Author's Note: Who's ready for more scenes with the whole Manhattan Clan? C:

I would classify this chapter as a multi-setup chapter, a lot of things presented that will become relevant later on. So keep that in mind as you're making your way through.

This chapter takes place immediately after the episode "A Lighthouse in the Sea of Time", and on the same night as Chapter 3.


New sensations engulfed Hudson as he made his way back to his home, the wind whistling its familiar tune in his ears while he made his descent. He couldn't believe it, after suffering at the hand of fate so severely and continuously, he'd begun to feel something he hadn't truly felt since they were released from the Magus's spell.

He felt... happy. Truly happy, in the core of his being. Of course, he loved his television programs and Bronx was his faithful companion, he thanked whatever gods existed that they allowed him to be spared the terrible Massacre of Wyvern Castle all those centuries ago. And the lads were an ever present source of paternal pride, yet palpable frustration for the old soldier.

But there was always the looming uncertainty of the clan's fate and the disconnect from this world they were cruelly thrust into to damper these small blessings. It was still too big, too bright, too loud, all at once and all the time, Hudson couldn't remember the last time things were even relatively still and calm.

It seemed like things were always blowing up, honking incessantly, yelling uncouthly, flashing brightly, and about a thousand other things he just never cared for. Even in his youth, he scarcely remembered being entertained or intrigued with energetic and dramatic things, and that was before everything became so sickeningly vibrant and unbearably spunky.

But possibly worse than that was the fate of his clan, their place and purpose all but stripped completely away from them. The castle was gone, the last piece of their heritage, their identity, snatched away from them by the most vile human Hudson had ever had the displeasure of meeting.

The comforting pursuits and simple pleasures that gave them strength to continue on in life were replaced by startling unwelcomed changes. Gone were the days of gazing at the pristine landscapes of beautiful Wyvern Hill, gathering food and supplies straight from mother nature's bounty, the quiet therapeutic laps around a home that was teeming with gargoyles of all ages and colors living in harmony.

Now there was only patrols in a land with tainted air and littered streets, stealing food from grocery store trucks and greasy street vendors, living off of whatever scraps the young trio and Elisa could scrounge up, and this era's one saving grace: television.

What had they become, he bitterly asked himself from time to time. A once proud leader of a great people, now the most useless member of a dying race. Gargoyle warriors hardwired to protect and defend, reduced to skulking in the shadows of a massive ever-changing landscape and fight humans who viewed them as monsters even more than the humans of the past. Humans that were aware of their existence, formed an alliance with them, defended them during the day, and some who even befriended them.

Their treatment wasn't ideal—far from it—but compared to their current situation, it was definitely more preferable. Now if a human caught eye of any of them, there would be an automatic hunt initiated, every human would join the cause and see to it that the flying beast was brought down and eliminated. Their first encounter with the treacherous Pack was proof of that.

But as he touched down on the balcony leading into his humble abode, he realized that was one of the main reasons why he was experiencing this welcomed change in mood. The new human in his life, the unexpected friend he miraculously met, didn't have that problem. Without sight, there was no chance he would find out that Hudson was a gargoyle, thus no chance that the stigma of being a gargoyle would be applied to him.

There was peace in that, security, blessed assurance that with Robbins, and his lovable companion Gilly, Hudson was completely and totally safe. No traps, no hunts, no hostility, so long as Hudson kept his true nature a secret, which was child's play.

This world that seemed hellbent on reminding him that he was not wanted here and would never belong, suddenly quieted down a little when he was with Robbins. Somehow the worries that weighed down on him were lessened, just a bit. Such an odd effect the blind writer had on him, an effect that remained even now, when he was miles away from his presence. Hudson didn't know what to make of that, just like so many things surrounding Robbins, but he was eager to experience it again and get to the bottom of it.

Gently, he glided past the stairs and landed softly on the stone floor. A familiar joyful bark resonated through the Clock Tower, eliciting a grateful smile on the old soldier's face as Bronx rushed to his side. He ran his hand over the friendly beast's scaly head and reached his sharp nails behind his ear to give him a soothing scratching.

He envied Bronx as soon as they were made aware of their situation in this new world, he didn't have the capacity to worry and wonder and lament like everyone else. He was only concerned with the immediate, simple things: what to eat, where to sleep, who to play with, what to gnaw and scratch at absentmindedly. No earth shattering revelations or responsibilities, no hard questions to answer, no concept of the fates thrusting him to and fro at a whim. Just the simple pleasures of a happy beast in the company of his clan.

