Manhattan, a place where people flock to try and start a new life. Some people strike gold and find themselves living their dreams. Others find themselves on the streets, struggling to survive. One such person was Maggie Reed, a young woman from Ohio who had come to the city to pursue a career in acting. She had fallen on hard times and found herself without anything to her name.
As she pulled an old blanket around herself to preserve warmth, a shadowy figure approached her.
"Good evening young lady." The figure called in a mature, yet strangely unsettling voice.
Maggie looked up through her ratty blonde hair at the figure in front of her. She slowly stood up, tightening her grip on her blanket.
"I'm sorry…" she whispered, just barely keeping her teeth from chattering. "Am I on your property? I'll move-"
"No need, my dear." The man interjected, holding up a hand. "I'm not here to kick you out. I'm here to offer you a job. A chance to earn some money, and to get off the streets."
Maggie was hesitant to accept, but it had been awhile since she's had a proper meal or slept in a real bed. She was desperate.
"I- I'm not sure I should…" she told him.
"My dear, I can assure you the position is a temporary one." The man began. "Just long enough for you to get back on your feet."
It was more than anyone had ever offered her since she arrived, so she decided to take the chance.
"What will I have to do?" she asked.
The figure merely smiled, wrapping his arm around Maggie and leading her off the streets.
…
Later that week, Elisa stood at the Manhattan private air hanger, getting a hotdog from a nearby vendor.
"You know what the Zen master said to the hotdog vendor?" She asked.
"Make me one with everything." The vendor replied in a bored tone, handing her the hotdog. "Heard it a million times."
Eliza took a bite, then wiped some crumbs off her mouth.
"I'm looking for Derek Maza." She told him.
"His sister, right?" the vendor asked.
"How'd you know?" she questioned.
"He said you'd be dropping by." The vendor replied, pointing upward. "He's up there."
Eliza turned to see a small, sleek plane flying through the sky before coming in for an almost silent landing. The main hatch opened and out came Derek Maza. As he pulled off his pilot's helmet, Eliza took another bite of her hotdog and approached.
"New toy?" she asked after swallowing the bite.
"One of the perks of working for Mr. Xanatos." Derek answered.
Elisa's face hardened at the mention of Xanatos' name. Suddenly not hungry, she tossed the remains of her hotdog in the trash.
"Missed you at dinner Sunday." She commented, a small bite to her tone.
"I was busy." Derek replied, his voice becoming a bit terse.
"Xanatos doesn't believe in his employees visiting their families?" Elisa quipped.
Derek threw his hands up in the air in frustration.
"Again with this?" he exclaimed. "How many times will you make me repeat this? Xanatos isn't the devil incarnate, and even if he was, I'm sure I can handle it!"
"Whoa, calm down." Elisa told him. "It's your life."
"Damn right it is." Derek snarled.
"But I still think you're fooling yourself." Elisa added.
The two siblings stood there in silence for a moment, then Elisa sighed.
"Can you just promise me one thing?" she asked.
"Depends." Derek replied.
"If there's any trouble, call me." She insisted. "I won't hesitate to come."
Derek may have been annoyed with his sister's constant pestering about his job with Xanatos, but he knew deep down she really cared. He gave a small smile.
"Alright, I promise." He agreed.
"Cross your heart?" Elisa said, initiating their childhood promise.
"And hope to die." Derek finished.
The two siblings drew x's over their hearts before hugging each other tightly, smiling the entire time.
…
Nighttime fell, but it was anything but peaceful. At a large Gen-U-Tech facility, one of their experiments was escaping. It was been brought its evening meal, but rather than take it peacefully, it attacked the food pusher, forcing its way through the door and into the hallway. As loud sirens blared throughout the building, orderlies and guards converged on the creature, only to be flattened by a large door tossed by the creature.
It let out a snarl like a lioness as it lunged at the guards, shoving them out of the way as it ran towards the large exit door. It threw it open, running through the night. It didn't care where it went, or where it ended up, so long as it was far away from that facility.
As it ran, the same figure from the alleyway watched it run, fingers tapping on a thin wooden cane.
"Find the specimen." The figure ordered. "Bring it back. Alive."
…
Flying through the sky, Brooklyn, Broadway, and Willow made their way through the city.
"So, what do we want for dinner tonight?" Willow asked, wracking her brain for ideas. "We could go get a pizza."
"Nah, we had that last night." Broadway replied. "How about some of those dumplings we got from that Chinese takeout place?"
"Hmm, not a bad idea." Willow commented. "What do you think Brooklyn?"
Brooklyn didn't answer. Instead he seemed to be looking down at the alleyway they were currently flying over. Curious, Willow looked down as well, and was surprised to see a strange gargoyle-esque figure running through the alley.
"Umm…. Broadway?" Willow called.
"What is it?" he replied.
Willow pointed down, and Broadway peered into the alley as well. He squinted into the darkness, confusion written all over his face.
"Is that… Demona?" he asked.
"I can't tell." Willow responded.
"Let's go check it out." Brooklyn snarled.
The group dove towards the alleyway, landing in front of the shadowy figure. However, upon closer inspection, they found that while it was a female, it wasn't Demona. In fact, it didn't look like any gargoyle the three of them had seen before.
