Foreword: This chapter is not told linearly and the scenes do not occur chronologically. Keep this in mind to avoid confusion.

Fast and Furious

Al put his earbuds in before stretching for the race. One of his favorite songs of all time - Bon Jovi's Living on a Prayer - began to pump him up.

The first trial in Hotel Transylvania's Monster Marathon was a simple multi-stage race. It would begin from the Hotel courtyard, and the contestants would have to run between a series of pairs of flags. They would have to follow the flags to the finish line. The difficulty in the task was that the route was unknown. Who knew what physical trials there would be during the race?

A great number of individuals turned up to participate in the competition. Al, Lily, Mavis, Johnny, Frank, Wayne, Griffin, and Blobby all had volunteered to take part in the race. Besides them, the contestants were made up of a variety of monsters such as cyclopses, yetis, lizard-people, gremlins, and much more. There were about fifty competitors in all.

To give enough space for the competitors in the courtyard, spectators for the competition were inside the Hotel. Although the non-competing monsters could not directly witness the events, hidden cameras have been set up all over the path. From the Hotel's own televisions, monsters would be able to watch the Monster Marathon as if they were watching the Olympics.

Those who wanted the most fun out of their viewing would come to the Hotel lobby where large televisions were set up everywhere. In the lobby, the monsters had the influence of the crowd to cheer at the top of their lungs.

Dracula and Dennis were behind the front desk, facing the backs of all of the monsters who came down to witness the race. Next to them was a microphone so Drac could tell the runners when they could start.

The competitors had little restrictions placed on them for the race. They were allowed to use any dirty tactic they could to slow their opponents down. Any powers they possessed was fair to use. It was a race for monsters, after all. There had to be something to make it more interesting than a human race. However, the racers were not allowed to cheat by skipping any flags. Doing so would result in disqualification.

Al cracked his knuckles and his neck. Once again, he found himself being near Mavis. At least he had Lily next to him, and it was nice to have company who didn't despise your guts.

"Good luck, Mavis," Al offered.

"I don't need luck," Mavis said. "I've lived here all my life. There's not a nook and cranny I don't recognize. I can make the run."

"I'd watch that confidence if I were you," Al warned. "I'd hate to be beaten by an underdog."

"This is supposed to be a friendly competition," lectured Lily. Both Mavis and Al turned to look at the Succubus who was to Al's left. "So, make sure you two keep it friendly. I'd hate to have to break up a fight. It'd be terrible for Dracula's daughter and a vigilante from New York to get each other eliminated this early in the competition. Speaking of, if you let little old me beat you, then I'd be super disappointed."

To advance onto the next trial of the competition, they didn't need to take first place. They didn't even need to break the top ten. The last ten to finish the race would be eliminated from the trials - meaning that the first forty to make it to the finish line would continue through with the competition and get eliminated further down.

Elsewhere, Drac's friends were reminding themselves about their past experiences. The race was a great memory trigger. Sometimes, they'd like nothing more than to go back in time and relieve the days of their prime.

"I can't remember the last time we competed like this," Frank said.

"We were in our one-hundreds," said Griffin, reminiscing about his smoldering good looks in his younger days.

"You guys should watch yourself," Wayne warned. "This old dog has some new tricks up his sleeve."

Nearby, Johnny was pumping himself up. Unlike everyone else, Johnny was not wearing his normal clothing; he wore actual attire. As a human, he needed every advantage he could get. Monsters were - generally - athletically gifted to almost cartoonish degrees. In order to have a shot at coming out on top, he had to be lighter.

Mavis observed her husband as he did his jumping jacks in place. She had no idea what his thought process was - jumping jacks would not help him win the race. However, she reckoned that she shouldn't be as confident as she was for easily taking first place. As a result, she began stretching her legs and their muscles.

"Let's do this!" Johnny exclaimed. He almost bumped into a furry monster when he made his pumped-up physical motions.

"You only need to be in the top forty to win, honey," reminded Mavis.

"Are you saying you don't think I can win first place?"

"I didn't say that," Mavis argued, "but you're right. You won't win first place. That spot is mine. I'm sorry, honey, but us vampires kick human butts all the time."

"I'll have you know, Mavey, that we humans are criminally underrated," started Johnny. "Sure, we might not be as strong as you, fast as you, smart as you, intimidating as you, or immortal like you, but there's a reason why we humans are a force to be reckoned with. We have the heart and courage to survive and fight another day. Whenever we get shot down, we'll get right back up. You monsters have life too easy, so when you get shot down, you don't know how to recover. This human spirit gives me the motivation to be swifter than any monster during this race, and when I take first place, I'll look down upon you all and say - Where'd everyone go?"

