Disclaimer: I don't own anyone here, Sony Pictures Animation does. OCs are mine.

Chapter six

The ride west was a smooth one up until now as the group rolled up on destroyed cars and toppled street lamps. Val had to keep her foot close to the brake as the street became littered with debris… and bodies.

"Oh my…" Winnie stopped herself. There were no words for the view out of the window.

Utter shock took over as they looked around at all of the deceased monsters that lay across the streets and sidewalks. Most were civilians by the look of them, the very monsters they swore to protect. Some were bloodied and shot up while others looked like they were burnt alive, and some were mangled as fleshy collections of bones and chewed tissues.

Dennis winced but never turned his gaze of terror away from the monitor. Their distorted faces seemed to peer back at the hybrid through the turret cam, casting their silent judgment on him. He eventually turned the gun forward and tilted it up.

His mind went to the Dark Brood. Did they really do all of this? To their own species? He knew they were ruthless from his past experiences, but this chilled him to the core. Maybe Drac was right the first time, they shouldn't have kept them in that prison to rot, it just made them more dangerous. The count should've just executed them and this wouldn't have happened but no, he had to think about Mavis and show mercy.

The more Dennis thought about that, the shock and sadness eased out of him and was gradually replaced by a need for retribution. He grit his teeth and began clenching the steel bar along the compartment, bending it like taffy with his dhampir strength. They couldn't show any mercy now, not after seeing this. He couldn't even imagine the look that was on Winnie's face when she cut herself off. It was a natural instinct to get up and comfort his zing, but he ignored it and put his attention back on the gun. He knew he already failed in protecting the people and over his dead body was his squad going to suffer the same fate.

The ANAC kept lurching up as Val tried her best at navigating around the bodies.

"Jesus Val…" Jake broke the silence.

"Sorry, sorry."

Keeping the wheel under control proved to be a difficult task for Val's gloved hands and the ANAC didn't have the best turn radius either. Luckily for her, the road ahead started to clear up. A sense of some relief filled her as she noticed the last group of corpses were Dark Brood. "Hey, looks like our guys are holding out."

"Yeah." Jake squinted, trying to get a better look at them through the windshield. He gave an amused grunt at the sight on the street, "and it looks like they really socked it to em'."

"Hey Val, you getting anything on the radio?" Dennis called from the gun compartment.

She looked down at the two–way radio system installed above the gear shift and grabbed the microphone, clicking it on. Nothing but static and a few blared out voices came from the speaker. She tried switching to different frequencies but she got the same results. "Negative, the jammer is still active."

"Damn." Dennis thought for sure that the scrambler would have been cooked in the embassy by now. He guessed Greem was right when he said Allegiance tech was designed to last.

Winnie kept her head buried in her arms as she leaned against her door, her soaked dress still had the stench of burnt fur and smoke. She was just as torn as Dennis with the deceased civilians, even if she felt like the people of this city didn't respect her or her family like the Draculas. As a Guardian, she'd still happily give her life for their's even if they didn't care for her. And now this, their dead, she'd failed her mission just like the rest of the team. She sunk her head deeper, new tears streaming down her face fur. She felt as if those dead were probably judging her and her friends now, wherever they were.

Those thoughts instantly went away. Both her ears were twitching at a sound coming from the front of the vehicle. Winnie's sensitive ears could pick it up even though the pelting of rain against the windshield, rifle shots.

"Hey," she pointed up ahead into darkness, her voice just above a whisper. "You all hear that?"

Val took her eyes off the road for a second and squinted where Winnie was pointing. She couldn't see nor hear anything but it wasn't long until she could make out muzzle flashes further up the main road.

"Oh yeah, nice one Winn." Winnie lightened up at her friends praise. "You boys catch that? Weapon fire about a few hundred meters ahead."

Jake had to lean forward and squint but he eventually noticed it. It didn't take Dennis long with his vampire vision.

"Got it, floor it Val!" Dennis yelled. He knew that the loyal fighters were probably spread thin as it is so there was no time to waste.

The carrier sped off towards the gunfire which appeared to be more closer to the city gates. The Guardians could now make out the uniforms and it was clear they were in trouble.

"Val, stop fifty meters out!"

"I know what to do Dennis!"

Oh boy. Jake held onto to the bars and waited for the inevitable slam on brakes.

