AU: Long Way to Morning
by Krystiana Slinky
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Hey, guess what! Gargoyles belong to Disney. I think you know that, though. The Altered Universe is my idea.
This is the continuation of "Altered Universe." There, somebody gave it a name. Happy now?
If I make a reference to anything with Demona in it after Awakening, then it's my version, not the orignal. You MUST read my version of "Temptation" in order to understand this at all.
In this story, I am not going to write the flashbacks. They are the same in my story. If you haven't seen the original "Long Way to Morning," then e-mail me and I'll give you a summary.
-------------------
"Previously on Gargoyles..."
Awakening, Part V
Demona: Humamity is a poison that must be purged from this planet!
Elisa knocking over Demona
AU Temptation
Brooklyn: My alliance has...shifted.
Demona: Destroy the human.
Demona pointing at Elisa
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Long Way to Morning
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Part I
The gargoyles awoke.
Like they did every night. Every normal, everyday night.
This was not going to be a normal night.
Hudson looked at the Eyrie building from the clock tower with a sorrowful look on his face.
"You seem introspective, old friend," Goliath said.
"Just...dreaming old dreams." Hudson sighed.
Elisa stretched and reached for her gun. Placing her badge inside her jacket, she let out a jaw-splitting yawn. She looked in the mirror, doing her best not to look tired.
A shadow glided across her window. Elisa turned around just as Demona came crashing through her skylight.
"Demona!" Elisa shouted, pulling her gun. Demona grinned evily and fired something at her. Elisa flew back as her own gun went off. She looked down and saw a dart sticking out of her coat. Demona calmly walked up to Elisa and picked up her gun.
"You've just been poisoned," she said in a pleasant voice. Crushing the gun, she added, "In twenty-four hours, you'll be dead." She turned around and began walking towards the skylight. "I have the antidote. Tell Goliath to meet me at the Old York Opera House in the village." She turned back again with a smirk on her face. "Ciao!" With that, she glided out of Elisa's apartment.
Elisa pulled out the dart, feeling no pain. She opened her jacket and pulled out her badge, which now had a dent in it. Breathing a sigh of relief, she looked around cautiously.
I have to tell Goliath about this, she thought.
"Luckily the dart hit my badge," Elisa finished.
Broadway and Lexington both looked hopeful. "Did you see Brooklyn anywhere?" Lex asked. Elisa shook her head. Broadway's face fell at the unspoken words.
Hudson noticed this. "That could be bad or good, lad. Brooklyn has still a chance left to come back to us."
Goliath spoke up. "We will go meet her." He turned to the outside. Elisa looked confused and ran forward.
"But...I'm okay. You don't have to go," she stated.
"If he doesn't, Demona will know her plan failed," Hudson said. "She'll go after you again."
Everyone went outside. Broadway stepped forward. "I'll go with you," he said to Goliath. "We might be able to reach Brooklyn somehow."
"No, you and Lexington take Elisa back to her apartment and stay with her until sunrise. She'll be safe from Demona then. Bronx, stay here and guard the tower. Hudson - you're with me." Hudson's eyes widened in surprise.
Hudson glided silently beside Goliath, glancing at him every once in a while.
"Maybe you should have brought the others," Hudson said.
"No." Goliath shook his head. "Broadway and Lexington will be concentrating too much on Brooklyn. I need someone I can rely on."
Hudson glanced at him again as they landed on the roof of the theater. He bent down to a few scratches made on the shingles.
"She was here," Hudson said to Goliath. "Within the last few minutes."
Goliath spotted a few more claw marks over nearby a chimney. They both glared at them.
A low growl reached their ears. They looked up and saw Demona, wings outstretched, ready to fire her weapon.
Hudson dived to the left as Demona leapt down. She fired at Goliath, who leapt up and dodged the blast. Demona growled and aimed again.
"NO!!" Hudson shouted as Demona fired at Goliath with a full-powered blast. It hit Goliath directly in his heart. He fell back and crashed into the chimney.
Hudson ran forward and dodged in front of Goliath's fallen body. Drawing his sword, he turned to face Demona.
Demona only grinned trimphantly as she aimed the laser.
Part II
Demona sneered at Hudson for a solid second. Then she fired.
Hudson pulled up his sword quickly and let the blast bounce off it. Demona gasped as it hit her. She went flying back over the wall.
Hudson turned to Goliath and helped him up. Supporting him, he began making way to the edge of the opera house.
Demona struggled up and growled. "Well done, old soldier," she muttered. "But you're only prolonging the inevitable."
"I could say the same for you," Hudson shot back. "It's not that long to sunrise, when we'll all change. And tonight Goliath when awakens healed, he'll make short work of you."
