Train Yards

Manhattan

3:35 am

Brooklyn surveyed the battle ground with a measure of pride. The police were just starting to show up, and the two Captains already present with their group were helping to direct things as the 'civilians' began to back off.

Glasses and his men were already quietly dispersing, and the Mutates had headed back down to the tunnels, uncomfortable with being in contact with so many humans. The Clan and their vigilante allies all remained behind with the few officers that put their lives on the line to help gift wrap their captives.

Nightwing made his way over to Brooklyn, and held out his hand. "Nice work Brooklyn."

"Thanks…and thanks for the extra manpower," he said nodding to the two costumed men standing next to him.

"Yeah well Wally and I go way back, and he's been complaining about how bored he's been lately. And Tim here was just happy to get out of Bludhaven. He's been minding the store for me while I've been gone."

"Speaking of which what's with the old Robin costume?" Flash asked looking over Tim's choice of costume.

The young man shrugged. "Don't know. It's been awhile since I put this on…and well it just seemed appropriate at the time."

"Well thanks again. And here comes our ever grateful fanclub," Brooklyn chuckled quietly as his sharp hearing picked up the irate shouting of the Manhattan Police Chief.

"What do you mean you couldn't trust this information with anyone! Do you realize what kind of legalities you risked with this?" he was shouting at a calm looking Chavez.

"Do you realize what kind of casualties we would be facing right now if those guns actually hit the streets tonight like they were supposed to?" she countered evenly.

"And with those…those…"

"Gargoyles," Nightwing said firmly as he walked up to the Chief. "I don't think introductions are in order sir, as it appears you recognize us."

"And why didn't the JLA or the Titans inform us of what was going on?"

"Because none of them are aware of what was happening. I'm sure you are aware of the crisis that several of them are handling in Malaysia right now. The rest are either off-planet or busy trying to maintain some semblance of order in the Middle East. Chief I believe you understand the need for discretion, and bringing in a bunch of Leaguers would have only raised suspicions. Our guns may have gone missing before we had a chance to seize them."

"But there are protocols!"

"And I believe every officer involved, followed them to the best of their ability. Relax Chief. NYPD and NGPD just made the biggest weapons raid in history. You're about to be a very popular man."

The Chief looked ready to argue more, but Nightwing flashed him a winning smile and the man's anger seemed to deflate some as Nightwing's words began to sink in. "I still want to have a word with Maza. Where is she anyway?"

"She went to Pier 21 to stop the man that started this all," Bluestone answered from where he hung at the back of the group.

The Chief looked the group over, his eyes lingering on the Clan. "I don't like vigilantes in my City," he told them firmly.

Brooklyn smirked a bit. "Even if we're the reason this city's crime has fallen nearly fifty percent over the past five years?"

"There are laws that the citizens of this city must abide by. If I sit back and allow one group to start tossing those laws out the window then the next thing you know everyone will."

"Last time I checked, we weren't citizens," Brooklyn remarked with just enough ice in his tone to make the Chief squirm a bit.

The Chief was silent for a few minute as he stood and sized up the creatures before him. He was about to say something when two officers came over, and one held out a notepad with a pen.

"Hi Chief," the woman said with a nervous smile, then she looked at the group of viglantes. "Um hey guys I was wondering if maybe I could get your autographs…for me kids ya know. I hardly ever get to see them…and well they'd go nuts if they found out I was here and didn't get your autographs," she said sheepishly.

A few eyebrows went up, and there were several chuckles, before Brooklyn reached out and took the pen and pad and began signing. "You have kids?" he asked amazed.

"Yeah…two of 'em. My boy's name is Charlie and my daughter is Emily."

"And ye risked your life down here tonight?" Hudson asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, well, we've seen what those guns can do first hand too ya know. So I figured that if I didn't try and make a difference here and now….then what good would I be tomorrow night if these things got distributed," she told them honestly as she glanced a little anxiously at the Chief who was watching her closely.

"Officer, were you aware that this bust wasn't officially sanctioned?"

