October 30th
Elisa and Athena were walking out of a store, each carrying two large bags in their arms. As they placed the bags in the back seat of Elisa's car, they heard a scream. They looked over at Wilkin's Grocery across the street. Something was thrown through the store window, breaking the glass as the store's door flew open, Mr. Wilkin's running away as fast as he could. The lights in the store then went out. Drawing their guns, the two made their way across the street.
Elisa and Athena peered into the darkness. Near the back of the store, they could hear the rattling of cans and other groceries. They slowly walked into the store, careful to avoid any of the fallen groceries. The noises got louder and louder until the two were certain they were close to whatever was in the store. The two took a breath before turning the corner and gasped at what they saw.
"Oh, man," Athena muttered.
A large creature that could only describe as some sort of werewolf was kneeling on the ground, tearing away what looked like Mr. Wilkin's whole chickens. Its fur was bright red, save for a strange blue patch over the thing's left eye. A metallic glint around the thing's neck revealed a sort of necklace, almost like a medallion of some sort.
"Police freeze!" Elisa demanded.
The creature snarled loudly at them before darting behind the store racks. Elisa and Athena went after the creature. They turned to the corner and aimed their guns past the rack, expecting to find the creature, but they didn't. The creature appeared next to them from the third rack, catching them by surprise. Its claw then swiped at them, knocking the gun from their hands. Elisa and Athena were backed up against the counter. The creature then swiped at them again, but the two dodged the claw and landed next to the stacked sacks of flour. Thinking fast, Athena threw the sack into the creature's face with an explosion of white powder.
As the creature wiped the flour from its face, Athena and Elisa scrambled for their guns. Just as they managed to find it, bright lights and police sirens gained their attention. They turned around, seeing a few cop cars were in front of the store and the cops aiming their guns at the store. Elisa and Athena quickly turned their attention back to the creature, but it had mysteriously vanished.
Later on, news vans arrived to report the most recent sighting of the creature that's been terrorizing New York since the beginning of the month. After giving their statements, Elisa and Athena were cleaning the flour out of their hair.
Morgan walked over to them and said, "Happy Halloween. I can't get through a shift without mopping up after that thing."
"Yeah. Every night's trick or treat in the Big Apple," Elisa responded before she and Athena got into her car and drove away.
October 31st
All through the streets of Manhattan, little children were running around in amazing costumes, arms laden with bulging sacks of candy. Far above them in the clock tower, the gargoyles began to awake from their stone slumber. Their stone skin cracked loudly before they awoke. Elisa, Athena, and Jason managed to get up to the clocktower and were able to watch the gargoyles wake up from the balcony doorway.
"Oh, Halloween! Tonight is the night. I can hardly wait," Lexington said as he jumped off his perch.
"We can walk around the streets, and nobody will know who we are," Brooklyn said with the same excitement as Lexington.
"Better yet, no one will know what we are," Broadway added.
"Hi, guys," Elisa said, gaining their attention as she approached them, "Got a minute?"
While Elisa was talking to Goliath out on the balcony, Athena was inside with Jason and the rest of the clan. Athena was giving Brooklyn, Broadway, and Lexington their costumes.
"Alright," Athena began, holding one of the bags out, "One WWI fighter pilot costume for Lexington."
Lexington took the costume with a large grin of anticipation on his face.
"One Crime Noir detective costume for Broadway." She continued, holding out the second bag.
Broadway snagged his costume, already pulling it from the bag to pull it on.
"And one pirate costume for Brooklyn," She concluded, holding up the final bags.
"What do you think Elisa and Goliath are talking about?" Lexington wondered, "Do you know, Athena?"
"I think I do," She replied.
"Is it about those sightings?" Broadway inquired. Athena nodded, "What happened?"
"Last night, Elisa and I were grabbing your costumes when we saw Mr. Wilkin running out of his store. We went in and found this creature that looked like a werewolf. It managed to claw our guns out of our hands. I hit it with a sack of flour before Elisa and I went to grab our guns. We got distracted by the cop car arriving on the scene and the creature got away," Athena finished telling them what had happened the night before.
"Did anyone get hurt?" Brooklyn asked.
