*All dragons copyrighted to Poseidon Simons

Chapter 16

The Mask Comes Off

Hana and Gareth stayed at the Deep Rockers apartment while they performed their concert. Hana looked up from the figure they were chipping free, "I can't believe Peter was able to kidnapp the Protector! He had to have some stuff to get this one to stop."

Gareth stopped chisling to wipe some sweat off his face, "Actually, this is pretty cheap to make."

"Hmm? What do you mean?" Hana asked as a large chunk fell from the Protector's tail.

"It's called tar. In the human world, we used it to make road all over the world. I thought you guys used the same stuff. It looks the same." Gareth began chisling again.

"Gt t fff" The Protector was slowly gaining speech again, but Hana still couldn't understand him. She had a pretty good guess to what he'd said though.

"Don't worry. You'll be good as new in no time." Hana did her best to smile, "I wish it wasn't so hard to get this stuff off!"

"Hana's right, you know. This is easy compared to what most men have to do in the human world." Gareth was doing a good job keeping the conversation going, "In the human world, whenever a machine broke down, we'd have to fix it ourselves."

"That doesn't sound much different, Gareth." Hana said as she glanced at him.

"I know, but I'm serious. It didn't matter what size the machine was, or how complicated. If one thing went wrong, we'd have to take the whole thing apart, replace the bad piece or fix it, then put the whole thing back together. Here, you guys don't have anything very complicated beyond the everyday machinery. I'm talking about stuff like what we put into space. Up there, there isn't any gravity. Nothing to hold you down. It gets dangerous." Gareth broke off a chunk that had been on the Protector's neck as he spoke, "You have it easy compared to humans."

The Protector moved his neck gratefully. As he did, smaller chunks that they hadn't been able to safely get fell off. Hana started working on his mouth. Without the support of stuff from the neck, the tar around his mouth fell off instantly. The Protector opened and closed his mouth a few times to make sure everything fell off, "Oh, but it feels good to talk again. Hana, could you do me a favor?"

"What?" She waited patiently for him to ask his question.

"There's a button on the back of my neck that acts as a signaling device for my 'repairmen'. Could you press it?"

"Sure..." Hana scooted closer to Gareth and searched for the button, "Umm...It won't move. There's still some tar here..."

"I can fix that." There was a soft click, "There. Pull my helmet off and see if that doesn't help."

Hana shook, "Pull his helmet off? He wants me to pull his helmet off?!" She slowly reached for the helmet. It was a dream for every girl to see who was hiding under that mask, and she was going to live it!!!! As he had said, the tar covering the button on his neck broke away with the removal of the helmet.

"Okay, can you press it now?" He asked.

Hana's fingers slipped once while she tried to press the button, but she pressed it, "Um...May I?.." Hana didn't quite know how to ask what she wanted.

"Why? You already know who I am." The Protector laughed.

Gareth gasped when he saw the Protector's face, "You! No wonder you were always at that lab!!!!" He laughed, "Y'know, it makes perfect sense now that I think about it! Hana, come meet Babe Cleave!"

"Who?" Hana asked.

"My name is Babe Cleave. Gareth recognizes me because I was one of the first three anthros he met. You do already know me Hana. You probably just don't remember." Babe smiled at her.

"He's handsome!" Hana shook her head to stop those thoughts. She had Gareth now, "You don't look familiar."

"You were asleep most of the time I was there." Babe explained, "We met a few times while you were in the hospital. I was the one who explained to you what we would do to your arm, but I'm pretty sure that you were too tired to understand what I said."

"You're right. I don't remember. It certainly is a pleasure to finally meet you, Babe." Hana held out a hand to shake, then blushed when she realized he still couldn't move! She coughed, then went back to work, "Now--tell me again why they still want to do their concert?"

Gareth sighed, "They won't admit it, but they need the money they'll get from this. Also, they do this for the citizens here. Think about it. If what we went through doesn't tell you they have plenty of crime here, I don't know what will. They do these concerts here mostly to bring a little happiness back to the people."

"But they charge so much for their tickets!" Hana felt herself getting a bit upset.

Gareth kept chisling, "The ticket prices here are so low practically anyone can buy one. I mean, seriously, five dollars?! You think that's expensive?!" Another chunk fell from Babe's tail.

"Hana, since your right there, could you please start on my back?" Babe asked.

"Oh! Sure." Hana picked up her chisle and hammer to start pounding again, "Why do you want your back done so soon? Wouldn't you rather have your arms and legs free?"

Babe looked at her questioningly, "My wings are back there. If I tried to fly with just my boots, I'd barely hover! Not to mention the fact that it'd be ten times harder to turn when I'd need to, and I'd move a lot slower. My arms and legs can wait."

