The Mark of Cain
By:  Jay Winger
Email:  USFWinger@aol.com

TEASER
When a maniacal killer comes to town, bent on killing Owen, Fox, and Alex, the gargoyles and their friends are seemingly powerless to stop him.

DISCLAIMER, ETC.
Hi, Jay Winger here, just filling in all the various legal stuff that I have to include before continuing into the story.  If I don't, Disney's lawyers will crawl out of the woodwork and sue me blind.

Okay, then, the legal-stuff:
Any and all Gargoyles characters mentioned herein belong to Disney/Buena Vista.  I'm just doing this because it ought to be fun and I've got some extra time on my hands.  I'm not trying to infringe on anyone's copyrights here!  The only characters within the story that are not Disney's (and are mine) are Cain/Anyx, Madelyn Mistar, Donald Drack, Colin Mercer, and Louis Gargonet.
Any other characters herein that resemble anyone or anything in reality are completely coincidental, and no offense is intended.

Okay, now for the background data.
This story takes place after "Hunter's Moon," so Owen has been revealed as Puck, the Gargoyles now are living at Castle Wyvern again, and all the other stuff thereafter, etc.  Basically, the gargs and Xanatos have reconciled, after a fashion.
And also, if it appears that I don't know anything about the way NYC is laid out, I don't.  I've never been there, so please excuse me if I put things where they aren't.
Also, here are some pronunciations that you should know:
	Anyx->An-icks
	Gargonet->Gar-go-nay

Also, this story is violent, concerning assassinations, and a bloody showdown.  It also has some mild language.  No uses of the F-word, S-word, etc., but some raw words are in here.  So, let the reader beware.

Now, onto the story, eh?

THE MARK OF CAIN
Location:  La Guardia
	The dark-clad man walked into the terminal, then looked around.  A faint smirk-like smile flickered on his lips.  ~~The city that never sleeps,~~ he thought.  It was almost midnight.  He adjusted the sunglasses that he wore and picked up his lone bag of luggage.  It was a black duffel bag which hung lightly.  He scratched his goatee and looked at the city map that he held in his hands.
	~~Let's see, where's Starlyte located?~~ He asked himself.  He finally located it and went out and hailed a cab.  The cabbie turned a surly face toward him and gruffly asked, "Yeah, where to?"
	"Starlyte Incorporated Main," the dark man said.  "And there's a $20 tip if you get me there fast."
	"How d'ya define 'fast?'" the cabbie asked.
	"I'll decide when we arrive whether it was fast or not," the other replied.  Without another word, the cabbie stepped on the gas, and the cab sped off.  The dark-clad man looked up in the night sky and thought he saw a winged form fly overhead.  "I remember hearing something on the news about gargoyles in New York?"
	"Yeah," the cabbie said.  "It was all over the papers.  Everyone thinks they're monsters, criminals, that sorta thing."
	"Hmm," the man said, looking at the streets as they passed.
	"The only guy to defend them beasties was that guy Lennox MacDuff," the cabbie added.  He gave a derisive snort.  "Personally, I don't believe him."
	With a slight raise of his eyebrows, the man replied, "Everyone's entitled to their opinion, I suppose."  A few moments later, the cab pulled up to an office building.
	"Starlyte Main," the cabbie said.  He read off the fare, then asked, "What about that tip?"
	"You've earned it," the man said, handing the cabbie the twenty bill.  He paid the rest of the fare, and added, "Keep the change."  The cabbie grinned a crooked smile and drove off.  The dark-clad man looked up the façade of the building, smirk-smiled again and entered.  A blond-haired receptionist looked up.
	"Yes, how may I help you?" she asked sweetly.
	"I have an appointment with Mr. Mercer," the man answered.  "The name is Cain."

