Green plains were behind them. What was left for them was the sprawling city, its population fleeing from the approaching horde. Dennis could hear screams of panic in the distance as ghoulish creatures descended on their home. The city's people had once been wiped out entirely by Monster kind, now it was under the same threat. The boy felt Dracula's hand holding onto his, every step of the way. Was he being led by this man, whom he had trusted all his life into the jaws of hell, or was he also a victim? No thought calmed Dennis' tortured mind.
Monsters took great pleasure in scaring off the local inhabitants. Mothers ran in terror with their children in their arms, and cars screeched off into the distance in an effort to escape. No one resisted. There was no army, no government to interfere, Vincent Lebeau and the Court of Skulls had seen to that. Dennis could see them everywhere. Robed men almost rivaled the sight of Monsters that flocked to the city centre. The most numerous surrounded a hauling lorry, far bigger than the one that had brought him to this place. The man holding his hand knew what was inside it.
The number of creatures around them bulked even more when Dennis caught sight of a second force entering the city centre. At the spearhead was the banker himself. Behind him, flanked by vampires that bore the mark of the Court, was Dennis' family. He wanted to cry out to them but the voice in his head left him with no strength to do so. The hand around his, tightened its grip.
"Don't worry Dennisovich. Please don't be afraid. Have hope."
Such advice was useless to him. Dracula had surrendered himself to see him safe, what use was hope now, he thought. Dennis felt himself pulled back. The group came to a halt as Bela pushed his way through. He was easily the tallest Monster in sight, and the most ferocious looking. The second group did the same as Vincent approached the centre of the city. Thousands of Monsters had come together but not a word was uttered. Dennis looked around. Red eyes were scattered among them, as numerous as the looks of guilt and shaking hands. Those that agreed with the Court, and those that didn't, stood side by side for one man's desire.
Vincent walked with a smugness he had waited so long to relish in. Even Bela couldn't help but crack a toothy smile. They had done it.
"Nice day for dominion, wouldn't you say?"
"Let's just get this over with. You promised me power, now I want it."
Vincent shook his head disapprovingly.
"That's not up to me. The Eldritch King bestows that, you know that Bela. The boy?"
Bela nodded his head towards the crowd he had led to the city. Vincent's eyes locked with those of Dennis. His body shook at the thought of what was about to happen.
"So long, and here we finally are." Vincent made his way over to the hybrid, his hands proudly behind his back.
Dracula breathed heavily. He gazed over to his friends and family. They looked broken, helpless, and above all, betrayed. Such anger in Frank's face had never been aimed at Dracula, yet there it was. He was heartbroken, conflicted with the understanding of why Dracula had given in, and his inability to forgive him still. Frank turned to Vlad, who had kept well out of their way during the journey. The same hate remained on Frank's face.
"There has to be something we can do." Murray whispered.
"Any ideas would be appreciated." Griffin answered him sarcastically. "Look at them all. There's no way we are getting through, even if we snuck past these vampire goons."
The location had been picked well. Even the building tops were being surveyed by Court members.
"Hold onto me Wanda." Wayne kept his family close.
Beside him, Winnie looked onwards, desperate to see Dennis among the mass of Monsters. On the other side of the street. Vincent stood with a half-smile at the boy.
"The last time I saw this city, those that lived here fought me with swords and spears and arrows and all manner of primitive weapons. I died in this city because of the last hybrid. Yet, here I am. It is very impressive now, I admit. Yet, steel girders and towering structures are no bit as strong against fate as this city's younger self. Fate brings us to the end. It's time, Dennis Loughran."
The boy wouldn't move. He couldn't. Vincent lowered his head.
"Did you not hear me, young hybrid?" Vincent's voice was not aggressive, more that of a stern father.
"You don't want to do this…" Dennis' voice was barely audible.
"I don't want to do this, was that?" Vincent was not impressed.
"…you don't have to prove that you are stronger than everyone by destroying them. You suffered, you told me. Why are you doing the same to me, to everyone here?"
Vincent's face twitched.
