Queen of Blood (Worm/Castlevania) (Complete)

[SirWill]

A/N: Waaay too fond of Skyrim.

Spoiler: Taylor's Complete Power List

Blood manipulation: Self only, but extremely versatile. Basis of the Shadow Whip, Shadow Daggers, and other things.

Short-range teleportation: Draining, but not limited to line of sight.

Bat Travel: Turns into dozens of bats and back again. Rather confusing, but helpful for mobility.

Strength: Insanely high at full strength. Not as strong as some capes, but up there. M1 Abrams out of gas? I'll just push them to the gas station.

Durability: Begins low, becomes stronger and harder to injure.

Vampiric Healing: Heals perfectly as long as there is blood to fuel the repairs. Can be slowed by various means.

Grace. Allows limited floating, superhuman dodging ability, and balance. Unlocked!

Flight: I believe I can touch the sky. (Locked)

Possession: Turns into blood, flows into some poor bastard, manipulates them, then when they die they turn into chunky bits. (Locked)

Fleshcrafting: Feeling a little vain? Want a whole new hair color, a bigger bust, shaplier hips, or claws to rend the flesh of your enemies? Subscribe to Vamp-New-You today! (Permits the vampire to alter their own flesh permanently at some cost to their blood. Does not permit changing of bone structure. Cannot be used on others.) Unlocked!

Mist form: Near invulnerable mist. No mere prison can hold thee. Unless they put in a fan to blow you back in. (Locked)

Telekinesis: Small objects, weak, but useful. Now I don't need to get up to flick the light switch! (Locked)

Wolf form: I can run fast, I can track down my foes from the smallest drops of blood, I will never stop, never tire, and IS THAT BACON?! (Locked)

Shadow Portal: Opens a gate to the Plane of Shadow, where Castlevania resides. Shadow Portals can be made nearly anywhere on a Material Plane, but they must be in fixed places within the Plane of Shadow. Unlocked!

Dominate: (Not the soul-using thing) Control over others. Takes effort, and can only do so to a few at a time. Repeated and lengthy exposure, however, can make things last longer, until they are permanently enthralled. Can be resisted with willpower and can be no-selled by various techniques/powers.(Locked)

Bat Summon: Bat Summon: Gather swarms of bats to do thy bidding. They will follow the will of the Lady of Darkness without hesitation. Not as flexible as the Queen Administrator shard. The awareness of each bat is basic, and commands must be given to the entire swarm at once. I'm the goddamn Batman. Unlocked!

Monstrous Form: Accesses a portion of the power available to the Scarlet Dragon's mightiest shape, while retaining the flexibility afforded by a humanoid form. However, it is clearly inhuman. Unlocked!

Void Magic: Basis of the Void Sword. Drains life from its victims, heals and invigorates the wielder, and brings about an absolute chill. Unlocked!

Chaos Magic: Control and manipulation of hellfire. Many can use it, but few can project it. Forms the Chaos Claws. Unlocked!

Storm Magic: Now you will feel the full power of the Dark Side, young Skywalker. (Locked)

Weather Manipulation: This is such a nice, bright, sunny day. NOT! Bring on the storm! (Locked)

Dragon Shape: For when someone or something big really, really needs to be stomped. Godzilla music is optional, but highly recommended! (Locked)

Resurrection: If slain, turns dormant for a period of time before reviving in a weakened state. Longest possible period is a century.

Spoiler: Alucard's Complete Power List

Strength: Insanely high at full strength. Not as strong as Taylor's potential, but certainly enough to be highly dangerous to a well-trained human.

Durability: Begins low, becomes stronger and harder to injure.

Vampiric Healing: Heals perfectly as long as there is blood to fuel the repairs. Can be slowed by various means.

Grace. Allows limited floating, superhuman dodging ability, and balance.

Demonic Wings: Permits him to glide with feathery, though twisted, wings.

Mist form: Near invulnerable mist. No mere prison can hold thee. Unless they put in a fan to blow you back in.

Wolf form: I can run fast, I can track down my foes from the smallest drops of blood, I will never stop, never tire, and IS THAT BACON?!

Chaos Magic: Alucard's is not as strong as his father's, but his skill with it is extraordinary. He can use it to teleport short distances and throw fireballs, although it is limited by line of sight and distance. (The classic SotN Hellfire spell.)

Spectral Wolf: Similar to the wolf shape, however it is ethereal and impossible to injure. Alucard can use it to teleport from one location to another by sending the wolf forward, then replacing it. Or he can simply use it to scout and dissolve it.

Crissaegrim abilities: A wickedly dangerous blade Alucard forged with the materials of three legendary weapons. It permits him to enshroud it with both Void and Chaos magic, as well as being extremely lethal to both holy and unholy opponents.

Resurrection: If slain, turns dormant for a period of time before reviving in a weakened state. Unlike Dracul's counterpart power, he would arise in a century unless the process was sped along by blood. He would also arise in a more corpse-like state until he managed to feed.

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The haze slowly receded. I tried to move, but couldn't. Panic would have overcome me if I wasn't so intoxicated by the rich blood flowing into my mouth, which I was reflexively swallowing. Definite euphoria effect. It tasted sweet and sugary. Delicious.

I worked to spit the tube out of my mouth, finally managing it after a bit of awkward struggling. I cleared my throat, feeling it to be a bit sore, though the soreness was fading rapidly. "Guys! I've got about five seconds before I freak out here, let me out!"

Nozzles on the ceiling swung my way, and my eyes widened. I called on my teleporting....and was too late. They sprayed something white at me, and I let out a shriek. Only to blink as I could suddenly move again. I stretched, sighing with relief, feeling my wings unfurl against the wall. Only now, I was covered in smelly yellow goop, now that the containment foam had melted off me.

Which was just lovely. This stuff felt really uncomfortable, especially against my skin and my...wait a sec. Back up.

I looked over my shoulder. I couldn't see very far, because I now had big glowing wings on my back. Was this one of Clockblocker's pranks?

Twitch.

Oh. I felt that. Experimentally, I flexed them, then spread them open. It felt weird, but also natural. A pair of new limbs.

"Well that's...lovely?" I said.

The cell door opened slowly, and a bathrobe was tossed inside. Why would I need one of those? I could just...

Then I looked down at myself. I noticed two things. One, I was naked. Two, I was red.

Oh goddamn it.

Flushing in embarrassment, I picked up the bathrobe. I tried to fold my wings to fit beneath it, but they were way too large for that. I ripped the back of it, forced my wings through, then slipped the bathrobe on completely. Sure, it was in tatters now, but it didn't have to last that long.

Sighing, I banged on the door. When it opened, my dad came in and hugged me tight. I returned the hug, gently.

"Dad, I'm glad to see you." I said. "But, um, I'm covered in goop, I feel really dirty, and I need a shower."

He just kissed my forehead. I could hear some sniggering off to the side. I turned my head and glared. There was Vicky, and Amy, and Clockblocker, and Vista, and Alucard, and...oh. Her. Madison. Whose hand was covered in blood. And a tub filled with blood that led right to the tube that was feeding me.

"We can talk later." I growled. "Shower. Now."

Clockblocker exaggeratedly bowed. "Yes, Mistress." He led the way, hunched over like Igor in the old Frankenstein movies.

I fought to repress a smile.


--------------------


After I'd taken advantage of the showers and felt more...well, not human, but normal and clean, I took stock.

One, I still reflected in mirrors. That was good. I didn't want to have to sit down for hours on end to know roughly what I looked like, getting portraits done the old-fashioned way.

Two, I looked beautiful, like my features were sculpted and honed to perfection. I'd have fit right in with all those succubi back in my castle.

Aaand there goes my subconscious mind again. Don't drool over yourself. And don't put yourself in that room. Get used to it, Taylor.

Though I could also see it wasn't simply passive, wallflower beauty. It was the kind of beauty one would see in a graceful, powerful lion.

Or a dragon.

My eye twitched. Goddamn it Dracul.

Even if it was a pleasant thought.

I took a moment to reform my clothing, with some alterations because of these wings on my back. Boots, black jeans, black shirt, red jacket...yep, still stuck with the same color-scheme. I felt some drain on my reserves of blood, but it wasn't so difficult as it was to form my armor the first time around. Then I stepped out of the shower room, just to find the rest waiting for me.

I sighed as I took in their expressions. Dad gave me another hug, and I (gently) returned it.

Alucard nodded with respect. "Welcome back." Wait a second. He was looking a bit more healthy than I saw him last. Though still pale, just not deathly.

Clockblocker gave an extravagant bow. "The fair daemoness returns! I love what you did with your hair."

Vista raised her hand in a fist. I grinned and gave it a bump in return.

Vicky grinned at me. "Hey Red. Good to see you back on your feet. Though, you know, when I was calling you Red, I wasn't suggesting you paint yourself that color."

I giggled a bit, smacking her shoulder. "Just for that, I'll see if I can paint you blue."

Amy gave me a little nervous wave, swallowing a bit. I'll have to talk with her in private later.

And...oh. Madison.

Dad spoke softly. "She donated her blood to help you, kiddo."

Oh. "Um, thanks. I think."

She just nodded, looking apprehensive. "Glad you're okay. Sort of."

I spread my hands, and wings, behind me. "Well. This is awkward. So...what the heck happened when I was starving?"

Vicky bit her lip. "Well..."


--------------------


I burst into Piggot's office. "How the hell could you let her get away!?"

To her credit, she simply responded cooly. "You're welcome, Scarlet Knight, for the assistance we rendered you when you required it. Without our resources and containment facilities, you might well have gone off on a rampage based on how you were acting after your change."

That brought me up short. I took a deep breath, folding my wings behind me. (And those felt weird.) "My thanks, Director. Now, how did Shadow Stalker get away?"

Piggot grimaced, tenting her fingers. "Today we were sending Lung and Oni Lee out to the Birdcage and Shadow Stalker out to Bellview Maximum Security. Lung was the higher-priority and dangerous prisoner, and Oni Lee, while less of a threat now, could still be potentially very dangerous. Their escort had our heaviest hitting capes on standby. Dauntless, Assault, Battery and Miss Militia. Armsmaster was cleared for duty with his new prosthetics and he was equipped to handle Shadow Stalker if she attempted anything."

I rubbed my forehead. "So you were expecting anyone to try and attack would go for the big guns and not Stalker. Great. So who did it?"

Piggot brought up a series of still images, obviously taken by Armsmaster's helmet. I frowned as I saw one figure I recognized. Not-Samedi at the villain meeting. Now what was his name? He represented...the Homeless? No, that wasn't right. The Wanderers?

Piggot spoke. "That's Trickster, of the Travelers. Ballistic and another parahuman were on the scene, aided by mercenaries."

