Labyrinth

Ch. 1: What Lies Beneath

By Cosmic Inspiration

Disclaimer: The Gargoyles animated series, including The Goliath Chronicles, is the property of the Walt Disney Company and Buena Vista Animation. No copyright infringement is intended here and not authorized by the copyholders, this author only writes for fun and entertainment for this animated series. Characters such as Radar is from the original TGC and characters Dr. Goldblum and Sharon are from the Gargoyles Saga and are the creations of the Gargoyles Saga staff and are used with creative acknowledgement. The actors' voices I hear for my characters have no association with this author nor the original show, and like how Greg Weisman heard voices for his characters in the show, I hear my characters with these actors' voices. All original characters are the property of the author Cosmic Inspiration.

Author's note: This story takes place sometime shortly after the events of We Live Again: 8. Collateral, and concurrently with 9. Remnants, 10. Face Your Fears, and 11. Wisdom and a bit after. The name for the character Radar is from TGC, and I feel there is more potential for the character than had been portrayed in the original TGC episode Runaways, one of the few decent TGC stories that could have been much more. Also, for the character of AJ, hear the voice of Ashton Kutcher.

You've heard of alligators in the sewers, right? Or perhaps giant mutant turtles and a giant rat with martial arts skills? How about upright walking big cats with bat wings that can shoot electricity from their hands?

Well, if not for urban myths and popular cartoons, young Aaron Joel Henderson, or just AJ, would never have believed it possible either.

But at the moment he could care less.

Almost a week ago he had been dropped here underground in a strange place called the Labyrinth, and would never have believed it to be real were he sober instead of dangerously high from drugs. The creatures that lived here were the strangest he had ever seen, even stranger than any psychedelic mirages that would dance in his vision as he got high from crack he would smoke or the heroin he would inject into his arm.

Several of them were talking cat people with wings and had names like Claw or Talon; and they said there had been this one nasty dude called Fang that was no longer with them.

From what AJ had heard, this Fang dude had to have been a lot cooler than the other cat people; it's too bad he's not around anymore, because he and AJ would have had a lot of fun together.

Along with the weird talking cat people were even weirder looking monsters with the minds of kids the cat people had called gargoyles, like those monsters people claimed to have sighted flying around in one part of the city or another.

Why they had names of places from California, he had no idea, which just made them all the weirder.

AJ just avoided them all most of the time, though he did find that tan chick with the white hair and wings to be pretty hot. Maybe she'd like to go out with him some time.

He soon learned he had not been the first, that several others found themselves in this strange place with even stranger creatures that had always claimed to mean them no harm and that everyone was safe here.

He stopped caring about such crap a long time ago, but as the week passed and he was denied his next high more and more he thought about his current situation, which he hated to do. It was always too painful to think, because it always meant he had to remember things he did not want to remember, especially from his past.

His mother had died of an overdose when he was five years old right in front of him, an image that became deeply ingrained into his mind.

Though they had very little in the way of possessions and living in a rundown apartment, he did have faint memories of good times and a committed mother's love.

However, she had become overwhelmed with ever deepening debts and the pressures of trying to support herself and her young child with a dead end job of only being an exotic dancer able to do lap dances at bars or even trying to make the easy tip at high end parties for the rich and famous.

He did not know what had happened at the time, but the last time he saw his mother alive she had taken her daily dose of pills that she always told him was a way to keep her calm and let her sleep. He just accepted it as a daily routine as he was put to bed, yet when he expected to see his mother awake like him the next morning he instead saw her still in bed, pale and unmoving.

Being only five years old at the time he did not understand what had happened to her, thinking she was just taking a long nap. It wasn't until a little later that same day, someone he only knew as one of his mom's 'business friends' dropped by the apartment to find her still in bed and a social worker coming for him and suddenly taking him from the only home he had ever known.

He was never told what had been done to his mother's body, only that it had been taken care of by 'proper authorities.'

Ever since then he had been put into the care of one foster home after another; one or two had been good, but the rest were just hellholes, like the last foster home he had run away from nearly four years ago.

AJ had learned early on that the world was a cruel place and the only person you could count on was yourself and no one else, and the only way to escape and survive this damning world was by petty crimes such as stealing the money he needed for food or his next high and let his mind escape and drift free from the hell that life is.

