All characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyrighted to Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company. I've taken the idea for the Unseelie Court from the TGS. Characters and concepts from Star Trek are property of Paramount and created by Gene Roddenberry. No Infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder. All original characters are the property of SN.
Note: I'm disregarding the events of the "Goliath Chronicles", with the exception of "The Journey" because I do not wish to use the rest of the "Goliath Chronicles" as canon to my story. Also, I'm altering large sections of the Star Trek storyline, especially concerning events like WWIII and the Eugenics Wars, which without the Cold War as a backdrop probably wouldn't happen the way Roddenberry wrote them, if at all. This story takes place two days after "Public Debate".
Case No. 1
By SN/TVfan
Email: Sam_Nary
23rdPrecinct
"You want to have ceremony here?" the mayor asked curiously as Captain Chavez lead him through the precinct's conference room, "wouldn't it be a tad small?"
"We're mostly going to be giving them their badges and setting down the schedules that they'll follow," Captain Chavez sighed, "it may be a smaller venue here, but more appropriate. And besides, if this is done at City Hall, I'd tend to think the Maccio's Order of the Phoenix could try something that could get a lot of people hurt."
"That man and his group are driving me crazy," the mayor grumbled.
"You're not the only one, trust me on that," Captain Chavez replied.
The mayor didn't answer immediately and proceeded to walk about the room for a few moments.
"You're certain you want this small?" the mayor asked, "the fact that they passed will be big for the press. They will be all over this."
"It is the clan that wants it small," Captain Chavez replied, "besides, I'd assumed you were under enough heat for the decision in the first place."
"It comes with the job," the mayor shrugged, "and I have to have done something right if I've got the people talking… and for the most part, deputizing them has actually lightened my workload a bit… and probably yours as well."
"At present my workload has gone up," Captain Chavez replied, "mostly from dealing with people like Maccio demanding we arrest and execute them… or at least arrest them."
"Most of that stuff I throw out," the mayor admitted, "I'll admit that I'm not their biggest fan… but they can not be as Maccio has portrayed them. If they really wanted to destroy us and have been here in secret, they would have done so by now."
Captain Chavez nodded.
"I am a little surprised to hear you defending them," Captain Chavez spoke.
"I've already made the decision to deputize them," the mayor admitted, "I can't NOT defend them before the new policy has even started."
Captain Chavez nodded.
Castle Wyvern
The clan awoke to find Matt waiting patiently in the courtyard. He was holding a large envelope and was occasionally glancing up in the direction of the tower and battlements where the clan rested during the day.
"Evening, Matt," Elisa spoke as she left her spot to glide down to meet him, the rest of the clan following behind her.
"Evening, guys," Matt spoke, "I come bearing good news."
"Maccio's left the city?" Brooklyn gave a guess.
"We all wish," Matt answered, "No, this has more to do with the tests you all took."
"The results are in?" Angela asked, sounding curious.
Matt nodded, "and it is all good news. You'll be pleased to hear the you all passed the test."
"We passed?" Broadway asked, sounding surprised.
Matt nodded, "Congratulations."
Matt then opened the envelope, which appeared to have the tests themselves in it. He then began handing the ones that had taken the test the folded up test sheet. The sheets had the number right over the total number of questions written in red ink to allow for the 'grade' to be figured out. All of them did remarkably well, though Elisa was the only one to get a perfect score… but then, she had taken the test once before already.
"So what will happen now?" Goliath asked as Matt began passing the tests to each clan member that had taken the test.
"The obvious thing is that you'll get your badges, which is supposed to be a big ceremony," Matt answered slowly, "and then I'd assume that you'll be assigned partners and schedules. Thankfully Chavez will be in charge of that, so I wouldn't think that you'd have too much of a problem."
The clan was largely quiet as Matt finished handing out the tests. It was only after he had handed out the last test that Elisa spoke again.
"So when is this ceremony, Matt?" Elisa inquired.
"I think the hope is that it will be as soon as possible," Matt answered slowly, "which I would guess means as soon as you can arrive at the station."
"All of them?" a Tibetan elder asked.
"All that took the test," Matt nodded.
"And what about our hatchlings? We can not watch them all," the elder spoke firmly, "we are not as young as we used to be."
"But it shouldn't be that long," Matt sighed, "and to be honest, this may not be my place, but it's seemed to me that you're using Goliath's promise to help you against him. It may make your job easier, but you're making Goliath's job harder."
"He gave us his word," the elder argued back, "and we are truthful when we say that we are not young enough to keep firm tabs on all of these hatchlings. Even with Goliath's clan's help a group managed to get outside the castle and was nearly killed for it. We do not oppose Goliath's wish to integrate his clan with you and your city, but his word to us comes FIRST. You will have to wait until our clan's adults can return to take our hatchlings home."
"The mayor won't allow that," Matt told her, "he's already taking a gamble that by deputizing the clan he can balance out human/gargoyle relations. Now, thankfully the Quarrymen proved to be too criminal while the Order of the Phoenix has been rather stupid… but if the clan doesn't work with the mayor on this, it could add fuel to a fire that is already burning. The end result would not be beneficial to you or your hatchlings in the long run."
The Tibetan elder did not immediately respond.
"The work schedule has been arranged so that only part of the clan will be on duty each night and will alternate," Matt finished, "Just as the training and testing schedule was. I'm sure you can make do for one night."
"It is only one night," Goliath repeated, trying to be a peacemaker, "if it is absolutely necessary, perhaps you could ask Owen for help."
Elsewhere
Meanwhile, the unknown man who had so far managed to avoid being identified as the killer of a group of street thugs that had tried to rob him sat quietly on the bed in his hotel room following the local news. Most of it was his own concern that someone would identify him, but a good part of it was also to analyze the chain of events that were going on in New York. Much of which he found to be very interesting.
The present 'controversy' over the clan of gargoyles being given a legal role in New York's Police Department was one the man found extremely interesting. The major problem with it though was that Maccio and his 'Order of the Phoenix' had proven themselves to be nothing more then idiotic zealots who weren't much good for anything other then yelling lies at the top of their lungs.
Now, the man had no preference for either those that were anti-gargoyle or pro-gargoyle. He was more interested in the controversy to try and gauge what New York's opinion of the gargoyles really was. If the people didn't really support the gargoyles things might be easier, as they would have to lay low for quite a while until they were forgotten by Manhattan's populace, or they would have to fight for their very right to survive and be free. If the people of New York did support them, he would have to be careful, as gargoyles were strong and fast, and there was the potential risk that they were strong enough to resist the poison darts he carried…
"If only the Order of the Phoenix was a little bit smarter in how they presented things," the man half grumbled, "no one I've ever known listens to a jabbering idiot."
