~Chapter Twenty Six~
New Abilities
Rose kept screaming as they tumbled in a free- fall towards the ground below. They had only been falling for a few seconds before Brooklyn wrapped his entire body around hers, forced his large wings out with a great heave of effort, and caught the wind currents right before they could slam on top of a rooftop. His own gasp of relief was audible, but so was his sudden rage as he scanned the ground to see who was shooting at them, endangering himself and his mate.
Gasping out in fear, Rose clung to his body with her legs around his waist and arms tightly around his neck, immediately worrying about him.
"Are you okay?!" She reached a hand down on his stomach to touch where he was hit, and to her horror, blood met her fingers. Whipping her face around to see his wound, she took a closer look at it, and after carefully glancing over it, she sighed in relief. It was mostly an abrasion wound, with no serious bleeding. She closed her eyes and leaned into his chest, completely relieved to the point that her eyes welled up in tears. He would be okay.
"I'll live." He panted in her ear, but she had no doubts that it still hurt like hell. His eyes were white with rage and excitement. "I'll be better when you're somewhere safe!"
Gritting her teeth, Rose suddenly looked up at him, and shook her head."No! Don't! I'm staying with you, Brooklyn. We'll fight them together! I'm not going anywhere!"
"And I'm not having this discussion right now-" He stopped, gasped, and shielded her body with his as more bright lasers exploded past them. He did a flip, but they kept coming, making him do a dance around in the air to dodge them. Rose quickly realized that her being in his arms was making staying balanced much harder for him, but there wasn't much place for her to go.
Brooklyn's sharp teeth gnashed out at the attackers below and began growling fiercely, adding to his already foul mood. "Damn it! I'm so not in the mood for this!"
"Who are they?! Why are they shooting at us?!" She asked frantically.
"Most likely stupid pricks who love to play with guns and use living creatures to practice pulling the trigger on."
Strong explanation, but Rose didn't argue or disagree with him.
She wrapped her legs and arms around his body tightly so he had free use of his hands to balance them both. When he was free of holding onto her, he growled out in more anger at the constant shots of lasers They were being shot at so much that he couldn't find enough space to glide away, and each laser was hitting closer and closer to them. Just then, a streak of light shot right past Rose's head, inches from blasting her ear off, making her scream out loud. At this, Rose slowly glanced up at Brooklyn with wide eyes, and he was frozen, staring down at her as well. That was way too close for their own comfort.
"I'm okay, they didn't get me!" She tried to convince him, but he snapped, his voice more lethal then she'd ever heard before. "THOSE BASTARDS!"
He grit his sharp teeth in rage, held her tighter to his body, cupped the back of her head to keep her from getting hit, and took evasive action. "HANG ON!"
He quickly began to twist, turn, and flip in the air to dodge all of the lasers, protecting her body with his, but then forced himself to glide away towards a rooftop. When they were close to it, he grabbed onto her arms and forced them off his neck.
Rose gasped, looked up into his enraged, lit up eyes and felt her heart sink in fear. "What are you doing?"
"You'll be safe here! I'll come back for you when the battle is over!" He yelled, pulling her body away from his, mid-flight, making her fully panic. He seriously wasn't going to drop her on the top of a nearby skyscraper, still high above the ground, was he? Rose gasped… he was.
"Don't even think about it!"
"I'm sorry!"
"DON'T DO IT!" She screamed in fear, shock and rage at him. "Don't you DARE DROP ME!"
"Brace yourself Rose!"
"NO!... Don't PLEASE! BROOKLYN!"
When they were over a rooftop, he pulled her body off from his, despite her tantrum of screaming, scratching and thrashing to keep glued to his body, and with a grunt of effort he threw her off of him, and watched her fall onto the rooftop. It looked to be close to seven or eight feet of a drop, but that's the best he could do with all of the bombs exploding around them. He watched with his own fear as she fell, praying she didn't get hurt.
Rose screamed at the top of her lungs as she fell, terrified and in absolute shock that he would do that to her. Seconds passed by before she landed on her feet with a grunt, lost her balance and fell to the gravel, rolling a few times before skidding to a stop. Dirt and gravel kicked up at her impact, and although she wasn't hurt, she was furious.
Brooklyn looked down at her with his white eyes in anxiety, worry and concern for her. Then when he saw that she was okay, a silent apology flew across his face for what he did…but it wasn't enough for her. He was going to have a hell of a time getting her forgiveness for pulling that stupid stunt on her. Gasping in shock and anger, she stood up with a scream of rage, shrieked out his name and stared after him, seething. But he turned his attention back to the attackers, roared a deafening battle cry into the night, and drowned Rose's own continued scream of rage at him.
With him gliding away, she cursed his name, threw an obscene gesture after him, and then kicked up a dust cloud of gravel, and if there was a rock to throw, she might have thrown it at him as well. Tears welled up in her eyes, but her rage at him was quickly put on hold when more lasers flew past Brooklyn in the air. She gasped in fear, ran to the ledge of the building above the battle and cried out in horror at what she saw. The building wasn't too terribly high above the ground, and overlooked the empty alleyway that all of the attackers were positioned. There were six masked blacked out men with laser guns, and their uniforms had a hammer symbol on her left chests.
Quarrymen.
Rose opened her mouth to scream out a warning, but then froze, as he already seemed to know who they were. Twisting around to face them in the air, Brooklyn suddenly did a front flip, tucked his long wings behind his back and free fell towards the attackers in black, his roar shaking the building all around as he charged them in an offensive attack.
"FIRE!" Someone down below roared and lasers shot from every direction.
"NOOO! Brooklyn!" Rose screamed at the same time and raised her hands to her face in horror.
He was going to die or get seriously hurt, and she wasn't willing to just stand by and let him sacrifice himself. She wasn't a damsel in distress, but a warrior like him. His equal. Despite her standing at the edge of a tall building and her discomfort with heights, she stood on the ledge, threw out her hands and shot a streak of powerful magic down below and froze their lasers in mid-air, clearing the air for him.
The Quarrymen shouted out sounds of shock and disbelief that their weapons had failed them all of a sudden. There was a dark and triumphant smile on Brooklyn's face as he easily maneuvered himself around the frozen crackling of electricity, before he body-slammed himself into the six Quarrymen below. They all screamed out in shock and pain at the sudden impact, but it didn't seem to phase Brooklyn. He rolled through them like a bowling bowl to pins, knocking them all on their backs and when the scene was clear, Rose released the lasers and watched as they blasted into the buildings all around them.
Brooklyn rolled up onto his feet and instantly began fighting hand to hand combat with the Quarrymen. Some had knives, others had electrified hammers or their laser guns, but with every attack, he was seeming to handle them all with ease and confidence. Men were flying left and right as he tossed them around, and from where she stood above the scene, it looked almost easy for him to handle six grown men. He used his wings to throw them off him, his tail to trip them, and then would knock them unconscious as they fell down, crushing their weapons with ease in his strong claws.
Their screams of terror were mixed with his roars, punches, and the sounds of body's slamming against walls. Even though she wasn't down there fighting with him and was still mad at him, she was proud and in awe of his fighting skills. He wasn't the strongest in the Clan, compared to Goliath, but he was skillful, cunning and strategic in how he fought. A mixture of mind and strength; a fierce competitor.
