Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or locations from Gargoyles, those belong to their owners.
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 19
by Remtar85
Fred "Fang" Sykes felt like everything was going his way as of late. He had a semi-steady job that made him some pretty good money; he had a place to stay with a nephew that cared a lot about him and would go out of his way to help him; and now he was about to travel to different countries and earn a lot of money, and upon his return, he would be able to switch from working with Demona and Sevarius to working with David Xanatos, which was far more preferable to him. He was grateful that, despite some hesitation, his nephew Daniel had taken the news well, and Fang had now grabbed and pinned both Daniel and his best friend Tyler to the floor, tickling them relentlessly, lightening the mood and just having a nice time. The very last thing he expected was for someone to come from behind without him noticing and hitting him very hard on his head. The tickling stopped, the children gasping as the dazed mutate was barely able to keep himself on his knees as pain overtook his senses.
"Get away from them, you damned freak!" Carmen, Daniel's mother, shouted at Fang as she held a heavy cast iron pan in both hands. She swung hard, hitting Fang once more, this time on the side of his head and face, once again causing a loud 'thunk' sound, and the mutate grunted as he fell to his side.
"Kids, run away!" she loudly instructed, stooping to swing the pan again, hitting the dazed mutate in one arm he barely managed to raise up to try blocking any more blows to his head.
"Mom, no, stop!" Daniel shouted, scrambling to his feet alongside Tyler.
"Auntie, stop hitting him!" Tyler shouted as well, both boys grabbing at her.
"Kids, what are you doing?!" she asked in a panicked voice as she tried to continue hitting her target, but the children prevented her from doing so. "Run, call the police, or the Quarrymen!"
"No, Mom, stop!" Daniel pleaded as he tried his best to keep his mother from swinging that pan by grabbing on to her arm while Tyler grabbed her around the waist, trying to pull her away from the mutate. "That's Uncle Fred! Don't hit him anymore!"
"Daniel, what are you saying?" Carmen asked in panicked confusion.
"He's Uncle Fred!" Tyler repeated.
"Mom, I swear!" Daniel continued, as both boys kept struggling to restrain the panicked woman. "Please just stop hitting him and we'll explain everything!"
Fang groaned from the floor, rubbing his head as he looked up at the three of them with a frown. "The fuck's wrong with you, Carrie? I wasn't hurting them!"
Carmen finally stopped trying to hit the mutate, but still looked scared out of her mind and stepped back, dragging the kids with her. "Boys, back away."
"Mom, seriously, this isn't what you think," Daniel said, not letting go of his mother's arm.
"Daniel, what are you talking about?" Carmen asked, sounding most exasperated. "Why do you keep saying this gargoyle is Fred?"
"Because I am Fred, and I'm no gargoyle!" Fang snapped, sitting up and rubbing the side of his face, which was very sore. "Fuck, I hope that doesn't leave a mark..."
"Will someone explain to me what the hell is going on?!" Carmen asked in a loud voice, but before anyone could answer, there was a knock at the door.
"Excuse me? Is everything okay?" a man's voice rang out.
"We heard screaming," another voice said, a woman's this time.
Recognizing the voices of the occupants of the apartment next to theirs, an older married couple, Daniel instantly looked up at his mother and spoke in a very low voice. "Mom, please, don't say anything! I'll explain, I promise!"
"I'll go smooth this out," Tyler also whispered, running to the front door. The others heard him open it and start making up some story to the neighbor. Carmen looked very tempted to raise the alarm, but the pleading look in her son's eyes made her decide to give him the benefit of the doubt.
After a few moments, the door closed and Tyler came back, looking relieved. "Okay, we're in the clear. Told them a big rat got in and everybody panicked, but they didn't seem convinced all the way. Said next time they're calling the police."
"Okay. Explanations. Now!" Carmen demanded in a firm tone.
"I'm Fred," Fang said in a simple, deadpan tone.
"Cut the crap with that Fred talk," she snapped back. "I didn't ask you."
"Mom, he's really Uncle Fred," Daniel said.
"Daniel, I don't know what this gargoyle's told you or what he's even doing in my apartment, but please stop saying that," Carmen told her son in a firm tone. "Fred went missing a couple of years ago. He's either dead or he ran away to God knows where."
"Well, gee, Carrie. I dunno, maybe I never came back because I look like this now and you were obviously gonna freak out if you saw me, and you wouldn't believe it was me. Which, lookie here, it's exactly what happened!" Fang said in a mocking tone as he stayed seated on the floor, figuring that standing up would likely spook Carmen into coming at him with that pan again.
"It's true, Auntie Carmen," Tyler said. "He's like this now because some mad scientist guy got a hold of him and turned him and a few other people into mutants that look just like gargoyles, but don't turn to stone during the day, and they can shoot electricity, like Raiden from Mortal Kombat. It's really cool!"
Carmen listened to this and shook her head. "That's the most ridiculous story! Why would you believe that from this monster?"
Fang's eyes went wide. "Oh, no, no, hold on a damn second. The whole world knows there are living, breathing gargoyles here in this city, that turn to stone during the day and are flesh and blood at night. But a scientist doing experiments to change people into something that doesn't look human is too unbelievable for you?!"
"It's true, Mom. He proved to us he is who he says," Daniel insisted. "He's told us things nobody but Uncle Fred would know, and he's even calling you by that nickname."
"Yeah, Carrie. And I haven't even told them about all the crap from high school, while you were dating my older brother, David," Fang said to the still skeptical woman. "Like you being part of the mean girls group with those smug bitches, Nancy, Diane and Janice. And that day when the whole class ditched school to go to Coney Island. Remember, how David ate a lot and then went on the rides with you and threw up on your shoes?"
