Previously:
Scream of Silence
The next night was a perfect one, the sky was clear, the wind was steady, and Micheal was sick. Kyra couldn't help but laugh inside every time she thought of the fact that Micheal was nineteen and had a case of chicken pox. She could just picture how he felt, itching everywhere and not being able to scratch. She also felt a little sorry for him, but not much.
The only promise of dangerous activity happening that night was that Demona was hanging around near Eyrie Tower all day.
The night did seem perfect, for the first few hours. Everything was quiet, which, as usual, worried Goliath. The trio, Brooklyn, Lexington, and Broadway, were bored; so were Angela and Kyra, there was nothing for any of them to do. Well there would be something for Kyra to do... but Ryujin was busy hunting for Kenny and his pack of vampires. Kyra wished that something would happen, but later would wish she had kept that thought in her subconscious.
Fang opened his mouth wide in a yawn, showing every single tooth he had in his long muzzle. Elisa came up with the news that the city was as quiet as a wooded glade, nothing was happening, even in the East side!
"You'd think Micheal and Demona were trying to bore us to death, but even they couldn't do that, could they?" Kyra said uncertainly.
"Micheal has so much power in the east side. He could do anything if he wanted to!" Elisa answered.
"Maybe I should spy, it would give me something to do if nothing else." Kyra replied. "Maybe Ryujin wants some help."
"Kyra you know he asked you not to follow him around." Angela reminded her, "You could end up like with Kyono."
"She's got a point, but we should find out why everything's so quiet. Usually the East side has some gang trouble, but even the gangs are cooling off for the night. It's as if every criminal in the city just up and quit." Elisa pointed out, "And I bet Micheal has something to do with it."
"If not Micheal, then Demona, she was hanging around Eyrie Tower today." Kyra added. "Well, technically, Dominique was. How did she come up with such a name? It means 'belonging to god'..."
"'Angel'... she's taunting you, Goliath." Elisa smirked and Goliath rolled his eyes.
"Demona was here? Why didn't you tell us sooner?" he asked Kyra.
"Because she wasn't up to anything, she was just standing around, she saw me but didn't come over." Kyra answered, "And I don't mean she just glanced over at me, she looked dead on at me. I thought she was going to come over and kill me."
"Probably would if there weren't so many people around." Brooklyn interrupted.
"No, she didn't even narrow her eyes at me, she just looked away and walked into the building." Kyra replied. "As if she didn't even know me."
"That's not like Demona. She'd at least try to intimidate Kyra, I wonder what she's up to." Goliath said, thinking.
"Demona's unpredictable, she's probably just taking a night off." Elisa replied.
"Along with Micheal?" Kyra asked, "No, she's up to something. But the question is... what?" she left immediately to answer her own question.
"This is perfect, Goliath and the Brat Pack have no idea what's going on, and neither does Elisa." Demona said. She smiled, something she rarely did, unless she was getting her way.
"Let's not count on the fact that the Gargoyles and Detective Maza are in the dark, they won't stay that way for long. And Kyra's quick, she'll catch on. You do have a plan for when that happens, don't you?" Micheal asked, scratching absently at his arm.
"Of course I do, they'll never stop us now. No one can, even that brat Kyra and her magic." Demona answered.
"Remember Demona, they don't always count on Kyra's magic. Elisa and the animals help too." Micheal pointed out.
"I'll be ready for them. If they dare interfere with my plan, they'll perish!" Demona threatened and left to get ready for her plan. Kyra had been spying and heard everything. Demona heard Kyra leaving and captured her in a short battle.
"You won't get away with your plan, Demona, the gargoyles will worry about me and come for you!" Kyra told her after she was chained up and put in a cage.
"That's exactly what I want you fool." Demona replied and went off to set the deadly traps. Unfortunately for her, Perige was with Kyra and hadn't been caught. He flew as fast as he could to get the gargoyles, and he would make sure Elisa didn't follow.
Brooklyn was relaxing on a parapet when Perige screamed out in warning. It surprised him so much he fell off, on the wrong side! He climbed back up and jumped over the parapet. Brooklyn glared at Perige as he landed.
"It's not his fault you weren't paying attention." Angela said accusingly as she came up to Brooklyn. "That could have just as easily been Demona, and she wouldn't scream at you. She'd shoot, and you'd never know she was there until it was too late."
"Whatever." Brooklyn replied nonchalantly.
"What is it?" Elisa asked. Ryujin came in behind her.
"Perige nearly killed me." Brooklyn answered.
"He did not." Angela said and hit Brooklyn on the shoulder, "Perige cried out and caught Brooklyn by surprise. He was on watch and didn't even notice a bird flying straight for him!"
"Do you have to dwell on it?" Brooklyn asked and walked away.
"Kyra must have sent the bird, right? Something happened." Ryujin decided.
"Maybe she was caught." Angela added.
"Kyra caught? It'll never happen." Brooklyn joked.
"It always has, and that's not funny, she could be in real trouble." Angela reprimanded.
"Sorry, I guess it's not very nice to joke about this, is it?" Brooklyn asked.
"No. Angela, get Goliath, we've got to move fast. Kyra was spying on Demona and Micheal, so she's either in Demona's lair, or in Micheal's room." Elisa answered.
"Either one is bad." Angela said and ran to find Goliath. She told him what happened when she found him and he hurried outside.
"We've got to find her now." Goliath said as he reached Elisa.
"I'm coming too. You'll need help." Ryujin replied.
"And we'll need a cop if Micheal's got Kyra." Brooklyn added, looking at Elisa.
"All Micheal could give Kyra right now is the chicken pox." Xanatos said, holding Alexander.
Perige immediately flew in front of Elisa and forced her back. "Kyra must have told Perige to do that, it's too dangerous for you to come along." Goliath realized.
"But what about you, if it's so dangerous, then you're in trouble too." Elisa told him. Perige cried out again, it was getting late and there was no telling what Demona had done to Kyra. Ryujin looked pretty anxious to get moving too, despite that he swore he was just her friend.
"You're sure you can handle Demona if she attacks?" Goliath asked.
"If?" Elisa joked, "I'll be fine Goliath, I've handled her before." Goliath gave in and Perige flew off, leading the Gargoyles to Demona's lair. Brooklyn waited a second and took Fang. Elisa and Ryujin went by car, following the gargoyles by radio.
"So, it was Demona. At least Kyra's got one problem behind her." Brooklyn sighed. Fang looked at the building and growled fiercely.
"She's not in the clear yet, Micheal might be in there." Angela reminded him.
"Must you always remind people about faults?" Brooklyn joked.
"Kyra was right, you joke too much." Angela told him. "Let's go and save her so she can hit you."
"And she says I joke too much." Brooklyn replied and the four teens crept closer to the building.
"Careful, you could get caught in a trap." Elisa warned, coming over with Ryujin. It was too late, a net snagged Lexington and a cage dropped on Brooklyn. Angela was safe for about three more steps then another net snagged her. Broadway got the hint and backed away, but a steel trap nearly got him.
"I don't think she's going to give up Kyra too easily." Angela said from the net.
"Hang on, I'll get you out." Goliath told her. Elisa caught him before he could step into the traps.
"Hold it, big guy. Remember what happened to them when they stepped out there." she warned.
"Then how do we get them out?" Broadway asked. He had frozen after jumping away from the steel trap.
"I'll do it, I think I can outrun any leftover traps." Elisa volunteered. She jumped over any disturbed ground and suspicious areas. Elisa got to Angela safely and cut her loose. Then Angela carefully crept to Brooklyn and with one good pull broke two bars of the cage. Lexington was right by Brooklyn so Brooklyn slashed the net apart and freed him.
"Now what?" Angela asked. "We're free, but there could be more traps."
"You're right, Angela." Elisa agreed, "Goliath be careful." she called as Goliath came over to them.
"That went too smoothly." Goliath replied after he got safely to the others. Ryujin simply jumped over to them, earning him a sarcastic "I hate you" look from Brooklyn. Well, half of it was sarcastic.
"Smoothly?" Brooklyn exclaimed, "A cage dropped on me, Lex and Angela were snared in nets, and Broadway almost got his foot sliced off!"
"No, Goliath's right, the rescue was too easy, no one else got caught." Elisa said worriedly. "I'm pretty sure Demona is up to something big, and I think the traps were to distract us."
