Stone Cold, Part 3

Written by Zelda

 

                Inside the Migrator, Wildwing was watching the skies carefully.

                "Are you sure there's no teleportation energy anywhere in the area?" he asked. Tanya sighed, she'd have to be patient with him.

                "Look Wing, I've tried every scan we have on this thing!" she said. "There's no teleportation energy or traces anywhere near those guys!"

                "Sorry Tanya." Wildwing sighed, and leaned back, letting Dive continue to steer.

                "Easy lad." Hudson said in his ear. "She's doin' the best she can." Suddenly, Tanya leaned violently back from her console, staring at computer screen. Wildwing was beside her in a moment.

                "What's up?" he asked.

                "There's something really weird going on here!" she said. She pointed to a spot on the computer map, as a few members of the team looked up over their shoulders. "Look, there's been some kind of disturbance at fifth avenue and main street! It's like some kind of explosion or something...." she started rapping immediately at the keyboard again.

                "And Brooklyn and the others are headed strait for it!" Nosedive reported.

                "If Brooklyn is heading there, your enemies must be there as well." Goliath said. "We must pursue them."

 

                The Migrator roared up to the corner of fifth and main, and exhaust from the subway billowed steam and smoke across the windshield. Too bad, otherwise the occupants of the vehicle wouldn't have missed a nearby flash of green light. The side hatch opened and the team unloaded quickly, breathing in the warm steam. The front of the small building looked fine. It must have been some kind of storage area or something. Wildwing frowned.

                "Come on, let's check the back..." he started. As the team walked around the building and into an alley, they immediately smelled the sour smell of singed trash and burnt brick and mortar. The back of the building was completely blown out, the sides of the buildings near it charred black. Smoke still wisped up in thin little ropes. Broadway sniffed and growled lowly. He didn't like this at all. Hudson's hand was around his sword's handle. Together, the Ducks and Gargoyles stepped into the blown out rubble.

 

                Smoke stung Nosedive's eyes. Man, this place was totaled. He hoped whoever owned this had some serious insurance. The whole place was charred black. Looked like a Saurian MO alright, but what the heck would they want here, and where were Brooklyn and the other four? Suddenly, a flash of green light caught the corner of his eye, and Nosedive spun around to face Dragaunus and the Chameleon coming out from behind a pile of charred crates.

                "Hail hail, the gang's all here." Dragaunus chucked. Wildwing gritted his teeth. "Ahhh, and Goliath, I don't believe your clan and I have met." the red lizard continued, turning to the Gargoyle. "I am the one responsible for all this trouble." he said proudly. Goliath's eyes blazed white.

                "Yah, and we's mad proud about it too yall!" Chameleon yelled, morphing into a homie with baggy jeans and a red tee shirt.

                "This is the Chameleon, just one of my three deadly henchmen. You'll meet the others all too soon, but I believe I have something of yours first." He grinned, and motioned to something behind the crates. The Gargoyles and Ducks gasped as Brooklyn himself stalked into the clear and stood beside Draguanus. His nostrils flared as he snorted, his eyes burning a constant white. There was a thick black collar around his neck. It was some kinda machine. Nosedive didn't like this at all...

                "What have you done to him?" Lexington demanded, leaping up on Goliath's shoulder.

                "My my, you've got a lot of spunk for such a weak little child." Dragaunus flashed a toothy grin. "You see I really should be thanking you for him. Not only have you let me regain control of my original 'flock', but you've let me add this fine little warrior, with the help of the collar of course." he said. The other four stalked out behind Brooklyn. The little experiment was a failure. The Ducks had lost the four and now Brooklyn too! Duke suddenly had an idea, and whispered it over to Broadway, who relayed it on to Wildwing. He nodded. Duke and Wing slowly started to step back and out. Dragaunus growled and held up his hand.

                "Not so fast my friends, I'm not letting you go anywhere."

