Hey everyone!
I'm back with the next chapter of 'The Longest Chapter' storyline! I know that, especially after the end of the last chapter, there's probably a lot of questions and worries in your mind. Hopefully, some of them will be answered in this chapter [not all of them, though, since I have a few more chapters planned for this arc!].
Enjoy!
Note: "This is Mab speaking," and "This is Japanese."
The Longest Night - Part Two
Brooklyn POV:
8:20 PM
Time seemed to move in slow motion, and despite having years of experience in life-and-death situations, Brooklyn froze at the worst possible moment.
In his mind's eye he saw himself holding his son for the first time, newly hatched from Katana's egg, still covered in that mucus-like membrane as he opened his mouth and mewled. He saw his son's first flight, which had been off the side of a mountain, with him gliding nearby so he would be ready to keep him from falling. He saw his son training with his mother, learning how to hold and control a sword as if it were a part of himself. He saw his son hugging him tightly as they huddled in a cave, barely breathing as they hoped a group of human hunters would pass them by. All of these memories and more seemed to flash before Brooklyn's eyes, soon replaced with the horrific scene before him.
The scream that erupted from his son's mouth cut through the gargoyle's heart like a knife, echoing across the rooftop and through the night air, over the noise of the fire engines that had arrived at the burning theatre. Nashville's back was instantly soaked in his dark red blood as he fell back onto his severed wings. Elijah straightened back up, sword still in hand as his eyes glowed with a creepy green light, a sinister look on his face. Behind him, Brooklyn heard Angela scream and Fang let loose a loud swear word, but he himself said nothing; he simply stood there in shock as he stared at his son laying there, blood slowly pooling out from under him.
It was Yama that instantly reacted, drawing his own swords as he leaped towards Elijah. The deaf teen swung Nashville's sword up, blocking the attack with surprising speed and skill, as if he had years of experience and training on his side. Quickly stepping over a barely-stirring Nashville, the two continued to cross blades, the human attacking with strength and precision as the gargoyle went on the defensive. As they fought, Goliath sprang into action, running forward to Nashville's side. This seemed to snap Brooklyn out of whatever shock he was in, and he ran to his son's side, instantly assessing the wound.
"F-Father," Nashville gasped, his voice garbled as a bit of blood tricked from his mouth. "Fathe-"
"Save your strength," Brooklyn instructed, quickly turning his son onto his stomach to observe the two bleeding stumps on his back. He needed to stop the bleeding, but unfortunately for him, gargoyles wore very little clothing. "Fang! Take your shirt off!"
"What," the mutate asked, he and Angela rushing over to them as Yama and Elijah continued to fight nearby. "What are-"
"TAKE YOUR SHIRT OFF RIGHT NOW!" The roar startled the mutate, who quickly took the shirt part of his uniform off and handed it to him. Brooklyn quickly pressed it onto his son's back, hating how the young gargoyle gave a sharp cry of pain. They needed to get him out of here; they needed to get him some serious medical attention, but where would they go? No hospital would readily accept a gargoyle, and the castle was on the other side of Manhattan.
"We need to get him to Xanatos," Brooklyn said, slowly picking up Nashville with one arm while keeping the shirt firmly pressed to the wound. "Or to Puck; they can help him."
"Elijah," Angela yelled, and the group turned in time to see Elijah kick Yama in the chest, sending him flying into the roof door, crashing through it and falling down the stairs. Looking up, the teenager still had the strange glow in his eyes, and a dark grin on his face.
"It's been centuries since I've had this kind of fun," the human said with a strange, unsettling undertone in his voice as he stood up, tossing the sword aside. "That gargoyle knows how to hold his own in a fight; pity your son doesn't!"
He laughed a little, the noise driving itself into Brooklyn's heart, and it took everything within him to stop himself from dropping his son and attacking this… The gargoyle had no idea what this thing was, but he knew it could not be Elijah. Maybe it was some sort of monster, or a shape-shifter like Proteus? Whatever it was, it had hurt his son, and as soon as he knew Nashville was safe, Brooklyn was going to kill it.
"I'm afraid that won't work, killing me," the Elijah-lookalike said, as if reading the gargoyle's mind. "Even if you could land a fatal blow, we are bonded together now; one cannot exist without the other. Killing us means you'll lose your friend." His smile seemed to widen. "But you lost him long ago, didn't you?"
"Who are you," Goliath demanded, standing at his full height as his eyes glowed with rage; Angela's eyes were glowing as well, and Fang snarled as he held up his hands, ready to shoot a stream of electricity at the boy. "Whatever you are doing to our friend, stop it! Leave him and the rest of us in peace!"
"Goliath," the deaf teen snickered. "You don't realize how predictable you are, do you? Standing there with that stoic expression, commanding others. Yes, you are rightfully named, but need I remind you what happened to the original Goliath?" He shook his head. "And as for who we are, or should I say 'I' am… I won't tell you. It's more fun this way." He paused, turning aside for a moment. "Yes, I said 'I,' my precious Elijah," he said to himself, as if talking to someone invisible. "Don't worry."
"Father," Nashville whispered, his breath coming out ragged and shallow.
"ナッシュビル," Brooklyn replied, whispering his son's Japanese name as he held him close.
"Calm down, Elijah," the thing that looked like Elijah said. "I promise I won't let him die… This is just a punishment for attacking us."
"This is fucking creepy," Fang muttered. The teen looked up at that, the dark grin widening.
"Fred Sykes! Oh, we've been wanting to meet you again for a LONG time!" Elijah slowly started to walk forward. "One of Elijah's favorite tricks is reading people's minds; he finds it SO much fun, seeing their biggest fears and darkest secrets in front of him like an open book! Want us to take a peek inside your head?"
