Gargoyles and The Goliath Chronicles are copyright Walt Disney/Buena Vista. No copyright infringement is intended. Thank you very much to Samuel B. for his beta-reading.

Seeing Jasmine isn't believing, part 4

In her prison in the clock tower, Elisa had been preparing her plan. She couldn't break from her cage. She knew she wouldn't be heard if she shouted. She couldn't try to fool Proteus, it would be crazy. But maybe she would have a chance with Sevarius.

"So, what's so great about my DNA?" she asked one afternoon, just after Proteus had left. The scientist was working on a glass container where a clone of the shapeshifter was resting. He stepped back, looked at the clone the way an artist looks at his masterpiece and turned to the cop.

"Your DNA? What do you mean, exactly?"

"You told me there's something special about Native American DNA."

Sevarius frowned. He was not stupid and could guess that Elisa Maza was trying to manipulate him. "Since when are you interested in genetics?" he asked.

"Why couldn't I? Medical detectives do exist, you know. Last month a criminal was identified through the blood he had left on the crime scene. I'd like to know if there are racial markers in blood."

Maybe Sevarius should have been more suspicious but he thought the detective couldn't harm him and he couldn't help talking about his favourite subject. "There are much more than what you call racial markers in blood", he started to explain. "In fact…"

For the ten following minutes, Elisa had to prevent herself from yawning. That man made her think of all the most boring teachers she had ever had, rolled in one. I do this because Proteus's army of clones is about to take over New York City. I do this because he may harm someone I care for at any moment. I must look interested…

"And what's the deal with Proteus's DNA?" she asked when the scientist seemed out of breath. "Is it more difficult to clone?"

"It is both more and less difficult to clone. The sequencing…"

Elisa waited again. Sevarius wasn't used to speaking that much. He was getting thirsty. The raven-haired detective saw him getting up and helping himself to a glass of water. She stretched an arm out. "Can I have some, too?"

The mad scientist nodded and gave her a paper cup. Proteus had forbidden him to give the prisoner anything that could be used as a weapon, and that included glasses and cups. He put a wry face when drinking his own. "It's warm…"

"Yes, it is", Elisa agreed. "I'd prefer better water or even something else to drink but… well, I guess that's all that we'll have. Pity. Do your clones look good?"

"It's not a matter of how they look", Sevarius explained proudly. "A clone can look perfectly normal and have damaged DNA. My clones are perfect. In fact…"

"Wow…" Elisa interrupted. "You've been working very hard for him."

"Indeed!"

"And he doesn't even let you drink anything but warm water…"

Sevarius shrugged. Yes, he had been working like mad, creating these clones but the owner of that great DNA didn't seem to be the generous type. Being locked in a small space with an angry prisoner, no comfort and no distractions was not what he called perfect conditions of work. Elisa was smiling at him empathically. They were close enough to touch each other. She took some coins from her pocket and gave them to him.

"There's a coffee machine in the precinct, just next to the entrance of the stairs. You bring me back a black coffee with sugar and you take whatever you want, ok?"

Elisa stepped back, hoping it would work. One hour earlier, she had ripped her photo from her police badge and carved the words HELP and STAIRS on it with her fingernails. While talking to Sevarius, she had discreetly put this photo into a pocket of his white coat. There was no coffee machine just next to the entrance of the stairs. If she was lucky, he was going to look further, someone was going to notice him, and then they were going to question him and to find the photo. She would be free again. If she was lucky.

In other circumstances, the mad scientist would have been more mistrusting. But he had been working for hours and was too mentally tired to think about very much. The sweet taste of caffeine was too tempting and maybe he would also find a junk food machine downstairs. A fair amount of sugar would surely be comforting. "Yes…" he said finally. "You, don't go anywhere…"

OoOoOOoo

Taurus approached the haven of New York City with the same feeling of disgust he had the previous time. Polluted air, water so dirty that a merperson would never be able to survive for more that one hour… Not that those humans would be kind to merpeople anyway. But how could they do that to the place they were living in? They are not all entirely bad. Elisa Maza is… probably in danger just now. I don't even know where she lives…But the gargoyles do. I just have to find the castle in top of the highest building. Easy task.

Nobody was looking up and his vehicle was silent, as opposed to the humans' archaic cars. He went unnoticed to the Eyrie building, stopped at a good distance and stayed in the shadows. Goliath was talking to a blond human in the courtyard. Apparently, they were arguing. Had he been on New Olympus, the minotaur would have attacked the human and put him on prison but now he was the trespasser. All that he could do was wait.

