Snow had fallen over Manhattan, covering the entire city in a crisp, white, blanket. As the moon began to fade away, the sky lightening to begin a new day, the Manhattan Clan glided through the crisp, winter air. Willow tightened a scarf around her neck, smiling down at the city.
"The city is so different in the snow." She commented.
"Yeah…" Brooklyn grumbled, holding himself. "It's colder."
Willow chuckled, gliding next to him.
"I thought the cold didn't bother gargoyles." She ribbed.
"And yet you're still wearing a coat and scarf." He retorted.
Willow chuckled.
"Touché." She allowed.
Goliath looked back at his clan with a smile.
"It's almost dawn," He declared, "and we've completed our patrol. Let's return to the clock tower for a good day's rest."
They all banked towards their home, with Hudson taking the rear. He allowed a wistful smile to grace his face.
"Not a bad life." He remarked. "All things considered."
As he said this, a blast came out of nowhere, forcing the gargoyles to scatter. They recovered, then Brooklyn's eyes locked onto a man on a rocket sled circling towards them.
"Yeah, too bad he's trying to end it!" the red gargoyle declared, pointing at the man.
The man came in close, brandishing a large electric gun and a wicked smirk. All six gargoyles recognized him instantly.
"Macbeth!" Willow shouted.
Macbeth prepped his weapon, coming closer towards the gargoyles so he could get a cleaner shot.
"I've been looking for you!" he declared, letting loose a shot.
They all banked off in different directions, the blast striking a nearby building instead. The six of them then surrounded Macbeth on all sides, circling around him like sharks.
"I don't know why you've returned, Macbeth." Goliath snarled.
"But we owe you big time for what you and Demona tried to do to us!" Brooklyn added.
In one fell swoop, all six gargoyles charged at Macbeth, their eyes all glowing brightly. Macbeth just smirked and shot upward, nearly causing the clan to collide into one another. As the six of them recovered, Macbeth circled back around and fired upon them. His blast nearly clipped Goliath, who took off after the man.
"Why do you attack us?" Goliath demanded.
"Trophies!" Macbeth exclaimed.
Macbeth aimed once more, striking down Brooklyn. The force of the blow knocked him out cold and sent him plummeting straight towards the ground.
"Brooklyn!" Willow shrieked.
She dove after him, managing to grab him and slow his descent somewhat. She wrapped her wings around him as the both came tumbling down, hoping their landing would be somewhat soft. Thankfully, the buildings were covered in enough snow that their fall was cushioned somewhat. Meanwhile, Broadway and Lexington charged at the man, both of them eager to get the job done.
"We need to get this over with." Broadway remarked. "The sun's coming up."
Macbeth smirked, then tapped a few buttons on his rocket sled's console, activating something that looked like a large missile launcher. It fired, sending a missile at the two gargoyles. Before it struck, it split into four pieces, revealing a large net inside. The two were immediately entangled in it, but Macbeth wasn't done with them yet. The net suddenly sparked with electricity, stunning both gargoyles as they fell towards the rooftop where Willow and Brooklyn were. Macbeth smirked, happily watching as they fell. Then he heard a growl come from Hudson, who was swooping towards him with his blade raised. Macbeth gunned the engine, taking off with Hudson right on his tail.
"You'll have to do better than that!" Macbeth taunted, pulling out a large packet and tossing it back at Hudson.
The packet hit Hudson square in the face, coating him in a shiny, metallic pink powder. Hudson coughed and choked, blinded by the powder. Still, he attempted to charge at Macbeth, only for the man to easily dodge him. Unable to see where he was going, Hudson joined the Trio and Willow on their rooftop, skidding across the snow before becoming half buried in it.
As Macbeth lorded over his successes, Goliath grabbed Macbeth from behind, squeezing the man into a bear hug. Macbeth struggled in his grip for a moment, then jammed his gun right into the gargoyle's ribs. The shot electrocuted Goliath, causing him to howl in pain. His grip on the man loosened as he fell towards a building decorated by some ornamental ironmongery. He managed to grab onto the wrought iron spikes, preventing himself from being impaled and landing on the decorative fencing.
