Capítulo 36: Chapter 36: Hunting For A Vampire's Whereabouts
"You sure you want to do this?" Mcgee, wearing a suit and a fedora, asked an elderly black man who was gnashing his teeth behind his store's counter.
"This is Luciano-"
"Oh please you coon, the Luciano family don't care bout you." McGee leaned on the counter, flicking the toothpick from his mouth as the shop keeper ducked his gaze.
"The jewish mob, on the other hand, will protect you regardless of who you are." McGee smiled as he saw the shopkeeper's daughter walk in.
"We can also make an arrangement-" A sleazy smile formed on Mcgee's face, his eyes tracing all over her body.
*BAM*
The door was suddenly kicked open, bursting off its latch and swinging all the way until it collided with the wall it was connected to, revealing Ricky and Jake standing in the doorway.
"Oh sh*t." McGee's arrogant smirk morphed into a pale expression as if he'd seen a ghost.
"You McGee?" Ricky looked around and pointed at McGee who froze in place.
"That's him Mr. Slick!" The black shopkeeper quickly ratted McGee out as he received a glare.
"Damn." McGee whispered, his smile morphing into a frown, while Ricky's grin spread across his face as he cracked his knuckles.
"Alright there are two ways this can go-and he's running." Ricky didn't even get to say his warning, watching McGee literally turn tail almost immediately.
"Ah!" The shop keeper's daughter yelped as McGee pushed her to the side before rushing towards the back.
"Jake cut him off while I go after him!" Ricky yelled, rushing after McGee, while Jake immediately turned to follow Ricky's commands.
McGee burst out a door that led into the back alley, quickly scanning both ways before decisively heading to the right.
The sound of his dress shoes clicking on the pavement filled the air, his breathing ragged, and sweat dripping down his face as he knew the consequences if he were caught by Ricky.
Ricky, now fully connected to the underworld, had been slowly integrating into the culture, and was still unaware of his own growing reputation.
To the Luciano family, he was the prodigal son, consistently delivering immense benefits to their organization.
However, to others, he was seen as ruthless and bloodthirsty borderline psychopath.
The infamous 'Great Irish Massacre' had already raised eyebrows in the underworld, but as secondhand whispers spread, so did the obscenity of the story.
The original tale, depicting Ricky as impatient, had evolved into a calculated and ruthless version where he had meticulously planned to eradicate the parasite that was draining their profits.
Ricky's presence went from being occasionally recognized outside his territory to the point where gang leaders issued notices to their members to be vigilant of his exact description.
They were warned to spot and notify them if Ricky crossed into their territory, ensuring they didn't meet the same fate as the Irish mob.
"Oh McGee~" Ricky hummed, pulling out the rusted axe from his inventory right before he turned the corner to see McGee's slow figure running away.
McGee's worried eyes darted slightly backward, then widened in sheer terror, shaking in such a horrifying manner as they became fixated on the rusted axe in Ricky's hand.
"STAY AWAY FROM ME YOU MONSTER!" McGee screeched as his mind had concluded that Ricky was here to chop him up into little pieces and feed him to the fishes.
"Monster?" Ricky tilted his head while running after McGee, then understood as he remembered the axe.
"Ohhhhhhhhh, I think you're confused Mcgee, I only want to break your legs!" Ricky shouted clarifying words as he started to gain ground on McGee's trial.
"THAT ISN'T ANY BETTER!" McGee screeched, jerking his head to reprimand Ricky, but his tone faltered as he realized how close Ricky was getting.
Almost immediately, McGee turned his gaze forward, his whole body flinching as he noticed Jake waiting at the end of the alley as his pace instinctively slowed down.
Ricky noticed McGee's hesitation and smiled enthusiastically, wounding up the axe in his hand, quickly turning it to its blunt side mid-air before lunging forward.
*CRACK*
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" McGee let out a piercing wail as the butt of the axe collided with his knee, shattering it upon impact.
*BAM*
However, Ricky greatly underestimated his own strength since the wood holding the axe broke, and along with it, McGee's knee gave way, unable to bear the force.
"MY KNEE, MY F*CKING KNEE~" McGee gazed down, his hands shaking as they hovered above his amalgamation of what was supposed to be his knee.
"Dammit McGee, you broke my axe." Ricky frowned as he picked up the axe head and tried to reconnect it with the broken handle to no avail.
"Y-YOU'RE CRAZY, THE RUMORS WERE TRUE ABOUT YOU BEING A PSYCHOPATH!" McGee wailed, gripping his knee in slight tears as he directed all of his hate and pain at Ricky.
"Are you sure it's wise to yell at the guy who made your left knee into spaghetti?" Jake questioned, and as soon as he did, McGee shut his mouth tight, the pain causing his reasoning to skew in the heat of the moment.
"Well, usually I'd disagree but up until recently I will admit, I've been off my rocker lately." Ricky surprisingly agreed with McGee as he bent down to gaze at him.
"I mean, would you act crazy when you come back from a date only to find out that one of your closest friends is in a body bag and the other is a crippled?" Ricky grabbed McGee's collar, his usually calm eyes rippling with unquenched fury.
"Now, who killed Rocco?" Ricky venomously asked McGee who shook his head back and forth.
"I swear, I don't know I-AHHHHHHHHHHH!" McGee tried to deny his words only to have Ricky grab his crushed knee and squeeze.
McGee let out a tear-jerking screech, his eyes straining under the pain as Ricky's newfound strength gripped his mangled knee.
"DON'T YOU F*CKING LIE TO ME MCGEE, I WANT TO KNOW!" Ricky yelled, his lie detection skill paying off as tears started to stream down McGee's cheek.
However McGee didn't have thoughts of confessing even with the immense amount of pain shooting throughout his nervous system.
*SNIFF*
*SNIFF*
Ricky let go as McGee started sniffing and clutching his knee, curled up in defeat while Ricky looked around and spotted a nearby four-story building.
However as Ricky smiled, he was completely oblivious to a shadowy figure constantly observing his actions.
"Ricky?" Jake asked after seeing Ricky grabbing McGee's collar as he started to drag him in a random direction.
"I think he needs a little more incentive."
15 minutes later,
"Please, PLEASE I DON'T KNOW NOTHING!" McGee whined as Ricky and Jake dangled him off the edge of the four-story building Ricky had spotted moments ago.
"Jake let go." Ricky ordered, and Jake obeyed, letting go so that the only thing holding McGee was Ricky.
"W-WAIT I-WAIT!" McGee pleaded, dangling farther down towards the distant ground while trying to grab onto Ricky before wincing in pain.
"If the next words aren't the ones I want to hear, then I'm letting go, got it?!" Ricky gave McGee an ultimatum forcing McGee to bite his lip until it bled.
"Alright I'll talk I'll-"
"Those aren't the ones I wanted to hear-"
"PEP IS MESSING WITH DRACULA!" McGee yelled out incredulous words as they both scoffed simultaneously.
McGee wasn't a captain in the Jewish mob like Dutch, but he was Dutch's closest aide.
Since he had been working with Dracual's Ghouls, he obviously knew about Dracula's existence within the mob.
"Dracula? The vampire from Transylvania Dracula?" Jake asked with a weird expression however Ricky's face contorted.
