- Chapter 80 -

The Tomb of Dracula

As the moon rose, Kitsune once again spoke with Shredder.

"The situation is worse than I anticipated, Master Shredder," she told him. "The Lost Ones the media speak of... it appears the dark creature I spoke of is loose in the city."

"Vampires," Shredder grimaced under his helmet. "This is not a force to be taken lightly. Tell Stockman to ready the Footbots. I will not risk losing more forces to these creatures."

"Right away, Master," Kitsune bowed before walking out. As soon as she was gone, a dark chuckle reached Shredder's ears. He bolted upright, popping out his blades.

"Show yourself, beast!"

"Is that an invitation?" Dracula materialized from the shadows, fangs growing. Shredder's eyes narrowed.

"Count Dracula, I presume."

"I see my reputation precedes me. As does yours, Shredder."

"Then you will know that I will not allow myself to be bested by you," Shredder slid into a fighting stance. "I will bring you to heel, and your army will serve me."

"You're more than welcome to try."

Shredder launched himself forward, aiming for the kill. The two clashed for a few moments, Shredder managing to keep Dracula at bay before kicking him back and lunging forward, plunging his blades deep into the vampire lord's chest. Dracula grunted in pain, before laughing.

"That was a very good try... but with such simple weapons, you can't kill what's already dead."

Shredder barely had time to react before Dracula grabbed him by the collar, fangs growing…

On the streets, the Hamato/Lee family had gone out on patrol, Splinter and Kasumi accompanying them.

"Is this really necessary?" Raph questioned.

"Dracula nearly killed you all last night, so yes," Splinter replied bluntly. "Absolutely."

"It could be worse," Kagome remarked. "They could have told us we weren't allowed out."

"In any other scenario, we would," Kasumi said. "But this situation is precarious enough as it is."

"Which is quite fortunate for me."

Everyone perked, spinning around to see the silhouette of Shredder in the shadows. Hisako stiffened, sensing something off about him. Midnight was growling as well, putting herself between them and Shredder.

"Saki…" Splinter let out.

"Dad, wait," Hisako cut in. "Something's wrong with him."

"If there is one thing you have in common with the cause of the Lost Ones…" Shredder finally stepped into the light. Everyone gasped at the sight of him with the same pale skin, claws, and glowing blue eyes as the other vampires. He removed his faceplate, revealing his new fangs and, more importantly, Dracula's bite on the right side of his throat. "It's that you're both pains in the neck."

All of them immediately drew their weapons.

"He's a Lost One!" Leo exclaimed.

"Dracula got to Shred-head?!" Raph managed. "I don't know whether to be impressed or to piss my shell."

"I... may have beaten you to that last one," Mikey said.

Hisako reacted instinctively, throwing a tessen at Shredder, which he caught effortlessly. What happened next was unexpected; Shredder's hand began to smoke upon contact with the tessen, and as soon as he got a good look at the Hamato crest engraved on it, he recoiled as if he had just had a cross shoved in his face, throwing the fan away with a pained hiss.

"What the-?!" Donnie let out.

"That was a lot more violent than just silver," Vee remarked. "That was... a holy weapon."

"A holy weapon?" Hisako said incredulously. "From me?"

Karai perked, remembering what Hisako had said about crosses the previous night.

"Faith in Bushido…" she realized.

Before they could muse on this any further, Shredder got to business. "I'm not here to fight with you. I can hear Dracula in my head, compelling me. Enslaving me... I loathe to admit it, but... I need your help."

They all exchanged looks incredulously.

"You… want our help?" Donnie repeated.

"Honestly, the most help I'd offer is a stake to the heart," Vee told him. "Or some garlic mouthwash."

After a minute, Karai let out a humorless chuckle. "Sorry, Shredder. Coming from you, that request just strikes me as pretty funny."

"The phrase go screw yourself comes readily to mind, Shredhead," Raph spat.

"It boggles my mind that you would actually think we'd want to save your ass after everything you've done to us, Shredder," Kagome said in discontent. "Why would we?"

Shredder scowled, before smirking. "Perhaps you need some... incentive."

He lunged forward, darting past the teens and grabbing Splinter. The rat sensei struggled for a bit before Shredder overpowered his former brother, sinking his fangs into his shoulder. Screams of "Dad!", "Master Splinter!", and "Yoshi!" rang through the night as Shredder dropped Splinter, wiping his mouth.

"Now I think we understand each other. Help me find a cure... or Hamato Yoshi shares my cursed fate."

Karai hissed, partially shifting. "Or we could just stake you here and now and cure Dad alone! Didn't think of that, did you?!"

