02x19 - The Cage

[bunniefuu]

One thousand years ago, superstition and the sword ruled.

It was a time of darkness. It was a world of fear.

It was the age of gargoyles.

Stone by day, warriors by night.

We were betrayed by the humans we had sworn to protect, frozen in stone by a magic spell for a thousand years.

Now, here in Manhattan... the spell is broken, and we live again!

We are defenders of the night.

We are gargoyles.

Previously on "Gargoyles":

-Looking for Derek Maza. -[MAN] His sister, right?

He said you'd be coming by.

[XANATOS] I knew Sevarius had a bad reputation.

I won't let you destroy my work!

Down!

Fool! That wasn't a tranquilizer dart.

It was loaded with the mutagenic formula!

No!

Who are you?

Call me... Talon.

[ELISA] Derek, is that you?

Not bad, sis. A cop who can cook!

Yeah, I should have my own cable show.

It's your favorite, Dad. Mom's chicken mole.

Remember how Derek used to call dibs on the pot?

Oh, me and my big mouth. I take a break from school and my brain goes into neutral.

-Have you heard from your brother? -Not yet.

But I'm sure he's fine. You know Derek, he'll check in when he's ready.

-One more week, and I'm filing a report. -Now, Dad, don't get... What's wrong?

I thought I saw someone at the window.

-We're on the top floor, Beth. -Well, it looked like it had... wings.

Right! And I have webbed feet.

And a great duck impersonation. [QUACKS]

A lie by omission is still a lie. But how can I tell them the truth about Derek?

"Hi, Mom and Dad, your son's not missing."

"He's just been transformed by Xanatos into a bat-winged Mutate named Talon."

I don't think so. And by the way, you know, you gotta be more careful.

Beth spotted you outside my window.

-I wasn't at your window. -Then it was one of the others.

Hudson and Bronx are watching TV.

And the trio are at the concert in the park.

Maybe it was Derek.

-Goliath, what is it? -[SIGHS]

Talon and the other Mutates are back with Xanatos.

I've seen them flying to and from the Eyrie Building.

Xanatos? Why didn't you tell me?

There didn't seem to be anything you or I could do.

Talon's made his choice.

I had hoped to spare you this pain.

I don't accept that! We've got to get him away from Xanatos.

I need to see my brother now.

Now. Fang, Claw, att*ck!

[ROARS]

Hold it right there! Derek, stop.

We came to see you.

-Derek, please... -Stand away from him. He's my enemy.

And she is your sister.

-Are you going to att*ck her too? -Maggie, get out of the way.

Derek, please. You know I hate all the fighting.

Particularly when it's so unnecessary.

I appreciate that you're protecting our home, Talon, but Goliath and Elisa are always welcome here.

-They're not the enemy. -Right. He's the enemy!

No! He's our only chance to be human again.

Xanatos is the cause of your problems, not the cure.

No! Goliath caused this. Goliath and Dr. Sevarius.

Sevarius turned me into a creature, but he was about to give me the antidote when...

Not now!

No!

No!

Brooklyn, we have your friend. Now let's go!

No! That's my creation!

Sevarius is dead. Along with our hopes of ever being human again.

Dead? Nobody d*ed that night.

I saw it!

Where Xanatos is involved, what you see isn't always the truth.

Same song, same tune. Goliath has you snowed.

He and Sevarius are both to blame, and he needs you to protect him from me.

Come, Elisa. We're not helping here.

Getting scared, monster? You should be.

Sevarius is lucky he's dead.

Watch your back, Goliath. She won't always be there, and I'm coming for you!

But what if she's right? What if Sevarius is alive?

If he is, he won't be for long.

Tell Sevarius to disappear for a little while.

-I'm looking for Dr. Sevarius. -Oh. Uh...

You just missed him. I think he was heading home.

Huh. Starting to rain.

Goliath. My guardian angel.

-What? -Nothing. Mind if I take a look around?

You can't keep me here. What you're asking for is impossible!