"He's telling the truth." Ricky said in a somewhat baffled tone as Jake gazed incredulously at him.
"Slick you can't actually believe this garbanzo can you-"
"I swear upon my mothers soul what I'm telling you is the truth, he even sent Dutch his minions which he calls 'Ghouls' to assist in collections and the mining- '' McGee was about to finish the sentence until his body started to convulse.
Then without warning, blood immediately burst from McGee's eyes, ears, nose, and mouth until his whole body started to swell up.
Ricky, sensing the imminent danger from his new skill, instinctively let go and released McGee.
McGee's body began to fall, but instead of a normal descent, it swelled up like a balloon, his once-white skin reddening under the strain.
The swelling was grotesque, with McGee's skin stretching unnaturally as the pressure inside built up, his eyes looking as if they would pop out of his head at any moment.
*BOOM*
*SPLAT*
In the next second, McGee's body erupted into an ear curdling explosion of blood and flesh.
The force of the blast sent chunks of his mangled remains hurtling across the four-story building and onto the nearby street.
The air was filled with a pungent sickening spray of crimson and flesh, as McGee's blood coated the building's facade and the pavement below in a grim, viscous layer.
Shreds of his skin, muscle, and bone rained down like macabre confetti, splattering the surroundings with a nauseating, splattered pattern.
The once-pristine street was now a grisly canvas, smeared with the remnants of McGee's violent end, leaving a horrific scene that made the very air seem to tremble in the aftermath.
"..."
"..."
Both Ricky and Jake gazed down with blank expressions at the mind-boggling scene that had unfolded mere seconds ago.
*COUGH*
*COUGH*
"BLERGH!" Jake immediately vomited over the side of the building, while Ricky began to dry heave beside him.
"WHAT THE-BLERGH!" Jake tried to curse, only to vomit again, while Ricky struggled to keep his breakfast down.
The only saving grace that sickened Ricky to his core was that he had experienced something even worse in his youth, which helped him process the grotesque affair before him unlike Jake.
"Oh god, I'm gonna be sick." Ricky bent over, placing his hands on his knees as he tried to steady himself, seeking any semblance of support.
It took the both of them a couple minutes to recover after witnessing a man explode into mush before finally regaining their breath.
"Self destruction spell." A rugged voice called out from a distance, and Ricky turned to see an old man shaking his head while leaning on the door frame.
Ricky didn't hesitate to pull out his gun and point it at the mysterious man who raised both hands nonchalantly.
"Did you do that!" Jake yelled, wiping his mouth while still unable to recover mentally from the horrid events.
"Do I look like a vampire to you?" The man pointed to himself though Ricky gave him a dumb look.
"How are we supposed to know what a vampire looks like if we've never seen one before?" Ricky asked, his tone implying that the old man might be going senile.
"I-" The man raised a finger only to rub his chin since Ricky's words made a little sense.
"Do you know this numbskull, Slick?" Jake wiped his mouth, pointing at this weird old man.
"Maybe it's some senile old man who's lost or something." Ricky turned to Jake who widened his eyes in realization.
Although Jake wasn't Italian, his culture still heavily respected the elderly meaning he felt a little guilty.
"I'm sorry sir, do you need help finding your family-" Jake flipped his expression into a kind smile while walking to the old man who's eyebrow was constantly twitching.
"I'M NOT-"
*SIGH*
The old man with lamb chops grabbed his head, shaking it in exasperation before taking a deep breath.
"Listen. My name is Abrham Van Helsing, vampire hunter extraordinaire and this isn't something gangsters like you two can handle so I'm here to give you a warning." Abraham walked forward as Jake turned to Ricky who lightly nodded his head.
"He's telling the truth." Ricky whispered to Jake who became even more baffled at the name.
"By the way, have we ever met before?" Abraham asked Ricky who raised an eyebrow though shook his head.
"I don't think so-"
"Wait, wait, wait, Van Helsing? Like the family cursed to hunt down Dracula?" Jake waved his hand dismissively, prompting Ricky to raise an eyebrow in curiosity.
"How do you know so much about Dracula?" Ricky frowned as Jake scoffed, crossing his arms while showing a disgruntled expression.
"A guy can't read classic literature?" Jake turned back to Abraham who had a huge scowl on his face.
"So is the story real?" Ricky turned to a clearly angered Abraham who scratched his lamb chops.
"Parts of it, the part about my family hunting Dracula and being trapped in purgatory is true, along with the existence of vampires however the ending about him being dead hasn't come true yet." Abraham shook his head with a light sigh.
"I swear, one hunting trip to Ireland, I got so drunk that I only found out a month later I'd spilled my entire backstory to some random author." Abraham was clearly upset by this anomaly, while Ricky regarded him with a look of understanding, having done the same before and finding some sympathy with another drunkard..
"Anyways, both of you need to just do what you gangsters do here and scram, this world ain't meant for normies like you." Abraham waved his hand until a hand grabbed his shoulder.
"Honestly, if this didn't involve us then I'd let it be, but it's personal." Ricky grabbed Abraham's shoulder as the old man let out a disgruntled sigh.
"Fine I'll let you help-" Abraham seemed to agree readily until he reached into his trench coat.
'!' Time seemed to slow down as Ricky saw Abraham's nonchalant expression, though his mind was blaring warning signals.
*Crack*
Abraham cracked a mysterious blue vial in his hands, waving the smoke into the air as his hands began to shine.
"Υπνος!" Abraham's tongue uttered words of a dead language, his hand aglow with a pale green light, causing Ricky's eyes to widen in astonishment.
'Full counter!' Ricky didn't even hesitate as his senses drove him to counter the spell as a green light was shot at him, waving his gun at it instinctively.
Then to the horror of Abraham, the green spell bounced off an invisible force field before doubling in power in the next second.
*Thump*
A green light shot into Abraham's body, instantly causing his consciousness to blacken as his body crumpled limply to the pavement.
"....." For the second time today, Ricky and Jake stood in stunned silence as they slowly looked at each other, then back at Abraham's unconscious body.
"Is he-.....is he dead?" Jake asked tentatively and Ricky bent down, checking his old pulse.
Then, Abraham let out the loudest snore, causing Ricky to instinctively cock his fist back and deliver a punch to his jaw.
*BAM*
The unconscious Abraham absorbed the punch, while Jake flinched at the sudden brutality and Ricky froze in place.
"Did you just-" Jake showed a weird expression, looking at Ricky who acted on instinct once again.
"He started it." Ricky pointed to the side, blaming the entire thing on the unconscious Abraham before Jake pinched the bridge of his nose while shaking his head.
"What do we do now?" Jake asked, walking over to the snoring Abraham as Ricky started patting him down.
"I guess tie him with this?" Ricky raised the rope that Abraham so conveniently had on his person.
1 hour later,
"Urgh." Abraham let out an elderly grunt, smacking his dry lips before his eyelids eventually flickered open.
"Dammit Slick, I know you're cheating!" Jake slammed the cards from Ricky's system onto the floor as the latter snickered after becoming twenty dollars richer.
"Prove it." Ricky's cheesy excuse, one he had been using ever since he got the cards all those years ago, slipped out again making Jake scoff at the deja vu, watching as a confused Abraham curiously looked at Ricky.
