The smell of home-cooked food wafted through the apartment of Elisa Maza, her mother's recipe for chicken mole cooking on the stove. Elisa took a taste test, quite happy with her concoction, then she took it off the stove and brought it to the table.

"Dinner time." She announced to her house guests.

Gathered around the table were Elisa's parents, as well as her sister Beth. Though she was still going to school in Flagstaff, she'd taken a weekend to come and see how her family was doing.

"Smells good sis." She complimented as Elisa began dishing out the mole. "A cop that can cook."

Elisa chuckled good-naturedly.

"Yeah, I should have my own tv show." She replied as she handed off a bowl to her sister.

"Remember how Derek used to call dibs on the pot back when we were kids?" Beth asked happily.

At the mention of Derek, Elisa's face fell visibly. Upon seeing that, Beth immediately face palmed.

"Me and my big mouth…" she muttered, "I take a break from school and my brain goes into neutral."

"Have you heard from your brother?" Peter Maza questioned, setting down his spoon.

"No, not yet." Elisa admitted. "But I'm sure he's fine. You know how he is. He'll check in when he's ready."

Peter sighed.

"Alright, but if he doesn't at least call one of us in a week, I'm filing a report." He declared

Elisa immediately panicked.

"Dad, I'm sure that's not-"

Before she could continue, Beth let out a gasp, her eyes looking out the window. A figure peered through the window, one that didn't even look remotely human. It disappeared once it realized it had been spotted, but Beth's gasp had drawn the attention of her family.

"Everything okay?" Elisa asked.

"I thought I saw something." Beth replied, pointing at where she'd seen the creature. "Some sort of creature lurking by the window."

"A creature?" Elisa asked. "You probably just saw the shadow of a gargoyle or something."

"This one was moving, I swear." Beth insisted.

"Probably just a trick of the light." Elisa noted. "Now eat your mole before it gets cold."

The family resumed their dinner, but Elisa found her gaze drawn out the window where Beth had seen her gargoyle.

Elisa came into the clock tower, where Willow greeted her.

"How was family night?" she asked happily.

"It went alright." Elisa replied, though her face portrayed her uneasiness. "They asked about Derek again."

Willow winced.

"What did you tell them?" she wondered.

"Only that he'd call when he was ready." Elisa replied, leaning against the wall. "I hate lying to them like that."

"You're not lying, Elisa." Willow informed her. "It's not like you can tell them what really happened."

"A lie by omission is still a lie." Elisa retorted. "I want so badly to tell them about Derek, the mutants, everything. But I just- I can't."

Willow placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Everything will work out, Elisa." She told her, pulling her into a hug. "I promise."

About that time, Goliath came into the tower, a grim expression on his face. Elisa released Willow from the hug, approaching the lavender gargoyle.

"Goliath." She greeted him. "While I'm grateful that you stopped by, you need to be careful."

Goliath raised a non-existent eyebrow in confusion.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Beth spotted you outside my window." Elisa explained. "I managed to brush it off as a trick of the light, but it was a bit too close for comfort."

"Elisa, I was not at your window this evening." Goliath informed her.

"If not you, then one of the others." Elisa guessed.

"I've been here the entire time." Willow offered. "Hudson and Bronx are watching TV."

"The trio mentioned a concert in the park they were eager to attend." Goliath remembered.

"Then it must have been Derek." Elisa realized.

At the mention of Derek's name, Goliath became visibly uneasy. Elisa noticed this and felt a cold lump of fear settle in her stomach. She knew Goliath had been keeping an eye on Derek and the other mutants as a favor to her. She also knew that if he looked so distraught, something had gone wrong.

"Goliath, did something happen?" she asked.

Goliath let out a sigh, then turned to face Elisa again.

"Talon and the rest of the mutants have… returned to the castle." He explained reluctantly. "I've witnessed them going to and from the Eyrie Building for the past few night."

"They've gone back to Xanatos?!" Elisa exclaimed. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because there did not seem to be anything either you or I could do." Goliath replied.

"He's got a point, Elisa." Willow noted. "Derek made it clear he didn't want anything to do with the clan, and your presence didn't stop him from leaving last time."

"Talon has made his choice." Goliath concluded, placing a hand on Elisa's shoulder in a consoling manner. "I had hoped to spare you this pain."

"I don't accept that!" Elisa snapped, batting Goliath's hand away. "We've got to get him away from Xanatos, and I need to see my brother now!"

Goliath gave a nod, knowing better than to try and argue with Elisa. He scooped her up, giving Willow a glance.

"Perhaps it would be best if you remained here." He told her.

"Not a problem." Willow replied. "My transformative abilities would do little more than rub salt in the proverbial wounds. Just be careful, okay?"

Goliath nodded, then jumped off the balcony of the clock tower, making his way towards the castle.

Goliath and Elisa approached the castle, landing on one of the battlements without incident. Goliath set Elisa down and the two began looking around, trying to find any sign of the mutants. Unbeknownst to them, three of them were watching the two intruders from a tall tower. Talon held up a hand, then gestured to Goliath.

"Fang, Claw, attack!" he ordered.

