Notes: Spoilers for Dracula Daily, especially September 20th. I was so deeply affected, I had to get my feelings out in a scene. Also, Azalea542 informed me of the existence of the song I Want My Baby Back.

Standing Cold and Scared

Despite the experience, Radley seemed in good spirits while deciding on and ordering dinner. After Kalin ordered too, Scotch bounced up to deliver their orders to the kitchen. "It'll be ready soon!" he cheerily said.

Radley chuckled as he watched Scotch go. "He's always happy to help," he remarked.

"He still idolizes you," Kalin said.

"I do my best to live up to that," Radley said.

"You try to give him what he wants a lot," Kalin said.

"In this case, though, I have a reason for wanting it too," Radley said. "I want that creep gone fast if it really is dangerous."

"You admitted exorcisms don't always work," Kalin said.

"I also admitted I don't know what else to try," Radley sighed. He took out his phone to idly look up exorcisms and other ways to remove restless spirits, but frowned at a notification. ". . . Of all the things to show up right now, I've got a reminder about Dracula Daily starting soon."

". . . What is that?" Kalin grunted. "It sounds like something Scotch would like, but not you."

"It's an email list that feeds you pieces of the novel Dracula each day," Radley said. "It's told as diary entries, letters, and newspaper clippings, and they're sent out on each corresponding day that the entries were originally made in the book. And you're right, it wouldn't normally be my thing. Scotch told me about lots of friendship goodness and got me interested enough to try it last year."

"So did you like it?" Kalin asked.

"Yes and no," Radley replied. "I loved the friendships and other pure love between the characters. That was really unique and special. I never would have expected it to be like that. Who'd think one of the most famous horror stories of all time would actually have so much emotion and heart? On the other hand, I got so upset by Lucy's fate that I don't know if it could ever be a favorite book for me."

"You cared that much about her?" Kalin sounded disbelieving.

". . . Let me guess, you watched a movie version as a Dark Signer but never read the book," Radley said.

"You're right," Kalin said.

"It seems like all the movies portray Lucy as trashy," Radley said. "She was actually incredibly sweet. She sure never deserved all that Dracula put her through, and then to not be able to get her happy ending. I kept hoping that even after she became a vampire, she could be saved when Dracula was killed. Instead, they had to kill her to stop her." He shook his head. "It was extremely disturbing. I wonder if that's why they changed her in the movies, because you're right that it's much less disturbing if she's a naughty girl anyway. The way it is in the book is honestly brilliant storytelling. What better way to show what a monster Dracula is then by having him so bent on killing a sweet girl? The movies usually also seem to try to portray him more sympathetically, which is disturbing too. But . . ." He sighed. "Brilliant storytelling or not, it still hurts to see innocent characters suffer in fiction, especially when other characters are rescued. Now, if both Mina and Lucy had been okay in the end, it would have been a much more satisfying ending."

". . . Scotch seems like the type who'd be upset by a nice character being hurt too," Kalin said.

"He is," Radley said. "He'd read a lot of Internet hype about the friendships. Last year was his first time reading it too. I think he got more upset than I did. After he finished the book, he wrote a fanfiction story where the Harkers meet The Time Traveler—from The Time Machine, you know?—and they go back in time to save Lucy. It was actually really good. Scotch said he insists on believing that's really how the story continued." He smiled. "Scotch loves happy endings for those who deserve them."

". . . That's an interesting premise," Kalin had to admit.

Radley nodded. "It's actually pretty plausible, considering both books take place around the same time and the Harkers and The Time Traveler all live in London. Why not have them meet?"

Kalin shrugged. "It's not any more bizarre than how humanity ended up in the future in The Time Machine, I guess."

"Oh yeah." Radley shuddered. "That freaked me out so much as a kid."

"It doesn't seem like your thing either," Kalin said.

"I loved the friendship between George the Time Traveler and Alan Young's character, though," Radley smirked. "And it was a real kick hearing Alan Young do his Scrooge McDuck voice. That's another happy part of my childhood there."

Kalin fell silent for a moment. ". . . All these things that made you and Scotch and others in the Bunch happy in your childhoods. . . . More and more I realize how much I missed out on. I wish I hadn't."

Radley sobered. "I wish you hadn't too. It can be fixed to some extent; we can show you the things we loved back then. But after all you've been through, it might not have the same kind of magic for you that it did for itty-bitty kids."

"Or any kind of magic," Kalin remarked. "When I first got here and I kept hurting you to try to protect you from me, I felt like I was 50 or even 80 instead of 20. I still don't feel my age."

