Extra chapter post to celebrate my birthday!

The next morning, Brooklyn gave a muffled yawn from his muzzle, staring around at the unknown place around him. He tried again to find his memories, but they were still blank.

Someone help, I can't remember anything! Brook wailed quietly, staring at his taloned hands. He swallowed, seeing how sharp they were. Did he ever cut or hurt anybody with these frightening claws? He hoped not, blood growing cold from the idea of hurting anybody, even out of defense. He feared now of being some kind of bloodthirsty predatory creature.

Also, Brooklyn felt a twinging pain in his left bicep. Flinching, he looked to see a strange mark on it. It hurt. Who wanted to mark his shoulder in a painful manner? He swallowed a nervous lump in his throat.

He looked at the sun, curling up timidly again, wondering if anybody lived in that house at all. If they did, were they friends? All he could do was wait. Brooklyn didn't like the idea of waiting but he had no choice, tears falling down his face, quivering softly, skin tingly with anticipation.

….

Meanwhile, Shadow Man had woken up, going to check on his prisoner. He saw he was awake, a confused and scared look on his face. This somewhat pricked his curiosity. Why wasn't the beast fighting anymore? Narrowing his eyes, Shadow Man went to investigate with his goons, another bottle of water with him. He would demand answers and tempt him with the thought of gaining water but wouldn't give it if the gargoyle gave the wrong replies.

Brooklyn heard the door open. Looking up, he at last saw a human (he still remembered humans) coming out, with two others. His skin shivered, hoping for answers about himself.

The tall male masked human grinned. "Well, look who's finally awake. And how are you feeling?"

The red male tilted his head. Who was this hooded human? Shadow Man noted the blank gaze in Diablo's eyes, then recalled back to when he punched the devil. Could he have somehow lost his memory? This sent a wave of eagerness and delight through the evil man. Yes… this could be a perfect opening to make the creature even more submissive to him!

"Don't you even remember me?" he asked carefully first. Brook swallowed, shaking his head in sorrow. Shadow Man then demanded his comrades to remove the muzzle.

Brooklyn took some much-needed breaths, happy to have it off and wondering why they even put it on him. Shadow Man knelt, lifting Diablo's chin with his hand. "So, you don't recall me, huh?" Brooklyn again shook his head.

"N-no. I don't even know who I am, what I am, or where I came from," he said shakily and quietly.

The man turned to his comrades and whispered to them, "He's lost his memory, Men. This could work in our favor. We get him to do our bidding and he gets rewarded respectively. If he doesn't do as we wish, then he gets punished." The boss decreed. His men nodded in response.

Shadow Man then turned back to the scared gargoyle. "Your name is Diablo. You are a gargoyle. My men and I saved you from a bad accident not too long ago, hence why your one arm is so badly injured, and you hit your head on some debris in a big city where you were found. We brought you here to recover and so other humans wouldn't see you." He explained in a lie.

Brooklyn looked down at his arm. "What does the mark mean?" he asked.

"We don't know. We don't know where you came from unfortunately. You were found to be maybe only one of your kind." Shadow Man said.

"Why aren't you afraid of me if other humans would be afraid of me?" The gargoyle now thought of his name as Diablo.

"Because we aren't so surprised by such exotic creatures like yourself. We see such beauty in you that you were worth saving. Would you like some water? It gets awfully hot out here."

Diablo moved his tongue in his mouth and realized how thirsty he was. "Yes, please." He replied.

The man who was holding the water bottle took the lid off the bottle and he held it out to the thirsty gargoyle. Diablo took it in his cuffed hand and put it to his mouth the best he could to get a good, much-needed drink.

He downed most of it until the man pulled it away. "That's enough. You'll make yourself sick if you have any more." He declared.

The red gargoyle was still really thirsty. He also noticed the cuffs on him. "Why am I chained up?" he asked.

"You were in a coma for a while. The cuffs were just for precautions to make sure that you weren't going to hurt us." Shadow Man answered.

"Can I be unchained?"

"You aren't going to hurt us, are you?"

"Why would I hurt the ones who saved me?" Diablo replied. "I owe you my thanks, and my life."

Shadow Man and his comrades smiled evilly under their hoods. This could work in their favor. "Good, Diablo, good. Release him from those cuffs." He ordered.

One man with the keys came forward and he unlocked the cuffs on Diablo's wrists, neck, and wings. Now he could see the extent of the damages done to his body now that he was loose.