The mutant resembling a puma, Fang, and the other resembling a tiger, Claw, leapt off the tower and swooped down towards Goliath. With ease, they pinned him to the ground, but Goliath managed to get his feet under Claw, throwing him off. A quick throw had Fang joining his comrade on the ground. As Goliath let out a triumphant growl, Talon attacked from above, knocking the gargoyle to the ground. Goliath recovered quickly, turning to face Talon. Fang and Claw recovered quickly, going to aid their friend. Together, they backed Goliath into the battlements, effectively pinning him. Before the fight could escalate any further, Elisa aimed her weapon at Talon.

"Enough!" she exclaimed.

All the gargoyles turned towards her as Elisa lowered her weapon.

"Derek, stop." She begged. "We came to talk."

Goliath took the opportunity to jump off the battlement, gliding up and over the group. Talon snarled, then summoned a bolt of electricity, striking Goliath in the chest. The lavender gargoyle howled in pain, falling out of the sky and landing in front of Elisa. She ran to his side, checking to make sure he was okay, which infuriated Talon further. He stalked forward, electricity gathered in his hand for a strike, but Elisa put herself in between her brother and Goliath.

"Derek, enough!" she insisted.

"Stand away from him, Elisa!" Talon demanded, stalking closer. "He's my enemy!"

"And she is your sister." A female voice called out.

The mutants, Elisa, and Goliath all turned to see Maggie perched on a tower nearby. She swooped down, landing between her fellow mutates and Elisa. She placed her hands on Talon's shoulders, watching as he lowered his electrified claw.

"Are you gonna attack her too?" Maggie questioned.

Talon went to push her out of the way, but she planted her feet.

"Talon, please." She begged. "You know I hate all the fighting."

"Especially when it's completely unnecessary." Xanatos added, making an appearance on the battlement.

Elisa turned to Xanatos, her gaze as cold as ice. Goliath slowly got to his feet as Xanatos approached.

"While I appreciate you protecting our home Talon, Goliath and your sister are always welcome." Xanatos informed the group. "Though I was hoping Willow would be with you."

"She elected to stay behind." Goliath informed the man. "She didn't want to… upset Talon or the mutants any more than they already are."

"A wise decision, all things considered." Xanatos admitted. "However, I doubt you came here for small talk. To what do we owe the pleasure?"

"I came to show your four that Xanatos is your enemy, not Goliath." Elisa declared, addressing the mutants.

"No." Maggie replied, shaking her head. "He's our only chance to be human again."

"Xanatos is the cause of your problems, not the solution!" Elisa proclaimed.

Xanatos looked down at Elisa's words, and Talon looked visibly angered.

"No!" Talon snapped. "Goliath is the one who caused this. Servarius may have been the one to create the mutagenic formula, but he was seconds away from curing me before Goliath and his brood of monsters attacked. He destroyed the only vial of the antidote, then kicked the doctor into the tank of eels. Now Servarius is dead, along with our hopes of ever being human again."

Maggie clung to Talon, fighting back tears at the thought. Turned to Goliath, a look of confusion on her face.

"Dead?" she asked, looking up at the lavender gargoyle. "But didn't you say you and Willow encountered the 'good doctor' on that oil rig a few weeks ago?"

"That's impossible!" Talon snapped. "I saw it with my own eyes! Servarius was dead!"

"When it comes to Xanatos, things are rarely as they seem." Goliath commented.

Talon sniffed dismissively.

"Same song, same tune, Goliath." He accused. "You and Servarius are both to blame, and you need Elisa to protect yourself from me. It's why you've got her wrapped around your claw with your lies."

Realizing they were getting nowhere, Goliath let out a sigh and took Elisa's arm.

"Come Elisa." He told her. "We're not helping here."

"Getting scared, monster?" Talon spat as Goliath picked up Elisa and made his way towards the edge of the battlements. "You should be. Servarius is lucky he's dead. Watch your back Goliath. She won't always be there, and I'm coming for you!"

Goliath and Elisa disappeared into the night, Talon watching them with narrowed eyes. Maggie approached him, taking his arm.

"What if she's right, Derek?" she questioned. "What if Servarius is alive?"

"If he is, he won't be for long." Talon swore.

Inside the castle, Owen was going over some paperwork in his office as Xanatos walked in. Owen set down the file he'd been examining as his boss approached.

"Is something that matter, Mr. Xanatos?" Owen questioned.

Xanatos glanced up at a window above Owen, watching as the figure of a lone gargoyle disappeared from sight. Xanatos' eyes narrowed.

"I think it may be time for Dr. Servarius to take a vacation." He declared. "I've got a feeling that the city may not be a hospitable place for him at the moment."

Elisa walked out of the precinct, a grim look on her face. Wordlessly she got in her car, driving off. Watching from the clock tower, Goliath let out another sigh. He hated seeing Elisa in such pain, and felt more than a bit responsible for its cause. Talon's words echoed in his ear, all his hatred and blame making the gargoyle's fist clench. Letting out a growl, Goliath turned towards the living room area, where Willow, Hudson and Bronx were all watching TV.

"Willow." He called out.

Willow perked, getting up and approaching Goliath.

"I need you to do something for me." He insisted.

