Previously on: their battles over, the Wyvern Clan split up to take up new lives with new jobs and loves around the country. However, they have returned to Manhattan to help Elisa find their former leader, Goliath. This is Reunion.
Reunion 3
"Sixty seconds," the mic hooked into Broadway's ear reported.
Broadway did not respond as he was dressed incognito in his old trench coat and fedora, also in a disguise was Angela who followed close behind. They needed disguises, they were making their way through crowds of dangerous humans toward the Rape Magic club.
Standing out from all that as a strange contrast was a female gargoyle with very big breasts in a string bikini; she sauntered by and Broadway dutifully ignored her as he had been trained over many previous tries; she vanished.
"Approaching the gate," Broadway reported into the mic after the bizarre female had vanished, he and Angela neared the ticket booth. There a very thin and pale human woman with a Mohawk was in a bulletproof Judas hole while a young man in a tank top sported an UZI at guard nearby.
Broadway and his wife stepped up to the booth as they could hear muffled bass from Rape Magic playing inside the club.
"Let's see your tickets, football pads," the mohawked girl greeted Broadway flatly from behind the glass; she glanced at Angela, "lumberjack."
Broadway didn't say a word, he just handed over the tickets, as he had been trained.
"Enjoy your time," the girl said as the gate buzzed, allowing them through. Broadway and Angela carefully sidestepped the angry young man with the gun and stepped inside.
"I think we're in the clear," Broadway whispered to Angela, she smiled.
"Hey!" Armed Guy cried after them. "I sure am grateful that you Gargoyles came back to save this city!"
"Thanks!" Broadway cried before thinking, his face instantly fell as he realized his mistake, the same he had made time and time before.
The young human raised the firearm as Broadway took off in a dead charge to get away.
People screamed as the automatic weapon roared.
"Ow!" Broadway cried as he was pelted with paintballs. "Ow! Ow! Ow!"
The holographic projector flipped off, ending this training simulation and revealing a robot with a paintball gun shooting Broadway in rapid succession; the punishment for failure.
"Bad Broadway," Lexington cried from where he was controlling the simulation; the robot with the paintball gun pelted Broadway a few more times.
"Ow!" Broadway cried.
"How many times do we have to go over this," Lexington cried. "Hand over your tickets to the teller and don't say a word to anyone unless absolutely necessary, it would be nice to infiltrate the club sometime today so we can fail at another potion of the simulation already!"
"At least he got past Ms. Big Boobs this time, Broadway," Angela muttered.
Lexington ordered the robot to pelt Broadway a few more times.
"Ow! Why do the Variant Programs keep picking on me!" Broadway bemoaned.
"Because it's a learning program," Lexington said back. "It keeps sending the Variants after you because you keep falling for them! Let's do it again and get it right this time!"
Elisa watched from the corner where she stood with Brooklyn, their training scenarios had not been initiated yet because Broadway and Angela had yet to finish theirs. Elisa couldn't help but to smile as it was so nice to see the Wyvern Clan engaged in playful banter again, but she knew this training would not be enough to tackle the challenge ahead.
She silently left the room and went down the hallway, taking the elevator to the offices near the great hall.
"Ah, yes! Mr. Brunett has just returned from his business trip and is ready to see you immediately," the secretary said when Elisa arrived.
"Awesome, I so hate to wait," Elisa said as she stepped past and into the office.
"Ah, PI Maza," Owen said as he was shuffling through papers. "How did I guess that you would be the first to welcome me back."
"How was Munich," Elisa asked.
"The world economy has seen better days, Maza. And so has Xanatos Enterprises," Owen said. "So what can I do for you?"
"I trust you got my report on the search for Goliath," Elisa asked.
"I have, amongst others," Owen replied.
"Okay," Elisa said toward Owen's cryptic attitude. "I managed to gather the Gargoyles, but we are going to need more help."
"What kind of help do you think they need," Owen asked.
"Body armor and a squad of Steel Clan to back up our attack on the Rape Magic Club," Elisa said. "We know the leaders of the Quarrymen will be there, also Goliath may be there as well."
"David Xanatos is not Santa Claus," Owen answered. "He has already been magnanimous in the search for Goliath."
Elisa's brow lowered, "he has always been willing to help us in the past in gratitude for saving his son. So what's changed?"
