The Manhattan Central Bank was not having one of its best nights. The night guards were all unconscious, bound to a column with duct tape. The cameras had all been destroyed, slashed to bits by metallic claws. Finally, the large safe that contained all of the bank's hard currency was in the process of being blasted open with a bomb. With a loud explosion that set off every alarm in the building, the safe door was left with a gaping hole in it, the only thing keeping it upright being the sheer thickness of the steel.
"C'mon!" Wolf shouted, shoving the heaving door to the ground. "Let's move it!"
He stalked inside, followed closely by Hyena, Jackal, and Dino. Hyena had an evil grin on her face as her brother let out a chuckle, wringing his clawed hands together.
"I'd like to make a withdrawal." He quipped.
Unfortunately, Dingo did not share the same enthusiasm as his partners in crime, looking around the vault in disgust.
"I can't believe we've sunk so low as to robbing backs." He snarled.
"Hey, it's a living." Hyena retorted, grabbing fistfuls of money and stuffing it into a duffle bag hanging from her shoulder.
…
Above the city, Goliath, the trio, and Willow were gliding across the sky on their nightly patrol. Willow and Brooklyn were holding hands and smiling widely, much to the chagrin of the other two younger gargoyles.
"Would you two get a room already?" Lex joked.
Brooklyn gave a smirk, glancing back at his rookery brother.
"What, you jealous Lex?" he quipped.
"Of you two? Never." Lex quipped right back.
Willow chuckled at the playful banter, then something caught their eye. Below them was the Central Bank, and parked on the roof was a large flying ship that was all too familiar to her.
"Guys, check it out." She called, pointing a claw down at the rooftop. "You're never gonna believe who just crawled out of hiding."
Lex's eyes narrowed as the angry glow began to appear.
"The Pack!" Broadway exclaimed.
"Oh I've been waiting for another shot at them." Lex growled.
"Don't lose the element of surprise." Goliath quickly reminded them all. "They are formidable opponents."
"Don't need to tell me twice." Willow told him, her leg twinging a bit.
They all silently dove towards the roof.
…
The Pack began to scale several ropes they had dropped from the skylight, bags full of their stolen booty hanging off of them. They knew that it was only a matter of time before the police caught wind of the alarm and came to stop them. Upon reaching the top, Hyena couldn't help but let out a cackle.
"This outta keep us on the top of the most wanted list!"
"I wouldn't be so sure Hyena!" Willow interjected.
Hyena turned just in time to receive a punch from a human Willow, one that made her stumble back a bit. Lexington came up behind her, his eyes still glowing.
"I've got this one." She informed him. "You handle her brother."
About that time, Jackal came up behind Lex with a knife, preparing the strike the gargoyle down. Lex managed to intercept the blow, pulling the would-be thief into a wrestling match for control. Hyena wiped her mouth, glaring at Willow before smirking.
"I don't see your fancy little gauntlet anymore." She quipped, flexing the claws on hers. "Do you honestly think you stand a chance against me by yourself?"
Willow smirked, then activated her transformation, letting out a howl. Hyena's cocky attitude dropped as she stared in shock.
"What the-?!" she exclaimed.
Willow tackled her to the ground her natural claws pushing against Hyena's mechanical ones. Meanwhile, Jackal had managed to get on top of Lexington, raising his dagger in triumph.
"Your head is gonna look great mounted on my wall!" he declared.
Before he could bring the dagger down, Broadway swooped in, delivering a sucker punch to Jackal's face. This sent him crashing into a stone fixture on the roof, knocking him out. Lex didn't even have time to thank his brother before Dingo leveled a laser weapon at him. This forced Lexington to take off into the skies to avoid being shot.
"Looks like your little friends are running away." Hyena snarled at Willow struggling against the girl's gargoyle strength.
"Think again, Hyena." Willow snapped.
She then turned and kicked, sending Hyena flying into the skylight. She jumped to her feet, running back at Willow as Wolf pulled himself onto the roof.
"Who's the blue she-gargoyle?" Wolf demanded.
"The Xanatos girl." Dingo replied, still shooting at Lexington. "Don't ask me how."
"Just leave the big one for me." Wolf declared.
As the two talked, they didn't notice Brooklyn take hold of an old chimney pipe, snapping it free from its hold. They did notice when Brooklyn brought it down on Dingo's shooting hand, then backhanded the pipe across his face. Wolf took hold of his duffel bag, swinging it at Brooklyn and knocking the red gargoyle back before he could deliver a third blow.
About that time, Jackal was beginning to come to. His vision cleared just in time to see Broadway coming crashing down towards him. He rolled out of the way, but was a split second too slow. This earned Jackal a set of scratches across his chest as he rolled to safety.
"Stupid beast!" Jackal hissed, grabbing for a gun on his belt.
He aimed at Broadway, sending a small explosive his way. The blast sent Broadway skidding back, but did little more than that. If anything, it just made the large gargoyle angrier.
"I. Hate! Guns!" Broadway exclaimed as he jumped on top of Jackal, beating him mercilessly.
Hyena heard her brother let out a yelp for aid, which distracted her for a split second. It was all Willow needed to catch her across the face. She howled in pain as Willow tossed her towards her brother, straightening up. Hyena looked back at Willow, then at Broadway as he dropped Jackal, facing his newest opponent. She looked between the two of them, not sure which one deserved her wrath more. During this moment of indecision, Lexington dove out of the sky, bringing her to the ground for the umpteenth time that night.
