A.n I own Nothing
Castlevania Nocturne is out and it is great, really great. Also, season 2 has already been announced with a trailer to boot. Check it out.
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Alucard spent the next few hours poring over the data on Grodd, scouring through the Justice League's database and conducting his own investigations. He was determined to uncover any possible connections between Grodd and Flash's recent behaviour. However, all the information the league had on Grodd indicated that any kind of mental powers were nullified upon his last defeat and the destruction of his helmet.
When Green Lantern came up to the tower, J'onn did a quick mental scan, but like Flash, he too had no trace of any kind of mental alteration. Green Lantun also seemed to have calmed down a bit too...that was until he made comments about the lack of discipline or command structure within the league. Alucard left the tower late morning and returned to Castlevania. Due to Flash's injuries, it was decided that Alucard's first official Monitor Duty as part of the Justice League would be that evening. Flash was supposed to do it, but since he was injured, Superman asked if Alucard wouldn't mind swapping. Alucard had no issue with it, and Superman also promised to get Alucard a proper Justice League communicator set for him once he returned to the tower.
Once back at the castle, Alucard headed to the library and poured through any and all books he could find on mind control. It didn't help much, as it identified different types of mind control: Vampiric Enthrallment, Voodoo and its less powerful incarnations of Puppet magic, and finally Enchantments. Alucard disregarded the books on Vampiric Enthrallment, as he knew all about that, and Flash was showing none of the signs of being enthralled. He doubted voodoo or puppet magic had anything to do with it either. He took a quick look through references to that kind of magic, but aside from Flash's twisted and broken legs, he had no other injuries, nor did he complain about his body acting against his will.
That just left Enchantments. This had a wide range from love potions to witch's brews and a variety of spells to control a victim's mind through magic. However, each way of control always left a distinctive trait. Those under a love potion would be completely devoted and in some cases lusty for whoever the maker of the potion was. Witch's brew tended to be a bit more versatile but still produced some odd traits, such as the victim eating insects or bugs and sometimes even poisonous mushrooms that would no longer have an effect other than giving the victim a few boils on the face. Other spells also had different side effects. Neither Flash, Hawkgirl, nor Green Lantern had shown any of these traits, nor had they done anything suspicious outside of being aggressive and snappish.
The closest type of enchantment that Alucard could find to match the League's aggressive behavior was a Fury Spell. This particular enchantment made the victim go into an uncontrollable rage where they would view everyone around them as an enemy and would go into a battle-crazed frenzy that would only end with the death of everyone in the area. The more the victim killed, the stronger the enchantment became.
Alucard let out a sigh and shut the book. This spell did not entirely match the League's condition either. If Flash, Hawkgirl, or Green Lantern were under such an effect, they would already have been lost to the crazed frenzy, and since that had not happened and the League and the cities of Earth were still standing, Alucard concluded that this lead, like the others, was a dead end.
Alucard called it quits around 3 pm. He was mentally exhausted and disappointed, frustrated that he hadn't found anything that would help him. He headed to his coffin for a few hours of rest before he had to go back up to the Watchtower.
Alucard entered his coffin and closed the lid, allowing himself to sink into a deep slumber. As a vampire, he didn't need much rest, but he found that the brief periods of sleep he did get helped him rejuvenate mentally and physically. Several hours later, Alucard woke up feeling more refreshed.
He checked the time and noted that he had just over an hour before his first official Monitor Duty with the Justice League. Alucard got up and walked to the kitchen, and as he reached there, a chalice and two bags of blood appeared on the table in a swirl of mist. Alucard sat down and used a clawed nail to pierce the bags and filled up the chalice. Once empty, the bags disappeared.
Dracula walked through the wall moments later. He stopped when he saw Alucard and smiled.
"Hello my son, did you sleep well?" Dracula asked.
"I did," Alucard confirmed and took a drink from the chalice.
"The Librarian informed me you spent a few hours doing research," Dracula started as he sat down, "anything I can help you with?"
"Not really... I was looking at spells and enchantments to control the minds of others," Alucard claimed.
"An odd choice of subject to research," Dracula commented, "why the sudden interest?"
"Flash recently fought an opponent who once had the ability to control others' minds," Alucard explained, "I was comparing the side effects to spells and enchantments of similar effects."
"And did you discover anything new?"
"Only that modern-day symptoms and side effects are completely different from those 500 years ago," Alucard replied.
"How different?"
"I am not entirely sure... more aggressive behavior, easily angered, and subtle passive-aggressive remarks are the only signs I have noticed," Alucard said.
"I would not construe a mortal's aggressive behavior and snide remarks as a sign of mental enchantments," Dracula claimed, "mortals tend to be that way naturally."
"I would agree... however, it still does not sit right with me," Alucard responded.
"Well, I will never dissuade you from doing any research of any kind," Dracula said, "if I can be of assistance, do let me know."
"I will, thank you, father," Alucard said.
"By the way, when were you planning to leave for the Watchtower?" Dracula asked, "Aren't you on Sentinel Duty today?"
"I will leave in an hour... I was planning on having a bath first," Alucard said.
Dracula nodded, "Make sure you drink some blood before you go. It is better to be prepared."
Alucard held up his chalice to indicate he was already feeding and took another mouthful.
"Is that going to be enough?" Dracula asked, "Perhaps you should have another."
"This will be plenty, father," Alucard reassured.
"What about the blood stores in the Watchtower? Do you have enough stored away... what if there is an emergency? Perhaps you should take some with you just to be safe." Dracula suggested.
Alucard gave Dracula a flat look. "Father, I will only be gone for 10 hours... I can survive on this until I return."
