Athena was sitting in the library in her home with Jason in front of the fireplace. The couple sat in chairs that were next to one another with a grandover round end table between the chairs. Jason was reading a book on ancient Rome, while Athena was reading 'The Count of Monte Cristo' for the sixteenth time. But this time was different. As she read the book, Athena could not help but think of Demons and her need for vengeance against those who had betrayed her.
Their reading was interrupted by the sound of their doorbell. Athena placed a bookmark in the book before setting it on the table and standing up.
"I'll go see who it is," She said.
"I'll come with you," Jason said as he set the book aside and stood up, "Given the history of our enemies attacking us at our homes. I think it would be wise for you to have back up."
The two walked out of the library and over to the front door. Athan looked through the peephole and saw Elisa standing outside before she opened the door.
"Elisa, what are you doing here?" Athena asked.
"Chavez called. She said that Matt hasn't checked in forty-eight hours and I'm gonna go check" She replied, "Want to come with?"
"Sure," Athena replied before turning to Jason, "I'll be back soon. If anything changes, I'll let you know."
"See you then," Jason kisses Athena on the cheek before she and Elisa leave for Matt's apartment.
After a drive in Elisa's car, the two arrived at Matt's apartment building before standing in front of the door to his apartment. But unbeknownst to them, a masked man was in the apartment that is now trashed.
"Matt? You home?" Athena knocked on the door, "Matt! It's me, Athena. Elisa is here with me."
When no one responded, Elisa stood on her toes and felt the top of the door frame before finding a key for the door. In the apartment, the masked man takes out a gun and aims it at the door, ready to fire. But behind him, on the balcony, an inhumane shadowed figure wearing a trench coat and fedora. It was Broadway.
Broadway noticed the gun in the masked man's hand and opened the balcony door with a roar. The masked man turned around and dropped the gun when he saw Broadway charging at him. Hearing the noise inside, Athena and Elisa took out their guns before kicking down the door in time to see Broadway holding the masked man above his head. He then tossed the man through the door. Athena and Elisa ducked the masked man, who hit the hall wall behind them.
The masked man got up and began running away. Elisa and Athena aimed their weapons, but Broadway got in between them and the masked man.
"Got you covered, partner!" Broadway said before chasing after the masked man.
"He's been watching old detective movies, again. Hasn't he?" Athena asked Elisa.
"I'm afraid so," She replied.
The masked man ran into the elevator and pressed the button for the doors to close. Broadway quickly closed in on the masked man. The doors closed and Broadway rammed into them. The masked man was sent back against the inside of the elevator.
Broadway prided opened the elevator shaft doors before grabbing the cables, stopping the elevator from going down any further. Broadway then manipulated the cables, pulling the elevator up to him. In the elevator, the masked man watched as the floor numbers went up before it stopped a floor below Matt's apartment was on.
Broadway jumped atop the elevator before tearing off the escape hatch and roaring at the masked man as he jumped in. Meanwhile, Elisa and Athena arrive at the elevator. They quickly step aside as Broadway throws the masked man out into the hall. Broadway then hops out of the elevator shaft and stands in front of Elisa and Athena.
"Mind explaining what you're doing here?" Elisa asked.
"Helping you," He replied, "What does it look like?"
"We don't want to get into it out here," Athena said before pointing to the masked man, "Bring him and follow me."
Broadway picks up the unconscious masked man and follows Athena and Elisa back to Matt's apartment. When they were all inside, Athena closes the door as Broadway lay the masked man on the couch. Elisa then takes off his mask to see who he is.
"Nobody I know," Elisa said, "Athena, think you know him?"
Athena looks at the man, "No, but I'll lay odds he's a pro."
"Sure made a mess of things," Broadway commented as he looked around the apartment, "If we only knew what he was looking for."
Elisa pulled a sheet of paper from inside the man's jacket, "This might be something. The writing is definitely Matt's."
