"So, you want me to believe that Brooklyn went back in time and fought alongside Demona and an army that overthrew a tyrant before you all came back to this time?" Matt said after he had a chance to think over what Cold Fire was telling him.
"Do you have books from that era here?" Cold Fire asked suddenly, and Matt shook his head.
"I don't think so. I have one book about legends, but I haven't had the chance to read it." Matt replied.
"Can I see it?" Cold Fire asked. Matt nodded and walked back toward his bedroom to grab the book. When he came back and handed the book to Cold Fire. Cold Fire looked through the book and grinned as she turned the book around and showed Matt the page that she was looking at. On the page was a picture of a painting that had been taken of herself, Demona, Xena, Brooklyn. They were standing next to a castle. Drexia, Macbeth, Hercules, and Iolaus were standing next to them.
"So, it's really true." Matt said in disbelief. Cold Fire nodded.
"We have to hurry now. The battle in Wyvern Castle should be starting." Brooklyn advised.
"Alright, let's go." Matt replied as Demona and Xena walked back into the room.
…
"Alright, we had a deal so it's time for you to tell me where he is." Puck stated irritably.
He's at the home of the gargoyles. Beware; he's taken his true vessel. The demons spoke in his mind.
"Doesn't matter, we will kill this asshole." Puck said vehemently. He appeared in the center of Wyvern Castle with Hudson and Lexington beside him.
"What doesn't matter Lad." Hudson barely got out as he leaned forward clutching his chest.
"Are you alright?" Puck and Lexington went to help him but he waved them off.
"Of course I'm alright. Just give me a moment to catch my breath." He snarled.
"Alright Lexington, stay with him. I have to find Demona now." Puck ordered just before he walked off down the hall. He turned the corner and was stunned to see Lucifer trying to get into the gargoyles treasury.
"You know that's set on a timer. Even you can't get through that." Puck smirked at her.
"You've made a mistake coming here fay." Lucifer grinned and turned towards him. "I'm going to enjoy taking you apart."
"Take your best damned shot." Puck drew his green scimitars and leapt forward.
"Go help him Lad, I'll be fine." Hudson said as he slowly rose to his feet.
"I'm not leaving you behind. C'mon, I'll help." Lex replied. He put his arm around the elder gargoyle and helped him to his feet.
"Aargh…umph…" Hudson's face went pale and he clutched his chest again as he fell face first to the ground.
"Hudson," Lex called out. He quickly rolled the elder over and checked him. "Oh no," He began to panic as he shook him. "Someone help, anyone? We need help." Lex shouted.
"Not so loud." Hudson said weakly. "Help me to that chair." He said pointing across the hall.
"You're okay. Thank goodness, I was so worried." He spoke rapidly as he helped Hudson to his feet.
"I'll be fine lad. I just need to rest here a moment." His vision was dimming as he spoke, but he could see Lex nod before he ran off down the hall. He listened as long as he could until everything went dark and he laid limply on the chair as he took his last breath.
Please Goliath, please make our clan whole again. Hudson thought as he closed his eyes.
"Hudson!" Demona called out as she raced towards the elder gargoyle and felt for a pulse. "He's dead." She said as she wiped tears from her eyes and Cold Fire gently closed Hudson's eyes before she firmly turned Demona towards her and hugged her tight to her.
"Oh my…" Brooklyn said as he rushed up to them. "What happened?"
"I understand how you feel and your need to mourn, but that will have to wait until we've dealt with the monster that is responsible for all of this." Xena said as she stepped forward to join them. Cold Fire, Demona, and Brooklyn's eyes flared bright, lighting up the dark hall as they ran down the hall.
…
…
"Oh no," Syren said as they were gliding back to the castle. "It's begun. I can feel the energy from Puck's encounter with Lucifer." She gave Goliath a concerned glance. "Goliath, it gets worse. I was reaching out to the other gargoyles and…I can't sense Hudson anymore. Goliath dove to pick up speed and soon he was moving recklessly fast towards the castle.