Demona chuckled. "You won't make it to sunrise," she laughed as she hopped over the hump in the roof. "I'm sorry it had to end this way," she said as she pointed to blaster at Hudson.
Hudson glanced behind him. Turning around quickly, he jumped into the skylight.
Demona's eyes widened for moment. Walking up to the now broken skylight, she said, "Desperate measures." She snarled silently. "Give it up, old one! Why prolong Goliath's suffering?"
Hudson shook out the fall and quickly stood up. He helped Goliath to behind a prop of a boat. Goliath opened his eyes. "Leave me."
"Never," Hudson said. "The dawn will heal ye. We can hold out until then."
He looked up as Demona began talking again. She was up on the level above them. "You can run, but you can't hide," she said. "In fact..." Hopping down, she added, "You can't even run." She glared at the apparantly empty room.
Hudson growled softly as he drew his sword.
Broadway carried Elisa and landed on the balcony silently, Lex close behind. Elisa opened the skylight and dropped inside. As Broadway and Lex dropped behind her, she went to go turn on the light.
As the light filled the room, a familiar face stepped out of the shadows. Elisa gasped and backed up. Broadway growled and quickly pushed her behind him.
"Brooklyn," he snarled.
"Surprise, surprise," Brooklyn muttered, head down.
Elisa's apartment was quiet.
Lexington coughed, a pointed sound. "This is a little... awkward, Brooklyn."
Brooklyn looked up. "I don't really know how to say this... but... I" Avoiding everyone's eyes, he took a deep breath. "I'm sorry."
Elisa let it sink in. "What?!" she said, disbelieving.
"I made such a stupid mistake, and I don't know how to say I'm sorry," Brooklyn added.
"Are you saying," Broadway asked, "That you want to come back to the clan?"
Brooklyn nodded solemnly. "I know you can't trust me, and I'll understand if you reject me... but..."
"Brooklyn!" Broadway smiled. He walked up to Brooklyn, unscared. He put a hand on Brooklyn's shoulder. "I forgive you."
Unknowst to Broadway, Brooklyn pulled out a small gun. "Really?" He silently cocked it and fired it into Broadway's gut. "Too bad for you."
Broadway fell to the ground, clutching his stomach. Brooklyn stood and watched for a moment before turning to Elisa and Lex, who were both staring at him in horrror.
Brooklyn smiled evily as he pointed the gun at Elisa.
Demona swept the room with her eyes. Like twin lasers, she searched for a glimpse of Hudson and Goliath. Seeing nothing, she decided to go for the vocal approach. "This game is futile. You were to old to play a thousand years ago. I could just rake this room with the laser. There's no way you'd escape." She walked silently behind a box, looking to both sides, smirking. "But I've givem you one last chance, Hudson. Goliath's time is over. I am the leader now." She frowned, still hearing nothing. "Swear fealty to me and I'll let you live."
Hudson heard her words, but said nothing. He was searching, too - for a way out. He finally spotted a barred window.
Demona snarled when she saw or heard nothing. "Very well, then! Die, hiding like the cowards you are!" She began firing continuously around the room, blowing everything to pieces.
Hudson pulled Goliath out of the window. He looked around.
Goliath spoke up again. "Please. Leave me here," he breathed. "Save yourself."
Hudson narrowed his eyes. "Gargoyles don't leave their warriors behind."
The smoke cleared, and Demona still saw nothing - except a window, with broken and bent bars on it. She smiled for Hudson's desperate hope."Oh, but you're a clever old thing..."
Hudson faintly heard her taunting, knowing she had seen the window. He saw a grate in the street.
Demona crawled out of the window a few moments later. She saw the same grate, half-open. She knelt beside it. "Are you foolish enough to go underground where you can't use your wings?"
Hudson splashed through the tunnel, mostly likely a sewer. He glanced at Goliath, trying to give him and himself hope." "We'll make it through this night yet, lad. Ye're a tough one. I always knew that." He smiled. "Re-remember the search for the Archmage. Now that quest took gumption..."
Lex stared at his rookery brothers. One was lying crumpled on the floor, the other pointing a gun at their only human friend.
"Brooklyn, why did you leave?" he asked, trying to distract him. "Why did you leave us?"
Brooklyn didn't even glance at Lex as he spoke. "You could have come with us, too."
Lexington tried to cool his temper. "Why would I want to?" he snarled.
Brooklyn smiled, still pointing the gun with accuarcy. Demona must have given him lessons. "Well, if you're going to be tempermental about it..." He suddenly whipped the gun towards Lex and fired.
The blast hit Lex in the shoulder. Lex cried out as he flew back into the wall.
Elisa gasped and looked back at Brooklyn. He was again aiming the gun at her. She was shocked.
