AUTHOR'S NOTE: Here's the second chapter and finally we're getting to the point, more or less.

CHAPTER 2 -UNEXPECTED LIBERATION-

As Wesley and Gunn entered the lobby of the Hyperion they were greeted by a cheerful Fred.

"Hey guys. Any luck?"

"We're not sure," Wesley said and set the box onto the reception desk.

"Ooh. What's that?"

"We couldn't find the statue out on the open and thought it might be stashed in this thing." Gunn sat down and stretched his legs. "Where are Angel and Cordy?"

Fred tore her eyes of the box and shrugged. "I think they're upstairs. They went into her room a while ago and started making some weird noises."

Wesley's brow shot up. "What sort of weird noises?"

"Oh, you know. Grunting, groaning... I heard some wood break a minute ago."

Gunn and Wesley looked at each other.

"You don't suppose..."

"Nah. They couldn't."

"Maybe I better go and check." Wesley headed up the stairs with some apprehension.

Once he reached the door of the room Cordelia occupied during her stays at the hotel, Wesley could hear that Fred had been right. He gave the door a tentative knock.

"Yeah?" Cordelia's voice called from inside.

"Are you two decent in there?"

"What?" Angel opened the door and stared at Wesley.

Wesley looked behind Angel's back to see that a part of the wall had been torn off. Cordelia stood by the wall holding a sledgehammer.

"Oh so you were... tearing down the wall?"

"Yeah. I thought I heard some rodents scraping around there last night," Cordelia said.

Wesley sighed, "it's not going to be cheap to fix that."

Cordelia laughed nervously. "So, how did you and Gunn do?"

"We're not quite sure yet. In fact, I'd be pleased if you two could take some time off from demolishing the building to come down to the lobby."

Angel said, "we barely touched the wall."

"Tell that to the repairmen."

The whole gang was gathered in front of the reception desk each of them eyeing the box suspiciously.

"So, how'll we open it?" Angel asked.

"Are you sure we even want to open it? I mean, what if this thing turns out to be a Pandora's box sort of thing?" Cordelia said, happy to be able to make a correct mythological reference.

"Perhaps we should take some precautions," Wesley concurred.

"Weapons anyone?" Cordelia called from the cabinet and took a long dagger.

Once Wesley, Angel and Gunn had armed themselves everyone returned to pondering the question of how to open the box.

"The easiest thing would be, if we had a pure hearted person to do it."

Gunn grinned. "And we all know it's not Wesley."

"Yes well, I never claimed to have a unsullied heart."

"I don't I'd have much luck with it either." Angel stuck his hands in his pockets.

"Don't look at me," Cordelia said. "Before I became an instrument of the forces of good, I was a total egotist."

Everyone's eyes turned hopefully at Fred. "What?"

"Care to give it a try?" Gunn nudged his head towards the box.

Fred hesitated for a moment. "Wesley, just how bad was the shock?"

"It wasn't that bad. In retrospect it was a lot like getting snapped on the fingers from a sweater."

"Okay then. But I'm blaming you guys if this thing fries my fingers."

There was a round of subdued agreements.

Fred walked to the box and laid her hands on the lid and pulled. The welding gave away instantly and Fred flipped the lid open. She then quickly jumped behind Wesley for safety.

For a few seconds nothing happened, but just as Angel was about to look inside box a blinding blue light appeared from within. Everyone shielded their eyes from the light. Once they all felt that the light was gone they turned back to see a boy laying on the floor.

The boy, who hardly looked fifteen, was on all fours gasping for breath. His neck and wrists were manacled with heavy chains that led back inside the box. The boy lifted his head, revealing a pair of huge, brow eyes from beneath a mess of red hair.

When he saw the people standing before him, the boy gasped and backed away. He hit the side of the desk and glanced up to where the box was. His eyes seemed to grow even larger at the sight of the box.

Fred was the first one to react. She knelt down three feet away from the boy and smiled at him. The boy shrank away and let a small whimper.

"It's okay. I won't harm you." Fred held out her hand.

The boy turned to face Fred, his eyes staring directly at Fred's own. Fred slowly leaned forward and carefully touched the boy's pale cheek, it was warm. The boy seemed to relax and leaned his head on Fred's hand, but immediately tried to back away as Angel and the others moved closer.

Fred turned to look at the others indicating at their weapons. "Guys, put those away. You're scaring him." She faced the boy again. "Don't worry about them. My names Fred. What's yours?"

He was quiet for a while, as if he was not quite sure what to say. Finally a soft voice said, "Mabon."

Fred's smile grew wider. "Nice to meet you. Oh!" Fred looked down at the chains, the skin beneath the metal was an unhealthy shade of red. "We have to get those off, you're hurt."

Fred reached for the Mabon's right hand and gently examined a chain. As she laid the tips of her fingers on the surface of the metal there was a sharp snap and all the chains fell off.

Mabon cried out in surprise and lifted his hands to his neck. He then looked down at his hands, tears forming in his eyes. To everyone's surprise the boy doubled over and began to cry.

Fred tilted her head and moved to sit next to Mabon and she ran her hands over his shivering back. "It's okay. Don't worry..." She gave the rest of the gang a questioning look.

Mabon's took a few deep breaths and his cry subsided to occasional sobs. He turned his face to look at Fred and managed a weak smile.

"Thank you."

"Um..." Wesley handed his crossbow to Gunn and kneeled down close to Fred was comforting the boy. "Sorry if I sound rude, but I have to ask, what are you?"

Mabon sighed and moved some of his unruly hair aside to expose a feral, pointed ear. "I'm a quadruple elemental."