Daniel and Tyler were unable to help themselves and covered their mouths as they snickered upon hearing that. For her part, Carmen looked stunned as she heard those things. It was clear to all that Fang had gotten through to her.
"B-but... but you... how do you know those things?" she managed to ask.
An exasperated Fang groaned loudly. "Because I'm Fred! Are you gonna believe it anytime soon or are we gonna be here all night doing this song and dance?"
Everyone looked at a stunned Carmen, who spoke a moment later. "How... how in the world did you end up like this?"
"The kids told you already," Fang said as he finally stood back up. "Mad scientist."
"The guy offered Uncle Fred a job, but what the guy actually did was use him for his experiments," Daniel added, as he could see his mother still trying to process this whole thing.
"Where have you been all this..." Carmen started asking, but then stopped herself and looked even more serious. "No... how did you end up here?"
"Uh... you know, Danny and I just sorta ran into each other," Fang said. The boys took a step back so Carmen couldn't see the awkward look on their faces, but her attention was solely focused on the cougar-man.
"Ran into each other where exactly?" she asked with a firmer tone.
"Where he and the other people who got mutated live," Tyler answered. "It's kinda like a small hidden community and everyone keeps the secret."
"And where is this place?" Carmen asked.
"They're not telling you and neither am I, Carrie. It's a secret for a reason," Fang said. Though he didn't really care about most people in the Labyrinth, he did care for Malibu and Tim; plus, Daniel loved going to the Labyrinth, and Fang wouldn't risk losing his nephew's support. Thus, he decided he would never blab about the Labyrinth's location to anyone.
"So you two have been sneaking to that place," Carmen more stated than asked, looking sternly at Daniel and Tyler, who shrunk back.
"Hey, don't pick on them," Fang told her. "The place is safe."
"No," she spoke in a firm tone. "You don't get a say in... wait... how did you... you got in through Daniel's window, using the fire escape, that's obvious. But how long have you been here?"
Fang and the boys hesitated for just a couple of seconds, and that was enough for Carmen to catch on, not giving them a chance to reply before looking sharply at her son, as both he and Tyler backed away. "How long has Fred been in here?"
"J-just a little..."
"Daniel, don't you lie to me," Carmen spoke in a sharp tone.
Feeling a sudden surge of protective instinct, Fang finally moved from where he stood, putting himself between Carmen and the boys. "I've been here since late June!"
Despite Fang's intimidating appearance and height (for he had always been skinny and just a couple of inches taller than Carmen back when he was a human), she did not back away from him. "Since June? You mean you've been living here all this time?!"
"That's right," Fang said, not backing down either. "Your son found me, brought me here and has been housing me all this time, right under you and your new asshole husband's noses. Because he's a great kid who takes care of his family. So get off his back!"
Carmen took this all in, staying silent for a few moments, then spoke again in a lower but still firm tone of voice, as she looked at the two boys peeking from behind Fang. "Daniel, Tyler. I want you boys to go outside. Fred and I need to have a talk. In private."
"But, Mom..."
"No buts," she interrupted. "Outside. Go."
"Hey now, it's okay," Fang said in a much gentler tone as he turned around, patting the boys' shoulders with his big hands. "Go up to the roof while we talk. Either me or Carrie'll come get you when we're done."
Though they looked worried, both boys complied. The two adults watched them walk down the short hallway and out the front door, which they closed behind them. Once alone, Fang started turning back to Carmen, when suddenly, pain burst out on his arm. She had once again struck him with the cast iron pan.
Fang fought back the urge to not shout out in pain, remembering the neighbors, so he kept his voice down as much as he could. "OW! What the fuck was that for?!"
"You have to ask?" she retorted as she headed to the kitchen and put the pan onto the counter, then headed back to the living room, where Fang was rubbing the sore spot on his arm. "You've been away for so long, now all of a sudden you're back, looking like this, squatting in my son's bedroom for months like some sort of fugitive!"
"Well, excuse me for not looking human enough to just waltz in through the front door," he sarcastically replied.
"So you've been living here all this time," she continued. "What have you even been eating?"
"I've been giving money to Danny, and he's been going out to buy food, so I either cook or we eat take-out whenever we stay alone in here," he explained.
Carmen looked suspicious. "Hold on a second. Where are you getting money from?"
"I have a job," Fang said with no hesitation. "Someone I know who hired me as a security guard, and they pay me pretty damn well."
Carmen shook her head. "Someone you know gave you a job? Just like that, and looking like you do?"
"What? You think anyone'd mess with me looking like I do now?" Fang asked. "It's part of why I was hired, plus I already knew this person."
Carmen scoffed and shook her head again. "This is just too weird. I'm not gonna be surprised if you're pulling my leg. It'd be just like you to be stealing again."
"Hey!"
"That's what got you fired from your job at that warehouse," she continued. "That's how you ended up on the streets, looking for another job. And then you disappeared, and now you're back, after letting some nutjob turn you into a freak."
"Will you get off my back already?" Fang snapped.
"What, you don't like hearing the truth, Fred?" Carmen snapped back. "You're always getting yourself into trouble without thinking about others. Do you know how depressed Daniel was after you disappeared? It took him months to finally start acting normally again!"
"And then you fucked it up when you married that guy!" Fang shot back, refusing to let her take the upper hand in the argument. "You and him fighting all the time, him getting drunk, you leaving to get away from him, spend time with your friends, leaving Danny all by himself, without eating!"
Carmen looked taken aback by this. "Without eating? What are you talking about? Daniel's a smart boy, he can cook for himself."
"No, he can't! You never taught him how and he was afraid. Not just of wasting food by burning it, or setting the place on fire, but also afraid to ask you to teach him how to cook. Because you kept being angry or annoyed or just going out all the time, assuming he could cook for himself!"