But now, he ventured what he was feeling was a fraction of the stress-free, simple happiness that Bronx had so easily secured. And if this was just a fraction of how Bronx felt all the time, then Hudson was right to envy him, indeed. He calmly made his way to his rugged, disheveled recliner, Bronx steadily beneath his softly scratching fingers, and clasped his wings across his chest. A deft hand snatched the remote from its resting place on the arm of the chair and he clicked it on as he plopped into the warm seat. Wait, warm?

"Welcome home" an eloquent, baritone voice called out softly, catching his attention. A familiar towering figure approached him with a steaming pot of something hearty and a smile just as warm.

"Ah, thank ye, lad. Been waitin' long?" Hudson asked, taking the spoon Goliath offered him to taste the savory concoction that, upon closer inspection, turned out to be beef stew. One of the old soldier's favorites, especially as the nights began to get colder and colder. How thoughtful of him, he mused as he sampled from the pot.

"Not long at all. I've just been catching up on a fascinating novel and nearly forgot to make supper. You've arrived just in time to give the taste test" Goliath received the spoon back as Hudson smacked his lips to swirl the flavors all around to better judge the quality of the dish.

"A wee pinch of pepper and ye've achieved culinary perfection, my boy" Hudson remarked, an appreciative smirk stretching across his face. Goliath nodded as he returned to the kitchen area and searched for the pepper shaker.

"So, how did your outing fair?" he asked over his shoulder as he traced his fingertip over the spice rack.

"Just fine" Hudson answered immediately, before musing on the response. "Better than fine, truthfully" he drifted as memories of Robbins and Gilly looking up at him just before he took flight played in his mind.

"Oh?" Goliath perked up interested, halting his task to look at Hudson as he continued.

"We talked for a good while. He made tea and we drank the whole pot. He was quite interested in me and..." he trailed off, only now realizing that he was rambling. "Let's just say, I've got a very eager teacher to help me read" he concluded, covering up his embarrassment from going on and on.

Goliath approached him with a bowl of stew in hand and offered it to his mentor. "That's wonderful news, Hudson. I'm glad for you" he said, excitement barely hidden behind his gentle demeanor. The boy had made it a point to ask Hudson what he thought of Elisa and the other humans of this world, prodding and prying for an answer that would give him hope for human and gargoyle relations.

Hudson had never lied to him, but he wasn't completely open about his opinion of humans either. Elisa was a dream come true, a human that loved them like friends, if not family, but she was Goliath's companion more than anything. The trio of course had a youthful wide eyed admiration for the impressive humans of this era, mostly through television programs and the like, all of them eager to meet them and earn their trust. But Hudson was an entirely different sort.

Humans had proven to be much too dangerous and untrustworthy for him to judge them positively. Sure, there was Elisa and the heroes on television, but there was far too many that were selfish, deceitful, petty, and greedy that outweighed the few good apples in the bunch. While he was nowhere near Demona's insane levels of contempt for them, he wasn't particularly fond of them either. He would protect the innocent, he wouldn't seek to cause harm or discomfort to them, but he wasn't exactly eager to meet and trust more of them. Elisa was an exception and he was sure there would be others in the coming days, but he wasn't going to be the one to find those exceptions.

But then, in a radical twist of fate, he washed ashore and stumbled right into the greatest exception and saving grace of humanity at large, Jeffery Robbins. He wasn't sure how, he wasn't sure why, but suddenly every reservation he had about humans was changing and Goliath was right to be excited for this brand new, completely unprecedented development.

"Thank ye, lad. I'm glad too" he finally replied as they slurped down the delectable stew. And he meant it. For the first time in a long time, he could honestly admit that he was glad. Not in passing, not excluding whatever extenuating circumstance, he was just... kinda glad. A bit more at peace than he'd been since waking from his centuries long stone slumber.

A pleasant discovery, he added as he flicked through the channels to find Celebrity Hockey. Broadway forgot to return the channel back, evident by the black and white grizzled detective program that greeted him when it flicked on.

"I've been meaning to ask you, what is so appealing about this particular television program?" Goliath inquired between spoonfuls.

"I like when they slam and crash into each other. The B-Players are the best at that, look at 'em" Hudson replied without taking his eyes off the screen. The ruthless B-Players were currently displaying their bloodlust as they slammed an unsuspecting member of the opposing team into the glass, causing him to sprawl out on the ice like a rag-doll.

Hudson chuckled as he wiped his mouth of excess broth. Goliath simply looked between his mentor and the rowdy display he was enthralled with and raised his brow in confusion.

"I... see" he mumbled unsure, then took another spoonful of stew. Just as they settled into a comfortable silence, the clock face door flung open with a rusty squeak. In clambered the trio of young boys, brimming with energy and rambling on passionately about some new discovery they've made no doubt.

