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Brood of a New Age

106.

It was remarkably easy to get past a policeman flirting with a remarkably beautiful and obviously attentive nurse. David Xanatos wasn't surprised by her attentiveness because the girl was a disguised member of his deception and concealment squad and if that was what it took to distract him from the door long enough, she would even screw this idiot. That way the billionaire could slip into Tony Dracon's hospital room unnoticed. He, Glasses and a third one of his goons were in the same room so that they could all be monitored together. Presumably to better eavesdrop on them as well, and Xanatos activated a small device under his suit collar that would jam radio waves in the room if there were bugs in it.

"Good morning," he said and Tony Dracon and Glasses, who were both sitting in wheelchairs at the small table in the room with breakfast trays in front of them, stared at him open-mouthed. The third man was lying in bed wrapped in thick bandages and showed no signs of life, although the heart monitor indicated that he was quite stable. Dracon himself had a leg in plaster from thigh to foot and a severe laceration, Glasses was full of cuts and one arm was in plaster and held stable with loop bandages. There were thick cooling compresses around his foot, perhaps because of torn tendons or other minor injuries.

It was 36 hours after the Gargoyles had left the hospital. Dracon and his people (including Dino's men) and the remaining Quarrymen were in another one that could better handle the secure housing of criminals (David had noted how well that was provided). 36 hours. Enough time for Dracon to regain consciousness and make himself useful from the billionaire's point of view.

Since none of the mobsters said anything, but Glasses only made a hissing noise, perhaps they also thought the room was bugged.

"I've switched off the listening devices. We can talk," he said.

"Well, if that's nothing. A sick call from an ex-Rikers comrade. How much did you have to pay the idiot at the door and the other staff to look the other way?" Tony blabbed instantly in his usual smarmy superior manner. Not really as if a building had collapsed on top of him. In contrast to David Xanatos' attitude, who really was superior to others, his was just the barking of a little whipped dog trying to puff himself up in front of real predators. David could overlook such ridiculousness. Especially because he had come with a request and not the other way around.

"I'm glad to see that you and your two men came out of this largely unscathed."

"Ahhh, no one lies as nicely as you. Thank you. And as I saw-" Tony gestured to the TV hanging over their heads (his hand didn't get far because it was chained to the armrest of his wheelchair) "-G and his monster brigade got out of it too."

"You don't sound like you're annoyed."

"Honestly, I'm surprised the idiots haven't swooped in here to slap me on the wrist for trying to sell their baby."

"They don't have the mind for revenge right now," David said, smirking at the thought that the Gargoyles had spent last night and this night largely on a big puppy-pile cuddle mountain. Apparently they did this after big battles and after losses or traumas which where involving their young. A kind of collective trauma management. He recognized that they all needed this to calm down, but he had never seen this kind of behavior before. And it was SO cute (and David Xanatos NEVER thought in terms of cute, but nothing else fit here). Everyone snuggled together in the warm sand of the rookery - next to each other, on top of each other, left, right, criss-crossing, arms, legs, tails and wings all over until everyone was as warm and comfortable as possible (however a bunch like that with two robots and individuals with Broadway's girth and Goliath's mass could be comfortable). Even Elisa had been pulled into it, though Goliath had made sure she was on the outside and could leave the group at any time for her more human needs. Only to petrify did they go to the battlements with Nashville "unfolded" again at Hudson's instruction and lying on the highest pinnacle on the ground with his wings spread out so that he could soak up as much sun as possible.

Tony sipped his hospital coffee.

"No revenge. Well, good for us."

"You know, you're lacking in good events at the moment. Both in terms of your organization and your health," Xanatos said, taking what seemed to be a clumsy shortcut to his real issue.

Tony narrowed his eyes as he scrutinized Xanatos

"Okay - I have no idea what you want, Xanatos. But whatever you want, it won't be cheap."

"I never assumed that either."

