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Seal of Darkness	By : RaphaelTMNT Category: -Misc Anime > Crossovers Views: 4281 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Batman, Rosario Vampire or Dark Stalkers nor the characters from either of the three series. I do not make money from writing this story.

Chapter List
- 25
- 26
- 27
Seal of Darkness
CHP26: The Tzet Gyilu

Carrying a couple bags and with her hands full the vampire forced the key into the lock, turning it and pushing the door open. Only halfway through, she dropped each the loads as someone ran at her from the left at top speed.
"Nee-chan, think fast!"
The silver haired vampire ducked under a weapon in the form of a spiked staff, throwing out her left leg and dropped the incoming attacker. Kokoa tumbled across the carpet losing hold of the weapon as her head collided with the side of the couch.
"Ouch..." the younger vampire grumbled, running a hand over her head.
"And just what do you think you're doing," Moka inquired with annoyance, rolling her eyes.
Recovering the bags off the ground she carried them along and placed each over the counter in the small kitchen area. Shaking off the cobwebs Kokoa was back on her feet and the weapon used morphed back into its true form, being that of Koumori Nazo. The bat hovered over Kokoa's shoulder as she approached Moka with overlapped arms. For a little while she watched her sister put away items but left a few out. It wasn't something she picked up on immediately but Moka saw her younger half-sister's eyes watching her like a hawk.
"What?" Moka groaned.
"Nothing," Kokoa looked her off and frowned.
She wasn't one to openly express herself often, but Moka knew exactly what was on her mind.
"Keep at it and maybe one day..."
"One day I'll what?!" Kokoa shot back.
Moka took a deep breath as her shoulders lowered.
"Why do you so badly want to surpass me?" she looked the younger vampire in the face from the opposite side of the counter.
The question wasn't one Kokoa anticipated and therefore didn't have an immediate response. Thinking it over for several moments she tapped and rubbed her fingers over the material of her skirt.
"You're my Onee-sama," she eventually spoke up, looking Moka in the eyes. "Isn't it natural for someone that has looked up to another for so long want to surpass them? I'm a vampire, as are you...such a thing is ordinary."
Hearing those words come out of Kokoa's mouth brought a smile to Moka's lips and there was nothing to say, instead she looked to the materials on the counter.
"Why don't you go get cleaned up and I'll make us dinner?"
Moka glimpsed at Kokoa from the corner of her eye and she simply nodded. A ringing sound from the other room caught the attention of both, but it wasn't a typical phone ring. The silver haired vampire heard it only a few times but knew exactly what it meant. Kokoa watched Moka take off around the counter and into her bedroom with great speed. She couldn't remember the last time her older sister moved that fast, and gently bit at her tongue. It was just where she had left it beside the lamp on the drawer. Unlike the last few times he made contact a message in words was left on screen which read, "Let's meet and bring the suit." Beneath the message were directions. Not expecting such a sudden call from him of all people, Moka's heart zipped.
Normally taking off would be easy, but her situation had changed. She was no longer alone, and Kokoa was staying with her. Meeting wasn't an issue, after all she agreed to work closely with the dark knight but there was a small detail she'd kept hidden from everyone and didn't know if she wanted it revealed. Hiding it from the others was easy, but Kokoa was with her for the time being. There was that and she wanted to keep her younger sister's involvement to a minimum unless completely necessary. Her eyes scoured the entire room and fell over the closet and that's when she remembered; Moka pushing open the closet door and there it was in a corner. She took the gear into her arms and dropped each singular piece into a bag and zipped it shut.
"What're you doing?"
Moka's eyes shot open as Kokoa entered into the room, the vampire so caught up in what she was doing, she didn't realize Kokoa approaching. Biting at her lower lip she stood from her kneeled position with the bag in hand and a guilty smile shaping over her lips, one in which Kokoa failed to notice.
"Ah nothing," Moka shook her head and thinking up something off the top of her head. "My boss just called."
"And?" Kokoa crossed her arms.
"They need me to come in for a little while, an hour or maybe two...or less."
"To hell with that job, it serves no purpose! We have bigger issues and with the trust fund from our father you're far from needing extra money."
"Kokoa-chan, please," Moka rolled her eyes. "It'll be for just a little while and I'll start dinner once I get back. There's vegetable juice in the refrigerator in the meantime if you'd like."
There was nothing Kokoa could do or say to change Moka's mind, so she didn't. Moka out with Kokoa close behind and the silver haired vampire gave her a final look before leaving. After watching the door close Kokoa sat in the Livingroom clicking on the T.V. with the remote. Out front Moka breathed a sigh of relief, thrilled Kokoa took the bait and didn't question her whatsoever. With no one in sight she elevated to the nearest roof undressing and suiting up in the gear inside the bag. Doing so didn't take long and she took off in route to the location specified. The area was nearly five miles from the apartment but she traveled through the air using her wings through the creation ability in her blood. As expected he awaited her, but alone. She expected to see not only him, but his allies so the sight was a bit odd.
"You're late," Batman said.
"I'm here. You didn't give an explanation, what's up?"
"You're alone," he looked her over. "Where's the rest of your group?"
"This complicates things," Moka looked herself over, specifically the attire. "They don't know about this, none of them."
"They're your friends, breaking it to them shouldn't be a big deal," Batman replied.
"And we're your allies, so how about a game of show and tell. You first...what's behind the mask?"
The question left him without a response and facing the opposite direction with his eyes on the street.
"This is specifically the meeting place, but there is somewhere else we must go," Batman pressed down on the hidden panel beneath his gauntlet.
Moving up beside him Vampire Bat looked down as the batmobile came into view.
"Where are we going?" she asked.
Gliding downward he didn't answer and the vampire followed doing the same. He dropped into the driver seat and Moka into the passenger side and the top closed shut as each buckled up and Batman stepped on the gas.
"You gonna tell me what's going on?" she repositioned, facing him.
"Yes, I've gathered more information since our last meet. Soolum Jhavier was the alias of our woman, being Ayano Kuenuiko. She was born to a human female and male and didn't become yokai until years into her childhood. She was gifted in various magic and considered one of the best of her century. To make a long story short she wrote a Grimoire titled Tzet Gyilu, and in that book is said to be her most powerful spells, and a full rundown of the Drocgoeus and the gateway."
"Really, where is this book?!"
"A hidden realm, one that we must enter, but getting to the Grimoire will be a task. From what I've gathered the location is heavily guarded and I can't say for sure what will await us," Batman said.
"So we collect this Tzet Gyilu or whatever and then Fairy Tale's plans are good as revealed," Moka cracked her knuckles. "How do we gain access into this dimension?"
The vehicle swerved sharply around a corner and Moka's head bobbed to the left.
"Friends, powerful allies of mine specialize in this sort of stuff."
Vampire Bat was quiet for the remainder of the ride, tapping a finger over her left leg in anticipation of what was to come. Abruptly the batmobile skidded across the street stopping in front of a rundown building and most of the surrounding area not much better.
"We're here," Batman informed, jumping out as the top shot open.
