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Chapter 1: Accusations

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by KnightMysterio

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Manhattan....
Night...
24 hours after Xanatos's call...
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Three shadowy figures, all clad completely in black, moved quickly through the shadows. They pressed themselves up against a building, the tallest and leanest of the bunch peeking out from behind the wall to make sure no one was there. When he was certain that the way was clear, he waved to his comrades, motioning for them to cross the sidewalk to the bank.

The three ran silently, hiding in the shadows as the leader of the group, a young, muscular woman, sat down near the entrance, pulling out tools for picking the lock on the door.

The two men of the group waited hesitantly, not wanting to stay there long. Gargoyle sitings had increased since it had been revealed that they were real. And neither of them wanted to be around if those beasts showed up. Especially since they had a tiny bit of history with the clan.

The woman snorted as she shut down the alarm system, starting on the first lock. She hated working with these two. They had both been fired from David Xanatos's service after royally botching an assassination attempt on a cop and a garg, and had done odd jobs since then, working for everyone from Domonique Destine to Anton Sevarius, failing miserably each time. They were cowards of the worst sort, doing things only if there was money involved. But they had seen the gargoyles in action, and she needed someone who was familiar with them to pull of this heist. So for better or worse, she had to put up with them.

She turned to them, whispering, "Remember. Your job is to keep watch for the gargs, and tell me when you see them overhead. We can't take them in direct combat, so when you see them overhead, tell me and we'll call things off for tonight."

She heard three loud swooping sounds, but just attributed to low flying birds. "You got that guys?" she asked. When she didn't get an answer, she fumed, turning to face her compatriots.

"I said..." the words died in her throat. Her teammates had already run off. Facing her now were three of the most frightening creatures she had ever seen. One was a beaked, red-skinned, horn-headed creature. Another was a demonic, lavender-skinned female with glowing red eyes. And the third, towering above them all, was a massivly muscled, lavender skinned male, who's eyes glowed with an unholy white light.

The woman, who believed that with the proper preperation, any situation could be handled, did the most understandable thing she could have done when faced with the three beings before her.

She fainted.

The red gargoyle suddenly started laughing, the glow in his eyes vanishing. The lavender gargoyle and the lavender-skinned female just stared at him strangley.

"Brooklyn. What, may I ask, is so funny?" the lavender male gargoyle asked.

Brooklyn snickered. "I'm sorry, Goliath. It's just that out of all the reactions we've gotten out of people over the years, we've never had someone faint on us."

Goliath shook his head, smirking. He turned to the female. "Angela, go check on the others. See if Broadway and Lexington have chased them over to Elisa and Matt yet."

Angela nodded, and started to turn around the corner, when she saw a young human woman with dark black hair walking around the corner, giving them the thumbs up.

Angela smirked. "I think she's caught them, father."

Goliath turned and smiled warmly at Elisa. Angela noticed the smile and gave Brooklyn a meaningful look. Brooklyn smirked, nodding, and went off with Angela around the corner Elisa came down to talk to Matt.

Elisa smiled weakly as they went past her. "Thanks for helping us out tonight, Goliath."

Goliath smiled warmly and hugged her when she came close. "It was no trouble, really. I know how boring your patrols can be sometimes," he said, turning away to climb high enough for gliding. Elisa put a hand on his shoulder.

"Wait," she said.

Goliath turned. "What's wrong?"

Elisa bit her lip, and said, hesitantly, "It's... it's been a while since we've been alone, Goliath. Alone together, I mean. I miss you so much, and lately it seems like all we do together is patrol."

Goliath shook his head sadly. "Unfortunetly, duty calls us in different directions. Ever since our existance became known to the general populace, it's all we can do to keep this island from destroying itself, and us." He leaned down and kissed her. "It is my sincere hope that we'll be able to quiet things down enough for us to be together. Until then..." he sighed.

Elisa frowned, and nodded, understanding. Goliath smiled weakly, and started up the building. Elisa sighed and wandered back over to Matt, who was putting the finishing touches on booking the three catburglers.

Matt smiled when he saw her. "Looks like we caught a big one. Her goons confirm that she's the one that's been plaguing banks for the past few weeks. It's just luck that we caught her tonight."

Elisa nodded sullenly, getting into the car without a word, ignoring the crooks in the back. Matt frowned, then smiled again, leaning into the window.

"Yo, partner. What's wrong? This whole 'protect and serve' thing getting boring?"

Elisa looked and smiled weakly. "Sorry Matt, I've just got a lot on my mind."

Matt smiled pleasantly and got into the driver's side. Inside though, he knew something was wrong. Elisa rarely, if ever, let him drive her car.

