With a rush of wind, the Dead Man’s Hand appeared out of the rift, hovering in the sky above Ayer’s Rock. Amber smiled as the sky was clear, the sun sinking low.

“Heeey! You’re back!” Lilith waved cheerfully, dressed in her robe once more. The daemon lords teleported onto the ship, looking weary but mostly whole.

“It wazzz a zzzzimple matter onzzze the leader wazzz gone. Cleanup took a couple hourzzz.” Beelzebub explained, going over the rest of the daemonic host. Only about a third of them remained, but they stood guard over the captured Taboo users. “Azzz a bonuzzz, we didn’t kill them zzzo they could faze human justizzze.”

“Thank you. Your actions will be noted.” Cross said, nodding stiffly. She hated being indebted to these things, but there had been too much bloodshed today already.

“So…where do we go from here?” Vanessa asked.

“Home, hopefully. And somehow this will reverse itself.” Nigel said, going over his scaly body. Scott tilted his head.

“You know that’s permanent, right? Even if I killed and resurrected you, you’d still be a Depp One. It’s in your DNA, dude. Speaking of which, who wants to learn how to bring the dead back to life?” he asked the kids, who jumped with their hands up.

“I do! I do!” they both cried.

“Alright! Let’s get that guy’s soul outta that watch…” He led the kids away, leaving Nigel staring helplessly at the skeleton’s back. Vanessa giggled and wrapped an arm around his waist.

“Don’t worry about it. We’re here, were alive. And you decided to help, truly help. After all that, we shouldn’t sweat the small stuff so much.”

“Wise words, human filth.” Asmodeus growled, then turned to Mephistopheles. “We are ready to depart. We shall transport the miscreants into a holding facility for the Unknown Agency, and recall our forces. The contract is nearly over. I will entrust the rest to you. Join us when you are finished with your mission.”

“It would be my pleasure. Oh, could you drop off my nephew with my sister? I’d appreciate it.” He threw Mephitomonagnarious onto Asmodeus’s shoulder. The larger daemon snarled at the innocently smiling one, then they all disappeared, leaving the plain filled with possessed and smushed zombies.

“Oh, right.” Scott grabbed the microphone. “Everyone, you all did a great job. Thank you for your service, you have ensured the future of the planet, and your descendants.” A cheer went up, Scott letting them have a moment before snapping his fingers. Millions of spectral chains fell away as the ghosts moved on, leaving only mindless corpses behind. “Bury yourselves and stay there.” Scott commanded, and the undead began to do just that. “Except you guys!” he hurriedly told the zombie crewmen, throwing themselves over the side.”

Leo! You’re Alive! How Joyous!

Lagdinras communicated, hovering above the football captain.

Are you All Right? My Perceptions were Limited, but I could See most of what transpired. You were very Valiant.

“Aw, thanks.” Leo said bashfully. “But I kinda have a question. Will my arm ever be the same again?” he said, brandishing the appendage.

Ah, Nothing to Worry about, All you need to Do is roll it back up, and it will Form your arm once more.

“Really?” Leo concentrated, pulling not back, but back…and it folded into his left arm, good as new. “Oh wow, cool!” He furled and unfurled his tentacle, shifting back and forth.

Oh Leo, I’m so Proud of You. You’ve sprouted Your first tentacle.

Lagdinras emitted, sounding teary-eyed.

“Thanks, I-first?”

Cross shook Crenshaw, who finally woke up.

“Whuh? Cross? What-what happened?” he asked, still in a daze.

“We’re all alive, the kid brought everyone back by reanimating a god.” she said flatly, and he looked at her in alarm. “I’ll give you the debriefing later. Just know everything’s ok for now. And I’d really like to go home, so…?” she asked Mephistopheles.

“Indeed, madam. Ready when you are. But about the rift in reality-”

That will be Sealed by Us. Trouble yourself Not on Our Account.

Lagdinras emitted sternly.

“Good. Let’s get out of here.” Scott said, stretching. “Home, Jeeves.”

“As you wish.” Just like that, they were gone.

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“Look, Riley and Vanessa are both missing, I’m going to look for them!” Mrs. Dawson snapped, ripping the small monster trying to eat her side mirror off the car and punting it away.

“But honey-” Mr. Dawson said.

“Don’t you start! I need to find them, now!”

The sun was blotted out by an enormous wooden ship floating down in front of their house. The gaped as a gangplank extended down, and Riley, Connor, Vanessa, and a large aquatic humanoid walked off, the kids’ backpacks bulging with what looked like bones.