"What are you-WHAT!" Abraham didn't understand what had happened until the events replayed in his head before realizing he was tied up by his own whims.
"If you're about to reach for all your knick knacks, know that we already patted you down and took all your stuff." Ricky pointed to the side as Abraham's angered eyes became furious at the countless items he stashed all around his body being laid out before him on the roof.
"You!"
"Me?"
"Yes you, how did you do that!" Abraham first needed to quench his curiosity as Ricky looked at Jake.
"Does he not realize that he's the one tied up and defenseless right now?" Ricky asked Jake who rubbed his chin in contemplation.
"I think he's still reeling himself back from the past excitement." Jake concluded as Abraham's expression became plain.
"Untie me." Abraham grunted though Ricky immediately shook his head before picking up a weird religious vial of water.
"How long have you been watching us?" Ricky asked a question while inspecting the water vial.
"H-Hey be careful with that!" Abraham anxiously reprimanded Ricky, the latter showing a sly smile.
Grabbing the five vials that were almost identical to it, Ricky walked over to the edge as Abraham's eyes widened.
"DON'T YOU-"
"How long have you been watching us?" Ricky asked again, this time adding a little more motivation by holding the vials precariously above the pavement.
Abraham gritted his teeth, his nervous eyes trailing over to the vials he had obtained specifically to kill that bastard Dracula.
These vials were filled with holy water, but not just any holy water, special holy water blessed on a full moon for the last hundred years by thirteen different popes over the course of decades.
Only thirteen vials had ever been made, and Abraham had managed to get his hands on five of them, the five explicit ones in his hand.
Due to their purity, these vials were nicknamed the 'Tears of Mother Mary,' granting anyone who used them the power of her divine purity for a certain period of time.
"Be careful-dammit, fine!" Abraham's usual gruff poker face was nowhere to be seen; those vials were more important than his dignity.
"How long."
"When both of you ruffan's started beating on that scum in the alley." Abraham confessed with a slight sigh, proning Ricky to nod his head.
"Do you know who made McGee pop like a balloon?" Ricky asked and once again, Abraham nodded to his words.
"It was obviously a vampire who had used a type of blood magic that makes a human's blood akin to a bomb and self-destructs the body." Abraham easily said as Jake looked like he was going to be sick again.
"And this Dracula is capable of doing whatever that was?" Ricky asked which Abraham scoffed as if it was obvious.
"Dracula is a monster that has been practicing the arcane for centuries, of course he can do something as simple as this to a mortal human with no magical defenses." Abraham nonchalantly leaned back on the wall though started to slowly dislocate his wrist.
"So why did Dracula explode McGee." Ricky frowned, unknowingly beginning to unravel the secret powers that would plunge him into the vast ocean of the abyss of power, far beyond the tiny, secluded pond he had been confined to as of now.
Ricky understood that if people like him with powers existed, the confirmation of the supernatural's existence meant his life was about to get ten times more annoying.
"He didn't." Abraham suddenly denied, causing Ricky to frown since he wasn't lying.
"But you said-"
"The vamp that's in new york is a fraud and wasted my f*cking time." Abraham scoffed while Jake crossed his arms.
"But McGee said-" Jake tried to chim in only to recieve a scowl from Abraham.
"Listen dumbass, you think that I, Abraham van Helsing, a man who has been chained to the fate of hunting Draucla wouldn't know what his patterns are?" Abraham's tone was vicious, and it seemed he was targeting Jake on purpose while Jake's brows suddenly scrunched in confusion and concern.
"Hell, I even know what his favorite blood preference is. I know everything about that monster and because of that, I know for certain that this vampire is impersonating him." Abraham snarled at Jake who squinted his eyes while Ricky chuckled.
"Well, could you humor us on your reasoning then?" Ricky asked curiously as Abraham sighed.
"It's simple, really. Dracula is a very narcissistic and arrogant individual. He's spent his extensive life at the top of his species, and that arrogance extends to how he manages his underlings." Abraham rolled his eyes at Jake before looking at Ricky who stopped hanging the vials off the ledge much to his relief.
"Not once have I ever heard of Dracula having an underling or subordinate that wasn't considered a 'noble' vampire, meaning, he wouldn't personally send out Ghouls to do his dirty work but order a high ranking vampire to order ghouls for him, he's pretentious like that." Abraham's words were a little nonsensical but from Abraham's observations it was the complete truth.
"So when that Mcgee guy or whatever his name is, said that Dracula himself ordered his ghouls to help him, I knew he was a fraud" Abraham sighed, gazing up at the sky, realizing he had wasted his time here.
For Ricky and Jake, the reasoning seemed outlandish and hard to grasp, but for Abraham, it made complete and perfect sense.
Dracula was a being who thrived on the lavish feast of superiority; everything he did was for his own betterment.
The way he spoke, presented himself, and executed his role as the king of vampires was all driven by his inner need to be the best and the most powerful of them all.
Consequently, Dracula would never allow a mere ghoul, a barbaric creature that preyed on flesh, to be one of his direct pawns as it would stain his well maintained image.
Instead, such creatures were relegated to serving as pawns for his direct subordinates, who were the true pieces in his game.
"This Dracula seems like a mighty foe." Alexander commented from Ricky's shirt pocket as Abraham raised his eyebrow at the random Gerbil popping up from nowhere.
"But what if he had other vampires come here-" Jake was about to chim in only to be interrupted by a single scoff.
"There aren't any other vampires here jackass, I've checked, that's why I'm so sure that this vamp isn't Dracula!!" Abraham snarled at Jake who frowned at this old man's hatefulness seemingly directed at him.
"Then do you have any ideas on where this fake might be?" Ricky asked, and Abraham burst into laughter at the ridiculousness of the question, which finally made Jake lose his patience.
"Listen bub, I don't think you understand-ARCK!" Jake stomped his way over to Abraham, who suddenly broke free from his restraints and used his whip that was hidden in his underpants to wrap around Jake's neck.
The whole time, Abraham hadn't been targeting Jake without reason as he knew that the other one, Ricky, had a mysterious power that reflected his magic which is why he relentlessly barraged Jake, aiming to draw Jake closer to assess the situation more clearly with Ricky.
"Jake!" Ricky yelled out, but Abraham had already pulled Jake towards him, using him as a human shield just as Ricky drew his gun.
Plucking out one of his teeth, it revealed a fake tooth as he undid the upper cap to reveal it to be a prickly needle.
"One move and I cut his jugular." Abraham warned, placing the needle directly at the center of Jake's jugular as he undid the whip's bindings from his neck.
"Slick, don't worry I can take it, shoot him!" Jake yelled as Abraham scoffed at this while Ricky squinted his eyes.
*Click*
Ricky clicked the revolver and aimed, while Jake braced himself for the pain as Abraham let out a small laugh, thinking it was all just an act.
"Listen Slick is it? Do you think I wouldn't know how to kill a man-" Abraham didn't think Ricky had the balls, but Ricky nodded to Jake, who subtly nodded back.
*BANG*
"ARGH!" Jake and Abraham both let out pained wails, causing Abraham to release his hold on Jake.
'Thank you Marksmanship.' Ricky internally thanked his own skill as he walked over to Abraham gripping his shoulder.
