Gifts and Curses...

It had taken Bruce and his pack a few hours to pack up the equipment, gear and vehicles needed and return to the back-up cave just outside the Gotham woods and cliffside. Bruce and Aloe Vera had reverted to their human forms in order to fit in the cockpit of the Heavy Bat, the massive vessel taking up the space of three other batwings, the rest of the fleet of batwings hovered nearby like a proverbial flock of bats. He originally had the massive harrier designed for logistics; transporting the Batmobile or other larger objects out of crime scenes. But now, after Dracula had played his hand, separating the city from the rest of the world and bringing his castle to bear over the ruins of Wayne Tower, Bruce had other plans for the vehicle.

Flicking some switches at the controls with his gloved hand, Batman looked over to Aloe Vera in the seat across from him. The nude green skinned woman gasped and cooed to herself, cradling a belly the size of a beachball that jolted under her palms. “S-so fast, so many…” The woman swooned; her eyes closed as she basked in the sensations.

“It’s most likely because we’re part wolf now, wolves gestate seven times faster than humans.” Catching sight of the mountain site where the new bat cave was, Batman set the controls to hover over the location and flicked a switch that opened the hanger back, the door conspicuously made to look like the cliff side before it folded out with running lights. Looking down, he found the most recently fabricated Batmobiles drive through with the rest of the pack following while the drone batwings flew in one by one, finally letting the massive vessel the space to enter before closing the stone covered gate behind it. Once the Heavy Bat had landed, Batman unharnessed himself and helped Aloe Vera out of her seat, which promptly had the woman press-up against the man and pull him into a passionate kiss, gripping his hand and bringing it to the swell of her womb. “Your cubs demand to be born my love…”

“They’re not the only ones…” Answered the Batman, looking out of the cockpit to find several other werewolves in the same state as Pamela, leering back at their pack alpha with a knowing look as they too rubbed their distended middles as if to show off to Bruce. Stepping out of the vehicle and giving Pamela a hand stepping off the platform, as soon as the woman’s feet touched the stone floor, the woman sighed and moaned into a growl. Red fur crept down her back and limbs as her muscles throbbed larger and stronger. Her height increased while her ankles changed, and her hands and feet grew sharp claws. By now, changing was less painful. The woman very quickly transforming into a 9-foot-tall red wolfess standing on her hind legs and cradling her swollen belly which had grown along with her, her six breasts full and heavy with mother’s milk.

“Do you intend to change my love? I can see SEVERAL of your lovers who wish to show you affection.” Aloe Vera purred, her long fluffy tail swishing idly behind her.

“I need to check on Jason, and the others.”

Pouting slightly, Pamela understood and joined Batman down the ramp to the lush forest that grew in the cave. Passing by several wolfesses who in their own way greeted the Dark Knight, brushing up against him or pressing up against his side. One even leaned down to lick at the faux bat ear of his mask and cowl, which only made the Dark Knight scowl and Pamela giggle behind her hand. Passing the stone hewn portion of the cave, Bruce spotted Karen tending to her cubs, lying on her side while all six nursed from her heavy breasts. As soon as she heard the couple come near, Power girl opened her eyes and smiled sleepily to them. “Well… What brings you to MY end of the cave, hmm?”

“How is Jason? Is he recovering well?”

Looking over to another end of the cave, Karen squinted her eyes and smiled again. “Looks like Barbara and Helena are keeping an eye on him, you should check on him, looks like he’s improved.”

Nodding back at the Kryptonian Cragwolf, Bruce leaned down to gingerly pet the heads of his six children before he was caught off guard by Karen and pulled close for his face to get licked. “Come back soon my love, they’ll be asleep when you get back.” Nodding slowly, Batman turned to head deeper into the cave, fully aware that Karen watched him from behind with hungry eyes. Pamela merely gave the larger wolfess a wink before joining Bruce deeper into the cave. After a few minutes, the two could hear Jason’s voice echoing over the high walls of the cave when they turned a corner and the young man standing while Oracle and Huntress sat, the latter getting up when they noticed Bruce and Pamela enter their end of the cave.

“Bruce, this is INCREDIBLE!” spoke Jason, joining the Dark Knight and red wolfess to reveal his regrown arms and legs, his eyes wild in euphoria, giggling as he checked himself over.

“It’s a miracle Bruce!” Smiled Huntress, her hands at her mouth in shock while Jason practically danced on his new feet. What remained of his uniform were now a torn pair of shorts and sleeveless jacket.

“No Helena… It’s lycanthropy.” Answered Bruce as he stepped over to check on Barbara, the woman still without a wheelchair and sitting on the cold floor. “He’s a werewolf, just like me, just like everyone else in this cave.” Looking up to see the red wolfess come close, Oracle looked anxious before the tall she-wolf sat down cradling her swollen middle, giving the young redhead an almost maternal smile as she gave her company. For a moment, Barbara coughed, her skin going red from a spreading rash before Pamela breathed in sharply. Then suddenly the air filled with the hint of eucalyptus, her rashes fading and her breathing returning to normal.

