiled, "I'm fine, but you'd best watch yourself sis, you're the ONLY unmarried Maza now, you have mom all to yourself."

Beth gulped. Peter chuckled.

Diane Maza decided not to let the situation get the better of her, said, "Nonsense, you and Derek are yet to produce grandchildren."

Laughter echoed throughout Wyvern's walls. Owen then came in with a wrapped box in his arms.

"For you, Ms. Maza," he said, handing it to Elisa.

Elisa glared at Xanatos, who shrugged, and backed away slightly. As she opened it, she saw that Owen had collected for her clothes. Essentially it was a two piece ensemble, a black tee-shirt with special holes for her wings and a light blue denim loin cloth with a brown leather belt.

"I took the liberty of gathering some attire more suitable for a gargoyle, since you may not catch your attacker tonight," Owen said dryly.

Elisa shrugged, "Strangely, right now, I don't really care about the rest of tonight, I'm sure we can worry about this man tomorrow. I actually have the whole week off, and it's not like a court is going to put a man in jail for turning me into a gargoyle."

"As you wish," Owen answered.

Quarrymen Headquarters

Castaway found his wizard waiting for him when he returned to the Quarrymen headquarters.

"So how did it go?" the robed man asked.

"Exactly as I planned," Castaway grinned, "Chavez won't betray her friends, but she did look perplexed as to why one of her detectives turned into a gargoyle."

"You're sure that I wasn't seen on that tape?" the robed man demanded, "I have plans for this city, and being in jail isn't one of them."

"Yes, and I suppose you want your payment now for helping me?" Castaway inquired.

The robed man chuckled, "Yes, but I don't think you'll view what I want you to do as 'payment'!"

Macbeth's Mansion

Macbeth lounged in an easy chair watching the fire glow in front of him. He had an unmarked bottle with him, undoubtedly some form of liquor, and his thoughts dwelled upon his wife. He missed her dearly, and the news of Goliath and Elisa's wedding only made it worse.

"My love, I know you're out there in a better place than I am here…" Macbeth sighed, "Maybe I should end it all and force the final fight with Demona…But then, what will happen then? Will I die, or just lose immortality?"

He then stood up and yelled, "Argh! I just wish I could leave all my troubles behind!"

"Be careful what you wish for," came a snarling voice from above him as Demona crashed through the glass windows.

Over New York

"I missed this, I admit," Elisa whispered.

"You are beautiful, my love," Goliath answered with a smile.

Talon and Broadway were close behind.

"Are they going to flirt the whole way, or is that an act?" Talon asked with a mischievous smile.

"Were you any different when you and Maggie were first married?" Broadway grinned back.

"No," Talon answered with a sigh.

"Goliath we should head back to the castle! It's getting close to dawn!" Broadway shouted.

Goliath sighed, and looked down at Elisa. She was gliding fairly well, considering this was only her second attempt, but she still clutched on to Goliath's arm. He had already decided to make the best of this while it lasted. Elisa was beautiful in both her human form and in her current one. He knew that Elisa would wish to return to her job when her 'wedding leave' was up, and that she couldn't do that if she were a gargoyle. It pained him that she couldn't have it both ways. Somehow, Goliath knew that if there was a way that Elisa could be both a gargoyle and a cop at the same time, she would take it; he knew that she loved him that much. But Goliath remembered that that couldn't happen, and that he loved her too demand that she stay in this current form.

"Broadway is right Elisa, we should return," Goliath sighed, "We can continue hunting for this robed man tomorrow night."

Elisa nodded.

Peter and Diane were standing on the battlements as the gargoyles returned. All looked somewhat discouraged.

"No sign of him?" Diane asked reaching her arm out to the red skinned Brooklyn.

Brooklyn frowned, "No sign ma'am, but Goliath's group isn't back yet, maybe they had better luck, and now I- uh- I must get to my perch."

Brooklyn walked off with his head low. Goliath and Elisa came up quickly and landed right next to them.

"We didn't find him either," Goliath said, his tail twitched nervously.

"Goliath, Elisa, if you two are enjoying yourselves like this, maybe you shouldn't be afraid to tell us," Peter said stepping forward, "I mean you just did get married, you are entitled to a little happiness every now and then."

Elisa opened her mouth to say something, but as she did, the sun rose and both gargoyles turned to stone. Diane took Peter's hand. They stood there for awhile, looking first at Goliath and Elisa, then at the rest of the clan on the tower above them.

"Troubled Mister and Missus Maza?" came Owen Burnett's voice behind them.

"No, we're fine," Diane replied, "but why do the gargoyles look depressed, I mean they just saw a wedding, and it's not like my daughter was killed or anything?"

Owen shifted the glasses on his face, "Your daughter was considered part of the clan long before the wedding because of her close association with them. Therefore the clan will indirectly view you and your other daughter and son as part of their clan as well. They all know that Detective Maza would wish to return to the police force, they know its importance to her. They also sense that you and your family to some extent would prefer her to be human. Since the clan takes the feelings of all of its members into account, they would do anything and everything possible to return your daughter to her human form, especially since they know that there is no other available compromise."

"They don't have their own opinion?" Peter asked.

"They all have their own opinions of what should be done about the situation, but the clan will compromise their opinions to do what the clan thinks is right," Owen replied, "Now, Mr. Xanatos has given you and your daughter permission to remain here for the day if you wish to do so. I can also call a cab for you if I can be of assistance."

"That would be good," Diane sighed, "I think I need to lie down."

District Attorney's Office

Margot Yale yawned greatly as she strode to her chair. She had finally made District Attorney last month, and she had decided that now was the time to step up her methods in dealing with these gargoyles. In her mind they were no more than animals. She disagreed with the Quarrymen who wanted them dead, but she also disagreed with Xanatos Enterprises and Macbeth who kept insisting that the gargoyles were simply 'concerned citizens with wings'.

She had just set her briefcase on the desk when there was a knock at the door.

"Come in," she said coldly.

Jon Castaway entered. He was wearing a blue business suit, but each button carried the Quarrymen insignia. In his hand was a small camera.

"Some of my men recorded some gargoyle related criminal activity for you," Castaway said calmly.

He placed the camera on her desk, on top of her brief case.

"You want me to look at this now?" Yale asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It is of the greatest importance," Castaway replied, sitting down in one of the two chairs opposite her desk.

Yale sighed, "Very well…"

Castaway watched Yale's reaction to the tape. Unlike Chavez who looked confused, Yale looked like she was ready to attack someone.

"That's…?"

"Elisa Maza, NYPD, Detective Second Class," Castaway answered.

"She…?"

"We don't know how, but she's probably used sorcery to hide her true nature for quite some time," Castaway answered again.

"Who…?"

"We don't know who it was she attacked, but we only had a few men there handing out pamphlets," Castaway answered for a third time, "They would have been no match for a gargoyle, and I'm certain that the she killed those people that she attacked."

Yale glared at the camera and then at Castaway.

"I'll get another search and interrogation warrant for these gargoyles and Maza, the NYPD will be at the Eyrie Building by noon," Yale said coldly, "Is that all?"

"Just one more thing," Castaway said, "I have evidence that certain members of the NYPD are actually supporters of these demons or at least of Maza. Both Maza and another detective, Matthew Bluestone, searched the Eyrie Building for the gargoyles the last time you tried this. We believe that Bluestone may either be another demon in disguise, or a gargoyle sympathizer. The captain, Maria Chavez, by our investigations is also a person of uncontested trust. She would never betray those she considers friends or the word of those friends. We believe that Chavez is supportive of both Bluestone and Maza, and will not hurt their relationship with these demons."

"You're saying that three cops, one of which has been a gargoyle in disguise all along, are obstructing justice?" Yale asked.

"Precisely, I would also suggest that you ask the mayor to allow the Quarrymen a special militia privilege to go into the Eyrie Building, up to Castle Wyvern and capture or destroy any of these demons before they do something dangerous to the city," Castaway said with a sinister smile, "You can deal with Bluestone and Chavez how you see fit."

