Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or locations from The Gargoyles series.

Author's note: This story takes place the summer following "The Journey", and though it ignores the comic's continuity, I'm using Fang's real name, revealed in Bad Guys #2.

Chance Meetings

Chapter 4: Plan in Motion

By RemTar85

Sometimes people can find it very frustrating how slowly time seems to pass by when one has something to look forward to. That's how Fang had been feeling ever since the night he had seen his nephew again after so long and an escape plan came to his head. Despite the fact that it had been only five nights since that happened, the cougar mutate had spent most of his time pacing in his cell ever since. Even at the moment, he was walking back and forth as best as he could in the confined space, grumbling under his breath

Fang had figured that after being locked up for so long, he could be able to patiently wait a little more, until Daniel could come to carry out the escape plan. The idea of being free again, however, had made Fang become impatient and expectant, and his eyes were always glued to the entrance down the hall, in the hopes of seeing the short, brown-haired boy coming. Fang's ears suddenly perked at the sound of footsteps, and he quickly gazed again at the entrance. He was let down yet again, though, as he saw that it was Talon who was coming by.

Talon walked along the corridor, carrying a set of shackles in his hands. Stopping in front of Fang's cell, he pressed the button that unlocked the door and looked over at the cougar mutate. "Bath time, Fang. You know what to do."

Fang frowned, but stayed silent. He was indeed used to this routine, having done it at the very least twice a week since his imprisonment began. He turned around and put his hands behind him, head hanging low and eyes closed. With that position assumed, Talon entered the cell, and made quick work on cuffing Fang's ankles and wrists. The chains were quite heavy duty, and they kept Fang in check, as Talon put a hand on his shoulder and guided him out.

Fang took a deep breath the second he stepped out of the cell. The one thing he enjoyed most about bath time was the chance to get some fresh air and stretch his wings, even if it meant having to shamble along the corridors, all shackled up like a convict in death row. After exiting the hall, Fang saw the usual extra guards for him, this time being Delilah and Burbank. It was common routine to keep Fang shackled until he was in the showers, and have at least three of either the other mutates and the clones to keep an eye on him in case he tried escaping after they undid the shackles so he could shower. He had tried it once, with no success, but Talon felt he could never be too careful.

"Fang is very quiet lately," Delilah pointed out as all four made their way to the shower area, noticing it was strange how the ever talkative mutate had remained silent so far.

"She's right, Fang," Talon said. "In fact, you've been awfully quiet for a few days now."

"Not much to talk about," Fang said with a shrug, and remained quiet afterwards.

"Well, you won't hear me complain," Talon said, actually meaning it. Deep down, though, he was a little suspicious of Fang's recent change of behavior.

They reached the showers fairly quickly, and Talon removed the shackles from Fang, who quickly entered the shower area, which looked much like a gym's, with several shower stalls. After entering, Fang undressed, taking a couple of minutes to maneuver his wings out of the holes on the back of his sleeveless shirt without ripping it up. Walking to the farthest of the many shower stalls, Fang smirked as he took a quick glimpse of Talon, Delilah and Burbank standing guard by the door. Though his mood lately was a little sour due to his impatience, Fang at least enjoyed seeing Talon and the others looking puzzled and apprehensive of his being so quiet lately. He knew it made the others suspicious, but he hoped it would not be enough suspicion to stop his escape plan. Shaking his head, Fang decided to forget the subject for the moment, and he began showering, knowing it would take quite a while afterwards to properly dry and untangle all his fur. That was the one part of being a mutate that he disliked.

Daniel paced impatiently in his bedroom, not finding anything to keep himself busy with lately. Though he had a knack to find ways of keeping himself busy and entertained, it was rather more difficult lately, after having run into his uncle after so long, and especially after finding out all that had happened to him while he was away. Daniel's mind kept wandering back to the escape plan his uncle had begged him to help out with. He had tried to keep his mind off of the plan, having accompanied his mother to do groceries, having bought new comic books, and doing more house chores than usual, but ultimately, his mind just went back to the escape subject.

Sitting on his bed, Daniel pondered once more if he was doing the right thing, and though it had not been the first time those thoughts had come across, he quickly pushed them aside. His uncle had been imprisoned for a reason, and if he got caught helping him escape, Daniel knew both he and his uncle would be in big trouble. On the other hand, his uncle promised that nothing would happen to him, and he didn't want to leave his uncle rotting inside a cell with no actual prospect of getting out. Daniel had already decided he'd help his uncle out and was not going to change his mind.