"You psychopath, you actually shot your friend to shoot me!" Abraham yelled out in pain, his voice filled with frustration, as Ricky and Jake erupted in laughter.
"Damn right you f*cking foggy!" Jake laughed out before wincing in pain as he held his shoulder.
*Click*
Strolling up to Abraham, Ricky pressed the barrel of his gun firmly against the old man's temple while Abraham clutched his continuously bleeding shoulder.
"Now, where is that imposter?"
Capítulo 37: Chapter 37: Ricky's Gambit
At Dusk,
"This is the place you were going to head to right?" Ricky pointed at an abandoned warehouse, causing Abraham to scrunch his eyebrows in suspicion.
After administering basic medical treatment, Ricky meticulously checked Abraham's bindings, ensuring they were secure.
He encased him as one would a psychiatric patient, restraining him to prevent any hostile actions.
"Yeah that's the place I was going to go to after interrogating the meat paste that is McGee, but you idiots got to him first." Abraham said as a now permanent scowl remained on his face.
"And what's up with the arrows?" Abraham asked, not understanding why Ricky needed to go around town to find some arrows.
"Because." Ricky answered though didn't give a single reason behind it.
"Hey old man, be honest with me, do you think I'm strong enough to take on whoever this imposter is-" Ricky actually asked first, surprising Jake who gave him a weird expression.
"No." Abraham interrupted Ricky, bluntly telling him he wasn't strong enough to go against a high ranking vampire.
"But you haven't even-" Ricky continued since this old man hadn't even seen his mutant power but Abraham was firm in his stance.
"Trust me kid, you're not strong enough nor smart enough." Abraham had witnessed Ricky's strange power, but the vampire class were known strategists in the supernatural world.
Seeing how reckless Ricky was first hand, Abraham felt he was doing the kid a favor by intervening rather than him going in there and being absolutely dissected.
Ricky leaned back after this, confident in his own strength but understandably confused as to how strong a vampire even would be, until he gazed to the side to see Jake's dumbfounded expression.
"What?" Ricky asked, confused at the slack jawed expression of Jake.
"It's just that, I thought you were going to go straight in there once we got here, not actually think about it and god forbid actually plan it out beforehand.''Jake replied, his mind racing as he considered Ricky's usual gung-ho attitude.
It made him wary, a creeping suspicion gnawing at him about what spontaneous thing Ricky was going to do to tip the balance back into his reckless behavior.
"Well, I was going too until McGee popped like a f*cking balloon." Ricky answered back, but Jake was still a little shocked.
"Then do you have some sort of plan?" Jake asked, knowing that they drove all the way out here so Ricky had to be onto something.
"Hold that thought." Ricky held up a finger, turning back towards the tied up Abraham who was still scowling at him.
"That vampire isn't here, right?" Ricky asked the hateful Abraham who leaned back and closed his eyes.
"God, smite me down now, f*cking please." Abraham closed his eyes, waiting for an ethereal bolt of lighting to strike him down so he wouldn't have to be interrogated by this idiot.
*SIGH*
"No, he's cooped up in the jewish mob's territory, which is why I was going for his human pawns, ONLY FOR YOU TO BLOW HIM UP LIKE A BALLOON YOU AMATEURS!" Abraham's voice steadily rose until he lost his cool and shouted at Ricky for killing the person he was going to interrogate.
"Whose fault is that though?" Ricky asked only for Abraham to show a dumbfounded expression until it morphed back into a rageful one.
"YOURS YOU F*CKING IDIOT!" Abraham yelled at Ricky who frowned, deciding whether to react on his impulse or not.
*Bam*
"F*ck~" Abraham's head recoiled back, Ricky punching him in the nose but the latter shrugged.
"I mean if we're talking idiots, what dumbass yells at his mobster captors?" Ricky looked at Jake for approval to which he nodded since it seemed pretty reasonable to him.
"Alright, I'm going to go check out this warehouse and see what the hell we're up against-wait, old man do you think I could take a ghoul?" Ricky was about to go in until he looked over at Abraham who was reeling in from being punched in the nose.
*Sigh*
"I don't know, maybe?" Abraham looked at Ricky who knew it was his honest answer as the latter nodded.
"Jake, you stay here and guard the old man." Ricky patted Jake's shoulder which made him flinch.
"Really Slick?" Jake frowned as Ricky let out a nervous chuckle as he had forgotten about shooting him.
"Fine, but don't go in there and just die or I'm going to slap your ghost." Jake leaned back, popping two painkillers while warning him.
Nodding, Ricky got out of the car and started tiptoeing toward the warehouse as almost immediately, he heard the sounds of whips and the whimpers of men.
Raising an eyebrow, he took out his trusty gravity shoes and scaled up the side of the building before carefully climbing up to a nearby window and his eyes widened in shock.
Amidst the dimly lit interior, Ricky witnessed a weird sight: monstrous creatures, presumably ghouls, whipping humans like slaves.
These humans were the Harlem residents that were kidnapped, mixed with others abducted by the Jewish mob for this purpose.
These pseudo-slaves were seemingly digging out the inside of the warehouse, creating a crater with their relentless manual labor.
'What the hell?' Ricky thought as he peered his gaze deeper to see an actual human yelling out one of these ghouls.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN MCGEE EXPLODED!" Dutch roared at the ghoul who gave him a snarl but held itself back from squashing the puny man's head.
"The blood bag had been compromised, Dracula doesn't permit traitors." The ghouls husky voice rang out.
"Are you calling my boy McGee a rat!" Dutch screamed at the ghoul who closed its eyes before unmasking its killing intent.
"And what if I am?" The ghoul snarled, his mere presence causing Dutch's whole body started to convulse in fear as he stepped back.
"I-I-I-I see." Dutch wasn't able to overpower his inner instinct as he bowed down to the ghoul.
"We need more blood bags to dig out the area." The ghoul then followed it up as Dutch raised his head.
"Well McGee usually contacts me about those negro-"
"It doesn't matter what blood bags you get, go fetch." The ghoul waved the whip in its hand as the other ghouls started laughing at Dutch.
Dutch ducked his head to hide his furious expression, blood slowly seeping from his closed fist as he forcefully dug his nails into his palms from the humiliation.
"Then could you lend me-"
"Useless, your whole species is entirely useless." The ghoul continued to humiliate Dutch as the ghoul gestured to two of his comrades who nodded.
"Ricky, let us use this chance to slay the horrid beasts that split from their ranks." Alexander whispered to Ricky who squinted his eyes.
"You think I could pick them off one by one?" Ricky asked Alexander who confidently gazed at him then nodded.
"I do."
Stepping down from the stool he was standing on, he gazed at the trinkets he obtained from Abraham which after 'borrowing' from his vampiric slaying tools, he possessed four items.
One of the daggers of Tel Megiddo, a bottle of lesser holy water, a crossbow, and the cross necklace he got from the system.
Peering from the side, he saw Dutch walking in front of two ghouls as he led them over to a large ban.
"I'm serious, let me go, that friend of yours is going to get himself killed." Abraham insisted but Jake shook his head while gripping a tommy gun.
"He'll be fine, he's a touch cracker."
Trailing the three figures, Ricky followed them into a crevice between two buildings.
