Chapter 7: Cocooned

June 24: Science log

Amazing progress we have made in the lab today. Doctor Wilcox had successfully developed a flowering plant that attracts bees but repels wasps and yellow jackets. I know many would want to have it this type of plant in their garden.

Doctor Harbour from the leukemia research has invited me to join his team. I am very tempted. He has read my thesis and is very impressed, but if I leave what would happen to Gene? He is my responsibility.

Gene has impressed me these past few days. He not only can unscrew and twist screws in place from both sides but he has lasted the longest playing the Simon game, only Garrison had come close.

Patch's artistic skills have improved even if all he wants to draw are pirates and pirate ships and Brody can play a few songs on the toy guitar.

Razor has defeated the last boss on his game boy and I thought I heard him say perfect timing. I wasn't certain what he meant. Maybe doctor Friedrich was going to get him a new game. Well the future will see.

We are going to be interviewed by a representative from Prescott Prestige tomorrow.

Time for my pretzel break. I hope to see that attractive young security guard again. Maybe I should talk to him soon.

Doctor Valerie Cordova.

Razor sat up with a jolt. How long was he asleep? Was it already morning? Was it too late? He tried to stay awake but he had drifted off and it wasn't like they were run ragged that day. Doctor Friedrich was only around to make sure they got breakfast and then it was Doctor Cordova who gave them lunch and Bevins who gave them dinner.

"Caca," he grumbled as he shifted around his stash of smuggled supplies and assembled his device. He placed it through the bars and angled it just right. He also had a stolen key card and he used that as well. He smiled as he heard the beeps and was able to raise the latch.

A chuckle left his mouth as he pushed and stumbled out of the cage and onto the floor, landing on his bottom. It hurt but now he had to break the others out.

He found a chair with wheels and pushed at it until he reached the right door, and climbed onto the chair, using the same device he used earlier he picked the lock and twisted the knob and pushed.

"Razor," Garrison and Butterball called out while Chuckles just laughed in delight.

"Jail break, jail break, jail break," Butterball chanted as he danced, except he didn't look where he was dancing and knocked over Garrison.

"Don't make too much of a racket," Razor ordered. "Especially in their language." He rolled the chair along the floor and climbed it again. This time he just typed on the code and lifted the latch. Chuckles climbed out first followed by Garrison. The smaller white mogwai had reached the ground when Butterball slipped and landed on him.

"Sorry Garrison," Butterball apologized.

"Fat fool," Garrison grumbled.

Razor chose to ignore them and look around. To his delight he could see a clock and it was only ten minutes until three in the morning. The sun had yet to rise. They can still eat, but he had just one more cage to unlock.

This time it was easier to reach the door with Razor in the chair and the others to push him towards the door that contained the last cage. The mogwai inside were fast asleep, curled up together. It was almost adorable and Patch was holding a copy of Treasure Island close to him.

"Wake up," Razor said as he rattled the door. The mogwai yawned and stretched and Patch immediately rose to his feet. "Time to go."

"Captain," Patch greeted with a salute.

"Razor, what are you doing? Brody asked before he stood up

"What is going on?" Gene asked as he rubbed his eyes.

"It is time," Razor said as the chair wheeled towards the cage and he unlocked it. He climbed down and waited for the others to join him. He felt rather annoyed to see Brody and Gene had also climbed out. "What are you doing here, Gene?"

"What are you doing?" Gene asked.

"Embracing my destiny." Razor answered. "Are you going to embrace yours? You may smell like Gizmo but you are not him. Join us."

"No I refuse to break the third rule." Of course he wouldn't. Razor knew he would but he had to at least give him the offer. He would have been floored if Gene accepted and quite pleased but that was expecting too much.

"Gene, Caca," Razor cried out and reached for the cloned mogwai.

"No Razor," Brody stood in between them. "Let me dispose of him. Me and Chuckles."

"Brody"? Gene's mouth dropped in disbelief.

"Well well I wasn't expecting you to come around." Razor grinned. "You and Chuckles, take care of him and then meet us by the fridge."

Brody couldn't believe he fell for it. Then again Razor was arrogant. He thought about joining Gene but wasn't sure if they would both get away.

"Here," Brody said when they were several feet away and right next to a vent. "Open this."

Chuckles laughed as he opened the vent. As soon as the panel reached the floor he and Brody shoved Gene inside.

"Brody, why?" Gene asked.

To keep you safe Brody answered. Go get help. Run, Gene, run. He felt himself being dragged away by Chuckles.

He was brought back to the others who have already opened the fridge and removed the sandwich platter and the large cheesecake. The other four have already eaten a few bites. As soon as Chuckles had seen the food he released his grip on Gene and dug in.

"What are you waiting for?" Razor asked.

"I will not eat." Brody said and crossed his arms while Razor rolled his eyes. "I will not disappoint Doctor Lei and the others. I thought you all cared for the humans who took care of you. Was there no bond?"

The others paused in their eating and a few blinked and even Chuckles had stopped laughing before Garrison just shrugged.