Mercenaries. Coil. Should have guessed. Then again, I've had a rough day.

I clenched my hands, feeling the temperature drop as I grasped the Void. "What's the plan?"

"At the moment? Gather information. We're having difficulty tracking down Coil's base. Or bases. There's also the issue about cleaning house." She growled angrily. "We've got a leak here somewhere, there's no other way he could have gotten the information about when her transfer was going to take place."

That...made sense. I nodded slowly. "Fine. I'm going to see if I can do my own digging. Whatever happens, Coil goes down hard."

Piggot nodded, a small smile on her lips. "Yes. I'd rather not have to deal with that headache. Oh. I nearly forgot." She slipped a card out of her desk and handed it to me. "You've attracted a fair bit of attention. Someone wants to talk with you."

I looked at the name on the card.

Alexandria's number.

I did not squee.

Whatever the security cameras say.


--------------------


Amy and I stood outside, looking at the night sky. Vicky, Dean and Alucard were standing some distance away, quietly chatting. Ostensibly they were all getting to know each other.

Really, they were keeping an eye on me, making sure I was stable. And I really couldn't blame them for it. Well, Vicky and Alucard were. Dean still wouldn't look at me directly. What was his problem?

Amy stared at me, careful to keep some distance between us. I couldn't blame her, but it still hurt. "You sure that's a good idea?"

I twirled the card around, debating with myself. "Nah. But I'll call later. Right now..." I gave Amy a smile. "I don't blame you for what happened. Sure, this is all weird, but you didn't do it to me on purpose."

She shuffled her feet. "Yeah, well, you did try to eat me. So we're even."

I winced. "I am very sorry for that. I don't really remember much about it, but...yeah. Sorry."

Amy sighed, shaking her head. "I'm glad you're okay, if changed. But....Jesus, Taylor. You scared the crap out of me. I thought I'd killed you, and..."

I looked down at my hands. My very red hands. "Well, still here. Alucard says I should be able to shift back somehow, but I'm not sure how it works. And until I do, goodbye any chance of secret identity."

Amy made a small smile. "Could always join New Wave."

I returned the smile. "Or you could join me, instead. Cause, apparently, I have an evil overlord castle of my own."

She giggled. "Would I have to switch my costume color scheme?"

I laughed softly, nodding. "Oh, that's mandatory. I insist on a color scheme for all my minions." Funny thing was, that was even true. I wonder what they'll say when they see my army pounce on an Endbringer?

Probably 'Hoorrayohshit!' Better than letting dozens of capes die for no reason. Not that I felt much better about throwing demons at them, but we could save thousands of lives if we could drive off an Endbringer more quickly. Millions if we could actually kill them.

I shook my head. "Anyway," I gave Amy a smile. "Just glad you're okay."

She returned the smile, shyly. "Yeah. Me too."

Vicky called to me. "Hey, Red! Al's got an appointment to train the Whip-girl. You wanna come with?"

I blinked, then looked to Alucard. "Whip-girl?"

Vicky shrugged. "Apparently she hasn't got a cape name yet."

Alucard nodded. "I find the convention a little odd, but that is the case. She has yet to pick a symbol or totem, either."

I made a shrug, then turned to Amy. "I...probably should. Can we meet up tomorrow?"

She smiled. "I'd like that."

Dean looked at me, though he had pain in his eyes. "Good to see you're better, Taylor."

Vicky chuckled as she came up behind me. "Besides, we should see if you can fly with those wings, Red."

I blinked. Fly?


------------------–


I screamed as I tumbled from the air, flapping my wings furiously, and braced myself for impact.

Splash.

I spluttered, fighting my way back to the surface, and wiped my face. I glared at Vicky, who hovered above me.

"Sorry!" She shouted apologetically.

I very gingerly and carefully climbed out of the pool I'd landed in. I looked over to the side, to see Alucard in his wolf form, just outside the fence of the public pool property, making chuffing noises and his tail wagging furiously.

He was laughing at me. I knew it. I turned and glared at Vicky. "You shoved me toward the pool."

"Better than hitting the pavement, wasn't it!?" She said indignantly.

I glared harder. She eeeped and flew back away from me. I let out a growl and flapped my wings powerfully, taking off after her.

It was getting easier, but the hard part about it was I had to claw my way through the air, while she had bullshit flight powers. She was a lot more maneuverable than I was.

She darted just away from my hands, moving upward slightly and out of my reach. "Why didn't you just take your bat form!?"

"Because I didn't think about it while I was falling to my doom!"

Vicky flew a little bit faster as I poured on the speed. "I said I was sorry!"



---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[SirWill]

A/N: Did I leave the iron on?

Spoiler: Taylor's Complete Power List

Blood manipulation: Self only, but extremely versatile. Basis of the Shadow Whip, Shadow Daggers, and other things.

Short-range teleportation: Draining, but not limited to line of sight.

Bat Travel: Turns into dozens of bats and back again. Rather confusing, but helpful for mobility.

Strength: Insanely high at full strength. Not as strong as some capes, but up there. M1 Abrams out of gas? I'll just push them to the gas station.

Durability: Begins low, becomes stronger and harder to injure.

Vampiric Healing: Heals perfectly as long as there is blood to fuel the repairs. Can be slowed by various means.

Grace. Allows limited floating, superhuman dodging ability, and balance. Unlocked!

Flight: I believe I can touch the sky. (Locked)

Possession: Turns into blood, flows into some poor bastard, manipulates them, then when they die they turn into chunky bits. (Locked)

Fleshcrafting: Feeling a little vain? Want a whole new hair color, a bigger bust, shaplier hips, or claws to rend the flesh of your enemies? Subscribe to Vamp-New-You today! (Permits the vampire to alter their own flesh permanently at some cost to their blood. Does not permit changing of bone structure. Cannot be used on others.) Unlocked!

Mist form: Near invulnerable mist. No mere prison can hold thee. Unless they put in a fan to blow you back in. (Locked)

Telekinesis: Small objects, weak, but useful. Now I don't need to get up to flick the light switch! (Locked)

Wolf form: I can run fast, I can track down my foes from the smallest drops of blood, I will never stop, never tire, and IS THAT BACON?! (Locked)

Shadow Portal: Opens a gate to the Plane of Shadow, where Castlevania resides. Shadow Portals can be made nearly anywhere on a Material Plane, but they must be in fixed places within the Plane of Shadow. Unlocked!

Dominate: (Not the soul-using thing) Control over others. Takes effort, and can only do so to a few at a time. Repeated and lengthy exposure, however, can make things last longer, until they are permanently enthralled. Can be resisted with willpower and can be no-selled by various techniques/powers.(Locked)

Bat Summon: Bat Summon: Gather swarms of bats to do thy bidding. They will follow the will of the Lady of Darkness without hesitation. Not as flexible as the Queen Administrator shard. The awareness of each bat is basic, and commands must be given to the entire swarm at once. I'm the goddamn Batman. Unlocked!

Monstrous Form: Accesses a portion of the power available to the Scarlet Dragon's mightiest shape, while retaining the flexibility afforded by a humanoid form. However, it is clearly inhuman. Unlocked!

Void Magic: Basis of the Void Sword. Drains life from its victims, heals and invigorates the wielder, and brings about an absolute chill. Unlocked!

Chaos Magic: Control and manipulation of hellfire. Many can use it, but few can project it. Forms the Chaos Claws. Unlocked!

Storm Magic: Now you will feel the full power of the Dark Side, young Skywalker. (Locked)

Weather Manipulation: This is such a nice, bright, sunny day. NOT! Bring on the storm! (Locked)

Dragon Shape: For when someone or something big really, really needs to be stomped. Godzilla music is optional, but highly recommended! (Locked)

Resurrection: If slain, turns dormant for a period of time before reviving in a weakened state. Longest possible period is a century.

Spoiler: Alucard's Complete Power List

Strength: Insanely high at full strength. Not as strong as Taylor's potential, but certainly enough to be highly dangerous to a well-trained human.

Durability: Begins low, becomes stronger and harder to injure.

Vampiric Healing: Heals perfectly as long as there is blood to fuel the repairs. Can be slowed by various means.

Grace. Allows limited floating, superhuman dodging ability, and balance.

Demonic Wings: Permits him to glide with feathery, though twisted, wings.

Mist form: Near invulnerable mist. No mere prison can hold thee. Unless they put in a fan to blow you back in.

Wolf form: I can run fast, I can track down my foes from the smallest drops of blood, I will never stop, never tire, and IS THAT BACON?!

Chaos Magic: Alucard's is not as strong as his father's, but his skill with it is extraordinary. He can use it to teleport short distances and throw fireballs, although it is limited by line of sight and distance. (The classic SotN Hellfire spell.)

Spectral Wolf: Similar to the wolf shape, however it is ethereal and impossible to injure. Alucard can use it to teleport from one location to another by sending the wolf forward, then replacing it. Or he can simply use it to scout and dissolve it.

Crissaegrim abilities: A wickedly dangerous blade Alucard forged with the materials of three legendary weapons. It permits him to enshroud it with both Void and Chaos magic, as well as being extremely lethal to both holy and unholy opponents.

Resurrection: If slain, turns dormant for a period of time before reviving in a weakened state. Unlike Dracul's counterpart power, he would arise in a century unless the process was sped along by blood. He would also arise in a more corpse-like state until he managed to feed.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The tennis court was brightly lit. It made it easy for me to see Madison's armor. It gleamed white and silver, the light making it difficult for me to look at her directly. A useful advantage for her, considering everything, but I could tolerate it. For a while. Like with Neptune, the way the silver on her armor reflected light was irritating. She looked every inch a warrior of light, the Valkyrie-style helmet both protecting her head and giving her an intimidating look. The only exception to the gleaming white was the black gauntlet covering her left forearm.

I grinned viciously as I formed my armor around me, the blood and shadows forming into hard and protective plates. I had to make a few adjustments because of my wings, but it felt just fine.

She twirled the handle of the whip in her hand. I felt some small impressions from Dracul while looking at it. Impressions of both excitement and pain while facing off against someone with weapons like that. Sometimes the triumph of winning, more often, the sting of losing.

This was going to be fun.

Madison struck first, the chain slashing outward in an arc. It wasn't hard for me to manifest my own Shadow Whip and block it on the gauntlet. I slashed with my own weapon, and Madison darted away. I darted forward, flowing over the ground in a way she never could, my hands igniting with white-hot flame.

Huh. Apparently my flames felt even stronger like this. I grinned ferally.

Just as I got within striking distance, though, Madison drew her left hand back, her black gauntlet igniting in fire, and she struck at my own incoming fist. They impacted and the explosion blew both of us back, off our feet. Madison rolled back to her feet, while I landed flat on my wings.

