After the group passed through the iron gate, the Warden's living quarters could be seen in the distance. Avenger:"Those aren't living quarters; that's a damn mansion!" Avenger's disgust at how pampered the Warden was compared to everybody else was obvious. Danger seemed to be around every corner; there were "Whiptrees", vines composed of dark energy, and several dogs everywhere they looked. The vines tried to whip the Hunters as they passed, but they were out of its reach. Matt saw several more in the distance, and a Fortress Beam to each one sent them squirming back underground. The Hunters, on the other hand, targeted the dogs that were charging at them.
After fighting past several of the dogs, the Hunters came to the front doors of the Warden's mansion. No sooner had they reached the doors, then two vampresses appeared out of thin air. With a few flaming Cleave slashes, Avenger takes one out in no time. Judge takes the other out by an even faster method; by firing a crossbow bolt into the vampress's chest, Judge killed the beast instantly. Both monsters disappeared into dust upon their defeat.
A small distance to the left of the entrance, the Hunters spotted a miniature graveyard, comprised of three graves. A vampress had no intention of letting the Hunters get a closer look, but her efforts to kill the group were in vain. With her out of the way, Judge took a closer look at the graves. They all had the last name of "Degenhardt" carved into them. Judge:"These must be the graves of the Warden's family. Sad story. I'd heard something terrible had befallen them." Martyr:"Hey hold on a second. Look at the date. It's in 1926! If this is the Warden's family and he's alive now, he'd have to be more than 100 years old!" Avenger:"Hey, she's right. You don't suppose that the Warden is creating all of these vampresses we've been fighting do you?" Although they had more questions running through their minds, the Hunters had a valuable clue on the mysterious Ashcroft affair. In addition, the vampress they had just killed had the key to the mansion in her possession. After returning to the entrance, they unlocked the doors and went inside.
Inside, the group encounters a couple of vampresses, a Whip, and two pistol cops. Matt killed the Whip instantly with a slash of his Blades, while Avenger and Judge destroyed the cops. The two ladies entered combat with their blood-sucking counterparts. By activating Retribution, Martyr became invulnerable to physical damage, and thus was able to defeat her foe with relative ease. Defender defeated the vampress she was battling with equal ease; her Katana was extremely sharp and Defender was able to decapitate the monster. With this group of enemies dispatched, the Hunters went upstairs and further into the haunted mansion.
Once upstairs, they wandered the hallway until they found an unlocked door at the far end. Inside several vampresses and a lone fat cop awaited them. By casting Smite, Avenger was able to eliminate the cop and one of the vampiric women before they could do any harm. Avenger was also able to damage the other monsters as well. With a couple of hacks, the remainder of enemies was vanquished and a key was discovered. Just before they left, Matt saw the glow of an illuminated computer screen. Out of curiosity, Matt went over to the screen. Matt:"Guys! Look at this!" Matt pointed at the screen, which displayed a draft of the Rave Invitations! Martyr:"Do you suppose the Warden received this in an e-mail?" Matt:"Somehow, I doubt it. But, why would the Warden want to sent out invitations to the Rave, knowing that the rot would reawaken?"
With this thought pounding in their minds, the Hunters left the room and headed further down the hall. The second door at the other end of the hallway was unlocked by the key the group had discovered. A few flamethrower cops and three vampresses laid in wait. The cops unleashed a wave of flames, which unintentionally caught the vampresses on fire and killed them semi-automatically! A few bullets later, the cops were destroyed. All that remain in the room was an innocent man. After the Hunters rescued him, they picked up the key the cop dropped and left the room.
The next area that could be unlocked was a few doors down. When the Hunters went inside to discover they were in the master bedroom, which was currently occupied by three vampresses and two shotgun cops. Judge fired crossbow bolts at the first vampress he saw and Avenger charged at another, while the girls attacked the third vampress. Matt, on the other hand, had his own hands full with the police that kept appearing. He would eliminate one police officer and another would appear right in its place! Eventually, however, Matt outlasted the police and no more reappeared. The vampresses fell dead as well, and the Hunters left the room with a silver key in hand.
