Her Brother's Keeper
January 25th, 1995
Liam and Griff were currently sitting on the sofa that Liam bought for the clan in the clocktower, cuddling while Lexington was playing a video game.
Things have been relatively peaceful since that whole fiasco with the Steel Clan and Xanatos stealing the Eye of Odin. Well, except that time five days ago when Demona reappeared and made a failed attempt to poison Elisa, resulting in Goliath and Hudson to go after Demona, which lasted until the following night.
The game that Lexington was playing happened to be a flying simulator and he's been playing the game non-stop since the gargoyles awoke, which irked Brooklyn.
"Come on, give it up. It's my turn." He groaned to Lexington. Broadway was sitting on a crate, eating a sandwich while Goliath stood next to Hudson on the armchair. The pair looked at each other, knowing where this was going. So did Liam and Griff, who leaned into each other in annoyance.
"Hang on." Lexington waved off.
"You've been hogging that game since we woke up." Brooklyn reminded him.
"That's 'cause I'm the only one who knows how to work it." Lexington retorted.
"Why do you want to learn how to fly a helicopter?" Broadway questioned as he walked up behind Lexington, still eating his sandwich. "You got wings."
"Oh, you wouldn't understand." Lexington told him.
"Right. I'm just a big dumb gargoyle with his brains in his stomach." Broadway frowned, which made Liam feel bad for the guy. He has proven that he isn't like that at all.
"I couldn't have said it better -"
"Will you three knock it off?" Liam cut Brooklyn off loudly, getting very annoyed at their bickering.
"Precisely. You three are warriors and rookery brothers. Liam and Elisa did not give you this game so you could fight over it like children." Goliath sternly told them off.
"Sorry." Broadway apologised. "Guess I'm a little worried about Elisa. If cops were meant to fly, they'd have wings."
"Don't worry, Broadway. Her brother, Derek, is a great pilot. She's in safe hands." Liam reassured the aquamarine gargoyle.
However, by midnight, Elisa showed up and explained that after tailing Xanatos, Derek saved him from Jackal and Hyena, who attempted a theft, and was offered by Xanatos to be his bodyguard and pilot.
This concerned Liam, especially. He knew that this was a ploy to make Elisa back off at least. And he grew concerned for Derek. From the time he got to know him, he can be easily swayed and is stubborn and opinionated.
"He can't work for Xanatos. What am I gonna do?" Elisa asked, shaking her head.
"Tell him the truth." Goliath suggested.
"The truth? The whole truth? Including the part about gargoyles living in New York? That's not my secret to tell." Elisa replied.
"It actually is, Elisa. Just like it was for me when I introduced my parents to the fact that gargoyles exist shortly after I first met Griff." Liam pointed out.
"Besides, your brother should trust you." Broadway added.
"Trust doesn't mean a whole lot without honesty." Brooklyn added.
"Plus, you can't keep us a secret forever to everyone close to you, Elisa. Eventually, they'll know, might as well be from you." Griff reasoned to Elisa.
"Excuse me, but aren't we missing the point here? Jackal and Hyena are loose in the city. We should be tracking them down." Lexington butted in, coming off as a bit insensitive at the moment, his grudge against The Pack still clouding his mind.
"Derek is your brother, Elisa. Tell him the truth. Show us to him if necessary. He must be made to believe." Goliath urged Elisa, who still looked conflicted.
"Elisa, if you're not able to tell Derek about the gargoyles, I will. He trusts me as well." Liam suggested. Elisa sighed, but she nodded.
"Okay. Just make sure you let him know that it is a bad idea for him to work for Xanatos." She made him promise.
"I will." He nodded.
Later, during midday, Liam was sound asleep in his bed when he heard the phone on his bedside table go off.
Groaning at the sudden awakening, he turned in his bed and answered the phone, sitting up.
"Hello?" He said after he stretched and yawned.
"Hey, Liam. It's Derek."
Liam was now very much awake and sat up straight.
"What's up?" He asked.
"Could you meet me at Belvedere Castle? There's something I want to talk to you about." Derek requested.
