The gargoyles and turtles were staring through the opening of the elevator doors, looking down the barrels of at least a dozen weapons aimed right at them.
"Uh… Sorry, wrong floor," Mikey quickly remarked.
The guards open fire on the group, forcing them to take cover back in the elevator shaft. Wasting no time, they scrambled up the wall to the floor above, where Broadway made short work of the door. The five then dove through their new opening just as the guards began firing up the shaft. Once they made it into the hallway, a loud alarm began blaring, putting the entire building on high alert.
"Not exactly the best ninja stealth we've done, is it?" Mikey asked.
"Anybody got a plan B?" Raph questioned.
In the lab on the floor below, several scientists eye the door to the lab nervously. They half expected it to be kicked in at any second. However, the attack didn't come from in front of them. Instead, the ceiling above them suddenly caved in, the lights flickering off for a few seconds before coming back on. When they did, the scientists were horrified to see the three gargoyles and two turtles standing in the center of the lab.
"Evening boys," Raph replied, spinning his sai. "Sorry to bother you."
"We just came to do a little shopping, so maybe you can give us a hand," Mikey added, twirling his Nunchucks.
Brooklyn approached one of the scientists cowering behind his desk, lifting him into the air with ease.
"Where is the disk?" he snarled.
Terrified out of his mind, the scientist gestured to a large computer console behind him. Lexington scampered over to it, surveying the set up.
"Xanatos said it should be right…" he let out, looking over the console. "Uh… How do I work this thing?!"
Suddenly, he saw a thin hole in the console with a button next to it. Taking a chance, he pressed the button, ejecting the disk from the hole.
"Got it!" Lexington declared, holding up the disk.
About that time, the guards attempted to enter the room, only for Broadway to slam his entire weight against the door.
"Guys, we need to go!" He declared.
"Well, if a door closes, go for a window!" Mikey exclaimed, smashing a window with his nunchaku.
Without any time to lose, Brooklyn and Broadway grabbed Raph and Mikey again and took off through their new escape route, leaving the guards to futilely try and shoot them out of the sky.
"Woo!" Lexington cheered, rolling in the air before punching the air. "We did it!"
"Was there ever any doubt?" Mikey asked.
"Not even for a second," Broadway answered.
"C'mon guys," Brooklyn decided. "Let's get back to the castle."
They banked hard, making their way home with their newly acquired prize.
...
At the underground base, a guard marched up to his commander, tapping away at a pad in his hand.
"Sir, central reports that station 1 has been breached," He declared.
"Any details?" the commander questioned.
"Well, if I'm being honest sir, they sounded rather hysterical," The guard replied. "There was talk of… well, monsters."
The commander's eyes narrowed.
"I see…" he mused, "I want security here increased."
...
In the tunnels outside, Hudson, Splinter, Donnie and Bronx approach the base on foot. The old gargoyle glanced around the filthy tunnel, sidestepping to avoid the occasional pool of stagnant water.
"So this is the 'sewers' ye mentioned," Hudson commented.
"Technically, this is a private section of the subway," Donnie corrected. "But still not too far off."
"I do not see how ya live down here," Hudson continued. "The smell alone is… repulsive."
Bronx let out a low whine, pawing at his nose in agreement.
"When you live down here as long as we have, you tend to get used to it," Splinter told him.
"I suppose that be true," Hudson allowed.
As they grew closer to their target, Splinter's ears perked up. He brought up his walking stick, halting Donnie and Hudson in their tracks. Bronx stopped as well, letting out a low growl.
"What is it, Sensei?" Donnie asked in a hushed whisper.
"There is a camera mounted on the wall," Splinter explained quietly.
"Camera?" Hudson asked.
"It's like a sentry," Donnie quickly supplied. "It sees us, and the entire facility will know we're here."
"The camera is not our only obstacle," Splinter pointed out, gesturing to the large metal doors on the opposite end of the tunnel. "That is our only way in."
"Could you pry the doors open Hudson?" Donnie asked.
"In my prime, t'would be a simple task," Hudson admitted, looking down at his hands, "but I'm not as strong as I once was." He looked back at the door, then at the camera, stroking his beard in contemplation. "Then again… What I now lack in strength, I make up for in wisdom and cunning."
...
Inside, the commander gasped in shock as Hudson appeared on base's security monitors. He immediately summoned a platoon of guards, sending them out to deal with the creature.
...
Back out with Hudson, the old gargoyle smirked as he heard several guards moving in on him from behind.
"I don't know what you are, but I bet you're not bulletproof," One of the guards snarled threateningly.
"Aye," Hudson agreed, turning around and lifting his hands in a gesture of surrender. "It's a wager you'd win."
Behind him, the metal doors began to slowly slide open, the guards ushering Hudson inside. Once he makes it a few steps in, Donnie, Splinter, and Bronx came charging out of the shadows. Bronx tackled one of the guards as Hudson dealt with another, tossing him into a trio of guards moving in on the gargoyles. Donnie swung his staff at another trio of guards, knocking them all to the ground. Splinter bashed and knocked back several more guards with his walking stick, not losing momentum for a moment. Bronx then snarls at the commander, who pulls a pistol out of his jacket.
