Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Gargoyles characters. They are the property of Disney and Buena Vista and other people more important than me. I'm just borrowing them for a while.
PREVIOUSLY ON GARGOYLES…
Robyn still had many more questions to ask him along that topic, but things were slowly becoming clear to her. There were obvious reasons why she was the one they wanted for this position. She'd had previous contact with the gargoyles and felt she had done them wrong (apart from Demona). She also knew a good deal about their main opposition - her brother. Now she was aware of what she had in common with the man she was to work for.
Xanatos was a smart man to consider this pairing.
She took a deep breath. That knowledge didn't really make this decision easier. "If you would have me, Mr. MacDuff, I will accept the offer to work for you." She did her best to smile.
The man returned the gesture. "Welcome aboard, Miss Canmore."
-----
"You would have us align with this petty magician?" the dark haired one asked in shock, gesturing towards the frowning ghost.
Titania smiled at this. "He was obviously not so 'petty' that he couldn't ensnare the three of you," she teased.
"Using magic stolen from this island, my Queen," the third sister - one of white hair - answered. All three of them looked angry. Extremely so. The wife of Oberon was certain that had she not been their mother they would have erupted on her or burned her to a cinder. As it was, she was the one in charge of things here.
"Yet, you are to blame for his predicament, are you not?" Titania asked. Before she could get a reply, she continued. "Your actions are what resulted in his demise and now his soul is being denied rebirth because of his place of death."
"But, my Queen…"
"Therefore!" she cut off any further argument with an upraised palm. "It will be your duty to see to it that this man makes himself Proven."
The three sisters stared at her in horror. "You can't be serious!" the blonde one nearly shouted.
"Our Lord Oberon will never accept it," the black-haired one agreed.
"Your Lord Oberon already agrees," a new voice said smugly from behind them.
-----
The Magus stood suddenly, causing the turquoise gargoyle to scoot back an inch in surprise. The expression on the sorcerer's face was one of astounded realization.
"What is it?" the gargoyle from Guatemala asked.
"I…" he stuttered, "Thank you. You've been most helpful. I need to go. Maybe I'll see you again sometime." He then stood and began walking quickly away from her.
"Wait!" she cried after him. "Where are you going?"
"To do something important with my life for once!!" was his over-the-shoulder reply.
--STRANGE ALLIANCES--
CHAPTER TWO: PROPOSITIONS
Elisa opened the door to Xanatos' office, watching Owen out of the corner of her eye as he led her in. The head of Xanatos Enterprises sat in his usual place behind his desk, but he stood as she entered, smiling warmly.
"Ah, Detective," he began. "What a pleasant surprise."
"I need to talk with you, Xanatos," she said sternly.
Xanatos nodded, still smiling. "I would have thought that was obvious. Normally people don't visit my office to stand silent and stare at me like a zoo animal."
Elisa smirked. "Ha ha. Very funny. This is important."
The dark haired man stood up from his desk and walked around from behind it. He took a new posture leaning up against the front of it with his arms crossed. "I presume you have questions regarding my latest little project. I can assure you detective, I'm doing it purely for the gargoyle's benefit."
"Getting aid from MacBeth?" she asked. "Are you sure he can be trusted?"
"He gave me his word of honor that he wouldn't betray the project," he replied. "Surely you know how much his honor means to him."
Xanatos had been expecting this visit from the gargoyles' most trusted companion for some time now. It wasn't as though he could hide a decision this big from them for very long, especially with his choice candidates for the project's head and co-head. If there was any way for him to get into exceptionally good graces with the detective, this was it. If, that is, he could manage to pull it off.
He was David Xanatos. Of course he could pull it off.
Elisa crossed her arms in front of her chest. While she had begrudgingly come to admit that Xanatos most likely had nothing more against her companions, she would probably never trust the man entirely - especially after that whole issue with her brother. "So what exactly IS this project, Xanatos?" she asked.
For this, the bearded man was prepared. He nodded to Owen, who offered the detective a large envelope. The folder was thick, and the words 'Project Daylight' were inscribed with bold lettering across the front.
"Project Daylight?" Elisa asked.
Xanatos nodded. "Precisely, Detective," he answered calmly. In one hand he produced the controller to the large monitor that always took up one wall of his office. As soon as he pressed the button the screen lit up, displaying a large symbol on a black background. It was a strange symbol - a circle all in blue with a line going through the left side and a sun attached to the right of the line.
After a few moments, the image faded slightly. It remained in the background as a title appeared in yellow lettering . "Project Daylight," it read. "An organization for promoting the acceptance of Gargoyles to the modern world."
"You see," Xanatos said, "this is it. With this operation we can keep them protected and spread the good word about them. We can help to keep groups like the Quarrymen off their backs." He clicked another button on the controller and the screen changed. It now showed a map of the world. On it, various red dots began to appear. "These are where sightings of gargoyles have appeared over the last few years. I've added the locations you and Goliath found on your journey aboard the skiff." Some of the red dots turned a shade of purple. "These are where sightings have been confirmed to be actual gargoyle living areas." The monitor shut off. "There are whole clans of them out there, Detective. This project will help to ensure their safety."
Elisa's expression had changed over the last few moments. She now regarded him with a look of astounded curiosity as he continued.
He held up a small flier. "I've already made contact with leaders of small committees such as this one. I know you're already familiar with the P.I.T. Crew. I've been able to get a hold of leaders in four other small groups such as these around the globe - including a few residents of a town in Japan called Ishimura. I believe you've met them before as well." She nodded. "I intend to help fund their organizations. They might be small now, but given time they can become the arms and legs of this project."
The police woman raised an eyebrow. "You're really serious about this," she stated quietly.
Xanatos regarded her with a strangely calm expression. "Up until this point," he said lowly, "I don't think I've ever been more serious about anything. I owe them so much, Detective. I owe YOU as much."
There was silence in the room for a few moments before a knocking on the door interrupted it. Xanatos looked at his watch.
"That would be the Project head, sir," Owen reminded him before he could say anything.
"And their timing couldn't be better," he said with a smile. "Come in!" he called out loud enough that his new guests could hear.
The door opened slowly and MacBeth entered, followed by Robyn Canmore. Elisa's expression became one of confusion. "Robyn?" she asked.
