Miles away in another part of the mountains, Mavis and her search team of Frank, Murray, Wayne, and Griffin were still out looking for Drac, desperately calling his name.
"Drac?"
"Dad!"
"Hey, buddy, where are you?"
"Dracula!"
"Come out, come out, wherever you are!"
"Don't hide from us, Drac!"
Suddenly, the group froze, the roars of what was likely a horde of creatures reverberating through the air. They sounded farther away, but it sent chills down their spines all the same.
"What was that?" Murray asked.
"It doesn't sound like anything I've ever heard before," Wayne agreed.
Suddenly, they heard the sound of a petrified, blood-curdling scream follow right after, and Mavis thought she recognized the voice.
"Oh no…Johnny!"she cried. She turned into a bat and began to flap frantically in the direction of the sound. "Come on guys," she said to the others as she gestured a wing. "This way!"
"Drac! Dracula, help me!"
Johnny's desperate screams were only met with laughter from the savage beasts, and even more fearsome growls. His sneakered feet pounded against the rocky surface beneath him.Gotta find a way out, gotta find a way out!he thought with desperation, as he raced right into a large canyon with great limestone formations. He was starting to gasp for breath, but the creatures easily loped on behind him, perfectly well with their larger lungs and easily keeping up.
"Help me!" Johnny cried. "Somebody, anybody, help me! Somebodyheeelllpp!"
Johnny cut off his cries as several of the creatures took flight with their massive leathery wings, a mass of them swarmed in front of him, and he could feel the claws of another grip him from the shirt behind just like Mavis had when she was a bat, only this grip was not light and friendly. It was of a cruel kind, and the redhead was airborne for a minute as it picked him up high and then tossed him into the center of the converged circle of beasts. The exhausted human looked up, his eyes wide and fearful as the mangy beasts slobbered and snarled in excitement. Their chase was over as they saw it. Without hesitation, they pounced, Johnny's squirming and disappearing beneath their churning bodies and savage claws, the boy believing he was done for, when all of a sudden -
"Aah-eeh-ah-eeh-aaaaaah-eeh-ah-eeh-aaaaah!"
Even the beasts were confused with the intrusion of this strange noise and they looked up, startled. Swinging on his bandages like Tarzan on a vine was none other than Murray! The mummy hollered the familiar jungle yell again as he bravely swung in and grabbed Johnny from right under the creature's noses. Johnny was startled beyond his wits.
"Murray?" he asked a little dazed.
"That's right, baby!" he answered back with a laugh. "It's Murray here to save the -OOF!"
The mummy's breath was knocked right out of him as he and Johnny accidentally collided against a stone structure. They collapsed to the ground, stars in their eyes, until pairs of hands helped to lift each one of them up. Johnny looked up to see Griffin, Wayne, and Frank.
"RUN!"they all called in unison.
The creatures exchanged an odd look amongst each other at the scene, but then resumed their chase, this time with Drac's friends along for the ride.
"So," Johnny panted. "What's the plan, guys?"
"Thisisthe plan!" Wayne cried, getting down on all fours so that he could run faster.
Johnny was baffled. "Thisis the plan?" It was no different than what he was doing before!
He heard the jaws snap dangerously close to his ear and he yelped. "Whatarethose things?!"
"I don't know!" Griffin cried, tumbling over and then picking himself up again. "How much further, Frank?" he panted.
"She said she'd be right around the bend!" the Stein replied.
Sure enough, as they turned the corner, they ran past Mavis, who was standing with her feet planted firmly on the ground and a determined look on her face. She bared her fangs and put on her most fearsome roar that she could manage, claws extended, jaws wide, and red light overtaking her features. The bat-creatures cried out in fright at the sight of the vampiress displaying such ferocity. But their leader was unfazed.
"Comeon!"he growled angrily to his pack. "You're gonna be scared of one little girl?"
Mavis narrowed her eyes. "You'd betterbelievethey have a right to be!" Roaring again, Mavis leapt into battle, claws unsheathing and slashing furiously in a blind rage. She kicked at a creature from behind her, lobbed another at the front, drop-kicked two more, and punched dozens into unconsciousness.
