Chapter 10: Gonna Take You There
Review Replies
Memnon45: Glad to see this story is still kicking. Also great chapter wasn't expecting kids anytime soon from Jean and Helena but I'm not complaining, can't wait to read Ajax reaction to finding out he's an Uncle lol. Keep up the great work guys, also last chapter I saw Powerwolf mentioned the only song that I heard was Night of the Werewolves anything else you recommend would be appreciated and since it's Christmas Eve I wish both of you, your friends and family a Happy Holiday
Dragon Emperor0: If you're looking for more Gargoyles content, I suggest checking out Thermal's new story, Manhattan Riders, as it's a direct tie-in to this story here. Also, yes, Jackal finding out he's an uncle will be hilarious—especially when he meets little Jack, who is named after him.
ThermalsniperN7: Manhattan Riders only has a single chapter (as of right now), so don't expect much. As for Jackal meeting his nieces and nephews… Oh man, that's gonna be a riot.
Night Shadow76: I have to say, I am NOT disappointed so far. I will admit I was surprised there was no hint of a certain shark hunter, but I have a feeling he'll show up in the later chapters when the Maneater Arc comes around. Can't wait to see Jean go full on Papa Gator
ThermalsniperN7: We're still unsure of how to integrate ALL of Maneater into this, but when we work it out… Yeah, Pete is a deadman.
Dragon Emperor0: Stay patient. We'll get there.
-Fawtick Bayou, Port Clovis-
"Heeeybo!" The thick Cajun accent of one Jean LeBeau called as he, his wife Helena and the Gargoyles all gathered their things to bring the alligator man and his family back to their home in Manhattan. "LeBeau family, fall in! We a'headin' north!" He called to his children as they came marching out of the trolley car they called home for so long.
"Finally heading back to New York after our long exodus, huh?" Helena mused as she hefted a luggage bag over her shoulder.
"That it be, mon amour. Time to see what's changed while I was out." Jean hummed.
"Yat-Tat-Da-Da-Da!" Little Jack sang as he tossed his bags onto the boat. "Start spreadin' the news! I'm leaving today! I wanna be a part of it!" He smiled, striking a pose like Frank Sinatra. "New York! Neeeeew Yooooork!" He added before bursting out laughing.
"I can't wait to see what New York looks like in person!" Meg exclaimed in excitement.
"Me too." Achilles smiled as he and his siblings hopped into the bayou.
"Geronimo!" Beau exclaimed as they all plunged into the water.
"Alright, Boudreaux, up you go." Jean smiled as he handed the basset hound to Elisa. "We'll swim the majority of the way. Helena, darlin', you alright riding in the boat?" He asked his wife.
"Yeah. I can handle it. Good thing the driver's seat is all covered up, so I don't have to worry too much about being spotted." The hyena woman nodded in reply as she looked at the boat she'd be driving.
"Very well then. Let's move." Goliath nodded as the gargoyles took to gliding.
The night was young, so they'd be able to make good time for now.
(Elsewhere)
"So the Gargoyles are out of town, you say?" David Xanatos questioned as Owen gave him an update while he had dinner with Fox. "Well, that's certainly peculiar." He hummed, taking a sip of his glass of wine.
"What could've prompted them to leave for a while in the first place?" Fox wondered.
"Could be that they're looking for their friend." Owen noted. "With the Banshee and Dullahan Duo of Layla and Alex Stratos still prowling the streets, they could have afforded to take a trip so out of the way." He mused.
"It's definitely possible." The billionaire hummed. "Though if they do find Jean, I imagine they'll find Hyena as well." He mused.
"Oh, Jackal and the Pack are going to have a field day with that." Fox chuckled.
"Of that, I have no doubt." Owen nodded in agreement.
(Timeskip)
-Manhattan Sewers, New York City-
"… This is it?" Meg questioned as she and her siblings looked at the plot of ground that their parents had used to call home.
"Seems kinda… empty, dad." Achilles nodded.
"Ah didn't have the luxury of choice in residence when Ah moved here." Jean told her. "Looks like we'll need to build a whole house from scratch now." He sighed.
"That's going to be a chore…" Helena sighed.
"Only if you can't get help." Goliath commented.
"That would be great." Jean nodded. "Thank you, Goliath." He smiled, grabbing the gargoyle's arm in a claw shake.
"No thanks necessary. You are our friend, we will always help you." The gargoyle told him.
"Where are we gonna get stuff to build with, though?" Broadway interjected.
"Well there are plenty of abandoned warehouses that should have materials we need." Brooklyn noted, getting Matt and Elisa to look at him. "I uh, saw some on my patrols last week." He explained nervously.