"I get that," Radley said. "I feel a lot older than I am too. But . . ." He smiled. "You really like the music we got for you, so you're still able to enjoy things. Maybe you'd like our kiddie shows. After all, the Bunch mostly grew up in pretty sad situations and weren't allowed to be kids either. With me, they're finally able to enjoy what they couldn't before."

"Some embrace it more than others, though," Kalin said. "Virgil, for instance, is far more cynical than Scotch."

"Scotch might surprise you," Radley said. "He was pretty cynical too when I first met him. Didn't trust anybody but Biff and put on a real tough guy act pretending to be a hood."

". . . That's hard to picture," Kalin said.

"It was really sad," Radley said. "But I didn't give up on him. Finally he opened up to me and gradually to my other friends. He started feeling free to throw off the delinquent persona and show the true him he'd kept hidden. How he is now is completely the opposite of how he was when he first showed up on my doorstep."

". . . I don't think I could ever be like he is now," Kalin said.

"I'll admit I have a hard time picturing you being so gleeful and enthusiastic," Radley said. "But I hope you'll be able to enjoy more of what we have in store anyway."

"I think I can," Kalin acknowledged.

"As for Virgil, sure he's a grouch, but guess what kind of media he likes the most?"

Kalin shrugged. "Action films with lots of explosions."

Radley smiled. "Fairytales."

Kalin gave him a blank look. "You're kidding."

"No, I'm not. He religiously watched Once Upon a Time, even though he had a lot of grievances with it. And he loves Disney fairytale movies. He and Scotch bonded a lot over them." Radley winked. "You really can't judge a book by its cover."

"You really can't," Kalin grunted. He hesitated. ". . . You say Scotch and Biff showed up on your doorstep? What did you do after your family kicked you out and before you came here?"

"This and that," Radley said dismissively. "I worked wherever I could, saved every bit of my trust fund I could, and traveled a lot. I kept thinking I'd find where I belonged somewhere else. A few times I almost thought I had it, but it always fell through. Then the last time, I felt like what I wanted was back where I'd come from. I couldn't ignore the feeling, so I went back and started working for a gem dealer. I started meeting the Bunch soon after."

"A gem dealer?" Kalin blinked in surprise.

"Yeah. I got really interested in gems and mining because of working for him," Radley said. "He was a sourpuss and he didn't like the Bunch. Called them hoodlums and stuff like that. I think he kinda cared about me, though. He tried to warn me that dragging everybody to Crash Town wouldn't go well for us. I didn't wanna listen." He sighed. "I wonder what he'd think of how everything turned out."

". . . Have you thought of contacting him to let him know you're okay?" Kalin curiously asked.

"I have. I'm not sure he'd wanna hear from me if he's read the papers." Radley ran a hand through his hair. "He probably thinks I'm a hoodlum just like he thought about the Bunch."

"But you don't know," Kalin said. "It sounds like he meant something to you. Why not let him know you're alright?"

Radley smiled in a melancholy way. "Maybe I will. You're right that I kinda miss him. He was like a father or uncle figure when I was all alone and scared." He hesitated. "But I guess I thought he might call here after reading the paper, if he really wanted to know about me."

"Are you sure he'd read the paper?" Kalin asked. ". . . Or that he's even still alive?"

"No to both," Radley said. "He wasn't a huge fan of the paper. I'll bet his customers would talk about it, though. Maybe he's not okay." He looked troubled by that suggestion. "I'd better try calling him tomorrow."

Kalin smiled a bit. He hoped the man was alright and that he would be happy to hear from Radley. But in any case, he was sure Radley would want to know regardless. He was simply too kindhearted to feel otherwise.

Scotch abruptly appeared with a tray of food. "Here's dinner!" he chirped, setting it down in the middle of the table.

Radley smiled as he lifted his plate off the tray. "Thanks, Scotch."

Kalin nodded in agreement. ". . . Did you already eat? You could join us."

Scotch beamed. "I haven't! I'll get my stuff!" He hopped up again once Kalin had taken his food.

Radley chuckled fondly. "It meant a lot to him that you made the offer," he said. "He'd expect me to, but I don't think he expected it of you."

"I want to connect with him and the others," Kalin said, a bit awkwardly. "We're all a family now. . . . I want to act like it."

Radley smiled more. "That means the world to me too."

Kalin smiled too. "I know."

Scotch soon returned with his food and plopped down at the table. "I told Pastor Green we weren't sure if we'd be doing the exorcism tonight or tomorrow," he said. "He said he can do it either time!"

Radley chuckled. "But you still hope for tonight, huh?"

"It'd be spookier at night!" Scotch said, his eyes gleaming. "I've never seen an exorcism before!"

