Gargoyles Fan Fiction ❯ Death and Taxes ❯ Chapter 1

AU fic. I like them. Actually, maybe I'll make this one post-series. We never did get to see what happened to Jackal and Hyena…

Summary: Yay for the Phoenix gate. Actually, yay for reincarnation

Disclaimer: If I owned Gargoyles, I'd let the Pack win once or twice. ^^
Warnings: Incest (kind of), insanity, and character death, Gargoyles/Elisa-bastardization, reincarnation, past-life messes

Title: Death and Taxes

 

The things had gone mad, Hyena decided, as she clutched her fallen brother towards her. His circuits were blinking on and off and even with the energy she was feeding his power cells, it didn't seem he'd last the night, or even the next half hour. “Jackal…”

If only those damned gargoyles hadn't come out of nowhere and attacked them! So they'd been robbing a bank - it wasn't as if they'd been killing people! Everyone needed to eat after all, and the odd jobs just weren't paying enough.

“Little sis…” Jackal whispered, his human eye blinking and trying to focus. “I…”

“Don't, please… we… I'll find some way to fix this!”

The laugh she got in return was rusty, but sincere. “Hyena, you can barely look at a machine without it breaking on you. I'd rather live out my last moments in one piece…”

He coughed and she clutched his hands tighter, as if that could forestall the inevitable. “Jackal! No! You can't leave me alone like this!”

“Sorry… little sis,” He whispered, brushing a gentle kiss across her cheek. “I...”

He fell silent, and she heard the machinery inside whirr to a stop. For several long moments, she did not move, hoping against hope that this was all some nightmare she could wake from, but no…

It was truth.

An anguished wail split the night sky, and the gargoyles on patrol halted.

 

Lexington landed quietly on a balcony, watching. There was nothing in that alley but Hyena and Jackal, so where had the scream come from? It didn't make any sense…

He watched uneasily as Hyena stood, madness shining in her brown eyes. “I…”

Something was wrong here, he could tell that much. Her claws extended, and she looked at them bitterly. “I…!”

And then she drove them right through her own throat.

Lexington gave a cry of surprise, before he glided down towards her. What… what was going on?

Sure, Hyena was crazy, but…

There was a soft thump behind him as Broadway and Brooklyn landed. “Woah. What was that?”

Lexington backed away from Hyena's corpse, shaking. Sure, he'd seen death on the battlefield, but this was different. It seemed more personal, more…

Her lips were fixed in the rictus of a grim smile and he instinctively knew that this was somehow his fault. “No! It can't be!”

“What can't be, Lex?” Brooklyn put a claw on his shoulder. “What's wrong?”

 

“C-Check on Jackal… could you?”

Broadway shrugged and headed towards the fallen cyborg. “Whatever you say, pal.” He flipped the man over, and nearly dropped him in surprise. There was no sense of heat; no gentle hum of electronics, and the one human eye that remained stared at him, blank and glazed.

Broadway dropped the body like it was a hot poker and leapt away. “Oh my God…”

“I-Is he really dead?” Lexington asked, fearing the answer.

“'Fraid so.” Broadway finally managed to get himself under control. “At least he and Hyena are out of the picture for now.”

Lexington did not answer. A strange feeling began to well up inside of him. Guilt, yes, but more than that

He had killed…

 

It wasn't as if he had not killed before, but Jackal and Hyena should have been left for the `human justice' to deal with, as Goliath preferred.

Besides, he hadn't been the one who killed Hyena, but he had the uncomfortable feeling that she somehow pinned the blame on him. And worst, if Jackal really was dead, well…

She was completely right.

 

It was dark.

“That's strange,” Hyena mused. “I thought hell was a bit warmer than this.” It was too dark to see, but as she walked, she noticed something immediately.

Her implants were gone! All she had left was bare skin, covered by a… bikini of all things. Great. Just great.

It's the afterlife and I bet someone is laughing at me…

 

She continued walking before finally, some light seemed to hover overhead. She ran towards it, surprised to find Jackal reading a newspaper in his swim trunks and apparently waiting for her.

