Well, it's been a while since I've written anything Gargoyles related. To be honest, I never expected that my next Gargoyles work would be anything like this.
So, what is this, exactly? Well, for starters, it is a type of fan fiction that I never thought I'd actually write: A self-insertion fic! *gasp* That's right. I am a central character in this story. Now, it is almost universally agreed that this is not a good idea, but I have seen it done well from time to time. Hopefully, this will be one of the good ones!
Secondly, this is the first fanfic that I ever co-wrote. The story evolved from a topic thread I was discussing with my friend Laura (who is also a self-inserted character in the story) over a series of e-mails to one another. The topic: What if we discovered that Sean Connery was actually MacBeth in disguise? Okay, so it is a bit silly. But silly is good, right? Anyway, we wrote this over a period of several weeks, each of us submitting a portion of the story in our e-mails to the other. I've enjoyed the experience, and we've already begun a sequel. So, if you like this, there'll be more coming!
Thanks go to Disney for providing many of the characters and settings for this fanfic (all of which are used without permission, and for no profit). Also, I'd personally like to thank Laura "Pendragoness", without whom I couldn't have written this story.
Greetings, Garg readers. My partner Aaron Ziegler and I are pleased and very proud to present our first co-story together, my first one on the net. We had never intentionally planned on writing stories, it all started with joking around in our e-mails. Eventually, we got to the topic of talk shows, Ricki Lake most of all, and Sean Connery being MacBeth's look-alike. Now look where it got us!
But we have so much planned for our clan, and we're lovin' every minute of writing!
I'd like to thank my twin (yes, I have a twin, BWA HA HA!) sister LeiaMorgana for her input. She often read our notes over my shoulder and gave me a few ideas of hers. (Plus she wouldn't leave me alone!)
I thank my friend and partner Aaron, for without his co-sight and thoughts, the beginning of our adventures for Dark Id and Pendragoness couldn't have been written.
Also an advertising note: I recommend reading Aaron's fict "I'm Sorry". I'm glad I did, for it's how we met!
Enjoy and tell us what you think!
* * * * * * * *
and Aaron 'Dark Id' Ziegler
spanner@visi.com
http://www.visi.com/~spanner/Spanner.htm or
http://www.visi.com/~spanner/DarkId.htm
* * * * * * * *
Sean Connery sat down to watch TV and spat his drink out. On the tv, two people, a man and a girl were having "fun" on Ricki Lake. "It's true! Sean Connery is MacBeth!" the girl screamed.
The man resisted the tv bouncers Ricki called in, and yelled "He's immortal! No lie!"
The man and girl broke away from the bouncers, rushed past Ricki, and put their faces in a camera yelling stuff like 'We know who you are!"
Sean Connery stroked his beard, he had just shaved his mustache off minutes ago. "So they found out mi' little secret," he mused and reached for a cell phone. "It'll be interesting to find out how much they know...." He punched in a number...
It is a fact known to few other than Sean Connery, A.K.A. MacBeth, that the Connery estate is far more massive than it appears. While certainly not a small home, its true volume extends far beneath the ground; a massive complex of sub-basements capable of dwarfing most skyscrapers. It was here that Connery proceeded now, via an elevator revealed by a complex code entered into his cell phone. A nondescript bookshelf, notable only for its collection of Shakespeare, slid aside, and Connery stepped in. Down the elevator shaft he sped, the floor indicator flashed its numbers, until the elevator slowed and stopped at the 142nd sub-basement. The man whom people had once called MacBeth strode briskly along a featureless metal hallway; his destination: the master computer. As he walked, he mused. After more than a thousand years of life, he rightly believed that there was little that could surprise him. The last time had been in the seventies, when Demona of all people had become an aerobics instructor! She'd been quite a fad, for a time. Now, this. A man and a woman who somehow knew his secret. MacBeth had been fortunate to have been flipping stations at that time. He had never developed a taste for talk shows. None of the problems on them even held a candle to his own. He had been fortunate indeed. But enough thought. He had reached his computer. It was a simple task to locate and infiltrate the computers used by the producers of the Ricki Lake show, and a simpler one to extract the names and addresses of those two odd individuals. Hmph. Aaron Ziegler and Laura Curley. Not familiar names. Perhaps it was time to get acquainted...
........ Sean Connery, who was really MacBeth, went to his master computer to find out who these 2 interesting youngsters were. Hmm. Aaron Ziegler and Laura Curley. No familiar names. But MacBeth/Sean pulled out his cell phone and decided to give them a call anyway, and bail them from prison.
Aaron banged his tin cup against his cell bars, humming loud. The noise was getting on Laura's nerves, so she threw her own cup at him, from her own cell across the way. "Now we're in the slammer!" she groaned.
A guard came up with a cell phone. "You two got a call," he said. The two squinted at him. He looked suspiciously like the Eyrie Building guard from "The Gathering: part one".
"Is everyone but us from Gargoyles?" Laura thought. "Have we fallen into the Gargs dimension? I hope so."
Aaron took the call and the voice on the other end made him jump up. "MacBeth's going to spring us from jail!" he told her excitedly.
"Why, what's in it for him?" she asked.
Aaron stroked his smooth chin. "Why did that guard look like that guy from Gargoyles, remember the ep? Gathering?" he said.
"Uh huh," Laura answered.
"I want to know what the hell is going on!" Aaron exclaimed.
"Yes, what exactly IS going on?" a voice asked......
Aaron's eyes widened as he took in the scene before him. The man addressing him was a familiar one. But he couldn't be... Aaron chose his second guess instead. "Jonathan Frakes?"
The ponytailed man chuckled. "Not quite. Though I have been told that there is a resemblance. My name is Xanatos. David Xanatos."
That was the clincher. It would seem that either someone had spent a whole lot of money to try to fool these two, or something really weird was going on. Aaron could think of no reason anyone would want to spend that much money on him, and decided that the second option was evidently correct. He flashed a glance at Laura, who it seemed had come to the same conclusion.
Aaron spoke first. "It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Xanatos. If you don't mind my asking, what exactly do you want?"
Xanatos cocked an eyebrow. "Why, answers, of course. I happened to catch your little interview with Ms. Lake. To make a long story short, I am very interested in knowing exactly how you discovered Mr. Connery's little secret. That, and I'd like to know what else you know."
Aaron and Laura's heads were reeling. When the two of them had dropped into the Ricki Lake show, it had been a practical joke of sorts. Neither had imagined that they were uncovering any sort of conspiracy. But it would seem that they had.
"It was just a joke, Mr. Xanatos," protested Laura.
Xanatos nodded. "So you say. Unfortunately, I'm afraid that I find that hard to believe. That's why I'd like to invite you to the Eyrie building for a while."
"Um, no thanks," responded Aaron warily.
"I'm afraid I must insist," Xanatos responded. He gestured to the guard, who lifted the cell key.
As he was turning the key in the cell lock, the building was rocked by an explosion. The ceiling crumbled and Xanatos and his guard were thrown to the floor. "Maybe it's MacBeth!" exclaimed Laura, pushing open her unlocked cell door.
But neither she nor Aaron were expecting the sight that greeted them when the smoke cleared...
Xanatos/Frakes was telling the two that they have an "invitation" to the Eyrie for this afternoon. "What if we don't WANT to go?" Aaron asked, crossing his arms, The "Gathering" guard started to unlock Laura's cell. Then the entire wall began to explode!
"Maybe it's MacBeth!" Laura exclaimed. The guard was out cold, so she grabbed the keys in the lock, and began twisting them in, to unlock her cell. After freeing herself, Laura ran to Aaron's cell, and let him out. The smoke cleared and the two gasped simultaneously; even Xanatos looked surprised, a very un-Xanny trait.
"Look where Ricki Lake got us, now!" Aaron moaned.
Xanatos's surprise was well warranted. As the smoke cleared away, a most unexpected newcomer was revealed: another Xanatos. At least, Xanatos knew of no other individual that owned a red gargoyle exo-suit. Or six Steel Clan robots. But there they were, hovering a half meter above the ground.
"Take them," ordered the red leader, pointing at the befuddled Aaron and Laura, who were glancing between Xanatos and the red leader in disbelief. The leader's voice sounded identical to Xanatos's.
David Xanatos was not a man to remain surprised for long. "I'm afraid I can't allow that," Xanatos said. "They're coming with me."
The red leader pointed an arm at Xanatos, and a particle cannon clicked into place. "I'm sure I don't really need to tell you this, but you're outnumbered, outflanked, and out of options. Stay back, and no one has to get hurt."
Two Steel Clan robots grabbed the stunned prisoners, who yelped in protest. Xanatos did nothing. He realized that it would be hopeless to try to overpower six robots and a man in battle armor, whoever he was.
"You do realize you are infringing on copyrights owned by Xanatos Enterprises." Xanatos mentioned conversationally.
The armor clad intruder shrugged. "So sue me." Without another word, he and his robots rocketed through the hole in the ceiling.
"So sue me," the Red armored man, sounding suspiciously like Xanatos himself, said and got away with his robots and Laura and Aaron. "I think I will...." Xanatos muttered and pulled out his cell phone, then stopped. "I'd better get those youngsters back here. Owen did you get a fix on the girl?" Xanatos said. Owen held up a pocket tracking device.
"Yes, sir. We should be able to track the signal to its source."he said. Xanatos stroked his beard. "The real question is, Owen, how did they know about us??"
The Red armored man veered his robots to a sandy shore and made his robots put poor Aaron and Laura down. "What do you want?" Laura asked, rubbing a wrist where a robot had gripped too hard. Red chuckled. "I'm taking you two to Avalon," he said.
"WHY? All we did was go on Ricki Lake!" Aaron whined.
Red stopped laughing and turned his robot helmet to stare at them hard. "You know perfectly what! Like how you knew those things..... Lord Oberon will deal with you."
"Think we can sue Ricki Lake later on for all this?" Laura whispered to Aaron. A skiff began to skim the water towards them.
"And we go," Red said, gesturing his prisoners in. They didn't like the look of that mean laser canon on his robotic armor, so they shut up and climbed in.
Aaron suspected a tone of dialect in Red's voice. He and Laura exchanged a wide-eyed look. "MacBeth????" they said at the same time......
"MacBeth?" the red-suited kidnapper replied in Sean Connery's thick brogue. "Now why would ya think that, if I might ask?" Before giving his two wards a chance to respond, he spoke again, this time with Xanatos's voice once more. "You should know better. If you know about MacBeth's secret, you certainly should know about Avalon." He shifted to another voice, this time the dry, somewhat nasal tones of Owen Burnett. "And what is Avalon, after all, but the home of the third race? A species well known for its shape-shifting tendencies." If their captor's metal face had been capable of showing emotion, Laura could have sworn that it grinned mischievously before switching to a fourth voice, a voice so revolting that Aaron and Laura would have jumped ship, had two Steel Clan robots not swiftly grabbed them: the deep, dim-witted tones of Barney the Dinosaur! "Now, I'm sure that you and me and Oberon are all going to be good friends! But until we get there, I'm going to sing you a song! I love you, you love me, we're a happy fam-I-ly..." Aaron and Laura did the only thing they could in the fact of such despicable torture: they fainted dead away.
When the two came to, they found themselves in the familiar location of Oberon's Great Hall. Well, familiar from television at any rate. It rated among the last places either had ever expected to visit in person. Both were being held upright by a steel clan robot. On the raised dias before them, they could see Oberon himself, strumming his fingers on the arm of his throne. He was obviously not happy.
Oberon spoke, his voice booming throughout the hall. He sounded no happier than he looked. "Why do you bring them to Oberon in this guise? You know how we disapprove of these...metal abominations!" Oberon gestured irritably at the Steel Clan robots. "Be rid of them, Titania!"
"Titania?" Aaron wondered, not particularly surprised.
The red leader's form shimmered and changed, returning to the form of Queen Titania, wife to Lord Oberon, King of the Third Race. She waved a delicate hand, and the six robots vanished into thin air. Aaron and Laura stumbled slightly, no longer being held up, but quickly recovered. Titania smiled ever so slightly and spoke. "Forgive me, my lord. I felt that it would be best to occasionally remind my Lord Oberon that even he is not unconquerable. That a mere human using 'metal abominations' nearly defeated him. The strongest leader is one who recognizes his own shortcomings."
Oberon's eyes narrowed. "You try our patience, Titania. Even Oberon's bride may not mock him so."
Titania knelt before him, and answered, "Of course, my husband. Forgive me." But the small smile never left her face.
Oberon turned his attention to Laura and Aaron. "Now, to the matter at hand..."
Titania continued to suck up to Oberon, all the while a small smile playing on her face. And she had reason to look so smug...... "Now to deal with the matter at hand...." Oberon said, from his high throne, crossing his arms. Laura and Aaron were still shaking from Titania's little assault as Barney. "You two are in SO much trouble," Oberon smirked.
"For what? What'd we do?" Aaron asked. Oberon scowled deeply and Laura could swear she could see steam rise from his head.
"What did you do? WHAT DID YOU DO??? I'll show you what you did!" Oberon snarled and raised his hand to reveal a sort of tv scene from his palm. In the image, a man and a girl were watching Gargoyles, and wondering if Oberon and Puck were real. "Betcha anything Sean Connery is really MacBeth incognito," the Laura said. The Aaron stroked his smooth chin in thought. "Let's get his secret out by going on Ricki Lake!" he said. Aaron and Laura groaned at the memory/sight. Oberon was probably not so pleased with their attempts to exploit fairy and Gargoyle existence across the world.
Oberon grined, and waved his hand. His loyal Weird Sisters appeared. "Go to the modern world and find MacBeth," he said. "You'll know what to do." The Weird Sisters smiled smugly and vanished. Aaron and Laura looked at each other with wide eyes. What was going to happen to MacBeth/Connery?
While Xanatos and Owen tried to track down Laura and Aaron, MacBeth was waiting for all the legal mumbo jumbo to be done with so he could talk with these youngsters. The phone rang, and MacBeth's lawyer had some interesting news. "WHAT? Stolen?" he demanded.
A faint light glimmered from a corner of his room. MacBeth kept an eye on it as he talked on the cell. Saying goodnight, MacBeth was all set to carry out his OWN plans to find Laura and Aaron--- when three magical entities enveloped in his sitting room! The Weird Sisters grined noradically at him. "What do ye want??" MacBeth demanded......
"You know the bargain, MacBeth," spoke Selene.
"You have failed to conceal your secret," continued Luna.
"Now you must come with us," finished Phoebe.
"Don't be ridiculous," snarled Sean Connery. "They're just a pair of younglings who know too much, and haven't the sense to keep their mouths shut. And they revealed what they knew on a talk show, no less! Anyone who saw them is more likely to believe that they're out of their minds, than that I'm an immortal!"
"We do not write the laws," frowned Luna.
"We do but enforce them," added Selene.
"And occasionally bend them," smirked Phoebe, earning a small frown from each of her sisters.
"Just give me the time I need to find these two troublemakers, and you'll see-"
"They are already in Oberon's hands," Phoebe broke in.
"We will soon know what they know," Selene promised.
"And why they know what they know," Luna ended.
Connery frowned thoughtfully. In Oberon's hands, were they? There was only one thing to do then. If he didn't work fast and efficiently, he was very likely to face Oberon's wrath. "Very well, I will go with ye."
Selene chuckled. "As if you ever had a choice."
Sean Connery hid his own smile, as he moved his thumb away from the remote control that would have wrapped the Weird Sisters in cold iron chains before they could blink. "Indeed," he agreed innocently.
The three sisters began to chant:
"Bonds of time and space be free,
Opened to eternity...
Hearken to our triple song,
And send we four to Avalon!"
Connery and the Weird Sisters were engulfed within a maelstrom of churning greenish light. When he could see again, Connery recognized the familiar spires of Oberon's castle. Without a word, the Weird Sisters began to walk. Connery shrugged and followed. He had a feeling things were about to become very interesting...
Being taken by the Weird Sisters, Connery had a feeling things were going to get *very* interesting. Once on Avalon, Connery was brought before Titania, since Oberon was..... entertaining Aaron and Laura. "Why have you told your secret?" Titania asked, sitting right on Oberon's throne. (she'd better be careful...)
"I have na' told anyone," Connery said.
"MacBeth, Connery," Titania said, "I have been with you since your birth and you think that is a good enough excuse?"
Connery gasped. "Ye were me nursemaid! You dropped me on my head!" The Weird Sisters standing in the corner of the Great Hall were smirking. "Besides, it's the truth!" Connery yelled.
Titania chuckled. "We shall see, immortal Scotsman. Come and see what Lord Oberon says to this..." she said.
Before Connery could say "Ali Baba," he was all chained up, like a dog on a leash. Selene was even treating him like one. "Here, this way, boy," she said with the biggest grin on her fairy face. The triplets and Titania led him to a chamber where Connery could hear screams of a man and woman, heinous laughing and terrible scrapes and noises.
Inside, Connery saw that Oberon had chained up the two younglings, and was raking his long nails over a blackboard. "No more, PLEASE!" Aaron plead.
"This was worse that the Barney attack!" Laura moaned. The shackles were grinding onto their bleeding wrists.
Oberon chuckled at their expense and saw the new-comers. "Ah, Mac-Beth......"
Sean Connery scowled at Oberon. "What do ye want wi' me, Lord Oberon?" he growled. "I have nae revealed mi' secret. I cannae say how this young couple managed t' figure it out, but 'twas through no fault 'o mine! 'Twould be most unjust to subject me to the kind 'o treatment ye have been putting them through."
"We're not a 'couple'!" Laura and Aaron protested in unison. They were utterly ignored.
Oberon grinned broadly at MacBeth. "Ah, MacBeth. We believe you. It would seem that our two young guests were merely playing a practical joke. Neither had the slightest clue as to the reality of what they had claimed. A pity, really. For them."
"Then why did ye bring mi' here?" Connery repeated, "And why were ye torturing these people if ye knew they were innocent?"
"The answer is simple MacBeth. Whatever these two knew before, they know far too much now. In order to ensure that our secrets are kept, it will be necessary to make them Oberon's subjects. They are to be our envoys and agents in the mortal world. By our own decree, Oberon and his children may not directly interfere in human affairs. But with these two under our command, we will retain a link with the mortal world. The torture was to condition them for the coming struggles they will have to endure. As for you, MacBeth, you are to be their guardian."
"I am not a nursemaid--whatever yuir wife was to mi' as a child," answered MacBeth.
Oberon cocked an eyebrow, "We don't require your permission, MacBeth. Do not forget that you, too, have sworn fealty to us."
As Sean Connery grumbled, Oberon turned to Aaron and Laura, who had been released from their chains by Titania. "Aaron Ziegler and Laura Curley-"
"Just Laura, please," muttered Laura crossly.
"-do you swear loyalty to the King of Avalon? It is only fair to warn you that your vow will be a binding and permanent one, magically enforced."
"What's the alternative?" asked Aaron.
Oberon merely smiled and cocked his fingernail next to the blackboard.
"We'll do it!!!" panicked Laura and Aaron.
"We thought you would see reason," Oberon smirked. "Titania?"
Obediently, Titania stepped forward and instructed them. "Now, kneel to Lord Oberon." Aaron and Laura did so. Titania gestured to Aaron first. "Repeat after me: 'I, Aaron Ziegler, swear fealty to Lord Oberon, King of Avalon, and swear to do his bidding, regardless of consequence, and without regard to life and limb, until the day of my death." Aaron dutifully repeated. As the last syllable left his lips, Aaron's form was surrounded by a bright flash of green light. Aaron's jaw dropped slightly as he felt the geas bind him to Oberon's will. While Aaron was not in the habit of backing out of promises, he immediately knew that this was one promise he was not going to be able to break.
