SOJOURNER AND CHAMPION 4.0
By Denigoddess2001
07/13/01
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GARGOYLES. THEY BELONG TO DISNEY. I DO NOT OWN X-MEN. I THEY BELONG TO MARVEL. "WHEN THE DYING CALLS" BELONGS TO THE GROUP DANZIG. NO INFRINGMENT INTENDED. PLEASE DO NOT SUE.
When The Dying Calls
out
of the night comes
a timeless thing
calm
in simplicity
soft
a seductive voice
meant for the human ear
down
down
down
i'm gonna take you
down
that's when the dying calls
if i look
in the dark of the world
if i lose
i don't mind
that's is when the dying calls
down
thru the ages
from the dawn of time
roam
thru the world of dreams
up
from the the black
of the mississippi mud
calling
out to everything
down
down
down
i'm gonna bring you
down
that's when the dying calls
if i play
in the dark of the world
if i lose
i don't mind
that's when the dying calls
"What do you want?" She spoke her words carefully. She stared at the exotic being standing before her with a lasor rifle sight glowing crimson on her forehead. Lucifer himself loomed over her.
"I'm looking for something that you might help me locate." He said with a silkiness that reeked sarcasm. "I'm looking for the broken shards of a small statue."
"You expect me to help you when you have a gun pointed at me?!" Wren's shriek verged on hysterical laughter. "You must be nuts!"
" I care little for your protests. "His menacing growl indicated that he cared little for her commentary. "Human, you have little choice."
She warily studied the creature standing before her with rifle in hand. He loomed over her easily head and shoulders. His eyes weren't the gentle onyx expression she knew of Wyvern's clan leader nor were they the cheerful gaze of her paramour, Demetrius. The eyes swallowing her alive in their ruthlessness gleamed carmine in the dim light. He was dressed in armor that caused the Gargoyle to seem more immense that his allowed by his natural form. The rifle she recognized as a powerful firearm that burned holes through concrete-enforced steel. He was taller, stronger, and faster than she. Wren concluded that arguing with an armed Gargoyle courted suicide.
"What am I looking for?" She asked with little emotion. She looked to the east window in hope that the sun would shine. "And why do you want it?"
"Shards of a broken statue resembling a Gargoyle. Why I want it is none of your concern. I'm simply not going to allow you to get it first." He walked forward slowly. "Sunlight doesn't affect me, so don't pin your hopes on that. You know more than I realized. Who are you?"
She fell to her hands and knees and began sifting through the rubbish and the rubble. The dust coated her hands in a thick layer of slate and dirt. "My name is Wren."
"Wren? Like the bird?" He sneered.
"One and the same." Her glib reply did little to impress Thailog.
"Why were you here?" She felt the barrel of the rifle press harshly into her back. She stopped her motions and turned to glare at her oppressor. She felt a sharp jab in her back ribs as a deep, sinister chuckle echoed on the stone walls of the abandoned Cathedral. "You have spirit. I like that."
"I'm glad you approve." Whoever this Thailog was, he was a smug son-of -a-bitch. Her fingers came across a small knob in a pile of concrete dust. He seemed momentarily caught in his web of maniacal laughter. Wren glanced quickly at the sharp stone beneath her fingers. She saw the head of a Gargoyle carved in gray granite.
She leaned forward and let her hands feel the ground in front of her. She felt the cold knob of stone pressing against her abdomen. She knew his eyes meticulously scrutinized her moves. She hoped that he was something like his lavender counterpart in her home dimension. Wren decided to add some sway to her hips as she returned to her knees. Her hands drew back and she found knob. She grabbed the stone head and quickly shoved it into her jeans.
"So, why are you here at St. Damien's?" Thailog prodded her again with the rifle. She stopped and stood up where she was only a few inches from him.
"I'm here looking for my friend, Demetrius. He's obviously not here. " She felt that accursed waver enter her voice.
A familiar presence filled the empty sanctuary of the cathedral. It was a mixture of mischief, bravery, loyalty and love. She knew that feeling well.
[Wren?] A voice fainter than a whisper spoke softly in her mind. Wren's heart found hope when his voice touched her mind.
[Demetrius!] A smile brightened Wren's grim features. [Where are you?]
[Not far from you, Milady Songbird. I am injured but I will heal. Are you well?]
[I'm being held hostage by Goliath's evil twin.]
[What? What say you again, Wren?] His confused empathic sending confirmed that she sounded like a raving lunatic.
"So, what's an evil black Gargoyle like you doing in a condemned cathedral like this?" She pushed the rims of her glasses to the top of her nose. "What does this Praying Gargoyle do?"
"Continue searching." Came the short, harsh command from Thailog.