"Hey Babe, should I call Sarrah?" Gareth asked as he picked up Kia's cell phone.

"YES!!!!" Babe shouted so loud Hana thought that everyone in the crowd outside must've heard him.

In the morning they arrived at Bay City. Bill hadn't taken his eyes off the moniter all night, "Sarrah," He said between yawns, "I think his tracking signal was pressed just now. Look, most of his systems are back online. Whatever happened back there is over now."

Sarrah grunted, "He still hasn't called me. I won't rest easy until--" Right then, her phone rang. She picked it up, "Hello?"

"Hello, is this Sarrah Jovi?" asked a voice.

"Yes. Who is this?" She thought she recognized the voice, but...

"Sarrah, I have someone you might want to talk to." There was a moments silence as the phone was switched.

"SARRAH!!!"

"BABE?!!! Babe, what happened?!!" Sarrah instantly forgot about everything else.

"I'm fine now! Sarrah, I missed you so much!" Babe sounded like he was ready to cry. There was a loud crumbling sound on Babe's end, then Babe's voice talking to whoever was there with him, "Thanks guys. Now leave me alone so I can talk to Sarrah."

The first voice she had heard answered him, "Okay, but try to remember that you're using Kia's phone. She probably doesn't want anything to happen to it."

"Babe?" Sarrah asked.

"Yes, Sarrah?"

"What happened to you? Why didn't you answer my calls?" She waited for his answer.

Babe hesitated over the phone then said, "Would you believe I couldn't even move?"

Sarrah shrugged, "So tell me what happened."

"Sarrah, we need to get off the train." Bill tapped her shoulder.

"Hold that thought, Babe. We're coming to you."

Babe sounded desperate, "Do you have to hang up?"

"Tell us where you are so we can get there faster."

"At the Deep Rockers concert, waiting while Gareth and Hana unstick me."

"Unstick you? What happ--" There was a low beep on her phone. Babe had hung up.

"Hey! I wasn't finished!" Babe shouted, angry.

"Yeah, but you were using my phone. I don't have that many minutes left on it, Babe. You can talk to her later." Babe looked up, into Kia's face.

Gareth stood behind her, looking a little bit emberrassed, like he'd been caught doing something against the rules. He walked over to Babe, "Sorry...I didn't think they'd finish so fast. Is she coming?"

"Yeah." Babe smiled, "She's already in Bay City. I'll see her soon."

"So we have to wait for her now?" Player asked, "When do we get to leave?!" Almost instantly, Player dropped down on all fours and started whimpering. A little girl giggled and patted him on the head to make him yip happily. Almost everyone laughed when Player chomped down on a tail he saw in front of him. The only one who didn't think it was funny was Alan, who held his tail protectively after they put a new bandage on it.

Peter rubbed his head when he woke up, "I was so close, so close! How did they escape?!! What possible detail could I have overlooked?!!!" He slowly walked out of the room, anger at himself mounting over having forgotten a detail that had helped his enemies escape, "There has to be an explenation somewhere! Let's see...I had made sure Gareth couldn't escape by charging everything with electricity, the Deep Rockers couldn't have moved without hurting themselves, even the Protector was helpless! How then did that damned band free themselves and help everyone else? Could the child have--no. No, it wasn't the child. She was too scared to do anything. Damn it what did they do??!!!!"

"Where is he?!" Sarrah shouted when she found them, "I want to see him right now!"

Gareth flinched and opened the door for her, "Well, at least we were able to get all the tar off of him before she got here..." There was a bit of confusion as Sarrah pushed everyone out, but they all understood once she slammed the door closed. Gareth stifled a chuckle, "Remind me to never get on her bad side, please."

There was laughter all around at his remark, then the long wait for Sarrah to be finished enough so they could all leave. Gareth put his ear to the door to hear what they were saying.

"--could have answered my calls." Sarrah accused him.

Babe's voice was apologetic, almost pleading, "I tried to Sarrah, I really did. My systems started shutting down though, and I wouldn't have been able to say anything anyway. I have to be able to speak in order to talk to you!"

"So why didn't you?" Gareth could almost imagine seeing Sarrah cross her arms.

"My mouth was glued shut! C'mon, Sarrah, you know you mean more to me than anything else! I've told that countless times! I would have answered if I could have!! Please, don't turn away like that. Please Sarrah..." Babe's voice died down to an inaudible whisper.

Gareth backed away from the door just in time. Sarrah came storming out, looking very much like she had just eaten something rotten. Gareth peeked into the room before entering.

Babe was sitting on the ground and crying. Though he couldn't hear him, Gareth could tell he was still asking Sarrah to forgive him. His mouth moved without uttering a sound. Gareth gently put a hand on Babe's back, "Are you gonna be alright, Babe?" No answer, "Babe?"