"How could you do that?" she whispered. "He's your brother..."
"So?" Brooklyn said carelessly. "He wasn't exactly being all chummy to me, either."
"Shooting him is slightly different," Elisa said, raising her voice slightly.
"It's not hurting him any. It's only a stun gun."
Lex got up, holding his shoulder and snarling. He leapt up towards Brooklyn. Brooklyn easily sidestepped him and let Lex run into the wall. Elisa glared at him, but said nothing. Brooklyn picked up Lex by the belt and threw him over by Broadway.
"Why are you here?" Elisa asked, trying to stall for time. Sunrise had to sometime soon.
Brooklyn turned back towards her. "Demona wants you dead. She sent me to do the job."
Elisa blinked. "You mean she sent you to do her dirty work," she said casually, although she was near frightened to death inside.
Brooklyn peered at her curiously. "What do you mean?"
"You're her lackey!" Elisa suddenly blurted out. "You're like her sidekick!"
Brooklyn narrowed his eyes again, and they took on a whitish cast. Evidently pushing a sore spot, Elisa pushed on. "She makes all your decisions."
"She gives me more freedom than Goliath did," he hissed at her.
Elisa didn't waver, not showing her nervousness. "Are you sure?"
Hudson glanced at his charge as Goliath moaned. "It's hopeless, Hudson. Save yourself."
Hudson sighed. "Hear me, lad. We go together, or we don't go at all."
"Your courage is admirable, but ultimately futile."
Hudson spun around to face Demona just as her laser went off. He leapt into the air and began running, dragging Goliath with him.
But he had no where to run. The end of the line was a waterfall. Demona grinned as she pointed her laser at him. "I'll make it quick, old soldier."
Hudson looked her in the eye, and jumped.
"What?!" Demona ran forward, just in time to see them dissappear into the water.
Part III
Demona hissed at their falling forms. She suddenly heard a crackle and her hair began standing on end. A bolt of lightning came down and struck at her feet.
Hudson swam to the surface, still carrying Goliath. He began paddling towards shore. He finally got there, and he looked at Goliath to see how he was doing. Hudson covered the young leader with his wings, worried. "Stay with me, lad. We've been in worse scrapes than this, remember?"
Brooklyn snarled at her. "Why don't you just shut up, human?"
Elisa narrowed her eyes. "See?" she said. "You always called me Elisa, before Demona messed with you!"
"Demona didn't do ANYTHING to me!" Brooklyn shouted.
Broadway heard Brooklyn's words. He opened his eyes to slits, watching his rookery brother.
Lexington spoke up from his place on the ground. "She's corrupting you, Brooklyn. Elisa is the only friend we have in this world. She's the only one we can trust!"
Brooklyn's eyes flared. "You don't get it!" he shouted at Lex and Broadway. "Remember the Captain of the Guard? He was our only friend we had in the past world. He was the only one we could trust!" He stopped and hissed, letting his eyes glow brighter. "And he betrayed us!"
"Demona betrayed us!" Broadway said. "Just like you did!"
"I didn't betray you!" Brooklyn growled. "You betrayed our clan! You know the humans can't be trusted! There aren't that many of our kind left, and you place their lives in the hands of a human!"
Hudson looked around his surroundings. A cemetary. And it was almost dawn.
He spotted a masoleum across the way. He began half-carrying, half-dragging Goliath towards it. Over the thunder, he heard footsteps. He stopped and looked back.
Demona was there.
Hudson let out a silent hiss and opened the masoleum door. He carried Goliath inside. "Stay in here, lad."
"You... can't... face her," Goliath gasped out.
"I can face her," Hudson assured him. He began walking out, pausing for a moment. "I just can't beat her," he muttered. Hudson walked outside. The rain wasn't letting up, making it hard to tell when dawn was coming.
He knelt beside a headstone and pulled his sword. A bright flash of lightning streaked across the sky. Hudson glanced down at his sword and noticed something odd. That angel statue... it had TWO pairs of wings?!
Hudson gasped and leapt out of the way as the scarlet beam of the laser hit the ground. Demona leapt down, snarling as Hudson ran for cover behind some headstones. "Join me, or join Goliath in death!" Hudson absently noticed Goliath in the masoleum, head down.
"Don't be a fool!" Demona continued. "Together we can rule this world!"
Hudson growled and charged out of hiding, waving his sword. Demona gasped and held up her laser in defense. He used the headstones as shields, diving behind one and then leaping to another. Demona began blasting each one in turn, apparently not caring about the so-called "Rest In Peace."
Demona's scarlet glow faded away and then she looked around. She didn't see him anywhere. She heard something moving behind her... she spun around. She let out a snarl, eyes blazing again, ducking. Hudson's blade sliced straight through the statue. It paused for a moment before finally falling.
