After Brooklyn had been put back in his room to sleep, Ray then paid the lab a visit. He wanted to see if the final preparations were nearly there.

"How is everything going?" Ray asked the technicians.

"Everything should be done in a couple days and ready to get into him, Sir." One of them replied.

"Good." Ray replied.

From having taken Brooklyn's DNA earlier, they had modified his genetic code and using some of the sperm to fertilize an ovum under a microscope, along with a tissue sample, there was a zygote ready to be implanted. An artificial womb had also been created with some of his cells too. It would require surgery to get everything in there.

Ray was looking forward to it.

….

When Brooklyn woke up the next night, Melina came in with his breakfast. He couldn't have been more disappointed in being used as a test subject.

"I'm sorry about last night, but there are to be more tests tonight." Melina said. "But not quite the same."

"What sorts?" Brooklyn gave her a glare.

"My boss wants to see how strong your strength is." Melina replied.

"I sure could give him a piece of my mind with my strength." Brooklyn growled.

"Brooklyn, it's something you can handle. Please, don't hurt him. And you need your strength. Here's your breakfast." Melina offered the tray.

The food smelled delicious. It smelt of eggs, toast, sausage and bacon. As much as the red gargoyle was furious about the tests, his stomach growled and that won him over. But it didn't make him any less pleased.

Melina stayed to watch him eat. She wanted to talk to him some more. "So, what kinds of things are you interested in? I could get some books for you to read or something to ease your boredom."

Brooklyn looked up at her with a glare. "Why should it matter? Your boss probably plans to kill me when all these tests are done, like any other scientist."

"No, he doesn't, Brooklyn. We want you to live. You are such a fascinating creature that we just had to take you away for your own safety to do these tests." Melina explained.

"Melina, my clan needs me. I have to get back home." Brooklyn said.

"Is there someone special waiting for you in the clan?" Melina asked curiously.

"Well, if you mean a mate, no. But I'm their Second in Command. I have to get back there for my duties."

Melina now saw what his role was. He was the beta male under the leader. His reports would be important for the clan.

"I understand. I must go. I'll be back later. Enjoy the food." Melina left the room. Brooklyn was left baffled at her exit, but he hoped he was getting through to her. Maybe she could help him escape. He wasn't going to spend his life being a guinea pig for their experiments.

Brooklyn knew that if he was going to escape, he needed as much strength and energy as he could get. The scent of the food and his hunger made him go on eating it, hoping it wouldn't be drugged.

He found it wasn't.

Over an hour later, the tray lay abandoned on the floor while the gargoyle sat on the bed. His belly was satisfied with the food. But when were they going to do this test?

It wasn't long before the men came and brought him out of his cell again. Keeping his hands cuffed behind him was just a precaution. He was brought to a gym. It was a big gym too. There were many mats on the floor, making stepping squishy.

In one corner though, there was a weightlifting machine. Brooklyn was going to have to sit in a seat and lift the weights.

"Hello, Brooklyn. I assume you enjoyed your food?" Ray greeted.

Brooklyn glared, looking away. "What does this have to do with testing me?" he demanded.

"Gargoyles and humans are so different and yet, seem just as sentient. You just sit here and lift the weights. More weight will be added from what you can handle to just see what you can handle." Ray explained.

Brooklyn sighed. He knew he could lift quite a bit of weight. He was stronger than most humans. He might be smaller than Goliath, but he, Broadway, and Lex had had to carry Goliath home once when attacked by the Pack. That had taken some muscle to do.

Goliath weighed about 300 pounds at night while flesh. Dr. Sato had taken the gargoyles' weights and vitals a while back, that Brooklyn knew of.

Guns were aimed on him as his hands were set free and he was allowed to go sit on the seat. Brook saw the bar that he would lift. He still had cuffs on his wrists but could lift weights freely. He started off with 50 pounds. It felt like nothing to him.

An assistant recorded it. Then more weight was added. It went up to 100. It always went up by 50 until he was at the 350-pound mark and Brooklyn's arms were shaking to lift the weights. He was breaking a sweat. He was grunting just trying to keep lifting. When another 50 lbs. were added, Brooklyn had to stop.

"Ah! I can't do anymore!" he panted.

"Interesting. Almost 400 pounds."

"Is that all?" Brooklyn breathed hard.

Ray had a glance down at the gargoyle's middle, where he would have the surgery tomorrow night. Then he glanced at the wings. "How are you able to fly with your wings?" Ray asked.

"I can't." Brooklyn stated.

"Yes, you can. I've seen you fly."

"I don't fly. I glide."

"What's the difference?" Another man asked.

"I don't constantly flap my wings. Sometimes I do flap my wings to get better grip on the winds. I use the updrafts and downdrafts on the wind." Brooklyn explained.

