The next evening, Brooklyn awoke and he saw his bag was still with him. He opened up the bag to check on his food. It was warm in there. He sat down to have some food. Shortly after, he carried his bag to go explore more of the city, maybe go see a movie or something. He still wanted to be able to enjoy them.
Meanwhile, a little distance away, at a bank, a bank teller was staying later than usual at her job. She had had lots of paperwork that had to get done before she could leave for the day.
She was a young woman at age 25, nearly Elisa's age. She had curly brown hair that went down past her shoulders a little bit, that was in a bun, had green eyes, and wore a navy business suit. She stood about 5'5. She had some nice black shoes but not high heels or anything. Her name was Elaine Gettys.
Elaine was the last one to leave every night. She just had the biggest job and locking up the bank for the evenings. She had a professional demeanor about her but she could be understanding of people's situations too. She tried to be charismatic to ones she served.
It was already dark out and Elaine was starting to go for her blue car across the parking lot when a gang of seven punks were outside the door.
"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" A tall blonde boy said.
Elaine tensed up. "Go away." She declared to him, if nervously.
"Why, we have a pretty young thing that needs to go out with us for tonight." A black haired one sneered.
"I don't want to go anywhere with you creeps. Now back off or I'll call the cops." Elaine warned them.
"Oooh! The police! Very scary! Not!" A third one mocked her.
The boys surrounded her. They began to grab at her. "Get out of here! Leave me alone!" Elaine tried to use her words first, but the boys kept grabbing at her, for her purse and her clothes.
"She's so gorgeous. Wonder what she looks like under all those clothes." The leader sneered.
Elaine's arms were restrained after her purse was taken from her. She kicked one in the shin. Then she was slapped in the face for that by another. "She needs to be taught some manners." A redhead proclaimed. He began to grab at her shirt.
Elaine didn't like this one bit. It scared her and she screamed. "Shut up, B-!" The man put a hand over her mouth as she continued to struggle in their arms.
From above, Brooklyn had heard a scream below. It was a woman's scream. He knew that that was a way that his kind often got lured into traps, but this wasn't New York. He might have been alone but he wasn't going to let the girl get hurt. He turned to the sound of her voice. He heard her again.
When he landed on a bank rooftop quietly, he put the bag aside and he saw the gang of seven men trying to hurt and rape her. He wasn't going to stand for that! He made his move. He landed behind the bank first. He laid his bag by the wall.
"You punks should let the lady go." Brooklyn declared in a firm voice.
The men heard the voice and looked but saw no one behind them. "She's ours. Go away!"
"Then perhaps you'd like to take me on? I won't let you hurt her." Brooklyn declared.
"Oh, we'll take you out just as we can her!" One decreed. "Take care of the hero man!"
A few turned to deal with the newcomer, then out of the shadows, stepped a red figure with red skin and white glowing eyes, growling. He had wings too. The men suddenly froze up and whimpered.
"Uh, Skuz…" One of the boys whimpered.
"I said let the lady go!" Brooklyn looked as fierce as he could. He advanced on the men. They had their weapons at the ready.
The other men were still trying to harm Elaine. Her cries were silenced with a hand over her mouth as she still struggled. The men were playing and touching her in the way she didn't want to be.
The other men charged at Brooklyn and he punched one outright, knocking him out. Another he threw into the wall, knocking him out. The other tried to take a knife to him, but Brook caught him by the shirt. He held him up and snarled at him. "You ever do this again; I'll gut you myself!"
The man nodded and Brooklyn threw him away too, making him get up and run away screaming. The others turned and had their attention at the strange creature before them. Elaine saw him too and she was in fear.
"Leave us alone, Devil!" The men were starting to quake in fear.
"Let the lady go." Brooklyn ordered.
"No way! She's ours!" the leader shouted back at her. "Get him!"
The others all attacked him, but Brooklyn made short work of them with his tail, wings, and scary looks alone. But one made a swipe at him with a knife and he cut his left arm but that was nothing. The men were made short work of. The leader however, still held Elaine by the arms.