"I don't know where I should start. There's too much ground to cover." She saw a pile of stone shift behind the dark gargoyle. She felt an inner warmth creep through her when she sensed Demetrius was alive and well beneath the pile of stones. She shrugged in front of Thailog. "I'm not any help to you. Why don't you just let me go?"
"I don't think so. You've seen and know too much, Wren." He bowed gallantly. "You were just some unfortunate, dim-witted human that stumbled across me at the most inopportune time. That makes you expendable."
"Really?" She shook her head in disbelief at his arrogant, insulting remarks. Wren felt terror seeping past her psychological defenses as she watched him point the barrel of the rifle at her. "You don't even know me.
"Make peace with your god, human. You're going to meet Him now." She heard the hum of the laser power up as Thailog released the safety.
Rocks clattered on the floor behind Thailog as she watched Demetrius rise as if a phoenix reborn from a pile of rubble. Thailog turned around to investigate the sound. Astoundment made him speechless as his crimson eyes fell upon enormous, ebony, exotic warrior with violet eyes. A inauspicious growl rumbled deeply within his chest at the unwelcome intruder.
Wren ran behind a pillar as Thailog fired the rifle accidentally into the air. Demetrius' glare blazed a fiery white at the arrogant male who dared threaten his mate. Thailog turned his attention fully to the ebony gargoyle only a few yards from him. He charged headlong into the lavender-eyed male crouched and ready for his onslaught. He impacted with him head on and both went rolling head over talon across the concrete floor.
"I know not your name, Gargoyle." Demetrius bellowed as his tail wrapped around the shaft of the laser rifle. "But you will pay dearly for threatening my mate."
"Mate?" Thailog's surprise gave Wren the opening she needed. She drew forth her annulus and focused her attention upon the armor-clad gargoyle. "That puny human is your MATE? What kind of abomination are you?"
"Your worst nightmare." Demetrius roared as he brought down his talons that left deep slashes in the breastplate of Thailog's armor.
Thailog was not easily bested. With a snarl reminiscent of a cornered animal, he hurled Demetrius across a large expanse of the cathedral. Wren cringed when she heard her lover crash into one of the stalwart marble pillars of the church. Dazed and stunned, she watched him struggle to shake off the disorientation caused by his collision with the column.
Wren knew that bravery wasn't an attribute of hers by nature. She abhorred combat and strove to distance herself from conflict whenever possible. Yet, this dark demon-spawn was tossing her beloved around like a floppy rag doll. With clear, pristine focus, her eyes unwaveringly locked on her intended target. She rose to her knees and kept her gaze on the one called Thailog as he advanced menacingly toward Demetrius. She felt the refreshing sensation of cool metal against her hot skin as she slowly grasped the annulus. She let her arm come back in a pitcher's throw that would make a Yankee's fan proud. She put her full weight into the throw. Her shoulder followed suit as let fly the annulus toward the armor-clad gargoyle. A grim smile crept across her features as the bladed circlet cut through the stale air of the cathedral. The rushed sound of air caused by its great speed gave little warning to Thailog. He turned around so that his arm was the first wall of resistance.
He let forth a howl that shook the very pillars within the condemned church. His eyes burned in unholy crimson rage as the sharp blade of the annulus sunk deeply into his arm. Demetrius managed to rise to his feet and turn his back to his deadly foe. That thick quick blow from that thunder tail brought Thailog crashing to his knees.
"Demetrius, catch!" Wren tossed the golden seashell pendant high into the air. She looked anxiously to the east window and saw the tip of a fiery orb rising above the skyline. "Hurry!"
"No fear, Milady." He called gallantly as he leapt into the air. The rays broke forth through the window showering him in a flash fire of dawn's first light. She watched him stiffen as he found the seashell in his grasp. His skin began lighten from ebony to slate as the call of stone sleep refused to be denied.
"No!" Wren's scream filled the large expanse of the cathedral. She rose to her feet and dashed across the floor to reach him before his transformation was complete. It did Demetrius little good to merely hold the pendant in hand. It had to be around his neck to work it's particular magick. Tears blurred her vision as her last, best hope turned to stone. "So close..."
A long black tail snaked around her calf and sent her sprawling to the ground. "I don't think so, Human."
She felt two large hands turn her over and saw Thailog looming over her. He was the coming apocolypse personified with gleaming crimson eyes and gloating smile. "You've been an annoying inconvenience to me this morning. I'm going to enjoy slicing your skin away layer by layer."
She had no firepower to eliminate him. She was without sly tricks to outwit him. She knew only enough hand-to-hand combat to defend herself. Now, she knew she stared her executioner in the face. Wren felt rage and sadness surge through her. Her mind cried out its defiance when she knew that she'd never grow old with Demetrius. "Burn in Hades, you heartless son-of-a-bitch."