"Well I hope nobody will miss those materials, because we need them right now." Helena stated. "But I mean, if they're abandoned…" She hummed.
"It is nearing morning now, so Ah should go ahead and start moving the materials one bit at a time." Jean said. "We all can start building tonight." He added.
"Sounds good." Elisa nodded as the gargoyles took their leave. "Oh, and Jean, Helena? Some new faces came and took over patrol while you two were gone." She told them. "So if you see a Banshee or Dullahan riding around town on a kelpie and a pooka, don't worry. They're friends." She told them.
"Seriously? Why are Scottish and Irish folktales roaming in New York?" Helena wondered with a blink.
"They were striking out on their own." The blue haired woman replied. "You're better off just asking them after you meet them." She added.
The two seemed to nod at this as the Gargoyles left for their home and allowed the rather large family to start their makeshift home in the form of a large collection of tents.
Settling back in wasn't gonna be easy…
(Timeskip)
It was a few weeks to a month later and construction on the LeBeau family's new New York home was steadily underway, in fact, it was just about finished.
As such, the gargoyles and Jean were now in the process of carting off the last remaining wood and sheet metal/tin for the house's roof, as well as the furniture that they'd found in some abandoned houses and furniture store warehouses that had foreclosed.
Said alligator man was swimming in the Hudson River to his sewer home while a set of reigns was in his jaws, pulling a barge that was stacked with various of the aforementioned roofing materials.
Though above him, a feminine shape was floating high above. and watching him swim.
"What is that?" The Irish accent of one Layla Stratos wondered.
Layla was an interesting person. Her skin was pale, she had red hair, and she had amber eyes. She wore all black clothes consisting of a corset, a dress, thigh high boots and a cloak. Her figure was a voluptuous hourglass figure, and it showed.
However, she was in her Banshee form, which looked similar to the Silver Banshee of Superman fame.
"Looks like a gator man." A squirrel on her shoulder noted. It wasn't a normal squirrel by any sense, though, given the yellow eyes it had. This was one of the signs of a Pooka.
"... Wallace, remind me, didn't Goliath mention having a friend that matched that description?" Layla questioned.
"Yeah he did. Looks like he's finally back." The little critter noted.
"Think we should get Alex, Melissa and Mordrea so we can introduce ourselves?" The Banshee asked.
"It would make things easier. Let's go get 'em." Wallace nodded.
"Right." Layla nodded as she flew away.
(Later)
"Aaaand… Done." Jean sighed as he tapped in the last nail with his tail. "That'll about do it." He nodded as he hopped down from his roof as the rest of the family gathered around to look at their new house.
Their new home was a simple two-story home with six bedrooms (one master and five two bed rooms), two bathrooms (don't ask about the plumbing system), a Semi large-sized kitchen and a very inviting living room of similar size, as well as a mud room, a wood room, a sun room and an attic.
The roof was a thatched tin roof while the rest was made of both Cypress, tupelo and Cedar wood, with simple windows and doors and an overhang porch lean too–as well as a shed where Jean's still was located.
The furniture, drapes, curtains, dish, silverware and appliances were all similar to what the original trolley car had–with there just being more of it in some cases or larger versions in others.
"I gotta say, our new house looks great." Helena smiled as she stood on the porch.
"Couldn't agree with ya more there, cher." The gator man smiled as he hugged his wife close, soon joined by their kids in a family group hug.
"Now that the house is done, think we can go exploring tonight?" Achilles asked, basically voicing the thoughts of his younger siblings.
"Yeah, can we?" Jack added.
"You can, but if you see anything dangerous, you run immediately. Got it?" Their father told his children seriously.
"Yes sir!" The kids nodded as they rushed inside and got their instruments: Fiddles, washboards, an accordion, a drum set, a saxophone, trumpet and guitars.
"Alright, guys! Let's show these city folk how to have a good time in the bayou!" Jack called as he and his siblings dove into the sewers, swimming away.
There was a beat of silence before Helena broke it.
"Wanna head inside and snuggle together?" She asked with a purr in her voice.
"Honestly, darlin'? I could go for a nap right about now." Jean nodded as he and his wife went inside their new house.
(Elsewhere)
Meanwhile, Layla had gone and gotten her brother Alex to follow her into the sewers near where she spotted Jean.
Alex was in his mid to late twenties like his sister. He had pale skin, black hair and green eyes with a runner's build body type. Attire wise, he had a black shirt under a black heavy winter jacket, blue jeans and a pair of gray boots with black socks (his old sneakers had to be replaced). On his belt was a chain whip.
He hadn't come alone either.
With him was a woman with pale skin rivaling his own, jet black hair and piercing red eyes. She was currently dressed in a black catsuit.
