The Beholder Part Three
Summary: In which Puck snatches defeat from the jaws of victory. Focuses mostly on his thoughts during "Future Tense," with a lot of dialogue taken from that episode.
"And now, my lady wife, now it is time for the Gathering." – Oberon, to Titania, in "Ill Met by Moonlight."
"Owen, are you alright?"
David Xanatos was looking at him with some concern, and Puck couldn't blame him. They'd been quite calmly discussing the company's latest business venture when he had suddenly gasped and shivered, precisely as if he'd been struck by a blast of icy cold wind. But for the moment, he could not answer.
She had been right.
The Gathering was upon them, beginning even now. Oberon had spoken the words. He could ignore the call no longer. He would have to leave here, leave all this delightful fun, give up the game, go toddling back to Avalon.
Avalon. Avalon was … paradise. Avalon, with its eternal summer and its sweet breezes and its powerful magic – oh its magic, its lifeblood, his lifeblood, the sense of it thrumming through him, making him feel safe and strong and home …
He'd be so happy to be back there.
Well, at least he would for about the first five minutes or so. Possibly longer, but he doubted it.
After that, he'd be bored to tears.
After all, whatever was there to do on Avalon that he hadn't done a thousand times before? Piss off the Weird Sisters, plot mischief with his fellow tricksters (well, at least Coyote), play another prank on grumpy old Odin …
All of those things were fun, but they got old really fast.
Of course, there was another very pleasant activity he could engage in, one that never proved tiresome, but after all these centuries, Puck suspected it would take some rather creative persuasion on his part. Not that he wasn't up to the challenge, but as she wasn't planning on going back either …
Really, it wasn't the returning home part that bothered him so much as the staying home. Back before the banishment, in the days when they all could come and go as they pleased, Puck would frequently revisit Avalon in between excursions in the mortal world. And when he got tired of its paradise, he could simply leave.
But this time would be different. For just as the length of time for the banishment had been indefinite, so would it be with the Gathering, he was sure. Oberon was funny that way…
"Owen!" Xanatos' tone had shifted from puzzled concern to borderline panic. He blinked and composed himself, rapidly recovering the stoic demeanor of his mortal guise.
"Forgive me, sir." He said smoothly. "My mind was … elsewhere for a moment."
"I'll say. You looked like you'd seen a ghost or something."
"I appreciate your concern sir, but I'm perfectly fine." He attempted a reassuring smile, but then he remembered that was something Owen didn't really do. So he launched back into the discussion of the business at hand, trying hard to ignore the imperious voice in the back of his mind, like an itch he couldn't scratch. It was Oberon's words, his summons, his command, over and over: Come home come home come home.
There was a way out of this. There had to be…
And then it came to him. So obvious, so simple. Why hadn't he thought of it before?
The Gate. Goliath had the Phoenix Gate. If he could get Goliath to give it to him, he could try bribing Oberon with it. That just might work!
As soon as his meeting with Xanatos was over, he excused himself for the rest of the evening. Owen may have been the hardest working assistant a mortal ever had, but still, he did have some time to himself. Time to be himself, and wear his true form again.
Owen's smooth blonde hair and sensible business attire gave way to the Puck's wild, flowing white locks and brightly colored jester's garb. Silently, he sent out his magical energy, gradually feeling a picture form in his mind …
A skiff. There was Detective Maza, the beast Bronx (he really should've gone with the Chihuahua), the "new" gargoyle Angela that David had met in Arizona (he wondered if Coyote would be sore at him about that whole business), and … Goliath.
"Oberon is gathering his magical children home to Avalon," he heard Goliath say. "I wish Avalon would finally send us home as well."
"You and me both," Maza said.
"I miss the trio and Hudson. I've give much to see Manhattan's spires again."
Puck grinned. Oberon's law forbade him from directly interfering in human affairs, but how nice of Goliath to give him the perfect loophole to exploit. If Luna* didn't hate him so much, he'd almost think Fate was on his side.
A flash of lightning was all it took for him to come up with his plan. He was actually rather pleased with himself. A most elaborate ruse it was. A most delicious nightmare.
"Attention. By entering these waters you are violating Manhattan national sovereignty. Prepare for apprehension."
This was going to be such fun! But he'd have to be careful not to get carried away. Eyes on the prize and all that.
But it was such a magnificently twisted world he'd created to obtain his prize. Rather brilliant, if Puck did say so himself. And who knew, some of it might even come true…
It was kind of funny when "Brooklyn" punched Goliath in the face. But then he had to listen to Goliath blather on for a while. He decided the situation needed some pathos, so he brought out an eye-less Broadway, mentioned the deaths of Maggie, Talon, and Coldstone.
"If there were anything I could do to change this …" Goliath said, bowing his head.
Inwardly, Puck smiled. "Wait a minute. The Phoenix Gate. Tell me you have it."
Goliath took out the Gate and showed it to him. Oh, if not for those damn rules, he could have just snatched it right out of his talons! But as it was … "We've got to go back and stop all this from ever happening!"
"Impossible," Goliath said, putting the Gate way. "Time is like a river, correcting its course against any change. History cannot be altered."
What the … ? That is the stupidest pile of self-righteous crap I have ever heard! What the hell do you know about time, you big dumb rock!
Inwardly, Puck fumed. "Look around you, Goliath. What have we got to lose by trying?"
But Goliath was more interested in "fixing" things in the present, damn him.
Oh well. If at first you don't succeed … time to introduce another player onto his stage.
Puck had to admit, it was quite enjoyable seeing the shock on Goliath's face as Brooklyn and Demona embraced. But then it was Puck's turn to be thrown for a loop.
