[In the not too distant future…]

POV: Satellite of Love, Bridge

Mike Nelson is at the workbench using a microcomputer and a diagnostic wand tool (basically a small pen-shaped magnet) to wipe crow’s memory of any deviant fruitiness that might be there and his hatred of Brooklyn.  He taps a small chip and a soft ‘bzzt’ sound his heard.  Tom Servo floats in.

Tom: What’cha doing?

Mike: Trying to fix Crow.

Tom: I didn’t think Crow had the equipment for that.

Mike: (impatient) I mean I’m trying to correct any mental imbalance in his circuits.

Tom: I thought that was impossible too.

Mike grumbles at this and keeps working, occasionally glancing at the computer screen for readouts.  After tapping several more circuits and looking at the screen he puts down the pen magnet and closes Crow’s paneling with a sigh. 

Tom: Well?

Mike: Well, he’s not fruity as far as I can see.  Nothing in his memory circuits shows that tendency.  And I can’t find a reason for his hatred of Brooklyn either.  I even went into his earliest memory archives.

Tom: Maybe it’s hard coded into his CPU.  If that’s true, you’ll never get it out without wiping out his whole cerebral core.

Mike: He’s an annoying little pissant but even he doesn’t deserve that.

Suddenly Crow comes to life, turning his head around to face Mike with a glare.

Crow: I heard that pissant remark you know.

Mike: What about the rest of it?

Crow: (glare) No comment.

Mike shoves Crow off to the side and off the bench with a crash and a ‘YAAAH!’ from Crow.  Suddenly the Mads light flashes.  Mike hits the button.

POV: Castle Forrester

Pearl is reclining in an overstuffed plush chair in what appears to a be well furnished sitting room, smoking a cigar while the Observer pours red wine from a crystal decanter into a wine glass on the small table next to her.  He pours with one hand while he holds his brain-in-a-bowl in another.  Bobo is nowhere to be seen.

Mike: Living high on the hog Pearl?

Pearl sniffs arrogantly at the comment.

Pearl: Only someone as unsophisticated as you would cheapen my evening off with such a comment.

Mike: What do you mean ‘evening off’?  Since when do you work?

Pearl looks even more annoyed as she swirls her wine agitatedly. 

Pearl: You obviously have no idea the hours an evil genius has to put in to make her nefarious plans work.  I haven’t had a day off in weeks.

Mike: (sarcastic)  Awww.  Poor you.

Pearl is quivering in anger but manages to just barely calm herself down as she drinks the wine.

Pearl: (forced calm) Despite your predilection for angering me, I will not allow you to spoil my evening with your banter.  (puffs daintily on the cigar)

Suddenly Crow and Tom float into view of the camera.

Crow: Hey, nice digs.  Where can I get one?

Pearl smirks

Pearl: You have to find your way off that satellite first.

Mike: I thought only guys smoked cigars. That thing looks nasty.

Pearl: Shows what little you actually know Nelson.  I have my wine and cigar but I seem to lack entertainment. (gasps in mock surprise)  I know!  I’ll watch you all suffer through a King Cobra gargoyles fic!

All: NOOOOOO!

Pearl cackles with delight.

Pearl: And since I’m in such a good mood, not only will it have Brooklyn playing a major role-

Crow: NNOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!

Pearl laughs out loud at Crow’s reaction.

Pearl: Music to my ears my dear!  As I was saying, not only will it have Brooklyn in it, but it will be a Brooklyn/Lex fic.

Mike: Pearl, that’s just sick!

Pearl: (mock sweetness) Don’t blame me, dear boy, I’m just the messenger.  Blame Cobra’s twisted little mind instead.

Tom: Remind me to send him another email bomb.

Crow: (at Pearl)  NO MORE BROOKLYN!  DO YOU HEAR ME?!!

Pearl smirks at him in delight, her eyes hard.

Pearl: And why should I stop sending them when they cause you so much obvious distress my dear Crow?  (Pearl chuckles unpleasantly)

Mike: (at Crow)  Chill Crow.  Yelling at her won’t help.  It’ll probably make things worse.

Pearl is all satisfied smiles now.

Pearl: I must say this is very entertaining.  And we haven’t even gotten to the best part yet.  But that is about to change.  (to Observer)  Send up the fic, Brain-guy.  I want to watch them suffer!

The Observer smiles indulgently. 

Pearl:  Yes Madam.

A buzzing sound is heard and suddenly klaxons begin to wail.

All: AAAHHH!  WE’VE GOT FANFIC SIGN!

Everyone scrambles to the theater.

[DOOR SEQUENCE…]

POV: Theater room

Everyone takes their seats.

Alternate Lives, Part 2: Phoenix Guardians

By King Cobra3 ([email protected])

All: BOOOO!

WARNING: Since this fic has language, sexual scenarios, and violence,

Crow: Yeah baby!  That’s what I’m talking about!

it is thus deemed inappropriate for children to see and is thus rated NC-17.

Tom: Guess you’ll have to sit this one out Mike.

Mike: Hey!  I’m not a kid!

Crow: That’s debatable.

Mike: (to Crow) You, on the other hand, definitely shouldn’t see this.

Crow: Gladly.  I’ll just wrench open the locked theater door and hang out on the bridge while you two suffer through this.

It contains Yaoi aka M/M sex.

(Crow starts to drool.  Mike uses a hankie to wipe Crow’s beak)

The fic is also dosed in its' fair share of angst, and is occasionally OOC, though I did my best to keep them in character. Anyone who doesn't want to see any of the pre-described elements should turn away now.

(Everyone turns their head away, but Crow occasionally peeks)

PAIRING: Brooklyn/Lex.

Crow: I hate him so much.

Tom: Yes.  You’ve established that very clearly.

DISCLAIMER: Mike, Crow, Tom, Pearl, and her cohorts belong to Best Brains. "Gargoyles" is Disney's. The show's characters aren't mine, but the new ones are. Don't steal.

Crow: Why not?  It’s fun!

Mike: Speaking of which, who’s been stealing my underwear?

Crow:  (grinning)  Umm…dryer monster?

Tom: Nah, I found him curled up under the sofa last week.  Seems Mike’s soiled underwear scared him into a diet, poor thing.

Mike:  Hey now!

"It was forged in a dark age long, long ago.

Tom: Crow’s brain?

Crow: (whacks Tom with his beak)  To quote Macbeth, ‘I’m old but I’m not that

old!’

Operating out of time itself,

The identities of its' creators lost since lost, buried in the sands of time.

Mike: Gotta love the mystique.

Crow: That’s what happens when you build recyclable computers.

In the centuries that followed, the artifact accomplished its' duties hundreds

Of times. Now, in the 21st Century, the next chapter to its' unknown saga, the

Unspoken legacy,

Tom: Is that one of those legacies nobody talks about?

Mike: We are apparently.

Tom: Could we get in trouble for that?

Mike: What could be worse then where we are now?

Tom: True.

 is about to be written, all of the secrets about to be revealed.

To everyone, human, demon, or otherwise, that it appeared to, this magical item

goes by only one name.

Mike: The Ark of the Covenant.

Crow: Mike’s Underwear?

Mike: Enough with the underwear jokes, okay?

Crow: Never!

The Phoenix Gate..."

All: Oh.

AVALON, 250,000,000 YEARS AGO (OUR TIME):

All: (singing) Let’s do the time warp again!

"It has been done, Lord Orius. The device you inquired our services to create has been completed." The cloaked shadow hissed beneath the' hood, its' voice rough, throaty, as though it had swallowed some gravel and the rocks had been stuck in its' throat.

Tom: He’s choking?

Mike: That must hurt.

The figure's hand reached into his dark' robe, withdrawing something

Mike: Ewww!

from a pocket somewhere within, and emerged seconds later, holding a small silver and gold, crest shaped, object.

Mike: Oh.

The thing itself was beautiful to look at, its shine bright enough to burn the retina of anyone who stared at the thing for too long,

Tom: (covering his eyes) AAHH!  It burns!!!!

its' very beauty akin to the sun itself. This was to be expected, though. New metallic items, especially if they were filled with magic, always shone brightly their first time in the exposure of the outdoors.

Mike: They want to show off to the other magical artifacts.

Tom: Ohhh!  Lookit me!  I’m shiny and pretty!

Crow: You wish, dull metal boy.  Me on the other hand…(buffs his gold metal skin with a hand)

Orius took the object and inspected it, a smile forming on his blue-toned face,

Tom: The rocks in his throat choked him?

before looking up at the group of monk-like figures, all of whom stood before him silently. "Thank you, Niko. You may go now."

Crow: (as Niko)  Where’s my payment Orius you skinflint!

Niko turned to leave, his companions joining him, when Orius stopped him. "Niko?"

The monk turned.

"This device will need guardians to watch over it, protect it from harm, for all of eternity. That task will fall to you and your companions, my trusted friend."

Crow: (as Niko)  I spent all this time making this thing and now I have to guard it too???

"Yes, my lord. It will be done as you have commanded."

Orius nodded, thoroughly pleased. "Until next time, then."

Niko bowed, before turning away and fading into the darkness silently.

Orius looked at the item he was still holding, and smile again. "My beautiful object. My lovely artifact. " The Avalon ruler paused for a second, thinking, then spoke again. "My... Phoenix Gate..."

Tom: (Gollum)  My ppprecccious!!

Mike: Fan boy.

Tom: (Gollum) Killsss it we shall!

Mike: Eep!

MANHATTAN, NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 2003 A.D.:

All: (singing) Lets do the time warp again!

Tom: This song never gets old.

The moon shone down, illuminating the large metropolitan city below, bathing the township of Manhattan in its yellowed light. It was a normal night for the citizens of this crime-ridden environment for, as usual, the crime rate was high and random people were victimized.

Mike: You call this normal?

Almost no one was in peace right now.

Crow: So what?  We’re never in peace here.

Almost.

Lying in the bed, staring at the pitch black of their shared bedroom, Brooklyn was lost in thought, the snores of his smaller mate lying next to him,

Crow: ARGH!  Not another Brooklyn fic!

Mike: You knew it was from the beginning.

Crow: I can dream can’t I?!

falling on deaf ears. The red gargoyle sighed, his muscular chest rising and sinking like a raft floating along a river as he did so.

All: (confused looks at each other)

It had a busy night for the clan. Goliath had ordered another round

Mike: Of drinks?

Tom: Of fights?

Crow: Of orgies?  (Whap!)  Ow!

of patrolling even though that was all that they had been doing every night for the past three nights.

Tom: They do that every night!

So, after patrolling this evening and finding some major action,

Mike: Ewww.

Crow: Hehehe.

Brooklyn and Lex, upon returning to the castle, had decided not to wait for the sun, opting instead to retire to the bed in their "mating room" for a little rest.

Mike: EEEEEEEEWWWWWWWW!

Crow: You are such a virgin.  Get over it.

"Des La Grate Muri Tempi Et Intervalia!"

Tom: I thought we covered this in the last fic.  It’s Deflagrate!

Mike: Shut up

Despite the warmth of his bed, the youth shivered visibly beneath the covers. Not because it was cold, which it wasn't, as it was perfectly warm. But because of the old memories plaguing his thoughts. It was just that even now, two years after what had happened, Brooklyn could not shake the recollection of it all. Could not forget Kojak.

Tom: Kinda hard to forget someone who betrays you.

Mike: But he didn’t betray him

Tom: Yeah he did

Crow: Maybe just a little. Either way GET OVER IT!

Kojak, his grandson from the future.

Kojak, who had died a hero's death to stop Demona's plan from succeeding.

Tom: Kojak who betrayed you!

In his mind, even after two years, Brooklyn could still remember every minor detail of what had went down.

Mike: He has a photographic memory?

Crow: (sarcastic) Why not? He has everything else going for him.

Kojak had shown up in present day Manhattan, stolen the Phoenix Gate and had kidnapped Brooklyn and his mate, bringing them a long way into the future. It had quickly become apparent that despite the great time that had passed on Earth, Demona still hadn't changed in Kojak's timeline, making a clone of the long dead (in that time anyway) Angela, and plotting with Kojak against the gargoyles. However, in the end, Kojak had stabbed Demona in the back, due to the death of his adopted mother, Alexia, at the evil female's hands, saving his grandfather and Lex with the Phoenix Gate.

Mike: Thank you Basil Summation.

Tom: We know this already!  We had to sit through it!

Crow: I wanna see more gore!

Brooklyn and Lex had survived. Kojak had not.

Crow: I KNOW!  Brooklyn didn’t die again!!!

Tom: Can’t you do something about him?

Mike: I tried wiping his memory remember?

Tom: Great, it’s definitely burned into his CPU, unless we rip out his brain.

Crow: Don’t you dare!

But Demona?

Brooklyn had no idea. He didn't even know if the future that Kojak had shown him had been the definite future or just one possibility in a large batch of futures. If it was the one and only future that he had seen, a future that had involved the death of the rest of his clan, then perhaps it could be averted. But how to do so? How would one set about changing a future that might not even ever happen?

Tom: You can’t!  Time is immutable!

Mike: You forget this is Cobra’s fics.  He’s so twisted, normal rules don’t apply.

Tom: True.

"Hey, what's going on?"

Brooklyn looked at Lex, startled. His tossing and turning had awakened the bald youth, who was now fully awake, yawning as he stretched, Lex's taut muscles rippling beneath the green flesh as he did so.

Mike: Too much imagery.

Crow: Never!

Tom: I thought you were going to get rid of his fruitiness.

Mike: The system check showed he’s not fruity, just raunchy and frantic.

Crow: Told you!

"Nothing, Lex. Just go back to sleep."

Ignoring Brooklyn's request, Lex wrapped his arms around his mate's waist soothingly. "Deep thoughts? You look troubled."

Crow: We’re troubled!

Mike: No, just you.

Tom: Crow’s far beyond troubled.

Crow: Hehehehe.

"Nothing important."

"For not thinking of anything important, you sure look awfully serious."

Brooklyn paused. "I've..." What to say besides the truth? "...been having trouble sleeping."

