Rocks and Shards By: Jay Winger Email: USFWinger@aol.com TEASER Cain has somehow survived, and he is working with Starlyte again. Meanwhile, Xanatos has initiated a new project designed to stop Cain. Add the Quarrymen, and you've got the perfect recipe for trouble. 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/Queen Mab, Donald Drack, Colin Mercer, Cliff Murphey/Rock, The Nordic/Erik Anderson/Enoch, and Louis Gargonet. Any names or characters that resemble any in reality are completely coincidental. I mean no offense if I do offend. Okay, now for the background data. This story takes place after "The Journey," so Owen has been revealed as Puck, the Gargoyles now are living at Castle Wyvern again, Castaway/Canmore has formed the anti-gargoyle Quarrymen, and all the other stuff thereafter, etc. There has thus been a quasi-reconciliation between Xanatos and the Wyvern Clan. It also takes place six months after my previous story, "The Mark of Cain." 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 This story does contain violence, and during the 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? ROCKS Location: The Home of Madelyn Mistar The black-clad man stopped his sedan outside the gates of the mansion. It was night, but that didn't stop the man from wearing silver sunglasses. He looked through the tinted windows of his sedan at the mansion. A smile flickered onto his face, then returned to his smug smirk. He spat out the cough drop he'd been sucking on, then rolled down the window. He tapped the call button on the intercom. There was a pause. Finally, after what seemed an hour, a voice answered. "Yes?" "This is Cain, Ms. Mistar," the assassin replied. "You wanted to see me, yes?" There was another pause. "You may enter," Ms. Mistar said, as the gates opened. Cain smiled again, then drove his sedan inside. He got out, allowing himself a smile of contentment as the light rain wetted his face, then retrieved his duffel bag and went to the front door. He knocked once. Before even a moment had passed, the door opened. Cain entered and wasn't at all surprised when the door shut behind him. There was no one behind the door, of course, it had been a mechanized response. "Ms. Mistar?" Cain called. "This way," came her voice, impatiently. Cain ignored her tone and walked down the marble-tiled floor, his metal-soled shoes and cane making a rhythmic click-click-click. He entered a parlor, and the doors closed behind him again. He turned to glance at them, then turned forward to look into the shadows before him. "Ms. Mistar?" he asked of the form seated there. "Or shall I simply call you 'Madelyn?'" "Silence," she replied. There was another pause as she looked him over. "You are the one who tried to kill Puck?" "After a fashion," Cain replied. "If you are wondering how I survived the explosion that supposedly killed me, that's my little secret." Mistar said nothing for a moment. "Are you aware of magic, Mr. Cain?" "It's not 'Mr. Cain,'" the assassin corrected. "It's just 'Cain.'" "It makes no difference what you prefer to be called," Mistar snapped. "Just answer the question." "Yes," Cain replied. "You asked me this when you sought me out two years ago." "Things change," Mistar said. "I know a great deal about you, Cain." The smug smirk on Cain's face broadened. As he set his duffel bag down, he lowered his sunglasses enough to look at Mistar over them. His scar-like tattoo over his eye seemed to glow. "As do I of you, Ms. Mistar." With a sudden motion, Cain flicked a light switch, illuminating Madelyn Mistar at last. Cain smiled as he saw the pointy-eared form that scowled at him. "-Or should I say...Queen Mab?" The lavishly dressed woman stood and paced over to the assassin. "I see you still remember me, Anyx." "How could I forget?" Cain replied. "You were the one who spurred me into disobeying Oberon. You were the one who supported me when I became human." "I know what it's like to be exiled," Mab replied. "If that wench Titania hadn't interfered, I would still be Queen of the Fey." "Well, Starlyte's resources will play a key role in the next phase of our plan," Cain said, fingering the blue-stoned ring on his finger. He produced a crystal shard of the same color from his pocket. He smirked as he looked at it. "Both Starlyte's...and your own." Location: The Eyrie Tower, three weeks later... "Are you certain this is wise, sir?" Owen Burnett asked his employer. "Owen, if I did only the things I thought were wise," David Xanatos replied, "I would not be one of the world's richest men." He looked at the stone-fisted assistant. "Besides, if everything you've said about that maniac Cain is true, then we'll need a trump card next time we run into each other." "If he survived, then he's my problem, sir," Owen said. "Not if he tries to kill Alex again," Xanatos stated. He turned to look at the relatively slim man standing in a tube. He wore a simple jumpsuit, which was several sizes too large for him. A breathing mask covered his entire face. The man looked at Xanatos. Flicking a switch, Xanatos spoke into a microphone so the test subject could hear him. "Are you sure you want to go through with this?" The man nodded. "You ready?" Another nod. Xanatos nodded in return, then activated controls. The tube the man was encased within filled with a clear fluid. The various tubes connected to the man filled with a greenish fluid. The man began to thrash suddenly. Xanatos watched as the serum continued to pump into the subject, altering the man's genetic structure. "Shades of Dr. Servarius," Owen commented. "Except the test subject is completely willing to do this, knows the expected results," Xanatos pointed out, "and the process is reversible." He nodded to the several beakers of another liquid compound. "Let's just hope nothing goes wrong. You're certain he's the best subject?" "He checked out, sir," Owen replied. "Then that is that," Xanatos said. "Now, we wait." A week later... "Good day, Mr. Xanatos." The multibillionaire looked up to see a man standing before him. He was in a government uniform, and a jacket that read 'F.B.I.' on the back. It was Special Agent Louis Gargonet. Xanatos smiled and shook Gargonet's hand. "Pleasure to see you again, Louis. Arm all healed up? Have a seat." "Yeah, and I intend to stay away from maniacs swinging canes around," Gargonet replied. The Cajun had been the agent in charge of the investigation into Cain's serial killing spree, until the assassin's apparent death seven months ago. Gargonet sat in the chair that Xanatos indicated. "You wanted to introduce me to someone?" "Well, once everyone else shows up, I'll do that," Xanatos said. Owen entered with Elisa Maza and Matt Bluestone following. Fox was already there, holding Alex in her arms. A few minutes later, the gargoyles showed up. Xanatos led them all out into the courtyard, then spoke. "Seven months ago, Cain tried to kill us all right here, as you all know. Owen and I immediately began to reevaluate Xanacorp's security after that incident. In response, we began to work on new technology for the Xanatos Corporate Guard, and strength-enhancing compounds. "We finally developed one, SEC-209, but I call it a 'super-steroid.'" Xanatos said, "One of the XCG volunteered to be the first human test subject. Starting a week ago, we injected him with the SEC-209 serum. In addition, the compound enhanced his skin's toughness, until it was as impenetrable as reinforced steel. "Now, I'd like to introduce you to Mr. Cliff Murphey," Xanatos said, gesturing to an alcove. A massive form stepped into the moonlight. He was at least a head taller than Goliath, and built as much, if not more. His head, rather than being unusually small compared to his muscle-bound body, was about the right size for a man his size. He grinned beneath dark sunglasses, and his black crew cut glistened with either a