*Chapter 9: A New Weapon*
Dr. Quack was feeling the pulse of Espio who lays on the bed in the hospital. The purple chameleon had stayed the night at the hospital since Knuckles took him there to get treatment after discovering the bite marks on the neck. The duck noticed the sweat on Espio's forehead. He wipes the sweat with a cool rag.
"How is he, doc? Has he...turned?" Knuckles asked, walking in the room with Vector.
"Is he alive?" Vector asked. "Please tell me it isn't too late!" Dr. Quack hushed them and left the sleeping chameleon's side.
"He still has a pulse, but it is beating faintly." Dr. Quack said. "There's no telling when he will turn into...one of them." Vector shuts his eyes. Knuckles crossed his arms. The doctor looks back at Espio. "He hasn't awaken since the attack. Good thing you brought him, Knuckles, or else he will lose so much blood."
"The vampire fled when I spotted him." Knuckles said. "That bastard will pay. When I see that green hedgehog again, he will regret to biting my friend. Espio doesn't deserve this. If he does turn into a vampire, then I will have to-"
"No!" Vector said. "No, we can't! Espio is my partner! My best friend!"
"Vector, you know how this was going to go." Dr. Quack said. As the crocodile argues with the doctor and the vampire hunter, Espio grunted a bit and open his eyes. Not only that, he could smell blood.
"Where...where am I?" He asked. Everyone turned to him.
"Espio! You're alive!" Vector said in relief. "How do you feel?" Espio held his head, then run his fingers down to his neck where he got bit. He was bit by a vampire. A wolf.
"You could've died, old friend." Knuckles said. Dr. Quack started to check the purple chameleon's heartbeat. Espio stares at the duck in silent, feeling thirsty all of a sudden. Espio licked his lips. "You thirsty, Espio? Here." Knuckles hands him the glass of water. Espio blinked and took the glass.
"Uhh, thank you." Espio said and took a long gulp of water. He's never been this thirsty before.
"It's rare that someone survived the bite of a vampire. Usually venom will run through the veins, but the only way to cure it is to drink the vampire's blood." Dr. Quack said. "I did put the antidote in you, but...it's a miracle it worked. You do put up a good fight inside you."
"Espio, what happened to you last night?" Vector asked. "A vampire bit you?"
"Yes, but...there were two of them. The green hedgehog was about to attack me, but I defended myself with a cross. Suddenly, another vampire appeared from behind me and...bit me." Espio said. "I remember it was a wolf. I tried to stand, but...I black out."
"Good thing I brought you here." Knuckles said. "You lost a lot of blood. It's a miracle that you are alive."
"I don't know what to do if I lost a good partner like you, Espio." Vector said with a grin. The chameleon didn't say anything. The sunlight hits the room, making Espio groan a bit and cover his whole body and head with a sheet. "Espio? Are you sure you're okay?" Vector asked.
"I'm fine. Just tired..." Espio said, not coming out of the sheets. "I need to rest."
"Yes." Dr. Quack said with a nod. "Gentlemen, please leave the patient. He will be on his feet soon." He lead Vector and Knuckles out of the room. Espio was left alone in the room, hiding from the sunlight. He feels so tired, and he is very thirsty. Espio was thinking back of the vampire who bit him. He did this. Espio knew he is becoming a vampire. He couldn't tell his partner about this. And Knuckles will have to kill him. Espio will have to hide.
In the garden, Maria is humming to herself as she is listening to the birds. It is a very beautiful sunny day. Her grandfather is getting better, and Maria is spending time in her garden at the backyard of her manor. She continues to hum as she sits under the tree as the birds are around her, picking on the grass. The yellow hedgehog giggles as the birds chirp. She then started to sing to herself.
"Oh, sing sweet nightingale.
Sing sweet nightingale high.
Oh, sing sweet nightingale.
Sing sweet nightingale."