"Very clever, Detective." Demona replied from a few yards ahead. She had crept over as the others busied themselves freeing each other. Goliath was too concerned about the traps to notice Demona coming up to the group.
"Where's Kyra?" Ryujin asked angrily, pulling out his sword.
"Well, well, another lover boy? That girl causes crushes faster than Marilyn Monroe..." Demona replied.
"I'm not her boyfriend... just her friend." Ryujin said seriously.
"I'm not telling where she is. Yet." Demona said as if he hadn't spoken.
"What do you mean?" Goliath asked cautiously.
"You'll see, and don't worry, I won't do anything to Kyra." Demona promised, "I'll leave that to someone more capable of making her suffer."
"You turn her over to Micheal and I'll kill you myself." Brooklyn threatened.
"Brooklyn, you're starting to sound like you care for that little hybrid. She's more human than gargoyle. Besides, you actually think you could kill me?" Demona laughed. "Remember, I'm not so easy to get rid of."
"Maybe not, but I'd make you suffer so much you'll wish you could die!" Brooklyn told her angrily.
"Relax, did I say I'd turn her over to Micheal?" Demona asked. "That boy's scratching too much to be able to keep her."
"You said you'd turn her over to someone who could make her suffer, and he's the only one you know." Elisa answered.
"Maybe he's the only one I'm friendly with, to a point, but there are many people I know who could do a lot more to her than he could." Demona replied, "You all might as well leave, there's nothing you can do. Besides, I can have you all arrested for trespassing."
Elisa and the teens looked over at Goliath who solemnly nodded and turned to leave. The others followed slowly. Angela held her head as high as she could, she wouldn't give Demona the privilege of knowing she'd broken everyone's spirits. Ryujin growled and it took Elisa grabbing his elbow and dragging him away to get him to leave.
"I can't believe you just gave up right there in front of your daughter, Goliath." Elisa said angrily after they all got home. Everyone else was inside, except for them, thinking of a way to stop Demona.
"I'm glad you don't believe it, because it's not true." Goliath told her. "I just wanted to throw Demona off, so she wouldn't suspect anything. Kyra's not the only tricky one about these things."
"Thank goodness, I thought you were actually getting weak around her!" Elisa exclaimed and threw her arms around his neck.
"We have to think fast, if we find out who Kyra's getting sent to, we can stop them before they do anything." Goliath replied, setting her back down.
"Demona said she wasn't sending Kyra to Micheal, at least in her own words she did." Elisa thought aloud, "So who does she hate, but know well enough that she could get them to take Kyra?"
"Or rather, who would want Kyra enough to get her from Demona, even though they hate her?" Goliath hinted, he'd gotten the idea immediately.
"She wouldn't, he wouldn't!" Elisa exclaimed in fear. "They wouldn't dare."
"Yes they would, they both want what they're getting, Demona's getting rid of Kyra, and Phalog's getting Kyra." Goliath replied.
"Let's get the others, we'll need them all if we're messing with the clones." Elisa told him.
"Are you sure we want Ryujin coming? He's a bit... out of control." Goliath replied
"Don't you think he'll want to come?" Elisa reasoned.
They all set off for Phalog's last known hideout, it was pretty shabby and had many carved stone gargoyles on it. The perfect place for a few real ones to hide. Kyra was already there, and chained to a wall outside. The chains were thick and the shackles were small enough Kyra couldn't slip her wrists through them, like Elisa had taught her.
"One of these days... I am going to keep my big mouth shut until I get out of earshot!" Kyra told herself, pulling at the iron chains. He had to use iron...
Phalog had thought of everything, Kyra couldn't transport herself away from the chains, for some reason her magick failed near iron. The shackles started to cut at her wrists, so she stopped and slumped against the wall. Suddenly Kyra heard a cry of anger from the east. She smirked.
"Bout damn time, guys..." she mumbled and tried to slip out of the chains one more time. "Ouch! Why the heck doesn't my magick work against iron?" Even turning human didn't work. Literally. She couldn't.
Of course Phalog took that precise moment to come back and bother her again. "What's the matter?" he asked tauntingly.
"Nothing." Kyra said innocently, "Just biding time."
"Until what?" he asked suspiciously. Just then the clan all landed right behind him. Ryujin pulled his sword out immediately.
"That." Kyra smirked.
"I didn't think you had the guts to show, Goliath." Phalog said, turning slowly.
"You stole one of my clan and expected me not to rescue her? What kind of gargoyle are you?" Goliath asked. Ryujin went over to cut Kyra loose.
"The smart kind." Phalog answered as Delilah attacked Ryujin. "I knew you'd bring your clan."
Angela slapped Delilah away from Ryujin and snarled. Kyra used her tail to trip the clone and grinned. Delilah cursed at Kyra, then got a tail whip in the face. "Watch your mouth." Kyra said and laughed. Angela held Delilah down.
"Nice one." Ryujin said, getting up.
"Thanks, now get me outta these so I can do even better!" Kyra replied, straining against the iron chains.
"Sure." Ryujin went over to Kyra and managed to free her legs when he was attacked by Brooklyn's double. Broadway attacked the clone and was tackled by his double, just as the other clones appeared out of the shadows.
"Why me?" Kyra sighed and curled her legs up to her arm shackles. "I guess if you want something done... do it yerself..." Her clawed feet hit a chain and broke it, freeing one of her arms just as a full-out battle began. Her weight wasn't ready for the drop and pulled down on her one chained arm. "Ouch!" she winced and looked over at the battle to help ignore the searing pain. Elisa helped Goliath against Phalog while the other Gargoyles and Ryujin fought the clones. Ryujin nearly killed a few of them.
Kyra snarled and pulled at the final chain, but it wouldn't break. "Damn it!" Kyra pulled backwards at the chain, trying to break it out of the wall, but it wouldn't budge. Delilah broke free of Angela's hold, and was about to slash Kyra's back, when Kyra's tail smacked her in the face and swept down, tripping her again. Delilah hit her head hard. "Oops, sorry." Kyra turned and smirked down at the unconscious clone. "Little help, Angie?"
Angela nodded, since Delilah was out of the way, she could help Kyra. Angela pulled at the chain, but it wouldn't break, even with Kyra's help. "Now what?" Angela sighed.
"Now we hope the battle doesn't last much longer." Kyra frowned, pulling at the chain until her wrist bled again.
One by one, the clones were defeated, first Lex's, then Broadway's, then Hudson's and Bronx's. They all helped Brooklyn and Ryujin and soon there was only Phalog, surrounded by six very angry gargoyles, Ryujin, and an armed cop.
"Looks like your clan loses again, Phalog." Elisa said sternly.
"Not quite yet, Detective..." Phalog grinned and jumped over Lexington and Bronx. He knocked Angela away from Kyra and broke the remaining chain. "I still have a trump card to play."
Goliath's eyes glowed and he stepped out of the group. Phalog pulled Kyra's free arm behind her and strained it until she winced and made a sound. Goliath stopped dead in his tracks. It took a lot of pain to make the street girl wince. Even Ryujin froze at seeing her cry out.
"Unless you want her back in pieces, stay there." Phalog growled. Kyra snarled and slashed his leg with her foot, making him yell out in pain. "Why you little brat...!" He pulled her arm more and made her shriek in pain and fall down on a knee. "That should stop your scratching."
"Wanna bet?" Kyra snarled and bent her captured wrist enough to slash his hand with her hand claws. He growled in pain as the two wounds bled.
"You'll pay for that!" Phalog snarled and let go of her hand, then picked her up by the throat with his other hand.
"No!" Goliath cried out.
"Kyra!" Brooklyn and Angela yelled together.
"Don't do it, Phalog!" Elisa shouted, training her gun on an open part of him.
Ryujin made a move to get behind but suddenly saw Phalog's eyes... he was going to kill Kyra before any of them could move close enough. "Put. Her. Down."
Kyra kicked and snarled, her eyes glowed the brightest they'd ever been. "Let me go you carbon copy!" she gasped.
"You want her?" Phalog asked with a sinister glow in his eyes. "Get her." he threw her over the roof. She screamed so loudly with such a high pitch it hurt the gargoyle's ears. The scream stopped suddenly with a sickening crack against the edge of the roof, she'd be unconscious as she fell now.
"KYRA!!" Brooklyn and Goliath yelled and ran towards Phalog. Goliath tackled him and pinned him down while Brooklyn dived off the roof. The rest of the clan ran to the edge of the roof to watch.