A small thought then crossed his mind.
"Or I could prod things along a bit," the man mused to himself, "see if I can't stir up a little trouble and rile the masses. See how much they really support those flying lizards… of course, I'll need some supplies first."
The man then got up, put on his coat and left the hotel room. A lot of places would be closing soon, and he feared that those that would actually have the supplies he needed were already closed. If so, he decided he would at least scout out a possible location for a workshop to put his plans in motion.
23rdPrecinct
Captain Chavez waited quietly on the landing where the clan was likely to land before making their way in. Bluestone had assured her that they would arrive, so she waited with the idea of going over all last minute details before taking them in for the ceremony. As she watched she saw winged shapes begin to descend towards the clock tower. With the bright city lights though, she had some difficulty in identifying any individual. She thought it best to wait till they all landed.
"Evening, Captain," Elisa greeted her as they all landed.
"Evening," Captain Chavez answered, "Good to see you could all make it. Where's Bluestone?"
"He's on his way back," Elisa answered, "but since he drove to the Eyrie Building, we couldn't carry him back here."
"We can wait for him," Captain Chavez sighed, "most of the news crew people are still setting up."
"This isn't going to be too big, is it?" Goliath rumbled in a low voice.
"The NYPD is giving police badges to a clan of gargoyles, at one point thought to be myth, and who are not supported by one hundred percent of the city's population," Chavez answered, "this will be big no matter HOW many reporters are actually allowed in. Those who can't come in now will buy copies of the footage and run with it from there."
"We're not wanting to cause trouble," Brooklyn spoke up.
"Oh trust me, YOU aren't," Captain Chavez told him, "this is the sort of thing the media LOVES to cover. It wouldn't matter what species you are. I've managed to limit the number of press cameramen in to a relatively small number, but I've still been fielding questions from just about every news channel in the city."
"Sorry, Captain," Elisa said weakly.
"It's not your fault," Chavez sighed, "it's just one of those things."
Chavez then led the group inside before continuing.
"While we will be issuing your badges and assigning your schedules and partners tonight, we're still sorting other things out bureaucratically, so there won't be any scheduled patrols for you tonight."
"What sort of bureaucratic 'things'?" Goliath rumbled.
"Mostly pay stubs and that sort of thing," Chavez answered, "though there are some things that are still organizing how your patrol groups will interact with the dispatch officers and other patrol units that are on duty."
"A lot of normal stuff, eh?" Elisa chuckled.
"Largely," Chavez answered, "though some of it is still the attempts by Matt and I to get you reinstated as a Detective, Elisa."
"Thanks, Captain," Elisa answered, "though you don't really have to."
"You'd have to climb the same ladder you climbed before just to get there, you know," Chavez reminded her, "it wouldn't be fair to you."
"Not everything in life is fair," Elisa shrugged, "and besides, I don't think a human detective, other then Matt, would take too well to having a gargoyle partner… and Matt has a new partner already."
"We still want to be fair to you," Chavez answered, "and if successful… well maybe you'll get your wish about not having a partner."
Elisa only nodded, not sure on what to really say. They all made their way to what was a lounge area where most of the station's officers took their breaks. Cups of coffee and donuts, danish, pretzels, and a few other snack foods were waiting.
"You can wait in here for a few moments while I let the Mayor know you're here," Chavez instructed, "Once he knows, and Matt arrives, we can move on to giving you your badges…"
They all nodded, while Broadway took one of the donuts.
Castle Wyvern
Abigail Wexmand sat quietly with her eyes glued on the television screen. The clan was supposed to get their badges tonight, and she was determined not to miss it. She had even volunteered to watch some of the Tibetan hatchlings if they didn't mind watching the Manhattan Clan officially become officers of the law.
"You must be proud," came Xanatos's voice from behind her.
She turned to see the black furred wolf mutate coming into the living room that the clan commonly used. Fox was with him.
"In a way," Abigail answered.
She sighed again at the puzzled looks she got.
"The NYPD is a pretty good employer," Fox commented, "and your daughter and the clan will be paid for what they do, now."
"Oh it's nothing against the Police Department," Abigail answered, "and I am glad my daughter is happy… it's just that I never saw her as a police officer before. She was always interesting science and those fields. I sort of pictured her becoming a biologist that finds some ultra rare animal living in the rainforest…"
"She'll probably do some stuff that is similar," Xanatos commented, "from what I've overheard, she and Lexington have been working on some sort of guidebook to explain gargoyle biology… and as for picking up police work, that's likely a gargoyle's natural protective instinct."
"It's still a big jump from what I had expected," Abigail answered, "and it will take a little time to get used to it, I guess."
"I'm sure," Xanatos commented, "but I'm sure you can do it, considering where you when first met the clan."
"What did you do before you adopted Miss Candy?" one of the Tibetan hatchlings then asked.
That raised a couple of small chuckles. The hatchlings either hadn't been told, or didn't understand that Elisa, Candy, Amy, and Caroline had all been human and were transformed into gargoyles through sorcery. As such, they assumed that Abigail had adopted Candy.
"It was a mistake," Abigail told the hatchling, "I made some mistakes that I'd rather not talk about. And Candy is my biological daughter. She was born human and transformed into a gargoyle by magic."
"Really?" was a near unanimous response.
"Really," Abigail replied simply.
"Have you ever thought of becoming one?" a different hatchling asked.
Abigail had not been expecting that. She had never thought about something like that. She hated that her work commonly kept her and Candy apart, but she was grown up now and married as far as the Clan was concerned. She thought was too young and too soon, but she did respect Lexington and she wished them both many happy years together. Most of the rest boiled down to a case of empty nest syndrome for her.
"No, I haven't," Abigail answered after a moment, "but I don't think that would be the best answer for me to take… though I'm not sure if I can explain the reasons for it…"
23rdPrecinct
It took Matt nearly thirty minutes to navigate Manhattan's traffic to get to the precinct house, and then another thirty minutes to be able to park. He found both the Mayor and Captain Chavez waiting for him as he made his way into the conference room where the clan was to receive its badges.
"Sorry I'm late," Matt spoke as he approached.
"As informal as many of these things have been, you're right on time," Chavez told him.
"Though that will have to change," the Mayor commented, "if they want this to work out for their best benefit… and my reelection… they need to be punctual and to show up on time. Not just when they feel like it."
"They are protectors by instinct, Mr. Mayor," Matt told him, "if we have any problem at all it will be them going to work before officially clocking in, and I don't think we'll have that as a problem either."
