Secrets

by Aesop

Gargoyles 3. Knowledge is Power and secrets are weapons. Hunter must prevent the spread of some very dangerous knowledge.

SECRETS

Welcome to the third installment of my little saga. All of the characters from the show Gargoyles are the property of Disney and Buena Vista. I'm just borrowing them. The story line roughly parallel the Gargoyles Saga. There will be occasional references in this story and in upcoming stories, to the events taking place there. This story begins a few days after "Loose Ends." It would be a good idea to read that one first. Now that that's out of the way, let's get on with the story.

Hunter leaned back in his chair, staring at the evidence on the monitor. He had half expected to find something like this, but it was still a shock. He glanced over at Lexington, napping in the corner. His watch told him it was several hours till sunset.

It had taken them several days to break all of the encryption codes on the files taken from the lab in Jersey. What's that old Carpenters' song, he wondered: We've Only Just Begun?

Hunter considered allowing himself a moment of self-pity before ruthlessly squashing the impulse. Printing out the file he had been working on, he pushed himself away from the computer. He put on his best stoic expression he went to speak to the others.

***********************************************************************

Elisa was there to greet the clan when they woke. Her shift started in half an hour, but she almost always made time for this. With a cracking of stone skin and a wakening roar the clan stretched and shook off the gravel that remained on them. Goliath moved to meet Elisa. The rest of them watched as he caught her up in a hug.

"It is good to see you Elisa."

"Ditto big guy. " Returning his embrace, Elisa noticed the others watching them. She raised an eyebrow, silently asking if they didn't have something better to do. The trio and Angela took the hint and moved away chuckling quietly. Hudson allowed himself a smile and went toward the TV room.

"Will you join us for dinner my love?" Goliath asked. Elisa shook her head.

"Can't, but I wanted to see you before I went on shift. Matt and I have been tracking a group of muggers working around the NYU campus. It's going to be a busy night."

"Do you need assistance? Angela and I could patrol that area tonight."

"That would be a big help. This group tends to get violent. Several of their victims are in the hospital."

"We'll be there, then. Can you make some time later tonight though? Hunter has requested a meeting with all of us." Elisa frowned as she pictured the big lion-like mutate. Although there was nothing specific about him that set off any alarms in her, he still made her nervous. He seemed…, she wasn't sure how he seemed. Normally, she could see through even the best poker face, but Hunter was still an enigma to her.

"Sure. Any idea what it's about?"

"No, you know he never gives anything away if he doesn't have to."

She nodded. "I can be here about two o'clock."

"Good. Join us in the labyrinth at two o'clock then. I'll get word to Hunter and join you at the campus as soon as I can."

The two parted ways, Goliath going to join the others for dinner, Elisa headed for the precinct to meet Matt. Both put the meeting out of their minds for the moment. Goliath questioned Lexington about it, but the small gargoyle was unable to help him.

"Sorry Goliath. I helped him break the encryption, but I don't know what information he actually found in the files." The little gargoyle looked worried. "Did he give you any clue as to what this is about?" The clan leader shook his head.

"I only know that he seemed angry." He sighed, "We will find out soon enough."

***********************************************************************

Two o'clock eventually arrived. For Hunter, the intervening hours had been a time of worry and frantic preparation. He was careful, however, not to let that show. Weighing what he knew about his audience, he decided that the blunt approach would be best. No attempt at deception, however small, would go over well. It would not be necessary to make the situation seem worse than it was, as if that were possible, or deceive them in any way. Lay it out plain and simple, he thought. The truth is bad enough. Make sure they understand, and there should be no need to emphasize the grizzlier aspects of the situation. Finally, everyone was assembled.

Hunter looked at all of those gathered in the Sanctuary. In addition to the gargoyles, Talon's mutates and clones, and Detective Maza, there were five others; the mutates he had freed from the lab in Jersey. The young female Maggie had named Eve was staying close to her. It distressed Hunter to see the blank expression on Eve's face. She was essentially a blank slate, only beginning to develop an identity of her own. Hunter always felt a stab of anger towards the scientists responsible when he looked at one of his charges. He took a moment to examine each in turn. They were a study in contrasts.

Magdalena Zapata was born in Santa Fe. She had moved north with her family three years before when her brother had gotten a good job at a publishing house in Manhattan. He was the man of the family, as their parents had been killed in a car accident two years earlier. They had lived in New York for six months when history repeated itself. Arturo had been run off the road by a drunk driver.

All that the doctors caring for him had managed to do was eat up the family's meager savings. They had lost their apartment shortly after he died. Magdalena and her younger brother had tried to find work, but there was very little honest work to be had. Her twelve-year old brother Jesus was now in a state run orphanage. Magdalena had wound up in the shelters. Much like Maggie Reed she had accepted a job as a lab assistant to try to get by. All she had to show for it were the strong claws, sharp teeth, and shiny golden coat of a mountain lion.

Joey Cowen was not a hard luck story. He had been a private investigator, a very good one. When he was hired to investigate the "misdirection of funds" going on at a branch office of Malon Inc. he found that the money was being filtered into a project that did not appear anywhere in the company's records. He had been caught investigating the very compound where he had been made a prisoner. He now bore a striking resemblance to a tiger.

Ellie Shannon was the insider at the company who had put him onto what was happening at the facility. Her employers saw to it that she suffered for having a conscience. Her Cheetah-like markings made her the most distinctive of the group.

The last was Felix. He was the most philosophical about the change forced on them. Firmly putting his past behind him, he would not even talk about who he had been before. One of the few things Hunter knew about the leopard mutate was that he had a bizarre sense of humor. Felix was not his real name. He called himself after a cartoon cat that Hunter didn't recognize.

These four, a handful of mythical creatures, an ex-cop turned panther, and a mute. This is what I've got to work with. Hunter shook his head. Could life get any stranger? He squashed the thought quickly. Although he would never admit it, Hunter was rather superstitious. He firmly believed that it was a bad idea to ask questions like; what else can go wrong? Certain that asking was the surest way to find out.

With the arrival of late comer Elisa Maza, he began the meeting. "I see no reason to beat around the bush or to try to soften what I'm about to say. So I'll get straight to it." He took a deep breath. "What we found in the lab in Jersey was ugly enough, but it wasn't the end. In going through the records taken from the computers there I have discovered links to other, similar facilities around the country. There are references to other projects. Some similar to the one in Jersey, others, focusing on more," he grimaced, "mundane pursuits, bacterial and viral weapons for instance. There were specs for a few of them. The mildest of these makes the Black Death seem like a head cold." There was a stunned silence. He pressed onward. "I don't believe that the same group is behind all of them. Some of the documents are in the form of what appear to be the reports of spies working for those who changed us." He paused to let his words sink in. There was dead silence in the room.

"How many?" asked a tentative voice that he identified as belonging to Maggie Reed.

"I have found references to six different installations. I'm certain there are more. The problem is not as isolated as we had hoped." He paused and took a moment to ensure that his voice would be under control when he spoke again. He was finding it very difficult to maintain his outward calm.

"The genie is out of the bottle people. It is not going back in. The knowledge of cloning, mutagen formulas, and other abuses of this science have spread too far. All we can hope to do is limit the damage."

"Lovely," this from Felix. "Our post-modern Prometheus has stolen fire from the gods, and all we can do is rush about stamping out sparks."

Hunter nodded. "Unfortunately, yes. That is why I called all of you here. The knowledge is out there. It has been, is being, and will be abused. I have discussed this with my… clan," he fumbled slightly with the odd word and concept, "we have decided we cannot stand by and do nothing. We cannot allow what happened to us to happen to others, but we realize that we cannot do this alone." He met the eyes of Goliath, Derek, and Elisa Maza one by one before proceeding. "Will you help us?"

They spoke quietly together. They are the key, Hunter thought. If they agree the rest will follow. Finally, Goliath stepped forward.

"If you need to ask, then you do not know us. Gargoyles protect. We will do what we can to help you." Hunter suppressed a sigh of relief at Goliath's answer and nodded once.

"Thank you." He smiled ruefully. "It seems that thanking you is getting to be a habit. Your support in this endeavor means a great deal to all of us."

"It sure does," Felix put in as he came over to join them. He sighed. "I doubt we could get very far without the kind of support you and your clan can provide." He grinned. "I never pictured myself chasing after bad guys like some comic book reject, but if we're stuck this way, we may as well be doing something useful." Talon chuckled and nodded.

"I know the feeling," he assured them. "I won't say you get used to it, but it does get easier. You'd be amazed at some of the things that will seem commonplace a month from now."

"We will adapt, just as you adapted. Having a purpose will help. As Felix said, we might as well be doing something useful." He nodded to Goliath and Talon. "We should begin making plans."

***********************************************************************

It had taken time to work out the details. They had easily agreed to Hunter's proposed order on the list of targets. Making plans for the actual raids had been more difficult.

"I don't see how we can acquire the equipment quickly enough to meet the time table," Hunter insisted. "It won't be easy to come by. Most of these items are things that it would be nice to have, but we can manage without."

"Why do without when the equipment can be easily had?" Goliath wanted to know.

"From what source?"

"Xanatos can provide much of this at once. Lexington can prepare the programs we will need and the rest can be assembled in a few days at most."

The lion-like mutate shook his head. "Can't rely on Xanatos. I have no way of motivating him this time."

"What do you mean?" The clan leader frowned in puzzlement. The expression was mirrored on the face of detective Maza and her brother. Hunter suspected they were puzzled for different reasons. Talon did not know how Hunter had convinced Xanatos to help him the first time.

"Before, I was able to tell him that there was evidence against him in the files at the lab. He helped us because it was in his own interests to do so. I have no such inducements this time. Xanatos has nothing at stake here, no reason to help." Talon looked startled and then nodded thoughtfully, but Goliath and Elisa stared at him as if he'd grown a second head.

"You believe it is necessary to threaten him to gain his cooperation?" Goliath looked shocked at the idea. Elisa was equally disturbed.

"Are you saying you blackmailed him into helping the last time?"

"Of course not. I offered him an opportunity to help himself. I didn't have the evidence against him. The threat came from a mutual enemy. When the operation was over I turned the files over to him as promised. Blackmailing Xanatos would have been ineffective. He is too cunning for such threats to be effective, even if I were willing to use them."

Goliath and Elisa looked at each other in disbelief. The more they learned about Hunte0r the less they understood him. "You do not think that a guilty conscience will prove sufficient… motivation?" the large gargoyle asked. Hunter cocked an eyebrow at him.

"I have seen no evidence that he possesses a conscience, let alone a guilty one." Goliath was uncertain as to how to respond to this. He did, however, convince Hunter that there was nothing to lose by asking. Hunter was surprised when Xanatos agreed, and he carefully inspected everything the industrialist provided them with. Two weeks later they were in rural Pennsylvania.

***********************************************************************

From the top of the hill Hunter had a clear view of the farm. It was an unassuming place he had to admit. No one would have suspected what was inside, or rather under that house. There were no defenses visible. All of the security was under the house, or most of it anyway. Raising the infrared glasses to his eyes he was saw that secrecy was not the only shield the lab enjoyed. Motion detectors were set up at key points around the house. He closed his eyes and added this detail to the map in his mind which already showed the internal and external layout of the place and the positions of his team.

After a moment's concentration he was sure. No one could approach on the ground without being spotted. "Just as well we won't be approaching on foot," he allowed himself a slight smile.

"What?" Felix asked, glancing over from the cover he had chosen.

"Motion detectors. They're all over the place. We'll drop in by air once the diversion starts." Felix nodded and smiled.

"You think our little gift will go over well?" Hunter's smile grew.

"Oh they'll get a charge out of it, I'm sure."

***********************************************************************

Dr. Jose Sontag looked suspiciously at the disks and the new piece of equipment that they accompanied. This new device, he thought, had better be more effective than the last "upgrade". He shuddered when he remembered how the software, allegedly designed for monitoring and regulating the power in his precious machines had failed miserably. It hadn't been nearly up to the task and several weeks of difficult work had been lost when the temperature in an incubation chamber had been allowed to rise too high and had literally cooked the carefully nurtured bacteria.