Demona growled again, and leapt into the air, landing on the very masoleum Goliath was in. "Enough of this!" she shouted. "Time to die, old fool!"
Hudson followed suit and leapt after her, going higher and attacking from above. Demona's eyes widened as Hudson came down on her. She didn't use the laser as a laser anymore - she used it as a sword, blocking and charging Hudson.
Goliath heard the commotion on the roof. As a battle cry echoed through the air, he shook off the haze. "Hudson!" he gasped. He struggled up and out the door.
Demona hissed at Hudson, forcing Hudson back. "I would have ended this quickly! Now you will suffer!" She raised up her weapon to give the fatal blow, only to have somethig weigh it down.
"Demona, no!" Goliath said.
Demona smirked. "Goliath. How good of you to join us." She swatted Hudson away and smacked Goliath to the roof. Hudson intercepted another blow with his sword.
"Give it up girl. Ye can't win."
Demona growled in frustration. "I'm smarter, stronger, and younger than you!" she shouted, accenting each word with a swing of her laser. "Your pride will cost you your life!" She finally forced him to the ground, only to watch Hudson look calmly at her. "But I know something you don't. Something that comes only with age." At Demona's confused look, he continued. "I know how to wait." He sat up and looked to the east.
Dawn.
"Noooo!!" Demona protested, turning her head away from the sunrise, as if not seeing it would prevent it from happening.
Three new statues slept in the cemetary that day.
Elisa looked out the window. A sudden wave of relief swam through her.
Broadway stood up, looking at Brooklyn. He smirked. "Surprise," he said.
Brooklyn's features took on something confused, and then he gasped in realisation. "NO!" He began running to the window, but it was too late. The stone sleep overtook him.
Elisa stared at the statue. She thought hard, and then ran out the door, heading to the hardware store to get some heavy-duty rope.
The statues atop the masoleum were silent all day, until the sun went down. Small cracks began forming along all three of them. The stone bits flew off the three gargoyles, and Demona rose her weapon over her head triumphantly.
"Now it ends!" she cried. She brought her laser down fast.
Hudson caught it easily. "Yes, lass. Now it ends." He turned back to Goliath, slowly. "Feeling all right, lad?"
Goliath took a deep breath and looked at Demona. "Just fine."
Demona let go of her laser, eyes narrowed. "You think you've won," she said. "But you've forgotten why you came. Your human friend." She paused, grinning. "Brooklyn was waiting for her, anyway. To finish the job quicker." Goliath's eyes widened in horror.
She was just about to turn and leave when she heard Broadway's voice. "Special delivery!" Brooklyn, tied up in rope, was suddenly dropped in between Goliath and Demona. A crumpled gun dropped beside him. Broadway and Lexington landed behind Hudson.
Lex pointed at Brooklyn. "I think you dropped this at Elisa's apartment," he said to Demona. Brooklyn glared at them as Demona slashed his bonds.
"Even if he didn't kill her, the poison has. By now it's run it's course." She smiled triumphantly as she and Brooklyn turned to leave. "And there is no antidote!" They glided off, Demona echoing a battle cry.
Goliath turned to Broadway and Lex. "Does Brooklyn know if Elisa is alive?"
Broadway shook his head. "Elisa tied him up during the day, but she hid when he woke up."
Lex spoke up. "We told him we were going to take him back and get the antidote from Demona."
"I mean, she was acting fine last night, but it wasn't long enough yet."
Goliath smiled. "Good. It's probably best they don't know Elisa is alive."
"Aye. For as long as we can keep it a secret," Hudson said.
"Which is for how long?" Broadway asked.
Goliath looked at the moon. "I don't know," he said solemnly.
"But we will."
End
Finished 6/26/98 Friday, 2:49 AM
Edited 6/30/98 Tuesday, 1:32 AM (like you care)
Final Editing and Posted 9/24/98 Thursday, 8:34 PM
ARGH!! THIS TOOK WAAAAAY TOO LONG TO WRITE!!! Oh, well. I finished it, finally, writing over half of it in one sitting. It's close to three in the morning, and I'm tired. I started it when "Highlander: The Series" was finished, and now I'm done!! (and I can go to sleep!)
Next up is whatever someone else volunteers to write. I need someone to write "AU: Reawakening," cuz I can't, and I don't wanna. Oh, if you wanna use this idea or something, just ask. I won't say no, I just wanna read it. (IE: Crossover, Actual story (oh PLEASE ohpleaseohpleaseohpleaseohplease!!!)
Coming Soon to a Fic Archive Near You!!