Ryujin slowly went up to Phalog and put the sword right on the gargoyle's throat. "Don't even think about breathing, pal."
"He's not going to make it!!" Broadway cried out, looking down at Brooklyn.
"Never say never, Broadway..." Elisa frowned. "You'll jinx it."
Brooklyn was only a few inches from Kyra's tail, but those inches would mean her life if he didn't drop faster. He decided to take a risk and close his wings completely, making him fall like a rock. But it was a controlled and aimed fall...
"Brooklyn!" Angela yelled. "Open your wings you idiot!"
"He's gonna hit with her!" Lexington covered his eyes.
Just before Kyra hit the ground, Brooklyn caught up to those few inches and grabbed her tail, flinging her above him and catching the wall with his free hand. Kyra flew up a foot or so, then fell again, this time Brooklyn caught her ankle and hung on. She was still knocked out cold, unable to hold on so he could carry her up.
"Guys! Little help?" Brooklyn called up to the clan. Lexington uncovered his eyes and cheered while Angela climbed down and took Kyra. She carried Kyra up while Brooklyn followed.
"Is she?" Broadway asked.
"She's alive. Just out cold." Brooklyn answered.
"Lucky for him." Ryujin said shortly, keeping the sword on Phalog.
Just then, Kyra moved a bit and groaned in pain. "Uuuh..... my head...." she put a hand up to the back of her head and pulled it away bloody. "That lousy excuse for a carbon paper drawing is gonna pay!" Her eyes glowed brightly and Phalog kicked Goliath off him. Ryujin was tripped by Phalog's tail and hit the groud with a loud grunt, still holding his sword.
"I think it's time to go. Delilah, gather the others and move it." he ordered and started to back away. The other clones retreated immediately.
"Not so fast, Fakey..." Kyra snarled and leapt at Phalog, covering the few feet between them in a moment. They rolled and slashed at each other until it was getting hard to tell who was who.
"Goliath, pull them apart before one kills the other!" Elisa shouted.
Just then Kyra was launched up in the air by a well placed kick. She landed on a stone gargoyle and broke it into pebbles and fragments. She screamed in pain and tried to get up. Before she could, Phalog got to her and slashed her again. She was caught right on the cheek and rolled over to one side from the force. There was a silence that followed for what seemed like eternity.
"That ended quickly." Phalog said smugly and turned to walk away.
Just before Ryujin could stand up and attack Phalog for killing Kyra, she moved slightly. Her hand grabbed a fragment of statue and threw it with all her strength at Phalog's head. It caught him right in the back of his head and made him stagger. Kyra was famous for fighting until she was dead or won. And she wasn't ready to die.
She pulled herself up slowly and growled in pain. "It's not over yet, you hunk-a-granite!" she steadied herself and leaned on the remains of the statue she'd fallen through. Her whole body was bloodied, stained red. Even her hair was matted with blood, it didn't catch the moonlight at all.
"Kyra! Stop, you'll die if you keep going!" Angela said desperately, stepping forward. Goliath caught her shoulder.
Kyra smiled at her friends. "It'll take more than this wannabe to get rid of me." She slapped her tail against Phalog's back like a whip, making him yell and turn to face her.
"You never know when to quit and go home, do you?" he snarled.
"This city is my home. And I don't think there's room for two feuding clans here." Kyra said, wiping blood out of her eyes.
"Kyra, please. This can finish another day!" Brooklyn said, starting to go out to her, but Goliath caught his shoulder too.
"Let her do what she wants. You should know by now she does what has to be done." he told the two young gargoyles.
"Dying never has to be done." Angela frowned.
"For the right cause it does." Kyra told her, then looked at Ryujin sadly. "For other lives." she added and turned to Phalog. "I won't let you live here. Either leave or..."
"Or what? You'll turn as bad as Demona and kill your own kind?" Phalog laughed.
Kyra growled. "You're not my kind. You're an unreasonable facsimile." she swung her tail and tripped him. "And I don't like anything unreasonable in my home."
"Who are you going to kill next, Kyra? Demona? Micheal? A real gargoyle and a helpless human?" Phalog snarled.
Kyra narrowed her brightly glowing eyes. "Demona's not a real gargoyle, she's a demon. And Micheal's anything but helpless."
"So you will kill them?" Phalog asked as if he was shocked by the fact.
"If they don't stop hurting people, yes." Kyra told him, waving her tail like a snake ready to strike.
"Maybe instead of killing Demona you should join her..." Phalog smirked and slid up to his feet, running away and jumping off the roof. He barely avoided the blast Kyra sent at him. Kyra growled and leaned on a wall, nearly fainting.
"You all right, kiddo?" Elisa asked.
Kyra frowned and wiped blood off her arm. "I've been better." she cut a glance to where Phalog had flown off. "Elisa..."
"What?"
Kyra sighed dismissively and shook her head. "Nothing... Goliath, can we go now?" she frowned and looked at the bloodstained ground. Some of that blood wasn't hers. Some of the blood on her wasn't hers either. She'd never fought so viciously... Maybe instead of killing Demona you should join her...
Ryujin frowned and went over to her, wrapping his arms around her battered body. "Are you okay?" she knew what he meant. Any other time she would have welcomed his slip-up of emotion.
"I don't know. I'm not sure I'll ever know..." Kyra sighed, then pushed him away and walked off, "I need time alone... I'll meet up with you guys later..."
"Kyra--" Brooklyn started, but Goliath stopped him.
"All right. We'll see you later tonight..." Goliath said, uncertain whether or not that was true. Ryujin glared at him for letting her leave.
Kyra glided off to the Harlem River and stared at her reflection. Her hair was spiked and messed up with blood and sweat. It almost resembled Demona's. Especially with the red tint that showed when light hit it. You'll turn as bad as Demona and kill your own kind? Kyra bared her teeth at the reflection and hit the water.
Was he right? Am I becoming my enemy? Kyra thought and looked solemnly down at her reflection again as the water calmed. She remembered Angela's worrying. She's blood relation to Demona... and she's normal... "Maybe I'm worried over nothing..."
Yeah right... and maybe Phalog just has a few bottles of ketchup spilled all over him... her mind snapped suddenly. Kyra smacked her reflection again and growled. She wiped more blood off her face and frowned at it. Then smiled at her pale skin and challenging black pearl eyes.
"What do I care what he thinks." she said finally and cannonballed into the water.
The area where she splashed in was tinted red for a minute, then the blood gradually absorbed into the pure water and Kyra surfaced with her hair bouncing back the moonbeams again. She'd become human in the water, to feel even more like herself. She floated upright in the water for a moment, feeling the water run out of her bangs and onto her face, cleaning out the slashes on her cheek. She winced a bit as the wound became refreshed and bled again. She'd have to get bandages soon. But for now she was content to just feel the water around her wash away the blood and sweat of her battle.
Finally Kyra was getting lightheaded and decided she needed to get home, fast. She'd spent too much time away from aid, when she'd needed it immediately. She'd never make it back... but she'd have to try... She started walking to Eyrie Tower, dripping bloody water behind her.
She started to feel faint after a few blocks and stopped to lean on a crate. Then she noticed where she was. "Oh great... I hope Mikey's still too contagious to leave the base..." she said. She blacked out as a form stepped out of the shadows behind her.
Elisa was fuming at Goliath about letting Kyra go off on her own; Ryujin hadn't even gone back to the castle, he was searching the riverside. "She could be dying right now, Goliath! Those wounds needed help hours ago!"
"Don't you think I know that? So does she. The point is, she didn't want to get the wounds healed. She left." Goliath said sternly, looking down at the nearest river.
"She was pissed and scared. She wasn't thinking straight. And right now I don't think you are either because of the same reason. Phalog lied, Goliath, you know Kyra's nothing like Demona." Elisa said angrily and turned to face the others. "I'm going to go help Ryujin find her before she bleeds to death."
"We'll help, Elisa, it's a big city..." Brooklyn said and the trio left with Angela.
Hudson came up behind Goliath. "I agree with you that the child's choice was her own, but maybe that wee lass's decision making skills are a bit impaired. Elisa was right. She's scared, wounded, and she's been fed very well thought up lies. She may want to die."
Goliath's frown grew deeper, then angry. His eyes glowed and he jumped up on the parapet.