"You had better hope so," the Mayor answered, "these Order of the Phoenix people may be stupid headaches, but I guarantee you, the decision to deputize them wasn't popular. I need it to go well in order for it to work."
"If done right, it will work," Chavez spoke, "and now that we're all here, we'd best get started."
Matt and the Mayor both nodded. The Mayor then turned and walked toward where the "ceremony" would be done while Matt followed Captain Chavez towards one of the Precinct's break rooms, where the clan was waiting. They found the clan patiently waiting with Elisa sipping coffee from a Styrofoam cup.
"Is everything ready?" Elisa asked.
Captain Chavez nodded, "It may take the present news people a minute or two to finish their set up, but we're far enough along that we can begin. As a reminder though, your leadership structure within your clan is officially null and void in regards to the NYPD. For the time being you will report to Bluestone and the dispatch officers in terms of any criminal activities and issues you come across. As far as the Mayor and the NYPD will officially view you, you are all equal. Goliath's leadership will only be viewed as racial matter which doesn't factor into official policy."
"I understand," Goliath rumbled, "so long as we can protect the city, how our clan's organization is viewed is unimportant."
Chavez glanced at the large lavender male, and wondered if his desire to protect was more then simple instinct.
"Your badges have arranged alphabetically by your names, and Maza, you and the rest of the former humans in the clan, you'll have to go by your first name since the rest of the clan has no surname," Chavez then instructed.
Everyone nodded. As Chavez and Matt then turned to leave, the clan slowly sorted themselves into line, based on how they were told they would get their badges. Once they arrived at the briefing/conference room, they found the various news networks sorting things out and the Mayor was waiting near a small podium. They quietly went by him and took a standing position where Captain Chavez and motioned for them to stand. She and Matt then went to stand near the Mayor.
"We're ready," Captain Chavez said to the mayor in a quiet voice.
The Mayor nodded and then moved to more formally stand behind the podium and gave one of the news crew members a 'thumbs up' to indicate that they were ready.
Castle Wyvern
Abigail's eyes were glued onto the screen as the news station went from their standard crawl of things that had happened to a live broadcast coming from the New York Police Department's 23rdPrecinct.
"We're now taking you live to the Twenty Third Precinct House, where the Manhattan clan of gargoyles has just arrived and is preparing to accept their badges in accordance with the Mayor's recent decision to deputize them," the station reporter announced.
The camera then focused on the Mayor who was standing behind a podium with the clan standing behind him and Captain Chavez and Matt Bluestone standing to his right.
"Good evening, citizens of New York," the Mayor spoke politely, "tonight marks the beginning of will be a new era for the city's law enforcement agencies. Some have called this a triumph, some a mistake and a horror, and some merely an experiment, but one can not deny that the city will be different from here on out."
Abigail put all of her attention on the screen.
"I will not voice my reasons why I made my decision," the Mayor answered, "I feel I have done that ENOUGH. The Manhattan Clan of gargoyles that have been revealed to us and have been living here with us have all taken the standard tests required of all NYPD officers, and as you know, they have passed all these tests."
Xanatos gave a confident smile and took Fox's hand.
"As such, we will now take the next step and issue the Manhattan Clan police badges for the 23rd Precinct with special jurisdiction to allow them to cooperate with all NYPD Precincts," the Mayor continued, "each individual gargoyle may come forward and accept his or her badge as their name is spoken."
They all watched as Matt picked up what looked like a small brief case and opened it. Captain Chavez took the first badge, which was connected to a chain so that it could be hung around the neck, and handed it to the Mayor. He nodded and took the badge.
"Amy," the Mayor began and handed the badge to the yellow beaked female, who then returned to her place in line.
"Not her full name?" Abigail wondered aloud.
"The rest of the clan, being gargoyles all their lives have no surnames," Xanatos answered, "and from what I learned when I first awakened them, Goliath was the only one with a name."
"No wonder Brooklyn, Broadway, Lexington, Hudson, and Bronx all have names that mirror geographical locations from around New York," Abigail shrugged.
"Angela."
Goliath's daughter moved forward to accept her badge.
"Broadway," the Mayor spoke and then shook the aquamarine male's hand as he took his badge, and then said, "Brooklyn."
"No, I think those names came from their initial look at the city," Xanatos commented as he answered Abigail's comment, "though, I'd thought Candace had told you a lot of this stuff already."
"Some of it," Abigail answered, "but given our schedules, we don't have much time for mother/daughter bonding any more."
"Another reason to become like Candy," a hatchling spoke, hugging one of Abigail's legs.
"Candace," the Mayor spoke.
Abigail shed a few tears of joy as she watched her daughter accept the badge. She hadn't expected her daughter to end up doing police work, and didn't really want her to, but at the same time, she couldn't help but feel proud of her.
"Caroline," the Mayor spoke and then shook hands with the blue skinned female, then took the next badge and said, "Desdemona."
The golden female quietly came forward and took her badge.
23rdPrecinct
The progression through the clan was going along well. The media people hadn't interrupted anything and the mayor was allowed to easily go down the list of gargoyles that had taken the test and passed it as well.
"Elisa," the Mayor spoke in the monotone he was trying to use to make him sound impartial.
The tan female stepped forward to shake the Mayor's hand and take what would be her new badge. As she did so, she came in front of Matt and Captain Chavez.
"Welcome back," Matt said in a half whisper, although he wondered if that was really necessary as a good many people had likely learned that Elisa Maza, gargoyle and Elisa Maza, Detective Second Class were the same being by now.
Elisa only responded with a slight nod and took her badge and returned to her place in line. The Mayor continued with listing the names of the clan to hand them their badges.
"Ethan," he spoke and gave the Avalon male his badge.
Even then followed after her name was announced.
"Goliath," the mayor announced, and the large lavender male stepped forward.
Elisa found herself smiling with pride as her mate accepted his badge. She knew that Goliath felt devoted to protecting the city in a way that surpassed some officers that Elisa had worked with in the past. Now, he had was given the chance to do what he what he loved to do and do it legally as well. For Goliath this had to be a triumph.
"Hudson," the Mayor then spoke as the elderly male gargoyle made his way forward.
Castle Wyvern
"They ought to let him retire," Abigail grumbled, "at his age and after what he's endured, he deserves some peace and relaxation."
"I think they would if he actually voiced the desire to retire," Fox commented, "He's still volunteered for patrols in the past."
"And no one forced him to go along and take the test," Xanatos added.
"Still doesn't seem right to me that he's not given a moment of peace to enjoy for himself," Abigail commented.
