Author's Notes: Soooo... who wants to read an extra long chapter that's literally the Manhattan Clan just chillin' and having a movie night? Cuz that's what's on the menu tonight, people. C:
Also, sidenote: I just read the Gargoyles: Dark Ages comics and... I didn't like them. Did not hit the mark. How they handled Hudson's Mate, Hippolyta, the Archmage and Demona's characters, the dumb human plot, the sudden Smaug reference, I just... I hated it. Some parts I liked, but on the whole, I was thoroughly unhappy. So yeah, I think I'll be deviating from those, possibly a few episodes too here and there, because there are some stinkers, let's be honest. I wasn't sure when I started this fic, but reading the Dark Ages has convinced me. I'd like to try my hand at doing better than the comics. You guys lemme know how I do when we get past Hunter's Moon Part 3 in the fic, lol.
As the last hints of sunlight fade under the horizon, the Manhattan Clan wake in unison with a satisfying chorus of roars and shattering brimstone. For another night, they live and breathe as flesh and blood. Fortunately that fact remained a precious secret shared only among a few lunatics who benefitted more from keeping said secret.
And of course, the one human that Hudson was glad knew their secret, Elisa. She was waiting patiently behind them, leaning against the clock face, a gentle smile gracing her features before she called out to The Clan. Her clan now, Hudson recalled, sporting a smile of his own.
"Hey guys, sleep well?"
"Hey, Elisa!" Broadway greeted rushing to her with his brothers in lockstep. "What's—?"
"What's our surprise?!" Lexington asked, a giddy expression on his face.
"Yeah, what'd ya get us?!" Brooklyn joined his brothers and leaned in towards her.
"Gettin' right to it, huh?" Elisa replied with a chuckle as she crossed her arms.
That was right, Elisa had told them the night before, just as dawn approached, she had something planned for tonight. And when she was inevitably met with questions of what it could be, she simply replied that it was a surprise. Of course the lads couldn't help but stew on it all day as they slept.
Though as Hudson watched silently, he noticed Goliath was beginning to crowd her, albeit at arms length. As opposed to the Trio, who were practically on top of Elisa, bouncing in place with excitement.
Hudson smirked as he approached the boys, "Alright, lads. Reel it back. Elisa will reveal yer precious surprise in'a moment, I'm sure" he said, pushing them inside the tower.
"Yeah, but what is it?" Lexington reiterated, Hudson rolled his eyes as he pushed a bit harder.
"I believe the answer to that question lies before you," Goliath spoke up, pointing at a table that was not there the night before.
"Happy anniversary, boys!" Elisa announced, "I finally found a table big and sturdy enough for you guys," she gestured to the gift.
"Well gee, thanks Elisa, but," Broadway quirked up an eye ridge. "What do we need a table for?"
Brooklyn immediately let out a laugh, drawing everyone's attention. "You're joking, right?" he asked, a rhetorical question, as Broadway crossed his arms challenging him.
Brooklyn pointed at his brother's face, "You and Bronx are competing for who can scatter the most food around the tower, including all over the walkways" he put up another finger, "Lex keeps leaving his tools on the floor when he's tinkering, which—lemme tell ya—is a joy to walk across early in the night", he put up a third finger, "If we wanna watch TV, we all have to stand around Hudson's recliner like a bunch'a hobos or pop a squat on the floor like it's huddle time at Yankee Stadium".
Brooklyn pointed his hand to the side, "Not to mention the storage room is literally just a room hiding a messy pile of our stuff, it's a nightmare trying to get anything outta there. That includes the all too important Grimorum Arcanorum which we'll need handy one of these days. So you're stuck diving in a pile of junk while Coldstone ju-ju-just stares at you. Like at any moment, he could start blastin' or clawin' or-or-or stranglin' the life outta y—"
The lad had finally stopped his diatribe, probably because everyone was looking at him with the same shocked, and frankly, ashamed expression on their faces. Or maybe it was because he caught himself demonstrating the strangling he feared Coldstone would deliver to an imaginary victim's throat.
He chuckled a bit, more self-conscious than genuine amusement, before he finished. "Uh, let's just say, I've been waiting for something to save us from turning into complete cavemen".
"Couldn't have put it better myself," Elisa nodded while putting her hand on her hip.
Hudson had to agree, every point Brooklyn brought up was accurate, their living conditions were less than refined. And that was the kindest way he could put it. Hudson could only speak for himself, but he never took the time to clean or organize anything because he rarely thought about it. That just wasn't a worry for him, it never was.
For one thing, he was used to a bigger "castle" to call home, thus the ability for things to get junky became less and less likely due to the sheer amount of space they had to fill with their belongings. That isn't to say they had a lot of possessions at Wyvern Castle, most of their belongings were shared with the humans. Weapons, food, books, trinkets, all of it mostly belonged to the humans, The Clan just borrowed things for a night or two.
Only a select few items were truly The Clan's: Demona's jewelry, Goliath's token of her love from before his leadership, Hudson's pauldron and gauntlets, the clothes on their backs. All things that they could wear or otherwise didn't need storage space for. Everything else that was borrowed was simply returned to the humans' storage and they took care to organize it in whatever way that suited them.
Which brought him to the second point, back at Wyvern Hill, the only belongings they had were things they wore or could be placed in pouches. But now? Now they were gathering a surplus of things; from pots and pans, to televisions, to remote controlled toy cars, to their own helicopter, to a collection of magazines and newspapers that get added to every week. Not to mention all the miscellaneous junk they just seemed to be collecting, things that were better suited for the trash more than likely. They've never had this much stuff before.
