Chapter 1: "Genesis" Act II - Invitation
Meanwhile, unaware of the figure's attack on the clock tower, Goliath and Broadway were flying to the west side of the city. It was a part of their patrol to keep the streets safe from the common and uncommon criminal activity, especially activities that involve the likes of Xanatos and Demona. They've had more than a few shares of their goals, which were either to destroy humanity or simply to destroy the Gargoyles. Their companion, Elisa Maza often ends up in trouble on both counts. But just the same, she'd still risk her life to save her friends and protect the city. Those times were already enough for Broadway to worry about her. But with her job being a cop detective, it's gotten Broadway anxious enough to get nightmares; and the fact that he once used a gun on her by accident didn't help.
That misfire by one weapon was enough for Broadway to realize how dangerous the world (and firearms) really were. Before he found Goliath, he practically went on a search for Anthony Dracon and crushed his men's guns along the way on a personal crusade of redemption. Elisa's been doing better since then, but he still can't get over it. His conscience wouldn't let him. Broadway looked over to his clan leader and tried to ask for reassurance.
"Hey, Goliath. Are you sure Elisa's gonna be alright?"
Goliath looked over to his bright cerulean friend with compassion. He was aware that what he'd done was an accident. It simply wasn't in his nature to attack her the way he did. Besides, he knew it'd take more than that to stop her. She was stubborn that way. And yet... deep down, he had to wonder the same thing.
"Of course, Broadway. She's helped us more than once. But all the same... I do worry for her."
Broadway wouldn't blame him. Ever since they first woke up in New York City, Goliath has become infatuated with Elisa Maza. She was the first human he'd ever met, aside from Xanatos. And from then on, she'd always do anything she could for him and his clan. That's when it occurred to Broadway.
"Oh, I get it. That's why we're going west, right? To check on Elisa ourselves." "That's right. That is, assuming she isn't on patrol."
"I hope not. If anything else happened to her, I don't know what I 'd do with myself."
As it happened, Broadway needn't have worried. Elisa was back in her apartment, helping Sarah with unpacking her stuff, as well as the temporary living arrangements between the two of them. Firstly, Elisa obviously had to clean Sarah's outfit due to them getting wet a few hours prior. Next, she tried to help Sarah find a bed to sleep in. There was only one bed, but Elisa was alright with Sarah sleeping in it. By that point, she was already dressed in her pajamas, an outfit consisting of a dark blue shirt with matching pants to go with it. As always, she appreciated the hospitality, but at the same time, she didn't feel right taking her bed away.
"Thanks for letting me use your bed, Elisa. But are you sure you don't mind?"
"It's fine, Sarah. I got my couch to sleep on, don't I?"
"I know. But still..."
Before Sarah could say another word, Elisa placed her hand gently upon her face, making her look up at her as she spoke softly.
"Hey, I told you. Don't worry about it. You've just been through a rainy day. Besides, I'd always be glad to help you. Well, unlike all the others on the streets, that is."
Sarah smiled at Elisa's quip as she spoke in agreement.
"Right? You'd think they'd learn to clean up their act for other people."
"Hey, that's what I'm here for. Most of the time, I show my badge and they freeze like a deer in headlights."
Sarah and Elisa began to laugh together with a smile on their faces. Once the laughter died down, Sarah looked to Elisa again as she laid down.
"But seriously, though. Thank you. Good night."
Sarah opened her mouth wide as she let out a yawn and drifted into sleep before Elisa turned off the lights.
"Good night, Sarah."
With that, Elisa walked out of her room to let her best friend sleep in peace, both of them unaware that Goliath and Broadway were nearing her apartment. The pair of Gargoyles landed near the window frame that overlooked the apartment's living room just as Elisa closed took notice of them. It might've been bad timing if Sarah was still awake. But nonetheless, it was good to see the two of them. A friendly visit aside, she became curious about what they could've come over to her for. She planned to find out as she opened the window. When she did, Broadway greeted her and Cagney as it went closer to Elisa before she spoke to them.
"Hey, Elisa."
"Guys, what are you doing here? I've got someone sleeping in my room tonight."
Broadway became perplexed. He wasn't aware that Elisa had a roommate, at least not the other times he's been over at her apartment.
"Wait, you have a roommate?"
Elisa almost shouted before remembering that she's gone asleep. She tried not to disturb her as she whisper-shouted.
"Yes! She still doesn't know about you guys, and I'm trying to keep it that way. So why are you guys here?"
In an effort to keep her from getting too mad, Broadway was quick to explain the matter himself prior to his clan leader.
"We haven't seen you at the clock tower, so we thought you went on duty."
"And though it's apparent that you weren't, we decided to patrol the city for anything out of the ordinary."
Hearing this, Elisa realized the timing couldn't be better. She'd remembered that Sarah showed her a business card from Dracus Industries. She hadn't heard of the place, but the fact that a "Good Samaritan" paid for the cab and gave her a card for her to get to know him was enough for her to know it's pretty suspicious, and she didn't need to be a detective to figure that out.
"Well, speaking of that, I got something for you guys."
Elisa got out the Dracus Industries card from her pocket and showed it to Goliath and Broadway. Upon examining the card, the former raised his eyebrows in surprise, particularly to the symbol. It was in the shape of a dragon inside a shield. Goliath had to know.
"Where did you find this?"
"My roommate Sarah gave it to me. She said a 'Good Samaritan' helped pay for her cab to my place and was invited to a place called Dracus Industries."
Goliath became just as suspicious from hearing this. As much as he hoped to believe that there was a "Good Samaritan" somewhere, the symbol on the card was too great to ignore.
"Whoever gave your roommate that card is not her friend. That symbol bears the exact appearance of the Phoenix Gate."
Elisa widened her eyes in curiosity. She hadn't heard of such an artifact, assuming it was anything like the Grimorum. Still, if Xanatos got his hands on something like that, the results would be catastrophic. But she knew the stakes depended on its capabilities.
"The Phoenix Gate? How bad is it?"
"It is an ancient relic capable of allowing one to traverse the boundaries of time with merely a thought. In short, if anyone traveled through time with the threat of changing the future, reality as you know it will cease to exist."
