A.n I own Nothing.
Well, here we are again, Christmas. First I want to say Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all my readers. It's been a tough year but that is no reason not to celebrate. And here is your gift...
I posted a poll to see what villains from both Castlevania and the DCU you should team up to take a crack at Alucard and this was one of the two most popular matchups requested. Alucard and Batman vs Ras Al Gul and Shaft.
This is the Complete Arc of the Tower of Babel.
Enjoy and once again have a Merry Christmas.
As always Please Review
Alucard was down in the castle's wine cellar with the spirit of his father when he felt the castle alert him to an individual passing through its protective barrier. Alucard was not wearing his usual attire, instead, he was wearing a simple shirt with the sleeves rolled up and some ordinary pants, with more casual-style boots, his hair tied back with a strand of beads.
He'd had a difficult day. When he'd moved the castle to help Green Lantern, he'd unintentionally caused two disasters. It was fortunate that Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman had remained behind, but the damage done had been substantial. Atlantis had been hit the hardest and both Superman and Batman had promised the king they would ensure Alucard would be reprimanded and punished for causing such destruction.
Both Alucard and Dracula were surprised to hear that moving the castle caused the two disasters; doing so in the past hadn't caused any problems other than scaring some wildlife. Nonetheless, Alucard had agreed to whatever the League deemed an appropriate punishment, even if it was only to appease the Atlantean king. Batman had decided Alucard was to stand in for Superman for a day and while Alucard didn't think it was a punishment at first, he soon learned it was.
The day had been long and terrible. He'd had to help with the smallest of things, including mediating an argument on non-existent monsters, flying a school bus that had broken down all over town until he found the correct school, and having an interview with Lois Lane. The last one had been the worst part of the day by far, as the human reporter clearly held a grudge from their first encounter and was relentless in her interview. After the interview, Alucard had to attend a get-together at the Daily Planet, where its editor and other reporters swamped him for questions and were eager to meet the Justice League's newest ally.
It did raise questions as to why the League was so intent on keeping Alucard on hand and not one of the many other heroes out there. However, Alucard simply defaulted to the Leagues cover story, that they were helping him adjust to a new era and keeping an eye on him. Alucard met Perry White who was insistent that Alucard sign an exclusive deal with the Daily Planet, ensuring no one else got interviews with him; in a similar way to Superman. Alucard polity refused on multiple occasions but Perry was persistent. Kat Grant wanted to keep all of Alucard's stories to herself, claiming that Lois already owned the stories for Superman and that Lois should let her have Alucard. This started a small argument between the two reporters. Thankfully it let Alucard slip away into the crowd for a short time; only to be found by the two reporters again not ten minutes later.
Meanwhile, Clark was off in the back corner hiding his amusement in a coffee mug.
Finally, at 7 PM Alucard was free to leave. He was supposed to meet Batman in Gotham at 8 PM and was looking forward to going back to his castle and just relaxing for a bit, maybe even taking a bath. But as he was about to leave, Superman showed up and told him Batman had postponed their meeting till later that night, and the Dark Knight would let him know when he was ready to meet.
This gave Alucard some time to himself which he was grateful for. He headed straight back to his castle and took that bath, drank some blood, and under his father's suggestion, investigated the wine cellar. His reasoning was that since the League now had access to the castle, it would be rude for Alucard not to offer them a drink, and Dracula had to assume that his counterpart and Lisa did not raise him to be an inhospitable host to any guests that would visit.
So, he and his father were going through the wine cellar for the first time in over five hundred years and seeing what had been destroyed in the battle and what had survived the test of time due to Castlevania's magic. Both Alucard and Dracula looked up towards the ceiling when they heard the knocking at the castle doors.
"Are you expecting visitors, my son?" Dracula asked.
"No," Alucard responded and stood up "but I should see who it is,"
Alucard left the wine cellar and headed to the front foyer. Dracula followed, curious to see who would come down to the bottom of the ocean. He suspected it would be one of the Justice League, though he secretly hoped it would be a visitor from Atlantis. Dracula had never been able to talk to the Atlanteans in his world and after learning that there was an Atlantis in this one and that they were his son's neighbors, he had hoped a representative would come to visit.
