Part Three: Gargoyles is property of Disney and Buena Vista Productions and is used here solely for pleasure, not profit. Oz and Michael Scott, Laurie and Arthur Hawke, and other minor characters copyright Carolynn Marie, 1997.

***

"You did what?"

Xanatos sat in his chair, which had miraculously escaped from the action in his office earlier that evening. "Sorry there's nothing here for you to punch, Goliath. As you can see, my desk has been taken out of commission for a while." He looked distinctly at the empty space hanging between them.

Elisa Maza hung back, inspecting Owen. His major-domo stared coolly back. Xanatos could always count on him to stay unruffled in such situations.

Goliath gritted his teeth. "How can you be so foolish? I've seen what the mirror can do, and you just play with it like a child who has found his father's gun!"

"You think I didn't consider the dangers? Your clan's interruption was a new variable to the equation, one which I could not predict." Xanatos' eyes narrowed, as if the entire fiasco was Goliath's fault. "Owen informed me of Titania's mirror, and I thought it would be interesting to try out."

"I suppose you would know how to get them back?" Elisa demanded, glaring at Owen.

The pale major-domo raised an eyebrow. "I would suggest an immediate excursion to England to retrieve the younger members of the clan."

"England? Why England?"

Owen made a sound in his throat. He almost seemed annoyed, a human emotion he rarely showed. "That would logically be the first place Ms. Hawke would be interested in visiting, though she might not be consciously aware of the fact." At Goliath and Elisa's confused look, he added, "The young lady who led the Trio through the mirror. Her father is currently working in London. It is the most reasonable choice."

He raised an eyebrow and added in a steely tone directed at the detective, "Or so the most reason-minded would propose." Elisa glared and moved to throttle him, but was restrained by Goliath.

"And how would you know of her background?" Goliath asked.

"I was partnered with Arthur Hawke during my employment with Halcyon Renard," Owen responded crisply. "Before Mr. Hawke made a career move towards journalism."

"Some jump," Elisa muttered.

"Mr. Hawke always was one for chance, detective," Owen replies. "It is a trait that seems to have been passed on to his offspring." He glared at the damaged mirror with some disdain.

"Could you transport us to London?"

"Not unless it directly involves Alexander."

"What of getting the mirror up and running again?"

"That would be highly improbable. I am not in a position to do so. There is also the factor of not telling whether they are anywhere near where they appeared."

"I don't suppose sorcery could help with this," Elisa suggested desperately.

Xanatos laughed. "A valiant attempt, detective, but a futile one. A little bird told me that mixing magicks is quite dangerous." He smiled at Owen, who returned it with a smug look. "Of course, magic is not always above simple technology." He rose and strode towards the door, slapping a button on a side panel as he went. "Come. I have a plane waiting."

***

"You've got to admit, she's got guts," Lex whispered as Laurie headed off by herself. Nervous now, his claws sank into the ledge's mortar. He felt naked sitting here out in the open, but luckily his wings ballooned around his hunched form, hiding him from the moon's piercing rays. Broadway and Brooklyn sat across the alleyway on another ledge. The dark hid them from view, but the chilly air carried their scent easily.

He watched Laurie weave through the crowd of humans on the street. He cleared his throat and tapped the microphone around his neck. "Testing, testing, one, two, three..." It squealed and sputtered before the frequency finally cleared.

"-Laurie here. My ... working ... just fine. Over and out."

Broadway's chuckle drifted through the shadows. "The wonders of modern technology."

"Tell me about it," the olive gargoyle grumbled.

"Okay, here we go." Brooklyn must have shifted, because Lex could see his outline easier now in the dark. "Una and Leo will be waiting several streets over. Broadway, you and I will head out with Griff to search for the werewolf. Laurie, you there?"

"... Brook ... here..."

"Okay, you hang around the places it's been spotted and try to get its attention. If the plan works, head over to ground zero. We'll be waiting. Lex will tail you from the air to make sure you don't become an easy meal ticket for Shaggy down there."

Lex shot Brooklyn a look that could melt lead. How could his own brother do that to him? The fact that the human had pulled a fast one on him still rankled. Brooklyn must have noticed that by now, and yet he had just assigned him bodyguard duty.

