Awakening Part 3
Goliath wasn't exactly sure what these armed soldiers hit him with, but that dart made lose almost all of his strength. He looked up helplessly as the leader of these mercenaries pointed a gun at his head, while Elisa was held back by another mercenary.
"Once you're out of the way, we'll hunt down all those other ones like you." The mercenary threatened.
"No...I won't...let you." Goliath said as he tried to break out of the grip of the two mercenaries holding him down, but he just couldn't summon enough of his strength.
"What makes you think you've got a choice?" The leader asked sarcastically.
Not wanting to see her new friend dead, Elisa broke out of the grip holding her back by stomping on the merc's foot. She then elbowed him in gut before maneuvering behind him and pushing him to the side. Now that she was free, she charged at the merc about to fire his gun and tackled him off to the side, causing him to drop his gun.
While the ones holding him down were distracted by this, Goliath took this opportunity to kick one of the mercs back and flung the other two off his arms once he got back up.
Elisa ran up to Goliath, but before she could ask if he was alright, one of the down mercs began firing her gun at them. Thankfully she missed, which allowed to Goliath to pick Elisa up as they ran off, all the while avoiding being shot at. Goliath ran along the path before coming up to a large rock on the side and jumped off it, then began gliding low below the tree level.
The female mercenary continued to try and shoot them down, but the leader of the group stopped her. "Cease firing!" He ordered before looking in their direction with a smirk. "They won't get far."
/
Meanwhile, Danny and his three gargoyle friends were still flying above the city, or gliding in the gargoyle's case. The tael one was eating an entire role of cheese while the red one just looked at him with slight disgust.
"These are really great." The teal gargoyle said while taking big bites from the cheese wheel. "You should try some."
"We would have, if you hadn't have eaten the entire cart full." The red gargoyle pointed out.
"Seriously, I think you scarred that vendor for life." Danny said with a wince.
They soon landed on a rooftop and looked behind them to see the green gargoyle not that far behind. They moved out of the way as he came crashing down on the roof.
"This is a big city." The green one said after a tired groan. "And my wings are getting tired."
"Mine to, and it's a long way back to the castle." The red gargoyle said as he rolled his wings a bit.
"Is it really that tiring?" Danny asked curiously. "I mean, I haven't seen you guys flap your wings that much, so I didn't think it looked that exhausting."
"Trust me, it's exhausting." The green one said. "Our wings have to carry our entire bodyweight as we ride the wind drafts, so it can get pretty tiring."
The red gargoyle looked down at the street and saw a man hailing a vehicle that he called a taxi. He's seen them throughout their tour of the city and had seen take and drop off humans to various locations. Perhaps one of them could help them get back to the castle.
"Guys, I think I've got an idea." The red gargoyle said with a smirk.
Danny saw where he was looking and instantly knew what he was thinking. "Nuh-uh, that is a bad idea."
"Why?" The red gargoyle asked in confusion. Danny's faceplate disappeared as he gave a look that practically says 'are you serious' as he gestured towards the gargoyle's bodies. The red one finally understood what he was getting at before looking down in embarrassment. "Oh, right...I forgot."
"Goliath did say to keep a low profile." The green gargoyle said.
"Looks like it's the old-fashioned way for us." The teal gargoyle said dejectedly.
/
Back at the park, it appeared that Elisa and Goliath managed to get away from the mercenaries, but they had to keep moving. They couldn't take any chances, and with Goliath not up to full strength, their chances were pretty slim.
As soon as they made it under a bridge, Goliath fell down on his hands and knees, feeling just too weak to keep moving. "What is wrong with me?" Goliath asked, having never felt this weak before.
"This is what's wrong. They pumped you full of something." Elisa said as she pulled the dart off his shoulder. She then noticed a small device implanted on his back and pulled it off him. "And this is how they found us."
"What is it?" Goliath asked as he inspected it.
"A radio transmitter." Elisa answered.
"Some form of magic that led them to us?" Goliath inquired.
"That's one way of putting it." Elisa said as she soon noticed a small logo on the transmitter. "Look, some kind of manufacturers logo."
"But how did this...transmitter...get on me?" Goliath asked in confusion.