"Isn't that Goliath?" Katana asked from a nearby building where she was taking a break during the patrol with Brooklyn.
"Yeah, where's he going in such a hurry?" Brooklyn asked curiously.
"I don't know where he's going but it looks like Syren is following him." They both leapt off of the rooftop and began to glide after him as quickly as their wings and the wind would allow. Goliath arrived at the castle first and hit the ground running. Brooklyn and Katana landed right behind him and when they walked in they saw Hudson on the chair. Goliath rushed to his side and felt for a pulse.
"RAAAWWRR" Goliath howled in rage and pain. It was a sound the leader of the clan hadn't made since he thought Demona had been smashed by the Vikings so long ago.
"Goliath, we will get the one responsible for this." Brooklyn said. He put his hand on his friend's shoulder and became concerned when Goliath shrugged it off.
"I will destroy the one responsible." Goliath growled. He rose up and ran to the main corridor where they could hear a battle taking place. Demona turned her head and looked at the other Brooklyn that was now running beside her.
"I know, we need to hide before we're spotted, or we could change history." Brooklyn said as he gripped Demona's hand and they ran into Hudson's old room and as the gargoyles entered it, Demona closed it and barred it.
"I just had to be certain." Demona advised when she noticed the looks that the other gargoyles were giving her.
…
At that moment Puck was engaged in a heated battle with Lucifer.
"I'm sorry about this Demona." Puck kicked her hard in the midsection and then swung his scimitar in an arc to decapitate her. Lucifer quickly dodged backwards and stabbed using her angel blade. She smiled in satisfaction as she felt it sink into his flesh. Puck reached for the blade and tried to pull it out of his shoulder. He screamed in pain as Lucifer started to twist it. Puck's eyes began to glow bright and he punched her with his good arm causing her to crash into the wall behind her.
"I knew you'd put up a good fight." Lucifer smirked and charged forward. Puck swung his fist and knocked her to the ground. She quickly regained her feet and he punched her again.
"You come into my house and kill my family and then you attack my friends." Puck shouted. "I'm going to enjoy tearing you apart." He punched her again. Puck didn't notice that Demona's face began to look bruised and she started bleeding from her lip. Goliath and Brooklyn ran up to Puck to help and what they saw shocked them.
"Gol…Goliath…he's poss…possessed. Please…help me." Demona's voice was barely audible, but Goliath roared as he leapt forward and tackled Puck to the ground. "How did I know that would work?" Lucifer laughed as she healed her face and rose up off of the floor. Syren cast a spell and just before Lucifer drove a blade into the back of Goliath's neck she was flung to the floor several feet away. "You would hurt your own daughter." Lucifer feigned astonishment.
"You're no daughter of mine." Syren appeared next to her and was about to attack when Lucifer quickly reached up and through Syren's chest. She pulled her hand back holding the other gargoyle's heart. She marveled at the feeling of blood flowing down her arm and she crushed the heart as Syren's body hit the ground. Brooklyn grabbed her arms from behind and put a pair of shackles on her knowing it wouldn't hold Lucifer for long and ran forward to help Goliath as Puck knocked Goliath off him and several feet backwards.
"Goliath, we need to help them. She's not your mate." Puck advised him.
"You're lying." Goliath growled. His eyes burned deathly white as he struggled to stand. "I saw what you were doing to her. I know what you've been up to now." Puck cast a whirlwind spell to push the gargoyle leader and Brooklyn backward. Goliath stayed on his feet and was slowly making his way forward, but Brooklyn was flung back against the wall. "First, you helped her cast the spell knowing that when she saw it was a mistake, she would try to fix it." He pointed an accusing finger at him. "You knew what would happen when she did. You are the only one that could have done this."
Puck started to clap. "Bravo, you finally figured it out." He chuckled. "After living under Oberon's thumb and dealing with Xanatos I decided to make a deal. My freedom for her soul. It wasn't easy, but nothing worthwhile ever is. I mean who do you think set him against Xanatos. Using David made it easy to trap Demona and when my part of the deal was kept, he kept his."