“Byes, boss! See you next week!” Riley called and waved, and a skeleton waved cheerfully back.

“See you guys! Remember to go over those notes!” he said, and the ship floated off, creaking in the wind. The parents stared at the group before them.

“Hi Mom hi Dad! I’m back! I helped save everybody an’ I’m apprenticed to a necromancer, do we have snacks? Ooh, cheese and crackers?” Riley said, trying to walk by but caught in a deathgrip by her mother.

“My parents’ll be worried about me, so I should go. See you later!” Connor said, running down the street. Vanessa walked up to them, holding the hand of a wide-eyed, super nervous fishman.

“Mom, Dad. I’d like you to meet my boyfriend. This is Nigel.”

“H-Hello!” he squeaked nervously. They stared at him, then at her.

“We should sit down and talk. I have a lot to tell you.”

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“Aw baby, I’m glad you’re okay!” Evangeline picked Leo up in an encompassing hug in front of her hotel. She’d come down to be with his family both in case he made it, and…if he didn’t.

“I’m glad to see you, Eva.” he said, giving her a peck. She raised an eyebrow.

“That’s all I get?”

“For now. I know you, it won’t stop at just that.” Leo chuckled, and she giggled. She drained the rest of her energy drink and crushed it on her forehead.

“Still. You stood up to that crazy guy, trying to do the…thing that would kill everybody. I didn’t get the full picture.” she said, tossing the can. Leo winced, picking it up and depositing it in the recycling can responsibly.

“It’s…probably for the best you don’t know. It was weird. And scary. But! It’s over now. Um, and speaking of which…” He shuffled nervously, looking down bashfully while scratching his head. She practically melted at his adorableness. “See, the experience kinda…changed me.”

“Changed? How changed?” Eva asked suspiciously, her heart on overdrive. Her Leo? Changed? What could he have seen that would take away from his awesomeness? Would he…would he still be able to be with her?

“Well, my arm kinda got ripped off…”

“WHAT!” she shrieked, looking him over.

“It’s ok, it’s ok! Um, sorta. Turns out, thanks to serving Zet-Mathaig, I kinda grew a replacement…” He stretched out his left arm, then unfurled it. It morphed into his tentacle, elongating five feet before shrinking back to the same size as his other arm. Eva stared at him blank and wide-eyed.

“E-Eva? I know it’s weird. But, I don’t want to keep anything from you. I can put it back to normal whenever I want.”

She still stared at him blankly.

“Um, dear? I-I’m sorry this had to happen. I apologize if it freaks you out. But it’s like I have a prosthetic, kind of.” His spirit sank as she just continued to stare at him, motionless. This was it; she’d put up with a lot, and this was the final straw. She’d leave him because of the freaky mutation. “I understand if-” Still blank, she grabbed him. She picked him up. She tucked him under her arm, no easy feat, and started walking back into the hotel.

“Eh? E-Eva? Where are we going?”

“You. Me. Room. Now.” she said, her eyes shining with...passion.

“B-But I have to see my family-” he protested weakly. She cut him off with a kiss.

“No talk. Bed now.”

Leo smiled. What else could he do, after all? He kissed her back and let her lead him up to the room.

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Nightfang sighed happily as he made his way as he slid down the building, Crenshaw tucked in his arms. His team had been teleported back without him, an oversight by the daemon. After calling them, the ship dropped them off at the Agency’s base under the old Kruger mall.

“Why did we have to jump from the ship in the air!? They had a walkway!” Crenshaw protested.

“Aw, but that’s not cool enough. Besides, I can handle it no problem.” Nightfang gave the agent a toothy grin.

“Rrgh…teenagers. What are your plans now?” Crenshaw asked.

“I’m gonna get my team, then we’re gonna visit my mom quick. After that, we’ll catch the first flight back to Romania. I hope they’ve got some blood rations left, I’m hungry.” He saw them gathered around a laptop held by an agent at the entrance. “Hey guys, what’s up? We won, and…” No one was listening. It seemed they were in the middle of an argument. He exchanged a glance with Crenshaw. “What’s going on?”

“Kevin! You’re his disciple, maybe you can talk some sense into him.” Genevieve said in exasperation.

“Huh?” He tilted his masked head. Gregor was frowning severely, but Will was covering his mouth, trying to hold back laughter.