Watching her strong mate fight suddenly brought feelings of great desire as well. She couldn't help but admire his body and how his bulging muscles looked when taking on six men with ease. Rose bit her lip slightly, but couldn't stop watching him. His movements were fluid and slick, like a snake attacking, quick and sharp, but was still strong enough to throw one man completely over his head and across the alleyway. He was panting, and was obviously getting a good workout, but that was probably a good thing. This release of his frustrations would help clear his mind and relieve him of that stress he was feeling over Kevin.
Rose held herself up on the ledge of the building, looking down at her beautiful mate, when she suddenly felt something jolt awake in their connection. She gasped, blinked, and had never felt anything like it before. It was a strong tug, almost as if someone was pulling her with a rope towards the fight below. Her body wasn't moving, but her mind was, and the connection was guiding her attention to a Quarryman who had been thrown to the ground, but wasn't unconscious like the others. While Brooklyn was distracted, he was sneaking up behind him with a gun raised to his back.
Danger! Your mate is in danger! The connection screamed in her mind, taking over every single cell of her body.
She didn't have time to think about what she was doing until she had already jumped off the building, free-falling towards the fight below.
Brooklyn punched the Quarrymen away from him, felt the same jolt of danger for her in his connection and quickly whipped around to see Rose free-falling from the building. And all he could do was roar deafeningly into the night in horror, holding his claws out to her…
She jumped!?
"NOOO!" He continued to roar out for her, about to launch over to where her body would hit, but then he suddenly saw a gun to his head and two things happened at once. The Quarryman shot the gun, right as red-magic exploded out from Rose. Red magic froze the electrified laser inches from his skull, and then allowed her to softly land on her feet.
He could have fallen over in relief, and was in awe that she was able to use her magic to float and fly even… but he had other worries to think about since a laser beam was inches from his face.
"What the… !?" The masked Quarryman asked, his eye holes behind his mask widening at the frozen laser, then turned to face her; and he let out a scream of true terror. Rose's red magic was encompassed all around her like fire, her eyes lit up bright red.
"Hands off!" She snarled, throwing a streak of red-lightning into his chest, and with a painful cry he was blasted away from them.
Brooklyn watched her with wide eyes as her magic flowed all around her, and her eyes were blazing bright red- almost like a female Gargoyles did. He didn't have a chance to say anything to her, and wasn't sure what to say just yet. Should he scold her for jumping off of a skyscraper, laugh and celebrate in amazement at her new incredible magical abilities, or run over to her and kiss her madly; thanking her for saving his life.
As he stared into her face, thinking about what just happened, he paused and saw how furious she looked and his heart dropped into his stomach.
Okay… maybe the kissing idea is off the table. He thought to himself, and instantly her voice yelled back in his mind.
Gee… what gave it away?
He couldn't help but smile at her.
I'm sorry for dropping you, Rose…
Shut up.
Sighing heavily, he knew she wouldn't forgive him easily. He knew she would be pissed, and that he would have to make up to her later, but his reasons were pure. She had every right to be mad, but he was trying to protect her from getting shot at again. He side-stepped past the laser beam, and with a clench of her hand she finally released it, letting it explode into the side of the building.
Then she watched him slowly, and cautiously, approach her. Her magic faded, but she still was eyeing him with great contempt.
"Rose…" He started to say out loud, gently, holding a claw out.
"No, don't bother. I don't want to hear it!"
"Babe…" but his eyes suddenly went past her when he saw movement, and instantly, he lunged for her. "MOVE!"
Her eyes widened in surprise as he tackled her down to the ground right as a Quarryman yelled out and swung a long knife through the air, right where her head would have been. Rose gasped at her second close call, having not felt his presence behind her. Brooklyn's heavy body laid over hers in protection and with an angry snarl, he used his tail to whip underneath the man's feet, completely knocking him off his feet and onto his back, smacking his head. He landed with a painful grunt, groaned and then fell unconscious as the knife clattered to the ground next to him.
Panting, Brooklyn's eyes were lit up again bright white and looked around the alleyway, holding her close, challenging anyone else to get up and face him if they dared. Anger pulsed through her body a few times at him and more than anything she wanted to push him off her, or slap his face for doing what he did, but instead, love filled her being for him. He had saved her life twice now, regardless of his stupid stunt.
"Thank you for saving my life." She said, and even though it was a bit forced and bitter sounding, his eyes faded back to normal and locked on hers. Love flowed through them, making her anger with him harder to hold onto.
He opened his mouth to speak when a hammer suddenly slammed down on his back, electrocuting him. Brooklyn roared out in pain, Rose screamed out his name- as she felt everything he was feeling through their connection and it was almost too much for her to handle. Just then a Quarryman slammed into Brooklyn, knocking his body off hers.
"GET OFF OF HER, YOU MONSTER!"
Brooklyn rolled away, fell to his back and groaned in a daze. However, upon hearing the man's voice, Rose gasped out. It sounded so familiar to her.
Where had she heard that voice before?
Just then, the masked man crouched over her, grabbed onto her wrist and lifted her to her feet.
"Come on!" He yelled, wrapping his iron-tight grip around her waist and chest. "Let's get you out of here!"
"No! No… let me go!" Rose yelled out, trying to fight out of his grasp, but he was extremely strong- which reminded her of Kevin's iron-tight grasp on her. This man wasn't going to let her go without a fight. "LET ME GO!"
"Stop… struggling!" The man panted in her ear. "I'm trying to help you escape!"
"NO!" She screamed, but he still wasn't letting up. Brooklyn looked up from his daze on the ground, shaking his head from the dizziness, then froze. Seeing the Quarryman man-handling Rose and hearing her scream, sent him into a lethal rage. Eyes lit up brightly, his claws out to maim, he gnashed his sharp teeth at the masked man and stood up.
"LET HER GO!" He roared and lunged for them.
The man gasped, shielded his body over Rose's and raised his gun to shoot.
"NOOOOO!" Rose shrieked, fighting past his hold, pulled up on his arm right as he shot the gun; forcing the laser to shoot into the sky like a firework instead of hitting Brooklyn.
"What the…!" The man cried out at her, right as Brooklyn took him down, knocking Rose to the side.
Both of them flew across the alleyway, Brooklyn landed on top of him, and the man began kicking, screaming and punching him to no avail.
"NEVER touch my mate EVER AGAIN!" He roared, as Rose sprinted over to them. The Quarryman's voice was still so familiar to her… and as if he heard her thoughts, the man lifted his head up, ripped the mask right off his face so she could see him, then looked over at her and screamed, "ROSE! RUN! GET OUT OF HERE!"
Brooklyn raised a fist up to slam down onto his skull, but Rose gasped upon seeing who the man was and launched herself to stop Brooklyn from hurting him.
"NO, BROOKLYN!" She screamed, sliding down next to them and grabbed onto his fist. "DON'T!"
Brooklyn's fist stopped, but she could still feel his rage pulsing through him to protect her from the Quarryman. Sensing this, she physically placed her body in front of the man's to help him feel her, smell her, and stop his instincts from hurting this man more with her in the way.
