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Brood of a New Age

28.

Lexington slouched contemplatively in his computer chair in front of his stationary computer (generously provided by Xanatos Enterprises even though Lex had made sure that no one from the outside or inside could hack through his firewalls). Normally he was in the best mood when chatting with Amp - but today rather not so much. Still - he smiled at the thought of the tall deer gargoyle he had met last year on his mission to England with Macbeth and Hudson. He liked Coco, too, even if her wild ways overwhelmed him a bit, and Lunette was just SO sweet. But Staghart had immediately captivated him. So sociable and adventurous (not like himself) and so at peace with himself and yet charming - not to mention his gorgeous white fur hiding a slender yet highly efficient body. And how fantastically they had synchronized in the fight against the renegade Steel and Iron Clan robots even though Amp and he had never trained together. It had been like a dance. And since they chatted regularly, Lexington had the impression that he was more to Amp than a distant chat buddy. Which, however, could also be due to the deer gargoyle's warm, friendly-to-everyone nature. What may seem like flirtation to a small gargoyle from the dark ages may just be friendly banter.

"And even if not-" Lex muttered into the silence of the room and then finished the sentence only in his head. -There were nearly 3,500 miles between New York and London. How could Lexington - for all his urge to find out if there was more between Amp and him - leave his clan alone? Ever leave them alone? They were now - if not directly and constantly - in the public eye. Threats lurked around every corner, and even if the Quarrymen eventually ceased to be a threat, there would always be challenges that required a functional clan. He was not the most punchy clan member - Lexington knew that. But he was very useful in other areas. His skills were basically more extensive than those of the others in this millennium and he could and would never have the heart to leave his clan just to ... just to chase romances that would never become anything. That would be like a betrayal of his clan. Like an escape into an easier life. And that completely contradicted Lexington's sense of honor and self-image. He would never expose his clan to danger by leaving. Not ... in the next few years at least.

However, the longing and daydreams of him and Amp were always the background noise of his thoughts. This What-If. Sometimes he was seriously tempted to tickle a spark of truth out of Katana, Brooklyn or Nash about his future. Just to know ... if he would eventually find someone. If he and Amp ... or he and someone else? But he didn't dare. Out of respect for Brooklyn and the rules. And maybe a little bit out of fear, because especially Nashville sometimes (only very rarely) had this sad, worried expression when he interacted with him. As if something was happening that Nashville knew about. It weighed on him and Lexington knew he had the intelligence and manipulative skills (if he put his mind to it) to elicit the Hatchling's knowledge. But no one should know too much about their own future. That could be very dangerous.

Although Lexington himself was of the opinion that according to the multiverse theory there were many different time lines, which would run parallel to each other. Many parallel existing realities, each with its own time axis and one could, depending upon the decision of the individual from a better to a worse, but also from a personally worse future to a better one jump. If only one knew which decisions, which small alterations would lead to the better course. What if Lexington, by some small act, endangered the whole clan just to avert suffering for himself - and then had to live with that guilt. That would be unbearable to him. No, everything had to take its course. That resisted the thinker and doer in him - but there was no way around it. And to stay single forever would be his smallest problem.

Lexington pricked up his ears as Amp's new message popped up on his computer and pushed his mental excursion into metaphysics, MWI and quantum mechanics far away. Of course, Lexington had shared the arrival of the two new gargoyles with Amp, and the deer gargoyle had taken his time extensively (a whole 10 minutes! - even though, by Lexington's reckoning, it was only a few minutes until sunrise in England) to make a sophisticated, thoughtful comment.

He leaned forward with his heart pounding and the corners of his mouth pulled down critically as he read Amp's sentence:

AMP If you're that uncomfortable with this Dante, then you should stay out of his way. Although I would have been TOO happy to be there when he snuggled you because he thought you were a kid XDDDD

Lex covered his eyes with his hands and whimpered at the thought of THAT scene. He had thought for a long time (almost 15 minutes!) about whether he should tell Amp that. It didn't really make him seem more desirable. But then he had thought of the 3500 miles, of his clan, and of the numerous better options of mates Amp had in England, and the urge to find an understanding soul had prevailed. And really Amp had understood him - which was SO nice. He had even shared the incident when he and Coco had once patrolled London and a lost child, whom they had then taken to the nearest bobby station, had called him first Bambi and Coco then Miss Piggy. THAT had been traumatic for the noble deer gargoyle and at the same time he had had to stop Coco from throwing the cheeky brat into the Thames.