Noting the effect on Aaron, Laura was justifiably nervous when her turn came, and jerked slightly when Titania touched her shoulder. Nevertheless, she too repeated Titania's words. "I, Laura Curley, swear fealty to Lord Oberon, King of Avalon, and swear to do his bidding, regardless of consequence, and without regard to life and limb, until the day of my death." She, too, was bound to Oberon's will.
"Excellent," Oberon said. "But fear not, my subjects. Oberon's envoys will not be unprotected," Oberon pointed a finger at Laura, who cringed as if struck before being enveloped in a tremendous flash of magical light. "Behold, Oberon's Honor: Pendragoness!" When the light had cleared, Laura had changed. Now a good foot taller, she had been transformed into a beautiful gargoyle, clad in silvery armor from head to toe.
Pendragoness gaped at her four taloned hands in open amazement, displaying sculpted white fangs. "Cool," she breathed. She lifted her helmet from her head, allowing her hair to fall free, and revealing a short, pointed horn above each temple. Her hand went to her side, where a blade was sheathed. "May I?" she asked. Oberon nodded. Pendragoness drew her blade, a magnificent broadsword more than a meter in length. A normal human would require two hands to wield it, if they could lift it at all. The entire length of the blade glimmered with an ethereal light. It was clearly magical. Pendragoness resheathed the blade.
Oberon pointed at Aaron, who was also enveloped in light. "Behold, Oberon's Wrath: Dark Id!" This time, when the light cleared a bizarre figure was revealed. Aaron seemed physically unchanged, except that his long dark brown hair was now white, while his skin had changed to a pale shade of blue. He was now dressed in a dark purple tunic and breaches, and wore a grey sash across his chest. A black cape fell from his shoulders, fastened around his neck with a clasp bearing a Yin/Yang symbol.
Dark Id smirked and studied his hands. With a moment of concentration purple energy flashed between his fingers. "All right," he murmured eagerly. "Now I can really party..."
Oberon waved his hand, and the purple energy vanished. "Enough, Dark Id. You have been granted great magical power, but you have also sworn fealty to me. You may be the embodiment of all that is dark and evil in Aaron Ziegler, but you will not act against his wishes, or mine, except at my command."
"Hmph," Dark Id muttered. "You take all the fun out of mindless chaos."
"Return to your true forms," Oberon demanded. Dark Id and Pendragoness, after a moment of concentration, did so, becoming Aaron and Laura once more. "You may take your new forms at any time, and return to normal at any time, merely with a thought. Now, for your first mission. MacBeth, you are to take these two to Goliath and his clan..."
"And what am I supposed to do? Ye said we canna interfere in human affairs," Connery scowled, not at all pleased at the prospect of "babysitting" Aaron and Laura. Oberon raised a corner of his mouth in an Owen smile.
"But the Gargoyles aren't human, are they," he asked.
Titania held up her hand, "Wait, my lord."
"Yes, my lady wife?" Oberon asked.
Titania raised her palm where a picture animated itself. "Remember the time when Puck had changed the Gargoyles to humans," she said, as an image of 5 male humans in loincloths (yeah!) were attempting battle on a certain pointed-ear Fae.
Oberon frowned. "Yesssssss," he said, seeing where this was going.
"Well, the Gargoyles seem to fit into your rule about 'human affairs'," Titania closed her hand, making the image vanish in her grasp.
Oberon sighed, and tapped a blue finger against his chin. "Hmmm, I had forgotten about that." Oh, bummer, Connery thought sarcastically. Laura and Aaron remained momentarily invisible in the background. "But, I guess we can *bend* this law without breaking it," Oberon decided.
Connery groaned, low and under his breath. Aaron was not so thrilled at their guardian's acceptance to watch over him and Laura. "All we did was watch Gargoyles, and get on that blasted talk show," Laura whispered to Aaron wryly. Aaron grinned at her, then the two were snapped back to attention as Oberon's voice boomed in the Great Hall.
"You 3 will venture to Goliath's clan in Manhattan, to fulfill my plan,"Oberon announced.
Princess Katherine ventured into the Great Hall, Boudicca at her heels. "My lord?" she asked timidly. "Yes, mortal?"the Fairy King asked. "Might I lend our tracker Boudicca to the younglings? She will be a help to protect this couple."
"We are *not* a couple!" Aaron and Laura exclaimed at the same time, once again. They were ignored, once again.
Oberon rubbed his chin. "Hmm. I think that would be best," he agreed. Connery scowled and began grumbling to himself. A venture to have a "romp" with Goliath and his clan was NOT what he had in mind. He could run into Demona, or worse!
He, the doggoyle, Aaron and Laura climbed into a skiff, to venture through the Avalon mists. On their way to the beach, Gabriel, Tom, Ophelia and a few others followed to see off the "younglings" as they were rapidly known as. "I'll 'youngling' you...."Aaron thought.
Laura noticed Gabriel looking her way, so she decided to change to her Gargoyle form to see his reaction. Concentrating hard, she was satisfied to hear a masculine gasp of surprise and low whistle. Instead of her armor, Laura focused on an Angela-like tunic, although her broadsword remained sheathed at her side. Gabriel was *definitely* looking at her now. Laura grinned to herself, changing back to her human form. Amazing the power females could have over males.
"What kind of stunt were you trying to pull?" Aaron muttered to Laura as they seated themselves in the tiny boat. Boudicca placed her paws on the side of the skiff, almost knocking it to the side. Connery/MacBeth hauled the goyle into the skiff and shoved off.
"Indeed, there will be no tricks or business like that on this voyage!" Connery snapped, standing up to row.
"Ya, but our new forms will be great for going out on the town!" Aaron laughed, and without concentrating, was slowly changing to Dark Id, his skin going darker.
"Not the sort of activity our Lord Oberon was asking ya how ta use in them new forms!" Connery said. Dark Id immediately snapped back to Aaron.
"What's the matter with you? We didn't mean to get you in so much trouble," Aaron said. Connery/MacBeth snorted.
"What do you want us to call you? Connery or MacBeth?" Laura asked. Boudicca woofed.
Connery/MacBeth stroked his grey beard and sat down on his own seat at the helm. "Aye, call me MacBeth. It is my true name after all," MacBeth said.
Laura got a wicked look on her face. "Can I -- touch you?' she asked. MacBeth raised an eyebrow at her. Aaron rolled his eyes, contemplating morphing to Dark Id to snap a sardonic joke.
"Um, sure," he said.
"I've never touched a movie star before," Laura commented, reaching to brush a hesitant hand against his beard, then patted Boudicca who thumped her tail against the skiff.
"Keep in mind, lass, that the movie roles were to keep me occupied and keep my mind off Demona," MacBeth said.
"Never saw you without your mustache before!" Aaron commented, and flashed an innocent grin at his guardian.
"Nice younglings," MacBeth muttered. All of a sudden, the immortal smacked his forehead and groaned loudly. "WAIT A MINUTE!" he yelled. Boudicca growled at the outburst.
"What? What is it??" Aaron and Laura asked in unison, like twins.
"Lord Oberon neva told us what he wanted us to do when we get to Goliath and his clan!" MacBeth exclaimed, fiercely stroking his beard so hard that tufts of grey hair came off in his hands.
Laura and Aaron sat in stunned silence, letting this all sink in. The mists completely engulfed the skiff. "What do we do?" Aaron asked. Laura materialized her sword and flipped the hilt between her small hands......
MacBeth sighed in disgust. His little mission was getting worse by the minute. "There's nothing we CAN do," MacBeth responded. "We cannae return tae Avalon until we've done Oberon's bidding. Since we have nae clue as to what that is, we have nae choice but to find Goliath and his clan, and see if our mission becomes clear."
"And along the way," broke in Dark Id's sinister voice, "We can test our new abilities." Dark Id smiled nastily, displaying a mouthful of gleaming black teeth. "After all, it wouldn't do for us to be caught in battle with no idea as to what we were capable of..."
"Yuir probably right," sighed MacBeth, "even if I doubt yuir good intentions." Dark Id blinked innocently, his smile never fading. "When we reach shore, I'll start yuir trainin'."
The mists of Avalon, being an extremely efficient form of travel, soon parted, revealing...an indoor Jacuzzi? MacBeth sighed. Would nothing go right today? Motioning for Pendragoness and Dark Id to help, MacBeth dragged the skiff out of the tiny hot bath. "Excuse us, sir, ma'am," MacBeth nodded to the familiar yuppie couple standing by the doorway, each clad only in a fluffy towel. Dark Id leered at the blonde woman (her name was Margot, as he recalled), who screeched in alarm. Pendragoness tried a reassuring grin. Unfortunately, the mouthful of fangs she displayed in doing so ruined the effect, and instead caused Brandon to faint dead away.
MacBeth impatiently motioned for his two wards to quit dawdling. Soon, the three of them, along with Boudicca, with skiff in tow (which was leaving kelp and seawater on the luxurious carpeted hallway) reached an elevator. MacBeth slapped a hand to his forehead. "Blast! The sixty-third floor? What was Avalon thinking?" MacBeth thought for a moment. Then he smiled. Unpleasantly. "Well, I did say I'd train ye. How about a lesson in gliding?"
"Oh, YES! Please!" Pendragoness answered enthusiastically. It had long been a dream of hers to be able to fly. She flexed one of her wings thoughtfully, and was thrilled to feel the extra limb respond.
MacBeth barked a short laugh. "We'll see if yuir so eager once yuir standing on the edge of a building. Take it from someone who knows: plummeting to yuir death is not a pleasant way to die." Suddenly, Pendragoness seemed less certain. Dark Id chuckled quietly, pleasant images of twisted, mangled corpses filling his mind.
MacBeth studied the skiff. "How are we going to bring the skiff along? We'll need it to return to Avalon when our work is done."
"I'll take it," said Dark Id simply. He flung out an arm, and twisted bolts of sinister purple energy split the air, tearing a hole in the very fabric of reality. In moments, a dead black opening hung in the air just above the carpet, an arc of purple energy occasionally playing around the edge. Dark Id pushed the skiff through and snapped his fingers. With a flash of purple light, the hole vanished. Boudicca growled uneasily and sniffed at the former location of the portal. "Pocket universe," Dark Id explained as Pendragoness and MacBeth gawked.
"If ye could do that, why did ye make us drag the blasted thing all this way?" MacBeth exploded. Dark Id gazed at him coolly, and pointed with one dark blue finger at the ruined carpet behind them. It was a mess that was going to be a real pain to clean up.
"I don't believe this!" MacBeth sighed in frustration. He had no idea that Dark Id was going to be petty, as well as evil. Not willing to wait any longer, MacBeth stabbed the elevator button.
As the four of them traveled upwards, MacBeth whirled on Dark Id. "Is there anything else you've neglected to mention?"
"What, you mean like this?" With the 'shiiing' of a sword being unsheathed, a vicious, saw toothed longsword composed entirely of dark energy appeared in Dark Id's hand. As with the portal earlier, purple energy periodically crackled along its edge.
"Yes, like that," MacBeth answered, unfazed.
"Nope," Dark Id grinned cheerfully. "That's all I know of, right now. Though I could probably toast someone a crispy, golden brown with pure magical energy if I wanted to. Hmmm, I wonder if gargoyle tastes like chicken," Dark Id teased, eying Pendragoness thoughtfully.
"Don't even think about it," warned Oberon's knight, fingering the hilt of her sword. Dark Id chuckled once more.
Ping! The seventy-third floor of the skyscraping condominium had been reached. The door opened, and the immortal, the gargoyle, the doggoyle and the evil being proceeded up the short stairway that would lead them to the roof.
The city was beautiful. Rows and blocks of lit buildings and moving vehicles spread out below them like a tapestry. "It's gorgeous," Pendragoness breathed in awe.
"It is," MacBeth agreed. "Now, how would you like a better view?"
Cautiously, Pendragoness approached the edge. She peeked downwards, and reeled backwards, looking a little pale. "It's so high," she mentioned unnecessarily.
She frowned at the smirk that Dark Id directed at her. Pendragoness whirled to face him, her eyes flashing red. She opened her mouth to say something less than polite, when she was suddenly jerked off the edge of the roof. In her anger, Pendragoness had involuntarily flipped open her wings, which had quickly filled with the fierce drafts blowing across the top of the building.
Pendragoness screamed, suddenly unsupported thousands of feet in the air. Dark Id's smirk vanished, to be replaced with a look of horror as he and MacBeth ran to the edge of the building. Boudicca's howl pierced the air as the doggoyle sensed her masters' concern and terror. Pendragoness, barely keeping panic from overwhelming her desperately tried to catch the wind beneath her wings, to somehow delay the forces of gravity that were pulling at her. She succeeded to a degree. Like sliding down a ramp, Pendragoness half-glided, half-fell toward the building. She hit the wall with a sickening thud, and was stunned by the pain. Through the painful haze, she managed to gather enough presence of mind to sink her talons into the stone wall, clinging there desperately as she fought to control her fear.
From two floors above, Dark Id wove a spell. A chain of purple lightning coalesced into a shimmering rope, which snaked serpentlike towards the clinging gargoyle. But as the rope touched Pendragoness's quivering form, the sword at her side flashed brightly. The magical rope exploded violently, sending Dark Id and the nearby MacBeth and Boudicca flying off of the roof.
In retrospect, thought MacBeth, it was a very poor time to learn that Pendragoness's sword protected her from magic. This was turning out to be a rotten end to a terrible day. MacBeth wondered if Dark Id could fly. A glance at the terrified expression occupying Dark Id's normally smug face indicated that even if he could, he was in no shape to concentrate at the moment. Just perfect.
"Gotcha!" chuckled Dark Id, noting MacBeth's resigned look of despair. Pointing one finger at Boudicca, another at MacBeth, and a third at a convenient (non-living) gargoyle that flashed by as they plummeted, Dark Id lashed his two free-falling companions together with magical rope, and slung another purple strand of energy around the gargoyle. Drawing his two bound companions close, Dark Id and his companions swung in a tremendous arc, anchored by the (fortunately quite sturdy gargoyle), until their momentum flung them upwards once more. "Just call me Spiderman," Dark Id laughed darkly, as he roped a jagged metal girder protruding from the ruined roof of the building. In only a few minutes, Dark Id drew himself and his companions over the edge of what remained of the roof.
Dark Id doubled over laughing. "Oh, MacBeth! You should have seen your face! It was priceless! You actually thought I was too scared to work magic! HAHAHAHAHA!" But in his heart of hearts, Dark Id knew that he had, indeed panicked, though he had been fast to recover. He would need to work out some way to prevent himself from falling--something he was likely to do quite often if he was to spend much time around gargoyles. Suddenly, an idea flashed into his head. Perfect! And so Gothic, too...
MacBeth merely scowled. "Aren't you forgetting someone, lad?"
"Oh, yeah," Dark Id answered, hurrying to the edge of the building.
By that time, Pendragoness had regained her strength (and her breath). "You alright down there?" Dark Id's voice called.
Pendragoness glared up at Dark Id. "I wouldn't mind a hand here, Dark Id." Grinning, Dark Id slowly clapped his applause. "That's not exactly what I meant," grumbled Pendragoness.
Laura decided to take matters in her own talons and began scaling the building wall. "Good work, Pendragoness!" MacBeth called, glad that his other ward made it out alive. At the top, Dark Id held out a hand for Pendragoness to grab. As she reached for it, Id pulled his hand back, leaving Pendragoness to quickly grasp the top of the building.
"Fool boy!" MacBeth cursed, struggling in pulling the Gargoyless onto the roof. Dark Id began laughing. Not only did Laura have all the extra weight as a Gargoyle, but the armor wasn't helping. Once again standing, MacBeth paused to catch his breath. "Must ye wear that?" he asked.
"No prob," Pendragoness said and in a flash, the armor had disappeared leaving her clad in the tunic she had been wearing at Avalon's beach to get Gabriel's attention. "Good," MacBeth muttered.
While Dark Id was laughing, Pendragoness caught his leering head in a headlock and snapped a talon in front of his face. "Try anything like that again, and you'll be permanently blind!" she hissed.
Dark Id momentarily looked frightened. "Ok," he agreed. "And no tricks on MacBeth. He IS our guardian," Pendragoness said.
Dark Id reconciled and the Gargess let him go. "Females," he muttered, rubbing his white head.
"Now," MacBeth said," if you could change yourselves back to normal so we can start this quest?"
Dark Id and Pendragoness shared a grin, showing their sharp incisors and pointed fangs. "We'll stay like this for awhile, thank you very much," Pendragoness said.
"If we're going by air, might I ask how Aaron will get there?" their guardian asked. Dark Id grinned. "Got *that* one covered," he said and when Pendragoness touched him on the forehead, he concentrated very hard. Wings tore through his tunic and sash, unfurling behind him. He flexed them a few times.
Pendragoness patted him on the shoulder. "Good idea," she said.
Id picked up Boudicca, who woofed in excitement, and Pen scooped up MacBeth under the arms. The soaring was awkward and scary at first (as MacBeth covered his eyes, mumbling prayers), but eventually the younglings got the hang of it and began gliding as if they had glided from the instant they had been born.
"Any idea where Goliath an his clan be?" MacBeth said, as the two began their first landing. Pendragoness landed hard on her feet and MacBeth slipped from her grasp onto the skyscraper roof.
"Sorry," she mumbled, shaking her long hair back as MacBeth gave her a withering look. Dark Id touched down on his flat feet, looking very much like an angel with his white hair and wings. He and Pendragoness shared a look. Should they tell him that they knew the clan was living at the clock tower? But then MacBeth might ask how they knew that so darned quick.
"No," Dark Id said at last, letting a flicker of Aaron show through.
MacBeth patted the doggoyle on his head. "I should say this would be a good part of your training. Ye two will glide about the city, and keep a watch out for Goliath and his clan. Do not be in despair if ye don't find anything, this will help your flying skills."
"Cool," Id said. "Do you still have the--- skiff?" MacBeth asked. Dark Id patted his tunic pocket. Then the evil being and Gargess spread their magnificent wings and took a leap off the ledge.
"Should we intentionally look for the Gargoyles?" Pendragoness asked, her long blondish hair looking reddish under the moonlight.
Dark Id shook his head, letting the wind carry his white tresses. "Nah, until we find out what to do..... Uhn!!!" he yelled as a shadowed winged figure slammed right into him.
"Aaron!" Pendragoness cried out, forgetting that he was in hid Dark Id guise.
"Hold it!" one of the three newcomers called to the other two. Too late, one couldn't stop his direct charge and crashed into the Gargess."OOOFF!" she gasped when this large--- thing-- smashed into her.
The Trio had been on patrol on that side of Manhattan and had seen two Gargoyle-like beings soaring in the air, one male and the other female. "Demona and Thailog?" Lex had asked, noticing the male's white hair and the female's reddish locks.
"WHAT? Let's get 'em!" Brooklyn yelled, swooping into the sky and followed by his brothers.
Lex took out "Thailog", sending the two crashing to a building top. "He's lost a lot of weight...." Lex thought.
"Aaron!" the female cried out. "Whoops," Lex thought as he and "Aaron" hit the roof top.
Brooklyn stopped his full charge in time. "AARON?? Stop!" he yelled.