Brooklyn didn't miss a beat. "If any of us with wings see it, radio the others about the location and keep an eye on it until help arrives. Anything you guys wanna go over?"

"Yeah. Be quick. I don't ... the idea of being a main course."

Lex tapped his mike. "Hey, I've already nabbed you twice without any problems. Third time's the charm." He felt a twang of irritation.

"Okay, I'm counting on you, Lexington. Laurie out."

He flexed his arms and studied the winds. Gooseflesh rippled up his arms. For what he was about to do, he would have to be on top alert.

***

Owen hung up and slipped the cell phone into his vest pocket. "She is awaiting us with, and I quote, 'utter twitter', Mr. Xanatos."

Elisa frowned. To her right, she felt Goliath anxiously dig into his armrest. "You have contacts in London for just such an emergency, Xanatos?"

"Patience, detective. I've always had my fingers in several pies. It helps in corporation takeovers." She could see herself reflected in the sunglasses he wore, hiding his calculating eyes from view. Elisa shivered. He smiled, obviously enjoying himself.

She waited for Fox to jump to her husband's side, but the other woman sat unperturbed in the pilot's seat, muttering directions to herself. From his seat beside Owen, Alexander Xanatos squealed and sucked on his toes. Elisa wondered why Xanatos would bring his son. After all, it was a fairly short trip; his plane had Air Force One capabilities and could reach London in two hours.

In fact, she mused, it seemed Owen had wanted to come more than any of them. Now that he had finished calling Xanatos' contact, he leaned slightly forward in his seat. Perhaps that was the reason for Alexander being there. If Owen had wanted to come so badly, there would be no one at home to watch the baby.

Weird. What did Owen ever look forward to? Before she had known him to be Puck, she always saw him as a stiff British lackey who only enjoyed ironing Xanatos' socks and maybe watching stuffy British sitcoms. Who knew what Fey did for fun?

Fox suddenly leaned in on the yoke as the plane hit ground and shuddered. Goliath gave an audible sigh of relief from his seat. He didn't seem comfortable latched into a tight space with no obvious escape route. The old 'Fight or Flight' system of most animals, Elisa realized.

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to Heathrow International Airport."

***

Laurie shivered at the cold and pulled her coat collar up around her neck. Her toes were already numb inside her leather boots and she ground her back teeth to stop their chattering.

'This gets any colder and that thing'll be eating a human popsicle,' she considered. The little joke made her cringe.

"How's the weather down there?"

She fumbled for the microphone at her throat. "Like hell froze over. I want Miami Beach."

"Just keep walking," the gargoyle, Lexington, said. "Griff radioed from over Buckingham Palace with report of a big creature attacking a guard."

She shivered again. "Everyone okay?"

"Nothing stitches won't cure. Luckily, he was working double shift and the others on duty came quickly enough. But I don't want to be here when the tabloids come out tomorrow."

"Good thing there aren't any Quarrymen in Europe," she added.

There was a derisive snort from his end. "Well, yeah. They haven't been home for a while," he said blandly.

Her eyebrows rose. "You're going to have to fill me in on everything when we get home." Her apparently one-sided conversation earned steely looks from passers-by. She buried her face into her collar to muffle her voice. "This thing's pretty hungry, then?"

"Just make sure you're fast-food."

"You know, you're not making me feel much better-"

"Sorry." He sounded self-conscious. "I didn't-"

She waited a second, then tapped the mike again. "Lexington?"

"Walk slow. Make a left at the next intersection and head for ground zero. It's a small street, and we don't want to attract attention. I'll bet my laptop it won't make a move until the alley, when you're not surrounded by pack mates to help you. And," he added hastily, "no sudden movements."

Laurie shivered. "Why? What's-"

"No sudden movements." There was a squeal as he ended transmission.

***

Griff pivoted on his wingtip and zoomed across London's skyline. He found Lexington flying so slowly that he appeared to be floating right over St. George Street. "Spotted anything yet, chap?"

Lexington pointed down below. "In that alley. It's watching her."

The way he said it made Griff's feathers curl. "Werewolf?"

"There." He pointed again. "There wolf."

"Beg pardon?"

