Chapter 28
Thousands of miles away, in a small storage warehouse, a man in a black robe and hood walked into the light. He was joined by six others.
It was Ubu.
"My master's legacy will not end like this," he told the others solemnly, "It will continue."
"But, sir, what do you propose we do? We are but the last of Ra's Al Ghul's organization."
"We shall do what the master has intended. We shall put this organization to good use."
"What are you suggesting?" He asked Ubu.
"We shall form the grandest international terrorist organization that has ever walked the Earth. Our venom shall be like that of a snake's, and we will strike out at all who oppose us. The master's legacy, of world domination, is our goal. Currently, we are not so powerful. But in fifty years, we shall have a huge influence over large industries and major powers. We shall be called... The Kobra."
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Dracula just stood there. His opponents were not worthy of his Hellbeast form. Not yet.
Jeff boosted into the air, firing his pistols. Dracula suddenly disappeared.
He reappeared walking on the wall, as if it were the ground itself, calm and composed.
"So," Dracula smirked, looking at both of them, "How far did you go?"
The two heroes were not in the mood for Dracula's innuendos, and Jeff sent a wrist rocket at him, but it was to no avail, for the vampire again vanished and reappeared in another location. But the explosion did produce some debris, and it gave Raven ideas.
She cried, "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" as she levitated several rocks and hurled them dynamically at Dracula. Holding out his fist, he smashed any rocks that came near him. He leapt into the air, up to Jeff, who unleashed his flamethrower. Dracula inhaled and blew the flame back at him. With a yell, Jeff was pushed to the ground by his own flames. Dracula stood over him. The pistols out of Jeff's hands.
Dracula extended his hand in a manner of perverse and twisted bliss love, offering his son another chance to join him. Jeff did not move.
Suddenly Dracula's eyes widened as he turned his head to see part of a broken column sail through the air. It hit him squarely in the chest, knocking him off his feet and carrying him into the fireplace, causing a flash of intense light and heat. It was Raven. She stood, breathing slowly, as if she had just thrown a very heavy load, which it probably was. As quickly as she could, she ran to Jeff to see if he was all right.
For a moment, Dracula was too stunned to move. He felt the weight of the column on him and he allowed the heat to burn his flesh. He had been surprised; Raven, a girl, had surprised him, caught him off guard. That had not happened in decades, perhaps longer. The count looked forward to destroying Raven when the time came. He pushed the column off himself, sending it across the room. He charged out. Though his face was burned, it took but a minute to regenerate and change that.
"Very impressive, Azarathian. I did not expect that." He said, fixing his hair back into the hairclip so he would look presentable.
In the next instant he was beside Raven and backhanded her. The smack was so strong that it sent her flying several feet.
"Raven!" Jeff cried out, rushing to save her. He was stopped abruptly by Dracula, who grasped him firmly by the shoulders.
"No no, Hector."
Jeff struggled to get free. He did, but in the process Dracula scratched the jetpack, damaging it. It began to spark. Jeff knew that it would only be a few seconds before it exploded, thus only a few seconds to live. He got down on one knee facing Dracula, who was slowly walking toward him; Jeff lowered his back so it was parallel to the ground. He partially-unstrapped his jetpack, and boosted. It flew off from him like a bat out of hell. Like a rocket.
Dracula tried to catch it, but it hit him too hard. The jetpack carried the vampire all around the room, making rapid turns, spins, and swirls -- leaving a trail of smoke behind. It finally crashed him into the ceiling, with a large explosion. Dracula fell to the ground from the high ceiling, pieces of debris and stone with him, crushing him.
Jeff knew that it would not hold him for long. He went and joined Raven.
Dracula's hand shot out of the pile of rubble. His hand was distorted and broken. The fingers were bent in odd positions and pointed in directions they were not supposed to. Dracula climbed out slowly, with several grunts, and then stood up quickly, brushing the pebbles off him. His eyebrow was over the eye, a sign that the face was smashed. The mouth and the nose were bent also, but in different directions. Dracula looked like the Hunchback of Notre Dame, his left shoulder lower than his right. He stepped out, and slowly began to heal himself. He went from the hideous, deformed abomination and returned to the handsome man. He smiled viciously.
He appeared just then between Raven and Jeff. With a forced push from the palm, he knocked Jeff away. He then turned to Raven, his fangs and fingernails extended. Raven trembled as she slowly backed off. Dracula now had a very menacing look as he was about to feast on his prey.
"I can see why you love her, Hector. She is truly beautiful, and looks delicious!" The vampire hissed, as he licked his lips sensually.
While his body moved, the pupils of the eyes never lost sight of their target.
Dracula felt great pain in his back, passing through his body, his torso.
He looked down to see the edge of a spear emerge from his stomach.
Dracula reached around to his back and pulled out the spear, "You can't kill me, Hector. I'm already dead."
He then looked at the spear and then at Raven. Malicious wickedness filled his face, flooded his mind. Moving nothing but his arm, he threw the spear at her as if it were weightless.
A final thought entered Jeff's mind in a split second, a thought of love, faith, and sacrifice. The entire preparation, prayer, and commitment of his life came down to this one moment. To Jeff, this was it.
He hurled himself with all the might and strength that God had given him.
In one final leap to save her, the spear soared through the air, and Jeff's armor failed him.
The spear hit him just above the stomach, puncturing a lung, and cutting through the spine.
He was instantly paralyzed.
In the following moments of silence, Jeff fell to the floor like a lifeless ragdoll.
The silence was instantly broken when Dracula shrieked at what he had done.
His only son, he thought.
Dracula put his hand over his eyes, feeling pain in his dark heart.
Raven gasped and remembered what Jeff said. She ran to him, knelt down, and laid his head on her thighs, in her hands.
She removed the mask from his face to see Jeff struggling for air.
Struggling to breathe.
Raven's eyes watered... and the tears began to flow.
"No," she said softly, "I... I made a promise..."
"So did I..."
She kissed his forehead, then placing hers in contact with his.
Jeff felt her tears touch and flow onto his face.
Cold tears.
She felt the tip of the spear through his back, the same back that she had wrapped her arms around last night, her palms and fingers that traced the scars from torture.
She held his hand.
It was going cold.
He still gasped for air, his eyes searching to see Raven's face one last time.
She touched his cheek with the back of her hand. Her fingers travelled through his hair.
Then she kissed him.
In his final breath, Jeff looked into her eyes, the tears streaming down her face, and muttered, "Raven… I'm sorry… Raven…"
His eyes shut, his chest lowered, the breath escaped him.
His hand loosened, and fell. It was cold as ice.
He was gone.
Raven then felt all the warmth in her body leave her, and she was cold again.
She wailed in sadness.
So passed Jeffrey, Son of Dracula…
