The sun was already quite high in the sky as the turtles made it back to the lair. All of them were exhausted, but still brimming with excitement over everything that had happened. Because of this, they were caught off guard when Splinter met them at the door. He looked them all over, sighing in relief when he saw they were mostly unharmed.

"My children," he began, "what happened at the Eyrie Building?"

"A lot," Leo answered.

"We met actual gargoyles, Sensei," Mikey shared. "Living, breathing gargoyles!"

"They're tough too," Raph admitted, rubbing some scratches he had from the fight. "Luckily, Leo cleared things up with them before things got too heated."

"I see…" Splinter replied. "Tell me what you know, outside of the article Donatello found."

"Not much, Sensei," Donnie admitted. "They kinda kicked us out after the sun started going up."

"But," Leo interjected, "they did agree to meet us for pizza at Antonios so we could show them around."

"Them..." Raph reluctantly picked up, "and their human friend… who saw us… along with a cop."

"An officer?" Splinter realized.

"Detective, actually," Donnie corrected, "but she's cool. Put together we were the New York Ninjas, and that was that."

"Ah. Very well then. I would suggest you all get some much needed rest, so you do not bring shame to yourselves tonight by falling asleep.

Mikey let out a yawn as soon as Splinter finished.

"No argument here," he replied. "I don't know about you dudes, but I am beat."

One by one, all the turtles filtered off to their rooms to get some much needed rest. Splinter watched them go, a strange expression on his face.

"Gargoyles… alive?"

…

The next night, Willow arrived at the battlements just in time, the sounds of cracking stone reaching her ears. With a grin, she stayed just far enough away to be safe, bracing herself as the gargoyles all stretched, shattering their stone skin as they let out loud, snarling yawns. Once they had shaken the last bits of their skin off, Willow ran up with a big grin.

"You guys ready to go?" she asked.

"Of course we are!" Brooklyn declared. "A whole new world to explore, so many new things to see!"

"And new foods to try!" Broadway cut off. "I'm dying to try some of that pizza stuff Michelangelo mentioned."

"What's this about pizza?" Xanatos called out as he and Owen approached the wall.

"Dad," Willow greeted excitedly. "The gargoyles want to explore the city, and I wanna go too. Can I? Please?"

She put on her best puppy dog eyes, batting her eyelashes at her father. Xanatos cracked a smile, but Owen remained stern.

"I don't think it's a good idea," he warned. "Aside from escorted trips involving the company, or family business with Mr. Xanatos, you've never been out in the city unaccompanied."

"I won't be unaccompanied. I'll have these guys." Willow wrapped an arm around Brooklyn and Broadway, pulling them close. "I'll be perfectly safe. Please… please let me go."

"I don't see why not," Xanatos allowed. "As long as you're with the Gargoyles, you'll be safer than with a team of bodyguards. Just make sure you're back before sunrise."

"Don't worry, Xanatos," Brooklyn assured the man as he scooped Willow up in his arms. "We will. Now come on, we need to find that Antonio's place fast!"

With that, the trio took off, Willow letting out a yell of excitement as they took off.

"Goliath," Xanatos spoke up before he took off as well. "I was hoping I could talk to you about something."

Goliath seemed skeptical, but eventually relented.

"Make it quick. I have a meeting of my own to attend."

"This won't take long," Xanatos promised, escorting the gargoyle back to his office. "I'm asking for your help, Goliath. The team who attacked last night stole something very important to me. The box they took contained three specialized disks."

"Disks?"

"Like magic talismans, each one containing hundreds of spells. It is vitally important that they are returned."

"Then why come to me? Why not use a… detective?"

Xanatos cracked a smile at that.

"You certainly learn fast. Sadly, this is a matter the police cannot help me with. An investigation could lead them to learn about you and your friends, and I can imagine neither of us wants that."

"Indeed…"

Xanatos walked over to a monitor screen, turning it on.

"My sources have discovered that those thieves were hired by a multinational company called Cyberbiotics."

The screen turned on, showing an image of a building off the coast of the Statue of Liberty.

"Amazing," Goliath marveled, eying the screen. "It's like a living tapestry."

"More like a magic mirror," Xanatos corrected. "In any case, the stolen data is being held at three different locations. The first is a research center on an island in the bay. The second is deep beneath the city in a heavily fortified base. And the third is being kept in a huge air fortress that flies in a holding pattern over the city."

"What do you wish us to do?"

"All three places would need to be hit simultaneously so none would be able to notify the others. Sounds like an absurd amount of security, I know, but rest assured. The information is that important."

Goliath's eyes narrowed and he turned away.

"I cannot allow my clan to be dragged into another conflict so soon after awakening. I'm sorry."

"I understand your hesitancy. Just think about it, please. I'm certain our enemies mean to use this information for some terrible purpose."

Goliath paused for a moment.

"I… will consider it. Now if you excuse me."

