The END!!!! (Pov from Batman)

Phew… What a rollercoaster ride these two years have been. Just wanted to thank Colleem for inviting me on this magnum opus of a story. And don't worry folks. The primary story is over but the world we created still has tales to tell.

*

England, 1952, the Hellsing manor, just outside the city of London…

Abraham Van Hellsing coughed into his hand, the elderly man who faced Dracula in England so long ago waved for his granddaughter to come to his side, sitting at the living room fireplace in his chair while his young daughter came and sat by his side. “Yes grandfather? Do you have another story? What of the vampires you have faced, tell me of them, please?”

“A story hmm? About Vampires?” Chuckling and setting down his book, the man leaned back and sighed, remembering to the time he thwarted the Count and drove him from England and Europe so long ago. “Which one then?”

“What of the BIG one? Dracula, what was he like?”

Thinking back on that night, the man answered her.

“Integra, love is a beautiful thing when it is present, and a terrible pain when it is absent. In its absence men grow cold and weary, driven to cruelty and inexcusable acts of barbarism to get it back at whatever cost. When I met the monster, I thought him the embodiment of all that was dark and vile in the world, and he was… But… I also saw in his eyes the look of a man that had died LONG ago, not from age, or battle or injury, but of a broken heart.”

“I don’t understand Grandfather.”

Chuckling again and sighing, the man patted his granddaughter’s hand reassuringly.

“Hopefully you’ll NEVER understand dear… Come, bring your old grandfather some tea, a story then before bed.”

*

Gotham city, the present…

Bruce was completely out of the fight, the strength to even lift his head up to see what was going on was lost to him, but even so, for what would likely be a final push of Bane’s forces and the killing blow, he could feel it. Blinking his blurry eyes, he could just make out Dracula raising his arms out to his sides, gaining the Bear’s attention as he approached. Whether he had gone mad from the exhausting fight, or simply refused to die on his knees, Bruce watched on as Dracula stood defiantly against Bane, almost taunting the massive bear to finally strike.

Dracula braced himself against the blow with all his remaining strength. With both arms he had blocked the claw and did everything possible to stand upright. His hands had gripped the claw tightly, but Bane proved too strong. His legs trembled violently and inch by inch he was pressed to his knees. Bane pressed his whole body against him, and Dracula broke to his knees. The Vampire channeled his necromantic magic directly into Bane’s claw. Furiously, Bane bellowed and pulled his hand away, which began to rot within seconds. However, he smashed furiously with his healthy claw, shattering Dracula's body with that blow. Angry and outraged, Bane now struck at Dracula's body. Again, and again his claws hammered into his flesh and literally beat Dracula to the ground. After a few blows, he paused and contemplated the work he had done. In his prone state, Bruce could feel each tremor of Bane’s fist slamming into the stone and earth. He could already tell the man’s bones had been smashed to pulp and his organs shattered. Basically, he was just a mass of blood and flesh and yet he could still perceive everything.

Looking down at the red paste of Dracula’s remains, Bane seemed confused when an eye opened in the bloody mass. This eye looked directly at Bane before more eyes opened. The eyes fliting around briefly until one by one they looked directly at Bane. The latter darting his ears back and his head tilted before striking a claw into the puddle of blood. Immediately, the blood splashed around, only to regroup and form new eyes again. Slowly Dracula began to regenerate, until he stood before Bane in a new form. As his bones, muscles, and skin regenerated, a fine suit formed over his skin. A long flowing, heavy red velvet riding coat covered his suit. Above his eyes, glasses with yellowish lenses formed. His proud black hair was covered by a large hat, which was also red. He loved this figure the most.

"Such a beast! So, you want to play?" said Dracula, looking at his "allies." Even the werewolves were not yet completely healed, and Batman struggled to get up only to fall back to his knees, closing his eyes from exhaustion.

He slowly stretched out his arms and closed his eyes. His shadow, clearly visible through the full moon, spread supernaturally as eyes opened everywhere. Slowly the shadow crept over the remains of Gotham's walls and ruins, creeping up the ruins of buildings and flowing like water into every crack. Finally, his shadow had filled a large part of the space behind him, and eyes opened everywhere. Each of these eyes looked straight at Bane before turning away from the giant monster and looking at Dracula. Behind the Prince of Darkness, a huge beast was slowly forming... half dog, half demon. A creature created from the nightmares of the undead.