As Maria is singing, she was very unaware that a certain black hedgehog was listening and watching her from a tree branch. Shadow rests on the branch, smiling dreamily as he hears Maria sings to herself. He recalled when she told she used to sing when she was little, but stopped. But now, here she is singing to herself. Her voice is beautiful. Like an angel.
"Oh, sing sweet nightingale.
Sing sweet...
Oh, sing sweet nightingale.
Sing,
Oh, sing sweet nightingale.
Oh, sing sweet..
Oh, sing-"
Suddenly, Maria stopped when she hears some snapping sounds coming from above the tree. Then, she let out a yelp when a branch and a hedgehog land in front of her, scaring away the birds. Maria got on her feet and hid behind the tree, but she recognized the black hedgehog. Shadow grunted and shook his head to get the leaves off him.
"Count Shadow?" Maria spoke.
"Oh. Lady Maria." Shadow got up and bow before her. "How wonderful to see you again."
"What were you doing up in my tree?" Maria asked, looking up, then at him. "Wait. Were you...spying on me?"
"What? No!" Shadow replied. "No! It's not like that at all, I was..." Then, he sighed in defeat. "Well, I was passing by your manor, and then I hear you in this garden. So, I climbed up this tree and...watch you from afar, until you sat underneath here. But your voice, Maria. It was so beautiful." Shadow said with a small smile "You weren't kidding about you used to sing. I thought you said you quit." Maria blushed and came out from hiding.
"Well, I sing when I'm alone." She said. "But...thank you for the compliment."
"I would love to hear you sing often, my dear. That is, if you want to visit me or if you allow me to visit you. Which I am now." Shadow said.
"And you weren't kidding about coming into the sunlight with that ring." Maria said as she looks at Shadow's ring. The black hedgehog chuckled. "If I were you, I'd leave. I don't want Mighty or my grandfather to think that you are some intruder who is in our property."
"Oh. You...wish for me to leave?" Shadow asked with a frown.
"I didn't mean it like that. It's just..." Maria stopped when she and Shadow started to hear alarms coming from the town. Shadow knew what it meant. "What is that?"
"The vampire hunters are about to spread the word. There must've been another attack." Shadow said.
"A vampire? Oh dear..."
"I must see which vampire caused some trouble. But Maria, expect me tonight. By your window." Shadow said.
"What?"
"After everyone went to sleep, I shall come to your window. I will tell you about the news from the town, and...I want to talk to you." Shadow told her. "Please." Maria stared at him. Will she really trust him? He will come to her at night. The yellow hedgehog nodded at him. "Thank you. Now, I must go." Shadow said with a smile. With that, he jumped over the wall. Maria gasped in awe.
"So, that's how he snuck in."
"Attention everyone! There was another attack last night!" Knuckles announced. He and the echidnas stood in the circle in the plaza. Everyone watched and listened to the red echidna with worry. Shadow shoved through the crowd to stand in front to listen to the vampire hunter. "One of the detectives was bitten by a vampire, but do not fear. He is safe and didn't turn. Yet, these monsters must be stopped since there are more of them coming around our town!"
"It is not safe to be out at night!" A walrus spoke.
"Those creatures of the night must die!" A fox cried out. Everyone started to talk all at once. Knuckles tried to speak up, trying to calm everyone. But then, a whistle is heard to silence the mobians. Knuckles turned to see Antoine walk in the circle with a calm expression.
"Nothing to fear, everyone. Vampires have laws, you see." Antoine said. "I am Lord Antoine D'Coolette. And I have experience with vampires before." The coyote smirked. Shadow raised a brow. What is he up to? "Vampires cannot enter your homes without invitation. They hate the smell of garlic. They burn in sunlight. And yes, they do hate the sight of the cross. But, it isn't enough to defend ourselves, no?"
"What are you getting at?" Knuckles asked. Antoine got out a gun that shines in the sun. He showed Knuckles the bullets that are made out of silver, but in the inside, there is garlic powder. "What is this?"