"Aside from a few whole chickens and Mr. Wilkin's store, no," She answered, "The Halloween street party starts a little later tonight. Once Elisa and I are done at the precinct, we'll all head out."
After Elisa and Goliath came in from the balcony, Elisa and Athena went down to the precinct to see if the police had found anything on the creature behind the attacks during the month. While Jason went down to the library with Goliath.
Down in the precinct, Elisa and Athena had gotten a call. When Elisa answered it, the person on the other line told them where to find the creature from Mr. Wilkin's store before hanging up. The two women looked at each other before heading over to the library to inform Goliath and Jason.
"Father? Jason?" Athena called them as she and Elisa walked through the library.
They eventually found the two, Goliath was sitting on a ladder and reading a book while Jason was looking for a book in the bookcase.
"We just got an anonymous tip about where to find... whatever that thing was that Athena and I tangled with earlier," Elisa informed them, "I think after what we saw, Athena and I might need back-up."
Goliath looked down at the open book in his hands, the book was open on a page about Werewolves, before closing it, "Etrigan and I will come with you."
"Good," Athena commented before nodding to her husband.
"Gone, gone the form of man, Rise the demon Etrigan!"
A fire consumed Jason and when it ceased, Etrigan stood in Jason's place.
"On All Hallows Eve, a night for tricks and treats. The creature's reign of terror on this night will cease," Etrigan declared.
The four made their way to the roof of the library, the way Goliath had gotten in before Goliath picked up Elisa and Etrigan picked up Athena. Goliath and Etrigan then jumped off and flew off in the direction of where Elisa and Athena said they could find the creature.
The four soon near the meat depot and saw the creature jump out from a window. It landed on the loading dock below and began panting heavily. As it stood there, two silhouettes appeared in the sky. The creature looked up at the sky just as Goliath landed a kick right in the creature's face. The creature went stumbling back into boxes as Etrigan landed next to Goliath.
As Goliath and Eitrgan set Elisa and Athena down, the creature bursts from the boxes before jumping onto Goliath's back. Goliath stumbles backward as he tries to grab onto the creature. Etrigan pulls the creature off of Goliath and tosses it into the garage door. It hits the ground, knocked out. The four cautiously walk toward the creature, Elisa and Athena aiming their guns at it. Xanatos landed behind the unconscious creature, wearing his exo-suit that appeared to have taken some damage. Without hesitation, Elisa aimed her gun right at the man.
"Xanatos! What are you doing here?" Elisa asked.
"This is a private matter," Xanatos replied, approaching the creature, "I'd appreciate no interference."
"Is this another of your mutated victims?" She questioned.
"Let's just say I feel a certain responsibility for it," Xanatos reaches for the amulet.
The second he touches the amulet, electricity runs through him and he screams in pain. Goliath and Etrigan quickly shield Elisa and Athena before moving away as Xanatos goes flying into the boxes.
"Goliath!" Elisa called.
The creature goes to attack Goliath, but he manages to interlock his claws with the creature's and the two were now wrestling for control.
"You don't have to fight us," Goliath said, shoving the creature off him, "If Xanatos is your enemy, then believe me. We are your friends."
The creature jumps and knocks Goliath down and runs into a dark alley.
"Wait!" Goliath called after it. There was a crash and trash can rolled out from the dark. Xanatos turns to see Athena, Etrigan, and Elisa turned on him. The women were both aiming their guns at him and Etrigan was glaring at him.
"Your not going anywhere, Xanatos," Elisa told him.
"Sorry, business. You understand," Xanatos said before taking off into the air.
Elisa looked sadly at the ground. Athena wrapped her arm on Elisa's shoulders out of comfort because she knew that the creature was reminding her of her brother Derek.
"Goliath, that poor creature must have been human once. Just like my brother. Xanatos wants the jewel around her neck. We have to gather all the gargoyles and make sure we get it before he does," Elisa said.
Goliath looks up at the sky, seeing Xanatos's silhouette in the moonlight near the Eyrie building, "Perhaps we should find out the truth."
The two women climbed onto the back of Goliath and Etrigan before they climbed up the wall. When they reached the roof, Elisa and Athena hopped off their backs and were picked up by them before flying off to the Eyrie Building.
Xanatos landed on the top of the Eyrie building, where he was greeted by Owen.
