The clan wanted to get started right away to go get Brooklyn back.

"Why didn't we think to look at the Quarrymen's headquarters?" Angela demanded.

"We didn't know they had him, my Love." Broadway tried to comfort her by hugging her. He knew she was upset about Brooklyn. They all were.

"We might figure the Quarrymen would have killed him right away if they had caught him." Lex declared.

"Yes. But they have been torturing him probably to use him against us. It is getting too close to sunrise right now. We will do as Castaway said. We won't risk anything harming him." Goliath decreed.

The clan hated not being able to go now, but their leader was right. It was too close to their sleeping time. They all stayed in the Great Hall and turned to stone. They all had sad looks on their faces.

...

When the sun set the following evening, down in the Quarrymen's HQ, Brooklyn awoke from his stone sleep, still cuffed down on the table and naked.

He tried to get himself free from the cuffs, but they still held strong. His stomach felt better from the nausea he had suffered last night, but he still felt the shackle on it. Castaway would likely make short work of it.

Then, he heard the door unlocking. It made him cringe, scared that he was going to be tortured again. His breathing sped up. Oh, please don't hurt me again! Brook's mind screamed at himself.

The door opened and in stepped Castaway and some other costumed men. "Good evening, Monster. I have some good news and bad news for you." Jon smirked at him.

"What's the good news?" Brooklyn replied hoarsely.

"Your clan has agreed to come to the meeting spot tonight to get you back." Jon replied.

Brooklyn breathed a sigh of relief. It sent a brief smile to his beak, despite his fear of his clan hating him being present. Jon saw it and had to tell him the other half.

"Oh, don't go smiling just yet, Monster. There's still the bad news."

Brook's smile faded. "And... what's the other news?"

"Well, it's good news for us, but bad news for you. You still aren't escaping our wrath tonight before your clan comes to see you be killed right in front of them! There's still more fun we can have with you." Jon sneered.

"Please... just let me go." Brooklyn begged, squirming.

"I don't think so." Jon declared, then took out the remote. Brooklyn's eyes widened and the button was pressed.

"Agh!" Brooklyn instantly recoiled in pain as the shackle squeezed his poor stomach once again. "Oh, stop please!" He cried out.

"Oh, I think this is too good." One of the others chuckled at his discomfort.

Brooklyn tried hard to breathe. It felt like the shackle was trying to squeeze his guts in and make something burst.

"This is going to be set on automatic squeezing after we get you into position for how you're going to be transported." Jon declared.

"No... please...!" Brooklyn begged desperately. He didn't want that.

"Get him while he's struggling." Jon ordered.

The other uncuffed the bonds while Brooklyn was feeling his stomach being squeezed so hard. He was glad to be loose for a moment and tried to resist. He grunted in pain and tried to put his arms to his stomach, but he was forced onto his knees where his arms were pulled behind his back. They were jerked on hard. "AGH!" Brook cried out in pain.

Then he was forced to stand up where his wings were once again, secured with chains so he couldn't cover himself up. The Quarrymen wanted him to be shown in all his humiliation as possible. Then, with his wings secure, Brooklyn was forced onto another table where his tail was tied to one leg and his ankles were in a loose bondage in that he could move them like bending at the knees, but he wouldn't be able to get off the table. There were some straps then put over his hips and shoulders to keep him secure on the new table. He wasn't going anywhere.

"Now, for the automatic squeezing to be put in place. It'll squeeze your belly every few minutes." Jon informed him.

Brooklyn glared at the evil man, giving a growl. Jon saw that and the shackle gave a tight squeeze even more. "OH!" He tried hard to just breathe it was so tight.

Jon looked at the shackle on the gargoyle's stomach. It was pushing the skin inward so tightly that the creases in the skin could be seen pushing inwards. There was no space between the skin and the shackle.

Brooklyn bared his teeth in pain, closing his eyes. "Please... stop..." he begged. "Oh..."

"Get used to it, Monster. You'll be feeling it for several hours yet!" Jon laughed sinisterly. "Leave him be, Quarrymen. Until it is time to take him to the meeting place."

Brooklyn was left there with the shackle squeezing him so hard. He tried moving to ease the discomfort, but it did nothing. The shackle loosened after another two minutes.

The red Second let out a huge breath of relief, but his stomach was already hurting again. Oh, please get me out of here, guys! I can't take much more of this! Brooklyn told himself, as if screaming out to his clan.

