.
Souls of the Night
82.
"Are you sure everything is okay for you?" asked Lexington anxiously for the third time since breakfast while opening his locker in the locker room.
The clan really did have its own locker room, showers and meeting room for its patrol duties. A lot of it looked like what I imagined a police station would look like from what I had seen on TV shows. These operations rooms were located in the upper but still modern part of the Eyrie building. Angela, coming out of one of the dressing rooms dressed all in black, opened her locker. She, Lexington, Broadway and Brooklyn would be flying patrol today. Tachi had some sewing to do, Heather was allowed to watch some episodes of My little Pony and was just glued to the TV upstairs in the castle. There, like all kids, she was automatically in zombie mode and could be left alone. Katana had something else going on and Nash was meeting up with friends - whoever those friends were. Goliath had something called "human time," which led me to believe he was just using his magic morph-patches to do something with Elisa as a human.
"Lex, he's not a toddler after all," Brooklyn said. He lifted his head so much that his beak pointed almost vertically upward and pulled his Kevla vest over his head. Katana helped him with his long hair.
"That's right, Hercules is a tech nerd. He'll get the mission control done."
Brooklyn grumbled at the word Hercules from Nash, who was leaning in the doorway, and Lexington aggressively raised his index finger in the air to presumably run it over the younger gargoyle's beak as I stood in front of them both.
"I can handle this!", I assured trying hard to deflect their comments. "Nash and Tachi have assured me they'll check on me over the course of the night, so it's all good."
"Well, nothing can go wrong then," Brooklyn muttered sarcastically, now helping Broadway close his vest on one side. The vests for them were fastened with strong Velcro. Lexington muttered something displeased, which tempted me to join him.
I took his appropriately smaller but still very heavy vest with CG-NY written on it and his name out of his locker and noticed that it was different from the others'. Which was probably understandable given his physique. It could be pulled over the head as well, was fully closed at the back but open on both sides. The solid aramid fabric of the vest continued in wide strips of fabric covered with Velcro, one on the front left and the other on the back right part of the vest. Lex's features smoothed out a bit as I helped him slip into the vest. He had been grumpy and worried for several nights. I was sorry to hear that because I had also woken up late and - well - steaming yesterday and the day before. It was only a few minutes and Lex had already left Alexander more than one message on his cell phone. I hadn't quite understood this time thing with Avalon - a magical island where these children of Oberon, as Alex was one, could retreat - but the young Xanatos hadn't answered yet either. I was worried about my condition, but if there were no more conflicts and accidents, it was not dangerous. I could do without the few minutes in the evening. I didn't know what to change anyway. It didn't feel like I had any influence on my condition and I didn't feel guilty because I wasn't to blame. But maybe Lexington felt guilty that something was wrong with me. It was only because of his request that Alexander had transformed me and that something was now strange worried him much more than me, who could live with ten minutes less night time and an often elevated body temperature. Only a few weeks.
I let my hands rest on the front of the vest. My rich blue skin tone and claws were quite a contrast to the solid fabric. In the pockets on Lexington's chest I felt equipment and I considered what a crime-fighting non-human, who had the power to break bones and tear flesh from bodies but could basically only act within the law, kept in them. I ran my rich blue fingertips over the small things, hearing my claws scrape over the solid fabric. Something hard and round. Flashlight? Or pepper spray? Something flat and angular - his cell phone or a work phone? Several small elongated structures - firm but pliable under my claws - cable ties? A small pencil case containing either Lexington's IDs or his own tools in case there was a need to use them (bomb disposal?). I continued to run my fingers and felt no items but more solid tissue. Kevla vest - it was there to save lives. Human and that of gargoyles. Just the thought that Lex might need that vest, that someone might shoot at him, made me sigh. Lexington's hands found mine. I looked up and he smiled.
"I know -" he mumbled, barely audible. "I look awfully good in this."
A bright loud laugh erupted from my mouth and echoed in the, though filled with lockers and gargoyles, room. I felt everyone's eyes on me and I pressed my hands together over my mouth to push back the laughter.
"Sorry," I muttered under my breath. I didn't even know why this kind of thing happened to me sometimes. Often when my inner world and what was said in the outer world didn't match at all and the circumstances were inappropriate. My mother had always said this quirk was disgusting. A characteristic of lunatics or people who wanted attention. Maybe I was just a little exhausted from the dreams. Lex grinned and turned a bit so he could take care of the wide bands on the sides of his vest. Lex ran the strips of cloth through where his wings had been pierced and where the belt of his loincloth had probably been positioned in the past. The strips were long enough to be passed once around his body on both sides and almost as wide as the kidney belts were for humans on a motorcycle rig.