Goliath then turned to leave, exiting the office. Once he was gone, a door opened behind Xanatos, a strange figure standing in the doorway.

"Don't worry," Xanatos reassured. "Everything's going according to plan."

"You seem to be forgetting the events of last night," Owen pointed out.

He reached across the desk, bringing up security footage from the previous night. It was focused on the turtles, and their fight against the gargoyles.

"Ah, yes. The 'trolls'," Xanatos recalled, watching the fight with great interest. "They certainly weren't accounted for."

"They are of no consequence," the figure insisted.

"You underestimate them," Xanatos countered. "They were able to hold their own against the gargoyles. With skills like that, these creatures could pose a threat. We'll have to keep an eye on them."

…

Elsewhere, Elisa cautiously walked out onto the rooftop where she agreed to meet with Goliath.

"Hello?" she called out. "Anyone there?"

Hearing her voice, Goliath stepped out from around a corner, right into Elisa's line of sight. She gasped, stepping back with a start before recognition dawned. She placed a hand over her heart, letting out a breath to steady her nerves.

"There you are. Why were you hiding like that?"

"I wanted to make sure you came alone."

Elisa chuckled a bit.

"You shouldn't be worried. Even if I told anyone about you, they'd probably write me off as crazy.

Just then, Hudson came swooping down from above, landing behind Elisa. Once again, the detective found her heart leaping into her throat. Goliath turned to his mentor, a nonexistent eyebrow raised in confusion.

"What are you doing here, Hudson?" he asked. "I thought you were going to remain behind to protect the castle."

"Just making sure it was not an ambush," Hudson replied simply. "These are strange times, and there's so few of us left now."

Elisa winced slightly at that last sentence, then decided to keep her questions to herself for the moment.

"Well, now that we've established this is neither a trap, nor an ambush, shall we go on with the tour?" she offered. "You can come too if you want, Hudson."

"Nay, lass," Hudson said with a shake of his head. "I must return to the castle to resume my vigil."

"Your loss," Elisa said with a shrug. "However, there is one problem I just thought of. I have no idea how to keep people from noticing you, Goliath."

"Simple," Goliath replied. "We will keep to the rooftops."

"That may be okay for you and your wings," Elisa remarked, patting over her shoulder. "But I'm not as lucky as you. How am I supposed to-?"

Before she could finish, Goliath lifted her into his arms. She let out a surprised yelp, wrapping her arms around his neck instinctively.

"Nevermind then..." she let out. "So, where should we start? Anything you want to see?"

"I want to see any possible threats to me and my kind," he answered truthfully.

Elisa sighed, running her fingers through her hair.

"Lighten up, will you? You're starting to bring me down, and I'm a cop."

With that, the two took off, flying over the city as Hudson doubled back to the castle.

…

On the roof of Antonio's Pizzeria, the turtles sat in a circle around a stack of about five pizza boxes. Mikey looked down at one of them, fingers wiggling as he reached for it. However, Leo smacked his hand hard, causing him to pull it back.

"No, Mikey," he insisted. "We're waiting for the gargoyles to show up."

"But I'm hungry..." Mikey whined, his stomach growling loudly.

"They'll be here soon," Donnie assured his brother, patting his shell.

Mikey slumped down on the roof, waiting in anticipation of their guests. Thankfully, he didn't have to wait long, as three demonic-looking silhouettes passed over the building from above. The four turtles looked up to see the trio gliding towards them, with Willow in Brooklyn's arms. They touched down on the roof, Willow sliding out of Brooklyn's grip as they joined the circle.

"Sorry we're late," Lexington apologized. "We got a bit turned around somewhere over Mercer street."

"Just glad you found the place," Raph replied. "We've been beating Mikey back with a stick to keep him away from the pizza."

Broadway sniffed the air, licking his lips.

"That smells so good..." he said as drool dripped down his chin.

"I see I'm not the only one craving the New York Pizza Experience," Mikey commented, opening a box.

He reached for a slice, but Broadway grabbed the entire pizza in two hands. He took a massive bite out of it like it was an oversized cookie, his eyes going wide before completely devouring the thing like a wild animal. Mikey let out a thready whimper, reaching out shakily.

"My pizza..."

"Relax, Mikey," Raph chastised. "There's a reason we got five boxes."

"Just a heads up, Broadway," Leo informed. "Pizza is meant to be enjoyed one piece at a time."

With that, he flipped the lid of another box, everyone grabbing a slice. The gargoyles all ate with gusto, devouring their slices as Willow looked at hers curiously.

"It's so greasy," she remarked. "People actually eat this?"

"Totally," Mikey confirmed with half a slice in his mouth.

"C'mon," Donnie declared, swallowing his own bite of pizza. "Are you seriously telling me you've never had pizza before."

"Not that I can remember," Willow answered.

"Try it, Willow," Brooklyn insisted, already raiding the third box for another slice. "It's really good."

