Staring into the abyss...

Stepping past the police cruisers and cops keeping everyone away from the looming gothic castle now standing over the rubble of Wayne tower, John Constantine brushed past the police as if they couldn’t see him. Mostly because they couldn’t. Dangling a charm between his outstretched fingers and muttering an incantation, no one saw the trench coat wearing man cross the safety barricade until he was well past the ‘do not cross’ pylons and already walking through the spears that lined the castle’s front gates. At that point the police were finally made aware of the man, calling for him to come back but far too terrified to even enter. Passing by one impaled corpse after the other, Constantine snorted, flicking his spent cigarette aside and lighting a new one, unimpressed.

Looking up he found that even in the midday light heavy clouds began to build, and the swirling haunt of ghosts circling the castle, their cries and moans could be heard even from where he stood.

“Cute… All you need are a flock of bats to complete the, oh THERE they are.” Seeing the massive flock of back chirp and squeak in their thousands overhead, Constantine chuckled and made his way towards the steps of the castle. “Come ON now, you don’t need be to knock on the door for you to know I’m here.” He called out, waiting for a response. After a minute, he got his response when the 20-foot-tall doors creaked open wide enough for its four inhabitants to finally reveal themselves and step out into the day.

Dracula, despite having little to no power during the day, still exuded strength and mystical allure, his cloak obscuring his body as it flowed and slithered ahead of him with each step. Ahead of him were his three brides, women he had been turned into powerful vampires and had made it their own. Talia, he recognized. Despite her complexion being chalk white, the black skin-tight body suit and ninja blades certainly gave her away, the assassin gave him a haughty look descending the steps, her thumb never leaving the hilt of her sword at her hip. The blonde amazon next to her he didn’t recognize, but he knew that vampire or not, she looked like she could rip his arms and legs off, and as for the fanged grin she gave him, she had no allusions that she couldn’t.

Then there was Zatanna, a small part of him found the alabaster skinned magician looked even more alluring now than she ever had in life. Wearing black stiletto heels, matching bloomers and a tuxedo jacket styled to be a single button top with dangling coat tail behind her, she still wore the black top hat over her head. A brief sigh of relief fell over him until he got a look into her blood red eyes and fanged smile.

“Hello John, I take it you’ve come to ‘rescue me?” She grinned, hugging close to Dracula like a lover would. “I don’t need rescuing… But you might.”

“Zee, this isn’t you.”

The three women laughed, almost sympathetically to the man standing at the bottom of the stairs. “Goodness, Zatanna, you mentioned he was a threat, you didn’t tell us he was naive.”

Finally stepping forward to address the visitor to his castle, Dracula much to the surprise of everyone present, folded his cape and bowed to the warlock. “Welcome John Constantine, to my home.” Crossing the distance between each other, John was forced to look up to the man’s imposing height. “You have come here to take back my bride Zatanna have you not? I am afraid that is not possible.”

“Is it now…” dropping the cigarette in his mouth to smother it under his shoe, John lit another and puffed a plume of smoke into the vampire count’s face, making the man frown.

“Hello little mousey, are you prepared for the death you earned today?” Giggled Vicky, waving playfully to the man. The predatory look never leaving her hypnotic gaze, John had to force himself not to make eye contact with her when reverting his gave back at the stern face of her master.

“Tell your vamp-tramp over there to keep her mouth shut, I’m not here for her OR you, just her.” He answered, pointing towards Zatanna who smiled back with cruel mirth at her friend.

“You stare up at death with no doubts of surviving, no fear in the risks of failing and sacrificing all just to stand here all to reclaim a friend? No… A lover.” A smirk formed on the Vampire count’s face. “Your courage is admiral John Constantine; I think I like you.”

“Whoopdee fucking doo… Now let her go.”

His smile widening, Dracula turned to his bride Zatanna, offering his hand to her to join him down the stairs. “My bride, Zatanna, what do you think of your former ally here? Do you wish to go back to him? Or stay with me? Forever.”

*

Meanwhile, back at the cave…

Having fully dressed in his Batman costume once again, Bruce checked on everyone who had returned to humanity in the day time, many of them redressing themselves in the spare clothing he had in storage which for the most part were full body suits not unlike his own costume but without the equipment. The werewolves had so far been used to the nightly transitions and openly greeted their alpha, especially the women either pressed up close to show their affection; nuzzling or even kissing him, or to bring his gloved had to their swollen middles to show off their pregnancies. Whether they were his or not he could not recall, but to the women of his pack that didn’t matter. They wanted to show him that his pack was growing and healthy. The attention was new to him, but not unsettling, much to their whimpered disappointment he had to leave them to check on the others.

The latest additions to his pack he went to next, the werespiders had reverted to human form, much to Barbara and Helena’s relief, both women putting on full body suits to maintain their dignity. The snakes had done the same, being guided by Jessie, Chelsea and Hitomi; the first wolves to join his pack. They kept an eye on the newcomers save for the Huntress and Oracle while tending to them to help through the transition. He didn’t say it out loud, but he was proud of their changes and not just the physical. Before they were scared and timid, not knowing what to do about their current condition as werewolves, now? There was a confidence in them he found both admirable and attractive. The months living under his guidance had given them a calling they had almost completely embraced. He didn’t even feel concerned when Jessie stood up and moved to press up beside him, kissing the side of his jaw.