"Aw, forget it. Just follow me, and be ready to fight." The small olive-green gargoyle clapped his arms to his sides and dropped like a stone.

***

A tingling started at the base of Laurie's skull. She bit down harder, tried to keep control. Magic tended to attract attention.

Only two more stores to pass until she reached the street that led to Leo and Una. Magic laced the chill air like static before a storm. Some deep sense hissed at her to get to higher ground. Laurie quickened her pace.

The first screams began before she passed the last shop. A wolf howled. Laurie turned to find an immense black creature racing down the sidewalk on all fours. Everywhere, humans were running into stores and cars and over road barriers, anywhere to get out of its way. But the creature ignored them, and instead wove in and out of the crowd, never taking its eyes off of her.

'Time I made my exit.' Laurie pivoted on her heel and bolted. But she felt the concrete tremor beneath her boots and knew she wasn't going to reach the alley in time.

That was when Lexington locked his claws under her arms and flew down the street with her toes barely missing the ground. "Lexington!" she screamed. Throwing a glance at the werewolf behind them, she added, "Looks like you owe me a laptop!"

He ignored the last comment. "Told ya third time's the charm!" He peered over his shoulder and barked into the mike. "Brooklyn! We need back-up!"

"We're waiting for you in the alley, Lex!" Brooklyn's voice answered. Lex puffed out his wings as best he could with full arms and rocketed upwards. Excitement thrilled through her veins, and Laurie whooped just before she remembered.

"NO!" she yelled. "Turn back! It's getting away!"

"Hold on!" He folded up his wings, hugging her to his chest as they plummeted to earth.

***

There were humans everywhere. Griff focused on the dark blur dashing through the street. He hoped what he was about to do would work.

He straightened his wings to glide parallel to the pavement just inches below. If he wiped out at 50 km/h, there wouldn't be enough left of him to pack into a thimble.

Griff landed on the creature's back with a solid thump and locked his arms around its throat. It screamed and skidded into a parked car. He tightened his grip as it attempted to buck him off.

"Ha!" he laughed. "You'll have to do better than that!" It lowered its head and raised its rear, causing him to tumble forwards and onto the ground before it.

He gulped as it bared its teeth, saliva oozing between its fangs. "That'll do," he said weakly.

***

"You sure these things will work?" Broadway glanced distrustfully at the spear Una had just pressed into his hands. He cocked his head at the mouth of the alley.

Leo leaned against his spear, propped against the wall like a walking stick. The gesture reminded Broadway of an impeccably dressed English gentleman out for a stroll. "Incontestable," Leo said. "It's either this or an iron-alloy bullet. And I know which Una would prefer."

"Now, remember, this is very important, or else it won't work," his mate instructed. "You MUST make contact with that eye symbol on the creature's forehead. Not an inch above or below, or else you'll just kill it. We just want to wound the magick, not the vessel it inhabits."

"Hey, something's coming this way." Brooklyn crouched lower into the shadows and motioned towards the others. "And Shaggy's right behind him."

His eyes widened as the creature twisted and pinned something big and winged beneath its claws...

***

"Left! Left! Left!" Laurie squealed.

Lex threw her a dirty glare as they fell. "Let me do the flying, okay?" His one comment took his mind completely off the ground looming up at them.

She gave a sardonic smile and swept her hand forward. "Be my guest, please!" He looked down and realized they were falling at too sharp an angle at too fast a speed. He yelped and tried to pull up, but her right leg was too close to his wing. They weren't getting enough lift.

"Hang on!" With what little control he had left, he aimed right for the closest building.

Laurie screamed, imagining a very messy collision. "You're crazy!"

"You're not driving!" he shot back. She buried her face in his shoulder and wrapped her legs around his waist. Lex sucked in a breath and pivoted his body so his legs would take the brunt of the impact.

The balls of his feet hit first. He let the springs in his knees go, allowing his body to bounce instead of landing hard. Hudson had taught him that trick; when in doubt, just let your body pilot you. It was a handy trick with rough landings, especially when being chased. Then your assailant was never sure where you were going.

He bounced on his feet, flipped off the building, and crashed into a knee-deep pile of alley trash. Lex lay there for a minute, relieved at the stench. If he could smell anything that badly, then he wasn't dead.