Brooklyn laid there for the next few minutes, though he tried to get his arms free. They were tightly bound in cuffs behind his back. His fever was still raging, and he didn't feel good, but five minutes later, he felt the shackle begin to tighten again. He didn't want the shackle to keep doing this to him, as well as being afraid of his clan seeing him like this, praying he wouldn't have to die tonight. It didn't look like much of a choice right now, though, given how much of this devil fever had been killing him.

...

The clan now was ready to meet the Quarrymen to rescue their missing family member, hoping he wasn't dead yet. Goliath had Bronx remain with Elisa at the castle so they would have back up. Xanatos would also have his Steel Clan ready. Sevarius handed the serum to Lexington and told him to give it to Brooklyn when the time was right and he could reach him.

Lex had given him a nod but a glare. "You'd better be right about this healing my brother, or you're gonna get it!" Sevarius smiled, though he looked nervous from Lexington's threat.

"Easy, Olive one. I assure you; this is the genuine cure!" he said. Lex just growled silently before going to join the others to leave, stowing the serum in his loincloth.

Elisa didn't like that Goliath had to surrender like this, but she knew it was for Brooklyn's life. She had given Goliath a kiss before they left.

As the clan flew into the night around 11:00, Goliath was feeling very worried for his Second.

Don't give up on us, Brooklyn. Keep fighting! We're coming! He called mentally, as if Brooklyn could hear him.

...

Brooklyn was now panting for air, no thanks to his awful shackle auto-squeezing him, sometimes twitching. When was he going to be transported? He couldn't stand it anymore! But then, Castaway and his goons came after being left here for over three hours.

"I believe it is time, little experiment. Your clan is on their way now. And we meet at the library." He nodded to the guards, who began to wheel Brooklyn out to transport him, after they stopped his shackle auto-squeezing his belly, letting Brooklyn breathe a bit better.

The red male was feeling terribly nervous about seeing his clan. What if they rejected him like in his visions? A little whimper escaped him while in the truck driving to the location. Castaway touched the bottom of his belly along his exposed area again. Brook squirmed.

"Stop... touching... me..." he croaked from how sore his throat was. Castaway just smirked with a terrible smile.

"You have been such a pleasure to toy with, Monster. We might even do it some more in front of your clan once we catch them all. Can't you just see the despaired looks on their faces now? Seeing you naked with nothing but a shackle, poisoned, and humiliated? Such shame for you..." he said in a crooning, mocking tone. Brooklyn was feeling utter rage rising in his core but sadness, too.

"No..." he grunted, as the truck stopped. Castaway slapped him, making his shackle squeeze. "Yes, Beast. This had been a moment I was waiting for. But now we're here. Let's get this show started, hm?"

Brooklyn grunted with tears in his eyes. He was wheeled into an empty warehouse where he was taken unstrapped and taken off the gurney. Brooklyn was glad his legs were free but his tail was still tied to his leg.

His hands were untied briefly to allow the humans to put his wrists and ankles in chains close to a wall. His hands were pulled upward to help him stand. Jon wanted him to be exposed to the clan; every part of him. When the men were done with him, they stood back to observe him. Castaway was pleased with how the pathetic creature looked.

"What... what are you doing?" Brooklyn gasped.

"We're going to make sure your clan sees the pathetic hunk of flesh you've become." Jon sneered, then he pressed the button.

"Agh!" Brooklyn instantly tried to curl in on himself as the shackle was forced to squeeze his stomach again, but he couldn't hardly move at all. It hurt! Brooklyn could feel his belly screaming at him for the squeezing to stop. He was just trying hard to breathe.

"Oh, please... stop... Can't breathe..." Brooklyn panted and grimacing.

"That's the point. We want you to be breathless and hurting by the time they get here!" One of the men came up to him with a knife pointing at his neck.

Brooklyn pulled his head away with scared eyes. He flattened his ears in sadness and submission. Then he winced with another squeeze of the shackle, feeling it getting too tight on his belly.

"Pathetic waste!" The man exclaimed.

"Now to go get your clan!" Castaway ordered to the others. "Have fun being squeezed while we're gone, Monster!"

"AGH!" Brooklyn cried out as the auto-squeezing came on again. He had to get out of here. He knew he was going to be humiliated more when his clan was brought here. But on the one hand, he would also be glad to see them too.

...

The five gargoyles landed on the library steps by midnight like the ransom demand ordered them to be.