“That was fast.” Jackal checked his watch. “It's only been, what, five minutes since I died?”

“Hmph.” Hyena crossed her arms. “I thought you'd be happier to see me.”

“Well, I can't say I've had enough time to miss you yet, but how did you die? Gargoyles take you out as well?”

“Something like that…”

“It's all right. “Jackal stood up and hugged Hyena. “We'll find some way to get through this, although I wonder… why are we dressed like this?”

“You don't know?”

“Trust me, if I had my way, I'd be in a suit or something…”

“You've lost your implants too, I notice.” Hyena surveyed her brother. It was odd seeing him with two eyes again.

“Eh, I guess.” Jackal shrugged. “So. Now we wait.”

Hyena settled down next to him on the couch and with a poof of smoke, a copy of the Daily Tattler appeared in her hands “Well, that's interesting…”

 

Meanwhile…

“What? They're getting reincarnated? Out of all the possible mortals on this earth you chose them? What on earth for?”

Oberon shrugged. “It's amusing. And besides, their lives were … rather difficult.”

Titania huffed. “You're not planning on making trouble for my daughter and our grandchild, are you?”

“Of course not. It's not like they'll keep memories from this life, but at the least, they'll remember their lessons…”

“I'm ready.” Anubis cleared his throat politely.

“Very well. Through the blender then… and a little gift to help…”

 

Time Jump - twenty years later.

 

Lexington quietly skimmed through the night air, before he heard a cry. With a smile, he prepared for landing, just in time to see a young woman with brown hair in a ponytail pull a handful of knitting needles from her purse and nailed all three of the men who had been trying to mug her.

Well, now that isn't something you see every day…

She ran over to another figure that he now noticed, crumpled by a dumpster. “Dear, are you all right?”

The man sat up with a groan and smiled. “Yes, I'm all right. It's just that I had the wind knocked out of me.”

“So you thought it more prudent to stay dead?”

“Well, you had no problem taking them out.”

 

Lexington was about to glide off when he caught a good glimpse at their faces. Jackal and Hyena - no, it couldn't be! They were dead!
The bodies had been taken to the morgue and… Elisa had given them the news that both were truly dead.

He still had shivers when he remembered Hyena's smile, but now what was going on? The resemblances were uncanny!

It made no sense, unless these two were Jackal and Hyena's kids? Or, had Anton Sevarius cloned Jackal and Hyena? Actually, that didn't sound too far off the mark. However, at least they weren't attacking gargoyles… yet.

He'd have to keep an eye on them then…

 

“Aureus.” The girl said, and there was a dangerous spark in her eyes. “I keep feeling like we're being watched.”

“No worries, Lupe dear… I'm sure we'll find a way out of here.”

The girl nodded as she closed her eyes. Lexington watched in horrified fascination as her form began to shift, resolving into a yellowish canine predator covered with brown spots. The man at her side followed suit, resolving into a pointy-eared, long-limbed creature night-black. Together, the two ran off.

Lexington headed back to the tower, feeling shaken. He had some research to do…

 

An hour later, Brooklyn found him eyeing the Wildlife of Africa book with a terrified expression. “What's wrong, Lex?”

“I was out on patrol, and I saw this couple get jumped in an alley.”

“Go on.”

“You won't believe it, but they looked exactly like Jackal and Hyena, before they got all cyber, I mean. And… this is the worst part, I actually saw them turn into a jackal and a hyena!”

Brooklyn raised his eyebrows. “Oh?”

“And their names… I know the man - whom I think is Jackal, although I don't know how he got his body back - said he was Aureus. Aureus is the species name for the common jackal.”

“Interesting…”

“And the girl's name was Lupe. I think it means wolf, and that's pretty close to a Hyena… too close for my taste.”

“You think the Pack is back? But they disbanded in Egypt, and we haven't seen any of the others since… well, you know.”