When Alucard opened the door, Dracula was disappointed to see J'onn standing there, not a visitor from Atlantis.
"J'onn, this is a surprise…is something the matter?" Alucard asked. The League did not usually come down to visit Alucard at his castle, since he was always going up to the Watchtower. Even though the castle doors would be open to them since the League had protective charms, the League respected each other's privacy, and that also included Alucard's. "Has something happened?"
"No, Batman wishes for both of us to meet him at the Gotham theater," J'onn answered.
"He does?"
"Yes,"
"Did he mention why he wants the two of us to go to Gotham?"
"No,"
"Typical," Alucard huffed in annoyance, but he nonetheless stepped aside and let the Martian inside, closing the door behind him.
"I apologize for the sudden request, but Batman was insistent," J'onn said, taking note of Alucard's more casual attire.
"It is fine, we were only cleaning," Alucard assured.
J'onn nodded and then looked up at Dracula, the spirit giving him a nod of acknowledgment.
"What were you cleaning?" he asked, turning his attention back to Alucard.
"The wine cellar," Alucard answered looking up at Dracula "My father and I were going through it to see what remains after the battle,"
"Battle?" J'onn asked, concerned.
"The one five hundred years ago," Alucard clarified. "There was significant damage to the castle…any structural and internal damage to the castle has already been repaired of course. However, a number of disposable items were destroyed,"
"Such as my, or should I say my counterpart's, wine collection," Dracula commented "To be honest, I am surprised so much survived. I thought Trevor would have ransacked it,"
"I never gave Belmont the opportunity," Alucard claimed, "and the Justice Lord version did not come down to the Castle while he was here…I do not believe he even thought it still existed,"
"I didn't realize you drank wine," J'onn observed.
"I like the odd glass on occasion," Alucard shrugged. "I find red wine to be pleasing to my palate. Did Batman state when he wanted us?"
"Immediately,"
Alucard nodded. He supposed that was typical of Batman.
"In that case, please make yourself comfortable while I change," Alucard said. "The sitting room is through that door," he gestured at a side door just beyond the staircase. "I will be a few minutes,"
Alucard left J'onn alone as he walked back up the stairs and further into the castle. Dracula came down the stairs and followed J'onn into the sitting room. J'onn sat down on a chair and Dracula took a seat next to him. Once they were alone J'onn looked over at Dracula.
"I have been wondering, how are you able to move around?" J'onn asked Dracula "Are you not trapped in a Soul Stone?"
"I am," Dracula confirmed "However, my son has drawn a spirit weave that spans all but a few areas of the castle. It allows me to roam the halls but I cannot leave,"
"I am sorry to hear that,"
"Do not be. I chose to exist this way. Punishment for failing My wife and son," Dracula said remorsefully "If I am to exist for eternity, I can think of worse ways to fill the time than spending it with my son,"
"Alucard is not your son," J'onn pointed out.
"No, he is not…my child is long dead by my hand. I have to live with that knowledge. I wish I could have saved him, I wish our roles had been reversed…that events happened in my world as they did here,"
"It has been difficult for Alucard to adjust to our world," J'onn said. "He said his father, our version of you, recovered from his madness at the end. Alucard did not have the opportunity to find out if it was a brief recovery or a permanent one,"
Dracula looked thoughtful, resting his chin on his clasped hands. He could not tell if his counterpart would have truly given up his quest for revenge if it meant killing his son. He had nearly given into anger and rage when Lisa died, that much was true. However, he chose to push that aside for his son, and instead it was Alucard that had gone down a vengeful path.
While travelling with Trevor and Sypha, Dracula had seen firsthand the damage his son had caused and often wondered if he was a bad father, if he had failed at parenting so badly... But, seeing this version of Alucard not succumb to rage, made Dracula realize that there had been hope for his son. Perhaps if he had tried harder he could have reached his version of Alucard, just as this one had reached Dracula in the end.
Of course, there was no way to tell now and Dracula knew Leon would have the smuggest look on his face if he ever learned of what happened long after his death.