"But what if you get hungry?" Dracula asked.
"I have already stored plenty of blood up on the watchtower... the infirmary's icebox has more than enough," Alucard replied.
"I still think you should have one more chalice... you really need to take better care of yourself, my son," Dracula commented. "You are much paler than you should be."
"Father, you are worse than Mother was when I left on my first solo trip," Alucard groaned.
"My other self and Lisa let you travel alone?" Dracula asked in shock.
"Yes, on occasion when it could not be avoided," Alucard replied.
"Why would we do that... what about hunters and the church... what was my other self thinking?" Dracula panicked. "What if something had happened... what if you had been caught in a flash flood or someone recognized you weren't entirely human? You could have been caught in the rain."
"Father..."
"Wait, did you travel on foot?"
"Of course," Alucard replied.
"That is even worse, why would you travel on foot when you can fly... I realize flying during the day would be unwise, but surely my other self could have just sent you close to your destination using the castle... in fact, he could have moved the whole castle," Dracula exclaimed.
"Actually, my version of you rarely used the castle's transport room after marrying Mother," Alucard commented. "Unless it was for a quick escape..."
"Quick escape... so something did happen... oh, if I ever meet my other self..."
"Unlikely," Alucard muttered into his chalace.
"I will give them a piece of my mind."
"Would that not be you giving yourself a piece of your own mind?" Alucard joked.
"Adrian, I am your father... a version of your father, and if I have to give myself a stern talking to over your safety, I will," Dracula said proudly.
Alucard rolled his eyes. He tried to imagine the look on his actual father's face at being given a lecture on child safety by his ghost self. Alucard had to admit he would not mind seeing it, even if it was impossible now. He and Dracula continued to talk until Alucard had finished his chalice of blood. Once done, Alucard headed off to have a bath and get ready to leave.
On his way out, Dracula tried once more to get Alucard to drink some more blood, but the half-vampire refused. However, to alleviate Dracula's concerns, he did agree to take an extra blood bag with him. He then headed to the transport room and disappeared into black flames.
When he arrived at the Watchtower, Alucard checked in on Flash only to discover that the speedster was no longer in the infirmary. As he was visiting, Superman walked past and upon seeing Alucard, he stopped and entered the infirmary.
"Alucard, you're a little early. What are you doing in here?" Superman asked. "Are you injured?"
Alucard turned to see Superman. "I was coming to see Flash, but he is not here," he answered.
"Ah, that. J'onn let him go home not long after lunch," Superman said. "His legs had healed enough that he could finish recovering at home."
Alucard nodded and Superman noticed the bag of blood in Alucard's hand.
"What's that for? Is your supply running low?" Superman asked, pointing to the blood.
Alucard looked down at it and shook his head.
"My father would not let me leave without bringing extra. He is worried I do not have enough," Alucard claimed.
"Really? Was our version like that?"
"A little, but not to this extreme," Alucard claimed, then got a distant look in his eyes. "Unless it came to mother..."
"I see. Oh, I have something for you. Wait here," Superman said, and zoomed out in a blur of red and blue. He came back a moment later with a small box in hand and held it out to Alucard.
"Here," he said.
Alucard took the box and opened it. Inside was a small earpiece.
"It's your Justice League communicator," Superman supplied. "You'll need it so we can contact you in emergencies. Tap it once to activate it and again to turn it off. While it's on, you'll be able to communicate with anyone with a communicator or the Watchtower directly."
"Thank you, Superman," Alucard said, and he put his new communicator in his left ear. There was an odd low buzzing sound. "It sounds like there is a bee in my ear."
"Really? I set it with the same settings as mine to reduce the buzzing noise, since I have super sensitive hearing too. I can readjust it for you," Superman claimed.
Alucard nodded and handed the earpiece back to Superman. They headed up to the monitor room where J'onn was at the controls. Once there, Superman gave Alucard a rundown on what he needed to do and which screens to keep watch on.
"We don't monitor Gotham because Batman handles anything in Gotham, and he gets mad when anyone interferes. Central City, Metropolis, or Chicago are monitored, but not as much as other cities since myself, Flash, and Hawkgirl protect them personally. Additionally, other cities have their own vigilantes and heroes protecting them, so unless it's a major incident, we usually let the local hero and police force deal with it," Superman explained.
"So what should I alert everyone to?" Alucard asked.
"If there is anything in our cities that we need help with someone in the city's police department will call us.. But the main thing to watch out for is any high-security buildings, chemical plants, weapon storage, bomb threats, prison breakouts, the Joker, natural disasters. That kind of thing," Superman replied.
"Do not forget to monitor for extra-terrestrial invasions," J'onn added.
"Oh yeah, that too," Superman agreed.
"I... see..." Alucard said. He thought this would be easier, after all, Flash complained about how boring monitor duty was on a regular basis.
"You'll be fine, and if you have any questions, just call us," Superman said.
Alucard turned to look at J'onn. "Will you and Wonder Woman be on the tower, or will it just be me?"
"Wonder Woman will be here. I am going on patrol with Green Lantern tonight," J'onn answered.
After the explanation, Superman remained on the tower for a short time to readjust Alucard's communicator. It took a bit of trial and error, but the Man of Steel eventually got it to a setting that Alucard was comfortable with. J'onn explained that Batman had designed the communicators to be used effectively and comfortably with those with enhanced senses in mind, which is why they were adjustable.
After a few tests of using the communicator, Superman left the tower and headed down to Metropolis. J'onn also left Alucard to go meet up with Green Lantern on Earth and let the vampire begin his shift. Alucard started with the necessary security checks before taking a seat at the monitoring station and began his vigilance. It was just after the first hour that Alucard received a call for help.