Val hit the brakes just before a small battle. Through the rain they could make out a squad of UMA troops duking it out with a flock of bat cronies. They had apparently ran out of ammunition by the time they arrived and were now using their teeth and claws.

Dennis focused his vision on the monitor, making sure to line the gun reticles just right. The last thing he needed on his resume was a friendly killing.

Val noticed the various species of uniformed monsters were now overwhelmed and the cronies were converging on the downed monsters. "Dennis! What are you waiting…" Her voice was cut out by turret fire.

Dennis started from the last crony and moved the gun over, raking the bats down like a buzzer on a head full of hair. He kept the sights up to their center masses to avoid hitting any of the downed troops. The last two turned and looked into the headlights in fear before trying to dash away. Dennis chopped down one but the other flew in between some apartments before disappearing in the alleyways.

Five seconds after the gun had ceased firing, Val moved her hand from her face to see what was left. Winnie uncovered her ears as she sat up to view the leftover carnage, the HMG fire did a number on her hearing. They could see some of the troops stand up and look over to the carrier in confusion, some began to climb out from the dead bats.

Val pulled the vehicle closer and stopped right in front of the recovering soldiers. A gill man put his webbed hand up to stop the vehicle. Before the carrier even stopped, Winnie scrambled out of her door and didn't even bother to close it.

The doppelgänger looked on in caution as Winnie sprinted over to one of the soldiers who appeared to be a werewolf. "Dennis, you see your girlfriend?" Dennis resisted a gulp as he saw who it was through the monitor, he knew there'd be hell to pay.

"Yeah, everyone file out!" Dennis ordered. Val climbed out of the driver's seat while Jake and Dennis filed out of the crew door. The cold rain pummeled them as they made their way to the squad they just saved.

"Dennis!" The gill man gave something of a salute. "Thanks bro."

Dennis nodded back, he watched with unease as the figure with Winnie shot a glare at him. He prepared to verbally defend himself as the high ranking figure started marching over to him, keeping his stern look. The lycan stopped in front of the Guardians.

"WHO THE HELL WAS ON THAT GUN!" His shout echoed even through the rain and distant chaos.

Valerie sidestepped as she noticed he was clearly focused on the other two. Jake stood by ready to defend his leader. He had the size on him, but knowing the rank and war stories of his comrade's older brother, it was best to not get involved yet. Dennis looked him in the eyes, "relax, Wilbur."

"Fuckin' relax!?" Wilbur snorted. "You could've killed me and my men!"

"But I didn't, I saved your asses didn't I?"

Wilbur got in the hybrid's face, "Just because your status outranks me doesn't mean I won't kick your ass and file a report."

Dennis' sharp gaze didn't waver in the slightest. Out of the corner of his right eye he could see the other fighters were up and watching them with concerned stares, Winnie started to slowly walk to them. Dennis returned his focus on Wilbur who still looked pretty pissed. "As I recall… you're only second in command."

That was it. Wilbur clutched the Dennis' arm with his claws but the dhampir still didn't budge. Dennis could still see bitter anger in his feral yellows but he saw something else in his eyes, pain maybe?

Jake moved in closer. "Easy pal."

Wilbur didn't acknowledge him. His ear twitched at the sound of a distant explosion and let his claws off Dennis, there were more pressing issues now than his five year old resentment for his sister's zing. He gave the hybrid the last glare before turning around and walking off towards the survivors.

"Everything good?" Wilbur's voice rose above the rain, gaining the attention of his subordinates. Their were some 'yes sirs' and nods, a few had healing scratches.

"Good cause' we're heading out." Wilbur turned and nodded towards the abandoned factory, already marching off.

Groans and grunts could be heard amongst the troops but they complied regardless as they picked themselves up and followed the lycan. Winnie however, yelled after him.

"Hey!? Where are you going!?"

"Out of the rain," Wilbur simply stated. "Plus I have downed guys and wounded civies' that need to be tended to."

Dennis watched them for a moment before motioning to the rest of the Guardians to follow. He moved beside Wilbur and the rest of his squad blended with the soldiers as they eased their way to the arms factory.

"Where's the commander at?" Dennis asked.

Wilbur glanced over at him, "you're looking at him."

Dennis took a second to process that. With Wilbur being the second in command First Lieutenant, the could only mean…

"Commander Braxton was killed in the first wave about two hours ago," Wilbur spoke up and pointed behind his shoulder. "His body's a half click north of here."