At the Gen-U-Tech laboratories, Dr. Servarius made his way towards the mostly empty parking lot. He walked right past the parking lot's guard booth, giving the guard Vinnie a passing wave as he did. Just as the good doctor reached his car, a large shadow enveloped him. He turned, but barely had time to gasp before a winged creature plucked him from the ground, lifting him into the air. The doctor's briefcase clattered to the ground as he and his winged captor disappeared.

About that time, Elisa's car approached the guard booth. Vinnie looked up from his newspaper to see Elisa flashing her badge at him.

"I'm looking for Dr. Servarius." She declared, tucking her badge back in her coat.

"The doctor?" Vinnie questioned. "You just missed him. He was headed home."

Elisa glanced over at the parking lot, scanning for the doctor. As she did this, a lone gargoyle landed on the roof of the Gen-U-Tech building, also looking for the doctor. A light rain began to fall as Elisa caught sight of the gargoyle on the roof. She smiled, figuring it was probably Goliath, then returned her attention to Vinnie.

"Mind letting me in so I can take a look?" she asked. "I won't be more than a minute."

Vinnie nodded, then lifted the barrier for her so she could drive through. She pulled into the lot, her headlights landing on Servarius' abandoned briefcase. She paused, putting her car in park before getting out to take a look. She wiped away a bit of dirt on the side, revealing an engraved plate that read 'A. Servarius'.

"Oh no…" she muttered.

Far below the city, in an underground lab once owned by Cyber-biotics, Dr. Servarius pulled at the bars of a cell he had been forced into.

"You can't keep me locked in here forever!" he shouted at the silhouette of his captor. "What you're asking for is impossible!"

The creature let out a growl, gesturing to the wide array of equipment and supplies the abandoned lab had to offer. Servarius let out a gulp, but remained firm.

"I won't do it!" he declared. "I won't do it!"

Back at the castle, the rain had passed and the sky had cleared. Sitting in the castle's large library, Xanatos flipped through the paper idly. When he heard the sound of the doors opening, he turned to see Owen walking in.

"It would appear that Dr. Servarius is… unreachable." Owen informed him.

"Unreachable." Xanatos repeated, folding the paper closed and setting it aside. "That means Talon must have gotten to him first."

Outside, Maggie, Fang, and Claw were all sitting on the battlements, eating dinner prepared by Owen. A large pile of cleaned chicken bones had gathered behind Fang as he tossed them over his shoulder.

"Not a bad spread, eh Claw?" Fang asked, already tearing into another chicken leg.

Claw gave Fang a hard glare, turning away from him. Fang chuckled, setting his chicken aside.

"What's the matter, cat got your tongue?" Fang asked before busting into a fit of laughter.

Claw stood up and walked away from the table as Maggie turned to Fang angrily.

"You know he hasn't spoken since his transformation." She snarled at him. "Why do you insist on tormenting him about it?"

"Cat got his tongue!" Fang declared. "C'mon, don't you get it?"

Before their bantering could continue, Talon landed in front of the table, his entre form shaking in rage.

"The doctor's death scene was all an act!" he exclaimed, slamming his fists on the table hard enough to topple the glasses. "And there's no way he could have done it without help!"

"So who do ya figure?" Fang questioned.

"Who else?!" Talon snapped. "Goliath kicked him into the eel tank, he must be in on it!"

"I don't think so." Maggie disagreed with a shake of her head.

Fang snorted, tossing another stripped chicken bone at her.

"What do you know about those things?" He questioned. "When we first met them you were scared out of your mind!"

"Fang is right." Talon agreed, turning to Maggie with a suspicious look. "You attacked them just like we did, so why are you suddenly their advocate?"

"I was scared, I'll admit to that." Maggie told them. "But they were just trying to help me. They tried to protect me in the alley, they rescued me from Servarius-"

"The very night the doctor was 'murdered'." Talon interjected.

"Even so," Maggie attempted to continue. "When they took me to their home, they-"

Talon's eyes widened when she said this.

"They took you to their home?" He repeated, grabbing her by the arms in a desperate movement. "Where?!"

Willow tugged at the sleeve of her hoodie, snuggling up against Bronx in order to resume watching TV. Hudson glanced down at her with a confused look.

"What was it Goliath asked ye to do lass?" he wondered.

"I was just helping him with a personal project of his." She answered, "Nothing to worry about."

Hudson shrugged it off, then he heard a sound coming from the balcony. It sounded like a lone gargoyle landing on the railing, then a voice called out.

"Hello?"

Willow perked up in surprise.

"That's Maggie." She whispered. "One of the mutants."

"The lass Brooklyn attempted to befriend?" Hudson asked.

"That's her." Willow replied, jumping to her feet.

"Is anyone here?" Maggie called out again.

Willow made her way up to the balcony door, pushing it open with a smile.

"Maggie, hey!" she greeted with a wave.

Maggie saw her come out and came off of the balcony railing.

"Willow." She greeted in return.

"Maggie, you're looking good." Willow complimented.

Hudson came out after her, giving Maggie a warm smile.

"That ye are lass." Hudson agreed. "Why don't you come inside?"

"Thanks for the offer, gramps!" Fang shouted.

Both Hudson and Willow turned to see Fang and Claw descending from the skies, the former tackling Hudson to the ground. Claw landed beside Maggie, and was almost immediately set upon by Bronx. Claw summoned a blast of electricity, striking Bronx hard enough to knock the gargoyle dog out.