David raised his eyes to the television. The sound was off, but although the replay of the video footage made by Travis Marshall was no longer playing, all the TV stations were now using the material from the Internet and cutting out the parts that were most suitable for them, depending on the subject matter. And as the often astonishing power of coincidence would have it, a clip of Nashville lying on his pile of splinters in the air chamber with the unconscious child in his arms appeared.

"A beautiful girl you have there, even under these circumstances," Xanatos said. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the mobsters exchanging glances.

Never in the recording had Graziella's name been mentioned and both Glasses and Tony knew that no one yet knew who the child was that had been involved in the shooting at The Granary. They wanted to leave it at that, perhaps to avoid further charges like child endangerment or something like that. Perhaps - David thought - also because Dracon had grown fond of her. As hard as it was for him to see Dracon as a man who could love a child. Heavens- eighteen months ago, he himself had been a man who everyone (including himself) thought could love nothing but power and money. That wouldn't make things any cheaper. But with money, you could do anything with Tony. Everything had a price. Even his flesh and blood.

"I'll take her off your hands," David said, grabbing the stack of papers he'd been tucking under his arm. Normally, Owen would take care of any business transaction of this "minor or not quite legal" magnitude. But this was something personal. Besides, David wanted to assess how attached Tony was to Graziella and how much trouble that would cause in the future.

"You're taking her off my hands?" Tony asked incredulously, even though he had understood him perfectly.

Xanatos placed the documents on the table in front of him, directly on his empty plate, and even put a ballpoint pen in front of him. "Sign at every mark. All the courts and authorities have already put their stamps underneath."

Tony and Glasses stared at the top sheet for a few seconds, Glasses having to squint his eyes without the visual aid he was known for in mafia circles. Tony took the pages and flipped through them with a furrowed brow.

"Shit, you're completely insane."

Xanatos tapped the stack. "The offer is only valid for five minutes. You cede your rights. I simultaneously request them. The courts have already examined my suitability. All that's missing are our signatures and the child's consent. The psychological assessment that Graziella is mentally mature enough for this kind of consent is also enclosed. You know that I have ways and means to become her legal guardian and later her father. But I'm a little impatient because my wife's birthday is coming up."

Tony blinked at him blankly. Was it so hard to believe that a billionaire would buy a child for his wife? He had flown to London with Fox just to buy shoes (officially). But those had been really fancy shoes.

"You could have got two million for a gargoyle. For Graziella I'll pay a multiple of that. The clock is ticking."

"Pretty early to be getting your own little in-house concubine," muttered Glasses and Xanatos didn't even acknowledge him with a glance but pinned Tony with his gaze. He didn't stare like a shark. But like a wolf from the thicket, calm and lurking.

"How much?" Tony asked.

"Fifty million. You'll need it to reorganize the ... family structures. Especially out of prison." Tony's gaze lifted. Almost petulant. You could read in his eyes that NO human being in this world was worth that much and that he was trying to find out why Graziella should be worth so much. Then his smile became something disgusting again.

"I'm sure you'd pay a hundred."

Tony laughed, not because David reacted, but because Glasses gasped and looked at him as if HE had gone mad.

Xanatos didn't laugh. His voice was calm and businesslike.

"I'll pay you a hundred if you leave this town and never contact Graziella again. One hundred as soon as you get out of prison and twenty million every year after that. Enough to give you and your closest family members a more than comfortable life anywhere in the world. Or to set up a new syndicate anywhere. As long as it's at least 500 miles from New York, that's fine by me."

"What's so valuable about Graziella? Aside from the fact that she's worth so much to ME as her loving father."

"Let's just say ... my wife was quite charmed by the pictures of the child."

"So, the Missus would give us this windfall?"

Glasses huffed in amusement.

"Fuck, boss, that would be ironic. First that little blue bastard was Graziella's pet. And if we grant Mr. FatCat his wish here, Graziella would somehow be the pet of the pets. Since they live at his place.

Tony and Glasses chuckled where David couldn't help but wrinkle his nose. But it was a good thing they were too blind to realize how attached Graziella and Nashville really were.