"Let me go!" she screamed. Then she stepped on the man's foot. She ran for her car. The door was locked.
The leader knew he had to beat this creature before he could get the girl for himself. He took out a gun that he had on him and he took aim. Brooklyn saw him and he jumped over to him so fast that he grabbed the man's arm and snarling at him, raised the gun and it went off in the air.
"You ever come around here to harm her again or anyone else, I'll kill you myself!" Brooklyn snarled.
The man got a scared look and he said nothing as Brooklyn tossed him into a wall of the building.
From over by her car, Elaine had watched the creature defend her honor. She had tears in her eyes. Her clothes were in tatters and open. She tried to close her shirt back up. This was a scary night so far. She saw the creature make short work of those men. They were all unconscious, those that remained there.
"Call the police." Brooklyn declared. He suddenly had a wave of dizziness and some nausea. He also saw some of the blood on his arm. But the dizziness sent him downward.
Elaine took out her phone when she saw the creature then collapse. This guy had just saved her life. Was she going to desert him or help him? She went over cautiously to the creature. She knew police wouldn't take kindly to such a creature, whatever he was.
He looked like a demon to just look at him, but he hadn't done what those men were trying to. She had to get him to her car. She found her keys and unlocked the passenger door. She then went over to him again and tried to wake him up.
"Uh, Mister? Can you hear me?" Elaine asked. She shook him gently.
It didn't take long for Brooklyn to come out of it. He awoke. "Hmm? What happened?" he asked.
"You saved me and then you fainted. Police will be coming shortly. Come, they likely wouldn't like seeing you. I want to say thanks too." Elaine declared. "Come on, I'll help you up."
She took his right arm and tried to help pull Brooklyn to his feet. He held his head. She helped him walk to her car. "I don't know how you are going to fit in there," she said.
"I can fit." He replied. "Wait. I have a bag of food around that corner." He stated, remembering it. He wrapped his wings around his shoulders as he climbed into her car.
Sirens were heard coming. "I have to get you out of here." Elaine stated.
"Please, get my bag." Brooklyn said. Elaine reluctantly ran back at where he said it would be. She found it and brought it to her car. "Here's your bag. It'll be in the backseat." She put it in the back. She also got a blanket out of the back. "Here, put this on over you. I have to take a statement as the police arrive to put these punks away."
"Okay," Brooklyn held his head, still feeling dizzy. There had just been something about that situation that brought it on for some reason.
Police soon showed up and they put cuffs on the men. One had escaped but the rest were there. They saw that the woman was all in tattered clothes. Elaine explained to them that a creature had saved her and it ran off after. She was most grateful to Brooklyn even though she didn't even know his name yet.
After the statement, she came back to the car and she was able to go home. Brook was finally able to pull the blanket from over his head. "At least it's over." He said.
"Yeah, but you don't get over something like that so easily," Elaine sniffled.
"Hey, it'll be okay. I won't let them hurt you." Brook declared, trying to be supportive. In a way, he knew what she was going through, when he had been kidnapped.
"Thanks, whatever you are."
"I'm a gargoyle. My name's Brooklyn." He stated.
"Elaine. Elaine Gettys." She replied.
"Nice to meet you. What were they wanting with you anyway?" he asked.
"Just some street punks that might have looked to rob the bank after I left. They've been stirring up trouble around these parts for months now." Elaine explained. "Those were just a few of their members."
"You mean there's more of those bad guys?" Brook asked.
"Yes. But what happened to you after the fight?" she asked.
"Dizziness and nausea took me down. Exhaustion took over for some reason. I'm not normally like that. I've been having some health concerns for a while now since my escape."
"Escape?" Elaine questioned.
"I was kidnapped from my home in New York a few months ago. I was taken to Nevada and I was helped to escape a crazed loony who wanted to do experiments on me." Brooklyn explained.
"Sorry to hear that." Elaine replied. In a way, this gargoyle knew what had happened back there. Then, something caught her eye on his arm under a streetlight they passed under. "Oh my, are you bleeding?"
"Hm?"