"So really, what's up? You know we can talk about anything."

Elisa didn't answer. She looked sullenly out the window, staring up at the gargoyles, who glided just above them, watching over the city.

Matt took note of this and checked to make sure the soundproof glass was in place in the back of the squad car. "Is it about Goliath? I know you two haven't had much time together since the Quarrymen showed up."

Elisa turned, suddenly startled. She smiled weakly and nodded. "Yeah. You know how Goliath and I feel about each other, right?"

Matt nodded. "Sorta. I know you two do did kiss after the fiasco with the Hunters."

Elisa smiled wistfully. "It's more than that, Matt. Goliath and I... I guess you could say that we've fallen head over heels in love with each other. And over the past few months..." she sighed, and chuckled weakly. "... I've just wanted to be with him, more and more."

Matt bit his lip. "Elisa... I can appreciate how you feel, really..."

Elisa shook her head, suddenly frustrated. "No, Matt, you can't." She sighed. She hadn't told anyone, not even her parents, about this yet.

"Almost a year ago, I was changed into a gargoyle."

Matt blinked, but didn't stop the car. "What?"

Elisa sighed, explaining to him about Demona, Puck, and Titania's Mirror, and the whole ridiculous mess she made. Matt chuckled when she told him about Goliath's 'flying lesson.'

"Sheesh. So, for a while, I was a gargoyle like the others, I just didn't know it?"

Elisa nodded, smiling warmly at the memories. "Yeah," she said, sighing, "I guess that's when we first realized how we felt about each other, when we saw each other as the same species."

Matt bit his lip, a bad thought occuring to him. "Elisa... I have something to say and you may not like it."

Elisa glared at him. "Don't. I already know what you're going to say," she said. She turned, looking out the window to watch the clan. "And believe me, there's not a moment that's passed that I haven't considered it."

Matt sighed. His thinking was that Goliath and Elisa's feelings for each other may have only been a residual affect of Puck's spell. It was unlikely, but a possibility.

One he didn't want to consider.

"Look, let's just look at it this way, okay? You love him, right?"

Elisa nodded, wondering where Matt was going with this. "Yes..."

"And he loves you, right?"

"I guess..."

Matt smiled widely, waving an arm in a dismissing gesture. "Well, there you go! Just look at it from there, and let the rest of it go! Now, for your wedding, I'm thinking an 'X-Files' motif..."

Elisa laughed, smacking him on the back of the head. "You're full of it, you know that?"

Matt mock-bowed, saying "Thank you, thank you."

Elisa shook her head, cheered up. Her partner could be an ass sometimes, but he had a good heart, and usually knew what to say to make her feel better. "C'mon partner, let's take these bozos in."

The two drove around the corner, chatting idly, keeping an eye on the clan. Neither of them noticed the tiny, almost invisible device detatch from their window, flying off over the city.

It came to a seemingly abandoned rooftop, empty save for a large radiator that cast shadows around the roof, floating around in midair.

"Did ye find them?" thundered a voice from the shadows.

The machine beeped and flew towards the sound of the voice. A purple-armored gauntlet emerged, and the device merged with it.

To the eyes of the person wearing the gauntlet, the device replayed everything that it had heard.

"Goliath and I... I guess you could say that we've fallen head over heels in love with each other. And over the past few months... I've just wanted to be with him, more and more."

When the man heard this, his eyes widened. He replayed it again and again, his fists clenching tighter and tighter.

"Do ye see, Jason?" said another, lighter voice. A blonde, bearded man walked out of the shadows, wearing a trenchcoat emblazoned with the logo of the Quarrymen.

The shadowy figure said nothing, turning away from him. The blonde man sneered, and pressed a button on a device hidden in his coat. An image appeared, of Goliath and Elisa kissing. It replayed over and over before the shadowy figure's eyes. He shut them tightly, not wanting to see it, not wanting to accept it.

"Do ye see, dear brother, that you did'nae have a chance with her? Do ye see now that she loves that FREAK?"

"Dammit, Jon, this isn't fair."

The blonde man laughed. "Fair? What's fair, brother? Is it fair that our sister is rotting in jail, just because she was trying to save us all from the daimon? Is it fair that I've had to change me name and face so I can hide in plain sight from those monsters? Is it fair that the only way ye can move is with the armor me 'beneficiares' gave to you?"

The shadowy figure stepped out of the shadows, revealing himself fully. He snarled at Jon, his armored fists clenched, his purple armor, modeled after a Quarryman's uniform, humming with power. He gripped Jon by the throat, lifting him into the air. Jon Castaway gagged, but managed to laugh.