"Daniel, come here for a second," Daniel's mom called.

The boy instantly perked up, hoping that this could be a chance to sneak out if his mother planned on going out. Quickly leaving his room, Daniel saw that his hopes were right on the mark, as he saw his mother applying lipstick in front of the bathroom mirror, a vivid red color now coating her lips. She was well dressed and her dark hair was shiny and neatly combed. Her purse was right beside her, and she tossed the lipstick in it once she was finished.

"I'm going out for a little while. Martha's sister is in town visiting and we're going to go meet her," Carmen told her son.

"Okay, Mom," Daniel said with a nod. "Will you be home late?"

"Not really," she replied, walking to the door. "It'll only be a little reunion, chat up a bit. I'll be back around nine or so. Your stepfather's working the late shift tonight, and I'll have dinner over there. I'll bring you something."

"No problem, Mom," Daniel said, though he was thinking that he knew he'd be hungry much earlier than when his mother would come home.

"Good. You behave, okay? And follow the rules," Carmen said, then quickly left, closing the apartment door behind her.

Once he heard his mother's footsteps fade, Daniel ran into his bedroom and opened a dresser drawer. Searching underneath a bunch of balled up socks, he took a paper, in which he had written the address of the building he lived in, his apartment number, and even detailed things, like the window of his bedroom that led out into the emergency staircase, and even the location of the little drug store in the corner. He wanted to make extra sure his uncle would not have trouble finding the place.

Gazing at his small, bedside clock, Daniel saw that it was a little after six-thirty. Knowing it would take at least fifteen to twenty minutes to arrive to the Labyrinth if he left now and ran part of the way, and that he still had to make a trip back home, he knew he'd have at least two hours to execute the plan and be back home. Perhaps much less, since he had to find a gap of time in which to sneak away unnoticed for a few moments. Putting the paper with the address into his pocket, Daniel exited the apartment after taking a pair of extra keys, and after locking it, he ran off, hoping things would turn out okay.

Having led Fang back to his cell after he had his fur mostly dried up after his shower, Talon dismissed Delilah and Burbank, who went off to find their fellow clones. Fang had not uttered a single word after answering Delilah's question before his shower, and he settled into his cell quietly. Walking away, Talon still wondered why Fang had decided to remain so calm and quiet lately, and though he thought it was strange, he found that the more he thought about it, the more appealing he found the situation. He was quite enjoying not having to hear the imprisoned mutate's constant shouts and insults.

Heading towards the large kitchen area, Talon found a good number of Labyrinth dwellers cooking dinner, Maggie included among them. New boxes of food had arrived from Xanatos just that morning, and it was during these days that more versatile meals could be prepared. It certainly seemed like the kitchen of a busy restaurant, with the numerous people preparing different things at a time. Talon grinned as he smelled the various tasty scents emanating from the many pots and pans.

Walking up behind his mate, Talon put his arms around Maggie from behind and kissed one of her cheeks. "That smells great, darling."

"Thanks, Derek," Maggie replied with a smile. "We're making a little bit of everything tonight."

"Just like a good old restaurant," Derek said, putting his hand over Maggie's so he could join along in stirring a sauce. "I'm in the mood for a big, juicy steak."

"Then a big, juicy steak you'll get, dear."

"I love it when you spoil me," Derek said, kissing Maggie's other cheek. He then released her from his embrace and stood next to her so he could better help her in cooking.

As Talon and Maggie cooked together, Claw passed by the kitchen with a basket full of sheets for laundry. He stopped for a second and smiled upon glancing at his friends cooking together. It made him wonder if, perhaps, one day they could find a way to get officially married. He was looking forward to dinner, so he made his way into the laundry room, wanting to make sure all his chores were done quickly. He wanted to have a little time to relax before dinner.

Out of breath, the young boy stopped and sat down, panting. He ran a lot of the way, and decided that though time was not on his side that day, he could at least take a moment to catch his breath. Daniel rested for a few minutes, and stood after finally feeling sufficiently rested. Before he set off again, though, he heard faint voices along the long, abandoned tunnel that led to the main Labyrinth entrance. He knew those must be Labyrinth residents, on their way to dinner.