Lexington's clawed fingers hovered briefly over the keyboard. He wanted to reply that this had not been all. That it wasn't just the disgustingly rude manner, that alienating mobster attitude, and the humiliating mix-up scene that caused Lexington's discomfort. But at that point, Lexington could and had to restrain himself. The fourth reason why he would prefer to have nothing to do with Dante at all COULDN'T be shared with anyone else. Especially not with Amp. Damn it, he had gotten a huge boner when the gray scarred gargoyle had hugged him! Ten seconds of physical contact with another male - and such an asshole! - and his body betrayed him in such a shameful way. That was ... disgusting. There was nothing to like about Dante, "- except maybe his body." grumbled Lex, feeling the blush of shame rise to his face. He had probably been able to avoid a member of his clan seeing the bulge in his loincloth, but he had seen from Dante's momentarily horrified look that he had sensed WHAT had briefly pressed against his six-pack. And then his knowing grin at the table. Lexington didn't think the gray one would bring the embarrassing situation to everyone's attention - but he didn't want anything like that to happen again, either. He wanted as much as possible to have nothing to do with the Gray one and even more so he would try not to approach him physically.

Finally (thirty seconds had passed, after all) he set his fingers in motion, spied the time at the edge of the screen, and typed even faster.

TINMAN You're absolutely right. His "sister" is another matter- she seems quite perceptive. But I have to try to stay away from Dante before there's a conflict. You should go right up to the roof. If you break the computer keyboard with your rock chips again, Una will ground you. And that would hit me too ^^.

AMP - SO EGOISTIC! - But seriously, if this guy behaves so badly and turns everyone against him, he doesn't fit into a clan. This kind of gargoyles exist. It's rare - but those are also the ones that can survive as loners. Or seek out human companionship - don't ask me how THAT works."

TINMAN I don't know. Elisa is a full member of our clan but a clan made up only of humans? Crazy idea. Anyway. Dante knows nothing about Gargoyle culture and I'm not going to be the one to mess things up for him with the clan. He'll be able to do that all by himself. I'm relatively sure of that.

AMP Knew you were going to say something like that, chum.

TINMAN So? You knew that, huh?

AMP Of course I did. ^..^ I know you better than you know yourself, Luv. Good night."

The little web-wing stared at the screen and watched Amp log out. Then he lifted his fingers from the keys and leaned back in his chair.

"Luv," Lexington murmured, laying his head back and staring at the ceiling with a blissful smile. "Luv", he repeated introspectively, thinking of Coco, whom Amp had once called that, too. Then he shook his head. "Amp, you're killing me."

.

.

Just before sunrise, Grace found her brother sitting on the second floor of the main tower looking out over the city. She knew he heard her but he didn't look up as she landed and Grace eyed the number of stubs of cigarettes on the floor. In addition, he was poking the palm of his hand with one of his knives, seemingly introspective. Not enough to hurt himself but ... such a thing was his form of stress management. Or self-castigation. And Grace, despite all, didn't want the latter for her brother. She loved him so much and where only a few months ago he had escaped Giuliano's brutal abuse and attacks (by killing him) he should not start self-mutilating himself now because he was ashamed of his behavior and at the same time too proud to apologize seriously and credibly. He would never grovel before anyone who was not father or from whom he not expected massive benefits for himself. And that could cause problems. So far, Dante was striving not to let the killer hang out because he knew how important it was to her - and that already wasn't working out well.

He took a deep breath and took the cigarette out of his mouth. Still he didn't look at her. "I really tried, sister."

"I know you can be a lot worse. But you've been better too."

"It's - just a lot."

"I know. I feel the same way."

"That egg was huge."

"It was beautiful."

"And you and I were supposed to have been inside one of those?"

"Each in our own egg - apparently. Still, nicer conception than being crawled out of a abyss of hell."

"Yeah, probably." Dante turned to her, the knife clutched in his palm as if it had no blade. He shook his head, looking young. Young and gentle and vulnerable - the way he would exist forever in Grace's memory no matter how many deaths he had on his conscience. She knew this was part of the real Dante.

"Eggs and clutches and mates. We have no idea who we are, Grace."

She took his hand in hers and unbent his fingers around the knife, taking it from him and letting the blade snap back. Then she put the knife back into one of the lugs in his bracer with similar loving routine as a girl would have tied her brother's tie for his first day on the job. "We know who we are. We are gargoyles. And they are gargoyles. They can teach us what we don't know. They are good persons."

"Who already hate me."

"They don't hate you. They - you - just take it night by night. Be kind, be understanding. Moonlight and flowers - remember."