"I cannot say whether my counterpart would have permanently recovered or not. However, I failed to even get a momentary glimpse of the boy I raised at the end. I wonder…if my presence is hurting this version of my son even more,"
"I do not believe that to be the case. Alucard regrets deeply what happened centuries ago, I believe that you are a reminder to him of the Dracula he knew, the one who raised him, not the monster your counterpart became," J'onn stated "and I think the same is true for you,"
"You are very observant," Dracula smiled. "Tell me, are all your people as wise and compassionate as you?"
"My people were scholars, we enjoyed the beauty of our planet and we shared our wisdom with many races," J'onn answered.
"I never knew there was life on other planets," Dracula commented. "I had observed and charted the stars when I was corporeal. If I had known of your people I would have made the effort to visit…I know my wife would have loved to have met your people. My son informs me you are the last of your kind, is there no chance of other survivors?"
"If there are any then I do not know of them," J'onn said sadly. "It is good that you did not come to Mars, there would have been nothing left for you and your wife to see,"
Dracula was about to ask something else but Alucard walked in fully dressed with his sword at his side.
"Ready to go?" he asked J'onn.
"Yes," J'onn stood up.
"You have given me much to think on. I would like to speak to you again sometime," Dracula said.
Alucard looked between the two, confused at what he missed. "Should I be concerned?" he asked.
"Not at all," Dracula responded waving off Alucard's concern, "Enjoy your trip to Gotham,"
Dracula then walked out of the room through a nearby wall, Alucard watched him go and once the spirit was gone he looked at J'onn.
"I have only seen one other earn my father's respect so quickly…what did you talk about while I was gone?"
"Dracula was concerned that his presence was causing you and him emotional harm. I merely assured him that was not the case," J'onn stated.
Alucard looked like he was going to say something more but instead, he shook his head with a sigh. He would ask his father about this later. They headed to the transport room and Alucard used it to transport them to Gotham.
Gotham City Police Department roof,
Bullock was he was taking a break and drinking a hot cup of coffee on the roof of GCPD. Commissioner Gordan hadn't used the Bat Signal in a few days so it was safe to take a break on the rooftop. There was an unwritten rule in the Gotham police force, if Gordan used the Bat Signal, stay away from the roof for at least three days if you didn't want the famous Batman sneaking up on you.
While Batman seemed to have a working relationship and respect for the commissioner, it did not extend to the rest of the GCPD and Batman made it very clear that while he would not harm the police unless it was self-defence, he had no issue with making them need to change their uniform.
He was in the middle of a swig of coffee when a large pillar of black flames appeared on the roof. Bullock was in such a shock that he spilled coffee all over himself and yelped in pain. When the flames cleared Alucard and J'onn were standing there. They both looked down at him but said nothing about the coffee dripping down his stained shirt.
"This is not the theatre," J'onn stated.
"No…but we are close," Alucard stated and pointed to a large building a few blocks away that had a large well-lit sign that read 'Gotham Theater'. "I do not believe Batman would be pleased if our arrival caused inconvenience to anyone,"
"A fair assessment," J'onn agreed. "Shall we?" he asked, as he floated off the roof. Alucard stepped off the edge and followed, the two of them headed off towards the theatre, leaving a very stunned Bullock behind.
"I am never coming up here again!" Bullock swore.
Alucard and J'onn flew over to Gotham Theater, and when they were close to the building they saw that Batman was standing on the roof, with another man next to him. The man was a tall, older gentleman, wearing a short black tailcoat jacket over a white vest and shirt, with a bow tie around his neck and a top hat. He had black hair with some streaks of grey near his ears. The man looked up at the two arrivals.
Upon seeing him, Alucard couldn't help but feel drawn to the older man and they locked eyes as if trying to size each other up. Alucard and J'onn landed but neither Alucard nor the other man took their eyes off each other.
"You're late," Batman commented, once the two had landed.
"I had to change," Alucard responded. "Besides…were you not the one who changed the time of our respective meeting?"
Batman merely grunted in response.
"I take it this is the one?" The other man asked and he looked Alucard up and down.
"Yes," Batman responded.