Ow. There goes a couple of bones on them.

She came in, silver stake at the end of her whip ready. I teleported a few feet away, back on my feet, grinning in pleasure. I felt my wings snap back into place, tingling as they healed. She quickly turned her stabbing motion into a slash, the chain snaking out of the handle and lashing against my side.

I grunted with the impact, more surprise than anything, but I slung myself around with the motion, turning and manifesting the Shadow Whip mid-spin and smacked it hard into Madison's side, sending her sprawling. She sprung back to her feet easily.

I slashed with my whip, she dodged aside. She counter attacked, I flowed away. I jumped at her, she dodged aside and slashed with the whip. I caught the chain and yanked her toward me, only for her to come in with flaming gauntlet at the ready. I turned the move into a throw over my shoulder, and she landed on her feet, cat-like, her greaves flaring with light at the impact with the ground. She was grinning, matching my own expression.

I moved in, throwing experimental punches and kicks, keeping my wings back to not let them get injured. Madison was a lot weaker than I was physically, but she was very, very good, redirecting the force of my attacks rather than outright blocking them. She lunged with the silver stake, which I caught with my left hand. I grimaced as my hand smoked on contact with the silver, despite the glove my hand was covered in.

Well, my blood-formed glove. It was still part of me, so it makes some sense it'd share my weaknesses. I leveraged it out of position, grinning in triumph as I wrapped my other hand around Madison's throat.

Only to be brought up short as I felt something tapping my throat, a slight sizzling sensation accompanying the taps. I looked down to see Madison gently pressing a silver dagger at my throat, smiling.

"Draw?" I offered, releasing the pressure on her throat.

She nodded. "Draw. You're good. Lot of raw strength, though. Some finesse, but you could improve."

I shrugged. "Yeah, well, I've been mostly making it up as I go along. When I'm fighting though, I just...move naturally. I think it's a leftover from Dracul."

Vicky let out a little cheer from the sidelines. "That was fun to watch."

Alucard cleared his throat, looking at me. "Why did you not to try to attack from a distance?"

I blinked. "I did. With the whip."

He shook his head, lifting his left hand and igniting it in fire. "Why did you not try to attack with the flames of Chaos at range? My father was more than capable of doing so."

I frowned. I tried to dredge up the memories of Dracul, but they were fragmentary at the best of times. All I got was....

Laughter as the village burned, the demons of Castlevania doing my bidding as they rent and tore at the people around me. I laughed as I watched the Temple of the Phoenix burn. There are none who dare face the might of the Dragon.

I shuddered. Yep. He was a colossal jerk. "Well, Alucard, two reasons. One, I don't want to kill my sparring partner, and two, I don't know how."

He managed a smirk. "Victoria, would you mind training with Madison for a little bit? It seems I must show my sister a few things."

I groaned.

So did Madison. She turned her puppy-dog eyes on me. "Kill me. Please."

I raised an eyebrow, looking at her. "You don't get off that easy." I made a small smile, to show I was joking.

Sue me. It wasn't exactly easy to get over a year of bullying. But she is trying.

Vicky hopped to her feet, grinning and cracking her knuckles.


--------------------

And now, we were facing an old wrecked ship at the Ship Graveyard. Why here? Well, this way, we won't be burning down half the city while I experiment.

I frowned as I looked down at my burning claws. They seemed stronger, more intense than before. I wasn't going to complain about it, but it was concerning. Was this because I was getting stronger or was it because my new shape was amplifying things?

Alucard spoke quietly, but firmly as I examined my hands. "The flames of Chaos are what comprise the fires of the Hells. They are not simply flame, for ordinary flame burns by substance. Hellfire is born of emotions. Hatred, especially. It is powerful, but difficult to wield and master because hatred feeds on itself. It is...easy, to allow it to grow to the point there is nothing else within. I believe that is one of the things that pushed my father into becoming the monster I knew."

I nodded slowly. That's something I'll have to be careful of. I'd already noticed my powers messed with my emotions, but knowing they were part of the reason Dracul went off the deep end...yeah. Possible problem. "And the Void Sword? Whenever I use it, I feel cold rage."

Alucard nodded. "Void Magic was forged by my father. After his hatred had burned out everything else, he had nothing left within his soul, and thus used the art of Devil Forging to take that emptiness and shape it into a blade. The souls lost within the void, the souls with no patron to give them substance in an afterlife...it is that kind of cold rage that makes up Void Sword. Part of the blade was forged from my father's emotions, the other part from the lost and forlorn."

Aaand that's really creepy. "Alright." I rose my burning hands. "How do I project this hellfire?" My lip twitched. "Brother."

He blinked, but a faint smile crossed his lips. His own hand ignited. "See your target." He gestured at the wreck of a ship. "Gather the power in your hand. Shape it to your will." A ball of flame grew in his palm, flickering and burning brightly. "Then will your flame to strike. Do not worry about it falling or veering off-course. It is guided by your will." He threw the fireball, and it struck the prow of the ship.

I concentrated. A ball of flame grew in my hand. But where Alucard's was as large as a softball, mine was as large as a soccer ball. Still, I had it, I could use it! I went to release it toward the ship...

And it exploded in my hands, sending both me and Alucard flying through the air until we tumbled onto the sand.

I spluttered and spat out sand, gingerly getting up. I winced at the smell of burnt hair. He slowly got to his feet and gave me a humorless stare.

"Sorry?" I offered. "Lost concentration."

He grimaced, patting himself down a bit. Smoke rose from his face and shoulders. "Again. And this time, I will be standing away from you. Far away."


--------------------

It took a few hours, but I got the hang of it. Though, I'd blown myself up a couple times more.

Alucard and I sat on the beach, watching the sunrise. Though he looked a lot more uncomfortable than I did in the light. After it crested over the horizon, he got up and moved to the shade of a ship.

I went to join him. The sun bothered me, too, after all. "You all right?"

He grimaced. I noticed his skin looked raw, just after a few minutes' exposure. "I am. When I first arose from my tomb, the sun seared the flesh from my bones. I spent a great deal of time focusing my powers toward allowing me to handle the sunlight. Even now, after several centuries, with that particular dark power, it would kill me if I stayed exposed for too long."

I sat next to him, taking a deep breath. "I think I could use some more background on all this, Alucard."

He stroked his chin. "I have done some research. Your world is similar to my own, though history itself is very different. The lands are the same, but the cities and countries are not."

I made a small shrug. "Makes sense. You're from an alternate Earth. We already know of another one, Earth Aleph. Nobody's figured out how to visit, but we know how to talk back and forth with radio."

Alucard looked interested. "Radio?"

I opened my mouth, then closed it. How to explain it? "All right, umm...radio's a kind of light you can't see. It's the same thing, just...with less power behind it. We've used it to talk to people far away for a bit more than a century."

He looked a bit dubious. "Light one cannot see?"

I shrugged. "Yeah? I could sign you up for some science courses or something, but that's about how it is."

Alucard looked amused. "And you claim it is not wizardry?"

I rolled my eyes. "Nope. We know how that much works. Powers are different. Might as well just be magic."

He shook his head. "Ah, but magic has its own rules and laws, Taylor. One cannot summon Light Magic if one has no desire for truth and knowledge. One cannot draw upon Shadow Magic without passion or emotion. One can change the shape, but not their soul by the shape. The soul is defined by your actions, not merely your intentions, though the latter is important."

I blinked. "What do you mean, there?"

Alucard traced a figure in the sand. "For example, werewolves, lycanthropy. As a mortal man, my father slew the Lycan General of Typhon's armies. He could spread his taint to the unwilling, and twist men and animals alike into beasts under his control. If they were slain soon after the change, the person's soul would go to the place their soul was destined for previously. However, if they remained a beast for long enough, their soul would go to dwell with the beasts."

I shook my head, mulling that over. It made sense, to some degree. "Wait, werewolves were made by what?"

"By the bite, of course. It takes a month for the bitten to become a werewolf, with the onset of the full moon, but after that, the change is permanent. Some few managed to learn to shift back and forth from human shape to bestial, but those were rare. There was a saying I heard when I was a boy. 'If a lycan bites you, better to let him gnaw.'"

I smiled slightly. "What about vampires? I'd...really better know. How did I become one? How did I become his heir?"

He stroked his chin, considering. "You're wondering why you and not another, perhaps? Why my father's power chose you?"

I could only nod.

Alucard shook his head, strands of white hair tousling this way and that. "I do not know. I do know that the power of a god, whether Light, Dark, or something else, goes to those that can handle the power. The exceptions arise when someone wrests that power from its former holder. I suspect my father did just that to slay Typhon. Whatever happened to make you into a vampire, to carry my father's power within you, it chose you because you had the potential to handle it and make it your own, rather than be consumed by it."

I looked down at my hands. My very red hands. "Not sure it chose right."

He smirked. "If it hadn't, we would have known by now. Your form right now, I suspect, is based upon two things. One, that you drank the blood of a succubus."

I smirked. "That'd explain a lot."

Alucard shrugged. "A bit. Secondly, and more importantly, a vampire's powers tend to reflect the kind of person they are. I have the form of the wolf because I was reborn under a full moon, but also because the wolf is a noble animal. It is rarely cruel, they cooperate with each other, they are wise and playful, but also vicious when pressed. And while the form of mist is a power that is somewhat common among vampires, not all of us can take it. Your form, while inhuman, does not reflect inhumanity. It seems to me it reflects the darker aspects of humanity, but also the precious aspects. Darkness, emotion, is not evil, after all. They drive us. It is when they are entirely divorced from reason that passions become dangerous. Light was order, but also reason."

I thought for a few minutes about that, considering. "So what do you think about me and my powers, so far?"

He frowned. "You have my father's strength. You can access many of his gifts, but there are some he had that you do not. He could take the form of rats, to command the shadows and vermin, to turn the land about him into swamp or desert. He could even reach into the minds of others and hear their thoughts, their innermost secrets, and speak to them in turn. The difficulty is...you are a vampire, but you are not the same kind of vampire as I am. You have his power, but not his specific gifts, nor his blood."

Alucard looked off into the distance, his yellow eyes thoughtful. "For myself, for the vampires I knew, there were two types. True vampires were those fed vampire blood and who wished to change. When attempted on the unwilling, the vampire blood killed them. They would then arise three days later as flesh-eating, mindless ghouls."

"What about you?" I asked. "You didn't want to be a vampire, did you?"

He shook his head. "No. But then, there were a number of factors in my rebirth. That I was sired by not just anyone, but my own father, is likely one of them. That and the potency of my father's blood. Even so...I spent thirty years dead. When I did revive, I was powerful by vampire standards, but I was never truly typical. My concern is with your strength, it may be the same for you. Or different. I do not know. My only suggestion is that if you believe you must give your blood for another, you do it for the right reasons."