She did exactly as him and touched down over the sidewalk and in one click he activated the batmobile's defensive measures. In just her second step a rat dashed across the pavement, missing Moka's boot by inches. Wherever they were, it was a part of town she had never ventured or came close to. Even as she walked behind Batman her eyes inspected the surrounding, and a complete overhaul was her first thought. Most of the constructs looked over hundreds of years old and ready to fall apart at any time. Pushing open a door dust fell from the ceiling as both entered. The insides were similar in design to any typical shop, but without all the items.
Halfway through Moka eyed a handful of spider webs in various sections of the ceiling and the wooden surface beneath them gave off a loud cracking sound with each step taken, Batman leading them around a counter and into a back room. There was one door that led to a basement and one after another they went through and those same crackling sounds continued as they made their way down.
"You made it," Red Robin approached as Batman and Vampire Bat appeared from around the corner. "We were starting to worry."
"Has everyone arrived?" Batman asked.
"Gangs all here," Nightwing gave him a thumbs up, leaned against a wall.
Vampire Bat remained behind the dark knight and other than Red Robin and Nightwing she didn't recognize the others, one of which a woman dressed like a magician.
"Zee, Jason...and Constantine," Batman stepped forward. "I wouldn't have made contact unless absolutely essential, so thanks."
"No worries mate, when Jason here forwarded the details I couldn't help but get excited, sort of stuff is right up me ally. Lucky he obtained that barrier abstracter, or my job would have been a lot more difficult. But enough dilly dally, let's get right to it huh."
John looked to Jason Blood as he revealed a small golden item from his left jacket pocket and set it over the center of the magic. Another item was stored away in Jason's pocket that would help with pin pointing the exact whereabouts of the Tzet Gyilu once they made the trip.
"How did you determine this was the location?" Batman questioned.
"No easy task, I bribed a couple suckers from the underworld and they surrendered info without hesitation. A pity I didn't have what I promised in exchange for the intel, oh well just another group of quadrupeds to add to the list of monsters and demons out for my head. This is the last of five locations required to open the hidden dimension, I released the locks on the previous four and after doing so with this one the dimension should open here," John replied.
"You didn't have to go that far, we could have found another way," Batman glared.
"No problem mate, millions are in jeopardy. What's done is done, those boozoos aren't an immediate concern."
The entire group was soundless listening in on the crackling sound of the wooden surface atop them. Each quickly came to the same conclusion they weren't alone and Vampire Bat instantly detected a strong yokai presence reverberating from the upper level. The sounds soon picked up and became louder as someone trotted down the steps with great speed, and Nightwing chucked one of his clubs but Moka jumped out and caught the projectile.
"What're you doing?!" Nightwing shouted.
She had no time to reply as someone appeared from around the corner wearing dark blue jeans, a black t-shirt, a white headband in his hair and wolf head pendant around his neck. He sniffed at the air and looked directly into the rose colored eyes of the masked vampire. Nightwing and Red Robin settled at the sight of the person standing before them, but Zatanna held her guard up.
"Moka," he whispered.
Biting at her lower lip she took one step back contemplating how she should respond if at all. When she didn't respond he again said her name but the vampire remained silent, clutching her fists.
"Friend of yours, I reckon?" John looked to Nightwing and co.
Seeing as they were getting nowhere, Batman took a step forward looking back and forth between Vampire Bat and the one opposite her.
"It's ok Moka," Batman said without hesitation, gazing at the other. "He would have found out eventually."
"Just a sec," Zatanna marched forward. "Who is he? And that goes for her as well, you never mentioned anything about having..."
"Akashiya Moka and Morioka Ginei, they're both yokai and Fairy Tale is very much their enemy as it is ours. They've had prior run-ins with Fairy Tale, so make for the perfect allies."
Gin never took his eyes off Moka, alarmed by her overall attire. The color of her hair was purple and she wore gray boots and gloves, brown armor, cape and cowl and similar bat symbol over her chest to Batman's but in the color of purple!
"What's all this?!" he looked her over.
"How did you find this place, and how did you know it was me?" Moka ignored the question.
"Easy, I picked up on your scent from about half a mile away. Even disguised as you are, nothing can fool a woof's nose. I've sort of picked up with a new job and they had me doing a little freelance work in these parts and that's pretty much it. Got curious and came running, but don't leave me hanging I want the back story on this," Gin looked her over with intent. "This is quite the look on you, I dig it."
"Same," Nightwing moved in. "Shows off her athletic frame, perfectly."
Both Gin and Nightwing bumped fists together and Moka looked away with an irritated blush occupying her features. She wanted nothing more than to put both in their place, but the situation hardly called for it, and so she backed off.
"So?" Gin again asked.
"We're wasting time," Batman shifted to both Constantine and Jason Blood. "If you're ready, let's get that portal open."
The werewolf's mouth dropped open at the mention of a portal.
"Portal...what, portal?! Wooooohhh, what exactly is happening here?" Gin moved back with his hands out in front of them.
His eyes looked to the ground and that's when he noticed the magical circle in the middle of the room.
"We're going somewhere that'll help in understanding Fairy Tale's endgame and hopefully info on how we can counter it. That's really all you need to know," Vampire Bat replied.
Moka halfway wanted to ask if the others were with Gin, but it was clear that they weren't or they would have shown themselves already. Those thoughts were second nature as the magic circle came to life in front of them, glowing a bright blue and unforeseen wind picked up inside the small space. Vampire Bat's cape blew up and down, side to side and everyone had a difficult time maintaining their footing. John prolonged with an ancient chant and an electric force shaped around the circle and in one flash a bright vortex appeared in front of them all.
"It worked!" Nightwing fist pumped.
"Will we be safe just walking through," Red Robin directed at John. "Or is there some sort of precaution?"
"We're good mate, portal won't stay open for long so let's move."
John was the first through and Jason quickly followed, with Batman and Zatanna entering behind him. Nightwing and Vampire Bat approached together, but he stopped short gesturing her to continue.
"Ladies first," he smiled. "I insist."
Rolling her eyes, the vampire did exactly that and disappeared through the brightness. Red Robin, Nightwing and Gin stepped through not a moment later. The portal closed behind them and for the next several seconds were unlike anything they'd experienced. Traveling through the vortex felt like their skin was on fire and torn apart limb by limb only to be reconstructed as they rematerialized on the other side. Gin felt like his intestines, heart and lungs were all going to explode and he'd drop dead on the spot.
"Damn!" Nightwing coughed gasping for air. "I do hope the trip back isn't so painful, we might not survive."
Regardless of the physical discomfort their efforts were a success, the atmosphere around was very cloudy. Gin's lack of knowledge on the situation was clear, but details could wait. They were out to find something that could give them an edge over Fairy Tale and that was good enough for him. Moka's bat like gear was what especially aroused his curiosity, clearly modeled after Batman's armor. The werewolf knew the time wasn't appropriate to fish for answers and so he didn't. They couldn't see much but the surface beneath them was rocky, yet smooth like a surface of damp dirt. There was a hill out in front of them and just beyond it was a large structure, one in which larger than they anticipated.
"Goodness, look at the size of that place," Red Robin's eyes widened. "I thought the description said mansion, not castle!"
"Castle, fortress or whatever we want to call it...that is our destination," Batman said.
