I'm not quite sure why I wrote this.  I guess in some way it's a form of therapy for me after what happened.

I hope this helps at least one person out there with the turmoil they might be going through.

If not, I hope you just enjoy the story.

For those of you who don't know what a [Dark] tag is, it's bascially means that the story involves injury or death to major charachters.

The Night The Day Stood Still

        The sun set on the city of Manhattan. The ruined spires of the
World Trade Centre were obscured both by the failing light and the large
dust cloud that hung over the city.  Rescue crews still worked,
searching for survivors, but mostly finding bodies.  The work was slow
and arduous, and slowing even further with nightfall.  The few buildings
that were safe to search were black with night, and while the police
erected emergency lights to continue the search, the increase in danger
caused the rescue to move at a snails pace.

        Goliath felt awareness flood back into his brain.  He felt his
stone cocoon crack and fracture, and, with a roar, he burst forth from
his sleeping form.  Inhaling a breath of the cool night air, he doubled
over in a fit of coughing as dust filled his lungs.  Below him, his six
companions, Brooklyn, his second in command, Angela, his daughter,
Hudson, his aged mentor, Broadway, and Lexington shared his reaction as
they awoke with the dusk.  Falling to his knees and covering his mouth
with his hands, he forced breath after breath through clenched teeth.
        "What is going-"  Goliath looked up around him, and what he saw
chilled him to his bones.
        The World Trade Centre was missing.  In its place was a dust
cloud hundreds of feet high.
        Jumping down to his comrades on the battlement below, he stared
out at the catastrophe, a sick feeling filling his gut.  Beside him,
Angela looked at the scene, her hands covering her mouth in horror.
Hudson looked older than he ever had, lines of age and grief covering
his features.  Brooklyn, Lexington, and Broadway turned as one to
Goliath.
        "What happened?" demanded Brooklyn.
        Goliath shook his head.  "I...I don't know..." he whispered.
        Footsteps announced the arrival of David and Fox Xanatos, two of
the most richest and influential people in the free world.  Their faces
were etched with sorrow.  David's expression in particular, was one of
barely contained dread.
        Unable to look away from the carnage, Goliath merely turned his
head slightly towards their benefactor-turned-enemy-turned-benefactor.
"What happened?" he asked quietly.
        David looked at his feet.  Taking a deep breath he said, "It
would take too long to explain.  Follow me."

        David turned on the TV footage taped earlier.  The same footage
had been played over and over and over on both local and international
news stations.  Video of commercial planes crashing into the World Trade
Centre, of the two spires crashing to earth had unfolded before the
Gargoyles.  The listened to the speculative news reports by reporters
and politicians.  When the tape was finished, Angela was weeping openly,
while Hudson held his face in his hands and shook his head.  Lexington
was practically dancing with the need to race over to the scene while
Broadway looked sick to his stomach.  Brooklyn glared at the screen, his
eyes glowing in rage, his hands clenching and unclenching with the need
to strike out.  Goliath merely stared at the screen in stunned
disbelief.
        "What's being done to help?" asked Goliath.  "What can we do?"
        "I've sent everything I can.  The problem is, it's getting dark,
and the rescue workers are having trouble continuing the-"
        Given direction, Goliath was galvanized into action.  "Come!  We
have work to do!"  The clan raced out of the room.
        "Goliath!" called David.  Goliath stopped at the door.  David
walked up to the hulking gargoyle, reluctance clearly written on his
features.
        "What is it?" demanded Goliath impatiently.  "Out with it!"
        David opened his mouth, but no words came out.  He tried again,
and succeeded.  Even then, he could not come out and say it directly.
"Goliath, there are thirty police officers missing."
        "Yes, I know this.  It said so on the tele-vision.  What of it?"
        David shook his head.  Goliath was so blinded by his emotions,
he could not even see it coming.  "Goliath, I am so sorry."  David
watched as horror and fear filled his features.
        Goliath stumbled back against the doorpost as he felt his knees
begin to give way.  "No, no, no..." he muttered like an incantation
against evil.  Goliath fell to the floor, sitting there and shaking his
head in denial.  "No, no, no..."
        David knelt down and put one hand on Goliath's shoulder.
"Goliath, I am sorry.  Elisa's one of the missing."
        Goliath put his head in his hands.  His shoulders shook, but
David could not tell if he was crying or not.  "Goliath..."
        With a snarl, Goliath looked up at David, his eyes blazing.
Getting to his feet, Goliath turned and ran out of the room and out to
the outer wall of the castle where the rest of the clan waited.  Leaping
off the wall, Goliath spread his wings, caught the wind, and few towards
the ruin that was once the World Trade Centre, with the rest of his clan
close behind.