“Listen, listen to this, man. This’ll make your night.” he giggled.

“I do not see vhat da problem ist. Eferyting vorked out in da end.” Lord Harvaste said over the speaker.

“That’s not the point!” Genevieve snapped.

“My dear girl, you should learn to trust your elders. I know vhat I um doing.” came from the laptop.

“What’s going on? Nightfang asked.

“While we were away, the situation reached home as well. Lord Harvaste managed to repel the monsters, but then he decided to help everyone else. He’s been defending Europe, and-” Gregor explained, but Will cut him off.

“Harvaste-he livestreamed the whole thing!” Will guffawed, holding his sides. Nightfang stared at the screen slackjawed, while Crenshaw put his hand over his face, muttering. He saw a sign held up to a first-person view, explaining that they were a vampire, and couldn’t be recorded, but they were definitely real. The camera leapt from a roof to tear into a couple of floating mouths trying to eat a squad of cops.

“He’s been at this for the last sixteen hours.” Gregor said sourly.

“My fiews are at ofer vordy million.” Harvaste said primly.

“And our secret’s out!” Genevieve howled.

“True. But dere ist no reason to hide any longer. Da vorld almost came to an end, und you haff aferted it. Fery gut chob. Howefer, ve must look to da future. Da vorld vould uncofer us soon anyfay. Und dis vey, ve can control how ve are seen. Ve are no longer bloodthirsty monsters stalking in da night, ve are falluable allies who can protect da vorld vhen it sleeps.” Harvaste explained, and Nightfangs’ eyes lit up.

“Yeah. Yeah! I can get behind that!” Genevieve groaned and palmed her head.

“Should’ve known.” she muttered. “But, Lord Harvaste. If you wanted to reveal us, why didn’t you discuss it, and why did you advertise with your gamertag!?” There was a pause before the elder vampire answered with as much dignity as he could.

“Da horde of creatures appeared in da fillage in da voothills. I vas online at da time, und ve vere dealing vis some grievers. Some ov my team ist from da fillage, und I could not do nothing. So I vent to safwe dem, but avter da creatures vere repelled I had to deal vith dem freaking out, dey only calmed down vhen I told dem I vas LordBloodMajic71. Things kind ov…escalated vrom dere.” he said bashfully. Nightfang’s team stared at the laptop save Will, rolling on the ground laughing.

“Dat vas vhen I learned ov da situashun, und since eferyone vas being attacked by monsters I saw no choice but to deploy da clan, under my direction. Ve had little choice. But da people seem to be responding to da refelation vell, so, I decided to expand da operashun. Iv ve are doing dis, ve are doing dis correctly. I haff learned much vrom da new generashun. Iv ve haff da public’s understanding und support, ve can be accepted. Dis ist not da nineteenth century anymore. Dough dis vas not my virst choice, I veel ve haff an opportunity to integrate into society. Dis ist da tventy-virst century, avter all. Und da kida are cheering vor us, it’s qvite amazing.”

“Lord Harvaste…” Gregor said, rubbing his face.

“I think it’s great! Think about it guys, we can operate in the open if the public accepts us! We can take the Fang Gang global!” Nightfang said, eyes glowing red with excitement. There was silence as they switched their stares to him.

“…my boy, dough I vish to let you haff autonomy, und dough I do not vully understand your ideas, I am supportife. But no. Dat ist a fery, fery dumb name.” Harvaste said over the net.

“Thank you!” Genevieve cried, throwing her hands in the air.

“Aw, but I liked it.” Nightfang said.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After dropping Bess, Crenshaw, and Nightfang off, it was just Cross, Amber, Mephistopheles and Scott left aboard.

“Oh my lord, today has been a day.” Cross said, leaning on the railing. She gazed at Captain Blackwell ordering zombies around. Then she looked out over town. Some damage, mostly intact, but there were strange creatures still fluttering in the sky. She watched an eyeball with bat wings flap past.

“Unfortunately, while the opening of the gate to Azathoth’s realm should be shrunk and go back to normal shortly, the same cannot be said for the extradimensional entities summoned to create chaos.” Mephistopheles said. Cross banged her head on the wood.

“Fantastic.”

“Ah, that’s nothing. Now that the supernatural’s been proven real, I’m sure there’s gonna be tons of guys after whatever magical doodad or spell they can. Just because, for purposes both nefarious and benign, and one’ll be more abundant.” Scott said cheerfully.

“Don’t make me snap your neck.” Cross growled.

