"What was it you thought you saw petite?" asked Gambit from his relaxed position.                 The second that she and Jean had arrived home they had gone to tell the professor the unusual news.  At first he was skeptical at her claims but Jubilee knew what she had seen and didn't care if he didn't believe it.  Fortunately Jean's word seemed to hold more weight with the professor than hers.  Following a detailed explanation of what had happened the professor sounded the emergency klaxon and telepathically summoned the scattered X-Men.  Most of them were a bit testy when they sauntered into the war room but they didn't say anything.  They didn't have to say a single word, the expressions on their faces said it all.  The only one that didn't seem tired was Gambit.  Though that is hardly unusual for the ragin' cajun', every night is a late night for him.                 "I saw what looked like a human but it had bat like wings fangs and eagle like feet" she replied with a tone of bitterness present, "and I wasn't seeing things!"                 "Nobodies saying that you were Jubilee but you must admit that the idea of a bat winged human is a it hard to swallow" said Cyclops as he adjusted his ruby-quartz visor.                 He was right of course, if she hadn't been there in person she wouldn't have believed it either.  Beast had been listening the entire time but hadn't said a word, he was to busy typing in the information and entering it into the main computer.  Finally he stopped and a holographic image appeared above the floor.  It was almost exactly what she had seen except for a few slight differences.                 "Is this what you saw Jubilee" asked Beast as he eagerly awaited her reply.                 She simply nodded and that was all it took for Beast to bring up a news broadcast of a riot that had taken place a few weeks earlier.                 "Then I believe what you saw tonight was a gargoyle, not of stone but of legend" , he said as he took of his blue rimmed glasses, "there had been a riot in front of Manhattan General a few weeks ago concerning gargoyles and that particular gargoyle was present."                 A look of curiosity, caution and wonderment set itself on the professor's face and he knew that a long standing mission was forthcoming.                 "It seems as though we have a delicate task ahead of us" ,  said the Professor, "we must try to locate these gargoyles and if necessary stop them."                              They had spent the entire night debating what they could do to further protect themselves from the probes of the telepath but to no avail.  The only reasonable course of action was the one he had suggested from the start, they must stay in the castle until it was safe to leave.  How long that was seemed to be solely in the hands of the telepath and how determined he was.  He may just be a child who was just discovering his unique ability or he could be another Hunter.  Given the choice he definitely preferred the former to the latter.                 "The sun will rise in a few minutes and then we will be safe for the day" he thought as he gazed at the brightening horizon.                 As stone there would be no mind for the telepath to penetrate, no secrets to be found.  He remembered the last time his mind had been under siege, but that time Demona had been involved.  This had been back before they had been driven from their home by Xanatos after their awakening.  She had tricked Brooklyn into stealing the Grimorum Mahknorum and delivering it to her.  Through a spell in that book she had enslaved his mind and forced him to strike out against Brooklyn, who by then had discovered Demona's trickery.  Throughout his entire life he had never quite felt like that, even when he had tried to return to the castle a thousand years ago he had some comfort in knowing that he would not be able to witness what was about to happen.  Under the control of the spell it was like he was asleep but could see everything that his body was doing.  It had been one of the more unsettling moments he had gone through since he emerged in this strange new world.  True he had eventually escaped that magical torture but the thought of what he might have done still caused him to shudder.  Watching as Elisa took her perch on the ramparts next to his perch drew his mind to quite another subject.                 "What is going through her mind?" he wondered as he followed her example and took his place on the tip-top of the main tower.                 Elisa had far more to lose of what the telepath had found out came to light.  She might lose all she ever cared about and that is a fate he would not wish on his worst enemy.  Things were going a bit fast for her tastes but she could handle it, or at least she hoped she could.  From what Puck had told them the gargoyles were safe for the time being.  Though her old life as Elisa Maza was about to get right in her face if they didn't find out who or what had intruded upon her mind.  Although all they got was a name, that alone could lead the telepath to Xanatos and to Castle Wyvern.  A little research done into gargoyle lore would be the final nail in the coffin that would once again open hunting season on gargoyles.                 "Oh stop worrying, if it comes to that I'm sure I can handle it" she thought to herself looking at the advancing blue blanket sweeping over her head.                 If the person who probed her is led to the castle a quick memory wipe spell will solve the problem in no time at all.  From the right she could already hear a sigh fall from the lips of Luna, which happened every time she thought about anything involving memory wipes and things of that nature.  She seemed to keep forgetting that though she as a child of Oberon that she was forbidden to meddle with the affairs of mortals while Elisa Maza the gargoyle wasn't.                 "Though you are not be a child of Oberon by birth you might as well be, for it is avalonic energies which birthed your new form and those same energies that have given you abilities greater than any other mortal" she had said on the first night of tutelage in the magical arts.                 I suppose that half of that may be true but what about the other half.  How much of that other half consisted of Luna's conscious or subconscious desire to gain a sister through her.  The loss of her sisters at the hands of Loki must have been traumatic for her, so much so that she is trying to forget about it by building a new group of three that started with the gargoyle sorceress.  In a way a part of her wanted to do the same, to build a new family so that she could leave all the coming troubles in the dust.  She would much rather start a new family than have to face her true family with all the changes that her life has gone under.               "Luna is probably hoping that I'll give in and leave my old life behind" ,  thought Elisa as she prepared for stone sleep, "and I think I probably would, if only to save my family and friends some not needed grief."               "I know what she is thinking" , thought Luna as she gazed up at the vanishing moon and then to the rising sun, "and then I do not, far from all powerful am I since the transformation."                 