To Live Again, Part I

By: Slinky

 

Brooklyn: You should be happy you are still alive.

                        [Lexington growling at Brooklyn]

 

"Previously on Gargoyles..."

 

To Live Again, Part I

Alex: Bad.

            [Alex pointing at Brooklyn's statue]

   Not Bukin.

           

Lexington: Coldsteel had me captured and sort of held me ransom.

            [Lexington's statue wrapped in Coldsteel's coils]

Fox: He threatened to kill him unless Alex transferred Coldsteel to

Brooklyn's body.

            [Brooklyn/Iago grinning evily]

 

Coldstone: Iago is still hiding within Brooklyn!

 

Brooklyn/Iago: Whatever you do to me, you do to your precious second-in-

command as well.

           

Iago: Does something harboring kill an entire clan of gargoyles,             

[Brooklyn/Iago shooting Goliath]

 

Brooklyn/Iago: Now you are going to die.

 

*****************************************************************

To Live Again

   Part II

 

Brooklyn/Iago bent down next Goliath and waved the ray gun around in front

of Goliath's face.

 

"Hmm...where would it be most painful?" Brooklyn/Iago grinned. The clan

began to inch toward him to attack, but he noticed.

 

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Brooklyn/Iago said. "Not even the

mighty Goliath can survive a direct blast in the face from this close up."

They stopped moving, growling.

 

Brooklyn/Iago looked down at the blaster he was holding. Goliath, not

moving because Brooklyn would shoot him if he did something stupid,

watched him through half-opened eyes.

 

"This is really an amazing device. Stole it from a proto-type lab,"

Brooklyn/Iago said, grinning again. "A place called Xanatos Industries."

Fox gasped.

 

"How did you get in there, though?" she said.

 

Brooklyn/Iago, not taking his eyes off Goliath, said, "Simple. I asked

Xanatos if I could `see' some new technology because I was bored."  He

smiled once more. "Isn't it ironic?"

 

"DONCHA THINK!?" came an angry voice from above. Everyone looked up.

There, holding onto the Coldsteel robot, which was hovering, was Elisa.

 

She pulled out a remote and pressed a button. The robot suddenly started

diving straight at Brooklyn/Iago. Elisa leapt off the robot and landed on

the ground.

 

Brooklyn/Iago stood up and started firing at the robot. He missed, and the

robot rammed into him. He was knocked backwards into the wall, unconcious.

Elisa flinched.

 

"I'm sorry, Brooklyn," she said softly. Goliath stood up and ran to Elisa.

 

"How did you know?" he said.

 

"Alex led us to Lex and the Coldsteel robot during the day," she said,

casting a glance at the unconcious Brooklyn/Iago. "`Brooklyn' made the

mistake of leaving the remote there."

 

"But now what shall we do?" Angela said. "The Evil One refuses to leave

Brooklyn's body." 

 

Elisa looked at Fox, then at the clan. "Can't Alex or Puck just put him

back where he belongs?"

 

Lexington shook his head. "Puck said it takes voluntary participation.

That's why Coldsteel held me captive, and why Owen made the robot so

advanced. He needed the Evil One to want the Coldsteel robot."

 

Goliath walked over to Brooklyn/Iago and picked him up. "I guess he wanted

to be free of cyber-space," Fox said, looking at Brooklyn's face in

sorrow.

 

"So we will keep him captive, at least until it convinces him that being

in cyber-space will be better then jail." Goliath looked down at

Brooklyn's body sadly. "But where to keep him?"

 

"How `bout the Labyrinth, where we kept Demona?" Broadway suggested.

 

Goliath considered this. "Yes, that would be a good place." He sighed

unhappily. "I do not like doing this to Brooklyn, but we have no choice."

 

Elisa came up next to him and put a comforting hand on Goliath's arm.

"It's not Brooklyn, it's just something that looks like Brooklyn. We all

have to remember that." She looked at Brooklyn/Iago and then frowned. She

reached out and wrenched the blaster from his hands. She then went to the

balcony and threw it as hard as she could to the next level of the castle.

Fox ran forward just in time to see it smash to pieces. Elisa crossed her

arms angrily.

 

Goliath began walking to the edge of the castle, preparing to take off.

