A note from the Author of the Insane: This is an original chapter I wrote to try and further explain my character Willow. I hope you all enjoy!
…
In Manhattan, there are places that one does not visit for one simple reason: it's not safe. Even so, there are those who dare to venture there either because they have no choice, or they have something to hide. Then of course, there are those who are a combination of both, and one of these people was a young man by the name of Ryan Evans.
Ryan sat in his rather shabby home, pictures covering the walls of the living room. Each picture was of the same person, a girl with short blue hair and pale skin. A few more showed a girl of similar height and build, only with longer brown hair. Ryan looked at the pictures, stroking one like it was his lover.
"Wendy…" he whispered. "You will be mine again."
…
Willow slowly stretched, waking up after a long day's rest. As she fumbled around for her slippers, she could hear the sounds of cracking stone. Smiling, Willow grabbed her slippers and ran through the curtain, sliding into the main room of the clock tower as the gargoyles began to shed their stone skin. She watched from the door in the clock face as each gargoyle stretched and howled.
"Evening guys!" she called.
"Good evening Willow." Goliath called back as he and the clan headed inside. "It seems like us, you have just awoken."
Willow smoothed down her bright blue hair with her hands and straightened her pajama top.
"You guys are lucky." She said with a chuckle. "You wake up and you look fine. I'm a mere human who needs to spend half an hour in the bathroom to look good."
This got a small smile out of Goliath, and a chuckle out of Lexington and Broadway. Brooklyn, however, didn't even register the comment. He simply maneuvered past her and walked towards the corner of the clock tower, curling up into a little ball. Hudson shook his head at this.
"It's been two weeks and the lad is still unable to forget Maggie." He said sadly.
"He hasn't left the tower, he barely eats, and if he didn't turn to stone every day, I bet he wouldn't sleep." Willow added.
"I hate seeing him like this…" Lexington sighed.
Brooklyn ignored the clan's comments, turning over and facing the wall. Willow looked at him, then stroked her chin in thought. She then perked up, snapping her fingers as an idea began to form. She slid over to Broadway, whispering her plan into his ear. He smiled, then gave her a thumbs up, walking over to the fridge.
Willow quickly ran into her room, grabbing the first clean shirt she could find as well as some clean jeans and her favorite sneakers. Throwing them on as quickly as she could, then yanking a brush through her hair, she made her way back out. There, she saw Broadway standing in the kitchen holding an empty milk gallon. He had a very prominent milk mustache which he quickly wiped away.
"Broadway!" Willow exclaimed in mock anger. "I thought we talked about you drinking all the milk. And out of the jug no less."
"Sorry Willow." Broadway apologized. "I was thirsty."
Willow sighed, then turned to Brooklyn.
"Come one, tough guy." She said. "I need a lift to the grocery store."
Brooklyn looked up, then reluctantly stood. He shuffled over to the balcony as Willow grabbed her backpack, stuffing her gauntlet, wallet, and cellphone inside. Slinging it onto her shoulder, Willow slid over to Brooklyn, letting him scoop her up and glide into the night. Goliath watched them go, then turned to Broadway.
"Are you sure that you should have consumed that entire gallon in one sitting?" He asked.
Broadway didn't reply. Instead, he bolted for the restroom, slamming the door shut behind him. Lexington chuckled slightly, walking over to Goliath.
"The things we do for our clan." The green gargoyle let out.
…
On any other night, Willow would have thoroughly enjoyed flying with Brooklyn. Being up high above the city with the knowledge she was safe in his arms always brought her a great sense of happiness and joy. However, Brooklyn's dower mood put a damper on hers as well.
"Hey…" she said hesitantly. "Maybe on our way back to the tower, we can stop by that burger joint with the milkshakes we both like and get some."
Brooklyn shook his head.
"No thanks." he sighed. "I'm not in the mood."
Willow sighed as well, looking up at the mopey gargoyle.
"Brooklyn, I know you're still upset about what happened with Maggie." She began. "But you can't stay hung up on her forever. You need to move on. Get back that out there."
"You don't get it, Willow." Brooklyn told her. "Maggie was my one chance at a relationship…"
"Don't think like that." Willow chastised. "There are others out there. I'm sure you'll find someone one day."