"What are you doing?!" Willow screamed, her eyes sparking as she prepared to transform.

Before she could, Maggie electrified her hands, touching Willow's shoulders. The effect was instantaneous, the electric blast acting as a taser and knocking Willow out. Meanwhile, Fang and Hudson struggled, rolling along the edge of the balcony. However, Hudson's concentration broke when he saw Willow slump to the ground unconscious.

"Lass!" he exclaimed.

Fang took advantage of Hudson's distraction to blast him with an electric blast. The old gargoyle stumbled back, joining Willow and Bronx on the ground. Just before the lights went out, Hudson saw Maggie looking down at him with a pained expression.

"I'm sorry." She told him as the darkness overtook him.

In the underground lab serving as Servarius' prison, the doctor addressed his mysterious captor once more.

"What do you mean 'as long as necessary'?" The doc questioned, glaring at the silhouette of his captor. "It could take years to develop a cure. You can't keep me here forever."

The monster let out a low, threatening growl, its fists clenching tightly as it approached the doctor's cell. Servarius stumbled back, stammering slightly.

"Even if I wanted to, I can't even begin to start without my briefcase." Servarius tried. "All my notes are in it!"

The threatening growl grew ever louder as the creature reached the bars of the cell. Realizing the futility of his argument, Servarius raised up his hands in a pacified gesture.

"Alright." He relented. "You may open the door. I will make an attempt."

The growl subsided and the door opened, allowing Servarius to exit the cell and approach the equipment he had. With the shadow of his captor looming over him, he began to work.

Willow's head was pounding as she finally came to. She went to rub her head, only to find that she couldn't. Her arms were pinned to her sides with heavy chains, and as she looked around, she saw she wasn't alone in her predicament. Sitting beside her on the steps leading out to the balcony was Hudson, also bound tightly in chains, with Bronx in a chained hogtie at their feet.

"What the-?" she groaned.

Maggie saw her stir and helped her sit up.

"I really am sorry." she told her. "I never wanted this."

Willow remained quiet, turning away from Maggie as Hudson addressed Fang and Claw.

"Why are ye here?" he questioned.

"Our 'mighty leader' wants a few words with Goliath." Fang informed him.

"Then you've got a long wait ahead of you." Willow declared curtly. "Goliath's gonna be gone for a couple of nights."

Fang let out a growl, picking her up by the chains around her waist.

"Oh yeah?" he snapped. "Well then, it looks like we're about get to know each other rather well."

In Xanatos' office, Owen was discussing the latest news about Dr. Servarius' disappearance.

"The last person to see him before he disappeared was Vinnie, the security guard on duty." Owen began. "He reported that Detective Maza came by just minutes after the doctor clocked out, looking for him."

Xanatos raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"Was there any sign of him?" He asked.

"The detective recovered his briefcase, but that was it." Owen replied.

Xanatos mulled over that for a minute, his eyebrows furrowing in annoyance.

"Talon must have him stashed somewhere." He figured. "No doubt to try and force a cure out of him. Do a scan for any unauthorized activity in any lab that Talon may have access to."

"I've already done so." Owen supplied. "So far there has yet to be any sign that-"

Before he could continue, Xanatos' office doors were thrown open, allowing Talon to stalk in. He looked beyond pissed as he approached the desk.

"You lied to me!" Talon howled, slapping a lamp off of Xanatos' desk before slamming his claws on the table. "Servarius did not die!"

"I was fooled." Xanatos supplied, standing up to go and pick up his lamp. "Just as you were. It would seem that he and Goliath worked together to fake the good doctor's death."

"I thought so…" Talon growled, "But why?"

"Gargoyles are a dying breed, Talon." Xanatos replied, putting the lamp in a nearby garbage can. "Goliath and his clan are the only ones left in the world, and that was a fact that he just could not accept. He wanted the good doctor to create more creatures like himself, like you."

"How long have you known?" Talon questioned.

"Long enough." Xanatos replied. "I've been pressuring Servarius to design a cure, and he was near completion. That's why I need you to release the good doctor."

Talon turned to Xanatos, his face a mixture of surprise and confusion.

The Trio flew through the night sky, huge grins plastered on all three of their faces. As they landed on the balcony, they were all laughing amongst themselves.

"Aw man, that guitarist could really wail!" Brooklyn proclaimed.

"And that music was incredibly loud, even from across the lake!" Broadway added.

"Too bad Willow decided to stay home." Lexington lamented. "She would have had a blast."

Brooklyn then noticed that there was nobody there to greet them. Not Goliath, not Hudson, not even Willow.

"Hey, where is everyone?" Brooklyn questioned. "Willow never said she was going anywhere."

Broadway made his way towards the door leading inside.

"Hudson? Willow?" He called.

Inside, Willow perked up and immediately let out a shout.

"Guys! Run!" she shrieked. "It's a trap!"

There was a loud thud, like someone being thrown hard, following by a yelp of pain from Willow. When Brooklyn heard that sound, his eyes began to glow brightly and an unholy snarl escaped his beak. Broadway threw the door to the clock tower open, and was immediately tackled by Claw. Brooklyn then made his way in, seeing Fang standing over Willow.

"Get away from her!" he shouted.