        To say their arrival at the remains of World Trade 1 caused, to
say the least, some excitement.  Many of the rescue workers, police,
firemen and the national guardsmen stopped their work and stared at the
strange creatures.
        Goliath looked around at the ruins around them.  There was so
much!  Both towers had fallen, filling the area with debris.  Goliath
had no idea which tower Elisa had been in, so he split his group into
two.  Brooklyn, Lexington and Broadway would search World Trade 2 while
Goliath, Angela, and Hudson would search World Trade 1.  Just as were
breaking up, a man in the uniform of a national guard confronted them,
his hand on the holster of his sidearm.
        "Who...what the hell are you and what are you doing here?" he
demanded.  Goliath turned and stared down at the guardsman from his
impressive eight-foot height.
        "I am Goliath, and we are here to help," he growled.  "You can
stay out of our way or," Goliath's eyes flashed dangerously, "I can beat
you senseless.  After that, I will continue to aid in the search."
        Captain Sanderson licked his lips nervously and frantically
searched around for someone of a higher rank to take this problem off
his hands.  Already, two of the creatures were removing rubble from the
site, and three more were moving over to World Trade 2.
        "Look, I can't let any non-emergency personnel-"  The words died
on his lips as he saw Angela pick up a piece of concrete half again the
size of human torso and throw it with minimal effort thirty yards into a
ruined fire truck.  The Captain gaped at the female gargoyle, and then
took his hands off his gun.  "As you were...uhhh...Goliath, was it?"
        "Thank you."  Goliath went to the remains of a large concrete
column, picked it up and used it to buttress a frail archway.
        They worked.  Moving concrete and stone, they managed to find
several corpses.  Goliath felt his heart freeze in his chest when
someone announced a find, afraid that it was Elisa, but as the hours
passed, Goliath despaired of ever finding her.
        Helping Hudson move a particularly large stone slab, he noticed
his mentor's colouring was more grey than tan.  Hudson was crouched,
panting with his exertions, and Goliath also noticed, he was massaging
his left shoulder.  Sweat was pouring down Hudson's face, and he looked
more tired that Goliath ever remembered.  Goliath moved and took his
mentor's arm.  "Are you all right, my friend?" he asked.
        Hudson pulled away.  "I'm fine!" he panted.  "I'm just out of
breath.  You go ahead, lad, I'll join you in a moment."
        Goliath gave his mentor a concerned look, and then turned away
to continue the search.  Before he could get started, however, the
telltale swishing sound of a gargoyle in flight and the light thud of a
gargoyle landing reached his ears.
        "Well now, this is even more impressive than I first thought."
        With a roar, Goliath turned and faced his most dangerous foe,
Demona.  "What are you doing here?" he demanded.
        "I was in town on business, and I thought I'd swing by and see
the damage myself."  Demona jerked a thumb behind her, and Goliath could
see a news cameraman who had managed to slip past the barricades hiding
in the shadows, taping the relief effort.  "Besides, once I saw you on
CNN, I thought I'd come down here and get my fifteen minutes of fame as
well."
        "You had your fame with your stone sleep spell," growled Hudson,
who moved to join his leader.  "I remember there being a fair number of
deaths involving that incident as well.  Unless you're here to help, be
off with ye.  We've got no time for the likes of you."
        "Help?" Demona laughed.  "I'm not here to help, just watch.  I
rather enjoy seeing the pain on human faces."
        "Just ignore her, Goliath," said Angela stiffly.  "Even if she
was here to help, we want no 'help' from her."
        "Ah, if it isn't my little daughter Angela.  I see your taking
after your father.  How...disappointing."
        Goliath glared at Demona.  "Come, we have better things to do
than talk to the blind."
        "Blind?!"  Demona roared.  Her eyes burned with red fire.  "You
dare accuse me of being blind?  After what's happened here?  Don't you
see the darkness of the human soul, what evil they are capable of?  If
they are capable of doing this to their own species, what do you think
they will do to us?  Do you think they will ever accept us?  Let us live
among them in peace, like we thought a thousand years ago?  They will
destroy us all unless we destroy them first!  I don't' think this, I
don't believe this, I *know*!  Today we saw the worst of humanity, and
you still cling to your weakness!  Your stubbornness will be the death
of our kind!"
        "No, Demona!" retorted Hudson.  "Today we saw the best of
humanity.  We saw selfless deeds performed by brave men and women, far
braver than some of the cowardly schemes you've tried."  Hudson could
not seem to draw enough breath for what he needed to say, but he plunged
onward.  "Ye say we saw the worst, and aye, you're right.  But ye saw
the worst that a few men could do.  Ye also saw the best many can do.
Around the country, if not the world, humans are helping, giving blood
and money to help those in need.  We've seen lives lost and lives saved
by the fire department and the police.  They've sacrificed themselves-"
Hudson was gasping now, fighting for every word.  Trying to continue, he
suddenly felt tightness in his chest.  With final gasp he fell over.
        "Hudson!"  Goliath knelt beside his mentor, not knowing what to
do.  He did not know what to do!  "Help me!" he cried.  "Someone help
me!"
        Captain Sanderson was the first to reach them.  "One side!"  He
pushed Goliath aside and knelt down beside the fallen gargoyle.  Not
knowing where to check for a pulse he turned to Goliath.  "Where's your
heart?"
        "In our chest, same as yours."