This was Mordrea, a Kelpie from Scottish mythology. She is also Alex's servant on the side.
The other was also a woman, but she was very different from most women. She was taller than Alex, had dark brown colored fur, short cloud white hair on her head with a pair of puma ears, a puma tail, a pair of bat wings on her back, digitigrade legs and four arms. Her eyes were also amber colored.
Her only attire consisted of a black leotard with diamond shaped hold that showed off her cleavage and abdomen.
This was Melissa Maza, Elisa's cousin and Alex's girlfriend.
"So hold on, sis, you actually saw that friend of the Gargoyles who disappeared two years ago?" Alex questioned.
"Yep, and last I saw, he was hauling some building materials somewhere. I think he was building a house." The woman nodded.
"Wonder what that's about…" Melissa hummed as she flew above the two. "Wait a minute, guys, I'm seeing some small figures coming out of the Hudson!" She told them.
"How small?" Alex asked.
"They look like… Kids?" The white haired mutate blinked in reply.
"Kids?" Mordrea blinked, raising an eyebrow at that.
"What would a bunch of kids be doing out this late at night…?" Alex questioned as they went closer. "Hold on…" He muttered as they got a clear view.
The sound of music very recognizable as zydeco could be heard as a float (or a cackle?) of what looked to be Alligator/Hyena hybrids joined also by a shark girl and a two year old Baset Hound—marching their way towards town—playing instruments.
"... What?" Alex uttered as he stared at the kids in bewilderment.
"Goin' down the bayou, goin' down the bayou, goin' down the bayou—takin' ya all da way!" The kids sang, a pair of twin girls seemingly having a grand ol' time on their fiddles.
Melissa arched an eyebrow as she landed next to her boyfriend while the kids seemingly ignored them and kept playing their tune.
"… So what do you think? New Orleans, or Acadia?" Layla questioned as she attempted to think of the kids' point of origin.
"Definitely Lafayette, or somewhere in the backwoods—that's prime Cajun country." The man replied.
"Who's kids are they, anyway?" Melissa wondered.
"If I had to guess, they're probably this Jean guy's kids." The Banshee stated. "I mean, who else would be able to pass on genes like that?" She added.
"Where'd the hyena parts come from, though?" Mordrea wondered as she watched the kids.
"I have a theory…" The Kelpie's master hummed.
"How do you mean?" Layla asked as they started trying to keep up with the kids as they continued to march through the city.
"I'm not totally sure yet, but I think Jean may have hooked up with a hyena woman." The black haired man replied. "Gonna have to meet them to be sure of anything." He added.
"And what about the crazy kids?" The dark brown mutate asked.
"They'll likely head home then, so that's when we can meet them." The Banshee replied.
"So we just let the kids parade through the town recklessly?" Mordrea deadpanned, finding that approach stupid.
"The Gargoyles are patrolling, remember? They'll take care of it." Wallace chimed in from Layla's shoulder.
"Exactly." Alex chuckled as they started gaining on the kids.
However, before they could continue following—an explosion could be heard in the distance—which the kids immediately took notice of.
"Hot dog! Some action!" The smallest pup yipped as he took off running.
"Jack! Shoot! Come on guys, let's move!" The largest, an albino, cursed as he bolted after his younger sibling.
The rest of the kids were quick to follow, and their followers immediately became concerned.
"We need to get after them before they get hurt! Wallace, horse!" Layla exclaimed, giving her partner the order to transform.
"On it!" The Pooka exclaimed as he quickly went into his horse form.
(Elsewhere)
Meanwhile at a local high class bank, The Pack was at it again, and like the Stratos twins and their companions, the police, Gargoyles and—after hearing about the robbery on the news just minutes before—Jean and Helena were headed there.
The latter two weren't planning on getting involved, but wanted to make sure their precious offspring were nowhere near the hectic incident.
"They're robbing banks now?" Helena questioned as she shook herself dry like a wet dog after she and Jean swam from their lair, right as the Gargoyles and police arrived. "You know, this makes me even more convinced that I chose right about settling down in the swamp." She noted, smoothing her fur down.
"Ah'm sure, cher. Come on; let's go make sure our kids are okay." Jean nodded as he took off.
It was around this time that the kids did indeed arrive, but they were on the rooftop of an adjacent building so they could get a better look.
They'd long since ditched Alex and the others, who were now in the process of trying to aid Goliath, Broadway, Brooklyn and Lexington fight the Pack.
"Oh man! It's times like these that I wish I had some popcorn! HAHAHA!" Jack grinned as he plopped down and pulled some binoculars from his pants.
"I cannot believe you got us to come along for this…" Meg huffed.