"It's not something to settle down with popcorn and soda at," Kalin grunted.

Scotch sobered. "I know it's serious," he said. "But I can't help thinking it's cool. What if you were a professional exorcist?! It'd be like Halloween every day!"

"I'll bet they wish it wasn't," Radley said.

"Only if it wasn't, they'd be out of work," Kalin remarked.

"Sad how it works that way, isn't it," Radley mused. He looked to Scotch. "I think even you might get worn-down if you were dealing with evil spirits every day. It might look like a kick in fiction, but in actual fact it'd be miserable as Hell. And I'm being literal on that, not swearing."

". . . Yeah, I guess you're probably right, Radley," Scotch conceded.

Kalin nodded. "Take it from someone who lived in the darkness for years. Evil spirits are not good company and not something to thrill to meeting."

"It'd be nice to help people get rid of them, though, wouldn't it?" Scotch said.

Radley sighed but smiled. "Yeah, that part of it would be cool, I'll give you that. But still not a career I'd want."

"I'd still like to see Pastor Green work on it," Scotch said.

"And I'm sure he'll let you," Radley said.

Deciding they needed a change of subject, Kalin said, "Just how many strange songs do you know, anyway?"

Scotch smirked big. "Tons! I probably have the biggest collection of novelty tunes ever!"

"He does too," Radley chuckled. "On digital, vinyl, and every other way."

Scotch nodded enthusiastically. "Some songs are only available one way!"

"Maybe that's because some of them should have been forgotten," Kalin deadpanned. "One even I know is I Want My Baby Back."

Radley grimaced. "That sick one that's a parody of teen tragedy songs about the guy whose car the Leader of the Pack hit when he was killed?"

"Yes," Kalin said.

"Not an appetizing song to dissect over dinner," Radley remarked.

"No, it's not," Kalin said in some chagrin. He hadn't stopped to think about that.

"That's a really weird song," Scotch said. "I like happier silly songs."

"So no The Night Santa Went Crazy or other awful stuff like that," Radley added.

"That's good to know," Kalin said.

Scotch smirked. "My speed is more The Werewolf Watusi."

". . . A dance?" Kalin grunted.

"A song about a dance!" Scotch said. "I'll sing it for you after dinner!"

"Complete with Bobby Pickett impersonation," Radley chuckled.

"You're really talented with your impersonations," Kalin said. "You could probably make a lot of money with your act."

"Yeah, I'm thinking I'll put some videos on YouTube!" Scotch said cheerfully. "If my videos are good enough, I could get a really good career as a Vtuber!"

"It's worth a try," Radley smiled.

"I still don't get how people make so much money that way," Kalin said.

"Me neither, but it's so cool they do!" Scotch gushed. "It's a way to be a celebrity but not have to leave home!"

"You want to be a celebrity?" Kalin asked.

"Sometimes," Scotch said. "I know Radley doesn't like some things about it, like the paparazzi, but just being appreciated for something you can do well would be fun!"

". . . I guess," Kalin said. "I'll admit I wanted that in the Enforcers. I wanted everyone to know how cool we were . . . how cool I thought I was."

"And everybody still thinks you guys are awesome!" Scotch said.

Radley smiled at that. "Scotch is right, especially after you saved Crash Town."

Kalin nodded. "I know." And he wouldn't make the same mistakes now that he had made after the Enforcers had taken over the Satellite. This time he would do it right and make sure not to switch his focus to people who should be left alone, like the kids in the Satellite.

After dinner, Scotch did indeed perform the silly werewolf song. Kalin just shook his head at the story, which involved the dance being created due to the werewolves' reaction to a flea epidemic.

"That's definitely perfect for Scotch," he remarked. "I'm sorry I brought up that other, sick song."

"It's fine," Radley said. "I heard that a time or two and that was more enough for me. Honestly, just the idea of characters from different teen tragedy songs meeting in the same accident is a pretty darkly clever concept. But the actual execution of it in I Want My Baby Back was just . . . no. The girl being dismembered and the guy so cracked up he digs up her body and it's supposed to be funny . . . ugh."

". . . I'm glad Scotch doesn't like songs like that," Kalin said. "He seems too nice for that, unlike me. I'd play the sick songs and laugh." He sighed, tiredly passing a hand over his eyes.

"You're different now," Radley said. "The things you did as a Dark Signer weren't really you. Not the you I've come to know, and I don't think the you Yusei knew in the past either."

Kalin nodded. "That's true," he agreed. "I wasn't like that before or since."

"Then don't beat yourself up for what happened during a time when you weren't yourself," Radley soothed.