"Baby… please… don't!" Rose whispered in his ear, tears welling up in her eyes. "Let him go!"
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't tear his face off!" He seethed in her ear, and she looked down into the man's face. The one that she once hated seeing….
"Because he's… he's my friend." The answer came out with a sob, and it hurt more than she could possibly try to explain.
At her reaction, Brooklyn's rage faded quickly, his entire body seized up, fists frozen in mid-air with Rose's hands around them, and he slowly looked down in her face. She inhaled a sob, turned around in his arms and faced the man, who was watching their exchange with wide- blue eyes. His blonde hair was disheveled, a look of shock and terror still written all over his face. He had been trying to protect her from Brooklyn, who was in-turn protecting her from him.
"Samuel?!" Rose gasped out, and he stared at her with an open-mouth; her next words striking as if she had shot him. "You… you're a Quarryman?!"
The question and tone so disappointed, so full of disgust and disbelief, he suddenly felt ashamed of himself.
"I… I…" He tried to say, but stopped as she shook her head, not wanting to listen to his answer or reason. "Why?"
Brooklyn stayed silent and frozen, watching Rose's reaction and interaction with this man, who he had never met before. His name sounded familiar… as if she had mentioned him once before, but her reaction was still something he wasn't prepared for.
Samuel stared up at her, nobody daring to move. "Rose… listen to me… I…I can explain… "
"WHY!?" She suddenly shrieked, losing it. "You came to Manhattan to get a fresh start on your life and you decide to throw it all away to join a DESPICABLE band of Gargoyle hunters? Are you serious!?"
Still racking his brain over who this was to her, Brooklyn carefully stood up, keeping her in his arms and Samuel watched him place his claws around her waist with wide eyes.
"Rose… who is this?" Brooklyn asked her quietly, not breaking eye contact with Samuel.
Rose didn't answer and kept staring down at Samuel, clear disappointment written on her face. Suddenly, Samuel stood up, unable to stomach watching Brooklyn holding her tightly against his body.
"Get your filthy claws off of her, you FREAK!" Samuel seethed, reaching a gloved hand out to her. "Rose… come with me. I'll take you home and make sure this… beast… doesn't bother you anymore."
Rose didn't answer him either, and Brooklyn growled at Samuel pulling her closer to him, who watched with horror, his own disgust apparent on his face; another fight gearing up. He grit his teeth, pulled out a knife from his belt and instantly Brooklyn growled even more fiercely, his body hardening with rage.
"She's not yours to claim, MONSTER!" Samuel snarled.
"She's not yours either, Human."
"Let. Her. Go." Samuel hissed. "This is your last warning."
Brooklyn then made a sound between a deep gutted growl and a laugh. "Oh no, hunter. This is your last warning. Come one step closer to myself or my mate and I will kill you."
"Mate?" Samuel repeated in disgust, not caring about Brooklyn's threat, and then froze, looking at Rose with wide-eyes. "Rose… what the hell is going on here?"
Just then, Rose blinked and came out of her daze. She had been thinking quickly and drastically over what she should do, here she was faced with a man who was her supervisor at work. A neighbor who now knew the truth about her… but wasn't an ally. No doubt with this new revelation, she had just lost her job and their home as he would surely try to ruin her reputation since he was a Quarryman.
"Yes…" Brooklyn suddenly growled, his deep chest rumble vibrating into her back. "What is going on, my love? Who is this man to you?"
"This is Doctor Samuel Miller." She explained numbly. "He's my supervisor at Manhattan General… and our neighbor. The… the one I've told you about."
Then it clicked, and it made Brooklyn even more furious. "The one who treated you like garbage at work and made your life a living hell because he asked you out and you refused him?" Brooklyn clenched his fists.
"Yes." She whispered.
"Oh yeah…" Brooklyn said, cracking his knuckles together. " I'm going to enjoy this."
Rose placed her hand on his chest, stopping him from advancing to punch him in the face, while Samuel remained frozen where he stood.
"How does this Gargoyle know that, Rose?" He asked quietly, a stillness in the air suddenly. Danger. "Why would he care if a Human male asked you out?"
Rose stared at him, taking a deep breath and eyed him clenching the knives in his hands very carefully, Brooklyn's own anticipation of an attack ready.
"Samuel… this is Brooklyn." She said quietly and slowly. "He's the Gargoyle I told you saved my life all those months ago. He… he is also my husband and mate."
Brooklyn's eyes slowly faded back to normal and a triumphant smirk crossed his face, but Samuel's face slowly faded into a state of complete shock and paled. Rose's eyes narrowed slightly at his reaction, and suddenly he began pacing back and forth. "Sam?"
"This is your husband?!" He suddenly hissed, coming closer to her.
"Yes." She answered, not backing down.
"You… turned me down… a Human male mind you, for… for HIM?! To be with a monster?"
"He's not a monster, Sam." Rose said quietly. "I know this is strange to you, unnatural even, but he's the one meant for me. I love him… and I can't allow you to hurt or hunt him or any of his kind down. They are my family, he is my soulmate and the love of my life."
Samuel continued to watch her as though she were insane, and through their connection, Rose felt Brooklyn's love and pride for her shoot through it. To have her stand up for him and their love, meant everything to him.
"You…" Samuel whispered, stuttering over all the information she gave him. Then, his face went dark, a shadow overcame him and she swore she saw madness inside of him, just like she used to see with Kevin. "You're insane."
"Believe what you want." She said, taking Brooklyn's claw in her hand and carefully backed away. "But we're leaving. Your unconscious buddies are all going to jail tonight… but you have a choice to make. Are you going to join them and waste all that you've accomplished in your life, or will you give up this poisonous dream of yours and choose tolerance, acceptance and love?"
"I tried to choose love." He whispered in a shaky voice. "I left Boston because my heart had been broken… and then you turned me down because you were married… but in reality, instead of having a real relationship with someone, instead of choosing a man, you chose to be a monster's whore."
Hurt sliced through her and Brooklyn held her tighter to him, growling ferociously now.
"You better watch your mouth when talking about my mate, Sam." Brooklyn suddenly said in a dangerous tone. "She's my wife."
"Funny… I didn't think monsters had civil rights to make that a legal union." Samuel suddenly snarled. He then reached in his belt and pointed another gun at them, making Rose jump and gasp. "So since you don't have civil rights… killing you won't be considered a manslaughter."
"Samuel… please… don't do this." Rose begged, as Brooklyn geared back up to fight, snarling back at him.
"No… I think I do." Samuel said with a gasp. "My cousin DIED because these monsters murdered him, Rose. Did you know that? My cousin, who was like a brother to me, gave his life to this cause of exterminating their kind. And now I know why…" He paused, grit his teeth and seethed, "Apparently their own female kinds aren't good or exciting enough to fuck, so now they gotta come and steal ours away."
"Keep talking." Brooklyn suddenly roared, fists clenched up, and Rose had to physically stand between them to stop him. "I dare you!"
"Sam… no… that's not-" Rose gasped, then stopped and turned to face Samuel. "Wait… who was your cousin?"