bit of sweat, or maybe styling-gel. Metal gauntlets covered his hands, and metal boots covered his feet. Top it all off with the exo-frame on his shoulders, and the huge sledge-hammer in his hands, and Murphey was quite a sight to behold. "Hi," Murphey said in a deep voice, reminiscent of a rumbling volcano. "Why does he have a sledge-hammer?" Goliath asked warily. "I'm not a Quarryman," Murphey said, "if that's what you're wonderin'. Personally, I don't mind you gargoyles. I think you're okay, and anybody who says different's gonna get clobbered." "Mr. Murphey will be providing new security around the Eyrie Tower," Xanatos said, "and may lend a hand or two in any troubles with the Quarrymen." He pointed out the armaments on Murphey's shoulders and wrists. "I've outfitted Mr. Murphey with Xanacorp laser weaponry on the gauntlets, amongst other things, and jump jets in the boots and exo-frame." "Name's Cliff Murphey . . . and I'm a big, mean, clobberin' machine," Murphey said with a toothy grin. He tapped the sledge. "Now I just gotta wait for them Quarrymen t'rough up some guys so's I can clobber 'em." ~~I'd feel sorry for the lout who suffered that,~~ Elisa thought. Elisa's cell phone suddenly rang. She answered it, spoke briefly with the caller, then hung up and turned to the assembly. "It seems you'll get your chance, Mr. Murphey. A Quarryman cell has taken over a shut-down factory and is shooting it out with the police." As the gargoyles headed for the skies, Murphey grinned, shades of the Fantastic Four's Thing: "IT'S CLOBBERIN' TIME!!" Cliff Murphey headed straight for the castle's balcony overlooking the city and dove off. Six feet down, he gunned his jump jets and streaked toward the Quarrymen shootout, sledge-hammer held in front of him, ready to do some damage. Before long, he saw the shootout below him. With a grin of anticipation, he swooped down, building up speed. The Quarrymen had apparently commandeered a mini-gun and were tearing up the police cars below. As they saw the incoming form, they opened fire on Murphey. Speeding through the fusillade, not heeding the impacts of the bullets against his armor and flesh, Murphey cut his jets, letting his momentum carry him straight in towards the mini-gun. A wordless cry of adrenalin-induced excitement escaped his lips as he crashed into the Quarrymen's hideout with a terrific BOOM!! The Quarrymen were scattered like rag dolls as Murphey tore into the mini- gun like a freight train. The gun was instantly totaled, and Murphey stood, with only a light bruise on his head. The Quarrymen looked at him with shock and confusion, not sure what to do. That gave Murphey all the time he needed to topple them over and knock them unconscious. He grinned as one of them pulled a .45 and pumped two rounds into his unprotected abdomen. The bullets spanged off, doing no damage whatsoever. Murphey scoffed. "Puh-leeze!" He knocked the .45 out of the man's hands and off the building with his sledge, then brought one massive fist down on the man's head, rendering the man unconscious as well. He turned to the doorway leading into the main area of the factory, where the rest of the Quarrymen were. "Who's next?" Goliath ducked under a Quarryman's swing, then sent the man reeling with his wing. Brooklyn, for his part, was trying to disarm a Quarrymen weilding a submachine gun. Goliath growled, his eyes glowing, and tackled another Quarryman. The man tried to worm his way out of Goliath's grip, but the gargoyle was far too large to do that so easily. Lexington was busy with a man who was shooting a laser around. The particle beam cut a smoking line in the floor and wall as the Quarryman tried to draw a bead on Lex. "Hold still, ya monster!" the Quarryman shouted. In response, Lex zipped between the man's legs and tripped him. "Hey, save some for me!" Broadway charged in, taking out a Quarryman going for the fallen laser rifle. He quickly snatched up the weapon and crushed it between his claws. Goliath looked up to see a rather large man raise a far larger laser cannon to his shoulder. It wasn't John Castaway, but this man was obviously a leader in the Quarrymen. The man looked Nordic, for some reason. Maybe it was the pale hair, or perhaps not. The Nordic fired a blast at the floor, sending debris flying. The gargoyles flattened themselves on the floor to avoid it. The Quarrymen they were grappling with ran off quickly. The Nordic smirked and aimed at Goliath. "One fried gargoyle," the Nordic said in an accented voice, "coming right up." "Not on my watch." The Nordic turned to see a giant come charging at him. Murphey collided with him and sent him staggering down the platform. Murphey raised his sledge and stalked forward. "Hi. Those guys're friends o' mine. You wanna torch 'em, you go through me." "If you insist," the Nordic said. He fired his laser cannon from his hip, striking Murphey full in the chest. The blast sent the former XCG flying across the room. Satisfied that Murphey was no longer an immediate target, he dashed out of the room. Goliath went over to him. Murphey sat up, rubbing an aching head. "Ow," he commented. "Are you all right?" Goliath asked him. "Aside from the bells ringin' in my head," Murphey replied, "yeah, I'm fine." He stood, frowning at the burn mark on his armor. "It's just a laser cannon. No problem." ~~No problem?~~ Broadway thought to himself. ~~This guy must be halfway crazy!~~ Murphey pointed out the door. "I think I saw some more Quarrymen in that room." "Where are you going?" Brooklyn asked. "To get that albino S.O.B." Murphey charged out after the Nordic. Goliath looked at Brooklyn, then nodded. The gargoyle second-in-command followed him. Murphey got outside the factory just in time to see the Nordic peel out in his car. The Quarryman shook a fist at him as he drove away. Murphey scowled. "Not that easily, buddy." He ran after him. Brooklyn watched as the jets on Murphey's armor and boots kicked in, propelling him that much faster after the Nordic. The gargoyle had to take to the air to keep up. He went higher as the Nordic fired a few 9mm rounds at him. Murphey continued to gain on the Quarryman's car. The Nordic grunted with surprise as his car was suddenly lifted into the air. He looked down and behind him to see Murphey holding it over his head with one hand. He fired his 9mm at him, to no effect. The car began to shake back and forth as the massive security guard waved his grabbing hand. "Everybody out!" Murphey hollered. The Nordic obliged, leaping out. He turned back and lobbed something before charging off. Brooklyn chased after him while Murphey looked down at the object the Nordic had thrown. It was a grenade. As he looked at it, Murphey said to himself, "Oh, this can't be good." The explosion touched off the car's gas tank, and the second explosion knocked Murphey down. He gave a slight groan as the aches returned. "Ow," he commented again. Brooklyn swooped down at the Nordic, who flattened himself out and raised his 9mm. Brooklyn fell out of the sky as one of the Nordic's bullets hit his wing. But the Quarryman did not press his advantage, he dashed down the street, hollering back, "See you in the funny pages, freaks!" Murphey pulled himself painfully to his feet, looking briefly at the wreckage of the Nordic's car. Then he looked down the street and saw no sign of the Nordic. He mumbled curses under his breath as he paced over to Brooklyn, who was rising, clutching the wound in his wing. "Sorry," Murphey said sheepishly. "I sometimes forget that other people aren't invulnerable to bullets like me." "Ah, it's nothing," Brooklyn replied. "Come morning, it'll be gone." Murphey examined his somewhat burned armor and outfit, then shrugged and jetted off toward the Quarryman compound. Brooklyn glided after him. By the time they arrived, the NYPD and the other gargoyles had nicely finished