"What the devil-?!" he began.
Before he could finish, Hudson charged into him, knocking him aside. Unfortunately, this also caused the commander to let off a stray shot, one that struck the computer console and set it ablaze. Scientists and guards alike scattered as the fire spread.
"Donatello!" Splinter called out. "Recover the disk!"
"On it!" Donnie called back.
Donnie quickly made his way over to the console and got to working finding the disk. When some info on the screen popped up regarding the disks content, Donnie became confused.
"What on…" he let out.
"Lad! Time is not on our side here!" Hudson reminded the purple banded turtle.
Donnie snapped back into the moment and pressed the necessary buttons to eject the disk.
"Got it!" He yelled, grabbing the disk and bolting.
"Come then, we're leaving!" Hudson declared.
Bronx, who had been keeping a trio of guards pinned down behind a desk, immediately heeded Hudson's call. As he did so, the commander finally managed to recover from Hudson's attack. He pulled himself up onto the security console, slamming his fist onto the emergency button. An alarm began sounding as the large metal doors began to slide close.
Seeing their only exit slowly growing smaller, Hudson, Splinter, Donnie, and Bronx picked up the pace. They dove through the door just as he slammed shut, nearly taking off Hudson's tail. He stopped just on the other side of the door, panting slightly and rubbing his back.
"I'm getting too old for this…" he complained.
"I know how you feel," Splinter remarked, a hand on his chest as he tried to catch his breath.
Down the tunnel, the four could hear an army of guards coming closer, already letting lose several shots. The fours immediately dart up a nearby ladder, escaping through a side tunnel. The guards followed in hot pursuit.
As they ran, they soon found themselves trapped in a caged catwalk above a subway tunnel.
"We'll be sitting ducks in here, right enough," Hudson growled.
Donnie looked out onto the track and saw a bright light coming towards them.
"We just need to hold out for a few more seconds," Donnie told them.
The guards were closing in fast, firing down the tunnel and forcing the four to keep running through the catwalk. Down below, the sounds of a subway train filled the tunnel, much to Donnie and Splinter's relief.
"I take it that will be our escape," Hudson deduced.
"Indeed," Splinter confirmed. "It is time we teach you what a subway is."
Hudson then tore off a section of the fencing surrounding the catwalk, then both he and Bronx jumped onto the train as it passed underneath them, with Splinter and Donnie following suit. The guards skid to a halt in front of Hudson's impromptu exit, watching the four creatures disappear down the tunnel.
Soon, the tunnel opens up onto a section of open track. Hudson wasted no time grabbing Bronx and spreading his wings. The sheer wind force was just enough to pull them off the train and allow them to safely launch into the air. Splinter pulled a grappling rope out of his robe, swinging it at a passing lamp post as Donnie grabbed hold of him. Once the rope connected, the two were pulled off of the subway, allowing them to swing to safety.
They landed on a rooftop as Hudson and Bronx came down. The two gargoyles landed hard, rolling for a bit before coming to a stop. Bronx immediately began assaulting Hudson with slobbering dog kisses before Hudson good-naturedly pushed him off.
"Away with ye," he told the gargoyle dog, rotating his arms a bit. "You need to be losing some weight, and that's a fact."
Bronx let out a small whine as Hudson sat up.
"Ye have the disk lad?" He asked, turning to Donnie.
"Right here," Donnie reassured, holding it up.
"I hope this wee thing is worth the aches I'll be feeling later," He remarked, glancing up at the disk,
"Me too…" Donnie let out.
...
On board the airship, the captain of the vessel was approached by the head of the security team.
"Stations 1 and 2 have been breached?!" The captain exclaimed. "Then we've lost two-thirds of the data!"
The door to the bridge was kicked down, drawing everyone's attention. They turned to see Goliath, Leo and the female emerge from the darkened hallway behind them.
"Wrong," The female corrected the captain. "You've lost all of it."
"Sorry to disappoint," Leo quipped.
Goliath moved in on the guards, his wings raised in a show of power. They raised their weapons to fire, but Goliath merely whipped around, striking them with his tail before they had the chance. He then picked up the Captain, who struggled in his grip.
"W-what are you?" he stammered.
Goliath remained silent, keeping his grip on the captain as the female went over to the computer console. Several other guards tried shooting at Leo, but he easily dodged around and deflected the bullets. Finally, he went in close and sliced the guns in half. Before the guards could react, Leo spin kicked both of them to the ground, taking them out.
With accuracy surprising for a being who had supposedly just awoken in this time period, the she-gargoyle ejected the disk, snagging it quickly and holding it up.
"Mission accomplished," She declared.
"Great," Leo replied. "Let's go before more trouble shows up."
"I don't think we'll have to worry about that," She told him, her eyes spotting a few key wires poking out from under the console.
With a quick swipe of her clawed feet, she tore through them with ease, grabbing a handful of them. She then proceeded to shove the wires right into the machinery itself. The entire system began to smoke and spark before bursting into flames.
