As soon as they discovered the bite marks on Connie's neck they took her down to the Helsing Organization and placed her in the clinic where scientists treated patients with vampirism.
"How did this happen?" Solomon asked Steven.
"We don't know." He said. "All we know is some time this week she was bitten."
"Do any of you have any idea when this took place."
"No."
"Uh-uh." Dipper said.
"I don't know anything." Manny said.
"I...I think I might know." Frida said. "I think it happened last Tuesday night ."
"Frida tell me exactly what you saw."
"It was in the middle of the night, the wind was blowing, I couldn't see much but what I did see was Connie walking in the woods and when I found her she was on the ground. I assumed that she had been sleep walking."
"Did you see anyone else there that night? Anyone at all?"
"No."
"Did she say if she had been with anyone?"
"No. When I woke her up she said that she didn't remember anything...No...Wait she did tell me about a dream she had."
"What kind of dream?"
"She said somebody was calling, telling her to come."
"A vampire must've put her in a trance and lured her to him that night."
"Will she be okay?" Steven asked.
"I don't know. When humans get bitten by a vampire they have two options. They can either not drink blood, die and become ghouls or they can drink blood and become vampires themselves."
"But you can cure her right?"
"Yes I can but the problem is I used the last of it on the patients you brought me from blood bank the other night. I need more ingredients to brew up a cure."
"What do you need?"
"Sliver shavings, white oak, holy water, and shards from a jade jewel. The first few ingredients aren't that difficult to find but jade jewel is very hard to locate."
"Can't we just buy one?"
"No you have to dig it up from the earth while it's still fresh. To find one you'd have to be a miner or a jewel witch."
"Did you say jewel witch?" Dipper said.
"Yes. They can track gems and jewels and control them. If we knew one she could easily find a jewel and force it out from under the earth."
"Well lucky for us I happen to know a jewel witch, at least I think I do."
"Who?"
"Pacifica."
"You're kidding right?" Manny said.
"Look I think she's a jewel witch, I've seen her do it, though I'm not sure she's the best."
"Well she's all we have." Solomon said. "Dipper, Steven, Manny, find this girl and gather the ingredients. Frida you stay here and help me keep Connie alive."
"Keep her alive? You mean she's dying?" Steven asked concerned.
"Not yet but if she doesn't drink blood she will and then she'll be a ghoul."
"Can I see her?"
"Yes but make it quick."
He went into the room she was kept in. She looked so pale, weak, and sick. She clutched her stomach and her neck while moaning in agony. It was horrible for him to see her like this.
"Steven?" She said weakly.
"I'm here Connie. Don't worry I'm here."
"Steven...I'm afraid. I feel so weak that I can hardly move and my body hurts so bad."
"Just hold on Connie, we're going to cure you."
"Steven I don't want to be like those ghouls."
"No! I won't let that happen I promise."
He took her weak hand in his.
"Steven."
"Yes?"
"You told me that a long time ago you fell in love with a woman who was already married and she didn't return your feelings, was her name Narine?"
She saw Steven turn more pale than usual.
"How...How did...How do you know her name?"
"Kevin told me at dinner."
"How does he know about her?"
"He said it was a legend and that she had been killed by a vampire with amber eyes that turned red. Was that you?"
"No. No that's not what happened."
"Then what happened?"
"Connie now is not the time. You need to rest and I need to get the ingredients for the cure."
"Steven, please be careful."
"I will but don't worry about me just focus on staying alive until I get back and don't drink any blood unless it's given to you by Solomon."
"Why?"
"The blood he gives you is animal blood, it won't hurt you all it will do is keep you alive longer but whatever you do don't drink human or vampire blood or you'll be a full fledged vampire."
"Okay I won't."
"Get well okay?"
"Alright."
He left her room and went back to the clinic, on his way he bumped right into Kevin.
"Where are you going?" He asked Kevin.
"To see Connie."
"You're not going anywhere near her!"
"Oh I see but you the half vampire can see her?"
"I don't trust you okay so I don't want you near her."
"Well I could say the same for you. You know I wouldn't be surprised if you were the one who bit her."