His mate smiled, that lustful smirk on his face. "So... since you can't sleep, what do you say we have a little..." Lex's grin twisted devilishly. "...Exercise?"

Mike: NNNNNOOOO!

Crow: YYYYEEEESSSSS!

Tom: MAAAAYYYBBBBEEE!

(the others look at him)

Tom: Someone had to say it.

Brooklyn caught the meaningful glint in his boyfriend's eyes and, pushing away all troubling inner questions for the time being, grinned wickedly, flopping onto his back in the bed. "If you want."

Mike: Argh!

Crow: Yesssss!  Bring on the raunchy!

Taking his cue, Lex started casually going slow, planting a soft kiss on Brooklyn's mouth, his tongue probing. Brooklyn answered by opening his own mouth, allowing the warm tongue to invade his mouth, moaning slightly. The tongues fought over each other, intensifying,

Tom: Their tongues are snakes?

as Brooklyn wrapped his long red arms around the younger male's shoulders, rubbing that space just beneath the back of Lex's neck, causing the smaller gargoyle to groan in pleasure.

(Crow looks excited, Mike slightly uncomfortable)

Lex broke away, smiling at his lover, and Brooklyn grinned back, his eyes shining with love and affection for his companion, who was moving downwards now, his tongue sweeping down Brooklyn's chiseled chest,

Tom: Brooklyn is stone right now?

Crow: (lewd grin) No, just certain parts.

Tom: You need a boyfriend.

Lex's lips brushing against the gargoyle's torso, leaving soft, subtle kisses down his chest and stomach. Until he reached the spot where Brooklyn's stomach ended, and his loincloth began.

Mike: Let’s not go here please.

Crow: Oh just sit back and enjoy it virgin boy.

(Mike glares at Crow)

The olive male looked at his mate, questioningly, and Brooklyn's slight nod and soft moans were all the answers Lex needed.

(Crow is quivering)  Hurry up already!

Lex pulled Brooklyn's loincloth down, and off, with his talons and gazed at the huge erection, which was standing up to attention.

(Crow starts panting now and Mike is looking ill)

Tom: (lofty) Thank goodness I’m above such things.

Gazing at it softly for a few moments, he bent his head forward and enclosed his lips around it.

Crow: Turning a little green are we Mike?  Hehehe!

Mike: Shut up.

Brooklyn moaned and dug his claws into the side of the bed, as Lex began to suck.

Crow: (as Brooklyn)  Yeah, baby just like that!

Lex moved his tongue delicately over Brooklyn's manhood, tickling the rust-colored member, smiling as Brooklyn's moan of pleasure reached his ears.

Mike: (nauseous) This is getting too detailed!

Crow: Not enough for me!  I live for this stuff.  (drooling)

Tom: You’re both sick.

Brooklyn bucked his hips a little to thrust more of him into Lex's mouth.

"God Lex," Brooklyn gasped, as Lex' sucked harder.

While Lex sucked, he moved his right hand in between Brook's legs and gently caressed his balls, making Brook even harder.

Crow: (busy drooling)  Hehehehe, yeah!

Tom: You’ll short out if you keep that up.

Brooklyn felt himself starting to come, but before he could, Lex stopped and pulled his head up.  Brook moaned in despair this time, but Lex just grinned at him.

(Crow moans with him)

Mike: What’s wrong with you dude?!  He’s not doing you?

Crow: He broke the mood!

Mike: What mood!

Crow: My frenzy!

Mike: (notices the Crow drool)  Ugh!

(Mike gets up and fetches a towel, wiping it up)

"Didn't want to stop so soon," he said casually. "Besides... it's MY turn now."

Crow: (grin) Round two baby!

Mike: I can’t take much more of this.

Lex moved onto his hands and knees and crawled forward, over Brook's chest. He kept his hands and knees on either side of Brook and was careful not to put his entire weight on him. Then when he had reached Brook's head, he straddled his chest and sat down, with his own hard green-skinned cock shoved right into Brook's face.

Mike: Ugh! (turns a bit more green)

Crow: (grin) Green with envy Mike?

Mike: (slightly hoarse) Only you are Crow! 

"Now," Lex said hoarsely. "Open your beak, get sucking and show me what your mouth can do!"

Crow: Yeah!!

Mike: (gurgle!)

Tom: (yawn)

Brook happily complied and took in Lex's length.

The small gargoyle moaned, his eyes closing shut in ecstasy, as Brooklyn's tongue lashed around, earning Lex's frenzied groans and turning his emotions from mere lust to gratuitous, unending pleasure.

(Crow bounces around in his seat eagerly while Mike slumps)

Lex wrapped his legs around Brooklyn's neck, pulling the gargoyle's head further down until Brooklyn smacked his forehead, temporarily distracting him from the current activity.

(Tom laughs)

Crow: Aww man!  Not again!

Mike: Thank goodness.  Maybe that’ll stop this.

"Ow."

Lex laughed, and then moaned, his talons digging tightly into the sheets, as Brooklyn resumed what he was doing. Until he too began to buck his hips against Brooklyn's face.

(Mike urps nauseously and grabs the towel of Crow drool against his face)

"Ohhh," he sighed, gritting his fangs, as Brooklyn ran his tongue endlessly over him. They stayed like that for a few minutes, until Lexington felt himself starting to reach climax.

Before he could however, he pressed his claws on Brook's beak, pushing him down and untying his legs from around him.

"That's enough of that now," Lex breathed heavily and then grinned again. "I wanna check out your other end, now."

(Mike puts his face in the towel and starts coughing)

Crow: (grinning at Mike) Two for one deal.  He gets sick and I get porn.  Doesn’t get any better.  I might have to actually thank Pearl for this.

Tom: You ARE sick.

Brooklyn smiled, understanding. Once Lex moved off his chest, he turned over, spreading his legs, resting his head on his arms and slid his tail out of the way.

Lex moved between Brooklyn's legs, looking at his buttocks and gently fingered his opening.

(Mike puts his head between his kneeds and begins to heave quietly while Crow continues to drool)

Tom: Okay, now I’m starting to feel sick.         

Brooklyn smiled, giggling a little like a schoolboy about to get candy,

Tom: Oh jeez.  Now he’s giggling. 

(Mike heaves some more)

and slid his tail around Lexington's waist, urging him to come forward. Lex complied, gently sliding his lime-colored erection into his mate, squeezing both large eyes closed, and moaning in pleasure as he did so. Brooklyn groaned as well, also out of sheer happiness. It didn't really hurt at all anymore, since they had done stuff like this dozens upon dozens of times before.

(Mike runs offstage and comes back with a bucket, his face in it)

Crow: I wanna see that!

"Oh, god, Lex!!" Brooklyn's moaned wails brought a smile to the gargoyle's face, as he began to rock back and forth, sliding in and out. Lex ran his talons through his mate's beautiful cotton-colored hair, Brooklyn's gasping filling the air. That red tail snaked around his waist again, urging Lex to start moving faster, which he did, causing his lover's moans to get louder.

Lex slid out almost all the way, enticing passionate and only slightly desperate cries from his lover, before slamming back into him gently but firmly.

"OH MY GOD!!!!!"

Mike: (weakly) That’s what I’m thinking.

Crow: You are such a wuss when it comes to this stuff.

"OH GOD!!!" Lex had begun moaning now. Well, actually, screaming would probably be a better word.

Tom: You just said that!

"Oh god Lex... DON'T STOP!"

"I won't! I won't! Oh, GOD!!!" Lex's eyes were flashing now, the youth nearly reaching the full throes of passion as he rocked his hips.

Tom: Stop saying “OOHH GOD!”  It’s getting annoying.

Mike: (quietly)  If it gets any more energetic they’re going to blow up.

Crow: Now who’s reaching?

Brooklyn's gasps started turning to muffled screams, as the red gargoyle buried his face in the pillow, so as not to disturb any of the other castle residents. Lex's hardened member continued slamming into him, sending waves of pleasure billowing through both of them. Then his hips started lashing faster into his lover, like a jackhammer drilling into the pavement.

Mike: Tearing him apart so this ends!

Crow: (laughing) Oh, the ironing!

Tom: That’s irony.

Crow: That’s irrelevant.

Brooklyn kept screaming, his beak covered by the pillow, his cries for Lex to keep going, bringing a smile to the small youth's face. This was their best yet. Brooklyn and Lex had done stuff like this before, of course, but this was the most emotionally satisfying yet. Brooklyn had never screamed and moaned this much during sex, and it was oddly gratifying.

Mike: Okay!  You like it lots!  I get it!  Now finish already!

Crow: He’s starting to sound like me!  Hahahaha!

Tom: Great.  Now I have to deal with two psychotic life forms!

gyrating thighs, to keep the red gargoyle in place, as they moved, the squeaking of the bed and Brooklyn's frenzied cries becoming one sound in Lex's ears. God, this... was... INCREDIBLE. And it got better each time they did this.

Mike: Shut up about how good it is already!

Crow: Keep going!  Never stop!  I want to see him snap!

Tom: You’re both already nuts.

Brooklyn's tail curved further around Lexington's waist, its tip stroking Lex's flesh, before it reached Lex's own tail. It circled the top end of Lex's tail, entwining it. When it was done with that, the tip moved down below Lex's tail... and shot forward.

Mike: Oh come on!  That should have torn him open!

Crow: I guess Lex has a bigger butt then we thought.

Tom: (singing) I like big butts and I cannot lie!

"OOOHHH!!!" Lex moaned in surprise, as Brook's tail entered him from behind and began to slide in and out in perfect rhythm to his own thrusts.

Crow: He should be a dancer with perfect rhythm like that.

Tom: That was bad.

Getting an idea, Lex began to slid his own tail down below and slither under his own legs and beneath Brook's torso.

Tom: Okay, this went from gargoyle porn to tentacle hentai.

Mike: (burps unpleasantly) Even worse!

Crow: Speak for yourself!  This is getting better all the time.

Brooklyn gasped, as he felt what he first thought was a snake moving from beneath him, before he then realized that it must be Lex.

All: Duh!

Wondering what Lex was up to, and excited, Brooklyn lifted himself slightly to give Lex's tail more room. He was rewarded with the tail curving around his huge member and beginning to move up and down upon it, pumping it.

He moaned in sheer and complete pleasure, his jaw gaping in satisfaction, feelings of lust intensifying into a passionate desire as Lex's tail beat him off, the green tail yanking rapidly but gently on his member, Lex's thrusting behind his shivering form almost being too much for Brooklyn to bear. This was their best, most incredible, sex yet, and Brooklyn screamed this out loud into his pillow, Lex agreeing with him as they rocked back and fourth on the large mattress.

Mike: (groaning) I feel like screaming.

Crow: (giggling) Please do!  I’d love to hear you scream!

Mike: (determined look)  Just for that, I won’t.

Crow: Aww, you’re no fun!

Lexington and Brooklyn both felt themselves reaching climax at the same time. Neither of them wanted this to end, but they also wanted to follow it all the way through.

Mike: Please let it end!  Please!

Crow: Follow through, follow through!

So, without further ado, they continued their lovemaking,

Crow: Yay!

Mike: Nooo!

Tom: Whatever.

thrusting, moaning, gasping and panting.

"Brook...!!" Lex breathed out, as he neared the end of his ride.

"Lex...!!" Brooklyn gasped.

Crow: Crow!

Mike: Mike!

Tom: Tom!

Then all the world exploded around them,

Crow: Yay! They all die!

Mike: I thought you wanted the passion to continue.

Crow: Death, destruction, sex, it’s all good.

as they roared their passion to the ceiling, to hell with the rest of the castle residents. This was their moment, their perfect moment in time. And they were going to enjoy it as much as possible.

Mike: I think they’ve already done that.

Tom: I think it’s gone beyond possible.

Crow: Our lives are beyond possible.

Tom: No, just our chances of making you normal.

(Crow whacks Tom on the head)

CASTLE KITCHEN, SAME TIME:

The Xanatoses had been fixing dinner

Mike: Since when does Xanatos fix dinner?

Crow: Xanatos in an apron!

(Everyone laughs)

Tom: Doesn’t Owen prepare their meals?

Crow: Even better!  Burnett in an apron!

(Everyone laughs again)

Mike: He’s probably got a million chefs to cook anyway.

when they heard a loud, but faint, series of roars. David looked at his wife.

"Now what do you suppose that was?"

Mike: Our wails of despair?

Crow: Our wails of pleasure?

Tom: Our wails of indifference?

Mike: Can you wail in indifference?

PARAPETS, ALSO SAME TIME:

The clan, minus Brook and Lex, had been staring out at the city watching the humans below out of boredom when they too heard the sounds of passionate roaring. Angela was perplexed.

Mike: She gets that a lot.

Crow: She plays the dumb blonde routine real well considering she’s not blonde.

Tom: No, but you are.

Crow: (sniff) That’s golden sheen to you, hover boy.

"Father?"

"I do not know, Angela."

Crow: What do you know?

Mike: (as Goliath) I’m big.

Tom: (ditto) I’m stupid.

Crow: (ditto) I’ve got a big-(whap!)  Ow!  Uhh…head?

Mike: (frown) I’m not sure I should let that by either.

Crow: (grin) You’re learning, grasshopper.

Broadway headed towards the inner castle. He had a few ideas what that roaring was, but what if he was wrong? Better safe then sorry, right?

Crow: Wrong!

"I'll go check it out."

BROOKLYN AND LEX'S BEDROOM:

However, it still had to end, as much as neither gargoyle wanted it to. Lex's release deep in his body was enough to push Brooklyn over the edge, and he came with a roar, both gargoyles' bodies tightening momentarily, then their muscles relaxed, and Lex pulled out of his lover, Brooklyn rolling over onto his back, with Lex on top of him, arms wrapped around each other protectively, both of them gazing into the other's eyes.

Tom: All this sugar is rotting my teeth.

Mike: You don’t have any teeth.

Tom: Irrelevant.

The green gargoyle smiled at his mate.

"I love you."

Brooklyn smiled back. "Love you the most," he grinned and kissed him deeply.