His employer had not been happy. Sontag shuddered and his deeply tanned skin paled slightly when he remembered having to tell his boss. Fortunately, the fault had clearly not been his. Dominique Destine was not someone he wanted angry with him. He had several new sets of experiments running now, and though he didn't have much confidence in the new software he had little choice. The only option would be to monitor the experiments personally around the clock. There was no one else he trusted to do it.

Everything was ready. The new components were integrated into the system as directed. All he had to do was put the first disk into the drive and begin running the setup program.

The installation went smoothly, and he rebooted the system. Everything worked well at first. All readings for the experiments were within tolerances. The new program examined the system and took over the function of monitoring the machines and making minute adjustments as necessary. He returned to his work.

At first he didn't notice the change in the background noise. He could hear the computer running, whirring and clicking to itself. He didn't notice when the internal fan stopped. He did notice when the pitch of the whirring drive began to vary dramatically. A monitor marking the power flow to the various pieces of lab equipment was spiking erratically.

"What the…?" He was cut off as one of the machines sparked and belched acrid smoke as the delicate electronics started to burn. "No, no, no!" He rushed forward, but jumped back when another terminal flashed and died. The smoke from the burning electronics activated the fire suppression system. Sontag retreated from the thick chemical mist pouring from the ceiling as alarms began to sound throughout the facility. This could not be happening. He had just recovered after the last disaster. He scrambled along with everyone else in the facility to salvage what he could.

At least, he thought, things couldn't get any worse. Then, things got worse.

***********************************************************************

A subroutine of the program had accessed the phone system briefly and placed the outgoing call. It then waited for a response before beginning its work. Less than 10 minutes after Sontag had installed the software, things began to get hectic. At a prearranged point in the program, as power surges from the new components began to fry carefully selected systems, another call was placed. Hunter's beeper went off just as he had expected it too.

"Move in," he ordered. They all moved forward to carry out the carefully planned attack. Joey landed near the back of the house and disabled the phone and power lines. Magdalena went through the front door, knocking out the first guard silently and moving through the house toward Joey who was approaching her from the back door. They met in the dining room without having set off any alarms. They nodded and headed out to link up with the others.

Entering the lab was surprisingly easy. All they had to do was watch for the stream of people evacuating the underground complex.

"All right, we haven't got much time. Let's get in and get out before any reinforcements arrive." Hunter led the way inside after the flow of people had stopped. Thanks to a very effective spy working for Malon Inc., he already knew the lay out. Must remember to send him a thank-you note, Hunter mused. They found what they were looking for in the most heavily secured area. The corridors had been all but deserted. They had encountered only token resistance from a few guards trying to lock down the complex despite the havoc Lexington's little device was wreaking. Systems had begun to malfunction all over the complex.

At the end of a metal walled corridor Hunter and Felix found the vault. Within were the samples of the modified plagues he had read about and all the equipment necessary for making more. Even Felix' sense of humor deserted him as he looked around at the vials of concentrated death.

They stood in an observation room just outside the lab. Before them was a floor to ceiling window which allowed observation of the lab without the necessity of wearing one of the bulky containment suits that the workers actually entering the lab had to wear. Hunter wasted no time in getting into one of them and making his way through the airlock and into the lab proper. He quickly placed the thermite explosives, turned on all of the gas jets in the lab and spread various flammable chemicals around the room for good measure before leaving.

Once beyond the sealed door Hunter activated the explosives. The room filled with vials of organisms, any one of which could have devastated a city, was suddenly filled with fire. In the confined space of the lab, with only a limited air supply, the fire did not last. The blaze was brief but intense, and it consumed everything organic.

***********************************************************************

"Check in," Hunter ordered.

"All done here," Joey's voice came over the two-way from his place in the facility's computer room. "The computers have been very cooperative."

"No sign of reinforcements. We're ready to go," Felix reported from the main entrance. He had watched the last of the farm's personnel drive away some ten minutes earlier.

"No sign of reinforcements," Magdalena reported from the roof of the main house.

"Good," Hunter picked up the pace as he headed toward his planned exit. "Let's get out of here." He switched channels on the radio. "Lex? Do you have everything?

There was a crackle of static, then, "Sure do. The entire thing."

"Good. Coup de Grace." He signed off, smiling at the final touch to this little expedition. No one would be using this place again for some time. Lex's device had been bad enough, but the damage to the computer was actually not as bad as it seemed. Only certain pieces of equipment had been effected. They had needed the main computer working in order empty out the database and track all of the communication lines from the complex. Hunter's coup de grace, however, would ensure that the scientists had nothing to return to.

Inspired by an episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the gadgets they had planted in the main computer room and at various key points in the facility would ensure that all of the critical equipment would be reduced to slag as soon as they got clear.

***********************************************************************

Lex opened the door and let them in to the truck full of monitoring equipment parked in a secluded clearing two hundred yards from the highway.

He grinned and gripped each hand as they entered. It was a bit of a squeeze, but it was necessary. The U-haul truck passed unnoticed along the rural roads and within two hours they had crossed the state line and were on their way to the next target.

TWO WEEKS LATER:

Derek spread the 3.5" floppies like a hand in a poker game. "It's all here." He grinned. "They got everything from the computers." Goliath nodded his approval. They stood together in the main room of the Sanctuary where the Derek and his clan lived. It could not be called homey, but it was getting better.

With the aid from the Xanatos-Renard Foundation coming in, the mutates were finding it easier to provide for the homeless community they protected. The problem of defense was left mainly to the mutates and the clones. Secrecy was another matter. The precautions Xanatos had ordered installed made it difficult for anyone to approach in secret even if a potential enemy knew what to look for.

Hunter had reluctantly admitted that Xanatos might have a guilty conscience after all, but it did not stop him from looking for the 'hook' in the billionaire's generosity. He pointed out that the 'help' Xanatos had provided kept the mutates busy, content and out of his hair. It was also a nice tax write-off. Nevertheless, the preparations he had seen before his departure had impressed him. He had said he looked forward to seeing its completion when he got back. Everyone had been surprised when Lexington had returned alone from the Pennsylvania job. It had taken several days to break the encryption and then several more to incorporate what they had learned from the Nightstone facility with the data they already had.

It seemed that the spying had been mutual. Demona's people had gathered some crucial pieces to the puzzle for them. What the emerging picture showed him had been alarming. Gathering the information he needed and preparing the plan for the mission had used up another three days. He had then sent Lexington back to New York with the disks.

"Hunter was certain it was that urgent?" Goliath asked.

Lex nodded. "He insisted they not waste a minute. He seemed… I dunno, consumed, by the idea of shutting down this particular operation as soon as he learned about it." The small gargoyle shrugged. "He sent me back with the data disks and headed for his next target. I don't know why it's so urgent. I think it might be personal for him."

Goliath frowned. A personal mission? He hoped the mutate knew what he was doing. "Do you know what this project involved?"

"Only that it has something to do with cloning."

***********************************************************************

"It's not the cloning itself that concerns me," Hunter told the others. "It's what they are cloning."

"So what are they cloning?" Felix wanted to know. "Growing werewolves and vampires are they? Not dinosaurs I hope, dinosaurs have been done to death."

Hunter lowered the binoculars and snorted. "I wish it were that simple. Unfortunately there isn't much I can tell you. But it is vital that we put a stop to it."

"You're asking us to put a lot of faith in you Hunter." Magdalena put in. "You've done well by us so far, but it's a bit soon for unconditional trust." Ellie nodded. The shy young woman had taken to following Magdalena's lead in everything. The others watched him to see how he would react.

"I know I'm asking a lot of you. I appreciate the trust you've shown me." He paused a moment. "I thought it best that…" He paused again. "The reason I've been so secretive is that I'm not all that certain of what we'll find in there. All I know is that they got their hands on a tissue sample from a… a rather unusual individual." Hunter leaned back and sighed. "Frankly, I didn't think you'd believe me if I told you what I thought they were doing."

"And what are they cloning in there?" Magdalena asked, the skepticism and the challenge plain in her voice. "Who is this unusual individual?"

The members of the group had been learning, gradually to read Hunter's expressions. His outer calm did not seem to waver, but they knew the subject made him uncomfortable. He took a deep breath and plunged ahead. "In the time since we've been changed you've learned of the existence of gargoyles and mad scientists and other things that you had previously believed were nonsense, the product of overactive imaginations and B-movies. Is it so great a stretch to believe that there is more out there than that, that there could be stranger things? The files I read indicate that the subject the sample was taken from exhibited some remarkable talents. The person who wrote it saw the subject perform almost superhuman feats." This, thought Hunter, is going to be the part that's to believe. "I think the person was playing down what he saw so as not to be dismissed as a nut."

"What sort of superhuman feats?" Ellie asked nervously. Magdalena snorted in derision.

"Don't let him suck you in chica. He just wants us to follow him on another suicide mission."

"Well, you have to admit," Ellie ventured, "we have seen some pretty strange things. I mean, gargoyles that turn to stone during the day. What if there are stranger things? What did the report say?"

"The wildest claim the report made was that the subject exhibited strong telekenetic abilities."

"You mean moving things just by thinking about it? Like that Stephen King book?" Hunter glanced at Felix, who had asked the question, and nodded.

"Putting aside for a moment whether there is such a thing." Joey raised a hand to hold off Magdalena's objection. "My main concern is that we're rushing this. We don't have complete information. Before we had a layout of the complex and knew exactly what to expect. This time we know next to nothing about what is inside that place." He faced Hunter directly. "Your information on what is actually going on in there is a little vague for my tastes as well. Can you tell us anything more about the 'subject'. Are we going in to destroy it? Or is this a rescue mission?"

"A bit of both. I want to get the subject out of there and destroy any tissue samples in the lab. I honestly don't know what to expect from the subject though. The report indicated a human female at some points, but at others the author seemed vague, as if he wasn't sure what he was dealing with." He moved over to the table that was one of the few pieces of furniture in their hideaway. "The lack of information is no longer a concern. This arrived earlier today. I have a spy there now. He got a job on the security staff four days ago and has been able to provide details on the security system surrounding the subject. Unfortunately, he hasn't been able to get close to her yet."

***********************************************************************

He spent the next two hours going over the maps of the surrounding area, plans from the office of the architect, and the reports they had gotten from their spy. Even Magdalena seemed grudgingly impressed by the time Hunter had finished.

Finally they stood atop a building near the target. Hunter watched the street carefully. There wasn't much traffic, but that wasn't surprising at this time of night, on the south side of Boston. The area was home to a variety of heavy industries. The General Industries office appeared to be nothing more than a small, but respectable office building attached to a small warehouse. For the most part, that's what it was, but Hunter's research had revealed something else.

They waited impatiently for the signal from inside. General Industries' newest employee, Murray Skinner, was one of Talon's homeless. Although he had had problems with alcohol, drugs, and the law, he was still Hunter's choice as a human operative for this mission. Murray, despite his faults, was a talented hacker and had experience working security. He had even managed to teach Lex a few tricks with security systems. When the signal came it was as quiet and unremarkable as Hunter had hoped for. The blinds in one of the windows moved in the prearranged pattern.

Hunter and Felix moved across the open area between the buildings as quickly as possible and entered through the window. Murray met them and led the way into the corridor and along the route with the carefully disabled security cameras.

***********************************************************************

Murray was shaking badly. He needed a drink. Although he knew the people he was working with weren't monsters, at least he knew this on one level, he still wanted to wet himself every time one of them smiled, showing those sharp teeth, or when one of them spread their wings. It just wasn't right for such things to be happening. It destroyed his belief in a sane universe. Murray wanted to believe in a nice normal world where there were no monsters or mad scientists. He wanted to believe that such things happened only in movies. He looked at the creatures following him. He wanted a drink.

***********************************************************************

It proved unnecessary to go to the cloning lab. "I found the one you want," Murray said. "There won't be any trouble. The kid can't wait to get out of here."

"Kid?" Felix asked. "I thought we were here after some genetic monstrosity? Frankenstein revisited or somethin'."