Feeling emboldened by her courage, her uncles stepped in as well. "Come on, fellas,chaaarge!" Frank cried. He lunged right up to one of the beasts and clobbered him on the head with a powerful blow. Wayne snarled, grabbing one by the ear and biting down hard. It yelped and tried to shake him off, but the wolfman hung on, clawing at the beast all the while. Murray extended his bandages out, pulling them taut between some rocks to trip some of the creatures. He then used the bandages as a lasso, roping up the beasts from both the ground and the sky and flinging them off into oblivion. Griffin had removed his glasses and began to punch at the creatures, the beasts confused and being unable to swing back at the Invisible Man. Johnny stood, back pressed up against a stone structure as he marveled at it all. It seemed they were actually winning!
"All right, that's what I'm talking about!" he cheered. "Don't mess with TeamAwesome!"
The leader of the beasts heard the appraising tone for their defeat and scowled, locking eyes with the redhead. Johnny's smile instantly disappeared. The creature smiled, raising his fingers to his black lips and letting out a shrill whistle.
"Boys! Don't waste your time with these fools… get thehuman!"
"WHAT? NO!" Johnny cried.
Mavis gasped, whirling around from her headlock on a creature. "Johnny!"
The creature used her distraction to its advantage. With a powerful thrust, he hurled Mavis away from him, the vampiress crying out in shock as she slammed roughly against a stony wall, cracking the gray rock. Before she could get up, she was flanked by dozens more creatures who were holding her down, ensuring that she was immobile. She pried a hand out toward her zing. "Johnny!"
"Mavis!"He reached a hand out, but he too became surrounded by the demonic creatures, and they held him back. The leader descended before him lightly, cackling.
"Not so lucky today now, are we little human boy?" He snickered. "I must say, your friends have guts picking a fight with us… too bad we have to rip them out!"
Johnny whimpered, now seeing that the others were immobilized as well. Wayne was pressed down against the ground. Frank's body parts were each being held by different monsters in a tight hold to prevent them from coming back together again. Murray was wrapped up in his own bandages. And Griffin had finally been caught.
The creature's grin seemed to grow even wider. "Buuut… I think I want to start withyou." He unsheathed his claws with an ominousclick,bringing one to the soft underside of Johnny's neck and about to dig in, when a thunderous roar - even louder and more fearsome than Mavis's or any of the creatures combined - rang out.
Silhouetted against the lightning in the sky, at the very top of a high cliff was Dracula. He peered down at the scene, tilting his head back and roaring yet again, this one sounding far louder and more furious like a challenge.
"Drac?" Johnny asked, his voice hopeful.
"Back away!" he snarled to the cronies. He focused his piercing gaze on Johnny. "He'smine."
Johnny's face fell, his smile replaced by a look of fear. Dracula was not there to save him - he was there to claim his prey. Johnny gulped.
He could hear the boy's heart beating,knewexactly what it was that was pumping through his veins. Dracula inhaled, his gaze zeroing in on the fresh cut Johnny was sporting on his arm still. The blood that had welled from it before had dried some on his hand, but it was still very visibly red. And its scent was intoxicating for the vampire. That primal part of him craved it far more than anything else right now.
"I'm feeling hungry," the Count growled, licking his fangs delightfully. He leapt down, scaling the cliffside easily and landing with a thump against the ground. His eyes glowed a frightening red as he walked ever slowly, ever steadily toward his victim.
Mavis tried to shout out. "Dad! What are you - "
A clawed hand accompanied by a growl silenced her as one of the creatures clamped his hand over her mouth. Not waiting for Drac's friends to become vocal, the others did the same with them.
Johnny stared at him, stalking so tall and imposing, both impressed and horrified at how powerful he looked in that moment. He shut his eyes, feeling the vampire's hot breath on his face, and tensed his body in preparation for the fangs to pierce the skin on his neck. The battle was lost. If this was the way it was going to end, then so be it…
"Psst, Johnny."
Johnny opened an eye, seeing that Dracula hadnotin fact attacked him. Instead, he smiled warmly at the boy, his eyes back to their regular cerulean. "I think it's time we teach these goons a lesson," he whispered.
Johnny let out the breath he'd been holding. "Drac!" he whispered back loudly. "Oh my gosh, dude, you almost scared me to death!"
"Yes, yes, I know,shhh!" Dracula whispered harshly. "If you want this to work so we can get out unharmed, you have to playalong."
