Dick watched the vampire pace the room in front of him. Her long hair flicking each time she turned and her heels were echoing against the walls of the bat cave. He could tell she was far from traght.

'Mom?'

'I just don't understand why you did tell me? I thought you trusted me, I thought we were passed all the secrets.'

Dick realised quickly that she was more talking to herself and she was to him. She didn't look at him as she continued pacing up and down, muttering under her breath. Her nervous expression was making him glad his hearing hadn't yet come in, he really didn't want to hear what she was saying. Then again, what was he thinking? His hearing to come in? Was this whole situation starting become so normal that things like supernatural abilities were just another passing thought?

When did his life become so messed up? Oh, right, the day he was born.

'Mom?' The 17-year-old tried again a little louder. The vampire finally stopped pacing and looked at him. 'What's happening to me?'

Her expression was worth a thousand words. Her jaw clenched and her eyes looked pained.

'You're changing...' She cleared her throat. 'The change has been activated. Not completely but enough for you to evolve more than the average fledgeling.'

Dick frowned, not really understanding.

'I didn't think the change was possible until I turned 18? I don't turn 18 for another 7 months.'

Christine shrugged. 'I don't know. This kind of situation has never happened before. Other than my half brother, you're the first male to be born into the Dracula bloodline. And you're the first with vampire blood running through his veins.'

Dick remember from a few weeks ago, Christine had given him a basic overlook of his family tree. Before Dracula and become, well, Dracula, he had been a Prince in the Far East. Vlad the Impaler. He had only had one son, Ingeras. After Vlad was cursed, Ingeras inherited his father's throne and died many, many years later, still human. That was in 1513.

Vlad remained alone until the nineteenth century when he changed his name to Alexander and reemerged himself into human life. It was then that he met Mina Murray, the woman who would become his new bride and mother to his four daughters, including Christine.

Seven thousand years, Dracula had been alive. The fact that he had never seen what he was experiencing made Dick feel ever so alone.

'Richard?' It was only then that he realised Bruce had arrived and had been trying to get his attention for some time.

'Yeh?'

'You drifted away for a minute there.'

Bruce looked him over, he looked healthier than he had in months. The transfusion of blood had done him the world of good. The boy had grown as well in the last year. His shoulders had filled out and his face had matured. He was starting to look more like a man, but with the stress of everything going on, Bruce hadn't noticed until now.

'We just want to understand why you didn't tell anyone about what was going on?'

'I didn't want him to take me away.' Dick whispered.

'Who?'

'Alexander.'

Anger flared in Christine's eyes. She knew her father had given Dick the option of travelling to England, but she hadn't realised Dick was afraid of this possibility. Dick wasn't stupid, her father must have given him the impression that he would have no choice if Dracula decided he was going to take him. This wasn't true. She would not allow it, even if it meant fighting Alexander to her dying breath.

After informing her son of this fact, Dick visibly relaxed.

'Now go on, head to the watch tower. There's something I need to take care of.'

Dick jumped off the table he had had been sat on, picking up his rucksack with his overnight belonging and heading to the zeta beams with Batman.

Before heading into the spinning light, Bruce looked back at the vampire.

'If you're going to do what I think you are, please be careful.'

Christine nodded silently and raised her hand in good-bye and he too disappeared. Now it was time to find Alexander.

OoOoOoOoOo

He had heard about the day's events. Of course, he had, there was nothing his daughter could keep from him, especially when it concerned the boy. Alexander stopped himself, he supposed he wasn't really a boy anymore. In a few months, he would outgrow his fledgeling status. He would become a man and more importantly, he could become a vampire.

But that didn't explain why he was showing so many signs of changing. Alexander remembered when his own daughters were Dick's age. They had been stronger, faster, more durable than the average human. Then when they had turned 18, those traits grew weaker until they were the same as everybody else.

But Richard, from what he had witnessed, could do much more than that. He was able to call upon his demonic strength and his healing was quicker than that of these so called 'speedsters.' But he also had the weaknesses, the anaemia, the heat sensitivity, struggling to stay awake during the daytime hours. These vulnerabilities were something he had only ever seen in a full grown vampire. The general rule was, the more you suffered from the vulnerabilities the stronger vampiric abilities were. They ran side by side, almost as though the weaknesses were payment for the strength.

