Eyrie Building: One year ago

Down in a dark storage room within the castle, a Steel Clan robot began to move, lighting up despite there being nobody present to turn it on. Its sensors began to activate, locking onto the sound of a voice, specifically Willow's voice from the floor above. She was currently in the middle of a heated discussion with Goliath, the fifth one she'd had since Xanatos had been sent to prison.

"A thousand years ago, this castle was yours to protect." She said, "But it belongs to Xanatos now, whether we like it or not. Before he is released from prison, you need to find a new home."

She had no idea that her voice was leading that rogue steel clan bot right to where she and Goliath were.

"I will not abandon my home." He snarled. "Not without a fight."

The steel clan robot shot up through the stone work, landing in front of the two. Goliath got into a defensive stance, putting himself in between the machine and Willow.

"A steel clan robot!" Willow exclaimed.

The robot took aim at Willow, at least, until Goliath scooped her up, moving her out of the way.

"I thought we destroyed them all!" Willow said in terror.

"Apparently, we missed one." Goliath said.

He set Willow down, allowing her to scramble for safety as he turned to face the robot. It tackled the gargoyle, knocking him through a part of the battlements. It went to try and shove Goliath off the edge, its claws tearing into Goliath's skin as the gargoyle struggled to regain the upper hand. Thankfully, a tossed chunk of rock from Willow distracted the robot, giving Goliath the opportunity to toss the robot off of him.

"Get him, Goliath!" Willow cheered.

The robot attempted to fire on Goliath, but it was only able to let off about two shots before Goliath's claws reduced it to nothing. Willow came over, looking down at the robot in confusion.

"How did that happen?" she asked. "I seriously thought we'd gotten rid of all of these things."

That's when Owen emerged from the castle, a medical kit under his arm.

"I'm afraid that was my fault." He admitted. "There was a freak overload in its circuits. I was unable to deactivate its matrix in time. Thankfully, it would seem that you were able to handle the problem quite easily."

Goliath let out a growl at Owen as the man handed over the kit to Willow.

"I figured you would want to see to that wound on Goliath's arm." He told her. "I'd do it myself, but the gargoyles are more trusting of you than they are of me."

Willow let out a snort, opening the kit and pulling out a few q-tips and a bottle of antiseptics.

"I wonder why." She muttered sarcastically.

Present Day

Willow, Lexington, and Broadway glided through the sky, bracing themselves against the rain and wind of a rather gruesome storm passing through.

"Man, this storm is a killer." Lexington called over the wind.

"Definitely." Broadway agreed. "Maybe we shouldn't have stayed at Robbin's place for so long."

"I don't mind." Willow replied, clutching a small package wrapped in plastic and duct tape close to her chest. "I've got the first edition of his latest book, and I can't wait to read it."

As they continue their flight, a shadowy figure approached them from above. Its eyes locked onto Willow and it dove at her. It landed on her back, causing her to plummet down towards the street below. Both Broadway and Lexington gasped, then dove after her.

"Willow!" Broadway called.

Willow recovered, then saw the figure coming up behind the big gargoyle.

"Behind you!" she shrieked.

He barely had time to turn before the strange figure shoved him aside. Lexington attempted to intercept him, but was batted away by the creature's tail. Finally, it caught Willow, pushing her down into the street. She howled in pain as the creature disappeared, allowing for Broadway and Lexington to check on their friend.

"Willow, you okay?" Lexington asked.

Willow rubbed her head, which was beginning to smart rather badly. Broadway picked up her package, handing it to her.

"What was that thing?" He asked.

"I don't know." Willow admitted. "But it almost looked like-"

There was a bright crack of lightning that illuminated the sky. It also gave a clear view of a nearby cliff, where a figure that looked identical to Goliath stood. He let out a maniacal laugh that carried on the wind before vanishing in the next strike of lightning.

"Goliath…" Willow finished.

In the Gen-u-tech building, Dr Servarius met with the leader of a professional mercenary team. He handed the leader a large wad of cash. As the leader began to count it, Servarius smiled cruelly.