                "And who's gonna stop us?" Nosedive and Broadway asked in unison. The five stepped forwards and crouched on the floor, ready to spring. Tanya smacked Nosedive hard on the shoulder. Wildwing frowned, and activated his com.

 

                Bronx snarled lowly as he heard the message.

                "We're on it Wing!" Jax assured, as he closed his com, keeping one eye on the transformed Ducaine, flying ahead of the Aerowing.

                "What's up?" Mallory asked.

                "The others are in trouble. Looks like Draggy got a hold of Brooklyn." QJ told her, the others listening dimly. Outside, Turbulance let an animal scream out into the night.

                "We'll have to help them!" Destiny said.

                "Of course, but we still have to keep an eye on Turbulance." said Angela. "Besides, she's probably going our way too." The Aerowing swooped up in the night, remaining a safe distance behind the gargoyle, flying on. The sky grew lighter, a polluted reddish as the lights of New York city twinkled on the far horizon.

 

                The animal streaked upwards, spreading her great bat wings to catch the drafts coming up from the city streets. She swooped past the lights and buildings as if she took no notice of them. She flew up higher, to circle around the turrets of a castle, high atop a building. She began to dive away quickly, when suddenly a loud scream faded down. Turbulance jerked to a halt in midair.

 

                "No!" Quacker Jax slammed a hand down angrily on the console as the creature latched onto the castle wall and began to climb back up.

                "Land the plane." Angela instructed. "We have to get to her before she frees Zelda!"

 

                Mallory held her launcher in front of her. She didn't want to hurt Turby, but if she attacked.... She peered around the corner of the castle. The main room where they held Zelda was still quite a way off, they weren't inside yet. But the Ducks couldn't be sure where Turby had gone when she had climbed up. Mallory waved behind her, and the rest of the team crept up.

                "Nothing yet?" Destiny whispered.

                "Not a peep." Mallory whispered back. Suddenly, there was a high, almost desperate animalish cry from deep in the castle. Bronx growled.

                "What the heck?..." Quacker Jax started. Destiny motioned forwards, and the team started to move a little faster. The cry came again, longer and higher, like a loud whine. Angela reached the edge of the door to the room where Zelda was caged, and peeked around the corner. Turbulance was standing on all fours, peering cautiously up at Zelda in the cage. Zelda herself was lying on her side, snout between the bars and making that dreadful noise.

                "What is she doing?" Mallory whispered. Turbulance let out a growl. Zelda altered her tone in a kind of reply. Slowly, Turbulance started to approach the cage. Zelda staggered up, but fell down again and collapsed into whining like she did before. Turbulance looked around the room, stopping when she spotted a lever on the wall. She moved towards it and sniffed it. Bronx shifted uncomfortably. Suddenly, Turby wrenched it down. The electricity in the bars was gone.

                "No no no no!" Mallory hissed under her breath. Turby then approached the cage. Somehow, Zelda got to her feet and dragged herself over to the door, pressing hard against it and crying horribly.

                "What's wrong with her Angela, is she hurt?" Destiny asked. Turby went and sniffed at the cage bars, Zelda sobbing loudly. Finally, with a quick snap Turbulance wrenched the door open. Zelda was out in a flash, ramming Turbulance onto the floor and landing on her back, screaming triumphantly in her face. The Ducks and two Gargoyles gasped. She had faked the whole thing! Zelda snarled loudly, as if daring Turby to challenge her. Turbulance, too surprised to react, remained as she was. Zelda backed off of her and roared again. She was mad, the ones watching from the door could feel it. Turbulance got up slowly as Zelda sniffed the air. Suddenly, she growled and shot out of the door, blowing right past the ones standing and watching. Turbulance followed her out into the night sky. Angela shook her head.

                "We've gotta follow them!"

                "What just happend?" Mallory asked.

                "Turby set Zelda free, and now sees her as her leader for being so clever as to trick her. But Zelda knows that she has to gain the lead of the other four. She's after Brooklyn!" The Gargoyle yelled as they ran back for the Aerowing.