"My angel, what have you done?!" Goliath gasped, dropping the Captain in his shock.
"No time!" the female told him as alarms began going off. "We must flee!"
"What about the people trapped on here?" Leo asked.
"Leave them!" The female insisted.
"What?!" Leo exclaimed. "We can't just-"
Before he could finish, there was a second explosion, one outside the control room. Outside the window, he could see one of the engines bursting into flames.
Goliath remained rooted in place, watching as the humans of the ship tried desperately to put out the fire. He did not even hear the female kick open an escape hatch.
"Goliath, this way!" she insisted.
"We cannot leave the humans!" Goliath retorted, turning to go aid them.
With a feral growl, the she-gargoyle grabbed Goliath's hand and the back of Leo's shell, dragging them both towards the escape hatch. She forced them both through it, the two gargoyles gliding away from the ship as it began to slowly descend into the Hudson. Goliath turned back, watching helplessly as it crashed into the water with a heavy splash, Leo doing the same from the female's grip. They both turned away, the trio silently making their way back to the castle.
Down below, near the water's edge, Elisa's car pulled up along the entrance to the main bridge. She scrambled out of her car, running forward and gasping at the few men that poured from the ever burning fortress. Her eyes then drifted skyward, up the cloud of smoke that was forming, and she blinked in surprise when she saw a pair of silhouettes gliding away from the wreck
"Goliath?" she voiced quietly.
…
Back at the castle, Goliath, Leo, and the female returned. The others made it back as well and were waiting for them with Willow and Xanatos.
"Leo, about time you got back!" Raph shouted.
"Yeah, we thought you'd be the first one back here!" Mikey added.
"Did ye get the disk ye were after?" Hudson questioned.
"That we did," Leo confirmed.
The female handed over the disk to Xanatos with a smirk. Xanatos took it, grinning.
"My friends, you have my profound thanks," he told them all. "Rest assured that the information on the disks will be put to beneficial use for humans and gargoyles alike."
"You have fun with that, dad," Willow told him, grabbing Brooklyn and Lexington by the hands. "C'mon, I convinced Owen to order some more pizza from Antonios, and there's enough to feed a whole army of gargoyles the size of Broadway."
"Dudette, you just said the magic words," Mikey declared, already drooling at the idea of pizza.
"Well then, come on!" Willow insisted, already pulling the two gargoyles off towards the battlements. "It's getting cold!"
The younger gargoyles all left with Willow, Raph and Mikey following right behind them. Xanatos chuckled, then walked off with the collection of disks. Goliath turned to leave as well, but his mate quickly stopped him.
"Where are you going?" she questioned.
"I promised a friend that I would meet with her," Goliath explained. "I will return."
"A friend? Who? We are all that remains of our kind."
"She is a human, a Detective called Elisa Maza."
"Outside of Xanatos and his child, we have no human friends." The female's voice had regained that earlier coldness as she argued with her mate. "Nor should we. Humanity is our enemy, Goliath. I thought you learned that a millennium ago."
"I cannot make war with the entire world," Goliath retorted. "Doesn't Xanatos and Willow prove that there are good humans as well as bad?"
"How can you so easily forgive the humans for what they did to our kind?" the female growled, poking him in the chest with a claw. "For you, it was merely a few days ago, and yet you act like the tragedy means nothing!"
"I have not forgotten, believe me. But, despite how long it may have felt to us, the humans responsible for that tragedy have been dead for over a thousand years."
"Then their descendants shall pay! I will have blood for blood!"
Goliath looked down at his mate coldly, remembering what she had told him back on the airship.
"You claimed that the centuries of slumber have changed me, but the same can be said for you. You have become hard and unforgiving… you are not as I remember you."
The female's features softened, her anger giving way to shock and disbelief. Goliath then walked to the edge of the battlements, spreading his wings.
"Elisa is waiting for me," he stated.
"Then go…" the female growled.
Silently, he took off into the night.
"Pretty harsh don't you think?" Leo asked her.
She elected to ignore Leo, stalking off deeper into the castle.
"What's up with her?" Donnie inquired, walking over to Leo.
"I don't know," he admitted, "but she seems a little unstable. She crashed the airship into the Hudson after we got the disk."
"What?!" Donnie and Splinter let out.
"Yeah, I couldn't believe it either," Leo told them. "There's definitely something up with her."
"She might not be the only one," Donnie added.
"What do you mean, Donatello?" Splinter asked.
"When we were in the underground base, I got a quick look at the data on that disk," Donnie informed his family. "It wasn't a lot, but it looked like some kind of robotics programming, and not the friendly kind."
"Why would Xanatos have such programming?" Splinter pondered.
"I'm not sure," Leo replied, "but I know someone who might be able to help."
"Then you two go," Splinter told them. "I will stay with the others just in case."
"I just hope Goliath doesn't mind us crashing his date," Donnie joked.
…
In Xanatos' office, he and Owen watched the entire exchange on the former's computer. With a sigh, Xanatos closed his computer, rising to his feet.