Broadway who had been covering Brooklyn's back at a high speed, heard Brooklyn's order a second too late. "Not Demona? OOF!" the portly warrior smashed head on into Pendragoness, sending both of them crashing onto the same rooftop Lex and Dark Id had landed on. Brooklyn groaned and touched down after them. Lex was inspecting the male, who looked like a human with dark skin and wings, then looked to see who the female was. Broadway groaned, rubbing his head and rising up on his palms over the still form of Pendragoness. "I didn't mean to," he whimpered, skidding to the side of the Gargess.
Brooklyn pushed Broadway aside to check her pulse. "Luckily she's still alive," Brooklyn said sardonically, as Lex picked up Dark Id and lay him close by.
"She's as pretty as Angela," Lex commented, laying Id's white head down carefully. Broadway stared at her face and his gaze traveled over her body. "She's so beautiful," he gulped.
Brooklyn smiled and clapped Broadway's jaw back together. "Wonder what Angela would say if she saw you like that," he teased. But then his face turned serious. "What do we do with them?" Broadway turned to gaze back at Pendragoness..........
Brooklyn, as acting leader while Goliath was not with the Trio, made his decision. "Well, until we figure out whether they can be trusted, we can't bring them to the clock tower. I mean, let's face it, guys. We haven't exactly given them a reason to like us." Lexington and Broadway looked sheepishly at the ground. "Well, we can't just leave them here," protested Broadway. "It IS our fault! Besides, I've never seen these two before. What if there's a new clan of gargoyles! Goliath will definitely want to talk to them!"
Lex, who had been studying the unconscious figures piped up, "Well, she's definitely a gargoyle. But I don't think he is. I've never seen anything like it. He's like a weird-colored human with wings."
"Like an angel," Broadway noted, a vision of Angela suddenly coming to mind unbidden.
He had no idea how ironic that particular description was.
"Well, I doubt that this...angel turns to stone during the day," Brooklyn responded. "Lex, you're the fastest of us. Return to the clock tower and tell Goliath what we've found. Try to be back well before dawn. Broadway and I will keep an eye on these two until you get back." Lexington nodded, and stepped of the edge of the roof. His membranous wings quickly caught an updraft, propelling the gargoyle away.
A few moments after he had gone, Dark Id awoke. He was not happy. But that was no excuse to act hastily. Carefully cracking an eyelid he took stock of his situation. Pendragoness was lying nearby, evidently still unconscious. There were two other figures standing nearby. Gargoyles. And familiar ones. Brooklyn and Broadway. The latter of the two occasionally threw a lingering glance at Pendragoness. Dark Id chuckled inwardly. Wandering hearts could be so much fun to play with. Besides, he had had quite enough of this pussyfooting around. "Now, now, Broadway. What would Angela think?" Dark Id spoke aloud, sitting up.
Dark Id grinned at the gargoyles' startled looks. Exactly what he had been hoping for. He was now at the advantage. He knew who and what they were, while they knew nothing of him. Knowledge is power. Even more importantly, the illusion of knowledge is power. By giving Brooklyn and Broadway a small taste of his knowledge, the two of them could never be certain exactly how much he did know. Predictably, Brooklyn's first question was, "How do you know who he is?"
"Oh, that's quite all right," Dark Id said blithely. "I accept your apology for knocking us out of the air. Think nothing of it."
Brooklyn blushed with embarrassment. "Um, sorry?" he tried. It seemed that not even the sardonic Brooklyn was a match for Dark Id's powers of sarcasm. Put your opponent off guard; make him or her feel guilty, and they put themselves under your control. Dark Id was a master of fiendish manipulation. It didn't even matter that Brooklyn probably hadn't been the one to tackle him (Dark Id had a vague memory of something small, greenish-yellow, and bald), but Brooklyn was the group's leader, and felt responsible for their actions. The fool. Just a few more minutes, and the red gargoyle would be putty in his hands.
"Knock it off, Dark Id," Pendragoness muttered, slowly sitting up. "It was an accident, and you know it. Broadway wouldn't attack me on purpose."
Dark Id whistled, "You mean Broadway's the one that gave you the concrete tour? That has to smart." He turned to the heavyset gargoyle and admonished, "You've gotta cut down on the sides of beef if you're gonna make a habit of crashing into innocent gargoyles. You could hurt someone."
Broadway looked simultaneously sheepish and furious, not an easy combination to achieve. "Ignore him," Pendragoness advised as she climbed to her feet. "I'm Pendragoness and this is Dark Id."
"Dark Id?" asked Brooklyn. "I could have sworn you said Aaron, or something like that-"
"If you don't know, don't guess," Dark Id snapped. "I am Dark Id, and that is all that you need to know." Inwardly, Dark Id cringed at his own words. He had allowed himself to become irritated. That was not a good way to retain control of a situation.
Sure enough, Brooklyn, another master of sarcasm, now recognized Dark Id's manipulations, and had come to realize that he was, in fact, not a very nice person. "What crawled up your shorts and died?" Brooklyn asked. It was becoming obvious that this...Pendragoness was the one to talk to, if he wanted to learn anything useful.
But Pendragoness spoke first. "Brooklyn, we need to see Goliath. It is very important."
As the words left her mouth, a shadow passed over them. "Well, ask and ye shall receive," muttered Brooklyn, as Lexington landed, followed by the leader of the clan of Manhattan gargoyles.
"And what, exactly, did you need to see me for?" asked Goliath.
Dark Id and Pendragoness froze in surprise as Goliath and Lex landed on the rooftop. Especially the Gargess.
"Wow," she thought," He's even better looking in person!" Even the sardonic Id was greatly impressed by the mighty leader's posture and stance.
"Um, well,"Pendragoness said , a little nervous from the admiring stares the Trio were giving her.
Dark Id sighed, deciding to do all the talking. "Well, we're new to Man-hatt-en, and wanted to meet others like us," he said. Lex raised an eyeridge. "If you don't mind my saying so, but you don't look to be a Gargoyle," he said. "Ooooh, aren't you *so* observant," Dark Id thought and fought the urge to say this out loud.
"Ahh, the mystery of genetics," was his answer.
Goliath grunted at his answer, which obviously didn't explain anything. "Who are you?" he asked. At least maybe he'd get their names. "She said her name is Pendragoness, and he says he's Dark Id," Brooklyn reported.
"Great job, Gargess! We don't even *know* what Oberon wants us to do for him!" Dark Id thought and if by magic, Pendragoness could hear his thoughts in her head.
"Oh ya, who was the one who let it out that we knew who they were?? That hotshot Oberon never even told us what to do!" Pendragoness telepathically screamed back at Dark Id.
"Yeah, your young warriors thought it'd be *real* cute to give us a close-up of this rooftop," Dark Id added dryly.
"We thought they were Demona and Thailog!" Brooklyn insisted. Goliath cocked his head at the two newcomers. There was something about them that he couldn't quite place his talon on..... something almost like magic....
Well, this Pendragoness certainly looked like she was creating magic, from the way the Trio were looking at her. Especially young Broadway. And what male Gargoyle wouldn't think so?, Goliath thought. She was very lovely with her long mane of hair that glinted in the moonlight, her lithe and slim figure, her wings which were now folding over her small shoulders...... Goliath felt like kicking himself. How could he have let his guard down, even for a moment? He was feeling this way towards Elisa now. He felt like a hatchling. And why was Dark Id giving him that sarcastic grin of his?
Of the two, Brooklyn thought that Pendragoness seemed the better of the two, because this "Dark Id" always was ready with a sharp tongue. Broadway apparently thought so. "If he doesn't watch out, he'll trip over his tongue," Lex thought," You'd think he never saw a female Gargoyle before."
"Goliath, should we bring them to our home?" Lex asked.
"No, at least not right away," was his answer.
Pendragoness and Dark Id then shared one of their *looks* again. "Um, we can't right now, anyway," Pendragoness said.
Dark Id flashed a grin, showing his fangs. "We'll see you around," he said, as if they were hanging out at the local mall.
Goliath nodded. "T'would be wise. We hope to see you again, friends," the mighty leader said.
"Y-yeah, see ya," Broadway said. Pendragoness gave him a smile and winked which made him blush.
The Trio intently watched Dark Id and Peness glide away. "Wow," Broadway muttered.
"Heh, if Angela could've seen ya like that," Lex twitted.
Broadway felt an even deeper blush. "Shut up!" he said.
"Man, think Oberon will drop us a line and tell us exactly what we hafta do for him? That Social Hour 101 was not exactly my idea of fun," Dark Id said sarcastically. He was getting awfully good at that.
"I'm thinking of our guardian. We totally forgot MacBeth! He's going to be mad!" Pendragoness said. And of the previous tizzy fits MacBeth had had, she really didn't think she'd like to see him furious.
"MacBeth, MacBeth, had a fit, he's a local idiot," Dark Id chanted, suddenly remembering a grade school chant from the playground.
"Hey, Id," Pendragoness said, swooping onto an updraft.
Dark Id lazily backkicked into the same draft and let the current send him straight up next to the Gargess. "Yeah?" he asked, his tunic bannering around his legs.
"Think we'll EVER go back to our true forms? I like being a Gargoyle," Pendragoness said.
Dark Id snorted and agreed. "I like my alter form MUCH better," he said.
Touching down softly, Dark Id and Pendragoness caught sight of their guardian, the immortal king MacBeth---- stretched out asleep, using Boudicca as a pillow. "Awww, ain't that cute," Pendragoness held her sides and laughed.
Boudicca woofed at her masters and licked MacBeth across the face. "Ick, eww," the Scotsman spat, and rubbed at his face and beard, feeling *very* awake now. "Any sign?" he asked, shoving away the doggoyle who kept trying to lick his face.
"No, MacBeth," Pendragoness lied, through her fangs apparently.
"This is infuriating!" MacBeth slammed his fist onto the floor.
"I wish the Lord would tell us what he wants us to freakin' do!" Dark Id cursed.
Oberon, who had been watching all that had happened from Titania's mirror the whole time, chuckled, remembering a thought that Aaron hd thought earlier. "Wandering hearts are so fun to play with." He snapped his fingers.
"Your wish is my command, mortals, er, mortals and immortal," the 4 heard a booming omnipresent voice. Oberon saw Dark Id, Pendragoness, Boudicca and MacBeth all jump and look around.
"Or rather, my wish is *your* command," Oberon added.
"What do you want us to do?" Pendragoness asked, looking around.
Oberon chuckled. DARE he command this of them? Oh what the heck, Oberon thought, what they won't think of me. "I want a babe," Oberon 's voice echoed about the 4-some.
"WHAT??" MacBeth yelled. Oberon chuckled at their expense, but decided he rather liked this idea. It'd be fun to have a new tyke around the Avalon palace.
"I need a babe, of unique stature. And," Oberon said," You're as unique as they come."
"Why the hell do you need a baby????" Dark Id flashed the air around him a dirty look.
Oberon smirked. "Watch your mouth, youngling. That's for me to know, and for you to find out."
"Where are we going to--- "get" this babe?" Pendragoness asked nervously, not at ALL liking where this was going.
"The babe must be Gargoyle conceived. Guess what that means," Oberon said in a sing-song voice, letting a flicker of Puck show through. After all, where else where did his trickster son get his attitude?
MacBeth began to think some VERY unnecessary things to say to Oberon.
"Oh, and when this babe is--- conceived, you will be transported back to Avalon to bring it to term for me. And as my knight and wrath, you can not go against my will. So says Oberon," Oberon said...........
Dark Id, Pendragoness and MacBeth blinked twice. Then, Dark Id spoke: "HOO HAHAHAHAHAHA! OH, oh this is just too much! HAHAAAAHAAAAA!" Dark Id buckled over laughing uncontrollably.
"This isn't funny," snarled Pendragoness.
Dark Id managed to catch his breath. Panting, and tears of mirth flowing from his eyes, he gasped, "P-Penny's gonna be a Mommie! HAHAAAHAAAHAAA!"
As Dark Id collapsed once more into fits of convulsive laughter, MacBeth simmered, "What does that fool fey think we are? A brothel? Oath, or no, I will nae be a part of this! Oberon's Honor indeed."
Pendragoness was no happier. "What are we? Some kind of tools for his amusement? He can't be serious!"
Dark Id recovered once more. "Serious or not," he grinned, "by the spell binding us to him, Oberon's whim is our will. So, who's gonna be the lucky guy? Broadway seemed to seem to think you were pretty hot stuff. Though I think it'd be more fun to see the look on Elisa's face after you seduced Goliath away from her. Heh, heh..."
MacBeth smiled grimly. "I would nae be smiling were I you, lad. If Oberon's willing to do something like this to Pen, who knows what he'll have in store for you. Maybe decide that one babe isn't enough, and change you into a woman for a while. Or worse." Dark Id's grin faded.
"So what do we do?" asked the distraught gargoyle girl.
MacBeth's forehead furrowed in thought. "It'd probably be for th' best if we played along for now. Make Oberon think we intend to go ahead with this madness. Think you can manage that?"
Pendragoness looked thoughtful. "Well, they are kinda cute..."
Dark Id snorted. "You sound like Hyena. They're not even human, Pen!"
"Well, neither am I," retorted the gargoyle. "Besides, they ARE cute! And I'll bet Angela and Demona don't look so bad to you, either."
"You have to love Demona's style," Dark Id admitted. "But I'll stick to my own species, thank you."
Pendragoness smirked. "And just what species would that be? Off-color humans with fangs and wings? Oh, yeah, I'll bet they're just lined up to date you."
"Enough bickering!" MacBeth snapped. "We need to find Goliath again."
"Not much chance of that," Dark Id responded, pointing at the horizon.
The sun. Pendragoness panicked, as she felt her limbs stiffening under the sun's warm touch. With a desperate thought, she changed herself back into human form.
"Whassa matter, Laura," Dark Id smirked, leaning comfortably against Boudicca's stone form, "Afraid someone might...smash you?" Dark Id produced a sledgehammer of purple energy and twirled it innocently.
Laura ignored him. She knew quite well that neither Oberon nor Aaron would allow Dark Id to destroy her. On the contrary, Dark Id would probably protect her throughout the day. She wasn't quite sure what had made her panic. "I don't know..." she started hesitantly, "I guess I just wasn't ready for that." Turning to stone was a lot more alien to her than flying was. She didn't like the idea of becoming totally helpless for several hours. As a human, even when asleep she was able to wake up in time if disaster struck. As a gargoyle, she would not have that luxury.
Sympathetically, MacBeth answered, "Well, ye'd better get used to it, lass. If yuir going to be spending time wi' Goliath's clan, yuir going to have to spend the days with them as well. They would surely become suspicious if ye were to become human before dawn."
"I-I suppose you're right," Laura answered. "Should I...change back now?"
"I'd be best," MacBeth answered.
Laura gulped, and shifted. Once more, the sun's rays began to harden her flesh. As her mind swiftly faded into unconsciousness, her last action was to strike a pose, just as she had seen the gargoyles do countless times on television. She hunched over and snarled, claws curled as if ready to strike, and wings spread menacingly. Then, she knew no more.
Dark Id walked slowly around her, studying the stone figure. "Hmmm, I give her an 6.8. She needs to work on her form."
"Dark Id, change into Aaron. I need to speak wi' him." MacBeth commanded.
Dark Id lifted an eyebrow. "What about?"
"Just do it," sighed MacBeth.
Scowling, Dark Id replied, "Oh, all right." Dark Id's form shimmered and shifted, returning to the similar shape of Aaron. "Needed a more sympathetic ear?" Aaron smirked.
MacBeth looked suspicious. "Ye have changed, haven't ye?" he asked doubtfully.
Aaron nodded. "Yup, but don't forget, everything that is Dark Id is a part of me as well. He's just me without all the good and nice and wholesome parts. I think that's why Oberon created him. In my regular form, I wouldn't make a very good warrior. I'm way too nice."
"I see," answered MacBeth. "Well, the reason I asked Laura to turn to stone is because I wanted to discuss our mission without distressing her. Oberon's plan is madness, but I'm afraid that we're probably going to have to go through wi' it, unless Oberon comes to his senses. Or, unless you know some way to stop him... Aaron, you and Laura seem to know more than ye let on. Do ye know a way to defeat Oberon?"
Aaron shrugged. "Nothing you don't. Cold iron. That's about it. And I wouldn't want to try it while he's on Avalon, where he's most powerful. If we could even get to Avalon, that is. Like it or not, I don't think we'll be able to stop him."
MacBeth sighed, "Then I suppose we'll have to go on. Tell me, lad. Ye know her better than I. Will she be able to handle it?"
Aaron thought a moment. "To be honest? I think she might. She's always seemed to be a bit obsessed with gargoyles--not that obsession is a bad thing, necessarily; I have my own obsessions, after all. You saw how pleased she was with the form Oberon gave her. She might actually enjoy trying to, um, attract one of Goliath's clan. At any rate, I think she's much happier than she would be if Oberon had decided to be the father." Aaron shuddered momentarily, but then smirked thoughtfully. "Of course, it might have been interesting to see what Titania thought of that. She might have solved all of our Oberon problems for us. Heh."
MacBeth looked slightly relieved. "I'm glad to hear that. I would nae have liked to ha' been a part of a plan that would destroy the girl's sanity."
"Don't be too relieved," Aaron warned. "I'm not exactly what you'd call a great judge of human character. But this time, I think I'm right. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to change back into Dark Id. He doesn't need to sleep, and I want to keep a constant eye on Pen."
"Very well," MacBeth nodded. "I've already slept, so I'll pick up a few things from the city that we might need. Farewell, for now."
As MacBeth walked toward the roof's entrance to the building below, Aaron shifted back into the shape of Dark Id. Oberon's Wrath found a comfortable seat upon Boudicca's back and crossed his arms menacingly. "Yeah, I'm bad," smirked Dark Id. He hoped that someone would try to attack his stone comrades. He'd love the chance to try out some of the deadlier tricks he'd been devising. But for now, he was content to wait, as the sun followed it's slow path across the sky.
Dark Id remained perched on stone Boudicca, watching stone Pendragoness. He was so bored he was falling asleep. Slapping himself awake, Id momentarily decided against dressing up the "statues" in clown suits. He flexed a navy blue wing back and forth.
"Heh heh, *I* have wings and I don't hafta turn to stone," he gloated to himself, refolding his wings like a cape. He turned his gaze on his friend, wondering if Gargoyles could dream in their stone state. Well, Pendragoness was having a dream.......
Pendragoness could feel the cool night air rushing under her wings. Behind her, she could hear a male rumble. Pendragoness laughed merrily and switched to an updraft, careening high above the city. She didn't know she was dreaming, it all felt real. The Male caught up, laughing with her, from their game of tag. Pendragoness couldn't tell which Gargoyle it was, Brooklyn, Broadway, Lexington, Hudson, or Goliath since his face was shadowed. "I've got you now," a voice teased. Oh great, even his voice was disguised. Strong muscled arms wrapped around the ecstatic Pen who eagerly circled her own around his neck. No, not Lex, for how could he embrace her in midair with those wings? She rubbed a hand towards his scalp, thinking sarcastically "Ohhh, Goliath, you're such a tease." Obviously not Goliath, no dark hair snaking to his waist.
Suddenly the male lunged forward and caught Pen's mouth with his own, poking his tongue in her mouth. Pendragoness responded dutifully, and the two Gargoyles danced in midair, like eagles. The fullness of this passion became more clear in a shifted part of Pen's dream where the Gargess' belly was swelling with hatchling, before the egg would be lain. A dark-skinned Fae stretched forth his hand and bellowed," Give me the child! It is mine by command and law!"