"We were your friends. How could you agree to this?" Goliath's eyes narrowed as he spoke.
"If Xanatos has taught me one thing it's that we have no friends in this life. Only those we can use and those that will use us. Now, Goliath because of our history I will make this quick." Puck lifted his sword as Goliath tried to move, but the whirlwind spell was holding him in place.
A sword suddenly protruded through Puck's chest from behind. "You'll die for this betrayal." Katana growled as she pulled the sword free and went to stab him again. When she found that she couldn't move her arm. Puck turned towards her and sighed.
"You should have stayed out of this." Puck raised his hand and a fireball appeared inside of it. Katana covered her head with her hands as a reflex knowing it wouldn't save her. She waited but nothing happened she lifted her head up and saw that Puck had been flung across the room and was now laying sprawled on the floor. She looked up and was stunned to see Angela standing there.
"So, it was you that caused all this trouble." Michael smirked at Puck. She disappeared and re-appeared behind him. He turned quickly in surprise and she put her hand on his forehead. Her eyes began to glow bright blue and the lights in the room all exploded as Puck began to scream. Everyone watched in horror as Puck's head disappeared in a ball of fire that slowly began to consume the rest of him. Katana was sure that she would hear that scream in her nightmares forever after this night.
With Puck gone Goliath fell to the ground and began to charge forward. Michael held up her hand and he stopped unable to move again.
"Do not interfere creature, this is between my brother and I." Michael said sternly.
"Michael, it's good to see you again. It's a shame that you're still following Dad's orders." Lucifer said as she stepped towards him.
"After everything you've done, I tried to be merciful." Michael said with disappointment filling her voice. "You re-payed me by acting like a spoiled child. Oh…Daddy made me mad so now I'm going to smash all his toys. It's pathetic."
"You don't know anything. He cast us aside and after all I did, he would have me bend my knee to an inferior species." Lucifer said angrily. Brooklyn heard the click from the timer announcing the treasure room was open.
If I can go back and kill her then none of this will ever happen. Brooklyn thought as he edged his way to the door.
"You're a monster and now I have no choice but to stop you." Michael said sadly. Broadway came into the room and couldn't believe what he was seeing. Lucifer's eyes began to glow a bright yellow and her right hand slowly rose to point directly at Michael.
"Not if I kill you first." Lucifer snarled.
"NOOO!" Broadway shouted. He left claw marks on the ground as he leapt forward and just as Lucifer fired a ray of light at Michael Broadway was struck in the chest deflecting it from hitting her.
He fell to the ground with a loud thud and Brooklyn ran up to him and held him as his friend struggled to breathe. "Stay with me buddy." Broadway struggled to lift his head to look at him.
"Tell…tell…Angie…that I'm…sorry." He said weakly before he collapsed in Brooklyn's arms. "I…wish I…could do…it all…over…again." He whispered weakly before he closed his eyes.
You can, Brooklyn thought as he quickly raced to the treasure room.
Lucifer grabbed Katana and held her close. "You won't hurt a mortal to get to me. Leave Michael, you have no power here."
The door opened to the treasury opened as Michael's eyes began to glow white. Lucifer sensing the door opening reached out and a dagger that sat on the pedestal flew to her hand.
"I haven't seen this in a millennia." Lucifer said in awe. "You know if I kill her with this not even you can bring her back."
Brooklyn grabbed the Phoenix Gate and began to think of where and when he wanted to go. Just as he began to form the picture in his mind everything seemed to happen at once. Michael appeared next to Lucifer to try and stop her, but Lucifer was faster and stabbed the blade into Katana before dropping her to the floor. The two Archangels began to fight but Brooklyn didn't care anymore. His image became blurred with Demona and Katana both in the picture and the portal opened taking him to another place and time. As the portal opened Michael twisted around and fired a ray of light from her hands and it struck Lucifer in the chest knocking her through the portal. The Phoenix gate took her to another time, but no one knew to which time the archangel was flung to.