Dennis didn't know what to think of that. He knew that Commander Braxton was one of the few monsters Wilbur respected and looked up to, and Wilbur was put in charge of the whole Translyvania regiment just like that. He just hoped the werewolf was ready for something like that.

"Do you have a read on the situation?"

Wilbur snorted at Dennis' question, "I thought you would."

"All I know is the power went out for a few seconds just after the hearing and the brood started hitting us left to right, we assume some are infiltrators from the American legions or the LPN."

Wilbur gave the hybrid a sideways look, "That's funny because we have confirmation on a prison break from the dungeon earlier tonight."

"The castle was swarmed by Allegiance troops, all Dark Brood. Could smell the dark energy before you even saw them." Dennis didn't get a reply from him that time. Instead, all he heard was a disgruntled exhale that told him the lycan didn't need this right now.

The combined squads moved into the shadows of the old arms factory and out of the storm. Their eyes quickly adjusted to a set of burning kerosene lamps that were propped up on a tool cart in the back of the building, those were the only lights present. They then saw lines of beds next to the cart filled with monsters and others were down in fetal positions along the walls, it was obvious they were terrified civilians.

Dennis and the rest of his squad fell back. He looked over his shoulder to see if they were okay and still following, he paused at the sight of Winnie. She had both her paws covering her nose and her blue eyes seemed to scream in some kind of agony. Dennis shrugged it off for now but would glance back a few times.

Several of the civilians looked up from their positions and their expressions brightened. Dennis returned a gentle nod at their stares and a couple of the wounded troops looked up from their beds. They smiled and managed weak salutes to the Guardians, but they looked rather pitiful. It was hard for Dennis to look past their winced smiles and the pain in their eyes, as if the very presence of the Guardians of Transylvania were enough to heal all wounds. Dennis at least hoped they boosted their morale enough to get the regiment through whatever was happening in this city.

Dennis and the rest of the Guardians stopped and covered their noses, Val gagged as she attempted to breath out of her mouth. It hit them like a wave, the stench.

The best way they could mentally describe it was if a witch took burnt hair, rotting flesh, and lysol and mix it in her low boil crockpot. Dennis covered his nose with his cloak though he wasn't sure if that was going to be enough. He didn't want to look at her now but he knew one thing, It sucks to be Winnie.

"Damn! Don't think my nostrils will ever recover from that shit." Jake commented with his fist mashed against his nose.

An amused 'hmph' could be heard from Wilbur as he went over to the cart and ordered the troops to disperse. If Dennis had to guess what he was thinking, it would be something along the lines of 'you all are pansies who've never spent so much as an hour on the frontlines.'

Winnie watched her older brother as he picked up the lamp and moved over to the cot next to the cart. Her eyes widened and her paws fell from her muzzle at the sight of the bed, a bandaged werewolf with a burnt guard uniform came into view in the lamplight. Dennis didn't stop her when she ran over to him and clutched him tight.

The werewolf grunted in annoyance and slight agony. "Hey!? What the h…" His left eye which wasn't covered in a bandage rap widened as if a human stood over him. "Winnie…"

Wally gentle hugged back, keeping a distant stare behind her. "I thought you… I thought…"

Winnie sat him back on his cot, not too hard but with passionate force. Her eyes now teary as they pierced into his left eye with duel power. "Why weren't you there!?"

"I… I." Wally couldn't get the words out, still in shock as if seeing a ghost in front of him.

"Huh?!" Winnie jabbed his left arm which wasn't bandaged. "Why huh? Why didn't you come for me like you said you would!?"

"I tried, Winnie." He finally answered. He held his head low in shame and self loathing. He then showed off his wrapped up arm and moved it around, Winnie could tell he was hurting. "The dungeon was swarmed and by the time I got out the embassy was in flames. I tried to climb up, but the flames…"

Winnie visibly cringed at the scent radiating off the wraps, charred flesh that was failing to heal. She instantly regretted how she just treated him and already forgave him. She looked him over to see if there was anything she could do to help.

Wilbur motioned for the rest of the Guardians to follow him off in the shadows as Winnie assisted Wally. He led them to a dust covered conveyor before stopping.

"Look Dennis," Wilbur began as he sat on the conveyor belt. "I not gonna lie when I say I need help here, the situation doesn't look like it's gonna get better and I'm pretty sure I'll have to get these people in the tunnels soon."

