Nani watched the sunrise that morning, taking in the beauty that came over the city. It was a beautiful golden color over the horizon, basking the endless buildings in its soft light. Nani propped up her head with a hand, lazily watching the beautiful sight.

"Man… I used to wake up to this… not go to bed. These gargoyles…" she shook her head, turning from the balcony's edge. After the long night of talking with Brooklyn, and enjoying a slice of New York, she was content to spend a few hours sleeping on the couch.

The feline closed her eyes, tiredly chuckling. It had only been one pizza, but she found it cute Brooklyn only shared one with her. Maybe he wasn't trying to look like a pig. Besides, she wasn't used to the gargoyles yet anyway. Still… seven pizzas would have been a sight.

Just as she reached the couch, Alexander arrived in the castle lobby. "Ah, good morning. I hope I'm not disturbing you."

It was tempting to sigh, but she refrained. Nani pushed herself upright and looked at him with the energy she could muster. "Not at all. What's up?"

He smiled. "On account of my father being away on business, I've taken to running a few things around here. And I don't think I would be a very good host if I left my guests sleeping on the couch. Come." He smiled, extending his arm. Nani glanced at the couch, resisting the urge to snuggle into it.

"Right. Thank you." It was a heavy feeling getting to her feet again, and following him down the hall. He led her to a room, which he opened. It was a decent sized room, not too large though. It had a simple bed, a few places to store clothes, and an attached bathroom. "There's also a few outfits in the wardrobe. From my own personal fashion line. I hope you like them." Alexander smiled, soon looking at his watch. "Ah, I must be going. I'll see you around." He smiled and quickly shut the door.

Nani spent only a moment looking around before she collapsed on the bed.

It was a shame she was starting to like those gargoyles so much.

Her sleep schedule was hell now.

It was only four short hours later that Nani forced herself out of bed. The feline's eyes were heavy and itching to shut again. But preserving her will, Nani stumbled her way to the attached restroom and fiddled with the shower knobs. Luckily the steam wakened her up. Nani kicked the door shut with her foot and peeled off her clothes, wincing. Mutates didn't sweat, but there was a grime under her fur she loathed.

Soon, she stepped into the tub and shuddered. "Stinkin' cold city water-" she huffed, thankful it warmed up eventually. Nani made good use of all the scented shampoos and soaps, thoroughly enjoying cleaning her fur and ruffling it all clean. The extra hour of soaking in warm water was purely for enjoyment. Now and then, a streak of laziness was expected with mutant felines.

Eventually with great reluctance she got out and dried, keeping the towel around her body as she left the room. Nani looked through the wardrobe, pleasantly surprised. It was a nice assortment of modern clothes. There was also a touch of vintage that she liked. After a few minutes' decision, she settled with a beige sleeveless turtle neck and a pair of high-waisted shorts that stopped just above her knees. As usual that was it, since most shoes never fit her anyway.

Nani took the brush from the dresser and sat on the bed, calmly enjoying brushing through her fur. It was nice having a moment to herself, unlike the ranch… The feline looked around the room, contently.

Until she worked up the nerve to return to the sewers, this was definitely a place she didn't mind staying.

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"It's about time those cowards worked up the nerve to do something. All these years, hiding away, all for their brats. Makes me glad I never procreated." Sevarius spat bitterly at his desk. All the years hadn't aged well with him. He was hunched over, wrinkled, and sour.

"Do we have a deal or not? I don't want the mutates harmed."

Sevarius chuckled over. "Just like your father. Straight to the point. No, I'll see to it your precious merchandise is not handled too roughly. But if you want all your products in order, you have to get that one out of the castle."

"Oh, I wouldn't worry." Alexander smirked. "The Quarrymen these days have been very persuasive in their fear-mongering. One little tip, and they'll go after anything that isn't human. They'll chase her right where I want her. Besides, a good sum of money, they'll do exactly as I ask."

"And what of your gargoyle friends? How can you be so sure they won't go after them…? It would be a shame to betray those who raised you." Sevarius sneered, amused.

The young man's face dropped. "Money speaks, Sevarius. They wouldn't dare touch the gargoyles with the sum I gave them."

Sevarius idly tapped his chin. "Your father will be wondering why a hate group invaded his home, without touching the gargoyles…"

"Simple. Thanks to your little mindless freaks, the public is more scared of mutants than any gargoyle. With the attention span of a moth, people are easily manipulated… I'd say this all works well for both of us, hm? I get my product, leaving you with the unsightly leftovers… my father will have his attention off you, the gargoyles as well with their old Quarrymen buddies… And we both get what we want."