Faith cleared her throat and her younger partner stepped up as if to protect her. But she waved him back. "It's okay Bosco," she said pulling herself straight as she looked her superior in the eye. "Not at first sir. But I was appraised of that fact before the fighting began, and yeah, I did have second thoughts. But I took an oath sir. An oath to serve and protect this city….with my life if it was necessary. I have a hard enough time keeping my kids safe from all the other lunatics out there, and every day some nutjob comes up with a new way to kill people or break the law. These guns in the hands of those lunatics would have killed hundreds maybe even thousands. I was scared as hell tonight, but I wasn't about to let my babies grow up in the middle of some war zone sir."

Bosco smirked slightly, a proud look on his face as he watched his partner stand up to the Chief and defend her actions. Chavez and Lou were also hovering in the background, a silent look of approval in their eyes, and the rest of the group just stared in admiration and respect at the brave mother of two.

The silence stretched for long seconds and then the Chief just shook his head and snorted. "Great now I'm gonna have a bunch of cops with damn hero complexes. Don't think that because I let this slide I'm gonna let any of you get away with tossing the rule book out every time," he warned sternly.

"Yes sir," Yokus answered, a lopsided grin beginning to turn her lips up.

"All right, all right, everyone get out of here before the press shows up. Chavez, I want you and every other officer involved in this thing in my office nine a.m. tomorrow morning. No one is to talk to anyone until you talk to me is that understood?"

"Yes sir."

"Good. As for your little crew or clan or whatever the hell you call yourselves, I want to see you there as well."

"Sorry Chief, but we're stone during the day." The Chief stared at Brooklyn. "It's how we sleep," Brooklyn explained with a shrug.

"Fine, fine, then make it nine p.m.. I still want you in my office for a meeting. If your people want to serve and protect this city then your gonna do it the right way- even if it means I have to change a few rules around here. Now all of you get out of here and go home to your families or whatever."

"Yes sir," Nightwing grinned as he turned to the Clan, after handing Officer Yokus her notebook back. "I hate to run, but I need to get back to New Gotham."

"Aye lad, call us when ye get back tae tell us how everyone there has fared," Hudson said as he clasped forearms with the younger man.

"I hope everything went okay with Canmore. Tell Elisa we are forever in her debt."

"We will. Have a safe journey back home."

Nightwing turned to Flash. "You headin' back tonight?"

"Yeah, I have a date to keep or I'm in big trouble. I have to refuel and grab a nap if I'm going to stay awake enough to keep up a decent conversation."

Nightwing chuckled. "Alright then buddy, thanks for coming down."

"Just like old times. Call me if anything serious comes up….you know I'm always here for ya."

"I will." Nightwing turned to Robin and nodded. "You ready?"

"I've got the 'cycle parked a couple of blocks away." With a final farewell to the group, the three super-heroes took off.

"We'll meet you back home in a little while," Matt told Brooklyn quietly. "Call us if something comes up though."

"Got it." Turning to the few officers that had helped them Nightwing gave them his most winning smile. "Nice work tonight ladies and gentleman. I look forward to meeting all of you again under better circumstances. Have a good night."

Just Outside Manhattan

3:50 am

"Come on, come on…someone pick up," Dick grit out as he tried the Manor for the third time. It was a good thing he had decided to let Tim drive back, because the voice that finally came over the line would have caused him to wreck.

"Dick." It wasn't a question. Of course it wouldn't be with him. He knew everything.

"Bruce?" he gasped.

There was a long pause. "Did you stop the Wild Cards?"

Of course. The mission always came first. "Yeah….Elisa was taking care of Canmore, but I don't know how things went over there. Tim and I are on our way back home now."

"You have Tim with you?"

Dick almost smirked. Almost. "Yeah…we'll talk about that later. Have you heard from Babs?"

"She's here, along with Helena, Dinah and Detective Reese."

"Is she okay?" he asked hearing the careful control in his adoptive father's voice even over the comm line.

"They all sustained injuries, but Leslie is looking after them now. We'll see you in a couple of hours."

And then line went dead. Tim was looking over at him where he sat in the sidecar staring at his dead comm, a puzzled look on his face.

"Well?" he shouted over the noise of the motorcycle and wind.

"You'd never believe me," Dick answered back. "Just get us home."

Pier 15

Castle Wyvern

3:50 a.m.