"Another gargoyle?" Broadway asked. "But how's that possible?"
The gargoyle backed away from the group, obviously terrified. Willow slid out of Brooklyn's grasp, trying to approach her.
"It's alright." She insisted, keeping her hands up in a placating gesture. "We're friends."
"Stay away from me…" The mystery she-gargoyle stammered.
Brooklyn stepped forward as well, his eyes full of compassion and sympathy.
"We won't hurt you." he assured her. "We want to help."
It was around that time that sirens began to get closer to the alley. All four of them turned towards the alley's entrance in time to see two large vans pull up. At first, Willow thought it might be the police, but when an army of armed men came out and aimed high tech weaponry at them, that thought quickly died.
"There she is!" One of the men called out.
"She's not alone though!" Another replied. "And there's a girl too"
"Tranq them all!" The first one ordered. "Let the doc sort them out."
"Girl too?" A different one questioned.
"Girl too." The first one clarified.
The army began to open fire, causing all four of them to run off. Willow was quickly snatched up, barely avoiding the tranqs firing through the air. Willow looked up, expecting to see Brooklyn's face, but was surprised to see Broadway instead.
"Where's Brooklyn?" she questioned.
On the other side of the alley, Brooklyn was confronting the female gargoyle.
"Bad neighborhood." He told her, grabbing her wrist.
"Let go!" the female gargoyle exclaimed.
She pulled her wrist free of Brooklyn's grip, causing a strange metal bracelet to clatter to the ground. However, before either of the two could register its presence, the men began to swarm them surrounding Brooklyn and the female. They shot at Brooklyn, forcing him to roll away from the shots, as well as the female. Two of the larger men converged on her, grabbing her arms and forcing her to follow them.
"Let go of me!" she screamed. "Help me!"
"Don't go with them!" Brooklyn called out futilely.
The men tossed the female into the back of one of the vans, slamming the door shut behind them. They then did a 180 and continued firing on the remaining three. Willow stayed ducked behind a dumpster, quietly cursing herself for leaving her gauntlet back at the clock tower.
"I won't need my gauntlet." She muttered, remembering what she'd told Goliath. "We're just getting some food… What's the worst that can happen? Idiot."
Brooklyn ran up to the dumpster Broadway and Willow were crouched behind, a determined, almost desperate look in his eye.
"We've got to save her!" he insisted.
"If you say so." Broadway replied.
The two gargoyles and Willow began pushing the large dumpster forward, sending it rolling into the men and their van. The dumpster itself did little more than dent the side, but that did not deter the two gargoyles as they leapt over the fallen attackers and began clawing at the metal. One of the men recovered quickly and grabbed his tranq gun, firing once and hitting Brooklyn in the arm. The effect was almost instantaneous as Brooklyn began to droop in exhaustion.
"These guys aren't messing around." Willow observed as she yanked the dart out of Brooklyn's arm. "We need to get out of here."
"Good idea." Broadway replied.
He gathered up Brooklyn in one arm and Willow in the other, then jumped off the truck, making good their escape. As they did, Brooklyn weakly reached out for the van containing the gargoyle.
"No…" He wheezed. "Must… save her…"
With their rightful prey captured and the interlopers seemingly gone, the attackers stowed their weapons, climbed into the vans, and drove off.
…
At the Eyrie building, Derek Maza arrived in his chopper, landing in the castle courtyard. The hatch opened and both he and Xanatos emerged. Waiting for them was Owen, who seemed to be a bit confused by something.
"Is something the matter Owen?" Xanatos asked.
"I was going over the expense reports for Gen-U-Tech systems, and I found something rather odd." He explained.
Xanatos raised an eyebrow and took a file of papers Owen had in his hands. Derek walked up behind him, peering over his shoulder.
"What is it, Mr. Xanatos?" He questioned.
"Well, I have the R&D Department over there working on something… special for me." Xanatos told him. "I expected some irregularities, but nothing like this."
Derek looked at the paper and his gazed hardened.
"What kind of project requires hiring armed mercenaries?" He demanded.
"One that I personally have not funded." Xanatos replied. "Perhaps it's time I paid Dr. Servarius a visit."
"I'm coming too." Derek insisted.
"I'm sure that's not necessary." Xanatos assured him.
"Necessary or not, I'm coming." Derek informed him. "I may not be a police officer anymore, but my cop instincts are telling me something's off. I'm coming."
Xanatos smiled, then nodded.
"As you wish." He relented.
…
It took longer than usual to get back to the clock tower, especially since there was only one conscious gargoyle and two flightless companions. Luckily, by the time Broadway got the three of them back home, Brooklyn was beginning to shake off the effects of the dart. Broadway leaned him against the wall of the tower to recover as Willow recounted what happened.
"I swear up and down, it was another gargoyle." She told them. "She didn't look like you guys. She almost looked… Feline."
"Gargoyles come in all shapes and sizes." Hudson commented. "Perhaps she was from a different clan."
"Maybe so." Willow agreed. "But the thing is, I think she was being kept in captivity. She was terrified when she saw us. I think it may have been because of me."
"I don't think so Willow." Broadway replied. "She seemed more scared of me and Brooklyn."
"A gargoyle afraid of another gargoyle?" Lexington questioned. "Is that even possible?"