"Is that it? Do your pet-gargoyles want my Dolly? Are cute little girls less your kink than that of those critters? Or is it revenge? Is she supposed to be in a cage because she made sure that he sat in a cage at our house? Because we barbecued him, sold him and because he almost croaked afterwards? Would they bite a chunk out of her bit by bit? The little blue freak looks in the footage like he'd like to eat her later."

"You don't have to be interested in Graziella's fate after that. She'll be fine with us."

Tony and Glasses grunted and chortled again. David didn't like the fact that they obviously knew something he didn't.

"The clock is ticking," he urged, wondering if Tony would be more cooperative if he let one of the Steel Clan robots crash through the glass here and break his other leg. He could say it was a malfunction. At that moment, the door to the room opened. The billionaire and the mobsters looked up briefly in alarm. But it wasn't the police officer on duty who came in. It was a teenager with orange-yellow hair. Sonny and Xanatos both looked at each other in surprise. But only a second before the billionaire turned to Glasses. "Your son? One can see the family resemblance."

"Thank you," the mobster said curtly and coolly instructed Sonny to put the contents of his bags, presumably a change of clothes, in their lockers, which he did without a word. No one was surprised that he had made it in here. Presumably Xanatos distraction was doing an excellent job - in whatever position. Xanatos heard Sonny exhale softly - no one would even guess that the young gangster spawn and the billionaire already knew each other. The adults ignored the teenager again.

"Damn," Tony said, rubbing the thickly padded plaster on his forehead. "I'd like to take that money. The suitcase with Castaway's millions was also lost in the collapse. But as tempting as it all is - and I probably can't take care of the kid for a while now anyway, no matter where she's taken - I can't sign this shit off."

Glasses put his head back and sighed.

"Shit Tony, if only you'd signed that document back then. Then we could retire now."

"Retire and get fat and lazy? Fuck, we'd be bored to death. The money would be good but fate is a bitch, Glasses. We'll swim back to the top even without a shower of money from the Air Castle King. It might take a while, but we'll get there. No matter what Dino's next move is - if the rest of the family finds out that he tried to take me and my people out in such a dirty way, everyone will turn on him. He's just too crazy. If he's even a problem anymore. Maybe he's dead. Or at least as badly injured as we are."

David hadn't taken his eyes off Sonny during Dracon's monologue. Only briefly had the boy faltered in his movements when it came to Dino. But since the mobsters were talking so bluntly in front of him, it probably didn't matter if he overheard. Especially as he saw himself as Graziella's right-hand man. Maybe it was good that he was listening in.

"You won't let me have Graziella?" he said, and once again the youth's shoulders stiffened, already broad now but promising to become massive in a few years with just a little training.

"I can't, man. Bureaucracy and shit," Tony replied downright petulantly.

"Dino was her legal representative," Glasses clarified. "He signed his name to the papers and bribed the authorities. If you just go by the records, he's her guardian."

"Exactly. Her grandmother gave him custody because I didn't give a shit at the time. So, if you wanted to settle the matter your way - past the court - you'd need Dino. Who's probably fish food or was beaten to death by rubble. But ... blood is thicker than water, Mr. FatCat." Tony leaned forward on his table and glared at him - beaten but far from defeated. "Blood is thicker than water. Even if you take on the bureaucracy now, fight for months. Shove money down the throats of the people in charge until they all choke on it, make their lawyers work overtime to get a criminal's child placed in the care of two former jailbirds with a dozen gargoyle roommates - she'll always be a Dracon. She has more of Dino and me in her than you think."

"You've only known her for four weeks."

"And you don't know her at all. I have no idea what she was doing in The Granary. But apart from that, she's a clever little minx. You think you can protect her from her own blood? She's only fucking seven years old-."

"Eight," Sonny said from behind Xanatos. He stuffed the two bags into the lockers. He hadn't bothered to put the few clothes and toiletries away neatly. If the policemen noticed anything in the lockers when they went through, they would take everything apart and leave it sloppy anyway.