Willow looked at the slice, shrugged, then took a bite. Like the gargoyles before her, her eyes lit up and she began tearing into the pizza.

"This… is the best. Thing. Ever!"

"By jove, I think she's got it," Donnie joked.

They all ate their pizza, occasionally exchanging comments on how delicious it was until all five boxes were completely demolished. When it was over, everyone sighed in contentment, their bellies full.

"Not bad," Lexington admitted, licking some marinara sauce off his claws. "I'm glad you suggested this."

"I'm kinda thirsty though," Broadway commented.

"Well, how about I pop down inside and grab us something to drink?" Willow offered.

"I don't think Antonios serves champagne," Raph joked, getting a pizza crust thrown at him.

"I know what soda is, Raphael," she quipped. "I'm not that sheltered."

"Oh, so you know what soda is, but you've never had pizza?" Mikey questioned.

"Owen would give me soda in place of wine at meals," Willow explained. "I am only seventeen after all, and it's illegal for me to drink."

"We can pay for the soda," Leo offered.

"Nonsense," Willow shot down as she reached into her messenger bag, pulling out a wallet decorated with butterflies of various cool colors before opening it, revealing an array of golden credit cards. "Benefit of being a Xanatos, I can easily afford enough sodas for a party this big."

With that, she slipped down a nearby fire escape, heading into the pizzeria.

"While we wait for her," Leo spoke up, "why don't you guys tell us a bit about yourselves."

"What do you wanna know?" Lexington asked.

"Well, there's a lot of legend and speculation surrounding the castle you guys live in," Donnie shared. "A lot of it involves gargoyles."

"Of course," Brooklyn spoke up. "Our clan was living on that cliff long before the humans ever built the castle."

That threw the turtles for a loop.

"Wait, you were there?" Donnie asked. "But that was over a thousand years ago. How is that possible?"

"It may have been over a thousand years for you, but to us, it was just two nights ago," Lexington explained, his smile falturing as he began scratching at the floor nervously.

"We were cursed," Broadway added, looking down. "A wizard who lived in the castle cast a spell that turned us to stone forever."

"Well, until Xanatos and Willow broke the spell," Brooklyn corrected. "Apparently, the terms of the spell were that we would sleep 'until the castle rises above the clouds'."

Donnie looked up at the Eyrie building as it towered over the city.

"I'd say that qualifies," he remarked.

"Well, the spell is broken," Willow declared, climbing back up the fire escape with several bags with two-liters of various soda and plastic cups on her arms, "so I'd say that's a pretty safe bet. Apparently spells can be quite literal."

She sat down and passed out the cups, setting the two-litres where the pizzas had once been. Everyone grabbed a soda they wanted, sipping from their plastic cups.

"This stuff makes my mouth tingle," Broadway muttered, running his tongue on the roof of his mouth. "Is it a potion?"

"Not exactly," Donnie replied.

"But it does make a different kind of magic," Mikey chimed in with a sing-song voice before letting out a massive belch.

"Ew..." Willow groaned while laughing in disgust. "Gross."

"Ya get used to it," Raph reassured, "... eventually."

"Anyways..." Willow let out. "What exactly is your story? I mean, I'm pretty sure you didn't come with the castle, and you're way too knowledgeable about the modern day to be from 994 AD anyhow."

"Yeah," Lexington spoke up, letting out a small belch of his own before coughing and resuming his question. "How'd trolls end up here?"

"Were you cursed too?" Brooklyn wondered.

"No," Leo replied, shaking his head. "Our origins are a bit less… mystical than yours."

"Our story is actually the story of a man named Chung Li," Donnie shared.

All three gargoyles sat forward, Willow doing the same.

"Who's Chung Li?" Broadway asked.

"I'm pretty sure that's a character in a video game," Willow answered, holding up a hand to stop the confused questions from the gargoyles. "I'll explain what that is later."

"He happens to be a martial artist," Raph corrected her, "and a pretty good one at that."

"He was trained by one of the best, a man named Hamato Yoshi," Leo went on. "One of the greatest practitioners of Ninjutsu in centuries."

"Gesundheit," Willow let out.

"No, ninjutsu," Leo repeated. "It's an ancient Japanese battle art that combines stealth and power."

"Sounds so..." Lexington tried.

"Cool?" Brooklyn supplied.

"Yeah, that's the word."

"Yeah," Leo agreed. "Anyway, after Hamato Yoshi… passed on, Li was forced to live in the sewers. One day an accident happened. An old blind man was crossing the street when a large truck came barreling down."

"Truck?" Lexington asked.

"Giant wagon that doesn't need horses," Willow quickly supplied. "I'll add that to the list of things to show you."

"Right, as I was saying," Leo continued, "the only one who noticed this, was a boy carrying a glass jar that held four baby turtles."

"That was us!" Mikey declared.

"We got that!" The gargoyles and Willow all said in unison.

