A/N: I apologize once again for the lateness. Plus, there was some sort of bug on our computer, so MS Word converted the first version of this ENTIRE CHAPTER into a mass of strange symbols, so guess what? I had to type it all over again!! Don't worry, I'm not mad at you readers or anything. I'm just enraged at my computer, which screwed up the chapter that I've worked so hard on! But anyway, I understand that we haven't had that much Myo in this story, so I've decided to write this one for the Myo fans! (Vampirism alert!)
Chapter 9
Bad News, Everyone
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, YOU LOST JADE???!!!" Leela screamed at Zapp and Bender. "HANG YOUR HEADS IN SHAME, BOTH OF YOU!" Bender bent over so it looked as if he were hanging his head, and Zapp hung his head, a shameful expression on his face.
Suddenly, Zapp looked at Leela. "By the way, Leela, I can do so much more than just hang my head in shame," he hinted suggestively, winking.
"I've got a task for you," retorted the cyclops. "Shut up."
At that point, several hours had passed since the separation of the large group, and everyone had arrived except Fry and Kif. Jackie had fainted from shock on the floor at the fact that Jade was missing, or worse, dead. However, he and Leela had it much worse than Jade because of their loss.
Prior to this, Jackie and Leela had yet another problem on their hands. As the group of Shadow Con advanced on them to grab the Pan-Ku Box out of their hands, they backed away into a wall, cornered.
"We are royally boned," Leela muttered to Jackie out of the corner of her mouth. A shadowed ninja attempted to swipe the box out of Jackie's hands, and she immediately kicked him out of the way.
Jackie frantically looked around the bazaar, and through the crowd he saw a booth that sold just the thing he was looking for. He contemplated the scenario, and he decided to risk the box and the freedom of the universe that accompanied the possession of it. "Don't worry, Leela," assured the archaeologist. "Take the box and run for it. I know what to do."
Leela was dubious. "But Jackie—"
"Leela, I know what I'm doing. I hope." Jackie threw the box at Leela and grabbed a hold of the awning of the booth next to them, then hoisted himself into the air. Some of the Shadow Con transported themselves up to where he was. Jackie kicked and punched, slicing through the air like a knife through butter. Meanwhile, Leela sprinted away as quickly as possible, but the Shadow Con always teleported to where she had the intent of running. Her legs ached, sweat poured down her body, and it felt as if a million knives were stabbing her inside her chest. Finally, her energy gave out, and the cyclops stumbled for a few steps before tripping over the tentacles of one of the patrons.
"AAAAAAAAAAH!" she screamed as she felt herself hit the floor, every last molecule of air knocked out of her. The Pan-Ku Box flew out of her hands and soared for several meters until it hit the floor far away with a clang. The Shadow Con ceased advancing on her and approached the box.
Jackie knew that they would transport it back to Myotismon as soon as possible, so he grabbed hold of the awning, swung himself downwards, and leapt onto the floor. He saw what the booth was selling—party boards—and took one out of the display case. "I'msorryI'llbringthisbackthankyoooouuuu!" he squealed as he flipped the switch that turned the rockets on and stood on it. Suddenly, the board zoomed out from under his feet, so he slipped off and grabbed onto the end, attempting his best to pilot while not getting burned by the rockets. He sailed directly over the Shadow Con and crashed into a booth that sold search lights. As he felt the weight of fifty search lights, plus the party board, compressing him, he heard Leela's cries of "JACKIE! THEY HAVE THE BOX!"
Jackie groaned from the intense pain he felt, squinting and grinding his teeth. Turning his head towards the scene of the accident, he saw that one of the Shadow Con grabbed the box, Leela struggling to stand up and grab it. She even extended her arm slightly, then fell to the ground from exhaustion.
"LEELA!" hollered Jackie. Suddenly, he remembered the talismans that he possessed. Thinking of the Ox Talisman, he activated its power mentally and felt a surge of adrenaline run through his veins. He stood up briskly, not even using his arms to do so. The search lights felt as light as packing peanuts. Jackie picked up one that wasn't cracked or broken, and pointed it directly at the Shadow Con. "Eat light, creeps!" he exclaimed, switching the light on.
A bright beam of light hit the Shadow Con. Every shady ninja shielded their eyes and dematerialized. When it was certain that every Shadow Con was gone, Jackie walked over to Leela. Kneeling down, he searched through the bag of talismans that she attached to her leather pants until he found the Horse Talisman. "Leela," he instructed, holding the Horse Talisman up to her chest, "say 'a-choo.'"
"Why?" wondered the cyclops.
"Trust me on this," assured Jackie, looking into her eye.