"It doesn't matter anymore…" Samuel spat. "He's dead… and I'm gonna give homage to his memory by ending this all. Starting with your monster lover's life"
He raised his gun up, Brooklyn grabbed her to throw behind him but Rose continued to stare at him with wide eyes, piecing it together. His blue eyes, his pale skin and blonde hair… no it couldn't be. The only person who was truly killed the night at the Castle was…
"Castaway." She breathed before Brooklyn could pick the fight back up. "You… you're cousin was John Castaway?!"
Brooklyn froze, and if Samuel was surprised by her knowledge of him, he didn't show it as he nodded. "Yes, he was. And these beasts killed him back in January… an action that I will gladly return…"
He raised his gun again, but Rose held her arms out and stepped in front of the barrel before Brooklyn could stop her. "No, you've got it all wrong! Samuel, please listen to me! Castaway was not a man of peace, nor are these Quarrymen saints! He was a murderer!"
"He was hunting these monsters… and they killed him, Rose. Who's the murderer now?"
"No they didn't!" Rose said loudly, shaking her head. "The Gargoyles were chained against their will, unable to fight back! They were tortured by him… completely defenseless and helpless." Samuel looked unconcerned by her words as she continued, "And… I was there that night, Sam. John Castaway wasn't killed by the Gargoyles, but by my ex-husband, Kevin. He shot and killed him with a gunshot to the head."
Samuel winced at her words and it was obvious that he didn't know that. She walked towards him slowly, with Brooklyn's claw still held tightly in her hand. "So… if you want revenge against the closest person to Kevin… then that person is me."
Brooklyn's eyes widened and gasped, "Rose…"
"I'm his ex-wife. So, if you want to kill anyone tonight that's responsible for your cousin's death… " Rose pushed, more serious than anything. "Then you'll just have to kill me."
"Rose!" Brooklyn warned, stepping forward to place himself in front of her and his gun, but with a blast of red magic, she froze her mate in place.
"What the… NO!" He cried out, looking utterly betrayed. "ROSE!"
Samuel stared at what she was able to do with wide eyes, the fact that she held him back with a flick of her hand… with magic.
Sirens slowly began to fill the night air around them as the gunshots were most likely called in by the nearby public. Samuel looked heart-broken, and torn as the gun was pointed to her head. The beautiful girl standing in front of him, fighting for the monster, reminded him so much of his Amy. He cared for Rose, as he cared deeply for Amy; and as insane and this all was to him, he couldn't pull the trigger or hurt her in any way.
She continued to watch Samuel with no emotions, standing firm in front of him while her Gargoyle was fighting against the magical hold. Brooklyn was enraged by what she did, but the danger to his mate was still there and the fact that she was ignoring his cries for her to release him, left him helpless. So, he turned his pleading eyes towards Samuel, who met his gaze.
"Please… please don't do this." Brooklyn begged, tears swimming in his eyes. All signs of rage were gone, and the monster Samuel once saw was slowly more Human to him, a beast with great capabilities for real Human emotions, capable of love. "Please spare her. She is my wife… I love her… don't take her away from me. If you do… you'll have to kill me too which is what you want I'm sure."
Brooklyn's words of raw intensity and pleading echoed through Sam's head, and he felt his own tears well up in his eyes. The gun shook in his hand for a few seconds, but then he exhaled out a breath and lowered his arm. He couldn't and wouldn't do such a thing, that would make him the monster in this scenario.
Rose closed her eyes in relief. "Thank you, Sam." She let Brooklyn's shield go and he stumbled against her magic.
Brooklyn was panting heavily, reached for her and pulled her tightly to his body. She felt his heart pounding against her chest, and while there was great relief… she could feel his anger at what she did.
So she pushed back at him.
I'm sorry for doing that, my love… but I needed him calm, and you trying to rip his head off wasn't helping.
I was trying to protect you. He whispered fiercely back.
I know, but you also need to trust me. Silence passed in their minds for a moment, before she heard him sigh.
I do. He whispered, but she still sensed his great anger towards her.
He wasn't going to shoot me.
I'm glad you were so sure… Rose smiled to herself and shook her head, they would talk about this later.
Hearing her thoughts, he nodded as well then looked up at Samuel. "Thank you for sparing her life, Samuel." Then looked down at Rose. "Let's go, we're finished here."
He started to pull her away, but she resisted again. "No… please, just give me a few seconds more."
"Rose, the cops are on their way."
"I know." She said, but pulled away anyway and faced Samuel again, her tone soft. "What are you going to do, Sam? Go to jail and live in the empty, soulless state of mind that only comes with vengeance, or be free of this pain?"
His mouth opened and closed, unsure what to say, so she strode forward and grabbed his gloved hand.
"Please, Sam. You don't need this in your life. Let go of the past and the hatred. Gargoyles are not monsters. I know you may think I'm insane for being married to one, and that's okay for you to think, but I am in love with Brooklyn and I have no shame over our love and my decision to be with him. So… please Sam. You are my friend and I only want you to be happy. Please don't go down this route of being with the Quarrymen. It's not worth throwing your life away over."
His blue eyes stared into hers and for a moment, then she saw his icy blue eyes venture down at her face, body, lips, and then whispered tearfully, "It's too late for me, Rose."
"No, it's not too late."
"The cops are almost here." He said miserably. "You should go, you and the Gargoyle… just… go. I've made my choice… I thought I was following in my cousin's footsteps in doing… good… but, I guess I was wrong. First Boston, now this. I'm destined to be a loser, it would appear. Maybe some time in jail is needed to set me straight."
"No." She said, shaking her head. "You're a good person, Sam. You've chosen to spare myself and Brooklyn… so let me do the same for you."
Samuel narrowed his eyes at her, in confusion. "How?"
Rose took a calming breath and didn't say anything. She raised her hand up to his face and willed magic to power through her body and into his mind. She had never done this before, but it was a crazy idea that she wanted to see if it worked or not. Red magic floated around his head and then his eyes suddenly went red, just like hers was, and instantly she was in his mind.
Rose felt Brooklyn's hand tugging on hers, his voice in the distance, but right now- it was just her and Samuel. She had his mind in the palm of her hand. Memories, feelings, and what made him… Sam. With her in his mind, he fell slave to her will and couldn't fight back. A plethora of emotions, thoughts and memories filled her mind; and images, much like ones that they saw from Puck a while ago, flew through her mind's eye.
He really liked her… but his heart was back in Boston with his ex- girlfriend, Amy. He was going to propose to her when they had a fight over his 'commitment issues,' and she walked away, not knowing that he had a ring in his pocket for her, but was a coward and let her walk away. He loathed himself for not stopping her, for not telling her how much he really did care, for insisting that he loved her and wanted a future with her…
He also longed to return back home to his family, repair the damages done between himself and his parents… but didn't know how.
He wasn't a member of the Quarrymen, but had been receiving anonymous letters of recruitment to prove his worth… to prove that he wasn't a useless waste of time. Something he felt he was… all because of the mistakes he made in Boston.
She pulled away from those images, and knew what to do.
He was innocent in all of this, someone who simply made a mistake by evil enticing and would pay a heavier price than what his crime was worth. She willed her red magic to encompass around them both, rotated her wrist and pushed more of her magic and will upon his mind.
"Samuel Miller…" she whispered out loud in an echoed voice, one that seemed to reverberate off the buildings and didn't sound like her at all. Brooklyn stopped tugging on her, backed away from her magical fire and watched what she was doing to him in shock.
