Time to End it. Batman vs Dracula. The final Fight. (From the Point of View of Batman)

Staring up at the battlements and enchanted armor guarding the castle, the remainder of Bruce’s pack gathered themselves and went deeper into the woods in the middle of the street, to get as far enough from the castle as possible. Looking over the survivors, Bruce kept himself stoic in the face of losing so many. He had tried so hard to save as many as he could from the curse, the only cold comfort he gained from all this insanity was that they all died as people fighting for their city rather than mindless animals killing anyone in their path.

“Bruce, I am deeply sorry for your loss.” Called out Diana, picking herself up and approaching the man, embracing him in a hug in front of the others without any shame in the act. It was one of the many aspects he admired of the woman, she NEVER perceived compassion or love or empathy as a weakness, if anything she found it an often-forgotten strength. “Your… Your Wolves fought valiantly Bruce.”

“His WOLVES are still here!” Called out Jessie, pressing up behind Bruce and hugging him fiercely, eyeing the Wonder woman with an almost jealous tint in her eyes. Stepping away with a warm smile, Diana watched on as the other werewolves in human form did the same. Hitomi, Chelsea, Jessie and Adelle clung to their alpha from behind, not phased by their nudity in the middle of the day as they eyed the amazon princess defensively. Aloe Vera and Harley soon joined them, the two nude women kissing Bruce and taking either side of him, draped over his shoulders.

Looking to the other groups, Diana found them keeping close. The weresnakes too had reverted to human form and eyed Wonder Woman with curiosity while the werespiders she recognised as Barbara Gordon and Helena Bertinelli sat on the grass and shrubs while a tall athletic woman watched over the two, the dark haired beauty showing the same look of curiosity as the snakes looking back at her. “Who IS she?” Arachne asked, mesmerised by Diana’s beauty and poise. “That’s Wonder Woman; one of the most powerful warriors on Earth and is a dear friend.” Answered Barbara, watching as Arachne knelt, the look in her eyes showing her mind sharp and alert as thoughts and plans ran through her mind. “She is magnificent! Why the wolf king does not add HER to his pack, I do not know.” Narrowing her eyes at the woman, Barbara shook her head. “I know…”

Their attention then fell back to the castle gates, which had begun to open. Separating himself from the others, Bruce gave them a reassuring nod before he approached the gates to see the Count step out in the morning light. Making his way down the steps and out into the courtyard of his castle, Batman came out of the forests to stand before the tall vampire king, the two sharing a cold, stern look before the man spoke.

“Dracula.” Bruce nodded, looking up at the pale man in the sunlight.

“Bruce.” Nodded the king of the undead. “It’s time we finished this.”

“I agree.”

"Today, when the sun is highest in the sky, we will fight each other. In a fight to the death. As warriors," nodded Dracula.

Looking up at the stern face of the undead king, Bruce looked over his shoulder to find his three ‘brides’ standing at the threshold of the castle gates, with Talia and Dinah staring back at him with contempt and Zatanna clutching her hands to her chest, a look of worry on her face. Looking back at Dracula, Bruce nodded and swiftly turned, walking away from the Count and making his way back into the forests and out of sight. Returning to the others at the heart of Aloe’s forests, Bruce found himself once again embraced by his pack. The lot checking him over to see if he were harmed before finding himself being kissed by Harley and Pamela again. “What did he say my love?”

“Well, he’s not surrendering.” Getting a light chuckle from the others, Bruce made his way deeper into the forests until he got to his Batmobile, opening a compartment in the back and unloading equipment he had brought with him for his siege of the castle, but now it would seem he would need it for the fight to come. “He wants to settle this in a duel, at our weakest to determine the fate of Gotham.”

“Pff… Why would he agree to that?” Asked Helena no longer worried about her nudity as she and the others had followed him deeper into the forests to safety.

“Because he is a warrior, a noble one at that.” Answered Diana, looking to the others. “One who has fought for so long he has forgotten what was worth fighting for… But he still knows how to pay respects to another like himself.”

Gearing up, Batman buckled the plates of armor over his bat suit, the armor humming to life when fully hooked up to its power source. Draping his cloak over his armor, Bruce looked up to the sky to see the day go by. “He plans to face me at when the sun is at its apex, high noon… Almost poetic.” Heading out of the forests to face Dracula, he wasn’t surprised to find each of his pack mates embrace him or kiss his face and lips. Seeing Aloe Vera, Bruce turned to her and pulled her close for a deep kiss, making the green skinned woman swoon into his mouth before they separated. “Pamela, if anything happens to me… Lead the pack as I would, don’t let the city fall into madness.”