The rest of his clan was just across the street from him, recovering from Macbeth's attacks. Brooklyn was just starting to come too as Hudson rubbed the powder from his eyes and Willow yanked the net off to Broadway and Lexington. Unbeknownst to them, Macbeth took aim at them all
"Farewell, my enemies." He called out.
Before he could let off the shot, Goliath let out an unintelligible roar, tearing off one of the spikes from his precarious perch. With a javelin throw worthy of the Olympics, Goliath hurled the spike at Macbeth. Though he failed to strike the man, he did strike the sled's controls, causing it to spark and smoke. The sled began to spiral out of control, making its way down to the street. With a loud explosion, it collided with the ground with a loud boom. Car alarms began going off all along the street as Goliath joined his clan on their roof.
"Are you all alright?" He asked.
"Aye." Hudson replied, still brushing the powder off of his armor. "Can't say the same for Macbeth."
"He'll survive." Willow told them both. "He's immortal, remember?"
"Do you think he'll try again?" Brooklyn questioned.
"Immortal or not, it may take some time for Macbeth to recover from the wounds of that crash." Lexington hypothesized.
"Besides, he's not one for hurting us while we're asleep." Broadway added.
Hudson looked towards the horizon, seeing the sun about to rise.
"Speaking of sleep, I suggest we all prepare to rest here for the day." Hudson remarked. "Dawn is upon us."
"I'll head back to the tower for now." Willow declared. "I'll be back at dusk."
She pecked Brooklyn on the cheek, then spread her wings and took off into the sky. The gargoyles watched her go, then each took up their usual fierce pose. The sun peaked over the horizon, turning the five into stone cold statues.
…
The sun began to set as Willow approached the building in a cab. After giving the driver a tip, she disappeared into a nearby alley. She closed her eyes and concentrated, her form shimmering with green light. Her silhouette shifted and morphed, becoming her gargoyle form so she could easily climb up the building. She reached the top of the building just as the sun disappeared, allowing the gargoyles to shake off their stone skin. However, not all of the gargoyles awoke with the setting sun. Hudson remained a statue. When everyone realized this, they all gathered around his statue in fear and confusion.
"What's wrong with him?" Broadway questioned. "Why isn't he waking up?"
Goliath placed a hand on Hudson's shoulder, but feeling nothing but cold stone beneath his fingers. With a worried glance, he turned back to the others.
"I… I don't know…" Goliath admitted, his tone practically oozing fear and worry.
"Maybe he's under a spell." Willow suggested. "Macbeth did hit Hudson with some weird powder last night."
Goliath gave a nod, noting sparkling specks all along Hudson's stone form.
"If this is indeed sorcery, then there is no doubt that Macbeth holds the counter spell." He rationalized.
"I doubt he'll just cough it up willingly." Lexington added.
Goliath nodded.
"That is why you and I will venture to his castle to find the answers ourselves." He decided. "Brooklyn, Broadway, Willow, you three stay here and guard Hudson. I fear Macbeth may return to try and collect his… trophy."
The two went to take off, then Willow grabbed his arm.
"Be careful." She begged. "And bring back that counter spell."
Goliath nodded, then he and Lexington glided away.
…
It didn't take long for the two gargoyles to arrive at Macbeth's castle. Of course, getting there was the easy part. It was getting inside that would prove to be difficult. Once the gargoyles approached the inner sanctum, two large laser cannons rose from the turrets. Automatic target and firing sequences activated, turning towards the two invading gargoyles. Wordlessly, Goliath and Lexington both split up, avoiding the laser fire with ease. Having dealt with the turrets before, they knew how to avoid them, but more than that, they knew how to deal with them. They glided around, avoiding the beams as they made their way towards opposite guns. The guns trained on the gargoyles atop the guns, firing. The gargoyles jumped into the air as the blasts reduced the guns to scrap metal. The two gargoyles landed on the battlements, looking down at the smoldering guns.
"Now, let us see what we can find." Goliath declared.
…
While Lexington and Goliath searched Macbeth's home, Broadway, Brooklyn, and Willow all watched over Hudson's statue. None of them had said a word since their companions had left, the atmosphere heavy around them. Brooklyn and Willow were holding one another, their wings wrapped around each other for both comfort and warmth. Broadway kept pacing, nervous energy radiating off of him.