Sneaking in after them, he watched as Dutch opened the van, only to be met with the disgruntled sighs of the ghouls inside.
"Why must we get into your smelly van?" One of the ghouls asked as the other hunched down even more.
"We are as fast as this van-" The other ghoul complained as well, only for Dutch to snap.
"IF ANYONE SEES YOU FREAKS THEN YOU'LL ONLY STIR UP MORE TROUBLE FOR ME!" Dutch screeched as he let out his anger onto the ghouls whose expression immediately eclipsed into an unforgiving one.
"Watch your words weak bloodbag-SCREEEEEEEEEEE!" The ghoul let out as it gazed down to see a crossbow bolt impaling into its chest.
"Dammit." Ricky cursed from behind them as all three of their gazes turned to them only to see him reloading the crossbow.
His finger gripped the trigger as the bolt launched towards the ghouls heart as it finally reached its intended destination.
"SCREEEEEEEEEEEE!" The ghoul, caught off guard, had its heart impaled with a bolt covered in holy water as it slowly started turning into ash.
"YOU VERMIN!" The other ghoul screeched as it disappeared in place as Ricky widened his eyebrows.
*DINK*
"What is this!" The ghoul yelled as it appeared behind Ricky only two seconds later though his barrier repelled his attack.
"THE FOE IS BEFORE YOU YOUNG RICKY, USE THIS CHANCE!" Alexander quickly pushed Ricky forward as the latter started to reload the bolt.
"F*ck it." Ricky threw the crossbolt to the side before pulling out his revolver and the vial of holy water.
As the ghoul beat on his psionic barrier, he undid the cylinder holding his bullets before popping the lid off the vial as he dumped it all on the loaded bullets.
"You're a fool-" The ghoul laughed at this human's foolishness, watching him seemingly waste all his holy water.
*BANG*
*BANG*
"SCREEEEEEEEEEE!" The ghouls started screeching as once it halted its attacks, Ricky started unloading his bullets into the ghoul.
Its body jerked backwards at every bullet piercing its unholy being before it could no longer take the strain as it started turning into dust.
The ghouls in the warehouse all jerked their heads at the sound of their kin dying as the lead ghoul squinted his eyes.
"Rotclaw, Grimnose, go check the disturbance." The head ghoul ordered as the two dropped their whips and both disappeared towards the commotion.
"NOW QUICKLY FADE INTO THE SHADOWS AND PICK OFF THE ONES THEY SEND TO CHECK THE NOISE!" Alexander gave out the next instructions as Ricky showed a baffled expression.
"W-WHAT DO YOU MEAN FADE INTO THE SHADOWS!" Ricky yelled at Alexander who gave him a weird look.
"To make your presence so shallow that it sinks into the shadows allowing you to blend into the darkness? What are they teaching the younger generations these days?" Alexander shook his head at the travesty as Ricky scoffed.
"What the f*ck are you talking about?" Ricky looked at Alexander with a baffled expression only to look at the nearby wall.
"Screw it, plan b." Ricky muttered, deciding to simply climb up the side with his gravity shoes.
Ricky started running up the wall only for two figures to appear in the alleyway with Dutch raising up his hands and falling to his knees, showing he would cooperate.
"It was you!" Rotclaw caught Ricky redhanded, its white eyes glaring at the human who was trying to make his daring escape.
"Gross." Ricky frowned in disgust at the ugly appearance of Rotclaw as his own rotten flesh hung from his body.
"I smell Van helsing on him." Grimnose sniffed, his face contorting into a foul grin as Rotclaw's angry expression became livid.
"I shall eat your flesh slowly!" Rotclaw screeched, lunging forward with his sharp rusted claws pointed at Ricky.
*CRASH*
Ricky leaped backwards, Rotclaw's force slashing into the nearby wall that completely turned it into rubble.
Widening his eyes at this supernatural strength, Rotclaw drooling rotten face jerked towards Ricky before morphing into a vicious smile.
Pouncing forward, right as he was about to near Ricky's flesh, his body bounced off of an invisible shield.
*DINK*
"Huh?" Rotclaw's face planted into the forcefield, taken aback at the mystic shield conjured before him.
*Click*
"You were saying?" Ricky saw Rotclaw bounce off his mental shield as he let it down, laughing at this and clicking his revolver.
*BANG*
The bullet plunged right through his festering flesh as Rotclaw let out a pained screech as the wound slowly spread throughout his entire body before turning him into ash.
Ricky's head flared as he activated his shield as Grimnose used all his might to attack Ricky's flank which made him flinch a little.
The strength of the barrier stemmed from Ricky's mind, channeling all his effort and strain into maintaining it as he aimed the gun at Grimnose.
*BANG*
*BANG*
"SCREEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Grimnose screeched as he slowly turned into ash as Ricky wiped a sweat drop from his forehead.
"Dammit, I'm almost out of bullets-"
"A powered bloodbag, amusing."
"!" Ricky's eyes widened to see a long and nimble ghoul standing at the end of the alleyway, its form towering over the others yet hunched all the same.
However, what truly made Ricky grasp the gravity of his situation was when he saw similar creatures perching on the sides of the alleyway.
As he counted, he realized there were at least twenty of them, all grouped together, watching him intently.
"Ricky, this battle demands either a final charge or a cowardly retreat." Alexander whispered to Ricky from his pocket as his eyebrow twitched.
'1, 4, 6, 7, 9, 15, 17, 23, 24, 26.' Ricky inwardly counted all the ghouls in the area.
"God dammit Alexander, you totally f*cked us." Ricky whispered urgent slurs to his gerbil who held up his paws.
"I refuse any accountability, it is not my fault you couldn't fade into the shadows." Alexander was even more stubborn than Ricky who gnashed his teeth.
'Chester, I need your help!' Ricky literally screamed in his head at Chester, who was peacefully lying in his nest.
The very same nest where Chester had just found a comfortable spot, only to flinch upwards and stand with eagerness before flying toward his summoner.
Ricky found himself in an unusual predicament as although he navigated the supernatural realm with relative ease, he was up against creatures whose sole reliance was on brute physical strength.
The challenge he faced wasn't about enduring the onslaught since he was more than capable of withstanding their attacks.
The real issue was whether or not his firepower was enough to confront them simultaneously.
Sheathing his gun, Ricky took out the solarflare bow from his inventory along with a crude arrow he had scavenged multiple stores for.
Ricky had garnered two weapons from the system, one was a one off item in the form of the aqua serpent staff while his other lay in this bow.
"Young Ricky, have you ever drawn a bow before?" Alexander asked, seeing his sloppy posture as Ricky shooed him off.
"Kind of." Ricky gave a vague answer since he didn't know whether or not he wanted to admit that he was a total novice and have Alexander reprimand him.
"Bloodbag, surrender and I won't eat your flesh while you're still breathing." The head ghoul smiled warmly, his teeth all pointed as his gums were all rotten.
"Can I think about it?" Ricky asked as he pulled the arrow back on the bowstring only for the head ghoul to chuckle.
"No."
Just then, Ricky fired his bow that suddenly exploded in flames, sloppy barreling towards the head ghoul.
*BAM*
The head ghoul didn't even care to dodge it, punching the arrow with all of its strength as it suddenly exploded.