"Good question." Elisa said as all this seemed suspicious.
She looked back and noticed a stray dog sniffing through some trash, hoping to find a nice meal. She approached the dog, which got it to growl at her as it thought she was a threat, but she gently calmed it down with a few pats on the head. She then placed the transmitter on its fur and shooed it away.
"There. Let them chase Rover for a while instead of us." Elisa said in satisfaction as she placed Goliath's arm over her shoulder to lift him up. "Come on, let's get out of here before something else happens."
/
Back at the castle, dawn was fast approaching as Hudson walked out onto one of the towers. He spent almost the entire night enjoying the device known as a television. He found it very puzzling at first, but Owen was able to explain to him how to use it and it did provide him some knowledge about what the world was like. The gargoyle-beast stayed by his side the entire time just resting on the couch, since there wasn't really much for them to do as they guard the castle.
As they looked off into the distance, Hudson managed to spot the three young gargoyles plus Danny gliding/flying in and landed on the tower.
"It's about time you lads came home." Hudson lightly chastised.
"This city is such a fascinating place." The red gargoyle said.
"They have underground tubes with giant metal snakes in them. Danny called it a subway." The teal gargoyle said in wonder.
"They have lights that turn night into day." The green gargoyle said, loving what he saw in the city.
"Yeah, they pretty much had a good time." Danny said with a chuckle, finding his friends love for the city pretty amusing.
"Have you seen Goliath?" Hudson asked, as he was starting to get a little worried for his leader.
The three gargoyles and one human looked at each other in confusion.
"We'd thought he'd be back by now. It's almost dawn." The green gargoyle said.
"Aye, that's what worries me." Hudson said as he looked off into the city.
"He was with Elisa, right?" Danny asked, to which Hudson nodded. "Then he should be okay. That guy is extremely tough, plus Elisa's a great cop. I think they'll be just fine."
/
Back at the park, dawn was approaching fast, and Goliath noticed it. This was not good, and Goliath knew that if he were to be caught while in his vulnerable stoned state, then he knew he would be joining the rest of his clan from a thousand years ago.
"Too late. I'll never make it back before sunrise." Goliath said as he eyed the ever-approaching sunrise.
"Before sunrise?" Elisa said in confusion.
"Helpless...during the day...with no defense..." Goliath said tiredly as he collapsed on the grassy terrain and breathed heavily.
"I don't get it. What happens at sunrise?" Elisa asked.
"You'll see..." Goliath said cryptically as he took a knee.
Just as the first rays of sunlight shined in the sky, Elisa looked to the side and saw the mercenaries in the distance.
"Goliath, we gotta move." Elisa said as she looked back at him, but was shocked to see his entire body coated in stone. She placed a hand on his shoulder in worry. "Goliath? Goliath!"
Goliath didn't respond, and now Elisa had no idea what to do. She can't move Goliath now as what she's been doing, and the mercenaries are getting closer by the second. She could try leading them off, but if even the slightest thing went wrong and she got hurt, or worse, then Goliath would be helpless in his current state.
She needed backup.
Elisa pulled out her phone and dialed. "Come on, Danny. Please be close by."
/
As the sun rose up, Danny took off from the castle as soon as his new gargoyle friends turned to stone. The process was a little unnerving, but he was told that it was natural and that it happens every time they go to sleep during the daylight.
"Man, I envy those guys."
"And why would you feel the notion of envy for them?"
"Cause when they go to sleep, nothing can disturb them. Me, I have to set an alarm clock, so I never wake up on my own time." Danny said before looking down on the city. "Well, the tour was fun, but it took too much of my patrol time. I think we should fly around a bit and see if there's any trouble, before heading home and catching some shut eye." Danny then heard his cell phone ringing within his helmet.
"It appears you are receiving a transmission from the Elisa Maza."
This suit comes with cell service? Awesome!" Danny said, happy at this new function in his armor. Danny soon answered the call. "Hey, Elisa, how was your night? You know the guys were wondering where Goliath was?"
"Danny, listen to me, I'm at Central Park and I'm being chased by these armed mercenaries." Elisa said with her voice low.
