The sun set over the buildings of Manhattan the next night, and Hudson woke up from his sleep first, yawning and stretching. He saw Brooklyn still stone there, a relieved smile on his face. It worked.

Then Brooklyn's stone began to crack, eyes glowing, and he broke out of it; yawning/roaring and stretching his arms. His eyes then returned to normal, trembling slightly, Brook turned to see Hudson. "D-did I change?" he asked. The elder nodded. "Ye did, lad. I saw you break from the stone skin."

The red male gave a sigh, happy the spell was a success. But then saw his scars on his arms still there, frowning now, rubbing his left arm. Hudson understood how he felt, taking hold of his arm gently.

"Don't let them scars bother ya, Brooklyn. Be it a reminder that you're a survivor no matter what the situation." This made Brooklyn sniffle slightly, having missed Hudson's wisdoms very much, nodding quietly.

Eventually, the door was knocked on, and Brooklyn looked up, somewhat nervous again, but it was only his green brother with a tray and a smile on his face. Hudson nodded to the smaller gargoyle. "Hello, Lexington. Ye can come in."

Lexington went in carefully since Brooklyn still wasn't completely his normal self yet but was getting there. He handed the tray to Hudson. "Hey, bro. Broadway made you breakfast. And I'm glad your stone sleep is back."

Brooklyn nodded. He felt somewhat better physically, but nothing could rid him of these still present scars, taking the tray from Hudson. "Thank you," the red male mumbled softly, ears still flat, but began to eat. The two others watched Brooklyn eat quietly so not to spook him.

Brooklyn sighed when his stomach felt full, smiling gratefully at his brother. "Tell Broadway it was good," he said. Lex nodded. "I will. But Hudson, me and Bronx want to do our own patrolling and exploring today. Is that alright?"

The elder nodded his head. "That should be fine. Brooklyn, do you think you're ready for a patrol with me or Goliath yet?"

That made Brook tremble, still feeling that Anthony was close by, shaking his head no. "S-still can't." He croaked. Hudson rubbed his back. "Hey, easy, Laddie. Ya don't need to yet. We can continue to give it time." Brooklyn then agreed wholeheartedly, with Lex's face looking sad.

Lex couldn't imagine a muzzle being put on his red brother in such a way. It was just too cruel for him to think about and hoped it wouldn't happen again. He took the tray then turned to leave.

"I'll see you later Brook, alright?" He asked, turning to go on his little outing with Bronx.

Brooklyn just hoped that Lex would be alright out there. It had always seemed like whenever he and Lex used to take Bronx out somewhere, they would always end up in some kind of trouble, getting captured by some enemy or beaten up really good. It made him shiver.

Hudson sensed the red male's dismay, and he rubbed his back some more. "They'll be alright, lad."

"I hope so, Hudson." Brook replied.

...

On his way out of the castle, Lex met up with Bronx. "Come on, boy. Want to go out with me?" He said excitedly. Bronx perked up, wagging his tail. "Come on then."

Lex and Bronx were on their way out when they ran into Goliath. "And just where are you two going?" he asked firmly.

"I want to take Bronx out for a run tonight. Can I, Goliath? He doesn't get out as much as we do." Lex explained.

"You know that you have to be very careful, Lexington, with the Quarrymen and other humans that are afraid of us out there." Goliath declared.

"Yeah, I know. We'll be extra vigilant, I promise. Bronx just really needs some exercise." Lex said.

"Alright. But have Broadway carry Bronx to a point of where you want him to be dropped off and take your call device with you should something happen." Goliath ordered.

"Sure." Lex said. He and Bronx left the leader wondering what he would do if something went wrong. If only Brooklyn was well enough to go with him. Lexington couldn't carry Bronx on his own. He was too small, and he had to use his arms to glide with.

Lex went to his workshop in the lab and grabbed his com and then he and Bronx went on their way, finding Broadway with Angela.

"Uh, Broadway, I want to take Bronx out and Goliath said that you need to carry him for me up until a point where you can leave him with me alone." Lexington explained to his heavy-set brother.

"Oh, really?" Broadway asked.

"Yes." Lex replied.

"We were going out on a date." Broadway said.

"We can go with them and drop them off and then go on our date, Broadway." Angela suggested. "It would be best."

"Alright, my love." The aqua male agreed. He kissed her hand.

The trio and Bronx then went to the battlements and took to the air on this cold winter night, Broadway carrying the gar dog.

They went to the Midtown part of the city, where Broadway and Angela dropped them off and went on their date. They would stay on rooftops or go to the area that was least populated there so Bronx would be able to run free.

Bronx and Lex soon found themselves at the railroads of the Pennsylvania Station Center.

