Gargoyles I, II, III: Dark Angel Alliance

by Rach Elle

  Sunders refused to let go of the boy as he closed his eyes and prayed for the strength to save them both when suddenly Zeff appeared by his side. He grabbed onto the rope and began pulling; aiding Sunders and allowing him to crawl back away from the ledge. The two yanked on the rope until Alvin was lifted back onto the ledge and onto the flat surface. “Untie him,” Zeff ordered as he left Sunders to help the others.

  Sunders ran to Alvin and untied him. “Come on,” he said as the boy got to his feet, “we need to get out of here.”

  As more bullets rang out the two ducked and ran to the hotel’s entrance, which had been propped open with a cinderblock. Sunders furrowed his brow as he tried to recall doing so, but the last several minutes had been a complete blur for him. Alvin ran inside and began descending the staircase. Sunders started to follow, looking over his shoulder for a brief second; enough time to see Awilda tied to another chair. He looked at Alvin, “Keep going!” he called before running back into the crossfire.

  Sunders reached Awilda and began untying her as Regina retrieved a hand grenade from her belt. She pulled the pin and threw it at the oncoming gargoyles. The grenade exploded in a giant ball of smoke with little flame to speak of, but debris and shrapnel went flying and the sound rocked everyone’s heads. The gargoyles flew backward from the impact of the blast and for a moment everything was still.

  Regina tried to shake the muffled disorientation from her ears. She turned her head to see Sunders getting back to work; untying Awilda. She quickly grabbed her gun and pointed it at the Scotsman. A half second before her finger tightened completely around the trigger another shot rang out and a bullet knocked the gun from her hand, sending her shot flying in a different direction. She whipped around trying to see where the rogue bullet came from but she couldn’t see anything.

  Sunders finished untying Awilda and removed the gag from her mouth. He pulled her to her feet, “Let’s go!” They started to run until a bullet embedded itself into the roof’s surface mere centimeters in front of them. They both stopped suddenly and turned to see James, disheveled and out of breath, stalking them as he drew near. “Not so fast Wills,” he began, “I didn’t come all the way here to lose.”

  Sunders wrapped his arm around Awilda, drawing her into his body and positioning his to the foreground.

  James smiled at the Scotsman, “Don’t think I won’t just kill you.”

  An ear piercing screech filled the air. James whipped around to see an ugly, decrepit Limrid with citrine eyes and tiny brown fangs running toward him. He pulled his trigger and watched as the Limrid stopped dead in his tracks; the bullet stopping his heart on impact.

  Awilda threw her hand up to her mouth and gasped. She remembered the Limrid’s face peering from behind the bushes earlier. He must have followed her. And now he had died trying to protect her. She concealed her heartbreak despite how much she wanted to cry for the little creature.

  The wind began to pick up as all of the gargoyles climbed back onto the rooftop. James ignored their growls and the size of their claws and instead looked to Regina with a large smile plastered on his face. “I did it,” he beamed.

  Regina smiled back, “We did it.”

  The wind continued to race faster and faster. Sunders pulled Awilda to her knees to anchor her as the force threatened to carry them off. The gargoyles wrapped their wings around their chests to keep the wind from billowing beneath them and blowing them away. James stood next to Regina with his arms outstretched to both sides. He closed his eyes and felt the sheer power of the wind; the power that would soon be his.

  “Oh; my god,” Regina breathed in his ear. James opened his eyes to see a dark cloud starting to form in front of them.

  The gargoyles ran to Sunders and Awilda as they eyed the cloud. The sheer dark gray swirled and grew and began to harden into a thick black. It expanded in size and began to rumble like thunder. James and Regina recoiled, suddenly fearing for what would come next.

  The lifeless Limrid was suddenly vacuumed into the cloud, its body swirling within; flashes of lightning engulfing him until he could be seen no more.

  James couldn’t explain it, but he could feel the faceless, shapeless storm turning and eyeing him. The mass began to move forward and suddenly James found himself turning and running away. He could feel something latching onto his left foot and yanking it backward, forcing him to fall forward. The mass began reeling him in as he screamed and kicked and begged for someone to help him. He looked to his daughter who only hid her eyes behind the chest of the Scotsman.