That caused Elisa to bear a shocked gasp. Unfortunately, because of the volume, Sarah began to stir from her sleep. Somehow, she got the sense that Elisa was in some sort of trouble. She had to be sure, though, or she'd end up barging in.
"Elisa? Are you doing okay?"
It was then that Elisa realized she'd made a slip-up. In her act of an exclaimed gasp, she must've woken up Sarah. Even worse, if she came out the door and saw the Gargoyles, she'd be in a panic. Elisa couldn't afford that as she tried to convince her.
"Uh... yeah! Just got a bit spooked by something is all."
Sarah raised her eyebrow in disbelief as she spoke through the door.
"Come on, Elisa. Don't lie to me. We've known each other since High School. I can smell a lie as easily as you."
Broadway, having overheard Elisa's roommate's voice with his big ears, became perplexed by what he thought it meant.
"Is your roommate a detective, too?"
Elisa tried to shush Broadway, but it was already too late.
"Is someone there with you, Elisa?"
Elisa turned to Broadway, giving him a glare for being loud enough for her to hear, making him cover his mouth in embarrassment as he whispered.
"Sorry..."
After that, Elisa tried once again to dissuade Sarah from walking out the room.
"Uh, it's just the landlord. He checks on me every now and then."
Elisa turned back to the Gargoyles and whispered to them.
"We'll talk more later, guys. But for now, you need to go..."
Before they had the chance, however, Sarah felt it best to address herself to make it easier for her. Although she didn't entirely believe the story, she could imagine her being confronted by someone.
"Well, I can't leave you with him by yourself. I'm coming out."
Sarah stood up from her bed and went for the door, much to Elisa's worry.
"No, Sarah! I-It's not necessary!"
Sadly, her plea fell on deaf ears. Sarah opened the door. And the moment she did, she was met with a surprising sight of two monstrous beings at the window with Elisa appearing to be at their mercy as she gasped. Sarah was at a loss for words and began to tremble as she began to mumble.
"M-M-Monsters...!"
Elisa saw the fear in her friend's eyes and tried to calm her down.
"Oh, boy... Sarah, I know how this looks, but trust me. And please don't freak out."
It was hard for Sarah to take her advice, especially when she's met with two living Gargoyles.
"Don't freak out?! There are two monsters threatening you, and you're telling me not to freak out?!"
Broadway tried to prove his innocence as he explained himself. However, Sarah didn't exactly show faith that he meant it.
"Hey, we weren't gonna hurt her! We were just making sure she was okay!"
"Give me one one reason why I should believe that!"
As if to answer, Cagney meowed at Broadway before going over to one of his legs and purring as he rubbed himself on him. Broadway took notice of the cat and smiled as he picked the cat up.
"Hey, Cagney. It's nice to see you, too."
Sarah looked puzzled towards how Cagney acted around Broadway. It was almost as if it wasn't threatened by the Gargoyle. Then, she remembered what Elisa told her earlier. According to her, Cagney was an excellent judge of character. After all, it did like her when she visited. Goliath took his turn next to appeal to her.
"We apologize for the intrusion, madame, but I assure you, we mean you no harm."
Elisa went over to Sarah, who's still coming to terms with the fact that two Gargoyles are in the apartment as she spoke gently to her.
"It's okay, Sarah. You can trust him. Cagney does."
Sarah looked to her best friend, wanting to know how she came to know those two.
"Okay, do you mind explaining to me what is going on here? Because the last time I saw you, you didn't have Gargoyles hanging around you."
"Believe me, it's a long story. I'll explain on the way."
Sarah widened her eyes from hearing this, fearing what it may imply.
"On the way?"
When she looked to the lavender Gargoyle, Goliath had confirmed her fears.
"Now that you know about our existence, we'll need to decide what to do about you."
Sarah couldn't help but gulp from his words. For all she knew, she could be held prisoner. Or if not that, they could be deciding to get rid of her. Either way, she knew that they wouldn't leave her alone now. Despite her situation, Broadway tried to make it bearable for her.
"Hey, don't worry. We're not so bad once you get to know us."
Sarah didn't find his word too convincing. But she also knew she didn't have much of a choice. Beside that, she still needed to know Elisa's history with the Gargoyles.
"Well, if Elisa trusts you… I guess I might as well give it a try."
Broadway became especially happy as he set Cagney down on the floor before holding his arms out.
"Great. Just hop in and hold on tight."
Sarah became perplexed by his gesture, though she had a feeling what it meant.
"Uh, how come?"
Elisa felt it was obvious as she nudged her in the shoulder.
"Well, how else are we gonna get to the clock tower?"
Sarah began to back away, looking more scared than ever. Elisa saw this and held onto her hand before trying to soothe her as she went into panic mode.
"Oh, no, no ,no, no, no! I have a fear of heights, Elisa! You know that!"
"It'll be okay, Sarah. They're not gonna drop you. You can trust me."
Sarah looked behind Elisa to the company she kept. Goliath appeared stern and serious while Broadway seemed good-natured and gentle, if Cagney being near him was any indication. She hoped Elisa was right as she sighed.
"Okay. But I'm going with the big one. At least he doesn't seem like the type to kill me."
Sarah walked over to Broadway before she reluctantly placed herself in his waiting arms, allowing him to carry her bridal style. The Gargoyle then looked down to her as he spoke.
"Okay. Now, brace yourself."
With that, Broadway took off the window and began to glide away from the apartment. Sarah did nothing to hide her fear as she screamed and closed her eyes while holding tightly onto Broadway's arm. Goliath and Elisa took off next as the latter was carried by the Gargoyle the same way. Sarah still kept her eyes shut as she whimpered. Broadway looked down to her again as he tried to reassure her.
"It's okay, Sarah. I'm not gonna let you go. You can open your eyes."
Sarah cautiously opened her eyes as she continued to hold tightly onto him. When they were open, Sarah couldn't believe what she was seeing. She was flying high above the city, overlooking the brilliant display of New York's lights in an angle she never thought was possible. It truly was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen.
"Wow…"
Hearing the awe and amazement in her voice, Broadway hoped it helped her stop being afraid.
"Are you feeling better?"
