The following takes place early on in the Disney 'Gargoyles' cartoon series.
Episode 15: Gargoyles
"Come now, Goliath," David Xanatos mocked, "surely you didn't think that stopping me would be that easy, did you?"
Goliath dodged another energy burst fired carelessly in his direction, his wings catching an updraft and carrying him to a nearby rooftop. Xanatos' armour held him aloft, the rockets on his back burning brightly in the night air. He laughter echoed down to the gargoyle.
"You'd better find cover, my friend," the millionaire called out, "the sun will be rising soon!"
"You won't escape me so easy, Xanatos!" Goliath countered, ducking behind a stairway entrance. His anger was obvious, eyes aglow in rage.
"Perhaps when you learn to fly properly," Xanatos said gleefully, firing his jets and rising higher into the air, trying to draw his enemy out. Below he could see two of his cybernetic gargoyles approaching, answering his silent summons. The robots flew along the building, skimming the edge of it as they rose from street level. "Ah, company is coming," Xanatos thought to himself.
"Goliath!" a gruff voice hissed behind the gargoyle leader. Goliath turned and saw his mentor climbing over the building ledge, sword held aloft.
"Hudson," Goliath said, smiling slightly, "I told you to remain at the tower."
"You need me here, Goliath. And a good thing I came too. You'll never get the information we need alone."
Goliath turned and peered over the edge, watching Xanatos and his robotic minions, "Perhaps you were right to come, Hudson. Xanatos has almost escaped."
"We'll stop him, lad," Hudson replied.
"Aye, we will. Are you ready?"
Hudson raised his blade, moonlight glinting off the steel and reflecting in his eyes, "Indeed, lad." The two warriors flung themselves over the ledge, spreading their wings and rising above the city, thermals carrying them to their attack.
"Stop them!" Xanatos ordered his metal underlings. The two robots veered off and hurried towards their quarry, energy blasts erupting from wrist mounted cannons while Xanatos turned towards the city core, intent on returning to the safety of his home. However his desire for shelter was stillborn, outweighed by his need to see how the gargoyles would escape his robots this time. They were anything if not predictable in their defeat of his machinations.
Below the watchful tycoon, another slim gargoyle emerged into view, careful to stay out of her target's eye line. Demona raised a massive energy cannon to her shoulder, fitting the targeting reticule to Xanatos' chest.
"Your end is near," Demona hissed, "and Goliath's will soon follow."
Demona began to squeeze the trigger of her weapon when a red glow caught her attention. On a nearby rooftop a fountain of crimson energy was bursting into view, coalescing into the form of a massive robot. The construct stepped forward, its head swivelling as it observed it surroundings, clawed metal feet sinking into the cement floor below it.
"CONDUIT AX998134 COMPLETE. HUMANS AND OTHER UNIDENTIFIED ORGANICS PRESENT. TECHNOLOGY CONSISTENT WITH LATE TWENTIETH-CENTURY TIMEFRAME. STANDARD PROJECTILE WEAPONRY AND ENERGY BASED WEAPONRY DETECTED. THREAT ASSESSMENT: MINIMAL. ALERT STATUS: ROBOTIC CONSTRUCTS DETECTED. ATTEMPTING COMMUNICATION."
Xanatos turned in midair and gazed down on the new metal arrival, catching sight of Demona as he did so. The female gargoyle had lowered her weapon, watching the strange robot warily.
"Is this a new plaything of yours, Demona?" Xanatos called down. Demona sneered at her enemy, raising the weapon as the two Xanatos minions returned to their creator's side. The construct studied the hovering robots with intense curiosity. Except for the heads they greatly resembled the more advanced scouting units used by its race. Unbeknownst to the humans and gargoyles gathered around, the construct commenced a deeper scan of Xanatos' robots.
"UNABLE TO ESTABLISH COMMUNICATION. INITIAL SCANS INDICATE RUDIMENTARY ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE. RESEMBLANCE TO TYPE II SCOUT CLASS COINCIDENTAL."
"It look like it is interested in my toys," Xanatos mused to himself, "I wonder why?" Goliath and Hudson soared back into view, gliding to another rooftop and moving guardedly, watching the new arrival.
