2
Pale like death...
Night. The moonlight
cast its pale glow over the whole city. It illuminated the courtyard
of the Wyvern Castle, resting high atop the Xanatos Tower. If one
were to stand in the center of that courtyard, an uninvited guest
perhaps, then they would be immediately detected by any one of the
dozens of motion detectors, security cameras, and other security
apparatus all over the building. This would cause an almost
instantaneous response that would leave such an intruder very
unsatisfied.
But yet the figure
that stalked across the battlements of the castle seemed to be having
no such problem. He leapt into the air, somersaulting over the
security apparatus' line of detection, landing gracefully on his
feet before the large doorway that led into the interior of the
castle and office building. He chuckled, and held up one long
finger. It stiffened out, becoming solid as a tree branch. He stuck
the pointed end of this finger into the automated lock, and began to
fidget around.
David Xanatos smiled
as he closed the door. His son was sleeping peacefully, tucked into
his crib, clutching his favorite stuffed animal. It was a peaceful
sight, and it warmed his heart to be a part of it.
He walked down the
hall, hands in his pockets, heading for the bedroom he shared with
his lovely bride. He found Fox laying under the blankets, reading a
book. She looked up from it when he entered and smiled.
"Finally fell
asleep, huh?"
"Took me a while,
but I managed to wear him out." David said, chuckling softly. He
prepared for bed, changing into his pajamas. He was just about to
slide into bed when the sound of blaring alarms ripped the peace of
the evening to shreds.
"What's that?"
Fox shouted, leaping out of the bed.
"Someone's trying
to break into the office!" Xanatos shouted as he tore the door to
their bedroom open. He charged down the hallways, Fox racing behind
him. "Of all times for Owen to take the night off" Xatanos
growled to himself when he stopped in front of the door to his
personal office. He grimaced at the destroyed locks, and then pushed
the door open just a crack, trying to get a view inside.
Attempted break in's,
corporate espionage, spies from rival companies, David Xanatos had
dealt with all of these before. But the thief that was currently
digging around in the safe at the far end of the office was unlike
any he had ever seen before. He was inhumanly thin, his arms and
legs measuring only a few inches around easily. His pinstripe suit
covered most of his body, and the top of his head was hidden by a
brimmed cap. Xatanos took a moment to calm himself, and then threw
the door open.
The thief turned, and
Xatanos' astonishment only grew. His face was almost totally
featureless, save for a mouth with lip so red it looked grotesque.
From below where his nose should have been, his face was pale white,
giving him an almost clown-like appearance. He grinned a foul,
death's head grin when he sax Xanatos.
"I don't know how
you got in here, but I would advise you to step away from there,
before I have you escorted out." David Xanatos knew he could be
menacing, and he put on his best leer to try to scare his enemy.
"You must be the
legendary David Xanatos" the stranger giggled, "Killing you
should be a true delight!" Xanatos charged, ready to use his
extensive martial arts training. The intruder simply chuckled as he
moved to meet him. "You're simply a pathetic human without even
a megadeus to protect you. What could you possibly do to me?"
Xanatos threw a series
of well-aimed punches and kicks, but to his astonishment the intruder
dodged each one with simply uncanny speed. But he took advantage of
the last punch, grabbing Xanatos' wrist, yanking him into the air,
and slamming him down onto his own desk. It collapsed under him,
sending Xanatos crashing to the floor amidst a pile of broken wood.
"Strong for a
scrawny guy, aren't you?" Xanatos muttered between the pain.
The intruder held one
hand up. Xanatos watched in amazement as his fingers stiffened out
into long spikes, and then his whole hand began to rotate at the
wrist, turning into a large drill. He began to lower this strange
weapon down toward Xanatos when Fox leapt into action, grabbing his
drill-hand by the wrist and attempting to throw him across the room
with it.
But, instead, he threw
her. As he hauled her overhead, she took a slash across her thigh
from the drill. She shrieked as she tumbled through the air, bashing
against the wall and sliding down onto her back.
The intruder looked
down at Xanatos, strill struggling to get back to his feet. He
reached into his pocket and withdrew what he had taken from the safe;
a single computer disk.