They were interrupted by a knock at the door, which then swung open, revealing Broadway, who was entering the bedroom before either gargoyle could stop him. "Are you guys all..." Broadway's question died mid sentence, as the large Aqua male looked up and saw his two rookery brothers, both naked, lying on the bed closely, wrapped in each other's arms. "Never mind..." Broadway shut the door behind him.

Crow: HAHAHAHA!

Tom: His brain broke!

Mike: Either that or he’s smarter then he looks.

(Crow and Tom look at each other, then start sniggering)

Crow: Yeah right!

Lex laughed, amused, and then looked at his mate. "We should probably cover ourselves before anyone else comes knocking."

"Yeah."

Both gargoyles pulled the covers over them selves, and curled up against each other closely, Brooklyn wrapping his right wing around his lover, as though to keep him protected from the harsh insecurities of the world, a silent way of telling Lex that he was Brooklyn's, now and forever, and that no one and nothing would ever change that. Lex got the message, and gently ran his talon through Brooklyn's mussed-up hair, silently saying the same things about his partner. The brick red gargoyle smiled, placing a soft kiss upon his mate's forehead.

The two lovers embraced one another and before long, Brooklyn finally found himself drifting off into a pleasant sleep, Lex's arms wrapped around his back and chest as they slept, gentle snores filling the air.

Crow: (yawn) Okay, the sex was good.  Now we need some death.

Mike: (slightly sarcastic) With destruction following right after.

Crow: That’s for dessert.

CASTLE HALLWAY, TWO MINUTES LATER:

Goliath found Broadway turning the corner, the large Aqua youth headed to the kitchen. Probably to find a snack. Or two. Or three. Or four.

Tom: Heck, why not just clean out the whole kitchen?

What a surprise.

Crow: I was going to say that!

"Did you find out what that was?" Goliath rumbled, pointedly ignoring Broadway's potential eating fetish. The Aqua gargoyle hesitated for a second. Should he tell him what he had seen in the lovers' room?

Mike: No!

Crow: Yes!

Probably. Goliath already knew how close the two were, but it wasn't any of his business.

Broadway shouldn't even have found out what they had been doing, but by dumb luck he had. Should Broadway spill the beans about what he had caught the two males doing? Goliath had probably already figured it out by now anyways.

Crow: Wow.  Broadway can actually think!

Tom: It’s a cold day in hell folks!

Crow: I heard Satan was opening an ice rink.

'Oh, damn it, Broadway, just say something already! Tell him you don't know what it was!!'

Mike: Who was that?

Tom: Broadway’s inner voice.

Crow: The one that tells him to burn things.

"Yeah, I did." What?! Why did he say THAT?! Broadway cursed himself inwardly. 'YOU IDIOT!'

All: Duh!

"And?"

"And what?"

(Everyone snickers)

For one brief, shining moment, Goliath had to restrain himself from berating the younger male.

Crow: More like beating him over the head!

"Was it what I think it was?"

Everyone: (dumb voice) I dunno!

"Yeah." No point in lying now.

Crow: There’s always a point to lying!

Mike: You would know.

"Lex and Brooklyn?" Goliath looked confused. "But what could they have been doing to roar like that?"

Everyone: What do you think, dumbass!

"..."

It sank in almost at once, and Goliath felt sheepish.

(bursts of laugher)

"Ah. I see." So he had been right after all. That was satisfying, in an odd sort of way,

Crow: Satisfying like Brook & Lex?

Mike: Ew

given the circumstances of the evening.

"Yeah."

CAIRO, EGYPT, 1986 A.D.:

All: (singing) Lets do the time warp again!

The harsh wind blew, sending sand sweeping across the landscape, that devastating heat blazing throughout the desert. There was no one and nothing around. No buildings, no water, no life whatsoever.

Crow: I’m thirsty!

Mike: You don’t drink water.

Crow: I’m still thirsty.

Mike: You’ll live.

Except for one.

The tall black gargoyle stumbled across the dunes, his mouth and his throat dry, gasping for salvation, his muscular but not too beefy body crying out for water. Sweat ran down his golden hair, dropping down from his scalp onto his shoulder blades and sliding down his back and torso. His red-colored wings, as well as his gray loincloth, were wet with perspiration, and it seemed that escape from this horrifying purgatory was impossible.

Crow: It is impossible.

Tom: You’re screwed.

'Water... Please... God... Allah... whoever, quench my thirst, I beg of you... please...'

Crow: God’s not here and Allah’s out to lunch but if you want to leave a message.

Mike: That’s sacrilegious.

Crow: No, that’s funny.

But no water would come, of course. The gargoyle's pleas were only an illogical desire from his fevered brain.

Crow: Big Duh moment here.

Tom: Does Cobra think we’re idiots?

No rain had fallen in this dry land for nearly 200 years.

It had been a hard time lately for the handsome male gargoyle. His clan had been driven out of Israel by the paranoia of humans, the fears of men, all of whom had not known what they had wanted. Too afraid to befriend or accept them.

Tom: Yeah, that’s been happening to a lot of gargs these days

So the Gargoyles had left, for fear of being smashed in their stone sleep. They had come to Egypt, seeking a better life. But whom had they been fooling? No one, it seemed. Because the Egyptians had treated them the very same way. With fear, hatred, and hostility. With no other alternatives, the clan had decided to brave the dangers of the desert, in search of a better home. But this year, the area was at its' most harsh.

Crow: It’s a desert, what did you expect?

Tom: An oasis.

The scorching waves of the orange sun had beat down upon them without mercy, drying out their bodies. Stone sleep hadn't helped at all, not in this climate, not in the exposure of the heat. They had all, including his loving mate Arlon, perished horribly, suffering exhaustion, and succumbing to the dry temperatures.

Mike: Or the desert sands eroded them away.

Tom: That was actually a semi-intelligent comment!

Crow: He’s evolving!

Mike: Shut up!

Tom: Spoke too soon.

Until there had only been one gargoyle left.

Crow: And that gargoyle is wearing out his welcome already.

Ardath pressed on, all hopes of being saved never exiting his subconscious. There HAD to be a way out somewhere, and until he found it, he had to keep going for as far as he possible could. Ardath's only other option was to just give up and let the desert claim one more victim, but the gargoyle was not willing to do that. He was still young, with a long life planned ahead. He was not willing to give up on all his dreams - and his life - now.

Determination to survive. That was his driving force. It was what kept Ardath going. Being the last of his deceased clan, the gargoyle knew that it was up to him to start anew, to re-establish the sanctuary of a new clan, somehow, and he silently vowed to do so.

So it was imperative that he had to live through this. His death was not an option.

Mike: It’s not like you’ve got a choice here dude.

Ardath stumbled onwards; refusing to accept the fact that rescue was impossible, thinking about Arlon. Arlon had been the clan's leader and Ardath, as Arlon's mate, had also been his second.

Now he was gone; they all were.

Bitter, Ardath chuckled under his breath. What would he do now? Where would he turn now that everything and everyone he had ever loved had all been ripped away?

Tom: He could always join up with Demona and do the ‘destroy humanity’ bit.

With Arlon, as well as the clan, all gone, there was only one other gargoyle Ardath could depend on now.  Himself.

Tom: Well, I guess he can do the ‘destroy humanity’ thing by himself…

If he kept walking, if he refused to give in to the climate, then the Gargoyle believed with his heart that he would find salvation. He HAD to.

Crow: Shut up and die already. 

'Say the words.'

Mike: What words?

Tom: (clicking sounds) there’s no place like home!

Crow: Gimmie what I want or I blow your head off.

Mike: (whacks Crow’s head around so it spins)

Ardath's head snapped up, startled. Where the hell did that voice come from? And why did it tell him to "say the words"? And while he was thinking about it, what the hell were the words he was supposed to say, anyway? This was beyond strange.

Mike: Crow’s beyond strange too.

Crow: You don’t know how far beyond flesh boy.

(Mike inches away)

'Des La Grate Muri Tempi Et Intervalia.'

Tom: (as voice) Wrong!  You die now.

There it was again. What the hell was going on here? Was somebody playing tricks on him?

"Okay, if somebody's screwing with me, just get out here now before I find you and pummel your ass!"

Almost as soon as he'd said it, the gargoyle felt sheepish.

Mike: First goliath, now this guy.  Lots of sheepish going on.

(offstage) BAAAA!

Mike: I said sheepish, not sheep!  Where’d that sheep come from anyway?

Crow: Hehehe.

He was surrounded by sand and only sand. There were no trees or buildings for anyone to hide behind. There weren't even any dunes! And even if there had, there'd be no way for anyone to be talking to him inside of his head! Ardath did not believe in mental telepathy.

            'SAY THE WORDS NOW!!!'

All: AAHHHH!

The male suddenly screamed, the force of the words ramming an intense migraine into his skull,

Crow: Actually the migraine was caused by the ice pick ramming into his skull.

Mike: you wish.

Crow: Hell yeah, this needs more gore.

his head feeling like it was being cut in two,

Crow: Okay, it’s an axe, not an ice pick.

Tom: You’re too familiar with things like this.

Crow: (wicked grin)

and causing the gargoyle to drop to his knees in pain, pressing a palm to his forehead and clenching his eyes closed. SHIT! That had hurt like hell!

All: DUH!

He bellowed his agony to the humid desert sky.

After a few seconds, once the pain had mostly subsided, Ardath got to his feet shakily, trembling slightly. The so-called telepathic message had made his state of health even worse then it already had been, but how was all of this even possible? Maybe he was imaging all of this. Maybe he was just incoherent nutcase, locked up in a dungeon somewhere, with only the rats to keep his psychotic self company.

Tom: Kinda like Brooklyn was in Belgarion’s “What Might Have Been” fics.

Crow: AAAAAHHHHH!

Mike: Why did you have to mention that?

Tom: I like tormenting him.

He should go ahead and say it, in case the voice and the headache comes back.

Licking his dry lips, Ardath gazed at the barren landscape before him and spoke.

"Des La Grate Muri Tempi Et Intervalia."

Tom: Wrong again dip!

Wait a second. What was that roaring sound?

Mike: A train?

Tom: A gargoyle?

Crow: Me going insane?

Mike: Probably.

Ardath looked skyward, his eyes combing the dark night sky. Was it a plane or some other sort of aircraft? If there was, it was hidden above the clouds or somewhere, because he could see no lights.

Tom: It’s a UFO!

Then, quite suddenly, the ball of fire suddenly appeared out of nowhere, ensnaring the gargoyle in the belly of flames.

Crow: (bevis and butthead)  Fire!  Hehehe!

Ardath panicked for a second, but then quickly realized that, amazingly enough, he was still fine. Not burning. Not on fire.

Mike: Hmm…Israel, burning but not being hurt…shouldn’t there be a bush around here?

Crow: This is a garg fic, not scripture, nerd boy.

But in one piece as though there was nothing here. How bizarre. He MUST be crazy, after all. This couldn't be real.

Tom: I wish we could say that about our lives.

Crow: Been there, done that, still went nuts.

Then, just as fast as he had saw the desert through the eyes of non-scorching flame, he suddenly found himself in a new surrounding, that fire still around him and then, dissipating.

MANHATTAN, NEW YORK, DAWN, 2003:

All: (sigh) Lets do the time warp again.

What was this odd new world, with its bright lights and buildings so tall they seemed to touch the sky? It was incredible, even too incredible to be the delusions of a mad gargoyle. With that thought, Ardath realized that he wasn't crazy, after all. This WAS real.

Mike: Um, I thought he was from Cairo in 1986.  Didn’t they have skyscrapers there too?

Tom: Nah, everybody lives in huts over there.

What Ardath hadn't thought about was that if anyone else had been in the desert to see what had transpired, they would've told others about the strange ball of fire that had enveloped a black-skinned, blonde-haired gargoyle.

And that then it had promptly disappeared, taking the gargoyle with it.

Mike: And since no one actually did see it, it doesn’t matter.

Tom: If a tree in a forest falls on a gargoyle and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?

Crow: Only the squishing sound of his head if he doesn’t react fast enough.

Mike: Ewww!

CASTLE WYVERN, DAWN:

With the exception of two of their own, the clan gathered on the parapets, awaiting the nearing sunrise. Once the blazing sun rose, they would turn from flesh to stone in the matter of seconds and remain that way for the next several hours. Just like they always did during the daytime.

Tom: Okay, we’ve got the flesh to stone bit down, thank you.

"Where are they?" Goliath grumbled beneath his breath, scowling in displeasure as he got into his thinker's pose.

Mike: Does he actually think when he’s like that?

Tom: No, it just makes him look cool.

"No matter what their current activities are, they should be here with the rest of us!" The clan's leader growled inwardly, his worry over the two stemming into a physical altercation of his true emotions, fooling the rest of the gargoyles into mistaking his concern for pure rage.

"Relax, laddie. They'll be safe during sleep, inside da castle er out."

Goliath's glare was the only answer Hudson received, and the old one flinched back, pointedly keeping his eyes off his friend's glowering face. Goliath was annoyed enough about their absence as it was. Why make him any angrier?

"Hey, do we still have time?"

Crow: (as Brooklyn) for another round?  (whap)  Ow! What?  I was talking about beer!

Mike: Sure you were.

Everyone turned to look at Brooklyn, who pulled his hand out of Lex's in order to get up upon his roost, Lex doing the same right next to him, both lovers linking hands again as they assumed sleeping positions.

Mike: This is just getting nasty.

It had been a really close call, both him and Lex awakening from their... bout, earlier, with only mere seconds to spare the coming of the rising sun. Brooklyn had awakened, his sleepy eyes catching sight of the clock resting on the wall, to the right of the door, and he had awakened his mate, both of them scrambling to get their loincloths back on, and running at full speed to the parapets. Thankfully, they had made it in time. Goliath would've been pissed if they hadn't. Though, he already was, so they hadn't made it in time to avoid his fury.

"You always cut it too close." Goliath rumbled, earning a quick smirk from Brooklyn and a quick "sorry" just as the sun rose. Assuming his position, the red gargoyle looked at his lover.