The assistant head of Project Daylight hadn't even noticed the detective's presence before she had spoken out. Looking over now, her eyes widened. "Oh! Elisa! I'd been told I might see you around here occasionally. How are you?"
"I'd like you to meet the assistant head of Project Daylight," Xanatos said in answer to Elisa's unspoken question, "Miss Robyn Canmore."
"Quite a crew..." the police woman muttered.
MacBeth, not being able to help but overhear that comment, cleared his throat. "Now, Detective," he remarked casually, "there's no better creature to catch a fox but the fox himself."
Elisa shook her head. "Robyn I can understand. Demona's caused a lot of problems for people in the past, and given the same circumstances regarding my background I can't say I wouldn't have done the same thing she did - not that what she did was good." She frowned. "You, MacBeth, I have no reason to trust just yet."
MacBeth sighed. "I understand," he said quietly, "and I forgive you for not being overly trusting of me, but I swear that I no longer hold anything against you or your clan. I hope to prove that to you."
"I hope you manage to do so," Elisa replied. "I'd much rather have you for a friend than an enemy."
MacBeth smiled.
Xanatos ended the short silence that followed by clearing his throat. "Well, at least you're all acquainted." When all three of them gave him dubious looks he moved on. "Keep the folder, Detective. I'll keep you posted. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to discuss business matters with Mr. MacDuff and his associate."
Elisa stuck the file under one arm. Nodding her goodbyes to Robyn, she turned to leave.
"Oh! And Detective?" came Xanatos' voice before she could go.
She turned back to look at him just in time to catch the object he threw her way. Unfolding it, she found it to be a simple black shirt with the Project Daylight logo on the front. She raised an eyebrow.
"Welcome to the team," the industrialist smiled.
+ + + + + + + + + +
Sevarius peeked out from under the rim of his hat at the apartment complex before him. As far as apartments went these weren't all that bad off. They were nowhere near his personal preferences as far as luxury was concerned, but at least he wouldn't have to scrape the filth from his shoes after this venture.
He kept a close eye on his two assistants. Both Jackal and Hyena stood slightly behind him, wearing heavy trenchcoats to hide their cybernetic limbs. At one point Jackal caught his eye and gave him a thumbs up. His response to that was to scowl. Fortunately by then his head was turned the other way.
"This is the place," he muttered. "The first of our quarry lies within these walls."
"How about we just blow the whole building up?" Hyena offered. "It'd save us some trouble in the long run."
Sevarius turned around sharply and glared at the cybernetic woman. She was laughing that horrid laugh of hers. "Listen here," he growled. "This man is not to be killed. He is to be CONTAINED. Do I make myself clear?"
Jackal yawned. "Yes, yes, we know. Your word is law and all that."
"I still say you're incredibly boring," Hyena added. "At least when we worked for Xanatos the missions involved some action."
The scientist snorted. "Oh, there will be action eventually. I promise you." That said, he continued the walk towards the apartment.
The residence in question was located on the building's first floor. Hyena muttered under her breath in annoyance as they prepared to ring the bell.
"Don't know what you'd want with a gimp anyway."
--
The small murmur of noise coming from the television shut off abruptly as the apartment's only inhabitant clicked the button on his remote. He'd only been watching with disinterest to begin with. It was the same news as always: robberies, shootings, strikes, and the occasional gargoyle sightings/theories/hate riots. He'd had enough of that in his life as it was without having to watch people talk about it with such false enthusiasm.
One hand tossing the remote onto the empty sofa, he did a ninety degree turn in his wheelchair with the other hand and directed himself into the kitchen. The soup he'd put on the stove a while back should be hot enough now.
He was in the process of turning the stove off when his doorbell rang.
The man set down the bowl he'd been about to fill in surprise. He wasn't sure he could think of anyone that would want to visit him at that time of day. His sister was the only one he could think of that would even know he was out of prison. (The press had not been notified of his release. Xanatos had arranged it in gratitude of his sacrifice for Goliath's life, and his refusal to leak much information about the clan to the police and press.) She had called earlier and told him that she was going to be unavailable for pretty much the next week. Had she stopped by anyway, just to see him?
"Just a minute!" he called, once again redirecting his chair. Reaching the door, he opened it to find, not his sister, but three figures in trenchcoats. He recognized none of them. "Yes?" he asked skeptically. "What can I do for you?"
The man closest peered out from under his hat with a sort of half smirk. "You are Jason Canmore?" he asked.
Looking wary, the man in the wheelchair nodded his head.
"Then the question is," the other grinned, "what can WE do for YOU?"
"If you're here soliciting," Jason frowned, "then what you can do is leave. I'm not interested." He made as if to close the door on them, but the taller of the two figures behind the leader quickly threw up an arm to keep it open.
"Now, now," he said calmly. "I'm quite sure you'll want to listen to what I have to say. It will be very beneficial to you."
Jason scowled. "And I'm quite sure that it will be more beneficial for me AND you if you leave. I have no need of anything you might be wanting to sell to me." He was starting to become irritated over the fact that he couldn't close the door. The person holding the door open had to be some sort of bodyguard or at least a weightlifter with strength like that.
"But I'm offering you a one in a lifetime opportunity!" the annoying man continued. "After all, it's not everyday you get the chance to walk again."
Jason ceased in his efforts to remove the other figure's hand from the door and stared at the man in surprise. Obviously, this hadn't been the type of offer he expected. His visitor seemed satisfied with his confusion, watching the range of emotions that flickered across his face.
He seemed very surprised indeed with his answer.
"I'm sorry," Jason said slowly, "but you must have me mistaken for someone else. I have no interest in your cure. I've chosen this life as atonement for past deeds."
"But certainly..."
"I. Am. Not. Interested. Good bye." That said, he lashed out with an umbrella that leaned on the wall near the entrance and caught the figure supporting the door across the face. There was a cry of pain and the person pulled back, leaving Jason free to shut and lock it.
He had to wheel away almost immediately as the door was thrown off its hinges.
Sevarius stepped forward with a malicious smile. "I'm afraid," he hissed, "that you're not being given the option of refusal."
Jackal and Hyena laughed gleefully, throwing their trenchcoats aside and revealing their cybernetic bodies. As Jason backed away further out of shock he remarked sarcastically to himself that at least he knew how they'd held the door open.