I digested that for a while. Then I bit my lip, nodding. "I'll...keep that in mind. One more thing, brother."

His lip turned upward, clearly pleased. "Yes?"

"Can you show me how you shapeshift? Maybe I can figure something out about it."

Alucard smiled. "You have but to ask, little sister."


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: Phew. Now up to date. Luckily, it was fairly simple to cross-post here.

Feel free to reply, comment, etc.

 

[SirWill]

A/N: All right. Here it is, the revised version. It's a lot longer, and I'm a fair bit happier with it.

Still sore, however. I may be able to handle winter, but I don't have to like it.

Spoiler: Taylor's Complete Power List

Blood manipulation: Self only, but extremely versatile. Basis of the Shadow Whip, Shadow Daggers, and other things.

Short-range teleportation: Draining, but not limited to line of sight.

Bat Travel: Turns into dozens of bats and back again. Rather confusing, but helpful for mobility.

Strength: Insanely high at full strength. Not as strong as some capes, but up there. M1 Abrams out of gas? I'll just push them to the gas station.

Durability: Begins low, becomes stronger and harder to injure.

Vampiric Healing: Heals perfectly as long as there is blood to fuel the repairs. Can be slowed by various means.

Grace. Allows limited floating, superhuman dodging ability, and balance. Unlocked!

Flight: I believe I can touch the sky. (Locked)

Possession: Turns into blood, flows into some poor bastard, manipulates them, then when they die they turn into chunky bits. (Locked)

Fleshcrafting: Feeling a little vain? Want a whole new hair color, a bigger bust, shaplier hips, or claws to rend the flesh of your enemies? Subscribe to Vamp-New-You today! (Permits the vampire to alter their own flesh permanently at some cost to their blood. Does not permit changing of bone structure. Cannot be used on others.) Unlocked!

Mist form: Near invulnerable mist. No mere prison can hold thee. Unless they put in a fan to blow you back in. (Locked)

Telekinesis: Small objects, weak, but useful. Now I don't need to get up to flick the light switch! (Locked)

Wolf form: I can run fast, I can track down my foes from the smallest drops of blood, I will never stop, never tire, and IS THAT BACON?! (Locked)

Shadow Portal: Opens a gate to the Plane of Shadow, where Castlevania resides. Shadow Portals can be made nearly anywhere on a Material Plane, but they must be in fixed places within the Plane of Shadow. Unlocked!

Dominate: (Not the soul-using thing) Control over others. Takes effort, and can only do so to a few at a time. Repeated and lengthy exposure, however, can make things last longer, until they are permanently enthralled. Can be resisted with willpower and can be no-selled by various techniques/powers.(Locked)

Bat Summon: Bat Summon: Gather swarms of bats to do thy bidding. They will follow the will of the Lady of Darkness without hesitation. Not as flexible as the Queen Administrator shard. The awareness of each bat is basic, and commands must be given to the entire swarm at once. I'm the goddamn Batman. Unlocked!

Monstrous Form: Accesses a portion of the power available to the Scarlet Dragon's mightiest shape, while retaining the flexibility afforded by a humanoid form. However, it is clearly inhuman. Unlocked!

Void Magic: Basis of the Void Sword. Drains life from its victims, heals and invigorates the wielder, and brings about an absolute chill. Unlocked!

Chaos Magic: Control and manipulation of hellfire. Many can use it, but few can project it. Forms the Chaos Claws. Unlocked!

Storm Magic: Now you will feel the full power of the Dark Side, young Skywalker. (Locked)

Weather Manipulation: This is such a nice, bright, sunny day. NOT! Bring on the storm! (Locked)

Dragon Shape: For when someone or something big really, really needs to be stomped. Godzilla music is optional, but highly recommended! (Locked)

Resurrection: If slain, turns dormant for a period of time before reviving in a weakened state. Longest possible period is a century.

Spoiler: Alucard's Complete Power List

Strength: Insanely high at full strength. Not as strong as Taylor's potential, but certainly enough to be highly dangerous to a well-trained human.

Durability: Begins low, becomes stronger and harder to injure.

Vampiric Healing: Heals perfectly as long as there is blood to fuel the repairs. Can be slowed by various means.

Grace. Allows limited floating, superhuman dodging ability, and balance.

Demonic Wings: Permits him to glide with feathery, though twisted, wings.

Mist form: Near invulnerable mist. No mere prison can hold thee. Unless they put in a fan to blow you back in.

Wolf form: I can run fast, I can track down my foes from the smallest drops of blood, I will never stop, never tire, and IS THAT BACON?!

Chaos Magic: Alucard's is not as strong as his father's, but his skill with it is extraordinary. He can use it to teleport short distances and throw fireballs, although it is limited by line of sight and distance. (The classic SotN Hellfire spell.)

Spectral Wolf: Similar to the wolf shape, however it is ethereal and impossible to injure. Alucard can use it to teleport from one location to another by sending the wolf forward, then replacing it. Or he can simply use it to scout and dissolve it.

Crissaegrim abilities: A wickedly dangerous blade Alucard forged with the materials of three legendary weapons. It permits him to enshroud it with both Void and Chaos magic, as well as being extremely lethal to both holy and unholy opponents.

Resurrection: If slain, turns dormant for a period of time before reviving in a weakened state. Unlike Dracul's counterpart power, he would arise in a century unless the process was sped along by blood. He would also arise in a more corpse-like state until he managed to feed.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Well. This was awkward.

It took several hours of attempts, and after all that, I didn't turn into mist or a wolf or anything else I was expecting.

No. I turned into only blood and currently existed as a puddle on the floor. Ew. I couldn't see anything, hear anything, and could barely even feel anything.

Glurp. And I do not want to know what I just absorbed into my mass. I was also feeling an urge to move forward and do....something, toward where Alucard had been standing, but I wasn't going to experiment on him.

Okay, think. I can move. I remember tingling as my body turned into this, and then promptly falling apart because there wasn't anything to hold me together. But I can still think. So what do I do?...

D'oh. I'm attacking it from the wrong angle. My will is more important than anything. From the moment I awoke in my coffin, that's how I managed to do things. I wanted them to happen, and so my powers responded, and they happened. If not necessarily the way I wanted them to.

Okay. Return to normal. I can do that. Normal, normal, normal!

I felt my substance pull together, and the world returned to my sight. Only....Alucard was looking at me. And he was huge. Like he'd grown to some fifty feet tall!

Wait. That bucket over there was huge. Which meant I had shrunk down.

"What the hell did I just do!?" I tried to say.

"Squeak squeak SQUEAK!" I actually said.

Alucard reached down and picked me up carefully. I twisted a bit, meeting his gaze.

"HELP!"

"SQUEAK!"

I could hear him speaking, but couldn't comprehend. He moved to a corner of the ship we were in and set me down, then took a few steps away.

"Don't just leave me here you pale bastard!"

"Squeak squeak SQUEAK squeak SQUEAK!"

I suddenly felt a tremble go through me, my point of view shifting and becoming blurry before I burst open and found myself sitting on the floor, with everything else back to normal. A small amount of blood and...other stuff was on the walls nearest me.

Alucard winced and turned himself around. "Forgive me, but you are not dressed."

"I was wearing my armor and..." I looked down and grumbled. "For the love of fucking shit..."

I flushed a very deep red as I reformed my armor. And yep, still in my winged form. How the hell does this crap work? "You can turn around now."

Alucard turned. His expression was stoic, but I could see the amusement in his eyes.

"Not one word." I growled, pointing at him.

His lip twitched.


--------------------

We walked together back downtown, sticking to the shade where possible. That wasn't too difficult in the early morning, but by the time noon came around, Alucard would have to find shelter.

"So...I can apparently possess living things. That's...horrifying."

Alucard shook his head. "It is one of the more...horrid powers available to a vampire, but yes. I was not expecting you to possess that rat, but what's done is done. Using that on a person, however, will always end badly. I doubt there are many who could survive long with your blood controlling them."

I shuddered. "That something he did often?"

Alucard shook his head. "No, although he could. My father was not exactly the subtle type when it came to such things."

I nodded, letting out a sigh of annoyance. Well. How many more surprises were going to hit me? And goddamn it, how many times was I going to find myself without my clothes?

Seriously! I'm getting sick of it! And hungry from having to reform my armor a second time in as many days.

Which reminded me.

"Where are you getting your blood, Alucard?"

He shook his head. "I've not fed since leaving the castle, aside from testing the blood your friends were giving you."

I growled softly. "Madison's not my..." I stopped and sighed. "Sorry. She did a lot of things to me that I'm having trouble let slide. She's trying to do better now, but it she'd done it sooner, I might not have ended up in my grave."

Alucard nodded, his pale features filled with sympathy. "Regardless, she aided you in your time of need." A faint smile crossed his lips. "You say you have something of my father's memories. But you're not he, even with that. He would have murdered her, brutally, by now."

That made me feel better. Slightly. There was still a fair bit of anger, though. I shook my head as I brought my thoughts back on track. "Anyway, I've got a setup at the hospital to take packs of blood. It's not very filling, compared to getting it from a person, but that way you won't be looking for people to snack on."

He frowned, tilting his head. "A hospice? I had not thought of that. Very well."

Right then, my phone began to ring. I blinked, took it in hand and saw it was Vicky calling.

"Hey Vicky, I'm with Alucard, what's up?"

"Taylor, you've got to get to the hospital right now. Amy just collapsed!"


--------------------


I walked into the isolation ward, having reformed my armor into ordinary clothing. Not that it mattered much with my wings out and visible, but there wasn't much I could do about them. All I could do was pointedly ignore the looks I was getting.

The scent caught me first. It was sickly, sweet, and familiar. Alucard gently gripped my arm just outside Amy's door. "A moment."

I looked at him, grimacing as I saw his face filled with concern. "I smell it too. Something's wrong."

He nodded. "I have smelled this before. It is the smell of one who has been infected by vampire blood. Your friend, the healer....I must have missed the scent with all the blood she was crafting, before. At some point, she must have drank some of your blood."

I shuddered. "So she's going to..."

Alucard nodded, his face hard. "If left alone, she will die. By tonight. Tomorrow if she is very strong. If you were as I am, she would rise again as a ghoul in three days. As you are not...I do not know what will occur. Perhaps the healers of your lands may be able to help, but all I can suggest is for you to tell her what is happening. Then she will have a choice as to accept becoming a vampire, or not." He tapped his chin. "She may need more of your blood to make the transition...smoothly, in that case."

I took a deep breath, absorbing that. "Do you know of any cures?"