"Say hello to the Hound of Baskerville," Bruce heard Dracula declare to Bane. No sooner had the new threat been fully manifested did Bane leap over Dracula and attack the Hound of Baskerville. But the Venom-infused beast inflicted terrible damage on his enemy. Dracula was stunned to see his ultimate ace knocked to the ground under the blows and bites of the bear, and Bane finally launched a fierce, brutal attack. At first Bruce and his lycanthropes believed there was a chance, a final hope. Until that hope became an execution. Although it was not possible to kill the Hound of Baskerville, it could be banished and that was exactly what happened. The caustic touch of Bane’s claws ripped through the shadow flesh of the hellhound summoned by Dracula’s shadow, its form crushed and smashed in a barrage of rage fueled strikes that pulverised the landscape.

Dracula catapulting himself far into the air, with a bestial scream he reached out and aimed directly at Bane's head. But before this blow could find its target, Dracula was hit by a backhanded blow from Bane. Once again, the vampire was hurled into the ground and slithered across the battlefield before coming to rest near the werewolves. Looking over to the prone vampire, spent and exhausted, he saw the Count strike the ground and roared out his fury. He had nothing left now, all his powers had been spent. And yet he would not die lying on the ground! With a face distorted with rage, the lord stood up and stood with his legs wavering in front of Bane and stretched out his arms. However, this was not a new attack but only a defiance by him. With bloodshot eyes he looked at the beast that was now winding up a final blow in front of him. Blinking his tired eyes slowly, Bruce’s mind wandered, the scene playing out in his head the same way.

*

2300 years ago, Italy…

Two howls filled the night air, the sounds of an intense battle echoing over the forests that levelled trees and sent birds flying to safety. Bursting out into a clearing and tumbling through the field, two werewolves struggled and fought, trading blows and swipes of their claws until one got the upper hand over the other and pinned him to the ground.

Clutching at his brother’s neck in the light of the full moon with his claws, the stern gaze of Romulus looked down at the snarling, barking form of his brother; Remus. Stoic as always, Romulus kept an eye on his maddened brother, his fist raised to strike yet hesitated to do so. “Please Brother… Listen to me.” The wolf spoke, his eyes pleading even as his brother glared back with bloodlust, his wits gone and replaced with murderous rage barely contained by the claw choking the air from him. Snarling back with froth filled jaws, Remus barked and growled, struggling against the black wolf with such intensity he left gouges in the earth with his clawed hands and feet. The two had been fighting for minutes when Romulus found his brother had slain a family crossing the woods. There was no reason, no purpose, he did it because he could. His murders had become more frequent and brutal, so much so Romulus could stomach no more.

“This isn’t you; this isn’t US… You can fight this madness, PLEASE listen to me.”

Looking down at the snarling face of his brother, for a moment it looked like he was reaching him, his snout relaxing and his eyes going clear… Then he began to laugh, manic and hysterical, glaring back at his brother with insane glee. The brief pause in their struggle granting Remus the chance to reach out for his brother’s throat.

It took him 8 strikes to reduce his skull to a bloody paste before his body began to crumble and rot away. Stepping back and collapsing to his knees, Romulus stared down at his bloody claws, stunned by what he was forced to do. Staggering to his feet, the massive wolf slowly made his way back into the woods, retracing his steps from the vicious battle leading up to a blood-stained wagon on a beaten path. Finally reaching the carriage, he looked around to find a couple butchered, their bodies torn to shreds. Even the mule had been mutilated, torn into bloody chunks that by now attracted flies. Breathing a sigh of disappointment and regret, the massive wolf fell to all fours and was about to leave until he heard whimpering close by. Looking back to the carriage, Romulus looked down, under the wagon to find a girl sobbing, bundled up and huddled between the wheels for safety.

The moment she saw the massive wolf, the girl screamed and tried to flee, only to find the wolf already in front of her. Collapsing to her knees, the girl fell into herself, too terrified to know what to do. Looking down at himself and his bloody claws, Romulus could already tell the girl confused him for her parent’s killer. She wasn’t wrong. Looking back to the carriage, the black wolf looked inside and pulled a black satin tunic and cloak from the bundle. Reverting to his human form, he pulled the tunic over his body with the cloak and hood over his shoulders and head. Kneeling to the sobbing girl, Romulus offered his hand to her. “It’s alright… You’re safe now.”

Looking up, the girl looked around for the wolf, finding only the man in black kneeling down to her with a dirty hand offered and a pained look on his stoic face. Whimpering she ran into his arms where he quickly hoisted her up into his arms to cradle. Standing to his full height, Romulus made his way back to the village where the wagon was headed. Walking barefoot down the path in the dead of night, Romulus checked on the silent girl still whimpering in his arm. “Girl, what is your name?” Not getting a response, the man didn’t press any further as he travelled.

“Lina…” Looking down at the girl after she whispered her name, Romulus nodded, keeping his eyes on the road. “I am sorry Lina; I am sorry I could not save your parents.”

“Is the wolf gone?”