Sarah looked up to Broadway with a smile of relief as she answered him.
"Yeah. It's really amazing to see the city like this."
"Glad I could help."
Sarah looked back to the city as she kept her eyes forward while Goliath and Elisa flew by her. As she flew with him, she pondered about the name of her newfound companion.
"So, what's your name?"
"My name's Broadway. And my friend's Goliath."
Sarah made a gentle smile as she looked to Broadway. After a short while, though, Sarah began to wonder about something, mostly about their plans for her. Broadway didn't seem like he'd hurt her, and Goliath was making sure Elisa was safe in his arms as well as his friend. They certainly weren't behaving like she expected them to. And as if that weren't enough, Elisa gave her a smug look as she spoke.
"I told you so."
Sarah gave her a look that told her "who asked you?" before looking up to Broadway. Neither of them appeared to want to harm her or Elisa. It made her curious to say the least.
"So, uh… you're not gonna hurt me?"
"Why would we do that? Any friend of Elisa's is a friend of mine. Even though I haven't met them yet. Besides, Gargoyles protect."
"Protect what?"
Goliath took the liberty of answering that as he flew closer to Sarah and Broadway.
"Anything and anyone they can that is within our castle. It's always been the way of our clan for over a thousand years."
"But if you've been alive all this time, where did you all go?"
He gave a sad growl before he replied.
"That, my friend, is a long tale…"
Later on, as they were flying over the city with their "captive" in tow, Goliath had explained his story of how he and his clan came to meet Elisa. She investigated their Castle Wyvern when Xanatos acquired it at the time. And just when Elisa fell, Goliath was there to glide down and catch her. From then on, she'd gotten to know him and his clan, especially of what happened to them 1,000 years ago. As it turned out, they may very well be the last of their kind.
In 994 Scotland, Demona, a former member of their clan, conspired with the captain to betray those he sheltered to the vikings led by Hakon. In return, the Gargoyles in charge of the castle were smashed to pieces in broad daylight. Only Goliath and his clan were able to survive this tragedy. Since then, he swore revenge on both the captain and Hakon. But even that was denied him; they both fell to the river below the cliff, forever out of Goliath's reach.
In his own personal rage for what he supposed was the death of Princess Katherine, which thankfully didn't come to pass, the Magus cursed his clan to become stone until the Castle was lifted to the sky. When Goliath discovered this, he asked the Magus to be frozen in stone with them while the Princess and he looked after their eggs and made sure they were safe. Goliath could only guess what could've happened by the time they're awake again. By that time, they'd landed safely back at the clock tower, and Sarah felt especially sorry for him despite her position.
"Goliath, I'm so sorry that all happened to you. I don't know what to say."
"You needn't say anything else. There was nothing that could've been done."
That didn't do anything to stop Sarah from feeling pity for Goliath. She couldn't imagine being betrayed by someone close to her, much less being alone in the world. If that happened to her, she wouldn't know what to do with herself. Although, she wondered what reason the captain had for what he did.
"What about your captain? Did you ever find out why he betrayed Princess Katherine?"
Goliath only made a deep sigh. Since his clan's massacre, he was so focused on revenge that he didn't stop to think about that, not even when the betrayer fell with Hakon.
"Sadly, I'll never know. But since we've awoken, I've decided never to trust another human being."
Sarah became puzzled at this, considering the present company.
"But then, why is Elisa with you?"
Elisa took the opportunity next to explain to Sarah about Goliath's priorities.
"Believe it or not, Goliath and I had the same policy. As a detective, I couldn't trust anyone. I knew Xanatos was up to something when he placed their castle on the Eyrie Building. If it wasn't for that, though, I wouldn't have met him and the other Gargoyles."
Sarah's eyes widened from hearing this. According to Goliath, almost his whole clan was smashed in the daylight. She just assumed that he and Broadway were the only ones left.
"Others? How many of you guys are left?"
Broadway looked down to Sarah with a smile as he replied.
"About six of us. But don't worry. We won't bite."
Sarah didn't feel too convinced from his words. She knew he meant well, but it didn't sound any better.
"Yeah, you might wanna find a better choice of words."
In that moment, Goliath took notice of Brooklyn and Lexington just as they came into view. Sarah took notice of them, too, and became nervous to see them. She attempted to hide, but Elisa stopped her.
"It'll be fine, Sarah. They're not gonna hurt you, either."
In that moment, the two of them landed near Goliath and Broadway as they looked over to their clan leader as he spoke to them.
"Brooklyn, Lexington. Did you find anything on your end?"
Lexington briefed Goliath first before Brooklyn gave his report.
"So far, there wasn't any sign of anything related to Xanatos."
"Or Demona, for that matter. What about you, Goliath? Did you and Broadway find anything?"
Goliath gestured to Elisa as he answered him.
"We found out that Elisa may be on the cusp of a new development beyond the likes of Xanatos and Demona."
Sarah looked out to the newly arrived company, inadvertently catching their attention as Brooklyn and Lexington took notice of her with the former speaking up to Elisa.
"And who's your friend?"
Sarah began to get nervous again, but she tried nonetheless to trust Elisa as she tried to introduce herself.
"Uh, hi. I'm Sarah. It's nice to meet you."
She cautiously held her hand out to Brooklyn to shake it. The Gargoyle became surprised by this gesture, looking at her curiously before she spoke again.
"Goliath told me about what happened to you guys. I'm sorry you had to go through so much by yourselves."
Brooklyn appeared to be touched by her words. Back in 994, the last time he tried to make friends, the people only rejected him and threw stones at him. It wasn't any different from this time, either. In trying to find kindred spirits in a group of bikers, he ended up being rejected again, and he would've been killed if Demona didn't save him, not that he was grateful for it now. But Sarah was different. She wanted to understand him. And that was enough for Brooklyn as he held his hand out to shake Sarah's.
"I'm Brooklyn. It's nice to meet you, too."
Lexington couldn't help but find it odd that she knew about them. After his experience with the Pack, he wasn't so quick to trust her.
"Are you sure we should trust her, Brooklyn? What if she sets us up?"