"Maybe," a Tibetan elder spoke from where she was helping in supervising the present hatchlings, "but retirement among gargoyles has never really been done. When one becomes too old for one task, he is moved to an easier task and different responsibilities, and this is usually determined by the elder him or herself."
"Ian," the Mayor continued to go down the list of clan members.
The Avalon male came and shook the Mayor's hand, took his badge and returned to his spot in line. Abigail again felt some pride when Lexington's name was called and the olive green male received his badge. He was smart and kind, and her daughter was happy with him, and while he kept her happy, Abigail could easily support him. And hopefully, everything went well for them both.
23rdPrecinct
Matt quietly stood by as the Mayor handed the last badges to Lexington and Othello and then called Captain Chavez to administer the standard oath to serve and protect that all new police officers took when they joined their respective police departments. Once that was done, the Mayor made a few closing remarks before ending what would be the 'press conference' portion of the night.
"That went well," he commented to Chavez as the reporters began to leave the room.
"Remember that we still need to assign their partners," Chavez answered, "those that have 'mates' may not take to being partnered with someone other then their 'mate' all that well."
"I think they'll deal with that alright," Matt commented, "Elisa's done the most to explain why we do things that way."
"I'm sure she has, but remember, she was a human officer before the Mage transformed her," Chavez reminded the red headed detective, "the other transformed gargoyles don't have Elisa's experiences and the rest of clan has never done anything like this before."
"Indeed we have not," came Goliath's voice as he and Elisa approached, "but we will survive. It may be different and new, but not threatening."
"Thank you for being so… supportive," Chavez said slowly.
Goliath and Elisa both nodded.
"Is the Mayor going to stick around for the shift assignments, or.." Elisa began to ask.
"I'm afraid I need to get going," the Mayor cut her off, as he had been listening in on the conversation, "I have some other work to take care of, and my wife is expecting me to return home sometime tonight. Have a good night."
There were a couple of polite nods as the Mayor packed up his own paperwork and began to make his way out. Once he had headed out, Chavez motioned for the clan to take seats at the table between the podium the Mayor had spoken from and the area where the reporters had been.
"First I will thank you all for putting up with all of this," Chavez spoke, "as I'm sure a lot of it will mean a lot of BIG changes for you."
"It is no problem," Goliath rumbled.
"I'm sure," Chavez answered, "Now, to move onto business."
Chavez then lifted up a map of Manhattan.
"Now, traditionally, officers are only to remain within their specific precincts unless specifically called," Chavez explained, "but since this is new, and there are so few of you, I've been allowed to tell you that all of Manhattan will be your 'precinct' to patrol."
The gathered gargoyles all nodded.
"It is the intention of the NYPD that you be teamed in two 'man' teams to patrol a section of the city and be on call for anything that the 23rd Precinct, or any of Manhattan's other precincts may require," Chavez explained, "your shifts will run from an hour after sunset, at the latest, to an hour before dawn, giving you plenty of time to make it back to the Eyrie Building and or shower as necessary."
"That would leave us rather thin in dealing with groups like the Pack," Goliath commented, "they would send everyone they had against the two that they found."
"Maybe, but the Pack was all caught in Thailog's attack on the Eyrie Building," Matt commented, "You have Canis and Vulpine, as Mr. X doesn't want the world to know what Sevarius did to him. We have Jackal, Hyena, and Wolf, and Shadow and Dreadnought were destroyed. The Pack shouldn't be a threat anymore, provided someone doesn't spring them."
"What about Holly though?" Elisa commented, "Thailog's sorceress managed to escape. She could either come back for Thailog's clan or for the Pack… or attack us."
"In terms of dealing with potentially serious threats, you can obviously call the rest of the clan for help, as well as other police units," Chavez answered, "Protocol will generally demand that you try to avoid such large battles and try to bring a criminal in 'peacefully', but given some of the strangeness that has gone on in this city, some things may just be unavoidable."
"We're bending a couple of rules to insure that you're not left totally defenseless," Matt added, "you can call for help if someone just attacks you… and that individual is stronger then you are, or it's a group that has the numbers to beat you."
Goliath and Elisa nodded, their prime concerns having been met. Chavez then continued.
"Now, I will remind you that you are assigned to only the precincts on Manhattan Island," Chavez spoke, "if any leads you follow take you outside of Manhattan, you will be granted the right of pursuit, so long as officers in that local area are the ones who officially make the arrest… though I'm sure you know that from your lessons."
Everyone nodded at that.
"So who will our partners be?" Brooklyn asked.
"I've gone over everything I can in an attempt to insure that the system will work out for the best," Chavez then sighed, "but considering that you all get along well, it was somewhat difficult and to be honest, I probably failed in do what I wanted to do."
There were a few puzzled glances that were exchanged.
"Ms. Axel, you and Ms. Wexmand will work together and will be responsible for the northern most portion of Manhattan," Chavez spoke, pointing towards a section of the map, "Brooklyn, Broadway, you will take the southern most portion of Manhattan."
"Right," the four gargoyles mentioned so far answered.
"Angela, Ms. Nexus, you will deal with this section of Manhattan here near the west side," Chavez instructed and pointed to a section of the city near Amy and Candy's patrol area. She then pointed to a section on the eastern side of Manhattan, "Desdemona, Elisa, you will take this section."
The four gargoyles all nodded.
"The rest of you will be placed in a position to be 'trainers' for the Avalon gargoyles that have come here," Chavez spoke, and pointed to a section just below Elisa and Desdemona's patrol zone, "Goliath, you will take Eve and patrol this sector."
Goliath nodded.
"Othello, you will take Ethan and patrol the northern part of Central Park," Chavez spoke, "Hudson, you will Sarah and patrol the southern part of Central Park."
"Lexington, you take Ian and patrol this sector," Chavez then spoke and pointed to the area south Angela and Caroline's patrol area.
"Right," they answered.
"Now, that will be the system to use once the Tibetan gargoyles have the time to return to their home," Chavez sighed, "For now, you will be working in shifts and that means your patrol zones will proportionately increase in order to cover the entire city."
"We've commonly done much the same in past," Goliath commented, "Each team can increase their zones as needed."
"Very good," Chavez nodded, "and for a while you may have to do that. The Mayor's Office and the City council has the expectation that you will all work the same 'shift', I'm not going to lie, but they will accept the split shifts, which we will do while you have responsibilities at the Castle to take care of."
The group nodded.
"For now, half of the clan will be on duty each night and will alternate with the portion of the clan that isn't on duty," Chavez explained, "Ms. Axel, Ms. Wexmand, Broadway, Brooklyn, Angela, Ms. Nexus, Desdemona, Elisa, you will all start tomorrow night. The rest will start the night after."
