CHAPTER TWELVE: graveyard

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THEY HAD RETURNED TO THE TOY STORE. To which, Jack and Max both paused at the clerk desk.  "Hey. You don't have a Wonder Woman action figure, do you?"

"Where are your marvel and dc action figures?" Max asked.

"That's not how it works! Come on!" Callum called out.

"Damn it," the two cursed, followed after the taller one.

Callum unlocked the door. "Come on." He rushed.

"We're coming," Jack paused, as Callum entered the storage room, disappearing as he pasted through the portal. He looked to he portal, closing back at Max. Before hesitated to step through.

Max grabbed Jack's hand, before entering the room. They heard lady call out something about essential oils. Callum was looking for something, unknown to the two. When Jack removed his phone from his pocket. Olivia was calling. "Hey."

A small amount of second passed.

"What? No, that's not what happened," Jack says.  "He actually said I shouldn't go. Said it was gonna be lame."

Max sighed, face palming.  Jack looked back at Callum. Then at Max, he makes a gesture. Then mouthed 'Olivia'. 

"Well, we both know that's not my strong suit, Olivia. Look, if he wanted me to go, he should've just asked me."

"Jack," Max began, making a gesture for him to hand over the phone.

"Olivia I'm in..I'm at work! What am I supposed to do?"

"Well, I'm not gonna be home by seven. Just tell Dylan that I-"

Jack sighed, putting the phone down.

"Want me to call Olivia and say I'm in the hospital?" Max asked.

"Why id that always your solution?" Jack questioned back.

"Because she seemed to think I'm an idiot and always getting myself injured to be in the hospital."

"Maybe because you keep telling her you are in the hospital."

"What?" Jack asked Callum, feeling his stare.

"I didn't say anything," Callum replied, before he removed a car form he package, placing it into the ground, he used the machine in his wrist to adjust it's reality, and make it larger.
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Jack could have sat in the front seat, it what Max thought he was going to go. But, instead, he sloated himself in the backseat, next to Max.

"Dylan, right?" Callum asked.

For a second, Jack was silent. "Yeah."

"He's a good kid."

"Hey, I know he's a good kid."

It was silent.

"Jack-" Max began.

"It's njr ehay you think. His mkher and I were never togther. I didn't even really like her that way," he says.

Callum glanced at Jack first, then to Max. He knew why Jack felt he needed to add the last bit.

"I mean, I'm his father, but I've never been his dad," Jack continued. "She's a doctor now, and she's married to a really good guy, and he is a good dad, so the last thing the kid needs, is, like you know, some spare dad who's a degenerate gambler hanging out with the scum of the earth, who's got nothing to offer him, so.."

"Jack," Max says in a soft tone, guilt rising. He had never know that was how Jack viewed himself.

"Honestly, the best thing I can do for the kid is to keep some distance so I don't get in the way and he's not distracted all the time."

Callum hums.

"Uh-huh' What?" Jack asked.

"I'm just saying, if you're trying not to disappoint him doesn't sound like it's working."

"Jack, look," Max began. "When we get this all solved, you are going to go to, whatever event he has next."

"Max, I get you think that I can be-"

"No. It's not about me thinking. You would be a good father, if you just tried. Look, I'll even go to the events with you." Max smiled.

Callum drove into a graveyard.

"Okay. I can't believe I'm asking this, but..." Jack began. "what's the deal with Santa and his brother?"

Callum was silent for a moment, looking at the two humans. Max leaned forward propping his elbows on the passenger seat, one hand extending to the side of Jack's face.

"They used to work together back in the beginning," Callum announced. "Red gave huffs to well-behaved children, and his brother helped keep track of who they were. Then the brother started making lists. And Red was always uncomfortable with that. He didn't like the idea of a running list of misbehaved children. But, his brother became obsessed."

"So, you're saying Santa's brother started the Naughty List?" Jack asked.

"Yes. And he started to punish the kid who were on it. Red was furious. So, he took list away, and his brother never forgave him."

