Amity gripped the book tightly. "I am never letting this go … unless you want to see it Luz." She offered.
"Your victory, savor it." Her girlfriend patted her on the back. "Would've never taken Loona for a Good Witch Azura fan though. She seemed so gothically punk."
"I guess it's the same as Lucci liking superheroes." Willow said. "You know, since he's a criminal that hates laws and justice."
"I don't hate law and justice, I just love freedom and anarchy more." Lucci counted, holding up a prop hammer he stole from the convention. "Super heroes represent ideals of a perfect world, but we don't live in a perfect world, so it's fun to read stories about worlds that are on occasion."
"I can't tell if it's more ethically questionable to steal hero merchandise or villain merchandise." Gus said as they walked along. "Is anyone else getting hungry?"
"I've got some Rose tears, so I'm good." Vee said. "But then again I don't mind trying New York food."
"Good look finding a place that has an openening…New York is still crawling to the brink with tourists for the holiday season." Sasha groaned. "The only upside to any of this is that Spice has been too exhausted to cause any more trouble since the dark matter incident."
"I suppose we have different opinions on that." Lucci muttered. "I just hope Spinel keeps him enough company on the bus. I got her to play that Cup head game for when we spend time apart, and she's been pretty addicted to it…I'm starting to worry about her."
"Better than hating Luz." Amity grumbled as she looked around. "Hey, that place looks free." She pointed to the sign labeled 'sub station'.
"That's a lazy pun." Gus pointed out, unimpressed.
"I think it's funny. Sub on a Subway." Vee chuckled.
They walked inside, seeing an actual train car on the side of the wall. "... Alright, pun's making sense." Hunter said as they walked to the front, where a boy stood next to the cash register.
"Welcome to the Sub Station, my name is Max, can I take your order?"
"Just get us one of everything." Lucci plopped a stack of bills on the register as everyone looked at him. "What? You think merch was the only thing I took from the convention?"
"Will do." He grinned. "Yo Justin, Alex, one of everything, we got a lot of moola!"
"Really, you mean we'll actually have a decent check for once?! Christmas must be coming early!" A girl shouted out.
"I'll make the food, you rush it out! Rusos for life!" A boy screamed.
"Family restaurant….reminds me of the Boonchueys." Sasha smiled as they all took a seat at a nearby table.
"You mean Anne?" Luz asked.
"Yeah, her family ran a Thai food place, it was really nice." She smirked fondly. "If you wanted the most delicious yet spiciest food all around, then that was the place to go. I've seen full grown men with muscles twice the size of their heads run out crying for their mommies."
"Bet I could take it. Nothing's spicier than fire bee honey with arsenic." Lucci nodded.
"... Can you even feel spice?" Willow asked. "Like, at all?"
"I can, most of it's just a little mild and dull though. It takes a large amount for me to feel the heat." He answered. "Pretty sure Amity has the weakest tongue."
"What can I say? I prefer sweet things." She sent a smile to Luz.
"Anyways, back before my trip to Amphibia, I'd always hang out at their place for the night. Parents were in the middle of fighting and divorcing, so it was my one haven of stability I could have around the time where everyone is supposed to celebrate togetherness. They all winced at that. "It's cool, I learned to accept it. Two Christmases."
"I'm still trying to understand the idea of having two parents." Lucci said. "So far I've just seen it fail for everyone that isn't Willow."
"What about Ruby and Sapphire?" Vee asked.
"I just kinda view them as one person." Lucci responded. "Mom always took care of me, so I never wanted or needed anyone else."
"Does Hooty count as a second parent?" Amity asked. "He's technically as old, if not older than Eda."
"…..Do you really want to consider that bundle of wormy insanity as parent material?" Willow raised an eyebrow.
"My frame of reference is Odalia. I'll take what I can get." Amity said. "Still, this 'Christ mass' is tomorrow. Anyone feel like doing something?"
"Other than finally getting that last item, I haven't really thought much about it." Hunter nodded.
"I mean, we don't even have gifts for everyone." Luz said. "We can go last minute shopping, but on Christmas Eve?"
"I can steal everyone whatever gift they want." Lucci raised his hand.
"Even ignoring the immorality of that, it's not what Christmas is about." Vee said. "You give a heartfelt gift you know the person will enjoy, and either make or take it with your own effort."
"Stealing does take a lot of effort." Lucci countered. "The most heartfelt gifts Mom ever gave me were stolen from somewhere."
"Yeah, but you're stealing gifts for everyone to give to each other." She shot back. "If you took a pencil and handed it to me to hand to Luz, it would have less meaning than me making a paper mache figure to give to Luz."
"But what if that pencil was worth two hundred dollars, made out of gold, and in the most secure safe in the world. It would be a tremendous effort on my part to give it to Luz, months of planning, scheming, blood and sweat.
"Now you're thinking materialistically instead of emotionally."
"No I'm not. If it meant something to Luz, I would do whatever I could to steal it for her."
"I kind of agree." Amity raised her hand. "I would indeed steal anything for Luz because she's the best thing in my life."
"Honestly, I'm fine with just a cup of coco and a night with you." Luz gave her charming smile that melted Amity's heart.
"Best … coco … in New York." Lucci muttered, pulling out a notebook.
"Really?" Vee raised an eyebrow.
"I told you I'd put in the effort if it meant something to her. I'm just not gonna pay for it."
"To be fair, Lucci kind of has a point." Sasha noted. "The holiday has gone through so many cultural changes and traditions that there is no 'right' way to have it. People can celebrate it in different ways, you just have to find the way that means the most to you."
"I guess I can help set up." Hunter shrugged. "I can't really do much else."
"I'll be researching the best Christ Mass decorations and gift wraps to find around New York!" Gus cheered.
"Alrighty, your first batch is ready!" A girl said, walking out of the back with a large stack of sandwiches.
The girl, who they assumed was named Alex, tripped on an extended chair leg, dumping all the food on Luz. "... Should have expected that." Her drenched girlfriend sighed.
"Right right, let's try that again." The girl she was going to break rolled her eyes as she stood up. "McReary-Time Reary." She said with glowing hands.
Vwosh
They blinked as Alex walked over again, avoiding the extended chair, lowering food onto the table. "Oh, this looks nice." Luz smiled, looking like the spill never happened.
"…Time magic." Willow muttered in horror.
"Time what-now?" Sasha asked, looking confused.
"Do we pretend like nothing happened or attack?" Amity asked.
"I … are you a witch?" Lucci asked the waiter.
The girl scoffed. "Am I a witch, what, don't be ridiculous. That is a very ridiculous question, like is the sky purple. Now, why don't you guys enjoy your food, while I go back and get the sandwiches my brother is making." She said, walking back.
"... She's either telling the truth, or she's as skilled as my mom." Lucci looked impressed. "Still confused on what to do here."
"What are you guys talking about?" Luz asked, taking a bite out of a sandwich.
"Do … you not remember what happened here?" Vee asked.
"What happened …" She blinked. "Now that you mention it, this sauce tastes a bit familiar, but I can't place my finger on it … deja vu, I guess." Luz shrugged.
"People with magic must not be affected by it." Hunter observed. "Still, all they really did was stop Luz from getting drenched, should we even do anything?"
"If they're magic, they might have a clue on where to find the last ingredient." Boscha pointed out.
"Good point … hey, waiter?" Gus asked as the girl came back with more food.
"The name's Alex kid." She said.
"Sure … we're witches. We saw the spell, so you can tell us if you are too." He said, drawing a circle and pulling a flower out of thin air.
She blinked for a second, looking mildly impressed. "Alright, I'll bite, say you're witches." Alex said.
