The Final Arc of this Story

Hello and thank you to follow our Story so long. Before you read this Section of the Story Gorel and myself should tell you that you should read the Arcs of Zatanna, Vicky and Damian first. This here is the Part where all of these 3 Arcs come together, so if you don´t read the other ones first there will be some Parts that will look strange :)

For me it was Honor to write this with Gorel and i am glad that some of you enjoyed it so far :)

Now enough Talk! Time for the finals!

It was the event of the year. Reporters from all over the world had gathered and set up their equipment in front of the World Tree at the heart of New Gotham. The hotels had been booked to capacity and tourism was at it’s peak, all for one event, all for one holiday. Hallow’s eve. It had been planned out every year for the last five years, a celebration and reunion between the two parties that had reshaped the city and its people for good or ill. For the city itself, it was a quant affair. Children dressed up as their imaginations desired and marched the streets with sacks and buckets in hand as they went from house-to-house trick or treating. Smaller parties roused the early evening from high rises, playing music and dancing wearing masks. But the true celebration was being held at the base of the World Tree.

Banners, platforms, streamers and decorations were hung, and lighting provided while kiosks and stands were propped up to provide food, drinks, games and memorabilia for what was going to start when the sun went down. Reporters watched the sun set and the full moon come into view between the branches of the massive tree overhead, their attention quickly going to the people around them suddenly transform all around them. Most became werewolves who looked at the giant tree with a howl, looking up to the moon peacefully as the change ended as quickly as it started. Others turned into massive spiders or serpents or felines who either burst out of their clothes or had quickly taken off and folded their belongings into satchels or bags they kept with them so they wouldn’t be ruined.

Regardless, the lycanthropes of New Gotham gathered before the caved in knot at the heart of the World Tree enveloped in swirling raw magic. Many of the wolves’ present had never seen the Wolf King himself, but of course had heard all the stories about him and Dracula. The police were on hand, watching from a distance with street dividers standing with coffee in hand as they watched along with everyone else, but no one seemed to take their duties very seriously. They would hardly have been able to prevent a riot anyway.

While the reporters checked for the best positions to film the event’s start, Jimmy Olsen and his new partner Vincent from the Daily Planet gathered their cameras and made sure they were ready to take pictures. The new member of the camera crew was a greenhorn who joined up to fill in at the last moment after not hearing from Lois Lane for a couple of days, eager to prove himself, the man was dragged in to take pictures.

The two took as many as they could but while Jimmy was busy taking pictures, Vincent was trying to find a good position to take a picture of the portal when he heard a cough behind him. Slowly Vincent turned around and his jaw went slack when he saw a group of tall werecats gathered in front of him, with a stunningly beautiful werecat with dark features, Egyptian styled jewelry and smooth, long black hair smirked down at him, crossing her arms. Next to the Queen of werecats was the biggest of feline skin changers who took a step forward and growled under his breath, The Were-cat towering over his daughter and the reporter by a head or more. While Vincent was still staring up at the two, Umbra growled down at him again, narrowing his eyes.

"Step aside human!" Umbra growled, baring his teeth down at the man, until Bastet raised her hand, showing a gentle smile despite his disposition.

"Father, be polite please. It is a memorable day, and we are guests just like he is.” Seeing him back away, Bastet returned her gaze down to the reporter. Bending at the waist to smile at the man trembling like a leaf in the wind. “Please forgive my father, he does get rather protective. However, could you move aside? We are expected up ahead." She smiled and Vincent stepped aside nodding.

No sooner had the group of werecats passed the man by, when a group of enormous snakemen slithered their way up through other end of the crowd, all led by one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen wearing what looked like a snake skin gown, until he realised it was her own skin when he found she didn’t so much walk as she slinked forward on her coils. The serpents were just as large as the werewolves, coiling and slithering about as their long prehensile tails carried them through the open street. It was so much to take in, so surreal that Vincent yelped and stepped aside to let a procession of arachnids scurried their way past him, the group of werespiders making their way behind a trio of larger spider-women who towered over his crouched form. Looking past the man, the red furred one of the trio smiled and winked back at him.

"Jimmy.... You've been here before with Lois...who was that?" he then asked his fellow photographer who was eagerly taking pictures of Bastet and then grinned when he looked towards who Vincent was pointing at.

“Who was who? Gonna have to be specific, there’s a lot of big wigs here for Halloween.”

“The lady with the cats.” The thin man pointed back at the leader of the cat people as she stood shoulder to shoulder with the other tribe leaders.