Ah, youth, he mused. Eager to discover the unknown and answer the various questions of life, all as fast as possible. Only later realizing that the unknown was known all along and the questions already have answers because they've been asked thousands of times before. And when they aren't doing that, they're off on flights of fancy and foolishness, bickering and joking which was unbecoming of serious warriors, which they were supposed to be striving to be.

He shook his head and admonished himself for his cynicism, the lads had a heaping helping of reality at their young age and it was honestly a miracle they could still be so full of joy and wonder after everything they've been through. He was far too quick to forget that and he needed to be more respectful of them, as the future of the clan, if nothing else.

"Hey guys! Whatcha watchin'?" Broadway called as he descended the stairs, his heavy footfalls clearly heard from across the space. His brothers split from behind him and entered the common area in their own ways.

"Celebrity Hockey, what else?" Hudson replied cheekily while turning up the volume. With those three back home, there was bound to be an increase in background noise.

Goliath got up and picked something up from a shelf. "Lexington, Elisa came to visit earlier and left you this package" he informed while handing a gray grocery bag to the smallest gargoyle.

"Lemme take a look" he hummed bemused, taking it from Goliath's massive hand and scurrying to the table.

Brooklyn hopped over to the kitchen area, the beef stew still steaming a bit as he wafted the scent. "There's enough food left, I hope?" he asked expectantly.

"We just ate" Broadway quickly added, confused.

"Uh, correction: You just ate. I still haven't gotten a bite yet" Brooklyn replied dryly, fishing for a bowl in the cabinet.

"Well, who's fault is that?" Broadway asked, crossing his arms defiantly.

"Yours," Brooklyn spat, squinting at his brother. "Considering watching you eat an entire cart of corndogs made me want to hurl" he continued louder, a frustrated edge to his tone.

"They were just sittin' there!" Broadway defended even louder, his arms waving above his head incredulously. "What was I supposed to do, let 'em go to waste?"

Just before Hudson was about to shout for them to keep it down, Lexington interrupted everyone with a gleeful cheer. "Aww sweet! Elisa got the 8-PIN cable and a 25 megabyte floppy disk! Now I can finally get to work on Coldstone!" he announced, causing everyone's eyes to shoot open in shock.

Coldstone... the name instilled dread in his heart every time he heard it, and judging by the rest of his clan's reaction, it had a similar effect on them. The abomination of sorcery and science that was Coldstone was always a topic of serious reflection for the entire clan, spoken of in deathly serious tones and frightened whispers.

A stark reminder of so many painful truths: Demona's corruption and unforgivable betrayal of the clan and the very nature of a gargoyle, the horrors of man's science and the depth of depravity of the human mind, the defiling of their clansmen's remains and the subsequent internal torture they are subjected to constantly, the tragic sorrowful night all those centuries ago that still weighed heavily on them all, a stark reminder of how guarded they have to be at all times. And for Hudson, a testament to his failures as a leader, as an adviser, and as a warrior.

When he was Clan Leader, the three gargoyles that form Coldstone were under his charge, same as Goliath and Demona. They were his responsibility, he was meant to teach them and guide them in the way they should go about their lives. Instill in them the values of honor, justice, strength, and wisdom, nurture their talents and affinities, see to it that each and every one of them became honorable warriors and respectable gargoyles.

Instead, he merely focused on a few and hoped the rest would learn by example or implication, Goliath and Demona were his priority as soon as he knew who he'd groom to take his and his mate's place. It wasn't that he didn't care about the other children, nor that he didn't teach them or guide them. He just didn't do enough, he knew that he didn't do enough because he was told so by his mate, the best Clan Mother any young gargoyle could ask for.

His Queen of the Night would often pull him aside and tell him to focus on the other young ones in Goliath's generation. They needed more attention, more guidance, more love. And while he was willing and eager to give more love and attention to them, it was guidance that they lacked. Because of this, the tragedy of Coldstone was allowed to germinate into its First Act.

He saw that the two lads were yearning for the same lass, he saw it as plain as day. But he thought they would work it out among themselves, the girl would make her decision after seeing the boys grow up and shape up into the men they were going to be. One would gain her heart and the other would bow out gracefully and pursue another girl, one who was destined for him and he for her. That's how it always shook out, why would this trio be any different than the dozens that have gone through the same circumstance?

Foolish old man, he berated. He knew there was something different about the raven haired one, he could see it in his face, hear it in his voice, it was all in his body language. He wanted that girl and he was willing to do anything to get her, he didn't understand honor or justice at all, and instead of pulling him aside and teaching him, Hudson opted to let them sort it out among themselves. And thus, the Coldstone tragedy was able to reach its Second Act.

For soon after Hudson abdicated as Clan Leader and bestowed the position onto Goliath, the raven haired lad finally made his move. In an act of deplorable jealously the likes of which Hudson had rarely seen before or since, he deceived his white haired rookery brother into believing an outrageous lie.