"Like hell you are," the winged mutate snapped, shooting a stream of electricity at the teen. The miniature lighting hit the human, who barely flinched as he continued to walk forward, electricity swirling over him as his clothes started to smoke. Eventually, Fang stopped, looking shocked as the boy continued to approach, smoke curling off of him without a burn mark in sight. None of the gargoyles moved, wary of what the teenager would do, and Brooklyn shifted his arms into a better position to carry Nashville; blood was dripping done the one-eyed gargoyle's arm, dripping onto the ground.
"So much sadness and pain," the teenager whispered, his voice almost soothing as he stopped in front of the mutate. "Want to go back there with me, Freddie? I'm sure your dad will be happy to see you!"
"I… I-I n-no," Fang stammered, his hands shaking as a terrified expression [uncharacteristic for the mutate] came over his face. "P-Please-"
"Brooklyn," Elijah said suddenly, turning to him. "Your panicked thoughts are loud, and are making it harder to focus." He shook his head. "Maybe cutting off Nashville's wings was a little extreme, plus you seem to be in too much of a shock to fight, so-"
The teen snapped his fingers, and both Nashville and his severed wings vanished into thin air. Both the gargoyle and his wings reappeared seconds later next to Amanda, the wings reattached with no visible signs of injury or blood remaining. Nashville now appeared to be sleeping, just like Amanda, laying peacefully next to her as his chest rose and fell with each breath.
"NASHVILLE," Brooklyn cried, running forward to reach him. However, a few feet away from his son, he hit an invisible wall, stumbling back. Angrily, he hammered his fist on the invisible wall, unable to reach the unconscious gargoyle.
"I wasn't going to let him die," the deaf teen said casually. "I can't kill anyone tonight until it's time for the Ceremony. But he still has to be punished."
The gargoyle whirled around, his one eye glowing with rage as a loud roar left his mouth. He leaped forward to attack the strange creature, slamming into another invisible wall. Elijah snickered, shaking his head a little as Brooklyn continued to attack the invisible wall, inches away from the boy. Yama climbed up from downstairs, holding his head as he assessed the scene before him.
"You know," Elijah said, "I was right. You gargoyles really are just wild animals at the end of the day." He laughed a little. "'End of the day...' I am too much!"
"I'll show you wild," Brooklyn snarled, still trying to get past the hidden barrier.
"Come now, beast," the deaf teen said, laughing a little. "Do you really think you can stand against the power of Mab? Especially after the centuries I've waited for this night?"
"Mab," Goliath repeated, his eyes suddenly widening with realization. "The Fourth eye!"
"Someone get a trophy for Captain Obvious over here," Mab said, clapping Elijah's hands in mock congratulation as the crimson gargoyle continued to try and attack them. "Yes, Elijah found the Eye after that New Olympian attacked his home, and I've been his best friend ever since." The teenager grinned. "I've been SO lonely these past few centuries, and Elijah's been just as lonely!"
"That's a lie," Angela said bravely. "The stories say you mess with the mind of whoever holds the Eye; you brainwash them and make them think you're right!"
"And am I not right," the witch asked.
"Elijah is not alone," Angela retorted. "He has Brooklyn and Nashville!" Brooklyn finally stopped trying to attack the invisible barrier, his breathing heavy as his eye still glowed with rage. "He also has his uncle, Amanda, his schoolmates-"
"And he has me," Mab finished, waving her hand. Angela's mouth clammed shut on its own, and she made a muffled noise as she tried to pry her lips open. "And just because you're friends doesn't mean he isn't lonely. Are you there during the day like I am? What about at night; your clan is off playing hero to a species that would prefer that you never existed!" Elijah's face became more serious. "None of you know what it's like for him, but I do." The teen rubbed his arm with his hand, stroking the skin. "I care about him, and he cares about me."
"Release him," Goliath commanded again, his fists clenching as his daughter struggled to open her mouth. "And Nashville and Angela!"
A sigh came from Elijah's mouth, not unlike the one a parent would make when dealing with a troublesome child.
"I'll let your daughter go," Mab said, snapping Elijah's fingers. Angela's mouth opened, and she took in deep breaths of air. "But I'll hold onto Nashville for a while."
"NO," Brooklyn roared, pounding another fist on the unseen barrier. "Let him go! He's done nothing to you!"
"But it's not my decision to let him go," the witch said, turning to the gargoyle. "It's Elijah's."
The red gargoyle paused, still seething with anger, but now in control of his actions.
"What… You're lying," he finally said. "You've taken over Elijah's body, so-"
"Not all of him," Mab explained, holding up Elijah's hand. "He's still got his own will; I'm more of a teacher guiding her student. And it was his idea to attack Nashville and your gargoyle friend back there… and to send that fake note to Macbeth and the Redemption Squad."
"That's… No," Angela said, shaking her head a little. "Why would he want to do this?"
"Regarding Nashville? Elijah's always had some resentment towards him, since he took his best friend away from him." The pure green eyes stared right into Brooklyn. "You had to get a wife and kids, becoming someone that he no longer knew. He could forgive you for being gone for forty years, since you had no control over that, but as soon as he saw you with Katana and Nashville… He knew that things would never be the same."
"The only resentment he had is no longer there," Brooklyn retorted, though his voice was slightly shaky as he took in the witch's rules. "We talked about this, and he and Nashville have been best friends since."
