Lucien and Superman rolled into the livingroom of an abandoned apartment full of only rats and the rubble that rolled off their shifting muscles. One charged by the sun and the other by unknown magic.
"Fast. But I expect more." Superman said.
Then he moved so fast the friction in the air turned to partial flames. Only then did Lucien realize how cold the air was due to the polarizing extremes.
The impact cracked his skull and sent him through the cieling of the apartment with teeth missing.
Before he could even land, Superman flew with his fists raised, smashing them into Lucien's ribs and driving him through three more floors before outside air blessed his broken skin.
From the rooftop, Wonderwoman threw her shield.
Lucien's reflexes went into overdrive. He caught the shield and held it in front of himself, partially blocking the burn of Superman's heat vision.
He went even higher from the blowback of the blast.
Before he could fall, a pair of hands grabbed his shoulders and pulled him away from the second blast.
Suddenly he was twisting and spinning through the air above the city streets enveloped in chaos.
"We can't win this, Lucien." Dove said over the animalistic war shouts of Hawkgirl behind them.
"That's not what we're here for." Lucien replied as he tried to keep his food down.
"What are we here for then?"
"Intel. Throw me." Lucien replied.
Dove spun around, exploding with blinding white and blue light that blinded Hawkgirl.
Then she threw Lucien at her.
He reached with his claws extended and crashed into her.
As his weight dragged her back down into the alleys, he punched and elbowed her in the face.
They hit the first fire escape in the alley, breaking it and her wing before bouncing off it and hitting a wall then landing on the floor.
Right between Etrigan and Martian Manhunter.
What a terrible matchup.
Lucien looked from the Martian to Etrigan. Nodding once before ducking as the demon filled the alley with hellfire.
Martian manhunter tried to fly away. Lucien pounced on him and put him in a chokehold. Which wasn't very smart considering the Martian was more of a shapeshifter than he was.
Thankfully, the fire was already affecting him.
The green being twisted and spun and wrapped around him like endless rope. All Lucien had to do was survive and figure out who it was.
"It can't be you. You're not the vampire. Your alien physiology probably makes you incompatible." Lucien whispered to him, "I'm sorry I have to do this but I can't play with you."
"I'll get you, monster!" Martian Manhunter slurred as he began to sweat profusely and fell limp in Lucien's a—
A laser beam blasted through Etrigan's chest from behind. It continued its warpath down the alley and grazed Martian Manhunters shoulder before hitting Lucien.
He flew backward into the streets outside the alley.
A semi barreled towards him from where he lay.
Immediately he pushed up onto his feet.
"SHIT!"
He stepped out of the semi's way.
Superman landed right in front of it, facing Lucien as he allowed the massive car to crash into him.
From the explosion of the vehicle he charged, sending Lucien backward at his speeds he couldn't comprehend until the ground met his face and his skin began to peel as he rolled.
He stopped with his back to a dumpster in a neighboring alley. In a position similar to the one he died in.
Only this time it wasn't a mangy dog coming to kill him.
Wonderwoman landed beside Superman as they entered the alley.
Now in the dark with his eyes focused on nothing but them, he could see the way sunlight faintly bent and shaped around them, never truly falling on their skin. It made them glow a bit.
"They already have their heavy hitters…." Lucien realized. "But that's not it. They have Superman and wonderwoman and still they haven't taken over completely…."
"There's some kind of limit." Lucien assumed.
"What are you thinking about?" Superman asked.
"You can't reach your friends. You're too slow. I can rip off three of your fingers before you move a toe." Superman said.
"But can you really enjoy life as a Vampire? I mean your whole thing is sunlight. And I can tell you're running low on it."
"Don't try to play on my anger. I have none." Superman said.
"I thought I killed your friends?" Lucien said.
Superman looked back to the alley in the distance where Etrigan remained with the Martian in the distance with his supervision.
"I have new friends now." Superman's eyes glowed bloodred.
"Some old— but few." Wonderwoman added with a flash of her fangs.
"I don't get it. What could make you want this?" Lucien inquired.
"What couldn't? We've been doing the same thing for a decade. Making ourselves beholden to the weak. Fighting the same fights and making the same sacrifices just to still be only liked by some. They pass laws to weaken us. Report news in a way to villainize us. It's time to change the dynamic. To look away from the sun and gaze into the shadows." Superman said.
"Great….. so even if you weren't Vampires in this elseworld you would've became the Justice Lords anyway. I hate evil variants." Lucien groaned.