"I'm not like you, Grace. I'm not a nice guy."

"The child that coaxed my first word out of me then is in you. The child who shared everything with me out of kindness and tried to keep everything bad from me even if it scarred him for it." She leaned toward him and rested her head in the crook of his neck.

"I love you. Blood brother or not."

"Grace?"

"Yes?"

"Are you so distressed by the poor choices in there now that you're hitting on me?"

"Certainly not, stupido."

"Because speaking of keeping bad from you - I'm certainly not going to make you an egg through which your pelvis will then have to disengage. Sorry."

"Bwähhh Dante, you're such a mood killer!"

"As long as it's just that!"

.

Goliath, Hudson, Brooklyn and Katana watched the intimate scene from the top floor of the tower and then turned away to talk - much more quietly than the two Italians had just done.

"Beloved. He shows remorse for his rude behavior. And see how gentle he can be."

"He's not beyond reason, lad."

Brooklyn looked thoughtfully at Hudson and then at his smiling partner.

"You like him?" he asked, irritated.

"I wouldn't put it that way. I just don't think we should prejudge a gargoyle before we've had a chance to fathom his true character."

"Would Dante have found leniency in the Ishimura clan if he had behaved the way he has so far? He seems to have no verbal filter OR no respect for anything at all. I don't even know which is worse."

"It was his first night among other gargoyles," Goliath opined, and Brooklyn threw up his hands.

"You too? So we forget that he broke human bodies like they were twigs?"

Katana placated him by putting a hand on his arm.

"Of course, these acts need to be dealt with intensively. Elisa has soon time off from her work. She will come to interrogate him further. You and Goliath can work out plans by then for Grace and Dante to get involved in clan activities and prove themselves in them. For the next nights we can tell them about our world. Goliath's world tour. Clan life in the Middle Ages and in Ishimura. Children learn from storytelling."

"Grace - that could work. But Dante ... "

"Aside from his brutal attack on the Quarrymen - an attack he himself admitted was too violent - we found him in a situation where he was helping a woman. Or at least trying to."

"By nailing the human perp to the bridge railing with his knives! Broadway told me about it. Which reminds me, I still need to take the rest of his knives away from him.

"You can do that first thing tomorrow night."

"I just don't like it ..." Brooklyn shook his head. "This city is very dangerous for us right now. And the only place we have less to fear - apparently, is our castle. And then we willingly take in a gargoyle that could endanger us. What about Gnash? And why did you show them the egg?"

Katana gave him a sharp look. She was as much the egg's maker as he was, and it was not his place to question her judgment in this regard. Brooklyn knew that himself, and only his briefly servile drooping ears kept her from a harsher tone.

"Dearest- these gargoyles are lost. Alone. Unrelated to themselves. Even if they were shocked by some insights tonight and there were many unpleasant scenes- . Bushido. Think about Gi, Jin and Makoto.«

Brooklyn saw that Goliath and also Hudson looked uncomprehending about the words that could just as well have been names of Japanese pop stars.

But not for him. And certainly not for Katana. He sighed, nodding thoughtfully as he enlightened his leader and clan elder with principles that he too had considered too idealistic, sometimes even dangerous, in the early years of timedancing, but which had much more often proven to be right, important, and life-saving.

"Gi: Making right and honorable decisions, sincerity & justice. Yin: kindness & goodwill towards all. And Makoto: truth and truthfulness. You are right, My love."

"As mostly."

"As mostly," he echoed with an ironic undertone but really meant it.

Hudson patted him fatherly on the shoulder.

"There may be a functional clansman slumbering inside this ruffian. His abilities are ... untypical for gargoyle. But we can teach him to be more like the rest of us."

"I have confidence that a rough character like his - with no real malice - can become a protector," Goliath said.

»Aye. After all, a gargoyle can no more stop protecting the castle than breathing the air.«

Brooklyn took a deep breath and nodded. If everyone disagreed with him, he couldn't argue against it. But he would keep a close eye on Dante. He - and then presumably Grace and Luca De Santis, too - had things to hide. Maybe Elisa would find out more during her questioning. The sky had already turned a rich dark blue, a yellow glow creeping across the horizon. The other clansmen - all sensing when the sun was rising - came up to the second level of the tower along with the robots and dogs. The four older Gargoyles jumped from the top platform and Goliath, smiling benignly, spread his arms and put his hands on the shoulders of both the dumbfounded Dante and the delighted Grace.

"We invite you to petrify with us. A clan always sleeps together on the battlements."