"Where are you going, lad?" Hudson asked.
"To get Kyra home before she lets herself die or worse."
"Do you know where she went?"
"Knowing her, she went to the Harlem River... it's her 'turf'." Goliath replied and glided off on the fastest wind current he could catch.
Kyra opened her eyes to find the pain was considerably less and her body felt stronger. Am I dead? she asked herself, then her vision cleared and she saw a familiar face looking down at her. "Ryujin..."
"Bout time you came around." he said curtly with a faint smirk.
Kyra laughed, "Sorry, I can't help what a negative bloodcell count does to my body. How did you find me?" she looked around, she was in an abandoned building, the one Ryujin had moved into.
"Brooklyn told me you always came to that river when you were upset." Ryujin said concernedly. "Just what the hell was that guy? I thought you said gargoyles are good!"
"It wasn't a real gargoyle. It was a clone of one of them... he didn't like the side I was taking of things and we had a slight argument. Well a carry-over argument from before I left."
"Kyra, you nearly died tonight! Can't those guys fight without you?"
"They can't. That's the problem... They need me. They're family." Kyra sighed.
"You are more stubborn than the rock those guys were chiseled from!" Ryujin snarled.
"Where else would I go?" Kyra replied sternly. "If I'd stayed in the gang I would have been raped. And I never would have met you."
"Who would rape you?" Ryujin asked, his eyes blazing with an inner blue fire.
"Micheal." Kyra said angrily and tried to get up, but a stabbing pain in her head stopped her. "Ow" she scowled and slid slowly out of bed.
"Just where are you going?" Ryujin frowned.
"Home." Kyra said shortly and picked up her bloodstained shirt, pulling it over her bandages. "The others will be worried sick. They might even think I'm dead."
"You're hurt, you should rest." Ryujin said, crossing his arms.
"I'm fine. Leave me alone. I don't want Elisa and the Xanatoses losing sleep over me." she turned back to the door and walked out. It was morning. Kyra cursed, sure that by then everyone thought she was dead somewhere.
She started off to Eyrie Tower again, hoping that she hadn't worried everyone too much. She snuck in the back entrance with her code and went straight to the castle, without Xanatos seeing her. She looked out at the parapets, all the Gargoyles were gone, looking for her. Even Hudson and Bronx had gone out eventually. Kyra sighed and went up to her room and fell asleep on her bed.
The next night, everyone returned to the castle, worried and depressed. They'd spent all the previous night looking for Kyra, and Elisa had used the whole day as well. Of course, they didn't find a trace of her. Bronx smelled her blood near the gang base, but she wasn't there.
"I shouldn't have let her go off." Goliath sighed
"It wasn't your fault. She would have gone off even if you demanded she go home." Elisa told him and put her hand on his arm.
Xanatos came out with an odd look on his face. "Detective?"
"What is it Xanatos?" Elisa asked, obviously a bit stressed.
"You didn't happen to use the back way to come up sometime today did you?" he asked
"Xanatos, you know I don't go in through the back unless someone's following. Why?" Elisa crossed her arms.
"Someone did. The code was entered a few hours after dawn. Only two people who don't work here besides you know it."
"Ryujin and Kyra..." Elisa realized, looking up at Goliath.
He smiled as the others returned. "Maybe we didn't find her because she wasn't out there."
"It might have been Ryujin, Goliath." Brooklyn told him. "He didn't come back with us."
Elisa frowned and looked up at Kyra's tower. "I'm afraid to go up there. What if she's not there?"
"Somebody has to go up there." Lexington said.
"I'll go." Brooklyn volunteered and went up the stairs. He came back down frowning. "Nothing...."
Suddenly a shadowed figure came through the doors of the hall that led to the kitchen. "Yeesh, I go to get some dinner and I find my best friend coming down from snooping in my room. Remind me to keep that door locked, will you, guys?"
"KYRA!" Brooklyn shouted and ran over, picking her up and giving her a tight hug.
"OW! Hey, watch the wounds!!!" Kyra laughed.
"How long have you been up here?" Elisa asked.
"Since this morning. The building wasn't open so I used the back entrance, I was sleeping in my room and woke up a half- hour ago." Kyra answered as Brooklyn put her down. "I changed my clothes and went to the kitchen for food. Then you guys got back."
"You had us all scared to death!" Brooklyn told her.
"I didn't mean to. I tried to get back last night. But I fainted." Kyra replied.
"Where'd you get the bandages?" Angela asked.
"Ryujin took care of me until I woke up." Kyra answered and smiled. "I never meant to scare you all...."
"We know, Kyra... Just please don't ever do that again!" Goliath sighed and she ran over to hug him. "When you need help, get it, don't go off and contemplate things first. Okay?"
"Got it." Kyra said and smiled.
Goliath laughed. "Good. Now, since you had so long to think. Did you figure anything out?"
"Yep." Kyra nodded. "Phalog lied. I'm not Demona."
"You just now know that?!?!" Brooklyn said and mock fainted. "Come on Kyra, that's what scared you?!?"
"Hey, I was in pain and weak, I wasn't thinking straight." Kyra stuck her tongue out at him.
"All right, you two, enough squabbling. Kyra, rest for the night. You lost a lot of blood." Elisa said and nodded up to the tower.
"Okay. 'Night guys. See ya tomorrow." Kyra hugged everybody and dashed up to bed. "Oh, and somebody go tell Ryujin I'm sorry for snapping at him this morning."
"That is a weak girl?" Xanatos asked, wide-eyed.
"Gargoyles heal fast." Goliath said and smiled.
She's good, almost too good, thought Phalog
as he watched Kyra dive and rise silently above the crowd that was lured
to the explosion, There has to be something she can't do, but what? He
noticed the sparkling black jewel around the girl's neck and realized she
was a sorceress.
"I wonder how long that little sorceress would survive
in a fight without her magic." he plotted and smirked.
"You look just like... like..." Kyra couldn't finish,her
sensibility couldn't take this heavy a load of weirdness.
"Like Goliath, your leader?" Phalog finished for
her.
"She's too well protected." Phalog said to himself after Elisa and Kyra left, "I'll have to get her when she's vulnerable."
"I was too harsh on her, I should have realized
it wasn't her fault Phalog's after her." Goliath sighed.
"Yeah it's not her fault she's beautiful, smart,
and strong." Brooklyn added. "Not to mention she has magic powers. She
can guard herself..."
"You want her back? Then fight for her, winner gets Kyra..."
Phalog challenged.
"...I swear, if you make it a fight to the death, I'll
kill you myself." Kyra warned Phalog. He threw her down and she stood up,
hissing at him.
"Not so fast, I don't give up so easily." Phalog
said, Kyra turned to face him.
"You want me, you fight me." Kyra told him angrily.
"I'd back down Phalog, you don't know what you're
up against." Elisa called.
"Back down? From a mere female? And a young one
at that. You've got to be kidding." Phalog replied suspiciously.
"She's not." Demona answered, "Trust me, I watched
her train. Kyra's stronger than she lets on."
"I'm glad you finally noticed." Kyra said, sticking
her tongue out at Demona.
"Why do you think I chose you when I thought you
were human?" Demona said half-proudly.
"We'll just see how strong." Phalog said and grabbed
Kyra.
She struggled to release herself, but she couldn't.
She gathered all her strength and pushed back her magic, she wanted to
do this without depending on her sorcery. She pulled as hard as she could
and still could not release herself. Finally, she built up adrenaline and
counter-attacked him by throwing him over herself and whacking him with
her tail. Goliath stared, amazed. Kyra even amazed herself, she didn't
think it would work!
"Whoa, that had to hurt!" Broadway exclaimed.
"Remind me not to get you angry at me." Brooklyn
joked as Kyra sauntered over to him.
"Cute, now can we go home?" she asked.
"Yes!" Elisa answered, exhausted by the battle.
"How did you do that?" Angela asked, as they left.
Demona went off her own way.
"Truthfully, I have no idea!" Kyra answered, "All
I know is I didn't use sorcery."
"Where's the girl to save your butt now, Michinoka?"
Kyono sneered. Before Ryujin could push the creature off of him and slice
the idiot in two, Kyono cried out in pain and a single arrow shotinto the
ground next to them.
"Right here." a familiar voice said with audible
anger. Ryujin blinked and looked to see Kyra standing a meter away with
a decorated bow in her hand and a big grin on her face.