"That's what I call teamwork." Lex cheered.
Willow's ears then perked as she heard the sound of Brooklyn being taken down. She spun, her eyes glowing as she saw Wolf standing over him, leveling Dingo's gun at his head.
"Get away from him!" She howled.
Wolf barely had time to react before Willow pounced on him, sending the gun skidding from his grasp. While she dealt with him, Goliath landed to check on Brooklyn.
"Are you alright?" He asked.
Brooklyn rubbed his head and groaned.
"Peachy." He muttered.
Willow hoisted Wolf into the air, tossing him towards Dingo and forcing the two men into a large pile. She clapped her hands together, then turned back to Brooklyn.
"I could've handled that guy." He told her, smiling up at her.
"You're welcome." She replied, helping him to his feet.
Dingo and Wolf untangled themselves, the former reaching into his duffle bag and pulling out a grenade.
"We need to take out Goliath." He hissed. "We do that, and this fight is ours."
Wolf gave a grin.
"Now you're talking." He agreed.
Dingo pulled the pin, then lobbed the grenade at the three gargoyles. Goliath saw it coming, then grabbed both Willow and Brooklyn by the scruffs of their necks, tossing them to safety. The grenade connected with his back, sending hundreds upon hundreds of volts of electricity coursing through him.
"Goliath!" Willow screamed.
Both Broadway and Lexington, who were still keeping their eyes on Hyena and Jackal, both turned in horror to see their leader being attacked. He went down, smoke rising from his still form. The four remaining gargoyles immediately ran to his side, Brooklyn checking for a pulse.
"He's still alive." He said in obvious relief.
"The Pack won't be when I get my claws on them." Lex snarled.
Unfortunately for the gargoyles, the Pack took full advantage of the Gargoyle's distracted state. They ran for their transport, Dingo snagging an unconscious Jackal along the way. Before following his partners into the ship, he gave the gargoyles one last look.
"This isn't over!" He promised.
With that, the ship began to take off. Lexington's eyes went wide at the sight.
"We can't just let them get away." He cried out.
"Right now, Goliath's health takes priority." Brooklyn argued.
"He's right." Willow agreed. "We need to get him back to the Clock tower, and to Hudson."
Lex let out a sigh, seeing the wisdom behind those words. He watched wordlessly as the Pack's ship disappeared into the night.
…
Having safely left the gargoyles behind, the Pack began to nurse their wounds and stew in the stench of their failure. Hyena bandaged her brother up, having to nearly mummify his torso.
"We should have stayed." Wolf lamented. "We should have killed them all when we had the chance."
Hyena let out a snarl.
"You certain talk a big game." She snapped. "But as it is, Dingo's the only one who got away with the money. The rest of us are lucky to still have our heads."
Before Wolf could retort, there was a strange knock at the door of the ship. Considering how far up they were, the sound in and of itself set them all on edge. Wolf looked towards the door, edging closer to it. He drew a gun from his belt, then opened the door.
Floating in front of the door, suspended on a small hover platform, was the head of the Coyote robot. It was still missing half of its face, as well as the rest of its body.
"May I come in?" It asked.
…
Back at the Clock tower, Hudson helped Goliath to sit down in the recliner, having just finished bandaging the large gargoyle's wounds.
"You'll live lad." Hudson commented as he double checked the bandages. "Though next time, you may not be so lucky. I don't like to think this way, but perhaps it's time for you to choose a second in command."
Willow's ears perked up at that.
"Hudson, I thought you were his second in command." She remarked.
"Nay." Hudson replied with a shake of his head. "When I passed the mantle of leader to Goliath, I merely became a mentor. It was Demona who took the position of second in command, though after her betrayal…"
"He hasn't chosen another." Willow finished.
"The decision…." Goliath interjected, his voice laced with pain. "Is not… an easy one… Should anything happen to me… they will have to take my place…. As leader of the clan."
Hudson gave a nod of agreement.
"Even so," the old gargoyle went on, "you have four hearty warriors-"
"Three." Willow interrupted.
Everyone looked at her in surprise.
"Willow, you're one of us." Brooklyn told her, placing a claw on her shoulder. "You've earned the right to-"
"Brooklyn." Willow insisted. "I'm flattered you'd consider me a choice, but I'm only part gargoyle. More than that, I've only been part of the clan for a year now. You guys have been fighting beside one another for years, long before I was even born. One of you should be the second in command, not me."
Goliath gave a small nod, one mirrored by Hudson.
"Just like the lass said, one of them should take up the mantle." Hudson told Goliath. "And who does so is up to you."
…
As the sun rose over the horizon, the Pack's ship descended below the New York Harbor, settling onto the ocean floor. Once Dingo ensured the ship wasn't going anywhere, the four pack members were able to focus their attention on Coyote's head.
"Alright tin can." Jackal sneered. "Just what scrap heap did you crawl out of?"
"Yeah." Dingo agreed. "Last we saw you, your body had a giant hole in the chest."
"An unfortunate setback." Coyote replied. "However, I can still offer my assistance in defeating the gargoyles, body or no."
