Taking over me

(inspired by Evanescence's song)

By Princess Alexandria

October 1996

Corrine stared at the letter one last time, before folding it in half. She slid it carefully into the envelope and had to jiggle it a little to get it in. The envelope was thick with pictures, a short history of her family's insane crusade, and now the letter pleading for caution. Corrine sealed the envelope and started to write a human man's name on it. Her handwriting was carefully done.

This really was a desperate move, but Corrine was behind by too much to be more careful and research more. There was enough in the newspapers for her to be pretty sure David Xanatos knew of gargoyles, and that some had lived with him. He was likely an ally to a clan, or perhaps he held a place in a clan like Corrine did. One thing for sure, he was Corrine's most solid lead.

Corrine couldn't risk this not getting to him, so she was dressed in a stolen UPS uniform. The hat was put on as she stood and she glanced around the apartment she'd leased in Manhattan. It was nice, and had a balcony. Corrine sighed, still thinking it was lonely. She'd been in New York for a month now, and with the time difference she couldn't call home as easily as she'd been able to do it from France.

Corrine double checked her clipboard to make sure it looked authentic and started out for Xanatos Enterprises. Since she wasn't able to steal a UPS truck, or she could have but thought it wasn't worth the risk, she drove to a few blocks away and walked the rest of the way. The crowded streets were so different from home, but the flow of people seemed organic and organized. She walked among the herd of people, confident in her anonymity. She'd seen her family in the distance a few times over the past month, but they hadn't seen her. The crowds helped, that and Corrine's careful disguises. She couldn't let them know she was there. This battle may well come down to the element of surprise and she wanted to have that in reserve just in case.

Corrine pushed those concerns about her family that were always there as she saw the entrance to Xanatos Enterprises coming up on her left. She shifted through the crowd to come out of the flow of people right next to large glass doors. She also pushed aside her concern for Demona and the unknown clan here. She had to focus on being a UPS carrier.

She approached the security desk, because she knew they'd have to let her up. She'd already checked on this and it was proper procedure. "Delivery for David Xanatos." She spoke and the two guards looked up from their monitors.

"You can leave it here." One spoke, his voice weary.

"He has to sign for it." Corrine smiled at him with a 'what can you do?' expression on her face.

"Okay." He studied her and Corrine had the impression he was looking for weapons. He didn't look all that hard. "Go on up to his office. If he isn't there you may end up getting Mr. Burnett's signature." Corrine just nodded and didn't comment that she didn't want to take that one either.

As she rode the elevator up she had company enter and leave. But the further up she went, the fewer people were there. Finally she was alone and she just watched the floor readout as she gripped the package containing her major betrayal of her family and the clipboard.

Once the door opened she stepped out and glanced around. Based on the signs she turned left and started for his office.

"So what do you have for me?" A charismatic man smiled at her and Corrine smiled just a little back as she stepped into his office. Mr. Burnett had let her in for her signature when she'd been a bit reluctant to let him sign for this. Corrine had no idea how much David Xanatos' personal assistant knew about the gargoyles in the city, but she wasn't about to bring other people into this if it wasn't necessary.

"Well, far as I can tell I've got a big envelope filled with stuff." She spoke carefully, so she could maintain her fake American accent. She stepped forward with her envelope. "Your guess is probably better than mine." She told him as she first gave him the clipboard. "You need to sign for it." She told him as he studied the fake form for just a brief second and then pulled the pen she'd attached to the clipboard. Once she had his signature she handed over the packet, pretending it was just her job to do it.

She nodded to Mr. Burnett as she passed him on her way out, trying not to respond with anything other than some small gratitude to the fact that David Xanatos had given her a twenty dollar tip. She always felt guilty at the shop if someone tipped her, knowing she was much better off financially than they were and they just didn't know it. Finally she was getting money from someone richer than she was. She just pocketed it and promised herself the first desperate looking homeless person she saw would get it.

As she took the elevator down she didn't let herself take that big deep breath she wanted. He had it now, something was in motion. Hopefully it helped.