Demona landed on in the courtyard, and glanced down at her unconscious passenger wondering if the human would even survive the injuries she had suffered at the hands of the Hunter. Xanatos set down beside her, and silently walked past her to enter the castle bearing Goliath's lifeless body in his arms. Demona cleared her throat puposfully and Xanatos looked back at her.

Nodding to Goliath's body she swallowed. "Perhaps we should find something to cover him. If we come across your son…" she said quietly. Xanatos blinked and she scowled. "I'm not as completely heartless as you all think me to be," she growled out.

Xanatos started to smile a tiny bit, but sadness quickly chased it away as Xanatos looked back towards the door. "They already know. Fox is making sure he's kept away from the infirmary."

Demona took it that he had called ahead to warn them of their arrival, and followed the billionaire inside and down through the stone corridors to where a medical team was waiting to receive Elisa. After handing the detective over to the doctors, Demona withdrew into a corner, next to the table where Goliath's body had been laid and covered.

As soon as she sat on the stool next to his body, the battle rush fled her body, leaving the immortal feeling as old as she was. It had been a long time since Demona had had experienced shock, but as tiny shivers began to set into her numb body, she was forced to accept that this night was one of her worst…and it was far from over.

She watched with an almost vacant expression as the doctors swarmed around Elisa, trying to save her, and realized that the human would be no help in breaking the news to the Clan- to Angela. "Xanatos."

"Yes?"

"The Clan….where are they?"

"Fox just informed me they are on their way back, they should be landing in a couple of minutes."

Clearing her throat, the proud warrior forced herself to shake off her body's betraying emotions and stood up. "I should be the one to tell them."

Xanatos nodded in agreement as he looked over to where Elisa lay. "For what it's worth, I'm glad you're here tonight Demona. Angela is going to need you now more than ever. There's nothing more we can do here, it's all in the doctor's hands now."

"And the detective's," Demona added, glancing back at the human that had been the focus of her anger and hatred for several years now. Elisa knew she was immortal. Why she had stood in the Hunter's line of fire and taken the bullets meant for her, Demona was still having a hard time processing that. Or the fact that the two had actually held each other's hand for long moments after Goliath had passed. As she turned to head back up to the courtyard, the indigo gargoyle shook her head and wondered for the first time in her own life if she really was loosing it.

Pier 15

Manhattan

3:55 am

An exhausted looking Tony Dracon looked up at the crimson gargoyle that landed next to where he stood. "Took you long enough to get here," he muttered, trying to suppress the bitterness in his voice.

"Yeah well you aren't exactly where you said you were gonna be," Brooklyn retorted crossing his arms.

"Yeah well the party is over here, so you can all go home now and I'll finish things up here."

"Gee don't be all sweet and mushy about it," Brooklyn said sarcastically.

Dracon sighed, yelled a few more commands to his crew and then turned to Goliath's Lieutenant. "Listen Brooklyn, it's been a long, bad night. I'm not gonna stand here and pick fights with you tonight ok? Just…go home."

Brooklyn paused, studying the mob boss's face and found something very disturbing there. "Where are Goliath and Elisa?" he asked quietly.

Despite his best efforts, Tony couldn't hide the quick flash of pain and sadness. Stepping close to Brooklyn, Dracon rested his hand on the gargoyle's shoulder, grateful that the rest of the Clan was hiding somewhere up on the rooftops out of earshot. "Things went down badly here Brooklyn. But no matter what happens now, Canmore was stopped and the guns are off the streets. At least we did what we came here to do. Now go get the rest of your Clan and get back to the Castle," Dracon told him quietly before stepping back and walking away his head bowed and his shoulders slumped.

Brooklyn was frozen in place as fear began to tightening his chest. A sick feeling began to form in his gut, and he forced himself to look slowly around the pier taking the carnage and devastation in for the first time. This battle had been far more brutal and considerably deadlier than the one they had fought down at the train yards. The body count was startling even for a seasoned warrior, and the scent of blood was everywhere….human and gargoyle.

Turning suddenly, Brooklyn leapt onto a truck, and launched himself into the air. He saw the rest of the Clan look at each other in confusion at his abrupt take-off, be his curtly gestured for them to follow, as he angled his wings for maximum speed back to the castle.

