Vamps in Chaos

Chapter Nine: Caught in the Act

Babe had been around long enough to know that one moment of calm usually meant another storm was coming. So when a note from Margot arrived, asking him and Billy to "help out with a minor favor," he knew things were about to get interesting. Or, knowing the witches, utterly ridiculous.

"So," Babe said, glancing up from the note as they strolled down the street, "Margot needs us to handle something. And I have a feeling 'minor favor' is code for... well, whatever counts as babysitting the supernatural these days."

Billy glanced over, visibly intrigued. "Are all witches so... evasive in their language?"

"Oh, definitely. Comes with the territory," Babe replied, smirking. "Just brace yourself."

They arrived at Margot's cozy, herb-scented shop tucked away in a quiet alley. As they entered, Margot gave them a warm smile, her eyes gleaming with that mischievous glint Babe had learned to dread.

"Thank you both for coming," she said, folding her hands. "I need a bit of help with a... reluctant visitor."

Babe raised an eyebrow. "A visitor?"

Margot motioned to the back room, where a small, mischievous-looking creature with bright green fur and a tail twice its body length was rummaging through a stack of spell ingredients.

Billy's eyebrows shot up. "And... what precisely is that?"

Margot sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "It's a gremlin. Keeps sneaking into my supplies, causing chaos. I tried luring it out, but it's stubborn. I was hoping... well, maybe you two could manage."

Babe looked at the gremlin, who glanced back at him with an unsettling grin. "Alright, we'll get him out. How hard can it be?"

Margot just smiled, stepping back. "That's the spirit. Good luck!"

The gremlin eyed them, twitching its nose, then darted across the room, knocking over jars and scattering dried herbs everywhere. Billy stepped forward, trying to approach calmly, but the gremlin darted past him, skittering up a shelf and knocking over a bundle of lavender.

Babe snickered. "Looks like he's winning."

Billy huffed, straightening his jacket. "We merely need a strategy."

"Right," Babe said, thinking fast. "Okay, I'll block the exit, and you... just, uh, catch it?"

Billy looked mildly offended. "Am I to... wrestle it?"

Babe laughed. "Hey, you're the one with centuries of experience. Just think of it as an ancient quest or something."

They cornered the gremlin in the back of the shop, and just as Billy was about to pounce, it darted between his legs, leaping onto Babe's shoulder. Babe yelped, grabbing at it, but the gremlin jumped again, landing on a shelf filled with herbs in jars.

Without missing a beat, Babe lunged forward, trying to grab the creature. Instead, he tripped over a broom, stumbling right into Billy. The two crashed into the shelf, sending a cloud of herbs and a few jars flying. They both froze, covered in a mix of basil, lavender, and something that smelled suspiciously like catnip.

The gremlin, thrilled with the chaos, scampered onto a high shelf and knocked over a bowl of dried rose petals, sending them floating down like pink confetti. Billy looked up in horror, his face caught between mortification and determination.

"Quick, close the door!" Babe shouted, eyes darting around for anything that could help them. But before either of them could react, the gremlin leapt onto a hanging plant and swung like a tiny green acrobat, hissing at them in what sounded suspiciously like laughter.

"Stop laughing and grab him!" Babe said, diving forward as the gremlin bounced off the counter and darted back toward the shelves. Billy lunged after it, almost catching it by the tail, but the gremlin slipped out of his grasp, flipping over a small cauldron and sending some mystery potion spilling across the floor.

The cauldron let out a puff of pink smoke, and the whole room began to fill with a strange, glittery haze. Babe coughed, swatting at the sparkles as they settled in his hair and on his clothes. "What is this stuff?!"

"Fairy dust," Margot called from the front room, her voice filled with barely concealed amusement. "I wouldn't breathe it in if I were you."

"Oh, perfect," Babe muttered, covering his nose and trying not to laugh at Billy, who looked positively mortified as he batted away the pink cloud. "Just... just keep your mouth closed and keep going."

The gremlin took advantage of their momentary distraction and scurried up a tall stack of potion ingredients, perching on the top shelf like a tiny green overlord surveying its territory. Billy, blinking away glitter and coughing from the dust, took a step back, his eyes narrowing.

"Enough," he muttered, his tone low and serious. "It's time we end this."

Babe shot him a sidelong glance. "Oh, you're serious now? Alright, go for it, warrior."

Billy clenched his jaw and started moving methodically toward the gremlin, who cocked its head, clearly unfazed. Billy lunged, but the gremlin leapt aside, landing on a nearby pile of spellbooks with a smug chitter.

"Oh, he's taunting us now," Babe said, trying not to laugh as Billy muttered under his breath.

Just as they regrouped, a loud knock sounded from the front door. They froze, exchanging panicked glances as they realized the last thing they needed was an audience.

"Someone's out there," Babe whispered, motioning for Billy to hide. "Play it cool."

But before they could respond, the door creaked open, and Luna poked her head in, her expression a mixture of horror and delight as she took in the utter chaos-the herbs, the pink glitter covering every surface, the overturned cauldron, and two vampires who looked like they'd been caught in a magical explosion.

"Well, well," Luna said, her tone dry. "Looks like I missed quite the party."

Babe sighed, hands on his hips, watching as the gremlin darted toward Luna with a chirp, clearly thrilled with its victory.

Margot joined her sister, chuckling. "I think our little gremlin friend has... outmatched you two."

Billy, still covered in herbs and dust, straightened, giving a small, dignified bow. "We merely underestimated its... agility."

Babe snorted, patting Billy on the shoulder. "Yeah, nice save."

The gremlin scampered over to Margot, who picked it up, giving it a stern look. "Alright, you little menace," she said, a smile tugging at her lips. "Time to leave my shop alone."

As the witches ushered the gremlin out, they gave Babe and Billy approving nods, their eyes twinkling with amusement.

"You handled that well," Luna said, smirking. "Though perhaps next time... bring reinforcements."

Babe rolled his eyes, though he couldn't help but laugh as they left the shop, brushing pink glitter out of his hair. "Next time, remind me to ask what we're actually getting into before we show up."

Billy, still looking mildly horrified but faintly amused, nodded. "I will... endeavor to be better prepared."

And as they walked back to the loft, Babe couldn't shake the feeling that he'd just survived a training session for the truly ridiculous. But, as he glanced at Billy's still-glittered hair, he couldn't help but think that maybe, just maybe, he'd found the perfect partner in chaos.