She felt that insistent pull again deep in her stomach again, the one that told her that she was needed there. It was probably just a few people with more recklessness than common sense, with a superhuman degree of bullheadedness that was enough to overcome even the protection maintained by her brother. Even though it was annoying that most of them were smart enough to break in during the dead of night or the crack of dawn, the alternative was worse.

Sighing as she secured her mask and her dagger, she wondered if they could learn a thing or two from the all mighty Justice League, seeing as they had seemed to have gotten the knack of making heroics a 9-to-5 job. If she could, she'd definitely stay off graveyard shifts.

"Time to go," she said to no one in particular, "I wonder who the unlucky idiots are this time." And with that, a gale blew through the thick forest, towards a clearing that was unimportant in almost every way. Almost.

"Magic." This was the only word that had left Batman in the past ten minutes. The silence that had preceded it was almost oppressive after the noisy battle, one which had abruptly ended after the whatever-it-was that just took off, leaving behind a swathe of something that had been cut off in the fight.

It was this sample that Batman had been examining since, and had made his judgment on. Both of his protégés were glad; though dedicated teammates, the quiet had begun to chafe. The cave was deep enough underground that the silence was almost absolute; even the sound of the heavy rain outside was nonexistent.

"So, which batarang can we use against it?" As always, Batgirl remained unimpressed with Batman's gruffness. Perhaps it was the way he had to treat everything with the same stoicism. At least Nightwing always had a quip at the ready. And as expected, he chose not to respond, instead examining the curious material again.

"Maybe we should get Zatanna in, she'll at least be able to figure out where it's from." Barbara gave a small smile at Tim's suggestion. Of all the Robins, he'd always been the one who was the most willing to ask for help. It was a useful trait, she reflected, and one that was definitely not appreciated enough. Not in this city at least.

"Off-world."

"Doctor Fate?"

"Off-world."

"Etrigan?"

"Visiting Hell." At that, Robin snorted. He found it hard to imagine anyone wanting to do that. Jason Blood probably just wanted some time off.

"Is this your way of saying we're not going to bring anyone in?"

"Yes."

"Figures." Leaning back, Batgirl fiddled with her commlink, searching for a case. If Batman insisted on continuing the investigation by himself, then so be it. But she wasn't about to wait around until that…thing reappeared. If she could take down some D-list bank robbers in the meantime, then so be it. The night was still young after all; they had barely made it out of the cave before intercepting the creature, and still had to start their patrol.

"Officer Montoya to dispatch, we have a 10-31 on Arthur Avenue, over." Without a word, Batman nodded, and with that the two heroes jumped into action.

Silence. That's what had awaited her at the clearing. She was too late. The remains of the poor souls who had gotten in its way were smeared along the rich soil, a sight that made her stomach turn. The bloodthirst that the creature had nursed for decades must have clearly gone into a frenzy, taking anything it came across in the night and leaving a bloody trail in its wake.

Three. She had come across three bodies in the same space. One had been only a few years younger than her. Jumping into the air, she tore her eyes away from their corpses.

"Fuck. Fuck," she whispered, hovering higher, trying to understand the scope of the destruction. Her hope that the disturbance had just been foolhardy travelers with a penchant for ghost stories that had gotten disturbingly close to the truth had vanished when she had come across their bodies, mere meters from the clearing.

Seven. There was another group of bodies, meters away. She couldn't see whether children numbered among them, and was glad for it. Tears threatened to blur her vision.

You can't cry, she told herself, you can mourn after. Crying doesn't help now.

Nine. The next two were a couple, their wedding bands glistening in the moonlight. Landing next to them, she could see that they had been snatched in their sleep. She could only hope that their ends were swift; the creature had only precious minutes to make its escape before her arrival. Swallowing her revulsion, she touched the heavy gold chain around her neck.

"It's Anitun," she said, voice thick with fear, "We need to meet at Mount Cristobal. Now. One's escaped."

While she waited, she flew higher, fighting the urge to scream.

Dumakulem was the first one to arrive, emerging through the trees only moments after the summons. Though she barely afforded him a second glance as she landed, Anitun was relieved to no longer be alone. The grief had been threatening to overwhelm her, even in that short time.