Goliath rubbed his chin.
"Perhaps there is more to this story than we know." He suggested
"Whatever the story, she needed our help." Brooklyn replied, slowly getting to his feet. "She still needs our help."
"Thing is, I don't think she wanted our help." Willow told him.
"She wanted mine!" Brooklyn insisted.
Willow shook her head, then fished into the pocket of her jacket, pulling out the bracelet that Brooklyn had pulled off the gargoyle's wrist.
"She was wearing this before they took her away." She explained, handing the bracelet to Elisa.
"Looks like a tracking device." Elisa explained. "Digital, long range, and very expensive."
"More than that, the label on the bracelet is the same label that was on the sides of the vans." Willow concluded. "Gen-U-Tech"
…
The next morning, Xanatos and Derek arrived at Gen-U-Tech systems, marching right into the office of Dr. Anton Servarius.
"I think it's time for an update on the project, Servarius." Xanatos told him.
The figure from the alley stepped forward into the light, revealing an older man with bright red hair save for a stripe of white down the middle. He was hunched over, leaning on a wooden cane with an air around him that practically screamed Mad Scientist.
"Of course." He replied, in that same unsettling voice from the alley.
He walked over to a control panel and pressed a series of keys, bringing up a large screen. Almost instantly, recorded footage of the gargoyles began to play on the screen.
"You asked me to design a living creature based on the gargoyles." Servarius explained. "I considered cloning a living specimen, but none was available. I'm assuming that has not changed."
"Correct." Xanatos replied curtly.
"Shame." Servarius lamented. "Still, without DNA of an actual specimen, I turned to gene splicing to breed for desired traits."
Servarius hit a button on the keypad and the footage disappeared, replaced by footage of a jungle cat.
"The composite genes would provide the artificial specimen with the strength and agility of a jungle cat…"
The footage shifted to footage of flying bats.
"…as well as a bat's ability to fly."
"And human intelligence?" Xanatos asked.
"Yes, of course." Servarius replied. "However, I ran into a slight problem involving the energy needed for the wing muscles. The creature would have to eat an equivalent of three cows a day to maintain its strength."
"I don't know about you Doc, but I don't see a lot of cows here in Manhattan." Derek interjected. "So, unless the gargoyles are stealing from farms, they have to have another way to store energy."
"Very astute young man." Servarius told him, patting Derek on the shoulder. "I see why you were hired on. I do have a theory about that. You see, I think that when they turn to stone during the day, their bodies absorb the sun's energy and uses it throughout the night. While I could not find a way to make the specimens turn to stone, I was able to find more… workable method."
This time, Servarius turned off the screen and turned on the lights of a large aquarium filled with long eels.
"Electrophorus electricus." He explained. "The electric eel. These animals store energy in specialized organs known as electric receptors. I surmised that adapting this trait to my specimens would make up for their inability to become stone during the day."
"Amazing work Servarius." Xanatos complimented. "But none of this explains the need for you to hire armed mercenaries."
"Yeah, care to explain that one, Doc?" Derek questioned, crossing his arms.
Servarius almost seemed to choke on the question but covered it with a cough and continued.
"Yes…" he began "Well, you see, one of my… test subjects escaped."
This threw both Derek and Xanatos for a loop.
"Test subjects!" Xanatos repeated.
"Yes, but don't worry." Servarius assured them "We successfully recovered her."
He walked over to a different keyboard and inserted a different code.
"See for yourself." He proclaimed.
A large section of the wall began to lift, revealing a large holding area separated from the lab by a large sheet of safety glass. In the holding area were three different creatures. One seemed to be a combination of an anthropomorphic puma and a bat, while the other seemed to be an anthropomorphic tiger. These two creatures snarled loudly, throwing themselves against the glass to no avail. The third creature, the gargoyle from the alley, simply huddled in a corner hugging her knees to her chest.
Derek looked at the three creatures, every fiber of his being screaming that something was wrong. Xanatos must have felt the same, because he quickly turned to Servarius.
"You grew these three from scratch?" he asked skeptically. "This quickly?"
"Well no." Servarius replied, a strange smile on his face. "That would have taken too long. I used a… call it a shortcut. Human test subjects injected with a mutagenic formula."
Derek turned around so fast, he almost gave himself whiplash.
"These… things… were one human?!" He exclaimed.
"They were of no consequence." Servarius replied with a shrug. "Just random people I pulled off the streets. Nobody will miss them."
Derek saw red and grabbed Xanatos, nearly lifting him off the ground.
"This is what you've been funding?!" Derek yelled.
"I swear to you, I had no idea." Xanatos told him, not even trying to pull out of Derek's grip.
"Don't give me that!" Derek ordered, slamming his boss into a wall. "You knew something was up! I can tell!"
Xanatos sighed, looking away.
"You're right." He admitted. "I knew Servarius had a bad reputation, but I ignored it, hoping his methods would bring me the results I desired."
"At the cost of innocent lives?!" Derek snapped.
Xanatos looked up, meeting Derek's eye.
"Never." He answered.
The two men looked into each other's eyes for a moment, then Derek turned away, releasing Xanatos' jacket. The man fixed his coat, looking at the captive creatures.