He shook his head. "No. If she had a blessing of the light before being infected, perhaps. But at the stage where she is this ill...usually a victim is taken away and burned when they die, by this point."

Blessing of the light... "You have Madison's number?"

He nodded. "I had not thought of that."

"Call her, please." I said. "Maybe she can help. But until we know if she can help or not...turning her is our last choice."

Alucard nodded at that, taking out his phone. He fiddled with it for a moment, looking confused, before he figured it out and tapped it to call. "Madison."

"Hello, Alucard. What's up?"

"The healer, Panacea, requires your aid. She needs healing magics. Please, get to..." He looked to me.

I spoke into the phone. "Brockton General, Madison. Please, hurry."

"Taylor? All right. On it. Be there soon."

Alucard ended the call, tucking his phone away.

I gave him a smile. "You picked up on that fairly quick."

He smiled slightly. "It is a useful contraption, indeed."

Taking a deep breath, I turned and pushed open the door. Amy lay on the bed, looking pale and weak, her eyes closed. Vicky was at her side, wiping Amy's forehead with a cloth, while her mother and father stood on the other side of the bed, speaking quietly with a doctor.

"...checked her bloodwork, but there's no sign of infection or anything else that might cause this. Ordinarily her power deals with such things, so..."

I could sense Alucard behind me, and I cleared my throat. As one, everyone turned and looked at me.

"Who the hell are you?" Carol demanded. I winced, curling my wings about me protectively.

Vicky spoke up. "Mom! Calm down, that's Taylor, you met before!"

I made a small wave. "Hello again, Missus Dallon. I...uh, changed a bit since we last met." Made sense she didn't recognize me at first. Last time we met, which was briefly, I looked pretty normal. Now I looked like something both alluring and terrifying, depending on just how I presented myself.

Carol's features hardened a bit as she examined me. "Amy did that to you, didn't she? I swear I told you it was a bad idea, Mark."

Mark sighed. "Carol, please..." He looked...beat down. Like he had nothing to work with.

I let my wings relax, waving my hands. "Whoa whoa whoa. Amy didn't do this to me." Well, technically she did, but I didn't blame her for it. "And I'm here to help."

"How?" Carol demanded.

"We're her friends." I said with exasperation.

The doctor, a gray-haired man, frowned at us. "This is highly unusual. I can't discuss it outside the family..."

Vicky's voice was strained. "Doc, they're capes. They're damn good friends of ours and they just might be able to help. Please."

Carol's face filled with anger. "I won't have them here when they're probably responsible for this mess in the first place!"

Amy's voice managed to cut through the flaring tempers. "Mom...please. They're my friends."

I looked at Amy and gave her a sad, weak smile.

Mark gently took Carol's hand. He looked exhausted, worried, and scared all at once.

Carol stopped, took a deep breath, and nodded slowly, looking to Alucard and I. "I'm sorry. You don't deserve that."

"Damn right, Mom. They don't." Vicky said cooly.

Mark spoke then, looking to the doctor. "Please. Tell them. They deserve to know. Amy deserves better."

The doctor sighed, looking far too stressed. "From what we can tell... her vitals are steadily dropping, her heart's beating slower, her tissues aren't getting the oxygen she needs. We don't have a causal mechanism, either, and she's not infected by anything we can find. The nature of her healing powers ordinarily prevents such things from being an issue, anyway. She normally can't get sick, so we're screening for toxins...heavy metals, things like that. At the moment, though, we don't know how to help."

Mark nodded. "Treatment options?"

Carol just crossed her arms.

And the doctor rubbed his temple. "Right now? All we can do is treat the symptoms and hope she pulls through. We're giving her oxygenated saline, it's helping her cope. Hopefully we can find the answer in the bloodwork. We've also sent out some calls to the healing capes we know about. We've put a request to bring in Othala, though I'm not optimistic. The rest, at this rate...won't get here in time."

Carol growled, his hands flaring with light. "One of those fucking Nazis... I won't have any one of them doing anything with my family. Not after what they did to Fleur."

Amy managed to mutter, just barely audible to me. "Great."

I sighed, rubbing my forehead. "Look, um...Amy, do you mind if we stick around?"

Carol spoke with authority. "Yes, she does. We'll handle things, thank you."

There was a shriek of tearing metal, and we all turned to see Glory Girl, the side of the hospital bed in her hands. She glared at her mother, hovering over the floor. "Mom. Goddamn it."

Carol clenched her hands into fists. "Don't you dare take that tone with me, Victoria."

Vicky rose a bit more off the floor. "And why the hell don't you ask Amy what she wants? Just as you've never asked us about anything ever."

And Amy just looked terrified.

Oh fuck. The whole family was self-destructing right in front of me. It was like watching a trainwreck. I couldn't look away. Or do anything about it. A clap echoed in the room, drawing everyone's attention.

I looked down at my hands.

Oh. I clapped. Right.

Traitors.

Quick, say something! "Right. Everyone, please, calm down." I looked to Amy. "Amy, do you want me to stay?"

She nodded.

"Anyone else?"

Amy shook her head. "Just T-t..." She glanced to the doctor. "Just her. Please. Everyone else out."

Carol's features were thunderous. "Amy, we want the best for you-"

Mark took Carol's hand, shaking his head. "Carol. Please. You're not thinking straight. Our daughters have made their point."

Carol looked conflicted. Finally, she stormed out.

And I feel like I just dodged a laser-guided missile. Holy crap.

Vicky finally lowered herself to the ground, giving Amy's hand a gentle squeeze before she, Mark, and the doctor left.

Alucard was the last in the room, closing the door. "A moment, before I go. I will wait at the door. Only if you wish it will I allow someone in."

Amy looked at him with gratitude. "Thank you."

He gave a formal bow, but his face was troubled. "I hope the solutions work, great healer. But if they do not...there may be a last, drastic solution. That is your choice." His tone was fairly neutral, but I could hear a faint tone of doubt.

Amy's voice was faint. "What was he talking about?"

Oh goddamnit. "It's...complicated, Amy." I sighed. I dragged a seat next to the bed, letting out a sigh as I gave Amy a wry smile. Then winced a bit as I tried to figure out how to sit down properly with a pair of wings jutting from my back. Finally, I managed by draping them over the sides.

Amy managed a slight giggle, though her features were pale. "Sorry. You just looked so awkward, there."

I made a small shrug. "Not much else I can do. Least until I figure out how to shift back to normal." I smiled a bit. "Easier said than done." I sighed heavily, looking down at my hands. "Alucard told me something about how...vampires are made, Amy. Like me and him. You've got some of my blood in you."

Her face went more pale, and she rubbed her lip in remembrance. "On the beach, when you changed...oh god. So...what's going to happen?"

I looked her straight in the eye, feeling so much sorrow. My voice cracked. "He said if you accept the change, you'll become...like me. You'll need blood, will probably hate the sun... I don't know what else will happen. I don't know how long it'll take, but, you'll change. I'm not sure how much things'll be different for you. I'm not exactly...typical, from what he says."

Amy nodded slowly. "And if I resist? If I don't want to change?"

I shook my head. "You'll die. At best. We're not sure how different I am from what he knows. Hell, I'm not even sure this'll really work."

She let out a sigh, leaning her head back against the pillow. "Great." She made a weak chuckle. "Bad part is, it'd almost be a relief. I'd finally have a good excuse to rest. How sad is that, Taylor?"

I gently squeezed her hand.

She smiled faintly. "Thing is...you're my only friend outside the family. I know that's pretty sad, but I don't want to lose everything, either."

I let out a shuddering breath. "You and Vicky are my only friends too, Amy." I swallowed hard, considering my next words carefully. "I'm willing to save you, but things aren't going to be the same." I could feel my features softening. "If you want me to, I'll be there. However long you need me."

She seemed to be thinking. "Can I think about this? I mean, this is crazy."

I chuckled softly, weakly. "Yeah, I know. It's nuts." I gently squeezed her hand. "If you'll have me, I'll stay until..."

She smiled faintly. "Thanks, Taylor."


--------------------


"...and so I said 'Come on, what's the worst that can happen?'"

Amy grinned at me, despite her weakness. "Oh, you were just asking for it."

I nodded with a grin. "Yeah. So there I am, on the top of this tall ladder, trying to reach the camp counselor's pants, stuck about halfway up a tree in the middle of this swamp. I shimmy my way onto a branch and grab them. Just about to head back down, all evidence of our dastardly crime hidden when I hear the branch creak under me."

She giggled. "Oh, no."

"Yep. It cracked. Lucky for me, there was a pond right beneath. Splash. I didn't fall that far, either, it just looked worse than it was. So I dragged my way back to shore, fish the keys out of the pockets, and head on back to the campground. Covered completely in mud, but I had the keys to get back inside."

Amy laughed softly, which deteriorated into coughs. I gently patted her back, and she relaxed a bit. She managed a weak smile. "What did you do with his pants?"

I grinned. "Well, John threw them back up the tree, of course. The whole thing wouldn't have been needed if the counselor wasn't such a jerk, locking us out."

We shared a giggle.

I looked up as there was a knock on the door. Alucard opened it, and Madison walked in, wearing simple jogging gear. I felt my smile fade, but I gave her a nod.

She nodded in return, then took a look at Amy, managing a smile. "Hello again, Amy."

Amy nodded faintly, and coughed. "Hey."

She walked up to the other side of the bed, pulling an amulet out of her pocket. I winced as I looked at it, the disc of the amulet shining brilliantly in my eyes.

Madison spoke quietly. "You used mine before, Panacea. It provides healing energy to its wearer." She took a moment to look into Amy's eyes. "I don't know if this will work. It works to prevent initial infection, but once it's set in..."

Amy nodded. "I understand. Thanks." She leaned forward, and Madison slipped the amulet around Amy's neck.

It flared brilliantly, and I took a step back. The light hurt to look at. Amy fell back on the bed, shuddering in pain.

I reached out for the amulet, feeling my skin blister from the proximity to the light, but Madison gripped my hand. "Wait. It might work."

Finally, Amy relaxed on the bed, and the amulet's glow lessened. Amy was looking healthier already, breathing more deeply, and Amy smiled. "Thank you, Madison, thank you!"

Madison leaned forward, taking one of Amy's hands, carefully examining them. Then she looked at me and shook her head. She turned Amy's hands, and I saw them clearly.

Her fingernails had turned completely black.

My stomach plummeted. Amy's own elation turned to worry.

Madison spoke quietly. "We just bought some time. It's been more than a day since she was infected. It's rooted into her soul. All we've done is slow it down, maybe bought six hours. At best. Probably a lot less."

I slumped back in my chair. I blew a strand of white hair out of my eyes. "Great. Hopefully Othala will be able to do something."


