Chapter Text
It could have been such a beautiful day.
The sky was clear, not one cloud present to tarnish the bright rays of the sun. And the air was pleasantly cool as autumn slowly took over and the hot, humid summer air dispersed.
„Oh my. That rather is inconvienient...“ David Xanatos grumbled as he looked at the body lying infront of him. One of the security guards of the top floor was lying in a rather unoccupied corridor of the Eyrie Building. And Xanatos didn't need to be a doctor to know that the man was stone dead.
He had been nearly decapitated, his head only hanging onto his body by a few sinews and strips of skin; a horrid wound on his neck. His innards spilled out of his sliced-up belly and blood was smeared and splattered onto the walls and floor. It looked as if a wild monster had attacked him. And there was only one being Xanatos trusted to be capeable of such brutality.
Glad that he didn't have any dinner yet, he told Owen to call the police.
And maybe Goliath want's to have a talk with Demona when he hears about this tonight...
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Macbeth rubbed his weary eyes as he exited one of the museums on the Upper East Side.
The exhibition had been quite interesting, very accurate to the time it displayed, too. And he knew, since he had lived in it.
A rather large collection had shown exponates from people's everyday life to some really valuable pieces of art and jewellery from the years 1000 to 1200 AD. It had been a nice way to pass some time after his reading at a university before he would head back home to read or study or whatever he would do to kill his never ending amount of lifetime. To know that the boredom would never end, even if he soaked up all the knowledge in this world... No, he could not let his thoughts wander there. After the incident in Paris, he had just managed to find some new joy in his life. He didn't want to tarnish it by allowing his depression to take over again. It was bad enough that he had serious troubles sleeping after the whole thing. Like she always used to, Demona had ripped open an old wound, and now it was as if it bled profusely, festered... became infected and pained him every time he closed his eyes.
For a long time, a dreamless sleep was the one thing that brought him closest to death; when he would awake and some of his never ending lifetime had passed. But now he could not even use sleep as a way to escape reality for a short while anymore.
Deep in thought, he failed to pay attention to his surroundings as he strolled down the sidewalk, until he felt a hard crush at his shoulder.
„Ouch!“
Apparently a young woman had also been caught as deep in a daydream as he, for she had collided forcefully with him. And where Macbeth had only stumbled a bit, the woman was knocked over by the obstacle in her way; landing on her butt with an ungraceful squeak.
„Oh my... I am deeply sorry, Miss. I didn't notice you.“ Macbeth was quick to offer her his hand as she struggled to get back on her feet. „It's alright, ouch... Guess i was a tad distracted. My apologies, Mister.“ She allowed him to help her up while she rubbed her bum with one hand in an attempt to soothe the pain that was shooting up her spine. She bent down again to get the handbag she had dropped, but Macbeth -ever the gentleman- quickly picked it up for her.
„Here. Are you sure you are alright, Milady?“ Finally, the girl looked at him with a pained smile when something in her face caught his attention. Her eyes, to be precise.
They were very pretty, vibrant green and almond shaped. He quickly took in appearance: very pale skin, dark brown, curly hair and an overall slender frame with some curves on her hips and chest. Somehow, this girl looked unsettling familiar to him. As if he had seen her before. He couldn't tear his gaze from her's.
„Is everything alright, Sir?“ she cocked her head at his strange behaviour. „Oh, uh yes. Of course. Again, i am very sorry for the inconvienience. Have a nice day.“ He handed her the bag he still held in his hand before leaving in a hurry, embarassed he got caught staring at her so rudely.
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„Maza, i need you to work with a special agent of the FBI.“
Elisa felt her face drop as she sat across Lt. Chavez. „But Lt. Chavez, shouldn't i stay in the nightshift to check on the gargoyle sightings?“
„I never said you will switch to dayshift. This FBI Agent is investigateing the murder case in the Eyrie building and specifically requested your assistance.“ A knock echoed over from the door and Maria Chavez barked a loud 'ENTER!'
