Randy had been having a good couple of days. He had managed to heal up and rest from the beating that Frankenstein had given him in their battle. During that time he'd been urged by his mother to prepare for school as their next year was right around the corner. He had already picked his classes and gotten his books ready for the upcoming and dreaded 10th grade. But while he did all that he was also doing research on Revolta, and helping Sibella and Tanis get used to their new life. Thanks to Gothetta and the rest of the vampire kids, they'd been able to teach her about what had happened during her sleep. And Rosalyn was there to fill in the gaps of anything they missed. Tanis had been the most resistant to change but with a few bribes here and there she started to come around.
"Are you telling me that this 'spalm' thing is really a place where they treat you like royalty?" Tanis asked, looking at the brochure that Heidi had gotten her.
Tanis held a brochure to McFist Lifestyle SPA that Heidi had found amongst her mom's things. It showed that it had an end of summer special with included several beauty treatments for any ladies that wanted to look their best. Knowing Tanis' like of royal treatment, this was right up her alley.
"Definitely, they have massages, hot stones, facials, manicures, pedicures, and steam baths." Heidi said, going over the options of the brochure. "You could say that they treat you like a queen in those places."
Tanis' ears perked at those words.
"Like a queen, you say?" Tanis asked, imagining herself back in her palace with Randy fanning her while wearing his medjay uniform with all the women wearing skimpy white outfits with golden tops and necklaces tending to her every need. She shook her head, wiping her drool. "What's the catch?"
"You need to help Phanty clean the attic. If you're going to be living here you need to stop whining about every chore you're given." Heidi replied.
Elsa and Phanty looked at the brochure over Tanis' shoulders. They too had heard of the things that they were offering, wondering if they could get in on the deal.
"Ooh, some of those treatments sound good." Phanty cooed. "What do you think, Elsa?"
"I think that a steam bath and massage would do wonders for my body." Elsa said, flexing her arms. "It would be nice to have smoother skin. Though I can only think of one person to give me that kind of massage."
Heidi, Phanty, Elsa and Tanis all blushed at the thought.
"Could you four stop daydreaming and help us with these books?" Gothetta said. "Don't forget that Revolta is out there. She could spring out any minute."
It was true, there hadn't been any sightings of the witch over the last few days. Which was good for a breather but bad in the long run.
"Soil sport." Phanty muttered as the girls dropped out of their shared daydream of Randy giving them massages.
Just then Randy entered the manor with Howard in tow. They looked exhausted after patrolling the city once more. Every night they had gone out to check up on the different spots that Revolta would surface. They had gone to clear out the cave where Revolta had resurrected the monsters in case she ever came back, leaving only copies to fool her.
"Good evening, Master Randy, Mr. Weinerman." Sibella said, giving them a cordial bow.
"Hey guys." Randy greeted, taking off his mask.
"How come you get called master and I'm just mister?" Howard asked.
"The whole servitude thing because of her father's stupid rules, I guess. Rosalyn has been able to make her at least call me Randy instead of Master Cunningham, but she still states that she wants to be like my servant or something?" Randy explained. "I think it's one of those honor bound things that Nobu told me about."
"Ok, next time her old man shows up, I'll shoot him with my crossbow then." Howard said, as Gothetta and the rest of the group walked up to them.
"Any luck?" Gothetta asked, after kissing Randy's cheek.
"None. No signs from her and no alerts from the cameras. I think it's safe to guess that she isn't looking for any frontal confrontation at the moment." Randy replied.
"Yeah, she's hiding somewhere I bet. Waiting just for school to start to pop out and start causing chaos! It'll be ninth grade all over again!" Howard groaned. "Life is so not fair."
Randy padded Howard's back, trying to comfort him. He didn't like waiting for the danger to strike at them just like him. But he was aware of Revolta's critical weakness.
"Don't worry Howard. Revolta won't be able to stay away for long." Randy said. "According to the books we've found, she will need another source of dark magic to feed off and the only one she wants are the orbs. So she'll be back soon unless she runs the risk of withering away before she can take over the world." He explained.
"Why does she want to take over the world again?" Phanty asked. "Sort of forgot."
"I think she just wants to be in control of everything since other monsters and creatures of the night have 'allowed' humans to become the dominant species." Gothetta replied. "But that's her interpretation." She added.
"I mean it's not like you guys secretly run the world. Right?" Howard asked.
Gothetta turned to the other girls before they all gave him and Randy a sinister smile. A smile that sent chills down their spines.
"Of course we don't, Howard." Gothetta replied in a sweet tone with a hint of malice.
"Phew." Howard said. "That's a relief."
"Yeah, it's not like that at all." Phanty added.
"But we happen to have a hand on the issues of the world." Gothetta said.
"Definitively. Of course we keep it quiet." Heidi explained.
"Which reminds me we need to talk about the situation in Latin America." Elsa said.
"Is it about corruption or their bad infrastructure?" Sibella asked before they all started laughing.
"Cunningham, I knew it! Women are evil!" Howard said.
