He approached door #244. Pausing before he entered, he glanced down at the card just to the right of the knob:

Knocking only as a courtesy, for he knew his father expected him, Steve Bluestone opened the door.

"Dad?"

His father, at one time a prominent name in New York law-enforcement, looked up, smiling, from his book. Setting it down on the table next to him, Steve read the title as he approached: A Comprehensive History of Gargoyles, by Dr. Lennox MacBeth.

"Can't leave it alone, can you, Dad?"

The elder Bluestone shrugged. "Who ever can? I told you about how I came into contact with them, didn't I?"

"Only every time I come here." Steve chuckled as he sat down on the bed. His father wheeled his chair over.

"Yeah, those were the days. How are things now at the old 23rd?"

Steve chuckled. "You won't believe this ... Morgan finally retired."

A shocked expression crossed Matt Bluestone's face. "Morgan? I thought he was a lifer for sure."

"You don't consider 38 years on a beat a 'lifer?'"

Both Bluestone men started laughing. The conversation died down eventually, as both men fell silent. Steve, after a long pause, looked up at his father.

"I've been having some problems, Dad. Strange ones."

Matt wrinkled his face into deep thought. "Strange how?"

"Well, I dunno. It hasn't been anything major, just little occurences. A feeling, a hunch, you could say. I've had this feeling for the last week that someone's been watching over me."

Matt leaned forward. "How?"

"Well ... take last night. We went on a bust on a smuggling ring at LaGuardia. It went downhill fast, the perps had particle weapons and took down a few good cops. But just when I thought I and everybody else was dead, they just gave up. Even worse, a couple of them were unconscious. And nobody saw anything, not even any gargoyles."

"That is weird." Matt wheeled away in ponderance. "It's possible that someone told those guys not to take out the cops. They may have received orders from a superior to surrender."

"But why?"

Matt shrugged. "I wish I could help you more." He turned away, then sat bolt upright. "Wait, I know someone who might be able to."

Steve stood up, walking toward his father. "Listen, Dad, I've got to go, my shift starts in an hour, and I'm at least that far away ..."

"Take this." Matt handed Steve a small piece of scrap paper, with something scrawled on it. "You may find some answers."

"Thanks, Dad." Steve bent over and hugged his father. "I gotta go, now."

"Be careful, son."

"Don't worry, I always am." Steve turned to the door, opening it and leaving. Matt turned back to the window, looking out.

"Not always ..."

"DAD!!"

They had found no body in the room, but there was the possibility that Matt had been sitting at ground zero of the blast. That did nothing to comfort Steve. Just minutes before, he had said that the weird occurrences had been "nothing major," and now one had cost him his dad.

"Take this. You may find some answers."

Having forgotten the slip of paper, Steve opened it up in his hand, looking down and reading it.

Maza. Dad's old partner was Elisa Maza. Was Rose the daughter of Elisa? No, Steve thought, that wasn't possible, she never married. She couldn't have, Dad said she was in love with a gargoyle.

Slowly, Steve picked up the phone, dialing the number on the slip of paper. The other end rang three times, until a click told Steve that someone had picked up.

"Xanacorp Systems, how may I direct your call?"

The male voice threw Steve off. Pausing for a moment, he finally blurted, "I'm looking for Rose Maza."

"One moment, please."

He heard himself be directed to another line. Two more rings brought the reply he was expecting, a female voice.

"Hello?"

"Is this Rose Maza?"

"Yes, it is, who is this?"

Steve thought for a moment, then decided the truth was the best way to go. "Miss Maza, my name is Steve Bluestone. I believe you knew my father, Matt."

A slight pause came over the phone. Finally, Rose came back. "I didn't know him personally, but he was a friend of my mother, Elisa. Why?"

So she was Elisa's daughter. "He told me to contact you ... shortly before he died."

"Matt's dead?! When?"

"Last night. An explosion in his room at the nursing home ..."

"Listen to me, Steve, your life is in danger. Where are you?"

Shellshocked at that exclamation, Steve paused convulsively. "Uhhhhhh, I'm at home. Your Caller ID should give you the address."

"I see it. Okay, Steve, I need you to stay away from the windows and watch for me. I'll be at your window."

"My window? I'm in a penthouse ..."

"Trust me, you'll know me when you see me." Rose suddenly clicked off.

Steve hesitantly put the phone back on its cradle, trying to comprehend what he had just been told. He was distracted, though, by the shining of a laser sight.

A barrage of gunfire shattered every window that faced outward. Steve ducked, reaching under his coat for his own weapon and returning fire. It didn't do much to faze his attackers, as they continued firing, even after Steve had expended his magazine. Steve curled into the fetal position, waiting for his quick end.