“I shall do as you wish… But YOU are not dying!” Feeling her tug at his arm and press his hand against her abdomen, she gave him a fierce look. “I expect our pack to grow after this!”

Nodding back to the red-haired beauty, he made to leave when he found Harley jump and wrap her arms around his shoulders, capturing his lips in hers. “Harley…”

“He’s powerful, he KNOWS he’s powerful, has been for centuries and is comfortable with that fact. That’s his weakness, he EXPECTs to win, use his arrogance against him and he’ll slip up.” Taken back by her words of advice whispered in his ear by the albino woman, Batman managed to look her in the eye to find her looking back like a completely different woman. “Dr. Quinzell?” Slowly nodding with a warm smile, Harleen stepped back and joined Pamela’s side.

Marching out of the woods and into the clearing that opened in front of the castle gates, Batman kept his cloak wrapped around him, obscuring his armor when he finally stepped out into the sunlight. There standing at the bottom steps of the castle stood Dracula, wearing full body plate that was etched and painted to look like raw musculature over his body, a black weathered cape around his neck draped behind him, tattered yet still flowing in the slight breeze. In his hands was a sleek two-handed blade, aged as his armor but polished to a reflective finish.

"On my honour I vow not to use my magic powers and to face you as far as possible as an equal. However, I must confess that I cannot completely suppress my physical abilities." He said respectfully.

"I thank you for these words, but don't worry, Count Dracula. I've fought Superman many times and won." Said Batman in a gloomy voice and barely nodded noticeably. Seeing the Count turn and step away to bow and mutter a knightly vow, Bruce found that Diana was right about him. So much had been twisted or broken but the knight remained a knight, regardless of how far he had fallen. Darting back into the forests without a sound, Batman umped and climbed up a tree to position himself for the fight, a bundle of batarangs already in his gloved hand.

"Impressive Batman. I'm beginning to understand why the creatures of this city fear you." Dracula called out, stepping into the forests to follow his opponent in. Seeing the armored knight march deeper into the forests, Bruce flicked two batarangs behind him, the sound of a pair of whirling projectiles filling the air almost silently until they circled back and struck perfectly against Dracula’s back without him noticing. Until their timed explosives finally went off. Thrown off his feet, Batman threw the other three batarangs the other way, seeing them twirl in an arch and make their way towards the Count, before Dracula blocked one and dodged the other two. Sneaking his way to another tree canopy, he listened in as the Count investigated his silent attacks.

"Clever. You wanted to see what I was capable of. And I gave you a taste of my strength."

He wasn’t even started yet, finding a good position, he leapt from his position and spread his cape out like the wings of a bat, surprising the count into hesitating before putting all his effort in a high kick that sent the Count reeling back into a tree. Landing heavily on his feet, Batman stormed ahead, grabbing the prone knight by his ankle and with a hiss of mechanical motors, hurled the armored vampire across the wooded area with enough force that he struck another tree and caused the bark to explode on impact. Falling to his hands and knees, Batman left no room or time for the Count to recover, kicking the man with enough force to send him airborne. He wasn’t oblivious to the sounds of bones crunch or armor buckle during the fight, but this was not a fight for Bruce to hold back, not anymore. Left tumbling onto his back, the Count was dazed from the series of attacks and Bruce made to strike again when Dracula managed to grab hold of his ankle in mid kick, sneering up at his opponent.

The throw was even more powerful than what the suit could provide, sending Batman reeling in the air before he corrected his trajectory and landed clumsily on his feet. Regaining his footing and his blade, Dracula prepared a strike and charged forward. His sword strikes were like hammer blows, smashing into the wrist guards of Batman’s armor and sending pockets of sonic booms to crash and wake through the forests, causing leaves to fall and branches to creak from the turbulence. Even at Dracula’s presumed weakest, the man struck with the strength of 10 men forced Batman to keep his eyes on the glinting blade. Fighting smart, Bruce struck and kicked; trading blows with his fists and feet through the few opening the Count left open with each sword strike. Sneering with rage, Dracula had dropped his sword to grab one of Batman’s fists in mid strike, feeling the intense pressure nearly shatter the bones in his hand.