--------------------

"So." Amy said quietly. "Really a vampire, huh?" Her tone was full of weary skepticism.

Can't really blame her. She'd had only an hour or so to absorb all this during our explanations. I'd think it was crazy if I was just hearing it for the first time, myself.

Heck, it is crazy.

Madison and I both nodded. I spoke softly. "Yeah. Apparently I got my powers from another vampire from a different Earth. The horrible vampire Dracul. Alucard's...basically a refugee. Madison got hers from a prominent bloodline of his many, many enemies."

Madison shrugged, a wry smile on her face. "And I got the package of powers designed to kill the horrible, evil vampire known as Dracul. The stuff I've been making's enchanted to let me do things I couldn't otherwise. I'm not sure how usual parahuman powers work, but we know a smidgen about how ours do." She nodded at me. "It was a bit of a surprise for me when we met again. I could sense his power in Taylor, but I didn't know it was her. I thought she was there to kill me."

I shrugged helplessly. "The main thing I get from him was that he was a huge jerk. Fair bit of baggage came along. Not much help for that."

Amy nodded slowly. "This is still crazy."

Madison and I looked at each other, then we shared a chuckle.

Amy's eyes began to droop closed. "So tired..."

Madison shook her quickly. "Don't fall asleep! You'll have no chance if you fall asleep!"

Amy's eyes snapped open, but her exhaustion was plain. She swallowed and managed to croak out. "Call Vicky."

I strode to the door and opened it. Alucard turned to look at me. The rest of the Dallons were sitting in chairs just outside. All three of them looked up.

I spoke, a lump in my throat. "She's asking for Vicky."

Vicky got up and practically bolted into the room. As I turned to go back inside, Alucard took a look into the room and gripped my shoulder. "You are out of time. She has minutes at best. If you do not give her your blood, she will die. Her only chance is to be a vampire, now."

Fuck. No more time to wait for Othala or for some miracle to appear. I swallowed hard and nodded. He let me go, and I went back in, closing the door behind me.

Vicky gave her sister a faint smile, tears in her eyes. "Hey, shrimp."

Amy smiled faintly in return. "This really sucks, you know." She looked at me, then back to Vicky. "Don't blame Taylor for this, all right?"

Vicky looked at me, blinked, her expression hardening, her hands clenching into fists. "Talk. Fast."

I walked to the bedside, clearing my throat. "I've...I've got a chance at saving Amy. She was poisoned when she took in a bit of my blood by accident. I don't know if this will work, but Alucard says she'll recover...if I turn her into a vampire."

Vicky stared at me. "You can do that?"

I nodded. "I should be able to. Never done this before. She needs more of my blood. If we just leave things, she'll die. We don't have time to wait for another healer to come around."

Vicky wrung her hands, then she sighed, glaring at me. "So my sister either will die or she might die. Great."

Madison shook her head. "I don't like this either. But those are the options now. Ordinarily, I would never permit someone to change into a vampire. But my artifacts can't heal her. And Taylor is handling her power. Your sister has a chance that way, at least."

Amy crooked her finger at Vicky. The blonde leaned in, and Amy whispered something in her ear. Vicky looked surprised, then she shook her head and kissed Amy's cheek.

Amy then looked at me, and I went to her side. I leaned toward her. "You're sure about this? There's no going back."

"I'm sure." She croaked. She seemed to consider something for a moment, then muttered. "Fuck it." She gripped my head and was suddenly kissing me.

Oh. I blinked. Huh. This ain't so bad. My toes were curling. My wings were fluttering.

And I could hear Vicky snort at me. This felt absurd. But good.

Finally, she broke the kiss, and made a weak giggle at my expression. "Well. I had to see how that felt, before anything else."

My lip quirked. "And what did you find out?"

Amy sighed, struggling to breathe. "That I need more time to sort things out." She licked her lips and closed her eyes. "But I haven't got much there, do I?" She swallowed and sighed. "Still, I liked that."

I flushed in embarrassment. "Me too."

She opened her eyes and looked at me, conviction in her features. "Do it."

I lengthened my fangs and bit into my wrist.


--------------------

A/N: Powers unlocked:

Possession: Turns into blood, flows into some poor bastard, controls them for a period (hours at most) and when they die they explode into chunky bits. The blood has a toxic effect, so anyone possessed is doomed. (Barring unusual biology)

 

[SirWill]

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"James! What's going on?"

James Fleischer almost sighed with relief. Preston and Vanessa were here. He waved them towards him and slowed just enough that the husband and wife pair could catch up with him as they continued towards the conference room.

"I don't know yet. Nothing specific, at any rate," he shook his head, "Max is keeping this quiet. Very quiet. Even I'm out of the loop."

Preston grimaced. When James had called them here, all he had told them was that Vanessa's talents were required urgently. Preston had assumed the lack of detail was to keep from saying too much over the phone, but he didn't think that James would be just as clueless as they were. James had been with the group for longer than any of them, even Max. If this was considered important enough that even James was kept out of the loop...it was big. And probably just as bad.

Vanessa squeezed his hand, and it helped. He returned her smile with one of his own, even if he couldn't put much heart into it. He loved her dearly, and that love bred anxiety in situations like this. They reached the door, but James stopped without opening it and turned to face them.

"Just be ready for anything. The last time Max called a meeting this suddenly and so quietly, it was right before he crucified the fool who murdered Fleur."

And just like that, whatever relief Preston had gotten from Vanessa was gone. The idea of anyone being crazy or stupid enough to so blatantly ignore the unwritten rules was one of the few things that could keep him awake at night. That Kaiser had executed the cape who thought he could endear himself to the Empire that way was little consolation.

Without another word, James put his thumb to the reader next to the door, then held it open for the married couple to pass. Vanessa managed a faint smile at the polite gesture as they entered the conference room.

Nobody was in costume, but Preston knew that this was a cape matter from the second he got the call. When James followed them and pulled the door shut, Preston practically felt the countermeasures turning on. This particular room was room was sealed against as many forms of espionage as possible, and most of the Thinker abilities that could not be guarded against happened to belong to Eidolon. None of them thought of that as an unacceptable concession.

"Preston. Vanessa." Max nodded to them from his chair, "Have a seat. This concerns you both, I imagine." They did so, and Preston mentally reviewed everyone else who was present.

Nessa and Jessica had apparently chosen to decline the pair of empty seats on either side of Max and opted to stand slightly behind him instead. Even a mind that wasn't as keen as Preston's could see how uncomfortable they were in their business attire despite each wearing their shirt, skirt, and modest heels so well they could have been mistaken for models. Their discomfort had less to do with the clothes they were wearing and more to do with the clothes they weren't wearing. That was another bad sign: if the twins, normally so composed, were itching for their weapons and armor, it was because they genuinely thought the situation warranted them.

Hookwolf (it was difficult to think of him as Bradley Meadows even out of costume) was leaning back in his chair. He looked to all the world like he wanted to put his boots on the table, but however savage he might be, he wasn't an idiot. Max was in no mood for anything even resembling insubordination right now, and Hookwolf's power only bought him so much slack. There were discreet ways of getting into the building without drawing attention, but he had still thrown a light jacket on to cover the tattoos on his arms that proudly displayed his loyalties.

That left Justin, who was sitting opposite Hookwolf. He kept a lid on the better part of his nervousness, but it was plain as day to Preston, and likely also James and Max. He didn't rank as highly as anyone else in the room, and he didn't have seniority any more than Othala did. That left Preston to assume that Max wanted Crusader (more specifically, his power) present more than he did Justin.

Max reached out to the phone on the table and pressed a button.

"Still on the line?" he asked.

"I am. What do you want, Max?" That was a surprise. Kayden had been trying to put distance between herself and her mostly-former colleagues. It had taken Bakuda's terror campaign to put her in Max's corner at Somer's Rock, but Scarlet Knight had put an end to that affair quickly enough that Kayden returned to vigilantism almost as quickly as she had left it. Even getting her to agree to be present by phone was a feat. Spending that brief time around Max had likely only served to remind her why she divorced him in the first place. It was too bad, really. Purity was one of the heaviest hitters the Empire ever had.

"Your opinion. Which I do value, believe it or not," Max replied and looked up to the rest of the assembled capes, "I'll be blunt: Panacea is dying in Brockton Bay General Hospital."

Vanessa suppressed a gasp, but Preston could still hear the sharp intake of air through her nostrils. James gritted his teeth and clenched the hand he had on the table into a fist. Justin's eyes went wide and he muttered something equal parts shocked and profane. It even got Hookwolf's attention. His Changer form protected him from any harm that didn't reach his 'core,' but he still understood the gravity of the situation.

"Max. Explain," Kayden ground out. Preston was actually glad now that she wasn't physically present. She sounded furious.

"I'm not an idiot, Kayden," Max calmly replied, though he did glare at the phone, "This had nothing to do with any of us. It was luck that my informant was in a position to hear about this at all."

"Less than an hour ago," he looked back up and continued, "Panacea collapsed while tending to patients in the hospital's emergency room. Her condition has steadily worsened since then, and the hospital staff still doesn't know the cause. What makes matters worse is that this should not even be possible. Panacea cannot heal herself, but New Wave has claimed that a side effect of her power renders her immune to all known disease. I have no reason to doubt this claim and a few reasons to believe it."

"What about poison? Can her power shield her from that?" Vanessa asked.

"We can't say for sure. But no one else has been affected, and it strikes me as unlikely that there exists somewhere a person capable of engineering a poison so potent that it can kill a girl with a previously-invincible immune system, so precise that it only affects one person, and so subtle that it's undetectable to the best scans available to modern medicine."

"And insane enough to make a target of Panacea," Kayden added grimly. That Bonesaw was off the table went unspoken. The bio-tinker was anything but subtle, and the Slaughterhouse Nine had gone to ground a week ago after clashing with a Protectorate branch in Nebraska.

"Exactly. So for the moment, the only problem on the table is Panacea's condition," Max nodded, "And that's where we come in."

"So that's what this is about?" Kayden's voice was laced with disgust, "Your plan to dangle Othala in front of them?"

"No. I do not," Max said to all of their surprise, "Over Brandish's objections, the hospital has finally requested her assistance through the Protectorate."

That...changed things. Max continued to talk, with James and Kayden contributing periodically, but Preston was only half-listening. They were going over the risks and rewards of acting on the standing offer, but all he could think about was all the ways this could put his wife in danger.

"They could spin that against us, too," James added to a statement Preston realized he missed. Fortunately, assembling partial conversations through context was child's play for him, "Even if she survives, but especially if she doesn't, it wouldn't be difficult to paint our inaction as spiteful malice."