Danny instantly grew serious as he could feel the anxiousness in Elisa's voice. "Tell me where in Central Park you are. I'll be there ASAP!"
"I'm over at...damn it, they're getting closer. I'll have to lead them away from Goliath. Please, just get here as soon as you can." Elisa said before she had to hang up.
"Elisa? Elisa!" Danny exclaimed with worry.
"Not to worry, Daniel Kord. I have triangulated the source of the signal and have traced it's location."
"Well then what are we waiting for. Let's move it!" Danny said as he upped the power on his rocket booster to full power.
Beetle sped his way across the sky with a huge burst of speed as he could see Central Park just up ahead. Tracing the signal, Blue Beetle flew overhead and spotted where the source was at, which seemed like a dining area with lots of tables with umbrellas on them.
Beetle looked below and could see four mercenaries maneuvering through the various tables. He was also able to see Elisa hiding under one table with one of the mercenaries coming in close. She tripped him up and managed to take his gun, but the others had their sights on her and were about to fire.
"Oh, no you don't!" Blue Beetle exclaimed as he dive bombed down and landed right in their sights as soon as they fired. He then deployed his shield that blocked their bullets, which didn't even leave a scratch.
The mercenaries stopped firing and looked in surprise at the hero's arrival, with Elisa breathing a sigh of relief, happy that her surrogate brother made it in time.
"It's Blue Beetle!" One of the mercenaries exclaimed.
"So what? It saves us the trouble of looking for him." The leader said with confidence as they fired their weapons.
Beetle retracted his shield and used his rocket pack as a jump booster to soar through the air. When he came back down, he landed next to one of the mercs and punched him in the face.
Elisa took this opportunity to flip one of the tables and hide behind it, occasionally popping out and firing back with her borrowed gun. It turned into a firefight with her and two of the mercenaries, while Blue Beetle handled the other two.
Beetle avoided getting punched by one of the mercs before delivering an uppercut, sending him flying and crashing into one of the tables. The second merc tried to shoot at him, but the bullets just bounced off his armor. Getting an idea, Beetle grabbed one of the tables, removed the umbrella pole on it, and threw it like a frisbee. The flying table hit the merc right in the abdomen, sending him sprawling across the floor.
Beetle saw the fire fight between Elisa and the remaining mercs continuing and he deployed his sonic cannon. He fired a sonic blast that knocked the two mercs away and flew in close to deliver punch as soon as they were getting back up.
"Wait!" The girl mercenary exclaimed as she raised her arms. She smirked as she decided to play a dirty trick. "You hero types wouldn't hit a girl, would you?"
The girl mercenary smirked victoriously as she could see the hesitation on Blue Beetle's face. She was about to bring out her spare weapon and capitalize on his hesitation, but paused when she felt someone tap her shoulder. She looked behind her to see Elisa standing there with a glare on her face.
"But I would." Elisa said as she delivered a right hook right on to the female mercenary's face, knocking her out.
The lead mercenary got back up and brought out a knife, feeling that he wasn't gonna go down without a fight. Beetle just smirked as he morphed his right arm into a long blade. This scared the merc, and forced him to drop the knife and raise his hands in surrender. The rest of his crew is down and nothing in his arsenal appeared to have penetrated Blue Beetle's armor, so best to cut his losses.
"Alright, I give." The mercenary said simply.
"Not yet." Beetle said, his smirk still plastered on his face. His blade arm then morphed into what Elisa could only be described as a gun, but it was flat with a thin slot. Blue Beetle then fired his weapon, with what appeared to be staple coming out and pinning the merc into the ground. "Okay, now you can give up."
"Did you just staple him to the ground." Elisa asked in slight bewilderment and confusion.
"The armor makes any weapon I want and, I don't know, I thought a staple gun would be cool." Beetle said with a shrug as he fired a few staples at the other downed mercenaries to make sure they wouldn't get away.
"You can be such a kid sometimes." Elisa said with a chuckle, but still found it to be pretty useful. "Well, it sure beats not having handcuffs available."
Danny had used his eye lenses to zoom in and noticed the various features on the body armor of the mercenaries. "These guys are the same ones that attacked the castle the other night."