Carmen was clearly shaken by this revelation, and Fang did not let up. "Yeah, that's right. You're being the nice mom again, but for a while there, you were a crap mother and your son had to go out and beg people for money so he could eat something. So don't get all high and mighty with me."
Carmen sat down on the couch. "I knew I had been neglectful, and I've been trying my best to make up for it. But I never knew he was going out to beg people for money to eat. God..."
Looking at her like this, Fang took a deep breath. He figured Daniel wouldn't take kindly to his uncle giving his mother a verbal beatdown. Calming himself, he rolled his eyes and spoke again. "Aaah, get over it. Danny's a good kid, it's not like he's gonna hold a grudge or anything. Just, you know, don't fuck up again. Danny doesn't deserve going through those things."
Carmen sighed, leaning back on the couch, staying quiet for a few moments. Finally, she spoke again. "Thank you, Fred. I mean, for taking care of Daniel before I started getting my shit together."
"Hey now, I've always taken care of Danny," Fang said. "Always have, always will."
"Yeah, I know," Carmen said, looking rather uneasy. "But, Fred, I need you to leave."
Fang was taken completely aback. "Huh?!"
"Like I said, thank you for taking care of Daniel, it's more than I could've ever asked for. I don't know how I can ever repay you for it, and if there's some way I can, then I will," she said. "But you can't keep staying here, it's too dangerous for Daniel."
"Hold on a goddamn minute! How the hell can you even think that I'd put Danny in danger?" Fang asked, angry once again.
"I know you wouldn't intentionally put him in danger, Fred," she clarified. "But look at you! You look exactly like a gargoyle does."
"Yeah, so the fuck what?"
"You've been staying here for months, going in and out who knows how many times," she continued. "It's practically a miracle nobody's spotted you yet."
"Because I'm careful," Fang snapped. "I'm not an idiot, Carmen!"
"You can't guarantee you'll never be seen, Fred," Carmen retorted. "I don't want cops or Quarrymen bursting through the door with guns blazing, trying to kill you, especially when my son could easily get caught in the crossfire."
Fang realized that Carmen's point was entirely valid. He growled and shook his head. "Aah, damn it. Look, I'm going on a trip with my boss in three days. He says he wants a bodyguard, so I'm not gonna be here for like a month or more, and you can friggin' relax about this whole thing. But you can't just kick me out right now, I have no other place to go in the meantime!"
"And how can I be sure that nothing bad will happen before you leave?" Carmen asked. "I found out about you because you got careless. What if Richard catches you, or anybody from this or another building sees you when you go in or out, or sees you in here through a window?"
"For fuck's sake, it's just a couple days!" Fang pointed out in exasperation. "I've been here for months, and a couple days won't make any difference."
"Well, I'm not willing to take that risk, Fred. I'll find a way to repay you for taking care of Daniel, but letting you stay here can't be it."
"So this is the thanks I get for taking care of your son. Getting thrown out to the streets," Fang said sardonically. "So much for reconnecting with him, huh? You know Danny's gonna hate the idea of you kicking me out, especially when I just need to stay for a couple more days."
This was the last straw for Carmen, who got up off the couch with an angry expression on her face. "No, no, no! I am thinking about his well being, and you do not get to use my son as a bargaining chip to try to guilt trip me into letting you stay!"
"I'm not guilt tripping you! I'm just..."
"That's exactly what you're doing!" Carmen interrupted, getting angrier. "That's what you always do, Fred! You're always taking advantage of people, even the people you say you care about!"
"Oh, no, you do not get to say that," Fang retorted, growing angrier as well. "I've taken care of that boy from day one, especially after my sack of shit brother divorced you and walked out on everyone. So don't you dare say I'd take advantage of him, and especially that I don't care about him!"
"Well, after all the shit that happened and the shit you pulled, taking care of him was the least you could've done!" Carmen snapped, growing angrier still.
"And this is the thanks I get?! It wasn't even my responsibility but I still did it anyway! I raised that kid! I'm more of a father to him than my brother ever was!"
"Because you are, you piece of shit!" Carmen said, her hand flying up and punching the mutate's face, right on his nose. And instantly, her face went from anger to shock.
Fang was shocked as well, not so much by the punch, but by her words, to the point he didn't even try rubbing his now sore nose. The anger was gone from his face too, now replaced by a stunned and confused expression. "What did you just say? Carmen, say that again."
"N-no... no, I... I didn't..."
"Carmen... seriously, don't you fuck with me right now," a tense Fang said to her. "Are you saying that I'm actually Daniel's dad? Not David?"
Carmen was breathing deeply yet rapidly, as if hyperventilating. "I.. I didn't mean to say it... I just... I was so angry, I snapped, it just came out..."
"But... but how?" a shocked Fang asked, trying to make sense of this. "I can't be Daniel's dad! You and David were attached at the hip. Sweethearts since middle school. You and me never did anything! Hell, we never even got along!"
"Oh God," Carmen said in a heavy, tired sounding voice, sinking back into the couch, burying her face on her hands.
Fang shook his head, still too stunned, and leaned against the wall across from her. "So we really did something? When the fuck did it happen?"
Carmen said nothing for several moments. She was taking deep breaths, trying to compose herself. Eventually she realized that the cat was out of the bag and there was no use to continue hiding it. "It was at that party at Peter Morrison's house. It was wild, and there was a lot of beer, and I caught Tina Roberts flirting with David and he wasn't exactly ignoring her or turning her away. He seemed to be enjoying the attention. I was so mad that I went to you to vent and... and we were both drunk and snuck off while venting about David, and it just happened. And later I realized you were so wasted that you didn't remember it, so I never told anyone."