He caused him to believe that Goliath desired his love and she was never truly his love, but a betrayer of his trust just like Goliath. Knowing Goliath and Demona were already positioned as the new Clan Leader and Clan Mother, the power couple that would remain united and keep the clan with their union, not to mention they had just conceived an egg together, this deception cut that much deeper.

Unfaithfulness was nigh impossible for a gargoyle, they mate for life, always had and always will. So for this lie to be credible, the white haired lad had to be incredibly stupid, which Hudson knew wasn't true, or his raven haired brother had to have manipulated Goliath and his rookery sister into appearing unfaithful. Not just once either, this had to be a carefully calculated, multi-step plot to garner the effect it produced. All in an attempt to create disharmony within the clan, culminating in a battle to the death between his rookery brother and his Clan Leader, and in the chaos claim his rookery sister as a prize for a deed heinously accomplished.

It made Hudson absolutely revolted to think of someone in his clan capable of such unbelievably depraved levels of evil. Thankfully, the battle ended thanks to their rookery sister talking sense into her rookery brothers and all three of them intended to apprehend their deceitful raven haired brother, who couldn't even stand tall and accept his failure like a man. Instead he tried to run away, a pitiful display on all fronts, thank goodness Demona anticipated such an act and easily intercepted him.

He was captured and brought before the entire clan to be judged in full view of all those he dishonored with his horrendous actions. There he knelt, snarling and protesting, like a raving lunatic, that she belonged to him and his brother didn't deserve her and Goliath wasn't fit to lead anyway.

Never in all his years had Hudson seen a gargoyle so corrupt and deplorable as the raven haired lad, and it broke his heart. He knew then, beyond a shadow of a doubt, he had failed the boy. If only he'd taken the time to entreat him, if only he hadn't been complacent about his nature, if only he had at least taken his white haired rookery brother aside and warned him about his brother, maybe this entire ordeal could have been avoided.

Alas, he was a foolish, careless leader and here was the result of his tutelage, hissing at him like a venomous serpent. Goliath stood before him and laid out his sins plainly for all to know, whatever his punishment, everyone would know to watch their clansman from this day forward and report back to Goliath the progress or regression of his redemption. And Goliath being the fair and just lad Hudson raised him to be, knew that he had no choice but to punish him. Still, he loved the boy, Goliath lived for his clan regardless of whatever they did, to this day he lives for his clan, he noted. So he looked to Hudson, his mentor, his elder, his predecessor, for advice on the appropriate punishment.

Hudson immediately told him to banish his rookery brother, his offense was far too serious to do anything less. Goliath was the new Clan Leader, any action deliberately done to put his life at risk was enough for banishment. But to pit his own rookery brother against his Clan Leader in order to steal away his rookery sister, who was already committed and bonded to another? It was the sickest, most vile of motives. And it nearly worked!

No, the lad had to be banished from Wyvern Hill, left without a clan, without a castle, and without an opportunity to bond with any of his clansmen. It was what he deserved, short of straight up execution, and Hudson knew it. He believed that his own rookery sister Demona knew it.

But Goliath was hesitant to go along with it. The role of leader was still new to him and he had yet to think of himself as one who truly could make such a harsh decision. He pushed back against an extended banishment of a decade, which Hudson made clear was the minimum punishment that would fit his crimes, and instead opted for a single year banishment.

The old soldier knew it wouldn't be enough, he knew that the very notion of a year banishment was little more than a slap on the wrist, he knew that everyone else would bring Goliath's position as Clan Leader into question because of this decision. Yet, he had reservations about challenging the lad on this. It was his first major decision as Clan Leader, he had to show solidarity or it would be even more disastrous. He appointed him leader, he couldn't take it back at the first sign of trouble, no matter how desperately he needed to.

He could have pushed for more years, 5 would have been a good compromise. And perhaps 5 years of isolation would do his rookery brother some good and they'd work on his sense of honor and justice when he came back. All of them stupid, selfish reasons to allow a heinous act to go grossly under-punished. Against his better judgement, Hudson allowed Goliath to pass the verdict and off the raven haired lad went, only to return in a year's time. And because of this second major failure, the Coldstone tragedy entered into its Third Act.

The boy returned to Castle Wyvern exactly a year later and there were no more incidents regarding him. But it wasn't because he had reformed and redeemed himself, no. It was only because a much greater sin dwarfed his almost immediately after he returned, for it was the year of the horrifying, nightmarish massacre of their entire clan. All of them, the raven haired lad, his white haired rookery brother and his lovely rookery sister were slaughtered in a grisly display of cruel savagery and left to litter the castle ruins. Tainted by death, traumatized by betrayal, stripped of innocence. And as gruesome as it is, Hudson would have preferred that to be the end of their tragic tale. But the fates had other plans.