Wolf grabbed Coyote's head, yanking it free of the hover platform so hard several wires snapped.
"We don't need help from a piece of scrap like you." He snarled. "I hope a shark eats you."
"Suit yourself." Coyote replied, not even phased by Wolf's denial. "Still, it's a shame to see you all beaten by the gargoyles time and time again. What's more, with Willow as a gargoyle now, their numbers and strength have increased, making your chances of victory go down drastically."
Wolf growled, half tempted to crush the metal head in his hands.
"And you're saying that you can make them go back up?" he snarled.
"Indeed I can." Coyote promised. "With the resources at my disposal, I could help to level the playing field."
Dingo intercepted Wolf, taking Coyote's head.
"Let's hear him out." Dingo suggested.
Coyote's head smiled as Dingo set him down on the ship's console. A wire came out of its head, snaking towards a large TV screen.
"There are many different enhancements I can offer you." It explained as it took control of the screen. "For example, while I may not be able to provide you with the transformative powers of Willow, genetic enhancements could easily make any of you as strong as Goliath, perhaps stronger."
Wolf, who up until this point was barely listening, seemed to perk up at the mention of Goliath. He looked at the screen, which displayed Talon, Derek Maza's gargoyle persona. The footage showed him holding his own against Goliath, and Wolf couldn't help but smile when the purple gargoyle went down.
"Of course, for those who wish to keep their DNA untampered, cybernetics is always an excellent choice." Coyote continued.
The screen shifted to footage of Coldstone and his Time Square fight with Goliath. At the sight of the weapons and strength the gargoyle possessed, Hyena gave a cruel and sadistic smirk. Even Jackal laughed a bit before his injuries stopped that.
"But my final product is something I'm rather proud of." Coyote went on. "A fully mechanized suit, one the true David Xanatos has used to keep up with Goliath, and one my former body was made of. But do not worry about how that turned out. I can assure you that this time, the suit will not be so easily destroyed."
Dingo gave a smirk.
"I ain't a big fan of the freak show." Dingo commented, "but that armor is sharp."
"However," Jackal winced. "I highly doubt you, or Mr. Xanatos, are doing this just out of the goodness of your heart. What's the catch?"
"Do you think you're the only ones who want to see the gargoyles taken out?" Coyote asked. "You forget, they took something very precious to Xanatos, something he wants back very much."
"Well, I'm in." Hyena decided.
"Me too." Dingo agreed.
"Can't let my sister have all the fun." Jackal added.
Coyote smiled, then looked over at Wolf.
"And what about you?" the robotic head asked.
Wolf chuckled darkly.
"A chance to start dishing out punishment rather than take it?" Wolf asked. "Sign me up."
Coyote gave a smile.
"Excellent."
…
In Xanatos' office in the Eyrie building, both he and Fox were sitting down at his desk, a chessboard out in front of them. Xanatos moved his first piece, a smile on his face.
"And so, the game begins." He declared.
…
One Month Later
As night fell, the trio prepared to leave for their nightly patrol, each of them itching to prove themselves worthy of the position of Second in command.
"Time for the nightly demonstration of my leadership skills." Lex declared. "Speed is the key."
"Slow and steady wins the race." Broadway countered.
"That may be true, but I think it was Mr. Fast and steady that stopped the most crimes this month." Brooklyn boasted.
Leaning against the wall, Willow let out a groan, face palming as Bronx approached her. He gave a long whine, placing his head against her thigh.
"I know boy." She told him. "I'm getting sick and tired of this testosterone riddled contest."
The trio took off into the sky, allowing Willow a moment of peace. She sighed, then turned to Goliath and Hudson as they came onto the balcony.
"Goliath." Willow pleaded. "For the love of all that is pure, please make your decision soon. I can't take much more of this!"
Bronx let out a whine of agreement, pawing at Goliath's leg. Hudson placed a hand on Goliath's shoulder.
"The lass is right." He remarked. "You can't put the decision off forever."
Goliath nodded solemnly, watching as the trio vanished into the night.
"I know." He admitted.
About that time, Matt came out onto the balcony with news.
"The SWAT team's got the Pack pinned down in an abandoned building off 10th street." He told them. "Elisa told me you've handled them before, and that you'd want to handle the situation."
"She was right." Willow agreed. "But where is she? And why didn't she tell us this herself?"
"She's still busy with an assignment the Chief gave her." Matt admitted. "But we don't have time to talk. Everything's about to go down and you need to get moving."
"No time to summon the others then." Goliath figured. "We will have to do."
Willow nodded, then jumped off the balcony, transforming in midair to glide away. Goliath and Hudson followed close behind with Bronx in Goliath's arms, leaving Matt on the balcony.
"I will never get used to that…" he muttered.
…
Outside the abandoned building where the Pack were hiding out, one of the officers lobbed a smoke grenade through the building. However, rather than just release a cloud of tear gas like it was supposed to, the entire building began to explode, collapsing in on itself as the SWAT units dove for cover. Through the cover of the smoke, Coyote's head flew up into the sky, where it had a perfect view of the carnage. Across the street, standing on a construction site, the four gargoyles observed the events.
"I may not be an expert on this kind of thing, but I don't think that tear gas grenade did all that." Willow surmised.
"Sharp as ever, Willow." Coyote commented.