"Oh come on, Meg! We got a front row seat to a Main Street smack down!" The youngest pup told his older sister as everyone gathered around to watch.
"These are the guys mom used to run with?" Adonis questioned.
"They sure don't look like much." Beau stated.
"Which one do you think is uncle Ajax?" Bellerophon asked.
"That guy with the gray hair looks like he's one cookie short of a package of Oreos." Louis chuckled, looking at Wolf.
"Big guy sure is ugly looking." Arno noted, looking at Dingo.
"You're one to talk, Arno!" Elise shot back.
"Guys! Don't fight!" Marie squeaked.
"Yeah, will you guys shut up? We're missing the show!" Jack added.
"Hey, Language, Jack!" Achilles hissed.
"What he said." Meg nodded.
"Woof!" Boudreaux nodded.
"Enough, you lot." Jean interjected from behind them, causing the kids to jump before turning and seeing that their parents had caught up to them.
"… How the heck did you guys find us all the way up here?" Meg couldn't help but ask as everyone nodded in unison.
(Later)
It was later on and Jean was currently making dinner for everyone, including the Gargoyles and the Stratos gang, on account of them just having been jumped by the Pack.
"So let us get this straight." Layla said. "You're Hyena? The same Hyena from the Pack?" She questioned as the filoform mutant woman set plates out for everyone.
"Yep. There was a moment with a character from Midsummer Night's Dream, and I got turned into this." The woman nodded in reply. "I haven't regretted it since." She added with a smile.
"And where've you guys been the past two years?" Alex asked as he watched the kids set out utensils on the outside tables, cups, and Jean in the process of boiling crawfish, shrimp, and shucking more than a few oysters.
"The swamp of Port Clovis, Fawtick Bayou. Our old home got teleported there by that Puck fellow–at least, that's our guess– and we didn't really see a reason to leave." Jean explained, tossing Boudreaux and Bronx a bone. "We would've tried to get back in touch, but that ain't as easy as you'd think in a swamp." He added.
"Not having a way to get back is more like it, honey." His wife corrected as she stirred a pot of red beans and rice before taking it off the heat and started fixing everyone a bowl. "I mean, it's not like we could get airfare back to Manhattan." She added.
"I can't say I blame you." Melissa shrugged as the kids finished setting up the table. Then Meg came over to her and sat in her lap. "Hm?" She blinked.
"Oh don't mind her, Meg always sits in my lap at dinner." The hyena woman told her.
"Well I didn't expect her to do it with a new face." The white haired mutate stated.
"You look comfy." The little shark girl chirped with a smile as she nuzzled up to her.
"See?" Her mom chuckled as Jean drained the crawfish, shrimp, potatoes, garlic, corn, mushrooms and onions and poured it onto the table for everyone to grab, along with the others to start eating either them, the red beans or the oysters.
"So ten kids and a basset hound—that's quite the family you got there." Wallace nodded as he nibbled on some crawfish boiled peanuts Jean gave him, sitting on the table in his squirrel form.
"Yeah. I've seen a few odd yet functional families, but this one takes the top spot." Mordrea remarked as she ate some corn.
"What are you two, by the way? You obviously don't look human." Helena noted. "Besides the talking squirrel." She amended.
"Oh, I'm a Banshee. Don't worry; nobody here's dying." Layla chuckled as she referenced the myth surrounding her heritage.
"I'm a Dullahan." Alex added, removing his head from his shoulders for emphasis.
There was a beat of silence before…
"Now that's how you get ahead in life!" Jack cackled, breaking into a fit of laughter.
"OH MY DAYS!" Alex shouted in exasperation as he reattached his head. His reaction caused Jean to laugh heartily along with the others.
"Oh man, that was perfect!" Layla laughed.
"That's Jacques Lafayette "Jack" LeBeau for you." The gator man chuckled. "He gets his sense of humor from his mama." He added.
"That's my boy!" Helena cackled as she wiped a tear from her eye.
"That was funny and I love it!" Mordrea howled as she held her sides while she struggled to keep herself upright.
Needless to say, it seemed like the LeBeau family was doing well for themselves, fostering such a close community so quickly.
(Elsewhere)
After getting beaten back by the Gargoyles and the Stratos gang, the Pack had been licking their wounds for the better part of a couple of days when Coyote suggested that they upgrade themselves with a selection of genetic engineering, cybernetics, armor or even robotics.
But aside from that, Jackal had something he wanted to bring up with the others, something he saw during and not long after the bank heist.
"Guys, I noticed something during the fight at the bank." He began, getting the attention of the others.
"Yeah? And what's that?" Wolf questioned.
"Hyena, she and that alligator guy are back in town." The man replied.
"What? Where were they?" Dingo questioned.