Fang listened to all this, shaking his head. He had had a few instances where he drank so much that he would black out, and it was not till his recent drunken stupor in his mutated state that made him realize he had to get a better control of his drinking habits.
"Okay... okay, I get that now. But just because we did it one single time doesn't mean that..." Fang was saying, trying to make sense of it, when he suddenly came to a realization. "Carmen... is this the reason why David divorced you out of the blue and walked out on everyone without a word?"
Carmen, who looked distressed, nodded in response. "You remember how it went at first. I got pregnant, and David was there to support me. We got married and we started raising Daniel even though we were still so young. And eventually we realized we'd like another baby, but we kept trying and nothing. We went to the doctor, but they told me I was just fine."
"And...?"
"So, the doctor told David he should get tested too," Carmen continued. "That's when we found out that David was infertile. And that's when everything went to hell."
"Oh, fuck..."
"He was so angry. I didn't even know how to explain it to him, but then he put two and two together. He realized that yeah, Daniel looked like him, but that he also looked like you. He confronted me about it, then he just packed up his things and left. Wasn't even here for the divorce proceedings."
The two stayed silent for a few moments. Fang was trying to process everything, while Carmen looked exhausted, having just spilled a secret she had held on to for so long. Eventually, still leaning against the wall opposite Carmen, Fang spoke again.
"Why didn't you ever tell me?"
Carmen shook her head. "You know how I was after David left. I was so depressed. My life just crumbled like that, but I still had to take care of my son. And I know you helped take care of Daniel, and played with him, and he adored you. But you were always getting into trouble, getting fired from jobs for messing with people, and then trying to steal things too..."
"Oh, for fuck's sake," Fang snarled.
"What?" she snapped back. "Am I wrong in not wanting a trouble-making klepto as my son's father? The reason I never told you was because it would've hurt Daniel a lot more to see you as his father and then have you taken away from him when your screw-ups eventually caught up to you. And considering that you now look like that, it's fair to say that they definitely caught up to you and then some."
Fang grumbled, but couldn't think of a good retort, because he knew she was right. He just continued to lean against the wall, eyes closed. This was too much to process. The nephew he had taken care of all his life was actually his son. He had been a father all this time without knowing it.
He remembered so many moments with Daniel growing up, but more presently in his mind, the more recent times. How Daniel ended up in the Labyrinth and found him. How he freed Fang, helped him escape, went with him to Xanatos's castle and used himself as a hostage to protect Fang. How he helped him get food, clothes, stay hidden.
Fang remembered thinking about how brave and mature Daniel was being. He remembered being proud of the boy so many times, and he remembered Daniel telling him once that he wished Fang was his real dad. The more he thought on everything, the more different he started to feel. The shock was leaving his body, and in its place was now a feeling of elation that got stronger by the second.
"My son. Goddamn... he's my son..." Fang said, a smile growing on his face and a soft chuckle escaped him. He then started walking towards the hall.
"Fred?" Carmen called out. Then she realized what was about to happen and got up from the couch, dashing after the mutate.
"Fred, no, don't you tell him!"
But it was too late. Fang took off running, and by the time she reached the window in Daniel's room, the mutate was already rushing up the fire escape, without his usual carefulness in not being seen. A distraught Carmen could do nothing but curse out loud as she watched him scrambling up the fire escape, knowing she wouldn't be able to catch up to him.
"My son!" Fang said to himself as he climbed up to the roof, a huge smile on his face. "Of fucking course he's my son! He's the best kid there is! That's my boy who's done so many amazing things for me!"
Upon reaching the roof, he instantly spotted Daniel and Tyler standing around, looking nervous and fidgety over having to be up there waiting, not knowing what was happening down at the apartment. The boys noticed him and he instantly rushed over.
"Uncle, what happe..." Daniel started asking, but he was cut off as Fang swooped him off his feet and up into a hug, Tyler taking a few steps back from the sudden move.
"Good God, I'm so damn happy right now!" Fang said, hugging Daniel firmly, giving him a big kiss on the cheek. "You're my boy! My boy!"
"Uncle, what's going on with you?" a bewildered Daniel asked. "You've never given me a kiss before. Did the talk with Mom go that well?"
"Not uncle, Danny Boy!" Fang exclaimed. "It's dad!"
"What?" both Daniel and Tyler asked in unison.
"I'm not your uncle, I'm your dad!" Fang said enthusiastically as he watched the confusion on Daniel's face. "I just found out! That bum brother of mine that walked out on you, he wasn't your real dad. It's me. You're my son, Danny Boy!"
Both Daniel and Tyler were as stunned as Fang was upon hearing the news. "You... you mean it?" Daniel asked. "This isn't a joke? You're my real dad?"
Fang nodded with a big, happy smile on his face. "Damn right I am!"
"Ohmigosh!" Daniel exclaimed, suddenly smiling as well, wrapping his arms around the mutate's neck in a hug. "You're really my dad! That's the best news ever!"
Tyler stood by and said nothing. With a smile on his face, he watched his best friend and the man he always called uncle hugging and laughing together, probably the happiest he'd ever seen them. He figured it was best to let them bask in this moment before he joined in. He also couldn't help thinking that this was likely the happiness before the eventual awkwardness of the explanation that would follow, and he felt a bit of guilt on how he couldn't stop himself from thinking how Maury Povich and Jerry Springer would kill to feature this situation in their shows.
At the Eyrie Building, up in the castle, Brooklyn sat with headphones on, looking into some monitors, both seeing and hearing everything that was going on with Fang through the hidden camera drones. It was his turn that night to keep an eye on things there. And as he watched the whole situation unravel between Fang and the human named Carmen, his face was a blank. By the point Fang took off running out and up to the rooftop and told the truth to Daniel, Brooklyn took off the headphones and nonchalantly tossed them aside.