off the job. The gargoyles flew off, but Murphey remained briefly. He spotted Elisa and Bluestone. "Hey, detectives." They greeted him, then went back to their jobs, busy arresting the Quarrymen. But a man in an F.B.I. jacket came over. It was Gargonet. "Hey, Mr. Murphey, I heard you went after the ringleader of this Quarryman cell. Did you catch him?" Murphey gestured at his burned uniform and shook his head. "Naw. That guy's car won't be of any use to him any time soon. That Nordic bastard's gonna pay in spades once I catch him, though." "Nordic?" Gargonet mused. He took out a notepad and jotted something down. "That's good to know. Anything else about him?" "Uh...," Murphey scratched his head. "He was a kinda buff guy. You know, looked like he did quite a bit of weight-lifting or something." "Okay, good," Gargonet said. "This'll be helpful. I'm gonna run this against the Bureau's files. Who knows? Maybe the Nordic's wanted for something else." Murphey nodded, bid goodbye to the F.B.I. Special Agent, then hit his jets and took off for the Eyrie Tower. He frowned at the damaged front of his exo- frame, the small control pad positioned over the left-side of his chest a bit singed and sparking. Nothing irrepairable. He shrugged inwardly and approached the castle. He tapped one of the control pad's buttons and spoke into a small microphone built into the neckline of his exo-frame. "Murphey, comin' in," he said. "I'm gonna need some repairs done to th' suit, boss." "No problem, Cliff," came Xanatos' reply. "Nothing to damaging, I hope?" "Naw," Murphey said, snarling as he remembered the Nordic's cheap shot. "Nothin' to bad." The gargoyles had already gotten back. Murphey nodded a hello to Brooklyn, who was getting his shot wing looked at. Lex was talking with Broadway about something. Murphey ambled over. "What's up?" "We're talking about that guy at the Quarryman cell, the leader," Lex replied. "The Nordic?" "Yeah," Broadway said. "There's something about him that's familiar." "Maybe he was one o' the Quarrymen that shot up the clock tower," Murphey said helpfully. "Maybe that's it." "No." Lexington shook his head. "We haven't seen him before, but he reminds me of somebody. Did he say anything?" "Uh...," Murphey scratched his head. "Just 'see ya in th' funny pages, freaks.'" Brooklyn, who had his wound bandaged, nodded as he came over. "That's right. Now I know I've heard that somewhere." Murphey frowned as he thought. "Well, let's see, who've you tangled with that still wants to see gargoyle stew added to the NYC restaurant menus?" "Castaway," Lex said, "but that wasn't him." "Some of the Pack," Broadway added, "but that definitely wasn't one of them." "What about that guy who got me this job?" Murphey asked. "Uh...what was it, Cain?" "Cain!" Brooklyn and Lex said in unison. "Remember, when we saw him outside Louis' apartment?" Brooklyn asked Lex. "Yeah, he pulled a gunblade on us," Lex said. "What was it he said as he ran off?" "Same thing the Nordic said to Murphey and me: 'see you in the funny pages, freaks.'" Murphey's eyebrows raised. "So the Nordic's Cain?" "No way," Broadway said. "That guy was way too big to be Cain. Cain was shorter, had less muscle, and carried a cane. Besides, Cain didn't seem like the type to join up with the Quarrymen." "Well, whoever he was," Murphey said, "I told Gargonet about him. He's lookin' him up in the F.B.I. files. Who knows? Maybe he's some criminal mastermind that they've been chasing." Broadway grinned, then, in an accented voice, hissed, "It's Kayser Soze!" They all chuckled, then Murphey shrugged. "Ah, well, whoever he was, he'll turn up again. Right now I gotta get my armor checked out. See ya on the flip side." He clomped off to find Xanatos and Owen already setting up the tools to repair the exo-frame. Murphey took the exoframe off, having some slight problems slipping it past his gauntlets, then set it on a workbench. Owen, being the good assistant that he was, began to effect repairs. Xanatos turned to Murphey. "Good hunt, Cliff?" "Oh, yeah, boss," Cliff replied, "great. Those garg-hatin' bastards'll think twice before they try anything again." Then he frowned. "But the Nordic guy's still out there." "Nordic?" Xanatos said. "Yeah. I already filled Louis in on him, and he's checkin' the F.B.I. files for anything about him." "Well, why don't you get some sleep," Xanatos said, grinning and clapping the much-larger bodyguard on the back. "The XCG should be able to handle anything until morning." "Right, boss. G'night," he said, holding back a yawn. He slipped the boots and guantlets off and shifted out thru the doorway to the special chamber that Xanatos had set up. The bed/cot was specially designed to accommodate Murphey's considerable bulk, and the bodyguard fell into it, sleeping as soon as he hit the sack. Location: Madelyn Mistar's Office, Starlyte Incorporated Main Donald Drack looked up as there was a knock. He looked briefly at Ms. Mistar, then went around her desk. He did not, however, go to the door to her office. He went to the bookshelf. He depressed a hidden button, and the bookshelf slid aside. Behind it was the Nordic. He looked a little worse for wear, but intact. He plopped down in a chair, and sighed with exhaustion. He looked up at Drack, then at Mistar. He then turned to see the black-clad Cain standing behind him. "Busy night?" Mistar asked. "To say the least," the Nordic replied. "The gargoyles found the cell." "Ah, the Wyvern Clan?" Cain asked. "How is Goliath?" "Alive," the Nordic said. Cain frowned. "That does not bode well for you, my boy." "Someone else interfered," the terrorist snapped. "A large man. Bigger than Goliath." Cain cocked an eyebrow. "Now this is interesting." He looked at Mistar. "Milady, do you suppose this is Xanatos' answer to my actions seven months ago?" "It is possible. In a way, I'm almost sorry poor Colin succeeded in convincing me to nix the Xanatos buyout. I could have uncovered projects such as this sooner." "What makes you think that this rock-hard man is one of Xanatos' projects?" the Nordic asked. "Genetic altering was Anton Servarius' bag of tricks, not David Xanatos'." "Servarius worked for Xanatos, remember," Mistar said. She waved the matter off. "I can get to my contacts and discover what the story behind this Rock-man is. In the meantime, Cain, I suggest you and Enoch here get to work finding the Shards." "Yes, milady," Cain said, bowing. He turned to the Nordic. "Come, Enoch, we must continue with our plans . . . even if Goliath and the Wyvern Clan are still around to bother us." Location: N.Y.P.D. "Maza! I got some data on the guy that Cliff tangled with last night." Louis called her over to the computer. "I ran his descrip against the Bureau's files, and I got a nice, big, fat, juicy piece on the Nordic." He pointed to the screen. "His real name's Erik Anderson, but he never goes by that. He was born in Scandanavia somewhere, but he was raised and educated in Germany. His mother died shortly after his birth, and nothing is available on his father. "Anderson linked up with former Nazis and was trained in the 'arts of war,'" Louis grimaced. "Nice euphemism for 'terrorism,'" Elisa commented. "Soon after, the Nazi cell that Anderson was linked to was destroyed, but not by any law enforcement agency," Louis said. "Authorities suspect that some member of the Nazi cell turned on his compatriots and killed them all, then blew up the compound." He tapped the photo of Anderson. "It was Anderson, according to eyewitnesses. "Since then, Anderson, now going by his alias 'the Nordic,' has joined up with many terrorist groups, including a few Arab crazies, some drug smugglers in South America," Louis snarled, "and Julio Nacias, the Peruvian arms dealer." "Nacias?" Elisa asked. "The guy who might have sold the weapons to Mercer?" "-Who then gave them to Cain when he shot