Brooklyn shook his head.
"You said so yourself when we first met." He reminded her. "There aren't any other gargoyles in the world outside of our clan."
Willow looked down, her face turning slightly red as she spoke again.
"Well, there are humans." She suggested.
Brooklyn snorted in contempt.
"Yeah right." He grumbled. "What human would be interested in me?"
Every fiber of Willow's being wanted to scream 'I would' at the top of her lungs. She wanted to tell him that she was interested and had BEEN interested since the day they met. However, all she said was…
"You'd be surprised."
The rest of the flight was a bit uncomfortable, with both parties remaining silent. When Wilkin's Grocery finally came into view, Brooklyn landed across the street in one of the back alleys, setting Willow down.
"You think you can find your own way back to the tower?" he asked. "I'm just not up for this…"
Willow looked into Brooklyn's eyes, feeling as if she was drowning in the hurt and the heartbreak so very prevalent in them. Sighing in defeat, Willow nodded.
"Sure…" she muttered. "I'll catch a cab or something."
Brooklyn began climbing up the wall of one of the buildings, headed for the roof. Watching him go, Willow reached out for him.
"Brooklyn wait!" she called.
He stopped and turned to her. She opened her mouth to say it, say those words that she didn't have the courage to say earlier. However, they caught in her throat, and Willow turned away again.
"Never mind…" she muttered. "I'll see you back at the clock tower."
Brooklyn continued his climb, then jumped off into the night, disappearing. Willow watched him go, and once he was out of earshot, she kicked the wall of the alley as hard as she could.
"DAMNIT!" she screamed. "Why can't I just SAY IT?!"
She paced out of the alley, crossing the deserted street with her hands in the air.
"Brooklyn, I like you." She began. "I've liked you since the day we've met. At first, I thought it was just because you were my first friend in years, but I began to realize it was more. I don't feel for Broadway and Lexington the way I feel for you. You're special, and I- I-"
She stopped outside the store door and punched the wall angrily.
"Even when I'm not facing him, I can't say it!" she muttered angrily.
Frustrated and angry, Willow threw the door to the grocery store open, stomping in.
"Bad day?" Mr. Wilkins asked from behind the counter.
Willow scoffed, walking towards the dairy cooler.
"Don't even get me started." She muttered.
…
Sitting in an old car just around the corner from Wilkin's Grocery, Ryan sat in the driver's seat, a pair of binoculars in his hands. He watched as Willow stomped into the store, then lowered his binoculars with a strange smile.
"Finally." he hissed.
He turned on the car, pulling up until he was almost in front of the store, but still out of sight from the window. He then left the car to idle and waited.
…
Elisa slipped on her jacket, about to head out and call it a night. She shut down her computer, closing all the applications and files she had up on screen, all of them dealing with Xanatos. He was still clean, legally speaking, much to her frustration. Elisa could only hope that he would slip up, giving her the evidence she needed to lock him away for good.
As she went to grab her cellphone, it suddenly went off, blasting the song "Gotta Be Somebody" by Nickelback. It was the ringtone Elisa had given Willow, and she didn't even hesitate to answer.
"Hey there." She said. "Didn't expect a call from you. I was just about to head out."
"Oh good." Willow sighed. "You think you could stop by Wilkin's Grocery and pick me up? I need a ride back to the tower and there aren't any cabs in this part of town."
"Sure." Elisa replied, a bit confused. "What are you doing in that part of town without a gargoyle?"
"Getting milk." She answered. "It's a long story."
"Alright then." Elisa said. "You can tell me after I come get you."
"Sounds good." Willow replied. "I'll see you- GYAH!"
Willow's suddenly scream caught Elisa off guard and the police woman felt her heart fall into her stomach.
"Willow?" She called nervously.
In the background, Elisa could hear Willow fighting off some unknown attacker, her voice muffled by distance, and something else. Then, she heard a male voice cry out in pain before Willow began screaming again.
"LET ME GO YOU BAST-"
There was a sickening thud, then Willow fell silent. Elisa grew even more panicked.
"Willow?!"
There was the sound of a car trunk being opened and shut, then something stomped down on the phone with a loud crack as the line went dead.
"WILLOW!"
Elisa snapped her phone shut, running out of her work area and making a bee line for the elevator.
