Willow and Elisa struggled up the steps of the NYPD precinct building, a rather cumbersome TV in their arms. They were in a bit of a bind, trying to find a way to open the doors into the building. Luckily for both of them, a young man with red hair a light green eyes walked up and got the door for them.

"Here you go." He said, holding the door for them. "It looked like you two could use some help."

Both Elisa and Willow flashed him smiles of gratitude.

"Thanks." Elisa told him.

"Planning a slumber party or something?" he asked in a joking tone.

"I recently moved out of my old home." Willow explained. "My current address I'd rather keep secret from the one I'm moving away from, so Elisa's letting me keep my stuff here for now until she can give me a ride to my new home."

The man examined Willow for a moment, then recognition dawned.

"I know you." He realized. "Willow Xanatos."

Willow grimaced, and the man raised an eyebrow. Elisa quickly diffused the situation.

"She prefers to just be called Willow." She explained. "She's not on the best terms with Xanatos right now."

The man blushed slightly out of embarrassment. Elisa chuckled as he straightened his tie and tried to regain his composure

"My mistake." He apologized. "It's just, she and Mr. Xanatos are in all the tabloids. It's quite the news. Xanatos returns from prison and is greeted by his daughter carrying a suitcase saying she's moving out."

Willow coughed loudly, drawing the attention of the two adults.

"Ummm, can we please stop talking about me and my personal relationship with my foster father and get this heavy thing inside?" She requested.

The man blushed again, then resumed holding the door open for the two girls and their large TV.

Elisa and Willow made their way to the elevator, and took it as high as it could go, then walked towards a large broom closet at the end of the hall. They set down the TV long enough for Willow to open the trap door leading into the clock tower before climbing about halfway up the ladder.

"On the count of three." She said.

Elisa grabbed the underside of the TV and nodded.

"One…" they counted in unison. "Two… Three!"

Elisa heaved, and Willow quickly grabbed the top of the TV. Together, the two girls began pulling it up into the clock tower.

"They better appreciate this." Elisa muttered as they finally pulled the TV onto the floor.

"They will." Willow assured her as she stretched out in relief. "They liked everything else, didn't they?"

Almost the day after leaving the Eyrie Building, Willow and Elisa had paid a visit to the storage center where Xanatos had placed the belongings of Willow's biological parents. The two of them had taken every rug that was in there, all of the books, and a large red recliner once belonging to Willow's dad. They had made multiple trips over the weeks, grabbing cooking supplies, some minor decorations, and even Willow's old bed (with Goliath and Brooklyn's aid of course.) The TV was the final item they needed.

The Clock Tower now looked more like an actual home rather than an old clock. There was a small living room area, where Willow and Elisa put the TV, with the recliner and a soft rug. There was even a kitchen area with a cook top and actual cabinets. Lexington had his own little place where he could tinker with different electronics, and he even had his own computer set up. Willow had transformed a small alcove tucked to the side into her own little room, complete with bed, dresser, side table, and book shelf, complete with a curtain set up as a door.

"This place is really starting to feel like home." Willow said with a smile. "Even Goliath is warming up to it."

"That's good." Elisa replied, a note of relief in her voice. "I was a bit worried that he would continue brooding about the castle."

"Oh, he still broods." Willow corrected. "But he's a bit more open minded."

Elisa shrugged, then her cellphone beeped. She pulled it out and flipped it open.

"Maza." She answered. "Uh-huh. Alright, be right down."

"The Chief wants to see you huh?" Willow asked.

"Were you eavesdropping?" Elisa replied with a smile and a good natured elbow.

"What can I say?" Willow replied with a shrug before tugging on her ears. "I got the ears of a Gargoyle."

The two shared a laugh, then Elisa began climbing down the steps of the ladder.

"I'll be back when I can, got the late shift again." She explained "You try and get some sleep. You were up late today."

Willow nodded, fighting off a yawn.

"Will do." She replied. "See you around."

The trap door closed and Willow flopped down on the recliner, sleep claiming her in almost an instant.

"You're assigning me a partner?" Elisa asked. "But why?"