Future Tense, Part V: Loving the Enemy: 2026 AD: Can Brooklyn and Demona's relationship fall through? Or will something happen to one of them first?
by Krystiana Slinky
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Hey, guess what! Gargoyles belong to Disney. I think you know that, though. The Altered Universe is my idea.
This is the continuation of "Altered Universe." There, somebody gave it a name. Happy now?
If I make a reference to anything with Demona in it after Awakening, then it's my version, not the orignal. You MUST read my version of "Temptation" in order to understand this at all.
In this story, I am not going to write the flashbacks. They are the same in my story. If you haven't seen the original "Long Way to Morning," then e-mail me and I'll give you a summary.
-------------------
"Previously on Gargoyles..."
Awakening, Part V
Demona: Humamity is a poison that must be purged from this planet!
Elisa knocking over Demona
AU Temptation
Brooklyn: My alliance has...shifted.
Demona: Destroy the human.
Demona pointing at Elisa
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Long Way to Morning
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Part I
The gargoyles awoke.
Like they did every night. Every normal, everyday night.
This was not going to be a normal night.
Hudson looked at the Eyrie building from the clock tower with a sorrowful look on his face.
"You seem introspective, old friend," Goliath said.
"Just...dreaming old dreams." Hudson sighed.
Elisa stretched and reached for her gun. Placing her badge inside her jacket, she let out a jaw-splitting yawn. She looked in the mirror, doing her best not to look tired.
A shadow glided across her window. Elisa turned around just as Demona came crashing through her skylight.
"Demona!" Elisa shouted, pulling her gun. Demona grinned evily and fired something at her. Elisa flew back as her own gun went off. She looked down and saw a dart sticking out of her coat. Demona calmly walked up to Elisa and picked up her gun.
"You've just been poisoned," she said in a pleasant voice. Crushing the gun, she added, "In twenty-four hours, you'll be dead." She turned around and began walking towards the skylight. "I have the antidote. Tell Goliath to meet me at the Old York Opera House in the village." She turned back again with a smirk on her face. "Ciao!" With that, she glided out of Elisa's apartment.
Elisa pulled out the dart, feeling no pain. She opened her jacket and pulled out her badge, which now had a dent in it. Breathing a sigh of relief, she looked around cautiously.
I have to tell Goliath about this, she thought.
"Luckily the dart hit my badge," Elisa finished.
Broadway and Lexington both looked hopeful. "Did you see Brooklyn anywhere?" Lex asked. Elisa shook her head. Broadway's face fell at the unspoken words.
Hudson noticed this. "That could be bad or good, lad. Brooklyn has still a chance left to come back to us."
Goliath spoke up. "We will go meet her." He turned to the outside. Elisa looked confused and ran forward.
"But...I'm okay. You don't have to go," she stated.
"If he doesn't, Demona will know her plan failed," Hudson said. "She'll go after you again."
Everyone went outside. Broadway stepped forward. "I'll go with you," he said to Goliath. "We might be able to reach Brooklyn somehow."
"No, you and Lexington take Elisa back to her apartment and stay with her until sunrise. She'll be safe from Demona then. Bronx, stay here and guard the tower. Hudson - you're with me." Hudson's eyes widened in surprise.
Hudson glided silently beside Goliath, glancing at him every once in a while.
"Maybe you should have brought the others," Hudson said.
"No." Goliath shook his head. "Broadway and Lexington will be concentrating too much on Brooklyn. I need someone I can rely on."
Hudson glanced at him again as they landed on the roof of the theater. He bent down to a few scratches made on the shingles.
"She was here," Hudson said to Goliath. "Within the last few minutes."
Goliath spotted a few more claw marks over nearby a chimney. They both glared at them.
A low growl reached their ears. They looked up and saw Demona, wings outstretched, ready to fire her weapon.
Hudson dived to the left as Demona leapt down. She fired at Goliath, who leapt up and dodged the blast. Demona growled and aimed again.
"NO!!" Hudson shouted as Demona fired at Goliath with a full-powered blast. It hit Goliath directly in his heart. He fell back and crashed into the chimney.
Hudson ran forward and dodged in front of Goliath's fallen body. Drawing his sword, he turned to face Demona.
Demona only grinned trimphantly as she aimed the laser.
Part II
Demona sneered at Hudson for a solid second. Then she fired.
Hudson pulled up his sword quickly and let the blast bounce off it. Demona gasped as it hit her. She went flying back over the wall.
Hudson turned to Goliath and helped him up. Supporting him, he began making way to the edge of the opera house.
Demona struggled up and growled. "Well done, old soldier," she muttered. "But you're only prolonging the inevitable."
"I could say the same for you," Hudson shot back. "It's not that long to sunrise, when we'll all change. And tonight Goliath when awakens healed, he'll make short work of you."
