“Clay? Like a golem?”
“Do you think that’s what it is?”
“Nothing really surprises me anymore,” Murdock chuckled. “We should just follow it and see where it goes. If it is a golem, it’s being controlled by someone.”
The golem lumbered down the street as Murdock and Time Man followed it, keeping their distance so as not to cause it to attack again. They followed it from the bank to the west toward the docks and warehouses. It lumbered toward a huge, abandoned warehouse. Murdock and Time Man ducked into the shadows and watched the large door open up for the golem and then close. They slowly approached the warehouse and looked it. All of the windows were boarded up. It was at least three stories and it looked like it went under the water as well.
“Can you get the door open?” Murdock asked.
“Let’s see if there’s another way in. There’s got to be a door on the side.”
They got to the warehouse and found a door on the south side, locked and bolted with ‘Keep Out’ signs plastered on it. Time Man gave the door a slight push and it came open. They stepped into the large warehouse and saw numerous platforms all the way to the ceiling, a few figures moved along the catwalks along the walls. A giant cement pit went below the water line in the rear of the warehouse.
“What is going on here?” Murdock whispered as he walked into the warehouse. As he got a better view of the figures, he was shocked at what he saw. “These are children,” he exclaimed.
“Trespassers!” someone shouted.
“Grab them,” shouted another.
A bunch of kids started running toward them but they stopped when they saw who it was. “Time Man?” one of them asked.
“What are you kids doing here?” Time Man asked.
“We live and work here,” one stepped forward. “We don’t have homes or parents. Mooch sends us out on jobs so we can make money and get food.”
“Mooch?” Officer Murdock asked. “Is he, like, your leader?”
“Only because he’s really old. He’s 18.”
“You kids just can’t live here. You need more than just shelter and food. You need doctors and better protection,” Murdock said.
“Where are we supposed to get it?”
“We can take you someplace that will help you find families. They will love you and take care of you.”
“Mooch loves us and takes care of us,” a couple kids said.
“We followed something here that stole money from a bank. What’s Mooch going to do with that money? With what he stole, he could buy a couple houses that you could live in. What’s he going to do with it?” Time Man asked.
The kids were silent but one spoke up. “He’ll buy us food. Maybe medicine.”
“Can we talk to Mooch?” Time Man asked.
“He’s down below. We’ll take you down there.”
A group of kids led Time Man and Officer Murdock down underground. Mooch was sitting on a throne made of barrels with the golem standing still next to him. There were several bigger kids standing alongside Mooch.
“Mooch, this is Time Man and police officer Murdock, they wish to speak to you.”
“Fine. What do I owe the honor of this visit?” Mooch asked.
“We followed your monster,” Time Man said. “These kids need homes. They need someone to take care of them.”
“Can everyone please leave the room?” Mooch said and waited for everyone to leave before he continued talking. “They have someone who takes care of them. Me.”
“You don’t take care of them. There are numerous sick ones out there, you get money through thievery and crime, this barren warehouse is barely a shelter, and you don’t actually do anything to care for them,” Murdock said.
“They still get better than they would by themselves on the street or, in some cases, at the children’s home,” Mooch replied.
“I’m going to call this in,” Murdock said. “We’ll just take the kids away. I thought we could do this civilly. Hello, Dispatch? This is Murdock. I’m at the warehouse along Water Street, across from 129th Street. I need every available unit, a supervisor, ambulances. I have a couple hundred orphans here in some kind of youth-oriented criminal gang.”
Mooch sighed and began writing something down on a piece of paper. “I’m sorry that it has come to this. This is a good thing and no one here wants to see it end,” Mooch folded the piece of paper and slid it into the golem’s mouth. “You started this so you have no one to blame but yourself.”
The golem began moving, approaching Time Man and Officer Murdock. Time Man pushed Murdock toward where they came in. “Try to get the kids out of the warehouse. I’m going to stop the golem.”
Time Man threw himself at the golem and was able to knock him back a little bit. The golem took Time Man by the arm and leg and threw him across the and into the stone wall. As the wall collapsed, water began pouring in. Time Man flew at the golem and drove him into the floor and a load-bearing pillar that immediately caused the floor above to creak and shake.
The floor beginning to buckle helped Murdock get the kids out faster as the police cars and ambulances showed up. As the floor collapsed, a couple kids fell in, and the walls began folding inward. The fight continued underground until the whole building fell into the river. The dust from the stone and wood cleared but nothing else moved.
After a little more than thirty minutes, a hand came up out the rubble. Time Man clawed his way out and tried catching his breath while staying on his knees. “Time Man! What happened? Could you see any other kids down there?” Murdock shouted.
“No. Mooch and the kids that fell in, I couldn’t grab because of…” Time Man hesitated when seeing the crowd, not wanting anyone to get scared or find the golem. “I could barely get out of there so I don’t think anyone else will be able to.”
“Time Man, would you like us to check you out?” a paramedic said.
“Yeah, that’d be great. I have a lot of places that hurt,” Time Man groaned as he stood up.