Philadelphia,
Green Lantern and J'onn were flying around the city. It was quiet in Philadelphia tonight, and that was good. They'd only been in the city for about 25 minutes. They had spoken to the local police chief about the crime rate or any criminal rings or syndicates that needed to be dealt with. This was part of the usual Justice League patrol, spending some time in each city doing a few flyovers and speaking to the local authorities for anything they could help with. Since Philadelphia was quiet and there was nothing going on, they would do one more loop of the city before heading off to the next one.
As they were flying over the zoos Gorillia encounter, J'onn thought he sensed something off, however and stopped, he looked down and saw 5 black gorillas sleeping. Nothing looked out of the oredenry but before J'onn could investage, Green Lantern's communicator went off. He answered it immediately.
"Alucard, what's wrong?" Green Lantern asked.
"A break-in…got it, we're on our way. No, J'onn and I can handle it," Alucard responded.
J'onn looked over at Green Lantern. "Trouble?"
"Break-in at Prime Tech," Green Lantern answered.
J'onn's eyes glowed yellow for a moment. "Shade," he said.
"How did you…" Green Lantern started, and then he remembered J'onn was a telepath. "Did you read my mind just now?" he accused.
"Only in regards to the break-in," J'onn assured.
"Well, don't. I would have told you," Green Lantern said.
"My way was quicker and saved us time and energy," J'onn stated. "Let's go."
The two flew over to Prime Tech, a company that developed motherboards and other electronics used in making computers. Recently, they had been looking into AI technology. Nothing major, just programs that could help out the everyday citizen, such as chatbots for brainstorming, editing software for students who needed help on essays or assignments, and other functions like that. So far, the editing software was proving very popular as office workers used it as well to quickly check and edit spelling and grammar on longer documents.
As far as Green Lantern and J'onn were aware, there was no reason for anyone to steal this kind of technology as it was widely available. All of the AI programs were online-based and only required a small monthly fee to access. The two hovered above Prime Tech and spotted the broken doors and damaged entry point. There were two guards standing outside. J'onn's eyes once again glowed as he read the minds of the villains.
"There are more inside," J'onn stated.
"How many?" Green Lantern asked.
"Just under a dozen."
"What is Shade after?"
"A new circuit board that has been developed," J'onn answered. "It is curious why he would choose that as his target. According to the minds of those two, the circuit board has yet to be tested or even programmed for anything."
"Doesn't matter why he wants it, all that matters is we stop him from getting it," Green Lantern responded. "Come on, let's take these two out and get in there."
J'onn nodded, and the two dived towards the two guards.
As Green Lantern and J'onn approached the guards noticed their arrival. They quickly turned their weapons towards the two superheroes and opened fire.
J'onn's Martian body allowed him to phase harmlessly through the bullets, while Green Lantern used his power ring to create a shield that deflected the attacks. The guards outside were surprised by the sudden confrontation and tried to escape, but were quickly apprehended by the Justice League members.
With the two guards on watch dealt with, Green Lantern and J'onn made their way inside Prime Tech. The facility was filled with rows of computers and servers, with various wires and cables running along the walls and floors. It was clear that the intruders had caused some damage, as several machines were smashed or destroyed.
As they flew deeper into the building, J'onn's telepathic abilities allowed him to locate the minds of the remaining intruders. They were spread out throughout the facility, and the Justice League members found them stealing things throughout the building. Thankfully, both J'onn and Green Lantern were able to take them down rather easily and stop them from getting away with newer and more valuable computers that could be sold for a high price.
"That's the last of them. Where's Shade?" Green Lantern asked.
J'onn's eyes glowed, and he scanned the building. "I'm sensing him in the laboratory," he answered.
"We're close. Let's go," Green Lantern responded, and he flew off. J'onn phased through the ground to get a head start.
Shade was already in the laboratory, looking over his prize when Green Lantern burst in. The villain whirled around to see Green Lantern enter the room.
"It's over, Shade," Green Lantern announced. At the same time, J'onn phased through the ceiling, also heading towards Shade.
"Ah, the Justice League. You're too late, as usual," Shade taunted. "Too bad I have what I came for."
"What are you after, Shade?" J'onn asked, his eyes glowing as he probed the villain's mind.
"A circuit board," Shade answered and held up a small green circuit board. "One that Prime Tech has been developing in secret. This little chip is worth a lot of money to the wrong people."
Green Lantern stepped forward. "You won't be taking anything from here," he said firmly.
Shade chuckled. "We'll see about that," he replied, raising his cane.
"Your not getting away," Green Lantern shouted and flew towards him at top speed. J'onn also had the same idea and charged in to capture the villain. Darkness swirled out of the cane and engulfed both Justice League members and the entire room in a dark mist.
J'onn and Green Lantern were momentarily disoriented, but they quickly recovered as the mist vanished and left them unharmed. They looked around to see that Shade was gone, and he had taken the chip with him.
"He got away," Green Lantern snarled angrily. "Is he still in the building?"
"No, he's gone. I no longer sense him in the building," J'onn stated. He then looked at Green Lantern. "I had him. You should have held back. Had you not interfered, I could have captured him."
"Well, I'm not the mind reader, am I?" Green Lantern shot back.
"You are the one who told me not to read your mind," J'onn argued. "If I am not reading your mind, how do I know what you are thinking or going to do?"
"It should have been obvious. Maybe if you didn't spend so much time invading other people's thoughts, you'd learn to read body language," Green Lantern shouted back.