Castle Courtyard

Manhattan

4:10 am

Demona watched as Brooklyn practically skidded to a halt as he set down in a hurried landing, and drew himself up to stare at her warily. She said nothing, but realized he already had an idea of what was coming. The rest of the Clan landed several seconds after him, puzzled looks on their faces as they glanced between Demona, Brooklyn and Xanatos.

"What happened back there Brook?" Broadway asked.

"Mother?" Angela asked warily, as she took in her mother's bloodstained clothing.

There was a long silence, and then Brooklyn finally asked his unanswered question to the only one he knew would answer him. "Where are Goliath and Elisa?"

Demona cleared her suddenly dry throat. "Elisa received serious injuries. The doctors are performing surgery on her to try and save her life."

"Is father with her then?"

Demona locked eyes with Brooklyn, seeing that the younger male had gone completely still, as if bracing himself for her next words. He knew Goliath was dead. If it had just been Elisa that had been injured, Xanatos would have told them himself. But the man had remained grimly silent the entire time. Behind him, Hudson stiffened, and Demona found herself unable to meet the elder's gaze. Finally she looked at her daughter, and forced herself to speak the next words.

"I'm sorry Angela, but your father was killed in the battle tonight," she told the young woman in a strangled voice that sounded nothing like her own.

Shocked silence settled over the small group, and Broadway reached out to steady his mate as she swayed. "Wh- what?" she whispered in disbelief.

"A crane collapsed during the fight, and he was buried under the debris," Demona forced herself to explain shortly. "We dug him out, but it was too late…..his injuries were too severe."

"No," Angela whispered, as she stared numbly at her mother.

Tears welled in Demona's own eyes, and she silently cursed herself for being weak in front of the Clan. But as she watched her only daughter sink to her knees in grief, as she knelt next to her and held the girl's shaking body to hers, as she listened to her sobs of pain and loss, Demona felt a small piece of her own heart break.

Or perhaps it was the first piece of stone to break off of her heart.

Wayne Manor

New Gotham

6:00 a.m.

Jesse Reese woke with a start as his cell phone broke through the disturbing dreams he had been having. Almost gratefully he pulled it out of his pocket and answered it, vaguely aware that Barbara and Helena had both been awakened by the noise.

"Reese," he croaked out.

"Sorry ta wake ye lad."

"Hudson! No it's okay, I had to get up soon anyway. We've been waiting to hear from you guys," he told the older gargoyle as he squinted at the clock. He could sense both women listening intently to the conversation now.

"Aye lad, I'm sorry I did nae call ye earlier. How did things go on yuir end?"

"We stopped them," Reese answered in a frustrated sigh. "But we lost several metas, and the girls are pretty roughed up. Dinah's been in a coma after she went on overload knocking everyone out cold with her gift."

"I'm sorry ta hear that lad," Hudson sighed, but Reese could hear a heaviness behind that sigh.

"What happened Hudson?" he asked quietly.

"We won our battle as well. But…" there was a long pause and then a throat clearing. "Elisa's still in surgery, and the doctors aren't sure if she'll live. The lass received some devastating injuries, and they're afraid she may loose her will ta fight now that…."

Reese swallowed hard as he heard the gargoyle struggle to say the next words. "Now that Goliath is dead."

In the darkness, he heard Helena's sharp intake of air and Barbara's softly spoken question. "Goliath was killed?" Reese asked dejectedly, silently echoing Barbara's gasp of dismay.

"Aye. I…we're about to sleep for the day and I just thought ye should know."

"God Hudson, I'm so sorry. Is there anything we can do?"

"Elisa's parents are on their way in, her brother is here right now, and ye have yuir own troubles to worry about lad. But thank you for the concern."

"Hudson, please keep us updated. We'd like to know what happens…one way or another."

"We will lad. I'll call ye tonight after we find out her status."

"Thanks Hudson…and please give Elisa's family and the rest of the Clan our sympathies."

"Thank ye Detective."

The line went dead and Reese stared at his phone in the dark for several stunned minutes. Goliath was dead and Elisa was barely clinging to life. Jesus, this whole situation just sucked.