"To be honest, I should have done it a while back." Chief Chavez replied. "This business with Willow and Dracon only cemented the need for you to be partnered."

"Willow's fine, and besides, I wasn't hurt at all." Elisa argued. "I don't need a partner."

Chavez stood up marching towards the door.

"This isn't up for debate." She declared "You got lucky last time. Next time, the gunman might actually get you rather than a bystander. To prevent that, you're getting a partner. End of discussion."

She opened the door, and the red headed man from earlier walked in.

"This here is Detective Matt Bluestone." Chavez introduced. "He helped me to close the Dracon case."

The man walked over to Elisa and held out his hand.

"You know… when we met the last time, I never got your name." Bluestone remarked.

Reluctantly, Elisa took his hand.

"Maza… Elisa Maza."

Sunset came and the gargoyles awoke from their stone sleep. Hudson went to sit in his usual spot, and found himself smiling when he found Willow asleep there instead.

"The lass was up all day again." He chuckled. "I wonder what she and Elisa brought this time."

He turned to see the TV, and soon, so did the rest of the gargoyles.

"Awesome." Lexington said with a smile. "Just what this place was missing."

"Glad you liked it…" Willow muttered as she slowly awoke. "I thought you would."

Goliath came down from his perch, wrapping his wings around himself.

"Will Elisa be joining us tonight?" he asked.

Willow shook her head.

"Not tonight." Willow answered. "She's got the late shift."

Understandably disappointed, Goliath turned and walked through the door leading out onto the balcony in front of the clock face. Brooklyn went to follow him, but Willow put her hand on his shoulder.

"Let me handle this." she insisted.

Willow walked out onto the balcony as well, spotting Goliath's brooding form perched on the railing. He stare out into the night sky, his gaze directed at the castle off in the distance.

"The views nice up here." Willow remarked lightly, "I could get used to it."

Goliath was in no mood for Willow's attempts at small talk, so she slipped onto the railing next to him, her feet dangling over the edge.

"Look, Goliath, I know you didn't want to leave the castle… but it was for the good of the clan." She reminded him.

"I know." Goliath said in a sad growl. "Our ancestral home is no longer ours. It was stolen by Xanatos, and I was unable to prevent it."

She put her hand on the big guy's shoulder. He looked down at her and she gave him a sad smile.

"Look on the bright side." She suggested. "Your clan is safe, happy, and more than that, you even gained two allies in this new world."

"A new world…" Goliath repeated, his hands closing into tight fists. "One where we do not belong. This is his century, his world. We are not more than outcasts forced into hiding…. With no hope of regaining what is rightfully ours."

Willow sympathized with Goliath.

"I know it hurts, but dwelling on what you've lost won't make the future any better." She told him. "You need to keep going forward, and stop looking back."

Goliath looked up at the castle again, then closed his eyes and sighed.

"You're right…" he admitted.

Willow nodded.

"Come on." She said, turning around, sliding off the railing and back onto the balcony. "Lexington and Broadway should have the new TV hooked up by now."

They walked back inside just as Hudson switched on the TV.

"Looking good lads." Hudson said as he took his seat, Bronx curled up next to him. "A wee bit smaller than the other one, but it works just as well."

The clan gathered around the TV as Hudson flipped through the channels on mute. However, he quickly stopped when he reached the local news station. It was showing the Museum of Modern Art, with Xanatos standing in front of a large crowd.

"Xanatos!" Goliath snarled.

Hudson quickly hit the unmute button, allowing the announcer to talk

"We're here at the Museum of Modern Art, where one of the most priceless jewels, the Eye of Odin, is being donated to the museum from his private collection."

"No way." Willow said in disbelief. "He'd never give up anything from his collection, and especially not for free."

On the screen, Xanatos was shaking hands with the curator of the museum, a strange smile on his face.

"This is quite the noble gesture, Mr. Xanatos. The Eye is priceless, and yet, you just give it away." The curator remarked.

"The Eye is priceless, but it is also symbolic." Xanatos replied. "It represents power, something I solely believe belongs in the hands of the people. People should be free to make their own choices, like my choice to donate the Eye."

"And if you believe he means that, I've got some ocean front property in Arizona to sell ya." Willow muttered angrily.