"We're just going to watch trains go by, boy. Now behave yourself." Lex instructed.

"Woof!" Bronx replied happily. He was just so happy to be able to run free tonight. Then Lex took to the air and Bronx ran under him. There were no trains going by right now.

They both were enjoying being out here most of the night and a few trains went by throughout the night. Bronx woofed a few times as he loved trains and liked to chase after them at times. Lex had to call him off a few times.

But later in the night, towards dawn, there were some officers who were out searching the train yard. They had their flashlights on looking for troublemakers and possible gargoyles.

"I got a bad feeling about this. I feel like they're here, just waiting to pounce." One officer said.

Lex was top of one of the trains. He hoped he wasn't spotted. Bronx wasn't far off and was hidden in between some train cars.

One of the officers then landed his flashlight onto Lexington on top of the train. He gasped. Lex growled at them. Then he leapt off the train to get away and scare them a little.

Another officer took out his gun was about to shoot Lexington. Bronx saw that and he couldn't let his green master get hurt. He left his spot and ran up behind them and knocked the one down, growling, but he didn't hurt him. The man was scared and winded a bit. He looked up at the great creature on top of him. Then the other officers took out their guns.

Bronx looked behind him, whimpering and he got off the man and began running away. There was a train beside him that was starting to take off. One of the officers then shot at Bronx.

Bronx felt the bullet hit his right forefoot. But he managed to get aboard the moving train for cover. He was breathing hard to catch his breath to get away from those humans. Humans just weren't their friends much these days, but then, when were they ever? Aside from the few they had.

From above in the air, Lex had lost sight of Bronx. "Bronx? Where'd you go, boy?" He called out.

Bronx heard Lex's call and he came forward, barking. Lex heard him and he saw him on the cargo car of the train. "Bronx!" Lex said happily, but he knew there was a problem. He had to hurry to catch up to the train. His gliding let him catch up, leaving some mystified and scared officers behind. They figured that train was in trouble.

Lex grabbed onto the end car, and he climbed onto the top cars. "Stay Bronx! Stay! I'm coming!" Lex called to his pet.

Bronx looked like he was about to jump off, but where? But dawn was also approaching fast. Lex was trying to reach the gar dog as fast as he could. But the train was moving too fast. It soon came to a bridge, and it was going to be leaving Manhattan.

Just as Lex was about to head lower, a headwind picked up and it got a hold of Lex's wings, making him go back into the air. "AHHH! BRONX!" Lex cried out in distress. Bronx looked up in the air at the call.

Lex then saw the sun coming up. "Uh oh!" He had to hurry to at least get down to where his pet was. He dove down fast to the train. He made it to the top of the train car with Bronx in it this time. "I'm coming, Bronx. Stay!" He tried to keep his talons in the train car.

The sun was getting higher. "Not now!" Lex cried out and he turned to stone. His talons slipped from the train and then he was thrown from the cars. He fell into the pond below the bridge. Luckily, his stone form would also save him from drowning through the day, but he would have to get out later that night.

The sun came in through the window on the train and it made Bronx turn to stone too. It would also usually be good for a wounded gargoyle to heal, as the gar dog had a hurt foot.

....

At the Eyrie Building, all the gargoyles were accounted for except Lex and Bronx. Hours before dawn.

Broadway and Angela had had a good time on their date, returning hours ago. Then making dinner for the clan while the Xanatos' slept.

Goliath and Elisa were spending time together.

Hudson was still with Brooklyn. They had gone to the tv room together to watch some movies together. Hudson wanted to help the lad learn to be happy again, to make his confidence grow some more.

Brooklyn was still worried about Lex and Bronx. So was Goliath.

Towards dawn, the clan was going to go out to the battlements. "Do you think you want to try to join us outside this morning, Brooklyn?" Goliath asked his Second.

"I suppose I could try it again." Brooklyn replied. "I'm still worried about Lex."

"I am too." Goliath said.

Brooklyn joined his clan for the first time on the battlements as the sun rose since he had gotten back.

Elisa and David were out there with them. Even she was uneasy about any missing clan members with the way things were going in the city for the clan.

"They're in trouble, Xanatos, I can feel it." Elisa exclaimed.

"Don't worry. Lexington knows to find a safe place if they can't make it back by dawn." David stated, trying to calm her.

"And where would that safe place be? Anti-gargoyle hysteria keeps getting worse out there. Even the strongest gargoyles are easy targets during the day." Elisa explained, pointing to her love, Goliath. "And I'm glad Brooklyn decided to join the clan out here today. It's good to see him back out here with the others."

"I'll keep an eye out for any broadcasts, Detective." David said. "But we have to keep a low profile."

"Of course. And I'll check with precincts in the city. If anyone finds them, let's hope it's a friend." Elisa hoped.