Location:  The Office of Colin Mercer, Vice President of Starlyte Incorporated
	"Sir, a Mr. Cain here to see you," came the voice of Mercer's secretary.
	"Send him in," the v.p. said.  He stacked the papers he was working on, then turned to his computer.  He locked out the security cameras, so his office was completely secure.  He turned to the dark-haired assistant behind him.  "Donald, close the windows."  The manservant quietly angled the blinds.
	Finally, the dark-clad Cain entered.  He wore a black overcoat, unfastened so that it hung like a cape.  Black slacks, black blazer, black tie, black shirt, black socks, black shoes.  The man was almost completely a shadow.  He had a pale face accented with a black goatee, and his face was all the more pale underneath his silvery crewcut.  He had a silver belt buckle, and the heels of his shoes were silver.  Cain adjusted his silver-colored sunglasses, but did not remove them.
	He still held his duffel bag, which he dropped as soon as Mercer noticed it.  He clapped his hands behind his back, and from somewhere, Mercer had no idea where, Cain produced a cane, black of course, with a metal grip.  The man in black extended a hand.
	"Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Cain." Colin Mercer said.  "I am Colin Mercer.  This is my assistant, Donald Drack."
	"It's not 'Mr. Cain,'" the other corrected. "It's just Cain."
	With a Spock-ish cock of an eyebrow, Mercer nodded.  "Very well, then.  I believe you've met my assistant, at any rate."
	"Yes," Cain said with a slight nod to the aide's direction.  "But, if we could get down to business, I'd like to get to my accomodations before sunrise."
	"By all means," Mercer agreed.  He stood and walked around his desk.  "You are no doubt aware of my company's situation."
	"Yes," Cain nodded.  "Xanatos Enterprises is attempting to buy you out."
	"Precisely the problem," the Starlyte vice president said.  "Xanatos' Eyrie Tower has also been the source of many strange occurrences.  One was the missing night of November 18, 1995, the repeated appearances of these 'Steel Clan' robots, the old Scottish castle atop the Building, Wyvern, I believe it is called, and, of course, the living gargoyles."
	"I've heard of them," the black-clad man said.
	"Suffice it to say that Xanatos Enterprises is a source of strange things," Mercer said with an exasperated sigh.  "In fact, it is my personal opinion that some of the strange occurences are the result of magic."
	Now Cain cocked an eyebrow.  "Magic?"
	"Magic," Mercer nodded.  "I've done some research on the matter, and, according to some of the texts I read, there are basically three distinct intelligent races:  humanity, the living gargoyles, and, finally, the Children of Oberon."
	A smile flickered on Cain's lips.  "Faeries?"
	"Precisely," the veep said.  "Changelings, the fey, the third race.  All are alternate terms for the Children of Oberon.  It is my belief that the fey are the cause of some of these disturbances."
	"What does any of this have to do with the Xanacorp takeover?" Cain asked.
	"I'm getting to that," Mercer said impatiently.  He continued, "I also learned from my studies that some of the third race have camouflaged themselves as humans."  He turned to Cain.  "I believe one of them is Anastasia Reynard.  Another I believe to be Puck."
	With a smirk, Cain said, "'Lord, what fools these mortals be!'"
	"That'll be enough of that," Mercer snapped.  "There's more.  Reynard's daughter's name is Fox.  Fox is the wife of David Xanatos.  And Xanatos has a son, Alexander."
	"So, if your theories are correct, then Fox and Alexander Xanatos have magic potential?" Cain said, a smile still twitching on his lips.
	"That is correct," Mercer said dryly.  "There is one other thing.  The human I believe to be Puck is Owen Burnett, Xanatos' personal aide."
	Beneath his shades, Cain flicked a glance over at Drack.  He nodded at him.  "Speaking of aides, does he ever say anything?"
	"He's not paid to," Mercer answered.  "Your objective, Cain, is to assassinate Fox and Alexander Xanatos, and Owen Burnett.  Do not harm David Xanatos.  He is not to die, do you understand?"
	"You needn't worry," Cain said.  "I know how to shoot and not hit somebody."  He smirked again.  "I can make seem like I tried to kill him, if that's what you want."
	"No," Mercer said.  "You are not to even take a potshot at him.  The purpose of this mission to distract Xanacorp's attention away from Starlyte long enough for me to get my ducks aligned and convince Madelyn Mistar to nix the takeover."
	Cain shrugged.  "Fine."  There was a pause.  "Did you acquire the weaponry that I requested?"
	"Yes," Mercer said.  He nodded to Drack, who flipped a switch.  A wall panel slid aside to reveal a rack of weapons.  The v.p. went over to them and handed each in turn to Cain.  "Two .357 Magnums, with the option to attach a scope."
	"Which I have," Cain said, taking the handguns.  He put them in his duffel bag.
	A smaller gun.  "A Derringer," Mercer said, fingering the assassin's gun.  "I suppose I don't need to tell you that this is not for long-range shots?"
	"You would be correct," Cain said, pocketing the Derringer.
	A shotgun came down.  "12-gauge, double-barreled Remington shotgun. We had a rustproof coating put on action and barrel, so they would not rust, of course."
	"Of course," the man in black said, putting the shotgun in his duffel bag.
	"This next one you'll have to disassemble," the veep said.  He hefted up a large machine gun.  "This...is what we call the gunblade.  It is a heavily modified chaingun, .60 caliber, with the special rounds you ordered.  This, when flicked into full-automatic fire, could take down a tank in less than a minute.
	"Also," Mercer said, glowering carefully at Cain, "this design is completely experimental.  We are not even supposed to have it.  So, don't get caught, or let this fall into Xanatos' hands."
	"Relax," Cain said as he reached for the gunblade.
	A slow smile crept up Cain's lips.  He took the gun, lifting it easily.  He quickly disassembled the weapon, putting the pieces in his duffel bag, which did not seem to be getting full.  Mercer looked at it with curiosity, but thought nothing of it.  The Starlyte v.p. slid the rack aside to reveal a cache of ammunition.  "And these," he said, "are the special rounds you ordered.  You have enough here to take down a small army.  Plenty for each weapon."
	"Thank you," Cain said.  He pocketed a few of the clips himself, and loaded the rest into the duffel bag, which still did not seem full.  He zipped the bag up and hefted it onto his shoulder.  It did not even hang like it contained all the weaponry that it did.  It seemed light, like it was still empty.  Mercer stared briefly, then looked up to see that Cain was removing his sunglasses.
	Now he could see Cain's eyes.  They were glowing blue eyes.  One of them had a red scar, or maybe tattoo, over it.  The tattoo was of an almost-complete circle, bisected vertically and horizontally by lines in a '+'-like design.  Finally, three diagonals crossed the design, like an italicized 'N.'
	It was a frightening symbol, for some reason.  Cain smirked again.  "That," he said, with that raspy voice, "is my Mark.  The Mark of Cain."  He donned the sunglasses again.  "Don't forget it.  Who knows?  Fate willing, it may be the last thing you ever see."  Another smile.
	With a curt nod, Cain left, carrying his duffel bag in one hand, and his cane in the other.  Now Mercer could identify the type of metal on the cane's head.   It was iron.

Location:  Castle Wyvern, atop the Eyrie Tower
	As Owen Burnett stood behind David Xanatos, he felt a slight shiver, which was oddly unpleasant.  For one thing, it was a warm morning.  For another, there was no wind.  For a third, he never shivered.
	He was currently with his employer and his wife, who held the young Alexander in her arms as they watched the gargoyles turn to stone with the rising of the sun.  Owen shrugged and thought nothing else of it, though a slight feeling of dread hung over him.
	Xanatos, for his part, caught his aide's fidgeting.  "Something wrong, Owen?"
	"Nothing, sir," he replied stiffly.  "I suppose I am just anxious about the arrival of my friends."
	"Which?" Fox asked.  "This is first I'm hearing of it."
	"Some of Puck's friends will be showing up within the next day or two," David explained.  "What were their names again?"
	"Cobweb, Peasblossom, and Mustardseed," the stone-fisted assistant answered.  "No worries; they aren't tricksters, and I had them promise to be on their best behavior."
	"That's a relief," Elisa Maza said.  She'd approached to hear Owen's last comment, and her experiences with Puck and the other Tricksters of the third race led her to be a bit wary of the fey.  "When do they arrive?"
	"If the time they told me is correct, it should be right about-"
	"We're here!" came a voice which then squealed with delight.  Three young women appeared, and Elisa could tell they were fey immediately.  They had the pointed ears and they floated a few feet off the ground.  They almost looked like younger versions of the Weird Sisters.  The one who had spoken had a grey dress on, which seemed to be dusty.  The fey grinned broadly.  "Hi, Uncle Puck!"
	"'Uncle Puck?'" David Xanatos asked, with a smile on his face.
	Owen fidgeted visibly.  "It's a nickname," he said.  He turned to the fey.  "Hello, Cobweb."
	"Ooh, you look simply horrendous like that, uncle," said the fey beside Cobweb, who had a leafy-green dress.  ~~This must be Peasblossom,~~ Elisa thought.  "You look like an-" she shuddered, "-authority figure."
	"I am," Owen said.
	"Come on, Uncle Puck," the last fey said, Mustardseed obviously, who wore a yellow dress.  "Drop the 'wooden man' act!  You're with friends."
	"Regretfully, I cannot," Owen said.  "Oberon has restricted the use of my powers to when I am educating or protecting Alexander."  Here he gestured at the baby in Fox's arms.
	Curious, the three faeries flitted over to Fox, hovering around her while they looked at the baby.  "Oh, he's so precious," Peasblossom cooed.  "Looks just like his grandmother."
	"He'll have great power," Cobweb added, tilting her head as she gazed at the sleeping child.
	"Oh, yes, no doubt about that," Mustardseed agreed.
	"Girls," Owen said.
	"Yes?" they asked in unison.
	Owen actually seemed flustered.  "Please, just behave yourselves until tonight.  I have work to do, and, much as I might like to, I cannot play with you right now."
	All three fey girls pouted.  "You promised!"
	"I did," Owen agreed, "but I did not say right away.  You know that."
	"Oh, pooh!" Mustardseed said.  "You always ruin our fun!"
	"Yeah," Peasblossom nodded.  "Maybe we'll just have to take over your position as Trickster, since you won't have any fun!"
	"Yeah!" Cobweb chimed in.
	Owen closed his eyes, seemed to count to ten, then continued, "Just...watch over Alexander.  I have work to do.  No tricks now!  You promised to stay on your best behavior."
	The three girls shared a Let's-Agree-Then-Ignore-Him look, then said in unison, "Yes, Uncle Puck."
	"I saw that look," Fox said dangerously.  Her tattoo seemed to glow.
	That cowed the three girls.  "Yes, ma'am," they said.  They blinked out, then reappeared, now looking more human.  It unsettled Elisa how much these three girls were like the Weird Sisters, the only discernable difference was their hair.  The Weird Sisters had had blond, black, and silver hair; the three before her had grey, green, and blond.  The three young girls smiled sweetly.
	"What should we do while we wait, Uncle Puck?" Cobweb asked.
	Owen looked to Xanatos.  The multibillionaire shrugged.  "Let them have free reign of Castle Wyvern until then.  With all the regular restrictions on guests, of course."
	It was obvious what that meant.  The three girls gave an Oh-You-Take-Away-All-the-Fun cry.  Owen skewered them with a sharp glare, and the trio scampered off.  It was evident from the instant they left that the aide was more at ease.  "I'll never know what possessed me to invite those three."
	"Neither will I," Fox said dryly.