"Santa's brother is a bit dramatic, isn't he?" Max sarcastically asked.

"He went out on his own, eventually hooking up with the Witch, who was also in the punishment game. They were together for years, but it ended badly."

"He got a name? Santa's brother? Or, if it like the witch? Say the name and he appears?" Max asked.

"His name is Krampus."
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Once they got out of the car, Callum began to inform the two humans of what they would be facing. "All right, listen to me. I don't know what's wishing for us in here, but the brother, the witch, they're extremely dangerous, and not in ways that you're used to. If you see them, do not engage."

"Do not engage," Jack repeats. "So don't pick a fight with the Witch. Got it."

"If Nick is here, he's probably being held in the dungeon. There's a door around the back that the guards use. We're going to have to quietly sneak through the courtyard, past the guillotines, break in and head down."

"the guillotines?" Jack asked.

"Also, do not touch anything under any circumstances. There is  much in here that is. It of the natural world. You're both human, therefore weak."

"Oh, fuck you," Max says, defensively.

"See," Callum pointed to Max as he gestured to the other's outburst. "So, if you need to touch anything, get me to do it." Then walked off.

"Wait, a minute, are you not human?"Jack asked.

Max grabbed Jack's hand.

"Do I look human?" Callum asked.

"Is that a trick question?" Max asked as they walked up to the stone mausoleum. Callum trued the handle, failing before he shook his arm, the device I his arm flew red, before after a few seconds, to chanced to green. Callum then pushed the door open.  And entered the door.

Max and Jack entered the portal together hand-and hand.  The place was dark, all around them were stones. Max shifted his hand, tightening his grip on Jack's hand.

There was a large, tall cliff, at at the edge of it, was a building.  Jack moved over to Callum, had still in Max's. "Hey. So, listen, man. I think, if you don't need us here, we can wait back in the car."

"Shh," Calum pulled the two behind the rock with him.  "Hellhounds."

"Hellhounds?" Jack asked.
"As in, take your soul?" Max questioned.

A hissing sound was heard. Before Callum lifted up a keychain. "Step back." He tells the two.

Max pulls Jack a step back, hands still in a hold.  As Callum lifted his other arm, aiming the wrist weapon to the keychain.  Rings of magic wave came out, the squeaky keychain, turning into a real chicken.  "Ellen, distract them." Callum whispered to the animal.

Which chuckled before being tossed in front of the passage, immediately gathering the attend the hell hounds. It cluck again before scaring over the wall.  The hellhound followed after.

"Wow," Max says in amazement, his hand dropping from Jack's.   A brief second of where nothing happens, and just as Max was about to question Callum, a changing began. The metal dragon opened its mouth, fire lighting up in the inside.

"What'd you do?" Callum immediately asked the two humans.

"Nothing!" Max says in offense, looking around to see if he has accidentally collided into something and knocked it down.

"What do you mean what did I do?" Jack held his arms in the air. "I didn't do anything."

Max sighed. "Jack-" he begins.

"Thieves!" A voice called out, charming forward. A creature with one eye.

"Oh, holy fuck!" Max stepped back.
"Holy shit!" Jack reached out for Max.

Then, to the left and right of them, came more figures.  "Cal! Cal!" The two men called.

"My name is Callum Drift, commanded of E.L.F-" he reached a hand out, stoping the creature from getting closer to him

"Jack!" Max talked as he was ripped away from Jack's grip, two odd creatures holding his arms. And two held Jack.

"We are not thieves," Callum tells the cyclops.

"Yeah! We're not thieves!" Jack says.

"Look, maybe we accidentally knocked something-" Max tries to excuse.

One of the creatures lowered their hand.

"Hey! Get away from him!" Max yelled out, as the creature roughly pulled Jack forward. And pulled out a coin.

"This was in his pocket." The lizard-face says.

Callum's face shifts to anger.

"All right I can explain that. I can explain that," Jack says.

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