I dedicate this fanfiction to my girlfriend and all my readers, reviewers and the beta reader floodmaster16.
I'm sorry for the long wait, but I hope you enjoy the new chapter.
CHAPTER 18 - Deal with the Devil.
Jonathan threw himself on Mavis' bed, extremely exhausted, "I never thought that getting engaged would be so challenging..." He jokingly said, but the vampiress did not seem to care. She leaned on the wall and sat down heavily on the floor, keeping her knees high. She narrowed her eyes, glistening with tears, and covered her face with her hands, then sliding them up to her hair as she lowered her head.
The boy placed a gentle hand on the girl's shoulder and smiled slightly, "Don't worry, you must be strong, we must be strong at these times, for both your father and Hotel Transylvania. Everything will be fine, you'll see. After all, Drac managed to block the human invasion and nobody got hurt."
"Yes, but ..." Mavis paused, then looked up at the boy, "To the members of the 'Order of the Dragon' the safety of this castle is an insignificant detail when compared to the birth of a demon. I'm afraid that, like Ruthven and Erzebeth, the dragons think that my father is the demon, too. I don't want him to be condemned because of me."
Jonathan put his arm around the girl's neck and hugged her closer to him, "Do not say that, none of you deserves to be condemned" and then the two dropped themselves on the bed.
Mavis closed her eyes. That hug broke all her concerns. It was just him and her, and the young vampiress didn't need anything but that relaxing moment of calm and intimacy to be happy. It would not last long, but at least, in that brief moment, they could rest a bit, and, without them noticing it, they fell asleep.
Meanwhile, outside the window of that room, the sun had set behind the mountains and, thanks the dense clouds that had dominated the sky that day, darkness came upon earlier, along with a loud buzzing sound.
October 31 was the second day of the year with the highest turnout of monsters, after September 28. Normally, the monsters came to the hotel even a week before to better organize the New Year celebrations of ghosts, but the closure for renovation of the castle had forced the guests to come all at once, and it was not the only drawback. In fact, this year they were many more. The advertising (as good or bad as it had been) that the hotel had received in recent weeks had sparked the curiosity of many monsters, and added to them were also those who wanted to follow the Council. That night would be one of the most frenetic in the hotel's history.
Mavis woke up a couple of hours earlier.
"Johnny?" She said, shaking him gently. The boy jerked awake.
"Calm down, Johnny, it's just you and me" she continued
"How long did we sleep?" he asked, sleepily.
"I don't know, but don't worry" the vampiress smiled, "I've wanted to sleep with you for a long time"
The human smiled, enthusiastic, and then looked at his watch, "It's eleven o'clock..." He said, with the hope that Mavis knew what they both had to do that night.
"My father will probably come in about an hour," She said, getting out of bed, "In the meantime I'll take a quick bath. I have to relax while we wait for the Council." And so she walked to the bathroom.
Meanwhile, Jonathan sat up on the bed. He was thoughtful too, but the phone in his pocket began to vibrate.
Imagining yet another call from his mother, he answered without even taking a look at the number.
"Vlad, can you talk?" The voice on the other side cut him short. It was young and male.
Jonathan was astonished. Who could it be? And, above all, how could he know Dracula? So he checked the monitor, +39 0000000000.
"Who the hell has a phone number composed of only zeros?" He muttered.
"I found out that the Council didn't send spies to your castle." The voice continued.
"But, who are you?" Jonathan asked, cautiously.
"You are Jonathan, the human? Of course, Vlad had told me that the mobile phone from which he called me was yours." The man said, without answering the boy's question.
"Y-yes... But you haven't told me who you are yet."
"Who am I is none of your concern. Let's just say that I am the one that saves your ass whenever you need it"
"You're that Dragoon that helped us save Mavy?"
The man did not answer.
"Thank you. It's only because of you that the demon was stopped before..." But the boy was interrupted abruptly.
"Before what?" The man replied, rudely, "Mavis killed my spear, my dragon, and made me the world's most-wanted monster. I haven't been sentenced yet, but my Wanted poster says' dead or alive', and that doesn't give me hope. "
This time was Jonathan to remain speechless.
"Venting out with you is a waste of time. Let me talk to Mavis."
Jonathan turned towards the bathroom door, "Mavis is taking a bath, can you call back later?"
"Do you think I have time to waste? All of our lives are at stake here. Go to Mavis, you know she isn't ashamed to be seen by you as she bathes..."
"What are you saying?!" Jonathan exclaimed, embarrassed.
"You know what I mean, I know everything ... I see everything ..." The man said, with a playfully imposing voice.
The human sighed, and then walked to the bathroom door.
Knock, knock
"Johnny?" Mavis replied, "If that's you, then come in."
The human went in, fearfully, finding the room filled with warm steam.
