****Hell's Kitchen, the same night
This night just kept getting worse and worse, more infuriating and humiliating as it not only lacked challenge but he was getting nowhere closer to his real goal; finding those not-worth-the-dirt-between-his-talons miscreants and locking them up, or better yet banishing them to somewhere far outside the city never to return as is the Gargoyle Way.
So far, he thwarted a few muggings, an attempted robbery from a secondhand pawn shop, and even scared a group of juvenile delinquents as they vandalized and spray painted ugly graffiti art on an already derelict abandoned building. When Othello demanded to know the whereabouts of Baby Face Frankie or a Yakuza leader, the human criminals just claimed to not know in a pathetic babbling panic before struggling to get away, fainting from fear, or running away.
At this point he had lost count as he growled, "Useless!"
His latest victim yelled fearfully as he was dropped from a not so fatal height into a mountainous pile of garbage bags in a back alley, Othello landed with fierce grace as he seethed with frustrated anger at the street punk, "This is where all your ilk belong; in the gutter where you all spawn from."
The scruffy punk just groaned as he gradually and painfully crawled over and out of the garbage mound, trying to hold back a gut wrenching need to vomit while Othello just huffed at him.
"There has to be an easier way," he grumbled to himself, frowning deep as he thought about 'detective' methods Elisa so often boasted about and how it irked him greatly he didn't know where to really start or what clues to look for.
Though he will always remain eternally grateful to be flesh and blood again thanks to Queen Titania's magic, he occasionally did wish he was still able to interface with computers and download their information to make things easier in situations like this. Then again, he could ask Lexington for help as he was the clan's computer wiz, but Othello immediately rejected that thought as he needed to do this on his own.
"Think, Othello," he grumbled to himself, "You aren't just some mindless brute, you are a capable warrior who can use his wits. What do know about the enemy?"
Grumbling to himself, all he knew so far of his quarries were they went by ridiculous names; wore formal suits that were impractical while battling on the streets; were greedy for wealth like too many humans, even a thousand years ago; often boasted about how tough and bold they were but were really cowards who hid in shadows; acted as leaders deserving respect but were really just high ranking stooges for even more corrupt leaders.
As Othello racked his brain about the whereabouts of Baby Face Frankie and Hiruko Kimura or how to apprehend them, he didn't notice the street punk had recovered enough to shakily pick himself up, along with a rusted lose pipe as he held it like a bat. The punk stumbled a bit as he tried to sneak up on Othello, gave a hoarse cry as he swung the pipe but was stopped half way in as Othello turned to face his would-be attacker to see the confusion on the street punk's face and go a bit wide eyed.
The confused punk tried to continue his swing but it felt like he was trying to pull his improvised weapon out of concrete, making him look behind himself to see another scary monster, a big red one, holding it like a frail stick with a stone hard glare on his face.
"Only a coward attack's while his enemy's back is turned," he said with an adamantly hard tone as he easily yanked the pipe from the punk and snapped it in two, making the punk stammer and babble in panic as he stumbled back from Typhon.
"What're you doing here?" Othello asked curious and bewildered by the New Olympian Gargoyle's sudden appearance.
The punk continued to stumble and panic between them, feeling trapped between two big monstrous creatures, certain they were going to eat him. Othello and Typhon just gave reserved snarls at him, making him give an exclaimed blabber and finally run in a stumble down the alley.
"Humans, so pathetic," Typhon grumbled to himself as he made his way to climb a wall.
"Wait!" Othello demanded, "I ask again, what are you doing here?!"
Typhon stopped in his tracks to just give an indifferent stare at Othello as he said, "I thought it obvious, or would you have rather I allowed the human miscreant to beat you to a pulp with his stick? Though, clearly he wouldn't have made a mark as he hardly had strength to stand on his own gangly twig legs."
Othello gave a small brief smile, but continued to glare at Typhon. He gave a huffed sigh as he said, "That's not your concern, though I've asked myself the same question for weeks now."
