AVALON MISTS: A momentary escape from reality.
Issue #5
First Released: Wednesday, March 20, 1996


****Fanfic****

"Face Value"
--MaryK (starr@nando.net) 

Part #3

	Loki smiled, entering one of his clubs accompanied only by the steady beat 
of the live music. He'd remembered to ask his white haired partner, Oracle,if
it would be safe to be there alone, and she agreed that he'd return with
nothing more serious than a drunken stupor and a horrible hangover the next
morning. She *had* said something about a possible fight, but announced that
he would be the victor, choosing not to name his opponent. 	
             She often left out details, but it was more to keep him from
becoming bored than anything mutinous.
	The band stopped for a break almost moments after Louis had entered, moving
off the stage to sit at the bar and tell lies to their few loyal fans. Loki
sat nearby, listening to the fans' babblings and the singers' tales. A chill
swept in as someone else entered. Louis glanced over his shoulder, then did a
double take, a large grin spreading over his handsome face. He dropped a
dollar for the bartender and moved over to intercept a group of three.
	"Goliath, loyal protector of New York! How's it going?" The dark-haired
couple exchanged glances, then both looked at the third man, who just frowned
and shrugged. Loki searched his mind, then came up with the names for the two
accompanying the changed gargoyle. They were Elisa Maza and Matt Bluestone,
both members of the NYPD, and both the only people in the city who the
gargoyles trusted.
	"Heard there have been some major changes in your life! I trust you don't 
mind them?"
	"Who are you?" Goliath asked, with the same steady voice that had stayed 
with him from the transition of gargoyle to human.
	"Ach! All that time with Oberon's children and the New Olympians, and you 
*don't recognize me?* Surely Proteus at least *mentioned* the name."
	"Which is..?" Matt asked, giving him a look that read *Are you completely 
nuts, mister?*
	"Loki, alleged Night-god and all around funster. What's up?"
	"Are *you* the one who did this to him?" Elisa asked, her voice lowered 
even thought the band had started their music again.
	"Until the FBI leaves. Trust me, it isn't permanent, unless I find your new 
identity to be useful."
	"Why?" Matt asked. Goliath remained silent, but his expression was grim and 
Loki wasn't sure if he wanted to push the envelope any further. *Oh well* 
	"Felt like it. It's been awfully dull around here lately. Let's put it this 
way: If you can get rid of the agents, I'll return you to the way you were. 
Deal?"
	"What if I don't believe your claim?" Goliath finally said, his voice taking
a more human tilt.
	"Then you'll just be a human for the next forty years. Sorry about that, but
a lifespan's a lifespan. You understand, right?"
	Goliath's eyes narrowed, the first sign of almost any emotion since he'd 
entered through the swinging double doors. **Now* we're getting somewhere* "I
understand." he said in a sarcastic tone, "But maybe my clan *won't*. You've
met my daughter, haven't you? I recommend that you stay out of my business,
trickster, or you'll have to face the group of us."
	"Ah'm shakin' in mah boots." Loki sneered, and for a moment bore a striking 
resemblance to a robust southern blond. " If you haven't read up, I'm a
shape-shifter. I can be anyone, including you, Mr. High-and-Mighty." He
adopted Goliath's voice, "What if I just tell the clan that you're an
impostor. Who do you think they'd believe--a human claiming to be their
leader or someone who talks, walks, and acts like the real McCoy? I'll give
you two guesses."
	Goliath's face contorted in anger, but the two cops held him on either side.
"Trust me, if you do it you'll be arrested." Elisa said quietly. "We can 
deal with this nut later, right know all we should be worrying about is those
two agents."
	The expression stayed, but he backed away, then turned, stalking towards the

door. The cops followed, Elisa glancing back with a hateful expression. Loki 
smiled and returned to his seat at the bar, where his drink was waiting, 
already refilled.  A member of the band sat down beside him, offering a 
halfway full bottle of something cheap. Louis accepted, lifting a suddenly 
empty glass.
	"Who was that?" The singer asked, tipping the bottle into his glass.
	"Never seen him in my life." Loki mumbled, smiling through a sip of his 
drink. *And hopefully never again* he added.