"This wouldn't have anything to do with the business involving your daughter?" The curator questioned.

"I can assure you, while my daughter and I may not currently be on speaking terms, I know she is currently in the hands of very capable guardians." Xanatos answered. "Though I do hope to one day mend the bond between us, one way, or the other."

Goliath and Willow both snarled angrily at the TV. Goliath then turned and ran off, jumping off the balcony and into the night. Willow simply ran into her alcove, yanking the curtain closed behind her. The group watched them leave cautiously.

"Should we go after them?" Brooklyn asked.

"No lad." Hudson told him. "Give them time. Anger is still fresh in their hearts."

After the museum closed, the night watchman was doing his usual rounds, checking the doors to make sure they were locked and keeping a general eye out for intruders. As he walked past some of the Expressionist Era paintings, he heard the sound of broken glass of in the distance. The alarm began blaring as the watchman made his way towards the sound. As he rounded the corner, he flipped on his flashlight, determined to get a good look. However, what he saw quickly caused him to drop said flashlight.

A huge monster with glowing red eyes, large bat wings, and claws sharp enough to rip through metal, stood in front of the exhibit for the Eye of Odin, the artifact in its hands. It saw the guard, and with a quick punch, knocked the guy backward, off his feet, and into the wall.

The monster then walked passed the unconscious guard, shattering the window to the outside. It jumped down onto the small balcony below the window, just as Elisa and her new partner pulled up to the door. Matt immediately went for his gun, aiming at the creature.

"Police!" He shouted. "Freeze!"

The creature did no such thing. Instead, it took off into the night. Matt leveled his gun and went to fire. Elisa quickly tried to stop him, causing him to his the creature's wings rather than anywhere fatal. Strangely, there was no roar of pain. Instead there was the strange sound of the bullet ricocheting off of metal.

The metal sound brought a sigh of relief to Elisa, realizing that it wasn't one of her friends who had been shot at. Matt put his gun away, turning to his partner.

"Why'd you try to stop me?" he asked.

"Who knows what that thing was?" Elisa quickly supplied. "It mighta blown up when you hit it."

Matt accepted this, much to Elisa's relief.

"Well, let's go see what it was that I was shooting at." Matt declared.

Later in Chief Chavez's office, Matt, Elisa, and the Chief were going over the case.

"This isn't the first time this monster's been seen." The Chief told them. "For the past three weeks, people have been calling in reports of a strange monster flying around the city. The thing been has its own YouTube channel."

Elisa shook her head in confusion. She knew for a fact it wasn't Goliath and the rest of the gang… they wouldn't let themselves be seen. And then there was that metallic sound again.

"It can't be…" she muttered.

"What was that?" Matt asked.

Elisa shook her head.

"I was trying to think of what this thing could be." She answered. "I mean, it's like nothing we've ever seen before."

"Well, you're not the only one who's trying to solve the mystery." Chavez told her. "The news has been broadcasting the security footage from last night, and have been offering a substantial reward for anyone who can provide plausible information about these… Gargoyle-like creatures."

A sinking feeling in her stomach, Elisa looked at the chief.

"Which station?" she asked.

"Pack Media Studios…" Chavez answered. "It was turned into a news office after the Pack was arrested."

"Xanatos…" Elisa growled.

Elisa turned and walked out of the office, Matt on her tail.

"Partner!" he shouted. "Wait up!"

Elisa stopped and turned towards Matt.

"Look, I know we've only been partners for a few hours, but already I can tell you know more than you're telling." He insisted. "Do you know what that creature was?"

"No, I don't." she replied coldly.

"And what was the significance of the news station?" he asked.

"Look Matt." She let out, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I need a minute to think, so please just give me some space. I'll meet you down in the car in 20 minutes."

Matt watched her go, then reluctantly walked downstairs towards the car.

Up in the clock tower, Elisa explained the events of the robbery, and her suspicions of the true culprits, to Goliath and the others.

"Xanatos is trying to impersonate the gargoyles?" Willow asked.

"That's about it." Elisa replied. "When Matt shot at it-"

"Wait, who's Matt?" Brooklyn asked.