"And you are too, right?" Willow asked.
"Nope, wizard." She was what!?
"Aggggghghggh!" Everyone that was a witch instantly hid behind a table.
"I heard screaming, what's going-and they're all scared." A tall boy sighed. "Alex, what did you do?"
"Nothing Justin. Apparently these magic kids are scared off by a wizard." She rolled her eyes.
"Don't worry, I've got this." The kid at the register walked up to them. "I heard if someone's scared, you have to hug them, tell them it's all right, then sing creepy and ominous lullabies."
"Stay back creep!" Amity took out her abomination and punched them in the gut, sending them into the kitchen.
"MAX!" Justin shouted as he raised a wand. "Rainon Chainon!" They were all covered in chains.
"That got me to, you idiot!" Alex shouted, falling to the ground.
"Hold on, hold on, what the heck is going on here!?" Sasha yelled from her binding.
"Boiling isles superstition. Witches are afraid of wizards." Luz explained.
The boy paused, turning to them with confusion. "Did you say the Boiling Isles?" He asked.
"Yeah, that's where we're from." Hunter grumbled as he struggled from his chains.
"On a giant corpse, surrounded by superheated water, with purple plants." Justin continued.
"Red grass, moron." Lucci grumbled
"Trick question." He continued, looking confused. "How are you guys here? That place was quarantined by the wizard council."
"We had a portal that got destroyed before the collector could trap us." Luz explained. "Now we're trying to get back."
"... Wait, so you're the crazy and irresponsible kids that the entire wizard community is on a manhunt for?! The ones that unleashed the Collector?!" He asked.
"Oh cool, we got paid by criminals." Alex smiled. "I always did like a bit of wild spellcasting."
"You know, for a wizard, you speak a lot of sense." Lucci nodded with approval. "So, any chance you can tell us where to find gargoyle skin around here?"
The Justin guy looked close to snapping. "So let me get this straight. You came in here admitting you committed a war crime and endangered an entire dimension of innocent lives, and expect us to HELP you!?" He asked.
"I dunno, if he pays us more it sounds like a good deal."
"Stop negotiating with criminals Alex!" He groaned. "Great, the one time I'm in charge cause mom and dad got a vacation, this happens!"
"So what's your price, ten thousand, twenty?" Lucci offered.
"We are NOT negotiating!" The boy shouted. "We are going to call the wizard council, and let them deal with the situation."
"Fine…fifty thousand."
"Just wait until sunset. Gargoyles only come out at night in the city." Alex answered.
"Stop negotiating!" Justin screamed.
"Maybe when you don't tie me up in chains, I'll stop talking to them!"
Max walked out of the kitchen. "So … can I hug the scared people now?"
"Might want to hold off on the hugs, because we're going to break out of here, painfully if we have to." Lucci smirked. "So I'm thinking we use fusion since we're dealing with wizards. Who should I go with? Explosive Pudding, angry Orchid, temperamental Cherry, pissed off Glyphon, or zany Rubix?"
"You and Vee haven't fused yet." Luz brought up.
"Please don't make me fight." The Basilisk pleaded.
"Good point … we're still in the city though, Rubix."
"Yeah, I'm down for that, Rubix kind of been sideline appearance wise, be nice to bring him out again." Gus nodded.
"Ah, hello, you can't do anything." The older boy glared at them. "Witches can't use magic unless you're moving your hands, hence being chained and helpless.
"Yeah….I'm not exactly ALL witch." Lucci laughed, grabbing onto Gus's shoulder as the two of them began to glow and merge with each other.
"Rubix is here to play!"
"AAAAHHH!" Yeah, that was the appropriate reaction to a new fusion.
========================================================================
Lucci grinned as he walked through the streets. "Sometimes, life works out." He smiled, looking at the moon.
"Kind of wished we explained the whole story to them." Luz sighed. "You know, to clarify the whole Collector deal."
"Luz, you and I both know if you did, you'd just try to take all the blame for it." Lucci pointed out.
"Not all the blame." She said.
"Really?" He asked with an intense gaze.
"... Just the blame we can't pin on Belos."
"Honey, it's ALL on Belos." Amity countered with the cold hard truth. "He's the one that used the Collector to begin with, finding him and learning the draining spell. If anything, King has more of the blame, he's the one that actually unleashed him on the Isles."
"Hey, he's doing his best." Lucci argued. "The only thing I'm blaming him for is launching me to Earth and leaving him and mom to deal with this maniac alone." He was sooo getting punched for that.
"So what, we just drive around until we see a gargoyle?" Willow asked as they walked into the RV.
"It's the only lead we have, so yeah." Hunter said. "I've seen a few Gargoyles in the boiling isles. By day they're stone, but by night they're flesh and blood, free to roam the sky."
"How come we never saw them when we went exploring at night?" Luz asked.
"I believe you were busy trying to gut me for stealing Palisman." Hunter countered.
"...Touche." Luz nodded. "So, on the scale of friendless, exactly what can we expect out of seeing one."
"Super strong and territorial." Hunter continued to explain. "They're very protective of their own kind. Every child born is treated like the child of every adult, to the point where specific parents lose all meaning, and they're capable of living for hundreds of years."
"You'd think such territorial and long lived creatures would be more notable on a small island." Sasha said.
"Oh, it's not that small." Vee said. "I'd say the titan is about the size of … australia-ish?"
"....How big do these titan's get?"
"If I had to round out an estimate…I'd say tall enough for their heads to reach the atmosphere." Willow explained. "And we're not even counting how deep the Boiling Sea is."
"Yeah… the nice boiling sea." Boscha sighed. "One thing I definitely miss about home is the heat. Out of all the places we've traveled to, this city is by far the coldest."
"Is Vee gonna be alright? Considering she's cold blooded?" Gus asked.
"Don't worry, I'm cuddling right next to Spice for extra protection." Vee nodded, laying on top of the pink fluffy mane. "I feel bad for him due to the whole dark matter thing, but he's a lot more docile and receptive like this."
"Yeah, who'd thought this thing would've been so dangerous for him." Lucci said as he took the dark matter out of his hair.
"Is it a good idea to leave that out in the open?" Luz asked. "Even if it's not reacting violently, that thing is still radioactive."
"Raven said she blocked most of the harmful stuff to stop its power from reacting with Murphy's law out of control again. Said something about how only those highly attuned with magic can feel it."
"... In a city full of random magic stuff?" Boscha asked. "Wizards, Gargoyles supposedly, heck IMP counts. Something like this is bound to attract something. For all we know, dragons could be flying around as well."
"So much of my life could have been spent in amazement." Luz muttered to herself.
"Hey, look on the bright side." Amity smirked. "Once we've dealt with the Collector, we'll have all the time in the world to enjoy the magical side."
"... Yeah, all the time." … And of course, Lucci was the only one to know the real meaning behind that … great.
"Alright, we're going to start making our way through traffic now." Sasha groaned. "So far so good … big bat." She said, looking into the sky.
"New York has bats?" Gus asked. "I thought it was more of a pigeon thing."
"A few … but not so …" Her eyes widened, as she pulled out her swords. "EVERYONE GET BA-"
CRASH
A figure rushed through the windows, breaking Sasha's swords with its feet as it pinned her to the ground. A second after processing the event, they saw it was a woman … with bluish gray skin, sharp claws, and wings, with dark ruby head hair, dressed up in a raggedly looking loincloth.. "Give me your power source." She growled out, gazing at the orb of dark matter, unsheathing her claws. "Or the next few minutes will be quite unpleasant for all of you."
