We Live Again
Episode 12: Bronx's Rumble in the Bronx
By Cosmic Inspiration
Disclaimer: The Gargoyles animated series, including the Goliath Chronicles, is the property and copyright of the Walt Disney Company and Buena Vista Television, originally created by Greg Weisman. Characters such as Graeme, Ariana, Sata, Darius, Nudnik, and the mention of Icarus are from TGS and are used with permission from the TGS staff with the condition of creative acknowledgement. All original characters are the property of the author Cosmic Inspiration. No copyright infringement is intended here nor authorized by the copyholders; this author makes no profit from these stories and only writes for fun and entertainment purposes.
Author's Note: On the subject of the apocrypha series The Goliath Chronicles as the third underrated season of the series, at the time I enjoyed it because I was a kid and it meant the continuation of the series, though now I see in some ways it was lacking some. Though TGC did not quite live up the first two seasons due to GW's and many others departure, I see the series now as somewhat cheesy but having a few good moments and some occasional good lines which I occasionally sneak into my stories. On that note, this story has a small inspiration from the TGC episode 'A Bronx Tale,' which I considered calling this story, but decided against it so as not to have this story and the TGC episode confused, yet a few small elements made it into this story. If I wrote this right, I hope it makes you think of a popular song by the Baha Men. I hope you enjoy. Also, the events of this story begin at least three nights after events of 11. Wisdom in late February 2000.
Previously on Gargoyles . . .
Bronx growls at a startled Hakon as Goliath then lands to say, "I see you've met our watchdog."
(Canon)_Awakening Pt. 1_
"He's yours, isn't he? Well, thanks fer th' lone o' him." Rory Dugan.
(Canon)_The Hound of Ulster_
Scene of Bronx and Nudnik first meeting in TGS episode _Out of Joint Pt. 2_
"And whose DNA have you brought tonight, my little thief?" Sevarius says as he extracts from a robotic mosquito in Canon episode _The Reckoning_.
"I kept their programming simple," Thailog said as he pats Brentwood's head, "Obey Thailog, it's all they really need to know."
(Canon)_The Reckoning_
"So how many are there?" Maria Chavez.
"Thirteen, including two gargbeasts. They're kind of like dogs, only considered more like part of the clan than just pets." Elisa
(WLA)_Legends_
****Nightstone Unlimited
He did not always understand what his master talked to the others about, or what they did every night, but usually he did not care so long as they did not threaten his master. If they did he made sure they knew he meant business with just a growl and a near bite, but he will still attack unless master tells him otherwise.
He protects and obeys master, because it is what he does.
The gargbeast called Anaheim, with hide a yellow green color, pupil less red eyes, black teeth, a white mouth, a bulldog like face, fin shaped ears, horns on his brow ridge, three spikes down his massive back, and a short stubby tail, eyed the strange figures surrounding his master, some like him and others not like him, but all still very strange.
"Sevarius," Thailog rumbled, "Do you have any more results from any of your experiments?"
Sevarius had come to know that tone all too well over the last several months, Thailog was getting impatient and the geneticist had to learn quickly to curb it if he was going to live so much as another week.
"I've already made some promising breakthroughs, and the healing serum I promised you, old friend, will be ready soon enough. I'm also interested in acquiring specimens from a previous experiment, rumor which tells of an interesting development."
Thailog glared blood red daggers at his creator as he warned with venom in his deep voice, "You'd better have it ready very soon enough, Sevarius, because I've grown sick and tired of being weak all the time. I want to know why stone sleep hasn't cured me by now."
"Not to worry, Thailog, I'll look into it while I'm working on my other experiments," Sevarius said smugly while Thailog just growled low from his throat.
He then switched his gaze to the gargoyle necromancer, Darius, and said to him,
"I know you're busy with you own magical projects, Darius, but I want you to work with Coldsteel here on an interesting idea that recently came to me, and he has agreed to it if you're capable of it."
Darius looked over at the silver grey android for even daring to insult his magical integrity, which was just returned with cold indifference.
"As a sorcerer of the Dark Arts, see if there is a way to transfer Coldsteel's soul into the body of another, particularly one of Goliath's clan," Thailog said with a smirk, "You both have mutual vengeance vendettas with him, I'm sure you can work something out, and I'm sure Darius will surpass even your expectations, Coldsteel."
The sorcerer and the android then left for Darius' workshop to begin the magical research, both giving each other looks of mutual distain.
"And as for you, Sevarius," Thailog growled at the mad scientist, "Permission is granted for you to acquire your 'specimens' for whatever devious experiment your cooking up in that vile brain of yours. Just be sure it doesn't distract you from your top priority."
"Consider it done, Thailog," Sevarius said jubilantly, "And I assure you, what I have in mind may be exactly what you need, even if you don't know it."
He then left with an arrogant swagger in his step for his personal labs deep within the Nightstone building.
The only ones now left alone with Thailog were Anaheim, Shari, and Typhon.
"Now, Typhon, my friend," Thailog said with a smirk, which Typhon only returned with a stoic brood, "I know you would've wanted this to be private. I have promising news, reliable sources have informed me that a gargoyle fitting Icarus' description has been sighted around Gramercy Park. Why don't you have a look around and see what you can find. And do me a favor while you're at it, Anaheim has been getting a bit antsy lately, so I'd appreciate it if you'd at least take him out for some exercise."