Frankly it was odd that they'd acquired so much in so little time compared to the majority of their lives before waking up in this annoying new world. They'd strayed from the gargoyle way, and while Hudson understood why it was necessary, he most certainly didn't like that they had to. Just another compromise existing in the wrong time had earned them...
Regardless, the disarray of their domicile was in no small part due to these 2 important factors, but there were other factors that couldn't be ignored. Including the simple fact that they were 5 bachelors living together in a relatively small space. Cleanliness and organization was not going to be abundant, regardless of their individual quirks or gripes concerning it. But they were also the sworn protectors of the entire isle (or was it an island?) of Manhattan, that was froth with villains and ne'er-do-wells of all types which kept them busy nearly every night.
So the amount of time they would need to significantly clean the entire tower up was unreasonable because of their duties. Suffice it to say, a new dining table was a welcomed addition to their messy lives. What other additions to their humble abode would be made in the future, only Elisa knew. She would no doubt have the whole place sparkling clean and orderly if she herself took a few days away from her duties as a dee-tec-tive. The place needed a woman's touch...
Hudson couldn't help the pang of grief he felt thinking that his Queen of the Night would have whipped the place into shape. There wasn't a mess that could withstand her cleaning expertise. He could remember the bloodstains that dirtied the castle walls from a particularly difficult battle, being wiped away by her and the hatchlings with water soaked cloths and flower oil.
One night was all it took her to complete transform a bloody mess into a pristine castle once more. He never told her how impressive that was... probably because he didn't pay it much attention. And she never shined a light on it either, too happy to help than to take credit for anything.
Gods, did he miss that woman.
But the bigger concern at the moment was just how long had Brooklyn been holding all of those complaints in? He never struck Hudson as a tidy person, just like his rookery brothers, he assumed they were rambunctious young warriors. More concerned with chasing fun than bad guys, which he'd recently found endearing, but that still left little room to expect a serious concern for sanitation. Hudson opted to hold onto that question, but made it a point to look more closely at Brooklyn from now on. The boy was more than he appeared to be.
"Thank you for such a thoughtful gift, Elisa," Goliath said bringing everyone back to the focus of the night, "But if I may, what anniversary are we to celebrate tonight?"
Elisa scoffed as she shook her head. "What anniversary, he says" she smirked as she continued. "How about the day you became official New Yorkers?"
The clan of gargoyles looked between themselves before collectively sounding out an epiphanal "ohhhhh". Had it really been that short a time?
"Was that truly only a year ago?" Goliath marveled, echoing Hudson's question. "It feels considerably longer than that".
"Yeah, guess that's what happens when you're dealin' with evil plots and criminals, all night every night," Broadway shrugged as he opened the different bags spread out on their table. By smell alone it seemed like Elisa managed to get all of their favorites.
Lexington placed a hand on his forehead. "It's crazy... a whole year in New York and it still feels..." he struggled for a moment, pantomiming with his hands.
"Foreign. Bewildering. Strange. Disorienting," Hudson supplied, not bothering to hide his irritation.
"All of the above," Lexington sighed, while jumping in a chair at the table. "Still, it's certainly got its perks," he continued, taking a container out of the bags. Hudson recognized it as a "takeout box", Elisa often brought them when she had the time before her shift.
"And how!" Broadway happily agreed, cradling a steaming ham sandwich.
Brooklyn continued laying out the takeout boxes, opening them to see what contents waited inside each one. "How'd you get all'a this stuff up here by yourself, anyway?" he peered over at Elisa.
"One bag at a time," she answered while dividing up plates and eating utensils, "I had all day to set up so I got to take my time and prevent anyone from getting suspicious".
Brooklyn smirked up at her. "Nice".
Goliath descended the stairs and reached the table. "Well, let us eat with haste, the night has only just begun. Our patrol will be—"
"Nuh-uh, lemme stop ya right there, big guy," Elisa spun on her heel and held Goliath back. "Anniversary Etiquette 101: You get the night off" she waved at him as she continued setting the table.
"But what about our duty?" Hudson spoke up, "Manhattan won't patrol itself".
Elisa sidled up to him, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Yeah, there's this crazy new thing called police that usually handle that. You may not have heard of them, they've been here way before you guys took up your duty. And even they take the day off when their anniversaries come up" she took a chair out and motioned for Hudson to sit. "And we get paid to do it, so you guys are definitely sittin' tonight out".
Hudson suddenly found himself sat down in the seat Elisa offered, place setting before him. How does she do that? Goliath shifted his confused look from the lass to Hudson and all the old soldier could do was chuckle to himself and admit defeat. Goliath was gonna have his hands full with her, now that she's officially Clan. She's already making an impressive Clan Mother.
Goliath wisely picked up on Hudson's example and took out the seat at the head of the table. "Well, uh... if you are certain our protection is not expressly necessary for one night..." he tried, Elisa taking a box and setting it before him.
"I am very certain. Sit on down, get comfortable, we've got plenty to do inside", she instructed, taking a small bag that had yet to be opened and distributed.
"What'd ya have in mind, Elisa?" Broadway said through a mouthful of food.
"Funny you should ask..." she said, turning her back to them as she fiddled with the bag. "I seem to remember making a certain older gentleman a promise to help him out with his clever—but more so hilarious—cover story," she shot a mischievous look over her shoulder at Hudson. He made sure to display how unamused he was with a playful glare.