"Goliath, it seems, is too hard to control," he decided. "A pity."
"And the turtles are proving to be an even bigger nuisance than we anticipated," Owen added. "They will have to be dealt with."
"Them, along with the gargoyles," Xanatos declared.
...
Elisa waited on the nearby rooftop where she had initially met up with Goliath. Once he landed in front of her, she practically ran to his side, a worried look on her face.
"Where have you been?" she questioned. "I've been looking for you all over the city."
"Why?" Goliath asked curiously.
"Three Cyberbiotics installations were robbed, and all three of them reported being attacked by monsters. More than that, I saw you and another gargoyle gliding away from the Floating Fortress wreck. Please tell me you have a good explanation for this."
"My clan and I were retrieving property stolen from Xanatos, and as for the wreck… it was not my idea."
"Was it Xanatos'?"
"No, it was a new friend's idea," Leo called out.
Elisa and Goliath turned to see Leo and Donnie landing on the rooftop.
"Sorry to drop in like this," Donnie apologized, "but our little errand for Xanatos has raised a few questions for us."
"I think I found the reason why," Elisa replied, pulling a piece of paper out of her pocket.
The three took a look at the paper to see a blown up version of a beetle manufacturer's label.
"That's the same symbol we saw on the tracker those thugs used to find Goliath," Donnie recalled.
"Well, I did some research on a logo I found on it," Elisa told him. "It's the symbol for Scarab Corp, a robotics firm owned by Xanatos Enterprises."
Goliath's eyes widened, taking the paper in confusion.
"But, that doesn't make any sense. Are you saying that Xanatos arranged for us to be attacked in the park?"
"That's exactly what I'm saying. Heck, he probably planted the bug himself."
"But… why?" Leo asked. "What would he have to gain?"
"Those were the same mercenaries that stole the disks from him in the first place," Goliath explained, beginning to put the pieces together himself.
"So if you were attacked, it would probably give you guys the incentive to go after them," Donnie deduced. "But why have armed thugs steal his own property unless…"
"The disks were never his to begin with," Goliath realized, his tone becoming more grave as the revelations continued.
"I did a check on Xanatos' property," Elisa chimed in. "Nothing was stolen from Xanatos Enterprises. Those disks were Cyberbiotics property all along. He must have staged the robbery to trick you and your clan into stealing them for him. He used you, and has been from the beginning."
At that, Goliath's eyes began to glow brightly. He growled, his claws crumbling the paper in his hand before he tossed it aside. His wings flared outward and he turned towards the castle, animalistic fury in every fiber of his being.
"What are you going to do?" Leo asked, almost dreading his answer.
"Make him pay," Goliath answered, about to take off.
Before he could get far, Elisa quickly, yet gently, pulled him back, making him face her.
"Goliath, I know we haven't known each other very long, and I know you have no reason to trust humans. However, you have to trust someone in this world, and I think you'd be better off with me than Xanatos."
Goliath looked down at the crumbled paper on the ground, then up at Elisa.
"You have friends in us too," Leo reassured. "No matter what."
With a growl, the color slowly returned to his eyes, his animalistic stance softening. It didn't take a genius to figure out what that meant.
"You won't regret it," Elisa promised.
"Come," Goliath spoke, gesturing to the turtles. "We have to warn the others."
…
In the castle, Xanatos stood before five tall figures. Each one was covered in a large, white sheet.
"I'm afraid the gargoyles have outlived their usefulness," he declared, his voice even and uncaring. "I can't count on their loyalty anymore. However, with the data on the disks, I can bring their replacements online."
Owen glanced down at his watch, noting the time.
"Sunrise is in approximately three hours. Once the sun comes up, we can easily dispose of the gargoyles. I'm certain we can come up with a believable scenario for Miss Willow should she ask where her new friends ran off to,"
"No," The female interrupted, walking into the room. "The turtles will still defend them during the day. Besides, you need to test these replacements, do you not?"
"And Miss Willow?" Owen questioned.
"I'm certain they can arrange for her to be out of the way," she offered up, giving the two men a malicious smirk.
…
Meanwhile, Willow had the gargoyles gathered around her laptop, using it to try and get them caught up with the modern day. She flicked through various images across google, telling them about what they were, and the turtles helped fill in where she couldn't.
"Wow," Lexington let out. "You can access the entire world on that small, magic mirror?"
"It's called a laptop, and kinda," Willow answered.
"Do you mind if I try it?"
Willow passed the laptop to him, arranging it in his lap.
"This is how you move the cursor," she explained, handing him the mouse. "That's the arrow head that lets you interact with the screen. Left button to click, and the keys let you type."
Lexington began to interact with the google page, his already large eyes growing wider as he did. Raph laughed at that, snagging a piece of pizza from a box.
"I don't think you're getting that back, Willow," he declared. "Donnie looked just like Lex did when he got his first piece of tech. Since then, he's been the science turtle 24-7."