“Anyway, now that everything is roughly in order and people have been teleported to their desired locations, I believe that concludes our business here, Mr. Havenbrook.” the daemon said.

“Yeah, guess so.” Scott looked down, thinking. “I just can’t help feeling there’s something that we forgot.”

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Back in New York, Dalton screamed as he tried to steer the speedboat through the air, Verrinungan holding onto a top hat with his wing while he clung to the side. Astelocaccus laughed uproariously as he fired a machinegun into the pursuing tentacled giant sauropod monster.

“Weren’t you supposed to disappear with the rest of them!?” Verrinungan cried.

“And miss this!? No way! You guys are too much fun! Ha ha ha ha ha!” He tossed a grenade, and the explosion rocked the boat in the air. “Right kid?”

“AAAAAAUUUGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!” Dalton shrieked, the ground coming up fast.

“See? We make a great team!” the daemon beamed, and Verrinungan sighed, flying ahead to pull the boat up.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Meh. I’ll get it later.” Scott dismissed. “I’ll leave cleanup to you guys.” he told Cross, who grunted. “So yeah, that’s everything. Thanks for your help, the contract’s up, may we never see each other again.”

“Indeed. Your ban remains, but it was a pleasure not having existence annihilated with you. And as promised, we have not harmed this world in any way. Farewell.” Mephistopheles bowed and vanished. Suddenly, papers started raining from the sky, as far as they could see.

“What? What is this?” Amber grabbed one. It had instructions in several languages, and a diagram with a list of ingredients.

“Oh, that son of a bitch!” Scott snapped, going over a handful. “He’s blanketing the whole planet in instructions of how to summon daemons! He must’ve triggered this to happen when he left! Grrr, how could I have overlooked this when I let him run free!? That’s-!” He sighed. “Honestly pretty clever, sidestepping the issues I laid out nicely. Of course he’d be all too happy to perfectly comply. Crap. I am too tired to deal with this right now.”

“Same. Just drop me off at my apartment, I wanna sleep for the next day and a half. Then I’ll handle it.” Cross said, and Scott nodded.

“The captain can take you there. No sense in making that trip, we live here.”

“So what are you going to do now?” she asked. Scott considered.

“Y’know I-really don’t know. I mean, first I’m gonna resurrect myself. And the captain’s gonna go back to haunting Blackwell Manor, with the ship underground. Then…I don’t know. I know I could use a vacation, though.” he said, cracking his back.

“Same here.” Amber agreed. “Honestly, by now I thought I’d be in space, expanding the universe near infinitely. I never thought I’d be here again. I’ve got to check in with my parents, my friends, try to get in touch with the uylata...it’s been a busy summer already, and it shows no sign of letting up soon.” she said, sighing. Looked like a lazy summer of relaxing with her boyfriend was out of the cards.

“Tell me about it. I’ve got to clean all this up. And you will be helping.” Cross griped and pointed at Scott, who nodded tiredly. She leaned back. “But yeah. As for specifics, I’ve only got a couple left for now. One of them is seeing the higher-ups about how we go from here.” She cracked her knuckles, looking into the horizon. “Let’s face it kid, you can’t run around wild anymore. And while we have the Taboo users in custody, we can’t just lock ‘em up forever. But they’re still gonna have their powers, not to mention what seeing all this’s gonna do, now that the impossible’s possible.”

“So what are you going to do about it?” Amber asked.

“If I have my way-and I will-there’s gonna be some changes around here.” Cross narrowed her eyes and smiled dangerously.

“Yeesh. Go easy on ‘em, detective.” Scott said. Cross raised an eyebrow.

“Really?”

“Nah. Give ‘em hell.” He grinned. “Alright. Captain, can you see the lady home?”

“Of course young master Scott, OF COURSE!” the ghost bellowed, saluting. Cross gave him a withering look, then rolled her eyes.

“Right. I’ll see you later then. Kid?” Cross smiled at him. “Take care.”

“You too detective. C’mon Amber, let’s go.” he smiled back, genuinely.

“Cool. Bye, Detective!” Amber waved, grabbed Scott, and leapt over the railing, descending with a gravity web.

“My my. Certainly one way to make an exit.” Captain Blackwell said, adjusting his spectral spectacles. Cross shook her head.

“Crazy teenagers.”