"'Best friends,'" Mab repeated, smiling sweetly. "Oh, you're so simple-minded, Brooklyn! Just because they get along doesn't mean they were best friends. Nashville was not someone close to his age mentally, and made no effort to learn sign language so they could communicate better." She pointed the teen's finger at the unconscious Nashville. "Spending time with your son is like babysitting a child. Sure, they had fun, but they're far from being best friends."
"What about the fabricated distress note you sent us," Yama spoke up, holding his side with a stern expression on his face. "How was that Elijah's idea?"
"It's very simple," she replied, turning the boy's body towards the Japanese gargoyle. "We were coming up with ideas for tonight, and he thought it would be fun to have you all here to witness the Ceremony!"
"What ceremony," Goliath asked.
Elijah's shoulders were shrugged. "It's nothing, really. At midnight, we will perform a special ceremony that will bring life back into this world." Mab made the teen's smile return. "We wanted you all to be there."
"And if we aren't," Angela asked, glaring at the witch.
"Oh you will. I'll make sure of it." The teen's hands clapped together. "Okay! I'm gonna 'take the backseat,' as Elijah told me the phrase goes! Elijah wants to do some things he's never done before, and with almost unlimited power…"
Elijah's body shivered, and the green glow faded from his eyes. The smile remained, and as he held up his hands, the green glow surrounded them.
"... I can do whatever I want," he said, the strange tone in his voice now gone; it was apparent [to Brooklyn at least], that this was now Elijah speaking. He turned towards Nashville and Amanda. "I think Nashville, Amanda and I should go visit my uncle now after a quick pit stop; the rest of you should wait here for Xanatos. He's no doubt on his way here by now."
"... Elijah," Angela asked tentatively, flinching as the deaf teen turned to her with a hard glare.
"Elijah," Brooklyn said, trying to sound calm though on the inside, he was getting ready to rush forward and grab his son. "Why are you doing this?"
The teenager chuckled darkly. Suddenly, he closed his fist, and the one-eyed gargoyle's throat closed, choking him. Brooklyn wheezed, holding his throat as he feel to the ground. Elijah slowly turned to face him, kneeling down next to him.
"You're a little too late to start asking questions, Brooklyn," he said as the gargoyle struggled to breath. "Don't worry; you'll get Nashville back in time. Mab suggested a couple trials for you and the others, to keep you occupied while we get the two unborns."
"What," Fang asked, finally talking for the first time in a while, though he still looked nervous as the teen turned to him with a sinister expression.
"Puck will no doubt explain it to you," Elijah replied shortly. "Or Owen, I suppose." Standing up, he stepped over his former friend's withering body, he lifted his hands as a glowing green ball, almost the size of a marble, appeared in between his hands. A green glow surrounded the unconscious forms of Amanda and Nashville, lifting them up the ground.
"Oh wait," the deaf teen said, turning back to the group. "You're absolutely right, Mab. They'll try to stop me from leaving." He looked over at Brooklyn, whose face was now blue. "Goliath and Angela; this is a good father-daughter activity for you. CATCH!"
He swung one of his hands around, and Brooklyn's body followed, sailing through the air and knocking over Goliath and Angela. Yama ran forward, ready to attack again, but the teen jumped into the air, shooting up like a rocket as Nashville and Amanda followed. Soon, they were hovering several yards over the rooftop, and with a final look of glee, they flew off into the night.
Brooklyn gasped for breath, his throat no longer constricted, and he quickly stood up as he prepared to glide after him. However, Goliath stopped him.
"Let me go, Goliath," he demanded, pulling his shoulder free.
"We can't go after him," the lavender gargoyle explained.
"HE HAS MY SON," the red gargoyle practically roared, his eye glowing with anger once more. "If he had taken Angela-"
"You would have stopped me as well," Goliath finished. "It's clear that Mab has some sort of influence on Elijah, and as we just saw, we do not want to push him any further." He put a hand on Brooklyn's shoulder. "We'll get him back, I promise."
"We'll get both of them back," Angela corrected, a wry smile on her face.
Brooklyn wanted to argue. He wanted to fight and scream and kick and glide after the thing that had taken his son and his friend, but he knew that Goliath was right. It was clear that this Mab witch had plans, and with midnight a few hours away, they needed more information.
"We need to talk to Puck," he stated. "Are the comms still down?"
"I'll check," Yama said, pressing a finger to his earpiece. "Hunter? Dingo?"
"I've got Xanatos," Goliath said, and at that moment, the billionaire's voice echoed in all of their ears.
"...ab! You need to be careful," the man was saying. "I repeat-"
"Xanatos," Brooklyn asked, putting a finger to his own ear piece.
"Brooklyn!" Xanatos sounded uncharacteristically relieved. "Where's Elijah?"
"You know about him and Mab?"
"Owen figured it out. We tried to warn you, but something was blocking our signal."
"Mab's magic," Angela suggested.
"Most likely," the man agreed. "I suggest you come back to the castle as soon as possible; we're trying to reach the Weisman team, but we're meeting the same interference."
"Elijah said he's on his way there now," Brooklyn informed him. "He has Amanda and Nashville. And he sent the messages to Macbeth and the Redemption Squad!"
"We figured that. We'll meet at the castle and head to Weisman from there; Owen and Fox will stay with Alex and Katana."
"Why," the gargoyle questioned. "Mab… Or Elijah… Whoever! They took my son already, and I want my wife by my side!"
"Trust me, it's for the best," Xanatos said. "Especially once you hear what Owen knows."
A dark feeling filled Brooklyn's chest, but he simply nodded.
"Fine. We're on our way." He turned to the group. "Elijah-"
"It can't all just be him," Angela said. "The Fourth Eye of Mab is supposed to corrupt and brainwash its user; it's not really him."