"My associates and I," the scientist stated seriously, "have been looking forward to being introduced to you." This elicited chuckles from his two companions. "My name is Doctor Anton Sevarius. I worked with your sister a year or so ago. Quite a brilliant young woman, that one. It's such a shame she ended up yellow just like the rest of them." He smiled evilly again. "I have special plans in mind for her. Oh, yes."
"You leave my sister out of any plans of yours!" Jason cried.
The mad doctor shook his head. "No need to worry, dear boy. Today's not HER lucky day. It's YOURS. Why... You should be absolutely THRILLED that Anton Bartholomew Sevarius has chosen YOU to be his new guinea pig." Jackal and Hyena began advancing towards him. "Besides, what would you do? Roll over me in your wheelchair?"
The oldest of the Canmore siblings reversed backwards quickly. He knew immediately there was no way he was going to be able to outdistance his two half-robotic followers. Steering as sharply as he could, he maneuvered himself back into the kitchen, hoping to reach the hand gun he had stored in the drawer closest to the entranceway.
He reached it just as a laser shot from Jackal's wrist sent him flying out of his wheelchair, which crumpled into a smoldering heap. Pulling out the entire drawer in haste, he grabbed up his gun and released the safety. He aimed quickly at Jackal's unprotected eye, and it was only Hyena's fortunate, or unfortunate for Jason, timing that saved her brother's life. Her own laser cannon knocked his gun out of his grasp, and left Jason clutching at his seared hand.
Jackal lifted him up by the front of his shirt. "You don't want to go trying anything stupid now," he growled, "or Sis and I might just decide to disobey the good doctor's orders and just kill you right now."
This apparently didn't seem much of a threat to Jason at all, as he used his uninjured hand to grab his uneaten soup off the stove and toss it in his assailant's face.
Blinded in his remaining non-cybernetic eye, Jackal fell back and covered his face with both hands, releasing his hold on Jason. The half-paralyzed man started dragging himself painfully across the floor, trying to make his way over to where his gun had fallen.
It was not to be, however. The odds were too much against him with such opponents and very little maneuverability. Hyena knocked him out instantly with sleeping gas from the fingers of her left hand.
Jackal glared up at her, strands of chicken noodle stuck sporadically in his now wet and matted hair. "You couldn't have done that sooner?"
His sister shrugged. "Where would the fun be in that? Besides," she smirked, "you were doing well for a while there. Would've expected, though, with him being paralyzed from the waist down and all, that you could have thought up something quicker."
The cybernetic man muttered something along the lines of 'shaddup' as he began pulling limp noodles from his long black mane. Hyena went about lifting their unconscious captive into her arms.
Sevarius stepped into the kitchen, eyeing the mess with distaste. "If you're quite through," he said snobbishly, "We'd better leave before the neighbors call the police because of the terrible racket you caused."
+ + + + + + + + + +
"MacBeth," Robin said quietly.
Owen raised an eyebrow. They'd been driving for about ten minutes through traffic on their way to one of Xanatos Enterprises old warehouses, which apparently held more than just unsold merchandise. Up until this point the Canmore woman hadn't even tried to strike up a conversation. "What about him?" he asked.
Robin frowned. "Elisa kept calling him 'MacBeth' - Mr. MacDuff, that is - and no one seemed to question it. Neither he nor Xanatos even looked confused."
"Professor MacDuff was often called by that," Owen replied, unfazed. "He has... a deep rooted interest in Shakespeare. Lennox and MacDuff were both characters in the play MacBeth, if you recall, and the name must have stuck to him since childhood."
"But, doesn't it bother him?" she asked, looking rather appalled. "I mean, MacBeth was a murderer!"
"I'm sure, Miss Canmore, that he thinks of it as nothing more than a name."
The blonde haired woman shook her head, and became interested in the sidewalk as it passed by her window. "It's just a bit disconcerting," she said slowly, "what with my family's history and all."
The beginnings of a smirk appeared on Owen's lips. "Professor MacDuff is nothing at all like the MacBeth of legend." Humor, or at least as close as he ever got to it, had begun to tinge the edges of his voice. "Of that you can be quite certain."
+ + + + + + + + + +
The Magus and his three unwilling companions appeared in a flash above what appeared to be a sea of multicolored lights and sound. The newly-made gargoyle gazed around himself in astonishment.
Then he realized he was several hundred feet above the ground.
Crying out in horror, he began clawing at the air. He flapped his wings frantically, trying to figure out the best way to use them, as he never had before.
It was a moment before he realized that he wasn't going anywhere. He stopped flailing his arms and looked around warily. He was suspended in midair, and the Weird Sisters were watching him with hardy smirks on their faces.
"Perhaps we should have dropped you," the blonde one remarked. "It would have given you a trial-by-fire lesson in gliding."
The dark-haired one crossed her arms. "Of course, if you couldn't manage it you would have failed your mission from the start."
"And as much as we would enjoy that," the white-haired one added, "Oberon would be most displeased with us."
The Magus scowled. "Thank you ever so kindly for your concern," he muttered. He spread his wings out behind him, trying to get a good grip on the wind and which way it was moving. "If you're not going to be helpful, you might as well just go. I need to go about finding Goliath."
The sisters looked at each other and grinned. The dark haired one shrugged. "If you say so," she said happily.
And all three of them vanished.
"HEY!!" the sorcerer let out a shout of terror as the earth's gravity actually did take hold of him and he went plummeting downwards. His wings caught a draft quickly, and he managed to right himself a bit clumsily after shouting out a few choice profane phrases that had died out centuries ago.
(I had to open my big mouth) he thought irritably. He now, unfortunately, had absolutely no idea where he was or how he was supposed to find anyone familiar. (If this is their idea of a joke, I don't find it the least bit funny.)
He managed a wavering glide. It took him some time to figure out to a degree how his wings reacted to the wind currents. Several times he almost lost control and fell, only to catch an updraft at the last moment to send him back up to the height he'd been before.
He expected at any time for the Sisters to reappear. Most likely they would laugh at him and scorn him for not paying better attention to his commands. He could tell this working relationship was going to be a rough one.
However, half an hour past... then another. The Magus believed he'd been flying around in circles for most of that time, even though all the flashing lights and towers looked the same to him from his point of view. If they didn't reappear soon he'd have to find a place to land and somehow find someone to ask about the local gargoyle clan.