"Miwa…" Splinter shakily got to his feet, his eyes glowing and his teeth sharper and longer than before. "Don't…"

"We'll do it," Leo said, all eyes turning to him. "Don needs a vampire test subject to actually make a vaccine, doesn't he? And Shredder just handed us a test subject."

"But what about Dad?" Raph questioned.

"I… I will be alright," Splinter assured. "But… I thirst."

"We'll take them to TCRI," Kasumi decided. "The holding cells should be enough to hold them."

"Agreed," Hisako said. "But first…"

She sent a small blast of power toward Shredder. His eyes rolled back and he passed out.

"He is not seeing where our friends are."

Sometime later, Shredder was placed in a high-tech cell within TCRI, stripped of his armor and weapons. He lunged at the door, trying in vain to break it down as he snarled and moaned. By contrast, Splinter was much more serene in the adorning cell, having entered a deep meditation in an effort to reign in the thirst. On an upper level, the Hamato Clan had gathered, turning to see Leo exit the elevator after an attempt at interrogating the former.

"What've we got?" Mizuki asked.

"Shredder's not talking," Leo replied. "He won't reveal Dracula's resting place. Not as long as he's infected with vampire blood."

"Maybe we should make him talk," Karai mused. "I bet once he gets thirsty enough, he'll-"

"No," Hisako cut her off. "I don't care that it's Shredder. We're not starving anyone. Besides, it's not that he won't reveal it. He can't."

"Hisako's right," Everyone turned to where Vee was at the computer with Mortu, researching different vampire lore. "Vampires 101: the sired must always obey the sire. Shredder may have some resistance, but there's no way he's revealing Dracula's resting place unless the Count wants him to."

"And given how antagonistic we are to him, the Count doesn't want him to," Leo mused.

"There is one way he can help us, though," Donnie said. "I'll need a blood sample, specifically from Shredder. Dad's mutagenic blood may tamper with the results."

"Gotcha covered." Erika held up multiple tubes of blood. "Managed to get a couple samples before he woke up."

"Alright." Donnie cracked his knuckles. "Let's go to work.

He dropped some of Shredder's infected blood into Mortu's scanner. After a minute, the screen showed red blood cells with gray viral particles attached.

"That proves it. Vampirism is a blood-borne virus. And if it's a virus, there's a cure." He turned to Mortu. "I'm gonna need a canister of ooze. More specifically the mixture you use in your regen tanks."

"Coming right up." Mortu rushed off to do so.

"In the meantime, I'm gonna keep up my research," Vee said. "Something's been bugging me since this started. Specifically, why is Dracula in New York?"

"I'll also need one of the EPF's solar guns," Donnie continued. "Here's hoping Dr. Miller's willing to let us borrow it."

Hisako nodded. "I'll swing by and see what I can grab."

"Why do you need a solar gun?" Makoto asked.

"I need something to test the blood with," Donnie explained. "And if Dracula's reaction to the sunrise is any indication, sunlight is another vampire weakness. The UV ray gun will help me simulate the sun, allowing me to test my possible cures in a safe environment."

"I think I got it," Erika mused. "If Shredder's blood withstands exposure, the cure works. If not…"

Donnie nodded. "Then I need to keep trying."

"In the meantime, we need to keep Dad and Shredder fed," Leo said.

Karai cringed. "Do we really have to feed Shredder?"

Hisako turned to her, eyes glowing slightly. "I know Shredder's a baby-eating monster who'd kick puppies down the street, and that you hate his guts. I get it. But I know what it feels like to nearly starve to death, and it's not fun."

"He's Shredder. He deserves-"

Hisako held up a hand, Karai's words dying on her lips. "We are not starving anyone. I'm not saying it again. Are. We. Clear?"

Karai gulped, nodding meekly. "Crystal."

Hisako lowered her hand, the glowing fading. "Good. I'm taking Midnight for a walk to clear my head and to get the solar guns."

As she went out with her dog, Tai turned to the others. "That reminds me. You guys said Hisako's tessen burned and repelled Shredder like a cross. How exactly does that work? Did Donnie soak your gear with holy water too?"

"I did, but that's all a matter of faith," Donnie replied.

"We're basically agnostic, so the faith thing is iffy," Mikey added. "But Hisako? Straight atheist."

"I might have an idea," Karai piped up. "Hisako said it herself. She puts her faith in Bushido. In the Hamato Clan."

Jade raised an eyebrow. "How's that work? Bushido is just a warrior's code of conduct. It's not a religion."

