Gargoyles

by TVfan

Goliath and his clan have come a long way since awakening in New York. He has found love with Elisa. The clan has grown with the transformations inflicted on Elisa and the female trio. But, they have many battles still to fight and a long way to go to win acceptance. (transferred from the Gargoyles Fan Website where I'm SN and have forgotten my password.)

62. Games Behind the Scenes, Part 1

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/TVfan.

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 story-line, 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 one week after "What Can Be Done… What Should Be Done…"

Also Note: I write these chapters as a hobby. If you're a follower and want to see more... than be patient. New chapters will be added. If you wish review... review with regard to the content of the chapter... NOT that it took a while.

Games Behind the Scenes, Part 1

By SN/TVfan

23rd Precinct

"I'm not sure as to what I'm supposed to say on this," Matt Bluestone spoke calmly as he looked across his desk to the figure that presently paced inside the clock tower part of the Precinct's headquarters for the Gargoyles Task Force.

"Surprised that you'd be getting praise and greater integration?" the man before Matt asked. He wasn't a small man, by any means, but the fact that he looked through a pair thin framed square lensed glasses gave the man a rather bookish look about him. There was enough sarcasm in the man's voice that Matt could practically feel it dripping off the man's voice.

"Generally the Clan and the DA's office hadn't gotten along," Matt pointed out.

The man pulled his lips back into a warm smile before giving a bit of a laugh, "That's because the last DA that you had to worry about was a harpy more concerned with her career and supposedly was to some degree also interested in social high climbing than anything else."

Matt slowly nodded as he remembered a lot of the issues that Margot Yale had had over the years before the Mage had transformed Elisa. Yale wasn't necessarily bad with putting criminals behind bars, but she also tended to publicize certain cases as a means of promoting her own skills as an attorney and move up in many of Manhattan's social circles. It was something that had made Matt's job heading the first Gargoyles Task Force difficult when evidence suggested more coincidental encounters or more serious criminal activity from those that had been "captured" by the gargoyles being overshadowed by Yale's claims that the clan was behind the crimes they stopped. There was never evidence to prove it, but Yale held that position until things got to the point where she effectively gave Castaway free reign over Manhattan law enforcement in order to try and catch the gargoyles. It didn't last long, but it also cost Yale her life.

However, this new man was a bit of an unknown. The DA's office had been remarkably quiet on issues related to Yale's actions following her death and the Quarrymen finally getting a full designation as a criminal organization by the NYPD. Matt took that as the DA's office trying to save face and carry on, knowing that they and the police would have a lot of work to do just to keep the city safe. Now, with the Manhattan Clan officially part of the NYPD that might also mean cooperating with the clan, but Matt couldn't know for sure, and to a great extent as the new Gargoyles Task Force leader, he was inclined to try and avoid potential confrontations and arguments.

"And I'm to assume that the DA's office likes the gargoyles now?" Matt asked.

"More to say that the DA's office trusts them more now," the man answered, "there are still concerns over whether or not a race of non-human nocturnal beings, of which most of whom are from Medieval Europe, can fully function in the modern world and in situations where law enforcement is not a summary execution…"

"You do realize that if that were really an issue, we would have had people killed by the gargoyles, even before they were discovered," Matt cut him off in warning.

"I do… but remember, given that until recently, your gargoyles have been semi tolerated as vigilantes in the city and thus carried that sort of stigma," the man nodded, "not to mention the years of bad press, often driven by men like Castaway… and of late this Ralph Maccio."

Matt nodded there, there had been a lot of that and particularly in the first years after the Hunter's Moon incident.

"But recent actions would show a certain side of the gargoyles that the old press reports didn't," the man commented, "something that proves those things wrong… and it's that sort of thing that has really been noticed at the DA's office."

"And thus your request for members of the GTF to be present for the trial of John Doe?" Matt inquired referring to the man that had interrupted a PIT meeting and practically triggered a riot, supposedly managed to get blood from a dragon that had made its way into New York and was being held by the government, and had been suspected to be involved in the criminal organization that the GTF had only recently busted in a coordinated sting with the NYPD's swat officers.

"In part as statements from the arresting officers," the DA's office representative answered, "but also for some means of security at the trial as well."

Matt raised an eyebrow for a moment as he looked to the man that presently sat across from him as he really couldn't think of a real security threat that would require members of the Gargoyles Task Force to be there for the trial. He could imagine plenty of humans who would want to see "John Doe" go to jail for the role played in the various crimes they could attach to him, which included stealing the genetic material the government had collected from the rogue dragon that rampaged into the city, but he didn't see any of the organized crime groups looking to break John Doe out. At the same time with Thailog's defeated clan incarcerated, as well as the Pack, there didn't seem to be anyone that would be dangerous enough that normal human officers couldn't handle.

"That sounds like a bit of overkill," Matt commented, "The guy has no fans… and both PIT and the Order of the Phoenix would want him put behind bars."

The man nodded, "and it's that latter part that removes the issue of overkill."

"What do you mean?" Matt asked, "Are you saying there is some kind of terror threat? Or a riot that might happen?"

"The latter is a possibility that the DA is concerned on," the DA's office representative answered, "as we have done a few checks into the known members of the Order of the Phoenix… All of them have connections that go back to the Quarrymen. They were never involved in the violent crimes that Castaway committed… but records indicate they were financially invested and did attend meetings."

This connected a few dots for Matt with regard to why the Order of the Phoenix might have criminal intent in general, but much of that would also relate to their hatred of the clan. The fact that "John Doe" had essentially wronged both wouldn't necessarily mean that they applaud the clan for bringing "John Doe" down. And if the DA's office wanted to avoid a major scene, a part of Matt's mind figured that bringing the clan in as either witnesses or additional security might just bring in more trouble from groups like the Order of the Phoenix. This only further deepened Matt's curiosity into why the DA's office was so keen for this.

"But just what would the Order of the Phoenix gain from this?" Matt asked, "They don't like the gargoyles… and their connections to the Quarrymen would confirm that, but if they weren't in on Castaway's actual crimes… they may not be the same sort as Castaway. Hatred does not have to be an angry mob shouting slurs to be hate filled."

"True," the DA's representative admitted.

"And since most of their activities have been limited to peaceful protests and spreading pamphlets," Matt continued, "they don't exactly have a violent track record that would make it likely that they would attack John Doe's trial."

"So… you won't be committing the extra help?" the DA's representative asked

"We'll offer what would be needed to help with the testimony regarding the trial itself," Matt answered, "but we're not going to do anything that would either come off as political or as trying to intimidate anyone in the John Doe case."

"And what of the crime ring that your raid apprehended?" the DA's representative asked, "They may have friends that would want to see them freed…"

"Maybe…" Matt commented, "But handling that can be relatively simple. They're all normal humans and the threat they'd pose would be the sort of threat that normal humans could come up with."

The DA's representative sighed and nodded and then made his way out.