Location:  Cain's Apartment
	The dark-clad man looked at the image before him and laughed.  "So, the Mischief Sisters are in town, eh, old Puck?  This will make this hunt all the more enjoyable."  He picked up the blue jewel before him and the image faded.  Cain picked up the bauble, and slipped it on a pendant chain before sliding it onto his neck.  He tucked the gem under his shirt.
	"I will have this job and more finished by lunchtime," Cain said to himself.  He picked up his iron-topped cane, tucking it under his arm.  He holstered the two Magnums behind his back, and disassembled a sniper rifle.  Finally, as he put his overcoat on, he tucked the Derringer in the sleeve.   As he put the silver-lensed sunglasses on, his tattoo seemed to glow.  A sneer appeared on his lips.  "Here's to the hunt," he said, knocking back a quick shot of bourbon before walking out the door.
	He locked the apartment behind him and went to the elevator.  As he entered, he checked a pocket watch.  Like his belt, it seemed to be made of silver.  A closer inspection would have revealed that it was highly polished iron.  The doors to the elevator closed.
	A man waiting in the lobby gave an It's-About-Time! Smile as the elevator arrived.  As the doors opened, he thought he saw a flash of light.  By the time the doors were agape, there was nothing.  The man shrugged and got on anyway.

Location:  The Eyrie Tower
	Cain materialized near the tallest free-standing structure in the world.  He looked up the façade into the clouds that obscured the Castle atop it.  A smirk-smile curled his lips before he whispered something in Latin.  Another flash later, he was inside the building, almost half-way up.  He looked around, then snuck onto an elevator.
	He materialized again within the castle itself.  He peered around carefully, then began to assemble his sniper rifle.  Like the rest of his weaponry, it was made of iron, and he slapped a clip of his specialized ammunition into the gun.  His silvery hair glimmered in the noonday light.  "Yoiks!" Cain whispered to himself.  "Tallyho!  The hunt is on!"
	Deeper in the castle, David Xanatos turned to Owen.  "How goes the negotiations with Starlyte Incorporated?"
	"Madelyn Mistar is being cooperative, but she still resists the idea of a merger.  Her vice president, Colin Mercer, has made his opposition to the idea known-high, loud, and repeatedly," the stone-fisted assistant remarked.  "I contacted Mercer's assistant for details on his resistance to the deal, but he would reveal nothing."
	"Hmm," Xanatos said.  "We've dealt with stubbornness before.  Do you think that Mercer could be bought out himself?"
	"I doubt it," Owen said.  "He seems to have a high sense of morals."
	Cain slipped out onto one of the higher walkways of Castle Wyvern and looked into the courtyard.  Fox was there with her son, and the 'Mischief Sisters' were clustered around her.  Periodically, one would skip out into the empty areas of the courtyard, then return.  Less periodically, all three would skip out, circle Fox, then zip back in.  Fox did not look amused.  When they weren't skipping about, the Sisters were chatting incessantly.
	Cain watched the events carefully, then set his rifle onto an outcropping as he sighted at the three girls.  If he timed it right, he could shoot the trio, then switch to Fox and Alexander before the first three shots hit their targets.  He waited a moment as Owen walked out into the courtyard.  A smile crept onto Cain's lips.  All the more fortunate!  He could get the entire job finished in one sitting!
	He resighted again, still keeping his bead on the trio, who were now standing still as 'Uncle Puck' addressed them.  "If you please, girls," Owen said, "Mr. Xanatos and I are trying to get some work done.  Would you please be quiet?"
	"Bang," Cain whispered.
	Three loud gunshots sounded in the crisp noon air.  Three cries of pain tore the sky as Cobweb, Peasblossom, and Mustardseed collapsed.  Fox immediately threw herself flat on the ground, shielding Alexander.  Two more shots rang out, two bullets spanged off the courtyard floor.  Cain aimed down at Owen, who whirled to look up at him.  Just as Cain squeezed the trigger a sixth time, he ducked, fouling Cain's shot.
	Cain swore, stood, and dashed away.  Owen, realizing that this man had intended to kill Alex, reverted to Puck's form and pursued the assassin.  A blast of magic energy streaked after Cain.  The assassin smoothly ducked, dropped his rifle, and drew a .357 Magnum.  Puck reached out with a spell to take the gun, but to his surprise, the spell failed.
	"Lord, what fools you changelings be!" Cain yelled as he fired once.  Just as smoothly as he had drawn it, he holstered the Magnum, grabbed his rifle, and sprinted off.
	Puck fell back as the bullet hit him.  Pain screamed in his shoulder, and glowing fey blood flowed out.  He fell to the floor with a cry of agony, as the wound burned.  ~~What did he shoot me with?~~ he thought as he grabbed his injured arm.  He shouted wordlessly at the retreating form of Cain.
	"Owen, what's going-" Xanatos looked out, saw the three prone forms of the Mischief Sisters and then at the bleeding form of Puck and gasped with shock.  "What in God's name?"
	"Stop him," Puck hissed, pointing after Cain.  "He's getting away!"
	Xanatos grabbed a phone, quickly dialing security.  "All posts, look out for an intruder in black!  He's armed and dangerous!"  He slammed the receiver down, then ran to Puck, who was slowly standing.  As the fey walk/limped to Fox, Alex, and the trio, he clutched his bleeding shoulder.  He went over to the girls, turning them over.  All three had a bleeding hole in their chests, quite dead.
	Xanatos watched as he saw tears come to Puck's eyes as he held Peasblossom's head to his chest.  The wounded changeling sobbed with grief.  David went to his wife.  "Are you okay?" he asked.
	"Yes," Fox said, still in shock.  "So's Alex.  But what happened?"  She looked over at the triplets, and for the first time, saw what had happened and raised a hand to her mouth in horror.
	Puck turned his face to the sky and gave a woeful wail of dispair.