"I agree," Goliath added. "I myself have been in his situation before, with the Eye of Odin. We must hurry; if he's had the eye since early March, there's no telling how much time we have before it's too late."
"Too late for what," Fang asked. "What's all this 'eye' shit ya keep goin' on about?"
No one answered, but no one had to. The worried and dark expressions Goliath and Brooklyn exchanged said it all. Brooklyn knew this story; Goliath had nearly gone off the deep end when he controlled Odin's power, and it had nearly killed him. But if Owen was right, and this fourth eye had more power than Odin's eye, then Elijah was probably not the only one in danger.
[][][]
Terry POV:
8:23 PM
Ten-year-old Terry Chung was sitting on his bedroom's window seat, reading a book by the light of the street lamp.
He was supposed to be going to bed so soon, but he hoped that, if the overhead light was off, that his mom would think he had gone to sleep and not check on him, allowing him to read some more. While his mother, who worked at the United Nations, encouraged her son to read, she drew the line when it was bedtime. So, the boy was as quiet as a mouse as he turned the page of his book. It was about places around the world, and he was currently on the chapter all about Egypt: the pyramids, the Pharaohs, the Sphinx-
Something caught his eye, and Terry looked up from his book, turning to his left to look out his bedroom window. It was a mostly cloudless night, and the waning crescent moon shone brightly, seeming to smile at him. At first, he could see nothing but the roofs of other houses, and in the distance, the main buildings that made up downtown Weisman. Figuring it may have been a passing bird or something, he was about to turn back to his reading when he spotted something strange in the sky.
"Woah," he whispered, pressing his face to the glass as he spotted several figures gliding high overhead, their large bat-like wings carrying them though the air. Some of them appeared to be carrying people in their arms, though one of them appeared to be carrying a large dog or something. The boy watched them fly towards the seaside edge of town, disappearing into the night.
It's like that thing I saw on New Year's, Terry thought, sitting back down in his seat. Gargoyles? He had seen them on the news last year, and had even dressed up as one on Halloween. While some of his friends thought that gargoyles were dangerous monsters, his cousin Tri had told him to never judge a book by its cover, and Tri was smart and really cool, so he believed him. So the boy put a bookmark in his book and turned off his flashlight, now looking intently at the night sky for any sign of the flying creatures.
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Jeffrey POV:
8:25 PM
Jeffrey decided to take a break from writing, giving his hands a rest. Technically, his new book was finished, but he was busy working on the author's note that would go before the first chapter. He reached over and grabbed the piece of paper that came out of the braille embosser, feeling the bumps with his fingers as he read over what he had just written. All appeared good, and after setting it on a nearby stack of papers, he grabbed his cane and stood up, feeling Gilly stand up as well, at his side as he walked out of the library.
His meeting in California had gone well; the author's publisher had loved his second draft of his new book, and it was a go to be published next year. Also, the first meetings with the movie studio to adapt his other book on Gilgamesh had been promising; while they had some ideas that deviated from the book's plot, Jeffrey had promised to give the changes a thought before getting back to them. Right now, he was busier than usual, having recently finished the edits for the third draft of his new book, as well as working on the special author's note and dedication that would accompany it.
While he had wanted to go to his nephew's concert that night, Elijah had surprisingly requested that he not go. The teen said that it was just a competition, and that he would enjoy going to the actual concert at the end of the month here in Weisman. While Jeffrey had been a little curious as to why his nephew did not want him to go, he decided to agree, seeing the amount of writing and edits he had to work on. Besides, he had noticed that Elijah had sounded a little… different, recently. Nothing too concerning, as far as he could tell, but he decided to give the boy some distance before asking him about what was going on.
Of course, the author had an idea of what was probably bothering the teenager; in a month, it would be the one-year anniversary of his parent's deaths. As the date grew closer, Jeffrey figured that old wounds were reopening in his nephew's heart, and knew that this was about to be a difficult time for him. He had already made plans to take a break from publisher meetings the last two weeks of May and the first two weeks of June, as well as cut back on his writing during that time, all so he could make more time to be there for Elijah. Now, as he went into the kitchen to start working on some dinner, he started to feel a little guilty that he had elected to not go to the singing competition to support his nephew. He hoped that he had not made a grave error, and decided to spend some time with Elijah this weekend.
A loud and frantic knocking at the library door startled Jeffrey from his thoughts, and setting down the pan, he followed Gilly to the door.
"Hudson," the author asked as he slid the door open.
"Aye," the aged gargoyle replied, and Jeffrey stepped back as Hudson and Bronx [as well as a few others] stepped inside. "Are ye okay? Has anyone shown up here besides us?"
"No," the blind man replied, a frown coming to his face as he sensed the anxiousness in his friend's voice. "What's going on?"
"We received a message," a new voice said, and the author instantly recognized Macbeth's Scottish brogue. "Well, me and the… what do ye call yourselves again?"
"The Redemption Squad," a woman replied. "Ye probably don't remember us, Mr. Robbins-"
"I do," the author replied, which only worried him more. The last time the Redemption Squad had been here, a shape-shifting New Olympian had attacked him and the others, nearly destroying his home. "And I assume you're not here for a friendly chat?"
"We received a message," the Australian man, Dingo, spoke up. "It said to come to New York City tonight, because there would be an attack at the theatre where your nephew's music concert is taking place."
Jeffrey's hand tightened on his cane, and his stomach dropped.
"Who," he demanded.
"The Quarrymen," Broadway replied. "We had no idea if this was a random attack or planned, so we came here te make sure you were safe."