"Perhaps if you broadcast your thoughts and intentions a little louder, I would not have to resort to reading your mind to know what you are thinking."
"The hell, my head is not a radio for you to just tune in whenever you want."
"Then perhaps you shouldn't have told me to not enter it," J'onn claimed. "Had you not, we would not be in this situation."
"Ugh, Aliens, you're all so infuriating. Let's just go. We need to alert the others that we failed," Green Lantern sighed and flew out of the room angrily.
J'onn and Green Lantern left Prime Tech. They headed out, and Green Lantern called Alucard to report that Shade had escaped with a new circuit board. Alucard was surprised, and Green Lantern got snappish at him when the vampire asked for more details. After he'd informed Alucard, Green Lantern called the rest of the Justice League to meet them.
They waited on a rooftop not far from Prime Tech, just in case one of them wanted to investigate the building. It didn't take long for the rest of the League to arrive. Superman was the last to arrive; he had seen a car swerve and crash on the way and stopped to help the driver. The driver was overall fine with minor injuries but had no memory of why they had crashed or why they were even in the car to begin with. Superman took the driver to the hospital before meeting up with the rest of the League.
"What's the problem?" Superman asked when he landed, and everyone had gathered.
"Us, we're not working together as effectively as we could," Green Lantern stated.
"I don't follow. I think we work together just fine," Hawkgirl huffed.
"J'onn and I couldn't even take down Shade… Shade of all people. He's like a 2 on the villain scale,"
"I did not realize we were ranking them," Alucard stated.
"We're not," Wonder Woman commented and folded her arms.
"Come on, we're batting close to a thousand," Flash pointed out.
"Most of that has been luck and not actual skill," Green Lantern claimed. "Besides, we've taken some bad hits along the way," he then looked at Hawkgirl. "Some more than others."
"What are you suggesting?" Wonder Woman asked.
"Practice, we run some drills to hone our teamwork," Green Lantern said.
"Is that really necessary?" Alucard asked.
"It's that or more of what happened tonight," J'onn responded. "And I agree with Green Lantern. Had we had better teamwork, he wouldn't have got in my way, and Shade would be in custody,"
Alucard raised an eyebrow at the last part of that statement. It was unlike J'onn to point the blame at others.
"You mean you wouldn't have got in my way," Green Lantern snapped back.
"I did not," J'onn finished.
"While I don't think we need it, a little more teamwork wouldn't hurt," Superman said.
"It's not like we have anything to lose," Hawkgirl agreed.
"Alright, I'll set something up and let the rest of you know when and where we'll train," Green Lantern said.
After Green Lantern left, the others went their separate ways too. Alucard headed back to the Watchtower to continue his monitor duty. The rest of the night passed without incident; there were some minor robberies, but local heroes and vigilantes took care of them, so nothing the League needed to get involved with. About an hour before Alucard's shift ended, Green Lantern informed the League that he had set up a training ground in the desert and wanted all League members to meet him there as soon as possible.
Alucard needed to finish his monitor duty first, which Green Lantern begrudgingly agreed to. Additionally, he also wanted to go back to the castle first. However, Green Lantern told him he needed to be part of the training, as he was now a part of the Justice League and couldn't skip out on team exercises anymore.
Alucard noted, once again, the aggressiveness that Green Lantern was displaying. He sighed and, once his last hour was over, he headed down to the location using the castle's transport room. He arrived on a building overlooking a small town setup. Calling it a "town" was a bit of a stretch, as it consisted of seven buildings: three on either side, making up a street, and one at the end in the middle. It was set up like an old Wild West town. Superman was walking through it, occasionally targeting pop-ups of villains and blasting them.
Alucard appeared in a pillar of black flames near Wonder Woman and Green Lantern. He winced at the sunlight from the desert and pulled his hood up, seeking some minor relief. Alucard was well aware of the dangers of the desert - there was no shade other than the buildings, and even they would do little to protect them from the harsh sun and heat of the day. He doubted he'd be able to stay longer than an hour or two. His human side protected him from being turned to dust by the sun, but his vampire nature made him vulnerable to extended exposure to extreme sunlight.
In the cities and cooler climates of the states, this wasn't much of a problem as he could seek shelter in public buildings or up at the tower. However, out in the desert, there was no such protection. He already felt weaker from the sun, and he'd only been out in it for a few minutes.
"You're late," Green Lantern said gruffly when Alucard arrived, not taking his eyes off Superman who was navigating the makeshift town.
"I am not. I finished my monitor duty and came straight here, as requested," Alucard responded. He walked over to the edge of the building and looked down, just in time for J'onn to emerge from the ground and stop Superman from firing at a pop-up of an innocent-looking girl.
"What are they doing?" Alucard asked.
"A teamwork exercise. They've been doing quite well," Wonder Woman replied.
"Then perhaps we do not need to spend that long out here," Alucard suggested.
"It seems that way. We're up next, by the way," Wonder Woman said.
"It's not over yet," Green Lantern smirked and pushed a button on his control board.
Two sets of drones sprang up and opened fire on J'onn and Superman. The two were not expecting it, as they had been discussing how well their teamwork was going. Hawkgirl swooped down, destroyed the first set of drones with her mace, and charged at the second set.
"That is live fire," Alucard urgently pointed out. "I thought this was only practice?"
"It is," Green Lantern said.
"Wait," Superman called out. "Don't," J'onn tried at the same time.