That Night...
	Goliath shook the remains of his stone skin away and turned to look down in the courtyard.  Elisa was there, and so was Matt Bluestone, her partner.  In fact, they were not the only policemen there.  Goliath instinctively ducked down out of sight, and watched as the rest of his clan did the same.
	He looked down in the courtyard again and was shocked to find three chalk outlines.  He quickly scanned the throng of policemen and saw David Xanatos with his wife and son, talking with a detective.  He then spotted Owen Burnett off by himself, his arm in a sling.
	Puzzled and confused, he went over to Hudson.  "What happened here?"
	"I dinnae know, lad," the older gargoyle said.  "I dinnae know."
	"Looks like there was a homicide," Brooklyn commented.
	"A triple homicide," Broadway corrected.  "There's three chalk outlines."
	A short while later, the police finally left, except for Elisa and Matt.  The Xanatoses went back within the castle, leaving Owen still off in the corner.  Goliath glided down quickly and looked at the cordoned off area up on the walkway.
	"What happened?" Goliath asked Elisa.
	"Triple homicide," she said.  "Some maniac somehow managed to break into Xanacorp and tried to kill Fox and Alex."  She nodded at the outlines.  "It seems that Puck had three friends of his here for a visit, and they got hit first."
	"After the assassin killed the three girls," Matt added, "he tried to shoot Fox and Alex, but they got out of the way."  He pointed to Owen.  "He tried to stop the guy, but he got hit in the shoulder."
	"How?" Lexington asked.  "He was in Puck's form, right?"
	"Right," Elisa agreed.
	"So how could he have been wounded, or these girls killed?  Bullets can't hurt fey," Lex said.  "Unless his powers are that weak from Oberon's restriction on them."
	"No," Matt shook his head.  "They aren't.  The doctors did an autopsy on the girls, and they pulled a bullet out of Owen's shoulder.  The ammo this man used was made of iron."
	"Iron bullets?" Angela asked.
	"And we never stopped to consider such a weapon," Lex murmurred.  "Most people would prefer a stronger metal to use for bullets, to do more damage."
	"I should have seen this coming," Owen said from the corner.  Everyone turned to look at him.  "Sooner or later someone was bound to discover the fey, and most people are afraid of what they don't understand."
	"What I still don't understand is how this madman got by the security systems," Elsia said.  "It's like they weren't even there!  No one saw him come in, and no one saw him go out."
	"Then it's possible that the man who did this is still in the building," Goliath said.
	There was shouting from Xanatos' office.  "Dammit, who the hell do you think you are?  I can't let you in here without some sort of authorization!" came the billionaire's angry voice.
	"I'm Special Agent Louis Gargonet, F.B.I.," came an accented reply.  "Now, if you'd just get outta the way, I'll do my business, then leave quietly."  A man in a trench coat walked around David Xanatos and into the courtyard.  He looked at the gargoyles briefly, shrugged as though they were an everyday occurrence, then turned to Elisa and Matt.  He flashed a badge, and repeated his introduction.
	"What are you doing here?" Matt asked.  "This isn't an F.B.I. matter."
	"It became an F.B.I. matter when these three girls were killed," Gargonet replied, nodding at the chalk outlines, "and when the murders matched a series of murders that I've been tracking for years."
	That dissipated all of Matt's arguments.  "What?"
	Gargonet took out a note-pad, then flipped through it.  "About ten years ago, a man was killed in California by a man dressed in black with silver sunglasses.  Eye-witnesses said the killer carried a black cane with an iron top."  He held the pad up to show a strange emblem.  It was an almost complete circle, crossed with a '+'-like design, then crossed again by an uppercase, italicized 'N'.  "A coin with this emblem was found on the scene.  The other side simply showed a skull-and-crossbones."  He looked at the detectives.  "Did your men find anything like this around here?"
	"I think so," Elisa said.  She pulled a plastic baggie out of her pocket, which contained a coin, which was identical to the one that the F.B.I. agent had described.  "Was this what it looked like?"
	"Yup," Gargonet said.  "There have been several other murders similar to the California case, each with the Cane Man seen nearby the site, and a coin found in the area."  He flipped to another page in his pad.  He turned it around to show a man with a goatee, pale hair, and silver sunglasses.  "This is a sketch of what the Cane Man looks like, according to witnesses.  Shortly after we got the statements from them, the Cane Man killed them.  The marked coin was found at the scene."
	Owen looked at the sketch and stiffened (which was surprising, considering how stiff he already is).  "That's him.  That's the man who shot me."
	Gargonet nodded.  "Did he say anything to you?"
	"Yes," the aide replied.  "He said, 'Lord what fools you changelings be!'"
	"'A Midsummer Night's Dream,'" Brooklyn said.  "But the line is-"
	"I know what the line is," Gargonet said.  A frown came to his face.  "There is something not quite normal about the Cane Man, his victims, or about this triple homicide.  But this serial killer will be brought to justice, I guarantee."
	He nodded goodbye, but handed Owen, Elisa, and Matt a card.  "That is my number.  I have an apartment here in the city, but I'm usually not in during the day.  My cell phone number is included as well."  He nodded.  "Good night."  He left, walking past Xanatos again on his way out.
	Goliath and the others watched him leave, then turned back to Owen, who looked at the card, then put it away in a breast pocket.  He looked down at the chalk outlines.  "Who were they?" he asked.
	"Good friends of Puck's," the stone-fisted assistant replied.  "Cobweb, Peasblossom, and Mustardseed."
	Brooklyn was about to say something, but Owen shook his head.  "I know.  They were also in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream.'  So was Puck, Oberon, and Titania, but that doesn't mean anything."
	"Be that as it may," Hudson cut in, "but there's a maniacal serial killer loose in Manhattan!"  He furrowed his brow angrily.  "And he's nae gonna kill anyone else!"