Dennis studied his expression, he can tell it pained Wilbur to ask him for help but he genuinely needed it. "Actually, we have orders to leave the city."

Wilbur lowered his gaze.

"It's true, a Transylvanian official messaged me back at the hotel."

Wilbur shot a look at Val then back at the dhampir. He sighed. "Look man, all my men are either numb nuts or brutes that can't use magic. All I need is a healer."

Dennis thought about it. "Eh, I'd rather not keep whomever gave us that order waiting."

Wilbur's troubled look turned into a tense glare, giving Dennis the impression that he owed him for that turret incident earlier.

"Fine," Dennis gave in. "My healing spell probably won't be able to do anything more than just cover the wounds and numb the pain, bliss burns are a little hard to deal with."

"Fair enough," Wilbur agreed. That would definitely make it easier to move the wounded.

Dennis moved off to to the rows of beds, starting with the one Wally laid on. Wilbur watched as he placed a hand on Winnie's shoulder and began to use the other one to patch Wally. He turned to Jake who was observing the machinery on the other side of the conveyor. "Hey Jake?"

The golem snapped out of it and turned to the werewolf. "Yo?"

"Your folks alright?"

Jake stares at the lycan blankly, a strange question coming from someone who hates his boss. "They're… okay, or I hope so. They're still at the castle."

Wilbur fiddled with a burnt patch of fur on his face, keeping his feral yellows on the golem. "I hope they're okay too, had a lot of good memories of Frank."

"Oh, uh thanks… and sorry for my hand out there."

The werewolf commander waved Jake off. "No problem, you were defending your leader." Wilbur dug around in his front UMA coat pocket for a cig and lighter. "Would have done the same thing for Braxton."

Jake nodded as Wilbur found both in his pocket and plucked the cig between his lips, lighting it. He looked over to Valerie to see her twiddling around on her CaDRU. She looked up, smirking.

"Something on my face?" Wilbur remarked, blowing a puff of smoke out.

"Just your ingrown cheek fur," Val snickered.

Though his fur hid it, Wilbur's face went pale. Feeling awkward, Jake began to wander off towards the field hospital, knowing their history.

"That was supposed to be our secret."

Val couldn't resist a giggle at his coarse voice. She sat next to him on the conveyor belt, watching Dennis. She placed her arm around him, causing the werewolf to flinch.

"Sorry… if you're still hurt about."

"N–no, it's fine. You had to move on." Val stuttered, not expecting that.

"Hmm, right." Wilbur slumped down some. Val could see him out of the corner of her eye and knew he was thinking hard. "I still wonder if we could've been a thing a few years back."

Val immediately waved him off, "all that time and we didn't even get something close to a zing."

Wilbur didn't respond and just continued to stare straight ahead. He couldn't say if he believed in a zing or not but he would be lying if he said he didn't feel something for her. That very first day he met her on one of the American battlefields he thought he had something.

Valerie thought the same thing but she wouldn't tell him. She couldn't understand why though, he was a ruthless killer when they first met and she was just a vulnerable welp, lost and far from home. Maybe the sight of her changed him somehow, she'd like to think so. Val realized from these thoughts that she lied earlier, a part of her heart was still in pain since those three years. All that time they had together, those secrets they shared, the loyalty, they just couldn't click.

She focused back on Dennis who had finished up with the downed soldiers and was now talking to the huddled up civilians, perhaps encouraging them. Another question popped in her mind. "Why do you hate on Dennis so much? I know there's history to you two that predates mine."

"It's more complicated than that," Wilbur sighed. "I don't dislike him that much but since my sister will practically die for him, someone has to be hard on him since my dad apparently won't."

Val looked at him quizzically, "I don't follow."

"Look," Wilbur started, turning over to face her. "In our old culture and I mean really old lycan tradition, females have always gotten the short end of the stick. They were seen as mating tools so our species doesn't go extinct and nothing more."

Val listened, her interest peaking.

"It's why even today some of our women our submissive in nature and chase males to no end. That's why in modern times we have to keep their potential mates in check so they don't have any ideas about taking advantage of that instinct," Wilbur finished.

"Oh, but you know Dennis isn't like that, I mean he pure tried to hide from her every second he got when he was little."

"True, but Dennis came off as kind of punk whenever we interacted so…"

Val cocked her eyebrow at him, "so you do dislike him?"