"You didn't leave?" he asked, hiking an eyebrow.
"No, I left. But I came back." she told him, lowering
the bow.
"I can handle this." Ryujin said between his teeth,
kicking Kyono off.
"Maybe I was worried." Kyra told him and frowned.
"I care about people."
"That's going to get you killed." Ryujin told her.
"How old are you?" he asked.
"About seventeen, why?" Kyra answered.
"You're kidding..."
"No. That's on my birth certificate too."
Ryujin suddenly realized he was still holding her
hands and let them go. "I thought you were younger."
"How young?" Kyra asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Twelve?"
Kyra gave him an absolute evil eye and glanced down
at the all to obvious, due to her 'shirt', physical proof that she was
older than that. "Yeah, I really look twelve."
"Well, I mean... your face... and you're well...
small and..." Ryujin faltered, suddenly realizing that this girl was seriously
offended. "I'm sorry... really." he told her finally, he even bowed a little.
"Gomen nasai, sumi masen..."
Ryujin looked down at Kyra and frowned, "Are you
okay?" he held her in an embrace before he could think.
"I'm fine... I think." She smiled softly and kissed
him even softer.
Ryujin blinked when she pulled back and looked down
at her oddly. "Kyra... I.... Look, you're pretty and smart, and brave if
not absolutely crazy, but... I just don't need this right now..."
Kyra blinked and looked down, "I understand, I'm
sorry... I didn't mean to, you know... look easy or anything." Kyra glanced
back to the approaching gargoyles.
Ryujin smirked. "I somehow doubt you're easy."
"Can't you at least come with us?" Kyra asked, her
eyes shone like a child's. "We could use your help. And there are vampires
in New York."
Ryujin looked back at the gargoyles. The red one
crossed his arms and glowered as if to say "break her heart anymore and
I'll rip out yours." He smirked and shook his head lightly at the protective
gesture, "Is there room for me on the boat?"
Kyra grinned and hugged him tightly. He held her
back lightly and somehow smelled her hair, revelling in how soft it could
be with the blood marring it. "I'll make room if I have to." she said,
not letting go of him. He had the feeling if she had her say in it she'd
stay in his arms all day.
"Kyra?" Xanatos almost dropped the phone. "Where
are you guys?"
"Would you believe Kuching, Borneo?"
"With what Goliath and Detective Maza told me about
the last Avalon "vacation", yes I would..."
Kyra laughed, "Can you get us home by umm... tonight?
The others are getting sick of being sent all over the place except home."
"Sure thing, kid. You'll be home by bedtime."
"Xanatos..."
"What?"
"It's three a.m. here." Kyra said straight voiced.
"Oh. Well I'll have you back by midnight here. Any
messages for the clan and Elisa?"
"Yeah say hi and tell Goliath that Angie misses
him a lot. Oh and I'd prepare them to meet a new friend..."
Scream of Silence
The next night was a perfect one, the sky was clear, the wind was steady, and Micheal was sick. Kyra couldn't help but laugh inside every time she thought of the fact that Micheal was nineteen and had a case of chicken pox. She could just picture how he felt, itching everywhere and not being able to scratch. She also felt a little sorry for him, but not much.
The only promise of dangerous activity happening that night was that Demona was hanging around near Eyrie Tower all day.
The night did seem perfect, for the first few hours. Everything was quiet, which, as usual, worried Goliath. The trio, Brooklyn, Lexington, and Broadway, were bored; so were Angela and Kyra, there was nothing for any of them to do. Well there would be something for Kyra to do... but Ryujin was busy hunting for Kenny and his pack of vampires. Kyra wished that something would happen, but later would wish she had kept that thought in her subconscious.
Fang opened his mouth wide in a yawn, showing every single tooth he had in his long muzzle. Elisa came up with the news that the city was as quiet as a wooded glade, nothing was happening, even in the East side!
"You'd think Micheal and Demona were trying to bore us to death, but even they couldn't do that, could they?" Kyra said uncertainly.
"Micheal has so much power in the east side. He could do anything if he wanted to!" Elisa answered.
"Maybe I should spy, it would give me something to do if nothing else." Kyra replied. "Maybe Ryujin wants some help."
"Kyra you know he asked you not to follow him around." Angela reminded her, "You could end up like with Kyono."
"She's got a point, but we should find out why everything's so quiet. Usually the East side has some gang trouble, but even the gangs are cooling off for the night. It's as if every criminal in the city just up and quit." Elisa pointed out, "And I bet Micheal has something to do with it."
"If not Micheal, then Demona, she was hanging around Eyrie Tower today." Kyra added. "Well, technically, Dominique was. How did she come up with such a name? It means 'belonging to god'..."
"'Angel'... she's taunting you, Goliath." Elisa smirked and Goliath rolled his eyes.
"Demona was here? Why didn't you tell us sooner?" he asked Kyra.
"Because she wasn't up to anything, she was just standing around, she saw me but didn't come over." Kyra answered, "And I don't mean she just glanced over at me, she looked dead on at me. I thought she was going to come over and kill me."
"Probably would if there weren't so many people around." Brooklyn interrupted.
"No, she didn't even narrow her eyes at me, she just looked away and walked into the building." Kyra replied. "As if she didn't even know me."
"That's not like Demona. She'd at least try to intimidate Kyra, I wonder what she's up to." Goliath said, thinking.
"Demona's unpredictable, she's probably just taking a night off." Elisa replied.
"Along with Micheal?" Kyra asked, "No, she's up to something. But the question is... what?" she left immediately to answer her own question.
"This is perfect, Goliath and the Brat Pack have no idea what's going on, and neither does Elisa." Demona said. She smiled, something she rarely did, unless she was getting her way.
"Let's not count on the fact that the Gargoyles and Detective Maza are in the dark, they won't stay that way for long. And Kyra's quick, she'll catch on. You do have a plan for when that happens, don't you?" Micheal asked, scratching absently at his arm.
"Of course I do, they'll never stop us now. No one can, even that brat Kyra and her magic." Demona answered.
"Remember Demona, they don't always count on Kyra's magic. Elisa and the animals help too." Micheal pointed out.
"I'll be ready for them. If they dare interfere with my plan, they'll perish!" Demona threatened and left to get ready for her plan. Kyra had been spying and heard everything. Demona heard Kyra leaving and captured her in a short battle.
"You won't get away with your plan, Demona, the gargoyles will worry about me and come for you!" Kyra told her after she was chained up and put in a cage.
"That's exactly what I want you fool." Demona replied and went off to set the deadly traps. Unfortunately for her, Perige was with Kyra and hadn't been caught. He flew as fast as he could to get the gargoyles, and he would make sure Elisa didn't follow.
Brooklyn was relaxing on a parapet when Perige screamed out in warning. It surprised him so much he fell off, on the wrong side! He climbed back up and jumped over the parapet. Brooklyn glared at Perige as he landed.
"It's not his fault you weren't paying attention." Angela said accusingly as she came up to Brooklyn. "That could have just as easily been Demona, and she wouldn't scream at you. She'd shoot, and you'd never know she was there until it was too late."
"Whatever." Brooklyn replied nonchalantly.
"What is it?" Elisa asked. Ryujin came in behind her.
"Perige nearly killed me." Brooklyn answered.
"He did not." Angela said and hit Brooklyn on the shoulder, "Perige cried out and caught Brooklyn by surprise. He was on watch and didn't even notice a bird flying straight for him!"
"Do you have to dwell on it?" Brooklyn asked and walked away.
"Kyra must have sent the bird, right? Something happened." Ryujin decided.
"Maybe she was caught." Angela added.
"Kyra caught? It'll never happen." Brooklyn joked.
"It always has, and that's not funny, she could be in real trouble." Angela reprimanded.
"Sorry, I guess it's not very nice to joke about this, is it?" Brooklyn asked.
"No. Angela, get Goliath, we've got to move fast. Kyra was spying on Demona and Micheal, so she's either in Demona's lair, or in Micheal's room." Elisa answered.
"Either one is bad." Angela said and ran to find Goliath. She told him what happened when she found him and he hurried outside.
"We've got to find her now." Goliath said as he reached Elisa.
"I'm coming too. You'll need help." Ryujin replied.
"And we'll need a cop if Micheal's got Kyra." Brooklyn added, looking at Elisa.