Demona chuckled. "You won't make it to sunrise," she laughed as she hopped over the hump in the roof. "I'm sorry it had to end this way," she said as she pointed to blaster at Hudson.
Hudson glanced behind him. Turning around quickly, he jumped into the skylight.
Demona's eyes widened for moment. Walking up to the now broken skylight, she said, "Desperate measures." She snarled silently. "Give it up, old one! Why prolong Goliath's suffering?"
Hudson shook out the fall and quickly stood up. He helped Goliath to behind a prop of a boat. Goliath opened his eyes. "Leave me."
"Never," Hudson said. "The dawn will heal ye. We can hold out until then."
He looked up as Demona began talking again. She was up on the level above them. "You can run, but you can't hide," she said. "In fact..." Hopping down, she added, "You can't even run." She glared at the apparantly empty room.
Hudson growled softly as he drew his sword.
Broadway carried Elisa and landed on the balcony silently, Lex close behind. Elisa opened the skylight and dropped inside. As Broadway and Lex dropped behind her, she went to go turn on the light.
As the light filled the room, a familiar face stepped out of the shadows. Elisa gasped and backed up. Broadway growled and quickly pushed her behind him.
"Brooklyn," he snarled.
"Surprise, surprise," Brooklyn muttered, head down.
Elisa's apartment was quiet.
Lexington coughed, a pointed sound. "This is a little... awkward, Brooklyn."
Brooklyn looked up. "I don't really know how to say this... but... I" Avoiding everyone's eyes, he took a deep breath. "I'm sorry."
Elisa let it sink in. "What?!" she said, disbelieving.
"I made such a stupid mistake, and I don't know how to say I'm sorry," Brooklyn added.
"Are you saying," Broadway asked, "That you want to come back to the clan?"
Brooklyn nodded solemnly. "I know you can't trust me, and I'll understand if you reject me... but..."
"Brooklyn!" Broadway smiled. He walked up to Brooklyn, unscared. He put a hand on Brooklyn's shoulder. "I forgive you."
Unknowst to Broadway, Brooklyn pulled out a small gun. "Really?" He silently cocked it and fired it into Broadway's gut. "Too bad for you."
Broadway fell to the ground, clutching his stomach. Brooklyn stood and watched for a moment before turning to Elisa and Lex, who were both staring at him in horrror.
Brooklyn smiled evily as he pointed the gun at Elisa.
Demona swept the room with her eyes. Like twin lasers, she searched for a glimpse of Hudson and Goliath. Seeing nothing, she decided to go for the vocal approach. "This game is futile. You were to old to play a thousand years ago. I could just rake this room with the laser. There's no way you'd escape." She walked silently behind a box, looking to both sides, smirking. "But I've givem you one last chance, Hudson. Goliath's time is over. I am the leader now." She frowned, still hearing nothing. "Swear fealty to me and I'll let you live."
Hudson heard her words, but said nothing. He was searching, too - for a way out. He finally spotted a barred window.
Demona snarled when she saw or heard nothing. "Very well, then! Die, hiding like the cowards you are!" She began firing continuously around the room, blowing everything to pieces.
Hudson pulled Goliath out of the window. He looked around.
Goliath spoke up again. "Please. Leave me here," he breathed. "Save yourself."
Hudson narrowed his eyes. "Gargoyles don't leave their warriors behind."
The smoke cleared, and Demona still saw nothing - except a window, with broken and bent bars on it. She smiled for Hudson's desperate hope."Oh, but you're a clever old thing..."
Hudson faintly heard her taunting, knowing she had seen the window. He saw a grate in the street.
Demona crawled out of the window a few moments later. She saw the same grate, half-open. She knelt beside it. "Are you foolish enough to go underground where you can't use your wings?"
Hudson splashed through the tunnel, mostly likely a sewer. He glanced at Goliath, trying to give him and himself hope." "We'll make it through this night yet, lad. Ye're a tough one. I always knew that." He smiled. "Re-remember the search for the Archmage. Now that quest took gumption..."
Lex stared at his rookery brothers. One was lying crumpled on the floor, the other pointing a gun at their only human friend.
"Brooklyn, why did you leave?" he asked, trying to distract him. "Why did you leave us?"
Brooklyn didn't even glance at Lex as he spoke. "You could have come with us, too."
Lexington tried to cool his temper. "Why would I want to?" he snarled.
Brooklyn smiled, still pointing the gun with accuarcy. Demona must have given him lessons. "Well, if you're going to be tempermental about it..." He suddenly whipped the gun towards Lex and fired.
The blast hit Lex in the shoulder. Lex cried out as he flew back into the wall.
Elisa gasped and looked back at Brooklyn. He was again aiming the gun at her. She was shocked.
"How could you do that?" she whispered. "He's your brother..."