Once Corrine found herself back in her apartment she stared into the mirror. She reached up and slowly pealed the fake cheek bones off her face and rubbed at her tender skin. She removed the dark rimmed glasses and then pulled on the nose until the larger nose came off. She sighed, grateful to the air that could now touch her skin. Corrine put the items she'd pulled off of herself back into the large makeup case and moved into the bathroom to wash off the spirit gum that had held it in place.

She was going to have to keep looking, but with such a large city and her family having such a large head start, Corrine was going to have to change her approach. She was going to have to follow them, and try and slip in before them. Her family were Canmores, they'd lead her to gargoyles.

…………………………………

Corrine walked into the precinct her brother had just started working at. It had to have taken him a long time to set up the fake identity to withstand the police checks, but he'd apparently made the decision to use it quickly last night and since Corrine didn't have that much time to prep an identity she stepped into the precinct in a navy blue shirt and with a toolbox. Her closet was getting rather full with all the uniforms she'd been buying or stealing lately.

She handed the work requisition she'd mocked up to someone and was pointed to her brother's desk. As she worked on installing the software and hardware to spy on his online activity under the guise of fixing the older machine to be compatible with the system, she thought of the conversations she'd overheard from the listening devices she'd planted in their rooms two weeks ago.

Getting those devices placed had been another tense moment, where she worked fast just in case they returned. Corrine had learned about their fake identities and had investigated the buildings Jason and Robyn would be closest to. She was alarmed to see evidence of gargoyles on the building sides. It was their first day at the new jobs and Corrine had to pick which building she needed to protect first. She went for this one because she had a better chance of searching the entire place quickly.

Corrine prayed nothing was happening at Nightstone as she did this. The work that went into the fake identities her family used made her think it wasn't a one day slip in job like Corrine normally did. It gave her hope she could warn both nests in time.

Once the computer was done she stood up and glanced around. The place was filled with police and she really wished the place had been filled with something else. She picked up her toolbox, which was a lot lighter than it looked and glanced around for the bathroom.

She walked across the large room filled with desks as if she belonged and slipped into the bathroom. There were four stalls and someone was in one, so Corrine put her toolbox down next to a sink and started to comb her fingers through her hair, waiting. She worked to tame the muss that happened as she crawled under Jason's desk.

The stall opened and Corrine smirked as she saw the person was guilted into washing her hands because there was a witness. She could tell by the first step being toward the door and then the slight shift to the sink next to Corrine. The detective, a woman with short hair who had to be about forty, nodded and left. That was when Corrine moved to the door and locked it, before she quickly turned to the window and started to pull her fake nose off as well as other bits she'd put on her face to change the shape a bit. She washed her face quickly and pulled her hair back into a ponytail, it was rough, but she didn't want to spend the time making it neat.

Corrine quickly untucked her shirt and unbuttoned it. She dropped it next to her toolbox as she leaned down and opened it. She moved the top tray and pulled out a janitorial top she'd 'borrowed' from the company that did the cleaning of this precinct. She put it on and tucked in the shirt, looking up into the mirror as she neatened her appearance. It was a risk to use her own face here, but Jason should be out for a while and Corrine needed to take advantage of the fact she'd already snuck past the front desk. Once she was satisfied with her appearance Corrine leaned down again and pulled out the envelope she'd prepared for the clan if she found them and a gun she hoped not to need. She tucked both into the waist of her pants and under her shirt, before fixing her appearance again. Corrine tossed her computer repairperson shirt back into the toolbox and closed it up. She carefully opened the bathroom door and, noticing it was clear, slipped out to the hall. The janitorial closet was near her and she glanced around before picking the lock, before slipped her toolbox inside and pulling out the mop bucket and mob, along with the closed sign that went with it. Corrine filled it with water from the janitorial closet hose and wheeled it out. She hated mopping, but she shouldn't have to do too much, if any at all.

Gargoyles would be up, Corrine knew this for a fact. She wandered the halls carefully and opened unlabeled doors, looking for the stairs up. She found them and carefully pulled the mop bucket in with her, before closing the door. She leaned the mop handle on the wall and walked around the mop bucket to go up the stairs. It was daylight, so she wouldn't disturb anyone, but Corrine always entered a nest quietly. She couldn't get over the feeling she could wake them up and disturb them, even though she knew that wasn't possible.

