Hello everyone!
Naturally, after the events of the last chapter (not the Ed Asner tribute, but the last chapter for this storyline), I'm sure many of you have been waiting anxiously to see what happens next. Well, here's Chapter 31, and Part Four of 'The Longest Night' storyline!
Enjoy!
Note: Conversations in bold and italics are Mab/Possessed Elijah.
The Longest Night - Part Four
Fang POV:
10:07 PM
Fang kicked aside a stray can as the nearby waves lapping over his feet, his nose wrinkling a little at the strong smell of saltwater.
The cougar mutate had flown south, heading towards the docks that bordered the Hudson River. He was currently sitting on a small stretch of beach underneath a random dock, staring out at the dark waters, and the distant lights of the New Jersey shore. It had been a while since he had been in the States, and now that he was no longer a member of the Redemption Squad, which was based in Paris, he needed to figure out what he was supposed to do now.
I'll be fine. I've been homeless before, he thought to himself, a warm breeze ruffling his fur. He glanced down at himself, frowning a little. But not as a mutated freak that looks like a gargoyle. He sighed, looking back at the river, a frown still on his face.
Five years earlier, Fang had been known as Fred Sykes, a young, twenty-something man who bounced around between odd jobs, with only a high school diploma to his name. He had been fine for a few years, moving apartments whenever he got behind on rent [a few of which he had been evicted]. But eventually, his luck ran out, and soon he found himself with too little money to feed himself, much less find a place to live. And soon that money had run out, and as the weather turned colder, he started to become truly desperate for money and food, begging outside of buildings before being chased off by the cops.
The worst thing about it was that he felt like a failure. He had spent years being berated by his father, being told that he was stupid, a loser, someone who would never amount to anything… among other, worse things. Sykes senior hadn't been a loving, caring father, to put it kindly, and it was very common that when he had a particularly bad day at work, he would take out his frustrations on his only son. Fred's mother died when he was seven years old, meaning that the boy had to endure this mistreatment for eleven years. Of course, as he got older, he started to fight back, and won a few rounds, but he would always lose in the end. The cops had been called a few times, but no one had been arrested. When his eighteenth birthday arrived, he left the apartment with only a backpack of clothes and his toothbrush, and never looked back. He had gotten a job at a diner, and-
"AAUGH," the mutate finally roared, streams of electricity running from his hands up to his elbows. He quickly shot it out at the water, probably frying a few fish in the process; he rarely lost control like this, and it frightened him. Breathing heavily, he grabbed the sides of his head, as if trying to force himself to stop thinking about his past. That damn witch; why'd she have to bring up his past in front of Yama and the others?
Fang was supposed to be the sarcastic, snarky guy who didn't give a crap about anyone's needs but his own. Sure, no one really liked him, but he could care less if any of the other Squad members liked him; he had a place to live, food to eat, and got to beat people up. But now that they knew this about him, they'd see him as someone weaker than them. Pathetic. Sure, they all had tough. They'd start to think that he was 'fragile' or something, just because he'd been knocked around a few times by his dad, and seeing that they always liked to point out his shortcomings, they'd probably have a field day with this.
Probably best that I'm on my own now, he thought, now feeling calm as he lowered his hands. And at least I'm not facing some batshit crazy witch in a kid's body. For a brief moment, he felt a pang of guilt, thinking of the others facing her down without his help. But before he could push that thought from his mind, he saw something that did it for him.
A large patch of fog suddenly appeared a few yards away from him, floating over the water with tendrils that curled and waved in the wind. The winged mutate frowned; he wasn't a genius by any means, but he was pretty sure fog didn't appear over the ocean on warm May nights. And if they did, it didn't pop up out of nowhere in a few seconds. Then, to his surprise, a small boat glided out of the mist, landing on the shore. Its two occupants got out, pushing the boat onto the shore as Fang got to his feet, gaping at them.
One of them was a man, maybe in his mid-thirties, if the mutate could guess, and was dressed in armor, of all things; he had metal gauntlets on his arms, metal plates covering his shins, and had a large sword strapped to his belt. He also had a golden band that encircled his head, a round red stone in the center of it, as if it were a crown of some sort. His long brown hair reached past his shoulders, and he looked around with a serious, calculating look on his face.
The other individual was a male gargoyle, but not like one Fang had ever seen. It had yellowish-green skin, winged feathers, and a hawk-like beak; a lion's tail poked out from his backside. But his most prominent feature was the large mohawk on his head, which, paired with his black leather outfit and metal bands on his wrists, gave him a 'punk-rock' look. It appeared that he had no weapon on him at first, but when he turned, the mutate saw a small gun in a holster; very unusual for a gargoyle. Neither of them had seen him, and the cougar mutate stepped back into the shadows of the pier, straining his ears to hear what they were saying.
"... should be the right place," the gargoyle was saying, looking up at the nearby skyline; he had a British accent, the mutate noticed. "I wonder where Goliath and the others are."
Goliath, Fang thought, rolling his eyes a little. Of course they know Goliath.
"They're probably elsewhere in the city," the man said, also with a British accent. "Should we go look for them?"
"An excellent idea, your majesty."
MAJESTY? The winged mutate gasped a little, forgetting that gargoyles also had very good hearing as the mohawked creature whirled around at the noise. He squinted, spotting Fang in the darkness, and his eyes narrowed.
"Who are you," he demanded, drawing his weapon and stepping in front of the man, as if to protect him. "You are not of Goliath's clan!"
"Hey, calm down," Fang yelped, drawing his own gun and aiming it at the duo. "Who the hell d'you think you are, aimin' a gun at someone?!"
"Yet you aim one at us," the man said, drawing his sword and stepping in front of the gargoyle. "We mean you no harm, gargoyle."
"I'm no gargoyle," the mutate informed them.
The two strangers looked surprised at this piece of information, exchanging shocked expressions.
"Wait… he's right," the punk gargoyle said, sniffing the air. "He smells like a human, but different."
"Magic," the man asked.
"Mad scientist," Fang replied shortly. "Here's an idea. We all lower our weapons, and you two tell me who you guys are, and maybe how you did that fog thing, too. Deal?"
The gargoyle turned to the man, as if waiting for his permission. The human nodded, and the two lowered their weapons. Fang, after some hesitation, did the same.
"I am Arthur Pendragon," the man said. "King of England. And my companion here is Sir Griff of the London Clan."
"'King,'" the cougar mutate repeated. Well, that explained the 'majesty' comment. "I thought there's just a queen over there or something."