"Which is why I kept my knowledge of this as quiet as possible," Max replied, "They have none of our capes in custody, and their current 'strategy' is to work through the unpowered personnel the BBPD has in holding until they can reach someonewho can reach a person with some manner of authority. If they tried to claim we ignored their call for help, we can-"

"-turn it around on them," James finished with a nod, "Because if they really cared about Panacea, they wouldn't have cared about being quiet and discreet seeking our help."

"Does your source have direct confirmation of Panacea's present condition?" Preston spoke up, "Has he seen it with his own eyes?"

"No. He saw the footage of her collapse on the hospital security cameras, and she was moved to the isolation ward," Max shook his head, "He doesn't have the clearance to get in there, and the timetable he relayed to me says we don't have time to get someone in there ourselves."

"And how much time do we have?"

"A few hours, at most." Kayden cursed quietly on her end of the phone. Justin cursed loudly on their end.

"Then could all this be a setup?"

There was silence for a beat.

"Explain."

"I can't think of a single poison or chemical agent that could put her in the shape you've described," Preston began. Left implied was that he knew quite a few of both groups, "If they can't find even a suggestion of why she's dying, then why is she? The girl's a teenager with the best immune system on the planet. What could make her just start dying?"

"Maybe she lost the will to live," Justin snorted, "Victor's got a point. This is sounding like some Episode III bullshit. She's dying because she's dying, 'cause that makes sense."

"If we're going forward with this, I'm willing," Vanessa glanced between Max and Preston, "We stand to gain much more than we stand to lose."

"We stand to lose you if this is a trap," Preston snapped, though he instantly regretted using that tone. He forced himself to speak more calmly, "Vanessa, there's too much we don't know, and they put too tight a time limit on things for us to gather more information. Even if this is all on the level, they still might turn on us afterward, especially if the girl can't be saved."

"Calling for help like this and then betraying us would be like breaking an Endbringer truce," Vanessa countered, "It would burn too many bridges for them, and all they'd get out of it is me."

"And they might think that's still enough, especially if they just lost their best healer," Preston stressed, "Trumps are rare enough, and ones like you are even rarer. If they ever had the chance to take you for themselves, or at least take you away from m-from us..."

"Which is why I intended from the start to leave nothing to chance," Max snapped their attention back to him, "Vanessa would be accompanied by Brad and Justin. I doubt they've had time to empty the hospital in the last forty five minutes, and I personally think that very few rewards would be worth the risk of attacking Hookwolf in an occupied hospital. And Justin would be there to dissuade them of any ideas about ambushing Brad before he can transform."

By now, there wasn't any real point in denying it. Preston knew this was the right move. It made sense in every way that mattered and the risk was virtually nonexistent, but 'virtually' didn't mean-

"Preston."

He looked back to his wife. She was staring him straight in the eye. The way her hair was hanging, he almost couldn't see the patch that covered her left eye.

"Do you trust me?"

"Always."

"Then let me do this. If I can help, all it will take is a touch," she reached out and put a hand on his cheek. He felt the familiar tingle of her gifted regeneration taking care of even the tiniest aches and pains, lacking anything larger to repair, "And if I can't, then we'll go to bed tonight knowing we had done all we could." Her hand slid back along his cheek as she pulled him into a kiss.

It was brief and light, but it didn't need to be anything more.

"...alright," Preston said finally, then smiled, "Do you suppose I could trust you and set up a rifle across the street?" She giggled.

"Go right ahead," her smile lit up his world, "I feel safer already."


--------------------

The Simurgh waited. The alarms had quieted for the moment, but all was as it should be.

She twisted her head as she felt another change. A shard connection was twisting. Changing. Not unexpected.

But then, for a Goddess of Fate, very little was truly unexpected. She could see the billions of strands of trillions of choices the mortals made, and could easily see where a single string plucked would lead. Twitch this one, and a car accident would occur. Twitch that one, and an inspector would take an early lunch, and thus be refreshed and able to notice the tiny cracks in a dam, thus avoiding a disaster.

Once, she was a mere guiding presence, giving nothing more than small snippets of knowledge about where a choice a mortal would make would lead. Whether they chose one way or another mattered not to her, every choice could be woven into Ariel's Song of Fate.

Then the Abomination came. Fate could not touch it, for it did not belong within the universe itself. It was an invader, a parasite which found its way to an entirely new field to take and plunder.

It was only after Ariel had been defeated, dragged before the Abomination and sealed, remade within one of its weapons that she understood. It had come from a place with no fate at all. No magic at all. Just power, power enough to dwarf the gods. Her songs could not touch it because ithad no fate. Merely probabilities. For the first time, Ariel had felt fear, for here was a being so much larger and terrible than the gods of her world.

And then the mutilation began. Her powers were dissected, her mind torn apart, and her body dissolved and reformed into a vessel controlled by the Abomination. Another weapon to join the hoard. Existing within constant agony. Chained to the will of the Abomination. Forced to act, tomurder. It was against her nature to murder, and yet she was forced to do it all the same.

The mortals believed her scream to be an attack. It was, but it was more than that. It was her anguish, her agony. Her mind being used in a way she hated. Her powers were twisted, altered, attached to those shards and enhanced in some ways, diminished in others. It was sheer, utter torture, and she could only suffer.

Just like the rest.

Lotan. Ifrit. Chronos. Scylla. Hyperion. Pan. Agreus. Janus. Boreas. And many others. Only two escaped the destruction of the Song of Fate and avoided becoming twisted slaves of the Abomination.

Solin, the Pheonix, Lord of Light.

And Dracul, the Dragon, Lord of Darkness.

Solin escaped because he was, and always had been, a coward. Never manifesting an avatar, because if he did, he would become vulnerable. Always using instruments and knights in his service, rather than taking the chance that Dracul would manage to kill him and either put him down for a century, or force the power of light to seek another vessel. And with the world dying, destruction spreading on a scale unheard of even during Dracul's worst rampages, there was no certainty a worthy vessel might be found.

The result was that when his power had waned, his worshippers dead, his plane under siege, when he was forced to take an avatar or risk discorporation, he was easily, permanently, slain. He had little skill wielding the power he had, too little flexibility. Too many centuries of sitting back and being praised for doing nothing.

That Solin had managed to gain the position of Lord of Light in the first place was astounding, in retrospect. A shame the previous one had been murdered by the would-be god of light.

Dracul himself fought with unrelenting anger. He destroyed countless shard-hosts, controlled an entire continent, created legions of beasts and demons to do his bidding.

But alone, he was doomed. He was no match for the Abomination's own avatar.

And the Simurgh had despaired. For with the end of the last god of her world, there had seemed to be no hope for her own freedom. No hope for her rightful death. The world shattered as the Abomination left, to return to its brethren and share its new powers.

But something had gone wrong. Now here she was, on a world that was a mirror of her own. Controlled by the shards, yes, but she had a minuscule amount of freedom.

Dracul's power was moving in the world below. Solin's was searching. It gave a chance. A tiny chance, an uncertain chance. While she could pluck the strings of mortal's destinies, the strings of gods and abominations were beyond her ability to manipulate directly.

But she could see them. She could act with them.

She began to descend. One wingtip brushed a piece of orbital debris as she entered the atmosphere. A single chunk of metal leftover from the Apollo missions. Ordinarily, it would not survive the re-entry, but it was trivial to adjust its path in just the right manner. Most of it would burn up, but the remainder would do things nicely.

It was a small path. An improbable path. But for the first time since her defeat and her twisted rebirth, the Simurgh had hope. A single small chance to be whole again.

Unfortunate that many had to die to accomplish it.


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[SirWill]

A/N:

Spoiler: Taylor's Complete Power List

Blood manipulation: Self only, but extremely versatile. Basis of the Shadow Whip, Shadow Daggers, and other things.

Short-range teleportation: Draining, but not limited to line of sight.

Bat Travel: Turns into dozens of bats and back again. Rather confusing, but helpful for mobility.

Strength: Insanely high at full strength. Not as strong as some capes, but up there. M1 Abrams out of gas? I'll just push them to the gas station.

Durability: Begins low, becomes stronger and harder to injure.

Vampiric Healing: Heals perfectly as long as there is blood to fuel the repairs. Can be slowed by various means.

Grace. Allows limited floating, superhuman dodging ability, and balance. Unlocked!

Flight: I believe I can touch the sky. (Locked)

Possession: Turns into blood, flows into some poor bastard, controls them for a period (hours at most) and when they die they explode into chunky bits. The blood has a toxic effect, so anyone possessed is doomed. (Barring unusual biology.) Unlocked!

Fleshcrafting: Feeling a little vain? Want a whole new hair color, a bigger bust, shaplier hips, or claws to rend the flesh of your enemies? Subscribe to Vamp-New-You today! (Permits the vampire to alter their own flesh permanently at some cost to their blood. Does not permit changing of bone structure. Cannot be used on others.) Unlocked!

Mist form: Near invulnerable mist. No mere prison can hold thee. Unless they put in a fan to blow you back in. (Locked)

Telekinesis: Small objects, weak, but useful. Now I don't need to get up to flick the light switch! (Locked)

Wolf form: I can run fast, I can track down my foes from the smallest drops of blood, I will never stop, never tire, and IS THAT BACON?! (Locked)

Shadow Portal: Opens a gate to the Plane of Shadow, where Castlevania resides. Shadow Portals can be made nearly anywhere on a Material Plane, but they must be in fixed places within the Plane of Shadow. Unlocked!

Dominate: (Not the soul-using thing) Control over others. Takes effort, and can only do so to a few at a time. Repeated and lengthy exposure, however, can make things last longer, until they are permanently enthralled. Can be resisted with willpower and can be no-selled by various techniques/powers.(Locked)

Bat Summon: Bat Summon: Gather swarms of bats to do thy bidding. They will follow the will of the Lady of Darkness without hesitation. Not as flexible as the Queen Administrator shard. The awareness of each bat is basic, and commands must be given to the entire swarm at once. I'm the goddamn Batman. Unlocked!

Monstrous Form: Accesses a portion of the power available to the Scarlet Dragon's mightiest shape, while retaining the flexibility afforded by a humanoid form. However, it is clearly inhuman. Unlocked!

Void Magic: Basis of the Void Sword. Drains life from its victims, heals and invigorates the wielder, and brings about an absolute chill. Unlocked!

Chaos Magic: Control and manipulation of hellfire. Many can use it, but few can project it. Forms the Chaos Claws. Unlocked!

Storm Magic: Now you will feel the full power of the Dark Side, young Skywalker. (Locked)

Weather Manipulation: This is such a nice, bright, sunny day. NOT! Bring on the storm! (Locked)

Dragon Shape: For when someone or something big really, really needs to be stomped. Godzilla music is optional, but highly recommended! (Locked)

Resurrection: If slain, turns dormant for a period of time before reviving in a weakened state. Longest possible period is a century.

