Lying as flat as possible the Dawn pulled out the mirror and propped it up against the wire. From outside Al sat next to the building with his mirror watching intently.

"So," said the man as he swung again. "I said I wouldn't tolerate screw-ups and you and your friends screwed up."

The third kid had an expression like he knew he was going to be chewed out but knew he didn't deserve it. Wait a minute…Chanticleer squinted to make sure he wasn't imagining anything, but amongst his black hair were those antenna?

"I swear sir, we didn't know that would happen. We don't even know how it happened! But I promise we'll try harder and be extra careful this time."

"This time?" Silver-hair mused. "What makes you think I'm giving you a next time? You failed and I don't tolerate failure."

"I promise nothing like that will happen again!"

"Do you know what caused it?"

"Um, no sir."

"Then how do you know it won't happen again? Boys."

The two others pushed the third closer to the man and forced him on the floor. On his back the teen tried to avoid the golf club that prodded his face and was in such a position to strike him at any time.

"You promised me you wouldn't mess up and look what's happened now…you and your friends are now in the perfect position to join a freak show, all because you did mess up."

The thinner of the two henchmen tried to put a golf tee in the young mans mouth, which he didn't hesitate to spit out until the second man put a knife to his throat. The silver haired man put a ball on the tee and pretended to practice his swing.

"I'm a very respectable man in what I do." He said nonchalantly. "Letting the word out that I of all people let low class failures under my wing would cause a seriously damaging blow to my ego. And to think, I began funding your science group thinking you'd be successful." He brought the club closer to the tee.

"But lucky for you I have a shred of mercy to show you. I'm giving you an hour after you leave his room for you and your freaky friends to get out of my manor. If you're not gone by then my boys will start hunting you. If you even try to come back for a second chance I'll make your lives a living nightmare. Don't underestimate me when I say I have resources and connections. I could set you up for any given crime and make all the evidence point to you and your buddies even if you were on the other side of the world at the time." He pulled the club behind his head, preparing for the swing. "I don't need to be seen with filth like you."

He swung with unthinkable strength for a man his age. The ball must have dented the metal door when it hit and the tee cut the young mans lip before it also went flying. Silver hair put the club over his shoulder and walked to a desk in the corner closest to him.

"Just to make sure you understand me I'll let Keith and Ryan to give you one last parting gift."

The two goonies looked at each other as though they couldn't wait for him to say that. The biggest, Keith grabbed the teen on the floors throat and then handed his knife to his partner with the utmost politeness. (Note the sarcasm) Ryan acted in the same (false) polite manner and twisted his pointer finger around the base of the antenna-looking thing. Without warning he yanked it. The teen gasped in pain but couldn't do much else. A vein or something similar was all that kept the antenna attached to the kids head and Ryan sliced right through it, making it bleed.

Chanticleer watched in a horrid silence. How could someone enjoy putting another person through an agony like that and openly show it. Watching feeling slightly helpless the Dawn could only wonder how Al felt about this cruel scene.

"Take him down to the basement with his friends so he can deliver the good news." The silver-haired creep told the two men.

Very roughly Keith and Ryan got the third teen to his feet and escorted him out the door. But Chanticleer didn't see this. He'd backed up and quickly headed for the nearest exit the second he heard where the teen was being taken. He jumped down the shaft that took him forever to get up and didn't care if anyone heard the thump.

"AL!" the Dawn whispered harshly when he could see moonlight shining from the opening he came through.

"Chanticleer?" Al whispered back.

"They're headed to the basement."

"Yeah I heard that part."

The Dawn had to jump from the vent and to his relief Al was paying enough attention to catch him.

"So what are we going to do?" Al asked. "Bust in there and save the day?"

"No, we're going to wait until those ding dong hit men are gone then take that teen and his friends back with us."

"How are we going to make that work and how will we know when they're gone?"

"Easy." Chanticleer held his mirror in front of one of the basement windows and looked in the one Al still had in his hand.

In a matter of minutes a light came on and the kid they saw before was pushed through a door and when the door closed they were left in darkness.

"That was easy."

"Now what?"

"Wait until they're out of earshot and I'll slip in to be the bearer of good news."

Al slowly worked the window open and they could hear voices from inside.

"REN! What happened to you? Why are you bleeding!"

"Kun!"

"We've got to get out of here."

"Sit down and let me clean that up. Now what was that?"

"We need to get out of here within the hour otherwise we're likely to get shot."

"I think now's your time to make an entrance." Al whispered. The Dawn nodded and jumped through. Now we've all heard of great entrances, this one probably wasn't great but it did grab the attention of the people in the basement.

"Hey who are you!"

"Someone who cares enough to get you all out of here safely."

Al didn't listen to all the details; he was too busy checking the building on all sides to make sure they could make a clean get away.

"Hold on, you're a State Alchemist and you're willing to help us get out of here so we don't end up taking a dirt nap? What's in it for you?"

"Nothing except maybe new friends."

"Have you even seen what we look like?"

"No and I don't think I'll care."

"I think you might."

Someone turned on a light and revealed five very ashamed looking teens and a little girl. The basement had been set up as a laboratory of some kind and dead animals and animal parts lay on the floor and tables. It became clear now whatever they had been working on had a glitch somewhere and fused their animal subjects with the caretakers, making their shame understandable. This had a familiar ring to it but the Dawn just shook the feeling. Instead he pulled his green tail from behind his shirt and twiddled his clawed hand in front of his face.

"No, I don't think I care."

Chibi me - OHHHHH! Now that you've cut us off again you better get to write more!

Me – Ya know, you're starting to get irritating again. Want me to get the caramel?

Chibi me – (no response)

Me- that's what I thought. Back to the story, Ed has to eat his words about the trip being a doosie and now the six strangers introduce themselves and explain what they were doing with Mr. Steven King Scary.