"He's the King Arthur of legend," Griff spoke up. "He's been asleep these past few centuries-"
"'Centuries?'" Fang shook his head. "Nope! No more magic tonight!"
"No more magic," King Arthur asked, cocking his head slightly. "What magic have you encountered tonight? Have you heard of Goliath and his-"
"And his clan, yeah, I've heard of them," the mutate finished grumpily. "Word of advice, I'd get the hell outta here while you still can."
"I don't think we can," the gargoyle said, turning to the boat. "The magic of Avalon brought us here, as well as a dream Arthur had."
"Goliath and his clan are in trouble," the man explained. "I had a dream, no doubt from the wizard Merlin-"
"Look, I don't care," Fang interrupted him. "I don't give a shit if you're a king, or that you're here to help the others face that batty Mab chick! I left that crazy shit behind, so don't expect any help from me, because I'm not going back there!"
The two new individuals exchanged a quick look, small frowns on their faces.
"You've no right to disrespect the rightful ruler-" Griff started to say.
"Calm yourself, Sir Griff," Arthur ordered him, holding up his hand. "Now is not the time for arguments and fighting." He walked up to the winged mutate. "Right now, you must take us to Goliath and his clan."
"What," Fang asked, gaping at him.
"You said you just left them, so you know where they are," the man explained. "We need to reach them as soon as possible, and since the two of us are unfamiliar with this city, you must lead us."
"I must lead you?" The mutate shook his head, snickering a little. "Okay, your highness, I don't know if your hearing's fucked up, but-"
Griff suddenly sprang forward, socking Fang in the face. The mutate reeled back, his hands cackling with electricity. He swung blindly at the British gargoyle, who avoided it and hit him in the stomach. As Fang doubled over with pain, he was kicked to the ground, and felt a foot pressing into his back.
"You'll pay for that," the gargoyle growled, his eyes glowing with rage. "When the king asks you to do something, you do it!"
"Sir Griff," Arthur said sharply, a stern expression on his face. "I've already ordered you to not fight! Restrain yourself!"
"But sire-"
"I will pardon him in this instance; he is unfamiliar with our customs, I'm sure, and right now, time is of the essence. Now let him go." Immediately, the gargoyle released Fang, who immediately got to his feet, growling as electricity filtered through his fingers.
"What is your name," the king asked the mutate.
"Fang," the cougar mutate replied shortly.
"Fang." The man nodded. "I sense from your tone, when speaking about Goliath, that you are not on amicable terms with him at the moment?"
"That's one way of puttin' it," the mutate muttered, rolling his eyes.
"But you are not his enemy," the king continued. "You would have attacked us if you were, since we mentioned that we were seeking him."
Fang shrugged. "I guess."
"We are not asking you to return to Goliath or his group, but only that you show us the way there." Arthur's face became serious. "In my dream, I saw him and his clan, as well as others, facing a powerful enemy. I will aid them, and fight to the death if I must, in order to stop this unknown danger. Which, I assume you have faced at least once before, since you mentioned this 'Mab' individual earlier." The mutate flinched a little, and the king noticed this, nodding. "Then you know how dangerous they are. I cannot order you to join in the fight, but I implore you to please help us and take us to Goliath."
The winged mutate was silent for several moments, shocked and somewhat taken aback by the man's speech. He had been bossed around before, but this man [or king, whatever] didn't look or sound bossy, though there was something in his voice that implied consequences should he refuse to help them. But there was something else… It took Fang a moment to realize that it was selflessness; the man sounded as if he were filled with undying loyalty. He was willing to die helping Goliath and the other gargoyles, despite not knowing how dangerous Mab really way. And, judging by Griff's serious expression, he also appeared willing to give his life to fight alongside the king. Which was incredible, as neither of them had ever met her before, and had no idea what she was capable of; it made Fang feel like a loser.
Making me look bad, he thought. Willing to fight some psycho-witch while I sit off to the side, refusing to help. Again, he got an image of Hunter and the other Redemption Squad members fighting Mab, and this time, it stayed in his mind. Something moved in his chest, and he was shocked to realize it was guilt. Guilt for leaving his squad behind, for giving up before the fight had even begun. All because he was scared.
"Of course your scared." His father's voice echoed in his head. "You're nothing but a pansy-assed, no good, cheap son of a-"
"No," Fang said out loud, shaking his father's words from his mind.
"No," King Arthur repeated.
"Not you," the mutate snapped, finally regaining his composure, crossing his arms. "Fine, I'll lead you two to Goliath."
"You will," Griff asked, looking surprised at Fang's sudden change of heart. "But..."
"Forget that." The mutate turned to the man. "Just don't expect me to call you 'your highness' or any other B.S. title. And you," he added, turning to Griff. "Keep your hands to yourself or else I've give ya a new haircut!"
"Fine," the British gargoyle conceded, rolling his eyes a little. "Though if he leads us astray, may I have permission to incapacitate him, Sire?"
The human nodded. "You may. Now come, you two; we must hurry before it is too late!"
[][][]
Jeffrey POV:
10:11 PM
Everything was so bright.
Jeffrey had felt his nephew's hands burning the sides of his face, and then felt the heat spread to his eyes. When he fell to the floor, his eyes continued to burn, and a strange, yet distantly familiar sensation came over them. Eventually, the pain vanished, leaving him with the strange sensation. It wasn't until he had cracked his eyelids open that something quickly made him shut them again. A few seconds later, he realized what it was, and froze. As he felt Hudson help him to his feet, he finally cracked them open, blinking in the light he could now see.
It was like something out of a dream; at first, everything was bright, blurry, and seemingly disproportionate. The man saw shapes moving, and heard noises coming from them, but as his eyes slowly adjusted, he started to see more details. He hadn't seen anything in over twenty years, and it took him a few moments to realize that he was looking at a foot, a fireplace, a ceiling fan... But it was all too much stimulation for him, suddenly having perfect sight after years of nothing, and he ended up shutting his eyes again, feeling the others lead him to the couch so he could lie down.
The author was still there, occasionally opening his eyes and trying to get used to what he was seeing. He had never heard of anyone suddenly regaining their sight, so he had no idea how he should react. Every time he opened his eyes, he was assaulted by so many shapes and colors, that he ended up shutting them again. He decided to take his time, slowly increasing the amount of time he kept his eyes open. With each try, he was able to keep his eyes open for longer periods of time, and he started to recognize what he was seeing. The ceiling fan. The afghan blanket hanging on the back of the couch. Even his own hands. The whole situation was very surreal for the man, made worse by the multitude of voices coming from all around him, most of them talking in panicked tones. But a few moments later, he zoned in on the one that was the most familiar, and turned to find Hudson kneeling next to the couch, asking if he was alright.
