Talon had given Keahi permission to leave the Labyrinth and go to the Bronx Zoo one night. It was in the news a few weeks ago that one of the clouded leopards had given birth to a litter of cubs. Keahi, her mutated genetic code containing clouded leopard genes, wanted to know what the cubs looked like.
Keahi flew to the Bronx Zoo and found the enclosure where the mother and cubs were being kept. They were so cute. Keahi watched them sleep next to their mother.
Keahi heard a noise, like metal being bent and broken.
"Hurry up, brother!" snapped a grating voice.
Keahi spotted movement in the enclosure. She recognized Jackal and Hyena as they stormed in and grabbed the cubs. Keahi let out a snarl and hurried to stop them. By the time she got there, Jackal and Hyena were leaving the enclosure, a cub under each arm. Keahi pounced on Jackal and got the two cubs he carried away from him. Jackal and Hyena were surprised.
"A gargoyle?" asked Jackal.
Keahi let out a warning growl before it turned into a roar.
"Not any gargoyle I've seen," said Hyena. She handed the cubs to her brother. "Let's find out."
"No," said Jackal. "We have what we came for. Let's go!"
Jackal and Hyena took off. Keahi growled and looked at the two cubs in her arms. They fussed and Keahi quickly returned them to the enclosure.
Keahi started off after Jackal and Hyena. Why would they want a bunch of cubs? It didn't make any sense. The only thing that Keahi knew for certain was that she was going to catch them and give them a beating.
Jackal and Hyena stopped in an abandoned warehouse. A car was just pulling in. Keahi landed on the roof and crawled in through the ventilation duct.
"The deal was for four cubs," said a voice.
"Would have gotten them if it wasn't for a gargoyle," said Hyena.
"A gargoyle? Surely you can handle one gargoyle," said the voice.
"It wasn't an ordinary gargoyle," defended Jackal.
Keahi looked through the ventilation shaft and saw a man in a business suit. Jackal and Hyena were handing the two cubs over to him and he was placing them in pet carriers.
Keahi kicked open the vent and dropped down, snarling and hissing at them. Her eyes were glowing and her wings were spread. She was down on all fours, ready to pounce.
Jackal and Hyena went on the offensive. Hyena fired her laser at Keahi and Jackal's finger missiles shot at her. Keahi easily dodged away. The businessman fled. Keahi, seeing that he was getting into his car, threw herself over Jackal and Hyena and proceeded to use her bioelectricity to fry the car's circuits. It was a newer car so everything stopped working. For good measure, as Keahi rejoined the fight with Jackal and Hyena, she slashed the tires on one side.
Jackal fired his finger missiles and Keahi ducked out of the way. Hyena got a good shot in and injured Keahi's left leg. Keahi didn't slow down. She pushed through the pain and kicked Hyena in the stomach. Jackal came at her, his arm extending and coiling around her. Keahi used her bioelectricity, the charge traveling through the arm and hitting Jackal full force. Jackal dropped like a stone.
"Feisty, aren't we?" Hyena cackled.
Keahi replied with a snarl, cat eyes fixed on Hyena. Hyena pounced and Keahi jumped out of the way, leaping up to the catwalks above with little effort. Hyena followed. The former Pack member lashed out and cut Keahi's cybernetic arm. The damage was superficial, but it made Hyena pause.
"A cyborg?" she asked. She grinned. "You're just full of surprises."
Hyena lunged at Keahi. Keahi dropped, spun around, lifting her leg and kicking Hyena in the face. The force knocked her against the railing of the catwalk. Keahi snarled and slashed Hyena's shoulder, digging into the circuitry underneath.
Hyena let out a cry of pain and kicked Keahi in the stomach. Keahi stumbled back and fell over the railing. Hyena waited for the sound of the mutate to hit the floor, but heard nothing. Frowning, she walked over to the side and looked down. There was no one down there. A hand shot up and grabbed Hyena's arm and sent her over the side. Keahi had herself hanging from the underside of the catwalk.
Keahi pulled herself back over the railing and tore off two large sections. She bent it around Jackal and Hyena's unmoving forms. It would hold until the police arrived.
Now, where was the businessman? He had left the car and was traveling on foot. Keahi sniffed the air, immediately getting the scent of the leopard cubs. With a twitch at the corner of her mouth, she started off after him.
The businessman fought to carry the cubs in the pet carriers and run at the same time. It was not easy for him. With his car not working, he could only walk. It would raise suspicion to see a man in a business suit carrying pet carriers with rare leopard cubs. And what was that thing that attacked Hyena and Jackal? It didn't matter to him. Surely they would be able to dispose of whatever it was.
The businessman slowed his pace to a walk. He needed to catch some of his breath before trying to run any farther. The cubs were now complaining in the carriers.
"Shut up!" he hissed.