"Don't worry, I'll make this right." He told them. "I'll find a way to reverse the process."
Hearing this, Servarius' calm demeanor changed into a violent, angry one.
"NO!" he screamed. "I WON'T LET YOU DESTROY MY WORK!"
He pulled a dart gun out from under the keyboard, aiming it right at Xanatos. Derek quickly knocked his boss out of the way, taking the dart in the shoulder. He screamed in pain, then quickly turned on Servarius before tackling the man to the ground. Servarius went to aim the gun again, but Derek quickly yanked it from his grasp.
"Not this time, Doc." He declared.
Derek then pulled the dart out of his shoulder, wincing slightly.
"Funny." he muttered. "I don't feel sleepy."
"That's because those weren't tranquilizer darts you twat!" Servarius explained, regaining that creepy smile. "The dart was loaded with my mutagenic formula! The same one I used on them!"
Derek's eyes began as wide a dinner plates, the dart falling from his hands as he stumbled back in shock. Xanatos walked over, gently ushering Derek into a chair before turning on Servarius. He grabbed the man, pulling him up off the ground and throwing him against the wall.
"You better have an antidote!" Xanatos told him.
"Oh, I do." Servarius told him, tapping the side of his head. "Right up here. But why would I help you destroy my work?"
At that moment, the video screen came to life with one of Servarius' men dominating the screen.
"Doctor Servarius, there's a pair of cops at the door." He explained. "They're investigating a kidnapping."
The screen shifted to a picture of Elisa and Matt showing their badges to the camera. At the sight of his sister, Derek gasped in fear. However, Xanatos used this to his advantage.
"Go ahead." He told Servarius. "Let them in. I'm sure they'll be very interested in your project, especially Detective Maza. Remember, she's not only friends with the actual gargoyles, but Derek's sister as well."
The confident tone in Servarius' voice faded quickly.
"You wouldn't dare…" Servarius countered, praying Xanatos was bluffing. "You bankrolled everything!"
"You're right." Xanatos told him. "We'll both go down for this. But I've been in prison before. Have you?"
He suddenly dropped the doctor, who landed hard on the ground. Xanatos stood over him like an angry father over a child caught smoking.
"The police, the press, the courts, they'll all crucify you." He told the doctor in a menacing tone. "And if they don't, I will."
Seeing no other option, Servarius relented.
"You win." He said softly. "I'll begin work on the antidote."
Xanatos gave a nod, then walked back over to Derek, who was holding his head in pain.
"How are you feeling?" he asked.
"Lousy…" Derek replied weakly.
"Just say the word and I'll let them in." Xanatos told him, gesturing to the screen with Elisa and Matt still on it. "Don't worry about me. I'm just as much responsible as Servarius is."
"No." Derek told him, almost desperately. "I can't face her now. Maybe when he's cured me."
Sweat was pouring down his face and he clutched his head in pain. Xanatos turned to Servarius, giving him the mother-of-all-glares.
"You heard him." Xanatos told him. "Get rid of them. Then get to work."
The doctor nodded, then nervously walked over to the monitor to get started. As he did, Derek suddenly gasped in pain, doubling over and nearly falling off his chair. Xanatos quickly stopped him, easing him back onto the chair.
"Derek?" he let out.
Derek looked up at Xanatos, but his eyes were yellow and feline, and his teeth were slightly pointed.
"Help me…" he groaned.
…
After sunset, Elisa met us with the gargoyles and Willow in the clock tower.
"I don't trust that Doctor Servarius." She said while pacing back and forth. "He's hiding something. I know he is."
"Can't you arrest him?" Brooklyn demanded.
"There's not enough evidence." Elisa replied. "Without probable cause for a warrant, my hands are tied."
"Well mine aren't." Brooklyn snarled, marching towards the balcony.
"Where are you going?" Willow called, chasing after him.
"To find her." Brooklyn replied. "She needs my help!"
"Yeah right…" Broadway scoffed.
"You don't know anything about her!" Brooklyn shouted.
"And neither do you!" Willow shouted back.
"Besides, running in head on without a plan won't help her." Goliath added.
Brooklyn looked back to see the clan preparing to fly off and Willow wearing her gauntlet.
"And I have a plan." Goliath concluded.
…
Back at Gen-U-Tech systems, Derek was morphing at an alarmingly fast rate. Already his skin was beginning to cover itself in pitch black fur, large bat wings growing out of his back. Xanatos watched the metamorphosis with a pained expression.
"How's that antidote coming?" He asked.
"These things take time, you simpleton." Servarius sneered.
"Time Derek doesn't have." Xanatos told him. "He's changing at a much faster rate than before."
"Perhaps it would be safer to cage him." Servarius suggested.
"He's a man, not an animal." Xanatos snapped. "Now shut up and keep working."
Servarius quickly got back to work.
…
Up on the Gen-U-Tech roof, the Manhattan clan landed softly in front of the building's skylight. Brooklyn quickly set Willow down approaching the window.
"We can get in through here." He declared, reaching for the window.
Willow quickly grabbed his hand.
"Not quite." She told him. "Look closer."
Brooklyn peered closer and saw wires crisscrossing all over the window.
"It's alarmed." Lexington surmised. "We're not getting in this way."