"NO!" Pendragoness silently yelled, clutching her stomach, and trying to hide behind a grey-bearded human. MacBeth! Her guardian yelled something that only the dream Oberon could hear, something about challenge to a duel. Two arms caught Pendragoness from behind and held her close, protectively. Dark Id! All sarcasm was gone from his face. Her hatchling, it was the cause of the fighting. The Gargoyle male who was father to this hatchling, emerged from the shadows, step by step, as the shadows fell away from his body. First the angular feet that all Gargoyles have, the tail, the moonlight was making it hard to see what coloring he had......
The sun set before Pendragoness could see her lover's face. Dark Id had been dozing on the Boudicca statue, when the stone began to splinter. "Hell!..." Id cursed and jumped back as the two Gargoyles rose up, roaring. Pendragoness clenched her hands and gave a fresh cat-scream into the night.
Dark Id began to applaud. "I give *that* a ten!" he said. Pendragoness was rubbing her head, glancing at her flat stomach, and staring off into space. Dark Id immediately cut down on the sarcasm, his friend was def considering a very important decision.
"Is MacBeth back yet?" Pendragoness asked.
Id shook his head. Then grinned puckishly. "Deciding who the lucky guy's going to be?"
Peness tapped her head with a talon. "That too, but I also had the strangest dream, about who the 'lucky guy's' going to be!" she exclaimed, and a heat rose to her face.
"Who???" Dark Id pounced.
"I-- I don't know. The sun set before I could find out," Pendragoness sadly said.
Dark Id gave a luxurious yawn and stretched. "Well, MacBeth said to get in good with Goliath's clan, we might as well start," he suggested.
Pendragoness scowled at him. "You're not going to WATCH this-----conception, are you??" she demanded, snapping a talon in front of his face.
Dark Id laughed merrily. "Not to worry! I'll help you get established in with the clan, but I'll leave that part to you! Besides, Angela's one to die for," Id winked at Peness.
"Good," she nodded.
Dark Id couldn't control himself. "But if things don't turn out, try Id's Breath of Passion!" a bottle materialized into his dark hand. "Will guarantee, can turn on ANY male Gargoyle!"
Pendragoness hit his hand, the one holding the bottle, so that it vanished. "Knock it off. I want this to be genuine, not forced."
"Still, good to have a backup!" Id snickered, but decided to drop it on seeing Peness' eyes start to glow red underneath her horned eyeridge.
"What about MacBeth?" she asked, unfurling her wings. They had been putting off their guardian for the past few nights.
"Nooo problem," Dark Id snapped his fingers and a chalkboard appeared. He took the stick of chalk between his dark fingers and wrote: Gone out, ha ha ha! See ya.
The evil being and the Gargess took flight, but decided not to directly "find" the Gargoyles. They'd have to be invited to the clock tower before they could drop on by.......
MacBeth's mansion was a wreck. It was quite evident that his home security system had been activated while he was gone, and the two main cannons that had once guarded his property were burnt out wrecks. MacBeth grimaced. It was clear that they had been destroyed by gargoyles for some reason, but clearer still that they had been destroyed by blasting each other to smithereens. MacBeth was going to have to hire a better computer programmer next time. Weapons that fired at one another were not particularly efficient. But enough staring. MacBeth had supplies to pick up.
MacBeth descended into the depths of his mansion, to where he kept his armor and weapons. It had been so long since he had last worn his battle suit. After slipping it on, he found it to be a tad snug. MacBeth grimaced. It was obvious that he was out of shape. Since the day he gave up his eternal hunt for Demona, he had let himself go. Well, he was pretty certain that he would be getting plenty of exercise soon. His two wards were certain to be no end of trouble. Especially with this twisted task Oberon had assigned them. To force Pendragoness to bear a child for him! It would be truly cruel for the Lord of Avalon to steal her child, if she indeed conceived one. But then, Oberon had never been known for his compassion. There had to be some way to fight him, even on Avalon!
MacBeth gathered his equipment, including an energy blaster, a grappling hook and some rope, and a net-gun, before heading back up to the ground floor. As he passed by his surveillance room, he noticed that a red light was beeping on one of the terminals. It was the camera he had set up to observe Xanatos's Eyrie building. The camera was programmed to record any gargoyle activity around Castle Wyvern. Perhaps its record could give an indication of where to look for Goliath's clan...
MacBeth scanned backwards through the recorded footage and gasped. Oberon himself had recently attacked the Eyrie building. MacBeth watched in fascination as Oberon pounded his fists futilely against a force field. It seemed that even with all of his power, even Oberon could be held at bay. Further footage showed Oberon wrapped in a net of energy generated by scores of tiny flying robots. Incredible. MacBeth continued to watch in fascination until Oberon vanished into a puddle on the street, evidently intending to try to enter the building from below. If the battle continued, MacBeth saw nothing of it.
MacBeth's fists clenched and unclenched excitedly. This, perhaps was the answer. Xanatos evidently knew some way to attack Oberon. If Xanatos was still alive, it would seem likely that he had somehow defeated the powerful fey. It was definitely time for MacBeth to pay the billionaire a visit. MacBeth headed for his garage.
A half an hour later, MacBeth's hovercraft touched down in the courtyard of Castle Wyvern. He hadn't been fired upon. Good. It meant that Xanatos was willing to talk.
MacBeth exited his vehicle to see Xanatos and the ever-present Owen approaching. MacBeth lifted an eyebrow thoughtfully when he noticed that one of Owen's arms was now stone from the elbow down. A battlescar from Oberon's attack, perhaps?
Xanatos spoke, "Why, hello, MacBeth! Or, should I say, Sean Connery? It's been a long time."
"MacBeth is fine, thank you," MacBeth answered. "I'm afraid that I'm here on business. I have a few questions for ye regarding Oberon's attack on yuir home."
Xanatos looked thoughtful, but not at all surprised. "Might this have something to do with those two on the Ricki Lake show?"
"How'd ye know that?"
"Simple. I was visiting them at their cell, when I suddenly broke in through the roof with six of my robots to carry them off. Naturally, I was quite surprised by all of this. It all became clearer when I did an inventory, and discovered that none of my robots were missing. The most obvious answer was shapeshifters. Oberon's children."
"Aye, it was Oberon," MacBeth responded. "They are sworn to him now, as am I. Oberon transformed the girl into a gargoyle knight, and the boy into an evil sorcerer. The two of them are under my custody for the time being-"
Suddenly, Xanatos was very interested. "You have them?"
"Aye," MacBeth said again. "But before ye become too interested, ye should know that they know nothing useful. They're just a couple of kids who were playing a prank and ended up in way over their heads. Which is what I want to talk to ye about. Oberon has assigned the two a terrible task, and I can stomach nae more of his arrogance."
"What sort of task, if I might ask?" asked Owen, pushing his glasses up onto his nose with one precise finger.
"The girl, Pendragoness she is called now, is to conceive a child. When the egg is laid, Oberon intends to take the child for his own."
Suddenly, Xanatos's eyes became very hard, and he frowned. Owen merely nodded thoughtfully. Xanatos spoke, his voice determined, "What can I do to help you, MacBeth? Whatever I have is at your disposal."
MacBeth's eyes widened in surprise. He had hardly expected this degree of unconditional aid. "What I want most of all is knowledge," MacBeth began, "Ye have fought the man before. How can we defeat him?"
Xanatos shook his head. "I'm sorry, MacBeth. When I fought Oberon, I had my technology, Goliath's clan, Halcyon Renard's robots, and even a renegade Fey to help. In the end, it was mere words that convinced him to leave empty handed. I wasn't able to defeat him."
MacBeth sighed. Then he looked curious. "What was Oberon after, if I might ask?"
Xanatos's frown deepened. "My son."
Suddenly, Xanatos's cooperation became clear. "I see," said MacBeth. "Well, the sun will be up soon, and I don't want to keep my wards waiting for too long."
Xanatos nodded. "I understand. If you need anything, you know where to find me. Good luck!"
MacBeth returned to his hovercraft, deeply troubled. If Xanatos had been unable to stop Oberon with all of the help he received, what luck would he and two kids have against him on Avalon itself? Well, there was no point in worrying about what could not be changed. Far better to keep his eyes open for any opportunity that might present itself.
The sun had been settled below the horizon for nearly a half an hour when MacBeth landed on the building top where he had left them. The two were gone. "Blast!" cursed MacBeth. There was no sign of them except for a few scattered pieces of shattered stone skin...and a blackboard? "'Gone out, ha ha ha! See ya.'" he muttered. "What do they think they're doing?"
MacBeth was startled to feel something massive nudge him from behind. He turned to see Boudicca gazing at him worriedly. She whined soulfully. "Do nae worry, girl. We'll find 'em soon enough. Manhattan is a large island, but I've been tracking gargoyles for a thousand years. Let's find them." MacBeth turned around, and with Boudicca at his heels, entered his hovercraft once more.
As MacBeth and Boudicca flew away in the hover craft, Xanatos and Owen walked inside the castle. Fox came out into the Great Hall, with baby Alex in her arms, and boy was she curious.
"Who was that, David?' she asked as Alex gurgled and pulled at her auburn hair.
Xanatos gently released his son's hands from totally destroying his mother's hair. "It was MacBeth, my dear," he said.
"What did he want?" Fox asked. Xanatos sighed and began to explain everything he and MacBeth had discussed, starting with the "kids" the three adults had seen on Ricki Lake, to their present state, what Oberon had planned for them, and the advice MacBeth wanted to know in dealing with the Fairy King. Owen had set his mouth in a firmer line and clasped his hands behind his back when Xanatos had gotten to the conception business.
Fox snapped her head up. "What?? That poor girl was *ordered* to conceive a hatchling for him? Titania sure knows how to have fun!"
Xanatos shook his head. "MacBeth only mentioned Oberon, and he doubts Titania was involved in this." Still, Fox involuntarily held her son closer. She had a sudden feeling that a few babes might not be so safe in the future. Starting with this yet unconceived hatchling....
MacBeth scanned his tracking devices and impulsively sipped his coffee. "Don't eat that, girl," he warned, his eyes on the screen. Boudicca dropped the armor piece she had gotten ahold of, woofed in retaliation, and flopped her head onto MacBeth's feet. He shook his grey head, mulling over their *serious* problem. The three were bound under Oberon's law, and had sworn fealty to him, even if they didn't have a choice. Laura, now Pendragoness, had been given an alter Gargoyle knight form, of which she was commanded to make *full* use of. Aaron, now Dark Id, had been given an alter evil sorcerer form, of which he had sprouted wings from, of which he hadn't been given command of to do with it yet. And he, MacBeth, also known as Sean Connery, was their lawful Guardian.
MacBeth stroked underneath his nose, where bristles of dark hair were growing again. He'd have to shave soon. He thought about the talk he and Aaron had had. It seemed if they had no choice, Laura, er, Pendragoness wouldn't mind. But Oberon would for sure would steal the babe for Avalon, and keep them there with him, until his next scheme. Oy, what a way to go.
MacBeth stroked his grey beard. Hmm, choosing a male warrior wouldn't be so hard for Peness, she had been giving that Broadway looks, if Dark Id had been right.
Meanwhile, Dark Id and Pendragoness were stationed up on top of the clock tower roof, peering inside. "This is a great way to start befriending the clan!" Pendragoness gave Id a nice mean shove which almost sent him sprawling off the roof. Id regained his balance and peered back inside, his face next to Pen's. Broadway was sullenly watching tv with Hudson, his chin in his hand. He looked very wistful. Peness felt like easing the look from his face. Broadway then sat in Hudson's chair when he got up to get a snack. Dark Id snickered under his breath. The easy chair, and Broadway in it, *were directly under the two*. Id decided to repay the Gargess for that little shove. Casually lifting his dark-blue hand, Dark Id placed his hand on Pendragoness' face and shoved. "Hey!" she started to yell, as she stumbled through the opening. "OOF!" two groans were yelled. Dark Id snickered. His well-placed shove had sent Pendragoness straight into Broadway's lap! He looked absolutely astonished at the sudden blow, then his eyes bulged when he realized who had "just dropped in"--- right into his lap! Lex, Hudson, Brooklyn (Goliath was out on patrol with Elisa) began to ask what all the commotion was about.
"Who's she??" Angela demanded, flashing a suspicious look at Oberon's "honor". Peness shifted uncomfortably on Broadway's lap; the poor guy was too surprised to do anything but stare at her.
"Um...... hi......" she said......
"P-Pendragoness?" Broadway stuttered, finally regaining control of his tongue.
"Pendragoness, eh?" Hudson asked, standing next to the refrigerator with a sandwich in hand. "So, this be the pretty gargoyle lass ye were talkin' about. So where's her shady partner, th' winged human?"
On cue, Dark Id dropped to the floor, his dark blue-black wings slowing his fall. "Shady?" he grinned. "I'd be offended if it weren't so true."
"Oh, just perfect," muttered Brooklyn. "Sure didn't take them long to find us."
"'Fraid not," Dark Id answered cheerfully. "Now, every time you fall asleep, you can be comforted by the fact that Dark Id is watching you throughout the day!"
"Oh, goody," Brooklyn answered.
"Would you get off of him already?!?" Angela demanded of Pendragoness, who seemed a bit too comfortable on Broadway's lap. Blushing slightly, Pendragoness stood up (leaving Broadway blushing more than slightly).
"Whassamater, Cutie," Dark Id jeered. "Jealous?"
"What are you talking about?" she answered, indignantly. However, the redness creeping into her face gave away her true feelings. "What would I have to be jealous of?"
Dark Id began to tick of the items on his fingers as he spoke, "Well, first off, Broadway didn't seem at all unhappy about his little laplander, second, neither did Pen, third, Pen's prettier than you are, fourth-URK!"
Dark Id staggered backwards as Angela's talons squeezed his throat, her eyes blazing bright red. Brooklyn cocked an eyeridge. "Oh, yeah, he's a real charmer, all right."
Lexington just stared wide-eyed, "I don't think I've ever seen her this mad before!"
"Get OFF!" snarled Dark Id. With a flash of purple light, Angela was flung from the dark sorcerer. Goliath's daughter tumbled backwards into Broadway's lap.
"Wow, lucky guy," Brooklyn said.
"Two in one night? Broadway has all the luck!" Lexington complained.
Dark Id adjusted his hair, and resumed a calmer expression. "Hmph. Fourth, Pen has way more self-control than you. I've insulted her plenty of times, and she's never attacked me. Well, almost never. Still say you're not jealous, Cutie?"
"Stop calling me that!" Angela snarled, fists clenched in anger. "My name is Angela!"
Broadway yelped, "Watch it, Angela! You're jabbing me with your elbows!"
"My elbows are the least of your worries, Broadway," Angela said coldly. Broadway cringed.
"Maybe he's not so lucky after all," Lexington said.
"Maybe not," Brooklyn agreed.
"Enough with the peanut gallery!" Broadway snapped.
Hudson, who had been maintaining his silence, spoke, "I seem to remember having seen something like this before. It was called...a 'soap opera', I think. Yuir all makin' fools o' yuirselves. Now, calm down. Goliath will be back soon, and when he comes, he can sort all this out."
Oh, this is just too rich, Dark Id chuckled to himself. He knew that he was going to have a lot of fun with this bunch. Provided Goliath didn't spoil everything. Goliath unnerved him. He seemed far too sober and rational, considering the animal rage that Dark Id knew burned within him. Goliath possessed the sort of self-control that Dark Id was very familiar with. The same sort of self-control that Dark Id used to contain the awesome maelstrom of chaotic energy that churned within him, waiting to be unleashed. Dark Id had not yet used the full potential of his dark magical energies, because he knew that to do so would leave him entirely without control. No one would be safe. More than anything else, Dark Id feared a loss of self-control. He prided himself on being in control of himself, his environment, and whenever possible, in control of other people. Dark Id wondered if Oberon had known what he had created when he crafted Dark Id. Perhaps the Lord of the Fey had, indeed, lost his sanity, as MacBeth seemed to suspect. It was a truly frightening thought, even for Dark Id.
But enough of the dark reverie. Dark Id put on a confident smirk, his usual expression. Angela still looked like she wanted to disembowel him, Pendragoness, and maybe Broadway for good measure, but her eyes were no longer glowing. Probably a good sign.
Then Dark Id was struck by a thought. Might Pen really have chosen Broadway? Dark Id had suggested the possibility merely to tease Angela, but now he wondered if he might not have been close to the truth. If so, it was clear that Pendragoness hadn't decided to do this the easy way! Oh, this was going to be fun! Dark Id glanced from Pendragoness to Broadway, to Angela. Peness and Broadway were sharing a deepened stare, ignoring everyone else. And Angela didn't look so pleased. Hoping to divert the young one's attention from Pen, Dark Id bounded forward and grasped Hudson by the forearm, shaking vigorously. "Hey, Gramps! I'm Dark Id. Seriously, how'd ya hear about me?" Dark Id spoke loudly.
Hudson smiled and stroked his cascading beard. "Aye, t'was last night when Goliath and the Trio were coming home to sleep. All Brooklyn and Lexington could talk about was the pretty Gargoyless and her sarcastic friend."
"Sarcastic, and darned proud of it!" Id made a slight bow.
Hudson looked to Broadway. "Aye, and Broadway had a far off look in his eyes. I thought that Angela would have been the cause for that, but the lad blushed whenever Lex or Brooklyn mentioned the new lass." he said.
Goliath had just come back with Elisa. Elisa immediately looked very surprised at the arrival of a new Gargess. Goliath hit the roof in a very different manner. "How did you find us??" he demanded of Dark Id who was looking very smug.
"Moi? Is that really important?" Id asked and grinned puckishly.
Goliath turned to see the Gargess, Pendragoness with the Trio, laughing and joking. she and Broadway shared many looks which did not make Angela very pleased. She looked suspiciously at her the whole time. Goliath blushed at the sudden sight of her, and Elisa was not very pleased with him, either. Goliath went to talk patrol matters with Hudson, as Elisa sidled to Angela in a corner of the clock tower. "There's something about that new Gargoyle..." Elisa mused. "I don't trust her," Angela gritted her teeth.
"We can't jump to conclusions yet. It seems she and that strange looking human know more than they're letting on," Elisa said. Angela nodded. Maybe she was over reacting, after all, she was a fellow female, and a gargoyle. "Try to keep an eye on her, we should know what she does," Elisa said. Angela agreed.
Dark Id joined the teen Gargoyles. and soon the 5 were yelling in laughter about some joke. Brooklyn went so far as to start tickling Pendragoness. She squealed at his touch, and Broadway almost slunk dejectedly away. But then she was staring at him again.... The tips of Broadway's bat-webbed ears turned red at the memory of her sprawled in his lap. He didn't know if it was accidental or not, but Pen had managed to get a good feel of his manhood.
Lex and Dark Id were arguing and gabbing about childhood games. "Nope, hide and seek is the best!" Lex proclaimed.
Dark Id shook his white hair back. "Tag beats all!' he exclaimed childishly.
"What do you think, Pendragoness?" Brooklyn asked. Broadway had been staring deep into her eyes. He longed to touch her hair..... when Brooklyn had interrupted.
"I'm sorry, what?" she asked politely.
"Which do you think is better, tag or hide and seek?" Brooklyn repeated.
Pendragoness opened her mouth to speak, displaying her fangs, then had a ---- wicked thought. What a universal way to get this thing started! she raised her four talons and lightly hit Broadway in the chest. "Tag, YOU'RE IT!! " she exclaimed and bounded up the clock tower steps and into the night sky.
