Runaways: The Journey Home

Chapter 39

Back at the castle, the whole clan was feeling stressed about losing Brooklyn and that no matter what they did to save him he would be killed. Goliath was sitting in the tv room, but the set wasn't on. He was just staring at nothing, Elisa rubbing his shoulders and hugging him.

Goliath moaned. "I wish I could've stopped that horrible human from hurting Brooklyn again, Elisa. But I failed him again!" He exclaimed, his face in his hand.

"No, Goliath, you didn't fail him. Brooklyn will be saved, we just need to figure out something, for his sake," she said softly, but deep down she felt at a loss of what to do without Anthony harming Brooklyn in the process. She just prayed the young gargoyle would be able to survive.

....

Back at Anthony's place, Brooklyn lay there in his cage, still bonded, restrained, and muzzled. He never wanted this muzzle again but here he was, leashed like an animal. More tears fell down his face at the thought of having just come back from his journey only to be yanked away from home again. And this time, he didn't think he could handle two trips from Montana to New York should he escape.

A small whimper escaped his throat despite the muzzle, wishing for anybody to save him from this. But Anthony promised more torture if that happened which made his anxiety all the worse. He tugged on his cuffs, wincing from the pressure, the cuff around his neck choking him too. What would Anthony want to do to him next? He felt queasy and shivery just thinking about it, ears flat from new PTSD from his capture, afraid for Anthony to come back, though he saw that this house seemed very familiar to Macbeth's home.

His throat eventually began to feel like it was losing air, and the shackle around it didn't help. Brooklyn struggled to breathe through his nose, feeling the walls of his cage closing in around him, sweat coming down his forehead while trying his best to breathe as normally as he could. Why did humans have to mistreat his kind so much?

Perhaps... Demona was right before; Elisa couldn't protect him from humans like this. A soft growl gurgled in the back of his throat, hating himself for siding with Demona. Xanatos had tried to save him too, from what he heard on the phone. It hurt Brook hearing the man say he was willing to buy him to save his life, but Brooklyn knew Anthony wouldn't give Xanatos much choice.

Brook made another weak moan, leaning his head on the cage wall behind him, hating being treated like a slave animal to be bought. But suddenly, he heard the door open, ears perking and his eyes dilating big, for Anthony came back in with Thailog behind him. This was it; it was over for him!

Anthony smiled inside and outside when seeing the petrified gaze on Diablo when coming in. It had satisfied him greatly to hear his 'family' pleading to release their only red devil, which he wouldn't do, of course. Why Goliath even picked this weakling to be the next leader was beyond Anthony's knowledge. Soon, he shall destroy the beast's purpose to live only but to serve him. He stalked up to the caged gargoyle, who shied away from his menacing stare.

"You comfortable, my little Diablo?" cooed Anthony, knocking his knife on the bars. Brook whimpered and shied back further, mostly from Thailog's constant staring, interested in seeing Brooklyn's mentality lowered in such a manner.

Anthony just smiled sadistically. "Well, you won't be here long when I package you up for the trip home to Montana, which is where you belong in my opinion. Your clan doesn't deserve you, Diablo, for only I do. It really was quite satisfying as well to hear that loser Xanatos willing to give his money to me to get you back, too. But before we leave, how about we have a little fun first? Been thinking of twisting that little stomach of yours again, which means... cutting you up." He gave an evil chuckle.

Brooklyn's face paled in fright, not wanting to experience it anymore! A deep chill instantly penetrated his belly. The red gargoyle never wanted to experience such pain again. If he didn't get away now, his life would be nothing again but pain until he died. Brooklyn was normally a tough young gargoyle, but after having experienced the abuse the first time, it had weakened his mentality down a lot more.