"Perfect." Brooklyn snarled. "Just perfect. Now what do we do?"
"We find another way in." Goliath answered.
He gestured for Willow to come forward, then he pointed at the ground in front of him. Willow quickly caught on and brought out her laser gun. She switched it to carving mode, cutting a large circle in the ground so quietly that unless you were on the roof, or directly below them, you would never had heard it. Seconds before she cut the circle completely, Goliath dug his claws into the stone, preventing it from falling. He set it to the side as Willow stowed the gun.
"Going down?" she said with a smile.
All the gargoyles began to one by one leap into the hole. Willow jumped in last, landing in Brooklyn's arms. As they looked around, Lexington spotted a computer terminal and made a bee line for it. As he began typing away, Willow and the other gargoyles gathered around him.
"Will you quit fooling around?" Brooklyn told him.
"Calm down Brooklyn." Willow told him.
"Yeah. I'm trying to find your girlfriend." Lexington added.
The computer chirped, and Lexington smiled.
"Got her." He announced.
…
The gargoyles found the room where the female gargoyle was being held, empty save for the unfortunate captive. Brooklyn practically ran up to the glass of the female's containment unit.
"You're alright." he sighed. "I'm so glad."
The female didn't share Brooklyn's sentiments.
"Stay away from me!" she gasped before quickly turning to a speaker attached to her cell. "Somebody help me!"
An alarm immediately started blaring. Thinking quickly, Goliath picked up a metal table, slamming it against the glass. However, he only succeeded in cracking it slightly. Willow gently pushed him aside, then aimed her gun. The female cowered in the corner as Willow set the blaster to its highest setting and fired, shattering the glass.
"Get your girlfriend and let's go!" Broadway exclaimed. "We've got company!"
Guards began pouring into the laboratory, drawing large caliber weaponry.
"Lock down the lab area!" one of the guards shouted into a microphone on his helmet.
Another began firing at the group, one of his shots hitting the female. Luckily it was a tranquilizer dart and all she did was faint. Brooklyn quickly scooped her up and hid. Broadway grabbed a metal cart and was using it as a shield as Willow attempted to get a shot at the guards.
…
Back in Servarius' lab, Derek had almost fully transformed, barely able to stand due to the pain. Xanatos held him up as Servarius listened to the commotion going on across the building.
"Security's been breached!" he exclaimed.
"Forget that now." Xanatos ordered. "Just give Derek the antidote."
Derek weakly held up a black furred, paw-like hand towards Servarius, whose own hand was shaking out of sheer nervousness. The door suddenly flew open as the gargoyles and Willow stormed in. Brooklyn had the female in his arms and Goliath had Willow over his shoulder, the latter firing at the approaching guards as best she could. Derek looked over at them, his mutated face full of fear.
"Not now!" he exclaimed.
"Xanatos!" Goliath snarled. "I should have known!"
"No time big guy!" Willow called, still facing behind Goliath at the oncoming guards. "We need to scram, now!"
Behind them, the guards were firing at will despite the innocent bystanders. While the gargoyles attempted to evade the attackers, so did Dr. Servarius, Derek and Xanatos. A few guards got knocked aside by Lexington's tail and were sent flying right into Servarius. The cure in Servarius' hand went flying through the air, much to Derek's horror.
"NO!" He screamed.
Derek dove, praying he could catch the cure. Unfortunately, he was a second too late and the syringe gun shattered on the ground. Tears in his eyes, Derek howled in unbridled anger and sadness at the loss of his cure. Meanwhile, the gargoyles were still evading the guards. Goliath was fighting them off with one hand, keeping Willow on his shoulder so she could fire. Broadway was defending Brooklyn, who was doing his best to keep the female from getting injured.
"Can we leave now?!" Willow screamed over the alarms and the fighting.
"How?!" Broadway shouted back.
Willow suddenly aimed upward, shooting a hole in the ceiling. She set off a few more shots, making the hole big enough for them to escape.
"That works!" Broadway called.
Goliath leapt onto one of the lab tables, deftly tossing Willow upward. She landed on the floor above, approaching the hole to lend a hand to the next party. Brooklyn went next, Goliath gently tossing them up as well. With Willow's help, both Brooklyn and the female made it safely to the second floor. Lexington clambered up as well while Broadway made his own way up. As Goliath began to climb up himself, Servarius went to stop him.
"No!" he cried, grabbing onto Goliath's legs. "That's my creation!"
Goliath snared in rage, then kicked Servarius off him, right into the tank of electric eels. The glass shattered, and the eels fell on the doctor, electrocuting him. The doctor screamed in agony, writhing in the pool of water as the eel's natural electricity coursed through his body. Eventually he stopped moving all together and slumped. Both Derek and Xanatos gasped, then Xanatos slowly approached Servarius, avoiding the eels, and checking for a pulse.
"No pulse…" Xanatos said after a minute. "He's dead."
Derek couldn't believe his ears. With tears of desperation in his eyes, he approached Xanatos and the dead doctor.
"He can't be dead…" Derek said softly, almost pleadingly. "He's my one chance…"
Xanatos just stood up, shaking his head.
"I'm sorry." He whispered.
"NO!" Derek screamed, covering his face with his hands. "I ONLY NEEDED A FEW MORE SECONDS!"