"I don't see why you need my help, he is a perfectly capable magician," the man commented.
Batman raised an eyebrow at this.
"You told him Alucard had magic?" J'onn asked.
"No, I didn't," Batman responded and glared suspiciously at the man.
"He didn't need to," Alucard supplied "Those with talent in the mystic arts find themselves drawn to each other…I sensed his magical talent the moment I saw him, as he did with me,"
"Did you have this reaction with Le Fey?" Batman asked.
"Of course. It was the same when I met Constantine…and Sypha," Alucard claimed.
"You're a walking magic detector," Batman stated. That could be useful.
"It only works with those of significant talent," Zatara explained, "those of us who can use true magic,"
Batman looked at Alucard and the vampire nodded.
"We are going to talk about this once we get back to the Tower," Batman insisted.
"Batman, I do not mean to be rude but who is this?" J'onn asked.
"Ah, my apologies. My name is Giovanni Zatara," the magician introduced himself with a flourish of his hat. "Batman has asked me to help you with your education,"
"Has he now?" Alucard asked and crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes. "What exactly has Batman told you?"
"That you're over a hundred years old and want to get into med school but lack the qualifications needed," Batman stated flatly.
"I was under the impression that you were still waiting to see if Alucard had been accepted into Princeton Academy," J'onn commented.
"I was. I got a response from them today," Batman claimed.
"You have news," Alucard perked up "and you did not tell me?"
"I only got it late this afternoon. It's why I pushed our meeting time back," Batman assured.
Alucard nodded, accepting the explanation, he had been expecting a conversation. After all, he had already finished all the online early learning courses. Batman had hacked the school's system to alter the dates of his online grades being issued and the previously submitted application for Princeton Academy, a prestigious secondary school in England that would allow Alucard to work independently and not attend in-person classes.
"Yes, your application has been reviewed and you have been moved to the next stage of applicants, but there is a complication," Batman started.
"I have not been accepted…" Alucard said with disappointment.
"Not yet, in order to be accepted, you will need to sit a test and your parents need to be interviewed during that test," Batman said "If you pass the test and your parents leave an impression you will be accepted into the school,"
"That will be tricky," J'onn said "They will never accept Alucard if they meet him,"
"I agree, which is why Zatara is here," Batman said.
"What do you mean?" Alucard asked.
"J'onn is right, we can't have you meet any of the teachers otherwise they will deny you entrance. You will take the test from the Watchtower. J'onn will establish a psychic link with you on the day of the test and turn into a younger version of you. He will relay the test questions to you and write the answers for you. Thus, you will take the test,"
Provided J'onn agrees, of course," Alucard added.
"I will not object. But why can we not just get a copy of the test and have Alucard take it offsite?" J'onn asked "I could still sit the test and then afterward swap the answers. It would be simpler,"
"Because the test papers are taken to be graded by the principal immediately upon completion. There will be no time to make the swap," Batman claimed.
"What about meeting my parents, they are both dead," Alucard pointed out.
"That is where I come in," Zatara said "I will use illusion magic to pose as your mother,"
Alucard frowned at this. "I thought our initial plan was to ask Wonder Woman to stand in for my mother,"
"Wonder Woman is too well known, there is a good chance she will be recognized, even if she wasn't wearing her costume," Batman pointed out "Zatara, on the other hand, has acting experience and as a showman, he can pull off the role better than Wonder Woman could,"
"And I am a parent myself, so I have plenty of experience having parent-teacher meetings," Zatara added.
"I am not comfortable with this…at all," Alucard claimed.
"You won't even have to see me, only J'onn will," Zatara assured "But I will need a picture of your mother in order to craft the illusion,"
"If you want to get into med school then this is the only way," Batman pointed out.
Alucard looked at J'onn. "What do you think?"
"The plan is sound. But it is ultimately up to you," J'onn responded.
"I suppose I have no choice, but…do you have to use my mother's image?" Alucard asked "she is a…sensitive topic for me,"
"We don't have to," Zatara answered "I only went with that because of what Batman told me. If you would prefer, I could be anyone,"
"We've already put on the application that Alucard has a single mother," Batman pointed out "We can't change it now,"
"I will not be at the school though, just choose a person to disguise yourself as," Alucard said "I would prefer it…as long as they are blond,"
"Blond?" Batman asked, surprised.