"Hmph!" Laurie raised her head from his shoulder and grimaced. "At least we're in one piece. Nice flying, Ace." She looked at him with new respect.

"Aw, comes with practice." They helped each other up, tottered to the alley's mouth, and tumbled onto the deserted sidewalk. She looked behind them to where their street connected to the main road. The opening was congested with people and cars. Stretchers were being loaded into the back of an ambulance. Lex saw immediately that they couldn't get out that way; his appearance would just start another panic.

"We can't go back-" From the other direction, Griff roared pitifully. "This way!" She grabbed Lex's hand and took off.

He planted his claws and rear-end into the ground, causing her to stop and stare at him. "Uh-uh," he said. "Where do you think you're dragging me?"

She looked amazed that he had to ask. "Are you serious?" Her eyes lit up at a Volvo wedged up against the curb. She cupped her hands around the glass and peered in at the driver's seat, then swiveled and snapped her fingers. "Dr. Watson, I believe I have an idea. Got a piece of wire or something?"

"Huh?" He wasn't sure he'd heard her right.

"God, Lexington. You've lived in New York all your life and you've never picked a lock?" She pulled a faux-silver hoop earring from her earlobe, straightened it out, and jammed it into the lock. "I'm lucky Auntie Enid is so cheap with Christmas presents; I'd die if this were real silver." A second later, she murmured, "Oh, screw it" and shattered the window with her elbow. She unlocked the door and curled herself behind the wheel. Lex only glared.

Laurie sighed at the gargoyle's hard look. "Look ... Lex..." It was the first time she had called him by his nickname. "...I know we haven't exactly hit it off in the past twenty-four hours, but we can't get picky now."

"After everything you've pulled?" He stared distrustfully at her. "Give me one reason to trust you."

She slouched into the leather interior and shrugged. "Do you have a choice?" She had him with that one.

"I guess not," Lex conceded. He crawled in through the sun-roof and plopped into the passenger side, then shifted uncomfortably. He'd never been in a car before. "Uh, how do you start it?"

"You need a key." She pulled down a visor hanging from the ceiling and ran her fingers across the top. "Check under the mats." At his puzzled expression, she tapped the floor beneath his feet. He looked, but there wasn't anything.

"Now what?"

She nibbled her lip. "Now we get creative." After pulling out a score of wires, she managed to hot-wire the car without electrocuting herself. She whistled as the engine sprang to life. "I can't believe that worked! Hey, put on your seatbelt."

"The owner won't like us driving this."

"The owner won't want the car back now. It reeks of garbage thanks to us."

His shoulder brushed against a harness near the door. He pulled it around his waist and buckled himself in. "And hang on." She pressed a pedal on the floor, but the car only groaned.

Lex sighed. "Put it in Drive." Hudson's late-night cop shows had taught him some driving basics.

She bit her lip again and cranked the lever. "Right. Thanks. Okay, for real this time. Hang on."

Lex dug his claws into the leather seat as the car shot forward. Right into the back of a silver-and-chrome BMW. "Oops. Hold on." She put the car in Reverse, backed up, and tried again. His head flew backwards into the headrest as she dodged another parked car and pulled out into the abandoned street. They swung around a corner and raced downhill.

"What are you doing?!"

"Dunno," she said. "I'm making this up as I go."

His eyes widened at the middle of the lane, where a truck stood idly.

"Aaagghhh!" He threw himself against the seat. The car swerved clear, tires screaming. "Hey, this isn't America! You're driving on the wrong side of the road!" He stared at her in disbelief. "Can you drive?"

She looked sheepish as she clung to the steering wheel. "Legally, no."

"What do you mean 'legally'?"

"I haven't got my license yet. You can't get one in the city 'til you turn eighteen."

"But, you know how to drive, right?"

"Sure..."

"You have no idea what you're doing, do you?" It was more statement than question.

"Hey!" she snapped. "Gimme time! I've never driven stick before." She pulled the wheel right without even touching the brakes. He gritted his teeth as his brain bounced around in his skull. "The older model cars are made of iron, right?"

He didn't like the way she phrased the question. "Why?"