Then, with as much speed as he could muster, he tried to turn and life the dumpster to throw it at the edge of the apartment rooftop to let sunlight in.
The only problem was Superman wasn't lying about his speed.
He was on Lucien in a flash, punching him into the ground so hard a crater was forming. His jaw wasn't healing fast enough. Neither was his orbital bone. Or nose. Or neck.
In the midst of the violent beat down, he took note of a barrel falling straight into the alley. Smelling of gasoline and chemicals and charcoal on tree bark.
Just a barrel.
Red, rusty and marked with a…
green arrow.
"Finally." Lucien thought.
When the barrel hit the alley it exploded with bright red flames.
Superman and Wonderwoman were suddenly screaming with Lucien as they all burned.
Only the vampires burned more.
Way more.
Unnaturally so.
There was something in the explosive gas tank. Something mixed in. He could feel it in the air.
Wonderwoman rose from the flames missing the skin on her face, "Superman! Run! It's holy water!"
The Amazonian lunged at Lucien as he stood up, burning but hunting all the same.
He sidestepped and grabbed her by what remained of her hair, slamming her back into the fire.
"Ahh….. he knows." Lucien thought in reference to Green Arrow.
"I'm aware." Superman groaned as he crawled through the fire to exit the alley of hell.
Lucien was on him then, ripping open his back with deep claw swipes.
"I'm gonna need another day of drinking after this o—"
A morningstar smashed into his face.
Hawkgirl flew in behind it on one broken wing, punching him square in the chest as her speed washed out the flames.
He landed back on the dumpster at the end of the alley, this time beneath Hawkgirl. She looked disheveled and enraged. But she didn't swing.
Lucien held her gaze.
"Look."
She turned around.
The scorched alleyway was empty.
In the sky, two steaming bats flew as the sun's rays twisted around them unnaturally.
"…..son of a bitch."
"Yea."
Yo! lmk what ya think and thanks for reading! also thanks for the powerstones and collections! sorry about the delay, I had work stuff but that won’t be the norm!
"Who the hell are you again?" Hawkgirl questioned as she flew beside him, completely ignoring Dove carrying him.
"Lucien Lamb."
"Where are you from?" She inquired.
"Chicago." Lucien replied flatly.
"A place of many mysteries…. and even more histories." Etrigan mused.
"How have I never seen you?…. You look hard to miss." Hawkgirl questioned.
"Even diamonds go unknown under beds of coal." Etrigan added as he flew beside them with freshly grown dragonoid demon wings.
"…."
"Well, I was. Focus on the task at hand." Lucien managed.
"What? You mean like the task that involves my closest friends becoming Vampires? Don't piss me off." Hawkgirl snarled.
"Listen, Hawk lady to hawk lady. Shut the hell up. He knows what he's doing, get in line and swing that mace when he says." Hawk yelled over the winds.
"Hawk, be nice." Dove said. No one listened.
"Did you become this obedient before or after swallowing his wolf-kids?" Hawkgirl questioned her fellow avian.
"I'll tell you once you tell me how it went being Supervamp and Wonder-fiend's b—"
"Enough." Lucien interrupted. "We're here."
They all looked around in confusion.
They'd flown out of Washing D.C's downtown district. Far away from the hall of Justice and city clustering as a whole. Endless farmland and train tracks stretched for miles, making it look like they flew over a verdant sea. The color was beginning to be Lucien's least favorite. It reminded him of his first hero kill and corruption.
Speaking of the corrupted….
"The barrel thrown into the alley saved me. It was filled with Holywater and gasoline. A mixture potent enough to do some damage and get past Superman's insane senses. Only person with that kind of accuracy and tactical know how is—"
"Ollie? I thought he was dead. How did—"
"I recognized the smell of charcoal brand on the barrel before it hit— more importantly the wood from trees. This is the same railway I took to get here. Coincidence I think." Lucien explained.
"Your nose is that good? No wonder they want you dead." Hawkgirl said as they all landed in the forested railway.
Just ahead, within the trees and deep shadows he could smell them— but only barely. Like a faint aftertaste for scents. They'd been inside a while. Staking out. Building based on the unnatural metallic smells inside.
"Cmon, Green-Arrow. You didn't save me out there just to play hide and seek in here." Lucien said.
"You think I was saving you? Buddy, your narcissism is showing." Green-Arrow yelled from the trees.
"Oh how foolish of me to assume you weren't going out to make the hard decision. It's not like you've done that before." Lucien replied.
"Low blow. You're still a dick."