"Hear the words that I speak… and obey. You will forget about this night, the Quarrymen, Gargoyles, and my mate, Brooklyn. Forget that I have magic and forget… who I am.
Go home, go to sleep and when you wake tomorrow- go into work at Manhattan General and quit your job, then get on a plane and go back to Boston. When you get there, find Amy and propose to her. Repair damages done with her and your parents and do not look back… forget all the woes found here, and be happy Sam."
Rose blinked and pulled her magic back just enough to bring herself back into reality.
She took a deep breath, felt incredibly dizzy and horribly nauseous, and had no idea if it worked or not. She stepped back towards Brooklyn, still holding Samuel's mind hostage, then with another wave of her hand, she willed his clothes to magically change into normal jeans and a tee shirt so he wasn't wearing the Quarryman uniform. She placed an invisible barrier around Brooklyn leaving her to stand in front of him alone, with no signs of the unconscious Quarrymen behind her in the alleyway. Then she released his mind.
The red magic faded from his eyes when he came to; he gasped, closed his eyes, and grasped his head. Stumbling back a few steps, he let go of his head, blinked and then looked up at her. She held her magical hand behind her which held the barrier strong and stared back at him, being casual and innocent. He looked around in confusion and then slowly looked back at her, leaving her mind reeling over if it worked or not.
"Do you know who I am?" She asked quietly.
"Uhmm…" he said, laughing slightly, still looking incredibly confused. "No, I'm sorry I don't. I just uh…" he paused, looked around some more and then raised an eyebrow. "I was just heading home, but I must have blanked for a moment, sorry, were we talking or something?"
"Um, yeah, we were." Rose said, her heart pounding, not believing that her mind control worked, and lied wildly. "I was just asking you for directions to the Museum of Natural History and you were pointing me in the right direction."
"Oh right." He nodded, trying to seem like he knew what she was talking about. He dug his hands deeply in his pockets and smiled. "Do you know where it is then?"
"Yes, I do. Thanks for your help." She replied with a smile.
"Cool. Well, uh, nice to meet you… um…? Sorry, I'm terrible with names."
"Emily." Rose lied with a smile.
"Oh, Emily, okay well I uh… good luck and have fun. I haven't been there before, but I've heard it's neat. Anyway, I gotta get going though. I have a plane to catch tomorrow morning."
"To where?"
He smiled again, backed away from her and looked happier than she ever saw out of him. "Boston. I'm going home to visit my folks and propose to my girlfriend. So uh, good luck and take care."
Tears filled her eyes and she closed her eyes in shock, unable to wrap her mind around what just happened. What she was able to do. Police sirens got closer to their location but she still watched Samuel walk away, he turned the corner of the alleyway and walked out of sight, she released the barrier behind her, exposing Brooklyn and the mass of unconscious Quarrymen behind them.
"Good-bye Sam." She whispered as a single tear fell down her face. "Good luck and be happy."
Brooklyn was frozen for a few seconds, completely amazed at what he saw… what she was able to do with her magic- but the loud blaring of sirens brought him back to reality and they didn't have time to discuss it yet. Quickly grabbing onto her, he scooped her up into his arms, and her face looked just as amazed as he felt.
"Come on… we gotta go."
Rose didn't say anything to him as he ran for a nearby wall and jumped up. He stabbed his claws into the bricks and quickly climbed vertically up the wall, getting out of dodge before the Police came. Then when he made it to the top of the roof and they were out of sight, they watched as the Police showed up.
Rose was relieved that they were alive, that Sam was spared from arrest and the Quarrymen were going to be taken to jail, but to achieve that, much was given of her magic. Dizziness waved over her again and this time she lost all feeling in her legs and crumbled to the ground.
"Rose!" Brooklyn looked away from the police scene below, skidded to his knees at her side and carefully scooped her up into his arms, letting her body rest on his knees.
"I'm alright." She whispered, holding her head. "Just dizzy. That uh… took a lot out of me."
He gripped her hand in a claw and stared down into her face with wide- concerned eyes. "Y-yeah… I bet it did."
When she didn't say anything and kept her eyes closed, willing the earth to stop spinning, then she looked up and asked, "Did… you see what I did?"
"Yeah, saw it… still trying to believe it." He paused, and cuddled her close in his arms, "Rose… you… you took over his mind, made him forget you completely, and made him obey your words like it was nothing." He paused again. "How? I don't recall Puck ever teaching you to do that during your lessons with him. When did you learn to do that, to read and control minds?!"
"Just now." She whispered with a small, weak smile. "I… I don't know how I did it to be honest with you, I just… did it."
"But.. why do it?" He asked quietly.
"I couldn't let him go to jail for making one mistake, Brooklyn. He wasn't a Quarryman. He was trying to follow Castaway's example, but it was all a lie. I saw in his mind, he left a life behind in Boston before coming here, and saw that he was going to marry a girl back in his hometown. So… I willed him to forget who I was, all he saw tonight, and to return home. To finally have a chance to set things right and to be happy."
"And you decided to control his mind on the spot?" He asked in awe. "Without any practice or previous intention to do so?"
"Yeah, I guess I did." She replied and was met with silence. He looked amazed, but also, very unsure of her magic.
"Hey… it's going to be okay." She whispered, reaching a hand to touch his beak. "You know me. I'll always strive to use my powers for good, but I had to help him, Brooklyn. I know he showed an ugly face to you for a moment there, but he is a good person. I have forgiven him for all the hurtful things he used to say to me, and do, but it's nothing I couldn't handle and nowhere near as horrible as what Kevin would say and do."
"Okay." He said slowly. "I… I trust you, Rose. I'm still in shock over what I saw you do just now. Only Oberon had that power, last I saw something like that. He was able to put the entire City to sleep with the will of his mind."
Rose didn't know that, but stayed quiet and deliberated it. Since she was Hela and Demetrius' daughter, she would be Oberon's pure-blooded niece. Which made sense that her powers resembled his sightly, even if they weren't as strong. Brooklyn looked upset still, nervous about how he felt about her magic, and all magic in general. Hers was only growing stronger, but that wasn't all that was upsetting him. Her using her powers against him to stop his act of protecting her was bothering him to no end, and she knew it.
"I'm sorry." She whispered tearfully. "I'm sorry for using my powers against you. What I did was a risk, but I knew he wouldn't shoot me."
"He still could have.. and you stopped me from protecting you." Brooklyn breathed, his body shaking. "I could have lost you all over again, Rose. My nightmare of holding your dead body in my arms. I… I can't go through that again."
"I know and I'm sorry." She whispered, letting some tears fall down her face. "I never want to worry you, Brooklyn, but… I also need you to trust me. Even if it's risky… but all the same, I am very, very sorry for putting you through that test and worrying you more."
"I do trust you, Rose." He sighed and ran a claw through his long hair. "But you're right, I need to be better at it. I'm sorry. I'll try harder."
"Thank you."
"And... I forgive you," he whispered back. "But… Rose?"
"Yes?"
He paused and stared intently into her eyes, so strong that she didn't dare blink. But he carefully and gently wiped her tears away with his thumbs. "Don't ever do that to me again."