Wilbur fell into a snickering fit, "yeah, yeah, I guess I do to an extent."

Valerie didn't blame him, he had to protect his sister. It was at that point she wished she had siblings of her own, not exactly 300 though, just a little brother that she could be looked up to, protect, and maybe pick on a little. She jumped when her CaDRU vibrated and pulled up her sleeve, and muttered. "Shit…"

"What?" Wilbur looked over at her fear choked gaze on the device, he threw his cig down.

"We have to leave now…!" Val stormed off the conveyor and towards the group.

"Hey!?" Wilbur took off after her.

She spun around, stopping him in his tracks. "The magic fields are closing around the city!"

The lycan commander stood there trying to process what Val had just said. He watched her as she took off to the others. The dome is activating, that could only mean… shit! He stormed off as well. The castle is in enemy hands.

Wilbur stopped at the cart and picked up his lamp. "Hey! Everyone to the Service Tunnels, now!"

The Guardians stared at him cluelessly but the troops had already started grabbing as much as they can and helped up the wounded.

Dennis looked all around him as the civilians stood and started making their way to a side room off to the rear. He felt a hard tap on his shoulder.

"Dennis, we have to go!"

He turned to Val, confused. "Why?"

"An order from this Stone Cold guy, the field is coming on and we have to get out!"

Dennis took in the sudden chaos once again but a sight brought him to the ceiling. Through the cracks in the metal roof he could see a bluish wave of light falling in a downward stream. "Yeah, let's go. Winnie! Jake! Let's go!"

Dennis and Val moved out in the center of the factory and watched for their comrades. Jake was the first to come running over but Winnie was being slowed down. They looked behind her to see Wally in tow.

"Whoa! Where the hell are you going!?" Wilbur stopped his siblings.

"Dammit Wil! Move!" Wally yelled.

"To hell with that! Get your ass in there!" Wilbur commanded as he pointed to the side room the others were filing into.

"Look man, I owe it to her."

"Please Wilbur," Winnie pleaded. "He'll be okay with us."

Wilbur growled in frustration as Dennis ran over. "What the hell is the holdup!?" Winnie leave him, that's an order!"

"No!" Winnie yelled. "I'm staying here than!"

Dennis froze at her defiance, he couldn't believe what he was hearing. Her brother wasn't even there for her and she'd stay here with him? His attention shot back up to the ceiling to the burning lights.

"Fine! Come on!" Dennis yelled over his shoulder as turned for the exit. "Let's go!"

Wilbur watched in shock as at what just happened. He brushed it off and ran after them, he at least was going to see them out.

Out on the street, the blue Aurora of the magical energy now covered 75% of the sky above the city of New Transylvania. It came in a downward wave, eager to cover the city in it's protective dome. The Guardians ignored it as they filed into the ANAC, there was no time for distractions. The rain had stopped completely due to the energy which was one thing they were thankful for.

The group resumed their spots in the carrier as Wally pulled himself in the back. Dennis didn't have to tell Val to go as she floored it once she saw everyone was in.

Wilbur watched in anticipation from the factory door as the speed off. The blue field was coming down quick.

One.

The ANAC was closing the rest of the way down Main Street.

Two

The edge of the field turned to a more bright, Aqua color as it closed down on the outer wall.

Three

The carrier was right there. At the main gate.

"Yes!"

Wilbur put his furred fist up as he saw the carrier shoot right out of the gate before it closed and the energy barrier made contact with the stone wall.

"Did they make it?" A voice buzzed in oh Wilbur's communicator.

"Affirmative!" Wilbur turned and sped back into the factory. Maybe now, they would actually have a chance.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Castle Transylvania, one hour ago

Drac glided down the halls as fast as his old wings would allow. He was close to the auditorium, he could've sworn he heard yelling and screaming.

"Augh!"

A force hit him from his right side and he fell to the marble floor. Once the wind came back to him, he looked up to see a pale bat with blue eyes looking down at him in concern.

"Didn't mean to pinball you," it spoke. "But you have to come with me."

Drac gave him a hard look. "Why? There's intruders in the auditorium."

The bat shook it's head in urgency. "There's intruders everywhere and if you don't help me right now, they'll overrun this castle!"

Drac straitened himself and flew back up. "Okay Greem, if this is important."

"Trust me," Greem circled around Drac and flew back down the hall. "The Allegiance is at stake here!"