Sarah was taken aback by Lexington's suspicion. She wouldn't blame him, though, not after what Goliath told her. Before she could speak to him, Elisa stepped up to reassure Lexington.
"Relax, Lex. Sarah's actually a good friend of mine. You can trust her."
"But how does she even know about us? It's not like you told her."
Broadway began to show embarrassment as he spoke softly.
"Sorry. We were checking on Elisa's place in case she wasn't on duty. We didn't know she had a roommate at the time."
Elisa then got Sarah's business card from her poecket and showed it to the Gargoyles.
"And that's not the only piece of news. Sarah got this card from a 'Good Samaritan' this morning. It belonged to a place called Dracus Industries. And the symbol of it represented something called the Phoenix Gate."
Brooklyn and Lexington became astonished while Sarah was puzzled.
"The Phoenix Gate?"
Brooklyn turned over to Sarah and explained it to her with a look of worry.
"It's a powerful relic that can let whoever holds it travel through time."
Goliath addressed the matter further as he stepped up.
"And if it should be in the wrong hands, it'd mean the end of reality as you know it."
Sarah widened her eyes at the mere thought of it. She didn't think that person who hailed a cab for her was even capable of it. Although, in hindsight, anyone could be capable of it, whether they wanted to be or not. However, she was confused about why he gave her his card. What did that have to do with the Phoenix Gate?
"But what does that have to do with me? Does he think that I might know somehow?"
Goliath was new to this threat as well. This isn't like anything involving Xanatos or Demona. For now, speculation was his best guess.
"We can only assume that is the case. But I doubt whoever sent you that card had a slightest clue where the Phoenix Gate is."
"And how do you know?"
"As it happens…"
Goliath reached into his tunic and got out a small shield with a dragon engraved on it. Only it wasn't complete; it was only half of the shield.
"...I have only one half of the Phoenix Gate. Even if he had somehow managed to obtain the other half, he has yet to find its missing counterpart."
Elisa gave him a smile. Even for the length of time she'd known him, she never took Goliath to be the clever type. Although, she didn't believe that luck would last longer anytime soon.
"Smart move. But what if someone got wise? They'd try to take it from you."
"Agreed. That's why I'm going to bring it to Hudson. He'll put it somewhere no one will be likely to find it."
Elisa made a sigh of relief before he looked to Sarah.
"And after that, we'll need to discuss what should be done about you, Sarah."
The first time she heard that, she was nervous. But now, hearing it after being told Goliath's story, she understood. They can't exactly risk anyone else talking about them. Although, she was still concerned about what would happen to her in the long run.
"I understand, Goliath. But if it makes you feel any better, I'll keep this between us. No one else has to know if they don't need to."
Goliath nodded to Sarah before he and his clan proceeded to walk inside the clock tower alongside her and Elisa. On their way down, Brooklyn and Lexington took notice of something bizarre: Hudson wasn't in his chair. Even worse, he didn't seem to be anywhere inside.
"Wait a minute. Something's wrong. Hudson isn't in his seat."
"And Bronx isn't here, either."
Goliath found this to be odd as well. It wasn't like him to have left. That would've meant leaving it unprotected. And it's not the way Hudson, or any Gargoyle worth his wings, would do things.
"It's not like him to have gone away."
Just then, Sarah heard a whimper to her left when she came down the stairs. It sounded like a dog recovering from a fatal injury.
"Wait. Did anyone else hear that?"
Brooklyn turned to the stairs by Sarah as he answered.
"How couldn't we hear it?"
Sarah and Brooklyn looked on the left side of the stairs to see Bronx whimpering as he laid beside Hudson. It was a shocking sight to see, even for someone who'd just found out the existence of living Gargoyles. She went closer to the two of them as she gestured to the others with a worried voice.
"Uh, guys? I think we found Hudson. Did we?"
Hudson spoke up to her after he coughed.
"Aye. That, you have."
Goliath went over to the wounded Gargoyles as Elisa and his clan drew closer while he checked with him in a hurry. His armor had scratch marks on the chest plate, and from the sound of it, he was just as wounded internally. Such a state wasn't a pleasant ringer for Goliath.
"Hudson! Are you alright?!"
Hudson gave another cough, using his hand to cover his mouth before he answered.
"No. But I still live, nonetheless."
Bronx began to whimper again as Brooklyn gently brushed the top of his head. Judging by the scratch on his back as well, he could only assume that Bronx was in just as much pain as Hudson, if not worse.
"I think Bronx could say the same. It looked like he's been thrashed around."
Sarah knelt down to Bronx, feeling sorry for the beast as she scratched under his chin.
"It's okay. You can rest."
Hudson saw the girl's interaction with Bronx. He was perplexed as to how well it reacted to her touch. He hadn't met Sarah before tonight, so he was at a loss.
"Who exactly are you, lass?"
Goliath answered his mentor as he went closer to him and knelt down.
"Her name is Sarah. She's an old friend of Elisa's. She knows our existence now, as well as our story. But that is hardly the most pressing matter. What has happened here?"
Hudson groaned as he sat up as best he could before he explained.
"It happened after you left for patrol. The news was talking about Dracus Industries planning to merge with Xanatos Enterprises."
Goliath snarled at the name. It belonged to the man who used them to do his dirty work. People like him were the reason he distrusted humans in the first place. The fact that Xanatos was involved with a deliberate attack on his friends only made it worse.
"Xanatos! I should've known..."
"It gets worse, lad. That's when I saw him."
With his friend hurt, there was only one person Goliath could think to blame for this.
"You saw Xanatos?"
"No. It wasn't him. And it was no mere human, either. It was a Gargoyle."
This caught the clan completely unawares as they raised their eyes in shock, including Elisa, Sarah, and Goliath as the detective inquired about him before Hudson went on.
"What did he look like?"
"He had claws like daggers, eyes in the color of blood, and skin as black as coal. The varlet attacked me and Bronx just to deliver this message: he's coming for you, Goliath."
Goliath was truly at a loss. If it wasn't Xanatos who attacked him, but rather another Gargoyle, then it meant his clan wasn't the only one left. Unfortunately, it was an unsavory one from the look of it. Goliath became more defensive than ever as he spoke to Hudson.
"Who's coming for me?"