He walked the rest of the way, also eager to eat something, as well as having his uncle's plan weighing heavily on him. Soon enough, he came upon the large, metallic door, which was slightly ajar. Slipping through the opening, he walked amongst the crowd. People chatted animatedly amongst themselves, waiting for dinner to be served. As he walked along, Daniel saw a small group of children around his age playing a board game in the corner. He had seen various children living in the Labyrinth, but had never approached any of them, and he figured perhaps he could try making new friends soon.

His attention moved from the group of children to the door of the laundry area opening. As he spotted the tiger mutate stepping out, Daniel stiffened. It was there where he had hidden the blanket he would later try passing to his uncle. When Claw closed the door to the laundry room and walked away, though, Daniel breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Maybe I'm a little too jumpy about this," Daniel muttered to himself. "I won't be able to do this if I don't calm down."

Daniel saw that Claw had walked down the hall that led to his room. As he made his way towards the laundry room, Daniel sneaked a glance into the kitchen, and noticed Talon and Maggie busy with dinner preparations. Stopping there, Daniel glanced around, making sure nobody was watching him. Claw was in his room, Talon and Maggie were busy in the kitchen, the clones were nowhere to be seen, and all the Labyrinth residents were busy on their own ways while expecting dinner. He knew that if there was a moment to go ahead with the plan, this was it.

Daniel walked slowly, casually, towards the laundry room. He did not want anybody to pay any attention to him, and looking to the large crowd of people, he saw that he was making a good job of passing by without attracting anybody's attention unnecessarily. A few moments later, as he was about to reach the door, the boy gasped as he felt a sudden tingle on the back of his neck, which spread throughout his body, all the way to his fingertips, and made his short hair stand lightly on end. Turning around quickly, he looked up to see Claw grinning down at him. The mutate held up a finger, a very mild, almost invisible sparkle of electricity flickered on the tip of his claw, to show the boy exactly what he had just felt.

"You're so mean," Daniel said, though he chuckled as he said it.

Still grinning, Claw held his notepad and pen in his other hand, bringing it up to write on and showing it to Daniel. "It's nice to see you again. What were you up to?"

"Just looking around," Daniel replied. "I was thinking maybe I should try meeting other kids down here. Make new friends, you know?"

Claw nodded, writing some more. "That sounds great, Daniel. Dinner will be ready soon, so maybe after we eat, I can introduce you to some of the kids around here."

"Sure, that sounds good," Daniel said. He followed his friend into the crowd, and away from the laundry room door, which Daniel took a quick glance back at. He now had to find another chance, he knew, and it was probable that it would be more difficult.

Not long afterwards, Talon, Maggie and the other people who were cooking dinner began serving it to the crowd. Daniel rather quietly greeted the other mutates as he and Claw eventually walked up to get their dinner. Claw served himself some roasted chicken and potatoes, while Daniel made do with some fried chicken and French fries, glad that the menu was much more varied tonight than on his previous visits. Soon enough both of them joined the crowd as they sat down at a table and began eating.

Daniel tried his best to look normal as he ate, but the nervousness of his uncle's escape plan got to him a little, enough so that he was not eating much of his dinner. Claw was quick to notice it. Curious, he set his dinner aside and wrote on his notepad. Daniel seemed to not notice, and when the mutate tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention, the boy jumped a little, but quickly read the note.

"Is something the matter, Daniel? You've barely touched your dinner, and you look a little uneasy."

"No, nothing's wrong, Claw," Daniel said. "Just feeling a little queasy."

Claw nodded, and wrote more. "How about you take a bit of a walk? Maybe your stomach will calm down."

"Yeah, maybe that can help," Daniel said, and yet as he stood up, he felt the need to say more. "Or maybe just a quick stop at the bathroom. Wait for me here, I'll try not to take long."

Claw smiled and nodded. He turned back to his dinner and continued eating as Daniel walked away. However, Daniel did not head directly towards the bathroom. He found it quite surprising that he could have come up with an excuse to sneak away so quickly, but knew he only had a few minutes to spare. Stopping at the door to the laundry room, Daniel took a quick glance around the large room. Everybody was too busy eating, with Talon and Maggie having sat down together near the entrance area, and Claw had his back turned to him. Daniel opened the door and quickly darted inside. After a quick search, he was glad to see that the blanket, the largest one he had found, was still tucked away where he had left it, buried under a big pile of other blankets.