"Look over there." He pointed towards the people that were most dear to Dennis. "They are all here, safe and sound because you and your grandfather cooperated, because whether they wish it or not, we are meant to rise like titans over this world and death itself. Do you want to see that safety taken from them? Do you not wish to see your mother again?"
Dennis' breathing became erratic.
"You can't do this! You know the Eldritch King is evil! You know this is wrong. You don't have to fear him!"
Vincent's hand fell on Dennis' shoulder.
"What choice is there!? I… I've wanted this, the Eldritch King can give it. No words from a frightened child will change anything now."
Vincent stared at Dracula. It was a warning to let go, or face the consequences. He held onto Dennis' hand, struggling to release, but in his mind, he knew what had to be done.
He let go.
Dennis froze, losing control of his body when the comforting hand was taken away. It was replaced with one belonging to a cruel man.
"This is our time to become greater, Dennis. Don't fear it."
The boy struggled to take each step as Vincent led him on.
"Dennis!" He heard Winnie's voice.
He looked up and saw her eyes among the crowd.
"Don't give up! We can change all of this! Please, don't surrender! I'm here for you! I know who you are! You are my knight!"
The vampire host around them closed in. Wayne covered his daughter, pleading with her not to say another word. A tear fell down Dennis' cheek.
Vincent, grimaced.
"Not this time."
He pulled Dennis away, grasping the back of his collar. The lorry had backed up into the centre of the two hosts. The King's servants hauled the huge machine out of the back. It was far bigger than the one that had once destroyed the city. A control panel was built into the front, with a sealed chamber beside it big enough to fit someone inside. When the machine was in place, twenty cloaked servants appeared from behind the city hall. Among them was the man clad in spiked armour. An aura traveled with him. Anyone who saw him wanted to look away, but Vincent looked on with victorious joy.
The banker whispered into Dennis' ear.
"Are you ready to see your mother? It's nearly time. Just, stay still."
Dennis felt faint. His eyes became black as he was blinded by images of his mother. His blood boiled, making him want to be reunited with her more than anything. The Eldritch King stood over him.
"I am impressed Vincent. The Dracula bloodline has submitted. Your reward? They get to see your ascension, as you have always wanted."
Vincent let out a great sigh at the idea. He had waited so long for Vlad and his family to watch his rise, now it was a reality. Dennis fell to his knees before them.
"Make it stop… bring her back… make it stop…"
"We will, my child. We will." The Eldritch King placed his hand atop his head as he looked over at the machine.
The Eldritch King nodded, signalling for the last stage of the plan. With everything in place, when the time for a new kingdom to rise was at hand, one last voice called out.
"Don't let your mind make you its slave, Dennisovich! You have a choice! Don't make the same mistake as the last hybrid!"
All that could hear were stunned by Dracula's objection.
"He won't give you the desire that runs through your veins. That voice in your mind, it lies! This won't bring her back."
Vincent marched towards the Count as two of his guard seized him.
"Are you stupid enough to threaten your family's safety at the last hour, Dracula?"
Dracula didn't answer. He looked desperate.
Vincent tutted in pity.
"Pathetic. All you had to do was keep your mouth shut. You killed the hunter, you led us to your friends, yet now you cry out? You don't deserve a chance to live. Neither do your friends."
Vincent ripped at the Count's hood, tearing it off of his cloak.
"You will watch your grandson make us gods, you will see me rise above any vampire that has ever come before, and then, you will watch your friends be ripped limb from limb."
Grasping at Dracula's neck, Vincent pulled at the crystal that protected him from the Sun, breaking the chain.
"Let him go. Let him burn as we shine."
His guard let go of the Count. He covered his face with his hand as the Sun's rays bore down on him.
"Drac!"
Frank barged his way through, only to be forced to the ground by the monsters that held them prisoner. As much as he hated what Dracula had done, he couldn't let his friend burn to death. Not for anything.
"You see how weak you are without your toys? You see how pathetic you all-"
Vincent stopped.
In a fleeting instant, the world ceased to make sense. His eyes were deceiving him, they had to be. Across the street, standing in the front row of monsters, there he was. He stared back, a look of determined anger. His hands were clenched, and his black rope blew in the breeze behind him.