"Okay," Amy acknowledged her, "I hope we don't let you down."
"With Elisa to help all of you, I'm sure you won't," Chavez only sighed, "and in the meantime, I will also tell you that with you present position you will be given all the allowed benefits for NYPD officers, including sick days, vacation, days off… or for you nights off, and other benefits. We can not pay you as this was all done after this year's budget was decided by the city council, but that problem should be fixed for next year."
"A gargoyle doesnae need money to protect," Hudson grumbled.
"I'm sure," Chavez sighed, "but from a 'civil rights' standpoint, this is a starting point to bring you into New York society in general… so that that you're expected. As part of society, you will be expected to pay for goods… which will require money, and as much as Mr. Xanatos has been helping you, I doubt he'd be completely willing to pay for everything you might need for the rest of your lives."
"He understands, don't worry, Captain," Elisa told her.
That then reminded Chavez of something, and she then spoke with a slightly joking tone.
"And it would be appreciated that you call in before getting on a boat to magical island that has a strange time-differential and miss six months," Chavez made her joke while watching Elisa sigh heavily.
"I'm never going to live explaining that to you down, am I?" Elisa sighed.
"Probably not," Matt commented, "and if not the Captain, you know I'll have a joke or two."
Castle Wyvern, Later
The clan returned to the castle to find a small welcoming committee had been prepared. Xanatos, Fox, Owen holding Alex, Abigail Wexmand, and the Tibetan elders along with the hatchlings. The presence of the Tibetan gargoyles was somewhat surprising as they did not appear to want the clan to go to the ceremony unless it was on their terms, but no one wanted to start a fight.
"Is anything wrong?" Goliath found himself asking as he came in for a landing.
"No," Xanatos shook his head, "Quite the opposite, actually. The news gave fairly decent coverage of your official deputizing… and to make things official here… congratulations."
Goliath paused to look at the man who had been the clan's enemy when they first awakened to their protector after the Hunter's Moon incident. Putting on a slight smile, he shook the billionaire's hand. The 'bad blood' was all in the past.
"Thank you, Xanatos," Goliath rumbled in a polite voice.
"I'm kinda surprised you're still up, mom," Candy spoke as she approached her mother with Lexington by her side.
"Tonight was a big night for you," Abigail told her, "Did you honestly think I'd miss it?"
"Not deliberately," Candy answered, "your work keeps you busy, and I'm stone from dawn until dusk.."
"I know," Abigail spoke as lifted the pink web-wing up into a firm hug, "but I'm still your mother. Tonight was a big night for you, and like any responsible mother, I want to tell you how proud I am."
"You're proud of me?" Candy asked.
"Of course I am," Abigail smiled, "True, I never thought I'd see you doing police work for a living, but I am proud of you. I things had to be rough when you were first transformed, and my first reaction certainly didn't help… but you've overcome that. To me, it shows how much you've grown as an individual. And for it, I'm proud of you."
"Thanks mom," Candy smiled.
"You're welcome, dear," Abigail responded.
"What did Lawrence think of it?" Caroline asked to Owen who appeared to remain as stiff as ever.
"He requested that we tape the broadcast for him," Owen answered, "Saying something about a big test in the morning."
"So I have to wait until tomorrow night for my congratulations," Caroline chuckled, "If you'll excuse me, I'll just kiss him good night before taking over whatever is needed out here."
Elsewhere, The Next Day
The unknown man's hunch had proved right the previous evening. There weren't any stores open that late that sold the goods he needed for his project to try and truly gage how New Yorkers would really react to having gargoyle officers. His test largely involved creating a dummy 'gargoyle', one that he could spread a little mischief with. To be successful, he needed several items, most of which could only be purchased from various hobby stores, though some of the things on his list seemed to be even more novelty like then the store's sales clerk that was with him was prepared for.
"I don't think the make balsa wood at that size," the clerk told him after the unknown man finished his description.
"The model I am constructing requires wooden pieces of those dimensions," the unknown man insisted, "largely to serve as a frame."
"I would suggest a lumber yard then," the clerk told him, "you'll have to rethink how you're displaying this model as I don't think they sell balsa wood, but they do sell wooden boards of the dimensions you're specifying."
"The types of wood they use would be impractical for the purposes I have for it," the unknown man answered, "too much weight."
The man wasn't about to reveal his plan, as it would technically be considered a misdemeanor for causing a disturbance if it worked, but he would try to convey as much as he could without revealing everything.
"Are you intending to hang it from something?" the sales clerk asked.
"In a manner of speaking," the unknown man replied.
"What are you planning to hang it from? Do you know how strong the frame of the ceiling or roof that you're using is?" the sales clerk asked.
"What is the point of that?" the unknown man grumbled.
"Plenty, sir," the sales clerk explained, "a strong beam should be able to support the additional weight of a denser wood that you would get from a lumber yard, although you would still need to rethink how you're hanging it."
"It probably is more then strong enough, but the building ordinances are pretty firm against hanging things of excessive weight," the unknown man lied.
"You might want to then either consider reducing the size or altering your display method to using a stand rather then hanging it if building ordinances are coming into play," the sales clerk advised, "the only other option to hang this model would be to use a light wire frame, but that could be difficult given the exterior design you've described and I would warn you that it would not be as durable. One bump, and the whole project would be 'upset'."
"I don't intend to have anything bump into it," the unknown man lied, "maybe wire would work."
Much Later
The unknown man settled into a warehouse that appeared to be abandoned from major use. He had scouted it out the night before and that that is how he knew it was abandoned. And with no official business going on there, he now set up shop inside the warehouse to begin his little project. He had settled for working a wire frame rather then a wood frame. It would mean he'd need to be extremely careful in getting his intended creation to where he ultimately wanted to take it, but that was only a minor setback.
"The gargoyles want to patrol the city, let's see how the city responds to 'them' having a little fun while on duty," the man mused as he began weaving the wires to form the outline of he was trying to create.
His plan was to create a life sized dummy gargoyle and swing it at a height just above the walking height of people on the sidewalk. And this was to be his grand test. If they truly accepted the gargoyles, they might give some voice of annoyance at being 'buzzed' by a gargoyle, but that might be it. If not, they'd assume they were being attacked and it would start something bigger. And that would be the determining factor as to how the Mayor's decision was taken by the average New Yorker.