“Yes… He is gone, and he is not coming back.” He replied, feeling the girl tighten her grip on his tunic.

“Who are you?” She asked, looking up at him, still terrified but coming back from her ordeal one step at a time. For a moment, the dark-haired man didn’t know how to answer. Looking up to the clear sky and the full moon, Romulus finally answered.

“I am the night…”

*

Roaring out with intense rage, Bane raised a massive fist to slam down on the vampire lord and crush him into paste. But then something happened. A black blur, no larger than a person flitted past Bane’s neck, and the tube that connected him to his venom supply severed. Wide eyed and gasping, the massive bear panicked, his booming heart beating irregularly as he began to shrink. “Noooooo… NOOOOOoooooo” Gasping and flailing, Bane struggled to reach the venom dispenser with his claws, His muscles deflating as his size and mass diminished. Staggering back and panting, the beast’s rage was all but evaporated and replaced with panic. Diminishing in size until he was less than two stories tall and still, he shrank.

As the bear flailed and growled out in panic, Zatanna stirred back into consciousness, looking around and immediately bringing her attention to Bruce prone on the ground. Scrambling on her hands and knees, the indigo lantern closed her eyes and pressed her hands against his battered chest, a warm indigo light spreading from her fingers to his entire body. Almost instantly, his wounds and injuries healed; the gouging scars on his chest and broken bones reknitting and regenerating just as the Wolf King gasped and coughed a breath of air, rolling onto his side now that his strength returned. Feeling arms wrap around his neck, the Wolf King found Zatanna almost crying with joy that he was alive and well, quickly joined by Aloe Vera and Harley as they nuzzled his snout and licked his nose and face. Looking around, Bruce found new lycanthropes enter the fight. Agile and lightning quick they darted from one feral wolf to the next, pouncing on the animals and beheading them with razor sharp claws.

A few of them caught Bruce’s eye despite his fatigue fading. Seven female were-cats, each with completely different fighting styles. While one of them looked around bored at every punch and looked as if she would like to lie down in a bed, another one was downright bloodthirsty. These women were apparently the spearhead of the attack. Bruce looked up from his spot on the ground to look over to who cut Bane’s venom supply. The creature was different from the others in his group. He was almost the size of a werewolf and his stature was also more massive than the others. This one was a true fighter. No movement of him was wasted, every blow killed one of his enemies. With an extreme focus, he fought his way through the horde. A single deep, throaty growl from him was enough to make all the others of his pride sit up and take notice. Immediately some of them rushed together and fought fiercely to cut a path. Getting closer as he made his way towards the lycanthropes, Bruce could make out a feline form in the massive warrior; with triangular ears and a more compact skull than the wolves he approached.

"This can't be!" Dracula spoke out loud, close enough for Bruce to hear. "I have seen such Beasts only one Time before…"

“What are those?!” Asked Barbara, watching with surprise as several cat-shaped lycanthropes overpowered and defeated the remaining wolves. Helena too was for a loss for words, skittering with anxiety as she watched a smooth furred feline move in a fluid motion and swipe off a feral wolf’s head clean off his shoulders. “Were… Cats?” The others shrugged in confusion save for the weresnakes, the trio whispering as they watched the pride of cats make short work of the savage wolves of Bane’s pack. But the more impressive show was the one slowly entering the battlefield. Waving clawed hands and sending arcs of black light that acted like blades across the battlefield like throwing knives, they decapitated wolves left and right while the two creatures behind her kept guard, the two just as graceful as their leader as she padded through the battlefield like one would through a wheat field.

“Basset!” Stepping forward, Bruce approached the werecat and her entourage as her pride finished off the remaining wolves and approached the Wolf King. Her smile both sly and comforting all at once. “So… The Wolf King has finally awoken.” She purred, smiling up to Bruce and eyeing him closely as if seeing something he could not. “An interesting interpretation; noble and dignified with a hint of pain that drives a powerful sense of morality, I like it.” She mused, stroking her chin in thought and admiring the wolf’s physique and inner spirit. “What of the vampire king?”

Turning their attention back to Dracula, they found the vampire marching his way towards Bane, the creature now shrivelled and almost skeletal thin on the ground, panting and breathing with great difficulty as he was reduced to a mere 5 feet all, if he were still capable of standing. Finally, merely a foot from the offending beast, Dracula looked down at the werebear, the beast now skin and bones and darting his wild eyes everywhere as if trying to find something, all his strength robbed and leaving him too weak to even lift his ursine head off the ground to look up at his adversary. “The venom… Must have… The venom… I cannot be stopped… I am invincible… I am…” Hoisted up by his neck, Bane coughed and wheezed as his feet dangled off the ground.