Elisa rose to her full height and presented what she was concealing. "I never forget my promises". She handed Hudson a short stack of rectangular containers, akin to books, with pictures of a man in a suit with a gun on the front. Hudson was only confused for a second before the lads hollered in excitement at what he'd been given.
"WOAH! James Bond movies!" Broadway exclaimed, snatching a few for closer inspection. "Aw man, I've seen the trailers for these on TV!"
Okay, so they were movies. But why did Elisa give them to him and not the boys? "Who is this James Bond fellow, lass?" Hudson asked, a confused chuckle hanging on his words.
"Only the greatest secret agent in human history," she said grinning and crossing her arms in front of her.
"Oh, aye?" Hudson perked up.
"Yup. I didn't forget what I promised you. I was just waitin' for the Blockbuster to have all the ones I've seen before. Plus, it timed out perfectly with your anniversary, so yeah". Elisa explained before shifting her hands into her pockets.
"So, I'm to be studyin' all these then, 'ey?" Hudson tilted his head to the side, smiling up at her.
"Don't worry, we're all gonna study 'em," she opened her arms up as she continued. "I figured dinner and a movie marathon would be a good way to celebrate indoors".
Hudson petted the woman's cheek with a gentle touch, her bronze skin softer than sheep's wool. "A fine idea, lass" he said, holding his hand against her beautiful face. "Thank you. Fer all o' this". She breathed out a quiet giggle as she patted his hand and leaned into his palm, a silent reply.
"Cool, sounds good to me," Broadway chimed in after swallowing an entire chicken leg and reaching for another.
"I heard these movies have a ton of gadgets and stuff. I can't wait to see 'em, maybe I could try copying them in real life!" Lexington beamed, his wide eyes practically shining in the warm light. Hudson had no doubt the lad could build whatever he fancied, given enough time and material. These movies would do nothing but stoke the fires that Lexington forged his ideas from.
"Are ya gonna stay and watch with us?" Brooklyn asked as Elisa stretched her arms out, grunting in satisfaction.
"I'd love to, but I got paperwork that's been pilin' up," she sighed, rolling her stiff shoulders. "LT will have my head if I don't have 'em all filed by morning". Hudson looked up quizzically before he remembered what LT stood for. Lieutenant, Elisa's police commander.
Goliath walked towards Elisa before she could get to the stairs. "Forgive me if I am mistaken, but... is this not your anniversary to celebrate as well as ours?" he asked, causing Elisa to turn around and raise her eyebrow.
"How do ya figure?" she asked warily, putting her hands on her hips.
Goliath motioned between his chest and hers, "This marks the 1st year that we met. The 1st year of our friendship, the 1st year you are officially part of the Clan" he finished, placing a hand on her slender shoulder. "And according to Anniversary Etiquette, the whole clan is to refrain from working. Which must mean you also would have the night off, correct?" he smirked deviously.
Elisa could do nothing but shake her head in playful offense. "You sly devil, you" she giggled.
"Just following your logic, my lady" Goliath replied bowing, missing the blush that flashed across her cheeks.
"Elisa sits next to me!" Broadway declared, popping up by her side and slinging his arm across her shoulders. The suddenness of the action caused her to stagger beneath his considerable weight with an awkward "oof".
Goliath quickly raised back up. "I was the one who convinced her to stay, Broadway. Should she not with me?" he challenged.
"Do I get a say in this?" Elisa asked raising her finger.
While the two argued over seating arrangements, Hudson focused back on the bounty of food displayed before him. His assumption was correct, Elisa managed to remember all of their favorite foods and brought plenty of each to ensure each member of the Clan would be satisfied.
For Lexington she brought the most tender and juicy pork roast he'd ever seen, a pile of potatoes mashed into a smooth paste with a glob of butter melting on top, carrots seasoned in some sort of sweetened sauce, a delicacy Elisa called "stuffing" and string beans that appeared to be roasted. It smelled divine and judging by how enthralled Lexington was, its taste matched its smell.
Brooklyn was gifted with a collection of chicken parts fried golden brown, roasted corn on the cob dripping with butter, something Elisa called "mac & cheese" which appeared to have bits of bacon baked into it, a large bowl of beans that had also been baked with an assortment of sweet spices, judging from the aroma, and leafy greens boiled in vinegar among other seasonings. A truly hearty, mouthwatering meal to be sure, one that Brooklyn rigorously—yet carefully—devoured.
As for Goliath, Elisa was sure to treat him with the largest slabs of beef she could find, steaks that dripped its savory juices with the most minimal of provocation, garlic roasted potatoes, an assortment of vegetables and shrimp all stabbed into a stick Elisa called "shish kabobs", grilled asparagus drizzled in honey, grilled pineapple slices, mushrooms that had been stuffed with cheese and meat. It was hard not to stare at it all, Hudson's mouth watered from the mere sight of it. And Goliath was very pleased with his meal, evident by how he savored every single bite.
Broadway had no "favorite", of course. He had yet to find anything edible that he did not enjoy, a fact that he proudly declared every so often. So, Elisa wisely elected to bring him all the standard dishes of Manhattan; pizza, hot dogs, cheeseburgers, corndogs, onion rings, french fried potatoes, something called "tacos" that was very cheesy, submarine sandwiches, a whole bag of other things that Elisa simply called "Chinese food" which seemed to mostly consist of rice dishes and fried cylinders called "egg rolls".