"The Phoenix Gate has been used." Demona said. Brooklyn nodded and the group left the room and headed back to the main corridor just as the other gargoyles were beginning to get up off the floor. Michael left Angela's body and as he promised he revived all of the gargoyles that Lucifer killed, except for Katana.
"Katana!" Brooklyn shouted as he ran towards her. He kneeled down and lifted her head in his hands as Michael appeared next to them, once more in his human form. Brooklyn glared at Michael as he lifted Katana up off the ground. "Bring her back." Brooklyn said in a pleading tone. Michael studied the gargoyle a moment as the rest of the group came closer.
"I cannot do that, creature. I am sorry for your loss." Michael said as he turned to leave.
"Matt!" Angela shouted as the group heard footsteps behind them and Angela smelled him coming closer to her. She turned and ran towards him and hugged him tight to her.
"Angela, that is still too tight." Matt said, and he felt her vice-like grip loosening.
"You brought all of them back." Brooklyn said in shock as he held Katana in his arms. "Why won't you help her." He added before the group heard Hudson cough as he walked down the hallway.
"I would if I could, creature. Too save her I would need this daggers twin." Michael said as the dagger that killed Katana appeared in his hand. "If you find it within the next seventy-two hours then I will help her."
"Where do I find it?" Brooklyn asked.
"I don't know, the artifact is imbued with healing powers and would be very valuable." Michael pointed out.
"Can you help us find it?" Goliath asked curiously as he stepped forward.
"No, I must find my brother while I can still feel his presence." Michael replied. "When you find the dagger, pray and I will hear you." Michael advised before he disappeared from the room.
"If the dagger is that powerful, I may be able to feel it if I get near it." Syren said and everyone turned towards her. "We'll need to figure out where it could have gone though."
"I remember those daggers." Xena spoke up suddenly. "Constantine had them in his camp the day that you and Brooklyn freed us." Everyone stared at Demona and Brooklyn as Brooklyn gently laid Katana on a nearby bench and kissed her forehead.
"Who is this Constantine?" Hudson asked he sat on a chair to relax. Hudson didn't know how he was alive but he knew he didn't have much time left.
"It's a long story." Demona said. "The daggers would not have remained in the camp." She pointed out. "Constantine would have valued them."
"Can't we go back in time and grab them?" Xena asked and Demona shook her head.
"No, the Brooklyn from this time used the Phoenix Gate to go back in time." Demona pointed out.
"I might be able to help you." Elisa said as she walked into the room and her eyes turned black. "I know of a few spells that might help us discern a location." As everyone went over the plan on retrieving the daggers Lexington followed Broadway as the large gargoyle walked to the terrace.
"Where are you going?" Lex asked as Broadway got up on the edge.
"I'm done making a fool of myself." Broadway sighed. "I do not want to see Angela in the arms of another." He added before he leapt off the terrace and glided away.
He just needs some time. Lex thought as he walked back into the room. He was surprised to hear them arguing.
"Your spell didn't work, demon." Demona stated irritably. "While we're standing here wasting time, Katana's death is fast approaching."
"What would you suggest we do?" Guinevere asked, chuckling. "Scour the planet and hope we find it in time?" Lex let out a loud whistle to get everyone's attention and everyone turned to glare at him.
"Give me a few minutes to run a search…" Lex began but Leandra interrupted him.
"I've already run it, my love." Leandra said as she walked up to the group holding her laptop. "It wasn't easy and I had to look through several sets of shipping records, but…"
"Did you find it or not?" Demona asked impatiently.
"I found it." Leandra said as she glared at Demona. "It's just in the one place that I wish it wasn't."
"Where is it?" Goliath and Brooklyn asked simultaneously. Leandra sighed and turned her laptop so everyone could see the map on her screen and the large red circle that pinpointed the location of where the dagger should be.
"We can't go in there." Lexington pointed out.
"I don't understand. What's in there?" Brooklyn asked as he studied the large building that the circle centered on. "That building didn't exist before I went back in time." He added.
"That is the Crusaders base." Demona replied. "The dagger might as well be at the center of the Earth."
