Hello everyone ! I'm kind of shy about posting this fanfic here, but I'm also having fun with it so I felt like I had to share ;)

This fanfic will mostly be a Brooklyn/OC pairing (just to warn people who don't like that kind of stuff !). As I'm writing this, I'm almost finished with the third chapter, but I'll wait before posting more chapters, only to see where I'm heading to with this story.

If you ever see errors, please do tell me. My first language is French and this is the first fanfic I try to write completely in English (habitually I write everything in French, then proceed to translate - which is really tiresome).

Have fun reading !

The night was cold and dark, slightly lighted by the street lamps surrounding the roads.
It was rather quiet for a September evening in the big city of New York, habitually so full of life. But for Vee, it was a welcomed silence.
The human woman was slowly walking on the sidewalk, looking at papers, muttering some words.

''Fa, La, Si, Do- … Ré, Ré- Ah merde, I'm never going to learn that piece by heart in time...''

She reajusted her glasses with a sigh, trying to concentrate more on what was written.

''It just can't be serious, it's impossible to learn that in only a few months,'' she sighed to herself.

She finally gave up, packing the damned sheets into her intrument's case, an alto saxophone, she was carrying on her back.
Vee was a musician by profession, going from places to places to play solo pieces in orchestras and such. She mostly worked in Montréal, a great city in Québec, Canada, but her newest contract got her to move in New York city, a place she had never been before.
She had no troubles living there alone, being an introvert for most of her time. And, to say the truth, she had hoped for a situation such as this one; to finally be all by herself and live something on her own.
As she was replacing the case on her shoulder, huge shadows suddenly floated above her, making the human rapidly lift her gaze to the sky.
She could see three forms in the night sky, their shapes hardly detectable. They were flying, without a doubt and it didn't look like birds or anything at all!
Woah, shit, those are certainly not pigeons …, thought Vee.
Her curiosity took over her, deciding to follow the strange forms. The woman wasn't really sure of why she was running after them, but deep down inside she needed to know!
Soon the forms were beginning to get faster than her, taking a new direction on their right.
Shit! I can't lose them! panicked Vee.
She was about to turn into an alley that all she faced was a dead-end.
Great. Just great. For once she thought something exciting was finally coming into her life … but it was all a lie as she moved further in the closed alley, facing the closure of this small adventure.

''Got yourself lost, sweetheart?'' began a masculine voice.

Vee turned back to the entrance, her gaze meeting the frame of three people, three men. She could hardly distinguish their features , although she knew one was holding a cigarette in his mouth, its glow highlighting some scars on the man's face. When they began moving towards her, Vee began to panic, she spoke loudly:

''Oh, no, no, no! I'm not lost. I was simply visiting this dark... charming... alley! Sorry if I was bothering you, I'll be leaving.''

''Aye, don't play games with us, girl. Who said we wanted you to leave?'' said the one holding the cigarette, probably the leader.

He got a knife out near Vee's throat when he was close enough.

''If you play our game, the outcome will probably be better for all of us.''

''I don't want any troubles!'' pleaded the woman with a shaky voice.

''Neither do we, little lady.''

She could now clearly see the three men, the leader wearing a spiky black leather coat, his blond hair in a sort of faux-mowhawk. One of them was taller, a black man heavily built, and the other of hispanic descent, wearing a hoodie and a cap.
The leader pressed his blade with enough pression to draw out blood from Vee's side of her throat. She wanted to struggle her way out, but the blonde man hold her firmly against a wall, a mischievous look on his face.

''Give us everything you have and we might reward you for being a good lass.''

Please, no. Not this. Not like this...
Something crashed behind the men, One of them suddenly screaming:

''Holy shit! Boss!''

The leader grumbled while turning his head: ''I swear to fuckin' hell, Greg, if it's only a rat I'll-''

He couldn't finish his sentence as he froze at the sight of what was now facing him.
The first distinguishable feature was white glowing eyes, fierce and menacing, looking straight at the armed man. Wings suddenly expanded at the newcomer's sides, a growl slowly rising and resonating in the alley.
The blonde man let go of Vee, completely facing the beast, knife ready for action.
And suddenly, the strange creature began to talk:

''That's no way how to treat a woman, 'boss'.''

In a quick movement it came to the man and grabbed him by the collar, lifting him up to the wall, next to Vee.

The woman could now look at her strange savior. Red, the first word that came to her mind. It was a red creature, a monster. It was large and fit, white hair cascading on its back.

''But I know how to treat scum like you!'' continued the newcomer.