"Eh, I can easily get a new one," Willow brushed off. "Besides, I'm just happy he's enjoying himself. Pass me a slice?"
Mikey just shrugged before passing her a slice of pizza. Brooklyn munched on his own, turning to Raph.
"So, what do you do for fun in this time period?" he questioned. "My brothers and I would often play with Bronx down in the courtyard."
"Well, my bros and I are a bit green when it comes to the surface still, so we like exploring when we can. Nothing beats a rooftop run around midnight, when the whole city is our playground.
"Sounds like fun. Maybe we can come with you next time."
"Can I come too?" Willow asked. "Provided my dad lets me leave the castle anytime soon."
"Why not," Raph replied. "Though, might I suggest some self defense lessons for the future."
"Yeah," Mikey spoke up, "We know a great teacher, don't we, Sensei?"
All of a sudden, a slice of pizza Broadway was about to eat was blasted into pieces, much to the surprise of everyone.
"What the shell?!" Raph let out, drawing his sai.
The group looked down and saw five metal figures down in the courtyard. They appeared to be robotic duplicates of Goliath, all of whom were locked onto the various monsters littering the battlements.
"Whoa!" Mikey exclaimed. "Robo-gargoyles!"
Standing in the shadows of the castle, Owen and the female both watched as Xanatos commanded the robots.
"Attack," he ordered.
The robots obliged, spreading their wings and activating their rocketpacks. They flew up and began blasting at the group. The gargoyles and turtles all scattered. Willow went to do the same, but was intercepted by one of the robots.
"Willow!" Brooklyn exclaimed as he tried flying after her.
Before he could reach her though, another robot came out of nowhere and tackled him to the ground. As Brooklyn collided with the ground with the robot still on top of him, Raph jumped on top of the robot and drove his sai into its back.
"Thanks for the save," Brooklyn told him.
"No sweat," Raph replied. "Now why don't you go save your girlfriend?"
Brooklyn almost took off, then looked back at Raph.
"What's a girlfriend?"
"It's a… you know what, can I explain when we're not fighting for our lives?!" Raph asked.
"Right," Brooklyn agreed before taking off after Willow.
Raph then leapt off the robot as it slowly turned towards him, still sparking from the stab wounds.
"Ready for round 2 sparky?" Raph asked.
The robot turned to Raph, a small laser gun poking from his arm.
"Well look at you," Raph remarked. "Aren't we trying to impress."
The gargoyle began to open fire, Raph easily dodging each shot.
"Is that all you got?" Raph replied, deflecting a few blasts with a sai.
Across the courtyard, Broadway and Lexington were frantically dodging the laser blasts of the other robots. Broadway saw the robot holding Willow toss her into one of the towers, slamming the door shut and snapping the handle off to keep her inside.
"Those creatures trapped Willow!" he shouted. "We gotta help her!"
"Not gonna be easy with these things tailing us!" Lexington reminded his companion.
As one of the robots flew after them, a chain wrapped around it, halting it in his tracks. The robot looked down to see Mikey pulling on the chain. The robot then rocketed forward, pulling Mikey along with him.
"I did not think this through!" Mikey shouted as he was pulled along.
Broadway then flew alongside Mikey.
"Need a lift?" he offered.
"If it's no trouble," Mikey replied.
Broadway then grabbed Mikey's hand, allowing the turtle to drop his nunchaku so the two could return to the safety of the castle's solid ground.
"Thanks," Mikey replied.
"Not a problem," Broadway replied. "Now we just need to find-"
That's when a laser blast connected with his back, causing him to fall over hard.
"Broadway!" Mikey exclaimed.
Mikey became angry as a robot landed on the ground. He pulled out his other nunchaku as he ran towards the robot.
"Come on tin man!" he screamed, striking the robot repeatedly in the face. "Show me what you got! Show me what you got! Show me what you-"
The robot shut him up by grabbing his nunchaku in his hand after the fourth strike.
"Uh… Never mind," Mikey gulped. "I think I've seen enough."
The robot tossed the nunchaku aside and began to close in on him. Before he could make a move though, Splinter's walking stick came out of nowhere and embedded itself in the robot's head.
"You will not harm my son!" He declared, freeing his stick from the robot's head.
The robot dropped to its knees before falling completely over.
"Nice timing, Sensei," Mikey complimented.
"Where is your brother?" Splinter asked quickly.
Mikey looked around for a bit before seeing Raph still duking it out with his own robot.
"Down there," Mikey answered. "Though I think he's got a handle on things."
Back with Raph, he continued avoiding and deflecting the laser blasts dealt to him. Finally, the robot got a lucky shot in and blasted him in the chest, knocking him to the ground. As Raph tried pulling himself up the robot loomed over him ready to fire. Just then, a sword pierced through the robot's chest.
"Ya best take better care of yourself lad," Hudson told him.
"Thanks for the save, Hudson," Raph replied, throwing his sai in the robot's head.
The combined amount of damages caused the robot to explode, launching both combatants back. As Raph went flying, Brooklyn dropped down and caught him, skidding across the ground until they stopped.
