Fox had one night figured to further Brooklyn's healing in his head was that he could hang out with a human that wasn't so intimidating he always thought when seeing David or Elisa.
She went into the nursery where Alex was napping to wake him up, taking her son in her arms as he woke up, looking at his mom. "Mama?" He squeaked, Fox stroking his hair.
"I have a task for you to help us with your uncle, who is still rather lost from his sadness, my son. Would you like to visit Brooklyn?" Fox asked with a smile.
Little Alex gave off a coo noise, nodding and holding his mother's hand. "Unce Brookie!" He replied in a cheerful way, having missed the red gargoyle during the kidnapping. Fox held Alex close as she started to walk over to Brooklyn's room, who was at the moment resting himself from the sparring yesterday.
Brooklyn meanwhile lay there in his bed, staring up at the ceiling, his head sometimes feeling clouded with Coldsteel's taunts, wanting them to go away! While Coldsteel was alive, his mind would never be free again. "Get out of my body, please!" Brooklyn whispered softly, tears falling down, still guilty of hurting Goliath through his anger, and believing Coldsteel still had a grasp on his soul, until there was a knock at the door.
It made Brook jump from the noise in the real world, turning in fright, holding his pillow. "Who's there? Mom?" He asked, thinking his mom had come to visit but instead, it was Fox.
Brooklyn tilted his head at the redheaded woman before him, who was also holding someone he hadn't seen for a long time. Fox smiled at Brooklyn in greeting. "Hello. Your mom will visit soon but do you still remember Alex? This is the best chance for you to not be so scared around humans anymore. None of us are Coldsteel's horrible men." She tried to assure, only to have Brooklyn flinch at his name, until Alex gave a small squeal at the sight of him, which sounded a little cute.
Casting his eyes to the small boy, Brooklyn soon nodded nervously, Fox holding out Alex for him to take in his hands. Brooklyn swallowed, since he usually didn't hold Alex as much as Lexington, but the baby surprisingly didn't feel too hard to hold onto. Brooklyn stared into those innocent eyes, Alex smiling childlike up at his uncle, then taking a hold of his beak.
The feeling made Brooklyn chuckle, holding the child a little closer, happy to have something so young to hold onto to cheer him up. Coldfire soon showed up at the door to his room and when she gazed in, her eyes softened at the sight of her 'son' bonding with the little Xanatos child since she loved children.
"I see Alex is enjoying Brooklyn for a while," Coldfire said gently while Alex and Brooklyn played and cuddled for a little bit, Brooklyn slowly forgetting about him hurting Goliath yesterday, Alex messing with his beak playfully.
Fox nodded. "Sometimes a little bit of children's innocence can help a broken person." She said in a calm tone. Coldfire agreed with her on that one, as she went up to the bed.
Brooklyn's ears perked at the sound of his mother while he held Alex gently. "Hi, Mom." He greeted, Coldfire taking his hand. "Hope he isn't too much trouble for you."
It had the red male shake his head. "Not at all. It-it was what I needed." He replied, his eyes moistening a little bit. Then he glanced at Fox. "Fox, I've been thinking should I face Coldsteel again, I would need to protect my body, especially after all that I endured. Could your husband make me some armor?" Brooklyn asked, after handing Alex back to her.
Fox had only seen Hudson wear armor, so hearing about one of the others needing it surprised her, but she smiled, nodding. "No problem. My husband would love to have something new to do." She stated.
"And thanks for cheering me up," Brooklyn thanked her, Alex whining and wanting to go back to Brooklyn. "Anytime. Now it is time to say goodbye, son." Fox said.
"Bye bye, Unce Brookie," Alex cooed in farewell, making Brook laugh a little at his nickname, waving when the child left.
Coldfire took Brooklyn out of his bed, informing him it was time to check his weight to ensure he would be able to fit into the armor. Brooklyn hoped he was almost back to his normal weight now since he was trying his best to ensure his weight didn't creep back onto his body.
The two of them entered the bathroom, Brooklyn standing on the scale nervously, looking down. He saw the numbers and they said 212 for his weight, which made him smile a little bit more in relief.
Coldfire's robot eyes brightened from how great Brooklyn had been progressing, giving him a hug after stepping off. "You're doing even more well than before, sweetie. Xanatos should be able to make that armor for you!" She said in happiness, though Brooklyn rubbed his stomach. "I hope I can still fit into it after I am 210 again," he said in nerves, but the female cyborg stroked his cheek.
"You will, we will ensure it. Come on, let's find him." She said, pulling Brooklyn along gently to Xanatos' office where they found him doing some of his work.
Brooklyn cleared his throat, still quite nervous about asking this request if Xanatos should say no, the billionaire glancing at his arrival.
"Can I help you, Brooklyn? How have you been doing?" David questioned, while Brooklyn did his best to speak.
"I'm-I'm sorry to bother you but could it be possible for you to make me armor? Ever since nearly dying by C-Coldsteel's talons, I decided I just couldn't risk my body to such a thing again. Whenever the time comes, I may have to face Coldsteel anyway." Brooklyn said, his voice stuttering to be strong.