up Xanacorp," Louis agreed. "It might explain how Cain got the gunblade cannon, but it doesn't explain how Nacias got the specs on it, since that project is so secret, I'm not supposed to ask about it." He shrugged. "My boss at the Bureau wasn't even aware the project existed." "So, what now?" Elisa asked. "I can use the Nordic's appearance here in New York as an excuse to keep from being reassigned," Louis said. "I like this town. Besides, I think that the Nordic might be linked to Cain in some way." "Cain? But he's dead," Elisa told him. "That's what I said after I killed him in Pittsburgh," Louis replied. He stood and put on his trench coat. "I'm headin' home. Say 'hi' to the gargs for me. Tell Xanatos and Cliff about the Nordic. I have a feeling he'll be back." Matt came up shortly after Louis left and found Elisa browsing the file on the Nordic. "So, Louis got us the stats on the Nordic guy from the Quarrymen cell?" "Yeah, this guy is scary. He's been linked to at least five different terrorist groups, three known arms dealers, including Julio Nacias, and now the Quarrymen," Elisa said. "Plus, with the scandal that Starlyte, Inc. was involved in, I wouldn't be surprised if Colin Mercer still has allies." "Hmm," Bluestone said as he scanned the file. "I knew Louis briefly while I was still with the F.B.I. I didn't see him much, since he was always off on assignment, usually tracking down Cain or a lead on him, but when he got hunches, they were usually right." "He's worried that the Nordic might turn up again," Elisa said. "Then we'd better put out an A.P.B. on him," Matt replied. Location: A jewelry store near the Eyrie Tower ~~What a haul,~~ Enoch thought to himself. ~~Even if I don't find what Father sent me for, I'll have enough riches here to buy a new 'toy' from Nacias.~~ He smashed the case and began examining the gems within. He picked up a sapphire and looked at it more closely. He noticed a tiny flaw, but he stuck it in the sack on his hip anyway. He continued to inspect and take gems until he came to a large blue jewel in a necklace chain. ~~Jackpot,~~ Enoch thought. He examined the gem and saw that it was flawless. Any other jewel thief would think the gemstone was worthless, a synthetic, but Enoch knew otherwise. He cackled and pocketed it. He found the secret vault where other gems were kept, but it was locked. He shrugged. ~~Blast it open, I suppose.~~ He drew a large gun and aimed it. He pulled the trigger, and a searing red beam of accelerated particles sheared the door off the safe. He blew the ozone away from the barrel and smirked. ~~Like a hot knife through butter.~~ Outside, Matt Bluestone was passing by. He looked inside and saw the Nordic. ~~Looks like I found the bastard.~~ He took out his cell phone and dialed up Elisa. She answered somewhat groggily. "What is it, Matt?" "I found the Nordic," he told her. "He's in the jewelry store near Xanacorp. I'll try to stall him, but get back-up here now." "Ten-four," Elisa said as she hung up. Matt drew his gun and leaped through the broken glass door. "Freeze, N.Y.P.D.!" he shouted at the Nordic. Enoch whirled to see the cop standing in the doorway. ~~Crap, there goes my exit.~~ Then he smirked. ~~But Father always said, if you don't have a door, make one.~~ He responded to the cop's command by firing his laser at him. Bluestone ducked behind a display case as the beam incinerated the carpet where he'd just stood. He stood and fired at the Nordic, but the terrorist had already taken cover. The Nordic fired at Bluestone's shelter, and his beam cut a smoldering line clean through it. Matt swore and moved again, then stood and fired once more. Unfortunately, the Nordic was one step faster. The terrorist stood and fired his particle beam gun and sent Bluestone's gun flying. Unfortunately, Matt's hand was still in the beam's path. Bluestone screamed and dropped to the ground as his hand was cooked by the laser. If he hadn't been holding his gun in that hand, he probably would have lost it immediately. As it was, the burns were no doubt bad enough to force it to be amputated. Assuming, of course, that the Nordic let him live. Enoch cackled and paced over to the cop. He put a well-placed boot heel in Bluestone's head, and aimed his gun at the cop's head. He frowned. "You should not have interfered, blue." "I'm a cop," Matt spat at him. "It's my duty." "And I'm a terrorist," the Nordic replied. "It's my duty to do away with meddlers like you. You've probably heard of me. I'm the Nordic." "You think that makes me scared?" Bluestone sneered. "False pride," the Nordic clucked his tongue. "You're terrified. I can see you sweat." "So go ahead, take me captive, make the rest of the cops back off! If you kill me," Matt reminded him, "the rest of the police will shoot you on sight." "They'd do that anyway," the Nordic snapped. "I have death warrants in twenty-two countries." He aimed the gun between Matt's eyes. "May I remind you, the Nordic does not take prisoners." "So do it, already," Matt said. He closed his eyes and waited. At least, he'd had a good run- There was a snarl and the Nordic went flying off into the wall. There stood Brooklyn and Lexington, who clenched claws in anticipation. The terrorist stood, frowning with anger, and glowered at the gargoyles. The Nordic then smirked. "I remember you. The redskin garg I shot and the midget flying- squirrel." Lex launched himself at the Nordic, but the terrorist was too quick. He jumped like a gymnast, doing a midair split and touching his ankles. As he landed, Lex spun and faced his adversary. The Nordic was now holding a second laser pistol. He danced away from the two gargoyles, who turned to stalk towards him with glowing eyes. Enoch assessed the situation. ~~Let's see: two pissed-off gargoyles, and one wounded cop. I can handle this.~~ He dropped behind the display case as Brooklyn lunged at him. The gargoyle swept around the case to find the Nordic missing. "Looking for me?" Enoch stood and aimed his pistols. His shots missed, Brooklyn and Lexington ducked, but he destroyed a display case, bringing gems and jewels and broken glass on top of the gargoyles. He aimed lower and burned through the display cases in front of them. "I can keep this up all night, gargs!" Enoch shouted. "All night and all day, which is more than I can say for you!" He frowned as the beam of one of the pistols flickered. ~~Dammit, I can't have used up the charge already!~~ He ducked and popped out the spent battery. He scrambled through his jacket for the next when a large form stepped into the doorway. It was the Rock-man from the Quarrymen cell! The durable bastard who'd shrugged off a laser-burst to the chest and a grenade going off in his face! This was not a good omen. The Rock roared, "HEY-O!" as he swung that infernal sledgehammer at the Nordic. The terrorist rolled away as the hammer smashed a hole in the floor. Enoch swung his still-charged pistol up and squeezed the trigger twice. One shot struk Rock's armor, but the second was thrown off as the red gargoyle smacked him from the side. Cliff frowned at the burned spot on his exo-frame. He snarled and swung his hammer at the Nordic again. The terrorist tried to get around Brooklyn, but the gargoyle blocked him. The manuever did manage to get him away from Cliff's swing. Lex scampered up and snatched the laser pistols from the Nordic's hands. Cliff grabbed the Nordic by the shirt and held him a foot off the ground to stare him in the eyes. "Gotcha," Rock said. "What're ya gonna do now, ya Nazi punk?" "I've heard that Xanatos' robot gargoyles had an electrical defense mechanism," the Nordic replied. Rock and the gargoyles were puzzled at the non sequitor. "Yeah, so?" Cliff replied. "Hint, hint," the Nordic grinned. He touched a button on his belt, and Cliff yelled in pain as a couple thousand volts were pumped into him. His