Jeffrey had come up with a mental image of what Hudson looked liked long ago, mainly based off of gargoyle statues he had seen outside of churches. But seeing his friend for the first time was a shock, especially since he was seeing what a gargoyle looked like for the first time. The gargoyle wore a rough tunic-like shirt, pauldrons on his shoulders, and a sword hanging from his belt. The man couldn't name what color his skin was [it had been so long since he had seen colors], but he could tell that his long hair and beard were white. His left eye had a long scar crossing it, and the pupil was yellow and pale; his blind eye. Hudson also had short horns on either side of its head, but his most prominent feature were his large, bat-like wings, which were wrapped around his shoulders like a cloak.
"Robbins," Hudson said again, with a troubled [Was it troubled, the author wondered] expression on his face. "Are ye feelin' alright?"
"I... don't know," the man said honestly, staring at the gargoyle with a slightly-shocked expression. "I mean my eyes are now... And you... You're not at all how I pictured you in my mind."
The gargoyle chuckled a little, a smile coming onto his face.
"What were ye thinkin' I looked like," he asked. "I hope ye don't find me too grotesque!"
"Of course not," the author replied. "I just... always imagined you to look like one of those statues outside of cathedrals, but you look like..." A few seconds later, the word came to him. "Like a soldier."
"Aye, I am." Hudson sighed. "I'm gettin' too old fer this."
"I can relate," Jeffrey replied. "You ought to retire."
"I was supposed te long ago, but I can't catch a break, with a new crisis every other week." After a beat of silence, the two old friends chuckled a little, momentarily forgetting the severity of the situation.
"Mr. Robbins," a voice said, and the formerly blind man turned to find a woman standing nearby. She wore a black uniform, had her blonde hair tied back, and wore a black mask with three red slashes over her eyes. "Are ye feeling alright?"
Hunter, he realized, recognizing her voice.
"Yes," he replied out loud, slowly sitting up. "I'm alright, but..." He looked around at the group, spotting three more gargoyles; one was large and aqua-colored, one was short and green, and the other resembled a large dog, and was blue. He knew the blue one was Bronx, since he had no wings, and guessed that the bigger gargoyle was Broadway, since he was always asking about food whenever he visited. There was a man standing by the fireplace; he wore a long black trench coat, and despite being older than himself, Jeffrey noticed his hard and calculating eyes, and guessed that this had to be Macbeth. Finally, he saw a German Sheppard dog sitting next to him, looking up at him and whimpering. Gilly.
"I... I can see you all," Jeffrey stated, and there was nothing else to be said on the matter.
"Yeah," Broadway said. "That's... I mean, I guess that's good news-"
"But why give you your sight back," Lex asked. "Eli- I mean Mab said that he wanted to heal you, but he also said that he was saying those bad things about us of his own free will."
"No doubt he believes that," Macbeth said. "Again, based on what we were told back in February about the Eye, Mab has a way of getting into her host's head. So those bad things were probably more her than him."
"And giving him his sight back," Hunter asked.
"That must be Elijah," the author said, getting to his feet. He instantly reached for his cane before realizing that he didn't need it anymore. Gilly nuzzled his leg, and he bent down and pet her, smiling a little. "There was a moment when he spoke to me that he... he was himself. I can't explain how I know, but there was a brief moment that he was himself again."
"Does that mean he's fighting her," Broadway asked.
"Possibly," Macbeth replied.
"That's good then," Broadway said, looking around the group. "Right? If he's fighting her-"
"Then there's a chance of us getting to him before it's too late," Lexington finished.
"OI! Get out here, all of ya!" Dingo's voice rang out from the outside, and the group instantly became on guard; Macbeth, Hudson and Hunter drew their weapons, and the group ran for the door, quickly heading outside to the gravel driveway. Jeffrey was the last to leave the library, and stopped short as he looked at the outside for the first time.
At first, he only saw the sky. A few stars glinted ahead, and the moon... he could see the moon again, and he had forgotten how beautiful it was. The large crescent-shaped rock looked like a smile to him, and below it, outside the entrance to his spacious driveway, he could see the ocean. Of course, he had spent many years walking along the shore and smelling the sea breeze, but to finally see it again was... he couldn't explain it. Emotions were building inside of him, and he felt his eyes prickle with tears. He was momentarily tempted to go to the beach so he could see the individual waves lapping onto the shore. However, there was another shout from Dingo, and he turned to see where the group had crowded around the Australian.
Dingo, Jeffrey noticed, was wearing some sort of metallic armor that covered all of his body, save his face. Remembering something that Hunter had once told him, he realized that the silver suit was Matrix, but before he could marvel at this piece of technology, he noticed the individual in the man's arms. It appeared to be a teenager, and for a split second, he thought it was Elijah. However, he quickly realized that this wasn't the case; he knew his nephew has short hair, and this teenager had long hair. The boy looked rather stocky, and he didn't have any aides in his ears. His nose was broken and bloody, as if he had lost a bad fight, and he was shivering in Dingo's arms. His clothes were also dirty, and he was coughing a little.
"I found him laying on the road outside the property," Dingo explained, laying him carefully on the ground. "Thought it was Elijah at first."
"Who is he," Lex asked.
"Looks to be around Elijah's age," Hunter noted. "A friend of his? Or a classmate?"
"I've never heard him mention anyone else from school besides Amanda," Jeffrey stated. A moment later, he remembered his nephew's words about no one caring about his life, and he started to wonder if this was one of his friends, but he had never noticed or cared to ask.
"He has an ID," Hunter said, having knelt next to the teenager and taken a wallet from his pocket. "'Art Reaves.'"
"I know who he is," Hudson said suddenly. "Elijah said he gave him a black eye."
"I know him too," the author added. "He went missing nearly a month ago; his family's been distraught, looking for him."
"Around the same time Elijah got that black eye from him," Broadway added, his eyes widening a little. "You don't think-"
Art coughed again, and he slowly opened his eyes, looking up at the group with a frail expression.
"Great," he muttered, coughing again. "More gargoyles."
"You okay, kid," Dingo asked.
"Just tired," the boy replied, looking up at the sky. "I haven't seen the sky in weeks..."