 

                "Quit stalling Duck, surrender now or we'll sick these babies on ya." the Chameleon threatened with a grin, gesturing towards the five captive Gargoyles. Wildwing was worried. He kept wanting to check his com but didn't want to move. Where the heck were the others? Everyone in the room was on edge, frozen and silent, tense and waiting for someone to make a move. Brooklyn sniffed the air slowly and shifted his position. Suddenly, there was a loud hissing overhead. The Aerowing! Duke wanted to clap his hands, the others were back! Suddenly, the brick in a side wall was smashed forcefully away, a purple blur rushing through and screaming.

                "Zelda?" Nosedive muttered. The Gargoyle unfurled her wings to reveal that it was Zelda! She had escaped! Wildwing raised his launcher, ready for her to spring him. But Zelda snarled loudly not at him, but Brooklyn. As she did, another Gargoyle flew though the hole in the brick and landed beside her.

                "Who is that?" Lex asked.

                "Turbulance." Quacker Jax replied quickly, coming up behind him and watching. Zelda paced towards the red Gargoyle, scales bristled. Brooklyn growled at her loudly. The four he led backed him, looking recognizingly at Zelda and snapping. Suddenly, she pounced and landed, throwing Brooklyn back and disappearing with a scream into a cloud of dust. Immediately the other four jumped into the fray. Turbulance reared back and howled, joining the ball of squirming, dusty creatures as well. Wildwing grabbed Goliath's arm, and the huge gray Gargoyle nodded. The two leapt forwards in the chaos. They were going to find Dragaunus.

 

                Mallory leapt aside to dodge the howling fray of predators. She backed up into a corner as the creatures blocked her off from the others. They were savage fighters, slashing and screaming. She glanced about the tangle, alarmed. Anyone who missed a beat had a good chance of getting hurt, and badly at that. The dust that the creatures rose clouded them so that Mallory couldn't specifically identify them. She saw one of them, she thought it was Zelda, leap up high above the fight. She came down with a loud animal scream, claws flashing like blades as she disappeared into the dust again. The fury moved on, and Mallory wasted no time of running out of her corner, launcher drawn. She would leave the tussle alone.

 

                Wraith crouched uncomfortably behind a crate. In this tight space and with all the noise and confusion, he couldn't afford to be seen now. The thick, heavy spellbook rested in his frail hand. His eyes darted about, watching the fighting and the dust. All the henchmen had engaged the Ducks, save for him. His Lord had fallen back as planned. It was all going to work out just fine. Suddenly, the crate buckled and cracked violently. Wraith gasped and backed up as two Gargoyles came tumbling over each other, crushing the crate beneath them. Five more suddenly pounced into the fight, howling. Wraith, only a few feet before this, continued to back away. Suddenly, a Gargoyle later identified as Matt flew unwillingly through the air and landed with a thud, sliding back towards the mage. Wraith gasped and flung himself out of the way of the snarling, lashing monster. Matt's tail swiped away the support of Wraith's staff, and the Saurian went toppling forwards, barely out of the way as Matt got up and flung himself back into the battle again. The heavy spellbook skidded a few feet across the dusty floor. Just inches from his hand, Wraith reached out to grab it, when suddenly a foot stomped in his way. A booted foot. Following the limb up to the body, Wraith looked up to see Nosedive grinning at him, launcher aimed strait at his nose.

                "Well well well, lookie who we have here." he started, putting his other foot on Wraith's upper back for good measure. Launcher still aimed, he picked up the book with one hand. "Hmmmm, looks like I'm gonna have to take away your toy." Dive started. "YO QJ!" he yelled behind him into the dust. "Catch!" Nosedive tossed the book over his shoulder, and into the waiting arms of some figure, shadowed in the dust far behind him. Nosedive turned back and stuck his tongue out at the Saurian beneath him.