…
Brooklyn returned to the clock tower, landing on the balcony and slowly shuffling into the main area. Hudson looked up from his seat, peering at the red gargoyle curiously.
"Where's Willow, lad?" he asked.
"She said she'd find her own way back." Brooklyn replied, walking over to his corner.
"Meaning you ditched her." Lexington clarified.
Any other night, Brooklyn would have happily argued with his rookery brother, but tonight, he just shrugged.
"I guess…" he sighed. "Look, I appreciate you guys trying to cheer me up, but I just want to be left alone."
It was about that time that the trap door leading to the clock tower was flung open, startling the clan. Elisa ran in, a look of panic and worry on her face that the gargoyles had never seen before. Goliath was at her side in an instant.
"Elisa, what is it?" he questioned.
"It's Willow!" Elisa replied breathlessly. "She was attacked!"
Brooklyn's self-pity instantly evaporated, making room for sheer terror and shock. He turned to Elisa just as the other gargoyles gathered around her.
"What happened?" Goliath demanded.
"All I know is she was calling me from Wilkins Grocery looking for a ride, then she screamed." Elisa quickly explained. "I heard sounds of a scuffle, then the line went dead. What was she doing in that part of town without a gargoyle anyhow?"
The clan suddenly turned to Brooklyn, who shrunk under their hard gaze.
"I- I left her there." He sheepishly admitted. "She had her gauntlet. I thought she'd be okay-"
Broadway grabbed Brooklyn by his biceps, lifting the red gargoyle into the air.
"You weren't thinking at all!" he shouted. "You were just SO focused on your own feelings that you didn't even bother to think!"
Brooklyn drooped in the big gargoyle's arms shamefully. Every word Broadway said rang with truth, one he couldn't even begin to deny. Goliath quickly attempted to diffuse the situation.
"We don't have time for this." He told them. "What's done is done. Right now, we need to focus on making sure Willow is recovered safely."
With a growl, Broadway dropped Brooklyn, who crumbled to the ground in a ball of shame and self-disappointment.
"Hudson." Goliath called. "We'll need your tracking skills, and Bronx's nose as well."
"Then who will guard the tower?" He asked.
"Brooklyn will." Goliath replied, gesturing to the red gargoyle.
Brooklyn suddenly sat up.
"No." He insisted. "I caused this. I need to do something to help."
"I think you've done enough already." Lexington snarled.
With that, the Manhattan Clan made their way to the balcony, Goliath scooping up Elisa while Bronx was carried by Broadway. Brooklyn watched them take off, then kicked the wall angrily.
"Why do I keep doing this?!" he exclaimed, collapsing into a ball once more.
…
Willow slowly came to, her head pounding like a drum. She went to sit up, only to hit her head on something. Rubbing her even more sore head, she slowly turned to look up. Unfortunately, everything was dark, making it impossible to see. Without sight to rely on, she instead pushed her hands upward, feeling what felt like a metal lid.
"What the hell?" she muttered.
Whatever she was in suddenly jerked up and down, like a car going over a pothole. This analogy quickly brought things into perspective.
"I'm in a car trunk…" she whispered.
That's when it all came back to her. She remembered the attacker grabbing her from behind, fighting him off, and them getting his on the back of the head hard. Her heart fell into her stomach as a big knot of fear began to form.
"I've been kidnapped." She gasped.
If it had been anyone else in her situation, this would be the part where the screaming and banging futilely on the car trunk lid would begin. However, Willow was different. She wasn't some scared little girl. She was a member of the Manhattan clan. More than that, this was not the first time she had been kidnapped, and she knew that she couldn't afford to let fear cloud her judgement.
Forcing the almost crippling terror into the back of her mind, Willow tried to focus, feeling around the trunk for anything she could use as a weapon. Unfortunately, the trunk was completely empty save for a blanket that was draped over her, and a pillow under her head.
This confused Willow greatly. If someone was trying to kidnap her, why make sure she was comfortable locked in the trunk? For that matter, why wasn't she bound at all? Most kidnappers would bind their captives to ensure they wouldn't escape, but Willow was completely free.