****

	The three had been silent through the entire ride back to the tower in
Matt's squad car. Goliath kept popping his knuckles, and Elisa was playing
with the bullet cartridge on her gun, emptying the bullets, then reloading,
over and over. Matt was gritting his teeth, his knuckles clasped white around
the wheel. Elisa was thrown forward as the car squealed to a halt, and
Goliath had to brace himself on the seat in front of him.
	"Will you two *please* stop doing that?!" Matt seethed, turning in the 
driver's seat.
	Elisa popped the cartridge in one last time, putting the gun back in the 
holster that was strapped across her shoulders. Goliath unlaced his fingers, 
a grim expression still on his face.
	"Look, you two can protect yourselves, right? This is *my* stop, so you'll
either have to call a cab or walk the rest of the way, but I've got to get 
to sleep."
	The opposing pair nodded, then Elisa stepped out of the squad car, opening 
the back door for Goliath because the rear seats' doors had no inside
handles. As soon as the door was closed behind him, the car sped off, the
tires squealing obnoxiously as Matt rounded a corner.
	The two exchanged glances.
	"Do you know the way from here?" Goliath asked, pulling aggressively on the 
black leather jacket that Matt had loaned him. It was only a size too small,
only serving to show off instead of inhibit.
	"A faint idea."
	"Wonderful."
	"See--if you stand right here and cover that eye, you can just make out the 
nine on the clock face." Goliath moved as she showed him.
"I think that's a billboard."
"Really?" Elisa moved back, squinting. "Hmm. I guess it is. Oh, well. How 
about we get to Central Park and work our way from there?"
	"Do you know the way from *there*?"
	"Nope. Not the faintest. We might end up on the west coast if we're not 
careful."
	"Hm. I don't believe I've seen the west coast."
	"How about we try one thing at a time. Think you could hail us a taxi?"
	"Well, well, well." the pair turned at the new voice. "If it ain't the two 
lost honeymooners, trying to get back to the hotel." A rough-looking
twenty-something emerged from the shadows behind them, toting a gun by the 
barrel.
"I'm police!" Elisa warned, " Another step and you're history." She said, 
reaching for the holster.
	"Who says?" Lightning-quick, someone grabbed her from behind, with one hand 
holding her wrist and the other moving a knife to her throat. Goliath moved 
to stop him, not bothered when the twenty-something's gun moved into a less 
passive position.
	"Goliath, look ou-"
The shot rang out just before he tackled the man behind her. The knife fell 
away from her throat, a million in one stroke of luck. The twenty-something 
was escaping as fast as he could go, his used gun dropped to the ground the
second after the shot had gone off. Elisa pulled back a fist to KO the
knife-man, then moved to check on her consort.
	"Hey, are you okay?"
He sat up slowly, one hand up to his head.
	"I'm fine, Elisa. It will heal by tomorrow night."
	She looked down to see a dark flesh wound on his arm, the leather around it 
shredded.
	"I hate to break it to you, but until Loki gets you back to the way you
were, you're going to have to wait to heal like everyone else."
	Goliath grimaced. "It's very... painful."
	"You'll live." Elisa said, trying her best to sound reassuring. "Come on, 
I think I know the way to the precinct from here."
	Goliath stood, holding his wound with the opposite hand.
	"What about the accomplice?" he asked, indicating the still body by his
feet.
	"Remember the face. We'll just report him when we get there."
	Goliath nodded, and kneeled by the unconscious body to lift the ski-mask. 
Elisa moved over as she saw his eyes go wide.
	"What is it?" she asked, kneeling beside him.
	"It's Owen."
	"You mean *Xanatos* Owen?" She took a look at the face, than gave Goliath a 
confused look.
	"What would Owen want with *us*?"