The four gargoyles all turned to the floating Coyote head, Bronx snarling at it menacingly.
"What manner of trickery is this?" Goliath demanded.
"As you've probably guessed by now, the explosion was merely a distraction for the tourists." Coyote explained, floating closer to the group. "Now, the real show begins."
Each member of the group took a swipe at the floating robot head in an attempt to pull it from the sky. However, the small contraption was too quick and escaped being crushed or torn apart. As it pulled away from the gargoyle's roost, a large gold colored suit began to land in front of the four. The suit resembled Coyote's body, but it was much bigger, and seemed to be an actual suit rather than a robot. This fact was proven when Dingo's voice echoed through its speech processors.
"G'day mates." He greeted.
Everyone gasped.
"Dingo?" Willow asked.
The sound of metallic footsteps caused them all to turn around, where they spotted Jackal flipping over to them. Almost his entire body seemed to be made of metal, save for most of his face. His right eye had been replaced with a mechanical one, one that was scanning his opponents while he grinned.
"What's the matter?" he asked, flexing his elongated metal claws. "Never seen a cybernetic Jackal before?"
From above where the gargoyles stood, Hyena's trademark cackle echoed through the construction site. She jumped across the steel beams, long metallic claws leaving deep gashes in the metal before she landed in front of the group. Her arms and legs were now completely metal, forming a seductive armor to protect her body as well. Her neck seemed to be metal as well, and the sides of her face and chin also shared a metallic sheen.
"How about a Hyena?" She laughed.
That's when an animalistic roar echoed through as Wolf showed up. Rather than go the mechanical route, Wolf was now very much like his namesake. He had grey fur all over his body and sharp fangs protruding from his jaw. He had natural claws on his paw-like hands and dog-like legs. He jumped down as well as the newly improved Pack surrounded the group.
"Okay…" Willow stammered, "I guess this would explain the month long absence."
"Even the Archmage's sorcery brewed no creatures like these." Hudson mused, drawing his sword.
"We can handle them." Goliath informed his mentor, "We have in the past."
"Not the new, upgraded Pack!" Hyena cackled, flinging herself at Willow.
Willow quickly slid to the side, just narrowly avoiding Hyena's razor sharp claws. Goliath's eyes went wide at that.
"Willow!" he exclaimed.
Before he could interfere though, Dingo grabbed his wrist. Goliath snarled then attempted to punch through the armor. Unfortunately, this did little more than cause a ringing sound from the suit, and a few of Goliath's knuckles to scream in pain. Shaking off the pain, Goliath attempted to try again, only to get blasted in the chest by a strange weapon the suit had at its disposal. The blast pushed him right into Wolf, who was grinning widely.
Willow brought her arms up to defend against Hyena, only to receive a powerful kick to the side. With Hyena's cybernetically enhanced strength, Willow was forced off her feet and onto the ground. She then had to quickly roll to the side to avoid getting skewered by Hyena's claws.
Wolf's fangs were practically gleaming as he went to bring them down on Goliath. Thankfully, the gargoyle was still coherent enough to grab Wolf by the face, preventing him from doing so. The two tussled, Wolf getting underneath Goliath and hoisting him into the air, just as Goliath had done to him many times. He tossed Goliath aside, laughing.
"That felt good." He said to himself, his voice now with an animalistic tint to it.
Hudson then tackled Wolf from behind, keeping the mutant distracted long enough for Goliath to regain his senses. He then looked up at the sky where Coyote's head was floating.
"Keep him busy old friend!" Goliath ordered. "I'm going to put an end to the source of all this madness!"
"Go lad!" Hudson told him, delivering a punch to Wolf's face. "I can handle this forest demon!"
Goliath takes off after Coyote's head, scaling the side of the building in pursuit. This left the others to deal with the rest of the Pack. Even Bronx seemed to be trying to help deal with the treat, snarling and clawing at Jackal.
"How cute, the little beast is trying to hurt me." He taunted.
He then flipped into the air, deliver a powerful double kick to Bronx's face.
"Sorry puppy." He jeered, leaning down over Bronx.
Bronx shook his head to clear it, then his fangs latched onto Jackal's arm. Though initially frightened, Jackal managed to pull himself free of the gargoyle dog, unfortunately losing his arm to the dog's grasp. Still, despite the loss of his limp, Jackal seemed surprisingly okay with it. It soon became clear why when the arm began moving on its own. Bronx dropped it in surprise, allowing it to finger run back towards Jackal. He grabbed it, reattaching it and flexing his fingers.
"Surprise." Jackal sneered.
Bronx let out a whine of fear as Jackal leapt towards the gargoyle dog, punching him with his newly reattached arm so hard he was out cold. Willow heard the whine and turned, letting out a cry.
"Bronx!" she shrieked.
Hyena grabbed Willow by her hair, slamming her into a steel column a good three times. Willow sagged in her grasp before being tossed at Bronx's still form. Hyena laughed, giving a stretch.
"Man that felt good!" she exclaimed. "I was getting sick and tired of that brat handing my ass to me."
"I couldn't agree more sis." Jackal chuckled.
About that time, Wolf walked over, adding a groaning and beaten Hudson to the pile of unconscious gargoyles. Dingo followed soon after, struggling out of the helmet to his suit. As he took a few breaths of fresh air, he saw Wolf eyeing the gargoyles like fallen prey.
