It was soon apparent, as they drove to Brooklyn, that the numerous alley cats of the city were doing their job to repel the invading spirits from nearby areas, in spite of not being pure Egyptian Maus.

That still didn't alleviate Illya's concerns as they arrived at the old Adelo House in Brooklyn; it was a house that dated back to the 1700s and had long said to have been haunted. In retrospect, it seemed like the perfect place for Jack to set up his base of operations, and, sure enough, as they approached, they saw a greater concentration of ghosts, as well as more skeletons, goblins, and what looked like twisted zombie-like creatures that leered at them with empty eyes.

Illya answered his communicator as it went off.

"Kuryakin here…"

"Mr. Kuryakin?" Waverly said. "We've spoken to Victor's cousin."

"What did he say?"

"Apparently, in order to defeat Jack, you must extinguish his lantern," Waverly instructed. "No one has ever succeeded in accomplishing this—to achieve it would be the equivalent of successfully outwitting the trickster."

"In other words, we'd win his challenge," Napoleon said. "So it's as simple as that?"

"It will hardly be so simple in practice," Marton scoffed over the channel. "One does not outwit a legendary trickster so easily."

"Nevertheless, it's up to the both of you," Waverly said. "Good luck, Gentlemen."

"Thank you, Sir," Illya sighed.

Napoleon now pulled the car over as they approached the Adelo House; as they watched, it appeared that the creatures were coming forth from the old well in front of the house. Napoleon let out a sigh.

"I should have known…" he muttered.

"Should have known what?"

"The Witch of the Well," Napoleon said. "It's a silly game I used to play at school with the other kids during recess. You get one kid to play the witch, and the other kids have to get a treasure from the well without being caught by the witch—whoever got caught first was 'dragged down the well' and became the next witch."

"…Where did you children learn something like that?" Illya asked.

"…Actually, I learned it from the older kids, and we taught it to the younger kids," Napoleon said. "I guess, in a way, it's kind of like these old legends, passed down from person to person. Except now they're true—and there's something really horrible in the well to get past." He sighed, steeling himself. "Look, if you want to stay in the car with Baba Yaga-"

"I told you, I'm going with you," Illya said. "But I don't trust that old well rope; we should use the grappling hook to get down there."

Napoleon nodded and got the grappling hook from the trunk; the two of them made sure the coast was clear before they darted to the well. Napoleon chanced a glance inside, and he winced.

"Ugh, there's water down there…"

"Very likely stagnant—hopefully not too deep," Illya said. He paused, glancing at Napoleon. "I can go down first and see how deep it is."

"No, no; I'll go first…"

"Napoleon," Illya said, gently. "My fears of these unexplained things are more irrational than your fear of drowning. I will go first."

Napoleon protested, but Illya insisted, and so Napoleon had to concede to let him go first. Baba Yaga perched on Napoleon's shoulders as Illya climbed down. There was a light splash as he touched the water, and after a quiet noise of disgust, he looked up.

"It's not deep at all!" he said. "Only about two feet, I'd say—and there's a reason for that."

"What's that?"

"There's a tunnel of some sort that goes into the hill where the house is standing on," Illya said. "That must be where the book is."

Napoleon climbed down now, Baba Yaga still perched on his shoulders, for the cat despised water as much as he did.

They headed down the tunnel, moving as quietly as possible; they could see the dim outlines of the zombies staring at them, but the creatures weren't daring to come closer as Baba Yaga hissed at them.

"We've got to hope that Jack is also going to be repelled by Baba Yaga," Napoleon whispered. "That might be our only chance to get that book and the lantern…" He trailed off as he heard Jack muttering under his breath.

"He's up ahead," Illya whispered, as the path, now drying as they walked further into the hill, sloped upwards.

"Baba Yaga and I will distract him," Napoleon whispered back. "You go for the stuff."

Illya nodded, and Napoleon gently held the cat in his hands. Creeping forward, they saw Jack holding the book in one hand and his lantern in the other.

"Hold it right there!" Napoleon said, charging forward.

Jack looked to him with a leer, but the look quickly changed to one of alarm as Baba Yaga screech at him; his shock at seeing the cat allowed Illya to dart forward and grab the book from his transparent hand.

Jack let out a yell of frustration and now seized Illya's sweater collar; Illya's face went pale, but Napoleon and Baba Yaga both saw red. The both of them yelled in fury, and Baba Yaga slipped out of Napoleon's grasp and leaped up at Jack with a screech. Jack released Illya, and as he scrambled backwards, also dropped his turnip lantern.

Illya, now recovering from his near miss, saw it fall.

"Napoleon! Grab the lantern!"

Both Jack and Napoleon reached for it; Baba Yaga ensured that Napoleon won. Napoleon hurled it into the water that was down the path that led to the well. His moment of triumph was short-lived, however, as he saw the coal in the lantern still burning under the water.

Illya's face fell.

