Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

December 1st, 2023, 6:56 PM. A Tyranitar named “Gojira” was fighting against a Shiny Metagross, who roared in rage towards it. “METAGROSS, USE METEOR MASH! Steven Stone Shouted. Metagross, obliged, rocketing towards Gojira, using the Move Meteor Mash, but Gojira’s tail began to glow into steel, as it used Iron Tail, deflecting Meteor Mash. Metagross slid back, but it was still able to fight. Steven Stone smiled. “You might have a strong bond with your Pokémon! Down to put it to the test?” Gojira’s trainer smirked, taking off his Mario hat. Adam laughed. “GIVE ME ALL YOU GOT!” Steven grinned before revealing his MegaStone, hidden on his pin.

“NOW, MAN AND POKEMON, UNITE AS ONE. METAGROSS, MEGA EVOLVE!” The Megastone began to spark and shift, as beams of light shot out, connecting to the Metagrossite on his Metagross, causing the Pokémon to Mega Evolve into Mega Metagross. The Pokémon roared in fury, ready to take down Gojira.

Gojira glanced back at Adam and nodded. “You ready?” Adam asked. Gojira grunted, as if saying, “Let’s do it. Let’s take this champion down.” Adam grinned, clenching his fist as the M on the Mario hat began to glow. “From the depths of the sea is the King of the Monsters, Gojira, Mega Evolve!” 

Gojira roared as the M emblem began to spark and shift, as beams of light shot out, connecting to the Tyranitarite on Gojira’s chest, causing the Pokémon to Mega Evolve into Mega Tyranitar. It slammed its tail into the ground, ready to fight. “DRAGON CLAW, LET’S GO!” Adam shouted. Gojira roared, its arms glowing green as it charged at Metagross, but it simply dodged it, hitting with a powerful Flash Cannon.

But Gojira didn’t bend; it only roared. Adam grinned. “You think that’s enough? Gojira, let’s show 'em what you got, Earthquake!” Gojira obliged, slamming its tail into the ground, causing the earth to split, and hit Metagross with big damage, thanks to STAB. 

Metagross was disoriented. Adam smirked, and immediately, Gojira knew what to do. Its mouth began to glow as it quickly fired a powerful Flamethrower, burning up Mega Metagross and knocking it out. 

The Pokémon Victory theme played as the text appeared on screen. “YOU DEFEATED CHAMPION STEVEN STONE!” Adam cheered, placing down his 2DS XL. “LET’S GOOOOOOO!” He heard chuckling and looked up, seeing Charloette, one of his spirits, standing at the door frame. “...How long were you there?” Adam asked. Charlie rolled her eyes. “Long enough. Congrats!” 

Adam chuckled. “Took me way too long to finally do this, probably because of what’s been happening recently.” Charlotte snickered. “Yeah, I suppose so. Oh! Right! Ronny wanted to know if he could borrow your switch.” Adam tilted his head. “Why?” Charlotte shrugged. “Something about finishing what you started.” Adam rolled his eyes, handing Charlie his switch. “Don’t let him do anything stupid.” Charlotte chuckled. “I’ll try!”

Eli and Oskar made their way to Adam’s house. They’ve been dreading, yet anticipating this day for weeks. They originally planned it for the week after Thanksgiving, but Eli wasn’t mentally ready for it, so they agreed to do it on December 1st. And it was good too, tonight Adam’s dad happened to be at a cleaning so that he wouldn’t be home for a couple of hours. 

When they got to the house, they found it glowing with blue icicles that were hung on the roof. Inflatable Christmas decorations and props were on the lawn as well. A giant globe (that had a piece of duct tape on the side), a snowman, an animated Rudolph, and a French bulldog wearing a scarf and a family of dachshunds sat at attention. Eli and Oskar couldn’t help but feel warm.

Oskar sighed. “...Is it bad I’m a bit nervous?” Eli shook her head. “No, I understand. I’m a little nervous as well. But the Christmas decor really makes me a little calmer.” Oskar nodded and knocked on the door, but instead of Adam answering, it was someone else. A boy whom Oskar and Eli didn’t recognize. The boy wore a black shirt and light brown slacks, with white sneakers. He also had blue and purple bands on his wrist. The shirt said “THEY CAME FROM SPACE!”

The boy looked at them, like he recognized them, before he waved. “Hey, I’m Ronny, Oskar, and Eli, right?” Oskar and Eli blinked, looking at each other in confusion. “You know us?” Oskar asked. Ronny nodded.  “Yeah, Adam told us a lot about you. Come in!” He stepped aside as Eli walked in, noticing other people chilling in the living room. Daniel, Bianca, Charlotte, Francis, Michael, Sammy, John, Lily, Jessie, Page, Connor, and Chloe. They were mostly doing different things, like Daniel reading, Page watching Stranger Things on a tablet, and Michael drawing on a notepad. They instantly stopped and looked at the duo, like animatronics freezing up mid-performance.

Eli waved sheepishly as the children just stared daggers at them. “Uh…Hi. Friends of Adam?” The Children just kept staring until they remembered to actually move, and one of them, Daniel, nodded. “Uh, yeah! We are! We knew Adam for a long time!” Bianca chuckled. “That’s an understatement.” Oskar tilted his head. “How do you know about us?” Page and Jessie looked at each other, unsure how to reply. 

Sammy cleared his throat, the small Brit speaking up. “Adam told us a lot about you, that's all!” Eli tilted her head. “Aren’t you a bit young to hang out here?” Lily glared at them. “Hey! If he wants to be here, he can!” Connor chuckled. “Adam watches them, we kinda just…. Show up for back-up! That’s all!” 

The smiles felt wrong. Everything about the group felt horribly wrong. But Eli and Oskar couldn’t tell. They just seemed like… they haven’t interacted with another being for a long time. Charlotte tilted her head. “Are you two alright? You look like you've seen a ghost!” Francis shot daggers at her, causing Charlotte to flinch a little.

Jessie sighed. “Ok, guys, we gotta cut the crap, are we gonna tell them or what?” Daniel looked away, Bianca hesitated, Charlie shrugged, Francis scoffed, Michael froze, Sammy rolled his eyes, John and Ronny looked at eachother, Page tried to ignore it, while Lily just didn’t understand. Eli tilted her head. "Tell us what?" Francis sighed. "So, you know about Adam, right? About his powers and shit?”

Eli and Oskar were surprised. Did Adam reveal himself to these guys before them? “...Yeah, how do you know about that?” Oskar asked, his voice filled with worry and confusion. Bianca sighed, pushing Francis aside. “Ignore him, please. Basically, since you're in the know, we might as well tell you.” She made another sigh, hesitating. “We know because-” 

She was interrupted when the door to Adam’s room opened, showing Adam, not wearing his Mario hat, but wearing the same bear slippers from before. Wishbone, Clover, and Cujo came running out, barking with glee, seemingly passing the others. 

Adam waved. “Hey guys, I guess you’re here to… I guess discuss everything?” Oskar nodded. “Yeah, is Esther here? I don’t really want her listening.” Adam shook his head. “Nah, she’s at my mom’s house for the weekend. She left earlier. Anyway, I suppose you met my friends?” He pointed to the group of children. “Yeah… they’re weird,” Eli whispered. Lily scoffed. “Hey, f**k you too!” 

Connor burst out laughing as John covered his mouth in horror. “WHO TAUGHT HER THAT?!” Ronny shrugged. “Don’t know, but we might as well hustle right?” Eli tilted her head. “...I guess since you know about Adam…” But Oskar stopped her. “Eli, we can’t tell them…about us.” 

Francis laughed. “Oh, don’t worry about that. We already know all about you. After all, we’ve been watching for a while.” Francis glanced at the clock. “Actually, it should be wearing off…right about…. Now.” As he said that, the clock hit an hour, and the children began to change. Daniel shuddered. “I hate this part.” 

One by one, the children reverted to their “normal” forms. Daniel’s eyes began to fade into black, as tear marks formed on his face. His skin and clothing became desaturated. Cracks began to form on Bianca’s neck as her hair began to stick up on end, her skin and clothing becoming desaturated. 

Charlie’s skin began to bubble and boil as she winced. It began to turn red and melt, as her eyes sizzled, becoming glowing white rings in the vacant sockets. Her clothes became burnt and damaged, her nose falling off. 

Eli took a step back, muttering something under her breath. Francis winced as blood came from his mouth and the large gash in his stomach returned, his skin fading with desaturation. Michael groaned in pain as coils and wires shot from his back, as a pair of bear ears spawned from his head. Wires and coils danced around his body, as if trying to bind with him. A knife reformed within Sammy’s chest as he laughed, ignoring the pain. Connor winced as the hole in his stomach returned, and Chloe groaned as she felt the pain return.

