Michael, Demona, Xena, Brooklyn, and Cold Fire appeared in Wyvern Castle. Demona put the Phoenix Gate back into her belt pouch as she turned towards Brooklyn.

"You'll take the tower and Xena will take the sewer base." Demona said as she looked over the details in Brooklyn's book.

"Wouldn't you prefer for me to go with you to the flying fortress?" Xena asked curiously.

"No, I need you to take care of the sewer base, since you won't have backup as the mentor did the first time." Demona replied. "You're the strongest we have, so we stand the best chance of accomplishing this if you go."

"That leaves us with the airship." Cold Fire pointed out. Demona nodded.

"Yes sister we will work together on this." Demona replied. "We will need to make sure that we are not seen."

"I'll grab the books and then I'll see you in the future where we will confront my brother." Michael said before he turned to leave the room. The group of gargoyles made their way through the castle, making sure not to be seen. When they reached the terrace they leapt off and headed towards their objectives.

Brooklyn reached the tower base and snuck into the top window as he had once before.

"Last time we went down three floors and triggered the alarm, but this time I'll go down one more level as we should have and then I should be able to sneak in and grab the disc." Brooklyn muttered as he made he broke into the elevator shaft and he quickly made his way down the elevator cable. After going down four levels, Brooklyn went to open the door when he saw a small box with wires going into a panel on the door. Using his talons, Brooklyn cut the wires and then opened the door. He leapt into the hallway and quickly leapt up onto the ceiling as he saw two guards turn down the hall just as the elevator door closed itself.

"How much longer do we have to stay here?" One of the guards asked irritably. "This dump is in the middle of nowhere."

"Who cares?" The second guard replied "We're getting paid a fortune and don't have to worry about people breaking in because of how far out we are."

"Doesn't it make you worry that we're working in a large chemical factory that was only created to kill gargoyles." The first guard asked.

"Why would I care about what happens to those freaks?" The second guard said, chuckling as they turned at the elevator and began to walk back down the hall.

"They're not all freaks, Jerry." The first guard replied. "One of them saved my daughter's life and I…" Brooklyn would have heard more but he had made it into the main room as he worked his way forward by crawling on the ceiling.

Xena arrived at the sewer that she would have to go into to reach the underground base.

"I wonder what these discs have on them." Xena thought as she made her way through the underbelly of the city. "There are a lot of tunnels down here." She thought irritably as she pulled out a piece of paper that Brooklyn had handed to her and read that she needed to go through the second to last tunnel at the end of the sewer. When Xena got close, she ducked into a nearby tunnel as she saw an armed guard protecting the entrance of the tunnel she needed to go into.

"Damn boss is paranoid again." The guard complained. "Why couldn't I have been assigned to the airship instead of this damn sewer?"

"Stop whining, Ben." A second guard said as he walked up to the entrance. "We're making a hundred grand to do basically nothing but put up with the smell."

"Yeah, I get it. I'll be back in an hour to relieve you." Ben said as he left for his lunch break. As the second guard had his back watched the first guard walk off and shake his head, Xena snuck into the tunnel as she crawled on the ceiling of the tunnel.

Just have to take the first right. Xena thought. She stopped suddenly as a group of soldiers were discussing the planned attack against the gargoyles. "I have to get that disc before they use the biological information they have to wipe us all out." Xena muttered as she continued forward towards the main room.

"I must admit that I've missed this." Cold Fire said as she glided through the air next to Demona.

"It has been a long time since we've done a patrol together." Demona agreed. "I wish that we had more time to do things like this together."

"I know… when we go to the future it sounds as though we'll be entering a firestorm." Cloud Fire replied. "We can't do anything to change what's coming so we should just enjoy this." She smirked at Demona and dove to pick up speed. Demona grinned wickedly as she dove after her sister.

"Watch out for the ground." Demona called out and Cold Fire climbed quickly and she climbed as they quickly flew up towards the airship above them. When they arrived, Demona listened at the hatch and when she didn't hear anyone coming, she used her claws to tear open the door. Cold Fire climbed inside and Demona followed close behind before she shut the hatch.

"Shh…" Cold Fire put her finger to her lips as they could here several voices coming from down the hall. The two gargoyles leapt up and used their claws to crawl along the ceiling as the guards passed by beneath them.

"I cannot believe how brilliant this plan is." One of the guards said.

"I know, Renard creates a plague to kill off all those monsters and he creates a cure so those that refuse to be his slaves will die." The second guard said. Demona's eyes flared red but feeling Cold Fire's hand on her shoulder calmed her before she leapt to attack the guards below. Demona snarled but the gargoyles continued towards the main room.