"A-choo?" Leela gingerly repeated. Suddenly, the image of the horse on said talisman glowed and radiated with healing power, which Leela's body hungrily absorbed. She felt better and stronger every second as the panacea repaired every injury and gave her another boost of energy. She smiled at Jackie, who blushed a bright red and rubbed the back of his neck. "Thank you," she replied, sitting up and embracing a surprised Jackie. The crowd around her applauded. "How… how did you do it?" she wondered.
"It is the magic of the talismans," replied Jackie, unable to alter the smile pasted onto his face. But after skimming the floor, he noticed something dreadfully wrong and his face fell. "Where… where is the Pan-Ku Box?"
Leela looked as if she were about to cry. "Jackie," she stated like a doctor about to tell a patient of their inevitable death, "the Shadow Con has the box. I'm sorry."
"It couldn't be helped," replied Jackie, his voice becoming quiet and timid. "I hope we can still stop Myotismon within these three days…"
Leela put her arm around Jackie's shoulder in comfort. "Come, let's return to the others before they form a search party."
At the entrance where the seven heroes planned to meet, Zapp and Bender were waiting. Zapp appeared guilty, while Bender madly smoked a cigar and muttered to himself about psychotic infants.
"Leela! You're back!" exclaimed the starship captain, wiping the shameful expression off his face. "We didn't find the box… but if we had, would you have made love to me?"
"What do you think?" asked the cyclops, her voice dripping with irritation and sarcasm.
"Uh… yes?"
"Hell, no! Besides, we got the box, and then we lost it."
"So… you lost the box! Would you like some sexual consolation from the Zapper himself?"
"Captain Brannigan, this is serious!" exclaimed Jackie. "With the box in his hands, Myotismon will unleash the other Digi-Demons and enslave the universe! …And where is Jade?"
Zapp's face fell. "Uh… we didn't find any booths that sold jade, but we did find ivory checkbooks!"
Bender puffed on his cigar, not concerned about Jade at all. "Captain Jackass over there lost Jade," he stated, pointing his cigar at Zapp, who shook his head.
"I didn't lose her!" argued the captain. "Or maybe all that alcohol's damaged your memory file…"
All of a sudden, a thump interrupted the imminent argument. Jackie had fainted from shock.
"Your fault," Bender incriminated in a quick manner.
Which brings the story back to where it left off. Bender grabbed a ridiculously overpriced bottle of water from a nearby vendor's cart and poured the water all over Jackie's face. The martial-arts master coughed and sputtered, then finally opened his eyes. Jackie saw Leela's lips move, but all he heard was buzzing in his ears.
"WHAT, LEELA?" he yelled, cupping his hand over his ear.
"I said, are you OK?" Leela's voice was faintly heard.
"Yes, I'm fine… shocked, but fine," replied Jackie as Leela assisted him up. He looked at Zapp. "You… lost… Jade?"
"What's the big deal, Chan, just go over to one of those booths over there and get a new niece," suggested Bender, who obviously didn't care.
Jackie's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates. "GET A NEW NIECE?!" Almost everyone capable of hearing within a hundred-foot radius turned their heads to gawk at the commotion. "ARE YOU CRAZY, BENDER????!!!!"
"Hey, what's wrong? Zapp and I got ya a new kid after Jade was lost."
"Yeah," added Zapp. He pointed at Bender. "He's got the kid with him right now. And the best part was… he was free! We just saw him standing there on the floor, and he was practically asking for a new kung-fu guy to be his dad."
Bender opened his stomach compartment, and, sure enough, a wide-eyed, brown-haired child was curled up inside. "Mr. Robot?" the child asked in his timid voice. "I'm hungwy and have to go potty, and my mommy is wooking fow me!"
Jackie was adamant. "I am NOT replacing Jade. My niece is irreplaceable, and you can't just buy a new one!"
Bender looked at the child. "Well, kid, Chan ain't acceptin' ya. Back onto the floor ya go, kid." He bent over, and the boy tumbled out. Whimpering, the young boy ran away in an arbitrary direction.
"But what about JADE?" whined Jackie. "She could be ANYWHERE!"
"Oh, not anywhere," hinted Bender. "She ain't with me, that's for sure."
All of a sudden, Fry and Kif arrived. Both were laden with shopping bags full of random objects and dressed in outfits from every time period. Kif was wearing a 18th-century white wig, a bright yellow zoot suit, a letter sweater, tennis shoes, and gigantic novelty sunglasses. Fry wore his hair styled in an afro, matching sunglasses, a T-shirt that said "KISS MY GRITS!" on it, a pink poodle skirt, blue suede shoes, and a ten-gallon hat made of nacho chips and filled with cheese.