"I will gladly spare Bivens," Patch said before he took a bite from a piece of cheesecake.

"All a ruse, although I do admire Friedrich," Razor said before he pointed at Brody. "Feed him. Make him eat."

The other mogwai were upon him and pinned Brody down. Butterball had picked up a sandwich and shoved it into his mouth. Brody shook his head and spat it out and continued to spit until he could no longer taste anything. His mouth was completely empty for a few seconds before a handful of creamy substance was crammed inside. A hand grabbed onto his nose and he could feel them rubbing his neck. Despite all of his resilience he swallowed.

"Let's take him and the food downstairs," Razor commanded. "He will come around once he has changed."

Brody didn't move as the horror overtook him. He could feel himself being carried while they pushed the chair with the food on it towards the elevator. They were not just going to find another place to eat, but also to sleep.

He didn't know where they ended up only in a small room sealed off by a curtain as they continued to feast. Brody closed his eyes and sighed as he grew more and more drowsy and could feel the mucous ooze.

June 29 8:07 am

It had been hours since he began to crawl around the maze and Gene was nowhere near finding any vent that was close to someone who can help him. He might have gone down a single floor, or two but he wasn't sure where he was, but he did know it was up to him. He thought what the others were going to do to the humans, especially Valerie. The others seemed nice except for Doctor Friedrich, and Brody, oh no poor Brody. Gene had no idea what the others did to them.

Has he gone down this way before? He wasn't sure. It looked new and—Gene screamed as he plummeted down the long, long drop until he had landed with a small thud.

"Ouchie" He squeaked and rubbed his bottom. Looking around he was still in the ducts and there was another vent. He also heard a sound coming from the other side. He twisted the screws and pushed the panel out and stepped out to see he was under a desk. He snuck out from the desk and…oh no. He was facing a large cage of some sort. The bars went from floor to ceiling and inside were three large green slimy mogwai cocoons and they were moving. "Uh oh."

Air, he needed air. He had to breathe. Billy pushed against his encasement and clawed his way through the material. A large tear was made and he could breath. With a hiss he continued to tear away at his cocoon, removing the large chunks until he was able to crawl out. Snarling, he jumped away from it.

He was free and he was ready to kill. Oh how he wanted to kill, especially that lab assistant, Tim. He felt stronger and he examined his now green mottled hands. They were still slick from the slime but impressive with four human like fingers ending in long sharp claws. He ran his tongue along his teeth and felt how sharp they were. He was no longer a mogman. He was a gremlin or part gremlin now and he was ready to lead the others.

Darwin was growling as he kicked off the last piece of cocoon that was encasing him and Gerald had his needle like teeth bared as he stared at his own hands.

"Claws?" Gerald hissed as his slender slit like pupils dilated and became round. "I have claws and I'm green?" He looked over himself. "I'm a monster. I'm a monster, a monster, like the ones, the ones that killed him. They killed Mr. Corbin. I killed Mr. Corbin I'm the monster that killed him." He collapsed into the fetal position. "I killed him, I killed him, I killed him…"

Billy blinked as the ideas of murder and conquest ebbed from his mind. What the hell was he thinking? He smacked his head and made his way to Gerald.

"Hey, hey," Billy said in a soothing tone, or as soothing as he could sound. His voice had become deeper, even sounding like his normal voice again, except there was a bit of a gravelly rasp to it. "You didn't kill him. You didn't kill anyone. It was me. I was irresponsible with Gizmo. I shouldn't have placed him next to my paint water. I was the reason there were more mogwai and they became gremlins. It was my fault."

"Mogwai?" A small voice was heard. It sounded like Gizmo.

"We are not alone," Darwin said. He was also sitting next to Gerald. "Behind the desk."

Billy stared through the bars at the desk as a trembling pair of ears poked out followed by a mogwai with a white spot over its right eye.

"Giz?" Billy gasped. "Gizmo is that you?" He felt overjoyed and ashamed. He had frightened his friend. "I know it's hard to believe but I'm Billy."

"Billy?" The mogwai repeated as it stepped forward and Billy could see that it was not Gizmo. The white spot had a small black ring around it and the there was a little more black outlining the other white areas.

"You're not Gizmo," Billy was dejected, but he could at least still talk to it.

"Not Gizmo." The mogwai pointed at itself. "Gene. Gizmo clone."

"Clone?" You're a clone of Gizmo?" He rubbed his head and could still feel the dark curls on top. "That one lab, they probably had something. Maybe just a little blood sample and they cloned him here and Razor came from you." He pointed at the mogwai. "Are there others?"

Gene nodded and his ears lowered.

"They got out also and they ate after midnight?" He waited for Gene to nod. "There is a bad man. Three bad men and they used mogwai blood on me and my friend and made us into mogwai-human hybrids and they used human blood on Darwin and then they tricked us into eating. Cause we know the rules."

"No," Gene gasped as he heard the information. "Poor Billy."