Johnny was standing alone in the plaza. Drac had given the runners the order to begin the race as Johnny was making his speech. No one bothered to nudge Johnny to get going. Already, he was at a disadvantage.


Earlier...

"Dad, what is going on with you?" Mavis asked as she followed her father through the Hotel hallway. Drac had just given his announcement about the Monster Marathon, and his daughter wanted to have a quick word with him.

"What do you mean, honey-spider?" Drac asked. He had a large grin on his face. Truth be told, he was not expecting such a positive reaction from the crowd as a response to the event. He was incredibly proud of himself because he managed to make so many happy in the worst of times with only a small period of time.

"The Monster Marathon seems to be a good idea," Drac defended. "The guests love it, and - "

"I'm not talking about the competition," Mavis clarified. "I'm talking about Alucard."

"Eh... Care to elaborate?"

"What are you hiding, Dad? Every time he's around, you act... different. Every time he mentions his mother, you get nervous. And it's not just you, either. Uncle Wayne, Uncle Frank, and Uncle Griffin got just as nervous."

"You're making things up," Drac insisted. Once again, his voice and tone made it clear he was lying or at least avoiding the truth. "We don't get nervous."

"Dad, you're acting like a kindergartener being asked about his crush," compared Mavis. "Given that I know you well for who you are, I doubt that you act like you do because you have a crush on Al. So, tell me what's the problem?"

"There is no - "

"Dad, you've lied to me more times than I can count. I'm getting so sick of it. I thought you were over it, but I guess not. I can't even express how disappointed I am in you. Even after all of these years, you can't trust me."

"I trust you with my life," Drac rebutted.

He sighed as they got into the elevator at the end of the hallway. Mavis wasn't sure where her father was going, but she didn't care. She was going to have her questions answered one way or another.

"Listen, Mavey," Drac said, "the things I might know can change him. Heck, it might even change you. I know a thing or two about his mother which he definitely does not. It's not right to tell you before I tell him."

Mavis wasn't satisfied with the non-answer Drac gave her, but it was a start for the full picture.

"But you will tell me?" Mavis inquired.

Drac and Mavis entered the elevator. He then clicked the button which would bring them to the floor Drac's room was on.

"When the time is right, and when Al is comfortable, I will tell him," revealed Drac. "Then, I will tell you. The time is not right, though. I need you to trust your old man."

Mavis did not like it one bit. She was sick and tired of all the secrets. However, she trusted her father. No matter how many times he would hide truths from her, he always had justification.

"Okay..." Mavis agreed. "But, tell me one thing. I have this suspicion. Whatever secrets you're hiding, does this have anything to do with his father?"

"This has everything to do with his father."


Later...

The first part of the race was - hypothetically - breeze to go through. Simply put, it was a straight track from the courtyard to the bridge through the tunnel leading to the Hotel and out into the forest track. However, it was the roughness of the monsters which made it more difficult than it should have been.

"Tommy used to work on the docks," sang Al. "Union's been on strike / He's down on his luck / It's tough, so tough."

The narrowness of the path meant a lot of monsters were bumping into each other from shoulder to shoulder. This slowed a lot of them down, especially in the tunnel. Some of the monsters were gifted with flight - such as Lily - so they used their wings to hover over their opponents and through the tunnel.

Al transformed into a bat and darted above the monsters who couldn't fly. Mavis was behind him and took a page from his book when she transformed herself and followed him.

"Gina works the diner all day / Working for her man, she brings home her pay for love / For love"

The two were faster than most of the other flying monsters so they easily took first and second. It would've been easy to stay in their bat forms during the race - and it certainly was allowed - but for the same reason Mavis didn't use her freezing powers on the other monsters, they didn't take full advantage of being vampires. The sport of the competition would've been removed.

So, when they exited the tunnel, they transformed back into their normal forms and sprinted alongside each other. Despite not communicating with each other their sportsmanship ideaology, they both were thinking the same thing despite their personal differences.

"You think we should slow down for them?" Al asked.

"Be my guest," Mavis replied. She timed a swipe of her foot so it would hit Al's ankle as he ran. As a result, he fell forward - slamming his face on the ground. It was a dirty play, but it was allowed. She felt an obligation to play fair for the other monsters. Al was an exception for obvious reasons.

Things were getting fairly violent behind Mavis. Frank's size allowed him to trample anyone in his path. He ran through the tunnel like a football player. Griffin was being bumped into more times than he could handle because his invisibility made it so that barely anyone could tell if they were running into him. Wayne's natural dog-like instincts and abilities allowed him to run on all fours past most of the monsters.