Broadway looked very confused. "What do I do?" he asked.
Dark Id was nearly falling to pieces from Pen's strategy, nice move! and what a way to get Broadway chasing her! "Chase her!" the evil being chortled. Broadway's face lit up and he was out on the wind before anyone could blink.
"What was that?" Hudson asked, when he and Goliath heard the tower balcony door slam shut.
"Pendragoness and Broadway decided to get some fresh air,' Lex said. It looked like the competition was over before it began. But there was always Angela...
Brooklyn cast his enemy's daughter an innocent smile. She didn't notice for she was glaring at the clock tower door. Dark Id chuckled and vanished, since no one was paying attention to him. Angela decided to follow........
Angela flitted from shadow to shadow, her eyes never leaving the two she followed. Those same eyes occasionally flared red with anger as Broadway and Pendragoness playfully chased one another, each obviously letting the other win from time to time. Eventually, the two settled down to land on a flat building top. Angela herself chose a vantage from another roof, hidden in the shadows of a doorway leading to a staircase from the roof into the building proper. It was not close enough for the two to be likely to notice her, while still granting her a good view.
How dare he? She thought furiously, as Broadway and Pendragoness chatted with one another. How dare she? How dare they!?!
"And why not?" whispered a voice into her ear. Angela spun around in surprise to see the grinning face of Dark Id.
"You!" she gasped, momentarily embarrassed at having been caught spying. Then she became angry again. "You were following me, weren't you? How did you know what I was thinking?"
"How could I not know what you were thinking?" Dark Id countered, his eyes boring into hers. For the first time, Angela noticed how bizarre his eyes were, black orbs with pale, yellow-green irises. They were very unnerving, much like the rest of him. "Pendragoness is moving in on your territory. You can't be happy about that."
"He's my friend, not my territory!" Angela snapped defensively. "I'm just concerned for him, that's all."
"Of course," Dark Id replied, his eyes dancing with laughter.
"Yes, 'of course'!" Angela snarled. "I don't trust her. And I certainly don't trust you!"
"Not trust me? Oh, I'm hurt," Dark Id mocked. "But I will level with you on this point. Pendragoness has taken quite an interest in your pudgy friend. She's always liked large males, whether they be fat or muscular, or both, and Broadway's just about as large as they come. I would imagine that she intends to be his mate. But you wouldn't care about that. After all, he's just a friend."
Angela's eyes had flared red at the word 'mate', and now she was absolutely furious. "This is none of your business!"
Dark Id's grin dropped like a rock. He grabbed Angel by the shoulders and slammed her against the brick wall of the doorway. Angela was momentarily stunned, both with surprise and pain. "It is my business, gargoyle," Dark Id hissed. "Pendragoness has been my friend for quite some time, and I don't intend to allow you to destroy her happiness by skulking around the shadows trying to make Broadway feel guilty. If you want him, fine. Challenge Pen for him honestly. When you lose, it will at least be with honor."
Angela looked annoyed. "You don't strike me as the type to be concerned with honor."
Dark Id's grin returned, and he released Angela. "On the contrary, my dear. I am very concerned with honor. There are few weaknesses easier to exploit, love being among them. But not when it comes to Pen. I will defend her honor."
"How noble," Angela replied drily. "I still don't trust you."
"Why not? The females in your family seem to have a tendency to foolishly place their trust with dark skinned males of low moral standards... And my standards are even lower than Thailog's."
"How did you know about my mother and Thailog!?"
"You should know by now that I know a great deal, Cutie. Do you honestly think I'm going to tell you how I know what I know?"
"Why do you keep calling me that? My name is Angela!" raged the adolescent gargoyle. Then she calmed, and assumed a sly look. "Besides, weren't you telling me before how much better Pendragoness was than I am?"
Dark Id waved his hand dismissively. "It got the reaction I was hoping for, didn't it? You should have seen yourself! It was hilarious! I'll bet you've never been that jealous before in your life!"
"You mean you were lying?" Angela asked.
"Me, lie?" Dark Id asked innocently. Then he flashed another grin, "Of course! Actually, you're not half bad. With a few less wings and fangs, more fingers, and flatter feet, you'd look pretty good. Less clothes would be even better." Dark Id leered at her.
"You're disgusting!" recoiled Angela.
"And you're naive," replied Dark Id. "Being raised by a princess in your little fairy tale Avalon didn't prepare you for the less savory types, like myself, did it? What do you say, Angela? Are you the type who falls for the bad boy?"
"I don't have to listen to this!" said Angela, turning to observe her quarry--but Broadway and Pendragoness were gone.
"Oh, have they left already? I'm so sorry," jeered Dark Id. He stretched and yawned. "Well, my work here is done, I think I'll head off to the clock tower, see what's on the tube. Bye, now..."
Dark Id waved and spread his wings, gliding away from the steaming young woman. As he rode the wind, he chuckled inwardly. The seeds of dissention had certainly found fertile soil. He looked forward to toying with Angela's heart. Then he sobered. It was just as well that he was having fun while he could. He still had no idea what Oberon had in store for him, but after seeing what Oberon demanded of Pen, he knew that the powerful Fey was capable of just about anything. Dark Id had the sinking suspicion that once Pendragoness was with child, his own time would come. If not sooner. Despite the fact that the night air was warm, Dark Id shuddered.
Dark Id shuddered in the warm breeze. When Pendragoness was with hatchling, would he and MacBeth both be spirited away to Avalon as well, and help birth it? What was Oberon smoking lately?
Angela was not as furious as before, but she was still mad. Damn Pendragoness! And damn Broadway for even *looking* at her! What did Dark Id know? Why did he bring up the possibility of them becoming mates? Angela shook her head. She wasn't jealous, was she? No, she couldn't be!
While Dark Id had been needling Angela, Broadway had taken Pen's hand and they soared off. "I'm gettin' pretty good at this," Pendragoness thought. She cast a nervous look at Broadway. He was even cuter and sweeter in person. Pendragoness wanted the conception to be genuine, but could Broadway love her?
Broadway stole a look at the Gargess gliding by his side. Gliding with *him* when she could be with Brooklyn or Lex! she wanted to be with him! Broadway blushed slightly at the memory of her in his lap, and his hand trembled. Pendragoness was so beautiful, he thought. Angela appeared in his mind, looking reproachfully at him and Broadway turned red.
"Um, you want to see the play?" he asked, clearing his throat. Pendragoness looked at him.
"Sure," she agreed. The two touched down and invisible Dark Id followed, grinning. Forget tv at the tower, this was much more interesting!
Peness and Broadway took a seat in the storage rafters, the beam groaning under his obvious weight. The play began and they began to watch. Angela silently found her own rafter and kept an eye on the two Gargoyles. Dark Id waved his hand and Pendragoness slumped forward in some kind of pain, and Broadway caught her before she toppled off the beam into the storage supplies below. She began moaning and writhing with the unseen and unknown pain, so that Broadway was forced to pull her onto his lap, and wrap his muscular arms around hr trembling form. Dark Id snickered under his breath, and lowered his hand. The pain immediately vanished and sh was on her crush's lap!
"Damn Id! I'm going to get him later!" Peness thought. But she didn't pull away. she laid her fair head on Broadway's bare chest and closed her eyes.
Angela stuck her talons into her beam and growled under her breath. "Enjoying the show?" Id asked, reappearing and sitting cross-legged to the female. "What are you doing here?" she demanded.
"I'm enjoying the show!" Id grinned, leaning his head back on his arms. Angela sneered at him, then turned her watchful eye back to the pair.... to see Pendragoness gently grasp Broadway by the ears and plant her mouth over his. Broadway clasped her head in his hands, the tips of his talons curling into her blondish hair and kissed her back. Angela felt a shimmer to her eyes. She covered her face and silently cried........
Broadway was bewildered. Pendragoness seemed so strange somehow. But she was so beautiful. And it was obvious that she liked him. Broadway wanted to do something special for her, but what? A familiar building caught his eye and gave him an idea. He would share one of his favorite pastimes with Pendragoness: Watching plays. "Um, you want to see the play?" he asked hesitantly, after nervously clearing his throat.
Pendragoness seemed distracted. Evidently she was deep in thought about something--or someone. Without even looking at the theater they were approaching, she gazed into Broadway's eyes and answered, "Sure."
It was a shame that she hadn't looked first. The production presently being performed was "A Midsummer Night's Dream". Pendragoness might have appreciated the irony, considering the problems she was having with Fey at the moment.
Broadway guided Pen down to his favorite rafter, which creaked in protest underneath the additional weight of Broadway's new friend. The house lights dimmed, and the play began, leaving Broadway and Pen illuminated only by the ambient illumination of the stage lights. Pendragoness's mind was clearly not on the play, and Broadway himself was finding it increasingly difficult to turn his own mind away from the lovely vision beside him.
Suddenly, and without warning, Pendragoness buckled over in pain and began to tumble from the rafters. Broadway quickly grabbed her and pulled her into his lap. As the gargoyle writhed and twisted in his arms, Broadway's mind was a panicking, jumbled mess. What's wrong with her? he thought. Should I take her to a doctor? I can't! They'll just think we're monsters! Oh, Pen!
As suddenly as it had begun, Pendragoness's seizures ceased. Pendragoness looked surprised for a moment, and then, for some reason, an annoyed look flashed across her face. Pen collapsed against Broadway's supportive form, laying her fair-haired head against his chest. "Are you alright, Pen?" Broadway asked in a husky whisper.
"I'm fine," Pendragoness answered, breathing heavily.
"What was that?" Broadway asked earnestly. "I was worried, Pen! I thought you were dying!"
Pen gazed into Broadway's eyes and smiled. "That's very sweet, Broadway, but don't worry. It was nothing. Just hold me. Please..."
Broadway didn't need any further convincing. He gently embraced the thin female on his lap, and felt her own arms wrap around his bulky torso. The two held each other for a brief moment that felt like an eternity. Then, Broadway's spirits sank as Pendragoness released him. Was the moment over?
Broadway's attention was suddenly regained, as he felt Pen's talons gently grasp his head. He looked down at her, and saw her lovely face gazing raptly at him, an inviting smile on her lips. Pen slowly pulled his head closer, and Broadway felt her lips against his own.
A kiss. Pen was kissing him! Him! Broadway began to return the kiss, a warm happiness suffusing his being. Broadway suddenly felt a warm moisture against his face and realized that Pendragoness was crying. Why would she be crying? He would have to remember to ask her. After they finished kissing. It was a little hard to think in the meantime.
It became even harder once a high-powered stun blast knocked the two of them off of the rafters. Broadway and Pendragoness were both unconscious before they crashed into seats dozens of feet below.
"Oh, swell!" snarled Dark Id, leaping to his feet. Two new figures had crashed through the ceiling. New, but familiar: Jackal and Hyena, cybernetic assassins, thieves, mercenaries, and all around bad eggs. "You two really do have rotten timing, you know that?" With a crackle of dark purple energy, Dark Id's jagged sword flared to life.
"Who are you?" asked Hyena curiously.
"It doesn't matter who he is," Jackal interrupted in his oily voice. "Judging by the company he keeps, I'd guess he's not here for the culture." Jackal pointed a metallic claw at Angela, who was preparing to leap into an attack.
Hyena cackled with delight. "Well, any friend of hers...is dogmeat! HAHAHAHAHA!" The homicidal cyborg rocketed through the air at an unprepared Dark Id, who grunted as he was knocked off of the rafters. His sword tumbled from his hand--and vanished the moment he released it. Dark Id flipped open his wings and glided to another rafter. Once again on stable footing, he magically created another energy sword.
Just in time, too. "Like to play a game, bird boy? I call it 'Disemboweling for Dollars'! HAHAHA!" Hyena lashed out at him with a grotesquely extended arm, the bladelike talons glimmering in the dim light. This time, though, Dark Id was ready. The blade flashed, and a metal limb went flying end over end into a far corner.
"Hey, that was my favorite arm!" she protested.
Dark Id smiled grimly. "Really. Well, I'll just have to take your second favorite one too. It'd be a shame to break up the set."
Hyena smiled savagely, and prepared to strike. Unfortunately, her target was no longer there.
Angela's unconscious body slammed into Dark Id, knocking both of them to the distant floor. Jackal, who had tossed her, looked terrible. One of his metal arms was a shredded mess, and three gashes in his chest armor occasionally crackled with short- circuiting electricity. "C'mon sis, let's go! We have what we came for!"
"Not 'til I finish off Little Boy Blue and that gargoyle wench!" she snarled in return. She scanned the area where they had fallen. But they had disappeared. "Blast it!" she swore, "I never get to have any fun!"
"Let's GO!" insisted Jackal. Hyena reluctantly nodded. The two made a hasty exit, stopping only to grab Hyena's dislocated limb.
Battered and barely conscious, Dark Id wearily dropped the invisibility spell that he had hastily cast on himself and Angela after their disastrous fall. He felt a stabbing pain in his leg, and was unsurprised to find that it was broken. He was equally unsurprised to note that Broadway and Pen had been dragged off while he and Angela had been fighting. It was not going to be easy to find them now. Why couldn't things ever be easy?
A few hours later, in a well-hidden laboratory, two unconscious bodies lay on the floor of a reenforced cell. Dr. Sevarius examined his new acquisitions and chuckled. "Finally, a truly new gargoyle. I knew if I monitored that theater long enough, our rotund friend would bring something interesting. At long last, I'll be able to study the DNA of a gargoyle outside of Goliath's clan!"
Dark Id gulped and lifted Angela's head off the ground. He felt like crying. If he hadn't been so absorbed in Broadway's and Pendragoness' kiss, he would've sensed those evil cyborgs coming! Now Pen and Broadway were gone! What could he do? Dark Id rubbed his sore head and concentrated. He caught a glimpse of a lab of some sorts.... Gotcha. Dark Id hefted the unconscious Angela in his arms (grinning to himself) and vanished in a cloud of smoke. (And so far, no one in the theater has noticed a thing)
Broadway awoke on his side. Groaning, he sat up and looked around to find himself in a metal room. It reminded him of the labs at Genutech. Pendragoness was sprawled asleep by his side. Broadway's heat pounded in spite of himself. They had been sharing their first kiss---when something had shot at them, making them hit their heads! Pendragoness had an ugly cut on the side of her face and Broadway touched it. Not that he was in any better shape, he could feel blood oozing down his cheek, but think about that later. Pendragoness began to moan. "I really hate Oberon," she thought and felt two strong arms slide under her back and knees to pick her up.
"Sssh, Pen," Broadway whispered, his voice cracking. He was panicked and she was hurt, but no sense in making hr scared as well. Pendragoness felt his grip on her body shift so he could hold her better, one talonned hand beneath her left breast.
"Where are we?" Pen asked, leaning back against him. Broadway sank to his knees and rocked her in his lap like a child. Pendragoness felt her eyes glimmer at that ironic thought. She was trapped, Dark Id was no where to be found, Broadway had been dragged into this mess, and she couldn't use her magical sword to escape without freaking Broadway out and having to tell about everything, even Oberon's plans for her to conceive..... she pressed her horned forehead against Broadway's large chest and let the tears come. Broadway couldn't see Pen's face. All of a sudden, he felt a wetness against his chest. Pen was crying, as she had been when they had been kissing.
Broadway nervously cradled the back of her flaxen head with a trembling hand. "Pen, what's wrong?" he asked, his voice deep and husky.
Pendragoness clutched at Broadway and wept. "I- don't - know!" she said and it was half a lie.
"Where are we?" she asked, partly to change the subject, and partly that she had a right to know since the two of them had been knocked out and thrown into a metal cell. Pen recognized the cell from "Metamorphosis", like the ones Maggie, Fang and Claw had been locked up in, but more dimmer and..... secluded.....
"You're not in Kansas anymore," the Austrian accented voice boomed out. Pen and Broadway leaped to attention. She recognized that voice and groaned softly.
"SEVARIUS!" Broadway yelled. A panel slid open and Dr. Anton Sevarius, accompanied by 3 mercenary Xanatos goons stepped inside.
"Nice running into you, Broadway. Oh, I see you've got a friend with you," Sevarius grinned. Broadway roared, standing up and clasping Pendragoness to him. "too late for concerns," Sevarius said and signaled for the goons to take them out with the tranquilizers. In the bio-alter universe, Pen's magical sword flickered.... And Dark Id grinned maniacally.....
"C'mon, Cutie. Wakey, wakey!" Angela awoke to the rather unpleasant view of Dark Id smiling at her. She groaned, both from pain and frustration.
"PLEASE stop calling me that," she hissed uncomfortably, rubbing her head where a large bump was beginning to develop. She glanced around, and noticed a distinct lack of a certain two gargoyles. "Where's Broadway?" she demanded.
Dark Id sighed. "Okay, now, I'll try to talk slowly so that you won't miss anything, all right?" Angela glared hatefully at him. "Good. Now, who did Jackal and Hyena blast first? Not us. So, it's pretty likely that they were the ones they were after. Follow me so far?" Angela looked ready to strangle him. "Where do you THINK they are? While we were playing 'Shred the Cyborg' with Jackal and Hyena, their flunkies must have taken them. All we have to do is figure out who."
"Sevarius," Angela responded instantly. Dark Id stared blankly at her.
"Why Sevarius?" he asked, for the moment at a loss.
Angela smiled broadly, glad to finally be one step ahead of her annoying dark-skinned colleague. "It has to be Sevarius. No one else wants to CAPTURE gargoyles. If Jackal and Hyena hadn't been ordered to take prisoners, they'd probably both be dead. But I don't see them here, so someone wants them alive. My guess is Sevarius."
Dark Id scowled. "So where is Sevarius, then?"
"I don't know," Angela admitted.
"On a more important note, you'll probably be pleased to know that my leg is broken," Dark Id mentioned conversationally. "I had the feeling you'd enjoy setting it for me, since I can't do it myself."
"Why would I want to help you?" Angela asked curiously.
"Because setting a bone really, really hurts," Dark Id grimaced. "I can't even touch my leg without screaming."
Angela didn't wait another moment. She lashed out with taloned hands to grab Dark Id's twisted leg. She jerked the bones back into alignment, and Dark Id howled in agony. After a second of panting, Dark Id glared at her. "What a sweet girl you are."
"You know what? You're right. I did enjoy that," Angela said cheerfully. "Let me know if I can do it again sometime."
Dark Id didn't answer. He lifted a dark blue finger, and channeled purple magic into it until it began to throb with an ominous light. He touched his leg with that finger, and hissed in further pain as the bones and torn muscle of his leg knitted themselves back together. Then, he whirled on Angela and grabbed her by the arms, pouring energy into her. Angela jerked as her minor cuts and bruises disappeared. When it was done, she was healed, but felt tainted, as though she had just taken a bath in oily water. She shuddered and glared at the dark sorcerer. "When I want to be healed, I'll ask for it," she said.
"I needed you healed," Dark Id responded. "I'm tough, but I don't want to try to take on Jackal, Hyena, and whatever other goons Sevarius has hired all by myself."
Suddenly, Dark Id's eyes flew wide open. He could feel a sword. It was Pen's sword, he was certain. The sword flashed, and Dark Id knew exactly where Pendragoness was. He grinned with almost insane delight. "C'mon, Cutie. I know where they are!"
"What?" Angela asked. "Where?"
Dark Id froze. "Um, I don't know 'where', exactly. But I know how to get there!"