She bit her lip and decided to use humor in this intense moment, whether it was smart to do or not. "Don't do what exactly? Jump off a rooftop without you there to catch me, or restrain you with my magic as a gun is held threateningly to my head?"
She held her breath for daring to take this situation lightly, and it showed. Brooklyn closed his eyes, took a deep breath to will patience in his being, and exhaled out a growl.
"Both."
"Okay… deal." She said softly, smiling up at him. "But only if you promise never to drop me ten feet onto a rooftop, mid-flight, to take on danger all by yourself. I'm your mate and equal, not some damsel in distress, Brooklyn. I want to fight by your side. Period. End of story. Don't ever side-line me again."
Silence passed between them, and they stared deeply into each other's eyes. She didn't know if he would agree or not, but finally with a deep sigh he smiled cheekily at her.
"It was not ten feet…"
"Brooklyn!"
"Alright, deal." He laughed, taking her hand in his. "And look… I'm sorry for what I did to you too. I could hear and feel your incredible rage at me, how hurt you were that I was leaving you behind… but I was just trying to… "
"I know, I know…" She whispered, cutting him off, pulled his face down to hers and kissed him soundly, making his eyes widen in shock. She released his lips for a small second before she breathed. "You were protecting me. Thank you for always doing so. I love you so much."
"Oh Rose… I love you more." He suddenly growled and crushed his lips back down to hers. Their lips danced wholly with each other for a few minutes, moaning and running their hands all over each other, creating heat and friction. Rose opened her mouth to let him in, and instead of meeting his tongue with hers, he trailed it lightly and slowly along her lips, tasting her before sucking on her bottom lip briefly.
She moaned loudly, making him chuckle at her, and leaving her to want more of that. Lots more.
"Interesting… did you like when I did that?" He grinned mischievously down at her, pulled her lip down with his talon and sensed her mating instincts turn on like a lioness ready to pounce.
"Uh-huh." Was all she could say and he laughed a low chuckle, then stroked her face lightly with his talon.
"Noted." He paused, then asked softly, "Which leads me to another thing I wanted to ask of you, my love..."
"Anything." She breathed.
"It's quite serious."
"I'm listening." She said, looking deeply into his eyes. "What's on your mind?"
"If you are going to break into any more men's minds to enslave them to your will… please let it only be me who you practice on."
Rose stared at him for a few seconds, snorted, then rolled her eyes at him, and was thinking that he was asking her a legitimately serious question, and he laughed.
"I thought you didn't want me using my magic on you." She mocked him in a low voice.
He grinned more mischievously, then lowered his lips to her ear. "There's more ways to get a male on his knees, in complete submission before you, without using magic, my love…" His lips and tongue trailed along her ear, slid down her jawline, then began claiming her neck; and she closed her eyes in hot desire.
"Ohhh okay... I see where this is going… well, I'll keep that in mind you dirty minded beast."
"Good, because you have already bewitched my body, mind and soul, Rose. All without your magic." He then slid back up to claim her lips again and their tongues danced passionately. Rose wrapped her arms tightly around him as heat built up in her abdomen from him trailing his talons down her neck, chest, and abdomen.
"You've got magic of your own."
"Hmmm." He growled against her lips, nibbled gently on them again, making her body shudder in pleasure. He smiled, and then stopped. "So, what were you going to tell me earlier before all of this madness happened?"
She paused from kissing him and pulled away. "Oh… you remember that, huh?"
"Of course I do." He whispered, kissing her neck now.
"Do you have any idea what it is?"
"I…" he stopped kissing her and she could feel his nerves suddenly build up. "I… had a thought."
"But?"
"But it seemed… impossible, so I put it aside."
"Nothing is impossible with our love." She whispered, giving him another hint as she kissed his neck, wanting him to continue what he was doing to her.
Brooklyn grinned down at her. "Okay… well now you have to tell me."
"I don't have to do anything."
He raised an eye bone at her, and with a grin she pushed him away, then stood up. This still wasn't the time to tell him the news, not with everything else going on so she was going to make him wait a few hours more.
"I'll tell you later, I promise." She said gently. "We need to go to the Clan and tell them everything that's happened first, then we will talk about it."
Brooklyn groaned. "Rose…come on… just tell me."
"I will later."
"Must you prolong my suffering?"
"Yes." She grinned. "We need to go talk to the Clan first, so no cheating by reading my mind."
"I can't." He grinned cheekily. "I've already tried, but you've locked me out."
Rose laughed and placed a hand dramatically on her chest. "What? Me being sneaky? That doesn't sound like something I would do."
"Nooo… not at all." He laughed, standing up as well and taking her hand, pulling her back to him and kissing her. Their lips moved and danced with each other, as their heated bodies slowly eased closer and closer like magnets. Brooklyn placed his claws on her hips, urging her closer, and she rested her hands upon his bare chest.
Their lips pulled slowly, back and forth for a few seconds, before she pulled away and smiled up at his dreamy expression.
"Let's go." She whispered.
"What if I don't want to?"
"Hmmm…well that complicates things then." Rose teased, backing away from him slowly, and he watched her every step very carefully. "I'm going back to the Castle and since I don't have wings… I'm gonna have to use yours. So, you either come with me… or I fall. You're choice. So think fast!"
She then turned around and began running towards the ledge, springing as fast as she could; laughing. Though she was trying to be funny, she felt his fear as he sprinted after her.
Rose made it to the edge of the rooftop, and without any fear, launched herself off. She flew for a moment in the air, until Brooklyn's body slammed into her and he cussed an exhale of relief in her hair. His arms wrapped tightly around her and together they flew away from the roof when his wings caught the wind currents.
"Oh come on that was funny!" She laughed as she glanced up into his enraged face.
"Funny!?" He demanded. "I don't see how tossing yourself off a damn rooftop is funny again, Rose. You said you would never do that to me again. GOD! What the hell is wrong with you?"
Rose couldn't help but laugh at him some more, and he flicked her nose.
"Ow!"
"Do you enjoy giving me a heart attack?!"
"Okay, okay, relax babe." She said lightly. "I was teasing you, I only jumped because I knew you would catch me."
Brooklyn scowled. "You are such a brat!"
"Why… yes, yes I am."
Brooklyn's angry face stayed stony for a few seconds, but melted when he saw her bright eyes looking up into his. All anger disappeared, and he exhaled out a defeated laugh.
"You drive me crazy, woman, did you know that?"
"I know that too… but you know you love me."
"Do I know that?" He asked cheekily.
"Do you?"
"Why yes… yes I do." He then curved her body up, so her face was inches from his. "I love you more than anything in this world, Rose Connelly."
"Good." She whispered while pressing her lips back to his, kissing him passionately. "Because I love you more than anything too."
Kevin's black combat boots scraped along debris and glass as he looked around the deserted alleyway. Cops had already taken all of the Quarrymen away, and all that was left were some garbage, glass, and burn marks on the concrete and brick. They were small details but ones that he knew came from the recent attack he made the Quarrymen take against Brooklyn and his beloved whore. His precious ex-wife.