"I want your evidence by noon before I do anything," Yale answered without blinking.

As Castaway left the room, he put on a very visible smile. The plan was working. The plan was almost even ahead of schedule.

Castle Wyvern, Dusk

Small cracks began to appear in the gargoyle statues that lined Castle Wyvern's towers and two on the battlements. As the sun slid out of view bring on the night, the gargoyles broke free of their stone shells with great roars. To Elisa, this was a new experience. The awakening was sudden and quick. She was in fact even frightened by one of the roars she heard.

Clamping one hand over her mouth, she asked, "Was that…me?"

Goliath stretched and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Are you frightened of yourself now Elisa?"

Elisa looked back at the gargoyle she took as a mate the night before. He looked sad.

"No, surprised more than anything," Elisa answered, "I didn't think I could do that."

"All gargoyles can roar, Elisa, yours is the most beautiful I've ever heard," Goliath said with a weak but comforting smile.

Elisa smiled back.

"Come," Goliath said more sternly this time, "Perhaps Xanatos has found something."

Elisa nodded, and followed Goliath into the Castle. Talon and Maggie were still there, though both looked noticeably uneasy. Maggie was about to say something when Xanatos, Owen, and Fox entered. Owen was carrying some sort of hologromatic projector. He placed it on the floor.

"Was this the man you saw?" Owen asked, activating the projector.

Immediately there was an image of the red robed man there. Upon looking at it, Elisa and Goliath's eyes both lit up with visible signs of anger.

"Yes," Elisa growled.

Owen sighed and readjusted his glasses, "From Xanatos Enterprises's computers on both mystical and other files, we have determined that only three men have the magical power to do this. One is the Archmage, but he died in his quest to conquer Avalon. Another is the Magus, but he died fighting the Archmage. The last and therefore the most likely, is the most dangerous. A man only known as Mage, or Magic. Some have even called him the Wizard. No one knows his true name however, and it is theorized that he wrote the Grimorium Arcanorum and trained the Archmage."

"The Archmage had a tutor?" Elisa asked.

Owen gave a very un-Owen like chuckle, "Not only is it possible Detective, it is necessary. You didn't assume that the mortal Archmage was born with his knowledge do you?"

"Then how is 'Mage' alive, if he is the Archmage's teacher?" Goliath growled.

"I can not tell, since Oberon weakened my power as Puck, I can not sense his power, although the Grimorium Arcanorum possessed thousands of different mortal spells, and a few fey spells that could done by a human or gargoyle. There may have been an immortality spell among them."

Xanatos watched both Goliath and Elisa growl at the image.

"There is another solution to finding out for sure who this guy is," Xanatos said confidently, "We give Oberon and Titania a call."

The two present mutates joined the gargoyles in their growling.

"The fey should not be brought into this," Goliath warned, "Oberon may take your invitation as an opportunity to take your son or destroy my clan."

"And if we don't, Elisa may end up a gargoyle forever," Fox countered, "I don't think we have that choice."

"Fine," Goliath sighed, "Call your mother, Elisa and I will look to our clan, and keep your son hidden!"

"Maggie and I better get back to the Labyrinth. Claw probably has his hands full, and who knows, maybe this guy is running around in the sewers," Talon said, "And I've had enough of this place."

Xanatos watched Goliath and Elisa leave, and then Talon and Maggie. He sighed heavily. The mutates still didn't trust him, but then, considering what he had done to them, Xanatos didn't blame them.

Fox put her arm around him, "Don't worry, Owen will find a cure for them someday."

"The cure isn't what's depressing me," Xanatos sighed, "It's the fact that I made them that way in the first place. If I'd been smarter or more humane, they wouldn't have to hide in the sewers like rats!"

"Excuse me Mr. Xanatos, Mrs. Xanatos, there is much we need to do before summoning Oberon and Titania," Owen said coldly.

Matt Bluestone's Apartment

The knocking on his door became harder. It only made Bluestone more upset that he was late for work.

"We know you're in there!" someone yelled.

Wrapping a towel around himself Bluestone shuffled from the bathroom to his front door. Standing outside were three uniformed officers.

"Bluestone, we have a warrant for your arrest," the lead officer said.

"O-on wh-wha-what charge?" Matt stammered.

"Obstruction of justice," the lead office said again before forcing cuffs on to his wrists, "You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law."

Matt Bluestone never thought this would ever happen to him. The officers only gave him enough time to put on a pair of boxer shorts before dragging him down to the squad car at the side of the street. Throughout the entire ride the officers in front of him were silent. He was dragged up the stairs of the new 23rd Precinct headquarters, and promptly thrown in one of the holding cells. To his astonishment, Captain Chavez and Officer Morgan were in there as well.

"What's going on?" Matt asked.

Chavez sighed putting one hand on her head, "Yale has us all here because we didn't arrest the entire gargoyle clan when she had made her earlier attempts to have them arrested, and since I sent you and Elisa every time, she believes we didn't want to investigate her will."

"But the warrants she had on the gargoyles were merely for questioning!" Matt exclaimed, "We did ask them the questions that Yale would have expected."

"Yes, but in theory, even if you just want to question someone, if you go by the book, you must arrest the person and bring them to the station," Chavez answered, "Yale knows that, and she expected us to do that."

"But why is she doing this to us?" Matt demanded.

"Jon Castaway showed up at her office this morning, and presented her with evidence that we didn't follow her warrants 'by the book' and she had you and me arrested for obstructing justice, and Morgan here was arrested for refusing to arrest us," Chavez sighed, "And from what she told me, when she showed up here, is that she's contacted the mayor and city council. The Quarrymen are now an official city agency with full legal right to do as they please with any gargoyle they find."

"So cops don't cut it anymore!" Matt yelled, "Yale probably thinks that Castaway will follow the same rules we do! I bet that whatever warrant Yale gives to him to serve won't mean squat to him, he'll throw it away and then kill the gargoyles easily."

"I know Matt," Chavez sighed, "I know. From what you and Maza have told me, these gargoyles are quite kind hearted individuals, nothing like what Yale and Castaway call them."

Morgan then spoke up, "Maybe we should have deputized them the instant that they appeared. The 'Gargoyles Task Force' idea only seemed to support the Quarrymen's cause."

"You're right Morgan," Chavez answered, "We should have deputized them, but we can't do a damn thing now."

Nightstone Unlimited, Sevarius's Lab

Sevarius hustled between two tables he set up in his lab. Demona was off, probably plotting humanity's destruction. On one table was the robotic form of Coldsteel. Sevarius was surprised to say the least when the robot landed before him one night and demanded his help. Apparently the evil robot gargoyle had been on the run from Coldfire and Coldstone, and got the tar beat out of him. Sevarius had secretly worked with both Nightstone Unlimited and Cyberbiotics agents to build a new robot body for him, one that would hopefully make Coldsteel superior to the other cyborg/robot gargoyles of the world. Unfortunately for him, Coldsteel had also failed to realize that Sevarius was not a man to be easily trusted. Sevarius chuckled at the currently offline robot. When it awoke he would find himself Sevarius's personal slave.

It was the other figure that Sevarius was most interested in however. Under a large white sheet was the main part of Project: Resurrection. Sevarius had plans to use this creature against Demona and if need be, the other gargoyles. He was about to place a special mind control device into his new experiment when a blue light suddenly entered the lab.

"What is this?" Sevarius yelled.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" a voice answered, as a flying blue orb entered Sevarius's new experiment.

A few seconds later, the figure under the white sheet began to move.

Quarrymen Headquarters

Castaway was in a private room. He was also highly jubilant.

"Yes! I've won!" he yelled at the top of his lungs, "Those freaks won't stand a chance now! Now that the Quarrymen are and "official" agency of city government, there is nothing that Xanatos or Dominique Destine can do to stop me from killing all of those gargoyle demons, their supporters, and anyone else who gets in my way!"

"Be careful mister Castaway, not everyone who will oppose you is within New York's jurisdiction," came a voice from behind, "I know of some places in this world in which gargoyles actually enjoy a very good life."