"Two things since I've read the reports," Owen said. "First, under Fox's orders and supervision, a net of spies have infiltrated the Quarrymen gangs. And after two weeks of infiltration they have found no evidence that any Quarrymen division holds Goliath, in fact, the Quarrymen seem to have forgotten their vendetta against the Gargoyles."
Elisa said nothing.
"Second is this guy," Owen turned on a monitor that displayed the face of Huff'n Puff. "My spy network detected you speaking to this gentlemen and would later observe him speaking with a Quarrymen gang leader. Exactly what did you tell this man, Maza?"
"Huff'n Puff is an ATF agent deep undercover and provides me with information on the Quarrymen. Because of him I now know that their gang leaders are going to gather in the basement of a club and will be vulnerable to destruction," Elisa replied.
"And what did you use to pay for that information," Owen asked.
Elisa was silent.
"I guess if I cant trust you, then we can no longer do business," Owen said.
"I had to tell him that the Gargoyles were back in town, that is all," Elisa replied.
"So, in doing so you have managed to put this building and Xanatos Enterprises in danger, once again, from Quarrymen attack," Owen said.
"How long do you expect to avoid the new Quarrymen," Elisa asked. "Their power is spreading like a plague. Unless something is done no one will be safe from their attack."
"My concern is to keep this business profitable while my master is away," Owen replied. "That is what Mr. Xanatos hired me for."
"Speaking of being untrustworthy," Elisa accused. "Where is Mr. Xanatos? How come you, Fox, and Alex, don't seem concerned that he has been missing for so long?"
"We've already told you," Owen said. "Mr. Xanatos is on an extended working vacation."
"Sure," Elisa said. "Getting you involved was my fault, punish me, but leave the Gargoyles out of it. They neither knew what I was doing nor had anything to do in helping me to decide on my current course of action. However, as it stands, if the Gargoyles attack a Quarrymen stronghold without your help, which they will be doing in two weeks; they're going to be killed."
Owen did not make eye contact, but seemed to soften, "I will contact Mr. Xanatos and ask him of his level of commitment."
Elisa smiled.
The two weeks seemed to pass very quickly and soon it was time.
Early in the morning of the concert found the Gargoyles and Elisa traveling toward the mission area in a van; there the mood was quiet and somber.
Elisa checked the action on the MP 9 she had once procured during her frequent battles with the Quarrymen Disciples, she would also carry a particle beam pistol along with other weapons. She looked up to see the young members of the clan, all seemed silent and introspective as they traveled to the starting zone. Elisa smiled.
"Just like old times, huh," Elisa asked, though the Gargoyles around her did not resemble those who went into battle during the old times. Xanatos had approved armor and weapons to support the Gargoyles on their mission and they were wearing these implements now; though, there was no word on if the Steel Clan or Fox would be committed to aid the battle. Gone were the days when Gargoyles would glide into battle wearing nothing but loin cloths.
They smiled in response.
"I suppose I haven't told you lately," Elisa continued. "How much of an honor it is to go back into battle with all of you again."
Big smiles graced the faces of her Gargoyle clan.
The Rape Magic concert would be held at a venue in Manhattan's Warehouse District, but the Gargoyles would not be stopping there directly. Instead, in order to remain clandestine, the starting point would be several blocks over and the gargs would creep the rest of the way.
The door to the Econoline slid open and Elisa stepped out to the foot of an old Revolutionary War statue that she thought was strangely appropriate for the mission at hand.
The Gargoyles in their battle gear assembled near the van and Elisa addressed them.
"We all know what to do," Elisa said. "We've been over this and trained for this time and time again, we are more than ready."
"Then lets go and do it," Brooklyn the Crimson Wing said.
"Okay," Elisa said and leaned in, she and the Gargoyles grappled in a long group hug, feeling each other's warmth, tapping each other's strength. "Let's do it right."
They had trained and trained again for this mission over the last two weeks, making strategies and deciding each other's rolls. Contrary to the training simulations, Broadway would not be storming the front gate, Elisa would. Also, because she had young children, Angela would remain with the van as a sort of a reserve; she and Broadway had the instructions to run home should the mission fail badly.
In a moment Elisa and Broadway would watch as Lexington and Brooklyn would descend through a manhole and into the sewage system. Once inside, the two would take a direct rout toward the club's basement where the summit would be held.
"Good luck," Elisa said.
"Don't need it, I was born lucky," Lexington winked.
Elisa smiled and closed the manhole behind them, "how are we looking," Elisa radioed Angela who was keeping an overall watch of the club over the many cameras positioned by Owen's spies.