Victor's Apartment

"There MUST be some way we can change this…" one of the Order of the Phoenix leaders commented, "there must be…"

The meeting was largely for the leadership for the Order, and Ralph Maccio watched as all of them voiced or shared their frustrations as they had with the events they'd had over the past few weeks. They had tried hard to work the Order of the Phoenix into something that would win back the support of all the Quarrymen that had been out there and turn it into a movement that would turn things against the gargoyles, without getting into the criminal shenanigans that Castaway had gotten into. To a degree, they had some success here and there, but more recently things had changed and gone dramatically against their cause, at least when it came to the court of public opinion.

The biggest of the problem was the success of the Gargoyles Task Force as it was now, which included the arrest of a large organized crime ring that had stockpiled a large cache of weapons. Included in the arrest was the man who had apparently alerted the NYPD to the weapons, a man without a known name and who the police identified as "John Doe." That in and of itself wasn't that bad, as there were always "John Does" that turned up, as it was a "name" that was often given to those whose name was not known. However, there were other circumstances that got Maccio's attention. Namely was that the John Doe that was arrested was the same John Doe that had enraged a group of PIT men to riot and attack him and supposedly had loose connections to a robbery of a government lab that was analyzing the carcass of a dragon that had stormed New York. That was set up a good portion of Maccio's problem.

"This trial could well give PIT and the gargoyles the ability to make a case to actually win national recognition," a second member of the Order of the Phoenix's leaders added.

"But neither can we just let criminals roam free," Maccio commented as he looked to the two that had spoken, "that organized crime ring had enough weapons to outgun most standard police units and very nearly outgunned the gargoyles and SWAT combined. Put those gangsters on common people and things would be seriously bad."

That gained a few nods of support from the others, as the Order of Phoenix, while groups like PIT had accused it of being "racist" along the same lines of the Quarrymen and that had presented one of the things that had gotten many to shy away from them. There had been attempts to reach out to many of the Quarrymen who had not been involved in Castaway's criminal actions and found that many of them had moved on with their lives. They might not have been fans of the gargoyles, but they were tired of being connected to Castaway's crimes. Which left Maccio with few options on moving forward, which he found frustrating as he'd found too much around the gargoyles to be hidden and because of that they couldn't be what they claimed to be.

"With the exception of John Doe, perhaps," Victor commented as he came into the room carrying a tray in which he'd placed cans of beer and sandwiches that gave off the scent of tuna and lettuce.

"That guy who was involved in all sorts of other crimes… at least as far as the police have stated?" the first leader asked as he looked over to Victor.

"He's been accused of some things, but thus far, the police have publicized very little real evidence on the man's intent," Victor answered calmly, "and it has also been reported that HE was the one that alerted the NYPD to the weapons stash that that syndicate had at the Glass Palace Hotel. In this, for all we know… that syndicate had bullied him into it."

"I think I've also seen some reporting that the first incident involving this guy was with some dummy gargoyle that he'd sent crashing into a wall," a third member spoke up, "startled people and nearly caused a panic, as the new Gargoyles Task Force was pretty new then… But then, I can't say for sure as to how accurate it was. It could have been a different guy."

"But if it was him, that might mean that despite triggering the PIT riot that attacked Ralph," Victor commented, "it is quite possible that the man isn't necessarily a great fan of the gargoyles either."

"Though it could also mean that he's playing a rather deep game with the city, the police, the gargoyles, and potentially with us," the second man commented as he looked to Victor and then to Maccio, "and in that… having dealings with him could potentially be just as dangerous. Particularly when no one has a clear picture on just what Joe Doe's intentions are."

Maccio slowly nodded, "I'd tend to agree. Certain accounts may show that he isn't necessarily some wild man out to senselessly hurt people… and the first reports on him include panicking people regard the Gargoyles Task Force… And that could mean he's anti-gargoyle, but with so little that he has shared… it could also mean he's deceptive. And that is troublesome."

"Troublesome… perhaps," Victor admitted, "but more mischief than anything truly diabolical. Most of the things they've wanted to accuse him of, they have very limited proof on… at least from what has been stated to the press. And in that, so long as we are to go by 'innocent until proven guilty' as the core part of our justice system… would it really hurt to try and help someone who might be of help to us in some way."

Maccio was silent for a moment and felt himself slipping into a quiet and almost lost gaze out a nearby window and the city lights from outside the apartment they were. His mind was lost in a sea of other thoughts at the moment, many of which focused around the back and forth battle to get the New York City government to strip the gargoyles of their protection before the Federal government picked up the idea of civil rights for the gargoyles as an issue. For the moment, the Federal government didn't look eager, and on the surface that was a plus. But then, that sort of issue had been going on ever since the gargoyles were revealed following the bombing of the 23rd Precinct's clock tower by the "Hunters," who would turn out to be a family of gargoyle hunters.

Maccio knew that wasn't progress as he looked out the window and silently thought over things. At the same time, while there had been a lot of hostility at first, the Quarrymen took things into the realm of vigilantism and criminal behavior, which Maccio wanted the Order of the Phoenix to avoid. If they turned to Castaway's sorts of criminal tactics or even looking like they supported it… they'd run the very real risk of killing what little legitimacy they had. That was something that Maccio knew they couldn't afford as the City of New York had begun moving in ways that would more fully integrate the gargoyles into the city, which would in turn open up avenues for national recognition and the end of what he'd tried to set up. Sure, he could hate the gargoyles as much as he wanted, but if he had no legal way to get rid of them… all that hatred was wasted.

"And this is where I am now," Maccio thought to himself as he turned to look to the other leaders of his organization, "lost and without a window to improve our message in the city while the gargoyles haven't made a mistake. And while trying to provoke a mistake might change the political calculus… it'll make me no better that criminal idiots like Castaway… taking short cuts and relying on bluster."

"Well…?" Victor asked, "We must do something!"

"And you all agree we should help a known criminal get a lower sentence because he might be anti-gargoyle?" Maccio asked to the other members who were there and presently seated.

That was something that brought silence to the group, and Maccio watched as each other Order of the Phoenix member stayed quiet. A couple looked down and one bit his lip. Victor slowly paced from his position, and Maccio felt he was probably frustrated, and that was understandable. They had all committed themselves to protecting humanity from what had to be some kind of dark conspiracy against it, given all the odd reports on gargoyles that been in relation to criminal and odd occurrences that yet had no explanation. Everything that had been said in their defense had to be a trick since none of the gargoyles came out and in the open on their arrival.

But they'd also agreed not to get into the criminal sort of actions that ended up bringing down the Quarrymen and other groups that had tried to actively combat the gargoyles. Many had ended up losing the fight and getting charged with various disturbing the peace related crimes besides. Now that the clan was being recognized by the city of New York and being brought into the NYPD, there was the ever growing perception that the Order of the Phoenix's campaign was running into more road blocks than options. It was that thing that was likely the most frustrating for the other members, but Maccio wasn't about to change his principles. Groups that engaged in crime, regardless of their intentions lost all legitimacy in his book and that made him nervous and hesitant to even consider letting "John Doe" be considered for support from the Order of the Phoenix.