"Don't look like a monster to me," Murray shrugged. "Just a little kid that wants to leave. Says the people who made her treat her bad. What does she mean 'made her'?"

"You've spoken to the subject?" Hunter asked, ignoring the question. He hadn't told the others all of what he had seen in the files, certain they wouldn't believe him. Some part of him still hoped he was wrong.

Murray nodded. "Sure, sweet little girl, maybe 12 years old." He looked puzzled. "If this is the kind of 'monster' these mad scientists are making maybe they aren't so bad y'know?" Hunter did not respond as he followed Murray down the series of halls till they reached and undistinguished door, like every other door in the corridor; metal, heavy, and locked. There was no guard. Murray knocked twice and then after waiting a second, three times. The door opened. Inside a rather ordinary looking girl with mousy brown hair and freckles was waiting. She wore a pair of blue jeans and a T-shirt and was waiting for them next to an ordinary bed in an ordinary bedroom. The only things that seemed out of place were the security cameras in each corner of the room and the armed guard snoring peacefully on the bed. Murray frowned at the guard, confused, but was quickly distracted by the girl. She smiled at Murray when he came through the door, obviously happy to see him. Hunter entered next. The girl's jaw dropped, and she backed away. "G-get away!" she stammered raising her hands as if to ward him off.

"Don't worry honey," Murray quickly reassured the girl. "These are the friends I told you about. They want to help you escape. They'll take you somewhere safe." The girl looked dubious. Hunter knelt before her, keeping a comforting distance away.

"I know you have no good reason to trust us, but I have had dealings with the kind of people keeping you a prisoner here. They are not people you want running your life. I've seen what they are willing to do to gain power over other people, to make them do what they say." The girl nodded hesitantly.

"I know. I knew someone was coming to get me out, but I didn't expect anything like you." Hunter chuckled at this. Her eyes were wide and blue. It was difficult to imagine she could be any kind of threat to anyone. Hunter, thought he knew different though. If this child was what he believed her to be she could be very dangerous. "I don't want to hurt people. I saw and heard them say they wanted me to do things for them." She spoke quickly as if to get it all out. "I don't know how to do what they want." She considered a moment. "They treat me like a slave here, a lab rat. I don't want to stay." She approached Hunter cautiously and examined him closely. "This isn't what you are is it?"

Hunter shook his head, surprised by the sudden change of subject. "I used to be human, like Murray here. I can tell you all about it later, but if we are going to go, we had better go now." The child nodded seriously.

Murray looked confused. "I don't get it. How could they use her to hurt anyone? She don't look dangerous."

"Appearances can be deceiving Murray. You should know that. Come on, we still have to get the cell samples she was cloned from." The girl shook her head.

"No you don't. I got 'em." She ran to her dresser and took out a metal container. "Everything is in here." Hunter shook his head, amazed. Then he smiled, careful not to show his teeth.

"Excellent. You stole those yourself?"

"It wasn't stealing," she said defensively. "It's from me."

"Good point," he admitted. "Now let's get out of here." They had not yet made it half way back when the alarm sounded.

"I guess someone discovered my modifications," Murray muttered picking up the pace. The hall was deserted, but they could hear guards coming from different directions. Hunter urged them to greater speed, motioning Felix to keep an eye out behind them. They could already hear guards in an adjoining corridor coming closer. They rounded a corner and saw a group of armed men waiting at the other end.

"What the hell are those?" one man asked.

"Who cares? Shoot to kill!" the ranking guard ordered.

"Sir what about the experiment?"

"Her too. We can't take any chances." The guards opened fire.

"No!" the girl screamed raising her hands. Nothing seemed to happen, but the bullets never reached them. They seemed to stop of their own volition in mid-air. Then they moved again. There was no sound of ricochet, so the shooting did not stop immediately when the first guard fell, struck in the head by his own bullet. Two more were wounded before the rest gave up and retreated. The group ducked into an empty office. The office had just what Hunter had been hoping for, a large picture window.

"Joey, you there?" Hunter spoke softly into the microphone at his throat.

"Where else would I be? Got a problem?"
"We're coming out, but we may need help. There are alarms ringing throughout the building. We're in a third floor office on the west side. Is our way clear?"

"We can see guards coming onto the roof. Two are armed with riffles."

"Distract them for us would you?" They didn't have to wait long. From above came startled yells and several gunshots. Hunter used a heavy chair to shatter the window. Picking up the girl he dove for the nearest building that could provide cover. Felix was right behind him with Murray. From two blocks away he called the others. "We're clear. Get out of there, and head for the rendezvous."

***********************************************************************

"That was entirely too easy," Joey insisted. Hunter was inclined to agree. "I mean everything so far has been easy. The first raid against Nightstone's lab and now this. I'm starting to wonder."

"It has gone very smoothly." Hunter frowned. He always got suspicious when something was too easy, but Joey surprised him. The former P.I. was not an optimist by any means, but he was not inclined to be paranoid either. He dismissed the thought. "Let's not borrow trouble. We'll just be careful and watchful until we have something concrete to worry about." He turned away to look out the window of the condemned building they were hiding in. "Tonight though, things went smoothly mainly thanks to her." He nodded at the girl sitting at the end of the table flipping through a magazine. "She did the most difficult part of our job for us tonight." The others looked at her curiously.

"What's so special about her anyway?" Magdalena asked.

Murray snorted. "You wouldn't ask that if you had seen what she did in there." He turned to their guest. "How exactly did you stop those bullets? Why was that guard asleep on your bed? How did-"

"Enough Murray. There will be enough time for explanations. Let's not badger her."

"What's your name little one?" Felix asked, sitting down next to her. She looked startled and then thoughtful.

"I don't have one," she said. "They never gave me one." Felix looked offended at this. Of course they hadn't Hunter realized, feeling a flash of anger toward her captors. A name would have been the first step toward an identity of her own. They would have actively discouraged that.

"Well, you'll need a name then," Hunter decided, "something that suits you. Do you have any preferences?"

She shook her head. "I don't know any names really. Why didn't they give me one?" she asked curiously.

Hunter couldn't stop himself from scowling. She took a step back. "I'm sorry. I'm angry at them, not you. They didn't give you a name so you wouldn't start to feel like a person. They wanted you as nothing more than a tool, something they could use." The others nodded grimly. They had all been through much the same thing when they were first changed. Remembering the degradation they suffered made them feel for the girl. Hunter got up and motioned her to follow him. "Let me show you something." He led her to a mirror leaning against a wall in the corner of the room.

"Here. This is you." She stared at the mirror for several minutes drinking in every aspect of her appearance. She reached out and touched the mirror, drawing back quickly when her hand encountered the cold glass. She hesitantly reached out and touched it again, gently pressing her fingertips against it.

"This is familiar," she murmured, as if straining to remember something she knew long ago.

"There were mirrors in the place you were being kept?" Ellie asked.

"No, I remember from before, but…" she shook her head. "There wasn't a before. I was born in the lab." She frowned prettily. "I don't understand." She pressed against the mirror again as if it were a curtain she expected to part. Everyone but Hunter thought this rather strange. He had been dreading something like this. Standing behind her, he gently brushed her hair back away from her face. None of the others saw what he saw.

"Now," said Felix cheerfully. "You need a name to go with that pretty face."

She smiled, recognizing the word as a compliment. "Like what?" she asked.

Felix cocked his head, thinking for a moment. "How about 'Carrie'?" The others pointedly ignored him just as they might if he'd made any other rude noise.

"How about Robin?" Joey suggested. "I have a cousin by that name and," he looked her over carefully. "Somehow it suits you."

"Robin?" she considered this. Then she smiled. "I like it!" Most of the group was pleased with her reaction. The newly christened Robin's enthusiasm was almost infectious. No one noticed Hunter stiffen slightly.

"All right then Robin, it's almost dinnertime." Hunter glanced out the window at the brightening skyline. You hungry?"

She nodded. "But shouldn't that be breakfast?"

"Not with the hours we keep," Ellie smiled a bit sadly. "We can't exactly walk around in broad daylight." Robin nodded, understanding.

"Is there anything I can do?"

Hunter shook his head. "We'll get set up. You relax. You didn't get much sleep last night."

They busied themselves with preparations for the meal, all except for Murray. He came over to where Robin was sitting and smiled. "You know, you never did answer my question?"

"Question?"

"How did you stop those bullets? Why was the guard asleep in your room?"

She frowned. "I don't know the answer. I-I just wanted those things. I wanted the guard to sleep and I wanted the bullets not to hurt us." She frowned in concentration, then shook her head. "I just don't know. I'm sorry." She shrank away a little as if expecting punishment.

"You must have some idea how you did it?" he asked a quiet intensity creeping into his voice.

Robin shook her head, "I'm sorry," she took a small step away, clearly becoming frightened. They used to ask her questions like this in the lab when she was able to perform some trick for them once and then failed to duplicate it. They asked their quiet, polite, insistent questions before…

"What are you doing?" Magdalena asked from behind him. Murray started guiltily and turned around.

"Just asking some questions is all," he mumbled. Magdalena looked at the girl who was edging away from both of them nervously.

"Go set the table," she told him gruffly. When he was gone she sat down next to Robin. "It's okay honey. No one here is going to hurt you. I promise." Robin looked doubtful. "Did they hurt you there?" The girl hesitated, but finally nodded. "Why?"

"When I couldn't do what they wanted me to do. When I couldn't answer questions about how I did… things." She trailed off, looking away from the mutate.

"What sort of things?" Magdalena asked.

"All sorts." Robin gestured vaguely. "Moving things, making things change. Sometimes I could do it, other times I couldn't. I don't know why." Her eyes had drifted toward the floor, but now she quickly glanced up, to see how Magdalena would react. She was still afraid of being punished for being so vague, but she really couldn't be any clearer. She tensed herself when she saw Magdalena's face. The expression was difficult to read, but she was clearly not happy. The expected blow didn't come, and the expression on her face softened when she saw how frightened the girl was.

"It's all right," she assured Robin. "No one will hurt you here. We're just curious about you. It'll be okay." She got up. "Dinner will be ready soon." She went in search of Hunter.

***********************************************************************

"Who or should I ask what is she?" Hunter cocked an eyebrow. "Don't give me that. What aren't you telling us about that girl?"

Hunter tapped a few keys, disconnecting from the laptop he was working on. "I'm not sure you'll believe the answer even after you see proof." He turned away from the computer to face her directly. "I had a hard enough time accepting it myself at first." Magdalena waited expectantly. Hunter sighed again. "Quite simply, she's an elf."

"What?" She blinked, not sure she had heard correctly.

"They go by a variety of names, dark elves, the fair folk, the third race. They are all Oberon's Children.

"An elf." It wasn't quite sinking in. "You sure one of those bullets didn't graze your head?"

"Quite sure. I told you you wouldn't believe it."

"Can you prove it? Can she do magic?"

"From what I've seen tonight she has the potential to manipulate matter and energy on a fairly high level. She demonstrated some impressive telekenetic abilities, and I believe she has barely scratched the surface. As to magic,… that's a matter of semantics. One person's magic is another person's engineering. The Fay have enormous personal power, they have abilities we lack certainly, but birds, spiders, and fish can also do things that humans can't. I don't see any point in splitting hairs though. Call it magic if you like."

Magdalena sucked in a breath. "Even after some of the strange things that have happened to us,…" She shook her head. "I'll have to see proof."

"That she's not human, or that I'm not crazy?"

"Both."

***********************************************************************

Everyone at the dinner table listened raptly as Hunter spun his tale. None listened more closely than Robin.

"I've met a few of the Fay in my time, and I've regretted every meeting. The last time I encountered them was in Canada, on Queen Florence Island. A normally beautiful island was dying. The people there were being forced to pack up and leave. The chief of the native tribe that lives on the island is a scientist of some repute. I worked with him running tests on the soil, water, and air. We found nothing to explain what was happening. There was a tribal elder everyone called Grandmother. She was always going on about how the chief had to climb the mountain and fight Raven to reclaim the island. As far as I know, I'm the only one who listened to her."

