Chapter 23: Tracking Razor

"Gizmo?" Billy repeated while staring in the empty backpack. He had just been reunited with his wife and mother, his boss and friends and was looking forward to being back with his best furry friend and he was gone. "He's gone and none of you saw anything?"

"We were busy," Darwin said and looked down. "Trying to kill the gremlins, the bad ones."

"You three were in charge of them?" Billy asked and noticed that Brody had raised his hand. "Four, sorry, you four were in supposed to be watching Gizmo." He was baring his teeth as his voice grew louder. "How can he be gone? What is wrong with you?" He felt a twinge of guilt as soon as he asked the question, especially since Darwin and Brody took a step back and Penny lowered her head.

"Billy," his mother said in her most disappointed tone of voice.

"What is wrong with them?" Gerald asked. "What is wrong with you? We all wouldn't have been distracted if you weren't about to make a swan dive and caused our friend, Chuck here to pull a super hero save." He paused to give their friend a thumbs up. "That looked amazing by the way and thank you."

"No problem and very appreciated," Chuck said.

"I'm not quite myself," Billy said as he pointed at his body. "As you can obviously see."

"Neither am I, Peltzer," Gerald continued in his rant. "But I am not turning into a complete ass and snapping at friends or hell trying to scare new friends and what was that back there giving me the one finger salute like that." He was poking Billy in the chest. "We were all working hard to kill those gremlins and I'm sorry your little pet decided he wanted to ditch us."

"Ditch us?" Billy asked. "Gizmo wouldn't just ditch us and I have a feeling Gene wouldn't either."

"He wouldn't," Valerie said. "But I th-"

"So stop accusing me of them running out on us," Billy snarled.

"Stop blaming us," Gerald growled back.

Billy wanted to scratch him but held back and hissed instead and Gerald responded with a hiss of his own.

"Will you two stop it?" Kate asked. "I know you have trouble helping it but ease up on the aggression. Gerald, the mogwai didn't ditch us and Billy leave the other goblins alone. It's not their fault."

"Right," Gerald said as he rubbed his head. "I'm sorry." He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. "I am in control of my own actions." He exhaled and inhaled again. "I can only blame myself." He breathed out and in. "I can not change what I have done in the past and only accept what I have done."

"What the heck is he doing?" Forster asked.

"Breathing and mental exercises," Clamp explained. "I have done similar when I meditate."

"He's been in therapy," Billy explained and thought about what Gerald was saying. "And I'm going to need a psychiatrist after all this."

"We need to look for the little furballs," Murray said. "Don't think we should just be standing around here arguing."

"He's right," Clamp said. "I know splitting up is not a popular choice right now, but will cover more ground and we do have three working radios right?"

"Right," Brody said and held up one.

"I have another, and Chuck you have one?" Clamp asked.

"I'll just adjust the frequency," Chuck said.

"Great we will split up into three groups and look," Clamp instructed. "Forster is with me, who else?"

Billy let out a breath as he leaned against his wife. He wanted to be whatever group she was in and he had a feeling his mom was also going to be in that group as well. He had no idea where Gizmo had run off to and he was worried for his little friend.

"He knows what he is doing," Kate said as her fingers brushed the top of his head.

"Clamp?" Billy asked.

"I meant Gizmo. This isn't the first time he snuck out of his pack before. Remember when you were hunting Stripe in the department store?"

"He found a toy car and zipped around and ended up saving the day."

"He saved mine and Marla's life from that spider gremlin," She smiled. "Maybe he saw something and went to take care of it and Gene went with him to help."

"I'm sure you are right." He smiled back. "I sure as hope you are right."

"Billy?" His mother had approached him. "How are you feeling?"

"A little worried about Gizmo," Billy answered.

"Do you feel cold?" His mother asked. "You keep holding that towel tighter around you or do you feel exposed?"

"I guess right now a little of both."

"I brought you your clothes you left in the arcade." She held up the shirt and pants. "I thought you might like them back."

"Thank you," Billy said as he retrieved his garments and put them back on. Leave it to his mother to remember his clothes.

Small grunts where heard near the edge of the hole in front of the hotel along with a few complaints and words of encouragement in the same squeaky voice. A pair of large pointed ears emerged before a bright red headband and a brown and white furry body. Gizmo climbed out of the depression and reached down to pull Gene up. His clone had collapsed once he had finished surfacing and started to take in deep breaths.

"Can't quit now," Gizmo had told him. He had built himself another bow and a quiver from a used toilet paper roll that was full of pencil arrows. Kate had the supplies in her purse and he wished he had brought them along the first time he was separated from her. She had placed the items in the backpack along when he switched transportation.

"Sorry but that was the biggest climb ever," Gene had said. After returning to the exercise room to find it completely empty they had scaled the equipment to reach the hole in the ceiling. "Are you sure they went this way?"