"Not to us," said Hana. "But to Hisako, the Hamato Clan saved her life. Bushido gave her the chance to be better. It's something she puts her trust... her faith in."

"That adds up with some of the lore I researched," Vee noted. "And the Dresden Files books I read a while back. The main character didn't have faith in religion, but he did have faith in a silver pentacle he owned, a symbol of his magic. That was enough to make it a vampire repellent."

"So Hisako's faith in Bushido and our family makes our crest a holy symbol in her hand," Leo mused. "That… wow."

"Learn something new every day, huh?" said Kagome.

"Yeah." Leo drew a shuriken, looking at the Hamato crest engraved upon it. "The more you know."

Elsewhere, Dracula was roaming around the city for potential victims. Eventually, he looked down, seeing Robyn roaming the streets. He stopped, looking her over.

"Hmmm…" he mused, looking at her. Robyn was unaware of her tail, continuing her journey unimpeded. "Yes. She will do quite nicely."

Meanwhile, Hisako and Midnight returned to TCRI, a solar gun strapped to the former's back. She rode the elevator up to see Kasumi standing up from a chair, a band-aid over a fresh puncture on her arm as Erika set a bag full of her blood to the side.

"You made it," Leo sagged in relief. "Run into any trouble on the way?"

"Not so much as a peep," Hisako replied. "I did keep my tessen in my hand though, just in case."

"We actually figured out how it repelled Shredder the way it did," Donnie remarked. "But first, the solar gun, please."

"Seriously?" Hisako handed over the gun. "How so?"

"You said it yourself," Kagome replied. "You put your faith in Bushido. That's all it takes."

"Huh," Hisako mused. "Well, I'll be dipped."

Donnie placed some of Shredder's blood on a petri dish, dropping a little mutagen onto it.

"Okay, here we go." He put on a pair of sunglasses. "First test."

He powered up the light gun and aimed it right at the petri dish, shining it onto the blood for several seconds. Eventually, he moved it out of the way and raised his shades, only to see the blood rapidly evaporating.

"Blast it!" he cursed. "Shredder's blood didn't withstand the sunlight."

"It's okay," Erika assured him. "Not every experiment can be a first success, right?"

"Right," Donnie agreed. "We just have to keep trying."

-X-

Down in the cells, Shredder was pacing like an animal, breathing heavily. Splinter was still in a meditative pose.

"You will only exacerbate your thirst moving like that," he told him calmly.

"I don't recall asking for your advice," Shredder spat.

"You never did. And yet, you always heeded it when we were younger."

"It was the only way you would ever shut your pompous mouth."

"I merely wanted to offer some brotherly advice. Our father would have said the same."

"My father was Oroku Kaiji. Hamato Yuta was a murderer and a kidnapper."

"He took you in and raised you as his own. He showed you compassion, and you repaid him in blood."

"Compassion?" Shredder scoffed. "The old man had the gall to pity me. That is all."

"There was no pity, Saki. not once. You were as much his son as I was. He loved us both." Splinter's tone softened. "I loved you. You were my brother."

"You were always getting me into trouble! You and Kasumi!" A moment of silence passed before Shredder's expression and tone softened, and he slowly turned to face Splinter. "But then... you were always there to get me out of trouble again."

"Of course I was. You were my brother." Splinter stood up. "And even now… I wish we could be again."

Shredder was silent as Splinter went on. "My single greatest regret is allowing our rivalry to get so bad, to let it fester to the point it cost us both Shen. I don't want either of us to end up killing the other, Saki. But we're both running out of alternatives... and we both know it. Maybe it all hinges on tonight. Maybe this is our last chance to end this without any more bloodshed. If you do not take it, then we're both locked onto a suicide course. Both of us. To the death."

Shredder seemed to be genuinely listening, and Splinter pressed his hand against the glass keeping him contained. "It doesn't have to be that way. We can be brothers again. Work together to uphold the legacy of both our clans, and end this blood feud. We can end this madness." He held out a hand. "What do you say?"

Shredder's expression softened for several seconds as he mulled it over, before he closed his eyes, turning away. "No. I'm sorry, Yoshi, but... no. It's too late for that. The blood is already on my hands. Right or wrong... I must follow this path to the end."

Splinter closed his eyes, letting out a resigned sigh. "So be it, then."

"However…" Shredder continued, getting Splinter's attention. "Once I am human once more, I will aid you in disposing of the vermin infesting this city. However we feel about each other, Dracula is the greater threat."

Splinter nodded. "On that, we can agree."

-X-

On the upper floor, Leo turned to Vee and Mortu.