The ticking was low and consistent and Corrine found herself staring up at the clock on the building from the inside. She glanced around the large space and her eyes widened to see proof of someone living here. There was a tv in one corner and Corrine heard a slight hum that drew her eyes to a refrigerator. "Oh God, they found a clan." Corrine muttered, upset with the proof that Jason really did have a good lead. She'd hoped she was wrong.

Corrine moved to the door next to the clock and slowly opened it. The breeze was a bit chilly in October, but Corrine stepped out and stared at the small gargoyle on a ledge. Her eyes slowly moved over the stone forms of a large overweight male, and a beaked male. She found the larger male, and then their female. She found an older male with a beard and a four legged creature. Corrine stood still, just a few feet from the doorway staring at the clan. This was a nest, they made a nest on the top of a police station. That was rather a bold move for them, Corrine thought as she slowly walked around.

The young female had a pained look on her face. She was partly stooped over. Corrine stared a moment, surprised to see Scottish stock here, in America. She walked carefully around the clan, and when she got to the large one her eyes widened in recognition. There was a statue of him in London, an actual statue, but she stared at the real thing. His name was Goliath, and this was the male that brought back Griff. He was also the one that gave such lousy advice to her clan. Corrine felt a small bit of relief that it was his clan, because she could now tell him how wrong he'd been. She could fill in the gaps he apparently had about the dangers out there.

It was his ignorance of those dangers that brought the Canmores to New York. Corrine sighed heavily as she considered that. Hopefully she'd stopped things from descending to that in her own clan.

Glancing over at the sun again, Corrine decided to sit up against the wall, partly protected from the wind and wait.

…

It was the sound of footsteps that drew Corrine's attention away from her memories, memories of the gargoyle that had changed her life. Corrine sat on the top of a police station considering what her life would have been if she hadn't had Demona in it. She wondered if her family would have made a hunter out of her, and was afraid they could have. Demona saved her from that as well, she knew that. Corrine blinked as she heard the footsteps and turned to see the door open.

A woman walked out as Corrine reached for her gun and Corrine paused, seeing the confidence the woman had as she walked up to Goliath's frozen form. "Hey Big Guy." The woman spoke and Corrine studied her, taking in red coat and easy manner with the stone forms, and she knew that this woman knew they weren't really statues.

Corrine started to stand up and found the woman whipping around and staring at her in shock. Corrine was halfway up when she saw the woman's eyes widen further and her arm whipped into her coat. Corrine started to raise her hands even as the gun came out of hiding, and she moved more slowly and deliberately.

She understood the fear this Detective may feel. If a stranger were in Katara's nest as Corrine came to visit she'd pull a gun too. "It's okay." Corrine spoke softly and waved her hands slowly up and down, trying to encourage the woman to lower her gun. The sound of cracking made the woman tenser and she glanced over at the nearest gargoyle and then back at Corrine. Her gun wasn't wavering. "I already know about gargoyles." Corrine spoke gently and smiled just a little, trying to disarm the woman with charm.

"Don't move." The woman seemed to growl out her words, just as the gargoyles did their waking growls.

"Elisa?" A deep voice spoke and Corrine risked turning just a bit to see the large gargoyle looking at the detective in confused concern, before following the aim of the gun to Corrine.

"Hello Goliath." Corrine gave him a weak smile. He wouldn't know her, but she needed them to think twice about what they were doing here, or Corrine could get hurt.

"Elisa, what is going on here?" Goliath spoke to the woman, who clearly was called Elisa.

"I found her up here when I came to see you." The woman spoke and her gun was still pointed in Corrine's direction.

"You don't have to hold me at gunpoint." Corrine finally just said it, even as the rest of the clan stepped closer, just leaving the space between Elisa and her opened. Corrine noticed the female of the clan was moving slowly and grimaced at one point in pain.

"I think I do. You're a Canmore." Elisa spoke and Corrine's eyes widened. "I've heard of you lot. You will not be hunting this clan. So was that what Jason was doing today? Keeping me away so you could sneak up here?" The clan seemed to tense and Corrine felt a bit of fear at the glowing eyes and hostile body language she received suddenly.

