Dracula and the Girl, Dracula and the Family, Dracula... finds Hope in the City of Dark Hope

Dracula walked through deserted streets and past burned cars. He saw traces of gangs exploiting the chaos. The little lady on his hand had put aside her shyness and fear and talked uninterruptedly about things she had experienced. She told about school and her friends and her favourite colour. Just keep talking. But this time Dracula liked it. He didn't really listen but her voice calmed him down in a pleasant way. She somehow anchored his mind in the here and now. He let her lead him to a house and she was visibly happy that she was finally home.

When he rang at her behest it didn't take long for a woman familiar to him to open the door.

"Mr. Orgolag? HOLLI," Vivian finally screamed and grabbed the little girl and held her tight. "Holli! Where were you! I was so worried about you!"

"The merry uncle saved me from a stupid man and he brought me home!" said the cheerful little girl and Vivian looked at Dracula gratefully.

"You saved me again, Mr. Orgolag. I've been looking for Holli for days! I called the police but they were totally overloaded. How can I thank you" she sobbed and Dracula looked at her confusedly.

"Why are you still here? Can' t you see what's going on out there? You should have left the city," Dracula said distraught. He had already saved the woman once. When he had come to the city. He had thought she was clever.

"Batman will save us" said little Holli and Vivian looked down at her. "Exactly my little angel. Surely he will save the whole city very soon. And you have to go to bed now".

"Can Daddy tell me another good night story?" asked the little one and Dracula could see how Vivian had to swallow hard before she answered. "Papa is still on the way and will come back later. And if you're very well-behaved, he'll tell you a story! So off to bed."

Holli waved happily at Dracula and then ran into the apartment. As soon as she was gone, Dracula looked at her questioningly but for sure.

"And what is the truth?

"The truth.... Is that my husband isn't back yet. He went out to look for Holli. But he hasn't come back yet. I will not leave the city without him. Batman will surely come and save us"!

"Why do you rely on this Batman so much?"

"Because he is Batman! He is the dark knight of Gotham" smiled Vivian. "Won't you come in? I could use some company."

Nodding, he came into the house and shook his head. "I'm not sure if this is a good idea. I have to admit that at the moment I'm not sure if I might be a danger to you."

"I'll take that risk tonight. I can't be alone another night! I am afraid. Have you ever been in love? Or married? Seperated by the Ones you Love?" Vivian asked curiously and a little shyly. She had hardly asked the question when she regretted it. She could see that Dracula's face was overcome by grief. "I wanted..."

"It's all right... Go ahead. I need the sound of a voice very much at the moment. And your question. Yes, I loved once. I once loved a woman who illuminated my world. It was in Egypt and she was my Isis."

"Isis" she asked curiously.

"An Egyptian goddess. But that is no longer important." He said calmly. "She was taken from me. From people who acted out of stupidity and feared everything they didn't understand. I found her again... Years Later in a Land far away from Home... but again i lost her."

"I am very sorry about that! You must have loved her very much?

"I did... and I still do. My heart will always belong only to her." Dracula smiled shortly before visions of his own past overpowered him. It took him a few seconds to calm down. "He swore: "miserable poison! "

"Poison? You were poisoned?" she shouted in shock and he shook his head.

"A monster who thought he understood the fear. It was like a mirror into my own soul. But one i will never be!"

"Scarecrow" she sighed, "You were poisoned by Scarecrow? A miracle that you can still stand on your feet! I have lived in Gotham for a long time and have seen what the poison of this madman can do."

Dracula just raised her hand and waved off. "Don't worry about it. I will not allow this worm to triumph over me! However, I confess that he was a capable alchemist.

"Was?" she asked astonished.

"Your noble Batman... how often did he stop him?" Dracula asked coolly and it was clear to him that he had asked the right question. "He could have freed you from these beings long ago. Why did he never do it?

"Because he's Batman. He's not a killer. And believe it or not. Even if these lunatics break out again and again. He is the Rock of Hope in this city. If he did what you said, he wouldn't be better than the others. He would just be a madman who would take the law into his own hands."

"Mhm." He could only reply to that.

"You don't seem to like Him very much" she asked uncertainly.

"I don't understand what the inhabitants of this city see in Him if that's what you mean. I'm sorry. He has had the abilities, the skills and the possibilities to drive these monsters out of the city or to destroy them. And now I have to hear that you even worship him for not doing so."

"I can understand this contradiction. But you can't just limit Batman to the role of a warrior or protector. See Him more as a symbol or as hope."

"I understand." Nodded Dracula and stood up. "Please give me a picture of your husband."

She stood up and went to a small shelf where there were some picture frames. She held out a picture to him and he took it to look at it.

"I will have to apologize now. It's time your daughter heard her good night story."

"What are you going to do" she asked as she went to the door with him and he stood in front of the door and spread his arms.

"Help you." He breathed and turned into a gigantic swarm of thousands of bats. Vivian screamed in horror and looked at the animals as they spread all over the city. But she didn't feel anxious. His whole way was reassuring in a crazy way.