"50,000 dollars, as promised." He told him. "As you know, this is just the down payment. You'll get the rest of the money after the job is done, if your group delivers, that it."

The mercenary just chuckled, thumbing through the bills and happily noting that everything was in order.

"Don't sweat it, Dr. Servarius." He promised. "For this amount of money, my team and I could lift the Venus de Milo from the Louvre. However, this job would be easier at night."

The doctor smirked, his tone becoming that of a teacher reprimanding a child.

"No, it wouldn't." he corrected. "Trust me on that."

At the clock tower, the storm had broken, leaving only a blanket of dark clouds covering the sky. Willow had changed into some dry clothes, an icepack to her head as she and the others regaled Hudson with what they had witnessed not too long ago.

"Then the thunder passed, and he was gone." Broadway said.

"You should've heard his laugh," Lexington explained. "Made my hair stand on end, if I had any."

Hudson stroked his beard thoughtfully.

"That does not sound like the Goliath I know." He argued.

"I know it doesn't, but I know what I saw." Willow argued right back. "I don't have a concussion this time."

"We'll let Goliath explain this." Broadway decided, a bit angrily. "Where is he?"

"He and Brooklyn are still out on patrol." Hudson explained. "At least, that is where they said they'd be when they left."

As the clouds began to break, the sky began to lighten as dawn fast approached.

"I don't think they'll make it back in time." Willow remarked with a yawn. "Knowing them, they probably found a place to roost for the night."

"Aye, lass." Hudson agreed. "We can ask them about tonight's events come tomorrow."

As the sun began to revert her friends back into stone, Willow went inside to go to bed herself, the events of the night still playing over and over in her head.

As dawn come over the city, Goliath's statue was perched on the tallest tower of the castle, much to the enjoyment of Xanatos. He gazed up at the statue with a triumphant smirk.

"It's nice to have him here guarding the castle." He remarked.

"Yes it is." Owen agreed.

The two walked inside to prepare for the busy day ahead of them. However, they'd barely just walked inside when Xanatos heard the distinct sound of helicopter blades coming a bit too close to the castle. Since Fox had become pregnant, she'd opted out of flying around. In fact, after a rather bad bout of morning sickness, she'd decided to remain in bed today. That meant that this helicopter was not his.

Running back outside, Xanatos' eyes flew open as a helicopter descended right above Goliath's statue. Two ropes were released from a large container, allowing for two mercenaries to descend and attach the ropes under the wings and arms of the statue. As the helicopter began to ascend back into the clouds, Owen activated a hidden panel, pulling out a laser gun and aiming it at the helicopter. However, Xanatos quickly pulled the gun from his grasp.

"No Owen!" he demanded. "You'll damage the statue!"

"Is this a plan you've neglected to mention?" Owen inquired, taking back the gun and putting it back in the panel."

"No." Xanatos replied, watching as the helicopter disappeared into the morning. "Perhaps this was Demona's doing. Macbeth's maybe, or even Renard. I am not without my fair share of enemies. But be assured, the culprit behind this if going to pay. Most. Dearly."

Up in the helicopter, the lead mercenary put in a call to Servarius.

"Good news doctor." He greeted. "We've got your statue. While Xanatos did spot us, he did not attempt to stop us, just as you predicted."

"Splendid." Servarius replied. "You'll get the rest of what's coming to you tonight. Meet me at the rendezvous point, but only after sunset."

The doctor hung up after that, leaving the mercenary to wonder if the money was worth dealing with this mad doctor.

That evening, Goliath and Brooklyn returned to the clock tower, where they were greeted by Willow, Broadway, and Lexington all crossing their arms impatiently. Seeing this, both gargoyles approached their friends cautiously.

"Is everything alright?" Brooklyn asked.

"That honestly depends on the explanation we get." Willow replied. "You see, we went out last night to go see Robbins so he could give me a copy of his latest book. Then, as we were gliding home, we get attacked."

"By you." Broadway said, pointing his finger at Goliath.