"And you missed." Lucien replied.
Green-Arrow was silent.
"You could've killed them. There was enough time to send another eight damn barrels in that alleyway. But you didn't. You sent just enough to get them off me... or to get me away from them. Who's side are you on?" Lucien entered the forest.
Hawkgirl, Dove, Hawk and Etrigan followed.
"I didn't know there were sides. But everytime I see you, yours grows. My question is, what's the goal of your side? Save the world or kill the justice league?"
"Neither." Lucien replied. "We all have our own goal. I speak for no one but myself. I want freedom. I want to live. Your friends turning into monsters is getting in the way of that. I'm moving them out of the way."
"Ollie….. do you really think I'm…."
"First names in public?" Green-Arrow dropped out of the tree way off in the distance with a walkie in his hand.
Extra precaution.
"The worlds ending. Superman is a Vampire. And you're worried about first names." Hawkgirl replied.
"You're as nihilistic as ever." Black Canary stepped out from behind the trees to their left.
She wore black skintight leggings and a leather jacket that left her toned midsection exposed. Her blonde hair looked like a halo of sunlight. It made her black lipstick and choker pop.
"Yea whatever. Good to know you're alive." Hawkgirl replied.
"I expected more." Green-Arrow said as he approached with Arsenal, "But just in case it's actually less." He clicked a button on his belt and a dozen solar lamps fell from the trees. The forest was blinding suddenly and hot enough to burn.
"Alright! Alright! Friendly fire is on, man!" Arsenal said from beside him.
"Just checking." Green-Arrow clicked another button and the lamps were pulled back into the canopy.
"You weren't. You could've done that with holy water. But you wanted to bother me some more." Lucien replied.
"Yea. That's true." Green-Arrow shrugged.
"Well, I'm glad the save the world team already has chemistry." Black Canary replied.
"We're not saving the world." Lucien replied. At the same time, Green-Arrow added, "We're not a team."
Black Canary looked between them both, "Oh…. How cute. Anyway wolf-guy, catch us up to speed. Green-Arrow used the coordinates and electronic location of an old radio to hit that shot in the alley, but other than that we don't have much to go off of."
"Well, it's like Hawk said. Superman and Wonderwoman are Vampires. Hawkgirl and Martian Manhunter are not. But I don't think it's because of their alien physiology. It might be— Kryptonians are very humanoid. But I'm not sure. All I know is shit is gonna start hitting the fan now. They're not the leaders— they're the muscle. And they have protection from the sun. We assumed Batman was the Vampire insider especially since he wasn't present when they attacked, but now that wouldn't make sense. Batman, Superman and Wonderwoman alone could probably overtake the rest of the world. It doesn't make sense."
"You're right. It wouldn't. Especially since I just spoke to him. He was already suspecting everyone else is a Vampire. Also, ouch."
"Oh yea, you did." Lucien remembered.
"That means that's another human. Valuble."
"But his time is running short. Superman and Wonderwoman know we have to be going there."
"So let's not." Lucien said.
"What? And just leave him to be found by them?" Black Canary questioned.
"Batman is one of the smartest men on this planet . He's got a plan for everything. Even his plans have plans. He's safest out of all of us. Especially with where we're going."
"Which is…?" Green-Arrow asked.
"Titan's Tower."
"Oh great, now we're killing kids."
"They're all adults."
"How do you know that?"
"Stop asking questions."
***
The fly to San Francisco was one filled with anxiety. Like plane riders praying not to crash. They all pretty much prayed in unison not to be flown through by Superman. Or speared out of the sky by Wonderwoman. Thankfully, Californian skies were much clearer than D.C. The sun watched over them like a fiery guardian angel.
It felt good.
It was also warm.
Not that it directly mattered.
But it was a nice change.
He hoped for more change. The Teen Titans were a strong part of his teenage and young adult life. All of their forays into space and battles with Deathstroke. Their potential to replace the Justice League and eventually do their job better. It called to his young and restless heart. Figures like Red Robin and Nightwing are the reason he traveled the continents of his home world to build his skills. Regular men. Leading gods and monsters.
It made him feel like anything was possible.
The tower stood out in the ocean like nothing he'd ever seen. It was a T shaped glass monolith on an island smaller than most islands. Very particular in design and right under the sun. Good.
They landed on the roof.
"A little direct…." Green-Arrow commented as Hawk-Girl dropped him.
"A little is an understatement." Arsenal added.
"You have your vantage point, don't you?" She asked.