"Hey, what up, groovy cats?" asked Fry. "Da Kifster and I wanna just chill in the magic bus—er, magic ship."
"TAKE. THOSE. OFF," commanded Leela, looking more austere than she had ever been.
"Eh… by the way, have you… uh… seen Jade?" asked Zapp, giving Kif an uneasy glance.
"Jade? Nope," replied Fry, grinning. "But I did see two of Mom's sons and Demidevimon carrying a net full of fish that looked just like Jade and Igner."
"OH GOD!" screamed Jackie, clutching his hair. "MYOTISMON HAS JADE! We need to get her back NOW! TO THE SHIP!"
Millions of miles away, on Nightmarion 5, a massive stone castle loomed above the rest of the planet, on top of the tallest mountain. Lightning flashed from the pure black clouds that circled around the castle like the planets around the sun. In the tallest tower of the castle, Amy anxiously waited on her bed. For a day, she had been cooped up in her room, bathed and pampered by the Bakemon until she radiantly glowed with beauty. The room fit the mood—dark yet romantic. The only sources of the light were the stained-glass windows on the circular walls and the torches that were mounted between the windows. An antique wooden bed that resembled a coffin was placed against a part of the wall. The bed had crimson velvet sheets and pillows, and had two matching curtains of said material surrounding it. The floor was adorned with a crimson carpet lined with gold as well as a trapdoor to escape from.
Amy wore her hair in the same style, only it had been cleaned and brushed until it was soft and perfumed until it smelled like roses. Her skin was clear and adorned with little makeup. She wore a black silk dress that clung to her every curve, as requested by Myotismon.
The trapdoor opened with a creak, and gray fog began to trickle through the crack and fill the room. As the door opened, the room began to fill with fog until one could barely see in front of oneself if he or she were standing in that room. Myotismon rose through the door, minus his bats, but dressed resplendently in a tight leather bodysuit that was open to his belt, a black cape with blood-red lining, and his trademark bat-winged mask. Amy felt her heartbeat quicken.
"Amy, my love," the vampire addressed the intern in his voice, which had become soft and beautiful, "it has been a long time since we have seen each other." He conjured a red rose out of the air and gave it to Amy. "Do you remember why I have come to you tonight?"
"To make me a vampire," replied Amy. "And… your queen." She stared into Myotismon's blue eyes and shivered. "You have beautiful eyes," she added.
Myotismon was taken aback by the sudden remark. "And… and you as well," he added. "And now… let the transformation begin!"
Amy rose from her seat on the bed and stood in the center of the room. As she placed her hands in Myotismon's, the lights dimmed, and the only source of light was from the occasional flashes of lightning outside. The vampire closed in on her, smelling her hair and running his fingers through it. Amy felt cold breath blow against her neck, and she shivered.
All of a sudden, twin fangs pierced the flawless skin of Amy's neck, and she screamed as she felt a warm liquid running down it. Myotismon licked the stream of blood that flowed out of the punctures he created until there was no more. She lay limp in the vampire's arms, barely able to stand up anymore.
Before anyone else could do anything, Amy underwent a drastic physical change. She felt power surge through her body and stood up straight. Her skin was drained of its color, her eyes turned from dark brown to bright red, and two fangs protruded from her mouth.
"How do you feel, my dear?" asked Myotismon.
"Like, WOW!" exclaimed Amy. "I'm a VAMPIRE!"
There was a knock at the trapdoor, and it sounded urgent. Myotismon heaved a sigh, upset that the moment had been spoiled. "Come in," he directed.
The trapdoor opened, and Valmont, who appeared to be short of breath, poked his head into the room. "Myotismon!" he exclaimed, stopping to take a few breaths. "Myotismon… Mom's… sons…" He panted twice. "Sons… caught… Chan's… niece!"
The vampire's eyes lit up. "Really…" he mused. "Chan's niece, so dear to him he'd do ANYTHING to get her back… Excellent work!"
"Not only that, Lord Myotismon… they got the Pan-Ku Box!" added Valmont.
"The Pan-Ku Box, you say?" wondered Myotismon. "We killed two Birdramons with one stone… now to obtain the third and final piece of our puzzle, the Bat Talisman… one more move and I will be unstoppable! Show me the girl!"
"Right away," replied Valmont, descending the extremely steep flight of stairs that led to the trapdoor. Myotismon took the same path, followed closely by a curious and lovestruck Amy.
The triad left the tower and hurried down numerous flights of stone steps to the castle. Finally, on the bottom floor, Valmont took a torch off the wall and pushed a wooden door open with a loud creak. They had entered the dungeons.