His large hands rose above her with talons curled. She heard them slice through the air. She smelled his battle lust and heard his deep, baleful chuckle as they raked across her bruised skin. The warmth of her own blood welled to the surface of her wounds within seconds. Wren felt shame when a pitiful whimper met her ears and she realized it was her voice making the wail. She didn't want to die bruised, beaten and helpless. Not like this.
"NOT LIKE THIS!!" Came the words from her resolution. She remembered the words from her combat training at the Xavier Institute. Solar plexus, instep, nose, groin. With renewed resolve, Wren curled her legs into her stomach. She pushed her feet directly into his solar plexus with her last degree of strength. His shock combined with pleasure with the rebellious vigor of his intended prey. He landed soundly on his backside
"That's it, Wren. Fight me, just a little before I have my pleasure with you." He purred ominously as he rose to his feet. "Give me a challenge."
She noticed his legs were covered in shin guards. She also remembered from her discussions with Demetrius that Gargoyles' arches were particularly sensitive to sharp blows. She turned herself to run but he caught her by the lapel of her leather coat. He held her fast against him. His low voice whispered sweetly in her ear.
"Any last words?'
She was beaten but she knew she had fought well. Two tears escaped her closed eyes as she pictured Demetrius. She brought down the heal of her boot hard and fast on the delicate arch of his taloned foot. His roar of pain was joy to Wren's ears. She brought her fists upwards and impacted the soft cartilage of Thailog's nose. Another howl filled the large room as she turned to run. This was not a good day to die.
A painful tug of her hair brought the young woman screaming to her knees. She saw out of the side of her eye Thailog's talons swooping down towards the exposed nape of her throat. She hoped that it wouldn't hurt much. She prayed that her death be quick.
She heard the sizzling sound of laser bursts burning against armor. Thailog thrust her away as he fell to the ground. She saw the annulus nearby and clamered for it. She looked to see a laser rifle in the hands of a metal gargoyle resembling Goliath.
"Not today, Thailog." A voice came from the strange mask. "Owen, see to Ms. Summer's wounds. Robots, neutralize the Gargoyle."
The robotic golems did the crimson one's bidding without a word. Wren held the annulus in her hand ready to let it fly if these strange beings chose to attack her. Yet, the vertigo inside her mind caused her stomach to churn. [I must keep focus.]
Weakness conquered her will to fight. Fatigue persuaded her body to power down from defense mode. Wren only wanted the pain to cease its relentless attack on her body. It was too difficult to fight the blackness beckoning her. She closed her eyes to a vision of a blonde man in a suit and glasses kneeling beside her with a first aid kit. As the darkness engulfed her, she heard him say softly. "You'll be all right soon, Ms. Summers. Rest now."
"Ms. Summers, can you hear me?" A deep voice echoed distantly through the darkness. "Ms. Summers?"
"Hmmmm?" She fought to clear the fuzz and disorientation from her mind. Every muscle and bone in her body screamed in pain. Half of her simply wanted to waste away in the blackness.
"Ms. Summers, open your eyes." A stern command demanded her attention. "Owen, dim the lights a bit."
She slowly found the strength to open her eyes in the direction of the voice. She saw several hazy figures surrounding her. She blinked to in an attempt to clear her vision. Her voice came out barely above a hoarse rasp.
"Demetrius?"
"He is well." The reply came from the same deep voice. "Do you know where you are?"
"No." She whispered. "Water?"
"Of course." She heard the water flowing over crackling cubes. The sensation of plastic pressed against her lips caused her to raise her hands to the cup. "Drink very slowly."
She nodded and sipped the cool refreshing liquid. It streamed down the dry walls of her parched throat and she drank her fill. Two blurry figures came into focus. Wren saw a striking man with bronzed skin and dark hair standing at her bedside. She studied him carefully. He was quite tall and handsome. He had dark brown hair that held neatly in place with a tie at the base of his neck. His roguishly handsome features carried a hint of ruthlessness combined oddly with a touch of compassion. The voice fit the man.
"Mr. Xanatos?" The words came from Wren.
"Yes, Ms. Summers." He nodded. "How are you feeling?"
"Like I've had the stuffing beat out of me." She chuckled. Then, she groaned in pain because it hurt so much to move.
"You had the stuffing beat out of you." He confirmed. "You fought well from what we were able to discern. Thailog has several broken ribs and a deep gash in his upper arm. It'll be several weeks before he's back to full power."
"Demetrius?" She asked urgently. "Where is he?"
"He is with the clan. They'll be awaking at sunset." He laid a gentle hand on your shoulder. "You sustained several internal injuries. You need to rest so that you'll have complete recovery."
"I want to see him." Her voice sounded harsh and demanding to her. "Please."
"And you will come sunset, I assure you." Xanatos sat beside her on the bed. "However, if you don't mind, I have a few questions for you."
"Will you help us?" She met his dark gaze. "I don't know who else to turn to for help."
