Owen looked at the young girl on his examination table. Though she looked healthy from the neck up, her wrists and ankles showed that she was in a bad place-wherever it was.
"How is our young guest?" Xanatos asked walking into the room.
"Her energy is greatly depleted." Owen replied, unbuttoning the bloodstained jumpsuit. "From all the blood she spat out I'd say she's completely unconscious. I was just about to see how the rest of her is faring."
"I see." The other man replied. "Our other guest Brooklyn calls Amber seems to be calming down. Fox is going to bring her in soon for questioning."
"About that sir," Owen moved away from the body. "I think you may want to ask about this."
Xanatos looked at Owen, who seemed to be in quite a shock. He made his way over to the one he heard being called Angel. What he saw, he didn't believe.
Angel's skin from the waist down had turned to pure Quartz in a light pink coloring. The tips of her fingers were starting to turn as well. And in the center of her chest, directly over her heart, was a pink Quartz stone with angel wings inside it.
"Merciful God." Xanatos exclaimed in a state of shock, backing away from the girl turning into a gem. "What have they done to this child?"
"Come on you look fine." Fox stated, pulling a half-willing Amber along. "And the gargoyles don't bite. Well, Bronx would but he seems to like you."
Amber cracked a small smile as she was dragged along to whatever part of the castle they were being taken to. The dress she'd been given was a little loose, so they'd put a belt on her to keep it from falling down completely. The leggings fit better but still sagged in some places. As for the button-down shirt, she wore it open like she did her hoodie.
Once she entered the room, all eyes landed on her. Brooklyn got up from where he was sitting and went over to her.
"You all right?" he asked looking her over. He almost didn't recognize her without the dirt on her face, but the two colored eyes were a dead giveaway.
"I'm fine." She replied as Bronx came over. She kneeled to pet him. "Still in a bit of shock, but fine."
"That's good to hear lass." Hudson said, walking over to them. "You seem quite startled when they took your friend into the other room."
"I…I just have a hard time trusting people." She stated, not meeting their eyes.
"And yet, you did not hesitate when Brooklyn came down to help you?" Goliath asked with a bit of suspicion in his voice.
"Father." Angela said, looking at him angrily. "The girl has been through enough. She doesn't need you questioning her and making her feel worse than she already does." She walked over the girl. "Please excuse Goliath, he's not very trusting with humans at first."
"It's understandable." Amber stated, getting to her feet. "I'm normally not very trusting either. But when I saw true concern in Brooklyn's eyes-a type of concern I rarely see anymore, I knew I could trust him."
"His eyes?" Angela asked curiously.
"They say that the eyes are the key to the soul, and the soul is where one's true intentions lie." She looked deeply into Angela's dark brown eyes. "Such as you wish to understand what has happened tonight." She looked around her. "You all do."
Before any of the gargoyles could reply, Xanatos slammed the door open, anger clear on his face. He made a direct beeline for Amber.
"David?" Fox asked curiously. "What's-"
Xanatos glared at the teenager. "You have answers."
Amber glared back. "You have my friend."
He rolled his eyes. "Then tell me what experiments they would do to make her turn into a gemstone!"
This made the gargoyles look in shock at the teenager they'd cornered in the doorway. They'd done what to a child?
"Lass…did you know about this?" Hudson asked her carefully, seeing the fear in her eyes.
She backed away slowly. She'd been trapped. Sure they were nice before, but now they were suspicious; save Brooklyn, who just watched her with worried eyes.
"I believe he asked you a question young one." Goliath stated, rising to his full height.
Elisa put a hand to his chest. "Goliath there's no need to-"
"It's all right Detective Maza." Amber stated, her demeanor changing. Her hands immediately went behind her back. "I can take care of myself."
Elisa gave her a curious look. "How do you know my name?"
Amber shrugged and rose her head slowly, revealing deadly yellow eyes. "I know everything."
Immediately, Xanatos found himself being pushed down by a strong gush of wind, taking the gargoyles with him. "What in the world?"
Amber took off as Brooklyn got up.
"Amber stop!" he yelled, taking off after her.
"Brooklyn no!" Lexington exclaimed, struggling to get up.
"Let him go lads." Hudson said, getting up easily.
"But that…thing she just did!"
"The lass was scared. It's natural for her kind to do that." He stated, helping Goliath up.
"You sound as if you know what she is." Xanatos stated, catching his breath.
"Aye. She ain't human." He looked towards the doorway. "That lass was a Gemmalite."
Brooklyn ran on all fours to keep up with Amber, who was surprisingly fast for a person on two legs. He didn't know why, but like on the rooftops, he couldn't stop worrying about her. It was like she was afraid of everything; of everyone. But for some reason, she wasn't afraid of him. And he wasn't about to give her a reason to be afraid.