For the Third Act had merely begun for the trio at their untimely deaths all those years ago, the continuation was to take place in this time. This new world filled with wicked science to blend with dark sorcery, culminating in the macabre fate those poor children are suffering from now. Trapped in a prison constructed from the defiled remains of their bodies and fortified with machinery from the most devious mind on the planet, Xanatos, and cruelly bestowed sentience to comprehend the depths of despair they've been dragged to by Demona, their own rookery sister. Will the betrayals never cease, Hudson wondered more than anything else concerning the souls trapped inside Coldstone.

Upon hearing of their situation, a startling realization struck Hudson harder than any blow he'd ever felt. If Goliath banished his rookery brother for more than a single year, if he had just sentenced him to 2 years, he wouldn't have been present for the Wyvern Massacre and he wouldn't be part of the Coldstone tragedy. Most of the suffering all of them had to endure wouldn't be, had Hudson pressed for a harsher punishment. He never brought it up with Goliath, and he never would, but it was always rattling around in his head when Coldstone was brought up. Another one of his substantial failures had come back to bite him. Hard.

And of course, if he had just stopped and thought, he would have been able to figure out what that treacherous Captain of the Guard was plotting, and he could have prevented that horrific tragedy from happening, thus no Coldstone, no New York, no Xanatos, no Magus's spell, no new world. The events of that gruesome night replayed in his head again, every word spoken, every action taken, every second spent, every look from every person, all of it scrutinized and weighed meticulously in his mind.

If he'd just done this, if he'd just noticed that, if he'd just said something there, then the catastrophe would have been averted. But that was him picking up that blasted shattered hourglass again, and that was a path he'd already treaded enough for one lifetime. Still, because of his failure as a warrior to spot the treachery and to be there to protect his clan—his children— from slaughter, Coldstone was able to be brought into existence. A whole lot of strife could have been avoided if not for Hudson's continued failures in every aspect of his life, nobody was more aware of this than he himself.

Now, by Goliath's recollection of his time inside the mind of Coldstone, his brother and sister are tormented daily by the raven haired lad and the very circuitry that makes up their vessel. Together, but robbed of the ability to feel each other, robbed of peace even in their own minds, robbed of their home, and robbed of everything that made them gargoyles. No castle to protect, no ability to join their clan, no hope of ever becoming one soul in one body again.

Or so Hudson thought until Lexington offered to work on Coldstone with his gifts from Elisa. The little lad hadn't noticed the startling silence that had enveloped his clan, but Hudson certainly had. None of them were expecting this development, not even his rookery brothers it seemed, and Hudson had no way of knowing, but he assumed they were all doubtful of Lexington's chances of reviving Coldstone and excising the raven haired lad's soul from the body.

Hudson was ready to dissuade Lexington from even trying, after everything they'd been through with Coldstone, he figured it would be best to just let them finally rest for good. He was sure that's what they'd desire the most and more importantly, he seriously doubted Lexington could perform a perfect ideal repair of Coldstone. The boy was brilliant, no question, but he wasn't a fae.

However, Goliath was the first to find his voice again. "Lexington, are you... are you saying you will be able to restore Coldstone's mind?" he ventured, cautiously optimistic.

Lexington tinkered with his laptop as he responded. "I think so. I've been reading up on computers, programming and viruses, how to fix 'em when they break too" Finally, he looked up and noticed his entire clan was slack-jawed and bewildered.

"I wouldn't say I'm an expert, but I can at least start looking inside his systems to figure out what's wrong. And maybe, eventually, bring him back online. I mean, it's worth a shot, right?" he chuckled nervously as he walked his laptop over to them.

"Could—could you start now?" Goliath asked, almost pleading.

"Well, setting up for it takes a while and it's gettin' pretty early," he quirked his head toward the clock face, the approaching dawn slowly lighting up the sky "but I'll start work on him first thing tomorrow night"

Goliath placed a comforting hand on his slender shoulder. "Thank you, my friend. I don't intend to pressure you, I'm just..." he couldn't stop the hopeful smile gracing his features. "Eager to see my siblings well again"

"I understand, Goliath. I'll do my best to help our clansmen" Lexington nodded resolutely, before plopping on the ground and tapping away at his laptop. Well, that was that, Hudson supposed.

Brooklyn and Broadway reached the same conclusion, though slower than him, thankfully their earlier argument was a distant memory and the two shuffled off to play with their brother's remote control car. Something that the little lad wouldn't mind in leu of his new project. First it was getting the clock working again, then it was fixing their new used refrigerator, then building a motorcycle out of spare parts the trio had gathered across a week, then of course there was The Pack's helicopter which he outfitted with armor, and now Coldstone. It was sure to be his most challenging project yet, Hudson figured, which meant...

