Day and Night

Chapter 33

"You should tell the lass who you are," Hudson noted as the Gargoyles met on a rooftop, her former mentor scratching his chin.

"I'm not sure how well she'll take it," Demona admitted.

"I thought she liked you as Demona too?" Angela noted, the much younger lady studying her a little warily.

(Angela was Demona's biological daughter, from back when the clan had been together in Scotland. They had a weird relationship... normally, Gargoyle children were raised by the Clan as a whole, and the children didn't bond with the parents. But she had been raised by humans on Avalon, long story, and expected traditional human mothering...)

"She does," Demona admitted, "but in a sort of... hero worship way."

"Heh," Lexington was clearly amused at someone seeing her as a 'hero.'

Demona just ignored that.

Goliath grunted thoughtfully as the larger figure noted, "If she likes both of your identities, it should be fine."

'And Goliath continues to be simplistic and direct,' Demona thought. Mind you, that was also one of his better qualities, he didn't care about grey areas and would directly solve problems.

"Do you think the transformation will bother her?" Brooklyn wondered, the bulky gargoyle perching nearby.

"Is Eliza okay with it?" Demona addressed Goliath curiously.

"She occassionally messes with him in stone form," Lexington noted, amused. "She once snuck a cute tiara on him..."

"Hey!" Goliath growled while Demona chuckled at that mental image.

"Does she draw on his face too?" Demona teased.

Angela laughed, "Yes, actually..."

Off in the distance, they heard weapons fire.

"Time to go," with her usual grace Demona leaped from the roof, extending her wings, "I'll handle this."

"You know, I never really imagined that she'd be back doing patrols of the city with us," Lexington muttered.

"I always thought there was good in her," Hudson noted.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"Wait... she's immortal?" Mace Malone blinked as he received updated news from his contact in the Illuminati.

"Sort of," Lady Fiona, a deceptively old grandmother type told him as they met in a nightclub the same evening, "she's cursed."

"I'd love that kind of curse," Mace muttered.

Fiona ignored that, "I wish you had contacted us before putting a hit on her."

"You know the Council wanted to be hands off," Mace shrugged.

Fiona made a 'so/so' gesture, "Still..."

"Is there any way to kill her?" Mace demanded.

"Not that the Hunters ever found," Fiona sighed. "They could wound her, even apparently fatally, but she would return."

Mace sighed, "Crap."

"You should withdrawl the bounty," Fiona noted.

Mace paused, then looked thoughtful, "Maybe not."

"Oh?" Fiona frowned at him.

"If the bounty hunters can't kill her, they also can't claim the reward," Mace noted, amused. "Plus that'll at least keep her our of my hair."

"... you are evil, Mace," the woman noted, amused.

"Heh," Mace took a drink.

Fiona continued, "The Council sent you back to New York to take over the gangs..."

"And I haven't, yet," Mace conceded, "Tony Dacon has proven to be a tough nut to crack."

"Do you need more support?" Fiona asked unhappily.

"No, not at all," Mace shook his head.

Mace knew if he disappointed his fellow Illuminati members, steps would be taken. Probably not lethal steps, but certainly bad.

Fiona added dryly, "And no, we can't step in with the Cyberbiotics situation and your arms dealing friend."

Mace raised his eyebrows, "Really?"

"Halcyon Renaurd is worryingly well informed," Fiona noted, "while I don't THINK he knows about the Illuminati, I don't want to chance it."

"Fair enough," Mace agreed.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Dominique Destine was a gorgeous redhead, and the slinky green dress she was wearing showed it off very well.

'Eeep,' Alicia Sevarius was doing her best not to drool.

"You like?" Dominique teased.

Alicia blushed, "You look... really nice."

"Thank you," Dominique smiled. They were at her home as she said, "After dinner... I need to tell you something important."

Alicia had been increasingly aware there was something Dominique was hiding, but hadn't pushed. She trusted the woman to tell her.

"Would you... stay the night," she added.

Alicia blinked, as up until now Dominique had been unwilling to be out with her at night. It was one of her oddities she had noticed. "Certainly," she agreed, nodding.

"Good!" Dominique said briskly.

Again, Alicia was a bit surprised that Dominique was actually a bit nervous. She found it hard to believe the normally cool and collected businesswoman could get like that.

"Would you mind take out, again?" Dominique asked, smiling. "I was thinking the Chinese place we like."

"You really can't cook, huh?" Alicia teased.

"Other than over an open fire," Dominique murmured.

"Huh?' Alicia blinked.

"Nothing, nothing," Dominique said smiling.

They ate dinner, then sat on the couch watching a movie on TV. It was a silly action pic, but both enjoyed it.

On a commercial break, attractive reporter Cameron Blaze came on. "On tonight's Late News, the Quarrymen: Legitimate Civilian Policing, or Dangerous Gang?"

"Boo hiss," a frowning Alicia said as the ad came to a end, "Those are the guys who want to kill the Gargoyles."

"That bothers you?" Dominique asked.

"Of course!" Alicia said. "Even if I wasn't a fan of Demona, the Gargoyles are living beings. Smashing them us murder."

"Exactly," Dominique agreed.

"I'm surprised the police let them operate," Alicia added, frowning slightly.

Not long after, Dominique hesitated, "It's nearly sunset. I... could you sit there a minute? I'll be right back."

Alicia watched her go, then blinked as she returned apparently just dressed in a robe. "What..." she started questioningly.

Dominique smiled wryly, "No, not that... uhm, I've kept a fairly large secret from you. Once you know, I hope you'll forgive me."

"I...," Alicia started as the sun fully set outside.

"UGH..." Dominique groaned in pain, contorting.

|Dominique!" Alicia yelped in alarm.

"Stay back," Dominique got out as she literally began to swell.

Alicia watched as Dominique GREW, gaining at least a foot in height. Her skin darkened and changed, her hands becoming claw like, her anatomy shifting in inhuman ways. Finally, batlike wings erupted from her back...

"..." Alicia gaped at her transformed girlfriend.

The transformed Demona looked at her with concern, "Are you all right?"

"Eeep," the dazed Alicia managed then fainted dead away.

To be continued...

Notes: Yes, I'm a stinker ending there.

Fiona is Fiona CANMORE, a former Hunter who survived and ended up joining the Illuminati. She's a comics canon character.

I haven't entirely decided what to do with the Quarrymen and John Canmore yet. TECHNICALLY, their going on to private property and smashing Gargoyle statues is illegal, so the cops probably aren't thrilled with 'em.