"Uhm yeah, so how are we supposed to find that magic book in a place that size? Please tell me this is some form of searching for a needle in a haystack," Moka said, doubt creeping into her mind.
"Thankfully no," Zatanna shook her head. "According to what Jason gathered the book is held in a sizeable quarters at the heart of that building, a place in which sends off magical waves. If and when we get close enough I can piggy back those waves and lead us right to it. But again let's not forget that castle or whatever is filled with booby-traps and ghostly spirits."
"Sounds like we're in for an adventure," Gin cracked his knuckles looking to the sky, a full moon shining bright upon them. "And it just so happens to be my kind of night."
"Let's move," Batman said.
He led the way with the others following close behind, and though they had yet to enter the castle each kept a lookout for potential traps on their way up and over the hill. They encountered nothing and the closer they got to the structure, the larger it appeared and Red Robin bit back. In minutes they stood in front of what appeared to be the main entrance walking up the steps covered by a red carpet. When just feet from the twelve foot door Batman suspended further movement and the others did the same.
"It is unlikely we can gain entry through that door," he said.
"I can teleport us inside," John said.
"You guys are thinking too much into it," the werewolf sprinted passed the group with great acceleration.
"Gin, stop!" Batman shouted.
It was already too late as he made contact with the door and was zapped and forced into the air in the opposite direction and dropped down on his side at the bottom of the steps. Slowly rolling over, Gin grasped the left side of his ribs and spat blood as he stood. Making unintentional eye contact with the dark knight he chuckled nervously before biting at his tongue.
"How do we know teleportation will get us inside," Nightwing walked toward the door. "Maybe there's a barrier we need to lower, or perhaps maybe if we ask nicely someone will let us in. Open sesame!"
With his arms extended up and over his head Nightwing shouted with immense energy but when nothing happened he felt like a complete idiot and so turned around rejoining the group.
"I vote teleport, let's give it a go," Nightwing said.
"Batman, everyone...look!" Vampire Bat pointed to the doors.
Unbelievable as it was the double doors slowly opened giving off a screeching sound and Gin quickly ran up the steps rejoining them.
"Yup, I knew it'd work," Nightwing played it off as if he'd known all along.
"It's now or never, if anyone wants to say a prayer or back out, now's the time," John said.
Without hesitation Constantine entered first and everyone followed. The space was large and lighted by dozens of candles and torches some of which hung from the ceiling. Out in front of them fifty feet away was a long dark hall and to the left of it was a staircase and on the opposite side of the room were numerous doors.
"Whelp, which way?" Gin looked at everyone.
Not a moment later the doors behind them slammed shut and Red Robin felt the hairs on his back rise, but not a single of them were intimidated or afraid.
"This whole thing has the feel of a horror flick," Gin chuckled. "A couple of teenagers get lost in the wilderness and stumble across a haunted mansion."
"We aren't children, none of us" Moka rolled her eyes.
"Plot twist, we're the monsters," Gin cracked his knuckles disregarding the vampire.
Batman repositioned facing Jason, Zatanna and John.
"Which way?" he asked.
"Don't know, the information stated it was at the heart of this place so until we get closer, I nor John will be able to sense it," Zatanna replied.
"Then we better get moving," Batman said.
They hadn't an idea which direction to go, but knew they needed to start somewhere and so they got moving. Keep quiet they headed down the dark hall, each sharing similar thoughts. The lighting was minimal with only a few candles brightening the otherwise pitch blackness. Gin ran his left hand along the wall as they continued further into the space but then stopped when coming up on a picture.
"Geeee talk about creepy," he looked the painting over more closely, the imagery of a demon with massive horns covered in flames.
Gin trailed a finger over the surface of the painting and that's when the strangest thing happened. It was unclear if his eyes played tricks on him or if some sort of illusion, but the werewolf perceived movement in the painting.
"Hey guys," he looked away from the painting and to the group that had progressed ahead of him. "Come check this out I think this thing..."
His speech was cut short and replaced by shouting, triggering everyone to look back and they were astonished.
"Gin!" Vampire Bat took off to his side.
A devilish arm extended from out of the picture holding onto Gin and struggled at pulling him through. It became a tug of war as Moka pulled back with all her might but to her surprise an additional arm stretched out and punched her face and she was slammed into the opposite wall. Despite his enhanced strength, Gin was unable to out muscle the force and he was pulled off his feet. Jason Blood acted quickly grabbing at his legs, but even he wasn't ready and overwhelmed by the strength of the unknown and both he and Gin were pulled through the painting! If that wasn't bad enough the picture frame caught on fire and went up in flames before burning to a crisp in a matter of seconds.
"Bloody hell!" John Constantine grimaced.
Batman was equally on edge and Nightwing felt his heart race uncontrollably.
"What...what just happened?" Red Robin spoke, hiding the terror in his tone.
Standing and shaking herself off, Vampire Bat ran a hand over the side of her head and tried ridding herself of the sluggishness.
"Now what're we supposed to do?! Just like that we've lost two!" Nightwing shouted.
"We move along until we find the damn Grimoire, that's what's going to happen?" John replied.
"And not try and retrieve Gin, are you out of your mind?!" Moka hissed marching forward.
Batman jumped in between them before she could make a move.
"Stand down Vampire Bat, John is right. Even if they did survive whatever just happened, we'd have no way of tracking them," Batman added.
"We've got to at least try!" the vampire shot back.
"Quiet, all of you," Zatanna closed her eyes and with her hands out in front of her.
Everyone stared at the magician but no one had any idea what she was up to and so stayed silent. Her eyes re opened a short time later which fell on John.
"I know you can feel it too," she whispered.
"What love, what am I supposed to feel?" Constantine replied.
"They're still alive, both are somewhere in the castle, they've just been relocated," Zatanna responded. "I could use my magic and bring them back to us, but there's a strong magical disturbance in this place that won't allow it."
Nightwing breathed a sigh of relief running a gloved hand over his forehead.
"And seeing as Jason was pulled through, we shouldn't worry. If they're able to get close enough, he's capable of tracking the book, so we go as planned and if luck is with us we'll meet up. If not we'll deal with that when it comes to it. From here on out, no one touches anything," Batman said.
"I was thinking the same," Red Robin said.
Even with the reveal both were still alive, tensions were still high and no one more than Moka felt heavy discomfort as they continued along. Not that they weren't beforehand, but everyone now especially paid close attention to the surrounding. John led the way and in under a minute they disembarked inside another room, one in which was similar in size to the previous but lacked the design. The area was totally empty aside from the candles and torches hanging from the walls and the tiling beneath them was a combination of black and white. Again, there was more than one path to choose from.
"Which way?" Nightwing twirled his fingers together.
There was no response which had everything to do with the reality they were traveling blindly. There was no map, nothing to go off of, it was uncharted territory no matter how they looked at it. A rumbling sound put them on notice followed by the foundation beneath them shaking.
"What's happening," Red Robin clutched his fists looking to the ground.
"We've got to go!" Zatanna replied.
"C'mon then, let's get moving I don't want to wait around to see what happens next," John added.