Hudson gave out a rasped breath before he answered.
"The... the Exile."
Hearing that term used in utterance, Goliath widened his eyes in fear as Hudson began to fall prey to unconsciousness, his arms falling limp to the floor. The clan and their human companions were startled by this as Broadway, Brooklyn, and Lexington shouted simultaneously.
"Hudson!"
Sarah began to fear the worst as she looked at Hudson's condition. She may be a doctor, but the truth was, she knew nothing about the biology of a Gargoyle. At this point, she might as well be guessing. Nonetheless, she still had to be sure, sticking with the basics of a living being for a truthful analysis. After all, even a Gargoyle can breathe and have a pulse, and she didn't need to be a doctor to figure that out. To be certain, Sarah lifted up Hudson's arm and felt it give off a pulse, proof that he was still alive as she sighed.
"He's still alive. He just got unconscious."
Broadway gave a sigh of relief, knowing that Hudson will pull through after all.
"Phew! That's good. Now we just gotta wait until morning."
However, Elisa didn't think it wise. Whoever this "Exile" was, he's made a very real threat by attacking Hudson and Bronx. Even worse, he knew where the Manhattan Clan was hiding. If he attacked there, he could attack again.
"Why wait? Hudson said the 'Exile', whoever he is, is coming for you guys. He knows where you're hiding now. You can't stay here."
Goliath turned back to Elisa, having laid Hudson down to recuperate before he corrected her on the matter.
"No. Hudson said he's coming for me. And there's no doubt from this attack that he'd use the rest of you to get to me, as well."
Brooklyn looked to his leader, gravely concerned over the threat of the Exile as he spoke up.
"What should we do, Goliath?"
"You, Lexington, and Broadway will attend to Bronx and Hudson. Take them somewhere far away from the clock tower where they can recover at sunrise."
"But what about you?"
"I'll confront the Exile myself, and stay at the tower."
This made Elisa very concerned. With the fact that he knew where Goliath and his clan reside, it was already suicide to even stay there. While she can't claim to know how powerful he was, Elisa worried that it may be a battle he can't win alone.
"Goliath, no. You can't take that risk."
"But I must. Otherwise, he'll target the rest of my clan and you to draw me out. I can't risk that in good conscience."
Sarah went up to the two of them and became curious. In Goliath's tale, there wasn't any mention of an Exile. Even Elisa was out of the loop on that.
"Uh, guys? Sorry to interrupt, but who's the Exile? And why is he after Goliath?"
Elisa crossed her arms as she looked up to Goliath, realizing that Goliath was holding out on her.
"Good question. Why is he after you?"
Goliath only turned away from Elisa and Sarah and headed up the stairs as he answered, warning Elisa's peeved reaction.
"I won't say."
"What? Why?"
"You two are too much involved already just by knowing we exist. To tell you of him would be to invite disaster and carnage into both of your lives."
"Does he really scare you that much? That you'd have to hide him from us?"
Goliath's face saddened as he looked out to the night's horizon. He turned back to Elisa and Sarah as he spoke to them solemnly.
"I'm sorry, Elisa. But for you and your friend's sake, you must stay away from the tower until I assure you of his defeat, and no sooner than that."
Elisa tried once again to persuade Goliath to do otherwise, but his mind was made up.
"But Goliath-"
"No! I already have too much blood on my hands because of his rampage! I cannot let him spill yours, too!"
Elisa heard the pure terror and guilt in Goliath's voice. It was something she'd never heard out of him before. Maybe he truly was afraid, and only Hudson would know why. She bore an equally somber look on her face as she spoke softly to him.
"Something happened to you, didn't it? And it wasn't what happened to your clan."
Goliath growled softly as he turned his head away. Nevertheless, Elisa did her best to comfort him with what she knew, which was almost nothing at all.
"Goliath, whatever happened to you, you don't have to do this alone. We're here for you. I'm here for you."
Goliath hung his head down as Elisa began to walk down from the stairs and went towards the exit with Sarah following her. Although Elisa was quick to leave the room, Sarah looked back to the other Gargoyles, giving a gentle smile and a wave as she spoke back.
"It was… nice to meet you guys."
Brooklyn, although trying to help lift Hudson, used his open hand to give her a wave back as he replied.
"It was nice to meet you, too."
Sarah then proceeded to take her leave and follow Elisa out of the tower. When she'd left, Brooklyn looked back to Broadway as the teal Gargoyle lifted Hudson by placing his arm around his shoulder while Brooklyn put the other around his. While doing so, Broadway turned to Brooklyn, having overheard Elisa and Goliath's conversation.
"Do you know what's up with Goliath? I haven't seen him this scared since the castle fell."
"Me neither. I didn't even hear about this 'Exile' before today."
As much as he wanted to know himself, Lexington knew there was no use worrying about it as he interjected while holding onto Bronx's paw and helping him move cautiously.
"Hudson seemed to know about him, too. Maybe we'll ask him once he's all better."
Meanwhile, outside the police station, as the Gargoyles took their leave from the clock tower, Elisa and Sarah had just exited the building. The detective put on a look of determination as Sarah checked with her. She knew Elisa wouldn't take this sitting down.
"Elisa, you're not really gonna leave Goliath to do this alone, are you?"
Elisa shook her head as she turned to her friend before she spoke.
"No. I'm not gonna wait around for this Exile to hurt him. We'll just have to stop him before he gets anywhere near Goliath."
"But how do we do that? We don't even have the slightest clue where or who he is."
She wasn't wrong there. They didn't even know about him until tonight. Then, it occurred to her. She had a feeling it was no coincidence that in the same week Dracus happened to move into New York, Hudson would be attacked. Elisa looked back to the card as she answered her.
"I don't know about who. But I think I've got an idea about where."
The next day, Elisa and Sarah were back at the apartment. The detective suspected that Dracus Industries and the Exile were somehow related to one another. And the fact that Xanatos' company is merging with Dracus made it infinitely unsettling. Could they be scheming together to take the Phoenix Gate and to defeat Goliath? Elisa tried to find out as she and Sarah watched the news play back the arrival of Dracus Industries.