Elisa walked over to Matt's desk and moved move papers before coming across a desk calendar. She holds the sheet of paper next to it, "And it's off his calendar."
"The computer might tell us even more," Broadway said.
The masked man awakes with a gasp before yelling, "Don't!"
But it was too late, Broadway had already pressed the 'on' button for the computer and it began emitting a whining sound.
"He booby-trapped it!" Elisa exclaimed.
Thinking quickly, Broadway grabbed Elisa, Athena, and the man before jumping off of the balcony. Suddenly an explosion sent him forward. Broadway let go of the three humans he held onto as he rolled on the roof of the building across from the apartment. Broadway went over the ledge and grabbed onto it before he fell. Elisa and Athena quickly rushed to his aide and helped him up to safety. The three then noticed that the man was gone.
"Ugh! We lost him," Elisa groaned.
"Can't win 'em all," Broadway said, with a happy disposition before asking, "Where do we go from here?"
"We don't go anywhere. You're calling it a night, Athena and I are keeping an appointment," Elisa told him as she and Athena walked over to the rooftop access door, "Under today's date, Matt wrote, "Hacker, 10 pm, Cleopatra's Needle," She looks at her wristwatch, "I've got just enough time to make it."
"Cleopatra's Needle?" Broadway questioned.
"Good night, Broadway. Glide home safely," Athena told him.
Elisa and Athena walked through the door and began walking down the stairs.
"Athena, Elisa, I'm sorry about the bomb," He apologized, following them to the door, "But it proves how dangerous this case is."
"Too dangerous for an amateur detective playing out a movie fantasy," Elisa said, "We're alone on this one."
Broadway jumped over the railing and landed in front of them, "Matt was no amateur and he worked alone. Where'd it get him? Athena, Elisa, let me be your partner."
Elisa and Athena thought it over for a moment and shared a look before allowing Broadway to help him.
Later on, Elisa and Athena waited by Cleopatra's Needle for Hacker to show up. They hoped that this Hacker won't back out when he only sees them and not Matt. A few moments later, a man wearing glasses and a Docker hat approached them.
"Detective Maza and Detective Wyvern, right? Matt Bluestone's partner? I'm Martin Hacker," He introduced himself and shook hands with them, "Matt showed me your pictures. Said you were the best partners he's ever had. Guess that makes me runner-up."
"Excuse me?" Elisa and Athena questioned, confused.
"He never told you two he used to be FBI?" Hacker asked.
"He neglected to mention it. And now he's disappeared," Elisa said.
"What?!" He questioned.
"Do you know what he was working on?" Athena inquired.
"He called me last week with a new lead on the Illuminati Society. According to Matt, that's a secret organization that's so powerful, it's supposed to be running the world," Hacker explained.
"Yeah, he's mentioned the Illuminati. We know he's determined to prove their existence," Elisa said.
"It got him booted from the bureau. The higher-ups thought he was a bit obsessive," He informed Elisa and Athena, "But for old times' sake, I had this letter authenticated. It dates back to the '20s, a gangster named Mace Malone who vanished in 1924. Matt believed Mace had ties to the Illuminati."
Hacker takes out a zip-top plastic bag with a folded piece of paper in it from his cat pocket before taking the paper out and handing it to Athena and Elisa.
Athena unfolded the letter and read it aloud, "DD, Our little society has racked up quite a nest egg. Every day I see the Silver Falcon, I have to smile. -Stay in touch, partner."
"The ink and the paper date correctly. Signature checks, too. The letter's legit. It's from Mace," Hacker said.
"But how did Matt find it?" Athena asked.
"Who was DD? And what on Earth was the Silver Falcon?" Elisa questioned.
"Good questions. I wish I had answers," Hacker responded.
"3150 Third Avenue. 45-D'," Athena read aloud the address.
"A 70-year-old address. Not much to go on," Elisa said.
"If you want some help, I…" Hacker offered.
"We can handle it. But thanks."