New growls rose from around, two new beasts appearing and now threatening the other men. One was green and small, the other of teal color and much more larger.

''Get yer hands off me, monster!'' yelped the leader.

''With pleasure.''

At its words, the red creature threw the human to another wall, making him land afterwards on some trash cans. Screams rose from the other two, trying to avoid the monsters. They ran out of the alley as fast as they could, leaving their boss behind.
The strange trio soon circled the blonde man. The bandit was holding his head, a bit of blood rushing out from his scalp from the impact. He lifted his gaze to the monsters, the red one still looking at him with those flashing white eyes.

''All of your clan is gone now... Any last words?'' said the menacing creature.

''What? Are yah gonna kill meh?''

The fear was evident in the man's voice, a strong accent coming out in his words.
The winged characters seemed to stop, looking at eachothers.

''Uhm, we never really planned on killing anybody...'' answered the green creature.

''But bringing you to the police sure is,'' added the taller one.

The human started a small laugh.

''Why? Are yeh some kind of 'social justice' monsters or somethin'? There's no way I'm goin' to the cops, not over mah dead body!''

''You still have to answer to your crimes!'' started the red creature. ''That lady didn't ask for troubles and that's all you did.''

''Why stop a man from havin' some fun?''

New growls arose.

''Besides,'' the blonde man continued. ''I don't have time for this shit.''

Then, in quick movement, he jumped to his feet, dashing his way between the monsters and running out of the alley
The others all looked confused for a moment, until the red one exclaimed his rage:

''Why did we let him go?''

''I don't know … looks pretty tough for someone with an injury to his head,'' replied the teal one.

''Criminals will think that we're weak and that's not something I want.''

''Guys.''

''Stop being so selfish, Brooklyn, at least now he won't cause any more troubles.''

''Yeah, for now. But what about later?'' growled the red one known as Brooklyn.

''Guys!''

The small one was loud enough to get the other two's attention.

''I think the girl fainted.''

Vee had been laying on the ground since her assaulter had been thrown to a wall. Some blood was still coming out of her neck, leaving her extremely pale.
The three creatures came to her, wondering what to do. Bring her to a hospital? Too risky, they could be seen.
The only solution they found was to bring the human on the rooftop of the building they were near at the moment, only to try to keep an eye on her state.

''This is ridiculous,'' said Brooklyn while positionning the girl in a sitting position. ''She could be dying right now and we're doing nothing to help her...''

''Relax,'' began the green one. ''The cut isn't deep. I think it was just too much for her. I'm sure she'll be back soon.''

''Hey guys, have you seen this thing?''

The large one was now holding Vee's saxophone, taking it out of its case.

''I think you should be careful with it, Broadway,'' warned the small creature.

''Is it a weapon? Why is it all gold? Is it heavy?'' questioned Brooklyn.

''… It's a saxophone,'' added a raspy voice.

The three creatures turned their attention back to the human. She was now rubbing her head, trying to recollect her thoughts. Her brown hair, previously in a messy bun, were now hanging on her shoulders, loosen up by all the action. She tossed them away, leaving space for her green eyes to gaze upon her saviors.
And at the sight she jumped, clearly not expecting these … creatures before her. She almost wanted to scream, but a strange pain got to the left side of her throat, soon touching it by instinct. When she brought her hand back, she discovered blood, amplifying her terror. She remembered the man holding a blade, then the red monster.

''Are you alright?'' said the one she thought of.

Looking at it, Vee could now see the features of each. The red, white-haired, one had a long face, finishing in a sort of beak. The tallest one, teal in color, was a bit overweight, but that only made him look more powerful in some way. The last one, the green, had different wings than the others – the two tallest having bat like wings – as they were attached to its sides, like some flying squirrel.
All of them were wearing loin clothes, which gave them a surrealist, out of time, look.

''Who are you? … What are you?'' asked Vee in a small voice, still shaking.

The red one showed a small smile.

''We are gargoyles, we don't wish you any harm, believe me. … My name's Brooklyn.''

''Hi, I'm Broadway!'' said the teal gargoyle.

''And I'm Lexington,'' added the small one.

''I … I saw you fly in the sky. I had to follow...,'' muttered the woman almost to herself.

''Broadway's not hard to miss so it's always easy to spot us!'' joked Brooklyn.

''Hey!''

Vee got her hand to her injury another time, closing her eyes at some pain.
Brooklyn crouched at her side, trying to get a better look at the wound.

''Do you need to see a doctor or something?''

The woman looked back at him, a bit surprised to see him by her side.