She didn't have long to contemplate this, for soon, the car came to a stop. Thinking quickly, Willow got back into the position she had awoken in, pulling the blanket over her once more. She closed her eyes, pretending to be still knocked out and praying that whomever kidnapped her would fall for it.
She heard the car door open and shut, then footsteps coming towards her. She forced herself to remain as still as possible as her kidnapper opened the car trunk, the light of a faded street lamp illuminating the trunk.
"You can stop pretending, Wendy." A male voice told her. "I know what you look like when you're asleep and when you're faking."
The voice made Willow's blood run cold. Dropping all pretenses of courage, Willow slowly opened her eyes, gazing up at the one person she had hoped never to see again.
"R-Ryan?"
…
The clan landed in the alleyway right next to Wilkin's grocery. The second Goliath put her down, Elisa made her way onto the sidewalk, where she spotted Willow's cellphone on the ground, right next to a shattered gallon of milk. She picked up the broken phone, then walked back into the alley
"I found her phone." She muttered.
"Well, Bronx found this." Broadway replied.
The gargoyle dog held up Willow's backpack, covered in garbage stains and with one broken strap. From the open dumpster and the mess of trash strewn around it, Elisa could guess where he found it. Elisa took the backpack and opened it, dumping the contents on the ground. Willow's wallet fell out, as well as her gauntlet.
"Jalapeña." Lexington cursed.
"Poor lass probably never had the chance to arm herself." Hudson said with a sad sigh.
"Can Bronx get a scent off her stuff?" Elisa asked.
Bronx looked up at Elisa sadly, whining in disappointment.
"The smell of the dumpster had completely overtaken Willow's scent." Goliath explained. "We won't be able to find her using Bronx."
"Then what do we do?" Lexington asked.
"Simple." Elisa replied. "We do this my way. Finding people is my job after all."
Elisa leaned against the wall, her brow furrowed in concentration.
"Whoever took her, they had this planned out." She began. "They waited at the grocery store you guys frequent, got her alone, and didn't give enough time to arm herself. More than that, they made it so nobody could track her scent."
"Meaning that whoever took Willow knew that we would come looking for her." Hudson added. "And by we, I mean-"
"Gargoyles." Broadway finished. "Whoever took Willow knows about us."
"And who do we know that wants Willow, and has knowledge on Gargoyles?" Elisa asked.
Goliath's eyes began to glow angrily as his fists clenched.
"Xanatos…" he snarled.
…
Willow sat up slowly, her eyes never leaving Ryan's imposing figure. He looked like hell, with wild black hair, clothing that seemed to be covered in stains, and this wild look in his eyes that set her on edge.
"You remember who I am." He whispered, seemingly delighted.
"How could I forget?" Willow replied, her voice shaking with fear. "You stalked me for a year."
"Because I missed you." Ryan insisted. "I had to see you again."
Some of the fear gave way to anger, which Willow desperately seized as she pulled herself out of the trunk.
"I thought the restraining order against you would have made it clear that I didn't want to see you!" she snapped. "Why won't you just leave me alone?!"
Ryan put his hands up as if he was surrendering.
"I know they made you do that." He told her. "I know they've messed with your mind, just like they always do."
"Who's 'they'?" Willow demanded, still trying to sound braver than she was.
"The monsters." he explained. "The ones who held you captive for so long. I've been watching, waiting for the right time to free you, but they never left you alone. They only let you be once, after your leg was broken, but I couldn't get you away without risking hurting you more."
Willow's anger vanished, replaced with that same gut-wrenching fear.
"How did you know about me breaking my leg?" she whispered.
Ryan smiled.
"I've been watching you." He repeated. "Ever since I eluded them, I've been watching you, waiting for you to be mine again."
He said this with an almost maniacal undertone. Willow flexed the fingers of her right hand, wishing she had her gauntlet. Without it, she didn't have a single weapon.
Except…
Before Ryan could react, Willow spun on her toes, bringing her leg up and kicking Ryan square in the face. He stumbled back, clutching his nose, blood gushing through his fingers.
"What the HELL?!" he screamed.
Willow didn't wait around to answer. The second her foot touched the ground, she took off running down the street. Ryan turned in her direction, slamming the car trunk shut.
"You shouldn't have done that…" he snarled.