"You have no idea, Howard. You have no idea." Randy replied in agreement.
Just then Lady Kryptina walked in with the rest of the vampire students.
"Lady Kryptina, good evening. I've just spoken to the cook and he says that your meal will be ready soon." Sibella said with a cordial bow.
"Thank you, Sibella. That is very kind of you." Lady Kryptina said before her face turned to one of concern. "I have just received word from Count Von Horrificus back home. I'm afraid things don't bode well."
Her words made everyone freeze.
Gothetta looked at Sibella with worry. She had come to have a soft spot for the lost vampire princess, and she hated to admit it but she could relate to her thanks to their unsavory parents.
Randy was the first one to speak up.
"What does he say?" Randy asked.
Lady Kryptina let out a sigh.
"The council isn't thrilled to know that a spawn of Dracula is around. The discussions are still going on, but most members of the council agree that her presence could cause trouble back in the Old World." Lady Kryptina explained. "Thanks to our observations and interactions with Sibella, I've passed on my views on Sibella. Count Von Horrificus has argued on our behalf that she is not a threat to anyone. But there are those that see her mere existence will cause trouble."
"What do they think they'll use her as a symbol of the rise of Dracula or something?" Howard asked.
"That's one of their fears, yeah." Oskar replied.
"After the brief resurface of Dracula months ago, some vampires have been fearing that he'll be back a second time and strike down any who dare stand in his way." Leechy explained. "The return of his daughter hasn't exactly made them feel any better."
Randy and the rest of the group exchanged worried looks. They couldn't blame the other vampires back in Europe for being cautious. And if word got out that Dracula had returned they would probably barricade themselves inside their castles or bow to Revolta in order to keep the vampire king from ripping their throats.
"So what are we looking at?" Elsa asked.
"Yeah, what will happen to Sibella?" Heidi added.
Lady Kryptina looked down. Her many years of being a teacher and mother figure for young vampires had taught her that she had to be truthful, but she didn't want to tell them the harsh truth. She steeled herself before looking at the group.
"In the best case scenario, Sibella would have to live in exile for the rest of her life if she isn't placed under careful watch back in Europe." Lady Kryptina guessed.
"And the worst case scenario?" Phanty asked.
"Death by sunrise." Lady Kryptina said, causing most of the vampire kids to gasp but not Randy's group. "Aren't you the least bit shocked or terrified?"
"Sibella is half human, so aside from getting a few sunburns she'll be fine." Randy pointed out.
"Really? Nevermind that then. The point is that the worst case scenario would be death." Lady Kryptina rephrased.
There was a silence after those words left Lady Kryptina's mouth.
The situation didn't look at all good for Sibella. It was just another issue to deal with after another. Some of them were easy fixes, but this one was like a thorn that just kept getting deeper and deeper. Randy and the others couldn't blame the vampire council. If they knew that the son or daughter of the Sorcerer was running around they would also feel on edge. The hoped that whatever their word was worth would help Sibella on her case.
"Lady Kryptina." Sibella said in her usual calm and caring tone. "When you said that my best case scenario would be banishment, do you mean from Europe all together or from Transylvania?"
This question caused everyone to look at Sibella with curiosity and confusion.
"I'm… not sure… to be honest. I think that if they were cautious, they'd take you to where there were the least amount of vampires." Lady Kryptina guessed. "That means that most if not all of Europe is out, Egypt as well, Asia and Australia too."
"What about here?" Sibella asked.
"I don't think that there are that many vampires in the U.S. if I'm honest. Oxblood has some aquainses here but they are not close to where we are." Lady Kryptina said.
"Then please, communicate this message to the vampire council." Sibella said, causing everyone in the room to shake a bit. "In exchange for not setting a foot or a batwing in Europe, I ask to live here in Norrisville in peace."
The group just went all slack jawed at the declaration of the vampire princess. It didn't matter who they were or the years of manners and decorum that they all had combined, that declaration left them all with open mouths.
"Sibella, are you sure about this?! There's no telling what they'll say!" Randy said.
"He's right. The council will most likely think of this as a trick of some kind." Gothetta pointed out.
"Maybe so, but something tells me that they are quite a superstitious lot. If they are so afraid of me being in the Old World then they will do everything in their power to keep me out." Sibella replied. "Much like any other vampire worth their salt knows that a vampire honors their word. And I'll keep my word. That is of course if they wish to gamble the possibility of me taking after my father."
Lady Krytptina couldn't help but smile at Sibella's words. She had to give it to the young vampire. Despite her age and short time in the modern era, she spoke with the same calmness and lingering strength that made Dracula a vampire that embodied the savagery and the politeness of his being. Sibella had clearly inherited his skills as a speaker and maker of deals. Had she been amongst her students, Lady Kryptina had no doubt that Sibella would've been called vampire queen by the time she graduated.
"There is no guarantee. That they'll listen but there is a good chance that it might work." Lady Kryprina said.