EIGHTEEN MONTHS EARLIER: QUEEN FLORENCE ISLAND

Hunter moved quietly through the woods, keeping a safe distance from the old woman. If she was what he believed her to be, his precautions might be useless. She might know that he was following her, but he kept up the pretense anyway.

The clearing was not a large one, but it was big enough for Grandmother's needs. She sat down under a tree and, closing her eyes, she began to hum. For a moment nothing happened. Then her form blurred and began to expand. In the space of a few seconds a huge bird like creature had taken the old woman's place.

In his hiding place, Hunter hissed in anger. "I knew it. This is just like the last time. SSDD." He wasn't sure what he would do about it. Knowing what he did about these creatures, there didn't seem to be much he could do. As it happened he didn't have to act.

"You're not thinking of interfering directly are you cousin?" The mocking, chiding voice came from the other side of the clearing. Hunter focused on the voice and saw a raven headed bat-winged creature walking out of the forest. "You know you can't push the boy chief. He has to choose to face me."

The bird melted back into the form of the old woman. "I do not plan to force him to do anything. I only wish him to know that there is more to this world than his science can explain."

"Going to speak to him in thunder are you? Show him one of his tribe's gods and hope he'll listen to you then? You know better. You have to follow the rules, same as me."

"Rules are only important to you if someone else breaks them," the old woman said, sounding a little peevish. "Do not quote Oberon's law to me trickster. I know it as well as you." They continued to argue as Hunter watched, his anger growing. A game. It was just a game to them. He raised the hunting riffle he carried knowing it would do no good. It was satisfying though to sight along it and focus the cross-hairs on them, first on one, then the other. It took him a second to realize that the conversation had stopped.

"If you know it is useless why bother with that toy?" Raven turned his beady red eyes toward Hunter's hiding place. He gritted his teeth, determined not to show any fear to the creatures.

"It makes it easier to picture the enormously satisfying spectacle of your heads flying apart," he answered honestly, lowering the weapon. He stepped out of the shadows doing his best to look annoyed rather than scared silly. "Why can't you two just arm wrestle or something?"

Raven laughed. "I prefer chess, and our version is so much more entertaining. When the pawns think for themselves endless surprises are possible."

"You disgust me." Hunter said flatly, "both of you." The old woman smiled sadly.

"We are not as callous as you think. Do you realize what would happen if we competed directly instead of through intermediaries? The destruction would be terrible. The inconvenience of a few people is a small price for…"

"Your amusement?" Hunter asked bluntly.

"Why do you bother justifying yourself to this gnat, cousin? He is nothing to us." Raven made a shooing gesture. "Be gone gnat." Even as Hunter brought his riffle up there was a rushing of air as green light seemed to flicker and flash around him for a second. When it cleared he was pointing his gun toward the shore as he hovered in mid-air above the bay. Like a character in a road runner cartoon he hovered for a few seconds until he looked down. The water was very cold.

The next day he grudgingly told the young chief that there was no technology that could help the island. The scientist looked confused when Hunter told him with a grimace that if he wanted his home back he would have to play the game. Hunter offered no further explanation before leaving the island.

***********************************************************************

"And these two were like me? They could do the same things I can do?"

"And more." Hunter sighed. He seemed to be doing a lot of that tonight. "I hope that you will be better than them Robin. They are cold and aloof. They see humans as play things for their amusement and abuse their power in terrible ways."

"Why? Why do they do things like that?" Felix was well into the story by now. He seemed to accept it at face value.

"Boredom. I know it sounds contrite, but that is the simple truth." His audience gave him a blank look. "The Fay are immortal. Even the youngest of them has already lived well over two thousand years. In such a long life it is, I suppose easy to view everything else as transitory, less important or even worthy. They have been everywhere, done everything. Now they live to stave off boredom. They have no other agenda that I know of." That wasn't strictly true, but Hunter wasn't ready to tell them everything.

"How many have you met?"

"Eight in all, the two in Canada, four in Europe, and a couple in South America. All of them were playing one game or another with humans as the game pieces."

Robin had grown very quiet, and as eyes turned towards her she seemed to grow smaller, pulling in on herself as if trying to escape their notice. When she finally spoke, the words were so quiet Hunter had to strain to hear them, though he had come to kneel next to her. "When you first said you knew about my people, knew what I was I was excited. I'm not sure I want to meet any of them now." Robin shuddered.

"I am sorry I don't have better news for you, but you don't have to be like them."

"Never!" she said adamantly, then looked around nervously at the others. Hunter nodded, satisfied. Joey looked very skeptical about the whole business. When she looked at Felix he was smiling at her. Magdalena managed a smile of her own, but was obviously as skeptical as Joey. Murray looked confused and angry.

"You're all nuts," he muttered. "Fairies for God's sake. Nonsense." He pushed away from the table. Robin cringed a bit as he walked past her and out the door.

"Assuming this is all real," Joey asked. "How powerful is she? What can she do?"

"I'm not sure. The Fay I've seen have done incredible things. It seems almost like wish fulfillment." Everyone looked nervously at Robin. The object of their scrutiny shrank further into her chair looking frightened, as if she was expecting an attack. "We should try to help her hone those abilities," he said, somewhat reluctantly. "Come."

***********************************************************************

Robin stared at the box, concentrating. Nothing happened.

"Remember what I said earlier about wish fulfillment? Don't concentrate. Don't try to make the box move. Just want it." Hunter and the others watched expectantly as Robin forced herself to relax.

"Just want it," she repeated to herself. "Okay." For another moment nothing happened. Then the box began to move. It slid across the floor to her feet. She stared at it in shock.

"A good beginning," Hunter assured her. "You can't expect to accomplish miracles on your first try." Everyone stared at Robin. She was clearly uncomfortable with it. "Your power and your control over it will grow in time."

"What's she going to do with this power is what worries me." Joey watched the girl closely as he said this, curious as to how she would react. The idea actually seemed to frighten her.

"What am I going to do? Am I going to be a monster like the other Fay?"

"I can't believe that," Hunter assured her. "You are off to a good start. What is more important than the power itself though, is that you use it responsibly."

"How?" She looked wary. "The people who made me wanted me to do things for them. The doctor in charge said I would be able to do whatever I was told to do. Are you going to tell me what to do now?"

"I do not want to run your life, however, I should lay down some ground rules about the way in which you use your power." Looking nervous and expectant, she waited for him to speak. "The Fay can read minds if they choose. Entering another person's mind without their knowledge or permission is a violation of that person. Please promise me you will be careful not to take advantage of other people in that way. Invading someone's mind, and forcing your will on them is a form of rape. I'm not sure how to make you understand that."

"I know what that word means." She paused for a moment and shuddered. She was afraid to tell Hunter after what he had said, but she had, on occasion, been able to see things in the minds of the people at the lab. She had vivid memories of some of those images. She had lain awake at night, terrified that they would start to punish her like that. She could not bring herself to say as much to these people, but it wasn't necessary. They saw her reaction and seemed almost able to read HER mind. The two females stiffened with outrage.

"No one here'll do that to you." Ellie assured her, "or let anyone else." Everyone nodded, and Robin relaxed a little.

"You'll learn about yourself and your abilities at your own pace." Hunter assured her. "There will be no 'punishments'."

***********************************************************************

Much to Robin's surprise, they were as good as their word. Hunter took responsibility for her education as they moved toward the next target, a research center in upstate New York. Felix proved a good friend, and she spent hours with him, just talking. She never realized how much had been denied her in the confines of the lab. It was Felix who discovered that she could not read and offered to teach her. She quickly got over her fear of them and began to act more like a normal girl of her age, or approximate age. She talked more and smiled often making the others smile and even laugh with her.

Her talent and control also grew, but her magic, as she chose to call it, was still erratic. Some of the accidents were comical. Some of them were definitely not.

Robin tossed the book aside. "My brain hurts. Can we stop for a while."

"Sure. Why don't we take a look around this place?" He gestured to their current hideaway, a cabin in the woods about 10 miles from their next target. It was secluded and lacked any conveniences, so they were forced to rough it, but it did give them a good staging ground for their assault on the research complex.

After walking for a ways the two climbed a hill and sat at the top.

"It's beautiful out here." Robin said looking around at the forest. Felix nodded.

"I grew up in a big city, so this is all kind of new to me, but it is beautiful. He spotted a stream down below. "Hey you thirsty. Way out here I bet the streams are even safe to drink from." He got up.

"Wait. Let me." Robin did not rise but looked down at the stream smiling, and wanting. Felix looked back and forth between her and the stream.

"What are you-"
"Duck," Robin said with a mischievous glint in her eye. Felix glanced down and had just enough time to jump back before an arc of water passed through the spot where he had been standing. It passed within inches of Robin's head and she turned and drank from the water. Felix stared. It looked for all the world like she was drinking from a water fountain if you ignored the fact that the water was coming from a stream almost thirty feet away.

"YOW!!! Geez that's cold!" The water splashed to the ground as they both turned and looked down to where the water had been going. Ellie stood at the bottom of the hill, drenched. She stared up at the two who were starting to laugh. Robin got up and ran down the hill toward her, trying not to laugh at the way her fur clung to her in places while sticking out strangely in others. She looked angry, but Robin was apologizing even as she came within earshot.

"I didn't mean to do that, sorry. It was an accident." Ellie raised a hand.

"That's all right. Just be more careful huh? I've really started to understand why cats hate water." She turned to glare at Felix who was making no effort to conceal his mirth. "If you say I look like a drowned cat I'll dunk you personally." Felix shook his head smiling.

"I wouldn't say that, too obvious, but you are soaked." Then he grinned. "Why don't you go curl up by the fire? I'll get you some warm milk." Robin couldn't hold back a laugh at the thought of the feline woman lying in front of the fire and lapping at a bowl of milk. Ellie growled softly and turned to walk away. Robin went after her and grabbed her arm.

"I really am sorry. I didn't mean to laugh." Her expression was so earnest that Ellie couldn't be mad at her.

"It's okay, really" Ellie led the way inside so she could dry off.

***********************************************************************

"I am getting better." Robin said. She usually wasn't inclined to stand up to Hunter when he made a decision, but this was important to her. "I want to help. I know I can."

"Your magic is still too unpredictable. You could accidentally jeopardize the mission. There are mutates and humans in that building that we have to help. It will require precise timing and no surprises." He sighed. "I'm sorry Robin. I know you want to help, but this could be dangerous."

"My magic worked okay when you got me out of the lab in Boston. I put up the shield remember?"

"That was instinct. You were directly threatened. I don't want to put you in the line of fire on the chance that it would happen again." He looked at her solemnly, then continued in a gentler voice. "I don't want to risk you getting hurt." She was somewhat mollified by this, but took another tack.

"Can I watch from a distance, come with you to the rendezvous point so I can see what's happening? You wouldn't even have to carry me there. I bet I can change into something with wings."

Hunter looked doubtful as he considered this. "You haven't tried shape shifting before…have you?"

"No, but I know I can do it. Watch." They all watched curiously as the girl stepped away from them and took a deep breath or two. "Hmm, something with wings," she murmured. Something was precisely what they got.

Her form began to ripple and change. "Madre Dios!" Magdalena swore, backing away. Similar sentiments were echoed around the room. The scene might have been comical under other circumstances. Hunter tore his eyes from the… thing before them to look at the others. Around the room feline ears were laid back against fur covered skulls. Eyes had grown wide and were almost starting from their sockets.

"What's wrong?" Robin asked looking around.

"How…" Felix choked out, "can a human sounding voice come out of a mouth like that?!" Robin turned toward the only mirror in the room and stared. She stared at the creature in the glass for almost a minute before speaking.

"Well," she said in a small voice. "I've got wings."

A calm voice she couldn't seem to place at the moment spoke from behind her. "Robin, please change back." She gathered her wits long enough to do so, though it seemed to take forever. Everyone was relieved when she settled into her familiar human form. No one spoke for a long time. Finally, Ellie broke the silence.

"All in favor of forgetting that happened say aye." There were no dissenters.