He grabbed Fang by the tail, dragging him out onto the balcony before tossing him hard into the banister. Fang got up, wiping his mouth before meeting Brooklyn's gaze.

"Well, well, well, looks like we've got a case of Beauty and the Beast." He taunted, letting lose a bolt of lightning.

Brooklyn rolled out of the way, then leapt off the railing and took to the skies. Fang snarled in anger before taking off after him. With his two brothers keeping the gargoyles busy, Lexington ran inside to help his trussed up friends.

"Willow, are you okay?" He asked, running to her first.

Willow nodded, focusing hard and allowing her form to become engulfed in green light. The chains holding her snapped as she entered her gargoyle form, letting out a howl.

"You free Hudson and Bronx, I'm going to go help Brooklyn." She told him.

Lexington nodded, turning his attention to the other two gargoyles as Willow made her way outside. Broadway was still wrestling with Claw, and he seemed to be handling himself quite well so Willow left him be. Instead, she scanned the skies, catching sight of several bolts of lightning being shot into the night. Considering the rain had long since passed, it could only be one thing. Her eyes glowing brightly, Willow jumped off the balcony and into the sky.

Brooklyn maneuvered deftly through the air, easily avoiding Fang's electricity blasts. With each failed hit, Fang grew ever more irritated.

"Come back here!" He taunted as he let off yet another blast. "Fight like a man!"

Brooklyn looked back with a snarl.

"I'm not a man!" he shouted. "I'm a gargoyle!"

Fang let out a cackle, preparing one last blast, but found himself tackled from behind by Willow. She sent them both plummeting to the ground, landing hard on the balcony with her on top. The force of the attack had Fang seeing stars.

Meanwhile, Claw attempted to summon up an electrical blast to stun Broadway. The large gargoyle caught on quickly and kicked the mutant away. He landed hard against a metal fence that ran along the lower edge of the clock face. Wasting no time, Broadway wrapped the fencing around Claw, pinning his arms and his wings.

"That should keep you under wraps." He quipped.

Willow dragged Fang over to Broadway as Brooklyn landed beside her. Broadway took Fang and bound him in the fencing as well, leaving Brooklyn to check Willow for any wounds.

"Are you okay?" he asked her, running his hand along her face.

"I'm fine, Brooklyn." She assured him, wrapping her wings around herself.

"Why did they do this?" Brooklyn questioned.

"Why don't we ask the one who led them here?" Hudson called out.

Broadway, Willow, and Brooklyn all turned to see Hudson and Bronx emerge from the clock tower, both of them holding Maggie by the arm. She came along quietly, her eyes never leaving Willow.

Fang and Claw slowly came to. They struggled against the fencing binding them for a split second, only to stop when Bronx let out a threatening growl. While the gargoyle dog watched the prisoners with the rest of the Manhattan clan, Brooklyn and Willow addressed Maggie, who was looking more than a bit upset. She was sitting in Hudson's arm chair, glaring at Willow's gargoyle form.

"You could turn into a human at will?" she questioned Willow. "You could have helped us!"

"Maggie…" Willow began, pausing to try and find the right words. "My… condition… isn't one I was born with, nor was it given to me in some lab."

"More than that, she's tried to help you before." Brooklyn informed her. "We all have."

"Liar!" Maggie accused. "Servarius and Goliath planned everything! You just wanted more monsters like yourselves! Willow's transformation only proves this!"

"My powers have nothing to do with this." Willow insisted.

"And none of us, especially Goliath, wanted what happened to you to happen to anyone else." Brooklyn added, placing a hand on the chair's arm. "Back in the lab, we all tried to save you, not hurt you. If Servarius does have a partner, it's Xanatos."

Maggie stood up, turning away from Brooklyn and Willow with an angry snarl.

"There you go again!" she exclaimed. "Xanatos is our only chance for a cure! If you'd lie about him, you'd lie about anything!"

Brooklyn went to try again, but Willow took his arm, shaking her head.

"She doesn't trust us." She said softly. "Not anymore."

Willow looked at her gargoyle hand, letting out a sigh.

"Not that I blame her." She muttered.

Brooklyn nodded.

"I know." he muttered before turning to the others. "Release Fang and Claw."

Hudson gave a nod as he, Lexington, and Broadway all began pulling the fencing off of Fang and Claw. Once the mutants were free, the fencing was tossed aside and the gargoyles escorted the two outside. Brooklyn and Willow did the same for Maggie, leading them out onto the balcony.

"You're free to go." Brooklyn informed them all. "Return to Xanatos if that's what you want. But don't turn your back on him."

Maggie gave Brooklyn one last look, her gaze drifting to Willow for a second. Then, she turned away, taking off with Fang and Claw. Willow watched them go, rubbing her right arm and wincing. She rolled up her sleeve, hissing when she a fair-sized bruise forming on the inner part of her arm. A small bandage was set up on top of it, but it did little to hide the bruise.

"Jalapeña…" she muttered.

Brooklyn looked over, seeing the bruise before gasping in shock.

"Willow, you are hurt!" he exclaimed.

"I'm fine, Brooklyn." Willow insisted, yanking her sleeve back down.

"No you're not." He insisted, making a grab for her. "What happened? Who did that?"

"I said I'm fine!" Willow snapped, running inside before he could lay a claw on her.

