Bluer than Indigo.

Leaving the palace on Themyscira, Diana followed Dracula down the steps that led to the landing pad for the javelin, the path also leading to the Gothic castle looming just outside the shoreline of her paradise home.

“King Khaine… Count Dracula, I would have a word with you.”

Turning to look up at the beautiful princess, Dracula retained his charming smile as he bowed slightly to the amazon woman. “I do not see what else there is to discuss Princess, the wolves must be destroyed if the rest of the world shall flourish.”

“You merely wished my Mother and her armies NOT to interfere, so you could kill Batman yourself.”

Hesitating for only a brief second, Dracula nodded in affirmation. “Indeed, if they were to interfere, the risk of one of them becoming a wolf themselves would be catastrophic, I could tell in your heart you would come here to bring them to Gotham city. I am here to save them, AND you.”

“Prove it!”

Looking her into the eye, Dracula lowered his attention to the golden lasso at her hip, moving to touch it, he wrapped the glowing cord around his arm. “Your mother had used this on me many times, she never needed to, I have never lied, never needed to lie, and I did not lie to you just now.” Letting the lasso go, Diana stepped back in shock.

“Your friend, the ‘Batman’ is doomed Princess, I intend to put him out of his misery like the other wolf kings from the past. Do you know how many I have slain in my many centuries? Five, and each had all fallen to the savagery of the wolf. Only one I had met seemed promising; a noble king who cared for his people, but in time he too slaked his hunger on their flesh, I vowed then no more.” Enveloping himself in his cloak, the Count turned to leave, walking down the steps before Diana intercepted him again.

“There is another way, he’s NOTHING like the wolf kings you say you faced, there are things in this world, this UNIVERSE that can help, I have brought one of them here.” Plucking a glowing item from a pouch at her hip, Diana presented the glowing indigo ring to Dracula. “This is a lantern ring; fashioned by the power of creation, it harnesses the power of one of the most powerful emotions in the universe.”

Picking up the ring in the palm of his hand, Dracula looked deep into its glow, humouring her. “And what emotion pray tell is that?”

“Compassion.”

Feeling the glow in his hand, Diana looked up to see the Count open his eyes wide as if overwhelmed with emotion, moisture forming at his eyes as he clutched the ring tightly in his hands just as he began to shed tears, but not of blood. An intense look of longing form on his face as he grimaced, clutching the ring to his chest. “Mina…”

“Who?”

Opening his eyes again, Dracula gently raised Diana’s hand and placed the ring back in her possession. “I now understand why you never felt at home here, this paradise is not large enough to contain your golden heart… But you must understand that what I do is a mercy, one of the few mercies I EVER grant.” Walking down the steps to the beaches of Themyscira, Dracula looked up at the woman once again, his eyes steeled and cold once again.

“Farewell Diana of Themyscira, for your sake, do not come to Gotham until I am finished with it.”

Seeing the Count leave her island home, Diana went to the Javelin and entered the cockpit where Dinah; the Black Canary waited, leaning back in her chair with her nylon covered legs resting on the control table of the vessel. “So, I take it we’re not bringing an army then?”

“No… We are on our own.”

“Damn shame, no one told me Dracula was a looker!”

“He is… Certainly a complicated man.” Charging up the engines, the Javelin began to float off the landing pad and steer towards the ocean. Just at the corner of her eye, Wonder Woman witnessed Dracula’s castle disappear with a flash of lightning and a wake of turbulence. “So, where to now Diana?”

“Our plan has not changed Dinah; we’re going to save Batman.” Setting the engines to maximum thrust, the Javelin flew at top speed back to the Atlantic shoreline.

*

Meanwhile, back at the cave…

“Lamia, what are you…” Feeling the woman lean up against him and kiss his lips deeply, Lamia wrapped her arms around his waist while Candy and Tracy took up either side of him, gently disrobing the man while the snake queen kissed him. “I wish to thank you, reward the king of wolves for letting the queen of snakes live.” She husked, still kissing his lips as she gently pried off his cape and cowl. “You could have killed us, instead you wished to heal us all, I wish to show you our appreciation.” Slowly pulled down to the cool stone floor, Bruce continued to make out with Lamia even as she pulled off her make-shift robes, revealing her firm athletic figure and ample chest and straddled his waist.