''No. I mean … yes, I need to get back home. This must be a nightmare, I need to wake up.''

She felt confused, trying to believe if it was indeed real or not. The pain was real, but those gargoyles weren't … she hoped.

''Where do you live? Maybe we could accompany you until you're safe?'' questionned Lexington.

''Oh no, no.''

''Please, we just want to make sure you'll be okay,'' added Brooklyn, gently leaving a hand on the human's shoulder.

Vee jumped again, getting away from the touch. It felt real. It WAS real.

''It isn't a nightmare...'' she said, visibly shaken.

''There's no need to freak out, we're trying to help,'' tried to reassure the red gargoyle.

''Helping me so you can eat me later!''

At that, Broadway started to laugh, amused by the girl's words.

''Why would we do that? Human's not even in our diet! We don't eat everything we see.''

''… Says the gargoyle who eats everything he sees!'' added Lexington, mocking the larger one.

''Stop it you two,'' scolded Brooklyn. ''You're just making it worse.''

His features softened when he looked back at Vee, standing up and offering his hand to the woman so she could get up.

''You can trust us, don't be afraid. … What's your name?''

The woman looked a bit suspiscious at first, but finally agreed to his offer and took his hand.

''My name is Véronique, but most people call me Vee.''

''You're not from around here, am I right? Your accent is different too,'' questionned the green gargoyle.

''Yes! I'm from Québec, in Canada. My first language is French.''

Vee's eyes suddenly widened when she finally saw Broadway holding her instrument. She hurried to him, pointing the object.

''You better hand me this right now, that's my life you're holding there!''

''Oh!''

As soon as the woman got her hands on the saxophone, she quickly inspected it, then stuffing it in its case. She seemed to sigh in relief, putting the luggage back on her shoulder.

''What exactly is that object?'' asked Brooklyn with concern.

''A saxophone! An alto saxophone, to precise. It's a musical instrument.

''Why did you say it's your life then?''

Vee couldn't hide her small smile.

''I am a musician, it's my job. I go to concerts and play solos or in groups. That's the reason why I'm here in New York, I got a new contract to play with an orchestra in December.

Then the human felt her head get dizzy, new blood coming out of her wound. She needed to lie down and heal that cut. Her knees weakening a bit, she felt strong hands retain her, give her some support.

''I need to get home … this is so surreal,'' she said, her eyes then landing on Brooklyn, the one helping her.

She took conscience of her position, seeing many rooftops surrounding them.

''… Where are we?''

''At the top of a building right next to the alley we found you!'' answered Broadway. ''It was my idea to get here.''

''Well now I need to get down. My place is two or three streets down of here...''

''We could glide you there,'' proposed Lexington.

Vee looked surprise.

''What? Oh, no, I've had enough strange things happening tonight, I won't add that to the list. I prefer walking for now...''

''Then I'll walk with you!'' proposed Brooklyn. ''Broadway and Lexington will keep an eye from the air.''

Vee smirked: ''What a gentleman. And why should I let you walk with me?''

The red gargoyle returned the same smile.

''You are clearly not in the best state to be alone and it's preferable that someone keeps you company in case those men come back.

The human seemed puzzled as she tried to connect the dots.

''… Aren't those men dead? I say you throw one to a wall, before fainting, it was rather brutal.''

''Why does everyone think we kill people?'' sighed the green gargoyle.

''They simply ran away, but that's not important,'' cut Brooklyn. ''Lex, Broad, you two start gliding and scout around, I'll get her down,'' he then commanded.

The two gargoyles nodded, getting to the edge of the flat rooftop and jumping down, extending their wings. Vee cringed inside, not used to that sight, but was soon relieved to see the creatures getting higher in the night sky.

''Ready to go?''

She looked at Brooklyn, facing another edge. His hand was extended to her another time, as a new offer.

''How are we going to get down?'' asked Vee, perplexed.

''Trust me, it will be a quick jump.''

The woman's eyes widened, but it was too late; she already took his hand.

''What-''

''Here we go!''

Holding her against him, in his arms, the red gargoyle jumped over the edge, expanding his wings only to slow the speed of his fall. They weren't that high, being on a four storey building, but that was enough for Vee to let out a small scream of terror until they landed.
Right as she touched ground, the woman felt her mind turn rapidly, the quick transition of height making her go dizzy. She looked pale again, having troubles standing up. Brooklyn was still holding her hand, scared she might fall.

''Sorry if I scared you, it was the only way I could think of...,'' he apologized.

Some of Vee's senses seemed to come back.

''It's okay …, simply warn me next time, I'll be more prepared.''