Back at Gen-U-Tech, Vinnie and Elisa were in the building's main security room. Elisa was eying the footage, more than a bit nervous about what she was about to see. She was almost positive that Talon was behind Servarius' disappearance, but her instincts were telling her that there was something she missed. She watched the security footage closely, her eyes never leaving Servarius as he made his way towards his car. As they watched, a dark figure swooped down, snatching Servarius off his feet.

"Freeze it!" she exclaimed, pointing at the screen.

The footage paused, giving Elisa a blurry image of the creature that stole Servarius.

"What is that?" Vinnie asked, squinting at the screen.

"I don't know." she replied. "Can you enhance the footage?"

Vinnie hit a few keys, bring the creature into focus. Much to her surprise, the silhouette wasn't Talon, or even one of the mutants. In fact, it was the last person, or last gargoyle, Elisa ever expected.

Down in the underground lab, Servarius was tinkering with several chemicals provided to him. He dropped a sample of a red liquid onto a microscope, grimacing as he looked through the cracked lens.

"These lab conditions are primitive at best." The doctor practically whined. "This place looks like a warzone, everything is contaminated, and frankly, I doubt any cure I made down here would actually work."

"Just get back to work," His captor demanded, stepping out of the shadows. "Before conditions really do get primitive."

With these words, he fully emerged from the light, revealing his identity to be none other than Goliath.

Elisa entered the clock tower, looking around for Goliath. Though she didn't see him, she did see Willow sitting on the arm of Hudson's chair as Brooklyn was examining a wound on her arm.

"How could such a tiny wound cause such a large bruise?" Brooklyn growled.

"I told you, I'm fine Brooklyn." Willow growled, trying to pull her arm free of his grasp but failing. "The wound's too tiny to bleed that much. Besides, it's just a-"

"A puncture wound." Elisa interjected, recognizing the distinctive pin-sized hole in the center of the bruise.

Willow turned to Elisa and her eyes went wide. She yanked down the sleeve of her hoodie in a hurry, her face turning pale. Elisa walked right over to her, the gargoyles moving out of her way as Elisa grasped Willow's sleeve, sliding back up. She examined the wound carefully, Willow keeping her head turned away.

"Willow, this looks like an amateur tried to find a vein." Elisa noted, turning Willow's head so she was facing her. "What's going on?"

Willow remained silent, trying to turn away. Hudson then stepped forward with a question of his own.

"Does your wound have something to do with Goliath's extended absence?" the old gargoyle asked.

Willow flinched, all the answer either of them needed. Elisa released Willow's arm.

"Willow," she began, "what is Goliath doing?"

Willow was physically torn on what to do, but eventually broke down. She released a breath and spoke up.

"Goliath hated seeing you so worried about Derek." She explained. "He thought he could get Servarius to make a cure, and he wanted to use my blood to try and speed the process."

"Your blood?" Lexington questioned.

"Your transformative abilities." Broadway realized.

"Goliath thought that if anyone could isolate what gives me my powers, it's Servarius." Willow added.

Brooklyn looked at Willow, a hurt expression on his face.

"Why didn't you tell us?" he asked her. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Willow met Brooklyn's eyes.

"Goliath made me swear not to tell anyone." She explained. "He didn't want to give anyone any false hope, and he also knew that Derek and the others would probably kill the doctor if they learned where he was."

Elisa took Willow's arm, a serious expression on her face.

"Take me to Goliath." Elisa insisted.

In Xanatos' office, Talon had fully recovered from the shock of Xanatos' request. He turned towards the man, his face still contorted in confusion.

"You think I have Servarius?" Talon asked. "I haven't even seen him."

"And yet, you come in here so sure that the good doctor is alive." Xanatos noted.

"I followed Elisa to Gen-U-Tech." Talon explained. "I heard the gate guard tell her that she just missed him. You can't 'just miss' someone who's been dead for weeks."

As Talon said this, the computer Owen had been using beeped. Owen glanced at it, his eyes widening slightly.

"It would seem that Talon is telling the truth." He remarked, turning the screen towards his two companions. "Security over at the lab just uncovered footage of the true culprit."

Both Talon and Xanatos looked, the former letting out a low growl. On the screen, a freeze frame of Goliath gripping onto Servarius' arms and lifting off with him filled the screen. Talon turned away, slamming his claws on the desk.

"I should have known!" He howled. "Those two are working together!"

"So it would seem." Xanatos commented. "Owen, do we have a way to track them?"

"There's no need." Owen replied. "There is only one abandoned laboratory that Goliath knows about and could gain access to. Cyber-biotics old underground research facility."

"Excellent." Xanatos declared, turning back to Talon. "Now all we have to do is-"

He cut off once he realized that Talon had left the office. He watched the door close behind him. Xanatos sighed as Owen stood up.

"Should we stop him?" Owen questioned.

"No." Xanatos decided. "We'll let Talon lead the charge."

Out on the battlements of the castle, Talon emerged from a tower as the other three mutants landed. Fang went to say something, explain what had happened back at the clock tower, but Talon just pushed past all of them. They watched him go, more than a bit confused.

"Where's he off to?" Fang wondered.

"I don't know." Maggie replied. "But he looks mad."