Drac flew after him and stayed elevated to his right, just like the formation of two aircraft. Greem eventually slowed to a hover by a small side door. It opened automatically to reveal a rectangular shaft that went upwards.

One might think this to be a ventilation shaft but to the Dracula's, these were the bat–ways. They are a series of wide but short tunnels that went through the walls and ceilings of the castle and connect to outer doors. Designed for a vampire bat in mind, the doors have a DNA scanner on a small tab that only opens the door for any DNA that matches Count Dracula. Greem being the only exception.

Dracula followed the white bat in and they were soaring through the claustrophobic tunnels. Their wings had plenty of inches from the walls and there were no pipes or conduit, everything was neat albeit dark.

"Where are we going, Greem?"

"To my office," the pale bat responded. "All of the outward communication and automated systems jumped to there once the Dark Brood attacked. With your help, we'll have the situation under control in no time."

Drac's bat ears twitched. "Did I hear you correctly when you said Dark Brood?"

"Yes," Greem confirmed. "Me and Wasilei had a hunch they would try something soon, looks like it's tonight."

A new wave of fear flowed through the count. While he was relieved that Dennis not getting selected didn't cause enough stir to set off the alarms, the Dark Brood spelled whole new trouble. He thought about his grandson and how he was probably handling this. Drac was sure he'd be fine as he handled the Brood before, but him and his squad is on his own, no help from himself or Vlad this time. He only could hope.

After a few more minutes of flying, they eventually reached another side door. It read them and opened up into a hallway, Drac assumed they were somewhere on the top floor.

Greem was the first to fly out and Drac followed, they both switched into their humanoid forms as they sprinted for the far door. Greem pushed open the door as they reached it but Drac stopped right there at the doorway, dead still. Something was wrong.

He watched as Greem scurried around in his circular home–office, booting on computers. His instincts had been on the fritz since Greem first ran into him but now they were burning on a whole new level. The thing is though, he literally couldn't move. It was not like his fear wouldn't allow him to.

Greem looked cautiously behind him over to Drac. "What are you doing? Come on!"

That seemed to snap Drac out of whatever he was in and proceeded to take another step. Once again, his foot froze in midair. It was like an invisible wall with no solid surface keeping him back. "Greem, what is this!?"

The blond vampire walked forward, looking over Drac in confusion. "You can't move?"

"No!" Drac yelled in frustration.

That was it, Greem couldn't hold it anymore. He held his head low, and started to laugh.

Drac's face involuntarily morphed into a death glare at the turned vampire. He's laughing, why the hell was he laughing. "What the hell are you laughing at!? There could be people out there dying!"

Greem pulled himself together and started to walk forward again. "You still haven't figured it out yet."

"What!?"

Greem didn't answer. He walked right to Drac and lowered himself when he was in the doorway, grabbing the square rug Drac was standing on. With one sharp pull, he yanked the rug out and Drac fell to his feet.

"AUUGH!" Drac winced from the pain from his upper arm he fell on. He then looked up at Greem, "what is the meaning of this!?"

Once again, the ex–agent didn't respond. He just stood leaning against the door with an amused smirk, arms crossed.

Drac tried to get up, and when he did he froze. He spotted the carving in the floor and studied it, it was a circle that went all the way around him. His worst fear at the moment was confirmed when he saw the markings and Akkadian writings in the inner circle. This was a ward, a vampiric one. Every monster, spirit, and demon had one to either trap or block them from entering something. Drac just had one question.

"Wh… why?" Drac stuttered, looking at Greem in disbelief.

"Why?" Greem chortled. "You'll see soon enough." He turned and walked back into the room.

Drac was speechless, he watched as Greem disappeared into a back room. Greem had betrayed him, he knew that much now. But why? What cards does he have with the Dark Brood? Drac cursed himself as that wasn't important, he should have seen this coming. He always trusted Greem a little too much as Vlad told him but he just wrote him off as paranoid in his old age, now he was right. Greem was too nice, he helped build up monster society, he integrated his own technology, he even helped them win the war. It was all a play for some unknown purpose.

Greem emerged from the room pushing some kind of large hand truck. Now standing, Drac watched him push it in between two monitors on the side of his room. He noticed a series of straps along the truck's sides and there were no bars, just a flat metallic frame. Drac saw there was some type of tool or weapon on his back.