"When asked about this play to merge with Xanatos' company, Dracus C.E.O., Mormon Korihor, stated that it would serve as a cornerstone that'd change the face of human evolution."
"I admit, it is normally risky to merge my company with an ex-convict. But all the same, he's paid his debts to society. And as we all say, it's best to let bygones be bygones."
Elisa turned the tv off and set the remote down. She may not have found much, but she found the face and name of Dracus Industries, and for now, that was enough.
"So that's his name. Mormon Korihor..."
When Sarah looked at his face, she became utterly surprised.
"That's the one who hailed that cab for me the other day. No wonder he had so much money."
Elisa turned to her friend, feeling the character overall to be quite suspicious.
"Yeah, but if he's anything like Xanatos, and I'm betting that he is, we have to find out what he's up to. Did he say anything to you when you met him?"
Sarah thought back to when she first met him in New York. All she could gather was how he lifted her up to check if she was alright when her clothes got wet from her trip. Then, she remembered when he was pointing at her name tag.
"Well... he did seem pretty interested in the fact that I'm a doctor. After he checked on me to se if I was alright."
"Great. Not much to go on from there..."
Elisa wanted to spend the rest of the day thinking of how the Exile and Dracus are connected, and what the Phoenix Gate had to do with all of it, but even she knew when to find an alternative. She of all people knew that even if there's no immediate answer, it didn't mean she wouldn't have one at all. If the event of Sarah and Korihor's first meeting didn't turn up anything, then there may only be one thing that can. She turned to Sarah and inquired to her as she held the card from Dracus Industries.
"Looks like you got a call to make."
Sarah became nervous being asked to do that. She didn't consider it out of the fact that she wouldn't be staying long. But being asked to do that now, especially with what Dracus Industries might be capable of, made her nervous to even try.
"Are you sure that's a good idea?"
"Not really. But it's the only one we've got. He doesn't know we're onto him; we can use that."
Sarah looked back at the card, beginning to feel uneasy. When she came to New York, she never thought she'd get caught up in some paranormal conspiracy. All she wanted was to be there for Elisa. But even that is getting to be more trouble than it's worth. One minute, she's catching up with her old friend, and the next, she finds out there are living Gargoyles in New York who rely on her to keep them safe. How could anyone live up to that burden? Sarah sat down on the couch as she sighed.
"I can't do that..."
"What? What do you mean you—?"
"I just can't!"
Elisa was caught off-guard by her outburst. It didn't take long for Sarah to realize that she'd yelled. She began to speak solemnly as she tried to apologize.
"I'm sorry, Elisa. It's not that I don't want to help. I do. It's just... this is your life, not mine. We haven't seen each other in ten years. I came here to see you again and catch up, and you've already become a cop and made friends out of living Gargoyles. You got to be special. And what did I do for all that time? Nothing remotely close to that, that's for sure. So how can you expect me to help you when you're the one always helping me?"
Elisa's face became just as solemn as she sat down by her friend, set the card aside on the couch, and tried her best to comfort her.
"Sarah... It's because I need you."
Sarah found it hard to believe as she turned her head slightly away before she continued.
"I'm serious, though. Maybe you're right about me being special, but that doesn't mean you're not."
"Really? How?"
Elisa found her question to be unwarranted as she quickly answered.
"Are you kidding? Any other person would've freaked out and ran away just from looking at living Gargoyles."
Sarah recalled that moment. Back then, it scared her almost to death. She was afraid back then. How could Elisa say that?
"But I did freak out."
"But you didn't run. You chose to get to know them. You didn't have to listen to me, but you did."
Sarah closed her eyes as she made a soft smile. She was scared at first, but the doctor remembered how high she flew above the city with Broadway, how spectacular the sight was. And how trusting Brooklyn was to her, even after all he'd been through. She then looked up to Elisa as she replied.
"Why wouldn't I listen? I've always trusted you."
"Then you can trust me when I say that you are special. That hasn't changed ten years ago, and it's not gonna change now."
Sarah looked back to the card that Elisa had set down on the couch. She couldn't deny what Elisa was saying. If she was able to befriend the Gargoyles, then she could surely handle whatever laid ahead of her from making that call. It may be dangerous territory for her, but it'd be even worse if Goliath got in trouble because she did nothing. He and his clan are a part of her life now as much as they're a part of Elisa's. She can't let them down.
"Okay. I think I'm ready."
Inside a mansion, Korihor was sitting at his own desk when his phone began to ring. He made no hesitation to pick it up before placing it on his ear.
"Yes?"
"Uh, hi. This is Sarah. Sarah Peterson. The girl you hailed a cab for?"
Korihor began to grin from hearing her voice. She seemed especially grateful the last time he saw her.
"Ah, yes. Have you considered my offer?"
What he didn't know was that the phone was on speaker. Elisa was listening to the phone call while Sarah interacted with him.
"Yeah. I've been thinking, and... I want to get to know you. Assuming you're not too busy."
Korihor maintained his smile as he leaned back in the chair and continued to speak.
"Actually, now that you mention it, I am having a personal soirée tonight with Mr. Xanatos."
Elisa tried hard not to let out a gasp from his mention of Xanatos so as not to give herself away as he went on.
"It's more of a business proposition, but I'd like to see you there. If you're not too busy yourself, that is."
Sarah became intrigued by this soirée. Korihor seemed too generous for his own good.
"Uh, yeah. I think I can come over tonight. Is it alright if I brought a plus one?"
"Of course. I don't see why not. The more, the merrier, I always say."
"Great. What time does it start?"
"The meeting is set to begin at 5:00 sharp at Ellis Island. I trust you and your plus one will be ready by then?"
Sarah looked to Elisa, only to receive a determined nod from her before she replied back.
"Yeah. Of course."
"Then it's a date. I'm looking forward to seeing you tonight."
"Yeah. See you soon."
Sarah then ended the call before she turned to Elisa. She had a look that told her she was ready for what would come next as she spoke.
"Well, it looks like we're headed to Ellis Island at 5:00."
"Then what are we waiting for?"
Back at the mansion, Korihor set the phone on the charger and bore a sinister grin.
"Hook, line, and sinker."