"We should get him to the Labyrinth as soon as possible. We don't want him

waking up before we cage him."

 

The clan quickly agreed, although none of them liked it. They glided off

in the direction of the Labyrinth.

 

                                                            *                      *                      *

 

Demona stared in amazement. Goliath was holding an unconcious Brooklyn,

looking rather angry. Coldstone was there, standing next to a gold robot

of a gargoyle. ~Sister?~ she thought confusedly.

 

She turned her attention back to Goliath. She had come to check on her

daughter, as she did once every week. She did not let herself be seen. But

when she came this time, she had seen Goliath holding Brooklyn and heard

him talking sadly, but still angry.

 

"We should get him to the Labyrinth as soon as possible. We don't want him

waking up before we cage him." Demona gasped in shock.

 

~Has Brooklyn betrayed the clan?~ she thought.

 

                                                            *                      *                      *

 

Talon's jaw dropped when Goliath brought Brooklyn in. He was speechless.

Maggie spoke for him, however.

 

"Goliath? Why have you brought Brooklyn here? Is he hurt?" she said,

running up to them.

 

"It is not Brooklyn," Goliath growled.

 

Talon finally regained his composure. "What...what...do you mean?"

 

Broadway answered. "Basically he's been taken over by an evil spirit that

does't want to leave."

 

"Huh? So... why bring him here?"

 

"We were hoping we could keep him in one of your cages until the spirit

decides to leave," Goliath said. 

 

"Umm...sure," Talon said. "We love having gargoyles possessed by evil

ghosts-" He was cut short by a pain-filled moan that came from Brooklyn.

 

"We had better hurry. We want to get him caged before he awakens," Goliath

said. Maggie and Talon looked at each other worriedly.

 

                                                            *                      *                      *

 

Fang, laying on a bed, sat up as they brought Brooklyn in. He watched as

Talon opened the cell next to him. He banged on the glass shield.

 

"Hey, yo, Goliath!" he yelled. "What's the crime on the Brooklyn Bridge?"

Goliath growled slightly, but ignored him and set Brooklyn down on the bed

within the jail.

 

To Fang's surprise, a gold robot spoke up. "We should keep him here until

Iago comes to his senses."

 

"Iago?"

 

Talon looked at Fang. "Believe me, we don't know what's going on any more

than you do."

 

Goliath moved as to leave. "We will discuss this elsewhere."

 

"Oh, sure, don't let me in on my cell-mate's crimes!" Fang yelled as they

left.

 

Next to him, Brooklyn began to wake up. Fang looked over at him. ~Maybe

now I can get some answers.~

 

Brooklyn opened his eyes. He took a moment to focus on his surroundings,

then leapt up, growling.

 

"Oh, this _is_ original," he muttered. Talon banged on the wall that

seperated the two cells. Brooklyn turned quickly to face him.

 

"Uhh, don't mind the cliche, but...what're ya in for?"

 

Brooklyn raised an eye ridge, then smiled. "Oh, the usual. Capturing Lex,

trying to kill Goliath, being who I am..."

 

Fang raised a hand. "Hold on. YOU tried to kill Goliath? What happened to,

`Oh, we're all one big happy clan?'"

 

Brooklyn grinned so widely, Fang thought his beak would split.

"We still are."

 

Fang crossed his arms. "Yeah, right," he scoffed.

 

                                                            *                      *                      *

 

Demona listened to Lexington tell the others what was going on. She

watched from the shadows, waiting.

 

When Lexington had finished his tale, Demona was shocked. ~By the Early

Hatcher's covenant...~ She thought hard, then remembered something. She

smiled and left undetected.

 

                                                            *                      *                      *

 

"The third night has passed and Iago still refuses to leave," Coldstone

said. Coldfire sighed.

 

"Let me talk to him. Everyone but me has had a chance," she said.

 

"But...very well. But take care- he is tricky," Coldstone said.

 

Coldfire turned back to him. "Are you saying I am easy to trick?" She said

angrily. Coldstone waved her on.

 

She walked into the jailing part. She looked at Fang who was sleeping on

his bed in the cage next to Brooklyn/Iago.

