Chapter Four
Playtime
Izz saw the Fire Gang surround him and Shrek as they entered the room. They were cackling and being noisy and hypered up. "What is it you're with?" they said to Izz as they blew out some fire. Shrek got angry at this but Izz stopped him from lunging at them. "Who're these guys?" he said to him. "They're the Fire Gang. They're really hyper and like to play but their games are warped. They love messing with those that entered the Labyrinth because they're bored. Jareth never gave them any one else to play with before because they're so mischievous. Jareth must've made them stall us." He told him calmly. He looked at the Fire Gang closely. They looked like children even though they were odd, furry creatures who were really hyper. "They look like children." Shrek said to him. "Yes that's because they are children." Izz said. "But why are they like that? All odd and furry?" he asked. Izz sighed before speaking. "They weren't like that before they came Underground. They were normal children but one day some selfish, uncaring people wished them away here. Jareth made them solve the Labyrinth but…" he explained. "But what Izz? I need to know!" he said nervously. "But they never solved it. But by then Jareth had won them over with his charm and through his magic. In the many days they began to change. Their human skin began to fade and fur replaced it. But through his magic, Jareth did something to their minds. It made them warped beyond help and made them hyper. But they're harmless. They really only want to play but they go too far with their fire and fun." He told him. "Will this happen to my child if I… don't solve the Labyrinth?" Shrek said worried. "I don't know. Jareth has never taken a baby of your species before, only humans so I don't know." Izz said. The Fire Gang were laughing and breathing out fire. "Look! New ones to solve our master's Labyrinth! I wonder if they'll make it?" a female one said curiously as she touched them. "Idiot! Jareth said we had to stop them from getting the baby!" another one said sticking out his tongue. "Why can't we play? He won't mind. He did say stall them." She said to him as she took her eyeballs out to use them as dice. Izz shuddered at that.
"Yeah! That's not a bad idea but Izz's friend looks a little surly. We don't know…" another one said as his arm fell off. Shrek watched as he reattached it. "Doesn't that hurt?" he said. "No! We do that all the time, don't we?" the odd creature said. "Yeah!" the others yelled. He watched as they started climbing all over him. Izz knew what game they wanted to play. "We've got to go! I know what they're going to do and it' not fun!" he whispered quietly. "What is it?" he asked. "They're going to try to take off your head. Because they haven't been in the human realm, their common sense vanished and they get like this to see if others can take off body parts without getting hurt." He explained. He nodded. "Let's take off his head!" the Fire Gang yelled excitedly. He then got to his feet and ran. "Let's do it!" they said as they chased after him. Izz followed him. But then they heard something. It was a baby, his child babbling on the highest stair case. "Oh no! I've got to get to him before he gets hurt! I need you to distract the Fire Gang while I try to get my kid back, okay?" Shrek told Izz. "Okay but just be careful." He said. "Don't worry, I do this kind of stuff all the time." He reassured him as he started climbing the steps. Jareth was also there watching them. He knew that sooner or later, this would happen and he got an idea. He threw a crystal to the baby. Shrek saw this and was worried but was stopped by the Goblin King. "We meet again. You show so much bravery for someone who didn't like his child to begin with. But I can give you something more than that infant." He told him. "What is that?" he asked. "Your dreams. You could leave the child here with me and live your live with Fiona carefree without the child. You could be so happy without it. All you have to do is say the words and I'll do it." Jareth explained. "Yeah right! If I leave him here, he'll end up warped and unloved like the Fire Gang. I saw what you did to them. Do they ever remember they were children and not creatures? No because you used your magic to make them this way and I won't let it happen to him!" Shrek roared loudly. Jareth was afraid of this. He'd never seen anyone like this one be so brave and undeterred by his tricks before. But he saw him come closer and grab him by the neck. "You Goblin King… have no power over me or my family!" he said…
But then everything went black… In the bedroom the clock struck midnight.