"... You clearly picked the wrong fight." Lucci growled, covering himself in pink as he stood up and tossed the orb to Gus.
"Child, if I sought violence …" She pressed onto Sasha hard enough to hear something crack. "I would not let this woman walk in one piece."
"Then you are a moron…" He shot at her, colliding and forcing her into a nearby car. "For thinking we'd take that lying down!"
Willow wrapped her up in vines as Lucci got in close. "I'll keep her down!" She shouted. "Vee, get the Rose tears and-"
A hand burst from the vines, grabbing Lucci's face … hard enough for him to hear his own skull cracking, before she slammed him into the ground. If this woman actually tried Sasha would have been bisected on the first blow. "I shall not play games with children, who do not understand the true extent of the power they hold!" She rushed over to the bus with blinding speed.
"Oh, we understand enough to know that we don't want it to fall into the hands of a ratty bitch like you!" Boscha charged up a fireball and launched it at the woman's wings, making her stumble into the ground briefly…before jumping right at his angel.
"INSOLENT BRAT!" He watched as she punched Boscha … hard enough for blood to come out of her mouth. "I don't know how you came across your powers, and I don't care. Whatever abilities you may hold, you're NOTHING compared to the wrath of Demona!"
"Demona…like you have any right to call yourself something pleasant like a demon!" He yelled, growing horns and charging at the woman again. "Listen lady, I could care less about who or what you are." He growled, slamming the woman into the ground. "But you have to take that from my cold dead hands, and trust me, tougher have tried." He created a buzzsaw of pink, slamming it into the bitch's neck … as it didn't cut.
"I … shall not fall … TO YOU!" She shoved a leg right through his shield, breaking his ribs as he was launched into a car.
"Hunter, Gus, grab the Dark Matter and fly out of here!" Amity screamed as she tried to throw an abomination punch, followed by Luz's sword, which bounced off the woman's skin.
"I can't cut her!" Luz screamed, before the woman grabbed her by the face, throwing her into a nearby building.
"Foolish, arrogant humans! I am immortal. Fire, tornado, time, magic, all of it I have conquered. I'm beyond anything any of you could ever hope to achieve!" The gargoyle, apparently named Demona, shouted as she began jumping towards the ascending Gus on his palisman, beginning to crawl the walls when he went higher
"Now why would someone supposedly superior try to climb towards a flying target when they have wings?" Hunter warped up to her to knock her down. "You can't fly normally, can't you?"
"Because I have the one thing people in the air don't!" She grabbed him as he tried to kick her. "Leverage!" And slammed him hard enough Lucci could hear the cracks from the ground.
"THAT TEARS IT!" Willow screamed, creating a massive plant that ate the woman. "SUFFER!" She screamed out, covering it in more vines, tightening it further and further.
"Suffer….child…you know NOTHING about suffering!" The gargoyle, now airborne, began slicing through the vines. "For over a thousand years, I have suffered, I have lived to see humanity through all its horribleness, through all its cruelty, through all the hatred and scorn they've always thrown at my kind!! Why don't you feel a hint of it!?" She shot a beam of energy at Willow, who began to scream.
"Pain … pain …" Willow cried out, tears forming in her eyes as she hugged herself.
And like that, whatever self restraint Lucci had was gone. "Grraaaaa!!" The beast screamed, jumping forward and slamming the bitch into a wall over and over and over.
"Very peculiar… it seems you are something more than human… with such a bestial form, you could almost pass for a gargoyle…" The woman smirked, slamming her claw into his chest and pressing deep into it, grabbing his heart. "A pale imitation… it sickens me to my core." And ripped it out.
"Graa …" Their body was numb as it fell to the ground. "Aaahh …" Heal, they needed to heal. Fix self. Heal!
"Lucci!" Vee ran over to him. No, no, stay back! "I got you buddy!" She took in a deep breath, and began to inhale right at the gargoyle. "Ugh, so…bitter…"
"Loathsome parasite!" Demona grabbed the girl by the neck. "I have power lasting centuries, and you DARE leach off my essense!?"
"You're … using it … to hurt … people …" Vee gasped out as her neck was squeezed.
"I hurt the species that deserves it! That only exists to harm others, from themselves to the magical!" Demona screamed, raising a claw to the girl's eye. "Stand back or I shall belay my mercy and gut you as if you were a human."
"... I was…. never that bad, was I?" Boscha asked as blood was still pouring from her mouth.
"STOP!" Gus came running back, holding out the rock. "Fine! You win! Take the orb! Take it..!" He was grabbed by the neck too, vanishing in a poof of smoke.
"I know a trickster when I see one… reveal the TRUE source of power, or I crush all your companions' skulls as if they were plastic." She raised her foot right above Amity.
"Alright!" There was a poof as Gus returned, walking forward with the bubbled dark matter. "Take it."
She dropped Vee, walking over and snatching the orb. "At last … a source of power." She smirked, wings raised as she began flying into the air. "One most suited for my goal….of eradicating humanity!"
"Damn it … come back …" Lucci tried to get up, feeling something warm and thick spill from his chest. "Ah…we…ah…"
"Lucci!" Gus ran up to him and started shaking him. "You have to get up! Everyone's bleeding!"
"Trying … just need … chest to heal …" Come on, it's been long enough, grow a new heart. "Come on … just … push me over to them I guess …" He could heal while seeing double, right?
"Crap, crap, crap, ah, this is all my fault! I shouldn't have given it to her, I-ah.." Gus was beginning to ramble, before something… or someone appeared behind him.
"Relax kid, not even the toughest SOB's out there can do much against Demona." The sound of a woman's voice said in a slightly comforting manner. "Hey kid, I think she dropped this." She held out something red, as pink strings jumped from his chest, wrapping around it, shoving it back inside and-
Ooooh there goes his heartbeat. Lucci is not going to take that for granted anymore. "Ugh! Agh! You never know how important the heart is until you lose it." He took a deep breath.
"Can you not regrow organs?" Gus asked.
"Again, I've never lost major organs before, so never tested it." He shrugged.
"… But-"
"I've been stabbed, they've never been ripped out, big difference." He groaned … "Okay, who needs help the most?" Lucci spent enough time fixing himself up.
"..Everyone." Gus waved around
"I know, I meant:separate them between who's going to die in five seconds vs five minutes." Lucci said as he got up, going for Boscha's leaking bloody body. "Healing class said to always stabilize with the worst ones."
"From the sounds of it, you kids act like you've been through similar situations before." The new voice, which appeared to be a woman with black hair and brown leather jacket, asked.
"Yeah …" He healed the girl. "Never this brutal before." At least they could avoid Belos's swings well enough. "You don't seem too freaked out either." He went to Willow next.
"Pain, pain, pain." No physical injuries, but her head looked messed up. He healed her regardless, moving onto Luz.
"I'm a night cop. Let's just say I know the ins and outs of what goes on at night." The woman smirked. "The name's Elisa Maza. I guess whatever she was after is something we should worry about."
"Have you ever seen a god treat the moon like it was cotton candy?" Gus asked, walking to the remnants of the van and grabbing two vials of Rose tears. They didn't have much left, but given the injuries it was necessary. "Think of that, but in a ball that can kick around however they want. In the wrong and insane hands, they could do almost whatever they want with the world."
"And in Demona's hands … yikes." She winced. "I have a few friends more suited to her weight class. Fair warning, they don't get too many guests, so they're not used to big crowds of company."
"Trust us lady, we've seen our fair share of unfriendly hosts of the supernatural variety, whatever you have to show us is probably better than anything we've had to deal with so far." Lucci nodded as he healed Luz.