Castaway turned to face the red robed man. The man was beginning to become annoying.

"True, but then, those demons have corrupted the society!" Castaway answered with an obvious smile, "But, with my new found power here, I can easily destroy the demons that live here and move on from there."

"So when are you going to carry out your part of our deal?" the robed man asked.

"Just after the sun rises!" Castaway exclaimed, "The Demon has found some way to disguise herself as a human during the daytime. My men and I will find and destroy her while in her human form."

"I will remind you Castaway that Demona is immortal, you can't kill her!" the robed man warned.

Castaway chuckled, "We'll see how immortal she is when she's nothing but a head on top of a pike!"

Castle Wyvern

Xanatos, Fox, and Owen stood in the form of a triangle. A mirror lay at their feet, equal distant from each of them. A long series of candles were drawn out in a great circle around them. Each person also held a small pure white feather.

Fox raised her arm over the mirror and held the feather out. Then Xanatos and Owen did the same.

As Owen put his feather over the mirror, all three in unison, chanted in Latin, "With these feathers and this mirror, we summon Oberon and Titania. King and Queen of the Third Race. King and Queen of Avalon."

They then let go of the feathers. They fell slowly, but they did not fall the way feathers normally fall. They just went strait down. Strait onto the mirror. As the feathers made contact with the glass, emerald green rings began emanating from the mirror, and increasing in size the further they got from the mirror. After a few seconds a flash of blinding emerald light blasted the three people clear of the area.

When Xanatos finally opened his eyes and was able to see, he saw the tall powerful looking figure of the blue-skinned Oberon and beside him, the green-skinned Titania.

"WHO DARES SUMMON US?" Oberon demanded in a godlike voice.

"Come now, you should know us," Xanatos said with smirk, "You did after all try to abduct my son."

Oberon looked down at him, "Yes, and you were wise to wear your Iron Steel Clan Armor, Xanatos, or I would turn you into a toad here and now."

"King Oberon, we didn't summon you here to insult you or to be insulted," Fox said sternly, "We actually need your help."

Titania left Oberon's side to look Fox in the eye.

"And what is troubling you, my daughter?" Titania asked, "Has someone attacked Alexander that Puck could not stop?"

Fox looked down, "Not yet, but someone has done something to a friend of the gargoyle clan that we think that only you two could identify."

"The matters of the Wyvern Clan are of no concern," Oberon said coldly, "The only gargoyle clan in my mind that even deserves to live is Avalon's Honor Guard."

"King Oberon, Queen Titania," Owen said, before disappearing in a flash of light and then reappearing as Puck, "the Wyvern Clan helps me protect Alexander, it would be awfully bad if they were to lose heart!"

Oberon growled slightly, "What is the nature of your problem; we will not stay here all night."

Xanatos stepped forward, "We believe a wizard called The Mage transformed Detective Elisa Maza into a gargoyle."

"But we aren't certain," Puck added, "And since I'm conveniently 'chained' to Alex, I can't confirm it!"

"You wish us to identify the Mage?" Titania asked glaring at Puck.

"If you want, I can through a cup of tea in with it!" Puck joked.

By now Oberon was pacing and ignoring both his wife, his trickster of a child, and the Xanatoses.

"We will need to see Ms. Maza first before we can confirm to you that it was the Mage who did this to her," Oberon growled, "She will be brought before me."

Xanatos watched Oberon leave the room in the direction of Wyvern's old throne room where Prince Malcolm and Princess Katherine once held court.

"I wish to see my grandson," Titania added, before following Oberon.

"Well, that went better than anticipated," Xanatos said, "He didn't attack us."

"Yeah, you'd better get Maza," Puck said floating up to him, "Or learn how to kiss Oberon's boots!"

Elisa sat on what was normally Goliath's perch up on the tower. The clan was very uneasy with the announcement that the Xanatoses were going to summon Oberon and Titania to the castle. Hudson even commented that even if a fey at full strength was needed, Oberon AND Titania was overkill. The whole clan agreed that now mortal human or gargoyle wizard could ever match a Child of Oberon.

Goliath came up behind her.

"You seem nervous, my love," Goliath said.

"I am," Elisa admitted, "From what you told me, when you saved young Alex from Oberon, you, the clan, and Xanatos and his family nearly died in the process, and Puck pretty much lost his power."

"I don't believe Xanatos would summon Oberon here to fight," Goliath sighed, "Even at his worst, Xanatos is no idiot."

"Quite right, Goliath. Quite right," Xanatos said, flying up in his solid iron exo-frame, "Oberon says he needs the detective in order to tell if it was the Mage who did this to her."

"I don't trust him," Elisa said.

"I don't trust him either, detective, but we have no choice!" Xanatos sighed back, "The sooner we figure out exactly who did this to you, the sooner we can stop him, and the sooner things can become peaceful once more."

Elisa looked up at Goliath and then said, "I want Goliath to come with me."

"Doesn't bother me," Xanatos replied.

Nightstone Unlimited

Demona paced her office repeatedly. If anyone was there, they could have easily sensed her anger. Her thoughts dwelled upon what she saw the last night. Elisa Maza in a gargoyle form again! And being acknowledged as Goliath's mate! This angered her even more. She remembered a line Puck and once said to her.

'How quaint, after all these years, you're still carrying a torch. Well if that's what you want I can make him love you again. Piece of cake, given your charming personality.'

That hit her like a ton of bricks. Despite all their animosities, Demona was finding more and more that she still in some form or another wanted Goliath back. She wanted him back at her side. Back as her mate. But now that was impossible. He and Maza were acknowledged as mates. He would never come back to her, at least not while Maza was alive. The thought of Maza infuriated her and she roared in anger.

"That woman simply refuses to die!" Demona yelled.

"Speak for yourself witch!" said someone with Macbeth's voice from behind her.

"Who…," she started to say as she turned to look at whoever said this, and then opened her eyes wide in fear, because she saw someone she thought was long dead.

Castle Wyvern

"Her mate was not required to come," Oberon said coldly, sitting on a golden throne that he had conjured up.

"She wanted her mate to come with her," Xanatos answered for her, "You aren't frightened by a lavender gargoyle, are you?"

Oberon stood up, "No."

Oberon circled Elisa several times. He eyed her like a hawk. Elisa repeatedly looked from Oberon to Goliath to Titania, who was seated in another golden throne. She could feel Goliath getting nervous as Oberon continued to circle her. She couldn't blame him. She felt like a fish in the middle of a pack of sharks.

"Yes," Oberon said at last, "The Mage did do this."

Oberon then looked over at Puck, who floated next to Xanatos a few feet away, "And he did fairly good job for a mortal."

"Is it reversible?" Goliath asked.

Oberon didn't say anything. Titania stood up from her chair, "Human spells are not as sophisticated as fey spells. Unfortunately for Detective Maza's former life, it is unlikely that the spell used would have a counter spell. Especially since when the Mage wrote the Grimorium Arcanorum, he did not put counter spells for any of the book's transformation spells. That is why Demona, The Magus, and Archmage never used such spells. But the Mage is different."

"How is the Mage different? Who is he anyway?" Elisa asked.

Oberon turned to face her directly, "The Mage is quite possibly the only true immortal human on earth, Ms. Maza. But even the fey are uncertain of that. We do know that his career as a wizard began with the founding of Rome. He helped Romulus secure the cities defenses against would be attackers. Around the time of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius, at the Emperor's behest, he wrote down all of his spells in the Grimorium Arcanorum, so that the entire world's magic could be controlled by the Imperial Government so that the people could be protected from using it accidentally. However the Mage was never one to fully submit to anyone, and he detested the fact that the people of Rome supported the politicians and generals and not him. He did not put all of his spells into the book, we on Avalon know that. We also made sure that he didn't use his power against his people. But, as the Empire declined, he grew even more sinister. He hates anything connected to magic that isn't his own. This is partially why Titania and I are helping right now. The Mage made several attempts to kill the entire Third Race, so that he could turn his eyes to the mortal realm. Though for a 'mortal' his power is great, but it is still not great enough to be a match for the entire Third Race. Still he had some success. He did kill three dozen halflings and two of my children. When I banished the Third Race from Avalon, his attacks subsided, believing that it would be easier to run a covert operation to wipe out the rest of my children, one by one. However, their ease of escape always angered him, and some went to places he couldn't get to. Titania and I were able to blind him to the knowledge that the gathering was occurring. He still thinks that the Third Race is banished to the mortal realm and is searching for them. There are some rumors that he also founded the Illuminati society to aide him in his hunt, but we have not been able to confirm this."