"That might explain why Goliath had a tracer on his back. They must of placed it on him when he fought them off." Elisa theorized.
"I came in late to the fight that night, so I didn't see it happen, but it does make sense." Danny said before he remembered that Goliath was with her. "How is the big guy anyway? He never came back to that castle, which worried his friends."
Elisa gave a troubled sigh before she answered. "I honestly don't know. He was tired from a tranquilizer dart, but the next thing I know he got turned to stone."
"That's actually normal, from what the guys told me." Danny said, which confused Elisa. "They told me that whenever the sun comes up they turn to stone, which is basically them sleeping."
"Wait, so he's okay. He's just...asleep?!" Elisa asked in bewilderment.
"Yeah, it's completely involuntary for them. It just happens whenever the sun comes up." Danny said as he was confused by it at first, but his three gargoyle friends explained it for him.
"Most likely a possible evolutionary trait to go into a state of hibernation to replenish energy and strength."
"Well, at least that means he's alive." Elisa said with a relieved sigh.
"Yeah, but we should probably keep an eye on him until he wakes up." Danny suggested.
"Yeah, good idea." Elisa said as they both walked off towards their petrified friend, with Danny using his armor to call in an anonymous tip to the police to pick up the bound mercenaries.
When he made sure no one was around, Danny retracted his armor and kept walking with Elisa. They made it to the stoned Goliath and sat down by his side, keeping watch over him.
"You know, Danny, if I didn't think you could take care of yourself before, you definitely proved me wrong today." Elisa said with a smile.
"Thanks, Elisa, that means a lot." Danny said, returning that smile.
"The way you handled those guys, and the fact that you had my back, it shows you really can do great work as Blue Beetle." Elisa said.
"Hey, I don't just have your back, you've got mine to." Danny said as they both shared a fist bump.
This hero life was pretty tough, but he's glad that he's got family in his corner.
They waited for hours, even took turns taking a nap as they were pretty tired, until the sun began to set. After it was completely dark, they heard the cracking of the stone on Goliath as he burst out of his stone skin.
"Whoa, so that's how it works." Danny said in slight amazement.
"Goliath, are you okay?" Elisa asked.
"Of course." Goliath said, no longer looking tired.
"That sedative seemed to have worn off." Elisa noted.
"Stone sleep rejuvenated us." Goliath explained, then he saw Danny standing by her. "You're here as well, Danny?"
"Elisa called me about those guys who were after you." Danny explained. "Me and her managed to take them down so they won't be bothering you anymore."
Goliath gave a grateful nod as he looked at both of them. "You two stayed with me throughout the entire day?"
"Yeah, well, someone had to make sure no more comic book rejects come looking for you." Elisa said with a smile.
"Thank you, both of you." Goliath said gratefully. "It is very possible you two have saved my life."
"Yeah, well, what are friends for?" Danny asked with a smile as he held out his hand.
'Friends...' Goliath thought to himself as he never thought he would ever consider anyone that ever again.
The last time he called someone a friend, that same person betrayed his entire clan, paving the way to their deaths. When he was told that he was now in the future he didn't think he would ever call anyone a friend ever again. Xanatos was merely the one who released him and his clan, and there was something about him that Goliath didn't trust.
These two, however, they risked their lives to save him. Perhaps he can really claim them to be friends, not just for himself, but for his entire clan. So, with small smile, he accepted the handshake between him and Danny. He then gave a handshake to Elisa as well.
"I must return to the castle. They'll be worried about me." Goliath said.
"I should go with you." Danny said. "Those mercenaries were the same ones that attacked your castle, and I think Xanatos has some answers."
"I understand you two." Elisa said before looking at Goliath. "So, uh, later tonight?" She asked hoping to see him again, to which Goliath nodded with a smile.
Goliath climbed up a tree before leaping off and gliding across the sky in a higher altitude. Danny activated his armor and brought out his rocket pack and wings, flying straight up into the air.
/
Back at the castle, the gargoyles began stretching and yawning, as they had just woken up from their stone sleep as well. They each took a glance at the top of the tower, and there was still no sign of Goliath.