He clenched his black leathered gloved fists tightly and was enraged… but more at himself. He knew better than this. He knew better than to rely on other people to do the dirty work for him, and yet again, the Quarrymen failed him. Despite their blood lust for Gargoyle's deaths… they were weak and not the strong military unit they once were. Not since their leader, Castaway, died. Not since he killed him.
Kevin smiled to himself as he thought about that memory. He was the strong one then and was still the strong and smartest one now. He sent those notes to the Doctor, who was Rose's boss, Castaway's cousin, and a good choice to let him take the fall. He had seen inside of his stupid mind, saw his lack of confidence in himself and the strong will to prove himself.
Part of him felt bad for the guy, as he used to be that way, but he also bet on the wrong man. This guy lusted after his wife, and part of him understood that too… but now that Brooklyn and Rose defeated them, he felt foolish for not thinking of this attack more thoroughly. He was better than this… this work was sloppy, but he took one good thing from it.
Rose now could wield the same power of mind reading and control, as it was Hela's power and the same power that he quickly learned how to use. Now, she was truly ready, and he was running out of time to bring her to Hel. The curse was almost complete, his revenge was so close… and now wasn't the time to be sloppy.
Cursing himself, he rolled his shoulders back and took a deep, mechanical breath of air into his empty lungs. Hela promised him that this rotting body would not be his reward… but a new, living and fully functioning one again. Rose was the key to it all… to ultimate life and death. And now, this reward of immortality was stronger than his desire to kill Brooklyn. To be an unstoppable God of Death. He grinned through his mask, sunk away in the shadows, and vanished through a portal, taking him back to the empty warehouse in New Jersey that was used to bring him back to life.
He walked over to his white board, grabbed a marker and scratched through his idea, 'Quarrymen attack,' and moved onto his next set of ideas. So far, Brooklyn and Rose didn't know he was behind that attack… but his next step they would most likely figure it out.
So, if it was to succeed, he had to plan it just right.
An hour passed since Rose and Brooklyn arrived at the Castle, rounded up the Clan, and told them everything that happened. Everything from Kevin's note and threat that he was back, to the random Quarrymen attack, to Rose's new power. Everyone listened with great intent, and even Xanatos and Owen joined in the conversation.
Rose had sat down on a nearby couch, fighting her pure exhaustion and nausea since settling down. Brooklyn had retrieved her some light food and water, and it took everything for her not to scarf it down like she did her breakfast. But it wasn't enough. When she asked him for more, he didn't bat an eye at her… but by the fourth trip for food, he came back with a full plate of food and watched her with a wary expression.
She only smiled and thanked him, before turning back to their conversations.
Akira and Angela were watching her with great interest as she was eating more food than they've ever seen her eat, but given how much weight she had lost from being sick, they didn't think of anything out of the ordinary.
Owen however, had been watching Rose the entire conversation. She tried to ignore his gaze, and met his eyes a few times, but ever since hearing that she read and controlled Samuel's mind, he didn't release his attention from her, to her growing irritation.
Goliath began pacing across the room, with his large bat-like wings draped around his shoulders and looked concerned. "So… are we absolutely sure that it was Kevin within your apartment and not a Draugr?"
"I'm more than absolutely sure." Brooklyn replied darkly, sitting on the arm of Rose's chair. "I know what the Draugr smell like, and the scent was dead- but not rotting like theirs is. Besides, it was more of a personal attack on our apartment. Every picture was destroyed of Rose and myself…"
"And not to mention the single rose that he placed on my bed. A dead, wilted rose. With a quote from Romeo and Juliet, promising us a 'violent end'." Rose added softly. "Only one person I know would do something like that."
She had finished her various plates of sandwiches, fruit and vegetables; a sixth glass of water and leaned into Brooklyn's leg, trying to stay awake.
"What's with you and red roses?" Broadway suddenly asked curiously.
"I've never cared for the flower…simple as that." She said with a shrug. "Kevin made a point to always buy them for me even though he knew I didn't like them, and he wasn't doing it to be romantic by any means. To him, it meant that he had a claim on me."
Brooklyn slowly looked down at her, his face inscrutable.
"But what really gets me is when he attacked on Christmas, he placed one single red rose on my bed with his note that he had been in my room. It's no coincidence that he did the same thing again to tell me that he's back." She paused and took a deep breath. "If you guys haven't figured this out yet, Kevin enjoys the hunt, the cat and mouse game. He enjoys the thrill of playing cunning mind games, screwing around with his victim's mind, until they are unable to fight back. He's a psychological serial killer. He tries to weaken your mind, will-control, and once you've been beaten down, he then moves on to physical torture." She paused again, and the room got very still. "He takes great pleasure in playing games… which means that he's gearing up to play a lot. Or at least that's my guess."
"What's his endgame then?" Goliath asked in a growl, and she stared at him in disbelief.
"Um… to kill me." She said flatly. "No doubt about that one… and to probably seek revenge against you guys. Specifically, Brooklyn, for stealing what he felt was his. I was nothing but Kevin's property, his whore, play thing in bed, and punching bag when he decided to turn violent. That was it, and when I left…that's when he lost his mind, and the game started in his mind. " She paused. "It turned exciting and into a pleasurable thing to watch me dodge him, to outsmart him. Then, once Brooklyn entered this game, and now by our mating bond and marriage, he sees another piece of the game. One that is strong and can't be taken down easily… and that excites him."
"And you know this for a fact?" Angela asked with a gasp, looking horrified. Rose had never discussed this part of Kevin with anyone in the Clan, except for Brooklyn, but even then; she felt him tense beside her, his fists clenched.
"Yes, unfortunately I do know that for a fact, Angela. That's the hell I lived in every day." She whispered.
"So… what can we do about him?" Lexington asked. "I mean… if he's teamed up with Hela and the Draugr, then he's got to be in Hel, right?"
"I don't think so." Rose whispered. "At least he's not there anymore if he was."
"Then what of the Draugr?" Hudson asked from the couch across from her. "We've discussed that there possibly are more of them… but do we think they'll also show themselves again?"
"In my last nightmare, there were thousands of them behind Kevin." Rose answered. "So I have no doubt that they will be following closely after him."
"Well… surely we can take him down again then, right?" Angela said. "Brooklyn killed him as a Human, so if he's a rotting corpse only brought alive by magic, then we can do it again. Especially with all of us against him."
Xanatos remained silent, thinking deeply, before he said, "Kevin… I fear… will not be the same person he was. And… I think that's going to be a very bad thing. I don't know anything about Hel, and know very little about Avalon's magic, thanks to Owen here. But the spell of Resurrection that myself and Demona used on Cold Stone- science mixed with sorcery- created a much stronger creature than he was before."
"But my brother is half robot…" Goliath said. "I doubt Hela would have access to that type of body to supply to him."
"No. But she has pure dark magic… which is something we did not have, but if we did, Cold Stone would most likely have been unstoppable."
Everyone stayed silent for a few seconds, before Akira suddenly asked, "Owen… is Hel's magic the same as Avalon's, or do they differ?"
"They have similar base's." He said monotonically, fixing his large glasses. "A common denominator, if you will. But Avalon's magic is mostly streamed from the All-father, Aesir's, light magic. And Hel's comes from their son, Hel, who's magic was purely dark. I can't say which is stronger as it only depends on who is wielding it, their intentions and their own will-power and strength. Magic is energy… the more energy they give to it, the more they'll get out of it."