“I know, but it doesn't make me feel any better…”

 

The door to the apartment slid shut as he carefully locked it. “I feel paranoid, but with those flying bats in this city, I wouldn't be surprised…”

Lupe touched Aureus's shoulder. “Don't worry. They're supposed to be protecting this city and fighting crime.”

Aureus shook his head. “Maybe it's just me, but I get the feeling we shouldn't trust them.”

“I feel the same way… do you think one of them was watching us? We both felt eyes after all.”

Aureus frowned. “That could be it…”

 

“This does not bode well.” Goliath said. “We shall scout for their presence tomorrow night. If the Pack has truly returned…”

“It's not like we can't take them.” Lexington put in.

“I know, but we had best be on our guard. If Sevarius has really accomplished cloning to such a perfect degree, it could be quite dangerous…”

The sun rose, forestalling further conversation.

 

The knock on the door woke Lupe from a sound sleep. Carefully slipping out of bed, she put on her dressing gown and padded to the door. Outside, a middle-aged woman with black hair stood there.

“May I help you?”

“I'm Detective Elisa Maza from the NYPD.” The woman said, elbowing her way inside. Lupe blinked.

“All right, come in…”

 

Elisa looked around the apartment. It was spotless, sunlight glinting off chrome and porcelain. The woman - Hyena, Elisa still called her in her mind, offered her a chair and she took it.

“Hyena, I'm going to say this once, so listen carefully. Surrender now and the charges will be light.”

 

Lupe blinked. “What are you talking about? Who's this `Hyena'? My name is Lupe Alvarez.”

“Don't play dumb, Hyena. It doesn't fit you.”

Lupe frowned. “I don't understand what you're talking about.”

There was a soft cough and Aureus walked out in his pajamas, blinking at the visitor. “You are?”

“Jackal. I knew I'd find you here. Find one, find the other…”

 

“Do you know this woman, Aureus?” Lupe asked carefully, keeping a firm mental hold on her temper. Aureus blinked and shook his head.

“I've never seen her before in my life. Do you?”

“Well, she invited herself in. supposedly, she's from the NYPD and we're wanted criminals or something.”

Elisa's temper began to fray. She retrieved the DNA sampling device that had become standard issue years ago. “Very well. I'll just take a sample and I won't bother you again, unless you really are who you claim not to be.”

Lupe and Aureus both blinked but extended their arms, watched as a drop of blood was drawn, and the woman left.

 

“Well, that was impolite.”

“I don't understand. What is she doing?”

“I wish I knew…”

“Don't.” Aureus looked into Lupe's brown eyes with a serious tone. “I have a feeling we're about to find out…”

“It's not going to be pretty, is it?”

“News from the police never is.”

“It's not that, Aureus. I feel a strange foreboding, almost as if… I don't know how to explain it, but when she first called me Hyena, it seemed so familiar.”

“I understand. I felt the same when she called me Jackal, but…”

“We can't let this affect us. We aren't those people!”

“I know, shh… I know…”

 

Aureus made himself coffee and started making breakfast while Lupe went online. A quick search revealed more information than she ever wanted to know, but…

“So Jackal and Hyena are actors turned wanted criminals?”

“Were,” Lupe corrected. “They died twenty years ago. September the first, it says here…” She scrolled down the page and stifled a gasp.

“What is it?”

“Aureus… they-they looked almost exactly like we do…”

Aureus tightened his grip on Lupe's arms. “Impossible…” He breathed. “It can't be true - wouldn't we know?”

“I don't know, but I'm scared. Is it wrong of me?”

“Shh, Lupe, I'll protect you, I always will…”

And some part of his mind echoed, `My precious little sister…'.

Lupe relaxed in his arms, and some part of her mind acknowledged that yes, her brother would always protect her…

 

Elisa picked up the lab report from Dr. Kelly and studied it. A simple few lines told the answer.

Perfect match.

“I knew it. Now, I just need to get those two behind bars… better do it tonight so I'll have some backup….”

 

Lexington, Goliath, Hudson, and Brooklyn flew towards the apartment quietly. The windows were open, and from inside, they could hear the sound of the television and a voice also, singing?