"Thank you for these
marvelous memories! I'm sure they will come in handy." He spun
and charged out of the room, beating a hasty retreat.
As he came to the
doorway that would lead him back out into the courtyard, he was met
with something he hadn't expected. A large form lumbered into the
doorway, and they collided head on. He quickly regained his footing
with expert balance, and paused to examine whoever was blocking his
way.
"Who're you?"
Broadway asked. The intruder's jaw dropped, and he took a
reflexive step back.
"What in the name
of..."
"Stop that man!"
Xanatos hollered as he came running down the hall.
Broadway did not need
anymore than that. He leapt for the intruder, intending to tackle
him and pin him down to the ground with his far greater bulk. But
instead the intruder pulled a perfectly acrobatic display, leaping
over Broadway's head and landing behind him.
"And what are you?"
the intruder said as he reached into his suit. He withdrew a long,
golden pistol. He pointed it at the three with a grin, his finger
tightening on the trigger. A pair of powerful arms coiled around him
from behind and hauled him off his feet.
"Who's this
weirdo?" Brooklyn said as he tried to keep a hold of the intruder.
But then, in an even more shocking move, the intruder's legs seemed
to almost reverse their position on his waist. They snapped around
Brooklyn, and the intruder launched himself backward, as if doing a
hand spring. He hurdled Brooklyn away with his legs and then
straightened back up.
"There was nothing
in the memories about this!" he said, his shock registering in his
previously maniacal voice.
"He's certainly
unlike anyone I've ever seen" Lexington said as he floated down
alongside his brothers. The intruder recovered from his surprise
quickly and smiled that same evil smile.
"I would so love to
stay and disembowel you all, but I am afraid I simply cannot miss my
travel plans!" he held his metal hand up, and the tip of his index
finger shot off from the rest of his hand, a long chord trailing
behind it. It latched into the castle battlements, and yanked him
up. He landed once again on his feet.
"You're going
nowhere lad!" came a new voice. The intruder spun just in time to
dodge the swing of Hudson's sword. He ducked and dodged several
more blows before slamming his foot into Hudson's abdomen, throwing
him back. He grimaced at the sight of the other three young
gargoyles charging up the stairs. He made his escape by leaping over
the side of the building.
"That fool!"
Hudson shouted as he watched the intruder tumble through the air.
But their immediate concerns were put to rest when once again he
fired his chord. It wrapped around a flagpole sticking out from the
side of the building, and he lowered himself gently to the ground.
No sooner had his feet
touched down when the screech of tires and the glare of headlights
overcame him.
"Hold it right
there!" Elisa shouted from over her gun as she climbed out of her
car. Matt Bluestone climbed out from the other door. They both
approached him carefully.
"If those things up
there couldn't stop me, you two certainly can't either." The
stranger giggled. He held up his own gun, pointing it directly at
the two. But then he turned it aside and fired off several shots
into the people on the streets before he took off running away.
Elisa and Matt both hesitated, taken totally by surprise.
"Matt, take care of
the wounded people, I'll go after him!" Elisa shouted. Her
partner nodded in agreement.
She chased the
attacker for several blocks when finally he disappeared into an
alley. She rounded the bend, and found him standing in the center of
the alley, waiting for something. She leveled her weapon at him once
again. "Okay buddy, just stay right where you are..."
"I would so love to
oblige, but I am afraid I must be going." He cackled over his
shoulder. The wind suddenly picked up, blowing pieces of trash and
debris across the ground. The air seemed to grow thick, and static
crackled along Elisa's clothes. She yelped when a spark leapt from
her gun to her hand. Her eyes flicked around, trying to find the
source of whatever was happening. But now small surges of
electricity began to crackle in the air. And then, before Elisa's
stunned eyes, a hole seemed to open in the very air itself, rippling
with energy. The stranger started to step toward it.
"Hold it!" Elisa
shouted. She tackled into him, the both of them landing inside the
tunnel behind the hole.
"Get off! Get off
me you little fool!" they struggled against each other. But before
anything more could happen, the hole closed, leaving everything as it
had been.