"I hope you're not planning on eating your catch." Dingo snarled.
Wolf's eyes widened and he turned to Dingo, poking at his suit's chest plate with his claw.
"Now that I'm in charge, I'm not taking any more of your cracks." He snarled.
…
Up on one of the higher levels of the construction site, Goliath had finally managed to catch up to Coyote's head. He watched as it attached itself to a large robotic body, one that was easily twice as large as its original body. Goliath gasped at the sigh.
"Glad you could make it, Goliath." It greeted. "Let me introduce you to Coyote 2.0"
…
Back down below, both Dingo and Wolf were about to go to blows.
"You're not our leader, Wolf." Dingo snapped. "You're barely our species!"
He then looked over Wolf's shoulder at the cybernetically enhanced Jackal and Coyote. He let out a sigh, shaking his head.
"I still can't believe what you three did to yourselves." He muttered.
"We did what you were afraid to." Wolf growled. "And we agreed that whomever bagged the biggest Gargoyle would lead the Pack."
As he said that, the ceiling above the Pack suddenly shattered, allowing for Goliath's unconscious form to land between them all. The four Pack members gasped, then looked up as Coyote 2.0 lowered itself down.
"Sorry Wolf." Coyote declared. "But I think my Goliath tops your Hudson."
Hyena practically swooned at the sight of the large robot. However, Wolf was less than thrilled with Coyote's reappearance.
"Beat it, Sparky!" He howled. "I'm in charge here!"
"Is that so?" Hyena asked, leaning against Coyote. "I didn't see you take out Goliath."
"Sis, are you seriously siding with this oversized toaster oven?" Jackal questioned.
Hyena ran her claws along the large arm of Coyote 2.0's body.
"I find him rather… Attractive." She answered dreamily.
"Well that's sicker than usual." Jackal groaned, crossing his arms. "Looks like I'm with you, hairball."
Dingo was getting more and more disgusted with every passing minute.
"What a choice." he grumbled. "A robot who thinks he's human, or a human who's gone to the dogs."
With a touch of reluctance, Dingo walked towards Coyote and Hyena.
"So what's our next move, boss?" He asked Coyote.
…
At the Clock tower, the trio returned, each of them boasting about their night's accomplishments.
"I have to say that tonight was a very productive evening." Lexington bragged. "I broke up two muggings."
"One mugging and one burglar who's considering new career options." Brooklyn countered.
"Three muggings and an armed robbery." Broadway called happily. "You just have to know where to look."
They all walked into the clock tower, sighing to themselves. Broadway plunked down in Hudson's chair, flipping on the TV.
"You know, I think it's about time for Goliath to tell us which one of us is his second in command." Lex remarked.
"You're right." Broadway called out. "Hey Goliath!"
When there was no answer, everyone paused.
"Goliath?" Brooklyn called out, a note of worry.
Discarding the show, Broadway stood up as the trio spread out to look for him. As they searched, they noticed a distinct lack of Hudson, Bronx, and Willow as well.
"Where is everybody?" Lexington questioned.
"Wherever they are, if they took Bronx along, it's got to be big." Brooklyn surmised.
…
At the train yard, in an old car storage tunnel, the Pack had imprisoned the four gargoyles in glass holding cells. Each cell had been flooded with sleeping gas, keeping them all subdued. Wolf paced around the cells, eyeing Goliath.
"I cannot wait to tear his wings from his back." He snarled
"All in good time." Coyote promised, working on a personal project. "Right now it's 3 am. We'll release the beast at 4:30."
"Just before sunrise." Hyena surmised. "Brilliant!"
"We'll follow him home, then smash them all where they roost!"
"Precisely." Coyote told her.
"Can't argue with logic like that." Dingo admitted.
Wolf just kept looking at the glass cell holding Goliath, snarling in contempt.
…
Up in Xanatos' office, the chess game was in full swing.
"It seems I've got you in check." Xanatos told Fox, lacing his fingers together and placing his chin on them.
"Don't count me out just yet." Fox informed him. "I still have a few moves left."
…
In the Clock tower, the others were beginning to get worried. Both Lexington and Broadway were perched themselves on the balcony, searching the sky for any sign of their missing clan members.
"You know, if I was leader, I'd make sure my clan knew where I was at all time." Lex commented.
"If you were leader, I'd be somewhere else at all times." Broadway quipped.
From inside the tower, Brooklyn called out to his rookery brothers.
"Guy!" he shouted. "Guy, come see this!"
Both Lex and Broadway ran in as a news report began playing on the TV. It displayed footage of the fire at the abandoned building earlier that night.
"The fire department was called in after an attempted raid on an abandoned building ended in a fiery explosion. Police have come forward saying that an anonymous tip informed them that the felons known as the Pack were hiding out there. So far, there has been no indication as to whether or not the Pack was inside the building at the time of the explosion."
"That's got to be where the others went." Brooklyn surmised.
"Then why are we standing around here for?!" Lexington snapped, enraged by the mention of the Pack, "we need to go after them!"
Before any of them could make it farther than a few steps, the broadcast switched to commercial, one narrated by a very familiar voice.
"The following is a paid commercial message." Fox declared.
They all stopped short at the sound.
