02x20 - The Price

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[GOLIATH] 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":

You seem introspective, old friend. Are you all right?

Just dreaming old dreams.

This game is futile. You were too old to play it a thousand years ago.

-It is time for you to lead. -I cannot take command now.

It's time, my friend.

Nonsense. There are years of fighting left for you.

[SIGHS]

Now there's something to look forward to.

Boy, the city sure is different when it snows.

Yeah. It's colder.

It's almost dawn, and we've completed our patrol.

Let's return to the clock tower for a good day's sleep.

Not a bad life, all things considered.

Oh, yeah. Too bad he wants to end it.

Macbeth!

I've been looking for you.

I don't know how you escaped the Weird Sisters...

-But you're gonna wish you hadn't! -[YELLING]

-Why do you att*ck us? -Trophies!

We'd better finish this fast. The sun's about to come up.

Argh! [COUGHS]

You'll have to do better than that.

Farewell, my enemies.

No!

-I don't believe it. -Believe it, lad.

Macbeth's dead.

I had no choice. He would have k*lled the four of you.

No one's questioning you, Goliath.

We'd best prepare to sleep right here. Dawn is upon us.

Hudson!

What's wrong? Why doesn't he wake up?

I... I don't know.

Wait... Last night, Macbeth threw some kind of powder on Hudson.

-Powder? -Sorcery.

A magical concoction to keep him asleep. And it's up to us to find a cure.

But how? Macbeth's dead.

Who else would know about the powder?

Lexington and I will go to Macbeth's mansion and see what we can find.

Brooklyn, Broadway, stay here and protect Hudson.

Goliath, what if there is no cure?

There is a cure. There must be.

Now, let's see what we can find.

I'm worried. Even if Goliath finds something at Macbeth's place, how are we gonna make it work? None of us are sorcerers.

Let's just focus on protecting Hudson.

We can't let anything happen to him.

You can't keep me in here forever!

I'll get out, do you hear me?

I'll get out!

[DOOR OPENS]

About time you came back. Why did you kidnap me? What do you want of me?

Nothing much, Hudson. Just your skin.

You'll have the devil's own task getting it.

Really?

Gee, that wasn't as hard as you made it sound.

-So you're through with me? -Not quite.

I need your help to conduct a small experiment.

Experiment? What kind of experiment?

-What'll that be, then? -The Cauldron of Life.

The legend says whoever bathes in it will live as long as the mountain stones.

Ah. You wish to be... immortal.

Of course. What good are all the riches on Earth if Fox and I can't enjoy them forever?

And how do I fit into all this?

One of the key ingredients in the Cauldron's brew is the stone skin of a gargoyle.

These ancient talismans are often dangerous, Xanatos.

I'd have thought your experience with the Eye of Odin would have taught you that.

You could be right. Maybe it would be a good idea to test the brew first.

Any volunteers?

You mean to dunk me in that oversized chamber pot?

Eventually.

The legend says the skin must boil for a night and a day first.

So be patient.

If the procedure is successful, I'll release you.

And if it isn't?

Then you'll have the privilege of giving your life for science.

My clan will never rest until they know where I am.

But they already know where you are.

This is just a sculptor's model, of course. The real thing is life-size. And very lifelike.

The hardest part was finding a replica for your sword.

Still, there's no sense being complacent.

Let's make sure the other gargoyles don't look for him here.

And what's in this for you?

Service is its own reward. I would have thought you knew that.

[XANATOS] Owen, I want the gargoyles distracted.

Understood, sir.

[BROOKLYN] Can't be!

There's no way he could have survived that crash!

We've gotta make him follow us, lead him away from Hudson.

I've been looking for you.

Any luck finding the cure at Macbeth's house?

No, we searched from attic to cellar but found nothing.

There's only one other hope. We need a sorceress. We need Demona.

You are a detective. You must help us find her.

Goliath, you know I'd do anything to help.

But I wouldn't even know where to start looking.

-We can't just give up. -We won't.

I promise.

It's not long till sunrise. We should head back.

I'd like to go with you.

-The soup's cooking nicely. -You've obviously gone to a lot of trouble.

Had to carve your statue weeks in advance.

Tell me something. Why me?

Because you are old, and getting older. I thought you'd appreciate the opportunity.

Growing old terrifies you, doesn't it?

Nothing terrifies me, because nothing is beyond my ability to change.

What about you? Still wasting your evenings in front of a television set?

You're of little use to your clan, you might as well be of some use to me.

Open this cage and I'll show you just how useless I am.

Farewell, my enemies.

At least we led him away from Hudson.

Yeah. If only somebody would lead him away from us.

It's almost dawn. We'll be sitting ducks.

Besides, we gotta nail him. He's the only one who can cure Hudson.

You'll have to do better than that.

Ow!

Over there. It's Broadway!

The sun's about to come up.

[ZAPPING]

[GOLIATH] Macbeth! And alive!

-Goliath, you can't! The sun! -The sun!

[SNARLS]

[MACBETH] Trophies!

[OWEN] We have a field report from Macbeth.

He kept the gargoyles busy through the night.

Better watch out, Owen. This Macbeth fellow may be gunning for your job.

He's already d*ed for me once on this project.

It's hard to top that.

[ROARS]

Jalapeña! You're still alive! It's a miracle.

Yes. A miracle named Elisa.

What I don't get is Macbeth. Why did he cut and run?

Yeah, good question. He keeps saying he wants us as trophies, but why didn't he come back for us while we were stone?

Hudson!

Your bath is ready, Hudson.

Listen to me, Xanatos. What you seek demands a heavy price.

I've been alive for over eleven hundred years.

Most of my clan is dead and dust, and I am a stranger in a strange land.

Demona and Macbeth are immortal.

Has it brought them happiness?

Save your breath, Hudson. Death and old age have their price as well.

And it's too expensive for me.

-No sign of Macbeth. -I wanna know how he survived that crash, and why he keeps attacking us.

It's almost as though he's trying to keep us off guard... while something else is going on.

Keep him away from Hudson.

Farewell, my enemies.

OK. This is getting old.

-Don't do it! -[CLICKING]

Hudson!

[ROARS]

m*rder*r!

You'll have to... do... better... than...

Relax, Hudson. Without your sword, you're helpless.

Swordless, maybe. Helpless, never!

Behave yourself, boy.

I underestimated you. Very resourceful.

Using your own skin as a w*apon.

I suppose you'll destroy the Cauldron now.

And why would I be doing that?

What you choose to do with your life is your own affair.

-As long as it's got nothing to do with me. -You're just full of surprises.

A friendly word of advice.

True immortality isn't about living forever, man.

It's about what you do with the time you have.

When all your scheming's done, what will be your legacy, Xanatos?

No, let him go. He's earned it.

Hudson was the greatest warrior I have ever known.

-His loss diminishes us all. -Yeah.

Now I wish I'd... He was one in a million.

He's forgotten more things than we'll ever know.

He was always there for us.

Sorry, Hudson. I wish it hadn't turned out this way.

All things considered, I'm just as glad it did.

-Hudson! -You're not dead!

It's a long story, and one best told over a hot cup of tea.

I think I'll keep this as a souvenir.

Not everyone can reclaim their head after losing it.

Let's go home.

I was so close to finding out if the legend was true.

Now there's no one to test it on.

Allow me, sir.

[CLANG]

It would appear that the Cauldron's spell of immortality has a price.

Yes. What was the legend?

"Whoever bathes in it will live as long as the mountain stones."

How literal-minded.

Thank you, Owen. That'll be all.