A loud roar brought him out of his defeatist mindset. Carefully peeking over his couch, he watched as a group of shadows fought viciously outside his apartment. Finally, the sound of jet engines told Steve that his attackers were leaving.

When he became aware that there was someone standing inside the window, Steve stood up, leveling his pistol at a shadow.

"All right, whoever you are, drop your weapon and put your hands over your head!"

The shadow turned around, walking into the light. Only then did Steve realize that he was threatening a gargoyle.

It was female.

"Steve Bluestone?" She had Rose Maza's voice.

The strain, at that point, overtook Steve's body, as he dropped his pistol and collapsed on the couch.

"Mr. Bluestone?"

Hearing the voice, Steve finally decided to awaken. Stretching his arms, he sat up, opening his eyes to see a tall, blond man.

"Hello. An who might you be?"

The blond man adjusted his glasses, not changing his bored-to-tears facial expression. "My name is Owen Burnett, Detective. You're at the Aerie Building."

"The Aerie Building? As in Xanacorp headquarters?"

"The same. Miss Maza thought it best that you should stay here, since your apartment was in such ... disarray."

There she was again. "When could I see Miss Maza?"

"Right now, if you like."

Owen turned toward the door, where a young woman, looking barely 17, stood. "He's awake, ma'am."

"Thank you, Owen. Would you excuse us, please?"

Owen nodded curtly, turning on his heel toward the door. The woman entered the room, crossing the floor quickly to where Steve was.

"You're Rose Maza?"

She chuckled. "You wouldn't believe how much you look like your father."

Steve narrowed his eyes. "So, you lied to me about knowing my father."

Rose nodded. "It was necessary. I needed to make sure your line wasn't bugged. No hard feelings, I hope." She extended her hand toward Steve, which he took.

"Not after last night." His face became concerned again. "Weren't you there last night? How did I get here?"

Rose remained aloof. "The gargoyles saved you. Come. They're stone right now, if you'd care to stay here for the day they would like to meet you."

Steve nodded. "Care to give me a tour of Wonderland, here?"

Rose chuckled. "Sure."

"The view is awesome, Rose." Turning to his side, he suddenly became aware of a stone beast standing watch next to him on the wall. "Is this one of them?"

Rose nodded. "These all are." She suddenly appeared to reach into her back pockets, pulling what to Steve looked like a giant purple fire hose out of her pocket.

"What is that?"

Rose smiled. "You'll see, soon." The sun finally dipped below the horizon, and all around Steve a fantastic transformation occurred. He watched in awe as the statues cracked, shining bright eldritch energy through the damage to their skins, and revealing the multicolored creatures within the shells.

"Incredible." Steve turned toward Rose, but suddenly saw that she was in some kind of convulsion. He approached her, panicked.

"Rose! What's wrong?"

"GET BACK!" Rose's eyes glowed bright red as she roared the command at Steve. Fearful, he pulled away from her, and watched, shocked, as the young woman tore through her clothes, pushing out a giant pair of wings, attached to her back. She doubled back, facing out toward the sky, as the rest of her clothes shredded apart, revealing the magnificent gargoyle within the frail human.

She had grown nearly two feet taller, and had deepened in her facial features. She now had four small horns, barely portruding from her forehead, framing her hairline around the rest of her face. Huge, pointing ears stuck out from the sides of her head, ears that twitched. By her face, though, there was no mistaking that this was Rose.

Steve almost babbled in shock before squeaking out, "Rose? Is that you?"

She turned toward him, extending a hand. "I prefer Rosanna at night, Steve. Allow me to introduce you to the rest of the clan." Rosanna brought Steve forward, toward the rest of the gargoyles collected there. Two of them, shorter and beaked, approached closer than the rest.

"Who's your new friend, Rosanna?"

"This is Steve Bluestone. A detective, like my mother."

Steve compulsively pulled out his badge, flashing it to everyone. "First class, 23rd precinct."

A tall one near the back of the group held himself back from chuckling. The scene was so familiar.

Rosanna continued, "Steve, these are the twins, Graeme and Ariana. They seem to like you."

The two young gargoyles nodded excitedly, grinning widely. Rosanna pushed through them to two tall males, one looking more mammalian than the other.

"Samson," she introduced, motioning toward the gargoyle with cybernetic implants.

"Pleased, I'm sure." Samson extended a hand to Steve.

"Uh huh."

"This is Slash, my cousin." She motioned to the mammalian one, who grinned widely. She finally made her way back to the rear.

"And these two, Broadway and ... Goliath." Rosanna seemed less than enthusiastic to introduce the tall one to Steve. Steve, however, was delighted.

"Of course! My father told me so much of you two, and what you did with the clan when he was on the force. It's a true honor, sirs."