        Putting his head to Hudson's chest, Captain Sanderson listened
for a heartbeat.  "No heartbeat, and he's not breathing."  Looking
around he bellowed.  "I need a corpsman over here!"  Bending over Hudson
he began CPR.  A few moments later two paramedics arrived with a
stretcher.  Taking over from the Captain, they continued CPR and loaded
him onto the stretcher.  Carrying him down to the ambulance, they loaded
him in.
        "Wait!" exclaimed Goliath.  "Where are you taking him?"
        "Manhattan General," replied one of the paramedics.  "We need
one of you to come with us and tell us how to treat him."
        Goliath was torn with indecision.  On the one hand, he wanted to
go with his old friend, but on the other, he wanted to continue the
search for Elisa.  Grabbing Angela, he pushed her forward into the
ambulance.  "Go with him, and watch over him," he said grimly.  "I will
continue here."  Angela, crying, nodded.  Goliath watched as they closed
the door and sped away.
        He felt more than heard Demona come up beside him.  "I always
wondered if the old soldier would die in battle or in front of the TV."
She chuckled.  "I guess it was neither."
        Goliath growled at her, his eyes alight.  "He is not dead yet.
And if he does die, he died fighting a fight more bravely than you ever
did.  Or ever will, I imagine."
        Demona rolled her eyes.  "If nothing else, that library beside
the police station increased your gift for eloquence."
        "Go away and leave me to my work," he rumbled.
        Demona smiled slightly.  "My, my, my look at the time.  I really
must be going.  See you later, Goliath."  Climbing up the wall of a
neighbouring building she jumped off, caught an updraft, and flew away.
        Goliath watched her leave, and then turned to Captain Sanderson.
"Thank you."
        Captain Sanderson shrugged.  "Just doing my duty."
        Goliath smiled tiredly.  "Just like Elisa.  Giving, yet modest."
The sound of Brooklyn shouting his name caught his attention.  Climbing
over the rubble to his second in command, he quickly reached him.  "What
is it?"
        "We found Elisa-" before he could continue, Goliath was off
running over to where Broadway and Lexington were standing.
        When he saw her, he felt like he was going to be sick.  She was
lying facedown on the ground.  Her legs were under a huge concrete
column, while a second equally large column was resting on an angle on
the first, covering the rest of her body.  Her hair was a mass of
clotted blood.  A police officer and two paramedics were crouching
around her, trying to assess her condition.
        "Elisa," he whispered.  He began to tentatively reach for her,
but both Lexington and Broadway grabbed him and pulled him back.
        "Don't touch her!" cried Lexington.
        "The paramedics said if her back or neck were hurt and we moved
her, we might break them," continued Broadway.
        "Then what can we do?" demanded Goliath.
        "We need to move these columns off of her so they can get her to
a hospital, but we're not strong enough.  We need your help."
        Goliath nodded.  "Very well."  He turned to the three humans.
"Stand away!"  After a moment's hesitation, they moved back.
        The four gargoyles took up positions around the second column,
Broadway and Lexington on one side, and Goliath and Brooklyn on the
other.  "On three," ordered Goliath.  "One, two, three!"  The four
strained to pull up the heavy concrete.  Slowly, painfully, the second
column rose an inch off the first, then two inches.  After they had
pulled it six inched off the first, they tipped the column towards
Goliath and Brooklyn.  The mass of stone tumbled out of their grip and
onto the ground below.  Going to the first column, they lifted with
their combined strength.  The paramedics rushed in and pulled Elisa free
and the gargoyles dropped the stone column to the ground.  Elisa's legs
were mangled and twisted almost beyond recognition. Within moments the
paramedics had Elisa on a stretcher and were taking her to a waiting
ambulance.
        "I am coming with you!" declared Goliath to the paramedics.
        "If you're not immediate family, you can't come," replied the
head paramedic as they loaded her in.
        "Don't you dare try and stop me or I'll-" Brooklyn grabbed his
arm and pulled him back.
        "Goliath, please, let them work.  You'll just be in the way."
        Goliath snarled at his second, but realized that he was right.
"Go!" he said to the paramedics.  In seconds, the ambulance was off to
the hospital.  Goliath watched it leave, afraid that this was the last
time he would see her alive.  He watched, fear and sorrow mingling
within him until it built itself into a towering, impotent rage.  He
wanted to lash out at the ones who harmed those he cared for.  He wanted
to strike out, to hurt back, to make those who did this to fell the way
he felt right now.  With a roar of anger, Goliath pounded on the
pavement of the street gouging out chunks of it with his powerful claws.
Spreading his wings he screamed his pain into the uncaring night sky,
which was now quickly brightening with the coming dawn.  As quickly as
it came, the rage left him.  Drained and tired he sat on the ground,
head bowed in sorrow.
        The cameraman, who had made his way around the ruined building,
now tentatively approached Goliath.  Recording this moment, he asked the
grieving Gargoyle one question.
        "What are you going to do now?"
        Goliath looked up, first at the cameraman, and then into the
camera.  Hot tears rolled down his cheeks.  Standing, he looked down at
the camera, speaking to the humans that Demona professed hated them for
merely existing.
        "First, we will rescue the humans in these buildings.  Then, we
will find out who had done this.  Then, we will have our revenge!"
        With that statement said, the sun rose on the dawn of a new day
of in new world.

End


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