"My new partner…" Elisa sighed. "He's a bit on the nosy side, and from what I can tell, a bit of a conspiracy theorist."

"Is he that red headed guy from this afternoon?" Willow asked.

"That's the one." Elisa answered. "He was with me when we went to investigate the break in, and when he shot at the thing, the bullet rebounded off of it… like metal."

Goliath's gaze hardened.

"The Steel Clan…" he muttered.

"Those robots?" Broadway asked. "But I thought we destroyed them all?"

"It's easy to rebuild robots." Willow explained. "Especially if you're richer than the entire world… which Xanatos is."

What I don't get is why he would be doing this?" Lexington commented. "I mean, he wants to destroy us doesn't he? Why is he trying to frame us?"

Willow suddenly perked up.

"Mend the bond…" she remembered. "One way or the other… Jalapeña!"

Everyone suddenly turned to her.

"What is it, lass?" Hudson asked her.

"I know what he's doing…" she muttered, "He practically screamed his plan on the news earlier. He set up the Eye of Odin so he could send the Steel Clan to steal it back. He probably even meant for the robot to be seen. And you said this wasn't the first sighting, right?"

Elisa nodded as realization dawned.

"He's setting you guys up to be the prey of a city wide gargoyle hunt." Elisa declared.

That realization caused all the gargoyles to snarl in anger and hatred.

"But why?!" Brooklyn demanded.

"He craves power and control." Willow explained. "Whether it's over large sums of money, or over people, he longs for it. You guys are the one thing he's been unable to control. Me as well. He wants us all back, but on his terms."

"He means to find a way to drive us out of hiding." Goliath reasoned. "Forcing us out into the open."

"Where the only place we'll be safe…" Lexington added.

"Is acting as Xanatos' private guard dogs…" Hudson finished.

"But why would he go through all that trouble?" Elisa asked. "He had no qualms about trying to destroy you before?"

"The gargoyles have a bargaining chip." Willow replied. "Me. He wants me back as well, but he knows that if he destroys the gargoyles, I'll never return, save to stab him in the back. Aside from the gargoyles, I'm the only other thing he ever lost control over."

"Well, what are we gonna do?" Broadway asked.

"We're going to stop him." Goliath replied. "Hudson, you and Bronx stay here and guard our new home. The rest of you, come with me. You as well Willow."

The gargoyles and Willow and headed for the door. Elisa quickly ran up to cut them off.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"To deal with Xanatos." Goliath replied.

"Oh no, bad idea." Elisa insisted. "You guys can't risk being seen. If somebody catches you, you'll be falling right into the Xanatos' hands."

"Elisa, I have lost too much already." He told her, placing his hands on her shoulders. "I will not lose any more to the likes of Xanatos… He will pay dearly for his crimes against my clan."

He gently pushed past Elisa, slamming the door to the balcony open. He spread his wings and took off into the night, the other gargoyles right in his tail and Willow held in the tight embrace of Brooklyn's arms. Elisa watched them go, then turned on her heels and ran down the steps of the ladder.

"This is not going to end well…" Elisa muttered.

Matt waited for Elisa by the car, and was surprised when she suddenly came barreling out of the precinct, nearly throwing the driver's side door open.

"Partner!" he called. "What's going on?"

Elisa let out an exasperated sigh, then turned to him.

"Look, there's something I need to take care of, alone." Elisa insisted.

"No way." Matt declared. "Not with those strange steel monsters running amok."

"Look…" Elisa tried. "This is one time I don't want a partner."

"Oh yeah?" Matt countered, crossing his arms. "That's usually the time when you need one the most."

Surprised, and slightly touched by his words, Elisa relented.

"Get in." she told him, sliding into the car and gunning the engine.

Xanatos waited for the gargoyles in the courtyard of the castle. Goliath landed right in front of the man while the other three landed on the wall behind him. Brooklyn set Willow down and she quickly made her way down the steps towards Goliath.

"You've gone too far Xanatos!" Goliath snarled. "I refuse to be a pawn in your little game!"

"Whoever said I was playing a game?" Xanatos replied.

Willow stepped forward.