...

The train with Bronx on it soon arrived in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. The head car detached and pulled away, delivering its cargo for the day. Bronx was one of those things, still stone.

An old homeless man was going to spend the night on the train before moving on later. When he saw the stone gargoyle dog, he freaked out, thinking it was real. He had heard about the gargoyles. But then he realized it was just a statue. He relaxed.

"Whew! Statue. Getting jumpy in my old age." He sighed. Then he heard a cracking behind him and growling sounds. The statue had come to life.

Bronx stretched. The more he moved and made sounds, it scared the old man more and he finally ran off screaming for help. Bronx wasn't going to hurt anyone without a good reason to. His right foot was still stiff and hurt from the morning before from being shot.

The gar dog jumped off the train car and knew he had to get home from wherever he was. He whined. He also looked around for Lexington but didn't see or smell him anywhere. He just took off in any direction hoping to find his way home. He had no idea where he was.

Back near the Penn Station in New York, Lex had awoken, and he had had to hurry and swim to the surface, and he broke through the ice that had formed over the spot where he fell in that morning. He knew he had to get home and tell the clan what happened.

He climbed up the bridge to get high enough to catch a breeze to start for home.

...

At the castle, the other gargoyles were all awake and were just as worried about their two missing members as Elisa was. Elisa sure had had a busy day trying to find them. Nothing.

"I warned Lexington about his constant exploring!" Goliath slammed his fist onto a parapet angrily. "If anything's happened to him, it's my fault. I let him go."

"And I carried Bronx for him." Broadway felt guilty.

"I had a feeling something was going to go wrong." Brooklyn said. He knew to keep well away from his leader when he was this angry. He was slightly afraid of Goliath right now from his past abuse even though they apologized.

"It's not your fault, Lad." Hudson assured him.

Then Elisa spotted a small silhouette in the air. "Look! There he is." She pointed out. The clan looked at her finger.

Lex finally landed on the parapet. "Thank goodness." Goliath sighed.

"Where's Bronx?" Brooklyn asked.

"I'm sorry, but uh, you know how Bronx loves trains. We went to the Pennsylvania Station and we just going to watch trains. I didn't think we'd get into trouble just watching them, and the next thing I know, he's on one and he's speeding away and there was no way to get him off at dawn. I was thrown off the train and into some water. I'm lucky to be alive." Lex explained.

The olive-green male left out the part about the officers that had been firing at them.

"I'll go make a phone call and get back to you." David said.

"Are you alright otherwise?" Angela asked.

"Yes. I'm just worried about Bronx." Lex replied.

"We all are." Goliath said. "But why didn't you use your communicator?"

"I lost it under the water." Lex confessed.

"We'll get you another one." Elisa said.

Brooklyn most of all hoped their pet would be alright out there by himself. Right now, they had no idea where Bronx was. It gave him some bad vibes that he was in trouble. It reminded him so much of being lost out there when he had been trying to find his own way home. But unlike himself, Bronx didn't have wings to glide on. He was the only member of their clan that lacked them.

Soon, Xanatos returned with news. "According to the station master, there was a train that left this morning that was bound for Pittsburg. I have a fueled copter ready to go." He said.

"Good." Goliath said. "I shall be the one to go and get him."

"I'm coming too." Elisa said. Goliath nodded his blessing.

David would fly them to Pennsylvania to get Bronx back.

The clan could only wait for results.

....

In the Pennsylvania countryside, Bronx had saved an Amish boy from wild dogs and the boy had let him come home with him. He had fed him, and they were now on an adventure to get Bronx home.

There had been gangsters by earlier in the day to tell the family of creatures in the area from Manhattan. The boy, Matthew, now knew where Bronx's home was, he just didn't know his name.

Matthew was riding Bronx like a horse, and they had a sliding adventure and were soon on a truck, along with the gangsters tracking them down by following Bronx's tracks in the snow.

Bronx and Matthew were soon on a semi-truck thanks to Bronx deciding to ride it. The boy had been fascinated then startled as the gar dog jumped.

The men who were hunting Bronx were behind the semi. One of them called the police. And soon enough, there was a broadcast about a gargoyle snatching a little boy.

In the copter, Elisa picked up the broadcast. "Let's go." Goliath ordered.

The police had set up a roadblock and Bronx and Matthew jumped onto the monster hunter's jeep, making it crash and ruin it. Bronx then slid them down a hillside and onto a frozen lake. But the ice wasn't so thick.

Bronx's heavy weight broke through the ice and the swift current below the ice pulled him away from the surface. The gar dog tried to get out to breathe, but he couldn't. Matthew tried to reach him, but he couldn't, and a policeman pulled him away from the hole in the ice.