"What?" Goliath asked.

"It's like she said." Lexington interjected. "You attacked us, then perched on the cliffside laughing maniacally."

"Surely you know I'm not in the habit of attacking my own clan or laughing maniacally in the dark." Goliath countered.

"Do y'even know how to laugh maniacally?" Hudson mused.

"But Goliath, we heard you." Willow argued. "We saw you!"

"Look Willow. I don't know what you saw, but it couldn't have been Goliath." Brooklyn explained. "He was with me the whole night, and we never left midtown."

Now everybody was confused. If Goliath had been in midtown with Brooklyn, there was no way he could have been by the cliffside road attacking Willow and the others. That meant that it had to be someone else. The question was, who was it?

The mercenaries flew their stolen quarry to an abandoned off-shore oil rig that Servarius had chosen as the rendezvous point. They lowered the large crate containing the stolen statue onto the rig where the doctor was waiting, a rather large tranquilizer gun in his arms.

"What's with the gun?" The lead mercenary asked, banging his fist twice on the crate. "I've never seen a statue that needed to be put to sleep."

"You have now." Servarius replied.

The crate suddenly shook, the door denting from something inside seemingly punching the metal. The mercenaries all backed away as the doctor leveled the tranq with the crate.

"Gentlemen, I'm afraid I lied when I said you were stealing a statue." He remarked. "Instead, you've just kidnapped a very powerful creature that I created."

The door to the crate flew off its hinges as a creature emerged. It was identical to Goliath in height and physical shape, but it had skin as black as night, glowing red eyes, and stark white hair.

"Meet Thailog." He explained before tranquilizing the gargoyle.

Willow, Lexington, Broadway and Goliath all went to the cliff where "Goliath" had been sighted. As they all landed, they began to scour the area, hoping to find even the smallest clue as to whom was impersonating their leader.

"You're sure this is the place?" Goliath questioned.

Willow's eyes widened as she spotted something in the grass. She fished it up, examining it in her claws.

"If I wasn't before, I am now." She replied. "Look at this."

Broadway took a small metal bracelet from Willow's hand. It had the word Gen-U-Tech engraved upon it, giving the large gargoyle a sense of Deja-vu.

"I recognize this." He remarked. "Maggie had one of these when we found her."

"That's right." Willow agreed. "So maybe the gargoyle we saw was someone like Maggie."

Lexington let out a whistle.

"Good thing Elisa's not here." He muttered. "She'd be out for blood."

Goliath nodded solemnly, grateful that a police matter had kept her busy for the night.

"Lexington, take Broadway and go to Gen-U-Tech." he ordered. "See what you can learn about this latest creation of Xanatos'."

The two gargoyles gave a nod, then took off into the night. Willow looked up at Goliath in curiosity.

"What about me?" she asked.

"We are going to see if we can find this creature." He replied.

Willow gave a nod, then they both split up to search the area.

The phone rang in Xanatos' office. The number was blocked, but Xanatos knew who it was, or at least what the call was about.

"David Xanatos." He greeted, putting the phone on speaker.

"At exactly 2 am, you will come alone to the offshore oil rig at Black Rock Point with the sum of 20 million dollars in cash." An electronically disguised voice explained without as much as a hello. "Failure to pay will result in the annihilation of your prized monstrosity."

The voice hung up after that, not allowing Xanatos to get another word in, or for the trace he'd set up to complete. As Xanatos gathered up the money, Owen did some digging on the Black Rock Point oil rig. His eyebrow raised when he brought up who owned the lease to the rig.

"Mr. Xanatos." Owen called out.

Xanatos placed the last of the demanded 20 million in a fair-sized suitcase, looking over at his assistant.

"What is it, Owen?" he asked.

"It turns out that Xanatos Enterprises owns the rig the kidnapper spoke of." He explained.

Xanatos let out a sigh.

"I wish I could say I'm surprised." He commented, "but honestly, there was only one other person who was aware of Project Thailog outside of the two of us."

"Dr. Servarius." Owen realized.