Liam looked at the clock to see that it was 12:34 am. And knowing what he wanted to talk to him about, he decided to do just that.
"Sure. Just let me get dressed and I'll meet you there." He said and hung up the phone. "Just need to make sure I get what I need."
About twenty minutes later, he made his way through Central Park until he reached Belvedere Castle, where he saw Derek waiting for him by the part that overlooked the lake.
"So… what do you want to talk about?" Liam asked right away.
"I've decided to quit the force and work for Xanatos." Derek dropped a bombshell.
Liam didn't reach physically, simply staring out at the lake. He sighed through his nose.
"What does your family think about this?" He asked.
"Both dad and Elisa have tried to convince me to stay and mom told me that if I want to quit, then it's my choice and that I should work for Xanatos." Derek replied.
"And how do you feel about all this?" Liam asked again, just so he'd know what to say to Derek.
"Well, I don't really want to be a cop anymore. I want to start a whole new career and working for Xanatos just might be that."
"You do know that Elisa is only concerned for you, right?" Liam pointed out.
"I just wished she didn't try to control my life and think that she knows what's best for me" Derek ranted.
"Older siblings tend to do that, from what I've experienced. Though I do think she may be going a bit too far and not using the right words." Liam reasoned.
He then looked down at his hands for a while, contemplating how to use his words so that Derek could understand and prepared for any kind of negative reaction Derek might throw his way.
"Firstly, I do think that it is your choice about what you want to do with your life. But I don't think working for Xanatos is the best option. And I'm not saying this because Elisa told me to." Liam said, adding that last sentence when Derek frowned.
"What do you have against Xanatos? He seems to have paid his dues." Derek questioned.
"I don't know exactly what Elisa told you about Xanatos, but from what I've experienced, meeting him on numerous occasions, he's nothing but a liar and a manipulator. He creates schemes within schemes and has others do his dirty work for him, sometimes without them knowing it." Liam explained very carefully, making sure that Derek knew that this was from first hand experience.
"Then how come he acts like he's completely innocent?" Derek asked, deciding to see where this goes.
"Because how else can he conduct all the rather questionable things he's been doing before and since his arrest? You remember that whole robot gargoyles fiasco?" Derek nodded. "Well, and even though I have no evidence to prove otherwise, Xanatos was behind the whole thing. He stole the Eye of Odin so that he could still keep it for himself and so that the city could owe him for it being stolen."
"How do I know that you're not making all this up to keep me from working for him?" Derek asked what Liam thought was a reasonable question.
"Derek, the whole time you've known me, have I ever made stuff up or lied?"
"No, you haven't." Derek shook his head.
"Then why would I make all this up right now?" Liam asked, demonstrating how serious he was with his expression.
The two were silent as Derek soaked in the fact that Xanatos wasn't the man he thought he was.
"Did Elisa tell you anything, other than to not work for Xanatos?" Liam then asked.
"Not really. Why?"
"Because there's something else you should know. Something that me and Elisa have known since October." Liam took a deep breath and prepared himself.
"With that gargoyle fiasco. There's more to it than what I've already told you. Some of those gargoyles were actually living breathing gargoyles."
Derek looked at Liam like he was crazy, even taking a step back.
"Please tell me this is a joke."
"It isn't. In fact…." Liam reached into his jacket and pulled out a photo he took a few days after that Steel Clan fight of him with Elisa and the whole clan in the clocktower. "Here's the proof."
He handed the photo and Derek's eyes widened so much that he now looked like a cartoon.
"So the rumours are true." He muttered. "But why hasn't Elisa told me or our parents?"
"I honestly don't know. Probably because a selfish part of her wanted to keep the gargoyles to herself and me, since we met them at the same time." Liam said.
He then went on to explain how they came to Manhattan and went over how Xanatos lied and used them for his own gain, which led to his arrest. And also about how he tried to use the theft and his Steel Clan to get the gargoyles out of hiding and to control them with his 'safe haven' facility.
"...and the only other people that know about them are my parents." Liam finished his explanation.
