The air tore apart and the vortex opened. Azariel tumbled out and looked at the smoking remnants of his turbolaser. He cursed at whatever had thrown that energy bolt, cause now he was unarmed, and who knew if this earth had a replacement? He figured he'd best be gone when his pursuers arrived. He quickly cloaked and vanished into the night. A moment later Goliath and the others tumbled out of the vortex and looked around them. No more roman buildings, no more vampires. They were home! Without a doubt it was Manhattan they were standing in. And in the distance, Castle Wyvern watched over the city like it's inhabitants from it's perch high atop the Eyrie Building. With a cry of joy the wayward travelers leaped off into the night toward their home. And before the light of the vortex had faded, another ripped open, from which a cloaked figure emerged and quickly vanished into the night.

The Office of David Xanatos:

"Mr. Xanatos, we have a slight problem. Security has detected three gargoyles approaching us."

"Well by all means let us give our guests a warm welcome Owen!'

"Very well, Mr. Xanatos."

Owen Burnett pulled a cell phone from his breast pocket and hurriedly issued Xanatos' order.

Goliath held Elisa close as he, Brook and Lex slowly glided toward their home.

"It's been quite an adventure, Big Guy."

"Indeed it has, Elisa. But I fear Azariel freed us from his game far too easily."

"We'll find out soon enough......."

Without warning a massive beam of energy cut through the air straight for them. They quickly scattered and regrouped.

"That blast came from the castle! What the hell is Xanatos doing?!?!?!"

Several more beams of energy cut through the air, narrowly missing them.

"We can't stay here! We have to get to the castle, evasive action!"

Weaving skillfully between laser blasts they finally managed to reach the castle. Goliath charged into the courtyard.

"XANATOS!!!!!!!"

The billionaire, clad in his old battle armor, appeared from s rising platform beneath the floor.

"What is the meaning of this Xanatos?!?"

Xanatos smirked at the enraged gargoyle for a moment, then his expression grew dark.

"I could ask you the same thing Goliath. Why are you here? This had better be good."

"This is our home Xanatos!"

Xanatos laughed in his face.

"You're really into this act, Goliath! You even went back to your old loincloth! But your ruse is at an end. As much as I'd hate to waste a resource like you, if you do not leave my home immediately I will be forced to call in support to have you forcibly removed."

Goliath snarled at Xanatos, eyes glowing white with anger

"What sorcery has possessed you Xanatos?!?!"

Xanatos shook his head and chuckled.

"Well, this has been fun Goliath, but I have more important business to attend to. However, I think I can arrange for you to have some company."

Xanatos pressed a button on his armor and a tiny syntesized voice was audible.

"Yes Mr. Xanatos?"

"Owen, tell Coldstone and the Ultra Clan they are needed in the courtyard."

"Yes Mr. Xanatos. Right away."

The mechanical hissing of more floor lifts rising from beneath them became audible as a dozen or so of the most vicious robots Goliath and the others had ever seen emerged before them. It was only a moment before they recognized them to be extremely upgraded version of the Steel Clan. And leading them was a nightmarish parody of the brother Goliath had once known. The unfamiliar, also upgraded Coldstone stared at them with his hideous, glowing eyes.

"Well I must be going now, Goliath. Farewell."

Xanatos vanished back into the floor of the courtyard. The vicious looking Coldstone raised his arm and pointed his hand at Goliath.

"It's been a long time, brother. But now I will have my revenge for your betrayal."

With that Coldstone and the Ultra Clan began to close in.

Goliath locked eyes with Coldstone.

"Brother, just because of Xanatos' madness does not give you need to follow his path!"

Coldstone snarled and smashed his metal-reinforced fist into Goliath's jaw. Goliath staggered backward, reeling.

"Uhh, I think it's safe to assume we aren't in our Manhattan."

"Yeah, for sure. What tipped you off?"

The Ultra Clan tore into them like savage dogs. Talon tore into metal plate, and robotic claw ripped into gargoyle flesh. As soon as one of the mechanical terrors went down, another seemed to replace it. Finally Goliath and the others were overcome by the sheer number of the Ultra Clan robots. The robotic monstrosities circled them, and Coldstone once again emerged from their ranks, an evil grin on his face. He aimed a massive arm-mounted laser cannon at them.

"Now it ends, brother...."

Suddenly the night air was torn apart by a vicious roar, and a massive winged form collided with Coldstone. The cyborg-gargoyle grunted in surprise as he was knocked off his feet. Then without warning the Ultra Clan robots surrounding them were thrown into the air by unseen assailants. Before long the robotic monsters were lying in smoking heaps about the courtyard, and the night was shattered once more as Coldstone screamed. His disembodied head rolled across the floor toward them. If this disgusting sight were not enough of a shock, what emerged from the shadows was. Five winged figures emerged from the darkness, and when the two groups saw each other, there was a collective gasp.

Standing on one side was a badly battered Manhattan clan, and on the other stood a strange parody of them. And the most shocking revelation came when they saw who was with them.

"DEMONA!!!!"

"That's my name. Who are you to be speaking it?"

The alternate Goliath stepped forward. The courtyard lights glinted off the shells on the gunbelts he wore, which were fed into a massive six-barrel rifle strapped to his back, his leg muscles strained against the denim of his ripped jeans, and several vicious scars marking his bare chest. But most shocking was his single, glaring eye, the other covered with an eyepatch.