Brooklyn waited for most of the guards to leave and then signaled that he was ready to steal the disc. Just as he heard the signal from Xena.

"Good, pull the disc the second that I give the signal." Demona ordered. "The bridge of the airship was high in the air and when there was only one guard remaining. When the door to the bridge closed, Cold Fire gripped the ceiling with the talons on her feet and she held Demona's hands as she lowered her sister as low as she could. When the guard turned his back to the console. Demona dropped silently behind him and signaled for the group to switch the disks as she quickly switched hers. Cold Fire pulled her up and they quickly made their way back to the hatch.

"I've got it." Brooklyn said as he made the switch and quickly made his way out of the room by the same route that he had used to get in.

"The switch has been made." Xena muttered as she made her way out of the tunnel and back down the sewer.

"Everyone get to the roof of the bank." Demona ordered.

As Demona's group was stealing Renard's discs, Goliath and Elisa glided all over the city and they landed on a tall building to look around and talk about what they had seen.

"The large tower in the middle of the city…What does that building contain?" Goliath asked suddenly. "There are symbols on it that I recognize from my battles with the Vikings." Elisa was surprised that the gargoyle leader would recognize anything from this time.

"That's a building that we need to stay away from." Elisa advised him. "I have to be honest with you Goliath. Many of your kind live and work here and have for decades, but about twenty years ago a man named Renard started a society with the sole purpose of making sure the gargoyles were not above the law."

"What secret society?" Goliath growled. Elisa looked back over at the large tower.

"They call themselves the Crusaders and it is my belief that they have turned away from the original mission they started and now they are something quite different and much more violent." Elisa said. Goliath thought about what she said for a moment.

"What do you mean more violent?" Goliath growled. Elisa looked at him for a moment as she thought of the best way to respond.

"They have started killing your kind for sport…Goliath you need to know that David Xanatos is one of their members." Elisa advised and Goliath growled as his eyes began to glow white.

"I must tell the others about this." Goliath said as he picked up Elisa and began to glide as fast as he could back towards the castle.

Drexia opened her eyes slowly and tried to remember where she was when she smelled something that made her mouth water. She looked over and saw Macbeth marinating boar meat. She knew by how tired she was, how light it was outside, and the state of the boar meat that she had slept much longer than she intended to.

"I'm sorry Macbeth I should have left hours ago." Drexia said as she stood up and stretched her arms and wings. "I will go now." Her stomach began to growl and she looked longingly towards the meat as she began to walk by.

"I really would enjoy the company if you'd like to stay." Macbeth informed her. Drexia froze and she considered her options for a moment, but when she could smell the seasoning Macbeth was beginning to use she walked back towards him.

"Perhaps, I could stay for breakfast. Then I must really be going." Drexia said as she gratefully accepted a plate as he cut the freshly cooked boar and handed her a large piece.

"I'm glad to not eat alone today." Macbeth said as he carved himself a piece off and sat next to her. "You know it is just nice to have someone to talk to other than myself."

"I am grateful for your company as well, but may I ask a question?" Drexia asked nervously. Macbeth grinned at her.

"Of course," He said as he began to eat his food.

"Why did you let me stay here?" She asked in a near whisper.

"I really needed the company." Macbeth replied and he grinned at her before he sighed when he realized that Drexia didn't believe that. "You really looked like you needed rest and we are both alone so I thought that perhaps…maybe…we could stick togeth…" He didn't get to finish his sentence because Drexia suddenly kissed him forcefully and he found himself leaning back against the wall as she quickly straddled him and continued to kiss him passionately. When she noticed that he wasn't moving she shook growled irritably and then sat beside him as she tried to clear her mind.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that." Drexia said as she picked her plate back up. "I've just been alone for so long." She said as she looked away from him. He saw her cheeks flush and he grabbed her chin gently and turned her to face him.

"Its fine, I actually found it enjoyable. You just caught me off guard and my mind didn't have the chance to process what was going on." He smiled at her and she grinned nervously.

"So, do you think it would be acceptable for us to travel together?" Drexia asked and her mind played through all the possible answers he might give her and she was thinking of withdrawing the question.

"I would be honored to travel with you. If I may ask where you were headed?" Macbeth asked as he began to eat again.

"I was just wandering. I've had the feeling for the past few weeks that someone or something has been watching me, but I'm sure that I was just exhausted and imagined it." Drexia chuckled as she took another bite and then took out her water pouch before taking a long drink from it.

"So was I. I didn't know where I was going to go or where I would end up." Macbeth admitted.