Greem turned and started walking back towards Drac, drawing his weapon from his back. The count glared and tensed up as Greem stopped before him, training his weapon on the count. It had a weird design and a cylinder power supply next to the barrel, it's muzzle didn't open up. Drac had never seen a weapon like that before.

He flipped a button and pulled the trigger.

Drac heard the trigger, but didn't hear anything for a few seconds. Waves started hitting him, like sticking his head in the beach shallows. "That all you got, tr…"

Greem adjusted a knob on the power supply.

His eyes burned and his head started to scream, he fell own his knees as his legs couldn't handle the sudden heaviness. Drac clutched his head. "GREEM!… DAMN You…" his voice broke as his eyelids were too heavy to keep them open. He fell to the floor, the waves stopped and the door opened to blackness.

Greem looked over his handiwork. The count now laid unconscious in the center of the ward.

"Infrasound waves, you can do all sorts of things with them if you have the right signals and the waves amplified just right. Anxiety, hallucinations, migraines, and fatigue, this thing can do it all." Greem threw his wave gun on his shoulder and pretended to blow smoke from the tuner. "In your case, it was the later."

He looked over at some movement coming from down the hall, and waved them to come over. They appeared as two Allegiance vampires as they approached.

"Get him in those straps by twelve." He ordered them in the room. The two nodded as they looked down at the count, sadistic grins spreading across their lips.

"I have other business to attend to," Greem said before he moved down the hall. He was eager to get away from the smell of used Dark Magic.

As he moved down the main hall, he'd noticed the atmosphere had completely changed. Lights were dimmed out, the smell of smoke and cooked meat, and there wasn't a single legit Allegiance guard in sight. Victory.

There was a bliss fire going on farther down the hall and he moved at a more brisk pace to see the destruction. The bright flames now were now climbing up the walls and hitting the ceiling. He looked across the floors to see the remains of suits of armor, Dracula's protectors. They had all melted into the floor, a few were still molten and bubbling. No doubt they came face to face with a Blight Torcher, and lost.

"Heh, looks like they should've made you guys out of a more heat–resistant metal." Greem remarked and laughed.

He continued down the hall and followed the route back to the auditorium. Patrols of uniformed Dark Brood now lurked around the halls and Greem now had a sense of glee, his plan managed to go off without a hitch. He slowed his walk down to dwell on his accomplishment and take in the air of death and destruction, he had missed it from the war. To him, this air always came before a great change, a change for the better. Just like the end of the Thirteen Year War, and just like this takeover.

Greem shoved open the huge double doors and before him lay a sea of panic and death. The Dark Brood had the entire place under their control and were skulking about, looking for more lives to take. The floor along the walls were littered with melted suits of armor and chard Allegiance bodies, all synced with each other. The crowd of civilians and officials that were once seated along the rows of chairs were now herded against the opposite wall. Armored trolls which were considered a type of elite in the Dark Brood had flame weapons known as Blight Torchers trained on the crowds. They wore toothy grins at the sight of the frightened crowd.

Greem looked around at the controlled mayhem, the toppled seats, the busted lights. This is just the first step.

He scanned around for Hunter and saw the wendigo standing tall by the main entrance, gazing over the trapped herd of monsters. Without anymore delays, he made his way over to the NAL President.

"Greem!" Hunter boasted once he saw the vampire. "Looks like this little coup of your's went off without a hitch."

"Wouldn't say that just yet!" Greem called back.

Hunter placed his talons on the vampire's shoulders once he made it to the entrance. "Did you get him?"

"Yes, the guards are strapping him up as we speak, it won't be much longer until we have his secrets. No thanks to this thing right here." Greem showed off the wave gun.

Hunter looked over the weapon, intrigued. "Your designs never fail to impress me, Greem."

Greem re–strapped the wave gun on his back. "But yeah, this isn't a hundred percent till we have those kids who think they're heroes in here."

"We have Vlad on it right now," Hunter nodded. "Though Murray and Ruby managed to squeeze out of here somehow."

"Dammit!" Greem cursed as he balled his fist. "Okay… It's not like they'd be able to get far, are the other two still here?"

"Yeah, Shu and Grongo are in the crowd somewhere." Hunter pointed over to the cornered monsters, "Drac's buddies are in there too."

Greem looked over to the crowd. The masses of the scared monsters were moved closer to the entrance and the vampire could make out the faces of Frank and more of the Drac pack. He grinned. If the Guardians do manage to escape, I'll at least have cards to pull.

