Human to Gargoyle Chapter 10
Some hours went by and later that night some things had begun to change. Things had turned back to normal with the entire clan thanks to the good news from Goliath and Elisa. Even though things were getting back to normal again a big change was about to happen.
Inside the castles nursery little Alexander was undergoing his magic lessons. "This little piggy became a polar bear *poof* and this little piggy became a fire truck *poof* and this little piggy became a gargoyle *poof* and… oh, drat! All out of piggies," said Puck.
Alex clapped his little chubby hands and laughed delightedly as his wide eyes followed the merry figure of his Uncle Puck as the impish white haired rogue careened around the room. The three previously plush porkers, now a bear, a truck and a chubby toy gargoyle reminiscent of Broadway lay on the nursery floor before him.
Puck landed and sat down cross-legged.
"Now, my boy, this is Transformation 101 turning one thing into another and back again," said Puck, waving his hand over the polar bear and turning it back into a fluffy pink pig. "It's one of the simplest magic's, doesn't even need an incantation. Just focus your will, see the picture of whatever you want it to be in your mind, and will it into being."
Alex looked at Puck curiously and tentatively stretched out his hand. The pig shimmered and morphed into a yellow rubber duck. The toddler squealed and giggled.
"Yes that's the ticket," crowed Puck. "Let's try another one shall we?"
Immersed in the magic lessons neither one of them noticed the other residents of the castles flying past the nursery window.
Angela and the Trio landed in the courtyard and they were all full of high spirits.
"Did you see the look on that guys face right before he landed in the dumpster," Lexington asked, scampering ahead.
"Oh yeah," Broadway laughed. "Definitely not his night."
Angela rolled her eyes as she transformed her wings into an elegant cape.
"Hatchlings," she said.
"Aw, Angela admit it. You thought it was funny too," teased Broadway, waling closer. "I saw the smile on your face."
"Well," Angela relented, "I suppose it was… a little. Especially when he came up with that banana peel on his head."
Lex skidded to a stop, saying "Hey, Hudson must be out with Goliath and Bronx. The TV is ours!"
"Great," Brooklyn said, looking over his shoulder at Broadway and Angela. "Why don't you two go grab some snacks and I'll raid the video library. Hudson can't hog this room all the time!"
"Sounds like a plan," Broadway agreed, smiling at Angela. "Shall we?"
Owen looked up from where he was feeding Alex in his highchair. The toddler waved a gummy graham cracker at the gargoyles and squealed.
Angela laughed at the little guy, saying "And a fine good evening to you, young Master Alex." She regarded the blonde man patiently waiting with a spoonful of strained bananas. "Bedtime snack," she asked.
"Yes," Owen answered blandly. "Alexander sleeps better on a full stomach."
"Who doesn't," asked Broadway. Broadway quipped as he dealt out a loaf of bread. He had a system for the mass manufacturing of sandwiches laying out the bread in paisa going down the rows slopping on condiments and thinly sliced meat. He began taking them on the tray Angela brought over as soon as they were finished.
Owen observed the blue gargoyle preparations coolly.
"You could have quite a career in the food service industry," he said, dryly.
"Oh yeah, I can just see myself working the night shift at McDonalds whipping up Big Macs," Broadway said amiably.
Angela giggled and retrieved the soft drinks from the refrigerator.
When they returned loaded down with popcorn, sandwiches, chips, and soft drinks Broadway and Angela found Lex and Brooklyn staring dejectedly at the TV. The big blue gargoyle put the soft drinks and sandwiched down on the coffee table. He glanced at the screen now playing commercials.
"What's with you guys," Broadway asked.
Lex shook his head and cupped his chin in his hands.
Brooklyn curled his lip and growled "Some nights it's just not worth getting off your perch." He looked at their puzzled expressions and then back at the TV flipping channels. "Yeah, they're running it on this channel too."
"-And then these…these creatures came down out of the sky," a woman was saying. "They were so savage they sounded like animals screaming! They grabbed the muggers and my husband and I ran for our lives! We were afraid those things would turn on us next!"
The camera went back to the anchor woman. "Yet another brutal encounter between gargoyles and humans proves to be a mixed blessing," she was saying. A violent crime prevented, but by equally frightening and violent means. What is being done about this gargoyle problem? Our news team went to the monthly City Council meeting to speak to-."