Elisa blinked at this. A man who wrote the Grimorium Arcanorum, trained the Archmage, and existed since the founding of the city of Rome.

"You'll have to forgive me, Oberon, but don't us mere mortals need to use something to channel magical energy?" Elisa asked.

The fey king chuckled, "The Mage is the one who began that. He is the only human who can channel magic himself. Even we don't know how he does that."

"So I'm a gargoyle forever?" Elisa asked again.

"Probably," said Oberon looking somewhat perplexed, "but as Titania said before, the Mage is different. The spell he used may have a counter spell that he simply didn't write down. But I wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you."

Elisa ran from the room. Tears beginning to form in her eyes. Goliath ran after, paused briefly to glare angrily at Oberon and then left.

"My liege, my husband," Titania said, "What could the Mage have to gain against us by turning Detective Maza into a gargoyle."

"I don't think that this is part of his vendetta," Oberon replied, "I think he has performed a favor for someone that has his own agenda, and doesn't know what he's gotten himself into."

23rd Precinct Holding Cells

Matt sat on one of the cell's benches, and shivered noticeably. He was still only in his boxer shorts, and no one had brought him anything else to wear.

"Captain, we gotta get out of here!" he said, "Yale doesn't know what Castaway will do, and I'm not entirely sure she cares what Castaway will do. We need to warn the clan."

"And how far will we get?" Chavez sighed, "There's one officer at each end of the hall of cells here, and others outside in the offices! Even if we could get out of these cells, one or more of those officers would catch us! Besides you're practically naked, and we did obstruct justice."

"But it was for the clan's protection," Matt answered, becoming noticeably upset, "The Quarrymen would have been protesting outside for days on end, and there was no formal crime to arrest them on. If we brought them in, even just for questioning it would have made it seem like the gargoyles really did blow up the old clock tower."

"What about a phone call," Morgan offered, "Did you make your one phone call yet?"

Then the only word Matt could think of was, "bingo!"

Diane and Peter Maza's Apartment

Diane Maza stood silently looking out of a window over her kitchen sink. The window just happened to be facing the outline of the tall Eyrie Building. Tears were in her eyes.

"Come on, Diane, dinner's getting cold," Peter called from the dinning room.

"I'm coming," she sighed.

As she came she saw the faces of Beth and Peter. They weren't much different from hers.

"Are we wanting the right thing, Peter?" Diane asked.

"What do you mean?" he answered.

"Is it right for us to want our daughter to be human, when it makes all her friends so miserable?" she sighed.

"They weren't miserable," Peter replied trying to reassure her, "They were merely disappointed that they couldn't find the guy who did this."

"And if we didn't make them search for him, they wouldn't be disappointed in not finding him!" Diane said.

There came two load thumps on the fire escape on the other side of their apartment.

"Hello? Is anyone home?"

"Elisa?"

Peter Maza just stood up see Elisa and Goliath enter through one of their windows, their wings caped over their shoulders. Both looked extremely depressed.

"What is it, sis? You look like someone killed Goliath," Beth said in a concerned tone.

"Mom, Dad, there's –uh- there's a chance that I won't be able to be human again," Elisa sighed, tears falling down her face.

"What?" Peter asked.

Goliath then began to repeat the information Oberon gave them. About the Mage. His power. The nature of spells cast by humans, and the Grimorium Arcanorum. All Peter Maza could do afterward was fall back into his chair.

"Has your clan found this 'Mage' yet, Goliath?" Diane asked.

"No, currently everyone is out looking, and the mutates are searching the sewers," Goliath answered, "But Elisa became greatly depressed when she learned from Oberon that transformation spells that are cast by humans usually have no counter spell."

Diane then watched as Goliath turned his head to Elisa and said, "I'm sorry I could not catch you in time."

Elisa looked up into Goliath's dark eyes. She knew he was concerned, and saddened.

"I'll be alright, everyone," she answered, "In time."

"Why don't you two join us for dinner," Diane offered, "If Elisa is getting depressed about this, it wouldn't be safe for her to be out chasing some power crazed wizard. Here, Elisa you can have my plate, we have plenty to go around."

Elisa sat down, but could only manage to look at her hands. Hands that were now held gargoyle's talons. Talons that could cut solid stone.

Eyrie Building, David Xanatos's Office

Xanatos was eying his computer carefully. While he didn't misbelieve Oberon's story about the Mage, he was sure that there were things that Oberon didn't want him or the gargoyles to know. You can't be someone who could almost be considered a god and at the same time not know things. Unfortunately, Owen and Lexington were much better at 'surfing the web' than he was, and neither of them was here. Oberon had Puck with him, and Lexington was off with the other gargoyles trying to find the Mage. So far no one reported back yet. Xanatos was actually beginning to consider uploading the image of the Mage into the Steel Clan unit's computerized brains and ordered them to join the search under the gargoyle's coordination.

He was about to take a sip of his coffee when the phone rang. When he picked up, a very upset, afraid, and nervous Matthew Bluestone began talking on the other line.

"Hello? Is Goliath there? I need to speak with them!" he yelled.

"This is Xanatos, detective, don't yell through the phone," Xanatos answered, "Why are you calling, Detective Maza is not due back for a few more days."

"Is Goliath there?" Matt asked.

"No, the clan is off searching for someone called 'The Mage'. The only gargoyle here is Bronx," Xanatos answered, "And he ain't talking."

Xanatos could hear Bluestone grumble on the other line, "Listen Xanatos, I can only tell you this once. Officer Morgan, Captain Chavez, and I have been arrested for obstructing justice. Apparently, Castaway got to Yale, and now we're in jail, and the Quarrymen are now a city agency. If they show up tomorrow, you can't stop them, you'd in fact have to help them or go to jail, but we all know that Castaway would kill you first."

Xanatos sighed as Bluestone continued, "Get the clan a new roost! Somewhere that they don't normally stay."

The last thing Xanatos heard was that of someone dragging Bluestone off, and the sound of Bluestone shouting that they didn't have to drag him.

"Things are going from bad to worse," Xanatos sighed.

Over New York City

Broadway and Angela said little to each other as they searched. Block by block they flew over, and still there was no sign of this man in red robes whom Goliath and Elisa learned from Oberon to be 'The Mage'.

"What do you suppose we do when we find him?" Broadway asked.

"I don't know, maybe we can talk to him," Angela offered, "I mean he had nothing to gain by doing what he did, maybe he's trying to pull a Xanatos and reform."

"I don't know," was all Broadway could say in reply.

Then suddenly over the small radio devices that they received from Xanatos came Xanatos's voice, "Attention all gargoyles, return to Castle Wyvern IMEDIATELY! We have a problem."

Broadway looked east and sighed, "Well, it is getting close to dawn."

The two gargoyles then turned back toward the Eyrie Building and their ancestral home.

When the gargoyles returned to the castle from their patrols, Xanatos was waiting for them on one of the parapets.

"I'm going to guess that you didn't find him?" Xanatos said.

"Aye lad," Hudson answered, "Now what be this problem?"

Xanatos sighed and then said, "Apparently Castaway has worked out some deal with the District Attorney and the Mayor's office. The Quarrymen are now an official city institution, and there is nothing I can do to stop them if they come here tomorrow morning to smash you all."

"Where will we go?" Lexington asked in a shaky voice.