…
Owen sat in the security room, watching the monitors as he did every night. Usually, nothing occurred, but tonight, he saw the figures of the gargoyles flying towards the castle. He calmly stood, walking into Xanatos' office. The man looked up from a stack of papers he was working on, surprised to see Owen entering.
"Is something the matter?" he asked.
"It appears that the gargoyles are about to pay us a visit." Owen explained. "And they have Detective Maza with them."
"What about Willow?"
"I did not see her, or the one called Brooklyn among them."
Confused, yet curious, Xanatos gave a nod.
"Let them in." he ordered. "Let's see what they have to say."
Outside, the gargoyles landed in the courtyard, surprised to see the large doors leading inside wide open.
"It appears we're expected." Hudson surmised.
"Stay on guard." Goliath commanded as he set Elisa down. "Don't take any chances."
Everyone nodded in agreement, then they made their way inside. In the great hall, Xanatos leaned against the wall next to the fire place, Owen by his side.
"I must admit, this is an unexpected surprise." Xanatos said with a smile. "How can I be of service?"
Elisa stepped forward, considering she was probably the most level headed of the group at the moment.
"Where is she?" she demanded.
Xanatos raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"I'm afraid I don't understand the question." He told her. "Where is who?"
Broadway suddenly tossed something at Xanatos. He caught it and was surprised to see the gauntlet Willow had been using.
"Where is Willow?" Elisa demanded again.
Xanatos held the gauntlet in his hand, his smile fading.
"If this is your idea of a joke, I can assure you it is far from funny." He let out.
Goliath stomped forward, grabbing ahold of Xanatos and hoisting him into the air.
"Willow was taken from us earlier tonight while she was out getting supplies." He snarled. "We know you are responsible for her disappearance, so tell us where she is!"
Xanatos' eyes widened, and Goliath could see genuine fear in his eyes. However, this was not the fear of a man who had been caught. This was the same fear that Goliath had felt when he had returned to Castle Wyvern after the Massacre. Surprised, Goliath gently put him down.
"You are not responsible…" The gargoyle let out. "Are you?"
Xanatos shook his head, rubbing his forehead in worry.
"No." He answered. "In fact, I didn't even know she was missing. How did it happen?"
"We don't know." Lexington replied, catching onto the truth. "To be honest, you were our best lead."
"Understandable." Xanatos allowed. "Considering our history and the prevalent animosity between me and Willow, I can see why you would come to this conclusion. However, I can honestly say that I have nothing to do with this."
"Question is, if you did not take her, then who did?" Hudson asked.
"Maybe it was the Pack?" Broadway suggested,
"Can't be." Lexington supplied. "We would have heard from them by now. A ransom demand or something."
"What about that Macbeth character?" Elisa asked.
"No, his quarrel is with Demona, not us or Willow." Goliath countered.
"Then who else could it be?" Lexington asked.
"Yeah, it's not like there are a lot of people who believe in gargoyles." Broadway added.
At those words, Xanatos suddenly perked.
"Broadway, you're a genius." He declared.
Before Broadway could reply to the compliment, Xanatos turned to Owen.
"Owen, I need you to gather together Willow's personal file." He ordered. "All of it."
"Right away sir."
As Owen turned to walk away, Xanatos gave the gargoyles a positive look.
"I think I know who has Willow." He announced.
..
Brooklyn paced around the clock tower, his pity party done with and replaced with more anger than the hothead had ever dealt with before. He was angry at himself for leaving Willow alone. He was furious that he let himself get caught up in his own problems that he didn't even notice what was going on around him. He was pissed that someone had gone after Willow, and he was livid that he couldn't go after her. He was already in enough trouble, and if he left the clock tower after Goliath told him to stay, he probably wouldn't live to see another sunset.
As he continued pacing, he heard a strange ringing noise, like a cellphone going off. Confused, he followed it, until his foot accidentally kicked something. Bending down, he saw it was Elisa's cellphone. On the screen, it showed an incoming call, but the number wasn't recognized.
Not knowing what to expect, Brooklyn flipped the phone open, bringing it to his ear.
"Detective Maza's phone." He greeted.
"Brooklyn?! Jalapeña!"
Brooklyn recognized that voice, and that expletive, immediately.
"Willow?!"