Kalin stared off into the distance. ". . . Dark Signers were akin to vampires, weren't they," he remarked.

Radley started. "Is that what you'd call them?"

Kalin shrugged. "To become a Dark Signer, each victim had to die and then be revived by the darkness. We certainly weren't alive in any traditional sense. Alright, so we didn't feast on blood, but . . . we did feast on the life forces of our victims." He looked sickened.

Radley looked troubled. ". . . That is what Chinese vampires do," he admitted.

"Of course, we used their life forces to power our Earthbound Immortals, but still." Kalin grimaced. "I never thought I could relate to Lucy Westenra, or any vampire." He sighed, slumping back in his chair. "Although if Lucy was sweet in the book and turned against her will, Carly would probably be the best parallel with her."

"Hey." Radley laid a hand on Kalin's shoulder. "Don't forget you guys all came back. Your curse was broken, just like with Mina."

Kalin nodded, swallowing hard. "We're alive again," he acknowledged. "I'm alive again."

Radley smiled. "You got your second chance, and you're using it well."

"I try," Kalin said. He glanced around. "Have you decided what you want to do yet?"

Radley let Kalin change the subject. "No, actually," he sighed. "But I feel alright, so maybe we should try the exorcism. I think I'd sleep easier knowing we've been actively trying to get rid of the ghost."

"What if it doesn't work?" Kalin grunted.

"Then . . . we have a problem," Radley said wearily.

"You don't think you'd sleep worse if the exorcism fails?" Kalin asked.

"I guess that depends on how disturbing it is," Radley said with a grim smirk. He started to get up. "I'll talk to the pastor."

Kalin followed him over to the other table, where Pastor Green was chatting with several of the townspeople. He looked up with a smile. "Hello, you two," he greeted. "Scotch told me you have quite a worrisome problem."

"Hi, Pastor," Radley smiled. "We do, unfortunately. And I think we'd like to try to fix it tonight, if that's still okay."

"Of course." He started to get up. "Are you ready now?"

Radley glanced to where Scotch had caught sight of them and was coming over with enthusiasm. "Yeah, I think so," he chuckled.

Kalin looked to Scotch. "Biff isn't coming, is he?" he asked. He couldn't imagine Biff wanting to witness an exorcism.

"Well . . . he sure doesn't want to," Scotch said slowly. "I told him I'd be okay with you guys there. He'd come to look out for me if he thought I'd be in danger. Or you guys, of course."

"Of course," Radley smiled.

"Then I'll meet you all there," Pastor Green said. "Klaus said he would drive me over in his truck. I hope I'll be healed enough for my motorcycle soon, but for now, this is still the best."

"Right." Radley nodded. "Thank you for doing this, Pastor."

"Not at all," Pastor Green smiled. "It's been some time since I've been needed in this capacity. To perform an exorcism is an interesting experience."

". . . I wouldn't have expected a priest to put it like that," Kalin remarked.

Scotch's eyes lit up, highly encouraged. "Will you tell me about some of your other cases?!"

"Of course," Pastor Green said. "Ride with me and Klaus in the truck and I'll regale you with tales all the way to the villa."

"You're on!" Scotch exclaimed.

Radley quirked an eyebrow, but as the two of them headed off he had to chuckle. "You know, I think Pastor Green is hoping to use a little reverse psychology?" he said.

"You mean, he'll give Scotch what he wants until Scotch realizes it isn't what he wants," Kalin intoned.

"Yeah. Or I think that's the idea, anyway." Radley moved to follow them. "There's always that unfortunate chance that Scotch will just get more excited instead."

"When it's Scotch, I wouldn't put it past him," Kalin remarked. "His priorities are often skewed."

"But his heart's in the right place," Radley said. "He doesn't have a malevolent bone in his body."

". . . True," Kalin conceded. "He's a nice guy."

Although it was still strange to realize that Scotch was older than him. Scotch seemed so much younger.

On the other hand, Kalin knew he himself was mentally far older than his age and that he was no doubt the anomaly due to why that was the case. He had to hope there were not many who knew what it was like to not just betray one's friends, but to believe that destroying the world was a good idea on top of that.

Both Radley and Yusei would insist that Kalin had been controlled or at the very least influenced by an evil force, though. They believed in and loved him so much in spite of everything he had done to both of them.

"Well, are you ready to do evil spirit battle?" Radley broke into his thoughts.

Kalin started. "No," he said flatly.

Up ahead, Scotch was cheerfully singing the Ghostbusters song.