“As I said DOG; It takes a man to destroy a monster…” With a swipe of his hand, Dracula beheaded the bear, his body crumbling into rotted fur and dust while the head became a smoldering skull crushed in his hand. turning to approach the Lycanthropes and the Wolf King, Dracula gave the cats a passing look before focusing his attention on Bruce. Seeing each other eye to eye, Bruce felt Aloe Vera and Harley clutch his arms behind him defensively, ready to act if he so gave the word.

“So…” Asked Bruce with a hushed tone.

“So…” Replied the Count, eyeing the Wolf King and his pack who gathered behind him. His brides slowly taking their place behind Dracula save for Zatanna, who stayed by Bruce’s side defiantly before his eyes fell to her and gestured that she join him. Slowly and silently she did, a look of worry on her face as she looked up at the two kings.

“The Truce…”

“Will remain.” Answered Basset, stepping between the two kings and eying them both. Regal in her stance she rested her hands at her sides, eyeing the two.

“Basset? Queen of the underworld, you grace us here?” Dracula asked in ancient Egyptian, making the feline raise her chin and smile back at him. Turning his attention to the statuesque werecat, Bruce found it surprising that Dracula recognised her.

“It would seem even after all these centuries you have not forgotten your patrons from so long ago… Even if you betrayed MANY of them.” Addressing the two kings, Basset spoke up. “This truce shall remain, fate and events have changed the situation and so shall the long cycle that has followed before it, there will be no more killing.”

“So long as the plague of lycanthropy exists, I cannot stay my hand, even ONE of them is enough to start it all over again.” Eyeing the Wolf King’s pack and back at Basset’s pride, Dracula continued. “The plague makes beasts out of people, reduces them to mindless killers to which there is no salvation.”

“THERE IS!” called out a familiar voice, turning their attention to the newcomer and the group behind her. Both Bruce and Dracula were surprised to find Wonder Woman alive and well, guiding a pack of werewolves behind her that looked around alert and calm, BANE’s wolves. Looking up at the confused Vampire and his brides and to the massive black wolf, the new wolves didn’t think twice who to side with when Diana approached to look up to Bruce.

“How did you…” He begun to ask until Diana revealed the lasso at her hip.

“The lasso of truth reveals all, even that which is lost.” Turning to look back at Dracula fiercely, Wonder Woman brandished the lasso before the Count. “I have seen to it the remaining wolves of Bane’s pack have been striped of their madness, they are under MY protection, to strike at them is to strike at my word as an amazon!”

Steeling himself, Dracula said nothing even as Dinah and Talia made to protest until the Count raised his hand to silence them. Making Basset smirk. “Hmm, I like this one’s passion, yes… The excuse for you to end them all is over I think, even I can feel the madness of Remus subsumed.” Approaching the wolf King, Bruce was a bit taken back by how forward the werecat was when she cupped her hands under his snout in an almost motherly tenderness. Her eyes soft with a warm smile. “Your parents are PROUD of you Bruce, you have saved these people for many years and given them hope in a city drowning in despair, but the mantle of the Bat is no more, let it go. You have two feet in two worlds already, you do not possess a third leg to remain in that world.”

“Heh, you haven’t had him in the sack kitty cat… Ouch.” Complained Harley, rubbing her side after being jabbed by Pamela.

Turning her attention to Dracula, the Vampire lord readied himself for what he thought would be a scolding curse from the Queen of the Umbra, only to be surprised when she showed the same tenderness. Cupping her clawed hands under his chin and wiping a thumb over his cheek. “For so long you searched for her, travelled centuries to get her back so many times only to be robbed of her; Abun Sa, Isabella, Mina… Cruelty begets cruelty, love begets love, I have deemed that your search is over.” Turning to look over her shoulder, Basset took the hand of the tall, curvaceous werecat she had at her side, guiding her to stand before Dracula, the cat eyeing him up with a smirk.

“I do not understand.”

Looking over his broad shoulder, Basset looked to the dawning sun with a smile. “Oh, you will.”

When the first rays of sunlight cast over the city, Bruce’s pack moaned in discomfort as they began to change, reverting to human form. Watching his pack change, Bruce retained his lupine form, towering over the others even as they reduced in height and strength. “Bruce…?” Looking to Pamela, the red and white wolves looked down at themselves, still in their wolfen forms and looking back at their king with elation. “Bruce my love.” Embracing the Wolf King, Aloe Vera nuzzled and kissed at his snout, pausing briefly for Harleen to join them. The two wolf queens showing their love for Bruce just as Harleen pulled away with a look of thought in her eyes. “So that bite you gave us wasn’t just a power boost, you made us like YOU, didn’t you?”