"Brooklyn! Listen! I don't have much time! He's chasing me even now, but I managed to elude him, but he'll find me soon and I only had enough change in my pocket for a short call so-"
She was saying this so fast that it took Brooklyn a second to translate what she was saying.
"Willow, slow down." He insisted. "I can barely understand you. Where are you?"
"I'm in the slums, Southside as far as I can tell. I passed 12th street when I was running but-"
There was the sound of screeching tires in the background and Willow suddenly screamed. There was a clatter, as if Willow had dropped the phone, then fading footsteps. Brooklyn closed the phone, tucking it into the belt of his loincloth, heading straight for the balcony.
"Goliath can punish me for disobeying him later." He muttered to himself. "Right now, my friend need me."
…
Owen came back into the Great Hall after a few minutes, a fair-sized stack of papers in his hands. As he set them out on the table, Xanatos began to leaf through one, pulling out a single photo. It was a picture of a young man, one that looked like he had been through hell and back again.
"Before I adopted Willow, she was a young freshman named Wendy Rollins." He explained. "She was quite popular in school, drawing the attention of all the boys in her class. One such boy was a young man by the name of Ryan Evans."
Elisa recognized the name, and the photograph.
"I remember him." She recalled. "Born into a rough part of town with deadbeat parents. He ended up developing a split personality to combat his dangerous surroundings. On top of that, he also had a violent case of paranoid schizophrenia. I lost count of how many times I had to bring him in."
"Willow always had a soft spot for those in difficult situations." Xanatos added. "It's something I tried to take advantage of when I broke the curse on your clan Goliath."
The gargoyle snarled slightly at the comment. Xanatos took the hint and continued his tale.
"Willow befriended young Ryan and tried to get him cleaned up. For a while it appears it worked. Ryan's grades improved, he began taking his medicine, and generally getting a better grasp on his life."
"But then, Willow's parents were killed." Elisa added. "And to make things worse, she developed amnesia. She forgot everything and began to rebuild herself."
"She stopped being Wendy and started becoming Willow." Lexington surprised.
"Exactly." Xanatos told him. "Unfortunately, Ryan did not react well to her sudden change, as well as her inability to remember him. He reverted back to old habits and his psychoses came back. He became convinced that Willow had been taken from him… by monsters."
Suddenly, it all made sense to the gargoyles. If this Ryan character had taken Willow, his delusions of monsters would lead him to take such strange precautions.
"He started stalking her everywhere she went." Elisa stated, drawing the gargoyles' attention again. "Willow even put a restraining order on him, but it did little good. He even broke into the hotel room she was staying in after we took her into protective custody. By the time officers got inside, he was trying to drag her out the window. We arrested him on the spot, but as we dragged him off, he kept screaming that he would find her again."
"We took precautions to protect her." Xanatos finished. "She took self-defense courses, enrolled in an online high school… To be honest, part of my reason for waking you up was so she would have more protectors."
"Wait a minute." Lex interjected. "You said he was arrested, right Elisa?"
"I did, yes." She replied. "He was declared mentally unfit for trial and was sent to a mental institute. Of course, he may have been discharged or he could have escaped."
Elisa went to pull out her cellphone but was surprised to find it missing.
"My phone's gone." She announced.
"Maybe you dropped it back home." Broadway suggested.
"Feel free to use mine." Xanatos offered, holding out his cellphone.
Elisa took it, quickly dialing her partner.
"While Ryan is the most viable suspect at this point, I hope he's not responsible." she mumbled.
…
Brooklyn found the phone booth Willow had used surprisingly quickly. The phone was still hanging off the receiver and he could see tire marks on the road in front of it.
"Alright Brooklyn, remember what Hudson taught you about tracking." He said to himself.
He examined the tracks and figured out the general direction they were headed. Not wasting a second, Brooklyn climbed the phone booth and jumped into the air.
…
"Bad news." Elisa said after handing Xanatos his phone back. "I had Matt do a search on Ryan Evans. Turns out he was checked out by his grandmother a few months ago. After getting in contact with her, she explained that Ryan left home not long after. Nobody knows where he is or where he went."
"We do." Xanatos commented. "He clearly took Willow, and I fear what he plans to do with her."
"We need to find this Ryan, and soon." Goliath insisted.