"Positive," Gizmo answered. While most of the gremlins were being electrocuted there were a few that snuck by, ones that had yet to touch water. Razor was one of them and then there were his three lackeys and the last one was the vegetable one. He knew Razor was trying to find another water source to start over.

"But where did they go?" Gene asked as he picked up his 'spear' Like the arrows it also involved a pencil, several pencils bound together with rubber bands, the top pencil split and had a x-acto blade bound in place.

Gizmo blinked. He wasn't exactly sure where they could have gone. He could hear them in the distance and there sounds were growing faint. They had to move fast. He looked around and found a rent a stroller parking with one of the stroller's not all the way in.

"Let's go," Gizmo said and ran as fast his short little legs could carry him.

"How are we going to use this?" Gene asked. "We take turns riding and pushing?"

"Something like that," Gizmo answered and climbed onto the back of the stroller. While holding on he pushed with one of his leg's causing the stroller to scoot.

"Forget one of us pushing." Gene got up on the other leg and also gave it a push. They were able to scoot much faster.

They strolled down to an intersection and wasn't sure where to move until Gizmo saw a few yellow pieces a few feet away. It was corn, now they know which way to go.

The gym was completely empty when they left the pool area. Even the ones that Gerald had said he had seen were gone. There was no trace of either of them nor the mogwai, at least until Billy had looked up and saw chain made of paperclips hanging from the hole. Gizmo and Gene were here and made it to the roof and while Billy and the other goblins, and Brody, could climb through it they had decided it would be for the best for everyone to take the stairs and have Chuck to unlock the gate.

"Now we just have to figure out where they went," Forster said as he and Clamp helped Chuck to lift the gate

"Gerald said there were other gremlins in the gym that stayed behind," Murray said as everyone exited the hotel. "I'm pretty sure Giz and the other one knew about them and probably went back to spy on them and since they left they followed after them."

"That would be like Gizmo to go after them," Billy said as he remembered when he was their leader and there were a few left in the gym before they had gathered around the two pools. He remembered giving the order along with Razor and watched as how they all jumped in save for Razor and four others. "I don't think Razor is dead. I don't remember seeing him jump in, maybe it wasn't spying but more like he saw them sneak out and they followed after them."

"My little Gene being so brave," Valerie said in a proud tone. "They have no way to communicate with us. Oh why didn't they wait? There is no way the two of them could take on the others by themselves."

"Yes they can," Billy said along with Kate, his mother, and Murray.

"Oh trust me the can do it," Clamp said. "Now that we are out of there it is time to split up. Team Clamp will take upstairs and the other teams keep looking down here."

Billy didn't watch as Clamp, Forster, Murry and Darwin climbed up the stationary escalator. He continued ahead walking as fast as he could, before he jogged, then tried to run on his feet and finally he dropped down to all fours and loped.

"Billy!" Kate shouted from behind. "Not all of us can run like that."

Billy stopped and stood back up. He looked behind to watch the others catch up to him. He felt his ears lower in embarrassment, especially as poor Chuck was limping towards him, using Gerald's golf club as a cane.

"Penny, Brody and I can," Gerald said as he continued to walk upright. "But we don't want to leave anyone behind."

"Sorry," Billy said and gave them a weak smile. "Is it weird seeing me run like that?"

"A little, dear," his mother told him. "Is it for you?"

"After the first time it was, but I think we are getting used to it," Billy answered and looked around. "We are at a crossroads, and that means our teams have to split."

"We'll go this way," Chuck said as he pointed to the left with his hand. "The Cinemania is that way and we will check it out."

"Then we will take the right," Kate said as they turned. "And we will all stay together this time."

"Again sorry," Billy said and shrugged. A new fear had entered his mind. How were they going to cope? Would she want to stay married to him if he keeps on falling back on his instincts? He could learn to try and control himself but how were they going to make it work? Would she want to sleep in the same bed with him? She was going to be the one to take the kids to school every day and pick them up and he could forget going to watch them play soccer or softball, maybe they could get into basketball or hockey. Those games are indoors and as he thought about the games what if he loses his patience with them over a bad grade on a test or if they back talk or fight. He didn't want to scare them, much less risk hurting them.

"Something is wrong," Kate said after a few minutes. "Still worried about Gizmo?"

"A little, but I have also been thinking about us," Billy answered. "Do you want to stay married to me?"

"Of course, what kind of question is that?"

"Are you sure you want to stay with a goblin?" Billy asked and glanced over his shoulder. His mother was in a deep conversation with Penny.

"Billy, I love you."