However, it was too late. Hawkgirl's mace collided with the second set of drones, and the moment it did, the drones exploded. The explosion was weak and not enough to cause any damage or seriously hurt Hawkgirl, but it was enough to knock her back. Green turned off the remaining drones, and the League flew over to Hawkgirl. Superman helped her up.
"Are you alright?" Superman asked.
"Yeah, the blast didn't have much force behind it," Hawkgirl claimed. "Why did it explode though?"
"It was booby-trapped," Green Lantern answered. "You weren't meant to slam your mace into it."
"And how was I supposed to know that?" Hawkgirl shot back.
"Easy, either of your partners could have told you; one's psychic, and the other has X-ray vision. Plus, they both told you to wait, but you didn't listen," Green Lantern pointed out.
"Fine, lesson learned," Hawkgirl huffed. "Can I go now?"
"Oh, we're not even close to being done," Green Lantern smirked. "Plus, Flash, Wonder Woman, and Alucard have to run the course now."
"Won't we be at an advantage now that we know what to expect?" Wonder Woman asked.
"Don't worry, I've prepared something different for your group," Green Lantern claimed.
Green Lantern led the League to a canyon area a few miles away from the fake town that had been set up. He and the others landed overlooking a canyon with multiple holes serving as both entry points and exits. He turned and looked at Alucard, Flash, and Wonder Woman.
"This canyon has a maze-like underground tunnel system," Green Lantern started. "I've rigged it with booby traps and placed drones in there to hinder and try to capture you. Your exercise is to go through, get to the center, retrieve the hostage, and get back out without being detected. You'll have to rely on each other to get through."
"There's someone in there?" Wonder Woman asked.
"Nah, it's just a doll from a two-dollar shop," Green Lantern claimed. "Oh, one more thing, if all three of you get caught, you fail."
Alucard, Wonder Woman, and Flash nodded. They picked an entry point, headed over to it, and entered one of the tunnels.
"15 bucks says Flash gets caught first," Hawkgirl said once the group had disappeared.
"You're on," Green Lantern agreed.
Inside the tunnels, the group was carefully making their way through. However, they quickly encountered their first problem: darkness. Light was extremely limited to areas near the exits due to open holes from above. This was not a problem for Alucard as he could see in the dark, so he took the lead. The tunnels were not wide enough for the three Leaguers to travel together, so they proceeded single file.
As they made their way through the tunnels, the path wound in all directions, and the group began to wonder if they were even getting close, as they had not encountered any traps or drones that Green Lantern had mentioned.
"This is taking too long. Let me just search the whole system at once. It will take less than two seconds," Flash claimed.
"Wouldn't that defeat the point of this exercise?" Alucard asked.
"Maybe, but it would get it over with quicker," Flash claimed.
They continued walking and eventually emerged into a large underground central chamber. It was lit up by bioluminescent worms and small crystals, creating a beautiful and peaceful atmosphere with a mix of green and darker hues.
"Okay, this is pretty cool," Flash admitted.
"Where do you think the doll is?" Wonder Woman asked, looking around at the central chamber and all the other tunnels.
"Let's just search all of them," Flash said and zoomed off.
"Flash, wait..." Alucard tried.
"Typical men, wanting to do everything in a hurry," Wonder Woman huffed.
Alucard was about to respond when suddenly a low buzzing sound caught his ears. "Do you hear that?" he asked.
"Hear what?" Wonder Woman asked. A moment later, she too heard a buzzing noise. The two looked down around the central chamber, and above them, small bug-sized mechanical drones began to pour out of the upper tunnels. It wasn't long until there was a huge swarm of them.
"Where is Flash?" Alucard asked with worry.
"GUYS, HELPPPPP!" Flash's panicked cry came from another tunnel.
"Let's go," Wonder Woman said. She was about to fly off in the direction of the tunnel where Flash's voice had come from. However, Alucard grabbed her arm to stop her.
"Wait, we don't know if that is him...didn't Green Lantern say there were traps that would hinder us?" Alucard tiredly explained.
"I won't leave him, even if it is a trap. I can just fight my way through it," Wonder Woman shot back. She yanked her arm out of Alucard's grip and flew off. Alucard, seeing the massive swarm above starting to move, followed her. He knew Wonder Woman would be overrun very quickly, as the tunnels did not have room to move or for her to fight properly. Additionally, the drones were so small that she would not be able to hit them all.
Alucard launched himself into the air after Wonder Woman. As he entered the tunnel where Flash's voice had come from, a scene of chaos unfolded before him. Wonder Woman was surrounded by a swarm of buzzing mechanical drones, fiercely battling against them. Dispire the fact the Amazon princess was making some headway, the small drones darted around her, their relentless assault making it nearly impossible for her to gain the upper hand.
Alucard's mind raced, searching for a solution. The tunnels were too constrained for any of his larger spells, and there was a risk that he'd not only hurt Wonder Woman and possibly Flash with his magic, but he could also collapse the whole tunnel system on top of them. Additionally, the tunnels were too confined for his sword, which would be more of a hindrance in this situation.
He observed Wonder Woman's valiant fight, noticing the drones' patterns, their responses, and how they moved when Wonder Woman threw a punch, their synchronized movements as they circled around her. An idea sparked in Alucard's mind.
"Wonder Woman, punch the wall to your right," Alucard called out.
Wonder Woman looked at him in surprise but nodded. She did as instructed and punched the wall. As predicted, the drones swerved out of her way behind her. In that moment, Alucard's body glowed red as he raced forward with high speed. He rushed through the gathered swarm and once past them, he turned around and rushed back the other way. A red aura surrounded him as the high impact from his frame smashed the drones. Seizing the opportunity, Wonder Woman quickly finished off the remaining swarm, leaving all the tiny drones on the ground, destroyed. Alucard's aura faded, and he walked up to her side.