Taking the blanket, Daniel exited the room, closing the door behind him. He knew it was now or never, and he sneaked as quickly and quietly as he could towards the hall that led to the holding cells. He kept taking glances back at the crowd, until he reached the hall and quickly jogged along it. At this moment, Daniel could not believe his luck, and he now felt positive that this just might work.

Fang's mind was currently in a big blank. Lying in his cot, staring at the ceiling for what felt like the hundredth time that day, he often wondered how he had held on to his sanity so strongly throughout all the time he had been imprisoned, not counting his very few and completely unsuccessful escape attempts. Mostly, he was impressed with his patience, and he felt a certain sense of pride about it, as he had never considered himself a patient man at all.

He had been doing a lot of thinking during and after his shower. Though his patience had been wearing thin in the last few days, he knew it would not help him to get stressed out. Daniel was an eleven year old boy, after all, and Fang decided to just accept that his nephew could not just come by so easily. He had already promised to help Fang escape, after all, so Fang decided to just wait until Daniel could finally get a chance to drop by, and then just hope for the best. Still, he hoped his nephew wouldn't take too long, anyway. Closing his eyes, he decided he'd just take a nap until his food was taken to him.

Fang's ears twitched a little when he heard footsteps a few moments later. It was a lot earlier than his usual dinner time, so he turned his head to check out who was coming. He saw nobody at first, and he heard the familiar click of the button to unlock his cell door, and a second later, Fang sat up swiftly, eyes wide and a big grin on his face at the sight of the brown-haired boy tugging the door open. "Holy crap! Positive thinking does pay off!"

Daniel ignored his uncle's comment, entering the cell and putting a large, folded up blanket on the mutate's lap. "No time for talk, Uncle!" Daniel said in a hushed, rapid voice. "Everybody's having dinner at the moment, but I have to get back there right now. I'll tell Claw I don't feel well so he'll take me home. Wait about five minutes after I leave here, then sneak out. I don't know where the clones are, so you'll have to be careful with them."

"You bet," Fang said with a nod of his head. He looked surprised and impressed by how thorough and take-charge Daniel was being. It was a side of his introverted nephew that he had never seen before.

"Here," Daniel said, taking a piece of paper out of his jeans pocket and handing it to Fang. "I wrote directions to my apartment there."

"Then I'll catch you later," Fang whispered. "Now go!"

Daniel nodded and ran out of the cell. He pushed the door until it locked, and once more pressed the button to unlock it, so Fang could push it open on his way out. Flashing his uncle a smile and a thumbs-up, Daniel ran off. Fang watched him go until he rounded the corner and was out of sight. Taking a look at the paper in his hand, he quickly read the directions, and was relieved to find he knew that area and would not have to search around. Then he unfolded the blanket and found it to be larger than the ones he had in his cell. He folded his wings around his shoulders and covered himself with the blanket. Leaving a small opening in front of his face to look out of, like a hood, he found that if he hunched, the blanket could cover his whole body.

Taking off the blanket, Fang sat down, a huge grin on his face. "Oh, God bless you, Danny Boy!"

Almost finished with his dinner, Claw took a look at the plate next to his. Daniel's food was quickly getting cold. A little concerned now, Claw quickly ate the rest of his meal, stood and took the plastic plate and utensils to deposit them in the garbage cans. He decided to go check on Daniel, wondering if, perhaps, the boy might be a little ill. Making his way to the bathroom, he was about to enter, but as he reached for the doorknob, the door opened slowly, and Daniel walked out.

Daniel looked up at the mutate right after stepping out, and Claw smiled down at him. Claw rubbed his tummy while looking at the boy, then cocked his head to the side with a quizzical look. Slowly getting better with understanding Claw's sign language, Daniel knew his friend had asked if he was feeling well.

"Yeah, I guess I'm okay, Claw," Daniel said, also rubbing his tummy. "Just a bit of a stomach-ache. I've been a little queasy like that all day."

Nodding, Claw took his notepad this time and wrote on it. "Maybe I should take you home, then? I know it's a bummer to cut your visit short tonight, but if you feel ill, it would be best if you go home and rest up."

"Yeah, I better do that," Daniel said. "I guess I'll meet some of the other kids here another time. Maybe I could bring some comics, so we can have stuff to read."

