The bell couldn't ring soon enough.

Stan and Kyle being lovey-dovey for the duration of homeroom was almost as bad as being outcast by his friends. At least with Michael and Henrietta, there was an accepted futility in talking with him. Stan presented a sense of hope for the better. A light at the end of a long dark tunnel. Kyle's shadow eclipsing it was driving him insane.

And as usual, Mike came along when things couldn't seem to get any gloomier.

"Hello, my minion of darkness." Mike smirked as he strolled up the goth; his fake fangs showing. "I hope homeroom went as well for you as it did for me."

To anyone else, the comment would have seemed just like a friendly question of interest, but Pete knew better. The head vampire was never just polite like that. Every word he spoke, even every way he spoke it, had a hidden meaning behind it. The Goth was still learning some of the meanings behind Mike's voice keys and body language, but this time, he figured out pretty quickly what he meant.

He wanted to know if he had any names yet.

In response, Pete just nodded and slipped the piece of paper out of his pocket before handing it to the head vampire. Mike then gave what was written down a quick glance before folding it up once more, and slipping it into his leather jacket.

"I'll take them under consideration." Mike simply replied before turning his back to Pete. "I'm heading off to first period. I notice you don't have the book for it, so go to your locker and get it before heading to class. I'll save a seat for you next to me. Don't be late." With that, he then began strolling down the hallway, and Pete watched him until he was out of his line of vision.

At that moment, the goth suddenly felt a twinge of regret and guilt for what he had done.

Sure, Stan and Kyle's display of affection was unnecessary, but putting their names down as nominees for a death sentence seemed like a bit much to him now. Plus, the athlete had shown true concern for the other before Kyle's arrival, and Pete doing this to him was basically like stabbing him in the back with the dullest knife he could find.

Which, if he were to be picked for the ceremony, may very well happen.

It's just a nomination.Pete reminded himself as the guilt caused anxiety to arise in him. It doesn't mean Mike will automatically pick them for the sacrifice. There's plenty of other society members at this school writing twice as many names. The odds are in their favor.

With this self-reassurance, Pete felt the guilt he had leave and he continued down the hall.

Eventually, the Goth reached his locker, and gave a slight sigh before entering the combination. When he does, the door swings open without resistance, but notices that...something was different.

A note had been taped to the inside of his locker with the bolded words: Keep out of sight, and destroy after reading on the front of it.

Pete blinked in surprise, and reached up before grabbing the folded piece of paper. He then quickly glanced around to make sure no passing by students - or snooping society members, for that matter - were around before turning his full attention back to the note. He then carefully unfolded it, and with another quick glance to make sure the coast was clear, began reading the hastily-written looking words on the paper.

Pete,

I know you know the South Park Vampire Society has a connection with the dissapears in South Park as of late. I've been trying to take down their operation - and don't even try to convince me there isn't one - since the first missing person report. Sadly however, I simply can't get close enough to the group to gain substantial evidence against any of them. That's why I'm reaching out to you. It's obvious their leader, Mike Makowski, has roped you into their scheme one way or another. If you'll be willing to cooperate with me, I can get you out of it with no questions asked, and take Mike and any other people responsible down in the process. Meet me in the janitors closet near the back entrance of the school during lunch, and we'll discuss things in further detail there. Tell no one of this meeting, and knock three times on the door for entrance.

-Mysterion

The Goth blinked, and reread the note several times over before his brain started processing the information it held.

Had this been why Mike seemed on edge? Because Mysterion, the vigilante superhero he and his former gothic friends only met once before, was after him?

Whatever the case, Pete knew he'd just reclaimed a chance to save himself from the truth of the society. All he'd have to do is meet with Mysterion, tell him of the atrocities Mike's committed against humanity, that the head vampire had even took out society members to keep his operations secret, and he'd be free. Finally…his nightmare could be over….

The late bell then rang, and snapped Pete out of his thoughts.

He then quickly disposed of the note as instructed - running it under a nearby water fountain to smudge the writing, and then ripping it to pieces before throwing the remains away in a garbage can - and grabs the book needed for next period before hurrying off down the hall toward the classroom.

~Later that day at lunchtime~

Classes seemed to go exceedingly slow for Pete ever since he read the note.

However, the endless waiting finally payed off the the Goth, and the bell to dismiss classes for lunch rang. Pete headed to his locker to retrieve his lunch - even under Mike's thumb, he refused to eat the garbage the schools served - when said vampire was waiting for him.