"So that means you'll be home for a while then, lad?" he asked curiously.

"Yeah, I'm grounded until I make some headway on ol' Coldstone" the boy responded throwing a thumb at the backroom where the abomination of science and sorcery stood comatose, their own personal nightmare statue.

"Good, then you'll guard the tower, and I'll have time to..." he stopped himself and turned his attention back to the television. "Take care of business"

"Business? What business?" Broadway questioned incredulous, much too flippant for Hudson's tastes.

"The sorta business that's mine to be mindin', not yours" he chided, jabbing a finger towards the young gargoyle.

"Uh-huh. And this 'business' wouldn't happen to concern the blind human whose house you crashed at last morning, would it?" Brooklyn deduced rather coyly.

"I didn't crash into his house, I washed ashore" Hudson corrected, irritated and turning up the television more.

Brooklyn sidled up to his recliner and leaned on the headrest. "Relax, I'm just surprised you found a human friend all on your own. You, out of all of us" he said, motioning to his rookery brothers, because of course Goliath didn't count. He was ahead of everyone in that regard.

"And just what is that supposed to mean? I'm perfectly capable of makin' friends with humans, same as the rest of ye" Hudson challenged eying Brooklyn accusingly.

"Yeah, that's what's so surprisin'..." Broadway murmured as he went on playing with the remote control car. Hudson scoffed and turned his attention back to the television. Brooklyn returned to Broadway's side to quickly remind him that it was his turn to drive as Lexington tapped away at his computer, a couple computing books next to him as a guide. The clan settled into a comfortable silence, but only for a moment as their leader sat next to Hudson.

"How... is your new friend? Robbins, was it?" Goliath gently ventured, clearly not wanting to come off intrusive but incredibly interested in learning more about the new human in Hudson's life. It was natural to want to know more, Hudson reasoned.

"He's alright... just wanted to know how everythin' settled with MacBeth and the Scrolls" he answered plainly, not taking his eyes off the television.

"I would be interested in meeting him" Goliath offered, a leading tone in his voice. "To express my gratitude for helping you in your hour of need, if nothing else" he added politely.

"We all would!" Lexington spoke up suddenly. "Any human that's willing to befriend us is a human worth meeting!" he nearly shouted in his excitement. And it was obvious why, Hudson realized. After his encounter with The Pack, he's been longing to find true allies. Kindred spirits he called them, which Hudson had to admit fit Robbins beautifully. He was certainly kindred to his old spirit, anyway. Which made the idea of bringing the lads to meet him all at once an even less appetizing prospect.

"I don't wanna be overloadin' him, lads" he gently tried to explain. "Robbins is... he isn't like Elisa"

"Whaddya mean?" Broadway perked up, his interest piqued as well.

"Well, he's..." Hudson realized all eyes were on him now, and suddenly the television was on commercial break and far too loud. He pressed mute as he gathered his flittering thoughts on the blind writer. How do you condense someone as astonishing as him into a few short words? They should have sent a poet, he joked inwardly.

"He's calm. Quiet... serene..." the words came more naturally as he started to let them out. "And wise. Wiser than anybody I've ever met" he admitted, surprised he'd never thought of that before now. Robbins had insight that very few people, including himself, have ever displayed. It was one of the things that fascinated him the most about the human; blind but with a greater insight than any man with perfect vision. A disarming contradiction.

"So he's... frail?" Brooklyn spoke up, breaking the introspective silence Hudson got lost in.

"No!" he laughed in rejection of the notion. As if anyone could describe Robbins as frail, how ridiculous. "No, not at all. He's got..." he searched for the words again, slowly the formed a sentence in his mind as the lads hung in anticipation. God, he was bad at this, perhaps they really should have sent a poet.

Finally, his thoughts focused. "He's got a silent strength... like a great oak stretching to the sky... Or a mountain firmly standing through any storm..." the old soldier trailed off into a peaceful trance. His eyes glazed over as pleasant memories of Robbins scrolled past his mind's eye.

His smile when he first met him, his gentle yet firm grip on his shoulder when he revealed he couldn't read, his impassioned words that challenged Hudson to better himself. His sigh of relief when Hudson returned from stone sleep, his hearty laughter when Hudson accidentally said something humorous, his engrossed undivided attention when Hudson told the story of MacBeth and the Scrolls of Merlin. His bashful demeanor when offering his services to teach him how to read, his hand stretched out expectantly towards Hudson, a hand he wished he could clutch warmly, but knew he never could. Each moment a treasure he valued more than silver.

"He sounds quite interesting" Goliath spoke up, a knowing, gentle smile on his face.