"Find anything of value?" he asked.

"We've been trying," Mortu replied. "But to be frank, so much vampire lore exists that it's hard to separate fact from fiction."

"I found something fun, though," Vee added. "Apparently, Dracula had a girlfriend."

"Say what?" Leo questioned.

Vee pulled open the file, revealing a picture of Dracula with a woman in a black dress.

"Carmilla Karnstein. The Bride of Dracula. It's said her bloodlust rivaled even his."

"So Cupid's arrow can pierce even a dead, black heart like his," Jade mused. "Who knew?"

"What happened to her?" Mikey asked.

"Van Helsing tracked them both down to their castle in Transylvania," Vee explained. "Drac got a good old-fashioned stake to the heart, while Carmilla suffered what they called the 'eternal death'."

"Eternal death?" Kagome asked.

Vee scrolled down, finding the info. "She was tied to a stake and left out in the open to burn to ashes at dawn's first light."

Raph let out a whistle. "Ouch."

"And Dracula?" Tai asked. "What happened to him?"

"Turns out a stake to the heart didn't kill him. It just put him in a death-like state. So Van Helsing shipped his body out of the country."

"My God…" Erika realized. "It all adds up. That's why he's here in New York!"

"Doesn't explain why he's up and walking about, and not in his fake death state," Makoto pointed out.

"Maybe he got bounced around during shipping," Mikey suggested. "Stake fell out, but he was still trapped. Then some poor sap ended up letting him out."

"That must be what happened," Hana deduced.

"Only explanation I can think of," Vee remarked.

-X-

Sometime later, Donnie, with a little help from Starlee, made a new batch of mutagen. He held up the canister, the contents of which were a bluish tint.

"Okay, this is a new mutagen mixture," he told them. "Specifically geared towards healing and regeneration."

Erika handed him a sample of Shredder's blood and Donnie placed it on a petri dish, dropping some of the new mutagen on it before shining the light gun on it. The blood rippled around for a few minutes before settling down, inert. Donnie examined it under a microscope, grinning to see the vampire virus particles had completely disappeared.

"Bingo!" he cheered. "It worked!"

"Mix it in this," Hisako ordered, putting down the blood bag Erika had taken from her earlier. "We'll give it to Shredder."

Donnie filled a syringe with the mutagen, injecting it directly into the bag.

"Now it's time for Shredhead to take his medicine. Once we know it's safe, I'll make a second one for Dad."

Hisako took the blood. "I hope this works."

She descended the elevator and was greeted with the sight of Shredder pacing around his cell like a lion. She held up the blood bag, getting his attention.

"Lunchtime," she informed him, tossing the bag through the slot.

"It's about time," Shredder remarked as he snatched the bag up. "You're late."

"Because we found a cure," Hisako explained, making both him and Splinter perk. "And we put it in the blood. With any luck, you'll be human again."

Shredder scowled, clearly unhappy with being used. "So you intend to use me as a guinea pig?"

"Hey, you're the one who vamped my dad, so you're lucky you're getting cured at all," Hisako shot back. "Now do you wanna be human or not?"

Shredder still looked less than thrilled. Hisako crossed her arms. "In case you haven't forgotten, as long as you're a vampire, you're Dracula's slave."

That was all it took. Shredder bit into the bag and drained it. Almost immediately, he collapsed and began writhing. Hisako looked on with bated breath as the cure slowly took effect. Shredder's color returned, his fangs and claws sunk into his flesh, and Dracula's bite closed up. Soon, he settled down, human again. Hisako cautiously leaned in on the barrier, looking in on him.

"Shredder?" she asked nervously.

Shredder sat up, looking at her and sighing in relief.

"You…" he began, "you got him out."

Hisako released the breath she had been holding.

"Donatello succeeded," Splinter remarked.

"As if there was ever any doubt," Hisako remarked. "Gimme a minute, Dad. I'll have your batch ready."

She ascended the elevator, where the others were waiting.

"What's the word?" Donnie asked.

"It worked," Hisako reported. "Shredder's human again."

"For lack of a better word," Raph quipped.

Hisako took a seat in the chair, offering her arm.

"You wanna give blood?" Erika questioned.

"The mutagen in her blood acts as a boosting agent for the cure," Donnie mused. "It's quite remarkable. Probably because of the stabilized mutagen she was exposed to as a fetus."

"Just stop rambling and draw my blood so I can get Dad back to normal," Hisako snapped.

Erika felt her arm for a vein before gently poking a needle in. Hisako winced, sucking in air through her teeth.

