Chapter 1: The Break In

"It's not that I'm not grateful to get the opportunity to meet my mother but in Avalon we were taught that things like mother and father didn't matter." Angela pointed out to Tom as the boat made its way towards the Hudson Bay docks.

"I understand how you feel, but times have changed drastically since I was brought to Avalon by my mother." Tom pointed out. "Your father and his clan are the only clan in the world you'll be going to and I suppose that makes your father more…well…like a father, than a leader." As they the gargoyles got off of the boat Tom shook Goliath's hand firmly and clapped him on the back.

"Gabriel and Ophelia told me to tell you that you are welcome to visit us anytime." Tom said with a wide grin, reminding Goliath of the small boy who used to stare at his clan mates in awe.

"I will keep that in mind, come with me Angela. Elisa is waiting for us." Goliath said as he pointed to where Elisa was standing on the dock with her arms crossed trying to keep warm. It was nearly Christmas and they could all feel the freezing snow as it fell onto them. Elisa wanted to give the gargoyles their time together so she kept to herself through much of the journey back to New York.

"Thank you for insisting that I come, Tom." Angela said with a smile as she hugged the knight close to her.

"You're quite welcome." Tom said with a grin as he held her for a moment before releasing her so she could join Goliath and Elisa.

"This village is so colorful." Angela said in awe as they got into Elisa's car that Matt Bluestone brought to pick them up after Elisa called him when the boat first appeared back in the Hudson.

"Yes, the city is always well lit but the humans are also celebrating their winter solstice and the lights will be extraordinary, as Lexington would say." Goliath said smiling at the memory of the clan's first encounter with Christmas lights. They had thought the blinking lights were small explosives until Elisa stopped them from destroying a tree to get at the imagined bombs. As the car pulled away a black ooze-like substance edged its way away from the boat and along the dock towards the city as Tom left and began to head back to Avalon.

Elisa dropped the two gargoyles off at the Xanatos tower. Goliath and Angela got out and Goliath looked back into the car through the open window.

"Are you going to join us?" Goliath asked curiously. Elisa shook her head.

"Not tonight, you should have enough to do. After you introduce her to the rest of the clan, you should really tell her the truth about her mother." Elisa pointed out as she started the car and drove away leaving Goliath to think over what she had said.

"How will I explain Demona to Angela?" Goliath thought bitterly as he walked inside the tower with Angela and Bronx following close behind him.

"This is the security panel?" Black Cat laughed as she extended the claws on her right hand and used them to pry the casing off of the security panel. She used her claws to cut through the red and yellow wires simultaneously and watched with a satisfied smirk at the panel as she could hear the system powering down. "Time to see what that witch is getting Peter into." Black Cat thought as she opened the door and stepped inside the building.

"Who the hell is that?" Demona asked as she completed her change from her alter-ego Dominique. On the security monitors she noticed that Black Cat was walking towards her laboratory. Demona began to reach for the silent alarm but then she noticed that Black Cat pulled a painting off the wall and Demona recognized the frame and knew it had to be the painting that everyone believed was bought at an antique store, but in truth Demona and the rest of the Wyvern clan had posed for it. Whenever she felt depressed Demona always found it helpful to look at it and remember a time when her life was simpler. Demona couldn't stand to look at it for long which caused her to hang it in the hallway.

"No, the cops won't be able to stop her and save my painting. I'll take care of this bitch myself." Demona thought as she left her office and made her way towards the lab. As Demona turned down the left corridor, Black Cat exited the lab holding the small painting and a glass flask that contained a bright pink liquid. "That doesn't belong to you!" Demona snarled.

"Nice costume, but those wings are a bit much, don't you think?" Black Cat smirked as Demona's eyes glowed a bright red as she approached and she began to growl. "What exactly are you supposed to be, a vampire bat?" She asked as she sat the flask and the painting down and extended the claws on both of her hands.

"You have no idea who you're stealing from." Demona said calmly as she stepped closer to Black Cat. "Give me back the formula and my painting now, before you get hurt."

"This should be fun." Black Cat said as she crouched into an attack stance. Demona leapt forward and Black Cat nimbly dodged the attack and twisted around as she used her claws to tear Demona's wing. Demona howled in pain and used her talons on her feet to tear into the back of Black Cat's left shoulder as she passed by her and hit the ground as she fell to the ground. Before Demona could get back up Black Cat was in the air above her and Demona flipped onto her back and used her foot to kick Black Cat backwards from her. "That's enough." Black Cat thought as she pulled a small orb out of her belt as Demona quickly got to her feet and charged towards her. "Is she smiling?" Black Cat thought curiously as she threw the orb.