  Regina’s heart raced as she tried to think of what to do. As James cried and clawed for his life she turned and ran toward the door. James reached outward and grabbed onto her leg, nearly tripping her. She tried to kick him off of her but he wouldn’t budge. He pulled her downward as she now screamed and looked for something to hold onto. The storm thundered again and sucked them into its dark mass; their cries growing further and further away until they disappeared entirely into the abyss.

  Awilda huddled into Sunders, crying as she listened to her father die. When she couldn’t hear his screams anymore she gathered the strength to look up.

  The wind still blew heavily around them and the storm was still there; watching them. She could have sworn it was growing in size; lengthening; stretching. “Tauggle,” she whispered, “where are you?”

  “I’m right here,” Tauggle’s voice was right beside her, laced with concern. He had wanted so badly to help her since the moment James and Regina had turned against them. But as per her orders he wasn’t permitted to use his powers if they directly affected another living being; no matter how necessary. Instead he stayed invisible, watching and feeling incompetent.

  Awilda looked at her suddenly visible friend, “Can you stop it?” She whispered. She watched as he looked into her eyes, expecting his to be solid black; but instead she saw dozens of golden flecks. He shook his head, “No, but it won’t hurt you.”

  She looked taken aback, “What?”

  “Sunders,” Junior said, ignoring the conversation and eyeing the storm. “Get Awilda out of here.”

  “Aye,” Sunders agreed. He tightened his grip on her shoulders and pulled her away from the Limrid and the rest of the group and toward the door. He pulled her inside and they began to descend the spiral staircase.

  “Wait!” Awilda pulled herself free of Sunders’ grasp. “I can’t leave, I have to go back!”

  “No, it’s too dangerous.”

  “I don’t care; I can’t leave them!” She cried as she ran back up the stairs.

  Sunders tried to call her back but when she wouldn’t listen he forced his legs to carry him back up the stairs as well.

  “What is it?” Cooper asked as the four shifters and the Limrid watched the black storm in front of them.

  “Not what,” Tauggle began, “who.” He took a deep breath and walked forward, breaking free from the group. “You got what you came for!” He called as the wind grew faster and stronger. The howling drowned out his voice as he screamed as loudly as he could, “Go! Return to the sin! Leave us in peace for what little time we have left!” The storm continued to thicken; the once cloud-like exterior appearing more and more impenetrable. It was responding.

  “What did you expect?” Tauggle asked, “I know I cannot defeat you, but I will fight you!”

  The storm thundered, the rumbling vibrating through the surface of the rooftop. Tauggle clenched his jaw as his eyes turned stark white. He screamed as he pushed his palms forward; power surging through his arms like a conductor and in a sudden release lightning shot through his palms and blasted the dark mass. The storm screeched and swirled like a tornado before dissipating entirely.

  The wind stopped as all four gargoyles stared in awe at the empty space where the black mass had once been.

  “Tauggle,” Cooper breathed as she began walking toward him, “you did it.”

  “Stay back Lovely.” Tauggle’s voice was severe as his white eyes cont
inued to glow. He could still feel it. He knew the darkness was here somewhere; lurking; contemplating its next move.

  “What?” Cooper asked as she took another step.

  Lightning cracked in the sky and a low rumbling began to vibrate through the rooftop. A small explosion blasted across the expanse, forming a crater in the surface.

  Tauggle looked upward to see the storm forming above them as another bolt of energy was sent careening into the rooftop. “Find cover!” He called.

  Thunder boomed overhead, sending waves of energy across the surface and knocking everyone off their feet, except Tauggle, who continued to stare into the face of the storm.

  Bolts of electricity began to shoot into the surface one by one, moving rapidly toward Cooper, who scrambled to get to her feet.