"And I love you, but that doesn't change the fact that I am no longer human and I'm not just any human-gremlin hybrid but also one that happens to be a dark alpha like Razor or Stripe. Before mom slapped me to my senses I wanted to spawn more goblins. I wanted to multiply and lead and army of both goblins and gremlins. I was hoping this genius gremlin would be able to turn other humans into goblins so I could transform you into my goblin queen. I'm afraid of what is going to happen if I lose my human rationality and lash out at you, or our children." He sighed and looked up when she placed her hands around his head and looked deep into his eyes.

"I said I love you and not matter what we will make this work. I will help you no matter that." She kissed him. "You really wanted me to be your queen?"

"No other woman measures up to how amazing you are or how much I love you."

"Penny, no," his mother said. She and Penny were ahead of them and Penny had picked up something small and red. "Drop that immediately."

"What is it?" Billy asked.

"It looks like a little red ball," Penny said as she held it up. "And it smells nice."

"You don't know how long that's been on the ground," Billy's mother said.

"May I see?" Billy asked as he held out his hand. As soon as she had placed the object he could tell it wasn't a ball. It was cool to the touch and smooth and while firm on the outside he could give it a slight squeeze. "This is a cherry tomato." He gave it another slight squeeze and sniffed it. Penny was right it had a sweet and very familiar aroma. He took a bite out of it.

"Billy," Kate gasped. "That will be something I have to get used to."

"I'm trying to set an example for your daughter here and you should know better," his mother said.

"Hmm," he mumbled while he chewed. That tomato was fresh, almost out of the ground fresh. "This didn't come from any salad bar. It came from the vegetable gremlin hybrid. They have been here recently."

"That means we are on the right path," Kate said.

"I promise I won't run this time," Billy said. "But we have to hurry."

Cinemania 4 was as abandoned as the rest of the mall and just as messy. There were turned over popcorn buckets on the floor along with crushed paper cups and bags and various candy boxes. The carpet was stained with soda and it was impossible to not step on any pieces of popcorn or candy. The mess was not unusual, granted it didn't last long before the staff would clean it up.

"Should we check each theater," Gerald asked. "Make sure we don't find anything hiding under the seats?"

"We should check there and in the booth," Chuck said. "We can each check one of them and meet back in the lobby in ten minutes."

"I'll let the others know where…" Valerie trailed off when she heard something shuffling around behind concessions. "We are and what we are—not alone." The sound repeated itself and it was louder.

Chuck carefully leaned over the counter while he tried to ignore the pain in his leg and the Icy Hot Forster had used on him did help a little but he needed more medical attention and he will when everything was over. He shined his flashlight and instead of a shrieking gremlin he came across a frightened teen age girl with blond hair and freckles.

"Don't hurt me," the girl said as she shielded herself.

"I'm not," Chuck said as he turned off the light and looked at the others. "She's human and scared and-" He turned back to look at her. "What are you doing here? We tried to get everyone, customers and employees out of the mall." He held out a hand for her and she accepted.

"I work in the projection room and had all the movies running and I was reading and I lost track of time," the girl explained as she slowly stood up. "No one came for me and I came down here and they were here." She gasped and pointed at Gerald and Brody. "Oh god more of you? You want more yum yums? Sure do want some popcorn, or candy or nachos or take whatever you want." She shoved a scoop of popcorn into a bucket and picked up a box of Raisnets . "See more yum yums."

"It's okay," Valerie said. "They are not like that others, Brody is a good one."

"And I used to be human," Gerald added.

"Used to be," the girl whispered as her eyes went even wider. "Did they all used to be human? Is that what is going on?" She pointed at Gerald. "Is he halfway through transforming? Am I going to turn into one?"

"No, no It doesn't work that way," Chuck said as he placed his hand behind her back and read her name tag. "Now, Stacy I need you to try and keep calm. Those things, those gremlins came from a genetics lab."

"The labs made the creatures and they escaped and now they are transforming everyone into them." She folded herself back up into a ball.

"Aw shit, I'm only making it worse," Chuck said.

"I am one of the scientists," Valerie said. "And I am sorry for what has happened. The monsters started out as something different and went through a pupae stage. An evil man used the blood from the monsters and turned poor Mr. Hopkins into a half human and half gremlin hybrid. It is not contagious. You will not transform."

"I'm not going to turn, I'm not going to turn," Stay said as she sat back up.

"I don't want to scare her," Gerald said. "Neither does Brody."

"No one wants to scare anyone," Chuck said. "We are going to try and get you out of here, Stacy, but we need to know if they are here."

"Yes, they're here, they're here. I gave them yum yums I show them the cartoon movie."

"Cartoon movie," Chuck and Valerie said at the same time.

"Mulan," Gerald said as he pointed at the sign. "Theater 3."

They ran towards the third theater and Chuck opened the door a crack. On the screen he could see a bright red dragon creature surfing down an avalanche and when he looked down at the seats he could see they were full of gremlins.