The next room was at the polar opposite end of the hallway. Once there, Avenger inserted the key in the lock and kicked the door open forcefully. The room had a portrait of the Warden and his family, a large fireplace, and a huge glass window, leading out onto a balcony. There was, however, no fiends to defeat. Defender:"Something's not right here..." Suddenly, three vampresses appear out of thin air! Wasting no time, Avenger reaches for his axe and slashes one of them across the chest, and a puddle of red blood spills on the ground; the vampress hisses with pain and rage.
To make matters worse, a small army of Shotgun cops appear in the corner of the room. Judge and Defender went to deal with them while the other three dealt with the vampire problem. Martyr activates Demand, allowing her to match the vampress's speed. However, after just a couple of hacks from Martyr's daggers, the vampress ends the battle by kicking Martyr in the stomach. The force from the kick sends Martyr flying through the window and flipping over the balcony! The vampress disappeared without a trace, with an evil grin.
Fortunately for her, Avenger finished killing the vampress he was battling and ran to her rescue. Martyr had managed to grab an outstretched ledge just below the balcony. To make matters worse, a pack of very hungry looking zombie dogs were waiting for her to fall down below! Avenger leaned over the balcony as Martyr shouted, "Hurry! I won't be able to hold on much longer!" Avenger stretched as far as he could without losing his footing, but fell short of Martyr's grip. Thinking quickly, Avenger grabs his axe and extends the handle down to Martyr. Avenger:"Grab hold!"
Meanwhile, Matt his battling with the third and final vampress. While he is blocking all the blows that she delivers, Matt's Power Sensing Ability senses Martyr's plight. So, after a quick dodge, Matt delivers a lethal slash and runs toward the balcony. Matt reacted just in time; just as she was going to grab Avenger's axe, Martyr lost her grip with her other hand and began to plummet towards the starving zombie dogs! Avenger:"Oh, nooooo!" Less than a second later, Matt leaped over Avenger's head and off of the balcony! Avenger:"Are you insane!" From there, Avenger stood back from the balcony, completely stunned.
He, however, had nothing to worry about at all. Matt's cape extended to its full length of forty feet and he started flying down the building after Martyr at 200 mph! Matt swooped down and caught Martyr in the air, just before the dogs were able to leap up and grab a bite. Matt looped around the yard and returned to the balcony with Martyr in his arms.
Soon, Judge and Defender finished destroying the multitude of rot cops that appeared. Upon doing so, they ran over to Avenger, who stood in complete shock. Judge:"Deuce! What happened!" Avenger couldn't speak right away; despite their sixteen year age difference, Avenger and Martyr were rather close. Finally, however, Avenger said, "Kassandra fell to her doom in a pack of rotting rotweilers and Matt probably died as well when he leaped down to save her!" Judge:"My God!"
The group was extremely disheartened by this news, but felt compelled to put it aside and continue on their quest. They wondered back inside, but turned when they heard footsteps on the balcony. They discovered Matt, with his cape still at full length, holding Martyr! Matt put Martyr down and his cape went back to its normal length. Martyr ran over to Avenger and the two embraced with joy. As Avenger stood looking at Matt in awe, all he could utter was, "You can fly?" Matt answered him, clam as ever; Matt:"Yes. It's one of my most useful abilities."
Martyr:"Hey, Matt, weren't you fighting a vampress as well?" Matt:"Yeah, I decapitated her just before I ran over to save you." Martyr:"Then, what ever happened to the one that I was fighting." Judge:"Neither I nor Samantha defeated any vampresses." Avenger:"I only killed the one before I tried to help you." Matt:"Yeah. Then where is that vampiric bitch?" No sooner had Matt finished, then the vampress Martyr was fighting dropped from the ceiling and bit Matt right in the neck! Matt:"Aaaaahhhhh!" Instantaneously, Matt extended his Blades and pierced them straight through her head, cutting it off.
Judge:"My God! He's been bitten!" Matt:"Now I know why those rotten dogs were going after me; whomever is controlling those vampresses wanted to see what kind of power I had..." Defender:"And then make you its brother." Matt:"Well, that's not going to happen, at least not for a while. I've already got a strong resistance to Zombie Bacteria; how different can that and Vampire Venom be?" Matt was trying to be calm, but he knew that before this night was over, he'd truly be a demon! But, for the moment, he and the Hunters had bigger things to worry about. So, after collecting the key, Matt lead the Hunters out of the room and down the hall. When they reached a huge set of double doors, Judge inserted the key into the lock, and the group went into the Warden's study.