"Nyet, it should have worked!" he exclaimed. "We did as Marton's cousin instructed…"

He was cut off by Jack's fit of the giggles.

"Oh, you shan't beat me so easily! 'Tisn't an ordinary lantern—shan't be doused by ordinary means!"

Baba Yaga screeched again, and Jack sobered up.

"Shoo the beast, and I'll give you both a hint," he sneered.

"She stays," Napoleon said, darkly. "She's our only defense against your little army of zombies and ghosts out there, and, more than that, she's our cat, and she is the daughter of Bastet, one of the Old Gods."

Baba Yaga hissed for emphasis, approaching closer, sending Jack floating against the wall of the cavern.

"With her here, we can wait this out as long as you can," Napoleon said. "As soon as Illya finds a way to send you back or put that lantern out-"

He was cut off as the ground started to shake, a crack appearing in the cavern floor. Baba Yaga suddenly screeched in fright and ran to Napoleon's arms as a large, black dog with glowing eyes emerged from the fissure.

Illya also clung to Napoleon's arm, staring at the creature with a horrified expression. Jack, as well, looked unsettled by the appearance of the dog; he swooped over their heads, grabbed his lantern from the water, and phased through the wall of the cavern. The zombies in the tunnel were now trying to escape as the dog growled.

"What is that thing?" Illya whispered. "How did Jack summon it without the book?"

"I don't think he did; did you see the way he ran out of here?" Napoleon whispered back.

"You're right, Mr. Solo; Jack didn't summon him," a new voice said, and a man in a three-piece pinstriped suit materialized beside the dog. "Baba Yaga, daughter of Bastet? Meet Malevolent, son of Cerberus!"

"Illya, run!" Napoleon said, grabbing his partner's hand while holding onto the frightened Baba Yaga with the other. They ran down the passageway, hearing the dog's booming barks behind them.

Napoleon made sure Illya and Baba Yaga had made it out of the well first, and he followed; the two of them made it to the car. It was daylight by this time, and while the ghosts and zombies had hidden, the goblins were still out and about, causing trouble.

"Napoleon… that fellow looked familiar…" Illya murmured, once he had caught his breath and comforted the still upset cat.

"That's because he was there last Halloween at Gettysburg—the man on the ghost train who introduced himself as Zero…" Napoleon said. He hadn't said anything about it to Illya since he knew Illya wouldn't have wanted to discuss it, but he had met Zero at a specific place in Gettysburg called Devil's Den—a calling card, for he had suddenly realized at that moment that he had been conversing with the Prince of Darkness all that time.

Illya exhaled.

"Well, forget him and his son of Cerberus," he said. "We need to find a way to douse Jack's lantern before this time tomorrow."

Napoleon exhaled.

"Yeah, you're right," he said. "I'll tell you what—you go back to headquarters and take Baba Yaga with you. Go over that book, and I'll go to the library and do some research there."

Illya arched an eyebrow.

"I do not want to leave you alone," he said, flatly.

"Look, I'll be fine—the ghosts aren't out during the day, and these goblins can be tranquilized…" He demonstrated on the nearest goblin. "I really don't want Baba Yaga to be out here when that dog might come back. Let's both do our research, and we'll meet up after lunch or something."

Illya did not look satisfied with this explanation.

"Why can I not bring this book to the library while we research together?"

Napoleon gave Illya a long look.

"I have a suspicion about something, and it's something that I need to do on my own."

"Is it to do with that man and the dog?" Illya asked, quietly. "Did something happen in Gettysburg that I am not aware of?"

"Yes," Napoleon admitted. "And if it is what I think it is, then I need some time alone to figure out a few things—namely, how to stop him. But someone also needs to figure out how to stop Jack, too."

"I still think I should be with you," Illya said. "Napoleon, if there is something going on with you, I need to be a part of it."

"Illya-"

"I am your partner," Illya said. "You trust me for everything else in the world; why can you not trust me with this?"

"It's not that I don't trust you," Napoleon said. "If Zero is who I think he is, I don't want him anywhere near you."

"…You think he is the Devil."

"…How-?"

"Because of the legend of Stingy Jack, and how that coal that lights his lantern was given to him by the Devil," Illya said. "I realized it after the man showed up after Jack's taunt—and how Jack wasn't at all pleased to see him."

"…I didn't think you believed in the Devil," Napoleon said.

"A lot of things have happened in the last twelve hours that I did not believe in," Illya said, bitterly. "Why should this be any different?"

"Touché. So, will you go now?"

"And leave you to deal with him alone? I think not!" Illya said. Baba Yaga meowed. "You are coming with me to headquarters, and then we will do our research together, and, if need be, face this Mr. Zero together."

Napoleon was momentarily overcome, and, wordlessly, dragged Illya, cat and all, into a hug. Illya hugged him back, but the moment was ruined as Zero himself spoke up, materializing in the backseat of the car.