"It would appear that Plan B was unsuccessful," Owen commented as they walked down the steps into the courtyard.
"True. But now plan C is in place. Goliath and company are, as usual, determined to thwart me," Xanatos said, "They'll pull out all the stops to get the Eye from Fox before I do. They'll do all my work for me."
"I fail to see how it will be any easier to get the Eye from the gargoyles than from Fox."
"Your manipulations have failed, Xanatos," Goliath snarled. Xanatos watched as Goliath and Etrigan landed in front of him with Elisa and Athena in their arms before setting them down, "I don't suppose you have a plan D? This time we won't be your pawns, Xanatos. Come. We're done here."
Goliath, Etrigan, Elisa, and Athena begin walking away.
"Wait," Xanatos called. They stopped and turned to face him, "This situation is out of my control. I thought I could handle it, but... The creature you saw? It's Fox. She's been affected by the jewel she wears. Legend says the Eye of Odin is supposed to endow the wearer with power and insight. I had no idea it had metamorphic capabilities."
"Perhaps it can give you some insight into Fox's real character. It seems to have made her more like herself," Goliath said.
"Goliath, please…" Xanatos began.
"Don't listen to him," Elisa told Goliath, "It's a trick. He couldn't tell the truth if his life depended on it."
"But my life doesn't depend on this. It's Fox's life we're talking about," Xanatos told them.
"I have no more love for Fox than I have for you. Even if what you say is true, why should I help her?" Goliath asked him.
"Because you know what it means to lose someone you love," He replied.
"Don't even think about it, Goliath. Can't you see? This is his plan D. If it fails, he'll move on to E or F," Elisa said.
"A noble effort, Xanatos. But another failure. Not a good night for you," Goliath said as he and Etrigan picked up Elisa and Athena before leaving the Eyrie building.
Down in the streets of Manhattan, the block party was in full swing. All around, people were in so many different costumes. The trio's costumes were the most popular since so many people thought they were wearing two costumes.
Elisa, wearing Belle's golden dress and having her hair done in the hairstyle, walked arm in arm with Goliath. Athena was dressed as Esmerelda and had a bright scarf in her hair. Jason was dressed as Phoebus which was achieved by casting a spell on his knight armor to change its appearance for the night. Athena and Jason were also walking arm in arm.
The two couples walked into an area where other couples were dancing. They bowed and curtsied to their partners before dancing gracefully across the street. As they danced, Broadway, Brooklyn, and Lexington watched with happy expressions.
"They should have Halloween more often," Lexington commented.
"Yeah…" Brooklyn agreed.
"You look so beautiful," Jason commented on Athena as they danced.
"Thank you," Athena replied, "You don't look so bad yourself."
"I still remember our first waltz. You looked so beautiful in your gown and the white lilies that were in your hair," He reminisced, smiling, "I was so speechless when I first saw you. I was also nervous as I walked up to ask you to dance. And you are still as beautiful as the day we met."
"You are such a romantic," Athena smiled, "I was also nervous when you walked up to me that night, but that nervous feeling stopped when we danced."
"I knew from the moment my eyes first fell on you that I wanted to marry you," Jason said, "I love you, Athena Blood."
"I love you too, Jason Blood."
After a few minutes of dancing, Goliath and Elisa walked away, while Athena and Jason continued to dance until they heard a howl. They run over in the direction of the howl. They turned into an alley just as a man wearing a werewolf costume ran out. They turned their attention back toward the alley and saw Goliath and Elisa standing there.
Having a good idea of what might have happened, neither Jason nor Athena asked questions as they walked into the alley, joining Goliath and Elisa.
"Things are not always what they seem," Goliath said.
"What do you mean, father?" Athena inquired.
"What if Xanatos was telling the truth?" He wondered, "What if that thing is Fox? And she's dying?"
"You can't believe anything he says," Elisa told him.
"I know. But that creature is still a danger to my castle, my city. And if Xanatos speaks the truth, if someone like him can love, perhaps there still is hope for this world," Goliath said.
"You're gonna help him, aren't you?" She asked.
"Yes," He replied.
"Good," Xanatos's voice came from behind. The four all turn to see Xanatos standing in a trench coat over a smaller, blue version of his exo-suit.