"You okay?" he asked.
"Yeah," Raph grumbled. "Thanks."
"Hey!" Willow called out from the tower as she banged hard on the door. "Get me out of here!"
"Hang on!" Brooklyn called out, running towards the tower.
He reached the base and started scaling up until he reached the outside window. He then smashed it open, knocking the glass out of the window before offering his claw to her. Willow took it without hesitation, letting him pull her to freedom.
"What is going on here?" she questioned. "These robots came out of nowhere! And why do they look like Goliath?!"
"No idea," he admitted. "But we'd better think of something fast before they start doing some real damage."
…
Down on the street, Elisa ran up to the building and inside the lobby as fast as she could. She quickly flashed her badge to the door man as she ran past.
"Police emergency!" she let out as she ran to the elevator.
...
As Brooklyn and Willow continued gliding, one of the Steel Clan robots took notice of Willow's escape. As such, it changed trajectory, determined to destroy her rescuer and detain her once more. As it closed in though, Goliath swooped in out of nowhere and rammed the robot into a wall. Leo and Donnie, who had hitched a ride on his back, leapt off and rolled on the ground as they came to a stop.
"So," Donnie began, "care to explain what's going on?"
"Robots shaped like Goliath are trying to kill everyone," Brooklyn quickly explained.
"So that's what Xanatos needed the disks for," Leo surmised.
"Wait, my dad?" Willow questioned, looking confused. "What are you talking about?"
"Your father orchestrated the attack on the castle and tricked us into stealing disks that were not his own," Goliath informed.
"What?!" Willow let out, sounding angry and off guard. "No! No way! He'd never-! My dad's not-! No!"
Just then, the two remaining robots swooped down towards them, causing them to move for cover. As Brooklyn took off with Willow in his arms, he looked back and noticed that the robots weren't giving chase.
"Hey, why aren't they following us?" Brooklyn wondered.
"I don't…" Willow began, but stopped for a moment. "Wait, they said my dad made these right?"
"Yeah..."
"That's why they just locked me in the tower. I don't think they can hurt me. But if that's the case then… then my dad really did make them. And…" she covered her mouth, her eyes glistening as a look of utter betrayal took over her face, "and he tricked you. He lied… to everyone… even me..."
"I'm… I'm sorry Willow… I know how bad a betrayal can hurt…"
Willow shook in Brooklyn's arm, tears pouring down her face. Then, her gaze hardened and she wiped her eyes.
"Put me down, Brooklyn," she told him, her voice tense and bitter.
"Why?"
"Just do it. Trust me."
Confused, but unwilling to argue, Brooklyn touched down in the courtyard, putting Willow back on her feet. She scanned the sky, locking eyes on Goliath, who was being chased by one of the remaining robots. She let out a shrill whistle, flagging the gargoyle down.
"Over here!" she shouted.
Goliath turned towards Willow, seeing her and diving towards her. The robot gave chase, already aiming its weapon. Then, Goliath rushed past Willow and she stepped in the path of the robot, throwing her arms out in defiance. The robot stopped dead in their tracks, allowing Leo the chance to leap towards one of them and stab it in the back. The blade poked through the robots chest plate as it spiraled out of control. Goliath quickly veered upwards and grabbed hold of Leo, pulling him off as Brooklyn grabbed the robot by the head and tossed it at the wall of the castle, causing it to explode.
"Nice work," Leo commended, already searching the skies for the final robot. "Just one left."
The remaining robot soared through the air, trying to blast Broadway out of the sky. As the massive gargoyle tried to keep out of range of its blaster, Donnie spun his staff before running forward and using it to vault into the air. He landed right on the back of the robot, stowing his staff before pulling a kunai knife from his shell. Without wasting a moment, he pried open a panel on the bot's back, exposing some important wiring.
"This looks important!" he declared as he grabbed a handful and yanked.
This caused the robot to spin out of control, throwing Donnie off. The purple turtle tucked into his shell, preparing for a hard hit, but was snagged out of the air by Lexington.
"I've got you, Donatello!"
"Thanks, Lex," Donnie replied from inside his shell.
The robot, meanwhile, continued spinning as it collided with a wall, causing it to fall to the ground. Mikey saw this from the top of the damaged tower, prompting him to head to a piece of debris and push against it. As he did, Hudson and Splinter joined him, their combined efforts dislodging the debris and sending it crashing down on the robot. It reduced the bot to little more then flattened scrap metal, and eliminated the last of their enemies.
"Alright!" Mikey cried out.
"And they said the middle ages were barbaric," Hudson commented.
Everyone gathered up on one of the walls, Lex setting Donnie down so he could emerge from his shell.
"That should be the end of that," Donnie commented.
"Is everyone alright?" Goliath asked.
"No..." Willow let out, hugging herself. "My father…. Xanatos, he… he lied… he lied to all of us. How could he do this? Why would he do this?"
"Why don't you ask him yourself, child?" the female gargoyle called out in a voice laced with malice and hatred.