"On a different rooftop overseeing the fight." Jackal told him in response. "And I know this sounds crazy, but Hyena was now a hyena woman, and they had a congregation of nine hybrid kids, and one shark girl kid…" He explained. "… and a basset hound." He amended.
"... What?" Dingo uttered in a baffled tone after a beat passed.
"Yeah, I know exactly how it sounds, believe me. It's still what I saw, though." The man sighed.
"She's gone and joined the zoo." Wolf scoffed.
"Aren't we all?" Coyote chuckled as Alexi aka Rhino was in the process of sharpening his sickle.
"Pot, meet the kettle." The Russian man nodded.
"What about those kids ya mentioned? What do they look like?" The Australian asked. "Ya said they were hybrids, but not what they looked like." He added.
"Like a cross between an alligator and a Hyena in about nine of the ten cases, Dingo, I don't really know what to tell you." The man replied. "Well, I noticed that one of them is a bull shark girl." He amended.
"Probably adopted." Rhino noted. "If it's a family of mutants, then a shark being adopted by them makes sense." He added.
"Actually, this brings up something rather topical for you in regards to how you can defeat the gargoyles and Stratos gang." Coyote pointed out, standing up. "And considering that Jean LeBeau and Hyena are back in town, I'd say a new edge is needed to balance the scales." He continued.
"You mean those upgrades you mentioned." Jackal nodded. "Yeah. I've been thinking it over. I'll take the Cybernetics." He told the robot.
"After seeing Rhino in action, I think Genetics'll be my go to." Wolf nodded.
"Still have that armor on my mind." Dingo stated.
"Perfect." Coyote smiled. "I figured you'd choose those, so I already placed the orders in. They should be ready within the month." He added.
"Good to hear." Wolf smirked.
(Timeskip)
One month later…
"Ya know, it's nice to finally not have to fight a battle every ten minutes 24/7." Layla sighed as she and Matt were sitting at a favorite coffee shop of theirs, seemingly on a date.
"Trust me, I know the feeling." Matt nodded as he took a sip of his latte.
"… Be honest with me, Matt." The Banshee said as she looked at her boyfriend of four months by this point. "If we'd met when I was in my human form and you hadn't learned about my identity as the Manhattan Banshee until later—would you have stayed with me?" She asked, drinking her London Fog.
"More than likely." Matt nodded without a second thought. "Supernatural origins aside, you seem like the type of person I'd show interest in, regardless." He added.
"Given what you tried to do to get Elisa to tell you about the Gargoyles, you'll have to excuse my skepticism." The woman deadpanned.
"I'm never going to live that down, am I?" The man sighed as he ate a breakfast sandwich.
"Not really, no." Layla chuckled.
"I should've expected that…" Matt groaned.
(Elsewhere)
Meanwhile, the LeBeau kids were all in the process of playing a series of pranks on the people of New York, by swimming along the surface of the water in the East, Hudson and Central Park bays—making everyone think that there were alligators in the river, and a bull shark in Central Park.
Needless to say, they laughed their tails off as people kept screaming and calling animal control, only for nothing to be found minutes later.
"Ha! Oh man, I wish you guys saw the looks on the faces of everyone in Central Park! They were priceless!" Meg laughed.
"The Mounties' horses get spooked?" Adonis questioned.
"Nearly jumped three feet in the air and bucked their riders!" She cackled.
"I wish I saw that!" Jack cackled with her.
"I thought I heard the sound of cackling around here." A voice said, causing the kids to turn and see Jackal—now enhanced via cybernetics—stalking towards them, prompting Achilles to get his siblings behind him.
"Who are you?!" He demanded.
"What? Never seen a cybernetic Jackal before?" The man grinned.
"Hi, uncle Jackal!" Jack exclaimed, causing the cyborg to pause.
"... I'm sorry, say what now?" He blinked after processing the words he just heard.
"Wait a minute, you mean that's uncle Ajax?" Meg questioned.
"He doesn't look anything like the pictures mama showed us." Elise noted.
"Probably gave himself too big of a makeover." Arno commented, looking at his uncle's cybernetics.
"Hold up, you're Hyena's kids, aren't you?" Jackal questioned, finally catching on.
"Yup! We're your nieces and nephews!" Marie chirped.
Right as this was going on, though, a familiar female shape slinked its way around the gathering from the other side of the sewer, before leaping across and grabbing Jackal from behind.
It was Helena, and she was currently dressed in a leopard print tube top, a brown jacket, and red jeans—with her claws at the man's throat.
"Ajax…" The woman purred threateningly, her muzzle dangerously close to her brother's windpipe, her body and tail fur bristling.
"Helena… How ya been, sis?" The man chuckled nervously.