[GROWLING]

I won't do it. I won't do it!

It would appear that Dr. Sevarius is unreachable.

Unreachable? You mean Talon got to him first.

So, Claw, how do you like the chow?

What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?

You know he hasn't spoken since the transformation.

"Cat got his tongue"! Come on, don't you get it?

The doctor's death scene was just an act, and there's no way he pulled it off without help.

-So who do you figure? -Who else?

Goliath kicked him into the eel t*nk. He must be in on it.

-I don't think so. -Like you're an expert on evil monsters.

It just seemed like the gargoyles were trying to help me.

It's OK. You're among friends.

Were you human once too?

No.

Well, I'm human. I'm not like this.

My name is Maggie. Maggie Reed. I'm from Ohio.

-You'll be safe here, Maggie. -This is safe?

I need a cure. I'm not a monster!

We're not monsters either. Don't be afraid.

-When they took me to their home, they... -They took you to their home?

Hello? Is anyone here?

Who's there? You!

We wondered what became of you, lass.

Good work, Maggie!

[SNARLING]

I'm sorry.

What do you mean, "as long as necessary"?

It could take years to develop a cure. You can't keep me here forever.

[GROWLING]

I can't begin to start without my briefcase. All my notes are in it.

[GROWLING]

All right, you may open the door.

I will make the attempt.

I'm sorry. I never wanted this.

Why are you here?

Our mighty leader wants a few words with Goliath.

Then you'll have a long wait. Goliath said he'd be gone for a few nights.

Sure he did. Guess I'll just have to clear my social calendar.

The last person to see him was a Gen-U-Tech security guard, who reported that Detective Maza showed up looking for Sevarius minutes after he logged out.

All they found was Sevarius' briefcase.

I'm sure Talon has the doctor hidden, trying to force a cure out of him.

I'm scanning. There's no sign of unauthorized activity in any lab which Talon might have access to...

You lied to me!

Sevarius did not die!

I was fooled, just as you were.

It would seem he and Goliath worked together to fake the good doctor's death.

I thought so. But why?

The gargoyle wanted Sevarius to create more creatures like himself.

-How long have you known? -Long enough.

I've been pressuring Sevarius to design a cure.

The one he created that first night was just a placebo. Worthless.

-Why haven't you told me before? -You've been through so much.

I didn't want to get your hopes up. I still don't.

But I believe he was on the verge of a true cure.

Talon... Derek... listen to me.

You must release Sevarius to my custody, if it's not already too late.

Whoo! That guitarist can really wail.

And the music was incredibly loud! Even from across the lake.

Hey, where is everyone? I thought Hudson was staying in tonight.

Hudson? Bronx?

[HUDSON] Look out, lads, it's a trap!

[SCREAMS]

Welcome home! Isn't it past your bedtime?

[ZAPPING]

Come back here and fight like a man!

I'm not a man, I'm a gargoyle!

[BROADWAY] Oh, no, you don't!

Hudson? Bronx? You OK?

Here's the one who led them to us.

[GROWLING]

You've gotta get over this persecution complex. We are not your enemies.

But Talon says Goliath and Sevarius planned it all together.

Maggie, you know I wanted to be... your friend.

Goliath and I were there to save you, not hurt you.

If Sevarius has a partner, it must be Xanatos.

There you go again! Mr. Xanatos is our only chance for a cure.

If you'd lie about him, you'd lie about anything!

So now I have to prove I'm trustworthy, huh?

You're free to go. Return to Xanatos, if that's what you want.

But don't turn your back on him.

Are you sure you're doing the right thing, lad?

Xanatos can't keep up the pretense forever.

Sooner or later, they'll find out what he's really like.

I hope Derek hasn't done anything stupid.

-Who? -Never mind.

Freeze it there.

-What is it? -Can the computer enhance the image?

Uh, yeah.

Whoa!

[ELISA] I don't believe it.

I don't know if this will work.

I'm not used to working in such primitive conditions.