In any case, Lexington, being the smallest, was the one chosen to go inside. He slipped in the window and found himself in a bedroom, empty. Following the noise, he saw that Hyena was singing as she diced vegetables and Jackal was half-asleep in front of the T.V. perfect.

A shout startled the woman and she dropped her knife as the rest of the gargoyles broke through the apartment wall.

 

Two quick blasts from Elisa's stun gun had both criminals lying there paralyzed. The cop smirked.

“Thought you could fool me, did you? I suppose that whatever rock you're hiding under hasn't verified the abilities of DNA fingerprinting.”

“What are you talking about?” Lupe asked, trying to sit up. Her muscles screamed in protest and she stopped.

Aureus cringed and tried to sit up as well, but his body adamantly refused his orders. He decided to lay still and hope this madness would end.

Perhaps it was only a nightmare.

But then again, nightmares usually didn't involve brown gargoyles repeatedly punching him in the face. He winced at a particularly nasty crack, seemed that something had broken at last.

Perhaps if he passed out they'd leave him alone…

 

A cauldron of simmering lava had replaced the calm exterior she usually displayed, but she couldn't move, so there was no outlet for that rage…

Why were these monsters doing this?

Some `protectors of the city' indeed! So much for winged angels. They were truly demons in form, now if only the rest of the public could have seen this…!

Then they'd understand how evil the creatures truly were…

She almost wished she could break free, before she remembered that she still had one trick up her sleeve that might work. She locked eyes with her suffering partner and he gave a barely perceptible twitch. The transition was painful, but it freed her from the shock and the two of them bolted outside in the panic, hiding…

They blended in with the night. It was lucky.

 

“I've never seen that method of resisting arrest before.” Elisa stated dryly. “Can you track them?”

“I'll have to get Bronx from the tower, but it won't take long.” Goliath promised as he took off.

The rest of the gargoyles stayed behind to protect Elisa.

 

“One thing I don't understand, is why are they human again? Did they find some way to undo their sorcery?” Hudson queried.

“I wish I knew.” Elisa shook her head. “I wish I did…”

It was not long before the garg-beast had joined the fray. It was almost laughably easy to find the two after that, and with some coercion it wasn't long before they were securely behind bars.

It was almost too easy.

 

“I don't understand,” She whispered, dressed in the orange fatigues of disgrace and with no idea why she was there. “I don't understand…”

“I know, Lupe, I know. It's all right. They've got the wrong people. They'll let us out once they've realized their mistake.”

“Will they?” She asked bitterly. “We look exactly like two famous wanted criminals. Just our luck….”

“Well, maybe we're related to them. DNA tests can be wrong, you know. It's not that accurate.”

“I hope you're right…”

 

“I thought Jackal and Hyena died twenty years ago.” Xanatos said, when they posed the question. “And no, I haven't had any contact with Sevarius. I do not understand what's happened, but rest assured I will get to the bottom of this.”

It did not make any sense. Cloning was starting to seem like the best explanation. After all, he himself had personally overseen the burial. And his technicians had double-checked that yes, the two were really and truly dead.

Xanatos sighed. Peace eventually did have to end, and he supposed he was grateful they hadn't' resurfaced earlier… but these two couldn't be imposters, the DNA testing would have failed then.

So were they clones after all?

Assuming they were clones, with no memory of the past, surely it would be unfair to subject them to the sentences their… originals had committed? Still, a scapegoat was valuable…

And the police desperately needed a victory, what with their reputation shot to hell years ago…

 

“I have to protect you.”

“Aureus, I… I want to believe you, but something is telling me that it won't be enough.”

Aureus nodded. “I know.”

“What's wrong with their system? Can't they see that we're just unfortunate enough to be cursed with these looks?”

“I don't think so.” Aureus said slowly. “Listen, I know this is going to sound strange, but I want you to kiss me.”

Lupe blinked. It wasn't as if they hadn't kissed before, but…

The instant their lips met, Aureus focused on the image of the second form in his mind, and shoved.