The red gargoyle woman's eyes lit up with happiness. "We have never slept among other gargoyles. That would be wonderful, wouldn't it brother?"

"Uhh- yes, of course. Hey. Where is Mister Clean? Ouch."

Grace had nudged him again with her elbow but not too roughly. "Luca has already gone to his hotel. He was very tired but will be back tomorrow evening. Or do you miss him?" She grinned broadly and Dante growled.

"Like I'd miss a pimple on my butt."

Hudson pushed forward, looked at Grace, and somehow smiling wolfishly pointed to a battlement of the breast weir next to Lexington, who had already climbed into place unnoticed.

"Dear child, you can sleep there," he said, and Dante couldn't help but chuckle. His sister gave him a questioning look and he leaned close to her ear and whispered:

"Il veterano is trying to set you up with the leaf frog. Well, sweet dreams."

Grace smiled gratefully to the old warrior. "That's kind of you Signor Hudson."

"Just Hudson. Or elder."

"Hudson. But Dante and I don't want to take away anyone's place to sleep. We don't have to sleep on top of the tower."

"We sleep on the upper battlements next to Goliath. This should be adequate," Coldstone grumbled, nodding to Goliath, who returned the nod in agreement.

"You petrify?" asked Dante critically, and Coldstone gave him a disparaging look where his partner patiently explained.

"Our bodies don't allow us Stone Sleep. But we can go into a sleep mode. And recharge ourselves either by electricity or solar energy. Even without that, we can stay functional for months. We "rest" because Clan does."

"I see," Dante muttered while Goliath, and the robots went upstairs and Hudson and the mutts trotted to the other side of the second level out of sight. Then his gaze flew to Angela. Just then a winning smile was about to spread on his beak when Broadway inconspicuously casually put a paw on her shoulder and helped her onto her pinnacle-almost out of his sight. She kissed him gratefully on the cheek and his smile was pure love. Dante looked away, annoyed, not noticing Brooklyn's gaze. Still suspicious but also knowing. Oh yes, he knew that look. Because he had worn it himself many times. Many decades ago (from his point of view). Annoyed, resigned, demotivated. It hurt ... To be a rejects and somehow to feel like one.

He looked at his mate and as mostly she seemed to understand him without words and stepped up to Dante.

"Dante -kun?"

"Yes, Signora Katana?"

"I want you to sleep next to me."

The eyes of the gray killer widened. He looked at Brooklyn, who didn't object, then back at her. Suddenly he sounded like a child trying to please his mother.

"Oh, okay. Do you want me to help you up the pinnacle?" He looked at her for a moment the way Nashville had looked at her years ago.

She almost laughed at that but Rei - the principle of politeness forbade her to do so. Still, she had missed that childlike look, and seeing it now on an adult gargoyle - one so strange, seemingly cold-hearted, gruff Gargoyle - appealed to a warm side in her.

She raised her hand to his head and brushed a strand of hair blowing in the wind behind his ear.

"I'm not an old lady Dante. Just be a good neighbor." She hopped gracefully onto her pinnacle and Dante obediently followed suit without comment.

Brooklyn rolled his eyes, jumped on the one next to the Gray one, and Nashville took the one next to him which Coldfire usually occupied. Now he was looking at the courtyard and it wasn't really his favorite view. But he had sworn not to behave too conspicuously in order not to arouse suspicion among the others that he had secrets from them. And now that there were also these interesting two new gargoyles and thus even less eyes would be on him, he tolerated the place.

Dante felt the rising sun pulling at his body and had to position himself a little more wide-legged because of the harsh winds up here. On the roof of the Della Marra estate, or even on the stately curved outdoor staircase, he could have petrified in a handstand without being knocked over by the wind.

"Your view is really great. Just not used to such a height," he commented.

"Who is?" muttered Brooklyn.

Dante watched everyone line up, wings spread, clawed hands showing, wild faces on. At least that was something he and Grace had always done in Italy, too. One thing that didn't make them humanized "freaks" in the eyes of others. He smiled at Grace two battlements away, who had turned to him after politely wishing Lexington a good rest. She returned smile, then he took his pose.

So a halfway good ending for the first night among Gargoyles for the Assassins. It can only get worse.

Fun fact: Hudson's cult phrase doesn't exist in Germany.

The translators have changed "A gargoyle can no more stop protecting the castle than breathing the air" to

"The castle is protected by gargoyles as long as blood flows in their veins." (In German: Die Burg wird von den Gargoyles beschützt, solange Blut in ihren Adern fließt.)

Thanks for reading, Q.T.