If that was the case, then just how strong was Richard going to be?

Dracula tapped his nails against his crossed arms as he thought. He was leant against a wall in the so called, 'Mount Justice.' He had to admit, it was an impressive abode, though it didn't quite compare to the some of the castles he had lived in during his time on this earth. His particular favourite being one in Transylvania, though he had had to vacate after a certain, Bram Stoker had happened upon it. Three evening the man had stayed in his company, a year later that blasted book had appeared and once again he had had to go on the move. It was later that same year that he reinvented himself into Alexander Grayson. A decision that would open up a new set of problems in his life. Problems main caused by his trust is Van Helsing. Though he supposed, some of the issues might have begun when he had bitten that pretty blonde. Now she and Abraham were the bane of his immortality.

'Father?'

His mind drawn away from the past, Alexander looked up to see his youngest daughter walking, no marching would be a better description, over to where he stood.

'Christiana. You wanted to see me?'

'How could you frighten my son like that?'

Alexander raised a perfectly arched eyebrow. 'I don't know what you mean?'

'Did you threaten to take him to England?'

'I offered him the chance. There was no threat there. I merely made it clear that he would be safest with me.'

'He is terrified of you.'

'And so he should be.'

Christine blanched. 'You want him to be afraid of you?'

'If it makes him take the risk to his life seriously, then yes, I want him to be afraid of me.' He sighed when she looked mortified. Standing straight he took her shoulders in his hands and gripped them tightly. 'I don't think you realise just what it would mean if Van Helsing and that woman were to get their hands on him. At best they would kill him to avoid the chance of him coming a rival. At worst, they could kill him the moment the fledgeling protection is gone, thus binding him to them. He would become a powerful weapon for them in this war.'

'A war that you started!' Christine pushed against his chest to force him away from her. 'He never asked to be a part of this, I never asked to be a part of this. You were the one to lose control of your creations, it kills me to see my son suffering for your mistakes!' Her eyes glow purple and she bares her teeth at him.

'Christiana.'

'It was you who changed Lucy Westenra, you who pushed Abraham away. You who decided instead of killing him to instead give him immortal life! Did it really not occur to you that they would revolt!' She screams.

'What are you really angry at Christiana?'

'My son almost died today, because he was too afraid to tell me he was changing. Too afraid to confide in his mother because of his fear of you!' Tear are falling from her eyes now. All of the worry and stress from the last few months finally coming out. 'I can't see an end to all of this.' She says as her knees collide with the floor.

Alexander kneels and rests a gentle hand on her shoulder.

'We are almost there now. Once he is no longer a fledgeling, they will no longer be drawn to him. They will not be able to bind him to their covenant and it will become in their best interest to keep him alive. We are nearly there my daughter.'

Nearly there.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

'You're back. How is our little Prince today?'

'Sore from what I've heard. My sources tell me he was rushed off the beach with severe sunburn earlier today.'

Lucy Westenra cocked her blonde head to the side, her red eyes focused on the man before her.

'He's already changing?'

Van Helsing nods. 'He is looking to be quite the powerful vampire.'

'Then we had better make sure he is on our side of the war. Is the moon still on course?'

'Yes, I checked it myself last night. Three days before the deadline, we will be walking in the day.'

Lucy smiles a cruel twisted smile, her fangs protruding from her crimson red lips.

'They won't know what hit them.'

A/N This chapter was a bit of housekeeping. I was starting to loose track of what I where I was in the vampire world. I wrote down how I wanted my characters to fit in the Dracula universe the decided to include it as a chapter just in case you were starting to get confused as well. The Dracula in this story is a combination of Johnathon Rhys Meyers Dracula series and Dracula Untold with Luke Evans (yum yum). The bit of about Bram Stoker was more of an inside joke than anything lol. Hope you enjoyed the chapter anyway. More action in the next chapter! Please review. Karin x