"It wasn't about persuading you. It was never about that."
Vincent looked down at the crystal in his hand. The large emerald glistened in his palm. The Sun refused to burn the man he had taken it from.
"It takes an impossible trap to seal a Dracula. But… I am no Dracula."
The man raised his hand as if he were gripping something. From out of thin air, as if by magic, a pistol appeared in his hand. A single shot rang out. Vincent dodged it as quick as he could, but it wasn't aimed for him. The banker heard the crunch as the bullet flew straight through the Eldritch King's eye socket and out of the back of his skull. His armour clanged against the hard road as he fell on his front and stopped moving. An aura of magic formed over the man holding the pistol. Vincent watched in a rising rage as the man he thought to be the Count revealed his true self.
"Damn you Constantin!"
Jeremiah fired a shot into the two Vampires that attempted to grab him. Vincent lunged forward, only to be kicked back sharply. His cloak dragged behind him as he slammed into the machine and rolled across the street. As quick as he could, Jeremiah reached for a smoke grenade and tossed it at Bela's face as his mighty claws tried to take grasp. The Monsters around him were blinded as he sprinted towards Dennis. He took hold of the boy and fired shot after shot into the Monsters that ran at him with a blind fury.
The horde across the street had no idea what to do. Their confusion was only broken when further shots rang out, each piercing the vampires that held Frank down. They were not from Jeremiah, but from the top of the great hall.
"Kill them! Tear them down!" One vampire called out.
The Monsters around him, whom he expected to obey, did nothing. Red eyes faded across the city. The curse that enslaved them was broken. The Court took immediate action and began casting spells of binding, freezing them in place. The city centre became total anarchy as Monsters fought for their freedom. Monster fought Monster as those that sided with the Court tried to hold back their own kind.
Spells, shouting and fighting filled the street. The group saw their chance. The pups gathered around their parents, but the rest of the group had other plans.
"Yeah!" Murray shouted as he and his friends fought through the crowd.
Two vampires charged through ahead into the as yet empty centre. Dracula and Vlad headed straight for his grandson and the man who protected him.
A nervous vampire poised himself atop the city hall. "Right, you can do this… you can do this."
The sight of his son was enough to give him the courage. Diving off the edge, Jonathan transformed and took control for the first time without assistance. His landing was less than grateful, but good enough.
"I told you he could do it by himself." Agatha said between shots.
"Another bet lost." Nicolae joked.
Jeremiah took Dennis in his arms after holstering his weapon and ran back towards the city centre. As soon as he reached the others, Jonathan wrapped his arms around Dennis.
"My boy! I can't believe it!" His heart was flooded with relief the likes of which he thought he would never feel.
"I told you it would work." Jeremiah said as he retrieved is pistol.
"Don't be cocky yet, we still need to get him out." Vlad said, scanning the chaos around them.
They had come this far, now was the hard part.
"Get the others out of here father, we need to get Dennis out." Dracula ordered.
Before he could act on it, they were distracted by the roar of bending steel. They broke away, splitting up and diving in different directions as a tossed car crashed between them in a cloud of parts. Johnny no longer felt his son in his arms. A primal instinct hit him, stronger than that of his new vampire form. He had waited so long to rescue Dennis, he couldn't fail now. Vlad lifted his cloak, revealing the boy safe and sound in a heap beside him.
There was no time to feel relieved. Bela charged at them in the wake of the thrown vehicle, his fury fully unleashed. Claws sharper than a sword's edge cut through the air as Jonathan rolled away. Tarmac was ground up and tossed aside as Bela swatted down again and again, desperate to kill the new vampire.
"You won't survive me this time! I can still smell the stench of Human on you!"
Both of his arms were locked in place by the two Counts.
"Get Dennis out!" Dracula shouted to his son-in-law.
Bela thrust his head backwards, slamming into Dracula and freeing his left arm. With his freed claws he slashed at Vlad. Three tears cut across his cape as he held on with all his strength. In the past, subduing Bela would have been no problem, but his increased bulk made him a threat even to his former master. They had little time and Jonathan knew that. He took hold of his son in an effort to lead him out of the city. To his surprise, the boy pushed him away.