John caught his breath as he felt his airways close up, while Lily began to cry, but held it together as bandaids began to form around the hole in her chest. Jessie lifted her sweater over her mouth to cover it, as the holes and cuts returned, and Page collapsed, holes and cuts spawning on her. Ronny groaned. Once the transformation was completed, they’re real forms were revealed. Ghosts. And they’ve been dead for years.

Connor stretched out his back. “Man, I fucking hate that part.” Chloe groaned. “Which one? The pain of your murder returning or the feeling of being sucked out of your body all over again?” Connor shrugged. “Both.” Eli and Oskar backed away in horror, before Oskar looked at Adam in horror. “W-What… Did you do to them?”  Page stumbled up, flying in between them. “Now hold on a second! He didn’t do anything to us! Promise!” Bianca flew over as well. “Yeah! "We’ve been watching over him, not haunting him.”

Francis growled. “And why are you so aggressive? Don’t you guys like… Fucking tear out throats to live?” Eli growled. “That’s not how that-” Adam roared, mimicking Godzilla. “Can we PLEASE not right now? Listen, come into my room and I’ll explain.” 

The ghosts looked at each other before floating up and following Adam, but just before Francis went in, he looked back and glared at them. Oskar and Eli hesitated before following into the belly of the beast.

Eleanor just sat there, listening in from behind the side door; the voices sounded so familiar. She felt like she shouldn’t have heard what she heard, yet she did. She didn’t know what to do, so… she just left the house for a while.

Upon entering Adam’s room, the lights were on, and Eli and Oskar could see them. A bunch of other spirits, mostly taking the forms of the animatronics they haunted in the past. Like some taking the forms of different variations of Freddy Fazbear, Fredbear, or even Chuck E. Cheese. But even… Him. Showbiz Lake Wagner, who stood there at the corner, looking at them. Eli and Oskar froze, seeing Lake stand there.

“...I didn’t think we would meet again, yet here we are,” Lake muttered. Oskar looked at Adam in fear. “What the hell is that thing doing here?!” Phantom Foxy growled, getting closer to the two and sniffing them. “Smell like guilt and sadness, just how I like ‘em.” Nightmare Chica groaned. “And for the record: We are not things.” Bon chuckled. “Respect your elders, why don’t ya?”  

Eli kept staring at Showbiz Lake. Lake shook his head. “I apologize for what I’ve done to you in the past, but I can assure you, it won’t happen again,” Oskar growled. “Yeah?! And how do we know that we can trust you freaks?!” The elevator inside of Adam’s room dinged, and Showbiz Yarnaby hopped out, growling, his face mask slamming open and shut like a rabid animal. 

The memories came back. They all came flooding back. That night.. At Adam’s house. It wasn’t a dream. It was Real. Metal Sonic followed Showbiz Yarnaby as the other spirits began to act up, growling and almost striking when Adam put a hand out. “NO.” The spirits stopped and glared at Oskar and Eli. Yarnaby stopped in place and looked at Adam, his tail wagging.

Metal Sonic looked at Oskar and Eli. “I ASSUME THEY ARE NOW AWARE THAT NIGHT WAS NO DREAM. SHAME. I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING IF THIS MEMORY REVERSER ACTUALLY WORKED.” Oskar’s eyes widened. “...M-Memory reverser…?” He looked at Adam and charged at him. 

“YOU WIPED OUR MEMORIES?!” Jack-O Chica put an arm out, holding him back. “Cease. He and we can tear you two apart without a thought. I recommend you calm down.” Eli shook her head. “Still! You had NO right to do that! Do you understand how terrifying that was?!” 

The Spirits began to get agitated, becoming twitchy and aggressive, seeing someone, while yes, rightfully angry at their host, is easily twisted in the mind of a child. They began to approach them, their animatronic husks filled with rage and sadness. “Guys, stop!” Adam shouted, but the spirits weren’t listening, as they advanced onto Oskar and Eli, who backed into Adam.

Adam’s eyes began to glow purple with rage. “I COMMAND YOU ALL TO STOP!” The spirits froze, unable to move an inch as Adam’s body began glowing with rage and power. He sent out his hand and clutched it, reverting their forms from the animatronics, and back to the ghosts they really were.

Adam floated towards them all, his eyes still glowing. “I said not to hurt them. I told you all to behave yourselves.” He flew up to one of the spirits, a boy named Donnie, and began to raise his hand, this time glowing a abyss black. Donnie couldn’t move as the hand got closer, but… Adam stopped. He sighed, snapping his fingers, unfreezing the spirits. 

Adam sighed, shaking his head. “For fucksake, guys. I know you all don’t really like them, but please… Behave. We’re in this together now, ok?” The spirits looked at each other, mummering before nodding. “...Sorry, Adam.” A spirit said, a girl named Claudia. 

Oskar couldn’t believe his eyes. He just… controlled all the spirits with one move! Adam turned around, looking at Oskar and Eli. “As for you two. I understand what I did was wrong, but please understand… I wasn’t ready to show you all of this. That is why. I didn’t want to leave you two traumatized."

Eli looked at Metal Sonic, who nodded. “THE CHILDREN CAN GET RATHER RAMBUCIOUS AT NIGHT. THEY NEVER MEANT YOU TWO HARM.” Gwen nodded, moving Carol the Cheerleading Chicken a little as she did. “We were only playing, honest!” 

Nightmare Fredbear growled. “But don’t mistake that for naivete. We can and will hurt you if you even consider hurting Adam.” Nightmare Bonnie nodded. “Right. And to be honest, we didn’t hate you… But we weren’t sure if we could trust you either. Yet though everything, you're still here, so I guess we can trust you.” 

Nightmarionne formed in the closet. “I do not.” Percy Poodle rolled his eyes. “Of course you don't, Paco.” Oskar sighed. “W-We won’t. Sorry for getting so aggressive.” Banny walked up to them, sitting on the bed and making it creak. “Oh no, don’t worry. We understand. I mean, look at us! We’re all freaks. Just some of us don’t like being reminded of it.” 

Eli chuckled. “I guess, we all are a little different.” Adam cleared his throat. “...So… You guys are vampires.” Oskar nodded. “Y-Yeah… We uh… We’ve been vampires for years. Eli’s been one for longer than me; I’ve been one since 1981.” The spirits muttered amongst each other. Kalynn shifted, her voice quieter. “Don’t you miss your parents?”

Oskar looked down. “I mean… sometimes… I haven’t really visited her in a while.” Ronny leaned over to Chloe, whispering just loud enough: “I bet they aren’t as old as Adam…”Chloe elbowed him. “Shut up!” Adam blinked. “...What was that?” Chloe gave a toothy grin. “Nothing! Nothing at all!”

Oskar tilted his head. “You…don’t seem to be surprised to know we’re vampires.” Adam shrugged. “I’ve been in business for a while, I think since… 2013? 2016?” A spirit named Bent flew over. “2018.” Adam nodded. “Yeah, I've seen… a fair bit in my time. Heck, a few weeks ago we encountered a vampire.” Eli’s eyes widened. “... There are other vampires?”  

Adam nodded. “Yeah, well, at least one we encountered.” Sparky nodded. “Y-Yeah! For all we know, they’re could be more, and I guess you two are living proof of that.” Francis’s eyes widened in remembrance. “Right, I forgot. Don’t you guys tear out throats to live or something?” 

Eli shook her head. “That isn’t how that works, but… Yeah, we gotta suck out blood to live.” Some of the spirits shuddered. “...Damn, how did you guys live so long…? Unless…” Ronny’s eyes widened. “Holy shit, you guys still do it today.” Nightmare Foxy held back Nightmarionne. “Not that we be juding, everyone in this room killed someone at some point or another.”

Eli looked at Adam and pointed at him. “...Even Adam?” Adam tilted his head, processing. The other Spirits looked at each other, unsure how to answer. “...No. He hasn’t. Not yet, at least.” Cassidy replied, but her voice was filled with uncertainty. Adam nodded. “...While we don’t really… agree with your actions. We understand you gotta do it to live.”

Oskar sighed. “Thank you.” Nightmare Freddy laughed. “Don’t let us catch you though, or we’re getting ya!” Eli laughed before noticing the clock. “...We should get going.” Adam nodded, opening his bedroom door for the two to leave. The spirits simply waved goodbye, watching the two as they left.