The entire group eyed the same route, which was dead ahead. The tiles beneath them began to crumble and a wind like force held them back so escaping wasn't easy as initially anticipated. Nightwing stumbled and fell forward due to the force and the tiles beneath him shattered as he fell through and was devoured by an abnormal shadowy matter.
"Nightwing!" Batman shouted, but was held back by Zatanna.
"We can't stop, it's too late for him," the magician said.
Not a moment later the entirety of the floor crumbled and there was nothing left to support the group as they plummeted downward! Thinking quickly, bat like wings erupted from Moka's backside and flapped uninterruptedly as she drove down with her eyes on the cape crusader.
"Batman," she extended a single arm. "Take my hand!"
He did just that by inches and managed to grab hold of Zatanna's wrist, but by then it was already too late for the others who had already been devoured by the darkness. The force pulling them down was vast, but the shinso vampire used all the strength in her body, carrying not only her own weight but that of Zatanna and Batman as well. Wings flapping up and down she carried them up near the ceiling out of harm's way and up to the second level where they crashed through a door which shattered on impact and the trio tumbled along ending up halfway down the hall. Zatanna fell atop Batman, and pushed up with her hands on his chest.
"That was close," she sighed in relief.
"Yes...yes it was," Batman replied.
Removing herself off him, Zatanna offered a hand and helped him to his feet. Vampire Bat had barely just stood and dusted herself off as she sucked in the wings.
"Thank you, ah," she walked in the direction of Moka. "What is it you call yourself? I know Batman referred to you as Moka bu…"
"Vampire Bat," Mokas faced Zatanna with a grin.
"She's a shinso vampire, they're the most powerful of any vampire bloodline and are considered S class in the world of monsters," Batman chimed in.
Zatanna was thankful for the save and had another second or two went by she too would have been swallowed by the darkness. With her back against a nearby wall Zee's eyes again closed and for several seconds she said nothing as Vampire Bat and Batman looked on. When her eyes re opened she looked over both, each with some form of worry in their eyes.
"Red Robin, Nightwing and John are all fine...as with Jason and your friend they've just been relocated," the magician's eyes fell directly on Moka. "There's a disturbance in this place and is stopping me from pin pointing where."
"That's good," Moka let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding.
"Shall we continue then?" Zatanna looked to Batman.
He simply nodded and faced the opposite way looking down the dark hall that awaited them.
"We should expect the unexpected, but no matter what happens we cannot get separated. Easier said than done, I know," the dark knight implied.
Both women followed as he led the way. Each of them aimed for the same thing and though apart, hoped in the end they'd regroup and with the Tzet Gyilu. For a good two minutes everything was quiet and they came across no trouble. They stepped into a space resembling a throne room with lots of knights' armor on display. Minimal moonlight shinned in from glass windows up high, but lanterns and candles were the primary source of light throughout.
"Vampire Bat!" Batman tackled her to the ground as a sword came down on them.
The knight armor stepped off the platform on its own swinging a blade at both masked heroes. Both rolled from each other and stood.
"How is it moving?!" Moka took a step back.
"Magic," Zatanna said. "I can feel it circulating throughout every inch of that armor."
"Then we'll just have to break it apart!" Vampire Bat leaped up high and twirled through the air as she did. "Know your place!"
The force of her kick sent the armor across the room and into pieces as Moka stuck the landing and rubbed her hands together. The separated armored plates wiggled about over the ground and right before their eyes the armor put itself back together.
"What in the..." Vampire Bat lightly bit at her tongue.
The suit of armor was whole again and charged them with its blade in hand. If that wasn't bad enough, the remaining battle armors on display came to life and stepped off their platforms.
"Well...this was unexpected," Zatanna whispered.
Vampire Bat flipped over the knight's blade while Batman clashed his gauntlets with the blade, slicing it in half and kicking the armor in the opposite direction. With bow and arrows in hand the remaining battle armors instantaneously fired off at the three, with at least eighty to one hundred arrows soaring in the air. Moka jumped in front of the magician and cape crusader using her creation ability. Massive wings sprouted from her back, but much larger than before and the vampire attempted to shield them from the incoming arrows.
"Sworra nrut ot stab," Zatanna spoke.
The incoming projectiles immediately turned to bats, flapping their wings and flying through the room. Vampire Bat rid herself of the wings and with her mouth slightly open.
"Bats, that's so awesome!" her eyes quickly fell on Zatanna. "Did you do that?"
"Yes," she answered.
"I don't think I got your name."
"Zatanna Zatara."
"Zatanna huh," Vampire Bat smiled. "I like you."
"Stay focused," Batman took off passed them, engaging the enemy.
Vampire Bat did the same whilst Zatanna stayed back. She was proficient in hand to hand combat, but felt her efforts were best suited with giving support with her magic from a defensive position. Using just that, Zatanna afforded Batman a katana blade out of thin air, well aware of his mastery in not just material arts but with weapons. He and Vampire Bat fought back to back and when they managed to down one, Zatanna struck it with magical thunder bolts which seemed to work at keeping them from reconstructing.
XXX
Halfway asleep and on the couch she flipped through various channels, laying out on her side. She held the remote in one paw and the other under her chin, but her ears perked up at the sound of the front entrance door. Jumping to her feet the cat woman tossed the remote out across the table and ran around the sofa and up a set of stairs. When setting eyes on the guest Felicia's tail wagged and she ran with her arms outward.
"Akasha-san!"
She threw her arms around the pink haired vampire who was dressed in a black Victorian dress and black bow tied in her hair.
"Good evening Felicia, or night...either works I suppose."
Both ladies shared a snicker as they moved along the marble surface.
"Where is everyone?" Akasha asked.
"All over," Felicia replied.
"I conversed with Kuyo, and Yoshii Kiria wishes to speak with everyone."
Felicia scratched at her left ear.
"He's here, in the human world?"
The vampire shook her head.
"No," Akasha said.
Moving along Felicia was somewhat confused but didn't care about too many details. Seeing the vampire in person yet again was a treat in itself.
"Felicia, could you do me a favor?" Akasha looked at the cat woman from the corner of her eye. "Go and gather everyone and I'll set up in the living room, so we can get through this quickly."
"Yeah about that...uh Morrigan has been ignoring me for the last hour. I knocked over and over, I know she's in there, but she wouldn't answer. She was making really strange noises and..."
"It's ok," Akasha patted her over the shoulder reassuringly. "I'll take care of her."
"Yiipppeeeee!"
Felicia skipped passed Akasha with long strides and the vampire couldn't help but smile, the cat woman seemingly always in high spirit. Once in the living room she rearranged some of the chairs and let out a sigh before looking to a nearby staircase. She walked in that direction and marched up the steps to the second floor and continued down the hall. As she drew closer to Morrigan's bedroom the sound of moans filled her ears, but were shared between two separate individuals! Had the succubus brought a human into the hidden fortress?! The vampire doubted Morrigan could be that careless, but then again she'd been proven wrong before with her.
"Morrigan," Akasha lightly knocked.
