02x41 - Cloud Fathers

[bunniefuu]

GOLIATH: 1, 000 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 1, 000 years.

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

We are Defenders of the Night.

We are gargoyles!

Elisa! Thank goodness you're all right!

NARRATOR: Previously on Gargoyles...

We've been out of our minds with worry!

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.

Easy. You don't wanna anger my friends, do you?

Magical creatures, these friends of yours.

I am sorry things turned out this way...

He's the scientist.

You're just the experiment.

-[MOANING] -XANATOS: Oh, hello Goliath, didn't even notice you there.

[HOWLING]

Why can't you see it my way?

Because it is not the way of our people.

Peter, don't abandon everything you've been raised to love and respect because you're angry with me.

It's not about you!

No. It's about my only son turning his back on his heritage to live with the Wasichu.

Pop, it's 1960, not 1860.

You're living in the past... I'm planning for the future!

-Peter... -Sorry, Pop.

I'll send you a postcard from New York City.

-Beth, honey, I've missed you. -Thanks for coming, Dad.

[STARTS CAR]

You look worried.

-Has Xanatos done something? -Not yet.

He's just started construction on the land he leased from the tribe.

But after what happened to Derek, I needed someone to investigate Xanatos who knows what he's capable of.

Well, I'm here now. Let's find out what he's up to.

Do you want to visit grandpa while you're in town?

-No, I don't. -Okay...

So, have we heard anything new about Elisa?

The mist is clearing. The water is calm.

I wonder where Avalon has led us this time.

Uh, well, this is certainly different...

ANGELA: Is this a pond?

This is where my sister Beth goes to school.

If Avalon sent us here, Beth might be in danger.

I know it's late but, uh, we're from the university and, well...

Could we look around?

Come on in. We were expecting you.

-You were? -Uh, weren't we?

Does he look familiar?

Never saw him before. Doesn't seem too bright, though.

Xanatos is a smooth operator. I doubt that we're going to find much.

[GASPS]

Freeze! You're under arrest!

Arrested? For what?

The charges are trespassing and vandalism.

Xanatos...

Your security guard invited us in. Ask him yourself!

I haven't hired any guards for this site, but apparently I should.

Take them away.

I don't ever want to spend another night like that.

Thank goodness we made bail. [SIGHS]

Beth! Dad?

-Sis! -Elisa! Where did you come from?

The deep end. Uh, look, didn't Mom fill you guys in?

She gave us some of the details. It was all a bit much to swallow.

Are those your... Friends?

[CHUCKLES] You'll get to meet them at sunset.

But what's all this about making bail?

-Xanatos had us arrested. -Xanatos? Here?

-He set us up. -Which is a neat trick, since he didn't know we were coming.

But the security guard did.

Wait, okay. Maybe you better start at the beginning.

COYOTE: You are aware that the Mazas had nothing to do with the vandalism.

Of course. But when the silent alarm brought the Tribal Police, I needed some excuse to get rid of them.

Here's the real vandal.

And our target. When the time comes, -don't miss. -Don't worry. I won't.

[BOTH GASP]

[GROWLS]

[GRUNTS]

Beth, Dad... I'd like you to meet my friends.

We'll go in by air to find out what Xanatos is up to.

I'm not real happy with this plan. I've sworn to uphold the law, not help break it.

Try looking at it this way, Dad, the gargoyles don't legally exist, so legally no one's trespassing.

I know better than to argue with you once you've set your mind to something.

Yeah. I take after my old man.

You certainly are keeping strange company these days, Elisa.

[BARKS]

They're kinda beautiful, but so alien.

Hmm. After awhile, all you notice is the beauty.

We better get a move on.

Hey, Dad, when we're through, you want to go, uh, visit grandpa?

No, thank you.

What are these?

Photographs. They look like they were taken from very high up.

They match this carving in the ground.

COYOTE: Gargoyles. Not who I expected.

-But you'll do. -[GRUNTS]

Coyote!

Coyote 4.0. The new, improved model.

[ROARS]

[GRUNTS]

-Are you all right? -Not yet.

Once more with feeling?

[BOTH GASP]

Don't quit your day job.

-That's him! -Hey, buddy, hold it!

Stop him, Bronx!

[BRONX BARKING]

Uh, nice puppy. Good puppy.

Promise not to run?

Hey, I've got no place to be.

-Elisa look at him! -I know. It's amazing.

What?

Dad, doesn't he remind you of someone you know?

Yeah, all the punks I've busted on the street in the last 20 years.

Talk to me. Why did you help Xanatos frame us?

[GOLIATH GRUNTS]

Long time no see, Goliath.

I'm flattered you showed up just so I could use you as bait.

This trough is filled with acid.

In 10 minutes it's going to do a rather nasty job on that soil carving, not to mention your rugged good looks.

It's my first real s*ab at clichéd villainy.

How am I doing?

[HOWLS]

Why shouldn't I help Xanatos?

Who cares if he wants to destroy a soil carving dedicated to the Kachina Coyote?

It's just old Indian stuff.

That's desecration!

Coyote the Trickster is one of the most important figures in Native American legend.

His soil carving would be sacred.

Well, the carving would have anthropological value at least.

We should inform the Tribal Police.

Hey, pops, it's 1996, not 1896.

Get with the program.

Xanatos is bringing real jobs to the tribe and real money.

If you close down his operation, you're living in the past.

Me, I'm planning for the future.

[COYOTE HOWLS]

[GRUNTS]

You're a fiend!

She's quite lovely, Goliath.

You must be very proud.

Let her go. She's done nothing to you.

Actually neither of you have done anything that I'd hold a grudge over.