At Angela's skeptical stare, he said, "Just watch!" Id lifted his arms to the sky, and dark purple energy flashed once again, arcs of magical electricity discharging from his form to ground themselves harmlessly in the surrounding walls and chairs. Then, the air split asunder, creating a ragged hole just above the floor. Dark Id grabbed Angela by the waist and dragged her through.
Elsewhere, Dr. Sevarius had just given the order to tranquilize his captive gargoyles, when he was suddenly surprised to see a ragged hole appear in midair, slicing neatly through a nearby table. A pair of gargoyles, one very familiar and the other looking like a puny Thailog with feathered wings tumbled through. "Angela? How did you get here?" Dr. Sevarius demanded.
Neither of the newcomers answered. Dark Id's purple sword flashed to life, and he charged at the goon squad while Angela approached Sevarius.
Dark Id swung his sword, which sliced through a tranquilizer gun and barely missed decapitating its owner. "Rats, missed," Dark Id frowned, snapping his fingers.
The other two guards, having gotten over the shock of the sudden appearance of new foes, fired. Dark Id leapt upward, and the darts flew beneath him to embed themselves in the wall. He flipped open his wings and prepared to dive at his attackers.
"You aren't a gargoyle, are you?" Sevarius's voice rang out, startling Dark Id.
"No. Why?" Id answered, turning to face the doctor. He froze at the sight of Sevarius leaning against Angela's stone form. Just a little more pressure, and her statue would tip over.
Sevarius chuckled. "My, how time flies when we're having fun, don't you think? Oh, I know, I know. It's so easy to lose track of time. I myself had completely forgotten how close it was to dawn, or else I wouldn't have bothered to order my two captives tranquilized. Speaking of which: men?"
Dark Id felt two sharp pains in his back as the tranquilizer darts hit him from behind. He collapsed to the floor. As his vision faded, he could hear Sevarius's voice. "Oh, I can't wait to study you, my blue skinned friend. A whole new species. Are you one of those Fey Xanatos mentioned? I've never had an elf to study. Just in case, I'd better arrange a cell made of cold iron to keep you under control. I'll be seeing you!" The last sound Dark Id heard was the doctor's chuckle.
"Ya want us to put this yahoo in the iron security gig?" the head Commando Bruno asked as two "goons" picked up the unconscious Dark Id by the shoulders and feet. His head bobbed, his white hair trailing, and his arms hung limply as he was dragged.
"Yes indeedy, Bruno," Sevarius grinned at his victory. For once he had won at a fight. As Bruno opened the iron door and the two soldiers threw Id inside, Sevarius went to the Gargoyle statues and tapped the stone Broadway and Pendragoness chuckling. "Oh, you two lovebirds, am I going to have fun with you!" he laughed and chucked the stone Angela under her chin. "What, jealous, Gargess?" he said as if she could hear him.
MacBeth threw his empty coffee mug on the floor of his hover craft where it shattered. "Those younglings, taking off without telling me first!.... " MacBeth muttered scanning his monitors for the zillionth time. Still no luck. Sean Connery then laughed lightly and pulled at his beard. He had thought like some overprotective parent just then! "Aye, I guess I am...." he thought. Boudicca rose up and growled, putting her paws on a security scanner. "Woah, girl!... YES!" MacBeth exclaimed. The monitor had picked up something! He punched in a series of buttons, as Boudicca kept pushing her head onto his lap, (this was before the sun rose awhile back) and watched intently as the computer narrowed down the locations......
Some hours later, Dark Id rose up on his side, groaning loudly. He reached to his neck and pulled two tranquilizer darts from his flesh. "Time to get out!" Dark Id exclaimed after he had healed himself, and raised both hands at the *iron* door. "ULP!" Id yelled in pain when his energy blast bounced *off* the door and struck him in the chest! He sank to his knees, clutching his smoking tunic front. "Damn you!" he yelled and threw blast after blast at his iron surrounding, which was not a good place to lose his temper. "SHIT! DAMN!" Dark Id hollered, dodging the blasts ricocheting off the iron prison, and finally getting struck by three. Sevarius snickered as Id reeled backwards in a heap, wings spreading. "Now, now, Elf, no need to become angry," Sevarius clicked on the loud speaker in that annoying I'm-calm-and-you're-pissed tone. Dark Id jumped to his feet. 'FUCK YOU!" he screamed.
A sudden blast from down the hallway took Sevarius' attention away from the enraged sorcerer. "What in..." he said as Commandoes streamed everywhere, to try and get the situation under control. That situation was MacBeth and he was more than slightly ticked. Decked out in full armor and laser Steel-Clan arm cannons, he was kicking major XSG ass. Sevarius leered in obvious displeasure and glanced at his watch--and glanced again. "Shoot, it's almost sunset! Bruno!"
The Commando ran up. "Yes, sir!" he said.
"Put chains on the Gargoyles and keep an eye on them!" Sevarius ordered. Bruno, and three soldiers hastily clasped iron shackles and chains on the statues.... as the stone began splintering.
Dark Id could hear the stone, and MacBeth's little tantrum from his cell. "Ah, the cavalry has arrived!" he thought, remembering the line from "City in Stone".
Angela rose up, eyes glowing red and broke from her shell, but found her wrists bound together, and chains tying her down. "What in the..." she said as Broadway roared, shattering his slumber. He stretched his body as the stone flew away, still holding Pendragoness. She screamed in evening greeting..... then found her and Broadway---and Angela---in chains!
"Shoot!" Pen muttered as Broadway set her down. He blushed at the sight of Goliath's daughter.
"What are we doing here??" Broadway asked Sevarius.
Before the doctor could answer, and as Angela was driving knives through the side of Broadway's head, MacBeth blew away the door and he and Boudicca charged in. "Hit it, girl!" the immortal yelled. Boudicca, glad for some excitement, woofed in agreement and jumped on Sevarius, pinning him down faster than he could say the formula for cloning process. Sevarius groaned under the doggoyle's weight and whimpered cowardly.
"MacBeth???" Angela exclaimed.
Broadway looked very confused. And for some strange reason, Pendragoness looked glad to see him.
"Get us out!' she pleaded, first holding Broadway's wrists up, then her own so MacBeth could melt them with his laser.
Once freed, as Angela was rubbing her wrists, MacBeth asked "Where's Dark Id?"
"How does he know Dark Id?" Broadway asked himself.
"Over in there!" Peness pointed at the iron prison. MacBeth took out the iron door and he and Pen peered inside.
Dark Id was banging his head against the wall, saying "Stupid, stupid, stupid!"
"Let's go!" MacBeth said.
Dark Id looked up, realized he was free and yelled 'Wahoo!"
The 6 were about to make their getaway, when a voice called out "That's as far as you go!" Sevarius stumbled forward and he didn't look like he was about to deliver flowers........
Dark Id groaned, recognizing the familiar shape of a dart gun in the scientist's hand. "Let me guess. It's the old 'Mutagen in the trank gun trick', is that it?"
Dr. Sevarius's battered face twisted into a grin. "Not quite, my magical friend. Something much worse, I assure you."
"Yuir bluffing," MacBeth said uncertainly.
"Oh, believe me. If I were to hit you with this, you'd soon come to wish that I was bluffing," Sevarius answered.
"I'll bet it's Demona's carrier virus," Pendragoness thought to Dark Id, who was finally once again close enough to her to reestablish their mental link.
Dark Id jerked in worry. "You don't think he'd be crazy enough to use that on us, do you?"
Pen shrugged mentally and answered, "I doubt it's the finished product. Demona hasn't combined it with that toxin yet. He's probably packed it with some sort of nasty virus, one that he's immunized himself to. If he shoots one of us, we'll probably all be infected almost instantly. If it's the virus."
"One way to find out," responded Dark Id. Aloud he said, "That wouldn't be Dominique's little project, would it?"
Knowledge is power. Dr. Sevarius's grin dropped along with his jaw, his confident demeanor utterly shattered. "What? But how? How could you possibly know that?"
Sevarius's surprise cost him dearly. Angela lashed out with her tail, striking the dart gun from the doctor's hands. The gun flipped through the air, end over end, and Dark Id suddenly remembered the last time this had happened, when Derrek Maza had lunged for his cure, only to have it shatter to pieces a few inches beyond his reach. "No, we don't want that," Dark Id shuddered. He flung out a tendril of purple energy, which wrapped around the tumbling weapon and drew it into his hand. He pointed it at the doctor, who tried to hide a grin before falling to his knees in mock obedience. "Maybe we should give him a taste of his own medicine," Dark Id said ominously.
On cue, Dr. Sevarius began to pretend to plead for his life, "Oh, please, not that! Forgive me, I was wrong! Just don't subject me to the horror contained in that gun!"
Dark Id snorted in disgust. "You, Dr. Sevarius, are a terrible actor. Pen, it looks like you were right. Dr. Sevarius wouldn't be trying so hard to get me to shoot him if he wasn't immune. It must be the carrier."
Dr. Sevarius's eyes widened again as it became clear that these two really did know what they were talking about. "But you CAN'T know!" he protested desperately. "It's not possible! No one but my client and I know!"
"Would one of you please tell me what's going on?" asked Angela irritably.
"Let's just say that if even a drop of that stuff spills, we're all going to have a very bad day," answered Pen.
"Right," said Dark Id. "No sense in taking chances. But I'm going to need a bit more juice for this." Dark Id sliced into a convenient bundle of cables running along the wall with his dark sword, and grabbed one of the live cables with his bare hand. Electricity immediately began to crackle around him, but after a moment it was transformed into a halo of purple magic, concentrating itself on the gun in Dark Id's hand. The gun hovered above his palm within a sphere of purple light, which suddenly flared brightly as the interior of the sphere heated to an incredible temperature. The gun was converted instantly into a metal gas, and the virus inside was incinerated. The sphere cooled again, and the heavy vapors condensed into the bottom, where they then hardened. Dark Id released the cable, and the sphere vanished. A bowl-shaped chunk of metal and carbon dropped into his hand. "I think that should do it."
"And now we'll do you!" called a familiar voice. Jackal stood at one end of the hallway, backed by a platoon of goons. The usual yellow metal of his cybernetic components was hidden by a layer of cold iron plating. The goons behind him were also wearing iron, if not quite as much. It was beginning to appear that Sevarius was starting to take Dark Id's powers serious.
"Like the new look?" Hyena cackled from the other end of the hallway, where she stood with another platoon. Her components had also been plated. "No more magic swords, fairy boy."
As Dr. Sevarius took advantage of the distraction to flee to a safer location behind Jackal's squad. "Remember, I want the light haired female alive!" Dr. Sevarius commanded. "And double your pay if you capture the elf without damaging him...too severely."
"Aw, crud," said Hyena. "I was hoping I'd have a chance to sort his entrails."
"Control your bloodlust, sister dear," responded Jackal. "Double pay is a lot of money. The fat one probably has more entrails anyway."
Hyena's eyes lit up happily. "You're probably right!" With that, the two squadrons advanced, as the cyborgs began adjusting their limbs to reveal an array of blades and blasters.
Hyena chuckled, then laughed maniacally as she adjusted her laser. "Now we'll see if Gargoyles taste like chicken!' she cackled and she and her brother grinned evilly.
"Oh, and they think they have a sense of humor too....." Dark Id thought, tensing his hands.
"I get the big one!" Hyena said.
"Agreed, sister, as long as I get Goliath's daughter!" Jackal sneered.
They raised their canons. Broadway froze as Hyena fixed her weapon on him. Oberon watched from Titania's mirror on Avalon and clenched one fist. "Blast, Peness! do something to save your chosen mate!" he exclaimed to himself. As if she heard him, Pendragoness snarled and jumped on the cyborg. Broadway fell over on his side when MacBeth tackled him when the laser skidded out of control. Jackal gasped and looked away from his target as Peness kneeled over Hyena and began smashing her with her clenched fists. Too bad for Jackal. Angela made a jump at Jackal and pinned him down. Momentarily.
Jackal growled. "Enough, wretch!" he growled as his robotic eye flashed fire. The electricity lashed out and bit into Angela who reeled backwards. Angela crashed into MacBeth who was standing up and they sprawled in as pile of arms and legs. Jackal rose to his feet and dashed at Pendragoness and knocked her off his sister. snarling in rage, the twins stalked forward.
"Beat it, guys! We want to them!" Hyena growled gutturally, waving a hand at the iron-clad mercenaries. They panicked and fled from the lab. Sevarius, still in shock from their knowledge, was crawling towards the door.....
"Oh, shit," Dark Id muttered as the twins stalked towards them. Boudicca took a leap, but was slashed back into MacBeth who caught her with some difficulty. Broadway kneeled to pick up the unconscious Pendragoness, while keeping a wary eye on Jackal and Hyena. Angela rubbed her head and frowned at his action.
"Prepare for death, Gargoyles," Jackal sneered.
Dark Id waved a hand and Pen's sword materialized into his grasp. He tried a magical blast, but it wouldn't fire. "Oh great, Pen can only wield it!" he thought, sheathing her sword into his belt. "Um, Pen," Dark Id warned.
Broadway shifted Peness in his arms so he could lightly slap her face with one hand. "Pen? Wake up!" he said.
"Oh, shit," Dark Id muttered once again. They kind of needed Pen awake to use her magical sword.
"Watch your mouth," MacBeth warned while keeping an eye on Jackal and Hyena who were enjoying the fear they were creating.
"Oh, must I do everything myself???" Dark Id thought irritably. Such as the way Goliath did in "Possession", (Aaron remembered the episode vividly) Angela looked at Id curiously as his eyes snapped bluish-whitish.
Jackal happened to look at Dark Id just then and was frozen. Hyena growled when she saw this and aimed at the others. Unfortunately, this aimed directly at Broadway. "OOF!" he yelled as he ducked it in time, landing hard on his tail in a sitting position, Pen sprawled in his arms.
MacBeth took the advantage with Jackal held by Id and aimed his own laser canon at Hyena. She gasped. "Stay right where you are, girl," MacBeth ordered.
Slowly, Jackal's human eye began to fill with the bluish-whitish color of Id's. Dark Id raised both hands which crackling with purple energy. "Don't even think about it, Fairy Boy," Sevarius muttered. His hand reached for a tranquilizer gun when a purple foot crushed it.
Sevarius yelled in pain and looked up to see Angela looming over him. "Don't even think about it," she hissed and picked him up by the collar.
Dark Id flexed one hand, never looking away from Jackal once. The purple energy ebbed out and flooded towards the cyborg... then backfired. Both Dark Id and Jackal reeled backwards like ragdolls, their forms smoking. "Id!" MacBeth called out in horror. Forgetting Hyena, he ran to turn the sorcerer onto his back. A section of his tunic had been shredded and his flesh was smoking. "My ward! Have ye forgotten that iron can stop Fey magic?" he asked the unconscious Id. Hyena dragged her brother out of the lab.
"Hey, they're getting away!" Angela called out, as she was busy in tying up Sevarius.
"Until next time!" Hyena hissed as she picked up her twin and jetted away.
"Well, don't that just beat all...." Dark Id muttered as MacBeth supported him to his feet.
Broadway was busy with Pendragoness who was coming around. "I'm glad you're ok," he whispered in relief, clasping her to him for a minute.
"Are you ok?" Pen asked, hugging Broadway around the neck. Angela seethed with jealousy.
"Will someone tell me what is going on here??" she asked. Broadway cast a confused look at Pen. MacBeth shifted his weight uneasily as Dark Id pondered on how to avoid this..... He was sure Oberon didn't want their plan coming into the open to one of the ones involved in his scheme.......
Suddenly, Dark Id flashed an idea. The most effective way to conceal the truth is to reveal part of the truth. "I'd imagine that you two are curious as to how we know so much about you and Sevarius. Well, the fact is that we know a whole lot about a whole lot more than that. We've been sent here by Oberon, and Oberon knows many things."
"Oberon?" Broadway gasped.
Pendragoness lifted an eyebrow uncertainly at Dark Id's unexpected revelation. Dark Id quickly sent her a mental message, explaining exactly what he was doing. Pen understood. "It was Oberon's intention that we find you," she continued for Id. "In fact, you could say that you are a key part of Oberon's plan, Broadway." Pendragoness blushed slightly, but Broadway didn't appear to notice.
He did, however, look glum. "You mean that all that stuff at the clock tower and in the theater was just because you needed me for Oberon's plan?"
"Of course not," Pen snapped indignantly. "I could have chosen any of you. But I chose you, Broadway, because I admire you. I've heard so much about you. When Oberon gave us our mission, I knew immediately that you were the one I--er, we needed."
Angela looked skeptical. "And I suppose that your little game of tag was part of the plan, too? And the kiss?" Too late, she slapped her hand over her mouth, suddenly realizing that she had given away the fact that she had been following them.
"You were watching us, Angela?" Broadway asked, surprised.
Before she could answer Broadway, Dark Id answered her. "Why would you think that, Cutie? Believe me, Penny's little romantic advances were purely extra credit."
"Shut up, Id," Pendragoness said. She then turned to Broadway again. "Believe me, Broadway. Oberon's plan has nothing to do with the way I feel about you. Broadway, I like you very much. I have since before I met you in person. But now that I've spent time with you, I-I can honestly say that I think...I think I'm falling in love with you."
Angela hissed slightly under her breath, as Broadway gaped. "You mean that, Pen?" Broadway asked. "But I hardly know you."
Pendragoness enthusiastically threw her arms around the bulky gargoyle. "Then get to know me, Broadway! I think you'll be glad you did."
Angela tensed, her eyes flashing red. Then after a moment, she relaxed, sighing in resignation. Dark Id nodded to her smugly and whispered, "Good. You know when to admit defeat. Breaking up is hard to do, I'll bet. Especially when you were never really a couple in the first place."
"Leave me alone, you disgusting creature," Angela snarled at him in return. Dark Id only chuckled.
"But what is Oberon's plan?" Broadway asked suddenly. Pen looked very uncomfortable. Fortunately, Dark Id came to her rescue.
"I doubt Oberon wants us to reveal that just yet," Dark Id replied. "Even to you. Believe me, once Oberon's plan is well underway, you'll be one of the first to know.
"If I might interrupt," MacBeth said suddenly. "I do suggest that we leave before Jackal and Hyena return with reenforcements." Dark Id and Pendragoness nodded, and the party of six began to search for an exit from Sevarius's lair.
The 6 walked. then began to run to find a way out of Genutech lab. Broadway and Peness ran side by side, a little stunned to what happened.
"Did you really mean it, Pen?" Broadway asked, too embarrassed to even mention her words.
Pendragoness nodded. "Yes, I did," she said, and would've said more but shyness clamped her mouth shut. But their talonned hands reached and clasped.
Angela saw this out of the corner of her eye, seething. Fine. If that's what Broadway wanted, then fine. She didn't care, Or did she? Goliath's daughter was so pissed, she smashed her fist through a wall... breaking to the night air. "Ten, ten!" Dark |d applauded.
"Good, let us go," MacBeth said, and flipped a switch on his armor, activating his jet blaster. His body rose up bobbing in the air. "You too, younglings," MacBeth said to Broadway and Pendragoness who looked up in surprise. Angela picked up her Avalon pet, who licked her right across the face, and Dark Id flexed his extra membranes, vaulting after her and MacBeth. Lastly, Broadway and Peness soared off, hand in hand.
Angela forced herself to look back at them, to see the two veer off. Oh, great.
Broadway and Pendragoness glided away from their little party. "Gosh she looks so beautiful," Broadway instinctively thought, and blushed at the memory of their first kiss.
"Are you alright?" she asked in great concerned at seeing Broadway's enflamed face, laying a gentle palm to his flushed cheek.