Breathing heavily, Wonder Woman looked at Alucard with gratitude in her eyes. "Thank you," she said, her voice filled with appreciation.
Alucard nodded, his focus now on their objective. "Let us find Flash and get out of here," he declared.
They pressed on through the intricate tunnel system, their senses heightened as they remained cautious of hidden traps and kept an eye out for any sign of Flash. The constant echoing buzzing of the drones served as a constant reminder that they had only taken out one swarm and more would be on the way.
Soon, the walls and floor changed from hard rock to a tunnel covered in a very slippery substance. Alucard and Wonder Woman floated above it so they would not be impeded. The passage eventually led them to a small room, barely illuminated by faint beams of light. There, they found Flash trapped in a web-like net on the back of the room, struggling desperately to break free.
Upon seeing their arrival, Flash's eyes widened with relief. "Guys, I'm glad you're here," he exclaimed, happily.
"What happened?" Wonder Woman asked.
"I ran ahead, and then I slipped on whatever was coating the tunnel," Flash said sheepishly. "I slid in here and got stuck."
"Stuck?" Alucard asked and looked at the web.
"Yeah, this stuff is really sticky," Flash claimed. "I tried to run at high speed, but the floor here has that slippery substance, so doing so just made it worse."
"Hang on, I'll pull you out," Wonder Woman sighed.
Without hesitation, Wonder Woman reached out and pulled at Flash, trying to free him from the web. The sticky substance that held Flash, however, was strong and held on. But it was no match for Wonder Woman's strength, and in one last yank, the scarlet speedster was free.
Flash stumbled forward, catching his breath. "Whew, thanks, guys. So now what?"
"Now we find the doll and get out of here," Wonder Woman said.
"It would be inadvisable to run off again," Alucard stated.
"Yeah, okay," Flash agreed.
They made their way out of the tunnel and back to the central chamber. Wonder Woman carried Flash through the slippery substance so he would not slip and get caught again. Once they were back in the main chamber, the group picked another tunnel to enter and pressed forward, their footsteps echoing through the dark corridor. They remained vigilant, scanning their surroundings for any signs of danger. The tension in the air was palpable, each step taken with caution.
At the end of the corridor, sat on a rocky shelf, was a small brown curly-haired doll in a patchwork dress. On either side were two inactive robots. The group eyed it suspiciously.
"Think that's it?" Flash asked.
"Yep, let's grab it," Wonder Woman said, and she took a step forward. However, once she moved closer, the robots activated and raised their weapons.
"Get back," Alucard warned. Wonder Woman, wary, stepped back, and the robots went inactive again.
"Great guards," Wonder Woman said, "there's only two of them, we can take them."
"Nah, I'll just rush in and grab the doll before they can activate," Flash boasted.
"Because rushing ahead worked so well last time," Wonder Woman scoffed.
"Well, I don't see you coming up with any other suggestions," Flash shot back angrily, his temper rising again.
"Oh, I have one," Wonder Woman said. She grabbed her lasso and threw it at the doll. The lasso landed around it, and she yanked it back.
To their surprise, the doll wasn't as light as they thought it would be. In fact, it was quite heavy. As Wonder Woman kept pulling, the shelf started rumbling and shaking. Suddenly, the entire floor crumbled and collapsed beneath their feet. The ground gave way, and Alucard, Flash, and Wonder Woman found themselves falling into a deep chasm. Wonder Woman and Alucard quickly regained their balance as they hovered. Flash, however, did not possess the power of flight. Instead, he tried to use his speed to run and jump off the falling debris.
Above them, the sound of the drone swarm could be heard, and looking up, the two robots that had been standing next to the doll's altar opened their chests, releasing several thousand small drones.
"Oh, good, here they come again," Flash muttered as he kept trying to run back up.
"Just stay out of my way," Wonder Woman ordered and flew towards the drones. As she did, she punched several large boulders out of her way.
"Hey, I need those," Flash angrily shouted. He reached the last of the falling platforms, and with nowhere to go, the drones swiftly surrounded him and formed a circular cage before flying away.
"Flash has been captured," Alucard observed.
"Good, now we don't have to babysit him," Wonder Woman boasted. She then tossed the doll to Alucard. "Hold this; I'll take care of the drones."
"Wait, you cannot take all of the drones on your own," Alucard urged.
"No, watch me," Wonder Woman shot back and charged at the drones. Wonder Woman got several good hits in and managed to take out quite a few hundred, but true to Alucard's prediction, the drones swiftly surrounded her, their mechanical arms extending into another circular cage that captured the Amazon warrior in mid-air.
"What the... Alucard, do something to get me out of here," Wonder Woman demanded.
Alucard let out a sigh and shook his head. He could use magic, but Flash was already gone, so he raised his hands in surrender and let the drones grab him, surrounding him and carrying him away. The drones carried them back up through the central chamber and out of the cave system, where Green Lantern and the rest of the Justice League were waiting.
"Hey, guys," Flash said sheepishly. He was sitting off to the side, his uniform had a few minor tears, but that was all. The swarm of drones that had linked up and formed the circular cages landed, and the two were released; the drones then flew back into the canyon.
"Well, you all failed," Green Lantern announced. "I think J'onn, Superman, and Hawkgirl did better than you three clowns."
"Hey, we did our best," Flash defended.
"That's right, how were we supposed to rescue anyone and fight a swarm of stinging drones in such a small environment," Wonder Woman demanded. "Not to mention we could not see where we were going."