"Don't worry, lads, he'll be back." Hudson said reassuringly. "We didn't survive a thousand year sleep just to lose him now."
"I hope you're right." The red gargoyle said. He looked off into the city, but then spotted something approaching. "Look!"
They all looked off into the distance and spotted Goliath gliding right towards them, with Blue Beetle by his side. As soon as they landed, the gargoyles instantly went up to their leader.
"We we're worried about you." The red gargoyle said.
"What happened?" The teal gargoyle asked.
"It appears we have enemies." Goliath said gravely.
"What do you mean?" The green gargoyle asked as he turned towards Danny. "What happened out there?"
"You know those same guys that attacked you the other night?" Danny asked, to which they all nodded. "Well apparently they weren't finished with you guys and tried to take out Goliath."
"What?!" Everyone exclaimed.
"Yes, but thankfully Blue Beetle and Elisa was able to come to my defense while slept." Goliath said, following Danny's advice he gave him as to not say his true name around the castle in case Xanatos listening. Goliath then addressed Hudson. "Given what happened, I wish you had accompanied us last night, Hudson."
"Hudson?" The red gargoyle asked in confusion.
"Aye, it's my name." Hudson with a light smirk. "And what would make of it?"
"It's a good name." The teal gargoyle said.
"I like it." The green gargoyle said.
"You see, this is what I was saying." Danny commented. "It could be awesome for you guys to have actual names. It could help you guys have your own identities."
"He's right, we should have names of our own. Names that suit our new lives here." The red one said.
"Oh, and what might they be?" Goliath asked.
"Brooklyn." The red gargoyle said after thinking about the places they've seen on the tour Danny took them on. "I'm Brooklyn."
"Broadway." The teal one said.
"Lexington." The green said before looking at Danny. "What do you think?"
"I think those are perfect." Danny said with a nod of approval. "They totally fit."
"They're all fine names." Goliath said before patting the head of the gargoyle-beast. "I suppose he'll need one as well."
"Oh, I've got the perfect one for him." Brooklyn said as he to patted the beast's head. "From now on, you're Bronx."
The only response he got was just Bronx giving a low grunt and walked off.
"I don't think that was a 'no.'" Danny said with a chuckle.
"Ahem." Everyone looked to see Owen walking up to them. "Excuse me, but mister Xanatos would like to speak to you, Goliath, and you as well, Blue Beetle."
"Good, cause I actually have some questions as well." Blue Beetle said as the two of them followed Owen.
They soon made it to Xanatos' office where Xanatos was leaning at the front of his desk, waiting for them.
"You wished to see us, Xanatos?" Goliath asked.
"Goliath, there's someone here I want you to meet. An old acquaintance, I believe." Xanatos said, gesturing to one of the doors at the side.
The door soon opened and they could make out a figure in the shadows. When this person stepped out, Goliath gasped in shock with a look of utter disbelief. Stepping out through the door was another gargoyle, except this one was female. She had blue skin, with with wild red hair, and a crown on her brow.
Danny was pretty shocked to yet another gargoyle, and it made him wonder if it was possible if there were more of them out there. He had to remind himself that Goliath said they were the last of their kind, but it does raise a valuable question. How on Earth is this one alive and here?
Danny cast a glance at Goliath and saw the look on his face. 'Could they know each other?'
"You? You're alive?!" Goliath exclaimed in disbelief.
"Goliath, my love." The female gargoyle happily.
'Guess that answers that question.' Danny thought to himself.
The two gargoyles wasted no time in embracing each other, wrapping their wings around each other.
"My angel, it really is you." Goliath said, almost at the point of tears. He thought that his love died during the stone massacre a millennium ago, but now she's here, and he couldn't be happier.
"Oh, Goliath. All the days that I dreamed of you and this moment." The female gargoyle said happily.
Xanatos coughed a bit, getting their attention. "I'm very happy for you both."
"This man has brought us together, my love." The female gargoyle said. "We owe our reunion to David Xanatos."
"But...how?" Goliath asked, still unsure if this was truly happening. He was happy that she was here with him, but it was still hard to believe. "You were shattered by the Vikings."