Athena folds the letter back up and puts it in her jacket pocket. Hacker tipped his hat to them and walked away. Thre men dressed in suits approached Athena and Elisa. The two women recognized the man in the middle as the man who wrecked Matt's apartment.
The man pulled out a gun and says, "Payback time."
"Now, Broadway! Now!" Athena yelled, looking up at Cleopatra's Needle.
"Who's she talking to?" One of the men asked.
Broadway jumps down from the top of the needle and lands in front of the men,
"She's talking to me."
"You again! Plug him!" The unmasked man ordered the two men.
Before they could shoot, Broadway tackled the two men to the ground. The unmasked man tried to make a run for it, but Elisa and Athena aimed their guns at him.
"Stop, or we'll shoot!" Elisa yelled. The man stopped with his hands up and dropped the gun as turned around to face Elisa and Athena.
"Go ahead, boys. Knock yourselves out," Broadway said as he picked up the two men and knocked them into each other.
Suddenly, a car was driving toward them with the headlights on. It drove in between the two women and the man. They slowed down enough for the man to jump into. Elisa and Athena fired a couple of shots at the car before they saw it speeding toward Broadway.
"Broadway, look out!" Athena warned him in a yell.
Broadway's wings broke through the back of the coat and he jumped over the car just before it almost hit in.
"New York drivers!" Broadway shook his fist angrily at the car. He then walked over to Elisa and Athena, who were handcuffing the two men together, "How are we doing?"
"Not so good," Elisa replied, "If our escaping friend overheard enough, the Illuminati will hit Mace Malone's office."
"Then we just have to get there fast and first," Athena said with a determined grin.
After a drive, Elisa and Athena arrived at the address that was in the letter. The two stood in front of the apartment. Elisa knocked on the door and a few seconds later, an old man answers.
"Oh. Come back tomorrow, young ladies. Business hours are between…" The old man began before Elisa and Athena showed him their badges.
"Police. May we come in, sir?" Athena asked.
"Of course. Please come in," The old man stands aside and lets them in, "I'm Benton."
"I know this is a long shot, Mr. Benton, but did you know that your office has a history?" Elisa asked the old man.
Athena saw from that out the large window, on the Apex towers across the building she was in, was Broadway perched on one of the falcon gargoyles.
"Yes, yes," He answered, "A rather scandalous history, wouldn't you agree? That's why I rented this space. I'm something of a Mace Malone buff. All these years later, and the curious still flock to see 45-D. Why, just the other day a red-headed whippersnapper came by…"
"Was his name Matt Bluestone?" Athena inquired.
"Yes, it was. Odd fella. The moment he caught a glimpse of this, he ran outta here lickety-split," Benton picked up a framed picture of two well-dressed men, "That's Mace. I can't identify the sharp-looking young fella there, but your friend Bluestone seemed particularly interested in him."
Upon closer inspection of the picture, Elisa and Athena saw a monogrammed 'DD' on the lapel of the suit worn by the unidentified man.
"DD!" Elisa gasped.
"Do you know where this picture was taken?" Athena inquired.
"That was the Silver Falcon nightclub, Mace's pride and joy. It stood on First Avenue and Eighth. Been torn down for ages now," Benton explained as Elisa got his coat and placed it on his shoulders, "Young woman, what are you doing?"
"No time to explain, sir. But 45-D just isn't safe tonight," She told him as she, Athena, and Mr. Benton walked out of the room.
Athena writes down a number on a piece of paper and hands it to him, "When you call that number, you'll get Captain Chavez. Fill her in. Tell her there are two thugs cuffed to a grate by Cleopatra's Needle. And tell her we said send backup to First and Eighth."
Elisa and Athena run down the hall and rush out of the building to meet Broadway on the ground in an alley.
Thunder and lighting scattered throughout the night clouds. Broadway landed in front of the building before he placed Athena and Elisa on the ground.
"First and Eighth. You sure this is the place?" He asked them.
"Only one way to find out," Elisa responded.