"Ryan use to live in the slums down on the south side." Elisa recalled. "It's a long shot, but it just might be a place to start."
"Then we have no time to lose." Goliath said.
The clan and Elisa headed for the door. As they did, Xanatos caught Elisa's arm.
"Detective…" he let out, squeezing her arm in desperation. "Please find her in time."
Despite all the animosity she held for the man, Elisa recognized that pleading look. He may have been dirty, but he cared for Willow in his own way. Her gaze softened as she gently pulled her arm free.
"I will." She promised.
…
Willow ran down the empty street, rushing past old tenant buildings and closed shops. In the distance, she could hear Ryan's car coming her direction. Knowing it would soon turn the corner and find her, Willow dove into an alleyway, scrambling behind a dumpster seconds before headlights illuminated the street.
"Please just pass me by." She whispered, curling up in a ball and trying to become as small as possible. "Please just pass me by."
Luck was not in Willow's favor, for the car stopped right in front of the alleyway, cutting off Willow's exit. She could hear the car door opening, and Ryan's footsteps getting closer.
"Wendy!" He called out in a singsong voice, extending her name a couple syllables. "Come out, come out wherever you are!"
Willow looked to across the alley, hoping for any sort of weapon. Unfortunately, none was available. However, there was a door leading into what seemed to be a warehouse. From what she could tell, it wasn't locked. The question was, could she make it?
"Peekaboo!" Ryan suddenly shouted, appearing directly in front of her.
Willow let out a bloodcurdling scream, kicking at Ryan and connecting right between his legs. As the man slumped to the ground clutching himself, Willow vaulted over him, grabbing the warehouse door and throwing it open. As she disappeared into the darkness, Ryan slowly sat up, wincing in pain as he got to his feet.
"Wendy!" he called as he stumbled through the doors of the warehouse. "Come back! Please! I'm trying to help you!"
Willow, who was hiding behind a large stack of boxes near the rear of the warehouse, was quick to call back.
"Help me?! You kidnapped me!" she screamed. "You're insane!"
"I'm just trying to bring you back, Wendy!" Ryan insisted.
"I'm not Wendy!" Willow insisted. "I don't even know any Wendy!"
"They took you from me!" Ryan accused. "I know you're still in there! All I need to do is bring you out, then we can be together again!"
"I don't want to be with you!" Willow shouted. "You're sick, and delusional, and if anyone is the monster here, it's YOU!"
The entire time they were shouting at each other, Willow had been inching herself towards the door while Ryan made his way to the back of the warehouse. Willow could see the exit was clear and was gathering the courage to make a run for it. Unfortunately, she had just made a grave mistake with her last comment.
"What did you call me?"
Ryan's voice was strangely quiet, something that made Willow freeze. For some reason, this tone of voice seemed more dangerous.
"Wendy would never say something like that."
He began to chuckle, the sound grating against Willow's ears like nails on a chalkboard. Every fiber of her being was screaming at her to run, to hide, and to get as far away from Ryan as possible.
"I was too late, wasn't I? You're really gone. You're not my Wendy anymore…"
Willow bolted for the door, the sound of her footsteps drawing Ryan's attention. He barreled after her, tackling her to the ground.
"I'm sorry…" He told her. "I couldn't save you…"
He sat on top of her, holding her wrists above her head with one hand. She tried to pull away, but he was strong, much stronger than she had anticipated.
"But, I can free you…"
He reached into his pocket, pulling out a pocket knife. Willow's eyes widened, and she screamed loudly.
"SOMEBODY HELP ME!" she shrieked.
"There's nobody here but me." Ryan told her.
"Wrong."
Ryan suddenly froze, and Willow's eyes went wide.
"BROOKLYN!" she screamed.
The red gargoyle came barreling through the warehouse doors, grabbing Ryan and yanking him off Willow. His eyes were glowing so brightly that the rest of his frame was almost obscured by the light. Ryan's eyes were wide with terror as Brooklyn tossed him right into a pile of boxes, bringing them down on top of him. He then turned to Willow, the glow fading.
"You okay?" he asked.
Willow ran up to Brooklyn, throwing her arms around the gargoyle's neck and sobbing in utter relief. He hugged her tightly to him, wrapping his wings around her.