Location:  A Liquor Store
	The storekeeper looked up as a dark-clad man entered, carrying an expensive-looking cane.  He wore silver sunglasses, which was odd, since it was night.  The keeper thought nothing of it;  nighttime brought out all the weirdos.  He looked up from the news broadcast he was watching.  "Yeah, what can I get ya?" he asked.
	"Whiskey," the pale-haired man said, indicating a bottle.  "And some bourbon."  He reached into his pocket for his wallet when he looked at the small TV set.
	"...and now we have more news on the mysterious triple homicide at the Eyrie Tower, owned by multibillionaire David Xanatos," the anchorwoman was saying.  "It seems that the murders match a pattern in a series of murders that have been tracked by the F.B.I. for almost ten years.  The first was of a prominent businessman in Sacremento, California, others soon followed.
	"The F.B.I. has released this sketch of the man-" a drawing of Cain appeared on the set, "-who is believed responsible for the murders.  The killer's actual name is unknown, but he is called 'the Cane Man' by the F.B.I. ..."
	The storekeeper looked at the set, then back at his customer.  He looked back and forth between the two several times, before the Cane Man sighed, then held up a Derringer.  Before the man could scream, Cain shot him in the head.  He turned, shot the TV, then picked up the bourbon and whiskey.  He flipped a coin onto the dead man, then slapped a wad of bills on the counter.  "Keep the change," he said as he walked out.
	He quickly sped away from the liquor store, folding the lapels of his coat up to hide his face.  The last thing he needed was some hero trying to stop him.  His mission would not allow for such a contingency.  He tossed the Derringer in a mail box, then returned to his apartment.  He knocked back a shot of bourbon from the old bottle, then tossed the empty flask aside.
	He took his gemstone out of his shirt and concentrated on it.  A hologram-like projection appeared, showing the courtyard of Castle Wyvern.  Owen and the two detectives from the NYPD were still there, but the gargoyles had left.  The failure to hit Fox and her son, not to mention Owen, was not going to bode well with Mercer.
	Right on cue, the phone rang.  Cain looked at it, the projection fading, then picked up the receiver.  "Cain," he said simply.
	"You imbecile!" came the Starlyte v.p.'s furious voice.  "You were not supposed to be taking shots at other people!  You are being paid to get the targets I assigned you, not three innocent girls!"
	"Relax, Mr. Mercer," Cain said calmly.  "I had my own reasons for killing those three girls.  As for Fox Xanatos and her son, they will be taken care of as soon as I get Puck out of the way."
	"And when will that be?" Mercer demanded.
	"Very soon," Cain said, as the gemstone projected an image of Louis Gargonet.  "Very soon."

Location:  Louis Gargonet's Apartment
	The F.B.I. agent tossed his keys onto his couch and went into the bathroom to wash his sweaty face.  It was a warm night, and he had not yet managed to fix his car's air conditioner.  He sighed with relief as the cool water cleansed his face.
	He looked up suddenly as his TV flicked on, a laugh track sounding.  Gargonet turned, taking out his gun.  He slowly moved out, looking around.  ~~I know you're here,~~ Gargonet thought.  He passed the threshold of the living room-
	-and an iron-topped cane came crashing down on his hand, knocking the gun away.  The Cane Man spun around to face the federal agent, then slammed his cane into the man before he could move away.  Gargonet fell over, grunting, as the Cane Man kicked him across the face.  It didn't help that the Cane Man wore metal soled shoes.
	"Louis, Louis, Louis," the assassin sighed.  "When are you going to learn not to mess in my affairs?"
	"As soon as you stop killing people," Gargonet replied, his lips bleeding, "I will."
	"Not going to happen, my friend," the Cane Man said, his namesake smashing him across the face.  "I'm not going to kill you, for that would be too easy, and you're not worth the trouble."  He shook his head, his sunglasses glinting.  "No, letting you live is a better idea.  If I killed you, that would bring the entire Bureau down on my head, which is the last thing I need."
	The Cane Man leaned down near Gargonet.  "You are more trouble than you are worth, Louis."
	"Goddamn you," Gargonet choked.  "I really thought I had you in Pittsburgh."
	"You thought you had me in Lansing, too," the Cane Man replied.  "And Santa Fe, and Reno, and Sacremento."  He clucked his tongue.  "My, I certainly have quite a record, don't I?"  He smiled.  "I've killed at least seventeen civilians, a couple of cops, a military officer, and, oh yes, an F.B.I. special agent."
	"Goddaman you!!" Gargonet roared, grabbing the Cane Man by the face, trying to claw his eyes out.  The Cane Man didn't even grunt with pain.  He snatched the agent's wrist, and applied pressure.  The F.B.I. special agent screamed as bones cracked in the Cane Man's vise-like grip.  His hold on his enemy's face vanished.  As he held his hand tenderly, trying not to harm it further, he glowered at the Cane Man.  "I am going to bleedin' kill you for Lansing."
	"Oh, come now," the assassin said.  "Just because I've killed more people than you have fingers and toes, including your partner, that doesn't mean we can't be friends."
	Gargonet tried to throttle him again, but the Cane Man stood and kicked him across the face again.  The F.B.I. special agent sank into unconsciousness as the Cane Man flipped a marked coin on him, then left as quietly as he'd entered.

Location:  Outside Gargonet's Apartment Building
	Brooklyn and Lexington soared through the air, making their rounds, hoping to find some clue to the murders at Xanacorp.  That's when Lex spotted him.  "There, look!"  He pointed at a dark-clad figure who was climbing down the fire escape.
	"Looks like him," Brooklyn said.  "He's got hair pale enough."  The pair swooped down toward him.
	Cain looked up with a mixture of alarm and annoyance at the diving gargoyles.  He vaulted down the metal stairs, his metal-soled shoes striking up sparks as he dashed down them.  He spun toward the first gargoyle, who threw his small form at him.  Cain ducked, spun to face the gargoyle who was now behind him, and clubbed him on the back with his cane.  The creature fell with a cry.
	The other, larger, and with a more pronounced beak, swept in.  He reached for him, but Cain dodged back, drawing his Magnum.  "Uh-uh-uh," Cain said, firing.  The bullet, either by luck or by design, missed Brooklyn's wing, but the proximity of the bullet's passage and the swinging of the man's cane kept him back.
	His eyes glowing, Brooklyn advanced on the Cane Man, who wordlessly backed up.  Finally, the Cane Man simply grinned, then toppled over the railing of the fire escape.  He watched as the man righted himself in midair and landed expertly on the balls of his feet, sparks flying up from his metal-soled shoes.  Lexington roused himself enough to back away from the descending cane, which cracked the pavement upon its impact.
	Lex warily circled the Cane Man, who simply reached into a garbage can and pulled out the second-biggest machine gun that the gargoyle had ever seen.  "Smile," Cain said, "you're on Gunblade Camera!"  The machine gun fired with the sound of an elephant stampede, holes being gouged into the sides of the buildings nearby from the massive ammo of the gunblade.
	Lex ducked away and leapt into the air just in time to avoid the Cane Man's shot, which cut a swath in the ground.  The bullets spanged off the fire escape, tearing gaps in the metal as Brooklyn joined Lex in the air.  The Cane Man gave a wordless roar of testosterone-induced energy, as the gunblade's .60-caliber rounds shredded the night sky.  The gargoyles swooped low and then glided off, as the Cane Man whipped around the corner, his weapon blowing up cars as he tried to hit the defenders of the night.
	Finally, the clip ran out.  Cain ejected it with fury.  ~~Blast it!  I've never missed!~~ He thought angrily.  ~~I'll have to recalibrate the recoil-absorbers.~~  He heard police sirens in the distance, then flipped another marked coin onto the sidewalk before running off into the night, his gunblade under one arm and his cane under the other.
	"See you in the funny pages, freaks!" he shouted at the gargoyles as he fled.