Chapter Text

December 3rd, 2023. 5:45 PM. Adam and his buddy DS, a slightly older friend, yet short, walked out of Adam’s room, heading to the kitchen to get a bite to eat, probably a bag of chips. DS cracked his knuckles. “Man, the joy-cons made my fingers a little stiff. Dude, you GOTTA get a pro-controller at some point.” Adam chuckled. “Yeah, I’ll do it eventually, just been busy recently.” Just then, there was a knock at his door. Adam motioned for DS to wait, and Adam walked over to the door, opening it. Outside were Owen and Oskar. Before Adam could even say anything, Oskar darted into Adam’s house, and Owen just waved, entering slowly behind him.

Adam watched as the two entered. He wasn’t too used to the fact that Oskar was a vampire, but he knew that something here felt off. There was some sort of tension between them. DS stopped mid-crunch from eating a bag of Doritos and looked at them, waving at Oskar. But he didn’t notice him. Oskar sat on one couch, while Owen sat on the other, eying each other warily. Adam chuckled a little. “So uh… where are your girlfriends?” "Busy," they both replied in unison. Adam chuckled awkwardly as DS walked out of the kitchen, his fingers covered in orange dust. “Who’s that?” Owen asked. DS waved. “Name’s DS.” Oskar tilted his head. “...What does it stand for?” DS shook his head. “Nothing. It’s just DS.”

Just then, someone knocked on the side door and pushed it open. It had already been unlocked earlier, so Eleanor and Isaiah didn’t see a problem with it. “Helloooo? Is anyone home?” Eleanor asked. Adam turned and waved. “Hey, come on in!” Isaiah walked in, but immediately halted seeing Oskar, Owen, and DS. Eleanor followed, but once she did, an odd feeling came over her.

This wasn’t the first time the feeling had come; it had appeared when she first met Peter, and it seemed to worsen during Thanksgiving. But here? It wasn’t as strong, but the feeling was still there. “...Oskar and Owen, right?” Isaiah asked. The two nodded, and DS waved. “Yo, I’m DS.” Adam looked around, sensing the tension and sighing.

“Ok, since there's a bit more of us than usual, does anyone want to do anything different?” Owen put his hand up. “We could blaze up.” Everyone turned to look at him in confusion and horror. Adam chuckled. “First off, Owen, it’s not even noon, and second, we’re all underage.” DS nodded. “Yeah, plus I don’t even have any green with me.” Adam nodded in agreement. “Yeah- Wait what?” DS shook his head. “Nothing, Chief… Oh! I got it; how about we go out on the town tonight? A boy's Night out, if you will?” 

Owen tilted his head. “A Boys Night Out? What’s that?” Adam chuckled. It’s basically when just the guys go out for the night and have fun!” Oskar got the idea. “Ah, I see what you’re laying down now.” Adam nodded. “Yeah, we can do anything as long as it’s legal.” Isaiah looked over at Eleanor, whose eyes were glowing briefly.

“Are you alright with it? I don’t want to leave you here by yourself.” Eleanor nodded, kissing her lover on the cheek. “Don’t worry about it, you go ahead and have fun.” Adam nodded. “Yeah, Esther came home earlier, she’s in her room if you wanna try talking to her. Just be warned, she’s a little weird.” 

Owen nodded, but then tilted his head. “I mean… I’m ok with it. But where would we go?” DS scratched his chin before he snapped his finger, causing Adam, Eleanor, and Isaiah to immediately flinch and turn to look at him, like a dog hearing their master say something. “We can go to Applebee’s!” 

Adam nodded, his stomach growling in response. “Sure, we can do that!” “...Can we go to the Casino after?” Owen asked. Everyone looked at Owen in confusion. Adam shook his head. “Owen again, we’re underage, we can’t go to the casino.” "Oh, right," Owen realized. "We can go to the arcade next," Isaiah suggested. 

Adam nodded. “Sounds great!” Oskar tilted his head. “What about after that?” Adam snapped his fingers. “We can go get some cream after, perfect ending to a hangout.” DS nodded. “Sounds great, now are we ready to head out?” Isaiah nodded. “Yeah, I am.” Owen and Oskar got up, keeping a distance away from each other. Adam walked over to the front door and opened it, stepping outside. Isaiah waved at his lover. “Bye, Eleanor! We’ll be back in a bit!” 

Eleanor smiled. “Stay safe, guys! Have fun!” DS grinned. “Don’t worry! We will!” 

It took them a bit to walk over, but eventually they got to Applebee’s, probably one of the best classic food places on Earth. Adam opened the door, and they were seated at a table near the window. “Alright, boys, welcome to Applebee’s! You know what I love about this place? The culture. I usually have a burger, but sometimes I switch it up. First meal, you’re in Asia; next meal, you’re in Greece!”

DS chimed in. “The next meal you're in Italy, like Mama Mia!” Adam laughed. “EXACTLY, like I feel like I need a passport to eat here!” Isaiah skimmed the menu, but he didn’t know what he wanted. “...So, what do you recommend?” Adam grinned. “What do I recommend? Isaiah, it’s Applebee’s; I recommend everything! Wait, you're from New York, right?” 

Isaiah nodded. “Yeah, why?” Adam tilted his head. “Brooklyn or Queens?” Isaiah looked at Adam dead on. “Manhattan.” DS squinted his eyes. “Wait, so you've never been to Applebee’s before?” Isaiah shook his head. “Nope. Not even once. My mom doesn’t like it.” Adam chuckled. “Well, trust me, you’re gonna love it.”

Oskar skimmed the menu; he had no interest in actually eating since… he can’t, but he wanted to get something at least for the table. “...Uh, Adam? Where’s the Bloomin’ Onion?” Adam shook his head. “...Oskar, that’s Outback, the Australian Applebee’s.” Adam’s telepathy activated, speaking into Oskar’s mind. “And why are you interested anyway? You can’t really eat this.” 

Oskar visibly reacted, catching Owen’s attention, but he didn’t say anything. “I will never get used to you doing that. But… I wanted to get it for you. And Eli, of course.” Adam’s eyes widened as he cut the telepathy and nodded. “Oh, thanks.” DS looked up. “What?” Adam shook his head. “Nothing.” 

Adam felt an arm touch his shoulder, making him flinch. He looked up, and his heart dropped. The waitress looked down at him and grinned. “...Hello Darling.” She whispered. It wasn’t just any waitress, however.

…It was one of the spirits. One of his spirits. Kind of. Mary Lou Maloney. She was different… VERY different from the other spirits. She was killed in a freak accident in the 50s during Prom Night. Something about a prank gone wrong. …Kinda like Carrie. Adam had to go out in 2021 since this son of a bitch couldn’t stay dead.

Even then, she just… stayed. Adam didn’t even invite her. So he and the others had to tolerate her presence, since she made it clear that she wasn’t leaving anytime soon. And of course, it was only Adam who knew this, and no one else. That was, if you were aware of the story.

Mary Lou looked up, waving at everyone sitting at the table. She just casually put on a voice, a voice like she’s been in the modern day for decades, when in reality, she's only been in it for a couple of years. “Hi, welcome to Applebee's! I’m Mary, and I’ll be your server tonight. Can I get you all started with something to drink?” 

DS nodded, but Mary Lou ignored him, her gaze focusing on Adam. She knew that he was still a little uncomfortable by her presence, and she was loving it. “Let’s start with you, handsome.” She placed her hand on his head and rubbed it, grinning. “What would you like to drink?” 

Adam was about to speak, but Mary Lou cut him off. “Hm… let me guess… You’re a lemonade person, right?” Adam nodded. “Y-Yeah.” Oskar tilted his head in confusion. He never really saw Adam react like this. DS put his hand up. “I'll take a Coke.” Isaiah nodded. “Pepsi for me.” Oskar thought about it before looking up. “Water for me.” Owen nodded. “Yeah, me too.”

Mary smiled and walked away with grace, while Adam looked down, his head in his hands. DS grinned. “...Sooo, who's the chick?” Adam shook his head. “No one, don't worry about it.” Isaiah tilted his head. “Did you break up with Carrie or something?” Adam glared at him. “What? We weren't even- never mind.” Oskar blinked. “Was that your mother?”  Adam groaned. “What? No! Dude, look at me.” Owen smirked. “Yeah, Oskar, look at him.” 

Oskar growled at Owen. “Buzz off. But anyway, who was she? An Ex?” Adam shook his head. “No. Not that, just a friend I forgot worked here. She knows my usuals and stuff like that.” DS chuckled. “Oh, good, because she is WAY out of your league!” Adam glared at DS when Mary Lou came back with the drinks, giving Adam his drink first, complete with a little umbrella.