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“Allaghvah, goochun esteros. Allaghvah, goochun esteros. Ael shith, tivam se ael nath! Follahl xerph'um estios! Ha! Allaghvah, goochun esteros. Allaghvah, goochun esteros. Ael shith, tivam se ael nath! Follahl xerph'um estios! Ha!" There was a bright spark of light as his bones dissolved into blue powder, reforming around his soul. After a moment, Scott blinked his eyes in the sunlight.

“Ahh. It’s good to be whole again.”

“Yeah yeah, it’d also be good to be clothed again.” Amber said, covering her eyes. Scott grinned; well, mostly covering her eyes. He grabbed the clothes off the tombstone and dressed. He stretched.

“Good to have muscles again. The clacking was a little loud.” Amber and Scott embraced, holding each other under the willow tree, next to her grave. For a moment, they just stood there in the cemetery; it was quiet, only the wind rustling through the tree and over the grass. The day was warm, the air was clear, and they had each other. There would be chaos and trouble and explanations due, certainly. But not ‘til later.

“I missed this, you know.” Amber murmured softly, relaxing in his arms. “The uylata are nice. But they can’t replace what I have here, right now.”

“Well, I’m one of a kind.” Scott chuckled, and she laughed.

“Very true.”

“Ahh, if only this could last. But you’ve gotta get home, and I still have to see if they rented my room out yet.” he said.

“Yeah.” Neither one moved. They just stood there, letting the long-forgotten and hard-earned peace wash over them like the wind and sun.

“Oh yeah.” Amber said. On the way there, they’d passed by his grave, and she’d remembered the date, July 22nd. She checked her phone, and sure enough, that’s what it was. “Happy sixteenth birthday.” she said, kissing him.

“What? It’s my birthday?” he said, wide-eyed. “Wow. In all the commotion, I totally forgot. Well, guess I picked a good day to come back from the dead.” She giggled.

“There! There they are!”

“I thought I saw something drop from that flying ship!”

“Mr. Havenbrook! Miss Harris! A few questions, please!”

They turned to see what looked like the entire population of Craven Falls converging on the cemetery, with all of the reporters in the tri-state area in the lead. And at the head of that pack was…

“SCOOOOOOOOTT!” Rebecca Havenbrook, his father and brother close behind, Amber’s parents trailing them. “GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE!”

“Uh-oh.” Scott muttered, looking around panickedly, searching for a way out of that swarm. His eyes fell on his backpack, a decaying rat’s head poking out.

“Looks like our time’s up.” Amber sighed.

“Well…” Scott grabbed the bag, and took out the Necronomicon. “Maybe, maybe not.” The book fell open in his hand to the spell he needed. He grinned. “Cla’thsta, evxisnon emtath, cla’thsta, evxisnon emtath, cla’thsta, evxisnon emtath, cla’thsta, evxisnon emtath!”

“Scott?” Amber watched as a blue crack formed in the air, opening up into a hole in reality, torn by slithering tentacles, shining brightly. Scott stepped towards it, then turned to her.

“Let’s go. Let’s take a vacation, a real one, just you and me. We can deal with all this later. Do…do you want to come with a moldy old rotten necromancer like me?” he asked, nervous and hopeful, hand outstretched.

“YOU”RE NOT MAGICING YOUR WAY OUT OF THIS!” came from the parents. She considered. She looked into his toxic emerald green eyes, and grinned.

“You make a very tempting offer, Mr. Necromancer. Yeah, Havenbrook’s not a good name for that."

“That’s why I’ve decided. My professional name isn’t going to be Havenbrook. You’ll like it, it’s French.” he said.

“Oh?” she said. The crowd was swarming up the hill.

“I’m a necromancer. Necromancer Scott, Scott de Kay.” He grinned. She laughed.

“Oh my god, no. That’s terrible. You’re terrible, no.”

“Sorry, that’s what’s going on the business card. So, wanna go on vacation? Get away from it all for a while? Just us?” His heart thudded pleasantly in his chest, looking at her, readying to duck away from the crowd. He breathed the sun-warmed air in deeply.

“Oh, why not? Where are we going? For how long?” Amber asked, taking his hand. Scott grinned.

“Wherever we want, however long we want. After all, we’ve got the rest of our lives.”

“Mr. Havenbrook, Miss Harris!”

“What’s happening!?”

“Scoooooott!”

The two teens stepped through the portal, and they were lost to the world. Slimy tentacles reached out and grabbed the light, pulling it closed with a clap. And thus, the teenage necromancer made his way to his next adventure.