"Skies are clear," Angela answered. "Spyware reports little suspicious movement near the club. Dark and quiet inside as it should be."
"Afirm," Elisa said, "moving to observation area, keeping checking in every five minutes."
"You got it," Angela's voice smiled.
Xanatos's spies had ringed the Rape Magic club with camera's activated by motion, and for the last week they had not detected the presence of the Quarrymen; but that did not mean there was not danger.
Broadway got to act out one of the many action movies he had produced in Hollywood as he and Elisa crept across the silent and dark streets toward the observation point. For both squads it would be a long trip over dangerous streets, purposely so.
The Gargoyles had to, above all, be careful; which was why they were creeping around like this. There was no telling if there were Quarrymen already at the club, or near it, waiting in ambush.
But they would make it, Elisa and Broadway to the observation area overlooking the club, Lexington and Brooklyn made it to the patrician between the sewers and the club's basement complex; there they would start the tedious process of breaking through.
It was twelve hours before mission start.
2000 Hours.
It was easy to feel a great deal of apprehension as the concert was revving up in the club. The Gargoyles that spied in silence outside the club heard guitar riffs from in the club as the parking area filled with cars and concert goers.
The target area was as formidable as the maps and photos of the area had already shown during previous briefings. The club itself was squat two level building surrounded by other much taller buildings that were sure to house Quarrymen snipers.
But that was the problem, the Quarrymen.
The Summit of Quarrymen leaders should already be taking place in the club's basement, but no one had yet seen a single Quarrymen.
"Alright," Elisa whispered into her mic. "Let's do it."
"Are you sure they're here," Brooklyn replied.
"If they aren't, at least we'll see an interesting show," she answered while standing, Broadway following. Together they joined the stream of concert goers toward the entrance of the club.
Entering the club was not quite as dramatic as the simulations had predicted. There was not a disimpassioned woman taking tickets from a Plexiglas bunker, or a young man with a machine gun standing nearby. Instead there was a digitized teller and chubby men with the word 'Security' across the back of their Member's Only jackets. None of the concert goers seemed to notice or care about the small woman or the big guy in heavy jackets that were perfect for the fall season, but out of place in this Goth-Punk scene.
Their tickets were punched and they moved on through.
"See," Broadway asked. "Easy as pie, I doubt a Gargess porn star will come out to tempt me here."
"Too easy is what I'm afraid off," Elisa muttered as a loud guitar riff struck from the club, the crowd roared its appreciation.
Broadway's eyes darted nervously, "you smelling an ambush?"
"Yeah," Elisa whispered back. "Do you want to leave?"
"No," Broadway answered. "We go in there and turn the trap against itself. We've done it a million times before back before we all moved away."
Elisa smiled, "I appreciate the change in attitude."
"Thanks," Broadway answered.
"But, if this goes bad, really bad, leave us, take Angela and return to your children and live out the rest of your lives, okay?" Elisa asked.
Broadway said nothing as they entered the club, instead he muttered, "…the viper's nest."
Inside was the very worst of humanity tangled into balls; sweat glistened flesh, curls of smoke, oil slicked hair, climbing over each other in a massive orgy seeming to reach the roof as lean muscled pale rockers made noise from the front.
Elisa and Broadway skirted the back of the writhing mass, the noise was growing deafening, like that of a jet engine and that would make it harder to hear an ambush coming…. If the Quarrymen were indeed waiting for them here.
Still, they reach their first objective, a door to an elevator set inconspicuously at the wall.
"That's not good," Elisa said.
"What," Broadway replied.
"There isn't a guard."
Broadway frowned as Elisa stripped, under the thick jacket was a Quarryman's uniform; she also took out the snub nose key provided to her by Xanatos's spies that was supposed to open the elevator.
"Here goes nothing," Elisa muttered as she inserted the key into the circular lock. She turned the key and the elevator opened. The two got in.
Inside the elevator Broadway took off his trench coat and put on his helmet.
"Brooklyn, Lexington, are you in position," Elisa asked.
They answered in the affirmative and when the door slid open the two Gargoyles were there waiting.
Elisa jammed the elevator door open with a wedge and turned to Brooklyn and Lexington, the sterile hall was empty and quiet.
"Anything," Elisa asked.
"Not a sign of any Quarrymen or security measures," Brooklyn said. "I don't like it."
"Me neither," Elisa replied. "What do you guys want to do?"