Sonny placed a new pair of glasses on the table in front of his father. Who looked at him like he was dirt.

"Get lost," Dracon's better half said coldly. "Tell your mother I'll call her with my first authorized call."

The boy nodded just as coldly, no goodbye, half a second of eye contact with Xanatos, then he was out after a hurried glance to make sure no one was watching this door in the hallway.

"Like I said," Tony continued. "You think you're buying a cute little girl. But we couldn't even keep her in my house. You think you'd do any better? She's already going where she wants and doing what she wants." Tony grinned and Xanatos could definitely see that it was a strange kind of fatherly pride. "She's a force to be reckoned with at some point. She's going to be a bomb someday and if you want that bomb to go off right in your face and your pet clan's monster visages, go ahead- take her."

"Well, that sounds right up my alley," Xanatos said, turning around. He didn't want to spend any more time with Tony when he had a better lead to follow.

"What I'm saying is. I could be persuaded to stay out of Graziella's life for the right amount of money, even if you get her legally."

"You're threatening me?" Xanatos asked, and now it was his turn to narrow his eyes.

"As I said. Blood is thicker than water. You can't keep her locked away in that cloud castle forever. She'll come into contact with Dracons and we'll find ways to make her work for us. It's in her blood. And then you and the Gargoyles will look pretty stupid. You don't want that kind of trouble. So - 100 million for me not seeking contact, even if Dolly comes to me at some point - that would be appropriate."

"That's not how we do business. Enjoy your time back in Rykers, Dracon. I'm sure Brod will write something nice on your cast."

Tony seemed less burdened by his comment, instead wanting to know something else that made Xanatos stop with his hand on the door handle.

"Was Dante affiliated with the Manhattan gargoyles? In the footage that red-skinned hottie with the prayer tic- she spoke in the same accent as him. And I've got a bone to pick with that traitorous bastard as soon as I'm able."

David took a deep breath. Of course, his people had informed him by now that Dante was in and out of this mansion, which Tony also visited regularly. And where Graziella had also lived. They hadn't informed him beforehand because they hadn't been assigned to Dracon or Graziella. Dante had probably just been looking for some kind of a... new clan. And the result? Dante was probably dead and Grace was so consumed with grief for him that she had even freed herself from the pile of gargoyles after a round of "Camorra children's stories" and politely excused herself to curl up somewhere alone or just with Luca. But Anthony Dracon wasn't even worth lying to him to annoy or please him.

"Neither of them were ever part of the clan. And never will be. I can assure you that they will no longer be a problem. Neither for you nor for anyone else in this town."

David Xanatos left the room. It took him less than three seconds to decide between the elevator or the stairwell. And sure enough, Sonny was squatting there on the stairs to the next floor, where no camera would see them, confirming his impression that the boy hadn't fallen on his head.

"Are you seriously going to adopt my bossgirl?" he asked incredulously. Obviously, Xanatos thought with a grin, he didn't even manage to give the impression of a serious, responsible and decent man in front of children.

"Since we need a permanent solution, guardianship would not be enough." The billionaire held out the rolled-up stack of papers, which Sonny accepted, and David Xanatos also pulled out his card (which of course only had the number of Owen's cell phone on it, but anything that was important to Xanatos, Owen would also handle with the utmost care).

"Bring this to Dino. Tell him to call me. One hundred million and his guarantee to leave the city and never bother Graziella again. Let him sort out the rest with me."

Sonny looked instantly defensive and his full lips were now very tight-lipped. "I don't know anything about Dino."

"You're not old enough to be a good liar. I know Graziella means a lot to you. And you know the kids like each other." Sonny looked down at the papers, chewing on his lower lip. Xanatos didn't have to explain who he meant by "the kids".

"You wouldn't stand in the way of their happiness. I could give Graziella everything she wants and much more. The gargoyles would gradually consider her a member of the family and she could see Nashville every night and he could see her. I could ... make it easier for you too. I saw the way your father just looked at you."