"Okay, okay." Mikey swirled the contents of his soda cup before sulking. "No need to be testy."

"Riiight," Leo let out, stressing the syllable for another second or so. "Anyway, on instinct, the boy dropped the turtles and ran out to save the old man. The turtles washed down the storm drain to where Li was watching. As the boy pushed the old man out of the way, the truck swerved and a metal canister bounced out of the back. If bounced down the same storm drain and smashed open, releasing some strange ooze which covered us and Li."

"This ooze… was it some sort of magic potion?" Lexington asked.

"It had to have been if it turned normal turtles into trolls," Broadway declared.

"Well I don't think it was magic," Donnie dismissed. "But it did seem to combine our DNA with the DNA of whatever living creature we were most recently in contact with."

Donnie was greeted by a trio of blank looks from the gargoyles, as well as one from Willow. He coughed, then tried again.

"Because my brothers and I were last touched by humans, the ooze turned us into half human, half turtle hybrids." he clarified.

This earned him a quartet of understanding looks, combined with slow nods from the previously confused parties.

"And… Li?" Brooklyn asked.

"Is he a turtle too?" Willow questioned.

"No," Donnie said with a shake of his head, "Being in the sewers for so long, he spent a good amount of time...with the rats."

"So he became a rat-man?" Lexington guessed.

"Essentially," Raph confirmed.

"Needless to say, he was pretty devastated," Leo said, continuing with the story. "He didn't even see a shadow of his former self, more like a splinter, as he put it."

"We know how he must have felt..." Brooklyn let out sadly. "When we found out what happened to our clan, not to mention sleeping for over a thousand years, we were pretty shocked too."

"I'll bet," Raph replied. "Though Li's despair didn't last long.

"What happened?" Broadway asked.

"Us," Mikey answered. "He saw us and how lost and alone we were. He felt the same way when his master took him in, so he decided to care for us and train us in ninjutsu. He even took a name we kinda gave him."

"Fittingly enough, Splinter," Leo concluded. "And he named us after his favorite renaissance artists."

"And the rest is history," Raph finished.

"Whoa..." Lexington let out. "So, the rat-man is like your leader."

"More than that," Leo corrected, a warm smile on his face. "He's our father."

"Cool," Willow declared. "You guys are seriously lucky."

"Really?" Raph asked. "This coming from the girl who lives in a castle with her trillionaire dad."

"Hey, you guys have a dad who's a kick butt ninja. Besides, as much as my dad loves me, and as much as I love him, there's always this… distance between us. He tries as hard as he can to be there for me, but he's always busy, always working. Most of the time, it's Owen taking care of me, not dad."

"Ah," Raph let out. "Sorry I… i didn't know."

Willow snorted, tossing her now empty soda cup at his head.

"Oh lighten up, troll-boy. Like I said, I know he cares, and I do love him. So stop trying to make me out as some sad sack."

"Okay, okay," Raph replied, rubbing his head where the cup hit. "Just lay off with the troll stuff already."

"Why?" Brooklyn asked with a playful smirk. "You certainly smell like trolls."

"So we live in a sewer, big deal," Mikey remarked, snorting and waving a hand dismissively. "We happen to shower regularly."

"Well some of us do," Donnie amended, giving Raph a look.

Raph just threw his cup at his brother in response.

...

Goliath found himself in awe of how large the city was. The number of people he saw milling about below vastly outnumbered even the largest army he had ever faced down. The noise was also new for him. The sounds of car horns and people yelling filled his ears, even from high up in the sky. This self-guided aerial tour continued for a while before Goliath landed on the top of the Empire State building. He set Elisa down, allowing her to stand as he flexed his slightly stiff arms.

"Well?" Elisa asked. "What do you think so far?"

Goliath looked back over the city.

"Such amazing changes man has made to the world while my clan slept. Stone streets, finer than even those of the romans. Towers of glass and iron… it's incredible."

"Yeah, I'm used to it," Elisa admitted, shrugging as she slid her hands into her jacket pockets. "Though I suppose to someone like yourself, it is pretty impressive."

"I see there are no walls to guard this city," Goliath remarked, looking out at the seemingly endless horizon. "How do you defend against invaders?"

"Honestly, our biggest problems come from inside, not out."

Goliath sighed, his fists tightening.

"That I am all too familiar with."

Elisa looked up at him with a curious look. She placed a hand on his arm, drawing his attention.

"Goliath, did something happen to you?" she asked.

Goliath's face fell a bit, recalling what happened.

"I trusted someone back at the castle." he shared, his eyes distant as he remembered. "He was responsible for the destruction of my clan."

"But, I met your clan," Elisa said in confusion. "Hudson, Brooklyn, Broadway, Lexington… aren't they your clan."

"Yes, but back then there were dozens of us. They were destroyed while they slept, and I was helpless to prevent it…" he closed his eyes, turning away in grief. "I lost my friends, my brothers and sisters… My mate…"

Elisa leaned onto Goliath's shoulder, squeezing his arm gently.