"Your arm there." She pointed.
Brooklyn looked at his arm and saw there was indeed blood on it. "Got it in the fight with the one who had a knife. It's nothing. It'll be fine."
"Knife wounds are no laughing matter!" Elaine said firmly. "I have a First-Aid Kit at home."
When she pulled into her driveway and parked the car, then got Brooklyn out of her car, Elaine led him inside her house. He had regained his senses by now, though a slight dizziness lingered.
Elaine took him to her bathroom where the kit was. She washed off the wound first and it stung for Brook. He winced but let her help him. It was a little deep.
"This might need stitches." Elaine pondered.
"That won't be necessary. It'll heal in the morning." Brooklyn said. "I'll be fine. Just bandages will do fine."
Elaine finished cleaning the wound, then put some gauze over it, having him hold it down while she applied wrapping around it. The wound had only gone over the top part of his arm. This was his second wound in less than a week. But he took injuries all the time when he was helping defend the innocent.
"You did a good job. Thanks." He said.
"Welcome." She replied.
She then led him to her living room. He was allowed to sit down on her couch. He was walking normal now. He saw the TV set and VCR. Then he looked up at her.
"I need to go change my clothes, if you'll excuse me, Brooklyn." Elaine said.
"Of course."
Elaine left to go to her bedroom and changed out of the tattered business suit to more casual clothes. A yellow t-shirt and some brown khaki pants. She was comfortable in them. Then she went back to talk to her guest.
"Uh, Brooklyn, is it?" she asked.
"Yes." He replied.
"I don't have much to offer in return but my thanks and treating your wound." Elaine stated. "You can stay here until your arm heals."
"I uh, turn to stone in the morning, Elaine. My wound will heal by tomorrow evening." Brook explained.
"Oh, well, that's interesting." Elaine replied. "Well, do you want some food or anything?"
"No thanks. I had some from my bag earlier. Unless you have some meat?"
"Sure. Stay there, I'll get it." She said as she went to the kitchen to get a few slices of cooked turkey and chicken. She put it on a plate and warmed it up for him.
Brooklyn heard the microwave beep and he could smell the meat. It smelled delicious. He was having a little craving. But eating meat was just a natural urge too. It was what his body was designed for when it came to his eating habits.
Elaine was still cautious around him as she delivered the meat to him to eat. "Thanks," he said. She nodded in reply.
Brooklyn ate the meat in a dignified manner. He saw her staring at him. "You can eat something too if you want something. I'm not going anywhere. I don't even know where to go from here."
"You said you're from New York City?"
"Yes. What about it?" Brooklyn replied.
"I had heard about gargoyles in New York. I wished we had you guys here, but never expected to meet one." Elaine said.
"Yeah, we don't often get to meet the right allies. Most are more afraid of us just because of how we look. We can't help it, but we make it our mission to protect, not harm unless there's a good reason to." Brooklyn explained.
Elaine liked that idea. "Do you know if you could stick around awhile? We have been having awful trouble from those hooligans at our bank for a long time. We keep on losing money and many of my coworkers even dread coming to work because of them."
"I really need to get home. But I guess there's no hurry. I'll stick around for a few days and see that those punks stay away. I can be there after sunset only though." Brooklyn declared.
"Thank you." Elaine was grateful.
"But aside from money, are they sticking around for any other reason?" he asked curiously.
"That I don't know or care about. I just want them to not be waiting for me or my coworkers every night. I always stay the longest." Elaine explained. "But if you are going to be helping us, you can't be fainting like you did tonight."
"I normally wouldn't do that, but ever since my escape, I've had this nausea and dizziness problem. I can't help it, they just come on out of nowhere." He said.
"Perhaps you should see a doctor." She suggested.
"Yeah, but who would help me here? No one can know about me. I don't want any attention attracted to me from the public. I don't need any sort of capture again. I'll see one when I get home. My stone sleep helps a lot too." Brooklyn explained.
"But maybe you're just exhausted from travelling so much too."