23rd Precinct

Things seemed rather calm as Goliath and his shift for the "Gargoyles Task Force" came in through the doorway in the clock of the station's rebuilt clock tower. Things had been a bit quiet since the response and recognition that came from the "battle" at the Glass Palace Hotel and what had come from it. Catching John Doe and exposing some of his other antics went along with that added some sense of positive reaction to things that the GTF had done that wasn't very common before. That in general was good news, though as Goliath looked to see things remain quiet. Though as he came in through the doorway and down the steps onto the floor area of the clock tower, he found Matt at his desk and rubbing one of his temples with one hand.

"Is something troubling you?" Goliath asked slowly as his shift gathered around him and looked over to the detective and officer that was in charge of the entire GTF.

That actually startled Matt a bit as the red haired looked up with some surprise, though Goliath also noted a relieved smile cross the man's face.

"Nothing that goes beyond what would be typical for a man in my position," Matt assured the male gargoyle, "Makes me realize just what Captain Chavez has gone through over the past few years… and it's nothing."

"Are you sure?" Goliath asked carefully.

Matt nodded, "Yeah… A representative of the DA's office came by a little while ago and was mostly wanting requests for guard presence for John Doe's trial and that sort of thing."

"Forgive… but wouldnae that be a good thing?" Hudson wondered.

"In theory," Matt spoke, "and you may be asked to appear as witnesses to the actions in the arrest…but unless there is some major threat for someone to go after John Doe or try to free him, there is no need for all of you to be there for the entire trial. In that the standard guards for the trial probably should be enough."

There was an uneasy silence for the group as they stood quietly as they gathered in the open area between Matt and Detective Flariaty's desks. For Goliath, Othello, Hudson, and Lexington there was something in the comment that Matt had made that did trigger old memories about the threats from Medieval Scotland and that often made it necessary to be prepared for anything. The one thing that tempered those thoughts was that for Goliath and Lexington, they had adapted enough to the modern world to know that the dangers of the past were not quite the dangers of the present. And that had meant a different requirements that often made the things from the past not as necessary.

The past issues with Xanatos, when the clan had first been awakened in New York, with Demona, and with the Pack all presented issues where those old ways worked or could be necessary. For Xanatos was a cunning man who had largely managed to avoid legal problems in his schemes, at least for him, and Demona was another gargoyle and even then was highly skilled in magic. The steel clan was well protected and well-armed. The Pack started as skilled martial artists that had combat skill that the clan had never confronted before, but they eventually go upgrades that added to their own skills. Then there was the fey who could wield magic in ways that not even Demona could easily match and changed all the rules as it were. And for years the Quarrymen had the numbers to overwhelm the clan, but had played to the distrust of the clan and panicked misinformation that related to them to have many of the charges reduced, often letting Quarrymen members get off long sentences.

But over time things had changed. Xanatos had become an ally after the clan saved his son from Oberon and thus there hadn't been any major business building an army of robots to fight them. Demona was more powerful than ever, but it seemed like the worst of her war against humanity seemed to be gone, now. The Pack, while they could still be financially valuable as mercenaries were in jail and it seemed unlikely that anyone would spring them. Their biggest enemy was still hatred, but even that was starting to decline. When the Quarrymen found a power play that lead to Elisa becoming a gargoyle and lead to them committing a crime that would get them in real trouble and that they couldn't blame the clan for, their influence began to fall. Repeated criminal actions soon followed and that further hurt the Quarrymen, and most of its members had likely gone underground… or had joined the new Order of the Phoenix movement. That, however, seemed more content to protest and try to persuade than fight and Goliath was personally willing to let them hold that opinion.

Now as officers for the NYPD many of the old enemies were gone and no new one had yet to emerge that could match their old enemies. John Doe seemed smart and capable, but it seemed like he was more a professional thief and mischief maker than any real threat, and from all that was known, Goliath didn't think he would be the sort to gain much attention from anyone. Some mobster like Dracon might want John Doe as a professional thief for them, but Goliath also didn't think that any such group would actually try something like that right now after the battle at the Glass Palace Hotel.

"Do you think someone might actually try to break John Doe out?" Goliath asked after a moment, as that might be the only reason to have them there that Goliath could think of in the modern world.

"There is the possibility that at some point someone might," Matt admitted, "as from what questioning I and the department have had with him… he is rather smart and cunning. In many ways that could be seen as an asset any organized crime ring, which is probably why he ended up with Tora Mikazu at the Glass Palace Hotel. They'd want someone like him as a thief or field agent, as it were… BUT given the fallout from the battle there, which I suspect John Doe actually engineered… I wouldn't think that any mob organization would actually try to pull anything off with John Doe. At least not right now and not in a way that would require additional guards."

There was a collective sigh of relief at that. While dealing with guys like John Doe and the battle at the Glass Palace Hotel was less dangerous in many ways than dealing with mischievous members of the Third Race, evil wizards, advanced robots with non-projectile cannons, cyborgs, and an army of people that hated gargoyles, it had come with its own challenges. Before, the Clan knew it was safe in that no one was hunting them or would know anything about them and they could use that to deal with the small scale criminals in their own way. Now, that had changed as the world knew of them and there rules and regulations that came with being official officers for the NYPD.

It meant restrictions on what force was acceptable and specific procedures that they had to follow when it came to arrests and other related matters. Rights had to be given to those they caught and enforcing the law did not mean "beating up criminals." It introduced the concept of paperwork over reports and working with the officials that ran the city government and a more public image campaign that in many ways was new for all of the clan. Some things were getting better, particularly in the recent successes that PIT had had, but it was also something that complicated some of the other tasks that came with protecting the city.

"So… I'd assume we'd just have basic patrol duties tonight?" Ethan asked to Matt as the moment of silence passed. And that got Matt to nod.

"Yeah," Matt nodded, "if something comes up and those that were directly involved in monitoring John Doe and his capture get called in to testify at his trial… then we'll let you know. Outside of that… things should be pretty standard for tonight. And in that with basic patrols… I can leave assigning them to Goliath and remind all of you to stay in touch with each other and with dispatch."

They all nodded and moved over to another section of the clock tower where a map of Manhattan Island on a corkboard and with various colored pins pushed into the cork on the areas beside the map. Their coloration was in many ways color coded to match at least one of the paired gargoyles with either shift and on nights when their duties were a normal patrol and thus respond to anything as they occurred. It would also give Matt and Detective Flariaty the ability to track on the likely areas where those on active duty would actually be on any given night. It was fairly simple, and could be used if the specialized walkie-talkies they had either ran out of battery power or had some other problem. And with this being a normal patrol night, it was something where Goliath could still carry out his traditional role as clan leader.