Broadway reached his arm out toward Steve. Though close, Broadway was unable to tell where Steve was due to his blindness. Steve finally clasped his hand.

"I must retire." Goliath's announcement came as a shock to Steve, sudden as it was. The tall gargoyle turned away, back into the shelter of the tower. Rosanna came back up to Steve's side.

"What's wrong with him?"

Rosanna hung her head. "Don't ask. You would never understand why my father is that way." She turned back toward the doorway.

"We're here." He turned toward his companion, still on the other side of the warp. "Are you completely sure about this? I did have a commitment to Arthur ..."

=You have been released from that duty. You are my knight, now.=

The alien voice was accompanied by the exit of a huge humanoid creature, nearly nine feet high. His sloped face was alien, yet strangely familiar.

=For your world to continue, you must be my knight.= The tall one looked up toward the top of the building. =And the gargoyles must be our warriors.=

The young, blond man behind the table stood up, walking around to greet the gargoyle and the human. His goatee cut a familiar figure.

"Steve Bluestone, Alexander Xanatos."

The two men shook hands. "A pleasure, detective."

"All mine, Mr. Xanatos. I never thought I'd meet the world's youngest multi-trillionaire."

Xanatos chuckled. "Well, then, there's a lot of things you weren't expecting to do that have happened tonight, detective. All the same, welcome to my home."

"Our home, Alex." Rosanna approached the two men. "Yours, mine, and the clan's."

"Of course." Xanatos returned to his seat behind the table, a table with a stunning view of midtown Manhattan. "Now, detective, I understand you have had a few ... violent occurrances as of late ..."

"More than violent, sir. Someone killed my father last night. I think they may be after me, now."

"Your father ... Matt? He is dead, you say?"

Steve nodded.

"I think I may know why. Come." Xanatos stood again, approaching his computer console wall, tapping some keys for a moment before finding the file he wanted.

"Here it is, detective. All spelled out. Your father was a member of the Illuminati Society, and was no longer needed."

Steve's eyes narrowed. "They are so bold as to kill retired NYPD?"

"NYPD, CIA, FBI, these mean nothing to them." Xanatos' expression enlightened. "You never knew he was an Illuminatus, did you?"

Steve shook his head. "No idea."

"I would theorize, then, that they assume he did tell you, and passed along some vital secrets of the Society. I know, they have tried to kill me on numerous occasions, without success."

Steve nodded. "That would make sense. But why now? He was old, of no danger to either the Illuminati or their secrets."

"Maybe so, but he would have still been privy to those secrets. You must consider ..."

"Excuse me, sir." The intercom suddenly interrupted Xanatos in mid-explanation. He smiled.

"I'm not expecting anyone. Let me take this, excuse me." Xanatos pushed down on the intercom button. "Yes, Owen, what is it?"

"There are visitors for the clan here in the lobby. They claim it is important."

Xanatos looked up at Rosanna. She shrugged her shoulders.

"Send them up, Owen. We'll figure it out once they're up here." Xanatos turned back to Steve. "I'm sorry, it looks like this will have to wait."

Steve nodded. "Maybe next time." He followed Rosanna out the door.

"Hello?"

=Is this Dominique Destine?=

"It is. Speak."

=I have a proposition for you, Ms. Destine. A business proposition.=

"Unless you tell me who you are, I have no interest."

=I think you will want to hear me out, Ms. Destine. Or should I call you by your other name ... Demona?=

SNARL! "What do you want, mortal?!"

=I wish to offer you your greatest dream.=

"You know nothing of my dreams! Who is this?!"

=I know of your hatred of humanity. I too have this hatred. If we join together our forces, we can bring about the end of all human life on this planet. You and your kind can rule again, as is your proper birthright.=

"I'm listening ..."

There before them stood another gargoyle and an extremely tall alien.

"You are Goliath's clan?"

Everyone turned to the back, toward where Goliath stood. He almost seemed to smile, as he recognized the other gargoyle.

"Griff."

"It's Sir Griff now, Goliath. Blimey, what's happened t'you?"

Rosanna approached Griff carefully. "It's a long story, sir knight. I am Rosanna, the leader and Goliath's daughter."

"A pleasure, milady." Griff politely bowed, kissing Rosanna's hand. Once up again, he turned toward his companion. "This is Nokkar. He brought me here, and he wants to speak to all of you."

Nokkar came forth, looking toward Goliath.

=Goliath, friend, do you remember our encounter some years ago?=

The giant purple gargoyle nodded, mournfully.

=My worst fear has happened, my friend.=

Goliath suddenly looked panicked. He looked up, mouth open and dry. "The invasion is here."

=Yes, it is. And I must ask the help of your clan. For if we lose this war, you lose your planet.=