Luz groaned as she got up. "Did we win?"
"No. Crazy Gargoyle lady took the dark matter, and is probably going to destroy the world." Lucci said bluntly.
"… Not our day." Luz sighed. "And just before Christmas."
========================================================================
Elisa made her way to the clock tower, pushing open the doors as she led the group inside. "A secret hideout above a police station… I don't know whether that's smart or a disaster waiting to happen." The only other grown woman of the group, Sasha Waybright, smirked as she let the kids climb up.
"It's empty during the daytime, and everyone on the night shift is usually out on patrol. No one suspects a thing." Elisa nodded. "It also pays that people on paperwork duty refuse to have a decent sleep schedule. Like, three hours a day."
"That's perfectly healthy!" … They all turned to the blonde boy, Hunter, heavily covered in scars. From what she's observed in the small time she's known these kids, he seemed to have the most outward signs of ptsd and trauma. "I mean… you know, when you can't afford the normal… five hours?"
"Eight." Sasha deadpanned. "I have got to get you some Nyquil one of these days… or a tranq dart."
"I think you should probably focus on Willow first." The purple haired girl, Amity, pointed to the girl hugging herself.
"I felt so lonely … so cold …" The buff girl muttered quietly.
"Demona usually doesn't attack with magic like that during a fight. You managed to actually get on her shit list. Consider me impressed." Elisa noted. "That means she actually considered your group an actual threat."
"Hurray, she'll get rid of her ego." The curly haired kid, Lucci, said while cracking his neck. "Anyone else still reeling from damage?"
"Breathing's a little off from betting punch through the stomach, but I'll manage." The girl with three eyes coughed. "I've dealt with worse pain before."
"So not that I'm trying to be ungrateful for the help…but why exactly are we here?" The girl with the afro, Vee, asked.
"You'll see in a second." Elisa said, opening the door and walking through to an open balcony. She stood there for a few moments, before turning to a familiar direction. "They need your help Goliath, you can stop hiding."
"Apologies Elisa. It's just very unlike you to suddenly bring guests without warning." The man spoke up with that sexy as hell voice she couldn't get enough off, still in his hiding space.
"Demona doesn't give warning when she attacks people either." She explained right back. "But here are some victims who lived through the experience."
"Demona… attacking children?" Goliath responded. "She is many things… but to sink so low … she truly has lost sight of all right and wrong." With the sound of shifting rubble, Goliath descended from his perch, and showed himself in all his gray stoney glory. "Greetings young ones, I am Goliath. Leader of the Gargoyles."
"… My bicep game needs work." Willow spoke at the behemoth of muscle in front of them.
"I know, rock hard." Elisa chuckled.
"So you know about the Gargoyles, and you two work together?" Luz turned to the two of them. "Working at night, buddy cop style, fighting crime?" The girl seemed to have an active imagination.
"I assist Elisa in her investigation from time to time, but it is the role of all Gargoyles to protect, and my clan has sworn to protect this city that has become our home." Goliath bowed. "Speaking of, come out my brothers. We are now honored hosts."
"Woof!" Bronx shouted out, jumping in front of the girl, sniffing her.
"Aw, Gargoyle dog." Luz petted the little big guy. "Aren't you adorable?"
"Adorable is usually the last adjective humans use to describe a gargoyle." Broadway came down next. "Usually it's 'Ahhh! Run away from the big ugly monster! Don't let it touch you!'."
"Yeah that sounds about right." Vee nodded. "I've been there before." Everyone rightfully stared at her. "..Right, doesn't make sense when I look like this… well, since you're revealing yourselves…" Her body began shifting… before becoming something snake-like with grayish green skin. "Basilisk, magic eater. Detested by witches, feared by humans."
"Wow, a Basilisk." Lexington came down next, looking at Vee closely. "Only met one of you once a thousand years ago. Very chatty, really into shoes for some reason."
"Glad to see there's no erratic fear there." Hunter muttered. "So you guys protect the night from magical threats?"
"That's just the tip of the iceberg, little man." Brooklyn descends down next. "We occasionally get the immortal mademan every other week, then most of the time we're off dealing with robots designed to kill us and Mutates made by mad scientists."
"It's always robots." Amity grumbled. "Anyone else hanging around in the rafters?"
"I've just been behind you all this time." They turned to Hudson, sitting on the couch with a grin as he messed with the tv. "You'd be amazed how many times people forget about you when you don't say a word."
"A secret clan of Gargoyles protecting the city that never sleeps." Lucci looked at them all with a wide smile. "If that's not the concept of a classic superhero story, I don't know what is."
"Nothing so bold, young one. Our clan is obligated to protect our home, no matter where that may be." Goliath bowed humbly.
"...Is it just me or does this hunk of muscle have the sexiest voice in the world?" Sasha whispered to her.
"Never met a human that could match." Elisa nodded with a smirk. "Sasha and Luz here are humans." She introduced. "Vee is a Basilisk, apparently, but I'm not sure about the others."
"Witches, hailing all the way from the Boiling Isles." Gus answered as he bowed, a little light show going off above his head.
"Witches …" Brooklyn turned to Goliath. "You know, we deal with a lot of magic, but strangely not a lot of people using magic directly."
"Let us be grateful. For as much good as it can bring the world, just as much bad can follow suit." Goliath nodded. "I hope that you've come here for peaceful purposes."
"...Eh, peaceful enough." Willow said with a hand giving the 'so so' sign. "We've been traveling the country for the past month or so trying to recreate a portal back home, and the last ingredient we need is a piece of gargoyle skin."
"So you want us to chip ourselves for a vortex to a world we know nothing about?" Broadway asked.
"Well … originally, yes." Hunter said. "Until we got one of the ingredients, dark matter, beaten out of us by Demona."
"... The heck is dark matter?" Brooklyn asked.
"Really dangerous magic." Luz clarified. "Long enough exposure caused a swarm of cicadas to hyper evolve into a nearly indestructible species."
"Or turn walls into ice cream and people into ice sculptures." Boscha added in.
"...So an object that can grant whoever wields it power on par with Puck." Goliath summarized grimly.
"Puck, as in Shakespeare's midnight summer's dream Puck?" Luz raised an eyebrow. "..I mean, by this point, I shouldn't be surprised to know that he's real, but….huh?"
"So is Macbeth and the Greek God Odin weirdly enough." Elisa brought up. "Side note, unless Macbeth and Demona kill each other, they're functionally able to get back up over and over for all eternity."
"So any chance that this Macbeth person is nearby?" Lucci asked hopefully.
"No. He pops up whenever he feels like it, and he always plays by his own agenda." Lexington clarified.
"Doesn't matter. Demona is our responsibility to deal with." Goliath spoke up.
"She's a member of your clan, isn't she?" Amity asked.
"... She was… She was my angel of the night…" Goliath spoke solemnly, his voice full of regret. "One thousand years ago, when superstition and the sword ruled the world, my clan guarded a castle in Scotland. By day the humans protected our stone bodies, but by night, we guarded our home from invaders. It wasn't the most peaceful time, but it allowed both clans of man and Gargoyle to coexist in safety."
"Yeah, cept Demona never trusted humanity to begin with." Brooklyn spoke up next. "Then again, neither did most of us back them. She believed humans would betray us, so she sold out the castle to our enemies, who struck during the day and killed most of our clan once they invaded."
"... So in trying to protect her kind… she got her kind killed…" Luz repeated slowly.
"You know what the worst part about it is lass?" Hudson spoke up from his corner. "She refuses to accept the blame. Demona still believes it's the humans fault that got her own clan killed, not the actions she took."