"What do you mean," Lexington asked. "We came here on the chance that we might find Goliath. We need to go through with it."
Brooklyn growled, "I don't like it, but he's right. We've turned traps over in the past. And if they are trying to trap us, maybe they have bait set up. Goliath might actually be here."
Elisa nodded, "so be it."
Elisa's mic burst to life, a message from Angela: "the equipment in this van has been picking up a lot of strange readings. I think the Quarrymen have arrived."
"Copy," Elisa said while looking at the Gargoyles with her. "Time to move, gentlemen."
Elisa and her team only had to traverse two hallways to reach the room where the Quarrymen summit was supposedly located; however, there were many other rooms to each side along the way, rooms that could hold endless numbers of Quarrymen.
Elisa and the others had to painstakingly wedge shut each and every door they came across to keep the enemy from appearing from behind. Finally, they reached the doors to the hallway junction, only one short expanse was between them and the Summit and possibly Goliath.
The doors were wood in color with two spider webbed tinted windows at the top. Elisa tried to peer through the windows but couldn't see into the hallway beyond, "Lex, do your thing."
"They call me Don magic Juan," Lexington said as he stepped up with a wand like device that featured a small camera at the very end, it was made specifically in order to see through the spaces under doors to what lay beyond.
He peered for a moment before saying, "well, I'm glad you guys are ready for some action because we have about twelve Quarrymen Disciples in the hallway beyond, at least that's the number I can see."
"Brooklyn, you're with me. Just like we practiced: Broadway you smash the door down, Brook and I will stun the Quarrymen, Lex will secure the prisoners," Elisa said. "Do it."
Broadway got in front and seemed to ready himself, he sighed and muttered: "here goes nothing." Raised his thinner but still very powerful leg and slammed it into the door.
The steel enforced doors exploded off their hinges and surprise was complete, these Quarrymen were not expecting an attack.
"NYPD! Get on the ground!" Elisa screamed as she and Brooklyn used the flash grenades but did not really need them. The surprised Quarrymen slowly did as they were ordered.
Brooklyn was a little more proactive, he used the cables he had attached to his Crimson Wing suit to wrap around groups of the Quarrymen and smashed them together, rendering them unconscious.
Lexington rushed in to help Elisa secure her still awake prisoners with zip ties and duct tape.
"That went well, really well," Elisa said as they rushed to the final door; beyond they could hear the voices of men. "Sounds like they're having the meeting after all."
Beyond the mask of the Crimson Wing it was impossible to judge Brooklyn's expression, but Elisa thought she could guess what he was thinking.
"This is too easy," Brooklyn said.
"Yeah," Elisa demanded. "But, if you don't like the situation then the rest of you can go back to Angela. I've come too far to quit now."
"I'm with you," Lexington said.
"I guess I've lived a long, fulfilling life," Broadway muttered.
"We might actually find Goliath in there," Brooklyn said.
"Well, then," Elisa said. "Lexington, wand it."
Lexington stepped up with the camera wand and checked under the door seam as the others watched his back. Lexington collapsed the wand and looked to Elisa and Brooklyn. "If there is a summit of gang leaders here, that would be it."
"How many are in there," Brooklyn asked.
"Lots," Lexington replied and handed over the wand; Elisa replayed the video. She could see many men in purple shrouds sitting around a table, each had two Quarryman Stormtroopers flanking them. But also, there seemed to be a large cage set at the far side of the room, one that was large enough to contain Goliath. Though, there were other steel boxes in the room.
"Can we clear up the picture," Elisa asked as she used the wand herself, desperate to see what was in the cage; but it was not working, the cage remained in the shadows.
"Let's get in there and get these suckers," Brooklyn said.
"Yeah," Elisa agreed and sighed. "Alright, same game plan. Broadway, smash the door down, Brooklyn and I will rush in. Lex… you're on reserve, go where you're needed and help the best you can. Broadway, you absolutely need to stay at the door and make sure we are not ambushed from behind."
Broadway nodded and stepped into position, there they all hesitated for a moment, steeling themselves for the battle that was to come.
"Do it," Elisa said.
Broadway slammed his foot onto the door and it slammed open. The conference room was filled with the enemy, at least twenty, but once again surprise had been achieved. Instead of Quarrymen hands going to their weapons they were flailed out in shock. The flash grenades thrown into their group helped convince them to surrender easily.
"NYPD! Get on the ground," Elisa screamed. "Come on, Himmler! Get down!"