"What magic is this?" Demona growled as the orb exploded into a cloud of thick smoke. By the time the smoke cleared enough for her to see, Black Cat, the flask, and the painting were gone, a ceramic cat was sitting where the flask had been. "She better hope that she really has nine lives." Demona growled as she left the building. "Knowing my luck, Goliath's going to want to come over and bother me again." She thought as she climbed the building and leapt off of it before she glided away from the building.

...

"I'm sorry that I had to keep rescheduling on you like that, Aunt May." Peter said as he used his fork to get some of the noodles off of his plate. Aunt May nodded and grinned.

"I know that you've been busy lately Peter, but I hope you don't let that boss of yours run you into the ground." May advised as she took a bite of her chicken.

"I finally have a great job, but you may be right." Peter sighed as he set his fork down. "I can't keep my grades up and keep up with Ms. Destine's demands."

"I do like her better than that Jameson man, but she has you on such a tight schedule that I haven't been able to see you much anymore." May pointed out. "I hope that you don't let her work you to hard."

"I think she may be in love with me, but I'm happy with Felicia." Peter replied. "Ms. Destine invited me to her apartment tomorrow night."

"Aren't you still getting along with Mary Jane?" May asked curiously as a waiter came down to collect their plates. "Thank you, Ms." May said and Peter began to blush as shook his head.

"You were right Aunt May. I don't visit enough." Peter sighed. "MJ left me a few weeks ago and I have been spending more time with Felicia." Aunt May sighed bitterly and sat back in her seat as she stared at him in shock.

"I thought that that woman had been arrested for stealing from the art gallery." May replied after she took a moment to let the news sink in.

"She's trying to live a better life." Peter said. "She's trying to do right and I am helping her to make it as productive of a life as I can."

"I must admit that I'm surprised Peter. I just spoke with Mary Jane the other day and she told me that she thought you were thinking about proposing to her." May advised.

"I had been thinking about it, but I then realized how much I liked spending time with Felicia." Peter replied after a moment. Mary Jane walked into the restaurant and walked up to their table.

"Sorry I'm late, May." Mary Jane said as she sat next to Peter after giving him an uncomfortable glance. "What did you need my help with?"

"Actually, I thought I could help the two of you." May said as she stood up. "You two need to talk to each other. I have a hair appointment to get to." May said as she got up and left the restaurant while ignoring the looks of protest that she was getting from Peter and Mary Jane.

"So…" Peter began nervously.

"What will we talk about?" Mary Jane finished for him.

..

After Angela was introduced to the Manhattan clan she decided that she would try to get along with the young male gargoyles even though they were beginning to get on her nerves with all of the constant attention that she was receiving from the young male gargoyles, especially the looks she was getting from the large one.

"For the last time, my name is not Angie." Angela snapped irritably as she dove down to pick up speed and get away from Brooklyn, Lexington, and Broadway who hadn't given her a moment to herself since her father had introduced her to the clan. "I know I'm the only female here, but you would think they would have more self-control then this." Angela thought irritably.

"I'm sorry, Angi… I mean Angela." Broadway said as he struggled to keep up with her. "We were just trying to be welcoming."

"Well, you're doing a terrible job." Angela said bitterly. "I'm not here for your amusement. I am here to meet my mother and get to know my father better." Angela sighed and slowed down a little bit. "I'm willing to be a friend to you guys but all of the extra attention is rather annoying."

"We understand, Angela." Brooklyn replied. "We'll try and be more of a friend to you."

"What is that?" Lexington asked as he pointed down near the street beneath them. It was then that the group noticed a man on top of a board that seemed to elevate off of the ground. The man was wearing some kind of green armor that shined bright from the lights that shone down on him as he passed underneath them. The gargoyles watched has the man drew three orange orbs from his belt and hurled them towards the building nearest to him. The glass wall from the front of the building smashed as the orbs struck it and exploded.

"I don't know what that is, but we need to stop it." Angela said as she started to dive to attack. Brooklyn, Lexington, and Broadway followed closed behind and when they got close to the man Angela drove her foot into the middle of his back knocking him off of his board. The board state in the air but the man grunted as he hit the ground as the gargoyles landed in front of the store.

"I don't know what you are but you are but this is none of your concern." The man said as he got up off of the ground. The gargoyles were shocked to see his face. The man was wearing what looked like a goblin mask that matched the color of his armor.

"We're making it our concern creature." Angela said as the gargoyles got into attack position and the Green Goblin pulled out two more pumpkin bombs.

"Let's do this then." The Green Goblin said with a smirk on his face behind the mask.