Hudson chuckled a bit. "Aye, he is... I've never met anyone quite like him before..." he said, surprising himself more than anyone else. It was true, he just never considered it until the words entered the atmosphere. He had no one to accurately compare Robbins to, none of the gargoyles in his clan, nor humans they allied with, nor any other being he'd come across in his long life was quite like Jeffery Robbins. And that was... shocking, to say the least.

"Wow, you must really like this guy, Hudson" Broadway interjected, snatching Hudson back to reality and the mask of aloofness he tried to adopt originally.

"Ack, away with ye" he waved off, his face reddening with embarrassment. "I just don't want you aggrivatin' him all night long with yer constant bickerin' and playin' " he chided to hopefully cover up his mounting embarrassment.

"We won't, we promise!" Lexington called out, practically interrupting Hudson's admonishing. His sincerity so clear, he couldn't help but back down from his argumentative attitude.

"Yeah, honest! We just wanna meet the human that's got you so impressed" added Brooklyn, sweet and with a twinge of laughter accenting his words.

"And ye will" Hudson relented. Blast them and their endearing innocent charm. "As soon as you can reign in that youthful energy some" he added quickly, not wanting them to think he was too soft.

The trio nodded and overlapped each other with their promises to calm down as Goliath spoke up. "He is your friend, Hudson. You should decide when it's time for us all to be introduced" the lad assured as he placed a loving hand on his shoulder.

"We just want you to know that we are looking forward to that day" Goliath soothed diplomatically, just like Hudson taught him to be.

"Alright, alright. I hear ye, lad" he softly patted Goliath's hand. "I promise, one day I'll introduce ye to 'im" he smiled weakly.

It warmed his old heart to see his prized pupil respect and honor the lessons Hudson gave him when he was just a hatchling. Truly, when he went too far in self-flagellation of his character, Goliath stepped in and halted the trial. Hudson may have been lacking in some areas and his mistakes were great in severity and number. But the one thing he knows he did right was grooming Goliath and handing leadership over to him, the lad took to it like a fish in water.

His immense strength tempered with a big heart and an old soul made him the perfect Clan Leader, hands down. Far better than Hudson himself ever was, which made him thank the gods once again, only a fool wishes more for himself and less for his successor. Moreover, Goliath had stuck close to the elder in a way that Hudson couldn't to his own elders, their bond was quite a unique one and he cherished it as the rarity it was.

Which meant that if anyone would meet Robbins sooner rather than later, it would be him. As fond as he was becoming of Robbins, Goliath was still his boy and nothing was going to dwarf that connection they had. Everything they'd been through together, the hardship, the triumphs, the countless years of combat where they placed their lives in the other's hands.

Still, Hudson had a reluctant trepidation when he played out Goliath and Robbins meeting. Goliath wasn't at all concerned about concealing his gargoyle identity to humans and Robbins was a sharp one indeed. A single touch of Goliath's hands or an unchecked sound, a throwaway comment, and the blind writer would stumble onto the truth, a possibility that sat uncomfortably in his lap like 3 Bronxes.

The fragility of their relationship was laid bare, an unfortunate inescapable truth: Robbins was under the impression that Hudson was human, just like him. The only reason he helped him, invited him into his home, treated him like an honored guest and friend was because he couldn't see the truth. If he wasn't blind, that fateful night that exhausted his reserves of good luck would have played out very differently. And if he was to ever discover Hudson's true nature, it would surely be an upsetting and frightening discovery, one he wasn't trying to subject Robbins to.

Especially if it wasn't necessary, and Hudson truly felt it wasn't. How would knowing he's a gargoyle benefit Robbins? What was there to gain in telling him? Absolutely nothing. But what was there to lose in telling him? Absolutely everything. It was simply unintelligent to reveal that truth to Robbins, and until he could convey that to Goliath, their meeting would have to wait.

He still felt uncomfortable with hiding the truth from someone he'd quickly taken a shine to, it wasn't really in his nature to be secretive in this way. He reasoned that one day it would be safe to reveal the secret, one day when they've grown closer, when their friendship isn't so new and vulnerable, he'd tell Robbins the truth himself. And if there was fallout, they could deal with it, they could repair whatever damage this revelation would do to their relationship. Hopefully, he added with a deep sigh.

Thankfully this wasn't a problem he had to worry about for a long time, he could just keep the secret and enjoy his friend without a care. At least, for now.

"Sun's comin' up, guys" Brooklyn announced, picking up the speeding toy car and placing it back in its box.