".....Great, we're dealing with a female Belos on the opposite end of the spectrum." Hunter grumbled.
"Hatred and fear are sins not bound to one species." Goliath continued. "All facets of life are capable of just as much evil as they are good."
"We kinda figured that one out already. The Basilisks alone were a major jump in morality … no offense." Gus said to Vee.
"None taken, I've accepted it." The snake-like girl sighed. "So you've been fighting her for a thousand years?"
"Not quite. In an act of confusion and misjudgment, a magus cast a spell over what remained of my clan, trapping us in stone, whether it be day or night." Goliath continued. "And stone we remained for a thousand years, until it was broken when 'the castle rose above the clouds'. While we stayed in slumber, Demona continued to live, festering in her hate, and gathering whatever knowledge possible, whether in science or sorcery, to fuel her hateful wrath against humanity. "
"So we're dealing with an intelligent maniac, great." Boscha groaned. "Honestly more surprised she hasn't done more damage if she's lived that long."
"The age of gargoyles has come and gone. I fear we may all be that remains of our kind." Hudson sighed. "Try as she might, one cannot overcome the world."
"Unless she's armed with a power that lets her shape the word as she pleases." Lexington pointed out.
"Yeah, that's an oopsie on our part." Lucci winced.
"She was ripping us to shreds, it's not like we had much of a choice at the time." Sasha pointed out. "And I've seen you kids blast lasers into the moon, by all accounts it could've been worse."
"Oh, so that's why the moon looks less round than usual." Broadway pointed to the sky. "I told you guys I wasn't seeing things."
"Regardless, it's clear that we can't afford to take any chances tonight. Knowing Demona, she'll seize the first opportunity she can to use this 'dark matter' for her own nefarious gains." Goliath sighed.
"How would she use it?" Elisa asked. "From what the kids said this thing is wild and unpredictable. She'd need something else to control it right?"
"Something….or someone." Lexington brought up. "Who do we know that is known to collect magical artifacts as a hobby and knows how to blend magic and science together to fit their own needs?"
"..Xantatos. It always comes back to Xanatos." Elisa shook her head.
"Isn't that the name of an anti-depressent?" Vee asked.
"A billionaire that plays every side for his own goal." Brooklyn explained. "He never loses because his endgame isn't for us to lose to begin with."
"He broke the curse to end our imprisonment just because he thought it would be amusing for him." Goliath grumbled.
"If you want we can just walk up to the guy and cut off his head." … They all turned to Lucci. "What, it's a legitimate way to end a problem."
"I'm just staring because I'm starting to think you can afford to be a little more creative than decapitation." Boscha said nonchalantly.
"Trust me, I have hungered for that man's demise more than any living creature that ever roamed this earth. But he is a manipulative sort." Goliath growled. "Not only would it most likely play into his own scheme somehow, I will not stoop so low and allow such a loathsome scum of the earth to taint my morality."
"That's the way, big guy." She patted his back. One day they'd put him behind bars, until then … the game of cat and mouse went on, she supposed. "So we'll be storming the castle so to speak?"
"It appears so." Goliath nodded.
"Yeah, let's get medieval!" Luz shouted out, holding up her giant pink sword in the air. "Witches and Gargoyles, this is like the best real life larping secession ever-!"
"Lass…" Hudson spoke up as every gargoyle turned to the little girl. "Where… where did you procure that sword?"
"... A magic pink lion that belonged to Lucci's womb donor." She answered … wait, womb donor?
"Child…" They turned to Lucci. "What is your mother's…"
"Don't call her my mother, she didn't raise me." Lucci shot back. "And her name, as little as it means to me, is Rose Quartz."
"Rose Quartz …" He looked up. "I knew her once …"
"Of course you knew my womb donner." The curly haired boy growled. "Let me guess. She abandoned someone you cared about for six thousand years, killed one of your closest friends, destroyed your most precious item, or ruined a valuable relationship." He went on. "I'm all ears for how BADLY she messed up your lives!"
The gargoyles stared at the kid with surprise for a moment, before Hudson spoke up once more. "She saved lives."
"... She what?" The kid looked flatfooted.
"Back then humans waged wars on one another, fighting endlessly in petty squabbles. They fought during the day and guarded our stone bodies, and we fought during the night and guarded the resting men. Plenty died … but one day a woman in pink walked into the center of the battlefield, erecting a massive wall of pink, refusing to let fights break out. She sat there for days, weeks, months." He said. "Until one day, her presence was no longer needed to stop the fighting. Curious, I flew down and asked about her intentions … she told me that all life had value to grow up, to not wasting itself on war."
The kids were silent, as the elder gargoyle gazed into the streets. "To deny the sins a wicked man causes makes one a naive fool that will die by their own folly. But… to deny the kindness of a person seeking good … I doubt you'd have friends, would you?"
Lucci paused, looking truly confused on a way to respond. He looked to his own friends, who looked just as confused as he did. "People make mistakes, equal parts good and evil." Goliath continued. "Forgiveness may be beyond your capabilities for her… but acceptance of the past isn't."
"... I … guess it isn't." Lucci mumbled.
"Clawthorne getting schooled… tonight isn't so bad after all." Hunter snickered.
FABOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM
They watched as what appeared to be a purple beam shot out into the sky, purple lighting spreading everywhere as the air itself seemed to be cracking. "Unless you count the apocalypse." Amity deadpanned at the sight before them. "... So what happens now?"
"Now we do what Gargoyles have done for centuries … protect." With a tense of muscles, Goliath rocketed into the sky, soaring ahead.
"... I think I just have a thing for muscles in general now." Lucci said as they watched the man fly through the sky.
"Yes, he is DEFINITELY going on the list." Boscha nodded.
"Keep it in your pants you two." Amity rolled her eyes as she got on what looked like a wooden staff of a cat, and flew into the sky while holding onto Luz. "We have to save the world….again."
She watched as they all headed off, before turning to Sasha. "I have a cruiser if you're cool with shotgun."
"Honestly, that's better than any of the rides I've had to deal with in the past month." The woman smirked. "Better than riding a magic lio-"
"Grrrrr." A pink… lion appeared in front of them.
"...Oh NOW you get off your lazy butt and join us!?" It's sad this didn't even hit top five in her weird nights list.
========================================================================
Spice was angry. The woman of stone mutilated his boy and friends. She needed to be ripped apart as best as he could do. So he rode forward, reaching the same speed as the other witches, keeping his senses open for any threats. "Rrrrgh." His new companion on four legs, Bronx, spoke to him. "Rggggh." So weird getting the chance to fight with them. I usually stay behind with Hudson.
"Grrr." Usually I just let the others handle it as a learning experience. The only time it's out of their weight class is whenever I'm not around, for the exception of now.
"I'm riding on a stone dog through the streets of New York!" Luz shouted. "Best night ever!"
"Speak for yourself!" The blonde alpha who kept trying to usurp him rode on his back along with the new woman. "I've rode on giant snails and sparrows, and they were ALL better than being on this mangy cat!"
"Grrr." Do not make me drop you. We need all the bodies we can spare tonight.
"So, quick question." Amity spoke up as they flew overhead. "It's obvious Demona is gonna be there as a physical powerhouse with magic and skill … but should we be expecting anyone else? We already broke every bone in our bodies once tonight, I'd rather not be blindsighted."
"Xantos isn't much of a physical fighter, but he occasionally dons a gargoyle mech suit whenever he feels like fighting Goliath one on one." The small green gargoyle, the one Bronx referred to as Lexington, spoke up. "And there's also the Steel clan. His own line of Gargoyle robots designed after Goliath that he usually keeps on standby."