Brooklyn turned off the set and threw the remote down. Broadway and Angela sunk down onto the couch with Lexington. They all alternately stared blankly into space shaking their heads and sighing heavily.
Angela was the one who broke the silence, saying "Sometimes I think I should have stayed on Avalon."
"You don't mean that," Broadway said anxiously. "People won't be like this forever."
"Yeah, right," said Brooklyn, taking a soft drink and popping it open. "The only way we'd be accepted if we were like everybody else."
"Wouldn't it be great to be human," said Lexington, leaning on the couch arm and staring wistfully into space. He looked around at his fellow clan mates. "I mean it, to walk around without anybody freaking out or attacking you. We could go do stuff like humans our age do, go to the movies and sit in the theater instead of sneaking in through the roof, even got to school."
The small gargoyle sighed, saying "They're having the citywide finals in that video game tournament. I've been playing over the Net tomorrow. I even qualified but I'm gonna have to be a no show. If I was human it'd be different. I could walk right in with everybody else."
Brooklyn paused in mid-sip and raised his eyebrows, saying "Hmm that would be cool. You could meet some girls." He and Lex exchanged an understanding look.
"Yeah," Lex agreed. "That would be intense!"
His clan mates could understand how he was feeling right now. Because Brooklyn had now found a girlfriend Lex was the only one left in their little trio who was single. Brooklyn was the one who could definitely understand how his brother was feeling.
"You and I could have a real date," Broadway said, taking Angela's hand. "I'd love to take you to a fine restaurant and treat you to a gourmet feast."
"That would be a treat, wouldn't it," said Angela, smiling warmly at him.
"What are we doing," Brooklyn said rising to his feet. "It's a great dream, but face it it'll never happen. It's not like we're going to say 'We wish we were human and poof! There we are!"
Loud voices from the TV room echoed in the hallway as Owen carried a sleepy Alex back to his room. The toddler turned his head in their direction and opened his eyes blearily.
"—it's not like we're going to say 'We wish we were human and poof! There we are!"
Alex's eyes widened at the word 'Wish'. He saw all four of the younger gargoyles in the room and extended a chubby hand imagining four humans instead. He felt the magic tingling all around him like a warm, fuzzy blanket and as it left his grasp and settled on his intended subjects. Alex then dozed off to sleep.
Brooklyn felt his skin starting to itch all over not exactly painful, but pervasive and spreading. It itched him everywhere between his fingers and toes, the webbing on his wings even his scalp felt like it was crawling with tiny little bugs. An involuntary spasm made him drop the soda can, foaming dark liquid on the floor.
"What the..," Brooklyn started, but his body's sudden contractions forced the air from his lungs.
Brooklyn stumbled and fell back into Hudson's chair. The room was spinning and his vision faded to black. Faint moans from the others roused Brooklyn. He had a vague impression of time passing the innate gargoyle sensitively to the approaching sunrise was very strong now, He groaned as he stretched his aching limbs. He felt as if he'd been worked over with a couple of sledgehammers.
"Uh guys," Lexington said, voice quavering.
"Yeah, Lex," said Brooklyn, finally catching his breath.
"What was that," said Lexington.
Peeling his eyes open, Brooklyn said "Beats me. I don't feel so bad now…Jalapena!" He blinked in disbelief. "What happened to you guys?"
The short human with the brown hair and large brown eyes started back at him and said in Lex's voice "Us? What about you?"
Brooklyn spread his five-fingered hands and looked at them in shock. His brick-red coloring had faded to a ruddy peach. The chronic pain in the base of his neck was gone and his face felt strangely light. He reached up and instead of his homely beak Brooklyn felt a sharp bladed nose, a long chin, and soft human lips. He leaned back in the chair, jumped as his back hit the leather.
Brooklyn yelped "My wings! What's happened to my wings?"
"What sort of magic is this," the human female with Angela's voice asked. She looked up with green eyes made even more vivid with her toasty light brown complexion and sable hair.
"It'll be all right, Angela," Broadway said putting his arm around her shoulders. "This has happened to us before remember guys?" The heavyset blonde man shot a meaningful look at his rookery brothers.