Seconds later, she smiled when Arachne came up behind her and kissed up her shoulder and neck, the two nuzzling their noses together before joining into a deep kiss. “She is not the only one Wolf King, Arachne wishes to show her appreciation too.” Leaning forward, she captured Bruce’s lips with her own, just as Candy and Tracy pulled down Bruce’s pants and boots, leaving him as undressed as they were. Looking up, he found the same sharp look in the woman’s eyes, Arachne’s mind having pulled itself together to be something new. Sensuous and passionate, the werespider lifted his hand to press up against her breasts. “You declared us part of your pack, we wish to contribute to that pack.”

“How?” Hissing in sensitivity, Bruce looked down to find Lamia gripping his erection and aiming it into her nethers, the woman gasping and moaning as she sunk down on him. “We wish to bear your cubs.” Husked Barbara, joining Arachne on the other side of Lamia and kiss the surprised Bruce on the lips. “We made an agreement Bruce, an agreement among sisters.” Purred the red-haired woman as she pulled away and leaned over to make out with Arachne, while behind them Lamia moaned with Tracy and Candy making out with their queen.

“Barbara, you are my friend’s daughter!”

“And I want to be the mother to your children, we ALL do!” Sitting up, Arachne and Barbara made out and turned their attention to the moaning Lamia, licking at her chest while Candy and Tracy kissed at her shoulders and neck. The woman shuddering as an orgasm crashed through her body. Panting and swooning, she and Arachne kissed before slowly switching places. “Don’t think we haven’t noticed most of the female in your pack aren’t carrying your kids or tending to your cubs Bruce.” Helena whispered, draping herself over Barbara to kiss at Bruce’s lips and nose. Bringing his hand to her breast, the dark-haired woman swooned and smiled when Arachne cried out in passion.

Grunting with effort, Bruce came hard again, firing off into the spider queen who wailed and moaned, leaning back as the others kissed or licked at her sweat slick body and gently moved her so one of them could take her place.

While the orgy continued, Aloe Vera watched on from her spot at the edge of the entrance. Lamia had come to her recently, asking for permission to bed the alpha and wolf king to the pack. The wolfess agreed if only so the arachnids could be included. She had to know if these new lycanthropes would be accepted by the umbra or not, and the only way to find out is if they were compatible to reproduce. After all the Umbra demanded that life flowed, if the spiders and snakes remained singular, then the pack would care for them, as the alpha commanded. But if they could multiply and flourish, they would be welcome guardians to the green of Earth. Hearing Barbara take her place on top of her lover, Pamela smiled like a proud mother as the young woman cried out in pleasure, pressing her hands against Bruce’s barrel chest for leverage.

“In time we shall see, if these abominations can find balance…”

*

Flying through the flaming ring that cut off the city from the rest of the world, the Javelin made its way over the outskirts of Gotham city just as night fell and the full moon loomed overhead. at the heart of the bleak city, the impossible castle of Dracula loomed in the darkness, its towers circling with spirits and monsters Dinah didn’t want to fly close to. Flying over to the property of Wayne Manor, the two women looked down to find the landscape scoured and flattened, as if the mansion had been bulldozed flat. “So where to now?”

Leaning back in her seat, Wonder Woman didn’t know where else to go. Looking down at the control display, she noticed a tracer button blink. “Wait a moment, that’s Superman’s tracker.”

“He’s down here? Where?”

Following the tracer to the cliffside of the Gotham woods, the Javelin hovered over the cliffs until they found it open in front of them, running lights blinking to let them inside. “Well I’ll be… A back up cave.”

“He always seems prepared for anything.” Smiled Diana, admiring Batman’s will to preserver. Once the Javelin landed in one of the landing pads inside the large cave area, the cliffside closed again. Stepping off the vessel when the landing platform lowered, Wonder Woman and Black Canary stepped off and looked around, finding the space low lit and dark. “Yeah, seems like his place.”

Then the two brought their guard up when they heard a growl nearby. Looking around, the two women watched as several creatures came out of hiding. Wolves as large as small cars stepped out of the darkness and surrounded the two, followed by a trio of massive serpents and three arachnids just as big descend from the ceiling. Completely surrounded, the two were ready for a fight for their lives.

“OH, MY GAWD! It’s Wonder Woman!” Cried out an albino wolfess, quickly getting to its hind feet and skip towards the two women wringing her claws together in excitement. “I can’t believe its YOU, I need my bat, DOES ANYONE KNOW WHERE MY BAT IS?” Yelled Harley back to the rest of the pack. Turning her attention to the two confused women and waving her claws. “Hold on, I need my bat and a permanent marker.” Giggling, Harley ran back through the pack, making several duck just to get out of her way as they each stood up and stopped looking threatening.

“Okay, uhm… should we be shocked?” Asked Dinah, finding herself no longer surrounded by vicious animals but curious and attentive wolves looking back at her and Diana with curiosity.