"I have a basement system under the Eyrie Building, Castaway doesn't know about it, and it doesn't appear on the Eyrie's blueprints, so I can deny it even exists if he comes looking," Xanatos answered.

The gargoyles looked visibly relieved.

"Where's Goliath? And Elisa?" Brooklyn asked.

"I don't know," Xanatos replied, "But it's nearly dawn. I'm sure they've found a safe place. Now come with me. Quickly."

Diane and Peter Maza's Apartment

Goliath and Elisa hid themselves on two sides of a bookcase in Peter Maza's small private den. It was made smaller by the presence of the two stone gargoyles.

"I hope they'll be alright," Diane sighed, "Elisa sounded so upset when she came here."

Peter came up beside her, "Don't worry, I'm sure they'll be fine. There are no windows so those Quarry guys won't be able to see them."

Diane took Peter's hand in hers and then repeated over and over again for a few seconds, "I hope so."

Nightstone Unlimited

Castaway lead three dozen Quarrymen into the Nightstone Unlimited Building just after dawn. It gave him a great sense of pride to know that the demon would soon be captured in human form, and shown to the world as the evil witch she is. A pushy secretary, who had obviously been verbally abused by the demon on multiple occasions tried to stop him and his men.

"Lady, we are doing the city's work," Castaway growled at her, "No either help us or get out of my way!"

He aimed his laser cannon at her to ram the point home. The woman stepped aside. Castaway and his men then proceeded to the series of elevators at the end of the entrance room. As they rode the elevator to the top floor, Castaway couldn't help but hum one of the tunes he remembered from his childhood.

Castaway knew victory was at hand. However, he didn't expect the surprise that awaited him when the doors opened. Lying on the floor, looking is if she had been mauled by another gargoyle, the demon lay in the middle of her office. The large glass office windows were broken.

Castaway and many of the men with him were laughing maniacally as they proceeded to pick up the demon's knocked out body and carrying her off.

Eyrie Building

Fox was busy watching an old made for TV movie when the news report came on.

"This is Bret Lexinir speaking to you live from the offices of Nightstone Unlimited," the reporter said.

Fox blinked and leaned forward.

"Less than half an hour ago, thirty-six Quarrymen entered the building and carried of the body of Dominique Destine, founder and CEO of the company," Lexinir continued.

The screen then showed Castaway talking to the reporter earlier, "Dominique Destine was only a gargoyle demon in disguise. My organization has only recently been able to determine this, and as that the Quarrymen are an official city agency, responsible for the protection of mankind against these demons that would kill us all, she has been apprehended for 'questioning'."

"Reports from the NYPD are that Ms. Destine is yet to arrive for questioning, but all reports indicate that Castaway has not exceeded the mandate he received from the major yesterday afternoon," Lexinir said, "But if these 'demons' have infiltrated our businesses, what is next?"

"How about the destruction of an innocent race," Fox growled to herself turning the television off.

As Fox went to leave her room, she ran into Titania.

"Yes?" Fox asked hesitantly.

"I would like to see my grandson," Titania answered.

"Shouldn't you be worrying about this 'Mage' character?" Fox asked.

"That is Oberon's department, as the Quarrymen are the gargoyle's and your husband's worry," Titania answered with a sly smile, "We are merely the power BEHIND the throne."

Fox chuckled at that remark, and then sighed, "Promise you won't try to take him from me?"

Titania nodded.

23rd Precinct Headquarters

It was nearly noon when Xanatos made his way through the busy police office. He would have preferred to bring Owen with him, but Oberon was still at Wyvern, so that was an obvious non possibility. Quarrymen filled the halls and watched several of the regular cops do their jobs. He was stopped by a uniformed Quarrymen outside what used to Chavez's office. Castaway had already placed a pro-Quarrymen officer as the new captain.

"What are you doing here?" the Quarryman demanded.

"I'm here to have a private discussion with the police captain and possibly Margot Yale as well," Xanatos said sternly, "It is within my rights."

"What's within your rights is to surrender the gargoyle demons our leader," the Quarryman answered, "Now, unless that is what you're doing, I'm going to have to throw you out."

The Quarryman didn't even give Xanatos a chance to answer. He grabbed him by the arm, and dragged him out of the building, and as Xanatos lay in the street the man shouted, "Castaway is in charge now! You either do as he says, or be damned!"

Many people around him looked shocked at what had happened. What they saw was David Xanatos, a multibillionaire, CEO of Xanatos Enterprises, get thrown out onto the sidewalk as if he were a common thug.

"Not my best day," Xanatos thought, and then pulling out his cell phone he called the Eyrie, "Owen, get my armor and the Steel Clan ready, my attempt to get Chavez, Bluestone, and Morgan out by means of bail has failed. Oh, and call the press to Wyvern."

Unknown Location

Dominique Destine awoke slowly, and became visibly angry when she was fully awake. Someone had captured her while she was out cold from the attack last night. She felt bruised and beaten, as if hit by several different hammers. She lay tied to a bed wearing a long white robe. Sitting across the room was a man in red robes.

"Ah, you're awake," the man said smugly, "Mr. Castaway said that he and his man had KILLED you after they found you unconscious. But, you've given me good news by waking up, because you see, I don't want you dead. But then as an immortal, it's not like you could die anyway."

"When the sun sets, I'll make you wish they could have killed me!" Destine threatened.

"There is where you're wrong Ms. Demona," the man said with a very evil grin, "There is where you're wrong."

Margot Yale's Office

Castaway stood before the angered District Attorney with a great grin on his face. The first two phases of his plan were complete, and the fourth, which he intended to take care of after destroying Goliath and his clan was taken care of. All he had left to do was to destroy the Wyvern Clan and kill the few race traitors there were. Thanks to the manipulation of Yale and the mayor, and removal of Chavez from her position as Captain of the 23rd Precinct, the Quarrymen were free to execute their policy no matter what! No more hiding out to escape the police. No more pitched battles with the gargoyles that his men always seemed to lose. The gargoyles would be smashed during the day, and there was nothing anyone could do.

"Mr. Castaway you said that you were going after gargoyles for interrogation," Yale snarled, "Dominique Destine is one of the nation's most powerful HUMAN women! How dare you attack her?"

"Ms. Yale, Dominique Destine is really the gargoyle known as Demona!" Castaway answered back, "She has repeatedly tried to destroy all of mankind on one or more occasions! She is no novice in the arts of sorcery, and used it to disguise herself as a human during the day to further her activities. Sadly when my men and I were bringing her back to be questioned for her involvement with the clan of these demons, she fought, and regrettably had to be killed."

"You've gone beyond what you originally told me you were going to go!" Yale yelled.

Castaway smiled, and pulled a hand gun from his pocket, "Of course I have Ms. Yale, and you didn't think the leader of a massive hate group would keep his word, did you? I've played you and the mayor and this city for the saps you are! I am the one in power! The mayor can't remove me no matter what I do because it will hurt him politically. The cops can't do anything because you and the mayor put them under my control. And now since you're appearing to go against me, that means you are nothing more than a race traitor. Good bye Ms. Yale."

After that he fired. Two uniformed Quarrymen came in after they heard the gunshot.

"Sir?" one asked.

"Take her body to the morgue," Castaway instructed, "Make sure it's quiet like, and that her death isn't made public till after them demons awaken."

Diane and Peter Maza's Apartment, Dusk

As the last rays of sunlight disappeared, Goliath and Elisa broke free of their stone shells, letting out great roars of anger. They found Diane, Peter, and Beth in front of the television. Their eyes were glued onto it.

"What's going on?" Elisa asked.

"Xanatos is on TV," Beth replied.

Then the voice of David Xanatos came over the television, "The Quarrymen organization has no legal right to hunt these gargoyles! They have ignored all the laws our society has claimed to love! Now as a businessman, I'd love to see Nightstone go bankrupt, because that means… well more money for me! But the Quarrymen went in there with no evidence other then Jon Castaway's word that Dominique Destine was a 'gargoyle in disguise'. And where is she now? It's night! The gargoyles should be awake! If Destine is really a gargoyle in disguise, I want to see the proof!"