She eyed Adam and smiled, rubbing his head. “Now… are you all ready to order?” Everyone nodded, yet once again, Mary focused on Adam, grinning with glee. “... Let's start with you, Handsome. Classic Bacon Burger, well done, and fries seasoned, right?” Adam shuddered. “Y-Yeah, how did you know?” 

Mary Lou's eyes seemed to get a little larger as her smile got bigger, but it didn't reach her eyes. “...I know a lot about you, Darling.” The other boys grinned. “OOOOOOOOOOOO” Adam turned red as Mary looked over at the others, but her smile seemed to drop a little, as if she was disappointed in them.

“Can I get a chicken sandwich?” Isaiah asked. Mary Lou nodded, writing it down. “And how would you like that cooked?” “Crispy,” Isaiah said. Oskar shook his head. “I'm not hungry.” Owen nodded. “Me too.” Oskar glared at him, and Owen stared back.

DS cleared his throat. “I'll take some of your finest nachos!” Mary Lou smiled and walked away, whistling a tune. Owen grinned. “...So, just a friend, huh?”

Eleanor knocked on Esther's door, and for a bit there was no response. Eleanor sighed. “Uh, hey. Esther, it's me, Eleanor! I know we haven't met before, but I'm one of Adam's friends. He and my boyfriend Isaiah are out right now, so I was wondering if you wanna talk.”

No one replied. Eleanor sighed and was about to leave when the door opened. Esther was wearing her dress, and her eyes seemed slightly larger than normal. She smiled when she saw Eleanor. “Oh… hello! Is my brother not home?” Eleanor shook her head. “No, he and my boyfriend went out.” Esther smiled and opened the door. “Come in!” 

Eleanor took a step into the room and looked around. The room was still painted blue, and it featured a bed in the middle, along with a small television. In the corner was a canvas with an unfinished painting of Adam. Eleanor pointed to the painting. “You paint?” Esther nodded. “Yeah, I love to paint… I'm not done with that one yet.”

Eleanor tilted her head. “...I thought you and Adam didn't get along.” Esther didn't reply; her eyes seemed to dim a little, but she shook her head. “No… I don't hate him. He's just… a little…much. But still, I love my big brother.” The way Esther said it sounded off. Like it wasn't genuine, but it was full of predatory tension. 

It freaked Eleanor out. “O-Oh. Well, I gotta go back downstairs to get something, ok?” Esther tilted her head. “What?” Eleanor looked around. “My phone… I'll be right back, ok?” Esther nodded as Eleanor left, closing the door behind her. Once she was out of sight, she booked it.

Back at Applebee's, it took some time, but the food finally came. Mary Lou brought it out, strutting like she owned the place. She placed down the food.

She still looked at Adam, but almost obsessively, like she wanted him for dinner. “Dig in, everyone!” She cheered. She walked away, still whistling the same tune. Adam looked over the food, his mouth watering. “Damn DS, those nachos look great!” DS licked his lips. “Thanks, your burger looks great too!” DS took a bite out of his nachos and moaned. “Delicious…” Owen and Oskar’s stomachs growled a little. Isaiah looked over.

“Are you two hungry? We can still order, right?” Adam nodded. “Yeah, it's not too late to order.” Oskar shook his head. “No, I'm good.” Owen nodded in agreement, quietly.

After 15 minutes, the food was done. There wasn't a speck left. You'd think Kirby came to dinner. Adam sighed. “Man, that was delicious.” DS sighed in agreement as Mary Lou walked over, smiling. “I hope you enjoyed your food, boys. Now, who's paying?” Everyone looked at each other. Adam shrugged. “Uh, can you give us a minute?” Mary nodded and walked away.

“Ok, I'm fine with paying if needed, but any takers?” Oskar dug in his pocket and pulled out Swedish currency. “This should cover it.” Adam shook his head. “Oskar, that's Swedish currency. I don't think that's gonna work here.” DS tilted his head. “Wait, you're Swedish? How did you get to the States?”

Oskar shrugged. “Long Story…”

Chapter Text

Adam chuckled when he sensed Mary Lou coming back. She grinned, leaning close to Adam’s ear, talking low enough that everyone at the table could hear it. “You know… if you can’t pay… Come over to the back with me, and I’ll let you off free, Darling…” Adam turned red as a tomato; you could practically see the steam coming from his ears.

Everyone looked at Adam in a mix of surprise and horror, since, well, they didn’t know the damn waitress, and she made Adam an offer no mortal man would be able to resist. Mary Lou kissed Adam on the cheek. “Think about it, handsome. I’ll be back in a bit.” She got up and walked away, humming the Gargoyles theme. 

Everyone stared at Adam, all of them red. “D-Did…Did she just…?” Oskar stammered. Owen blinked. “I think so…” Isaiah just stared at the ground, unsure how to react. DS shook his head. “Dude, I think the waitress offered to let us go free if Adam ba-” But Adam cut him off. “DS for everyone’s safety, do NOT finish that sentence.”

Isaiah finally looked up and blinked. “So… are you gonna say anything?” Adam shook his head. “Isaiah, I really don’t want to.” Everyone looked at each other before DS dug into his pocket and took out his wallet, sighing. “Screw it, I’ll pay.” Owen blinked in surprise. “Really?” DS nodded. “Dude, when a waitress offers to bang your best friend to get out of paying, that’s when you KNOW she's a freak.” 

Adam snickered. “You know a fair bit about freaks, don’t you?” DS glared at Adam. “Go jump off a cliff.” Isaiah tilted his head in curiosity. “How can you afford to pay?” DS smiled. “My parents are CEOs of big companies, that’s how. We even got a private jet! Oh, right, Adam, can you get the waitress?” 

Adam flinched. “What the? Why me??” DS gave a shit-eating grin, causing Adam to groan. “Oh, go f**k yourself.” DS laughed. “Hey, not my fault she got the hots for you.” Adam rolled his eyes and got up, but when he turned around, he bumped into Mary Lou, who instantly grabbed him and looked down at him, smiling softly.

“...Finally, I got you all to myself.” She whispered, her voice low and breathy. DS shouted from across the table. “HEY LADY, CAN WE PAY?! WE’RE ON A SCHEDULE!” Mary Lou groaned, letting go of Adam. “Aww… That’s no fun. …Oh well! We can always have fun another time.” DS got up from his seat and handed Mary Lou the money. She looked down at him and patted his head softly. 

“Alright, you can go! Have fun, boys!” DS gave a thumbs up as Oskar, Owen, and Isaiah got up from their chairs and walked towards the door. DS followed suit. But before Adam could leave, Mary Lou grabbed his arm and spun him around. She smiled softly at him. “...That was fun, don’t you think, Darling?” 

Adam shuddered a little, but held it together. “I..I guess…” Mary Lou did a playful frown. “...I’d love to do this again sometime… maybe next time you should take me out.” Adam chuckled. “Maybe I should…” Mary Lou smiled. She took off Adam’s hat and rubbed his hair. “... It's a date then, see you later…alligator.”

DS looked back. “YO ADAM, WHAT’S THE HOLD-UP?!  COME ON!” Adam looked up and quickly ran off, and Mary Lou faded away, not quite leaving Adam just yet.

Eleanor was sitting outside on the step, holding a plush rabbit in her hands. When she was leaving earlier, she found a grey toy Rabbit sitting on the couch. It was odd; it wasn’t there before. But she took it anyway.

She just looked at the grey rabbit, cleaning its blue bowtie. She didn’t know what to do, just… She had to stay away from Esther. Adam was right, she was weird. Something about her just creeped her out. The doll just stood there limp, before its head began to move. “B-Bon’s Burgers is the greatest place in the world!”

Eleanor dropped the doll out of surprise as it spazzed on the ground, before it finally just stopped, like a headless chicken. Eleanor sighed, but then she heard the door open. She turned and looked up, seeing Esther looking down at her, smiling. 

“...I knew I’d find you out here. Come, I want to show you something.” She slinked back behind the door as Eleanor sighed, getting up, but leaving the doll behind. Esther hummed a song as she walked along, but Eleanor lingered behind.

Esther opened her room door, allowing Eleanor in. She froze. There was a finished painting of her. Right next to Adam’s, that was now finished. “....W-Wow…” Esther smiled. “What do you think?” Eleanor was a little unnerved, but she had to admit, it was a good painting. 

“I-It’s nice! Thanks!” Esther smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Thank you...” Eleanor took more of a look around her room and… Noticed something wrong. There were photos of the family there, but most of the photos were of Adam. It was weird. But also, there were other art portraits, mostly of Adam.