 

                Jax tucked the book under his arm like a football. He had to get outside and take a look at this thing. Trying as best he could to weave his way through the clamor, he finally ran out and around to the front of the buildings. Immediately the mage fell to his knees and placed the thick, leather bound book on the ground. There was a small ribbon of deep blue velvet as a bookmark, and Jax turned to the page immediately. The spell was old, but he scanned over the page quickly. It was the spell that had been used by Wraith alright, but where was the counter spell? Jax began to panic, flipping through the pages randomly. He forced himself to calm down, and began scanning quickly and orderly through the pages again. He came back to the page he had started on, and looked on the back. Surely enough, there was the spell he needed. Jax scooped up the book and ran back inside.

 

                Goliath squinted and pushed harder upwards. The crate edge pressed harder into his spine as the huge red lizard above him continued to shove him down, eyes burning yellow. Goliath opened his eyes and looked over at the duck in the white armor that was slowly trying to get up off of the cement floor in the corner. He couldn't be of help to him now.

                "You'll pay for this Dragaunus!" Goliath spat.

                "Oh drat... I left my checkbook right here somewhere...." Dragaunus grinned, and suddenly lashed his tail across Goliath's face. Goliath went sprawling across the floor, and got up slowly. Dragaunus would finish him personally, but he was tired. "Come, my warriors!" he cried into the dust. Brooklyn leapt, eyes burning, over a stack of crates, and landed agilely beside Dragaunus. Matt, Candy, Lindsay and Freefall soon joined him. Goliath stepped back. "Now." Dragaunus pointed at the gray gargoyle. "Take care of him." Suddenly, Zelda came flying over the crates and tackled Brooklyn, shearing off his collar. The two tussled wildly as the others stood, not knowing whether to help their leader or follow Dragaunus's orders. Suddenly, a great wave of light seemed to pass through their eyes, and the five collapsed and fell to the ground with a collective unearthly scream. "What???" Dragaunus breathed. Slowly, their wings and tails began to meld away, oozing back into their bodies. They were all turning back to normal! Goliath sighed with relief as he realized that the spell must have been reversed. The five lay still on the ground for but a moment, and slowly started to come around. "This is impossible!" Draguanus snarled in rage. He turned for one last fly at Goliath, but found Mallory's launcher in his face.

                "Back off lizard breath." she hissed. Dragaunus looked around and sighed. He activated his teleporter. Realizing what was happening, Mallory shot, but she was too late. Draguanus was enveloped in a green shadow and transported away. She threw her launcher on the ground in frustration. "Dang! I let him get away again!" she snarled.

                "Thanks for that." Goliath said, putting a hand on her shoulder to steady her. "You'll catch him soon enough, I'm sure of it." Brooklyn stood slowly, rubbing his head. The others were slowly helping the five up too.

                "Somebody wanna fill me in on what happened?" Turbulance asked, still woozy.

                "It's okay now." Quacker Jax assured, closing the Grimorum as he handed it to Hudson. "That thing is dangerous."

                "We've guarded it with our lives." Hudson agreed. "Apparently Xanatos needs to chat with us about this."

                "The important thing is that we're all back to normal." Zelda said, flexing out her normal wings. "We are in debt to you Gargoyles."

                "Yes." Wildwing agreed. "If not for your help--"

                "The Grimorum is our responsibility." Goliath shook his head. "We might never have retrieved it of not for your help."

                "I think it's time we best be going." Hudson tapped the gray Gargoyle on the shoulder. Through the hole in the brick wall, they could all see the sky slowly signaling the approaching dawn.

                "We have to return home." Brooklyn said. "Thanks again."

                "And feel free to drop by the castle any time!" Lex yelled, as they all walked out and glided off into the sky. Watching them go, Eliza chuckled and shook her head.

                "You've got quite a group to watch over, there." Tanya said to her. "They must keep you on your toes."

                "Believe me." Eliza said. "I enjoy it. And what about you? With Dragaunus running around, life never gets dull, does it?"

                "Believe me." Tanya laughed. "We enjoy it too."

 

The End

 

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