"I-I don't understand," he muttered, "No one's ever even gotten past the river. How..."

He had felt somewhat uneasy that night, and his heart had sunk on hearing his sister's message.

"I don't know," She was stood in the middle of the clearing, staring at the cracked earth. "It must've clawed its way out."

"How bad?"

"You must've seen them as you came in...it's really bad. Nine, and those are the ones I've been able to see from above. They all looked like campers, and they must've been caught just as it was fleeing."

For the first time since she started speaking, Anitun properly looked at him. He, who at the tender age of 21 had been given the monumental task of keeping many of their country's ancient evils at bay, had begun to feel the real weight of his mission. Her heart reached out to him.

"It's not your fault." Even as she said it, she knew how hollow the words sounded to him.

"No, keeping them trapped was only my responsibility." Anger made him sarcastic, and if she could see his face she would have seen how anger marred the usually cheerful features. "I couldn't even do that. Now people have died, and it's my fault. Don't try to sugarcoat it like it isn't."

Before she could reply to him, comfort him, the others began to arrive. Individuals of all walks of life, a group to whom an outsider couldn't fathom had a common connection, collected in the clearing; the only visual clue linking all were the various masks, shining gold in the moonlight. There were murmurs of horror and of surprise which disturbed the still night air.

"It's not the place to waste time by talking." The calm, measure voice belonged to a dignified man of middle-age. Even in stillness he radiated great power; Anitun knew firsthand how terrible that power was when unleashed. The rest of them knew likewise, and the chatter quietened.

"We need to find it, and fast. Anitun, find Anagolay. She will be able to track the creature for you, and you are to pursue it. Inform us when you have subdued it."

"Let me go as well," Dumakulem begged as she prepared to set off, "I was the one meant to maintain the seal, I should be the one bringing it back."

Apolaki regarded the youth with a mixture of understanding and pity. "You're needed elsewhere. The other sites may be compromised – you'll have to look over them all to make sure the threat is contained." Chastened, Dumakulem simply looked down. Touching his arm in a bid to comfort him, Anitun whispered, "You'll be one of the first to know, don't worry. Be safe."

"I should say the same for you," he replied. "You should go now, we can't waste much time."

As Apolaki continued to give instructions to the rest of the group, Anitun leapt into the wind once more.

It was at a nondescript house that she stopped at, one of the fringes of a quiet barangay. Despite the circumstances, she found herself glad that she was the one who was to contact Anagolay. Was it weeks or months since her last visit? Of late, Anitun had found herself missing her motherly presence.

"Hello?," she called softly. Knocking on the door, she found that it swung open. Dread began to seep back in.

"Is that you, Anitun?" Soft and warm, as her voice had always been. "Come inside, I've been expecting you."

Walking in, Anitun was relieved to see her old mentor healthy and whole, sitting comfortable in her armchair. But though Anagolay smiled at her, her face was troubled. Of course she knows, Anitun thought, Apolaki would have told her already.

"Sit, dear. I know why you're here, of course." Obediently, she sat cross-legged on the floor, like she did when she was a child. Briefly, she was reminded of happier times, before remembering the current danger. "I've been searching since I received your summons."

"So long?" Anitun couldn't keep the surprise out of her voice. It usually took seconds for Anagolay to locate anything; it had been far longer since the alarm was raised.

"You see, I think its fled beyond our borders. It's been years, decades even, since it last had…sustenance," she explained, flinching slightly at the last word, "And probably intends to regain strength as long as it can, avoiding the day. Its been incredibly fast, and had already finished crossing the Atlantic, even before we spoke." It was only then that Anitun noticed the slight shaking in the older woman's hands. The power it took to expand her sight to cross oceans for that long must've been great, and the effort showed. Perhaps she had also been forced to watch the monster feed, a thought that made Anitun's jaw clench.

"Ate, do you know where it's landed?" As she spoke, she gently took Anagolay's hands into her own. Anagolay frowned slightly, focusing her sight on something Anitun couldn't see.

"Not exactly. But I can send you roughly to its location, give or take a mile." That was better than what she was expecting, given the circumstances and the distance. A soft glow seemed to emanate from her. Closing her eyes, Anagolay turned to her, and placed a hand on her head.

"Take a deep breath."