Lexington and Broadway rushed in to help, but it was already over. The Quarrymen's top brass and some of their greatest warriors had already surrendered.
"Go check the cage!" Elisa cried.
Lexington abruptly changed course and ran around the conference table. In the corner there was a huge open bared cage emitting a bad smell from the hay cushioning from the bottom.
Lexington looked inside and cried, "Elisa!"
Elisa looked up, already sensing what was coming next.
"I found him! We found him! Goliath! Wake up!"
Elisa's heart squeezed and burst into a fit of arrhythmia, she desperately wanted to run over to her husband and leader and make sure he was okay, to carry him out over her shoulder. But she couldn't, she had a dozen Quarrymen under her guard.
"Lexington," Elisa struggled to keep her voice even and her mind clear. "You have to get him out, you have to find a way to get him out of here."
Brooklyn marched over from where he was guarding Quarrymen and grabbed Elisa's elbow. "FUCK these Quarrymen pigs! Let's kill them and get Goliath the help he needs!"
Elisa was silent, her wild eyes on the prisoners kneeling before her.
"Goliath's still breathing," Lexington cried. "Broadway, I need your help to lift him."
Broadway as at the door, trying to keep an eye out down the hall but he was transfixed by the events taking place in the conference room. If he had been keeping a proper eye out, he might have seen the subtle movements down the hall, or the metal box that was slowly unraveling like a spider in the conference room itself.
"Stay where you are, Broadway," Elisa cried. "Keep watching our backs! Brooklyn, we are taking these Quarrymen in for justice…"
"Justice!" Brooklyn cried. "They've been holding Goliath for a month! I say we slaughter these Nazis and get Goliath to a doctor!"
"We will not sink to their level," Elisa hissed.
"If you are not willing to do it, I will," Brooklyn growled.
"You put a bullet into a single unarmed prisoner, the next will be in you," Elisa muttered.
Brooklyn glared.
"We don't have time for this," Elisa said.
"Don't have time, indeed," another, much more sinister voice jeered from above.
Elisa and Brooklyn looked up at the same to see a nightmare. It was their old enemy Jackal, but he had seemed to have been transformed into stainless steel spider but with no visible joints.
"Look out!" Brooklyn cried, but it was too late. Jackal easily extended two of his spider like appendages, impacting and sending Elisa and Brooklyn flying across the room.
Broadway's reaction was very good especially considering his lack of experience with fire arms. In a knee jerk motion he lifted his particle beam rifle and fired an explosive bolt, knocking spider Jackal off the table. He forgot, however, to hit recharge as it was necessary after a powered up shot.
As Elisa and Brooklyn pulled themselves to stand, most of the captured Quarrymen jumped to their feet and ran for the exit, pushing Broadway aside.
"NYPD on the ground!" Elisa aimed in on one of the fleeing Quarrymen Leaders. "Get on the ground, now!"
The Quarryman Gang Leader, one who possessed one of the most dangerous weapons in the form of his division of the gang, kept running. Elisa unloaded a short burst into his back, at least his organization would be slightly weaker with out him.
One gang leader down, the Gargoyles rushed to their fallen leader. Elisa gasped and stopped when she saw Goliath.
Goliath was pale and emaciated, appearing as a gray tube with a thick skull for a head. He was still alive, but just barely so.
"Oh my god," Elisa bemoaned. "Lex, help me." Together they took Goliath's arms and hoisted him up.
But, just then, blocking their path, was the strange Jackal. "Ha ha ha, I don't think so."
Brooklyn simply raised the Particle gun on his wrist and fired, again Jackal was knocked across the room. "Lazars are just stunning him, not killing him! Go! I'll watch your backs!"
Elisa gazed at him poignantly for a moment before nodding and taking Goliath out of the room. Brooklyn watched them go.
When he was alone Brooklyn did not go to attempt to finish off Jackal, instead he went to the five Quarrymen prisoners who had remained in the room. They were still on their knees, still in their surrender poses.
"Please…" one moaned pathetically.
"Please," Brooklyn hissed. "Please! You ruined my life! Took everything that was dear to me. Believe me, this is far more lenient than you deserve!" He activated the particle beam lazar and divided the three in half, they would enter the next world tangled in each other's intestines.
Brooklyn flashed a smile as Jackal was struggling to get up. Flashing his eyes between the dead men and the robot he retreated from the room.