He knows that he's had to lie and cheat and steal to survive, but he never crossed the line to murder because he just never had the instinct for it.

But he always did have his wits and cunning, and it was all that allowed him to escape the vengeful grudges of the more dangerous criminals he would cross or being arrested by the police.

Out there it was learn to survive by your own wits or be killed, and trust no one.

People may say they care, but they don't. It's all just empty words to get your guard down.

Yet here, in this strange and somehow comfortable place, AJ was actually beginning to believe there may really be people who actually cared for him as he watched the more normal inhabitants of this Labyrinth help each other with even the most mediocre and trivial things.

A small community far beneath the streets he used to walk through coming together to look after each other for the common wellbeing of everyone, all lead by the black cat man, Talon.

Talon claimed he and the other three, Maggie, Sharon, and Claw, to be something called a 'mutate', a freak of nature who was once fully human like AJ until some guy called Servius or something or other played 'Name That Animal' with his DNA and it hop scotched him from normal man to a more than six and a half foot tall bat winged felinoid hybrid creature that shoots electricity. In every way, Talon's form resembled an African panther big cat with a large muzzle and golden cat eyes, high arched feet that made him walk on his toes, and a glossy jet black pelt that would allow him to blend into darkness. His muscle mass and power showed in every way, no doubt enough to rip AJ limp from limp in seconds flat, and his enormous black bat wings actually functioned enough to allow him to soar in the city sky above. AJ thought Talon didn't have much of a fashion sense because all Talon wore was some gay blue and green jump suit with green shoulder guards that looked like something from a cheesy comic book.

Aside from that, this place almost seemed it could pass for normal but blurred the line with its occasional weirdness.

While there was a large community room for everyone to share, families were given their own living spaces, and occasionally individuals had their own spaces or shared rooms with two to three other people; two kitchens always had more than enough food to feed an army of people and was tended by people who used to be respected chefs or had great experience and love for cooking, all headed by a matronly woman named Meredith; school rooms were even set aside for different levels of education, from kindergarten to high school seniors, and occasionally an elderly brownish tan gargoyle would be seen coming in to read to the younger children or teach them and the weird gargoyles to read; and then there was the 'Chapel' room where religious services of various faiths were held, from the majority of Christian faiths to minority faiths such as Wicca.

There was even the eccentric Dr. Daniel Goldblum who was said to be the 'head doctor' around here, but really lived in the city above, yet still provided medical treatment to the people of this Labyrinth community and the weird monsters who inhabited it.

Nothing and no one was put to waste down here, everyone was given a purpose or taught a purpose to have should they ever have a chance to return to the world above and another chance at a normal life.

A place once used for scientific research by a sci-fi sounding company called Cyberbiotics had been abandoned for reasons AJ did not know nor cared about and had become grungy and uninhabitable. Now the place had undergone a major face lift within just a few years, and even allowed the cat people a sense of home comfort in a place they called the 'Sanctuary.'

Yet despite at seeing all of this, AJ felt greatly out of place.

A young man of tall height and a wiry to moderate muscular build, he wore his long dark brown hair of dreadlocks in a tight pony tail, and his youthful chiseled face had the beginnings of a 5 o'clock shadow while he wore the typical clothing of a struggling street hood on skid row with bleach spotted denim jeans with rips in the knees, a stained white undershirt and leather jacket, and knee high leather boots.

He was a drug addict street punk who just wanted to escape life's greater hardships, but drugs such as marijuana and cocaine were banned with a dead seriousness down here. Almost as much as the most dangerous weapons, save for a mild tranquilizer gun to subdue would be violent aggressors in the Labyrinth and have them spend a few nights in the rarely used high tech prison cells.

AJ almost got a taste of the receiving end of that tranquilizer gun on his first night in this place as his latest drug induced high painfully wore off and he lashed out at the next person nearest to him as he began to become scared, angered and irritated.

Luckily, he was calmed by Talon and a cute blond girl named Lisa something, a weird sounding last name and very unpronounceable to AJ, while Doctor Goldblum, or the Doc as AJ has called him, injected a hypodermic needle into his arm with some weird stuff that seemed to suppress his drug addiction and cravings.

