It was time, as Goliath and his clan soared through the darkness towards the lab where Brooklyn had been taken to. Angela had supplied her bag with whatever she would need to treat Brooklyn.
Lex was in complete worry while he glided, for he couldn't feel Brooklyn's presence so much anymore after the first few times, hoping he wasn't dead.
Come on, Brook, don't leave us yet, we're almost there! He thought, trembling all over as they got closer.
The clan landed in a hidden spot, so they made sure the guards didn't spot them right away. Goliath looked out to see two guards guarding the main entrance.
"Okay, so how are we getting in?" Broadway asked. Hudson studied their surroundings.
"Perhaps there's an entrance in the roof, that might be somethin'," he said. Goliath nodded. "That would be better, let's check, but keep to the shadows. We don't know how many guards Thailog has."
Lex growled. "I still want to scratch his heart out if he hurt Brooklyn!" He snapped. Hudson put a hand on his shoulder. "Just try to stay focused, Lad," he murmured. The olive gargoyle reluctantly nodded then, as the clan climbed silently up the building.
Goliath then spotted the door in the roof.
"Boy, this place is creepier up close," Broadway muttered, also wondering how Thailog had that spell he put on the building to keep Brooklyn from turning into stone, and wondered how long he had been able to survive, while Lexington nodded, testing the door to see if it was locked, which it was. Angela looked scared.
"Father, what if-what if Brooklyn is really d-dead?" she whispered. Goliath put a comforting hand on his daughter's shoulders.
"Don't fear, Daughter, we will try and save him," he said gently, as Lex grunted in frustration, for the door was locked.
"Broadway, you mind?" he muttered. Broadway cracked his knuckles. "No problem." And with ease, he pulled open the steel doors, revealing a stairway down into the building. Bronx woofed and began to descend, sniffing for his red friend.
"Follow Bronx," Hudson said, as the group ventured inside, Bronx leading along the hallways.
Lex shuddered at the place, which reminded him of those work labs he saw in old horror movies. Mysterious doors lined the walls that led to some sort of horror within.
They eventually came to stairs, in which Bronx smelled Brooklyn's scent from up it, and they all climbed, only to be met with six guards.
Lex's eyes glowed with savagery. "Give us Brooklyn back, you bastards!" he screamed, as they all laughed.
"Looks like the Master's plaything's family has come to try and rescue him!" mocked the leader. Broadway felt confusion and anger. Plaything?! What was Thailog doing?
Bronx barked in fury, charging at one and knocking him down, the rest of the clan attacking as well. Goliath took two of them out, as Lexington handled another. But since he was smaller and the man he fought was thickset, after a time he got pinned. This one was Charlie.
"I'm sure my master would love to play with you next, Goblin," sneered Charlie, choking Lexington with his gun against his neck. Lex screamed as he kept fighting.
Angela saw, her eyes glowing red, as she screeched almost like her mother, grabbing Charlie, and pulling him off, throwing him away into the wall where he moved no more.
Hudson helped him up. "You okay, lad?" he asked. He nodded, rubbing his throat. "Yeah, let's keep going," he muttered, glaring down at Charlie. "He must've been one of Thailog's close followers that hurt Brooklyn."
"Well, he won't hurt anyone else now," Angela huffed, folding her arms, as they all pressed on, Bronx getting anxious as the scent grew stronger. They were unaware of a second man who also still had it out for Brooklyn.
It took a while for him to find his cell, but at last Bronx let out two barks, signaling he found Brooklyn. Goliath rammed into the cell door, knocking it down.
….
Brooklyn felt lost in the fog of misery, as he felt weak and dying, starting to lose hope in even life itself.
His breathing felt painful as he lay there in his dark prison, still thinking about what Thailog had done to him, and giving out a painful whine, crying pitifully at his helplessness and sadness.
Brooklyn then knew there was no hope for his survival, his clan had probably stopped looking for him by now. Thailog had given him water, but he lost the will to drink and keep his life going. Demons prowled around him, awaiting his death so they could acquire his soul for themselves, hissing in delight.
"Silly little weakling, why were you even chosen?"
"I don't see you as a leader…"
He began crying again in hopelessness, wishing those demons to just leave him be, arms feeling limp by his sides, unable to move. Brooklyn's stomach also felt so numb from the infection the spikes gave him, still rubbing against his bleeding flesh.
Brooklyn moaned silently, hearing alarms, and his vision began to fail him, seeing his door being broken down, and several winged figures coming in. It was happening, those demons were gonna take him…
…
Goliath looked about the cell after they all came in, until he spotted an unmoving familiar figure on the ground. He just couldn't believe it.
"No, Brooklyn…" he gasped in horror, seeing his Second lying motionless on the floor, bandaged and broken, a frown on his face. This struck Goliath in the heart, anger rushing inside.