While Elisa expected an old guy in a suit, she was more than surprised as a young woman stepped into the office: chin length black hair contrasted her tan skin along with dark brown eyes. A large white blotch spread across her eyes and around her lips; the skin there devoid of any pigment .She was clad in comfortable jeans and a breezy blouse with a pair of converse chucks, all in black. „Hello there, Detective Maza.“ The woman chuckled and arched one brow.
„Oh my God.“ Was all Elisa managed to stutter as she looked at her old dorm neighbour.
„So Leah, how've you been?“ They patrolled the streets in Elisa`s red classic car while Agent Leah Tahanet flipped through a thick folder. „Oh, you know me, Elisa. I pull through somehow.“ Elisa shifted a gear up as they drove towards the Erie Building. „After i joined the FBI, i became part of a specialised unit and so on. But i think your life has been far more interesting than mine recently.“ She shot Elisa one of her trademark grins with an arched brow. „You could say so.“ she said. Man, if you only knew...
„Now, before we head out for this shift, i need to have an urgent talk with your friends in the Manhattan Clan.“ Elisa barely managed to make an emergency brake as she ran over a red light and almost crashed into the side of a truck. „Fuckin' hell, Elisa! Watch the road will you?!“ Leah spluttered after getting flunged back into her seat by the safety belt. „You still drive as reckless as you did back in Arizona!“
„How... how do you know about them?“ Elisa croaked out as she steered into the car park of the Eyrie Building, albeit with a heavy tremor in her limbs. But Leah seemed totally unfazed and resumed to highlight some lines in the folder she had now laid out in her lap with a textmarker. „Please. It's your worst kept secret. I am having an eye on you and the clan since Xanatos has brought them over from Scotland. Don't worry, i'm quite familiar with Gargoyles as a species. My partner and i used to work with some of them during a job in Romania.“ She put the cap back on the bright marker and roughly shoved it back into the leather bag she was carrying along with the folder before stumbleing out of the car after Elisa had pulled into a free parking lot.
„Just how much does the FBI know about the Gargoyles?“ Elisa asked as they stood in the elevator. Leah was just as she had been back in Flagstaff: nerdy, permanently exhausted and some kind of a daydreamer. Just like Elisa had got to know and like her. The two used to be best friends, and probably still were, but their friendship had stagnated after she had moved back to New York and Leah started to work in Quantico.
„Not that much.“ She shrugged and adjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulder. „The big guys know they exist, but that's it. My unit doesn't respond to the official leaders. We are specifically for the investigation and management of... unusual creatures and phenomenons.“
„Like Gargoyles?“ Elisa quirked a brow at her friend. The elevator halted and the doors opened with a little 'pling'. „Gargoyles, ghosts, aliens... you name it. Basically everything not fitting into humanities normality. We tend to crimes commited by or against these creatures and also ensure they stay hidden from the public. Until the incident at Saint Damiens Cathedral. Thanks again for making my job a whole lot more difficult.“ Leah said with a bright smile and Elisa responded with a roll of her eyes.
They walked through the stone hallway of Wyvern Castle in comfortable silence until they reached the main hall. Two man approached them as they entered; one with dark hair bound into a neat ponytail, the other with pale blonde hair and glasses.
„Good evening, Detective Maza. And you have brought a friend?“ Leah reached into the backpocket of her jeans and pulled out her badge. „Special Agent Leah Tahanet. A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Xanatos. We have spoken on the phone yesterday.“ David Xanaots reached out to grasp her offered hand and gave it a little shake. „So you knew she was coming this whole day?“ Elisa asked, arms crossed over her chest in displeasure. „Of course. I thought she had notified you?“ Leah shrugged and shot them a bright smile. „I wanted to surprise you, Elisa.“
„No you didn't.“ She grumbled as they climbed up the main tower. „You simply forgot to call me.“ Orange and red painted the sky as the two women overlooked the city, the sun quickly setting. „Guilty as charged.“ Elisa let out a huff. Figures. Even back in the day, Leah had a terrible memory and posessed the tendency to give others a heart attack now and then.