Lisa was far too healthy and well groomed to be a member of this 'homeless' community, with her long sun kissed blond hair, ice blue eyes, and girl next door looks with a dimpled smile, slender yet healthy feminine figure, and above average height, denim blue jeans, long sleeved red shirt and winter boots, and she claimed to be a volunteer for a non-profit organization that helped to run this Labyrinth and a member of something called PIT.

AJ didn't really care about all that, and the bigwig jackasses could call their businesses whatever they wanted, but no organization that he was aware of was ever really 'non-profit.'

But in some weird way he couldn't help but still like Lisa for her nearly contagious optimistic enthusiasm and determination to help and befriend everybody around her, even a street punk like him.

As AJ leaned against a nearby wall in the 'Community Room,' he watched as Lisa finished reading a story to a moderate sized group of five year olds who began clapping and yelling 'yaayy' as she read the ever iconic last words '. . . and they lived happily ever after', smiled and put the book down. He had to admit to himself it was an adorable sight, but one day soon those kids are going to have to learn just how cruel and unforgiving the real world is, that there was never any such thing as 'happily ever after,' and the only thing to count on was self reliance.

Also watching nearby was the panther man, Talon, who told the kids it was time for dinner and they were all herded away by one of the 'teachers' to begin their meal.

Lisa eyed AJ with a smile, she and Talon walked up to him in a friendly manner as the small children disappeared into the small crowd.

"So, did you enjoy the story, AJ?" Lisa bubbly asked.

AJ just shrugged as he said, "It was okay, but I'm not into that kid stuff. When those kids go Topside they'll have to grow up real quick 'cause that mush is just fillin' their little heads with useless crap. I learned a long time ago there's no such thing as 'happily ever after.'"

Talon and Lisa looked at each other with wide eyes at AJ's statement, Talon could only shake his head in pity for the boy while Lisa only looked at him with a determined glare as she said,

"Maybe fairy tales seem like crap to you, but they give those children hope and dreams of a better world. Didn't you see the smiles on their faces? To see such smiles on their faces is why I started volunteering for the Xanatos-Reynard Foundation to Aid the Homeless. Considering where they used to be, they already know the world can be a cruel place, but the stories I read them show it doesn't always have to be, that it can also have happiness and friendship."

"And being here in the Labyrinth," Talon said with his husky deep voice, "gives them the chance to be what they really are, a chance to just be kids and have fun, and not have to worry about whether or not they're going to get their next meal or even if they're going to survive to the next day. Here they can be just as normal as most other kids in the city above them."

AJ just seemed to scoff as he said, "I wouldn't exactly say that everything down here is 'normal,' considering some of the residents and the company they keep."

Talon gave AJ a hard look that most other residents of the Labyrinth had learned long ago to try to avoid if they wanted to keep their skins. If it had any effect on AJ, he did not show it but only gave an arrogant young smirk.

"You can say whatever you want about me and the Labyrinth, kid, it's a free country and you're free to express your opinion. But disrespect of any kind towards me or any of the residents has limited tolerance down here. Mind what you say to others, or that mouth of yours will get you into real trouble."

"Yeah, you say that I'm free to say whatever I want, Cat Man, but not whatever I want to do, since being dropped in this dump all you've tried to do is tell me what I can and can't do and I'm sick of it. You say I'm free to be myself down here, but all you've done is tried to put me down." AJ's voice steadily became a little more heated as he spoke his rant to Talon, who just looked at him with strong disdain and frustration.

"If you don't like it here, you're free to leave. No one will stop you," he said with a low voice with an evident hardness of a suppressed yell.

"Maybe I'll do just that," AJ shot back, "But, I doubt you mean it. Once a cop, always a cop. I don't need this shit, I'm outta here."

AJ then just pushed past them and walked with hardness in his step to get lost in the small crowd of the community hall of the Labyrinth, Talon and Lisa watching after him in deep empathy.

"Give him time, he'll come around," Lisa said encouragingly.

"I don't know about that," Talon sighed, "But I certainly hope so. Problem is he's partly right, I've seen too many misguided police officers occasionally try to control some of the people they're supposed to protect, which always lead them to abusing their power of authority, too often because of the great stress experienced with the job. Deep down they mean well, but it just leads to them alienating those around them, including their families. And I admit, I don't like alienating anybody down here because they've been through it enough in their lives, even a difficult kid like that."