"SCREEEEEEEE!" The two lesser ghouls beside him screeched in agony, their frail forms struggling to endure the searing flames.
With a furious snarl, the head ghoul lashed out, sending them sprawling aside as if more upset with their weakness than Ricky's attack.
"Do not converge on the human, go back to the blood bags and continue the mining." The head ghoul commanded the surrounding ghouls, who outnumbered him, to retreat abruptly, causing them to vanish backward in a chaotic, sudden movement.
"And they call me arrogant." Ricky commented by the side, taking out another arrow while looking towards Dutch on his knees in fear.
"I am Nexor, and may I have the name of you, mutant?" Nexor bowed, his manner and posture civilized despite his grotesque form.
"Uh, no." Ricky shot Nexor a skeptical look, thinking it absurd to give his name to this ghoul.
"I understand how-"
*BOOM*
Ricky cut Nexor off mid-sentence, firing an arrow directly at his chest as the projectile exploded mid-air, showering the area with debris before it could even reach the ghoul.
As the smoke began to clear, Nexor stepped forward, emerging from the haze with a casual shake of his head.
"Must we engage in this charade? You are clearly a mere ant compared to me." Nexor asked genuinely.
Ricky frowned at the comment but glanced sideways to see Dutch's fearful expression, reconsidering his approach.
'I might actually need him,' Ricky thought, contemplating a strategic retreat and yet, as he looked back at Nexor, he decided against it.
'Forget it. I'm fighting him,' Ricky resolved, turning his focus back to Nexor, who rolled his eyes, already anticipating Ricky's next move.
"Alexander, get into my pocket. It's going to get bumpy," Ricky whispered to his gerbil, who, though confused, scurried into his pocket.
Wrapping his force field around his entire body, Ricky concentrated, feeling the entire effort of his mind in the task.
His body sprang upwards as the psionic force field formed a hollow, dome-like cushion around him.
This field not only lifted him off the ground but also acted as a means of propulsion. By adjusting its shape and direction, Ricky generated the necessary thrust to propel himself through the air with precision and speed.
Though he hadn't fully mastered the maneuver, the force field was primarily his escape mechanism.
Reaching the edge of the rooftop, Ricky was surprised to see Nexor's body suddenly vanish, leaving him momentarily confused as he drew another arrow.
"Amusing. So this is how you eliminated the ghouls under my command," Nexor's voice came from across the alley, where he sat casually on the opposite ledge, a smirk on his face.
*BOOM*
Ricky fired another arrow, but Nexor boredly swatted it away with a pale green light coating his hands.
*Dink*
"So it can act as a force field as well, most interesting." Nexor remarked, throwing a pebble at Ricky at supersonic speeds as his barrier went up instantly, while the ghoul studied him closely.
"Young Ricky, the enemy is toying with you, studying your every move. This is not a fight you can win," Alexander squeaked from Ricky's pocket, trying to offer advice while Ricky clenched his teeth.
"Are you ready to talk now, knowing that whatever you do will be futile against me?" Nexor gestured dismissively across the alley, treating the confrontation as a mere formality.
"I'm not going to be your food." Ricky replied, his expression set in determination.
"Very well." Nexor appeared right behind Ricky, a thoughtful expression on his face.
To Ricky's horror, he turned his head back to a wound up fist, and brought it crashing down onto Ricky forcefield with devastating force.
*BAM*
*BOOM*
Ricky attempted to block the punch with his barrier, hoping the psionic force field would shield him from the impact.
The barrier initially held, but Nexor relentlessly channeled more power into his attack.
The increased force caused the dome-shaped shield around Ricky to buckle and distort and with a violent jerk, Nexor's strike managed to propel the dome that held Ricky downward, sending him crashing into the alleyway below.
Dust suddenly spread throughout the alley, Dutch cowering at the force while slamming into the van.
*COUGH*
*COUGH*
Ricky began coughing up small droplets of blood, his body reeling from the strain due to the overwhelming force.
Blood trickled from his nose and ears as his mind in the aftermath, Ricky never experiencing such pure physical power before as it caught him completely off guard.
"Little mutant, now that you can listen, consider my words carefully." Nexor perched from the side of the building he had utterly decimated Ricky from.
Ricky looked at the transparent blue screen in a haze, huffing out defeated breaths before the solarflare blow returned to his inventory.
Ricky had several options for retreating, though some were admittedly reckless.
One method involved slipping into his storage space, providing a secure escape while another option was to use the Aqua Serpent staff to create a diversion and slip away unnoticed.
However, Ricky's priority was to take Dutch with him.
Despite knowing that running away might seem selfish, Ricky was acutely aware of his responsibility to the Luciano family.
If he could extract valuable information from Dutch, he might still salvage the situation with his last and final card.
"Your mortal form will never compare to our undead form, join me and together-"
"That's it." Ricky groaned out, wiping his nose before pulling out a mysterious object that made Nexor sigh.
"I didn't want to use this but you left me no choice." Ricky showed a confident demeanor, cracking his neck while Nexor let out a amused chuckle
"Foolish mutant-" Nexor scoffed at this ploy, anticipating one last desperate attack, but before he could act, Ricky interrupted him.
"Don't make any sudden moves or else I'll unleash it!" Ricky suddenly pulled out the most mystical card to ever grace humanity.
Blue Eyes White Dragon.
The very same card that struck a feeling into his undead heart, the very same feeling he hadn't felt from another since he had been turned, fear.
An uncontrollable fear that made his ghoulish instincts scream as he gazed at the terrifying cover of this hellish card.
"W-What is that holy object!" Nexor demanded an answer, his eyes narrowing as he immediately assumed that the card must be a holy object.
The primordial fear resonating within him only reinforced his suspicion since most ghouls lacked some sensations from being turned, only experiencing genuine feelings of fear in the presence of a holy object or their masters.
"Oh, you don't know?" Ricky bluffed, forcing an arrogant smirk on his face as he played into his own rabbit hole of nonsense.
"It is an existence that God himself crafted from the undertones of purity itself, a being that cleanses angels and would even forgive Satan as he crucified him." Ricky bluffed even harder as he slowly backed up towards the van.
"Blue Eyes White Dragon!" Ricky shouted his name which made Nexor actually take a step back in fear.
The one thing that both ghouls and vampires despised was being caught off guard, thrust into unpredictable situations where Ricky thrived.
"Now, if you force me to use this one time summon, then you will perish under your own sins or, you can delay your heaven defying meeting for later." Ricky slowly took a step back before bumping into the petrified Dutch as he grabbed his collar.
"Get into the van you pudgy bastard." Ricky whispered as Dutch flinched though still didn't dare to move.
*Click*
"I got one bullet left and it's about to have your name on it if you continue to ignore me." Ricky whispered to the side, Dutch bit his lip but slowly crawled into the van as Ricky followed as he stood inside of it.
"You're bluffing." Nexor gritted his teeth, his fear of the card sending shivers through his corpse-like form, a sensation he had only felt before in the presence of his master.
"Maybe I am, but can you really afford to test that?" Ricky asked but internally he was screaming.
'Take the bait, Take the bait! TAKE THE BAIT-"
"You'll regret this bloodbag." The ghoul leader snarled as Ricky scoffed while screaming internally.
'AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!'