"Wherever we end up we'll get there together." Drexia grinned at him and then cuddled close to him as she finished her food and imagined what their future would be like.

The Crusaders had an emergency meeting to discuss Xanatos's actions. Several members discovered his intention to wake the Wyvern clan by building the skyscraper and then subsequently placing Castle Wyvern on top of it.

"We have to do something. He is a member but he is also completely disregarding our rules." One of the members said as they sat around the conference table. There were twelve members in gold robes that sat around the conference table debating what to do about Xanatos when the door suddenly opened and Gabriel followed by Marianne both clothed in gold robes walked into the room.

"We will do nothing but watch for now. I am waiting for one creature to show up that is important to me." Gabriel stated in a commanding tone.

"I don't know how you conned your way into this group young man, but if you think…" He couldn't say anymore because suddenly his head turned with enough force to cause it to face behind him seemingly by itself. The man fell to the ground and Gabriel looked around the room but no one spoke up after that.

"As I was saying, we will wait and watch for the time being." Gabriel said as he took a seat and told everyone else to sit. "Marianne, get that corpse out of the room before it begins to smell."

"You creatures are surprisingly effective." Michael said as he appeared on the roof next to Demona's group. Now, hand me the discs." Demona stepped forward and handed them to him.

"Now, we can confront Lucifer and stop his insane plan?" Demona asked. "Then I may get my family back."

"Actually, I will take the Phoenix Gate and use it to bring Cold Fire, Brooklyn, and myself to the right time. "Michael replied. "You… Demona will need to stay here and do all that she did before."

"I don't think I can." Demona said after a moment. "I'm not the same as I was when Brooklyn wrote this journal." She added as she held up the book that Brooklyn had given to her.

"If you don't then things will play out differently." Michael advised. "You've always done this and you always will."

"What do you mean I always have?" Demona asked curiously.

"Read the journal that Brooklyn wrote for you." Michael said. "There are several clues that something is off whenever you encounter the other gargoyles."

"Alright fine, I'll stay but you promise me that everything will work out in a few years?" Demona asked and Michael nodded.

"I will make sure of it and I'm sure your friend and your sisters will do all they can to help." Michael said before he turned towards Brooklyn. "Brooklyn, you'll need to stay out of the coming battle and when your double goes back in time then you and I will help your friends, and then we will finally take care of my brother."

"What about me?" Demona asked. "I get possessed by your brother in that time.

"Before Lucifer possesses your body you'll need to cast a spell that only I or my brothers can cast." Michael replied. "I will create a body double for you. It won't have a soul so you'll need to give the performance of a lifetime to get Lucifer to take that body."

"How will I convince him to take it." Demona asked.

"He'll be hunting you, but I need for you to convince him you're terrified and you have to convince him that you'll only give in when he threatens to do something that you just cannot allow him to do."

"Like what?" Demona asked.

"He'll threaten your daughter after he kills her betrothed. Trading yourself to save her would be convincing." Michael replied.

"You swear to me that you will help all of my friends, my daughter, and my betrothed if I live up to my end of this arrangement." Demona asked hopefully.

"Much more will be needed but if we all succeed then I will guarantee you that it will be worth it." Michael promised.

"It damn well better be. Alright, good luck you guys." Demona said as she hugged Cold Fire tight to her. "Be careful in the future sister. I know Goliath will be pleased to see you again." She said before she stepped in front of Xena and hugged her. "You know that you can settle down with that immortal half-god you're married to." Demona advised with a smirk.

"No, I won't leave you all to deal with this evil bastard on your own." Xena replied. "I spoke with Hercules before we came here and he understands that we will be together after we save the world." Demona then turned to Brooklyn.

"Don't worry my friend, I'm sure that Michael will help Katana as well." Demona said as she looked at Michael to verify what she had promised. Michael nodded.

"It's nearly time for you to see Goliath again." Brooklyn advised. "We'll see you in the future." Demona nodded as she hugged him and then she turned and leapt off the roof and she glided towards the castle as the rest of the group disappeared from the roof.

"Goliath," Owen called from the castle entrance when Goliath finally returned to the castle. He walked down to meet with Owen and they walked into David's office.

"I told you that we cannot recover the discs last night, Xanatos." Goliath reminded him. David grinned at him.

"I remember your answer. This isn't about that. I brought you in here tonight to reintroduce you to someone." The door next to him opened up slowly and he took in a deep breath and stared in surprise as Demona stepped through the door.

"Hello my love, I've missed you so much." Demona said as she walked out to greet her mate.

TO BE CONTINUED IN:

DEMONA's CRUSADE