Disclaimer: Do Not Own
Many years had passed. To Van Helsing, one too many years had passed. There was a reformation of the Knights of the Holy Order. New people made the weapons, new people researched the monster facts, and there was a new Cardinal in charge. There was one thing that had not changed though; Van Helsing was still a murder in the people's eyes. Although they thought of him as a myth and used his name because the modern day people thought it was some mass murder acting like the legend, a copy cat in a way.
Van Helsing was currently walking through the Vatican heading towards the special confessional to report to Cardinal Jacob of his latest mission with a college student who died resurrecting a demon. This demon after killing the boy had taken over the student's body and killed other student to survive. Van Helsing was grateful that this Cardinal did not order these monsters to come back to the Vatican alive.
"Forgive me father for I have sinned," Van Helsing spoke once inside the confessional talking to the grated screen. He heard a snort and the brass screen went up, showing a man about mid thirties wearing Cardinal robes. He had blond-brown hair, a beard, and grey eyes.
"Obviously you sinned. We virtually told you to go and sin. So I take it that Joseph Blake's body and the demon inside of it has been terminated," Cardinal Jacob spoke. Van Helsing cracked a smile and shook his head. He would never understand this Cardinal, although he was right. The Cardinal pulled a lever on his side of the booth and one of the walls gave away revealing a reddish brown rock passage way lit with old fashion torches. "The Order is sending you to America. The city of Chicago to be exact."
"Why," Van Helsing asked as they turned a corner that lead them to the Vatican Amory. The Amory looked the same as it did when Van Helsing was first found on the Vatican steps. The lights were still fire lit torches, open furnaces that were used to make swords and other metal weapons, and chemicals everywhere. There were even still people of all religions working on every possible open space. The only really major change was the slide projector had been modernized into a computer hooked up to a TV screen for the Cardinal to give the knights their latest mission.
"Did you know that the Friar Carl who was with you went you destroyed Dracula wrote the adventure down in a journal that had been collecting dust in the library?" Cardinal Jacob asked. When Van Helsing shook his head no, the Cardinal continued on. "The members that we have station in Chicago have report sights of little flying monsters. When no one could figure out what the people saw, I went into the library to investigate myself. There I can upon Carl's journal. After reading it the only explanation I could conclude is that these little monsters are baby vampires."
"That is impossible!" Van Helsing shouted. Several people stopped working to turn and looked at them.
"There are a couple of other things you will not be completely happy with either." Van Helsing raised an eyebrow at him. "In 1940, a man named Niklaus Goodman was born in a small town just off the coast of Maine. This man had dreams, nightmares really, of fighting monsters primarily vampires and werewolves. These dreams also kept telling him a name or at least that is what he told the last Cardinal. So to track down the source of these dreams Niklaus had done research on his family heritage and landscapes. With his research he came upon a city in Romania as the location of his dreams. Niklaus also had found a family tree dating back to the 1300s in very good condition. He came to the Vatican when he turned twenty and figured the rest out and changed his last name to the name in his dreams. I know that look Van Helsing. You're catching on."
"If you're trying to tell me that this man is related to the gypsy family Valerious, that much I got." Van Helsing replied.
"Good. This makes the explanation quicker, although it is still long." Cardinal Jacob logged into the computer and pulled up a fill containing a photograph of Niklaus Valerious. "Apparently one of the Valerious sons in the 1300s ran away and formed the line that Niklaus has re-descended from."
"Re-descended?"
"It would appear from Niklaus's research combined with the Vatican's work; Niklaus Goodman is the reborn Niklaus Valerious, who has already been a descended of the Valerious line." The Cardinal paused for a minute and pondered, "It does make sense in a way. Gypsies who have been reborn have been known to have dreams about their past life and gain the knowledge they used to have. Ironically, the family line from Niklaus has been reborn. Niklaus's wife Zorana, his son Boris and his wife Janika, and his grandchildren-"
"Velkan and Anna," Van Helsing interrupted. The Cardinal shook his head and flipped through family members on the computer, ending them on a photograph of the whole family that seemed to be taken at a holiday.
"Yes, although I do believe Anna is older this time around. When you go to Chicago you will stay with Niklaus. I have been in contact with him. He knows everything that is going on and has the weapons you will need at his home since I highly doubt the security at the airport will let them through. Francis Carter will be at your disposal as well."