"Jesse?" Helena finally asked in the darkness

"We'll know more tonight when the Clan wakes up. He said that they won the fight, but Elisa was hurt badly. She's in surgery and the doctors don't know if she'll make it. I don't know anything more than Goliath was killed in the fight. Hudson was pretty broken up, I didn't want to ask any more questions," he said quietly.

Silence settle over the room for several long minutes. "Before this all went down, Elisa and I swore to each other that we would see this thing through to the end…no matter what the cost. Too much…too many lives were at stake. Did you know that the whole area had been rigged with explosives?" he asked flatly.

"The tunnels that you blew up right?" Helena answered hesitantly.

Reese shook his head in the darkness, staring at nothing. "No. The whole area. We rigged the warehouses first, then the docks and yards, and finally the tunnels. If we lost control of the fight, one of us was going to see to it that the whole damn area was turned into a crater before Quinn got away."

"Dear God Reese," Barbara whispered, realizing for the first time, just how far the two officers had been willing to go to ensure the safety of countless others.

"Dracon was going to see to it that his right hand man did the same thing in Manhattan, but none of us had expected the second shipment. Elisa knew she had to get on that boat, but when we parted, it was like she was saying goodbye for the last time. She never expected to survive tonight," he told them in a shaky whisper.

"But she did, and now the one thing she was trying the most to protect, is gone," Helena added mournfully. Neither Reese or Barbara needed her vision to know that a haunted look was filling her eyes as she remembered her own painful past.

"The saddest thing about this, is people will never know the whole truth. They'll never know about the real sacrifices that were made tonight. In a few weeks, everything will return to normal and people will have forgotten what happened," Reese remarked bitterly.

In the darkness, Barbara and Helena let out rueful snorts in unison. "Welcome to our world Reese," Barbara told him tiredly.

The injured crime-fighter licked her lower lip, having accidentally split the healing tissue when she spoke. "On nights like this, even we wonder if it was really worth the risk and the pain."

"How do you cope with it?"

Helena smirked wryly. "Obviously we don't always do such a good job with it," she responded, hinting at the past year's fallout. "Sometimes it takes a friend to slap you out of your funk," the brunette said the smile on her face evident in her tone. "Other times, all it takes is going up to the rooftop and looking out over the city…your city. It's still there, blissfully ignorant, because you're the one who makes the difference. You're the one who protects it night after night so that all those forgetful people can sleep easier at night."

Reese was quiet for a minute as he pondered that. "We live in the shadows so that the rest of the world can have more light."

Barbara's lips turned upwards slightly, despite the discomfort, and nodded. "Something like that," she agreed.

Helena's head suddenly lifted. "Dick's back….and there's some one with him," she announced as her sensitive hearing picked up the approaching footsteps.

Sewer Tunnels Beneath the Train Yards

Manhattan

6:00 am

Claw signaled to Glasses that the explosive had been safely disarmed and the darker man nodded in approval. The silent mutate gestured to the ceiling, asking if there were any more.

"That was the last device. Thank you for assisting us in their removal."

The mutate gave the man a look that caused Glasses lips to turn up slightly. Once Claw spotted the first device hidden in a ventilation tube just before they surface, Glasses had made it quite clear that he wasn't to warn the others about the bombs.

"I apologize for being so…adamant about you not telling anyone else about these earlier," Dracon's Lieutenant said sincerely. "But they were a last resort measure that Mr. Dracon and Detective Maza felt necessary. Both agreed that none of the others here would have willingly allowed such an extreme measure to be set in place."

Claw was a bit surprised to hear that Elisa had been one of the people to insist on their placement, but even before Glasses explanation he had to agree with the logic of having the bombs there as a last resort. Looking down at his watch, Claw sighed and jerked a thumb over his shoulder in the general direction of where he lived and then mimicked being chewed out by Talon.

"I'm surprised he hasn't come hunting for you already, given my corrupting influence," Glasses chuckled quietly. He held out a meaty hand, and gripped the mutate's clawed hand fearlessly. "It was a pleasure doing business with you Claw. I'm sure we'll being running into each other again in the future."

The tiger mutate held up one finger, and cut the air with the other signaling that once was enough…even if it wasn't all that bad. The shaking of his shoulders in silent laughter, gave away the sincerity of his gesture, and Glasses chuckled before gesturing down the tunnel. "Get out of here before Talon shows up with a posse, and decides the truce is over."