It had been only a week since she had been frozen by Oberon in the form she had chosen.  Some would wonder why she chose the form of a gargoyle, especially when there are so many better ones to choose from.  One explanation which people would agree with is because of the offer that Elisa Maza had made just moments before and others would say that she didn't choose the form at all.  Truth be known she chose the form of a female gargoyle because of the way it so matched her former existence.  The life of a mysterious, lonely, feared and perhaps even hated species, to be called upon to maintain order and to fight against chaos each night.  Then there came the reason that she was even less proud of but one she knew existed , the reason that was the longing to belong somewhere.  More specifically to have sisters once more, sisters who shared the same mystical energies that Seline and Phoebe had shared with her once.  In the short nights she had spent teaching Elisa how to use, how to harness her abilities to aide the clan, she had seen traits in her that so well mirrored that of her departed sisters.  Perhaps it was just her mind playing tricks on her but she actually did see a bit of Seline and Phoebe in Elisa.                 "I should be ashamed for thinking about such things,  Elisa doesn't desire a life as my sister nor a member of a mystical trio" ,  she thought to herself, "still I can't help but wonder what would happen if Elisa, Fox and myself were to join together to form a reborn sect of Weird Sisters."                 The thought was indeed intriguing, already thoughts of possible scenarios flipped through her mind and she entertained each and every one.  Pushing those thoughts to the side she struck the fierce pose she would be frozen in for the day and waited ever patiently for the feeling of stone sleep to sweep over her body.  She was not disappointed for no more than a few seconds later the stone cold stiffness began to race across her gargoyle form and sent her to a reluctant sleep.  As she began to dream the dreams of dreamers the thought of the possible Weird Sisters resurrection loomed in her mind, waiting for reality to grab hold and assimilate it.  
               Jubilee had tried to get some sleep that night but it had been no use,  images of the gargoyles she had seen just kept flipping through her head.  The way their eyes glowed, the sight of their sharp fangs and their long,  wide wings spread out beside them.  Those images would fill her dreams the entire night, some would be pleasant and others not so pleasant.  So disturbing were some of her dreams that she actually got up early and went to the Danger Room to practise and get her mind of it all.  She pulled up the Juggernaut program first and fared pretty badly.  Then came the Apocalypse program then Omega Red, one after another she attempted but to no avail.  The images of the creep she had spotted at the theatre lying on the ground, the appearance of the gargoyles right in front of her.  It all seemed so weird, for the longest time she had thought that gargoyles just some statues on buildings.  Now all in one night she found out that they were living breathing creatures, creatures that could create gashes an inch or more deep in solid stone.                 "I believe I may have the cure for your constant lilt of questions" said a voice from behind her.                 She turned to see Professor Xavier in the doorway of the Danger Room, a look of concern that all to often was plastered on his face.  He apparently saw the look of curiousness scrawled on her face because he immediately indicated the note pad on the arm rest of his high tech wheel chair.                 "I was about to leave with Jean to try and uncover what information we could about the name that was present in the gargoyles mind" , said the professor as he brought the floating hover chair closer, "There seemed to be very little about her on computer other then the basic identification file."                 Well she wasn't sure if it would answer her questions or just produce more but it was worth a try.                 "Sure, so where to first?" she asked as she picked up the note pad and put it in her yellow trench coat.                 "From her file we know what prescient she worked at so we had best start there" replied the professor as he turned his chair around.                 At the conclusion of the statement her mouth twisted into an all to common look of puzzlement.                 "What do ya mean 'worked' professor" she asked as she began to follow him.                 "Detective Maza hasn't reported in for two weeks, which means she has either been kidnapped or killed" he replied and with that they left the artificial confines of the Danger Room and began their quest for the truth.                "Do you have it?" asked Sinister from his place among the seeminglyorganic walls of his aircraft.                 "Sure ting bos', got de tape right here" said hairbag as he passed the black tape to his equally black master.                 He had ordered Hairbag to bring him a recording of the recent uproar of apparent 'gargoyle' attacks all around the city.  As he began viewing them the sightings and bits of video clips were sketchy at best but when it came to the WVRN news broadcast from almost three weeks ago.  The anchor person was accusing creatures he called gargoyles of being responsible, they even had some remarkable video clips showing an up close and personal look at the fearsome creatures.  These creatures of myth and legend were even more magnificent then their reputation led people to believe.  The one thing that intrigued him more than their appearance was the possibilities thattheir DNA could present him with.  Their strength, speed, agility and ferocity would definitely increase the raw power of his mutant army greatly.  Suddenly a picture came on the screen, it showed a red and black helicopter land atop an abandoned church.  For a while he was as clue less as the people who had been there in person but when he saw the side door of the chopper open up to reveal a man in a dark black suit waiting it all became so clear.  Though he couldn't see the face clearly enough there was no mistaking it, David Xanatos had been the one to save the gargoyles.               "Hmmm, it may be that Xanatos was not the fool I took him for" he thought as he watched the tape play on the screen.                 This would definitely call for a change in plans, he would have to add a few things to his already substantial invasion force.  Hairbag had been watching all the while and hadn't said a thing.                 "So my fur ball of a friend, what do think about these 'gargoyles', hmmm?" he asked as he flipped off the view screen.                 "Dey don't look so tuff to me!" , said the primal beast as he turned up his noseat the fading picture, " 'f dey git in my wey, dey be extinct b'fore I'm trough with dem!"                 Though he usually had faith in Hairbag and his brawling skills he definitely felt that he may have met his match with these gargoyles.