This would seem like a rather odd strategy to be taking, but for the unknown man, it was in his best interest to know how the city of New York would accept the gargoyles as officers. He had fairly big plans, and if the city backed the gargoyles, some of those plans would become more difficult to achieve as the gargoyles would arrive from positions better suited to stopping him then what one would normally expect from any police force. If not… the unknown man was fairly certain he could achieve all the goals that he had.
Castle Wyvern
Dusk came as it always did, and as the clan woke up, the knowledge that their first real steps to integration with the humans of New York was to begin. They would be going into official work alongside the NYPD. For Elisa, it was going back to work, but the principle is the same. It would represent great change for the clan with new trials and new ups and downs, though they were all fairly confident that they would be successful.
"Good luck, my love," Goliath offered his hope that everything went well for his mate. He had very much preferred to remain by her side, but the police department's rules and regulations were clear, those involved with each other on a personal or romantic level could not be partnered with one another.
Elisa felt herself relax as Goliath ran his knuckles over her weak brow-ridge while placing the other hand on her back, just above her tail. Instinctively, she didn't want to be separated from him either, but she had long known the NYPD's policy and had even used it when Jason first tried to join the police as part of the whole Hunter's Moon incident.
"It'll be alright big guy," Elisa told him, "this is a 'return' for me, you know that."
"The circumstances will be different for you now," Goliath rumbled in a low voice, "I just want you to be safe."
"I'm sure Desdemona will see to that," Elisa tried to comfort him, "She'll look after me, and I'll look after her."
Goliath only nodded. He then watched as the first shift departed for the night.
23rdPrecinct, Later
The group arrived to find Matt seated at a desk that had been hastily set up in the attic area of the clock tower. Flariaty was present and was directing a couple of work crew members on where to place a second desk.
"Is is okay for her to be working?" Angela wondered aloud, "Didn't you say she has a concussion?"
"She's passed all the tests required for basic office work," Matt shrugged, "which is all that both of us will be getting while we're getting the new 'Gargoyles Task Force' up and running."
"With the obvious exception that gargoyles now make up this task force," Brooklyn quipped.
Matt nodded.
"So they're moving you up here?" Elisa asked as she looked around the rebuilt clock tower.
"As a sort of headquarters, yes," Matt nodded, "ultimately there will be desks for all you to fill out any and all necessary paperwork on. Captain felt it best that I headed up the operation. There are plenty of folks that want to see the Mayor's decision to deputize you guys fail, and I'm not talking about Maccio's Order of the Phoenix. I'm talking about badge carrying officers."
"Proving we're here to do good will take time," Amy commented, "all we need is the chance to prove that we are good."
"I'm sure, but if your boss is firmly against you, you will never get the chance to prove it," Matt answered, "He'll make sure that you either end up hating the job or look incompetent at it."
"They could counter that by saying you're looking at us through rose colored glasses," Elisa pointed out.
"They made comments like that with the FBI," Matt shrugged, "that didn't stop me."
"It did get you fired," Elisa pointed again.
"Maybe, but I was RIGHT!" Matt retorted, "It's not my fault they were either helping Hacker cover it up or were being kept in the dark by Hacker."
Elisa only shook her head.
"We're here to clock in for the night," Elisa sighed after a few moments.
Matt nodded as the task at hand returned to making sure that the clan could begin their roles as law enforcers, now with the law very much on their side! He reached into his desk and pulled out a legal pad. He then placed it on the desk where the clan could sign it. The date was the first thing written on it.
"Since your recruitment came after the city council set the city's budget, your position is being classified as a volunteer position," Matt explained, "but for bureaucratic purposes, they do want to know who comes in and for how long. You know your standard shifts, but as you know, Elisa, there are other guidelines that have to be followed as well."
"Make sure we're not over-worked," Elisa nodded, "although I think some of that will be negated by our alternating shifts with the rest of the clan."
Matt didn't respond to that as Elisa took a pen and wrote her name down underneath the date and wrote the time next to her name. She then passed the pen to the rest who wrote their names down along with the time.
"The locker rooms and showers are available to you at the end of your shift," Matt spoke as they prepared to leave for their patrols, "should you wish to use them… and if you need to contact me… best to leave a message with the dispatch officers and have them deliver it to me. They won't have phone lines running up here until tomorrow at the absolute earliest."
"Sucks being promoted, isn't it?" Elisa teased.
"Feels more like I've been incarcerated up here," Matt only grumbled as the gargoyles went out for their patrols.
Rooftop
Meanwhile, the unknown man had found a rooftop that would suit his purposes well. It was an older building that had plenty of shadows that he could hide in. Now, he doubted that his actions would go completely unnoticed. No one could be that stupid, but he doubted that anyone would really be able to pick him out of a lineup, which was the real thing. Crooks that were caught usually left some evidence behind or had someone deliver a description to the police that practically identified the criminal. The unknown man intended to keep that to a minimum as much as possible.
He was wearing gloves to insure that he'd leave no fingerprints and deliberately chose a building that had a roof that was well covered in shadows, both from structures on the roof and from the older buildings around it that were taller then it was. He had managed to carry his fake gargoyle to the roof with little trouble. No one stopped him, and he was fairly certain that no one had gotten a good look at him. He then looped the wire into the harness on the back of the fake gargoyle.
The next part of the operation was tricky. He needed to get a line suspended between the building he was on and another, largely brick, building across the street. He only had two viable options. One was to fabricate the need for a banner to be hung for whatever purpose and pay the money required to allow him to go through with it. It would have to connected to the gargoyle issue, of course, but it would allow him to use the dummy gargoyle openly and hide behind a prepared excuse for either reaction it would generate. But, that would take awhile to get done, by which point the issue that he was capitalizing on could pass and all that work would be for nothing.
The other option would be to fire a zip line across the span and swing the dummy gargoyle down quickly. It was the most criminal of his options, but given the shadows and the distance most would have to look to see him, it was doubtful that anyone would be able to give the police a description that would point slowly to him, and by using gloves, he wouldn't leave any fingerprints behind. And even if he was caught, the only crime they could make stick would be 'creating a public disturbance' which the unknown man was fairly confident that he could argue his way out of that with only a minor fine. He decided to take the gamble that he could fire the zip line, sling down the dummy gargoyle, and gain some reaction before anyone would notice him there. Once the reaction had really started he could move off to a different location and observe from there.
The unknown man then moved as much as possible into the shadows of the building he was on and readied the zip line launcher he had managed to sneak up to the roof. It wasn't very big, and the line certainly wouldn't be strong enough to hold his weight, which had been the real reason he was looking for as lightweight a material as possible to use in constructing the dummy gargoyle. It needed to be light weight so that it wouldn't snap the line and immediately reveal itself to be a dummy, but in the end, the weight problem was solved, though only just barely.