"Is there anything else I should know?" Derek asked, finding it all to be so much to take in.
"One more thing. You know how I've started a relationship with someone?" Liam said, making Derek recollect how Liam mentioned he was seeing someone and that they were male, which Derek had no problem with, shortly after he and Elisa were shot.
"I do." Derek nodded before a look of realisation washed over him. "Wait… you're in a relationship with one of them?"
Liam nodded and pointed to Griff in the photo, who had his arm around Liam's shoulder with a loving smile.
"His name's Griff. And we're now mates, or husbands in gargoyle customs." Liam replied, further making Derek's eyes go wide with shock.
Liam then told him how he knew Griff in London over two years ago and how they just grew to love each other.
"So let me ask you this: Do you still want to work for Xanatos, even after everything I just told you?" He then asked, holding Derek by his shoulders, making him look at him directly in the eyes.
Derek was in deep thought, thinking about what he's been told. After half a minute, he came to his conclusion.
"I do. As much as he may be manipulative, I still want to choose what to do with my life."
Liam sighed, seeing that Derek may indeed end up as some part of a scheme Xanatos has in mind.
"Okay." He nodded. "Remember, be sceptical about Xanatos, no matter what. And let Elisa know this. It'll make her feel a bit better, even if this isn't what she wants for you. And I know that she comes off as knowing what's best for you, but she doesn't. She's just worried that Xanatos has plans for you, and not good ones."
"I will. Thanks for the talk. It's just what I needed, actually." Derek said, handing the photo back to Liam, who put it back in his jacket. "You really love him, don't you?"
"Yeah. It's like we were meant for each other." Liam said with a small smile. "I do hope you find someone like that yourself."
"Thanks. Well, see you some other time." Derek said, shaking hands with him and walked off.
"Bye." Liam said as he took one last look over the lake and left.
Later at night, he went to the clocktower, where he and Elisa told the gargoyles that Derek is still going to work for Xanatos.
"Even though I told him not to trust Xanatos, we still need to give him actual proof that Xanatos is no good, just in case." Liam said as he and Elisa were with Griff, Goliath and Hudson. The trio were working on the TV.
"Is there anything we can do to help?" Goliath suggested.
"I'm glad you asked. If you could keep an eye on Derek." Elisa replied.
They, Liam and Griff then looked over at the trio.
"You three. Station yourselves near the castle and watch for any signs of trouble." Goliath ordered them. He then turned, though he looked over his shoulder at them. "And please, try to get along."
"We'll go with them, so that they do." Griff told Goliath, who nodded in agreement.
With their assignment, the five perched on a rooftop to a building that has some distance from the Eyrie Building, while having a clear view to see if anything happens.
"I can't see how we're doing any good here. We should be looking for Jackal and Hyena." Lexingon groaned.
"Oh, give it a rest. It's more important now that we help Elisa." Broadway reminded him.
"You wouldn't know what's important if it bit you on the - OW!" Lexington suddenly got slapped on the back of his head by a very fed up Liam.
"Stop it, Lex! Broadway is right. You need to get your priorities straight and stop letting your grudge against The Pack cloud your judgement and emotions." He told the khaki gargoyle off.
"Guys! Look." Griff called them and they all looked up at the castle, where they saw a helicopter take off and fly away from the castle. But then another one flew in from behind the five and was chasing after the other helicopter and started firing on it.
"Must be Jackal and Hyena." Liam said as he got onto Griff's back this time.
"Let's go." Brooklyn said and they all took off after the helicopters.
At some point, Jackal and Hyena fired a missile, which was dodged and Derek's piloting skills were on display as he got control of the helicopter.
"Wow. Derek is quite the pilot." Griff said in admiration.
Then Xanatos leaned out of the helicopter with a rifle and shot lasers at Jackal and Hyena, but the laser blasts deflected off the helicopter.
Broadway landed on top of where Hyena was in the cockpit, causing a missile to fire right before the helicopter swerved suddenly, missing Derek and Xanatos.
