Guest of honor: you'll see

Guest: understandable

Plasma57: thank you

Ilikehats2: sometimes a villain's motives are hard to understand

Chapter 34: Hidden and Revealed

(In Dracula's castle)

The assembled group stood facing the man in white. They had expected a vanguard of vampire soldiers or the compelled villains to come out and fight them. But no, here stood one man with a mixed expression on his face. But one of the things bothering the group the most were the mystery man's words. The eclipse? What did he mean? Hannibal King looked at the man with an expression of horror. The mystery man's gaze moved to the Nightstalker's. His eyes started to narrow slightly.

"I must admit… I didn't expect to see you here… Silver Shot." The man deadpanned. "Ripper… I... I saw you die." Hannibal stammered. "I know, I heard you cry out in shock once the building exploded." Ripper replied. "Are you..." Hannibal started to say when Ripper interjected, "NO! How dare you think I'd become one of those monsters! Besides, one of them couldn't survive an explosion. No… I was prepared, set the stage. There was a trap door in the building… As soon as the flames blocked your vision, I made my exit." Ripper explained.

Hannibal couldn't believe what he was hearing. That his old comrade had faked his death? For what and why? The Nightstalker was thoroughly confused. Hannibal tried to talk, but no words could come out of his mouth.

"Still don't know all the facts? Let me elaborate… Our time together killing vampires was great. Cut off one head one moment; drink a beer the next to celebrate the previous moment. Believe me when I say I didn't want to leave your side. Sure you were soft and misguided on the life of killing vampires… But you still did. Eventually I realized in order to rid the earth of vampires… I'd have to leave… It wasn't a great realization… but a logical one… You kept on killing those monsters, with acolytes you trained." Ripper continued.

The group was thinking various things. They didn't understand what he meant.

"In order to kill all vampires efficiently… I knew I'd have to reveal their existence to the public. Humanity needs to know. For once they saw vampires for the monsters they are… We'd go to war with them… Wipe them from reality, not a single one left… But I kept thinking along the lines of the other freaks in the world: so called heroes… and their enemies: villains…" Ripper continued.

The group wasn't becoming more relaxed by the man's words. He had the nerve to call them freaks. His arrogance could be felt with every breath he took and every word that emerged from his mouth. Some of the heroes are getting most impatient; they didn't have time for this.

"Stand down Ripper and come quietly!" Captain America ordered. "Even the great super-soldier is a freak… a monster… He may pretend at being human… but that serum… just made him something monstrous under all the so called bravery and bravado." Ripper snarled, hatred thick in his voice.

Other heroes were getting more agitated; this man was proving himself more of a jerk with each moment. The man's angry stare kept gazing along the group.

"I've heard you sided with a dhampir… a half-breed… Pathetic! He is part of the same monster that we killed SS! How dare you side with a freak!" Ripper bellowed.

Blade's grip on his sword tightened, his anger boiling more with each passing second.

"Really Ripper? Look where you are! What you're doing! You have become Dracula's lapdog!" Hannibal hissed back.

Ripper wasn't pleased by his old comrade's reply.

"You think I was working for him?... For Dracula?... I WAS PLANNING TO MANEUVER HIM AND HIS PESTILENCE TO THEIR DEMISE!" Ripper bellowed. "How?" Hannibal calmly replied. "By manipulating him into taking control of every freak in this world and killing those who stood in the way. And eventually launch attacks across the globe. Once humanity united to kill the monsters, then I would've stepped in to train those who volunteered to fight the monsters!" Ripper answered.

Hannibal's eyes widened in horror. He wasn't the only one, the other members of the group sent to assault the castle showed expressions of horror at the man's words.

"Countless people would've died! Did you ever think there'd be enough people left to bask in the moment once your plans were completed?!" Hannibal screeched. "Once all those monsters were destroyed, then we wouldn't have to worry about loss of human life." Ripper replied.

The group assembled was horrified by his words; he would sacrifice an unknown amount of lives just to have humans kill the vampire species?

"I didn't want things to end up this way old friend… But it seems like you all will have to be put under the control of the vampires… And once you join them, you will aid them in their attack against humanity. You will tell the world you chose their side willingly… for power, for control… for domination… And then... all freaks will die…" Ripper added.

The group was through with listening.

"Put your hands behind you head and get on the ground! By order of SHIELD!" The Alpha squad leader shouted. "No… Subdue them…" Ripper hissed.

From the hidden kinks of the hall emerged the compelled minions. They groaned in a zombie-like manner as they stared blankly at the group before them. Ripper walked away, deep into the castle.

"We don't have time for this! After him!" Cap ordered.

Juggernaut charged forward, increasing in speed with every step. Power Man was about to return the blow he'd received earlier. But someone else met the villains in his own full charge. Rhino and Juggernaut clashed in the middle of the room. Both wrestled for dominance as the battled. The other villains charged forward.

"We need a group to stay here a fight these guys!" Iron Man said. "Way ahead of you!" A voice called out.

A team which consisted of Ant-Man, Skaar, Power Man, Falcon, Iron Spider, and the Zeta & Gamma squads rushed forward to fight the villains.

"We got things here! Just stop him and save Webs!" Power Man called out as he punched the Wendigo King. "Thanks guys! Let's go!" Hulk bellowed. "Tiger! Make sure you tell Webs!" Power Man called out as the group left. "Not the time!" She shouted back.

The others started running deeper into the castle. Jack is tracking his scent. Of all the individuals gathered, his sense of smell is by far the keenest. Given the gift of the power of the wolf, his senses have far greater range/accuracy than any other here.

"How long is it going to take you to find him?! The sooner we stop him, the sooner we find Peter!" Tiger hissed. "I'll get you to him White Tiger, don't worry. He'll be in your..." He didn't finish as she hissed, "I don't feelings for him!" "Keep telling yourself that if it makes you feel better." Jack replied as he shook his head.

Tiger was getting annoyed real fast. It wasn't for her; she wanted to get Peter back to his aunt. She had made a promise to May that she'd bring him back safe. That's what she kept telling herself. Then they arrived into what looked like a ballroom. Jack snarled as he could smell something wasn't good. Zabu added his own growls to the lycan's.

"What's… wrong." Nova mumbled as in mid-sentence, a group of about anywhere from 100 to possibly 300 vampires appeared from the mists that suddenly slithered into the room. "Great…" Hawkeye grumbled. "This is not good." Cap said. "You think?" Deadpool replied sarcastically.

(Yeah…. This might take a while….)

To be continued…