Volume #34: "Liberty or Death"

The secretary general, a middle-aged woman from South Korea, leaned into the microphone. "The assembly recognizes Dominique Destine."

A nervous rustle moved its way through the world leaders as Demona took her place at the podium, accompanied by two gigantic Rokkan bodyguards flanking her. She cleared her throat, scanning the faces in the crowd.

"Ambassadors, leaders of the governments of Earth ... I wish to address you this evening to discuss the terms of your full surrender to the Rokkan. I would first ask you to look at the positives of such a surrender before the negatives."

"Listen good, folks. As we speak, Demona is addressing the ambassadors to the United Nations, more than likely demanding Earth's surrender. But we're gonna do some party crashing of our own."

The others looked at each other, then back at Rosanna. Graeme looked at his leader intently. "Make the call, Rosanna, we're all with you."

Rosanna nodded. "All right, then. We're going to take five parties and completely circle the UN building. Team one will be myself, Rain, Griff, Lex and Pontiac, our mission is to enter the assembly and disrupt the surrender proceedings.

"Team two will be led by Graeme, with Liberty, Brooklyn, Sata and the Canmores, you guys are going to attack the escort party for Demona.

"Team three will be led by Goliath, with Lina, Lili, Dodge and Angela, your objective is cutting off power to the building.

"Team four will be led by Mustang, with Coyote, Turqueza, Buick, Nudnik and the other Quarrymen, your objective is barricading the building, to make sure nobody gets out other than human diplomats.

"Team five is Ariana, Broadway, Slash, Nokkar, and the human resistance. I've already contacted General Chavez, she's waiting for you there. You guys are the backup ... in case we don't make it out, you come in after us. Got it, everyone?"

The rustle through the clanmembers was a dull roar through the high winds of the evening, all in acknowledgement. Rosanna nodded, satisfied.

"Good. Form up and move out!"

Demona looked around the human assembly with contempt. It took all of her strength to keep her lip from curling in disgust. Suddenly, a courageous diplomat, a gentleman whose nameplate identified him as coming from Austria, angrily rose to his feet.

"You demand us to give up our planet! That is cruelty in itself, demoness!"

Demona motioned to one of her escorts. The giant Rokkan leaped out from where he had been stationed, using his right hand to pick up the young, brash diplomat by his head. When the man had finally fallen silent, the Rokkan released his grip, letting the Austrian fall back into his chair gasping for breath.

"You are out of order."

"Anxious?"

He looked over at her, and now she could clearly see it. His eyes were as wide as those of a deer in the headlights. "Aren't you? I'm petrified."

Rosanna sighed, coming closer to his side. "It's only natural. However, there are certain times when you have to push down your fear. And this is one of those times. We have to stand tall and together, Rain, otherwise we're dead."

Rain nodded slowly in agreement. "Now that you put it that way, it makes sense." He caught an updraft, raising himself further toward the building. Rosanna followed closely in formation, as did the rest of the party.

Impulsively, Rosanna turned herself to face Rain as they glided toward the building. "Believe me, Rain, there is nothing I'd rather do than not do this, but if we have any chance of surviving, this has to be done."

She put a hand out to stroke his face lightly. "If we ever have any chance of being together, Rain ... this has to be done."

"So tell me, son ... how long have you two been an item?"

Graeme's eyes flew wide open. "What? How did you ..."

"A father knows, Graeme-chan," Sata's voice drifted up to the earshot of the males. "You have the same look on your face that your father had when he courted me."

"And the same goes for Liberty."

This finally brought Liberty's attention to the conversation. Brooklyn flashed her a big grin. "Relax, Libby, me and Sata couldn't be happier for you two."

Graeme now turned to face her. "Liberty, what say after this whole thing's over with we run away from my parents?"

Finally Liberty chuckled, enjoying Graeme's seeming embarrassment.

"The assembly is now open to debate on the proposal by Ms. Destine. We must consider our actions carefully, ladies and gentlemen, for the vote we take next will dictate the course of Earth's fate."

The assembly did not take long to voice opinions. None of them in favor. In fact, a huge throng of voices rose in opposition to the Rokkan demands.

Demona turned her face down and shook her head. "I had hoped it would not come to this ..." She pulled out an alien weapon, leaping to the top of the podium and firmly planting the business end on the top of the secretary general's head.

"What are you doing?!"

