We Live Again

Episode 8: Collateral

By Cosmic Inspiration

Disclaimer: The Gargoyles animated series and the Goliath Chronicles are the property of the Walt Disney Company and its affiliate Buena Vista, originally created by Greg Weisman. The characters Tommy Kimura, Sara Jasper, Ryu, Yoshi, Sharon, Edgar the Bum, Michael, Mei Hsing, Tamora, and Balthazar mentioned here are all the creations of the Gargoyles Saga staff. All original characters are the property of the author Inspiration. No copyright infringement is intended here nor authorized by the copyholders; this author only writes for fun and entertainment for love of this animated series and makes no profit from these stories.

Author's note: I wish to warn of the mentioning and dangers of drugs in this story, and rated PG-13. Also for the character of Li Shen, hear the voice of actor James Hong.

Previously on Gargoyles. . .

"I'll never touch a gun again." Broadway (Canon) _Deadly Force_

"Case Closed," Broadway said as he ripped off the remains of his trench coat. (Canon)_The Silver Falcon_

Scene of Broadway witnessing mugging in TGS episode _Razor's Edge_.

Scene of truck driving through dark city streets in WLA episode _Expect the Unexpected Part 2: Heists_.

Scene of Hips and Lips club exploding in WLA episode _Expect the Unexpected Part 1: Plots_.

Though the day had long pass surrendered its radiant brightness to twilight's gentle dark embrace, the world was now far more alive than can ever be seen with normal human eyes.

Everywhere he looked, colors were vibrantly brighter, shapes sharper and more angled and curved in ever more complex patterns and flamboyant fractals, shadows darker that created silhouettes of nearly unidentifiable inanimate and fluidic forms, and lights more luminous and radiant seemingly asymmetrical against the shadows; all radiating with a bright aura scarcely imagined to give true insight into how truly alive the world really is.

His mind felt free from any pesky thoughts that dared to burden him with their presence, leaving self assurance and unstoppable confidence in his invulnerable body which did not feel any pain. It was laughable that anything could hurt him, when he simply shrugged off anything that dared to harm him as though it were only an annoying fly.

To prove it, his liberated mind instinctually guided him to the open street where a great honking metallic beast with great glowing eyes blared a warning at him. But he just laughed at it as he dared the beast to strike down his invulnerable body, the immovable object against the unstoppable force.

The great metal beast continued to bray at him in warning to move or be destroyed, and was upon him when suddenly the suppressive gravity of the world rushed down away from beneath his feet and he found the sky opened unendingly before him in an ever expanding horizon and he became even freer than before.

"Woooh, dude, I can fly!" The adolescent whooped to the sky a moment before a deep voice from behind him scolded,

"Man, are you out of your mind?! That was so stupid, you almost got yourself killed!"

The gangly youth looked up at Broadway with bloodshot eyes and a stoned grin to say, "Dude, talking giant bat. Siiick."

Broadway only frowned in annoyance at the youth, while at the same time he had great pity for him because something tragically pathetic had driven him to needlessly use intoxication on a daily basis, he could smell the linger of freshly smoked pot on the youth's vile breath and see it in his bloodshot eyes.

"Is he alright?" asked Angela as she glided closer to her mate.

"Talking bat chick. Hot talking purple bat chick. Sweeet," the stoned street youth blissfully moaned to himself before seemingly going limp and passing out in Broadway's arms.

"All I can say is he's alive but his mind is completely conked out from whatever drug he's been using," Broadway said with a shake of his head.

Angela also looked at the youth with sympathy, a common occurrence she had seen plenty of since making the Big Apple her home. She knew this was among the latest addicts to have been found and will be far from the last, yet it still disturb her to no end.

"He's the third one tonight," she said with pity, "Should we take him to the Labyrinth as well?"

"I hate to burden Talon anymore than we have to, Love, but he knows how to handle this better than we do. Okay, we'll drop him off at the Labyrinth and I'll tell Matt about this."

Talon was indeed unhappy with being brought yet another drug addict from off of the streets, not because of any inconvenience the gargoyles did not want to handle, but because of the quickening spread of illegal drugs on the surface. However, he was not one to turn away a lost soul in need, and he promised his subterranean clan's allies the young man and the others will be well cared for.

Shortly after dropping off the drug induced youth to the Labyrinth Clan, Broadway and Angela met up with their police friends, Matt Bluestone and Officer Morgan. After telling them of the drug addicts they had found the police officers' faces became morbid and frustrated.

"Illegal drug trade has always been one of the biggest problems on the backstreets of most major cities, right next to illegal gun trade," Bluestone said with a voice of rough experience, Broadway's face twisted at the mention of guns.

"But why do humans allow such things to happen in the first place?" Angela asked with sorrow and confusion in her voice.

"In a nutshell, profit," Morgan said, "It's all that matters to the drug lords and greedy traders of the underworld. As long as they get the biggest selling price for the drugs and weapons they sell, they don't care about the lives it all ruins. To them that's just acceptable collateral damage."

Angela's face began to twist from sadness to a small snare, but it softened to its more natural beauty when she felt Broadway's reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"But if people were aware of the evils drugs and guns bring, wouldn't they know not to buy them in the first place?" the lavender gargess asked.

"As simple as it sounds, Angela, it's not," Bluestone said, "What it does is create a vicious cycle of addiction and violence, each one feeding off of the other and keeping supposed victims under its power. People used drugs such as meth or coke at first just to feel good in a bad situation and pretend it doesn't exist, but they're so dangerously addictive that later it's about not feeling anything good or bad at all and it becomes a slow torturing suicide. All we can do is keep it at bay and educate people about it until a more permanent solution is found."

Angela gave a slight skeptical look before giving a small nod; Broadway took her hand in his and gave a hopeful smile.

"Well, if we're going to do anything," Morgan said, "about this drug war, we need to find out more about this alleged new drug that's rumored to be spreading on the streets. It's being called Obscura, because next to nothing is known about it, and I hear it's supposed to be worse than meth and crack combined, and it supposedly gives its users weird abilities, like being able to fly or read minds."

"For all we know," Matt said, "That last rumor might just be some crazed Unseelie Halflings trying to make a comeback. But, yeah, you're right, Morgan, we need to find out more about this rumored new drug."

He looked to his two gargoyle friends as he continued, "In the meantime, you guys continue being our eyes in the sky, anything you see or hear will be of great help."

"You got it, Matt," Broadway said with a thumbs up.

The detective and beat officer soon left in Morgan's black and white patrol car as Broadway and Angela climbed for a sufficient height and soon glided off for the rest of their nightly patrol.

"So what do we do now, My Love?" Asked Angela.

"Like Matt said, we keep our eyes and ears peeled for anything suspicious," said Broadway.

"What do we look like, bananas?" Angela joked, she and her mate shared a laugh.

"But, seriously, Angela, we look for any clues we can and tell Matt, Elisa, Captain Chavez or any of our police friends about anything we might find. If rumors are true about there being a new drug on the streets we have to find it and stop it."

"I think the saying is easier said than done, My Love."

"True, Angela, but I'm getting an idea of where to start. Follow me."

With mighty flaps of their elegant wings, the mated pair flew into the awaiting night.