On a ranch just five miles from where Brooklyn escaped to, a young boy around age 15 was doing his usual chores.

His name was Mark Henderson. He lived on this ranch his whole life with his father and his mother who worked as a veterinarian, and little sister, Nora who was curious about anything.

Mark wondered if he would do anything exciting soon since being on a ranch could get boring after a while. He wanted to see new creatures besides horses and other farm animals.

He went into the hay barn to get another bale of hay for their horses when an unusual sight met his eyes.

Mark's jaw dropped at the sight of the weirdest creature he'd ever seen. It was lying unconscious in the hay with red skin, a tail, two wings, horns, and a beak. He would've been excited if it didn't have that muzzle on, as well as a weird anklet thing.

Carefully, Mark moved closer, seeing one of their horse blankets around its middle. Why did you take it? He thought, gently moving it before suddenly seeing that bloody wound and understood why. He gasped a little at the sight. Despite this new creature looking like a devil, Mark couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for it because of its muzzle and wounds. Someone obviously really hated it to the point of beatings.

Mark knew he couldn't leave this creature to suffer and bleed to death. His father definitely wouldn't take too kindly to it being here. An idea came that he could hide it in his treehouse. Tentatively at first, he touched the creature, but it didn't move. Mark sighed but he would have to leave the muzzle on for a little bit as a precaution.

"I gotta move you out of here, Big Guy, before my parents or anyone else spots you if you can hear me. I'll be right back with a wheelbarrow," Mark promised, wrapping the blanket around the wound again. He knew he had to fix this wound since the creature's skin was so pale looking.

Mark ran outside next and found their wheelbarrow that he would use for the creature. Taking it back in with him, he began the process of lifting the unshockingly heavy guy onto the barrow. He whimpered when Mark wound up accidentally lightly bumping his wound. Mark winced. "Sorry," he apologized while trying to be careful. Finally, the creature was set inside and he pushed it out to his treehouse where fortunately there was a lift for him to use to raise it up inside.

It took some work but at last, the creature was safe in the treehouse. Mark's parents normally never came up here which was a bonus for him. He grabbed some cushions lying in the treehouse and propped the creature onto them to make him comfortable. Now all Mark had to do was wait for him to wake up. He wanted to help this poor creature and hoped it wouldn't hurt him.

It might be a while before the creature woke up, but then he remembered what he had to do or else his dad would be mad at him. He also heard a horse whinny and it reminded him. Mark had to go feed the horses. "I'll be right back, Big Guy. Just got to go feed my horses." Mark said. Then he got himself out of the treehouse to go pitch some hay for the horses.

Inside the barn, there was some blood on the hay from the creature. The stall was also open from having been unlocked. Mark locked it again. Then he put some hay in the wheelbarrow and threw it down for the horses.

Inside the treehouse, Brook was still out of it.

Mark was excited to go back to the treehouse to see what he had in there. He got done as fast as he could. He soon got back and saw his creature was still sleeping. He groaned in his sleep.

The boy started to read a book to pass the time. He just wanted to keep watch over his creature. But it wasn't long before he heard Nora call up to him, "Mark, are you up there?"

"Yes." He replied.

"Mom says it's time for supper. You better come in now." Nora stated.

"Yes, Nora, I'll be right in." Mark said. He knew that maybe offering the creature food might also keep him calm when he woke up.

Mark reluctantly got out again and went to dinner.

While he was at dinner, the red gargoyle began to stir. His vision focused and he found himself in a place of wood walls, raised up by some pillows. The last thing he remembered was a lot of straw or hay. When he tried to sit up, he felt the pain in the side of his stomach. He grunted in pain and he also felt something covering him up. He held the wound. He remembered he had been shot there.

Brooklyn saw what looked like a horse blanket wrapped around his middle. 'How did I get here and where am I?' He asked himself. He knew he was in no shape to go anywhere without treating this wound. It was a shame he didn't have his stone sleep to heal this injury. It sucked being in pain like this.