"You're allied with Thailog for your own reasons," Othello stated a bit accusingly, "I was there with Goliath when you stole that statue from a Yakuza hiding place, but you also claimed to not be our enemy, though you were also with Coldsteel and that sorcerer, Darius, when they attacked me and my lifemate. Their selfish motives to ally with Thailog I understand, but not yours, so I'm making it my concern if you continue to threaten my clan's protectorate."
Typhon narrowed his eyes as he said a bit defensively, "I am no threat to your clan or this human infested city, I shouldn't even be here. I should be with my clan on New Olympus where I belong, but if my truant rookery brother isn't found soon I fear I may never return home. I only stay to find Icarus and bring him back to New Olympus. His attendance to that so-called World Council wasn't even approved of by my clan's leaders and his curiosity about the outside world could threaten the secrecy of New Olympus."
"I heard a New Olympian Gargoyle named Icarus was one of the representatives who attended," Othello said, "But I haven't seen any sign of him or where he may be. I also have a feeling you're not telling me everything."
"That is all you need to know."
Othello just glared skeptically as he said, "So you merely ally yourself with my clan's enemies to find your wayward rookery brother, but why come to Manhattan when he could be anywhere in the world?"
Typhon seemed hesitant for a moment as Othello had a point, but finally said a bit forcefully, "I presume due to some misguided admiration for your leader, Goliath, as he has a foolish belief about allying all the clans with the human race."
"My brother's optimism may get misguided sometimes, but he's no fool," Othello growled defensively, but tried to stay calm, "But I don't completely disagree about being more cautious about revealing ourselves to humankind. Not all are worth our protection, and their practices and concepts of law and justice leave much to be desired. I must find those that threaten this city and my clan, but so far my search has proven futile."
"Your clan should leave this backwater city, find a new home to be safe."
"That's the coward's way out!" Othello yelled offended, "Which you must know, as your clan and the island it lives on isolates itself from the world for centuries!"
Typhon growled dangerously, but it didn't faze Othello.
He just waved Typhon off as he sank his talons into a wall and growled at him, "You waste my time here, if you won't answer my question then leave me be. I have work to do."
He neared halfway up the building as Typhon yelled, "Wait!"
Othello momentarily stopped as he looked back at Typhon as he then leapt onto the wall to climb with him, making their way in stoic silence to a height for gliding, becoming aloft with only the snap of unfurling wings and soft whoosh of air as they soared above the concrete jungle.
A long minute passed between them before Typhon finally asked, "What happened to your face?"
Othello touched at the tender side of this face, flinching with a hiss certain half his face was bruised and swollen with a black eye and swollen nostril he only a short while ago stopped from bleeding and could still feel the crusted blood inside, certain is would start flowing again at the lightest touch.
"It's nothing, I foolishly flew into a wall without looking, so it's none of your concern, it will heal at sunrise," he grumbled.
Typhon just gave a stone face look of doubt as he said dryly, "As you wish."
After a few minutes of gliding in tense silence, Typhon inquired, "What do you search for?"
"Criminals that know the whereabouts of their leaders."
"And how will you find them?"
Othello gave a deep frustrated sigh as they landed upon an empty rooftop and he crossed his arms to stare irately at the luminous Manhattan skyline. Typhon awaited his answer with a stoic if curious look.
"Begrudgingly, it's a method of tracking I'm realizing I need, but it is a human method and I've made it clear my feelings about it. I will search the Gargoyle way, and question every piece of scum in the city if I have to until their leaders are found and imprisoned."
"I see, no doubt a Sisyphean undertaking for one Gargoyle. But your motivation still puzzles me."
"It's obvious, this is my clan's home."
"Do you not fear your clan losing it's true identity and nature inhabiting a human dominated world? They hold nothing but contempt for our kind and even less gratitude for your so-called noble efforts."
"You sound like my sister," Othello grumbled, "And my clan's relation with humanity is…complicated. But we have never forgotten who we are, and never will as long as we protect as a Gargoyle can no more stop protecting than breathing the air."
"There are other ways to protect."