The moans and groans continued and so Akasha again tried calling out to the succubus, and got nothing. She again knocked at the door but with much more force than the first time, but with the same results. As with any vampire her heightened ability to hear picked up on every sound on the opposite side of the door, from the rocking sound of the bed, moans and heavy breathing. In one final attempt Akasha called out to the succubus and in return she was met by additional grunts and moans. She hated doing it but Morrigan left her no choice and in one heave of her leg the bedroom door was forced open.
"I'm here for..." Akasha bit back at the sight in front her.
On her back and with her legs spread was Morrigan and on top of her was someone Akasha just recently acquainted herself with. He was Jitoshi Ichiro, a very cocky and confident personality and wasn't afraid to speak his mind and he was a vampire like herself. His hips shot back and forth and though the blankets covered everything below their waists, she could smell it in the air, the scent of love making. They kept at it with Morrigan digging her fingernails into Jitsoshi's back as he continued drilling her. Akasha couldn't figure if they were aware of her presence or just chose to ignore it and so the vampire coughed aloud clearing her throat. As if on cue from a bullet being fired from the barrel of a pistol Jitoshi rolled off Morrigan as if he'd seen a ghost but remained under the blankets with his lower extremities covered.
"Bloodriver!" Jitoshi immediately pulled the blankets up and over Morrigan's exposed breasts.
The succubus merely chuckled and lowered the sheets.
"Relax Jitoshi dear, there isn't anything I have that she hasn't already seen," Morrigan looked directly into the eyes of the vampire.
What they did on their own time was their business and Akasha didn't know whether to feel indifferent or disgusted by what she'd just walked in on. Over sections of Morrigan's neck and cleavage were visible bite wounds, more than clear the male vampire tasted her blood during intercourse.
"Get dressed," Akasha turned the opposite way. "Both of you. A meeting will be assembled downstairs, so don't be late. You have five minutes."
The dark lord spoke in such a way with command and authority it sent shivers up their spines. Morrigan hopped out of bed from beneath the blankets as a barrage of bats surrounded her body and she was dressed in a dark purple robe when they disappeared and she followed after Akasha through the door. She was slightly irritated the door was kicked through and that she'd have to get it repaired, but it was an easy fix so she didn't worry too much. Jitoshi was quickly out of bed and scouring for his clothing all around the carpet. Down the hall Morrigan and Akasha walked side by side.
"How many times and for how long?" Akasha questioned.
Morrigan shrugged her shoulders as they reached the steps.
"It was only a matter of time before it happened, he's been rock hard for me since he set eyes on me. We've done it twice but that's all, there's no connection...he's merely a means of physical pleasure, an appetizer. He understands this, and I guess you could say we're both using each other for the sex. There is nothing between us, believe me."
"And you think this is acceptable, engaging in sexual activity with a member of this organization. You're your own person and I'm not telling you what to do, but you both will become a liability if your focus is off track," Akasha explained.
They made their way down the steps and Morrigan again shrugged.
"He's nothing to me. Focus is never an issue, you really should try and let loose and relax and try to have some fun. Just between us, during foreplay when Jitoshi and I locked lips I peeked into his thoughts, feelings and desires."
"What of it?" Akasha came off as less than interested.
"You, his desire to sleep with and enjoy you physically were vast...but can you really blame him? You're technically the queen of vampires, what male vampire wouldn't fantasize about having the queen. He's really good at using what's below the waist, might I suggest joining us at the conclusion of the meeting? He'll stretch you out real nice and get you right back in the game, and besides I've always wanted to be in a threesome with you," Morrigan playfully shoulder bumped Akasha.
The Vampire's mouth dropped open and bit at her tongue.
"Never going to happen, not with him!" Akasha dismissed.
"Not with him," Morrigan chuckled, keying in on the words specifically. "Then perhaps we'll have to find a suitable partner."
"No I..." Akasha clinched her fists. "I refuse to share a lover."
Morrigan snickered as they touched down over the first floor.
"Was that hesitation I heard in your voice? Oh and excuse me but weren't you and Shuzen Gyokuro mated to Issa, I'm willing to bet he enjoyed the two of you at once on numerous occasions."
Akasha's heart capered at Morrigan's knowledge to her shared marriage.
"That...that was different."
"Uh huh, whatever you say," Morrigan chuckled in victory.
By then they had arrived in the Livingroom where most everyone had already assembled. They awaited Jitoshi, Miukei Suzcoo and Gallon, all of which arrived in the following minutes. Kahlua was the one to activate the hologram screen which covered the length of sixty inches in length and height. On screen was Yoshii Kiria and on either side of him were two guards.
"Good to see you all and I'll make this short as possible," Kiria issued. "We've pin pointed the next Drocgoeu to a single country."
"Really, where?!" Lailay jumped from her seat.
XXX
Jason Blood and Gin found themselves in a basement like area when first displaced but had since made their way to the upper levels. They remained close to each other as they moved along through a massive hall lighted by lanterns and candles. Gin sniffed at the air picking up on something.
"What is it, are the others close?" Jason asked.
"Nah," he shook his head. "I smell something strange...something ancient."
Blood didn't know exactly what that was supposed to mean and didn't care to ask. Jason eyed the small device in his hand which barely blinked, but the brightness had increased which indicated they were headed in the right direction. Gin on the other hand couldn't stop thinking about the others, hoping they were making it ok. In another couple steps they found themselves in yet another room, one similar to a ballroom but was twice the size. However there were chains along the walls and the overall feel of it looked more like an oversized dungeon. In just a couple steps the door behind them slammed shut, and Gin jumped into a defensive stance with his arms extended.
"I'm seriously getting tired of that, we need to find that book and get out of this place, ASAP!"
There was another door far across the room, but closed. Moving along Jason kept a close eye on the small device but didn't notice any changes, but then from the corner of his eye he noticed Gin come to an abrupt stop.
"What is it?" he asked, clearing his throat.
"We're surrounded," Gin's ears twitched somewhat.
"You're certain of this," Jason looked all throughout the room. "I don't see anyone."
Clinching his fists, Gin's ears twitched once more and picked up on a loud thump from up high.
"Up there!" Gin pointed to the ceiling.
Jason's eyes followed his finger and right before their eyes dark figures dropped down occupying sections of the room. Jason couldn't say for certain but he counted up to at least eighty of them. Each were familiar with the monster world, especially Gin and he immediately identified the apparent enemies.
"Ogres," his shoulders lowered feeling his throat go dry.
He'd seen some during his upbringing, but there was something different about the ones in front of them and it had very little to do with their appearances, but more so their eyes. Each and every one of them shared those same lifeless black eyes as if possessed. All were suited in armor and carried weapons and ranged in different sizes from 6'0 to 9'0 in height. Some were different shades of green and others with a complexion of browns and reds. It was clear by the way each of the ogres stared them down what their intent was. Intel confirmed the castle was occupied by spirits with their sole purpose being to guard Kuenuiko's most treasured possession.
"Stay back," Gin stepped in front of Jason. "I'll handle this."
"Are you insane, you can't hope to take them on alone and be victorious!"
Jason's heart raced and knew with the situation that presented them he'd have to do something he had hoped to avoid and that was unleashing the demon from within.
"Trust me, you don't know a thing about me...or what I'm capable of."