"One of them was here?" Someone sounded stunned and Corrine just stared, shocked that they knew. Goliath hadn't acted like he'd known about the dangers out there when he met the London clan. It had to be her care package for David Xanatos, but she hadn't included any information about herself in it. That would have been crazy, and would result in just what she was getting now, hostility and mistrust. "Well, two I guess." The speaker glanced at her and then back at Elisa.

"I'm not a hunter." Corrine spoke up after her moment of shock at being recognized faded. "But they are here. They're dangerous."

"We know." A bitter voice spoke up and Corrine saw the red male point to the lone female. "They attacked Angela last night."

"Oh Damn." Corrine turned to look at the female, her own eyes sympathetic. "I'm so sorry. I've been trying to find you all to warn you." She looked over at the detective who was lowering her weapon. "I guess David Xanatos got you the information I sent him?"

"It came from Xanatos then." Goliath spoke and Corrine could tell just from his tone that Mr. Xanatos wasn't a member of this clan.

"I don't know how many of the clan's nests have been discovered, but if you have one near Nightstone they need to be warned as well. Robyn is working there, and Jon, I don't know what Jon is up to. Maybe if the news station has a nest it would make sense, but he's a reporter. I don't know what nest he's targeting." Corrine rubbed at her forehead and sighed heavily. "You can't take chances with them. You all should move, Jason's the most bloodthirsty one. This nest isn't going to be safe for another day."

"Nest?" Elisa spoke up and Corrine glanced around to see a few confused faces. That confused her.

"Well, they are targeting other places too, or they'd all be here." Corrine frowned.

"They're after Demona too." Someone spoke and Corrine's eyes widened as she turned to stare the red male.

"And I gather we should warn Talon, now that we know this is true." The older male spoke and Corrine was still staring at the red male.

"She's here?" Corrine hadn't found any sign of her when she was looking, but knowing there was a clan around Corrine couldn't indulge in a specific hunt for the female. "Oh god." Corrine lowered her eyes and took a deep breath. "Where is she?" She looked up, her eyes fearful. Her family really was on Demona's trail.

"Don't worry, she is not here." Goliath spoke and Corrine turned to him.

"But if the others find her." Corrine stared at him seeing he wasn't nearly as concerned as Corrine was. "You don't understand. They hate her more than any other gargoyle, and what they plan to do to you is horrifying enough."

"You sent that information. Why?" The female spoke and Corrine turned to her.

"Because they are monsters." Corrine stared a gargoyle in the eyes as she said it. "We've been breed and trained to be monsters, and I can't let them," Corrine went silent for a moment. "It's wrong and I have to stop them."

"Perhaps we should go inside to talk." Goliath spoke and Corrine slowly walked with them inside. A few went in before her and Goliath waved his hand to have her go before him.

Corrine was aware she was still watched, but these gargoyles were not as hostile as before. "How did you get information on me? I didn't include that."

"I did a little digging." The detective answered. "Found out there was a fourth Canmore."

"How did you know my name?" Goliath asked as a few gargoyles moved to sit or perch around the clocktower. Corrine didn't bother sitting, she just leaned a little on the side of the couch.

Corrine glanced at Elisa, and decided this must have been the human with Goliath when they went to London, what did they say her name was? Corrine couldn't remember, but it must have been this woman. "Una told me."

That had Goliath staring at her incredulously. "Una?"

"I'm a member of the London Clan." Corrine told them while staring at the large male right in his eyes. "When I told her my family was on the move she told me there really were gargoyles here. I hopped on a plane as fast as I could, but this is a huge city and it took me longer than Jason to find you."

"She made no mention of the fact she had a human in her clan." Goliath spoke after a moment and Corrine smiled just a little at Una showing some caution.

"You were there a day or two. I would hope you don't know all my clans secrets in that amount of time." This was off topic and Corrine was eager to move the discussion to the fact these gargoyles had to move tonight, but she understood that they'd need time to trust her.

"Well, when you put it that way." Elisa gave Corrine a hint of a smile. "It makes some sense."

"Only some." The female gargoyle spoke. "Why would a Canmore join a clan? Why are you different than the others?" Corrine watched the female touch her own shoulder and Corrine got the impression it still hurt even after a stone sleep.

