By morning, Brooklyn was still sleeping in the car because the motion and sound of the train was keeping him comforted. He slept until he changed to stone again.
During the day, there were some men who were homeless and were trying to get to a better place to live by hopping board the train car. They found the door open and closed it. It was a group of six older men that carried guns too. This wasn't good.
The men looked for any other stowaways on the car. They found a stone statue in the back, but they also saw the bag. What was in that?
They opened it up and the men were astounded at what they found. One hundred dollars and a lot of food and water! It was theirs for the taking! Brooklyn was helpless to defend it in his stone state. The men ate and drank the supplies like animals, with how hungry they were. They could use the money they had found too.
The train traveled all day and by evening, it pulled into St. Louis, Missouri. The men got out of the train car there and made off with the supplies. Now Brooklyn didn't have anything.
At sunset, Brooklyn awoke from his sleep and he found that his bag was gone. He got up and looked around the car. The train was stopped for the moment. His supplies were just… gone. "Great. I should have counted on somebody possibly taking my stuff." Brooklyn said regretfully. "I'll just have to get more on the way, depending on where I am."
Brooklyn hoped he was home, and he climbed out of the car. Looking around, he didn't recognize this place. It wasn't New York. Perhaps he had better climb back into the car and wait for it to move again.
"Hey! Get out of here, you freak!" He heard from some officers and he saw they had guns on them and he didn't want to risk getting shot again. He took off on all fours across the tracks and through some silent trains. The officers had driven him off the premises.
Brooklyn would find another way to get home, but first, he had to find out where he was. He still didn't know and he was supply-less. He would have to find some way to get food and water for himself. He wished he would have seen who took his stuff, but they were long gone by now. No point in looking. So much for Ted's help.
He needed to get to the air and perhaps find the entryway or exit into this town or city. He had to find out how far he had gotten. He saw a half-grown tree not far from where he was. He went over and climbed it, then launching into the air. He had to flap his wings a few times to make sure that he got airborne. The wind currents were a little weak that night.
As he was now high in the air, Brooklyn looked around and just like other cities and towns he had seen on his way home, this one was no exception to being absolutely stunning and beautiful. But this city had something else that made it stand out. He suddenly noticed the great big arch in the middle of it. What could that be for? There was also a river running through the city.
Brooklyn went to try to find a tourist attraction newsstand to find out where he was. He had a hunch about where he was, as he had seen an arch like this one in one of the cities on TV before. He needed to know if it was true.
He flew to a downtown area and found a newsstand and when no one was looking, he went out and grabbed a newspaper and a map that was there. He got back to an alley and making sure no one was around, he looked at the newspaper and it said St. Louis on the front. Brooklyn's hunch had been correct. He was on the border of Missouri. It meant he still had a few more states to go before he would make it home, but at least he was closer now than he had been.
He wanted to go see the famous arch of St. Louis. This would be a story he could tell the clan when he got back. At least on his journey home, there would be some exciting stories to tell. And he had met some people and made a few friends along the way.
Scott and Jason had been the most memorable so far, along with Melina, helping him escape from Ray's custody. Ted Baxter had helped him with the gunshot wound in his right thigh. They had all made sure he had food and drink supplies, but he lost them on the train ride from Denver. Sightseeing could only go on so long before he would need to replenish his supplies. But the city definitely had his attention at the moment. He couldn't help but want to see it some more.
Brooklyn got to a high building and jumped off to go see the high arch by the river. At least he wouldn't need a tram to get up and see it. New York had the Statue of Liberty and the World Trade Center, two giant buildings (before 2001).
He made it the 630 or so feet up high to the top of the Arch. With the lights on it, it sure was gorgeous at night. He had seen it on TV what it looked like during the day. It was so shocking he was seeing it for real. Maybe if he had another place to pick to live, it might be here. Surely even this city had its problems despite its great beauty and marvels. A gargoyle like Brooklyn could make a good living here as a protector. But he would need to find a place to live and hopefully find human allies. But it wouldn't be home without at least another gargoyle companion or so, and not without his clan. This was just a nice place to visit on his journey home.