"Until tonight, my love?"

Mike: (fake barfing sound)  Okay, this is getting so sweet it’s sour.

Tom: Sweettarts!

Crow: Sweet hearts? (whack)  ow!

Lex grinned. "Until then." They squeezed each other's hand, looking away, each facing the rising sun, but still looking at each other out of the corner of their eyes, a small smile on their faces.

Which remained even as their skin hardened and crackled and became stone.

MANHATTAN, SAME TIME:

He walked around, completely perplexed by the sights that surrounded him. This was a strange new world, full of tall buildings and glass and stone, the city lights illuminating the darkened evening sky. What was this? One second he was in the desert, than he was in a Metropolis?

Tom: And where is Superman?

Mike: Wrong metropolis.

What the hell was going on? This was bizarre.

Tom: You want bizarre?  We’ll trade with you.

Mike: Gladly.

Oh, well. Things could be worse.

Crow: Yeah, you could be reading fics with us.

At least, the dry heat was over. But where exactly was he? And, why, despite the fact that he was a gargoyle, wasn't any of the humans he had been walking past even look at him, much less break out into acts of hostility? Why were they all so indifferent to him?

Mike: He was invisible?

Tom: They don’t care?

Crow: They’re zombies?

Tom: Probably.  Mike is proof of that.

Mike: Hey!

Then again, maybe he shouldn't be so taken aback. This strange place was definitely better then where he had been, after all.

'Seek the clan out.'

Tom: There’s that voice again.

Huh? What clan? Ardath looked around, at all the skyscrapers and the hordes of humans, the citizens on this odd new world, most of whom were completely oblivious to his presence. There was a clan here somewhere? There must be, for the voice had ordered him to find them. But where could a clan of gargoyles hide out in a world infested with humans without being discovered?

Tom: By living out of sight in the world’s tallest building of course.

Ardath knew humans. If there was a clan here, the humans would all be screaming and panicking and just generally carrying on like they had in Egypt.

But there was no anxiety here, no fear. All the humans seemed oddly calm, despite the fact that there seemed to be 'demons' here. Instead of getting upset, the humans were strangely dismissive of the fact that there was a gargoyle amongst them.

"Saurekraut! Katsup! Chili! Dozens of toppings for my delicious hot dogs! Only $1.50 per dog! Come and get 'em!"

Crow: I wanna hotdog!

Mike: You don’t eat.

Crow: Lack of stomach is irrelevant!  I want a hotdog.

Mike: NO

"...So THEN I talked to Terry, and asked her if Ward had been cheating on me and she said..."

Tom: Her ward?  Since when do people speak medieval? 

"...Damn cigarette ads. They're the thorn in every good smoker's side..."

"...Oh, good going, Brendan. Leave the keys in the car..."

"...Let it drop, Margot..."

Crow: Hahahaha!

Ardath looked around, baffled. Why was no one even noticing him??

Crow: We told you, they’re zombies!

'In this time period, these people have no fear of you.'

Mike: Since when?

This was getting old fast. The odd voice, whoever, whatever it was, was starting to annoy him very quickly.

Tom: This fic is already starting to annoy us quickly too.

Ardath's eyes scanned the buildings, and the sky, furiously looking for anyone who might be staring at, and talking to, him. But there was no one. No one even looking at him, anyways.

Mike: Anyway….

'You will never see me, but I can see you always.'

Tom: (as Ardath) No fair!

Mike: How does he do that?

Crow: He’s God?

Tom: Does that mean God is a voyeur?

Mike: Let’s not go there.  I’d like to avoid lightning bolts.

"Who ARE you?! Why are you haunting me?! Stop talking to me! Stop angering me!!"

Ardath screamed his annoyance out loud, not caring that some of the pedestrians stopped and looked at him.

"SHUT YOUR FUCKING MOUTH!!! JUST FUCK OFF AND LEAVE ME ALONE!!!"

Mike: Wow.

Tom: So he’s pissed right?

He opened his eyes a few seconds later, the anger draining from his body, realizing that the humans were staring at him, expressing their pity.

'They do not fear you.'

"Yeah, I got that already. Thanks." Ardath spoke to the mysterious voice, in a calmer manner, but with sarcasm, the tone of it dripping in his voice. "Why aren't I stone?"

'I have protected you from such matters.'

"How can you..."

Crow: He’s God!

'Do not speak. Just listen.'

Crow: (as Voice) So there.  Nyah!

Ardath, feeling skeptical, crossed his arms over his chest. "This ought to be good."

'You have a calling, Ardath of Israel.

Crow: Of course he has a calling!

Mike: He’s a hero.  They all have callings.

Tom: Collect or local?

There is a gargoyle here who goes by the name of Brooklyn.

(Crow starts vibrating angrily)

You must seek him out. If you do not, then this world, and everything you know and cherish, will be destroyed. Only making an allegiance to his clan will save you and everyone else.'

Crow: GGRRRR!

(everybody inches down)

"Oh, yeah? Is there something coming?"

'Evil. Pure, untainted, unreasonable. You and Brooklyn will be the key to salvation.'

Crow: (screaming)  I KNEW IT!  I KNEW IT! I KNEW IT! I KNEW IT!  (smoke pours out of his mouth)

Tom: Shut him off!

Mike: I can’t!  Pearl installed a failsafe switch in you guys!  I can’t shut him off while the fic’s running!

Crow: (screaming) IT’S ALWAYS ABOUT HIM!  BROOKLYN DIES NOOOOW!  (sparks fly as he short circuits)

Tom: Do something!

Mike: Gladly!  *slams fist down on Crow’s head so hard he dents it, Crow shuts down)

Tom: You knocked him out?

Mike: For a couple minutes I guess.  Hopefully that will help.

The coal-skinned gargoyle snickered. "Somebody's got a few screws loose."

Mike: (looks at Crow) More then a few.

Tom: More like a few circuits loose.

'DO IT!!!'

Mike & Tom: YES SIR!

Tom: What are we going to do again?

Mike: I dunno.  Read the fic?

Ardath screamed again, in even greater agony then before, dropping to his knees on the concrete sidewalk. His head felt like it would explode at any second.

Tom: Sounds like Crow.

That it was being wrenched apart. "Okay! Okay!" The pain subsided almost at once, and the gargoyle panted, wiping the blood away from his nose with the back of his right hand.

'Never forget the pain, Ardath. It will be a part of you always.'

Mike: The Force will be with you, always.

Tom: Fan boy.

"You can say that again."

Tom: Fan boy!

Mike: Shut up!

Suddenly, almost out of nowhere, an image flashed before his eyes. An unwarranted vision of a gargoyle.

Mike: Shouldn’t that be ‘unwanted’?

Tom: That too.

The male was strong, but not heavy, and tall, with messy white-hair atop his head behind the two horns, both of which swept backwards. He had a large beak-like protrusion on his face, and his flesh was the color of a brick. His wings were black on the outside surface, and red on the opposite side.

(suddenly crow sparks and reactivated)  Huh?  What’d I miss?  (looks at the fic)  AAAHHHHH!  NOT HIM AGAIN!!!  (sparks start flying again)

“Is… this Brooklyn…?”

Crow: YES YES YES!!!!  EVERYWHERE I LOOK HE’S HERE!  THERE’S NO ESCAPE FROM HIM!!!  THE HORNED ONE IS EVERYWHERE!!!!  (a shower of sparks fly from him and he shuts down again)

Tom: (nervous) I think he finally bit it.

‘Yes.’

Mike: I guess that makes it official.

Tom: Should we fix him?

Mike: I dunno.  I think he’s better off this way.

V.O Pearl: He won’t get out of it that easily!  Not even meltdown can save you from these fics!

(An extendable arm with various mechanical protrusions and devices comes down from the ceiling and begins repairing crow)

Mike: (glumly) Great.

V.O. Pearl: Keep reading!

“Great. You’ve shown me who I should find. Now can you please go?”

Mike: Can we please go?

‘As you wish.’

Mike and Tom: Yay!

“Thank you.”

Tom: Your welcome!

(the auto-repair system finishes its work and retracts into the ceiling.  Crow sparks once and sits up) 

Crow: Man, I had this great dream.  There was all this white light and I saw thousands of Brooklyn’s getting slaughtered!

Mike: Well, now we know what his afterlife is like.

Crow: Huh?

Mike: Never mind.

What humans had been staring at him like a lunatic now took this moment to turn away, the moment already forgotten, all of them fixated on their own affairs. Why pay attention to a deranged Gargoyle who seemingly heard a voice and talked to it?

Mike: Because he might decide to attack you?

Tom: Because he’s interesting?

Crow: Because he hears the same voices I do?

Mike: You’re weird.

Crow: You think?

Mike: Sometimes.

They ignored him again, and Ardath was actually glad about that.

His relief was short-lived, however, when a human woman, dressed in a red suit jacket, and skirt, approached him.

Tom: Three guesses who this is and the first two don’t count.

Shorter then him, but adequately shaped, as though she had spent her entire life in some great battle, her skin lovely as a fresh batch of peaches, grown under the warm sun of the summer, her hair as red as cherries. To say she had great beauty was an understatement. Ardath suddenly felt his heart pounding, and, ashamed of himself, tried to think other thoughts. So the human was lovely, so what? She was still just a human, a member of a species which had never stopped persecuting him and his clan. She was nothing to Ardath.

Mike: Actually she’s a psychotic gargoyle in disguise bent on destroying humanity.

Tom: But who’s counting.

Crow: If you want to sign up for the humanity destroying thing, here’s your chance for an interview.

But his unspoken musings did not stop the female from walking up and smiling, ever coyly, at him.  Ardath snarled at this stranger, who did not seem the tiniest bit intimidated. "What the hell do you want?"

"To talk."

Despite his stinging pain, which still remained, and his anger, Ardath's curiosity was piqued. "About what?"

"About you."

"What about me?!"

Tom: You’re ugly.

Mike: And you’re talking to yourself.

Crow: And I want to get in bed with you, you hunk.

The human woman smiled again. What was that glint in her eyes? "About why you interest me."

Crow: I knew it!

Ardath snickered again. Something about this woman's persistence was... intriguing, somehow. Damned if he knew why, though. The only thing that Ardath was aware of right this second was that there was something about her.

Mike: He’s in love with her.

"I've got something to do. Leave me alone."

Tom: That’s love?

Mike: He’s got a funny way of showing it.

Crow: He’s a gargoyle, he’s not supposed to be sensitive.

The woman nodded, something about her eyes still triggering an uneasiness in the gargoyle's soul, and pulled a card from the pocket of her velvet jacket, handing it to Ardath, who took it without a word, staring at the card, quizzical. "If you change your mind, or if you just want to talk, call me. My number's on the card." She then turned away, but her eyes were trained over her should, at him. "Ciao." The mysterious woman vanished into the crowd.

After she was gone, Ardath looked down at the card she had given him. It was white, with a blue stripe at the top, the words "Nightstone Unlimited" in the blue streak, and below that, in the white portion of the card, beneath the address of the place, was a name and phone number. Ardath memorized the number, just in case he decided to dial it later. He hated to admit it to himself, but there was something... strong, about this particular human, and some part of him was intrigued.

Crow: And that part was beginning to-

Mike: Don’t you even…

Crow: (raspberry)

Once the phone number was safely stored, Ardath glanced up at the name.

It read "Dominique Destine ".

"GET THE MONSTER!!!"

Crow: Yay!  Action scene!

Tom: (metallic voice) MORTAL KOMBAT!

Startled, Ardath looked up. From the alley on his right side, a group of men in strange blue clothing, all of them wielding an odd-looking hammer, rushed towards him.

Tom: (metallic voice) ROUND ONE!  FIGHT!

The gargoyle blanked for a second. Who were these people? What did they want with him? Surely, they weren't attacking him. Why would they? After all, the voice had said that no one feared him in this time period.

Mike: Except the quarrymen.

Tom: The voice is out of date.

Then the one nearest to him swung the hammer, its' end sparkling with electrical energy, and Ardath, realizing he WAS under attack after all, after quickly slipping the card into his belt, narrowly dodged the weapon, the blunt end of it missing his skull by a less then an inch. Once he was briefly out of harm's way, Ardath's rage overcame him, his eyes flashing neon. After fleeing into the desert where his clan and his mate had died, then being taken from the desert into a strange city without warning, and then besieged by a strange voice, now he was being attacked by these angry humans for no apparent reason and THIS WAS THE LAST STRAW!!!

Crow: It’s the last straw for me too!

Mike: You’ve already had the last straw.  And the whole bushel of hay to boot.

Crow: Shut up farm boy.

The youth roared, his eyes glowing. He had been having a bad, bad day, and these idiot humans were seriously crossing the line. Now it was time for him to show them why no one would ever want to mess with Ardath.

Dodging the swing, Ardath noted that the force of the missed blow left the closest Quarryman off balance and the gargoyle was quick to take advantage of this opening. Grabbing the metallic weapon, he pushed the sparkling end of it into his attacker's chest, sending the man into a brief convulsion, an electric seizure that caused the Quarryman to let go of the hammer and stagger backwards, slightly stunned. Ardath's foot swung out, connecting with this evil human's chest, and sending him flying into the sidewall of a building nearby. No, not just INTO it but actually THROUGH it.

Tom: (metallic voice) EXCELLENT!

Crow: So he’s strong, got it.

The Quarryman collapsed on the floor, unconscious, in a lovely shower of bricks, dust, and debris.

Mike: Lovely?

Crow: Destruction is always lovely.

Mike: Only you would think so.

Ardath, despite his immense rage, grinned toothily. One was down, but there were three still to go. Talk about fun times. If the Quarrymen had had any common sense, they would've bolted like bats out of hell.

Mike: Bats don’t bolt, they fly.

Tom: Technicality.

They stayed.

Mike: They’re stupid.

Tom: They want to die.

Crow: No that’s just me.

Mike: You’ve been there, done that, came back.

Crow: Does that make me Jesus?

Mike: You wish.