It was only a matter of minutes until the sky was completely dark and they heard the tell-tale cracking noise as the gargoyles slowly came to live. The huge figure before them started to move, shed the thick stone skin and let out a loud roar as it fully awakened. „I never get tired of this sight.“ Elisa tore her eyes from Goliath's muscled back as she looked at her friend. A small smile graced Leah's lips as she watched the gargoyles roar and stretch their limbs, unfazed by the big and small shards of stone flying towards her. „Even back in Europe, they were quite the sight to behold.“
„Elisa, what a pleasant-“ Goliath greeted her until he noticed the unfamiliar woman next to her. „A friend of yours?“ He climbed down the merlot and mustered the stranger before him. „Indeed. Goliath, this is Leah. We studied together at Flagstaff. Leah, Goliath.“
„It is a real pleasure to meet you, Goliath.“ She shot the giant gargoyle before her a bright smile and offered him her hand. A bit surprised by her openess, Goliath returned her smile with one of his own before shaking her hand.
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„So you are a cop? Like Elisa?“ Nashville asked. He had peppered their visitor with questions after she introduced herself and was now constantly at her side while Leah inserted a floppy disc into a laptop provided by Xanatos. „Jup. But now i work with the FBI.“ She handed him a cable. „Be a dear and plug it in the projector over there, will you?“
„Your friend is quite familiar with our kind.“ Hudson watched how Leah interacted with Nashville, occaisonally laughing at one of his jokes. „Yeah, she told me she had met gargoyles during a investigation in europe.“
„Hmm... is she to be trusted?“ Katana asked with a heavy accent as she watched her son banter with their guest. „I'll bet my pension on it.“ Elisa stated without hesitation. She didn't really know why, but something in her gut told her to do so.
It took a bit of finangling and help from Lexington to finally set up everything Elisa's friend needed for her presentation. Goliath noticed how fearless the young woman was, she didn't even flinch as she first saw the clan and even got on eye-level with Bronx and Fu to give them some chin-scratches and receive some slobbery licks of her cheeks in return. Now she was chatting avidly with Angela while the whole clan situated in the main hall.
„So, is everyone present? Wonderful!“ the young woman clapped in delight before introduceing herself officially. „I am Special Agent Leah Tahanet. And i am here because i need your help.“ She turned off the light with a button press on a remote, then started the projector. „The corpse of a security guard was found in one of the building's lesser frequented corridors.“ She wrapped one arm around Nashville's face, who was still standing next to her, covering his eyes as she showed them a gory picture.
The body of a man laid at the end of a dead end, a giant wound on his neck, nearly decapitated with his guts spilling out of his sliced up belly. Blood was smeared and splattered all over the wall and floor, but Goliath immediately noticed something was off: the scene before him was bloody, yes. But by far not bloody enough for such a devastating injury. The puddle under the victim should be far bigger.
„Everyone got a good look? Splendid.“ Leah skipped the picture and released the trashing gargoyle in her grip. Visible disappointment was plastered on Nashville's face as he looked at a rather boring picture now depicting the coroner's report. „Oh man! I wanted to see the body!“
„Too late, haha. Sorry, no crime scene photos for kids. Now, back to topic: during the autopsy it became evident that the wound on the victim's neck was the cause of death. It was inflicted with at least four very sharp tools, cutting into the aorta simultaniously from both sides and causing a massive hemmorhage.“
„Four tools? How does one perpertretor use four tools at once?“ Elisa asked with a frown.
„And what about the blood?“ Leah pinned her eyes on Brooklyn. „I mean, if that guy got his throat slashed, shouldn't there be far more blood on the crime scene?“
„Yes, interesting! Very, very interesting! And quite a good question, too. There was less than a half litre of blood left in the body and the amount on scene was approximately one litre. Considering his body weight this man had about six litres of blood in his body. Wich makes one wonder: what happened to the remaining four and a half litres? A simple explanation would be that the murderer took it with him.“
Goliath exchanged views with Hudson and Brooklyn. They had known a man had died in the Building, but not the entire circumstances. „Sounds like a total psycho.“ Broadway exclaimed with a shudder.