"Fuckin' needles…" she hissed.

"Here here," Sam agreed.

Hisako leveled him with a glare. "Booster shots are a necessary evil. Suck it up."

Sam shrugged. "Doesn't mean I like getting stabbed so people can inject me with shit or steal my blood."

Hisako's gaze softened at that. "You got me on that one. At least all your needles were with good intentions."

"Oh, I see what's going on here," Mikey grinned mischievously.

"What?" Sam raised an eyebrow.

"Oh c'mon, it's obvious, Sam! You wanna smack lips with my sister!" Mikey made mocking kissing noises, both Hisako and Sam turning beet-red.

"N-no, I don't!" Sam stammered. "I-I'll admit she's cute, but- oh my God, did I just say that out loud?!"

"Ha!" Mikey pointed at him. "You said she was cute!"

A tray surrounded by a golden halo smacked him in the face.

"Shut up," Hisako hissed, blushing deeply as she looked away.

"Ow…" Mikey rubbed his face. "I really hope that wasn't a bedpan."

-X-

Sometime later, Leo descended the elevator with the cure-enhanced blood bag, heading for Splinter's cell.

"Here it is, Dad."

He slipped it through the bars and Splinter took it. He turned his back, then ferally tore into it, unable to keep his thirst at bay. As soon as he was finished, he dropped the bag, breathing heavily and steadying himself against the wall as the cure took effect.

"Dad?" Leo let out.

A moment passed before Splinter looked up, his eyes back to normal and his fangs retracted to basic rat buck teeth. "That was... unpleasant."

Everyone sighed in relief. Leo wasted no time unlocking the cell, and he grabbed his father.

"I'm so glad you're okay, Dad."

"As am I, my son."

The rest of the Hamato/Lee family joined in the hug before Vee looked over to Shredder in his cell.

"What're we gonna do about him?"

"I say give Bishop a cellmate," Raph suggested, the others agreeing.

"As much as I'd love that, it's not that simple, guys." Donnie cut in.

"And why not?" Karai asked.

"Shredder's empire is the top dog in the criminal underworld," Donnie explained. "He has control over the Foot Clan, the Purple Dragons, and Turtelli and Vizioso's mobs. If he disappears, there's nothing to stop the resulting power vacuum from tearing Manhattan apart."

Shredder chuckled. "Seems at least one of you turtles has a brain. Besides, Yoshi plans to let me go regardless. After all, we had an agreement."
All eyes turned to Splinter, who simply nodded. "If there is one thing we can agree on, it's that Dracula needs to be dealt with."

"And while I despise the creature you call Father, I find my hatred for Dracula to be far greater," Shredder clenched his fists. "That undead abomination attacked me in my own home. Made me a slave and forced me to bow and grovel before him. I, the Shredder. Can you even begin to fathom my humiliation?"

"So, an alliance?" Splinter asked.

"For now. Until I drive my claw through Dracula's black heart."

"...Fine." Leo decided.

"Leo?!" Raph objected.

"We know how strong Dracula is, Raph, and God knows how many people he's turned by now. We can't afford to be picky," Leo turned to Shredder. "Now, no tricks or lies. Where is Dracula's resting place?"

"A crypt in the New York Marble Cemetery," Shredder replied. "Kitsune sensed his presence there... and Dragon Face wound up unleashing him while investigating it on my orders."

Kagome blinked before scowling. "So you're the cause of all this?!"

"Remind me why teaming with him is a good idea," Raph spat.

"What I cannot command, I will destroy. And as your brother said, what choice do you have if you expect to win?"

The ninjas all exchanged weary glances.

"Just putting this out there, I don't like this," Raph declared.

"Neither of us do," Leo replied.

"Yeah, it's a deal with the devil," said Hisako. "But at least this devil is human."

"Barely," Karai scoffed.

Nonetheless, Leo unlocked the cell door, and they ascended the elevator, where Donnie was hard at work mass-producing the cure and loading it into syringes.

"I get you guys are eager to end this, but it's the middle of the night, and you're about to walk right into a vampire nest," Sam noted. "Might I suggest waiting till daybreak, when Dracula and the Lost Ones are asleep?"

"That is unwise," Splinter said. "Especially if we wish to keep Miss O'Neil safe."

That got their attention.

"Say what?" Raph let out.

"With his bride suffering the true death, Dracula has been on the prowl seeking a replacement," Splinter explained. "And it seems he's chosen April's sister."

"Robyn…" Donnie gasped.

"Yes," Shredder confirmed. "It seems she bears a resemblance to her, and he has decided to turn her into a true vampire like himself.