"I can't believe this fucking soap opera bullshit," he muttered irritably as he walked out of the room.
About an hour later, Brooklyn had returned to the room alongside Goliath, Lexington and Angela. Broadway and Hudson were out on patrol, and thus they would be told of what had happened later. The group in the room had listened to a brief explanation by Brooklyn, then watched the entire situation after Lexington played it back.
"You have to be kidding me," Lexington said in disbelief.
"I know, right?" Brooklyn said. "He just either keeps getting lucky breaks or completely overcomplicates things somehow. By this point I'd actually buy Puck or the Weird Sisters or just someone with magic just messing with us."
"Is it odd of me to think that it's sweet?" Angela asked while watching the footage once more, specifically the part where Fang told Daniel the truth. "I know Fang has done many bad things, but to see him express such happiness at finding out that the boy is really his son... it's just heartwarming to me that someone like him can feel that."
"I don't blame you for feeling that way, Angela. They do look very happy," Goliath said. "However, Fang is still troublesome, especially working for Demona. And now Daniel will become even more attached to him, and it will be much harder when it comes to capturing Fang."
"The poor boy will be heartbroken," Angela pointed out.
Goliath nodded. "It is unfortunate, but we can't trust the safety of those people to Fang."
"You know, before the whole drama bomb, Fang said that he was leaving the country for a while with his boss," Brooklyn told the others. "And he said a 'he', not a 'she', so I bet it's Sevarius he was talking about. We know Sevarius has worked for Demona from time to time, so there's really nobody else it could be."
"So the good news is Fang won't be causing any trouble here," Lexington said. "But the bad news is he'll be causing trouble elsewhere, with Sevarius."
"Then perhaps we can do something about it before he makes it to Sevarius," Goliath said. "We will continue monitoring to see if Fang states exactly when he must depart. And when he leaves the building, with the element of surprise on our side, we'll capture him."
It was time. The departure was scheduled for later that evening. Fang was currently in Daniel's bedroom, folding in all of his shirts, t-shirts, underwear, shorts, as well as a toothbrush and hair brush into the travel suitcase he had Daniel buy for him at a pawn shop. After he found out Daniel was his son, he had left the apartment the following night to tell Sevarius that he accepted the job proposition, and a time and place to meet had been set. It was at a small, private airport Demona owned, but it was rather far away, so he'd have to leave relatively early in the evening.
Things had been rather mixed in the apartment since the revelation of Fang being Daniel's father. While Fang and Daniel were happy every moment they spent together, by contrast, there was a palpable awkwardness between Daniel and Carmen. Daniel felt angry, disappointed and confused over why his mother never told him the truth about his real father; in turn, Carmen was too afraid to admit to him why she did it, especially now that Daniel and Fang had become even closer than ever, and this led her to realizing that insisting Fang had to stop staying there would only push her and Daniel apart even further.
To her dismay, she was stuck with the mutate for a couple more days, all while her son was barely talking to her; Carmen tried to talk with her son multiple times, but Daniel really did not want to. Fang and Carmen also barely talked to one another either. The only positive Carmen found from the entire situation was that, between her and Daniel, keeping Fang hidden from her husband was rather easy. Richard only noticed the fact that there was something wrong between mother and son, but after Carmen told him that they had had an argument and weren't ready to talk about it, Richard left things well enough alone.
Now, having rested after dinner, showered, dressed in a comfortable t-shirt and shorts, and having finished packing, Fang was just about ready to leave. Carmen was out running errands and Richard was at work, while Tyler was at home, his parents saying he was spending a bit too much time at Daniel's and not enough with family, for reasons obvious to Fang, Daniel, and now Carmen. At the moment, Fang was by himself in the bedroom, and Daniel was still in the living room. He noticed that Daniel had been quiet for a while now, and after putting his prepared suitcase by the window, the mutate left the room, finding Daniel sitting on the couch, looking forlorn.
"Hey. What's wrong, buddy?" he asked as he walked over and sat beside his son.
"I just found out you're my dad and now you're not gonna be here for some time," Daniel replied without looking up at Fang. "I wish you wouldn't have to go."
"I know, Danny Boy," Fang said, putting an arm around Daniel. "But I have to. It's gonna keep us both out of trouble, and I'm gonna make a lot of money, and things'll be even better once I come back home."
"I'm gonna miss you," Daniel said, now looking up at his mutated father.
"And I'll miss you too, son. But you know, school's gonna start, so you'll have that, and your friends, and going to the Labyrinth on weekends. Plus I left you a few hundred bucks hidden in your sock drawer, so you can eat whatever you want and buy loads of your geeky stuff. You're gonna be busy, and have fun, and I'll be back before you know it," Fang told Daniel with a bright smile on his face.
"I hope. But it's gonna be so weird having you gone. I got used to having you here and now I'm gonna be all by myself again."
Fang knew instantly what Daniel was really getting at. "This is about your mom, right?"
Daniel nodded. "I don't think I wanna stay here with her. I wish I could go with you, but I can't, so I don't know what to do."
This concerned Fang. He did not want to leave the country with his son in a depressive funk. "Hey now, don't say that. Look, I'm not happy either about her never telling us that I'm your dad. But at some point the both of us have gotta get past it and move on. What's done is done. And, well..."
"Well what?"
Fang had ignored the issue in the past couple of days, but now he saw that he couldn't do so anymore. He was not willing to forgive Carmen for hiding the truth from him, but he couldn't bring himself to put a wedge between her and Daniel, otherwise the boy would be even sadder without Fang there. Fang knew that for his son's personal well-being, he should make sure Daniel and his mother would start getting along again. So, with a sigh, he swallowed his pride and continued.