"You don't scare me." Ricky smirked as the van turned on before Dutch hit the gas as Nexor cowardly watched the human drive away.
*BAM*
Nexor wanted to pursue the human, but the mining site was far too critical to abandon since they were so close.
The potential threat to his own life could also jeopardize his master's plans as he reluctantly turned back and returned to the warehouse with the other ghouls.
"Nexor-"
*SPLAT*
Nexor crushed the lower ghouls head, everyone, even his fellow ghouls flinching at his brute force while he pointed at the large dug out pit.
"Everyone will start mining out the burial site now." Nexor's entire body pulsed in a thick and slimy green energy that sent shivers down his fellow ghouls.
Immediately, they dropped their whips and begrudgingly resumed mining the site alongside the terrified men they had kidnapped.
"Not you, find me everything about the so-called 'Blue Eyes White Dragon'." Nexor gnashed his teeth, commanding another ghoul before pulling one more over to him.
"And you, go inform the master that there is a problem."
Meanwhile inside the van,
"How did you kill those-"
*TWACK*
Ricky didn't hesitate to pistol whip Dutch across the face causing the van to slightly maneuver back and forth.
"Drive to your stash house in Harlem, we need to talk." Ricky demanded as the car behind him flashes its lights two times indicating it was Jake.
"You know I can't do that-" Dutch scoffed, only for Ricky to pinch the bridge of his nose.
"If I hear one more word that isn't 'yes' then we're going to have some serious bone cracking problems." Ricky bluntly threatened Dutch who clutched the wheel of the car but eventually drove towards their stash house.
"That battle was horrid, my time has been wasted!" Alexander squealed loudly as Ricky scrunched his eyebrows.
"Well what did you expect, the only times I've ever fought have been when I'm drunk or high-"
Alexander Favorability: 11 - 2
"Clearly!" Alexander crossed his little paws as there was no reclaiming of honor nor could that squirmish be counted as a battle.
"You're right, I should've been busy studying how to fade into the shadows." Ricky sarcastically said only for Alexander to take it at face value.
"Exactly, however your cause can be salvaged yet, I shall take it upon my honorable being to make you into a proper warrior." Alexander crawled onto Ricky's shoulder as he raised an eyebrow.
"Huh, really?" Ricky turned towards Alexander who nodded his head.
"Although I would have preferred a more intelligent disciple, you will do." Alexander sat on Ricky's shoulder as the man scrunched his eyebrows.
"I've mastered the art of fighting, however my teachings were never passed down since I was too busy vanquishing my enemies and conquering kingdoms, so you'll carry my legacy since it was you who awoke me from my slumber." Alexander proclaimed which surprised Ricky.
"You know that I'm a sh*tty person-"
"There is no such thing as good in war, all those who claim to be of noble being clearly have never held a sword." Alexander scoffed at the notion Ricky was leading too as he turned frantically towards the side.
"In war, you are the hero and also the villain. Innocent and ruined, all fall by the blade in which you wield." Alexander's voice carried numerous innocent lives with it as the burning of cities reflected in his eyes before they closed.
"And I see immense untapped potential in you, young Ricky. I will shape you into the leader that everyone around you hopes you will become." Alexander patted Ricky's cheek as he sternly gazed forward.
Ricky knew he was a complete screw up, ever since he was old enough to hold expectations he always seemed to let others down.
'Maybe in this life, I won't be a helpless fool.' Ricky thought since he didn't have any noble intentions nor did he believe he wouldn't let another down.
However, Ricky hated the heart wrenching feeling of Rocco dying and there being nothing he could do about it.
"Then if you'll have me, I'll be under your care, teach." Ricky showed his toothy smile to Alexander who jerked his head to the side.
Alexander Favorability: 19 + 8
"Whatever foolish student." ALexander scoffed though Ricky could see Alexander was clearly lying to himself.
'What a wacko.' Dutch wore a strange expression, his sweating figure betraying his unease, as Ricky made no effort to hide his conversation with Alexander.
Eventually, they arrived at a particular house nestled between two others as Ricky got out and gestured to Dutch with the gun.
A car pulled up beside him, revealing Jake, who brought out Abraham who's gaze was venomous as he looked at Ricky.
"Nice one, Slick." Abraham sarcastically spoke as Ricky rolled his eyes though didn't go into the house.
"Oh shut up, there were like twenty of those monsters." Ricky scoffed but Abraham shook his head.
"You obviously didn't fade into the shadows after killing the first two." Abraham guessed as Ricky gawked at this.
"SEE!" Alexander pointed his little paws at Abraham while hoping up and down on his shoulder.
"What does that even mean?" Ricky whispered, shaking his head but not moving an inch.
"Slick?" Jake pushed Abraham forward though stopped as he saw Ricky wasn't moving.
"Hold on, I'm waiting for Chester." Ricky spoke, looking around until he saw a slick black crow flying in the distance.
Ricky had thought about calling Chester back into the battle, but he was uncertain whether Nexor could easily eliminate him or if Chester might fall under Nexor's influence.
But he ultimately decided against the risk, preferring not to jeopardize Chester's safety.
Ricky held out his arm and in the next second, Chester perched on it as he nodded to Jake while nudging Dutch into the house.
"Now we can go in." Ricky said with a smile as Abraham turned towards Jake and leaned in.
"What's up with all the animals?" Abraham asked since he had already seen the gerbil but now Ricky had a crow.
"Don't ask me." Jake shrugged before wincing in pain as Abraham showed a wry smile at this as he walked into the house.
Immediately, Ricky saw the countless illegal items including; Alcohol, guns, drugs, and wads of illegal money.
Pep had invested quite a lot into Dutch since he wanted to set up a front in harlem so he was steady supplying him with goods before making their mark.
The items total net worth was around 1.7 million dollars and a big portion of that was the dirty money wedged all over the place.
The dirty money was around four hundred thousand since along with the collection, Dutch had started selling some of his merchandise in Harlem already.
Ricky whistled as he pushed Dutch towards the lone table in the kitchen as Jake showed an enthusiastic smile.
"Slick with this alone, I could open up at least four more clubs!" Jake ran over with Abraham, his eyes widening as they sparkled with greed at the sight of the money.
"We'll do that later, this first." Ricky ordered as Jake jarred himself from the money and nodded, pushing Abrham towards the table.
Ricky and Jake sat on one side while the two hostages sat on the other as Dutch looked at Abraham who shrugged.
"Before we start, can you remove the weird blood magic thingy he has on him." Ricky pointed at Dutch but talked to Abraham as the latter nodded.
"Of course." Abraham nonchalantly said as Ricky nodded.
"If you free me-"
"Nope." Ricky shook his head which made Abraham lean back.
"Well then, I guess we're at an impasse-"
"Chester." Ricky gave him a chance as Chester raised an eyebrow but hoped off of Ricky's arm and onto the table.
"What are you? Some animal whisperer-" Abraham joked until his pupils suddenly dilated once he made eye contact with Chester.
"You may proceed." Chester nodded to Ricky, backing up to the side as Ricky looked surprised.
'Why haven't I been using this more?' Ricky reprimanded himself, feeling more incompetent when underutilizing all the things around him.
"It's that easy, remind me never to get on your bad side." Ricky said out loud towards Chester while looking at Abraham seamlessly lost expression.