  Tauggle’s eyes flashed back to gold as he whipped his head around to see the tiny explosions reach the gargoyle before she could get out of the way. In a split second decision he disappeared and reformed directly in front of her, just in time for the last explosion to hit him square in the chest.

  He stood still for a moment, unsure of what to make of the slight pain in his chest.

  Cooper got to her feet, “Tauggle?”

  He sharply turned toward her, “I told you to stay back!” The mild pain suddenly scorched his chest as he grabbed the wound.

  Awilda stood just beyond the threshold of the rooftop door and gasped as a steel gray, hard cement-like surface appeared in the middle of Tauggle’s chest and began to expand; spreading all over his body, rendering him immobile and helpless against the disease. Zeff pulled Cooper away as the material covered Tauggle’s limbs. He screamed as it engulfed his throat then coated his face and smothered him from head to toe. Awilda watched breathless; staring at the Limrid now cast in stone.

  The wind picked up again and began to swirl around the hotel. A loud, mechanical moan echoed in the night sky. Bawli looked over his shoulder to see the large crane across the street as it started to shift. The massive piece of equipment groaned as it was pulled across the street by the wind. The large, steel hook that hung from the thick cable began to sway slowly at first, picking up speed with each pass. The arm suddenly spun a complete rotation, pulling the hook with it. The crane released more cable, providing a wider pendulum as the hook started barreling toward the rooftop, aiming for Tauggle; threatening to smash into his stone body and crush him into tiny pieces.

  Bawli stood and took off running, racing to reach the Limrid before the hook. He leapt off his feet and dove into Tauggle, knocking him to the ground and feeling the speed of the hook grazing over him, barely missing his body as he and the Limrid hit the rooftop with force and slid uncontrollably toward the ledge. Bawli could feel his body sliding too fast to stop in time and soon found him falling over the ledge with the Limrid. He latched onto Tauggle’s ankle with one hand and held onto the ledge with the other. The stone body weighed too much and he could feel his fingers losing their grip.

  Zeff spread his wings and flew down to help Bawli. He gripped into the hotel siding and tried to lift Tauggle back up to the rooftop, but he was too heavy even for the two of them. Cooper ran to the ledge and grabbed onto Bawli’s arm. She tried to help pull him upward while Junior reached down and wrapped his hands around Tauggle’s other ankle. He and Bawli pulled while Zeff pushed until finally the Limrid was lifted safely onto the rooftop and laid on his back.

  Junior felt a small tingling on his left leg and looked toward the sensation. Before he could register what was happening he was suddenly yanked backward and pulled rapidly toward the storm. He dug his claws into the rooftop, trying to slow the pull but it was no use.

  Bawli jumped back to his feet and ran after Junior. He reached the tattooed gargoyle and wrapped his big arms around Junior’s waist, planting his feet into the flat surface and using all his strength to fight against the pull of the storm. Finally the storm let go and the two gargoyles fell onto the roof with dull thuds.

  Sunders held onto Awilda’s shoulders, trying to calm her nerves. He could feel her entire body shaking as she watched the horror.

  He could hear a small scraping sound coming from behind him. He looked over his shoulder and narrowed his eyes, trying process what he was seeing and confirm that his eyes weren’t playing tricks. Yes, he realized, the cinderblock that propped the door open was moving. It began to shake and at the last second Sunders pulled Awilda downward, the two of them ducking as the cinderblock shot through the air; slicing across the expanse at a neck breaking speed.

  Bawli stood up and held out his hand toward Junior; unable to realize in time the oncoming attack. He looked up to see a cinderblock hurling toward him. The object smashed into his head, sending him wheeling backwards and knocking him out cold.

  The storm latched onto Junior’s leg again and began pulling him.

  Zeff planted his feet on the rooftop and looked at the fallen Bawli. He turned to Cooper who hovered protectively over the stone Limrid. “I’ll watch him; go!” She said.