"What's happened before, lad," Hudson asked amiably as he walked in. The old gargoyle stopped in his tracks his hand instinctively going to the hilt of his sword. "What the devil? Lads, Angela…"
Hudson's eyes narrowed and he drew his sword.
"Puck," he shouted.
They all watched Hudson thundering down the corridor with Bronx at his heels. Lex cleared his throat.
"He's really steamed," he said. "I wouldn't want to be Owen when Hudson finds him."
"He'd better hope Hudson finds him before I do," Brooklyn said grimly. He stood up, swaying a little as he tried to keep his balance without his tail. He looked back at them. "Come on," he said.
Elisa waited impatiently for the private elevator to reach castle level. When the doors opened, the person who greeted her was now who she most wanted to see, but not totally unexpected either.
"Hello, Owen," Elisa said. "How are tricks?"
"Good morning, Detective Maza," said Owen. Owen gave an almost imperceptible lift to one eyebrow. "Goliath has just returned. I believe he is on his way here."
"Thanks, Owen," said Elisa. She walked past him into the great hall.
"You're welcome, Detective," Owen replied. "If you'll excuse me, I must attend to a few matters."
Goliath strode in with Othello and Desdemona behind him with a smile lighting his face as his steps brought him closer to his beloved. Before he could reach her, Hudson burst into the great hall.
"Owen! Puck! Whatever you're bloody well calling yourself," the old warrior shouted angrily. "What possessed you to do it?" He brandished his sword under the majordomo's face while Bronx snarled at him.
The pale man looked at the angry gargoyle calmly, saying "I beg your pardon."
Four humans staggered into the room. An angry young man with a flowing mane of white hair and a sharp beak-like nose reached Owen first and grabbed a handful of his suit.
"I thought you were through with these childish pranks," he growled in Brooklyns voice.
"Brooklyn," shouted Goliath. Goliath stared stunned at his second in commands transformation. His eyes trailed at the blonde linebacker that was Broadway, the short teenager with the studious brown eyes that was Lex and between them—"Angela?"
The sable-haired young woman came into his embrace awkwardly, saying "Oh, father! One moment we were ourselves and then this! I don't understand!"
The lavender gargoyle stroked his daughter's hair tenderly even as he glared over her head at Owen.
"Well trickster," Goliath asked with deceptive calmness, "Do you have an explanation for this?"
"It is not my doing," said Owen, frowning and tapping his chin thoughtfully. "However I was giving Alex a magic lesson earlier. None of you were in the castle at the time. Alex had his bedtime and went to sleep soon after."
"But we were back by then," said Angela, lifting her face from her father's chest. "Broadway and I were in the kitchen when you were feeding Alex."
"Alex," said Lex, chewing on a fingernail. "Owen, could Alex have done this on his own?"
"Possibly," said Owen. "He grasped the essentials of transforming inanimate objects very quickly."
"It's just… we were talking earlier about what it might be like, you know, being human. What if he heard us? Could he be able to do it," said Lexington.
"Without being taught the proper spells," said Owen, raising both eyebrows. "Random magic at his age? How precocious!"
Owen allowed himself a small proud smile, saying "Still it explains why he fell asleep so quickly. A major act of magic like that drains a body's energy."
"Point is lady," Hudson said, looking along the length of his sword at Owen. "Can you change them back?"
"Only the one that cast the spell can undo it," the blonde man answered blandly. "I'll have to work with Alex on it, but he'll need his rest first."
Goliath started to bristle and Elisa decided to intervene.
"I think we all need to calm down and think this through," she said reasonably. "Alex is no more than a baby, not quite a year old. We can't really blame him for this."
"Agreed," most of them voiced.
Goliath looked at his young warriors turned human, asking "Why did you want to be human?"
"Aw," said Brooklyn, crossing his arms over his chest and looking a bit embarrassed, "we turned on the TV and the nightly gargoyle menace debate was on it and it was just too depressing."
"We rescued a couple from a gang of muggers," Lex added. "And they were on TV saying they were more scared of us than their attackers."
"Guys, guys," said Elisa. "You can't let these things get to you. Most people aren't like that."
"Yeah, right," Brooklyn snorted, turning away.
