****St. Patrick's Cathedral
"Apollo," Typhon softly called as he landed in the darkened loft hidden above the famous cathedral, the same place he has roosted during the day since coming to Manhattan.
"Where are you, boy?"
From a darkened corner a dog with a dark golden coat dashed up the gargoyle with his tongue lopping out and his tail wagging like a flag. The dog gave Typhon a few licks on the face as he scratched him behind the ears and said,
"I'm sorry for taking so long, Apollo. When this last task is done we will leave."
"Funny, I didn't take you for the religious type," said a female voice from behind.
Typhon leaped into a battle stance at the sound of the voice, eyes lit, wings flared, and talons ready to rip, Apollo barking loudly. But they both relaxed in posture when Typhon saw who the voice belong to, the blue female he had battled days before, only her hair was far redder with a few highlights of red gold and she wore a ragged two piece outfit.
"Well, Fury," he laughed, "Have you come for a rematch? I would indeed welcome it, but this isn't the time nor the place."
"I'm not here to fight," Demona scowled as she crossed arms, "I'm here to get answers. I know who your allies are and who you're all working for. But I see that your different, unlike the others you don't have a vendetta against the clan. So I want to know what business you have in Manhattan, and why seek it at Nightstone."
"I work for no one, Fury," Typhon stated with a bit of wounded pride as he set to calm a growling Apollo, "As to why I'm here that's no one's concern but my own. But you needn't worry about it any longer, for I have decided to leave this wasteful human city tomorrow night. My so-called alliance has been nothing but a waste and I will no longer partake in Thailog's pointless vendetta with the humans."
Demona cocked her head a bit at this last statement, trying to make sense of the red stranger. What really caught her attention was his slight snare of the last word.
"You clearly have no love for humans," she said, "So why end your alliance with Thailog if you share a common goal for using and abusing them, if not destroying them outright?"
"You misjudge me, Fury. I know humans are deceitful and untrustworthy, and are best avoided. The humans in ancient times were the enemies of my clan's ancestors and their allies, but that was centuries ago. There is no honor in what Thailog does, but he can do whatever he wants with the humans as long as I'm so longer part of it. The humans are only my enemy if they challenge me in battle or threaten an innocent under my protection."
For but a moment Demona found herself entranced by what this stranger had said, but quickly shook herself from it as she asked, "So why are you allied with Thailog if you don't trust him?"
"As I told you, that's my concern alone. My clan has done well on our own for centuries and we don't need outside help."
"That doesn't answer my question," Demona said stubbornly.
Typhon gave a huff as he said, "It's simply not your clan's concern. Now take your leave of me and tell your leader I'm withdrawing from here, and to heed my advice of foolishly allying with humans."
"As wholeheartedly as I agree with you, I'm more or less not part of the Manhattan Clan."
Typhon cocked an eye ridge.
"I also came to warn you, whatever Thailog has told you it's all lies. Nightstone is my company, which he stole from me several months ago and I want it back. Whatever he has planned for the humans is only the beginning, but I could care less about that. My only concern is what he'll do with it to gargoyles, especially my precious daughter. If you can help me find a way to bring him down I can help you with your own quest and what you seek."
"I'm already aware of the lies and half truths Thailog tells, and he dares call himself a gargoyle. And he's made the same offer with no results. How is yours different?"
"I have ways of finding out about what happens in this city, and I have talents he can only dream about, such as studies in magic. And I can avoid stone sleep."
Typhon's eyes widened a bit as a thought began to dawn on him.
"You are Demona. Icarus told of your uninvited attendance to that ridiculous council. It's unclear what your intentions were then, but if you had reason to lie I won't be so easily fooled."
"I've met Icarus. An intelligent male, but brash and impulsive."
"So impulsive he has disappeared again. Very well, no more games. I don't completely trust you, but I can see you're trying. Exactly how can I be sure you will hold up your end of the bargain?"
"A show of good faith. If my suspicions are right you seek to find the missing Icarus and bring him home. I can find ways of locating him, but I can't promise that they'll be quick. But I can show you a place I suspect he may try to go to."
"And what do you expect me to do in return?" Typhon inquired as he eyed her carefully.
"I implore you to maintain your 'alliance' for now. Tell me of any activities or plots he has planned, but say nothing about me. For now I must remain in the shadows."
"You must hate him very much to risk such subterfuge. Your offer is tempting, but I've grown weary of being used. As you said, all I wish to do is find my wanderlust rookery brother and bring him home to New Olympus. It's essential I do it soon, not only for disciplining by the clan but also for the safe keeping of my home's secret location for fear of humans finding it."
"When necessary I'm quite good at keeping secrets," Demona said with a smile as she placed a hand on her slightly thrust hip, "Give me a chance to prove myself and I promise you won't be disappointed."
Typhon eyed her for a moment as he tried to figure he true intentions. He then gave a wry smile as he said, "You are an enigma, Fury. Though I always preferred the thrill of challenge on the battlefield, even a warrior must know patience and cunning, otherwise the warrior is merely a brute. I will hold you to your word, Fury, but fail to keep it and I leave this decrepit human city before sunrise tomorrow night."
"You have my word I won't fail you," Demona said with determination as she extended her hand, "I'm Demona."