The two men looked at another a moment. Finally, the old, bitter scientist turned and picked up his phone. "I'd better give that tip, then. Wouldn't want that hard earned money going to waste, now would we?"

Alexander only smirked.

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It was about an hour before sunset. Up till then, Nani had been exploring the castle, recalling what she could, and enjoying the sights all around. She even ran into Owen along the way, and Nani enjoyed the short, but polite conversation with him. He had explained Xanatos was out in the sewers, helping the clan there get ready for the attack. He went on to remind her the gargoyles would be helping tonight, too.

So, Nani's mind was filled with thoughts of what would soon transpire. She was so lost in her thoughts as she roamed outside, it startled her when she saw a grappling hook rise over the castle's edge. It clasped around the stone bricks tightly in place. Nani slowly peaked over the ledge and saw a window a few stories down were open. Most importantly, out of them were men in masks and black outfits climbing up all over the castle.

Nani gasped and backed away as a large, built man climbed over the edge. His masked, white eyes seemed to squint.

"Looks like she came right to us. Heh, guess it's true what they say about curiosity. Get her!"

Suddenly, about a dozen men climbed over the side of the ledge. Nani backed away, mouth falling open in horror. Then, they started towards her. She had no choice but to turn tail and run. Nani's mind blurred to panic as she ran. Whoever this group was, they must have been very well trained because they kept up well with her. Just as a hand reached out to her, Nani jumped up a wall. Her nails hastily dug in, and she spared a quick glance down.

The men stumbled to a halt and began racing up the stairs nearby. Nani scrambled up and began running again, letting out a quick breath. She glanced up at a camera nearby, hoping with all her heart Owen was watching and coming to help. All the sudden, one of the men slid in front of her and charged forward. Nani let out a hard breath when he abruptly tackled her.

Then came the hard, heavy weight of another man's body pinning her down. Nani roared, baring her fangs. Her blaring white eyes shined angrily between their bodies. Then, one of the men went flying. His comrade's eyes widened. Then, an angry fist rammed across his jaw, sending him flying.

Nani got to her feet, furious and standing her ground. Her tail swished behind her as she took in those nearing. "Fine. That's the way you wanna fight, so be it."

As they paced around her, one of the men ran off. Another shouted to him. "Where are you going?! We weren't paid for the gargoyles!"

"It's personal!"

Then, she caught sight of the large hammer he carried as he headed further up.

"No!" Nani roared and jumped between those in front of her. On fours she took off after the man, a vicious growl following in his footsteps. When reaching the top, she found he had raised his hammer high above him near a gargoyle. Nani didn't think twice about tackling him off the edge, but she made sure his body hit the ground, and not hers. The guy was out cold immediately.

But her attention was taken quickly away by the others. A hammer suddenly swung into her shoulder, sending the woman flying a few feet away. It gave the others a brief chance to talk.

"This is more difficult than I thought. What should we do?"

"Dead or alive, we're taking her with us."

Then, they took out their weapons. Nani lifted her head in time just to see a hammer flying down near her skull. She quickly scrambled out of the way, leaving stone to fly up in her place. "You slippery little-"

Nani growled and kicked his feet out from under him. Then, she grabbed a stray fist flying towards her and used the momentum to pull her up and throw him to the ground. It all felt so rushed for the mutate. Attacking, evading, running… these guys just didn't quit. When the sun was on the horizon, it escaped her notice. Nani only perceived how many of the men were still after her, and how tired she was getting. Thankfully, Owen arrived.

He was startled at the sight but quickly went into action to help. At least, till one of the men fired at him. Owen clutched his shoulder and fell to the ground. "Nani! Can you hold your own?! I need to call Mr. Xanatos!" he yelled amid the blasts and other fighting.

Currently Nani was wrestling with one of the stronger men, struggling to keep him at bay. "Go!" she shrieked, finding her arms were burning. Gradually, the man pushed her back into a castle wall. He gritted his teeth, smiling. "You and your kind are done, cat. You're nothing but a lab sample and some woman's fur coat after this."

No longer was she struggling to fight him off, but to keep him from overwhelming her. Every muscle in her body burned, and she felt him gaining more ground. Nani had had her fights at times, but this was beyond her.

She bared her teeth, roaring. "Sevarius won't have us!" she screeched, exerting the rest of her energy to push him back. The man fell to the ground, grunting. By the time he lifted his head, Nani was climbing the wall, but slowly. Each pulling up of her weight took the last remnants of her strength…

In the corner of her eyes, the sky was fading to darkness. It was the exact moment the man ran and jumped up, managing to grab her ankle. The unexpected weight caused her claws to slip, and with a yell she fell back to the ground. Nani grunted as she lay there, exhausted.