Then he saw it - a flash of red and blue flying below him.
A quick glance after it revealed that it was indeed a gargoyle, and a familiar one at that. He knew her. Long before he'd lived on Avalon he had known her. She'd haunted his dreams for years, and the last time he had seen her they had not been on good terms. Not that they ever really had been...
"Demona..." he muttered under his breath.
His mind raced. The last he had seen her, she had been under a spell by the Weird Sisters and had fought against him as his enemy. If the spell had been broken was she once more at Goliath's side? Had the spell even been broken at all?
He figured his choices were limited enough at the moment. Right now she was the only lead he had. Adjusting his wings without really even realizing it, he dived after her, keeping what he hoped was a far enough distance that she wouldn't notice.
As he watched, she shot down sharply, landing on the balcony of a rather large house some distance from the main part of the city. He blinked a bit in confusion, thinking it odd that she had not headed to a nearby castle. Then again, with all the strange architecture he had seen he was unsure if there were any castles in this time at all.
He waited until she was out of sight before he too landed lightly on the balcony, trying not to draw too much attention to himself. Almost without thinking, his wings caped about his shoulders. He glanced down at them in surprise for a moment before shrugging it off and heading towards the large window Demona had slid open and shut behind her.
He peered cautiously around the very edge of the window frame, watching the female gargoyle as she busied herself with something in her room. Moments passed as he stood there silently, unable to think of how he should approach her. What would she think when she saw him? Would she recognize him? (Well,) he thought, (I'll never know if I just stand here.)
It was with something akin to timidness that the Magus tapped the window gently with one clawed finger.
--
Demona spun around instantly, eyes wide, as she heard the tapping on the glass behind her.
Silently she wondered who could have managed the height to her window ledge. She doubted it was one of the clan. She hadn't had any contact with them since that last stunt she'd pulled and she doubted any of them would want to have anything to do with her for some time. And there was no chance it could be a human unless they had help getting up there and she'd heard no sound of engines. She briefly thought of the mutates, but ruled that idea out almost immediately.
She picked up her laser rifle from where it laid atop a chest at the foot of her bed. Listening to the gentle hum as it powered up, she took a few cautious steps towards the window.
Just then, half of her view outside became obscured by a dark shadow. White glowing embers of eyes stared back at her between ears that were distinctly pointed at the ends. She could make out the shape of the shadow enough to see that it had a tail. A gargoyle then. But was it from the clan or…
The figure raised one hand, and tapped softly on the glass again.
She took a few steps closer, making sure her weapon was ready to be fired if she needed to. The gargoyle seemed to see the weapon in her hands for the first time, and it backed up a couple steps, eyes widening.
(If it's an unknown gargoyle that's not out to kill you,) she thought sourly to herself, (then you might want to think before scaring it off.)
She lowered her weapon a bit and made her decision. Closing the gap between herself and her visitor, she calmly unlocked the large, patio-like window and slid it open. The figure hesitated a moment, then stepped inside.
"Who are you?" she asked sternly. "Why were you outside my window?"
The new gargoyle stepped into the light of the lamp on her desk and she finally got a decent look at him. His coloring was almost all white - save for his clothing which was in dark grays and blues. He had long hair a good foot or more past his shoulders and bright, alert, blue eyes.
"I- I'm sorry... if I alarmed you," her visitor finally replied. "I… followed you here."
Demona frowned at this. "I'll have to make sure and be more careful in the future," she murmured. She scrutinized the gargoyle thoroughly. "Why is it that you followed me, may I ask? I don't believe I've ever seen you before."
The Magus looked nervous. He was beginning to have doubts about his premonitions. The red-headed gargoyle looked almost as dangerous now as she had back on Avalon. If he told her who he really was she might shoot him on the spot. The fact that she had not recognized him was one he was quickly becoming thankful of.
"You are the one they call 'Demona', are you not?" he asked quietly.
Her eyes narrowed. "I am."
It was risky, but… "Then is this Manhattan? Is Goliath's clan here?"
There was a pause.
"It is," Demona replied.
The Magus took a deep breath. "Then you are his Second?"
He suddenly found the nose of the laser rifle at his throat. He blinked, wondering how she had gotten it there so fast. She hissed at him from between bared teeth.
"Where. Are. You. From?" she asked dangerously.
"A-Avalon…" the frightened gargoyle replied, truthfully enough.
Demona's whole demeanor changed instantly. At first she seemed surprised, and she lowered the rifle from its position at his neck. "Avalon…?" she whispered. "You are one of the clan's children? Like Angela?"
The white gargoyle raised an eyebrow. "You know of Angela?"
"Yes, she… visits me occasionally," she grabbed his arm, leading him over to the sofa. "But come, you must think rather terribly of me. I apologize. I've become rather… paranoid… as of late." She sat him down and he watched her with nervous eyes. "I don't think I quite caught your name," she added to his great disappointment.
He thought quickly. He couldn't tell her he was the Magus, but that was the only name he had used since Prince Malcolm had given him his position. He knew if he mentioned the name he'd had as a boy she'd probably recognize that too. She'd been near the Archmage enough. Names ran through his head at an alarming rate. What could he possibly...
"A-Alfred," he said suddenly. "My name is Alfred."
Demona wrinkled her nose a bit. She obviously didn't think much of his name, but wasn't willing to say so out loud.
"Well then,... Alfred, ...can I get you anything? Tea, maybe? Something harder? Anything you want to eat?" She went about setting up a table for him, clearing things out of the way quickly with a smile on her face he wasn't sure was genuine. "I'd be excited to here all about Avalon. I've only been given one perspective so far."
Something in her voice reminded him of a story Princess Katherine once told. It had been about an old woman that lead children into her household and pretended to be a generous host when all she planned to do was eat them later. While he doubted Demona was actually into cannibalism, the look on her face did nothing to calm his nerves.
"Uh... t-tea would be fine... I suppose..." he answered nervously.
Demona smiled at him in a way that made his stomach turn over, then caped her wings about her shoulders and made her way to her kitchen, motioning for him to stay where he was. He watched her go with a great amount of trepidation, wondering not for the first time if he'd made the right decision.
END CHAPTER 2.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
GOLIATH: "...Surely you know I am not in the habit of playing childish pranks... or laughing maniacally in the dark."