Claw waved farewell and then disappeared down the dark tunnel.

Castle Wyvern

Manhattan

6:15 am

Brooklyn back as Hudson lumbered up the stairs to the top parapet where he stood. Goliath's tower. Brooklyn looked back out over the city, which was now eerily silent, and cleared his throat. "You contacted our allies in New Gotham?"

"Aye. They fared about as equally as us it would seem. Several of those who volunteered were killed, and the three lasses were all injured. Reese says young Dinah is in a coma."

Brooklyn sighed heavily and closed his eyes as he ran a talon through his white mane. "What am I gonna do now Hudson? The Clan has lost it's leader, Angela's lost her father and quite possibly her best friend now."

"Don't give up on Elisa lad. She's been through worse and pulled through."

"Yeah, but she had a reason to fight," Brooklyn said quietly. "I may have been Second Hudson, but Elisa was as much my equal if not more."

"Aye the lass has helped up to find our place in this world, and has guided even your father through much since we woke," Hudson acknowledged.

"It's hard enough to loose our Leader, but if Elisa dies too….." Brooklyn swallowed against the lump of fear that rose in his throat at that thought.

Hudson rested a reassuring hand on Brooklyn's shoulder. "Brooklyn, there's nothing ye can gain from worrying about such matters until they come ta pass. Right now, Elisa's alive and in the care o' the best doctors in the world. Goliath chose ye fer a reason lad, and tonight ye have proved that your more than ready ta lead us. We'll get through this like we have any other trial….as a Clan."

Brooklyn was quiet for a little while longer before looking over at the elder. "I spoke with Demona a little while ago," he began quietly. Hudson quirked an aged eyebrow. It was no secret that Demona and Brooklyn held a special animosity for each other. The fact that Brooklyn hadn't kicked her off the castle wall the moment he had seen her, spoke a great deal of how much he had matured in the last couple of years.

"I told her she was welcome to stay for as long as Angela needed her…I even volunteered to speak to Xanatos about giving her a room," Brooklyn told the older gargoyle hesitantly.

Both eyebrows were now raised now, and Hudson actually smiled at the younger male. "That was very thoughtful of ye lad…and very noble of ye as well."

"I still loathe her for what she tried to do to me…did to me….but…." the crimson gargoyle sighed. "I'm tired of fighting….tired of hating. Goliath knew she was sneaking off to see her mother at least twice a week, and I asked him why he didn't stop her. He told me it was because he knew it was the one joy Demona had in her life right now, and he couldn't take that away from her. I thought about what he said that night, and realized that if I really put myself in Demona's position, I don't think I would have fared any better. Angela's been a good influence on her, and that's been apparent to all of us. But now with his death….I made the offer for both of them," Brooklyn explained.

Hudson nodded in understanding. "Ye hope to keep her close to the Clan and keep an eye on her. A wise choice indeed lad," Hudson complimented.

"Don't know what good it will do, but…she just felt different tonight. It was like all the hostility had fled, and she seemed uncertain of what to do."

"I noticed that myself. Only the coming days will tell us just how Goliath's passing will affect her."

Brooklyn gave the slightly lightening horizon a final glance and then turned away from the city. 'I want to check on Elisa's progress before dawn."

Hudson nodded and the two made their way down into the depths of the castle. As they approached the infirmary, they heard raised voices, and rushed towards the growing argument when they realized who the voices belonged to.

"If you knew where my sister was why didn't you get over there quicker!" Derek Maza aka Talon was yelling at Xanatos.

"Your sister was supposed to be at another location remember! I was on my way to where she was supposed to be when I had to change course when I realized the gunfire was coming from another location!"

Brooklyn paused for a minute, realizing he had never seen the billionaire lose his calm before. Not once. But right now, the dark haired man was toe to toe with the panther mutate, yelling as loudly as he as being yelled at, his face an unnatural color of red.

"Leave my daddy alone, he didn't know anything!" a child's voice screamed, and Brooklyn moved to intercept the boy as he ran to his father's defense.

Brooklyn noticed Alex's eyes were red and swollen from crying, his small chest still jumping from grief induced hiccups. What concerned the gargoyle the most was the green glow beginning to eminate around the toddler. That was never a good sign.