"If you tell me everything."
Did she dare trust the compelling billionaire sitting beside her. Was he a serpent charming her before he made his strike? Was he a reformed man that sincerely wanted to aid her and Demetrius? She knew she had little choice. In this strange realm that was so unlike her own, she knew that her survival depended upon David Xanatos.
[Well, I'm in a nice, cushy bed rather than pushing up daisies. I don't have much of a choice at this moment.] Wren hated that feeling of uncertainty shadowing her every thought.
"What do you want to know?"
"What are you?" His first question came like a bolt of lightning.
"I'm human." Wren took another sip of her water and waited for David Xanatos' reaction. [How much did Owen tell him?]
"Not quite, Ms. Summers." He retorted. "You have a genetic anomaly that is unknown to my scientists."
"I thought you might ask about that. It's called the X-Factor. I told Owen last night that I'm a member of a subspecies of humanity known as Homo Sapien Superior." She sighed. "I possess a particular chromosome that sets me apart. You can call me a mutant."
"Ms. Summers, you told that to Owen six days ago." He told her. "You been in a coma for almost a week."
"Six days?" Her jaw threatened to drop all the way to the floor. "I've been out that long?"
"Yes." Xanatos folded his arms. "You sustained severe internal injuries and extreme blood loss. Had not my security people found you when they did, you would have bled to death."
"Thank you.... for saving my life."
"Trust me, it was a pleasure." His handsome features produced a smirk. "Nothing gives me greater satisfaction that to help a damsel in distress."
"Really?"
"Really." He nodded.
"Okay." She returned that smile. "Next question."
"Who is Demetrius?" That question seemed rather odd at this point in the discussion.
"Demetrius is a Gargoyle from Clan Wyvern." She explained. "He's my protector, my confidant, my lover."
"Lover?" Xanatos' eyebrows nearly flew off his fan. "Clan Wyvern was destroyed over a thousand years ago."
"In this dimension, he was." She countered. "Where I come from, his clan was resurrected by a Kiari."
"Kiari?"
"Owen can tell you about the Kiari." She gave him a cryptic smile. "They're just some of Oberon's ancestors."
"I see." He replied shortly.
She went on to explain her recent trips to ancient Greece compliments of Hercules and their adventures there. She related to Xanatos how she and Demetrius managed to thwart Ares and incur his wrath. Now, they were on the run from him as he longed to annihilate them.
"Ares, god of war and Thailog within twenty-four hours." Xanatos quipped dryly. "You're racking up quite the list of foes in a short amount of time."
"Don't remind me. If I had my way, I'd be back at Xanatos Enterprises in the research and development department." Wren turned to the wall.
"Why aren't you there?" The question probed at areas she wished not to discuss.
"Honestly? The reason I'm here is a Gargoyle that changed my life. His name is Demetrius. He taught me honor and courage. He showed me that I could still be frightened and display bravery. He has shown me the meaning of unconditional love and loyalty." She returned her hazel gaze to David Xanatos. "He is the epitome of a Gargoyle warrior. His is virtue and integrity personified."
"Sounds like Goliath." He mused.
"Almost. Except, he's not as tense. Demetrius is a hopeless flirt and a swashbuckler from the word go." Wren's heart flip-flopped as warm thoughts of her lover crossed her mind.
They discussed her current situation. It was decided that she and Demetrius, for the time being, would be guests at Xanatos' castle. When they discussed the Thailog situation both were perplexed as to why the gargoyle wanted the broken shards of a statue. Wren found out that the praying Gargoyle was a component used by Demona in casting the "Operation Clean Slate" spell.
"I've never heard much about her back home." Wren admitted. "What little I know is that she and the clan called a truce once Angela mated with Broadway."
"That truce never occurred here." Xanatos told her. He rose from the bed. "I take it that your dimension has no counterpart for Thailog?"
"No." Wren shrugged. "My Xanatos geared Genutech more towards cancer and AIDS research shortly after his reformation. He also tried to reverse the condition of the Mutates. If Thailog ever existed, no one has talked about him."
"Hmmm.... He sounds like a saint."
"Actually, he's a very dynamic, forceful personality." Wren contemplated the comparison between the two billionaires. "He is also an outstanding example of love and devotion to family. His loyalty to the clan and their loyalty to him is an unbreakable bond. I have the utmost respect and admiration for the man."
"Than I hope to inspire the same in you." Xanatos headed for the door. He turned to leave then stopped. He paused for what seemed an eternity and turned to face Wren. "I want to do the same."
"I think it's very possible." Truth urged her response. "I see the beginnings of a Xanatos I will be proud to know."
"Until twilight descends, then?" He asked. Her heart ached with thoughts of home as he used the greeting that was used by the Caledon clan.
"Until twilight descends." She responded.
