A/N: Thank you for reading and special thank you to my reviewer Fan Boy 101, I appreciate it very much and have gone back and fixed up those typos. blush I feel silly that I even made them. Again thank you to any who read this little piece – I hope you enjoy this new chapter. Any comments you might have I would love to hear!

Broken Wings

Chapter 2

She was scrambling around under the net as several men with large mallets approached her. The front man was tapping the handle in his cupped hand as he moved in near her. "This really isn't meant for fleshy night time crushing. But I think it'll do the trick." The words seethed spitefully from his lips as he raised the heavy weapon over his head ready to bring its weight down on the mortified gargoyle just as Brooklyn and Lexington soared full force into his abdomen knocking him back and crashing into the several other men behind him.

There was a momentary pause in the commotion while Brooklyn and Lexington rose from the small pile of Quarrymen they'd crashed into. Some of them lay at odd angles with what appeared to be broken arms or legs and one conscious Quarryman scrambled to get out of the mass.

In a flurry of beating wings, crunching glass, and tearing flesh the few remaining Quarrymen left the battle by being tossed over Elisa's balcony haplessly by the male gargoyles or fleeing in terror.

"Thank you." She said to Lexington as he removed the net and Brooklyn made his way back to her after chasing the final Quarrymen away. "There were more than those few chasing me. Had I not been pinned under that net…"

"Yeah, the real ones don't run." Brooklyn hissed bitterly.

"Elisa's going to be so mad when she gets home." Lexington mumbled surveying the extensive damage in the apartment.

"We can't stay here." Brooklyn instructed. "They will be back and with more. Those were just the peons, when they come back they'll have the kind that doesn't run in fear."

"Who are they?" She questioned.

"Quarrymen." Lexington responded. "They're mission in life is to destroy us."

The girl's mouth dropped open as she started at them. Her facial structure was mostly human, save the pale blue skin, long pointed teeth, and the tall narrow ears. Her ears jetted out thinner and higher than Lexington or Brooklyn's and she was slightly taller than Lexington standing only as tall as Brooklyn's chin when he was straight at his full height; at his crouched position they were eye to eye. Her startled and surprised expression did not dwindle as she stepped back slightly horrified at Lexington's explanation. She clutched the strap of a leather knapsack that was strung diagonally across her chest with the bag resting on her hip. "How can that be?"

"Move away from her." An assertive and abrasive voice barked in a low hushed tone from way of the broken skylight window.

All attention turned to the opening where an angry and heavy eyed gargoyle was puffed up aggressively.

"Doyle no, you've got the wrong idea – they helped me."

"No Kerry, you have the wrong idea!" Doyle shouted. "As per usual." He snorted and stalked up next to her where he snatched her up by her arm and jerked her in his direction. "Stand aside." He raised his chin at Brooklyn.

"I'm not going with you." She ripped her arm out of his grasp. "These are likely just the gargoyles we're looking for."

"Can't you see they have problems of their own?" He snarled. "All you've done is endanger yourself by making your presence known."

"Precisely why was should join forces! Doyle you can't be that ignorant! What are you hiding from me? What are you running from? Tell me." She moved in closer to him as she added her final plea with genuine concern.

Doyle froze in his pace and glanced back over his shoulder at Brooklyn and Lexington. He spoke softly and gentle this time. "If you choose to stay with them then I will not stop you, you're only making it harder…on them – trust me." He bowed his head briefly and turned back to the window as he wished them off. "Goodnight Kerry…Brooklyn…Lexington…" And with that he took flight. A concerned and confused line creased in Kerry's forehead as she turned back to the two equally confused males.

"Are you…was he…did…" Kerry stumbled for words. "Are those your names?"

"Yes." Lexington was looking as alarmed as Kerry when their gazes met. She turned to Brooklyn and stepped closer to him.

"Have you met Doyle…or me?" She looked up to him. He appeared to be near Curran's height from where she stood.

"No." Brooklyn shook his head.

"Very, very strange." Kerry mumbled. Before Brooklyn or Lexington could say anything further the sound of footsteps beating in the hallway brought their attention back to the dangers at hand.

"Come on, we have to get out of here." Brooklyn told Lexington and Kerry. The three set to the sky in the direction of Xanatos's castle.

"Doyle's often strange." Kerry admitted as they soared across the black night. "So pay him no mind, really. I'm sure you gathered from the outburst, my name is Kerry. Thank you again for helping me."

Both young males fumbled for the acceptance of her gratitude.

"I've heard both of your names but I'm not sure which belongs to who."

"I'm Brooklyn, he's Lexington." Brooklyn offered jerking a thumb in Lexington's direction.

"You said you were looking for us…" Lexington asked gliding near her just before the three landed on the battlements of Castle Wyvern.

"Yes, I thought perhaps we could share news of our enemies as to make each other aware of the possible dangers that face us. Since this area is to be our new home and we have learned that it is already your residence." Kerry offered politely as the three headed toward the castle's courtyard only to be greeted by Goliath, Hudson, Broadway, Angela, Bronx, Doyle, and two additional gargoyles Kerry knew to be Curran and Morrigan.

"There was word of a Quarrymen attack." Goliath said in his booming baritone that called for respect.

"At Elisa's." Lexington answered.

"Have you seen her?" Brooklyn question with concern in his tone for their human friend. "She shouldn't go home. The place is crawling with Quarrymen."

"She is here." Goliath told them.

"This is Kerry." Brooklyn pointed to the female between him and Lexington.

"We've heard a good deal about you tonight lass." Hudson stepped up.

"Seems I caused a bit of trouble with your enemies." She admitted.

"Yes," Morrigan stepped forward sternly, "and forced us to move to action sooner than we were prepared. We had to request our host to bring us here tonight and hastily."