"First off, Alucard can see in the dark. Second, rushing forward blindly without thinking is going to get you killed. And third, you're not always going to have open spaces and maneuverability in a fight, nor will the enemy be one you can just punch your way through," Green Lantern pointed out.
"Well, why didn't he help us?" Flash demanded and pointed at Alucard.
"That's right, you stood by while the swarm overwhelmed us," Wonder Woman agreed.
"Good point, you saw your teammates in danger and struggling with that swarm. Why didn't you help them?" Superman asked.
"I did not wish to hurt them," Alucard stated.
"You think we can't take a hit?" Wonder Woman asked, offended.
"Not at all... however, due to the lack of space, any number of my spells could have set off a chain reaction and engulfed the entire tunnels," Alucard explained. "Additionally, had you not been fried to a crisp, the resulting explosion could have burnt up all the air and left you both without oxygen... hence my decision not to use magic. Additionally, my sword is too long to use effectively and would have left me open to capture anyway."
"Then why did you give up? Surely you could have grabbed the doll and got back with your powers," Hawk Girl pointed out.
"The point of the exercise was teamwork... was it not?" Alucard responded.
"Either both teams failed. I guess we'll move on to the next exercise," Green Lantern said.
"Next one?" Alucard asked.
"What, you thought we'd be done after one exercise?" Green Lantern scoffed. "In your dreams, I've got a whole day's worth of team-building exercises prepared for you all." His ring glowed, and he flew back toward the town.
The rest of the league followed. Alucard cast a weary glance at the sun that was ever-rising in the sky and getting more and more intense before he too followed.
Unknown Location,
Grodd sat at a conference table in a spacious room surrounded by glass windows. The room overlooked the training ground and the hideout below. Around the table sat Copperhead, Giganta, Shade, Killer Frost, and Sinestro of the Yellow Lantern Corps.
"Alright, Grodd, we did your trust exercises. Now when do we get to kill something or rob someone?" Killer Frost demanded.
"Tonight," Grodd said.
"Finally," Killer Frost exclaimed.
"What is our target?" Sinestro asked.
"Not what, who," Grodd clarified. "So this is a kidnapping scheme, eh? Who's the target? A senator, some close family member of a very rich politician or CEO?"
"Nothing so cliché, I'm afraid. Our target is important and will complete our team. His location is in Gotham City," Grodd stated. "We'll go and collect him tonight."
The room tensed up. Gotham was one of the top three cities in the world to avoid. Not only was it Batman's city, but the criminals who operated there were insane.
"Gotham, is that wise?" Shade asked. "I would rather not cross Batman if I can avoid it."
"Same here," Killer Frost agreed. "I like to kill, but I don't have a death wish."
"I wouldn't worry about Batman; he will be too busy dealing with me," Grodd assured.
"You want to take on the Bat by yourself?" Killer Frost asked, impressed.
"Oh no, my dear. I'm not going to fight him. I'm going to talk to him and then leave without causing any disturbances," Grodd corrected.
"Okay, I'll bite. Why?" Copperhead asked.
"Simple, Batman is protective of his city. However, he will not waste his energy on a pointless fight. I have no actual quarrel with him, nor will I be breaking any laws simply by…say, having a drink on the harbor. Naturally, my presence will be reported, and Batman will come running…but that is what we want," Grodd explained.
"It is?" Giganta asked, confused.
"Indeed, for while I am having a simple conversation with Batman, you lot will be breaking into Arkham and retrieving our target," Grodd explained. "It shouldn't be too difficult."
"Break into Arkham? Just who are we getting, the Joker?" Shade asked.
"No, Clayface," Grodd confirmed. "Oh, and you'll have to do it without sounding the alarm. We don't want Batman knowing what you're up to until we've all left Gotham behind."
"And just how are we supposed to do that?" Sinestro asked.
"You work together, of course. Shade has magic that can render anyone unconscious, Killer Frost can freeze over anything, and Sinestro, your ring can create anything you desire. I'm sure between all of you, you can manage," Grodd said.
"If we find a power outlet or generator, I can frost it over," Killer Frost said. "It'd make the prison run on reserve for a short time and get some guards out to investigate."
"It is simple enough for me to use the shadows to get inside and bypass any and all security," Shade claimed. "Provided I can get across the bay."
"I can carry you all easily," Sinestro said, "and when it comes to leaving, I can fly us all out of Gotham before any alarm could be sounded."
"You see, not a hard task at all," Grodd grinned.
Gotham City,
That night Grodd approached the border of Gotham City. Sinestro had dropped him off not far from the outskirts; this was his part of the plan. He needed to have Batman and the GCPD's full attention while the others invaded Arkham and retrieved Clayface. Giganta was too big for the retrieval part, so she and Copperhead would be monitoring the police frequencies. Once it was clear that Batman would be dealing with Grodd, the others would head to Arkham.
Grodd headed into the city. He swung across the Gotham Bridge, using the various rooftops for cover. He knew that he was out of sight at the moment, but that would need to change. He spotted an open diner and grinned. There weren't too many cars on the Gotham Bridge, so if anyone had called the police about a gorilla swinging across it, it would likely not be taken seriously. A more public display was necessary. Grodd climbed down from the rooftops, being careful not to cause any structural damage. The mission was not to aggravate Batman, after all. He landed in the alley and walked out onto the main street. People froze as they saw a 600-pound gorilla making its way toward the diner. An officer in a car stared at him, and only once Grodd had entered the diner did the officer fumble with his radio to report the animal's presence.