"Struck a nerve, did I? Get over yourself, Jason Canmore. You practically drooled at the chance to move again, to be with yuir family again. You made the deal, now ye have to follow through on it."

Jason clenched his fist around his brother's throat even tighter... and then let go. He cursed himself inwardly, mainly because he knew that Jon was right. When Jon had shown up, offering him the experimental exoframe to allow him full freedom of movement, he had jumped at the chance, agreeing to do anything in return.

Jon chuckled. "So, ye've finally seen the light. It's aboot time."

Jason sneered, turning on him again. "I'll do this task, Jon. But then I want nothing more te do with yuir 'Quarrymen.'"

He put on the helmet he had been holding under his arms, obscuring his face completely. "I've sinned enough for one lifetime."

Jason stepped up to the edge of the roof. A jetpack emerged from the back of his armor, and he flew off.

Jon chuckled. A ringing sound came from his pocket. Frowning, he pulled out his cell phone.

"Hello?"

"Greetings, Mister Castaway," said a commanding voice on the other end.

Jon smiled. "Ah! Good to here from you, m'lord."

"Has Jason gone to make the delivery?"

Jon nodded, chuckling, "Aye. It'll be at Police Plaza just as that freak-loving bitch checks out for the evening."

"Good. Just remember the plan."

Jon laughed. "For a plan THIS exquisite, I'm willin' to make some compromises here and there. Now, what about the rest?"

"We've already contacted him on the exo-suit's comm-link. He'll do his job when we tell him to."

Jon nodded. "I've also made th'call to the Assistant DA's office. Ms.Yale will be there un time. Now, about Elisa..."

"She'll react the way we've predicted. Trust us."

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Later on, at Police Plaza...
Twenty Minutes Later...
And Fifteen Minutes After A Delivery...
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Elisa shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. Moping would do her no good. She would just have to do her job, as always, and move on from there. She smiled to herself, seeing Goliath and the others turn back to the Eyrie Building, heading home for the night.

Goliath's right, she thought, All we have to do is keep this city under control, prevent the hate mongers from doing anything stupid. Then we'll have plenty of time for each other.

Matt looked over at her as he parked the car. "You okay now?"

Elisa turned to Matt and smiled. "Yeah. C'mon, let's get these guys inside."

Matt grinned. He got out of the car and opened it, roughly dragging the three perps inside. The two of them chatted idly as they moved the three of them inside.

"Yo, Morgan!" Matt yelled, seeing who was behind the processing desk.

The dark-skinned cop jerked, as if he had heard someone say something rather rude. He smiled weakly. "Detective Bluestone, Detective Maza. I see you had a productive night."

Elisa frowned. Something was wrong, she could feel it. Matt just chuckled.

"Hey, why so formal, amigo? We just caught the bimbo that's been robbing banks the past few weeks and getting away with millions."

Morgan's smile became visibly forced. "Yes. That's fine. Thank you. And congratulations. Please put them in the tank and fill out the paperwork."

Matt frowned now, starting to suspect trouble. They guided their prisoners to the holding cells.

"What the hell is going on here?" Matt said as he looked around the office. From all sides and from everyone in the station, hostile looks were sent in their direction. Elisa pulled her coat around herself, suddenly very nervous.

"My office. NOW," barked a voice. The two of them turned just in time to see their captain, Maria Chavez, slamming the door behind her as she went into her office.

Elisa and Matt froze. Something very bad was happening, they both were sure of it now. Slowly, nervously, they started towards Captain Chavez's office.

"Could they know?" Matt whispered. "About us and the clan?"

Elisa shook her head. The rest of the station finding out about their relationship with the clan was something they had been fearing for quite a while. Anti-Gargoyle sentiment was high ever since the Hunters had destroyed the Clocktower where the old station was, blaming it on the clan. Slowly, her hand shaking, she opened the door.

Inside, Captain Chavez paced angrily behind her desk. It took a moment to recognize the woman sitting in the shadows near the window of Chavez's office, but once they did figure out who it was, Matt and Elisa froze.

"Maza. Bluestone. This is Assistant DA Margot Yale," Chavez said. Elisa, in an attempt to be cordial, went over and offered to shake her hand. Mrs. Yale just stared back at her coldly.

Elisa coughed nervously. "So... what's up, Captain? Something we did wrong on the bust tonight?"

"Sit. Down," Chavez said, not looking at them. It was obvious that she was restraining herself from lashing out at them. Matt and Elisa quickly sat down.

"What's this about, Captain?" Elisa asked, not wanting to look at Margot.

Chavez reached into her desk and pulled out a small DVD. She put it into the player in her office.