***********************************************************************

They were not the only ones making unpleasant discoveries. Dr. Goldblum had just arrived at his lab in the sanctuary. His assistant Sharon wasn't there yet. This struck him as odd, as she was usually working in the lab before he arrived. Her new form had in no way detracted from her effectiveness as a lab assistant, and she was oddly ambiguous when the others talked about returning to human form. He hadn't quite figured that out yet. After all, Sharon did have a life to return to. His musings were interrupted by a sound from behind one of the lab benches.

"Sharon? Is that you?" He moved toward the sound only to have whoever it was dart away and hide behind a cabinet. "Who's there? Come on out now." There was no answer.

"Hmm." He realized it was probably one of the kids from the labyrinth who had gone exploring and somehow found their way in here. "I'm not angry with you, but you really shouldn't be in here. Please, come out." He moved around the cabinet, effectively cornering whoever it was.

"No!" The voice startled him into taking a step back before he could properly see the person. "Ssstraanger." The voice was that of a young girl, but it had an odd quality he couldn't place. It sounded uncertain, as if rarely used.

"I won't hurt you" he promised, moving carefully to get a look at the girl while keeping his distance. "Are you hungry? I have some treats that I picked up for my own children. I don't think they'd mind sharing." He stopped when he got a look at the person behind the cabinet. He looked over her carefully, taking in details almost immediately that others might have missed.

At first glance, she appeared to be a pre-adolescent gargoyle, somewhere between fifteen and eighteen years old, but there were odd details. The hand clasping the edge of the cabinet had five fingers, not the usual four. Her wing, which was folded around her also seemed to have five "fingers". The other thing he noticed was that she was hurt. One eye was blackened. Her red skin was discolored by a bruise that was just beginning to form.

"Gracious God," he muttered. "Who did that child?" His kindly tone was beginning to have some effect on her. "Come out, please. I would never hurt a child. I assure you." She moved forward a little. Goldblum knelt and smiled his best smile, doing his utmost to look harmless. She gradually come out, but kept her distance.

"Stranger," she said distinctly. He nodded.

"True, but everyone is a stranger until you meet them." He held out his hand. "I'm Dr. Goldblum. What's your name?"

"Eve? Evey are you in here?" The call startled them both. Goldblum rose to see Maggie Reed coming into the lab. "Doctor, have you seen Evey? She's ah.., about this tall-" she broke off.

"Well. There is a very pretty young lady here who hasn't gotten around to telling me her name yet. It could be her." He smiled down at the child. "Evey?" She nodded.

Maggie hurried around the lab bench to find Eve sitting on the floor next to the cabinet. She stopped when she saw the black-eye. "What happened?"

"I'm not sure. I found her hiding in here. Small wonder she is nervous around strangers. Whoever did that…" he shook his head disparagingly.

"What happened Eve? Tell me." Eve seemed to ponder the request for a time. Finally, she spoke.

"Wanted to play. Outside in Labry... Outside. Stranger not want me to play. Not want play with me."

"Were these strangers small, like you?"

"Small, not like me."

Maggie nodded. "You tried to play with some of the other kids in the labyrinth, and they didn't want to play with you. Did they hit you?" Eve nodded.

Goldblum watched the entire exchange with growing fascination. Who or what was this girl? She was clearly a gargoyle, but there were those odd differences. He watched Maggie hug the girl when she started crying. This should be an interesting story.

It was.

***********************************************************************

It was eventually agreed that Robin could wait at the rendezvous for them. She was determined to help her friends in spite of themselves. Hunter carried her there himself, asking that she not try any magic for a while.

"Not everything I do turns out that bad," she reminded him. "I want to be able to help you, keep any of you from getting hurt."

"I know Robin," Magdalena smiled down at her. "The best way you can do that is by being somewhere we know you're safe."

"What if I could stay safe outside the building and still help?"

"How?" Magdalena asked, a little distracted. She was watching the building intently. All around it and inside it Hunter and the others were moving into position. Felix had surprised himself by making it to the roof unobserved and was waiting for the signal to take out the two guards stationed there. Hunter was in a tree at the forest's edge. Murray was inside, working security under a different name. Joey and another human friend from the labyrinth were in the loading bay. Joey, hidden in a crate and Emil waiting the chance to create a distraction and let him out. Everything had gone smoothly up until this point. Robin was the one hitch they hadn't counted on.

"Well, what if all of the guards and stuff were to go to sleep? Wouldn't that make it easier?"

"I don't think that's a good idea." Cautioned the tawny coated mutate.

"It would be easy. I can feel how to do it, just talking about it." She looked down at the building. "I can feel how to do it." There was a slight green glow that caught Magdalena's eye.

She quickly lifted the radio to her lips. "Hunter we may have a problem." There was no response. "Hunter? Felix check in." She was answered by a loud snore. "Madre."

***********************************************************************

Jack Dobson was having a very bad week. It had started out well enough, granted. The job hauling boxes and pushing a mop was not a dream come true, but it was honest work, and he had been determined not to screw it up like the last job. He had promised himself that this time he would stay out of trouble. This time he would stop drinking for good and get his act together.

He had actually managed to do it too. He had stayed clean and sober. So, he knew it wasn't an alcohol induced hallucination when the fur covered thing grabbed him and hauled him into a closet. He began to wish very much that it was a hallucination, however, when the thing began begging him for help. Things like that just didn't happen in a sane world.

He had agreed to help just to get away from it. His boss and the guards, however, were less than understanding when he barged into the lab with tales of monsters in the closet. He understood why when he saw the man strapped down to the table. It had been, at that point, still recognizable as a man.

***********************************************************************

Jack got up and paced his cell. It was a well-made cell, designed to hold something strong. The bars, he had learned through painful experience, were electrified. Although there were bars on each side, he could only see the area directly beyond the door. His captors didn't want their subjects talking to each other. Not that there were that many subjects. Strange as it was to think it, Jack realized that he was lucky. Many of those experimented on had not survived the experience.

Lucky, that was a laugh. He did his best to avoid looking down at himself. He didn't want to see the claws and fur. He certainly didn't want to look into a mirror and see the fangs that came with his new canine look. It just wasn't possible. There was no such thing as a werewolf. It was not part of a sane and rational world. God, he needed a drink.

A noise at the cell door interrupted his brooding. He went to the barred entrance and looked out, careful not to touch the electrified bars. There was a man in a security guard's uniform sliding down the wall across the hall. He appeared to be fast asleep. What the hell? He was definitely asleep. He even snored. His neighbor in the next cell knocked on the wall to gain his attention.

"What happened?" asked a tremulous female voice.

"I don't know. It looks like he just dozed off." Jack shook his head. It was as believable as anything else that had happened recently. "Can you reach him? Maybe get his keys or whatever?"

"I don't know. I'll try." A long arm covered with fine gray fur came into view. "Ow!" she drew back from the bars.

"Careful. There's enough juice there to fry you. You can actually hear it."

"Thanks for the warning," she muttered. "Can you reach him?" Jack got on his knees and reached through the bars, very aware of the hum of the powerful electrical current running through them. The man's foot was barely within reach. Carefully, he stretched as far as he could and managed to snag a toe. Delighted with his success he pulled to bring the man closer to him. Jack lost his balance and almost fell against the bars when the shoe came off.

"Are you all right?" Jack couldn't answer. He was unable to speak for a moment, unnerved by the close call. Instead of waiting for an answer she reached out again and grabbed the guard's foot. The man woke as he was pulled across the floor, but was rendered unconscious again when his sock clad foot came into contact with an electrified bar. It was a relatively simple matter to get his keycard and open the cells after that, especially since she didn't care how much voltage their jailer absorbed.

Jack stepped out of the cell and looked over his rescuer. She was about six feet tall and slender with short gray fur and vaguely canine features. The long brown hair made a striking contrast with the gray. Not bad for a circus freak, he thought uncharitably. "I'm Jack Dobson." He stuck out his hand.

"Sheila West." The woman nodded, shaking hands briefly. "Let's get out of here." They moved down the corridor. Along the way they opened cells for two more captives, both of whom were still human. They were scared of their rescuers but more frightened of the prospect of staying in the cells. They quickly left the two wolf mutates behind and ran for the nearest exit. Jack and Sheila followed more carefully. Along the way they found several sleeping guards. It began to look like they might actually make it when someone rang the fire alarm.

***********************************************************************

When the guard at the roof access fell asleep he wasn't sitting down. Nor was he leaning against a wall he could quietly slide down. He was standing in front of a covered vent pipe sticking up about two feet from the roof. He never knew what hit him. One moment he was on his feet alert and awake, and the next, he was lying on his side doubled over in pain from the point where the pipe had caught him in the stomach.

Assuming he had been attacked he grabbed his weapon and struggled to his feet in search of an enemy. He saw nothing at first, but then a most unexpected sound reached his ears. Someone nearby was snoring, quite loudly too. That made no sense. Carefully, he moved over to the source of the sound.

Behind an air-conditioning unit he found the last thing he expected to see. One of the experimental subjects had escaped. Why it was sleeping on the roof was anyone's guess, but he didn't pause to wonder about it. Quickly realizing that he couldn't handle the brute alone if it woke up, he moved on, making a quick circuit of the roof. There was nothing else unusual to be found so he made his way to the roof access and went inside to find help.

Sliding his keycard into the lock, the guard pushed through into the stairwell and started down. The first person he met was another guard who was slumped back in his chair snoring softly. "Wake up!" he shook the other man roughly.

"Huh? What? Hey what do you think you're doing?"

"You were asleep." The other man blinked incredulously. "You were. Now come on. One of the experiments got out and made it up to the roof. I need help getting him back in his cage." The other nodded, still confused.

"We'd best round up a few others then." A call to the security office that received no answer and a brief search of surrounding offices revealed that they were not the only ones who had been napping. The two were spooked now. They headed down to the main office, the mutate on the roof forgotten momentarily. They woke two more guards on the way. It was one of them that had the bright idea of setting off the fire alarm.

***********************************************************************

Joey woke to the sound of alarm bells. It took him a moment to remember where he was and what he was doing. It was then that he heard the urgent whispers in his ear piece.

"Joey! Joey are you still there?!"

"I'm here. What happened? There are alarms going off in here."

"No time to explain," came Magdalena's urgent whisper. "The others aren't responding. Create a distraction set a fire, whatever you have to do. Then, get out of there. I'm going to collect Felix and then we're leaving."

"What about the mission?"

"I don't think it's an option anymore. Security will be on full alert now, even if they don't know what's going on." Joey acknowledged and signed off. He listened carefully to the confused sounding people moving about the loading dock. Most of them were a fair distance away. He carefully opened the crate he was hiding in and peered out. No one was directly in his line of sight and there were enough crates to provide cover, so he moved carefully away from his hiding place until he saw what he was looking for. He found the fuse box.

Stepping out into the open, and noting the location of Emil, his contact inside, he smashed the fuse box. The effect was immediate and dramatic. The entire building was plunged into darkness. Moving quickly, he caught up with Emil for a hasty conference. The man was confused and frightened but willing enough to help.

"We'll never get a better chance. We know where the cells are let's get the captives and get out."

"What about Hunter?"

"I don't know. I haven't heard from him. Magdalena sounded a bit panicked. I think we have to take our chance now." Emil nodded, and they moved deeper into the complex toward the cells.

***********************************************************************

Jack, Sheila, and the other captives had crammed themselves into a closet. Jack wondered absently if it was the same one he had been dragged into a few days earlier. The staff was awake and moving now. Guards had passed their location several times already. They could see just enough light under the door to notice when the lights went out. Two guards passing their hiding place stopped and began complaining loudly.

"What now?"

"You're asking me? I still don't know what's going on."

"Join the club," Jack said from inside the closet. Before either guard could react he slammed the door open, catching one guard and sending him reeling into a wall. The other, still blinded, couldn't tell where the attack was coming from. Jack, similarly blind, swung wildly hoping to hit something in the dark. On his second swing he was rewarded with a satisfying CRACK and a thump as the man hit the floor.