Inside the diner, the staff and patrons had the same reaction: everyone froze upon seeing him. Whether they recognized him or not was not Grodd's concern. He walked up to the counter and stared at the menu contemplatively. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see one of the staff on the phone, likely calling 911, while other patrons had their phones out, taking pictures. Grodd didn't care; he was here for one thing and one thing only.
"Hmm…turkey club takeaway, please. Extra pickles," Grodd ordered.
The poor cashier staff stared at the gorilla, frightened, and it took a moment for it to click what Grodd had said.
"Um…would you like fries with that or a drink?" the poor teen questioned as they struggled to ring up the gorilla's order.
"Fries, no. But I'll take a large bottle of water as well," Grodd responded politely.
The teen entered the order into the cash register. "Um…$15.90," he said meekly.
Grodd nodded and put a twenty-dollar bill on the counter. "Sorry it's crumpled, big hands," Grodd said.
"Uh…it's fine, sir…your order will be ready in 10 minutes," the teen claimed as he took the payment. Grodd nodded and moved to stand aside and wait. Everyone's heads and eyes turned to follow him. While waiting, Grodd turned to see a little girl.
"Look, Mommy, it's a funny monkey," the little girl said.
"Sweetie, no," the mother gasped and looked up in fear, thinking that Grodd would hurt her daughter for calling him a monkey.
"Gorilla, actually," Grodd corrected.
"Excuse me?" the mother asked.
"I'm a gorilla," Grodd repeated. "And I am far superior to monkeys."
"Whoa, can all gorillas talk?" the girl asked.
"They can where I am from,"
"Amazing, they're my new favourite animal," the girl declared.
"Then you have good taste," Grodd smiled.
The mother was quick to finish her meal and leave with her daughter. Grodd waited, and soon his order was ready. He took the bag, thanked the staff, and left. Once outside, he was met with a dozen police cars. Several officers were pointing their weapons at him, and Grodd just grinned. He had the police's attention; now he just needed to attract Batman.
"Stay where you are," an officer yelled.
"Sorry, I have somewhere to be," Grodd said, and he jumped over the police cars and scaled a nearby building. Using the rooftops, he led the police on a merry chase before stopping at the Gotham City Bridge and climbing to the top. He settled himself and opened his bag. Taking the sandwich out, he took a bite and waited.
He wasn't waiting long. Halfway through eating his sandwich, he heard the swish of a cape and someone land on the metal beams behind him. Grodd grinned and turned around to see Batman standing there, and he did not look happy.
"Hello, Batman," Grodd greeted in his deep, rumbling voice as he perched himself on one of the bridge's metal beams.
"Grodd, what are you doing here?" Batman demanded, his voice laced with suspicion, as he descended onto the bridge behind the imposing gorilla.
Grodd casually held up a half-eaten sandwich, the aroma of turkey wafting through the air. "Having a late dinner. Would you like some? It's turkey."
Batman's response was curt, a simple, "No."
Grodd shrugged, finishing off his sandwich with a nonchalant air. "Alright."
Their conversation was laden with an underlying tension, as Grodd explained the purpose of his presence. "Whatever you're planning, I will stop it," Batman warned.
Grodd leaned back on the metal beam, his imposing figure silhouetted against the night sky. "No plan, Batman. I came to see you. I wanted your attention but knew it was unwise to cause a scene in your city. So I thought I would grab some dinner and let the police reports do the rest, and here you are," Grodd mused, revealing the calculated strategy behind his visit.
Batman's curiosity was piqued. "You came to see me, why?"
"I heard on the news you quit the Justice League. Is that true?" Grodd inquired, shifting the conversation towards the heart of the matter.
A terse "Yes" was Batman's response.
Grodd nodded knowingly. "Ah, so you are no longer affiliated with them. Good to know. You see, I am planning my revenge on them. I have already turned Flash into a pretzel once, but that was for me. My plans for the rest of the League are far grander," Grodd revealed, his sinister intentions lurking beneath his composed demeanor. "However, if you are not part of the League anymore, then I will have to reevaluate."
Batman's unwavering resolve became apparent. "Whatever you're planning, the Justice League won't be taken down so easily," he declared.
Grodd, undeterred, contemplated the future. "Such faith, but we'll have to see. The first stages are already in motion; it's the next stage that is the crucial part. I wonder if they will be as successful without you," Grodd provocatively pondered. "Tell me, Batman, do you think the League can succeed without you? I mean, they certainly don't lack power and physical strength. But you and I know that power is not everything, and intelligence can be far more deadly than raw brute strength."
"The League will be fine. If they need me, they will call," Batman stated with unwavering confidence.
Grodd remained enigmatic. "But will they really? Or will they succumb to pride and not call for help when they are inevitably in over their heads?" he questioned, planting seeds of doubt. "I suppose only time will tell."
Batman's final words reflected his character. "If they get in trouble and don't call, that's on them, not me. I am not their babysitter," he retorted.
"Indeed. Anyway, I've got what I came for. Have a nice night, Batman. I'll see myself out of your city," Grodd said. With that, Grodd concluded their cryptic encounter before effortlessly leaping away into the inky night heading to away from the city, leaving Batman alone to wonder what fate awaited the League.
As he left the city, Grodd headed back to where he left Giganta and Copperhead. "How are we doing?" he asked as he approached.
"Great, we just heard from Sinestro; they got Clayface and are on the way back," Giganta reported.
"Excellent. Then we should leave the city limits before Batman realizes he's been tricked," Grodd advised.
Copperhead sent a message to Sinestro to head straight back to the hideout, Giganta packed up the police scanner radio, and they all got into a heavily armoured vehicle and drove off.