In his hand, the man twirled his knife. "I do love a good hunt, but I think I'll like skinning you more-"

Suddenly, sharp, inhuman roars filled the fresh night sky. "What the-" No sooner than the man turned did something tackle him from the sky, and send him flying down into the courtyard. The remaining of the attackers were dealt with by the gargoyles. As for Nani, it all felt so fast for her. One moment she was struggling to stay awake, the next, someone was trying to shake her awake.

It was all too much…

"Leave her be, lad. The lass must be tired. We've no idea how long she's been fighting and defending us before the sunset." Hudson's comforting voice assured Brooklyn. Brooklyn had been the first to spot what almost transpired, thus alerting the others. He had stuck around Nani to guard her, taking on whoever came close. Now though the Quarrymen retreated, having accepted defeat.

The other gargoyles landed nearby, worried. Angela crouched down next to her, looking the mutate over. "She's fine. But she must have worked herself exhausted to get into this state." Angela worried.

"To which we shall give her our thanks." Goliath looked around. "We must find Xanatos and reevaluate our plans. It would be unwise to go after Sevarius if we need watch our backs from the Quarrymen." Brooklyn took it upon himself to carry the mutate as they headed inside. There in the lobby, as Brooklyn set her on the couch, Owen entered the area. His shoulder was bandaged. In tow at his side was a brisk Xanatos.

"I heard what happened." Xanatos said, quickly looking them all over. "I'm glad to see they didn't get to you in the day. Based on security cameras, they were here for almost an hour before sunset. So how is you being here possible?"

They all simply stood aside, allowing his eyes to lower. He furrowed his brows. "Is that…one of the cubs? How… Never mind. I'll give her my thanks later. Right now, we need to recover from those Quarrymen. If they're blatantly bold enough to come here and try something, we need to focus on them."

"As I have said, and agree." Goliath stated. "We need not attack Sevarius with the sewer clan with this matter on our hands."

That said, the two and Owen went off to discuss their plans. The remaining gargoyles were uneasy though. They always were if something happened while they slept. There was nothing they could do in daylight. An hour into the night, Elisa arrived. She hurried into the lobby, startling the gargoyles. "I heard what happened, is she alright?" she asked quickly, heading straight for the couch. She bent down, examining her slumbering niece worriedly.

Angela stood nearby. "I think she'll be okay… it was a very brave act, but one I fear not suited for her."

Elisa breathed from her nose slowly. "Yeah, these cubs didn't take any sort of combat training back in Montana. Not even karate. Not to mention they don't have the experience of fighting these groups out here in the city, like their parents…"

As she sighed heavily, Broadway spoke up. "So, uh…when are we gonna tell Talon and Maggie?"

Elisa looked over. "Not anytime soon. With how they've been talking about finally handling Sevarius, Nani would be a distraction they can't afford right now."

A quiet grunt stole the lawyer's attention. Nani's blue eyes inched open, slowly. Then, she paused. Abruptly she sat upright and looked around, tense and alert.

"Woah whoa, it's alright. The quarrymen are gone."

Nani began to relax but still appeared paranoid. "That's a relief… I thought I'd be a goner." She sighed out, closing her eyes. "I heard about the hate groups on the news, but I never thought they were that bad." When Nani turned her body, it didn't escape Elisa's notice that she winced and held her shoulder.

"You're hurt." Brooklyn pointed out, concern in his tone. Nani dropped her head a little, shrugging her good shoulder. "Not as bad as a bull running ya over, but yeah." She dryly chuckled, however pulled away when Elisa's fingers skimmed the area. Elisa frowned. "I think it might be fractured. It doesn't look out of place though, thankfully."

"I'll get some bandages." Angela stated, and quickly ran off.

Elisa turned her head back, noting how Nani's ears drooped and her eyes were downcast, barely open. Elisa eased her niece back to the couch, gently. "Take it easy, cub. You did good work."

When Elisa pulled away, the mutate loosely grabbed her wrist. "Aunty, wait…" she breathed, resisting the urge to fall back to sleep. Elisa 'shh'd' her quietly. "It's alright. I'll be here when you wake up. You need to rest."

It was hard to resist, and Nani did end up falling asleep again. Angela was careful not to wake her again as she bound up the shoulder. After that, most of the clan decided they would see Goliath to check if their plans had changed. Brooklyn sat on the floor by the couch, looking off in thought.

"I'll just guard things around here..."

When they had left, he looked over. It appeared guilt was in his eyes. For whatever reasons he did. And as confusing as that was, it paled to the pain of seeing his friend in such a state.

And it bothered him that it bothered him as it did.

It was even worse because he knew inside, that again, his heart was relentlessly screwing with him.