"My turn!" With a backhand that blew out several tree branches in the wake of the sonic boom it caused, Batman’s chest heaved from the impact, his body flying across the forest nearly 30 meters, slamming into a tree and hearing his back snap from the impact. Fallen and prone, Bruce looked up dazed, noticing the copper taste of blood in his mouth as he tried to get up. His hand felt numb as it quickly rebuilt his bones, along with the pressure ein his back as his spine realigned and healed. Looking up with clear vision, Bruce noticed Dracula regain his abandoned sword and spat blood on the grass by his feet. Stern and focussed.

Getting up to his feet, Bruce checked the dimpled handprint in the thick black armor he wore, retaining his stoic glare back at the count. With so few to keep the fight from spilling out into the rest of the city, the population had crawled out of their hiding places to watch the duel carry out. Now in broad daylight and his cloak over his shoulders behind him, the crowd cheered when Batman got up to his feet, ready to face the count again.

"That's the Superman Slayer suit!" Called out one of the cheering pedestrians watching from a safe distance.

"Superman Slayer?" Dracula asked, flicking his blade clean of the dirt and making his way to close the distance between him and Batman.

"One of my suits that allows me to keep up with your strength," Checking the bottom of his wrist guard, Batman checked on an algorithm he had kept his eyes on since the fight began. Timing was key and so far, it wasn’t time yet for what he had planned.

"I am honored!" Dracula smiled and stretched. "Let's see if I can prove myself worthy of this suit," he said and charged forward. Once again, they traded blows with Dracula swiping and cutting with his sword with the force of a jackhammer. Like before the crowd had to back away as the shockwaves of each strike, punch and kick caused tremors and sonic booms that sent them all reeling back and cover their ears and eyes. He was getting sharper, Bruce realised. Learning quickly from his combat arts. Which meant he had to fight dirty. In between sword strikes, Batman reached into his belt and pulled out a thrust pack, slapping it against Dracula’s chest and activating it. A bout of thrust sent the vampire king back as if he were struck and became pinned to a tree, before he ripped the offending device off himself. Finally landing on his feet, he was suddenly caught off guard when a bolas made of steel cable wrapped around him and bound him to the tree while Batman ran forward and gripped a pair of steel knuckles that sparked when he struck them together. Letting loose a barrage of heavy punches, Bruce watched on as the electrical bursts sent violent muscle surges through the vampire Count before, he broke free and backhanded him across the field.

Rolling into the strike, Batman grabbed a bundle of smoke bombs and tossed them against Dracula, sending the knight into a coughing fit and swinging sword heavily to clear the garlic filled air, losing his attention of batman as he prepped another bundle of batarangs and tossed them into the smoke, setting off explosions that rocked and stunned the vampire before Batman ran in for anther bout of combat. For hours the two clashed with each other, trading blows repeatedly until the sun began to set.

"Is your magic leaving you?" Dracula asked calmly. The Count breathing hard along with Bruce. Batman felt exhausted, rubbing his side as it healed quickly. But even so he never felt this dragged for some time.

"Something like this." Puffed Batman. "Didn't expect the fight to last six hours."

Turning his attention to the setting sun along with Dracula, Bruce listened as the man spoke.

"It seems that fate does not want us to fight honorably as equal opponents."

"Sorry?"

"Know, mortal, that I will honor thy name as long as I exist... but now is the time to end this contest. These people worship you... but now is the time to show them what you really are! What you have become. But be warned. You won't beat me this time."

"I've beaten you before. It was only Zatanna who saved you then!" growled Batman.

"That's right." Said Dracula smiling and slowly took off his armored gloves and let them fall to the ground. He rammed the silver sword into the ground. Slowly and thoughtfully he then began to take off his white gloves with the elaborate symbols embroidered on them. As soon as the two gloves touched the ground, they caught fire. Violet flames caught the gloves and burned them completely. The wounds that Dracula had suffered in the hour-long fight healed at a breathtaking speed, as soon as the gloves were burned. He formed a square with both hands and looked through this square directly at Batman.

"Total release of all abilities. Releasing the seventh seal until the target is destroyed. "Category 1 Classification. Primary target: Batman." At that moment a shadow bloomed under Dracula’s feet, casting darkness over the darkening landscape before the sun even had a chance to set. A chill ran down Batman’s spine when he felt a powerful sense of dread pass over him.

"You are allowed to call upon any of your allies for help. Perhaps then it will be a fair fight." Said Dracula benevolently and looked at his brides. Meeting his gaze, Bruce found Dina and Talia smile back, while Zatanna looked on worriedly, the look in her eyes telling him SHE knew what was coming. And it wasn’t good.