Once in position he fired the zip line and prepared for the next stage.
At Street Level
On the street, no one noticed the zip line fly through the air and those that heard it hit the brick of a nearby building dismissed it as something unimportant and didn't even look up. What they heard next sounded like a cloth flag blowing in the wind. A few did look up to see what looked like a gargoyle diving on them. It was an olive green with no visible wings and it was coming down at them as if to attack.
"What the devil?!" one man gasped and ducked down.
"It's a gargoyle!" another spoke, "It's attacking us!"
"I ain't done nothing!" a third person said defensively and ignoring all the rules of grammar.
Their shouts of surprise ended when the gargoyle crashed face first into a nearby building.
"They're blind?" a woman gasped.
"Hey that's a dummy!" a teenager pointed out as the 'gargoyle' hung limply where it crashed.
"Why would gargoyles attack us with a dummy?" the woman asked.
"Gargoyles wouldn't have done this," the first man spoke, "it's a dummy on a wire. If the gargoyles did it, they would have done it themselves, and they wouldn't have crashed into a wall besides!"
"How do you know?" the third man spoke, "It's plausible deniability! They use a dummy to say that they didn't do it!"
"Don't tell me that, that's as bad as Maccio's logic!" the first man argued
"Maybe Maccio is right!" the second man countered "It's all a conspiracy!"
"No he's not!" the teenager replied, "besides have you seen the female gargoyles? They all look to sweet to do something like this."
"And what do you know kid?" the second man growled grabbing the kid by the shirt.
"Hey! Let him go!" the first man argued and tried to push the man away.
The push knocked the guy back a few steps, but he did not release the teenager immediately. The first man, however, had no chance to try and help the teenager as the third man attacked him.
"Dirty gargoyle lover! The mayor never should have deputized them!" the third man shouted as he landed a strong blow to the first man's face, knocking him back, and breaking a couple of teeth.
Meanwhile on the rooftop, the unknown man did his best to remain in the shadows, but watched as a fist fight began to break out in the area where his dummy gargoyle ended up. It seemed that among his small group of test subjects the numbers were fairly equal between those who were supportive of the gargoyles and who was against them, but this was only a small sample of New York's population. It could be possible that most of the city's firmest supporters of gargoyles where here.
While he was observing the fight, he still remained in the shadows, just to make sure no human could identify him… although for the moment, humans should have actually been the least of his concerns.
Over Manhattan, Not Too Far Away…
Angela and Caroline, meanwhile, were gliding quietly along route that they were expected to take to patrol. They could hear chatter on the small 'walkie-talkie' devices Lex had built for the clan to use, though no one used it to call for them so far.
"Quiet night, so far," Angela commented.
"Maybe the crooks are just waiting for the night to end," Caroline guessed, "they know that if we catch them now, they can't just get off with 'a gargoyle caught me'… largely as we part of the police now… legitimate law enforcers."
Angela nodded at that. She could hear the pride in Caroline's voice at how far the clan had come from being persecuted beings living outside the law to being accepted members of society. Angela felt proud at that too. She honestly hoped that they and PIT would be successful at showing the world that gargoyles were good, and she could have no fear in inviting her brothers and sisters from Avalon to come visit, should Titania allow it.
As they rounded a corner, the silence was broken by what sounded like a fight. They looked down to see a large crowd of people fighting over something to the point where they had stopped traffic. Their sharp night vision also saw the zip line and the dummy gargoyle above the fighting people.
"So much for a quiet night," Caroline grumbled as they landed on the roof of one of the taller buildings in the area to report in.
"This is officers Angela and Nexus to dispatch, come in," Angela spoke into her 'communicator', "we have a potential riot in progress."
"Riot?!" came the dispatch officer's voice in her ear, "what did you do?!"
"We just found it, we didn't do anything to start it," Angela answered the anti-gargoyle cop's accusation, "they're punching each other up down there…"
"And it looks like we got a guy who is way too interested in watching the fight," Caroline commented as she noticed the unknown man.
"Where are you right now?" the dispatch officer asked.
Angela gave him the address where the fight had broken out and then waited a moment or two while the dispatch officer checked something. After about a minute or two he responded.
"We have been getting 9-11 calls from that address," the dispatch officer spoke, "and riot police are on the way. See if you can question this guy watching it, but try not to get involved with the fight until riot police can get there for back up."
"But they could do damage to the buildings around them, not to mention themselves," Angela spoke, "couldn't we try to talk them down?"
"Not proper protocol, and they could turn on you," the dispatch officer spoke, "and with only two of you, they could easily turn on you."
"Roger that," Angela sighed, "we'll see what this guy watching knows and keep an eye on the situation."
"So we're only going after this guy watching?" Caroline wondered as Angela looked over.
"We're not to deal with the fight until after enough 'riot police' arrive to gain control over the situation," Angela sighed, "I know it sounds rough, but that looks like twenty people fighting twenty people. We can't stop them without diving on them, and that could make things worse."
Caroline nodded with a heavy sigh.
"Let's see what our spectator has to say," Caroline sighed.
On the Rooftop
The unknown man was fairly focused on the chaos that had erupted because of his stunt with the dummy gargoyle. It didn't give him all the answers he wanted, but he was captivated by the impromptu display of combat going on below him. He was so engrossed in watching the fight that he did not notice that he was no longer alone until he heard a rather sarcastic sounding voice speak from behind him.
"Mind if we join you?" the voice asked.
He jumped and turned to see two female gargoyles standing there. One was a dark blue wearing a red shirt and light blue cut-of denim shorts. The other was a shade of lavender wearing what looked like a medieval tunic and lion-cloth. Police badges hung on chains that went around both of their necks.
"It's not what it looks like," the man blurted, too startled to think of anything coherent.
"You're not watching a riot?" Angela questioned as she came forward, "a riot I'd tend to think you started."
"I didn't start it," the unknown man swore.
"Then who did?" Caroline questioned as she came along to stand on his other side, "You were clearly watching it, and…" she then strummed the zip-line like a guitar string, "… I'd think that this was used in setting the fight off down there."
"I didn't launch it," the unknown man answered, silently cursing himself at letting himself get caught.
"Then who did?" Caroline pushed a little, "you had to have seen someone. This fight hasn't been going on for hours. We're the first officers to arrive."
"I don't know," the man said somewhat defensively.
"You don't…" Angela raised a brow ridge, and then sighed, "Please stand over there for a moment… Caroline, can you keep an eye on things down there. Make sure no one is killed and keep an eye out for riot police."
"No problem," Caroline spoke.
