God Help the Outcasts: A Disney Crossover Fanfic

Chapter Twenty-Four: Hellfire

"Seize the cathedral!" cried Frollo. Nakoma's blood ran hot.

"He can't do that!"

"He can do whatever he wants," Phoebus replied, gesturing towards the pyre. "As he's already demonstrated. But at least now he'll have to fight for it."

They both jumped as a huge beam came hurtling down and crashed to the ground near the main doors of the cathedral, scattering the guards.

"Temper, temper," Phoebus said, looking up toward the belltower with a grin.

"You men!" Frollo yelled, pointing at the guards near their cage. "Pick up that beam! Break down the door!"

As the guards hurried to obey Frollo, Phoebus rubbed his hands together and chuckled, strolling up to the remaining guard and pulling him into a headlock.

"Alone at last," he remarked, striking him squarely on the top of his head. The man slipped to the ground and Phoebus turned around triumphantly, dangling the keys in Nakoma's face. "Lookee what I've got!"

"Great!" Nakoma said. Phoebus quickly unlocked their cage and handed the keys to Nakoma.

"Think you can handle yourself?" he asked. She nodded, and Phoebus chuckled. "Don't worry, you'll have all of Paris on your side. Watch this."

He leapt onto the top of their cage and addressed the shouting crowd. As he spoke Nakoma hurried to unlock the cages of the gypsies, dodging guards as she did so.

"Citizens of Paris!" Phoebus shouted. "Frollo has persecuted our people, ransacked our city! Now he has declared war on Notre Dame herself! Will we allow it?"

"No!!" the citizens roared, and soon Nakoma found herself aided by the hammers and axes of the townsfolk as they struck at the locks on the cages to free the gypsies. Within a moment or two all of the gypsies were freed and joined the crowds advancing on the door and the soldiers trying to break it down. Nakoma smiled at their handiwork, then had to duck and run as a guard swung his sword at her head.

"Good thing I still remember how to run," she remarked to herself, twisting and turning and leaping over upturned carts toward the cathedral. "Now how do I find Quasimodo?" She had to help him, and Esmeralda too. She had looked unconscious when Quasi rescued her—there was a good chance she might have inhaled too much smoke. But with Frollo and the guards at the doors, how could she get inside? There are other doors, she recalled, and maybe...just maybe, the archdeacon would give me sanctuary. 

She veered away from the brawl at the main doors and ran to the side where smaller doors stood unassaulted. She ran up the steps and pounded on the door. "Sanctuary!" she cried. "Sanctuary!" She frantically looked around her, but no one was paying her any attention, all too distracted by the battle. She continued to pound. "Sanctuary!" She could hear nothing over the clang of metal on metal and the shouts of the townspeople and gypsies, all a monotonous roar on top of the steady 'boom' of the battering ram on the door. Every so often some new object would come toppling down from the belltower, sending the guards running. As moments passed her heart began to pound. She looked up, around, searching for any window or ledge that she could climb. "How—"

Suddenly a small crack appeared between the door and its frame, and she saw the archdeacon's widened eyes peering anxiously out at her.

"Please, let me in!" she begged breathlessly. "I have to help Quasimodo! Hurry, before someone sees the door is open!"

The archdeacon stood aside as she slipped inside, then slammed the board back into the lock and hurried her away from the door.

"What on earth is going on?" he demanded.