"Okay," Goliath rumbled as he took one pin, "Lexington, Ian… you two are to take the northern section of Manhattan and coming down to here…" He moved the pin down to a spot that was about a fourth of the way down Manhattan Island.

"Right, Goliath," Lex answered as he and Ian then moved to head out.

Goliath then continued by picking out the next color coded pin, and he moved it along the bottom portion of the island coming up about a fourth of the way up Manhattan Island, "Hudson, Sarah, you two will take the southern portion of the island up to this point."

"Aye, lad," Hudson nodded as Sarah said, "right."

Goliath then took the last two pins and looked to Othello and Ethan and then to Eve. It was another point where Goliath was reminded of how things had changed. In the past, he would have done his work to protect Castle Wyvern or Manhattan with the clan together and with his mate by his side. In Medieval Scotland, that had been Demona, and now in Manhattan, it was Elisa that he would want by his side, but now with the clan working for the NYPD, things were different. To avoid partners from making emotionally based decisions, Goliath couldn't be partnered with Elisa, and Goliath had to respect that. The whole clan had to respect that, and so far they hadn't done a bad job of that.

"We will have the areas between Lex and Ian in the north and Hudson and Sarah in the south," Goliath said to Othello, "You and Ethan will take the east side of Manhattan. Eve and I will take the west side."

Othello nodded as Goliath put the last two pins in, making sure that the proper color matched where he'd given directions for them. Once that was done, Goliath turned and nodded to Matt and Detective Flariaty as they then made their way out to start their patrol… and hoping things would be relatively normal and calm, at least as calm as New York City could be.

Manhattan DA's Office

The man that had been sent to the 23rd Precinct returned to the Manhattan DA's office with a slightly frustrated sigh as he then made his way through the hallways and approached the specific office that had sent him, presently occupied by the Deputy District Attorney. He came in to find the Deputy DA straightening his tie from behind the desk.

"Well, Jasper… how'd it go with GTF?" the Deputy DA asked with a calm voice, which made the man, Jasper, almost gulp.

"Well… sir… they seemed a bit uneasy about the request," Jasper answered, "and interested in what our specific concerns were…"

"With both John Doe and the mobsters that they battled at the Glass Palace Hotel?" the Deputy DA asked.

"Primarily with John Doe, sir," Jasper answered slowly, sensing the hint of frustration in his boss's face by the frown pulling across the Deputy DA's face, "and with the possibility that we might be trying to lure them into a trap."

"Damn that woman!" the Deputy DA fumed almost immediately and slamming an open palm down onto his desk.

The blow landed with a loud thud and Jasper watched as even the computer monitor shook a bit as the blow vibrated the wooden desktop. Jasper didn't fully expect this response from the Deputy DA. He knew that Margot Yale, who'd been the DA for Manhattan when Castaway managed to secure specialized powers to go after the gargoyles, had had a long history of hating/fearing the gargoyles and often tried to push certain charges against the clan over the years before Castaway betrayed her, but he didn't think that there would be such anger directed at the woman who had been above him until her murder. After all, while Margot Yale was known for her opinionated and at times "yuppie" attitude, she was dedicated opponent of crime and had done a lot to try and cut down on the gang violence that had troubled the city for years.

"Sir?" Jasper answered.

"This all goes back Yale and her personality and her attempts to find ways to arrest the gargoyles over the years," the Deputy DA spoke, "you know that, right, Jasper?"

"Yes, but I didn't think you were that… against her…" Jasper answered, "I mean she was against crime…"

"It's not about being against crime," the Deputy DA sighed as he straightened his shirt and came around his desk, "it's about being fore justice… and that's something that Yale never understood."

Jasper watched as the Deputy DA approached a coat rack and selected the suit jacket from one peg and put it on before looking back to Jasper.

"For there have been times in this country where things have been done that were legal but not just, and all of us are guilty of it," the Deputy DA commented with a sigh, "and Yale's responses to the gargoyles are very much in that line of thought…"

"Yes… she always appeared afraid of them when asked about them by the press," Jasper scratched his chin, "I thought that was what we were countering now that they're part of the NYPD?"

"No her fear was something that made it personal for her," the Deputy DA corrected, "that wasn't the laws she used as her rationalization for going after them. Those related to different things. One was the attack on the 23rd Precinct's clock tower, which she kept in place AFTER the hunters admitted to launching he attack to frame the gargoyles. The other was the claims of vigilantism that while they've helped protect the city… they've done so outside what the law would consider acceptable. All that reinforces the fear that she had about them going after people."

Jasper sighed as the Deputy DA lead them back out into the hallway. At present the Deputy DA was assigned the task of prosecuting the case against John Doe on the evidence that had been delivered to their office on his involvement in some scheme with stolen property that took him away from New York and in connections with the organized crime group that the GTF and SWAT took down at the Glass Palace Hotel. Both could hear the clicks of their shoes as they hit the tiled floor of the office as they walked, and Jasper was intent on staying as close as he could as his job was to handle the information for the assistant DA as needed. It then let them continue the conversation as his boss continued to vent frustration at his predecessor as Deputy DA in Manhattan and then the former DA for Manhattan.

"And on the surface the law was on her side," the Deputy DA commented, "and at the time… I largely put a lot of that to a side, with the fact that I wasn't as high up the chain of command here at the DA's office and that material would be shared if needed… Or rationalized some reason for why the gargoyles would be behind attacking their own home… And then Yale got herself killed, the DA that replaced her as Deputy DA took over from her and I stepped in to his shows."

"And you found Yale had different information?" Jasper asked.

"She and her Deputy DA… and she essentially swore him to secrecy too," the Deputy DA answered with a nod, "because what she had was not entirely something that would help her case. There were a few case reports that gave some indication that the gargoyles weren't monsters in any way. That while their actions involved criminal behavior… they were often stopping these crooks. One guy that's been in and out of Riker's Island on various armed robbery charges even reported that the gargoyles told him to turn himself in and that a few of the reports even had store owners actually provide things that would sound almost supportive…"

"PIT members?" Jasper wondered, thinking of the group that had been trying to argue for tolerance for the gargoyles over the past few years and started gaining real momentum and outreach more recently.

"No… most of them actually repeated some of the same fear driven lines about the gargoyles being "monsters" and things like that," the Deputy DA shrugged, "which would actually make what complements they give the gargoyles all the more valid, in my opinion. As if they are monsters… and devious ones, one would think they would have acted by now… or expanded who they rounded up. And yet the reports indicate that the guys that often had the more up close and personal run incidents with the clan were mobsters, robbers, and other criminals. We'd have some Quarrymen or two on occasion, though they also ended up getting records for assault or disorderly conduct, depending on the reported altercation. And that thus made me realize that some of our issues with the gargoyles have been less about justice and more about holding things to a more narrow definition of the law and not letting us truly serve the people."