"All Micheal could give Kyra right now is the chicken pox." Xanatos said, holding Alexander.
Perige immediately flew in front of Elisa and forced her back. "Kyra must have told Perige to do that, it's too dangerous for you to come along." Goliath realized.
"But what about you, if it's so dangerous, then you're in trouble too." Elisa told him. Perige cried out again, it was getting late and there was no telling what Demona had done to Kyra. Ryujin looked pretty anxious to get moving too, despite that he swore he was just her friend.
"You're sure you can handle Demona if she attacks?" Goliath asked.
"If?" Elisa joked, "I'll be fine Goliath, I've handled her before." Goliath gave in and Perige flew off, leading the Gargoyles to Demona's lair. Brooklyn waited a second and took Fang. Elisa and Ryujin went by car, following the gargoyles by radio.
"So, it was Demona. At least Kyra's got one problem behind her." Brooklyn sighed. Fang looked at the building and growled fiercely.
"She's not in the clear yet, Micheal might be in there." Angela reminded him.
"Must you always remind people about faults?" Brooklyn joked.
"Kyra was right, you joke too much." Angela told him. "Let's go and save her so she can hit you."
"And she says I joke too much." Brooklyn replied and the four teens crept closer to the building.
"Careful, you could get caught in a trap." Elisa warned, coming over with Ryujin. It was too late, a net snagged Lexington and a cage dropped on Brooklyn. Angela was safe for about three more steps then another net snagged her. Broadway got the hint and backed away, but a steel trap nearly got him.
"I don't think she's going to give up Kyra too easily." Angela said from the net.
"Hang on, I'll get you out." Goliath told her. Elisa caught him before he could step into the traps.
"Hold it, big guy. Remember what happened to them when they stepped out there." she warned.
"Then how do we get them out?" Broadway asked. He had frozen after jumping away from the steel trap.
"I'll do it, I think I can outrun any leftover traps." Elisa volunteered. She jumped over any disturbed ground and suspicious areas. Elisa got to Angela safely and cut her loose. Then Angela carefully crept to Brooklyn and with one good pull broke two bars of the cage. Lexington was right by Brooklyn so Brooklyn slashed the net apart and freed him.
"Now what?" Angela asked. "We're free, but there could be more traps."
"You're right, Angela." Elisa agreed, "Goliath be careful." she called as Goliath came over to them.
"That went too smoothly." Goliath replied after he got safely to the others. Ryujin simply jumped over to them, earning him a sarcastic "I hate you" look from Brooklyn. Well, half of it was sarcastic.
"Smoothly?" Brooklyn exclaimed, "A cage dropped on me, Lex and Angela were snared in nets, and Broadway almost got his foot sliced off!"
"No, Goliath's right, the rescue was too easy, no one else got caught." Elisa said worriedly. "I'm pretty sure Demona is up to something big, and I think the traps were to distract us."
"Very clever, Detective." Demona replied from a few yards ahead. She had crept over as the others busied themselves freeing each other. Goliath was too concerned about the traps to notice Demona coming up to the group.
"Where's Kyra?" Ryujin asked angrily, pulling out his sword.
"Well, well, another lover boy? That girl causes crushes faster than Marilyn Monroe..." Demona replied.
"I'm not her boyfriend... just her friend." Ryujin said seriously.
"I'm not telling where she is. Yet." Demona said as if he hadn't spoken.
"What do you mean?" Goliath asked cautiously.
"You'll see, and don't worry, I won't do anything to Kyra." Demona promised, "I'll leave that to someone more capable of making her suffer."
"You turn her over to Micheal and I'll kill you myself." Brooklyn threatened.
"Brooklyn, you're starting to sound like you care for that little hybrid. She's more human than gargoyle. Besides, you actually think you could kill me?" Demona laughed. "Remember, I'm not so easy to get rid of."
"Maybe not, but I'd make you suffer so much you'll wish you could die!" Brooklyn told her angrily.
"Relax, did I say I'd turn her over to Micheal?" Demona asked. "That boy's scratching too much to be able to keep her."
"You said you'd turn her over to someone who could make her suffer, and he's the only one you know." Elisa answered.
"Maybe he's the only one I'm friendly with, to a point, but there are many people I know who could do a lot more to her than he could." Demona replied, "You all might as well leave, there's nothing you can do. Besides, I can have you all arrested for trespassing."
Elisa and the teens looked over at Goliath who solemnly nodded and turned to leave. The others followed slowly. Angela held her head as high as she could, she wouldn't give Demona the privilege of knowing she'd broken everyone's spirits. Ryujin growled and it took Elisa grabbing his elbow and dragging him away to get him to leave.
"I can't believe you just gave up right there in front of your daughter, Goliath." Elisa said angrily after they all got home. Everyone else was inside, except for them, thinking of a way to stop Demona.
"I'm glad you don't believe it, because it's not true." Goliath told her. "I just wanted to throw Demona off, so she wouldn't suspect anything. Kyra's not the only tricky one about these things."
"Thank goodness, I thought you were actually getting weak around her!" Elisa exclaimed and threw her arms around his neck.
"We have to think fast, if we find out who Kyra's getting sent to, we can stop them before they do anything." Goliath replied, setting her back down.
"Demona said she wasn't sending Kyra to Micheal, at least in her own words she did." Elisa thought aloud, "So who does she hate, but know well enough that she could get them to take Kyra?"
"Or rather, who would want Kyra enough to get her from Demona, even though they hate her?" Goliath hinted, he'd gotten the idea immediately.
"She wouldn't, he wouldn't!" Elisa exclaimed in fear. "They wouldn't dare."
"Yes they would, they both want what they're getting, Demona's getting rid of Kyra, and Phalog's getting Kyra." Goliath replied.
"Let's get the others, we'll need them all if we're messing with the clones." Elisa told him.
"Are you sure we want Ryujin coming? He's a bit... out of control." Goliath replied
"Don't you think he'll want to come?" Elisa reasoned.
They all set off for Phalog's last known hideout, it was pretty shabby and had many carved stone gargoyles on it. The perfect place for a few real ones to hide. Kyra was already there, and chained to a wall outside. The chains were thick and the shackles were small enough Kyra couldn't slip her wrists through them, like Elisa had taught her.
"One of these days... I am going to keep my big mouth shut until I get out of earshot!" Kyra told herself, pulling at the iron chains. He had to use iron...
Phalog had thought of everything, Kyra couldn't transport herself away from the chains, for some reason her magick failed near iron. The shackles started to cut at her wrists, so she stopped and slumped against the wall. Suddenly Kyra heard a cry of anger from the east. She smirked.
"Bout damn time, guys..." she mumbled and tried to slip out of the chains one more time. "Ouch! Why the heck doesn't my magick work against iron?" Even turning human didn't work. Literally. She couldn't.
Of course Phalog took that precise moment to come back and bother her again. "What's the matter?" he asked tauntingly.
"Nothing." Kyra said innocently, "Just biding time."
"Until what?" he asked suspiciously. Just then the clan all landed right behind him. Ryujin pulled his sword out immediately.
"That." Kyra smirked.
"I didn't think you had the guts to show, Goliath." Phalog said, turning slowly.
"You stole one of my clan and expected me not to rescue her? What kind of gargoyle are you?" Goliath asked. Ryujin went over to cut Kyra loose.
"The smart kind." Phalog answered as Delilah attacked Ryujin. "I knew you'd bring your clan."
Angela slapped Delilah away from Ryujin and snarled. Kyra used her tail to trip the clone and grinned. Delilah cursed at Kyra, then got a tail whip in the face. "Watch your mouth." Kyra said and laughed. Angela held Delilah down.
"Nice one." Ryujin said, getting up.
"Thanks, now get me outta these so I can do even better!" Kyra replied, straining against the iron chains.
"Sure." Ryujin went over to Kyra and managed to free her legs when he was attacked by Brooklyn's double. Broadway attacked the clone and was tackled by his double, just as the other clones appeared out of the shadows.
"Why me?" Kyra sighed and curled her legs up to her arm shackles. "I guess if you want something done... do it yerself..." Her clawed feet hit a chain and broke it, freeing one of her arms just as a full-out battle began. Her weight wasn't ready for the drop and pulled down on her one chained arm. "Ouch!" she winced and looked over at the battle to help ignore the searing pain. Elisa helped Goliath against Phalog while the other Gargoyles and Ryujin fought the clones. Ryujin nearly killed a few of them.