She also made it a point to bring new foods for Broadway to try, a whole bag she labeled "kosher" and another of "Thai food". Needless to say, the lad was in heaven.
As for Hudson himself, he couldn't complain at all with his meal. Elisa the sweetheart had to have asked Goliath about his tastes because he never mentioned beef stew to her before. Yet, here it was, smelling gloriously and begging to be tasted, consisting of chunks of potatoes as big as his palm and a surplus of thick mushrooms. Accompanying the stew was another rare blessing of this era, a basket of garlic bread toasted to perfection, a plump helping of haggis, along with pea pods steamed in the same sweet sauce as the carrots, seared scallops with a tender lemon scent, and several flaky Scotch pies filled with rich mutton and onions.
And for dessert, all the ingredients to make Cranachan, the ambrosia of the gods, along with a thick slab of sticky toffee pudding in its moist creamy goodness. Hudson had no clue where Elisa managed to get half of this stuff, but she must have really searched for these delicious reminders of home. Words failed him as he dug into the feast laid before him, each and every bite was utter joy distilled into physical form. It was euphoric, he nearly broke down and cried, it was all just so good.
A quick look around the table (he was so thankful for the table now that it was here) told him that he wasn't the only one caught up in the sheer majesty of this bounty. Brooklyn, for one, had failed to stop the tears from flowing as he slowly chewed on the crunchy chicken breast in his hands.
The normally multitasking or otherwise talkative Lexington was dead silent aside from pleasurable moans every so often, especially when he slipped a carrot into his mouth. Broadway the ever voracious typhoon of gluttony was the source of most of the sounds, he ate so much Hudson feared he stopped breathing.
Goliath was completely enamored as well, which wasn't a surprise at that point, but still noteworthy. The lad was slowly chewing a particularly large bite of one of his steaks, before adding a fork full of grilled pineapple. His face when the two flavors melded together was priceless, like he was a hatchling again watching the ocean's waves crash against the shore.
And off to the side silently watching the fruits of her good work, Elisa sat between him and Broadway, her chin nestled on her elegantly interlocked fingers. The proudest of grins plastered on her face. Hudson couldn't even pretend to be mad at her, the lass exceeded all expectations. She earned her victory this night.
"Elisa... you have truly outdone yourself, lass" he complimented after swallowing a particularly satisfying mouthful. Everyone else could only hum or moan in agreement, causing Elisa to let out the loveliest giggle.
"Thanks. Glad you're enjoying it, Hudson. Yours was the most challenging to put together", she confirmed. "Ready for the movie?" she presented one of the secret agent movies in her hand.
"Aye, I think so... but don't be upset if I happen to shift my attention back to my supper every once in awhile", Hudson said without an ounce of dishonesty.
Elisa giggled again as she went to the television. "No worries".
"What's the first one called?" Broadway finally spoke, confirming that he had finally taken a breath.
"Live and Let Die", Elisa replied while pulling the TV closer to the table. "And it's not the first one, persay, it's just the oldest one they had at Blockbuster", she explained, grunting as she went.
Brooklyn was by her side, taking over the repositioning job. "Sounds... dramatic", he squinted.
"Buddy, you ain't heard nothin' yet" Lex spoke up, as he shuffled through the movies, reading them in an overly dramatic voice. "The Man with the Golden Gun, The Spy Who Loved Me, Moonraker—what even is that?" he chuckled to himself, "—Never Say Never Again".
Brooklyn finally got the television in place but immediately shook his head wildly. "Wait wait wait, Never Say Never Again?" he repeated.
"Yeah. It's like never say 'never', but you already said 'never' before. So this time, don't... don't do it again" Broadway snickered causing his brothers to burst into laughter, he quickly followed behind them with a loud bellow of his own.
Elisa gasped in faux offense. "How dare you. I will not stand for this blatant besmirching of the James Bond franchise".
Brooklyn handed Elisa the remote as he replied. "Ya gotta admit these titles are kinda ridiculous", he said tilting his head towards her.
Elisa put a hand in his face and turned away. "All I can hear is the sound of besmirching and I will not respond to such disrespect", she said matter of factly, a grin threatening to break her stoic mask.
"You mean, you'll never again respond ever again once again?" Lexington chimed in, causing Broadway to snort another laugh and nearly choke on his onion rings. That sent Lexington and Brooklyn to their knees cackling.
Hudson chuckled lowly as he smacked his palm to his forehead. "Oy, play the thing already" he called out, trying to sound exasperated.
Elisa flicked the television on just as a news broadcast played. The caption gave everyone pause, cluing Hudson into what was drawing everyone's attention. The headline read—Hudson realized with a start that he could actually understand what the words said—"A werewolf on the loose? Citizens claim these sightings are real".
"Please turn it up" Goliath requested and immediately Elisa obeyed, giving the anchorman his voice back.
"—night and the woman claimed the creature took her groceries right out of her shopping cart".
A woman popped on screen, she was outside in a parking lot. "I was just headin' outta the store, makin' my way to the car, when I dropped my purse. I went to pick it up and I heard a roar. But as soon as I looked up, my roast beef, chicken, and country ribs were gone. And there was a big hairy thing runnin' off, throwin' the cart. Now I ain't even got no eggs to make in the mornin' ".
The newsman popped back on screen. "A startling development, but police are saying there's no evidence of this being a supernatural crime at this time. Still, officials are warning everyone to be careful at night. You never know who—or what is lurking in the shadows".