 

Brooklyn/Iago was laying on his own bed, staring up at the ceiling, a

contented smile on his face.

 

"Iago," she said. Brooklyn/Iago looked at her and raised an eye ridge.

 

"No condolence calls, please," he said. "Why are you here? Trying to

convince me to leave Brooklyn's body, as everyone else has?"

 

"Iago, his body does not belong to you," she said. "You have lived your

life, let him live his!"

 

"He is just wasting his life. I am giving it back to him."

 

"Brooklyn is an innocent warrior..."

 

"Oh, Brooklyn is far from innocent."

 

Coldfire glared at him, giving him as much as emotion as her robotic face

would allow. Brooklyn/Iago continued.

 

"Did you know he betrayed the clan?"

 

"Yes, while you were controlling him!"

 

"But before this. He helped Demona," he said, sitting back.

 

"You are lying. Brooklyn hates Demona so much..."

 

"But that's why he hates her. He let himself be seen the truth. He stole

the Grimorum Achinorum for her. He led Goliath to a quaint little place

called the Cloisters..."

 

"I don't care about Brooklyn's past. What he chooses should be his own

path, not yours!" Coldfire growled. Brooklyn/Iago closed his eyes.

 

"Don't you feel chained, Desdemona?" he said softly, almost passionately.

 

"You are the one in a cage..."

 

"Ahh, but at least I am alive. You are stuck inside a metal shell, cut off

from the real world..."

 

"I do wish to speak to you anymore," Coldfire said, turning to leave.

 

"Oh, come on, Desdemona," Brooklyn/Iago snapped his eyes open. "I have no

one to talk to. That...thing..." he guestured to Fang, "Refuses to talk to

me. He says it's my fault he's in there." Brooklyn/Iago shook his head.

"The poor fool still believes I'm Brooklyn."

 

"Goodbye, Iago." Coldfire opened the door and stalked out, leaving

Brooklyn/Iago glaring after her.

 

                                                            *                      *                      *

 

"Hey, Bridge!"

 

Brooklyn turned to face Fang. "My name isn't Bridge."

 

"Enh, what's the difference?" Fang said.

 

"The difference is that a bridge is something that goes over a river.

Brooklyn said angrily. "Either that, or bridge is a card game that

_humans_ play."

 

Fang raised an eyebrow. ~Since when did Brooklyn start hating humans?~ he

thought. ~He sounds like Demona.~

 

                                                            *                      *                      *

 

*Iago.*

 

*Yes, my poor young fool?*

 

*Are you planning to spend the rest of your life in my body?*

 

*Perhaps.*

 

Brooklyn's soul, trapped in his own body, not being able to do anything

about what his body was doing, was getting frustrated.

 

*Iago...*

 

*Stop pestering me.*

 

*That's impossible. This is my body, remember?*

 

For once, Iago had nothing to say.

 

                                                            *                      *                      *

 

Demona snuck into the jailing room without being detected. Brooklyn/Iago

was laying on the bed.

 

"Brooklyn," she whispered, not wanting Iago to know that she knew the

truth. Brooklyn/Iago looked up.

 

"Demona...what-" he asked, curious.

 

"I am going to get you out of here, now that you have come to your

senses," she said, pulling out a lock pick.

 

Brooklyn stood up, grinning. "My, my, even after all that I've done to

you?"

 

Demona didn't look at him. "It's by the covenant."

 

Brooklyn/Iago blinked and then smiled once more. Fang was watching with

peaked interest.

 

"Hey, how `bout me?"

 

Demona ignored him. There was a click as she got the lock. The door swung

open. Brooklyn/Iago stepped out. Demona and he peeked out the door to the

room.

 

"I'll tell if you don't let me out!" Fang whispered.

 

Brooklyn/Iago looked back at him and mouthed, "Sorry." He didn't look

sorry at all.

 

"Come on!" Demona said, motioning with her arm. They ran out.

 

                                                            *                      *                      *

 

"Talon!"

 

"Talon!"

 

"YO! DERRICK!" Fang yelled, getting desperate. Talon finally came in and

saw the broken-out-of cage.

 

"Oh, no!" Talon yelled, then ran back out of the room. "He escaped!"