"Could be. I was constantly gliding night after night, taking a few breaks here and there for sleep and food provisions. I met a few friends on the way and I rode a train car here from Denver."
"Well, given what your condition seems to be, you should take some time off from travelling and just get some rest. Wait and see if it clears up with some rest. I can stay up with you for a little while but I have to go to bed to go to work tomorrow." Elaine explained.
"I understand." Brooklyn replied.
"But you'll be there after sunset tomorrow night?" she asked.
"Yes. I promise. None of them know where you live, do they?" he asked.
"I don't think so. I hope they don't." That made Elaine shiver. She went over to draw her curtains closed for the night. She had dark curtains so people couldn't see in easily. It would give her and Brooklyn the privacy they needed.
"So, tell me, do you have a family at home?"
"Yes. My clan."
"Tell me about them."
"My leader, Goliath, is the biggest of us. He's lavender colored and has dark brown hair. He has a daughter that has his coloring the same. Her name is Angela. I have two rookery brothers, Broadway, and Lexington. Broadway is our cook and a blue-green color. No hair. Lex is an olive green or so. No hair. He also has wings that attach to his arms, sides, and legs instead of like mine. Then there's Hudson, our elder and former leader. He's brown. He talks in a Scottish accent because we all were formerly from Scotland a long time ago. And we also have our pet, Bronx. He doesn't have wings and he barks like a dog. He's a dark blue. We also have human allies or friends. Elisa Maza is our closest friend. We live at the castle with the Xanatos family. It's atop Xanatos' headquarters." Brooklyn explained. "I'm the Second in Command to Goliath."
"That's all very fascinating. You never mentioned a mate waiting for you."
"I don't have one, yet. Angela was the only female and she chose Broadway over me. Believe me when I say I tried to impress her." Brooklyn said.
"But what does a Second in Command do?" Elaine asked.
"We are the ones that will be leader after the other one passes away or if the leader goes away and someone else needs to be in charge."
"Cool and sad at the same time, I mean when a leader would pass."
"Yeah. I know I always looked up to Goliath almost like a father or big brother. We gargoyles never had a set pair of parents like humans do. When we are young, we are raised by the whole clan. All adults are our parents."
"That's an interesting system in how to raise children. No child would be considered an orphan. Are you wanting to be a father someday?"
"Sure, but I have to find a mate first."
"Gotcha." Elaine replied. She understood. "Are girls of your kind hard to come by?"
"Yes. We live in a few pockets around the world and our numbers are not exactly high." Brooklyn stated.
"Sorry to hear that. I hope you find the girl of your dreams."
"Thanks."
"What about Broadway and Angela. Are they going to be having kids soon?"
"Not for a while. Not until 2008 and then 2018. You see, our kind has a strict breeding season only every twenty years."
Elaine was shocked to hear that. "That's a long time to wait!"
"Well, Angela will have an egg in 2008 and it will incubate for ten years. It'll hatch in 2018. Every other decade in the 8th year, it'll be breeding or hatching years. Why our young take so long to hatch is a mystery. It's always been like that for us. We are long-lived too, and we don't age as fast as humans do. And we don't age when we are stone either. You see, the other males of my clan and I were put under a sleep spell for one thousand years in the year 994. We woke up in New York in 1994 thanks to Xanatos bringing our castle to his building." Brooklyn explained.
"What about Angela?"
"She was raised separately from us. She came into our lives later when Goliath found her in a different and special place." Brooklyn wasn't sure he should reveal Avalon. Elaine was still a stranger after all.
"At least he's in her life. It's always good for adopted children to meet their birth parents. Who was Angela's mother?"
"She's not someone I'm fond of. She was kicked out of the clan as she had turned on us. But she does have a bond with Angela. She's a blue and purple female that has bright fiery, red hair. Her name is Demona." Brooklyn explained. "She was Goliath's former mate and his other Second in Command before she turned on us. And using sorcery, she was also able to become human in daylight."
"Wow." Elaine was so enchanted by Brooklyn's stories. Such special creatures they were. "Was there any other living family to speak of?"