David felt a smile on his features from those words, liking the idea of having someone else using body armor like how he did, even if it wouldn't have any jetpacks. "Do you think you would like some added weapon features like the Steel Clan and my wife's?" He suggested, but Brooklyn shook his head.
"My talons are all I need." The red gargoyle responded firmly, Coldfire stroking his arm, feeling happy he was able to speak out his request, knowing at some point she won't need him as close as he used to, which made Desdemona feel a little sad about it but she didn't want Brooklyn to be not independent.
Xanatos then proceeded from Brooklyn's request to make said shoulder pads, arm wrists, and chest plate for the gargoyle after measurements had been made.
So far, Hudson had been the only one wearing armor, but it was from the Viking era. It would be a first for a gargoyle to wear modern armor made by a billionaire. It would take a couple days to make.
…………..
He carved out each piece carefully while Brooklyn waited anxiously in his room, Coldfire reading books to him to pass the time. He was rather excited to fight crime further with more protection on his body, but could he face Coldsteel again without the fear of being controlled? It made him shiver a little to think about it but then allowed his 'mom's' voice to soothe his heart while she read some of the books Fox lent her.
Hearing stories like Horton Hears a Who and Peter Pan brought little smiles to his beak, not having heard a good book for a long while. Coldfire, Brooklyn decided, was a good reader and really helped let time go by.
That was until a hand knocked on the door, the two of them glancing upward seeing Owen there. "I believe your armor should now be ready, Brooklyn." The blonde man informed, Brook's ears perking up in happiness.
"Cool!" He exclaimed, sounding happier than Coldfire had heard him before.
They both followed Owen down to Xanatos' lab where he usually experimented on robotics. Brooklyn seeing David there looking pleased with himself. The young male eyed what the billionaire made, which was his armor.
Xanatos smiled proudly. "Allow me to present your armor. This is made from the finest and toughest metal I could find. Your wristbands should fit even when your regular weight has returned. Hope this pleases you Brooklyn." David said, Brooklyn picking up some of the armor pieces and looking them over. It certainly was pretty shiny and tough.
He also tried on one of the wristbands. It fit him perfectly. Brook grinned at the sight of it on him, before nodding soon. "This will work, I think. Uh, thanks." He thanked with a small hint of red on his face.
Coldfire offered to help try it on Brooklyn who accepted, feeling her strapping the chest armor for the back and the front, the shoulders coming after and the second wristband and wrapped his wings behind his shoulders to look more like a cape than a cloak like he usually did.
The armor at first felt strange to Brooklyn, moving his arms around and walking a bit to get used to it, grinning a little at the armor on him, daring Coldsteel to try anything now!
He turned to the others, looking a little awkward. "Um, what do you think?"
They both nodded in approval. "Quite sophisticated for you. It makes you look even more like a warrior than before." David praised, which caused Brooklyn to put his chest out some, not feeling as small as he did when they rescued him.
Coldfire kissed his cheek motherly. "How about we surprise the others?"
Brooklyn nodded eagerly, thanking Xanatos again, him and the other two going into the living room where the others were hanging out at after coming back from patrols when Xanatos appeared.
Goliath looked up. "What has been going on Xanatos? Is Brooklyn alright?"
Xanatos grinned. "More than alright, I believe, for he wants to surprise you with something." He turned to the side, the rest of the clan watching, and their eyes widened when seeing a completely different looking Brooklyn appear wearing armor covering. He wasn't the same timid frightened victim rescued from a cyborg maniac from before. Now Brooklyn looked more like he could fight again.
Lex gasped at how shiny and tough Brooklyn's armor looked. "Whoa, bro! Where did the armor come from?"
Brooklyn rubbed his neck, grinning sheepishly. "Xanatos made it for me. Hope it isn't too much." He said, Hudson admiring it, pleased, putting a shoulder around the younger one. "I rather like it, lad. This will be a big help in patrols. Is the armor bullet proof and talon proof?" He inquired David, who nodded.
"For sure, I made certain his armor was strengthened as much as possible."
Angela smiled at Brooklyn. "You really do look handsome in that armor, brother." She praised, making Brooklyn swallow from her compliment but welcomed it, happy that his clan seemed to enjoy his new armor.
"Just praying I can stand up to that-that monster after what he did to me. Is there any plan to get rid of him?" Brook questioned, tilting his head.
Goliath looked down, unsure. "This will take some planning Brooklyn. But a little reminder that a gargoyle doesn't always need metal armor to be able to fight, hoping you won't forget that." He said while having some slight pricks of fear that now his Second had the armor he would turn into the version of Brooklyn he saw in the dream Puck created during his World Tour.
Brook nodded. "I know, Goliath. Still scared about facing Coldsteel again. And-and I'm sorry for being so cold and distant those past few days and for wishing I wasn't hatched." He sniffled, suddenly feeling his brothers take him in a group hug.
"You have nothing to apologize for again, Bro. We've already forgiven you." Broadway stated with a grin while Brooklyn nuzzled into his rookery brother's hugs, the others watching with happiness at the scene even while Coldsteel still reigned supreme. They knew that the cyborg had to be dismantled; for good.