"What happened to ye," Macbeth asked.
"I was in the Eye," Art whispered, a few tears brimming in his eyes. "With the trapped souls... Then Elijah and Mab let me out..." He felt his nose. "That little shit broke my nose!"
"Did Elijah bring ye here," Hunter asked.
"I dunno," the teenager mumbled, his eyes now half-closed; he sounded very tired, and looked close to passing out. "Theatre was on fire, and there were these soldiers or something..." He paused, as if struggling to remember. "Elijah... said something... and then I woke up down the road. I passed out for a bit... then walked down the road... then I must've passed out again." He looked over at Hudson. "My little sister... drew a picture of you. After Halloween... Said you gave her a lot of candy. Didn't... Didn't know you were real."
"I think he's dehydrated," Macbeth said, noting the boy's pale and sweaty face. "Let's bring him inside and get him some water."
"Shouldn't he go to a hospital," Broadway asked.
"That's probably not a good idea," Dingo replied. "The cops and his parents'll show up at the hospital once they learn he's been found, and if he mentions Elijah or any of the gargoyles to them, then we've got another thing to worry about. Right now, we need to focus on how to stop Mab and save Elijah, without any authorities showin' up and gettin' in the way."
"He has a point," Hunter agreed, briefly glancing at her co-worker before turning away, her cheeks slightly red; Jeffrey remembered what Elijah had said about the two, and realized she was embarrassed. "Too bad we don't have the Redemption II here; there's a medkit in there we could use to patch him up."
"I've got a first aid kit in the bathroom," Jeffrey stated, glancing back at his house, amazed at how big it was; it had seemed a lot smaller in his mind. And, despite living in this house for years and being able to see again, he had a bizarre feeling that he wouldn't be able to find the bathroom unless he shut his eyes and felt his way upstairs. "But besides the broken nose and dehydration, he should be fine."
"What about the others," Lex asked. "Shouldn't we be heading over to the Castle to help them?"
"What about Art," Broadway added. They looked at the teenager. "We can't leave Jeffrey with him alone; what if he tries to run away or call the police?"
"Matrix and I'll stay here," Dingo offered immediately, pointedly not looking at Hunter. "We'll keep an eye on them. But from what Yama told us, they're gonna need help at the Castle, so the rest of ya oughta get there quick."
"Bronx can stay too," Hudson added, turning to the gargbeast. "Sorry, boy, but it's difficult, carryin' ye and the others without Dingo, and we need te hurry." Bronx whined a little bit, but eventually nodded, going over to Gilly's side. "Macbeth, with me; Broadway, ye take Hunter."
"Fine." The group started to get ready, but the oldest gargoyle approached the author, a stoic expression on his face.
"We'll bring Elijah back," Hudson said. "I swear on my life we will."
"Don't swear on your life," Jeffrey replied. "I know you'll all do your best to rescue him."
The aged gargoyle nodded gravely. "Let's hope it's enough."
Walking over to Macbeth, the two humans climbed onto the gargoyle's backs, holding on as the winged creatures climbed the stone wall. Standing at the top, the humans let go so the gargoyles could unfurl their wings; Jeffrey, who had never seen them glide before, watched with amazement as he saw just how big Broadway and Hudson's wingspans were. The gargoyles grabbed the humans, jumped off the high wall, and were soon soaring into the air as an air current caught them and carried them into the air. Half a minute later, they were out of sight, heading south towards Manhattan.
"Woah," the author murmured, suddenly struck with inspiration to write a book or two about a gargoyle; he could already imagine describing their bat-like wings, and the way they glided into the air so effortlessly. However, Art moaned again, and he joined Dingo, who was now carrying him in his arms.
"Go get that med kit and some water," Dingo replied.
HE NEEDS WATER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, BUT YOU MUST MAKE SURE HE DRINKS IT SLOWLY, Matrix spoke up. A WET CLOTH IS RECOMMENDED FOR HIS FOREHEAD; HIS TEMPERATURE IS AT 100.8 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. HE IS ALSO SHOWING SIGNS OF MALNUTRITION.
How could this have happened, Jeffrey wondered, leading the way back into the house. How could one night that had started off completely normal turn into something horrible and suspenseful? His nephew was currently being manipulated by an evil faerie queen, who was trying to create a new body for herself with unborn children, and the gargoyles weren't too sure if they could stop her. With his sight back, he was tempted to offer that he do more to help besides staying home and looking after Art; he had fought in Vietnam, so surely he had some skills that could be useful. Maybe... Maybe he could talk to Elijah again, since he had been close to getting through to him before Mab took over.
But even as he thought this, the formerly blind man knew that he couldn't do anything more to help. He hadn't fought in decades, and with his sight back, he found himself looking at every little thing in his home; if he were to fight, he'd need to be focused. Plus, he was a lot older than he had been in 'Nam, and resigned himself to the fact that his fighting days were over. But he wished he could fight for his nephew, and he closed his eyes momentarily, almost comforted by the familiar nothingness.
Please, God, he prayed. Bring Elijah back to us.
[][][]
Elisa POV:
10:20 PM
Elisa had been at the Castle for twenty minutes, and she noted that you could cut the tension in the air with a knife.
First, she had gotten word from her brother that the Labyrinth had been attacked and Maggie had been taken, but she didn't believe that Elijah Robbins had been the one who did it until she got a call from Owen, who suggested that she ought to get to the Eyrie Building as soon as she could. Doing so, she was quickly given an explanation of the situation, and she got to work, calling Captain Chavez and Matt Bluestone and telling them to get blockades around the Eyrie Building ASAP, so the chances of civilians getting caught in the upcoming battle were minimal. The detective didn't give precise reasons as to why they needed the blockade, but did mention that it had to do with the theatre fire earlier that evening, and Chavez immediately understood.
"Be careful out there, Detective," the police captain told her. "I've got a feeling this night's far from over."
"You and me both," Elisa replied, hanging up and turning back to the others.
All of them were standing on the wall walks of the Castle, looking out at the city; they were evenly spaced around the castle so they could cover all directions, and each individual had a communicator they could use to alert the others of Mab and Elijah's arrival. Brooklyn, Katana, and Fox were all together in the Rookery, which had been given the most protection; the others on the outside would serve to take on the brunt of Mab's attack, allowing the trio to better prepare. Owen taught Alex (who briefly took over his father's body) how to cast some protection spells around Katana and the egg, as well as around the castle itself, and Xanatos' steel clan floated around the building, scanning the skies for the approaching villain. And while the magical and technological defenses might not be enough to keep Mab out, it would hopefully buy them some time.