"I'm worried…" he finally let out, "Even if Goliath finds something at Macbeth's place, how are we gonna make it work?"
"We'll find a way." Willow declared, looking at Hudson's statue. "We have to."
"But what if we can't?" Broadway asked. "None of us are sorcerers."
"Let's just focus on protecting Hudson," Brooklyn replied, pulling Willow closer. "We can't let anything happen to him."
…
Unbeknownst to the Manhattan clan, the statue they were guarding was just that, a statue. The true Hudson was locked away in some unknown location, sealing in a circular cage. His sword laid out of his reach on a table across the room. The bottom of the cage was slotted, bits of Hudson's stone skin littering a collection tray underneath. The bars were glowing, humming with enough electrical power to stun an elephant. The gargoyle had already tried to pull free, and had only succeeded in burning his hands. His eyes were glowing with rage as he looked into the gloom surrounding him, trying to catch sight of his kidnapper.
"You can't keep me in here forever!" He bellowed in rage. "I'll get out, d'ye hear me? I'll get out!"
As he let out his threat, the door leading to his personal prison was opened, a lone figure emerging from the gloom. Hudson wasn't the slightest bit shocked by who it was, having guessed the culprit early on.
"Xanatos…" he growled at the man, "Why'd ye kidnap me? What do ye want of me?"
"Nothing much," Xanatos replied, giving Hudson a cheeky smirk. "Just your skin."
Hudson let out a gasp, then his eyes glowed fiercely as he fell into a defensive stance.
"You'll have the devil's own task gettin' it!" Hudson warned.
Xanatos chuckled, then pulled a remote out of his jacket pocket. He clicked a button, causing the cage bottom to slide out. He picked up a single shard of stone skin before hitting the button again to replace the bottom.
"Gee. That wasn't as hard as you made it sound." Xanatos remarked sardonically.
Hudson glared at the man, continuing his stance while his eyes lost the angry glow.
"So, ye done with me?" he questioned.
"Not quite." Xanatos admitted as the door opened again.
Both Hudson and Xanatos turned to see Owen entering with a Steel Clan robot in tow. The robot was carrying a large crate, which it sat down in front of Hudson's cage.
"I need your help to conduct a small experiment." Xanatos explained as the steel clan robot tore the crate apart.
The sides of the crate fell away, revealing a large, iron cauldron. It was easily the size of a bathtub, and had intricate runes etched in a ring around the lip.
"Is this part of your 'experiment'?" Hudson questioned.
"That it is." Xanatos replied, examining the cauldron with a grin. "It's called the Cauldron of Life. According to legend, whoever bathes in it will live 'as long as the mountain stones'."
"Ah." Hudson let out, comprehending Xanatos' desire for this experiment. "You wish to be immortal."
"Of course." Xanatos replied as if it should have been obvious. "What good are all the riches on earth if Fox and I can't enjoy them forever?"
"And where do I fit into all this?" Hudson questioned, eying Xanatos curiously.
"One of the main ingredients in the cauldron's brew is the stone skin of a gargoyle." The man replied.
"And Willow?" Hudson asked. "Does she fit into this plan of yers?"
"Once I make sure the process is safe, I'll offer her the choice." Xanatos informed him, turning away from the cauldron and towards the old gargoyle. "I learned my lesson about using these ancient talismans on those I care about."
"Yes." Hudson declared, giving Xanatos a small nod. "I'd imagine so after what happened with Fox and the Eye of Odin, but how do ye plan on testing this brew of yours?"
Xanatos gave Hudson a knowing grin as the steel clan robot began filling the cauldron with water.
"I didn't just take you for your skin, Hudson." He explained. "I needed a volunteer after all."
"Ye mean ta dunk me in that oversized chamber pot?" Hudson let out.
"Eventually." Xanatos replied, tossing in the skin shard. "The legend says the skin must boil a night and a day first."
The skin dropped into the water, turning it a violet color as a puff of smoke popped out. The water began to swirl on its own, the magic of the cauldron mixing the slowly bubbling brew on its own. Xanatos smiled down at it before addressing his prisoner once more.