"We were worried about you when Doyle came back with news of an attack." Curran added more gently offering his hand to her.

Kerry shot Doyle a nasty glare as she stepped closer to Curran taking his offered hand. "I guess he forgot to mention that I was safe."

"Regardless, that is but a minor point that shouldn't be considered. I'm disappointed." Morrigan snapped. There was a brief pause where she examined Brooklyn and Lexington oddly after which she and Doyle exchanged knowing looks. She nodded sharply at Doyle and moved next to Curran's shoulder.

"Well." Curran cut the tension and turned to Goliath. "It is kind of you to allow us as guests Goliath. Why don't we retire from here and we can meet the rest of your clan and you ours."

"Yes." Goliath added in agreement.

"It is no secret that we have had a delicate relationship with Xanatos." Goliath admitted to the foursome after they'd all shared introductions and Goliath did his best to retell the twisted and complicated stings of their past.

"And now you'll rely on him to fabricate a story for the people about the Quarrymen attack tonight?" Curran questioned, still a bit confused about the relationship and its binding strength with this gargoyle clan.

"No," Angela offered. "Matt Bluestone will likely help with that. He was Elisa's partner and now he's in charge of the city's Gargoyle Taskforce."

"Taskforce?" Morrigan questioned. "Forgive us for the confusion. You make it sound as though you've had serious misgivings about humanity yet you depend on them for your very life meanwhile fighting other groups of them. We understand as well as any the dangers that await us but how do you determine who is to be trusted and who not?"

"Bluestone is to be trusted." Goliath said with some certainty. "However it may not seem so readily. You will have to take my word and trust in me in regard to that. He is a friend."

"But humans betrayed you hundreds of years ago, how do you even find it in your heart to even try and attempt anything with them again?" Kerry asked.

"You have the curse of youth lass," Hudson responded. "In time you will come to learn that evil takes all shapes, it is up to the individual which path they will walk."

"Like the other one you told us about?" Kerry asked. "Demona?"

"Yes, like Demona." Goliath answered. "She's chosen her own fate by twisting the truth into what she wants to see."

"How did you know us?" Brooklyn shot in hurriedly to Doyle. It was evident that he had been waiting for the most opportune moment to interject a question he'd been dying to ask.

"I was here," Doyle responded lazily. "Before I found you in that mess with the Quarrymen. I figured that I would seek out Kerry's cause first since she was adamant about it. I spoke briefly to Goliath about our arrival and the possibility of a future meeting between all of us. He agreed but informed me that 'two' of his clan, Brooklyn and Lexington, had just left."

Brooklyn stared at Doyle for some time after he'd finished speaking. Though his response was reasonable something about it seemed contrived and Brooklyn's instinct wasn't buying his tale; but he let it slide – for now.

"It's clear that we have a lot to learn, if we are to remain in this city." Curran explained.

"You and your clan are welcome here." Goliath offered.

A natural smile slipped across Curran's face. "Thank you Goliath. Never have we felt so welcome."

"Never have we met any of our kind." Doyle snapped grumpily. The three of his clan all turned displeased expressions on him and for the moment he looked slightly uncomfortable. Finally he straightened and nodded, mustering the best genuinely pleased expression that he could; which came out looking more like a grimace. "It's good to be more numbers than we were. Thanks for having us." And with the first kind words he'd said Doyle slipped from the room with the intent to draw attention away from himself.

Morrigan's hand clapped down on Kerry's wrist and was surprised to see that the girl was a bit taken aback by her actions. Usually Kerry was quick to follow Doyle, Morrigan had learned that mostly she pitied him because of his bleak outlook on life and the world; it had somehow become Kerry's plan to make him realize life was more than just existing. So far her efforts were futile, yet her dreamy headedness made her goals more serious and her convictions were strong when she put her mind to something. But it was clear that Doyle wasn't actually on her mind when she easily let him slip unhappily from the company of others. She smiled at Morrigan and the second in command knew what had gotten into her – she was beyond elated to be in the presence of more gargoyles and nothing would take her from that. Morrigan released her grip on the smaller female's arm and resided to watching a nervous and giddy smile flutter across Kerry's lips as a glance passed between her and Brooklyn.

Curran sighed heavily. "Please; I can't apologize enough for him. We are accustom to his disgruntled and often coyly bitter nature but others find him…" he paused looking for the right word and decided on, "jarring. He means no harm. We've all seen some difficult times, but Doyle is uncomfortable under pressure to be 'liked'. With time he will be less abrasive."

"There is no apology necessary." Goliath waved his hand. "Nature is nature and nothing can be done to undo that. Nor would I ever want the burden of having to rewrite nature. He is one of our kind and we accept him for what he is."

"How did you get your names?" Lexington asked. "Did you pick them like we did?"

"No." Curran shook his head. "We were given our names by our human friends. It is human nature to name things and it was apparently easiest for them to name us. We were only hatchlings when we were taken in by a group of Irish monks. I fear, my new friends, that that may be a story for tomorrow night as the sun is quickly approaching." All eyes went to the east window where the sky was nearly twilight in a haze of deep purple.

"So it would seem." Goliath agreed. "Stay here for the day. You will be safe among us."

"Again thank you Goliath. Tomorrow, I promise to share with you information about our enemies; those who would be a threat to you – as you have for us about your enemies."

"Until tomorrow then."

The now ten found their way out onto the castle wall where they all took ferocious stances as the sun grazed the horizon and they were frozen solid in stone. An eleventh was perched nearby hissing just as viciously as the others, where he just caught a nervous glance pass flirtatiously between one of his clan and one of the new clan before the golden rays captured him unhappily and angrily petrified for the rest of the day.