A commotion brought Hunter's eyes to the crowd, he pulled his satchel to his side.

It was Grongo. He looked as if his fuse had already blown, eyes glowering, teeth bared. He pushed through the monsters, not giving a damn who he pushed over. "Move!"

He made it out of the crowd and didn't even bat the trolls an eye, he kept his glare on the wendigo. Hunter motioned for the trolls to lower their torchers as the mapinguari stormed past them.

"Grongo! We were just talking about you!" Hunter smiled.

"Shut it!" Grongo snapped as he stopped before the two. "What the fuck ails you!?"

Hunter broke down in laughter, this explosive temperament isn't like Grongo at all.

Grongo got in his face, they were eye to eye. "What is this Hunter?"

Grongo backed off, feeling a cold object against the upper part of his stomach. the old monster looked down to see the barrel of a revolver pointed at his liver. He looked back up at Hunter whose face was now unreadable.

The mapinguari stared at his old friend, his expression one of loss and betrayal. "Why… why do you help them? I took you under my wing, I trained you, helped you become the NA president… and you whore out to the Brood!"

"And I am very grateful of your previous aid," Hunter spoke as he pulled the hammer back. "But your time is over, you old fools can't bring us to Ascension."

He pulled the trigger.

The shot caused all of the grouped monsters to duck to the floor. It rang the eardrums of every monster in the large room. Grongo hit the floor with a hard thud, the silver .44 is enough to knock down even the biggest creatures.

"You…" Grongo choked, his eyes pitiful as he lay on the floor on his dying breath. "Burn…"

That was it. His eyes went lifeless to the ceiling as he choked out his last breath.

"That was depressing," Hunter half joked.

Greem watched the whole ordeal with mild interest. Though it was entertaining, Grongo had to be taken care of. "Had to be done."

A troll walked over, already expecting what it'll have to do.

"Clean this up," Hunter ordered, and pointed to the exit. "Take his body to the burn piles."

The troll nodded and slung Grongo's corpse over his shoulder, and marched off out of the heavy doors.

"Greem!" A voice roared through the vampire's communicator, causing him to wince.

"What is it Bela?"

"TH!…DAMN TWERPS!…RE TRY!… ESCAPE!" The large bat's voice chopped through the static.

Greem cut his com off. He turned to Hunter, stress beginning to show on his face. "Looks like I'll have to bring the field up sooner than anticipated."

"We have some escapees?"

"Yeah," Greem switched to his bat form. "We have to keep the outer Allegiance forces from intervening as long as we can."

He flapped over to Hunter. "You think you can keep these people at bay?"

The wendigo gave an eager nod. "Sure thing, chief. Sounds like fun."

Greem nodded back, and the pale bat darted off back to his office. Hunter watched him disappear into one of the bat doors, his gaze slowly turned back to the cornered crowd.

He began walking, revolver in clawed hand. Most of the front monsters started to shrink back into the crowd out of fear, some were still on the ground from the shot earlier. Hunter stopped before the masses, he stood in between two trolls with burning torchers. In a sudden motion, he had the muzzle on the monsters.

They all jumped back, a few screams were heard. He giggled in amusement at their reaction and started spinning the revolver on his trigger talon. He through it around and continued spinning the gun by the trigger guard, like he was some cowboy.

Wayne peered behind Frank's shoulder. "Damn this guy is a nutcase," he remarked with slight fear.

"Your telling me," Frank whispered. "I just wonder how this guy got elected."

Wayne chuckled a bit, it was a slight relief in their situation. He felt claws dig into his leg and glanced down to see Sunny wrapped around his right leg, her head buried.

"Sunny," he reached down and nudged her ear. She slowly looked up at him, trembling. He wanted to say she'd be okay, as much as a lie that would probably be. "…" He couldn't pull himself to say anything.

Wanda moved over and picked Sunny off of him, noticing her stare was making him uncomfortable. She put her back on the floor and kneeled down to her level. Caring yellow eyes stared down into delicate blues. "Sunny, if anything happens… you remember where to run to, right?"

The pre–teen werewolf locked up. She didn't want even think of that.

"Sunny?" Wanda remained passionate.

"Yes mom."

She dove into her mother and allowed her to pull her in a tight hug. She didn't want to run or hide, she just wanted to stay here in a fierce mother's embrace, it seemed like it would protect her from anything.