"Exactly." Xanatos agreed. "I hate to lose a valuable asset like Servarius' mind, but this kind of behavior cannot be tolerated."

He closed the case with an audible thud, his fingers gripping the top of the case so tightly his knuckles turned white.

"An example must be made." He growled.

At the Gen-U-Tech building, Broadway and Lexington managed to break in through a rather weak part of the roof, a scar left from the last time the gargoyles had ventured into the facility. Lexington quickly located the terminal he'd hacked into last time, and was happy to find it as easily to enter as before.

"They never learn do they?" Broadway remarked.

"Don't think so, big guy." Lexington replied. "Now, to narrow down the search."

"Narrow it down?" Broadway asked. "How? We don't even know what it is we're looking for."

"We know it involves Goliath, and that the thing that attacked us looked and sounded just like him." Lexington pointed out.

"Yeah…" Broadway let out.

Lexington typed in a single word into the search bank, then scooted to the side so that Broadway could read it. The big gargoyle squinted at the screen.

"C-… Cl-… Clone." He finally read.

"Exactly." Lexington replied, hitting the enter button.

The screen shifted, revealing a surprisingly short list of entries involving clones. In fact, there was only one entry, Project: Thailog.

"This must be it." Lexington figured, clicking on the file.

A large video began to play, starting out with footage of a skirmish between Goliath and a Steel Clan robot. According to the date in the bottom left corner, this fight had occurred about a year ago.

"Project Thailog, full report." Servarius' voice declared as a voice over. "After the failed attempt to subdue the gargoyles with the Steel Clan, followed by Mr. Xanatos' incarceration, a plan was initiated to create a more obedient gargoyle. Of course, to do so would require DNA of a living specimen, something easily acquired with the unwitting help of Xanatos' adoptive daughter."

The video showed Willow cleaning and bandaging a wound on Goliath's arm, the discarded q-tips discretely gathered by Owen. After that, the video became a montage of clips from one of Gen-U-Tech's secure labs.

"We were able to initiate a successful cloning process, and with my accelerated growth formula, the gargoyle's natural slow maturation rate was successfully overridden. The only side effect seemed to be a discoloration of skin, hair and eyes. Still, Mr. Xanatos did not seem phased. He only seemed concerned for the creature's subliminal education, a curriculum personally designed by Mr. Xanatos so Thailog would share his… unique view of the world. Thankfully, everything proceeded according to plan, and Thailog was released into the world to serve his purpose. I look forward to further studies of what is perhaps my greatest creation."

The video ended there as Broadway and Lexington shared nervous glances.

"This is bad news isn't it?" Broadway asked.

"You can say that again." Lexington replied.

"This is bad news…"

Willow and Goliath both landed back on the cliff, both of them irritated that they hadn't found another clue as to the whereabouts of the mysterious gargoyle from the other night.

"Nothing." Willow growled, falling onto the ground and laying down in the grass. "We haven't found anything since that bracelet."

That's when Goliath spotted something just off the cliff. It appeared to be an abandoned oil rig, and there was a small boat headed towards it. Narrowing his eyes in suspicion, Goliath pointed towards it.

"I think I may have." He spoke up.

Willow propped herself up slightly, looking out at the rig.

"Goliath, that place has been abandoned for years now." She explained. "Kids sometimes go up there on dares, but that's about it."

"That may be true, but I highly doubt that is one of those kids." Goliath replied, gesturing to the boat.

Now honestly sitting up, Willow was surprised to see that it was Xanatos, a trench coat on, a stern look on his face, and a fair-sized suit case with him.

"When you're right, you're right." Willow remarked, dusting off some dead grass from her clothes. "Let's go."

Xanatos climbed up the ladder leading onto the rig. As he reached the top, Servarius came out of the shadows, a cruel smile on his face.

"Xanatos." He greeted. "You made it, and as prompt as ever too."

Xanatos remained silent, simply placing the case with the money on a nearby oil drum. Servarius' eyes followed the case, his fingers practically dancing at the sight.

