The four days felt like they've come and gone too fast for Brooklyn but was both eager and nervous about going home.

They had done one more weighing for him on the night of their departure and finally the weight scale wound up saying 220. Brooklyn himself was feeling rather better in his body and that his belly was at last no longer so round and bulky.

Coldfire gave him a motherly hug which he appreciated. "Oh sweetie, you've been doing really well in losing your weight. You look much better." She praised, making Brooklyn flush from hearing another female saying that but since Coldfire was his 'mother' he could give this one a pass, hugging her back.

"I'm glad about that too. Been missing being able to go on patrols," The red male stated in a sullen voice, not wanting to feel disabled and useless any longer. Being able to mention this to Goliath in his mind would help him feel even better. "But what about Coldsteel? Heâ he might try to track me down if he discovers I returned home."

Desdemona saw the small flicker of fear in her adopted hatchling's eyes as she brushed some hair out of his face. "Brooklyn, you've grown stronger since you've come here. If my brother does end up coming, I know you can stand up to him. And you have all of us to back you up sweetie."

It caused Brooklyn to have his eyes water from Coldfire's wise words since it was a little bit true since his confession to the others earlier but he took a breath and nodded. Fox came into the room at that point. "It is time to leave soon you two. We can have one more breakfast together before we go."

The two gargoyles followed Fox out into the dining room where Brooklyn saw that the table was filled with breakfast he liked mostly to celebrate his recovery. A smile appeared on his beak when sitting down, Hudson smiling over to him.

"And how ye be feeling this morning, lad?" Hudson questioned gently. Brooklyn rubbed the back of his neck. "Better than I was when first coming here thanks. Thank you for being here for me." He replied in a grateful voice after getting some of his food on his plate.

Lex smiled, looking forward to seeing Alex again as well as patrols hopefully going back to normal again. The small group ate breakfast until next they eventually went to get themselves ready for the flight home.

Brooklyn packed what he took with him to Xanadu, glancing around at his room one more time. He hoped one day to visit this place again but felt eager to see the city of New York again, missing having beating up bad guys on the streets.

Fox waited for them outside on the landing pad having prepped up the helicopter as well as Elisa locking the doors of Xanadu when everything was all closed up for the next time. Brooklyn climbed into the copter alongside Coldfire and the others, Bronx hopping inside with them, woofing as it had Brooklyn pet him on the head.

The chopper shuddered as it took off into the air after those inside buckled up, Brooklyn gripping his arm rests a little, still not a fan of these kinds of takeoffs at all, gazing back at the open spaces once more, wishing New York had more of these woods, missing the open fields of Scotland.

Back at the castle Goliath and the others had been informed Brooklyn was recovered enough in his mind and body to be able to return home which excited Broadway. He had missed seeing his red brother as well as Lexington walking around the castle. Angela was still the best person for him to hang out with but nothing beat him and the others having a boy's night every now and then.

Broadway had decided to make some welcome home dessert for Brooklyn and came out to welcome the copter back with Goliath and Xanatos and Angela.

They all looked skyward seeing Fox flying in, making sure to stay back from the propellors. Brooklyn gazed down, tears in his eyes at seeing the rest of his clan, anxious to no longer feel like a fragile child around them, bracing himself for the chopper landing on the ground, finally home.

Hudson let Bronx out first who barked and ran over to the clan in which Broadway greeted broadly, scratching behind his ears while Bronx licked him. Elisa, Lexington and Coldfire followed out next while Goliath watched tentatively for his Second, having missed him every day.

Brooklyn's head peeked out of the copter doors, his ears flat on his head when carefully getting out. Goliath let loose a breath at the sight of how much better looking his Second's stomach and body build was since the last time. He was more lean, and his eyes didn't look so troubled anymore.

The red gargoyle eyed his leader, and wound up letting loose a choked sob, running right into Goliath's big arms. Goliath hugged Brooklyn tight in his embrace, wrapping his wings as well. Brooklyn snuggled hard, not wanting this moment to die, Goliath feeling the tears from his second's eyes on his skin.

"Welcome home Brooklyn. You had no idea how empty the castle was without you. I had to keep reminding myself that you weren't kidnapped nearly every night," Goliath said shakily, stroking Brooklyn's hair.

Brooklyn gazed up, his eyes feeling wet, his emotions bubbling up really fast but he struggled to control them for now. "Same with me Goliath. I have so much to say to you about what happened to me there."

Goliath smiled gently. "Save your energy for the moment, for the sun will be rising soon. We can talk more in the morning."

It had the red gargoyle nod, yawning as his biological clock told him it was close to sunrise. "Thanks for helping me this way. My-my mind doesn't feel so troubled as much now." He said in a sleepy way, Goliath taking his hand. "We will do anything for you Brooklyn. You don't deserve to feel lost or alone especially among us."

Smiling once more, Brooklyn nodded when following Coldfire into his room to change to stone, glad to see the castle hallways of Wyvern again. Once in his room Brooklyn sat down on his bed, holding his knees, looking to Coldfire when something suddenly nagged the back of his mind.

"Mom? I-I just had a thought. Since my mentality is a little more stable, what will happen whenâ when I don't need you anymore? You were the closest thing I could get to experiencing motherly love again." Brooklyn asked in a sad voice.

Coldfire had a hand over her mouth from those words. She hadn't thought about the time when she would probably had to let go of her adopted hatchling that she formed a pretty strong attachment to. She got on the bed, rubbing his back softly. "I want you to be independent again sweetie, even if I am not as around as much like those times ago. You can't always rely on a parent to help in your privacy times, especially since you're an adult."