"We have to warn her!" Donnie He immediately whipped out his T-Phone, dialing Robyn's number.

Out on the streets, the sun was rapidly going down as Robyn quickly walked down the street.

"Damn overtime…" she grumbled. "There's a frickin' curfew, damn it."

She almost jumped out of her skin when her phone went off. Sighing, she pulled it out, continuing to walk. "Hello?"

"Robyn!" Donnie's voice came. "Are you okay?!"

"Donnie? Yeah, I'm fine. Just got off overtime and heading home."

"Shit... Listen to me! You gotta get off the streets!"

"Believe me, I'm trying."

"No, you don't understand! Dracula's coming for you! Like, specifically you! You're his new bride!"

Robyn perked. "Say what?!"

"There's no time to explain! Just get inside!"

"Donnie, you're not making any-"

"Good evening."

Robyn perked, slowly turning to see Dracula emerge from an alley.

On the other end, Donnie heard things go silent shortly after Dracula's voice cut in.

"Robyn?! Robyn!"

The phone was picked up... but the voice on the other end wasn't Robyn's. "A turtle creature, I presume?"

Donnie promptly put the phone on speaker.

"Count Vlad Dracula," Leo hissed.

"Correct. I assume you are one of the turtle creatures I encountered before."

"If you hurt our friend, we will make what Van Helsing did to you look like child's play."

"Seems someone has done their research. Commendable. Miss O'Neil will make a fine replacement for my dear Carmilla. And knowing she's your friend will make it all the sweeter. Consider it your punishment for spurning my offer of immortality."

"Don't test us, Vladdy. We've gone toe to toe with some bad characters. You're just the next on the list."

"Then come to me, if you're ready to die. I will drain you dry, and use your masks as dinner napkins."

The line went dead at that. Leo looked up, his serious eyes on.

"Donnie, get that cure ready on the double."

They quickly hurried to the cemetery, where Shredder led them to Dracula's crypt. Once they got inside, they saw something that both Hun and Dragon Face had previously missed. Leo peeked in, seeing a massive tunnel leading underground.

"So that's how Dracula bypassed the crosses outside," he mused. "He's been tapping into the catacombs leading under the city."

"We better make sure we close them up, then," Raph remarked.

They quickly descended the catacombs while Leo quickly told the others his plan. "Tai, once we cure the Lost Ones and get Robyn, you and your crew make sure they get out of the catacombs alive. We'll take care of Dracula."

"And what about Shred-face?" Tai asked.

"I shall deal with my tainted soldiers," Shredder declared in a tone that booked no argument. "Teach them a thing or two about staying loyal."

-X-

Deeper within the catacombs, four vampires raised a massive stone slab over a coffin with chains, while Dracula led an unconscious Robyn to the coffin and laid her down, Hun following.

"My children of the night…" he began, turning to face them, "gather and witness the Blood Wedding."

The vampires gathered and cheered, while the Hamato Clan and Shredder hid behind numerous stalagmites, watching.

"Blood Wedding?" Leo muttered.

"Not good," Vee whispered. "Not good at all."

"Robyn O'Neil, huh?" Dragon Face mused. "Or would it be Robyn Dracula?"

"Miss O'Neil will become my new Countess, my new Bride. Unlike you thralls, she will be a true vampire. Powerful, beautiful, and mine for all eternity."

He gently brushed a lock of hair out of Robyn's face.

"Master…" Robyn droned, her eyes still closed, "my soul is yours to take."

The Hamato Clan had seen and heard enough to know what needed to be done.

"We gotta stop the ceremony!" Donnie insisted.

"There are too many vampires down there!" Vee hissed. "How do you suggest we-?"

At that moment, they heard a blade being drawn and turned to see Hisako cutting open her palms with her tessen.

"We draw them away, obviously," she said.

Before anyone could stop her, she jumped down to the vampires' level, raising her bloody hands.

"Hey!" she taunted. "Who's hungry?!"

She took off, the vampires all pursuing her.

"Her?!" Dragon Face exclaimed. "Fuck! The Turtles are here!"

"Pursue her!" Dracula shouted. "No matter what happens, all of you will keep those creatures from interfering with the ritual!"

"Good luck with that!" Leo declared as he and the others dropped down. "We're hard to stop."

Dracula smirked, and suddenly, the vampires doubled back, surrounding them This included Dragon Face, as well as Hun.

"A good effort," he remarked, "but my will supersedes their hunger."

Out of the blue, Hisako jumped from above onto the nearest vamp, sticking a cure syringe into his neck. "Eat this!"