It was difficult for Lexington to see Brooklyn like this, feeling his eyes beginning to water, as he ran right over, studying him over. There didn't seem to be one not bruised or cut spot on him. His stomach was the worst, for it was infected and bleeding, and a shackle was stuck to it. He couldn't see the spikes at first.
"Oh my gods, what have he done to you?" croaked Lexington as Angela instantly began to at least change his bandages on his arms that looked filthy, unwrapping his old ones, then putting on disinfectant and securely wrapping the new ones. Brooklyn shifted but didn't wake, barely breathing. When she was done, Lex began to try and wake him.
"Wake up, we're rescuing you, Brook! Please! You just gotta wake up! Don't you dare do this!" He shouted, shaking his brother, but not too roughly.
But then he gasped slightly as Brooklyn's eyelids fluttered, blinking awake slowly, moaning.
"Brooklyn?" murmured Goliath gently, a hand on his Second's shoulder. Brooklyn whimpered as he saw through his blurred vision a familiar face. But he thought it was Thailog, gasping in fear and pulling back with a hand over his belly. Goliath took his hand away, feeling a bit hurt that Brooklyn was scared of him, but he could in a way understand why.
"Don't be afraid. It's us, we've come for you," he tried to say, but Brooklyn shook his head in numb disbelief.
"N-no, y-you just want to hurt me like before! Stay away! S-stop tormenting me!" He squeaked, pulling into a corner. That was when Goliath saw his tied wing hands, cold anger at Thailog grinding in him. He looked to Angela, who carefully walked up to Brooklyn, who was still panicked.
"It's okay, Brooklyn, I'm only going to untie your wings," she murmured gently, putting a gentle hand on his arm. He tensed from her touch, still thinking it was a hologram, but allowed her to do it. She undid the ropes, and instantly, he grimaced in agony from his broken wing unfolding and falling down uselessly. She gasped at this.
"What's wrong with it?" Broadway asked in worry at seeing it at an odd angle, and bandaged roughly. Angela had tears. "It-it's broken," she said hoarsely, shaking. She tried to comfort Brooklyn, but he cowered away even more. Lexington was furious, as he tried again.
"Brooklyn, whatever Thailog did earlier, it isn't happening again. You have to believe me!" He pleaded, but Brooklyn shook his head, making small scared sounds. He couldn't, he felt too far gone to believe what was real anymore. But Hudson came up now, pushing Lex back.
"Let me try, lad. He obviously just sees you, Goliath, and Angela as illusions, but doesn't seem to notice me and Bronx. I'll help him." The elder sat with Brooklyn, taking his hand carefully. This time Brook only tensed slightly, but not too much. The warmth from Hudson's hand flooded in his body, as fresh tears fell. Hudson wiped them away gently.
"We are all real, Brooklyn, the others aren't fake. You're really going home," he murmured in his softest/gentlest voice. Brooklyn shivered, sniffling. Now he could smell Hudson's familiar scent. He hadn't seen him or Bronx before with the rest of the clan in the past trick, so perhaps he was right.
He glanced at Hudson with red eyes, then hugged him tightly as much as his weak muscles would allow him, nuzzling into the elder's shirt. It really was Hudson, and Brooklyn didn't want this to disappear. He didn't want to let go…
Hudson stroked the frightened red one's back, feeling his heart tear for Brooklyn. What this young one must've been through to earn this much pain…
Bronx even came up, whining softly at Brooklyn's crying, nuzzling him gently. Brook noticed, turning to the gar-dog and shakily petted him weakly behind his ears. Lex then noticed the shackle after they broke apart.
"Brook, what is that? Did Thailog put it on you? We have to get it off!" He said, coming back to him and beginning to pull, but Brooklyn cried in pain, pushing Lex away from him. Goliath frowned, moving in, and tried to do it too, a bit more carefully. But his own attempts were worse, and Brooklyn howled.
"Ugh! Don't! It hurts! There are s-spikes, s-stuck inside me! T-Thailog has the rem-mote to control it…" he mumbled groggily from the harsh pain, his vision going on him once more, falling. Hudson caught him, eyes glowing in rage at seeing their Second forced to wear this terrible thing. Angela was disgusted that her 'brother' would do this, while Broadway's hands were clenched into fists. You mess with one of the Trio, you mess with all of them! Brooklyn wasn't a rabid animal!
Lexington himself felt fueled by utter rage, hating Thailog for spiking Brooklyn with it, and that they couldn't get it off by hand.
"Goliath, find Thailog, and get that remote, we'll get Brooklyn out of here," he said in a tough voice. Goliath nodded, eyes narrowed, as he went out. Broadway took Brooklyn into his arms, and the group all made a break for it, running along the hallway through blaring alarms, Brooklyn remained unconscious.