Johnny started off with a disadvantage. However, the traffic the monsters created allowed him to catch up with the crowd in the tunnel. He was skinnier than most of the participants, so he had the ability to slip through in between spaces. He was also quicker than the average monster. So, those factors allowed him to get though the tunnel without injury - ahead of many other monsters.

Al still was ahead of a fairly large amount of the competitors, despite having fallen.

"Are you okay?" said a familiar voice to Al.

He felt a soft hand rub his back.

"Lily?" Al asked. He instantly recognized her presence. As he got up, he asked, "Don't wait up for me. Go on ahead."

"I just wanted to make sure you weren't down for the count," Lily revealed. "I did say I didn't want you going down on the first trial."

The rapid steps of a large crowd of running monsters approached them from behind. A few monsters - mostly fliers - were already passing Al and Lily.

"I don't deserve you." Al smiled. He then used his enhanced speed to dash away in the direction of the monsters who managed to pass him.

"She says, we've got to hold on to what we've got / It doesn't make a difference if we make it or not"

Lily giggled as she broke out into a run. She was slower than Al, but matching her speed was a challenge for most competitors.

"We've got each other, and that's a lot for love / We'll give it a shot"


Earlier...

"So, you're the reason behind modern day human and monster harmony?" Al asked as he sat himself down at Johnny's breakfast table. He managed to slip away as Drac's friends were discussing amongst themselves the upcoming Monster Marathon.

"Al!" greeted Johnny and Dennis.

Mavis was not present. She left the table to follow her father out of the dining hall.

"I can't take all the credit," Johnny said. "Mavey is my better half, and she had just as big of a hand in it as I did."

"I'll be sure to bring it up with her," said Al, nodding. "Although, I doubt she'll let me have a meaningful conversation with her."

"So, you know she doesn't like you?" Johnny asked.

Al nodded. "She isn't really making an effort to hide it."

"You can say that again," Johnny mumbled.

Dennis was sitting at the table with them. He understood the drama of what was going on between his new teacher and his mother from the conversation he had just overheard. He was young and naive, but he recognized how basic it was to like or dislike someone.

"Why doesn't Mommy like Al?" Dennis asked, looking at his father.

"Uh..." Johnny said, thinking about the best way to answer his son. He really didn't want to get poor, young Dennis stuck in the stickiness of the situation. He was too young and innocent to get involved in such drama.

"Don't worry about that, Dennis," requested Al. "Your mom thinks I'm a shady character - rightfully so. Eventually, she'll warm up to me. What really matters, though, is that you like me enough to continue learning under me."

Dennis smiled. "Yeah," he agreed.

"I didn't realize a vigilante could be so good with kids," admitted Johnny.

"I'm terrible with kids, truth be told. Most of them are needy, annoying, little gremlins. Uh, no offense to any gremlins, of course. But, Dennis is the exception," revealed Al. "He and I are both half-human, half-vampire after all. It's something that's a bit of a rarity. Besides, I need to - How do I put this? Build new relationships here. It sounds corny, but it's what my mom would've wanted. I didn't make a lot of friends in New York because there weren't a lot of people I could befriend."

"Yeah, I get what you mean," Johnny related. "I was always the lone wolf. Y'know... Striking out on my own. Solo. Few attachments. I'm cool like that. Maybe that's why Mavis fell for me so hard: she was into the cool, edgy, mysterious types."

"Fascinating," muttered Al. He was truly taken aback by Johnny's self image. "Your hairstyle contradicts your claims of being edgy. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were trying to impress me."

"What?! No!" denied Johnny, pulling on the collar of his shirt. He couldn't sense the sarcasm in Al's voice.

"In that hypothetical scenario," Al continued, "I'd tell you that you don't need to try so hard. You seem like a good guy, Johnny. A better man than me, that's for sure. You and Mavis have done a fine job raising that kid."

Johnny - who was sitting next to Dennis - rubbed his son's hair.

"That's really cool of you to say, Al," Johnny thanked.

"Yeah, well, try not to get used to it. Coming from me, you should know that nice words don't come free."

Johnny instantly became uncomfortable. He was questioning Al's intentions in his head. A minute ago, he was led to believing that Al genuinely liked him. However, the vampire's ulterior motives may undermine his compliments.

"What do you know about my mother?" Al asked.

"Why would I know anything?" Johnny asked.

"You're a part of Dracula's inner circle," stated Al. "I can tell that he was hiding something when I talked to him. The chances that he told you something are good. He might have told Mavis something, but there's no way in hell she'd give that information to me. That's why I've come to you."

