The room was dark, stone walls and ceiling formed the room while the floor was entirely made of marble. Ancient chandeliers hung and illuminated an elevated table on top of a staircase going both ways up to the platform. At that table resided five figures cloaked in red robes with the Order of the sun's symbol. One of which sat in the middle of the other four, his robe similar to the others but had orange highlights in the fabric and a unique design around the symbol. They conversed with themselves till the large doors at the entrance opened.
In walked a man clothed in the order's black uniform. The man's face was covered with a ballistic face mask painted with a skull design covering what would be the plain black coating of paint. The mask was missing one eye slit only leaving the wearer to look out the remaining one.
The doors closed behind him as he paced over to the circle platform below the five figures. The echoing of his boots stopped once he reached the platform, he kneeled soon after.
"Elders," he greeted them, a Russian accent present.
"Brother Ivan," the high Elder in the unique robe spoke, "we have summoned you for a task that is of the utmost importance."
"Yes, elder I came once I received word."
"We thank you for coming all the way from Moscow at such short notice."
"The way I see it, elder Fritz, the Order comes first."
High elder Fritz leaned back and clasped his hands together on the table. "Now let's get down to business. Three days ago we sent a small team into a remote part of Romania on a lead of the infamous Count Dracula, they never came back."
Ivan tilted his head, "Dracula? I assumed he died decades ago with his bride? " He said in confusion.
"As did we," another elder spoke, an older woman with a British accent. "The story about him and that commercial plane seem not to be fabricated as we once thought."
"So the son of the devil lives on, where did we lose contact?"
"In the remote forests near a Transylvanian town, at least that's what the team's vehicle tracker indicates," Fritz replied
"What would you have me do?" Ivan asked
The older woman answered, "you will lead a team of five including yourself to investigate, if it turns out what we suspect is true, capture Dracula then bring him back here to the Citadel. Those are your orders."
"Elders if I may," he stood to his feet. "Why not just kill him? Our hunters would be put at less risk and..." Ivan was cut off.
"I'm afraid that is above your paygrade brother." The elder on the far right spoke, Ivan seemed to notice a lab coat under the robe. "You will carry out the Order's wishes and complete your task, I assure you it's for the greater good of humanity."
"Take your mask off brother," Ordered Elder Fritz.
"W-What?" Ivan asked
"do it."
Ivan slowly removed his mask and placed it to the side of him, he kept his gaze to the floor.
"look upon us brother, none will judge you here," Fritz assured.
He raised his gaze to the five elders, his steel grey eye looking them over.
"do you regret what happened?" The 'lab coat' elder asked.
He traced the long deep ugly scar along his face with the pads of his fingers then stopped at the socket where his left eye should be, he clenched his fist at the memory, he lost much more than an eye that day. "Da Every day..." he answered.
"Do you want what happened to you, to happen to others, do you want vampires to become extinct, be rid of them forever, and to know them as most of the world knows them. A trivial folktale that children dress up for Halloween?" The elder asked Ivan
A deafening silence fell over the large room.
"yes, I understand," he replied simply
"Then you know our reasons for asking you to carry out this mission," the elders then stood.
Ivan stayed standing and placed the mask back over his face. "As you wish elders" He turned on his heel and made his way towards the door...
"We have put great trust in you, see to it that you accomplish your task." One spoked after him.
He stopped before opening the door, "Dracula will be at your feet bound and gagged, very soon..." with that he walked out.
XXX
Dracula ran a hand down his face, this was a mess. It's been three days since the hunters raided his hotel, the vampires who died during the attack were put to rest in the cemetery outside the grounds of the hotel. It was a terrible time for everyone when he saw Linda one of his most loyal employees considered family be lowered into the ground, he broke down.
Of course, there was outrage in the Vampire world many called for justice and revenge, the more moderate ones called for negotiations with the Order of the sun. He stared down at the stone slab a hunter laid dead on. The hunter who had been impaled through, Ironic the hunter died by a wooden stake that was once his hotel's railing.
From what he could tell they wore similar clothing he had seen human militaries wear, instead of elaborate patterns and designs he deduced was camouflage. They wore plain black with their symbol stitched to the right shoulder with red stitch outlining said symbol, the same with the pants that had many pockets, definitely used in a utility capacity, said pants were tucked into the black leather boots they wore then laced up.
Dracula walked over to the slab that held the hunter's equipment, his weapon, a gas mask, black fingerless gloves, and his vest witch held various pouches and gear on and in it. Something caught his eye, a black cylinder canister he turned it over to read the white letters. V gas, interesting...
"Sir. you might want to see this." A knight said leaning in from the doorway of the hotel's morgue.
"Yes, yes I'll be there in a moment," he replied
"as you wish sir." With that, he was alone once more just him and the remaining mangled bodies of the hunters.
They have developed many weapons to counter us, a far cry from what ancient hunters used, holy water and a wooden stake. He chuckled to himself, well over one hundred years to equip what was for all intents and purposes an army would do that.
Finished Dracula made his way out of the morgue flipping the switch on his way out.
XXX
Jonny never would have guessed he'd be in a situation that put him and his family in danger or at risk, and at all places Hotel Transylvania. The place he met the love of his life, his zing.
He along with Dracula and a few Bat Cronies looked into the brush barely obscuring a black vehicle.
"We found this about three hours ago near an outcropping looking over the hotel. Unless humans are out hiking around and decided to hide their car. This is how those hunters got here." The Cronie explained to Drac.
"Jonathan," Drac waved him over.
"Hey Drac," Jonny said tiredly
"Are Dennis and my Mavis alright?"
He nodded, "they're fine Dack up in our room, Mavis is resting it's been a stressful couple of days."
"That it has," Dracula turned his attention to the SUV. "What are we dealing with Jonny?"
Jonny started his walk down the incline toward the SUV, Dracula soon followed. Jonny looked over the vehicle, "Man Drac, we're looking at some movie bad guy stuff, I mean like take over the world bad guy stuff! Every movie there is the bad guys have black cars with blacked out windows, how cliche!"
Dracula smiled at the boy, he always knew how to make a joke, even at the direst of times. Dracula opened the driver's door to find the vehicle empty. The interior had leather seats and upholstery, and a laptop on a mount facing the passenger seat. Jonny sat in the seat and opened the computer.
"My Lord you have to see this." A bat Cronie called out from the back, he saw that they opened the back of the vehicle up.
He made is way around and looked into the trunk. Inside were various equipment, gear, ammunition, and a few weapons.
"The laptop had a password locking it so unless you have a pro hacker around here were screwed... woah!" Jonny reached for the rack holding a shotgun.
Dracula quickly snatched his hand, "no my boy they are too dangerous..."
"Relax Drac I was just-"
"Please, for my sake I know what it feels like being on the receiving end of one of those." He pleaded with his son in law.
He nodded understanding, "your call dude."
Dracula turned to the leading Cronie, "I want this disposed of, but first collect anything that looks important... then dump this vehicle off the cliff, understood?"
The Cronie nodded, "yes my lord it will be done."
"Come Jonny lets head back to the hotel," The duo walked back toward the hotel and started across the bridge conversing with one another till an explosion cut them off.
BOOM!
"What, again, they are attacking again?" Jonny asked worriedly.
"Stay here!"
Quickly Drac transformed into a bat and took to the sky, all he saw once he was up there was a burning husk of the SUV and three dead Cronies."
"Damn it all..."