"How do I get rid of the weird blood seal thingy?" Ricky asked as Abraham's lifeless nod.
"First-"
Abraham then gave out a thorough and detailed explanation which involved getting a drop of Dutch's blood along with the straw voodoo doll that had been confiscated by him.
Then upon drinking some holy water, Ricky managed to connect Dutch with the voodoo doll and after four unsuccessful screw ups, they succeeded.
"Finally." Ricky sighed in relief as an hour had completely passed.
"Alright you can release your hold on him Chester and thank you." Ricky said but not before thanking him as Chester nodded.
Chester's Favorability: 51 + 1
"You are most welcome." Chester nodded as Abraham's hazy expression slowly returned to normal.
Then, almost immediately after regaining full consciousness, Abraham flinched, warily gazing at the crow.
"H-H-H-How did you break my metal barriers?" Abraham speechlessly asked Chester who scoffed at this statement.
"Those mere walls could not stop my Genjutsu." Chester told Abraham though he seemingly cawed to him.
"He said that he made your mind into his b*tch with his ganar justus." Ricky said while completely butchering the pronunciation for Genjutsu.
"It's Gen-nevermind." Chester almost corrected Ricky but decided against it.
Abraham was on high alert like never before since he hadn't started taking Ricky seriously before, but now he was watching him with the intensity of a hawk tracking its prey.
"Chester, can you do just one more favor for me?" Ricky politely asked Chester who sighed and looked at Dutch who flinched.
Instinctively however, Dutch gazed into Chester's eyes as they immediately dilated in the next second.
"I would like to see Maria again." Chester gave out his demands with Ricky nodding.
"Deal." Ricky gave in without even hesitation while turning towards Dutch.
"Now, do you know who killed Rocco from the Luciano family?" Ricky straight out asked Dutch as his eyes widened upon seeing Dutch nod.
"Yes." Dutch responded, his voice cutting through the tension as Ricky and Jake fell into a heavy silence, their gazes fixed on him with lethal intent.
"Who did it?" Ricky breathing became fierce as he clutched his revolver tightly.
"Dracula." Dutch curtly answered as Abraham scoffed.
"That not Dra-" Abraham chimed in from the side only for Ricky to push him away.
"Shut up." Ricky's words weren't in the playful tone as usual as his eyes shine in an unforgiving light.
Abraham saw this as his cue to remain silent, understanding the situation of being tied up and assessing his position.
"Why was he killed?" Ricky asked, clutching his hands tightly as Jake bit his lip until it bled.
"Dracula prefers fresh victims and on a night he went out to feed, he came across two girls along with their two dates-" Dutch explained in a monotone voice though this infuriated Jake.
"THAT'S ALL HE WAS, HIS FOOD!" Jake yelled as Ricky slammed his fist against the table and Abrahma closed his eyes.
He knew all too well this reaction since that is how vampires treated humans, like livestock waiting to be fed on.
There wasn't any other meaning to it, but that was the reason why it hurt the victims of these monsters even more.
Dutch halted his explanation as Jake paced around the room, his agitation evident, while Ricky remained silent, his focus unwavering.
"Why is this 'Dracula' here?" Ricky asked though wasn't gazing at Dutch but the revolver in his hand.
"In search of the Sunlight pendant." Dutch answered right away as Abrham's pupils condensed.
"No, that's, I-I destroyed the last one-....HOW IS THERE ANOTHER ONE!" Abraham yelled at Dutch in a worried tone, his voice shaking at the mere thought.
"Dracula said that if we were able to find the lost Sunlight pendant here, then he'd grant the jewish mobs wishes of eradicating the italian mafia." Dutch answered Abraham's question with all he knew as Abraham turned towards Ricky.
"Slick, we need to go back NOW! If Dracula or any other vampire gets ahold of another sunlight pendant then he'll be able to use his magic in the sun!" Abraham yelled at Ricky while trying to loosen his binds to no avail.
"Tell me everything about the jewish mob, everything from the bases to the stash houses, I want to know where all the money flows." Ricky ignored Abraham and took out a pen and paper.
Dutch started telling Ricky everything he knew about the jewish mob including their bases, stashouses, shipments coming in and out, and all the tedious details the Luciano family would need.
2 hours later,
After two hours, Ricky had written down numerous amounts of information onto the mint scented paper as he had used ten sheets of it.
"Anything else." Ricky asked, standing up while Abraham stood up with him.
"That is all I know-" Dutch dryly answered, but it was enough reason for Ricky.
*BANG*
*Thump*
Ricky fired the last bullet, its metal casing piercing Dutch in the head as his brain matter splattered against the back wall.
Abraham, however, remained unfazed, shifting his intense gaze onto Ricky with an urgency in his walk.
"Slick, listen to me." Abraham rushed in front of Ricky as he was finally granted his attention.
"This is serious Slick, you need to release me so that I can stop them and destroy that pendant." Abraham was pleading to Ricky at this point as he took the paper into his hands.
"Let's go." Ricky pushed Abrahma forward as Jake sat completely heartbroken at the side though lugged himself to his feet and followed them out the door.
"Do you know how much destruction has been caused by Dracula when he gets ahold of those f*cking pendants." Abraham genuinely asked Ricky, knowing he wouldn't know the answer to it.
"The Tai Ping Rebellion and World War I are just a few examples of how his actions influenced the human world. These are among the most brutal conflicts in history, all because of that damned pendant." Abraham anxiously spoke as he was pushed towards the car while Ricky shoved him into it.
"I know you might think I care about your little mafia, but all that matters is the big picture and that's vampires." Abraham tried to sway the silent Ricky which only made him more anxious.
"Vampires are very powerful monsters, however their weaknesses are what makes them beatable, but out of all the vampires, the sun is their biggest weakness and the only thing that makes dracula somewhat beatable." Abraham continued as Ricky got into the car while Chester flew away to get some rest.
"These vampires seem more and more interesting to me, I've fought many mythical foes but never these so-called 'Vampires'." Alexander curiously observed Abraham's panicking figure, his feats stretching across the globe but weirdly enough, he has never encountered a vampire personally.
"Unlike the other vampires, Dracula's only real weakness is that he cannot use any of his magical powers while in the sun. However the amulet takes away his one weakness and-"
"I get it now, get out." Ricky stopped a little ways away from the stash house since he didn't want to leave Abraham alone there.
"What?" Abraham asked before realizing that Ricky had undid his bindings already which surprised him.
"Honestly, there is no reason for me to keep you since everything you told me is the truth and since you want nothing to do with the Luciano family, you can go kill as many vampires as your heart desires." Ricky explained, pushing Abraham out of the car as he stood baffled at the side.
"However I'm keeping this, I'm going to ram it through the heart of Dracula or whoever that is once I get a little stronger, and also I'm keeping one of these vials." Ricky said, throwing Abraham a bag that held all of his vampire hunting gear as Jake crawled up to the front seat while shutting the door.
"Happy hunting, I hope we never meet again." Ricky waved as they drove off while leaving Abraham baffled at the side of the road.
Abraham thought for a moment, dusting off his clothes and storing all his trinkets back into their extended spot before taking out his flask.
"Well, that was easier than I thought it would be."
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