Too many portraits of him. There were some where he was asleep, and some he clearly didn’t pose for. There were also photos of other families and… a set of porcelain dolls on shelves in her closet. Eleanor shuddered. “...Why do… You have so many photos of Adam?” Esther stared at her, her smile getting a little bigger. “....No reason. I just love my big brother. That’s all. It’s so I always remember him.”

The way Esther said that was wrong. It was almost obsessive. Almost predatory. Eleanor swore her irises got bigger. “....Is something wrong?” Esther asked. Eleanor shook her head. “N-No! Not at all. Has Adam ever been in here?” Esther shook her head, almost resetting. “Nope. He doesn’t like dolls. He won’t step foot in here.”

Eleanor looked around in fear. “...What happens if he does see all of this?” Esther glared at him. “...Why are you so curious, Eleanor?” Her voice seemed to get deeper for a second, almost like a grown woman. Luckily, Eleanor had an out when her dad called her. “ELLIE, COME DOWN HERE!” Eleanor waved at Esther and quickly ran, leaving Esther alone.

Adam, Oskar, Owen, DS, and Isaiah were walking down the street, heading for the arcade. Oskar walked beside Adam and turned to look at him. “...So, the waitress…. Who was that?” Adam looked over at him in confusion. “....Why are you looking at me??” 

Oskar shrugged. “I don’t know, I feel like you know her.” Adam sighed. “It’s a long story, but she’s one of my spirits, kinda. Met her in 2021, she’s kinda violent, and well, let’s just say she slept around a lot in her life. I feel she still does it today. Died in a freak prom accident in the 50s.” 

Oskar nodded, chuckling. “....So, ghosts can do… that?” Adam shrugged. “I don’t know, but I know that at least she can.” Oskar grinned. “How? Know from experience?” Adam growled. “Oh, f**k off.” Oskar laughed. “Right, so where is this arcade again?” DS looked at his phone screen.

“Uh… It’s somewhere around…here!” DS pointed to a building in the distance. It was glowing like Las Vegas on a Friday Night. The Building was red, with white glowing neon lights. The arcade was called “THE NEON ARCADE!” Adam stared up in awe as the group walked up. “Wow, this place looks so cool…”

Owen looked over at DS’s phone. “Where did you find this place?” DS grinned. “I came here with my girlfriend once, got a sick amount of arcade machines.” Isaiah smiled. “Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s have some fun!”

The gentleman walked into the arcade, which was literally what you expected: mostly just an arcade, but there was a play zone, food court, and…a bowling rink! Yeah, that should be about it. Oh, and a skating rink too.

Oskar looked around. “Dude, it’s like it came straight out of the 80s!” DS chuckled. “What would you know? It’s not like you’re from the 80s!” Oskar rolled his eyes. “Yeah, very funny.” Adam smiled, getting an idea. “Alright, let's split up and see who can get the highest score on any game!” He cracked his knuckles. “Winner gets bragging rights for the rest of the night.”

DS chuckled. “Bet I can get the highest score, my name is DS after all!” Owen snickered. “You sure about that?” DS looked up at Owen Smugly. “Wanna bet?” Owen shook his head. “No, I just don’t wanna see you lose it.” DS scoffed. “IGHT, BET!”

The boys went to different games as the hunt was on. Adam saw this cool game called “Death by AI”, while Oskar played a game called “Ring Out”, and DS and Isaiah played Air Hockey. 

Owen, on the other hand, didn’t exactly know what he should play. Sure, there was Miss Pac-Man, but he didn’t feel like playing that without Abby. That’s when he noticed a game just..sitting there in the corner. It was an arcade game from King of the Jungle Cafe.

He hasn’t been there in years. Not since it closed back in the 90s. How did it make its way here? The game was called “ZOO ESCAPE”. It was about King Louie and his animal friends being sent to a zoo, and they needed to escape. Owen looked around. No one was watching him. 

Why not give the old game a go? Owen walked over and placed a token in. The game rocketed to life, the familiar jingle playing out. It put a smile on his face. And so, he began to play. Despite the game's age, it was still enjoyable to play. He was playing for a while when he sensed someone was watching him. He at first thought it was Adam, but he realized it wasn’t. It felt off.

The aura felt off, like something undead was watching him. It felt like the feeling he and Abby get when they go over to Adam’s house. He paused the game and saw someone leaning against the arcade machine. It was a boy. He was wearing a black T-shirt with white stripes. It had the earth on it. 

He had a purple and blue bracelet on one of his arms. He wore tan pants with white shoes. His brown hair went slightly over his eyes. From his face, Owen could tell he had braces and freckles. “Enjoying the game, huh?” The boy asked. Owen nodded. “Yeah, it's fun, I used to play this all the time.” 

The boy chuckled. “I used to love playing this thing. I haven’t touched an arcade machine in forever!” Owen tilted his head. Something sounded off about him. Like, he wasn’t from this time period. Almost like the Percy Jackson Movie. Abby would kill him if she heard he liked that movie.

The boy stared at him, as if reading him, before he smiled. “What’s wrong?” Owen shook his head. “Nothing, I’m Owen.” The boy grinned. “...Oh, I know that.” Owen's eyes widened, but the boy laughed. “I heard your friends say your name. I’m Ronny, Ronny Banks.” Owen smirked. The last name made him sound like a rich kid. He was about to reply when he heard Adam shouting.

“YO OWEN, WE’RE ABOUT TO HEAD OUT. LET’S GO!” Owen turned back and shouted. “Alright, I’m coming!” He turned back towards Ronny… but he was gone, like he just disappeared into thin air. Owen tried to search for him, but it was as if he had never been there. He shrugged and walked off. But when he did, a spirit looked out from behind the Arcade Machine. “...I have seen you before.”

Adam and the others gathered near the entrance, their faces glowing with excitement from the night's activities. DS stretched. “Not to brag, but I think I won the challenge tonight.” Oskar scoffed. “No way, little man, I won!” Adam shook his head. “Now calm down, everyone, let’s just tally it up.”

Oskar chuckled, shaking his head. "Ring Out was a blast. I reached level 15, but I think you might've beaten me, Adam." Isaiah pointed at Owen. “Did anyone check the scores for Owen?” Owen looked back at the ZOO ESCAPE arcade machine. “I was just playing an old favorite.. Didn't check my score.”

DS chuckled and nudged him. “Old games for old fossils,” Owen growled. “Oh f**k off…” Adam yawned, getting a little tired, but he held strong. “Alright, boys, let's tally up and declare a winner.” DS grinned. “Betcha I’m gonna win…” Adam chuckled. “Yeah, when pigs fly.” Oskar snickered. “But you already do.” Adam froze, looking at him with mock anger. “OH F**K YOU!”

The group walked to the main score screen near the entrance. After some friendly banter and a quick check, Adam emerged as the victor with his impressive score on "Death by AI". Adam grinned. “Bragging rights are secured!” Oskar squinted at him. “Funny, it's as if someone helped you.”

He was joking, of course, but he swore he saw a spirit peek out from behind Adam and flip him the bird. DS yawned. “So, are we getting some cream?” Isaiah checked his phone. “We’re gonna need to pass, it’s getting late, by the time we get to Carvel’s, it's gonna be closed.” Oskar groaned. Sure, vampires couldn’t eat a lot of things, but one of the few things they could have was Ice Cream, specifically vanilla.

Adam shook his head, rubbing his eyes. “Yeah, I just… think we should get going. DS groaned. “Damn, I was looking forward to some birthday cake. Oh well, I got my own cake at home.” Adam chuckled. “I wonder what flavor it is,” DS smirked. “Yeah, me too.”

The group began their walk back to Adam's house. The air was cool and refreshing, a welcome change from the bustling, neon-lit arcade. Especially since the heater was blasting in the arcade. 

It was mostly silent, but then Isaiah had to pipe up. “So, Adam, what was up with that waitress at Applebee's?” Adam groaned. “Are we really asking this fucking question?” Owen tilted his head. “What’s with all the cussing tonight?” Adam chuckled. “I only cuss this much around my close friends or when I’m alone.” DS put a hand over his chest. “Aww, I’m touched.”

Adam shook his head. “Well, if you really wanna know, she just likes to mess with me a lot. Like I said, she’s a friend of mine and I’m a regular at Applebee’s, so she knows what I like and shit.” Oskar glanced at Adam knowingly. DS cackled. “Ah, yes, she totally didn’t give you the ‘f**k me’ eyes every time she was at our table.” 