"That hurt," he whined, shaking his hand. Sheila grabbed his arm and pulled him down the hall.

***********************************************************************

There are some benefits to being part cat Joey mused as he rushed down the hall. One of the biggest ones was being able to see in the dark. His eyes naturally made the best use of the limited light available. While the guards without flashlights were almost completely blind he could see well enough to stay out of trouble, for the most part. Relying so heavily on his eyes made it all the more shocking when he was suddenly forced to doubt them, but how could he do otherwise when two werewolves came around the corner ahead of him?

The two groups stopped and stared at each other. It only took Joey a moment to realize he was seeing two of the captives, escaped from their cells. The werewolves must have come to similar conclusions. The female stepped forward boldly.

"Do you know the way out of here?"

Joey nodded. "Are there any more captives?"

"Not that we saw. How do we get out?"

"You don't!" All of them turned quickly, just in time to be blinded by the powerful flashlights the three guards were holding. They were taped to the barrels of three very businesslike riffles.

***********************************************************************

Robin was shaking. "What did I do? What did I do?" she wailed, wringing her hands.

"Later. Let me think." Attempts to raise Hunter and Ellie had failed, and all she got from Felix was a sound like a chainsaw. The guard had gone in a few moments earlier, and she knew there would be reinforcements on the roof soon. "Hunter and Ellie should be fine where they are… Joey!" She quickly keyed the radio again, just as alarms started to sound.

After a short conversation, she turned to Robin. "I want you to stay here. Understand? Stay put. I'll be back as soon as I can."

"I should do something! This is all my fault! I should-"
"You've done enough for one night." Magdalena snapped, more harshly than she intended. She stopped herself before she could say more. "I'm sorry. I know you didn't mean it, but I don't have time." She turned and launched herself from the top of the hill. The guard had gone inside a moment earlier. There was no telling when he would be back or what kind of reinforcements he would bring.

A few words with Joey while in flight assured her that he was on his way out. That just left Felix. Despite the urgency of the situation she had to approach carefully. There could well be someone watching for intruders by now.

***********************************************************************

Robin could hear the alarm from the hill. She began to fret even worse. How could she be so stupid? Why had she even come? Everything would have been fine if she had stayed away. She stopped her pacing and fretting. "I have to help."

***********************************************************************

Joey and the wolf mutates stopped when they saw the guns. Joey was thinking furiously, trying to figure a way out of their dilemma.

"Down! On the floor NOW!" They began to obey. There were no obvious exits. The nearest intersection was too far away. There were no doors along that section of hall either. Joey could stun two of them at best, and even then one might pull the trigger in a current induced spasm. There didn't seem to be any way out, until Robin appeared.

She looked around, bewildered, then smiled at Joey. "Cool. I found you. I never did anything like that before. I-" she saw the look on his face and turned. She had appeared with her back to the guards. Now she stared at them and their guns, terrified.

"Where did she come from?" One asked.

"Who cares? On the floor with the rest of them, now!"

"She's just a kid," the first one said. Robin smiled, suddenly getting an idea.

"Am I?" Her smile got bigger as did the rest of her. Soon she had assumed the form she had earlier shown her friends during her first attempt at shape shifting. She still didn't know what it was, but it had the desired effect. All three guards stared at her. One glanced from the… thing in front of him to the gun in his hands. It suddenly seemed small and pathetic. With a cry of terror he dropped the weapon and ran. The other two quickly followed his example.

When they were out of sight she returned to her normal form. She turned to see that the two furry creatures hiding behind Joey had fainted.

"That was dumb. They could have shot you," Joey said, more frightened than angry.

"I'm sorry. I had a shield up. I wouldn't let them hurt you." She backed away looking afraid of Joey. "I'm sorry," she said again. He couldn't stay angry with her.

"Sorry I yelled. Let's just get out of here," he said softly. He turned and began to rouse the former captives.

***********************************************************************

Felix awoke with someone shaking him. "Come on! Madre! I can't believe you're sleeping through this racket. Wake up!" He opened his eyes to see Magdalena kneeling over him.

"What happened?"

"Later. We have to get out of here." She pulled him to his feet.

"Stay where you are!"

They whirled to find four guards aiming automatic weapons at them. Another rushed through the door as the leader finished speaking. Felix and Magdalena looked about frantically for a way out, but the guards had spread out. They couldn't make a run for it without being cut down.

"On the ground both of you," the man in charge snarled. "You freaks aren't going anywhere." Further insults and orders were cut off by a blood curdling roar from above. The guards shifted their aim upwards a second too late as two of them were swept off their feet and thrown at their comrades. The last guard still on his feet tried to draw a bead on Hunter as he circled for another pass, but their captives had wasted no time in taking advantage of the distraction. Soon, all of the guards were out cold.

"Hunter! Am I glad to see you! Come on, let's get out of here."

"Not yet Magdalena. I just spoke with Joey. He's going after the captives." She looked startled and started to protest. "We won't get another shot at this."

"But they know we're here. They'll be getting ready for us," she pointed out.

"I don't like it either, but Joey is right and he is already moving. We have to give him as much support as we can."

Felix nodded. "He's right." The lights were already out and the security guards were only just beginning to pull their act together. Hunter led the way through the building as quickly as he could, clearing each floor and making no effort to conceal their presence. He knew it was dangerous, drawing as much attention as possible to himself, and thus away from the captives, but it seemed the best way to give Joey a chance. Two floors down from the roof, Felix was shot in the leg.

"Damn, but that hurts!" He let out a last, unfocused burst of electricity, bringing down the guard who had wounded him and two others. Clasping his thigh, he slid to the floor. "Sorry Hunter, I guess I screwed up."

"Not your fault. Now we have to get you out of here." He turned to Magdalena. "You'll have to carry him out. I'll link up with Joey and leave by the loading dock."

"You can't get through all these guards alone. Felix-"

"Can't get out of here on his own. I'll be fine. Take him and go. Now." His tone brooked no argument. She picked up her wounded friend and headed for the roof. Hunter saw them safely to the stairs and then continued downward. To save time he skipped a floor and barricaded that door by welding it to the frame. The effort left him tired, but he could not stop to rest.

He met Joey at the door to the next floor. His friend looked badly shaken. "What's wrong? Joey?"

"The lab," he said simply and pointed back along the corridor to where two wolf-like mutates and Robin were hiding. He looked to Robin enquiringly, then turned to the matter at hand.

"Show me."

***********************************************************************

The lab was everything Hunter had feared it would be. The doctors here, apparently not satisfied with Sevarius' efforts, had tried to improve on the formula. Their attack had interrupted the autopsy of a reptilian biped that must have been human at one time. Hunter could not tell if it had been male or female. The door opposite the main lab entrance proved to be a cold storage room. Hunter had been almost certain of what he would find, but he still hoped to be wrong. Closing his eyes a moment, he let the wave of nausea crest and break over him, but he stood firm, unmoved. He didn't dare feel anything, not here, not now.

The room was full of failures. Horribly twisted parodies of human bodies had been stacked on shelves spaced along the walls.

He made an attempt to count the bodies, but his mind rebelled at the mundane task. He stared at them, barely able to take in what he was seeing. At that moment, he couldn't have mustered a coherent thought to save his life. He turned when he heard a gasp. The two mutates, the lucky ones he thought grimly were staring wide-eyed at the horror show. He spotted Robin moving up behind them.

"Keep her out of here," he barked. They jumped, startled out of their paralysis and herded the girl away from the door. He took one more look around the room and left, shutting the door firmly behind him.

His voice was dead calm when he spoke, something that surprised him no end. "Get the tape from the lab recorder and any floppy disks you find. Torch the rest."

***********************************************************************

When the building started to burn the remaining guards and workers wasted no time in getting out. Soon the entire structure was ablaze and beyond salvage. Hunter collected his team, including Ellie who had managed to sleep through the whole thing, and made their way to the van hidden in the woods a half-mile away.

"Where do we go from here?" Joey had barely said a word since leaving the burning building behind.

"Manhattan." Hunter said no more, descending into a brooding silence that the others wisely decided to respect.

***********************************************************************

Robin spent the trip trying to blend into the upholstery. Events had moved quickly since their departure from the building. One of the wolves, Sheila, had proved to be a competent nurse and had bandaged Felix' leg. The injury had not been as bad as they had feared despite the blood loss. The two rescued humans had stayed with them a while, but had left as soon as they could safely do so. As yet, no one had spoken to her. Her apprehension grew with each passing moment. The two new mutates occasionally glanced her way, but it was only, she felt sure, to make sure she hadn't changed shape.

***********************************************************************

The place they chose to hole up during the day could have been called "cozy" if one was inclined to be generous. None of them were.

"What a dump." Jack moved around the small house that Hunter had brought them to. "This place could stand a good cleaning and a little more elbow room." The house was small, but isolated. No one had seen them arrive, and no one was likely to bother them during the day.

"It suits our needs," Hunter said shortly. "We won't be here long."

"Feels like a broom closet," he grumbled.

Felix scowled at him. "There's a Holiday Inn just down the road. Why don't you go get us some rooms?"

"Stop it, both of you." Sheila snapped as she changed the bandage on Felix' leg. Several times she had to push him down or warn him to hold still. "Things are bad enough without you two arguing. I think we have more important things to worry about than the accommodations right now."

"Very true." Ellie spoke up from her corner. "Right now what worries me is Robin." Robin looked up when she heard her name. She looked frightened, but Ellie smiled. "I know you didn't mean any harm honey. You were just trying to help, but…" she trailed off, unsure how to finish.

"You could have gotten people killed is what she's trying not to say." Joey put in grimly. "You were told to stay out of it. Why did you interfere?"

"I-I was just trying to think of a way to help. I didn't mean for you all to fall asleep, just the guards and stuff."

"That's the problem. You never mean to, it just happens. The guard that found Felix napping on the roof could have decided to shoot him then and there, instead of going to get help." Robin cast a panicked look at Felix, who for his part looked none too pleased at the idea or at the way Joey was presenting it. "Until you can control your magic, you shouldn't use it for anything. Next time your good intentions could easily get someone killed. Coming in after us was very brave, but it was also very stupid."

"That's enough Joey." Hunter turned from the window and regarded the angry mutate. "If you must blame someone, blame me. I thought I could teach her to use her magic myself. I thought I could keep her away from others of the third race. I have failed at this miserably." He turned to face the girl. "I am sorry Robin. This is-"

"My fault," she finished. "You're a good teacher. I just can't get it right. When I try to do something I don't think it through or somethin' happens when I don't mean it to happen. I'm just no good at this magic stuff. Maybe you'd be better off without me getting in the way."

"Don't even think about that." Hunter took a step toward her.

"Yeah," Joey put in. "You made a mistake, but I just want you to be more careful. No one wants you to leave."

"Speak for yourself." Everyone glanced over at Jack who was eyeing her cautiously. "I ain't exactly comfortable with that thing around."

"That 'thing' is a little girl," Ellie put in sharply.

"Didn't look like a little girl last night." He moved to face Robin directly. "What the hell are you anyway?"

"She is my ward," Hunter interrupted coldly. "She is my responsibility and you will treat her with the same respect with which you would have normal humans treat you."

"If she can't control it, she's dangerous."

"I have a remedy in mind. We will deal with this when we reach New York."

"How?" Robin asked, timidly.

Hunter moved over to her and knelt in front of her. "I haven't done very well as your teacher Robin. It's time I found someone who can do the job right."

THE NEXT NIGHT:

"Thanks for looking him over doctor. I was an R.N. a few years back, but I'm not qualified to treat gunshot wounds."

"Think nothing of it Sheila. It is part of why I'm here after all." He probed Felix' thigh gently and nodded. "You seem to have done a first class job here. Fortunately for you," he said glancing at Felix, "it was just a flesh wound and not a very serious one at that. A half inch to the left, though, and it could have severed an artery."

"That's encouraging. So I still have all nine lives huh?"

Dr. Goldblum smiled. "Oh yes. May I ask a question?

"Ask away."

"I was not told there were other mutates. How many of you are there?"