"Tired of walking down Lexington Avenue?" She asked, the commercial showing the very avenue Lex had gotten his name from. "Sick of taking that long bus ride up Broadway? Fed up with bumper to bumper all the way to Brooklyn?"
By now, it was clear that this "commercial" wasn't just that.
"Is she calling us out?" Broadway questioned.
"More like sending us a message." Brooklyn figured.
"Don't pack it in. Take the train." Fox finished.
The screen was then dominated by a video feed of the train yard the Pack were holding the other gargoyles.
"She wants us there, where the tracks cross." Brooklyn realized.
"I know that spot!" Lexington practically shouted.
"It's got to be a trap." Broadway rationalized.
"Trap or not, our friends may be there." Brooklyn argued. "We don't have much of a choice."
Without another word, the trio shared a nod, then took off towards the train yard.
…
Back with Xanatos and Fox, the latter gave her husband a clever smile, one that he mirrored.
"Interesting move." He complimented. "But I've still got the edge."
"But for how long?" Fox mused.
…
At the train yard, Coyote was fitting a tracking collar onto a still drowsy Bronx. He activated it, checking to make sure it was working as it should. As he did, Wolf couldn't help but keep staring at the trapped Goliath.
"I say forget the flea collar." He snarled. "We should finish off these gargoyles now!"
He punched Willow's glass prison so hard he cracked the glass.
"Go bury a bone or something, you hairball." Hyena snapped, not looking up from the card game she was playing with her brother. "Coyote's plan will work, and it will get us all the gargoyles."
"While I may not agree with having that thing as leader, even I must admit his plan is a good one." Jackal admitted.
Dingo just huffed in derision.
"Unlike trading it bits of your own body like used car parts." He muttered.
Hyena threw her cards on the table, standing up and facing Dingo.
"What's your problem, Dingo?" She demanded.
"I'm a partner in a freak show." Dingo replied.
As Hyena and Dingo stared each other down, Brooklyn, Lexington, and Broadway all peeked into the car storage unit. They all gasped at the sight of the upgraded Pack, both shocked and horrified at what they had become.
"That's not the Pack I remember." Broadway whispered.
"Who cares?" Lexington hissed. "Let's go get them!"
He attempted to dive down there, but Brooklyn quickly grabbed his leg, pulling him back towards their hiding spot.
"Trust me, I'm as eager to go down there and save everyone as you." Brooklyn hissed at Lex. "But if we don't know what the new Pack is capable of. I mean, they were powerful enough to trap Goliath, and cunning enough to catch Hudson."
"You're just scared." Lexington accused him.
"Yeah I'm scared." Brooklyn agreed. "Scared that if we go down there without a plan, Goliath, Hudson, Bronx… Willow… They'll all die."
This made both Broadway and Lexington pause. They hadn't even considered that.
"Okay…" Lexington finally relented. "What's your plan?"
Dingo and Hyena were still staring each other off, completely unaware of Brooklyn right above the former. That is, until Brooklyn dropped a steel beam on top of him. The sound of metal on metal drew the rest of the Pack's attention as they all watched Brooklyn circle back towards a window. He disappeared through it, much to the delight of Wolf.
"Finally." He growled. "Some action."
He took off after Brooklyn, followed closely by Jackal. This left Coyote, Hyena, and Dingo alone to search for the others. Dingo pushed the beam off of him, looking around cautiously.
"We best hang together." Dingo suggested, "Or we'll hang separately."
As he said that, the entire unit was plunged into darkness as Lexington destroyed the fuse box. Dingo inched his way towards the table Hyena and Jackal had been playing cards, feeling for the helmet he'd left there. His eyes widened when he came up empty.
"What the-?" he began.
"Looking for this?!" Broadway shouted.
The Pack turned to see Broadway holding the helmet before sending it flying towards the cells holding his friends. The helmet crashed through the glass, causing a loud explosion that shattered all three cells in use, as well as scattered the sleeping gas. As both Dingo and Hyena coughed on the gas, Broadway ran to the aid of his friends, who were slowly starting to stir.
"Goliath! Hudson! Willow!" He shouted. "Are you all-?"
Coyote's large mechanical arm came out of seemingly nowhere, blindsiding Broadway and sending him flying. Meanwhile, Lexington began circling around Hyena and Dingo, who had managed to recover from the gas. Hyena aimed her hand at Lexington, following him as he circled. Her fingers bent back at an unnatural angle and her palm opened, revealing a small laser gun. She let out a shot, just narrowly missing Lexington's tail. She let off several more shots, piercing the ceiling and lighting up the sky above like fireworks. Looking through the holes in the ceiling, Lexington got an idea. He aimed for one, slipping through easily.
"Oh no ya don't!" Dingo shouted.
He activated the boot rockets of his suit, aiming to go after him. Instead, he only ended up getting himself stuck in the hole.
"Bugger!" he swore.
Hyena used his stuck legs as a way to climb to the roof, slipping through a secondary hole so she could go after Lexington. Snarling in anger, Dingo boosted his rockets to full power, sending him shooting into the sky at surprising speed.
…
In a different part of the train yard, Brooklyn landed on an abandoned set of tracks, watching as Wolf slowly approached him. The mutated Pack member tore free a large piece of the track, wielding it like a spear. He made a few stabs at the gargoyle, but Brooklyn avoided them easily. After floating back to avoid a rather wide swing, Brooklyn bumped right into Jackal, who caught him by surprise.