Talon took off into the skies, the other mutants following behind him.

Down in the lab, Servarius was mixing various chemicals together, adding a few drops of the red liquid, Willow's blood, to the concoction.

"I really dislike working with someone hanging over my shoulder." He grumbled.

Goliath just growled in response, then he heard a pair of footsteps approaching. He and the doctor turned to see Elisa and Willow entering the lab. The doctor let out a sigh of annoyance at their arrival.

"Oh great, now there's more of you." He let out.

Goliath was surprised to see them both, looking between the two of them. Willow's gaze remained downward as her clawed foot traced along the ground.

"I'm sorry Goliath." She whispered. "I couldn't keep my promise."

"Don't be mad at her, Goliath." Elisa declared. "I'm a detective, I would have found you by myself eventually."

Goliath gave a nod, then turned back to Servarius.

"Don't stop on our behalf, doctor." Goliath ordered.

Servarius wordlessly resumed his work as Elisa stepped forward.

"Goliath, you kidnapped this man." Elisa began. "What were you thinking?"

"You were in so much pain, I couldn't stand by and do nothing." Goliath explained, placing his hands on her shoulders. "And you and I both know what would happen if Talon got his hands on Servarius first."

"I get that." Elisa replied. "Willow told me that much, but I still don't get why you would go this far. Kidnapping, blackmail, that's something Xanatos would do, not you."

Goliath blinked, allowing Elisa's words to sink in. Of course, she was far from done.

"More than that, we both know we can't trust Servarius." She continued. "Once he finished his supposed cure, how would we know if it's safe? And Willow's blood. You've seen firsthand what the doctor can do with just a small sample of DNA. What's to stop him from using Willow's blood against us?"

Willow flinched at that idea and Goliath visibly sagged. Elisa pulled Willow towards them, addressing them both.

"Look, I understand what you two were trying to do, and that your hearts were in the right place, but this isn't the answer." Elisa told them. "Even if the cure works, the ends can't justify the means."

Goliath let out a sigh.

"You're right." He declared. "We'll release him."

Behind the group, Servarius grinned, holding up a large test tube full of a bubbling green liquid.

"By Jove!" He exclaimed, "I do believe I've done it!"

The second he said that, the door to the lab was blasted open, allowing Talon to enter. When he laid eyes on Elisa and Willow, his eyes went wide.

"Elisa!" he exclaimed. "What has that monster done to Willow?!"

Willow looked down at herself, seeing that she was still in her gargoyle form, and immediately panicked.

"Derek!" Willow exclaimed. "It's not what you-"

Before she could finish, Talon launched himself at Goliath, sending them slamming into a large work table covered in glassware. The entire array shattered on impact, coating the two gargoyles in glass as they tussled.

"Derek stop!" Elisa begged. "Please!"

Servarius was grinning, clutching the vial in his hand as he and the two women watched the two gargoyles tussle. Desperate to stop the fight, Willow and Elisa worked their way in between the two, Elisa trying to hold Talon while Willow grabbed for Goliath. Servarius attempted to use this as a chance to escape, but ended up running head first into the rest of the mutants, specifically Fang.

"Going somewhere, doc?" Fang snarled, lifting the doctor up by his shirt.

While Fang kept the doctor at bay, Claw went to aid Talon. Elisa and Willow had finally managed to separate the two, but Talon had other plans. He held out a claw, summoning his electrical powers to blast Goliath. The lavender gargoyle went flying out of Willow's grasp and into a nearby wall. Considering the lab was already in poor condition, it was no surprise when the force of the blow brought the wall and the ceiling crashing down.

"Goliath!" Willow screamed.

She ran to try and help him, but was held back by Maggie. Claw did the same with Elisa, pulling her off of Talon and keeping a grip on her. Talon approached Goliath, his eyes and hands both glowing.

"Bring Servarius." Talon commanded. "They can die together."

Fang set the doctor back on his feet, then shoved him towards Talon. Servarius stumbled forward as Elisa and Willow both struggled.

"Derek, you can't!" Willow screamed.

"Servarius must make us a cure!" Maggie insisted.

"Oh, I've already made it my dear." Servarius informed her, holding up the vial. "I have it right here."

Maggie's jaw dropped, her grip on Willow tightening in disbelief.

"Unfortunately, I've only had time to make enough for one dose." Servarius continued, giving all four mutants a smug look. "With more time, and better equipment, I can easily make more. All I ask in return is that I am able to go free."

Talon growled at the doctor.

"I'm long past caring about your antidotes." He informed Servarius.

"Me too." Fang agreed. "I like this body."

"I just want to see you pay for your crimes." Talon finished, glaring at Servarius with a cold, sadistic gleam in his eyes.

"You two may be content, but I'm not!" Maggie cried, pushing Willow aside and stepping forward. "Is your revenge more important than our humanity?"

Talon looked at Maggie, then gave a dismissive wave.

"You want the cure, you can have it." He declared.

Servarius clutched the vial closer to his chest, his eyes never leaving Talon.

"Why let her have it?" he questioned. "You deserve it more."

Fang snatched it from Servarius' hand, tossing it to Maggie. She fumbled with it for a second, then grasped it tightly.

"Why do you care?" Fang snapped.