"Very good. The past two years have been good to me." The hyena woman replied, not letting him go. "Don't ruin it by getting bad ideas involving my kids in whatever fifth rate scheme you're cooking." She added firmly.
"What? I'd never!" Ajax chuckled nervously. "I'm just here to see my dear sister who I haven't seen in fifteen months!" He explained as the woman let him go. "I mean, imagine my surprise when I saw you last night with that look, married to that Jean guy and ten hybrid kids." He stated, right before a familiar bark, causing him to see a familiar dog trotting towards them, nearly tripping over his adorably floppy ears. "And a dog." He amended.
"I also see you got yourself some cybernetics. Working for Xanatos now, are you?" Helena noted.
"Not exactly a lot of options, sis." The man told her, arms folded. "Not all of us have the luxury of taking a two year honeymoon to Port Clovis with our mutant boyfriends." He added.
"Touché, brother, touché…" The woman nodded.
"Can we prank him?" Jack asked his mother on behalf of the others.
Helena looked at her brother and then her kids.
"Do so at your own risk. Your uncle was never really good at taking pranks as much as dishing them out." The woman told them.
"I'll make sure that he isn't too angry at the results." Meg told her surrogate mom.
(Timeskip)
A couple of days later, the kids were chilling at the house in one of their rare low energy days. They were either laying in bed, watching TV, or doing something else.
Jean was also drinking coffee while reading the newspaper in his easy chair, and Helena was laying on the couch whilst reading a magazine, with Megaera laying her head in her lap.
It was in this scene that a drone Xanatos was controlling came across them.
The billionaire was mildly surprised at the sight of the children, and continued observing.
However, the snoozing Boudreaux soon woke up to the sound of the drone's scuttling around, and immediately started growling at it—this thing was not supposed to be here—and the basset hound knew it.
The pup immediately started letting out his breed's iconic baying howl, which alerted his family to something outside.
"What's out there?" Jean growled with narrowed eyes.
"I don't know, but our guard dog doesn't seem to like it." Helena muttered.
The gator man went outside and looked around the porch, but didn't see anything. He was about to go inside when he spotted something tiny on the window.
It was the drone, and its camera eye was looking right back at him.
"Great… Xanatos is watching us." He groaned in exasperation.
"He better not try anything that'll make us angry…" Helena muttered.
"Darlin'? If he does, then there's gonna be hell to pay." Her husband snarled as he crushed the drone in his fingers.
(Elsewhere)
With Xanatos, he wasn't disappointed when he lost his drone. He did learn that Jean and Helena had started a very interesting family of their own, and he had to say… It suited them.
"My, I never knew Hyena had it in her." Fox noted. "She never really struck me as the married with kids type." She mused.
"I guess all that time with Jean really changed her." Xanatos hummed. "It does make me wonder though, Fox, my dear." He mused as he took his wife into his arms. "What it would be like to have children of our own." He added.
"Well, why don't we go find out?" The gingerette purred as she kissed him.
(Elsewhere)
Meanwhile, Brooklyn, Lex and Broadway were gliding towards a spot in the railroad with Layla, Alex and their two steeds hot on their heels.
"You guys never mentioned what was up!" Layla called as she shed her human form atop Wallace in his Shire form.
"Goliath, Hudson, Elisa and Bronx got captured by the Pack!" Brooklyn called back.
"Shit! When'd that happen?!" Alex exclaimed as he too shed his human form, Mordrea being in her Dapple mare form.
"It could've been a few hours ago, but we're not sure!" Lex replied. "The three of us were putting our leadership skills to the test whenever it happened!" He added.
"Now's not the time, Lex!" Brooklyn called.
"Hate to agree with Brooklyn, but we gotta focus and move!" Broadway nodded.
"Where are we heading?!" Mordrea asked.
"Right down there!" Brooklyn replied as they dove at a decommissioned train depot—where they looked inside and saw the newly upgraded pack.
Wolf was now a Wolfman, Jackal was a Cyborg, Dingo was in a suit of armor, Coyote was in an upgraded power suit modeled around his new robot body, and Rhino was now permanently in his Rhinoceros form.
"Wow. They really went all in on the upgrades." Alex muttered as the group looked in from a window.
"Let's get 'em!" Lex grinned right before Brooklyn pulled him back down.
"Hold it, Lex, we need a plan." He told his friend.
"Yeah. We can't just go in there fists swinging." Wallace remarked.
"What are you suggesting, then?" The shortest gargoyle in the group questioned.
"Here's what I was thinking…" Brooklyn replied.
(Later)
As the Pack was bickering about what to do next and Dingo voicing his disapproval of his teammate's decision on their upgrades—the topic of Helena and the kids came up… as well as Jackal's real name.