"Going somewhere?" Jackal asked.
Wolf struck Brooklyn with his improvised weapon, knocking him onto the tracks. With a deep chuckle, he tossed it aside, cracking his knuckles.
"Not anymore he's not." He sneered.
…
Broadway was having just about as much luck as Brooklyn against Coyote. He was getting tosses around like a rag doll by the large robot and when he attempted a punch, Coyote merely caught his fist. It then lifted Broadway up by his trapped fist, crushing it in the process.
"I expected more from you Broadway." Coyote remarked.
That's when Bronx came up and tackled Coyote, having shaken off the last effects of the gas keeping him docile. He snarled and snapped, clawing at the metal of Coyote's leg and allowing Broadway to free his hand.
…
Outside, Lexington was having an easier time dodging Hyena's palm blaster now that he wasn't stuck in a building. As he flew, hid, and ran, Hyena laughed, still shooting whenever she saw even a slight trace of the green gargoyle.
"I wonder if gargoyles taste like chicken!" she cackled.
Lexington narrowly avoided one blast, only to get swept up by Dingo. Thankfully, that only lasted a grand total of three seconds before Lexington brought his legs up, grabbing Dingo by the face and throwing him into an air conditioning unit.
…
Back inside, Broadway and Bronx were still tussling with Coyote, The robot grabbed Bronx, lifting him by the metal collar still around his neck.
"I think I've had just about enough of you." It declared.
Before it could so much as think about hurting Bronx, a large steel girder was suddenly thrust into its chest. The robot dropped Bronx as Broadway looked over, a smile on his face. Holding the other end of the girder was Goliath, his eyes glowing a bright white as Hudson and Willow came up behind him.
"Hudson, find Lexington and lend him your blade!" Goliath ordered. "Willow, go find Brooklyn."
The two gargoyles nodded and took off, leaving Broadway and Goliath to deal with Coyote. Using the girder still embedded in the robot, Goliath lifted Coyote off its feet, hurtling him through a wall.
…
With Dingo out of the way, Lexington only had to deal with Hyena, and was quickly realizing that it was a more difficult task than he imagined.
"Come out come out wherever you are!" Hyena shouted. "You flying rat!"
Lexington jumped onto her back, catching her in a tight bear hug.
"That's Mr. Flying rat to you." He told her.
Hyena just smirked, unfazed by the hold. Then Lexington felt a tap on his shoulder. He blinked, then looked around to see Hyena's mechanical leg to a complete 360, kicking him off her back. As he recovered, Hyena's arms and legs spread away, giving her an unnatural, even spider like gait. Lexington let out a terrified scream He attempted to make a getaway, only for Hyena to jump onto his back, riding him like some sort of plane.
"While this ride is fun, I think I see my stop." Hyena joked.
She lifted her arm to stab at Lexington, but was instead intercepted by Hudson, who stabbed his sword through her metal hand.
"Hudson!" Lexington called.
He banked hard, dislodging Hyena from his shoulder. Hudson then pulled his sword free, allowing Hyena to drop hard onto the tracks. The two then grabbed her arms and pulled her from them.
"Come on, lad." Hudson told him. "Let's get this one back with her brood."
…
Brooklyn recovered from the blow delivered by Wolf, standing up as Jackal stretched his metal legs to join him on the tracks. His entire body then stretched as he swiped at Brooklyn, his metal claws leaving deep gashes in the stone wall behind him. Brooklyn then caught hold of the arm, tearing it free.
"Ha!" Brooklyn let out.
"Ha yourself." Jackal replied.
The arm then embedded its claws into Brooklyn's arm, forcing the gargoyle to drop it. Jackal recovered the arm, reattaching it with ease. While Jackal kept Brooklyn busy, Wolf prepared to tackle him from behind. However, someone behind him let out a cough.
"A-hem."
Wolf turned to see Willow seconds before she tackled him. She scratched at his face, knocking him off his feet and into the middle of the fray.
"Willow!" Brooklyn cheered.
"Hey Brooklyn." Willow replied, delivering several blows to Wolf's head. "Thought you could use some help."
"Get of me brat!" Wolf snarled.
Willow and Wolf rolled, leaving Jackal and Brooklyn alone. With a smirk on his face, Brooklyn prepared to face off with Jackal once again. This time, Jackal aimed his fingers at the red gargoyle, shooting them like bullets. He ducked in time, watching as Jackal regrew his fingers, slashing at Brooklyn again. However, this time it was different. His metal claws hit a steel beam in the concrete, which trapped his hand in the stone. He tried to pull his hand free, but could only watch in horror as Brooklyn tore up a wooden plank from the train tracks, whacking him across the face and severing his arm for real this time.
Over with Wolf and Willow, She had him pinned to the ground and was slamming his skull against the metal railing of the tracks. Wolf let out an angry snarl, kicking her off.
"If you're awake, then so is Goliath!" He howled. "He's mine."
"No, you're ours!" Willow growled.
Both she and Brooklyn tackled him. He grabbed them both, slamming them together and tossing them into a metal sign. They recovered quickly, Willow glancing up at the sign.
"Watch third rail…" She read.