"If the procedure is successful, I'll release you." The man promised.
Hudson watched his, a feeling a dread creeping up his spine.
"And if it isn't?" He demanded.
"Then you'll have the privilege of giving your life for science." Xanatos answered, giving Hudson a malicious grin.
"My clan will never rest until they know where I am." Hudson warned.
Xanatos chuckled.
"They know exactly where you are." Xanatos explained. "Your statue remains where you went to sleep, and your clan believes you frozen, no doubt due to an enchantment left by Macbeth."
Hudson gasped, remembering the powder thrown in his face. Considering Macbeth's age, as well as his well-earned wisdom, it wouldn't be a stretch to believe him capable of such a feat. Still, Hudson was determined not to show his captor any weakness.
"Ye think my clan will be fooled by yer trick forever?" Hudson jeered. "If Goliath doesn't figure out this deception, Willow certainly will."
Xanatos' boastful smile faltered someone, Hudson's words ringing with truth.
"You might be right." He admitted before turning to Owen. "Make sure the other gargoyles don't think to look for him here."
Owen gave a nod, then went to do what he was told as Xanatos watched over the brew. Before he could go anywhere, Hudson's voice stopped him.
"And what's in this for you?" Hudson asked him.
"Service is its own reward." Owen replied simply. "I would've thought you knew that."
"Owen, I want the gargoyles distracted." Xanatos called out.
"Understood, sir." Owen replied, turning his back on Hudson and leaving the room.
…
Back on the roof, the three gargoyles continued their silent vigil over Hudson's statue. Then, all three of them perked their ears at a slight sound in the distance. They looked out onto the horizon, but were still caught off guard when a streak of electricity struck at their feet. All three of them jumped, Brooklyn and Willow untangling themselves just in time to catch the ledge before falling off. Broadway pulled them back up on the roof, then they all turned and see Macbeth streaking through the sky.
"No way!" Broadway exclaimed.
"How did he recover so quickly?!" Brooklyn shouted.
"The Weird Sister's magic is more powerful than we anticipated." Willow surmised. "They are fairies after all."
Macbeth aimed his weapon at the three once more, forcing them to scatter in order to dodge.
"Doesn't matter how he recovered, we have to lead him away from Hudson!" Brooklyn declared.
Broadway and Willow nodded, then all three of them jumped off the roof, taking to the skies. As expected, Macbeth immediately gave chase, letting off a few more pot shots as he did.
"I've been looking for you!" he declared, in the exact same way he did the other night.
…
Goliath and Lexington's search for a counter spell had proven in vain, so the gargoyles had gone to the one person they thought could help.
"We searched that mansion from attic to cellar, but found nothing." Goliath explained. "If Macbeth did have a way to break the spell, then he has no doubt kept it secret, privy only to himself."
Elisa leaned forward on her couch, looking at the two gargoyles perched in her living room.
"Macbeth is immortal, and has over 900 years' worth of experience keeping secrets." She mused. "Even if we find him, I doubt any of us will be able to make him talk."
"Perhaps not." Goliath said with a nod, looking out the window. "However, there is another who could possibly know how to free Hudson."
Lexington looked to Goliath, catching on to what he meant.
"Goliath…" he let out, "You're not seriously considering-"
"We don't have a choice." Goliath interrupted. "We need a sorceress. We need Demona."
He turned back to Elisa, a desperate expression on his face.
"You are a detective." He announced. "I beg you, use your skills to help us track her down."
Elisa sighed, standing up to face Goliath.
"You know I'd do anything for you, Goliath." she told him. "But honestly, I wouldn't even know where to start looking."
"We can't just give up!" Goliath proclaimed.
"We won't." Elisa promised. "But Demona isn't the way."
Lexington glanced out the window, noting the lightening sky.
"It's not long til sunrise." He noted. "We should head back."
Goliath nodded wordlessly, then moved towards the open skylight he and Lexington had used to enter Elisa's apartment. He stopped when he felt Elisa's hand on his chest.
"I'd like to go with you." She requested.