****

	Mulder sat with is legs up on the arms of the hotel chair while his partner 
tried her best to get to sleep.
	"Could you just turn that thing off!" she finally exclaimed, her face 
contorted by the blue light from the television set. Mulder reached for the 
remote and changed the channel from the local news station, by chance landing
on a California broadcast of the Simpsons.
	"Hey! I love this show! Come on Scully, another half hour won't kill you."
Scully moaned and stumbled towards the bathroom, mumbling something about 
drowning herself.
	Mulder smirked, then glanced back at the show, and something clicked.
He almost laughed out loud when he thought of it. David Xanatos's assistant, 
Owen, somehow reminded him of Waylin Smithers. He started chuckling, and 
Dana's head popped out from behind the bathroom door.
	"What?" she asked, startled, and Mulder pointed at the TV, starting into 
another laughing fit as Smithers appeared on the screen.
	"It wasn't *that* good of a joke." she said, then smirked as another 
one-liner came from the television set. Mulder covered his mouth with one 
hand, finally managing to choke down the hysterics.
	"Really, it wasn't..." she started laughing outright as the single joke 
clicked. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door, and the agents' guards 
went up. Mulder checked his watch, then groaned.
	"Who the heck is *that*?" he moaned, lifting himself out of the chair. 
Scully pulled her gun out of a small pile of her dirty clothes, moving into 
the bathroom so that she could see the doorway from the reflection on the 
mirror. She nodded to her partner, who nodded back and peeked through the
peep-hole. His solemn expression cracked to release a few chuckles.
	"It's <snort> Smithers!" he said, breaking out into a fit of laughing. 
Scully allowed herself a smirk, as she moved to take his place. "I-I meant...
<hah!> Owen." he wiped a tear from his eye and retreated to Dana's post by
the bathroom mirror, taking her gun in his right hand. Scully moved up to the
doorway and pulled back on the chain lock, pulling it open.
	"Can I help you?" she asked the man, who had short light blond hair and 
glasses. Actually, he did sort of look like...
	"I have information on the gargoyles." Mulder emerged from the bathroom, his
previous hysterics forgotten for the moment.
	"What do you know?"
	"They were with Elisa Maza when she disappeared for that month, and we have 
eyewitnesses, including digitized records from certain members of the Pack."
	"Pack?" Scully asked.
	"An organization that Mrs. Xanatos was once a member of. I have their
current location, if you would be interested..."
	"The clock tower, right?"
	"Yes. How did you-"
	"Because we've been there." Mulder said, "All we found were a good year's 
worth of dust and an Indian couple that we probably interrupted."
	"Hm. I'm sorry to bother you two, then. Goodnight." The pale figure 
abruptly turned and receded down the hotel walkway. Scully pulled the door 
closed, re-fastening the chain lock.
	"*That* was weird." she said, glancing back at the TV set. *Doh!*

****

	"Come on, the tower isn't going to be safe with the FBI still involved!
Look, I'll sleep on the couch, you can have the bed, and just *ignore* what
Hudson said! He watches too much TV." Elisa said, standing in front of her
apartment (?) door, moving her doorkeys out of her pocket and into the lock.
	"Couldn't I just watch the tower until tomorrow morning? I promise you, 
I'll go to sleep then."
	"Goliath, you've been awake for almost thirty-six hours, and your arm's not
going to get any better if you don't get any rest!" she pushed the door 
open. "Come on."
	Goliath hesitated, then stepped in, looking around at the minimalist 
apartment as Elisa disappeared into a hallway to re-emerge with an armful of 
blankets, which she began spreading over the couch cushions. Goliath stood
where he was, his eyes shifting nervously.
	Elisa glanced up, a pillowcase in her mouth as she struggled to get the
pillow stuffed in.
	"Thb-" she took the case out of her mouth, "The bedroom's just down that 
hall." she said, one hand out to point. Goliath nodded, but stood still.
	"What?" she asked once the pillow had been shoved into its case with a
vengeance.
	"I...I'm not sure as how to 'get to sleep'."
	Elisa groaned, collapsing onto the couch.
	"Look...all you do is lay back, like this, and close your eyes." she said, 
demonstrating. He nodded, then moved in the direction she had pointed,
removing the jacket to reveal a dark turtleneck. Elisa gave a slight smile 
from over the back of the couch, then sank back into the cushions,
immediately falling to sleep.
	Elisa woke up two hours later, and saw that her lights had been put out, the

only illumination being from her computer screen, which she specifically
remembered checking before she'd gone to get the blankets that she was
currently huddled under. The temperature in her apartment had dropped
somewhat, and she wrapped a blanket around her shoulders before standing up
to turn off the computer's screen.
	A movement in her room caught her eye.
	"Goliath?"
	He turned from where he was standing by the open bedroom window and gave her
a small smile.
	"I haven't disturbed you, have I?"
	"Mmm. No." she mumbled, still groggy from the little sleep she had gotten. 
	"Shouldn't you be asleep?"
	"I can't."
	"Try again." she muttered, covering a yawn with one hand. Goliath obediently
moved over to the bed, where he sat cross-legged on top of the comforters and
struck a modified thinker's pose. As an afterthought, he squeezed his eyes
shut. Elisa had to work to keep herself from laughing, and covered it up by
yawning again.
	"Okay, remember, the first thing you're supposed to do is *lie down*! No, 
no, like this, with your head up by the pillows!" She groaned,demonstrating,
taking the blanket from over her shoulders and lying under it. He mimicked
her movements, pulling the comforter that was already on the bed across his
shoulders.
	"Now you just," *yawn* "close your eyes, and relax." She said, demonstrating
on this also. Before she knew it, she'd fallen back asleep, the blanket
hanging loosely across her back. 
	Goliath waited, then stood and walked over to her side of the bed, where she