"Your mom had a point. I was a total screw-up, so I can sorta understand why she wouldn't tell you I'm your dad," Fang said, putting a big hand on Daniel's shoulder. "Yeah, she fucked up again, but she was already trying to make up for her previous fuck-ups, and maybe it's best to let her try to make up for this one too. So even though you're mad at her right now, try to understand why she did it, and try to get along with her again. Doesn't have to be right away, though, just take your time, get yourself comfortable, and then talk about it with her. I think you'll feel better if you do."
After a moment of silence, Daniel nodded. "Okay. I promise I'll try."
"That's a good kid," Fang said with a smile, moving his hand to Daniel's head to mess his hair up, finally eliciting a chuckle and a smile from his son. "I'm gonna have to get going soon, and I don't want you staying here all by yourself the night I'm leaving. So, why not leave your Mom a note saying you're going to 'you know where', and just head on over to the Labyrinth and hang out with Claw? That mute dork oughta cheer you up."
"Hey, don't be mean to Claw," Daniel said, though he still had a bit of a smile on his face.
"Hehe! Sorry, Danny Boy, force of habit," Fang said with a grin, then he scooped the boy into a firm hug and held him there for a while. "God, I'm gonna miss you. I love you."
"Me too, Dad," Daniel said, hugging the mutate as well. "I love you and I'll miss you a lot too."
"Heh. Still getting used to hearing you call me that. Never gonna get tired of it," Fang said with a chuckle. Then he lowered his voice as he spoke again into Daniel's ear. "And hey, let Malibu know I left on my trip. He'll cheer you up too."
With this, Fang let go of Daniel and accompanied him to his room. After making a note for Carmen, Fang escorted him to the door. Daniel peeked out, and upon making sure that nobody was in the hallway, he bid farewell to Fang. The mutate gave the boy another firm hug and a kiss on top of his head, bidding him farewell too and watching his son leave for the Labyrinth. Closing and putting the lock on the door, Fang headed back to Daniel's room for a moment. Taking one look at the clock on the bedside table, he saw he still had some time, so he walked to the kitchen to stick the note on the fridge, then headed to the living room and sat on the couch, turning the TV on.
Outside, atop a building very close to the one Fang was at, Goliath and Hudson stood watch, keeping an eye on the apartment building the cougar-man had been hiding out in, making sure to stay out of sight enough to not let Fang see them if he peeked out a window. Atop the building across the street, Brooklyn, Broadway and Angela also laid in wait. Having confirmed when Fang planned to leave thanks to their hidden cameras, they had decided to wait him out, follow him after he left the apartment, and wait until he was in a more secluded area before ambushing him as a group. All five of them would be more than enough to take the fugitive mutate down. As soon as they had awakened from their stone slumber, Lexington left to the room where he kept the surveillance monitors and camera drone controls, while the rest had left towards the buildings near Daniel's to lay in wait.
"Lexington, any movement?" Goliath asked into the transmitter he wore. He and the others were wearing earpieces and transmitters to be able to listen in on reports from and communicate with Lexington, who had stayed behind as mission control to be their eyes and ears inside the apartment. They also allowed for communicating with one another from their separate hiding spots.
Lexington's voice came from the earpieces clearly. "Nothing yet. Ever since Daniel left, Fang's just been sitting there, watching TV."
From the building across the street, Brooklyn spoke into his communicator. "Must be killing time before he has to go."
"I hope he won't take too long, then," Broadway said. As they had left immediately after awakening, he had not yet eaten and was eager for a meal.
"It should not be long now," Hudson said. "He was specific about the time. I'm sure he wouldn't risk being late."
"Agreed," Goliath said. "We'll wait patiently. If all goes to plan, he will be back in the Labyrinth's cells tonight."
"Sooner we can get that guy away from that family, the better," Brooklyn said.
The five gargoyles continued to wait patiently. Time ticked by slowly, making the younger gargoyles get a bit restless. Brooklyn and Broadway made small talk in low voices, so as to not get too distracted. Angela started walking around the rooftop, taking in the sights and sounds of this specific area. Though she was not new to this modern age anymore, Angela never tired of just stopping at a rooftop or a park or other places, to rest, relax and just enjoy the ambiance. However, her thoughts never strayed from their current mission.
And while she understood that Fang was troublesome and dangerous, she still felt guilty at the prospect of taking Daniel's father away from him. Fang would be imprisoned in the Labyrinth once more, and Daniel's only chances to see him would be to go there and have to watch his father trapped in that cell. She wondered if maybe she could convince Talon to be more lenient with Fang due to these new circumstances, perhaps find a way for all sides to reach a compromise.
As she was thinking how the hardest part about capturing Fang would be having to tell Daniel about it, Angela turned and started to head back towards her companions. And as she walked back, something caught her attention at the corner of her eye, atop the building next to the one where she stood, which was slightly taller. Her every instinct screamed at her to move, and she did so, as a flash of light was seen but for a second, and a laser blast just barely missed her. It was then that she got a good look at the shooter.
"Quarrymen!" she shouted out to the others.
Brooklyn and Broadway turned to her, and as they started to move, another laser blast struck Broadway in his right arm, making him cry out in pain. Then he growled and his eyes glowed, both he and Brooklyn running over to Angela, who joined them in swooping off of the building and onto the next. They could hear a worried Lexington in their earpieces, but were too focused on their current situation to be able to reply. The three moved quickly, dodging laser blasts, and came upon two Quarrymen. Making a swift landing, Brooklyn and Angela used their tails and easily knocked out one of them, while Broadway grabbed the other's laser gun, crushing it with ease.
