****Mausoleum, Undisclosed location.
"And you're certain of what you saw?" her sire asked.
"Totally, Father," the young dark haired girl said, "They were like us and not like us, but I sensed magic on them and it was really weird. No doubt they're probably more like the bald loser over there."
The young woman, Mikaela, pointed to a tall bald man standing nearby. He had the feel of a former mob enforcer, save for his strangely pointed ears. He just looked at Mikaela hard and snared at her, but she just gave a smug smile.
"Vince," his master snapped, "From the description my daughter has given, do you know these strays?"
Vince, a former Dracon bouncer turned Quarryman turned Unseelie Halfling, looked at his latest master, the infamous Vladimir Tepes, aka Vlad the Third, Vlad the Impaler, or Vlad Dracula.
Despite whatever pop culture had portrayed the famous movie vampire to be, the real McCoy had proven to be far more dangerous and Vince learned early on never to question or defy his master.
Ever cautious to never meet his master's gaze dead on, Vince answered,
"From what she has said it sounds like Rita and her boyfriend Rael. I didn't know them personally, but we attended all the same stuff that let us fight those monster freaks, first the Quarrymen and then the program by Mr. Maddox that turned us into Halflings."
A small smile curved at the edges of his pale dry lips as he lightly touched his chin as though a clever thought made its way into his mind.
"What is your intention to do with them, my husband?" inquired Vlad's wife, Elizabeth, a woman who was equally pale but with a beauty of 17th century Eastern European nobility and a sinister mystique also equal to Vlad's.
"What I have always planned these last several long months, my love," Vlad said with an icy smile, "Whether or not they know of the fate of the Banished Lord and his followers, they shall be the first of new recruits. Once we have enough converted and thoroughly trained in our ways, we shall end our enemies, the gargoyles of this pathetic mortal realm. But most importantly, my beloved, though it may take a few centuries more, the Black Court shall live again."
The vampiric couple held hands in a dark loving way as they smiled at each other with deadly fangs.
He then looked at Vince and firmly instructed him, "Since you know these vagabonds best, take my daughter and bring them before me. If they refuse at first, I'm sure you can find a way to persuade them."
Vince gave a reluctant bow as he said, "Yes, Master."
He and Mikaela then stepped outside and disappeared into the night.
Another figure, who had remained quiet the entire time, just watched Vince and his sister leave with a look of resentment.
****Castle Wyvern
A widely amused chortling of laughter reverberated from the rerun of a classic TV show, which still put smiles on the faces of audiences to this day.
Even gargoyles, with whom this classic sitcom was new, found whimsical laughter with its lighthearted jokes and simplistic storylines.
However, tonight it did not entertain the tickle bone of one viewer, as Broadway just stared at the TV with a depressed brood up his simian like features. Even as Angela gave a small musical laugh at another funny scene, her heart was not wholly filled with mirth at seeing her lifemate continually frown.
This had come to the attention of the rest of the clan and added to more growing concerns, especially for Brooklyn as both second and, more importantly, as a caring brother. It was Broadway's first night out of the infirmary after recovering from near fatal wounds, and it was thought he would be eager to return to nightly patrols, yet instead he had shown the exact opposite.
While Angela remained by her lifemate's side, the clan's new exchange healer, Kwan Yin, or just Yin as she liked to be called, took it upon herself to find a way of healing Broadway of his emotional scars by studying contemporary psychology books, though this proved to be a bit tasking as she needed to learn to read and translate from English and Latin to her native Mandarin.
In the meantime, Brooklyn's own concerns were a bit more frustrating because he knew everyone was still needed for nightly patrols, and if Broadway did not overcome his personal issues soon it will begin to effect clan functions.
Having watched the show with him and Angela, when a commercial interruption came on he said to Broadway,
"Hey, bro, if you're feeling up to it I need you for patrols tomorrow night."
"'K," Broadway just groaned.
Brooklyn could only raise an eye ridge as he said, "How about you, me, and Lex patrol together, it'll be like old times."
"Sure," he groaned again.
Brooklyn rested his head in one hand as he looked at his rookery brother in frustration. Everyone in one form or another had tried to cheer up Broadway, especially Angela, but he just seemed to refuse any and all attempts and continued to wallow in self pity.
Brooklyn then thought of one thing that would get a reaction from his aqua colored brother, yet his timing could not have been worse.
"Hey, Broadway, you wanna compare dick lengths like when we were adolescents?"
This earned him a gasp from Angela, sitting next to Broadway, and a hard look from Hudson, who had joined watching the TV with them from his laz-E-boy chair.
Moments before saying it, several other figures had entered the room; his own family, Goliath, and the Xanadu Clan ambassador, Li Shen. They all looked at him with different expressions of surprise and disapproval; Sata gave her lifemate a stare of amusement and steeled indignity, while his kids began to snicker behind their beaks; Goliath gave his second a hard stare while Li Shen just remained neutrally calm, yet a small twinkle of amusement radiated from his golden eyes.
Among all those who reacted to what he just said, the one who he wanted a reaction from just moaned,
"Sure, whatever."
With all of the stares he just now received, Brooklyn turned a brighter shade of red as he hid his face behind his hands, slid down in his seat and embarrassingly moaned, "Me and my big beak."
Graeme and Ariana just burst out laughing, hastening Sata to remove them from the room as they protested against it.
Peeking through his fingers, he was not too surprised to see Goliath continue to glare at him. Brooklyn felt even more nervous and embarrassed when Goliath then asked to speak with him alone.
Off in a private corner of the clan's wing, the leader said to his second,
"I know you meant well with your jest just now, Brooklyn, but I advice being more cautious with what words you use while we have guests in our home."
"Right, Goliath," Brooklyn agreed with a reserved sigh.
"However, it isn't what I need to speak to you about."
Brooklyn gave Goliath his full attention as the lavender giant said,
"Xanatos has asked for the clan's assistance in watching the old Maddox Technologies building. I don't completely understand his reason for it, other than he suspects something is there that poses a threat to his business. Although, it's part of our nightly patrols anyway, I'm not fully comfortable with this request."
"I understand, Goliath," Brooklyn agreed, "Since we're living under the same roof as Xanatos, our duties and his business interests are bound to overlap sometimes."
Goliath gave a growling sigh as he nodded.
"So I'm going to need you to assign patrol teams for the next few nights while I attend to other duties. Since Elisa is now with child she's being more difficult than ever, refusing to leave her apartment and live in the castle until her new chambers are renovated and the last of her furniture is replaced with Matt's and Sara's when they move in. Li Shen wants me to open the lines of negotiation again with other clans to exchange guardian beasts with them, and Xanatos wants me to review qualifications of possible new physicians for our clan."
Brooklyn gave a nod, understanding Goliath's difficult position.
"What do you think should be done about Broadway?" he asked.
They both looked at the still moping Broadway, who barely registered he was aware of anything around him. The clan leaders could only frown at their clan mate, their worry growing for him the more he refused to speak of what burdened him.
"I would prefer to have him return to duty as soon as possible, however Yin has suggested that he take a few nights for 'physical therapy,' whatever that is, and is studying 'psychology,' medicine for the mind I believe, to help with his emotional state. Indeed, I can't have his continued brooding inhibit him from his duties any longer than they should."
Brooklyn nodded as he said, "Angela's been trying to help him, but not with much luck. I'll talk to him; try to get him to understand the clan needs him."
He began to walk away when Goliath said, "And, Brooklyn. . ."
He turned to face his leader again.
"Between the two of us, there's no competition," Goliath said smugly.
Brooklyn just rolled his eyes and scoffed as he shook his head.