A 9mm round tugged air near Elisa's face and she fired off a clip in the direction of the Quarrymen. A group of Storm Troopers were barricaded at the confluence of the hallways, the Gargoyle's only escape route, and putting up indirect fire.
"Broadway," Elisa gasped as she and Lexington were still carrying Goliath. "Start shooting at those Quarrymen so we can get out of here!"
Broadway fiddled with the rifle he carried, he had trained and advised stunt actors in the movies, but working a simple weapon while under fire and extreme stress was much harder than it looked.
"Where's Christian Bale when you need him?" Broadway muttered to himself.
"Angela," Elisa said with remarkable calm into the mic. "We have Goliath, so we need you to drive to the club to pick us up. Remember our agreement, if it is too dangerous then just get out of here."
Angela did not respond.
They were getting closer to the Storm Troopers and their shooting was becoming more accurate, Elisa had drained her machine pistol and could not reload while she was carrying Goliath. "Broadway, in ten seconds those Quarrymen are going to realize that we cant shoot back and their aim is going to improve. Do something."
Broadway raised the rifle and tried to shoot, again he forgot to hit the recharge before doing so and the trigger wiggled flaccidly in its guard. "Oh, fuck it!" He threw aside the gun and roared, wings extended, eyes blazing white; the enemy who was only a few short feet ahead froze.
Broadway charged, actually crashing through the wall and smashing into the Quarrymen on the other side. Elisa and Lexington watched, astonished, as Quarrymen were tossed like bowling pins across the hall. Broadway stepped from the corner, his chest rising and falling from exertion.
Elisa and Lexington smiled as he said, "the way is clear."
A roar interrupted them, Jackal chasing Brooklyn up the hall. The Crimson's particle beam barely slowing the robot down now. "Time to go!" Brooklyn cried. "Jackal is a lot stronger than before and he's not fucking around!"
Together they pulled the weakened Goliath to the elevator while both Brooklyn and Broadway fired rounds at Jackal. Jackal seemed to be growing immune to Particle Beam technology and each hit seemed to slow him down less.
Together they had to roll into the open elevator that was still waiting for them, Elisa barely kicking away the wedge before Jackal arrived at the sliding doors. Elisa gave the thing that was once human the finger as the doors slid shut.
Elisa and the Gargoyles were left panting as the elevator traveled up the three stories to ground level.
"I think I just had a heart attack," Elisa joked to the others, they laughed.
The elevator dinged "ground level," a prerecorded voice said as the doors slid open.
"Elisa…" Angela's voice said over the radio, but she was soon drowned out by the club's deafening noise.
Elisa and the Gargoyles, still in their combat gear, began to carry Goliath behind the noisy partiers. The humans were so engrossed in what passed for their entertainment that they did not notice.
They made it outside where the security officers in their member's only jackets waited. A group of them noticed the Gargoyles and cried, "hold it!"
"You want to try me, motherfucker!" Elisa cried while brandishing her sub machine gun at them. "That's my husband we are carrying so don't think I'll even hesitate to drop you!"
The rent-a-cops were pushovers and dropped to the ground at Elisa's orders.
As Elisa held down on them there was the sound of a loud blast and the feeling of instant pain in her arm. "Ah!" She cried with anger and frustration, blood was welling from a grazing wound.
"Elisa, are you okay?"
"Snipers!" Elisa cried. "Move it!"
This was anticipated. Elisa had guessed that snipers would be stationed on the high buildings around the club. These new generation Quarrymen snipers were in from America's wars around the globe and were damn good, they would not miss an easy target and hardly missed any thing else.
"Go!" Elisa cried. "Go! Go! Go! Angela where are you!"
They dragged Goliath as fast as they could as bullets danced around their feet. All of the snipers were firing on them now, their bullets were barely missing, some nicking arms and legs, smashing into parked cars and a few Security Guards.
"Angela! Where are you!" Elisa cried into the mic.
"I've been trying and trying to reach you!" Angela radioed back. "The police have barricaded all the roads to the club. They just shot up the van without warning as soon as they realized I was the one driving it! I'm gliding rooftop to rooftop and I will get there as soon as I can."
"No!" Elisa cried. "Get out of here! Return to California!"
Bullets were flying in from everywhere as they ran to the parking lot, bullets impacted fiberglass sides of sedans as civilians ran out of the crossfire. Elisa supposed it was a matter of time before one of her Gargoyles cried, "oh! I'm hit!"