"Too many." Goldblum turned at the quiet voice behind him. The lion-like mutate who had brought him his latest patient nodded courteously. "Will Felix be ready to go soon. We need him."

"Isn't it nice to be wanted?" Felix asked of no one in particular.

"He'll be fine. He should rest for a few days though, to get his strength back. What may I ask do you need him for?"

"Trust me doc, you'd rather not know." Goldblum raised an inquiring eyebrow at his patient's remark.

"I trust you will tell us," Goliath put in from the door. "That is part of the reason you came back isn't it?"

Elisa Maza was with him. They began to move into the room but Dr. Goldblum shooed them out of the examination room, which was becoming rather crowded. Hunter watched the odd little scientist curiously. Clearly there had been many changes in his absence.

"There is a lot of catching up to do it seems. I'm eager to hear all of it. My people and I have only just arrived and would like some time to rest, though. I need to speak to you and Talon alone first before everyone is assembled for a general briefing." Goliath nodded and they moved out to the main living area.

***********************************************************************

Fox Xanatos hung up the phone and smiled down at her son who had managed to untie one of her running shoes and was tugging on the lace to see how much farther it would come out. "Hey Alex, you feel like going for a ride?" The baby gurgled enthusiastically. "Come on then. Owen?" She raised her voice only slightly, knowing that her husband's assistant was never far away.

"Yes Madam?"

"David has asked me to keep an appointment for him. He won't be back until tomorrow morning after all." She stooped to pick up her son and headed for the elevator. Owen followed without a word. "This should be interesting. I haven't seen Derek Maza or any of the others since they were staying here at the castle."

They descended to the underground garage. After settling Alexander in his car seat Owen got behind the wheel of one of Xanatos' less distinctive vehicles and they headed out. Fox said little during the trip, knowing that Owen was not one for small talk. She used the time to reflect on this rather unusual request. Goliath had requested that Xanatos attend Hunter's briefing. Fox didn't know much about Hunter, but she knew that he didn't like her husband. As secretive as the lion mutate was, why would he ask David to come? She supposed that she would find out soon enough.

It was almost 8:00 when they pulled into the warehouse that served as a front for the Xanatos-Reynard Foundation. A quick elevator ride brought them to the entrance to the sanctuary, where Owen entered the code on the concealed panel. A section of wall slid back, and Fox stared at what was on the other side.

The mutate she knew as Claw was there, one arm in a sling. He looked tired and a little the worse for wear. With him was an unfamiliar wolf-like mutate. For the briefest instant she was afraid it was Wolf, but this creature had darker fur and was not as muscular as her former teammate. Where had this one come from? She was trying to find a way to ask when Alex decided to break the ice for her. Pointing one chubby hand at the mutate he said "Daag!"

The 'Daag' blinked in surprise and shifted his gaze from Fox to the squirming child in her arms. Fox felt herself blush to the roots, but rather than speak, the mutate turned on his heel, gesturing for them to follow. Claw glanced at the stranger's back and then at Alex. After a moment, he simply shrugged and followed.

***********************************************************************

It was the two nights after the group's arrival in New York, two hours after sunset when everyone assembled for Hunter's briefing. While the other's had rested Hunter had not been idle. He had spoken to the gargoyles about their recent activities and had listened to their tales with growing alarm. Their reports prompted digging into records and a little quiet espionage. What he learned sent him from alarm into a full-blown panic that he was careful to conceal. By the time the briefing was ready he had all the evidence he needed to convince them that they were all in serious trouble.

Talon and his clan were surprised to see Mrs. Xanatos. Fox and Owen were given a wide berth, but no one disputed their place at the meeting. Hunter had taken them aside before hand to speak in private. He introduced himself and thanked them for coming. "This won't be easy, but I really don't have time to be subtle. I'll come straight to the point. I know about your respective backgrounds Mrs. Xanatos, Mr. Burnett." He nodded to each in turn. "I know about your history with the Pack and about your connection to Oberon." The last was a lie. He strongly suspected, but he had found no direct evidence. Even the videos made the night Oberon had attacked the castle were less than conclusive. His words, however, got him all the confirmation he needed. Owen stiffened slightly, and Fox paled visibly.

"What do you mean?" Fox regained her composure almost immediately.

"I said I don't have time for games. Did you know that the Quarrymen hammers are powered by magic?" Fox looked puzzled. "I know from my conversations with the gargoyles that a renegade Fay has been causing them problems. I also know that he used to be human. If I'm right there was little or no magic used in changing him." He could see the implications begin to sink in. He pressed on. "I am certain these problems have a common source." He watched quietly for a moment, waiting for a reaction. "Put it together. Mutate Fay, magic weapons that could easily be used against Oberon's Children, and a small army of Quarrymen who could easily be convinced that the gargoyles are a mere nuisance compared to the threat that the Fay represent. Eventually, whoever is behind this and I'm sure that person is Fay, is going to come to the attention of Oberon. I need to know what, if anything, he will do."

Fox considered her answer carefully. "I honestly don't know what he'll do. I don't know that much about him. As for the rest of this…" She shrugged, looking worried. "I've only heard bits of this from the clan." She frowned and looked nervous. "I know I don't want Ob- uh, him involved if we can avoid it."

"On that we can agree," Hunter said grimly. "The last time he came to New York people died. No one wants to see what a war between Fay would be like." At the very thought, Owen looked visibly shaken. Fox had never seen Owen frightened before.

***********************************************************************

When the meeting began Hunter surprised everyone with his topic. He laid it out for them as he had for Fox and Owen, making no further reference to his knowledge of Fox' connection to Avalon. He had been pushing his luck that time and didn't want to give away how few facts he actually had.

Broadway asked the question first, "How do you know all of this? I mean it is kind of a leap, some of your er, conclusions. How do you even know this stuff?"

"Knowing things I shouldn't is a hobby of mine," Hunter said enigmatically. "Do you find fault with my conclusions?" They were all silent for a time. The few present that had actually encountered the Fay looked extremely worried.

"Guess not," Brooklyn spoke up, "Maybe you wouldn't mind telling us more about what you think is happening. What about George Harrison?"

Hunter took a moment to organize his thoughts. Nervous, suspicious, and a few oddly resentful faces watched him closely. He couldn't tell them everything he knew, not without giving away the source of the information, and that was something he wasn't ready to do.

"George Harrison firmly believed in the Quarryman cause. I believe he had the makings of the kind of fanatic that would go to any lengths." Angela looked as if she might protest, perhaps on behalf of her friend Richard, George's brother. Hunter stopped her with a raised hand. "I do not know George Harrison, and John Canmore is not the most reliable of sources. He certainly is in no condition to offer sound judgments on another's mental health. However, there are indications that the change he went through was voluntary." There were some shocked looks around the room.

"Like myself, Talon, Maggie, and many others here, he is no longer human." Angela acquired an intense interest in her feet, being very quiet. "He's a mutate. He was injected with a formula that attached new genetic material to his DNA. Specifically, DNA strands from different animals were incorporated into our genetic make-up. I'm sure Dr. Goldblum can give you more details." He nodded to the scientist who was looking very grave at the prospect of a new and hostile mutate.

"What alarms me, what should alarm us all, is the source of the genetic material that was used." He looked around the room for any hint that one of them knew what he was about to say. He especially took note of Fox and Owen. He wanted to see their reactions. "It came from one of the third race."

Many of those in the room stared at him blankly. Sharon, Goldblum, and Talon looked confused, but the effect on Goliath and Elisa was electric. No doubt they had already suspected what he had just told them, but it wasn't something that had been openly discussed. Several gargoyles began talking at once. It was the reaction of Fox and Owen that held Hunter's attention, however, Fox jaw tightened. She was obviously having trouble hiding her feelings. Owen looked slightly distressed, which meant, Hunter had come to realize, that he was very upset indeed.

"Are you sure of this?" Goliath asked. "You were not there."

"Unnecessary. Your own description of events was sufficient. You were wrapped in sheet metal and very nearly squeezed to death. George Harrison never laid a hand on you though. Angela was given similar treatment but without the metal." He turned to Angela. "You described it as being seized by a giant invisible hand." She nodded thoughtfully.

"Broadway's description of his reaction to iron clinches it. I know of no combination of animal DNA that could have given him this combination of abilities and weaknesses. If, as I suspect, this was done through pure science with no magic involved it means the process can be replicated. We could end up with an army of these quasi-fay to deal with. In short people we are in deep trouble."

Good, Hunter thought, surveying their reactions, they need to be worried. He took a deep breath and looked sadly at the audience. "I know all of this must be very strange to some of you. Talk of a third race, magic, and mad scientists is enough to unsettle anyone." Hunter returned his attention to the more normal members of the group. "It isn't easy having your world view turned upside down in the course of ten minutes." He spoke with heaviness in his voice that spoke of personal experience. No one questioned him. He turned to Dr. Goldblum. "As a man of science I suppose that you are having a harder time than most accepting all of this. I don't suppose you believe in magic do you?"

The doctor looked skeptical as Hunter had known he would. "Magic tends to be a label for what we don't understand. Since I started this project I have seen many things that most would consider magic I suppose."

"True enough. I agree with you, but I have seen many things over the years that defy what we know as logic and natural law. Both logic and natural law tend to go out the window when the Fay get involved. The word magic seems to fit best in some cases. The night is young doctor, perhaps by the end you will come to consider the word a convenience rather than an offense." He smiled as warmly as he could under the circumstances. Then, turning to Goliath and Elisa he took a more solemn tone.

"This business with George Harrison makes the question I came here with even more urgent." He looked solemnly at Goliath. He had discussed this with them the night they arrived and introduced the two of them to Robin. Goliath and Elisa had been shocked that he knew about Avalon and the Fay, but they agreed that there was reason for concern. They had not promised to produce a Fay, but they had said they would try.

While he was speaking Fox and Owen drifted over, listening carefully. Hunter included them when he spoke next. "I need to find one of the Fay, one that can be trusted."

"You don't sound confident about finding one you can trust," Elisa commented dryly.

"Bitter experience but it would be very unfair of me to judge an entire species by the example set by a few representatives. After all you would not want Demona to be held up as a model gargoyle."

Goliath looked startled. "How do you kn-" he broke off, grimacing. He had all but given up asking how Hunter knew the things he knew. "No she is not, but most of our encounters with the Fay have been unpleasant ones." He hesitated. "However, there are one or two that I would trust."

Brooklyn joined them at this point with Sata by his side. She looked at Hunter curiously. "You said that you came here with this question already in mind. Why?"

"Come with me. I'd like you to meet someone." He got the entire groups' attention and led them out to the living room where the children had been left to play. The twins had been getting acquainted with Robin and Eve, but when they entered the room the elf was nowhere to be seen.

An excited yapping drew their attention. The twins were laughing and trying to follow the progress of a mad chase around the room Eve did not laugh, but watched the proceedings with intense interest. Nudnik, the twins' pet gargoyle beast, was being chased by something that looked like a gargoyle version of a cat. They stared in astonishment as the two rounded the coffee table and came to a skidding halt in front of the adults.

Hunter stared at the odd looking creature playing with the pup. "Robin?"

Goldblum had moved forward eagerly at the sight of the new arrival. He never passed up the opportunity to learn more about of these strange creatures. He jumped back in surprise however, when the creature's form began to blur and grow. Soon, what looked like a twelve-year old human girl was standing in front of them grinning.

"Look Hunter! I learned a new trick! I finally got the shape changing thing right. I can make myself into almost anything!" Goldblum's jaw had dropped at the sight of the transformation. He could only stare, and he wasn't the only one. Talon's mutates watched the change with amazement.

Hunter nodded approvingly. "I like it. It's a vast improvement."

"An improvement over what?" Brooklyn asked curiously.

"Over when she gets it wrong," Jack put in, suppressing a shudder. The gargoyles only looked perplexed. Owen, however, was intrigued. He watched the girl closely, feeling the power that almost radiated from her. She was raw, untrained, and absurdly powerful. Hunter was right to be concerned. Nevertheless, it could be fun.

Robin looked around at the assembly. "Aren't you going to introduce me?"