"I know you Xanatos!" she snapped, poking him right in the chest. "I know what you're doing! You set up the gargoyles, making them look like villains! You're setting the entire city of New York on a gargoyle hunt!"

Xanatos shook his head, a small smile on his face.

"Willow, you're failing to see the big picture." He told her, ruffling her hair before she batted his hand aside. "Don't you realize that nowhere in the city is safe for your friends?"

"They're safer out there than here!" she retorted.

"Not for long." Xanatos reminded her. "But perhaps I can help with that. I have a research facility upstate where the gargoyles will be safe and protected. You can return and live here in the castle, and I'd be willing to let you visit them whenever you please."

The gargoyles snarled in anger, too furious to even speak. Luckily, Willow wasn't

"Why would we agree to that?!" Willow demanded.

"It's a simple choice." Xanatos told her. "Stay, and be hunted like animals, or come be my guests in a safe haven."

The punch came out of nowhere, connecting right with Xanatos' jaw. It happened so suddenly that Xanatos fell to the ground in shock. He looked up at Willow, watching as she pulled back from the punch while practically seething in rage. He rubbed his jaw, grimacing slightly.

"You've been working on that punch." he commented.

"Guess all those self-defense lessons you had me take paid off after all." She replied coldly. "And frankly, I've been wanting to do that for months."

Xanatos stood up again, only to be knocked down once more by another punch to the face. As he hit the ground again, he watched as Goliath grabbed Willow, pulling her away from Xanatos and towards the rest of the group.

"We're leaving!" he yelled angrily, handing off Willow to Brooklyn.

Xanatos stood slowly, watching as the gargoyles flew off with Willow. He felt something warm on his chin, and was surprised to see his lip had split from the second punch.

"I assume the meeting did not go well." Owen called as he approached.

Xanatos turned, and Owen blinked in surprise.

"Did Goliath attack you?" he asked.

"Willow did, as I expected she would." Xanatos clarified, wiping his chin. "Though with far more power than I imagined."

"Should I fetch the medical kit?" Owen offered.

"No need." Xanatos assured him. "Just summon the Steel Clan. It's time to do a little hunting."

Elisa and Matt, who had tried to gain entry into the Eyrie building but had been blocked off by the doorman, walked back towards Elisa's car. However, as Elisa looked up, she saw the forms of the gargoyles flying away from the castle.

"Partner?" Matt asked.

Elisa suddenly turned, running towards the car and jumping into the driver's seat. Matt quickly took his seat in the passenger side seconds before Elisa sped off.

"I can tell working with you is gonna be good aerobics." He commented off hand.

Up in the sky, none of the gargoyles, nor Willow, said a word. They were all too angry to even think straight. Suddenly, a laser beam shot out above them, striking Goliath in the wing. He went down hard, landing on a large satellite dish and holding on for dear life.

"Goliath!" Willow shouted as the gargoyles dove after their leader.

They landed on the roof, then looked up to see three Steel Clan robots, with a red one taking the lead. The robots dove after the gargoyles, laser guns armed and ready to fire. The gargoyles all scattered, taking off into the sky and avoiding the shots left and right. Willow ducked to avoid getting hit, just as Brooklyn swooped down and grabbed her.

"What do we do?" Broadway asked as he narrowly avoided getting his tail blasted off.

"We beat them once, we can do it again!" Goliath replied.

Unfortunately, these Steel Clan robots seemed to be better built, as well as better trained. They separated the gargoyles, with the red one focusing solely on Goliath. One of the other robots managed to hit Broadway clear in the back. The large gargoyle went down and rolled across a roof until a large brick wall stopped his momentum.

Lexington wasn't as lucky. He got hit in the back of the neck and went down like a rock. He struck a metal railing hard enough to wrench it loose, and his limp form dangled from it. Brooklyn quickly deposited Willow on that rooftop, where she wasted no time grabbing the small gargoyle and pulling him back onto the roof.

"These lasers…" she muttered as she examined Lexington's wound, "They're set to stun, not to kill. He's trying to catch us."

One of the Steel Clan came up, aiming its gun right at Willow and Lexington. However, Brooklyn quickly swooped in.