was sleeping soundly. Quietly, he brushed the loose hair away from her face, 
moving his hand over her forehead and across her cheek.
	Elisa smiled slightly in her dreams, and he sighed, tucking the cover more 
tightly around her shoulders before walking into the living room to sleep on 
the couch.

~To be concluded in the next issue

* * * * * 

"The Daughter of the Clan"
-- Leva Mevis (levamevis@aol.com)

Author's Note: I'm working on a very long fanfic; in it, Demona is delirious
and dreams of her past and nightmares from her present are merging -- they do
not reflect true reality, but rather, reality as Demona imagines it to be.
This is a short dream sequence that will probably show up in "Beastly
Knights" in a slightly altered form; in this one, Demona dreams of a time
when she and Goliath are about 15 or 16. A word of warning: it's a little
dark and a little strange. 

	967 AD
	Dreaming.

	The daughter of the clan recognised the balmy summer night immediately... it
was one forever tucked into her her heart and her soul. It did not matter if
she had lived a thousand years, or if she would live a thousand more... this
night would always live in her dreams and her heart.
	Fireflies danced across the rolling grassy hills. Two young gargoyles were
discovering one another. 
	The daughter of the clan ran swiftly, laughter bubbling out of her throat.
"Can't catch me!" She teased. "Catch me if you can!" 
	Goliath protested, "Come back with that!"
	She had a message from Prince Malcom in one hand; she'd swiped it from him.
Goliath had promised to take it to the Captain of the Guard. She ran from
him, wings flying behind her, giggling.
	"I'm going to get you!" He sounded irritated, which was good. He needed
teasing occasionally. He was far too serious!
	She looked over his shoulder, gauging his level of anger -- and tripped over
a bush in the dark. She hit the earth chin-first.
	"Ahhh...!" She touched her chin; her fingers were smeared black in the
moonlight. It wasn't a bad scrape, but it smarted.
	"Are you all right?" Goliath asked, breathless, as he caught up to her.
	Crossly, she responded, "I'll heal by the dawn."
	"Let me see." He cupped his hand under her jaw; he looked into her eyes. He
was checking to see if her pupils were the same size -- but her heart thumped
wildly. "You will live." He agreed. He pulled the scroll from her fingers and
tucked it into his belt
	She pouted at him.
	He grinned and offered her a hand up. "There's a stream this way." He guided
her in the direction of chuckling water. 
	She washed her face in the creek; the bleeding had already stopped. Goliath
knelt down to get a drink. She grabbed the scroll from his belt and pushed
him into the water in the same motion.
	The water was only a few feet deep, but he went completely under. He came
up, shaking the hair from his eyes "Rookery sister!" He protested.
	She grinned.
	He lunged swiftly forward and caught her ankle. She kicked and slapped him
in the face with her tail, and dropped the scroll in favor of clawing at the
earth, but he was a more powerful than she. He hauled her into the water with
him and dunked her. Twice. Her red hair was plastered flat to her skull.
	"I didn't think you were the vengeful sort." She sniffed, having wriggled
free.
	He laughed.
	She folded her arms and adopted a sulking attitude. It wasn't a very
effective sulk, since she was still sitting chest-deep in icy water.
	A mischevious light appeared in his grave dark eyes. He cupped his hands and
splashed her.
	She splashed back. With her wings.
	He spluttered, and grabbed her. He pinned her wings and dunked her a third
time, then realised abruptly that he had a very...interesting...armful. A
wet, breathlessly giggling, wriggling armful of female gargoyle...a very
beautiful armful.
	They stared at each other, startled. 
	Goliath let go of her abruptly. He turned away and clambered out of the
stream.
	"Goliath..." She breathed, pursuing him. 
	He turned to face her and spread his hands helplessly. "I did not mean
to...to...to..." He stammered, turning the most *interesting* shade of
lavender under the moon.
	She stopped very close to him, but not quite touching him. She couldn't find
the courage... "It's okay." She said.
	He smiled, and held a hand out. "Fly with me?"
	She slipped her hand into his. "Yes." 
	He reached down and picked up the scroll; he tucked it *very* carefully into
his belt.
	They flew very swiftly to the human's camp, though they were not sure why
they hurried. The daughter of the clan had odd feelings every time she