„One might think so. But as we took a good look at the body, i noticed a similarity betwee a case from 1920 in Dawson, Canada. A quick comparison with the prints taken from the victims there and this case confirmed our suspitions. They were similar, but not the same. So, i come to the conclusion that the culprit is either a rogue gargoyle with a lust for human blood or a vampire.“
Elisa couldn't help the snort that escaped her, earning her a wounded look from her friend. The gargoyles also seemed to be a bit puzzled, except for Hudson; who started to brush over his beard and seemed deep in thought. „What is a vampire?“ Nashville asked his father in a half whisper. „A being that feeds on the blood of humans.“
„No offence Leah, but that sounds quite ridiculous.“ Elisa shook her head with a chuckle. „You came all this way from Quantico, gather us here only to tell us that Dracula killed this man?“ Leah's frown deepened and her face was contorted with anger. „Apparently yes. I mean, are you still lecturing me about the existence of vampires when you stand here with in a clan of real, breathing gargoyles?“
„You can't compare gargoyles to vampires.“ „And why not?“ „Beause gargoyles are, obviously, real!“ Elisa snapped at her friend a bit harsher than she intended. Leah had always been a bit of an oddball, believing in conspiracy theories, old myths and so on. But that she would resort to use her influence as an FBI Agent to get near the gargoyles... Worse, drag them all into her mess when they had so much on their own plate with the Quarryman and what else was really the pinnacle of her bullshit. The two women continued to shoot daggers at each other when a calm voice broke the thick tension.
„And what is it that you need our assistance for?“ All eyes settled on Hudson who still raked his claws through his beard, steely gaze resting on Leah. Her mood seemed to lighten immediately now that someone seemed to genuinely believe her and she clicked through a few more pictures.
„What i need from you is basically to keep both eyes open and let me know if you notice anything that could lead us to our wayward bloodsucker.“
„Why don't you just search with the police?“ Broadway asked.
„Because for one, you are creatures of the night. The vampires are creatures of the night. You have a better start with them than we humans do. Second, it is a bit of an overkill to mobilize all police force in New York to look out for a single vampire who has killed the first human since the founding of the city. Besides, we don't know how many vampires still exist. If it gets killed, it could easily be the last of it's kind. And if it is another gargoyle, well, then you guys have home advantage.“
A flicker of hope shone in her eyes as she flicked the lights back on. „So you will help me?“ Hudson exchanged views with Goliath who let out a heavy sigh before nodding.
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Alienor strolled through the empty corridors of the Cloister; light steps echoing off the stone walls. Her gait had long returned to normal, it was no longer as stiff as it was this morning. Getting send on her ass by that guy near the museum had broken her tailbone and heavily bruised her backside. Thankfully, the security guard at Xanatos Enterprises was far more interested in jerking off in a lonely corridor than to stay at his post.
It was an easy kill, not even worth of calling it a hunt, but the fresh blood had quickly healed her wounds and improved her mood.
A pair of glowing eyes followed her movements until she stopped in the chapel, the moonlight falling through the stained glass window painting her skin with colourful streaks. She took a moment to take in the artsy window above her, when suddenly a figure dropped from the celing beam.
A large gargoyle stood behind her, stretching his wings, steely glowing eyes pinned onto the woman before him. „Did you find what you came looking for?“ he asked with a stern voice.
„I did. But it seems my discovery leaves me with even more questions.“ Her gaze was still settled on the full moon glittering behind the window.
„That is not unusual. But i still ask you to let us return home.“ She finally looked at the creature behind her. His skin was coloured in a dull tan and a wild mane of creamy white hair cascaded down his back. A large beak adorned his face and two horns sprouted from his head. The blue tunic he wore rustled as he flexed his shoulder.
„What seems to be the issue, Vitani? Do you not like this new, modern world?“
„No.“ Vitani answered without hesitation. „It is loud and dirty. I prefer our own domain. Where the air is pure and the sky clear.“ Allie smiled fondly at him.