With their guard up, the three ventured toward the abandoned building. The door was locked with a chain, but Broadway broke it like a twig. They slowly opened the door before they walked into the building. As they walked further in, the trio noticed light coming from a large open hatch in the floor.
Broadway let out a gasp and Athena holds a finger to her lips, signaling him to be quiet before the three of them walked down the step. When they were down in the cellar, they saw one man watching to other men using laser weapons to drill a brick wall.
"You'll rest when I tell you to rest, not before," Glasses told the two men.
"I know that guy from somewhere," Broadway said.
"He's called "Glasses," and he's Anthony Dracon's right-hand man," Athena informed him.
"Dracon!" Broadway's eyes glow with anger at the mention of Dracon's name, "I hate that guy!"
"He's not one of my and Athena's favorites either. But what does he have to do with the Illuminati?" Elisa questioned.
Athena notices a man blindfolded and tied to a chair In the corner of the room before realizing who it is.
"There's Matt," Athena said to Broadway and Elisa as she pointed to him.
Glasses signals the two men to stop and they turn to him, "Our overdue guests have finally arrived."
Glasses turn around swiftly and hold out a remote control before pressing the button. Broadway, Elisa, and Athena heard two beeps before an explosion caused a cave-in on them.
"So much for the cavalry, Bluestone. That was your partners we just buried," Glasses told him with a smirk on his face.
"Wha...?!" Matt gasped in horror.
Underneath the rubble of the cave-in, Broadway was holding up what he can to prevent it from falling on top of Athena, Elisa, and himself. Broadway's glowing eyes were providing him with some light.
"You all right, Broadway?" Athena asked him, concern in her voice.
"I've had better nights," He replied.
"I've got a pocket flashlight," Elisa said before she coughs, "Not much air in here. Tell me those claws of yours can dig us out."
"I... don't think so," Broadway said. His eyes suddenly stopped glowing. Elisa takes out her flashlight and shines it on Broadway. Athena and Elisa then discover Broadway turned to stone and realized that the sun must be up.
"Uh oh," Elisa muttered, "You did your best, Broadway."
"Now it's our turn," Athena said, "Just stay safe, Broadway."
The two women found some loose rubble and carefully removed them. Meanwhile, The two men untie Matt from the chair, his hands tied behind his back, and keep their hold on him.
"Dracon tells you to eighty-six Mace Malone's letter, so you bury Maza and Wyvern alive?" Matt questioned him, "Smart, Glasses. Real smart."
"No one will ever read it in there," Glasses said as one of the men removed Matt's blindfold.
"Thing is, you don't know for sure she had it on her. What happens when you tell Tony it's done and the letter shows up somewhere else?"
Inside the cave-in, Athena and Elisa notice a hole of light coming through the rubble and know that someone was removing the rubble from the outside.
"Must be our lucky day," Elisa said before turning to Broadway, "But it won't be yours, not if they find you."
"Sorry, Broadway," Athena apologized, "But this is the best we can do right now."
Elisa and Athena kick a wooden beam that was holding up some of the rubble. After they kicked it, the rubble fell and covered Broadway. Elisa and Athena cough from the debris as they climbed up out of the cave-in before the two men grabbed ahold of them.
"No sign of the big guy in the trench coat. He must be in deep," The second man said as he looked down the hole.
"Forget him. I got what I wanted," Glasses said as he tossed aside Athena and Elisa's guns and found the letter in Athena's jacket pocket. He then tore the letter.
"You all right?" Matt asked Athena and Elisa.
"I've had better nights," Elisa replied.
"Trust me, I've survived worst," Athena replied.
Suddenly, the old elevator reached the cellar, and the doors open to reveal Tony Dracon, with a white streak in his hair, and a few of his goons.
"Hi, gang," Dracon greeted as he and his goons walked over to them, "Glasses, don't just stand there. Grab yourself a drill and dig in."
"Uh... Sure, boss. Sure," Glass complied before picking up a drill and started working on the wall with the two other men.