glanced at the young male; he was so... he was astonishing. His dark hair
played across the shoulders that were growing broader with every passing day;
the muscles beneath his blue skin promised great power someday. She
remembered the strength in his arms when he had held her, and shivered.
	"Having fun?" The Captain of the Guard commented, when two still-damp
gargoyles landed in the camp. Demona's red hair, a source of great vanity for
her, was hanging in her eyes. "Weather must be a bit capricious..." 
	Goliath flushed again.
	The captain chuckled, "Aye, yer havin' fun, allright. Get on, then. Tell his
highness that I'll have a full report to send tomorrow. Get on with ye."
	They fled his teasing. Once out of his sight and hearing, they exchanged
amused glances. She giggled, and bolted, "Catch me!"
	She wasn't carrying the scroll this time, but he seemed as interested in
catching her as before. She took to the air and led him on a merry chase over
the countryside.
	Finally, he caught up with her and planted a hand between her wings. He
knocked her tumbling. "You're it!"
	By the time she recovered, he was ahead of her by several lengths. She flew
in pursuit, planted her hands on his shoulders and leapfrogged over his head.
	He laughed, "Enough!"
	She doubled back. "What? Tired, Goliath, already?"
	He reached out and touched her fingers with his. "Perhaps I just want to fly
with you."
	"Goliath..." The daughter of the clan said. She glided very close to him,
"Find a place to land.."
	He nodded. Wordlessly, Goliath set down on a cliff overlooking the ocean.
"We are... not children anymore." He spoke slowly.
	She took a tiny step closer. "We are not."
	He took her hands into his own. "I love you." 
	She looked up at him; at the dark eyes filled with patience and warmth and
loyalty and...and, yes, love at the forefront. Here, she knew instinctively,
was a love who would never leave her, never betray her, who would... who did
love her.
	And she loved him. 
	Oh, she'd had a crush on him for years. But this was differant. This was a
warm, powerful, joyous feeling that clutched at her heart and sang in her
ears. 
	"I love you." She whispered back.
	His hands hesitantly, respectfully, moved to her shoulders. 
	She shivered at his touch, and leaned into his embrace. She was equally
hesitant... Her reaction encouraged him, and swiftly, his arms encircled her;
more slowly, his wings rustled and settled around her back. 
	She rested her head on his warm shoulder. A gentle hand ran hesitantly
through her hair. "Oh, I love you." He whispered softly. "I swear to you here
that I shall love you forever...I love you now and I love you forever."
	She leaned back and looked up at him.  "Now and forever..." She echoed. 
	He lowered his head, slowly, too slowly...
	The daughter of the clan was ripped away from that warm memory.
	Not again! She was so very tired of nightmares!
	She shivered. Alone. She was so very, very alone.
	She was imprisoned in ice. She was so cold, so terribly cold, so numb, so
tired. So very tired. So angry. So sad. She felt as if she was being torn
apart by grief...by anger...
	The ice was clear, and through it, she could see herself. And Goliath. His
hands were running through her hair, now... their embrace was innocent, a bit
awkward, and very inexperienced. Neither of them had ever kissed another
before that night.
	 And they never kissed anyone else after that night, either.
	Oh, they hadn't dared much. They'd kissed, for a while, and then they'd
snuggled together on the cliff and watched the moon set. After all these
years, she could still feel the warmth and weight of his arm around her waist
as they'd sat, two innocents unsuspecting of their future.
	Such innocence. They'd been such innocents.  
	The memory almost thawed the ice, just a little...
	But suddenly, as she watched, she disappeared from Goliath's arms.
	A human, tall and lithe and dark-haired, took Demona's place. She padded
across the grassy clifftop to Goliath; Goliath held out a hand and pulled her
down and into his arms. She settled easily into the shelter of his wings and
arms. Goliath rested his chin on her shoulder and pointed out something in
the stars; Elisa laughed and leaned back against him.
	Goliath had forgotten, forsaken her, his Angel of the Night, for the human!
	"I love you." He said to the blasted human.
	Elisa glanced back at him, grinned, and said, "I love you too, Goliath."
	The ice around the daughter of the clan shattered into a million razor-sharp
shards that tore through her soul.

~The end