"As, yes." He commented, doing his best to keep his voice even. "The blood money. You are playing this to the hilt."

Xanatos took a step back as Servarius approached the case. The doc opened it, his eyes sparkling at the sight of all the stacks of bills. So enraptured by the money was he that he didn't notice Xanatos slipping out of his coat, discarding it on the ground. While he had come alone like Servarius had requested, he was by no means unarmed. He had his exo-suit on, the more slender model he'd used during the Were-fox incident.

"You know Anton," he began, "I'm not usually a vengeful man."

He suddenly grabbed the doctor, hoisting him into the air and shoving him up against the wall.

"But your behavior has forced me to make an exception."

Gliding above the rig, Willow and Goliath spotted the altercation currently going on between Xanatos and Servarius.

"Well, that's something I didn't expect to see." Willow whispered. "I thought those two were as thick as thieves."

"Let's not interrupt them just yet." Goliath suggested. "I want to look inside."

"Think we'll find our mystery gargoyle?" Willow asked.

"Either that, or some much needed answers." Goliath replied.

Servarius squirmed in Xanatos' grip, honestly terrified of what his boss was going to do to him.

"I-I don't understand!" he stammered. "What did I do wrong?"

"Kidnapping, extortion, betrayal, where would you like me to start?"

Servarius suddenly got a look of realization, the fear slowly fading from his face.

"Oh, I see now." He whispered. "We're being watched, aren't we?"

Xanatos raised an eyebrow in confusion as Servarius spoke a tad louder than he should, and with a bit of a dramatic flair.

"Yes! I betrayed you! You robbed me of my greatest creation, my ultimate triumph! I only took back what is mine!" He then leaned in slightly, resuming his whisper. "There. How was that?"

The two gargoyles swooped down, landing on the roof of the rig. After climbing down a bit, the two heard what sounded like anguished howls coming from the oil tankard. As Goliath approached, Willow took his arm.

"Hang on." She insisted.

Her form shimmered, returning her to her human body.

"Maggie was terrified of you guys, yet she clung to me." She explained. "If this creature is like her, it might be better for them to have a human present."

Goliath nodded, then began to try and pry the door open. After a few second, the wheel turned and the door unlocked, revealing a circular room containing a single creature, the ebony skinned doppelganger. He was chained to the far wall, looking up at the two with what appeared to be a grateful expression.

"Goliath." The creature called, his voice identical to Goliath's. "It's you at last. I am Thailog."

Willow's mouth his the floor. This was no mutate, not by a long shot.

"You…" she gasped, "you're a clone, aren't you?"

"Yes." Thailog replied, getting to his feet. "Spawned from the blood of Goliath."

Goliath's eyes began to glow brightly at that. He howled in anger, claws and fangs bared.

"My blood!?" he exclaimed.

Willow quickly got in between Goliath and Thailog.

"Goliath, calm down!" She insisted.

"No!" he howled. "First Xanatos takes my home, then he pieces of my soul!"

"Trust me, you have every right to be furious!" Willow interjected, "But Thailog isn't to blame for this! He's just another innocent victim, and he's also a gargoyle. He has the right to exist, no matter how he was created."

Goliath's anger began to subside, much to Willow's relief. However, she was so focused on Goliath that she didn't even notice Thailog removing his shackles.

"Just think about it, Goliath." Willow continued. "In a way, he's almost your son."

Goliath seemed to contemplate this, then he sighed.

"You are right." He relented. "Come, let us free our new comrade."

Before either of them could react, Thailog jumped forward, a gas canister with an oxygen mask attached in his hand. He forced the mask over Goliath's mouth, his tail knocking Willow into the wall and pinning her there.

"While the sentiment is appreciated, it's not necessary." He growled. "The shackles weren't locked."

Thailog's tail had Willow pinned by her throat, which was making it incredibly difficult to breathe. She clawed at the tail, trying to transform, but was finding it difficult to concentrate.