Goliath put a talon to he forehead, "Much happened today."

"Castaway also had no right to imprison three officers of the law," Xanatos continued, "Captain Maria Chavez, Detective Matthew Bluestone, and Officer Morgan are all fine dedicated people. They all believe in law and order, same as the rest of us. Yes they didn't bring the gargoyle clan into the station and beat them about the head like Castaway wanted! Yes they didn't arrest them for dissection like Yale wanted! But who can blame them! If you listen carefully, all Castaway is really saying is 'kill gargoyles'! And all Yale is saying 'I'm a dumb woman, who's too stupid to get to know the situation'!"

"Much has happened," Elisa agreed her eyes wide.

Xanatos's rant continued onward, "The real problem behind all of this is the mayor of this city! He had the nerve to listen to genocidal maniac and paranoid witch! I say it's time something new occurred at city hall. I tried to buy bail for Chavez, Bluestone, and Morgan earlier today, and the Quarrymen decided that the constitution doesn't exist anymore, and I was THROWN into the street! Mr. Mayor, if you don't do something to reverse this premeditated attack on a species that is already gravely endangered and posses no threat to humanity, I will withhold all campaign funding that Xanatos Enterprises currently provides you and run against you in the next election on my OWN ticket!"

"What happened to Matt, Chavez and Morgan?" Elisa asked, her eyes already blazing red from having heard that her friends were arrested.

"We don't know," Peter said, "This is the first we heard of this, but we did hear about what happened at Nightstone Unlimited. Quarrymen went in, beat up Dominique Destine and carried her off."

Goliath was now beginning to growl himself, "Come Elisa, we must cool down Xanatos first. Then we will figure out what to do with the Quarrymen."

"What about this 'Mage' character?" Diane asked.

"He is no longer important!" Goliath responded angrily, "Xanatos is not one to bluff. He will do something more than run against the mayor in the next election. He may be trying to protect my species, Mrs. Maza, but if he carries it too far, the people will support the Quarrymen regardless."

With that, Goliath and a depressed Elisa took to the air.

Diane looked to Peter and said, "Get Derek!"

Unknown Location, Dusk

Dominique Destine braced herself for the pain of her transformation that she knew was coming. She would change to her gargoyle form, and then as Demona, teach this smug human a thing or two! But after a few seconds, she felt nothing. Not even a tingle of pain was felt. She looked down at herself. She was still human! Dominique Destine gasped wide at herself. It was night and she was still human! This was impossible.

"I told you that you were wrong," the robed man said.

"Who are you?" Destine demanded with a noticeable sign of fear in her voice.

"I thought you'd never ask," the man replied, "I am the Mage! Teacher of the Archmage, and hopefully you will become my new apprentice. You will help me destroy the Third Race once and for all. All we need to do is find them."

Destine chuckled to herself, "So a human wizard is fighting a war against the Children of Oberon. You must be immortal since the Archmage was around when I was young, and the Phoenix Gate is lost forever."

"You do know that Oberon and Titania have conducted the Gathering, right?" Destine asked, "It is impossible to attack them."

"Ah, so the almighty king has called his children home," the Mage snickered, "Interesting how he was able to hide it from me! Oh well, not that that matters at all. I have means to attack Avalon."

Castle Wyvern

"I suppose you're pleased with yourself?" Oberon demanded coming out onto one of Wyvern's parapets.

"I must help the clan," Xanatos answered putting on the gloves to his armor, "I tried to do this the legal way, but the Quarrymen aren't playing by the rules."

"The gargoyles will oppose you, even if you are trying to protect them," Oberon answered.

"I've made the Quarrymen's intentions clear and Yale's foolishness known," Xanatos snarled, "The mayor may be hesitant because of the fact that if he backs away from Castaway now, right after he's given Castaway power, he could lose the next election. But, he also knows that he doesn't even have a chance of reelection with out my company's campaign donations."

"Any stand down that you force will take time," Oberon warned, "Time you do not have, and time that Castaway will use. If you truly seek to protect this clan, then you must simply let Castaway attack them."

Xanatos put the exo-frame's helmet on, and then yelled, "And let him kill them all? Oberon, Castaway isn't entirely stupid. He may pay for it eventually, but he will come after daybreak and smash their statues. The gargoyles can not defend themselves during the day."

There came two thumps behind him, "While your devotion to my clan relieves some of my fears, I can't allow you to do this, Xanatos."

Xanatos turned to see Goliath and Elisa standing there.

"If the Quarrymen truly are in power, the best we can do is to ignore them," Elisa said, "This isn't like the Jews during World War Two in Nazi held Europe. We actually look like demons! If we go out and attack Castaway right now, it will only add flame to the fire that we are already trying to put out."

Goliath put his hand on Xanatos's shoulder, "Besides, you've issued your warning to the mayor. If he truly values your money more than Castaway's villainy, he will back away from him."

"What if he doesn't?" Xanatos asked.

"May god help us all!" Elisa answered.

Mayor's Office

The mayor of New York was busy with paper work. Things were not going well for his administration. Yale came in two days before talking about police obstructing justice, and that the gargoyles haven't been officially questioned for any of the crimes that have been included. She told him that it appeared that the Quarrymen were the only people willing to question them. But then this business at Nightstone Unlimited. How did Castaway know that the company's CEO was a gargoyle? And Xanatos's possible campaign announcement. He was right about a few things. None of the precincts reported Destine being brought in for questioning. When Yale suggested that the Quarrymen might be law and order's only ally in this situation she sounded regretful. Xanatos also said that the Quarrymen refused to let him pay the bail fees needed to free the three cops Yale accused of obstructing justice, that they threw him into the street. But the precincts and the Quarrymen reported that David Xanatos never came near them!

Things were going too far. The mayor worried greatly about the possibility of Xanatos running against him. And while he was playing into that threat, Xanatos was still singing the same tune he had been for the past three years, 'you can't just kill these gargoyles', and 'they're just like you and me'. Castaway was singing two different songs however. His wife had overheard some Quarrymen talking yesterday about 'how soon all the gargoyles will be dead' and 'that idiot of the mayor will lose his job when the people finally realize their mistake, but not wanting to blame themselves'. When the mayor listened to the Quarrymen leader speak, the man sounded like a cop who watched his buddy get killed by one of these gargoyles, and then blamed the entire race for it. The mayor may have heard the words 'interrogation' and 'legal justice' come out of Castaway's mouth, but the voice was filled with hatred.

The mayor had had enough of this mess, and picked up the phone, "Get me the chief of police for all the precincts."

23rd Precinct Holding Cells, Two hours later

Matt Bluestone was awakened to the sound of the door to the cell opening. A uniformed police officer stood there with the door open.

"You three are free to go," the man said, "The mayor has had enough of this."

Quarrymen Headquarters

"HE WHAT?!" Castaway screamed into his phone.

"The mayor has apparently had change of conscience, we are being kicked out of every precinct in New York, and those who try to fight are being arrested."

"Recall your men, and meet me at the Eyrie Building," Castaway growled, "We are going to finish this tonight."

Eyrie Building

Titania looked at the sleeping form of Alexander Xanatos in his bed. Despite the fact that as the Queen of Fey she didn't really need sleep, she had always admired the way mortals looked peaceful when they slept.

"You treat him well," Titania commented.

"He's my son, of course I treat him well," Fox answered, "Do you think I wouldn't?"

Titania sighed, "No, my daughter. No."

Fox was about to say something more when Oberon walked in. His face was somewhat pale.

"What is it?" Titania asked, looking in her husband's direction.

"The Mage has learned of the Gathering," Oberon answered, "I'm afraid my love, that we will have to return to Avalon before he launches an attack."

"Aren't you afraid you'll suffer as well?" Fox asked.

"No, the Mage's power has never risen above the level that it was during the height of the Roman Empire, Mrs. Xanatos," Oberon said confidently, "Our power grows from day to day as we live on…" and then gestured toward Alex, "…and as new halflings are born. The Mage will find this out very soon."