Brooklyn got to see the Mississippi River down below, The Courthouse, and many other amazing attractions. He was used to seeing things from so high up in the air. But he probably should leave here before he was spotted. He took to the air again. There was still much more to see.
He had tucked his map of the city into his loincloth and he took it out to see what else might be good to see while things were still open possibly. He could watch from above. He saw there was a zoo in the middle of the city. That seemed interesting. He had seen some animals at New York's zoos but didn't go often.
He went to the zoo to check out the animal exhibits. Here, he didn't have to do what humans did to check in. He would be ultra-careful in a place like this. He didn't want to be mistaken for a loose animal or something.
He checked out the majority of the zoo's animal exhibits that night. Although he was fascinated by the animals that he saw there, he also couldn't help but feel a little sad for them, considering they had to live their lives behind cage bars. His hormones as of late had changed a bit more and he couldn't help that tears came to his eyes.
"I'm so sorry all of you have to live your lives like this, being caged up all the time." Brooklyn sobbed. He had no idea where the tears came from like this, but it was unusual. Maybe it was time he left the zoo so he would stop crying. There were other areas in the city to explore too.
He also wanted to go see the Botanical Gardens too. Surely, seeing flowers wouldn't stir up his hormones like that. He just wanted to see some peaceful places without any crime for a little while. Sometimes even fighting crime got old and needed a break. Even though Brooklyn was away from his clan, he wasn't going to stop protecting innocents if he saw them being bullied in any way.
He got to the gardens and looked around. It was gorgeous there. Lots of pretty flowers and plants growing about, it could be like living in a forest. There were labyrinths of paths to walk on, a large dome to go in, some ponds that were nicely decorated and such. Many nice places to be.
As it was closed to the public at the moment, at one point, Brooklyn had been so distracted with sightseeing that his stomach growled, wanting food. Well, it had been over a day since his last meal of any sort. But where to get something. It was well past midnight now.
As Brooklyn saw some of the water in the moonlight, it was actually making him thirsty too. He needed provisions. He walked along some more and he finally saw a water fountain. He ran to it and pressed the button on it. Some water came out of the faucet. Brooklyn let the water scoop into the bottom of his beak like the way a pelican picks up fish and water. The cold water was like heaven in his mouth.
"Hmm, if I could just find some food around this joint too," he said. He then looked at his map and saw there was a park not far from there. There wasn't much of anything around for him to climb to get enough height to get to the air. He continued to walk through the gardens, enjoying the scenery. Why waste the chance to see it all?
Brooklyn soon made it to the Tower Grove Park. There were some dining places alright, but they were closed at this late hour of the night. But he did see some food machines. Sadly, he didn't have any money to be able to get some out. He could just as easily break one open but that would be wrong. He would find a grocery store instead.
He finally saw a tree worthy of climbing to get to the air. He had to find a closed grocery store. He would need a new bag to put his supplies in.
He flew north to find a store. There was a City Greens Market store that he hadn't seen on the map, but it caught his attention. Brooklyn had to have some food.
Looking around, he climbed down to the front of the store and he found it locked. "Great. Of course." He muttered. Then he went to the back and gently broke in the back door. He caped his wings over his shoulders and he went inside. He was in a cooler first.
He saw some reusable bags lying around. One of those would have to do. He grabbed a big one and found the entry door to the store. His eyes widened at all the foods available. There were plenty of fruits and veggies ripe for the taking. But Brook knew that he couldn't fool around here. Police could have been notified of someone breaking inside.
Brooklyn got to work gathering up fruits and veggies that didn't need refrigeration. Those would have to be his food for now. Apples, bananas, grapes, carrots, turnips, oranges, cucumbers, bread, and eggs. He grabbed up several items. He also grabbed some water bottles too. He would need all of them. He would not let this bag get far from him if he had anything to do with it this time. But he would eventually find a backpack. They would be better off in something like that that he could put on his front.
He went back out the same way he went in and pushed the door closed. He was sorry he had to break in and steal, but with no money and not being able to go in in the daylight, what choice did he have? He had no human allies here, yet. He wasn't planning on staying long, just enjoying himself for a little while.