Lexington finished up on his laptop and snapped it shut as he gathered his books and materials, scurrying off to the back room. Broadway quickly cleaned out the pot Goliath cooked the stew in and put the rest of the kitchen materials back in their proper place. Goliath patted Hudson's shoulder affectionately as he walked pass, Bronx following dutifully with a pleasant growl. Hudson flicked the television off as he got up from his groaning recliner and meandered to the clock face door.

Each member of the clan gathered at the balcony at a nonchalant pace, the approaching dawn peeling back the obsidian veil of the night sky and revealing the bright blue gradient beneath. The blazing sun began peaking above the horizon, slowly ascending as its brilliant lights beamed gracefully behind the many skyscrapers that made up Manhattan.

Hudson sighed blissfully at the great approaching light, he'd always wondered about the Sun, that great big golden glow that bathed the sky in warm shimmering light. He'd only seen its likeness in paintings and tapestries, knowing they all paled in comparison to the real thing. But as a gargoyle he'd never be able to see it for himself, a fact that vexed him more than he cared to admit openly.

So as the twinkling mass of light beamed higher and higher above the rooftops, Hudson got into his stance while unsheathing his sword. The majestic beauty of the heavens would once again allude his tired old eyes, merely teasing him with how painfully close it would always get, yet always far enough away to escape his grasp.

And as his skin began to stiffen and petrify, a sensation as familiar as breath entering his body, he settled into his fate. It was just the hand he was dealt being born a gargoyle. In his final waking moment, he realized this was another thing he and Robbins had in common. The sight of a gorgeous sunrise was now forever beyond his grasp as well, something that no doubt weighed heavily on him, despite him refusing to show it.

He supposed there were quite a few sights that Robbins dearly missed, but this one the old gargoyle could sympathize with all too well. As miserable a hand he'd been dealt, the wise human had made the most of it. Hudson supposed he should take a page out of his book in that regard.

That day, his dreams were filled with the scents of Robbins's home, the taste of his peculiar, but pleasant tea, the tactile sensation of combing his fingers through Gilly's soft fur, the sound of his soft crackling fireplace, and the sight of Robbins's smiling face. For the first time in a long time, the constant marathon of his past failures and shortcomings were far away and Hudson was blissfully at peace.


Author's Note: Alright, quite a bit of notes for this one, lots of little details and concepts that sort of all came together to form this chapter's story and character details.

I'm surprised no one has brought this up before, but Hudson was directly overseeing the growth of both Iago (the evil Coldstone personality) and Demona, two of the only "evil", or more accurately, corrupt gargoyles in the entire series. Thailog and the other clones of course don't count because they're clones that weren't raised as gargoyles by gargoyles. So Demona and Iago are the only pure-blooded corrupted gargoyles, both are of the same generation that was directly under Hudson's supervision.

Does no one else find that incredibly interesting? Well I did and I thought it would be nice to explore that from his point of view, as well as detail the events of the Coldtrio's past in a clear succinct way so whenever they come up later (which they absolutely will), there's a strong foundation to build on for their characters in regards to Hudson and Goliath.

Also, I broke this exposition up into "acts" as a reference to the Coldtrio's original names: Othello, Desdemona, & Iago. All taken from the famous Shakespeare tragedy, "Othello". So it just made sense when recounting their story to break it up into acts.

Hudson calling his Mate his "Queen of the Night" is both a reference and possible origin for Goliath's famous pet name for Demona "my Angel of the Night" and a very important comparison to a real world thing. You see, "Queen of the Night" is the common name of a particularly rare night-blooming flower, Epiphyllum Oxypetalum.

It's a cactus flower that is said to bloom not just at night, but maybe once or twice a year. Its flowers wilt before dawn, and it is said to have an incredibly beautiful fragrance. I figured what better flower for Hudson to use as a pet name for his Mate?

I plan on diving deeper into the nature of their relationship as well as Hudson's life before he became Clan Leader and of course during his time as Clan Leader. So if that's something you've always wanted to see, get excited!

I also found in "The Mirror" episode Hudson's famous final line: "I would like to have seen the Sun; just once..." It's a very telling statement that provides a very logical and fascinating window into Hudson's character. I won't say much on this right now, instead I'll just say we'll definitely be coming back to this concept in the coming chapters.

And this last one isn't really relevant to the story this chapter, but I'll include it anyway XD Lexington's Laptop doesn't exist in the real world, as far as I can tell. It appears to be a combination of the Apple Macintosh Portable (1989), the Apple Powerbook 500 series (1994), and the Apple PowerBook: Duo (1992). That slightly rounded look to the monitor rim is more in line with current day laptop designs, and that's what threw me for a loop in finding comparisons. But yeah, it just seems like a combination of a bunch of early Apple laptops, which makes sense considering he got it from David "The Multi-Billionaire Mogul" Xanatos. He'd only buy the finest and most expensive of fictional 90s tech XD