Despite his lack of familiarity with this strange weapon, Ardath figured out quickly about how to un-charge the electric end of the hammer. As the remaining Quarrymen charged him, he pulled his arm back and threw it forward, releasing the hammer, sending the weapon flying through the air, leaving a whistling sound in its' wake as it flew. It missed two of the Quarrymen, but hit the third right between the eyes, putting one more down for the count.

Tom: (metallic voice) EXCELLENT!

Mike: Okay, that was flashy.

Tom: And stupid.  Now he doesn’t have a weapon.

Crow: He’s a gargoyle.  He is a weapon.

Realizing their moderate chances, the hooded men paused for a second, debating their next move, and Ardath folded his arms behind his head, seemingly out of boredom, and smirked. "If you two are going to kill me, better get it over with before I really get mad."

That settled their minds. The two rushed in, both at once. Ardath suddenly found himself facing danger from two different directions, and leaped away, out of harm's way, over their heads, and landing behind the Quarrymen.

Ardath snorted. "If nothing else, I admire your courage."

They turned to face him, but way, way too slowly, giving the enraged Gargoyle enough time to grab them by the necks and smash their heads together, in a strong manner of bold aggression. When they were both out, Ardath smirked again.

"Aw, come on! Is that the best you can do?!"

Tom: (metallic voice) ARDATH WINS! FATALITY!

CASTLE WYVERN, THAT NIGHT (20 MINUTES EARLIER):

Mike: Should we?

Tom: Sure.

All: (singing) Let’s do the time warp again!

The sun went down, taking with it the illuminating rays of daylight. And, as the dusk faded, so too did the granite that covered the sleeping gargoyles, all of whom roared awake, sending tine

Mike: “tine”?

All: Typo!

fragments raining down into the streets, their eyes glowing like flashlights as they stretched tiredly. Brooklyn and Lex relaxed first, looking at each other, smiling cheekily.

Crow: Which cheeks?  (whap)

"So, Lex, what do you want to do tonight?"

Tom: (as the Brain) The same thing we do every night Brooklyn, try to take over the world!

Crow: And have a kinky time doing it.

Mike: Bleh!

"Well, there's this cool movie with Matthew Broderick that I was wanting to catch tonight. It's called "Wargames."

Mike: Dude, that came out years ago!

Crow: Cobra is really behind the times.

Tom: That computer hacker was a total newb too.

"Yeah? What's it about?"

"Matthew accidentally fires off nuclear missiles with what he thinks is just a simple computer game. It sounds really cool. You wanna join me?"

 Crow: Sure!  I like setting off nuclear missiles!

Mike: Actually he was making the attack simulations in the military computer show up on their screens, making them think they were being attacked.

Tom: You are such a nerd boy.

The brick red gargoyle hesitated. 'Wargames' sounded more like a movie that Lex, not himself, would enjoy.

"Uh, maybe later, Lex. I'm gonna go for a glide."

Lex nodded, understanding. He knew that his mate would head to Central Park or wherever Linkin Park, who was to be at the concert, was performing.

Crow: I love Linkin Park!  (sings)  I’ve become so nuuummmbb…

Mike: You don’t seem numb to me.

They were playing somewhere this evening, but Lex wasn't entirely sure where, and he knew Brooklyn would enjoy sitting, unnoticed, in the upper corner of the stadium, his head bobbing to the music, instead of watching some old movie about nuclear missiles.

"Okay, Brook, I'll see you later, then."

Brooklyn smiled, kissing his mate for what was only a few seconds, but what seemed to both of them to be several hours,

Crow: Oooh!  More raunchiness!

Mike: Aren’t you annoyed it involves Brooklyn?

Crow: Not when there’s raunchiness!

before he released Lex, and walked away. Lex watched after him until his love had left, then turning around and walking in the opposite direction, in the direction of the TV room.

DOWNTOWN MANHATTAN, A FEW MINUTES LATER:

'What a lovely night for a glide.' Brooklyn grinned as the warm night breeze swept across his skin, mussing his already messy hair into further disarray. It was wonderful warm and a far cry from the chill of winter that the gargoyle despised, which was mildly surprising, given that the heavy snowfall would soon be here, and, before long, the streets would be blanketed.

Wait. Wait a second. What the hell was that?

Mike: Dunno, you tell us.

Brooklyn paused, frowning, as his eyes surveyed the scene of a massive battle that was taking place in a desolate alleyway below. A few Quarrymen were in heated battle with... something. Brooklyn could not tell what it was, due to the intensity of the fight. But then, a split-second later, Brooklyn spotted a pair of wings, firmly attached to the thing's back.

The Quarrymen were attacking a gargoyle, but who was it? Brooklyn had caught enough of a glimpse of the stranger to know that it was not from his clan. Perhaps it was a rogue.

Tom: Perhaps you’re getting a clue.

Either way, getting into a tussle with four Quarrymen single-handedly was definitely not a wise move. The brick red Gargoyle swooped downwards, intent on giving this stranger a much-needed hand.

Tom: He’s already got two hands.  Is Brooklyn going to give him one of his?

Crow: Ohhh…more gore!

Only twenty feet from the fight though, Brooklyn paused in mid-glide, stunned, as he saw this gargoyle dodge a swinging Quarryhammer. He grabbed the steel handle and used the weapon on its' owner and, after the Quarryman was done doing the chicken dance,

Crow: (clucks like a chicken)

lashed his foot and sent the human crashing through the wall of King's Hardware Store.

Mike: Is that the hardware store that King Cobra owns?

Brooklyn was amazed. Who was this gargoyle that had almost, as much resilience and strength as Goliath? The only difference, physically, anyway, was that this male was smaller then Goliath and scrawnier. In fact, he looked more like Brooklyn, in terms of body structure, than anyone else in his clan. It was obvious that whoever he was, he needed no assistance. This gargoyle was clearly capable of handling this, with no help from anyone.

Which was exactly what he was doing, taking out a second Quarryman, and then smashing the heads of Quarryman number 3 and 4 together, rendering them both unconscious. Wow. This guy was STRONG. As he swooped down, unnoticed, onto the rooftop, Brooklyn grinned despite his astonishment.

"Aw, come on! Is that the best you can do?!"

Brooklyn chuckled at this male's wisecrack. Unfortunately, this caught the other gargoyle's ears, and Ardeth twisted his head, searching for the source of stifled laughter, which seemed to be coming from the roof of the building that the first attacker had crashed through. Somebody was watching him. What if it was more of those hooded fools, lying in wait, springing a trap somewhere in the darkness of the surroundings?

Should he go up there and find out?

Tom: Nah, just go on about your business.  Screw the world.

Brooklyn, hearing the familiar crunching sound that came with the action of scaling a building, peered over the side. The scaling had sounded like it had been coming from right beneath him. Was the gargoyle coming up onto the roof? Brooklyn knew that the other must have heard his snickering, because he had watched the male look in his direction, an unreadable expression on his face. Perhaps he had spotted Brooklyn, and had wanted to talk.

But when the gargoyle peered over the side, there was nobody there. Not in the alley. Not clinging to the wall as he climbed.

Brooklyn's eyes narrowed. What in the...? Where the hell had he gone?

Mike: He’s a ninja too?

And that's when the talons slammed down roughly upon Brooklyn's shoulders, yanking him backwards. The gargoyle cried out, startled, as he fell onto his back on the dirty floor, staring up at the angry gargoyle. Despite his surprise, Brooklyn's breath caught in his throat.

This male was handsome, Brooklyn admitted, with skin as dark as the night sky, copper-blonde hair framing his face, and his red wings. Brooklyn had already gotten a good look at him down in the alley obviously, but now that this gargoyle was up close, he was actually able to recognize just how great looking this male was.

Crow: I smell a threesome!

Mike: Won’t that upset lex?

Crow: Nah, he likes threesomes too.

Mike: How would you know?

Crow: Read.

Not that he would hit on this gargoyle. He had already devoted his life to another. Lex would get upset if Brooklyn had hit on this male.

Mike: Ah, ha.

So, instead, he asked him. "So, what's with the sneak attack?"

Tom: (as Ardath) I get a kick out of surprising people.

Ardath looked down at this youth, skepticism in his mind. This was no human. He didn't look like someone who wanted to trap him and hurt him. No, this gargoyle looked interested, but not like a hunter would. This male had the fascination of an observer. Perhaps he had seen the fight and had become intrigued. In any case, Ardath had assumed wrongly that this was another enemy. "Sorry 'bout that."

Then the moonlight suddenly shone down, peeking out from behind the clouds that had veiled it, allowing Ardath to get a better look at this gargoyle. Holy crap. This was he. The one.

Mike: Brooklyn is Neo now?

Crow: (pissed) Figures.  Brooklyn’s already the Eternal Champion.  Now he gets another title.

Tom: If he keeps this up he’s going to become a god.

Crow: Of evil maybe.  (grumble)

Mike: (to Tom) Hey, he’s not screaming and sparking anymore.  Maybe those self-repair arms fixed his hard-wiring.

Tom: We can only hope.

The gargoyle Ardath had been brought to this strange world in order to search for. Now he had found him.

As Brooklyn stared at this stranger, trying not to, but unable to help himself, as through his gaze was held in place, the male's darkened face broke into an expression of surprise. This was the gargoyle that his voice, whoever it had belonged to, had visualized in perfect clarity in his brain, in a vision that had been as clear as day.

Tom: Really, you think?

"Brooklyn?"

The red male blinked in surprise. "How did you..."

"Name's Ardath. I've been looking for you."

Tom: Everyone’s looking for Brooklyn.

Disbelief. Skepticism. Uncertainty.

Tom: These are the three demons you must destroy if you wish to be mankind’s savior!

Mike: Or become a religious nut.

Tom: Same thing.

Those were all the emotions Brooklyn was feeling.

Crow: Maybe he isn’t the one then!

Tom: He hasn’t freed his mind yet.

Mike: Where’s Morpheus when you need him!

Crow: Actually Agent Smith made him the one.  I’d love to see Brooklyn get the crap kicked out of him by that guy!  Hehehe!

He had been sitting on the edge of the roof, watching Ardath, listening to his tale of Phoenix flames and odd voices from the sky. Ardath had been sent to find him? For what possible purpose? Neither gargoyle knew, but they both had a strong hunch that they would very soon find out.

Tom: Naturally, it’s called plot foreshadowing.

Mike: Cobra does a lot of that, doesn’t he.

Tom: It builds tension.

Mike: I’ve got enough, thanks.

As soon as Ardath's story had been finished, Brooklyn got to his feet, and, opening his wings, glanced at the other. "We're gonna have to talk to Goliath about this. He may know what to do about this."

"W-who's Goliath?" Ardath was a little shaken. The manner in which Brooklyn spoke and something about his personality somehow made him remember Arlon.

Mike: Oh, come on!  Now Ardath’s gonna fall in love with him!

Tom: Not as long as Lex is around.

Ardath sighed. What he wouldn't give to have his own mate back. Arlon had been both compassionate and strict towards his clan, even Ardath, and the mere thought of Arlon made the gargoyle want him back, something which he knew deep down was impossible.

"In my clan, he's like god around here."

Mike: (blink) Since when was Goliath considered a god?

Tom: Ever since he used the Eye of Odin.

Brooklyn noticed the saddened expression on his companion's face. "Hey, you okay?"

Crow: (Ardath)  No, I realized I’m in love with you and I don’t know you.

Tom: Must be his magnetic personality.

Crow: Nah, the Eternal Champion is also the Eternal Lover.

Mike: In Cobra’s fics anyway.

Realizing that his emotions were playing all over his face, Ardath forced himself into a composed appearance and stood up. "I'm cool. Let's go."

Doubt washed through Brooklyn's senses, but he brushed it aside. "Okay, then. Come on."

CASTLE WYVERN, MINUTES LATER:

Goliath brooded, his gaze staring off into the distance, watching for Brooklyn's arrival. Once again, his second was running late.

Tom: And his minute was two days slow.

The sun was due to rise any second now, and there wasn't even as much as a glint of shape camouflaged against the lightening early morning sky. But the clan's leader was not the only one looking for Brooklyn's return.

Lex sighed, his face drooping. No Brooklyn. Not yet. No loving mate to take the usual spot beside him. There was only a blank parapet on his right side, and now it was too late.

Crow: (sarcastic) Waaah!

Tom: World’s smallest violin is playing for you.

The sun was rising now, and, as the gargoyles assumed their positions, Lex's face would become fixed in a worried expression for the day as his final words before, he was being swallowed up by concrete for the next several hours, mirrored his thoughts.

Crow: Damn, I didn’t get any nookie tonight!

Mike: I shouldn’t have eaten those eggs!

Tom: Did I leave the iron on?

"Brook... where are you?"

Tom: Out getting some with the new guy in town!

Crow: Falling towards the ground because I’m stone!

Mike: Standing right behind you.

MANHATTAN, SAME TIME:

Brooklyn glanced, seriously annoyed, up at the lightening sky. The sun was coming up, those bright orange rays beginning to peek out from behind the darkened clouds.

"Fuck! We're not gonna make it. Let's sleep here."

Ardath nodded. Brooklyn was right, Becoming lawn ornaments in mid-air would definitely be a fatal experience.

Crow: But cool to watch.

Mike: You just want to see Brooklyn die.

Crow: (ferverently) Always!

"All right then. This place looks it could use some..." The building they were swooping down upon was filthy and looked to be abandoned. Maybe it was a shelter for Manhattan's homeless. "...Company." Ardath grinned. "Let's just hope the place isn't scheduled to be demolished today."

Brooklyn grimaced at the mental image Ardath's comment had ignited, and then assumed his usual sleeping stance, Ardath's consisting of doubling over, rising both claws above his head fiercely, and gritting his teeth in an expression of pure anger. Brooklyn noticed this out of the corner of his eye, and snickered. "That's not a bad sleeping position."

A mischievous glint appeared in Ardath's eyes. "You should've seen me when I was with my mate.."

A faint blush appeared over Brooklyn's cheek, making them even redder then normal, as the sun rose.