"Your real name's Ajax?" Wolf guffawed. "Like the dish soap?!" He added, howled in laughter.
"That's frickin' hilarious!" Dingo laughed in agreement.
"No, like the Greek hero, idiots." Jackal snapped. "My sister and I are Greek. She was named after St. Helena, aka Emoeror Constantine's mother, and I was named after a hero from the Iliad." He explained.
"I think we'll be going with the dish soap; it's funnier." Rhino jeered with an unapologetic grin. "But it's not that bad of a name." He amended.
"Anyway, I knew the minute those kids were my sisters, because half of them had Greek names." Ajax continued with an eye roll. "Like the biggest one, the Albino? His name was Achilles. And the Shark girl's name was Megaera, but they called her Meg. My guess it's also a shark pun." He elaborated.
"Yeah, that sounds about right. It actually sounds like a reference to the Megalodon." Dingo noted with a nod.
"What about the other half?" Rhino questioned.
"French names. My guess? The Cajun named them." The man replied. "The youngest's name was Jacques, or Jack for short, and… He definitely takes the most after my sister." He added.
"He's a little gremlin, isn't he?" Wolf asked flatly.
"And he has my sister's laugh… combined with a natural hyena cackle." Ajax nodded. "But what really scared me was my sister's new maternal instinct." He admitted with a shudder.
"Is it bad enough for us to avoid anything involving them?" The rhino mutate questioned.
"Yes, and if she doesn't get you, the Cajun will. That could actually be worse." Ajax shivered.
"Fought against him before. He's tough. I also heard he's even more jacked than before—definitely not gonna fight him." Wolf nodded.
"I will. I want to see what he's made of." Rhino smirked, almost eager for that fight.
It was at this point that a squirrel hopped into the building and bounced up to the table, looking at them in animal-like curiosity.
"... Why is there a squirrel here?" Dingo asked in confusion.
Right as he said that, Brooklyn came flying out of nowhere and dropped a steel beam on him, right as Wallace transformed into his shire form and kicked a hole through the brick wall—allowing Mordrea and Alex to charge in—right as Lexington knocked out the lights.
In the midst of the chaos, Broadway threw a heavy rock at the stasis tanks Elisa, Goliath and Hudson were in, setting them free.
"Ayo Gurkhalai!" The Dullahan yelled as he drew his second weapon—a giant kukri that was ablaze with Soul Fire.
"Ah crap, not you again!" The Australian groaned.
The Pack seriously thought the Gargoyles were their biggest issue, but then the Stratos twins moved in and they learned of their own supernatural properties. The animal themed group could fight them, but not nearly as well as they'd liked. They were hoping their new enhancements would make things easier from here on out.
Rhino was quick to charge at Alex and his Kelpie steed, despite the Dullahan's previous battle cry.
Mordrea was able to dodge and kick him with her hind legs, sending him flying. Mutate or not, horses of any type would always have a mean kick.
"I'll handle horn face!" Alex called as Layla flew into the building.
"Then the mutt's all mine!" The Banshee barked as she flew at Wolf. "AAAAAAHHHHHH!" She screamed, blasting Wolf back and using him to shatter the containers with the others while Broadway tackled Jackal and Wallace kicked Coyote clear through a wall across the train yard.
Alex and Mordrea were left alone with Rhino because of this. The mutate, however, didn't look perturbed.
The Rhino man bellowed as he charged at the two before him, causing Alex to jump off his horse and Mordrea to turn into her human form so she could roll out the way—before the dullahan dropped and stabbed the man in the back with his Kukri from above—causing him to yell—before he got his spine whip in the rhino's mouth and directed him towards a wall of six foot thick concrete.
The end result was Rhino charging through the wall right as Alex jumped off, leaving the mutate dazed. It took him a moment to recover before he glared at the two.
"You just love to make me do that, don't you?!" He growled.
"Oh come on, how are you not unconscious?!" Alex groaned in exasperation.
"Enhancements made me tougher. What can I say?" The Russian shrugged in response.
Back with Brooklyn, Lexington and Hudson, they were trying to beat Jackal and Wolf, while Elisa got Dingo stuck with a magnet crane, and Layla was going after Rhino with Goliath, Bronx, Broadway and Wallace behind her.
They figured that Alex and Mordrea would appreciate the backup.
"Heads up!" Broadway exclaimed as he flew and decked Rhino in the face, allowing Bronx to stand behind him and trip him, allowing Wallace to kick him clear across the yard, and then Goliath to slam him to the ground—and Layla to stand on top of his chest and dig her heel in before she leaned down to where she was just inches away…
"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" She screamed.