"Now what?" Diablo asked.

"Come inside. We have something for you." Shadow Man said.

Brooklyn followed them into the house. "Why am I without clothes?" he asked.

"That's just it. Here is a piece of clothing to cover yourself up with. Put it on." One of the men declared and threw the loincloth back at the gargoyle. Some of the men were disgusted at looking at the private area.

Diablo gladly put it on and buckled the belt. It fit perfectly.

"Thank you." He stated.

"We're about to sit down to breakfast. Want some food?" Shadow Man offered.

At the mention of food, Diablo felt a growl coming from his stomach. "Sure." He replied.

"Good. Come."

Diablo was guided to the kitchen, and he was allowed to sit at a table. It wasn't long before some eggs, toasts, sausage, and pancakes were placed in front of him. They made his mouth water. They smelled so good. Diablo licked his lips and he put some syrup and butter on the pancakes before diving into it.

The men could tell Diablo was hungry.

"Slow down, don't eat so fast, you'll get sick." Shadow Man sounded like he cared.

Diablo slowed down on eating. When he was done and the rest of the men were too, they all got up from the tables and let the kitchen help take care of it.

"What happens now?" Diablo asked curiously.

"You still have some healing to do, but you are well enough to do some work for me with my business. I am a rancher mainly, but I have other hobbies as well. I was just in the right place at the right time to find you when you were getting into trouble in the big city." Shadow Man lied as he explained. "As part of you owing your life to me, I want you to do some work for me too."

"Like what?" Diablo questioned.

"I need you to patrol my land every day and check for predators such as wolves or bears that might attack my livestock or get close to my house. You can use those wings of yours to see from a vantage point that we can't. You can also help with the cattle too when we need ya."

"I'm… I'm not sure I know how to fly with my wings." Diablo felt nervous all of a sudden.

"Oh, we'll show you."

"How do they get in the air, Boss?" A man asked in a whisper.

"Like any creature that flies; flap the wings, Stupid." Shadow Man growled at his colleague.

Of course, these humans obviously had no idea how gargoyles took to the air.

"Why do I have sharp claws like this?" Diablo asked as he looked at his hands again.

"They are for self-defense purposes. That's what we would guess they are for."

They would also possibly study this gargoyle as if he was a young hatchling. He was acting like one now with not remembering who and what he was. They would make him their servant or test subject, depending on how much he cooperated with them.

…..

Back in New York, it had been several days since Brooklyn had disappeared and the clan was worried sick about him.

Talon and his crew had been on the search too from their end but so far no trace of him. Angela had been crying, Broadway doing his best to comfort her. Though she didn't choose Brook as a mate Angela's brother/sister bond with him had grown recently, and she missed him nearby. Elisa herself did her own searching during the day with Matt.

Goliath had often felt migraines and guilt from how he had talked down to his second harshly. He loved Brooklyn as his second, but couldn't blame Brooklyn for feeling lost in his fantasies about finding his own happy ending that night.

Hudson sat with him at the library. "Don't worry, the lad is strong willed and will come home to us, I know it," he murmured, though doubted his own words. Puck/Owen wasn't available and on Avalon at the moment but would be back in another year. Who knows if Brooklyn would come back by then.

The lavender gargoyle sighed. "If it comes to it, Hudson, should Brooklyn not… then I would have to pick a new Second. And Angela would be my second choice to lead the clan." He said in a shaky tone. Hudson nodded. "Yes, the lass has her head put together more than the others, and had lived among other gargoyles long before joining us. But we have to give Brooklyn a year. At least until Christmas we can wait." Hudson suggested.

Goliath looked at the elder, contemplating, before nodding. "Very well. I won't choose a new Second if Brooklyn comes home by Christmas," he then stated. Hudson smiled at his choice.

Lexington came at that moment. "Guys? I-I still miss Brooklyn. I just want him home," he said shakily. Hudson invited the olive gargoyle into his arms. "I know. We all do."

"But I can't shake the feeling that something bad is happening to him right now. His presence in our bond it feels… muddled, confused. I can't explain," Lex said softly, tears in his eyes. Hudson massaged him.

"Just keep praying for Brooklyn to come home to to his family, laddie. Hold onto that hope." Lex nodded, hugging Hudson tighter, hoping Brook hadn't forgotten about his family.

Brooklyn will continue to be known as Diablo during the amnesia chapters.