               Things were proceeding exactly as he had planned them, with the exception of having to add more security.  Xanatos had already informed the 'human' security teams that the gargoyles would be assisting them and he hoped that he could count on them to work with Goliath without much friction.  Some of his personal 'goon' squad as he remembered Maza calling them, still had some personal grudges against the 'stone by day' gargoyles.  Add that to the still present mistrust on the gargoyles side and there is definitely the potential for disaster.  That is why he had decided to arm his men with nonlethal ordinance, much to the protest of his men.  He didn't want there to be the slightest window of opportunity for disaster to rear it's ugly head.  Currently he was overseeing the placing of the Steel Clan in their hidden compartments in the room.  Most he had placed in the wall panels and a few beneath the fountains but he had placed three below the stage just in case.                 "Mr. Xanatos?  I have done what you asked concerning all persons with telepathic abilities and have produced some possible suspects" said Owen as he walked up in his yellow hardhat and passed him an envelope.               Inside were pictures of three women and a crippled man, not exactly a motley group but he trusted Owen's abilities.                 "The first is Jean Grey, a resident of a private school in West Chester, New York.  The second is a thief for hire who calls herself Psylocke, her current location is unknown but it is believed that she is in Europe" , explained Owen as he watched his employer flip through the photos, "the third is not a confirmed telepath but several of her guesses have been known to be unusually accurate, her name is Emma Frost.  Lastly we come to Professor Charles Xavier, owner of the school that Ms.Grey lives."                 Any one of these could have been the one that scanned Maza and Luna but unfortunately there was no way to be certain.                 "Oh well, I guess we'll find out one way or another when one of these people come looking" , he thought to himself as he handed the photos back to Owen, "if I know anything is that people can't get enough of the rare and exotic and gargoyles are as rare and exotic as they come."                 With that discussion dealt with for the for the moment, the only thing he could do now was sit back and wait for the fish to come to him.                As they left the cop house Jubilee was not at all in a good mood, mostly due to the fact that she felt pretty much useless.  Jean and the Prof were having all the fun, looking into the mind of every police officer they had spoken to.  The only reason they probably dragged her around with them because a child helped to keep things honest between them and the cops.  When she looked on the faces of the officers they seemed to instantly put on their best faces and attitudes, which were pretty pathetic if you asked her.  For the most part the search had been a complete waste of time,  neither Jean or Xavier had hooked onto anything and if they had they weren't saying anything.  When they reached the van and got in she knew that she had to ask now or risk being left out completely.                 "So did you guys get anything from those flatfoots?" she asked as she stuck her head into the front of the car.                 " ' police officers' Jubilee and yes we did get something" , replied the Prof. as he drove the car, "Apparently Detective Maza is friends with these gargoyles and is very protective of them."                 That stunned Jubilee for a moment, the thought that someone could actually talk to those things without freaking was impossible.  She gave herself a mental slap in the face for thinking something like that, she was beginning to sound like one of those Friends Of Humanity creeps.  Jean sat in the passenger seat and seemed to be confused slightly, as if she was confronted with the mother of all crossword puzzles and only had one word to go.               "Were you able to find out where they are?" she asked eagerly as they came to an intersection.                 "Not exactly but we think we may know who does" ,  answered Jean as she came out of the self-inflicted trance, "the CEO of XE,  David Xanatos himself."                 Jubilee was a bit uneasy when the name of David Xanatos popped up, the fact that he had a major invention up for display tonight and the gargoyles being connected with him had to be more then a coincidence.