Kyra snarled and pulled at the final chain, but it wouldn't break. "Damn it!" Kyra pulled backwards at the chain, trying to break it out of the wall, but it wouldn't budge. Delilah broke free of Angela's hold, and was about to slash Kyra's back, when Kyra's tail smacked her in the face and swept down, tripping her again. Delilah hit her head hard. "Oops, sorry." Kyra turned and smirked down at the unconscious clone. "Little help, Angie?"
Angela nodded, since Delilah was out of the way, she could help Kyra. Angela pulled at the chain, but it wouldn't break, even with Kyra's help. "Now what?" Angela sighed.
"Now we hope the battle doesn't last much longer." Kyra frowned, pulling at the chain until her wrist bled again.
One by one, the clones were defeated, first Lex's, then Broadway's, then Hudson's and Bronx's. They all helped Brooklyn and Ryujin and soon there was only Phalog, surrounded by six very angry gargoyles, Ryujin, and an armed cop.
"Looks like your clan loses again, Phalog." Elisa said sternly.
"Not quite yet, Detective..." Phalog grinned and jumped over Lexington and Bronx. He knocked Angela away from Kyra and broke the remaining chain. "I still have a trump card to play."
Goliath's eyes glowed and he stepped out of the group. Phalog pulled Kyra's free arm behind her and strained it until she winced and made a sound. Goliath stopped dead in his tracks. It took a lot of pain to make the street girl wince. Even Ryujin froze at seeing her cry out.
"Unless you want her back in pieces, stay there." Phalog growled. Kyra snarled and slashed his leg with her foot, making him yell out in pain. "Why you little brat...!" He pulled her arm more and made her shriek in pain and fall down on a knee. "That should stop your scratching."
"Wanna bet?" Kyra snarled and bent her captured wrist enough to slash his hand with her hand claws. He growled in pain as the two wounds bled.
"You'll pay for that!" Phalog snarled and let go of her hand, then picked her up by the throat with his other hand.
"No!" Goliath cried out.
"Kyra!" Brooklyn and Angela yelled together.
"Don't do it, Phalog!" Elisa shouted, training her gun on an open part of him.
Ryujin made a move to get behind but suddenly saw Phalog's eyes... he was going to kill Kyra before any of them could move close enough. "Put. Her. Down."
Kyra kicked and snarled, her eyes glowed the brightest they'd ever been. "Let me go you carbon copy!" she gasped.
"You want her?" Phalog asked with a sinister glow in his eyes. "Get her." he threw her over the roof. She screamed so loudly with such a high pitch it hurt the gargoyle's ears. The scream stopped suddenly with a sickening crack against the edge of the roof, she'd be unconscious as she fell now.
"KYRA!!" Brooklyn and Goliath yelled and ran towards Phalog. Goliath tackled him and pinned him down while Brooklyn dived off the roof. The rest of the clan ran to the edge of the roof to watch.
Ryujin slowly went up to Phalog and put the sword right on the gargoyle's throat. "Don't even think about breathing, pal."
"He's not going to make it!!" Broadway cried out, looking down at Brooklyn.
"Never say never, Broadway..." Elisa frowned. "You'll jinx it."
Brooklyn was only a few inches from Kyra's tail, but those inches would mean her life if he didn't drop faster. He decided to take a risk and close his wings completely, making him fall like a rock. But it was a controlled and aimed fall...
"Brooklyn!" Angela yelled. "Open your wings you idiot!"
"He's gonna hit with her!" Lexington covered his eyes.
Just before Kyra hit the ground, Brooklyn caught up to those few inches and grabbed her tail, flinging her above him and catching the wall with his free hand. Kyra flew up a foot or so, then fell again, this time Brooklyn caught her ankle and hung on. She was still knocked out cold, unable to hold on so he could carry her up.
"Guys! Little help?" Brooklyn called up to the clan. Lexington uncovered his eyes and cheered while Angela climbed down and took Kyra. She carried Kyra up while Brooklyn followed.
"Is she?" Broadway asked.
"She's alive. Just out cold." Brooklyn answered.
"Lucky for him." Ryujin said shortly, keeping the sword on Phalog.
Just then, Kyra moved a bit and groaned in pain. "Uuuh..... my head...." she put a hand up to the back of her head and pulled it away bloody. "That lousy excuse for a carbon paper drawing is gonna pay!" Her eyes glowed brightly and Phalog kicked Goliath off him. Ryujin was tripped by Phalog's tail and hit the groud with a loud grunt, still holding his sword.
"I think it's time to go. Delilah, gather the others and move it." he ordered and started to back away. The other clones retreated immediately.
"Not so fast, Fakey..." Kyra snarled and leapt at Phalog, covering the few feet between them in a moment. They rolled and slashed at each other until it was getting hard to tell who was who.
"Goliath, pull them apart before one kills the other!" Elisa shouted.
Just then Kyra was launched up in the air by a well placed kick. She landed on a stone gargoyle and broke it into pebbles and fragments. She screamed in pain and tried to get up. Before she could, Phalog got to her and slashed her again. She was caught right on the cheek and rolled over to one side from the force. There was a silence that followed for what seemed like eternity.
"That ended quickly." Phalog said smugly and turned to walk away.
Just before Ryujin could stand up and attack Phalog for killing Kyra, she moved slightly. Her hand grabbed a fragment of statue and threw it with all her strength at Phalog's head. It caught him right in the back of his head and made him stagger. Kyra was famous for fighting until she was dead or won. And she wasn't ready to die.
She pulled herself up slowly and growled in pain. "It's not over yet, you hunk-a-granite!" she steadied herself and leaned on the remains of the statue she'd fallen through. Her whole body was bloodied, stained red. Even her hair was matted with blood, it didn't catch the moonlight at all.
"Kyra! Stop, you'll die if you keep going!" Angela said desperately, stepping forward. Goliath caught her shoulder.
Kyra smiled at her friends. "It'll take more than this wannabe to get rid of me." She slapped her tail against Phalog's back like a whip, making him yell and turn to face her.
"You never know when to quit and go home, do you?" he snarled.
"This city is my home. And I don't think there's room for two feuding clans here." Kyra said, wiping blood out of her eyes.
"Kyra, please. This can finish another day!" Brooklyn said, starting to go out to her, but Goliath caught his shoulder too.
"Let her do what she wants. You should know by now she does what has to be done." he told the two young gargoyles.
"Dying never has to be done." Angela frowned.
"For the right cause it does." Kyra told her, then looked at Ryujin sadly. "For other lives." she added and turned to Phalog. "I won't let you live here. Either leave or..."
"Or what? You'll turn as bad as Demona and kill your own kind?" Phalog laughed.
Kyra growled. "You're not my kind. You're an unreasonable facsimile." she swung her tail and tripped him. "And I don't like anything unreasonable in my home."
"Who are you going to kill next, Kyra? Demona? Micheal? A real gargoyle and a helpless human?" Phalog snarled.
Kyra narrowed her brightly glowing eyes. "Demona's not a real gargoyle, she's a demon. And Micheal's anything but helpless."
"So you will kill them?" Phalog asked as if he was shocked by the fact.
"If they don't stop hurting people, yes." Kyra told him, waving her tail like a snake ready to strike.
"Maybe instead of killing Demona you should join her..." Phalog smirked and slid up to his feet, running away and jumping off the roof. He barely avoided the blast Kyra sent at him. Kyra growled and leaned on a wall, nearly fainting.
"You all right, kiddo?" Elisa asked.
Kyra frowned and wiped blood off her arm. "I've been better." she cut a glance to where Phalog had flown off. "Elisa..."
"What?"
Kyra sighed dismissively and shook her head. "Nothing... Goliath, can we go now?" she frowned and looked at the bloodstained ground. Some of that blood wasn't hers. Some of the blood on her wasn't hers either. She'd never fought so viciously... Maybe instead of killing Demona you should join her...
Ryujin frowned and went over to her, wrapping his arms around her battered body. "Are you okay?" she knew what he meant. Any other time she would have welcomed his slip-up of emotion.
"I don't know. I'm not sure I'll ever know..." Kyra sighed, then pushed him away and walked off, "I need time alone... I'll meet up with you guys later..."
"Kyra--" Brooklyn started, but Goliath stopped him.