"How're you doing," the detective asked, walking up to Goliath.
"A bit conflicted," the gargoyle confessed. "We've faced enemies before, and defended this castle many times, so I feel like I'm going through the motions, in a sense. But on the other hand..." He became silent for a few moments, his expression stoic as he stared out at the skyline, as if he was looking at something past the Twin Towers. "There have been no eggs in our Rookery for over a thousand years, and when we finally have one again, its life is in danger." He turned to her. "I know there are other clans around the world with eggs, so there's no need to fear becoming extinct, but..."
"But this baby gargoyle belongs to your clan," Elisa finished. She knew that the Wyvern Clan had taken a communal approach to raising their children in the past, with all members raising the babies instead of individual parents. But, with Goliath accepting Angela as his biological daughter, and with Brooklyn and Katana showing up with Nashville, who they had raised on their own, it seemed that the trend was shifting towards the parents recognizing and acknowledging their children. Still, she figured that old habits were hard to break, and she could see and understand that Goliath and the others would view this new child as their own.
The gargoyle nodded, then slowly, without anyone noticing, held out his hand to her. She took it, her hand being swallowed by his, and gave it a light squeeze. They both looked back out at the city, unsure of what the future would hold. The detective knew, based on what she had heard from Owen and the others about the villain Mab, that the upcoming fight wouldn't be an easy one. And the stakes, in her opinion, had never been higher.
Suddenly, a shimmering yellow wall of energy appeared in the air above them, slowly surrounding the entire building in a giant rectangular box. Owen's defenses, the same they had used when Oberon had tried to take Alex.
What is it with Avalon and babies, Elisa wondered.
"What about the other group," she questioned out loud. "How're they gonna get in?"
"They can fly through without being stopped," Owen replied, walking up to her and Goliath. "And don't worry about Mab trying to disguise herself, Detective; I taught Alexander a specific spell that will allow anyone but Elijah to pass through the barrier. Mab's inhabiting his body, and has been growing her power over the past few months; if she were to leave him now, she would lose all that power, and have to regain it with her next host, which would take another three months. So it's safe to say that she won't leave Elijah, meaning that, by keeping him out, we keep her out."
"Does the barrier go underground?"
"Not all the way, but your brother, Claw, and the clones are down there; if Mab tries to go in that way, they'll alert us."
"Derek's here," Elisa asked, surprised that she hadn't heard about this bit of news earlier.
"Isn't it dangerous, having the clones face her," Goliath questioned.
"Yes, but they're a resilient bunch, I'm sure; knowing Demona and Thailog, they only wanted the best when they asked Sevarius to create them. Furthermore, according to the rules of the Ceremony, she can't kill a living being before midnight; if she does, she'll have to wait a full 24-hours before she could try again."
"Then... what's to stop her from just killing us now, wait 24 hours, and then perform the ceremony without any resistance," Elisa asked.
The assistant sighed. "I don't remember much of Mab's rule in Avalon, but from what I DO remember... She's always been quite impatient; the sooner she can get something done, the better. Even if she were to somehow miss the deadline tonight, she wouldn't kill anyone in her rage; she'd restrain herself, since she knows that she'll have to wait longer if she kills someone."
"But… what if she DOES decide to kill us all and wait the extra time," Goliath asked "If that's the case, then we simply cannot give her the chance to do that," Owen said seriously, bringing a few moments of tense silence over the trio.
"Do you think she'll show up," the detective asked. "Surely she'll know from Elijah that we'll be waiting for her."
Owen suddenly tensed, as if a chill had run down his spine. He brought his communicator to his mouth.
"She's here."
"Where," Goliath demanded.
In reply, the man pointed down at the rooftop of a nearby building; it wasn't as tall as the Eyrie Building, but it was still outside of the force field's' range, close enough for one to touch. Neither Elisa nor Goliath could see that well, but the detective took the binoculars she had around her neck, looking at the rooftop. A lone individual stood on the office building, looking up in the direction of the castle. She instantly saw that it was Elijah, but before she could say a word to the others, he suddenly looked up at her, his eyes glowing with an eerie green light. She nearly dropped the binoculars as a chill ran down her own spine.
He... He' looking right at me, she thought, a thrill of fear running through her. She shook her head, trying to steel her nerves. No, SHE was looking at me, through his eyes. She's taken over him, like some kind of parasite.
"What's Mab doing," Owen asked.
"She's..." Elisa brought the binoculars back to her eyes, this time not looking away when the glowing green gaze met her. "Just standing there, looking at me."
"Is Elij- Is Mab saying anything," Goliath asked.
"No."
The detective watched as the witch, acting through the boy, turned away from her again survey the golden wall of energy that blocked her access to the Eyrie Building. There was a calm, almost amused expression on Elijah's face, and his head shook a little. Then, he placed one of his hands on the force field, quickly drawing it back, as if he had been burned. He looked back up at Elisa, smiling broadly.
"I don't like this," Elisa muttered, still watching the teenager. "Why just stand there? That's not gonna help her get in."
Owen stiffened. "Unless that's a distraction."
The detective suddenly gasped, watching as Elijah suddenly turned into a trashcan. At the same time, the entire force field flickered around them, accompanied by a loud crackling noise.
"A decoy," Elisa said.
"Above us," Angela's voice called through the communicator. The group looked up at the force field above them, gasping when they saw what was happening.
Elijah was now floating above the topmost part of the force field, easily visible because he surrounded by a bright green aura of light. Around him, Xanatos' Steel Clan robots were flying around the possessed teenager, aiming and shooting concentrated laser blasts at their target. But the boy dodged them all, zooming through the air in quick, circular motions. Moments later, he flew right through one of the robots, causing it to explode mid-air and raining metal pieces down on the force field. Elijah/Mab appeared unscathed by the attack, and quickly flew around to grab another metal gargoyle, throwing it down at the force field, which buzzed and shook upon impact. Out of the corner of her eye, Elisa saw several police helicopters flying around, keeping distant from the force field and the flying robots.
"Aim all turret guns at Elijah," Xanatos' voice shouted over their communicators. "Set to stun, and have our remaining robots ready to catch him if we manage to knock him out!"
Turret guns, Elisa thought, alarmed as several large weapons aimed towards the solitary human in the sky. Even on stun... that's excessive.