"Like yours? I won't stoop to your cowardly ways, my clan tried it once and it nearly destroyed the last of us!"
Typhon snarled low, "Our independence and secrecy have kept us safe and prosperous for centuries!" A brief wave of rage at insulting his pride grew, but then it just as quickly deflated as he thought of those lost.
"But perhaps you're not wrong," he sighed low, "What was once our strength may now be a weakness as my clan and our allies were unprepared for the invasion by the gods, what your clan called the Unseelie Court."
Othello remained silent.
"But that doesn't mean I or my clan will ally with humanity," Typhon stated hard, "other clans perhaps, but never humanity."
"Suit yourself, if they disgust you so much then return to your precious secret island. If you have nothing more to say, I take my leave, I have work to do."
"I may be able to help," Typhon hesitantly said with a reluctant sigh, Othello was doubtful.
"While I have no loyalty to Thailog, he still has an unnatural influence throughout this city. Perhaps I can discover what information he has on your quarries."
"And in exchange?"
"Try to persuade your clan to relocate, find a safer new home, perhaps with my clan. If not for their sake, then for your sister."
"My sister?"
"The flame haired Fury." Typhon's lips curved into a small smile, but it was gone in a half second. "She vexes, as well as intrigues me. She has no love for humans, only a limited tolerance. She will be welcomed with my clan, but she refuses to leave on account of worrying for her daughter, which further perplexes me as to why she plays favorites with hatchlings."
"Ah. Demona is complicated, even deeply complex, like the rest of my clan. Your offer is tempting, but I don't need your help. Now I say for the final time, leave me be."
"At least consider it," Typhon said barely enough for Othello to hear him over a wind gust, just leaving the scarlet warrior watching him stone faced.
****23rd Precinct, later in the night
"They won't get me, right?" blubbered a scruffy handcuffed street punk in trepidation as Officer Morgan escorted him into the station.
"I promise you'll be safe," Morgan reassured dryly.
"You'd better," the punk stuttered, "Don't let 'em get me, man, don't let 'em! Those damn devils tried to kill me!"
Morgan passed the poor punk to another officer, as his continued panicked blubbering caught the attention of several people, some of whom Morgan made his way to.
"Something to report, Morgan?" Kowalski nearly barked, startling the dusky skinned officer a bit as though he came out of nowhere, even startling young Montoya who stood next to him.
He momentarily hesitated as his eyes met Bluestone and Chavez's for a half second, but finally reported in a steady voice, "Our boys picked up that poor sod from somewhere in Hell's Kitchen earlier tonight, said he kept begging to be put behind bars so the monsters don't get him."
Kowalski seemed sinisterly pleased as he gave a small dark smile as he ordered, "Have the sniveling jackass taken to an interrogation room, I'll handle this myself."
"Maybe I should go with you, Kowalski," Bluestone said, "someone has to be the good cop."
Kowalski's brow furrowed as he was about to refuse, but Captain Chavez said, "That's a good idea, after all I can't have any of my officers acting unprofessionally."
Kowalski just grunted irately as he walked off, Bluestone followed close behind with a small smirk while Montoya and Chavez momentarily watched. She too followed the detectives after a quick glace to Elisa, who, like the rest of the beat room, saw the panic ridden street punk, but while most in the office thought little of it, for Elisa it was worrying.
Wanting to finish her latest tedious assignment as quickly as possible, it just grinded her gears a bit when a timid voice said, "Elisa."
She gave Randy a bit of a hard look as she said a bit annoyed, "I'm sorry, Randy, whatever it is I don't have time for it."
"It's not that," he said quickly, "I just don't want to see you get hurt."
She softened a bit in confusion. "What do you mean?"
He looked down for a moment as though uncertain about something, but then mustered up some courage as he said with shaky confidence, "Kowalski suspects you, Elisa, suspects you know something about those Gargoyles."
A cold shiver went down her spine, but she kept calm as she listened.