"It will be dawn soon," Hudson said thoughtfully. "What will we do then?"
"If I might suggest," Xanatos said as he strolled in, impeccably dressed in Armani even at this early hour. "Maybe what the younger generation needs is to see how the other half lives."
"Speak plainly," Goliath said. "We will need to get to our places soon."
"They wished to be humans right because humans don't understand gargoyles. Sometimes to really understand why people are the way they are you need to put yourself in their shoes. Sometimes to really understand why people are the way they ate, you need to put yourself in their shoes," said Xanatos, looking at the newly made humans and stroked his goatee. "And face it you people are in serious need of a new wardrobe."
Elisa smiled thoughtfully as she looked up at the lavender gargoyle, saying "I think Xanatos has a great idea Goliath."
Elisa looked at Angela and the trio, asking "What do you say, guys? Want to try the life of a human for a day?"
They looked at each other curiously but gradually they all began to smile with growing excitement.
"You mean go hangout in the mall and stuff," Lex asked hopefully.
"You will keep an eye on them won't you," Goliath asked Elisa, apprehensively.
"I don't think they'll need a babysitter, they're all responsible young people," she replied with a laugh. "But I'll check up on them and I'll give them my page number in case they get in trouble."
Hudson pointed to the window, saying "Looks as though we'll be spending the day here."
The rising sun caught Hudson, Bronx, Desdemona, Othello, and Goliath in their stone sleep in the center of the elegant room. Owen immediately went to a closet and retrieved three small signs on slender metal rods, placing them by each gargoyle.
Lex read one of them curiously, saying "Medieval gargoyle, 10th century Scotland? What is this?"
"Whenever any of you gets caught in a public area of the castle like this," Xanatos said, shrugging, "we turn you into a display. We wealthy businessmen are known for our electric taste in art. The same sort of display cards is up by the tapestries and the armor so it's sort of hiding in plain sight if you will."
Broadway turned to Elisa, asking "Did you know about this?"
Elisa smiled and looked away slightly embarrassed, saying "Yeah it made a lot of sense, but I didn't think any of you would appreciate it especially Goliath. You guys usually make it out to your roosting spots so it very seldom happens."
Xanatos clapped his hands together and rubbed them in anticipation, saying "Well! Let's see about getting you guy's street ready! Owen you take the guys and ladies, you follow me."
Angela and the Trio exchanged an apprehensive look.
In Fox's suite of rooms Xanatos opened the closet doors.
"Now if Fox doesn't have something suitable in here," he laughed. "She'll have to tell me exactly what she's been doing when she says she's been shopping."
Elisa and Angela peered in through the double-doors at the racks of clothing and shoes. "I'll be careful of whatever I borrow," Angela promised.
"Oh think nothing of it," Xanatos said with a smirk. "When Fox gets back from visiting her father she'll be mad she missed this. I'll leave you ladies to it and I'll see how Owen is doing with the guys."
Switching on the closet light Elisa stood back with her hands on her hips while shaking her head, saying "Her closet is bigger than my whole bedroom."
"Does Fox really wear all these clothes," Angela asked, walking in tentatively fingering garments at random. She pulled out a tailored dress and held it against her. "How about this?"
Elisa frowned, saying "It's a little fancy for exploring the city with the guys. You might want to settle for something a bit more casual." The raven haired police officer pulled open a drawer in the cedar0lined clothes press. She took out some of the undergarments. "Let's work from the inside out, shall we? You go have a shower and I'll put an outfit together."
Angela put the dress back reluctantly and began unlacing her tunic as she went into the bathroom, asking "Is there anything I should know about being human?"
Elisa laughed, saying "It's pretty much like being a gargoyle only with no wings. Have you thought about what you'd like to do today?"
"The guys probably have the whole day planned," said Angela.
"You know, Angela," Elisa said coming to the door. "You don't have to do what they want all the time. Isn't there something you want to do for yourself?"
"Well…," Angela said thoughtfully, turning on the shower. "There is one thing I've always wanted to do but the guys probably wouldn't like it."
Elisa gave a little shrug, saying "Hey it's your day out, too. You have just as much right to do something you want just as much as they do."
Angela smiled mysteriously as she stepped into the shower.