He nodded, then scooped her up in his arms, making his way towards Hudson's statue with Lexington right behind him.
…
Hudson sat in his cage, looking out at the bubbling cauldron before him. As he watched it, Xanatos entered the room, giving the brew a glance.
"The soup's coming along nicely." He remarked.
"You've obviously gone to a lot of trouble." Hudson remarked offhand. "To carve a statue of my likeness, no doubt ye had to do it weeks in advance. Tell me something, why me?"
"Because you are old, and growing older," Xanatos replied. "I thought you might even appreciate the opportunity."
"Growing old terrifies ye, doesn't it?" Hudson needled him.
"Nothing terrifies me." Xanatos retorted, a surprising amount of anger in his voice, "Because nothing is beyond my ability to change."
Hudson gave a small snort, then Xanatos decided to do some needling of his own.
"What about you?" The man snapped. "Still wasting your evenings in front of a television set? You're of little use to your clan, you might as well be of some use to me."
Rather than belittle or insult the gargoyle like he had intended, Xanatos' words merely enraged the gargoyle.
"Open this cage," Hudson growled, rising to his feet, "and I'll show you just how useless I am!"
Xanatos just turned away and walked back out of the room, his mood visibly soured. As the door slammed shut behind him, Hudson settled back down onto the floor of his cage. He looked down, then his good eye caught sight of his stone skin that was still gathered beneath him. There was a long, sharp shard easily the size of a dagger, a perfect impromptu weapon. Without further ado, Hudson slid it between the slats of the floor, examining it curiously.
…
Brooklyn, Broadway, and Willow continued to try and dodge Macbeth's blasts, all while leading him further and further away from Hudson's statue. They had been at this for what felt like hours, and were quickly starting to tire out. Broadway landed on the side of a building, hoping to hide long enough for a sneak attack. A blast from Macbeth's gun had him out of his hiding spot and back out onto the skies.
"Farewell, my enemies!" he shouted.
The three regrouped, still soaring through the skies.
"At least we led him away from Hudson!" Willow shouted.
A shot pierced the air between Willow and Brooklyn.
"Yeah, now who's gonna lead him away from us?!" Brooklyn exclaimed.
"It's almost dawn!" Broadway told them both. "We'll be sitting ducks! Besides, we gotta nail him! He's the only one that can free Hudson."
He banked upward, hoping to get behind Macbeth and take him out. Macbeth looked back at him with a disappointed expression.
"You'll have to do better than that." He warned.
He took off down the street, Broadway right behind him. All of a sudden, he took a sharp right turn, forcing Broadway to slide up the side of a building, nearly grazing his stomach along the wall. While he did this, Willow and Brooklyn swopped down together, the two of them latching onto Macbeth for dear life. The man struggled, then elbowed Willow hard in the gut, grabbing her by the front of her hoodie.
"No!" Brooklyn shouted.
Macbeth tossed her off of his rocket sled, Brooklyn immediately releasing him to go after her. He swooped down, scooping her up seconds before she fell. She coughed and wheezed, wrapping her arms around Brooklyn's neck.
While Brooklyn checked on Willow, Broadway charged at Macbeth, his eyes glowing brightly. They quickly closed the gap between one another in an aerial game of chicken. However, rather than either of them stopping, Macbeth brought his fist up and punched Broadway square in the nose. With the combined momentum of the two of them, the punch was a devastating blow, nearly knocking Broadway out of the sky. The large gargoyle recovered quickly though, continuing his pursuit.
Brooklyn flew over to a large, upside-down t-shaped building called "Royal Persian Carpets", landing on one of the lower rooftops with Willow. He set her down in the snow, both of them looking out as Macbeth and Broadway continued their chase. The electrical blasts Macbeth was letting off gave Goliath and Lexington a sign to follow, their eyes locking on the two grounded gargoyles. They landed, Goliath setting down Elisa as they all looked towards the skies.
"What is he doing?!" Lexington exclaimed, pointing at his rookery brother. "The sun's about to come up!"
"He's fighting Macbeth." Willow explained, looking up at the lightening sky with an ever growing concerned.
"Macbeth!" Goliath let out. "He's back already?!"