"That was Lady Bastet. She's the leader of the were-cats. They say it's only thanks to her and her pack that Bruce and Dracula have made peace. She is said to have a special status within the Lycanthropes. All the tribes would come to her for aid or insight. The big one at her side was Umbra. The enforcer. He’s the muscle to her brains. And the ones in the back are the spiders. The red head there, the one making hugs and kisses with the Police commissioner? She’s his daughter."

"That one?!" marveled Vincent as he could see the red-haired black widow wearing a black Batman symbol on her back carapace.

An hour later, the full moon was now clearly visible in the sky until it wasn’t. A cool breeze passed through all those present, a sense of anxiety or excitement creeping in along with a chill in the air that came with the breeze. The supernatural beings sensed that this was no ordinary wind, there was something old about it, something mystical. The humans amongst the lycanthropes bundled close, their attention falling on the guarded opening to the world tree swirl more violently like a churning whirlpool of green energy. Slowly stepping out of that whirlpool, the Wolf King in his human form stepped barefoot out into the real world. Bruce wore only a simple pair of leather pants and wore neither shoes nor a shirt. Even in his prime, he had never been in as good shape as he was now. Every muscle was well-proportioned and did not appear exaggerated. His hair now went just to his shoulders and despite his wild appearance, he had lost none of his impressive aura. On the contrary.

At his side, two more she-wolves then stepped out of the vortex, looking like titans against the human-sized Bruce, towering over his stature. Despite their size and stature, the two werewolves still seemed incredibly feminine. With flaring hips, narrow waists and ample chests. Their manes of hair flowing down to their lower backs, matched only by the plume of fur that made up their tails Even other werewolves seemed child-like in size and stature to the red and white wolf queens Harleen and Aloe Vera.

Bruce looked around long and thoughtfully, and when he had looked at all the people, he looked up at the moon. His eyes glowed the same color as the moon as he roared angrily. Hundreds of flashing lights illuminated the scene, capturing every moment of his transformation. Bones broke and skin ripped open before everyone's eyes. His skull cracked open from his mouth as new strands of muscle formed and skin grew back at a breathtaking pace. His hands broke open and slowly but surely turned into claws that dug deep into the concrete. Black fur grew all over his body as he finally rose to his full height and let out a deafening howl. One subconsciously joined by every skin changer in the crowd, leaving everyone else to cover their ears to the choir of calls up at the full moon.

As soon as the howl ended and its echo faded away, the massive black wolf turned his head back down and looked to the crowd in front of him. Only a few seconds ago he was not even half as tall as his companions and now he towered over them by a head. His figure was now a mountain of muscle and fur. Every cell of his body radiated unbridled power. When his gaze met the wolves, they immediately went to their knees and bowed their heads. Even the snakes and the spiders paid him the respect he had earned. The mighty Bastet herself bowed while Umbra and his companion knelt.

"Jeez. He's massive!" marveled Vincent as he watched Jimmy take photos in all directions, capturing the moment as best he could.

"Sure is! He's even scarier than Batman, isn't he? But just wait until you see HIM..." grinned Jimmy, earning confused looks from Vincent.

"Him?"

As if on cue, darkness fell upon the city. A thick and heavy cloud cover slid right in out of nowhere and obscured the light of the moon until all was obscured and dark, so much so even the lighting failed to illuminate the streets for over four city blocks. Only here and there, a camera flash lit up the surroundings ghostly street.

And then there was there.

Between two flashes of camera light, the silhouette of a man came into view between the trees roots.

In a stylish black dress suit and traveller’s coat that furled and blew with the cold wind, he seemed to come straight out of a gothic horror novel. The black of his suit contrasted by white gloves and a white frill to his undershirt accenting his inhumanly handsome features, his goatee trim and his long black hair flowing behind him. At his side stood one of his three brides. The black-haired bombshell stood in a skin-tight dress tailored for her current form and figure, the proverbial Cat Woman wrapped her arms around the arm of her husband tightly and smiled showing off her exotic beauty to the crowd. Even as a 7-foot tall were cat, Selina was stunningly beautiful, the midnight blue dress clung to and accented her every curve, accented with sapphire jewelry around her wrists, neck and ears that glittered like stars. Approaching the couple from behind were a trio wearing formal wear. The couple spotted were Nightwing and Starfire of the Titans, but next to them was a pale skinned beauty wearing a revealing dress with ceremonial blades at her hip. The Butcher of Gotham as she was known during the war, Talia Ghul was Dracula’s personal assassin. In the great war, she alone had killed more Lycans than all the others combined. It had also been her who had ensured that would-be vampire hunters would abandon their prospect at hunting Dracula. For revenge or otherwise…

Vincent, looking around to the crowds cheering and applauding and found SEVERAL women swooning and fanning themselves at the sight of the undead Count. Looking back at the pale and tall man as he nodded graciously towards the wolf king and turned to smile back at his wife, he now understood why so many women raved about him. There was an almost tangible aura around him. A feeling of danger, mixed with an indescribably erotic attraction. All around him he could hear women moaning and admiring him. Vincent, however, only wondered how such a man could have stood up to a monster like Bruce Wayne. And from all the articles and reports he read were led to believed, it almost sounded like Dracula would have won this fight if Bane hadn't shown up.