"An invention made by a young lad. Tails Prower." The coyote spoke, gesturing the young fox who stood in the crowd, waving a bit. "He and Gerald Robotnik have been working together and then Tails got an idea to weaken a vampire faster. Shoot it, and the garlic will explode inside their bodies. Their hearts will explode in the inside. Believe me, it worked. After I found a vampire last night..." Antoine snapped his fingers. Everyone turned to see Scourge bring a body bag. Shadow could smell a corpse. Scourge opened the bag and revealed a yellow mongoose with purple hair. Everyone gasped at the sight of the dead vampire. The body is slowly crisping. On the other side of the crowd, Bunnie and Fiona watched in dismay. Mina had to be killed. Bunnie hated the reason why she had to be. It isn't right. Antoine married Mina to become his third bride and for the money, but now he just threw her away like trash.
"I'm sorry, Mina." Bunnie whispered, fighting back her tears. "After what you had discovered, it ain't right for Antoine to kill you."
"Now you see here..." Antoine walked over to the crisp corpse. He revealed Mina's bloodstain mouth. "After her heart blow up, I could smell the garlic coming out of her mouth and some blood she spat out." He dropped the head to the ground. "A better, and faster way to kill a vampire. Tails, what do you call this?"
"I call it, 'Bullets of Garlic'." Tails said, showing everyone the silver bullet and he carefully pours the garlic powder inside. "After you put some powder in the bullet, place the bullet in holy water, load it, and then shoot the vampire in the heart. The holy water will burn the heart, and it'll make the bullet explode and out goes the garlic!" The fox said. Everyone was impressed, including Knuckles. Shadow started to worry about the new weapon. His friends should know about it.
Antoine grinned evilly as Knuckles and the others started to agree to use the gun and buy the bullets.
'Now, the other vampires will leave me be. And soon, Lady Marianella will be my new replacement of that traitor Mina! Oh, how I imagine she will do in bed.' Antoine thought evilly to himself.
'I heard that.' Bunnie's thought said angrily. Antoine gave her a glare before turning away.
A nurse walked in Espio's room with a tray of lunch. But she instead found him on the floor, panting. The goose nurse rushed over by his side to help him up, but Espio's eyes turn red. His fangs grew long. He then sunk his teeth into the goose's neck. The nurse let out a cry. Espio drank the blood, moaning a bit. He drinks, and drinks, and drinks. Then, goose's body went limp. Espio pulled away, sighing to himself. Then, his eyes went back to yellow and see what he had done.
"No..." The chameleon gasped. "No...what have I done?!" He shook the nurse's body, hoping she is alive. No sound or movement. "No! I can't be...I'm not one of them!"
"So, you're new." A female voice spoke from the window. Espio turned to see Rouge outside his open window, flapping her bat wings. "Never smell a newborn vampire in a long time."
"...Who are you?" Espio asked, standing up. "What's happening to me?!"
"Calm down, sir. I am not an evil vampire like you've seen before. Tell you what, you come out here and I will take you to the count's castle. We can help you. What do you say?" Rouge asked, forming a friendly smile.
"How can I trust you?"
"You can. Because I am a vampire. Like you."
"No. I didn't ask for this. I can't-" Espio was cut off when Rouge silenced him with her finger up to her lips. They both started to hear voices around the hospital. "They are coming to see if I'm alright, but...they will see the body." Espio said. "I can't face Vector like this. Or Knuckles."
"You got two options. You either stay and let them catch you, or you come with me. I have something for you to be out in the sunlight." Rouge got out a ring. Espio stared up at her, then at the nurse who is dead. Espio reached his hand out for a ring. Rouge threw the ring inside and Espio caught it. He placed the ring on his finger and climb out the window. "Before you enjoy not being burnt, let me take you to the castle. I have friends who can help you." Rouge told him flew down to the ground. Espio jumped down and follow the white bat. "In case you will become one of us, welcome aboard." Rouge said with a wink. But Espio isn't happy. Still, at least he met a helpful vampire.