"We're here! Come and get us!" Lex called out. He remembered having to do this to save Alex once. Now he was doing it for his red brother.

The clan waited nervously. They didn't know if Brooklyn was actually here.

Then suddenly, a shot rang out and a net came down upon the gargoyles. They all yelled out in distress, trying to get the net off of them.

"Silence!" Came an order.

The clan looked over and saw a group of Quarrymen coming toward them with guns aimed on them.

"Where's Brooklyn?!" Goliath demanded.

"I'll ask the questions, Freak!" Castaway replied. "You want to see your pathetic friend again, you are coming with us and no fighting us. Those are the terms, Monster!"

"Goliath?" Broadway stated.

"We need to do it for the lad." Hudson decreed. Goliath groaned in reply sadly.

"We will do as you wish, Castaway." Goliath replied.

"Good, Monsters. Get them!"

The net was removed and Hudson's sword was taken from him and the rest of them had their arms forced behind their backs. Lex knew that the serum was still in his loincloth, hidden from view.

After they were bound, their eyes were then covered with cloths. "Now, move!" Came the order.

The gargoyles all let out grunts and growls as they were led away and put into two big van trucks, three and two in one truck. They hoped they were being taken directly to their sick Second. He couldn't be long for this world if he didn't get the antidote soon. They would do whatever was necessary to get him back, and alive.

...

Brooklyn was tired of the shackle squeezing his poor belly. There had been some men left behind to make sure he didn't get away, not that he could. They made fun of him for his pain.

"Oh, oooh... stop... squeezing... me... please..." Brooklyn begged desperately. The shackle was doing it again, giving him a horrible stomachache. He pulled hard on the cuffs on his wrists to want to get them loose and try to get the shackle off.

It wasn't long before he heard the sounds of vehicles outside. He perked his ears up but was still wincing in pain. He whimpered.

Then there were voices and footsteps.

Outside, the clan had arrived and were ordered to get out of the trucks. They were pushed and shoved about, even hit in their shoulders, ribs, and sides to make sure they were minding.

"Inside, freaks!"

Brooklyn looked up and with some relief, saw his clan filing into the warehouse. Even he had no idea where he was exactly. But he felt so sad that they were here. They were all here, then he looked again. One was missing. Bronx. Where was Bronx?

Brooklyn felt tears come to his eyes that something could have happened to Bronx. He flattened his ears sadly.

The shackle had loosened just in time and he panted hard, trying to catch his breath as the clan was brought forward. Then they stopped.

"Here we are, Monsters. You get to see your red friend again as you wanted." Jon declared. "Take off the blindfolds!"

The gargoyles were all glad to have their sight back. They saw it looked like an old warehouse where they were now. And there before them, was Brooklyn, cuffed and hung up with a tight shackle around his belly.

"Brooklyn!" They all cried out desperately.

"Hi, guys," Brooklyn smiled a little at them. His vision was blurring out on him. His fever was still raging. Tears were in his eyes too. He was happy but a little nervous too to see them.

"What have you done to him?!" Angela demanded.

"Let him go!" Broadway ordered.

"He's in no shape to be a threat to you at all!" Hudson snapped.

"You'll pay for this, Castaway!" Goliath snarled at the evil man.

"Oh, will I? He has been great fun to toy with, lavender leader. He has admitted so many interesting things to me, including all his failures and that he's glad he's my property now." Castaway informed them.

The clan couldn't believe that. "Brooklyn?" Lex declared.

"No... Not true..." Brook gasped. "AGH!" He winced in pain as the shackle squeezed him again and they saw what he was reacting to. The shackle was tightening again! "Oh... stop..."

"Stop hurting him!" Broadway demanded. He then felt a jab in his back.

"You're in no position to be making demands." The man stated.

The clan also saw that Brooklyn was lacking his loincloth. "Where's his loincloth?!" Lex demanded.

"That is my personal trophy now." Jon said as he smiled victoriously.

Angela could see Brooklyn's private area exposed. But there was nothing arousing about the moment at all. The clan knew better. They just wanted Brooklyn back and would worry about it later. The loincloth could always be replaced.

Restraints came up out of the floor and tied their ankles in place. They tried getting loose, but no avail.

The clan had to watch sadly as Brooklyn was hit a few times in the stomach, ribs, slashed in a wing, one of his shins kicked too, and slapped in the face a few times that made him cry. The shackle also kept squeezing his belly too, making him cry out.