"Oh no you don't!" he exclaimed.

He grabbed onto the gun arm, wrenching it free, then tossing it aside. It clattered in front of Willow, who examined it closely. Lexington slowly woke up, turning to Willow.

"What happened?" he asked.

"The Steel clan's weapons are set to stun." She explained, the robot arm in her hand. "There's got to be a way to turn it to kill."

Lexington took the arm from her, prying the casing free. He quickly pulled out a bunch of useless wires, then fiddled with the actual gun, before handing it back to Willow.

"It should work." He told her. "Just try it on."

She slipped the robot arm onto her arm. It scratched her skin a bit and it was a bit too big, but she wasn't about to complain.

"How do I fire this-?"

At the word fire, the gun suddenly went off into the sky. Luckily, no gargoyle was in its path. Willow looked at the metal arm and smiled.

"Finally!" she exclaimed. "I was getting tired of sitting on the sidelines."

The one armed robot suddenly tossed Brooklyn down onto the roof next to Lexington and Willow. Broadway's hulking form soon joined them, and even Goliath. The gargoyles slowly got to their feet, dazed and bit off kilter. Up in the sky, the Steel clan began to dive towards the group. Willow raised her new gun arm, the trigger word right on the tip of her tongue. However, they suddenly stopped a few feet away from the edge of the roof. Confused, Willow lowered her arm.

"What are they doing?" Brooklyn asked.

"It's like they're waiting for something?" Lexington commented.

"No doubt for us to lead them back to our new sanctuary." Goliath reasoned.

"That explains why the lasers are set to stun." Willow commented. "It's like he said… One way or the other…"

"Easy way or the hard way…" Brooklyn compared.

"So how do we stop them?" Broadway asked. "They're a lot stronger than the other ones we fought."

Willow heard sirens going off below, and peeked over the edge of the building to see several people, as well as police cars gathering around the building. She could even see Elisa's car amongst them. But what was worse, there was a news car out in front, with the logo for Pack Media Studios on the side.

"Whatever we do, we can't do it here." She told them, turning away from the edge. "The police are here, and they aren't alone."

"We need to continue this somewhere isolated." Goliath decided. "Let's go."

Brooklyn quickly grabbed Willow and the group quickly took off, headed towards the bay area. The Steel Clan wasted no time taking off after them.

Down below, the police were setting up spotlights in order to get a look at the things flying above. Spectators were shouting in surprise, the word gargoyle on almost everyone's lips. For Elisa, this was like one of her worst nightmares come true.

"I knew this wasn't gonna end well." She muttered.

Matt looked up at the sky, looking through a pair of binoculars borrowed from one of the spectators. He couldn't see much more than black outlines, but their trajectory was clear.

"They're headed south, towards the bay." He announced.

Once again, Elisa made a bee line for her car, Matt close behind her.

The gargoyles flew through the sky, the Steel clan following close behind. Willow aimed her gun arm at them, shouting fire into the wind and trying to shake them off her friend's tails. However, the Steel clan effortlessly dodged her wild shots.

"It's no use." She said after a while. "I can't get a clear shot in the air. I need to be on solid ground."

"Where are we going anyway?" Lexington asked.

Goliath merely pointed towards the Statue of Liberty, which was closed and nearly devoid of people this time of night. The gargoyles landed on her head, and Willow quickly took a position behind one of the many spikes on Lady Liberty's crown. They watched as the Steel Clan closed in on them. Circling around the statue like vultures around fresh road kill.

"You handle the others." Goliath ordered. "I'll handle the leader."

The gargoyles and Willow nodded, then they sprang into action. Brooklyn and Lexington began luring the one armed one upward into the sky. They forced it to follow them, luring it to its doom. Once Willow had it in her sights, she leveled her gun arm and aimed.

"Fire!" she shouted.

The laser gun went off, striking the robot in the head. She shouted the trigger word two more times, each time hitting her mark. With the third shot, she successfully managed to cause the robot to short circuit and explode. He leapt into the air, punching the sky with her new metallic fist.

"One down, two to go!" she cheered.

Broadway was having his own successes as well. He managed to get the other robot to follow him, and was currently leading it on a wild goose chase.