"But … I thought Demona had chosen Thailog."
Well shoot. Who knew Ms. Psycho-Gargoyle would hook up with Goliath's clone … actually, yeah. He probably should have seen that one coming. She had major issues after all.
"Yeah but …"
Um?
"…Thailog was killed in the Clone Wars."
Yeah, sure. Okay, so it's a Star Wars reference. Whatever, it still works.
And now, time for Cyborg Lex! He needed to keep Goliath as off-balance as possible.
He was especially proud of the next bit ... though it was a little disturbing, even to him.
"I knew Xanatos was evil," Goliath said (Evil? Really? Haven't you ever heard of amorality? You really ought to try it some time…), "But to destroy his own son…"
The real David would never do something like that.
"He didn't die in vain," Cyborg Lex said. "I got a fix on the signal. Believe it or not, it was coming from the Great Hall in the old castle."
"Xanatos is on to us," Brooklyn snarled. "Our only course of action is a preemptive strike."
"Attack the pyramid?" Demona scoffed.
"Unless someone has a more timely solution." He looked pointedly at Goliath, who only glared back and went on about rescuing his daughter and his human girlfriend. So stubborn...
Well, fine. He was just going to have to take things up a notch then.
But he'd play fair; he'd give Goliath an out. And so "Demona" appealed the parental instincts he'd apparently developed.
"You must protect our daughter. Give her the Phoenix Gate so she may hide in the past."
"Hiding is never a solution."
Oh, for …
Yes it is, damn it! I know someone who's hiding from Oberon right now, and if she's smart, I'm sure it'll work! Will you just give me the Gate already!
Well, that did it. No more Mr. Nice Puck. If Goliath thought things were bleak before …
Claw, Matt, and Bronx died quickly. Then it was time for Cyborg Lex to be "captured." He had a nice big juicy reveal planned about him planned later. Oh, all the wonderfully winding turns in his little dystopian future! Speaking of which …
"Broadway!" Goliath screamed. He cradled his fallen comrade in his arms. "Hold on Broadway. If you can last until sunrise, you'll be healed."
"Oh yes, the sun. Can you see it, Goliath? It's beautiful."
Wow. I deserve an Emmy for this. Or an Oscar. Or something.
Soon after, an enraged Goliath roared into the main hall, and then it was time to transport him to cyberspace to meet the Xanatos program. And he had to admit, he rather liked how Goliath handled that reveal.
"You're not immortal. You're not even Xanatos. The real Xanatos at his worst would not have done what you've done."
Thank you! Yes, of course, David would never act like this. He'd do plenty of sneaky, underhanded, not-so-nice things (that was why Puck enjoyed his company so much, after all), but killing his own kid? No way. If Goliath could recognize that, maybe there was hope for him yet.
When "Xanatos" made the sun rise, Puck made sure "Demona" reverted to her human form.
"Well Demona, I see Puck's spell of transformation even works in cyberspace." He was rather proud of that bit of magic.
Brooklyn and Angela died in quick succession, followed by Demona, but of course, not before she yelled out some helpful advice to Goliath. He figured he had to throw the poor guy a bone after all that torment, so he let the gargoyle defeat the Xanatos program … eventually.
Next, it was time for the big reveal with Lexington. Oh Goliath, don't you know it's always the one you least suspect?
And then, predictably, after killing the traitor, Goliath fled with "Elisa."
"We've lost Goliath. It was all for nothing. You heard Lex, the countdown wasn't stopped. The Xanatos program is spreading all over the globe. There's only one chance left. The Phoenix Gate."
"It's too late." Seriously? "Even if we could change the past, I'm too weak to use it."
"Then let me try. There's nothing to lose." So close, so close to victory … "Give it to me, Goliath."
"Here," Finally! "Take it."
And then … instead of handing it over, he simply shook it out of the pouch and let it fall to the ground.
Son of a …!
Instinctively, "Elisa" reached for the Gate, but was of course unable to touch it. Argh.
"Give it to me."
"Too weak."
"No you're not. Put it in my hand."
Goliath's eyes, clouded over in pain and fatigue, suddenly widened and grew clear. Oh crap.
"Give it to me, now." Puck realized too late that he had overplayed his hand.
"No," Goliath growled. And then he was sitting up, standing up, growing stronger. "You're not Elisa. Who are you?"
"No, no! Not now!" As the magic of his illusion faded away, a very frustrated Puck reverted to his true form. "I was so close, so close!"
"Puck! This is your doing? Why?"
So Puck had told him why, not that the gargoyle cared. And because his defeat had put him in such a foul mood, he couldn't resist taunting Goliath about whether his illusion had been a dream or a prophecy. Honestly, he had no idea himself, though he wouldn't have told him even if he did.
"Wake up." And with that, he released Goliath from his nightmare.
Afterwards, he hung around, undetectable by mortal senses, just long enough to see the gargoyle throw the Phoenix Gate into the time stream, apparently for the sole purpose of making sure Puck would never get his hands on it.
He let out a string of obscenities in language that hadn't been spoken for thousands of years, and transported himself back to the Eyrie Building.
Oh, but he had come so close! And it had been such an enjoyable little game. Normally, Puck liked to think of himself as graceful loser, but this time was different. Because when all the fun was over, he was still left with the same problem.
He was still being summoned back to Avalon.
He still didn't want to go.
And he still didn't know what to do about it.
Goliath was really, really lucky that the Puck wasn't one to hold a grudge.
*For those of you who haven't geeked out on Gargwiki like I have, Luna is one of the Weird Sisters, the white-haired one, and according to Greg Weisman is the Sister of Fate.