"Vantage point isnt just when high, feather-face. I need preparation and the element of surprise or else we're at the mercy of those expecting us."
"Like him?" Hawkgirl pointed at nothing.
"What?"
"Just wait."
They waited. While they did, Lucien remembered in certain continuities, Hawkgirl had Hawk vision. Except her vision was worlds better than any bird. That was a good advantage to have.
After a while, a green condor flew into vision. Huge wings cutting up the winds as it closed in on them.
"Didn't you suspect Beastboy was a Vamp?" Dove whispered to Lucien.
Lucien's claws extended, "Yea."
"But the sun?"
"They have ways around it. Hal used his ring to manipulate UV Rays. Superman and Wonderwoman had someone bending light around their bodies so it never touched them directly. He could be the next loophole." Lucien explained.
Then Beastboy landed at the far end of the roof and transformed back into himself.
He was older than his comic counterpart. A young man. Probably twenty years old based on his beard and filled out frame. He wasn't the skinny monkey-boy anymore. He was a man. With claws and and a long mane of black hair that only tinted green in places under the sun. Instead of wearing black and purple, he wore black and gold form-fitting spandex. It matched his yellow-green eyes.
"I think it's safe to say none of you are Vampires if that one's a werewolf? That's like cinema-facts one-oh-one. Vampires and Werewolves don't mix. Right? Why do you guys still look like you want to kill me?"
Lucien suddenly realized everyone was looking at him. Waiting.
He sniffed the air.
"The young man is as hungry for life as any, but his diet isn't satiated by the blood of plenty. This beast... is vegetarian." Etrigan explained.
"You know me so well, demon-guy."
"I am Etrigan, The Demon."
"And I am supposed to bring you guys inside." Beastboy said as he looked at the modernized pager on his belt. "I hate being errand boy!"
"You are?" Lucian asked.
"Yes. You specifically."
"Oh, great." Lucien's hackles raised.
"Follow me, dude." Beastboy skipped off towards the end of the roof.
"No." Lucien stomped the roof and fell into the first floor from the cieling.
Black walls covered in sigils and demonic characters surrounded them. The smell of sulfur, sage and animal blood lingered, making him both hungry and relaxed in a weird way.
His arm hair stood up at the presence of powerful magic.
"Woah- woah, hey, it's us. Remember me? Speedy?" Arsenal said from beside Lucien.
"I remember all of you— I don't have Alzheimer's. I just don't know him."
Her voice was like ice. Cold, detached, slippery and sleek despite hiding dark things beneath.
Lucien turned around and came face to face with Raven. Though, it was more like face to chest.
She looked up at him with smooth purple eyes bordered by thick black eyeliner and finely shaped brows laid over the palest skin he'd ever seen. She almost looked translucent.
She also wasn't wearing any clothes. Tattoos ran down her spine and completely covered one of her arms. They glowed like they were ready to jump off her skin and enter the living world. Something else glowed— though it wasn't tattoos. It was the piercings in her nipples and along her elven ears.
"It's good that you don't know me." Lucien replied, regaining focus.
Raven's nose twitched but her eyes remained uncaring. Her septum ring reflected the sunlight above, "Whys that?" She asked.
"Because. People that know me tend to have bad luck."
"Luck can be manipulated."
"So can bones." Lucien replied.
"Alright, let's all just take a min—….. wait, are you smelling her?"
"Quiet." Lucien said as he leaned in and scented her skin.
Shadowy arms reached out and grabbed him,
fixing him to his position. He didn't care.
"Not a Vampire."
"Not a curse." Raven commented on his lycanthropy.
"I heard I'm expected."
Raven didn't say anything and instead opened a portal with magics that spun like string off her long bird taloned fingers.
"Guys! Why did you do that? Raven— I'm sorry. He just—" Beastboy sounded out of breath as he stood above the hole in her ceiling.
"It's fine." Raven replied dryly.
Beastboy jumped down into the room.
As soon as he hit the ground, Lucien grabbed him and threw him through the portal.
"You don't trust me?" Raven asked as clothing materialized over her naked body in the form of a black silk dress with an open belly and back.
"Do you trust me?"
"I don't trust anyone."
"Good."
YO! lmk what ya think and thanks for reading! also thanks for the powerstones and continued support! story is about to start picking up now!
also, ik my raven design is a little different from the norm but personally, I like the new 52 avian/monstrous design of her, they just forgot to keep that alt/goth vibe. So here I am trying to blend both and put it on an adult woman.
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