Soon though, his ears perked up at a strange sound. What was that? It sounded like footsteps. Brook's breathing began to pick up. Please don't be that evil man! He thought nervously. He managed to raise himself just enough despite his pain and move himself to the corner. But who he saw was a teenage boy than a grown man come into the room.

Mark had returned from supper. He had some food. He had also gone to the barn and retrieved his mom's veterinary kit. But when he arrived, his creature had moved from the pillows to the corner. He saw it had a scared look on its face.

"Hi there, Big Guy. I won't hurt you. My name is Mark. I brought you here to my treehouse so no one else would see you for your own good. They wouldn't understand at seeing you. I brought my mom's first aid kit to help with your wound. It's good to see you awake. I also brought you some food." Mark tried to explain. "I hope you can understand me."

Brooklyn understood his words but he was still afraid after all the mistreatment he had had lately from humans.

"I saw you have a muzzle and anklet there on your ankle. Please, let me help you. You won't hurt me, will you?" Mark asked.

Brooklyn didn't want to hurt anyone. He shook his head.

Mark put the food and kit down and began to come over to him. Brook still cringed in fear. Then he saw the brand on the red creature's arm. He knew how Anthony wasn't the most animal-loving person in the world. How could he treat this poor creature so badly?

"Please, I mean you no harm, whatever you are." Mark said gently as he came over slowly. "I am just going to take the muzzle off of you so you can eat."

Mark got to Brooklyn and he also saw the cuffs on his wrists too. He must have been a prisoner. The boy started to try to take the muzzle off but it shocked him, making Brook yelp as well.

"How could a muzzle be electrified?" Mark asked. "I know how to deal with that." Then he took out his pocket knife. He pulled up a sharp knife.

Seeing the knife made Brooklyn cringe into the corner even more, crying.

"No, no. It's alright. I'm just going to take the muzzle off. You have to hold still. Please, Creature." Mark tried to reason with him.

Brooklyn's breathing was fast and panicked but he began to hold still. Mark took that as the hint to go on. Brooklyn's ears were flattened in fear.

Mark began to pick at the muzzle. Brook closed his eyes to lessen any pain from it. There was a big shock as the lock on it shattered after the knife picked it loose. Then there was nothing. It came loose. Mark removed it.

"There you go." Mark said gently as he held it in his hands. He was nervous too of what he had in front of him.

Brooklyn instantly opened his mouth to get circulation back into it. His hands came up to rub on it. When he relieved the ache in his mouth, he looked at the boy. "Uh, th-thank you." He managed to say.

"So you can talk?" Mark asked.

Brook nodded. "I can."

"What's your name?"

"Brooklyn."

"What are you? You're not like any creature I've ever seen before." Mark said.

"I'm a gargoyle."

"Gargoyle? Like the ones in New York that we've heard about on the news?"

"Yes. I-I was kidnapped from there." Brooklyn said.

"I saw that you had an injury on your side there, hence my horse blanket on your belly. That's why I brought my mom's veterinary kit to help tend to it." Mark explained. "What happened to you?"

At the mention of it, a jolt of pain went through Brooklyn and he winced, grabbing the wound. "Oh, it hurts! I was- shot!" He gasped in pain.

"If you were shot, there's likely to be a bullet in your side. I'll need to get it out." Mark said. "I know from growing up watching my mom tend to hurt animals that I know how to treat them. Please, let me help you, Brooklyn."

Brook looked warily at the boy, but what other choice did he have? "Please- don't tell anyone I'm here."

"I won't. But from the brand on your arm there and the anklet, and the cuffs, that tells me that you were some kind of prisoner."

"Yeah. The man that took me from my home used me for his own gain. He hurt me multiple times. He calls me his, but I'm not his. I finally broke free and he had me shot. Please, don't turn me in. You have to help me get this tracker off my ankle too." Brooklyn explained.

"First, the wound." Mark said. "It's more urgent. I can give you some pain relief."

