Prologue - New Beginnings
September 1st, 1992
Liam Gardner was one who despised bullies. What right do they have for abusing others psychologically, emotionally and physically? Was it because they were bullied themselves? Or because they're actually weak and try to hide by being tough?
Regardless, even though Liam despised them, he knew when he couldn't handle them, which was why he was being chased by a gang of street punks in the city of London, in particular, the region of Soho, which was near his home.
The nineteen year old with short blonde hair with fringes down his forehead and blue eyes ran for his life as these street punks were truly bad in the worst way. They were racists and bigots that have this belief of keeping London pure by ridding those that aren't English, and despite the fact that Liam is of English descent, he's also half American, which is enough of an excuse for these punks to beat him up, if not worse.
He ran down an alleyway that he used before as a shortcut to make it back home, but because of how dark it was, the sun having set an hour ago, Liam wasn't aware of the plank of wood that stuck out, which he tripped on and he was sent flying before he skidded on the wet and rough pavement that caused his arms and forehead to scrape, his light shirt now dirty, wet and grimy.
"Gotcha, you invader!" One of the punks yelled as he and cronies now surrounded Liam, who curled up and hissed in agony as he knew blood was drawn.
"It would seem that Gardner has two left feet." The same punk said, clearly the leader, in mockery as he pulled Liam to his feet, only to punch him in the face and in the stomach, making the nineteen year old moan in pain as he crumpled back on the floor.
"And to think that Americans think they're better than us." One of the other punks sneered before he and a few others kicked him repeatedly, making Liam cry out in agony. If only this happened during the day, because kind citizens and witnesses would try to help out, but there's hardly anyone out during the night.
"You listen, you little bastard." The leader spat as he kneeled down to Liam, whose face was covered in bruises and cuts. "We don't accept you in our city. Americans are bad enough, but to know that you're born from a Brit and an American… it's disgusting. Now, why don't we just -"
He was cut off when something hit him from behind, launching him into the wall of the alleyway and knocking him out instantly.
His cronies all gasped and looked around to see who or what struck their leader. Liam was able to keep awake to see that there was something or someone standing in the shadows in the alleyway. He knew because he saw the distinct outline of two eyes that were glowing pure white, and they looked angry.
And based on how far from the ground they were, this being was tall, taller than any human Liam ever knew.
"Didn't your parents ever teach you decency and respect towards others?" The figure spoke, sounding a lot like a male college or university student. Their voice sent a warm and pleasant tingle up Liam's body. Not only was it a voice that soothed him, but it belonged to his savior. Liam, knowing that a fight would break out, crawled to the wall and leaned against it.
"Back off, you wanker, this ain't none of your business!" One of the punks spat.
"Oh, but it is. You see, whenever you miscreants harm and bully innocent people, it immediately becomes my business." The figure replied, stepping out of the shadows.
From where Liam was, he couldn't see the figure because he was right next to a large wheelie bin. But based on the gasps of shock from the punks, whoever the figure was, they were intimidating.
Liam was barely able to keep awake as he heard fighting, but it was clear that the figure that came to save Liam was the victor since the punks were either knocked out or thrown at the wall.
It was a short scuffle and at the end of it, the figure walked up to Liam, who was now about to lose consciousness from the pain and even the loss of blood.
Right before he lost consciousness entirely, he heard his saviour gasp in horror before saying "Hang in there, chap, I'll get somewhere you can heal up."
Liam regained consciousness however long afterwards and immediately realised three things.
One, he was no longer resting against a stone wall, but instead was lying down on what had to be a sofa, clearly elsewhere.
Two, he still felt pain, but it wasn't as bad before. It was now a dull and throbbing pain. Liam also realised that his shirt was taken off and was wrapped in bandages.
And three, he heard voices nearby, three of them to be exact. And they were in a serious conversation.
"I still don't know if it's a good idea to bring him here." A male voice said. They sounded like they were older, around the age of Liam's parents.
"Exactly, for all we know, he'll spill our secret and run away in fear." A female voice agreed, one that sounded motherly and gentle.
"But once he realises that I saved him from those pathetic excuses of Londoners, he won't react in fear. In fact, he just might look at us in awe, for all we know." The third voice said, the one that belonged to the figure that saved Liam from those punks.
"But there's also the issue of his parents. What would happen if they believe he's gone missing? Especially since the young man has to stay here for a whole day for his injuries to heal." The female voice asked.
"Well, we have a phone, don't we? Once he wakes up, he can call his parents and tell them that he's elsewhere at the moment and that they have nothing to worry about." Liam's saviour replied.
This made Liam strain as he opened his eyes finally and after blinking the blurriness away, he saw that he was in a historical building of some kind, probably before the Tudor dynasty.
When he turned his head to the left, towards where the voices came from, his eyes widened in shock upon seeing that the three people that were speaking didn't look human at all.
In fact, they looked like animal humanoids with wings. They all stood around a table.
From left to right, the female figure resembled white skinned unicorn, down to the horn on her head. She had feathered wings, long blonde hair, hooved feet, four fingers instead of five, long and pointed ears and a short tail. She also wore a pink dress and some kind of tiara over her horn.