Claw smiled at that, and pointed to a table, where Talon and Maggie were sitting. Daniel followed as the tiger-man made his way there, surely to let the other mutates know where he was going. As he followed his friend, Daniel took a quick look back at the hall that lead to the holding cells. He knew he had lucked out yet again, having noticed Claw putting his empty plates on the garbage, and snuck into the bathroom, having peeked out through a tiny opening for Claw to come nearby before Daniel stepped out.

Stepping up to Claw, he saw the largest mutate give his friends a quick note from his pad. They both nodded and bid Daniel good-bye. Before leaving, Claw insisted on giving Daniel two apples for the boy to eat later, having explained that even though he had an upset stomach, Daniel had barely eaten dinner, and should at least eat something light to help settle. The boy accepted without protest, and took the apples in a small bag as he walked with Claw into the tunnels. Now on his way home, Daniel's part of his uncle's escape plan was finished. He knew that, from that moment on, it would all depend on how luck would favor his uncle.

Doing his best to sit still, Fang closed his eyes and rolled the balled up blanket on his hands. He had his eyes closed, counting slowly in his mind. After so long in the cell, it should be simple for the mutate to count in his head until he reached five minutes, simply count to three hundred. In his eagerness, though, he had lost count, and grumbled in frustration. He tried it a second time, and lost count yet again, and it was only moments after that happened that he realized that, by now, about five minutes should have passed. Deciding he could wait no longer, Fang once more folded his wings and put on the blanket. After making sure it covered him fully and he could see well, he pushed the cell door open. Stepping out, he quickly closed it, hearing the lock click, for what he hoped would be the last time.

He ran towards the end of the hall and cautiously peeked out of a corner. Seeing nobody, he ran towards the end of the next hall, and could now hear many voices and smell food. Certainly the residents of the Labyrinth were still having dinner. Ignoring the fact that he was getting hungry, Fang peeked down a nearby hall that led further into the Labyrinth. A couple of steps into the hall, though, he stopped suddenly. He could hear voices down the hall, and as Daniel said, he had no idea where the clones could be. Having been thwarted by them before in a previous escape attempt, he knew he had to avoid them at all costs. He grumbled to himself, and slowly walked back out and into the Labyrinth's main area. He could see the large number of people, sitting together in groups. A few had finished eating and were simply mingling and talking with others.

Watching down the long hall, along the rail tracks nearby, the mutate spied the large metallic doors of the Labyrinth's main entrance. They were slightly ajar, and to Fang, the door to freedom seemed very close, and at the same time, a million miles away. Taking a deep breath, Fang bent over and walked to where the Labyrinth's main area dropped down onto the rails. He was glad for that short wall, and hoped it could properly provide all the cover he needed. He remained bent over, and walked as rapidly as he could along the wall. Though his steps made some noise, it seemed nobody could hear them due to the amount of people eating and talking. Yet, the closer he got to the door, the more nervous Fang got, and he started going a little faster, almost to the door now.

"Hey!" a woman's voice suddenly rang out.

Fang was caught by surprise. He stumbled, and his feet got tangled in the blanket, making him fall down. He winced as he hit the ground, and almost instinctively shut his eyes tightly. His gritted his jaws tightly and held on firmly to the blanket, knowing he had been spotted, that his covering up had been a failure and he was now caught. He simply laid still, waiting for Talon and Claw and the clones to jump on him and beat him right back into his cell.

"Don't leave your empty plate here, Carrie," the woman's voice continued. "It's not polite."

"Sorry, mom," a young girl's voice followed.

Fang's eyes opened wide. He had not been caught. This was all the incentive he needed, as he picked himself up and moved as quickly as possible towards the exit. In his haste, he didn't bother to keep quiet, wanting only to get out of there. The second he finally passed through the partly open door, Fang pressed himself against the wall. His breathing was quite rapid, and he tried calming down. He now took deep breaths, and after a moment of careful hearing, he knew that he had indeed managed it. He was out. He quickly removed the blanket, balled it up and began fleeing away from the Labyrinth, keeping the blanket just in case.

"I'm free," Fang said to himself with a chuckle, which turned into a laugh as he ran down the tunnel. "I'm outta there! My plan actually worked! Oh, I am such a freaking genius!"