The businessman stiffened. He felt like someone was behind him, watching him. He turned and saw the creature again.
Keahi stood behind him, her cat eyes glowing fiercely and her wings halfway spread to make her look more menacing. She pulled back her lips, her fangs shining.
"Please," the businessman began to beg. "Don't hurt me."
Keahi growled. Several things went through her mind at the moment. She could easily kill this man. She wanted to kill this man. He had stolen the cubs from their mother. He should pay in some fashion.
The businessman let out a cry of fear as Keahi jumped into the air and slammed her feet into his chest. The force knocked him to the ground, breaking a few ribs in the process. The pet carriers went crashing to the ground, the cubs crying out in protest. Keahi turned her attention to the cubs for a brief second before she turned her attention back to the man. She pointed her finger at him and a bolt of bioelectricity shot out and stunned the businessman. The shock was the equivalent of a taser and the man was out in a second.
Keahi turned back to the cubs. She freed them and held them close. They seemed comfortable with her. They nuzzled and sniffed, but did not bite or claw. She carefully juggled them as she picked up the businessman by the belt. With a few flaps of her wings, she took off and went back to the warehouse.
Keahi put the businessman with Jackal and Hyena, both of which were still unconscious. She called the police and waited. She sat on the floor with the cubs. The cubs were active for a few minutes, one even taking a nip at Keahi's breast, signaling that it was hungry, before they settled down and went to sleep. She watched them for a time before looking at the businessman. She growled, still feeling the great urge to walk over there and rip out his throat. How dare he take these cubs, these children, who weren't even weaned? Her growl became a purr when she saw that she roused the cubs with her anger. After a moment of purring, they were asleep again. When Keahi heard the police coming, she set the cubs aside and exited through the ventilation shaft.
Keahi needed somewhere to go, but she did not want to return to the Labyrinth. The Eyrie Building was across the river, but it would be a good chance for her to calm down during the flight. She landed in the castle courtyard not long afterwards.
Bronx put his head up and growled. Hudson, who was watching television looked at the gargoyle dog.
"What's wrong, boy?" he asked.
Bronx got up and went to the door, still growling. Hudson got up and let him out, following as Bronx quickly made his way to the courtyard door. Hudson opened the door and saw Keahi standing there.
"You," he said with a smile. "We haven't heard much from you, lass. Ye look like you could use some rest." He inspected her right arm. "And repairs."
"The repairs are not important," said Keahi. "The 'skin' is just broken."
Hudson wouldn't hear it. He took Keahi to Xanatos. Xanatos took Keahi's arm to the workshop to have it repaired. In the meantime, he offered her a guest bedroom. Keahi accepted. She was a bit tired and was eager to have a hot bath.
Keahi went into the bathroom and drew a hot bath. She unbraided her black hair and placed the cap over the sockets of her shoulder. She was in the bath for a while before hearing someone knock on the door.
"Come in!" she called.
The door opened and closed. "Lass?" called Hudson.
"In the bathroom," Keahi called.
"I'll come back later," said Hudson.
"You don't have to," said Keahi. "I don't mind. Stand outside the door if you please."
Hudson came to the bathroom door. Keahi was in such a position that nothing but her head and shoulders could be seen.
"I wanted to ask what happened tonight," said Hudson.
"Quite a bit," replied Keahi. She told Hudson everything up until she returned to the warehouse. She paused and sighed.
"What is it, lass?" asked Hudson. "There's something bothering you."
Keahi stared forward. "I wanted to kill him," she admitted. "For taking the cubs, but it didn't feel like he took a couple of zoo animals. It felt like he kidnapped children."
"Ah," said Hudson with an understanding smile. "That was your maternal instinct. It would make sense. You are part clouded leopard, the same as the cubs, it would feel natural to think of them as children." Hudson chuckled.
"What?" asked Keahi.
"You will make a good mother one day," said Hudson.
Neither Keahi's personality nor coloring would allow her to blush, but she was heated around the ears. "If any man will have me," she said.
Hudson chuckled again. "From what I hear, there is one who has his eye on you."
Keahi narrowed her eyes at him. It wasn't a glare, but it wasn't friendly either.
"Talon tells Elisa what goes on in the Labyrinth," explained Hudson. "She then tells us. We know about the looks you give and receive from a certain lad."
Keahi flicked some water in Hudson's direction. He chuckled once more and left. Keahi thought for a long moment what Hudson said, about her being a good mother. If she set aside the physical things, she and Claw easily could lead a normal life, especially in the Labyrinth. Keahi could pass for human with her wings pulled into her back and could get a job aboveground. Claw loved children and was a family man. If they tried, she was sure they could make it work.
Then a demon in her mind got her thinking another question: what if the mutation could be reversed? Would Claw take it and be human again? Would he leave Keahi?