Angela then moved the unknown man to a separate area. Once there, she began to pat him down for anything that might be hidden.
"Is this really necessary?" the man asked.
"I don't trust you when you say you don't know anything," Angela answered, "you have to know something. Right now I'm checking to make sure you're not hiding anything. If you have anything hidden, you will be arrested for at least causing a public disturbance."
The man then stood by nervously as Angela completed a basic search of his person, which netted the zip-line launcher that he had stashed away in one of his coat pockets to insure nothing was left behind. Angela looked at this and then at the zip-line and then to Caroline who was keeping an eye on things at ground level.
"You're under arrest," Angela then spoke as she turned back to the unknown man, "anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law…"
Caroline, meanwhile, watched the fight going on below them while Angela continued to go through the man's Miranda Rights. Every protective instinct she had told her to go down and directly stop the fight, but with only her and Angela there, and the two of them no responsible for looking after a prisoner, if the crowd turned on them, they could be in trouble. Part of her wished she had a bull-horn to try and talk all these people into calming down from the relative safety of the rooftop.
The fighting on the ground remained dramatic, as a few people had already been knocked unconscious, with the fact that the fight had already stopped traffic in the area being a source of relief for those who had been knocked out.
"This is officer Nexus to dispatch," Caroline spoke into her own radio, "they're still fighting each other here. People have been knocked out! How long until the riot police arrive?"
"They're being slowed by traffic," the dispatch officer answered, "they have about ten minutes more to get there."
"TEN MINUTES?!" Caroline nearly roared.
"Do you know what caused this riot?" the dispatch officer changed the topic.
"We think a guy on a nearby roof started it with some sort of prank involving a dummy gargoyle," Caroline answered, "He's been denying it though…"
"He might not have done it, unless you've seen him do it," the dispatch officer spoke.
"We've got evidence that proves he's lying," Caroline told him.
"Oh," was the only response she received, and it sounded reluctant, "Hold him until the riot police arrive."
"Can you vector Elisa and Desdemona in… possibly Brooklyn and Broadway as well?" Caroline asked, "this is getting out of hand. We need to do SOMETHING before some one is killed."
"I'll try," the dispatch officer answered, "but you are not to do anything until we have enough numbers to make sure that no one is seriously hurt."
"We're too late for that," Caroline sighed to herself.
"Ten minutes?" Angela asked.
"That's how long he said it would take the riot police to get here, considering the traffic," Caroline commented.
"That is too long, and we need to stop this," Angela spoke.
"You're right, guard him," Caroline answered and leaped from the rooftop.
On the ground, the fighting between the two groups continued and was becoming increasingly desperate. At first traffic continued on as normal, but as the fight began to spread out into the streets, it stopped traffic and drew the anger of several drivers, many of whom ended up being pulled into the fight by their own voicing of their anger at the fight itself. The result was a mess, and no one really even knew what the fight was even about anymore. It finally paused when a shout echoed down from above them.
"STOP THIS AT ONCE!" a voice yelled down from above.
Nearly everyone stopped as a dark blue female gargoyle landed in the middle of where the fight was. Her sudden arrival served to shock many.
"Stop this madness!" Caroline repeated her command as he moved over and pulled a couple of people apart who hadn't quite got the message.
"Why, you gargoyles started this!" a man accused.
"Pardon, I only just arrived," Caroline growled back, "you all look like you've been fighting for awhile. You've knocked people out, you've stopped traffic. I am here to stop this and restore order."
"It's your garg-lovers to arrest, as well as yourself!" a second man shouted.
"Take that back!" a third man yelled .
The two men lunged forward only to run into Caroline's outstretched right wing. They both ended up on the ground from the impact.
"As I said, I have only just arrived," Caroline spoke, "you've all been reeking havoc for a while now."
"Oh yeah, well how do you explain that?" the first man pointed to the damaged dummy gargoyle.
"That's a dummy, launched by a HUMAN on that building over there," Caroline pointed to the building where Angela and the unknown man there, "my partner has the man who launched it down here in custody."
"Prove it!" the first and second man shouted.
"If we wanted to harass you, why would we need a dummy?" Caroline asked back, "from what it looks to me, the dummy was launched from that roof, slid along the zip-line, came over here at head level and smacked into the wall. You all overreacted and started fighting each other… over a dummy."
"You still have to prove you didn't launch it," the first man growled, poking Caroline in her collarbone.
"We have wings of our own," Caroline answered, "if we wanted to duplicate what that dummy has started down here, we would not have bothered to use a dummy, we would have done so ourselves. Common sense is the proof. Forensics will likely confirm that it was the human that we've arrested that launched the dummy."
"See, they didn't even do it," a badly beaten looking teenager challenged.
"Well of course you believe it, garg-lover!" the second man growled, but was stopped from advancing by Caroline.
"You may not like gargoyles, but the fact remains that we are now officers of the law," Caroline answered, "and this fight has created a public disturbance and stopped traffic. Now, you tell me, is opposing gargoyles worth dragging the entire city down? Because I know there are far more civil options that ALL of you could have taken."
"Yeah is it?" one of the drivers yelled from his car, "I'm late for work because you all decided to have yourself a fistfight in the street!"
The first and the second man didn't answer as they knew that Caroline had a point there. They didn't like the gargoyles, but they didn't want to incite a riot or stop traffic, and by participating in the fight they had done exactly what they didn't want to do. Caroline watched their response closely as she needed to be ready to get away if the anti-gargoyle people turned on her since the riot police still had not arrived.
As she finished looking around though, the riot police finally arrived, on foot, with shields ready to contain a fight, which Caroline through the shock and surprise of her arrival had stopped. Caroline only sighed as they arrived.
23rdPrecinct, Later
"Cutting it a little close, are we?" Matt teased as Caroline and Angela made their way back into the Precinct's clock-tower, "dawn isn't too far off."
"We still have time to make it back to the castle," Caroline answered, "and we would have been back sooner if it weren't for the riot we ran into…"
"I know," Matt nodded, "Just a little teasing."
"They were fighting over a dummy that some idiot had launched," Caroline told him, "it was just… stupid."
"Things are that way," Matt commented, "be glad that your 'task force' won't ever be assigned to working with the dispatch section. They've had to deal with things far more stupid then that, including an elderly person wanting help opening some bottle around the house."
Caroline slowly nodded.
"But look at it this way," Matt then spoke, "You're making progress. No one told me of you being involved in the fight."
"In fact one of the riot guys that called us told us that you stopped the fight," Flariaty commented from her desk.
"One step at a time, then," Angela commented, "One step at a time."
The End…