"Dennis, we have to go!"
"No! Make it stop!" He barged Johnny out of the way and sprinted towards the rear of the city hall.
Johnny couldn't believe it. What they had done to him had left him unable to control his own mind. Johnny tried to pursue but felt Bela's thick forearm smack into his back. He was cast aside and absorbed into the crowd. Monsters came at all angles. The group could no longer see each other as the battle raged on around them. With Dracula and his friends consumed by the chaos, another figure outside of it stirred.
At first, the sound around him was nothing but a blur, but as his senses returned and his eye reappeared, he scratched at the ground in anger. He turned his healed gaze towards the five vampires who had denied him. Bone stitched itself back together with the help of dark magic as he rose. Now, it was war.
"Five guardians indeed…"
"Where's Dennis!?" Johnny could hear a familiar voice shouting at him from somewhere.
Dennis grew further away with every passing second, and any of them could be his last if the Eldritch King's forces found him first.
"Drac! He's gone-"
A flash of red light covered everything in sight. The crowd was dispersed. Monsters were hurled into the air like rag-dolls, and through the blast, Johnny could see a tall figure approaching.
"Drac! It's him!"
He caught sight of the Count, who immediately turned his own gaze towards where Johnny was pointing. The Eldritch King was far from defeated. Johnny felt a large hand on his shoulder. A jolt of fear passed through him just before he saw the cause of it. The sight really was a relief.
"Let's get your son back." Frank said with a wink.
Frank and the others charged forward, paving the way for Johnny to slip into the backstreets. Up ahead, Vlad found himself tangled with Bela, unable to break away from his relentless advance.
"I've risen above even you! Look at you, old and weak! I'm stronger in every way!"
Vlad backed off as he taunted him. He positioned himself by the side pillar that held up the city hall. Bela make a wild swoop, which Vlad dived away from just in time. The pillar was blasted apart by the impact, bringing part of the upper balcony down. Bela roared as wood and stone slowly crushed down on him, piece by piece. He reached out, stuck under the weight but still determined to have Vlad in his grip.
"And still as thick as ever." Vlad left the beast to his prison and went about finding the others, no easy task.
"This ain't going to be easy! We won't find Dennis in this mess!" Murray shielded himself with all the dust he could conjure around him.
Further blasts from the Eldritch King did them no favours. Jeremiah, surrounded by Lebeau's personal guard, found himself running low on ammunition. He resorted to his skill in combat. One on one he could subdue most opponents, but these vampires were old, and well versed in a scrap. He became overwhelmed. He tried to pull away and group up with the others, but it was no good. His head was trapped in a vice-like grip, ready to be snapped.
"Your blood smells as putrid as I imagined, hybrid!"
It was the vampire's last taunt. His grip loosened and he fell to the ground. The others looked on at the bullet hole in his back. More shots followed as two figures landed behind the hybrid.
"Looks like you could use this." Agatha handed Jeremiah one more clip.
"You could have done that a bit sooner."
She ignored his quip and continued to open fire. Jeremiah looked back. The Eldritch King was cutting a bloody swathe through the crowd to reach his foes.
"He's not going to stop. There has to be a way to end this."
Parts of the crowd began to freeze in place. Red illuminated among them as their creator's spells took effect.
"Come on!" Jeremiah called to his companions. They had little time before the crowd turned against them again.
Leaves and discarded rubbish flew around Jonathan as he made his way through the back streets. It was like a labyrinth, only instead of a Minotaur, it contained the person that was most precious to him. Each turn came with the same amount of luck. He could have been anywhere, and Johnny was losing hope. He had been so close, only to have Dennis pull away from him. Maybe, it was meant to be this way, he thought. He ran through another alley, slower this time.
"Dennis!" he called out, but received no answer.
He punched the wall beside him, leaving a small hole before continuing. He turned the corner sharply, only to come face to face with the last person he wanted to run into. Vincent Lebeau took him by the neck harshly, forcing him backwards and against the wall.
"Your theatrics have done nothing! You have stopped nothing!"