“Wonder Woman? Black Canary? Is that you?” Asked a massive red spider, scurrying towards the two and bringing its talons to its mandibles as if to gasp, folding her fangs back in her mouth to create a humanoid face with six eyes, she smiled down at the two women. “It’s okay, you have nothing to be afraid of here.”

“Except giant fucking spiders!” Flinched Canary, stepping behind Wonder Woman in fright.

“You are safe here; our Alpha would not let us harm you.” Turning her attention, Diana looked up to see the large red wolfess pad towards them, her gait sensuous and poised as she knelt to look at the two women eye to eye. Looking into the wolf’s green eyes and over the flowers blooming in her mane, Diana could already guess who the massive wolfess was.

“Poison Ivy, where is Bruce?” Asked Wonder Woman, her voice stern.

Lowering her head, the wolfess smiled. “I’m Aloe Vera now, I will never be poison again. My love was…”

“Preoccupied.” Answered Bruce, marching his way through the pack as they gave him space and bowed before him. Seeing the batman unchanged despite the full moon and in his Batsuit, Diana smiled and rushed to hug the man, grateful to see him safe. “Diana, why are you here? I ordered the JLU to avoid Gotham at all costs.”

“I am a WARRIOR Bruce! I cannot stand by as my friends and loved ones fight a battle on their own!” Looking around her, Diana found several of the wolves sniffing at the Javelin or looking down at her in curiosity, with no sign of savagery of any kind. “I was told you all had been turned into… Monsters, how is it you can retain yourselves?”

“Through Aloe Vera.” Bringing his hand up, the Red Wolfess stood and took his offered hand, nuzzling the Batman affectionately and moving to stand behind him, her arms draped over his shoulders. “She found a way to ‘harmonize’ the wolf with the person.” Bowing to Diana, Pamela smiled back at the woman. “All you see here are at peace with the wolf, the madness is kept at bay.”

“I had come to try and save you; it would seem you had found a way to save yourself.” Reaching into her pouch at her hip, Diana revealed the indigo ring. “I had hopes to slip this on you to tame the beast you had turned into, perhaps it is redundant at this point?”

Taking the offered ring, Batman closed his eyes and gave Diana the start of her life when he began to grow and transform, his uniform bursting apart as he grew taller and stronger, a sheen of pitch black fur spreading across his muscles as his ankles changed and his hands and feet sported sharp claws. After a tail had formed and his skull became lupin in shape, the massive black wolf howled, followed by the rest of the pack as they joined in, forcing Black Canary to clutch at her ears. Looking down at the tiny ring in his hand, it didn’t surprise him that the ring grew to accommodate his size. Slipping it on, his eyes glowed a bright indigo and the lantern emblem shun over his barrel chest. Looking down at Diana and the scared Black Canary, the two women thought they saw a warm smile on his snout. Looking to Aloe Vera, the wolf pulled her close for a kiss, making the wolfess swoon before he took the ring off and placed in on her finger. The moment he did, her green eyes glowed bright indigo, a look of peace on her face as she kissed him back more passionately. Removing the ring, Bruce knelt and gave it back to Diana.

“It probably would have worked, but I don’t need it… Not anymore.” Reverting to his human form, his size and power diminished until he had completely changed back, gathering the remains of his costume while a disappointed Aloe Vera pouted behind him.

“Why turn it away? This could redeem yourself before Dracula, he would change his mind about culling you all.”

“Diana, Dracula plans to kill us all even if we can retain our self or not, he’s been killing monsters for so long he no longer sees hope in saving any of us.” Tying his cape around his waist until he could get dressed again, Bruce rested his hands on Wonder Woman’s shoulders. “So far his vampire brides have taken out Power Girl, Superman, Constantine and half my pack.”

“His brides? You mean Zatanna?!” Looking down at the indigo ring in her hand, Diana frowned. “Zatanna would NOT harm our friends and loved ones.”

“No, she wouldn’t… Which would mean that Dracula has twisted her into something terrible.”

“Yes, your friend has become something… Soulless, cruel, evil.” Sighed Aloe Vera in sympathy, the effects of the ring still strong in her. “I had fought her for many hours, I am afraid she may be lost to you.”

“I shall be the judge of that!” Declared Wonder Woman, steeling herself for the fight ahead. Then Harley returned with a tiny steel baseball bat in her hand and a permanent ink marker in the other, her tail wagging violently and knocking over Black Canary when she returned.

“I FOUND A PEN!... What I miss?”