"This was delivered to the station anonymously, along with a note that said to wait and play it for Margot Yale and the entire station. The note also said that it contained vital information on the gargoyles," she said, pressing the play button.

There was a mild whirring sound as the DVD started up. Matt's eyes widened as Elisa blanched, hearing her own voice coming out of the player, along with seeing what happen just a few minutes ago.

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Start video...
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"Wait," she said.

Goliath turned. "What's wrong?"

Elisa bit her lip, and said, hesitantly, "It's... it's been a while since we've been alone, Goliath. Alone together, I mean. I miss you so much, and lately it seems like all we do together is patrol."

Goliath shook his head sadly. "Unfortunetly, duty calls us in different directions. Ever since our existance became known to the general populace, it's all we can do to keep this island from destroying itself, and us." He leaned down and kissed her. "It is my sincere hope that we'll be able to quiet things down enough for us to be together. Until then..." he sighed.

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End video...
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Elisa at first seemed frightened of what she saw. But when she looked at Chavez and Yale, their expressions hadn't changed a bit. She chuckled weakly, and looked away, realizing that they only heard and saw her and Goliath sharing a mildly romantic moment, and heard nothing about what they were doing that night.

Chavez glared at her. "Explain," she snapped.

Elisa chuckled weakly again, and decided to tell her the truth. Most of it, anyway. "A couple years ago I met a clan of creatures named gargoyles. They had been moved to the city after being trapped in stone for a millenium, and were confused. They were eventually attacked by a bunch of mercenaries. I went up to where they were staying to investigate sounds of the battle, and accidently fell off the top of the building. The big guy on the video saved me, and introduced me to the clan. Since then, I've sort of been the clan's unofficial human liason to the city, while they work as, well, as vigilantes."

"Criminals, you mean," Yale said, speaking for the first time since Elisa and Matt came in. The two detectives flinched. Yale removed a file from underneath her chair, showing security shots of the clan's raids on the three CyberBiotics labs that Xanatos had tricked them into commiting when they first emerged. Elisa sighed weakly, suddenly realizing that in Mrs.Yale's state of mind, she'd never listen to an explination of what the gargoyles were really like. Matt's eyes widened even further. Chavez shook her head.

"Is there anything else, Elisa? Such as an explination of why that... that THING kissed you? Or your dissapearance for several months?"

Elisa just smirked, "Captain, I could explain that, but you wouldn't believe any of it. As for why he kissed me, well, why wouldn't he? After all, we've both fallen in love with one another."

Matt frowned at her, and started to say something, but Elisa silenced him, the expression on her face that of a woman with nothing left to lose, knowing she's about to go down in flames.

Yale's eyebrow twitched. Chavez just stared at her incredulously. "You're serious?" she asked.

Elisa nodded slowly. Chavez rubbed her temples, sitting down hard in her chair. She turned to Matt, and said, "All right, Bluestone. You're her partner. What can you tell us about this?"

Elisa interjected before Matt could even react to the question. "One of the clanmembers saved his life during a shootout. He knows that I know them, but nothing more. Other than that, I haven't told him anything."

Matt looked at her, confused. Elisa just held up a silencing hand again. No need for us both to lose our jobs, she thought, grinning weakly.

Chavez sighed, trying to figure out what to do next, unsure of what to think of her best detective anymore. Yale's glare intensified, an angry smile forming on her face. "You're leaving some details out, Miss Maza," she said.

Elisa just smiled right back, "Some of it, like I said, you wouldn't believe even if I told you. And the rest is quite frankly personal."

Yale's grin widened. "And that's your final word on the matter?" she asked.

Elisa nodded.

Yale chuckled nastily, and stood up. "Then I have no qualms about saying this: Elisa Maza, you are hereby fired from the NYPD, pending criminal charges," she said.

"WHAT?!" shout Elisa, Matt, and Chavez all at once.

Yale ignored them and continued. "The most PROMINENT of those charges will be aiding and abetting terrorists, and conspiracy to commit a terrorist act, I.E. the destruction of the 15th Precinct HQ."

"Dammit Yale, you never told me that you were planning this!!" Chavez snarled.

"You IDIOT! You stupid, simple-minded IDIOT! You don't even know all the details behind what happened!!" Matt snarled. Elisa just stared at the Assistant DA, a look of pure shock on her face.

Yale just stared impassively at her, ignoring Matt completely. "I didn't tell you, because I just thought of it. I can get away with it, since I have been appointed Special Investigator into gargoyle-matters by the City Council, which gives me some extra authority to throw around. And I don't think the Union will object too greatly to this, since lives were lost in the attack." She turned back to Elisa, her smile that of a wildcat with a cornered field mouse. "My suggestion, Miss Maza, is that you take the rest of the day off. My office will be in contact with you rather soon." She opened the door to the office, and said, "Oh, one more thing. It would be in your best intrests not to leave the city."