HUDSON: "Do you even know HOW to laugh maniacally?"
PREVIOUSLY ON GARGOYLES…
Robyn still had many more questions to ask him along that topic, but things were slowly becoming clear to her. There were obvious reasons why she was the one they wanted for this position. She'd had previous contact with the gargoyles and felt she had done them wrong (apart from Demona). She also knew a good deal about their main opposition - her brother. Now she was aware of what she had in common with the man she was to work for.
Xanatos was a smart man to consider this pairing.
She took a deep breath. That knowledge didn't really make this decision easier. "If you would have me, Mr. MacDuff, I will accept the offer to work for you." She did her best to smile.
The man returned the gesture. "Welcome aboard, Miss Canmore."
-----
"You would have us align with this petty magician?" the dark haired one asked in shock, gesturing towards the frowning ghost.
Titania smiled at this. "He was obviously not so 'petty' that he couldn't ensnare the three of you," she teased.
"Using magic stolen from this island, my Queen," the third sister - one of white hair - answered. All three of them looked angry. Extremely so. The wife of Oberon was certain that had she not been their mother they would have erupted on her or burned her to a cinder. As it was, she was the one in charge of things here.
"Yet, you are to blame for his predicament, are you not?" Titania asked. Before she could get a reply, she continued. "Your actions are what resulted in his demise and now his soul is being denied rebirth because of his place of death."
"But, my Queen…"
"Therefore!" she cut off any further argument with an upraised palm. "It will be your duty to see to it that this man makes himself Proven."
The three sisters stared at her in horror. "You can't be serious!" the blonde one nearly shouted.
"Our Lord Oberon will never accept it," the black-haired one agreed.
"Your Lord Oberon already agrees," a new voice said smugly from behind them.
-----
The Magus stood suddenly, causing the turquoise gargoyle to scoot back an inch in surprise. The expression on the sorcerer's face was one of astounded realization.
"What is it?" the gargoyle from Guatemala asked.
"I…" he stuttered, "Thank you. You've been most helpful. I need to go. Maybe I'll see you again sometime." He then stood and began walking quickly away from her.
"Wait!" she cried after him. "Where are you going?"
"To do something important with my life for once!!" was his over-the-shoulder reply.
CHAPTER TWO: PROPOSITIONS
Elisa opened the door to Xanatos' office, watching Owen out of the corner of her eye as he led her in. The head of Xanatos Enterprises sat in his usual place behind his desk, but he stood as she entered, smiling warmly.
"Ah, Detective," he began. "What a pleasant surprise."
"I need to talk with you, Xanatos," she said sternly.
Xanatos nodded, still smiling. "I would have thought that was obvious. Normally people don't visit my office to stand silent and stare at me like a zoo animal."
Elisa smirked. "Ha ha. Very funny. This is important."
The dark haired man stood up from his desk and walked around from behind it. He took a new posture leaning up against the front of it with his arms crossed. "I presume you have questions regarding my latest little project. I can assure you detective, I'm doing it purely for the gargoyle's benefit."
"Getting aid from MacBeth?" she asked. "Are you sure he can be trusted?"
"He gave me his word of honor that he wouldn't betray the project," he replied. "Surely you know how much his honor means to him."
Xanatos had been expecting this visit from the gargoyles' most trusted companion for some time now. It wasn't as though he could hide a decision this big from them for very long, especially with his choice candidates for the project's head and co-head. If there was any way for him to get into exceptionally good graces with the detective, this was it. If, that is, he could manage to pull it off.
He was David Xanatos. Of course he could pull it off.
Elisa crossed her arms in front of her chest. While she had begrudgingly come to admit that Xanatos most likely had nothing more against her companions, she would probably never trust the man entirely - especially after that whole issue with her brother. "So what exactly IS this project, Xanatos?" she asked.
For this, the bearded man was prepared. He nodded to Owen, who offered the detective a large envelope. The folder was thick, and the words 'Project Daylight' were inscribed with bold lettering across the front.
"Project Daylight?" Elisa asked.
Xanatos nodded. "Precisely, Detective," he answered calmly. In one hand he produced the controller to the large monitor that always took up one wall of his office. As soon as he pressed the button the screen lit up, displaying a large symbol on a black background. It was a strange symbol - a circle all in blue with a line going through the left side and a sun attached to the right of the line.
After a few moments, the image faded slightly. It remained in the background as a title appeared in yellow lettering . "Project Daylight," it read. "An organization for promoting the acceptance of Gargoyles to the modern world."
"You see," Xanatos said, "this is it. With this operation we can keep them protected and spread the good word about them. We can help to keep groups like the Quarrymen off their backs." He clicked another button on the controller and the screen changed. It now showed a map of the world. On it, various red dots began to appear. "These are where sightings of gargoyles have appeared over the last few years. I've added the locations you and Goliath found on your journey aboard the skiff." Some of the red dots turned a shade of purple. "These are where sightings have been confirmed to be actual gargoyle living areas." The monitor shut off. "There are whole clans of them out there, Detective. This project will help to ensure their safety."
Elisa's expression had changed over the last few moments. She now regarded him with a look of astounded curiosity as he continued.
He held up a small flier. "I've already made contact with leaders of small committees such as this one. I know you're already familiar with the P.I.T. Crew. I've been able to get a hold of leaders in four other small groups such as these around the globe - including a few residents of a town in Japan called Ishimura. I believe you've met them before as well." She nodded. "I intend to help fund their organizations. They might be small now, but given time they can become the arms and legs of this project."
The police woman raised an eyebrow. "You're really serious about this," she stated quietly.
Xanatos regarded her with a strangely calm expression. "Up until this point," he said lowly, "I don't think I've ever been more serious about anything. I owe them so much, Detective. I owe YOU as much."
There was silence in the room for a few moments before a knocking on the door interrupted it. Xanatos looked at his watch.
"That would be the Project head, sir," Owen reminded him before he could say anything.
"And their timing couldn't be better," he said with a smile. "Come in!" he called out loud enough that his new guests could hear.
The door opened slowly and MacBeth entered, followed by Robyn Canmore. Elisa's expression became one of confusion. "Robyn?" she asked.
The assistant head of Project Daylight hadn't even noticed the detective's presence before she had spoken out. Looking over now, her eyes widened. "Oh! Elisa! I'd been told I might see you around here occasionally. How are you?"