"My mother was blond as am I…should there not be some minor resemblance?"
"I can work with that, I will model my illusion off what J'onn here turns into," Zatara said "Does that work with you, Batman?"
"I suppose it will have to," Batman huffed.
"Excellent! Well then, when is the big day?"
"The end of the week," Batman answered.
"In that case, J'onn should return with me so we may craft a form for him to use," Alucard said. He then looked at Zatara "Thank you for your assistance in this matter,"
"My pleasure," Zatara smiled. He and Batman watched J'onn and Alucard fly off. Once they were gone Zatara turned to look at Batman "Is your friend cursed?"
"Excuse me?" Batman asked.
"Your friend, is he cursed? When I sensed his power, it felt dark and twisted. Almost as if his magical essence had been corrupted,"
"What do you mean corrupted?"
"I mean just that, his magical essence has been altered, changed from what it should be," Zatara claimed.
Batman looked up in the direction where Alucard had flown and narrowed his eyes. "Is that a bad thing?"
"Normally yes, however with your friend…I did not sense that the corruption was doing any harm. Quite the opposite, which is what has me worried,"
"I will ask Alucard about it when I see him next," Batman assured.
"Please do. So, what are your plans for the rest of the evening, hmm? Zatrara asked lightheartedly "Fight the Joker again? Hunting Killer Croc through the sewers… maybe even paying a personal visit to Catwoman's apartment?"
"None of the above, I'm going on patrol and then I'm going home," Batman said.
"Very well, be careful out there Batman," Zatara said, he turned and walked towards the theatre door while Batman jumped off the roof and headed off into the night.
After leaving Zatara, Batman swung through the rooftops, to start his patrol. It wasn't long until he heard a scream, and he went to the source, stopping a group of desperate men forcing themselves on a single woman. After that, he stopped two robberies and found a few of Falcone's men loitering around. They weren't doing anything other than standing on a corner, under a street lamp having a smoke. But Batman stayed to observe them just in case.
"I'm telling you it happened," one of the thugs said. "The bush just burst into flames,"
"Yeah right, I bet you dropped a cigarette near it and it wasn't put out," another scoffed.
"No, I didn't, I wasn't even outside at the time. I was in the kitchen washing dishes," the first one argued.
"And how much of the boss's scotch have you had?" the third asked.
"A few glasses, but that is not the point," the first argued "I'm telling you this is a sign! The last time this happened God spoke to Moses and gave him the ten commandments. What if God is trying to talk to me?"
"Yeah, he's telling you to quit leaving your cigs by plants and make sure you put them out," the second man said sarcastically.
Batman rolled his eyes and moved away silently. He didn't berate others for their beliefs, but he had better things to do than listen to a gangster who thought he witnessed an act of God. He swung across the rooftops some more before landing. The moment he did he heard a voice that sent chills up his spine.
"Hello Batman," a voice said from the darkness. Batman quickly whirled around and threw a Batarang only for it to be caught. "No need for that, I only came to chat with you,"
A man stepped out, he was middle-aged with dark hair but had visible white roots, he wore a dark green coat with gold lining that had a very pointed collar. There was no shirt underneath, the coat was open in a V shape to expose the man's chest. A red sash with a gilded gold sword rested around his waist, a decoration of a dragon's head on the hilt.
The man wasn't alone either, as he emerged four figures also came out of the darkness, they were all wearing black uniforms with two thin short swords on their back and baklavas with eyehole slits so they could see. Batman glanced warily at them.
"What are you doing here Ra's?" Batman hissed.
"I am here to make you an offer. You see, I am on the verge of executing a plan that will wipe out all of humanity, except those I deem worthy. You, Batman, have proven to be not only intelligent but highly resourceful and I respect such qualities. So out of that respect, I offer you this one chance to be among those saved,"
"Not interested," Batman immediately shot back.