"So?" Brooklyn said carelessly. "He wasn't exactly being all chummy to me, either."
"Shooting him is slightly different," Elisa said, raising her voice slightly.
"It's not hurting him any. It's only a stun gun."
Lex got up, holding his shoulder and snarling. He leapt up towards Brooklyn. Brooklyn easily sidestepped him and let Lex run into the wall. Elisa glared at him, but said nothing. Brooklyn picked up Lex by the belt and threw him over by Broadway.
"Why are you here?" Elisa asked, trying to stall for time. Sunrise had to sometime soon.
Brooklyn turned back towards her. "Demona wants you dead. She sent me to do the job."
Elisa blinked. "You mean she sent you to do her dirty work," she said casually, although she was near frightened to death inside.
Brooklyn peered at her curiously. "What do you mean?"
"You're her lackey!" Elisa suddenly blurted out. "You're like her sidekick!"
Brooklyn narrowed his eyes again, and they took on a whitish cast. Evidently pushing a sore spot, Elisa pushed on. "She makes all your decisions."
"She gives me more freedom than Goliath did," he hissed at her.
Elisa didn't waver, not showing her nervousness. "Are you sure?"
Hudson glanced at his charge as Goliath moaned. "It's hopeless, Hudson. Save yourself."
Hudson sighed. "Hear me, lad. We go together, or we don't go at all."
"Your courage is admirable, but ultimately futile."
Hudson spun around to face Demona just as her laser went off. He leapt into the air and began running, dragging Goliath with him.
But he had no where to run. The end of the line was a waterfall. Demona grinned as she pointed her laser at him. "I'll make it quick, old soldier."
Hudson looked her in the eye, and jumped.
"What?!" Demona ran forward, just in time to see them dissappear into the water.
Part III
Demona hissed at their falling forms. She suddenly heard a crackle and her hair began standing on end. A bolt of lightning came down and struck at her feet.
Hudson swam to the surface, still carrying Goliath. He began paddling towards shore. He finally got there, and he looked at Goliath to see how he was doing. Hudson covered the young leader with his wings, worried. "Stay with me, lad. We've been in worse scrapes than this, remember?"
Brooklyn snarled at her. "Why don't you just shut up, human?"
Elisa narrowed her eyes. "See?" she said. "You always called me Elisa, before Demona messed with you!"
"Demona didn't do ANYTHING to me!" Brooklyn shouted.
Broadway heard Brooklyn's words. He opened his eyes to slits, watching his rookery brother.
Lexington spoke up from his place on the ground. "She's corrupting you, Brooklyn. Elisa is the only friend we have in this world. She's the only one we can trust!"
Brooklyn's eyes flared. "You don't get it!" he shouted at Lex and Broadway. "Remember the Captain of the Guard? He was our only friend we had in the past world. He was the only one we could trust!" He stopped and hissed, letting his eyes glow brighter. "And he betrayed us!"
"Demona betrayed us!" Broadway said. "Just like you did!"
"I didn't betray you!" Brooklyn growled. "You betrayed our clan! You know the humans can't be trusted! There aren't that many of our kind left, and you place their lives in the hands of a human!"
Hudson looked around his surroundings. A cemetary. And it was almost dawn.
He spotted a masoleum across the way. He began half-carrying, half-dragging Goliath towards it. Over the thunder, he heard footsteps. He stopped and looked back.
Demona was there.
Hudson let out a silent hiss and opened the masoleum door. He carried Goliath inside. "Stay in here, lad."
"You... can't... face her," Goliath gasped out.
"I can face her," Hudson assured him. He began walking out, pausing for a moment. "I just can't beat her," he muttered. Hudson walked outside. The rain wasn't letting up, making it hard to tell when dawn was coming.
He knelt beside a headstone and pulled his sword. A bright flash of lightning streaked across the sky. Hudson glanced down at his sword and noticed something odd. That angel statue... it had TWO pairs of wings?!
Hudson gasped and leapt out of the way as the scarlet beam of the laser hit the ground. Demona leapt down, snarling as Hudson ran for cover behind some headstones. "Join me, or join Goliath in death!" Hudson absently noticed Goliath in the masoleum, head down.
"Don't be a fool!" Demona continued. "Together we can rule this world!"
Hudson growled and charged out of hiding, waving his sword. Demona gasped and held up her laser in defense. He used the headstones as shields, diving behind one and then leaping to another. Demona began blasting each one in turn, apparently not caring about the so-called "Rest In Peace."
Demona's scarlet glow faded away and then she looked around. She didn't see him anywhere. She heard something moving behind her... she spun around. She let out a snarl, eyes blazing again, ducking. Hudson's blade sliced straight through the statue. It paused for a moment before finally falling.