Johnny eyed him skeptically. "Not that Idon'ttrust you Drac, but… you sure you're going tokeepit anact?"
Dracula nodded, understanding what he meant. "I'm in control, Johnny." Then he softened again, putting a hand on his shoulder and adding, "Thanks for not giving up on me."
Johnny smiled. "Hey man, that's what you got friends and future-son-in-laws for!"
"Eh-heh, right," Dracula chuckled, trying not to let the idea of Mavis eventually getting married get to him too much. "Now, hold on."
Johnny raised an eyebrow. "Hold o - WHOA!"
The redhead yelped as the hand Dracula had laid on his shoulder suddenly thrust him upward and over his shoulder. He roared again, fangs extended out to their fullest. "This isMINE!"he snarled. Quick as a flash, he soared over to the other beasts who had his friends trapped, swiping each of them up from their grasps with a growl. "MINE!Notyours!"
He lifted the bunch into the air, growling with ferocity.
Some of the beasts shivered at the sight and flew off, but the braver ones stepped forward.
"As if a coffin-wetter scaresme!" the leader cried, and to his posse said, "let's sic 'em, boys!"
But Dracula was prepared for the onslaught. Still with his firm grip on Johnny, Mavis, and his friends in one strong hand, Dracula leapt into the air, shooting himself toward the horde like a missile and crashing into the pack like a battering ram. The fight that ensued was fast and furious, the Lord of Darkness having the skill and dominance to make short work of any of the challengers. His claws scratched at their thick hide, and his sharp teeth shredded through the fur on their bodies. A well-placed kick sent one beast reeling. Another dozen lunged, each aiming for Drac's head, but the vampire used his magic to freeze them midair. He leaped calmly away from the danger and snapped his fingers, unfreezing them so they all knocked into each other. Dracula was then met with the leader of the beasts, snarling in rage, and ready to pounce. Drac knew what to do, and waited for it to come running toward him. When it jumped, he sent his fist flying forward to connect with its jaw, the punch so hard that it cracked the beast's entire front row of teeth. It went sailing to the cliffside, landing with a CRACK against the stone and then fell upon the pile that were the other unconscious beasts. The impact made the rocks shake and fall in an avalanche. The creatures cried out as boulders rained down, hitting them in their already wounded limbs. Dracula continued his assault, flinging the creatures aside until he was able to sift out the leader from the mess and grip him in a deadly chokehold.
"Get away from here! This ismyterritory now, and this ismyprey," the Count snarled in his most threatening voice. "I neverEVERwant to see you here again! Do you understand?!" He roared for good measure, and the frightened beasts nodded their heads with yelps, taking flight as fast as they could in the sky. The leader of the bunch was released from Drac's grip, and scrambled away. It miscalculated the path of his flight, and slammed against the cliffside that Drac had initially descended from, hurting his wing. He sat up and extended his arm out into the sky where his pack was leaving. "Wait! Don't leave me here!" It turned around and practically shrunk on the spot as he saw Drac.
The vampire smirked, letting out a simple "boo."
It was enough to do the beast in. He cried out, working twice as hard to get his good wing to work so that he could take flight and make his escape.
Dracula smiled, crossing his arms and looking back at Johnny, Mavis, and his friends. "So, how's that for the Prince of Darkness?" he asked rather cockily.
"That…" Johnny started.
"...was…" Mavis continued.
The two of them looked to each other at the same time and both shouted "AMAZING!" They hugged each other in relief, and then threw their arms around Drac's waist. Johnny lifted his head, shaking a fist up at the retreating creature with a shout. "That's right, you better fly away! You're lucky I didn't come onto you and unleash the power behind my certified yellow belt!"
Dracula laughed, noogying the redheaded boy on his wild mop of hair while his friends gave him pats on the back.
"Yeah, Drac, that reallywasamazing!" Frank agreed.
"Uh huh, you showed those lousy fiends who's boss!" Murray chimed.
"No more of them for a few good centuries!" Griffin said.
"Well done!" cried Wayne, clapping his paws and howling in triumph.
Dracula took all the praise in stride. "Oh, no, it was nothing, really." Then, his stomach growled and he breathed out an exhausted sigh.
"Hoo-boy. All that fighting sure works up an appetite. So what's for lunch?"
Everyone froze, staring at the Count with wide eyes.
Johnny gulped.