"How did you find us?" Elisa asked.
Xanatos walked over and pulled a tracking chip off Goliath's shoulder, "Old habits die hard," He pulled out a small device, which had Fox's location broadcasting on the screen, "She's not far."
The four then followed Xanatos out of the alley and back toward the party. Screaming came and they hurried towards a building that had food in where they could hear Fox inside. Lexington, Brooklyn, and Broadway were about to go in to fight her.
"Stay here. We'll handle it." Goliath told the three as Elisa and Athena pulled out their guns.
Goliath went in first and Elisa and Athena followed with Jason, with his sword unsheathed, and Xanatos right behind them. They stop in the middle of the building and look around. Elisa and Athena take out their guns. Xanatos closed the door behind them.
They walked a little further into the building. A shadow jumps onto a railing above them and they look up to see the creature standing on the balcony as it roars. The creature jumps towards them and Goliath and Jason pull the two women out of the way. The creature tackles Xanatos to the ground.
Goliath quickly runs towards the creature and pulls it off Xanatos. He pulls the creature away and Elisa points her gun. Xanatos grabs her gun, as well as Athena's, and squashes the guns so they were unable to be used. The creature throws Goliath off of itself and out of the building. The creature heads out the door. Lexington, Brooklyn, and Broadway were with Goliath as he stood as the creature ran towards him.
"Gone, gone the form of man, Rise the demon Etrigan!" Jason spoke. Flames engulfed him and he was transformed into Etrigan.
"Real monsters!" People were shouting as Athena, Etrigan, and Elisa ran outside and watch as the creature jumps on the car and jumps onto a building.
Goliath jumps on the vehicle and starts climbing the building after it. Elisa turned and saw Xanatos pulling off his jacket to show he was wearing a new jacket. Elisa ran towards him and she threw her arms around his neck. Xanatos looked surprised.
"I trust you more than I can throw you, Xanatos," Elisa said.
"I don't have time to argue," Xanatos said as he wrapped his arm around her and he took off.
Athena looked at Etrigan, "We can't let them have all the fun, now, can we?"
Etrigan merely nodded in reply before they two rushed over toward the wall. Athena climbed onto his back and he started climbing the wall. Elisa, Xanatos, Athena, and Etrigan got onto the roof at the same time. Elisa lets go of Xanatos while Athena lets go of Etrigan as the Creature jumps in front of them.
"Fox. I know your in there. It's David," Xanatos said.
The creature approaches and it was breathing hard. The creature's eyes seemed to go back to Fox's eyes. The creature's eyes land on Elisa they go back to the creature's eyes as it growls. The creature then lunges at her.
Elisa ducked as Goliath grabs the creature from attacking her. Goliath throws the creature into a sign and it hits the ground. Elisa, Athena, Etrigan, and Xanatos turn as the Creature gets up.
"We need to get that necklace off her," Athena said as Goliath gets up, eyes glowing. Goliath runs towards the creature and slams it into the sign. It roars in pain as it was electrocuted by the sign
"Now, Xanatos!" Goliath called. Xanatos runs over and grabs the necklace. Elizabeth runs to help as Goliath and Xanatos yell in pain. The power sends them all flying. Xanatos hits the ground, clutching the necklace in his hand. Elisa, Athena, and Etrigan rush over to Goliath.
They look towards the creature as it screams in pain. The creature falls to the ground, huffing in pain as it turns back into Fox. She was breathing hard with no clothes on and falls to the ground. Elisa pulls off her skirt as she runs to Fox's side. Elisa wraps the skirt around Fox as a helicopter sound comes and lands.
"She's alive. The Eye. Give it to me," Goliath said.
Xanatos looks at the Eye of Odin in his hand, "A trade?"
"Let's just say... I don't trust you with it," He replied.
"So now you know my weakness," Xanatos said as he hands the Eye of Odin to Goliath.
"Only you would regard love as a weakness," Goliath said.
Xanatos walked over to Fox and picks her up. Elisa got up and walked over to Goliath, Athena, and Etrigan as the trio joined them up on the roof.
"Goliath?" Broadway asked.
"It's all over. Let's go home," Goliath said.
Goliath picked up Elisa and Etrigan picked up Athena before they all took off towards the clock tower.