Everyone looked to see her and Xanatos, armed with a rocket launcher and a blaster respectively. The female gargoyle stepped forward and aimed her weapon at Goliath and fired. Seeing the blast incoming, Splinter grabbed hold of Willow and moved her out of the way. The rest of the group tried to scatter as the blast rang out, knocking several of them back. Goliath and Leo were knocked near the edge of the wall as the others fell down to the courtyard. The others picked themselves up, nursing minor burns, and more than a few scrapes. As they all looked up, Xanatos stepped out next to the female, his own weapon drawn. At the sight of him, Willow went pale.
"D-Dad?" she whispered.
"I'm sorry you had to see this, Willow," he told her. "I'd have much preferred it if you stayed blissfully ignorant."
Willow was not the only one at a loss for words. Goliath's eyes were locked on his mate, feeling his heart shatter at her cold, heartless gaze.
"My Angel of the Night… why? Why have you done this?"
"I am only doing what must be done," she answered, her voice devoid of any trace of regret. "I thought I could make you see reason, but you are as blind and foolish as you were all those centuries ago."
"Is it foolish to want to preserve life?"
"It is when the lives you wish to preserve care nothing for us!" she snapped, gesturing around to the small group huddled together in the courtyard. "Look around you Goliath! We are the last of our kind, our people shattered in their sleep by humans who would never understand us! Even your troll friends and their rat-guardian can attest to this. Why do you think they reside in the bowels of this wretched city, forced to remain in the shadows?!"
"Humans can be judgmental and cruel, I can conceded that," Leo admitted, "but that doesn't justify murder."
"Even if it is to preserve our kind?!" she threw back. "That is what I am doing. It is what I have always done."
Those words brought a heavy sense of dread to Goliath's heart.
"What are you talking about?" he demanded.
"Even from the beginning, all I have cared about was keeping our clan safe from those who would seek to destroy it," she explained, her entire body shaking with sorrow. "That's why I made the deal with the Captain of the Guard. If you had only taken the rest of the clan with you, the Massacre would never have come to pass! The castle would have been ours and ours alone, and all of our brethren would have survived!"
It was as if the world had been ripped out from under the gargoyles. Their jaws dropped as pained gasps echoed through the group. Lexington and Broadway clutched onto Bronx, fighting back tears as Hudson gripped his sword, barely suppressing a growl. Brooklyn was in a similar state, his beak tense as he snarled, eyes glowing bright. But none were more shaken then Goliath himself. His wings flared and his eyes were glowing as bright as twin stars, his voice laced with a growl so fierce, he almost couldn't talk.
"What?! You betrayed them?! You betrayed us?!"
"No, you betrayed us!" the she-gargoyle spat, pointing an accusatory claw at her mate. "You turned your back on your clan, and because of that, they all were shattered! When the Vikings attacked, the Captain said he would protect us, but I didn't trust him. I survived because I do not trust anyone."
"But why did you do it?"
"You dare to ask me that?! After the way they treated us?!" The she-gargoyle's eyes were burning bright red as she shrieked, an almost cat-like yowl mixing with her cries. "They had to pay! All humans have to pay for what they did to our kind!"
The entire time this was going on, Leo noticed Elisa peeking around a corner. He motioned her to stay back as he readied himself for the fight that was all but inevitable. The other ninjas were doing the same, slinking into the shadows as all eyes remained on the two gargoyles at odds.
"There is good and evil in all of us," Goliath insisted. "Humans, gargoyles, and even mutants. You should know that more than anyone! Don't you see? None of this would have happened if it weren't for you."
"Don't say that!" The she-gargoyle's eyes became even brighter, her claws digging into her weapon as she leveled it at her mate's chest. "This is your last chance! Humanity is a poison that must be purged from this planet! Together you and I can create a new world for our kind!" She lowered her gun again, the glow from her eyes fading as she walked over to Goliath slowly. Her voice became softer, almost desperate. "You trusted me once, you loved me once. We have found each other once again after over a thousand years of solitude. Does that mean nothing to you?"
Goliath just turned away, his breath shaky as he fought back a sob.
"I'm sorry…" he told her, a single tear trailing down his face.
"Very well…" the female sighed, her eyes becoming red once more, "If you are not my ally, then you are my enemy…"
She leveled the gun and fired. Goliath and Leo just barely dodged, landing flat on their backs as the blast went off. The female quickly stepped forward, pinning her mate to the ground with her clawed foot, aiming the gun at his face.
"Goliath!" the others cried out.
"Get away from him!" Leo demanded as he got back to his feet and drew a sword.
"Oh, I am so not giving you a name!" Mikey called out.
"I have no need for you to," the female told him, coldly. "The humans gave me a name a long time ago. I am… Demona."
Leo readied his sword as Demona aimed her gun at Goliath, but before she could fire, Elisa ran out and tackled her to the ground. Demona managed to kick her off as she aimed her weapon. This prompted Leo to strike, swinging his sword and knocking the weapon out of her hand. As it landed though, it went off, hitting one of the castle towers and sending it crashing down. One of the stray rocks struck Xanatos on the back of the neck, knocking him unconscious. No longer held at gunpoint, the gargoyles ran to the aid of their leader.