As the dark swarm spread over the city, the bats swarmed more and more. Soon countless of them were overrunning the city. Every single bat, however, was only a part of his body. No mortal mind could ever understand what it was like to be made up of countless creatures. Every part of his body searched the city for Vivian's husband. But already after an hour of searching his journey was over. He manifested himself from a torrent of animals to a human form and looked at the corpse in front of him on the floor. He had come too late? He kneeled down to the man and turned him around.

But it wasn't the man he was looking for! Relieved he looked up and looked around. He could now see Him. Vivian's husband. Holli's father. And he would die every second! Vivian's husband looked directly into the barrel of a pistol. Dracula could see the cock striking the primer. He could see the burst of fire that left the barrel of the gun, as well as the small projectile that seemed to slowly unscrew from the gun. He saw the wide open expression on the husband's face as he realized he was about to die.

Vivian's husband stared at the Man who suddenly appeared right in front of him in disbelief. Where he had seen his death a second ago a man stood before him. He heard the bang of the gun and fell panically to the ground. As the man turned to him, the stranger looked down at him and his eyes glowed blood red. A large wound gaped in his chest and yet the man seemed completely undisturbed.

" Your daughter is waiting for her good night story. And your wife demands her husband's shoulder," Dracula said to him, holding out his hand.

"Who... are you?" he asked disbelievingly and stood up.

"I will bring you and your family out of the city. Follow me! This is your only and last chance to survive all this." Said Dracula and went off. He didn't wait for him but heard the man follow him. Only a few hours later they reached the barrier that surrounded the city. With a wave of his hand it opened and he pointed through.

" Another chance will not come to you" he said calmly, looking at Vivian and Holli. "Now go all through or not even I can still protect you".

Without waiting for an answer or anything, Dracula went into the rising fog.

"Mommy? Who was the uncle?" Holli asked when she was picked up by her father and carried through the crack.

"Batman" smiled Vivian happily. "He must have just been Batman!"

When Dracula arrived back at his new home he saw Talia waiting for him. She had a man kneeling in front of her who was badly battered. He wasn't even conscious and he looked at him long and thoughtfully.

"Is something wrong Master?" Talia asked uncertainly.

"Is he a sinner?" he asked Talia insecure the first time your master seemed insecure.

"No Master! I found him when he tried to hide. Why?

Dracula kneeled down to the man and raised his face to look at it. His gaze literally hung on the man's face and then he turned his gaze to the blood packets still lying on the table. Carelessly he dropped the man and stood up to go to the table.

"This here is blood?" he asked and weighed it back and forth in his hand.

"Yes Master. Master? What is going on'" she asked uncertainly.

"I had a long night. A night like no night before. This one time. This one time only I will show mercy. I found insight. I had to face the demons of my past."

Talia looked at Dracula confused and crossed her arms when Zatanna joined. She wore a light black bathrobe and also looked questioning.

"Get this man out of there! It's my gift to him." He said and bit into the blood bag.

Talia and Zatanna folded their jaws down when they saw this. Did their lord and master just drink from a blood bag?

"Whoa! Tastes disgusting!" he said shaking his head in disgust.

"What happened to You my beloved Husband?" Zatanna asked gently and embraced him lovingly.

"I am afraid! I fear that I will lose you" he said calmly and put his hand on hers "I fear that my power will not be enough this time".

"Master?" said Talia and walked towards him and looked deep into his eyes. "Zatanna! Look at his eyes!

Zatanna walked around him and looked at his eyes for a long time. "The pupils are greatly dilated. I didn't think he could be drugged." Said Zatanna horrified but Talia shook her head.

"Not just any poison. Our master is afraid. What does that tell you?

"SCARECROW!" Zatanna hissed furiously as her hair fluttered in a magical wind. "I'll tear this miserable buffoon in the air!"

"ENOUGH" Dracula thundered angrily and looked at his two wives. "I will not lose you! I will never come late again," he shouted and hit a wall with a fist that was almost pulverized.

"Dearest! We are here for you! We won't leave you. We will always stay with you!"

" THAT can.... Can..not....be..." Stammered Dracula as he looked out the window. There was something there. As if under a spell, he left his wives standing and went to the window. As he pulled the curtains to the side, he could see the pyramids of Giza out there. He was back? In Egypt!

"That... that's impossible" he said in wonder and when he turned to Talia and Zatanna he saw his old brides standing there.

"Cleopatra? Anubia?" he asked completely distraught.

"What is wrong with him" Talia asked uncertainly and Zatanna smiled. "He has a vision from his past. Judging by the name I would say he is in ancient Egypt."

Dracula turned back to the window where he could see his beloved wife standing before the sunrise. He reached out a hand to her before she was blown away by a desert wind. He tried to grab her but like fine sand she ran through his fingers. Inside Death he fell on his knees and wept tears of blood until he heard a soft voice.

"I will never leave you alone, my love. In the city of darkness Bastet will lead me back to you. Search the City of Dark Hope".

Dracula literally jumped on his feet and whirled around to Talia. Even the otherwise so fast woman was completely surprised by the speed of her master.

"SPEECH WOMAN! Would you call this city the City of Dark Hope?"

"Yes Dracula.... If you believe in Batman, you could call Gotham that! What did you see?"

"Hope!