Inside, they saw an elderly looking gentleman of average height staring out the window. This elderly man was the Warden of Ashcroft Penitentiary. He heard his door open and without turning he started to speak to the Hunters, not giving Matt a moment's notice. Warden:"Get out of our home! You've spilled enough blood in here; leave me be." Judge:"Degenhardt, do you have any clues as to how we stop this madness?" Warden:"You were here when Arkady was...executed, just as I was. He's still there, haunting Death Row. I can't get anywhere near him or do anything about it. He's your link. Now, go!"
The offer was tempting, however, the Hunters noticed that the Warden didn't have a reflection in the window; an immediate signal to the experienced Hunter of a vampire! Avenger:"Can't do that. Too many of you parasites running around as it is. We're not leaving any behind." Avenger took aim and the others soon followed his lead. All of the Hunters fired a shot at the Warden. However, the old man was much more willy than they expected. At the last possible instant, the Warden moved out of the way! He "slid" across the floor and appeared in front of Avenger. Avenger took a couple steps back out of surprise. The Warden didn't seem angry that he was fired upon at all. He continued in a rather calm tone; Warden:"You don't seem to understand. They came in here, they killed my family, they made me into this...thing. I didn't want it, I didn't ask for it, I HAD NO CHOICE! I have...nothing...left to lose." Then with a sinister glare, the old man added, "Welcome to eternity!"
The Warden darts back to the center of the room and the Hunters charge after him. The Hunters began to hack and slash the vampiric Warden repeatedly. Matt didn't follow, since the Hunters were crowding the Warden so much he wouldn't be able to get through anyway. Soon, the Warden changed his left hand into one of the whips, and slammed the Hunters back in all directions. He lashed it outward again towards Defender, where it was wrapped up by a Dragon Chain! Matt:"Two can play at that game, old man!" Matt called back his Chain; upon doing so, the Warden lashed out again, this time straight at Matt. Matt caught the whip in his left hand and gave a mighty yank. With this powerful pull, the Warden reeled forward, straight into Matt's huge fist!
The incensing blow was anything but pleasant for the old vampire. The Warden sailed across the room, smashing into a large pillar that supported the ceiling. As the old man staggered to his feet, the Hunters regrouped near Matt. At the distance, the group could see the Warden's eyes literally flare blood-red flames of rage. The Warden raised his hands above his head and a huge, inescapable wave of blackness surged towards the Hunters! Thinking quickly, Matt extended his cape and surrounded himself and the Hunters with it. The tidal wave of power smacked straight into the shielded group, but did no damage. Matt condensed his cape and looked at the Warden, with a smile inside. Matt:"[Inner] I figured as much; Dark Magic! [Audible] Sorry, Warden. I've got anti-Dark Magic protection in my Holy Aura!"
After the failed attack, Avenger activated Cleave. Avenger:"Alright, let's see how ol' vampy over there likes playing with fire!" As Avenger charged the Warden, axe ablaze, Defender and Martyr followed him. All of them started to slash away at the old Warden, while Judge fired crossbow bolts and Matt let loose Fortress Beams. The Beams and bolts were passing straight through the other Hunters thanks to the White Magic, and Avenger's flaming axe was doing more damage than any of the other weapons. The Warden tried his whip a few more times, but each time, Avenger slashed it apart before it could do any harm.
Eventually, the Warden "slid" across the floor away from his attackers, faster than the human eye could see; but, Brawn wasn't exactly human. Matt was able to see the Warden moving towards him and stopped firing Fortress Beams. Matt:"Necro Blade Dragon!" As a green orb formed in Matt's hands, he shouted, "Eat Necroplasm, old man!" Matt released the blast when the Warden was only two feet away from him. The force from the blast sent the Warden flying backwards into another pillar, leaving an imprint of the man was he fell to the ground. He had just gotten to his feet when Avenger gave one final flaming hack before the Edge wore off. That was the finishing blow against the old vampire. Warden:"Gaaaahhh! Oooohhhh! Ack! Grah!" After screaming and writhing in agony, the old Warden collapsed on the ground. Without another word, the Hunters freed an innocent in the Warden's study and left the room, the dead Warden still laying on the floor.