"I'd like you to meet the assistant head of Project Daylight," Xanatos said in answer to Elisa's unspoken question, "Miss Robyn Canmore."
"Quite a crew..." the police woman muttered.
MacBeth, not being able to help but overhear that comment, cleared his throat. "Now, Detective," he remarked casually, "there's no better creature to catch a fox but the fox himself."
Elisa shook her head. "Robyn I can understand. Demona's caused a lot of problems for people in the past, and given the same circumstances regarding my background I can't say I wouldn't have done the same thing she did - not that what she did was good." She frowned. "You, MacBeth, I have no reason to trust just yet."
MacBeth sighed. "I understand," he said quietly, "and I forgive you for not being overly trusting of me, but I swear that I no longer hold anything against you or your clan. I hope to prove that to you."
"I hope you manage to do so," Elisa replied. "I'd much rather have you for a friend than an enemy."
MacBeth smiled.
Xanatos ended the short silence that followed by clearing his throat. "Well, at least you're all acquainted." When all three of them gave him dubious looks he moved on. "Keep the folder, Detective. I'll keep you posted. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to discuss business matters with Mr. MacDuff and his associate."
Elisa stuck the file under one arm. Nodding her goodbyes to Robyn, she turned to leave.
"Oh! And Detective?" came Xanatos' voice before she could go.
She turned back to look at him just in time to catch the object he threw her way. Unfolding it, she found it to be a simple black shirt with the Project Daylight logo on the front. She raised an eyebrow.
"Welcome to the team," the industrialist smiled.
+ + + + + + + + + +
Sevarius peeked out from under the rim of his hat at the apartment complex before him. As far as apartments went these weren't all that bad off. They were nowhere near his personal preferences as far as luxury was concerned, but at least he wouldn't have to scrape the filth from his shoes after this venture.
He kept a close eye on his two assistants. Both Jackal and Hyena stood slightly behind him, wearing heavy trenchcoats to hide their cybernetic limbs. At one point Jackal caught his eye and gave him a thumbs up. His response to that was to scowl. Fortunately by then his head was turned the other way.
"This is the place," he muttered. "The first of our quarry lies within these walls."
"How about we just blow the whole building up?" Hyena offered. "It'd save us some trouble in the long run."
Sevarius turned around sharply and glared at the cybernetic woman. She was laughing that horrid laugh of hers. "Listen here," he growled. "This man is not to be killed. He is to be CONTAINED. Do I make myself clear?"
Jackal yawned. "Yes, yes, we know. Your word is law and all that."
"I still say you're incredibly boring," Hyena added. "At least when we worked for Xanatos the missions involved some action."
The scientist snorted. "Oh, there will be action eventually. I promise you." That said, he continued the walk towards the apartment.
The residence in question was located on the building's first floor. Hyena muttered under her breath in annoyance as they prepared to ring the bell.
"Don't know what you'd want with a gimp anyway."
--
The small murmur of noise coming from the television shut off abruptly as the apartment's only inhabitant clicked the button on his remote. He'd only been watching with disinterest to begin with. It was the same news as always: robberies, shootings, strikes, and the occasional gargoyle sightings/theories/hate riots. He'd had enough of that in his life as it was without having to watch people talk about it with such false enthusiasm.
One hand tossing the remote onto the empty sofa, he did a ninety degree turn in his wheelchair with the other hand and directed himself into the kitchen. The soup he'd put on the stove a while back should be hot enough now.
He was in the process of turning the stove off when his doorbell rang.
The man set down the bowl he'd been about to fill in surprise. He wasn't sure he could think of anyone that would want to visit him at that time of day. His sister was the only one he could think of that would even know he was out of prison. (The press had not been notified of his release. Xanatos had arranged it in gratitude of his sacrifice for Goliath's life, and his refusal to leak much information about the clan to the police and press.) She had called earlier and told him that she was going to be unavailable for pretty much the next week. Had she stopped by anyway, just to see him?
"Just a minute!" he called, once again redirecting his chair. Reaching the door, he opened it to find, not his sister, but three figures in trenchcoats. He recognized none of them. "Yes?" he asked skeptically. "What can I do for you?"
The man closest peered out from under his hat with a sort of half smirk. "You are Jason Canmore?" he asked.
Looking wary, the man in the wheelchair nodded his head.
"Then the question is," the other grinned, "what can WE do for YOU?"
"If you're here soliciting," Jason frowned, "then what you can do is leave. I'm not interested." He made as if to close the door on them, but the taller of the two figures behind the leader quickly threw up an arm to keep it open.
"Now, now," he said calmly. "I'm quite sure you'll want to listen to what I have to say. It will be very beneficial to you."
Jason scowled. "And I'm quite sure that it will be more beneficial for me AND you if you leave. I have no need of anything you might be wanting to sell to me." He was starting to become irritated over the fact that he couldn't close the door. The person holding the door open had to be some sort of bodyguard or at least a weightlifter with strength like that.
"But I'm offering you a one in a lifetime opportunity!" the annoying man continued. "After all, it's not everyday you get the chance to walk again."
Jason ceased in his efforts to remove the other figure's hand from the door and stared at the man in surprise. Obviously, this hadn't been the type of offer he expected. His visitor seemed satisfied with his confusion, watching the range of emotions that flickered across his face.
He seemed very surprised indeed with his answer.
"I'm sorry," Jason said slowly, "but you must have me mistaken for someone else. I have no interest in your cure. I've chosen this life as atonement for past deeds."
"But certainly..."
"I. Am. Not. Interested. Good bye." That said, he lashed out with an umbrella that leaned on the wall near the entrance and caught the figure supporting the door across the face. There was a cry of pain and the person pulled back, leaving Jason free to shut and lock it.
He had to wheel away almost immediately as the door was thrown off its hinges.
Sevarius stepped forward with a malicious smile. "I'm afraid," he hissed, "that you're not being given the option of refusal."
Jackal and Hyena laughed gleefully, throwing their trenchcoats aside and revealing their cybernetic bodies. As Jason backed away further out of shock he remarked sarcastically to himself that at least he knew how they'd held the door open.