Then there was a male who resembled a bipedal lion with brown skin, a tannish gold mane with two grey streaks, feathered wings, rounded ears and a tail that ended with a tuft of fur. He wore a blue tunic with what looked like blue trunks and wore metal shoulder guards, a belt and forearm guards.
And finally, the third figure and second male was the one that caught Liam's attention the most. This one had a hawk-like beak, yellowish skin, feathered wings that were red on the inside and a lion-like tail, making Liam think that this one had to be a gryphon. He also wore a black leather tunic with trunks that bore a belt. There were metal studs for the buttons and on his shoulder guards, and he even wore metal arm guards as well. Both he and the lion had clawed feet in comparison to the unicorn's hooved feet. And Liam was amazed upon seeing that the gryphon had a brown stylish mohawk, which made him look charming.
Liam couldn't hold his gasp, which caught the attention of the three, who were all wide eyed.
"He's awake!" The unicorn gasped.
"I was getting worried he wouldn't wake up." The lion said, shaking his head in bemusement.
"By jove, it's a good thing you're still with us. I'd hate to imagine how your family would have reacted if things turned out differently." The gryphon grinned, his voice indicating that he was Liam's saviour. The gryphon then walked up to Liam, who now sat up slowly on the sofa, hissing in pain.
"Who… who are you?" Liam asked, still in awe of these three beings, whose wings wrapped in front, making them look like they were wearing cloaks.
"My name is Griff, these two are Una and Leo. We run a shop called Into the Mystic. We're also Gargoyles." The gryphon introduced himself and his fellow beings, who bowed in courtesy.
Liam bowed his head in response, taking in what Griff had just told him.
"So… Gargoyles aren't just stone statues at cathedrals and other historical buildings?" He asked.
"Not exactly. We're living flesh and blood, just like you humans." Leo, the lion, replied as Una went off somewhere. "Our kind have been around for centuries, though we've now kept ourselves a secret for our safety."
Liam was about to ask another question when Una came back with a tray that had a teapot and four cups and pots of cream and sugar.
"Would you like some tea, dear?" She asked Liam kindly.
"Uh… yes, please." He said, now finding himself a bit wary of these Gargoyles. "I heard you say something about a phone?"
"Oh, yes, you can call your parents when you're ready." Griff said as he was handed a cup of tea by Una. "You're probably thinking that we're holding you against your will."
Liam looked away, slightly embarrassed.
"I'm sorry, it's just… it's not everyday you learn that Gargoyles are living beings. For all I know, you could have malicious plans for me."
"It's alright, we understand your wariness." Leo said as he was handed a cup of tea that had cream in it. "It's natural to be like that, especially when you learn something new about your world."
"And a bit smart, considering the likes of those punks." Liam replied before he was handed a cup of tea by Una.
"Would you like some cream and sugar with your tea, dear?" Una asked him.
"Yes for both, please." Liam nodded and once he mixed them in, he took his first sip and was shocked by how good the tea was. Not only did it taste so good, just as good as his mother's, but it helped him regain his strength and ease his pain.
"So, what exactly do you guys do?" He then asked all three as they settled down into chairs that surrounded a coffee table that the sofa was opposite from.
"Well, as Gargoyles, we protect our home and those that live in it from all the evil doers that roam." Griff said with pride.
"Then you're not the dark and evil beings that some stories depict you as?" Liam asked.
"Oh, no. Humans think they know how things are, when they really don't." Una shook her head before she took a sip of tea.
"Is it only just you three?" Liam asked again.
"Oh, no. There's actually over a hundred of us that live in a countryside manor outside of London." Leo revealed, making Liam spit the tea that he was sipping and look at all three of them wide eyed.
"Over a hundred? No wonder they're all in a countryside manor." He said, being handed some paper towels by Griff and he wiped the tea from the coffee table and elsewhere.
"Exactly. Our clan has been around even before London was even around. It's one of the oldest clans in the world." Griff chuckled.
"Then there's other Gargoyles out there?" Liam questioned, considering how Griff worded his sentence.
"For sure, some may have been wiped out, but there's bound to be more out there in the world." Una replied.
"I'm guessing you try to keep your presence a secret for more than one reason, right?" Liam pointed out.
"You are right, young man. Some humans would fear us and attack us if we made ourselves public." Leo nodded grimly.
"But then why does the WW2 memorial have a couple of Gargoyles on it?" Liam asked, having just recollected that by the Thames was a memorial for those that died in WW2, where on a plane were two statues of winged beings that Liam now knew to be Gargoyles.
"Because they fought in the Battle of Britain… and gave their lives to protect our home." Una said, now looking devastated, like their deaths affected her severely.
"Una lost the one who she desired to be mated with before she mated with Leo." Griff explained, seeing Liam's expression.
"Oh. I'm sorry for your loss." Liam said, genuinely feeling bad for her. It was a real reminder of how war can be devastating to everyone, not just the soldiers.