"Did Sarrah leave?" Babe asked in a whisper.

"Yes she did. And I for one think it would be a good idea to follow her." Gareth slowly helped Babe get to his feet, "Do you need any help?"

"No, I should do it on my own..." Babe looked around a bit, "Do any of you have some spare clothes I could borrow?"

*All dragons copyrighted to Poseidon Simons

Chapter 17

A New Development

"Listen. I'm taking four others with me while the rest of you are going to stay here. I've selected the four I think are the best already, so we will be leaving once this conversation is over." Peter eyed every anthro in the room, "While we are gone, the rest of you are to either lay low, or let yourselves steal as much as you safely can without being caught. I know the entire police force here is part of our group, but we are going to start something new." They waited for him to explain what it was, "I want the 'police' to start actually trying to catch you. If they succeed, then you, the criminal, will be brought back here until I return. I've already instructed some others on what to do with you until then." Someone chuckled in the room, "This is no laughing matter! They will torture you if you are caught! I did not leave any specifications on how they were to torture you. For all I know they might just kill you on the spot! If you want to commit a crime, do so with the utmost safety, as if the Protector were out there waiting for you. Make the crime a challenge as well. Those of you who decide to lay low must remain here and start some traaining I have planned for you as well. When I return, I expect to see at least one of you in far better shape--without the use of drugs!"

Peter turned and left the room, signaling for his four chosen to follow him. When they were alone he spoke, "Now listen. You four were chosen for this little expedition because you have become great criminals in other cities. I need the stealthiest of you all, as well as the strongest, for what I have planned."

"What will we do?" asked the razor that had been guarding Gareth's room.

"We are going to follow our escapees and recapture them. I want the Deep Rockers alive. I don't want the other two to be alive when we are done." Player walked back and forth as he spoke, "Destroy the two guards. It will be the only way we can succeed. They are leaving for Hop City tomorrow morning. That gives us tonight to get onto their train ride. Do not be seen. That above all is imperative to remember."

A purple dragon spoke up, "What happens if we are seen?"

Peter scowled, "If we are seen by the gaurds and they discover who we are, not only will we be unable to escape, but the rest of our hideout will be in trouble as well. If you can't help being seen, make sure you aren't seen by Gareth. He is the most trouble we will have. You remember what I told you about him?"

A small girl dragon that was yellow all over spoke then, "He can change his shape. Why not just hit him with a tranquilizer while he's asleep? Wouldn't that make it easy for us to capture the band?"

Peter smiled, "I thought about that. I can't let him live, girl. He and his friends found a way out of my last trap. I won't let him do that again." Peter found himself staring at her legs. He blinked and shook his head, "Okay. That was odd..." He felt a bit of heat rise to his cheeks as he continued to look at her. Now more emberrassed than lustful, he was able to turn his attention away from her shapely figure, "All four of you must keep an eye out for Gareth, and shoot him when there is no one else around. Kill him at your first chance."

"And what are you going to be doing?" asked a white gryphon, "How will we communicate if we must always stay out of sight?"

Peter scowled down at the gryphon, "I will be busy with some problems of my own. As for how we will communicate, that's simple. Do you all still have your cell phones?"

For an answer they each held up their phone.

"And do you remember how to use the walkie-talkie frequency?"

They switched to the frequency.

"Good. Then now you know everything you need. Are there any more question?" No one spoke, "Then start heading for the station. We must all take a different route. I will see you there."

She watched Peter leave, then, when he had turned the corner, started following him. No one questioned her as she left. Peter was already turning the next corner by the time she reached the first. She followed him outside and winced as the sunlight hit her scales. She tried to huddle into her jacket more to hide her unique scale color, "I hope they don't notice me out here!" Peter rounded another corner, forcing her to move. When she reached that corner, there was no one in sight, "I can't have lost him now!!!! Where did he go?!!" She ran down the path, glancing into alleyways as she passed them. Peter wasn't in a single one. Disappointed, she turned around to head for the train, only to freeze in Peter's gaze.

"You've been following me, girl. Why?" The way he stood made him look like he could easily subdue her without the use of a gun.

Hesitant, she answered with the lie she had thought up, "I--I'm not very sure where to go, Master. I haven't been in this city long enough to memorize it."

Peter snorted, "Good lie. I might have believed you, if I hadn't been the one who had shown you where everything was!!!!"

"What are you talking about? The man who showed me 'everything' was a razor..." She made herself act as scared as she could. Most of it wasn't an act.

Peter slowly advanced while he spoke, "I put on make-up, girl. I was the one who showed you, and everybody else, where everything was. Wings aren't hard to attach, you know. Take yours, for example." Peter lunged and tore her false wings from her back, along with her jacket, "You really should be more careful when you are trying to add something. Now, tell me why you're following me!"