"These things hurt," he growled.
"W-w-wait! I wasn't the one who shot you!" the Quarryman said in a panicked voice upon being confronted by the large gargoyle. That didn't stop Broadway from using his uninjured arm to sideswipe the Quarryman, sending him skidding several feet, groaning in pain.
Just when it seemed they were in the clear, more Quarrymen burst through the building's door leading to the roof, their hammers at the ready, only for two of them to be kicked aside by Goliath and Hudson, who had just swooped in. Hudson used his sword to fend off the hammer strikes from another Quarryman, while Goliath roared and grabbed the hammers of another two, tossing them aside. Then he grabbed both Quarrymen by their shirts, lifted them high and tossed them aside. As the five gargoyles fought their attackers, they could hear the sound of a helicopter fast approaching their location.
"We've been ambushed!" Hudson cried out.
"Yeah," Brooklyn said, punching another Quarryman's face. "How's that for irony?"
The five gargoyles made short work of the attackers and things seemed to have calmed down for the moment. Broadway, however, grunted in pain as he examined the burn mark on his right arm. Angela instantly rushed to his side.
"Are you okay, my love?" she asked.
"Don't worry, Angela, it's just a burn," he said reassuringly. "Stings, but nothing that a little aloe vera and some stone sleep won't cure."
"Guys? Is everyone okay?" Lexington's voice came through their earpieces, his worry quite evident.
"Broadway's arm is injured, but nothing serious," Goliath informed Lexington, then turned to the rest. "There were others on our side of the street, but Hudson and I ignored them in favor of regrouping, and a helicopter is approaching, likely with more back-up. We'll have to leave Fang for another time. Come!"
With this said, the clan leader ran to the side of the building and leaped, wings spreading as he took off into the night sky, the rest of his clan following suit. Down below they could see the Quarrymen they had fought, some still unconscious, others stunned, and even some in the streets down below rushing towards the specific building. As they glided in a direction parallel to the sound of the helicopter, a sense of frustration settled in. The Quarrymen had taken them entirely by surprise, and they had basically gotten lucky that Angela noticed in time, otherwise they could've been seriously injured, probably killed. For now, retreat was clearly the best option.
"Yet another lucky break for that guy," Brooklyn muttered in a bitter tone. "How the hell did those Quarrymen find us there?"
As Fang sat back and surfed through the channels, looking for something good to watch, odd sounds from outside caught his attention. That was a sound he had heard before, the sound of a laser weapon being shot. Curious, the cougar-man muted the TV and walked towards the window facing the street. Then, positioning himself carefully so he could peek out without being seen, he searched for the source of that sound. It seemed to be coming from the building next to the one across the street from his. There seemed to be some sort of scuffle going on, but then he saw the figures of two gargoyles taking off from the building's roof, heading to another across the street. Fang instantly recognized one of them as Goliath, thanks to his large size.
"Hey!" he exclaimed. "Those assholes were waiting on me! I can't fucking believe this!"
Fang frowned and growled at this. He wished he could get a better look at what was going on on his side of the street, but he couldn't risk going outside now, not with two or more gargoyles around, and especially not when someone was attacking the gargoyles; so he kept looking out the window, alternating between the sky and the ground. A few moments later, he saw a group of Quarrymen crossing the street, heading after their prey, or perhaps to provide assistance to other Quarrymen already on this side of the street. Seconds later, he saw five gargoyles up in the sky, taking off and away from the building they stood on.
"Yeah, serves you right, you jerks," he said out loud. "Damn it, I better get out of here, fast."
The mutate moved to the TV, turning it off, then rushed over to Daniel's bedroom, grabbing his travel suitcase. He could hear a helicopter approaching, so with his suitcase in hand, he stayed crouched by the window. Going out right now, with Quarrymen in the vicinity, would be suicide, so he stayed there, tense and nervous, biding his time. He didn't know how long he waited, but eventually the helicopter moved away. After two minutes of nothing, Fang sighed and climbed out of the window, luggage in tow.
Closing the window, he made his way up the fire escape slowly and carefully until he reached the rooftop. After a good look at his surroundings, wanting to make sure there were no Quarrymen around that could shoot him down, Fang took off into the sky, holding his suitcase firmly against his chest. Now up in the air, heading towards his destination, the look of worry on Fang's face disappeared, instead replaced by a wide, smug smirk, and the mutate laughed out loud.
"Hahahaha! Mama didn't raise a sucker, assholes!" he shouted. "Thought you could pull a fast one on me, did ya? Well, screw you all! Fang comes out on top, baby!"
Fang was absolutely thrilled that his plan had worked, and he owed it all to Malibu. The happy mutate was wondering what he could do to repay his new friend for telling him about how the gargoyles had planted hidden cameras in the apartment. When he spoke to Daniel and also to Carmen about the trip he was going to take and when exactly he had to leave to make it to Sevarius in time, he knew that Goliath's clan would be watching and listening, and would take it as an opportunity to capture him, so he thought ahead and laid a trap. The night before he had to leave on the trip, when everyone in the apartment was asleep, Fang went out for a late night flight. He had done this a few times before, so it wouldn't seem suspicious, but the reason he had left at slightly after 4:00 AM was because he figured the later it was, the less people would be out and about on the streets, and the easier it would be to carry out his plan.
The cougar-man flew around until he found a deserted area and went down into a phone booth, where he called the Quarrymen tip line, having decided to not use the phone in Daniel's apartment, not only so the gargoyles wouldn't see and hear him call, but also just in case the Quarrymen had phone-tracing technology. He left an anonymous tip about gargoyles roaming around the area at certain times of night, staking out buildings, saying that it made him feel nervous and unsafe. After giving the address of one of the other buildings to draw even less attention to Daniel's, as well as giving out a time of night before he eventually had to leave to meet Sevarius, saying that's when he could see gargoyles the most frequently, he returned home.