"You must understand, Miss Maza, how dangerous an individual Mab is," Owen spoke up, as if reading her mind. "And believe me, it was no easy task, thinking of ways to stop her without hurting Elijah too badly."
"Too badly?"
"Right now, he has an evil faerie queen inside his head." The assistant turned to her with a slight frown." I'm sure a few bruises or, perhaps, a broken bone, are a small price to pay for not dying, and for the whole world to not deal with a fully-powered Mab." Elisa frowned back at him, but she had a feeling that he may be right.
"But you mentioned earlier that this force field will only keep Mab out temporarily," Goliath said. "So we stick to the plan when she gets through?"
The plan, Elisa remembered. Attack her all at once, force her to exert all her energy and spread it thin.
"Of course," Owen replied.
"But how much time do we have until then?"
As if in reply, Elijah/Mab landed on top of the force field, which fizzed and shook and cackled. Electricity ran up and through the teenager's body, and the detective was certain that, if there had been no magic involved, Elijah would've died. However, he wasn't fried or electrocuted, and he looked up, a long tendril of green energy trailing from his hand. He whipped it up at the nearest robotic gargoyle, which became entangled in it. The teenager pulled the glowing rope and the Steel Clan robot down, slamming it onto the force field. The robot instantly broke in half and shut down, and the boy tore off one of its arms, swinging it at the force field. With each blow, the yellow field seemed to weaken, becoming more faded and flickering madly. The turret guns continued to fire at Elijah, but it seemed that the green aura around him was deflecting the projectiles, and he continued to slam the robot arm against the force field.
"How is this happening," Elisa yelled over the noise.
"Mab always was more powerful than Oberon," Owen called back. "And right now, she's determined to get what she wants!"
"Get ready," Yama yelled, eyes glowing as he drew his swords. Angela and Goliath also got ready, claws bared as their eyes began to glow. Owen tossed Elisa a gun that would emit a sonic-wave that would briefly incapacitate Elijah (it was a safer alternative to a real gun). Xanatos, in his own robotic gargoyle suit, ran out of the passageway that led to the Rookery, ready to go.
"Fox, Alex, Brooklyn and Katana are safe," he told his assistant.
"I wish we could say the same," Owen said, right as the force field burst into a million pieces, blinking out of existence. Elijah, along with all the destroyed robot parts, fell onto the castle courtyard below. The possessed teenager held out his hands, and his descent slowed until he stopped some fifteen feet about the group.
"Sorry we're late," he said, though Elisa could tell that the words were not the boy's; something about his speech pattern seemed off. "Downtown traffic is TERRIBLE this time of night!"
[][][]
Elijah/Mab POV:
10:26 PM
"I must say," Mab continued, grinning at the assembled group below her, "that force field is a masterpiece of magic and technology!" She made Elijah's body turn towards Owen. "Your work, I assume?"
"Yes," the man replied curtly, firing his stun weapon at them. Mab easily dodged that, as well as the next eight shots, flying quickly through the air. Eventually, she made the boy land on the ground next to Angela, and had him grab her with her powers, forcing the gargoyle to kneel and lift her head up.
"Now take a step back," Mab warned the others. "Especially you, Goliath."
"You can't kill her," Xanatos said, aiming his suit's weapons at the teenager and witch.
"But I can make you all wish I did," the evil faerie countered, slowly clenching her fist. Nothing appeared to be happening to Angela, but she let out a loud scream that echoed through the courtyard. Elijah, on the inside, felt a slight pang of guilt, but Mab's reassurances quickly made him forget that.
"RELEASE HER," Goliath roared, eyes glowing with rage as he prepared to attack. "RELEASE HER, OR I'LL-"
"Calm yourself, beast," the witch replied, unclenching his fist as Angela gasped, breathing heavily. "I'll be happy to release her. Just as soon as you give me what I came for."
"Never," Yama growled, his eyes glowing as well. "You cannot have the egg; we won't allow it!"
"Not a very smart answer," Mab replied. "Especially since your forget that I also have Nashville, and Amanda, AND Maggie?" She smiled through Elijah's teeth. "Oh yes, they're all safe and unharmed... for now. I'm going to get that egg sooner or later; you all would be wise to answer my demands, before I decide to inflict more pain on those you love." She turned to Elisa. "Your brother has a hard skull, but what about your father and mother? How would you like to visit them in a hospital for the rest of their lives?"
"Leave her alone," Goliath demanded, and the faerie noticed, with pure delight, that the human detective looked shaken by the question. "And there's no way we're giving you one of our own!"
Mab sighed. "Then I supposed it's going to be the hard-"
Something hit her from behind, making her lose her grip on Angela and sending her sprawling to the ground. It was... she couldn't explain it, but it was hurting Elijah's head, and they grabbed it, groaning and moaning as they wished for the pain to stop. Seconds later, it did, and Mab looked up in time to find Xanatos nearly upon her. She blasted him back with a bolt of energy, making her host leap to his feet.
"Clever," she said, flicking her wrist as behind her, the hidden sonic-wave gun burst into a million pieces. "A hidden ambush. What other tricks do you have, Xanatos?"
"Plenty," he replied, his suit's weapon systems still aimed at the witch. "Wait until you meet my wife."
"I intend to; she's the child of my son's... wife."The last word was said with some disdain. "Though I must say I was quite surprised-" She turned to Owen. "-to learn that YOU'RE here serving a human, Puck."
"I am merely fulfilling my duties," the assistant replied, his gun still aimed at her. "I gave my word to Mr. Xanatos, and I intend to keep it."
"But you were punished for that promise," Mab stated. "Elijah told me that Oberon stripped you of your powers, save for when you're teaching and protecting Alex." She shook Elijah's head. "My son always did have a creative mind for punishments, but it's so unfortunate that you are stripped of your powers forever." She gasped, as if coming up with a novel idea. "Unless... Only the sovereign of Avalon can forgive you and reverse your punishment, so if you were to help me regain the throne-"
"Are you serious," Angela asked, now back on her feet and by her father's side. "You're trying to tempt him with magic so he'll help you?!"
"I'm TRYING, you simple-minded beast, to give someone who was unjustly punished a second chance." She lifted her hands. "I myself was unjustly punished, and had my throne taken from me by my own child! My own flesh and blood!"
"You can't tempt me, witch," Owen said, a hard expression on his face. "I've sworn to protect Alexander, his family, and his friends, and I will not betray them just because you're growing tired of Elijah already."