Adam groaned. “Listen, Listen, I’m not gonna say we had a fling in the past because… No, we didn’t. But let’s just say she sleeps around a lot, but since we met, she’s been mostly targeting me. And even if we screw, I feel it would just make her worse.” Oskar chuckled. “What happened to all the swearing?”

Adam rolled his eyes. “Oh my mistake, I meant that I rather not FUCK her and have her take my virginity.” DS grinned. “Yeah, Carrie already did that.” Oskar, Owen, and Isaiah looked at Adam with surprise and glee. “OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO,” Adam growled. “Go jump off a cliff, DS.”

Owen looked around. “My house is nearby here, I’m gonna head out.” DS waved at him. Owen waved goodbye as he separated from the group. Oskar noticed that they were near his and Eli’s cabin. “Actually, looking around now, I think my place is around here too. I’ll see you guys later, ok?”

Isaiah gave a thumbs up. “Alright, stay safe.” Adam chuckled. “Yeah, Kiss Eli for me!” Oskar glared at him, but smiled. “Yeah, but not for you!” Oskar walked away. Now it was just DS, Isaiah, and Adam here.

DS sighed. “You know, despite us not being able to get some Ice Cream, this was still a fun night. We really gotta do this again sometime.” Adam nodded. “Yeah, it was.” Isaiah looked around. “...I hope Eleanor is ok. I haven’t heard from her since we left.” Adam shrugged. “Should be fine, Esther is creepy, but she isn’t a killer.” 

It took them a bit, but the trio eventually arrived at Adam’s house. DS yawned. “Alright, that’s me done. I gotta get home. Girlfriend’s waiting.” Adam nodded. “Understandable, don’t get jumped on the way back, ok?” DS nodded. “I’ll try!” Isaiah waved at him as DS left.

Adam stretched. “Alright, I’ll see you guys tomorrow?”  Isaiah nodded. “Yeah, we’ll see. Depends on Eleanor’s mood.” Adam nodded, but before he opened the door, he stopped, remembering something. “Oh, right, try to stay safe, I heard there's gonna be a crazy fucking snowstorm on the 5th.” Isaiah nodded. “Don’t worry, we will.” 

Adam gave a thumbs-up as he opened the door. He went to his room, and Isaiah went downstairs. He opened the door and was immediately tackled by Eleanor. “...I missed you.” Isaiah smiled. “I missed you, too.” Eleanor grinned as she began to kiss her lover.

Chapter Text

December 5th, 2023, 7:34 PM. The Christmas lights flicker outside as the snowstorm rages on. Clover rests on the couch while Wishbone and Cujo lie next to the electronic fireplace. The lights and decorations outside blew with rage, as props and inflatables tried to hold ground against the harsh storm. A few Christmas decorations line the walls, but nothing much. Not even a tree. Carrie watched through the window, joined by Freddy Frostbear, or just Frostbear. "...And the storm rages on," Carrie whispers. A stuffed Barney Doll rests on the window, looking outside as Frostbear chuckles. "Funny. I don't remember the forecast calling for strong weather." 

Carrie shrugged. "When was the last time we had a big snowstorm like this?" Blaze yawned, looking up. His telepathy activated. "2018 or 2017. I don't remember." Frostbear sighed. "Shame it's only gonna last for another hour before stopping." Adam shook his head, looking at his phone. "I wouldn't count on it, news says the Storm is gonna last for a couple more hours, possibly into the day tomorrow." Blaze groaned, his body heating up due to the cold. "...Anyone want hot chocolate?"

Carrie chuckled. "Looks like I'm sleeping overnight." Adam tilted her head. "Are you sure? I can easily get you home safe." Carrie shook her head. "Nah, besides, I need a big Teddy Bear to keep me warm..." Adam turned red. Patrick the Polar Bear walked up to the window and stared outside. "... Didn't Eleanor and Isaiah go out before the storm happened?" Adam sighed. "Shit, ok, well, I'm gonna see if I can find them alright?" Carrie's eyes went wide. "W-Wait! No! You'll get frostbite!" She shouted. Adam laughed. "Carrie, I can turn into anything. I'll just become Articuno and fly through. I'll be fine, alright." Carrie sighed. "Just... Be safe, ok?" Adam nodded. "No promises!"

Adam went into his room and was about to turn into an Ice Type Pokémon to get out of his room, or maybe a Fire Type, but then he noticed the Skylanders Giants Poster on his wall. He scanned it, noticing Slam Bam, and smiled. In an instant, he transformed into the four-armed Yeti. "ARMED AND DANGEROUS!" He opened the window and jumped out, turning into Articuno and flying off into the night. Let's just hope Eleanor and Isaiah are ok.

This was a mistake. Isaiah and Eleanor went out an hour or two before the snowstorm started. But even then, there were warnings. It began to snow a little as they left, and sure, it wasn't bad. However, as they arrived at their destination, a night concert at the park, the snowstorm worsened.

It got so bad that the concert had to be cancelled. So, now they were on their way home. Eleanor gave Isaiah her jacket to keep him warm. Eleanor never really worried about the cold, as well… she never felt it since being turned. But the storm was so bad, you think an Ice-Type used Sheer Cold. Eleanor actually began to feel it. But Isaiah was more important than her health.

Isaiah shivered a little, making Eleanor hug him tighter, in an attempt to keep him warm. "I-It's going to be alright, Isaiah, we're almost home…" Eleanor whispered. Isaiah noticed that she was shivering, and her skin was beginning to turn blue. "E-Eleanor… Your shivering." Isaiah replied. 

Eleanor shook her head. "I-I-I'm a vampire… I'll…. I'll be fine… Trust me…. I want… You to be…safe….” Isaiah wasn't so certain, but… he trusted her. But that's when they heard something. A screech. It sounded eerily similar to Articuno's cry from the Pokémon games. The two looked up to see a giant bird flying in the sky. The snow particularly obscured it, but it was there.

The bird looked down, and its eyes began to glow red as it cawed, before ROCKETING down towards them, its talons out, ready to grab them. "I-Is that… Articuno…?" Isaiah asked. Elenaor scooped up Isaiah and began to run, Articuno giving chase. It tried to grab them, but Eleanor ducked, forcing Articuno to miss. 

The large legendary bird got agitated and flew into the sky. As it did, lightning began to roll in, and it struck Articuno. As it did, it began to transform and change, until instead of Articuno, Zapdos was in its place. Zapdos quickly used Agility, upping its speed stat, and flying towards them, shooting thunder past them as a warning shot, as an attempt to get them to stop running.

This, of course, didn't work. Eleanor continued to carry Isaiah, but it was a struggle in the storm. Eventually, Eleanor collapsed because her foot had become frozen. "E-Eleanor! Are you alright?!" Isaiah asked. Eleanor looked up. "Isaiah, run!" Zapdos roared, seemingly getting frustrated. But it hesitated for a second before roaring again. Lightning struck it, but this time it ignited the fire. 

The flames danced around Zapdos as it transformed, this time into Moltres, the last Legendary Bird. And this time, it was gonna get its due. Moltres flew towards Eleanor and Isaiah, scooping them up and taking them above the clouds. It threw them up into the air. Due to the lack of oxygen, the two passed out. Moltres easily caught them on its back and chirped.

Now satisfied, Moltres flew home.

It was 8:02 by the time Moltres got home, and it turned back into Adam, catching the two with telekinesis. He held Eleanor in his arms and had Isaiah on his back. He had to get them inside quickly. Any longer and they were as good as dead.

Adam quickly burst the door down, surprisingly keeping it from breaking off the hinges. "I NEED SOME HELP HERE!" A spirit, a man named Charles Brook, turned around, noticing Adam, who was covered in frost and ice. The door began to swing shut as he walked in. "HEY, WATCH THE DOOR! WATCH THE DOOR!" Carrie got up, her eyes filled with worry. "W-What happened?" Adam shook his head. "Found them walking home, they were close, but any longer, they probably would end up dead."

Naomi heard the commotion from downstairs and began making her way upstairs. She had been worried about her son for a while and became concerned when he didn't answer his phone. But something told her not to barge in. She cracked the door open and looked inside. 

What she saw? Adam, holding Eleanor in his arms and Isaiah on his back. Carrie was facing him, and Blaze, the red dog, was floating in the air. A grown man was standing behind the door, currently closing it. She didn't know what to make of it.