"Thus trying to include them now that they're working for the NYPD?" Jasper surmised.

"In part," the Deputy DA answered, "but also because of the oddities that John Doe presents. This new organized crime group that's tried to fill the vacuum left by Dracon has already grabbed the guy once for their purposes, which means others might want him for similar purposes… and at the same time there is a lot about John Doe that leaves more questions than answers. I'm pretty sure John Doe isn't his real name, as there is no record of anyone of that name and matching John Doe's description in any of New York's records… city or state, and what requests we've gotten back from outside New York would indicate that there are no records on this specific man… thus we have no idea who he truly is."

"So… he could be something bigger and more dangerous," Jasper commented, remembering the instructions given to him earlier to try and get the clan to come on board with providing extra security for John Doe's trial, "that we can't easily predict based on the normal expectations regarding such cases…"

"And because of Yale's misuse of our resources in confusing the law with justice," the Deputy DA spoke as they made their way out to head to the courthouse, "the GTF and the gargoyles are going to view us with some suspicion, because that was about ALL she gave them… and leaving us having to try and play these sorts of games behind the scenes to try and get the security that we could need with no concrete proof that we actually do need it… And that is the biggest problem and issue we're dealing with right now…"

"Then hopefully we get lucky," Jasper commented, "and there are no problems that we run into…"

"Hopefully," the Deputy DA sighed.

23rd Precinct, Cell Area

The holding cells weren't the comfiest of places and John Doe knew that. In fact he knew that most holding cells were never going to be comfy. They never were built with that purpose, though many of these probably weren't built with the intent for holding him as long as they had, and if one is only to be in a holding cell for a few hours, making it luxurious was unnecessary. That was enough to keep him calm and rational as he thought over things as he waited for his transfer to trial, which would surely come next. It wasn't something he expected, at least not at the present time, or under the circumstances where he would be looking at a rather lengthy sentence if convicted.

He'd come to Manhattan after seeing the stories of chaotic battles raging through the city over the years between the gargoyles, certain elements of the police force, the criminal element, and even oddities that had no easy explanation. It was enough to tell him that Manhattan was a place for a master thief to make a profit off of the chaos in the city. For city dealt with these bigger issues, someone like him would go unnoticed and he could secure the profits needed to sustain himself but also move on before the city became aware of him, and he felt he'd made some key successes, but some of them seemed to attract the wrong attention and bring him into the games of others, games he really didn't want to play.

He'd been grabbed by a Tora Mikazu who saw him as a "business" opportunity, which he understood to mean "thief for hire." The idea wouldn't be too bad, and John Doe figured there would be plenty of opportunities for him to essentially leave once his purpose had been met, but organized crime was something to be wary of, for while he and they often found themselves on the wrong end of the law, organized crime depended on order almost as much as the law did. They conducted their affairs through corrupt officials and when need be select murders. It wasn't something that would like there to be "chaos" creating trouble. And Tora Mikazu's operation seemed to carry the hallmarks of any other organized crime group, and particularly one that was filling the shoes of Manhattan's previous top family.

That would likely mean not just confrontations with the police and law enforcement but with rival mob groups that wouldn't give him a fair trial for working for Tora. All of that were things that John Doe never wanted, as it would ultimately mean that any chaos caused would come back to him because he would be having to rely on so many others and looking over his shoulder for other enemies that wouldn't operate the way the law tended to. The armaments that he'd found at the Glass Palace Hotel had been a key part of that, as it showed that Tora was looking for something bigger than just running some illegitimate businesses here and there but taking control over a network left in chaos from the downfall of Tony Dracon. That was why he'd essentially betrayed her to the police and the GTF. It was expected that both would be damaged by it and John Doe would be able to get out of trouble. The only thing that didn't go to plan was that the police and the gargoyles had somehow been tracking him.

"Traitor!" came a shout from across the cell block area, making John Doe look up to see Tora standing behind one of the other cell doors.

He had some relief that the police had kept him separate from Tora's henchmen that had also been caught in the Glass Palace Hotel. For they seemed loyal to their leader and bought her realization that he'd betrayed her, which was true. It meant he couldn't scheme his way to some kind of arrangement with them and that if they were in the same cell, he could well be hurt by them for the betrayal. He might still have to watch his back, but for the moment something like witness protection and some time for his other crimes would be better than nothing, assuming there would be no other deal that could be made. As things were, the worst he had to deal with those things now were those taunts across the holding cell area and that was enough to keep John Doe calm, for now.

He had no time to answer as an officer came in and approached John Doe's cell. John Doe turned to the man as the keys jingled as they were worked into the look and soon turned it. The officer looked back at him with a rather firm look, even as another taunt of "traitor" echoed through the holding cell area.

"Quiet down," the officer spoke, "you'll all have your "day" in court in due time." From there the officer then opened the door to John Doe and stepped back, "If you'll come with me."

John Doe stepped out to more cries of "traitor" before having another officer approach to cuff him while the first closed the door to his cell. The cries was about all that he got that was actually hostile to him, and the thing that he drew the most attention to was that none of the officers assigned to take him to the trial were the NYPD's gargoyle officers.

"The gargoyles aren't the ones to take me to trial?" John Doe asked, "Surprising… since it would seem they were the ones most interested in my arrest."

"If their testimony is required for your trial, the arresting officers will be present," the second officer said to John Doe, "but your transport to trial will come from us… and unless you think your friends here are going to want to free you… I don't think you'll be freed."

"Of course if her organization has those that weren't caught in the Glass Palace Hotel, it'd be more likely that they'd be sent to kill me," John Doe pointed out, "given present sentiments."

"That's right! Traitor!" Tora shouted from her cell.

"Perhaps," the second officer answered as he began to move John Doe forward, "but then for the most part, we have good experience in dealing with the mob and it is unlikely that they will be assaulting a courthouse just to kill you. And if some group is dumb enough to try… you will be well protected from vigilante justice."

John Doe didn't answer as he was lead out of the cell area and through much of the precinct house. It got quieter as they left the holding cell area and John Doe didn't fight as he was moved. The presence of other uniformed officers and other officers that weren't in uniforms reinforced the knowledge that he wouldn't be able to escape, at least not right now, and John Doe was able to think over how things were going and what he was to do. For while he had gotten away from Tora's schemes that would only make him more enemies and put him in more danger, the fact that he did get caught put him in its own share of danger and even if he managed to escape punishment, or plea bargain himself down to a lighter punishment, he would have to be careful. Organized crime, regardless of who, rarely liked being double crossed. Which could well mean that he might have to accept some measure of defeat with regard to his plans to create and then profit off of the chaos.

The response that the gargoyles wouldn't be involved in guarding the trial, though, was interesting. He'd seen enough of the news to indicate that after years of being either feared or hunted that sentiment in New York City, at least, was moving more toward welcoming the gargoyles as part of their community. It was something that even the city government had gotten onboard with. With that, John Doe expected a bit more to try and showcase either the progress made or how the dynamic was changing in the city. Yet they weren't being involved in the present case and that puzzled him a little.