Tom: Aww!  He’s blushing!

Crow: (Nelson Muntz) Ha-ha!

CASTLE WYVERN, LATER:

The sun rose, taking with it their sleep, and the gargoyles roared,

Mike: Wait, the sun is still up and they’re awake?

All: Typo!

eyes glowing dangerously, stretching their rejuvenated muscles as they greeted the new night in a shower of stone. It was a brand new evening, and, since Brooklyn hadn't returned in the previous evening, everyone assumed. in the backs of their minds, that he would be back this night.

Crow: But they assumed wrong!  The building was demolished and Brooklyn died!

Tom: He’s starting to get desperate again.

Mike: Maybe that fault is back again.

Tom: Or maybe it never went away.  Just chuck his CPU out the airlock and be done with it.

Crow: Try it and I’ll turn you into hamburger!

Lex hoped so.

Crow: I hope so too!

He wasn't used to taking stone naps without his mate standing beside him. One night without Brooklyn had been uncomfortable. A second one would become downright disorienting.

Mike: (eyeroll)  Oh please.  Next thing you know, he’ll be saying he can’t live without him.

Tom: If this gets any more sappy, we’ll be stuck to the seats

Crow: If it gets more raunchy, I definitely will.

Mike: Umm…you don’t have the equipment for that.

Crow: So you say.

Tom: Just read.

"There he is!"

Mike: He who?

Tom: Who he?

Crow: He-he-he!

Mike: (whack’s Crow)

Broadway's shout raised Lex's spirits, and the male, excited, peered over the parapets. Sure, enough, there was a shape approaching, a gargoyle which could only be Brooklyn... but was it Lex's imagination, or was there somebody gliding alongside him? A few questions started forming in Lex's mind.

Mike: Okay, who’s the new garg and why is he with you?

Crow: Did you two do it last night?

Tom: Why did you leave the iron on?

He was silent as the two gargoyles, Brooklyn, as well as a strange gargoyle, swooped down onto the parapets. Brooklyn ignored his companion, who was checking out his surroundings with a sense of admiration, and focused on the most important gargoyle in his life, greeting him with a smile and a brief, chaste kiss, looking away from the small gargoyle right afterwards, and introducing Ardath to the Gargoyles.

"Hey, Lex..." Brooklyn's cheerfulness dissipated when he looked back at Lexington and saw the expression on his mate's face. "...What's wrong?"

Crow: (as Lex) You cheated on me you $#(&$#)$#%!

"What's wrong? Nothing, aside from my wondering where you had been last night."

Crow: Same thing.

Brooklyn scratched an itch on his left arm absently. "Well, Lex, y'know, it's not like I was impervious to the sun."

"That's not what I meant."

"So, what did you mean?"

Tom: Somebody whack him with a clue bat.

Crow: Gladly!  Point me to it!

Mike: You just want to hit him in the head.

Lex sighed, the concern and mild irritation coming off him like radiation. Why was Brooklyn acting so clueless? "I'm talking about why you didn't come home before the sun rose last night. What, some Quarrymen attack you at the wrong time or something?"

Brooklyn laughed. "No. Well, not me, anyways."

"Then what happened?"

Brooklyn fidgeted. This was starting to get slightly humiliating, especially with the clan pretending not to listen, and Ardath, who could hear while the two gargoyles were discussing, but also ignoring it. "Lex, could we talk someplace..." For obvious reasons, Brooklyn did not want to talk about it in front of his clan and, for some not so obvious reason, especially Ardath. "...More private?"

Lex noted the hesitations in his lover's voice and frowned. Why didn't Brooklyn want to talk their problems out on the parapets, with the clan around? Granted, it wasn't the clan's business, but Goliath believed that part of working as a protective unit was that there should be no secrets kept amongst them. Most likely, he had picked that belief up after what happened with Demona the night she had made her allegiances known. But that had never stopped Brooklyn from trying to work out their personal arguments, with the assistance of the clan, before. What was so different now?

Then Lex recalled Ardath, the strange gargoyle that had shown up with Brooklyn, who, the evening before, had not made his activities known. Was it really possible?

Had Brooklyn cheated on him???

Crow: Of course he has, now kill him like the jealous lover you are!

Mike: Not gonna happen.

Crow: You don’t know that!

Lexington didn't like to think so. It wasn't as though Brooklyn cheated on him. The gargoyle had not cheated EVER, and it wasn't like Lex had any reason to get jealous EVER. It wasn't like that. He loved his mate dearly, and trusted him with all of his heart.

Mike: Then why are you worried?

Tom: It’s more tension.

But it was still slightly odd that Brooklyn had disappeared for an entire night, and then had returned, with a male gargoyle. A male gargoyle that was now occasionally sneaking silent, meaningful glances at Brooklyn's back! Add to that the fact that Ardath's actions WERE making Lex jealous!

He needed to talk to Brooklyn, and not in open public. "Okay, let's go, then."

BROOKLYN AND LEX'S BEDROOM, A FEW MINUTES LATER:

"So, are you in love with him?"

Brooklyn was startled, how could Lex even ask him a question like that? "Lex, you're kidding me, right? I don't even know him."

"But I saw the way he was looking at you, and you didn't seem to mind."

"He was looking at me like that?" Brooklyn was genuinely surprised. Ardath had sneaking secret glances at him?

Lex let his frown answer the question.

Brooklyn places his talons on Lex's shoulders, forcing the green youth to look up at him, Lex's face wearing a disapproving frown. "Lex, I'm not interested in Ardath. Okay?" Brooklyn smiled. "Why would I trade one mate, who I love with all my heart, for another, who I barely even know? You and I are one, Lex. Now and forever."

Mike: (shudder)  That’s disturbing.

Tom: Especially since it was Goliath who first said it.

Lex smiled, pulling Brooklyn's talons off of his left shoulder, and, raising it to his lips, kissed it gently before looking at his mate. "You're right, Brook. Sorry I got so jealous."

Crow: You call that jealous?

Brooklyn smiled again. "You are forgiven. Being jealous cause you thought that I cheated only proves to me how much you love me, and I meant what I said. I love YOU, and no one else. Want me to prove it to you?"

Mike: Not again!  Can’t you go one night without doing it?

Tom: They’re horny teenagers.  You’re lucky they aren’t doing it 24/7.

Lex's grin faltered into a puzzled expression. "How?"

"Guess." Brooklyn leaned down, closing his eyes as his lips touched Lex's, both gargoyles' arms reaching out to wrap around the other, both of them moaning in the back of their throats as their kiss intensified, tongues fighting.

Tom: (old lady voice) Honey, they’re fighting again!

Crow: (crotchety old man voice) Quit spying on the neighbors Ethel!

Brooklyn took one arm away from his mate's waist... and slipped one hand into Lex's loincloth, gently massaging the thick member he found there, causing Lex to break away and gasp in surprise.

Mike: (green) Here we go again!  (urp!)

Crow: (grinning) That never gets old!

"I take it you like that, huh?"

Lex simply responded with a goofy grin, enjoying the soft massaging from his mate. Brooklyn moaned as well, as he slid his fingers over the hard member, feeling its strength, as it grew.

Lex instinctually moved his hips, wanting to thrust against Brooklyn's touch, his needs growing. "God, Brook!" Lex managed to gasp out. "You do enjoy torturing me, don't you?!"

Crow: I wish I could torture him!

Mike: You don’t hate Lex.

Crow: You know who I mean!

Brooklyn laughed and circled the tip of Lex's penis with his finger. "Always, but first..."

Lex squeezed his eyes shut, his talons playing through his mate's hair as the larger gargoyle dropped onto his knees, talons working the belt of Lex's garment, taking his dear sweet time in the art of "Loincloth removal."

Crow: And I would take my sweet time in the art of limb and head removal!

Mike: You’re even more disgusting then this fic! (holding the bucket between his knees)

Lex felt a cooling breeze as the loincloth dropped to the floor, a moment that was quickly snatched away by the hot feel of Brooklyn wrapping his lips around Lex's member, which the brick-red gargoyle promptly began sucking.

"Oh, Jesus... Brooklyn..."

Mike: Brooklyn is Jesus?

Tom: I guess Brooklyn is God after all.

Crow: AAARRGGGGHHH!

Mike: Was that really necessary?  We just got him calmed down!

Tom: He was starting up again anyway.

Crow: Brooklyn can’t be Jesus! (starting to rant)  I’m Jesus!  I came back from the dead, didn’t I?!

Mike: You only came back because of the repair systems Pearl installed on the satellite.

Crow: Get thee behind me Satan!  May you never produce fruit again!

Mike: Ohhh no.  Now he’s got delusions.

Tom: Don’t worry.  What’s he going to do?  Damn you to hell?

Brooklyn didn't answer, for obvious reasons, and just continued sucking. His tongue danced over Lexington's tip, which grew until it filled his entire beak.

Brook moved his hands up and down Lex's chest, feeling the tense and excited muscles, circling his nipples. Lex groaned loudly, wrapping his talons around the back of his lover's head, keeping a firm grip on the gargoyle as he continued sucking, not letting Brook stop. As if he even wanted to.

(Crow starts drooling again)  Yeah baby!  Be fruitful and multiply! 

Mike: Okay, you’re taking this too far.  Besides, they can’t reproduce that way.

Crow: So sayeth the Lord: Shut the hell up!

(Tom laughs)

Lex wanted to buck his hips, to be on top of Brook now and thrust himself right into him. The ecstasy in him was shocking and slowly driving him out of his mind. This was almost too much, in a satisfying manner. Lex almost couldn't take the pleasure that Brooklyn was giving him.

Crow: Go nuts after you finish and kill him!

Mike: But then you won’t get to read any more smut.

Crow: I’m God!  I’ll make Ardath fall in love with Lex!

Tom: Okay, he’s starting to scare me now.

So he decided to give some of it back, pushing Brook away and sliding his member out of the beak as he did so, ignoring the larger male's cry of surprise. Lex responded to the sound by wrapping his arms around Brook's waist, propelling them both towards the bed, and falling onto it, the silent protest of the springs falling on non-caring ears. The only thing Lex had on his mind was Brooklyn, and the olive gargoyle proved this, starting out his seduction of his mate by licking Brook's ear, earning a sensual shiver from his mate. Lex grinned wickedly, and moved his tongue down to Brook's neck, the tip of his talons running gently across Brooklyn's chest, just enough for the red gargoyle to feel it, but not enough to leave any scratches or draw any blood, Brooklyn's moaning in his ears.

Crow: Aww, no blood?  What’s a good screw with no blood.

Mike: (shudders)

Pulling away from that beautiful neck, Lex lifted his head up, looking deep into the other male's eyes. What he saw there was a combination of love, affection, and a passionate lust. There was also a silent plea for Lex to continue.

Mike: My eyes are getting carbonized from all this smut!

Crow: My eyes want to see more of that smut!

Tom: My eyes simply extract images given to me by photons that are bounced off objects into them.

Crow: Who asked you techno bot?

So Lex did, running his tongue down the top of his mate's beak, licking the front of it, where the lips were, and then, as Brooklyn tilted back his head, Lex began nipping at the underside of the beak gently, as Brooklyn rubbed that spot between Lex's wings, just below the neck.

Brooklyn felt like panting. He stroked Lex's baldhead, feeling the smooth skin and hard roundness of his skull, along with the pointed tips of his large ears. Lex almost purred, closing his eyes in pleasure.

Mike: Ugh.  Makes me think of feeling up Gollum.

(Crow’s eyes widen a bit but says nothing)

Unfortunately, Brook forgot that Lex was very sensitive around the ears, more so than him, and jumped in surprise, making Brook snap his beak shut, slightly hurting him.

Crow: You bit off his thing!  It’s Bobbett time!

Mike: Who?

Crow: Never mind.

Lex looked up in dismay, the mood ruined. "Oh damn, Brooklyn. I'm sorry!"

Mike: Thank god!

Crow: So sayeth the Lord: It ain’t over till I say it’s over!

Mike: You need to stop that or you’ll get lightning bolted.

But Brooklyn wasn't going to let the mood be ended so soon and moved his beak around a bit. "Bad boy," he said simply, but with a glint in his eyes.

Before Lex could reply, or even make a move, Brooklyn grabbed him by the shoulders and held him over his lap. He rose his right knee, raising Lex's rump up, and smacked him on the buttocks.

Crow: Woohoo!  Spankage!

Mike: What’s next?  Bondage?

Tom: How would a virgin like you know about that?

Mike: From looking at Crow’s internet histories.

Crow: Eep!

"Ow!" Lex said, but didn't make a move to escape. "That hurt!"

"Good," Brooklyn said suavely. "Maybe this will teach you to be more careful when tending to people's beaks." He began to mercilessly spank Lex repeatedly, enjoying the feel of Lex's tight round buns, as his hand came down and down and down.

Lex chewed on his lower lip. Part of him wanted to break away and stop this terrible humiliation, but another greater part of him was thrilled by the sensation of Brook's 'punishment', and what he wanted more than anything now, was another spank.

Mike: (shudders) This is getting freaky.

Crow: Only to virgins like you!  (panting)

Lex rose his hips higher, anticipating Brook's incoming hand.

Brooklyn laughed. "Gotten used to it already, have you?" And taunted him by gently tickling the crack in Lex's ass. "Did you know," Brooklyn spoke casually, "that your backside is one of the most sensitive places on your body?" He gave Lex another swat. "And that the buttocks have the most meat on them than anywhere else on the body?"

Mike: I didn’t need to know that!

Crow: I’ll have to remember that next time we have a barbeque!

"Oh, yeah? I had no clue."

Brooklyn lowered his head, asked "Mind if I have a taste of the meat?" and ran his tongue over Lex's green, but still red hot, butt.

(Mike starts puking in the bucket again)

Lex grinned, placing a kiss on his mate's left shoulder. "Go right ahead, if you want."

Brooklyn grinned back and, after releasing Lex, he gently but firmly pushed him onto his back and, rolling the green youth over, lowered his beak until it was pressed right up against the other kind of "meat." Licking along the right side of it first, Lex's ecstasy moaning in his ears, bringing "Mr. Poppy" straight up.