Johnny punched down on his arm, forcing Lebeau to cease his grip. To retaliate, Vincent punched him in the gut, then in the temple.
"You are as useless as you were as a Human!"
Johnny lost his footing. He hadn't had enough time training to rival such a man, but Dennis was out there somewhere. He held that thought in his heart as he barged Lebeau forward.
"You are not going anywhere! Your son is mine!" Lebeau backhanded him in the face in order to stop him in his tracks.
One well-placed kick landed Johnny on his back.
"Is this all you have!? What did that woman see in you!? I guess you can't pick what worthless rat you zing with after all. I use to take little rats like you off of the street. Each night, the city streets had one less Human to taint it. One person made so many glasses of 'wine'."
Johnny struggled to get back on his feet, but Vincent simple pushed him back down with one foot on his rib-cage.
"I suppose I do have to thank you. If it weren't for you wandering into that hotel one night, we wouldn't be here, would we?" Vincent gave him one last cocky smile.
The window shattered behind them. Vincent was covered in glass as his cape was thrust back, strangling him as he was forced with it. Johnny rushed away, unable to see what was happening.
"That's my son-in-law you are threatening!" Dracula said into his ear, his eyes glowing red.
"Stupidity seems to run in the family." Vincent elbowed him the chest and took a quick breath.
He span round and clipped Dracula's leg with his arm, sending him spinning. Both vampires moved like a conjoined blur of motion as they tried to best one another. Expensive furniture and old paintings were uprooted and broken across the room as they continued to fight.
"All those years of being a pacifist have left your soft, king of room service!" Vincent struggled to get his hands round his enemy's throat.
"I've beaten worse before. I can kill you!"
"I'm not a love-obsessed hybrid!"
Vincent stopped his assaults to grab the Count's neck and instead went for his arms, spinning him round, he tossed the Count through the ceiling. With him out of the way, Lebeau re-entered the alleyway, only to find Jonathan gone.
"Where are you, little rat!?"
He took flight, his bat-form making it easier to search out his prey. What he discovered was even better. Through the tinted windows of a nearby warehouse, he spotted Dennis. He smiled briefly, before feeling his wing being forced down. He transformed and landed on his front, Dracula bearing down on him.
"You'll pay for what you took from me!"
He was about to land a blow when part of the building gave way. Brickwork covered him in dust thick enough to choke on as Bela and Vlad smashed into the side. Lebeau took the opportunity to roll away and off of the rooftop. He had something else to pursue now.
Clawing at his hair, Dennis tried to drown out the voices that plagued his mind. Colours flashed, blinding his eyes. He tried to climb metal stairs but slipped clumsily.
Your fault.
"I didn't mean to!"
Your fault!
"I'm sorry mum!"
He sat in a heap, shaking.
You want to put this right? To see her again? Then return to the machine. End it!
He held onto his arms, wanting something to take the pain he felt and lock it away where it couldn't hurt him anymore.
"Oh, Dennis! We were having so much fun! Why don't you come down and play!?"
Dennis shook his head and ran up the stairs, feeling his way up with his eyes closed.
"Oh, don't be like that! Your mother calls to you Dennis! You don't want to disappoint her!" Vincent scanned the floors above him.
Scaffolding ran through the whole warehouse, their metal poles like veins throughout the building. Dennis hid himself behind a series of crates on the upper floor and hoped he wouldn't be seen.
"Come on, Dennis. You will be late for the reunion. How angry do you think Mavis will be if you disappoint her?"
Clink, clink.
He could hear each step Vincent took as he grew closer.
"Dennisovich!"
The boy opened his eyes to see his grandfather standing precariously on the catwalks across the warehouse.
"It's okay! I'm here! You don't have to be frightened. I'm going to help you."
His voice was different. It was far more soothing than the last words Dennis had heard from him. They of course, had not come from his true grandfather. He stood up slowly.
"That's it. Just stay there, I'm coming."
The warehouse rumbled. Bela's roar echoed against glass and metal. Vlad dodged his attacks. He was slowing. Dennis fell to his knees once again. It was too much. The sounds and voices drowned him, forcing him inside his own head.