That explanation was recorded too. Gargoyles had wings, but they sure didn't use their wings like birds or bats, despite the wings looking more bat-like. At least that was the case with most gargoyle wings like Goliath, Hudson, Broadway, and Angela, and Demona. Coldstone had had those wings too when alive. Coldfire and Coldsteel had had double wings when they were alive. Lexington's wings also had a bit of webbing in them too even though they were the most different kind of wingspan of all the clan, being attached to the legs, sides, and arms contrary to the back like all the others. Brooklyn's wings were different too, but his were still on his back.

"Thanks for all the information, Brooklyn. This is to help us better understand gargoyles. See, you're more helpful than you know." Ray praised him.

"When can I take a glide? I need to be able to use my wings." Brooklyn asked.

"How do I know that you won't take off if I allow you to glide outside?" Ray inquired. "Not for the time being, until something is thought up to keep you from taking off on me."

Brooklyn was angered at the thought that he wouldn't be able to glide anytime soon. He wanted to get out of here, badly. He missed the clan desperately.

"Is it a custom for gargoyles to grow long hair too?" Another asked.

"Huh?" Brook snapped out of his thoughts.

"Your hair?"

"Do all male gargoyles wear long hair like females?" Ray asked.

"As far as I know, and not all of us have hair. The time period I come from was just what we did. It doesn't bother me if that's what you mean." Brooklyn declared.

"It doesn't matter. Your hair can stay its length." Ray stated. "Take him back until tomorrow."

Brook's hands were once again restrained behind him and he was taken back to the cell.

Later on, Melina came back to give him his lunch. Brooklyn's muscles were still a little tender from lifting the weights but he would live.

He started eating and his hand was a bit shaky. He kept at it. This would be his last meal of the night as he would be prepped for surgery tomorrow night, not knowing about it.

"I was in the back of the room when I heard them talking about your hair." Melina said.

"Hmm?" Brook looked up. "What about my hair?"

"I think your hair being the color that it is and how it looks, I think it gives you a very regal appearance." Melina complimented his hair.

Brooklyn blushed. "Thanks. I never really thought that much about it that way. It's just always been with me like this."

"Have you ever had it cut?"

"Only if something got caught in it, otherwise, no. I like it like this." Brook replied.

"That's fine. I like it that way too. White hair is so rare to find. Especially among humans." Melina said.

"Really?"

"Yes."

"I've known some others that had white hair besides me. But they are dead and one was a magical being." Brooklyn stated.

"Cool." Melina replied with a smile. "Well, anyway, your hair color is awesome."

Brooklyn was liking the compliments. But then he had to ask but lowering his voice, "Melina, please, can I ask for your help in aiding me to escape? I have to get out of here. I can't live as a test subject the rest of my life."

Melina's smile faded. She must have the gargoyle's trust if he was to ask her that. "I don't know, Brooklyn. It's so hard to be able to navigate through these underground tunnels."

Underground tunnels? Brooklyn's ears perked up at that. "Please, Melina. I'm getting claustrophobic being in this cage."

"That's why I asked what you were interested in to help ease some boredom." She said. "It might take some time to come up with any sort of a plan like that. My boss has this place well protected by his minions."

"I would be grateful to you if you would help me, please." Brook pleaded.

Melina could see the sad look in his eyes. "Oh, alright, but it'll still be a few days to finalize. I have to see what ways might be best to get you out." She was whispering too.

"Thank you. That's all I ask. As for what I like, I like motorcycles, movies, music, especially rock and roll." Brooklyn explained.

"What are your favorite foods?"

"Mostly anything meat. But I can eat just about anything, except pizza. I absolutely hate pizza." Brooklyn declared.

"That's strange. Most folks love it." Melina said.

"I know, but I don't."

"There are different kinds of pizza. There is a meat-based pizza out there. Maybe you just had a piece that didn't taste good and didn't try the right kind." Melina stated.

"Maybe. I had a mushroom and olive kind that I remember."

"Yuck! No wonder. The meat kinds you can request without mushrooms, you know. There's cheese, sausage, pepperoni, supreme, it has peppers on it, and many others. You should taste the meaty kind to just give it another chance." Melina offered.

The offer did sound tempting, but he wasn't going to budge on this. "No thanks."

"Your loss." She stated. "Oh well, there's plenty of other foods to enjoy."

"Yep."

He soon finished his lunch and that was the last meal he would have until after tomorrow night. Melina took the tray away when he was done. He spent the rest of the night wondering what to do, but just sat on the bed thinking about his possible escape. He really hoped Melina could help him and wouldn't betray him. It was so hard to find true friends for gargoyles.

He usually got three meals a night, but he wondered what was going on when he didn't get his third meal of the night.