"Why is it always robots?" Willow asked with a groan. "Why can't we go back to mutant cicadas?"
"Not sure about mutants, but there are Mutates." The one known as Brooklyn spoke up. "There's a small chance we'll run into his hired goons, the pack."
"Wait, I've heard about them." Luz spoke. "Aren't they a celebrity group of hunters and acrobatics turned criminals?"
"All of it staged by Xantaos." The one known as Broadway nodded. "They tried hunting us down once, but when they got out of jail, the man gave them all enhancements to turn them into cyborgs and human/animal hybrids."
"That … is a new one actually." Vee, also on the back of Bronx, said with surprise. "Closest we got to cyborgs were the experiments in Hawaii."
"You kids have quite the story to tell, don't yah?" The one known as Hudson said with a light chuckle.
"Oh yeah, traveling the world, punching jerks in the face, meeting new friends, existential crisis, we've had it all covered." Lucci laughed as he rode on that slithering snake. "It's a fun and exciting adventure, and the first time I actually began enjoying this planet …"
"Sounds like quite the adventure." Broadway smiled upward. "I'd do anything to go out of the city at least once. I mean, don't get me wrong, the movies are great and hotdogs are amazing, but exploring the world…you kids are lucky."
"Yeah…I guess we are." Luz smiled fondly.
Touching moment … and then he picked up a nearby scent. Spice stopped, turning around. "GRAAAA!!!" And let out a sonic roar that destroyed a missile on its way to the group.
"... SINCE WHEN COULD YOU DO THAT!?" Vee screamed out.
"HHHSSS!" I could think of plenty of times that could have come in handy!
"Wow, Spice has shouty powers just like King!" Gus exclaimed excitedly. "..And like Lucci too the more I think about it."
"Are we going to ignore the fact that he blocked a-MISSLE!" Hunter shouted, grabbing onto Gus and Willow, warping them out of the way of another attack.
"Xanatos has become aware of our interloping. No matter." Goliath's eyes glowed white as she dove straight into the path of one, and gripped it by the end, and redirected it into another. "We will prevail this day!"
"... Definitely muscles to work for." Willow said, looking down at her own arms.
"Where are they coming from?" Lucci asked, pulling out a shield and blocking another explosion.
"There, five roofs down!" Boscha shouted, pointing to a direction, throwing a potion at one incoming at her.
"Don't worry, I got this!" Brooklyn dove in close, dodging the weapons as he came in close and smashed right through the machines. "Leave it to Xantos to turn the whole city into his own personal security system."
"A whole city. Try an entire island." Willow grunted as she shot vines into one of the leftover missiles, directing it up into the air. "Where exactly are we supposed to be heading?"
"Xantos's tower." Hudson pointed to a building that reached into the clouds…one with a massive stone castle at the very top of it.
"Pfft, guy's so rich he puts a tacky castle at the top of his own building." His boy laughed.
"Actually that was how he broke our curse to begin with." Lexington explained. "That castle is our home, he just moved it from Scotland to 'above the clouds'."
"... I mean… looks lovely… " Lucci took back.
"Home is wherever our Clan stays together. What Xantos has done has only continued to make a mockery of our proud ancestry." Goliath growled, flying upwards. "Come my friend, we ascend to the top!"
"Not today, Goliath!" A man with gray hair, a yellow suit, and a lot of fur shouted, tackling the Gargoyle from above, slamming him into the ground hard enough to leave a crater. "Today, the Wolf shall take his vengeance!"
"Yeessh, you weren't kidding about the mutate thing." Amity said as she attempted to pry the creature off the man. "They're even ugly up close."
"I don't know, I believe I've kept a certain feminine beauty about myself!" A woman in a similar suit shouted as she collided with the girl. "Hello, the name's Hyena. You smell nice, do you mind if I take a bite out of your liver?"
"Take a bite out of this, bitch!" Willow began growing vined, only for a long and extended arm to grab and begin slicing and dicing it up into pieces.
"Nah ah ah! Naughty girls get punished for bad language. I'm afraid that'll cost you a tongue!" Another man, this one looking less fleshy and more robotic than the other cackled in insanity.
"Any more bastards feel like walking out of nowhere!?" Lucci shouted, landing on the ground, glowing pink.
"I believe I'm the last one." A man in a yellow canine-like suit walked out. "The name's Coyote, if you wish to remember it." He ran forward and collided with the boy, the force causing the nearby buildings to crack. "Demona was right, there really is some bite under that bark."
"Look Coyote, I know Xantatos is listening through you somehow, so listen up." Spice stopped as Elisa and Sasha got off. "That orb she stole is unstable, and in the hands of someone like Demona, deadly! You know she's going to backstab you if she hasn't already!"
"He is aware of the possibility, just as she is aware that it needs to be stabilized beforehand." The man said without raising his voice. "If one kills the other too soon, all is doomed … quite a fun little dance."
"Oh isn't he charming?" Hyena asked as she dodged a blade from Luz. "Life and death truly don't matter to him, he just takes charge no matter what happens." She attempted to take a bite out of Luz's face. "Don't you just love a man both dedicated and willing to go all the way?"
"You do realize that you're talking about a robot right?" Luz questioned.
"Trust me, I've tried talking her out." The robotic looking one groaned, breaking another vine. "I don't understand how she could like something as soulless as a machine. It's almost like saying you can date a plant."
"I can tell you that a plant would be much better company than any of you!" Willow shouted, sending a vine through the maniac's chest. "We're getting too distracted! The longer we're fighting these losers, the more time Demona has to use the dark matter!"
"GRAAA!" Goliath screamed, grabbing Wolf and slamming him into a wall, punching him over and over with explosive force. "You'd doom yourself with revenge and false missions while the lives of all rest the balance!" He screamed.
"Nothing's more satisfying than the taste of revenge, you monster!" The wolf man cried out in between attacks. "So long as I get to see your ugly hide bite it, the rest of the world can turn to dust for all I care!"
Spice glanced at the others, who were fighting off robots and missiles while trying their best to help against this 'pack' of rabid animals. He growled, rushing over to Coyote. "GRAA!" And blasted him off.
"Right … sonic feline …" A mechanical voice noted as it emerged from the wall. "Will remember… that… in… next model…"
"Aw man! He just got fixed!" Hyena shouted as she shook off both Amity and Luz. "I got needs! Do you know how horrible it is to wait for the perfect guy to get all his upgrades!?"
"No, because I can actually hold onto a real living person instead of a walking vibrator!" Boscha shouted, throwing a vile of acid at the woman's face.
"Leave my sister alone!" The robotic man lifted up rubble, tossing it at the three eyed girl.
"And you leave my Angel alone!" Lucci charged past, smashing the rubble into pebbles, and punching the man into the street … down … down… WAY down below them and into the sewers. "Goliath, finished yet!?"
"Just about." Goliath said calmly as he threw the wolf into a nearby car. "I'll never understand how some humans can be so content with their own self destruction."
"Grr." They died out well enough.
"Rgggh." Until next time at least.
"Enough games…" Goliath pointed upward, where the purple beam in the sky was still powering on, the energy now pulsing immensely. "Let us finally end this." And hopefully quickly.
========================================================================
Xanatos watched the pulsing ball of energy reach into the heavens. "Who knew a common wavelength of every energy, all forms of being … was at the very edge of our universe." He spoke up. He wasn't a fool to so easily believe Demona would just hand over something of great power. Her end goal was to kill all humans after all, she'll just betray him when this was over.