"A thousand years ago, we had a huge clan. But they were slaughtered by Vikings, and it wasn't till shortly after when Goliath, Lex, Broadway, Hudson, me, and Bronx were all put under the sleep spell by our court's Magus. Demona survived and eventually became immortal. Angela was just an egg at the time and the eggs were adopted by humans that left and raised them in the special place. That's going to remain a secret for now." Brooklyn explained.
"I understand. We just met and you are protecting some secrets not ready to be revealed yet till better trust is established first." Elaine proclaimed.
"Yes. And sorry about your clan."
"Thanks. Xanatos and Demona eventually brought back to life one of Goliath's brothers that ended up having three of our original clan in his mind before they all got their own robot bodies. So, we have three other clan members living again, though one was evil. He was always set on wanting the female for himself and she chose Goliath's brother instead. But Goliath and her were sometimes close friends."
"It's good to still be friends with siblings."
"What about your family?" Brook asked.
"I have two brothers, three sisters, and two parents. I have a grandfather too. They all live in scattered places." Elaine declared.
"That's one thing about gargoyles, unlike humans, our clan is a unit. Unless our clan is too big, we don't separate from each other or if they turned against the clan. Then they would be banished. We look after each other." Brooklyn explained.
Elaine was liking gargoyle ethics way better than human ethics right now. Such a blessed being was in her living room right now. He was more like a guardian angel than a monster.
"Do you ever get together with them?"
"Thanksgiving and Christmas. Other times we just send cards or letters. Phone calls. Our jobs and lives are so busy. I moved here because of my job. I've made friends here." Elaine explained.
"Where's your hometown though?"
"I grew up in Nebraska. Much more secluded there in places. Farming communities. I wasn't much for the filth of the farming. I got a scholarship and went to school to learn to manage money and here I am, a bank teller in St. Louis. I wanted a town that had more opportunities too than a small-town environment." Elaine told him.
The two of them had enough talking for a while and Elaine turned on the TV to watch some shows and give their voices a break. They continued eating in peace.
Brooklyn was glad to have found an ally that took him in and treated his wound and was willing to let him stay. Ted had too, but Brook had wanted to desperately get on the road again. He had been making good time.
Within three hours, Elaine had to go to bed. She said he was allowed to go on watching TV but to keep the volume down. Who needed the movie theater when he had this? But he wasn't planning on staying for too long. He would be glad to stay until Elaine's problem with the gang was stopped though. He would help her in any way he could.
He flipped through the channels and watched some shows that he had really missed, like Full House and Roseanne. They were nice shows. There was comedy in them too. Brooklyn laughed at the scenes depicting comedy. He needed some good laughs. He hadn't done so for so long.
Eventually, he got hungry again and went out to the kitchen to find some food. He knew he still had his own food but wanted to see what she had. He looked in her fridge. There was cold pizza in there, that he turned his beak up at. He hated pizza. There were also more veggies in there and more lunchmeat.
He also checked the freezer. There were some healthy tv dinners up there. But then, he eyed some milk and cereal. He hadn't had any for some time. There was some Frosted Flakes on the counter. He looked through the cupboards and found a bowl. There was plenty of cereal to eat. He put some milk on it and sat down to eat it in the living room. He hoped his stomach would accept that.
With a full belly, he was getting ready for a nap himself. Soon, the tv was starting to get tiring. He just got tired all too easily these days, part of his condition. Brooklyn fell asleep in front of the blaring tv.
At two am, Elaine came out of her bedroom to use the bathroom and checked on her guest. The tv was still on so he must have really wanted to see shows. When she got into the living room, she saw that he was fast asleep. She smiled. Figured he was exhausted. What a night.
Elaine turned the tv off and went over to get the blanket off the chair. She covered Brooklyn up with it. Then she went back to her room.
Brooklyn slept soundly for most of the rest of the night. He might as well enjoy this time to sleep because he knew that he would have to start working on patrols again when he got home. He would gladly take whatever punishment Goliath dished out on him for being so irresponsible that night of his kidnapping. He would tell them everything.