Chapter 4: Visiting the Labyrinth Clan
The gargoyles woke up when the day turned into nighttime. The trio and Angela wanted to go to the underground Labyrinth, so Zelda can meet Talon, Maggie and Claw. The four gargoyles talked to Goliath about this and Hudson. Elisa quickly agreed to the idea, she wanted to visit her brother, Talon, since she hasn't seen him in a while. Hudson also agreed, thinking it would do Zelda so good to meet new people.
Goliath thought about it for a few minutes before answering, "Very well, but be careful out there. Demona or Xanatos could be out there, waiting to strike when you least expect it."
"And I'll meet you guys at the underground Labyrinth." Elisa said, while walking towards the pull-down service ladder in a broom closet.
The five gargoyles nodded, confirming that they heard and understood Goliath's concern and Elisa's planned meet-up. They walked outside of the clock tower, on the balcony, and flew off towards the entrance of the underground labyrinth. Zelda got curious of what the underground labyrinth, so she asked.
"So, what is the underground labyrinth?"
"It's an underground complex that was once owned by cyberbiotics. It's now the home of the labyrinth clan and many homeless." Lexington happily explained.
"Wow... It sounds- "
"Great huh?"
Brooklyn smirked as he answered for her.
Zelda giggled and nodded. The other three noticed how Brooklyn and Zelda are acting with one another and smiled or smirked.
~~~~~ { Inside the Labyrinth } ~~~~~
The main base of the labyrinth have many homeless and those who are mutants like Maggie, Talon, and Claw. They help the homeless as much as they can with food and personal necessities. Talon was about to go talk to Maggie before he saw Elisa with a smile. He couldn't help but smile when he saw his sister again.
"Elisa! It's been a while since you came to visit."
Talon hugged Elisa and she hugged back.
"Hehe, I know. But you know how my job is, when I do want to relax or try to visit, something will just come up all the sudden that I have to investigate."
"Heh, no worries Elisa, I know how your job goes."
Talon released the hug.
"Oh! We have a new member in Goliath's clan. They want to introduce her to you and the others." Elisa explained, as she almost forgot to mention this to Talon. But luck must be on her side though.
"Really? Well, I don't mind but who-" Talon got interrupted by a voice calling out.
"Hey Talon! How's everything going with the labyrinth?" Brooklyn said, while walking up to Talon to shake his hand as the others followed behind him.
"Everything's been doing well here Brooklyn. How's Goliath and the others fairing?" Talon asked, as Maggie and Claw also came also came and stood beside Talon. Happily waving to the gargoyles.
"We are also doing well, and Goliath is also doing well. And I see that Elisa beat us here to the punch." Brooklyn jokingly teased.
"I have my ways to get here fast, which I'll never reveal."
Then they all laughed for a good minute before Angela came forward to speak.
"We came here to visit and to also introduce you to our newest member in the clan."
"Ah, Elisa did informed me about this."
Broadway and Lexington moved aside so Zelda can step forward and stood next to Brooklyn and Angela. She looked at both of them and they nodded their heads in comfort. Zelda smiled and nodded back and looked at Talon, Maggie, and Claw, who are a bit shocked and surprised to see her.
"Hi, my name is Zelda and it's nice to meet you all."
Claw used sign language to ask, 'Do you have any friends or family like you?'
At first, Zelda had no clue what Claw was talking about or saying til Maggie translated what Claw was saying.
"He asked if you have any friends or family like you."
The gargoyles got a bit nervous on how Zelda will react on this question that has been repeated for a while. But to their surprise, Zelda answered to question calmly.
"I'm really not ready to tell my story or life yet but I know that I will soon though."
The three mutants seemed to understand her situation of not being ready to tell them about her past. So, like the gargoyles, they'll wait patiently. Angela suggested that Maggie and Claw should give Zelda a tour of the labyrinth. Maggie and Claw quickly agreed as Maggie asked Zelda if she wanted to. Of course, Zelda said yes in an exciting tone. The other gargoyles, Talon and Elisa chuckled a bit as they watched Zelda walking with Maggie and Claw.
When Zelda was a good distance away from the five remaining gargoyles along with Talon and Elisa, they explained to Talon about how Zelda was when Broadway, Lexington, and Brooklyn found her and when they introduced her to the others.
"Talon, there is something to consider when it comes with asking about her clan." Brooklyn sighed.
"What do you mean?
"We also asked her the same question that Claw asked her, but she gave the same answer too." Lexington explained.
"...But there is a bit more too." Broadway said in a sad tone a bit.
Talon looked at Broadway for a minute before looking back at Brooklyn for an explanation.