"I'm sorry about scaring you earlier." He looked over at the others. Darwin still had a hand on Gerald's shoulder but the other former human was slowly sitting up. "It was just when we were coming out of those cocoons and we needed to breath. It was involuntary sound like a snort."

"Just trying to breath," Gerald said in a weak tone. "Just waking up?" He raised his eyebrows. He still had them as well as a Caucasian skin tone on his chest and chin and well a certain mammal trait on his chest and huh he still had a naval, which Darwin lacked and below that—they were quite exposed.

Footsteps where heard coming down the hall.

"Gene, I need you to hide," Billy instructed and watched as the little mogwai as he scrambled back under the desk.

The door opened and Tim had entered with a clip board in his hands and he was too busy staring at it at first before he looked up and nearly took a step back.

"Wow, look at you guys," Tim said in a tone that was both frightened and impressed. "The pupae stage was shorter than I thought and now we got a trio of goblins in here."

The desire to spill blood was growing but Billy took in a deep breath before he glanced back at Tim. He could see a syringe poking up from his pocket. An idea grew in his mind. He turned to the others.

"Darwin get some of this slimy mucous out of this cage," Billy whispered. "Gerald, lay low until I say jump."

"What are you three talking about?" Tim asked as he approached them.

"Trying to figure out a way to get this crap out of our cage," Billy said as he turned to face the human. "Darwin wants to just throw it out." As on cue Darwin grabbed some of the slimy chunks and pushed it through the bars.

"Well if you all cooperate then we will get it cleaned for you." Tim held up the bag he was carrying. "Got you some new shorts and a good thing because, I can see everything."

"Why are you staring at our goods?" Billy asked.

"He's jealous," Gerald said. "His tiny dick is no match for our big boys." He chuckled and even Billy and Darwin snickered at that.

"I see your sense of humor has gotten a bit more juvenile, but you can be reasoned with."

"Oh your little super soldier project," Billy said in a low tone. "This is why you trick us. You didn't have gremlin DNA, so you used mogwai on us and had to have us change even further. So you can gather our genetic material? Do you want to clone us or drench us? Are you certain an army of my kind can be tamed?" He reached through the bars and swiped at Tim's leg.

Tim jumped to the side and landed on the gunk and slipped. He fell and landed on his side.

"Jump!" The command had barely left Billy's mouth before he and the others had grabbed onto Tim's limbs and Billy extracted one of the syringes from the lab pocket. He bit off the cap and shoved the needle into Tim's leg. Looking up he could see that Darwin and Gerald and managed to get the other leg and arm.

"This felt good," Gerald said as he bared his teeth. His round pupils had become slit like. "Don't like it, do you?"

"Lets see what else you got," Billy said as he fished through the pockets and pulled out a key card.

"That won't work without a code," Tim said as he used his one good arm to try and pull himself away from them.

"Give us the code." Darwin grabbed one of his legs and pulled back ."Or we kill."

"If I'm dead then you will still be in there," Tim said.

"Yea, but you will still be dead," Billy said as he pulled on his one paralyzed arm. "And we will feel better so for us it will still be win, but a lose for you. Now give us the code and we will spare you. We win and you win."

"5-5-3-8-2."

"Thank you," Billy said and reached up to try to swipe the card and couldn't quite reach. He just needed a few inches and he remembered there was someone else in the room. "Gene, you still here?"

"Uh-huh?" Gene poked his head out.

"I'm sorry, again if I scared you." He closed his eyes and sighed. "New instincts and new urges and will try to repress them, but we need your help. Will you please help us?"

"Yep." The mogwai scurried out from his hiding place.

"How did you get out?" Tim asked. "How did you get down here? Did the others get out?"

"Bad man," Gene glared at him and made his way towards Billy.

"I need you to swipe the card." Billy gave him the card and held him up. He heard the sound of the swipe. "Now the code is-"

"5-5-3-8-2," Gene repeated as he pressed the numbers.

"You are the clone of Gizmo, all right." He pushed on the door and it opened. Free at last. "Let's go. We'll take Gene with us."

He ran past the floundering form of Tim and snatched the plastic bag. He set the mogwai down and put on a pair of red shorts and it was only slightly tight on him. He was about to hand the others to Gerald and Darwin when he heard a scream along with liquid striking something firm. He turned to watch as the others finished peeing on the fallen human.

"The hell," Tim shouted out. "What the hell, you seriously…you just.. just pissed all over me."

"Yuck," Gene commented.

"Really guys?" Billy asked as he tossed them their shorts.

"I really had to go," Gerald said. "And he deserved it."

"We didn't kill him," Darwin said as he and Gerald both laughed.

"They always say it is better to be pissed off than pissed on," Gerald added as he continued to laugh.

"And we were pissed off," Billy said as he giggled for a few more seconds. "But we have to reign in on this frat brother like immaturity. We have to get out and find help." He picked up Gene. "Let's go" They ran towards the door and opened it and entered the large room. They made their way across, and opened the door on the far end only to come face to face with a confused Hector.