Rosemary Walten, another spirit formed behind Adam, pointed to the guest room. "Take them to the guest room. Jack got the old room heater working earlier. I'll prepare some hot chocolate and some chicken soup." Blaze barked, flying past Adam as he and Carrie ran for the guest room. "What happened out there?!" Carrie asked. Adam sighed. "A long story…"

Blaze burst into the guest room, as Susan Woodings was already waiting inside. She primarily worked with animatronics, but since meeting Adam, she had to patch him up a few times when he was younger, so she was reasonably familiar with patching up humans. 

"Steady, place them on the bed, Blaze, get the heated blanket," Susan whispered. Blaze nodded and flew into the closet, grabbing the heated blanket. Using his ability "Flame Body", he managed to heat the blanket and place it on Eleanor and Isaiah as they shivered. Adam snapped his fingers, causing the Heater to turn on.

Naomi crept through the house, approaching the guest room, where she watched from the crack. Blaze set fire to a candle nearby, adding to the warmth. Adam smiled. "There you go, guys, you'll be ok…" Eleanor and Isaiah shivered, holding onto each other for warmth. "... Fever. Y Fever, damn lucky you got there in time, Adam. Any longer and they would've been dead." Susan remarked. 

Adam smiled a little before Jack Walten, another spirit, formed from inside the closet. "Adam? Susan? What's going on?" Carrie shook her head. "Isaiah and Eleanor went out earlier, and Adam went to find them after they didn't come back. He found them like this." Adam nodded. "...They tried to run from me. Granted, I was in the form of three giant elemental birds, so it makes sense." 

Jack looked over them before looking over to Susan. "How are they, Susan?" Susan scanned them. "...Not too bad. They got a bad fever, though, and one of the girl's feet is almost completely frozen. However, given enough time, it should defrost and return to its normal state. Of course, we can use heat-based abilities or Pokémon to speed it up, but the Fever takes much longer to break out of." 

Naomi covered her mouth in horror. She thought Adam was weird from the beginning, especially after she found out he was Spiderman, but this…? She realized that he went out of his way to find Isaiah and Eleanor in the cold. Yet she knew she was seeing and hearing things she shouldn't have. She heard footsteps approaching the hallway, so she ducked into the bathroom as Rosemary entered the guest room.

"Here we go, hot chocolate and some hot soup." She placed the tray on the dresser. Adam picked up the soup bowl, and one of the spirits, a red one named Sophie, lifted Eleanor, while her brother, Edd, held up Isaiah. Adam gave Isaiah some soup, which his body took, with some help from Adam's powers, of course. But when he tried to give it to Eleanor… her body rejected it, even with the help of his powers, her body forced her to throw it up.

Adam tilted his head. ".... That's not right." Jack squinted his eyes." Try the hot chocolate, maybe." Adam nodded, trying to give her some hot chocolate, but again, her body rejected it. “....What on Earth…?” Susan whispered. Carrie shook her head." B-But, that doesn't make any sense! Why is her body rejecting it?" Adam shrugged."I'm not sure; I'd need to perform a full aura scan. Blaze, get Mark and Naomi. Do not reveal yourself to them."

Blaze barked and flew out of the room, as Adam backed up a bit."Back up, please, guys." Everyone backed up as Adam began to float into the air, his eyes turning pure blue as he began to take a look within Eleanor's biological structure. Carrie swore she saw wings appear in Adam's shadow. Adam scanned Eleanor's structure, trying to find what was wrong, but… He noticed something. While yes, her biological structure was similar to a human's… it wasn't a human one. It was close, but there were a few things that just… were different than a normal one.

It wasn't exactly normal. Adam thought about leaving it there, but then he decided to scan her DNA signature to find out if she was human and his powers were acting up, or if she was something else. So his eyes turned yellow and… he found something that bothered him. You see, a bit after the incident with the Grinner, he performed a DNA signature scan on Oskar and Eli to determine their identities. And vampires have particular beats in their DNA to show that they were vampires. Adam really hoped that Oskar, Eli, and maybe Abigail were the only vampires on earth, but… 

Eleanor had the same beats. And in his mind, the words"SPECIES: VAMPIRE" appeared. Adam shuddered, dropping to the floor with a mighty thud. Carrie instantly ran towards him, helping him to his feet."What's wrong? Adam, are you ok?" Adam shook his head."....Y-Yeah, but… well," Jack tilted his head."What? What is it?" Adam looked up at him as Jack helped him up."...Eleanor is a vampire." 

Everyone in the room gasped, Carrie covered her mouth in horror, and Jack stared in surprise. Susan groaned."Great, more vampires. Just what we needed," Adam heard something, footsteps approaching the room."Disappear, now!" The Spirits instantly disappeared on command.

Blaze burst into the room, followed by Mark and Naomi, who, during all the chaos earlier, managed to slink their way back downstairs. “Ellie?!” Mark shouted Adam, put a finger over your mouth. “Quiet, she needs some rest.” 

Mark walked up to the bed, seeing Eleanor with a warm towel over her head, clutching Isaiah like her life depended on it. Mark looked over at Adam, his face filled with worry. “What happened?” Adam didn’t reply right away, before he came to a decision. “...I found them outside my doorstep, both covered in snow and knocked out. I brought them in here.”

Naomi just kept staring at Adam, Carrie, and Blaze. “...Why didn’t you tell us right away?” Adam was taken aback; he didn’t know what to say, but Carrie butted in for him. “The basement can be cold, and Adam wasn’t really thinking… Sorry!” Mark sighed. “Thank you for saving them, but I believe we should bring them back downstairs.”

Adam shook his head. “It’s better if they stay up here. It isn’t safe to move them just yet.” Mark wanted to protest, but Naomi stopped him. With a heavy heart, Mark nodded and walked away. But Blaze simply glared at him.

Chapter Text

Eleanor woke up. Her body felt weaker than usual, but strong at the same time. She looked at the clock—3:56 AM. The Snowstorm outside raged on. She looked to her right and found Isaiah right beside her. Feeling his hand, she was glad to know that he was warm. But then she noticed something. She wasn’t downstairs. She was in Adam’s house, inside the guest room. She remembered that Adam showed her and Isaiah when they first met. But she also noticed that… the windows were blocked not just by curtains, but also by cardboard. 

She first thought it was her dad who had done it, but then she realized it couldn’t be. How would he explain her vampirism to Adam? …Was it Adam? Did he know something? She initially was just going to go back to bed, but the anxiety ate at her. So weakly, she crawled out of bed and made her way to Adam’s room.

She heard the Godzilla music box playing in his room as she pushed open the door. Adam’s dogs, Wishbone, Clover, Cujo, and Blaze, were sleeping in there, but Wishbone and Clover instantly woke up and looked at her in curiosity. The Galaxy projector spun slowly on the ceiling as the music box continued to play. When Eleanor got closer, she realized Adam wasn’t alone.

In his bed with him was Carrie, holding onto him like a child clinging to a teddy bear. Eleanor nudged Adam a little. “Adam…Are you awake…?” Adam stirred quietly, sitting up. “...Ugh… Oh hey…How…are you feeling….?” Eleanor looked around and shrugged. “..I..I don’t know… What’s happening with me?” Adam chuckled. “What’s wrong? Never had… a fever before?”

Eleanor shook her head. “No.. Not for a long time.” Adam laughed quietly, coughing a little. “Ah… Ok. Don’t worry, you just need a day of rest or something, and you’ll be fine.” Eleanor looked a little worried, but the tired look on Adam’s face… it reassured her that she would be fine up here. “How… Did we get here?”

Adam yawned, shifting a little, in order to stay awake. “I found you two outside my doorstep, cold and knocked out… Any longer and well… you would’ve been dead.” Eleanor blinked, not believing Adam, but she couldn’t process it. “...Ok… Why are my windows blocked out, by the way?” Adam didn’t reply right away. He looked tired, but he looked like he knew something.

Adam yawned. “...I just… Thought you’d need it.” Eleanor looked at him, trying to read him. “...What do you know?” Adam chuckled. “I know we need to get some rest.” Eleanor chuckled, getting off the bed. “...Thanks… You don’t know how much I needed that.” Adam smiled, albeit tiredly. “....Believe me, I do…” Eleanor stopped and turned around, but Adam was already asleep.

Eleanor yawned and walked back into the guest room, snuggling against Isaiah, lightly kissing him. She placed the blankets over them, but not before taking one more look at the window. She didn’t want to risk it. She carried Isaiah and took him with her to the closet, closing the door. She placed a blanket and a few pillows inside, making it comfortable for them to sleep.

Abigail entered through the window of the Manor, smiling as she did. But the second she stepped inside, the lamp turned on, revealing her father, Kristof Lazaar, sitting in a chair with a newspaper in his hands. “Abigail. I have noticed you’ve been sneaking out recently. Do you want to explain why?” Abigail froze, yet she shook her head. “No father. I was just taking a walk.” Lazaar got up and walked over to her, moving like a puppet on strings. “That is a bold-faced lie, and you know it well, Abigail.”

