Okay! This was a BIG chapter! I had to research some of the old characters. (which meant I had to watch Gargoyles) Such a punishment! LOL! ^_^

Anyway, thank you for sticking with me THIS long! I so far have a had a blast writing this story!

FYI: I have noticed that Maggie addresses Talon by his human name 'Derek'. But I think that when she's talking with Stella she should use his gargoyle name. ^_^;

It makes sense to me.

ENJOY!!!

Stella and Maggie made there way out of the store after she grabbed her purchase and back-pack, "Come again!" the old man grinned at them. (Maggie had her cloak back on)

"I'm sure we will."

Maggie quickly took hold of the girls wrist as they exited the store, "We need to go somewhere so I can ask you how you came in possession of the-"

"I found it up in the attic of my old home." Stella told her as she was pulled through the crowds, "I just found out what it ACTUALLY was last night!"

"Who told you?"

"uhhh..." Stella didn't want to confess she had talked to a ghost, "My grandmother told me."

"Where is she?"

That was a question Stella couldn't lie too, "She's dead."

Maggie stopped dead in her tracks almost making Stella run into the back of her.

"What?"

"I think her spirit came to me and told me of the gate."

Stella waited for Maggie to laugh at her but nothing came, "I see." was all she said.

Stella thought a moment before asking, "Why did you ask me if I knew the gargoyles?"

Maggie was silent a moment till they reached the staircase that lead to the Subway, "Because the last person who had the talisman was a gargoyle."

"Are you taking me to them now?"

"No. I'm taking you to the Labyrinth."

"The what now?"

"My home."

"Oh."

^~*~^

The tunnels were huge and the teen kept straining her ears and constantly looking behind her for-

"Don't worry," Maggie told her, "we are in the abandon area now."

Maggie had taken off her cloak again and rested it on her arm to carry.

"Is there more..." she trailed off as she searched for the right words, "humans like you?"

"Only Talon, Claw, and Fang. The rest are homeless folk we knew when we were human."

Stella felt a small sting in her heart. It must really hurt to see something you USE to or WANT to be again.

"Why am I visiting your home? I mean-"

"Talon has a sister that can take you to meet the Gargoyles."

"But why can't you take me?"

"Listen Stella," Maggie said as she turned to her, "the Phoenix Gate is very powerful and even though I don't know much of what it does. It doesn't take a genies to know that you need to be protected."

"By the Gargoyles?"

"Yes," she told her, "But until they awake I'm sure we can take there place during the day."

Stella then heard her phone go off in her pocket, "Crap!" she said as she quickly reached down and stopped the ringtone by answering the phone, "Hello?"

Static was all she heard for a moment till her mothers voice reached through the receiver, "Stella? Where are you?"

"Hi mom! " she said a little to happily, "I'm fine. I just got caught up in the sites that I missed time!"

"Well I want you home before dark!" her mother ordered, "I don't want anything to happen-"

"I met a friend that's going to my college!" Stella quickly lied, "and-"

"Ooooh!" she heard her mother coo in delight, "Is he cute?"

"Um." Stella sweat dropped, "Yeah I guess." she hoped Maggie wasn't able to hear what they were talking about.

"Alright, I want you home BEFORE midnight! Understand?"

Stella glanced at the time on her phone. 4:33PM

"Okay." she told her.

"Make sure you tell him you're single!"

"Bye Mother!" Stella growled as she hung up the phone.

"What was that about?" Maggie asked at Stella's frazzled hair.

"Nothing." she quickly fixed herself, "I'm supposed to be home before midnight."

^~*~^

Stella finally made it to the Labyrinth. Which was exactly like Maggie had described her home to be.

She glanced around at the wide masses of ragged clothes that were weaved around the tunnel like a web.

"Wait here," Maggie told her, "I will explain to Talon what is going on..."

"Hey!" Stella said as she noticed a grey cat gargoyle that was locked in some sort of casket, "Why is he-?"

"That's Fang," she answered with distaste, "don't go near him. He recently tried to take over this place by force."

"Let me guess," Stella said with a shrug, "he wanted to be King?"

"Yes, but Brooklyn and his clan were able to stop him from succeeding."

"Brooklyn?"

"He's one of the gargoyles."

"Are any others named after famous places in New York?"

"Maggie!"

Both girls flinched as a deep voice echoed through the tunnel. Stella looked over Maggie's shoulder to see a black male gargoyle that looked like a panther.

"Talon." Maggie addressed him with a tint of affection, "This is-"

"Where have you been?" he ignored the introduction and looked at Maggie. Stella quickly took notice to the store bag THEY had gotten and hid it behind her back.

"I...I went out." she said glancing away from his piercing yellow eyes.

"Out where? You left so suddenly after I-"

"I can take care of myself, Talon! I don't need your constant-"

"My constant what?!" he bellowed.

"Protection!"

Stella watched the two argue like a- The teen then easily figured why Maggie had been roaming around 'up top'.

"Um, if I can interrupt!" she talked loudly over them but was only ignored again.

"I'm grateful I'm single," Stella thought to herself, as she glanced around all the 'eyes' that were watching the scene.

"Do they ALWAYS do this?" she asked an older fellow after leaving the two.

"You'd be correct."

"Great." she said sarcastically, "I'm going to be bored for awhile then."

The man chuckled at her, "What brings you here to the Labyrinth?"

"I'm-" Stella thought a moment, "I'm here as a friend of Maggie's."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, she and I met this morning and she wanted me to meet the others."

"Pretty amazing, huh?" he folded his arms at her, "Meeting gargoyles and all?"

"It's interesting. I'll say that." she smiled, "I just arrived here a few days ago."

"From where?"

"Ohio."

The man whistled as a response, "That's a REALLY big change!"

"You're telling me!"

Suddenly, Stella felt a hand touch her shoulder and she jumped a bit, "Huh?" she turned to see Talon staring down at her.

"We need to talk." he said more of a command then a request.

"Um, Okay."

^~*~^

Things seemed to finally go slow for the detective Elisa Maza, "Feels good to just relax and drink coffee, ain't it detective?" asked a black officer.

"You got that right." she smiled at him, "Matt was even able to take ask for an early release."

"I'm glad he did" The officer nodded, "He's been hauling butt these past few days."

"I know."

Elisa then became startled as her cell phone started to buzz in the front pocket of her red jacket, "Hello?"

"Elisa?" came a voice that made the detectives eyes widen in surprise, "Derek?"

She glanced at the black cop that was watching her, "Excuse me, I have an important call."

"No problem, detective." the officer said dismissing himself from her.

"Derek? Is something wrong? You never-"

"Maggie went up to the surface world," he spoke quietly, "she found a teenage girl that has something Goliath might want to see."

"What?"

"I can't explain now." he said sternly, "Just bring Goliath and the others down to the Labyrinth tonight."

"Alright Derek," she told him, "I will."

Elisa hung up her phone and sighed, "And here I thought today was going to be relaxing."

^~*~^

Meanwhile, Mr Xantato's sat in his office chair resting his chin on his fist, "Find anything Owen?"

His blonde haired bodyguard fixed his glasses nervously, "I'm afraid not, Mr Xanato's. My other half has not been able to trace the source of the disturbance he felt a few days ago."

"Does he still suspect that it was from that?"

"Yes." Owen replied straightening his form, "He's also knows that someone else is looking for it also."

A devilish smile then crossed the millionaires face, "Then we will just have to beat her to it then, won't we?"

"Yes sir."

YIPEEE! I got the BIG parts done! Now comes the FUN part!!!