"I'm so sorry..." she told him softly.

"You weren't responsible," he replied.

"Doesn't mean I can't feel sorry for you. Nobody should have to suffer like that."

Goliath was a bit surprised by the sudden kindness, but smiled regardless.

"Thank you Elisa. Compassion like yours is… refreshing."

She returned his smile, then gave a stretch.

"Come on, let me take you somewhere I know you'll enjoy."

...

The turtles, Willow, and the trio made their way across the rooftops, having a bit of a race. So far, the gargoyles were taking the lead, their wings giving them an advantage even with Willow as added weight.

"Come on slow pokes!" Lexington called back.

The turtles were starting to become irritated by this, thinking it was time to step up their game.

"It sounds like the gargoyles want to play boys," Leo told his brothers.

"About time!" Raph declared. "Mikey, do it!"

"You got it Raph!" Mikey replied, pulling out his kusarigama chain.

He then threw it at Lexington, wrapping around his legs. Lexington got pulled back, where Mikey quickly used him as a springboard to launch himself into the air.

"Booyakasha!" Mikey yelled as he soared through the air.

He then landed on top of Broadway before leaping off him as well. Brooklyn quickly banked left, leaving Mikey to land hard on a nearby rooftop.

"Better luck next time, Michelangelo!" he called out, Willow sticking out her tongue and pulling down an eyelid from her place in the red gargoyle's grasp.

"Hey, I'm still second in all this!" Mikey reminded them both.

Just then, Broadway and Lexington swooped down and grabbed Mikey's arms, lifting him into the air.

"Need a lift, little buddy?" Broadway asked.

"Hey!" Mikey called out. "I didn't call for a taxi!"

The two gargoyles look at each other, then share a nod. At the same time, they both let him go, letting him drop down into an open dumpster. The turtles ran to the edge of the roof to see if he was ok. Mikey then poked his head out of the dumpster.

"Donnie, any chance you could, like, build us some wings or something?" he asked, pulling an old banana peel off his head.

"I'll see what I can do," Donnie replied as he and the others made it down to street level.

Once they all gathered in the alley, Brooklyn set Willow down, helping Mikey out of the dumpster.

"Sorry about that," Brooklyn apologized, brushing garbage off Mikey's shell. "My brothers and I get carried away sometimes."

"Eh it's cool," Mikey replied, tossing an old banana peel aside. "My bros and I can be that way too."

"Especially when it comes to you, Mikey," Raph joked.

Just then, some kind of scuffling rang out from the other end of the alley. Everyone was immediately on edge, scooting towards the sounds as quietly as possible. Leo peered around the corner, seeing a group of punks with purple dragon tattoos harassing a couple.

"Come on folks," one purple dragon insisted. "You want to hang in this neighborhood, you have to pay the toll."

The young man of the couple put himself between the purple dragon and his girlfriend, pulling out his wallet and holding it out.

"Here, just take it," he insisted. "I don't want any trouble."

"Purple Dragons..." Raph hissed.

"But, they're not dragons..." Broadway pointed out. "Or purple."

"It's the name of a street gang," Donnie explained. "Think Vikings, but without the armor. They take what they want and don't care who gets hurt."

This caused all three of the gargoyles to growl, their eyes glowing brightly. The turtles all drew their weapons, looking out at the purple dragons.

"Hey, how about we show you guys how we do things here in NYC," Raph suggested.

"Lead on," Brooklyn allowed.

Leo nodded and threw a throwing star at one of the dragon's makeshift weapons, knocking it out of his hand.

"If you want handouts, I think there's a salvation army two blocks down!" Leo called out.

The dragons all turned towards the turtles and immediately stiffened.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't New York's very own freak show," one dragon with bright blue hair declared. "Still running around like it's Halloween every night?"

"Yeah, and we have a few tricks for you guys," Mikey taunted.

The dragons all moved in on the turtles, their makeshift weapons raised. Mikey blocked one dragon trying to swing a crowbar at him. The orange turtle just knocked it out of his hands before smacking him in the face with a nunchaku. Another dragon came up spinning a chain, eying Donnie as he spun his staff a bit. As the dragon swung his chain at him, Donnie raised his staff so the chain could wrap around it. Donnie then flung the chain aside before striking the dragon in the gut and sweeping his legs out from under him. From the darkness of the alley, the gargoyles and Willow watched in amazement as they fought.

"Whoa, these guys are something else," Willow commented.

"That they are," Lexington agreed.

Raph danced around one dragon wielding a knife, avoiding every strike. Finally, Raph kicked the knife out of his hand before grabbing him by the shirt and throwing him into the dumpster. Leo meanwhile, was circling around another dragon wielding a switchblade, along with a long pipe. He frantically swung them at Leo, but he ducked and dodged every strike. Leo then pulled out a sword and sliced the pipe in half before aiming it at the dragons face.

