King takes Queen.

He had done it!

It had taken him years to find the island on his own, all his skills to sneak through the guards and defenses to reach the black citadel looming over the beach front, every ounce of will to break through its gates and entrance to where he was now. Standing in the center of the grand halls of Dracula’s castle, Oliver Queen; the Green Arrow aimed his bow at the smug grin of the king of vampires himself, Selina Kyle and Dinah Lance stood at either side of him in surprise of his arrival.

“DIE YOU SON OF A BITCH!!!”

Pulling back the arrow in his bow, Oliver Queen fired into the cloaked vampire standing at the pulpit of his throne, the ancient warrior catching the arrow in his hand, only for it to explode in his face and send him reeling. Coughing up a fit in the garlic laced smoke, Dracula ducked and rolled out of the way to avoid three more arrows that punctured his throne where his chest and head were.

The Green Arrow had done it, finding the island to Themyscira without the aid of the league, the home of the amazons was nearly impossible. But he had done it, and now that he was here, the man only had one goal. To save his long-lost wife from Dracula. He KNEW him being here was a death sentence, Diana’s people were never amicable to ANY men stepping foot on their shores, but he did not care, Dinah was the only thing that mattered. Looking around the grand hall, Oliver pulled another wooden arrow from his quiver and set his aim. To the side he could see the werecat Selina Kyle hiding out of sight with a phone in hand, he did not know where Black Canary was, but he was sure he would get answers after putting a few wooden arrows in the undead king himself.

“Intriguing! You risk much coming here, even MORE so attacking me in my own home! Do you wish death mortal?” Called out Dracula’s voice in the darkness.

Sneering back at the voice, Oliver pulled out a few arrows from his quiver and shot up into the ceiling, firing at key locations, the arrows going off like roman candles and lighting the darkened space and leaving no nooks or crannies to hide in. Spotting the vampire on the ceiling hissing from the intense light, Oliver aimed and fired again, his arrow splitting into a dozen smaller shards and struck true, only for Oliver to discover Dracula had guarded his chest at the right moment and ducked behind a stone pillar.

“MY NAME IS OLIVER QUEEN! AND I’VE COME TO SAVE MY WIFE! YOU’LL PAY FOR WHAT YOU DID TO HER!”

Pulling another arrow free, Oliver aimed behind the pillar and shot, the arrow hitting the far wall and exploding on impact like a rocket where stone and debris struck the hiding vampire and sent him tumbling to the ground. Setting another arrow, the archer glared down at the vampire. Not a scratch marred his body from the explosion or his previous injuries… If anything, he was laughing at the entire affair.

“STOP LAUGHING! THIS ISN’T FUNNY!!!” Firing off a barrage of arrows, Oliver turned the hall into a warzone. He had prepared years for this moment. Making custom made arrows dipped in holy water, garlic salt, and etched in holy scripture, the man spared no effort in finding a way to hurt the man who took Dinah away from him. Firing off another cluster of arrows, each one did something different, whether they released garlic tinted smoke, concussive explosions with silver nitrate pellets even going so far as to fire an LED equipped arrow that projected ultra violet light to burn the vampire out of hiding. Tumbling out from another blast, Dracula’s skin blistered from Oliver’s arsenal, only to rapidly heal.

“You! You have gone against the wishes of your ‘Justice’ League, trespassed on an island where the punishment is death, trespassed on my CASTLE where the punishment is far worse, all to reclaim your lost love?!” Looking up with a smile, Dracula looked up to see Green Arrow glaring back down at him with his bow ready, aiming a shot between Dracula’s eyes point blank.

“If it means getting her back, I’ll pay ANY price!”

His eyes going wide along with his grin, Dracula laughed heartily before disappearing, moving faster than Oliver could react, the shot arrow hit the stone floor within that split second.

“EXCELLENT!!!!!!”

Turning around to the source of the voice, Oliver gagged when he felt an elbow strike him in the sternum, blood already flooding his mouth after he felt his ribs crack from the impact and get sent across the hall to crash through a baroque set of armor. The moment he tumbled to the ground, Oliver groaned into a roll just in time to avoid Dracula’s strike, his fist punching through the cobblestone floor with the same ease as styrofoam. The smile he gave the Green Arrow told Oliver all he needed to know; the vampire was enjoying this. Reaching into his side pouch, Green Arrow grabbed a bundle of smoke bombs and threw them on the ground, filling the area with garlic laced smoke once again to buy him time as he reached for his quiver and set another shot. His arms and chest ached as he fired into the smoke where his explosive arrow sent Dracula reeling back again, grinning with blood on his lips when he heard Dracula gasp in pain.

“YOU are a worthy opponent Oliver Queen! Like the Wolf King before you, you fight with EVERYTHING you have to you!”

Getting to his feet, Oliver hid behind a pillar, setting another shot with his bow, he spun around and aimed… Only to be paralysed on the spot by the woman floating in front of him. He had always considered Dinah Lance to be the most beautiful woman he had ever met; her crystal blue eyes, golden flowing hair and perfect smile melted his heart every time she looked his way like that. The woman floating a foot off the ground was as white as alabaster, her flowing hair was like liquid gold swaying to a breeze that did not exist, and her glowing red eyes captured him in their gaze. Pursing her black, fanged lips into a smile, Oliver’s defenses dropped, his bow hitting the floor as he stared up at the woman he came to save. She still wore her old costume; a black backless, strapless one piece with nylon stockings and black heels but her jacket had been replaced with a silken veil or cape that looped around her shoulders and arms like a mink, accentuating her beauty even further.

“Dinah?”

Like a banshee, the vampire screamed at the top of her undead lungs, forcing the man to clutch at his ears as the sonic pressure built up. He had always witnessed her powers but was never on the receiving end of it. He felt like all his bones were going to rattle into dust, his muscles split, and his arteries burst… Then suddenly the pain stopped. The scream was still going but he was not harmed. Looking up, he was surprised to find Dracula had come between him and Dinah, shielding him from her banshee cry. When she realised what she was doing, she recoiled with a gasp, horrified.

“M-my master! I… I meant only to…”

Her only response was more laughter from the vampire count, the tall man rearing back and clutching his brow from the entire experience. Calming his breathing Dracula turned to look over his shoulder to the frightened Black Canary, her hands at her mouth in shock just as their attention fell to the portal forming on the other side of the chamber where Zatanna stepped through.

“My dear bride, do you not see how magnificent all this is?” Snapping his attention to Green Arrow, the man just now regaining his bearing and gathered his weapon from the ground barely had time to react before Dracula snapped his bow in two. “This man, THIS man here fights with all he has to reclaim you, he has sacrificed his loyalties, his kingdom, his FUTURE, all of it to free you!” Reaching out with his hands, it looked as if Dracula would strangle the injured archer, until he gently placed his gloved hands on the man’s shoulders instead.

“I do not claim MANY to be my brother, so few have I met who shared the same drive and commitment to do what must be needed, but YOU have earned it!” Turning his attention to Dinah, Dracula offered his hand to hers, whom she quickly accepted.

“Dinah Lance, the Black Canary, I free you from my will, to do as you please.”

Stunned silent, Oliver looked up to his love longingly.

“Who do you choose? The man who showed you the eternity of the night, or the man who fought through it to bring you back to the light?”

Watching the event play out, Zatanna was beside herself, clutching her chest hoping that this was true.