Dracula and Mina.

Without a clue what was going on in his temporary domain, Dracula wandered through the streets of Gotham. He felt that the big final fight was coming and wanted to see the city as it was one last time. He couldn't get the so-called superheroes out of his head. But it wasn't only the powers that these people had, but rather the technical achievements that had amazed him. Beings from beyond this world were one thing but that normal humans, not earthly creatures and demigods united in a kind of heroic epos was amazing. Dracula had often had to learn that the general view of the world was wrong. The discovery of China, the discovery of America or the disappearance of the gods. All events that had had a fundamental influence on humanity. And now he had to struggle with the next change in his world view. So far it had never been particularly difficult for him but this time it was much more difficult for him. When the old gods had retreated he had become one of the most powerful beings on this planet. The lower gods or demigods were hardly able to keep up with his power. But these new beings were different. The Amazons had always been extremely capable warriors but this Diana was different. Her blood clearly smelled of old blood. And it was extremely powerful on top of that. Maybe one of the direct children of Zeus or one of his brothers.

Sooner or later he would have to deal with this problem. These people were completely convinced of what they were doing. Their ideals would sooner or later force them to take action against him. Perhaps in this exception they accepted his authority and his actions, but from now on they would keep a closer eye on him. Now that they were aware of his existence, he could not imagine that they would ignore him again. He would be under constant observation from now on and had to think about where he would live from now on. The fact that they had been inside his sanctuary indicated that they had taken a close look at the castle. And with their abilities it was unlikely that they would not seek it. However, all this had opened up new possibilities. The Amazons were still alive and he had already had good relationships with their queen. Maybe something could be done.

He shook these thoughts off laboriously. He could not allow himself to think about things that would only become important in the distant future. Although he had no worries before the fight himself he felt strange. It was as if something had changed in the city. It was hard to grasp and more a premonition than real knowledge. A cloth had laid itself over the city that strongly reminded him of a shroud. All the people who still dared to go out on the street were walking corpses for him. Strangely enough he could not resist the feeling that he had fundamentally changed the balance of the city. If things went on like this nobody in the city would survive. He had been aware from the beginning that there would be sacrifice or that no one would survive, but he had never intended to destroy all life in this city. That was only the last option if he would not bring the plague under control. Whether he would go this way, however, has not yet been decided.

In him something almost like regret emerged as he watched the many people. This city was a hundred times bigger than the cities of his time. Even London at that time was tiny against this place. Millions of people in a place like this. And countless of these cities were spread all over the world. Dracula seriously wondered how many people there might be in the world by now. In ancient times it had been difficult to stop a swarm of werewolves. Hard to imagine if all these people would become werewolves here. It was perfectly clear to him that from now on he was under observation, but this could also be an advantage. Should Bruce somehow make it through his spell, the so-called heroes would be ready to stop every fleeting werewolf.

There were three individuals he'd keep an eye on so far. Logically Superman was one of them. He counted the young lady who was like him among them. The Amazon princess was the second to deserve special attention. Not only because of her appearance, but also because of her powers. So far she hadn't revealed exactly what abilities she had, but Dracula wasn't stupid. Firstly this woman was admired and respected by all and secondly she was not completely human. But the third one he had to keep in mind was the most contradictory of all. This lunatic dressed in red who was constantly making stupid remarks. He had explored the whole city at a time that even Dracula had been amazed at. This man might even have been faster than Dracula if he had been totally into it. That could make this man as dangerous as Superman. Dracula had won many battles in which he had used nothing but his speed. That's why he was sure that Talia would become a very capable vampire. She had acquired much of this power from him. Enough to one day be very powerful.

While he walked through the streets lost in thought, he suddenly stopped as if anchored. Across the street, on the other side, he had seen a very special spirit. His beloved Mina. He blinked briefly and rubbed his eyes and looked back in that direction but Mina was gone. Had he been wrong? Was he more strained than he wanted to admit? Or did the city play with him? Take revenge for all the suffering he had brought on her.

The people of the city suddenly meant nothing to him anymore. His thoughts revolved only around his former darling. Once she had been reborn, perhaps it was the same this time. But the last time it had taken him over endless millennia to find her again in Mina Harker. Endless millennia of loneliness that even countless Wifes had not been able to alleviate. She was the only woman he had ever loved and had died before he had become what he was today. He had spent hundreds of years trying to find a way to bring her back from the afterlife, had mastered necromancy and got involved with demons of the underworld and yet he could do nothing. A soul that had passed through the great veil was irretrievably lost to Dracula. And then he had met Jonathan Harker without any hope. A whim of fate had allowed him to heal the great wound that was bleeding in his heart. He had found his true love again in the form of Mina Harker. Although her meeting had been brief, it had been enough to reawaken the immortal soul in Mina Harker. And then there had been this mortal.