Just get back to work, before conditions really do get primitive.

You think I've got Sevarius? I haven't even seen him.

-Then how did you find out he was alive? -I got to Gen-U-Tech right after my sister.

I heard her ask to see Sevarius, and the guard said she'd just missed him.

You can't just miss someone who's been dead for weeks.

Security has finished work on the Gen-U-Tech surveillance tapes.

I think you'll be interested in the results.

-Apparently Sevarius left with Goliath. -It seems they're still working together.

I knew it! Where did they go?

How about it? Any chance of tracking them?

It's unnecessary. There's only one abandoned laboratory that Goliath knows about and could gain access to.

Cyberbiotics' old underground research facility.

Excellent. Now all we have to do is...

-Talon! -Should we stop him?

No. We'll let him lead the charge.

-Where's he off to? -I don't know. But he looks mad.

I really dislike working with someone hanging over my shoulder.

Oh, wonderful. Now there's two of you.

-How did you find me? -When I found out you'd taken Sevarius, I knew you'd need a place for him to work. Where else would you go?

Don't stop on our behalf, Doctor.

You've kidnapped this man. What were you thinking?

You were in so much pain, I couldn't stand by and do nothing.

Besides, I feared what would happen if Talon got to Sevarius first.

I doubt if the doctor would have survived long enough to find a cure.

We're not gonna get a cure this way. We can't trust Sevarius.

How would we know that his cure was safe? Who would we test it on?

Look, I know your heart was in the right place. But this isn't the answer.

Even if it works, the ends can't justify the means.

That's the way Xanatos behaves, not you.

[SIGHS] You're right, of course.

-We'll release him. -By George, I think I've...

Elisa! I knew Goliath and Sevarius were in this together, but I can't believe you're helping them!

Derek, that's not how it is. Listen to me...

Derek, no! Stop it!

Going somewhere, Doc?

Stay back, Elisa. I'm finishing this once and for all.

Claw, hold her.

Bring Sevarius here.

They can die together.

-No! -Derek, you can't!

He won't. This is the antidote.

There's only enough for one, but I can make more.

Enough for each of you. All I want in return is my safety, and my freedom.

-I'm long past caring about your antidotes. -Me too. I like this body.

I just want to see you pay for your crimes.

What about what we want?

Please, Derek. ls your vengeance more important than our humanity?

-Give it to her. -Why let her take it? You deserve it more.

-What do you care? -Good question.

If he'll make enough for everyone, why care who takes it first?

She's right. That's not a cure.

It's poison. He wants me out of the way.

No, it is a cure! It has to be!

Of course it's a cure. You must trust me.

[XANATOS] I think that ship has sailed, Doctor.

You always overplay your hand, Anton.

I don't believe it! Goliath wasn't Sevarius' partner.

It was you all along!

I trusted you. You turned me into a monster, and I defended you!

I am sorry things turned out this way.

We'd all be happier if you'd remained in the dark, but I can't let you damage Anton.

He's a bit of a bother, but his mind represents infinite possibilities.

He's the scientist. You're just the experiment.

Oh, hello, Goliath. Didn't even notice you there.

You know, that could be a vial of poison.

Of course, there's only one way to find out.

-Oh, Elisa... -Hush. It's all right.

He's just trying to scare us.

Maggie, no!

Don't you see? Sevarius doesn't want his experiment to end, but this is the cure!

You don't know that. The risk is too great.

Any risk is better than living as a monster.

I am a monster.

But you're strong, stronger than me. I can't live this way.

I couldn't either. Not without you.

Maggie, we're not strong alone. We're strong together.

What do we do now?

Return with me to the clock tower. Join my clan.

You... you would accept us? After how I've treated you?

Elisa is already part of our clan. That makes you all family.

Thank you, Goliath. But it seems I have my own clan... and my own family.

[ELISA] Now, remember what I told you.

No matter how much he's changed on the outside, he's still Derek on the inside.

Mom? Dad?