The vamp collapsed and writhed before settling down, cured.

"Impressive," Dracula remarked. "You found a cure for vampirism."

"Thank modern technology for that, Bat Boy!" Donnie retorted.

Dracula scoffed. "It matters not. You should have taken my offer. Now all you have to look forward to is death... and eternal darkness."

"No!" Mizuki insisted. "There's more than darkness at the end!"

"Believe your fairy tales if it comforts you, but I have been there. True death is nothing but darkness, a void of cold blackness... until the awakening. And for you, there shall be no awakening."

"Normally, I'd believe you, Drac," Hisako replied. "But seeing shit like you and the ghost Ho Chan, I'm inclined to believe that there's some sort of afterlife."

"Let that knowledge comfort you, as you fall into death's embrace." Dracula snapped his fingers. "Destroy them all!"

Everyone prepared the cure syringes as the vampires prepared to attack.

"Let's do this!" Leo declared.

They began jabbing the cure into every attacking vampire. Meanwhile, Shredder dealt with both Hun and Dragon Face, both heavily under Dracula's thrall.

"I've had enough of your insubordination, Hun!" he shouted. "It's time I remind you of who is the Master here!"

Both of his bespelled soldiers launched at Shredder, the man's armor the only thing keeping him from getting revamped. As this went on, multiple vampires dogpiled Leo, restraining him.

"Oh crap!" Raph shouted. "Leo!"

Before any of them could bite him, Leo grabbed a garlic bomb off of his belt and set it off. As the garlic smoke spewed out, the vampires fell back, coughing and gagging.

"Sorry, but turtle's not on the menu!" Leo declared, injecting every vamp with the cure one by one.

With that, the last vampire had been cured. Leo turned to Dracula, readying to throw his last cure syringe, but Dracula's eyes glowed red as he stared at him. Leo's did as well and he began shaking, unable to finish his throw.

"You cannot win. No mortal can resist my will," Dracula said with a smirk. "When my bride has had her fill, I shall offer her your corpses as wedding gifts."

While they were distracted, Dracula began the ritual, slicing his wrist and pouring his blood into an ornate goblet. He held it to Robyn's lips, preparing to have her drink. However, Hisako's tessen knocked the goblet from his hand, scattering the contents and burning his hand. He growled in pain, hissing as he clutched his hand.

"Leave! My friends! And Family! ALONE!"

With the introduction of a holy weapon, Dracula's spell over Robyn broke. She gasped and sat up.

"No!" Dracula yelled. "My bride!"

"What the hell?" Robyn let out, turning to see Leo run over and help her out of the coffin.

Dracula spun around, in his game face and outraged. "If you will not be my bride, Robyn O'Neil… then I shall have your blood!"

Leo handed Robyn over to Tai. "Take the Lost Ones and run! Get out of here!"

"Be careful!" Tai warned.

Tai's group quickly roused the other Lost Ones, ushering them out of the catacombs while Tai led Robyn away. She stopped, turning to see Dracula lifting Leo up.

"Don't look back!" Leo shouted. "Just go!"

Robyn hesitated, then ran into the tunnel. Leo grabbed his final cure syringe and plunged it into Dracula's neck, injecting him. Dracula hissed, dropping Leo and spasming for a few seconds… before laughing and pulling the syringe out.

"Impossible!" Donnie shouted. "The cure has no effect?!"

"Fool," Dracula scoffed, tossing the syringe aside. "You may have cured my human victims of their disease, but no mortal medicine can cure a supernatural affliction."

He loomed over them, a malevolent grin on his face. "It's scarcely midnight, Turtles, and we're underground. The sunrise will not save you this time."

He darted towards the Hamato octet, and they narrowly managed to dodge as he put his fist through the rock behind them.

"You cannot win!" the count went on. "I am beyond human! I am the Prince of Darkness! The Lord of the Undead! Evil incarnate!"

Hisako promptly hit him with a garlic bomb, and the eight teens retreated behind a stalagmite.

"What do we do now?!" Kagome demanded.

Leo steeled himself, a plan forming in his head. "I got an idea. This whole time, we've been facing him on his terms, on his turf. Let's take him somewhere we rule."

They got it at that, nodding and grinning before they took off through the catacombs. Dracula followed in hot pursuit, and soon found himself in the sewer system. The Hamato Family's voices echoed through the sewers, the group out of sight.

"You may be the Prince of Darkness…" Leo said, "but you're on our turf now."

"Down here, we call the shots," Raph added.

"We've spent our entire lives in these tunnels." Vee included.