"Make it stop…" It was little more than a broken whisper to himself.
"Den-"
Dracula was dragged down by his cloak. He watched the world spin around him, and Vincent looking down at him with glee. He landed with a thud on his back. He had felt something break. He knew it would heal, but not quickly enough. Vincent turned his sight to Dennis.
"You are a trouble-maker, aren't you? Now, let's stop playing games."
He launched himself across and onto the platform. Dennis shielded his head.
"No… she's dead because of you! You did it!"
Vincent had had enough. He took hold of the boy, only to feel wood splinter across the back of his head. He lost his footing and his senses as he fell from the platform. Hitting the piping below, he rolled through the air and smashed into the crates at ground level.
"Dad!"
Johnny embraced him in a huge hug.
"It's me Dennis, it's me! You don't have to be scared of me. None of it was your fault. It was them, I promise you."
They both held on as the platform shook. Vlad breathed heavily as he recovered.
"I've waited for this!"
Bela punched out, leaving Vlad a fraction of a second to dodge. His fist went through the pipes behind the aged vampire.
"No more hiding! What do you expect to do!? You can't stop me anymore!" Bela continued to roar his taunts.
Vlad, concealed in the darkness behind the shipments stored around them, held onto the side of his cape. Torn clothing mixed with blood as he felt Bela's strength do its work. He didn't feel like the vampire he had once been. He saw his son, trying to pull himself up. Had it all been a folly? Was there no hope after all?
Crash.
"Come out Vlad! I can almost taste your blood on my lips!"
Further wood splintered as crates were upturned.
"Where are you!?"
Vlad didn't dare move. He was in the corner, with only one place to go, up. Dracula saw a shadow growing beside him. He was short of breath, with a pain through his upper shoulder.
"You will be seeing Martha soon, Dracula." Vincent wiped blood off of his forehead and took hold of the Count with both hands, pulling him above his head.
Dracula groaned as he felt the strain on his shoulder. Vlad watched on. His son had no way to defend himself. He hadn't been there, he had been distracted and now his only son was seconds from death. Too long had he been absent. He couldn't take it anymore. He could feel Bela's stench on the tip of his pointed nose. A single movement would give him away. He didn't care anymore.
He charged out of his hiding place, ignoring the pain and span as he took hold of Vincent. Dracula fell down on his knees as Vlad and Vincent rolled away. Vlad landed every blow he could, even going as far as tearing into the flesh of Vincent's arm with his fangs. Lebeau cried out and twisted Vlad, slamming him into the wall.
"Enough!"
Bela took that as a sign. With a look of glee, he headed straight for Dracula. The sound of fighting outside was replaced with gunshots as the windows beside them shattered. Bela felt each shot go through his arm, but he didn't care. Jeremiah dived through the shattered glass and took aim. One shot was all he needed at the distracted Vincent, but his gun locked. He was out of ammo.
"Should be more careful with your numbers, Constantin!" Vincent laughed.
Above them, Johnny looked for a way to escape as the platform continued to fail. Dennis held on tightly, terrified of his own mind.
"It's okay… it's okay." Johnny kissed his head.
Vlad and Dracula both backed off, knowing they were too weak to take the two of them on. Jeremiah engaged Vincent but was knocked aside like a pest by Bela. Together the two of them closed in.
"He's mine." Bela said deeply.
"The hell he is." Vincent replied.
Vlad and Dracula looked up.
"We have to get them out."
Vlad watched Bela toss each crate away one by one as he savoured the look of fear on Vlad's face.
"Go up." Vlad told his son.
"But you-"
"Go!" Vlad's eyes flashed red at him.
Dracula reluctantly started to climb. His shoulder was already healing, but it was too slow for his liking.
"Go on, Son. Don't worry. It takes an impossible trap to seal a Dracula."
He turned to his side to see Vincent approaching. He had flanked him, leaving Vlad with nowhere to go. Knowing it was his only option, Vlad charged forward as Bela picked up another crate. He punched the bat creature in the nose and bit into his wounded arm. Bela screamed as he pounded the ancient Count.
"Get out, Son!"
