All the characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company. No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder. All original characters are the property of Spacebabie

Author: Spacebabie

Email: LadyAndromeda@smstars.zzn.com

"Absolutely(Story of a Girl)" lyrics are by Nine Days

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Return Of the Hunt

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The pale blue glowing light over the entrance of Home Brew flickered slightly. The twisted neon tubes were shaped into an image of a coffee cup with two squiggles floating on the top surrounded by a circle. The glowing sign flickered once more before the light was quelled.

Keys jingled together in a short and quick melody before one of the glass double doors opened. A short slightly plump young female stepped from the cafe. She held the door open while she used her employee key to lock up the place for the night. Cookie hated being the one to have to lock up and close, but since she is one of the assistant managers she had too. It was in her job description. Her tan apron with blue name tag were rolled up and held under her arm. The same arm that her purse hung from.

The main reason why she hated closing was because of the subway ride she had to take after work. The creepy people that were part of the subway stereotype came true at midnight. She had seen it all, whinos sleeping, crazy people twitching and walking around n circles talking to them selves, people who clearly never heard themselves sing singing at the top of their lungs, and religious nuts spouting off bible verses. One time a man unzipped his pants and urinated on the floor a few inches from her feet.

She felt a snake of icy slither down her spine before she entered the entrance. She was so not looking forward to the ride.

"Hey got a light?" the voice belonged to the tall skinny teenager who nearly had his hair shaved off. The only bit of hair he had were bangs spiked up with gel and a long ponytail in the back. He dressed in a bright red shirt that had a skull sporting a mohawk, a ragged pair of jeans and heavy looking black shoes. A cigarette was dangling from his lower lip.

"No I don’t," Cookie tried not to make eye contact.

"Got any gum?" the voice from behind made her jump. She spun slowly around too see another teenager standing behind her. This one had hair, a lot of it. The unwashed mass flowed down to his butt. He also sported a goatee, not a clean and neatly trimmed one like Cookie had seen on pictures of David Xanatos but a long narrow one that reminded her of an ancient Egyptian Pharaoh.

"Sorry," Cookie descended a step. The long haired punk stepped closer to her. "What about some breath mints, or some hard candy?"

"Do I look like your grandmother?" Cookie tried her hardest to force out a laugh. It came out more like a fake cough.

"Naw," The voice belonged to the balder teen. She felt one of them grab on to her arms. "You look like someone who has some money."

"And you look like someone who would be fun to do," Hairy grinned.

Cookie stared into his cold eyes and saw the hunger that sparkled across them. Why did she have to close that night? Why couldn’t her room mate pick her up? Why couldn’t she own her own car?

"Dude what is with you and fat chicks?" Baldy asked while wrapping his fingers around her purse strap. If Cookie wasn’t so scared she would have turned around and slapped him.

"She ain’t fat she’s meaty," Hairy poked her in the tummy. "I like a woman who won’t snap in half unlike those stick figures that you are interested in."

"Okay you can fuck her and I’ll get..." His voice began to thin out. "her wall--agghh!"

Cookie nor Hairy could read his emotion in his sun glasses covered eyes, but the way he held his mouth open wide she knew he saw something frightening.

Before they had a chance to turn around something large and aqua colored swooped down on a pair of large wings and snatched him up. Cookie’s purse tumbled from his hands a few yards away. Both beast and punk entered an alley followed by loud grunting, cussing and the clanging of metal.

"Shit!" Hairy yelped when he saw the large winged creature gliding. back. If he were smart he would have ran down the stairs into the subway terminal, but from what Cookie could gather was that he wasn’t the brightest bulb around. He ran the opposite direction on the street.

Cookie watched with a frightened fascination. she could not explain why she just stood there with her eyes focused on the gargoyle as he nearly landed on top of Hairy. She could make out the smaller being trying to struggle for freedom until the gargoyle knocked him out. What the hell just happened? One of those gargoyles attacked two humans and she just stood there. It attacked the two humans that were going to attack her.

Common sense returned after she blinked rapidly for about ten seconds. Of course it was going to attack the punks first. They were more threatening ones. Once they were out of the way it was going to come back for her. ‘Stop it,’ she told herself. ‘That sounds like something you read in National Geographic.’ It also sounded like something the Quarrymen would say.

She felt herself freeze and hugged the ground when she heard the sound of it’s wings in the air. Looking up she saw it glide over her head, holding onto Hairy and glide into the same alley it had fought Baldy in. She heard the same clang of metal before the creature glided towards her.

With the speed of a frightened rodent she snatched her apron that she lost when Baldy had grabbed her. Why the hell was she so scared? Was it because it looked frightening? Was it because of the Quarrymen propaganda that she had heard? She also heard a lot of P.I.T propaganda a too and according to them gargoyles were not creatures to be feared. Her friend Angelica had even told her that they were sentient beings.

Her sweaty palms saturated the cloth. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and stared up at the direction the gargoyle had arrived. The creature was over six feet in height and pale. She couldn’t exactly pinpoint it’s color exactly. It was either pale aqua, pale turquoise or pale mint.. It had large bat shaped wings attached to its back. The creature stared at her with black eyes. She could have swore they were glowing white earlier.

"Here’s your purse," it said. She had to blink. It could talk? She stared at it’s face and blinked a gain. Not only did it talk, but it was also smiling. A big fat grin with protruding lower fangs and a large round chin. "The jerk dropped it when I snatched him."

"Uh yeah," she continued to stare at him. He was balder than baldy. Instead of hair he had mohawk of fleshy points down the center of his head. Instead of eyebrows he had curved ridges over his eyes. The way that they were turned up made him appear pretty goofy. He was fatter than she was, well she wasn’t really fat just more along the lines of pudgy, plump or chubby. His hands ended in four sharp claw tipped fingers. One of his hands held out her purse.

"You are not hurt are you?" the brow ridges twisted up in an expression that would equal concern on humans.

"No I’m fine," Cookie accepted her purse. Up close this gargoyle was not scary at all. In fact he looked rather dopey.

"Do you think you can make it home okay?"

"Yeah," Cookie didn’t have to force herself to smile. "I can deal with the weirdoes." She pointed at her head and made circles with her finger. "It’s the punks that I obviously have trouble with."

"Do you take this subway often?" He pointed at the entrance.

"Yeah I work at the Home Brew that’s a few blocks from here."

"Hey that’s pretty cool," he smiled again and held out his hand. "My name is Broadway."

"Broadway?" she lowered her eyebrows slightly. "Like the street?"

"Yeah," the gargoyle nodded. "What is your name?"

"Cookie, and yes like the baked good," she grabbed his hand and shook it. "It’s really a nickname."

"Well you take care," Broadway turned around and walked towards the nearest building.

"You too," Cookie smiled once more. It looked like Angelica was right about them.

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It took The Pack hours to create the basic dummies. Large tackle dummies were dyed different colors and filled with sawdust and sand. Wings made of hollow wood and canvas were glued, and sewn into the back. Snarling faces were drawn on with a black magic marker. Some of the dummies stood upright in the part of the Leahs gym that had no equipment and others hung from rope like men that were hung execution style.

Wolf stared at the last one of the dummies that were set up. The targets that sprung up with a flip of a switch were just wooden sticks nailed together with more scary heads. The mutate walked around the room carefully so as not to step on any of the wooden dummies.

"So is everything in place?" Hyena pressed her finger through the top of her beer can in the part that would have been popped open by the tab.

"Everything is in place," Wolf stared at her while she chugged. "And shouldn’t you be drinking oil?" The response he received from the female twin was her standard raising of one of her middle fingers.

"We can handle beer," Jackal didn’t even look up from the stop watch he was holding. "Just can’t drink more than one can."

"Going mechanical wasn’t the best idea now was it?"

"Shove it furball," Jackal stared up from the black and green timepiece. "So are you ready to go wonderboy?"

