Coldsteel's Target

Chapter 22

For Brooklyn and the others that were up at Xanadu, the first week went by slowly for them but Hudson himself was rather grateful for the quiet after all of those sirens and cars going by in the city.

However, it felt like it was a calm before the storm in which Brooklyn could soon break down at any moment. He right now kept up on holding in his feelings and sometimes avoiding the others whenever he could. But when he wanted to glide, Brook only wanted to glide with Lexington.

On the first half of the third week, Brooklyn himself didn't feel like he was improving in the slightest with Coldsteel haunting his stone dreams every day even if Coldfire was there to comfort him. One night, however, Brooklyn decided it was best if he could probably have some kind of bath to calm his nerves.

Entering the bathroom, Brooklyn turned on the faucet for the tub, allowing it to fill up with nice warm water, feeling the steam come along, which made a smile appear on his beak.

Once the tub was completely full, Brooklyn stepped a foot into the warm water, sighing in happiness after taking off his loincloth, then soon slid down inside, his arms resting on the sides of the tub.

"Now this is... nice..." Brooklyn mumbled softly to himself, letting his body grow loose and limp for once as the warm water loosened up his stressed muscles, feeling himself growing sleepy then after only a few moments in the bath.

After a time in there, Brook yawned and felt his eyes beginning to slip shut. Usually, it was rare when gargoyles fell asleep not in stone unless sick or exhausted before sunrise in which Brooklyn himself was mentally tired around that time, his head nodding off to one side as darkness came along.

...

He found himself awake in a foggy area that looked like Castle Wyvern but, in the dreamland, which Brooklyn realized now he was dreaming. Brooklyn walked about nervously along the ground near the castle until he heard a voice speaking that was horribly familiar.

"Welcome, little slave!" Brooklyn looked upward in fright, seeing someone he had hoped to have gone away from his mind forever.

"You!" Brook gasped, spotting Coldsteel up there on the castle, though he wasn't in his robot body, for he was now flesh and blood despite this being only a dream. Coldsteel smiled maliciously, taking off into the air suddenly, diving down at Brooklyn.

Brooklyn tried to run away but his body felt slow and stuck from the effects of his nightmare until Coldsteel snatched his prey under his arms, who screamed in fear, being hauled up to the castle, then dropped to the top of one of the towers.

The red gargoyle grunted, rubbing his head in pain, turning to the sight of his abuser, flinching when Iago landed, laughing mockingly, stalking closer over.

Coldsteel folded his arms. "How lovely to see you in your dreams, wherever you are, Slave!" He greeted, taking Brooklyn's beak harshly in his hands.

Brooklyn struggled wildly, tears in his eyes. "Stay back! Leave me alone!" He shrieked, shoving Coldsteel's evil hands away, which felt just as awful as his robot ones.

His enemy's eyes glowed white this time around, baring his fangs. "Oh, how I'm looking forward to getting you back, and to put you in your place again, Slave. You won't hide away from me forever!" Iago sent a kick at Brooklyn, who tumbled back against the wall, shaking.

"I'm not your damned slave! You're not here!" Brooklyn shouted back, his voice shaking from his fear, still not feeling strong enough until Iago gripped his chest, hard with his foot. Brook winced, fiery pain shooting in his body.