He went to try and aid Broadway, but everyone else all got in his way.
"The Sun!" they all shouted in unison.
No sooner had they said this, the first rays of dawn peaked over the horizon, the effects instantaneous. Goliath, Brooklyn, and Lexington all froze solid, their skin becoming hard as stone. Both Willow and Elisa gasped, then turned to the sky, seeing Broadway turning to stone as well… while still several stories in the air!
"BROADWAY!" Willow screamed.
No time to waste, Willow jumped off the roof, soaring toward Broadway's statue as it began to fall. She grabbed his arms, trying to stop him from falling. Unfortunately, the statue weighted at least half a ton, and even her gargoyle strength was not enough to stop the fall. Luckily, she did slow it enough for Elisa to come up with a plan.
In front of the rug store, a large crane was set up, holding a large crate high above the ground. Praying for a miracle, Elisa pulled out her pistol, aiming at the rope holding the crate upward and emptying her clip into it. The rope snapped and the crate went tumbling down, shattering on impact and releasing the rugs inside. Willow steered herself towards it, then both she and Broadway's statue fell onto the impromptu cushion.
Elisa made a beeline for the fire escape, running down the metal steps two at a time to go and check on her friends. When she got there, Willow's form had shimmered back into her human skin, breathing heavily as she looked up.
"Quick thinking." she gasped. "Is he-?"
Elisa gave Broadway's statue a once over, letting out a sigh of relief. There wasn't as much as a crack on him.
"He's okay." She told her.
Willow flopped onto her back, closing her eyes as exhaustion finally claimed her.
"Jalapeña…" she sighed before finally falling asleep.
Up in the sky, Macbeth looked down at them all, letting out a final shout.
"Trophies!" he proclaimed before speeding off into the rising sun.
…
Xanatos watched as Hudson's form slowly stiffened into solid stone, a smirk on his face. As if on cue, Owen walked it.
"We have a field report from Macbeth" Owen declared, walking up to his boss. "He kept the gargoyles busy throughout the night."
"Better watch out, Owen," Xanatos said with a playful lilt to his voice. "This MacBeth fellow may be gunning for your job. He's already died for me once on this project; it's hard to top that."
Owen's eyes narrowed a bit at Xanatos' words, but he remained silent.
…
After hailing a cab and getting Willow to her apartment for some well-deserved rest, Elisa returned to the rug store. There, she supervised a crane as it hoisted Broadway up off of the street and onto the roof with the statues of Goliath, Brooklyn, and Lexington. He touched down safely and Elisa smiled.
…
Sunset returned once more, signaling the beginning of a new night. Still locked in his cage, Hudson awoke with a mighty howl, shedding his skin and stretching widely. Once he shook off the last pieces, he glanced down at the sharp skin shard still in his grasp. Knowing he had little time before his captors returned, he slipped the sharp into his belt, then settled in to wait.
…
Elisa returned to the shop a little before sunset, bringing Willow along with her. Once the sun went down, the gargoyles all gave their morning stretches, shaking off their stone skins. As their visions cleared, the gargoyles all locked eyes on Broadway, breaking into large grins.
"Jalapeña!" Brooklyn exclaimed happily. "You're still alive! It's a miracle!"
"Yes." Goliath agreed, "Two miracles actually, named Elisa and Willow."
"I'm just happy the big guy's still in one piece." Willow let out. "It's bad enough Hudson's still trapped in stone, but if we lost Broadway too…"
Goliath immediately gasped at the mention of his mentor's name.
"Hudson…" he muttered before quickly scooping up Elisa, "We must return to him!"
Without another word needing to be spoken, everyone took off towards the roof where they'd left Hudson.
…
"Your bath is ready, Hudson." Xanatos called out cheerily, pulling the remote from his pocket.
He pressed the button, summoning a steel clan robot to approach Hudson's cage. His eyes never leaving the approaching bot, Hudson attempted to reason with the man.
"Listen to me, Xanatos." Hudson tried. "What you seek demands a heavy price.
The bars on his cage deactivated, and the second they did, the steel clan robot grabbed Hudson, pulling him out of the cage. It maintained a tight grip on the elder gargoyle's wrists as he continued to try and make Xanatos see reason.