The being he addressed was a few feet away resting in a crouch. The light green creature’s talons sank slightly into the wooden floor while its long reptilian tail lashed on the ground in a slow beat. Leaning forward it looked like a jungle cat ready to pounce on it’s prey. "I’m ready." Jon Canmore replied. He wore his full Hunter suit of black clothes, red chest and shoulder armor, trimmed black gloves and a black leather mask with the red slash marks that were the symbol of the Hunter painted on. Around his left thigh was a leather bandolier full of sharp throwing knives. A holster with a lazer rifle, and his sleek silver Quarryman hammer was attached to his belt.

Jackal pressed down on the button that started the seconds. "Go!"

Jon bounded forward on all fours towards the nearest hanging dummy. A wooden target popped up. Jon pounced on it, snapping it in half before he leaped onto the hanging dummy. Three of his throwing knives rained down and landed on the heads of some of the ground dummies. His talons sank into the material spilling saw dust onto the floor. Jon leaped from that jumbo size sand bag to the next one and ripped a hole in it before he leaped to another one. As he pounced from one hanging target to the next he fired his gun at the ones on the ground not missing a single one.

Once the last sand and sawdust filled dummy was attacked Jon jumped to the ground. Three wooden targets instantly popped. Gripping his hammer the weregoyle swung at two of the wooden figures, smashing them to splinters. He decapitated the third with a lashing of his tail.

He dropped to the ground and loped around the room. Whenever another target jumped up at him he destroyed it.

"Done!" Jackal pressed the stop button and glanced at the numbers. "And you beat your old record."

The gargoyle was in his felinoid crouch again and breathing deeply. Splinters were stuck to his talons"How much?" Jon peeled off his mask. Rivulets of sweat streaked down his skin and made his shirt cling to his chest. Parts of his skin had saw dust sticking to it.

"By two seconds."

"Good," he wiped the sweat from his ivory spike tipped frill. "In a few nights I can, we can resume the hunt. I will have my revenge."

"Things have been getting kind of boring around here," Wolf scratched his chest. "Why don’t you two clean up."

"That is a good question," Hyena crossed her arms. "Why don’t we?" Her eyes narrowed. "Why don’t you?"

The mutate grinned. "Because unlike you I can knock back a few," he leaned down and helped Jon stand up. "And I want have a few drinks with my fellow human turned beast here." He shared his grin with Jon who gave him a confused look. "C’mere you." He pulled the weregoyle into a bear hug and rubbed his knuckles into his head. "You and I are going to have to race sometime." His eyes widened suddenly and he stared down. His hand struck one of Jon’s spikes. "Shit." The word came out in a non Wolfish squeak.

The gargoyle slipped form his grasp and stared at the small puncture wound in his fist and sighed. "Come on." Jon cradled the mutate’s injured hand. "I’ll get the medical supplies and bandage ye up." His wife may have not made it but her medical knowledge of simple wounds were imbedded into Jon’s memory. "What kind of beer?"

"The Australian kind," Wolf gave him a wink. "You know the kind with the big cans."

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The tackle dummies that were salvageable were placed in a pile and had their wounds covered in silver masking tape. There were only eight out of 17 of the dummies that could be reused. All of the wooden targets were kindling. After sweeping up and trash bagging the mess Hyena stretched out her arms and spun her hands around in perfect 360 degree circles.

"I’m in the mood for the Jacuzzi," Jackal ran his fingers through his hair. "What about you sis?"

"I want to see how the beer boys are doing." She took a finger to her mouth and her eyebrows twisted up. "I wonder who could last longer in a drinking match."

"My money would be on Wolf."

"Wolf?" Hyena squinted one eye.

"Back when we were all human he could floor us in drinking binges and now that he has his upgrade." Jackal clapped his hands together.

"You are forgetting something my older by ten minutes brother that Wolf is a mutate and Jon is a gargoyle. My money is on Jon."

"Is that a bet?"

"How much?"

"Ten bucks say that when we find them Jon would be passed out while Wolf is still chugging along."

"Only ten bucks?" She placed her hands on her hips and stared up at him coyly. "What are you afraid?"

"Okay," He stood in her face. Their noses only inches apart. "Twenty."

"Make it fifty."

"Thirty."

"Forty."

"Thirty five."

"Deal."

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They found the two in the hallway propped up against a wall surrounded by a pile of empty cans. Well Wolf was surrounded by pile. The mutate slurped from his fifth can in a sloppy matter. The liquid dribbled down his chin and onto his chest, staining his fur yellow.

"Damn," Wolf let the empty can drop to the ground while he quickly rubbed at his damp chest. "I billed my speer."

Hyena smirked and jabbed an elbow into her brother’s chest. "Still confident."

"Don’t be so cocky," Jackal whispered back, but his words had no effect on Hyena. She was staring at her champion.

Jon had five cans stacked pyramid style neatly and was sipping on his sixth. The last of the beer emptied in his mouth and he set down the can on top of his stack. He drew back his arm, wiped his face and let out a loud belch.

"See?" Jackal bumped his sisters arm with his elbow.

"So he’s a little buzzed at least he’s not faced like-" her finger was pointed at the mutate and the words were about to dance off her mouth, but she couldn’t say their cohort’s name. He was leaned over with one leg in the air. It reminded Hyena of the joke on why animals lick certain areas. Because they can.

"For my next upgrade I know what I’m asking for," Jackal whispered.

"Me too," Hyena agreed.

"Yer disgusting," Jon commented before he leaned over and snatched the last full can.

"Hey," Wolf’s head snapped back up. "That’s mine."

"Yer wasted." The gargoyle pressed his index talon through the top. "While I only feel like I only had one or two of these." He tilted his head back.

"Not fare," Wolf hiccuped and fell over onto his side.

Jon shook his head up at him before he stared up. His eyes finally landed on the twins. "Why are ye here?"

"We just want to know if his royal wolfness wants us to do anything else for him." Jackal grunted. He did not like loosing bets with his baby sister.

On shaking clumsy arms Wolf righted himself up. "I know what I want." His arms gave out and he fell back against the wall, bumping his head. "Hyena," he pointed at Jackal. "I want to see-"he paused to giggle like a school girl. "I want to see your nupples."

Jackal clenched and unclenched his fists. His teethed rubbed together so hard they could almost create sparks. He turned to his sister who was doubled over. The parts of her that still had flesh were pink. Cussing under his breath he turned to Jon. "And you don’t feel the least bit drunk?" His eyes narrowed.

Jon lowered his can and blinked. "Just slightly. Why?"

"Wait," Wolf belched. He tried pointing at Jon but only managed to aim at his feet. "Your one your tenth and your not drunk?"

"Seventh," The weregoyle corrected.

"I only had three, four, five...five and I’m I’m uh..."

"Completely schnockered," Jackal sighed.

"Snickered. Does thisss have something to do with you being like," he paused to think. "You know like that?" he waved his hand over Jon’s body.

Canmore shrugged. "Perhaps."

"No fair. No fucking fair. If we were drinking during the day You would have been out after two or three."

Jon smiled smugly as he stood up. "Except fer one thing," he took a long gulp from his can. "I donae drink during the day ye daft monster."

"Oh look whosh calling me a monster," Wolf chuckled.

Jon gritted his teeth and picked up one of the discarded cans. "Ye chose t’ be like that!" He threw it at Wolf’s head. "I didna." With can in hand he stormed past the twins.

"Where are you going?" Jackal asked.

"I’m going t’ see a man about a mule," Jon continued down the hall.

"Starting to act American," Jackal smiled and shook his head. His smile faded when he felt Hyena’s fist strike his middle. "What," he grunted. "Was that for?"

"Pay up!" Her hand was held out palm facing up. Both index and middle finger flickered in the "gimme gimme," gesture.