"Good question." Willow asked, getting to her feet. "If he can easily make more, then why does he care who takes it first?"

"Because that antidote isn't an antidote." Elisa realized, pulling herself free of Claw's grasp.

"It's poison!" Talon gasped. "You wanted me out of the way!"

"No!" Maggie cried, her eyes never leaving the vial. "It is a cure! It has to be!"

"Of course it's a cure!" Servarius exclaimed. "You must trust me!"

"I'm afraid that ship has sailed, doctor." Xanatos' voice rang out.

Everyone turned to see Xanatos walking in, clad in his red gargoyle battle armor. Behind him were several Steel Clan robots, all of them with lasers trained on the entire group. Xanatos let loose a single blast which struck Fang in the chest, sending him into a filing cabinet. Everyone looked at Fang, then back at Xanatos, who was shaking his head sadly.

"You always overplay your hand, Anton." Xanatos chastised.

Talon stared at Xanatos, then his eyes drifted over to Goliath, who was finally pulling himself from the rubble.

"I don't believe this…" Talon muttered. "Goliath was telling the truth this entire time."

He turned to Elisa and Willow in complete shock and utter mortification.

"You all were…" he added.

"We tried to tell you, Derek." Elisa said softly.

"You should have listened to them, Talon." Servarius taunted, running over towards Xanatos and his robots.

"Yes, I should have." Talon admitted, turning towards Xanatos angrily. "You lied to me! You used me, turned me into this- this- thing! Then you turned me against my own sister!"

He stepped forward, then Xanatos blasted the ground at his feet, stopping him in his tracks.

"I am sorry things turned out this way." Xanatos lamented. "This all would have gone much better had you remained in the dark, but I couldn't allow you to damage Anton. He may be a bit of a bother, but his mind represents infinite possibilities. He's the scientist, you're just the experiment."

Talon felt as if someone had pulled the rug out from underneath him. He just stood there, completely dumbfounded as Goliath came to behind him. Xanatos watched him stand up and gave a small nod.

"Oh, hello Goliath." He greeted, "Didn't even notice you there."

Goliath growled, watching as the Steel Clan and Xanatos ushered Servarius out of the lab. As he walked out, the doctor turned back to Maggie with a malicious grin.

"You know, that could be a vial of poison." He remarked. "Of course, there's only one way to find out."

Maggie looked at the vial, contemplating her choices. Talon just broke down, putting his head in his claws. Elisa and Willow approached him, both of them placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry." he whispered, tears in his eyes. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay." Willow told him. "You're not the first person he's fooled."

"Well I won't be fooled!" Maggie shouted, yanking the cork out of the vial. "Servarius is trying to scare us!"

She lifts it to her mouth to drink, but Willow runs to her side, catching her arm.

"Maggie, wait!" she exclaimed.

"I won't wait!" Maggie cried, pulling her arm free. "I'm sick of being a monster! You may enjoy your ability to become like him-"

She gestured to Goliath, who did not react to her antics.

"-but I don't!" she snapped. "I want this to end! I don't want to be a monster anymore!"

"The risk is too great!" Willow tried to rationalize.

"I don't care!" Maggie proclaimed. "Any risk is better than living as a monster."

She went to lift it again, but this time, Talon's claws came down over it. She paused, then looked to see Talon looking at her, his eyes softer than they had ever been since his transformation.

"I'm a monster." He told her, gently caressing her cheek.

"But you're strong." She replied. "Stronger than me. I can't live this way."

"I couldn't either." He admitted. "Not without you. You were what kept me going all these months. We are strong together, both of us."

Maggie looked at Talon, the vial slipping from her grasp. It clattered to the ground, the contents spilling on the floor. Talon sighed in relief, pulling Maggie into a hug. Willow smiled, then she, Goliath, and Elisa approached all four mutants.

"What will you do now?" Willow asked.

"You four are welcome to return with me to the clock tower." Goliath offered. "I am certain we can find a place for you among my clan."

Talon blinked in surprise.

"You would do that?" He asked surprised. "After everything we've done? After all I've done?"

"Elisa is already part of my clan, as is Willow." Goliath replied. "That makes you all family."

Talon gave a nod, then pulled Maggie closer.

"Thank you Goliath, but it seems I have a clan of my own to take care of." He told him.

Goliath nods in understanding, then Elisa spoke up.

"Before you go, I need you to do something for me Derek." Elisa begged.

"Anything." Talon promised.

Elisa led her family into Derek's old apartment. Everyone followed behind her, more than a bit apprehensive to what Elisa was doing.

"Now remember." Elisa told them all. "No matter how much he's changed on the outside, he's still Derek on the inside."

The Maza family entered the apartment's bedroom, where Diane let out a gasp. Talon emerged from the shadows of the room, careful to approach slowly. Behind him, the other mutants emerged, all of them there to support their leader. For a moment, both Peter and Diane clutched each other in fright, then Beth stepped forward, gulping slightly.

"Derek?" she asked softly.

"Hey Beth." Talon greeted before looking up at his parents. "Mom, Dad."

With the initial shock worn off, all three of them embraced Talon, holding him and hugging him tightly. He wrapped his wings around them as he clutched them, the other mutants watching with small smiles on their faces. Outside the window, Willow and Goliath watched the reunion, both of them smiling.