 

                                                            *                      *                      *

 

"WHAT!?"

 

Talon flinched at Goliath's yell. "He escaped. I don't know how, but..."

 

"Perhaps Fang will know," Goliath said, turning towards the jailing room.

He walked in and saw the empty cage next to Fang.

 

"Fang."

 

Fang looked at Goliath. "Yeah?"

 

"How did Ia...Brooklyn escape?"

 

"Oh, Demona came in and said something about him finally coming to his

senses," Fang said. "She's the one who picked the lock."

 

Goliath gasped. "No...it can't be." He ran out of the room to get the rest

of the clan.

 

                                                            *                      *                      *

 

"Demona-where are we going?"

 

Demona glanced back at Brooklyn/Iago. "You've been there before. The

Cloisters."

 

"Why there?"

 

Demona didn't answer and continued gliding. Brooklyn/Iago followed behind

her.

 

                                                            *                      *                      *

 

"She must not know," Elisa said. "Fang said something about Demona saying

that Brooklyn came to his senses. She must think it's Brooklyn."

 

"I agree. But now the question is where did they go?" Goliath said,

looking up at the sky.

 

"I suggest we split up," Coldfire said. Goliath nodded.

 

"Everyone go on the same routes as before. Angela, go check the way...

Brooklyn had been going." Goliath noticed Elisa's perplexed expresssion.

"Elisa, would you like to help?" She smiled and nodded. "Well, then

let's-"

 

"Goliath, if you don't mind, I'd like to go with Angela," Elisa said.

"Does anybody mind?" Goliath raised an eyeridge, but nodded for them to go

on.

 

Elisa pu her arms around Angela's neck and they took off. As they were

going on, Angela looked back at Elisa.

 

"Why did you come with me?" she said.

 

Elisa smiled. "I have a feeling that you are going to find them."

 

                                                            *                      *                      *

 

Brooklyn/Iago looked around the Cloisters, unintrested. He turned around,

sighing. "Demona, why did we come here?"

 

No answer. Brooklyn/Iago turned back to where she was standing.

 

She wasn't there. "Demona?" he asked the air. "Where are you?"

 

"I'm still here, Iago." Demona's voice echoed through the Cloisters,

making it impossible to pinpoint where she was.

 

"You knew!" Brooklyn yelled, eyes flaring up. "You knew the whole time!"

 

"I did."

 

Brooklyn/Iago echoed Brooklyn's rarely heard battle cry and began breaking

everything in sight. "WHERE ARE YOU, YOU BITCH?!"

 

"Language, Iago, language." Brooklyn/Iago turned quickly to spot Angela.

Elisa stepped out from behind her.

 

"Leave Brooklyn's body alone," Angela snarled at him, eyes flaring up red.

 

"Ladies, he volunteered for this..." Brooklyn/Iago said sweetly.

 

"Yeah, because you were going to kill Lex if he wasn't!" Elisa yelled.

 

"My dear, I am doing him a favor. I am a true gargoyle, and the longer I

stay in Brooklyn's body, the more he becomes like me."

 

"You are not a true gargoyle. You never were, and never will be," Angela

yelled.

 

Brooklyn growled and advanced at Angela. She dove out of the way and hit

him on the back. Brooklyn/Iago growled again and dove into the shadows.

 

"Where did he go?" Angela yelled to Elisa, who shook her head. Angela

began to run into the shadows.

 

Elisa's eyes widened when she saw Brooklyn/Iago come out behind Angela.

~She doesn't see him!~ she thought, and ran at Brooklyn/Iago.

 

She ran into him with the full force of her body. He staggered, and Angela

swirled around to face them. Brooklyn/Iago grabbed Elisa around the neck.

 

"Not one more step, Angela, or your human friend dies," he said viciously.

Angela stopped moving.

 

Brooklyn slowly moved up to a higher level of the Cloisters. Elisa began

struggling and finally managed to kick him in the leg. He roared and let

her go. She immediatley started running, but Brooklyn/Iago grabbed her

ankle. He stood up and roared at her.

 

He grabbed her around the neck and then let her hang over the side of the

building. Angela started running forward, with Brooklyn/Iago still

occupied.

 

 

He dropped Elisa.