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Dark purple was blended in with the reddish violet paint tinting it a darker shade. The soft sable bristle of the paintbrush swept through the color and brought it to the image of grapes on the canvas. The tip of the brush dabbed on to the underside of the grapes lightly providing a bit of shade and making them appear three dimensional.

"Those grapes look good enough to eat," Broadway’s voice brought a smile to Angela’s face. The lavender gargoyle turned around see her mate standing behind her. "Is this still life from Avalon?"

"Yes it is," Angela smiled. she was thankful for the spare room that Xanatos cleaned out so she could sue as her studio. She had plenty of sketch books, canvas’s, an easel, palettes, brushes and paints. "Its where we get our grapes."

"For the juice you have raved so much about." He stared at the painting. It as almost done. Angela had to add a bit more shading and she would be finished. There was a section of stone wall, or it could be part of the castle with rows of grapes growing on several vines. In the middle was a woman in her mid forties gathering grapes into a basket. She faintly reminded Broadway of Princess Katharine.

"Is that the princess?" the portly gargoyle asked while painting at the image. He was careful not to actually touch the painting with one of his claws.

Angela nodded. "I can still remember back when she was that young." She dabbled her brush into the freshly made darker shade and added a pencil thin line of shading to the grapes. She set the palette down and cleaned her brush. After she squeezed the last bit of water out she brushed upwards and blended the shade. "and now I’m finished." She dipped the brush into the water once more and dabbed it in the black paint. Gracefully she painted her name on the lower left corner.

"Beautiful," Broadway gasped and gave her a couple of thumbs up. "Is this for the P.I.T market?"

"P.I.T auction and the money sold will go to P.I.T" She sat down in the blue cushioned wicker chair. "I am a bit curious about the person who always wins the auction. It’s usually the same person."

"That one fan of yours?" Broadway asked. He remembered what Brooklyn and Marle told him about Kimberly with a K.

"No it’s someone different."

"Maybe it’s someone you can make a friend with?" He noticed the strange look she gave him and continued. "You know what my father said last Winter Solstice. We are supposed to make a human friend."

"But do P.I.T members count since they are technically friends of gargoyles?"

"We don’t know if this person is a P.I.T member," Broadway gave her a wink. He kept the one eye closed. "And Hudson didn’t say that they can not be P.I.T members. Now did he."

Angela giggled with her mouth closed and shook her head. "Sometimes my love you can be sneaky."

"Me sneaky?"

"Oh yes you are." Her eyelids lowered seductively. "So have you made a friend yet?"

"Not quite," Broadway stepped back. "I did talk to this one woman I rescued the other day. Her name is Cookie and she works at this place called Home Brew."

"Sounds like the name of a cafe."

"I bet it is," Broadway snapped his fingers. "I’m going to stop by and say hello during patrol tomorrow." The aqua gargoyle left the room whistling.

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Lorrie placed her naked son into the kitchen sink side that was full of slightly warm water. The capful of the pink sweet smelling liquid that she added before turning on the water created a thick layer of foam on top. Once Colin was gurgling in his bath she placed a soft hat that resembled a short funnel on top of his head.

"Where’s the shampoo?" she mumbled while searching around the bath supplies of baby oil and lotion. Liquid soap, and starfish shaped wash cloth. She handed Colin the rubbed duck and turned her head to the door that lead to the living room. "Jon have you seen his shampoo?"

"Aye," her husband answered. "I’ve got it." Jon entered the kitchen wearing nothing but his pair of black pants and wedding ring hanging from a gold chain around his neck. In his hand was the bottle of honey colored liquid. The second the shampoo passed from his hand to hers his face cringed in pain. He grabbed his middle the second he felt the change from with his body. Organs shifted around whie his heart developed a fifth chamber. His pinkish peach colored skin turned to a light shade of green before a pair of bat shaped wings ripped out through his back. His pinky and ring fingers were forced to merg together into one.

Lorrie set the bottle down and wrapped an arm around her baby. No matter how much she hated seeing Jon go through the pain she could not turn around.

Transformation over Jon stayed hunched over grabbing his knees. His breathing was still labored and his eyes were still glowing. The light faded when he stood to his full height. "I better go put on m’ shirt."

"Why would you want to do that?" Lorrie could not arch her brows, but she could raise them slightly in a sultry fashion. She stared at Jon’s toned green chest. Day or night she loved seeing him naked or near naked.

"Well I d’ have plans fer t’night." He couldn’t keep the smile from forming.

Lorrie sighed and shook her head. She placed a slight dab of shampoo on Colin’s damp pale hair. "You are not going over to the Leahs mansion for another drinking contest are you?" She worked the shampoo into a slightly foamy lather.

Jon blinked. "How did ye know?"

"Hyena told me." She tilted Colin’s head back and used the extended faucet head to rinse out the lather. The hat kept the soap from running into the baby’s eyes. Lorrie know it was the famous "No more tears" formula, but she didn’t want to take any chances. "Although I have to admit seven Fosters and you can still walk in a straight line is impressive. Do you think we should put this under perks?" In adjusting to what they realized as Jon’ permanent form they wrote up a list of perks and curses. The perks included gliding, strength, heightened sense and hearing, skin that’s strong to the cold and what Lorrie called the extended package.

"Aye that would fit there," Jon nodded. "I’m not going drinking. I’m going hunting."

Lorrie blinked and turned her head. Jon had already left the room. "Your daddy is going to fight evil monsters." She took the wash cloth to Colin’s arms. Her son giggled from the orange cloth’s touch. "Of course your daddy looks like one of those evil monsters." She took the cloth to his stomach and back. "And you are one quarter of those monsters." She carefully held onto his wings while she scrubbed them. "You’re not one quarter evil." she washed his feet.

"Is he all clean?" Jon entered the kitchen fully dressed. In his hands was a small towel.

"All clean," Lorrie removed the drain plug. She removed the strange hat from her son’s head. "Time to get you all dwy now." Her voice became higher. "My little honey bunny wunny."

"I got him," Jon lifted Colin carefully out of the sink and wrapped the towel around him. The baby gurgled and reached for his father’s face. "Going t’ get m’ wittle hunter all dry." He set his son on the blanket lined counter and gently rubbed him dry. He massaged in the oil to Colin’s feet, tummy and backs of his wings and applied lotion to his round cheeks and chubby thighs before he wrapped up his bottom in a diaper.

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"Are ye sure?" Jon asked while slipping on his chest and shoulder armor in the living room. "Ye know Jason and Christine would take good care of him."

Lorrie nodded while she kept her eyes on Colin. Her son was crawling around on the Big Bird blanket spread out on the carpeted floor. "I know they will take good care of him," she sighed. "I just don’t feel that I’m ready to leave him with a sitter."

Her husband nodded. "Ye know ye have improved yer fighting skills greatly." He pulled on his gloves. "I would be honored t’ have ye fight the good fight by my side." He paused along with Lorrie to watch Colin as he picked up two of his connecting plastic maraca shaped toys and banged them together. "Is it because ye fell last time?"

Lorrie stared in his dark eyes that were turned up with worry and concern. "No it’s not that." She turned her head back to watch Colin crawl over to the coffee table. He was probably going to use it to pull himself to his feet. He had been doing that for over a week.

"Ye know I’ll always be there t’ catch ye." He approached her and stared into her warm brown eyes. He took a talon and stroked under her chin.

"I understand." She earned forward to kiss him on his cheek. "I guess you can say it’s sort of selfish on my part. I don’t want to be away from my son."

Jon sat back and laughed. "Okay lass." He crawled to where he left his mask. "When ye feel ready ye’ll let me know."

"Ga boo da." Colin’s babble brought their focus over to where their son stood. He was standing next to the coffee table. His hands were hanging by his side. He was not using the table for any kind of support.

"He’s standing," Jon gasped.

"By himself," Lorrie added.

"Get the camera."