"That's it!" He taunted. "Follow the big gargoyle!"

Thinking fast, Broadway dove for the large metal book in the Statues hand, the robot following close behind. It was focused on Broadway so intently that when Broadway suddenly shot upward, it didn't have time to react. It hit the metal book hard, exploding on impact with a fiery bang.

"Awesome!" Willow cheered. "Now the red one is all that's left."

Circling above Lady Liberty's torch, Goliath and the red one followed each other close. Occasionally, one would swipe at the other, hoping to bring their opponent down. Goliath then attempted a different tactic. He flew high into the air, then dove down so he was right on top of the Steel Clan robot.

He nearly succeeded in bringing it down, but at the last second, it increased the power of its jet propulsion system, sending the two back into the sky.

"No machine!" Goliath growled. "You'll not get rid of me that easily."

There were two long metal tubes on the front of the robot's armor. Thinking fast. Goliath grabbed one, then the other. While he had hoped to rip them free and possibly destroy the machine, the effect worked just as well. The robot began to descend towards the head of the statue, close to where Willow was perched. Willow dove out of the way as the two of them landed with a roof, standing up once more. The robot went for its laser gun, but Goliath effortlessly ripped it off its arm, crushing it in his grip.

Without its weapon, the robot decided to take a more physical approach, punching Goliath in the face. Goliath took the blow, then traded two of his own. The robot grabbed ahold of Goliath's wrist and made to toss him, but Goliath quickly pulled himself free, his claws raking at the armor. The robot dodged, then went for a blow of its own, until the whine of a laser being powered up stopped it.

"I wouldn't if I were you." Willow told it, her gun arm aimed directly at the robots head.

The robot looked at Willow, then watched as the other gargoyles landed in a circle around him.

"Just fly back to your master." Willow ordered it. "Tell him that we're not going to let him control us. Ever."

The gargoyles and Willow all closed in on the robot, who looked at its fallen comrades, then at his enemies and the murder in their eyes. Luckily, it made the right choice, and shot up into the sky, flying off into the night. Satisfied, Willow lowered her gun arm and smiled.

"Come on…" she insisted. "Let's get out of here."

Brooklyn scooped her up and the gargoyles took off back to the city. Not seconds after they left, Elisa and Matt arrived at the scene in a police helicopter. They spotted the two wrecked robots scattered across the statue and, to Elisa's immense relief, no sign of any real gargoyles.

"They were robots…" Matt said in surprise.

"Yep." Elisa said with a smile. "Just robots."

A little bit before sunrise, Elisa met with Willow and the gargoyles.

"You're in luck guys." She told them. "The public's been reassured that the gargoyles were nothing more than robots. Unfortunately, who built them is still under investigation."

"Xanatos tried to force us from our new home." Goliath said as a smile came onto his face. "He failed. And if we can beat him once… we can do it again."

Elisa smiled, then turned as the rest of the gargoyles approached their perches.

"Just give me a night or two, and I'm sure I can rig something up for you." Lexington told Willow, who was holding the robot arm. "After all, you'll need a way to defend yourself with more than just punches."

"Yeah, that was a nice punch by the way." Broadway commented.

"Nice two punches." Brooklyn clarified.

"Thanks guys." Willow told them. "I'll see you tonight."

They all smiled at Willow, then turned to face the new morning.

Over at the Eyrie building, Owen stood on the battlements of the castle, the large red steel clan robot beside him.

"It appears that your plan to force the gargoyles into submission went awry sir." Owen observed.

The red robot suddenly removed its head, revealing Xanatos inside it.

"On the contrary Owen, I think tonight went rather well." He corrected. "I have the Eye of Odin safely back in my possession, and the city owes me a favor for donating it. I was able to give the new suit a successful test run, and I was able to test a personal theory."

Owen raised a single eyebrow.

"After Willow succeeded in knocking me down not once, but twice, I feared I had lost my edge." Xanatos explained. "But I was able to hold my own against Goliath, one of the greatest fighters in this day and age. I'd say I haven't gotten rusty like I feared."

He smiled that smug smile of his, staring off proudly into the rising sun.