Fang suddenly realized how loud he was being, and remembered that he was in a tunnel and his shouts could carry back into the Labyrinth. He figured he was not yet in the clear, knowing that Talon and the others were sure to go out searching for him the second they noticed he was not in his cell, which could be at any time. He stopped running and looked carefully, trying to remember where the nearest exit was. Despite being locked up for so long, he was surprised when he realized his memory of the Labyrinth and its surroundings was still very much intact, as he quickly recognized exactly where he was and which was the quickest way out.

However, after fully recognizing the place, he didn't head for an exit right away. After walking for a bit longer, he came across an opening. Peeking inside, he grinned, recognizing the room. He didn't know what it had been before, as he had found it in ruins, basically crumbling and with a lot of debris inside. Carefully, he stepped inside and headed towards one far corner of the room, being mindful of any nails and other hazards on the floor. Once he reached the corner, he carefully picked away at the debris, putting everything aside. Once the small corner area was clear, Fang noticed a few small holes on the concrete floor. He put his fingers in the holes, finding a perfect fit and lifting the slab of concrete with ease, setting it aside rather than tossing it, to not create any needless noise.

"Bingo," Fang said, reaching into a hole that the slab of concrete had been covering. He pulled out a small, white-colored bag, tied at the top with an old shoestring, and the mutate grinned when he found out that it still had the money he had put in it.

He remembered having found the bag in a trash can, and found it perfect to keep the money he took from the Labyrinth residents back in the day. Fang had never trusted anyone in the Labyrinth, and was sure that at any moment, anybody could simply go into his sleeping quarters and take the money, so he had searched for a hiding place, and was glad that it had been successful. He knew thirty-four dollars wasn't much, but it would do for any emergency, and he figured that if he needed something, he could ask his nephew to buy it for him. Fang put the bag partly inside his shorts, using the waistband to keep it in place, and then turned to leave.

Just as he was about the step out of that wreckage-filled room, the sound of footsteps made Fang stop. He peeked out the opening, and spotted a skinny, bearded, middle-aged man walking hurriedly in his direction. From his expression and quick walking, Fang figured that this man was a Labyrinth resident, being late for dinner. It only took a second for a new idea to form in Fang's mind. Staring back into the ruined room, and then at the blanket he still carried, Fang's eyes gleamed. Smirking, the mutate covered himself up with the blanket once more and hunched over. Making sure his face could not be seen, he stood on the entrance to the room he was in and waited for the man to come closer before calling out to him, making the suddenly startled man turn towards the cloaked figure.

"S'cuse me, mister," Fang called out, faking his voice. "Din't mean to scare ya. I just could really use yer help."

"Um… okay…" the man said, looking quite apprehensive. "What can I do for you?"

"Ya see, I live a ways from here, and I done heard 'bout this place called the Labyrinth. Heard it wuz a good place to go, and that they don't care how people look. Even heard the folks who run it look like some o' them gargoyle things."

"You heard right, then," the man said, looking a little calmer. "Talon's pretty much the man in charge there, and he does look like a gargoyle. So, about the looks, is that why you're all covered up?"

"Ol' buildin' I used to sleep in burned down, and I barely managed to get out," Fang said, keeping his grin well hidden. "Got burnt up on my face and arms. I hate how people look at me like some damn freak."

"Well, I don't think you'll have a problem there. How about coming with me?"

"I just… I really don't feel much comfortable 'round lot of folks so sudden. Maybe if this Talon fella could come over? I think I'd feel a lil better if he spoke to me. I just wanna make sure this really's a nice place to go to."

"I understand," the Labyrinth resident said. "I'll tell Talon to come by here as soon as I get there."

"Thanks, mister, I really 'ppreciate it," Fang said, and he watched the man hurry away. Turning back to the room, Fang removed the cloak and quickly searched for a couple of things he'd need. The cougar mutate grinned the whole time, his goal of escape currently forgotten. He had a new goal in mind, and he knew it would be more satisfying than escaping his prison.

Dinnertime was just about over for the night in the Labyrinth. By now, just about everyone had finished eating. People now sat by and talked, children played games and others went their own way to other places. Talon and Maggie, along with a few others, decided to put the little food that was left in the kitchen, just in case, and also helped in washing the pots, pans and casseroles that were empty.

Talon smiled mischievously as he put a now clean pan away, and he flicked some of the water in his hand at Maggie. The cat woman gasped when the water landed on her face and neck, but then laughed and returned the favor. Both mutates laughed now, as they sprayed water at one another, causing a few of the people around them to chuckle at the sight. As soon as they finished cleaning, the mutates left the kitchen, Talon's arm around his mate's shoulders, as she leaned close to him.