Demona quickly leapt up and slashed at Leo with her claws, prompting him to block the attack with his sword. Elisa quickly looked up and saw part of the castle coming down, rushing out and pulling Leo out of the way seconds before it collided with the wall of the castle. It crashed down, shattering the ground where they stood and causing them to begin plummeting to the city below. Demona was unable to glide away with the constant bricks raining down on her, forcing her to fall towards the city. Elisa's screams echoed through the sky as the wind whipped around her. However, her fall was quickly interrupted by Goliath swooping down after her, grabbing her arm not a few seconds after her fall had begun.
Leo quickly regained his senses and stabbed his sword into the side of the castle, skidding down several feet before coming to a stop. He let out a shaky sigh of relief, just as his family looked over the edge.
"He's alright!" Mikey called out. "Someone! We need a rope!"
"Fear not, my son," Splinter reassured, fishing out a rope.
He tossed it down towards Leo, who quickly grabbed it with his free hand. Once he had it, his family began pulling him back up onto the battlements just as Goliath landed with Elisa.
"Are you alright, my friend?" he asked.
"Yeah, thanks," Leo replied, getting away from the edge. "Detective?"
"I'll be fine, once I stop falling off this blasted castle," Elisa answered, still holding onto Goliath as her nerves settled.
"Where's Demona?" Brooklyn questioned, looking out at the gaping hole in the castle wall.
"I wish I knew…" Goliath lamented.
Suddenly, a low groan emanated from off to the side. Everyone turned, seeing Xanatos slowly picking himself off the ground, having regained consciousness.
"Oh right," Mikey remembered. "Forgot about him.
Goliath just growled as he walked over to Xanatos.
"She wanted me to destroy humanity," Goliath told the man as he picked him up and dangled him over the ledge. "I think I'll start with you!"
Rather than act scared, Xanatos met Goliath's gaze defiantly, glaring and gritting his teeth.
"Go ahead. Without me, you'd still be gathering moss."
Before Goliath could go through with his threat, someone grabbed his arm. He turned, seeing a desperate Willow clinging to his arm.
"Goliath, stop!" she cried, tears streaking down her face. "You can't do this! Please!"
"Why not?"
"Because he is still her father," Splinter answered. "Are you so desperate for vengeance that you will rob an innocent child of her only family?"
"Goliath, please..." Willow begged. "Don't become like her. Don't become like Demona..."
Goliath gritted his teeth for a moment, before finally tossing Xanatos onto the steps. He landed hard, grunting slightly, but remaining where he landed.
"I am nothing like her," Goliath swore.
…
Sometime later, the police arrived and arrested Xanatos for possession of stolen goods. Elisa personally slapped the cuffs of him herself. The turtles and gargoyles all watched from above, satisfied with the results of their evening.
"That really is satisfying," Mikey commented, smirking slightly.
"Good riddance to bad rubbish," Raph remarked.
Willow did not share their enthusiasm. She let out a small sigh, hugging her legs in contemplation before pulling a blanket she had tighter around her.
"I wonder what's going to happen to me now," she questioned quietly. "Will I have to leave the castle? I mean, I don't have any other family in Manhattan..."
"Whatever happens," Brooklyn spoke, placing a hand on her shoulder. "We'll be there for you."
She looked back at him, then smiled, leaning into him. Goliath smiled at this before looking towards the horizon and seeing the rising sun.
"Dawn nears," Goliath told them.
"Then we best be going," Leo decided. "Same time tomorrow Goliath?"
"I'm actually meeting Elisa tomorrow," Goliath told him. "Said something about a 'giant's game'."
"Well I hope you have fun," Leo replied, chuckling.
As the trio took their places on the battlements, Brooklyn turned to Willow real quick.
"Hey Willow, I've been meaning to ask you something," he told her. "Raphael called you my 'girlfriend' earlier. Any idea what that means?"
Willow blinked in confusion as the gargoyles were petrified by the sun's rays. She then turned to Raphael, rolling her eyes.
"Did you seriously call me that?" she asked.
"Hey, I call em as I see em," Raph remarked, smirking.
This got all of the turtles laughing merrily as the sun began to rise, signaling the beginning of a new dawn for the city.
…
Elsewhere, in a japanese style skyscraper, one of the Ninjas that attacked the group the night before knelt in front of a rising staircase leading to a dark throne, where a man in dark armor sat in shadows, listening to what he had to say.
"And these… creatures... fought alongside the turtles?" the man inquired.
"Yes, Master. They possessed tremendous strength, and claws that could rip through stone. They even had massive bat wings! They- They almost looked like living gargoyles!"
This caused the man to cock an eyebrow.
"Gargoyles, you say?"
"Y-yes, Master."
The man leaned forward, coming out of the shadows to reveal metal armor, blades on his wrists, legs, and shoulders, and a helmet with a tri-piece ornament that covered everything except the eyes.
"This makes things… much more interesting."