Location:  The Eyrie Tower
	"Come on, Owen," David Xanatos said.  "You know more than you're telling about this 'Cane Man.'"  He frowned at the stone-fisted assistant.  "Come on."
	"Absolutely not," Owen replied.  "All I know is what that F.B.I. man said."  His arm was no longer in a sling, though it still ached from the iron bullet's penetration.  "Nothing more."
	The phone rang, and the aide picked it up.  "Xanatos' office."  He nodded, then his eyes widened slightly.  "I understand.  Thank you."  He hung up, then turned to his boss.  "It would appear that Mr. Gargonet has run into his adversary.  He's in the hospital."
	Xanatos was shocked.  "Is he dead?"
	"Surprisingly, no," Owen said.  "He's still unconscious, however.  It would appear that there may be more to this Cane Man than he is telling us."
	Before long, they were at the hospital, where Elisa Maza already was, sitting beside the unconscious agent.  "He's stable," she remarked, "though he's still out."
	That proved to be wrong, however, as Gargonet's eyes opened.  "Oww...my head."  He raised his bandaged arm to his bandaged head, then blinked as he saw his visitors.  "Good evening, Mr. Xanatos, Mr. Burnett, Detective," he said, nodding at each in turn, then wincing and touching his still painful wound.
	"Give you three guesses as to my attacker," he said.
	"I only need one," Elisa said.  "The Cane Man."  She held up a plastic bag, which contained the marked coin.  "There's something between you and this madman that you didn't tell us, isn't there?"
	The F.B.I. special agent sighed.  "He killed my partner."  He lay back on the pillow of his bed, and closed his eyes.  "It was in Lansing, Michigan.  The Cane Man had killed a researcher at a pharmaceutical firm, and was still in the area, hiding out in a packaging plant.  My partner, Bill Redstock, and I followed him and tried to apprehend him.  We split up, which was the stupidest thing I could've ever done.
	"The Cane Man snuck up on Bill and wrapped a chain around his neck, then switched on a pulley system, hanging Bill about thirty feet in the air.  It didn't kill him, through some lucky miracle, but it got my attention.  I ran over to the controls as the Cane Man ran off, but he didn't leave.  He turned and shot the chain holding Bill, shattering it.  The fall killed him, crushed his spine."  Gargonet's lips curled in a snarl.  "The Cane Man got away, went off to Pittsburgh to knock off some programmer at a small computer firm.  I've been obsessed with catching the slimy bastard ever since."
	Owen looked thoughtful as he digested this story.  "I should confess to knowing more than I told as well."  As everyone looked at him, the aide looked out into the hospital.  "But not here.  Back at the Eyrie Tower."
	"That's great," Gargonet said.  "Look, I'm gonna get outta here soon, anyway.  Don't start blabbing until I get there."
	"Wait," Elisa said, "you're still woozy from the painkillers, and you've got a broken wrist.  The doctors aren't going to let you just waltz out of here."
	"I heal up fast, Detective," the agent replied.  "Believe me, in an hour or so, they won't argue."  He sat up.  "How's the NYPD doing in tracking him?"
	"He's already killed another person," Elisa answered.  "A liquor store clerk.  The Cane Man had shot him at point blank range with a small gun."
	"Probably a Derringer," Gargonet said.
	"There were two spent bullets, but the clerk had only been shot once.  The TV was broken, so we suspect he shot it," Elisa continued.
	"It would make sense," Owen added.  "There was a report on the Cane Man on the news.  He could have been in the store as the report was on, and killed the clerk to keep himself safe."
	"Of course, we found one of his coins while we were there," Elisa went on.  "He also took a bottle of whiskey and a bottle of bourbon, but left more than enough money to pay for it."
	"He's funny that way," Gargonet said.  "He has ethics in that regard, but no compunctions against killing people.  He's deranged."
	"Yes, well, we'll see you when you get out of here," Xanatos said.  "Owen and I need to oversee an increase in Xanacorp security, to make sure he doesn't get by again.  Once bitten, twice shy."
	"Somehow I doubt that will help," Gargonet said, "but you do that.  It's your expense."
	The three bid the agent goodbye and left to their respective destinations.  Elisa went to the precinct to file her report while Xanatos and Owen returned to the Eyrie Building.  The gargoyles were returning from their patrol, Brooklyn and Lex were sharing their bit about their run-in with the Cane Man.  "You weren't the only ones," Xanatos piped up.
	The clan turned to look at him.  "I beg your pardon?" Angela asked.
	The multibillionaire told them of Louis Gargonet's encounter, ending with his visit at the hospital.  "It seems that Special Agent Gargonet has a grudge against this Cane Man.  A large one."
	"We're not too thrilled with his pulling a machine gun on us," Brooklyn replied.  "It was the second-biggest gun I've ever seen."
	"Describe it, please," Owen asked.  Lex, the more technologically-inclined, quickly did so.  The aide looked thoughtful a moment, then said, "That was a gunblade.  It's an experimental machine gun that's not even supposed to exist outside of computer simulations.  I shall have to look into this."
	"I'll look into it," Xanatos said.  "You worry about protecting Alex and Fox if the Cane Man decides to drop by again.  Maybe you should consider wearing bullet-proof armor."  He saw the look on his assistant's face, then shook his head.  "It's your funeral.  Remember, he uses iron bullets, so even Puck has something to fear from this man."
	About an hour later, Elisa and Gargonet arrived, the latter still with a bandage on his head and cast on his arm.  The agent gave a slight smirk.  "It's nothing really.  I hardly feel a thing."  He looked over at Owen.  "You said you have something to tell us about the Cane Man?"
	"Yes," the aide replied.  "I do.
	"Centuries ago, well before the events at Castle Wyvern, there was a fey by the name of Anyx, a very nasty sort.  He was rebellious, not unlike Puck, which would make sense, considering that the two were once friends.  But Anyx went so far as to violate the Law of Oberon; he attempted to interfere in the affairs of mortals.  His crime was so heinous, I dare not say it.  As punishment, Oberon stripped him of his powers and condemned him to live as a human for the rest of his existence.
	"However, Oberon failed to take back Anyx's talisman, a powerful gemstone called the Star of Assyria.  To prevent Anyx from utilizing its full power, Oberon shattered it.  Anyx, however, retained one of the shards, which he fashioned into a small pendant.
	"For his revenge, some centuries later, Anyx did the unthinkable:  he unleashed the Black Plague upon Europe.  This was back during the 14th century, you must understand.  Oberon thought that Anyx perished in the plague, but the Star shard must have protected him from his weapon.
	"Over the centuries, some of the Children of Oberon have died in mysterious ways, most of them attributed to dangerous magical experiments.  Never did we consider the possibility that Anyx was still alive, using the Star shard's power to sustain his life, and killing us.
	"Now he apparently wishes to annihilate all of the third race," Owen finished.  "And his next targets are Fox, Alex, and myself."
	Everyone absorbed this with a long silence.  Finally, Gargonet spoke up.  "Anyx's other victims, the ones in Sacremento and such like, were they faeries as well?"
	"Yes," Owen replied.  "Oberon thought they were simply the victims of random violence.  He did not retaliate, for then he would be breaking his own law."  He went to Elisa and took the marked coin.  "Anyx no longer goes by his fey name.  He is now known as Cain."  He traced the lines of the mysterious emblem.  First the almost-circle-"C"-two of the diagonals, then the horizontal line-"A"-the vertical line-"I"-finally, the diagonals-"N."  He looked up at everyone.  "Cain.  As in the Biblical brother and slayer of Abel."
	Gargonet nodded.  "I've seen that mark on him as well.  Over his right eye.  I can't tell whether it's a scar or a tattoo.  I'm leaning toward tattoo."
	"Regardless of that," Owen said, "Cain is very dangerous.  He undoubtedly still has the Star of Assyria shard, and couple that with his weaponry, such as the gunblade, and we have an extremely powerful and relentless foe."
	"I don't see how he could still be alive," Gargonet said.  "I've killed him at least twice."
	"Cain has lived for almost 3000 years, Mr. Gargonet," Owen remarked.  "I doubt a gunshot wound or two would do him in."  He frowned as he looked at the coin, as though it would answer his questions.  "There are many ways that Cain could be surviving.  He could be linked to someone like MacBeth and Demona, he could simply be immortal, unkillable."
	"No," Gargonet snapped, shaking his head.  "I buried him.  There's no way.  Even the coroner pronounced him dead."
	Owen shrugged.  "There are many methods, most of which are attainable if Cain still has the Star of Assyria shard.  I shall have to ponder this."
	He bid everyone a good evening, then went into the castle library, where he selected a tome and began to rifle through it.  He frowned slightly as he pored over the text.  "Well, if it isn't my old friend Puck," came a gravelly voice from behind him.  Owen spun to see the black-clad Cain ooze out of the shadows.  "What's the matter?  Having bad luck?"