"I would never do that to her!"
"Why not? You did it to Narine."
"How do you know about her?"
"I hear things Steven, I know everything you did a hundred years ago. How you slaughtered all those men and how you tried to turn Narine into a vampire. What do you think everyone will say when they find out what you really are?"
"I'm not what you think I am and everyone hear knows it."
"Then why won't you tell them the truth? Because you're afraid of how they'll look out you when they find out. Because deep down you know you're a monster."
"Shut up!" Steven's eyes flared red and punched Kevin right across his face then grabbed him by his neck and prepared to bite him when he stopped. When he realized what he was doing Steven quickly got a hold himself and dropped Kevin while fleeing into the nearest bathroom. "Oh God did I?...Did I really just do that?"
"You certainly did." A voice said behind him chuckled. He turned to see a very large woman with orange skin and long white hair. "So this is Rose's offspring, I must say you're not at all what I expected."
"Who the hell are you?"
"I'm an old friend of your mother's, call me Jasper."
"You!" He hissed.
"Don't bother trying to attack me, there's only one way you can destroy me and none of you hunters know it."
"Did you bite Connie? If you did I swear to God I'll-"
"Relax kid like I would ever want one of those revolting humans to become great vampires like me."
"You are the farthest thing from great."
"Why are you here?"
"I've come to give you an offer."
"What's that?"
"To become a full fledged vampire."
"No way!"
"Foolish boy, you defend these humans even though they'd rather see you dead."
"That's not true."
"I heard what that human said and I saw what you did, admit you want to drink human blood. You've been wanting to ever since you your vampiric half was unlocked a hundred years ago. Why fight it?"
"Because it's murder."
"I consider it hunting for food."
"Humans aren't just cattle you can hunt and eat."
"Well that's you're opinion and frankly I don't agree with it. Anyway I think you might want to hear my offer, you see Steven I haven't known you long but I do know one thing about you."
"And what's that?"
"You're afraid of death."
"Isn't everyone?"
"No I mean really afraid. You are petrified of it, when you see dead people it scares you so much you can hardly breathe. You fear death for yourself and everyone else you care for. You know I'd think that someone with such a fear would want to be a full vampire so they could become immortal."
"You don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh but I do, you inherited a lot of things from your mother but one thing you didn't get from her was her bravery. She didn't fear anything not even death, if she did she wouldn't have had you."
"Stop it."
"She was destined for greatness but she gave all that up so you could be born and in the ned her sacrifice was for not because instead using the great strength she gave you, you waste it."
"Shut up."
"You're a disgrace! A coward! Don't you understand? She died because of you! And you grew up to be a mistake! Her sacrifice was for nothing!"
"I SAID SHUT UP!"
He pulled out his pistols and began shooting her but she was gone and the only thing the wooden stakes hit were the bathroom mirrors and walls. He stood there panting hard and dropped to the floor. What if she was right? What if he was a mistake? It was true that if he had never been born his mother would probably still be here. Was she wrong to let him be born? Should she have just aborted him?
"Hey bat boy you alright in there?" He heard Manny ask.
"Yeah." Steven lied. "I'm okay."
"Well hurry up we gotta go."
They drove down to the Northwest mansion, Dipper go out of the car, and knocked politely on the door. It was answered by the butler.
"Can I help you sir?" He asked politely.
"Yeah is Pacifica here?"
"She is doing her lessons, I shall send for her. Miss Northwest." He called.
"Yes?" She called back.
"A young man is here for you, I believe he's a gentleman caller who's come to court."
"What?! No I'm not!" Dipper cried embarrassed. "I just need her help with something."
"Oh then I beg your pardon, I thought you were another one of Madame's suitors."
The blonde girl came downstairs into the room.
"What do you want?" She asked.
"I need your help with something."
"Is it about the whole proving the possible theory that my family has been covering up devil worship."
"What do you mean the possible theory? I'm pretty sure the ghost we encountered a month ago confirmed it as a fact."
"Whatever, anyway is that why you're here?"
"No."
"Then I'm not interested now go away."