Broadway then climbed to Hyena's left and ripped the glass off and threw Hyena out, though she did pull a parachute out as she fell.
The other gargoyles and Liam joined in as Derek and Xanatos fled.
"Hello, Jackal." Liam said sarcastically.
Jackal reached for his gun, but Liam shot it out of his hand with his gun and then Lexington pulled Jackal out of the cockpit and opened his parachute to slow his descent.
Liam climbed into the back seat as Lexington took the pilot seat.
"You sure you can fly this?" Broadway asked Lexington, who looked at the controls with slight confusion.
"Hey, it's just like the simulator game back in the tower." Lexington replied.
"A simulation isn't the same as the real deal, Lex." Griff pointed out.
Lexington pulled the joystick and the helicopter spun out of control, causing everyone to scream as it was approaching the street very quickly due to them currently nose diving. Liam was so glad he didn't get air sickness.
"Maybe not quite the same." Lexington admitted.
"Thought you said you could fly this thing." Brooklyn snapped at Lexington.
"If you think you can do better, now's the time." Lexington snapped back.
"Pull the joystick up! Pull it up!" Liam shouted in fear as they got closer and closer to the street.
Lexington did as he was told and was able to prevent from crashing into the street, but they now had to avoid traffic until they approached a semi truck.
All five of them screamed, though they were able to fly over the semi truck.
They continued screaming as they turned left down another street and then stopped themselves from hitting an incoming car before flying down an alleyway and bounced off the ground until the rotors hit the walls and therefore, causing the helicopter to come to a halt, throwing nearly everyone off and crash on the ground.
"From now on, I'm sticking solely to gargoyles for flight." Liam groaned as he sat up and rubbed the back of his head.
"Hey, any landing you can walk away from." Lexington replied as he climbed out of the cockpit and joined the others, who all looked at the completely wrecked helicopter.
"What do we do with this thing?" Griff asked.
"I don't know, use it for a planter?" Brooklyn quipped.
"Um, maybe I can get it running again. Let's hide it for now before the sun rises." Lexington suggested and they all found a tarp and threw it over the helicopter.
They all headed back to the clocktower and informed everyone about what happened.
"I think I can have it airborne by tomorrow night." Lexington said, looking at Brooklyn and Broadway, who didn't look pleased.
"Why would you want to? What do we need with a helicopter?" Broadway frowned.
"As long as Derek is flying Xanatos' chopper, we may need one just to keep up." Elisa pointed out.
"I'll take over surveillance of Derek and Xanatos tomorrow night." Goliath said before he looked over at the trio. "You three get The Pack's helicopter working."
"Don't worry. I'll tell you what has to be done." Lexington grinned smugly.
"Oh yeah? You and what Starfleet?" Brooklyn retorted before he forced Lexington in front of him and Broadway and walked and walked to go outside as dawn was approaching.
Hudson placed a hand on Goliath's shoulder before walking outside as well.
"See you after sunset." Liam told Griff, the two mates kissing before Griff joined the others, leaving Liam, Elisa and Goliath.
"We still need to get hard evidence that Xanatos is truly up to no good." Liam told Elisa and Goliath.
"What do you suggest, then?" Goliath asked him, making Liam frown at what they could do until he remembered The Pack.
"We can talk to Fox. The Pack was created by Xanatos, I'm sure that she'd know what he's planning." He told them.
"Alright, then." Goliath nodded before he walked outside with the others.
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Elisa asked, unsure.
"Do you have any other ideas that we can do instead?" Liam replied, making Elisa think until she sighed and shook her head. "I thought so, let's go."
They were about to exit the clocktower when Liam turned to Elisa.
"You need to work on how to talk with Derek. He thinks you know what's best for him." Liam told her.
"I'm only trying to make him see that Xanatos is up to no good." Elisa replied.
"I know that, but have you ever bothered looking at it from his perspective, both as someone who wants to choose what they want to do with their life and as a younger brother?" Liam pointed out.
This made Elisa realise just how much she might've messed up and inadvertently gave Derek the push to work for Xanatos.
