"Eh Brian, are you sure this is the house?" Keith asked, panting and puffing.

"Yeah, I'm sure." Brian responded.

"Looks way too old to be it."

"Um... how do I put this? It's an illusion."

"Goddammit, how am I supposed to explain that one to Anita?!"

"Easy, we kill Dracula, and the house will collapse."

"No, I meant, where are we going to go?!"

"I was joking about the collapse part."

Keith elbowed Brian. "Dammit, that wasn't funny!"

"Keith, this is the showdown. We have one shot before Mick is permanently turned and-" Brian then screamed.

Digging into his body was Bill, he dug his claws into Brian's side. He then let Brian collapse to the ground as he lapped some of the blood off his fingers. Brian clutched his side, bracing for the next attack..

All of a sudden, Bill then picked him up and hugged him tight.

"B-Bill?"

He was shaking incredibly hard. He held Brian delicately. Tears streamed down his face.

"Bill, this isn't your fault, it's Mick's. Well, even then it's more Dracula's fault than his,"

"Okay can someone please tell me what the hell is going on here?!" Keith yelled.

Brian held his sides for a bit, letting the wounds close.

His eyes dimmed to an inky black. Upon noticing the others' worried expressions, he muttered, "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine... I'm so thirsty."

Keith winced.

"Healing takes a lot out of me."

"I can see that..."

Bill, meanwhile, still seemed to be in shock.

Cautiously, Charlie approached him. The primality of how Bill was forced to behave was shown on his face. Still, right now, all Charlie could see on Bill's face was pure fear.

"So thirsty"

"I know you are, listen. You can help us."

Bill shook his head.

"He'll kill me. Mick will restore me if I make him happy."

Charlie held Bill's hands. "Bill, how do you know if he'll hold up his end of the bargain? He's not the Mick you know."

Bill looked even more lost at that point.

Charlie didn't know what was worse: the fact that Bill was forcibly molded into this monster or the fact that Mick did it.

And even then, Charlie was starting to wonder how much of it was Mick's decisions or someone else's.

Before Keith could figure out what he should do, he heard a low snarl coming from the house.

"Ello Keith, time is running out, 15 minutes until we fight and only an hour after that till I'm a true vampire."

Turning to Brian, Keith said, "I thought we had until tomorrow night!"

"Time, oh yes, let's just say we are all operating on time. You don't know the half of it, Dracula bit me at night and then there were the timezones."

Fuck, how had none of them taken that into account?!

"Wait, isn't it just by an hour?" Keith asked.

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying. Goodbye!"

"No! No goodbyes, we'll fight now!"

Mick gave Keith a perplexed look. "Do you have a death wish? Or are you just that naive to think I can be saved at this point?"

"I AM TIRED OF WAITING! Face me, you are going to lose your vampirism one way or another!" Keith yelled, walking inside.

"Okay. First thing's first, it's just me and you. Secondly, good luck."

Keith braced himself. Mick could tell from just one look that Keith wasn't even close to being a full vampire yet. Yet his appearance still surprised Mick, Keith was old, sporting white hair and aged skin. Hell, even Brian, who looked positively dreadful at the end of his life, looked younger now in vampirism.

Mick was perched on the wooden beams up above as a bat, watching Keith wait for him.
Maybe he should arm himself with one more thing.

After all, they may have agreed to no outside help, but nobody had said anything about not having a weapon.

Keith looked around, he noted the small wooden cross on the table. Despite the fact that he was turning, he thought that maybe he could use it without getting hurt. Unlike Mick, who was teetering on the edge.

Meanwhile, Mick grabbed a knife. It was a huge butcher's knife, he could heal from a stab but-

"What are you doing" Evan said

Mick groaned, he forgot about Dracula.

"I'm making sure I'm a vampire forever." Mick sneered, he then laughed.

"You're supposed to just turn everyone, not kill them! I thought we discussed this."

"Well Keith's getting a bit too meddlesome. Besides, do you really think any teenagers will want him when he looks like he could be their grandfather?"

"He is... adjusting. Doesn't give you an excuse to kill him!"

"Quiet down, Keith is waiting for me."

"No, you have to stop this right now."

Mick stared at him. "What ever happened to you? Where's your edge? Where's your power? Listen, you are going to be replaced."

"Fine, do you want information on what happens if you disobey me?" Evan growled, his eyes glowing a milky star white.

Mick could already guess. Considering the whole Brian thing. In a swift movement, Mick was about to stab Evan with the stake when he then caught it.

"You die."

For the first time since turning, Mick's face showed genuine fear.