Gin only halfway looked back at Jason as his fascial features morphed and reshaped. The upper buttons of his shirt tore as he grew in size and his body covered in fur and he transformed into his true form.
"A...a werewolf!" Jason said, with wide eyes.
Now in his true form, Gin howled with his barks echoing all throughout the chamber and even sent electricity up Jason's spine. Looking to make the first move the werewolf darted out toward the ogres and though he didn't have the moon at his disposal, the increase in speed and strength was unmistakable as he dug his teeth into one and pulled it down with only the strength in his neck and jaws.
Gin ducked down eluding a spinning ball that was connected to a chain, but another of the ogres caught him off guard and stabbed a blade into his left side which was connected to a staff. The ogre in question stood at 7'7 and Gin leaped upward taking hold of its face with the entirety of his paw and slammed its head into the tiled surface beneath them which shattered on impact. With an arm extended another of the ogres shoulder dropped Gin to the ground, but he quickly popped up and slashed at the beast's throat. He wasn't done however jumping into the air and performing a spinning kick which sent three of the ogres across the room and colliding with others of their own. But as he touched down the blade of a sword pierced into his left side and he howled in agony, but quickly split the blade in half with his arm and elbowed the enemy with his opposite arm.
There was nothing he longed more than to have the moon's light glistening over his body and unlocking his true strength. Ogres were nothing to werewolves and if he were at full strength, Gin felt he could wipe the floor with them all without being touched. Jason observed and deemed the werewolf was clearly the superior in strength to their enemy, but their great number advantage would result in only one outcome. Exhaling deeply, Jason knew what needed to happen, even though he loathed the idea of doing so. Flames formed around Jason catching the attention of Gin and their attackers and in one flash Jason was no more.
"From hell I rise, the demon Etrigan!"
Gin couldn't believe his eyes, far as he knew Jason was human from what he gathered of his scent! The flames cleared away as a blade appeared in the hands of Etrigan and he leaped upward and blew out flames from his mouth which engulfed nearby ogres and he came down over them, cutting away. It was clear the demon was an ally and so the werewolf joined him as they fought off the incoming ogres from all directions.
When consumed by the dark matter the trio of Red Robin, Nightwing and Constantine awoke within a garden. Each quickly deduced they'd been relocated to the outer premises of the castle and worked to find a way back inside. They bypassed the patch and found themselves crossing over a steep hill and into a location which was clearly a cemetery or at least constructed to look that way. John looked ahead and it appeared as though once they passed through there were potential openings back into the castle.
Fog was all around and it was difficult to see much of anything down passed their knees. Rowdy groaning from somewhere unknown brought each to a stop and they listened in. Those sounds increased and grew as it seemingly came from all directions.
"What is that?" Nightwing's eyes ventured all around.
"Hold your ground mate, I'm betting we're about to find out," John replied.
Red Robin on the other hand uncovered his staff and was ready to defend himself if it came to that. The groans continued but with that was the gravel beneath the fog danced rapidly as if something was rising and a whole lot of something for that matter. Nightwing and co didn't have to wait long to see what was giving off the sounds and Red Robin nearly felt his heart drop out of his chest. One after another disfigured beings rose from the ground, some with missing eyes or hanging out of their sockets, and all with tattered clothing.
"Zombies!" Nightwing shouted, pulling out his clubs.
"Bloody hell, just when I thought this hellhole of a realm couldn't get any worse. C'mon then, let's send this bunch packing back to their tombs!"
John was the first engaging the zombies and in just his first punch his fist was grabbed and his arm twisted as a single of the zombies lifted him up and over its shoulder and tossed him back the opposite way. He ended up at the feet of both Nightwing and Red Robin but quickly pushed up and dusted himself off.
"Those dead pieces of chop liver pack quite the punch, not nearly as frail as I was expecting," John said.
"Then let's beat them to a pulp, I'm betting they're weak at the limbs," electricity appeared around Nightwing's clubs as he slapped them together.
"You're speaking me language mate, time to send these undead pieces of meat from whence they came," John added.
Together the trio charged the incoming zombies and Red Robin threw down a circular gadget which exploded and electrified a good portion of them and dropped three with his staff in a single swing. They looked out for each other's blindsides as they fought off the enemies.
Inside the castle sometime later, Zatanna, Vampire Bat and Batman traveled down a hall having barely escaped the clutches of a death trap that spanned down three different galleries. Zatanna suffered a few cuts and bruises but it was nothing her magic couldn't heal. It had been that way for the past hour, one obstacle after another each attempting to claim their lives. It seemed the further they went the more difficult things became and that confirmed they were headed in the right direction, well at least in the mind of Zatanna. Those beliefs were all but confirmed as they came up on a twelve foot door, the magical presence behind it enormous.
"We're here, this is it!" Zatanna said with excitement.
"Are you certain?" Batman inquired.
"Yes, this is the place," Zatanna simply nodded.
"Great," Vampire Bat jumped up. "Now what?"
The initial thought was to look around and see if others from their group were in sight and Zatanna did exactly that but as she thought there wasn't a single of them.
"Give me a moment, there's a magical barrier circulating through the door. I'll have it down in no time," the magician promised.
Allowing her room to work, both Batman and Moka stepped aside and Zatanna levitated into the air with a bright aura surrounding her body. She uttered a few words that neither understood, and right away the door glowed similarly to Zatanna which was then followed by a loud bang and an invisible gust of wind blowing in their faces. Not a moment later Zatanna hovered downward in front of the door.
"Rood nepo," Zatanna said.
The door in front of them slowly opened and Batman set his lenses to detect mode searching for anything that looked like booby-traps but found nothing and so set the mode back to default. Zatanna was the first to enter and did so with her guard raised as Vampire Bat and the cape crusader did the same.
"No traps," Moka looked around. "That's a surprise."
The last hour was spent running for their lives and it made reaching the destination all the more worth it. Inside was relatively large with antiques all around from the furniture, clocks, curtains, tables, bookshelves and ceiling lamp candles. The decor was quite impressive and each of the three took a moment to appreciate just that.
"I...I can gather the others!" Zatanna said.
"Gather what?" Vampire Bat questioned.
"The others," Zatanna replied with exhilaration in her tone. "I didn't realize it right away, but somehow some way I have full control of my magic once more. It must have something to do with this room, but the restraints on my abilities are gone!"
"Meaning?" Vampire Bat questioned with crossed arms.
"She can teleport everyone to us," Batman looked to his teammate. "Isn't that right."
"Yes, but I'll to need to key in on their energy signatures and that's easier said than done. Give me a sec."
Batman had a question in mind but put it aside and thought it best they retrieve their friends before proceeding. The overall magical disturbance outside the room made the task all that more difficult but she pulled through and in under a minute she locked in on each and with her arms raised a vortex appeared, and one after another all of them fell through over the carpet. Zatanna felt woozy and fell off balance but Batman was there to catch her.
"What in the hell!" Nightwing shook himself off, utterly confused by the relocation.
Gin quickly jumped to his feet in human form, but was without a shirt and cut marks all over his body and through his pants. It was clear he'd gone through quite an ordeal by just his appearance and the demon Etrigan stood beside him. Vampire Bat instantly took off with the intent to attack the demon, but Gin stepped in front of him.