He went and found a place to sit down and eat some of the foods he had taken. They weren't as tantalizing as meat products were but they were better than nothing.
Brooklyn couldn't help but tear into the apples and carrots first. Then he ate the package of deviled eggs he had taken. Eggs were something that had to be refrigerated and he had to enjoy them now or they would get spoiled later. He opened a water bottle and downed more water. Then went on to the grapes and a banana. It was quite a delicious meal.
"Satisfied?" he asked his stomach as he sat back with a hand on it. Only little did he know that he was sharing his food with a little life inside him. He knew he had to move on.
Brooklyn knew that he needed to find a place to relax for a while. Some of the tiredness was catching up to him again, but this time, he didn't get nauseated for a change. That was nice.
He went to find a higher kind of building that didn't seem to be the kind that humans would frequently visit during the day. He wanted to make sure he would get rested enough again before he left St. Louis. And having the proper traveling bag too for his food and water needs. He would find a different store tomorrow night.
He found a real high building and sat on the edge of the building for a while just watching what traffic there was at such a late hour. The lights around the city made it seem more alive and gorgeous. The others would surely enjoy this too.
Brooklyn was really missing the others. He hoped to get home soon, before too long. When he grew bored of watching traffic, he moved away from the edge and using the bag as a pillow, he laid down to take a nap. He just had to have a nap every night lately and he normally never would unless he was really bored or injured.
Brooklyn still wondered what Ray could have placed inside him. He hadn't gotten nausea tonight and he enjoyed that, but whatever it was seemed to be having an impact on making him super tired at times too. He had been having cravings lately for some fruits and those eggs tonight too. He didn't want to think about it anymore right now and let himself drift off to sleep, hoping he would wake up in time before sunrise for him to get to his feet for the stone sleep pose.
…
Ray was keeping track of the length of the pregnancy even though he didn't have Brooklyn. The gargoyle would be just past his 8th week. The embryo would still be quite small, that he knew of. If the baby was growing too slow, he might even be able to add a growth accelerant, but he really didn't want the embryo tampered with. He wanted it to grow normally. But then, he wasn't aware of gargoyle babies grew in eggs for ten years usually.
But he had to get Brooklyn back before the baby got so big. He didn't want to miss out on the baby getting bigger. He truly hoped the pregnancy was in full swing by now. Only time would tell and if he found him.
Ray knew he needed to get back to New York. The gargoyle would likely show his face there at some point.
….
In New York, it had been well over three months since Brooklyn had been kidnapped.
The clan was missing him desperately but there was nothing they could do until there was an official lead. Elisa had even gone to see Dave and Bobbi by this time and asked them if they had seen Brooklyn. They said they hadn't seen him for a long time but still thought of him often. Elisa thanked them for their information. She told them to be on the lookout for him anyway and they said they would.
Even people down in the Labyrinth were happy to keep an eye for the red gargoyle if they would happen to see him. Some of the humans from down there even went up to the streets to have looks around in the daytime to see any chances of a stone statue that looked like him or would hear anything among the folks.
Malibu, Brook's clone, even felt he wanted to help, but Talon urgently said no. They didn't need to lose him too. He was the last real genetic link they had from Brooklyn at this point. But at least Malibu wasn't alone. The only female clone, Delilah, had chosen him to be her mate. That was another crush that had ruined Brooklyn's rep. All the female gargoyles here in New York, except Demona, were taken. It didn't count her. Brook would never go to her.
Angela had been with her mother several times and Demona didn't have the red male. She had made it that obvious by showing her all her hangouts. Goliath believed Angela's word. Demona hadn't been the one that had done this.
Could Thailog have done something? It was possible, but Thailog would surely make a ransom demand or something for Brooklyn. The big black clone of Goliath had faked his own death before. He was still out there somewhere.
But then, it could have just happened that scientists took Brooklyn in. Or the Quarrymen! No! But it all could have come down to there was a new enemy out there, biding their time to strike against the clan again if they already took their Second. If only Brooklyn could send word to them somehow.
Goliath was still angry at Brooklyn for going out that night alone that got him captured or killed. But he was still sad about it too. He had been pushing Brooklyn too hard before his disappearance. He felt it was his fault for making his Second want to go out on his own. But then, it might have been some of Brooklyn's loneliness that was at work too.