TO BE CONTINUED.....
By Denigoddess2001
07/13/01
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GARGOYLES. THEY BELONG TO DISNEY. I DO NOT OWN X-MEN. I THEY BELONG TO MARVEL. "WHEN THE DYING CALLS" BELONGS TO THE GROUP DANZIG. NO INFRINGMENT INTENDED. PLEASE DO NOT SUE.
When The Dying Calls
out
of the night comes
a timeless thing
calm
in simplicity
soft
a seductive voice
meant for the human ear
down
down
down
i'm gonna take you
down
that's when the dying calls
if i look
in the dark of the world
if i lose
i don't mind
that's is when the dying calls
down
thru the ages
from the dawn of time
roam
thru the world of dreams
up
from the the black
of the mississippi mud
calling
out to everything
down
down
down
i'm gonna bring you
down
that's when the dying calls
if i play
in the dark of the world
if i lose
i don't mind
that's when the dying calls
"What do you want?" She spoke her words carefully. She stared at the exotic being standing before her with a lasor rifle sight glowing crimson on her forehead. Lucifer himself loomed over her.
"I'm looking for something that you might help me locate." He said with a silkiness that reeked sarcasm. "I'm looking for the broken shards of a small statue."
"You expect me to help you when you have a gun pointed at me?!" Wren's shriek verged on hysterical laughter. "You must be nuts!"
" I care little for your protests. "His menacing growl indicated that he cared little for her commentary. "Human, you have little choice."
She warily studied the creature standing before her with rifle in hand. He loomed over her easily head and shoulders. His eyes weren't the gentle onyx expression she knew of Wyvern's clan leader nor were they the cheerful gaze of her paramour, Demetrius. The eyes swallowing her alive in their ruthlessness gleamed carmine in the dim light. He was dressed in armor that caused the Gargoyle to seem more immense that his allowed by his natural form. The rifle she recognized as a powerful firearm that burned holes through concrete-enforced steel. He was taller, stronger, and faster than she. Wren concluded that arguing with an armed Gargoyle courted suicide.
"What am I looking for?" She asked with little emotion. She looked to the east window in hope that the sun would shine. "And why do you want it?"
"Shards of a broken statue resembling a Gargoyle. Why I want it is none of your concern. I'm simply not going to allow you to get it first." He walked forward slowly. "Sunlight doesn't affect me, so don't pin your hopes on that. You know more than I realized. Who are you?"
She fell to her hands and knees and began sifting through the rubbish and the rubble. The dust coated her hands in a thick layer of slate and dirt. "My name is Wren."
"Wren? Like the bird?" He sneered.
"One and the same." Her glib reply did little to impress Thailog.
"Why were you here?" She felt the barrel of the rifle press harshly into her back. She stopped her motions and turned to glare at her oppressor. She felt a sharp jab in her back ribs as a deep, sinister chuckle echoed on the stone walls of the abandoned Cathedral. "You have spirit. I like that."
"I'm glad you approve." Whoever this Thailog was, he was a smug son-of -a-bitch. Her fingers came across a small knob in a pile of concrete dust. He seemed momentarily caught in his web of maniacal laughter. Wren glanced quickly at the sharp stone beneath her fingers. She saw the head of a Gargoyle carved in gray granite.
She leaned forward and let her hands feel the ground in front of her. She felt the cold knob of stone pressing against her abdomen. She knew his eyes meticulously scrutinized her moves. She hoped that he was something like his lavender counterpart in her home dimension. Wren decided to add some sway to her hips as she returned to her knees. Her hands drew back and she found knob. She grabbed the stone head and quickly shoved it into her jeans.
"So, why are you here at St. Damien's?" Thailog prodded her again with the rifle. She stopped and stood up where she was only a few inches from him.
"I'm here looking for my friend, Demetrius. He's obviously not here. " She felt that accursed waver enter her voice.
A familiar presence filled the empty sanctuary of the cathedral. It was a mixture of mischief, bravery, loyalty and love. She knew that feeling well.
[Wren?] A voice fainter than a whisper spoke softly in her mind. Wren's heart found hope when his voice touched her mind.
[Demetrius!] A smile brightened Wren's grim features. [Where are you?]
[Not far from you, Milady Songbird. I am injured but I will heal. Are you well?]
[I'm being held hostage by Goliath's evil twin.]
[What? What say you again, Wren?] His confused empathic sending confirmed that she sounded like a raving lunatic.
"So, what's an evil black Gargoyle like you doing in a condemned cathedral like this?" She pushed the rims of her glasses to the top of her nose. "What does this Praying Gargoyle do?"
"Continue searching." Came the short, harsh command from Thailog.