"I take it from the water wars that you want to shower?" Maggie asked.

"Shower together, honey," Talon said with a smile. Their sleeping quarters were the only ones in the Labyrinth that had a bathroom, so they had all the privacy they needed as a couple.

"Best kind of shower," Maggie said, also smiling.

"Hey, Talon," a voice called out, and a second later, a bearded man jogged up to the two mutates. "Glad I found you."

"Hey, Clark," Talon greeted the man. "Little late, huh?"

"Yup," Clark said. "Is there any food left?"

"There is still some in the kitchen," Maggie said.

"Ah, thank goodness," Clark said. "By the way, Talon, you know that part of the tunnel a few minutes from here that's all torn up and falling apart?"

"Yes. What about it?"

"There's some guy over there. He's covered up with a blanket, says he's all burnt up and that he doesn't like people looking at him weird. He's kind of afraid of coming here. I told him about you, and he says he'd feel better if you could go talk to him. Looks to me like he wants to make sure nobody will judge his looks down here."

"I see," Talon said. "I better get going, then. See if we can get that poor man to come here and get some food and a place to sleep."

Clark excused himself and hurried into the kitchen, eager to eat something. Talon and Maggie hugged each other, with Talon looking a bit bummed despite his smile. "Looks like the shower will have to wait."

"It's okay, Derek," Maggie said. "That man needs you, especially if he's feeling insecure. You go ahead. I'll see you later. Maybe we could go for a glide around town, too."

"Right, I like that," Talon said with a smile, then gave Maggie a kiss. "I'll see you later, dear."

Breaking the embrace, Talon headed towards the Labyrinth's entrance, taking one quick look back to see Maggie heading to mingle with a group of women. He smiled to himself, headed out the door and walked towards where Clark had pointed out. He reached that area of the tunnel in a few minutes. It was quite run down, and nobody ever hung around there, and people passed by mainly because it was near one of the various entrances that lead to the tunnel and Labyrinth's main entrance.

Upon arriving, Talon looked around, but could see nobody. There were a couple of entrances and tunnels around the place that lead to some empty rooms, apparently storage areas that were never used. "Hello?" Talon called out. "Sir, are you around here?"

Talon sighed as he received no reply. He figured the man must be very self-conscious about his scars, or else Talon's own appearance frightened him off. Not about to give up, the panther-man decided to take a look into each room. He found nothing on the first one, but upon checking on the second one, he saw something in the corner. It seemed to be someone crouching against the wall on a corner of the room, and as Clark had mentioned, a blanket was covering that person.

"There you are," Talon called out, slowly entering the room. "Don't worry, I won't hurt you. I'm Talon. The man you met a few minutes ago told me about you. Would you like to have a talk?"

The man did not reply. He didn't even move. Talon entered the room and slowly moved closer, carefully stepping along all the debris that littered the whole room. Once again, there were no signs of movement. Talon was growing increasingly concerned. He knew there was something wrong. He moved quicker, making his way to the figure. Upon reaching it, Talon carefully reached over and removed the blanket. He gasped when he saw that, underneath, there was no person. A pile of junk had been erected in that corner of the room. Pieces of concrete and wood stacked one on top of another, supported by the walls.

Talon's instincts told him to get out of there. He knew that this could have been a simple prank, but he had been a police officer long enough to know that any situation could have a potential to be very dangerous, and he knew that there was something very wrong with this situation. He leaped over the debris once, twice, and reached the door-less entrance. The moment he stepped out, a powerful burst of electricity hit Talon on the side, sending him flying. The attack had been so sudden that he had no time to even cry out. Hitting a wall, Talon slumped to the floor.

He groaned, feeling his body settling after the electric shock, thanks to his own ability to generate electricity. As he started to get up, he looked over at his attacker, and gasped when he saw Fang. The brown-furred mutate looked both angry and happy at the same time, a big, almost maniacal grin on his face as he rushed towards Talon at great speed. The attack had caught Talon by surprise, and Fang's immediate follow-up left Talon no time to react. The only other thing the panther mutate managed to see was the thick lead pipe that Fang held in both hands. He saw Fang swing the pipe towards his face, and afterwards, Talon felt nothing but pain.

To be continued…