exo- frame and gauntlets and other Xanacorp technology didn't help any. Finally, Rock dropped him as smoke began to seep off his body. Enoch hit the ground rolling to avoid the gargoyles' attack. He drew his last two pistols, very low power, and knew he'd only get a few shots. Rock was no doubt preoccupied, but he knew the gargoyles would be on him in an instant if he didn't do something fast. An idea hit him. He produced a pair of attachments and fixed them to the barrels of his pistols. He ducked under the small garg's attack, then aimed his pistol. When he pulled the trigger, a much more powerful laser burst streamed out of the gun, reducing the wall display case to slag. It unfortunately drained the energy clip dry. He grabbed a hunk of debris from the floor and threw it at the plate-glass window. It shattered, and he jumped through the opening. The gargoyles followed, and he used his last laser burst to destroy a car behind them. The explosion distracted them long enough for him to duck into an alley and hide in the shadows. He frowned as he popped out the spent clips and holstered the pistols. Though he'd completed his mission, it had cost him his two best weapons and a few of his 'purchases.' He quickly searched through his sack and saw that his primary objective, at least, had been successful. He drew the sack shut and dashed away. ~~Battle to you, gargs,~~ he thought bitterly. ~~But the next battle will be all mine.~~ Back in the jewelry store, Cliff shook the last of the bells and whistles from his head and looked around. ~~Damn,~~ he thought. ~~The storeowner's not gonna be happy. But the boss'll take care o' that.~~ He heard a weak groan and went to investigate. "Bluestone! Jesus, what'd the punk do to ya?" He helped the cop to his feet, careful not to hit his burned hand. "Just . . . get me to a hospital," Matt said. "And call . . . Elisa and Louis." "You got it, buddy," Cliff said. Right on cue, two police cars pulled up. Elisa stepped out of one and Officer Morgan was in the other. "Maza, get the medics. Bluestone got hit bad." "Matt!" Elisa said as she saw the bloody and burned hand. As she and Morgan sat him down in a cleared spot against the wall, she asked Cliff, "What happened?" "Well, the Nordic was here," Cliff replied. "I guess Bluestone decided to play hero. But that Nazi son of a bitch was packing particle beam weaponry. And he plugged Bluestone's gun hand." He showed them the pistols that Lex had snatched. "These were the guns. The bastard also had an electric defense system, kinda like the boss' old Steel Clan 'bots. Shocked me up bad. Then the guy broke the window and got away. Brook and Lex are chasing him." A minute or so later, the paramedics showed up and got Matt on a stretcher. Elisa turned to Cliff. "Louis' at Xanacorp. Get him and tell him what happened. Which way did the Nordic run?" "Uh . . . down that way," he said, pointing. "The nightclub," Elisa said. "Okay, he's probably going to hide there. Have Louis meet us there. We can barricade the street and trap him inside." "You sure that's smart?" Morgan asked. "If this 'Nordic' fellow has particle weaponry, he could be dangerous, especially when cornered." "I'll let you guys worry about that," Cliff said. "I'll head back to Xanacorp, and get Louis on his way. This guy isn't any fan of gargoyles, so I don't think the Clan'll be welcome, especially with the paranoid swing the city's on right now." "Agreed," Elisa said. Cliff stepped out into the street and hit his jump jets. He streaked up into the night air and toward the immense spire of the Eyrie Tower. Shortly after he took off, Lex and Brooklyn flew up. "What's the story?" Lex asked. "Maza and I think you guys should lay off the sting that we'll be making on that nightclub where the Nordic is. The Nordic doesn't like you guys, and the city's on an anti-gargoyle kick at the moment." "All right," Brooklyn sighed. "But I think Goliath is going to be upset if Elisa gets hurt." "That's why I'm gonna play Maza-guard during the raid," Cliff said. "Though Goliath's not as strong as an SEC-209 pumped dude, I don't think I wanna be in his way when he gets pissed off." Location: The Redrum nightclub, half an hour later . . . "Redrum, redrum," Louis Gargonet smirked in his Cajun accent as he looked at the front of the nightclub. "I gotcher 'redrum' right 'ere!" Cliff quipped. His armor had been patched up, but he wasn't about to test its limits. He scanned the front entry. "Looks like New York's finest got the place tied down nice 'n' neat." "We have," Elisa said. "If Anderson tries to get past us, he'll have a lot of cops to shoot his way through." "All the more reason to mosey in and snatch the Nazi punk," Cliff sneered. He fingered his hammer with obvious anticipation. Finally, the N.Y.P.D. moved in, Elisa, Louis, and Cliff leading the strike. "Everybody freeze, this is the police!" Elisa shouted. All dancing and such revelry stopped. His larger size and thus higher vantage allowed Cliff to spot the Nordic much faster than the police officers. "There's the bastard!" Enoch sat up with a jolt. ~~How'd the blinkin' police find me so fast?~~ He then calmed a moment. He sipped his drink and put his feet up. ~~Let 'em come. They're too late to stop me from making my delivery to Father.~~ Elisa, Louis, and Cliff waded through the throng of people, but it wasn't easy, with the number of people inside. Finally, Cliff raised his arms, and gave one of the lines from 'The Princess Bride': "Everybody MOVE!!" Like Moses parting the Red Sea, the crowd split, allowing the police easy movement up to the reclining Nordic. Louis and Elisa aimed their guns. "Erik Anderson, you are under arrest." "Then go ahead and cuff me, blues," Enoch snapped. "I'll be out shortly after you do the fingerprints." "Mouthing off to police and a federal agent? Just what do you think you're doing?" Louis said, frowning at the Nordic's aloof position. "I'm living it large," Enoch replied, throwing his unfinished drink at the cops. Cliff muscled up and raised his hammer. "Livin' it large is for guys like me." He smashed his sledge down through the table, cracking it in two, and sending the Nordic toppling backwards. The terrorist smoothly rolled back onto his feet, but Louis and Elisa had already moved to the sides. The rest of the police had moved around behind him. He looked around briefly, then raised his hands. Louis lunged forward and grabbed his pistol, while Elisa did the same with the other. Cliff grabbed his shirt and snapped off the belt, along with the controls to the electric defense mechanism. While Cliff was holding the Nordic up in the air, Elisa stepped forward and slipped the handcuffs on. "You have the right to remain silent . . . ." Location: N.Y.P.D. "Why were you in that jewelry store?" Louis Gargonet asked. Erik Anderson simply grinned and said nothing. Louis resisted the urge to smack him and snarled. "You know, you are a federal prisoner at the moment. We don't even need to go to trial! There is so much evidence against you that no jury in the world would fail to convict you!" "In that case, why not kill me?" the Nordic asked. "Don't tempt me," Louis snapped. "I think you're linked to Cain in some way, and if you are, then you'd better pray I don't do anything to you." "Cain? You a religious man, Agent Gargonet?" Anderson said. Louis stopped his ranting. ~~I never told this Nazi-trained maniac my name,~~ he thought to himself. He hid his surprise with a snarl. "Don't get smart with me, Anderson, or I'll kick your teeth out." "Ooh, I'm scared. That is correct saying, ja?" The Nordic laughed. "You think I'm linked to the Cane Man, Agent Gargonet?" ~~Now I know something's up,~~ Louis thought. "Oh, of course I am," Anderson said. "I know him very well. He even has a nickname for me." "Really?" Louis said with false interest. "What is it?" "Cain calls