Goliath knew that his Second had longed for a mate. And every gargoyle girl they had come across always overlooked Brooklyn. If he couldn't have a gargoyle mate, maybe there was a human girl that he could settle for, when he found her, that is. There just weren't enough female gargoyles in New York to choose from. And others were in other parts of the world. Goliath was glad to have Elisa as his mate. It might not be traditional, but his former mate had betrayed him. He was glad that Angela and she could at least have a good strong bond as both friends and mother and daughter. Angela sometimes needed other female relationships too.
Xanatos had even went to Sevarius to check to make sure that he didn't have him. That might have been a mistake, but it had to be known. Gen-U-Tech didn't have Brooklyn, but if they knew what Brooklyn carried inside him at this moment, they would want him more than anything.
The clan had exhausted all leads that they knew of to find their missing clan member. They would hold out a little longer.
Goliath and Elisa were together at her apartment one night, having a date night on her night off. They got to talking.
"Goliath, if Brooklyn never comes home, who would you pick to be your new Second in Command?" Elisa asked.
"He'll come home, I'm sure of it." He replied.
"I hold out that hope too, but if he doesn't, what then?" she asked.
"I'm still holding out longer, but the more I think about it, Angela seems like the best choice. She just holds the same hopes that I do for the humans. Broadway is caught up in food a lot more, and Lexington is too driven toward technology to have strong leader qualities. Of course, Hudson is still just better as an advisor to us all now. His wisdom had brought me many decisions for the clan in hard situations. Brooklyn just showed the best promise of the Trio. I miss him." Goliath explained.
"I do too. Yes, Angela will make a fine choice if he never comes home. But we won't give up. Maybe we are just looking in the wrong places." Elisa said.
"Xanatos has been looking in other places around the world. There has been no sighting of Brooklyn, or a lone gargoyle anywhere, Elisa." Goliath stated.
"If he's not home in six months, or a year, maybe you should consider having a special funeral for him." Elisa suggested.
"We do have funerals for our kind when they die. Our own special kind. Usually a Wind Ceremony. But we just don't know what happened to him."
"We can only hope that Brooklyn gets away from whoever has him and comes home." Elisa said. He nodded in agreement and held her to him. If only they knew that Brooklyn was on his way home to his family.
….
Brooklyn woke up from his nap in St. Louis. He looked at the sky to try to guess the timing of it. His biological clock said it must be getting close to sunrise soon. But there was still plenty of darkness left. He yawned, stretched, and tried to get up.
As he was getting up, he felt a little jolt of pain go through his stomach. He put a hand to his belly. "Probably just a gas pocket or something," he shrugged it off. He slowly got to his feet. That helped. Maybe he was trying to get up too fast.
When he went to the edge of the building again, he saw the busy streetlight colors and he instantly thought he was home again but seeing the bag on the roof that had been his bed moments before reminded him he wasn't home yet. He was a little stiff from sleeping on that rooftop.
Well, he didn't have anything better to do at the moment, so he decided to just go and eat some more food for his dinner before sunrise. He knew he had to start rationing it again. Who knows when he would get another real meal in a home? He still a long way to go yet to travel.
Brooklyn enjoyed some cucumbers, turnips, and oranges this time. He also had water. He knew he needed meat too, but meat would spoil. He would have it when he could get it, if it was something small like a sandwich.
As he downed his water after finishing his food, light was beginning to light the horizon. The roof he was on seemed like a good one. It didn't look like humans would come up here to disturb him.
He sighed. "I wish I was home right now." Brook said. "What I wouldn't give for any of their company. Any of them." Some tears came to his eyes, thinking of his family.
As the light got more and more into the sky, Brooklyn put the straps of his bag on one of his legs and made sure to put a wing over it so direct sunlight wouldn't hit much hopefully as he leaned over in his daytime pose. He hoped his food would be good tomorrow night. If not, he'd have to find some fresh food.
The sunlight finally hit him, and he turned to stone.
I visited St. Louis many years ago. I wish I could have seen more sights back then. But it was only overnight to go to California the next morning.