Broadway turned a deeper hue at her touch. "No, um, I, uh," he stuttered, feeling like a hatchling.
"Did I do anything wrong, like giving you that kiss?" Pendragoness asked into the wind and blushed herself. She really wasn't top key to keeping her cool in the dating department.
"N-no! I liked it!" Broadway blurted out childishly and mentally slapped himself in the face. How would his companion react?
Pendragoness reacted unexpectedly. She convulsed, and writhed in pain. "Oh, shoot!" Broadway thought and was forced to catch Pen and carry her in his arms. As the Gargess writhed in his arms, Broadway again thought of taking her to a hospital, as they were gliding over Manhattan General. But what could he do, just waltz on in with a patient in his arms? Everyone would freak! Broadway was close to crying from the helplessness he was feeling.
As quickly as they had come, Pen's "seizures" disappeared, leaving her in Broadway's arms. Pendragoness was getting annoyed with Dark Id's interference. Dark Id chuckled from his little trick and let it slide early, realizing that Pendragoness might tear his impish head off later.
Broadway shifted his grip on Pendragoness. She jerked up, fully free of her agony, so that Broadway's hand accidentally clasped over her breast. Pendragoness instinctively dodged from his grip and slapped him across the face without thinking. Broadway's head reeled to the side and Peness was immediately sorry. Didn't mean to hit him that hard...
Broadway huddled his head in his arms and let the wind carry him along. Pendragoness reached a hand to him. "Broadway?" she asked quietly.
Broadway's shoulders shook. "I didn't mean to touch you there, I only wanted to help you!" he wailed and Pendragoness was even more grief-stricken and sorry.
"Broadway," she started. He raised his bald head, eyes glistening with unshed tears.
He really liked (cared for, could he?) Pendragoness and feeling her hand strike him felt like a double blow to his heart. "I, I, I didn't mean to.."
"I'm sorry, Broadway," Pendragoness whispered drawing his face to hers. "I didn't mean to hit you, I don't know why I did."
Watching from Titania's mirror, Oberon smiled coyly at this scene. He knew why...
"Pen, can I?..." Broadway asked, his face inches from the female's. "Can you what?" Pendragoness breathed.
"This," was Broadway's answer as he inclined his head to kiss her. Not really having any control over their flight now, the two began to fall downwards. Just before they hit a rooftop, they broke away and soared to a higher altitude. "Oh, wow," Broadway said. Pendragoness could only smile at him.
"Um, if we're going to get to know each other better, we might as well do that at the clocktower, and get you to know the clan," Broadway said.
"Ok," Peness said. They headed back to the clocktower.........
Angela, obsessed with thoughts of Pendragoness and Broadway, was jerked back to reality as she realized that Dark Id was leading them all--including MacBeth--to the clock tower. Hastily, she adjusted her course to pull up next to Dark Id. "I don't think we should be leading MacBeth to our home!" she whispered to him urgently.
Dark Id cracked up laughing. "You're worried about MacBeth?" he chuckled, making no effort to be quiet, "Ha! I already know where you live! How much worse could MacBeth possibly be than me!"
"Hmph," Angela snorted. "I don't think you're nearly as bad as you make yourself out to be."
"I consider that to be a deep and personal insult," Dark Id grinned. "Face it, Cutie. I'm evil, and that's all there is to it."
"If you say so," Angela answered doubtfully. However, she couldn't shake the feeling that, in spite of his bad attitude, there was something about Dark Id that belied his confident negativity.
"I could nae help overhearing yuir conversation," MacBeth said, interrupting Angela's train of thought. "Ye have little to worry about, lass. I have nae quarrel with yuir clan. On the contrary, I owe ye a debt of gratitude fer the help ye've rendered me in the past. I will keep the secret of yuir home."
Angela nodded. From what she knew of MacBeth, he was an honorable man, whatever else he might be. The rest of the journey home was flown in silence.
When the four of them entered the clock tower, a worried Hudson greeted them, along with an excited Bronx, who immediately approached Boudicca. As the two doggoyles greeted one another like old friends, Hudson spoke, "Ye've returned! 'Tis nae like ye ta stay out all day without a word of warning! Eh?" Hudson stopped in surprise as he noticed her companion. "MacBeth. What might ye be doing here, then? It does nae matter, I suppose, if ye come in peace."
"I do," answered MacBeth.
"I don't," threw in Dark Id. "There is never peace, as long as I'm around."
"As ye say, lad," sighed Hudson.
Angela noticed that there were no others present. "Where are father and the others?"
"Out on patrol. Goliath wanted to search for ye, but I had the feeling that ye could take care of yuirselves. It seems I was right. What of Broadway?"
Angela reddened in spite of herself, and said nothing. Unfortunately, this gave Dark Id the chance to answer, "He'll be along soon. He and Pendragoness hung back so they could have a tender moment alone."
Hudson nodded sagely. "I suspected that the young lass had her sights set on the lad. She's a pretty thing. If her intentions are as sound as her beauty, she'll make him a good mate." Angela cringed again at the word 'mate', an action which did not go unnoticed by Hudson.
At that moment, Pendragoness and Broadway landed and stepped inside. "Um, hi, Hudson," Broadway said sheepishly, aware that the clan was probably worried about their absent members.
Pendragoness has something else on her mind, however. "Dark Id, could I have a word?"
"Urk," answered Id, as Pen grabbed him roughly by the shoulder and dragged him outside.
Once safe from prying eyes, Pendragoness released him. He rubbed his shoulder and glared darkly at her. For a moment, he wished that Pendragoness wasn't protected from magic by her sword so that he could do something nasty to her. He could give her another of the mental zaps that had seemed so successful in getting her closer to her chosen mate (the zaps were facilitated by their mental link, rather than by anything magical--in fact, Pen could do the same to him, if she figured out how, not that he was going to tell her), but decided against it. Pen looked mad, and anything short of a fatal blow would probably just make her angrier. He was unwilling to do anything that drastic to her. Dark Id waited for Pendragoness to say her piece.
"I've had it with that pain you keep sending me!" Pen raged though their telepathic link.
Ah. I should have guessed, thought Dark Id. Through the link, he innocently replied, "What? But every time I use them Broadway falls all over you! I thought you'd like that."
"If you keep this up, he's gonna think I'm an epileptic!" Pen seethed. "Besides, it's not what you'd call comfortable!"
"I was just trying to help."
"Look, I can do this myself. If I need your help, I'll ask for it!"
Dark It glared darkly at her for a moment. Then he grinned. "'Kay! This just means I'll have more time to twist the knife in Angela. Shame I can't make people fall in love with one another. Puck was good at that. It'd be neat to make Lex and Brooklyn fall in love with Angela and see them fight each other for her while she keeps pining away after Broadway!"
Pen sighed. "Oh, leave the others alone!" She shook her head. "Who am I kidding. I can't watch you every minute. Not if I want to catch Broadway."
"That's right, you can't," Dark Id answered. "So here's the deal. I'll leave Broadway to you, and you'll leave the others to me!"
Without answering, Pen turned back to the clock entrance. Dark Id chuckled and followed. Okay, so he couldn't torture Pen anymore. But he still intended to have a great time while he could. With a future as uncertain as theirs, Dark Id was going to try to enjoy every minute.
Pendragoness finally ended her's and Id's spat by stalking back into the clocktower. Dark Id snickered at the back of her fair head and slowly produced crossed fingers from behind his back. Well, he did have kings, but maybe he'd back off from her and Broadway.... for now!
Broadway looked up nervously when Pendragoness entered. Angela looked up and gave Pen a neutral stare, going back to the tv. She was more than slightly annoyed when Dark Id plopped down next to her. Apparently. this elf couldn't take a hint. "Hi, Cutie!" he teased, laying his head in her lap. Angela shoved him away, trying to ignore Hudson's curious stare. "Do you mind, dweeb?" she hissed.
Dark Id batted his eyelashes at the Gargess. "Awww, don't look like that. Besides, you look cute when you're angry," Id snickered.
Angela fixed a stare on him that would have made Xanatos halt in his tracks. "Would you go away?" she growled.
"Hm, don't Broadway and Pen make a good couple?" Id pried.
Angela gritted her teeth. "Go- away," she hissed.
Dark Id decided to push his luck a wee bit more. " Pen will make him a fine mate!"
Angela bit the inside of her mouth with her fangs and tasted blood. "I SAID, leave me alone!" Angela lashed out, and made a swipe at the sorcerer with her talons. Dark Id chuckled and hopped away, ever keeping a darned observant eye on the way Broadway and Pendragoness were chatting in the foreground of the clocktower. Broadway was stroking her hand...
The door to the clocktower swung open and Bronx and Boudicca sprang up to greet the newcomers as MacBeth and Hudson looked up. "We're back from patrol," Goliath said gutturally......
Goliath's eyes focused on Angela. He nodded, apparently relieved. "Angela. You've returned. Where were you?"
Angela shifted uncomfortably on the couch, as she tried to think of some way to explain her absence without admitting that she had been jealously following Pendragoness and Broadway. This time, however, she managed to speak before a grinning Dark Id could spoil it for her. "Broadway, Dark Id, Pendragoness and I were all attacked by Jackal and Hyena," she answered. "Broadway and Pendragoness were captured and taken to Dr. Sevarius. When Id and I tried to rescue them, we were captured as well. We were eventually rescued by MacBeth and Boudicca."
Goliath's eyes widened. "Jackal and Hyena? Sevarius? MacBeth?" His gaze darkened slightly. "You shouldn't have attempted a rescue on your own. Jackal, Hyena, and Sevarius are not opponents to be taken lightly."
Angela glared at Dark Id. "It wasn't my idea to go charging in without a plan."
Goliath seemed to understand. "Be that as it may, it is good to have you back. Now, you say you were rescued by MacBeth? How does he fit into this?"
Angela repeated the explanation Pendragoness and Dark Id had given them at the tower. Goliath nodded. "Oberon. I should have known. Despite his arrogant pride, the king of the Fey can be as much a trickster as any of his children. While it is certainly possible that MacBeth, Pendragoness, and Dark Id have been sent here for a purpose, it is just as possible that that purpose involves one of Oberon's petty games." Goliath frowned at Dark Id. The winged human disturbed him, partly because his coloring reminded him of his evil clone, Thailog, and partly because his attitude reminded him of a demented cross between Thailog and Puck. "I don't suppose you'd be willing to tell us what Oberon has in store for us."
"Nope!" Dark Id answered cheerfully. "That would spoil all the fun, and probably ruin the mission, too. Believe me, if we're successful, you'll know."
Goliath's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Somehow, that knowledge brings me little comfort," he responded.
Dark Id suddenly noticed that Pen and Broadway had left the room. He shrugged. Let them have their moment alone. He was having way too much fun where he was.
Pendragoness and Broadway had climbed up to the roof of the clock tower. Each sat in awkward silence, wondering what to say. Get to know me, Pendragoness had said. But Broadway wondered where he should start. "So, um, what clan are you from?"
Now it was Pen's turn to sit in an embarrassed silence. How was she supposed to answer that? She wasn't from any clan! Suddenly she was seized by a resolve. You weren't supposed to lie to the people you loved. If she was going to love Broadway, she'd have to start telling the truth. "Well, Broadway... I-I have something of a confession to make." Broadway listened intently. "You see, well, I'm not really a gargoyle."
"Huh?" Broadway asked intelligently.
"You remember how we told you that we were sent by Oberon? Well, we are the way we are now because Oberon enchanted us. I, um, used to be human."
Broadway's eyes bugged out.
Pendragoness studied the roof beneath her for a moment guiltily. After a moment, as Broadway was still staring at her, she became irritated. "C'mon, Broadway! This isn't the first time you've seen a human transformed into a gargoyle!"
Broadway shook himself out of his stupor. "I guess you're right. Um what," Broadway searched for the right words, "what did you look like before?"
"I could show you, if you like," Pen answered, shifting into her human form.
Broadway studied her for a moment. "You look just as beautiful," he said. Then he blushed. "You mean that you can be a human as well as a gargoyle, and you-"
"-I prefer to be a gargoyle?" Pen interrupted, shifting back. "That's right. You see, Broadway, I have one big reason to want to be a gargoyle. Can you guess what that reason is?" Pendragoness wrapped her arms and wings around Broadway and gazed soulfully up into his eyes.
The large gargoyle gazed back at her and gulped. "Yeah, I think I can guess." Broadway was no idiot.
Once more, Broadway and Pendragoness kissed one another passionately. It was becoming a habit.
Dark Id hit the side of his head. He could read Pen's mind, and boy did she have a lot to be thinking right now! He folded his wings over his scraggily human form and grinned at Angela. "All the better to see you with, my dear," he thought and chuckled. Boo. Angela was *trying* to ignore him.
"So, 'Dark Id'," Lex capered to the sorcerer. "You're Pendragoness' friend?"
"More than you know," Id thought. He shook his white hair back and smiled coyly at the young warrior. "Yes, I'm more like a brother to her," Dark Id said. "Soon to be uncle.." he thought.
Brooklyn raised an eyeridge. "So are you part of her clan? You don't look like a Gargoyle to me." Dark Id opened his mouth to answer and as he and the two of the Trio continued on with 20 Questions, he snuck a look to the corner of the clocktower. Hudson, Goliath and MacBeth were all talking, about something very important.
Angela patted Boudicca's ear, trying to pretend that she wasn't listening to the elders' conversation about "the clan's future". Boudicca nuzzled Angela's dark hand than rested her head on Bronx's. She could hear fragments like "mate" and "What's best for him" and "what about Angela?" and "Leave this be to themselves." and "She'd make him a fine mate."
Goliath was shaking his head. "I'm just saying that we should talk to them about it if they ever decide something so serious!"
MacBeth held his hands up. "Goliath, I am Pendragoness' guardian, and I know her heart is true!"
Hudson grinned wickedly, a very un-Hudson like trait for him. "Maybe, Mac-Beth, but I've only seen her for a few minutes and that was when she dropped right in, straight into the lad's lap apparently!'
MacBeth stroked his beard. "Aye, I suppose that was a redundant way of choosing a mate!" Hudson and MacBeth guffawed.
"Be serious, friends," Goliath said. "This is a very delicate manner and if something were to happen... Broadway is a sensitive warrior, this whole business could end up hurting him and Pendragoness as well." Goliath didn't know how right he would be......
Up in the clocktower roof, Broadway and Pendragoness kissed again and again. During one of their lip embraces, a loud shout inside Pen's head made her jump back in surprise.
"MY HONOR!" a voice had screamed.
"Pen, is something wrong?" Broadway asked, nervously wiping spit from his mouth. What had he done wrong? *Did* he do anything wrong?
Pendragoness shook her tangled locks back in a recovering composure. "I'm fine, Broadway," she said.
"A MOMENT OF YOUR TIME, HONOR," the voice echoed. Pendragoness stiffened when she heard it, but she covered it up. "I think I just need some fresh air. I'll be right back." She patted Broadway on his wide chest and exited onto the tower spire.
Oberon was frowning at Titania's mirror from the Avalon throne room. He wanted this hatchling and he wanted it now!
The wind catching up her hair, Pen stood on the clocktower spire and looked nervously around. "Lord Oberon?" she whispered.
"I AM HERE, HONOR. I MUST TELL YOU TO PICK UP THE PACE, " the voice of Oberon echoed from around her.
Pendragoness jerked up. "What?!??" she demanded and clenched her small fists.
"YOU HEARD ME, MORTAL. YOU ARE GOING TOO SLOW. A FEW CHASTE TOUCHES WON'T CONCEIVE A BABE. AND THAT NAIVE PUP WON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO UNLESS YOU SHOW HIM AND QUICKLY!"
"NO!" Pendragoness yelled at the air. "It's bad enough that you ordered me to go through with this, to drag Broadway in-"
"BUT YOU CHOSE HIM OF THE THREE. AND AREN'T I GIVING YOU A GIFT? A GIFT TO EXPERIENCE LOVE?"
Pendragoness gave a snort. "What good is love if it is yielded by force? I will not conceive this child at a set time limit!"
"ENOUGH!" the voice of Oberon lashed out and a violent wind suddenly sprang up and almost sent Pendragoness toppling off the clocktower. "I AM LORD OF AVALON, AND YOU ARE MY SERVANT! AND I COMMAND IT!"
Pendragoness knelt, hiding her face in her hands. "Whyyy?" she sobbed.
"BROADWAY'S SEED HOLDS GRAVE IMPORTANCE, AND YOU DID A FINE JOB IN CHOOSING HIM. FIND SOME COMFORT IN THAT."
Tears rolled down a blue-tinted face. Broadway had been worried about Pendragoness and wanted to see if she was alright. To find her arguing with an invisible person who's voice sounded like he'd heard it somewhere before. Pendragoness..... Broadway had been falling hard for this beautiful Gargess, and what was this all about? His seed held grave importance? Broadway stared down at his loincloth in a mingled sense of awe and fear. Oberon wanted his hatchling, and off Pendragoness? What was he, just a toy to be played with and cast aside??
The sounds of Pendragoness' weeping made his heart lurch. He wanted to *go* to her, but didn't know how. And did he want to?
No, no matter what happened, Broadway would always care (was this love??) for his Pendragoness, and if Oberon wanted their child... he'd have to go through 7 walls of iron to get it.
Broadway wiped away his tears and blushed, very deeply. Child? Was he considering?.... Broadway had a feeling only the future could tell.....
And on Avalon, Titania frowned at her husband's plans.....
"Something about that guy just isn't right," Lexington whispered to Brooklyn.
"What do you mean?" Brooklyn replied.
"I don't know. Just something... Something about him reminds me of Thailog."
Brooklyn snorted. "Sure, strip away the feathers, and add a head of height and about 150 pounds of muscle, and he could be Thailog's twin. Lex, I hate to tell you, but he doesn't look much like Thailog at all."
Lex shook his head impatiently. "No, not just how he looks, but that's part of it. His whole attitude. I keep expecting him to unveil some devious master plan. And the way he keeps looking at us like we're some kind of amusing lab animals is really unnerving."
"I've noticed that, too," Brooklyn answered. "I overheard him talking to Angela. He's deliberately baiting her. I'm not sure what he wants but what he's going to get is a kick in the teeth if this keeps up."
"Still, he hasn't done anything really harmful yet," pondered Lexington. "And MacBeth seems to trust him."
"I think 'trust' is a bit strong. 'Tolerate' would be a better choice."
"True."
The malevolent entity in question was rather bored. Angela was ignoring his attempts to bait him, Brooklyn and Lex were chatting in a corner, and Goliath, MacBeth, and Hudson were having a discussion in another corner. Even Boudicca and Bronx were busy, absorbed in a television program. What he wouldn't give for some action.
"BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR..." a voice boomed throughout his head.
"Oberon?" Dark Id responded curiously.
"LURE THE CLAN AWAY FROM BROADWAY AND PENDRAGONESS. THEY WILL CONCEIVE THE CHILD TONIGHT."
"Moving a little fast, isn't she?"
"IT IS THE WILL OF OBERON."
"I'm sure."
"TAKE THE CLAN TO CASTLE WYVERN. I WILL GIVE YOU FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS THERE."
Dark Id sighed. How was he supposed to lure the clan? Well, time for a little more creative truth. Putting on his best horrified expression, he exclaimed. "I've just gotten word from Oberon! He wants me to go to Castle Wyvern. He's going to try to steal a child!" All true statements, separately. But when spoken together were likely to cause the clan to draw some unusual conclusions.