"You're right. Next time I see him, I'll apologise."
"Good." Liam patted her arm. "Anyway, let's go have a chat with Fox."
With their new strategy, they went to Rikers Island to talk with Fox.
"Do you know why we're here?" Liam asked her with his arms crossed.
"I do. David told me you two would come. He created The Pack, you know. Got us together, me, Wolf, Hyena, Jackal, Dingo. Put us on the air and made us stars." Fox replied with a look of deep admiration of Xanatos.
"Then why are Jackal and Hyena trying to kill him?" Elisa asked.
"They don't know he's the boss. Only I do. David told me to have them hit the Diamond Exchange, and then make himself their next target. He set up his own assassination attempt." Fox explained, making both Liam and Elisa look at each other, disturbed by the lengths Xanatos went to get Derek to work for him.
"All so he could get Derek." Liam stated.
"Such a clever boy." Fox grinned seductively, making Liam cringe before she stood and crossed her arms. "Whatever David Xanatos wants, he gets."
"Why are you even bothering to tell us all this?" Liam then asked. "Is it because he told you to tell us?"
Fox looked at Liam, though with a twinge of annoyance.
"You are too smart for your own good. But you are right. He doesn't have to hide his plans from either of you. There's not a thing you can do to stop him. He's the most brilliant man on the face of the Earth." She then said, closing her eyes with a smile, making Liam realise that she's actually in love with Xanatos.
"Really? A liar and manipulator being the most brilliant man on Earth? I think that's stupid." Liam spat.
Liam and Elisa exited the prison and looking back at the entrance, the latter pulled out a recorder and pressed play.
"There's not a thing you can do to stop him. He's the most brilliant man on the face of the Earth." Fox's voice said from the recording before Elisa pressed stop.
"If he's so brilliant, let's see how gets around this and how I told Derek about the gargoyles." Liam grinned victoriously. Elisa put the recorder back in her jacket and they walked to her car.
They were about to enter when Goliath suddenly appeared, landing on top of another car.
"What's wrong?" Liam asked him.
"Derek and Xanatos left in the helicopter faster than I could follow. They headed north." He informed the pair.
"He's probably headed for Xanadu, his upstate retreat. Come on. I hope Lex and the guys got The Pack's chopper working." Elisa replied.
They made their way to where the trio were working on the helicopter to see that it was indeed working. This meant that everyone, including Griff, got in. Everyone, except Liam and Griff, took up the seats and Lexington took off.
"This thing looks like a flying junk pile." Broadway commented as the helicopter had a new design. One that had gargoyle flourishes.
"Yeah? I suppose that if you'd designed it, it'd be covered with food." Lexington snapped back.
"We'll get there in time, Elisa." Goliath tried to reassure Elisa.
"I hope so." She said with worry clear as day on her face.
Eventually, they reached upstate and were now over a forested area.
As they flew, they eventually reached Xanadu and saw both Hyena and Jackal making an attempt on Xanatos and Derek.
They ran for a bit before turning and taking a shot at the helicopter, the laser blast bouncing right off.
"Still think the armour looks dumb?" Lexington remarked before he turned on the floodlights to blind the siblings, who took off their goggles and ran into the forest.
"It's Jackal and Hyena. Take them out, quickly." Goliath told Lexington, who grinned as he pressed the button on the joystick, firing a net that caught Hyena and Jackal, throwing them to the ground.
However, Hyena grabbed a couple of knives and sliced the net open, so did Jackal with his one knife and then they ran deeper into the forest.
Lexington flew the helicopter to follow after Jackal, who fired some more shots at the helicopter and jumped into a bush.
Both Broadway and Griff jumped out to deal with Jackal, while Brooklyn jumped out to deal with Hyena.
Griff was able to kick Jackal in the head, giving Broadway an opening to grab Jackal's rifle and crush it before punching him right in the face, knocking him out and the two went to go help Brooklyn,
Hyena ran into a clearing full of fallen trees and got bumped around and off her feet, making her dazed and started firing all over the place, hitting a tree. She continued firing as Brooklyn landed on a branch, jumping off in time before Hyena shot it down.