"Brooklyn…" she cried. "Thank God. I was so scared…"
She cried in his arms as Brooklyn hugged her, petting her hair.
"It's alright." He promised. "I'm here. You're safe now."
The sound of moving boxes drew their attention as Ryan pulled himself free of the mess. Brooklyn snared, his eyes regaining their feral glow as he gently released Willow stomping over to the man. He picked Ryan up again, claws bared and ready to strike.
"I could kill you right here and now." He snarled. "I could rip your throat out with my bare hands."
Ryan looked at the red gargoyle, his eyes wide with fear. He even looked like he had wet himself. Brooklyn snarled at him, then lowered his hand.
"But I won't." He declared. Because unlike you, I'm not a monster."
He tossed Ryan against the wall, causing him to bounce off it and land in a heap on the ground. Whether he was truly unconscious, or just playing possum to avoid death, Ryan didn't get back up. Brooklyn turned back to Willow, the last of the glow fading from his eyes. As he went to say something, Willow charged him, kissing the gargoyle full on the mouth. At first, Brooklyn was shocked, but soon relaxed into the kiss, wrapping his wings around Willow.
A sudden bang drew their attention as the clan came smashing through the walls of the warehouse. They looked ready to attack, until they saw Brooklyn holding Willow, and an unconscious Ryan on the ground. Willow smiled widely at them.
"Guys!" she cried out. "Elisa!"
Upon seeing Willow safe, they all sigh in relief approaching the two.
"Are you alright lass?" Hudson asked, looking her up and down.
"I am now, thanks to Brooklyn." She answered. "He came just in time."
"How did you know where to find her?" Elisa asked.
Brooklyn fished into his belt, pulling out the cellphone.
"You left this at the tower." He replied, holding it out.
Elisa took the cell as the gargoyles all patted Brooklyn on the back and hugged Willow. Goliath let out a small smile, one which quickly fell when he laid eyes on Ryan.
"What will we do with that one?" he asked.
The rest of the gargoyles turned to the fallen man, eyes full of anger and disgust. Elisa flipped open her phone, dialing Matt's number.
"Leave him to me." She told them.
…
The police arrived at the scene quickly. Willow told them the whole story, editing it slightly to it was where Elisa saved her rather than Brooklyn. Ryan was arrested, and with the amount of charges against him, Willow had no doubt that he would be locked away for good this time.
After getting cleared by the doctors and getting officially released, she climbed up to the clock tower a few minutes before sunset, heading straight for Brooklyn's perch.
"Willow." Brooklyn called as she sat down next to him. "How'd it go?"
"Ryan's getting sent to Riker's Island and they're throwing away the key." She said happily. "I never have to worry about him again."
She leaned against Brooklyn, who went to wrap his wing around her, but hesitated.
"Willow, I'm sorry." He told her.
"For what?"
"For ditching you like I did." He replied. "I never should have left you alone. If I hadn't been so wrapped up in my own problems-"
Willow put her finger against Brooklyn's mouth, shushing him.
"Brooklyn, you made up for that in spades." She assured him. "I forgave you the second you came barging through those doors."
She snuggled against him closing her eyes sleepily.
"Besides, I love you way too much to hold a grudge." She added.
Brooklyn looked down at Willow, a shocked look on his face, one that soon turned into a loving smile.
"I love you too Willow."
As he uttered these words, the sun came up, turning each gargoyle into stone. Elisa walked over to Willow, smiling at the sleeping girl and the frozen gargoyle.
"It's about time." she said with a smile.
She then scooped up Willow, carrying her inside as the sun continued to rise.
…
Ryan sat in the exercise room of Riker's island, watching all the inmates work out. As he did this, a rather large man came and sat down next to him.
"Hey there, newbie." He said, draping his arm over his shoulder.
Ryan turned to see this monster of a man glaring down at him like a piece of meat. His eyes widened, and he tried to get away, only for the brute to pin him with his arm.
"I have a message for you from an old cellmate of mine, Mr. Xanatos."
He pulled him closer, whispering into his ear.
"Nobody touched Willow Xanatos."
Ryan began to struggle in the brute's grip and the guy pulled out a shiv, Ryan's screams echoing through the prison.