“MY MINA!” Turning his attention back to the vampires, Bruce found Dracula on his knees, the fight gone from him as he stared up at the beautiful nude woman looking down at him with an affectionate smirk. “My LOVE… You have returned to me!”

Seeing her close the distance and crouch to embrace him, Bruce’s eyes narrowed when he instantly recognised the face of the woman hugging the sobbing vampire king clutching her like a lifeline. “Selina Kyle…” Seeing a human close the distance and offer his coat to the nude woman, Selina accepted it graciously as she caressed the man’s face, embracing him tenderly as he let out what sounded like pain filled sobs, thin lines of red running down his eyes until he slowly regained his composure. When he did, the vampire gave Bruce a look of rage so intense, everyone present stood back anxiously. But Selina stepped up to him and put her hand gently on his cheek and smiled.

"Do not be angry, beloved Khaine. Thanks to them, you and I will be together forever. The ravages of time no longer affect me, and I will never grow old. Lucifer will never be able to separate us again," she breathed gently in ancient Egyptian and Dracula reacted as if a switch had been flipped. His anger was extinguished, and he gently put his hand on yours.

"Hey Mr. B! Isn't this Khaine some strange important guy from the Bible?" Harley, of all people, asked, scratching her head thoughtfully. Everyone except Dracula and Selina looked at Harley in bewilderment when Bruce asked.

"You speak ancient Egyptian?"

"Sure! And, Hindu, Pashto, German, Norwegian, Latin, Chinese and Klingon," she nodded and adjusted an imaginary pair of glasses on her nose. "A good doctor can describe a disease in at least 10 languages. Besides, Klingon is a wonderful language to talk dirty to people in. SoHvaD tlhoch, reH ghargh. tagha' Hegh nuch SoH."

With the laughter that followed, the threatening mood dissolved as everyone realized that the fight was over and that no one else would die. However, just as a certain euphoria was about to spread, one could hear the clapping of hands. Immediately, the two parties whirled around to the sound and stared at two people slowly approaching the group. The first person was a man with long black hair tied together in a ponytail. On his left eye he wore a monocle, which was certainly unusual in the USA. He was dressed in an extremely elegant suit that strongly resembled a butler. At most the black leather gloves did not match the outfit perfectly. In terms of age, this man was certainly a little over 80 years old, even if he moved with an elegance that his age should not really give away. At his side walked a 40 to 50-year-old woman with long blond hair. She was wearing a white shirt under a dark green jacket, which was heavily embroidered, with a red scarf across her shoulders and right around her neck she wore a silver cross. Her face was framed by simple glasses and between her lips one could see a long cigar that seemed to belong to a rather expensive brand.

While the clapping had come from the man, the woman just kept smiling at Dracula.

"Fucking shit!" Bruce muttered, confusing Dracula with his reaction, but he knew exactly who the man was. With the woman he was not sure, but with the man there was no doubt. He might have grown older, but it was impossible to forget that face. Talia immediately noticed that her master was uncomfortable with these people and wanted to jump in front of her master when he threw her to the ground with one hand and hit her.

"Stay out of this, Talia!" Talia looked up in amazement and then at this man. She couldn't understand why Dracula seemed... scared of him. Not after seeing what powers her master possessed.

"Master Dracula." Did the older man smile with an aristocratic courtesy that seemed completely out of place and strange here? The women who knew Bruce better immediately felt themselves reminded of Alfred.

"Walter." Dracula barely smiled. "are you here to finish it?"

"Not at all, sir. If you insist, however, we can pick up where we left off." The older man smiled friendly while his eyes looked at Dracula unimpressed. "Master Wayne. Nice to see you again. I hope my son is doing well, right?" he turned to Bruce who flinched.

"Of course, Walter. I got him to safety before things got out of hand. He's with Damien, protecting him."

"That's awfully kind of you, Master Wayne. I am pleased that I have nothing to worry about and nothing to get upset about. After all, I'm not that young anymore." Walter smiled extremely politely. But in these words, a subliminal threat sounded with which Bruce had clearly heard and understood.

"If you'll allow me to introduce my young mistress to you?" he asked and bowed slightly to the lady at his side. "My mistress Lady Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing, head of the Royal Protestant Order of Hellsing Knights. Lady Integra. This is Count Vlad Tepes of Romania, also known as Count Dracula, and this unwashed and undressed man is Bruce Wayne." He smiled and managed to make Bruce blush and hastily put on his cape, finding the tattered cloth on the ground.

"I'm delighted." Lady Integra smiled to those present and mustered Dracula. "My grandfather told me many stories about you, dear Count. He said that of all the God-banned monsters, you were the only one who truly deserved the title of monster.”