"Thank you. By jove, we don't even know your name." Una said, wiping away her tears.
"My name's Liam Gardner." Liam finally introduced himself to the Gargoyles before he took another sip of his tea. "What's the time, exactly? I need to call my parents."
"It's 9:30 p.m." Griff replied, standing up and helping Liam up to his feet. "I'll take you to the telephone so you can call them yourself."
"Thanks." Liam said with a grateful smile as he was led downstairs and there, he saw that the shop was full of various objects like stones, talismans, masks and shelves full of books. He knew that a lot of these had to be fake, but they did provide a magical air to the place, which probably helped with hiding the Gargoyles' true nature. Liam noticed that there was a framed painting of a Gargoyle that resembled a fox, looking exactly like the statue at the memorial.
"Who is that?" He asked Griff, pointing at the painting.
"That's Finnigan, the one Una desired to be mated with." Griff said sombrely. "He's my hero, actually. His bravery inspires me to this day."
Liam was finally led to the phone, which was on the counter and he called his parents' number. The phone rang a couple of times before he heard a voice.
"Hello?" Liam heard his father, Andrew Gardner, say, sounding a bit panicked.
"It's me, dad." Liam replied.
"LIAM! Oh, thank goodness, where have you been, your mother and I have been worried sick about you!" His dad shouted, both in relief and in concern.
"Don't worry, I'm fine. I was being chased by some street punks but… I was saved by someone who cared." Liam replied, winking at Griff, who winked back, understanding that he had to get around the fact that a Gargoyle saved his life.
"What a relief, can you make it home?" His mother, Zoe Gardner, said, having taken the phone from her husband.
"I can't, mum. Those punks injured me up so badly that I have to stay over where I am at the moment for a whole day so that my injuries can heal. But you have nothing to worry about, the people I'm with are caring people. They haven't done anything questionable to say otherwise." Liam assured his mother.
"Well… if you say so. I'm just glad to know that you're alright. We were actually about to call the police to search for you before you called." His mother replied.
"I guess it's a good thing you didn't. The people who helped me are… shall we say unsociable for certain reasons I can't say for their sake." Liam replied, looking at Griff who grinned with a thumbs up.
"Okay, well, you're probably gonna need some rest. See you when you get back. Love you." His mother said.
"Love you, too. Good night." Liam replied, putting the phone back.
"Good job you didn't mention about me and the others being Gargoyles." Griff said as he led Liam back upstairs.
"Well, I couldn't just tell them, they probably wouldn't believe me. Though, considering their jobs, I wouldn't be surprised if they actually don't freak out upon seeing you three." Liam shrugged.
"What do your parents do?" Griff asked curiously.
"My dad's an archaeologist and my mum's a historian."
"Really? Well, you might be right." Griff smirked as they joined back with Una, seeing that Leo's missing.
"Where's Leo?" Liam asked in confusion.
"He's just gone out for patrol. We each take turns patrolling the city." Una replied as Liam sat on the sofa, this time with Griff sitting next to him.
"If you don't mind my asking, why do you run this shop?" Liam asked.
"Well, it's a way to finance our clan and pay taxes for the manor, which is called Knight's Spur." Griff explained.
"Huh, that makes sense." Liam muttered.
This went on for a few more hours, with Liam asking Griff and Una, then eventually Leo, who came back and Una did her patrol, questions about Gargoyles and their clan.
He learned a whole bunch of stuff, like how Gargoyles actually age at half the rate of humans, learning that Griff is forty, meaning he'd be twenty if he was a human.
And he learned that during the day, Gargoyles enter what is called a Stone Sleep, where a stone skin is formed over them and they hibernate until the sun sets and they wake up again. It's also a way for them to heal any injuries they endure. It explains how the store they run is open only at night.
Eventually, Liam felt so tired and the Gargoyles noticed this as well.
"Already, Liam, why don't you fall asleep? You'll need all the rest you can get." Griff said as he and Una helped the human lie down on the sofa and put a blanket over him.
"What will I do when I wake up?" He asked them.
"We have a television and some food, as well as some books for you to read. By tomorrow night, your injuries should be fully healed." Una told him kindly with a warm smile.
"Thank you." Liam smiled.
"It's no problem." She replied, patting his head.
"Can I come back here if I want?" Liam then asked Griff as Una went to put the tea cups and teapot away.
"Of course, it would be nice to have a human friend." Griff grinned eagerly at the idea of hanging out with Liam again.
"And it would be nice to have some true friends for once." Liam replied before he dozed off, Griff's grin etched into his mind as he fell asleep.
Anyone familiar with Gargoyles would know that Griff had a different role in the show, but after finally watching it (Still don't know whether to watch the third season, considering it's quality and that it isn't canon), I found myself loving Griff so much that I want to do a story with him, and this is the way for me to do it.
This is the first of five prologue chapters before the events of Awakening (the five parter that started the show).
The first part of this chapter is similar to a one shot called Gargoyles of London by aggiefrogger. I'm not trying to copy him, I was just heavily inspired by the one shot for how to open this chapter.