	Owen seemed about ready to launch himself at the assassin.  Cain shook his head.  "You can't use your magic.  I'm not threatening Alex at the moment.  I, on the other hand, have no restrictions."  With that, he swung his iron-topped cane around, knocking the volume from Owen's hands.  "Here I go, speaking in rhyme," the ex-changeling said.  "You see, you are out of time."  The cane came around again, this time striking a dodging Owen in the kidney.  The aide clutched his injured side, warily eyeing Cain, who held his homophonic namesake ready to strike again.
	"Freeze!" came Xanatos voice.  Cain turned his silver sunglasses toward him, and saw the billionaire aiming a laser gun at him.  "Drop the cane, buster."
	A sneer curled Cain's lips.  "'Buster?'" he snickered.  "You must be joking."  With that, he dropped low, kicked a chair out and away from the table, and grasped it.  Xanatos' first shot sailed over him, and the assassin hurled the chair at him.  Xanatos moved away, while Cain leapt out the window.
	Owen ran to the frame, and got a kick in the face.  Cain was standing precariously on the ledge, his cane tucked in his belt like a sword.  He sidestepped his way down the ledge, then looked back toward Owen.  Cain grinned.  "I have judged your threat to be mild."  He moved on.  "Right now, I have to kill a child."  He let go of the ledge, and gave a salute, then fell backwards into the night air.
	In midair, he put a hand to his chest and whispered in Latin.  He vanished in a burst of light.  Owen looked up with alarm.  "Alex!"  He reverted to Puck's form and tore through the castle toward Alex's room.  He arrived to see Cain flash into being beside the infant's crib.  A .357 Magnum came up, aimed at the baby's head.  "No!!" Puck roared, throwing a burst of magic.
	The eldritch energy was powerful enough to cook a full-grown elephant, but it merely knocked Cain down.  The assassin rolled onto his shoulders, then did a handspring onto his feet, like a ninja.  He stuck his Magnum in its holster and whipped out his cane.  "Come on, old friend.  Fight like a man...or a fey.  I care not."
	Puck took a fighting stance in midair.  "You wish to give me a fight?"  His eyes glowed.  "Humans fall before faerie might!"  He leaped at Cain, who held him at bay by swinging that infernal cane around.
	The fey blinked.  "What happened?  Your cane's still there!"
	"Of course, you idiot," the ex-fey replied.  "It's made of iron!"  He kicked out with an iron-soled shoe, knocking the wind out of Puck.  He looked up briefly at Xanatos, who was aiming his laser weapon again.  "Oh, go away," he said, bringing one of his Magnums up to fire.  Xanatos fired at the same moment that Cain did.  The iron bullet knocked the lasergun from the billionaire's hand while the particle beam melted the Magnum.  Cain dropped the molten weapon and kicked Puck again, this time knocking him down.  "This is getting me nowhere," he remarked, then, a Latin whisper later, he vanished again.
	Puck looked up and sneered.  "He thinks he can get away?"  He stood.  "No one escapes a pissed-off fey!"  He vanished as well.
	Xanatos ran to his son, and sighed with relief to see his son was all right.  He looked at the castle walls with an afterthought.  ~~I hope they don't damage the castle extensively.  It could get expensive.~~
	Cain and Puck materialized on the balcony of Castle Wyvern.  The gargoyles saw them and backed away at first.  Then Brooklyn and Lex saw Cain and began to move forward.  "Stay back!" Puck roared.  "This worm is mine!"
	The clan moved away, giving the two a wide area to fight in.  Puck hurled another magic blast, but Cain nimbly dodged aside.  The cane swept high, catching the trickster in the ear.  The fey hopped back, howling with pain.  He glowered at the assassin, then leapt at him.  The direct assault startled Cain, who fell over from Puck's tackle.  But the ex-fey recovered quickly, and launched the trickster off of him with a double-heeled kick.  Cain stood.  He shook his head as he stared at Puck, who was rising.  "You take the form of a mortal, old friend.  A sign of a flaw, perhaps?"
	"You are a mortal," Puck pointed out.  "Or did you forget?"
	"Oh, I didn't," Cain assured him.  He touched his chest, and his cane suddenly glowed.  Cain switched grips, so he held it more like a sword, and not a club.  "But I have other ways to compensate."  He lowered his sunglasses with a smirk.  The tattoo mark glowed.  Suddenly, the assassin cried, "Fulmenos venite!!"
	Lightning flashed out of the glowing cane and struck the ground where Puck had been standing a moment before.  Puck circled him as Cain held his weapon ready.  "I have many more tricks!"  He grinned again.  "I'm just getting warmed up!!  Ignis venite!!"  He blew out a lungful of air, and a tongue of flame licked out and scorched Puck.  The fey collapsed with a scream.  Cain smirked.  "My iron cane has an effect on my magic, as well, old Puck."  He stood over the fallen fey, then glared at the gargoyles, who were getting ready to charge.  "If any of you move, he dies."
	"If we don't move, then he dies anyway," Goliath growled.
	"And if you attack me, you shall suffer the same fate," Cain replied.  "So, you can watch him die and live yourselves, or you can attack and you'll all die."  The gargoyles growled at him as he drew his Magnum and put it to the kneeling Puck's head.  "A wise choice."  He smirked.  "But did you actually expect me to keep my word?  Your fate will be his!!"  His finger tightened on the trigger.
	A BLAM rang out, and the gun dropped from Cain's fingers as he gripped his shot wrist.  He looked up to see Gargonet, Elisa, and Matt standing there, the F.B.I. agent clutching a smoking .38.  Cain sneered as he saw the three.  "Weakling mortals sure are dumb."  He took a fighting stance.  "You disagree?  Come get some!!"
	Elisa and Bluestone looked ready to charge, but Gargonet held out a hand.  "I'll handle him."
	"But your arm-" Elisa began.
	"-is broken, yes," Gargonet said, "but that's never stopped me before.  Besides, his arm's hurt, too."  Indeed, blood was trickling down Cain's arm.
	The gargoyles circled around until they were gathered with Elisa and Matt on one side of the balcony.  Only Cain, Gargonet, and a still weak Puck were out in the open.  Cain snickered as he looked at the still bandaged Gargonet.  "What do you hope to accomplish, Louis?  A new world record, perhaps?  Most broken bones in a living body at one time?"
	"A different record," Gargonet said.  "Your death."  He produced a thick, two foot-long club.  He brandished it.  Then he lunged, Cain parried.  The two looked like they were in a fencing duel, each with their injured arm behind their back.
	Suddenly Cain launched a devastating series of attacks, then tossed his cane in the air.  He kicked the club out of the agent's hand, grabbed it, then caught his cane as it fell back in his hand.  Cain examined the club.  "Pitiful."  He tossed it over the side of the balcony.  The cane swung down, knocking Gargonet off his feet, and onto his already broken arm.  Gargonet shouted with pain.
	Cain placed his foot on Gargonet's chest.  The cane pointed at him like a gun.  "Fool.  I told you not to interfere in my affairs.  You should have listened."  He raised the cane to strike a killing blow-
	-and was driven back by a salvo of gunshots from Elisa and Matt.  They could not stand idly by any longer.  Cain stumbled back from the gunshots, blood erupting out of his chest.  Finally, he fell onto his knees, his cane clattering to the ground.  "Nice...shot," he rattled, gurgling.  He fell forward onto his face.
	Elisa and Bluestone lowered their guns and went to Puck, who was beginning to come around.  The fey blinked weakly, then asked, "Did our side win?"
	"Yes," Goliath replied.  "We won."
	A gurgling chuckle came from Cain's direction.  Heads spun and looked at the fallen assassin, who was climbing to his feet, blood dripping from his wounds and mouth.  He picked up his cane.  Turning a bloody face to the assembly of gargoyles, humans, and fey, he said, "You think I like the taste of lead?"  He pulled his tattered shirt away to reveal a nasty-looking bomb strapped to his waist.  A thermite bomb.  Cain smirked.  "In a moment, thou shalt be dead!"
	He raised his arms to the sky with a diabolical laugh.  The laugh of a deranged man.  The timer on the bomb's face ticked down from thirty.  Everyone began to back away as Cain stood there, laughing maniacally.
	Three more gunshots rang out.  Three new wounds burst forth on Cain's chest.  He looked down with disbelief, then looked back at the assembly.  His mouth opened, but only blood poured out.  He stared at Puck, who had picked up Cain's fallen gun.  The fey weakly glared at the dying assassin with hatred.
	Fifteen seconds remained on the bomb's timer as Cain fell backwards, clear off the balcony and down toward the street.  A few moments later, an enormous, whamming explosion shattered the night air, rocking the Eyrie Tower.  Something flew up past the balcony, tossed by the shockwave.  It clattered on the stones.
	It was the smoking remains of Cain's iron cane.
	Cain had been vanquished.  Puck sighed with relief, then collapsed.