''Which way do we go now?''

The human looked at her surroundings, seeing they were now on the same sidewalk she was before. She pointed to a certain way, then leading the march.
As she walked she kept touching her neck, discovering new traces of blood. She cursed in a low voice, hoping nothing serious has been touched – as she kept feeling weak over time. She tried to change her mind, focusing on the gargoyle walking to her side.

''Why did you guys help me?'' she finally asked.

Brooklyn shyly smiled.

''We are gargoyles and we are meant to protect. A lot of people don't seem to remember that nowadays... We came to your help because we saw you were in trouble. You're not the first one we have saved.''

''How come you are alive though? I thought gargoyles were only stone sculptures on top of some buildings.''

''Ha, well, it just happens to be this way... We're alive, what can I say more?''

''… This is so strange, yet remarkable. I never thought creatures of legends were alive and true in this world.''

The red gargoyle seemed to hesitate on what he wanted to add.

''… Are you scared of us?''

Vee smiled, contemplating her answer.

''Well, yes, at first. I'm certainly not used to see living gargoyles. … Maybe my head is just fogged right now because I mostly can't feel anything at the moment, but now I somehow feel safer. I've always been intrigued by things that were out of the ordinary.''

''Well, you're a first!''

The woman looked concerned.

''First what?''

''You're the first human to say that to me,'' continued Brooklyn. ''People we habitually save are right down scared of us and run without a word. … I gotta say I'm surprised by your reaction.''

Vee let out a small laugh: ''Well, I was stranded on a rooftop with you three, it would have been hard to escape without jumping and breaking my legs!''

''Ow, touché!''

The duo finally stopped in front of a door, the human suddenly searching for her keys.
Brooklyn could see her hands shaking, hardly able to get to the lock. When she was finally able to unlock it, she tried to push the door, but it wouldn't move.

''Shit.''

''Is everything alright?'' questionned the red gargoyle.

''Yes and no,'' sighed Vee. ''I was able to unlock the damned thing, but I seriously have no strength left, I can hardly feel my hands.''

''Oh, let me help!''

He only needed to give a single push that the door opened completely, taking Vee with it – who was still holding the door's handle.
She laughed nervously, amazed by the monster's strength. Her legs were now trembling, feeling more energy drained from her blood loss. Her mind was getting clouded with feelings of numbness and dizziness. She was able to mutter the floor she was living on and her state was enough for Brooklyn to comprehend that she had no forces left in her to climb the stairs.
He got a hold of her in his arms, bridal style, trying to faint the sound of his talons against the tiled floor and the stairs. As he got to the fourth floor, where Vee lived, he let the human to the floor, who was once again looking through her keys. He pushed the door again for her, then saw her get into her apartment and stumble in the direction of what seemed to be a bathroom.
The gargoyle had no idea of what to do at this very moment, but finally decided to enter the place, almost regretting it right after.
He looked rather large in this small apartment, the kitchen and living room being in one room, all packed together. The bedroom was hopefully separated, same for the bathroom. Closing the entry door was like closing a cage in which he was a foreign bird.
Sounds arose from the bathroom, soon followed by some cursing words. He got to the doorframe, getting a look at Vee who was now searching some painkillers and plasters.
When the woman closed her cabinet, the view she had next in her mirror made her jump a little. She could see Brooklyn looking straight at her, wondering what she was doing.

''Woah, never sneak up on me! I thought you were gone.''

''What? No! … Do you want me to go now?''

Her hands were shaking again as she was trying to get a pill out of a bottle.

''… Actually, can you stay for some minutes?'' she asked. ''I'm really scared, to say the truth, and I need to know there's someone with me, whoever, just in case.''

Brooklyn winked.

''No problem. I'm here to protect, remember?''

He tried to play it cool, but deep down inside he was as scared as her, wondering if that meeting wasn't all but a bad joke...

He finally stayed for an hour, watching her lay on her couch and try to stop the blood from coming out from times to times. They both didn't really say a word, but eachothers' presence was welcomed.
The woman finally felt asleep, exhausted from all her emotions and adventures. Colors were soon coming back to her face, which was a good sign.
It was now time for Brooklyn to leave, saddened somehow that he wouldn't get to properly say goodbye to the human.
He decided, as a last gesture though, to get a blanket from her room and lay it on her petite form sleeping on the couch. He smiled softly at the sight, then getting to a window and squeeze himself out of it in New York's cold air.
Closing it carefully afterward, the gargoyle began ascending the brick wall, the woman's words still echoing in his mind.
She wasn't scared of them.
Of him.