"I don't know where I should start. There's too much ground to cover." She saw a pile of stone shift behind the dark gargoyle. She felt an inner warmth creep through her when she sensed Demetrius was alive and well beneath the pile of stones. She shrugged in front of Thailog. "I'm not any help to you. Why don't you just let me go?"
"I don't think so. You've seen and know too much, Wren." He bowed gallantly. "You were just some unfortunate, dim-witted human that stumbled across me at the most inopportune time. That makes you expendable."
"Really?" She shook her head in disbelief at his arrogant, insulting remarks. Wren felt terror seeping past her psychological defenses as she watched him point the barrel of the rifle at her. "You don't even know me.
"Make peace with your god, human. You're going to meet Him now." She heard the hum of the laser power up as Thailog released the safety.
Rocks clattered on the floor behind Thailog as she watched Demetrius rise as if a phoenix reborn from a pile of rubble. Thailog turned around to investigate the sound. Astoundment made him speechless as his crimson eyes fell upon enormous, ebony, exotic warrior with violet eyes. A inauspicious growl rumbled deeply within his chest at the unwelcome intruder.
Wren ran behind a pillar as Thailog fired the rifle accidentally into the air. Demetrius' glare blazed a fiery white at the arrogant male who dared threaten his mate. Thailog turned his attention fully to the ebony gargoyle only a few yards from him. He charged headlong into the lavender-eyed male crouched and ready for his onslaught. He impacted with him head on and both went rolling head over talon across the concrete floor.
"I know not your name, Gargoyle." Demetrius bellowed as his tail wrapped around the shaft of the laser rifle. "But you will pay dearly for threatening my mate."
"Mate?" Thailog's surprise gave Wren the opening she needed. She drew forth her annulus and focused her attention upon the armor-clad gargoyle. "That puny human is your MATE? What kind of abomination are you?"
"Your worst nightmare." Demetrius roared as he brought down his talons that left deep slashes in the breastplate of Thailog's armor.
Thailog was not easily bested. With a snarl reminiscent of a cornered animal, he hurled Demetrius across a large expanse of the cathedral. Wren cringed when she heard her lover crash into one of the stalwart marble pillars of the church. Dazed and stunned, she watched him struggle to shake off the disorientation caused by his collision with the column.
Wren knew that bravery wasn't an attribute of hers by nature. She abhorred combat and strove to distance herself from conflict whenever possible. Yet, this dark demon-spawn was tossing her beloved around like a floppy rag doll. With clear, pristine focus, her eyes unwaveringly locked on her intended target. She rose to her knees and kept her gaze on the one called Thailog as he advanced menacingly toward Demetrius. She felt the refreshing sensation of cool metal against her hot skin as she slowly grasped the annulus. She let her arm come back in a pitcher's throw that would make a Yankee's fan proud. She put her full weight into the throw. Her shoulder followed suit as let fly the annulus toward the armor-clad gargoyle. A grim smile crept across her features as the bladed circlet cut through the stale air of the cathedral. The rushed sound of air caused by its great speed gave little warning to Thailog. He turned around so that his arm was the first wall of resistance.
He let forth a howl that shook the very pillars within the condemned church. His eyes burned in unholy crimson rage as the sharp blade of the annulus sunk deeply into his arm. Demetrius managed to rise to his feet and turn his back to his deadly foe. That thick quick blow from that thunder tail brought Thailog crashing to his knees.
"Demetrius, catch!" Wren tossed the golden seashell pendant high into the air. She looked anxiously to the east window and saw the tip of a fiery orb rising above the skyline. "Hurry!"
"No fear, Milady." He called gallantly as he leapt into the air. The rays broke forth through the window showering him in a flash fire of dawn's first light. She watched him stiffen as he found the seashell in his grasp. His skin began lighten from ebony to slate as the call of stone sleep refused to be denied.
"No!" Wren's scream filled the large expanse of the cathedral. She rose to her feet and dashed across the floor to reach him before his transformation was complete. It did Demetrius little good to merely hold the pendant in hand. It had to be around his neck to work it's particular magick. Tears blurred her vision as her last, best hope turned to stone. "So close..."
A long black tail snaked around her calf and sent her sprawling to the ground. "I don't think so, Human."
She felt two large hands turn her over and saw Thailog looming over her. He was the coming apocolypse personified with gleaming crimson eyes and gloating smile. "You've been an annoying inconvenience to me this morning. I'm going to enjoy slicing your skin away layer by layer."
She had no firepower to eliminate him. She was without sly tricks to outwit him. She knew only enough hand-to-hand combat to defend herself. Now, she knew she stared her executioner in the face. Wren felt rage and sadness surge through her. Her mind cried out its defiance when she knew that she'd never grow old with Demetrius. "Burn in Hades, you heartless son-of-a-bitch."