Bela bore his claws with his free hand and swung them downwards. Vlad let out a deep breath as his lungs emptied of oxygen. Dracula looked on in horror at the claws that protruded from his father's chest. He let out an almighty roar that shook every window still standing. There was no pain on Vlad's face, no regret, merely acceptance.
Bela swooped his arm around, tossing the vampire away. The sound his claws made was like a wet sword sheathing as Vlad flew across the room. Dracula dragged himself away from the sight and pulled himself up. Although his heart was heavy with anger and loss, he couldn't lose his sanity now. At last he reached the top.
"Drac, what was that!?" Jeremiah asked in a panic.
"You have to transform. You have to get him out of here."
There was nowhere to go, not to Johnny.
"What about you!? There's no way out."
Dracula looked up.
"Oh no, I can't. I'm no good as a bat."
"Look at me!"
Dracula held onto Johnny's face with both hands.
"That is your son in your arms. He is counting on you to be his hero. You can do this, you know deep down you can. For him… for Mavis."
Johnny held onto him tighter and nodded.
"But what about you?"
Dracula's eyes looked tired, weary and full of pain.
"Someone has to cover your back. Now go!"
Johnny transformed. He fumbled at first, but he eventually grabbed hold of Dennis by his collar and lifted him up. He pulled up with the strength he could muster from his new form and managed to get Dennis onto the roof. At least now they were that much further from the Eldritch King's grasp.
"Come down Dracula! Don't you want to see your father!?"
Dracula's eyes sizzled red. A tear fell from him as his fist curled up. He turned and looked below him. Jeremiah was back and doing all he could to subdue Bela, but he was too strong.
"Still unable to do anything but fumble, boy!" Bela punched him away.
A hail of bullets flew through the windows above, Impacting the bat creature. The coward slumped away, using the remaining crates for cover.
"Just in time." Jeremiah sighed.
Vincent hid himself away to avoid the attack. He looked for a way to escape, but instead locked eyes with Dracula. The Count's attacks were feral, fueled with rage rather than skill. It took Vincent little effort to get his footing.
"It doesn't take much, does it!? To unleash that killer in you! Embrace it! It's all we are!"
"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!"
Dracula continued to hit him as many times as his body would allow. The wall cracked behind him as Vincent block or dodged each attack. He ducked and tossed the Count onto his back.
"You aren't a fighter Dracula, just a man holding onto the dead!"
Vincent attacked the defenseless Count over and over, until blood ran from his nose.
"You must feel so clever, with you little theatrics at my bank! When did you cast the spell, eh? Behind the counter!? What was it like to look like a crazed wife killer!?"
The Count had no more strength to resist.
"Goodnight Dracula. I need someone with a bit more skill than you to impress me!"
Vincent was launched across the room when Jeremiah tackled him. Together they crashed into the second part of the warehouse, into a factory complex. Jeremiah was on his feet long before Vincent could reach his own.
"Wish granted!"
Dracula took the chance to slow his breathing. He tasted his own blood on his lips as it ran down. He ignored it and instead searched the warehouse floor. Bela had fled like the coward he was inside. After but a moment, he found what he was looking for. He knelt down beside his father. His eyes were faint.
"It looks like, age has finally crept up on me." Vlad spoke calmly.
Dracula didn't know what to say. The cruel voice in his head told him he should be used to losing loved ones by now, but such a thing was not to think about. Vlad's weak hand grabbed hold of his.
"I am sorry for my part in all this."
"Don't… time… it…"
"It was still me, I set them on this path, no matter how much time has passed, it won't change that. I'm sorry, my boy."
Dracula tried to keep a straight face, but he was failing. He couldn't hate his father anymore. Vlad on the other hand, his face was as calm as anything.
"How… how can you be like this? You spent so many years securing your legacy. Have we changed you that much?" He was almost disappointed in Vlad after his past actions, to be so calm at the thought of dying.
Vlad gave him a smile, the warmest smile Dracula had ever seen from his feared father.
"Death has no sway over me, because I live on through you."
Dracula broke. A deep whimper left his lips mixed with enraged grunts as tears flowed out. The mighty Vlad's legacy had ended…