A/N: Hello all! So, I recently watched one of my childhood favorites, Van Helsing. This movie was probably one of the best that I watched growing up even if it was a little cheesy at times. As I was watching it, I thought 'What if Van Helsing lost?' So here we have an alternate ending one-shot. Hope you all enjoy!:)
Disclaimer: I do not own Van Helsing or any of its characters.
The Beast Within
Van Helsing was trying his best to make short work of the chains that bound Frankenstein to the contraption that was about to give life to Dracula's young. Only two more to go. He could hear Dracula down below call out in triumph, "One more bolt and my young shall live!"
Not if I have any say in the matter, the hunter thought to himself. There was silence before he heard another sound he recognized: Dracula was transforming into his hell-beast form. Looks like he knows I'm here.
Van Helsing was here to fight of course, but he needed to finish freeing the creature in front of him first. He quickly ripped off the chain binding his left ankle before hearing Dracula flying around above him. Turning to look he had to do a double take. If he thought the brides were formidable in their bat form, then Dracula himself was a force to be reckoned with. The count was much larger than the three brides, his wingspan reaching roughly twenty feet and he was heavily muscled. His head was far less human, with the face more bat than man. His red eyes glittered cruelly with the promise of death.
The count swooped down towards the hunter, throwing him back with his claws. Van Helsing hit the pod holding Frankenstein and bounced off. He was flying swiftly through the air before falling through the skylight. It was a long drop that seemed to last an eternity but was in reality a very short span of time When he finally reached the ground he hit hard. A resounding thud reverberated through the laboratory.
It took the hunter a minute to realize that he was alive, and slowly he was even able to stand. Blood was seeping from a wound he now had on his back, and he could feel bruises forming in random places along the length if his body from the impact. More than one rib was probably broken, but the pain was dull. He could feel the werewolf venom pumping through his veins. It was rushing about in a mad dash in a way that made him think that it was trying to take over. After a brief moment of panic he hurriedly looked out the window that was to his right. The clock tower showed that he still had a few minutes before midnight.
He concentrated back on the feeling of the venom within and realized with a start that it was mending his broken bones. He could practically feel the bruises that he had just obtained disappearing and his ribs popping back together. He grinned to himself, secretly enjoying the venom in that moment. The werewolf's curse would soon be upon him and he would have to embrace it for a short while in order to defeat Count Dracula. Van Helsing worried that he wouldn't have the will to control the beast, but he was also secretly relishing in the fact that in few moments time he would be practically unstoppable.
He was drawn from this train of thought when he heard said monster land lightly on the ground. He looked up to see the giant winged beast walk through the flames of the laboratory, looking much like the devil incarnate. The beast walked forward slowly shrinking his size back down to that of a man and before long he was once again the Count Dracula that he was familiar with.
"You're late, my friend! My children live," he said pleasantly with a smile on his face. Dracula was genial on the outside, but internally he was mildly perturbed. There was something different about Gabriel Van Helsing this time. There was a faint smell of wet dog in the air, but perhaps it was remnant of his prior pet. Velkan had been here for a very short time before he was killed by the notorious hunter. Internally shaking himself, the dreaded Count focused once again on the man in front of him.
Van Helsing himself could tell that the count was telling the truth. With his heightened sense of hearing, he could make out the sounds of tiny wings fluttering about the castle madly. He had to end this, and quickly.
Trying to buy some time, the hunter backed toward the large window slowly. "Then the only way to kill them," he started as he looked over his shoulder at the ancient clock tower, "is to kill you."
Dracula's expression was that of conceited confidence as he took in the stature of the hunter before him. He had over four centuries of experience in battle and there was no way in hell that Van Helsing could possibly surprise him now. Or so he thought. He noticed the way Gabriel's breathing deepened and his heartbeat was beginning to skyrocket. The act made him quirk an eyebrow as he began to take in the state the man was in. After throwing him through the skylight, he surely should have sustained more damage as a mortal. Unless…
The sound of the clock tower chiming changed everything. In that moment, Van Helsing began to shake at the sheer power that began to flood through him. His body trembled as he ripped open his jacket. A red mist clouded his vision and he sensed the beast that had tried clawing free before now attacking with renewed vigor. He could feel it begin to swell within him growing bigger and bigger with each passing second. The clock tower chimed a second time, and Van Helsing doubled over as he could feel his bones begin to shift and mold into something far more powerful than he. His clothes ripped brutally and fell in shreds to the floor as his body shifter to accommodate the thing he had become. The once holy hunter could feel himself grow until his skin could no longer contain the beast within. He began to shed his skin, something now unimportant, as he grew in power and in rage.
Gabriel tried to hold onto something, anything, which would help him retain his humanity. He tried thinking of the kiss that he and Anna had shared before parting ways. He tried to think of Carl and their friendship. He tried to think upon his mission here in Transylvania, but he found that he could not. The faces of his friends were slipping away. He was beginning to forget who he was as the mindset of the Wolf began to take over.