Elisa forced them to dive behind a car where they would be safe, for now.
"Where are you hit," Brooklyn asked Lexington.
Lexington raised his arm to show a blood stain spreading near his lower left quadrant. It was not an immediately lethal wound for man or Gargoyle, but if more bullets found their marks then that fact would soon change.
"Elisa," Angela moaned over the mic. "The Quarrymen have deployed a division around the club along with the police. This whole thing was a trap, they knew we were coming. I-I don't know if I can get to you…"
"I told you to get out of here," Elisa said to her and looked to the others. The gunfire had fallen silent, no doubt the spotters with the snipers had lost track of their targets.
"I remember," Broadway said. "When I was young. We were told that to die in glorious combat was the best part of existence."
"Let's not forget what Patton once said," Elisa replied. "Let's make the enemy die for their glory."
"Fine," Brooklyn added. "But, how are we going to get out of here. We are kind of at a tactical disadvantage."
"I don't know," Elisa said. "We just start running and try to receive the least amount of bullet wounds possible."
"Or we can fight our way out," Broadway said.
Elisa frowned, "fine, Lexington, Broadway, you stay with Goliath. Brooklyn and I are going to distract the Quarrymen…"
"You're going to distract them by yourselves," Broadway demanded.
"Broadway, you have a wife and small children," Elisa said. "You need to get out of here alive for the sake of my grandchildren."
"I am also warrior of the Wyvern Clan," Broadway said. "Though I did not remember until now."
"Alright," Elisa replied. "Broadway you are with us. Lexington, you need to stay with Goliath. When the coast is clear, you need to carry our leader to safety."
"I'd rather be with you," Lexington said. "But I will be honored."
Elisa nodded and said, "then let's do it. Brooklyn, let's try and take out a few of these snipers before we run."
"Right, the target acquisition system in my helmet will help…" Brooklyn began.
"Fine," Elisa said. "Lets just do it."
"Yes, ma'am," Brooklyn said. "On the count of ten."
They counted ten and the two rose to put fire on the roof tops. But before either could take a shot a bullet was fired from a sniper, getting through one car, deflecting off Brooklyn's shoulder, and hitting the car near Elisa, spider-webbing the rear window.
Brooklyn dropped his gun and was left groaning, clutching and shaking his arm.
"You okay, Brooklyn," Elisa asked.
Brooklyn flexed his fingers and then picked up the particle rifle he just dropped, "I'm fine! I can't believe that damn Nazi fucker sniper made that friggen shot! It was impossible!"
A bright light shown into the parking lot and the Gargoyles dove for cover.
"I bet they have ground-pounders out looking for us," Lexington said.
"Pretty far from your computer games, huh Lex," Elisa teased.
Lex smiled, "who plays computer games anymore? X Box for me."
"Fine," Elisa said. "Let's get Doom on their asses and fight our way out of here."
"Doom," Lexington smiled and laughed.
Elisa was no longer talking, she stood while brandishing the sub machine gun to take on the Quarrymen enemy.
But before anyone could fire, in a relative sense, loud jet roars came deafening from the near dark skies; familiar jet roars. The Gargoyles ducked in instinctive fear from the sound that had been hammered into their subconscious minds from the incidents at the Statue of Liberty and elsewhere, the Steel Clan.
The deafening roars came close to the building tops, thumping explosions emanated from them. As Elisa and the Gargoyles watched, the Quarrymen snipers were eliminated in separate fireballs. The Gargoyles cheered, something they thought they would never do for Steel Clan.
Elisa smiled and caressed Goliath's thin cheek, "hear that, baby? We're might get out of here alive, Xanatos has come to save the day."
The Gargoyles were quick to jump from their hiding places, they were surprised to see that Quarrymen foot soldiers had infested the area around the parking lot. However, they were distracted by the explosions that had taken out their sniper brethren at the building tops.
"Don't stop! Just run," Elisa cried as she and the others ran past their enemies who were still confused. But they weren't confused for long, soon particle and conventional rounds were chasing them across the parking lot. Though the Gargoyles had gotten away from the snipers it was doubtful that they would escape the Quarrymen ground forces.
A helicopter landed and a side opened, "perhaps I can be of assistance," Owen said.
"I've never been so happy to see you," Elisa said as she ushered her Gargoyles aboard the helicopter.
Elisa bent over her husband as the helicopter took him safely away. "Hang on, my love. We'll be home soon."