OoOoOOoo

The leader of the Manhattan Clan growled and glided into the night. Apparently Owen couldn't help because little Alex was sick! Halflings were not immune to infantile diseases apparently and even though the baby would be healed in a few days, it still prevented him from using his fey powers to find out what was happening with Elisa. It seemed that fate was playing a trick against them.

There was still the Demona option. But before he had time to wonder where to look for her, he saw…

"Taurus?"

"I don't have much time for talking, Goliath."

Quickly, the New Olympian explained the situation to the lavender gargoyle. Goliath thought about quickly. "I see. Proteus is probably currently pretending to be Elisa. I can't understand why I have been so stupid, not seeing this."

"Proteus has already tricked people who were cleverer than the two of us", the minotaur stated. Goliath nodded, it was true but it was not very comforting. So Elisa had spent all this days at the mercy of that mad killer. And maybe he had… no, he didn't want to think that he could have killed her! "I'll gather my clan," Goliath said finally.

OoOoOOoo

Maria Chavez could hardly believe her eyes. So the mad scientist who had recently escaped from prison had kidnapped one of her best cops and he had been hiding her in this very building. It was crazy. And it explained a lot of things, even though it raised even more questions. Detective Maza had apparently lost a few pounds and had rings under her eyes like someone who hasn't slept enough lately, her clothes needed a good wash, but she seemed as sane and determined as ever. "Someone has taken my place recently" she explained again.

"Someone? A clone created by Sevarius?"

"Yes. No. I mean, he's not the only person involved in that story." Elisa started explaining her version of what had happened without mentioning Proteus or New Olympus. She could see that it didn't sound credible. Captain Chavez's face was unreadable. When the story was over, she just nodded.

"Go home now, Maza. You need a bath and a good night of sleep."

Maria Chavez could tell that Elisa was not telling her the entire truth but she didn't really care. Maza was a good cop, trusting her had always been the best option and she had other problems to take care of just now. Dozens of pieces of lab material had been found in the clock tower and there was broken glass all around the place. When Elisa had been asked what had happened, she had just answered: "the clones have broken free". It was more worrying.

In another room, Elisa tried to summarize everything that had happened to a puzzled Matt Bluestone. The clones had broken free just after Sevarius had left for coffee. They had immediately taken the looks of the first thing alive they could see, that was Elisa. And then they had grown tired of looking like her and they had imitated a bird and flied away from the clock tower. When her colleagues had entered the room, they had only found her. She had been lucky. Or unlucky.

"I'm calling a taxi", Elisa finally said, getting up.

"No, I'll drive you home" Matt protested, thinking she needed to have at least a friend with her after those days spent imprisoned.

"I'm not going home. I'll go to Castle Wyvern and warn everyone. The army of clones may already be there!"

Matt sighed. No doubt possible, his partner was really back, and she wouldn't rest before everything was over, whether he helped her or not, so he'd better help her. "Phone them", he said, handing her his mobile phone. "But I'm driving…"

OoOoOOoo

In a street, Quarrymen were demonstrating like TGC Quarrymen (that is to say, brandishing their hammers proudly and looking stupid, very unlike the frightened citizens that can be seen in "The Journey" or in the SLG comic-books). John Castaway was making a speech, encouraging violence, and everyone was listening to him in rapt delight. On a rooftop, the Trio were watching them in dismay, still unaware that Goliath needed them.

They left, thinking that staring at them wouldn't help anybody. A few minutes later, six pigeons landed on another rooftop. They turned into Quarrymen, and then into Elisa, and then into other citizens, laughing. They were obviously having fun. Then a gargoyle landed into them and turned into Proteus. He frowned at them. Something was wrong: Sevarius had told him that the clones wouldn't be ready for a week. He had also promised that the clones would be normally clever, and these ones were giggling and playing like happy little kids. Could the scientist have lied to him?

"Stop this!" he shouted.

The clones stared at him. Then one of them giggled again and said: "The last one on that rooftop is a big pinhead!" And they all turned into pigeons again and flied away. Proteus sighed again and followed them.

"Listen to me, clones!" he announced. "You are going to obey me…"

"No, you were last, you're the pinhead!" a clone protested. "A forfeit for you!"

"A forfeit! A forfeit!" they all shouted. "You turn into the biggest thing possible, or you don't play any more!"

Proteus signed again and turned into a Cyclops. The clones all giggled and clapped and tried to imitate him. Proteus shouted.

"We are NOT here to play!"

"We are! We are!" they protested. "You killjoy, we want to play!"

Proteus gave in. "All right, children, we are here to play. And I am going to teach you a new game, a very fun game, I'm sure you are going to love it. It is called 'Devastating New York City and New Olympus'."

To be concluded…