He looked up from his hands and his fists clenched. His eyes seemed to glow in anger.
"The gargoyles… it's their fault!" he snarled. "They'll pay for this if it's the last thing I do!"
Outside, a different type of siren was going off. This time, it was the police. Xanatos quickly began trying to usher Derek out the door.
"Come on Derek." He insisted. "We need to get you out of here, unless you want your sister to see you like this."
Derek shook his head and allowed himself to be led out. They walked past the remaining mutates, Xanatos quickly disabling the cell doors and releasing them.
"Come, all of you." He told them. "I'll find a cure for what that madman did to you. I swear it"
…
Back at the clock tower, the female gargoyle was slowly coming to. She rubbed her head and looked around, nearly screaming in fright at the sight of Bronx sniffing her. She backed right into Brooklyn, who tried to gently lift her up.
"It's alright." He said softly. "You're among friends."
The gargoyle scrambled away, then noticed Willow among the group. In an almost desperate motion, she ran over to her, clinging to her arm. Willow blinked in confusion but did not try to free herself.
"Where am I?" she asked.
"You're in the clock tower above the Manhattan precinct." Willow explained, gently pulling the female to her feet. "I promise you, you're safe."
The female looked around at the Manhattan clan fearfully, her grip tightening on Willow's arm.
"Were they human once too?" she asked.
"No." Goliath said, a note of confusion in his voice.
"What do you mean by 'human once too'?" Willow asked. "You're not originally a gargoyle?"
"NO!" The female cried, tears pouring out her eyes. "I'm human…."
Brooklyn went to try and comfort her, but the female just clung to Willow tighter, desperate for kind human contact. Willow wrapped her free arm around the female, gently petting her long hair.
"What's your name?" Willow asked, hoping for more information.
"M-Maggie…." She replied. "Maggie Reed. I'm from Ohio…"
Lexington took a small step forward, but still kept his distance, not wanting to upset Maggie any further.
"You'll be safe here Maggie." He said.
"Safe?" Maggie replied, looking up from Willow's shoulder. "This isn't safe. I don't need to be safe. I need a cure. I'm not like this. I'm not a monster!"
The entire clan winced at the M-word. Brooklyn then stepped forward, crouching in front of Maggie.
"We're not monsters either." He tried to explain. "Please, don't be afraid."
He tried to reach out for Maggie, but she flinched violently, her claws digging into Willows arm so hard she began drawing blood. Willow bit her lip to keep herself from crying out in pain as Goliath approached Brooklyn.
"The dawn is coming." he said, placing a hand on the red gargoyle's shoulder. "And we all need rest."
He looked down at Maggie, his face softening somewhat.
"Once night falls, we will find you the cure you seek." He promised. "Even if it means confronting Xanatos at his castle."
The gargoyles went towards the balcony as Maggie slowly let go of Willow's arm. The two of them then followed the gargoyles and watched them pose for the rising sun. Brooklyn looked back at Maggie, his face full of longing and sadness as the sun rose, etching that expression into stone. Maggie gasped in fright, then turned towards the trap door before bolting for it. Willow saw this and panicked.
"Maggie, wait!" she cried out.
Maggie stopped and turned to her, fear and horror prevalent in her face.
"I can't stay here." She insisted. "I need to find a cure. I can't stay here with these monsters!"
Willow winced slightly.
"Please don't use the M-word." She pleaded. "And I wasn't going to make you stay."
Maggie blinked in surprise. Willow slowly walked over, holding a wet rag up to her bleeding arm.
"Trust me Maggie, I understand where you're coming from." She assured her. "You've lost everything. Your home, your family, even your humanity. You're scared, angry, and don't know who to trust."
"How do you…?"
"Because I felt the same way after I lost my parents." Willow explained. "And after my adoptive father betrayed me. Trust me, my life hasn't exactly been all rainbows and sunshine."
Willow put her hand on Maggie's shoulder.
"You want to leave, I won't stop you." She promised. "But I will suggest you fly."
Maggie gulped.
"Fly?" she asked.
"Yeah." Willow nodded. "You have those wings, you might as well learn to use them as long as you have them."
She gently ushered Maggie out onto the balcony, where the latter continued to stare at the frozen gargoyles.
"Don't worry." Willow assured her. "They remain stone throughout the day. They won't move on you. I swear."
Sighing in relief, Maggie walked closer to the balcony, looking down at the street below. She gulped again, then cautiously climbed onto the balcony's edge.
"When these guys told me about how they fly, they said that to get around, they feel for the wind currents, then ride on them. Like gliding."
Maggie stretched out her wings, then looked down at the street below.
"Are you sure?" she asked.
Willow nodded.
"I promise it will work." She replied.
Taking a deep breath, Maggie closed her eyes and jumped off the balcony, wings extended outward as she began to successfully glide off. Willow watched her go, then looked back at Brooklyn's statue.
"He is not going to be happy with me tonight." She muttered.
…
Throughout the day, the police were doing their best to make out exactly what happened in the ruins of the Gen-U-Tech facility. The crime scene investigators were taking photos of just about everything from the holes in the different ceilings to the broken containment unit. Eventually, they got to the shattered eel tank surrounded by dead eels. Matt looked at the mess, nudging one of the eels with his foot.