"First Bluestone, then Maza and Wyvern. This is like a cop convention," Dracon smirked at the three detectives.
"Digging under the Silver Falcon must cost a bundle, Tony," Matt said before asking, "You sure you'll still come out ahead?"
"Twenty times over," Dracon said, in front of Matt's face, "The uncut stones Mace and my grandfather stole are worth millions," He then walked over to one of his goons and says in a hushed voice, "Once we're finished, remind me to bury them together."
"His grandfather?" Athena asked Matt.
"Dominic Dracon," He replied.
"DD? The man in the picture?" Elisa asked.
"Right. Seems DD and Mace were partners in a jewel heist. Mace disappeared without splitting the take," Matt explained.
"Gangsters squabbling over loot? Not exactly Illuminati material," Elisa noted.
"Tell me about it. I found the letter months ago. A search warrant turned it up in Dracon's files. I jumped to the wrong conclusions about the Illuminati. And, worse... I didn't bring you in on it. I'm sorry, partner," Matt apologized to Athena and Elisa.
"It happens sometimes," Elisa said, accepting his apology.
"It could be worse," Athena added.
The drills break through the wall and the bricks tumble to reveal a tall safe.
"Now, that's what I call pay dirt. Don't stop now, boys. Make my night complete," Dracon ordered.
Glasses fires the laser at the door, causing it to open. But there was nothing in it, except a folded piece of paper.
Dracon picks up the paper and unfolds it before reading aloud, "Right idea, wrong falcon. Better luck next time, partner. Love, Mace."
Dracon crumbles the paper in his hand before throwing it with an angry yell. Athena and Elisa share a look of realization and know something that Dracon didn't
"Tony, Tony. Don't get mad," Athena advised him, having an ace up her sleeve Not when you can still get even. I know where Malone stashed your family jewels. So does Elisa."
"Wyvern, don't play with me," Dracon warned her.
"It's not a game. It's a negotiation," Athena told him as she walked toward him, "You want those stones, you have to let Detective Bluestone, Maza, and me go free."
"OK, Wyvern. We have a deal," Dracon then shook hands with Athena, "My word as a Dracon."
"Great," She said.
"After you... sugar. Where are we going?" Dracon asked as they all went into the elevator.
"Pace yourself, Tony. I'll take you there. But it's a little too public for broad daylight. We wait for dark," Athena told him.
Two of the goons closed the elevator doors and the elevator went up.
When the sunsets, Dracon, a few of his goons, Elisa, Athena, and Matt, handcuffed, flew in a helicopter. The helicopter hovered high in the sky next to Apex tower. Elisa was telling Matt about what she and Athena did the previous night that led them to their current predicament.
"He blew up my apartment? D'ah! Elisa, Athena, you two know as soon as you two show him the jewels, our lives aren't worth beans," Matt told them.
"Don't worry. We called for backup…" Elisa said.
"We hope," Athena added, in a mutter.
"OK, move it, honeys," Dracon told Athena and Elisa before the three of them jumped onto the ledge of the tower. He then showed them the gun in his jacket pocket, "No more sweet talk, Maza, Wyvern. It's do or die time."
"Behind you, Tony. What do you see?" Athena asked.
Dracon looked over his shoulder and saw the building with Malcone's office in it before turning back to the two detectives, "Malone's old office. What about it?"
"Quite a view Mace had. Last night, Athena and I checked it out," Elisa said as she and Athena walked past Dracon and stepped onto one of the falcon gargoyles.
"All we saw was a dingy old skyscraper and a few gargoyles," Athena added. They then got on their hands and knees to crawl on the falcon, Elisa in front of Athena, before reaching the falcon's head.
"But wipe away 70 years' worth of soot," Elisa wiped the eye of the falcon with her jacket sleeve to reveal silver, "And you might just see what Mace saw."