"What are you…. *gasp*… doing?" she tried to ask. "Stop…"

Goliath soon succumbed to the gas as Thailog dropped Willow. As she gasped for air, he approached her, that all too familiar maniacal laugh echoing through the chamber.

Xanatos continued to hold Servarius in the air, but he was starting to get the feeling that not all was as it seemed this night.

"Doctor, what makes you think this is all just an act?" he questioned.

"You, Mr. Xanatos!" Servarius replied. "You and your instructions!"

"What are you talking about?"

"The orders came from your office." Servarius explained. "Your email containing detailed instructions about prepping this rig, hiring the mercenaries, preparing the ransom call, right down to the amount! You planned every detail! I just assumed this was some part in one of your Machiavellian schemes against one of your enemies."

Xanatos dropped the doctor back onto the ground.

"You assumed incorrectly." He remarked.

"But, if you weren't calling the shots, then who was?" Servarius questioned.

Xanatos just smirked, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall.

"Only Owen knew about Project Thailog, and I know he's not responsible. That leaves only one person… or should I say, one gargoyle." He chuckled a bit. "The kid turned out to be a real chip off the old block."

"Indeed he did." Thailog agreed.

Almost as if on cue, Thailog plummeted from above, landing in between the two of them. He had a metal disk in his hand, which he quickly shoved onto the chest plate of Xanatos' suit. The disk sent out a large burst of electricity that shorted out the suit in a matter of second, as well as successfully tazed the man.

"All the old blocks." Thailog continued.

Xanatos fell unconscious as Servarius stared up at Thailog, terrified for his life.

Willow groaned as she came to, attempting to rub her head. However, she found her arms pinned above her head, a pair of shackles enclosed upon her wrists. As she blinked and tried to get her bearings, she saw Thailog chaining Xanatos to the wall, Servarius next to him. Goliath was next to her, still groggy from the gas, and wearing the chains that Thailog had been, though Willow figured they were locked this time.

"Thailog…" she muttered.

Thailog turned to her, a cruel smile on his face.

"Ah good. You're awake." He called. "I just acquired your some company for you and Goliath."

Xanatos' eyes locked on Willow, and a burning hatred appeared in his eyes when he noticed the bruises on Willow's neck. Thailog noticed this and chuckled.

"What's the matter?" the evil gargoyle asked sarcastically. "Was I not supposed to hurt her? Does that go against that subliminal education you had the doc subject me to?"

"Thailog, while I was originally impressed by this entire endeavor of yours, you have gone too far." Xanatos replied. "You could have just asked for the 20 k. I would have been willing to hand it over."

"On your terms, not mine." Thailog argued. "And frankly, I can see why Willow chose this pathetic creature over you."

He gave Goliath a kick, causing a spark to fester in Willow's eye. Xanatos gave a discrete shake of his head, warning her to wait. She took a deep breath and suppressed the urge to transform. Thankfully, Thailog was too wrapped up in his evil monologue to notice the exchange.

"I refuse to be your stooge, or the good doctor's guinea pig a moment longer." He declared. "After all, you raised a monster, not a fool."

"Typical." Servarius remarked. "You do, and do, and do for them and this is what happens. They twist the knife in you."

Thailog's eyes glowed bright red as he embedded his claws into the wall, mere centimeters from the doctor's face.

"Don't tempt me." Thailog growled.

He turned away scornfully, taking the suitcase full of money.

"Well, this has been entertaining, but I'm afraid I must go." He remarked. "I have many plans, and 20 million to see them through."

Willow chuckled.

"And how do you plan to use it?" she asked. "Last time I checked, you couldn't just walk into a bank and open an account."

"I'll find a way." Thailog replied dismissively. "I have the good doctor's brains, Xanatos' cunning, and Goliath's strength. Nothing can stop me."

He went to try and walk out, but Goliath weakly caught his shoulder. While the action itself had no strength, Thailog still paused.

"Thailog…" Goliath said, his voice a bit wheezy. "Don't do this… Don't go down this path. Money is a necessary evil in Xanatos' world, not ours. Join us… Join your clan."