The entire bottom floor of Nightmare Castle, as the place was dubbed, consisted of the dungeons. Almost completely composed of stone and metal, the dungeons were the most frightening place of the castle. Even Myotismon himself felt a bit frightened to enter. Without the light from an occasional torch on the wall, they were pitch black. Cobwebs lined the corners and where the ceiling and walls met. Spiders and bats dominated the upper half. Amy wrapped her arms around Myotismon's chest and clung to him when she saw the shadow of a bat on the ceiling. The stone walls were lined by small cells, just large enough for a person to fit in. All cells, their entrances blocked by thick metal rods, were empty except for one in the corner. Crouched on a bed of straw, shielding herself from the rain pouring in through the barred windows adjacent to the ceiling and whimpering, was Jade.
"Jackie?" she asked in her newly-timid voice, looking up at the three silhouettes near her prison. "Leela? …Fry?" Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Bender?"
"If you ever want to see any of them again, you will do as I say, little girl," demanded Myotismon, metamorphosizing into a fog and sliding between the bars. He materialized within the cell.
"Myotismon!" exclaimed Jade, standing up. "What did you do with Jackie?"
The vampire chuckled. "I did nothing to him! …Yet." He held out his hand, and what appeared to be a bubble filled with a white fog materialized in the palm of his hand. It slid out, hovered above the ground, and grew to the size of a beach ball. Bright colors flashed inside, and the image displayed a scene of the Cumulus, flying towards Nightmarion 5. Then it turned to the interior of the ship, and it showed Fry, Leela, Jackie, and Zapp inside. Jackie was sitting on a seat, his chin resting on his hands, looking out the window at the passing planets, spaceships, and stars. Leela put her hand on his shoulder in condolence.
"See that?" asked Myotismon, in his kindliest voice.
Jade, afraid to say anything, nodded her head.
"Well… JADE… there he is. Do you not see how depressed and lonely he is without you? Join me and he can have you back. Everything will be all right." The viewing orb dissolved.
"I will NEVER join your army of vampires!" screamed Jade. She took aim and spat at Myotismon. It landed on his left boot.
The vampire grew enraged. "HOW DARE YOU SPIT AT ME?!" he bellowed. "CRIMSON LIGHTNING!" He formed a glowing crimson whip and lashed it out at Jade. One crack… she fell and hit the floor on her back. Twice… he hit her side and knocked her over. Three times… he lashed so hard a dark red trail seeped through the back of her sweatshirt. Four… five… six… seven!
"STOP IT!" screamed Jade, crying because she was so badly hurt. "Please!" She held out her hands. "no more…"
Amy gasped as she saw a small child being whipped. This vision of Myotismon being a god to her quickly became a reality.
Meanwhile, Valmont, who usually relished the sight of violence, could not stand to see a child writhing from the torture she had been put through. Even if it was Jackie Chan's niece, he still disapproved. "Lord Myotismon, what about the Pan-Ku Box? And the Bat Talisman?"
Myotismon ceased his whipping just as he was about to finish Jade off with an eighth. "Valmont, you are correct." He phased through the bars once again, and Jade breathed a sigh of relief accompanied by a cry of anguish. "Get someone to tend to her wounds. I will take care of the girl later." He glared at Jade, who only felt the searing pain on her back and sides, and vanished into the shadows. Valmont briskly followed, and Amy glanced back at Jade. Seeing Myotismon for who he really was—a heartless monster who could have been the devil himself— bestowed a change of heart upon her.
"I'll be back for you," she whispered to Jade as she slipped away.
Meanwhile, in New New York, more trouble was brewing. As Mom rode back to her remodeled headquarters in her limousine from a "Parents of Vampires" support group meeting (she was a guest speaker), her chauffeur accidentally veered the limousine out of control and into a dumpster. This occurred just outside of Madison Cube Garden. There was a splash, and the front window was bathed in gunk.
"Son of a bitch!" she cursed. "Can't you do ANYTHING right, James?"
"Sorry, ma'am," gurgled a pink octopus wearing a chauffeur's cap.
Mom grumbled, muttering several profanities, as she attempted to leave the car. Her fat suit and dress made it exceptionally difficult. James followed. As she peered at the front of her once-white limousine that was now a sickening shade of green, something caught her eye. It was the very charm that turned Britney Spears's head into a vampire, or at least the head of one. There was something about the bat tableau on the talisman that made it irresistible to the tycoon, so she stuffed it into the front pocket of her apron…
Back at the headquarters, Mom sat at her desk and examined the talisman. "Heh," she laughed as she lit up a cigarette. "I'll be damned if this thing belonged to that Myotismon."
All of a sudden, a drastic change took place…
To be continued…