"I thought you were too ashamed to come inside with me, but I guess was wrong." Said the young vampiress, as she pulled her wet hair back, uncovering her forehead, then tucked her hands behind her neck to use them like a pillow. She leaned against the tub, watching the boy, who handed the phone to her without looking at her directly.
"It's for you, urgent. It's the Dragoon who stopped... well, you know who I mean..." The boy said, gravely.
The vampiress chuckled, "I was wrong, unfortunately... but, are you sure he can talk? My father is afraid of being under observation by the Dragons."
"No, this guy says that the hotel is safe."
The girl took the phone and brought it to her ear, "I'm sorry for what I..."
"There's no time for apologies, what happened cannot be changed. I wanted to talk to Vlad, but I'm afraid he's busy with the Dragons, so I'll settle for you two. Turn the speakerphone on so you two can hear me."
Jonathan activated the speaker and sat down on the wet floor, leaning with his back against the ancient bronze bath, "Go ahead."
"What? I can barely hear you" Exclaimed the voice, scratchy and torn, "Could you try to move the phone?"
Mavis raised her hand, making the device float in the air, "Is that better?" The girl asked.
"More or less. Try turning it... many phones have the antenna on the front side..."
The vampiress gave a shrug, then, with a wave of her fingers, turned the phone.
"We're almost there, tilt the phone slightly upwards..."
The girl did so, after all she was not very familiar with the technology, but Jonathan seemed puzzled.
"Perfect." The man by unknown name exclaimed, "We were saying..."
"Hey," Johnathan interrupted him, and looked up at his cell phone which was in the air above him, looking angry, "this is not a plan to photograph her in secret, right?"
"Johnny," Mavis began to speak, "I don't think this is the time to be jealous. I doubt that he thinks about these things at a time like this"
"Also, since the video call is done with the frontal camera..." The man pointed, and, convinced of the meaninglessness of these objections, the human calmed down too, "Do you know what you are going against to?" The man continued.
"I just know a tribunal will be set up, but that's all I know." The girl replied.
"Exactly, and your father is not in a good position. Double monstricide, lack-of-safe refuge, and public omission of alert, aggravated by the death of a sacred spear and an ancient dragon. The first two accusations are not overly serious, but the dragons are vindictive, especially with vampires, whom they only see as sons of the Lamias. That is where I come in. The dragons want me dead, and the only person who wouldn't betray me is Vlad. I need his protection and he needs a scapegoat to blame all this on. You just have to convince the jury that Vlad issued a demon warning by calling me, but that it was me who wanted to intervene on my own."
"And you're willing to do all this for us?" Mavis asked, almost moved.
"I don't care about you at all" the man replied with disdain, "I just need to hide until the dust has settled. If you fail and I get caught, I tell the truth, that you are a demon. The dragons will have no mercy. So, Mavis, do you accept my offer? Either we both win or we both lose "
Jonathan looked offended by these words, "But why would you do that?! What would you gain by telling the truth?"
"I don't gain anything by telling on your secret, just the opportunity to threaten you to do so. It's just a way to have your loyalty."
"You're crazy if you think we will accept your conditions" Jonathan protested.
Mavis slid her body into the water, thoughtfully.
"I accept your conditions." The girl cut short.
Hearing these, words Jonathan turned instinctively towards her, but he moved his glance away quickly, "Are you crazy?!"
"We need all the help that we can get, and, after all that you have sacrificed to save me, I want to return the favor." She replied, grimly, as she vanished in a cloud of purple smoke and rematerialized beside the human, dry and dressed; she only had some of her bangs out of place, but a simple pass with her hands was enough to fix them, "But I still don't know your name" the girl concluded.
The man sighed, "I haven't got a name." He said chuckling.
"Even a demon answers at the request of his name. Why don't you stop being the bully and answer?" Jonathan said. He did not like the lack of respect that the man at the phone had towards Mavis.
"A sample of DNA and the name is enough to perform the summoning ritual of a magical creature. I felt that this simple fact was a weakness, and I was right, of course. That's why I created one of the most powerful psychic seals and I used it on me to cancel my memory. I don't know what my real name is, but a team of mercenaries with whom I worked called me Hal, like the supercomputers of 2001: A Space Odyssey."
"Because you're as cunning and ruthless as that artificial intelligence? I think I've already framed you for that" Jonathan continued, but got no response, so he took the phone. Hal had hung up. "He didn't even say good bye" The boy concluded.
"Don't you think you are a bit too harsh on him?" Mavis admonished the boy, "Were you jealous?" She continued, with a sly smile.
"Me?!" The boy said, wincing, "I just don't trust him."
"How can you not trust him? He needs us as much as we need him." Mavis retorted.
"Who are you talking about my little leech?" Dracula said with a smirk, suddenly appearing in the room.
