That attack had left the organization greatly damaged. Solomon was treating victims who had been bitten by the vampires, Frida was healing Manny's wounds along with the wounds of the injured, as for Steven he just wanted to be alone. He sat alone in his room, blaming himself for what had happened.
It turns out there never was any recruit. Kevin was a vampire spy of Jasper who had hypnotized the Romanian organization to call Solomon and tell him that a recruit was coming. He then killed a human and inhabited it's dead body so he could walk around during the day without being destroyed. His mission was to use that body to find the praying bat and spy on Steven but when he found that he couldn't find it so he decided to try a different approach. Kidnap one of their allies and threaten their lives. But that also served as a problem because no one not even Steven knew what the praying bat was let alone where it could be.
Dipper being very smart and good with books decided to go to the library and get as much information about the praying bat as possible. He was their hours finding one dead end after another.
"Hey." Pacifica said, she placed a mug and a box on his desk. "I brought coffee and doughnuts."
"Thanks." He grabbed the mug and opened the box. He was just about to help himself when he stopped and looked at her suspiciously. "Okay what's going on."
"What?"
"That was pretty nice of you to give me this. Did you put something in this coffee and doughnuts?"
"No."
"Alright what do you want?"
"What makes you think I want something? Can't I be nice?"
"You once kicked a kitten."
"Alright I kind of wanted to make sure that you wouldn't squeal on me about my confession."
"Hmm." He said sipping his coffee. "I don't know."
"Look I know you think it's no big deal but if my father or anyone else finds out I'm not a virgin anymore I am dead. Do you hear me? Dead and buried."
"Oh come on lots of girls nowadays lose their virginity before marriage. They're called prostitutes."
"Yeah and they're poor people who live on the streets so people expect that by I'm a Northwest. A woman of class, if people found out I wasn't virgin it would ruin my father's image and if his image is ruined then he'll ruin me."
"What do you mean?"
"You saw him that night when he slapped me didn't you? He did that just because I told him you guys might take awhile with getting your job done. Imagine what he would do to me if he or God forbid the public knew I was...Well...Unclean."
"I'm guessing pretty bad? But I'm sure he won't kill you, I mean he's your father right?"
"I wanna show you something, come with me."
She grabbed his hand and pulled him into the nearest closet. She locked the door, turned on the lights, and began to undo her dress.
"Now wait a minute I may be an animal but I'm not that wild."
"Shut up you idiot! I'm not trying to seduce you! I just want you to see something."
She turned around and continued to undo her dress. It fell to the floor leaving her in just a corset pantaloons. Dipper blushed at first but his embarrassment soon became horror when he saw scars, bruises, and cuts all the way down her back and legs. He had never seen anything so horrible in all his life.
"Did...Did your father do this to you?"
She kept still and quiet for a long time before she started speaking again.
"All parents have their own way of discipling their kids. My father's was his cane and his belt. Three weeks ago the mayor's son asked me to dinner, I told him no and my father beat me with his cane, when I was twelve I told a man that my parents had lied about going to a charity event and he turned out to be a reporter so my father beat me with his belt, and then when I was five I spilled tea on an expensive carpet he bought."
She turned forward and showed him a large, blood red, scorching, burn mark on her chest.
"So he burned my chest with hot coals and then had me buried alive in the yard. Said he would have me dug out when I would stop my stupid crying. As for my mother she just stood there and watched while she was drinking her damn wine."
Dipper was speechless. He knew the Northwests could be cruel but he never imagined they would do something like this to their own daughter. That wasn't cruel, that was evil. He watched her turn around and start to put her dress on. He slowly raised his hand up and used it to gently touch her back. She tensed and turned around.
"Sorry." He said. "I just-"
"I don't need your pity, it's my own fault for causing so much trouble. All parents punish their kids when they make mistakes."
"Not like that. Mine didn't."
"Well yours must've been very permissive. Look I wasn't trying to get any sympathy okay I only wanted to make it clear to you that no one can know about my confession in church okay? So don't tell."
"Alright I won't."
"Good now let's get out of here before someone gets the wrong idea."
They left the closet and went back to the library. Dipper couldn't help but think about those scars and marks, he couldn't imagine someone doing stuff like that to their own child. No wonder this girl was so mean and stuck up, her family had basically beaten whatever goodness she had out of her.
"Any luck on the whole bat thing?" She asked.
"No and I've spent nearly the whole night trying to figure out what on earth this praying bat their talking about is and so far I've got nothing. I've read nearly every book about bats in this library and not one of them have provided any information about what we're looking for."
"Well maybe it's not a bat. Maybe it's something else."
"It's called the praying bat, what else could be?"
"Well it has the praying in it's name right? So maybe it's an idol or something."
"An idol?"
"Yeah some people worshiped idols, little statues of animal made from rock. I learned about it from my tutor."
"Idol..Hmmm...I think you might be on to something. Quick help me gather up all the books on false gods, myths, and idols."