"And waste my time playing guardian angel night after night for a city infested with inferior humans?" Thailog questioned, gesturing to the three humans in the room. "Where's the profit in that?"

"Life for a gargoyle isn't about profit." Willow argued. "It's about protecting those you care about."

Thailog snorted.

"I don't care about anyone but myself." He told her. "Though I did consider caring about Goliath. It's why I attacked his comrades. I knew they'd confront him, and that he'd come here and find this place. I'd hoped to share this money with him, but now I see that he and I will always be two sides of the same coin. I'm everything he's not, and that's why I've decided to hate him."

Thailog's face then softened somewhat as he ran his claws through Willow's hair.

"However, I don't hate you." He told her. "I wonder if I'm even capable of ever hating you. Xanatos' programming runs deep. Even hurting you as I did took too much strength. That's why I'm afraid you'll have to disappear too."

"Disappear?" Servarius repeated, a note of fear in his voice. "What does he mean by that?"

"He means for us to die, doctor." Xanatos explained.

"Exactly." Thailog replied. "This oil rig is not as abandoned as you would think. I've found over 200 gallons of stored oil, enough to coat this entire rig. All it will take is a spark to set the entire structure ablaze, something I will provide with this."

He pulled a flare gun out of his belt, causing the good doctor to stare in utter terror. Thailog then began laughing manically as he opened the door.

"So long, fathers." He called. "And fair well, my dear sister."

His laughing resumed as the door slammed shut, the wheel turning and locking the door. Willow turned to Xanatos, giving him an annoyed look.

"Are you ever going to learn?" she asked. "I'm pretty sure there's a very popular monster franchise that tells you exactly why you shouldn't-"

"You can lecture me after we're free." Xanatos told her.

"I fail to see how we're going to free ourselves." Servarius replied cynically. "I mean, it's not like any of us can just break through our chains-"

Willow's body sparked, transforming her into her gargoyle form. She snapped her chains with ease, then turned to the doctor. He was completely floored, and Xanatos smirked.

"Thailog was born before Willow gained this particular ability." He explained. "Thus, he wasn't prepared for her."

Willow then turned to Goliath, hoping to pull him free. However, these chains were much thicker than the ones she's broken. They had been designed to hold Thailog, and thus, even her gargoyle strength wasn't enough.

"Come on." Willow urged Goliath. "I need you to help me with this."

Servarius scoffed.

"No amount of urging will help." He informed her. "I designed the gas Thailog used specifically to incapacitate for several hours. By the time it wears off, this tank will have turned us into barbeque."

Goliath groaned a bit, sinking to the ground after a few small tugs at his shackles.

"He's right…" Goliath admitted. "Willow, you must flee this place."

"And leave you to die?" Willow questioned. "Not a chance. Maybe if I free Xanatos, he can use his suit to help me."

"While I'd be willing to, I'm afraid that's not possible." Xanatos admitted. "The magnetic disk on my chest plate shorted out my armor. That leaves me powerless as well."

Servarius' eyes lit up.

"The disk!" he exclaimed. "That's it! Willow, take the disk and use it on Goliath! It might still have enough charge-"

"-to adrenalize Goliath, subduing the effects of the gas!" Xanatos finished.

Willow approached Xanatos, pulling the disk off his chest plate.

"I don't like this at all…" she muttered, "If this thing was strong enough to take out your armor, it could seriously hurt Goliath."

"We… don't have a choice." Goliath told her. "Use it… Hurry."

Outside, Thailog tore through drum after drum of oil, spilling the contents all across the ground. As he did, the loudest, most spine-chilling roar echoed through the rig. Thailog glanced up at the oil container above him, a smile on his face.

"Now I see where I got the temper."

As predicted, the remaining electrical charge managed to cleanse the effects of the gas from Goliath. With his strength returned, Goliath pulled himself free of his chains with very little effort. Then, he and Willow freed the other two, then turned their attention to the door. With a few sounds blows, the door caved in, allowing its captives to go free. Once they made it onto the deck, Willow's foot nearly slipped in the oil. Thankfully, both Xanatos and Goliath caught her.