Goliath's eyes burned white. "He is going to attempt to capture Alexander once more? I thought he had agreed to leave the child in Puck's care!"
"I'm sorry, Goliath," Dark Id said with faked sincerity. "I have to go. I am Oberon's liegeman, after all." With that, Dark Id ran from the clock tower.
"Uh, oh," Brooklyn muttered.
"Follow him!" Goliath ordered. "He must not be allowed to succeed!"
As the Gargoyles flew from the tower, Hudson carrying Bronx and Angela carrying Boudicca, MacBeth frowned. Why would Oberon order such a thing? If he had plans to steal Alexander, why was he bothering with Pendragoness? Then it came to him. Dark Id had never mentioned which child Oberon intended to steal. "Blast!" MacBeth muttered. "What is the lad up to?" MacBeth strapped on his rocket pack once more, and blasted away from the tower in hot pursuit.
A short time later, Dark Id landed on the parapets of Castle Wyvern. He watched in satisfaction as Goliath and his clan (minus Broadway, and with the addition of MacBeth and Boudicca) approached. There, that part's done. But I'm not going to be able to keep the clan here for long. What does Oberon have in mind?
"Pardon me," said a voice behind him. "I believe that you're trespassing."
Dark Id turned. David Xanatos was clad in his Steel Clan leader armor, and his forearm laser was pointing at him. Id grinned evilly. "Well, hello, Mr. X! How's tricks?"
"You look familiar," Xanatos frowned. "Invert the colors, add a few steel bars and prison clothes, and try again."
"You! You're one of the two from the Ricki Lake show!"
"Bingo! I'm here on a little mission for Oberon."
"Oberon," Xanatos frowned. "What does he want?"
"I'm sure that we'll both find out soon enough."
"SOONER THAN YOU THINK," boomed a voice all around, as Goliath's clan touched down. "BEHOLD! OBERON'S WRATH UNLEASHED!"
Dark Id felt as though his head had exploded. Every single one of the mental barriers he had set up to control and direct his chaotic magical might was suddenly stripped away. Dark Id howled in agony as he felt his consciousness being buried beneath a raging tide of animal passion.
Angela, along with everyone else, was frozen in surprise, watching Id scream. A moment later, Dark Id stopped screaming and stood very still, with his head lowered. Then, he began to chuckle. It was a hideous, unpleasant chuckle. Dark Id's head lifted and Angela gasped. There was no humanity in those wide, black eyes. Not even the sadistic amusement she had come to see in them so often. All that remained was a wild, animalistic hatred. "Id! What's happened!" Angela called.
Dark Id's wild eyes focused on her. With an inhuman scream of rage, he unleashed a volley of purple lightning. The lightning struck her, and she toppled over the edge of the castle.
"He's gone nuts!" exclaimed Lexington, as Goliath dived after his daughter.
Dark Id flung a spread of magical shards of energy at Xanatos, who dodged away and responded with a blast from his own weapon. Dark Id held up a hand, and a disk of light a bit larger than a dinner plate appeared between himself and the oncoming blast. The blast hit the barrier and skewed off to slam into a stone wall, which crumbled into bricks and powder.
Now, Hudson and Lexington attacked, the former from above, sword extended, and the latter scuttling along the ground, in an attempt to snag a leg with his tail. Dark Id responded by meeting Hudson's steel blade with his own magical one. Both blades held, as Hudson's blade was iron enough to resist the magical sharpness of Dark Id's, but not enough to break the magical blade completely. Lexington was a bit more successful, as he yanked Dark Id's legs out from beneath him.
Dark Id fell to the ground with a grunt. He shrieked, and grabbed Lexington by the neck with a hand glowing with purple energy. Dark Id blasted Hudson away, and lifted Lexington into the air by his throat. Lexington's eyes bulged and he clawed uselessly at Id's protected hand with his own talonned ones.
Brooklyn screamed his own battlecry and leapt at Dark Id, only to be knocked to the ground by a half-conscious Lexington, who had been tossed at him by Id. "Lad! What're you doing!" MacBeth called, blasting the ground at Id's feet to get his attention. In answer, Dark Id seemed to explode. Waves of purple magic radiated from him, shattering stone and mortar, and tossing his attackers to the ground like rag dolls. But the moment that the tremors ceased, Boudicca and MacBeth tackled him, forcing him to the ground. Dark Id struggled a moment, and then was still. The reason for Dark Id's stillness became clear the moment his attackers withdrew. Dark Id had been transformed into stone.
"What is this?" Goliath asked in puzzlement, finally returning with Angela.
In the sudden silence, a child's thin cry could be heard. "I don't believe this," said a jaunty voice. "I finally get the kid to go to sleep, and what happens? A ton and a half of stone and mortar crushes his crib into splinters!" Puck suddenly became visible, baby Alexander crying in his arms. "I decided it would be best to put a stop to whatever had been trying to bring the house down."
"Excellent work, Puck," said Xanatos. Puck nodded.
MacBeth shook his head. "I don't understand. Why did he go crazy?"
Puck ignored him for the moment, choosing instead to study the wild-eyed stone statue on the ground. "Hmm, Oberon's work, I'm sure of it. Well, except for the stone bit, of course." Then he turned to answer MacBeth. "The crazy part I'm not so sure about. Still, it's going to be dawn soon. The spell won't wear off until tomorrow night."
"You are, of course, welcome to spend the day here, Goliath," Xanatos mentioned. Goliath's eyes narrowed. He still did not completely trust the diabolical multi-billionaire.
"I'll make sure that no harm comes to ye or yuir clan," MacBeth promised, sensing Goliath's indecision. "I need to keep an eye on the lad as well."
Goliath nodded reluctantly. A few minutes later, the sun rose, and statues once more populated the towers and battlements of Castle Wyvern. MacBeth entered the castle with Xanatos.
When the clan of Gargoyles had taken off after Dark Id, two Gargoyles were all that remained at their clocktower home. Pendragoness valiantly took deep wracked breaths, her chest heaving and forced herself to calm down. Oberon wanted her to conceive this hatchling tonight?? Well, Oberon was going to be pleasantly disappointed..... Pen wasn't sure if she wanted to tick off an all powerful Fae, but she would not force anything on her Broadway.
Broadway crouched on his haunches inside the roof. Peness entered behind him and slowly made her way to him. She wanted to come clean and tell her chosen one what exactly Oberon planned for them to do. But it wouldn't be easy.
"Broadway," she started, and nervously tugged a talon through her flaxen locks.
"I know," Broadway dully answered, his back to the Gargess. Oberon suppressed a smile from his view on his throne. How interesting.... He considered materializing a bag of--what was it the mortals called it?--popcorn to munch on as he watched his handiwork.
"You-- you do?" Pen asked and her heart almost froze.
"Yes, I heard you, and that... voice talking," Broadway said and hunched his head into his knees.
"Broadway."
"I know what... Oberon wants us to do." Broadway continued.
"Broadway- look at me. Please, look at me," Pendragoness pleaded, crouching in front of the male and taking his face in her talons.
Broadway finally looked and his gaze was full of incredulous childish accusation.
"Oberon had commanded me this-- task a few nights ago, and I don't want to go through with it. He gave me the right to chose the father... and I chose you," Pendragoness said.
"Me? Why?" Broadway asked.
"Maybe it's because I've always admired you before I met you. And," Pen grinned," The way you decided to crash into me when we first 'met'."
Broadway had to smile at the memory, though his heart rate had quickened from the memory of the impact and her body beneath his.... and Broadway had to wonder what it'd be like to have her beneath him, but this time with her aware of it.....
Suddenly the two were jerked to attention at Goliath's yell of "Follow him, he can not succeed!"
"What's going on? What's happening??" Pen asked as they heard the thuds of angular feet running up the steps to the balcony outside, and the thud of the balcony door closing amidst the leathery fluttering of wings catching the wind.
"We'd better see," Broadway said. He caught Pen's hand and they began to ascend to the ladder leading to the main clocktower room below. Suddenly, her foot caught up in the draping length of her loincloth as she crouched to step onto the ladder..... and since she was holding onto Broadway, he fell with her!
Oberon snickered as he watched the two Gargoyles fall together (and quite by accident) to the level below. Much better. He had been infuriated by Pen's decided defiance and was about to take *drastic* measures when Pen's miscalculated step solved that.
"OOF!" Pen grunted, and even though she fell half on top of Broadway, the impact was enough to knock the wind out of her. Her wings trembled as she tried to regain composure. Broadway was wincing at the fall's impact.
Broadway sucked in his breath in quick pants, and also because of Pen's nearness. Her hair was all over her face, so he raised a talon to smooth it back. Pendragoness closed her eyes at his slight touch. She caught his bluish wrist and brought his palm to her lips, and kissed his hand. Broadway quivered. When they both leaned in to kiss each other, they broke apart.
"Pen, we can not!" Broadway exclaimed, smoothing his loincloth which had been disarrayed in their embrace.
Pendragoness remained on her side, in surprise at his sudden break away. "I suppose it would fulfill Oberon's plans," she reluctantly agreed.
Oberon scowled deeply. Well, the lovers had some self control. "We'll see about that..." Oberon muttered and waved his dark hand.
Broadway jerked up suddenly. He wildly looked at the Gargess who was still sprawled on the clocktower floor, as she stared at him, her breath quickening rapidly. Oberon's splash of faerie magic was making them cross their line... to do these crazy things... Broadway began to violently kiss Pendragoness, his fangs bruising the inside of her mouth. He pulled back and stared at Pen in mingled confusion.
Here was a beautiful Gargess beneath him--and she *wanted* him! Pendragoness suddenly writhed as Oberon's added mix began to take it's toll on her. "My child!" she thought and this thought was enough to drive her to primal action. When Broadway bent to kiss her, she grabbed hold of him around the neck and drove her fangs into his throat.
Broadway yelled. Two bodies entwined on the clocktower floor, both doomed under Oberon's interference..... and the spark of life ebbed deep between the Gargoyle lovers as the gift of creation was given... Oberon's face twisted to a bemused expression as he saw his pawns completing his act, heard the roars. Dawn rose bright and clear and two statues lay entwined unto the other, expressions of peace on their chiseled faces...... The deed had been done.
Titania's eyes widened in fury as she watched her husband watch her mirror. Oberon was flashing back and forth between the locations of his two newest recruits, and Titania was not happy with what she saw. As a Fey, she could understand Oberon's desire to toy with mortals. She had done so herself on more than one occasion. She could even tolerate his command to Pendragoness to conceive a child for him (a duty which she believed to be her own, as Oberon's wife). But this was unacceptable. Oberon had deliberately maneuvered Dark Id into an attack on Xanatos's home. It was clear that Oberon intended a small vengeance against Xanatos for defying him, but Titania would not tolerate any action that put her great-grandson in danger. (Titania spared no worry for her daughter. Fox had always been quite capable of taking care of herself.) But Titania could not directly oppose Oberon in a plan he was set upon. She was powerful, but no one possessed the might of Oberon.
Suddenly, her eye caught a dim shape beckoning to her. Quietly, so as not to betray her presence to Oberon, Titania slipped out of the hall to where the figure awaited her. Once clear of Oberon's presence, Titania was able to see the figure more clearly. "You!" she said, startled, "But how-" The figure gestured for her to be silent. The figure took one of the Queen's hands, and pressed an object into it. Titania studied her new possession and the surprise faded from her face. "Of course," she said, finally understanding. The figure whispered a few final words to her, and then vanished into the shadows once more. Titania gazed again at the item in her hand, and an amused smile crossed her face.
Dark Id's perceptions slowly returned to him. He was lying down, looking up at the ceiling of Castle Wyvern's great hall. When had that happened? Id struggled to remember what had happened to him. He had been in the courtyard of the castle, talking to Xanatos, when...when what? Oberon. Oberon had done something to him.
Suddenly he remembered. Oberon had stripped away the checks he had placed on his power, torn away his inhibitions and left him a mindless animal. That bastard! "I'll KILL him!" snarled Dark Id as he sat up. Or tried to sit up, at any rate. He was being held down by something. A quick glance revealed that his arms and legs were being held down by gargoyles, one to each limb. Each gargoyle was wearing iron gauntlets.
"Ah, you're talking again," said Angela, smirking. "Much better than those howls and screams."
Dark Id ignored her. He had other things on his mind. "Let me GO! I want Oberon's spleen on a platter, and I want it NOW!!!"
"Now, calm down, lad!" urged MacBeth. "It will nae do ye any good to challenge Oberon like this. Tell us what happened to ye."
"I'd rather not talk about it," Dark Id seethed. He felt humiliated. He did love the power he had been given, but he prided himself on his self-control. To have that self-control ripped away from him was worse than bad. And with witnesses besides.
"I'm afraid that is not sufficient," Goliath said sternly. "You were totally insane, almost like a rabid beast!" Dark Id winced at Goliath's words. "We must know if you are going to lose control like that again."
"Maybe, maybe not," Dark Id responded bitterly. "It depends on whether or not Oberon's in the mood for a good laugh. What-" Dark Id choked on his next words, they galled him so, "What did I do?"
"I think its safe to let him go," said Angela. Before he could stop himself, Dark Id shot Angela a grateful look.
Dark Id sat up and listened as MacBeth, Goliath, and his clan described Dark Id's battle with them on Castle Wyvern, and Puck's resolution of that conflict. Dark Id glanced in surprise at Owen, who was standing nearby, Alexander snoozing in the cradle of his stone arm. "You turned me to stone?"
Owen lifted an eyebrow. "Indeed. Master Alex's life was threatened by your attack." If Owen was at all surprised that Id knew his secret, he gave no sign.
"Then how'd you change me back?" Dark Id asked. "He wasn't in danger anymore."
"The spell was a time based one, designed to last until we could immobilize you," Xanatos answered for him. "We weren't sure whether you'd wake up berserk or not."
"Hmph. Well, we'd best get back to the tower. I'm sure Broadway and Pendragoness are expecting us."
"THAT WILL NOT BE NECESSARY," Oberon's voice boomed. "WEAVE YOUR MAGICKS, MY WRATH. CRAFT A PASSAGE TO AVALON!" Unable to disobey, Dark Id lifted his arms, purple lighting already crackling at his fingertips.
"I guess we'll be going now," Dark Id said hopelessly. "I guess our mission's a success. Joy." Magic sliced the air, and a jagged black rip in the fabric of space sliced an antique chair into firewood. "Oops," Dark Id grinned. But it was a thin grin, devoid of his usual confidence. Dark Id was only just beginning to realize what it meant to be a slave, and he wasn't liking it one bit. He watched as Oberon compelled MacBeth to enter the floating gateway, pulling a reluctant Boudicca along with him.
"So long, Cutie!" Dark Id said as he followed. Then, he was gone.
"Wait!" Angela called lunging for the gateway herself.
"Angela, no!" shouted Goliath. But he was too late. The gateway snapped shut the moment Angela's heels cleared it.
Goliath stared blankly at the gateway. Hudson clapped his shoulder comfortingly. "I would nae worry, Goliath. If that portal led to Avalon, as I expect it did, Angela will be in familiar surroundings. She'll be fine."
"I think we'd be better off worrying about Broadway," Brooklyn pointed out. "If Oberon's taken Id back, I'll bet Pen is next--and I doubt Broadway will let her go easily."
"You're right, of course. Let us return to the clock tower immediately," Goliath commanded.
When they did reach the tower, they found that Brooklyn had been correct. Broadway and Pendragoness were both gone.
In Oberon's great hall, those same two gargoyles tumbled through a portal that Dark Id had created at Oberon's behest upon returning to Avalon. Oberon smirked at the two in amusement. "Ah, you have completed your task admirably, Pendragoness."
"Not by choice," Pen hissed at him, her hair still rather disheveled from the previous night's activities. (Stone sleep may heal many wounds, but it does little for bad hair.)
"A new life thrives within you," Oberon continued, ignoring her. Angela gasped, and glanced at Broadway, who tried to avoid meeting her eyes. "By the nature of the spell I cast upon you, it shall develop much faster than a regular gargoyle's child. When it hatches, it shall be mine."
"You'll have to kill me first!" snarled Broadway protectively.
"That will not be necessary," replied Oberon in a bored voice. "By Oberon's decree, Goliath and his clan are immune to our magicks. But that does not mean that we must tolerate your presence unbidden on our Isle of Avalon. You may stay the night to say your goodbyes to your lover. But tomorrow, you will be sent home." Oberon turned away from a furious but helpless Broadway to address Angela. "As one of Princess Katherine's wards, you are, of course, welcome to stay as long as you like. However, we will not tolerate any interference with Pendragoness's child."
Oberon addressed all of his guests. "This audience is at an end. You may depart."
"I'm really beginning to dislike that guy," Dark Id muttered as the six of them walked out of the hallway.
Pendragoness was near tears. "He's going to do it isn't he? He forced me to conceive this child," she paused to glance down at her stomach, "and he's going to take it away! And there's nothing we can do!"
"There is something," said a new voice. A young woman stepped out from behind a tree. She was a short woman, with brown hair tumbling to her waist, and bright green, almond-shaped eyes. Dark Id guessed that she must be one of the third race, as she was not Katherine or Tom, the only two humans on the island.
"Who might you be?" asked MacBeth suspiciously.
"That is not important, but you may call me Satsana. I can help you to escape from Oberon's grasp."
"How is that possible?" MacBeth asked. "No distance is great enough to sever Oberon's tie!"
"No physical distance, perhaps," the Fey calling herself Satsana replied. She extended her hand, displaying a very familiar object. "But not even Oberon can extend his grasp across time itself."
The Phoenix Gate. "But that's impossible!" exclaimed Pendragoness. "The Phoenix Gate was destroyed!"
"Do you think so?" asked Satsana wryly. "Let's test that theory. DEFLAGRATE MURI TEMPE ET INTERVALLIA!" The Gate flared to life, and a ball of magical flame enveloped the seven of them. With a flash, the ball vanished, leaving no trace of them but a few ephemeral wisps of flame.
From within his throne room, Oberon's eyes widened as he felt his magical hold on MacBeth, Aaron, and Laura vanish without a trace. "No!" he muttered angrily. "They will not escape! OBERON WILL NOT BE DENIED!!!"
Several dozen of Avalon's years earlier, a ball of flame appeared atop a grassy hill, and dispersed, revealing the seven travelers. "It seems to work fine to me," smirked Satsana.
"When are we?" asked Dark Id, getting straight to the point.
"You are in Avalon's recent past," Satsana answered. "Princess Katherine, the Guardian Tom, and the Magus have lived here for seven years. This should be an excellent place to carry your child to term, and, as Oberon will not return here for many years, he will not be able to rob you of your offspring. I could not tolerate such injustice. To ensure that nothing goes awry, I will remain here with you."
Broadway and Pendragoness beamed at one another. Then Broadway spoke up, "But Angela doesn't have to stay here," he protested.
"What makes you think I want to leave?" asked Goliath's daughter. "I'm looking forward to meeting Tom and Katherine when they were young. Besides, someone has to keep an eye on Dark Id. Who knows what he might do to mess up the past?"
Dark Id smirked at her. "Just try to keep an eye on me. Oh, this is gonna be fun..."
As the time-travellers walked in the direction of the castle, Satsana smiled to herself and clenched the Phoenix Gate. It had been a long time since she had assumed the identity of a mortal other than Anastasia Renard, but she was rather proud of her new form. With it, she intended to make sure that her husband Oberon learned a lesson he would not soon forget--and these mortals were key to that goal. Dark Id was very correct: this WAS gonna be fun...
(For now)