The truth is, I have no desire to k*ll you.

But the death trap has to be real...

And I have to be prepared to follow through if I hope to bag my true quarry.

For weeks I pretended to be on the verge of destroying the soil carving, but until I made up my mind to bulldoze it last night, I didn't get a nibble.

My prey seems to know when I'm sincere.

The tribe can decide where its best interests lie.

C'mon, we're taking you in.

Where are your priorities?

Why worry about some scratches in the sand when Xanatos is about to ice your two gargoyle friends?

What?

-He's gone! -Forget him! We've gotta help Goliath!

[BARKING]

Over there! That equipment shed!

ELISA: Bronx! Hit it!

[GROWLS]

Oh. It's only the Mazas.

Sorry to disappoint you.

No problem. We'll just add you to the pot.

[STRUGGLING]

-Now, while he's down! -[GRUNTS]

Elisa, get back!

That trough above us is timed to drop acid any second!

Then we've gotta get you out, fast!

Easier said than done!

[GRUNTS]

[GROWLS]

Bronx, over here!

Big mistake, people.

[GRUNTS]

Good boy! Now help Angela!

Look out!

-What in the... -I'm the lovely one, remember?

[GRUNTS]

[ROARS]

[BOTH GRUNT]

No way my luck's this bad. He must be here!

There, 11 o'clock. Get him!

[GRUNTS]

Get out! Hurry!

BETH: This is going to sound nuts, but I've got a theory about that "security guard ."

I think he's Coyote. Uh, the Trickster, not the robot.

He's a punk working for Xanatos.

No. Why would Xanatos try to capture his own employee?

Besides, Coyote is a shape-shifter, and that guard looked just like you did when you were young.

Right out of your high school yearbook.

Oh, come on, you two!

Dad, he was clearly trying to goad you into action.

His reverse-psychology was pretty blatant.

And the bulldozers last night. Who else could have done that?

He's been protecting his sacred carving and us.

He made sure the luck went our way.

Beings like Coyote do not exist.

Are these guys figments of your imagination?

Beth's theory does fit with what Xanatos said earlier about his "true quarry."

Enough! This is about a rich guy who wants to bulldoze a cultural icon to put up a building.

Now, let's go tell the Tribal Police.

Uh, you guys better stay here.

[COYOTE HOWLING]

No lights at all. I don't like this.

Dad, Elisa, over here.

ELSIE: [WHISPERING] What's going on?

BETH: They're Kachina dancers.

When they put on the masks, the cloud fathers, or Kachinas, come down to dance with them.

But I'm unfamiliar with this ritual.

It's a ceremony of gratitude to the Kachina Coyote.

When I was a kid, my dad made me participate.

I played the Coyote.

The dance was rarely performed, even back them.

How much more proof do you need?

It's just a coincidence.

Another coincidence, Peter?

[LAUGHS]

What are we doing out here?

The last thing I remember was ordering a pizza...

What are you doing here?

Um, we'll be back to tell you later.

GOLIATH: So the Coyote robot has captured the true Coyote the Trickster.

Ridiculous. Xanatos was saving his employee from arrest.

We should have told that to the cops.

He protected us! We've got to help him!

We will, but we need a plan.

With his battle armor and that robot, Xanatos is all but invincible.

You're all bananas! I won't have any more part of this foolishness.

This can't be true. It just can't.

How are you doing this? No machine can hold me!

XANATOS: This one can.

Have you ever heard of the Cauldron of Life?

It was supposed to grant me immortality, but fell a bit short of my expectations.

I couldn't see so rare a find going to waste, so I melted it down and used it to reconstruct Coyote.

My Coyote.

The magic inherent in the iron allows him to hold onto you.

Ironic, isn't it? One coyote catching another?

I should sue you for trademark infringement.

Consider him a tribute. Besides, I've always considered myself a trickster at heart.

Now let's talk about what you can do for me.

I think immortality would be a good place to start.

-We have visitors. -Bottle him.

Hey!

-We're here for Coyote. -Right here.

-The other one. -Also right here.

-[THUDDING] -Let me out!

[GRUNTS]

It's been an invigorating evening, but now it's time to...

Impossible...

Curious.

Did you lose him?

No. But it's possible I kidnapped the wrong Kachina.

-I will check. -No! Don't open it!

-I'm outta here! Whoa! -[GRUNTS]

It's so hard to program good help these days.

[GRUNTS]

This is my stop.

Keep a safe distance.

[GRUNTS]

[ALL MOANING]

TRICKSTER: Hey, scrap heap.

I think I'm the one you want.

I should warn you, I'm programmed for vengeance.

Ha! Prove it!

Too slow! Over here!

Last time! Right here!

[MENACING GROWLS]

Goliath, I must say these last-minute upsets you keep handing me are becoming... Irritating.

We won!

Yes. Thanks to that Coyote dancer.

The tide turned when he appeared.

Just trying to help.

Dad? Why did you do it?

I thought you didn't believe in the Trickster.

I really don't know why I put this on.

TRICKSTER: Sure you do.

You just have to admit it.

You and I are connected, Peter Maza.

We have been since you took up my mask at the Night Dance so many years ago.

When you left, you took a part of me with you.

I had to get you back.

[HOWLING]

He was real. Really real.

Let's go visit your grandfather.

Hi, Pop. We sure did fight a lot, didn't we?

I guess it was hard to admit that you might be right.

Even harder after you were gone.

That would have meant admitting that I wasted all those years we were apart, years we could have shared.

It's too late to say I'm sorry.

I only wish there was some way to let you know how much I've always loved and respected you.

I think he knows, Dad.

I think he knows.