Talia and Dinah took a deep breath because of this insolence but didn't dare to attack, and Zatanna had to grin when she heard that. However, she didn't know whether this was courage or stupidity. Dracula on the other hand remained completely calm and held Selina's hand which leaned gently against him.

"I remember your grandfather very well. He was a great man. Someone I could respect. I also remember the young boy who stood by him so bravely in those days." Dracula smiled and looked at Walter. "I'm not in the mood to listen to the past right now, though. Urgent things need to be clarified. If the Lady Integra would permit, I suggest a meeting at a later hour. Then I will be happy to tell you about your grandfather and his attacks on me."

Integra smiled and nodded. "I suppose your highborn knows where the Hellsing estate is. After all you have destroyed it in your last visit. I expect your visit in a month. I believe you were a lover of Indian tea?"

When Dracula nodded, he turned back to Bruce and after some time he stretched out his arm. "Peace will hold, but I have conditions!"

Bruce did not hesitate long and extended his large clawed hand as well. With a loud blow, the two of them shook hands and struck out. "I will listen to your terms, and I will set some myself."

"Good. So be it. My first condition is that you and your pack never set foot outside the gates of Gotham. If you or any of your kind violate it, I will come back!"

Looking over his shoulder to the red wolfess, the two shared a look, with Pamela smiling back at him and nodding. "This sounds good. I'm afraid you're right. And I personally will make sure it stays that way." Behind him he could hear the lycanthropes whisper amongst themselves as they witnessed the meeting, the rest of Gotham finally coming out of their hiding places now that the fighting was over.

"Now I hear terms from you!" Stated Dracula, and Bruce answered carefully.

"You will release your women. You will free them from your spell and let them choose what they want to do!" Turning his attention to Zatanna, the vampire clasped her hands to her heart, anxious to know what Dracula’s response would be.

"I allow Zatanna to choose her place in this world, as long as I do not need her special gifts for other things, she is free to act as she wishes. But as for Talia and Dinah, I will decide later." Said Dracula calmly and crossed his arms in front of his chest. Still the two looked deeply into each other's eyes and neither of them seemed to blink at all. But finally, it was Basset again who decided. She stepped between the two men and put one hand on their wrists and released the handshake of the two.

"A decision like this should not be made hastily. I will now open the gates and you will rest. This fight has stirred up your souls too much. I will take the one you call Zatanna and the one who calls herself Aloe Vera. You should know one thing. A power greater than yourselves has had enough of this conflict. It is time you two made peace, and that is why we are here. We are here to mediate. We are on neither side." She smiled and then looked at Zatanna and Aloe Vera who seemed to feel how important this decision was. Both women followed the mysterious woman as she purposefully walked towards the World Tree.

Dracula looked at Bruce who nodded thoughtfully. "I think it's a fair offer. We should think about how to handle the situation. But before we go... will the war go on?" Asked Bruce, staring at the Vampire Count and Selina Kyle tighten her grip at his hand, making the man turn to see her then back to him.

"I'll think about it." Said Dracula and then went towards his castle. Without giving the wolves a glance, Talia and Dinah followed them. As Dracula passed Diana, he stopped for a moment. "I respect your mother Princess, but I don't appreciate any threats from a woman who presumes to speak for all the Amazons. As far as I know, only your mother can do this! Please tell her that I wish to speak to her soon."

Nodding curtly to the Vampire, Diana joined the others as they were tended to by the rest of the city’s people.

*

Returning to the cave in what few vehicles remained at his disposal. Bruce no longer cared that it was a squadron of police cruisers and transports that followed him back to his cliffside refuge. Running on all fours along with Harleen, the two wolves guided the vehicles into the cliffs to the entrance of the cave, rearing up on their hind legs and slowing their pace once inside. Exiting the vans and cruisers, the Lycanthropes stepped out and assisted the police, the three massive wolves guiding them to what needed to be taken and what needed to be dismantled. Looking down as crews went to work on the cave, Bruce looked down at the commissioner, the man standing with his daughter wearing makeshift clothes offered before they left. “So… This whole time, you were Bruce Wayne.”

“Not anymore…” Replied the Wolf King softly. “Not Batman either…”

Nodding to that cryptic response, Gordon looked around, watching as the lycanthropes gathered children from the back of the cave, newborns that had been tended to by a couple of women left behind to care for them while the battle raged for three days. Looking back to his daughter, it relieved him that she was fully healed; no longer needing the aid of a wheelchair, if anything she looked more fit and strong than he ever remembered her being, but that only meant that she had become one of the new ‘denizens’ of Gotham. “So, what are you Barbara, a wolf like him?”

“Not REALLY dad.” Replied the red head, hugging herself tightly. “I guess you can say I’m the itsy-bitsy spider… Without the itsy-bitsy part.”