"I've been alive for over eleven hundred years." Hudson explained. "Most of my clan is dead and dust, and I am a stranger in a strange land. Demona and MacBeth are immortal; has it brought them happiness?"
"Save your breath." Xanatos told him with a dismissive wave. "Death and old age have their price as well. And it's too expensive for me."
…
The group arrived back at Hudson's statue, more than a bit relieved to see it still there, and still in one piece.
"He's still okay." Broadway proclaimed happily.
"Yeah…" Willow replied, her non-existent eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "Doesn't that strike any of you guys as odd?"
"A bit…" Lexington answered. "I mean, he's been saying he wants us as trophies, and yet, he didn't try and take Hudson while we were sleeping."
"More than that, why hasn't he used that magical powder on the rest of us?" Brooklyn questioned. "None of this makes any sense."
"Indeed." Goliath agreed with the lot of them, approaching his old mentor's statue. "I believe there is more to this mystery than meets the eye."
Just then, MacBeth attacks once more, his electrical fire forcing everyone into motion. Elisa rolled over until her back was along a wall as the gargoyles took to the skies.
"Keep him away from Hudson!" Goliath declared.
Brooklyn and Willow got behind Macbeth's rocket sled, determined that this time, the man wouldn't get away. Macbeth looked back at them, taking aim.
"Farewell, my enemies." He called back to them as he fired.
He struck Brooklyn in the chest, who in turn ended up flying right back into Willow. They fell together, the both of them grabbing onto a ledge before they could fall off.
"Okay…" Brooklyn groaned. "This is gettin' old."
The rest of the gargoyles easily evaded Macbeth's attempts to fire on them, but he didn't seem to be focused on them this go around. In fact, many of his blasts came down inches from Hudson's statue. Elisa watched this from where she was crouched, her eyes widening.
"No, don't do it!" she screamed.
Elisa took aim at Macbeth, but her gun just clicked when she attempted to fire. She cursed, having forgotten to refill her clip after rescuing Broadway. This left her helpless to aid her friends in protecting Hudson's statue. Macbeth grinned, then leveled his gun down it. All the gargoyles looked in horror, trying to move as fast as they could.
"No!" Lexington howled.
"Hudson!" Willow screamed.
Macbeth fired, and this time, his aim was true. He struck the stone statue, shattering it into pieces. The gargoyles all felt as if the world was crumbling underneath them, each and every one landing on the rooftop. Goliath approached the rubble, falling to his knees in anguish. Willow immediately began sobbing, clinging to Brooklyn as she did. He held her close, wrapping his wings around her. Broadway and Lexington were both just speechless, staring at the pile of rocks.
Goliath got up off of his knees, his eye glowing brighter than ever before. His fists clenched, and he jumped into the air, snarling in the most inhumane way possible. He caught up to Macbeth easily, grabbing hold of the tail end of the rocket sled. Macbeth of course turned his gun on the gargoyle, but it did him little good. Goliath climbed up onto the sled, howling with so much hatred and rage.
"Murderer!" He screamed.
Macbeth turned his gun on Goliath once more, but the lavender gargoyle merely crushed it in his claws. Forgoing the weapon, Macbeth brought his hands down on Goliath's chest, attempting a different form of electrocution. Goliath roared in pain, but didn't falter, his grief and lust for vengeance dulling the pain.
"You will pay for what you've done!" Goliath swore, bringing back his fist.
His fist tore through Macbeth's body, but rather than blood spilling from the wound, cables and circuits were exposed, as well as robotic conduits. Goliath gasped, realization dawning.
"A robot…" he let out.
The robotic Macbeth swayed back and forth, its power slowly fading away.
"You'll have to do better than that..." the robot said haltingly, his voice growing lower and slower as it began to break apart.
Goliath abandoned the rocket sled and the robotic Macbeth, watching from the skies as it plummeted earthward, coming to an explosive halt on the roof of a nearby building.
…
While his clan mourned over the loss of his statue, the true Hudson struggled in the grip of the steel clan robot, which dangled him over the bubbling caldron by one arm.