"He just needs to be shown that not everyone in the world is cruel and selfish. If anybody can do that, I know you can, Mr. Maza," Lisa said.

Talon could only give a small smile from his panther like muzzle as a feeling of flattery came over him. Maybe Lisa was right, but he had seen cases and kids like AJ too often before. Still he greatly admired her endless optimism.

"Please, Lisa, how many times do I have to ask you to call me Derek, or Talon down here. Mr. Maza is my father, and I know I'm going to be a father myself soon enough but I'm not really that much older than you. I'm twenty-nine and you're what, twenty-two, twenty-three?"

"Nineteen," Lisa said, "Though I've always looked very mature for my age."

The mutate leader and the homeless volunteer gave brief laughs as they walked together through the Community Room, Talon then became a little more stoic as he looked over to where AJ now stood leaning against a far wall to see Malibu, the clone of Brooklyn, trying to talk to AJ, who was just trying to uncomfortably avoid the light lime green colored clone.

"Maybe he's right in another way," he said with a heavy sight, "Maybe I am being too hard on him sometimes with all the restrictions."

"You're only trying to help him, you just want him to be safe like everybody else down here."

"True, but not at the expense of denying him some freedom, and if I can show him that without aggravating him somehow, then maybe I'd have a better chance of reasoning with him and reaching out to him."

Lisa gave a bright smile as she looked in the direction of AJ and Malibu as Talon told her, "In some ways, kid, you remind me of my big sister, she's still a cop and yet she's never lost her optimism for life, and your names are a little similar, too."

Lisa smiled wide at Talon's compliment.

On the other side of the Community Room, AJ had found himself nearly ambushed by the green creature with a huge snout called Malibu come up to him and started talking about new games that are being set up in a separate room from the Community Room that will become the 'Game Room.'

"Nice Mr. Xanatos buy old video games for Labyrinth from old arcade and mini golf place not open anymore. So we get to play with them now, and I help fix them. I like to fix broken things and things that not work well, it fun. Do you like to fix broken things, Mr. AJ?"

"Not really, schnozz boy, but I used to like to play vid games," AJ said with a lack of enthusiasm.

Malibu touched at his face as he said with a tone of indignity, "It beak, not schnozz."

"Whatever, green bean," AJ said dismissively, and then a wily smile formed on his handsome youthful face as neural endings in his brain lit up like neon lights.

"Say, green bean?" AJ said, "How would you like to help me with bringing a little more sophistication to the new Game Room? We can split 50-50, or maybe 70-30."

"My name Malibu," he said with an insulted tone, then with more decency, "Yes, I help, because being gargoyle and living in Labyrinth mean I and my brothers help people."

"Great," AJ said as he threw an arm around Malibu's shoulders, "Good to know you're on board, partner. But, before we get started, tell me about the tan white haired chick like you, is she available?"

"Her name Delilah, and yes, she available," Malibu said with a hint of what AJ thought sounded like jealousy, or maybe just an over protective thing.

Whatever, for now he felt excited at the prospect of bringing a little more fun into these people's lives, that they and he had been lacking. And getting to have some fun was not even the best part.

Having watched from across the room, Talon could not help but smile as he saw AJ walk off with Malibu as he said to Lisa, "Good to see he might finally be making some friends, especially with the gargoyles. But I still worry about his influence on them, they are still kids on a mental level and I don't want them to be taken advantage of because of their naïveté."

"Maybe he'll be a good influence on them, and vice versa," Lisa said with a hopeful smile.

"Maybe," Talon said skeptically, "But sometimes he reminds me a little too much of someone I used to work for, before my transformation. It's as if as long as he can trick others into getting what he wants he doesn't care how it will effect others, and screw all of the consequences."

"Yeah, he can be very misguided sometimes, so we need to make sure he doesn't cause any trouble."

"I'll have Al do just that."

Calling to one of the oldest residents of the Labyrinth, a grey bearded man simply called Al and wearing an outdated yet fashionable leather jacket he had traded for his old torn up one, Talon instructed him to keep a close watch on the new kid with Malibu and to tell his leader of any attempt at troublemaking.

"You got it, Boss Cat," Al complied determinedly, and then set off in the direction the young man and the green gargoyle disappeared to.