Slowly the cloud in front of the moon dispersed, and disappeared, almost as if by magic. The lamps started to shine again, power restoring to the electrical lighting and overhead streetlights. Seeing the streets become lit again, Bruce smirked.

"It seems I'm not the only one who likes a theatrical entrance." the Wolf King grinned down at Dracula who in turn crossed his arms and looked up at the black wolf.

"Well. If you want… I can pull on a cape and cowl with a bat mask to have us evenly matched." He said sarcastically and smiled back at the group. The flurry of flashbulbs had now resumed in greater proportions than they had with Bruce, and to Vincent's amazement, Jimmy didn't take a single photo.

"Jimmy! Why aren't you taking pictures! That's Dracula standing there! Go on! Hold on to it!"

"No point. I can see him through the camera but just trust me. He won't be in any of the pictures. It's… A vampire thing." Grinned Jimmy and Vincent shrugged, not understanding but accepting the answer.

"I'm really lucky to have an old hand like you as a partner. Have you heard from Lois? Heard there was a fire at her house." He said, looking down at his camera to load a new roll of film. Looking up ahead he could see Dracula and Bruce were now standing next to each other and giving their speeches.

"No, I haven't heard anything, but as far as I know she's not in Gotham, she's with Superman and Clark is somewhere in Sudan. So, I'm sure nothing happened to either of them. But right now, we’re here to take pictures, so pay attention!"

As soon as the speech was over, the people dispersed somewhat and began to mingle and interact with the celebration. Couples and groups formed as they took part in the celebration. Some dancing to the sounds of music being played by a band while other went to the stands and kiosks played for prises. Now that no one was crowding the portal to the umbra, Jimmy Olsen could admire the majestic splendor of the city sized tree much better.

"You don't seem to be in such a hurry? Not interested in the festivities?" He suddenly heard a voice behind him and as he turned, he could see Bastet standing in front of him. The feline woman had an almost permanent smirk on her face as she tilted her head in curiosity at the man in front of her. There was simply no hiding her otherworldly aura, her gaze actually made Jimmy blush when he realised he had made eye contact for far too long.

"Lady Bastet! Lady… Cat Lady… Ma’am, your highness… Cat highness…" Stuttered Jimmy, smiling up at the beautiful werecat in fascination and shifting his gaze down. "To what do I owe the presence of your honour? Wait… I mean…"

"Jimmy Olsen." She cooed, giving him a charming smile as she crossed her arms and tapped at her chin with a stray finger. "Before you ask. Yes, I know your name. It is closely linked to destiny. I advise you to be well present at the tournament."

"Uhm… Okay, I can do that. I’m here to take pictures after all..."

"The tournament is in 3 days and is to commemorate all the victims of the war, a charity is being held in the event as well. All the money raised is to be donated to good causes and it is only for this reason that the Wolf King and the Lord of the Undead have agreed to this match."

"So, it has nothing to do with the fact that they are good friends and meet often?" Asked Jimmy, earning an amused smile from Bastet.

"I hear a certain reporter's curiosity and keenness there. Why do you think these two, who once faced each other like enemies, are now friends?"

"Lois must have rubbed off..." Laughed Jimmy, scratching the back of his head, then said more quietly. "They seem familiar with each other. I mean...the two of them...they weren't enemies. And no one would come here voluntarily if these two were really fighting each other tooth and nail.... Would they?"

"Humans aren't always wise... Often they repeat the mistakes of their predecessors without even realising it. But yes, I see it much like you do little human. Those two are more alike than they would admit.”

Catching Jimmy off guard, the man stood motionless when Bastet bent at the waist to kiss him on the forehead. Stepping aside to walk away and join her people in exploring the festivities. Finding Olsen stunned motionless, Vincent looked to the sashaying woman and back at Jimmy and motioned with his camera in hand. “Should I take pictures of HER?”

Still not moving save to wave his free hand, gesturing to the man to do what he wanted, Vincent shrugged and aimed his camera to take a picture of the woman walking away. But a snap of her fingers set the film to eject out of his camera, leaving the new photographer to panic as he scrambled to reroll his film back into the handheld device.