Disclaimer: I don't own Van Helsing nor anything associated with it, it is the property of Universal and the brain child of Steven Summers
Chapter 41
Van Helsing hurried up the stairwell hearing shouts and roars above him, Amie drew her sword behind him, her features hard and determined, all traces of her tears gone in her determination to help her friends.
Looking at her now Van Helsing found a new strength in the girl and he respected her for it, when it mattered she would do anything for the people she loved…even if it meant facing down a fully grown werewolf.
"Why did they make this mansion so damn big?" he exclaimed in frustration, the stairs seemed to go on forever.
Carl hurried along side him laden down with his arsenal of silver weaponry, "well you did insist on approaching from the back corridor." He pointed out.
"Which means we do have to make our way around only to double back to get to…"
"Shut up Carl!" Amie ordered in frustration.
The friar clamped his mouth shut and went on in silence for a few paces before glancing back at the girl.
"He did ask." he muttered earning himself a warning glare from both of them.
Ahead of them several figures dashed into the hall.
"Bob!" Amie exclaimed rushing immediately to her boyfriend's side when Tony and Chris lowered him gently to the floor with relieved sighs.
Bob winced in pain as his leg crumpled beneath him, the bone freshly broken undoing all of the work Carl had done over the last week.
Pale and sweating with the pain, it was all he could do to acknowledge Amie's presence. Angrily she rounded on the boys.
"You dragged him!" she exclaimed furiously.
Chris glared at her his own fear momentarily transformed into frustration. "You would have preferred the werewolf munching on him?" he spat sarcastically.
Tony ignored the argument crossing immediately to the pile of armour and weapons Carl had deposited on the stairs as he went to reset Bob's leg.
Mutely, Jory, Marston and Tony strapped on breast plates and tested the weight of the pistols and swords in their hands.
Van Helsing watched them warily "They are for defence only, this is not your fight." He stated moving past them.
"Yeah, right." Marston muttered turning to follow.
Van Helsing rounded on him his expression serious, his temper quick in his haste to reach the battle before it was too late.
Marston found his feet swept out from under him and his back hitting the edge of the stairs painfully. He gasped, winded as Van Helsing stood menacingly above him.
"No arguments this time." He growled his gaze sweeping the others. "You have faced vampires but nothing like this. A wild animal does not play before it attacks, you would be torn to shreds before you could blink…if you are lucky."
He turned to rush up the stairs and collided with Anna.
The princess stumbled into him pushing them both against the wall, their faces inches apart.
They regarded each other wide eyed before she pulled away and glanced around the group, when her eyes found Marston groaning on the stairs she stared accusingly at the hunter who flinched with guilt.
"Using your bully tactics again Van Helsing?" she questioned retrieving a silver sword and dagger from the pile at her feet.
With Chris's help, Marston staggered to his feet coughing slightly; they joined Jory and Tony as they followed Anna hurriedly up the stairwell.
Van Helsing watched them go; lost for words he turned and found Carl, Amie and Bob staring at him. Pulling his hat down dramatically, he followed the group.
Dracula smirked as he opened his eyes to find he had Sarah by the throat. He relished the feel of his claws deep in her flesh and stared with hunger at the rivers of dark blood coating her vampiric body. Her fearful gaze added further amusement, it was a pity she forced him to do such things, no other bride had caused him so much trouble.
With his new eyes, he gave her a look of profound regret and grasped her hair viciously with his free claws. Her mouth opened in a silent gasp of pain displaying her murderous fangs.
He sighed patiently and mentally linked her mind to his. "You realise that you deserve this." He whispered to her.
In response she sent him wasa picture of his own demise as she had seen it, he saw himself writhing in agony clawing at a great bloody tear in his throat, that would not heal.
Van Helsing stood over him, watching in silent satisfaction as his flesh turned to dust and ran off his exposed bones like water.
His wayward bride smirked at him and words drifted from her consciousness to his.
"Ain't karma a bitch." She said smugly.
With a roar of rage, Dracula dragged his claws down at her throat, tearing great furrows in the flesh.
Sarah screamed and thrashed her wings, trying to break free of his grasp as he continued his savage attack.