Six Months Later...
	"...and it has now been almost six months since the explosive conclusion to the F.B.I.'s investigation into the so-called 'Cane Man' murders.  The case came to an end during a dramatic shoot-out atop multibillionaire David Xanatos' Eyrie Tower, ending with the serial killer's own death as he was annihilated in a thermite explosion.
	"Since the incident, Xanacorp has increased its security, and repaired its damage.  Owen Burnett, Xanatos' assistant, has recovered from the gunshot wound he suffered during the gunfight, and F.B.I. Special Agent Louis Gargonet has also made a complete recovery from his own wounds.
	"In related news, the trial of former Starlyte Incorporated vice president Colin Mercer came to an end today as the guilty verdict was returned.  Mercer, for his connections to the Cane Man's killing spree here in New York, will serve fifteen to twenty years in prison."
	The TV switched off in the darkened apartment.  A shadow-hidden form smirked.  An even voice said, "Oh, yes, incarcerate one of my employers, increase security around the Xanatoses, I don't care."
	The speaker stepped out into the light, dressed in a pair of jeans and sweatshirt.  He was black-haired and stared at the blank television with brown eyes.  He smirked.  "They can stab me, hang me, stretch me on the rack, shoot me, blow me up, but they cannot kill me."  He fingered the blue gemstone on the ring around his finger.
	His appearance changed.  His hair paled to a silvery hue, his eyes lightened to ice blue color.  His clothes shifted to an all-black suit.  Iron-soled shoes finished off the ensemble.  Then, the infamous Mark of Cain appeared over his right eye, turning the frigid eye scarlet.  The man slipped silver sunglasses on.
	"For Cain cannot die," said the infamous man known as Cain.  He produced an iron-topped cane from nowhere and laughed.  He picked up a cell phone and punched out a number.  A woman answered.  Cain smiled.  "Madam, if you're ready, so am I.  We can proceed with whatever plan you devise...
	"Right away, Ms. Mistar, I shall be there right away."

The End?

He will make you experience fear.
He will kill the ones you hold dear.
He will make you experience pain.
He is the man known as . . . Cain.

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