"Now wait a minute this is very important."
"I doubt it."
"Just hear me out. Connie's been bitten by a vampire if we want to save her we need a jade jewel that's buried underground. You're a jewel witch at least I think you are so you can probably find one and raise it out of the ground."
"Uh-huh and why would I do that?"
"Because it's a matter of life and death."
"And?"
"And I'm sure Connie would do the same for you."
"Well duh!"
"And...And if you don't Frida's gonna tell everyone about your confession in church about not being a virgin anymore."
"What?!" She screamed. "Why you little rat! You...No one will believe that!"
"I don't know, I mean she is a nun and if I'm not mistaken you have had a lot of boyfriends right?"
"You...Man you play dirty."
So she put on her bracelet and reluctantly went with down to the jewel mines. They were known to be filled garnets, diamonds, crystals, blood stones, and jades. But the mines had been closed for years due to an explosion causing it to collapse. There was only one way in and out and that was through I very small opening.
"Can you sense any jewels?" Dipper asked her.
"No I can't."
"Looks like we'll have to go down."
"No way!" Pacifica said. "I'm not going down in there! It's dark and dirty and-"
"Confession in church." Dipper reminded her.
"Where are the helmets?" She said.
They went to do the entrance but once Manny was inside he felt a strong burning from all around him.
"Ahh!" He hissed running out of the mine.
"What happened?" Dipper asked.
"I can't go in there." Manny said.
"Why?"
"There are blood stones in these mines, if I go near blood stones they'll burn me like hot acid."
"You sure?"
"Why do you think the holy order has bullets made from them?"
"Okay then you stay here and make sure the mine doesn't collapse on us." Steven said. "The rest of us will go down there and see if Pacifica can locate any jades."The three of them put on helmets, turned on flashlights, and went down into the dark and damp mines. There was plenty of coal, rock, and moisture dripping in but not a single sign of any jewel or gem.
"Ugh! This place is filthy!" Pacifica complained. "I hope there aren't any cockroaches down here."
"Forget about cockroaches. It's the sewer rats you gotta worry about. Big as beavers." Steven said.
"Yeah some of them can grow four, five kilo." Dipper added.
"Hey knock it off." Pacifica said. "I'm nervous enough as it is."
"Listen to them, you hear them behind the walls." Steven said. "Scratching. There must be thousands of them!"
"Shut up about the rats!" She snapped.
"Okay, okay." Steven chuckled. "So uh listen can you sense anything."
"I'm getting...Getting...Nothing." She said. "I'm not even sure I can do this."
"Just try, please."
She took a deep breath and tried to see if she could sense something. At first nothing but after trying it for ten minutes she sensed something.
"What is that?" She thought. "It feels weird, I wish whatever it was would show itself."
Then on cue three jades came out of the ground and landed in her hand.
"Nice work." Dipper said. "Now let's get out of here."
Suddenly the mine started shaking.
"Whoa! What's happening?" Steven asked.
"The mine! It's collapsing again!" Dipper realized. "We better get out of here or we'll be crushed."
"No! I'm too pretty to die!" Pacifica said clutching Dipper's waist in fear making him somewhat blush a little.
"O...Okay no one panic. We just need to get out of here. Manny! The mine is starting to go down! Can you keep it up?!"
"I'm on it!" He called.
"Okay now if we're gonna get out of here we need to be fast so Steven change into a bat and Pacifica get on my back."
"Excuse me?"
"Get on my back."
"Why on earth would I-"
"Do you want to be buried alive?! Shut up and get on!"
"Okay!"
She hopped onto his back then he changed into a wolf and began running while Steven changed into a bat and flew after them. Stone, rock, dirt, and coal began to fall rapidly. Outside Manny was using all of his strength to hold up the mine entrance. Rocks and coal fell on him which didn't bother him but the ones that fell on to him that contained blood stones felt like hot coal and lava burning his skin.
"Hurry up guys! I can't hold it up forever!" He called. "Oh God this hurts!"
Just when he felt like he couldn't hold it up any longer a bat and a wolf carrying a blonde girl came out. He then dropped the entrance causing the whole mine to collapse again.