“Sorry.” Replied Pamela sheepishly.

“Where’s Arachne?”

“The big fucking spider?!... Up there!” Pointed Helena with disdain up to the ceiling of the cave, pointing to a hammock of silk drawn across the stalactites overhead. Narrowing his eyes, Bruce could make out the sleeping were-spider behind her self-made lair.

“Bruce, this is amazing! Do you have any idea what this means?!” Chuckled Jason, regaining Batman’s attention. “Imagine if EVERYONE had this; no more injuries, no more sickness… If we gave this to everyone in Gotham, then we’d have enough wolves to get rid of Dracula for good!”

“No.”

“NO?! The fuck you mean NO?” Roared Jason, his elation instantly turning to rage.

“Lycanthropy is not a gift Jason, it’s a curse, one where you have to contend with your inner wolf for the rest of your life.” Answered Bruce, standing between Jason and the others behind him. “If it wasn’t for Pamela, you’d be just another berserker prowling the city killing anything and anyone that moved.”

“And if it wasn’t for you, I’d never realise I could grow back arms and legs, we should SHARE this, with the city, the world, even the Justice League!” Suddenly black fur crept up Jason’s arms and legs, his muscles growing stronger by the second as he grew in height and mass, his hands and feet brandishing razor sharp claws. The remains of his clothes tore and burst at the seams, incapable of containing his barrel chest and broad shoulders. His face contorted into a lupine snout, baring fangs at the man he loomed over by at least a meter. “I’m stronger now than I’ve ever been in my life!”

“Right now, your mania is a result of your body rapidly coping with the trauma of your dismemberment, try to calm down.”

“I have a better idea, how about I introduce Helena and Barbara to the pack.” Turning his attention to the two women behind Batman, Aloe Vera gave Jason a cold stare while Bruce moved over to keep the wolf’s attention on him. “All it takes is one bite Bruce, one bite and its all over.” Narrowing his eyes, Batman let his cloak obscure his arms as he reached for his utility belt. He could already make out the look on Jason’s snout, his arched ears telling him that he was ready to attack. The moment Jason darted forward to strike, Batman swung a tethered cable he had set up as a noose to wrap around Jason’s neck, ducking to avoid the swipe of his massive claw and aim his grappler to the wall on the other end of the cave. Jason came only mere feet from the three women before the cable went taut and pulled him back, the grapple’s motor hissing smoke and pulling the 800-pound werewolf back and dragging him towards the wall. Struggling and roaring out in rage, the berserk wolf swiped and barked out like a chained guard dog, too enraged to untie the rope wrapped around his neck.

“If you were really in control of yourself Jason, you’d simply pull yourself free of that, like I trained you a hundred times before.” Getting to his feet, Bruce wiped the dust off his cloak. “Instead you’re just a wild animal that was willing to attack me and his best friends.”

Slowly calming down, Jason panted and whined in defeat before slumping heavily to his knees, realisation coming to his eyes as he quickly discovered what he was just about to do to his friends. Feeling a large presence come up from behind him, Bruce didn’t need to turn to know that Pamela had stood up to join him, resting her hand over his shoulder. “I’ll check his spirit once he’s calmed down love.”

“Good, I’ll…” Turning to address Oracle and Huntress, everyone was caught off guard when they spotted Arachne on the wall behind the two women, having crawled out of her hiding spot during the fight. Eyeing the two women, the were-spider had the same look as Jason did leering down at the two. When Helena spun to react out of shock, Arachne’s fangs had already sunk into the woman’s arm. “HELENA!” With a blur of motion, Batman lunged for the arachnid woman, too late to stop her from biting Oracle when she tried to drag herself to safety. Prying the massive arachnid off the two, Batman rolled Arachne on her back and brandished a silver baterang at her neck, the fur and chitin hissing on contact with the toxic metal.

“Why?!”

“Little wolf say bite is a gift, Arachne give gift to join pack, yes?”

Sneering in anger, Batman kept his emotions in check and snapped his attention back to the two women, the pair prone on the ground moaning in pain from the spider bites. Then they fell into convulsions. Aloe Vera tried to step in and help when she suddenly gasped in shock and clutched at her swollen stomach, falling to the ground, prone as her contractions began to wrack through her. Falling to her hands and knees, Helena gasped and moaned in pain, the sounds of bones shifting when she screamed out loud to the sensation of extra limbs sprouting from her sides. Barbara was in the same condition; red fur matching her hair colour spread over her body, her blouse tearing when a second pair of legs sprouted from her sides, followed by another, then another. Their mouths stretched and split, their lower jaw bones becoming mandibles while a pair of dripping fangs grew out of their upper jaw line.

“See! Good gift yes? Now they part of pack.”

Getting to his feet and turning his attention to the two new werespiders getting their bearings, the red and black furred spider women blinked and darted their heads about, reacting to every sound and motion. Right now, they were feral; overwhelmed by their changes and darting their attention to Aloe Vera crying out in labour, the pair looking poised to strike at their first prey.