Brooklyn tried to choke back a sob. "But-But I'd miss you so much if you left again." He sniffled, shaking, Coldfire giving one last hug. "I won't ever leave you. Even if you aren't as reliant on me eventually, I can still be your mother figure."

His eyes warm and soaked from tears, Brooklyn soon agreed to her words. He would like that, taking her metal hand. "Promise?" Brook questioned timidly. Coldfire gripped it. "I promise love." The sun soon took over Brooklyn's stone body after Coldfire let go of his hand.

When the nighttime came around again, it was now time for Brooklyn to tell Goliath everything he had told everybody else about his dark thoughts of him wishing he never was hatched in the first place.

Coldfire walked out with Brooklyn who held her hand to meet with Goliath in the living room. Brooklyn's face was feeling flushed and he swallowed at the idea of telling him all that, his feet stepping back a little bit, not really wanting to go any further but Coldfire rubbed his shoulder. "Come on, it's alright. You can do it." She encouraged, Brooklyn's eyes watering as he nodded, feet reluctantly walking more again, doing his best to be strong since he didn't want to be afraid anymore. Brooklyn for a moment though heard Iago like he was still possessing him.

"Pathetic hatchling. No matter how much you try to hide away from me, you will never be free..." Iago's dark voice snarled in his taunting manner, making Brooklyn tremble, wrapping his wings around himself. It was a little bit true; despite him being able to confess his dark thoughts, Brooklyn felt like Iago would always be some part of him.

Goliath and Elisa were both in there along with the clan, Goliath keeping his wings folded so he wouldn't frighten Brooklyn as much. When he saw his second come into the room, his eyes brightened at noting how much better physically Brooklyn looked in his eyes. The red male's belly wasn't as round and flabby as it used to and his face wasn't as pale.

Brooklyn spotted his leader again, weakly grinning at Goliath who nodded his head at the younger youth.

"You can sit here." Goliath offered in a gentle way but not too much like he did when Brooklyn first came home from being captured since Brooklyn was much healthier than he was the day they left. Brooklyn sat down on the couch, swallowing again as he looked up at Goliath.

His leader gave Brooklyn a gentle smile. "I hope your trip had been good." Goliath questioned, taking Brooklyn's hand who tensed a little but he tried to relax. "It was fine, thanks. But I'm still sad I couldn't be here to do any patrolling with you guys."

"You needed to heal Brooklyn. If you had encountered any big gang members, who knows what would've happened." Goliath tried to explained but Brooklyn's eyes looked hurt again from the comment.

"I'm not weak, Goliath. Not anymore I think." Brooklyn argued back, one of his hands clenched tight, but his head still echoed with Coldsteel claiming his soul. Goliath noted that shaking his head. "Brooklyn, everyone here still sees that Coldsteel has control over your feelings which make you unhappy and doubt yourself. We've been trying hard to not let him find you up at Xanadu. But now that you're home, he may want to take you away from us again."

Brooklyn's tears stung more, when he felt his bottled up feelings about everything that happened in the past ever since Goliath reinstated his leadership once his own World Tour was over.

"So that makes me not qualified to be a leader then? Because of freaks like Coldsteel wanting to ruin my life?! Perhaps I should leave the clan after all if I'm nothing but a burden!" Brooklyn shouted, making Goliath jump in surprise from the outburst.

Elisa's eyes widened from surprise. "Brooklyn, that's not what he was–." She tried to but Brooklyn continued. He wanted Goliath to know everything Coldsteel taunted him about and pretty much how he felt so downgraded now after thinking he could lead the clan well enough. "Ever... ever since you came back home Goliath I just-just dragged along behind you. And when Coldsteel stole my body it made me feel even more like dirt. If I was as strong and big as you that probably wouldn't have happened!!" Brooklyn shouted further, standing up then, body shaking badly.

Goliath's face was filled with a look of guilt and shock, wondering why he hadn't seen this before. "I never thought of you as worthless on my return Brooklyn–." He attempted though Brooklyn cut him off sharply. "You lectured me that one night after I failed to track down that damned truck! I'm supposed to be the future leader, not clinging to your tail!" He roared, tears slipping down his face.

The rest of the clan had heard the shouting and came running, seeing Brooklyn having another breakdown after thinking he was over it. Hudson strode forward to help before Brooklyn would break himself again, having a hand on his shoulder. "Easy, lad. Goliath, Brooklyn told us that he... he wished he never... hatched." Hudson said, not wanting Brooklyn to say those words ever again. Brooklyn looked at Hudson from his sadness at him saying that instead, but his eyes looked just a little bit grateful from the words.

Goliath stared for a time from that idea, trying to take a hold of Brooklyn's hand but the red gargoyle took a step back, still a little bit upset with him. "I-I didn't realize, you felt like this. Brooklyn, you deserve the right to live as any one of us here in the clan. If Coldsteel has been making you feel this way, we will keep up with having you not feel invalid or unneeded. I promise." Goliath vowed, his voice slowly getting to Brooklyn whose breathing slowed a little after panting hard.

Brooklyn swallowed a painful lump in his throat, the truth in his leader's words slowly getting to him. Soon he stepped closer and sat down again, the tears falling more like the next burden in his head was going away, allowing Goliath to take his hand. He would appreciate more training for sure.

"Still don't want Coldsteel to take me away from you all again." Brooklyn sniffled, while Goliath gently took him into a hug. He smiled at the smaller male. "I promise Brooklyn. We will help you be able to get rid of Coldsteel for good. Sometime I can give you more fighting exercises to build your strength back."

It caused Brooklyn to agree to that, while his other brothers also offered some fun stuff to do as well like baking or videogames. A smile graced his beak, happy that he was going to get even more support for his mentality, wanting soon to be rid of his enemy for good.