"A planned attack?"
"We believe they may have found out your connection to the gargoyles and Xanatos," Macbeth explained. "They may have found out about Elijah's competition, and decided to attack it as a way of drawing out our winged friends here. Don't worry; Brooklyn and Goliath have led a team there to stop them, and we came here in case the Quarrymen had a plan to get ye while the attack was happening."
"I'm fine," the blind author insisted. "You ought to go back to New York and help them."
WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, a metallic-sounding voice said, as if a computer had a voice. I CALCULATED THE ODDS, AND THE BEST WAY OF ACHIEVING LAW AND ORDER WAS FOR US TO COME HERE TO PROTECT YOU WHILE THE OTHER GROUP WENT TO STOP THE QUARRYMEN. OF COURSE, I COULD RUN ANOTHER DIAGNOSTIC ABOUT US LEAVING TO ASSIST THE OTHERS, BUT WITHOUT KNOWING WHAT HAS HAPPENED AT THE THEATRE-
"Speaking of which, we haven't heard from the other team in a while," Hunter spoke up. "Yama, Fang? Can ye hear me? ... Hello? … Brooklyn?" There were a few moments of silence. "Funny; Xanatos said we would still be in range te talk to them…"
"It should be working," Lexington spoke up. "Let me see your earpiece; maybe it's broken."
"You all should leave," Jeffrey insisted, the panic and fear slowly rising within him. "If something's gone wrong-"
"Not until we establish that the perimeter is secure," Dingo replied. "Macbeth and Matrix, with me." Their footsteps walked past the author, stepping back outside.
"What about the house," Hudson asked. "Did ye hear anyone come in?"
"No," the author replied. "And I've been here alone all day with Gilly."
"Did ye let her out at any point to use the restroom or anything," Hunter asked.
"Naturally."
"Someone may have sneaked in during one of those times. Hudson and Bronx, ye stay with Jeffrey, and ye two come with me." Jeffrey noticed that the woman's voice seemed a little tight as she asked the gargoyles to accompany her, and he remembered a conversation he had with Dingo back in February; Hunter used to be a part of a group of ancient gargoyle slayers, and he figured with the only other humans now outside, she probably felt a little awkward.
"I could go with you if you'd like, Hunter," the author suggested. "After all, there are some spots of the house most people may not think of looking in."
"It's fine," the woman said quickly. "If someone is hiding in here, we don't want them to attack ye."
"Agreed," Lex added from the general area of the couch. "But I'll stay here with Hudson so I can put this earpiece back together. Bronx can go with you two; he'd probably be able to sniff out any bad guys."
"Okay." Jeffrey heard the trio walk into the hallway, and he made his way over to his seat, reaching for the nearby phone.
"Who are ye calling," Hudson asked, walking over to his side.
"Xanatos," the man replied, bringing the handset to his ear. About to dial the number, he paused when he heard a single tone playing through the earpiece, signaling that the phone was not connected. "That's strange…" He tapped the receiver a couple times, and even punched in a few numbers, but the dial tone remained. "The phone's not working."
"Really," Lex asked. "Let me look at it." The gargoyle's footsteps walked over to him, and Jeffrey held out the phone for him to take. "You're right. Maybe the cord…" The sound of the gargoyle crawling under the desk. "It's plugged in, and it must be getting some electricity, if there's a dial tone."
"Coincidence," Hudson asked.
"Maybe the actual landline itself is broken, or else someone tampered with this phone."
"But that's impossible," Jeffrey said as Lex put the phone back on the receiver. "I've been in this room most of the day, and I doubt I was outside or in the restroom long enough for someone to tamper with the phone." He tapped his finger on the desk. "And Gilly's been with me all day, and would have barked if an intruder came inside."
"Unless the intruder was someone she knew," Hudson guessed. "But who? Elijah's been gone all day, right?"
"Yes."
"No one else has been here, you're sure of that?"
"Of course."
Lexington suddenly gasped.
"Mason Grant," the younger gargoyle exclaimed. "Gilly may not have barked if she recognized his scent. Plus he knows the layout of the house."
"That's… a bit of a stretch," the blind author said after a few moments of thinking. "And why would he mess with the phone? Is he working with the Quarrymen?" He looked over in Hudson's general direction. "Has Xanatos found anything on him?"
"None that he's told us," the aged gargoyle replied. "And it may be possible, but…" He paused for a moment, seemingly deep in thought. "I suppose he could have-"
The nearby door slid open, and footsteps revealed the return of Dingo, Matrix and Macbeth.
"Perimeter's clear," the Australian said. "Nuthin' out of order, as far as we can tell. Where's Hunter?"
"Searching the house," Lex replied. "Dingo, can I see your earpiece? Hunter's seems to be fine, and I wanna make sure they're both connected."
"Can ye check mine too," Macbeth added. "It's not working either."
The earpieces are not working, Jeffrey thought, a small frown on his face. And the phone's not working either…
"Lexington," the blind author said out loud. "Is it possible for something exterior, not related to the phone or the phone lines, to disrupt a phone?"
"Hmm… Maybe," the gargoyle replied. "I mean, I dunno if something like that exists yet, but-" He seemed to understand. "The earpieces! Something's blocking their signal, probably! And your phone-"
"What's this about the phone," Dingo asked.
LET ME CHECK, Matrix said, and something slithered past Jeffrey's arm. STRANGE.
"Strange," the Australian repeated. "How can somethin' be strange to ya? I thought ya knew everythin'!"
THERE IS A SIGNAL BLOCKING THE PHONE, the AI said, BUT IT IS NOT OF A MECHANICAL ORIGIN.