"Looks like he's almost done with the first part of his plan." Xanatos remarked. "And frankly, I don't plan to be here for the second part."

"We best get to your boat before Thailog sets up that flair." Servarius declared.

As the two made their way towards Xanatos' boat, Goliath turned to Willow.

"Go with them, Willow." He insisted. "I have to face Thailog alone."

"No way." Willow tried to argue.

"Please." He practically begged. "He is of my blood… He is my son."

Willow looked at Goliath, then reluctantly turned away, following Servarius and Xanatos towards the boat and leaving Goliath to his quest.

Thailog tipped over the last of the oil barrels, admiring his handiwork. As he prepared to take off, Goliath's voice stopped him.

"It's not too late Thailog!" he called. "We can wipe the slate clean! Start over!"

"Over my dead body!" Thailog spat, his eyes glowing angrily. "Or better yet, yours!"

He reached for the flair gun, prompting Goliath to tackle him. The case of money went flying as the two gargoyles wrestled for control over the flair gun. During their struggles, Thailog managed to let out a shot. The flair arched towards the oil covered deck, the sparks catching onto the oil and setting it ablaze. The two gargoyles noticed this as a large explosion blasted them apart from each other.

Out on the boat, Willow gasped at the sight of the explosion, praying Goliath would make it out alive.

Back on the rig, it was becoming increasingly obvious that it was time to go. Still, Goliath turned in search of his clone.

"Thailog!" he called after finally catching sight of his ebony skinned counterpart. "We must flee! Come with me to the water!"

"Not without my money!" Thailog shouted.

The clone managed to locate the case with the money, but as he made his way towards the water, an explosion went out above him, sending a large steel tower down. The gargoyle looked up in shock as the tower came crashing down. The force of the crash, plus the many sparks the metal on metal contact created, caused an even greater explosion than the previous ones. It sent the entire rig up in flames, and Goliath flying towards the water.

From the boat, Willow stumbled back at the explosion, tears filling her eyes.

"Goliath…" She whimpered.

"Willow…" Xanatos began, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry."

That's when Goliath's head broke the surface of the water. Willow looked up happily, breaking free of Xanatos' grip.

"You're okay!" she called, offering a claw to help him out of the water.

As she got Goliath settled onto the boat, Xanatos grabbed a towel from a storage compartment on the boat.

"I should have known that no mere copy could surpass the genuine article." He commented as he passed the towel to Goliath.

"That copy was a living being." Goliath growled, not even looking at the towel. "And we all failed him."

Servarius, who was steering the boat during this entire exchange, looked up in the sky to see both Lexington and Broadway making their way towards the boat.

"We've got company." He called, pointing towards the incoming gargoyles.

As the two landed, they surveyed the burning oil rig, as well as the soaking wet Goliath.

"What did we miss?" Broadway asked.

"Let's just say it's been a long night." Willow replied.

"We had a long night too." Broadway told her.

"We learned a lot about Thailog." Lexington added.

Looking back at the rig, Goliath let out a regretful sigh. Willow placed a hand on his shoulder in sympathy.

"So did we, guys." She told them. "So did we."

The next morning, Xanatos sat quietly sipping his morning tea, a newspaper about the oil rig fire in front of him. As he read it, Owen approached him.

"It's a shame you couldn't recover the 20 million." Owen remarked. "That amount would have just about covered the cost for a more secured computer system."

"What makes you think the money wasn't recovered?" Xanatos asked.

"What do you mean?" Owen inquired.

"I mean, were I in Thailog's position, I would have had a contingency plan for if things went south." He explained, rising from the table and approaching the edge of the balcony. "I would have known that faking my death would be the optimal was to get away Scott free with all those millions."

"Sir, are you saying that the creature is still alive, is as powerful as Goliath, smarter than you, and now has possession of 20 million dollars?" Owen asked.

Xanatos gave a small nod, leaning forward on the balcony and honestly regretting what he had done.

"Owen, I think I've created a monster."