Mike: Okay, that’s uncalled for.

Tom: He’s getting high on Poppy?

Crow: No, poppy is getting high.

Mike: Ugh!

"Oohhhhhhh, Brook..."

Mike: Ohhhh…boy!

Brooklyn's only response was to groan loudly and keep sweeping his tongue across the rough surface, Lex's cries bringing a smile to his face. They had never done this before. It was new, and... somewhat unusual, but still pleasurable.

Mike: (puts his face in the bucket again)

Crow: Hehe…hehehe!

Tom: Okay, usually raunchy doesn’t bother me but this is beyond raunchy.

The licking was interrupted, however,

Mike: Thank God!

Crow: I didn’t do anything!

when his mate turned over, Brooklyn's tongue being pulled away as he did so. Lex flopped onto his back on the bed, smiling like the Cheshire cat from "Alice In Wonderland".

"So... what are you waiting for?"

(Mike scrunches up in his seat)

Crow: Yeah baby!  Pander to me!

Brooklyn wasted no time and lowered his body onto his, rubbing himself up against him, Lex gasping in jubilation as passion increased, their hardened members almost merging into one as their bodies moved in rotation,

Mike: Isn’t that impossible?

Tom: Wouldn’t that hurt?

Brooklyn grinding against the smaller gargoyle, screwing Lex's brains out like there would be no tomorrow.

Mike: Wish I could unscrew Crow’s brain.

Tom: All it takes is a screwdriver.

Crow: Isn’t that just a piece of male anatomy?

Tom: Disgusting but probably true.

Their tails kicked and swerved in ecstasy and eventually found themselves by wrapping them around one another, the tips of the tails rubbing against each other seductively, matching Brooklyn's hips, which were grinding roughly against his mate's.

Tom: Their tails became snakes too!

Brooklyn and Lexington kissed deeply and emotionally, enjoying one another's juices and taste, Brook's wings wrapped around the smaller form.

Then Brooklyn moved over to the other, before Lex could come, drawing a disappointed and slightly ecstatic moan, and, with his tail up high, brought a grin on his face. "My turn!"

Grinning again, Lex pushed Brook onto his back gently, looking into his mates' eyes for a second before moving downwards. "Relax, and don't move." The red gargoyle complied, knowing that something amazing was about to happen, but not being quite sure what.

Mike: The fic might actually end?

Crow: The sex gets even kinkier?

Tom: You both shut up?

Brook's curiosity was relinquished when Lex wrapped his left hand around Brook's member, sliding up and down along the shaft, causing his mate's breath turn to glass in his throat.

"Lucky for you, Brook, that I'm fond of sausages..."

Mike: Okay, I’m never eating a sausage again after that remark!

(the bots laugh)

and with that, Lex released the hardened cock, and, tilting his face down, took Brook deeply in his throat. The white-haired youth tried not to scream as Lex's head began bobbing. He tried not to scream, but it was getting increasingly difficult, with Lex's tongue sweeping across his hot member in the very same fashion as that of a happy child licking a soothingly cold ice cream cone.

Mike: Grrr!  Now I’ll never be able to enjoy an ice cream cone either!

Crow: Hey, if Cobra keeps up descriptions like this, we can starve Mike to death!

Squeezing his eyes shut, Brook relaxed onto his back, gasping in a soft manner as Lex continued sucking.

While he sucked, Lex got an idea. Just because he was... servicing... Brooklyn, that didn't mean that his mate couldn't return the favor. It was the wrong moment to assume a 69 position, though. They were both too caught up in what they were doing, too driven by their passionate desires, to break away from it.

But, very fortunately, there were other ways of doing things.

Mike: Aw man!

Crow: Aw yeah!

Brooklyn gasped, half out of surprise, half out of pleasure, as Lex's tail snaked above the green gargoyle's head, towards Brooklyn's face, and rammed itself into the gargoyle's beak. Realizing at once what Lex was doing, and marveling at the kink side of it, Brooklyn began sucking the tail, matching Lex's movements.

Crow: Yes!  More tentacle porn!

Mike: UURRRRPP!  Ugh!

Both gargoyles came at the same time, loud moans mixed together. Brooklyn flopped onto his back, panting, and Lex sighed deeply, planting a kiss on his mate's chest before looking up at him, grinning.

"I rate that a 10."

"Y-yeah, me too."

Mike: Okay, I’ve had enough porn for one lifetime thank you!

CASTLE WYVERN, SCOTLAND, 990 A.D.:

All: (singing) Let’s do the time warp again!

Mike: And again, and again, and again!

Tom: Are we watching “The Awakening” now?

Angus wandered, his journey for a new home seeming to have no end. Where to go? How would he survive, with no clan and no family to take care of him? He had no clues about what to do, no ingenious ideas. Being exiled had been sudden, and Angus had had no time to plan his next move.

Tom: Why do all the heroes in this fic have to be exiles?

Mike: Brooklyn isn’t.

Tom: He was in that other ficverse.

Crow: Don’t remind me!

It wasn't fair, the punishment that Goliath had bestowed upon him. It wasn't right that he had ignored the protests of both the young male and his three friends, the beaked one with the red skin and white hair, the small green-skinned male, and the large rotund one. They had all stuck up for him, trying to help Angus evade his fate. That ultimate humiliation of being forcibly removed from the picture, but to no avail. Goliath hadn't believed it. Hadn't cared.

Mike: He’s known for that.

Angus had been cast out anyways.

It hadn't even been his fault. The humans had accused him, falsely, of kidnapping their young son, Tom, when in truth, the boy had wandered off by himself in the middle of the night, while his parents, Mary and her husband, had been in their beds, snoring away their evening as they slept, not even waking up to the sound of the door shutting and not realizing what "had happened" until in the morning.

It wasn't right, wasn't fair. Angus hadn't even been in the area when Tom walked out of the house, and gotten lost in the woods. Yet, the following night, upon Angus's awakening, the young male had been promptly, without the slightest hesitation, berated by an angry group of humans for "abducting a wee one from his cottage". Goliath had looked at Angus, asking the youth if the charges were true, and when Angus hadn't reacted, being too stunned to speak, the shock of this unexpected attack too great, the clan's leader had instantly etched in his mind that since he wasn't denying it, then it must be true. Once Goliath's mind was made up, there was no charging it, no matter how much Angus had claimed his innocence afterwards.

Crow: Sucks to be you.

Angus fumed as he walked through the lush forest, the rage building in his senses. Damn Goliath. Damn him to hell. His friends hadn't helped much, either. Sure, they had defended him, but after that first interrogation, Angus hadn't been too blinded by rage not to notice how they stopped hanging out with him, not talking to him, not even looking at him. Once the banishment had achieved confirmation, they had begun acting like it was all "Who's Angus?"

Tom: Isn’t that a kind of meat?

Mike: Could you please not mention meat right now?!

Crow: More meat!  Hehehe!

It wasn't fair. He hadn't even done anything, and everyone that he loved, everyone that had cared about him and made his life good, they had all abandoned him. Stopped caring about him. Life wasn't fair. It wasn't fair, and it was no longer enjoyable anymore.

Crow: So die already!  We don’t care about your whining!

Stopping in his tracks, that final thought echoing in his mind for the very first time, the rush of emotions came to Angus, causing the youth to drop onto his knees on the ground, sadness and loneliness coming to the surface, flooding his senses.

For the very first time ever since the banishment, Angus cried.

His tears were short-lived, however.

Crow: Because he died from grief?

'Be not upset , young one.'

Mike: Oh great, it’s the voice again.

Through his tears, blinking against the mistiness of his eyes, Angus frowned. Who the hell was that?!

"Uh... hello?”

No answer. There only seemed to be silence.

Crow: (singsong) Ha ha!  You’ve got voices in your head!

“Somebody there?”

Tom: Nobody here but us chickens.

Crow: And crazy bots.

‘Yes.’

Mike: And the voice.

Angus jumped. The voice had seemed to be coming from right in front of him. The only problem was, there wasn’t anybody there! Could it be… was it possible… that he was talking to a specter? Some poor soul, restless and unable to crossover to the other side until some business had been finished?

Tom: No, you’re just insane.

‘I am no ghost, Angus of Clan Wyvern.”

The gargoyle was stunned. “H-how do you know who I am?” Angus nearly jumped out of his skin as a robed figure suddenly appeared in front of him,

All: YAAH!

reclining on a large boulder, staring at him intently, from out of nowhere. He, or she, or whatever, (Angus could not tell due to the robe) almost seemed to be a mirage. The gargoyle knew it was not, however.

Mike: So it’s a sorcerer?

Tom: Either that or God has a sense of humor.

Crow: Yes I do.  A very wicked one actually!

‘I see all, and know all, young one. Especially when one’s destiny is directly intertwined with his clan’s involvement with the Phoenix Gate.’

Tom: Okay, it’s God.

Mike: (at the figure)  Hey God!  Why’d you put us up here?!

Crow: He can’t be God!  I’m God!

Mike: No, you’re just delusional.

Angus frowned. “The Phoenix what?!” No answer. “Who are you?”

Tom: Don’t you know a divine creator when you see one?

“I am Niko, guardian of the Gate,

Tom: Okay, it’s not God.

Mike: Wasn’t Anubis the guardian of the gate?

Crow: He got laid off for getting captured by a mortal.  Niko got the job.

and I have come to guide you on your path. To give you your purpose. There is a great plan for you, young one, and I have arrived to set your fate in its’ inevitable motion.’

Tom: Been there, done that already!

“My fate?”

Crow: Yeah, it’s your basic hero fate.  Find Brooklyn, save the world, nearly get killed a couple times just for character.  Get the girl, you know.

‘Yes. Be here this same time upon the morrow.’ The monk started to fade away again, but how the young gargoyle had no idea. 'I shall see thee on the sundown.'

Angus blinked as Niko vanished, leaving only a fog-like mist in his absence,

Crow: Niko has gas.

which quickly dissipated and disintegrated in the air, then realized that he was holding something in his hand.

Mike: Ewww!

Crow: Hehehehe!

An object that had literally appeared out of thin air.

Tom: His spine?

It was crest-shaped, and made completely out of some kind of metal. The Phoenix Gate.

Mike: Big surprise.

‘Think of a place in time, young one, and it shall you there.’ Niko’s voice invaded Angus’ thoughts one last time.

Mike: ’It shall you there?’

All: Typo!

For now….

Mike: Ooo…foreshadowing!

Tom: (yawn)  Okay, this is going slow.  We need more death and destruction.

Crow: I can arrange that.

Mike: Don’t you even…

DESTINE MANOR (2003):

All: (glumly)  Let’s do the time warp again.

Mike: I’m feeling old from all this time travel.

Even with the moonlight shining through the slits of her window shade, basking the bedroom in its' yellowish glow, the red-haired female lie in her bed,

Crow: (drool)

Mike: (hangs a bucket on him)

fast asleep, not at all bothered by the insomnia-inducing glare of the bright light.

Yes, she was asleep, but dreaming, and not a pleasant one, and her sleep was not an easy one.

Mike: And reading this fic is neither pleasant nor easy.

Tom: Plus keeping our sanity.

Crow: That’s why I got rid of mine.

Beneath the satin covers, the woman rolled in various positions,

Crow: Hehehehe!

Mike: Don’t go there.

her eyes clenched shut tightly, as though trying to block off the images of what she was seeing. Endure the agony of what she was hearing.

Crow: Never getting any for the rest of her life?

Being that it was in her dream, however, she would not and could not be rid of it. Not in her sleeping state. The nightmare was too vivid, too lifelike, that it actually made the poor soul panic, more and more with each passing second.

Crow: Does she die?

She stood there before it, the dark shadows of the castle stretching towards her, the eerie quietness of the abandoned vicinity haunting her deep to her dark, twisted soul. There was no life here, she knew, and she knew because there was no sound, no flash of movement. There was only air, and the aura of death that accompanied it. Shivering suddenly beneath the chill that had unexpectedly arose from nowhere, she took a step before. Then another, and one more.

Tom: Ooooo…pretty italics!

Mike: What’s that supposed to do?

Tom: Impress us.

Mike: Gotta love the setting.

Crow: Is this Demona’s summer home?

Before the gargoyle knew it, she was back in the battlements, staring in horror at the carnage that was to be her fate, her responsibility. The shattered stone limbs of her brothers and sisters. Limbs that had been shattered off of their bodies.

Crow: Now this is what I was looking for!  Death and destruction!

Mike: You’re sick.

Tom: Hey, it’s demona.  Who cares?

Mike: True.

Crow: Payback’s a bitch, ain’t it Demona!

Her entire world was reeked of doom, and the air was chill with the souls of her dead companions.

Mike: How can souls be cold?

Tom: It’s a cold day in hell?

Crow: Satan let the pilot light go out.

They were all before her, glaring at her with the hatred of a thousand hell-spawned demons, blaming their fates upon her. And it WAS her fault, she knew. She had made that bargain with the captain. Had sold out her clan in an attempt for what she had thought was the greater good.

Crow: Isn’t that always the way?  You’re working for the greater good and all of a sudden you’ve got souls glaring at you and making you cold.

But now there was only the gloom of death, and the silent accusations of her dead rookery brothers and sisters. The demon wept. She wept for their ultimate demise, and for her part in it.

Then he was there. An odd, robed monk. His face was hidden beneath the folds of gray hood, and he was raising his left hand towards her. Pointing at her. Demona only stared at him, not at all in the know of who this stranger was, or what he wanted with her. There should be no one here at all. Only her, grieving her mistake, and the gargoyle had wanted it that way.

Crow: Waaah.  Poor you.

But that didn't stop her from continuing to point at her, that unwavering index finger aimed at her direction.

Mike: It’s the finger of doom!

Tom: Shouldn’t that be the middle finger?

Knowing not what else to do, she decided to try speaking to him. Clearing her throat loudly, and wiping her tears off with the back of her hand, she opened her mouth and said the first thing that arose in her mind.