Xanatos found Owen and the Trio in the storeroom rooting through bins of clothing. His assistant looked up at his arrival and straightened his tie.
"So how's it going guys," asked Xanatos.
Lex held up a dibber shirt and chuckled, saying "I didn't know you had this stuff in here. What's it all for?"
"Christmas, birthdays, and family gifts mostly. I was an only child but I have lots of cousins and their families," said Xanatos. Xanatos was eyeing Brooklyn who was picking through the clothing disinterestedly.
"I have the perfect outfit for you," the billionaire said, crooking a finger at him. Xanatos then led Brooklyn away from the others.
Owen led Lex and Broadway to a guest room where they showed and changed into their new clothes. Lexington kept the dibber shirt which went well with his slouchy, loose jeans, athletic shoes and an unbuttoned New York Yankees baseball jersey. Owen had put some gel in his unruly short brown hair to smooth it down and while he wasn't looking Lex had spiked it. Broadway was decked out in a slimming vertically-stripped polo shirt with dark blue pants and jacket. Unlike Lex he deferred to Owens combed back treatment of his wavy blonde hair and stood in front of the full length mirror admiring himself.
"It's sort of "Miami Vice' meets 'NYPD Blue', don't you think," asked Broadway.
"You watch way too much television," Lex said.
"Hey, Hudson watches more than I do," said Broadway.
Owen cleared his throat, saying "Gentlemen, if you are quite finished in here the ladies are waiting."
Elisa and Angela were in the dining room helping themselves to breakfast.
Broadway grinned and said "Hey, looking good Angela."
She smiled back at him. Angela was wearing rust-colored slacks, an ivory shirt, loafers, and a knit cardigan in brown, rust and dark green. Her sable hair was caught back in her usual long ponytail.
Lex and Broadway loaded up their plates while Owen left the room.
Lex looked around, saying "Where's Brooklyn? I figured Xanatos would be finished with him by now."
"So I am," came the smug response from the door.
Xanatos swaggered in smiling and Brooklyn came in right behind him. Elisa grinned and muttered under her breath, "Boy wouldn't Tara love this!"
"Tara," Angela asked. "Who's Tara?"
"She's my downstairs neighbor. She likes to come up and use my computer," answered Elisa, laughing. "She has a major thing for Highlander and Brooklyn looks just like a blonde Duncan MacLeod."
Xanatos had decked Brooklyn out in black boots, black denim jeans, a red Harley Davidson T-shirt and a black motorcycle jacket. His white blonde hair was combed down and tied in a long ponytail down his back. A few short strands had escaped and were draped rakishly across his forehead.
Brooklyn sighed and slumped into a chair after getting a plateful of breakfast. "It'll do," he said nonchalantly.
"Liar," Broadway teased.
"Yeah, you like the biker look," Lex snickered.
"I don't remember seeing you wear that around the castle," Elisa said to Xanatos.
"That was something Fox wanted to wear for her," Xanatos said, laughing. "I only wore it once."
Owen returned with a manila folder and placed it by Xanatos's plate. The billionaire finished his meal before opening it up.
"Ah," said Xanatos. "Very good Owen." He took out four thin bundles of money and a credit card. "Here's a little spending cash for the day," he said as he doled it out. He handed the credit card to Brooklyn. "I'll let you hang onto this. Try not to buy anything really big with it."
Brooklyn looked the card over. "Jeff Brooks," he said.
Owen flicked up an eyebrow, saying "It seemed suitable."
"So guys," Elisa said brightly. "Thought about what you want to do?"
"I want to go to the mall," Lex said, enthusiastically. "Manhattan Mall has a video game tournament going on right now!"
"I just want to eat in a real restaurant," Broadway said wistfully, looking at Angela.
"Is there a motorcycle dealership around here, Elisa," Brooklyn asked, slyly. "I feel like a test drive."
Xanatos leaned back in his chair and murmured to Owen. "Make sure there's a two thousand dollar limit on that card."
"Yes sir," said Owen, nodding. "I've already seen to it."
Brooklyn had now also turned to talk to Elisa. "Elisa," he said.
Elisa turned her attention over to him. "Yes, Brooklyn what is it," she asked him.
Brooklyn said "I have a favor to ask."