Elsewhere in the Eyrie Building, Owen, finally released from attending Oberon's temporary court was watching one of many display panels in the Eyrie's security office. Included in the room, was a screen showing a map of New York. Xanatos Enterprises had placed several cameras throughout the city during Xanatos's rivalry with Goliath's clan. The cameras were there to spot the gargoyles, so Xanatos could keep track of the gargoyle's movements. Now they were used to keep track of those who might harm the gargoyles. Fortunately, Goliath and the clan have never found out about these cameras.

Owen watched the screen with a degree of nervousness. The screen showed more than one hundred uniformed Quarrymen flying through the air with jet packs, and there were also more than three dozen armored cars with the Quarrymen logo on them. All of them were heading toward the Eyrie Building and Castle Wyvern.

23rd Precinct Headquarters

Captain Chavez sat back at her desk with a sigh. Arrested and then released, with no trial and returned to her original job. Either a certain Xanatos had his hand in this, or the mayor truly changed his mind on the 'gargoyle' situation. She hoped Elisa was alright.

She was shuffling a stack of paperwork that had been ignored by her replacement when a uniformed officer came in.

"Yes?" she asked.

"We found the DA's body down by the docks," he answered, "She was shot. She was found wearing a gown that is commonly used in morgues."

Chavez sighed.

"That's not all captain," the man continued, "On my way here, I noticed several Quarrymen trucks driving around. They look like they're headed toward the Eyrie Building."

Chavez growled silently, then she stood up and walked to the door to her office, and shouted "Bluestone!"

Castle Wyvern

David Xanatos quickly put his exo-frame's helmet back on. He had just gotten off the phone with the mayor, and was greatly relieved that the mayor decided not to continue the Quarrymen as a city organization. The decision did nothing to help the gargoyles, but it did allow them and him to use whatever means necessary to defend themselves and the castle if attacked. However, Xanatos didn't expect Castaway to decide to attack now. He looked over at Goliath and Elisa. Both stood on the battlements about twenty feet from him.

"Owen, send the Steel Clan up here," Xanatos ordered, "Tell the gargoyles they are needed up here, and start the "Armageddon" lockdown procedure."

"Yes sir," Owen answered, walking off.

Below them in a hidden basement complex of the Eyrie Building, the clan sat around a small table playing dominos. It wasn't a very fast moving game. Broadway was either eating or talking to Angela. Hudson would occasionally pause to pat Bronx. Lexington and Brooklyn were just bored and didn't have any interest in the game.

Suddenly, Owen's voice came over an intercom, "Excuse, but Mr. Xanatos and Goliath requests your presence on the battlements. The Quarrymen are coming."

The six gargoyles dropped everything they were doing, and ran toward the elevator.

Eyrie Building Front Doors

Quarrymen agents surrounded the doors of the Eyrie Building as more and more arrived. But the building's doors didn't budge. In fact every man that came remotely close to them received a massive electrical shock.

Castaway hoped out an armored car that just pulled up to see one of his men flung across the street.

"Come on!" he shouted, "It's just a door! Blast through it, or blast through the wall! We must destroy the gargoyle demons before our political power completely disappears!"

Several Quarrymen fired at the door and the walls. The blasts of their hammers were simply reflected back at them. They were thrown back and knocked unconscious almost immediately.

Above on the battlements, Xanatos, Goliath, Elisa, and the clan watched the spectacle begin to unfold.

"Shoot!" Brooklyn sighed, "If they keep this up we won't have to fight them!"

"He probably figures to overpower the 'Armageddon' lock down program," Xanatos said smugly, "I designed it to protect the building from an atomic explosion. Their hammers will do little more than attract attention."

"What if he figures that out, lad?" Hudson asked.

Xanatos activated his jet pack and took of, and then dove toward the Quarrymen below them, the Steel Clan following him.

"I don't intend to give him that chance!"

Goliath watched the billionaire and his robots descend to ground level for a few minutes. He turned his attention to the sky again when he heard the sound of jet packs. He saw at least a hundred uniformed Quarrymen flying toward them.

"He's attacking us from two sides!" Elisa yelled.

Above Manhattan

Talon lead Claw and Maggie in a frantic race across Manhattan's roof tops. He felt extraordinarily nervous about what his father had told him.

"Trouble brewing at the Eyrie Building" is what he said. That thought ran through his mind. Then as they rounded one of the skyscrapers between them and the Eyrie, he saw the trouble that was brewing. There were flashes of light and roars were heard for miles. The clan was fighting somebody. Talon hoped it wasn't Xanatos.

"What's going on up there?" Maggie asked, sounding worried.

"We're going to find out," Talon said, trying not to sound angry.

They glided for awhile in silence until the sound of police sirens were heard below them. Talon looked down to see a black unmarked police car with a single red siren blaring streak along the road.

"Talon, Matt was driving that car!" Maggie shouted to him.

"Xanatos's threat to run for mayor must have gotten the mayor's attention," Talon shouted back.

Matt drove along in a hurry. Xanatos had turned from the clan's enemy to the clan's protector, but if an enemy as powerful as the Quarrymen were attacking the Eyrie Building, Matt didn't put it past Xanatos to play some sort of trump card to save his own hide. He heard a series of three soft thumps on the roof of his car. Then with 'cat-like' agility, Claw and Maggie got into the backseat, while Talon got in beside him.

"What's going on?" Talon demanded.

"The mayor has decided to discontinue using the Quarrymen as a official city agency, and Castaway is attacking the Eyrie Building before his political power officially dies at dawn," Matt answered, "On top of all this, Margot Yale's been executed, and probably by Castaway himself."

"Why would Castaway shoot Yale?" Maggie asked.

"Probably because Yale only wanted the clan in a zoo somewhere," Matt answered, "Castaway wants them dead."

Talon and Maggie both snarled. Claw could only pound his fist into the car's leather seat.

"Chavez, Morgan, and I were returned to our jobs when the mayor ended his ties with Castaway," Matt continued, "and Chavez wants me to deal with the situation at the Eyrie."

"There's a battle going on there," Talon told him.

"I know," Matt sighed.

Street outside the Eyrie Building

"Run!" a Quarryman yelled, dodging a laser blast from one of the Steel Clan.

Xanatos watched the battle here progress. He was rather pleased with the success of the Steel Clan in this battle. After years of battling Goliath's clan, the mutates, Demona, Cyberbiotic's cybots, and the third race, and constantly upgrading the Steel Clan's weapons and armor after each defeat or draw, the Steel Clan was now becoming a potent battle force.

He turned and fired his wrist lasers at one of the few remaining armored cars and fired. The car, designed to stop bullets exploded after Xanatos's lasers punched through the armor and hit the gas tank. Suddenly as Xanatos moved to prevent a Quarrymen from escaping the now hopeless battle on the ground, a solid metal hammer hit his jet pack, knocking him to the ground.

Xanatos got up slowly. His armor's damage controls were displaying that his armor was at 78% efficiency, and his jet pack was no longer operative.

"You'll fail in the end!" came Castaway's voice, "I've got more in air with jet packs than I do down here! Your precious clan will be destroyed!"

"Wrong," Xanatos answered, as he pivoted on one foot and punched Castaway squarely in the chest.

Castaway was thrown by the impact of the exo-suit's punch into the Eyrie Building's protective lock-down system. The lock-down system's force fields threw him across the street. Xanatos watched Castaway land and then slump down to the ground moaning.

Matt gasped at what he saw when he pulled his car up. The Quarrymen had blocked many of the roads around the Eyrie Building with their armored cars, and anyone trying to get through on foot, hastily ran away as soon as they saw what was on the other side of the road block. More than one hundred Quarrymen were either fighting with Xanatos's Steel Clan or trying to blast through a force-field around the Eyrie Building itself.

Matt and the mutates climbed out of the car and ran toward the battle. Matt pulled his side arm out of its holster, as he watched Maggie, Talon, and Claw prepare to fire off some bursts of electricity.