"Are you sure? This plan is not like the others. Think about it Batman, humanity isn't worth it," Ra's urged "Humanity can be great, but only with a fresh start,"
"And you'll be the one to guide them, I've heard this before Ra's and like all other times I will stop you,"
"Ah…but you won't. If you do not join me, you will be responsible for the deaths of every vigilante, caped hero, and Justice League member on the planet," Ra's claimed "Yourself included,"
Batman did not like the sound of that, there was no way he would ever be responsible for an event like that. This was more likely one of Ra's games and the head of the League of Assassins was trying to rile him up, planting doubt in his mind to force him to make a mistake.
"I won't let that happen," Batman swore.
"Very well, I have my answer. I can't say that I was expecting something different," Ra's sighed "But I still thought to give you the choice,"
"I made my choice the first time I stood against you," Batman growled "That choice hasn't changed,"
"And that is exactly why humanity needs a fresh start because they can't change," Ra's stated "My plan will be executed by the week's end. By the start of next week, I will have plunged the entire globe into war. By the end of the first week, 25% of the world's population will be dead, the following week 50% and by the end of the month…only the chosen will remain,"
"Why are you telling me this?" Batman asked "You know I will try to stop you,"
"To be honest Batman I will find it amusing to watch you try to stop me, however, I think you will be a little too preoccupied to do so," Ra's responded smugly "After all, you will be ridding the world of any who could stop me,"
Batman narrowed his eyes. "I am not going to help you in any way Ra's," Batman said seriously.
"But you already have," Ra's smiled. He snapped his fingers and the hooded monk next to him suddenly threw out a dagger toward him. Batman was already on guard so he shifted ever so slightly to avoid the strike, but suddenly found he couldn't move. He couldn't speak.
His mind went wild trying to figure out what had happened, but not even his eyes would move. However what he could see, apart from his most dangerous nemesis was a small knife, shrouded in shadows, sticking out of the ground at his feet.
"Your compliance would have made things easier, but it is not necessary," Ra's said "Oh, have you met my new business associate? This is Shaft,"
The monk stepped forward and took his hood off, revealing an older man with graying hair. He seemed to have a gentle and caring face, one you would expect from a monk or a priest. Except in his eyes, Batman could see terrible, dark, and twisted intentions.
"Greetings Batman, I have heard so much about you," Shaft said in a polite yet menacing tone.
"Shaft here is making all this possible and all he wants in return is for him and a few of his friends to be left alone in the new world," Ra's claimed.
"It is a fair deal," Shaft agreed. He then looked at Batman "Hmm? Are you familiar with this trick? Has a certain mutual acquaintance used it before?"
Batman couldn't respond, but anger rolled off his paralyzed form.
"Hmm…well, do tell the lost Prince that I send my regards and that Lady Carmilla has received and accepted his challenge," Shaft said. He then turned to Ra's Al Ghul "If you will excuse me,"
"Hold on, who is this lost prince you mentioned?" Ra's demanded.
"The son of my Lord who I used to serve. He was nothing like his father, too weak, too soft," Shaft then locked eyes with Batman and with a darker undertone added "too human," he then looked back at Ra's, "The prince ran away and caused my master's demise and he has recently been seen with Batman," Shaft answered "That is all,"
"This prince, are they one of your friends who you wish to be left alone?" Ra's asked.
"Oh no, quite the opposite. In fact, the prince I speak of has always been trouble. He is unworthy to be his father's heir, and quite frankly I find the person who shares my former master's blood to be an abomination," Shaft claimed. "No, he can die with the rest of the world for his crimes,"
Ra's nodded in satisfaction and Shaft lowered his head and vanished in a wisp of darkness. Ra's then turned his attention to Batman. "I too must take my leave," he said.
Ra's turned to one of his men.
"You will remain with the Dark Knight for two hours, ensure that he receives nary a scratch from any who would do him harm. After two hours remove the dagger and return to me," Ra's ordered. They all bowed in response, then Ra's and the other three assassins left. Leaving Batman frozen and alone on the rooftop with a member of the League of Assassins.