Lorrie quickly unzipped the fanny pack she always wore and pulled out the disposable camera. Without hesitation she brought the camera to her eye and pressed down on the button.

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The temperature was getting warmer. Jon noticed the warm feeling that night while he and the rest of The Pack rested on the top of Golden Cup Bakery. He perched at the ledge with his lower talons curling downward and his hands in-between his feet. Knees bent, sitting up he looked like a tiger waiting for it’s prey in the warm night. He hoped it wouldn’t get too hot that summer. While the cold air didn’t bother him the heat did. May’s never got this warm in Scotland. May? Mother’s day was coming up. He had to get Lorrie a present.

"I’m hungry," Wolf complained. Jon and the others tried to ignore him but he continued. "We didn’t have any time to eat before we left. I’m starving."

"Shut up," Hyena hissed.

"I can’t help it," the mutate whined. "Your pathetic human noses can’t detect it, but I smell bread and other goodies inside and it’s not helping."

Jon forced himself to ignore him, but the fact remains that they were standing on a bakery and he could also smell the food inside. He read out the bakery was once a front for a technical lab until the government came down on them. Now all they make is bread, and cookies, cakes, pies and other treats.

Like the others Jon also didn’t eat before he went on the hunt. He didn’t want to say something before but the combination of not eating and the scent of bread brought a small hunger pain to his stomach. He was sure Lorrie would have something delicious ready for him when he gets back.

He heard the cooing sound of pigeon landing near them. The cooing became louder and he heard frantic flapping before a loud shriek was heard and then silence. He had no idea what went on, nor did he bother to look. He found out when the scent of blood entered his nostrils.

Wolf had the dead pigeon in his hands. His head was lowered but from the blood spilling down the others could tell what was going on. The mutate stared up at their disgusted expressions and blinked. "Tastes like chicken." He licked his blood stained lips and held out the bird to them. "Want a bite?"

"No thanks," Jackal’s voice was thin. "I’m not that hungry."

"Hell no," Hyena was almost as green as Jon. "That is disgusting. Its swimming in disease and." Her eyes closed. "Couldn’t you have asked one of us to cook it first?"

"That thought hadn’t crossed my mind," Wolf shrugged and glanced up at Jon. "What about you?"

"No thanks," the gargoyle ignored the empty feeling gnawing at his stomach.

"Are you sure?" Wolf took another bite. His teeth tore into the pigeon the same wayo ne would take a bite out of a piece of fried chicken. "It tastes good and I’m pretty sure gargoyles eat pigeons." He looked up when he heard another pigeon land on the P part of the sign. "I’ll get you one." He placed his meal down and dropped to the ground. Slowly he crawled to the P and sat in a crouch. The bird flapped it’s wings and flew down to the roof. It had only landed for a second before Wolf pounced on it. The mutate picked up the bird and snapped it’s neck.

"Here you go," Wolf plopped the dead bird into Jon’s hands and went back to eating his kill.

Jon stared at the pigeon. He heard Wolf chewing on the other bird and could smell the blood being spilled. The thought of hunting down, killing and eating a pigeon disgusted him, but he was hungry. The dead bird in his hands was looking more and more tasty as the seconds ticked by. He felt something in his mind. Something that was making him want to eat the bird.

"Sometimes Wolf I think you truly are a moron," Jackal pulled the dead creature from Jon’s hands. "A human digestive system probably wont be able to handle a raw dead bird."

"He’s not human," Wolf said between bites.

"What happens at dawn?" Hyena asked.

"Aw shit," Wolf barked. "I forgot."

Jon felt somewhat relieved to have the bird taken away from him, but it didn’t solve his hunger problem. He could still smell it and he was getting hungrier. A new odor caused his nostrils to twitch. It smelled like fur or hair, or even feathers burning. He pulled of his mask and turned back to Jackal who had the bird skewered on his extended metal claws. His other fist was aimed at the bird. The same fist that held the flame thrower. The heat from the flame caused the feathers to blacken and the what was under the feathers to have an even more appetizing aroma.

"Not Kentucky fried," Jackal grabbed onto the cooked bird and pulled it off his claws. "But this will have to do." He handed it back to Jon.

The weregoyle immediately removed part of its skin and feathers off its chest and sank his fangs into the meat. It did taste like chicken. Rotisserie chicken. Chewing on the large chunk he tore out, he pulled his head back and stared at his team mates. Hyena looked bored and Jackal just shrugged.

"Pretty good eh?" Wolf paused from eating to give him a thumbs up.

Jon swallowed his bite. "Aye. Thanks fer catching and cooking it." He took another bite.

"No problem," Jackal sat back down. "How long are we going to stay right here."

Jon peeled back more skin and feathers. "Ye two have those devices t’ communicate wi each other?" He snapped off one of the legs.

Jackal tapped at the small square on his chest. He pulled back a small metal cover on hinges. Underneath was a circular shaped speaker screen with four buttons underneath.

"That s good then we’ll split up. Hyena yer wi Wolf and Jackal is wi me." He paused to take a bite out of the pigeon leg. "We’ll spread out and stay t’ the shadows. When one of us finds some gargoyles we’ll tell the other group."

"How come he’s in charge?" Wolf tossed the bones over his head and belched.

"Because your a moron," Hyena snapped. "And no one else has a better plan."

____________________________________________________________________________

Broadway circled around over the still open business of Home Brew. He didn’t know when it closed and he didn’t know when Cookie got off work. He knew he wanted to see her again. That was what he told his patrol group. He was going to say hello to a possible friend. He also told them it would only take a few minutes. He did not have a watch, but he was sure he had been circling the place for ten minutes.

He felt a small burst of joy when he saw a short pudgy woman with dark hair exit the building. Adjusting his wings he glided several feet ahead of her and landed in the ally, lifting his wings up parachute style.

She was never going to have to close again. Well at least not for a long time. Cookie had to work nights but now she was able to wait until nine to get off work. In a few weeks she was going to switch with the assistant manager who opens. She knew he didn’t have to worry about coming across lowlifes on the subway. He owned a car.

"Cookie," She froze like a mannequin at the sound of someone who whispered her name. Still in the same position she turned her head towards the alley that was next to her. "Cookie its me." The voice was a little louder and slightly more recognizable.

"Who are you?" She asked while he eyes traveled side to side. The people that were walking on the pavement didn’t even notice her.

"Someone who rescued you the other night."

"Someone who rescued me?" She stared into the darkness and noticed a large shape. As it stepped toward her she noticed that it had some things attached to his back. They looked like wings? Breathing deeply she stepped into the alley. The large being stepped towards her.

"Yeah it’s me," there was no mistaking that goofy voice. It was the same gargoyle that rescued her from the other night.

"Your name is Broadway right? Like the street?"

"You remember." Broadway pulled himself onto the nearest dumpster. "Come on in I don’t bite."

"If you say so," Cookie stepped into alley approached him. She stopped when she noticed the dumpster he was sitting on. "That’s not the same dumpster where you threw those two creeps in."

Broadway surveyed his surroundings. "Nah, I think this is a different location. So how have you been?"

"I’ve been fine."

"Anything new?"

"Yeah after the incident with those lowlifes My boss gave me a shift where I start earlier, but I don’t have to close. In a few weeks I’ll be opening."

"That means you won’t be around at night?" Broadway’s face fell.

"Well it won’t be for another few weeks," Cookie smiled at him. "We will get to see each other and talk at nights before my time schedule is switched."

"Your right," Broadway smiled and stood up. "I hope you don’t think its rude of me, but I have some members of my clan waiting for me." He sank his talons into the wall.

"You’re not being rude." Her eye brows turned up at the sight of him climbing the wall. "Why are you doing that and not flapping your wings?"

"Gargoyles don’t fly. We glide."

"Oh and you need more lift?"

"Exactly."

She watched as Broadway climbed to the top of the building. She did not move until he leaped over the side and be carried away by wind gusts. She watched for a few minutes more until he was gone. Stepping out of the alley she thought how cool it would be to have a gargoyle for a friend.

