CHAPTER SEVEN

While Midnight and the Countess fought below, the Biker Mice and their human friends were in a lot of trouble above ground. Drake was perched on top of a tombstone, his hair hanging in his eyes and a crazed grin on his lips.

"You should have joined us when you had the chance" he said, reaching towards Gen. She slapped his hand away.

"Get a grave, douche bag" she snarled.

"Ladies first!" cried Drake. He dived from the top of the stone but he never even managed to cover half the distance before Blackwing vampires seemed to appear out of thin air. Rimfire scrambled out of the doorway and hauled Gen behind him. He reached for his laser pistol only to find that it was no longer there.

"Okay, plan B" he muttered. Gen bent and picked up two discarded shovels, she threw one to Rimfire. He caught it and swung it around like an axe, taking off the head of the nearest Whiteweb.

"It's weird when things like this seem like a normal day" said Gen as she watched the vampire dissolve to dust. Rimfire grinned and swung his spade again.

Modo didn't bother trying to get out of the doorway. After letting his bros out he simply used it as cover and fired his arm cannon at anything with fangs. The fact that a few Blackwings went down was a small price to pay but the majority of exploding vampires were definitely Whiteweb. That was good enough for Modo.

Vinnie jumped out of the hole and took Charley's hand, she hissed in pain as her stitches pulled. Vinnie ducked and they ran around to the back of the crypt. He skidded to a halt when the twin vampires stepped into his path. Mia smiled and bit her lip as blue sparks crackled around her fingers.

"Going somewhere, cutie?" she asked. Mia reached out and touched her finger to the tuft of fur on Vinnie's chest. The white mouth screamed as the fur on his body ignited in blue flame, he dropped to the grass and rolled but the flames continued to burn. Mia threw her head back and laughed. She turned to Charley but the smile dropped from her face when the mechanic shoved something sharp through her throat. Mia staggered backwards, gagging as blood spurted from the wound.

"Swallow that, cutie" snarled Charley. Fleur grabbed her sister and they vanished in a puff of light. Vinnie was curled into a ball on the ground, his skin was red and raw where patches of fur had been burnt away. Charley tried to help him up but he just screamed in pain and she felt two of her stiches pop.

"Shit" she sobbed. Charley picked up another piece of flint from a pile of dirt and stood over Vinnie until help could come.

The Whitewebs were already outnumbered by the time Throttle and Stoker had finished with them. Both mice were covered in vampire dust and shook their heads to clear it from their ears. Edgar appeared from the back of the crypt, his face was bloody and he was missing his cloak.

"Whitewebs! We are LEAVING!" Mia stepped out from behind him and, despite being weak from loss of blood, still managed to conjure up enough blue flames to push her attackers back. Fleur held onto her sister while Edgar and Drake held her and then they were gone as if they had never been. A young, male vampire ran across the cemetery and jumped through the doorway to the crypt.

"I must inform our Liderul that they have escaped!" he cried. The few remaining Whitewebs were making a run for it and the Blackwings were giving chase.

"Guys! Vinnie needs help!" cried Charley. Modo's longer strides got him around the crypt first, he stopped beside his bro and dropped to his knees.

"I'm taking him back to the garage. We need to get these seen to before they get infected." Modo scooped his bro up and hurried away towards the road and his bike. Charley threw Throttle a sympathetic glance before limping after the giant mouse.

Vampires were hurrying out of the Whiteweb crypt and smoke was starting to billow out of the doorway. Throttle spun on his heel and tried to push his way through the crowd.

"I'm not leaving Carbine down there!" he cried. The last of the Blackwing Court shoved past him and Throttle took two running steps before flames belched from the doorway and the crypt crumbled into rubble. Stoker pulled Throttle back before he could be crushed but the younger mouse continued to struggle until Gen called his name.

"Throttle! She's over here!" Throttle turned, the crowd parted and Midnight walked across the small space with Carbine in her arms.

"I'm sorry for your loss, soricel" she said. Throttle looked down at the limp body in her arms, Carbine had never looked so small and fragile.

"I yelled at her. The last thing I said to her was full of anger and hate" he whispered. Midnight lowered her voice and looked at the female mouse in her arms.

"The last thing I said to my brother before he died was this won't hurt." Throttle looked up at her, Midnight's voice was different. It had gone back to the slightly sarcastic voice she had used when they had first met. There was ice in her gaze and anger in her face. Stoker stepped between them and took the body.

"I'll take care of her, Throttle. You still have work to do here." Stoker turned and headed back towards the bikes with Gen and Rimfire on his heels.

"Are you coming back, Midnight?" called Gen. The blonde vampire looked at the girl for a full minute before replying, but she didn't really answer the question.

"I still have things to do here." Gen nodded and jogged a little to catch up with Stoker and Rimfire.

Midnight watched them go before turning to her assembled Court. She surveyed the ruins of the Whiteweb's pathetic crypt before speaking.

"Make sure the crypt is empty and then burn it down and sow the ground with salt. Whiteweb will not nest here again." The vampires bowed and dispersed to their appointed tasks.