Mab looked as if she had been slapped, then quickly glared at him.
"Speaking of Elijah, I notice he hasn't spoken during this encounter," the assistant continued. "Have you shut him down completely?"
Let me at him, Elijah said in his mind, frowning at the man. I'll teach him to disrespect us!
"Fine," Mab said, her consciousness taking the backseat as the glow faded from Elijah's eyes. He shivered a little, then focused back on Owen.
"Don't expect me to entertain you for long," Elijah said. "Mab warned me that you'd try to persuade me to give her up or some shit like that, and it's not gonna happen. And as for attacking me..." He grinned. "Even I can tell that most of you are hesitant to attack. You know me, and don't want to hurt me." He lifted one of his hands, which burned with a green fire, yet did not scorch his skin. "And you fear what I can do with Mab; it seemed to have scared Fang off."
"Elijah," Owen said, lowering his weapon and holding up his free hand to show that it was empty. "Surely you can see that Mab's using you to get what she wants. You're not a fool."
"Oh really," the boy snapped. "I was apparently too dumb to ever hear what news you guys were talking about! I got sent to play with Nashville, who, by the way, wants me to call him 'Gnash,' which is the stupidest nickname I've ever heard!" He growled a little, hands clenched into fists. "But don't worry; I intend to talk to Brooklyn about his son in a little bit. And as for what Mab wants... she wants to help me. She's helping me bring my parents back."
"No spell can bring the dead back to life," the assistant stated.
"Maybe no spell you could do, but Mab's much more powerful than you, trickster." The teenager smiled a little. "And why shouldn't she want to help me get my family back together? She wants me to be happy!"
"Why," Yama asked. "Why does a powerful faerie queen want you to be happy? You're not special-"
"Yama," Angela snapped.
"I AM special," Elijah shouted, his voice echoing across the courtyard; a few tears welled in his eyes. "Even with my hearing back, I'm still special! I'm gonna bring my parents back, make my dad and Uncle Jeffrey make up, and we're all gonna make the world a better place. Together!" He pointed his finger at the group. "You're all just jealous that she chose me instead of one of you! If you were in my position-"
"We'd feel the same way you do now," Owen said, taking a small step towards the boy. "And you'd be where we are now, begging for you to do the right thing and stop listening to her."
"And why should I," the formerly deaf teenager asked. "What can you give me that she can't? I have almost unlimited power, enough to change the world, and enough to give me the respect I deserve! No more pointing and whispering about my hearing aides, or having everyone treat me like a piece of glass that's gonna break because I 'can't handle' the grownups talking!" He blinked away more tears. "And my family... my mom and dad." He turned back to Owen. "Can you bring them back?"
A few moments of silence came over the group; no one attacked or fired a weapon, and Elijah knew that it was because they knew it was pointless. With Mab on his side, he could dodge any attack, and they couldn't hurt or stop him. And as for trying to convince him to give up Mab... the idea was preposterous! Mab said so herself! She had done more things for him than anyone else in his life had, and was about to help him bring his parents back! Why should he give that up, and let this opportunity for his parents to live again slip through his fingers? He looked at the assistant, waiting to hear what flimsy reason he'd come up with.
"I can't give you what you already have," Owen finally said, his voice calm and confident. "None of us can. Mab hasn't given you anything; she's just twisted your mind to make you want something you already have!"
No I haven't, Mab said in Elijah's mind. Ignore him, Elijah, he's trying to dissuade you.
"Dissuade me," Elijah muttered.
"I'm not," Owen promised, taking two more steps towards him. "What is it you said you wanted? A family? You already have one." He gestured to Goliath and Angela. "Brooklyn and the Manhattan Clan are your family." He pointed to Elisa. "Detective Maza is your family." To Xanatos. "The Xanatoses are your family." He lowered his hand. "Your uncle is your family. Your parents didn't deserve to die, but their being gone doesn't mean that you've lost your family. If Mab has told you that none of us care about you, then why are we trying to save you from her? It's because everyone here cares about you, and considers you family. We only want what's best for you."
"And how do you know what's best," the teenager asked.
"How does Mab know," the assistant countered, stopping a few feet away from Elijah. "She's getting desperate, I can tell. If she could, she'd kill all of us right now so she can get the egg. But she can't, because she can't kill until the ceremony. That ceremony will give her a new body, but it will not bring your parents back."
"No!" The boy shook his head, but already he could feel doubt growing in his chest, and Mab had gone eerily silent. "No she... She wouldn't lie about..." He shot a beam of light at Owen, which whistled over his shoulder. "STOP LYING AND TRYING TO CONFUSE ME!"
"I'm doing neither," the man promised. "Even if Mab had been telling the truth, do you find it okay to kill two innocent babies so your parents could come back?"
"Yes! I mean... No, I..." A mental image of two newborns appeared in his head, and he shut his eyes tightly. "Mab, help me! He's trying to trick me!"
"What would your mother say," Owen continued. "Do you think she'd appreciate being brought back because you slaughtered a child in the womb?"
"BE QUIET," Elijah roared, slamming his hands over his ears. "Stop talking! I don't wanna hear you! I don't wanna hear ANYONE anymore! I want-"
The boy froze, his eyes snapping open as he realized something. Something profound.
I... I want things to go back to normal, he thought, looking down at his hands, which still glowed with a faint green light. I... I just wanna be happy, plain and simple.
But how could he be happy? Mab said that she could make him happy, but Owen was saying otherwise; both seemed to be telling the truth, and insisted that the other was lying. He looked up at the others, seeing the worry and fear in their faces. None of them looked happy, but Mab had told him to forget them; they were just obstacles to his happiness. But if that was true, then why were they fighting so hard for his sake? Thinking back, they never said they were trying to stop him, they said they were trying to stop Mab. Mab, who was being too quiet right now; he could feel her in his head, just... waiting. Waiting for what?
For the Ceremony, he thought. When you'll take that sword and plunge it into-
"No," Elijah gasped, a sudden moment of clarity hitting his brain like a ray of sunlight. Just as quickly, memories of all the things he had done and said that evening, and the weeks leading up to it, hit him in full force. He staggered forward, and Owen caught him, quickly laying him on the ground as he started to tremble. All the guilt, all the clarity... How could he have hurt his friends?! Nashville, his uncle... Amanda...
No, the teenager thought. No... It can't be... Mab wouldn't-
Sorry, Elijah, the faerie said, her voice sounding a lot colder than it ever had before. But you must understand; I need a new body, and you needed something to believe in. He could feel her smile, but felt no warmth from it.