"Forcing your hand, madame secretary." Demona turned to the assembly, now shocked into silence by the show of aggression. "I have tried to play the diplomatic game with you fools, but it's apparent you have no sense of self-preservation! Give us what we want ... this planet ... or we lay waste to this whole city, nay, this whole world!"

"Go. NOW!"

One of the females among them, who appeared to be their leader, started barking orders. "Get the diplomats out of here! MOVE!"

The rest of the gargoyles took their cue, guiding the diplomats toward the exits as quickly as they could. The leader then turned to face Demona.

"All right, Demmy ... you're mine!"

"Split up! Liberty with me!"

The group split quickly, guiding themselves around to come on either side of the escort party. Graeme was lucky enough to tackle a Rokkan caught unawares before landing.

Liberty touched down before a familiar-looking Rokkan ... to her. Her eyes narrowed as she came to recognize the male before her ... the webbed fingers on his right hand being the giveaway.

"Now I get my chance for revenge!"

The Rokkan snarled at Liberty, grinning. =Mine as well, dead woman!=

The two former mates growled, leaping for each other's throats.

"Would it help if I shed some light on the subject?"

Goliath looked at the smaller Avalon gargess. "Wouldn't hurt, I suppose."

Lina nodded, closing her eyes and focusing her energies centrally, the way Beth had been teaching her for weeks. Slowly, she reached into one of her pouches, grasping to the stone she still kept with her. A soft eldritch glow could be seen for a short moment, before Lina opened her eyes once again.

A powerful beam of light now shone from her eyes, directed at any point that Lina looked directly at. Goliath nodded.

"Lead the way, Lina."

"Turqueza, take the Quarrymen with you and stand by the door." Mustang then turned to Coyote. "Do your thing, magic man."

Coyote grinned, as he watched Turqueza, the Quarrymen and the two doggoyles rush toward the main entrance, engaging the three Rokkans holding watch. Coyote brought himself to a floating position, spreading out his arms and beginning a Hopi incantation.

When he was done, the entire building was held under a shield of fae magic.

Footsteps behind her drew her attention away from the battle. She turned behind her to see a human man approaching.

"Still waiting?"

"I cannot do much more, Vinnie." She leaned against the stones again. "What of Alexander and Beth?"

"They're still preparing, can ya believe it? They've been in the library for six days, now."

Brianna nodded. "I don't know much about magic beyond what I was able to glean from Una, but they must be preparing for something massive."

"I certainly wish they would tell us what, y'know? It's getting kinda lonely for us non-magical types."

"Same way you did. Through the windows." Rosanna narrowed her own glowing eyes, one natural and one cybernetic, at the blue gargess. "There is no way in hell that we will allow this surrender to go through!"

"Oh, it will go through, freak. Take her!"

Demona's two bodyguards ran toward the smaller hybrid, talons extended. Rosanna leaped to avoid them, leaving them to Rain and Griff. She continued her rush toward Demona, fangs and talons bared, eyes glowing brightly. Demona parried quickly, but Rosanna righted herself in mid-leap, turning herself to face the immortal blue gargess.

"You don't have any idea how far the odds are stacked against you, Rosanna. I have the upper hand!"

"Great! Then you can talk to MINE!" Rosanna swung an open-handed blow, landing it on Demona's face and sending her flying.

But Liberty's determination was all that was keeping her upright. By far, she had taken the worse blows in the fight. She wiped blood away from her mouth, letting out a primal roar and lunging for the Rokkan again.

He avoided her lunge with ease, slamming her to the pavement. She landed with a loud grunt. She was clearly having trouble getting back up.

=Time to die!=

The Rokkan drew his fists over his head, aiming toward the fallen gargess' face. He would have been successful in his blow, had it not been for the flying green streak that tackled him before he could land it.

Graeme screamed, pummeling blow after blow into the Rokkan, his adrenaline and his fear for Liberty taking control of his actions. He laid a brutal beating into the larger fighter, who could do little more than block the barrage, and then could not block it any longer.

Eventually, the only thing that stopped Graeme, even as his face and forearms became caked with the alien's blood, was Liberty's calming touch on his arm.

"Graeme! Stop it, he's dead!"

Breathing heavily, Graeme finally came down from his rush, bringing his arms harmlessly to his sides. He turned to Liberty ... battered and bruised, but much to his relief, alive.

"He would ... have killed you. I couldn't let him."

"He's killed me once before, Graeme. He will not kill anyone else, ever again."

Graeme now turned his full attention to LIberty, concern in his eyes. "Are you okay, Libby? I came as soon as I could ..."