At those words, everyone looked at each other with wide eyes.
"Speaking of werewolves, the Halloween block party in Naghboh Village is going to stretch all the way to Greenwich Village! There'll be food vendors from all over the city, Jack-o-lantern carving, and a costume contest! Winners of the costume contest will be rewarded fabulous prizes that wil—"
Elisa muted the broadcast and laughed to herself bringing everyone's attention to her. "Oh c'mon, don't worry, we get these kinda calls all the time. Even before you guys showed up, people were claimin' they saw flying monsters, ghosts and ghouls, werewolves and vampires all the time. It's October, people are easily excitable and start imagining wild stuff".
Goliath blinked a few times. "So you do not believe what the woman saw was a real threat?"
"I'm sure it was, but that's not the issue. The issue is where she starts thinkin' it was a werewolf of all things. As opposed to a crook with a cheap costume. Or even a stray dog with an empty stomach. We got those everywhere in New York, including that part of town", Elisa reasoned out. Goliath remained silent, staring at the screen in thought.
Elisa sighed. "But if you're convinced it's a serious issue, I'll go check it out" Goliath was about to protest but Elisa raised her hand. "I said you're off duty tonight and I meant it. If anyone's workin' tonight, it's me. So it's up to you, Goliath".
Everyone was now looking to their Clan Leader to make his decision. The lad was torn, he could see it on his face. If left alone, he would play it safe and ask Elisa to check on this werewolf story, just to be sure it won't become a significant threat. That would cause Elisa to leave, which would dampen the mood and take away from the special moment she was clearly working hard to achieve here.
That wasn't fair to her and it wasn't fair to Goliath, who more than anything would love to spend this rare time away from his duties with Elisa by his side. And if anyone deserved to have the person they loved most with them to have a moment to breathe and enjoy life it was the man sitting at the head of his new table. Goliath often shouldered too much responsibility, which was unavoidable with the position he held, but Hudson knew that burden all too well.
He had failed to carry it properly during his tenure as Clan Leader, and now look where they are. Nearly extinct in a world that doesn't know them and doesn't want them, fighting against the most vile humans imaginable and even the last remnants of their own clan. And the one day they have strictly for themselves to be at peace and forget about the outside world, here came this story. The fates, once again, plagued their lives for their demented amusement.
Well, Hudson had enough of the cruel twists of fate, he was tired of seeing everyone he cared for suffer because of chance. He wasn't about to let Goliath squander the gift that he had right in front of him based on some half baked story Elisa herself wasn't convinced of. There was no way he would let his protege keep himself away from his love, he'd make sure they had every reason to cling to each other and never let go.
Just like he should have done with his Queen when he had the chance...
"I don't think this is a real problem, Goliath" he spoke up, looking the lad in the eye. "The police can surely handle this one tonight" he reasoned.
"Yeah Goliath, we're celebrating our anniversary!" Lexington reminded him, stretching his arms out wide.
"We're off duty today, right Elisa?" Broadway added, scarfing down a few corndogs.
"That's right. Which is why I'll go check it out if you're worried about it. But personally, I think it's just another tall tale someone's tellin' ".
"That won't be necessary, lass" Hudson answered back, putting his hand up. He didn't take his eyes off of Goliath, who was now looking between his clan thoughtfully.
"You're certain of this?" he finally asked, directed at Hudson alone.
The old soldier gave him a stiff nod. "It's nothin' to worry aboot, lad. Forget it" he urged. Goliath regarded him for a moment as he let out a deep rumble of a hum. He wasn't convinced himself, but he would follow Hudson's lead. As he often did. Why the boy still held stock in his words, he'll never know. But tonight, he was thankful for that.
Goliath picked his steak back up, "Then we won't worry about it. Manhattan will be okay without our protection for one night, surely" and chomped down on it, signaling everyone else to continue digging in.
Elisa glanced at Hudson, tension fading from her brows. "Of course, the boys in blue got this one, no problem", she assured, before opening the cassette box and putting the first tape in the video cassette player.
With a press of a button, she started the movie as she returned to her seat, on the way back she leaned down to Hudson's ear and whispered. "Thank you," a knowing smile on her face.
As the end credits scrolled up on the last movie, The Clan was still enamored by the thrilling action packed adventures of their new hero, James Bond, Agent 007. International man of mystery, super spy, charming ladykiller (which they found out did not mean he slew hordes of females, merely slept with them and moved onto the next one without care. Hudson didn't much care for this aspect of James Bond).
Hudson could definitely see the appeal of such a character, and by extension, such a profession. Travel the world, which turned out to be much bigger than they could have ever dreamed of, fight legions of crooks and villains with style and flair, be adored and respected by everyone else in the world. And to simply have the ability to blend in with the world at will. That was probably the best part of the whole series of movies.
James Bond could go to all of these diverse places filled with a variety of humans of all shapes and colors, and when he wanted to, he could hide among them with ease. He drew no attention, this man who was larger than life and a famous secret agent on the hunt, could perfectly camouflage himself in the masses at his earliest convenience. That was... that was downright enviable.
To know that no matter where you are or who surrounds you, with enough skill and experience, you could disappear into a sea of faces. No more distinctive or noteworthy than any that make up the crowd you've cloaked yourself in. What he wouldn't give to be able to do that...