"But you?" Mikey asked. "You're just a tourist!"

"No one knows the New York sewers better than we do, Vladdy," Donnie added.

"So good luck finding us." Hisako finished. "You're gonna need it!"

Dracula scowled, seeing figures running through the shadows. Eventually, he ran into a solid wall.

"Nope!" Kagome taunted. "Guess again!"

Their laughter came from all around, infuriating Dracula.

"You disrespectful brats!" he shouted. "When I find you, you will deafen yourselves with the shrill sounds of your own screams!"

"You'll have to find us first, Drac." Karai retorted. "Where could we be?"

He attempted another tunnel, only to get hit with a smoke bomb booby trap.

"Getting colder!" Hisako taunted.

"You only make it worse for yourselves!" Dracula snarled. "You filthy yellow swine (1)!"

"Hey, most of us are green," Vee retorted.

"And I'm glad your human resources guy isn't around to hear you say that," Kagome added.

"So the 'Prince of Darkness' is a racist dick," Karai added. "Who knew?"

Someone pelted him with a smoke bomb as more laughter sounded. Seething, Dracula continued along, before something tapped his shoulder. He whirled around, seeing only a ladder leading above the ground.

"Are you brave enough to face us?" Hisako taunted. "We're up here! Come and get us!"

Dracula scowled, shooting up the ladder into a room above.

"No one escapes Vlad Dracula!" he declared.

Suddenly, he was hit with a light gun blast, and reeled back, screaming as he overlooked his charred hand. The Hamato Clan and Turtles surrounded him, all brandishing light guns.

"News flash, Vladdy," Makoto informed him. "They weren't trying to escape."

"Dawn's come early, Drac!" Mikey declared. "And you're toast!"

They all fired light guns and Dracula shrieked in agony as his flesh burned and crackled.

"You can't do this to me!" he yelled. "Who do you think you are?!"

"A group who hates bullies and loves this city!" Leo replied. "And you. Are. DUST!"

He was hit with another light gun salvo and flew back, screaming as he burst into flame. Leo jumped into the air, aiming a kick at him.

"BOOYAKASHA!" he yelled as he connected with the kick, scattering Dracula's ashes and bones all over the room.

The group stopped with the light guns, looking over the vampire lord's remains.

"That's it for Dracula," Tai declared.

Dracula's skull bounced over to Raph, stopping at his feet. He glared down at it in contempt.

"Rest in hell, dark prince," he spat before kicking the skull aside.

Shredder managed to jab both of his wayward minions with the cure, sending them falling to the ground as they became human once more. The second they were aware of themselves, both of them were horrified. Hun bowed before Shredder, while Dragon Face just cowered.

"Master," Hun let out, grimacing. "I am sorry. I swear to you, I never wanted to-"

"Be silent," Shredder snarled, looking around the now-empty crypt. "It's over. We're going home."

Silently, he walked out of the crypt, his minions quickly following him.

After disposing of Dracula's remains, the Hamato Clan watched the sunrise from the rooftop of the 2nd Time Around. Sam soon joined them, sitting awkwardly beside Hisako.

"So... how'd it go?" he asked.

"We buried Dracula's bones under Central Park," Leo replied. "Consecrated the grave with holy water just in case."

Sam was silent for a few moments before sighing, turning to Hisako. "Hisako, look... about what Mikey said, and what I said…"

"Sam…" Hisako gave him a sad smile. "You're incredibly sweet, and I can tell your feelings are genuine. I'm flattered, but…" she sighed. "I'm damaged goods. Far too damaged to ever have the kind of relationship you desire. You don't deserve someone like me with more baggage than an airport. You don't deserve someone like me with more baggage than an airport. I'm sorry."

"Maybe not," Sam replied. "But you do deserve to be happy."

"And who said I'm not?"

Sam looked at her, at the tired smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"You say as such... but your eyes speak differently," Hisako was silent as he went on. "I won't force you into anything you're not ready for. It may be a long time, if ever, but no matter what happens from here, Hisako, I just want you to know how much I care about you."

He squeezed her shoulder before turning and walking away. Her hand lingered on where he had been touching.

Author's Note:

(1): Meant to be a jab at the Turtles, Karai, and Kagome for being Japanese-American. I myself am not racist in any way.

And that's the end of the Dracula arc. Thanks for reading. Also, that's a key difference between my Shredder and the one from 2012: his thirst for vengeance doesn't supersede his self-preservation instinct. Also, taking from IDW, I'm making efforts to humanize him to a degree.

Please R&R. Until next time!