She left the office, angry glares from both Matt and Chavez. When she was far enough away, Matt stood up and punched the wall in frustration, shaking the awards nailed to it.

"DAMMIT!! This isn't fair!"

Elisa slumped over in her chair, closing her eyes. "You know that the gargoyles weren't responsible. It was Jason Canmore, and his siblings."

Chavez shook her head, rubbing her temples as she leaned over her desk.

"I desperately want to believe that, to trust you. But without substantial evidence, we've got nothing to go on! Elisa, Robyn Canmore was released today. Some shrink hired by Castaway determined that she was just taking the blame for something she didn't do."

Elisa sighed, lowering her head even further. Matt stared at her, horrified. She had never looked this beaten before. He had never seen her look this defeated.

She got up, and slowly walked out of the room. Chavez shook her head as Matt turned his glare to her.

"Don't look at me like that, Bluestone, I'm on your side," she snapped.

Matt started to bluster a response, but sighed, sitting down hard in a chair. Chavez shook her head, and said, "Look, why don't you take a couple days off. Spend some time with her, make sure she doesn't do anything we ALL will regret. I'll cover for whatever paperwork you have."

Matt nodded sullenly, and walked out of the office, speeding up to a jog to catch up with Elisa.

He found her outside, waiting in her car, on the passenger side again. He frowned, and got in the driver's seat. He briefly thought up a joke, dismissed it as inappropriate for the situation, and sighed. He started up the car, and looked over to Elisa.

It was then he noticed the tears in her eyes.

Matt frowned even deeper. "Elisa?"

Elisa looked up towards him, and smiled weakly. Her face was red from crying. "There are times, Matt, when I think Demona has the right idea. You know?"

Matt nodded. He shifted the car into gear, and started driving, going nowhere in particular. He sighed, and said, "Is there anything I can do to help."

Elisa shook her head. She chuckled sadly, and said "I guess I'm going to have a lot of free time to spend with Goliath now."

Matt sighed inwardly again, staring into the sunrise. He wished he was better at comforting people. But he had been an outcast for so long, first as a child with his crime-drama obsessions, and later as an adult, with his endless questing for the Illuminati, he didn't know how to offer comfort to someone in need of it.

But he did understand where her partner was coming from. For the most part, anyway. For Elisa, her job was her life, what she lived to do. To have it all taken away simply because of someone she loved....

He shook his head. A plan was starting to form in his mind. He didn't know if it would work, but it sure as well was a better idea than just letting his partner feel bad about herself. He turned a corner, picking up speed.

Elisa looked up, sensing the change in velocity.

"Matt, where are we going?"

"To the Eyrie Building," he said, smirking with her trademark cocky grin.

Elisa shook her head, "Matt, the clan's stone cold asleep by now."

"I know that."

Elisa frowned, wiping the tears from her face. "Then why...?"

Matt smiled, holding up a hand to silence her. "The way I see it from what you've told me, Xanatos owes you and the clan a crapload of favors to repay all the stuff he's done against you, right?"

Elisa nodded, "Yeah..."

"So I figure we call in a big one. A guy like David Xanatos has got to have expensive lawyers up the wazoo, right? So why not put them to use for you?"

Elisa chuckled weakly. "Whatever you think will work, partner. But that still won't change the fact that I'm out of a job. That bitch Yale was right. If that video was shown to the whole precinct, there's no way I can be a cop again. Not after this comes out. Even if I win the trial."

"Bushwah!" Matt said, feeling more and more confident about his idea, "Don't worry, Elisa. One way or another, we're going to get you back to doing what you do best: Protecting people. You'll see, everything will work out in the end."

Neither of them noticed the tiny, almost invisible recording device in one corner of the windshield.

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Somewhere Else...
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Three imposing figures, two men, one woman, their bodies obscured completely by darkness, sat around a circular table, watching a holographic display of the conversation between Elisa and Matt.

"You'll see, everything will work out in the end," Matt said.

One of the men chuckled. "Oh yes it will, Mister Bluestone. But it will work out to OUR end."

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To Be Continued...
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Token Disclaimer: All characters in these stories save for any originals are copyrighted to Disney and Buena Vista. (Sadly enough.) All ORIGINAL characters are copyrighted to me. This storyline starts 3 months after "The Journey." I'm disregarding the rest of the idiotic "Goliath Chronicles," as I refuse to acknowledge them as canon.