me 'Enoch,'" the Nordic said. Louis spun to look at the terrorist. He wasn't a very religious man, but he did know his Biblical studies. Enoch was the son of Cain! His fingers twitched, and he was tempted to draw his gun and put a bullet in the Nordic's brain. But he'd left his gun outside the room, and didn't have that option. He settled for smacking the Nordic's head back. "So you're the bastard's son, eh? The bastard son of Cain?" "Not really 'bastard son,' but yes, I am the 'bastard's son' as you put it," the Nordic smirked. "He'll be along soon to get me out of here." "Don't make me laugh, Anderson," Louis said. "If Cain comes within five miles of this place, he's as good as dead." "Really?" a voice said, seemingly from everywhere. A crackling orb of electricity materialized in the room. Louis stepped back in surprise, and tapped the alarm button. ~~Elisa should be close by,~~ he thought as a form phased in inside the orb. It was the black-clad form of the serial killer Cain. The assassin smiled. "Miss me, Louis?" He raised his cane and whispered a Latin phrase: "Fulmenos venite!" A small bolt of lightning jolted out and shocked Louis into unconsciousness. Cain went over to the still handcuffed Enoch and grabbed the cuffs' chain. He tugged, and the chain snapped easily. The Nordic stood. "The rest of the police will be here soon." "All the more reason to leave now," Cain replied. He whispered in Latin again, and the orb of electricity surrounded them again. They phased out, and the orb crackled into nothingness. Elisa and Morgan dashed in, and found Louis coming around. "What happened?" Morgan asked. "It was Cain, the bastard!" Louis snarled. "He's got the Nordic!" "Then we've got serious trouble," Elisa said as she helped the federal agent stand. She'd been there for the last battle with Cain, and she, Matt, and Louis had intervened before the ex-fey could kill Puck. A wounded Louis fought with Cain and had almost been killed himself, but Elisa and Matt had shot Cain several times, and they hadn't managed to kill him. It was when Puck fired the last shots that sent a bomb-toting Cain toppling off the Eyrie Tower. Elisa knew that if Louis was right, and Cain was alive, then everyone was in deep guacamole. Location: The Eyrie Tower "So, what're we gonna do with the Nordic's spoils?" Cliff asked as he watched David Xanatos handle the sack of gems. "These gems are valuable, yes," Xanatos said. "But they should go back to the store owner." He handed the sack to Owen. "See to it, Owen." He turned back to Cliff. "But there is a problem. Some of our XCG were at the jewelry store, and took an inventory. There are two large blue jewels missing. And Owen tells me that those jewels were of a magical nature." "Yes," Owen said. "The jewels were Shards of the Star of Assyria. The Star Shards, like the cut Shard that Cain wore, retain a large portion of the full Star's potential. Even Oberon realized this when he shattered it, but he hoped by scattering the Shards to the wind, he could prevent Anyx or anyone from fusing the Shards into the Star again." "You mean it's possible that someone could rebuild this Star of Assyria?" Fox asked. "Unfortunately, yes," Owen replied. "But the fusion process requires an immense amount of magic and energy to accomplish this. It would take power on the level of Oberon himself and that of a lightning strike to refuse the Shards." "So we're okay," Cliff said, "right?" Owen hesitated, then nodded. Cliff frowned. "You hesitated." "Just an odd premonition." But Owen could not elaborate. "Should I tell the XCG to go on alert, boss?" Cliff asked. "That's not your job, Cliff, my boy," Xanatos said. "The Xanatos Corporate Guard is not run by you, it's run by Cooper." "Should I let Cooper know what's up then?" "Yes, go do that," Xanatos said. The massive man clomped out, and the multibillionaire turned to his aide. "What's going on? You're uneasy." "Just a feeling that we'll be dealing with a lot more than the Quarrymen and the Nordic," Owen replied. "A far more powerful entity." "Oberon?" "No," Owen shook his head. "That's not what he does. Besides, he wants to see Alex cared for, not hurt. Even so, I do think that a fey is involved some how." "Then we're apt to be in deep guacamole," Xanatos commented. Location: Starlyte Inc. Main "Excellent, the Shards," Mistar said. She was decked out in full Mab- mode, eyes glowing as she examined the gemstones. "We now have all that we require for refusion." "We need a storm, milady," Cain reminded her. "With out a source of electrical energy to enhance the magic's effect, we might as well just lock them away." Mab turned and gestured to the screen on the wall. It showed a weather map, with a large cold front almost on top of the city. "That storm system should have enough. If not, then I'll see that it does." "We'll need a tall spot for the lightning strike . . ." Enoch commented. "The Eyrie Tower is tall enough," Mab said sharply. "And how do you propose we get inside?" Enoch asked. "It's an impenetrable fortress. And Xanatos has no doubt deduced how Father got in last time, and taken appropriate measures to stop it." "You'll utilize Starlyte's latest development," Mab replied. She touched a control on the screen's terminal, and the wall slid aside to reveal the largest helicopter gunship that Cain and Enoch had ever seen. It was twice as big as the largest military helicopter, twin rotor-propellors, wings for balance and aerodynamics, and auxiliary power sources. "The Chopter is the most powerful gunship ever created," Mab said proudly. "The military doesn't know it exists, and neither does any one else. I had it made a double top secret priority. "In addition to its obvious differences from the ordinary gunship, the Chopter has four operational gunblade cannons, rockets, and an electrical defense mechanism. It can carry up to thrity men at one time, not including four pilots." "Four?" Enoch said, skeptical. "Only two at once, but there is room for two more." Mab paused. "Enoch, are the Quarrymen ready to make a raid on the gargoyles' new home?" "Ready, madam," the terrorist replied. "Then happy hunting, Enoch, and good luck, Cain," Mab said. Location: The Eyrie Tower Cliff was standing on the high turret of Castle Wyvern looking out in all directions. He had his hammer out and ready. ~~If the Nordic shows up, I'll knock his Nazi head off!~~ He turned slightly as he heard a fluttering-like sound below the castle. It could have been a bird, but Cliff didn't think so. He touched the control and activated the mike. "Boss, I think something's out here." "Can you tell me anything more concrete?" came Xanatos' reply. "Nope," the durable one said. "Sounded like a helicopter, only bigger." The Chopter's arrival could not have been timed better if it had been planned. Cliff looked up as the huge gunship hovered before him, then focused his eyes on the barrels of the gunblades that aimed at him. "Oh, this can't be good." With the sound of an elephant stampede, the gunblades opened fire, pummeling Murphey with .60-caliber rounds. The cannons could take out a tank in less than a minute, and Murphey doubted he would last that long. He turned his back to the Chopter and started to jump off the turret when Enoch, crouching on one of the gunship's wings, fired a high-powered laser rifle. The blast struck Murphey full in the back. He flew well past his intended target (the floor) and went flying right off the Tower. And they were a good distance up, over a hundred stories. The former XCG fell straight down and impacted in a car, pretty much flattening it. He lost consciousness as his hammer fell on his head. "Rock-head's been taken care of," Enoch said. He turned to the Quarrymen. "All right, men, time to do some damage." The anti-gargoyle terrorists descended on ropes and began shooting indiscriminately around the