Demona growled again, and leapt into the air, landing on the very masoleum Goliath was in. "Enough of this!" she shouted. "Time to die, old fool!"
Hudson followed suit and leapt after her, going higher and attacking from above. Demona's eyes widened as Hudson came down on her. She didn't use the laser as a laser anymore - she used it as a sword, blocking and charging Hudson.
Goliath heard the commotion on the roof. As a battle cry echoed through the air, he shook off the haze. "Hudson!" he gasped. He struggled up and out the door.
Demona hissed at Hudson, forcing Hudson back. "I would have ended this quickly! Now you will suffer!" She raised up her weapon to give the fatal blow, only to have somethig weigh it down.
"Demona, no!" Goliath said.
Demona smirked. "Goliath. How good of you to join us." She swatted Hudson away and smacked Goliath to the roof. Hudson intercepted another blow with his sword.
"Give it up girl. Ye can't win."
Demona growled in frustration. "I'm smarter, stronger, and younger than you!" she shouted, accenting each word with a swing of her laser. "Your pride will cost you your life!" She finally forced him to the ground, only to watch Hudson look calmly at her. "But I know something you don't. Something that comes only with age." At Demona's confused look, he continued. "I know how to wait." He sat up and looked to the east.
Dawn.
"Noooo!!" Demona protested, turning her head away from the sunrise, as if not seeing it would prevent it from happening.
Three new statues slept in the cemetary that day.
Elisa looked out the window. A sudden wave of relief swam through her.
Broadway stood up, looking at Brooklyn. He smirked. "Surprise," he said.
Brooklyn's features took on something confused, and then he gasped in realisation. "NO!" He began running to the window, but it was too late. The stone sleep overtook him.
Elisa stared at the statue. She thought hard, and then ran out the door, heading to the hardware store to get some heavy-duty rope.
The statues atop the masoleum were silent all day, until the sun went down. Small cracks began forming along all three of them. The stone bits flew off the three gargoyles, and Demona rose her weapon over her head triumphantly.
"Now it ends!" she cried. She brought her laser down fast.
Hudson caught it easily. "Yes, lass. Now it ends." He turned back to Goliath, slowly. "Feeling all right, lad?"
Goliath took a deep breath and looked at Demona. "Just fine."
Demona let go of her laser, eyes narrowed. "You think you've won," she said. "But you've forgotten why you came. Your human friend." She paused, grinning. "Brooklyn was waiting for her, anyway. To finish the job quicker." Goliath's eyes widened in horror.
She was just about to turn and leave when she heard Broadway's voice. "Special delivery!" Brooklyn, tied up in rope, was suddenly dropped in between Goliath and Demona. A crumpled gun dropped beside him. Broadway and Lexington landed behind Hudson.
Lex pointed at Brooklyn. "I think you dropped this at Elisa's apartment," he said to Demona. Brooklyn glared at them as Demona slashed his bonds.
"Even if he didn't kill her, the poison has. By now it's run it's course." She smiled triumphantly as she and Brooklyn turned to leave. "And there is no antidote!" They glided off, Demona echoing a battle cry.
Goliath turned to Broadway and Lex. "Does Brooklyn know if Elisa is alive?"
Broadway shook his head. "Elisa tied him up during the day, but she hid when he woke up."
Lex spoke up. "We told him we were going to take him back and get the antidote from Demona."
"I mean, she was acting fine last night, but it wasn't long enough yet."
Goliath smiled. "Good. It's probably best they don't know Elisa is alive."
"Aye. For as long as we can keep it a secret," Hudson said.
"Which is for how long?" Broadway asked.
Goliath looked at the moon. "I don't know," he said solemnly.
"But we will."
End
Finished 6/26/98 Friday, 2:49 AM
Edited 6/30/98 Tuesday, 1:32 AM (like you care)
Final Editing and Posted 9/24/98 Thursday, 8:34 PM
ARGH!! THIS TOOK WAAAAAY TOO LONG TO WRITE!!! Oh, well. I finished it, finally, writing over half of it in one sitting. It's close to three in the morning, and I'm tired. I started it when "Highlander: The Series" was finished, and now I'm done!! (and I can go to sleep!)
Next up is whatever someone else volunteers to write. I need someone to write "AU: Reawakening," cuz I can't, and I don't wanna. Oh, if you wanna use this idea or something, just ask. I won't say no, I just wanna read it. (IE: Crossover, Actual story (oh PLEASE ohpleaseohpleaseohpleaseohplease!!!)
Coming Soon to a Fic Archive Near You!!
Future Tense, Part V: Loving the Enemy: 2026 AD: Can Brooklyn and Demona's relationship fall through? Or will something happen to one of them first?