____________________________________________________________________________

Brick red tail drummed against the rooftop while the beaked head that sported two long horns and a flowing mane of snowy white hair bobbed along to the music that only he could hear. "This is the story of a girl, who cried and drowned the whole world." Brooklyn sang."And while she looked so sad in photographs I absolutely love her when she smiles."

Matt stared at the red gargoyle and shook his head. It would have seemed logical to him if Brooklyn was listening to a portable CD or cassette player and headphones, but the headset that the beaked gargoyle had on his head was one of the communicators.

"Someone bang the gong now," Matt gasped and shook his head when Brooklyn moved his hands in a guitar solo. The golden weregoyle almost wished he had a camera so he could take a picture and show it to Marle.

"That was ‘Story of a Girl’ by Nine Days," Brooklyn said. "Next on station BRKLN is requested ‘My Lament’ by Osprey."

"If you could take a break from the top forty countdown," Matt tapped Brooklyn on the shoulder, nearly startling him. "Broadway has returned."

Brooklyn sat up and stared at the form of his rookery brother coming in for a landing. "Oh your back," Brooklyn stepped back to give Broadway room. "What took you so long?"

"Lay off , I didn’t know when she got off work."

"She?" Matt asked. "Do we know anything else about this possible friend? Like a name?"

"Her name is Cookie."

"Is that her real name?" Brooklyn smirked. "Or are you just calling her that after one of your favorite things."

Broadway ignored him and continued to speak with the weregoyle. "She works at Home Brew and gets off at nine."

"Now you know when you can meet with her," Brooklyn said and spread his wings. "We have to patrol." He stepped off and felt the air currents under his wings. He was glad that Broadway was able to make a friend and hoped that a friendship would bloom from the man he rescued the other night, some guy who likes to jog a lot.

____________________________________________________________________________

Wolf felt several places that itched on his body. He brought his claws to his stomach and scratched. He scratched his neck and butt at the same time. "I think I’m getting fleas."

Hyena turned her head in his direction. "Shhh," she brought a metal tipped finger to her mouth. "We are hunting and tracking. We can’t be doing that if you complain every five minutes."

"How would you like it if you had a bunch of little bugs crawling through your hair?" He bared his teeth.

She held out her hands and stared at them. "That’s something I don’t ever have to worry about. She flipped her hands over exposing her palms. She curled one into a fist and turned her wrist around so she could stare at her metal claws. "All the beauty of having metal instead of fur."

"At least I can drink more than one beer."

"Go fuck yourself," she growled. Why couldn’t she have been paired off with Jon instead of her brother? Why did she have to be stuck with the big hairy dolt. She glared at the beast while he contused to stare at the opposite direction. Her eyes widened when his ears perked up. "What is it?"

"Can’t you hear?"

A small funnel connected to retractable metal wires snaked out of her ear. What sounded like soft booing became the loud and more obnoxious sound of car alarm. "It’s a car alarm." The wire slithered back into her head. "So?"

"Someone’s breaking into a car," Wolf’s lips pulled back. "Gargoyles go after guys who break into cars."

Hyena wrapped her arms around Wolf’s middle. "Hold on tight." The rockets in her back popped out and projected enough flame to cause them both to rise into the air.

____________________________________________________________________________

The two of them had never stolen a Porshe before. The had broke into and hot wired many other expensive cars to be taken to their "garage" but never a Porsche. They were going to be paid a large sum for bringing in the sleek cerulean car.

"You know I’ve been thinking," the taller of the two said while he disabled the alarm.

"That’s a first," his cohort finally forced the door open with a cro-bar. Both wore sports jackets and black ski masks. "So what thought finally managed to squeeze into that little pea brain of yours?"

"I was thinking why should we bring this baby into Kribis?"

"Because Kribis is going to give us a fat wad for it." He leaned forward to tear into the side of the steering wheel.

"Yeah but even if it is a lot it wouldn’t be enough to afford a car like this.." He put down the hood and gave it an affectionate rub. "It’s a beaut."

"Dumbass the police would find out its a stolen car and arrest us, besides I would rather own a car that I bought at a dealership."

"You above what we are doing?" His narrowed eyes widened when a lean red creature glided in and landed on top of the car.

"I am," it spoke through a long beak. It wore nothing except for some primitive cloth strapped to his waist.

"Gargoyles," The taller crook gulped. He kept his eyes on the horned creature with the long white hair while he backed up. He bumped into something large and soft. He felt large hands reach down and grab onto his shoulders. Breathing rapidly he turned his head around and stared up at another creature. This one was pale blue had funny looking ears and no hair.

"Don’t move," it said.

"Okay," he answered with a warble voice.

The other thief rolled out of the car with one hand holding onto the cro-bar. His feet slipped on the asphalt as he scrambled to get up. He saw his partner held captive by a fat gargoyle. He remembered the other one and turned to face the beast. His weapon nearly slipped from his sweating palms when he saw the way it’s eyes glowed with a white light. He raised the bar high above his head and could have brought it down if he hadn’t felt something lash at his feet. Loosing ground he felt himself fall backwards landing on his back.

Matt picked up the crook that he had tripped and sat him down next to the one Broadway held.Brooklyn grabbed the collars of both would be Porshe thieves and pulled them till they stared in his face. "You know what you are going to do now?" The second in command’s voice was low. He continued when both men shook their heads. "You are going inside the building that the Porshe is parked in front of and you are going to tell them what you were trying to do."

Matt and Broadway grabbed the men and pushed them towards the building. They didn’t take their eyes away from the crooks until they slipped behind the doors.

"Garrrh!" Broadway tilted his head back while he roared in pain. His wings stretched out the furthest they could stretch.

"What happened?" Matt gasped.

"My back," the portly gargoyle turned around. Both Matt and Brooklyn sucked in air through their teeth. The BB sized puncture wound was in his most sensitive spot on his back. Blood trickled down the hole.

Brooklyn placed the communicator headset back on. "We are under at-" he never got to finish his sentence. Whatever struck Broadway struck the head set in a blast not only large enough to force the headset of Brooklyn’s head, but also able to take his right ear with it.

Matt’s eyes widened at the sight Brooklyn’s ear flying off his head. Snarling he turned around and stared at the sky. "Where the hell are you bastards!"

"Right here!" the gruff shout gave the weregoyle enough time to brace himself for the tackle by something large and hairy. Matt’s eyes lit up when he felt sharp claws dig into his arms. He stared into the lupine grin of a familiar beast man.

"What are you sick assholes up too?" Matt growled while he struggled to throw Wolf off him. Even with his gargoyle strength the mutate was hard to beat. Wolf had a firm hold on his arms and one foot was pressed down on his foot. The other hairy foot dug into his thigh. Matt’s wings were no use but he did have some leverage over the mutate. His tail slithered between the furry mutate’s legs and stuck straight out.

"Just the usual," Wolf did not loose his grin, but it did faint slightly when he saw the grin form on the gargoyles face. "Why are you smiling?"

"Oh nothing," Matt told him right before he shot his tail up, striking the mutate in the junction of his thighs.

Brooklyn could not get the ringing sound in his ears to stop. That was when he realized he was only hearing the ringing in one ear. The other was throbbing. He brought his hand to the right side of his head and pulled back in a snap of a reflex. The side of his head was soaking wet. Part of his hair was shellacked to his skin. He stared down at his hand to see it coated in a liquid that was a darker shade than his skin.

Where was his ear? He noticed Matt was wrestling with Wolf and Broadway was fighting Hyena despite his injuries. He could search for his ear. He noted the headset was only a few feet from him. It was damaged beyond Lex’s repair. His ear was next to it lying a few inches away. He picked it up. It felt like a scrap of leather. He could not believe how calm he was. Brooklyn snapped open his buckle compartment and shoved his ear inside.