Thus he fixed by means of the strong velcro fasteners, over his whole body circumference pants and outer clothing at the same time although the pants were still additionally held by knotted fabric strips. So it was obvious how the vest was worn.
"Oh, so that's what the wide Velcro straps are for. No magnets."
"Magnets in a combat mission? " Nash asked. The boys snorted and snickered in amusement, and so did the women, though a bit more restrained. Lexington blushed, really blushed, despite his green complexion. He rolled his eyes.
" Guys, knock it off."
"Lex, you didn't tell him about the incident back then?" asked Angela.
"What incident?", I asked curiously, feeling my ears prick up with interest. Brooklyn was better at suppressing his laughter, but Broadway less so, and Angela laughed too, shaking her head.
"You'd better tell him now. Then it's out," Katana suggested with a polite grin. Everyone here obviously knew what they were talking about.
Lex plopped down on one of the benches in the locker room and fiddled awkwardly with the zipper that went from the claw on his back bunion to over his knee on his black jeans like the others so they could get their pants over their feet easily. He didn't look at me while he talked, and to see him so embarrassed - even though that was my job - I thought was incredibly cute.
"When we switched from loincloths to regular clothes after 2003 or so, we tried out a few tailors and designers who struggled on our different bodies. But for me, it was especially ... difficult, as you can imagine, and magnets worked very well in everyday life. No one worried about the fact that it might be ... not quite so ideal to outfit the operational clothing with them as well."
"Until the first criminal tore at Lexington's clothes to drag him off one of his cronies," Broadway said, and all the male members of the clan burst out laughing again. Even Lex laughed but it was really more pained than exhilarated.
"Oh ... OH," I made in horror as a light dawned on me. When I realized what happened to magnetic clothing that was yanked too hard. I blushed myself at the thought and began to laugh. More and louder like the rest.
"Ohhh whyyy?" whimpered Lex, slapping his hands over his eyes and I couldn't tell if he was laughing, crying or doing both at once. I sat down next to him and hugged him while I laughed. First because I thought he might need it, second because I needed someone myself to hold on. He groaned at the apparently traumatic memory and let me rock him back and forth like a child. I liked the role reversal.
"Oh, Lex," I said soothingly, stroking his bald head.
"OH!" repeated Nash between fits of laughter, and kicked again. "It was like doing a male striptease at a bachelor party. Just - RATCH! We didn't even have to knock out the criminals after that. They couldn't keep themselves on their feet laughing. Neither could the rest of us. And the human colleagues. Bad night for a joint drug raid."
"That's it!" hissed Lex, letting go of me, jumping up and lunging at ice-blue gargoyle-man, who, surprised and continuing to laugh, jumped aside and ran out the door, Lex following like an animal on all fours. I heard Nash's laughter down the hall, something clanging somewhere. Snarling, cries of retaliation.
"Should we-?" I asked, and Broadway, still chuckling and looking rather exhilarated and unconcerned about the argument, like everyone else, waved it off.
"Lex is in a good position to call him to order. It does Nashville good to be shown who wears the pants around here more often."
"Even if Lex wasn't wearing them in that case," Brooklyn chortled, hissing as Katana smacked him in the back of the knee with her tail.
"Sorry. Already silent," he whispered, rubbing the spot she'd hit. The stomping came closer again, accompanied with muffled verbal sounds, then the light blue gargoyle dashed into the locker room again, this time with Lex in the neck, his legs wrapped around his conspecific. Lexington's one arm held Nash in a headlock, the other squeezed his beak. As Nash turned, I saw that Lexington had even wrapped his tail around Nashville's to keep the latter from whipping him. Nash, in a last ditch effort to shake off his angry uncle, fell between the benches and onto Lex, who, however, did not let go. His eyes glowed, but he grinned gleefully, making it clear that this had never been a truly aggressive fight. Besides, Lex had won. Nashville still had both hands on Lexington's forearm wrapped around his throat, but had given up fighting back.
Lex sounded quite vicious as he spoke. "Well, Beaked Wonder! Who's laughing now? HUH? Are you making fun of your uncle?"
"Mhmmhmmmm," Nash made over his tightly clenched beak.