His large hands rose above her with talons curled. She heard them slice through the air. She smelled his battle lust and heard his deep, baleful chuckle as they raked across her bruised skin. The warmth of her own blood welled to the surface of her wounds within seconds. Wren felt shame when a pitiful whimper met her ears and she realized it was her voice making the wail. She didn't want to die bruised, beaten and helpless. Not like this.
"NOT LIKE THIS!!" Came the words from her resolution. She remembered the words from her combat training at the Xavier Institute. Solar plexus, instep, nose, groin. With renewed resolve, Wren curled her legs into her stomach. She pushed her feet directly into his solar plexus with her last degree of strength. His shock combined with pleasure with the rebellious vigor of his intended prey. He landed soundly on his backside
"That's it, Wren. Fight me, just a little before I have my pleasure with you." He purred ominously as he rose to his feet. "Give me a challenge."
She noticed his legs were covered in shin guards. She also remembered from her discussions with Demetrius that Gargoyles' arches were particularly sensitive to sharp blows. She turned herself to run but he caught her by the lapel of her leather coat. He held her fast against him. His low voice whispered sweetly in her ear.
"Any last words?'
She was beaten but she knew she had fought well. Two tears escaped her closed eyes as she pictured Demetrius. She brought down the heal of her boot hard and fast on the delicate arch of his taloned foot. His roar of pain was joy to Wren's ears. She brought her fists upwards and impacted the soft cartilage of Thailog's nose. Another howl filled the large room as she turned to run. This was not a good day to die.
A painful tug of her hair brought the young woman screaming to her knees. She saw out of the side of her eye Thailog's talons swooping down towards the exposed nape of her throat. She hoped that it wouldn't hurt much. She prayed that her death be quick.
She heard the sizzling sound of laser bursts burning against armor. Thailog thrust her away as he fell to the ground. She saw the annulus nearby and clamered for it. She looked to see a laser rifle in the hands of a metal gargoyle resembling Goliath.
"Not today, Thailog." A voice came from the strange mask. "Owen, see to Ms. Summer's wounds. Robots, neutralize the Gargoyle."
The robotic golems did the crimson one's bidding without a word. Wren held the annulus in her hand ready to let it fly if these strange beings chose to attack her. Yet, the vertigo inside her mind caused her stomach to churn. [I must keep focus.]
Weakness conquered her will to fight. Fatigue persuaded her body to power down from defense mode. Wren only wanted the pain to cease its relentless attack on her body. It was too difficult to fight the blackness beckoning her. She closed her eyes to a vision of a blonde man in a suit and glasses kneeling beside her with a first aid kit. As the darkness engulfed her, she heard him say softly. "You'll be all right soon, Ms. Summers. Rest now."
"Ms. Summers, can you hear me?" A deep voice echoed distantly through the darkness. "Ms. Summers?"
"Hmmmm?" She fought to clear the fuzz and disorientation from her mind. Every muscle and bone in her body screamed in pain. Half of her simply wanted to waste away in the blackness.
"Ms. Summers, open your eyes." A stern command demanded her attention. "Owen, dim the lights a bit."
She slowly found the strength to open her eyes in the direction of the voice. She saw several hazy figures surrounding her. She blinked to in an attempt to clear her vision. Her voice came out barely above a hoarse rasp.
"Demetrius?"
"He is well." The reply came from the same deep voice. "Do you know where you are?"
"No." She whispered. "Water?"
"Of course." She heard the water flowing over crackling cubes. The sensation of plastic pressed against her lips caused her to raise her hands to the cup. "Drink very slowly."
She nodded and sipped the cool refreshing liquid. It streamed down the dry walls of her parched throat and she drank her fill. Two blurry figures came into focus. Wren saw a striking man with bronzed skin and dark hair standing at her bedside. She studied him carefully. He was quite tall and handsome. He had dark brown hair that held neatly in place with a tie at the base of his neck. His roguishly handsome features carried a hint of ruthlessness combined oddly with a touch of compassion. The voice fit the man.
"Mr. Xanatos?" The words came from Wren.
"Yes, Ms. Summers." He nodded. "How are you feeling?"
"Like I've had the stuffing beat out of me." She chuckled. Then, she groaned in pain because it hurt so much to move.
"You had the stuffing beat out of you." He confirmed. "You fought well from what we were able to discern. Thailog has several broken ribs and a deep gash in his upper arm. It'll be several weeks before he's back to full power."
"Demetrius?" She asked urgently. "Where is he?"
"He is with the clan. They'll be awaking at sunset." He laid a gentle hand on your shoulder. "You sustained several internal injuries. You need to rest so that you'll have complete recovery."
"I want to see him." Her voice sounded harsh and demanding to her. "Please."
"And you will come sunset, I assure you." Xanatos sat beside her on the bed. "However, if you don't mind, I have a few questions for you."
"Will you help us?" She met his dark gaze. "I don't know who else to turn to for help."