"Bluestone, 23rd, what's going on here?" Matt yelled.

A red and black Steel Clan member leaped from a burning armored car and landed a few feet away.

"Ah, Detective, just what I need," Xanatos said calmly.

"What's going on Xanatos?" Talon snarled.

"You brought friends Detective! Good, the Steel Clan and I need your help to deal with these monsters," Xanatos answered.

"Answer the question," Matt ordered.

"Well, the Quarrymen hate gargoyles, and I happen to have a clan of them living in Castle Wyvern above us," Xanatos answered, "The Steel Clan and I are protecting them. All our weapons are on stun, none of the attacking Quarrymen have been seriously harmed."

"Shame you can't say the same for some of their vehicles," Talon commented.

Above them the battle had much more mobility. Goliath wondered why Castaway was with the ground team, since he counted the gargoyles as his major enemies. The Quarrymen attacking the castle were much better fighters than the ones on the ground. Goliath had watched Elisa and Hudson get driven back onto the Castle itself, and he had to restrain himself from going to check on his mate.

Goliath reached out and grabbed one hammer out of the air and flung it, and the Quarryman holding it, through the air. He landed on the rooftop of a different building. He wasn't knocked out, but Goliath felt glad that at least his jetpack was destroyed and unable to bring that Quarryman back into the fight.

The battle was very rough on Elisa. Goliath had so far only taught her how to glide as a means of travel. She was still to 'inexperienced' as a gargoyle to battle foes in the air. She watched Hudson dodge blasts, and make quick leaps to knock one down.

"There's too many of them!" Elisa shouted.

"Aye, lass, but we will defend the castle till our death!" Hudson answered, "Tis what we do."

Elisa turned her head back to chase or dodge another Quarryman's attack, but instead saw something that filled her with great fear. Two Quarrymen held Goliath's arms, and a third had his hammer wrapped around Goliath's neck. The large lavender gargoyle was doing the best he could to throw them off, but others blasting away with their hammers kept him from making any progress.

"GOLIATH! NO!" Elisa roared and with her eyes blazing a deep blood red color, she leaped to try and save her love.

Inside Castle Wyvern

Fox watched the battle progress outside. She watched Elisa streak through the air and ram one of the Quarrymen attacking Goliath. Owen came up beside her.

"Will they come for Alex?" Fox asked nervously.

"I wouldn't think so," Owen answered, "At least not now. Mr. Xanatos and the gargoyles are their primary enemies. If they win by a narrow margin, it is most likely that they will leave us alone. That possibility is unlikely."

"What?!" Fox screamed.

"Mr. Xanatos and the Steel Clan are now finishing up the Quarrymen at street level, and they have been reinforced by Detective Bluestone and the mutates," Owen responded, "Once they are done there, they will likely join the battle above Wyvern."

The air above Castle Wyvern

Goliath watched Elisa's attack on the Quarrymen. The one that had been blasting away at him was knocked senseless, and the Quarryman that was chocking him was tackled as Elisa glided above him and then grabbed the man with her tail. Without the other two Quarrymen to help them, Goliath found it quite easy to swing his arms together and knock the other two Quarrymen unconscious.

Goliath turned to see Elisa come back up to him.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"I'm fine," Goliath answered, "Nothing a day in stone won't cure."

Goliath then looked around. While Hudson and Bronx continued to be kept close to or on the castle walls, the Quarrymen didn't come close to where Hudson could leap at them and use his sword to disarm them or knock them out with a single punch. Broadway and Angela seemed to work together in a sort of 'tag team' effort. Broadway would catch and immobilize the Quarryman's hammer, while Angela moved to disable the jet pack. Both had some bruises, but they would heel when the sun rose.

Lexington was doing very well. He was easily out maneuvering his Quarrymen pursuers. In fact, it looked as if Lexington's movements were designed so that when the Quarrymen shot at him and missed, the blast would hit another Quarryman.

Brooklyn was having a lot more trouble. He was able to pull Lexington's trick once or twice, but he still had to rely on punching his attackers. Like Goliath experienced earlier, Brooklyn was attacked by large numbers of Quarrymen at one time.

"Elisa! We must -," Goliath started, but the sound of flying sparks interrupted him.

From below, Talon, Claw, and Maggie came charging with Xanatos and the Steel Clan close behind. The mutates fired off a wide barrage of electricity and Xanatos and the Steel Clan supported them with laser fire. The Quarrymen, caught of guard, broke and disengaged.

"Well I guess that is that!" Xanatos said smugly.

Unknown Location

The Mage stared out of one of the windows. He could see the battle at the Eyrie Building, and thanks to his powers over magic, he could tell that Castaway was losing.

"All my help," the Mage muttered, "and still you can't beat a species you call a demon."

"My kind aren't demons," Dominique Destine growled from the bed she was tied to.

"Of course, you're human, humans aren't demons," the Mage answered, and then gesturing toward the window again, "and gargoyles aren't demons either!"

"Why did you do this to me?" Destine demanded.

"I told you, you are going to be my new apprentice to fight the third race," the Mage answered, "In time you may even like your human form, just as I'm sure that Ms. Maza will enjoy her form as a gargoyle."

"You did that to her?" Destine yelled, "How dare you! You've ruined everything! Now Goliath has claimed her has his mate, and there is no way I can win him over to me!"

"You sound depressed," the Mage taunted.

"I'm supposed to be a gargoyle," Destine growled.

"And you began your final damnation with your series of foolish wishes to the Puck," the Mage said coldly, "He tricked you, and you were too stupid to know it! But I can help you! You may be human, but if you work with me, you can have your revenge on Puck and his whole race!"

"I don't wish to make war on the third race," Destine growled, "I wish to make war on humanity!"

The Mage chuckled, "Well, you may not be able to make war on the human race but you can still rule over them."

Destine blinked.

"You and I are immortal, Ms. Destine," the Mage continued, "What do you suppose we do when our 'missions' are completed? Waste away? I'm offering you untold power Ms. Destine. Under my tutelage your powers over sorcery will increase exponentially, we can destroy the third race, claim its power, and then rule the entire world."

Destine blinked again.

"Plus I didn't cast a permanent spell on you," the Mage said with a grin, "Once the third race is destroyed, I can return you to the form bestowed on you by Puck, or you can chose to remain my Queen."

Destine began to smile.

"Besides, while you're human, you could simply kill this Elisa Maza while she sleeps in stone," the Mage said again.

"Deal," Destine answered, "and call me Demona!"

Castle Wyvern

Elisa and Goliath sat atop their tower at Wyvern, awaiting the dawn. Matt and an army of police were cuffing the Quarrymen below. Talon and the mutates were still there, and Elisa's parents and Beth had come up.

"Will you be looking for this 'Mage' again?" Diane asked.

Elisa spoke up before Goliath could answer, "I'll keep looking, but only to make sure he doesn't do something like this to someone who doesn't want it."

"You want to stay this way?" Peter gasped.

"Mom, Dad, I've married a gargoyle, and Castaway was too easily able to gain power," Elisa sighed, "I just don't think it's safe for me to be a human married to a gargoyle. I'd rather be a gargoyle mated to a gargoyle."

Peter looked to Diane, and then looked back with a very weak smile, "You've gotten used to what's happened."

"Yes I have," Elisa said smiling back, "Maybe we all need to look on the bright side of this, during the Quarrymen attack, if I hadn't been a gargoyle, Goliath would have been seriously hurt or worse. Also mom, Goliath and I can have your grandkids now, although you'll have to wait till 2008 for me to become pregnant, and till 2018 for the egg to hatch."

Diane smiled weakly, "We all love you Elisa, and you do what is best for you. We can get used to it, eventually."

Elisa nodded, but said no more, and she soon changed to stone.

Talon looked at the two statues of Goliath and his sister and then said with a smile, "They look good together. I guess Elisa is truly part of the clan now."

"I guess so," Beth added, and then said in a nervous tone, "Now does this mean I'm going to grow wings next?"

"God I hope not!" Peter and Diane sighed.

The End