"Amber stop!" he yelled catching up to her. "We can talk this out!"
"Oh really? You're not going to turn me in?" She asked sarcastically, turning a corner. "Yeah, I've heard that before. And frankly, I don't believe a word of it!"
"I'm serious!" he exclaimed, turning the corner roughly. "We can help you!"
Amber slowed down a bit, her pace going to that of a normal human being. He caught up with her and cut off her path.
"We're not going to betray you." He stated, getting back on his feet. "We want to help you." He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "At least…I do."
"Why?" She asked, looking down at the ground. "After the way I behaved in there. Why are you still trusting me?"
"You trusted me first." He replied, putting his clawed hand on her chin, lifting her face to reveal her returning two colored eyes. "Now, who did this to you?"
She sighed, slipping down to the ground. "This…whatever's happening to me… it's been done before." Her fist banged on the floor. "They've done this to countless others. But Angel and I…we're two of their latest generation."
"Generations?" he asked, sitting beside her.
She nodded. "One thousand years ago, the true Gemmalites were all destroyed. No one knows how; no one knows why. All anyone really knows, is that they were gone. Destroyed by the Gem Cutters; the very people who are trying to bring them back into existence."
"Wait a sec, you're telling me that the very ones that wiped out your race all those years ago is trying to bring them back?" He asked confusingly. "Why?"
She brought her knees up tight to her chest. "We're nothing but sport to them." Amber stated sadly. "Once we reach a certain age, they put those collars on us; set us free in society. I don't know why they do this, but I know all those who've gone out haven't lived eighteen years after their creation.
"Why? Because of the hunt?"
"No." She crouched harder into a ball. "Unlike the true Gemmalites, we're…imperfect. She got to her feet and offered him a hand. "I'll show you with Angel."
The red gargoyle didn't hesitate; he took her hand and followed her to where Angel lay crystalized. Her body entirely a dusty pink. She looked like she was just asleep, but the major thing was she couldn't move.
Or so Brooklyn thought.
The next instant, Angel turned onto her side, facing away from them. He jumped a bit.
Amber turned away from him. "That's one of the ways we're imperfect. We can move once we crystalize-which doesn't happen until dawn normally." She sat beside Angel, stoking her head. "Angel just turned twelve; the age of the second stage."
"Second stage?" Brooklyn asked. "You mean there's more to this?"
She nodded. "The first stage is power, which happens when we're six. When we turn twelve, it's transformation-which you're witnessing right now."
"And I'm guessing the third stage is why no one's lived eighteen years right?"
Again she nodded. "It's called evolution. Supposedly, once we make it past that, we turn into full Gemmalites."
For a moment, Brooklyn thought he saw Amber's face hopeful. Like she hoped that one day she could reach that level of safety. But, in an instant it was gone. Along with most of the shine in her eyes.
"But…it's just a theory." Amber stated, shaking her head lightly. "It'll never happen."
Brooklyn grabbed a chair from the other side of the room and sat in it. "You said that they've been doing this for generations. Just how long have they been doing this exactly?"
Amber sighed. "Honestly? I don't know. Five, six hundred years? All I know for sure, no one makes it past eighteen years." She looked out the window. "Not even my mom."
This rattled Brooklyn a bit. She'd lost someone close to her, just like he had. Only he had gotten his heart broken a multitude of times.
"She died when I was eight; I don't remember her much. I remember my brother and sisters better."
"Whoa, wait a minute." He stopped her. "You had siblings?"
She nodded. "A long time ago yes. But…they didn't make it. I'm the only one of our family that's still alive." Amber put a hand on Angel's forehead. "Ange here has an older brother."
Brooklyn looked at her funny.
"Don't looked so surprised. Just because mine didn't make it, doesn't mean hers wouldn't or vice versa."
"What happened to him?"
"Dunno." She shrugged. "With the Gem Cutters always hunting me…I was lucky to get a moments peace, let alone keep track of the others."
"Wait. Others? As in there's more of you?"
"Five of us to be exact." She stated going over to the window; the sun just starting to come up. "I'm the first; Angel's the last. All I gotta do now is hunt down the others, get their collars off, and hide 'em where no Gem Cutter can find them."
"And then what? You all die out slowly?" Brooklyn asked sarcastically. "Sounds like a waste to me."
"Then what do you suggest? Cause I'm open for-"
She stopped talking; stopped breathing. Her body was on full shut down the moment the sun hit her back. Brooklyn could only watch as he turned to stone.
The last thing he saw, was Amber's crystalized orange form.
Jeez. It's been awhile since I've done this. But, I'm back! And hopefully, I won't be gone long. Well, onto another chapter! Later!