"What do you say, Beaked Wonder?" hissed Lex rather strained from trying to hold his younger nephew down, but grinning wickedly and shaking Nashville's pinched head a bit. "You will never, ever mention that story again because you know that if you do, no computer will ever work again for the rest of your life. And because every time you get called, the Baby-one-more-time- song will play? And because I can make sure all your credits disappear from night schools?"
Nash's eyes widened and he looked up at Brooklyn, who didn't seem at all unhappy that he didn't have to teach his son how to behave around his elders. Like everyone else, even Katana, he looked down at the men on the ground and waited. Lex was clearly savoring the situation more to make his point-and maybe to torment Nashville a little more. He didn't admit it, but he had a streak like that. A tiny little one and only in certain situations. I had to stifle a giggle myself.
"Who's the coolest uncle? Who is it?" my friend asked, rattling Nashville again.
"Mhmmm," went the latter. And when it occurred to him that no one understood him, he took a hand off Lexington's arm and pointed at his torturer. Though he couldn't say anything, his next choked "Mhmmm" sounded apologetic. Lex let it go, shoved the panting gargoyle off of him, and jumped onto the bench next to me.
"Never again," he said, pointing his claw at Nash, who sat up and rubbed his neck.
"Never again," the latter rasped, grinning bashfully and with drooping ears. I looked proudly at Lexington. To stand up to a human was one thing. But that he could take on a younger and, in essence, probably stronger clan member - even if the fight hadn't been as serious as it could have been because neither of them had used their claws - was impressive. Nashville stood up and shuffled under the satisfied looks of the adults to the door where Katana was already waiting for him. He was probably glad that the scene had not been witnessed by any of his sisters.
"Hopefully that will teach you not to make fun of physical differences," Katana said as they left.
"I wasn't making fun of his body!" He could still be heard in the hallway where he sounded quite miserable and bruised from his uncle's outburst. "You weren't there, Katana. And if you had been, you would have had the one dollar bills ready. Ow, not in the knees!"
"There's Dust duty for you for that!" ordered Katana sternly, and Nash's indignant groan sounded.
"Come on, Mom!"
"Don't Mom me, I'm your Second in Command!"
Then a door slammed and there was silence.
I double-checked the fit of Lexington's vest, whose mood had improved from his verbal and physical exchange with Nashville and from his victory. I wasn't sure, but it was possible that Nashville had provoked him on purpose to take his mind off things. That would confirm my previous impressions that Nash was actually an attentive and fairly friendly guy who was often just pretending to be the bad boy - perhaps, as an act of rebellion.
We stepped out into the open air on the north side of the building below the glass atrium, walking past the Xanatos helicopter. I stopped a few meters before the end of the level. As the others took off immediately, Lex hesitated a bit.
"You okay, Nate?" He asked
I grinned "You're the one playing Superman again tonight. I'll be safe in the control room."
"I'll check in with you every hour."
"I want you to focus on the missions. You have an obligation," I said, realizing how strange those words were. Strangely fraught with meaning. Strangely ... purposeful.
"Take care of yourself," I said, pressing a kiss to his lips.
Then he looked at me with wide surprised eyes, I smiled and he smiled as well, stumbled backwards a few steps, then turned and jumped off the platform. He was gliding after Angela. I turned around, fanned myself, and put both hands on my hot cheeks as I walked into the building.
"Nate, what's wrong with you? Do you want your best friend to crash into a facade from all the distraction? Calm down, boy," I whispered, grinning to myself.
An interesting chapter that again illuminated a side of the "job" of the clan.
About Lex and Nash's dispute - At this point I would like to thank Halcyon_Days_no_More and BookwyrmFinallyGotAnAccount whose "conversations" in the comments on AO 3 for Halcyon's Clan and Kin series are SO funny. Halcyon came up with the streaptease idea at a Bachelorette party. I shamelessly stole it and adapted it for my own purposes.
If you are familiar with "Beaked Wonder" - I got it from ritam (Rita Micozzi) on Devianatart or pinterest - she draws Gargoyles so well (I just say Fiore and Eva - how can a single picture make you want to write a whole story about them - that's magic!) SO fantastic and I wrote to her months ago if her characters have a backstory and if so/no if I can add them to mine and give them other stories - but as the drawings are older I didn't get an answer yet. It's a hair pulling experience. I will steal from her more often and will wait for the lawyer letters.
Thanks for reading, Q.T.