"What does that mean?"
I… IT'S COMING FROM AN UNKNOWN SOURCE, AND I CANNOT PINPOINT WHERE THE LOCATION OF SAID SOURCE.
"That's impossible," Macbeth said. "Unless… it's from a magical source."
An almost eerie silence filled the room, and nearly half a minute passed before someone spoke again.
"Something's not right," Hudson said. "The notes, the fact that we can't call anyone..."
"And Elijah and I may be in danger," Jeffrey added, gripping his cane in his hands. "Whatever's going on, it's apparent that it's something bigger than the Quarrymen."
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Elijah/Mab POV:
8:34 PM
Elijah walked briskly through the underground tunnels, heading straight for the Labyrinth. He had left Amanda and Nashville passed out in a side tunnel, needed his hands and powers free.
Ready, Mab asked.
"Always," he replied.
"Elijah," Al said brightly, the older man smiling at him as the teen approached the entrance. "What are y-"
"Hush," Elijah replied, waving his hand. The man instantly collapsed to the ground, asleep, and the teen stepped over him, walking into the Labyrinth. He received a few hellos and greets from the residents, who recognized him from his time volunteering on Saturdays, but he did not reply, staring straight ahead as he walked towards the quarters where the mutates lived. Claw was walking out of the door as he approached, and the tiger mutate's face broke into a smile.
"Elijah," he signed. "How are-"
The deaf teenager waved his hand, but instead of falling asleep, the mutate was slammed into the nearby wall, cracking it. A whine of pain flew from Claw's mouth, but before he could react, he was slammed into the wall three more times. After the last time, he fell to the ground, unconscious. A few people screamed, but Elijah ignored them as he walked into a smaller tunnel, heading for Talon and Maggie's room.
"Nope," the boy muttered, waving his hand to lock the door to the clone's room from the outside; there was no time to deal with those idiots. Still walking, he made his way to a door at the end of the hall, opening it without waiting for an invitation. On the other side was a living area the size of a one-room apartment, and Talon was currently helping Maggie into a seat. The lion mutate was very pregnant, and the teen waved his hand to shut the door behind him.
"Elijah," Talon asked, turning towards the teen with a confused expression. "What're you doing here? In our home?"
"Just came to get something," Elijah replied, closing his hand in a fist. At the same time, the panther mutate's throat closed, and he clawed at his throat, struggling to breathe.
"Derek," his wife asked, a panicked look appearing on her face as he fell to his knees, shaking like a leaf. "Derek, what's going on?!"
"Don't worry," the teenager replied as a glowing green stick, about the size and weight of a baseball bat, appeared in his hands. "He'll be asleep in a few seconds."
"Elijah! What-" The female mutate suddenly fell asleep. Stepping over to her, Elijah put a hand on her stomach, sensing the life inside.
Oh yes, Mab said in his mind. He's perfect!
"But will he be human," the teen asked. "I mean, they're both mutates and used to be human, so-"
Again, my dear boy, it does not matter what species the unborn children are, the woman explained gently, though she sounded a hint impatient. All that matters is if they are strong, and this one definitely is.
"GGAHAASHE," Talon gasped, close to passing out. Sighing, Elijah released his throat, causing the mutate to gasp for breath, still on his knees as he shuddered.
"So we take both of them," the teen said.
I need the mother alive; we'll need her strength to ensure that the baby is born.
"But she isn't due for another month."
We can speed up the delivery, or induce an early labor. Talon was slowly starting to catch his breath. But I'd deal with that first if I were you.
"Okay." Looking at his bat, Elijah decided to make it disappear, thinking of a more entertaining way to knock the mutate unconscious. By now, Talon had straightened up, and turned to him with a furious expression.
"What are you doing," he demanded, his hands cackling with electricity. "If you touch her-"
"Don't worry," the deaf teenager assured him. "Hopefully, she'll survive the birth." He held up his hand. "Too bad you won't be here to see it."
"Wha-"
That was as far as Talon got before the crib [which he had assembled a month before in preparation for his newborn son] hit him from behind, slamming him into the wall. The impact was enough to knock him out, and as the wrecked crib floated back to its place near the bed, the mutate collapsed, unconscious.
"That was fun," Elijah said, snickering a little as he took the Eye out of his pocket and turned to face Maggie. Bringing the Eye to his mouth, he said, "Now all of you treat her nice, okay? She's pregnant, and if we learn that any of you harmed her, you'll be wiped from existence." Nodding, he held up the Eye towards the unconscious mutate, and she turned into a shimmering mass of green light, which was sucked into the Eye a second later.
"Talon," a voice called from the hallway, the sound of footsteps getting closer. "Talon! We have a situation!"
The teen sighed. "They just won't give up, will they?"
They're a persistent bunch, Mab said. Like annoying ants that just won't go away. Want to take care of them yourself?
"You're asking me? Do you wanna take over on this one?"
Thank you, but no. I should save my strength for the Ceremony.
"Fine with me." The shouts and footsteps were getting closer and Elijah held up his hands, ready to clear his way out of the Labyrinth.
[][][]
Fang POV:
8:41 PM
Fang was still feeling a little shaken as he and the others flew back towards Xanatos' tower, and it was a feeling he did not like.
First, Hunter makes the whole team go back to New York City less than a week after their previous mission in Tibet. The flight over alone was awful, since he had to deal with Hunter and Dingo's bickering most of the time, and the grating noise of Yama sharpening his swords made sleeping difficult. Then, arriving in New York, they learn that they were not needed, and the gargoyles seemed just as confused as to why they were there. The next thing he knew, he was facing down that deaf kid from Halloween, who now had superpowers or something. One of which was the ability to read minds, and he had used that trick on the mutate. It was creepy as hell, to put it lightly, and Fang tried not to think about his childhood as they approached the skyscraper with the castle on top of it.