"Maybe they aren't as supported as they've tried to make it seem," John Doe silently mused to himself, "but then… I can't confirm that without more information, which I doubt the police will just give me."

Manhattan Streets

Maccio left Victor's apartment with some nervous unease as his mind continued to dwell on things that related to the struggles for the Order of the Phoenix's future. It was supposed to protect humanity from the intrusion and dangers from the gargoyles that had appeared in New York, and do so without getting into the sorts of criminal adventures that had ended up dooming groups like the Quarrymen who ended up drawing more assault, robbery, and related charges over the years trying to fight the gargoyles outright and not even catching one of the gargoyles. And he'd felt that beings like the gargoyles who'd apparently stayed in secret for so long had to be the real villains because if they were good, they would have been openly honest with the world.

At first he felt he'd gained some victories with many still having suspicions of the gargoyles and had simply moved away from the Quarrymen because of their criminal actions, not because of any support for the gargoyles. But of late groups like PIT began to get funding that helped them raise a counter narrative and at times even get select events that tried to give the gargoyles a more sympathetic image that was growing. He'd had his victories in places, such as when the figure they'd been debating, John Doe, essentially triggered a riot among the PIT members as they tried to hold one of their own meetings that then came after him. In a way that was a victory in that allowed human politics to slow the attempts that looked like they might see the gargoyles gain protection under the law.

But many of his victories proved short lived. The gargoyles seemed to manage some victory against crime and people responded to it like they were heroes, and Maccio's message that their heroics were more deceptive than anything else and Maccio didn't have the evidence to prove his theories. They made sense to him, but with no other evidence, he couldn't prove it, and ultimately PIT was able to prove that John Doe was an outsider and not a part of their organization. Thus the riot caused was not part of their intentions and not part of their message. The successful recruitment of the gargoyles into the NYPD and they would be monitoring to make sure there was no covert plot by the gargoyles, the successes the new Gargoyles Task Force had put together had only made it worse for him. And all these thoughts of frustration complicated matters.

For those successes and particularly their latest one at the Glass Palace Hotel was building support within the NYPD and the city government, and Maccio had known enough that that kind of support would ultimately build into a lager movement. The only way he'd get a lasting victory was if he could get the gargoyles actually admitting that all their heroic acts were part of some covert scheme to take over humanity. But he hadn't had the opportunity for that. The Gargoyle Task Force didn't patrol like other police units and thus "ride along" options was not an option and 23rd Precinct where it was headquartered seemed to be pretty selective when it came to interviews and thus Maccio couldn't get in for it, even if he were a reporter. It left him with a lot to think over and worry about, and with that preoccupying his thoughts he barely noted the dimming of the light as he entered the park.

In some ways the park was safer since the gargoyles had arrived, as it seemed that many of the normal crooks that turned to petty crime seemed to try and avoid being caught by them. It let Maccio make his way in as he had some errands to run on the other side of the park before heading home with a bit more of a sense of safety than he admitted having a few years before, but the overhanging trees in places also made it more difficult for him to make sure that no one was coming in from above him. It left him occasionally looking up and back as he walked along, though with his mind focused on other things he wasn't paying super close attention to things, and thought that some things might be calm as there were a few other people walking along.

"Nice night, eh?" a voice asked as Maccio passed a park bench.

Maccio paused and turned to look to that bench. It was a relatively simple one sitting next to a modest lamppost. The post's electric light was on and illuminated the area reasonably well to allow Maccio to see the man seated on the bench. The man looked a bit big, but he also seemed to be wearing a heavy coat and Maccio couldn't tell if it was to keep out any cold or to conceal something else. For the moment, the man was only half looking to Maccio, as though the comment about the night was aimed to be a random comment than one that was consciously looking for him.

"It is quiet… for the most part," Maccio answered and then turned to head off, not wanting to get into anything that would get him in trouble.

He only got a few steps before he heard a click and then the man's next line, "Not for you."

Maccio turned back to find that the man had stood up and had aimed a gun directly at him. It made him gulp as he could now see the man having a distinctive snake tattooed around his eyes. It was enough to make him shiver with fear, and knew that while there might have been others there, they were far enough away that that they wouldn't react to the fact that there was a mugging going on. The man in front of Maccio raised up his hand with the palm up and then raised his fingers repeatedly, as if to urge him to hand over the money that Maccio had on him. Looking down the barrel of the gun, Maccio had no desire to fight and reached back for his back pocket. The thief smiled at that.

"That's right… no trouble," the man smiled.

0-0-0

Above the park, Goliath and Eve started their patrol and intended to cover their part of the park and then heading west from there. There was nothing special in this and the gargoyles all knew that their standard patrols had some degree of flexibility to them in how they were run and to go. Most of this had to do with how few gargoyles there were to fill out the GTF's numbers. They'd learned that most officers only patrolled a rather small section of the city and connected with their specific precinct and thus having specific jurisdiction with that precinct. The Gargoyles Task Force, however, had the whole city to look over, and at present had to do so at half strength because of the shifts the clan presently had to operate under the terms of the agreement with Tibetan elders. As such they had some flexibility in where and how they to conduct their patrols. Goliath and Even chose to start with the park and head west.

The night started off well enough with no activity that they could see. Sometimes over the park that could be difficult because of the trees obscuring the view of specific paths, but that wasn't perfect and their ears were good enough that they could glide just over the tops of the trees and still hear things that were going on the ground beneath them. This let them cover things fairly effectively and eventually they came up onto a spot on the western part of the park. They had moved over an area where they had moved over a walking path that had resulted in a sort of opening in the trees that they were gliding over. From what they could see, it looked like one man getting off of a park bench and drawing a gun on another man who was walking away.

"We have at least an attempted mugging," Eve stated as both almost immediately turned.

"Yes," Goliath nodded, "You move to get the target out of the way. As you are faster and more maneuverable than I am. I will move behind the assailant."

Eve nodded and the two then split up move into what was a normal part of their patrols, and this included a report into the dispatch units to let them know that officers were on the scene in case this attempt was noticed and being reported in by someone. This was handled as Eve had turned around to catch the intended victim and move him out of the line of fire. Out of the corner of her eye, she could also see Goliath descending down at a different angle and would come in behind the mugger. As she came in, she also picked up what the mugger said to his intended victim.

"That's right… no trouble," the man said.

Eve wanted to bare her teeth at that, but she didn't as she was already coming in from a side Goliath was already coming in from behind the mugger. She had to maintain her focus, as did Goliath…

Goliath, knew he had to do the same, even though the present incident involved one of the clan's present enemies, Ralph Maccio. The leader of the Order of the Phoenix that had been spreading conspiracy theories and other propaganda to go after him and the clan, all things that were personally frustrating. It was something that Goliath had his own frustrations with, but had also learned that many things were "frustrating" and dealing with them would take time. And if that meant protecting the likes of a man who hated gargoyles, Goliath was more than willing to protect Ralph Maccio. He thought he saw Maccio's eyes widen a bit, but he thought that was mostly surprise at Goliath approaching from behind the mugger and not knowing that the rescue effort was coming from two directions.