At the end of the street, he could just make out the werewolf. It had Griff pinned on his back and was ravaging his wings, the only shield protecting his face. Eyes on the road, Laurie reached around to the back seat. "Get in back. You don't want to be up front for this."

Keeping a steady grip on the backrest to keep from being thrown, he hauled himself over the seat and put his hands on her waist. "Let me know when to pull you back," he warned.

"Thanks," she said warily. "I better get the Physics part down pat. If I do this right, we'll just do a 360."

"And if you don't?"

She laughed nervously. Lex's hands were cold and clammy as blood rushed to his face. Griff and the werewolf were looming large in the headlights.

"Now!"

Lex yanked her to the back floor and dug his claws into the car's furry bottom. For extra measure, he curled himself around her body and crossed his arms over her chest, cloaking her with his wings.

That was when the car collided with something. Hard. Lex shoved his back against the door, bracing them against the sudden stop. The pressure of twisting metal was too much; glass shattered into fist-sized chunks. Laurie screamed.

The car began to fold in on them like an origami crane.

***

Leo cracked his spear against the werewolf's head. It spun and snapped at him, giving Brooklyn enough time to dash in and drag Griff out of the street.

"Leo!" Broadway yelled, hoisting his spear aloft. He was about to attack when a squealing of tires caught his attention. His jaw dropped as the car sped right for them. "Fire in the hole!" Leo released his weapon as the gargoyles leapt for cover. The creature let go of the spear and looked up, only to take the car's bumper in the muzzle. Its head snapped back in a spray of teeth.

Broadway winced. 'Whoever's trapped in that furry body had better be up to extensive dental work after all this.'

The car's front wheels forked right. The metal frame swung into a 360 spin, tires screeching. It flipped over several times before crashing into a lamp pole.

Una rushed forward and drove the needle-sharp point of her weapon into the symbol on the werewolf's forehead. There was a crunch as the spear hit home. The creature roared in a shower of broken teeth then fell back onto the pavement with a hollow thud.

"Lex!" Broadway jammed his hands into the car doors and levered the steel apart. His rookery brother was sandwiched between the front and back seats. He tore the car apart in a flurry of leather and metal but recoiled from a radiating energy orb in the back. As he watched in astonishment, the light flickered and dissipated from around Lex, who was completely unharmed.

Overjoyed, Broadway scooped him up. Tears blurred the portly gargoyle's vision. "Aw, Lex, buddy. You okay?"

Lex blinked and peered up at him through singed eyelids. "Wha' hit me?"

Broadway grinned. "The biggest road-kill you've ever seen." His nose wrinkled. "What did you guys step in? Where's-"

A drowsy-looking Laurie appeared from beneath the warm canopy of Lex's wings. "She's okay," he said sleepily. "She sure can drive." He almost looked impressed.

"Watched tons of Dukes of Hazard," Laurie affirmed, rubbing at a gash above her eye. The protection spell hadn't saved her from flying glass. "I really did it, didn't I? I mean, I controlled it this time. I didn't just get scared or angry and explode..."

Brooklyn ran up to Broadway. "We'd better move it." He thumbed a claw over his shoulder to the pavement. Where there had just been a furry carcass now lay a pasty-faced human male. It was too far away to tell for sure, but Broadway thought he looked alive; he could hear the heavy rasping from where he stood. Una crouched next to him and waved her arm over his chest. There was a crackle of electricity, and the human shuddered and lay still.

Everyone winced. No, Broadway figured. The human couldn't possibly be alive. He was a mangled mess of bruises and shredded bone.

"He may not live, so I suppose I should follow him to the hospital and see what else I can do," Una announced seriously, placing an odd amulet into a metal box and stuffing it into a pocket. Everyone stared at her curiously, but she didn't offer any more of an explanation.

Griff limped over to them, his wings damp and crimson from the mauling. "I suppose Leo and I shall lead you back to the shop. My dear Una's still got some stuff to do." He smiled weakly.

Broadway nodded and shifted the olive-green gargoyle for easier carrying. Then, with the human and his rookery brother safely tucked in his arms, he followed the others. Griff wrapped his useless wings around his body and held onto Leo for support.

They just made it to the alleyway when the sirens started coming.

To Be Concluded...