"Well well, this is certainly interesting, wouldn't you agree, Night Angel?

Demona stepped forward to join him, the tight fabric of her almost indecent black silk halter top and pants pulling against her body and the light gleaming off the laser rifle strapped to her shoulder.

"Indeed, my love. I wonder if they're Xanatos' doing?"

A Particularly violent looking Brooklyn, clad in jeans and a thick leather coat with two pistols holstered on a gunbelt about his waist emerged next. He pulled down his mirrored shades and regarded them with a cold, suspicious look.

"I don't know if we should trust these punks Goliath. This situation looks awfully damn suspicious to me."

The altered Goliath stared at the ill-tempered Brooklyn lookalike.

"I know how you feel, Brooklyn. But we should at least let Lexington scan them."

A mechanical voice spoke from behind them.

"Comin' right up Goliath."

A small form darted from the shadows. A single gleaming red eye was visible in the darkness before the figure emerged, revealing a cybernetically altered version of Lexington, his left eye replaced by a cybernetic implant, as well as one of his hands. He stared at them intently, his robotic eye blinking. He turned to Goliath.

"They aren't machines, and given our past experience, I doubt they're clones. How these three got here is beyond me."

"Maybe they just fell from the sky or somethin'."

Everyone turned to the voice. Broadway appeared. A slim, almost muscular Broadway clad in a tank top and jeans, a shotgun strapped to his back, and a very familiar sword sheathed at his belt.

Goliath noticed the sword and his eyes filled with a mixed look of curiousity and dread. He regarded this strange, altered version of his clan.

"Where is Hudson? and Angela? and Bronx?"

The altered Goliath snarled at him.

"How do you know of them?!?!"

"Calm yourself my love."

The altered Demona stared at them with saddened eyes.

"Hudson, Angela, and Bronx were all killed when the hunters attacked the clock tower. As was Goliath's human friend, Elisa Maza. They shot her in cold blood before our eyes. We found them and had our revenge, but it did not bring the rest of our clan back."

Goliath saw the pained expression on the face of his double. The alternate Goliath looked up at them.

"How do you think I got these?" he asked, indicating his jagged scars, "and this?" he questioned, pointing at his eyepatch.

Before the clan could answer he answered his own question.

"I'll tell you. I got them trying to save them. I saw my daughter die before my own eyes! And my trusted mentor! And my one true friend in this human world! All because I didn't rescue them from those damned hunters!"

The others tried to calm him. Demona ran her hand across his cheek.

"It's not safe here, my love. We should take these poor unfortunates home to our lair so that we can see that they will recover."

"Agreed. You four follow us."

"Very well. We can discuss this further when we arrive there."

"So it's been five years since the bombing?"

"Yes. Five years, FIVE DAMN YEARS! Five years of Xanatos and his robots, the Ultra Pack, even my brother Coldstone, who I was forced to take offline tonight, making the shattered remnants of our lives a living Hell!"

"Calm yourself, my love."

Goliath's double's eyes continued to burn with white fire, but he seemd to relax slightly.

"He's been like this ever since the night it happened......"

The altered Goliath snarled viciously and backhanded Brook's lookalike with unbelievable force. Goliath and the others looked on in disbelief.

"How many times have I told you to keep that damn beak of yours shut, kid?!?!"

"Sorry Goliath......."

"Don't let it happen again, or next time it won't just be a slap!"

The Brook lookalike staggered to his fet and backed off into the shadows.

The altered Goliath turnedm to his clan and regarded them sternly.

"Time for our nightly patrol. You four may stay here."

Demona's double turned to the altered Goliath.

"My love, I suspect Xanatos may be up to something. I desire to go keep an eye on the Eyrie Building."

"But... very well. Be careful, Night Angel."

With that, the five altered gargoyles leaped off into the night. Elisa turned and faced Goliath

"So... what do you make of them?"

"I don't even know where to begin, Elisa."

"Does he suspect?"

"Not at all. Goliath is a gullible fool."

Demona regarded Xanatos with a cold smirk.

"Oh and by the way, you won't be working alone. Thailog?"

A heavily muscled, ebon-skinned form emerged from the shadows behind Xanatos' desk."

"Yes Father?"

"I want you to accompany Demona on her mission tonight. Goliath has become to great a risk, and I fear we must 'take off the kid gloves' so to speak.

A deep chuckle rose from the throat of Thailog as he looked upon his reflection in the shiny barrel of the laser cannon he carried.

"I'll take care of it. Demona, would you be so kind as to show us to the lair of Goliath?"

"Indeed I will."

The two gargoyles left the office, leaving Xanatos in solitude. He really hated to sink to this, but sometimes sacrifices had to be made.......

"An uneventful patrol?"

Goliath's double looked at him, then nodded. The clan had began to settle when a massive burst of laser fire cut through the wall and a dark figure emerged from the smoking wreckage of the already charred and blackened building's wall. And accompanying the figure was another figure, a slender azure figure. Thailog regarded Goliath's double with burning red eyes as Demona stood by his side. He aimed the massive laser cannon he carried and aimed it at the alternate's chest.

"Tonight it ends, 'Father', tonight it ends!"