"Wait a minute…" Rose suddenly said, sitting up in full alert.
"What is it?" Brooklyn asked, touching her back, but she stared at Owen.
"Is it possible, that if Hela and Demona brought Kevin back to life… that Hela would have placed some of her magic inside of him? To make him stronger?"
"It's… possible." Owen answered, her thought ringing worry though his mind as well. "But that means, if Kevin was raised from the dead, all from Hel's powers, from Hela- the Goddess of Death- then… he was made by them, almost as much as you were. Which means…"
"That Kevin could possibly have magic." She whispered. "Like mine."
"Yes." Owen said softly. "It's possible that he could."
Rose stayed silent, thinking through things' silently having a conversation with Brooklyn, when Angela suddenly asked, "Well what about the Quarrymen? What the heck are they all doing rising again?"
Goliath sighed out a growl. "I have no idea. But I feel like we are being attacked on every corner here… if the Quarrymen are rising, even with Castaway dead, then we've got even more issues to face."
"I don't know if the Quarrymen are back." Rose suddenly said. "There were only six members attacking us, the sixth including Samuel. However, when I looked in his mind I saw that he was tricked into attacking. False information was being enticed to him… since he's Castaway's cousin, revenge was promised, and after a lot of encouragement, he gave into the temptation. I can't speak for the others, as most of the Quarrymen are in jail for at least twenty years… I don't know. I think this might be another puppet pulling strings from Hela."
"I would agree with that as well." Brooklyn said darkly. "It sounds like everything bad, that's happening to us, is coming from her."
"So, here's a crazy thought then." Lexington said. "Why don't we take the fight to them, in Hel, and put a stop to all of this?"
"Um, because that is crazy, Lex. It would be suicide to take them on in their turf." Brooklyn said dryly. "It wouldn't matter if we had the element of surprise or a whole army of Gargoyles. We would be fighting against the Gods of Death… and powerful ones. I wouldn't doubt that they would incinerate us with a thought."
"What I want to know… is why haven't we heard from anyone in Avalon?" Angela asked. "Surely my rookery brother, Gabriel who's the Clan leader there, would have tried to reach out to us if they were in trouble? Lady Titania…?"
"Her mirror is still silent." Owen said. "I've tried to summon her for some time, but it's been unanswered for weeks now. However, I shall try again. Time moves differently on Avalon, and it's been at least three weeks since I've tried. Something might have changed since then."
"What should we do then?" Akira asked calmly, looking over at everyone before staring at Rose. "If Kevin is here in Manhattan, the Gods of Death stirring darkness and evil all around us… what can we do?"
"We can train and prepare to meet them." Rose suddenly said. "If it's a fight they want… then it's a fight they're going to get. I refuse to let Kevin take me away from all of you. I refuse to let him win- and if I can defeat him again, then we can focus on Hela, the Draugr and trying to communicate with Avalon. Perhaps ask for their help, or aid them if they are fallen."
"And how do you plan on training for that?" Owen asked her with an eyebrow raised. "You'll need a powerful teacher to further hone your magic."
"Yes, I do." She said, standing up now.
She glanced over at Brooklyn, who moaned and slowly shook his head. "Rose… I… I don't know…"
"Trust me." She whispered, taking his claw in her hand. "You know that this must happen again. If I don't train… then we will lose. But we must all train together."
Brooklyn continued to stare at her, but Akira suddenly stood up and stepped forward. "I will train with you, Rose. I don't have magic, but I am sensitive to it. Perhaps… perhaps I can be of some use during your magic lessons."
Rose smiled at her kindly, nodded, and then turned to Owen.
"Owen… would your other half be willing to train my magic again? Help Akira if she has any, and make sure that we are all in the best shape we can be for whatever comes our way?"
His bright blue eyes sparkled for a moment and for the first time, his Human form's face split into a smile.
"I would be honored, Rose. I thought you would never ask…"
Rose nodded with a smile, and turned to face the Clan now. "And… I know that this is another strange request, but if Kevin is stronger than he was- which… was too physically strong for me… I want to have a chance to beat him." She turned to face Hudson now. "I know all of you are fierce warriors, but my magic allows me to draw a sword. So… Hudson… will you please teach me how to fight, hand-to-hand combat with a sword, please?"
Nobody said anything, as all of their faces looked shocked and surprised; but even Brooklyn didn't dare to argue. She felt a sense of pride flow through their connection at her idea from him. Goliath's face slowly formed a proud smile, as Hudson stood up from his chair, crossed over and stood in front of her. He had a claw over the base of his sword, and both eyes gazed deeply into hers.
Then, he too smiled.
"Aye, lass. I would also be honored to help you train. Besides, what warrior should go into a battle without the ability to fight?"
"Precisely what I was thinking." Rose said, as the entire Clan stood and surrounded them, with grins on their faces, their support all unison.
Brooklyn placed a claw over her shoulder and she turned to face him. "Do you think this is a good idea then?"
"Yes." Brooklyn said, kissing the side of her head. "Hudson is one of the best teacher's when it comes to fighting. We're all in agreement that he will get you where you need to be… where all of us need to be. And... you are a warrior, Rose. I wouldn't want my mate and love of my life to go through this with us, unprepared." He looked up at the Clan and grinned. "Let's do it."
"Thank you, Brooklyn." Hudson said with a smile. "Let's get going then… while the night is still young."
"Aye." Goliath said, nodding. "We can patrol afterwards."
"Then I suppose I shall go attempt to connect with Avalon again." Owen said. "Rose and I can train tomorrow during the day." Rose nodded as he turned away and left the room, leaving Xanatos to watch the Clan with an amused smile on his face.
"Which leaves me. I guess I… will leave you all to it. Good luck."
Rose watched as he walked away, then called out to him.
"Xanatos… I could use a man to help me in no-magic, hand-to-hand combat as well. I hear you're really good at fighting."
He stopped and looked over his shoulder. "You want me to practice fighting with you?"
"Yes please, perhaps Fox could help as well. Maybe even a few robots you're willing to sacrifice?"
He considered her for a moment and then chuckled, "Alright. Tomorrow, we'll train as well. But don't expect me to go easy on you."
"I don't need easy… I just need possible."
"Then tomorrow it is." He said with a smile and walked away.
Brooklyn's claws tightened on her shoulder. Are you sure about this?
Yes. She answered in their minds. I need every possible scenario to train with if we are going to face him. I know you can handle him in a battle, but I always struggled. I refuse to run anymore. We'll fight him together, so anything helps.
Okay. Brooklyn agreed. I just worry for your health, love, you're still feeling unwell… can you handle it?
Rose lightly elbowed him, nodded, and then turned back to Hudson. "So, when can we start?"
"Are you free right now?" He asked with a broad smile.
"Yes."
"Then now is the best time." Hudson replied, wrapped his arm around her shoulders and guided her to the training gym, with Brooklyn and the entire Clan trailing behind them. None of them were going to miss this. A new soldier versus the oldest and wisest of them all, the one who helped train Goliath, Broadway, Lexington and Brooklyn when they were hatchlings. The one who helped shape them into the warriors they all were today.