"Willow, what do we do?" Brooklyn wondered.
Glancing down at the middle railing of the track, an idea came to Willow.
"I think I have an idea." She offered.
Wolf stalked closer to the two, his animalistic features becoming even more so as he slipped deeper and deeper into a feral state. Willow pried the sign from the ground, swinging it like a bat. It struck Wolf square in the gut, sending him flying right onto that third rail. Electricity coursed through his body, painful howls echoing across the train yard.
…
Up where Lexington had left him, Dingo pulled himself free of the remains of the AC unit. He rubbed his head, then gasped as Hudson and Lexington landed in front of him, depositing a still out cold Hyena. He backed up, running straight into Broadway.
"And where do you think you're going?" Broadway asked.
"Away from this freak show!" Dingo snapped. "This team has become one big horror movie, and I'm sick of watching."
Lexington scampered over to a large magnetic crane, clambering up to the controls. Figuring wat his rookery brother was planning, Broadway grabbed Dingo in a large bear hug, holding him long enough for Lexington to get the crane powered on.
"Let go of me ya beast!" Dingo demanded.
"Whatever you say." Broadway replied.
He tossed Dingo towards the crane as Lexington got the magnet working. Dingo slammed hard into it, unable to even twitch.
"Great idea Lex." Broadway complimented.
"Couldn't have done it without you." Lex replied.
…
Goliath rounded a corner, approaching the other side of the wall he'd hurdles Coyote through. Bronx was right behind him, itching to sink his jaws back into the robotic menace. As they turned, Coyote attempted to clothes line them, and succeeded in knocking Goliath to the ground, right on top of Bronx.
"Didn't you learn your lesson after last time?" Coyote quipped. "I'm much stronger than you."
"But not stronger than all of us." Brooklyn interrupted.
Coyote looked up as the entire clan came baring down on the robot. They each grabbed one of its limbs, pinning it to the ground. Willow then tore open the bot's chest plate from where Goliath had stabbed it. With a grin, she came across the robotic head of Coyote.
"Peek-a-boo." She taunted.
She tore the head free, turning to Goliath.
"Would you like to do the honors?" she asked, tossing the metal head at Goliath
Goliath caught the head as he stood up, then he crushed it in his hands, leaving nothing but a sparking pancake of metal and wires. Without the head to control Coyote's body, it began to flail and struggle wildly, sending everyone off of it. It swiped at nothing, stumbling around like it was dazed and confused. A horn in the distance gave Brooklyn an idea.
"Guys, on my signal!" he shouted.
He gathered his rookery brothers and Willow, the four of them getting behind the robot. A train came coming down the tracks as Brooklyn let out a shout.
"Now!"
The four of them shoved the bot onto the tracks, where the train made short work of it, mauling it into scrap metal. They all cheered, the four exchanging high fives happily.
"Now that's what I call team work." Hudson commented.
"Agreed." Goliath added.
"Guys, perhaps we should celebrate back at the clock tower." Willow suggested. "I bet that last train will probably call this in."
"Better tie up some loose ends first." Brooklyn suggested.
…
The police arrive not long after the gargoyles had fled. What they found was something none of them had expected. The Pack were all dangling from chains on the ceiling, bound in steel girders wrapped around them.
"What the hell happened here?" One of the cops asked.
"I've got a better question." His partner replied. "Do we take them to a hospital, a machine shop, or a vet?"
…
Sunrise was soon approaching and everyone was back home safe. Willow had already changed in her pajamas and was currently leaning against the entrance to the balcony as Goliath addressed the trio.
"I have something to tell you all." He began. "When Hudson asked me to choose a second in command, I was reluctant to say the least. I fear that no matter whom a chose, it would cause a rift between you three that couldn't be mended."
He let out a smile as he met each of their eyes.
"But after seeing the way you all acted tonight, how you worked together as a team, my fears have been laid to rest."
He placed his hand on Brooklyn's shoulder.
"Brooklyn, leadership is a heavy burden, but it is one that I know you are strong enough, and capable enough, to bear. That is why I choose you as my second in command."
Brooklyn's eyes went wide as Broadway, Lexington, and Willow all cheered for him. Hudson gave a small nod of approval as Willow kissed Brooklyn on his beak.
"Congrats Brooklyn." She told him, "You deserve it."
Brooklyn accepted the congrats, then turned to Goliath.
"Thank you Goliath." He told his leader. "I'll make you proud."
"You already have, my friend." Goliath assured him. "You already have."
…
As the sun rose over the city, Fox grinned at her husband, finally taking his king. The game pieces had been shaped like the gargoyles, as well as the upgraded Pack. Fox had been playing as the gargoyles and Xanatos had been the Pack. The entire month had been a large scale game where the two of them manipulated and nudged their various pieces in their desired direction.
"Checkmate." Fox declared.
Xanatos looked at the board in surprise, then smiled, looking up at his wife.
"Well played." He complimented.
Fox raised an eyebrow at the nonchalant attitude in Xanatos' tone.
"Aren't you angry?" she asked. "You've never been one to take a loss so graciously."
"Those I may have lost the game, I have won something far more valuable." He replied, taking his wife's hand in his. "In you, I have finally found someone who is truly my equal in every way."
They looked into each other's eyes for a moment, then Fox gave a smirk.
"Care to play again?"