"A falcon. A silver falcon," Dracon said. Elisa then reached inside the mouth of the falcon and pulled out a satchel. The two turned around and crawled into the middle of the falcon. Dracon smiles at them, "Maza, Wyvern, you two are beautiful."
Elisa and Athena take a look inside the satchel and find something that they were not expecting before Elisa closed it.
"So are your stones, Tony," Elisa said.
"We had a deal. Once I have the gems, I'll let you go. Trust me," Dracon stretched out his arm for Elisa to hand the satchel over.
"Trust you?" Athena questioned him, skepticism dripping from her voice.
"Look down, sugars," He said, "You see any other options here?"
Elisa and Athena look down to see Broadway on one of the window ledges below them.
"As a matter of fact, we do," Elisa said.
Elisa and Athena nodded to each other before they jumped off the side of the falcon. Broadway caught them and pulled them onto the ledge with him.
"No! Go! Go! Get us down there fast!" Dracon yelled, running onto the helicopter, "Maybe we can scoop up some gems off the street."
The helicopter then flew away from the falcons and went down to the street. Not noticing Broadway, Elisa, and Athena on a window ledge.
"I did it, Athena, Elisa. I figured out where the falcon was," Broadway said with a smile on his face.
"We knew you would, Broadway," Athena said, smiling too.
"Now it's Matt who needs a hand. We'll be OK. Go!" Elisa told him.
Broadway jumps off the ledge to go help rescue Matt, while Athena and Elisa stay behind on the ledge. They watched Broadway slam his fist into the helicopter, forcing it to land. Fortunately, it didn't crash land. A bright light engulfs Athena as uses her shapeshifting abilities to transform herself into her gargoyle self.
"Hop on," Athena said to Elisa before she jumps on her back.
Athena dugs her claws into the building as she climbs up to the top. When they were both safely on the ledge, Athena turned back to normal and would have fallen to her knees if Elisa hadn't caught her.
"Thanks," She said to Elisa, "Don't know why, but shapeshifting always takes a lot of out me."
"You both have indomitable spirits," Benton said, stepping out of the shadows, dressed in a suit and holding a gun at Elisa and Athena, "Detective Maza, Detective Wyvern. I always admire that in my opponents."
"Hello, Dominic," Elisa greeted, holding Athena up, "We were wondering when you'd show again."
"I'm impressed. How long have you known?" He asked.
"Ever since your grandson's men set a trap to bury us. You were the only one who knew we were going there," Elisa explained.
"My humble apologies. It's just that I've been waiting so long to get these jewels. I tore Mace's nightclub down to find 'em. It was Tony's idea to look under the foundation, for all the good that did. But let's make a fresh start. Hand over the satchel and no harm will come to both of you," Dominic offered a deal.
"Your word as a Dracon? I don't think so," Elisa throws the satchel onto the falcon.
"No!" Dominic drops the gun and rushes onto the falcon.
Elisa helps Athena lean against the wall before she jumps onto the falcon as Dominic crawls toward the satchel and opens it. The contents of the satchel were not was Dominic was hoping they were.
"What's this? Marbles?!" He pulls out a handful of marbles before reading the letter inside the satchel aloud, "'I feel sorry for you, DD. You still haven't learned crime doesn't pay. Your old partner, Mace." Mace! No! No! No!"
"Come on, Dominic. Let's get you out of the cold," Elisa said as she helped Dominic up and walked with him toward the ledge.
Early in the morning, after the sun has risen, cop cars fill the area. Dominic, Dracon, and his goons were arrested and are escorted into a police van. Athena was sitting on the rear of the ambulance as she was getting checked by the paramedics. Matt and Elisa walked over to her.
"So, what did the paramedics say?" Elisa asked.
"It was just some fatigue and to get some rest," Athena replied.
"Thanks for everything," Matt said, "You two pulled it off."
"We pulled it off…" Elisa said. When Matt leaves, Athena and Elisa look up at Broadway, in his stone sleep, perched on a window ledge, "Partner."