She gulped, "I--I--Alright, you win. One of the old crime bosses still doesn't trust you. I was supposed to keep an eye on you for him!"

"I see...Why doesn't he trust me?"

"I don't know, damn you! I just follow the orders I'm given!"

"That is why I picked you, girl." Peter licked his lips, "I had a word with your boss. I wanted to see what his 'favorite' spy could do. We had an agreement. If I caught you, then you'd become mine. If you were able to follow me all the way to the train, I'd give leadership to him. I've caught you."

She shook. She knew what he meant.

"What is your name, girl?" Peter asked as he reached for her shirt.

She backed away, "It's Amantha..."

"Well then, Amy, it's time you gave me what you owe me." Peter jumped over her head, tore her shirt off, and wrestled her to the ground.

Once Babe left, Gareth found some free time on his hands, "Maybe I should find out what I can do..." he thought of the snake he had tried earlier, and smiled when he became that, "I can become a snake, what else can I turn into?" His curiosity grew when he found he could become any reptile he wanted, "Only things left in this category are fish and amphibians. I'm sure I can't be a fish, but I wonder..." He jerked in surprise when he transformed into a salamander, "Wow...That is so unfair!!!! Why can't I become a griffin?!!!!" He transformed back into a human and paced the room. It was empty now, with the rest of the group getting some rest before the train ride. Anger mounted with every passing moment, "I can become any dragon, reptile, or amphibian I want, but I can't change into a griffin! WHY CAN"T I CHANGE?!!!!" He stopped as he felt a change take place. He watched in wonder as his skin slowly started to grow feathers. Just like that, the feathers vanished, "Damn!!! WHY WON'T IT WORK?!!!!!!!"

The entire day passed with him trying again and again to change into a griffin, but it only seemed to get close whenever he got angry. And each time the feathers started growing, he became absorbed in watching them, only to see them vanish again. Night came, and with it, the train ride.

Hana had been watching Gareth from another room the entire time. She felt confused, "Why does he want to become a griffin so badly? What is the point?" When they were told that it was time to leave, she came out of her room, "Gareth, can we talk?"

"Of course, Hana. What is it?"

She leaned against him as they walked out of the apartment together, "You seem so upset...I'm worried about you."

"You don't need to be, Hana. I'm just a bit peeved over the fact that, no matter how hard I try, I can't change into anything that doesn't have something to do with dragons!"

"Why is that so important? What's wrong with being a dragon?"

Gareth sighed, "Nothing, Hana. I just don't think it was fair that I can turn into a dragon, but never a griffin. And now that I found out I can get so close to becoming one, it seems even more unfair! What is it that stops me from becoming one?"

Hana stifled a gasp as Gareth started changing. He had closed his eyes, which was keeping him from watching what was happening, "He couldn't focus before..." Hana shook Gareth out of his reverie when the transformation had been completed, "Gareth, look at yourself."

Gareth raised a hand to his forehead, "What are you talking about, Hana? I--" Gareth stopped in mid-sentence. He stood there, shocked beyond words.

Hana held a feather covered arm, "You did it."

"I did it..." Gareth couldn't stop staring, "I did it..." A huge smile broke out on his face, "I DID IT!!!!!!" He grabbed Hana and spun around with her locked in his arms, "I DID IT I DID IT!!!!!"

"Gareth, Hana, time to--GARETH?!!!" Ace had poked his head into the room, "Gareth, what happened?!!!"

Gareth set Hana down and shrugged, "I don't know, but I like it!!!!"

Amy gathered what she could of her clothes and got dressed. Peter had left her and headed for the train station, "Why didn't he seem shocked when he saw my color?" she thought as she glanced at her exposed scales. They shined golden in the dimming sunlight, reflecting their true color to the world. She shook as she made her way to the train station, "Did he even notice? Will he expose my secret before I want him to?" Amy pulled out her cell phone and switched it so she could call someone. It rang a few times, then she was answered.

"Amy?"

"Yes."

"Does he suspect you?"

"Not yet, sir. He knows my coloring now, but he does not know who I work for. I fed him the story and he took it gratefully. He has no idea who I really am."

"Good. Remember, the human must not die. We need him in order to copy his power."

"Affirmative. I will make sure he isn't killed."

"Then you're ready?"

"I've tested myself already sir. Peter lusted for me enough to take me in an alley. I doubt Gareth will be able to resist me."

"Just make sure his fiance doesn't get in the way. You absolutely must bring him to us."

"I will, sir. They are traveling to Hop City in an hour. We will be there within two days."

"Make sure the human comes with you. We need him here."

"I've already thought of a way to bring him, sir." Amy hung up her phone and walked to the train station, "He'll come. One way or the other, but he will come."