"Is this another of your playthings, Xanatos?" Hudson yelled.
"Not mine," Xanatos answered, "Perhaps it is…"
Before the armoured industrialist could answer the construct raised its arm and fired two blasts quickly in succession, striking the hovering Steel Clan robots and blasting them to pieces, the debris raining down to the street.
"ROBOTIC SLAVES FREED FROM ORGANIC CONTROL. COMMENCING ELIMINATION OF POTENTIAL THREATS."
"Uh oh," Xanatos muttered, turning and switching his rockets to full throttle. Behind him another weapon on the construct's arm unravelled from its forearm, focusing in on the fleeing magnate.
"No!" Goliath bellowed, "We need him alive!" Rushing to the edge of the building, the gargoyle hurled his formidable body headlong into the robot's side, intent on disrupting its aim. Goliath hit the metal plating hard, bouncing off the construct like a rubber ball against cement. The robot fired, the beam lashing into Xanatos' side.
Xanatos shrieked in pain, clutching his damaged ribs. The beam had easily sliced through armour and flesh. One damaged rocket began to misfire, spiralling him down to the street below. Had Goliath not moved against the construct, the beam would have been a killing stroke. Xanatos' hand reached out, steel claws sinking into the building front and slowing his decent to the street below.
Goliath rose up just as the construct spun around, its arm outstretched. It caught the gargoyle square in the chest, pining him against a brick wall. Goliath fought against it, roaring in rage and pain, eyes blazing with white light. The construct leaned forward as the gargoyle stared into electric blue eyes, his reflection on the gleaming surface of the construct's head. The construct pressed forward, forcing the gargoyle through the crumbling wall and to the floor of a storage room. Goliath collapsed, dazed and out of breath from the attack.
"Get your metal claws away from him!" Hudson hollered, slashing with his sword. The blade struck the torso of the construct, clanging loudly from the impact. Much to the veteran's dismay, the construct's side was unmarked from the attack.
"What devilry is this?" Hudson asked, amazed. The construct lashed out, striking the older warrior in the face and hurling him off the rooftop. The construct then stepped away from the ruined wall, its sensors converging on the female gargoyle watching a few rooftops away, weapon poised.
Demona hesitated a moment, her survival instincts in high gear. She severely doubted her weapon would do much damage against the heavily armed robot, and she had witnessed it tossing the two powerful gargoyles as if they were mere toys. Dropping her weapon, she opened her wings wide and launched herself into the night air, desire for her continued existence taking the place of valour.
The construct tracked her movement, a glowing tube locking into place on its forearm and targeting the fleeing female. The weapon began its final charge just as the ruined wall behind it exploded outwards, showering the construct in debris. Goliath charged outwards, jumping on the constructs back and striking it about the head.
The construct stumbled slightly, the clawed metal feet digging into the floor for stability. Its aim was disrupted, the computer targeting system instantly recognizing a potential miss and swiftly disarming the weapon. The construct rotated its arm, grabbing Goliath around his midsection and slamming the gargoyle to the floor. Goliath's wind went out of him in a rush, stunned from the assault. The construct raised one of it feet and slammed it down on the warrior's chest, effectively pinning him to the building's rooftop. The robotic arm pivoted forward, the plasma cannon once again glowing. Goliath roared in defiance, his challenge answered in turn by Hudson, scrambling over the nearby ledge. Blood dripped from the older gargoyle's mouth and nose. The construct ignored the elder combatant, concentrating its attention on the struggling Goliath. The cold unfeeling voice echoed out.
"UNUSUAL PHYSIOLOGICAL READING DETECTED. SENSORS INDICATE ABNORMAL ENERGY READING INCONSISTENT WITH STANDARD ORGANICS. RECOMMENDATION: CAPTURE FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION."
The construct reached down and effortlessly lifted Goliath by the throat, the metal hand tightening just enough to ensnare its victim. Hudson charged, uttering a vicious oath of vengeance but was batted aside, now little more than an afterthought to the construct.
"INTIATE TRANSPORT."
Before a shocked Hudson could realize what was happening, Goliath and the construct vanished in a plume of red energy.