"You okay?" Steven asked.
"Please tell me you got those damn jewels."
"We did."
"Good now if you'll excuse me I'm going to pass out." He then collapsed to the ground.
...
Back at the organization poor Connie was getting weaker and more thirsty by the minute. She could feel herself desperately wanting to drink blood.
"I'm so thirsty." She moaned.
"I know Connie." Solomon said. "Just hang on a little longer."
"I can't breathe." She cried. "Ah...Ah...Ah...Ah."
"Connie try to get some sleep okay." He said. "They'll be back soon and I'll have the cure ready as quick as I can."
He pulled a blanket over her and he and Frida left her room but not before locking the door.
"Frida you come help me gather some the white oak for the cure, Lars guard Connie's door and let no one in her room no matter what. It won't be long until her fangs grow in and she'll be desperate for whatever blood she can get."
"Okay." He said.
After they left Lars stood by Connie's door and guarded it. But five minutes later he fell asleep on the job and did not notice the mist slipping through the door cracks and into Connie's bedroom, taking the form of Kevin. He approached her bed and hovered over her. She opened her eyes and looked at him.
"What are you doing here?" She asked dazed.
"I came to grab a bite." He grinned and showed her his fangs.
"You...You were the vampire who bit me."
"Correct."
"But why?"
"Because my queen needs your help."
He leaned over and bit her on the neck in the same spot where he bit her the first time. She tried to resist, to fight back, but her body was so weak from the first bite that she could hardly move.
"Now my dear I shall feed you." He then drew blood on his arm with his sharp nails. Her eyes were filled with great thirst when she saw the blood coming from it. "Drink."
"No." She said. "I...I can't."
"If you want to become stronger you must drink blood."
"No...I...I don't want to be like you."
"Why? Because you think we're monsters? We are strong, powerful, and immortal beings of the night who deserve to rule over all creatures including humans. I know that you yearn to become stronger, well here's your chance to gain the strength you've always wanted. Why not take it?"
If her thirst for blood wasn't a temptation then her desire to become stronger was. She wanted to become strong and powerful like her friends. She didn't want to be the weak little human girl anymore. Her thirst and desire over came her senses and she found her lips pressing against his wound and drinking the blood coming out.
"Yes." He encouraged her. "Drink. Drink."
She did as she was told and continued drinking.
"Lars! What are you doing?!" Frida shouted from the other side of the door when she found him sleeping on the job.
"I didn't do it!" He cried waking up.
"Ugh! You are hopeless." She knocked on the door. "Connie are you okay in there?"
There was no response.
"Connie?"
Still no answer. She tried to lock the door with the key Solomon gave her but it didn't work for some reason. She quickly pulled her gun from under skirt and kicked down the door. She found Kevin hovering over Connie.
"Hold it!" She commanded aiming her gun. "Get off her right now!"
He looked up at her and grinned again showing his fangs.
"Oh my God you're a vampire!" She gasped. "Back off blood sucker!"
He licked the blood from his fangs and held out his hand. Three bats flew from his sleeve taking the forms of vampires.
"It's feeding time boys."
The vampires hungrily lunged for Frida and Lars. Lars ran away screaming with two of them chasing after while the third grabbed Frida but then he was burned by two lights. One came from the cross around her neck and the other came from under her glove.
"Ahh!" He hissed.
She took it off her glove to show her birthmark of a cross glowing. That's right, vampires were weakened by the cross. She bravely held up her hand causing the vampire to cower back in fear, then she held up her gun and shot a wooden stake right into his heart.
"Damn holy woman!" Kevin cursed.
More bats came from his sleeves and they changed into vampires. Frida found herself trying to shoot one after another. She quickly hit the alarm summoning all of the hunters together who began shooting wooden stakes at the vampires, decapitating their heads, and stabbing them with solar blades reducing them to ashes. Before long Steven, Manny, Dipper, and Pacifica arrived back and they found vampires swarming around the organization.
"Oh crap." Manny said.
The boys went inside while Pacifica was left inside the car. They pulled out their weapons and began fighting them.