"Ah, yes, how rude of me." Hunter turned to face the group. "Everyone? This is Robin. We found her in a cloning lab in Boston. She is one of the Third Race." He pointed to each of the group in turn, introducing them.

"What exactly are the Third Race?" Maggie asked. "I mean I've heard Elisa's stories about Anansi and Odin and the others, but who are they? What are they?"

Hunter considered a moment. "You'd best sit down, all of you." When everyone was seated, he began.

"They go by many different names, Fay, dark elves, the fair folk, they are shape shifters, each with enormous personal power. I've never met one with any practical limits."

"But, but how…?"

"You don't often hear of them except in legend and story. Their leader is a creature called Oberon, and they are bound by the law he laid down. That law states that they shall not directly interfere in mortal affairs." Hunter scowled. "The keyword there is 'directly.' The Fay are immortal, and as a consequence they have the world's worst case of 'been there, done that.' They live for new ways to amuse themselves. Since they can't interfere directly they have made an Olympic event out of finding creative ways of interfering indirectly. To most of them humans and gargoyles are little more than pieces on a game board."

Hunter had been keeping track of facial expressions around the room. Fox looked like she might say something, but thought better of it. Owen was blank as usual. Most of the gargoyles looked grim and one or two were nodding in agreement. Maggie had a mix of curiosity and hope etched in the look she gave Robin and Hunter.

Talon spoke first. "You don't think much of them do you? But you still want to find one. To do what? Train her?" He nodded at Robin. "Help deal with this new threat? What do you expect?"

"The Third Race can be flighty and unpredictable. I'm not sure what to expect from them, but Robin will intrigue them. How they will react to the problem that Mr. Harrison poses I don't know. I do know that our lives are going to get a lot more complicated."

"I was wondering…" Maggie broke off hesitantly. She smiled at Robin. "I was wondering, if you can change your own shape, can you change the shape of another person?"

Robin thought about it. "I'm pretty sure I can, but I've never tried it."

"I've thought of that myself," one of the wolf-like mutates put in. "But you don't want her practicing on you. She might turn you all the way into a cat or worse." Maggie looked almost ill at the prospect.

"I'm not that bad. Well," she hedged, looking at some of her friends. "I am getting better. I haven't made a serious mistake in nearly a week. I've gotten some things down pretty well." She floated off the floor and began moving through the air around the room.

"Get some gravity kid; this isn't play time." Jack groused.

"It never is for you," she quipped as she turned upside down.

"Lighten up Jack," Sheila said from her spot on the arm of the long couch. Robin grinned.

"Yeah, lighten up." She began a slow spin in mid air and missed what happened next.

"Lighten up. Very funny. Ha ha ha." Robin looked back at him and nearly dropped out of the air. The werewolf was floating near the ceiling like a furry balloon. Graeme and Ariana laughed and even Goliath smiled a bit. "Can I come down now?"

"Um, sure, just as soon, uh… as I figure out how you got up." Everyone looked at Robin. "I didn't mean to."

"That's the problem. You never mean to, but things like this keep happening. Just like you didn't mean to put us all to sleep in…" Hunter glared at Joey, cutting him off. Robin shrank visibly and floated toward the floor as all eyes turned to her. Her eyes were big and her skin paler than usual at the reminder of her blunder earlier that month.

"That's enough Joey. She was trying to help in the best way she knew how." Hunter defended her. It was too late. Robin looked scared. Hunter and the rest had been kind, considerate and patient with her mistakes. But when, despite their efforts and best intentions, she became agitated or felt threatened, all the mistreatment she had suffered at the lab came rushing back and she was again the frightened "specimen" that they had rescued.

Hunter knew she would recover quickly. Like most children, Robin was far too resilient to stay frightened or depressed for long, but it angered him to see her this way. "I'm sorry," she said in a small voice. "I won't do it again. I promise.

There were shocked expressions around the room. Hunter noticed Owen's jaw tightening slightly as he looked toward Hunter. "No one is angry with you Robin," Hunter assured her placing a hand on her shoulder. "Even if we were we would not treat you as they did in the lab. You know this." He spoke quietly with a steadiness in his voice that denied the anger he felt towards the "doctors" responsible for her fear.

"Even I'm mot angry," said a voice from above. "But that doesn't mean I don't want to come down." Ariana laughed when she looked up to see Jack trying to snag a wall so he could climb down. Everyone relaxed and some even laughed with her.

Sheila leaped up, snagged an ankle and began to pull him down. As soon as he touched the ground he regained his weight.

Fox put everyone back on track. "Perhaps it would be a good time for Hunter to tell us what he's been up to for the last two months." She moved toward Hunter. "David and I have only heard rumors and some vague news from the clan. We'd like to know how you've been getting on."

"An excellent idea." Hunter was glad to move away from the unpleasant topic of Robin's past. They settled in for a serious discussion. Some of the gargoyles and mutates left. Eventually, only Hunter, Joey, Goliath, Elisa, Fox, and Talon were left. Owen had taken a rather sleepy toddler back to the castle. He told them of the raid on the biological weapons lab and of the raid in Boston. He spoke only briefly of their last stop. He did not want to go into details. He especially didn't want to dwell on Robin's mistake. Fox called him on it.

"You're being very vague Hunter. 'We went in we set their prisoners loose, we left.' I'd like to hear more." The others nodded.

"What I've told you is sufficient. It was a Malon Inc. operation, one of their most heavily guarded installations. We weren't able to gather much information while we were there. Things got too hot. You don 't want to know more."

"Not so fast. What do you mean I don't want to know more?"

"Just trust him on this," Joey advised.

"I meant what I said. You don't want to know more."

"Yes, I do." Fox was getting angry. "David will want to know as well."

"Neither of you wants to know." Hunter felt his own temper rising. "You don't want to know about the alterations made to Sevarious' formula. You don't want to know about their more creative efforts in applied genetics, or about the cages full of human test subjects waiting their turn with the doctors, and you certainly don't want to know about the freezer full of failed experiments." He spoke with a quiet intensity that shocked Fox as much as his words. "You don't want to know about that."

Fox was speechless for some time. Finally, she said quietly, "You blame him don't you? You blame David."

The mutate leader was quiet for a moment. Finally, he sighed. "No, that would make no more sense than blaming Sam Colt every time someone was killed with a revolver." The casual analogy made Fox flinch.

"That's not entirely fair either," she said. Her voice lacked conviction. "And," she said, trying to regain the initiative, "you have a strange way of asking for a favor."

"Favor?" Hunter looked puzzled a moment. "Ah, the Fay I asked for. Do you mean to tell me that you do have contacts in the court of Avalon?"

"Not exactly what I meant," Fox said, perhaps a bit quickly. "David has been supporting your efforts to clean up these genetics labs you've been raiding. It puts him at some risk you know."

"Not really. I have not been relying as much on his help lately. What assistance he has provided has been untraceable."

Fox was about to respond to this when there was a knock on the door and Jack put his head in. "Hunter, you'd better get out here. Something weird is going on. We've got a visitor and he's… Well, you'd better see for yourself." He withdrew as Hunter rose and moved out to the main living area of the sanctuary. They all stared at what they saw.

Puck was reclining in mid-air regarding the young girl. Robin was a bit nervous, remembering all of Hunter's stories about her people, but she was still fascinated by the grinning, floating figure in front of her. She stepped closer to him, an expression of concentration on her face.

"You smell strong," she stated, her tone showing some awe. Elisa stifled a laugh, not so much at Robin's words but at Puck's reaction. She had never seen the elf at a loss for words before. "Your magic is much stronger than when you were hiding before," she continued eagerly, not realizing how her choice of words had affected the others in the room. Even Goliath was smiling slightly at Puck's expression.

"You knew I was here? Excellent! You show promise indeed for someone so young."

"Two months tomorrow," Robin said proudly. Puck gave a dazzling smile and began to float around her, taking her in from all sides. Robin turned her head to follow his progress. Puck had done a complete orbit when he suddenly realized that she hadn't moved but her eyes had never left him. The others were staring at Robin. To confirm what he had seen he circled her again.

Robin's head turned to follow him in a 360 degree circle, her body remaining motionless. Puck laughed in delight at the trick and cocked his head as if to try it himself.

"Please, don't," Fox asked, looking a little green.

"Puck, please!" Elisa chimed in, looking away. The rest of his 'audience' voiced similar protests.

"I told you not to let her watch The Exorcist," Ellie whispered to Hunter.

Puck laughed. "Oh yes! You and I will have great fun. Once you've learned how to use your magic properly there'll be no limit to the mischief we can get into."

"Indeed?" Hunter's cold voice brought the Fay up short. He turned and regarded the leonine mutate with a raised eyebrow. "What manner of mischief would you have in mind?" Despite his promise to himself to be civil, his voice seemed to lower the temperature in the room by several degrees.

"Brrr. Mrs. X was right. You do have a strange way of asking for a favor." Puck shivered dramatically. "You've done such a marvelous job of teaching her yourself, perhaps I should leave you to it. I should have plenty of entertainment just sitting back and watching you try."

"Hey." Robin spoke up in defense of her rescuer and teacher.

Hunter let his breath out slowly. "My apologies. My concern is solely for Robin's safety. Some of the 'mischief' you get into can be dangerous."

"Apology accepted." Puck gave a mock bow in mid-air. "There is no need for worry though. I'm very careful with my pupils." To illustrate his eyes began to spin in their sockets like the numbers on a slot machine. Puck put his hands over his eyes and when he removed them the spinning had stopped. "As you can see?" Hunter didn't flinch. Puck looked disappointed for a second and then his smile returned, slightly wistful. "I'll admit I have settled down a bit since I accepted a teaching job, but merriment is where you find it. One as talented as myself should have no trouble training her, keeping her safe, and staving off boredom all at the same time."

"I'm sure you can, but if you don't object I will continue to worry. The world has gotten dangerous, even for your kind, as the iron burns on George Harrison's chest will testify to."

"Ah, yes, I believe that is the other reason you wanted to see me." Hunter nodded, then spoke to the others.

"Goliath would you take Robin to the next room please? I would speak with the Puck alone." Goliath was reluctant, Brooklyn openly suspicious, although of Hunter or Puck wasn't clear. All of them left though.

"Well, unfortunately, I am allowed to stay in the mortal realm under very strict rules. I can't help you with this."

"All I want is information. Do the rules permit that?"

"Depends on the question," Puck answered smiling in anticipation at the prospect of a word game. Hunter was having none of it, though.

"Does the Unseelie court exist or is it a legend?" Puck blinked. That wasn't a question he had been expecting.

"Um, how did you know about them?" He looked almost nervous. Hunter nodded at the confirmation.

"I thought so. I'm glad to see I'm not the only one unsettled by the idea of renegade Fay. Next question: To the best of your knowledge, could George Harrison have been changed by science alone, or would magic be necessary?" Puck regained his equilibrium quickly.

"It's possible. I really don't know enough of science to say, but either way the Third Race genes would have to come from some place." Hunter nodded, frowning.

"That had occurred to me. I have been unable to determine how Malon got the DNA to make Robin. Do you recognize her, or rather the 'donor'?"

Puck considered a moment and shook his head. "Hard to say. There are so many of us, and we can take any form." He grinned, "but I believe you've already discovered that haven't you?" Hunter's mind flashed briefly to Robin's first attempt at shape changing, and then firmly shoved the memory away. He nodded curtly.

"I think I understand the difficulty. Am I correct in assuming that the donor probably won't come forward to admit it?"

"I wouldn't hold my breath," the floating Puck smirked.

"If there are renegade Fay behind this, will Oberon get involved?" This was what scared him most. If his children were this powerful, what must Oberon himself be like? Puck seemed even less pleased with the idea than Hunter.

"For all our sakes, I hope not." He considered for a moment. "I don't think so. The last time they squared off it was a near thing, but you didn't hear me say that."

"Oberon won't be eager for another confrontation." It was a statement, not a question, and Puck didn't respond. "It's up to us mortals then." Hunter gave his first actual smile in days. "Good."

THE END