"I don't want to be knocked out. Do what you have to do." Brook winced.

"Okay. I'll be as gentle as I can." Mark said.

Mark had to unwrap the horse blanket first and set it aside. Then he dug a scalpel out of the kit and he knew it was clean. "You ready for this?" he asked.

Brook nodded.

Mark began to look in the wound and he had to dig in the wound for the bullet. Brook gritted his teeth as he felt the boy digging in his wound. His eyes would glow from the pain.

After what seemed like an eternity, Mark pulled a bullet out of the red gargoyle's side with forceps. "There, I got it." Mark said gratefully.

Brook was breathing hard. He was glad it was out of him. Then there was the stitching to do. The wound was washed up first and secured from infection, then the boy stitched up the wound. Brooklyn was exhausted and went out cold after he was done.

Mark couldn't blame Brook for passing out again. He got some of the antibiotics in a needle and he injected it into his bicep. Then he put a bandage over the wound to keep pests away from it while it healed. He had to take it back to the barn so his mom wouldn't suspect a thing.

Mark also went into the house to tell his parents he wanted to spend the night in the treehouse. They were okay with that. He got his sleeping bag and lantern to go spend the night out there with his gargoyle.

When he got out there with his supplies, Mark also went about unlocking the cuffs on Brook's wrists and the tracker on his ankle. It took some work to remove the tracker, but his knife got it off. It beeped a good deal before he shut it down. Brook was still out of it. Mark knew he had to get rid of the tracker.

He went down and went into the woods while it was still light out and buried it.

Brooklyn was now free of the tracker.

It wasn't until after sunset that the red gargoyle woke up again after his surgery to get the bullet out of his side. He saw Mark was in there with him still, but he also saw the cuffs on his wrists were gone and so was the tracker on his ankle. He smiled at that. It was first time in a long time he smiled. This boy had come through for him even though he knew nothing about him.

Despite his wound, then, he felt his stomach growl for the first time since his escape. He then remembered Mark had mentioned he had food for him.

"Mark?" Brook said.

Mark looked over. "You're awake."

"If you can call it that. Thanks for treating me."

"You're welcome."

"Can I... have some food?"

"Sure. It's mainly some cold ham and bread." Mark replied.

"It's okay. I haven't eaten in a while." Brook stated.

"You are definitely thin." Mark said. "You need to get your strength back."

The boy gladly gave Brooklyn some of the food from his dinner. It was in a cooler to keep it fresh.

Brooklyn gladly ate the food slowly. He was just happy to be getting anything. He would have a long trip ahead of him on his journey home. First he had to get this wound healed.

When he was done, he thanked Mark again for the food and for helping him.

"I have permission from my parents to sleep out here tonight. Of course they don't know about you." Mark said.

"Good. I don't want anyone to know about me." Brook stated.

"Sometimes my little sister gets nosy about things too. She likes to know about what I'm up to. I'm just telling you this now." Mark explained.

"Okay."

"Well, work begins early on a ranch. We should get some sleep." Mark said. "We can talk again tomorrow. Do you think you'll be alright if I leave you alone for a while tomorrow?"

"Yeah. I'm feeling a lot better." Brook replied.

"Goodnight, Brooklyn."

"Goodnight, Mark."

The two of them settled down for the night and Mark turned out the lantern.

Watching from the house, Nora wondered what could be so fun and going on out in the treehouse. She was ordered to go to bed by her father and he tucked her in bed. They kissed goodnight.

...

During the overnight hours, while Brooklyn slept, he had a dream about his argument with Goliath. He trembled and growled softly in the dream. "What were you doing when I called? We had them!" Dream Goliath had growled. Brooklyn just narrowed his eyes back. He wanted his leader to stop nagging him. "Hey, I thought I saw something, ok? I was only away for a few seconds!" He snapped.

"This theft ring isn't a game, Brooklyn. These madmen kill people. Every day they are on the street someone could die!"