He called me 'Freddie,' the cougar mutate thought. And he mentioned my dad-
"Fang!"
"What?" The winged mutate quickly realized that he had dipped down in the air, and nearly ran into Angela. He muttered a half-hearted apology, gliding away from her. A minute later, they landed in the courtyard of the castle, where the big-shot Xanatos, his wife, and his assistant were waiting for them.
"The Fourth Eye," Brooklyn started to say.
"We know," Xanatos replied. "Elijah has it."
"Where's Katana?"
"In the Rookery with the egg."
"How do we stop her," Angela asked, turning to Owen. "Can't you stop her?"
"Unfortunately no," the bespectacled assistant said. "Remember, I can't use any magic unless it's teaching or protecting Alexander."
Magic, Fang thought, wondering how this puny looking man could know magic.
"And I don't want Alex learning how to take a two thousand-year-old witch down," Fox spoke up, holding her son, who was asleep in her arms.
"But I can offer some advice on stopping her," Owen continued. "You don't have much time; midnight's only a few hours away."
"The Ceremony," Goliath said. "Eli- Mab spoke of it to us, saying she could not kill anyone before then."
"Why," Fang asked, wondering why this witch-whatever was possessing a teenager, and could not kill until midnight.
"She's trying to get a body back," the assistant explained. "Over a thousand years ago, Mab ruled Avalon as its queen. The original queen of the faeries."
Avalon? Fairies, the winged mutate thought. The hell's he talking about?
"She was not a kind ruler, to put it mildly," the man continued. "Let's just say that compared to Oberon, he's a saint. Feared by all, and when she was defeated, he locked her up somewhere that even I do not know of. But not before she plucked out one of her eyes and sent it somewhere."
"How did you know she plucked it out herself," Fox asked.
"Because Oberon had her at his coronation in chains, and it's hard to miss someone's eye missing. While Oberon may not be the kindest individual, he would never mutilate his own mother, nor would he kill her."
"So she's not dead," Brooklyn asked. "Then why does she need a body? And how does this Eye work?"
"It's connected to her, as far as I can tell," Owen explained. "Mind you, I lost track of the Eye centuries ago, and it was not until Xanatos found stories on it that I realized how dangerous it would be in the wrong hands. It's why we went to go find it."
"Not because you wanted unlimited power," Yama asked, frowning at Xanatos.
"I'm not that selfish," the billionaire replied. "Besides, I'm no fool; whoever possesses the eye goes mad with power."
A silence fell over the group, and Fang remembered how the teen had looked, talking to himself with that strange tone in his voice, cutting off the young gargoyle's wings and then putting them back on, talking about his dad-
"How do we stop her and save Elijah," Brooklyn asked, a determined expression on his face. "There must be some way!"
"There is, but we have to hurry," the assistant said, straightening his glasses. "Knowing her, she's probably off causing some trouble before she takes the first unborn."
"Unborn," Fang asked. "That kid mentioned something about unborns back on the roof."
The man's face grew serious.
"Did she say where they were going," he asked.
"Elijah. Or Mab, whatever, said they were going to see his uncle in Weisman," the cougar mutate replied.
"But they said they had to make a quick stop first," Angela added. "But we don't know where."
"The Labyrinth," Owen muttered.
"What?"
"Miss Maza's brother's wife is pregnant, is she not," Xanatos' assistant said, turning to Goliath.
"Yes," the large gargoyle said in surprise. "Due next month, I believe."
"What does this mean, Owen," Fox asked.
"It means that she now has one third of the ingredients she needs to become powerful enough to free her body from whatever prison its in and become queen again," Owen replied, turning to the group. "Technically more. Over the centuries worth of research I gathered, the Eye had ensnared enough individuals to help her power grow, and now with Elijah, she's finally read. All she needs now is an unborn girl and Excalibur."
"... What," Fang said, breaking the shocked silence that followed that statement. "An unborn girl?"
"She needs two innocent lives in order for the Ceremony to work," the assistant explained. "Nothing's more innocent than two babies."
"But why unborn," Angela asked, looking like she might be sick.
"Oh, she used to go around to villages and cut open-"
"I'm gonna stop ya right there, pal," Fang said, feeling like he was going to be sick himself. "You want us to take on this psycho bitch all on our own? She tossed Yama like a rag doll, and cut that kid's wings off!"
"WEHIKODAFESDA?"
They turned to find another gargoyle standing nearby, a large, round object in her hand. She rushed over to Brooklyn, talking to him quickly in what Fang realized was Japanese. Great, as if Yama wasn't enough, now there were two Japanese gargoyles.
"Katana," Owen said, "you and the egg need to stay in the Rookery and not leave."
"Why," Goliath asked.
"Because knowing Mab, and knowing that she's currently in Elijah's head, she'll choose two unborns that are strong. Plus, she must realize that going around to every hospital in New York would take too much time; she intends to have some fun before ascending to the throne again. So, with Elijah's knowledge, she knows that two unborns are Maggie's son…" He turned to Brooklyn and Katana, and Fang realized what was in her hands. "... and your daughter."
"A… daughter," Katana whispered in English, hugging the egg gently to her chest. A few tears welled in her eyes, and she suddenly let out a loud roar that seemed to shake the castle walls. Her husband put his arm around her, pulling her into his embrace as she started to cry.
"We won't let her take her," he whispered to her. "I promise we won't."