"You better think really hard about your next move," he told him.

The dragon looked about ready to do something foolish, but then stopped when he noticed three glowing sets of eyes staring out at him from the darkness.

"My suggestion, run," Brooklyn growled from the darkness.

The dragons stumbled back in fear before bolting out of the alley and into the night. Willow and the gargoyles emerged from the alley, all four of them laughing.

"Man, I didn't know humans could run that fast," Broadway commented.

"I'm pretty sure that one dude pissed his pants," Willow added.

"Not bad," Brooklyn admitted.

Suddenly, another batch of screams was heard. This time, from the couple they saved. Everyone turned and watched them disappear down the street, screaming about monsters. Raph let out a sigh, shoving his sai back in his belt.

"That's human gratitude for you," Raph remarked.

"We're used to it," Lexington lamented.

"Yeah, it's the one thing that hasn't changed in the past thousand years," Brooklyn groaned.

"Yeah, but not all humans are that bad," Mikey insisted.

"This is true," Brooklyn allowed, giving Willow a soft smile.

Willow blushed, fiddling with a lock of her hair before letting out a cough.

"Um… where to now, guys?" she asked.

Before anyone could answer, Leo happened to glance up, seeing something that caused him to freeze up.

"Uh, guys," he spoke up. "I think we're about to have company."

The others looked up to see a group of men dressed in black garb, grey vests, and red dragon's foot symbols on their chests perched on the roofs above them.

"You've gotta be kiddin' me," Raph let out.

"Who are these guys?" Broadway asked.

"They're called Foot Ninja," Leo answered, already getting his swords ready. "They have all our skills, and none of our morals."

"Uh-oh..." Willow let out, backing away nervously.

The Foot Ninjas then dropped down to the ground, surrounding the group as the turtles drew their weapons. The gargoyles all began growling, their eyes glowing and their wings spread threateningly.

"Your call, Leonardo," Brooklyn declared.

"... take 'em down!"

The group dashed forward, with Brooklyn landing in front of some Ninjas and whipping his tail at them, knocking them back. One Ninja leapt forward and tried to bring his sword down on the gargoyle. Brookly quickly leapt out of the way before grabbing the Ninja by the front of the shirt and tossing him aside. One tried to sneak up on Brooklyn from behind, but was quickly taken out when Raph kicked him from behind. Raph then caught another sword from a Foot Ninja and kicked him in the chest, knocking him into some trash cans. He and Brooklyn slowly backed into each other, turning their heads to see one another.

"I thought ninjas were only found in the east," Brooklyn remarked. "What are they doing here?"

"It ain't for the pizza, that's for sure," Raph responded. "It's a long story best left for when we're not fighting for our lives."

"Fair enough," Brooklyn allowed as the two went off into battle.

Donnie meanwhile, used his staff to vault over two Foot Ninja before landing behind them and swinging his staff at their heads, knocking them to the ground. As he did that, Lexington rammed into one Ninja before wrapping his tail around another Ninja and tripped him up.

"If you don't mind my asking, Donatello," Lexington spoke up, duking under a Ninja's punch. "But why do your brothers have actual weapons while you just have that stick?"

"Just watch what I can do with 'just this stick'."

Another group of Ninjas approached them, prompting Donnie to spin his staff in preparation. He jabbed it forward, nailing one Ninja in the chest before bringing it down hard on his head. He then brought his staff up to block another Ninja's sword attack before kicking him in the chest. As a third one approached, Donnie knelt down and swung his staff at his legs, tripping him up for Lexington to tackle it to the ground.

"Alright, I'll admit," Lexington commented. "The stick is handy."

Elsewhere, Mikey was bashing away every Foot Ninja that came close. A Foot Ninja with a staff tried swinging his weapon at him, but Mikey quickly caught it in the chain of his nunchaku and twisted it together, trapping it. This allowed Mikey to kick the Ninja bak right into Broadway's gut. Broadway then grabbed an oncoming Ninja by his shirt and threw him towards Mikey, prompting him to leap up and kick him aside.

"Aw yeah!" Mikey called out. "Turtle Gargoyle tag-team for the win! Booyakasha!"

"Booyakasha?" Broadway repeated. "Is that even a word?"

"It is for me," Mikey replied, shrugging.

"But what does it mean?" Broadway asked, dodging a Foot Ninja's attack before batting him aside.

"No idea," Mikey admitted, spinning his nunchaku as more Foot Ninjas approached. "But it's fun to yell."

Meanwhile, Leo deflected and blocked several Foot Ninja sword strikes in rapid succession, doing his best to keep ahead of their constant attacks. Thinking fast, he ducked under one sword strike and jabbed the hilt of his blade into a Ninja's face, knocking him out. He then knelt down and swept another off his feet before leaping backwards and getting some footing on the remaining Foot Ninjas.

...