„Don't worry my friend. We shall return soon. Besides, i need to see if my brothers have not killed each other in our absence.“
The heavy door of the chapel creaked as it was opened, and a nightguard peeked his head in. „Hello? Is someone there? Excuse me, but the Museum is already closed.“ The light of his flashlight shone on the ghostly pale woman and the gargoyle in the room, causing him to let out a loud gasp and run for his life.
Vitani turned at Allie with a furious look, who seemed to be unfazed by the sudden interruption. „Did you allow to get followed?!“ „Of course not.“ She rummaged through her bag and pulled out a datastick. Inspecting it for a moment, she twirled it in her fingers as she said: „I brought you a little midnight snack.“
The gargoyle let out a pleased growl and grinned as he went down on all fours, pursuing the unlucky human who would end up as his meal.
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Snow was pounding against the glass windows of the old castle inesscantly, accompanied by the howling wind.
Ansar sat on one of the large tables within the library as the storm raged on, scratching out and scribbling over a list he wrote. He liked his lists. They helped him keep track of everything he was doing and he couldn't care less about his sibling's teasing when he was able to outsmart his own scatterbrain this way.
Besides, their sister was about to return soon.
He didn't know for certail, but something in his gut told him that Alienor's visit to the human world had ended. Finally. The hatching season inched closer and closer, and Aodh really got on his nerves. His older brother knew exactly when the young gargoyles in the rookery of his castle would hatch, and just like every fourty years, he failed to prepare enough for the upcoming winter. And now he relied on his younger brother to recalculate and redirect; so that his granaries were full and none of the clan had to starve.
But this time, Ansar was not too happy about the situation.
Aodh seemed to have made a mistake in the ration's calculations he had given him and now, Ansar had to recount and reschedule so that his brother's clan had enough food for the harshest time of the year. The whole thing was going far too slow for Aodh's taste and for the majority of their sister's absence, he was quick to let his displeasure loudly known.
„Where is he?!“ a loud voice hollered from the hallway through the closed doors and Ansar rolled his eyes.
Damnation. Not even in the bloody library he could be alone with his thoughts for a few hours. The two gargoyles sitting next to him startled and jumped onto their chair's backrest and the table as the door crashed open.
Aodh stomped into the room, his face a mask of raw fury. While the gargoyles where quick to get out of his way, his little brother seemed unfazed by his nasty mood. Ansar continued to write on the pergament and didn't even spare him once glance.
„Did you sort this matter out?“ Aodh barked at him and snatched the list his brother was writing; causing him to smear a long stripe of ink with his quill.
„As i told you, this will take time. I would have been done by now if you wouldn't have made a mistake in your calculations.“ he calmly answered and wiped some splattered ink from his documents with a spare cloth.
Lips pulled back in a display of outmost aggression, Aodh's pearly-white dentistry glimmered in the chandelier's light as he snarled „I made no mistake.“
„Oh, but you sure did, brother.“ Ansar emphasized the word as he stood up and cocked his head with a mocking grin. „You will fix this immediately, Ansar. I want my granaries filled by the end of the day.“ Aodh growled and jammed his finger into his brother's chest.
More than just pissed off by now, Ansar reacted on pure reflex as he whacked the offending hand away and Aodh was quick to answer this disobedience with a hard backhand delivered to his sibling's face. The two gargoyles each let out a little wail at the sight and loud 'slap' as flesh collided with flesh and Ansar's head jerked to the side. As he looked back up, they could see the deep red bruise wich bloomed on the younger one's cheek and socket of his eye; his left face rapidly turning black and purple. Aodh was by far the physically strongest of the three siblings, but sometimes he failed to consider his own strength.
„Please Milords, please. There is no need for violence.“ One of the gargoyles tried to disperse the thick cloud of tension. She fiddled a bit with her claws, a futile attempt to hide how close she was to loosing her nerves. „I am sure Lady Alienor will see that the matter is sorted out once she returns from her travel.“
That got the older brother moving. He was still growling low in his throat, but Ansar could see the thoughts racing behind his eyes.
If Alienor got word about what happened here... that he had laid a hand on his little brother, the one he had sworn to protect... Serious repercussions would definitely be in line once their sister returned home.