"What's Frank doing in America?" Van Helsing asked puzzled. Last time he heard Frank was in South America.
"Since Niklaus has turned seventy it has been hard for him to fight any monster problems that come up in that area. So we sent Francis there as a solution. He has actually secretly been training Anna although she thinks it is just for self defense reason when she is walking alone in the city."
Van Helsing groaned and covered his eyes.
"You are aware that the old Anna had a temper?"
"Well I am now," Cardinal Jacob said unfazed.
"Anyone else I need to know who has been reborn?" The monster hunter asked.
"Carl has been of course. I don't think God would have it any other way. This Carl thinks it's the coolest thing ever. His words, not mine. His has also been informed of this mission. Now let's go fetch him, reintroduce you two, and send you two on your way.
There were four sets of pairs on the mats inside the gym. Each pair had a sabre in their hands and wore a fencing jacket and plastron except for one pair. Everyone wore a helmet with a metal mesh on the front. These pairs did not need the typical fencing breeches and high knee sock because a sabre is only supposed to touch the upper body except the hands.
The pair who was not wearing any protective armor other than the helmet was a man and a woman. They were both in black although only that man should have been wearing black because he was the fencing master. The women had come to his class after a yoga class and had worn her black yoga pants and sweat shirt not bothering to change.
"I don't see why you refuse to wear your jacket Anna," Francis Caster told his partner as he went to hit his sabre on an open area on her torso. Anna dodged the blade, lunged, and hit Frank in the shoulder.
"It is not like you're going to hit me enough to cause any damage other than a small bruise," Anna Valerious replied. They took a couple more swipes at each other. Frank raised his hand to halt her next lunge at him. She looked at the clock above the door.
"Alright everyone, it's time for a break. Water up and we'll work with the foils after. You guys have five minutes," Frank announced. The pairs gathered around the bleaches where their bags where located. Helmets were taken off and the jackets were unzipped.
Anna took her helmet off and sat it next to her bag. Grabbing her water bottle she took a gulp and let out a deep breath, calming herself. A buzzing sound was emitted from a phone vibrating against the vinyl of the bag as Frank walked over.
"Rescue mission?" Frank asked watching Anna check her phone. He pushed his sweaty maroon hair back from his forehead.
"Yes. I swear Ellie needs to learn she can leave her boy friend to help Amy when she is in trouble and not text me to do it," Anna answered. Anna grabbed a brush from the bag and pulled her black curly hair into a ponytail with the hair tie on her wrist. She repacked her things and threw her bag over her shoulder and headed for the door.
"Be careful Anna and see you next class," Frank said in farewell.
As Anna walked out of the gym, she shivered. It was a cold and windy October 28 outside unlike the warm gym. Anna walked with a quick pace over to the club near the University of Chicago dorms that Ellie and Amy like to associate with. As the cold started to nip at her skin, a frown formed on Anna's flawless face. Why did Ellie always leave this up to her? Anna thought.
Turning a corner, Anna found herself in an alley behind a row of clubs. The backside of each building was made of brick. Dumpsters lined each building next to a metal backdoor with names of the clubs the doors belong to. There were a few street lights but not enough to give off a safe atmosphere. The wind whipped up Anna's hair in a violent rage. This was Anna's short cut to her friend's club.
Walking past three clubs Anna saw a light leading to another alley which would put her next to the waiting line of the club. As Anna slowly started to approach this alley she heard a scream. It was high pitched, female, and Amy's scream.
Anna bolted to the smaller alley and almost collided with a terrified blonde who was waving her hands above her head trying to get or keep something off. The blonde was wearing blue jeans, a gold halter top, and heels. Anna shook her head at Amy for once again not wearing a coat.
Amy stopped battering her hands around in the air when she saw the other woman with her was Anna. Frighten, she started to blubber something to her friend and reached out to her stumbling. Amy pointed back to the alley.
"In there! It's in there! " Was all Anna could make out from Amy.
"First breathe and calm down. What is in there?" Anna asked. Amy told a deep breath and put her hands on Anna's arms. Her hands were freezing. Anna caught a whiff of alcohol on Amy's breath.
"I don't know what it was. It looked like a monster!" Amy told her. Anna rolled her eyes.
"What did it look like," Anna asked annoyed.