"He's good, this is Jason's true form...I think," the werewolf scratched at his head, not too sure of that. "I never really asked."
"Is this your doing, love," Constantine stood to his feet, dusting himself off. "I'd expect nothing less and it would appear we're inside Kuenuiko's study, marvelous."
Red Robin grimaced as he snapped his dislocated shoulder back into place, John, Nightwing and himself going through quite a bit in the past hour as well.
"So where's the Grimoire?" Nightwing asked.
"We haven't gotten that far," the dark knight replied.
Zatanna pushed away from Batman feeling she could stand on her own and her eyes glowed a bright white. Books were pulled from the nearby shelves and floated through the air as the pages were flipped through simultaneously. Moka set eyes on the magician and observed her with interest, wondering what sort of magic she was using now. It was like something out of a kid's fairy tale book, seeing all the books floating around but a single of them floated in front of Zatanna. It was not open however, but dropped into her hands. With her telekinetic abilities she returned the rest to the shelves.
"This is it," Zatanna ran a gloved finger over the title "Tzet Gyilu". "But it cannot be read...not until the magical safety measures have been deciphered. If we open it now there's no telling what might happen."
"Wow, you figured that much just by touching it?! This Ayano Kuenuiko really went out of her way to keep anyone from getting to and reading what's inside that book," Nightwing said.
Zatanna handed the Grimoire to Batman who just so happened to be the closes and walked across the room before stopping in front of a gold treasure box.
"What is it?!" Vampire Bat followed after her.
A magic barrier surrounded the box but wasn't nearly as sophisticated as some of what she'd come across through the night and so disbanding it was a piece of cake. It was the strange aura from inside that guided her there. With her left leg she kicked open the box and inside was a shiny object, which resembled a key and displayed a symbol of the sun over a small section of it.
"Wait isn't that a..." Moka's voice trailed off, recalling a sketched version of the item.
"One of the eight Drocgoeus," Batman stepped in between them. "That would explain why this castle was so heavily guarded and why it was hell getting to this point. Kuenuiko not only stored away the book of magic, but a Drocgoeu as well."
"The holidays came early it seems, with all the gifts bestowed upon us," Constantine took the Grimoire from Batman's hand. "Leave the deciphering to me, I'll have this hardcover legible in the next twenty four if not sooner."
"And the key?" Moka inquired.
"We take it," Batman took the Drocgoeu into his hand. "Now we're in the driver's seat. Fairy Tale can't do a thing without all eight."
"Where will we hide it?" Gin moved in.
"Somewhere safe," Batman replied.
"Then our work here is done," Zatanna moved away from the box. "We've got what we came for and then some, can you get us out of this realm?"
Her eyes fell directly on John.
"Of course love," Constantine looked over the group. "Everyone, gather around."
XXX
The morning had been quiet mostly and he'd completed his early chores, running a few errands and tidying up the primary living room. He did whatever he could to help not because it was required of him, but because he chose to. His attention was absorbed in a stack of papers until disrupted by a ring of the doorbell and far as he knew they weren't expecting company. Setting the stack aside he walked down the long steps with his fingers running over the railing and pushing open the front door. He jumped, somewhat startled by who stood on the other side but quickly regained his composure.
"Good afternoon, Alfred," the one opposite of him spoke warmly with an inviting smile. "Is he home?"
Taking a second to clear his throat Alfred pulled the door wide open and gestured for the visitor to enter. He knew exactly who she referred to without the mention of a name.
"Do come in."
"Thank you," she stepped through, gracefully throwing her hair back.
Regardless of the ups and downs the night before things couldn't have gone better and most importantly they obtained not only the Tzet Gyilu, but one of the Drocgoeus. It was agreed the key would be locked away in the JL watchtower and its magical aura suppressed by Zatanna's abilities. Even with a Sentrox in hand, he doubted the enemy would have any luck tracking the key, unless they came within yards of it. They would never guess a single of the keys would be out of the earth's atmosphere and in the hands of the planet's most powerful protectors. The existence of the Drocgoeu and it being stockpiled in the tower was kept secret between Zatanna and himself. Other leaguers were oblivious to what went on and that's what he wanted. He would eliminate the threat silently like he did so many others.
There would be no victory lap, not until it was all over and the danger discontinued. They held one of the keys required to fulfill the Fairy Tale's plan, but even so he anxiously awaited the call from John Constantine. His anxiety grew with every minute that passed, waiting patiently to hear back from him in relation to his efforts decoding the magical lock surrounding the Tzet Gyilu. In the meantime he found a way to occupy his mind and there was nothing that worked better than an intense workout. He started with cardio, followed by heavy lifting and then core training. There was a section in the cave designated to his most essential workouts, but from time to time he found himself doing so within the manor. He was dressed in a dark gray tank with black shorts, the attire greatly showing off his muscular tone.
Moving along and setting the dumbbells aside, Bruce slipped his hands into a pair of combat gloves, eying the sandbag across the room. It hung from the ceiling and beside a window giving off a great view of the city. Bruce went right to work throwing out strike after strike, but did so in a calculative manner, envisioning an adversary opposite him and laying the enemy out quickly as possible. He picked up the pace moving from side to side and included a barrage of kicks, elbows, backhands and added melee strikes up his arsenal. This went on for nearly ten minutes and he only moderately broke a sweat, removing the gloves from his hands and reaching for a towel hanging over a bar.
"Well, well..."
His shoulders shot up at the voice as he turned and faced her, the pink haired vampire leaning to the left in the open doorway. She was dressed in red high heel sandals with a flower design, jean skirt, sleeveless red off shoulder blouse held up by two straps, a black neck choke and a red bow tied in her hair.
"I'll go ahead and ask the obvious," Bruce wiped away sweat from the side of his face using the towel. "Why're you here?"
"Hehe, I knew those would be the first words out of your mouth," she entered through the doorway and joined him in the room. "Those were quite the moves you showed off, how much time do you put in a day?"
It took him a moment to grasp what she meant, but did so quickly.
"How long were you watching?"
"Long enough," she smiled.
Bruce looked her off and tossed the towel over a nearby railing.
"What is it?" he again asked.
Slowly walking across the carpet she gave the room an in depth look before sitting over the bench press and trailing her fingers over the leather fabric.
"I like this little area," her eyes fell directly on him. "This is where you do all your training?"
"Not exactly," he grinned for only a moment before crossing his arms. "I don't have all day."
The vampire lifted her right leg resting it atop the other and leaned back with her arms situated behind her.
"A meeting was assembled late last night and it appears we have a lock on another of the Drocgoeus. Exact coordinates aren't known but we do have a region."
"Where?" Bruce asked.
"Egypt...Yoshii Kiria has not yet stated when we'll move but I'm certain it'll be soon. Within the next couple days for sure."
Surprisingly Bruce didn't speak and she stared at him closely and distinguished something wasn't right, he knew or found something...something he wasn't telling her. She wasn't wrong, it was in fact his journey through the hidden realm the night before that played through his mind. Sharing with her what happened did come to mind but he quickly shot the thought down. Even if he didn't view her as such, she was too close with the enemy and the risk of Fairy Tale finding out about the Drocgoeu and the Grimoire would be greatly heightened. It was a risk he wasn't willing to take, and there was nothing to gain in bringing it to her attention.