 

Angela ran, but Brooklyn/Iago stepped in front of her and growled. Angela

tried to push past him, but it didn't work.

 

"ELISA!"

 

                                                            *                      *                      *

 

Elisa remembered Goliath's promise.

 

*I'll always be there to catch you.*

 

She didn't blame this on Goliath. It was her choice to go with Angela.

 

The fall seemed to last forever. The wind rushed past her and she waited

for the final blow.

 

Suddenly, there was a jerk at her shoulders and she was slowly lifted up.

She tried to see who it was, but she couldn't. They finalluy landed on the

Cloisters ground. She looked back to see which gargoyle it was. When she

turned, she couldn't believe her eyes.

 

It was Demona.

 

                                                            *                      *                      *

 

Iago gaped at the sight. He began to get angry, and Brooklyn's eyes began

to glow brightly.

 

"Oh, so _now_ you start protecting humans?" he yelled. He hit Angela with

the back of his hand and rushed Demona.

 

*I guess you aren't on her good side anymore, are you?* Brooklyn's soul

said.

 

                                                            *                      *                      *

 

"Shut up!"

 

Angela heard Brooklyn/Iago yell at nobody.

 

"I never was!"

 

~Who is he talking to?~ she wondered. She then noticed that Demona's eyes

seemed to had glazed over. She looked like she had fallen asleep standing

up.

 

                                                            *                      *                      *

 

*I never was on her good side!*

 

Brooklyn's voice crackled throughout Iago's head. *This is my body!*

 

*Not anymore!*

 

*It is, Iago, and you know it.* Iago looked up and around at the sound of

the new voice.

 

*Demona? How are you...*

 

*I managed to hide one thing from you, Iago,* Brooklyn said.

 

*Early Hatchers can communicate like this,* Demona continued.

 

*So, what good is that going to do?* Iago yelled, mentally and vocally.

 

*Make you leave.*

 

Iago didn't know which one said it, but he suddenly felt a tugging, and a

pushing.

 

*No! I can't leave! There is too much to be done!*

 

*You had your chance when you were alive, brother,* Demona said.

 

*I can't leave!*

 

"You're losing control. I want my body back, and I am going to get it,*

Brooklyn said.

 

*But I didn't volunteer! I'm not willing!*

 

*You don't need to be,* said Brooklyn. *I am.*

 

*NOOOOOOO!*

 

                                                            *                      *                      *

 

"NOOOOOOO!"

 

Elisa, despite herself, ran up to Brooklyn/Iago. She put a hand on his

shoulder. Angela pulled her back.

 

"We don't know what's going on!" Angela insisted. Brooklyn's eyes lit up

and a pure blue light shot out of his mouth. The light seemed to have a

life of it's own. Brooklyn's body collaspsed to the ground, as did

Demona's. The light began to speak, of some sort.

 

"No. My life..." The blue light faded and finally dissappeared.

 

Demona managed to get up and stagger over to Brooklyn. She knelt beside

him and flipped him on his back.

 

"Brooklyn?" she asked, concerned. Brooklyn opened his eyes halfway and

moaned. He took a moment to focus, then coughed.

 

"Demona...I..." Brooklyn stuttered. Demona shushed him.

 

"Don't talk. Save your strength," she insisted. Elisa and Angela ran up

next to her.

 

"What happened? Is he back to normal?" Elisa asked, looking at Brooklyn,

who smiled weakly. Elisa smiled back and took off her jaket and out it

under Brooklyn's head.

 

"It's me. We got him," he said. He looked back at Demona and cringed in

pain. "Demona...I need to say this." Demona looked at him.

 

"What, Brooklyn?"

 

"Thanks...and...I'm sorry," he said.

 

Demona's eyes filled. "I'm sorry, too, Brooklyn. I shouldn't have used

you."

 

Angela looked at Elisa and mouthed at her, "What?!"

 

Elisa waved her off and gave her a look that said "I tell you later."

 

Elisa looked up and saw Goliath and Hudson circling, getting ready to

land. They landed and rushed up to them.

 

"Iago!" Goliath yelled. Angel rushed up to stop him.

 

"Father, no! It's Brooklyn. It's really him!" she said, smiling. "He's

back."