"It was gray or white. Maybe a little of both. Its skin was kind of opaque. It looked like a bat or a small gargoyle. The thing's eyes were huge and black! And it had fangs! Almost as if it was a vampire and it was sitting still just looking at me and then it attacked me!" Amy told her friend.
"Amy, it's windy and Halloween is less than a week away. You probably just saw a decoration come loose. Besides you are drunk," Anna replied.
"No, Anna! It was really there, just look for yourself," Amy said with a serious face although distress and fear marked it as well. To humor Amy, Anna looked. All she saw was a couple of dumpsters, puddles for water here and there, and a plastic bag flying around. There was no flying, white monster. She walked back to the blonde.
"There is nothing there, so let's get a cab and get out of here and don't bother protesting." Anna grabbed Amy's arm and dragged her back the way she had original came. They hailed a cab and took off towards Anna's grandfather's apartment.
When they arrived, Anna paid the driver and pulled Amy inside the warm lobby with granite floors and paneled walls. Anna nodded to the front door man and the one at the front desk. They two women headed to the elevator bank.
"Hold the elevator!" Anna shouted to a pair of elevator doors just starting to close. Amy and Anna entered the elevator with three men who already occupied it.
"Grandfather," Anna greeted the oldest of the men, who had his cane holding the open door button. "I didn't know you were going out tonight."
The man nodded to his granddaughter. He removed his cane and let the doors close. He was still dressed in an indigo suit for his business meeting about the latest stats in the company's production of plastic. His graying hair curled in similar ways to Anna's hair and his brown eyes watched his granddaughter's friend slide down the wall perpendicular to the elevator's doors. The two sets of Valerious eyes met passing messages to each other. Anna nodded back at her grandfather in confirmation of his silent question of Amy's drunkenness.
Anna leaned back on the doors as she eyed the other two men who were watching her as well. The shorter and younger of the two men was blonde and scrawny compared to the other man. He seemed quiet, held back, an observer, and someone who could very easily fall into the category of a science geek.
The other man was taller and darker. By the way he dressed he could easily be called a biker. Across his face he held on to a steel poker face, but he held an aura of anger and unhappiness. It seemed he was only there to do a job and nothing more.
"I don't think you need a bodyguard or an intern from Geek Squad, Grandfather," Anna spoke done with observations.
"Mind your manners child," Niklaus scolded his grandchild, "These men are here to help us and we are to help them." He raised his eyebrow at her, daring her to retort back.
"Ma indoiesc foarte acesti oameni lucreaza in afaceri plastic bunicul. (I highly doubt these men work in the plastic business Grandfather)," Anna said in Romanian taking the dare. The older man glared at her. The older one of the strangers snorted as if he had understood what he had said.
A moment later she heard the smaller man ask the other man quietly what Geek Squad was.
"You don't know what Geek Squad is?" Amy asked, speaking for the first time since entering the elevator. The little man started to get nervous and fidget under everyone's gazes. Lucky for him the elevator beeped signaling its stop on the twenty fifth floor.
The group of five exited the elevator and headed for the door of Niklaus's four room apartment which would be better qualified as a penthouse with its numerous extra rooms. Unlocking the door, Anna walked in first followed by Amy. Anna tossed her bag behind the off white couch. The gym bag landed with a loud thud.
Amy eyebrows went together in confusion at the bag's sound as she sat at the kitchen island. Neither of the two women noticed the three men disappearing into Niklaus's study. Anna grabbed a mug from a cabinet and herbs and a tea strainer from another. After preparing the tea, Anna gave it to Amy who drunk it knowing it was some top secret gypsy's recipe that would cure a hangover before it hit. The older of the two strangers emerged from the study.
"Anna," he spoke softly," Your Grandfather wants you to join us in the study after you take care of your friend."
Anna nodded in return letting him know she had heard him and would join them soon. He turned and walked back into her Grandfather's sanctum.
Once Amy was done with the tea, Anna helped her into Anna's own bed. Anna then turned and headed for one of the linen closets. She grabbed spare blankets and extra pillows. Anna threw them on the couch so they would be ready to make Anna's make shift bed for the night after she visited her Grandfather's study. Anna walked to the sanctum finally joining the men but she was not prepared for what they had to tell her.
Thanks for reading. If anyone has any questions don't be afraid to ask or if there are any errors just let me know so I can fix them.