"I'm sorry they hurt you." Corrine spoke more softly, gently as she looked at the female. "it must have been bad for you to still feel it."

"Angela almost died last night." The chubby gargoyle spoke and Corrine cringed at the thought. Still she made a point to remember that name.

"It was last night?" Corrine's mind was racing as she put a few pieces of the puzzle together. Her voice was a little urgent as she glanced around the place. "And my brother is suddenly working here. Maybe we should have this discussion somewhere else." Her eyes traveled to the stairwell a tad nervously. "They don't know about me."

"And you suspect they'll be an ambush lass?" The older male spoke and Corrine just nodded. "She may be right Goliath, with the Canmores actions I can't believe they don't know we're here."

"At least I didn't let on that I recognized him today." Elisa spoke. "But I don't know why they'd bother with all this if they know where the clan is."

"They are probably looking for proof there aren't other nests before they strike." Corrine explained, but she wasn't comfortable that her family thought of it. "Once they do strike the other nests would be warned."

"Other nests?" this time it was Angela that asked.

"You don't put all your eggs in one basket." Corrine glanced around at the clan. "You broke your clan up to smaller groups too, didn't you?"

"No, this is all that remains of my clan." Goliath spoke and Corrine found herself looking at the small group and the solemn look in their eyes. She didn't think they were lying.

"But Nightstone?" She asked after a moment.

"Demona is not a member of this clan." There was a hint of anger and Corrine was a little confused.

"You said something about Talon?" She furthered her question.

"He is the leader of a different clan, kinda." The smallest one answered and Corrine bit at her lower lip.

"There are three separate groups we need to warn?" Her voice rose at the end of that. "Oh hell." This was going to make things more complicated. She was getting somewhere with this group, but if she had to do this again with Talon he might not listen. And then there was Demona, and Corrine didn't know what to think about that.

"What's the matter?" The large male asked and Corrine sighed heavily.

"Ever heard the term 'divided we fall'?" She muttered. "Without clear communication between clans they could be wiped out one by one without warning the others. This could be used against all of you." She sighed. "We need Demona's help. She knows what my family is like. I'll go to Nightstone and see if I can find her." This was not how she wanted a reunion to be, and Corrine felt sick that she was going to have to approach the gargoyle and ask her to kill Corrine's family.

"That is probably not a good idea." The red male spoke up and Goliath nodded in agreement.

"She needs to know." Corrine spoke up, but she was really getting bad vibes whenever Demona came up with this clan.

"Yes, and as of right now you are our only source of inside information, lass. If we really do need Demona's help we'll send someone else." The older gargoyle spoke and Corrine didn't like the unspoken message she was hearing.

"She has to be warned." She pushed off of the side of the couch as she looked around. "They hate her."

"And the club gets larger every day." The red male muttered quietly and Corrine turned to stare at him.

"Brooklyn, not now." Goliath spoke and the red male seemed to sit taller. Goliath turned to Corrine. "You've given us much to think about."

She didn't like that tone, and she had images of Una in the beginning, before Una took her seriously. "If you are still here during the day there is a good chance you won't wake up." She spelled it out to them. She stared down at the floor. "I can't be in two places at once, and I have to be at Nightstone if they attack."

"You're going there to 'protect' Demona?!" Brooklyn sounded stunned and Corrine glanced around at the others.

"I can't let a Canmore kill her. I can't." Her voice was cold as she considered what she'd have to do to prevent that. "You need to find a safer place, because honestly, if they come after you here, it will be all three and even with me here someone would get smashed."

"Maybe you guys could move in with me for a little while." Elisa spoke and her voice was cautious sounding as she looked around at the clan. Corrine nodded in understanding. She'd often wished she could keep all of her clan in her house and safe, but her clan was considerably larger.

There was a slam and Corrine's body tensed up as she started to reach for her gun while turning her body toward the sound. "I might have another alternative, Detective." A man spoke and Corrine didn't relax as she took in his red body armour. She slowly looked up to see his face and her eyes widened for just a moment.

"Xanatos!" Goliath seemed to hiss out the word.

……………………………..