“They’re coping well Bruce; we’ve been keeping an eye on this one.” Jessie pointed to the stunning black-haired woman who looked down at her hands with unfamiliarity. Arachne had changed back into a human form, a look on her face told him she was desperately trying to piece her mind back together. Feeling up her face, she acted as if she didn’t recognize herself.

Lamia, as Arachne had called her was no different. Almost child-like she looked down at the leotard she was offered to wear, her mind so shattered she almost didn’t recognise what clothing was let alone how to wear it until Hitomi showed her how. Candy and Tracy gave the group space as they huddled close to their corner of the cave, still not used to what had happened to them.

“I CAN WALK!” Cried out Barbara, wobbling on her previously unused feet and taking slow steps forward, a look of shock and joy on her lips just as she realised Bruce was there. Quickly relearning how to walk, Barbara staggered up and embraced Bruce, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and kissing him deeply. The act he didn’t fight, knowing too well how emotional she was right now. “I can walk! I can walk! I can…” Peppering him with kisses, Bruce heard a chuckle behind him to find the nude Aloe Vera stroll into view, moss growing down her chest and stomach but did nothing to obscure her body. “More lovers? Should I be jealous?”

“No…”

Moving close to give a kiss of her own, it pleased the red-haired dryad that he so readily reciprocated. Breaking their connection when they heard Barbara quickly move over to be held up by Helena, barely containing the now laughing red head as she went to everyone nearby to show off her healed limbs.

“Your friend is very pleased with benefits of her lycanthropy, perhaps Jason had a point earlier?” Cooed Pamela as she affectionately traced a finger down the ears of Batman’s cowl. “For now, but I’m sure she’d quickly see the negatives when the moon is full in another 3 nights.”

Pouting at the response, Aloe Vera kissed him on the cheek and whispered to him. “I will tend to our children, then our pack, be with me soon.” Sashaying down the cave, she gave another pack member room as he charged through to get the Batman’s attention.

“BOSS! You’ve got to see this!” Following the man deeper into the cave where his surveillance equipment stood, a group of people watched on in shock at the broadcast before their alpha joined them to see what had gotten their attention. “We were trying to watch the news when THIS came on.” The television screen shown the front of Gotham PD, its entire staff tied and bound at the front steps whimpering as they each held a cluster of hand grenades in their hands. The commissioner himself hung by his feet by the flagpole while Deathstroke stood in front of the camera next to the struggling man.

“Good morning Gotham city, good morning Batman, I’m here to issue a challenge; winner takes all.”

“YOUR INSANE! Why are you doing this?! This city is in flames and your challenging the Batman?!” Feeling a blade tap at his chin to silent him, Deathstroke continued. “It’s precisely because the city is in flames that I issue this challenge, I want to know who’s the best in a now VERY small world, this city is dead, but before it dies I want bragging rights, come get me Batman… You have 30 minutes.”

Turning quickly, Bruce leapt into the batmobile at the heart of the cave, setting off the rocket boosters and practically flying out the cave at top speed.

*

Walking down the steps and embracing her master with a passionate kiss, Zatanna moaned into his lips, letting her hands roam over his chest and sides to feel up her master as they showed off their passion for one another. Letting one of her eyes to open just a peak to see the look of despair written on John’s face before she pulled away. “He never took me John, I went with him, willingly, I am neither his slave nor prisoner, I am his BRIDE.”

Looking between Zatanna and back at the Count, John dropped his cigarette and reached into his coat. “I didn’t want it to come to this, I was hoping you’d see reason and not fuck with a pissed off Englishman… Something you’ve got some history with right Dracula?” Asked Constantine as he pulled out a thermos full of salt and started pouring it all on the ground to form a circle. As he did so, behind him he could see the police frantically pack up their equipment and drive off in a hurry, their sirens blaring as they left out of sight.

“Aww… Looks like your friends are all gone.” Mocked Vicky, walking down the steps to join Dracula’s other arm, leering down at the man as he formed a circle of salt at his feet and tossed the thermos over his shoulder. Talia soon joined them, knowing full well why they were leaving the area. “Ah, so my plans are already in motion, no matter,

“You’re all alone now magician, no police to protect you, no friends to comfort you, no ‘Bat-Man’ to rescue you, just you… and the count of the undead.” Smiling down at the warlock still working on his summoning circle, Dracula humoured him, raising an eyebrow when he pulled out a sash and wrapped it around his head, covering his eyes. “You seek to summon a demon? To face me?” Chuckling at the absurdity of it, his brides joined in on his laughter, even when John pulled out a bottle of bourbon and forced himself to drink the entire bottle!

“I have dealt with the hellish denizens, I have even made deals with the worst of the fallen angels that lord over the pits and the seven circles, what have you to throw at me to compare to them, they will not obey you to harm me.”

At that moment Constantine chuckles just as he put on a pair of ear plugs and a mouth guard to bite onto when he was ready. “Well then, shows what you know, who said I was summoning a demon from Hell?” Reciting his incantation, the salt circle glowed purple, the ground within turning pitch black until it looked like a bottomless well that led to total darkness. “There are OTHER realms that have demons in them and believe you me, they’d give your nightmares nightmares.” Finally putting the mouthguard on to clamp onto, essentially numbing all five of his senses, John Constantine waited.

The five didn’t have long to wait until something finally came through the opening, an unidentifiable mass of tentacles, eyes and teeth slithered and coiled out the aperture, looming over the count and his brides. At that moment, Dracula understood what it meant to stare into the abyss.