Brooklyn's anger rose like heat inside him. "I don't need the lecture! Stop treating me like a hatchling!" he stormed. Goliath looked disappointed, which felt like a knife in Brooklyn's heart. "I will... when you stop acting like one."

The red male stomped off after that, needing to cool off. But then, in an alleyway, he heard a voice.

"Come home to me, sweet little gargoyle... I can appreciate you more than your leader...."

Brooklyn was startled and frightened, running away from Anthony's voice following him and feeling trapped, suddenly seeing that demon human appear, making him cry out in fear. He tried running again, but felt a chain and cuff on his neck, choking him. Goliath could see him from afar, narrowing his eyes.

"Goliath..." Brooklyn tried but felt a muzzle. He gave muffled whimpers, trying to get free.

Brooklyn yelped in terror, waking up. He felt his face, but thankfully the muzzle was just in his dream, making him sigh in relief, sweating, still seeing himself in Mark's treehouse. Mark had noticed.

"You ok?" he mumbled tiredly.

Brooklyn flattened his ears. He really wasn't but didn't want to talk about it. "Yeah. Just a bad dream, but it is nothing," he said shakily, laying down to sleep again, unaware that Anthony right now was on his trail and would soon be here.

....

In the morning, Brooklyn woke up and at first was confused at where he was but then remembered the boy from the previous night. But he wasn't there at the moment, recalling how Mark mentioned that he was going to give Brooklyn some alone time during his morning chores. But he did see some breakfast there nearby.

Smiling, Brooklyn took the plate of breakfast and began to eat, happy that he could enjoy full meals again and not be forced to starve, hoping to talk to that kid some more soon, but enjoyed his peaceful alone time for once and not in stress and misery.

....

Anthony had tracked Brooklyn while his tracker had still been on but lost the signal near 9:30 when getting near the Henderson ranch, his neighbors. If his Diablo went there then he would search everywhere and question them until he could bring his Diablo home again.

He spotted Mark from afar, who was taking food to the pigs. Smirking a little, Anthony went over. Sure he could've knocked, but Anthony knew this boy's parents probably wouldn't know what he was talking about.

Brooklyn had just finished his food when suddenly he heard a voice from outside, a familiar one. Shaking, Brooklyn peeked out the window to see Anthony there with Mark, face falling in fear. Was Mark gonna sell him out too, like Kenny? But he promised not to turn him in!

Mark saw Anthony there coming towards him, a supposedly friendly smile on his face. The boy remembered what Brooklyn said about Anthony hurting him so he kept up his guard but pretended to be surprised.

"Hello, Boy. Sorry to drop here unannounced, but I'm looking for something I lost; my pet gargoyle, Diablo. Certainly you know about gargoyles?"

Mark swallowed but nodded. "Yes, but only on the news. But you wouldn't find any here. And shouldn't you talk to my parents?" he said bravely. He wouldn't rat out his new friend, especially after helping him heal. Anthony narrowed his eyes, impressed with the child's boldness. Brooklyn was scared, trembling while remaining in the treehouse, hoping Anthony wouldn't see him.

Anthony then nodded. "Of course, but I shouldn't disturb them. Should you see my gargoyle, you will let me know. He is dangerous and violent, one that needs to be disciplined and tamed."

This made Mark frown, watching him leave. Not on your life, Creep, he thought savagely before going about to finish his chores before visiting Brooklyn after.

....

Brooklyn was relieved that he hadn't been sold out, laying there on the cushions to relieve tension until hearing Mark coming up.

Mark smiled at his new gargoyle friend. "Hey, how are you feeling?"

Brooklyn shrugged. "As well as I can be. But thanks for not giving me away." He said shyly.

Mark shrugged. "Don't worry about it. I wouldn't let him take you away and starve you again," he stated.

The red male was feeling happier than he did in the past few weeks, grateful to have a new friend and to build up his strength to be able to travel home, which he hoped he could do.

....

Brooklyn has managed to make another human child friend after Dave and Bobbi. But when will his sister catch on?