"All right. We'll see you later tonight..." Goliath said, uncertain whether or not that was true. Ryujin glared at him for letting her leave.
Kyra glided off to the Harlem River and stared at her reflection. Her hair was spiked and messed up with blood and sweat. It almost resembled Demona's. Especially with the red tint that showed when light hit it. You'll turn as bad as Demona and kill your own kind? Kyra bared her teeth at the reflection and hit the water.
Was he right? Am I becoming my enemy? Kyra thought and looked solemnly down at her reflection again as the water calmed. She remembered Angela's worrying. She's blood relation to Demona... and she's normal... "Maybe I'm worried over nothing..."
Yeah right... and maybe Phalog just has a few bottles of ketchup spilled all over him... her mind snapped suddenly. Kyra smacked her reflection again and growled. She wiped more blood off her face and frowned at it. Then smiled at her pale skin and challenging black pearl eyes.
"What do I care what he thinks." she said finally and cannonballed into the water.
The area where she splashed in was tinted red for a minute, then the blood gradually absorbed into the pure water and Kyra surfaced with her hair bouncing back the moonbeams again. She'd become human in the water, to feel even more like herself. She floated upright in the water for a moment, feeling the water run out of her bangs and onto her face, cleaning out the slashes on her cheek. She winced a bit as the wound became refreshed and bled again. She'd have to get bandages soon. But for now she was content to just feel the water around her wash away the blood and sweat of her battle.
Finally Kyra was getting lightheaded and decided she needed to get home, fast. She'd spent too much time away from aid, when she'd needed it immediately. She'd never make it back... but she'd have to try... She started walking to Eyrie Tower, dripping bloody water behind her.
She started to feel faint after a few blocks and stopped to lean on a crate. Then she noticed where she was. "Oh great... I hope Mikey's still too contagious to leave the base..." she said. She blacked out as a form stepped out of the shadows behind her.
Elisa was fuming at Goliath about letting Kyra go off on her own; Ryujin hadn't even gone back to the castle, he was searching the riverside. "She could be dying right now, Goliath! Those wounds needed help hours ago!"
"Don't you think I know that? So does she. The point is, she didn't want to get the wounds healed. She left." Goliath said sternly, looking down at the nearest river.
"She was pissed and scared. She wasn't thinking straight. And right now I don't think you are either because of the same reason. Phalog lied, Goliath, you know Kyra's nothing like Demona." Elisa said angrily and turned to face the others. "I'm going to go help Ryujin find her before she bleeds to death."
"We'll help, Elisa, it's a big city..." Brooklyn said and the trio left with Angela.
Hudson came up behind Goliath. "I agree with you that the child's choice was her own, but maybe that wee lass's decision making skills are a bit impaired. Elisa was right. She's scared, wounded, and she's been fed very well thought up lies. She may want to die."
Goliath's frown grew deeper, then angry. His eyes glowed and he jumped up on the parapet.
"Where are you going, lad?" Hudson asked.
"To get Kyra home before she lets herself die or worse."
"Do you know where she went?"
"Knowing her, she went to the Harlem River... it's her 'turf'." Goliath replied and glided off on the fastest wind current he could catch.
Kyra opened her eyes to find the pain was considerably less and her body felt stronger. Am I dead? she asked herself, then her vision cleared and she saw a familiar face looking down at her. "Ryujin..."
"Bout time you came around." he said curtly with a faint smirk.
Kyra laughed, "Sorry, I can't help what a negative bloodcell count does to my body. How did you find me?" she looked around, she was in an abandoned building, the one Ryujin had moved into.
"Brooklyn told me you always came to that river when you were upset." Ryujin said concernedly. "Just what the hell was that guy? I thought you said gargoyles are good!"
"It wasn't a real gargoyle. It was a clone of one of them... he didn't like the side I was taking of things and we had a slight argument. Well a carry-over argument from before I left."
"Kyra, you nearly died tonight! Can't those guys fight without you?"
"They can't. That's the problem... They need me. They're family." Kyra sighed.
"You are more stubborn than the rock those guys were chiseled from!" Ryujin snarled.
"Where else would I go?" Kyra replied sternly. "If I'd stayed in the gang I would have been raped. And I never would have met you."
"Who would rape you?" Ryujin asked, his eyes blazing with an inner blue fire.
"Micheal." Kyra said angrily and tried to get up, but a stabbing pain in her head stopped her. "Ow" she scowled and slid slowly out of bed.
"Just where are you going?" Ryujin frowned.
"Home." Kyra said shortly and picked up her bloodstained shirt, pulling it over her bandages. "The others will be worried sick. They might even think I'm dead."
"You're hurt, you should rest." Ryujin said, crossing his arms.
"I'm fine. Leave me alone. I don't want Elisa and the Xanatoses losing sleep over me." she turned back to the door and walked out. It was morning. Kyra cursed, sure that by then everyone thought she was dead somewhere.
She started off to Eyrie Tower again, hoping that she hadn't worried everyone too much. She snuck in the back entrance with her code and went straight to the castle, without Xanatos seeing her. She looked out at the parapets, all the Gargoyles were gone, looking for her. Even Hudson and Bronx had gone out eventually. Kyra sighed and went up to her room and fell asleep on her bed.
The next night, everyone returned to the castle, worried and depressed. They'd spent all the previous night looking for Kyra, and Elisa had used the whole day as well. Of course, they didn't find a trace of her. Bronx smelled her blood near the gang base, but she wasn't there.
"I shouldn't have let her go off." Goliath sighed
"It wasn't your fault. She would have gone off even if you demanded she go home." Elisa told him and put her hand on his arm.
Xanatos came out with an odd look on his face. "Detective?"
"What is it Xanatos?" Elisa asked, obviously a bit stressed.
"You didn't happen to use the back way to come up sometime today did you?" he asked
"Xanatos, you know I don't go in through the back unless someone's following. Why?" Elisa crossed her arms.
"Someone did. The code was entered a few hours after dawn. Only two people who don't work here besides you know it."
"Ryujin and Kyra..." Elisa realized, looking up at Goliath.
He smiled as the others returned. "Maybe we didn't find her because she wasn't out there."
"It might have been Ryujin, Goliath." Brooklyn told him. "He didn't come back with us."
Elisa frowned and looked up at Kyra's tower. "I'm afraid to go up there. What if she's not there?"
"Somebody has to go up there." Lexington said.
"I'll go." Brooklyn volunteered and went up the stairs. He came back down frowning. "Nothing...."
Suddenly a shadowed figure came through the doors of the hall that led to the kitchen. "Yeesh, I go to get some dinner and I find my best friend coming down from snooping in my room. Remind me to keep that door locked, will you, guys?"
"KYRA!" Brooklyn shouted and ran over, picking her up and giving her a tight hug.
"OW! Hey, watch the wounds!!!" Kyra laughed.
"How long have you been up here?" Elisa asked.
"Since this morning. The building wasn't open so I used the back entrance, I was sleeping in my room and woke up a half- hour ago." Kyra answered as Brooklyn put her down. "I changed my clothes and went to the kitchen for food. Then you guys got back."
"You had us all scared to death!" Brooklyn told her.
"I didn't mean to. I tried to get back last night. But I fainted." Kyra replied.
"Where'd you get the bandages?" Angela asked.
"Ryujin took care of me until I woke up." Kyra answered and smiled. "I never meant to scare you all...."
"We know, Kyra... Just please don't ever do that again!" Goliath sighed and she ran over to hug him. "When you need help, get it, don't go off and contemplate things first. Okay?"
"Got it." Kyra said and smiled.
Goliath laughed. "Good. Now, since you had so long to think. Did you figure anything out?"
"Yep." Kyra nodded. "Phalog lied. I'm not Demona."
"You just now know that?!?!" Brooklyn said and mock fainted. "Come on Kyra, that's what scared you?!?"
"Hey, I was in pain and weak, I wasn't thinking straight." Kyra stuck her tongue out at him.
"All right, you two, enough squabbling. Kyra, rest for the night. You lost a lot of blood." Elisa said and nodded up to the tower.
"Okay. 'Night guys. See ya tomorrow." Kyra hugged everybody and dashed up to bed. "Oh, and somebody go tell Ryujin I'm sorry for snapping at him this morning."
"That is a weak girl?" Xanatos asked, wide-eyed.
"Gargoyles heal fast." Goliath said and smiled.