"Dr. Van Helsing and Dracula" from Dracula.

Part 54: Dracula's Guests

Fred and Shaggy slammed the oaken doors shut as the group of demons ran at them. Daphne launched her last arrow through the space between the doors, picking off one demon and allowing them to be latched shut. The boys collapsed against them, panting like dogs. Scooby came over to Shaggy and let him pat him for a moment.

"So no way out back there then?" Fred asked, pointing at the door.

"Even if we could get back through to the forest, the portal has long since closed. I felt it a few minutes after we arrived." Van Ghoul said as he took Thorn onto his shoulder, freeing Rachael to draw her swords should the need arise.

"So what do we do?" Shaggy said between deep breaths. "How do we get out?"

"I could, with Miss McKnight's help, attempt to open another portal, but it would be very risky, the damage I could do to your mother alone if we tried again so soon…" he trailed off, lost in his own thoughts.

"Like, my mom, what about my mom?"

Daphne walked over to Shaggy and put a hand on his shoulder. "Do you want the long version or the short version honey?"

There was a loud crashing sound from the other side of the door and the wood bent inward a few inches. Shaggy and Fred scuttled away from it.

"Short version" Shaggy said as everyone took up battle stances.

"Your family are psychically connected werewolves who protect people, and your mom got bit so now she's full werewolf and we used her connection with you to open this portal" Fred said as he drew his sword. "Did I miss anything?"

"Nope" Daphne said as she twirled her Kukri in anticipation. I think you covered it."

"Yes" a voice crooned from the open window. "That sounds about right."

Dracula materialized just inside the room. He took a few steps toward them, black battle armor clinking with every movement in a way that should have been silly but ended up quite terrifying. He had a spear in one hand which he threw into the door on the opposite side of the room. It impaled the wood with such force that a demon on the other side screeched in pain as it was run through.

"You know," Dracula began as he pointed a sword towards them, "you people really are some of the most annoying humans that I have ever had the displeasure of knowing. I mean, Van Helsing and Harker and all of their little friends, they were bad, and that American werewolf, he was very irritating, but you meddling kids. Do you have any idea how many times you have set back my plans?"

"What a personal compliment" Fred smirked, though it was obviously a fake smile to hide his terror.

Dracula pointed the sword at Fred. "You I'm going to kill. The wolf boy's woman I will kill also, just to hurt him. The dog will definitely die. I can't stand dogs. The redhead and the sorcerer's woman I think I will keep for myself, as replacements for the two wives that I have lost since we came up against each other."

"Over my dead body" Shaggy blurted out, not quite sure why.

"Eventually yes. But first I need you to open the chest." Dracula held out his palm and resting in the center was a golden key, fashioned from all of the pieces that they had collected. He sheathed the sword and snapped his fingers. The chest itself slid from across the room coming to a halt at Dracula's feet. It was then that the gang had the horrible realization that they were in Dracula's private chamber. "Open it now if you please."

Shaggy gritted his teeth. "No." But his feet were already moving forward. His clawed hands were reached for the key.

Dracula smiled. "You cannot resist it, it is in your nature. In the deepest part of your being you want to lock me away in that chest, but you can't. You don't have the backup. Once you have done this for me, I'm going to kill you too, but slowly, painfully. Then I am going to find your mother, and your sister, and wipe every last werewolf from the face of the Earth."

Shaggy grabbed the key and began making his way toward the chest. It began to shake. Noises sounded from it, just whispers at first and then howls of rage, all screaming at Shaggy for freedom.

Velma pushed away from the group and wrestled the key away from Shaggy. He lunged at her for it but she was faster on her feet than she looked. She held it up over her head like a bully keeping money away from a skinny freshman, except Shaggy had about a foot of height on her and he could easily grab it away.

"Don't make me do this Velma" Shaggy growled as he stepped closer to her. "I don't want to hurt you."

Velma planted here feet more firmly on the ground and looked Shaggy in the eye. "You won't, you can't. Every instinct you have says to protect people right, that's the kind of creature you are?"

"A pure Hound of God perhaps" Dracula said as he began gliding toward Velma. "But he is not pure, he is a mongrel, only enough pure Faoladh in him to open the chest, the rest of him, the essence of Griffin's formula, is all savage, killer, werewolf."

Velma ignored Dracula, deliberately keeping her eyes off of him even as he settled just over a foot away her. "Shaggy that's not you though, you are better than this, you, the man, not the wolf. Just forget about Faoladh, and formulas, and everything else, you are a good man, and you won't hurt me just to get this key."

Dracula put a hand on Shaggy's shoulder. Smoke poured from beneath it and everyone in the room winced as they heard the faint sizzling of Dracula's flesh burning against Shaggy's fur. "You can be free Sha-gee, just open the chest."

Shaggy's eyes went out of focus at the sound of Dracula's words. He began to turn towards him. Van Ghoul stepped forward.

"Let the boy go Dracula."

"Quiet Quincy or I'll send to your parents" Dracula said without even bothering to look at him. He kept his eyes on Shaggy. "Open the chest boy."

The next few moments were a blur. Scooby lunged, sinking his teeth into Dracula's outstretched arm. Fred and Van Ghoul pulled Shaggy down. Rachael charged at Dracula with her sword. Dracula whirled around, tossing Scooby off of him and swinging his sword at Rachael. She blocked the blow and then ran her sword through his chest. In one quick motion she pulled a golden pocket watch out of her robe and tossed it to Daphne. She gave a last quick glance at the group before charging toward the window, Dracula still on the end of her blade. They both tumbled down and out of sight.

Daphne made for the window but Fred held her back. "Aunt Rachael!" She screamed, her knuckles going white as she clutched the watch, Fletcher's watch.

Van Ghoul made a cursory glance at the window before casting his hands toward the wall opposite the door and blasting it away in a plume of fire. "Come on, we need to keep moving, before he comes back."

Daphne stormed up to him, and this time Fred made no attempt to stop her. "That woman was like family to me! Can we just have a minute?"

Van Ghoul kept his voice measured, but he was clearly close to breaking. "Will that bring her back? Yes, Rachael just died to save us, but rest assured she did not kill Dracula. So if you want her death to mean something then you follow me, but if you want to make her just another meaningless casualty of this bloody war then by all means stand here and mourn and I promise you that after Dracula comes back and turns you I will give you a quick death."

Daphne clutched both the watch and her knife a little tighter. Her face was unreadable. Fred looked at the confrontation, wondering just who's side to take. Daphne took a step towards Van Ghoul and leaned in close to him. Though focused on her face, out of the corner of his eye he saw her pocket the watch.

"When this is over, we will mourn her, and John."

Van Ghoul looked her in the eyes right back. "I promise you that."

Velma took a turn shouldering Thorn, Daphne and Van Ghoul took point, and the rest of the gang followed out the hole that Van Ghoul had blasted in the wall. It led up a large spiral staircase and they climbed, not sure where they were going, just sure they needed to get away.