"He also suspects Detective Bluestone and Captain Chavez," he continued, "I don't want to believe any officer could help those creatures, 'cause whether they're some kind of new species or demons from Hell, they're dangerous and any police helping them…well, aiding and abetting, right? So, I hope they do the right thing, and if anybody knows anything they should come forward, for their sake as well as the law, because if we can't follow the law then how can we protect the city? We need to work together."
He gave a deep sigh as though something else weighed on his mind, but just said calmly, "I'm helping Detective Kowalski on this case, so he'll need me in the interrogation room right now. I just thought you should know, Elisa. See you later."
Elisa watched him walk away for some long moments as she said quietly to herself, "You're right, Randy, we do need to work together to protect the city. But you're also wrong, it's their protection and help we need, and they ours, because the law doesn't always protect everyone."
A cloudy shadow overtook her mind as she gently touched her belly.
****Castle Wyvern, an hour before dawn
Othello had considered spending the day somewhere away from the castle, but he knew it was the safest place in the city for stone sleep. Besides, despite how cross he still felt towards his brother and his mate, it was still home.
"There you are!" Desdemona said crossly as he landed a bit harder then intended, "I began to wonder if it was your intention to have me worried for you all night, I was about to go look for you and drag you back by your tail!"
He just glanced at her as he walked past in indifference as she accused him, "Othello, I'm speaking to you! Where have you been all night?"
He just made his way to the kitchen for a quick meal before sunrise, as his vigilant search across the city had taken a bit of a toll on him. In the fridge he found a few leftover chunks of meat, making him crinkle his nose a bit as he wondered when was the last time he had a juicy fresh kill. His stomach persuaded him to make the best of it as he ripped a chunk of ham for himself, and even leftover mashed potatoes to go with it and heated his meal in the microwave.
The second his meal dinged a voice said, "Oh, sorry, I didn't realize someone was here. Oh, hello, Othello, when did you get back?"
"Just now," he answered Griff grumpily, "What do you want?"
Griff was taken aback a bit, answering, "Just doing a favor, looking for something for Mary to eat before sunrise, she gets hankerings every now and then, y'know, being a werewolf and all, though like us she prefers to sleep during the day."
Othello just grunted.
"Is there something you want to talk about? You look like there's something on your mind."
"No," Othello said hard through a mouth full of food, but swallowed hard as he continued, "Only that my search has proven futile and I must continue tomorrow night. I won't fail again."
"Would you like some help? Or maybe you could ask Elisa…"
"No," Othello boomed, "I must do this alone, and do it the Gargoyle way. Human methods are of no use to me, and if we rely on them too much how much more of our Gargoyle identity do we lose?"
"I never really thought of it as losing our identity," Griff responded confused, "and no Gargoyle should go it alone, believe me, I know. Even while battling the Luftwaffe, I always hoped Leo or Una or someone from the clan would join me, as it wasn't just the shop was our home but all of London. But, my clan kept to themselves, and though they survived the war I sometimes can't help but think something was lost or we could've done something more. Still, I appreciate what I have now, and if my clan continued to isolate themselves I never would've met my precious Brianna, and no doubt her clan would've died off isolated in a few short years."
Othello wanted to rebuttal Griff's point, but nothing really came to mind, other than they would have still died as Gargoyles. But how could he think of defending the extinction of a whole clan?
He just finished his meal as he gave a dejected sigh as he said, "But must any clan concern themselves with human problems? They should resolve their own issues, and we ours without getting involved with their petty squabbles."
"I don't completely disagree that they could do a better job at that, but someone once told me eventually human problems become Gargoyle problems."
Othello just grunted again as he left his dishes in the sink and walked away, Griff watching him as he opened the fridge.
Dawn wasn't too far off, and with not much else to do Othello just flounced his way to his cornice when he nearly ran over a slim green figure and a familiar voice called his name.
"There you are," Desdemona scolded, "Are you ready to talk and stop being a rock headed mule?"
He saw his lifemate approach as a quiet voice stammered an apology for being in the way, finally noticing it was young Yin. She bowed her head respectively as though awaiting something, Othello finally realized it as he grumbled apology accepted. She then noticed his black eye and surrounding bruised face, her face hardened to seriousness.