But not yet. This orb, while magical, was rooted deeply in science. It required an intellectual mind to control and alter it as needed. And when it was ready … then he'd use his own insurance. "And you are certain this contraption of yours will stabilize the core?" The sorceress demanded an explanation.
"Why of course. I don't build fancy toys like this everyday without having them work at least once." He playfully answered. "You, my friend, have stumbled across quite the treasure trove. The magus spell book and odin's eye is one thing… but you managed to acquire a piece of the very foundation of the universe itself. Won't that look impressive on a resume?"
"And you are certain it can do anything I ask of it?" She questioned.
"Unless Puck himself chooses to take action, it would likely grant the wish you seek."
A buzzer began to beep. "And what is that for?" She growled.
"I believe that's your old flame walking through security." The sounds of crunching metal and stumbling walls followed suit. "And I also think he arrived in quite the haste."
"XAAAAAAAAANNAAAAATOOOOSSSSSSSSSSS!" Ahh, there was the passion and warrior spirit he oh so admired.
"Sadly I left my suit at home." He wasn't going to fight this time. Too many variables running around, too large of a risk if he and Goliath both fell. "Would you care to do the honors of greeting our guest?"
"Gladly." Demona smirked as she grabbed a nearby laser gun that they had experimented on with the dark matter. "I want him and his allies to be up close for when I finally take away everything they've been fighting for."
"Xanatos!" With another mighty roar, Goliath in all his mighty fierce glory, bursted through, along with all his little friends, and some new ones as well. "I know there is no boundary you won't cross, but this is crossing a line even for you!"
"What can I say, my curiosity was piqued. It's not everyday a mind such as myself can look at the foundation of the universe itself." He chuckled. "Besides, I'd be a fool to say no to a convincing woman such as Demona."
"What, you think that by helping her it'll somehow save your sorry ass?" The boy with glowing pink skin glared.
"… You know, resorting to cursing really highlights how little you think of your insults. Profanity is the lowest and laziest form of language. I suggest waiting until you reach my height to try cutting barbs." He worked for a high standard of villainy, he wouldn't let himself get dragged down by poor language. "Though I have to say it is quite unlike you Goliath to bring children into one of our scuffles.
"They were wronged as well …" He glared at the red headed gargoyle, a small softness in his eyes. Love, a weakness all creatures fell ill to, even himself. "Have you truly fallen this low? Attacking children that have no quarrel with you?"
"You know as well as I that many of our children were lost due to their kind." Demona growled back with fiery red eyes. "Young gargoyles, eggs, most have been lost to their carelessness and hatred. It matters not their age, one human is as guilty as the rest."
"We aren't humans!" A three-eyed girl shouted. "We're witches of the demon realm!"
"Witches as a species from their own world …" He smirked. "What a fascinating concept." He had thought about expanding his business. If he couldn't go to space yet, then another dimension seemed like the next logical step.
"Whatever you are, if you stand in my way, then you are an enemy of Demona!" The female Gargoyle fired off the experimental blaster, which gave off a purple glow.
The pink boy raised a shield …. Which turned into a bunch of fish. Just going to add 'create life' on the list of what dark matter could do. They were on the verge of playing God in the literal sense. "Great, of course you got a dark matter gun, why not!?" The buff girl surrounded with plants groaned.
"The rock was booming with excess energy, so I had to divert it somewhere." He shrugged. "Effects are still rather random. There's no telling what will happen to anyone that's hit with it. Demona, care to help our guests demonstrate?"
"With pleasure." She grinned, as she continued firing off as the gargoyles scattered, with the pink boy, three eyed girl, and buff girl constantly throwing things in the way of Demona's blasts, which ranged from turning it into Lego blocks, pockets of air, literal nothing that mildly hurt to look at, and … William Shakespeare?
"What foul magic has brought forth me to this land of metal and monsters?" The man asked as Demona blasted him, turning him into a book of Hamlet. "To be or not to be… in this situation, for the love that is good and merciful, end my suffering!"
"Dark matter? Possible alternate use of time travel?" He began recording in his own personal log. "Something to tinker with in the near future."
"Could someone get the gun out of her hands!?" The three eyed girl shouted. "I'm running out of dummy targets here!"
"We still outnumber her, just rush Demona and do your best to not get hit!" Brooklyn began making his way over.
"Oh, I knew I was forgetting something, thank you for reminding me." Xantatos took out a remote and pressed it, unleashing the steel clan. "Bodyguards, can't live without them sadly."
"Correction!" The small black child grinned, waving his arms around as a glowing circle formed. "New targets!" There was a poof of air, before all the steel clan was replaced by the intruders.
"End this madness now!" One of the Goliaths shouted as it went closer to Demona. She proceeded to blast them … only for a steel clan to fall onto the ground, turned into a slinky. "Errorrrr."
"Gus, you have really upped your illusion game lately." The boy with scars all over his face nodded as he dodged under another blast that turned a ceiling tile into a pancake.
Demona continued to fire, now forced to hit the robots turned into images of enemies. "No matter what obstacles that you throw into my way, I'll STILL destroy you all! Once I am in control of the orb, I will finally have the power to reduce every last human on this planet into dust, and repopulate the world with the superior race of Gargoyles!"
She was tackled from behind by the boy with scars, dropping the gun. "GRAB IT!" He shouted, before Demona kicked the child, sending them into a wall. He was impressed, usually humans weren't in one piece after being on the receiving end of that. Then again, they weren't all humans.
The buff girl enwrapped the weapon in vines, crushing it as the plants turned into confetti. "Aha, try attacking without your fancy toy-GAGGH!" Demona unsheathed her claw and slashed against the girl, making her bleed from the chest to the face.
"GARRRRRRGGG!" Goliath screamed in anger as he charged at the woman, slamming her through several cabinets. "You are every bit the monster the humans always claim us to be!"
Smack
Goliath slammed into the female gargoyle with enough force to shake the building. "You are always dragging us down to your level!" They clashed, waves of force rolling off of their blows. "We are protectors! We keep what we have safe! You ruin us all with your need for vengeance and your hate!"
"I ruin?! I ruin!? You side with our executioners! No matter how many times humanity betrays you, you will always roll over for them! You blindly protect them like a pathetic pet!" Demona grabbed the man by the neck and used her leverage to push him off. "I may be a monster, but I am the monster that will keep our kind alive!"
"Okay, if she can't be put down, how are we dealing with her?" The purple haired girl asked.
"Usually we just destroy whatever she's after/using, or wait until sunrise." Brooklyn answered.
"Sunrise isn't for another six hours, and we need the orb…so we need a mad dash to it." The human girl with the sword nodded. "Lucci, you and Hunter focus on the orb, the rest of us will slow Demona down while we can."
"Spice, with me. She can't access your mane." The pink boy told an equally pink lion. Access the lion's mane … a pocket dimension? Another thing to invest in. Storage costs alone would be greatly reduced. Maybe he could experiment with the next batch of mutates.
"Graa!" Demona screamed, trying to charge forward, only to be grabbed and held down by Hudson.
"You know how this always ends, Lass. No matter how much you fight us, no matter how much you hate, you will achieve nothing. How much do you need to lose in order to understand how far you've truly fallen?"
"I … only need … to win once!" She screamed, throwing the old gargoyle off, tossing him in the direction of Elisa.
"Then you better get used to the feeling of failure, because that is NEVER going to happen!" The blonde woman attacked from behind. "I know you can't die from any of us, but they never said you couldn't be hurt, like this!" And took one of her blades and rammed the tip into Demona's eyes.