"It's okay, kid. You're safe now." The cop said.

Matthew wasn't going to give up though. He managed to pull himself away from the cop that fell on his bum, slipping on the ice.

The boy ran over to the hole again, crying. Then a copter came onto the scene. A light shone down onto Matthew. Then a figure came down in flight, picking him up. It was Goliath.

"Don't be afraid. I'm looking for-'' Goliath started but the boy finished for him. "I know. He's down there; under the ice."

"Did you hear that?" Goliath asked over his communicator.

"Loud and clear." David replied.

Goliath put the boy down and he looked for Bronx from above and he dove under the ice and got his pet out of the water. Bronx was panting hard when he could finally breathe again. He had been too close to drowning.

David had spraying smoke down onto the other cops to fool them, but some got out. They began shooting at the gargoyles. Goliath didn't like to harm anyone either, but he couldn't let them hurt him or Bronx.

The giant gargoyle got angry and had to knock one down while the others ran off in fright. He pulled the gun away from him.

Matthew ran over and tried to get Bronx up. "Come on, boy." But Bronx was too worn out to even try to get up. Then he was lifted up by Goliath. "Where are you taking him?" he asked.

"Home. Thanks to you." Goliath replied. There was a lift from the copter and Bronx was put on it. Goliath was pulled up with it.

"He likes sausages!" Matthew called up to them. Bronx was happy to have made a new friend. "Thanks for the adventure." The boy sobbed as he was then taken by the police to take him home again.

Goliath, Elisa, and David were just glad they had found the clan's pet at all in such a big countryside. If only they had been able to find Brooklyn not that long ago. Goliath and Elisa knew all too well what it was like to be winded from nearly drowning. They remembered their water adventures from their quest. Bronx would be just fine.

...

They soon were home again before sunrise. The clan all greeted Bronx happily, petting him. "Good to see you again, boy." They all said.

When it came for Lex's turn, he said, "I'm sorry, Bronx. I won't ever lose you again." Bronx whined and licked Lex's face that he forgave him. Lex laughed.

"Most humans fear us so. I wonder if there ever can be peace between us." Goliath stated.

On tv, there was a reporter interviewing Matthew, the boy Bronx had saved and befriended. He said that it mattered more on what was on the inside that counts.

Bronx continued to be with Lex the rest of that night.

Then there was just enough time before morning to have a small meal. They hadn't eaten since they had all been so worried.

Some ham sandwiches were served to the clan and a big turkey thigh was given to Bronx. It was enough to satisfy them before their morning sleep.

....

The next night, the clan stayed in because it was New Year's Eve. They welcomed in the New Year excitedly. Plus, they wanted to take a break from being out at all after what happened to Bronx and Lex the days before.

The night after that, Goliath decided the clan needed to patrol. "Do you think you can do this with us, Brooklyn?" he asked.

"I'm still not ready for that, Goliath." Brooklyn stated nervously.

"I understand. I will leave Bronx here with you for company. The rest of you will be patrolling tonight." Goliath declared. Hudson was too.

Goliath assigned everyone to their partners, leaving the red male and the gar dog behind to guard the castle.

"Looks like it's just you and me tonight, boy." Brooklyn said. He headed inside the castle with Bronx following.

"Bronx, I can't tell you how worried I was for you last night. It reminded me so much of my lost adventures trying to get home from my abuser. I hoped that he hadn't found you. Glad he didn't get his hands on you." Brooklyn confessed to the gar dog.

Bronx whined and licked his hand. Brook smiled and petted his head.

Brook and Bronx headed to the tv room. It wasn't often that he got it to himself. Then this was the first time since he had been home to have it to himself. He would wait to eat until the clan returned.

Bronx jumped up onto the couch in there while Brooklyn took the armchair. He took the remote and turned on the tv. He changed the channels until he found a comedy on.

Brooklyn needed some laughter in his life. He hadn't had much of it lately.

.....

After a few hours, the clan all returned.

Broadway fixed breakfast for the clan. Hudson came to the tv room and found Brooklyn and Bronx relaxing. "Come to breakfast, lad." He said.

"Coming." Brooklyn said. He turned off the tv and they headed to the dining room. The two entered the dining room where pretty much the whole clan was there; all wanting to be together for breakfast after nearly losing Bronx and just to enjoy themselves. Brook smiled shyly at his brothers who had him sit in between them at the table.

The clan after getting settled just enjoyed their subtle moment, Brooklyn took a soft breath when closing his eyes, heart feeling light and happy, letting their voices wash over him again like at Christmas. He was so very glad to be able to sit with them for something as simple as breakfast, hoping soon this was another stepping stone to return to a normal life not in chains and fear.