"Al, I can't help you," Johnny apologized. "If there is something Drac knows, he hasn't said anything about it me. If you want the truth, you'll have to ask him yourself."

Al could tell how nervous Johnny had just become. Johnny's spaking speed was accelerated as if he wanted to get words out like his life depended on it. He was sinking back into his chair. His eyes showed genuine fear.

Dennis did not understand the severity of the situation, nor did he sense hostility in Al's tone. That was because Al wasn't trying to be hostile. The child was bright enough to recognize that his father was in an awkward position, however.

"Relax, Johnny," Al insisted. "I didn't mean to make you nervous. I'm sorry I pushed. Not a great topic to talk about among new friends, huh? My social skills are - let's say - below average. I spend half my time making men holding knives while wearing ski-masks stain their pants."

"Yeah," Johnny uncomfortably agreed, letting out a courteous laugh.

Al's interest in Drac's secrets was something Johnny completely sympathized with, although - to his knowledge - Drac has always been transparent with him. Unlike Mavis, Johnny was always trusted with information from Drac because his reaction was always predictably relaxed. This wasn't anything against the girl, however. Strong, mutual trust between men has been practiced since before people could speak.

Al grabbed himself an empty chalice on the table and filled it up with a blood substitute from a carton sitting in the middle of the table among the food. He took a sip, encouraging Johnny and Dennis to sip their own drinks.

"It must be so exciting to have your life," Johnny pivoted. "I thought I had it great back in the day, but - "

"Wait, aren't you only - like - thirty?" Al asked.

"That's besides the point," asserted Johnny. "You're a superhero, Al. What's that feel like?"

"Sleeping all day and punching thugs all night? Of course, that happens on good nights. On slow nights, I fly stray animals to the shelter. Whenever I'm taking a break, I just sit on a high place and brood. It's the life. Although, I lived with my mother so I lose some points for that."

"Yeah, but I bet you're not scared of anything," Dennis added.

"You're very wrong," Al denied.

"Oh?" Johnny asked. "What's a vigilante scared of?"

"Don't worry about it," Al said.

That was not something anyone could let go, though. Dennis and Johnny wouldn't stop insisting to Al that he tell them his secret. It took about thirty seconds of pressure for Al to finally give in to their demands.

When he told them, they didn't laugh.

"I completely get it," Johnny empathized.

"They're pretty scary," Dennis agreed.

"Right?! Anyway, I want to move on to something else that's scary. Johnny, I'm a little concerned about your son's musical tastes," Al revealed. "Have you had any influence on it?"

"No way," Johnny denied. "I don't let Dennis listen to the stuff I listen to."

"Hm..." Al began to rub his chin. He then quickly asked Dennis, "Who's your favorite singer?"

"Selena Gomez," the child answered.

"Dammit, Mavis," Al cursed. He didn't want to think about Mavis anymore. He was, however, quite intrigued with what Johnny had to say about his own musical tastes. Johnny struck out as a guy who would share most of Al's playlist.

"And what would your favorite bands be, Johnny?" Al asked.

"The Lonely Island," Johnny listed.

"Unconventional, but I approve," said Al. He then began to sip from his chalice.

"And LMFAO," continued Johnny.

Al nearly spit out his drink. He did, however, cough with his mouth closed with the drink swishing around between his cheeks. It didn't take long for Al to stop looking like he was choking.

"Johnny, LMFAO is more outdated than Nickelback," Al lectured.

"What's Nickelback?"

"Exactly!" Al exclaimed. "For the sake of what is good in this world, delete all of their songs from your phone."

"Oh, yeah?" Johnny asked. "If you think you're so much better than me, then what do you listen to?"

Al chuckled, saying, "My friend... Prepare to be enlightened."


Later...

The race trail led off of the road and into the forest. There, the ground would not be smooth, and it would be much easier for monsters to trip and fall. The trees made it so that everyone would have to constantly change directions. Furthermore, flying would be incredibly difficult and almost discouraged, so everyone was on an even playing field.

Al spotted Mavis not too far ahead of him. To his knowledge, she was in the lead.

"Oh, we're halfway there / Oh-oh, living on a prayer," mumbled Al, singing along to his music.

It didn't take long for him to get a few feet behind her. She quickly whipped her head around to catch a glimpse of who was behind her, and she wasn't surprised.

"I was waiting for you to show your face again," Mavis revealed.