On the night in question, Fang then just had to get Daniel out of the apartment and wait a while before leaving to see if the Quarrymen showed. It had been a gamble, one he was thrilled to have seen pay off. Upon seeing his plan had been successful, it had taken all his willpower to fake being surprised and worried, as he'd wanted so badly to boast, brag out loud and shove it in the gargoyles' faces that he knew about their hidden cameras and set a trap for them. But it was better for him, as well as for Daniel and Malibu, that they didn't know he knew about the cameras and that he had been the one responsible for the Quarrymen being there that night.
Now that he was in the clear, Fang followed the directions Sevarius gave him. He was glad that he knew enough about directions around the city to make his way around, and the ones Sevarius gave him didn't sound difficult, even though the private airport was a ways away, outside of town, in a more rural area. Even flying, it would take him a while to get there, and he hoped that it wouldn't take him so long that Sevarius would leave without him.
Eventually the larger buildings faded behind him as Fang entered the more rural areas. There were fewer and fewer buildings as he continued along, and after almost an hour, he finally managed to glimpse his destination, his sharp eyes spotting a long runway and a rather small plane. "Fucking finally," he muttered. "Damn wings are hurting."
The mutate started descending as he grew closer, and he could now better see the runway on the private airport as well as the expensive private jet he and Sevarius would take to wherever it was that Sevarius was going. And as he further closed the distance, the mutate also noticed Sevarius himself standing near the plane, clearly waiting for him. In moments, Fang finished swooping down and settled a few feet from Sevarius.
"There you are, Fang. You almost didn't make it," Sevarius said a bit irritably to the mutate.
"Yeah, sorry about that, Doc," Fang said while wrapping his wings around his shoulders, eager to let them rest. "Had a little something to take care of. But hey, I made it."
"Then it's about time to depart. Follow me."
Sevarius then walked towards the plane, Fang following right behind. The night he confirmed with Sevarius that he accepted the job offer, Sevarius told him he would inform his private jet's staff about him so there wouldn't be any incidents; but Fang noticed that this did not help the attractive, blond-haired young woman inside the plane who'd serve as their stewardess to look any less intimidated by the mutate as he boarded the plane.
"Hey there," Fang greeted her with a friendly smile. Said smile, showcasing Fang's very sharp teeth, did not help her relax at all.
"You may hand your luggage to Jessica," Sevarius instructed. "She will be tending to our needs during the flight."
"Here you go," Fang said to Jessica as he handed her his rather light travel suitcase, then he smiled at her again and spoke in a smoother voice, clearly trying to charm her. "Don't worry, I don't bite. This fur makes me a great cuddler, though, so you know where to find me if you wanna get comfy during the flight."
"Charming," Sevarius said in a deadpan tone, and an intimidated-looking Jessica moved away to the back of the plane with a bit of a quick step. "This way. We must get strapped in for take-off."
Walking into the main area of the private jet, Fang let out a soft chuckle, his eyes wide. It was a very luxurious plane, decently spacious, with comfortable fancy-looking seats and tables. There were two large televisions mounted on opposite ends of the wall towards the front end of the plane, with headphones available at the seats for each occupant to listen to whatever they wished on either television.
"Holy crap," Fang said with a smile. "This is seriously fancy, Doc."
"indeed. I do admit, I enjoy the luxuries provided by my scientific talents," Sevarius bragged in a smarmy tone that made Fang feel like cringing. "Besides Jessica, the pilot and the co-pilot, there is also a chef in the well-stocked kitchen at the back of the plane. We shall be well tended to until we reach our first destination."
"Great!" Fang exclaimed. "And, uh, where are we going first?"
"The first stop in our trip will be to South America," Sevarius replied as he took one of the rather large, comfortable seats, putting on the seat belt and adjusting it. "Specifically, Argentina, where we must meet a new client of mine tomorrow at noon. I'm most eager to see the look on his face when he sees my genius reflected in your very presence there."
"Can't wait," Fang said, following in the scientist's footsteps and also sitting down and strapping in.
As they waited for take-off, Sevarius took a book he already had on the table separating both chairs and started reading, whereas Fang checked on some papers that were also on the table. The mutate could not help but smile at seeing that the televisions were satellite and could access a large variety of channels, so he wouldn't be bored during flight. Another paper detailed the available menu options from the kitchen, Fang's mouth watering at choices like steak, lobster, beef wellington and others served at fancy restaurants he could never afford.
Several minutes later, after Jessica had secured the jet's door shut and went to strap herself in at the back of the plane, the captain gave the alert that they would be departing, so Fang and Sevarius put everything away and made extra sure to be properly strapped in. Minutes later, the private jet had taken off, and the sensation of the plane elevating into the skies made Fang feel absolutely exhilarated. He was now even more eager for this experience. All the places he would see, the foods he would eat, the money he would earn, and the opportunities that that money could bring him in the future. He really couldn't wait.
To Be Continued...
Author's Extra Note: Okay, so, what did you all think of the little bombshell I dropped this chapter? I had been planning it for quite some time. I figured that it would be much more significant if Daniel was Fang's son instead of his nephew, and I also feel that this way we can see more development from Fang in general, showing his good side more, though as you saw near the end of this chapter, he's still a rotten jerk, because Fang wouldn't be Fang otherwise. Next chapter we get to see Fang at one of the destinations Sevarius is heading to, so we'll see then what shenanigans he may get into. Thank you all for reading!