Besides that amazing aspect of the films, Hudson had managed to gain quite a bit of knowledge to help him further convince Robbins he was a secret agent. For starters, he would definitely bring up all the different locations around the world he was unaware of before this marathon. If it dazzled all the humans around James Bond, then surely it would dazzle Robbins into believing his deceptions more readily. In fact, he's pretty sure he could retell one of the plots of these movies and just substitute himself in for James Bond and that would suffice.
There were several phrases he could use now besides "class-cee-fied information". "A matter of national security", "For your eyes only", "Burn after reading", "There's a mole in the organization", "Maintain radio silence", "Rendezvous at the checkpoint at 0700 hours", "In her majesty's secret service", "Terrorists have access to WMDs" (that stands for "weapons of mass destruction". Like the Grimorum Arcanorum. Or Coldstone). Those alone could probably help sell any excuse to not explain what The Clan was up to every night.
The other aspect of the movies that really stood out to him was the shocking amount of betrayals from the people closest to Bond, like the women he frequently mated with. Hudson wasn't sure what was wrong with James Bond's selection process, but a man of his station should be able to spot an enemy in disguise, surely.
Especially when they got to the Goldfinger movie, where 2 women entangled with 007 were killed due to betrayal and deception. At that point, wouldn't he slow down on the mating and focus on the trust aspect of his relationships? Hudson thought so, but apparently James Bond didn't learn his lessons so well.
"Is it too late to order a James Bond suit for Halloween?" Broadway suddenly spoke up, snapping Hudson back to the present.
" 'Fraid so," Elisa chuckled under her breath. "There's always next year, though".
"Yeah, guess you're right..." Broadway replied dejected, before perking up. "I'd make an awesome secret agent gargoyle," he declared.
"Pirates are cool too though!" Brooklyn chimed in, earning a nod from Broadway.
"Yeah and pilots!" Lexington added, causing his brothers to frown.
"Name one famous pilot," Broadway challenged.
"Amelia Earhart!"
"Name two," Brooklyn crossed his arms unimpressed.
"Uhhh..." Lexington struggled, before blurting out, "Elisa's brother Derek?" he squinted as he grimaced.
Brooklyn rolled his eyes as he walked back to the table. "He's not famous, nice try", he began clearing the table along with Elisa and Goliath.
"Fine, then you gotta name 4 famous pirates!" Lexington challenged haughtily, pointing at Broadway who swallowed the last of his treats.
"Blackbeard, Davy Jones, Long John Silver, Black Bart Roberts" he counted on his fingers, "I can keep goin' " he added, a mischievous grin on his face.
Lexington deflated and trudged back to the table. "I can't believe I'm sayin' this, but I hate that you can read now".
Hudson chuckled at the boys antics as he dumped several dishes into the sink, soap bubbles overflowing from the sides. He'd never washed dishes before, but so far, it was a soothing process. The gentle scrubbing of soap against the remnants of supper, the satisfying squeak of clean porcelain against his fingertips, the clattering of each dish and utensil when he put them in their proper place. He certainly wouldn't want to do it every night, but for now, it was nice.
"So, were the movies informative?" Elisa giggled from behind him. Hudson turned his head to look at her.
"I think so, lass. But that was quite a lot of information" he hummed thoughtfully before placing a clean dish on top of a neat stack. "Ahh... I'm thinkin' maybe I should've been writin' some o'that down".
"Well we've got a few days left to return them, why not give 'em another watch. This time with a notebook handy," she offered, poking his arm playfully as a punctuation.
"Aye, good idea," he nodded, taking the last fork and placing it in a cup housing the rest of the utensils. "Thank ye, lass. You've been just wonderful. Really" he said turning to hold her hands in his pruning ones. "Everything ye did tonight, from the table to the food to James Bond, everything was just what we've been needin'. I dunnot know how ye knew what we needed, but ye were certainly on time with this grand gesture".
Elisa's smile grew wide, crinkling the corners of her eyes, a light blush adorning her features. "I didn't do much, just fed my friends and watched some action movies all night. No biggie".
"Your humility is acknowledged and appreciated, but we both know ye've done far more than just that". Hudson rubbed soothing circles across her knuckles with his thumbs. "I don't believe in many things, Elisa. Least of all luck. But when I think about how you came into our lives, all that ye've done and are willing to do for us" he looked back up at her as a lopsided smile raised his cheeks. "I can't help but see how lucky we are to have ye as Clan Mother, lass".
"Clan Mother? Goliath hasn't said anything about—"
Hudson petted her cheek as he chuckled. "Give him time. He will. It's as plain as the Sun is bright". With that, he noticed a growing brightness illuminating the clock face.
"Speak of the devil, we best be gettin' ready fer the day," Hudson bowed to her quickly before heading up the stairs, leading to the balcony.
Goliath had beaten him to it by a few seconds, so Hudson trailed behind him, looking over at the young brothers as they clumsily made their way to the stairs to follow their elders. Elisa followed suit, no doubt to wish pleasant dreams to Goliath before they part once again. Bronx trotted up to Goliath, preferring to be on the balcony during the movie marathon, the great beast wasn't impressed with the stories of James Bond. Hudson shrugged, there was no accounting for taste.
As they got up on the railing, finishing up their conversations and final thoughts, Elisa called out. But not to the gargoyle he assumed she would.
"Uh, Hudson?"
Hudson swiveled around. "Hmm?"
"At the risk of ruining a tender moment between us, I need to tell you something" she fiddled with her hands a bit before shoving them in her pockets. "I know you're nervous about the guys meeting him, but I'd also like to meet him too someday".