Snarling he lifted her above his head and slammed her body down, amid the sharp fragments of the broken door, driving his claws into her.
Again and again his talons and teeth found their mark, ripping and tearing her naked flesh as she writhed and screamed in torment.
A pool of dead blood began to form beneath her, spreading rapidly to cover the carpet. Finally she stared up at him barely alive, her flesh in bloody tatters. The werewolf roared with glee and delicately lapped at one blood soaked paw.
Sarah felt numb, the pain had been unbearable and then it had just vanished.
As if in a dream she tilted her head and beheld the bloody remains of her body, a strangled cry escaped the slowly healing tatters of her throat, building gradually into an inhuman howl.
Anna rushed into the hallway, a blazing torch held high to cast light over the scene. She gasped in horror as she beheld the werewolf standing over his victim.
Behind her the guys made it into the hall and went pale as they saw the amount of blood shinning in the torchlight.
"Holy shit." Marston whispered staggering back to lean on the wall for support.
Less confident they unconsciously backedup, placing the princess in front of them.
Tony swallowed the bile rising in his throat and stepped up beside the princess.
"Any tips for fighting this thing?" he questioned fearfully.
"Don't get killed."
Chris placed one hand on the wall for support and turned to stare at the princess "Oh so helpful in a crisis." He muttered the sarcasm laced with fear.
"You don't mind if we let you go first right?" Jory asked casually glancing at her.
"On the contrary." She answered as the beast turned and saw them. "I would have it no other way."
Sarah lay on the ground, unable to turn at the sound of her friends voices, panic gripped her when the wolf leapt out of her line of vision and shots were fired.
Groggily she braced herself against the wall, trying to get into a seated position.
Her bloody fingers slipped over the smooth wood, making it hard to find the purchase she needed.
Eventually she managed it, falling ungracefully into a half sitting position, the wall at her back. Sudden dizziness over took her and she shut her eyes tightly, fighting to stay conscious.
When she opened them it was to see the werewolf riddled with bullets crashing down next to her unconscious, wide eyed she watched the foul black shadow drift up from its open jaws and seemingly evaporate into the air.
When the werewolf charged and Anna began to fire her pistol, Jory had found himself in the middle of a particularly graphic and brutal game of British bulldog, granted in this version if you didn't manage to dodge the creatures claws, it was very likely you'd find yourself in tiny pieces all over Anna's carpet.
It helped that he had a sword, which he put to very good use.
It was with some amazement, that he watched the huge wolf fall under Van Helsing's rain of punishing blows, when he had finally decided to join them.
Marston dropped his sword and stared at the mass of fur and blood laid out in the torch light, eyes wide he stumbled slightly back, hands groping for the solid wood of the wall to steady himself.
"It's dead right?" he asked hopefully looking from the princess to the hunter.
Anna ignored him, walking slowly towards the beast's body she tentatively knelt by its side, tilting her head slightly to listen for any signs of life.
The corridor was silent but for the heavy breathing of the combatants, which seemed much too loud after the chaotic grunts and screams of the skirmish.
Anna trembled slightly as she knelt beside the creature that was…and might still be…her brother.
If Van Helsing noticed he gave no indication and she was grateful.
Fighting back emotional tears, the Princess held her breath and closed her eyes tightly as a barely audible growl rumbled from deep within the creature.
The guys had gathered around Sarah, still in her vampiric form half sitting, half lying in a pool of her own blood, looking with respect and disbelief, as the deep wounds on her leathery skin slowly knitted and healed.
Blurrily she had tried to smile as Marston knelt beside her and Chris produced a blanket from one of the bedrooms to drape over her wounded body.
"Are you ok?" Jory asked in concern.
Sarah blinked at him a ghost of a smile crossing her features accompanied by the barest hint of a fang protruding over her bottom lip.
"Yeah Jo, peachy on the side of keen that would be me." She muttered weakly.
Tony eyed her critically watching as thetears in herstomach became dark with bruising but remained unhealed.
"Er I'm no expert but isn't that supposed to happen faster?" he asked, brows knitted with fear and concern.
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Note: I know the fight seems rushed but i got stuck trying to figure out how it would all work, hope it comes out ok.