"My associates and I," the scientist stated seriously, "have been looking forward to being introduced to you." This elicited chuckles from his two companions. "My name is Doctor Anton Sevarius. I worked with your sister a year or so ago. Quite a brilliant young woman, that one. It's such a shame she ended up yellow just like the rest of them." He smiled evilly again. "I have special plans in mind for her. Oh, yes."
"You leave my sister out of any plans of yours!" Jason cried.
The mad doctor shook his head. "No need to worry, dear boy. Today's not HER lucky day. It's YOURS. Why... You should be absolutely THRILLED that Anton Bartholomew Sevarius has chosen YOU to be his new guinea pig." Jackal and Hyena began advancing towards him. "Besides, what would you do? Roll over me in your wheelchair?"
The oldest of the Canmore siblings reversed backwards quickly. He knew immediately there was no way he was going to be able to outdistance his two half-robotic followers. Steering as sharply as he could, he maneuvered himself back into the kitchen, hoping to reach the hand gun he had stored in the drawer closest to the entranceway.
He reached it just as a laser shot from Jackal's wrist sent him flying out of his wheelchair, which crumpled into a smoldering heap. Pulling out the entire drawer in haste, he grabbed up his gun and released the safety. He aimed quickly at Jackal's unprotected eye, and it was only Hyena's fortunate, or unfortunate for Jason, timing that saved her brother's life. Her own laser cannon knocked his gun out of his grasp, and left Jason clutching at his seared hand.
Jackal lifted him up by the front of his shirt. "You don't want to go trying anything stupid now," he growled, "or Sis and I might just decide to disobey the good doctor's orders and just kill you right now."
This apparently didn't seem much of a threat to Jason at all, as he used his uninjured hand to grab his uneaten soup off the stove and toss it in his assailant's face.
Blinded in his remaining non-cybernetic eye, Jackal fell back and covered his face with both hands, releasing his hold on Jason. The half-paralyzed man started dragging himself painfully across the floor, trying to make his way over to where his gun had fallen.
It was not to be, however. The odds were too much against him with such opponents and very little maneuverability. Hyena knocked him out instantly with sleeping gas from the fingers of her left hand.
Jackal glared up at her, strands of chicken noodle stuck sporadically in his now wet and matted hair. "You couldn't have done that sooner?"
His sister shrugged. "Where would the fun be in that? Besides," she smirked, "you were doing well for a while there. Would've expected, though, with him being paralyzed from the waist down and all, that you could have thought up something quicker."
The cybernetic man muttered something along the lines of 'shaddup' as he began pulling limp noodles from his long black mane. Hyena went about lifting their unconscious captive into her arms.
Sevarius stepped into the kitchen, eyeing the mess with distaste. "If you're quite through," he said snobbishly, "We'd better leave before the neighbors call the police because of the terrible racket you caused."
+ + + + + + + + + +
"MacBeth," Robin said quietly.
Owen raised an eyebrow. They'd been driving for about ten minutes through traffic on their way to one of Xanatos Enterprises old warehouses, which apparently held more than just unsold merchandise. Up until this point the Canmore woman hadn't even tried to strike up a conversation. "What about him?" he asked.
Robin frowned. "Elisa kept calling him 'MacBeth' - Mr. MacDuff, that is - and no one seemed to question it. Neither he nor Xanatos even looked confused."
"Professor MacDuff was often called by that," Owen replied, unfazed. "He has... a deep rooted interest in Shakespeare. Lennox and MacDuff were both characters in the play MacBeth, if you recall, and the name must have stuck to him since childhood."
"But, doesn't it bother him?" she asked, looking rather appalled. "I mean, MacBeth was a murderer!"
"I'm sure, Miss Canmore, that he thinks of it as nothing more than a name."
The blonde haired woman shook her head, and became interested in the sidewalk as it passed by her window. "It's just a bit disconcerting," she said slowly, "what with my family's history and all."
The beginnings of a smirk appeared on Owen's lips. "Professor MacDuff is nothing at all like the MacBeth of legend." Humor, or at least as close as he ever got to it, had begun to tinge the edges of his voice. "Of that you can be quite certain."
+ + + + + + + + + +
The Magus and his three unwilling companions appeared in a flash above what appeared to be a sea of multicolored lights and sound. The newly-made gargoyle gazed around himself in astonishment.
Then he realized he was several hundred feet above the ground.
Crying out in horror, he began clawing at the air. He flapped his wings frantically, trying to figure out the best way to use them, as he never had before.
It was a moment before he realized that he wasn't going anywhere. He stopped flailing his arms and looked around warily. He was suspended in midair, and the Weird Sisters were watching him with hardy smirks on their faces.
"Perhaps we should have dropped you," the blonde one remarked. "It would have given you a trial-by-fire lesson in gliding."
The dark-haired one crossed her arms. "Of course, if you couldn't manage it you would have failed your mission from the start."
"And as much as we would enjoy that," the white-haired one added, "Oberon would be most displeased with us."
The Magus scowled. "Thank you ever so kindly for your concern," he muttered. He spread his wings out behind him, trying to get a good grip on the wind and which way it was moving. "If you're not going to be helpful, you might as well just go. I need to go about finding Goliath."
The sisters looked at each other and grinned. The dark haired one shrugged. "If you say so," she said happily.
And all three of them vanished.
"HEY!!" the sorcerer let out a shout of terror as the earth's gravity actually did take hold of him and he went plummeting downwards. His wings caught a draft quickly, and he managed to right himself a bit clumsily after shouting out a few choice profane phrases that had died out centuries ago.
(I had to open my big mouth) he thought irritably. He now, unfortunately, had absolutely no idea where he was or how he was supposed to find anyone familiar. (If this is their idea of a joke, I don't find it the least bit funny.)
He managed a wavering glide. It took him some time to figure out to a degree how his wings reacted to the wind currents. Several times he almost lost control and fell, only to catch an updraft at the last moment to send him back up to the height he'd been before.
He expected at any time for the Sisters to reappear. Most likely they would laugh at him and scorn him for not paying better attention to his commands. He could tell this working relationship was going to be a rough one.
However, half an hour past... then another. The Magus believed he'd been flying around in circles for most of that time, even though all the flashing lights and towers looked the same to him from his point of view. If they didn't reappear soon he'd have to find a place to land and somehow find someone to ask about the local gargoyle clan.
Then he saw it - a flash of red and blue flying below him.