It only took a second for Hudson to realize who the "him" she was referring to was. Robbins. She was talking about Robbins.
"You let me know when you're comfortable with that" she finished, a nervous grimace pulling at her lips.
Why was she talking about Robbins? Now? Of all times, she chooses now to bring this up? What made her think this was the time—Goliath. They have been talking about him as of late...
"I know it's a sensitive topic, but I just figured since you were in such a good mood, it would be the best time to... bring it up..." Elisa muttered out.
Hudson turned back around to face the approaching dawn. "Ye could always find him durin' the day, when I can't stop you. Visit him in secret".
He felt a sudden hand rub his back, the sensitive part between his wings, as Elisa leaned down to his cheek. "You know I wouldn't do that, Hudson".
The old soldier sighed deeply as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Aye, I do..." he looked at her from the corner of his eye, his voice low. Curse her and her endearing little ways. "It's just... He's not... I-I'm not..."
"You're not ready to share him yet," Elisa whispered, a powerful resolution just dropped on top of him like a sack of bricks.
He turned his face towards her, shock stretching his features as he struggled to formulate the words. "That's... that's right" he breathed. "I never thought of it like that, but..."
"I understand, believe me" Elisa said quietly, flashing a sympathetic smile. "Just wanted you to know that I'm very excited to meet him. Whenever that becomes possible".
"We all are, old friend" Goliath spoke up, shocking him even further. "We could visit him any night, even on anniversaries, as it's technically not work". Elisa looked back at him, choking a giggle down. He would have found that sweet if not for them pressuring him in a sneaky underhanded manner that angered him deep down.
Hudson sighed as he rubbed his forehead. "I know, I know... someday I'll..." he stopped short, unclear as to why it was so hard to commit to this. "I'll introduce everyone to him" he finally choked out, looking down at the streets below. His stomach sank, the amount of food he just consumed suddenly felt unsettled in his gut. "Someday..." he repeated quietly.
"Someday before the next anniversary, right?" Elisa asked with a cheery tone. Far too cheery for Hudson's liking. They were pleased with themselves, he didn't even have to look at their faces to know they were grinning. This was a bad idea.
"I make no promises" he warns, unsheathing his sword as he shifted into his pose. "But I'll try".
"Fair enough," Elisa replied, just before the sunlight peaked over the horizon, petrifying his body in place as stone replaced flesh and the world grew hazy and dark.
Before his journey to the sleeping world, Hudson tried to recover from the sneak attack he just got dealt by his protege and his human friend. They planned it all out, for how long he wasn't sure, but this was clearly a strategically placed trap. He couldn't help but feel betrayed behind this, it was unwarranted, to band together in an effort to subvert and subjugate him to their will. If their goal was to bank on his good mood, they failed by virtue of sabotaging his mood.
Was it really that important that they met Robbins quickly? Why couldn't they wait for Hudson to be comfortable with introducing them? Had they lost all sense of patience? It wasn't time for that part of his life to connect with this part. Why couldn't they see that? The Clan was first and foremost and his duties took up the majority of his life, but Robbins... Robbins was private.
Elisa said it best when just a moment ago, he wasn't yet ready to share Robbins with everyone else. It was just like everyone's personalized dinner, he could see and smell everyone else's meal, but no one stole anyone's food. Not even Broadway with his indomitable appetite reached over to take from anyone's plate. It was understood that everyone's portion was specialized for each individual person, there was no need to encroach on anyone else. It was obviously personal to each member of The Clan.
How was Robbins any different from that? Hudson wasn't clambering to meet Elisa partner, or her parents, despite her talking about them constantly. He wasn't pestering Lexington about meeting the Pack, back when they were under the assumption that they were good people. He didn't annoy anyone to include him in their private affairs, so why did everyone think it appropriate to do it to him?
Robbins was his friend, the only one he had, he would share him when he was bloody well ready to share him, and not a minute before that! Hudson tried to explain it to them, Robbins was not like Elisa, he was not like Xanatos or MacBeth or any of the humans they'd ever met. He required a delicate touch, a quiet environment, a stimulating conversation.
Not to mention, unlike every human they knew in this era, he couldn't find out about their true nature. None of them, save Goliath perhaps, could maintain their cover, another phrase he learned thanks to James Bond.
And in his mounting frustration, he recalled the last, possibly most important take away from the James Bond movies. Beyond the action, the gadgets, the women, and the drama of the stories, something else stuck out to him as he watched. As great as James Bond was, as phenomenal a soldier, or agent, he was, he could never escape failure. Yes, in the end, he was victorious while the villains were punished, but there was almost always a cost. A cost that honestly seemed too high for a mortal man to bear.
James Bond got nearly every woman he came into contact with killed. If they weren't double agents seeking to destroy him, they were hapless victims just waiting to be eliminated by opportunistic reprobates and eccentric terrorists. Normal people, even competent agents, seemed to be destined for a brutal and unforgiving death, all for the sin of being loved by James Bond. But what Hudson hadn't consider before watching James Bond's movies, is just how dangerous it was to have humans so close to them.
As infuriating as her antics were just before dawn, he couldn't bear the thought of harm befalling her. Not just because he grew especially fond of the lass, but primarily for his boy's sake.
Since the dawn of life, Gargoyles were meant to mate for life. When that mate was finally found, it was as if the missing part of that gargoyle had been found. The two souls were joined together as one perfect pair. When one died, the other lost that half of their soul and could only have the memory of their love sustain them until their fated end came and reunited them in the winds. That was how it worked. The idea of finding another mate was unthinkable, beyond unthinkable, it was sacrilege.