In that moment, his elevator door opened to reveal a man and a woman. The man was dressed in a black tuxedo with long raven hair, and a woman was in a sparkling black dress with high heels and chin-length hair in a black color. The woman spoke up to Korihor with a curious tone.
"Anyone you were expecting, Mr. Korihor?"
"Oh, just a couple of guests who'll be joining me and Xanatos tonight. We'll need to prepare for them, Jane."
"Understood. I'll set up the refreshments."
Although, the man had something more important on his mind.
"And what of this 'Goliath'? Are you certain he's received the message?"
Korihor placed his fingers together as he grinned. He could only imagine the look of terror on his face as he spoke.
"I'm certain he'd do anything to protect his clan and his human companions from the Exile. That said, we have a lot to prepare for Project: 'Genesis'. We could do with the Wyvern Clan looking the other way for the time being. It's best to catch them off-guard."
Korihor opened his desk drawer and got out several photos, one of which showed the clock tower before handing them to the man Ashe examined them.
"I need you to locate his clan and interrogate them until they tell you where the Phoenix Gate is. Can you do that, Laman?"
He gave a nod to Korihor before he replied.
"Of course. They'll be no trouble at all."
Later, with the orange sun overlooking the horizon, Elisa and Sarah were traveling by boat to the island itself. Ellis Island was a place just out of reach from the rest of New York City, alongside the Statue of Liberty. It was odd for Dracus Industries to go there of all places when they could've had the Empire State Building, it at least any building within the city. It would've saved them the hassle, or so Elisa thought. When they got closer to the island, they took notice of a mansion in between the abandoned hospital and the museum. If Korihor had any reason to tell them to go to Ellis Island, that would be it. When they parked their boat just near the drop off point, Sarah pondered what the plan was as she looked to Elisa.
"So, we're here. Now what?"
"Now, we get to the bottom of what Korihor is really planning and stop the Exile from hurting Goliath and the others. And if I bring Xanatos down, too, it'll be all the better."
Sarah saw the look of anger on Elisa's face. She knew from Goliath's story that Xanatos wasn't exactly a good guy, but this? What did he do to make her so mad?
"Are you okay, Elisa?"
"I'm fine, Sarah. We just need to find this Exile and stop him."
Despite her insistence, Sarah wasn't convinced. She'd never seen Elisa like that before. What could've happened before she came to visit? That's something she hoped she'd live long enough to find out as she caught up to Elisa. By the time she did, they've already noticed two guests dressed in tuxedos. One of them was Xanatos, but the other was what caught Elisa by surprise.
"Derek?!"
Derek turned around to see Elisa and Sarah, much to his surprise. However, Xanatos was somehow expecting her company, although he didn't truthfully count on Sarah's arrival.
"Elisa?"
"Well, isn't that a lovely surprise? But I have to admit, I'm impressed you had a plus one. I thought your motto was that you didn't trust anyone."
Elisa glared daggers at Xanatos, not willing to let her feelings of distrust go so easily.
"Things change, Xanatos. Besides, I'm not here for you this time."
Elisa turned over to Derek, making a sad face his way. As much as she wanted to save him, stopping the Exile and Korihor came first.
"Or you..."
She then gestured to her best friend standing beside her.
"I'm here for Sarah. She got the invite; I'm just the plus one."
Derek took notice of Sarah and made a small smile. He'd recalled how much Elisa used to talk about her. From the sound of it, they had a good friendship with each other. To see her for himself, Derek just couldn't believe how good she was.
"Uh, hey. It's nice to meet you, Sarah. Elisa used to talk about you a lot when we were kids. I'm Derek."
He held his hand out to shake Sarah's, who reached for his before she returned the gesture with a smile of her own.
"It's nice to see you, too, Derek. And I'm glad she told you about me."
Just then, at that moment, the doors at the mansion opened to reveal Mormon Korihor just at the entrance in his leather trench jacket with black pants and a black shirt as he addressed his guests.
"Greetings, esteemed guests, and welcome to Dracus Manor. Do come in. We have much to talk about."
Elisa and Sarah looked to each other, the latter feeling a bit unnerved as she spoke to Elisa.
"That got unsettling quickly..."
"Well, there's no turning back now."
As Elisa and Sarah walked in, Derek turned to Xanatos, feeling that caution is necessary.
"Maybe we should stay close to each other after all."
"Maybe, but let's not get carried away just yet."
The duo went inside the manor and followed Elisa and Sarah just before the doors closed behind them. The two groups looked behind them to see that they'd closed. Xanatos simply rolled his eyes, though he was a little surprised by the effect.
"Okay, that's not creepy..."
The group proceeded onward, not sure what to make of this visit as Korihor stopped near a door and turned to the lagging groups.
"We'll hold the meeting at the dining room. Jane will be bringing out the refreshments shortly."
Korihor then opened the door and held it open for the guests as they walked in. Elisa and Sarah entered first before Xanatos and Derek followed them in. Once the four of them were inside, he stepped in behind them and followed. The dining room held a large table fit for at least a group of eight people, and it was complete with glass windows that allowed the sun to set upon it. Elisa, Sarah, and Derek couldn't believe how large the room was, although Xanatos found it to be adequate.
"Whoa..."
"'Whoa 'is right. It's so big."
"Who is Korihor trying to impress?"
"He's trying to impress us, Derek. And let's be honest, he did a good job."
Korihor sat down on the front chair nearest to the door as he spoke in reply to Xanatos' opinion.
"Well, it is rather important to make an excellent first impression. Judging from your reactions, I'd say you're right on the money."
In that moment, Jane entered the dining room, holding a silver tray of glasses filled with red liquid inside it as she spoke up with a smile.
"Would anyone like a drink?"
Korihor looked behind him to see her and bore a welcoming grin.
"And would you look at that? Right on time."
Jane handed out a glass and set it in front of Korihor before she moved on to Elisa and Sarah, who sat on Korihor's left before handing them to Xanatos and Derek, who sat on his right. The billionaire of the group took up his glass and examined it. From the look of it, it seemed to be a drink he wouldn't be caught dead with.
"Fascinating, but I've never been one to drink."
Korihor looked to him and reassured him of its contents.