Meanwhile, Elisa and Goliath walked through Central Park, enjoying a small piece of nature amongst the loud city.

"You know, we're probably the only couple in the park that doesn't have to worry about muggers," Elisa commented.

"As I said before, the world may have changed, but man is still as savage as I remember," Goliath told her.

"Don't judge us too harshly. The city may show an ugly face sometimes, but once you get to know it, you'll see the nicer side as well. In a way, it's like you guys."

Goliath raised an eyebrow to that, but before he could comment, a sound in the bushes drew his attention. Elisa noticed his distraction, immediately becoming on edge.

"What is it, Goliath?" she asked quietly.

There was a loud bang, then something struck Goliath in the shoulder, revealing itself to be some sort of dart. He howled in pain, clawing at his arm as he stumbled. Almost immediately after that, the very same mercenaries from the night before closed in on the pair. Elisa drew her gun, but one of the mercs quickly kicked it out of her hands. Another grabbed her, subduing her and dragging her back.

Seeing Elisa being manhandled enraged Goliath. His eyes began to glow brightly as he lashed out, trying to fight back. Unfortunately, the drug the dart had been laced with was doing its job. His movements were slowly growing ever more sluggish, his strength fading and his limbs becoming as heavy as lead weights. This left him easy prey for a trio of mercs as they wrestled him to the ground. The leader of the mercs drew a gun from his belt, approaching Goliath with a triumphant smirk.

"What do you want?!" Elisa demanded, still struggling in the grip of her captor.

"We're just tying up loose ends," the leader replied, leveling the gun with Goliath. "And once we're done with this one, we'll hunt down the rest of those freaks, whether they be gargoyle or turtle."

"No…" Goliath weakly protested, struggling to fight the effects of the drug. "I won't… let you…"

"What makes you think you have a choice?" the merc leader taunted.

Having heard enough, Elisa stomped down hard on her captor's foot. He released her in shock, allowing her to elbow him in the gut before bringing both elbows down on his back. With him out of the way, she ran at the leader, charging into him like a linebacker. The two went flying, his gun bouncing across the ground before disappearing into the woods.

While Elisa dealt with the leader, Goliath continued his efforts to escape. Even drugged, he was still strong enough to shake off the mercs holding him. He kicked one off, getting to his feet before throwing the other two away one by one. In retaliation, the first merc grabbed a gun of her own, firing from where she'd landed. Thinking fast, Elisa ran over to Goliath, who wasted no time scooping her up before running off.

The merc got back on her feet, continuing her pursuit. Goliath did not even bother looking back, his eyes locking onto a small hill up ahead. Using it as a runway, the gargoyle picked up speed, spreading his wings before taking off. The merc kept firing, even as they vanished from sight. Only a curt order from her leader stopped her.

"Cease firing!" he ordered, grabbing her gun. "They won't get far."

…

Peeking out from her hiding place behind a dumpster, Willow watched the gargoyles and the turtles duke it out with the Foot Ninjas. Not being a capable warrior like her companions, she had elected to hide and stay out of the way. During the fighting, one of Leo's foes was knocked into one of the garbage cans next to her, causing her to yelp in surprise. The ninja turned to her, lashing out and grabbing her, pulling her from her hiding spot.

"What do we have here?" the Ninja spoke.

Willow grabbed her messenger bag, swinging it at the ninjas head as hard as she could. It did little more than piss him off, and send her phone and a few small articles flying. He then ripped the bag out of her hands and tossed it aside, pinning her arm painfully behind her back.

"You're Xanatos' brat. The Master has been looking for a means to conduct business with him. You will do nicely."

"Let go of me!" Willow screamed.

Brooklyn heard her scream and turned, growling loudly as he stalked towards the ninja.

"Only warning," he snarled. "Let the girl go."

"Back off, freak,"the Ninja demanded, drawing his sword.

Brooklyn quickly shot out his tail and whipped the sword out of his hand. This disoriented the Ninja long enough for Brooklyn to leap forward and punch him out. This allowed Willow to dive for freedom, grabbing her bag off the ground.

"We need to get out of here!" she insisted. "They keep coming!"

"Agreed," Leo conceded. "Mikey, cover our exit!"

Mikey grinned, pulling out a pair of eggs from his belt.

"A, B, See ya!" he shouted.

He threw the eggs on the ground, and they exploded into purple smoke. This disoriented the Foot Ninjas long enough for the turtles and gargoyles to make their escape.

…

Once they were a safe distance away, the two groups finally came to a stop, dropping down onto a rooftop overlooking Central Park. Brooklyn set Willow down, looking her over.

"I'm okay," she insisted. "Just a bit shaken."

"Why'd those guys attack us?" Broadway wondered. "They just came out of nowhere."

"Yeah, they tend to do that," Mikey commented.

"And who is that 'Master' that one ninja mentioned?" Lexington questioned. "They sound dangerous."

"He is," Donnie confirmed.

"Well, who is he?" Brooklyn asked.