The Count watched on in shock as Van Helsing transformed into the very thing that was his weakness. "Impossible," he breathed to himself. But as he looked upon the fearsome black beast that was Gabriel Van Helsing he saw an opportunity. This was by far one of the largest werewolves he had seen in his existence, and that was something that he could use. He smirked to himself as he noticed that the beast's eyes were full of bloodlust and rage. If he looked closer he could see a vague hint of humanity left in them, but it was dwindling quickly. All Gabriel needed was a little push in the right direction.
The wolf stepped forward towards Dracula with his claws spread viciously at his side, ready to attack at any given moment. The beast growled low in its throat trying to intimidate its enemy, but stopped when he didn't detect even a trace of fear in the vampire's eyes. He halted three feet away from the man he had come to kill, and ceased any and all growling. The wolf within was confused. Its ears twitched as it tried to comprehend the situation at hand. Van Helsing tried to urge it to kill the demon but found that he had no control at all over the wolf. This realization caused him to panic, not that panic would do him any good.
Dracula could sense the wolf's inner turmoil and he chuckled darkly. "Come now, Gabriel. You know who your master is, do you not?"
Dracula continued to stare straight into the beast's eyes, forming a mental link between them. The wolf growled, challenging the vampire for dominance. The count knew this and his fangs lengthened in response happy to accept the challenge. Neither of them broke eye contact, until the wolf began to sense the vast darkness within the century old vampire. He started to lower his eyes in submission when it felt the hunter protest in its mind.
"Join me, Gabriel. I will cut the strings of the one that controls you. We could be partners. We need not be on opposite sides of the board," Dracula said calmly. He could sense that Van Helsing was still fighting even when the wolf had begun to submit. He walked closer to the beast, knowing that he could be struck at any moment. But it needed to be done. He had never had a werewolf take so long to fall under his control, but honestly he wasn't so surprised seeing it was the great Van Helsing.
He was now standing so close to the werewolf that he could feel its breath in the air above his head. Dracula grabbed the wolf's muzzle in his hand forcing it to look him in the eyes. The wolf made no protest, but he did whimper softly. The mental link was nearly complete, and soon Gabriel Van Helsing would be his for eternity. This fleeting thought caused Dracula to smirk in triumph.
The hunter in question could feel he was fighting a losing battle. NO! This isn't supposed to end this way... he thought miserably. He tried pressing against the wolf's conscience for control but it was no use. The wolf was pressing against his own conscience, transferring its feelings of submission. He felt himself begin to drift away completely to the pull of the moon. The moon was calling him to run with it, to hunt and be a good beast for his master. It pulled at his very soul to live under its influence, tempting him with feelings of peace and purpose. With that final thought he could feel his mind merging with the very thing he was trying to fight: the wolf.
It was now him that was looking his master in the eyes. Gabriel Van Helsing was now forever in the clutches of the man in front of him. He lowered his eyes and laid his ears back to show his master that he had indeed submitted.
Dracula laughed victoriously. What glorious day! With Van Helsing out of his way, nothing could stop him now. The count looked out the window towards the ancient clock and noticed that it was now two minutes after midnight. He turned when he saw Gabriel turn his head toward the laboratory entrance and begin to growl. Standing there was Anna Valerious.
Anna had successfully managed to make it to the laboratory with the cure at the twelfth chime. But when she arrived she knew she was too late. She saw how Dracula had hold of Van Helsing's muzzle and was confidently looking into his eyes, no doubt establishing his control. When he walked away and Van Helsing did not attack after the clock had stopped its chiming she knew that the cure would no longer have any affect. Then Van Helsing caught her scent. Before she knew it he was making his way towards her ready to kill. To her surprise Dracula stopped him with a confident 'heel', and was behind her too quick for her eyes to even register that he had moved.
"You have failed, princess," he stated smugly. Anna said nothing, but moved minutely to escape his grasp. Unfortunately for her, she was not strong enough.
"Dear God," said a voice from the shadows. Dracula had known the friar was there, but said nothing. Carl had seen how Dracula commanded his friend to stop and how Van Helsing had obeyed. They had lost.
"Gabriel," Dracula said, causing the wolf in question to tilt his head questioningly. Dracula chuckled at the sight, at least he was more intelligent than the others. Not that he was surprised. He motioned toward the friar and said darkly, "Your dinner has arrived."
Gabriel licked his chops before charging at the cowering friar. With one swipe of his claws the man drew breath no more. Carl's corpse fell the ground in a heap, and Van Helsing was quick to eat. The moon was urging the wolf on to claim his kill. The sound of bones crushing and skin ripping filled the room. The beast who was once the famed hunter never even hesitated.
Anna covered her eyes to avoid the sight of Van Helsing devouring his friend. Tears crept slowly down her face as Dracula hummed in approval behind her. She felt hands on her shoulders turn her around. She looked up to see Dracula's blue eyes boring into hers.
"I think you are in my debt me for killing two of my brides, Anna," said Count Dracula over the sound of Gabriel mauling Carl's body. With that he transformed into his hell-beast form and flew away with his soon to be bride in his clutches.