“What?”

“SHE is a werespider; a queen arachnid of the night and weaver of men’s fates, in time you will know what that means.” Answered a dark-haired woman that passed him by, eyeing the man with a look he thought seemed salacious. Arachne gave Barbara a knowing nod before she joined the others tending to the cave’s needs. Not understanding her reply, James Gordon looked back to Bruce, only to find him already going deeper into the cave with Harley and Diana following him. Once he reached the back of the cave, Bruce sighed in relief to find Kara lounging on her side, tired but awake as she nursed her cubs. The still sleeping form of Superman nearby with a blanket over him to help him rest. Looking up with tired eyes, Kara smiled back at the three. “Hey… Welcome back… When did YOU get so big?” She asked, surprised but too tired to react to Harley’s new size.

“Good news; the war is over, there’s a truce between us and Dracula.” Answered the Wolf King, kneeling to nuzzle her face and getting a pleased sigh from the krypto-wolf.

“Hmm, that’s nice…” Sighing deeply, Kara returned to sleep, letting her six pups suckle from her while nearby Harley responded to the cries of Pamela’s human children. The massive white wolfess lounging on her own side to tend to them. Entering the cave, Wonder Woman clasped her hands to her mouth in surprise to find the motherly Kryptonian wolf resting as she tended to her cubs. “It is good to see that she is doing well.” Petting her horned head, Diana gently petting the heads of her six cubs. Then her attention fell to the still unconscious Superman, checking his pulse, she was relieved he was recuperating quickly, humming in response to her gentle touch to his forehead. Turning to look back out into the larger main chamber of the cave, Diana turned her attention back to Bruce. “Bane’s wolves are now yours, what shall you do with them?”

Shrugging, Bruce answered matter of fact. “They become a part of my pack; on instinct they’ll follow what I have to say.”

“Then they will be tended to by good hands.” She smiled, rising to her feet and brushing herself clean before giving Bruce a fierce look, coupled with her smile. “Unless I have to return to see to it, they are treated fairly?”

Chuckling, their reverie was cut short when a portal opened in front of them, allowing Zatanna and Aloe Vera to enter the cave with the portal closing behind them, the image of the world tree in sight behind them. Looking to them both, Zatanna and Aloe Vera looked like they had gone through an incredible ordeal, the two trading looks before Pamela moved to embrace Bruce and separate to tend to her children. “What did Basset want with you two?”

“Something… Something incredible my love…” Answered Aloe Vera, her eyes shifting as if trying to find the right words to use.

“Life leads to death, death leads to rebirth, the two turn in a circle, and in that circle leads to the cycle, the umbra.” Zatanna answered cryptically, her attention on Bruce as she looked up at his tall stature. “Those were Basset’s exact words, I… We… There’s a portal to the umbra in the world tree now, a permanent portal to the realm of life and death.”

“We have created a sanctuary my love, a realm where we can flourish without granting harm to the Earthly realm.

“Bruce?” Crouching down to look Zatanna in the eye, he could see the woman was a storm of emotions. The vampire looked up at him longingly with indigo glowing eyes as she clutched at her indigo lantern ring in her hand. “Bite me.”

“What?”

“BITE ME!” Bloody tears streaking down her pale white cheeks, Zatanna pressed up against Bruce, gripping his head in her hands and pulling him close pleadingly. “I don’t want to BE this anymore, YOU should have bitten me, NOT him…” Breaking down in Bruce’s embrace, Zatanna continued to weep as the massive wolf cradled her in his arms. Reverting to his human form, Zatanna nearly lost her balance in his shift in mass, now wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her head in his bare chest. “You… Not him…”

“I’m sorry Zatanna, lycanthropy doesn’t work on the dead.” Hearing that word, Zatanna whimpered before she felt his hands pull her arms away from his and press them close to her own chest. “I’m a monster… I’m worse than any of you… Even Dracula.”

“Not while you have that.” Bruce pointed to the indigo ring on her finger. “With that you have something the others don’t have.”

“What?”

Tapping his finger against her forehead Bruce closed his eyes and peered into her inner self, the same way that Aloe Vera did with the wolves many times before. Looking deeply within the black abyss of her own heart, Zatanna didn’t know what she was looking at; a feint indigo glow nearby shifted and moved, approaching her now that she entered her own mind. What she found horrified her! Staring up at a hideous beast that loomed over her, the creature was like a bat, or a scorpion, or a mesh of the two. A varghiest, HER vargheist; the source of her vampiric thirst. Gasping and clutching her hands to her mouth, the massive monstrosity was the size of a van, standing on the pinions of six folded wings, it loomed over her with its upturned nose and wide spaded ears, behind it a fleshy tail ended with long pincers that snipped at the air. She was scared, terrified of what she could become if her mind broke, and the thirst took over. She just wanted to die… Then something happened. Feeling the creature’s mass press against her, its head nuzzled into her chest and face, licking her face with a look of empathy and kindness in its indigo eyes. Looking down at its clawed wing, she found an enlarged indigo ring sticking out of its finger, the same finger where her hand would be. Returning to reality, she found herself staring into Bruce’s eyes again.