She ran straight towards a tree in front of them with a low-hanging branch. As she ran past it, she pulled the branch with her and let it go. The purpose of that was to make it smack Al. However, he was slick enough to narrowly dodge the incoming branch by sliding on the ground and getting back up.

The two continued to run through the forest, following the flags. The flags made them zig and zag and turn and circle around. Without guidance, one would've surely been lost in the woods for an eternity.

Mavis and Al took turns taking the lead. They both had their strengths and weaknesses. Al was great at accelerating - an ability which made it easy for him to catch up to Mavis. However, Mavis was consistent with her high running speed. When she had the lead over Al, she'd keep it for longer than he could.

The path then opened back up into the long forest clearing where the main road was built. The flags would turn them towards the direction of the Hotel. Both instantly knew how the end of the race would look like: a straight sprint to the Hotel courtyard. They would end where it all began.

Al and Mavis gave each other looks that said "I'm number one." They then broke out into the quickest sprint of their lives. Unfortunately for both of them, they were running side by side.

"Do you think you'll trust me a bit more after I win this?" Al asked.

"First off, trust doesn't work like that," Mavis replied. "Secondly, I'm going to win this."

Even as they re-entered the tunnel to the Hotel bridge, they were still evenly matched. Even as they made the sprint across the bridge, no one was ahead. Even as they saw the red ribbon which signified the entrance into the courtyard and the end of the race, they couldn't outrun the other person.

Inside, the observing monsters watched in suspense to see who would come out on top.


Later...

"Congratulations on tying the race," Drac told Al and Mavis.

Drac took the lead of the group. Al was following directly behind him, and Mavis - holding Dennis's hand - walked behind Al. They walked through the recreational courts of the Hotel. Around them were different sport courts full of monsters. Tennis, basketball, and badminton playing monsters were enjoying the competitive play and each other's company.

"I can't say it concluded the way I'd have liked, but thanks anyway," Al said. "Although, I wouldn't mention it in front of Mavis again. There's a good chance she'll throw up."

"I'm liking you more and more every minute," Mavis chided. "It's funny; I've never seen anyone try so hard to impress a girl. For a succubus, she's playing a little too hard to get, don't you think?"

"It's amazing how insecure the literal spawn of the Prince of Darkness can be," retorted Al. "You jealous of her?"

"I'm married with a kid," Mavis reminded. "For someone who likes to live a comic book fantasy, that was a low blow."

"Enough!" Drac ordered. "Both of you! You're acting like children."

"Great," Al said. "Give her a time out, will you?"

Dennis was incredibly upset because of the banter between Al and Mavis. He loved his mother, and he revered Al. To see them at odds tore him up inside. He had no idea who he should side with, nor did he know if he should even take a side. He did feel the responsibility to end the tension, however.

"Papa Drac," Dennis said, letting go of his mother's hand and running ahead to walk next to his grandfather. "Where are we going?"

"Excellent question, Denisovich," complimented Drac. "Check this out."

He led them to an empty tennis court with the net removed. At the end of the court was a large, grey, metallic, rectangular box with a door. It looked like it could fit a man. Al had the stinking suspicion that that was the box's true purpose. Mavis, Dennis, and Al stayed on the end opposite to the box while Drac crossed the court to stand next to it.

"Oh, don't tell me this is a kidnapping," Al muttered.

"It's a test," Drac revealed. "I know there's more than meets the eye with you, Alucard. Tell me: What do you know about prime vampires?"

"Dad, where are you going with this?" Mavis asked.

Both she and Al gave each other mutual looks of confusion.

"Don't worry about it, sweetheart," Drac said. "Al, what's your answer?"

"I know that prime vampires are rare," Al answered. "They have powers normal vampires don't. I also know that you and your family are prime vampires."

"And what about you?" Drac asked.

"My mother wasn't a prime vampire," Al revealed. "My father was human. It's impossible for me to be a prime vampire."

"He hasn't shown any signs of him being capable of using those powers, Dad," Mavis reminded.

"That's what you think you two think you know. But, I still have my suspicions," said Drac. "I'm here to test my theory. I think you're a prime vampire, Alucard. For me to be sure, I need to test you. Johnny told me what you're scared of. Prepare to face your fears."

With that, Drac opened the door of the box.

To be continued in the next chapter


Author's Note:

Hope you guys liked the chapter. Please leave a comment/review to let me know what you think.

Admittedly, this story isn't as fast paced as I originally planned it. When I was writing for Frozen fanfiction, I added countless action scenes. I'd like to think that this story is more of a character study.

Don't worry, however. Starting next chapter, things are going to get a lot more exciting. Stay tuned for all the twists and turns the story will take.

Ciao.