The skull wreathed in flames spewed thick smoke. The charred leather jacket, studded with sharp spikes, bore a crimson chain coiled over its shoulder...
The most eye-catching of all was the Yamaha VMAX which resembled a dazzling war chariot straight from hell. Its body was adorned with intricate patterns that captivated the gaze.
High-temperature flames engulfed the cold metal, as if imbuing it with a strange vitality. Azure fire spewed from the exhaust pipes, forming a demonic skull-shaped front that swayed slightly, as if ready to charge at any enemy.
"I sense... overwhelming sin, like a torch in the night." The flaming skull unwound the fiery chain from its shoulder, its raspy voice dripping with hatred and disgust, "You are unforgivable!"
The Yamaha VMAX's engine roared, its spinning tires leaving scorching flame trails on the ground. Like a nightmare steed rearing its head, the front wheel lifted impossibly into the air as the flaming chain lashed out, tearing through the wind with a vicious crack!
"Not even giving me a chance to explain?" Sean sidestepped with a light tap of his foot, narrowly avoiding the serpentine chain.
The barely-recovered vampire behind him wasn't so lucky... it was instantly ensnared.
"Have mercy!" The Volturi noble begged pitifully.
"Sorry, none for you." The Spirit of Vengeance cackled as the Ghost Rider yanked the chain, reducing the regenerating flesh to ash in an instant!
The hellfire-filled eyes then locked onto the only remaining figure standing tall in the arena. Johnny Blaze fought against the Spirit's bloodlust, growling, "I'm looking for a child named Danny."
Sean smirked and said, "Funny, so am I."
Compared to Daredevil who had been completely overtaken by the Spirit of Vengeance, this second-generation Ghost Rider who had escaped Mephisto's grasp was far more lucid.
At least he could restrain the insatiable hunger for sinful souls and maintain some semblance of self-awareness...
"I've got a long list... vampires, werewolves, the mercenary Carrigan, the hell-lord Mephisto... That child you mentioned just happens to be on it." The young man spoke casually.
Mordo stepped up beside him. The master of mystic arts had spent the night delivering brutal justice, his stern face now carrying an air of lethality. A single evening had shattered his Kamar-Taj teachings... He was now aware that humans, when consumed by their darkest desires, could rival demons in depravity...
"Johnny Blaze. The London Sanctum has been searching for you." Mordo eyed the Ghost Rider atop the Yamaha.
The Sanctum's monasteries had once tracked him, hoping to use the Spirit's demonic senses to locate the child born of human and demon.
"A drunk priest named Moreau found me. He said you could free me from this curse and get my soul back from Mephisto."
Johnny clutched his flaming skull as the Spirit battered against his consciousness, fighting for control. He pointed at Sean, gritting out, "Can you keep this guy away from me? The thing inside me sees him as a damn delicacy!"
The young man shrugged in amusement and said, "No need for that."
Then he raised a hand and fired a searing energy beam, blasting through the thick ceiling above like a hot knife through butter. Sunlight poured in, bathing Johnny just as the Spirit threatened to take over.
"Dawn's here. It's your time now."
Under the sunlight, the Ghost Rider's flames dimmed. Flesh slowly regrew over the skeletal face as the Spirit's furious howls faded into Johnny's subconscious. The Yamaha's hellfire extinguished, its demonic skull and reverted to its original form.
"Damn it... Finally gone." The once-famous stunt rider exhaled in relief at being human once more.
His gaunt face was haggard, his eyes bloodshot... every transformation was a battle against the Spirit's bloodlust. If he loses control, he would become a monster slaughtering in the name of judgment.
"So, did you find that bastard Carrigan?"
Mordo shook his head, glancing at Sean, "We let him go."
The young man strode through the rubble, Mordo followed, while Johnny wheeled his Yamaha out of the ruined underground passage. Dawn's light crept over the horizon, banishing the night's darkness.
Behind them stood the sprawling manor which was once a hell on earth... a den of unspeakable sins where the wealthy treated lives as playthings.
"Why let Carrigan escape?" Johnny could tell Sean was the real leader here, with the Sanctum sorcerer merely a follower.
"So he runs. When the kingpin of Romania's underworld realizes even vampires and werewolves can't protect him, what do you think he'll do?" Sean gazed at the rising sun, smiling, "A loyal dog always returns to its master. Tracking a demon's scent in a sea of humans is tedious. Better to follow the trail straight to the source... Mephisto..."
"...He's the Sanctum's real problem... With vampires and werewolves entrenched in Eastern Europe, the hell-lord's plans go beyond rebirth. If he unites all dark creatures to breach the Sanctum's defenses, he will topple the balance between dark dimensions and our world..."
Sean paused, watching Mordo's face pale, "When Dormammu invades, tying up the Sorcerer Supreme, Mephisto's forces could destroy centuries of the Sanctum's work in one stroke."
Though Johnny didn't fully grasp the stakes, he understood this was no simple soul-collecting scheme. Mephisto was making his move.
In urgency, Mordo prepared to had back to Kamar-Taj, "I must warn the Sanctum–"
Sean cut him off, "You think the Ancient One hasn't anticipated this? She's prepared. Our job is to find Mephisto... and send him back to hell."
Mordo hesitated, then nodded. Glancing back at the manor, he asked, "What about this place?"
Carrigan's stronghold likely still housed werewolves... maybe even hidden vampires, along with untold bloodstained wealth.
"Master Mordo, remember... we are not gods. We can't save everyone." Sean slid into the black sedan that had brought them here, "You can stop evil acts, but not the darkness in men's hearts... Kill one Carrigan, and another will take his place. Unless you build a new order and nail every vampire, werewolf, and corrupt elite to the wall."
Mordo stared back conflicted, before finally entering the car. Johnny revved his bike, and soon, the three vanished into the distance...
....
Ten minutes later, cowering vampires crept from the rubble. Only after confirming the coast was clear did they emerge...
"Damn those sorcerers! We must report–"
The vampire's words died as a fiery streak split the sky.
A Tomahawk cruise missile detonated overhead.
The manor vanished in a sun-bright blast, the shockwave rattling windows miles away. Mordo spun in his seat and spotted the mushroom cloud rising behind them.
"What did you do?!" He glared at Sean.
Sean kept his eyes on the road. The car stereo was playing Gregorian chants... It sounded solemn and mystical, and echoed like a divine judgment.
"Exactly as you said. Delivering God's righteous verdict." Sean replied.
The dawn's light illuminated the three figures, as if heralding the battles yet to come...