They began pulling out those exact books and began reading through them. And by they reading them I mean Dipper. I took him awhile but soon he found one book with a page about the praying bat. Once they had the information they needed they checked out the book and went back to the Van Helsing Organization to tell them what they found out.
"According to this book the praying bat is a stone idol used to protect all vampires from spells and curses but only during the night of a full moon." He explained.
"So that's why they want it before the full moon." Solomon said.
"But what do they want it for?" Frida asked.
"It doesn't matter." Steven said. "What does matter is we need to know where it is. Dipper does that book tell us where we can find it?"
"No but Kevin seems to think you have it."
"But I don't."
"Well your mother took it so she must've hidden it somewhere."
"Well I don't know where she put it. She died when I was born and my father never mentioned that to me."
"There maybe one way we can find out where it is." Solomon said. "Imps."
"Imps?" Manny said.
"Pesky little creatures who are notorious gossips, con artists, and tricksters. Some times they'll pretend to be gods or demons just mess with ignorant humans, if there's anyone who knows where we can find an idol or information on one it's them. Here's a picture."
He opened a book and showed them a little green creature with red eyes.
"Hey boys is it my imagination or does that little creep seem familiar?" Manny said.
"Yeah it's Zim!" Steven pointed. "Hey Zim told me earlier that he's been working with Jasper maybe he knows something."
"Where do we find these imps?" Dipper asked.
"Try the imp's market, the closest one is hidden underneath a bridge near here, some imps will disguise themselves as humans so you'll need these." Solomon pulled out some goggles. "These goggles are made with a special lens that allows you to see things as they really are."
"Fascinating." Dipper said observing them. "Hey there's only three?"
"Sorry they're difficult to build especially when getting the right lens.."
The five teens drove down to the nearest bridge As if luck was on their side, with in five minutes an old lady carrying a cat and a dog in two different cages came under the bridge. Well it looked like an old lady but with the goggles Manny, Steven, and Dipper saw it was hideous, drooling, snotty, imp.
"Uh sick!"Manny said.
"Ugh revolting!" Dipper said.
"Eww!" Steven said.
"What is it? Let me see." Frida said.
"Oh trust me sweetie you don't wanna see this." Steven said.
"Dipper, what the hell are we looking at?" Manny asked.
"I believe it's an imp, by my calculations it weights 200 pounds, female, and judging by the dry skin and dripping bags of flesh she's elderly." Dipper explained.
"That's a she?" Steven said in surprise. "I've seen men prettier."
They watched her open one of the cages, grab the cat, and lick her lips.
"Oh crap she's gonna eat the cat!" Manny gasped.
"Keep quiet, if you scare her off we'll never get inside." Dipper whispered.
"But she's gonna eat the cat."
"So? "
"It's a cat! You're not supposed to eat cats!"
"The Chinese do."
"Then they're sick! I can't! I can't let this happen!"
"Manny it's just a cat!"
"A quarter of my family are related to cats!"
"You'll blow our cover!"
"But-"
"You can't! We need to follow her and find out if we-"
"Oh screw this! Hey!" Manny called out causing the old woman to freeze. "Lucy! I'm home!"
She dropped the cat and turned around to give Manny her best smile.
"Hello young man can I help you?" She said sweetly.
"Give it up nasty we can see ya."
"You see me?"
"We know you're a dirty imp."
"How?! How do you see me?!"
"None of your business, listen can you do us a favor and take us to the imp market?"
"Come any closer and I'll rip your heart out!"
"Now madame let's not get violent." Dipper said. "I'm sure that we can come to an agreement about-"
WACK!
She hit him on the head with a cane.
"Ow!"
"Beat it! The both of you! Or I'll tear out your throats!"
"Okay I tried to be nice, now it's the hard way."
"Boys time for plan b." Manny said.
They took off their goggles and gazed at her with their dark and frightening eyes, and bared their fangs. She saw the fires of hell, demons. screeching bats, blood, wolves, bones, and many other frighting things. The she imp froze in terror.
"Now let's try this again." Dipper asked. "Madame would you kindly take us to the market?"
"Ri...Right this way." She pointed a terrified finger over to the bridge wall and handed Steven some chalk. "Draw a door and knock."
Steven did just that and the wall opened to reveal an underground market filled with strange looking creatures. All kinds of imps.
"Creepy." Frida said.
"There's our guy." Manny pointing over to the familiar and annoying imp they had met. "Looks like he's trying to con people again by selling them useless junk for expensive prices."
"Sounds like my uncle." Dipper said.
"Let's go pay him a visit."
"Gir you idiot!" He shouted at his assistant. "I told you to get gold paint not yellow paint! Now how am I gonna trick customers into thinking this toilet plunger is made of gold?"
"What's matter Zim couldn't get a decent job?" Dipper asked.
"Oh great it's you. What do you want?"
"A friend of ours has been taken by one Jasper's spies, last time we heard from you, you worked for her."
"Yeah I did until I gave her the information she wanted then she threw me out! Well it's her loss!"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever point is you used to work for her so you might know something."
"I don't know anything about your friend."
"Well do you know anything about the praying bat?" Steven asked.