"Typhon." He grasped her arm in the traditional warrior's hold.
"If I have something to tell you about what goes on at Nightstone how will I find you?"
"I'll find you," Demona said as she began to depart, "I'll meet you here again at midnight."
As she turned to take her leave, a smile unconsciously lit her lovely face, a kind of smile she has not allowed herself since her love struck younger days at Castle Wyvern.
When she became naught but a dark silhouette in the night with Typhon watching her with an intrigued and critical eye, he then pressed his belt buckle which began to blink.
A faint gust of wind which signaled the arrival of a gargoyle on the wind whooshed about the darkened loft, making Apollo perk his ears and give a faint curious wine. Typhon turned to face a human man with a winged helmet and sandals, but he did not attack nor frighten the human.
"Greetings, Hermes," Typhon said with a nod of acknowledgement.
"Greetings, Typhon. What do you have to report?" Hermes removed a silver high tech pad and pen from a satchel at his side as Typhon reported his most current finding to the New Olympian messenger.
When his report was complete, Hermes disappeared like the wind as he dashed away.
Not long after Hermes departed, Typhon finally returned to Nightstone an hour before dawn.
He was hours behind Coldsteel, who was the first to return and go to Thailog's top cyberneticists after feeling the nauseating effects of the mysterious electrical surge; and then Darius returned to give his stolen information to Thailog and then retire to a private chamber set aside just for him, where he placed his newest magical prize next to an ancient Viking battle ax.
Typhon stomped to the wounded gargoyle CEO's desk and slammed the stone statue down with a hard bang.
The loud noise aroused the warning growl from a yellow-green beast that had been dozing by Thailog's side, and making his ever present human companion jump from her seat on the desk.
The beast growled low from his massive chest as his eyes glowed bright red, Thailog commanding to him, "Down, boy."
Typhon showed no fear towards the beast, but nevertheless eyed it wearily.
"You must forgive, Anaheim," Thailog smirked, "He can be very protective of me."
He got a bit more serious as Typhon just remained silent and ever stoic.
"You're cutting it very close. What took you so long?" Thailog demanded.
"Personal matters that are none of your business," Typhon said blatantly, "The agreement of this alliance is I do these ridiculous tasks for you in exchange for your assistance in finding my brother and the safe keeping of New Olympus' secret. No questions asked."
Thailog gave a grim smile that seemed to worsen his already damaged homely features as he said, "As you wish."
Typhon then took his leave, gliding on the winds to his private roost, Anaheim growling after him.
"He certainly is stubborn," his companion said, "What do you think he's hiding?"
"It doesn't matter right now," Thailog dismissed with a smirk as he held the stolen statue, "I'll have his secrets soon enough. Speaking of which."
Though Thailog has suffered from the ill effects of his burn wounds for the long part of his short life, his physical strength was not completely lacking. With a mighty crash the statue of the sacred Shinto beast got smashed into many crumbed pieces. What only remained intact were two small items hidden within, a small roll of film and a mini computer disk.
"A couple of nice little additions to my most recent commodities, wouldn't you agree, Shari?"
"Of course, Thailog," Shari concurred, "But I can't help but think you could've acquired some of these things by more subtler means."
"True," Thailog sighted, "The recent buy-outs of many of the city's smaller subsidiaries were easy enough, especially the buy-outs with Maddox Technologies. Now that there pixie boss is pushing up iron daisies they were all too easy for the pickings since they decided to sell their company. Besides, you know how these mafia types are about keeping their secrets, unless you know where to look and how to push their buttons."
He gave a low laugh, Shari simply remained silent as she continued to listen.
"Doing things the subtle way may be more practical, but where's the fun in that."
They shared a brief laugh for a moment as Thailog then pressed his desk commlink and said to it, "Fergus, send her in."
The polished office doors opened and a statuesque woman with bright red hair, an hourglass figure, and athletic build entered with a brisk strut but also with an air of discipline and dead seriousness. She wore a tight form fitting black body suit highlighted with deep red and on her back she carried two short tachis and a utility belt that may have carried and assortment of weapons.
"Shari, meet Vixen; mercenary for hire and the newest member of the Ultra Pack, she'll be filling for a while for Hyena while she recovers from her current condition." The two women gave nods of acknowledgement to each other, and nothing more. "Mr. Kimura recently hired her to assassinate Nitro Nicky G, and the results were very impressive. I definitely say she's earned her chance to be part of the Nightstone family for a while, seeing as how we are in need of new blood."
"Thank you, Mr. Thailog, but I do what needs to be done to get results, and I expect to be well paid," Vixen said with a neutral but serious tone.
"Of course, Vixen," Thailog just said with an arrogance smile, "I expect nothing less. You're dismissed."
Vixen then left his office with the same brisk strut, Thailog then became a bit more introspective.
"I know most of the night's plan worked, even if it didn't turn out exactly as I had expected. The acquisitions of my associates were successful in one way or another, as was the bomb testing. The war on the streets, and confusing the police and the clan is entertaining enough, but one thing now bothers me. How did Xanatos find a way to detect Coldsteel's cloak? Someone must've given him the frequency, and I'll find out who. And when I do, I'll make him think twice before betraying me again."
Again Thailog gave a low menacing laugh, Shari simply shared it with a small smile.