"Your face is swollen," she said bluntly, "It should have been taken care of earlier tonight."
"It's nothing," Othello dismissed, "Sunrise is near."
"Actually, I say let Yin have a look at it as she is one of the clan's exchange healers," Desdemona said with a teasing tone.
Yin held Othello's face with a gentle yet surprisingly firm grip as she looked it over, making him exclaim low with pained annoyance.
"Nothing is broken," Yin observed, "Stone sleep will heal it, but the leader's fist could have done worse. I believe he barely held back, but I could have nursed it a bit had you come to me sooner."
"It wouldn't have happen had you not argued with Elisa," Desdemona said disappointed, "What happened wasn't her fault."
"But her kind are to blame," Othello scowled, "why should our clan play guardian angel to them anymore? Would we not fair better staying in the castle, or perhaps even returning to our homeland?"
"Don't be foolish!" Desdemona nearly yelled, "This is our home and where our clan is, and I'm given to understand the Wyvern Hills aren't as isolated as they once were. Isolation solves nothing."
"She is right," Yin spoke a bit softly, quieting the two older Gargoyles.
"My apologies, I shouldn't have spoken without permission."
"No, it's alright, Yin," Desdemona reassured, "if you wish to speak, you may. Everyone in our clan tries to listen to each other."
"Thank you," she said humbly, "Your clan's ways are a bit strange to me and I'm still learning. In my clan, I'm not allowed to yet give my voice until the elders or leader proclaims me of age and a fully trained healer, as the younger Gargoyles must always listen and respect their elders.
"I only wish to say, though my clan still believes our isolation is the only way to survive, as is tradition, the attack upon us by the Unseelie came swift and without mercy, many of our strongest warriors were lost including some of my own brothers and sisters. If even such beings can find us, how long before humans find my clan's home and we are unprepared for conflict should they chose to attack. It was only fifty years since my clan last had conflict with humans, but hiding proves it can't last forever, and I'm of the generation whose curiosity is winning over the older stagnant traditions. My elder hopes if I learn your clan's ways and its relationship to human kind, there is a chance to prevent another war and ensure survival, for he taught my rookery that everything is connected and life is like water and change inevitable, so like water my clan must flow with the change that effects all things."
"Well, some things about humans will never change," Othello grumbled, "so I'm going to make my own and complete my search tonight. They won't escape me again, and I'll throw those damn bastards into the river if I have to, to keep them from threatening my protectorate. I will not be made a fool again!"
Desdemona glared hotly at her lifemate, unable to believe or tolerate any more of Othello's stubborn pridefulness anymore. She wanted to continue the conversation, but she saw the sky beginning to lighten.
She told him in a low hiss, "We'll speak about your misguided crusade tonight, maybe stone sleep will cool that pigheaded granite brain of yours."
They made their way in silence to their cornices, Desdemona giving him the cold shoulder. He also happened to glance up at Goliath's cornice on the highest tower, unsurprisingly speaking with Elisa. He suspected what they spoke of, but didn't really care. They embraced passionately for a long moment; one Othello wished he could have had with his lifemate before sunrise.
Goliath then took his place as Elisa happened to look to Othello with a sad expression. His brow just furrowed at her as he quickly looked away, taking a fierce stance moments before the sun rose.
****Somewhere in Little Tokyo, shortly after sunrise
All was quiet in the surrounding neighborhood as the adult entertainment venue had closed for the day, but as always would be ready to accommodate to the pleasures of its patrons the next night like clockwork.
As sunlight gradually brighten the neighborhood, local businesses and shops got ready to open for the day, people going about their lives in blissful ignorance of the machinations of outside forces, while hidden in a dark corner in a basement somewhere, a strange device's red light blinked in a steady slow rhythm to gradually speed up as it received a single from an undisclosed location.
Some short seconds later a powerful strange pulse exploded throughout the neighborhood and surrounding blocks, sending a section of Manhattan into a blackout in broad daylight.