"Sorry we're late." Manny told her as he decapitated one.
"Took you long enough." She said shooting another.
"What did we miss?" Steven said stabbing one with a solar blade.
"Oh not much but guess what, Kevin's a vampire and he brought friends."
"I knew that guy wasn't right. Where's Connie?"
"I don't know. I lost her when these guys showed up."
"You left her alone?!"
"Don't blame me! Blame Lars he was supposed to watch her."
"We don't have time for the blame game." Dipper said. "You go find Connie, we'll take care of these suckers."
With those words said Steven made his way upstairs and toward the room Connie was in. Dipper transformed into a wolf and attacked the vampires. Manny continued to use his claws to decapitate them while Frida kept shooting them. One manged to knock her gun away and tried to make a grab for her neck only to meet Manny's claws instead.
"Hey devil boy!" One vampire called. "Try this one on for size!"
He then flung a large blood stone at Manny.
"AHHH!" He howled as the crimson colored stone burned his skin. That along with the other burns he received from the blood stones in the mine became too much for him and fell down.
"Manny!" Frida gasped. She went to his side. "Are you okay?"
"Oh God my body feels like it's on fire."
"Not so tough now are you?" The vampire who had thrown the stone cackled. He swooped down toward them with his fangs bared. "It's dinner time."
Manny shielded Frida protectively and waited for the impact only to see Solomon shoot him with a wooden stake.
"Ah! You'll pay for that!" The vampire hissed just before collapsing.
"Tsk, tsk." Solomon said looking at Manny and Frida. "How clumsy, is this really the best heaven has to offer?"
"Hey you try being burned all over your body by stones and see how you feel!" Manny groaned. "Ow!"
"Take it easy." Frida said. "When this is over I'll heal you."
"Where the hell is Steven?"
"He went to get Connie." Frida said. She held up both her hand and her cross to keep the vampires from attacking her and her injured hand.
"Damn! Don't these bastards get tired?" Dipper said changing back to take a breather.
Just then all the vampires froze as if they were listening to something. Then they all changed back into bats and flew away.
"What was that all about?" Frida asked.
"I guess they do get tired." Dipper said.
"Guys I can't find Connie!" Steven said running back. "She's not in her room."
"That's because she's right here!" They looked up to see Kevin standing above them, holding a dazed and confused Connie in his arms. On and around her mouth was smeared blood while her neck was bleeding.
"What have you done to her?!" Steven shouted enraged. "Put her down right now!"
"Not on your afterlife you reject. I got a little message to you all from my queen." Kevin said. "If you ever want to see your precious Connie again then bring the praying bat to her castle."
"Praying bat? What is that?"
"A little something your mother stole from the queen. Her castle resides hidden in the black forest, bring the praying bat there before the next full moon or she'll become one of us."
"No! You can't! I won't let you!"
Steven tried to fly off to stop him but another vampire got in the way. Kevin laughed wickedly as he transformed into a horrible, bat like monster and flew away with Connie. By the time Steven managed to kill the vampire sent to stop him they were both gone.
"CONNIE!" He called out in horror. "They're gone! No! They can't be gone! They can't be! They just can't be!"
"Steven calm down." Manny said.
"How can I? He got away Manny! He took her! And he's gonna turn her into a vampire!"
"Everything's gonna be okay."
"How do you know?! I don't even know what this praying bat is. How am I supposed to find it and bring it to them?! They're gonna kill her Manny!"
"Steven it's gonna be okay."
"No! Worse! They're gonna turn her into a monster and she'll be killed! And it's all my fault!"
"Steven."
"I'm gonna lose her Manny! She's going to die because of me! Just like my mother! And-"
SLAP!
"Snap out of it man!" Manny said slapping some sense into him."Calm down! This is not your fault! We will get Connie back but you panicking and blaming yourself won't do crap for her! Now if you wanna save her you need to pull yourself together okay?"
Steven nodded and looked at him with a gaze that said he understood but he still started crying. Manny sighed and hugged him comfortingly.
"We're gonna get her back." He said calmly. "I promise."