What followed was simultaneous. Goliath landed and grabbed the mugger from behind, with one hand catching the man's shoulder, and specifically the shoulder that wasn't connected to the arm and hand that controlled the gun. With the other hand, Goliath grabbed the wrist of the hand that did hold the gun and raised it up into the air so that the barrel of the gun was pointed straight up. In this, if the gun went off and the gun was loaded, the bullet would go harmlessly into the air. As he arrived, Eve caught Maccio and began to glide away with him and Goliath announced his presence with a warning to the mugger.

"Halt! Police!" Goliath rumbled.

It triggered some element of surprise on the mugger's part, but that was a key part of the plan. In most cases with a human officer, the officer would actually yell the command, but Goliath had long found that the depth of his voice and the natural volume his voice carried was enough to get most street criminals to back down or at least cease whatever activities they'd wanted to do. Some fought, but they were usually those that either hadn't met a gargoyle before or weren't smart enough to know they couldn't easily beat a gargoyle in hand to hand combat. This mugger was no different. He tried to fight, but as Eve carried Maccio out of the way, fighting and winning rapidly became impossible, as many incidents in which dealing with most street criminals had run.

With the gun held into the air, the mugger couldn't shoot anyone, and with his superior strength, Goliath was able to hold it there. The mugger let go of the gun and stepped backward with one foot, trying to catch Goliath's foot. He however missed as Goliath stepped back with the foot that the mugger targeted and caught hold of the mugger with the other hand. Goliath was careful with his grip, to make sure that he didn't harm the man and let the gun fall harmlessly to the ground and thankfully when the man released the weapon he hadn't squeezed the trigger any and the gun didn't misfire when hitting the ground. It clattered and the mugger clearly thought he could get away that way. Goliath held him and again repeated the command for mugger to stop and the police had arrived on the scene. It was only after that second statement that the criminal actually stopped struggling.

"Let me go!" cam Maccio's voice to Goliath's left, making him look over to see where Eve was setting him down onto the grass, and unharmed.

"You're alright?" Eve asked

"Let me go!" Maccio repeated.

"Easy, we're not here to hurt you," Eve said to him as Goliath managed to pull the hands of the attempted mugger behind the mugger's back and hold those hands there with one of Goliath's own hands. "We're here to save you from the man that just tried to mug you."

"When you probably sent him as part of some sting to get me," Maccio accused to Eve and pointing his finger at him while Goliath began going through the Miranda Rights with the mugger, "so either he takes me down or you look good in rescuing someone who's against you."

That was enough to get Goliath to look over to Maccio and raising one brow ridge as he did so. This was one of the frustrating things about the man that they had rescued and had been running the Order of the Phoenix. In many ways it was the same hatred that had spawned the Quarrymen, but just less openly violent about it and producing conspiracy theories to try and perpetuate the lie that "gargoyles were inherently bad." It was troublesome, but since Maccio had committed no crime, he had to be protected.

"I assure you that no such deal was made," Goliath rumbled in a low voice and then looked to Eve, "I will be moving this one to the street and contacting dispatch that we have the mugger in custody. All that will be left is to collect his gun and take Mr. Maccio's statement on the incident."

"My statement is that you set me up just to look good," Maccio accused back to Goliath, "just as you staged that whole mess at the Glass Palace Hotel… to look good."

Goliath didn't reply and moved to lead the mugger away. As he did so, Eve moved to collect the mugger's gun. She'd just picked it up when she caught sight of Maccio starting to head off in the direction he'd originally been heading.

"You still need to give a statement on what happened here, Mr. Maccio," Eve stated, "from YOU point of view. Not what you suspect of us. And if you can't do that with us… then you can wait for the human officers to arrive and give your statement to them."

Maccio silently grumbled at this, but ultimately complied. He didn't like having to follow the directions given to him by those he was certain were up to some nefarious plot, but with the police seeming to trust the gargoyles and the city government moving to get on board with it, there wasn't much that he could do. He didn't want to get into the sort of incidents that brought down Castaway and for the time being, that would mean complying with the instructions. He'd try to drag it out and make sure that the human officers would complain that the GTF was actually making things MORE complicated for them and not less, but for the moment that was the best he could think of. Not that that had been much of a working strategy in terms of immediate results, but it did leave the hope that New Yorkers would tire of battling over it and would simply let him win because they got tired.

Maccio followed along as Eve carried the gun that Goliath had wrestled away from the mugger and largely looking down as he did so. It wasn't long before they came up on the intersection with the street that went around the park and Goliath stopped there, holding the mugger with his arms cuffed behind his back. The mugger struggled a little, but not enough to break free of the cuffs or the large male gargoyle. Maccio glared to both of them, as he had his belief that the game had to be deeper than they looked, but he had no concrete proof. That was the most frustrating part for Maccio. He waited for a few moments before a lone police car came up to the spot and parked there at the curb. Two officers then emerged, one moving around the front of the car and looking to Even and Macio while the other went around the back of the and looking to the mugger.

"A more common thug, this time," the officer approaching Goliath spoke.

"Yes," Goliath rumbled and ushered the mugger forward, "He has been given the Miranda Rights and Eve has his gun… thus stopping the attempt to rob Ralph Maccio."

"Who does not wish to give an actual statement," Eve spoke to the other officer that came toward her.

"Which conspiracy is he peddling now?" the second officer asked with a laugh that lead to Maccio giving a frustrated frown at the comment.

Maccio didn't move and frowned as the second officer came forward while pulling out a small notepad from a pouch on his belt while glancing to see Goliath and the first officer moving the mugger into the back of the car. When he turned his attention back to the second officer, he found the officer pulling a pen from the pocket on his uniform shirt. The officer pressed on the plunger on the pen allowing for it to give a clear "click" noise as the pen was readied for use.

"Okay, Mr. Maccio, can you walk us through what happened here?" the human officer spoke.

Maccio sighed and then began to give his answer, "Well, I'd just come from that apartment building there…" Maccio paused to point to the building across the street. The officer looked back and nodded while Maccio continued, "I was just dealing with some business and planning for the Order of the Phoenix and had some errands to run before heading home. Those errands would take me across the park, as it was a short cut."

"And the mugger jumped you in the park?" the officer asked gesturing with his head toward the back seat of the car.

"It wasn't just as I entered the park," Maccio answered, "and I can't say with certainty why he targeted me, though I have my theories…"

"I'm sure," the second officer was heard to say.