The New Olympian gargoyle eyed the olivine colored, red eyed creature with wary contempt as Anaheim stepped up to Typhon and glared at him.
"Don't worry," Thailog smirked more, "He knows to obey you, unless you try to harm him."
"Come along then, beast," Typhon said with a hard tone as he and Anaheim made their way to the automatic opening window, and Typhon glided away with Anaheim in his arms.
"That should do it for now," he said as he then turned to Shari, who had taken a seat at a table with a chess game set up.
Taking a seat facing her was a bit of a struggle for Thailog, but he made himself comfortable as he pondered his first move in this already in progress game, then made a move with his Rook.
"How about a story as we play, my dear?" Thailog suggested.
"The story goes," Shari began as she made a move to counter Thailog's Rook, "though who could say if it be true, of a hero from Ulster and his wild noble companion . . ."
****Castle Wyvern, same night
Within the slate grey walls of an ancient enchanted castle, a clan of fantastic beings surrounded their giant leader who held himself with a commanding dignity that immediately demanded respect. To each of the members of his clan he assigned them into groups and patrol routes for the night, yet when he looked at a pair of fraternal preadolescent twins, he momentarily hesitated. But it quickly passed as they looked up at him with determination and eagerness.
"Graeme, Ariana," Goliath rumbled to them, "I want you to take Bronx and Nudnik out for their nightly exercise in Central Park while you patrol, but be sure not to wander too far from Desdemona."
They both gave their affirmatives to the clan leader with faint hints of groans.
"Nudnik, Bronx, heel," Graeme yelled and the gargbeasts came running at him, Nudnik more excitably than Bronx that the younger gargbeast nearly bowled over the dark green gargoyle over as he leaped into his arms making Graeme give an 'oomph' sound.
Bronx just walked up to them with a more dignified fashion and gave the pup a glower at his lack of discipline. Desdemona took the larger gargbeast in her arms and she and the young twins glided their way towards Central Park.
Though the hatchling beast had doubled in size in the last few years, he still had a long way to go before reaching full maturity and an appropriate breeding age, yet still he was putting a strain on Graeme's wings.
"Ungh, you really need to lay off the treats, boy," Graeme said, "You're getting too heavy to carry around."
"I'm certain he's easier and much lighter than this beast I have to carry," complained Desdemona, Bronx just gave her a low growl of insult.
"Yeah, yeah," moaned Graeme, making Ariana snicker behind her beak at their bantering.
They soon made it to a more forested area of Central Park where they released their bestial burdens, and Graeme and Desdemona gave a few leathery flaps of aching wings in relief.
Unsurprisingly, Nudnik began sniffing around at the ground trying to decide which interesting new smell to track, trotting this way and that about as Bronx patiently sat down to watch the beast pup.
"Remember to not allow your pup to wander too far off, rookery son," Desdemona said.
"I know, Aunt Des," Groaned Graeme as he rolled his eyes at the caramel orange female.
"I don't understand why you or Ariana don't just call me rookery mother, surely you understand I am as much a mother to the two of you as your biological mother."
"We do, Aunt Des," Ariana said, "I guess it's just a force of habit when you've spent most of your life around humans."
"In a sense I have, rookery daughter, but very few in the clan ever picked up most human familial customs."
"I guess it's more from spending so much of our lives in the future. We know it isn't the Gargoyle Way, but our parents did tell us that if we ever stopped timedancing and became part of a permanent clan, we should think of the elders as our adopted parents should anything ever happen to them," Graeme said.
This made Desdemona smile for only a moment when she suddenly noticed the gargbeasts were wandering too far off, Nudnik chasing after a small animal and Bronx chasing after him.
"Hey, you two," Graeme shouted, "Get back here! Heel, Nudnik, heel!"
But the beast pup just galumphed away after a squirrel, paying no attention to his young master's command or Bronx's authoritative barking to obey as he ran after him.
The brown beast pup chased his quarry to a tree where the squirrel quickly skittered up the thick trunk to the nearest branch to then stare at the pup in indignant fear with an irritated chirping and puffed up tail, as Nudnik jumped around the base of the tree barking playfully up at it.
Bronx then came running up to Nudnik to place himself between the yapping pup and the tree to give a disciplinary deep growl. In shameful obedience, Nudnik squatted on his haunches and lowered his spiny head as he gave a low shameful whimper to the older gargbeast.
"Good boy, Bronx, you found him," Graeme said as he soon came running up to the gargbeasts, "Nuddie, heel, boy."
Nudnik walked up to his young master to sit by his side, making Graeme give a big smile with his big beak.
"Good boy, Nuddie, now stay," he said proudly, a great feeling of accomplishment washed over him that the dog obedience lessons from Robbins were paying off.
"Well done, Graeme," Desdemona praise as she and Ariana approached, "Watch the beasts closely, while Ariana and I patrol from above for a time."
Graeme could not help but give a slight frown as he watched his female patrol mates climb high enough for gliding, being stuck with having to dog sit. But that frown turned upside down with a bit of smugness as he said,
"Okay, boys, you heard her, I'm in charge here. Let's go find some bad guys. Now, heel, Nudnik; heel, Bronx."
Bronx and Nudnik walked closely beside Graeme, the older gargbeast keeping a very close watch on the younger gargbeast.