courtyard. Enoch landed within them and began to blast things as well. "Even if we don't meet the monsters, we'll rob them of another roost!" Goliath, out on his patrol, stopped and turned back to look toward the Castle. Angela and Broadway pulled up to him. "Gunfire?" Goliath wondered. "Sure sounds like it," Broadway remarked. He swooped toward the castle. Goliath turned to Angela. "Find the others and tell them to get back to Castle Wyvern. There is fighting there." His daughter nodded and swooped off to find the other members of the Clan. Goliath glided toward the Eyrie Tower along with Broadway. Before long, they could see the Chopter hovering over the Castle. Goliath saw a symbol emblazoned on the gunship's armor. "The Quarrymen!!" Goliath roared. "Look, there's another symbol on that helicopter," Broadway said. It was a strange combination of a starburst and the Greek letter delta. "Starlyte Incorporated." He whirled to Goliath. "Mercer and Cain worked for Starlyte!" "It would appear that Madelyn Mistar has something against Xanatos as well," Goliath growled. The gargoyles dove in, grabbing two Quarrymen each, then smashing them together, rendering both pairs unconscious. They dropped the unconscious Quarrymen in the courtyard and dropped. Broadway dropped on top of one of the intruders, as Goliath went after the helicopter/gunship. Cain, watching all from the Chopter, looked up to see Goliath. "Ah, the gargoyle leader." He stepped out onto the wing of the gunship. He addressed the lavender behemoth. "You should leave while you can, Goliath! We don't intend to harm the Wyvern Clan!" "That wasn't my impression last time we met, Cain," Goliath roared. He dove at the assassin. Cain ducked Goliath's swipe and raised an Uzi 9mm. Bullets sliced the air as he took aim at Goliath. "It's a shame I'll have to kill you, Goliath! You're a fine gargoyle! Deluded, perhaps, but a fine gargoyle!" "YOU are calling ME deluded?" Goliath snarled. "You think that humans are ever going to accept gargoyles? You're fooling yourself!" Cain smirked. His clip ran dry, so he ejected the spent magazine and raised his cane. "Fulmenos venite!" Lightning shot out at Goliath as the Choper continued to circle above Castle Wyvern. Within the castle, Xanatos Corporate Guard Chief Morris Cooper mustered his forces. "We have a Code Red, men. Armed terrorists have invaded the castle. Time to kick some ass, boys!" The XCG stormed into the fray, while the gathering gargoyles lended aid. The Nordic took down a few of the guardsmen with his laser pistols before Cooper pegged the particle beam weapons with two well-placed shots. Enoch blinked once, then smiled. "If at first you don't succeed," he said, reaching behind him, "get a bigger gun." He pulled his laser cannon out and took aim at Cooper. The XCG Chief was tackled by a Quarryman just in time. The Nordic's shot struck the Quarryman instead. The poor man was rendered a crispy corpse in less than a second. Above, Cain and Goliath continued their battle while the gargoyles, XCG, and Quarrymen duked it out below. In the skies above it all, a storm began to gather . . . . Location: The street below the Eyrie Tower "Ow." Cliff Murphey groaned once as his senses returned. He knew a moment of disorientation before he sat up. He looked around before he remembered. "The Quarrymen!!" He stood, painfully, then picked up his hammer. "They picked the wrong guy to piss off." He looked skyward, then ignited his jump jets and rocket-boots, streaking up toward the battle. He saw the black form of the Chopter and snarled before releasing an anger-fueled, wordless cry. He smashed into the Chopter, severing one of its wings cleanly. Cain wobbled, losing his balance, just as Goliath slammed into him from the side. The ex-fey assassin fell, then righted himself in midair, and landed on the balls of his feet, spiderwebbing the stone floor of the courtyard. He looked up as Goliath dove at him. He ducked and turned to face the gargoyle leader. Above, Cliff grabbed the double propellors of the Chopter with his bare hands, then ripped them clean off. The vastly unstable Chopter began to fall. Cliff smashed the cockpit windshield and grabbed the two pilots, hauling them out and dropping them. He then swung his sledge around and hammered the Chopter into the balcony, wrecking the gunship completely. Cain and Goliath circled each other, neither one lunging or attacking. "One-on-one, the odds in my favor," Cain said. "Surrender." "You mean you wanna surrender to me? Okay by me," said a voice behind Cain. A club came down between the assassin's shoulders, and the ex-fey collapsed. There stood Special Agent Louis Gargonet. He reached down and hauled the assassin to his feet before throwing him against the wall. "Payback time, Cain." "I think I'll pass, thanks," Cain replied. He reached back and grabbed Louis' arm, then pivoted and swung him into the wall himself. The federal agent was back on his feet in an instant, his club up and ready. Goliath and Murphey had vaulted into the fight as Enoch aimed his laser cannon again. Murphey dove in and smashed it aside, but the Nordic had escaped the former XCG's grasp. He grabbed a chain dropped by one of the Quarrymen and fashioned it into a noose, then stalked away from Murphey, at Gargonet. Murphey tried to pursue, but five Quarrymen chose that moment to swarm all over him. He grappled with them as the Nordic approached Gargonet. He threw the chain noose over the federal agent's head and drew it tight around his neck. He threw the links over an overhead lighting fixture, then held it in place with a large knife. Gargonet, a couple of feet off the floor, kicked and choked. ~~This is how Bill died . . .~~ the agent remembered. Louis Gargonet and Bill Redstock had been investigating Cain, then known as the Cane Man, and his latest killing in Lansing, Mich. They had tracked him to an abandoned factory, where he'd holed up and waited for the two of them. Once inside, Cain had fired on them, before running off. The two had split up, and Cain had stalked Bill before throwing a chain around his neck and hauling him several feet in the air. Louis tried to help him, but Cain shot the chain supporting the choking fed, sending him crashing to the floor, crushing his spine. Gargonet was now in the noose, and choking. He dug at the chain, but could not get any purchase to loosen it. He grunted and wheezed as his breath slowly began to run out. ~~It can't end like this . . .~~ Then luck smiled on him. Angela dropped next to the writhing agent's body and grabbed the chain. She ripped it asunder and caught the agent as he fell. He threw the chain off and gasped for breath, then turned to her and said, "Much obliged, little lady. I think your dad needs your help more." Indeed, the Quarrymen were advancing on the lavender gargoyle. Angela leaped off to help her sire. Meanwhile, Murphey gave a shout and threw his arms to the sides, throwing two of his assailants off. He spun his hammer, clocking the two holding his legs with the staff, then reached back, grabbed the one around his neck and slammed him into the floor. He clomped over them to go after Enoch. Before he could do that, however, he noticed Cain sneaking off up the stairs to the tallest turret on the castle. "Oh, no you don't, you stinkin' bastard." He approached Cain, but the assassin turned and shouted in Latin. A lightning bolt struck the bodyguard and sent him sprawling down the stairwell. Cain smirked and ran up the stairs to the top. Once there, he spread the Shards of the Star of Assyria on the ground before him, then raised his hands to the sky and began chanting in Latin. "(Forces of nature, powers that be, hear my cry and heed me!)" Below, the Nordic retrieved his laser cannon and raised it. He swung around, looking for a good target, then spotted Morris Cooper. He grabbed one of the Quarrymen