Lupe gasped as she felt the hyena surge to the forefront of her mind, and between their link, a thousand lives crashed down, brilliant flame…

She was trembling in his arms when the onslaught finally faded, and he was not in much better shape himself, honestly…

 

“Still,” Lupe whispered, “Is it fair we pay for our last life's crimes in this life? I thought Anubis gave us a second chance.”

“As did I, my dear sister.” Aureus returned. “But it is no longer important…”

“I suppose it isn't. But we have none of our… accessories. I hope you have a plan.”

“I always have a plan… don't worry, my love. It doesn't quite matter. We'll always be together.”

Hyena nodded, Lupe's features shifting slightly to a mask of cruelty, as her eyes sparkled in delight.

Aureus, at the same time, seemed to perhaps, shift…. Jackal smirked as he took Hyena's hand. “How interesting that we always meet, isn't it?”

“Yes, although I don't want to know how we wound up as twins last life. Ah, well, can't be helped I suppose.”

“My dear… we are always the same age no matter what life you see. Surely that means something?”

 

There was a sound, and both Jackal and Hyena turned slowly, wishing that they had managed to arm themselves.

It was Xanatos, looking twenty years older.

“Jackal. Hyena. I see that you recognize me. How did you manage to pull this off?” He studied the pair.

“I'm sorry,” Jackal replied, “But the pair you are referring to died twenty years ago. You should know, considering you were the one who disposed of their bodies in the end - well, after what was left that could be scavenged from the cybernetics didn't you? You never did like wasting resources.”

Xanatos twitched. “You shouldn't know that.”

“I think we've thrown our dear Coyote for a loop,” Hyena smirked. “Pity.”

“Yes, he won't be as interested as getting us out now, I'll wager.”

Hyena shrugged elegantly. “It could be worse.”

“I know that.”

 

“Well, if you're not Jackal and Hyena, who are you?” Elisa asked, popping out of nowhere. Jackal and Hyena both bared their teeth at her.

“We weren't Jackal and Hyena until you made us this way!”

“I suppose that's a good reason why memories don't transfer between lifetimes normally. Then again, when were we ever normal?” Jackal laughed bitterly. “It's your fault, Detective. If you hadn't put us here, we would still be living our lives as normal. And no matter how much emotional damage we caused you in the past, your precious gargoyles were the ones who killed us!”

Hyena laid a restraining hand on Jackal's arm. So odd, it seemed that their positions had become slightly reversed, but it didn't work…

“Let me go!”

“Jackal, it's me…”

The man's eyes re-focused and he sighed. “Did I hurt you?”

Hyena shook her head. “Please… just let it end… please… just let it end…!”

“Hyena, no! You can't seriously be thinking about using it - it's too dangerous! I won't lose you again!”

Xanatos raised an eyebrow. He'd always suspected that the twins were close, but he hadn't exactly realized how.

Interesting.

 

The way they were acting was also unnerving. True, he knew they had been slightly off in the head, but this was something completely different almost like…

There was a bright flash of light and the displeased figure of a jackal-headed Egyptian god appeared. “This was not supposed to occur…”

Jackal and Hyena inclined their heads and Anubis sighed. “You know, this is your fault, Elisa Maza. If you had not dragged them off to prison their previous selves would not have surfaced.”

“It's too late now.” Jackal hissed. “We're helpless in these forms.”

“Well, now that they have the proof they need, it ends, doesn't it?”

“I'm afraid so,” Anubis sounded genuinely apologetic. Jackal and Hyena shared identical half-smiles before they both went limp. Anubis made another look and vanished.

 

“… Did they die again?”

“I think so.” Xanatos sighed. Such a pity those two were dead and gone… well, no point in staying here than.

And Elisa collapsed as the full import of her actions finally hit home.

 

 

Jackal?

Yes, sis?

You'll always protect me, right?

Forever. I promise.

 

END FIC
Completed 11/9/05

Sucky ending, I know. I didn't want em to die…. Oh well.