“What you have is a soul.” He answered, making the woman nod with a small smile, a look of hope in her eyes again. “Go tell Dracula, tell him, we’ll meet at the world tree in one hour.”

Nodding, Zatanna opened the portal to go back to Dracula’s castle. Before entering, she turned and returned to Bruce, kissing him on the lips before disappearing through the portal.

*

An hour later, all of them met right in front of the huge roots of the World Tree. Only now Dracula could take the time to admire the mighty oak. Its trunk was about 40m wide and the branches towered above even the tallest still standing buildings. The leaf canopy of the titanic tree covered almost the entire city and only a small part of it was damaged. The tree had been damaged where the fusion cannon of the watchtower had pierced the leaves. In the trunk it could still see the faces of countless people who had been sucked into the tree when it was created. Most of them had a peaceful expression but there was also the face of the Joker. Even now he still seemed to laugh, even if this laughter didn't seem so frightening anymore. More an echo of what was.

He looked down at one of the roots where Basset’s greatest fighter stood lurking and looked down at everyone present. Even now, during the day, he was still in his warrior form as if he had never had any other form. His lurking eyes were constantly moving, and Dracula was sure that he was just waiting for one of them to get too close to his goddess. Opposite him waited Bruce, who had put on a new Batman suit. But the mask hung over his back so that his face was visible. It was no longer necessary to hide his identity. No one in Gotham could ever be more afraid of him than after that night. It didn't matter if it was Batman or Bruce Wayne. Everyone had seen what the Wolf King could do.

Behind Bruce was the green woman and a crazy looking woman who reminded him a little of the Joker. Behind him was the pitiful remnant of his pack that had survived that night. It was only a handful of real werewolves and a handful of snakes and spiders. Still there was no trace of the two aliens. Dracula could see that the green woman looked reverently at Basset and he recognized the same awe and fascination as in the eyes of Zatanna. However, he could also see that people were looking at him with concern. Only Bruce Wayne did not seem to be intimidated by him. Musing on what he was told, Bruce almost chuckled to himself at the vampire’s TRUE name.

"An impressive name." Said Bruce when they faced each other.

"One of many in my story. I think there's a solution to our problem." Said Dracula seriously, but Bruce finished his sentence for him.

"We will leave this world and go to the other side. There we will be unable to harm anyone else."

Dracula smiled in agreement and looked at the World Tree. "You have undergone an impressive transformation. You have reached a level I have not seen in an eternity. If you keep your mind, I will not turn on you. However, if you follow his fate, I will stop you."

Looking back at the Vampire King, Bruce’s eyes narrowed as did Dracula’s. The intense look told the man that the Count was deathly serious, and that he should take his word as such. "I understand now why you tried to stop me. Bane almost unleashed what you tried to tell me; and the very same monster lurks within me that was in Bane. I could be just like him. If I become a threat to Gotham, I trust you'll stop me." He said quietly.

"This day will come sooner or later. But it has not yet come. And if you control yourself, you're welcome to walk around here. But Zatanna told me there would be another way. A world beyond ours. She thought this would be a suitable place for you. What do you think of it?"

"That it would be the best option." Bruce answered him.

"I will release the city on one condition." Dracula said quietly and when he saw that he had the attention of Bruce he went on. "You promise me that it will be you that prevents this plague from leaving the city. If a single werewolf is ever created beyond the city limits, our truce is over."

"Acceptable. And what about Cat woman?" Bruce asked, to which he only caught a questioning glance. "Selina Kyle. Your Mina!"

"She will stay by my side as long as she wishes. Anyone who tries to change that will suffer my wrath."

"I don't think Gotham can take any more anger! You've stated your terms, now it's my turn. You will leave Gotham immediately. You will take this monster of a castle and you will never set foot in the city without my permission. Unless you're here to stop me. If you harm Selina... ...I will hunt you down. Do we understand each other?"

Dracula just grinned and bowed in recognition of these conditions. Without wasting another word, he turned around on the spot and walked straight to his castle. "Zatanna. You may do whatever you want if you don't act against me! Should I need your services I will let you know!" he said as he passed her.

No sooner had he disappeared into the castle with Talia and Dinah than the castle was gone. As if it never had been there.