The beaked gargoyle glared at Hyena. She was the one who shot his rookery brother in the back like a coward. She was the one who shot his ear off. His vision burned white a split second before he picked up the headset. Without a second thought he threw it at the back of the cyborg’s head.

Hyena pulled back her hand and surveyed the damage. The fat gargoyle’s chest was darkened from the electrical burn she had placed. A deep cut from the aqua colored gargoyle’s knee to the middle of his shin was caused by one of her foot blades. She was surveying her prey the way a person would decided on weather broiling steaks or cutting up the beef and fry it fajita style.

Her brown eyes narrowed when she feet something strike the back of her head. "Who threw that." She turned to see what caused her pain. The cyborge realized too late that she had turned her back in the middle of battle. She quickly spun around only to have the large ham fist strike her right on her breasts, the part that was still flesh.

Broadway’s eyes widened slightly when he realized what he struck, but he remembered a certain detail. "She’s no lady," he muttered and prepared for her counterattack. He raised up his arms in defense, ignoring his pain. He stepped backward and felt something cool and metal like on the ground. It was the cro-bar the crooks were using. Eyes still on his enemy he felt for the bar with his tail. The end of his long appendage wrapped around the bar and brought it to his hands.

"You big fat jerk!" Hyena shriek. "Nobody touches the ladies." She swung her arms down at him.

Broadway held on to the bar like a baseball bat and swung up. The weapon struck against her hands creating a loud clang and causing them to fly over back over her head. "There is nothing lady about you."

Brooklyn didn’t know who to help. Broadway was holding his own against Hyena. Matt could use some help with Wolf. The weregoyle was no longer pinned under the hairy beast but they were at a stale mate.

The long roar of a gargoyle battle cry brought relief to the red gargoyle. "My message got through after all." He stared up excepting too see two or three of his clan members. He grumbled a curse when he saw that it was Canmore in full hunting garb gliding in for a landing.

A metallic clang brought his focus to Broadway knocking Hyena out with his cro-bar. The second the female fell to the ground his brother landed in front of her.

"The second in command," Canmore hissed. "Killing ye will be quite satisfactory."

"Sorry," Brooklyn grunted. "Like Mick Jagger you are not getting any satisfaction." Hands clenched into fists he leaped forward to deliver a punch to Canmore’s leather covered face.

The green weregoyle stepped back and to the side. Reaching up he grabbed Brooklyn by the wrist and pulled. The punch was blocked and Brooklyn nearly fell forward. Jon pulled out the hammer that hung from his belt and gripped tightly onto the handle. He charged forward.

Brooklyn crouched down in a defensive pose. Jon pounced on him and brought the hammer down. Brooklyn brought his hands up and grabbed the Hunters wrists. He heard his enemy growl before feeling a small pain in his thigh. He tried not to let his talons go slack, but Jon’s hands managed to pull free from Brooklyn and brought the charged up hammer down on his shoulder.

The beaked gargoyle fell down onto the hood of the Porsche. He saw Jon coming for him again and he rolled over on to the otherside and landed on his bottom. Only wasting a second he stared down at his thigh where a small knife was sticking out of it. How did the Hunter manage to get a knife there? Both hands were on the hammer and Brooklyn held onto his wrists. It had to have been Canmore’s tail. That is the only possible way.

"Yer mine!" The weregoyle jumped over the hood of the car.

Gritting his teeth Brooklyn extracted the knife. "Why don’t you fight me face to face." He rolled out of the way of the hammer. The blunt eletricfied weapon struck the asphalt where he lied. "Instead of keeping your face concealed," he jabbed the knife into the end of Jon’s tail and stuck it into the ground and tore off the belt that held the throwing knifes off Canmore’s thigh. "Like a coward."

Jon roared in pain. The eyegaurds of his mask lit up from his illuminated eyes. "Ye damned monster." He held onto his hammer with only one hand. "I am not a coward." He threw the hammer at Brooklyn striking his head. "I’m a Hunter and we hunt and kill gargoyles."

Brooklyn felt the impact of the weapon against his skull. The world blurred around him.

Jon smiled. He did get some satisfaction after all. He was able to defeat the second in command and once all three gargoyles were defeated he was going to kill them.

He stared down at where his tail was pinned. Closing his eyes he breathed deep and pulled the knife out of his tail. He did not know where the red gargoyle threw his other knives but he could still see his hammer. It was lying next to the unconscious beast’s head. The silver part sparkling under the moonlight.

He still had his gun. Standing up he saw something hairy flying through the air. Wolf was thrown from his assailant at Jackal. The fat gargoyle that the male cyborg had been fighting was having a hard time staying conscious. Gripping the handle on his rifle tightly Jon raced to the golden gargoyle.

"You have changed since the first time we met," the red head said. He was already forming a dark circle around his right eye. His body was covered with bleeding scratches and bite marks. There was something familiar about his voice.

"Quit stalling," Jon snarled and aimed the gun at his chest.

"You were a bit more friendly at the time." Matt said. "And you talked differently too. Had a standard American accent."

Jon just slowly lowered his gun while studying his face. Not only was his voice familiar but his facial features were too. "Where did we meet?"

"Outside the twenty third precinct house," Matt continued. "I was just leaving and you were there with the WVRN cameraman and you asked me my opinion on gargoyles."

"And ye changed the subject t’ U.F.Os," Jon reached up and slipped his mask off his face. "Detective Matt Bluestone."

"Jon Canmore. I still can’t believe you are with these sick fucks." Matt pointed at the pack.

"I’m glad they captured that one true gargoyle bitch," Jon said " But I’m still a bit pissed wi the twins fer what they did t’ a member of m’ species."

"Yet you are still with them."

"Don’t get me wrong detective," Jon dropped his gun. "I kicked their asses and they have been trying t’ make it up t’ me"

A small smile formed on Matt’s face for a brief second before it faded. "They should be making it up to Gloria."

"Is that the name of the orchid skinned angel who saved m’ wife and son when he was still in the womb?"

"That’s her name."

"Then tell her t’ stop by my office at Prometheotech tomorrow. I’ll have plenty of things fer her, a check fer five hundred dollars, roses , chocolates, a bottle of wine."

Matt pictured Gloria in his mind and how she would react to the offer. "She wouldn’t accept. She helped your wife because, you know, it’s the right thing to do. " He shuddered slightly. "God I hate sounding so cliché, but its true. We weregoyles protect."

"It wouldna just be an award fer that," Jon said. "It would also be an apology t’ her."

"What about Rayne?"

"The gargoyle deserved it."

With glowing eyes Matt pounced on him. His hands grabbed the hunter by his shoulders and pinned him against the Porshe. "I don’t know how long it will take for you to get it past that thick frill of yours." He stared deep into Jon’s widened eyes. "You have accepted what you are. You freely growl and roar. You glide and used your talons. I can hear the end of your tail banging against the tire. You feel their instincts. Do you feel evil?"

"Nae," Jon shook his head. "But that is because part of me is still human."

"You once thought they were not evil, I’m sorry you snapped back then but try to remember who you once were, before you became Castaway and leave my clan alone."

"Bluestone don’t ye see they are messing wi yer mind." He touched the side of his head. "They want ye t’ believe that they are good, but they are not." He furrowed his brow ridges thinking of the right words to say next. "Leave the gargoyles. Persuade the rest of our species to leave them to. We’ll form a clan of our own."

"Gargoyles need clans," Matt remembered. "Without a clan they feel lost and alone. It causes them depression. The greatest punishment a gargoyle can receive from their clan leader is banishment. Some gargoyles who have been banished become so depressed they would commit suicide. You don’t really have a clan do you?" Matt blinked and stared over his shoulder. He watched as Wolf walked around the unconscious form of Broadway nudging him now and then. It reminded Matt of an animal playing with it’s kill before it eats it. "I guess in your case they are your clan." He indicated the Pack with his talon.