"Whatever happened here, sure made a mess of things." he commented.
"Tell me about it." Elisa agreed, already pretty sure of what happened.
She examined a pile of papers that seemed to have been knocked aside during the struggle and picked them up. When she saw the top, Elisa grinned.
"Well, well, well." She let out. "Look at this."
"What is it partner?" Matt questioned.
"Turns out Xanatos owns Gen-U-Tech." She explained in a triumphant tone.
…
Night fell, and the second Brooklyn was no longer stone, he ran inside, hoping to find Maggie. However, she was nowhere to be found.
"Where is she?" He asked frantically. "Where's Maggie?"
"She left." Willow explained, walking out of her room while still in her pajamas. "Not long after you guys went to sleep."
"WHAT?!" Brooklyn exclaimed. "Why didn't you stop her?!"
"Because she didn't want to stay, and I wasn't going to force her." Willow replied, her voice slightly hard. "She wasn't a prisoner."
"She was a gargoyle who needed my help!" Brooklyn yelled.
"No, she was a human who was terrified out of her mind!" Willow yelled back.
"You don't know anything!" Brooklyn snapped.
Willow's face hardened and all the other gargoyles, even Goliath, took a step back.
"I don't know anything?" Willow repeated, her rage reaching a boiling point. "I don't know ANYTHING! Brooklyn, if anybody understands Maggie, it's me! She's lost EVERYTHING! Her entire world was turned around after a bad man screwed her over and took away everything she had!"
"I lost everything too!" Brooklyn reminded her "I lost most of my clan and my home! I know what she's going through!"
"No, you don't!" Willow retorted. "You're too blinded by your own feelings!"
"What?!"
"Don't play dumb! You've been acting like a lovesick puppy ever since we met Maggie, and you've been trying to force your feelings onto her. You can't see that she doesn't want your help, and that she doesn't want you!"
"ENOUGH!" Goliath demanded. "Both of you!"
Willow stopped shouting and took a deep breath, doing her best to calm down. Eventually, she managed to stow away the anger before approaching Brooklyn once more.
"I'm sorry." She apologized. "I shouldn't have shouted like that. But you know I'm right."
"No, she needs my help." Brooklyn insisted.
"Brooklyn, please-"
She went to grab his shoulder, but he violently pushed her away. His push sent her careening across the tower and right into the wall. She hit it hard, then slumped to the ground, her head pounding.
"LASS!" Hudson screamed.
Bronx and Hudson ran to her side as Brooklyn ran for the balcony. Willow slowly sat up, feeling the back of her head for any blood and was grateful not to find any.
"I'm fine…" she said weakly. "Just stop Brooklyn from doing anything stupid."
"We will." Goliath told her. "Hudson, you and Bronx stay here with Willow. The rest of us will follow Brooklyn."
The gargoyles took off as Hudson picked Willow up and set her down in his chair. Bronx leaned against her while Hudson got her an icepack for her head.
"Brooklyn please, don't be stupid." Willow begged.
…
At the Eyrie building, Maggie had met up with the now fully mutated Derek and the other two mutants. Once she had explained how she could fly, Derek has insisted on her teaching them all. The four of them were currently putting their new skill to practice while Xanatos and Owen watched them from the battlements.
"Owen." Xanatos ordered. "I want you to find me the best geneticist in the world."
As Owen walked off to do as he was told, the Manhattan clan appeared in the sky. Upon seeing them, Derek immediately hissed in rage.
"You!" he shouted. "This is all your fault!"
He caught an updraft, aiming straight for Goliath. As he did, the other two male gargoyles went for Lexington and Broadway.
"Here come the other two." Broadway commented.
"And I don't think they like us." Lexington added.
As if to prove him right, the two mutates attacked the gargoyles, punching them both in the face and causing them to fall. As they battled one another, Brooklyn did his best to catch up with Maggie.
"Maggie, wait!" he called out.
Maggie wouldn't listen and continued to evade him. Meanwhile, Derek managed to tackle Goliath and the two went plummeting down, rolling onto the courtyard below. About that time, Owen returned.
"Mr. Xanatos, Detective Maza is here." He explained.
"Send her up." Xanatos replied. "Perhaps she can end this senseless violence."
Back with Maggie and Brooklyn, he finally managed to get her to land on one of the castle's towers.
"Why are you afraid of me?" Brooklyn asked pleadingly. "I just want to help you!"
"No, you don't!" Maggie countered. "You want me to stay a monster! Like YOU!"
She pointed at Brooklyn as electricity began to gather on her hand. She instinctively released the electricity, striking Brooklyn in the chest. Unsure of exactly what happened, but happy with the result, Maggie abandoned Brooklyn on the tower and flew off. Meanwhile, Derek had watched Maggie's display and quickly deployed the same trick on Goliath, bringing the large gargoyle to his knees. However, before he could deliver the final blow, Elisa arrived on the scene and aimed her gun at him.
"FREEZE!" she shouted.
Derek looked up at his sister, surprised to see her, and even more surprised to be staring down the barrel of her gun. It then dawned on him that she had no idea that it was her brother she was looking at, a thought that was both heartbreaking and relieving. He stepped away from Goliath, his arms slightly raised in the air.