This made Rhino scream in pain as his eardrums took a ton of damage from the supernatural scream of Layla's heritage. It was so great that he passed out, which took care of everything.
Meanwhile, Brooklyn managed to get Jackal drawn to an electric charged track and made him drag his metal arm along it, electrocuting him—while Hudson and Lexington bashed Wolf into him.
Coyote, however, had yet to be seen.
"Okay, we're one member short. Where's Coyote?" Alex wondered as he looked around.
"He's over there, shut down." Wallace replied, showing where he nibbled some wires in the robot.
"Oh, well, I guess we can call it a night, then." Layla shrugged.
"Agreed. I've had enough excitement for tonight." Elisa nodded with a sigh.
"Hey!" Melissa called as she flew towards them. "Is everything okay?" She asked, running up to Alex in concern after she landed.
"The Pack got some upgrades from Xanatos and managed to capture Elisa, Goliath and Hudson. We had to get involved." Alex replied as he hugged his taller girlfriend. "Don't worry, though. We're all fine." He added.
"Oh thank goodness." The woman sighed in relief. "Well, let's go home." She told her lover. "There's something I need to tell you." She added softly enough to where only he could hear as they left.
"What is it?" The Dullahan whispered once they were alone.
"You're gonna be a daddy." She whispered, causing Mordrea to giggle since she already knew.
"..." Alex went silent at that… Before he fainted from the surprise and lost his head.
No, literally. His head fell off his shoulders on impact with the ground.
"Oh bother…" The two women groaned in exasperation.
(Elsewhere)
And meanwhile, at the New York Airport, a blonde woman with deep blonde eyes, rosy cheeks and a beauty mark under her right eye, dressed in a pink dress, hat, brown heels with a mink fur coat disembarked off her flight with bags in hand, and soon stopped when she saw Matt Bluestone and Layla Stratos having dinner at a local Italian restaurant.
"Excuse me, sir?" The woman asked as she approached the two. "Are you by any chance a detective?" She questioned, her voice having a notable southern accent.
"I am. Why?" Matt asked in response.
"Well, ya see I'm new in town, I just got here from New Orleans and I don't know my way around." The woman replied. "You see, I'm here looking for a dear friend of mine. He left Louisiana some years ago and I heard tell that he was here in New York." She explained.
"Who are you looking for?" The detective questioned.
"Better question, who are you?" Layla interjected.
"Charlotte. Charlotte LaBouff." The woman replied. "But everyone calls me Lotty." She amended.
"Interesting name." Layla hummed.
"Well, miss LaBouff, I'm Detective Matt Bluestone, and this is my girlfriend Layla Stratos." The redhead replied. "I'm sort of off duty right now, but I can certainly try to help you find your friend." He nodded as he took out his notepad. "Can you give me a name?" He asked.
"It's Jean, Jean LeBeau." The woman replied.
This caused Matt to pause mid scribble, before looking at the woman.
"… Come again?" He questioned.
"What, is something wrong?" Charlotte blinked.
"No, it's just that I happen to know a Jean LeBeau." The man replied. "He lives at this address, with his wife Helena Troy LeBeau, basset hound Boudreaux and ten kids." He continued, handing her a piece of paper with an address and a note "in the sewers". "They live in a two story house on a gravel island just east of where the Hudson is, ya can't miss it." He added.
"Uh, noted." The blonde uttered as she looked at the paper he gave her before walking off.
"Weird. Jean never mentioned being friends with the daughter of one of the richest men in New Orleans." Layla noted, having heard of the LaBouff family when she lived in the city for a time.
"Probably a secret he wanted to keep." Matt mused. "But why is she looking for him now, of all times?" He wondered.
"Not sure, but I'll try to swing by the guy's place later." The Banshee shrugged.
This was certainly a strange turn of events, that was definitely for certain.
Dragon Emperor0: Well, it's been nearly over twenty years, about time Lotty come by to see how Jean's been doing! Especially since she helped him escape. That aside though, sorry for the long wait, guys, we had other stories that needed work but at long last we think we may have found a suitable system for us to use. So hopefully you enjoy this chapter.
ThermalsniperN7: That is very true, so we apologize for the waiting time. Anyway, this is also the chapter where the protags for my story, Manhattan Riders, come in. They basically filled in the void Jean left when he and Helena vanished. Somebody had to do something about it while he was out.
Dragon Emperor0: So go ahead and check it out when you get the chance. Also, looks like Jackal finally met his nieces, nephews and saw his sister again… and Helena didn't seem happy to see him, truth be told.
ThermalsniperN7: Probably because she thought he had some bad intentions and went into "momma hyena" mode. She is a protective mom, so there ya go. Anyway, see you guys next time.