Thailog paced, seeing how weak and strained Brooklyn had been when fighting that bear, mostly thanks to his starvation, and wondered how else he could break the young second in command.

Then, he smiled cruelly, thinking about some machines that induced pain, like how females would feel when going through childbirth.

If I combined that mixed with his hunger, it would test to see how he handles pain and hunger at the same time... Yes...

He turned to the doctor. "I need you to be in charge of my little guest's next test. It's to see how he handles the feeling of starvation combined with pain," he told him.

The doctor looked rather output by this idea, but went with it. "Of course, Master Thailog. It will be a pleasure."

They brought Brooklyn into a medical room that next evening while he was out, settling him on a bed, where the doctor set up the simulator machine, and Thailog placed the stickers with the wires on certain places where it would hurt Brooklyn the most, seeing him twitching and muttering fitfully in his sleep, having a bad dream.

Dream well, Plaything. When you wake up, it won't be so pleasant for you... Thailog thought, stroking Brooklyn's cheek.

....

Brooklyn started to have weird dreams after he had a sip of water before going to sleep.

He was back at the Eyrie Building, where things looked different. Looking about, everybody was less cheerful than usual.

Okay, what's going on? Brooklyn thought, scratching his head. How did he escape, and what's with everybody's depressed looks? Xanatos and Fox walked by in funeral outfits, Hudson having a tear coming down.

He followed his clan to the living room, where he gasped at the sight of a casket, which was open.

His clan blocked who had died, and Brooklyn tapped Lex on the shoulder, who jumped in fright.

"B-Brooklyn? No, you're dead!" gasped Lexington, tears in his eyes, but not of joy. He backed away, confused.

"No, no, I'm not dead, Lex, I'm right here. Where's Goliath?" Brooklyn asked. That caused Lex to break down.

"H-he tried to find you, b-but was killed, and everybody confirmed you dead after that!" he sobbed. This scared Brooklyn cold. Goliath was dead?

"But, I'm here now, that mean's I-I'm leader, right?" Brook questioned reluctantly, but it was to be expected. Lex shook his head.

"Nobody else wanted to take you or Goliath's place, except for one." Lex said sadly, looking over.

Brooklyn glanced in his direction, then gave a choked cry of fear and disbelief at the sight of Thailog, standing there as leader of the clan.

"No!" he screamed, as Thailog spotted him, smirking.

"Yes, Brooklyn. You were a failure, nothing but a stupid, broken failure..." he purred, moving closer.

Brooklyn backed away, shaking. "Stay back! You're not the true leader of my family! It was your fault for stealing me!" he shouted, backing into a wall.

Thailog grabbed his throat, lifting Brooklyn from the ground. Brooklyn struggled.

"You're a fool, thinking Goliath believed you to be a leader when it could've been me. You're nothing..." Thailog said venomously.

Brooklyn writhed in Thailog's grasp, tears coming down, blackness taking over his mind; Thailog's terrible laugh ringing in his very soul...

...

"Gah!" Brooklyn cried, jerking awake, sweating all over. But he was still alive.

"J-just a dream..." he mumbled, shaking, and stomach growling again.

But then, he saw he was in a different room, lying on a bed, and felt weird stickers on his stomach with wires attached.

He began to breathe fast, seeing Thailog near him, smiling sinisterly.

"'gulp.' Oh boy, maybe I'm still dreaming!" Brooklyn said in a small trembling voice, but then Thailog placed a hand on his forehead.

"No, this is no dream. Another test arrives for you, Brooklyn. You remember our first interrogation, don't you?"

Brooklyn gulped silently again, shuddering when he remembered how Thailog tortured his stomach, nodding.

"In this test, you need to see how you handle and resist it again, only not from me. This is a special machine that mimics that same torture," he purred. This was not good news.

"Uh, er, I dunno if this was a test I wanted to do. This is just torturing me!" Brooklyn cried in panic, the doctor beginning to turn on the machine, making him flinch from the weird feeling. Thailog stroked his forehead.

"Don't fear. Your test lasts at least an hour or two. And this isn't an interrogation, either." Brooklyn glared back through the tingling feeling in his belly.

The pain started to erupt a little more, and he let loose a little gasp. He shut his eyes, struggling to ignore it and breathe, wishing it to be over.

It got more painful, and he began whimpering, shaking some more. He hated this test, praying that it would stop.

Thailog felt satisfaction watching his plaything shake and tremble from what the machine was doing to him.

"The simulator is reaching its highest setting, Master," the doctor said. Thailog nodded in approval.

"Good, leave it there for a while, I wish to see how well he survives it," he sneered, moving his hand to Brooklyn's belly, who was still shaking from the agony.

"Goliath, help! It hurts!" Brooklyn cried silently in despair, crying softly.

"Don't give into your pain, Brooklyn. Be calm in your mind and heart, and you can defeat Thailog's torture..."

"But, it hurts!"

"So the hotshot thinks he can't be leader, or be strong against pain?"

Brooklyn was confused. He was hearing Lex now?

I-I, how are you speaking to me, Lex? He thought in confusion, wincing again from the hot pain. He heard Lexington laugh.

"All the pain you're feeling is the reason you can hear me."

Brooklyn didn't know what to say, his head spinning, hearing Thailog laughing at him.

"Goliath would be ashamed to see you reduced to this, Brook. I would be, too," Lex's voice said coldly, making Brooklyn grit his teeth, trying to ignore it all, both the pain and his hallucinating.

"I'll come home, Lex, and prove I am still strong to lead you when it is my time!" he grunted in determination, taking in shaky shallow breaths, yelping aloud when another jolt of pain struck his stomach from the simulator.

Thailog could see that Brooklyn was looking quite strained and distressed, eyes crossed, knowing now that because of the water and the simulator, making him hear voices that weren't there. He was slowly beginning to break.

This pain was clogging Brooklyn's ability to think and stay strong, hearing Lexington laugh at how weak he was, along with Broadway and Angela now.

"I can't believe I almost wanted to mate with you, Brooklyn. I'm glad I'm now with Broadway," Angela said coolly. Brooklyn shut his eyes, crying silently more.

"No... no... stop it... please!" he choked, now lying quite still, darkness swimming in his vision, more cruel words hitting him with the pain.

Thailog narrowed his eyes, seeing Brooklyn slowly losing strength. He knew now that Brooklyn's test was over, not wanting him to die yet.

"Turn it off now," he demanded the doctor, who nodded, turning the machine off.

Brooklyn felt that torture fade away, and he trembled, crying silently.

"I'll bet that hurt, didn't it?" he sneered. Brooklyn took one or two breaths, glaring back at Thailog, still not wanting to give into this mad gargoyle's torturing yet.

"Take him back until his next test is ready," he ordered the guards, after taking off the stickers. He'd suffered three tests, but Brooklyn was still fighting. Even if it took a year, Thailog would destroy his spirit, no matter what it took.