"Wait a second," Yama spoke up. "You said she also needed Excalibur."
"The magical sword, yes," Owen answered.
"Well… King Arthur has that," Angela said. "I mean, the others helped him and Griff get the sword here in Manhattan while Goliath and I were on our world tour. And he went off to find Merlin; he could be anywhere in the world!"
"Yes, but seeing that she, through Elijah, was able to bring Macbeth and the Redemption squad here, I have no doubt that she can somehow get King Arthur here as well," the assistant replied. "You must understand; as every second passes, she grows stronger in power, and with her hold on Elijah. Right now, she's most likely twisted his mind, showing him his secret desires and worst fears to motivate him to help her. Right now, she's like a parasite, leeching onto him, but eventually, she'll no longer need him, and when that happens…" He paused for a moment. "He'll die. And she'll become queen again, and either go back to Avalon to rule, or make herself a new kingdom here in New York."
Another hushed silence fell over the group, and everyone exchanged frightened and determined looks. Fang himself, after hearing all of this, was not keen to get into a fight with this crazy fairy queen. And so far, Owen had only told them how dangerous she was, and not how to stop her.
"So what do we do," the winged mutate asked. "Track her down and ask her to not kill two babies and Elijah? That didn't work so well on the roof."
"Iron," the assistant replied. "You'll need iron weapons to wound her."
"But won't attacking her hurt Elijah," Brooklyn asked, still hugging his wife and unborn child. "And when will she come after our egg? We need to get her and Katana out of here."
"Here's what I know," Owen said. "Iron will wound her, and Elijah, but she needs him to survive until the Ceremony, so she'll use her power to heal him. This will sap most of her power, and after a while, she'll be too weak to have that much of a hold on Elijah. But if you're still wary of hurting him, just tire Mab out in a fight. In that moment, you must convince him to give up the Eye."
"Give up the Eye," Goliath asked.
"Yes. He must willingly give up the Eye and its power of his own free will. Then, once he's done so, you must crush the Eye. If you take the Eye from him and destroy it, he'll be killed too; he must sever the bond between herself and him."
"Will this even work," Xanatos asked. "You said yourself that you lost track of the Fourth Eye for centuries, and most of what you do know is based on research."
"And centuries of knowledge on how the Third Race works," the billionaire's assistant retorted, turning towards him. "And right now, as far as I can tell, this is her plan and this is our best way of stopping her and preventing Elijah and anyone else from dying."
Xanatos nodded. "Fine. I'll provide the iron."
"We need to contact the others," Yama spoke up. "Hunter, Dingo, Macbeth."
"We couldn't contact you earlier," Fox said. "She must have done something to keep us separated."
"Could she do the same to them in Weisman," Angela asked Owen.
"Probably. If Elijah found the Eye back in February, as I suspect he did, he'll be able to wield her power in many different ways. For instance, travelling would be a breeze for him; he could travel to one end of the country and back in a single night, if he wished to do so."
"This is fucking insane," Fang muttered. How could this witch be controlling a kid, but said kid was controlling her powers? It made no sense, and he did not want to be a part of this craziness.
"So we go to Weisman," Brooklyn said. "Katana can stay here with the egg. Does the building still have the defence mechanisms we used to keep Oberon out?"
"Yes, but Mab is much more powerful than Oberon," Owen replied. "It would keep her out for a while, but she'll eventually get in." He turned to Brooklyn and Katana. "She'll get your egg, so right now, we need to come up with a way to stop her before she does."
"And you have a plan, I guess," Fang asked, frowning a little. "Ya seem to know a lot about this witch; sure you're not workin' for her?"
"Fang," Yama snapped, frowning at him. "Now's not the time to-"
"Fuck off,' the mutate snapped. "I've been on plenty of trips with guaranteed death wishes before, but this one takes the cake!"
"Fang," Goliath said sternly, turning towards him. "Whether you like it or not, we need your help to stop Mab and save not only our friend, but our clan's future."
"Why should I care about your clan's future," Fang asked. "All I've gotten from this clan is a cell in the Labyrinth!"
"You tried to take it over," Angela reminded him, glaring at him.
"Did I ask ya for details?"
"We get that you're scared," Yama started to say.
"What?!" The mutate walked up to the gargoyle, hands cackling with electricity. "I am not scared of some teen with mind control!"
"You seemed scared when Mab mentioned reading your mind," the gargoyle replied calmly. "And mentioned your father-"
Fang punched Yama in the face, growling with anger. The gargoyle got to his feet, his eyes glowing with rage, and the two were about to get into a fight when Brooklyn, Goliath and Angela grabbed them both and separated them.
"We don't have time for this," Brooklyn said angrily. "If he doesn't want to help, let him go! We don't need dead weight right now."
"'Dead weight,'" Fang repeated, pulling his arms free from Goliath's grasp. "Same shit, different day, I guess!" He looked at the entire group, glaring at all of them. "You know what? Screw all of ya! Fight this crazy bitch yourselves! And when ya see hunter, tell her I quit and to go fuck herself!"
On that note, the winged mutate strode over to the nearest ledge, spread his wings and flew off into the night, determined to not be caught up in whatever shit was about to go down.
So now you have some more insight on Mab's plan and how they plan on stopping her. There's also a brief insight to Fang's childhood [which appears to have been rather unhappy], and we get a cameo appearance from Terry Chung! If you don't know him, he's from the Gargoyles comic series, and while I won't spoil what happens, he will eventually do something important when he grows up. Plus, we still have no idea of what happened to Thailog, Shari, and Art.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Have a great day!
-aggiefrogger