Still on the run
The beggar took Gabriel inside a white car.
Once in the guy started the engine and drove the car at high speed.
He also made sure Gabriel put his seat-belt on.
"Hold fast!" he said.
The streets were still traffic-less.
"Are you ok?" the guy asked.
Gabriel checked out his body: despite the little scratch he was fine.
"I said are you ok?"
"Yes, yes, don't hurt me!" those words came out from Gabriel automatically.
"Hurting you? I'm not your enemy..."
He showed a distinctive.
"...I'm officer Bruce Freeman from Toronto police. I'm here to protect you!"
He quickly removed his fake beard, his glasses and his hat showing a bald black head.
"I just have a little scratch!" Gabriel said answering at the officer previous question.
"Don't worry, we are going to bring you to…"
The reddish beast suddenly landed on the car hood.
"Keep your head down!" the officer screamed.
Too late, the beast broke the windscreen and grabbed the kid by its shirt.
"Ahhhh..."
"Oh my… hold fast!"
Bruce swerves the car violently. The beast swung and landed on the ground.
"Are you ok?"
Gabriel recovered from the shock.
"Yes, I'm fine! That's incredible, how could that bear get up after all those darts? It's..."
The officer interrupted him.
"She's not a bear, she's a panda, a giant red panda!"
"She? You mean that beast is female! You know Doomsday?"
"Yes, her name isn't Doomsday, her name is Mei Lee! She's not even a red panda she's a human, just like us!"
Gabriel was incredulous.
"That beast is a human? I don't..."
"It's a long story! I know you have a lot of questions but we have no time for this. We ave to escort you in a safe place. By the way, before I forget…!"
The officer pushed a button of his car radio.
"Priya, it's me. I got the boy. I'm heading to exit number 3!"
"Roger!" the girl with glasses answered.
"Come on girls… to the exit number 3, hurry!"
Soon the two girls followed heir friend with their bikes at full speed.
"Oh no!" Gabriel said looking in the rear-view mirror.
"What's going on?" Bruce asked.
"The beast, she's behind us!"
"Oh no, I've run out of darts. Hold fast!"
The officer stepped on the accelerator. The high speed made Gabriel feel strange.
"Don't worry we're are almost there!"
Also the beast sped up and suddenly made a jump.
She jumped so high and so long she passed the car.
"Oh no!"
Bruce slammed on the brakes and quickly made a u-turn.
The beast was behind them once again.
"Kinda clever the beast!" Gabriel noted.
"Yeah, give me a second..."
The officer turned on the radio once again;
"Priya, listen, schedule change, Mei Mei has blocked the exit, I'm heading to exit number 4 now!"
"Got it!" the girly voice answered.
The ride was flowing smoothly. There was no trace of the giant red panda before them.
Gabriel noticed she wasn't even behind them.
"Hey, where did she go?"
"We almost reached exit 4!"
Just a moment later the beast appeared from crossroads to the right and hit the car.
The car skidded violently and crashed into a wall.
It crashed so hard the car engine was completely broken.
"Oh no!" Bruce screamed.
Gabriel noticed Mei Mei was quickly coming to them.
"Hurry! Let's get out of the car!" Bruce ordered.
Once out the car the beast was just right before them.
"Gabriel!" she said ready to attack.
Without losing any time Bruce climbed on the car roof and jumped on the beast's back.
The beast roared. That shouldn't be a nice feeling. It was trying to get rid of the guy on her back.
"Go Gabriel, run! Take the road on your right, there's an alley! In the alley you'll find a manhole. The manhole will take you to the sewers. You'll be safe once there! Go, go!"
Gabriel started to run. The beast was trying to get rid of the guy by crashing its back on the walls. Gabriel could hear his screams.
Gabriel ran with the little of energy left on his body. He started to spot the manhole when suddenly he stumbled on something. He fell on the ground, he tried to get up but his ankle was aching.
He could hear the beast quickly approaching to him. Bruce was no longer on her back.
He had to run but his ankle was still hurting. It was over.
The beast was just before him, she was trying to grab Gabriel when, suddenly, she stopped.
She was a step away from Gabriel. She was desperately trying to reach him but she wasn't able to move any further. It was like something was holding her.
Gabriel moved his head and noticed three young girls holding the red panda's tail.
"Hmnnn… come on, go, we're holding her!" said a girl with glasses.
"Who are you?"
"Introductions must wait, go!" said a chubby girl with long black hair.
The beast roared impatiently.
"Go, we can't hold her for too long!" said a girl clenching her teeth showing her braces.
With the little energy he had in his body Gabriel got up from the ground and started running. He could have reached the manhole if it wasn't for the pain in his ankle. The beast was still rebelling against its handlers. Hobbling and limping Gabriel reached the manhole. Meanwhile the beast got rid of the three girls.
Without losing any time Gabriel opened the manhole and climbed down the ladder. The manhole was too small for the beast to get through so once there the beast put her big paw but Gabriel was out of reach.
Gabriel saw the big paw trying to catch him in vain for some minutes before disappearing.
Did the beast desist?
He remained still trying to take a breath. Something touched his shoulder.
"Gabriel!?" a female voice said, the same tone of the beast.
Did she reach him in the sewer?
Gabriel fought back.
"Easy, easy, you're safe now. There's nothing you have to worry about!"
Gabriel turned his head and saw the face of a Chinese woman.
"Wh-who are you?"
"I'm the mother of the beast who was trying to eat you! I'm Ming… Ming Lee!"