"Bruce..." her voice brought him out of his thoughts.
"Sorry," he straightened his posture. "I must have dosed off."
It was all over his face; he wasn't telling her something but she decided not to press the matter. She'd already relayed information and accomplished what she set out to do, but there was something else, an urge from within that every vampire shared. Standing from the bench, Akasha leaned forward and unbuckled both sides of her heels and stepped out of them. Across from her Bruce looked at her inquisitively.
"What're you doing?" he asked straightforward.
"I'm not properly dressed for the occasion, but this will have to do," she smiled circling around him. "Seeing you like that really got my blood flowing."
"Like what," Bruce rose an eyebrow. "What're you talking about?"
With a couple fingers to her mouth the vampire snickered.
"How about a friendly competition, you versus me…in a sparring match?"
His eyes broadened at the suggestion but it didn't appear she was teasing.
"You're joking..."
"Oh I'm being very serious."
"Your physical strength and speed outclass my own, a direct fig..."
"This isn't a serious fight, I'll hold back and as will you. For being a human your physical strength and stamina are quite impressive, but that isn't what interests me."
His shoulders lowered as he let out a sigh.
"Then what?"
"Your movement and mastery of hand to hand combat, I've never seen someone live such a short time and possess such precision, force and accuracy. I thought maybe it was because of your armor and weaponry that you were able to get by night in and out," the pink haired vampire smirked. "And it appears I was wrong again. I never studied you in such light. You're a self-made warrior forged to battle wars head on, a one man army."
"Once upon a time in the beginning, yes but I now have family and friends. This path is mine and mine alone and they're welcome to drop out at any time, I'd never burden anyone with the mission or the promise I made," Bruce replied.
For a moment Akasha stared at the carpet under her feet and that's when certain blanks began to fill. A couple years following the death of his parents, the young Bruce Wayne disappeared off the map and didn't resurface again until age 21. It was only speculation where and what he'd been up to while traveling the world, but it was all but clear to her. Those years of travel served a great purpose, a boy transferring to adulthood but reconstructing himself both mentally and physically as a weapon per say, a weapon to confront the worst of the world's monsters.
"How many sanseis and masters did you study under?"
"The best of the best, but it wasn't all about combat. I needed to understand the criminal mind and so I sought those that could and learned from them. My mission would have failed from the start without that knowledge. I'm a detective first and crime fighter second," Bruce replied.
The vampire felt her blood flow increase once more, he was like the perfect jewel from a treasure chest. Nothing excited a vampire more than physical combat and it was similar to selecting a mate, vampires attracted by the most skilled and powerful warriors.
"Shall we?" Akasha looked to a mat across the room.
"After you," Bruce grinned.
He followed the vampire onto the mat and for the first couple seconds they circled one another as a predator would do its prey. This went on for a while and it was Akasha that struck first, lashing out at him with an open knife hand which he ducked under and threw out his right knee which connected with her stomach. He jumped back dodging a follow up punch, but an open hand from her opposite hand dropped him down over the mat. Quickly rolling out of the way he avoided Akasha's bids at stomping him, and jumped back to his feet.
A roundhouse kick was just inches from his face and he barely dodged the attack before falling off balance. He jumped up as the vampire went for a leg sweep, and he came down on her with a punch which she grabbed, twisted and leg dropped him onto the mat. Bruce took hold of her ankle just as her foot came down on him, and kicked at her opposite leg while pulling at the one in his grasp. She fell forward on her stomach as he released her ankle and both jumped back to their feet. In a burst of speed Bruce went on the offence giving the shinso vampire all she could handle, but his efforts were either dodged or blocked.
It was something he'd known beforehand but her reaction speed, overall speed and anticipation were much greater than his own. Her physical superiority was one thing, but she was also experienced in combat much like himself. He did manage to land a couple blows, two of which causing her to retreat backwards. Unexpectedly she flipped into the air over him and while airborne she twirled her body around and wrapped her legs around his neck and tossed him down over the mat. She landed on her hands and knees, looking over at Bruce who rolled over on his back and she dropped down crawling toward him.
"That was fun," Akasha positioned on top of him. "But looks like you lose again...Bruce. You really have put a lot of time into your techniques. Much as it pains me to say, if we were equals in physical abilities you would be my superior in combat. I guess you could say in all my centuries I lacked the dedication that you do, and frankly being a vampire most fights are won with medium difficulty specifically against some of the higher class yokai. We rely mostly on wit and our vampire nature, the desire for battle is embedded in our DNA."
"This was just a friendly sparring session, don't get ahead of yourself," Bruce grinned. "They say third time's a charm."
The vampire snickered with two fingers over her lips.
"Looks like I'm not the only one with a competitive edge," she lowered her left hand rubbing it over the side of his face and staring into his eyes. "Already calling for a rematch, hehe I guess that's another thing to add to the list of things I like about you. But as victor I deserve a prize."
"A prize?" Bruce ran a hand through his hair.
"Yes, a prize."
The look in her eyes loosened to one of desire as she lowered herself over him and brushed her lips against his, but she continued down passed his cheek and over his neck. He prepared himself for what he knew would come next and her upper fangs pierced through his flesh and she drank away at his blood. He laid there for half a minute gazing at the ceiling before she pulled back and sat atop him wiping away extras that had fallen over her lips.
"Goodness your blood was especially tasty this time, did you change something in your diet?"
"Not that I'm aware of," Bruce replied, holding back a smile.
Akasha stood to her feet extending a hand and helping Bruce up who dusted himself off as she walked across the room and recovered her shoes and buckled back into them.
"You have plans this evening?" Bruce asked.
With her back to him the vampire halfway smiled, not expecting the question.
"You asking me out, again?" she slowly faced him.
"Do you or do you not?" Bruce crossed his arms.
"Actually I do," Akasha reached into her bra revealing a single ticket. "Believe me I'm not a sports person but Candice invited me to the game. Supposedly the Gotham Knights are taking on Central City's Bulls."
"I see..."
The vampire studied his features but he gave her nothing but blankness.
"What is it," she moved across the carpet and stopped in front of him. "You know, there's always time after. Just give me a call and we could meet at my place or somewhere of your choosing and have dinner, and then maybe we could cuddle and...well you know. We nearly pulled an all nighter last time."
Akasha blushed thinking back on their most recent night together.
"No, it's nothing like that. There was something I wanted to show you but it can wait, I've got a lot on my plate as is."
"Ok," the vampire leaned in pecking his left cheek with a kiss. "Next time I'll have the Sentrox, and before Fairy Tale moves in on the next key. Oh and in case you change your mind, don't hesitate to call."
She took off through the open door humming to herself while Bruce watched. The vampire was the least of his worries and doubted he'd ever have to worry about facing her as an enemy, but just as he'd done with his most powerful allies it didn't hurt to have a plan in place for the unexpected. There was no way of knowing if the day might come they clashed as enemies.
To be continued
- 25
- 26
- 27
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Seal of Darkness