~~~~~ { With Zelda, Maggie, and Claw} ~~~~~
Maggie and Claw showed Zelda how they keep the homeless and other mutants, like them, safe from anyone who would harmor use them as lab experiments. Zelda was fascinated of how the place looked and how everyone was thriving so well here with one another so equally. But when Maggie told her story about when she was human once, along with Claw and Talon, Zelda couldn't help but feel complete sadness and sorrow for them. But Maggie reassured her that they may have lost the chance to be human again, they gained something so much more. Family and love.
When Maggie finished telling Zelda about her past, Zelda couldn't help but think about her past of how she was also human and when she met HIM... but when she looked back at the gargoyles talking to Talon, she couldn't help but smile and feel that she gained friends that she can trust. Maggie noticed this and asked, "Are you thinking about something?"
Zelda looked at Maggie and Claw with a bright smile and small tears falling down her cheeks.
"Yes, that I am very thankful to have friends that I can trust and also be there for me."
Maggie and Claw smiled when Zelda answered.
Then Claw signed, 'We're glad that you found something you need in life. Who know, you'll also find love too.'
Maggie chuckled a bit at the last part of what Claw said. Zelda, again, got confused of what he was saying. After Maggie translated what he said, Zelda couldn't help but blush a bit.
"W-What? I-I may know them for a year but there is no way that I can find love so fast." Zelda exclaimed.
"I see how Brooklyn looks at you, I even see how you look at him before you introduced yourself. It almost sounds like love at first sight."
Zelda's blush grew redder when Maggie mentioned Brooklyn and 'love at first sight'. She couldn't help but feel her heart beating fast that she could almost hear it through her ears.
"I-I don't know what you're talking about. Plus, we only known each other for one year to suddenly feel love."
"A lot of things can happen after one year." Maggie teased and Claw snickered, trying to hold his laugh.
"...Besides there's no way I could find love after H-" Zelda suddenly stopped, realizing what she was about to say.
"What?" Maggie asked.
"...Nothing."
"What do you mea-"
"Please... I.. I don't want to tell you guys yet." Zelda pleaded, almost close to crying in despair and pain.
Maggie and Claw were shocked at what Zelda was saying but they were more shocked at how she reacted. But they eventually nodded as Maggie placed a hand on Zelda's shoulder, to make her look up at her.
"It's okay, what it is that you said. You don't have to repeat it."
Zelda looked at Maggie and Claw for a minute, then she suddenly gave them a hug that surprised them greatly.
"Thank you, both of you..."
Maggie and Claw smiled and hugged her back. But the hug had to cut short when Maggie saw the others walking up to them. Brooklyn was ahead of them when he saw Zelda had tear stains and some newly fresh tears.
"Zelda, are you okay?" Angela asked in concern, also noticing the tears.
Zelda nodded but didn't say anything. Brooklyn knew something was wrong but knew that he couldn't ask her in public, with people around. So, for now, he just walked up to her and asked if she was okay. Zelda looked at everyone then looked up at Brooklyn. He knew what she needed, he gently wrapped his arms around her and hugged her close to him as he felt her quickly hugged him back.
After a few minutes, they broke the hug and they both suddenly blushed and shyly looked away from each other so they couldn't see each other blushing. Everybody saw this and laughed a bit.
"Well, I have to get going before y partner will start getting suspicious of where I am." Elisa said as she started to walk to where she came through to enter the labyrinth. Then she looked at the six gargoyles.
"I'll see you six back at the clock tower."
Everyone bid Elisa farewell before they said their goodbyes to each other.
"It was nice to meet you, Zelda. You are welcome to come here to visit us anytime you want. If you want some space from these three." Talon jokingly teased at the last part.
"Hey! Now that's cold." The trio exclaimed as Zelda, Angela, and the three mutants laughed.
'But I still want to know what got Zelda suddenly sad and... despair? Either way, I'll have to come back by myself and ask Maggie and Claw what happened.'
Brooklyn thought, planning to come back when he has time on a later day.
~~~~~ { Outside, flying back to the Clock Tower } ~~~~~
The six gargoyles were flying back to the clock tower. They were talking to each other that didn't notice two figures watching them from a roof of a building as they say the gargoyles flew pass them.
One of the figures hold out it's wrist and touched a small button, making a beeping noise, letting the figure know that its activated.
"We found her..."
The voice on the other side of the device was a rough, deep and almost growl tone.
"Good. Keep a close eye on her and her new friends. Especially the red one."
"Yes, my lord."
The two figures said, at the same time and ended to call.