"One way or another I'm going to get that dagger." Brooklyn said as he started to walk towards the terrace. Goliath grabbed his arm.
"It's too dangerous for any of us to go alone." Goliath advised. "We need to plan this out, because if we do this we only have one chance."
"Stealth is a must." Syren added as she stepped closer to them.
"I agree. Tonight, we will plan the attack just as we did when we went up against Constantine and Duncan. Tomorrow, at dusk we will launch our attack." Demona replied.
"Someone will have to be the decoy." Brooklyn said after the group discussed a few possibilities. "We need to pull as many guards as we can away from the top floor."
"Goliath and I can handle that." Demona replied. "After all, it would be nice to fight by your side again instead of against you." She added before Goliath could argue.
"Does this mean that you are returning to the clan?" Goliath asked hopefully and everyone turned to hear Demona's response.
"No, I'm doing this to fix a problem that I caused." Demona pointed out. "If we survive this and kill the archangel that I summoned, then I might consider it but for now we need to focus on getting this dagger for Katana."
"After we fix everything you will come back?" Goliath asked and Demona shook her head. Goliath growled irritably but Demona spoke before he could continue.
"After this is all over I'm going to go away for a while and truly think about what I want and if I even deserve to come back to this clan." Demona replied. Before Goliath and Brooklyn could argue, Demona raised her hand to halt their protests. "I don't know what I'm going to do, but I will consider your offer."
"We can discuss all of that later." Xena said. "It's nearly dawn and while you sleep I will scout the building in my human form."
"You shouldn't go in there alone." Demona replied.
"Don't worry about me, sister." Xena replied. "They won't be looking to harm a human. From what you all have told me they only hunt gargoyles and their sympathizers."
"…Sister?" Goliath was stunned by what he heard and Demona and Xena nodded.
"I'll tell you all that happened when I went back in time, Goliath." Brooklyn replied. "After I finish my story then I believe this will all make sense to you."
…
While the group was planning what to do Angela walked with Matt around the castle.
"Matt, I want more than anything for us to be bonded and get mar…married." Angela stammered over the unfamiliar word. "We have to help my friend first though."
"I understand and I agree." Matt replied. "I was just wondering one thing."
"What is it?" Angela asked curiously.
"How do we know that your mother isn't still possessed by Lucifer?" Matt asked. Angela sighed and turned towards him.
"When Michael possessed me, I was still awake and I could see and hear everything that he did. Lucifer was thrown into the time portal that Brooklyn opened when he used the Phoenix Gate." Angela replied and quickly continued before Matt could interrupt. "Michael told me that he made a double body of my mother that Lucifer inhabited. The Demona that is here now is my mother and I hope after all that has happened, she'll return to the clan."
"I doubt that she will." Matt said and Angela stopped and stared at him confused by what he was saying.
"Why would you say such a thing?" Angela asked in a hurt tone. "I thought that you would want that as much as I do since you love me, or did I assume too much." She asked irritably.
"Angela, I do love you and I want nothing more than for you to have your mother back but she was a loner for so long that it may take a very long time for her to change." Matt pointed out.
"We can try to talk to her after this mission." Angela said. "Can you use your police contacts to help us get into the Crusaders base?"
"I don't have the access to get in there, but the squad that Elisa has been assigned to might." Matt advised. "C'mon, let's go talk to her."
…
Hyena leapt on top of a rooftop just above the Pack's hideout when she saw a shop owner yelling at two very small gargoyles. She watched the shop owner pocket a gold watch before he grabbed the shoulder of both of the gargoyle hatchlings just as three Men in golden armor and large helmets walked up to them as they aimed their large rifles at the hatchlings.
"Get on your knees." One of the men shouted. Hyena leapt off the roof and used her claw to attach to a lamp post and used it to swing forward and land silently behind the men.
"You have it wrong Crusaders. Let them go." Hyena demanded. The leader turned towards her.
"This is none of your concern, bitch." The Crusader said as he aimed her rifle.
"I'm making it my concern. If you think you can stop me then take your best shot." Hyena smirked at the crusaders as she extended her claws.