"No, I feared for your safety, so I left the castle to find you. But I lost my way and the sun rose before I could return." The female gargoyle explained.
"But how did you survive all these centuries?" Goliath asked.
"When I returned to the castle, the Magus had already turned you to stone. I begged him to cast his spell on me, so that we might awaken together." She said.
"I saw her a year ago and was so impressed I acquired her for my private collection." Xanatos said. "Then, after I woke you up, it seemed plausible that a trip to the castle might have the same effect on her."
Goliath nodded thankfully as he gazed into his love's eyes. "With you by my side, I can start to live again."
"As you said, you and I are one, now and forever." The female gargoyle said softly.
Danny took this time to step forwarding smiled at the two. "This is amazing. I'm really happy for you, Goliath."
Goliath returned the smile, but when Danny looked at the female gargoyle, she did not return that smile. If Danny didn't know any better, it seemed that she gave him a subtle glare.
"And you are?" The female gargoyle asked, though she said it with such a coldness that it kind of surprised Danny, and Goliath too.
"Um...I'm Blue Beetle." Danny said worriedly. He didn't know why she sounded a bit angry with him.
"I am detecting a trace of hostility within this new gargoyle's tone."
'Yeah, I'm feeling it to.' Danny thought back.
"He's a hero in this city." Xanatos elaborated. "Praised for valiant heroism, strength, and duty to protect the people. Almost like a gargoyle."
"He has proven to be a true warrior, and a trustworthy friend." Goliath said truthfully.
"Very well." The female gargoyle said simply as she held out her hand to him. "A pleasure."
"Yeah...likewise." Danny said, still a little put off by her coldness. Even as they shook hands, he could still feel a hint of resentment.
"Come, the others will be so happy to see you again." Goliath said as he led her out the door to see the others.
Danny followed them, but he still kept an eye on this new gargoyle. He couldn't quite place it, but there's something...off...about her.
"I would suggest we keep a close on this one."
'Maybe...' Danny thought.
Pretty soon they all made it back to the castle tower where the other gargoyles were, and they too were shocked to see another member of their clan alive and well. Their shock soon turned to joy as Bronx ran over and licked her face, while the others happily asked her questions about how she got here.
"I'll answer your questions later. It's just so good to see all of you again." The female gargoyle said before looking towards Goliath. "My love, I must ask a favor of you."
"Anything." Goliath said instantly.
"Xanatos has told me of the discs that were stolen from him." She said.
"Discs? What discs?" Beetle asked in confusion.
"When those humans attacked the castle, it was but a distraction in order for them to steal three discs. Xanatos asked for me, my clan, and you to help get them back." Goliath explained.
"And I think we should help him, out of gratitude for reuniting us, if nothing else." The female gargoyle said.
"I agree, and perhaps by helping him we could rid ourselves of the humans who hunted us." Goliath said as he held her hand. "Besides, with you by my side, I can do anything."
"Well then, I guess I'm in." Beetle said, already agreeing to help. The rest of the gargoyles all nodded their heads in approval at his aid.
Though Danny could still feel the coldness of the female gargoyle's stare.
Pretty soon all of them met within Xanatos' office as he explained to them the plan on how to retrieve the stolen discs back. Danny had already been informed that the company that did it was called Cyberbiotics, and that the discs were being held at three fortresses. One was a Flying Fortress, the other was a tower, and the final one was underground.
"I've explained the strength and weaknesses of each fortress and given you what I think are the best plans of attack." Xanatos said. "Only your speed and strength can stay against their defenses."
"Which means we'll have to split into three teams if we want to get those discs." Beetle said.
"Myself, my angel, and Blue Beetle will take the air fortress." Goliath said, with Beetle nodding in approval.
"Surely we can take the air fortress ourselves." The female gargoyle insisted.
"We don't know what kind of defenses will be there. It would be best to prepare for anything." Goliath explained, to which his love nodded, though there was still a hint of reluctance.
Goliath then pointed at the three younger gargoyles. "You three will breach the tower."
"Cool!"" Brooklyn said with excitement.
"What?" Goliath said in confusion.
"It's a new word Beetle taught us las night." Broadway said.