"Who are you?"

If the monk spoke out loud, she saw no movement.

'You must know your future.'

The demon gasped loudly, as unknown images, from an unwritten chapter somewhere in the book known as "SPACE AND TIME"

Mike: Written by a being called God

Tom: Who was in actuality Douglas Adams.

Crow: Who is in actuality Me.

Mike: Only in your insanity.

rushed through her subconscious. She saw several different figures, most of which were gargoyles. Her mate Goliath, the young red-skinned male with the beak, the small green one, the rotund Aqua, her former mentor with the scar over his left eye, and the canine-like one. Could it really be? Had they all somehow survived this disaster, and could, or would, they return to her at some point down the line? It would be so very wonderful if they did so.

Mike: Doesn’t she already know this? 

Tom: It’s a dream.  Shut up.

Then came the unfamiliar images. The arrogant man with the facial hair, and a ponytail behind his head. The stiff-mannered blonde man who Demona somehow sensed was close to this other. A red-haired human woman carrying an infant human male. Who were these people?

Mike: Anybody know who the redhead is?

Bots: Nope.

This was madness. It must be a sorcerer's trickery.

'This is no trickery. No illusion. It is real.'

The images faded, and Demona sighed. It was over, right?

           Crow: It’s never over!  There’s always more!

'And this is what you will be.'

The she-goyle nearly screamed in fear and panic, as the flashes of what lie in wait for her destiny played before her eyes. She saw... herself, killing and maiming various characters over the years. Attacking humans with differing weaponry. Spilling blood. And, even worse, ENJOYING it. Laughing over it. Relishing the infliction of the pain - HER pain - upon others who surely did nnot deserve such brutality.

Crow: Yes!  Death and destruction at it’s finest!  Wooo!

Mike: You need help.

"Please, please, I beg of you. No more, please."

Mike: That never works.  We’ve tried it on Pearl before.

'This one will change everything.'

Mike: Really?  Will we get better digs like Pearl?

Crow: Will we not have to sit through more Brooklyn fics?

Tom: Will I get a new coat of paint?

It was a gargoyle, a dark-skinned male, with hair the color of the sun, and blood-colored wings. He was strong looking, but not huge, and he was very handsome. Despite the horror that she had felt, Demona's panic was calmed when she looked at him. There was something about that one that was... wonderful. Something that brought peace to her weeping soul.

Mike: How dramatic.  Bleh.

Tom: You mean demona actually gets better?

Mike: Something else that’s impossible.

'And, someday, gargoyle, he will also bring peace to your very being, as well. There will be a time when you will be needed for good. You will have an opportunity to achieve redemption, and he will be the road you must travel to succeed. Do not ignore him."

Mike: She has to travel on his road huh?  What kind of road?

Crow: One with a lot of ups and downs.

Mike: That’s either very subtle or very sick.

Crow: (grin) Why thank you.

And, then, before Demona could say anything else, the odd figure was gone, vanished into thin air, leaving her alone with only the mangled remains of her clan for company.

Crow: (as demona) Who wants tea?

Dominique snapped awake in her bed, panting, stunned beyond belief. That dream...

Crow: Got her off so good!  (whap) Ow!

Or had it been a dream?

Crow: No.  One of her harem had been doing her in her sleep.

Mike: That’s bad even for you.

Crow: (raspberry)

MANHATTAN, THE FOLLOWING EVENING:

Ardath stared out at the city before him, those skyscrapers reaching as far away from him, and the castle, as far as his eye could see. It was really very beautiful to look at. The mere beauty of Manhattan was astonishing. In all his life, Ardath had not seen a location that was lovelier.

Tom: Okay, you like the view.  We got it.

Despite his intrigue, the gargoyle snickered. What would Arlon have said to him if he had been here? What sarcastic remark would his maet have made? Probably something along the lines of "Aww, you catching flies?"

All:  HAHAHAHA  (Everyone suddenly sobers)

Chuckling at the thought of it, the gargoyle drew his left knee up, resting his forearm on it, the bright lights and loud noises of the city beneath bringing a smile to his face. Despite its' obvious problems, particularly those humans which Brooklyn had called "Quarrymen", Manhattan could be very beautiful.

Tom: So can a snake right before it bites you.

Those Quarrymen. Brooklyn had explained to him about them on their way back to the castle. They were a group of Gargoyle haters that had formed under the tutelage of an angry human man named John Castaway AKA Jon Canmore. Canmore/Castaway had injured his brother Jason during a fierce battle against the clan, and, in his rising madness, had blamed the gargoyles for Jason's permanent paralysis rather then take the responsibility himself. Not long after, these Quarrymen, which Brooklyn had only half-jokingly referred to as the "KKK of Central America"

All: Huh?

had begun hunting them all down, with the aid of those damned electric hammers at their disposal. Absolutely relentless in their goals, their hatred being their driving factor in their hopeless mission.

It was hopeless because of Demona. Brooklyn had also told Ardath about her, had shared with him everything that she had done. Starting with the Wyvern Massacre 1,009 years ago and its' aftermath here in Manhattan 9 years ago. Then moving into the incident at the Cloisters. The stuff with Coldstone. Titania's mirror. Her short-lived allegiance and, much later, brief marriage with Macbeth. Her actions on Avalon while being under the Weird Sisters' spell. Those times with Thailog in Paris and, later, creating the clones of them all. The Praying Gargoyle. Hunter's Moon. The stealth hunter.

Crow: Yeah, yeah, we know all that.  Get to the good part!

Mike: What good part?

Crow: The point where the fic ends of course.

The immortality, which is what would make the Quarrymens' plans really pointless, if they ever chose to strike against her, and for which there were very good odds of happening, given Castaway's mentality.                             

During their conversation, Ardath had figured out something for himself. The strange woman who had spoken to him earlier, that odd human who had expressed interest while all the others had shown indifference, she had given him a card with Dominque Destine's name etched upon it. Brooklyn had told him that "Dominique Destine" was Demona's assumed human name. Her alias.

He had come face to face with Demona herself.

If he'd known that earlier, he could've done something. He should've anyway. No humans had ever shown any fascination in him that did not have a sinister scheme behind it. Odds were that this "Miss Destine" was the same way, even if she was a gargoyle in human's clothing.

Tom: Brilliant holmes.

Knowing this fact only left two questions running through the coal-skinned gargoyle's mind:

Crow: How could he get her in bed?  What cup size was she?

Tom: Was she as good as a human as she was as a gargoyle?

Mike: Why are your minds running through the gutter?

Crow: They don’t run through, they live there.

Mike: Figures.

what was it that Demona had had in mind for him and, just as importantly, if not more, what part would he have played in it?

Crow: He was going to be part of her harem.

So many troubling questions. So few answers.

NIGHTSTONE UNLIMITED, THREE MINUTES BEFORE DAWN:

She stared out the window patiently, her eyes focusing, intently, on the sky in the background that was turning crimson. It really was very beautiful, and reminded her of a painting she had seen once, at the museum the night she had taken Titania's mirror.

But, unfortunately, this woman was not watching the sunset to admire its' great beauty.

Time's up.

Crow: The bomb blows up, killing her!

Mike: What bomb?

Dominique screamed, her pained wails vibrating throughout the narrow confines of the hidden room behind her office. Thank god that she had had her employees clear out for the remainder of the night.

Crow: They’d think she was having great time in that office.

Frantic shouts and worried questions about her health were the last Dominique had needed to worry about. Especially as her skin turned the color of the sky on a cloudless day, and her feet enlarged, changing shape.

A few seconds later, any and all traces of "Dominique Destine" was not to be found, and Demona was panting loudly, attempting to catch her breath. These nightly transformations, while they were never easy, had been taking a lot out of her lately.

'Gotta remember to switch my diet.'

All: HAHAHA!

For some reason, that struck her as funny, and the female gargoyle threw her head back, laughing uncontrollably.

Mike: Okay, it wasn’t that funny.  Chill lady.

CASTLE WYVERN, SAME TIME.

The clan awoke as they always did, with large roars and the usual stone shower in the streets below that usually accompanied it.

Tom: Bonking lots of people on the head with rocks.

Crow: Razor sharp rocks that killed lots of people!

Brooklyn was the first to speak, as he looked at his mate, genuine mischief in his eyes. Ardath had been perched next to Goliath and was hopping down off his perch when he heard Brooklyn ask Lex something.

“So what do you wanna do tonight?”

Tom: (as the Brain) The same thing we do every night Pinky!

Crow: Have kinky sex!

Mike: Since when do Pinky and the Brain do that every night?

“I don’t know. You?”

Mike: I don’t know either.

Brooklyn smiled evilly. “We could go for a glide, or we could go watch TV, or…” His voice dropped off, and Lex had a feeling he know what that second “or” was an indication of, especially when that sly smile curved across his lover's face.

Mike: Oh not again!  GET OVER YOURSELVES!

Crow: (laughing) Yes!  Let the raunchiness begin again!

Lex shoved him playfully. "Gutter mind."

Brooklyn only laughed. "Takes one to know one."

"Let's go, then."

"Okay." They walked away down the hall, in the direction of their room for a night of intense, passionate, activity. But they were interrupted, however.

Crow: NNNOOOO!

Mike: YEEEESSS!

Hearing a large WHOOSH sound, both gargoyles turned, as one, just in time to see a large flame descend onto the floor of the room, and quickly vanish away, leaving a familiar sight behind. The gargoyle was of medium height, only slightly shorter then Brooklyn, with skin that could be compared to the color of the sky, and brown hair. His wings were also brown, and he was dressed in a light gray loincloth, and jet black pants. He was holding the Phoenix Gate.

Mike: Angus old buddy!  Long time no see!  How’s that banishment thing working out for you?

As the figure’s eyes focused on them through the lengthy brown hair, he smiled. Not a warm, loving expression, but a cold, twisted glare of hatred and fury that

Crow: Matches mine?

made Brooklyn’s hair stand up on the back of his neck. This was clearly no friend.

A thought that was made even more obvious when the gargoyle raised a gun and shot at them.

Crow: Yes!  Yes!  Die!  Die!

Tom: There he goes again.

Brook and Lex dived out of the way of the bullet, but Brook lost his footing, and being completely off-balanced, collapsed onto his butt on the floor.

Crow: (slightly frantic) Yes!  He tripped!  Finish him off!  Finish him off!!

Lex had slipped and hit his head on the nearby table, and was now lying there, unconscious.

Brook had no time to worry over his mate, though, before the chamber of the gun was poked into his neck roughly, the gargoyle sneering as he kept his finger on the trigger, a cold, sadistic smile forming.

Crow: (frantic)  YES YES YES!  THERE’S NO ESCAPE FOR HIM THIS TIME!  HE’S GOT TO BE DEAD THIS TIME!

“Miss me?”

Crow: NO MORE TALKING!  KILL HIM!

To Be Continued in Alternate Lives 3, coming soon to a fanfiction site near you.

Crow: (wails) NNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!  DAMN YOU COBRA!  I’LL GET YOU FOR THIS!

Mike: Calm down Crow!

Responses? Praise? Criticisms? Flames? Send ‘em. [email protected].

Crow: (growling) Oh you can bet I’ll send you flames!  Flames from hell to burn your soul!  You’re gonna get email bombed like you won’t believe!

Later!

The theater door unlocks and everyone leaves, Crow still fuming.

POV: Bridge of SOL

The bots have decorated the satellite bridge to look like Pearl’s sitting room, including a plush chair in the middle.  Crow is sitting on the table, pretending to smoke a cigar in his beak, the cigar made of rolled up black paper.  Servo is playing butler in a small tux outfit and Mike strolls in, wearing an old smoking jacket over his work clothes.  The monitor comes on, showing Pearl still chuckling from the experiment, the Observer standing nearby.  She looks oddly at the room for a moment, then bursts out laughing.  Even the Observer smiles slightly.

Pearl: (gasping for air between laughs) Oh this is too rich!  You all look totally ridiculous! 

Crow: See!  We’ve got digs too!  And we didn’t even have to get off the satellite!

Tom: This suit is making me itch.

Pearl finally manages to master herself.

Pearl: (smiling) You three are just too funny.  Thinking you could compare your hovel to my home.

Mike:  And how is your place so much better?  (preparing to sit down in the chair)

Pearl: (smirk) Well for one thing-

Mike sits down in the chair and falls on the floor with a thump as the chair collapses under him.

Pearl: (grinning) I don’t use fake paper furniture.

The bots look around, dismayed as the cheap wallpaper they had been using falls apart and Pearl watches on, laughing.  Crow spits out the cigar angrily.

Crow: (still pissed from earlier) You have angered the Almighty with your laughter!  PREPARE TO BE SMITED!

Pearl looks surprised for a moment.

Pearl: (amused) Well, that’s different.  Since when did you become Mr. high and mighty?

Mike: (sigh) Ever since you repaired him he’s had delusions that he’s the risen Jesus.

Pearl begins laughing again.

Pearl: Oh that’s too good!  You just keep getting funnier and funnier!  Maybe I should sign a deal with the cable networks to get you on TV.  (Pearl thinks for a moment)  Hmmm…not a bad idea.  Think of the money I could make off the royalties and broadcast rights.

Crow: THOU HAS ANGERED THE LORD!  TAKE THIS!

Suddenly a crack of thunder is heard and Pearl is zapped by a lightning bolt from the sky.  Here outfit is smoking and her hair is standing up like the bride of Frankenstein.  She looks at them in shock.  Even the Observer is speechless.

Mike and Tom stare at Crow who looks on triumphantly.

Crow: (deadly calm) Don’t mess with the Lord.

Suddenly a booming voice is heard from everywhere.

THOU SPEAKEST TRUE, CROW T. ROBOT.  DON’T MESS WITH THE LORD!

Another lightning bolt comes from nowhere and strikes Crow directly.  The blast knocks Mike off his feet and Tom’s hover pad shuts down, dropping him to the floor.  Crow sits there blackened and burning, his beak agape.  Mike staggers over to the desk and slams his hand down on the button.