He avoided a couple of other shots until a large and heavy log landed on top of him, locking him in place on the ground.
"Where are you?" Hyena said, still blinded from the lights.
The helicopter appeared and shined its light on Hyena again. Lexington peers through a set up on the console in front of him, aiming for Hyena's rifle, which he destroyed.
Both Broadway and Griff showed up and removed the log from Brooklyn and the three surrounded Hyena.
"I'm not beaten yet." Hyena said as she threw the destroyed rifle and got into a fighting stance.
Both Liam and Elisa joined in and aimed their guns at Hyena.
"Face it, Hyena, you're surrounded and outnumbered. What chance do you have?" Liam pointed out, which made her put her arms up in a surrendering stance.
After Hyena and Jackal were taken into custody, the gargoyles all stood together and waited as Liam and Elisa talked to Xanatos and Derek.
"Detective, Mr. Gardner, I'm sure your brother was more than capable of handling the situation. But thanks for your help just the same." Xanatos said. "Now you'd probably like a private moment."
Xanatos then left the three, giving them actual privacy as he walked far enough to not overhear them.
"I didn't expect to meet them this soon." Derek said, looking over at the gargoyles.
"Did Xanatos try to tell you about them?" Liam asked him.
"Yeah, even showed me a videotape, but I told him you told me about them." Derek replied. "Seeing them in a photograph and video is one thing, but face to face. I still find it hard to believe."
"Trust me, we felt the same way when each of us first met gargoyles." Elisa said.
"Did Xanatos tell you anything else?" Liam asked.
"He did. He tried to convince me that he tried to help them and that they rejected him. And that he admitted to making a few mistakes in dealing with them." Derek replied. "But thanks to you, I don't believe that to be the case."
"Good." Liam nodded before looking over at Elisa, who stepped up to her brother.
"Derek, I'm sorry. I've been wrong about a lot this week. You don't have to be a cop, and you do have to lead your own life." She said, owning up for her actions, which made Derek smile before hugging her.
Liam looked over at both Griff and Goliath, waving over for them to talk to Derek.
"Derek, here's Goliath and Griff." He introduced them to each other as Derek parted from Elisa.
"Hi." Derek greeted them and the two gargoyles nodded back.
"You two are lucky to be siblings." Goliath told Elisa and Derek, especially the latter.. "All my rookery brothers are dead. And there is nothing, nothing more important than family."
He patted Derek's shoulder before stepping back for Griff to speak to Derek.
"From that flying we saw when Jackal and Hyena tried to take you down, you would've made a great gargoyle." Griff complimented Derek, who smirked.
"Thanks. I can see why you and Liam are mates." Derek replied, making the two mates blush.
It then started snowing and the gargoyles left the three humans.
Liam looked to Elisa, nodding to her and she pulled out the recorder.
"Here, take this." She said, handing it to Derek.
"What is it?" He asked.
"Some confirmation that Xanatos is no good. I wouldn't be a good sister if I didn't give you this." Elisa replied.
"Mind you, you don't have to listen to it, but it's your choice." Liam added. "Do be careful, Derek."
Then both he and Elisa left Derek and joined back up with the gargoyles.
They all made it back to the clocktower in time before sunrise as the snow fell harder than before.
"Hey, Lex." Broadway said as they all walked out, preparing for Stone Sleep. "Good job on the helicopter."
"Yeah. That armour really did help." Brooklyn added.
"I couldn't have done it without you two." Lexington pointed out.
Liam sighed with relief to see the trio finally getting along. Clearly Goliath's words hit them hard.
The gargoyles all got to their perches in time as the sky turned light, indicating dawn and they all turned to stone, their statues collecting snow.
"Let's get back inside, I'm freezing." Liam said as he was shivering, making Elisa chuckle as they closed the door and entered back into the clocktower.
Liam is truly being a thorn in Xanatos' side in some capacity. This will come into play in a later episode. I won't say which one, though.