"Not important right now," Leo chimed in. "if the Foot attacked us, they could be attacking Goliath right now."

"Then we need to find him," Broadway exclaimed. "Those guys are dangerous."

"Hold on, guys," Leo called out, looking over at Central Park with narrowed eyes. "I think I see something in the park."

The group instantly made their way over to the edge of the roof, looking down at the massive park below. Through the trees, they could see several armed thugs storming across the place, all armed to the teeth. At the sight of the goons, all the gargoyles went wide-eyed.

"It's the same guys who attacked the castle last night!" Lexington exclaimed.

"I'm guessing that was the cause of the light show yesterday," Raph chimed in.

"They were, yes," Willow answered, "but what are they doing here in Central Park?"

All three gargoyles suddenly snapped up, remembering something important.

"Goliath!" they all let out.

"Elisa, she's with him, remember?!" Willow exclaimed.

"Come on!" Leo motioned. "They might need our help."

Brooklyn grabbed Willow, then all of them jumped off the roof, heading into the park to find Goliath.

...

Elisa and Goliath trudge under a bridge, the gargoyle leaning heavily on Elisa. He fell to his knees, his vision blurry as he groaned.

"What is wrong with me…?" he let out.

Elisa pulled the dart from his arm, showing it to him.

"Those mercs drugged you," She explained. "Though it doesn't seem to be killing you, it is slowing you down."

As she tossed the dart away, a large swarm of figures began to approach. Fearing it was the mercenaries, Elisa put herself between Goliath and the approaching shadows. Her defensive posture faded once she realized it was their friends.

"Goliath!" the trio cried out.

"What are… you three doing here?" he asked.

"We saw those mercenaries attacking you," Leo explained.

"We had to make sure you were okay," Lexington insisted.

"Yeah, we didn't survive over a thousand years of slumber just to lose you on our second night," Brooklyn declared.

Donnie walked over to Goliath, noticing his weakened state.

"What's wrong with him?" he asked.

"The mercs drugged him," Elisa explained. "He was barely able to glide us to safety before collapsing all together."

"How'd those guys even find him?" Mikey questioned.

While looking him over, Donnie noticed something shimmering under Goliath's wing. He looked there and saw a small metal device planted on his back.

"I think I know," he said, plucking it off.

"What… is that?" Goliath questioned, squinting at the small device.

"Looks like a radio transmitter of some kind," Donnie hypothesized.

"Basically, a magic tracking spell," Willow translated.

"Can I see that?" Elisa asked, holding out her hand.

Donnie nodded as he handed her the device. She looked at it, noticing a manufacturer's logo on the back. She took note of the design, then noticed a small dog rummaging through some garbage off to the side. She approached it, though the dog immediately raised its hackles, growling at her. She slowed her approach, crouching down and offering her hand for it to sniff. Once it realized Elisa wasn't going to harm it, it calmed down. It even gave her a few small licks on the hand.

"There we go, good boy." Elisa gave it an affectionate head scratch, simultaneously slipping the transmitter behind its ear. "Good boy, now go, go on."

The dog ran off into the park, taking the small device with it. Elisa straightened up, wiping her hands on her jeans.

"There. Let them chase Rover for a while instead of us."

"Nice idea, Elisa," Willow complimented.

"Thanks, now help me with Goliath," she insisted. "Even with the tracker gone, we need to get out of this park and fast."

"Right," Leo agreed.

The two girls helped Goliath back to his feet, the turtles and remaining gargoyles forming a protective circle around the three. Lexington glanced up at the sky with a worried look.

"Guys, I don't think we're going to make it back to the castle in time," he said fearfully.

"Even if we could, we wouldn't be able to defend ourselves..." Broadway added.

"Need… a place… to hide..." Goliath declared, struggling to remain on his feet.

"What about the lair?" Mikey suggested.

"Can we get there before sunrise?" Brooklyn questioned.

"Maybe," Donnie answered. "If I can get the Battle Shell over here in time."

"Go," Leo told him. "Get it. We'll stay here and keep Goliath covered."

Donnie nodded before taking off. As he disappeared, the gargoyles gathered up in a small outcropping of trees as the sky began to visibly lighten.

"Not good," Brooklyn let out before turning to the others. "Leonardo, listen to me. You have to lead the mercenaries away from us. We won't be able to defend ourselves once the sun rises."

"Don't worry," Leo reassured. "We got your backs."

"Hang on guys, why won't you be able to defend yourselves?" Mikey asked. "You're kick butt warriors."

"During the night, yes," Lexington agreed. "But during the day-"

He never got the chance to finish his statement, for at that moment, the sun appeared over the horizon. Once it did, all four of the gargoyles began to petrify, solidifying into stone statues of themselves. The turtles and Elisa all gasped as Willow slipped herself out of Goliath's stony grip.

"They're helpless stone statues," she said, finishing Lexington's statement.