"Good afternoon, Pete." Mike greets as a teacher passes him in the hallway. As soon as they're out of earshot, the head vampire quickly checks to make sure the hall was clear before pulling the Goth closer to him and whispering in his ear. "I just thought I'd let you know there's been a change in plans. Some high-ranking society members and I were all in study hall together during second period, and we've made our selections from the nominations. The ceremony will be tonight at ten o'clock sharp, so sneak out of your room at nine thirty. I'll be there to pick you up personally, so don't make me wait."

"Oh….of course." Pete said. "Who's the sacrifice?"

Mike then gives the other a curled smirk before replying, "I'm afraid that's going to remain a surprise until later."

The vampire's words made him nervous. His old friends, the remaining Goths, were exempt for the selection, and they were the only enemies Mike really had left. Pete knew that. The head vampire targeted people he wanted to be rid of, but now, everyone was fair game. The bargain between Pete and Mike was the only thing that kept them alive. Mike was becoming notorious for going against his word though. This made Pete anxious. He wished within every iota of his being that he didn't target them.

But for now, it was lunch. If Mysterion could help them, Pete needed to tell him everything.

"O-Oh, okay, but… I-I forgot to mention I need to talk to the counselor," Pete stuttered. "Mr. Mackey's been calling my house lately to try and sign me up for grief counseling, so I better go quell him on the issue."

"Ugh...Fine. Just hurry up." Mike scoffs with an eyeroll.

Mike turned around before he could debate any further, and left to the cafeteria. When Pete saw him turn a corner, the goth rushed to the back entrance of the school as fast he could. He needed to explain everything to someone competent enough to at least provide some advice. And if Mysterion managed to actually fix this…

Nerves racked the Goth as he checked to make sure the coast was clear, and slowly approached the janitors closet - quickly proceeding to knock on the door three times.

"Mysterion?" The Goth whispered. "You in there?"

In response, the door slowly creaked open, and Pete leaned forward a bit. Then, out of no where, a hand grabbed the goth by his wrist, and pulled him in before he could even give a reaction. Once inside, Pete finds his mouth covered by a gloved hand, and a child his age dawning a purple cloak and mask nose to nose with him.

Pete recognized him to be Mysterion.

The superhero then lifted a finger from his free hand to his lips, signaling for the other to be silent, and the goth nodded in understanding. The kid in front of him then gave a small nod of his own, and slowly took his hand off Pete's mouth before reaching over and shutting the closet door behind them completely.

"I'm glad you decided to come." Mysterion said as he took a few steps back; his voice scratchy and unidentifiable to the other. "I hope your presence here means you're going to tell me the information I need to know."

"It does."

"Good. And no one knows you're here, correct?"

"Yes." Pete reassured. "I gave Mike some excuse that I went to the counselor. Knowing him, I most-likely have maybe...four, maybe five minutes maximum before he sends one of his cronies to check on me."

"That's more than enough time." Mysterion replied. He then pulled out a notepad and pencil from seemingly out of nowhere, and looks to Pete - giving him his full attention. "Please, start whenever you're ready."

The raven-haired goth nodded, and began telling his tale. He made sure that he didn't leave out a single detail for the superhero, which included having to recall the several murders he had witnessed the night he'd been captured, and he even confessed to writing down Kyle's and Stan's names as nominations for the sacrifice. The whole time, Mysterion was scribbling down sentence after sentence with a non-judging, almost blank stare - occasionally taking a pause as if he was mentally making sure he wasn't writing down the wrong information.

On the whole, thanks to no interruptions, it took about three minutes to get the whole story out.

"And so, I was forced to accept his trade." Pete says. "Ever since, he's been making me dress and act like one of his mindless followers, and I've had to go along with it. He told me specifically that the next sacrificing ceremony is scheduled for tonight at ten o'clock, but he wouldn't tell me who the sacrifices were. Apparently it's a surprise or something."

"Hm...interesting." Mysterion muttered as he scribbles the last of what Pete said down before looking back up. "Is there anything else I need to know?"

"No, that's it." Pete responded. "There's nothing else."

The mysterious child then quickly shut the notebook he'd been writing things down in, and put it away. "Thank you. This information you've given me shall not go to waist. Just act normal until the ceremony tonight, and before anything can start, I'll stop it."

Before Pete could reply his thanks to the hero, he heard a sound that made him jump. He feared Mike had found him, but he saw no one. He turned to Mysterion, but he had already vanished. Pete hoped that he could actually do something about his situation, but he couldn't shake the feeling that the superhero wouldn't be sufficient in stopping the killings.

He hoped - prayed, almost - that he was wrong.