"If you tell me everything."
Did she dare trust the compelling billionaire sitting beside her. Was he a serpent charming her before he made his strike? Was he a reformed man that sincerely wanted to aid her and Demetrius? She knew she had little choice. In this strange realm that was so unlike her own, she knew that her survival depended upon David Xanatos.
[Well, I'm in a nice, cushy bed rather than pushing up daisies. I don't have much of a choice at this moment.] Wren hated that feeling of uncertainty shadowing her every thought.
"What do you want to know?"
"What are you?" His first question came like a bolt of lightning.
"I'm human." Wren took another sip of her water and waited for David Xanatos' reaction. [How much did Owen tell him?]
"Not quite, Ms. Summers." He retorted. "You have a genetic anomaly that is unknown to my scientists."
"I thought you might ask about that. It's called the X-Factor. I told Owen last night that I'm a member of a subspecies of humanity known as Homo Sapien Superior." She sighed. "I possess a particular chromosome that sets me apart. You can call me a mutant."
"Ms. Summers, you told that to Owen six days ago." He told her. "You been in a coma for almost a week."
"Six days?" Her jaw threatened to drop all the way to the floor. "I've been out that long?"
"Yes." Xanatos folded his arms. "You sustained severe internal injuries and extreme blood loss. Had not my security people found you when they did, you would have bled to death."
"Thank you.... for saving my life."
"Trust me, it was a pleasure." His handsome features produced a smirk. "Nothing gives me greater satisfaction that to help a damsel in distress."
"Really?"
"Really." He nodded.
"Okay." She returned that smile. "Next question."
"Who is Demetrius?" That question seemed rather odd at this point in the discussion.
"Demetrius is a Gargoyle from Clan Wyvern." She explained. "He's my protector, my confidant, my lover."
"Lover?" Xanatos' eyebrows nearly flew off his fan. "Clan Wyvern was destroyed over a thousand years ago."
"In this dimension, he was." She countered. "Where I come from, his clan was resurrected by a Kiari."
"Kiari?"
"Owen can tell you about the Kiari." She gave him a cryptic smile. "They're just some of Oberon's ancestors."
"I see." He replied shortly.
She went on to explain her recent trips to ancient Greece compliments of Hercules and their adventures there. She related to Xanatos how she and Demetrius managed to thwart Ares and incur his wrath. Now, they were on the run from him as he longed to annihilate them.
"Ares, god of war and Thailog within twenty-four hours." Xanatos quipped dryly. "You're racking up quite the list of foes in a short amount of time."
"Don't remind me. If I had my way, I'd be back at Xanatos Enterprises in the research and development department." Wren turned to the wall.
"Why aren't you there?" The question probed at areas she wished not to discuss.
"Honestly? The reason I'm here is a Gargoyle that changed my life. His name is Demetrius. He taught me honor and courage. He showed me that I could still be frightened and display bravery. He has shown me the meaning of unconditional love and loyalty." She returned her hazel gaze to David Xanatos. "He is the epitome of a Gargoyle warrior. His is virtue and integrity personified."
"Sounds like Goliath." He mused.
"Almost. Except, he's not as tense. Demetrius is a hopeless flirt and a swashbuckler from the word go." Wren's heart flip-flopped as warm thoughts of her lover crossed her mind.
They discussed her current situation. It was decided that she and Demetrius, for the time being, would be guests at Xanatos' castle. When they discussed the Thailog situation both were perplexed as to why the gargoyle wanted the broken shards of a statue. Wren found out that the praying Gargoyle was a component used by Demona in casting the "Operation Clean Slate" spell.
"I've never heard much about her back home." Wren admitted. "What little I know is that she and the clan called a truce once Angela mated with Broadway."
"That truce never occurred here." Xanatos told her. He rose from the bed. "I take it that your dimension has no counterpart for Thailog?"
"No." Wren shrugged. "My Xanatos geared Genutech more towards cancer and AIDS research shortly after his reformation. He also tried to reverse the condition of the Mutates. If Thailog ever existed, no one has talked about him."
"Hmmm.... He sounds like a saint."
"Actually, he's a very dynamic, forceful personality." Wren contemplated the comparison between the two billionaires. "He is also an outstanding example of love and devotion to family. His loyalty to the clan and their loyalty to him is an unbreakable bond. I have the utmost respect and admiration for the man."
"Than I hope to inspire the same in you." Xanatos headed for the door. He turned to leave then stopped. He paused for what seemed an eternity and turned to face Wren. "I want to do the same."
"I think it's very possible." Truth urged her response. "I see the beginnings of a Xanatos I will be proud to know."
"Until twilight descends, then?" He asked. Her heart ached with thoughts of home as he used the greeting that was used by the Caledon clan.
"Until twilight descends." She responded.
TO BE CONTINUED.....