"But I'd made my way into the park, and I'd gotten in far enough that I couldn't be clearly seen from the road and at a point where the path turned a bit so that the woods would hide anything," Maccio continued, "and I'd passed the guy sitting on a park bench and at first paid no attention to him and just moved on. Though I didn't get far when he called to me and started with some basic conversation… idle stuff… and from there it turned to him pulling his gun when he felt there would be no immediate witnesses that could stop him. It was shortly after that your gargoyles arrived."

"We were just moving over when we saw the mugger draw his gun and moved from there," Goliath rumbled as Eve handed the gun to the first officer, "moving Mr. Maccio out of the way and wrestling the gun from the mugger."

"Okay then," the first officer nodded, "that'll help us… be sure to remember your report to the GTF for our records."

Goliath and Eve nodded and with that the group broke up and leaving Maccio to resume his walk, as he still had errands to run.

From Victor's Apartment

From his apartment, meanwhile, Victor looked down to see the end of the meeting. He could see Maccio walk back into the park while the police cruiser pulled back into the street to drop the mugger off at their local precinct house. He also saw the two gargoyles soon take to the air again, using a nearby light pole as a launch point, and this made him frown heavily. He was glad that Maccio had not been hurt, and he'd been afraid of that when he came by his windows to see the group coming out of the park and across the street. It was all a reminder of the difficulties the Order of the Phoenix was presently confronted with, namely that the gargoyles were not only starting to get good press but making inroads into the city's infrastructure that would lead to them eventually being accepted in some way, something that the Order of the Phoenix opposed.

It was also something that that Victor knew the Quarrymen had opposed after the gargoyles had discovered, for Victor had been there when Castaway's campaign began. He agreed with Castaway's stance on the gargoyles and that more active measures would be needed. After all, non-human creatures that had caused an explosion at a NYPD Precinct House was something that would confirm many of the monster stories that had been going on in the background and would even portray some level of malevolence. After all, it stood to reason that only those that were on the side of darkness would attack the police. Even the report that the actual bombing being launched by human hunters didn't curb the perceived need for something to bring the gargoyles in one way or another. For there were plenty of stories that had gone on in the background that given indications that the gargoyles had been troublesome even before the bombing of the NYPD Precinct House. That bombing was just what alerted humanity at large to the existence of the gargoyles and made it impossible for anyone to deny it.

However, Castaway soon took things too far in ways. At first the police tolerated the Quarryman rather openly because they only ones they went after were the gargoyles, themselves. However, they soon got into issues in which they were soon going after targets that weren't gargoyles. This included business leaders that were in areas where the gargoyles frequently appeared, largely as part of plans to trap the gargoyles, and many times some of these business leaders pushed back because the gargoyles were actually deterring robbers from breaking into their stores at night. There were also squabbles with certain police officers and it eventually even escalated into various other crimes that began to make the Quarrymen become more troublesome, and by the time that Elisa Maza was caught becoming a gargoyle outside the Eyrie Building, the organization had already begun clashing with the police in ways outside of the gargoyles. The takeover of the police with the consent of DA Margot Yale was largely one of desperation and depended on Yale being just as anti-gargoyle as Castaway was.

Victor had observed all of this, as had his group of friends. They had funded Castaway and the Quarrymen, but didn't do much more. Often because they didn't want to fight and because Castaway had also saw them as too weak to fight and hunt the gargoyles or their scraps with the police. It let Victor observe Castaway's campaign, but it was that observance that saw to the successes and failures of that campaign. It did well at first when people were emotionally afraid of the gargoyles, but fell apart when the Quarrymen began to prove themselves be no more than petty thugs united by hatred. It didn't change Victor's opinion on the gargoyles, but presented the need for something else.

That's where Maccio's ideas and conspiracy theories became so valid for him. It was something that could potentially explain how and why the gargoyles had been involved in so many incidents that would paint them as the heroes of the engagement, including the battles with Castaway. After all it would be something that could explain how the gargoyles avoided prosecution and won support, not because of any sort of moral character but by being able to fake it. It was actually better than Castaway's arguments to try and paint the gargoyles and mindless monsters. But it also set up problems of its own. For in trying present the conspiracy theories, Maccio also had to present factual evidence to prove them and for the most part he'd proved himself unable to do that.

The lack of proof only made some of these other issues frustrating for Victor as he looked for ways to restore the Quarryman's place as humanity's defenders without the violent image that made them enemies of humanity's laws. But people weren't believing those reports and the more things like what had happed at the Glass Palace Hotel happened with the gargoyles getting positive press was one of those things that Victor knew was seriously damaging. It set Maccio's arguments back as no proof of a conspiracy materialized and that only hurt recruiting and messaging. The people that believed it and hated the gargoyles purely out of hatred were one thing, and Victor knew Maccio could count on them. However, the present challenge was in winning over people who were neutral or might even like the gargoyles, and they weren't buying conspiracy theories without proof. And scenes like what he'd observed from his window were not going to help the Order of the Phoenix resolve those matters.

"You have principles, Ralph," Victor thought silently as he watched Maccio disappear into the par and the police, human and gargoyle left, "but it's becoming increasingly clear that principle is not going to help."

A Courthouse in Manhattan

The Deputy DA and his assistant, Jasper, arrived in the courtroom in which the trial of John Doe was to begin with many things riding on edge. The court was actually a Federal Court given that primary crime related to the crimes that related to the theft of some of the dragon's blood from a federal facility and then trying to work out a deal to work with that blood in New Jersey while being based out of New York. In this, both had to hand it to John Doe, when he went for something, he made sure it was big. They were greeted by the federal prosecutor who was the one technically in charge of the case.

"So… how goes your case?" the federal prosecutor asked of the Manhattan Deputy DA and his assistant.

"The case with John Doe stands as we discussed previously and you should have all the evidence needed for that," the Deputy DA spoke in reply, "and we will help present that case, as agreed."

So the gargoyles aren't going to support the case?" the federal prosecutor wondered.

"They support the case, and if requested to testify in it, they will come with the proper coordination," the Deputy DA answered, "but they're not going to provide extra security unless we can provide credible threat of danger to the court or to John Doe."

"But he could well pose a threat… for he does look like the same guy that managed to steal samples of the dragon's blood," the federal prosecutor warned, "and I've been assured that the security there was good. That would have to mean that this guy has friends that would support him…"

"Or a lone actor that just happens to be good at what he does," Jasper spoke up nervously, earning him glares from his boss and the federal prosecutor.

"That only makes him more dangerous," the federal prosecutor said nervously, "because it also means we have little knowledge on what skills he may have that we haven't already figured out."

The Deputy DA nodded in agreement, "agreed, sir… though they've also been burned by Margot Yale enough times that their cooperation with us on these sorts of things is only going to go as far as would be 'official,' and nothing more than that. Thus if there are games that John Doe is playing… they'd want to know what the game being played is."

"And at present we don't know that…" the federal prosecutor said slowly.

To Be Continued…