"Mr. Solo may have resigned himself to having you along, but I would much rather our business be discussed in private," Zero scoffed.

He snapped his fingers, and both he and Napoleon vanished into thin air. Illya momentarily stared, horrified, at the empty air his arms were now holding.

"Napoleon!?" he yelled, as Baba Yaga howled in misery. "Napoleon!?"


Napoleon found himself a moment later in the middle of a Manhattan alleyway, trying to catch his breath. Trying to get his exact bearings, he looked around, and gave a horrified yelp as he saw what looked like a mirror image of himself wearing Zero's pinstriped suit.

"Oh, come now, Mr. Solo," the double chuckled in an echo of his voice. "There's a dark side in you, too. You just need to embrace it."

"No," Napoleon hissed. "Leave me alone! What do you want from me!?"

Zero now reached for Napoleon's chin, forcing him to look at him—still a mirror image of him.

"What do I want? You, of course! It isn't as bad as you think, you know…" Zero snapped his fingers, and Napoleon was forced to watch as Zero set a few flames alight in his free hand. "You could have this power—and more, you know."

"I don't want it!" Napoleon shot back, pulling away. "I have everything I could want in my life; I don't need anything else, and I don't need you! I don't want anything to do with you!"

"You have everything you want?" Zero asked, as Napoleon began to walk away. "But, surely you know that Jack is capable of taking that all away from you."

Napoleon paused.

"Just what do you mean by that?"

Zero chuckled, and it sent cold shivers down Napoleon's spine to hear his own voice sounding like that.

"Jack has it in for you, too," he reminded him. "And he isn't going to be satisfied with just releasing all these ghosts and ghouls; oh no… Your and everything you hold dear are going to be his main targets. You attract a lot of attention from our sort, you know, Mr. Solo. You have a rare purity in your heart, and whichever one of us can claim it will have a prize worth boasting over. Jack bested me before; I need to have the last laugh over him, and to do that, I need you."

"You can't have me, Jack can't have me, and any of 'your sort' can't have me!" Napoleon shot back to the smug mirror image.

"He couldn't even keep me from separating you!" Zero scoffed. "And he won't be able to be of much help against Jack, either. You need me, Mr. Solo. You know that a mere mortal such as yourself can't extinguish Jack's lantern—not when I was the one who gave him that coal! I can't claim Jack's soul, but there's nothing stopping me from sending him and his little summoned army back through that portal. Your world will be safe, just as Waverly ordered."

"…And in exchange?" Napoleon asked.

Zero snapped his fingers, producing a contract.

"I get your soul."

"…I thought as much," Napoleon said, looking into the mirror image's eyes. "No deal. I'll figure this out with Illya's help."

Zero looked affronted, and even more so as Napoleon now walked out of the alley and onto the street.

"Are you so arrogant to think that way? You have no power with which to defeat Jack or extinguish the coal I gave him!" Zero bellowed, walking after him. "Or do you simply no longer care about what happens to this world?"

"I'll always care," Napoleon said. "That's why I know not to take any of your offers; you'll only make it worse."

"What will you do when Jack goes after your partner!? What will you do then!?"

"Save him," Napoleon threw over this shoulder.

"And who will save you!?" Zero countered.

"Illya will. See, we have this system all worked out!"

"You put too much faith in each other and refuse to see the reality of your situation!" Zero called. "You need me!"

Napoleon gritted his teeth, picked up his pace, and ran; Zero still pursued him, the echo of his own voice taunting him.

"You need me! You need me!"

There was a church at the end of the street. Desperate to clear Zero's voice from his head, Napoleon ran inside, exhaling with relief at the blissful silence inside. He met the baffled vicar's gaze and apologized for the intrusion, but the vicar sensed his distress and let him be. After a moment, he seized his communicator and called Illya, who let out a cry of relief.

"Are you alright!? Are you alright!?"

"I'm fine, Illya; I got away from Zero. I'm at a church on Barclay; he can't get to me here. I'll come back to headquarters once I catch my breath."

"No; you stay there where you will be safe," Illya insisted. "I will join you there."

"Okay, good idea," Napoleon said. "We can do our research here…" He trailed off as he saw a stoup of Holy Water on the altar. "…Holy Water… That's it!"

"What's it?" Illya asked, baffled.

"I think I have a way to stop Jack that doesn't involve me signing anything of Zero's," Napoleon said. "Holy Water should douse that coal, shouldn't it?"

"Napoleon, you stay there in that church and do not set foot outside until I get there," Illya said, after a moment's pause.

"What are you going to do?" Napoleon asked.

"Cover our bases. I'll leave the channel open and keep talking to you until I arrive."

"Alright, Tovarisch," Napoleon said, confidently. "I know we can do this."

He would show Zero, he silently vowed. There was nothing he and Illya couldn't do together.


Notes: Malevolent is a character made by and borrowed with permission from LuckyLadybug.