"It indicates a positive response." Lexington explained.
"Uh huh." Goliath said, not really sure how to take that, before he turned to Hudson. "The underground base is yours, but take Bronx with you."
Hudson was surprised at that. "I'm perfectly capable of-"
"Take him with you. He needs the exercise." Goliath said good-naturedly before become serious again. "Be careful, all of you. Humans are much more dangerous in these times." Each member of the clan gave nod of understanding.
As they all made it to the top of one of the towers, they each took off and glided to their destinations, with Hudson carrying Bronx.
"They better not be harmed." Goliath said.
"If those guys are anything like you, then they're tough as nails. They should be just fine." Beetle said in reassurance.
"They are nothing like Goliath. They are young and impetuous, but they are true warriors, trained by the best." The female gargoyle said.
Goliath held his mate's hands as he gazed at her. "To soar with you again, it is like a dream."
"We dreamed for a thousand years, Goliath. It's time for our dreams to come true." The female gargoyle said as she leaped off the building and soared into the sky with Goliath following close behind.
Beetle stood there awkwardly as he watched them soar off. "Why do I feel like I'm gonna be the third wheel here." Beetle said to himself as he activated his rocket pack and flew into the sky.
"You are a human, not a part in a machine."
"It's an expression." Beetle said with a groan.
As soon as they were high enough into the sky, the two gargoyles and armored human were able to see the flying fortress belonging to Cyberbiotics. It was extremely large and it looked like it could survive an air strike, but thankfully they won't be as destructive or flashy, so they can sneak in.
As they got closer to the fortress, the turbines created a wind draft so strong that it became tough for them to get in close. Goliath was about to be pushed back by the wind, but Blue Beetle managed to grab onto his arm to keep him from falling. The soon managed to grab on to an underside antenna and held on tight. Goliath then dug his claws into the metal and ripped open a metal panel, providing them an entrance as they all climbed in.
"The disc will be well guarded, no doubt." Goliath said.
"If humans wish to throw away their worthless lives guarding it, that's their concern." The female gargoyle said coldly with no remorse. Both Goliath and Beetle were shocked by what she said, and the later had no trouble voicing his concern.
"Whoa, wait a minute." Beetle said as he got in front of her. "You're not suggesting we kill them!"
"I was told they attacked our castle, and they are planning to stop us by any means necessary. It is only fair that we return the favor." The female gargoyle said as she narrowed her eyes at him.
"That is precisely what I have been saying. Perhaps you should listen to our advice."
"It doesn't matter how they act towards us, what matters is how we respond." Beetle said strongly, not only talking to her, but also his scarab. "I won't cross that lie and stoop to their level."
"You have your methods, human, and we have ours." The female gargoyle said with her eyes flashing red for moment, before she walked past him and down the hallway. "This way."
Beetle glared at her for a moment before he sighed and turned back towards to Goliath. "Sorry about that, Goliath, it's just what she said..."
"No, you were right to speak your mind." Goliath said in understanding as he gazed into the direction of his reunited love. "I honestly did not know where that came from within her."
"Well, no matter what she says, I'm not gonna simply kill someone who tries to stop us." Beetle said.
"Understood." Goliath said as the followed her down the hallway.
As they walked, they kept an eye out for any sign on where they were keeping the disc, but paused when they heard the clicking of a gun safety coming off. They looked behind them and saw two guards pointing their guns at them.
"Don't move!" One of the guards exclaimed, but still nervous by the sight of the two gargoyles.
The female gargoyle smiled coldly as her eyes glowed and she slowly stalked towards them. "You won't fire those guns in here. You could damage the airship."
"Don't bet your life on it, monster." The guard said, trying to sound brave.
"It's too risky." Goliath tried to tell her.
"I don't think she cares." Beetle realized.
"Stay back! I'm warning you!" The guard threatened again.
The female didn't care as she charged right at them and leapt onto the wall, avoiding the gun fire, and used it a springboard to jump right on top of him and pin him to the ground. The second guard shot at her, but Goliath pushed her out of the way, right when the bullet hit one of the pipes and let out a burst of steam into the hallway.