The clan wanted to help him so badly but they were held back by their restraints. Castaway stood next to his prisoner, turning on his hammer in front of him. Brooklyn's eyes rounded and he reacted strongly in sheer terror from the weapon. Jon however took a tight hold of his hair, moving his hammer all too close, threatening to electrocute poor Brooklyn.

"Let's give you a little taste of my lightning, for fun..." sneered Castaway. This made the young one sob in fright, trying to escape. Goliath roared in anger. "No!" He bellowed, unable to do anything.

But then, out of nowhere, a door and windows were smashed into by robots and Bronx. Brooklyn was glad to see the gar dog was alright.

The Quarrymen were all stunned and shocked at what was happening around them. This wasn't happening!

Xanatos and his robots, plus Elisa, Fox, and Bronx stormed the warehouse. Fox had on robotic armor too. She still had it from her time in Hollywood.

"Put your weapons down or we will fire on you, Castaway!" Xanatos ordered.

The robots all had their laser guns pointed on the Quarrymen. They were far outnumbered.

"Never! Fire Quarrymen!" Jon exclaimed.

Then gunfire broke out. The guns' fire deflected off the robots. The robots went after the costumed kidnappers.

Elisa ordered Bronx to get the gargoyles free. He pulled at their ankle cuffs. He also got the ropes on their wrists off. "Good boy, now help Brooklyn." Goliath ordered.

Bronx went over to help the sick Second. He was slumped in his chains. He was getting close to unconsciousness. His breathing was becoming less and less. He got his legs free but couldn't do the arms. He barked.

Goliath came over and freed Brooklyn's arms. Then he slumped in his leader's arms. Brook grunted in pain from it. The shackle had loosened again by this time.

"Lexington, now!" Goliath shouted.

Lex came over and took the serum syringe out of his loincloth and he got the needle into Brooklyn's right shoulder. It was injected. Brooklyn had been given the antidote at last, but was he too far gone?

The robots, gargoyles, and Quarrymen were all busy fighting. Hudson even went after the one who had his sword. He got it back from the man.

There was craziness all around them.

Elisa, from the side, had come over to Brooklyn's side. "Stay with him, Elisa. I'm going after Castaway."

"Get him!" Elisa praised him.

Goliath went after the Quarryman leader. Bronx stayed with Elisa too. He would get payback for his Second-in-Command's kidnapping and torture.

Castaway was seen trying to sneak out a back way and Goliath went after him.

"You will pay for hurting my Second-in-Command, Castaway!" Goliath snarled.

"No, I won't! I'll be back! I'll get all you freaks yet!" Jon exclaimed. But Goliath caught up to him and threw him into a wall, knocking him out.

Soon, there was cease fire and all Quarrymen had been restrained or knocked out. A few had died as well. The fight was over.

The clan and friendly humans went over to where Elisa, Bronx, and Brooklyn were. Goliath now also had time to release Brook's wings too. The red male was in horrible shape.

The shackle squeezed again and that was when Lex tried to step in to get a hold of it and couldn't, it was so embedded into the skin. Brook winced in pain, now holding his belly for the first time in a long time while it hurt him.

"I can't get it off." Lex said. The others wanted it off of him too.

Goliath then remembered seeing a remote on Jon. He went and picked his pockets and found a remote control. He saw a red button on it and pressed it.

The shackle made a snapping sound and it had come undone. It loosened up to its original position. Lex then pulled the horrible shackle off of Brooklyn.

Brook took a big breath of air. He could now breathe normally again. But then, he fell unconscious.

"I hope we weren't too late." Elisa said in concern.

"We will get him home and get him treated."

"He also needs a new loincloth." Broadway said.

"We'll worry about that later. Now come. Let's go home. You can handle things from here, Elisa?" Goliath asked as he picked up his Second.

"Yes. Good luck. I'll be there soon to see how he is." The policewoman replied.

Sirens were sounding now. The clan had to get out of here. Xanatos came down and held Brooklyn while the clan climbed the building and got to the rooftop before Goliath took him again and they took to the air.

David and Fox left with them and they all went on their way home.

Goliath looked down at Brooklyn, covered in bruises, cuts and such, and whimpered in his sleep. He sighed in sorrow, hoping he wouldn't end up having terrible trauma from his horrible experience later, and prayed Sevarius's serum really cured his Second.