Lady Kryptina walked away from the group with a sneaky smile on her face. She couldn't help but imagine the faces of the vampire council after they heard the logic behind Sibella's proposal.
"And that is why I think girls are scary." Howard said as Sibella merely smiled.
"On that, I'll have to agree with you bud." Randy said.
While this conversation was taking place, Revolta was preparing a spell to bring back the last member of her dreaded cabal. She had torn the bell from the church tower and held it upside down over a green fire as she mixed the green liquid inside it. She smiled as Winnie and Dracula stood behind her growling at each other like a cat and a dog for who was superior to the other.
"Quit your squabble, you fools. I am in need of concentration. Soon we shall have the last member of our army." Revolta said, gesturing to Winnie to come to her. "And that's where you come in my dear."
Revolta grabbed a chunk of Winnie's fur, causing her to yelp. The wolf girl growled at the witch.
"Oh sit down girl. I need something to ensure complete obedience from your father." Revolta said, dropping the fur into the mixture. "Besides you'll regrow it in a second or two."
Winnie wanted to jump at the witch and sink her fangs on her throat. But even the slightest step against her master was met with the collar around her neck pulled her back, like a puppet being controlled by her strings. She grinded her sharpened fangs as she glared at the witch.
Revolta herself didn't even bothered with the wolf girl. She had a mission to complete and she had to perform this spell or else, she would be at a disadvantage against Red Scarf. She channeled her magic into her hands, causing them to glow a ghostly green full of dark magic.
"Dreadful darkness, hear my cry! Bring back one who cannot die! Let the witch who perished here live again and reappear!" Revolta chanted, firing her magic into the cauldron.
Green vapor clawed its way out of the cauldron, shaping into the form of a wolf. Then from inside the cauldron, a large packet of bubbles came forth to the surface. It began to shake as the newest creature returned from the dead. The vapor turned black as smoke before it came down before the other two monsters. The contents of the cauldron followed behind the smoke, transforming into large bones before they were covered with nerves and veins. The skull of this new monster had far more in common with an ancient wolf that had spent all its life hunting bigger prey than it day after day. The skull's jaws snapped at the air as though it was trying to tear apart anything that crossed the path of its teeth. The muscles enveloped the feral skeleton, covering it as the organs and the skin appeared. But any trace of skin was then eclipsed by thick midnight black fur.
Revolta cackled as the Wolf Man stood back up.
"That's it, my beast. Rise again and obey my command!" Revolta said as from the black smoke came two glowing yellow eyes, cutting through the darkness.
The Wolf Man stood up in his new resurrected body. His new body was now more feral and beastly than before. His sharp nails were now black as ebony. His legs were longer resembling those of a wolf. His ears now stood sharp at the top of his skull as his black fur cascaded down his body. Where once was a semi-human face now rested the face of a wolf that had never been graced by the effects of time.
Dracula quickly got in the Wolf Man's face.
The two beasts snarled and roared at each other like two beasts trying to assert their dominance over the other. It was as though they were natural enemies trying to kill each other.
"Enough you fools! I know you two are in need for blood and mayhem, but you will have to wait to satisfy it." Revolta scolded. "But you must wait for me to prepare the portal, then you'll be able to get your fill and more."
Her voice was strong with authority and made the two resurrected monsters back down from their squabble.
Winnie looked up to the Wolf Man. She could tell that there was a connection between her and the creature before her. She tried to reach out to him, but as soon as he caught her scent he snapped at her. Winnie jumped back, growling back against the creature that was once her biological father. She showed off her fangs at him, but he didn't even change his stance against her. To the Wolf Man everything before him was now just food and all he wanted was to consume the food that was before him.
"Stay!" Revolta commanded, causing the Wolf Man to drop down on his knees. "Who would've thought that your daughter would have better manners than you? Now sit tight, we are almost ready."
Winnie did as the two other monsters, she remained quiet. She cursed her luck and the situation that she was in. She glanced at her father who growled at her. Regardless of where or with who she was with, Winnie would always be an outcast.
"Open the gates between realms. Take these travelers from whence they came and into the New World. To where the Sorcerer met his end and the Red Scarf defends." Revolta recited as the contents of the cauldron floated out and pooled into a large green mirror. "Plus three this time."
The green mirror began spinning like a wheel. As it started gaining speed the green mirror became a circle of light.
Revolta gestured her monsters forward.
The three monsters walked behind her as the witch walked through the portal. After a brief flash of light and any marks of their time in that belltower were nothing but an upside down bell, some scratches and a few burn marks.
Revolta and her monsters emerged on the other side of the world and in the heart of the city of Norrisville. They were on top of one of the buildings just as the sun was going down.
"Breathe it in my beasts. This is the smell of the new world. A world that has long seen us as jokes." Revolta said. "Now, let us start with getting the city ripe for Red Scarf."
Dracula took to the skies hoping to hunt but followed his master's command.
The Wolf Man leapt down to the streets.
WInnie looked up before rushing from rooftop to rooftop.
Revolta summoned her vacuum cleaner and flew away into the night with Dracula as her guard.