Abigail looked away, avoiding looking her father in the eyes. He growled at her. “Look at me when I speak to you. I command it.” Abigail resisted, making Lazaar even angrier. “LOOK AT ME!” Abigail reluctantly turned to look at him, and he recognized the look in her eyes. He smiled. Then he grinned. Then he burst out in laughter.

Abigail froze; for once, she looked concerned. She had never seen her father react in such a manner before. It was… scary. He stopped laughing and looked down at him. “...I understand it now. Even when hell is frozen over outside, you still go out to stalk him.” Abigail flinched, giving Lazaar all the confirmation he needed.

He turned to walk away, causing Abigail to react and chase after him. “F-F-Father! What are you planning?!” Lazaar stopped and turned to look at his daughter, but stopped midway. “...You want the boy so bad? Fine. I’ll get him. And then, he can be you’re Mate.” Abigail just stood there, watching her father disappear into the night.

Later that morning, the door to the guest room creaked open quietly. A purple plastic hand opened it, followed by a swarm of wires, trying to form a bird. The head had a casing on it, yet it was loose, as if it were going to fall off. Seabilly.exe. Seabilly looked around the room, noticing that Eleanor and Isaiah were missing from the bed, until he found something —a note.

Picking it up, it read the following.

“Hi, Adam. We’re in the closet. Please don’t open it. We’re ok. I hope. Please don’t ask why we’re in there. You know something about me, I think. But I don’t know if I want to talk about it yet. I trust you, though. 

-PS Isaiah is getting better, don’t worry about him.”

Seabilly placed the note back down and turned towards the closet, taking a small peek inside. The couple was sleeping next to each other, curled together like cats. Seabilly just… stared at them for a bit before walking away, leaving them alone.

Later that evening, Lazaar made his way to his destination, Adam’s home. He didn’t exactly have a plan, except to be invited in, corner the boy, and take him. He stayed far enough away from the ring camera so he wouldn’t be noticed.

However, when he got closer, something crept from the roof. The snow broke away as Beast- steaming with smoke and heat from his tail- climbed from the roof, and looked down at Lazaar, almost in confusion. It leaped down, hitting the snow with a mighty thud. The flame on its tail began to melt the surrounding snow.

“Lazaar? What brings you here?” Beast asked, its voice deep and multilayered, like a bunch of children speaking through it. Lazaar only smiled. “I was just checking in. Is that wrong?” Beast stared at him, its eyes narrowing. “No. You are here for a reason. Spit it out, now.” Lazaar’s smile dropped to one of seriousness.

“...She requires the boy.” Beast flinched a little, but held its ground. “That boy has a name,” Beast muttered. Lazaar nodded. “I am aware. Abigail wants him as her Mate. She’s been a little…” Beast cut in. “Brat. Yeah, we figured. She’s been stalking him for quite some time.” Lazaar slowly nodded. “So you are aware.” 

Beast groaned. “Sadly. Unfortunately for you, Lazaar. We do not intend to give up Adam. So you have to tell your daughter, tough shit.” Lazaar simply laughed, well aware that Beast was serious. “I figured. However, I do not intend to return empty-handed. So I’m afraid I’ll need to take him by force.” 

Beast stood there for a second before its smile seemed to grow, then it laughed. “...Do you really want to do that? Some say we are as old as time. And you know damn well we can defeat you in a fight.” Lazaar smirked. He liked the challenge. “Yes. I have been around for a long time; I can take you all on with one hand behind my back.” 

Beast’s tail began to burn brighter with anticipation. Beast growled. “....Fine, it’s your funeral.” Beast immediately launched at Lazaar, but he only moved out of the way, ever so slightly. However, Beast didn’t hit the ground. Lazaar turned around, realizing it wasn’t there. However, he didn’t notice his shadow move slightly, like something was smothering it. 

Beast’s hand rockets out of the ground and grabs Lazaar by the leg, slamming him into the ground and then throwing him into a car. Beast leaped out of the shadow and laughed. “...Keep this interesting for me.” Lazaar wiped the blood off his nose. Then he grinned. “Gladly.” 

Lazaar leaped towards Beast, claws out. But Beast simply turned into a flurry of bats. But instead of going left or right, it went up. The bats disappeared, and something came rocketing down towards the Earth. It was a Thwomp. Lazaar only got out of the way for a second as Thwomp crushed the Earth, before transforming into Dusknoir, landing a critical Shadow Punch.

Dusknoir fell back, transforming back into Beast, whose tail turned into a claw, holding it up above the ground. “...Give up yet?” Lazaar shook his head, cackling. “I can do this all night.” Beast’s smile didn’t falter; all Lazaar told it was that it could stop holding back. It spread out its wings, activating the move Sunny Day. It could have easily set the Sunny Day on Lazaar, but that would be boring. 

But Beast wasn’t done with the stat boosts. It roared as swords formed around it, clashing together. A red aura formed around it. Swords Dance. Lazaar sprinted towards Beast, ignoring the sun on him and scratching its face as his hand exploded. But Beast barely flinched and used PayBack, punching away at Lazaar, probably breaking a couple of bones.

Beast’s wings began to glow as it began to use Dragon Dance, before its mouth opened, showing the faces of the ghosts. They were smiling. Shillioutes of ghouls and ghosts exited Beast’s mouth and hit Lazaar, but it didn’t hurt him. Trick or Treat. Before it was ready, Beast did one more thing. It hardened to outspeed. Beast launched itself off the ground, its mouth burning up, as it prepared to bite.

Fire Fang. Lazaar tried to dodge, but Mean Look held him in place as Fire Fang landed, causing a burn, boosted by Sunny Day. Lazaar screamed in anguish and pain. Yet still, he laughed. “Y-Your holding back. Limiting yourself to childish abilities. I thought you cared about the boy.”

Beast flinched for a second, but it only laughed. “...Why would we waste our full power on you?” Dorsal Plates formed from Beast’s back as they began to take in the moonlight. “But… If you want to see our full power….” The dorsal plates began to glow and flash. “We’ll give you a taste.” Beast arched back, before arching forward, firing off a powerful Moonblast. 

Moonblast connected, hitting Lazaar hard. When the smoke cleared, Beast walked forward, assuming that was that. But Lazaar grabbed them by the neck, half burned, half skeleton, but it was still reforming. “...You fools. Do you really think you can kill me?”

Beast began to choke, but it instantly stopped, and looked at Lazaar. “...Bold of you to assume you can choke out a ghost.” Lightning began to crackle from Beast’s mouth, as it fired a beam of thunder from it, hitting Lazaar and causing him to crash into a tree. 

Beast quickly activated Hail, forcing the Snowstorm to return, but also activating the ability Snow Cloak, boosting its evasion. Lazaar tried to find Beast, but Beast kept disappearing into the Hail. “Coward. You have to hide behind snow to defeat me? Pathetic.”

But that’s when he heard breathing, coming from behind him. “.... Don’t knock it until you try it, Lazaar.” Before Lazaar had a chance to react, Beast grabbed him and slammed him into the ground. Its free hand began to spin and vibrate with intense speed, as it slowly went for his chest. Lazaar tried to get out, but Beast was too strong.

Beast chuckled. “...Say hi to the Devil for us.” Beast’s hand phased into Lazaar’s chest, and Lazaar froze, feeling the hand inside. Beast was about to touch his heart; one touch was all it took to stop it and kill the crime lord for good. But right as it was meters away…Beast stopped.

Beast growled, retracting the hand and letting go of Lazaar. “... That’s no fun. Perhaps the encounter with death will teach you that when it comes to Adam, we don’t hold back.” Beast helped Lazaar up. “After all, we aren’t one to separate a parent from their child.” Lazaar was still frowning, but then he laughed.

“Your humanity will be the fall of you eventually, you know.” Beast shook its head. “Maybe, but it won’t be the fall of him.” Beast’s body began to hum, but before it fired an attack, Beast stopped for a second and looked at Lazaar. “Oh, by the way, tell Abigail to go f**k herself.” Before Lazaar could reply, Beast released a ROAR, sending Lazaar back to his Manor.

Beast shook itself off from all the snow and looked up at the moon, glaring at it, before returning to the house, ready to finally take a deserved rest.

Abigail stood beside her father as he rested, healing his wounds. Abigail was sad at first, but then she chuckled. “...Well, Adam…My Darling. If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself…”