"Shhhh….easy Alex. It's ok," Brooklyn soothed, wrapping his arms around the child as he squirmed in his grip for a moment.

" 'Liath's dead," the boy sniffled. "It wasn't our fault," he whispered, his large eyes blinking slowly as tears began to spill.

"No Alex, it isn't anyone's fault," Brooklyn said quietly, though his stern look caused Derek to back down. Fox came in, her own normally beautiful features haggard by exhaustion and grief as well. The gargoyle hugged the child one last time, before passing him over to his mother who left the room wordlessly.

As soon as they were out of range, Brooklyn fixed Talon with a cold glare. "your sister is laying on the other side of that door being worked on by the best doctors in the world and you pick a fight with the man that is helping to save her life?"

Talon folded his arms and glared right back. "Oh I get it. Just because he throws his money around for some good every now and them I'm just supposed to forgive him for what he did to us?"

Xanatos let out an exasperated sigh. "Look Derek, I told you and Elisa I don't know how many times that I regret what I did and that if I could reverse your change I would. I made some bad choices getting where I am today, but that doesn't mean I'm still that same man. If I was, I wouldn't have even bothered to check on the others once things were taken care of here."

"Derek, none of us expect you two to be buddies here. But this is his home and those are his doctors- you will show him respect for at least that much. If that's too much to ask then you can leave," Brooklyn stated firmly as he drew himself up to assert his new authority.

Derek held his gaze for a moment longer before abruptly spinning away and stalked over to a nearby couch with a huffed 'whatever'. Brooklyn let out a breath he didn't know he was holding and then nodded for Xanatos to join him as he headed down the hallway away from the infirmary.

After they were several corridors away, he glanced over at the human, noticing a troubled look on the man's features. "Don't let him get to you. He's just worked up because his sister is hurt."

Xanatos raised an eyebrow at him, and then chuckled quietly. "If you're having any doubts about your new role, don't," the billionaire told him confidently. "I apologize for my behavior, I know it's been a long hard night for everyone and I know that it's not easy for you being thrust into leadership under such circumstances. My actions only made it more difficult back there-"

Brooklyn waved him quiet. "Don't worry about it. Besides, now I know it is possible to ruffle your feathers," Brooklyn told him with a smirk before he sobered. "How is she?"

Xanatos stared straight ahead again and shrugged. "Pretty bad. I showed up too late to do anything more than stop her from killing Canmore while he was unarmed. Over the course of the night she's been cut, stabbed, shot and beaten. The doctor came out just a short while ago and said that she has so many internal injuries it's a wonder she didn't bleed to death before we got her here. As it is, she'll most likely lose sight in her left eye, and will be laid up for several months recovering."

Hudson snorted from where he was limping behind the two. "Why do I doubt that?"

Brooklyn and Xanatos smiled briefly, knowing Elisa's tenacity and her unwillingness to stay bedridden for long. "You may not have been able to save Goliath tonight, but you saved Elisa…in the best way possible."

"It wasn't just me," Xanatos admitted, a puzzled look lowering his brows. "Demona was there too. I was closer to Canmore, so I knocked him down as she tried to fire. Demona was the one who actually moved to stop Elisa." The billionaire paused and looked at the two gargoyles. "Something big happened down there tonight, and I can only hope that it was for the best. I say this because I know how much you two don't get along-."

Brooklyn raised his hand cutting the man off. "I noticed it too. That's what I wanted to talk to you about actually. I have offered for Demona to stay for as long as Angela needs her. I was also wondering if you could see to it that one of the guest suites was made ready for her."

Xanatos blinked, clearing surprised by the gargoyle's request. "Of course," he finally answered, slipping into his business mode once more. "I'll have Owen see to it right away. You of course realize that I must limit her access to the Castle however. I can't have the CEO of my biggest competetor just running around my offices downstairs."

Brooklyn managed a small grin. "I'm sure Ms. Destiny would understand that single request."

"Well it's nearly sunrise, and I should see to my family before I go back to meet Mr. And Mrs. Maza."

"Please give them our regards," Brooklyn said as he nodded goodnight to the human.