"It's an idol that Jasper's been after for years. But your mommy stole it and hid it."
"Do you know where?"
"If I did do you honestly think I'd be here? If I knew where it was I'd be using it to get some cash out of Jasper."
"Do you know why she wants it so badly?"
"Yeah I do but I'm not telling you anything and there's no way you're gonna make me."
One second later...
"Alright! Alright! Alright! I'll talk! I'll talk!" Manny had changed Zim into a fish and was holding him over the hungry jaws of the cat they saw earlier. When the imp caved in he turned him.
"Okay now talk you worm!"
"Okay it's like this. Years ago she came up with this potion that could eliminate all intelligent life on earth if released from it's sacred jar but if she poured it on the praying bat on the night of a full moon then only vampires would be spared from the spell."
"So that's why she wants it." Manny realized. "With that potion and that idol she could destroy every human on earth."
"We need to find that idol and destroy it." Dipper said.
"What about Connie?" Steven said. "If we don't bring it to her she'll kill her."
"And if we do she'll kill all humanity. We can't let her have it."
"Dipper without that idol Connie is doomed to die and then come back as a monster who will kill to survive! We have to give it to her!"
"So she can destroy every human being on earth? Us included?"
"Manny help me out here, you know we have to take it to her."
Manny looked at him sorrowfully same with the girls.
"I'm sorry, look we'll get her back somehow but not by giving her that idol. If we find it we have to destroy it."
"I don't believe this. Connie's our friend! How can you sacrifice her like this!"
"It's not that simple." Frida said. "It's not that we don't care about her it's just that...We need to think this through."
"Well you all think it through but I'm going to save Connie." Steven declared. "And I don't care if you guys don't want to help me."
And before the could stop him, he changed into a bat and flew away.
"Should we go after him?" Pacifica said.
"No just give him time to think." Dipper said. "Come on let's go back and see if we can find that thing."
...
Steven continued flying in rage. Some friends they were, they were just going to let them kill Connie.
"Steven." He heard a voice call.
"Huh? Who's there?"
"Steven." He knew that voice. He flew down and changed back into his original form. "Steven...Steven...Steven."
Where had heard the voice before? He then turned to see a woman with long pink hair. He knew her, he recognized her from a memory he had seen. It was his mother, Rose.
"Mother?"
"Hello Steven."
He couldn't believe it, how was she here? She died. He saw her die and yet she was standing right in front of him. Tears filled his eyes and he ran toward her, she welcomed him with an embrace.
"Shh...It's alright I'm here."
"How? You're dead."
"Just because I'm dead doesn't mean I'm gone."
"Why are you here?"
"To help you. You're looking for the praying bat, I figured the day would come when you would have to find it though I always hoped it was because you would destroy it."
"Mother I need to find the praying bat, it's the only way to save Connie."
"Connie means a lot to you doesn't she?"
"Yes she does. I don't think I could live with myself if I caused the death of another person I cared for."
"Steven it's not your fault I died. It's mine, I chose to have a baby, I knew the risks and I didn't care. I just wanted to be able to bring something wonderful in to this world and you my son are truly wonderful." She said. "You're father and I are so proud of the man you've become."
"Father? Is he here?"
"He's always with you as am I but I'm afraid you can't see us always but we're always there. Steven in order to save Connie you must come to terms with your past and the mistakes you've made."
"But I-"
"I know it's hard but if we ever want to move on we must learn from our mistakes. When I kiss you, you shall have my memory of where I hid the praying bat. Use it wisely." She kissed his forehead. "I know that whatever choice you make will be the right one good luck my son."
She then faded from his sight.
"Mother wait!"
But she was gone. Tears began to fall, he finally met his mother but it was only for a short time and it hurt. Then suddenly an image appeared in his mind, it showed his mother burying the praying idol underneath the Van Helsing Organization. Of course no vampire would think that she would hide it there. He changed into a bat and flew back to the organization then he looked for the spot and began digging until he found it.
He knew he couldn't tell the others about it. They would only destroy it and then he would lose Connie for good. But then again if he gave it to Jasper everyone in the world would be killed. So many lives would be lost. What would he do? May mankind forgive him he couldn't risk her life. He hid the idol in his shirt, wrote a note explaining everything, and then went to the castle in the black forest. It would take him several days to get there because it was very far out into the woods on top of a mountain.
In the morning Dipper found the note.
Dear friends
I know you mean well but I can't risk losing Connie.
I'm going to give them the idol but I won't let them use it.
I'll make sure that she never opens that jar.
I have everything under control so don't worry.
Sincerely Steven.
"That idiot!" Dipper shouted.
"What?" Manny said.
"Steven found the praying bat and he's taking it to Jasper."
"He wouldn't."
"I think we both know he would. Damn it! What are we going to do?"
"Well I have two options. Option one is we hunt him down, hog tie him, and beat him senseless until he gives us the idol or we find him and try to talk to him."
"Second option?"
"Yeah."
"What if it doesn't work?"
"Then we use the first option."
"Agreed."