"O-Owen," the boy said, turning to the assistant. "Please! She's about to-"
Elijah's plea was cut off as Mab finally took over, pushing him deep into the recesses of his mind as she moved to the forefront. His eyes glowed, and he punched Owen with so much force, that the assistant flew several yards into the air.
No, the boy thought, trying to get control of his limbs as the witch made him stand. No NO NO! Stop! Let go of me! Leave me alone!
"I'm afraid I can't do that, pet," Mab said through his mouth, and evil grin on her face. "You have been amusing to toy with these past few months, but the night is not getting any younger, and I still need the egg and the sword." She turned Elijah's body towards the group. "Like I said before: I can't kill anyone, but I'll make them wish I did! YOU included!"
NO, Elijah cried, but no one else in the group heard him. All he could do was watch with horror as the faerie raised his hands and unleashed hell upon his family.
[][][]
Griff POV:
10:30 PM
"I still have my reservations about him, Sire," Griff said in Arthur's ear as they glided after the mutate Fang, the gargoyle holding the king as they soared over the many skyscrapers of Manhattan.
"Come now, Sir Griff," the man replied. "If we don't take risks every now and then, then it wouldn't be an adventure, wouldn't it?"
"I suppose you're right," the British gargoyle agreed. "Still, I have to say that this 'mutate' is a rather unpleasant fellow."
"He's also got pretty good hearin'," Fang suddenly snapped from in front of them. "I have no problem with takin' both of you back to your boat!"
"Our apologies, Fang of Manhattan," King Arthur replied.
"Yeah, sorry," Griff muttered.
"Mm-hmm. Anyway, here we are."
A tall building, much taller than the ones around it, suddenly came into view, reaching up so high that the top was obscured by clouds. The gargoyle recalled seeing this building the last time he had been in New York, but it looked much taller up close. As they made their way towards the top, Griff heard a few helicopters overhead. Sure enough, when they broke through the clouds, they saw a handful of NYPD helicopters flying some 200 yards away but getting closer.
"Get closer to the building," Griff called. Fang, despite muttering something under his breath, flew closer to the building, and the two continued their ascent unseen. To the gargoyle's shock, he saw that the top of the building had a castle sitting on it. A real, honest-to-goodness castle. It was a little on the small side; he knew Buckingham Palace was bigger, but it still took his breath away to see this castle sitting on top of a modern-day skyscraper.
"No welcoming committee," Fang said, flying up over the edge of the castle, heading for the courtyard with Griff and Arthur right behind. "Looks like they-"
The mutate abruptly stopped talking, and nearly fell out of the sky with surprise. At first, the British gargoyle couldn't understand why, but then he saw what Fang had seen. Several individuals were strewn across the courtyard, their weapons laying next to them. He recognized Goliath, Angela and Elisa, but besides them, he saw another gargoyle and two humans laying on the stone ground. The trio landed, quickly rushing up to them.
"Still breathing," Arthur said, kneeling next to one of the men and feeling his pulse. "What happened to them?"
"Must've been Mab," Fang said, a hint of fear in his voice as he quickly looked around them. "What if she's still around?"
"I doubt this witch of yours would stick around," Griff said.
"Actually, I wanted to greet the out-of-towners," a new voice said, and the trio whirled around to find a teenaged human standing there, his eyes glowing with an ethereal green light and a sadistic grin on his face. In his hand was a large, round object that the gargoyle thought at first was a gargoyle egg, but dismissed it as he remembered that the clan didn't have any children. "AND to pick up the present you brought me!"
King Arthur drew his sword as Griff stood beside him, ready to fight. After a moment or two of hesitation, Fang raised his fists, which cackled with electricity.
"You must be Mab," Arthur said. "You were the evil I saw in my dream!"
The witch laughed. "I SENT you that dream, in order to get you here! Glad to see it worked!"
"What," Griff asked, the blood draining from his face.
"Don't worry, I'm not going to kill you, nor will I fight you; goodness knows how much energy I wasted fighting the others. I just need-" Mab held out her hands, and Excalibur flew out of the king's hands, and she caught it. "Perfect! Now I've got all three ingredients!"
"Ingredients for what," King Arthur asked.
"I'm sure the others will tell you when they wake up," the evil faerie replied. "That is... IF they wake up!"
Cackling madly, she flew into the air, vanishing without a trace. For several moments, the trio stared after her, shocked by their quick encounter. Then, Griff and Arthur turned to Fang, who simply shrugged and said, "Told ya so."
"NO!" A new voice caught the group's attention, and they turned to see a gargoyle quickly limping into the courtyard, looking up at the sky. Griff thought he looked vaguely familiar, then gaped as he realized it was Brooklyn; the crimson-colored gargoyle had changed much since he had last seen him, given his armor, sword, and eye patch. He also looked much older too.
"Brooklyn," the British gargoyle called, catching his attention. To his surprise, Brooklyn drew his sword, his one good eye glowing with rage.
"Where is the egg," he demanded, glaring at the trio. "Where have you hidden it, Mab?!"
"What the hell, dude," Fang asked, quickly raising his hands. "We're not that psyco bitch! She just flew off with-"
"An egg," Griff finished, his eyes widening as he realized the severity of the situation. "That was a gargoyle egg, wasn't it?! But who's-"
"She's taken my children," Brooklyn said, still pointing the sword at the group, though a small tear leaked from his eye. "She's taken both of them, and she's gonna... she's gonna ki-"
The gargoyle fell to his knees and started to sob, his sword clattering from his hands. Griff, King Arthur and Fang exchanged horrified looks, wondering what they were supposed to do next.
That was quite a chapter! So now Jeffrey has his sight back, Elijah's finally broken free of Mab's mental manipulation, but he's powerless to stop her, and while the Weisman group is still on their way, the others are unconscious save for Brooklyn. Oh, and Mab has all three items for the Ceremony. If this isn't a set of high stakes, then I don't know what is!
Don't worry, though; there aren't too many chapters left, since I plan on hopefully finishing this story by the end of this year. Mainly because I've got a sequel for this story already in the works, but also because I know every story has its time, and this one's is coming to an end. But don't worry; I promise to resolve this story before publish any sequel, so don't you worry! I, like you all, want to see this through to the end, and I wanted to thank you all for getting me this far; let's go a little farther to the end!
Thank you all again for your support, and have a great day!
-aggiefrogger