"Them and m’ family," Jon nodded.

"I have a family too," Matt said. "They are the soul reason why I cannot abandon my clan."

"Bring them with ye. I can make arrangements with Ms. Leahs she can let ye stay in her mansion."

"I like your generosity Jon, but I think it would be difficult for two female CEO’s to live in the same place without butting heads, not to mention my mate is your number one enemy."

Jon blinked while digesting the information that was just delivered. Images from the past filled his mind. He remembered when he and Goliath killed the vampire leader. One of the gargoyles was deep golden male with red hair. The same gargoyle that was summoned to the village along with the demon. When he was stuck in the elevator with her one of the nemas that she called out in her lament wa "Matthew" The first emotions that he felt were a mix of guilt and fear. He didn’t know why. Oh wait he did. He slept with Matt’s mate once. Another possible instinct? The third feeling that filled him was of anger. "You let her get all of ye," he narrowed his eyes. "You let the demon get your mind body and soul." His eyes lit up with moonlight. "Ye sired her spawn."

Matt felt his own anger begging to boil, but it wasn’t strong enough for him to growl or for his eyes to glow. "Watch what you are about to say."

"I won’t traitor," his arms flew up. One fist managed to strike Matt in the chin. "I cannae believe ye degrade yerself t’ something that disgusting!"

Matt growled from both he pain and the insult that left Jon’s mouth. He leaped back avoiding another strike from Jon’s firsts and rammed there other weregoyle in the chest with his own knuckles. He pounced on him sending both of them flying backwards to the building. Matt shoved Canmore’s back against the wall and glared into his eyes. His body shook with each heavy breath he took. "Are you ever going to get it?"

"I’ve gotten it," Jon lifted up a foot and brought it down Matt’s thigh. He felt his talons sink into the other gargoyles flesh. "Ye thank the demon bitch that ye sleep wi fer that. She’s the one who gave me these talons."

Matt roared in pain and swiped at Jon. His talons slashed through Jon’s wing. Cannmore remembered back to the month after he first started transforming back at Elumore. They had placed him chains until the felt he wasn’t too much of a threat to the doctors and nurses that checked in on him. The first night he had the chains removed he took his talons and sliced through the fleshy part of his wings between the ribs. The pain was tremendous, but he gritted his teeth and kept on clawing until his wings were in shreds. The pain that he felt from Matt’s talons were almost as bad. "Ye son of a bitch!"

Bluestone could see that Canmore was about to punch on him again. He stepped back a second before Jon leaped for him. Matt lashed out his tail as Canmore landed swishing back to trip him. The light green gargoyle landed on his stomach. He pulled himself into a crouch and leaned forward. Matt stared into Jon’s eyes .They were glowing with a wild fury. Matt squatted down and waited. The hunter went for him hands spread out and talons curled towards his skin. Matt held out his hands and felt himself being thrown backwards with the force of Jon’s leap. Mustering all his strength he rolled both their bodies down the sidewalk.

____________________________________________________________________________

Wolf gave the fat turquoise gargoyle another kick before staring up at Jackal. "How is your sister?"

Jackal stroked Hyena’s cheek and ran his fingers through her hair. He watched her body while she made slow deep breaths. "Sis?" He didn’t know if it was because the sound of his voice but. Hyena’s eyelids fluttered. "C’mon sis you have to wake up."

"Here we go blasting off again," Hyena whispered before opening her eyes. She stared at fuzzy images. Rapid blinking diminished the blur till she could clearly see her brother. "Where are we?"

"Still on the street," Jackal told her. "She’s going to be okay Wolf."

"That’s good," Wolf said. Where was Jon? He turned around until he saw him fighting with the other gargoyle. "Look at our boy," he puffed out his chest proudly and crossed his arms. "He’s fighting like a predatory beast. I’m so proud."

Jackal shook his head and laughed. "The way you talk about him it’s like your his father. Good lord. You as a father is too scary to even think about."

"Yeah shut up."

"Seriously does he need any help."

Wolf held up a hand. "This is his fight. That one gargoyle I was battling with mentioned that he was like Jon. It just feels right that they should have a solo fight together."

None of them saw the empty can fly through the air and struck Wolf in the back of the head. "What the hell?" Wolf stared down at the empty can. "What is this am I a target for empty cans now."

Jackal narrowed his eyes at the young woman who threw the piece of garbage at the mutate. She was short and packed a lot of meat. She wasn’t round, but she did have a bit of a middle, plump arms, wide hips and thighs. Her dark hair was cut in a bob. She was not alone.

"You leave my friend alone," the woman narrowed her stormy eyes at them. "That gargoyle saved me from a mugging."

"Gargoyles prevented me from being raped." another woman threw an apple core.

"Saved me from being mugged in the park." A man threw an empty milk carton full of ashes and cigarette butts.

"Hey you!" Wolf and Jackal turned around to the building behind them. A group of people lead by a tall brunette yuppie gathered at the doorway. Next to the man stood a blond woman who looked a lot like the DA "The gargoyles prevented my car from being robbed." He descended down the steps. "Now unless you get out of here I’m going to have to get angry." He stood in Wolf’s face. The mutate could see his brown eyes shift to golden yellow and fangs form in his mouth. "You won’t like it when I get angry."

"This is no longer fun," Jackal grumbled. He picked up sister. "Get Jon’s stuff." The rockets popped out of his back. He bent his knees slightly before they fired off, carrying him into the air.

The mutate stared in the eyes of the werewolf and smiled. Not a malicious smile, but one that a person would form when they were trying to polite while listening to a drunk’s ramble. "Excuse me." He elbowed past the werewolf. "Just gotta get a few things." He picked up both Jon’s mask, gun and hammer. "Now I’ll go." He turned to the angry crowed and turned up his middle finger before ducking into the nearest ally and racing towards the fire escape.

____________________________________________________________________________

Matt had Canmore pinned to the ground good. He held down his wrists and his toes curled around Jon’s ankles. He didn’t have to worry about his tail. He had it pinned with his own tail. The same with his wings. The double wing claws wrapped around Jon’s single and kept them pressed down .

Jon’s eyelids were squeezed shut. His labored breathing along with Matt’s were the only sounds that entered their ears. "Why?" Jon managed to choke out. He felt the tense grip the other weregoyle had on relax slightly, not to the point where he can wriggle free, but where it wasn’t so tight. "Why did ye allow her t’ corrupt ye?"

The burning white radiance dimmed in Matt’s eyes. Staring down at his enemy he could see that Canmore was just as beaten and tired as he was. "She didn’t corrupt me. I love her."

The twisted up his face in shock and pain. "She was the one who transformed us. Because of her we lost our humanity."

"I felt I gained something more by becoming a weregoyle." Matt couldn’t believe how calm he sounded. "I’ll admit I was angry at first because she did it. I wasn’t sought out specially, just a random victim."

"Unlike m’self."

"You were an accident. She thought you were unworthy to receive the gift she created."

"Gift?" Canmore winced. "This isn’t a gift it’s a curse."

"Depends on the perspective. To me this is a gift that I deeply embrace."

"You like being a weregoyle?" Jon’s face paled as he closed his eyes again. "Ye truly are lost."

"When I was a normal human I lived alone. I occasionally dated but my strange obsessions kind of put a cramp on our dates. Then Demona transformed me. We were intimate and she became pregnant. It took a while but we fell in love and became mates. My son had just turned two recently. He’s already started his potty training and..." Matt paused when he noticed that he started to ramble." Sorry about that." his mouth formed a sheepish grin. "You can see some of the reasons why I love being a weregoyle."

"Were ye that desperate fer true love and happiness?"

The detective’s eyes lit up briefly. "That wasn’t quit an insult to my mate, but it was close." He sighed. "Canmore before you transformed you were a single person in the loony bin. When did you first meet your wife."