True to Ra's order, the assassin stayed, albeit in the shadows and out of sight. No one bothered the paralyzed Dark Knight, though Batman occasionally heard the sounds of someone or something in the alleyways below… but they were swiftly silenced. He counted the minutes in his head and after what felt like an eternity; the assassin approached and removed the dagger. Batman stumbled forward, his body reacting to being forced to stay in the same position for so long. He whipped around to face the assassin but they were gone. Batman pondered going after them, but there would be no point. He needed to alert the League before Ra's plan went into action.
Batman ran back to the Batmobile and raced back to the cave. Along the way, he used the Batmobile comm system to make contact with all members of the Justice League.
"Batman to all Justice League members, we have an emergency. Head to the Watchtower as soon as you get this," Batman said in an urgent tone; he then switched to J'onns channel "J'onn, if you're still with Alucard bring him to the Watchtower," He cut off the communication before he got a response.
On the way to the Watchtower, he racked his brains to figure out how Ra's could wipe out 90% of the population in a week. He supposed a nuclear device could do it, but those kinds of devices and the big explosions they caused were not Ra's style nor did the League of Assassins use such methods. They were more subtle in their ways, and that made them more dangerous.
When Batman arrived at the Watchtower, the rest of the League was already there, seated in the meeting room; as was Alucard. Flash and Wonder Woman, however, were absent.
"Where are Flash and Wonder Woman?" Batman asked as he entered the room.
"Central City," Hawkgirl answered "Wonder Woman took the Javelin to pick up Flash a few minutes after we got your call. They'll be here soon,"
Batman nodded. He couldn't fault Flash for this, Flash was the only member of the Justice League who didn't have his own way up to the tower. Superman, J'onn Green Lantern and Wonder Woman could survive the vacuum of space. Hawkgirl had a space suit that still allowed the uses of the wings (curtesy of Batman) and Alucard had his castle. Flash however could not fly and thus he relied on someone else to transport him to and from the Watchtower.
"Should we start without them?" Superman asked.
"No, it would be better if they were here in person," Batman stated "We'll need all hands-on deck for this,"
The League exchanged worried glances. Frontality they were not waiting long and after another ten minutes the Javelin landed back in the tower. Flash zoomed straight to his chair in the meeting room and sat in it like he had been there the whole time. A few moments later Wonder Woman flew in, she landed and took her seat.
"Alright, we're all here. What's going on?" Green Lantern asked with concern.
"While I was on patrol, Ra's Al Ghul paid me a personal visit and told me that he had a plan to wipe out 90% of Earth's population before the week's end," Batman said seriously.
"Are you serious?" Flash yelled.
"How the hell is he planning to do that?!" Hawkgirl demanded.
"And why did he tell you?" Superman added.
"I can think of a few ways, but none of them match the League of Assassin's usual operation patterns. As for why he told me, Ra's dared us to try and stop him," Batman answered.
"Well, that's ominous," Green Lantern stated. "Either he's toying with us or he legitimately does have a way to end the world and believes we won't be able to stop him,"
"Exactly. That's why I called everyone," Batman said.
"Who are the League of Assassins?" Alucard asked.
"A group of Assassins who want to save humanity by wiping it out and starting anew with them guiding it," Batman summarized "They've wiped out cities they deemed irredeemable before. They've even tried to wipe Gotham out a few times,"
"They're bad news," Green Lantern said with a scowl.
Alucard nodded in understanding. Batman explained what happened to him in Gotham, what Ra's said, and the challenge for the League to stop them. He didn't mention Shaft yet, as he wanted to confirm with Alucard if the vampire knew him, after all the implication of their conversation was very clear.
"We should set up round-the-clock monitoring. Anything that seems off, we report," Superman said.
"We also shouldn't patrol alone, if the league of assassins takes one of us out the rest of us won't know until it's too late," Green Lantern suggested.
"I agree, it's better to be safe than sorry. Especially since they're not working alone," Batman then looked at Alucard "Do you know a man named Shaft?"
"Yes," Alucard answered, he'd been quite up until now. Listening and observing the conversation, however when Batman mentioned Shaft, he narrowed his eyes "Where did you hear that name?" he asked with a dark undertone.