Blue Beetle morphed his arm into a sonic cannon and fired a sonic pulse at the guard still standing, causing him to hit into the wall. The guard that the female gargoyle pounced on stood back up and pointed his gun wildly, trying to find the monsters, but the steam made it difficult to see.
The female gargoyle came bursting through the steam with her eyes glowing red, causing the guard to step back in fear, which in turn caused him to bump right into Goliath. Goliath growled at him with his eyes glowing white, then he grabbed his gun from his hand and crushed, following it up by knocking him out with a light jab.
"The gunfire may alert the others. We better hurry." Goliath said. The female gargoyle didn't respond as she grabbed the knocked out guard and hang him over the opening they came in. "Wait, what are you doing?"
"What does it look like? I'm making sure they don't cause more trouble." She said without remorse.
"What?!" Blue Beetle exclaimed before giving her an angry look. "They're beaten! There's no need to go that far!"
"If we don't end them, then they might alert the entire staff that are on board." She argued sternly. "If we want to get that disc, it either has to be them, or us!" She glared at the guard with her red eyes. "I'd rather it be them."
Beetle wasted no time in raising his sonic cannon and pointed it at her point blank. "Put. Him. Down." Blue Beetle said, leaving no room for argument.
"You dare stand against me, human?" The female gargoyle said lowly, prepping her claws on her free hand.
"Enough, both of you!" Goliath said as he got on between them. He turned towards Blue Beetle first. "If we wish to get what we came here for, we must work together on this." He then turned to his love. "My angel, to kill in the heat of battle is one thing, but not like this!"
The female gargoyle narrowed her eye at Goliath for a moment before she tossed the guard to the side. "The centuries have made you weak, Goliath." She said before she walked off, but not before casting a glare at Blue Beetle.
Goliath gave her a worried glance as he made to follow her, while Beetle morphed his sonic cannon back into his arm and followed as well, but was still glaring hard at her.
'I hope the others are having better luck than we are.' Danny thought.
/
Meanwhile, Brooklyn, Lexington, and Broadway had made it to Cyberbiotics tower and glided down and landed onto the roof of the building.
"The magic of this century is so...so..." Lexington tried to say.
"Cool." Brooklyn said.
"Exactly." Lexington said.
"Well, anyway, we need a way inside." Brooklyn said as he surveyed the roof.
Broadway looked and noticed a bolted down hatch. He gave a smirk as he walked up to it and cracked his knuckles. "No problem." Broadway grabbed onto the side of the door and ripped it right off its hinges. The three gargoyles climbed down the ladder and until they hit the floor and walked towards the elevator door.
"Xanatos told us it's four floors down." Brooklyn as he pried open the doors and they all looked down the dark tunnel.
"Ooh, this isn't like the elevators back at the castle." Broadway said, a little freaked out by the dark way down.
"Hmm, not enough room to glide down." Lexington noted.
"Well, we'll just use this rope here in the middle." Brooklyn said as grabbed on to the elevator cables and slide down, with the others following close behind. Brooklyn then counted down each floor they passed. "One...two...three...four. Looks like this is it." Brooklyn jumped at the ledge and tried to pry the door open.
"This is easy." Broadway said with confidence. "We'll grab that disc and be back in time for supper."
The moment Brooklyn pried open the doors, they were instantly greeted with over a dozen guards pointing their guns at them.
"A very late supper." Broadway said, not feeling as confident as he was before.
/
Hey everybody, here's the newest chapter for you guys!
Let me tell ya, we just have one more chapter for the Awakening arc, then things will really start kicking off. I have such big plans for this story and I plan on going beyond what the original content of the show gave us.
I'm also glad I finally gave Brooklyn, Broadway, and Lexington their names, as that was really getting annoying of just calling them "the red/teal/green one." We also get our first introduction of Demona and I hope I did a good job of her interacting with Blue Beetle before she reveals her true colors.
Now that I'm done with this chapter, I have a little question for you all. How would feel about a crossover with Terminator and The Walking Dead? If you're all for it, which version of the Walking Dead should I do, the show or the Telltale video games?
That's all I have to say, and I'll see you all next time.