"Good." Elisa said in a softer tone. "Now, who are you?"
For a second, Derek went to say his real name, but he quickly shook his head, deciding against it.
"Call me… Talon." He decided after a minute.
Satisfied with the answer, she began to inch her way towards Goliath while "Talon" inched the opposite direction.
"Alright then Talon, why were you stomping on my friend?" she asked.
"Your 'Friend' made me like this." He hissed angrily.
"Impossible." Elisa countered as she slowly helped the gargoyle to his feet. "Goliath would never intentionally harm anyone."
Talon snarled but said nothing. Elisa then walked towards Talon, her gun now safely holstered.
"Look, I want to help you." She told him.
"Promise?" Talon asked.
"Cross my heart." Elisa told him, drawing an X over her heart.
On instinct, Talon repeated the gesture as he spoke.
"And hope to-"
Elisa gasped.
"Derek?" she said softly.
Talon immediately face palmed himself, then began backing away. Elisa then reached out for him.
"Derek, is that you?!" she asked.
Talon tried to hide himself in his wings, tears of shame running down his face.
"No…" he whispered. "Not anymore…"
"Xanatos did this to you!" Elisa surmised.
"It was an accident." Talon tried to explain. "He's trying to help me."
Elisa tried to push through Talon's wings, hoping to meet her brother's eyes.
"No!" she yelled, tears forming in her eyes as well. "Don't you get it? He's lying! He's always lying!"
Almost instinctively, Talon released his electrical powers. They struck Elisa and forced her backwards. Talon turned, reaching for his sister to help her, but stopped when he saw the look on Elisa's face. It was an expression of sheer terror, and the final straw for Talon. He screamed in a combination of anger, hatred, sorrow, fear, and self-loathing. Still in the midst of this agonizing cry, he took off across the castle and into the night sky, the other three mutates hot on his trail.
"Should we go after them?" Broadway asked as he and Lexington landed next to Goliath.
"No..." Brooklyn replied as he landed next to Elisa and helped her up. "Let them go. She doesn't want my help…. She doesn't want me…"
Elisa turned on Xanatos with a look that would have reduced the man to a pile of ash if it could.
"Now it's war Xanatos." She told him, her voice laced with so much hatred it was a wonder her words were even clear. "You're going down for this. No matter what it takes or what I must do, I will make you suffer for what you've done."
Goliath walked over to Elisa, picking her up and flying off. The rest of the clan followed, leaving Xanatos alone to contemplate Elisa's threat.
…
Later in Xanatos' office, Owen came in with a man dressed in a trench coat and fedora.
"May I present, sir, the best geneticist on the planet." Owen introduced.
Xanatos turned as the man took off his coat and fedora to reveal Dr. Servarius, alive and well. He had a new haircut and was standing up straight, walking without the need for a cane.
"I was particularly proud of my death scene." Servarius commented, his voice now normal rather than that of a mad scientist's.
"Frankly, Servarius, I thought you overplayed the part." Xanatos replied.
"But aren't you amazed we pulled it off?" Servarius countered. "Do you have any idea what I had to do to make those subjects escape? And more than that, it was only by sheer coincidence that one was finally spotted by the gargoyles."
"Aside from that, things couldn't have proceeded more predictably." Xanatos allowed, turning on a screen that showed Talon flying around. "He's more suited for his new form, wouldn't you say?"
"I couldn't agree more." Servarius told him. "However, they've all escaped."
"Not really." Xanatos explained. "There's an old saying. The best way to control a slave is to make them believe that they are free. So long as I hold the ability to create a cure for their condition, they will continue to come back to me."
…
Willow's head had finally stopped pounding as the gargoyles returned. Brooklyn was the first to come in, approaching Willow like a naughty child about to be punished.
"Brooklyn." she called out, still holding the ice pack to her head. "Are you alright?"
"No…" he replied solemnly. "You were right… She didn't want anything to do with me…. All she saw was a monster…"
"I'm so sorry." Willow told him, going for a hug.
"Don't." Brooklyn told her, gently brushing her aside. "I don't deserve your sympathy…. Or your forgiveness."
He walked over to one of the clock faces, perching on the railing in utter despair. Lexington went to his side, putting his arm around his brother as Broadway joined him. Willow looked up at them, then turned to see Goliath walk in. Elisa was in his arms, but rather than set her down, he instead sat on the ground with both his arms and his wings wrapped around her. Confused, Willow cautiously approached, and was surprised to see Elisa crying.
"Jalapeña…." She gasped. "Elisa, what happened?"
In between sobs, Elisa looked up at Willow, her eyes brimming with tears.
"Xanatos…" she choked. "He- He turned Derek… Turned Derek into…"
Elisa couldn't bring herself to say the words and broke down into sobs. Goliath looked up at Willow.
"Xanatos did to Derek what he did to Maggie." He clarified.
Willow gasped in horror as Elisa's sobs grew louder.
"No…" Willow said softly as her own tears began to flow. "Is there anything he won't destroy?"
She fell to the ground herself, sobbing into Bronx's shoulder. Hudson looked at the display and shook his head, wishing there was something he could do to alleviate the sorrow of the moment.