"Like YOU know what's between me and my dad!" Sonny spat back at him.

"I know what it's like to have a father who, no matter what you do, seems to look down on you or just criticize you. You could become a billionaire and you'd still be denied recognition. At some point, you no longer expect anything. Just like they no longer expect you to do anything right. I was your age too when I came to this realization. I can send you to the same school as Graziella. You both wouldn't have to live a life among criminals."

Sonny grinned wryly. And David grinned too when he realized his mistake.

"Okay - apart from Fox and me. So- will you give the papers to Dino?"

"I'll ... discuss it with my bossgirl."

"Sonny," David said a little smugly, "she's eight years old. You can't-"

Sonny jumped up from the stairs and was suddenly two heads taller than Xanatos. His eyes glinted coldly.

"THAT'S the problem with you adults! ... You mustn't, you can't, you shouldn't! We hear nothing else. Nashville, Graziella, me. Graziella WASN'T ALLOWED to leave the house alone and yet she did and met Nashville. Graziella couldn't possibly beat up a much older and stronger boy TWICE who had called her a puta and wanted to hurt Nashville while he was sleeping and yet she did it. She shouldn't have gone on a fucking rescue mission for a gargoyle with a fucking fever and yet she did. Did all that shit blow up in her face? Of course it did! Will she continue to fuck up in the future? Sure! But she'll do it HER way. Not because she has Tony's or Dino's blood. It's because she's Graziella. Not even Graziella Dracon to me. Just Graziella. Some people are born leaders and some follow. I am not a leader. But I decide who I follow. And I follow her. Only her. Will she probably drag me into some shit? - Maybe. But she'll never let me fall and I'll repay her for that. And her age or gender have nothing to do with it. I don't expect you to understand that. I hardly understand it myself. But I will stand by her side for as long as I can and as long as she needs me to. And you can't buy me so that I function according to your wishes. Because there are things that are more important than money. And that's why you will settle for my answer. SHE will decide her fate. Not her mobster father, not a court, not a gargoyle clan, and not some yuppie big shot asshole with a God complex."

Sonny turned around with the rolled up adoption papers and marched down the stairs.

"Ouch," whispered David Xanatos. He was not used to experiencing such a business failure. Well, the bargaining chip had been a life. But it had only been for her - and even Sonny's - own good. Who would turn down a life of carefree living and wealth? But as David Xanatos, careful not to be seen by the guard, walked up one floor and then to the elevators in this ward to finally take a different exit than Sonny, he couldn't help but think that someone like Graziella Dracon, and by extension Sonny, were such people. Which only made them both more appealing to him. Graziella Dracon was ... difficult. And stubborn. And many other things that he could only surmise. She probably wouldn't take the easy path, even if that was the smartest thing to do. But taking the easy path didn't make you the person you needed to become. He himself had had to learn that through many ups and downs.

"How did it go?" Owen asked from the driver's seat of the limousine. Xanatos stroked his beard thoughtfully, then shrugged his shoulders and crossed his legs.

"Improvable. But ... with a more than interesting perspective for the future."

"I suppose it would be boring if you always got what you wanted, Sir"

Xanato's eyes briefly found Owen's in the rear-view mirror.

Not quite Owen's. But Puck's.

He smirked. "Yeah, I guess that's true. So let's wait and see what happens."

He would at least have to inform Hudson and Lexington that things hadn't gone as he had hoped but that all the dice were still falling. Why these two, of all people, had briefly freed themselves from the Garg clump on the first night and had urged him to secure Graziella in a hurry - and didn't care that he would use dishonest means to do so - was a burning question. To which he would certainly not get an answer. His housemates simply weren't that trusting yet.

He might buy Fox a puppy if nothing came of Graziella. A shrewd but barely trainable female puppy who would regularly pee on Brooklyn's statue just because she could. The thought made him grin.

Thanks for reading, Q.T.