"GAAAAAAAAAH! YOU HORRIBLE WRENCH!" Demona threw her into a wall, covering her now constantly bleeding eye. "There is no low you humans won't go to!"
"Wow, it must be exhausting using all those mental gymnastics to ignore the hypocrisy." The purple haired witch rolled her eyes and she and Broadway attacked her from the side and front.
"YOU SCUM!" Demona screamed, raising her hands up. "Burn with my rage!" And shot forth flames.
"No, you burn with mine!" The three eyed one threw an even bigger one that absorbed Demon's, colliding with hers.
"Foolish child, don't you remember your magic cannot harm me-AGGGGGH!" Lexington and the human girl pinned her down from the back.
"And you obviously don't know a diversion when you see one." Lexington smirked.
"Sharp sword lass." Hudson complimented
"Yeah, it's very inconsistent with what it can and can't cut!" She shouted, trying to drive the blade into the sorceress's wings. "But your wings are probably the most vulnerable part of your body, so unless you don't want them shredded like paper, you'll stay down!"
"You cut off my fingers without hesitation, just go for it!" The scared boy shouted as he and the pink one reached the dark matter.
"I… yield… to NO ONE!" Demona cried out as she jumped, her wings ripping apart as she charged towards the boys.
"Lucci, Hunter, behind you!" The black child cried out.
"I know, I know!" Both children leapt for the dark matter to grab it as Demona did, all three reaching it at the same time.
FABOOOOOOOOOOM
And reality itself felt like it was breaking apart as the sky cracked and the ground shook. The world was shaking from even the smallest atom. "Leet gOOOOALREady!"
"Nevever!" The female gargoyle cried out defiantly. "I don't care if I have to struggle for control fort he next one thousand years! I WILL END ALL OF HUMANITY!" All hope seemed lost … now it was about time for Xanatos's ace in the hole to take a final stand.
A kick was launched into Demona, sending her into a wall, as Goliath stood there, fury in his eyes. "You shall not harm another soul this night!!" He screamed out, rushing forward and slamming her deeper into the hole over, and over, and over.
"Defiinetlyyyyy goingonthelist." The Pink boy spoke.
"Fantasy LAATer, put iiiiTIN mane." The scared one screamed.
"I won't… LOOOOSE!" Demona made one final leap.
"PUT A SOCK IN IT!" Both boys shouted at the same time, as the orb glowed.
BOOOOOOOOOM
And fired a blast of energy out of it right at her, making the sky split as it could be seen for miles and miles, reaching far, far, far out beyond the city limits and into the ocean beyond. The two panted, shoving the ball of energy into the lion's head, glaring at Xanatos. "What's next big man?" The previously pink child asked.
"Nothing. You're free to leave." Xanatos said bluntly. "I've seen all that I've needed to see." And collected so much data, and that was excluding the dark matter. "Though I suggest maybe coming by during the day next time, preferably by going through the front desk."
"What … no fight?" The purple haired girl asked, confused and still on guard.
"Do I look like someone who could fight?" He asked rhetorically. He could fight reasonably well, but he was above using trivial physical force, especially when the situation has longed passed. "Besides, I'm pretty sure your little group needs to get on your way. Unlike detective Maza, most police in this city would try to arrest and capture witches that break into the private home of an internationally known Billionaire Icon, and I'm under the belief that you'd all rather keep a low profile."
"Why are you acting like you just won…you lost everything." The scared boy assumed.
"Did I?" He questioned back rhetorically. "I'm still rich. Still in good health. Demona's plans were derailed, and I learned so much about dark matter. I see nothing but wins."
"Yeah but … you helped her." The human girl growled. "She would have killed us all."
"She could have …" He pulled out a bottle. "Or she would have fallen asleep with a simple spray of chemicals as someone else took control … or she would have won and required you all to undo her mess … who's to say?"
" … You never cared if you couldn't use the dark matter, did you?" The blonde woman asked with narrow eyes.
"People with the power of gods are targeted by everyone." Xanatos answered honestly. "People with information others would pay a fortune for …" He took a long drink. "The key to having a fulfilled and wealthy life? Never see anything as a misfire. Failure breeds education and experience, which breeds growth and integrity. That and an optimistic attitude. That never hurts to have."
"... So to reiterate, you're not gonna let me rip out his spine?" The curly haired one asked.
"Someday… but not today." Goliath growled, staring at Xanatos distastefully. "Someday you'll cross a line even if you with all your wealth can't take back."
"I'll make sure to have a backup then." There were forces even money couldn't buy after all.
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"Well … we have Gargoyle skin." Luz looked at the nail as they walked through the street. "And the RV is totaled … again."
"Surprised Spinel didn't show up, wasn't she playing cuphead in there?" Gus asked.
"Don't know…Spinel?" Lucci asked as the pink gem walked out, her eyes glued to her switch.
"Shhh, I almost got the demon ink monster beat!" Spinel shouted. "DIE BENDY DIE! FACE MY GOSPEL OF DISMAY!"
"...Well on the bright sighed, she's channeling her more destructive urges into video games than into killing me." Luz nodded, barely believing she had to count that as a positive. "Thank you guys…for helping us." They turned to their new gargoyle friends.
"Think nothing of it, child. Thank you for fighting alongside us this night." Goliath humbly bowed. "There are days where I do believe in Demona's words more than I should, but people like you, with noble hearts and a fighting spirit, you are proof that she is wrong. That humanity is worth protecting, whether it be from magic, or from itself."
"I get that. Trust me, sometimes I really do side with the enemies." Boscha groaned out. "That was intense… like Belos level intense. Are all you fights like that?"
"Most of the time. If it's not Xanatos, it's Mcbeth, if not Mcbeth, then the chaos god Puck." Brooklyn groaned.
"Or Thailog on certain occasions." Elisa shivered.
"Mortal enemy you have beef with?" Gus asked.
"A clone made of my own and Xanatos's DNA." Goliath explained. "As strong as me, and as smart and devious as him."
"Yes, we have quite the rogue gallery always putting us through the wringer." Hudson chuckled. "It may not be the most peaceful life, but it is our life, and we'll fight for it no matter what with all our might."
"Rgggh." Bronx barked happily.
"Now we must be off." Goliath raised his wings. "Rest well children. May the rest of your travels be in peace." And leapt to the nearest building, where he and his clan began climbing upwards.
"I'm gonna go write up a report for the night." Elisa waved off. "Sleep tight folks."
The kids waved everyone off, leaving just the rest of them in the street. "....So we can all agree Goliath had the sexiest voice ever, right?" Sasha said out loud. "I'm not alone in thinking that, right?"
"No you're right." Boscha nodded.
"I've been broken in." Luz put in.
"Close second to Mother Nature." Willow agreed.
"That and the muscles make him absolutely perfect." Lucci brought up.
"I blushed a little." Hunter admitted.
"I'm not phased." Amity shrugged.
"Alright but…how though?" Sasha asked.
"Purely into women. Sexiest voice I've met would have to be … Charlie maybe?" She shrugged, hugging Luz close. "Then again, nothing can compare to my Camote."
She was very flattered … and a little sad. They had all the pieces. All that was left was to put them together, and send everyone home … where they belonged. "Hey, isn't that snow?" Gus asked, pointing up.
"Yeah…it is…" Luz looked up as it began falling down. "Hah… guess we're looking a white Christmas."
"Christmas …. Oh shoot I need to steal presents!" Lucci shouted, running off. "Five hours till sunrise Clawthorne, everything on the table!"
"One thing for sure…" Vee smiled as she yawned, likely due to the coldness. "After everything that we've been through… I'm expecting nothing less than the most eventful Christmas ever."