  Zeff took off running parallel to the storm. Mid-stride he picked up a semi-automatic that had once belonged to James and continued to run toward the large generator. He leapt through the air, gripping into the side of the generator and launching himself outward toward the storm. His body was suddenly engulfed by the bright spotlight as his eyes blared red; he roared and opened fire; rapidly shooting bullets into the heart of the dark mass. The storm screeched at the onslaught and spun into a tight tornado for only a half second before unwinding with such force that it sent Zeff flying backwards.

  Zeff’s body crashed into the giant spotlight; the glass shattering and shards raining to the rooftop below. His body smashed into the center electrical unit like a bull’s eye and the light flickered as the electrical current zapped his limp body; charring his skin until it finally died out. Cooper screamed as Zeff’s electrocuted body fell onto the circular ledge of the light and his arm hung over the side lifelessly.

  Junior got to his feet; his chest aching for the sudden loss. His eyes burned red as he could feel the storm returning its attention to him. The dark cloud descended until it hovered at eye level. Thunder began to rumble and suddenly a bolt of lightning exploded from the mass. Junior jumped out of the way; the bolt charring the rooftop instead. The rumbling grew louder as another bolt struck and Junior jumped out of the way again. The storm threw another bolt but Junior couldn’t move out of the way fast enough. It struck his leg and he fell to the surface. He looked up to see the dark mass growing larger, thicker and more ominous. He pushed himself backward, dragging his limp leg, as a sheer arm of the storm drifted toward him and lightly wrapped itself around his ankle. Junior looked for something to grab onto. He knew any second that hold would tighten and the storm would pull him in.

  Awilda had been speechless, breathless, and scared out of her mind. She didn’t know why she ran back up here; what help could she possibly offer? She was small and frail and…

  A piece of the black cloud drifted forward and wrapped itself around Junior’s ankle. She couldn’t explain it but a sudden release of adrenaline flowed through her veins, making her feel invincible.

  She tried to wriggle from Sunders’ grip on her shoulders, “Let me go!” She demanded.

  Calmly, and somberly, Sunders looked into her eyes, “There’s nothing you can do.”

  “Yes there is,” she said, suddenly remembering Tauggle’s words, “It won’t hurt me.”

  Sunders stared into Awilda’s chocolate brown eyes and saw an intensity he’d never seen in the young woman before. A feeling of dread fell over him and he inexplicably knew she was right. Without saying a word he let her go.

  Awilda ran into the clearing toward Junior. He saw her out of the corner of his red eyes and yelled, “No Awilda! Stay away!” She ignored him and continued to run. She reached the shifter and planted her feet on either side of the ankle the storm had wrapped itself around. She stared into the black abyss with hard eyes and clenched fists as the wi
nd grew stronger and swirled around her. “Let him go!” She ordered. The storm thundered again and she could feel her body wanting to run, but she held her ground and continued to stare into the heart of the black mass. She took a deep breath, “If you’re going to kill him,” she screamed over the howling of the wind, “Then you’re going to have to kill me first!”

  The storm growled before erupting into a howl causing everyone to cup their ears and Bawli to come to. The dark mass in a final attempt at dominance released a thunderous boom; two proverbial iron fists crashing into the rooftop, warping the surface and knocking Awilda off her feet. She fell into Junior’s lap and he wrapped his strong arm around her waist, preparing to tear her out of harm’s way if the storm revolted again.

  Instead the storm began to twist and writhe and screech like it was being tortured. It shrunk in size and began to lose its blackness; dissipating into gray. The thick, solid form stretched into a sheer, cloud-like substance as it spun like a cyclone; the mass lessening and the sound fading until finally it exploded with a blast of wind.

  Junior wrapped his wings around him and Awilda and rolled on top of her, protecting her from the blast.

  After a few seconds Junior lifted his head and looked over his shoulder to see the mass had disappeared, leaving nothing but destruction in its wake. He looked down at Awilda. Her brown and gray hair looked like she’d just endured a hurricane. “Are you alright?” He asked. She didn’t answer. Instead she stared at the rooftop below and breathed calmly. Finally, she looked up to him. He expected her eyes to be drenched with tears; but they were bone dry. “It’s true,” she whispered, “Isn’t it?”