Prof. Abraham van Helsing

Dracula sighed as he thought of that night. It had been significantly less romantic than Bram Stoker's book. The fight between Professor Helsing was a bitter, almost desperate fight on both sides. Dracula fought for his great love and the Professor fought to save the young woman's soul. What was also not mentioned in the book was that Mina had not survived the fight. Neither Helsing nor Dracula had been involved in her death, but it had been a tragic accident in which neither was to blame.

The sight of his shattered beloved had been a shock to him. It had been enough that Helsing could cut off his head what Dracula had destroyed. After he was resurrected he went with his serious injuries one last time to Helsing's estate. He wanted to face the man one last time before he had to retire to his castle. The wounds he had suffered in the fight had been terrible and had done Dracula a great deal of harm. To Dracula's amazement, however, Helsing did not attack him again.

The memories of the conversation with Helsing came back to his mind and he allowed himself to relive this moment when he thought of one of the greatest people he had met in all his time.

The estate of Professor Helsing, Chairman of the Royal Protestant Hellsing Order of Knights in 1897, near London.

Dracula appeared in the middle of the professor's workroom. Even though his physical appearance did not show any wounds, he had not been so weak for a long time. His body was still struggling with the sacred poisons of his fight against Helsing. When he manifested himself in the room he saw the professor sitting at a desk and writing a book. Slowly he put the pen away and pulled the glasses off his head to put them down as well.

"I had already thought that it was not enough to kill you, Count." The older man smiled and turned around, " However, I would have hoped for a little more effect."

"Oh be assured Professor. You fought bravely for a human being."

"Then I may assume you are here to continue our fight, which ended so tragically," Helsing asked him in a calm, firm voice. No trace of fear sounded in his voice. Something that demanded respect from Dracula.

"I am here to pay my respects to you, dear Professor. I promise you that I am not here to continue this fight. Neither of us would be able to lead it to be worth our weight." Dracula smiled friendly and nodded to him.

"Well, if that is so, my dear Count. Welcome to my estate. I would offer you something to drink, but I fear that I have nothing in my wine cellar that you would like.

Dracula sat down and had a long conversation between two men with the professor. He realized during the conversation why this person had so badly hurt him. Helsing belonged to an ancient family of vampire hunters who had been hunting and destroying the descendants of Dracula all over the world since the 8th century. Over the centuries, the royal Protestant Helsing Knight Order had developed several tactics to fight vampires. On top of that, the professor was not just any member of the order, but the master of the Order. In the conversation he learned to appreciate this human even more and so the two said goodbye to each other as the men of honour they were.

This memory only distracted him for a few seconds until he decided to follow Mina. Maybe he had really found his great love in this miserable hole. And if that were the case, it would change everything. Hastily he ran across the street and turned around the corner. Again he had been too late. He saw how a woman turned around another corner. From behind she looked like the woman he had just seen. From her stature she could be, even if he had only seen her briefly.

"MINA! he yelled and ran for it. At that time only a few people were on the road and so he could catch up quickly without attracting much attention. Not surprisingly, no one had responded to his call. When he went around the corner, he saw the woman about 20 meters in front of him.

Now he screamed "MINA!!!" again and saw the woman turning around and looking at him directly.

Stunned, he stood there staring at his Mina. She was actually here. She was alive. It was clearly his beloved Mina. In her eyes he could see confusion... but also something like longing. It was unlikely that she would recognize him immediately. But that wasn't important anymore. The soul of Mina was there. He felt that clearly.

Just as he was about to reach out to her, an anti-tank missile exploded in his side. That Dracula was distracted by the woman of his heart was a mild understatement. The explosion ripped him back into reality with terrible force. But before he could do anything, more explosives exploded near him. Even the first one was enough to shred his body to pieces and the rest did the remaining. But that wasn't enough to stop him. It took only a few seconds this time until he had taken shape again. However, when he stepped out of the building into which the missiles had hurled him, Mina was already gone.

He stared at the people who threw away their rocket launchers and pulled storm rifles.

" By all demons of hell! You will suffer suffering like no mortal creature ever has," he growled as his sight turned red. That a creature like Dracula gave in to the animal was almost impossible, but the rage over the renewed loss of his beloved Mina gave him an all-distorting intoxication.

" Remove the seventh seal until the enemy is destroyed. All powers will be set free. In Lucifer's name. Greet the prince of hell from me and tell him that I am sending you personally to the Netherworld. Tell him that I hate you and that I wish you torment. Tell him when you finally get the satisfaction to die."