"Dad! It seems like you're in a good mood." the young vampiress said.
The old Count crossed his arms behind his back, "The situation is still tense, but I put the witches at work in the lobby. They can handle all those monsters with their magic at once, and gargoyles are carrying luggage to rooms by flying outside the castle, so there is less crowding in the hallways. I never served so many people in such a short time." Drac then turned to Jonathan, who seemed troubled, "Johnny, is there something wrong?"
The young man sighed thoughtfully, "I don't know... he helped us a lot when we needed it, but I don't think he's nice at all, he's too arrogant and egocentric... I'm not sure it was a good idea to make that deal with him."
Dracula moved his gaze towards his daughter, "Who have you spoken to?"
"He said his name was Hal." Mavis said.
The Count sighed grimly, bit his lower lip and lowered his gaze. That bit of good mood that had recently regained crumbled into a thousand pieces, "It was a bad idea, but you were right to accept. Unfortunately, when that person calls to make a deal, rejection is not an option."
"He threatened to tell the Dragons that I'm a demon. He just wanted some safety, and in return he would assume all responsibility for the incident." The girl replied, coldly.
The word 'demon' made the old vampire frown, as if a needle had been stuck into his skin. He still could not accept the condition of his beloved daughter, "I thought so. I'll do everything I can for him."
"But, Drac!" Jonathan snapped, "How can you bend to these threats? If I were you I would slap him and say: Hey man, don't you dare threaten us or you taste my wrath! After all, you are the great Dracula "He continued mimicking the scene and imitating the voice of Dracula.
The scene made the Count smile, but it was more melancholy than happiness, "You know I am the most powerful vampire in the world, I have proven it by defeating Erzebeth and Ruthven. But with Hal… the matter is more complicated..."
The two young people looked at him curiously, embarrassing him even more.
"Let's say he could give me a very hard time..."
"You mean to say that the great and unbeatable Count Dracula is less than someone in this universe?" Mavy asked to tease him.
The vampire did not answer. He seemed to strive to find a dignified way out, but in the end he just snorted:
"All right, I admit it. You have seen him, he held off a demon by himself. The last time a demon was born, thousands of dragons and dragoon died in battle. He's always come out alive from any mission, whether as a private mercenary, or as the dragon, and the Dragons sent him to do the most suicidal missions in hopes he fell in battle. Some have speculated he is immortal, that he has created the philosopher's stone and he gets infinite powers from it, but he says he has just combined the human intelligence and technology with the vampire magic, and maybe he's right. In any case, he's a real bastard. Avoid him if you can, but trust him blindly if you pay him to get you out of trouble" Then, Dracula looked at his pocket watch, "It's almost two o'clock, rest now while you can. At mid-day the press truce that the Council approved will cease, so journalists will want to ask you many questions. We must be prepared. Meeting starts at eleven thirty in the conference room." The old vampire turned and took a few steps toward the door, but he stopped and turned back again to the young couple, "Oh, yeah, I almost forgot," He said, and then, with a snap of the fingers, he made a new wardrobe and Jonathan's backpack appear, and with a snap of his other hand's fingers he made a new bed appear in place of the old one. It was the same as the first one, but bigger. It still had the hexagonal shape like a coffin but it was twice as wide, "I don't want to separate you two right now, you need each other." Lastly, he turned to Jonny, his face becoming dark, and his eyes red, "But don't you dare to do obscenities, or I'll bite you so many times that you'll turn into a sieve." He growled menacingly.
"Dad!" his daughter scolded him, "Anyway, thank you, this means a lot to us."
"Okay, now I'll leave you alone. Good night... don't you find that it sounds a bit strange to say goodnight before bedtime?" The vampire said, then turning into a bat and flew away, magically closing the door behind him.
Jonathan and Mavis were now the only people in that room, and, without a word, they agreed on something. They didn't stop to wonder how much this moment of happiness would last, but rather enjoyed every instant of it.
The young vampiress sat down on new the bed and, thanks to her magic, she instantly changed her clothes into her black nightgown, with lace spider web on the back; Jonathan, instead, had to open his wardrobe and look for a clean shirt. His clothes were never very fragrant, since he had always traveled alone. He took off his sweatshirt and pants and dropped them on the floor, then bent down and picked up a black T-shirt, with printing that spelled Lordi, and put it on. Meanwhile, Mavis lay sideways on the bed, holding her forearm up and her head resting on her hand, covering the lower side of her face, as if wanting to hide, and watched her lover as he undressed, with mischievous eyes, and without him noticing it.
The two went to bed together, thankful that they no longer had to do it secretly and just for a few minutes. They were finally free to be themselves.
And, despite all the concerns about their uncertain future, the couple fell asleep, embraced, in a few minutes.
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