 

"But how?" Goliath said, looking down at the weakened Brooklyn. "How did

you achieve this?"

 

Brooklyn and Demona looked at each other with pleading eyes.

 

                                                            *                      *                      *

 

Brooklyn heard Goliath ask the one question he hoped he wouldn't ask.

 

"How did you achieve this?"

 

Brooklyn's eyes went to Demona, who's eyes went to him.

 

*We can't tell him. The covenant...* Demona said.

 

*I know, but what are we going to say?*

 

*We have to make up something.*

 

*And hope Puck doesn't say anything. We've kept it a secret this long,

even as enemies...* Broooklyn trailed off.

 

*Just say it was sorcery.*

 

Brooklyn silently agreed.

 

                                                            *                      *                      *

 

Goliath looked at Brooklyn and Demona. They almost seemed to be

communicating silently.

 

"How did you get Iago out of your body, Brooklyn?" he repeated.

 

Brooklyn's eyes went to Goliath. "Demona did it. It was a spell. Iago's

gone for good."

 

"Demona? But she helped you...him escape!"

 

"I knew it was Iago," Demona said, standing up. The spell had to be cast

out of doors. And I knew you wouldn't just let me walk in and take him."

She turned around and began climbing up the nearest wall. Elisa ran up to

the wall and looked up.

 

"Demona!" Demona looked back and glared at Elisa.

 

"What?" Her eyes flared up.

 

"Brooklyn got to thank you, but I didn't." The red light in Demona's eyes

died down, but she still looked angry.

 

"Don't think this changes anything, _human._" She snarled, but then smiled.

"But you are welcome." With that, she turned around and glided off,

leaving a smiling Elisa and a stunned Goliath.

 

"What did she do?" He asked Elisa.

 

Elisa turned to Goliath, still smling. "Brook...Iago tossed me off the

side of the building and she caught me." Goliath looked even more stunned,

and now Hudson did too. Elisa smiled. "That's what I thought."

 

They went back over to Brooklyn, who was trying to get up.

 

"You seem better," Elisa commented, helping him up.

 

Brooklyn staggered to his feet and took a few uncertain steps. "I was

trapped in my body so long it took me a while to get used to gravity

again," he said, regaining his balance. He turned back to Goliath.

 

"Can we go home now?" Goliath smiled and nodded. Goliath picked up Elisa

as they scaled the wall.

 

                                                            *                      *                      *

 

Before they left, Brooklyn looked back in the direction where Demona had

glided.  Concentrating, he thought out to her, *Thank you.*

 

There was a snap in his mind, soundless, weightless, and as powerful as a

thunderbolt. *Your welcome.*

 

*Maybe someday you could rejoin the clan...*

 

*Someday.* With that, she exited Brooklyn's mind.

 

"Brooklyn?" Brooklyn looked at Goliath.

 

"Sorry. I'm just really happy to be here..." Goliath cut him off.

 

"There is no need to explain. We're leaving now," he said. Brooklyn was

the last to take off.

 

~It's exactly the same as it was before,~ he thought. ~Ignoring me,

ordering me around...~

 

Hudson glided back beside. He put a hand on Brooklyn's shoulder. "Welcome

back, lad." Brooklyn looked at Hudson's face.

 

"I...thanks. I'm glad to be back," he said. "But I don't think I'm ever

going to be the same." Hudson looked at Brooklyn curiously.

 

"What do ye mean, lad?"

 

"Hudson...how can live with what I...what Iago did with my body?" Brooklyn

said. "How can I go on living my life like I did before?"

 

"Ye won't go living on like ye did before. Ye will adjust to the new life

that he gave ya, and always live with a good heart."

 

"But..."

 

"Hush, lad."

 

Brooklyn looked at the moon, which they seemed to be heading straight

into. ~I'm not going to turn out like him, I won't!~ He told himself.

 

~I swear I won't turn out like him.~

 

 

THE END

 

 

 

*************************

Coming Soon!

 

Echoes of the Future

 

A vistor from the future shows up, claiming to be a decendent of the clan.

She needs to stop something from happening, but if she does, she could

wipe her entire exsistence away. Introducing Krystiana.