"I know you did. Thank you."

Overcome with relief, Graeme could do no more than embrace the giant gargess tightly.

"Any word?"

Ariana approached the general. "Not yet." The rest of the humans gathered around the landed gargoyles, mutate and alien. "We were hoping you had something."

Chavez shook her head. "Nothing. We can't be sitting here forever."

"Don't count Rosanna out yet, General. If she says wait for the word, we wait. I believe in her."

Chavez nodded. "Well then, we wait some more." She turned back to her anxious troops, trying to calm them. Ariana turned to her troops, trying to accomplish the same.

Mustang's question was quickly answered by Coyote. "Yes, I do. The diplomats!"

Mustang rushed to where Coyote's shield was parting to escort the human diplomats from the building, even as they avoided the fighting around them. The Rokkans tried to stop their egress, only to be stopped by more Earth allies. Finally, Mustang motioned to Coyote to close the shield again.

"They're all out!"

The strain of the spell on Lina was beginning to show. She was sweating profusely, and the light beams emanating from her eyes were not as bright as they had been when she had first produced them. Goliath placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Keep strong, Lina. We'll make it."

=No you won't, Goliath!=

The entire party turned quickly to see who was behind them ... a huge party of Rokkans.

And at the point as their commander ... the hybrid clone Thorn.

"Lina, go and complete the mission. We will deal with this ... forgery."

Lina rushed further down the corridors as Goliath and the rest of the party turned to face Thorn and her Rokkan company, eyes glowing.

Lexington's advisement fell upon the nearly-listening ears of his mate as she dealt with the assault of another Rokkan. Finally, once she had pushed the attacker off, she turned to her mate.

"We won't be able to abort, Lex. Rosanna's too involved!"

All eyes in the room centered now on Rosanna and Demona, still grappling on the floor where once world policy decisions had been made. Rosanna now seemed to have the upper hand, pulling her tail around to grasp Demona by the throat.

"Only a matter of time, bitch!"

Demona snarled, kicking the gargoyle leader off of her.

"Okay, now how did Rosanna say to do this ... oh yeah!" Lina fiddled with a few controls on the package, until she finally had it set. Carefully, she pressed the red button on its side.

A digital display started counting down.

2:00
1:59
1:58
1:57
1:56

Lina pushed the microphone of her radio headset to her mouth. "Charge is set. Evacuate!" She quickly turned tail and ran away from the newly ticking bomb.

Brooklyn's call finally brought Graeme and Liberty out of their embrace, turning and running from the building, along with Sata and the Canmores, having freshly finished their battles.

"Just received word, the countdown's started!"

Chavez nodded, putting her bullhorn up to her lips. "ALL RIGHT PEOPLE, WE HAVE TO MOVE IT BACK AWAY FROM THE BUILDING! MOVE, WE HAVE LESS THAN TWO MINUTES UNLESS YOU WANT TO DIE LIKE A ROKKAN!"

The humans acknowledged, pushing their lines back. Ariana and her party followed close behind.

"Carry 'em if you have to! Let's MOVE!"

Mustang got a running start, leaping away. Lili and Dodge, each carrying a Quarryman, scrambled away quickly. Buick and Nudnik weren't far behind, as was the last Quarryman.

Goliath nodded, turning to his party. "Pull out! Now!"

Thorn seemed bewildered, as the fight quickly ended with the gargoyles' retreat. Finally, she screamed after the retreating heroes.

=What's going on?!=

Goliath could only chuckle as he ran out of the basement.

And now Rosanna smiled. "Bye bye, blue bitch!"

Rosanna leaped out the nearest window. Demona screamed into the empty room.

Rosanna glided away from the wreckage, looking behind her. Tears formed in her eyes ... it was a shame that such a major part of the city had to be sacrificed, but her tears were of joy, for she hoped much of the invasion force had been stopped.

She looked down at the ground, seeing the Clan having reassembled near the staging point for the human resistance, and directed her path to take her over to them. The cheers were very loud even high in the air, and they only became happier as she approached closer. Wildly happy, the Clan circled her and embraced her as wholly as they could. She went through a line of happy friends, greeting their embraces with hers at every turn.

And finally, the line ended at Rain. Overcome with his emotions, he opened his arms to her, catching her as she came to him in a run. With all of the relief she felt, she could think of nothing more she could do but bring herself and Rain into a passionate embrace, followed by a happy kiss.

The cheers rang louder.