"At that loony bin," Canmore smirked and sighed. "I’ll ne’er ferget that day. She greeted me in her cute little nurse’s outfit and the light shining on top of her head in a perfect circle. It looked like a halo. It makes sense now."

"When did she first start to take an interest in you?"

"After I started transforming."

"You love both your wife and son?"

Jon’s eyes were warm and soft. "Wi all m’ heart. I’d sacrifice m’ own lives fer them. Lorrie has the purest soul of anyone and Colin is getting bigger everyday. Just before I left he stood up. He’s been using coffee tables and chairs to pull him up but tonight he stood wi out holding onto anything."

Matt smiled. "He’ll be taking his first step in a few weeks. If you could go back and do it over again without breaking into Nightstone would you?"

"If it means not marrying Lorrie or having Colin then nae. I choose m’ family over m’ humanity."

"It’s because of Demona that your a weregoyle. Have you ever thought that it’s a possibility that because of her you have a wife and child?"

"Don’t ye try t’ make go down that path t’ the dark side. I will ne’er join yer clan."

"Well your clan has left." Both blinked at the familiar sound of leathery wings gliding over head. "As you can hear my clan has just arrived."

Jon frowned and lowered his lids halfway. "At least I have the satisfaction that I was able t’ defeat the second in command." He leaned forward and clamped his mouth around Matt’s wing arm.

Matt felt his hold on Canmore soften from the pain he felt from the green weregoyle’ sharp teeth. He quickly tried to get his grip back on Jon but it was too late. The other weregoyle managed to loosen his left arm. Matt felt Jon’s fist strike his shoulder before he rolled out from under him. Matt grabbed the ground and stared up at Canmore racing towards the building. The hunter pressed his talons into the side and climbed up.

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Cookie stroked Broadway’s face. "Hi Broadway, its me. You probably want to know why I’m here. When I got home I realized I left something at work and my room mate had just arrived so she gave me a lift. We drove by here and saw what was going on." She wished she had arrived sooner. Her hand stroked down from his face to his neck where she felt for a pulse. "Heartbeat and breathing ,but you are bleeding a lot. Please wake up." When his eyelids peeled back she let out a deep breath. "Oh good you’re awake."

"He’s been through a lot worse," Cookie turned at the sound of the voice. Her eyes widened to the size of the jumbo cookies they served at Home Brew when she saw the large lavender gargoyle standing behind her. Like Broadway and the one with the beak he also didn’t wear a shirt or something covering his chest and for that she was glad. He had a well toned figure with rippling abdominal, curved pecs and large biceps. His sable mane flowed past his shoulders. "Let me see him."

When a seven foot gargoyle wanted to get by you, you let him get by you. Cookie stepped aside to let the large gargoyle kneel down in front of Broadway. "He’s going to be fine right?"

"Aye, he just needs to get back home." Goliath nodded. "Broadway?"

"My back hurts," Broadway gasped. "Where’s Matt and Brooklyn?"

"Brooklyn is behind us," Goliath turned around. Marle and Mercutio where helping Brooklyn to his feet. They were going to help the beaked gargoyle glide back home. From behind them Matt limped forward. "Bluestone What happened?"

"Jon and the pack is what happened," Matt grumbled. "They got away."

"Can you glide?"

The golden gargoyle gave his redwings a slight flap. "One of them still stings from where Canmore bit it, but yeah I can glide."

"I’m going to need your help getting Broadway back home."

"No problem," Matt said.

Goliath turned to the young woman why stayed by Broadway’s side. "Thank you." He bent down and placed one arm under Broadway’s arm and lifted him up.

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It had been a while since Jon had actual Scottish beef stew, or Scotch Broth. He knew the only way to enjoy the actual traditional stuff would be to hop on a plane over to his homeland, but what Lorrie had prepared was almost as good. The pot was still warm when he returned home that night.

"Jackal called," Lorrie said while she finished wrapping up the puncture wound on her husband’s tail. Jon was wolfing down his second large bowl with a large piece of corn bread. "They have your mask and hammer at Ms’s Leahs mansion."

Jon swallowed and took a swig from his bottle of ale. "That is good. What about m’ knives?"

"That they couldn’t find," Lorrie dabbed on antibacterial cream to Jon’s scrapes and covered them with assorted bandages. She noticed his leg where the knife belt was ripped off. There were a few tears in the fabric. Lorrie slipped his fingers into the tears and felt his skin for scratches.

Jon held the bowl to his mouth and drank down the remains of his meal. He paused when he felt Lorrie touching his thigh. "What are ye up to?"

"Seeing if you have any cuts on your leg. There are tears in your pants."

Jon wiped the corner of his mouth with a napkin while he stared down."Damn it. I’m going t’ have t’ get these fixed or a new pair of pants."

Lorrie smirked and slowly stood up. "Or you could wear a loincloth."

"My ye are a frisky lil kitten tonight," Jon grinned. "Is Colin in bed?"

"Yeah." Lorrie took away his dirty dishes and placed them in the dishwasher. "Why are you asking?"

"Cause I’m ready fer dessert." A white glow flashed across his eyes for a brief second.

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Goliath gripped Dr. Jones’s waiting room chair. The office was connected to some examining rooms for routine checkups and larger emergency and operation rooms. Goliath waited outside of one while his clan is checked on. The scent of warm tea brought his attention to the cup that was in front of him. "Elisa."

"Not Elisa," the voice belonged to Mercutio. The red web wing held out the steaming cup of tea before him. "I thought you looked thirsty."

Goliath accepted the cup. "Thank you."

Mercutio pulled himself into the chair next to Goliath. "Any news?"

"None so far," Goliath took a sip. "Bluestone should be out soon since he was not as injured as the others were."

The door to the emergency room opened. Matt stepped out. He was covered with several different kinds of bandages. He breathed deeply and let out a loud sigh while closing the door.

"Is it pretty bad in there?" Mercutio asked.

"Not too bad," Matt said. "They’re all bandaged up. They’ve contacted the Labyrinth to have Hollywood glide over so he could donate a little blood for Broadway and they managed to sew Brooklyn’s ear back on despite the fact that it’s half dead and their is the risk of bacteria infection."

"If there is a risk for infection then why did the doctor go through with the stitching."

"Brooklyn insisted. He mentioned the concrete cure all. Although that will probably take several days."

"What about the fact that they were knocked out?" Mercutio asked.

"They have their mates in there to make sure they don’t fall asleep until sunrise," Matt rolled his eyes. "And Demona is in there. She got on my case about getting injured again less than a month since those vampire crashed Teddy's party. She wants me to go to bed."

Goliath struggled to hold back a smirk but even he could not suppress his own mirth. "As her former mate I know what it’s like when she gives a lecture."

Matt’s eyelids closed halfway while he nodded his head. "Boy do I know it." He groaned.

"Before you go I want to talk with you," Goliath held his cup in one hand and raised the other. "You talked with Canmore before he fought with you."

"He wanted to give apology gifts to Gloria for what The Pack did to her. He wanted myself and the other weregoyles to leave the clan and form a new one with him and he said I lost my soul when he realized who my mate is."

"That was before he expressed his love for his family."

"Yes and between our fighting."

"How did he fight?" Goliath’s tone was low cold, almost monotone.

"Like one of us. He fought like a true gargoyle."

"Jalapena," Goliath set his cup down on the magazine covered nightstand next to him and rubbed his spiked browridges. "This is what I feared. I’m glad that he has fully accepted what he is. Elisa told me about what he told her on the dam the night prior to the hunter’s moon, and his siblings told us that he refused to shoot at us after the clock tower blew up because of what I said about clan and family." He paused to sigh. "His change in Quarrymen policies proves that the good person he once was is still alive inside him. Maybe someday he will change, but until that day he is a threat to the clan. A threat that had recently become more dangerous." He reached back for his still warm cup and took a long drink.