"Relax," Xanatos told him, casually picking up Hudson's sword and giving it a toss. "Without your sword, you're helpless."
"Swordless, maybe." Hudson growled, reaching into his belt with his free hand for his secret weapon. "Helpless, never!"
He shoved his stone knife into the steel clan robot's eye. It released him, allowing him to spring off the cauldron's rim. With a roar, he delivered a flying kick to Xanatos, sending the man flying and his sword up into the air. Hudson caught it easily, turning towards an approaching Owen.
"Behave yourself, boy." He warned, bringing the man to a halt.
Xanatos slowly got to his feet, dusting himself off.
"I underestimated you." He admitted, straightening his collar. "Very resourceful, using your own skin as a weapon."
He then let out a sigh, knowing he was beaten.
"I suppose this is where you destroy the cauldron." He surmised.
"And why would I be doin' that?" Hudson replied, tucking his sword away. "What you do with your life is your own affair, as long as it's got nothin' ta do with me, or any member of my clan. Including Willow."
Xanatos blinked a bit, then a small smile slipped onto his face.
"You're just full of surprises." Xanatos complimented.
"A friendly word of advice." Hudson offered. "True immortality isn't about living forever, man. It's about what ye do with the time ye have. When all yer scheming's done, what will be your legacy, Xanatos?"
With that, Hudson turned for the door, making his way out of his prison. Owen pulled a cellphone from his pocket, no doubt to call security. Before he could dial a number, Xanatos covered the phone with his hand.
"Let him go." Xanatos ordered. "He's earned it."
…
The entire clan was gathered around Hudson's shattered statue, Willow still in Brooklyn's grip, and Elisa now in Goliath's. Broadway had a hand on Lexington's shoulder, the both of them barely keeping themselves from crying.
"Hudson was the greatest warrior I had ever known." Goliath recounted. "His loss diminishes us all."
"He was one in a million…" Brooklyn declared, wiping his eyes.
"He was like a grandfather to me…" Willow sobbed.
"He's forgotten more things than we'll ever know." Lexington added sadly.
"He was always there for us." Elisa offered.
"Sorry Hudson…" Broadway apologized. "I wish it hadn't turned out this way,"
"All things considered," Hudson called out from behind the group. "I'm just as glad it did."
Everyone looked behind them, their faces lighting up to see Hudson alive and well.
"Hudson!" Willow shrieked, jumping from Brooklyn's grasp and right into Hudson's. "You're alive!"
He returned her hug readily, the trio all rushing over to hug him as well, all of them laughing and cheering. Goliath's stance visibly relaxed as he approached his mentor.
"It is good to see you alive and well, old friend." He told him.
"But how?" Willow questioned. "If you're here, then what was-?"
"It's a long story, lass." He told her, "One best told in the comfort of home over a hot cup of tea."
She nodded, then Hudson looked over at the rubble of his statue. He picked up a piece of it, a large chunk that had been part of his head. He gave it a smirk.
"I think I'll keep this as a souvenir." he decided. "Not everyone can reclaim their head after losing it. Let's go home."
Everyone nodded eagerly, Goliath picking up Elisa and all of them heading for home, leaving behind the rubble and several nights' worth of bad memories behind them.
…
Back with Xanatos, he looked over the cauldron's brew with a disappointed expression.
"I was so close to finding out if the legend was true." he rued. "Now, I have no one to test it on."
"Allow me." Owen offered, rolling up his sleeve.
Without further ado, he dipped his left fist and forearm into the cauldron. The water turned a lime green color and his arm began to glow. Owen pulled out his arm, the glow dying away to reveal his fist had turned to stone. He banged it on the side of the cauldron to see if it was just a stone shell, but it seemed that his arm was now solid stone.
"It would appear that the cauldron's spell of immortality has a price." he remarked in his usual monotone, surprisingly unperturbed by his new hand.
"Whoever bathes in it will live 'as long as the mountain stones'." Xanatos recalled, a small chuckle slipping through his lips. "How literal-minded."
He turned to walk off, giving his manservant a dismissive wave.
"Thank you, Owen." He told him. "That'll be all."
As he left, Owen looked down at his stone arm with a sour and vaguely disapproving expression.