"At least one of us is," Radley giggled.

xxxx

Within a few minutes they were all arriving at the villa once again. Pastor Green was just finishing up whatever adventure he had been recounting to Scotch and Klaus, and as Radley had suspected, Scotch was excited instead of disturbed.

"It must be so epic to go around ghostbusting to help people!" he was saying as they got out.

"It does feel good to help," Pastor Green had to admit.

"Well, Scotch certainly hasn't been deterred yet," Radley said to Kalin as they got down from Kalin's motorcycle.

Pastor Green caught their eyes and gave them a helpless-looking shrug. Yes, Radley had been right about his attempt at reverse psychology to convince Scotch it wasn't a good idea. And it certainly hadn't worked. But maybe seeing it firsthand would help.

Radley sighed but smiled, showing his gratitude for Pastor Green trying. "Okay," he said. "Let's go in and see what happens."

He led them downstairs and to the ominous bedroom. He had to steel himself before opening the door and taking in that terrible feeling again. He really hoped the exorcism would work this time. How could he ever fully be at peace being here with such a feeling?

Pastor Green stepped inside the bedroom. "Hello," he calmly greeted the source of the feeling. "I'm Pastor Green. Who are you?" When there was no response, he continued, "Why are you here? Why haven't you moved on?"

The feeling increased, gathering in intensity until Radley had to step back farther. It was too much for him. Kalin put a protective arm around his shoulders.

Scotch did look more intimidated now, even a bit scared. He stayed close to his friends.

"These people are the new owners of the villa," Pastor Green said. "They're hoping you'll let them enjoy all parts of it, including this back hall and its rooms."

Still no vocal response, but now the feeling was rushing out of the room and surrounding all of them, covering them in an almost tangible blanket of terror and despair. Radley was shaking again, and it sounded like he was desperately praying under his breath.

Kalin hugged him close and felt him reaching for Scotch to pull him into the circle. Even as the curtain of darkness was falling around them, Kalin became aware of Pastor Green's voice booming out and rebuking the evil. It fell away, leaving all of them light and free and able to breathe. The room was bright and peaceful; there was no ill feeling emanating from it.

Radley looked up in cautious relief from where he was hugging Kalin and Scotch close. "Is it over?" he asked.

Pastor Green drew a deep breath. "Yes," he said. "It's gone."

Kalin shuddered. "Is it?"

"There shouldn't be any way for it to return again unless it's invited in by some evil being committed here," Pastor Green told him.

"What could have caused it in the first place?" Radley wondered. "It was only in this specific area."

"I can't imagine," Pastor Green said with a shake of his head. "It could have been any number of things." He looked to the open doorway into the back hall. "Maybe I should investigate further and make sure there's nothing else here."

"Yeah," Radley said. "That would be great, Pastor. Thanks." He gave Kalin a worried look.

"I'll do that then." Pastor Green moved to go down the back hall. "You don't need to come with me; you've all already had a terrible shock, I'm afraid."

"That was pretty freaky," Radley had to admit.

". . . I'll go with him, if that's okay," Scotch hesitantly spoke up. "I haven't seen the back hall yet. . . ."

"Yeah. Go," Kalin said, harsher than he'd really meant to.

If Scotch noticed, he wasn't bothered. He followed Pastor Green down the hall.

Radley looked to Kalin when they were alone. "Kalin, are you okay?" he asked. "I can see you're really rattled. . . ."

Kalin turned away, passing a hand over his eyes. ". . . It felt familiar," he rasped. "That feeling of being swallowed up in darkness . . . it was just like when I died in the Facility and the darkness took me. And it spoke to me. . . . It said I'd been tainted by the darkness and that would always be with me no matter what I do or say for the rest of my life. It said . . . I belonged with it."

". . . You didn't believe it?" Radley said in alarm.

"I . . ." Kalin shook his head. "I don't know. I don't want to believe it, but . . ."

"No." Radley laid his hands on Kalin's shoulders. "The darkness is gone, Kalin. Your true self fought it off because of your love for Yusei and you were revived by the light, not the dark. And I was brought back to be with you. You belong with me and the Bunch, not the darkness!" He smiled. "And deep down, you must really know that. You didn't give in to it."

Kalin considered that. ". . . It was trying to get in," he remembered. "But you were praying and I was holding on so tightly to you and Scotch. I was fighting it off and clinging to the light. I . . . I want to live in the light. That was what I kept thinking over and over until the pastor banished it—I want to live in the light. . . ."

Radley smiled more. "And you will, Kalin," he said. "You always will now." He hugged Kalin close.

Kalin clutched Radley to him. He had faced the darkness and he had rejected it. It was an amazing, freeing feeling.

Maybe he truly would be alright now.