A quick glance after it revealed that it was indeed a gargoyle, and a familiar one at that. He knew her. Long before he'd lived on Avalon he had known her. She'd haunted his dreams for years, and the last time he had seen her they had not been on good terms. Not that they ever really had been...
"Demona..." he muttered under his breath.
His mind raced. The last he had seen her, she had been under a spell by the Weird Sisters and had fought against him as his enemy. If the spell had been broken was she once more at Goliath's side? Had the spell even been broken at all?
He figured his choices were limited enough at the moment. Right now she was the only lead he had. Adjusting his wings without really even realizing it, he dived after her, keeping what he hoped was a far enough distance that she wouldn't notice.
As he watched, she shot down sharply, landing on the balcony of a rather large house some distance from the main part of the city. He blinked a bit in confusion, thinking it odd that she had not headed to a nearby castle. Then again, with all the strange architecture he had seen he was unsure if there were any castles in this time at all.
He waited until she was out of sight before he too landed lightly on the balcony, trying not to draw too much attention to himself. Almost without thinking, his wings caped about his shoulders. He glanced down at them in surprise for a moment before shrugging it off and heading towards the large window Demona had slid open and shut behind her.
He peered cautiously around the very edge of the window frame, watching the female gargoyle as she busied herself with something in her room. Moments passed as he stood there silently, unable to think of how he should approach her. What would she think when she saw him? Would she recognize him? (Well,) he thought, (I'll never know if I just stand here.)
It was with something akin to timidness that the Magus tapped the window gently with one clawed finger.
--
Demona spun around instantly, eyes wide, as she heard the tapping on the glass behind her.
Silently she wondered who could have managed the height to her window ledge. She doubted it was one of the clan. She hadn't had any contact with them since that last stunt she'd pulled and she doubted any of them would want to have anything to do with her for some time. And there was no chance it could be a human unless they had help getting up there and she'd heard no sound of engines. She briefly thought of the mutates, but ruled that idea out almost immediately.
She picked up her laser rifle from where it laid atop a chest at the foot of her bed. Listening to the gentle hum as it powered up, she took a few cautious steps towards the window.
Just then, half of her view outside became obscured by a dark shadow. White glowing embers of eyes stared back at her between ears that were distinctly pointed at the ends. She could make out the shape of the shadow enough to see that it had a tail. A gargoyle then. But was it from the clan or…
The figure raised one hand, and tapped softly on the glass again.
She took a few steps closer, making sure her weapon was ready to be fired if she needed to. The gargoyle seemed to see the weapon in her hands for the first time, and it backed up a couple steps, eyes widening.
(If it's an unknown gargoyle that's not out to kill you,) she thought sourly to herself, (then you might want to think before scaring it off.)
She lowered her weapon a bit and made her decision. Closing the gap between herself and her visitor, she calmly unlocked the large, patio-like window and slid it open. The figure hesitated a moment, then stepped inside.
"Who are you?" she asked sternly. "Why were you outside my window?"
The new gargoyle stepped into the light of the lamp on her desk and she finally got a decent look at him. His coloring was almost all white - save for his clothing which was in dark grays and blues. He had long hair a good foot or more past his shoulders and bright, alert, blue eyes.
"I- I'm sorry... if I alarmed you," her visitor finally replied. "I… followed you here."
Demona frowned at this. "I'll have to make sure and be more careful in the future," she murmured. She scrutinized the gargoyle thoroughly. "Why is it that you followed me, may I ask? I don't believe I've ever seen you before."
The Magus looked nervous. He was beginning to have doubts about his premonitions. The red-headed gargoyle looked almost as dangerous now as she had back on Avalon. If he told her who he really was she might shoot him on the spot. The fact that she had not recognized him was one he was quickly becoming thankful of.
"You are the one they call 'Demona', are you not?" he asked quietly.
Her eyes narrowed. "I am."
It was risky, but… "Then is this Manhattan? Is Goliath's clan here?"
There was a pause.
"It is," Demona replied.
The Magus took a deep breath. "Then you are his Second?"
He suddenly found the nose of the laser rifle at his throat. He blinked, wondering how she had gotten it there so fast. She hissed at him from between bared teeth.
"Where. Are. You. From?" she asked dangerously.
"A-Avalon…" the frightened gargoyle replied, truthfully enough.
Demona's whole demeanor changed instantly. At first she seemed surprised, and she lowered the rifle from its position at his neck. "Avalon…?" she whispered. "You are one of the clan's children? Like Angela?"
The white gargoyle raised an eyebrow. "You know of Angela?"
"Yes, she… visits me occasionally," she grabbed his arm, leading him over to the sofa. "But come, you must think rather terribly of me. I apologize. I've become rather… paranoid… as of late." She sat him down and he watched her with nervous eyes. "I don't think I quite caught your name," she added to his great disappointment.
He thought quickly. He couldn't tell her he was the Magus, but that was the only name he had used since Prince Malcolm had given him his position. He knew if he mentioned the name he'd had as a boy she'd probably recognize that too. She'd been near the Archmage enough. Names ran through his head at an alarming rate. What could he possibly...
"A-Alfred," he said suddenly. "My name is Alfred."
Demona wrinkled her nose a bit. She obviously didn't think much of his name, but wasn't willing to say so out loud.
"Well then,... Alfred, ...can I get you anything? Tea, maybe? Something harder? Anything you want to eat?" She went about setting up a table for him, clearing things out of the way quickly with a smile on her face he wasn't sure was genuine. "I'd be excited to here all about Avalon. I've only been given one perspective so far."
Something in her voice reminded him of a story Princess Katherine once told. It had been about an old woman that lead children into her household and pretended to be a generous host when all she planned to do was eat them later. While he doubted Demona was actually into cannibalism, the look on her face did nothing to calm his nerves.
"Uh... t-tea would be fine... I suppose..." he answered nervously.
Demona smiled at him in a way that made his stomach turn over, then caped her wings about her shoulders and made her way to her kitchen, motioning for him to stay where he was. He watched her go with a great amount of trepidation, wondering not for the first time if he'd made the right decision.
END CHAPTER 2.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
GOLIATH: "...Surely you know I am not in the habit of playing childish pranks... or laughing maniacally in the dark."
HUDSON: "Do you even know HOW to laugh maniacally?"