"Ra's and wasn't alone when he approached me. He had two assassins and a man named Shaft. He told me he knew you,"
"Impossible," Alucard scoffed "He'd be long dead by now,"
"You sure?"
"Yes, Shaft was human," Alucard claimed "It would be impossible for him to survive the five hundred years since my father's death…as he was already in his elderly years,"
"Was he a friend of yours?" Flash asked, wondering if this was another Lyudmil situation.
"Hardly. Shaft was a priest who worshiped my father…he believed my father was the true saviour of mankind and not your god and Jesuses. He was a powerful magician in his own right." Alucard claimed "His mastery over the dark arts was so strong that it could manipulate Castlevania to an extent,"
"I'm sorry, he could do what?!" Flash shouted "I thought only you and Drac could commad the castle,"
"You are correct, it should be impossible…but Shaft found away. Though he didn't have the strength to wrest full control from my father…but he held enough control to disable any traps in his way and change the layout so he would never get lost," Alucard clarified "He could not make it move or command any of the night creatures or servants in the castle either,"
"Still that's… Wow…" Flash stated.
"Are we sure this is the same person you knew?" Wonder Woman asked "as you said it's been over 500yrs,"
"He heavily implied it," Batman said "He called Alucard a lost Prince, which is what Magnus called him, and said that the prince was the son of the Lord he used to serve. Additionally he used the same knife trick you Alucard used on me when we were hunting him down. Claimed a mutual aquatic had used it on me before,"
"Hmm…Did he wear dark purple priest-like robes with a red overlay and clergy hat?" Alucard asked.
"Yes," Batman confirmed.
"Oh…so it is him,"
"Why would this Shaft work with Ra's Al Ghul?" Wonder Woman asked.
"He wants himself and some friends of his to be welcomed in the new world that Ra's creates," Batman said "Alucard, do you know who he's talking about?"
Alucard pinched his chin with his finger and thumb. His eyes and head slightly downcast. Batman could tell he was deep in thought.
"That is concerning, Shaft did not have any friends…only worshipers," Alucard stated "Unless…" he trailed off.
"Unless?" Wonder Woman repeated.
Alucard's eyes flickered over to Batman and they lingered on the Dark Knight. As if he was trying to decide something. Batman just stared back at Alucard, a finger tapping on the table in set intervals, impatiently. In the end, he shook his head.
"Apologies…I was thinking of something else," Alucard said "By all accounts, Shaft should be long dead. He is a selfish man who craves forbidden knowledge and power…he thinks little of those without it. He is quite full of himself,"
"So how did he get involved with your dad?" Green Lantern asked.
"I am not sure, he was already in service to my father before he met my mother. However, Shaft held little interest in science and believed that Dark Magic was the ultimate power. As I said…his control of the mystic arts was vast,"
"Then we'll have to be careful," J'onn stated.
"Either way, he's working with the League of Assassins," Batman said. "Magic is something we don't have much experience with. Alucard, you will need to be on standby and ready to assist us at a moment's notice,"
"I will assist in any way I can," Alucard assured.
"Alright, let's get back to Earth and our respective cities and keep an eye out," Superman said "J'onn, you help Flash in Central City, Green Lantern you help Hawkgirl in Chicago. Wonder Woman, you're with me in Metropolis. Batman, you know Ra's better than any of us here, try to figure out his plan. Alucard, can you remain on the Watchtower for now? We'll need someone up here to monitor the planet and it will be easier to reach you at the tower rather than your castle encase any of us encounter Shaft or Ra's Al Ghul,"
"I do not mind, the castle will be fine for a few days…though I will have to go back for a short time on the third day to be safe," Alucard agreed "Should any of you encounter Shaft you must take extreme caution. He is highly intelligent, clever, and crafty. Shaft will not hesitate to devise false tracks and smoke screens to divert your suspensions away from his true goals and distract you with other threats or plans to keep you from focusing on him,"
"Yeesh, it's no wonder he gets along with the League of Assassins," Flash commented.
"Alright, we all know our jobs so let's get to it," Superman declared and stood up.
"And remember to report everything
The rest of the League stood and followed the Man of Steel out.