and pointed the XCG Chief out. "Shoot him." The man obliged, firing his pistol at the man, missing mostly. The Nordic snarled. "Not with that gun, idiot." He shouldered his cannon. "This gun." The Quarryman leapt at Cooper and grabbed him around the waist. "I'll hold him for ya, sir!" "Danke, my boy." A scarlet particle beam lanced out and pierced through the Quarryman, and then through Chief Cooper. Cooper didn't even have time to scream before his lungs were vaporized. The corpses of the XCG Chief and the Quarryman collapsed while the Nordic laughed. Gargonet leaped at him and tackled him like a linebacker. The terrorist bucked and threw his assailant off, but the federal agent was already up and bringing his foot around to connect with the Nordic's face. Enoch grunted and spat out blood. Cain continued chanting, "(What was one became many, what is many can become one, with the pressure of a mountain and the heat of the sun!)" The storm above began to intensify. The Quarrymen redoubled their efforts, and the gargoyles in turn redoubled theirs. At the base of the stairs, Murphey began to stir. He sat up and weakly stood and began to move up the stairs after his adversary. He was hurting from his fall before, and Cain's magic attack had sapped some of his SEC-209-enhanced strength. "That-slimy bastard's not gonna stop-me that easily," he muttered painfully to himself. "(Draw power from the magic that is nigh,)" Cain chanted. "(Draw power above from the sky!)" All activity suddenly ceased as a thick and jagged bolt of lightning crashed from the clouds and struck the Shards in front of Cain. The assassin's pale features were illuminated, his maniacal grin widened. "At last!" he cried. He reached down and picked up the jewel before him. It was the size of a softball, and an intense, pulsing blue. It glowed from within. Cain held it up. "The Star of Assyria!!" He slapped the Star into the hook of his cane, where it clung fast. Cain raised it and cried, "Fulmenos venite!" A thick bolt of lightning struck out and incinerated an XCG. Cain laughed. "I am unstoppable now!" He turned and looked down at Louis Gargonet, who had Enoch in a full- nelson. "And you, thorn-in-my-side," Cain said, "will be the first to die." He held the cane and Star high, ready to summon a massive burst of magic- When a deep voice said behind him, "Hey, Cain, don't turn around." Naturally, the assassin whirled to face the new threat, and watched as Murphey's sledge came around and knocked the Star of Assyria from its place in the cane. Murphey smirked. "I thought I told you not to turn around?" Before Cain could move to retrieve his Star, Murphey swung his hammer down. "It's hammer time!!" The hammer cracked the Star. Cain roared and tried to grab the Star, but it was too late. There was a massive explosion of light and heat. Murphey's form came flying out, but Cain's silhouette was visible within, being ripped to shreds by the forces of magic. Cain's howl of pain echoed through the skies as the storm began to dispere violently. The bright nova of magic was sucked up through the storm, and finally silence thundered down on the castle. Two items clattered onto the courtyard. One was the smoking remains of Cain's cane. The other was the cracked, and somewhat slagged, pair of sunglasses that had been perched over Cain's eyes. The gargoyles and the XCG recovered first, and they surrounded the still conscious Quarrymen and tied them up. Then they turned to look at one of the castle's walls. It was Murphey. His uniform hung in pieces and his armor was a total mess. His shades, or what remained of them, had slipped off his nose. His eyes were squeezed shut. "Cliff?" Louis asked. The bodyguard's eyes opened. "I have but one thing to say," he said weakly. His head fell back and his body shuddered. "Ouch." Location: Xanatos' Office, three weeks later . . . "So, Cliff," David Xanatos said, "how's everything?" "Still a little sore," the bodyguard said, "but vital signs are good." He wore a new, dark grey uniform, and new guantlets were clamped on his wrists. He limped a little, but he was healing fast. "I think that SEC-209 stuff has something to do with my recovery." "Increased healing speed may be a side effect, old sport," Xanatos said, Gatsby-ish. "Until we know all of the super-steroids' effects, we can't begin using it on the rest of the XCG. Besides, not all of them are as trustworthy as you." "Thanks," Cliff said, grinning. He sobered. "What about the Nordic? I heard he escaped custody." "Yes," Xanatos said, frowning. "He did. There are rumors that Starlyte was behind it. And, there was a riot at the prison where Colin Mercer was being held. He escaped, too." "More Starlyte?" Cliff asked. "Yes, unfortunately." Xanatos said. "But, our security grid is better than ever, and with our new Chief of the XCG, we'll be sure to repel any new invasion." "Hey, yeah," Cliff stopped and turned to Xanatos. "Who is the new XCG Chief. It's a shame that Cooper got killed by the Nordic, but you said you were gonna tell us today." "Congratulations, Chief," Xanatos said, grinning. "You'll do a fine job." "Hey! Cool!" Cliff commeneted, clapping his boss on the shoulder and nearly dislocating it. Owen was in the courtyard, talking with Louis Gargonet and Elisa Maza. Cliff and Xanatos walked out to join them. "What's up?" Cliff asked. "I believe Cain may be permanently out of our hair," Owen said. "When Puck killed him eight months ago, it was a death of a mundane nature. But this time, magic killed him, so whatever spell sustained Cain may have been negated by the Star's destruction." "I wouldn't be so sure," Elisa said. "Cain fused those Shards together, and that had to take a lot of energy." "Magic as well," Owen agreed. "Are you telling me that Cain had enough magic to do that?" Elisa asked. Owen paused. "Perhaps not. This is disturbing. There may have been an outside force that assisted Cain in some way." "Another changeling?" Gargonet asked. "Perhaps," Owen said, "but the question is who? Cain was a mortal, regardless of his 3000 year existence. Helping him would violate Oberon's Law. And the last one to do that was stripped of his powers and exiled." "Anyx," Xanatos said. "Precisely," Owen replied. "I should ponder this. We may not have seen the last of Cain after all." Location: Starlyte Incorporated Main "Are you certain?" Enoch asked. "Absolutely," said the regal voice of the once Queen Mab. "I have isolated his consciousness." She held the Shard high. "It took great lengths to reacquire this. I don't intend to fail." "We need a host, at any rate," the Nordic replied. "I don't think Father or you would appreciate having your body." "You're right," Mab said. "We must find a suitable replacement. In the meantime, report to Castaway. Your term with the Quarrymen has come to an end." She looked through the gleaming Star Shard. "We have Cain to raise." The End? Afterword: Hey, Jay Winger here again. As you may have guessed, this isn't the last we've seen of Cain. I am already developing and working on Parts Three, Four, and Five to the Cain Saga, "Raising Cain", "A Shard Off the Old Rock", and "Armageddon." "Raising Cain" will deal with Cain's third manifestation, and I'll utilize the character of Donald Drack more, and we'll see some of the Peruvian arms dealer Julio Nacias. "A Shard Off the Old Rock" will show what happens when you mix SEC-209 and Star Shard magic. Cliff the Rock has to deal with a behemoth named (appropriately) 'Shard.' "Armageddon" will deal with a Nightstone project gone mad, and Demona, Xanacorp, the Wyvern Clan, and Starlyte must team up to stop it. I may end the Cain Saga with "Armageddon," but if I get a good source of inspiration, I may expand and do a sixth part. But the future's full of surprises, isn't it? --Jay Winger Send your comments, good, bad, or otherwise, to USFWinger@aol.com!!