"Don't worry, Mr. Xanatos. I assure you, it isn't your average wine; I don't partake in anything alcoholic myself, personally. But I did find value in the next best thing."
On the other hand, Sarah let her curiosity get the better of her and took a sip. When she did, Sarah widened her eyes at the taste and became impressed.
"Wow. It tastes like... like red cream soda."
Korihor gave her a smile and a nod. As it turned out, she was spot on.
"It should. That is red cream soda."
Elisa found that hard to believe that a drink like here would be anything of a sort.
"Is that so?"
Elisa took up her glass next and took a full sip of her own. Once it landed on her taste buds, her eyes welled up in astonishment. She almost set the glass down immediately as she swallowed the drink before answering her own question.
"Hey. That's not bad."
Korihor turned over to Xanatos and Derek and gestured to them about their own drinks.
"So, how about it? Want a taste for yourselves?"
Tempting as it was for Xanatos, he considered it a priority to get to know Korihor above all else. Derek was about to drink it, but Xanatos held his hand up before he spoke up.
"Maybe after we get to know Dracus Industries and discuss our business opportunities. It helps more for the refreshments to be a closing matter."
Korihor simply kept his gaze fixed on Xanatos as his smile furrowed into a slight scowl.
"I understand. That'll be all for now, Jane."
Jane nodded to Korihor before she took her leave from the dining room. Once she's left, Korihor got right to business as he placed his fingers on each other from both hands.
"So, you're no doubt wondering why I've invited you here tonight."
Elisa felt it was fairly obvious to everyone.
"That is the question on everyone's mind, isn't it?"
"Well, allow me to elucidate you, then."
Korihor got out a small remote from his pocket and pushed a button, revealing a projector from the ceiling as it showed an image of Dracus Industries before he pushed a button, showing a team of geneticists and doctors working together as they analyzed chemical vials and studied human biology while he spoke up to the guests.
"You see, Dracus Industries isn't your average company conglomerate. It's always relied on geneticists and doctors. Both are required to find the next stage of human evolution as we know it."
Xanatos became especially interested as he spoke up to Korihor.
"Is that so? To what capacity?"
Korihor bore a wicked grin as he spoke up.
"I'm glad you asked, Mr. Xanatos."
Korihor pushed the button on the remote, allowing the projector to show footage of Goliath flying through the city as he explained himself.
"It's come to my attention recently that there are numerous sightings of Gargoyles all over New York City as of late. Is that safe to say?"
All four of the guests became alarmed to see that footage firsthand, although Xanatos and Derek were more surprised. Despite their stunted silence, Korihor proceeded.
"I suppose I'll take that as a yes. Anyway, their prowess in flight and combat is a necessary step that humanity must take. If not, we'll end up lagging behind on the evolutionary gene pool, relying on technology to do the work for us."
Xanatos began to brush his chin in curiosity as he inquired to Korihor about the matter.
"And how exactly would the Gargoyles help you out with that?"
Korihor took the opportunity to use the remote to put the projector away as he explained.
"It's really quite simple, Mr. Xanatos. A simple matter of transfusion. If humans could tap into their innate abilities through transfusion, then they'd surely take their rightful place in the skies, and possibly beyond."
The four guests were utterly stupefied. Korihor's ideology is nothing more than a madman's from the look of it. Xanatos had a feeling there wasn't a reason to trust him, and he knew he wasn't the only one. That can only be why she's convinced Sarah to tag along with her.
"And what makes you think we approve of that?"
Korihor only began to laugh darkly as he walked towards the window before turning his back on it to face them as the sun began to set on the mountain, fading away from sight.
"Oh, that's the point, Mr. Xanatos… I was never seeking your approval."
To Elisa, Sarah, Derek, and even Xanatos' horror, Korihor's eyes flashed red before the sun had completely set below the horizon. That's when the worst happened. Korihor began to growl as his hands sharpened themselves into claws, one of the fingers retracting themselves from each hand. Then his feet began to break out of his shoes before his heels extended upward. As a result, his legs broke his pant legs and a tail burst out from the seat of his pants. Next, he began to grow sharp teeth and long horns that protruded backward along his head while his skin turned black. And then, with a mighty roar he burst his chest forth and broke away his shirt and spread out his black and dark grey wings for those present in the room to see. That's when Elisa began to realize the truth, having recalled Hudson's description.
"He had claws like daggers, eyes in the color of blood, and skin as black as coal."
"The one who attacked Hudson… it was you! You're the Exile!"
Korihor only laughed at Elisa's deduction before he mocked her.
"Congratulations to you for figuring that out, detective. Sadly, you couldn't even figure out what was in your drink."
Elisa became worried about what he was getting at.
"Our drink? What are you-?"
Before Elisa could finish, she began to feel a pain in her stomach, making her groan as she held onto her chest with both arms and collapsed onto the ground. Sarah took notice of this and became very concerned for her.
"Elisa, are you-?!"
Then, Sarah began to feel that same pain and collapsed onto the ground, holding desperately to her chest as the two of them writhed in pain, much to Derek's concern.
"Elisa! Sarah!"
Xanatos glared at Korihor with a livid face. As much as he appreciated her not butting in on his endeavors, this was something even he wouldn't wish on his worst enemy.
"What are you doing to them, Korihor?"
"Haven't you listened to a word I said? All it takes for evolution is a transfusion."
To prove his point, Elisa's teeth began to sharpen while her hands grew into claws with one finger blending into another on each hand. Then, Sarah's feet began to grow out of her own shoes and her heels extended up along her legs as a tail burst out from her pants. And to finish, Elisa and Sarah began to burst out wings from their backs, splitting apart the detective's jacket to pieces and tearing apart Sarah's shirt in the back as they gave out a scream of agony while Xanatos and Derek looked on in surprise as Korihor's dark laugh echoed in the hall.
A/N: And there it is! ElisaGoyle arrives! I know it's early for her to show up, but as I said, the fifth episode would be different from how it went canonically. How so apart from the obvious, I won't say. But along with his current goal, Korihor does keep the Phoenix Gate in mind for good reason. That said, if you want to know how this chapter ends, please stick around. I promise you won't regret it. ;)