But then, guards surrounded them before they could get to the stairs. Broadway held Brooklyn close, eyes round. "Oh biscuits!" He moaned, as the leader drew his knife, grinning.
"Ya ain't going anywhere with the Master's plaything. Hand the red devil to us," he ordered in a terrible voice. Hudson drew his sword, and Lex screeched in anger. "Shut the HELL up! You dare call my brother a p-plaything!" He couldn't stand to say the word. "He is our Second in Command, and our brother. Nobody will mess with him without messing with the whole clan!" He bellowed, rushing at the guards, along with Hudson, Angela, and Bronx. Broadway continued shielding Brooklyn with his wings while kicking and tail whipping some of the guards.
….
Meanwhile, Goliath busted down nearly every door to find Thailog until he approached one more. Roaring, he did one big one, knocking it down.
"Well, hello, Father. Come for my plaything, have you?" purred the dark voice of his clone, who was sitting in his chair, making Goliath's hands ball into fists.
"Where's the remote, Thailog? Give it to me!" He demanded in a growling tone. Thailog just smiled sickeningly, fingering it in his hands. "Oh, I don't think so, Father. The only way it would happen is if you hand your position to me. But unless it happens, little Brooklyn will continue to stay with me and I can keep having my fun."
Goliath growled, eyes glowing. "You dare abuse Brooklyn, he is no plaything. He's a member of my family, and nobody's pet! And you can't just threaten one of us to become leader! I won't let you win. Now for the last time, let him go and give me that remote!"
Thailog's own eyes glowed now. "Then try to take it!" He taunted, and the two gargoyles charged at one another, tackling each other, punching and clawing. Goliath pinned Thailog to the ground, who pushed his face away, talons digging into Goliath's face while holding the remote out of reach.
"I swear, you'll face justice for hurting Brooklyn!" Goliath stormed in rage, but Thailog just sneered back. "Oh, Father. You wouldn't hurt your son?" he purred. Goliath halted a bit, but that was enough for Thailog to grab Goliath's foot with his tail, tripping him and throwing him off against the wall.
"This isn't over, Father! Even if you take my plaything, I will get him back, and I will become leader of your clan!" He roared, breaking a window and gliding off into the night. Goliath ran over after shaking his head to clear it, jumping onto the windowsill, but was too late.
He gave out a huge screech like he did that night of the terrible massacre of his clan, angry for his 'son' getting away with the remote. Sighing, Goliath turned around and went to catch up with the others.
Thailog grinned triumphantly, though he felt sore and angry at losing his plaything right at the height of his plan. He held the remote, and smirking, pressed the button as he continued to glide on through the night. He can keep delivering Brooklyn pain if they couldn't get the shackle off, to remind him at what he is.
….
The clan had managed to fight off the soldiers and were running up the stairs when Goliath caught up with them, looking over at Brooklyn, who was still unconscious in Broadway's arms.
"How is he?" Goliath asked urgently, a gentle hand on Brooklyn's arm. Broadway shrugged. "Alright it seems, still unconscious. I just want to take that-that thing off him!" He mumbled angrily, glaring at the shackle. Goliath assured him that expert doctors could probably find a way to unlock it by hand, since they can't take it off with force without destroying Brooklyn's stomach in the process, which is what they don't want.
Suddenly, Brooklyn's eyes shot open in pain as the large spike gave out new agony from Thailog pressing the button, seeing Goliath in his fuzzy vision and thought it was Thailog again.
"Stop! N-no…! G-get away!" Brooklyn sobbed, shifting uncomfortably in Broadway's arms, who tried to keep him steady.
"Easy, Brooklyn, don't move so much, you're gonna be ok!" he begged. Brooklyn had pushed Goliath's hand away, making the leader back up, his heart feeling pity for his Second at fearing him when thinking it is Thailog instead. Hudson then offered to take Brooklyn. Once in his arms, all Brooklyn did now was struggle fitfully, but not too much. The shackle by now had stopped torturing him. Hudson took Brooklyn's hand gently.
"Just sleep now, Lad, you've been through too much. I want you to rest. You're safe, Thailog won't hurt you anymore…" he said gently, massaging his hand. Brooklyn stared up at him in despair, unlimited tears coming until eventually, the gentle caresses that felt better than Thailog's lulled him to sleep, sighing softly.
Hudson himself sighed in relief that Brooklyn calmed down by the time they reached the roof. He didn't want Brooklyn scared by the city lights and sounds since he hadn't been out and about too much being a prisoner. Broadway now carried Bronx instead as they got ready to take off. Bronx whined as he tried getting close to Brooklyn.
The clan at last, finally saving their lost one, began their journey to bring him home, praying Brooklyn would pull through physically and mentally.