And yet, there was Goliath and Elisa. Two different species, two different eras, two different worlds. But who could look at them and deny that they were each other's missing piece? Even Puck, a creature with no stake in their fates saw fit to treat her as one of the Clan. Goliath's Clan. Everyone believed Demona was it for the boy, that there wouldn't be another, couldn't be another.
Until suddenly, there was Elisa Maza. One of 2 saving graces of the human race. She brought hope, change, and a bright future to Goliath and the Clan as a whole. No greater evidence of that than the majority of tonight's events, all orchestrated by her dainty hand.
But the truth of the matter that couldn't be denied, was Elisa being undoubtedly in more danger than she'd ever been in before they barged into her life. She's nearly died several dozen times over and it's only been a year. She's been made a target to the likes of Demona, Xanatos, Coldstone, MacBeth, the Pack, Tony Dracon, and a slew of other lowly rogues ready to take her life. Simply for being associated with The Clan.
And while he's sure Elisa can take care of herself—better still, he knows she wouldn't have it any other way, the question remains. One he was afraid to ask, but thanks to Elisa's pushing and prodding was now center stage in his mind. Her apt read of his apprehension to eliminate the sanctity of his friendship with Robbins in order to satisfy the curiosity of The Clan forced him into a corner. An uncomfortable corner where only truth in its ugly beauty could reside.
For he knew Elisa wouldn't trade her life for another; mortal peril, inconvenient secrets, and the myriad of complications simply knowing of their existence granted her included. Its why, despite his displeasure in her methods, he had already forgiven the lass for pressing a sore spot. Still, the question remained: if she still chose to be in their lives knowing full well the dangers that befall her...
What would Robbins choose if he knew the truth? And was Hudson as foolish as James Bond for thinking he would never have to find out?
Author's Notes: A few details I wanted to highlight for this chapter. The show and comics, much to my surprise, never mentions the anniversary of the gargoyles waking up in the present day. I have no clue why, it kinda seems like a big deal that they just brush over like it's nothing. So I wanted to shine a light on that because, call me crazy, I think it's a big deal that the Clan has made it through an entire year of crap relatively unscathed. And I for one believe that Elisa would make it a big deal too.
Also, I wanted to follow up on Elisa promising to help Hudson reinforce his cover story. Instead of relegating it to a throwaway line. It's something that would automatically develop their relationship and I'm a sucker for more Elisa and Hudson development. Plus, the Trio wouldn't want to miss out on watching action movies with Elisa and Goliath would absolutely love to sit with his love for an entire night doing nothing. So it all worked out. Plus, James Bond titles are sometimes hilarious sounding with no context, sue me XD
On the subject of The Clan's new dinner table, I cannot tell you how frustrating it is to watch the show and its ever inconsistent portrayal of the Clock Tower's layout. I mean, it really pisses me off how wildly the interior changes every freakin' episode. Sometimes within the same episode, the entire structure changes. And a huge part of that was the frequent portrayal of The Clan simply leaving stuff out ON THE FLOOR or in a pile or on top of random boxes and barrels. In one episode they had a literal PILE OF HAY just sitting in a corner. I was fed up, seriously I was. So I decided to use that in order to inform Elisa's character and how she would feel about all this. After all, she's the one who said it was a fixer upper and made mention of adding a couple of throw rugs to make it more homey. I believe she would be just as pissed as I am that The Clan has little to no organizational skills or cleanliness between them. So she would take the initiative and help the bachelors out. Thus, a proper dining room table where they can come together and have a family meal once in a while. It may not seem like much to you, but I needed to do this to soothe my mounting frustration with that goddamn Clock Tower interior. XD
So that's more in the payoff category, now on to setups. A simple and easy one is the news broadcast that they see before they start their movie marathon. In the episode "Eye of the Beholder", Fox is given the Eye of Odin by Xanatos as an engagement present. This happens on October 1st, 1995. The Clan's anniversary is October 4th. So ahem, we'll have to keep an EYE on that, now won't we? (see what I did there?) And surely their decision to not check out this rumor won't come back to bite Hudson later... right?
Favorite foods is an obvious one, but I'm open to you guys offering favorite foods for Robbins if you can think of some. I tried to have each of the gargoyles' meal both hearty (as in only a big fat person could finish a specific character's meal lol), and indicative of their characters a little bit. Unique to each of them. Broadway was easy, I just thought about all the junk food and takeout food that a New Yorker could get and that was it. Lexington got the lighter foods considering his size in relation to the others, but with some wholesome American foods (or what I think of as wholesome American foods). Brooklyn went more in a soul food direction, he seems more down to earth yet classy than his brothers so that seemed to fit him well. Goliath I wanted to focus on grilled foods as well as paternal type foods. Steak dinner makes me think of patriarchs so there we go. Plus, it just seemed like a Goliath-type meal. And Hudson's, the piece-de-resistance of the whole thing, he got a traditional Scottish dinner all the way. Plus dessert, because Elisa really wanted to butter him up before she asked him about Robbins.
Which brings us to the biggest one, everyone getting sort of impatient with Hudson hogging Robbins for himself. All I can say is stay tuned for how that develops, it will be important soon-ish.
Thanks for reading, and I'll see ya all next chapter where we'll check back with Robbins OvO