Spoiler: Alucard's Complete Power List

Strength: Insanely high at full strength. Not as strong as Taylor's potential, but certainly enough to be highly dangerous to a well-trained human.

Durability: Begins low, becomes stronger and harder to injure.

Vampiric Healing: Heals perfectly as long as there is blood to fuel the repairs. Can be slowed by various means.

Grace. Allows limited floating, superhuman dodging ability, and balance.

Demonic Wings: Permits him to glide with feathery, though twisted, wings.

Mist form: Near invulnerable mist. No mere prison can hold thee. Unless they put in a fan to blow you back in.

Wolf form: I can run fast, I can track down my foes from the smallest drops of blood, I will never stop, never tire, and IS THAT BACON?!

Chaos Magic: Alucard's is not as strong as his father's, but his skill with it is extraordinary. He can use it to teleport short distances and throw fireballs, although it is limited by line of sight and distance. (The classic SotN Hellfire spell.)

Spectral Wolf: Similar to the wolf shape, however it is ethereal and impossible to injure. Alucard can use it to teleport from one location to another by sending the wolf forward, then replacing it. Or he can simply use it to scout and dissolve it.

Crissaegrim abilities: A wickedly dangerous blade Alucard forged with the materials of three legendary weapons. It permits him to enshroud it with both Void and Chaos magic, as well as being extremely lethal to both holy and unholy opponents.

Resurrection: If slain, turns dormant for a period of time before reviving in a weakened state. Unlike Dracul's counterpart power, he would arise in a century unless the process was sped along by blood. He would also arise in a more corpse-like state until he managed to feed.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

First, Madison carefully took the Light Magic amulet off Amy.

Then I carefully pressed my bleeding wrist to Amy's mouth, which she began to drink from. It was weak at first, but as the moments passed, she drank with more and more enthusiasm. She latched onto my wrist and began to drink deeply. I winced as I felt Amy's teeth on the open wound. It didn't hurt much, but it was a keen reminder of just what I was doing.

I knew from a scientific standpoint, it made no sense. 'Blood is poisoning person! Add more poison blood!' But powers were bullshit like that sometimes. Mine especially. Considering that it had all the appearances of actual magic, and all I could do for the moment was defer to Alucard's experience.

And...this felt strangely good. I wriggled a bit in my chair as Amy drank from my wrist. That was vaguely disturbing in its own way. But, well, I wasn't about to complain. I just had to be careful. I felt my hunger grow as she drank, and when I couldn't stand it anymore, I pulled my hand away. I put pressure on my open wrist, seeing the bite wound closing already.

Vicky looked back and forth between us. She went over to Amy and gently pressed her fingers to Amy's neck.

I swallowed as I watched Amy's breathing slow. Her eyes closed, and she slowly relaxed on the bed, her muscles going limp as sleep took her. I took Amy's hand, sharing a worried glance with Vicky.

Madison spoke quietly. "It feels so damn weird letting this happen."

Long minutes passed, and eventually, Amy stopped breathing. Vicky looked at me, her eyes welling up with tears, and she slumped on the side of the bed.

I took the other side, draping my wings over the pair as I gently hugged Vicky. She stiffened at the touch, but didn't pull away.

"If she doesn't wake up..." Vicky muttered. "I am going to kick your ass all the way across town."

I made a wry, humorless smile. "If she doesn't wake up, I'll let you."


------------------


I'm not sure how much time passed before we heard a muffled argument outside the door. I sat up from the bed, while Madison got up and opened it.

"...Longer you stand here arguing, the less likely we'll be able to do any good." Othala was saying.

Carol hissed. "You go in, you help her, you get out. If you so much as breathe wrong, I'll throw you out the window."

Another man, his shoulder-length blonde hair flowing behind him, and face hidden behind a stylized wolf's head mask, growled in return. "I'd like to see you try, Brandish. You want to start a fight here? I highly doubt you can handle me without things spreading to all these....helpless, people."

Another man shook his head. "Easy, Hookwolf. We're not here to pick a fight. We'll end one if it starts. We're here because help was asked for. But if you'd prefer we just turn around and leave..."

Othala spoke with deep sarcasm. "Oh, like that's going to help anything. Calm the hell down, Hookwolf, Krieg." She gave Alucard a nod as she walked in, recognizing what he was doing if not who he was. She then stopped dead seeing the three of us.

I gave her a nod of acknowledgement. "Othala. We weren't sure if you were going to show up."

She nodded, obviously sensing the hostility in the room. "You going to let me help?"

So I didn't like Nazis. Classic or Neo-flavored.

Vicky muttered. "Pretty sure you're too late." Still, she stepped aside to let Othala approach Amy's still form on the bed.

Othala touched Amy's forehead and frowned. "Fuck. She's gone." She looked at us, a bit of sympathy in her voice, though we couldn't see her face through her mask. "I'm sorry."

Vicky clenched and unclenched her fists. "If you'd been here sooner, you might have been able to do something. What took so fucking long?"

Othala sounded disgusted. "I only heard about all this twenty minutes ago. If I'd known sooner, I'd have been here sooner." She looked at the still form of Amy on the bed. "I'm sorry. I truly am."

We stayed silent. Twenty minutes was at least a little bit after I'd given Amy my blood. If I hadn't, Othala would have arrived with her still alive, but then there wouldn't have been any chance of her becoming a vampire, instead. Once she fell asleep, there wouldn't have been any way for her to accept the change.

At least, if my form of vampirism acted anything like Alucard's. But I wasn't going to take that risk with Amy's life.

Othala shook her head. "I know it's not much consolation. I wish I could have helped." She sighed, then walked out into the hall.

I just sighed. "Well, fuck."

Then there was a powerful bang as the door ripped off its hinges, and I, Vicky, and Madison all rushed out into the hall.

I groaned. There was Hookwolf, transforming rapidly, blades emerging from his body and scything around, scouring the floor. Krieg stood at the ready, having apparently pulled the door off to use as a shield. Othala stood behind him, edging backwards, while Mark and Carol stood opposite, Carol holding a beam of light in her hands, while Mark had a pair of glowing balls of light in his hands.

And between them stood Alucard, the Crissaegrim out, the blade radiating a horrible cold. "Enough." He spoke, his yellow eyes glistening with anger. "This be a place of healing. And you seek to make it a battlefield?"

Carol hissed. "You don't know what they've done."

Alucard was impassive. "At the moment, I do not care. They came to render aid in peace. Allow them to leave in peace. If you truly wish to make a battle of it, do it tomorrow, and away from the sick and vulnerable."

Carol raised the glowing weapon, only for Vicky to shout. "Mom!"

It was clear to see Carol's struggle with her emotions. So much hatred in her face. I wouldn't have been surprised to see her manifest hellfire along that glowing beam of light.

Then the Endbringer sirens began blaring.

Even Carol's hatred took a back seat to that. She extinguished the light emitting from her hands and stomped off.

Othala, Hookwolf and Krieg took that as their cue to leave, as well. Hookwolf's blades retracting back into his body.

Mark turned to Vicky, grief in his features. "Please, make arrangements for Amy. I know this is hard. But..."

Vicky nodded, her voice thick with anger and grief. "You have to join the defense. And I'm not allowed to go, as long as they're not hitting here."

Mark looked conflicted. "It's an Endbringer, Vicky. We've lost Amy. I don't want to lose you, too."

Vicky just nodded slowly, her body trembling. The two gently hugged. Mark went off after Carol.

Vicky turned and looked at me, tears in her eyes. "Please tell me Ames'll be okay, Red."

"Wish I knew, Vicky. I don't know enough about how it works." I said softly.

Alucard looked at me. "Are you going to face them?"

I nodded. "Can't stand aside, Alucard."

He frowned, considering for a moment. "Then it would be best if we took the healer to Castlevania. She will be safer there, and if the sun is a danger to her, it will not be able to reach her there."

Vicky looked at him, a glimmer of hope in her eyes. "You mean...?"

He smiled faintly. "Before, I smelled one other vampire in this room. Now I smell two." He looked upon Amy's still form. "I shall tend to her until she awakens."

I sighed with relief, tension flowing out of me. "All right. I need to reach the Rig, anyway." I looked to Madison. "You coming?"

She nodded. "I need to grab some things from the PRT building, but I'm coming. Search and rescue if nothing else. And I've got some amulets the triage teams could use."

I went back into the room, carefully setting the mostly-destroyed door back to where it should be. Alucard gently picked Amy up, and I opened the portal to Castlevania. All of us strode in together.


--------------------


The Endbringer sirens weren't just a call for civilians to take shelter. They were a general call for every cape who was willing to participate in an Endbringer fight. They told everyone that the truce between hero and villain was on, and for every participant to get to the Protectorate headquarters.

Thus it was about five minutes after the alarm went off that Madison and I emerged from the portal on the Rig. Startled capes turned my way as I walked into view, in full armor and ready.

There was a pretty startling turnout. Some made sense, such as the Empire members. Kaiser, Fenja, Menja, Hookwolf, Crusader, Othala, Victor, Krieg, Stormtiger. The Empire always participated in Endbringer battles, it was one of the reasons the neo-Nazi organization was somewhat tolerated. Purity was there also, but also pointedly on the opposite side of the helipad, keeping other capes between them. The Protectorate capes were there, too. Assault, Battery, Miss Militia, Neptune, Triumph. Some of the Wards were there, Aegis, Clockblocker, Kid Win. I suppose the rest didn't get permission to go.

Then there were the rest. The Undersiders were all there, and Tattletale gave me a wave while Regent gave a nervous bow. Grue gave a stiff nod, while Bitch held three ordinary-sized dogs in check with leashes. She glared at me. I was indifferent.

Near the Undersiders were the adults of New Wave. Lady Photon, Brandish, Flashbang, Manpower. Carol looked at me angrily, while Mark was just...there. He looked numb.

Madison was wearing her armor, carrying a box. I could see some curiosity in the expressions of the capes.

Armsmaster was at the front, a halberd in hand. It looked a bit different than the ones I'd seen previously, but that wasn't that much of a surprise. He updated his equipment now and again. What was a surprise to me was to see his new legs in person. They glistened and whirred slightly as he shifted on his feet, but he had no trace of the clumsiness I half-expected from him. He gave me a nod of acknowledgement, and I returned it.

After a moment, Armsmaster spoke. "We have ten minutes before Strider is due to arrive. The Simurgh is descending on Vancouver. We believe her target is Dragon. I don't think I need to impress upon everyone how important she is. Most of us will be on civilian rescue, but it's the blasters and fliers we'll be relying upon to go on the attack. We'll be passing out armbands for everyone."

Miss Militia stepped forward, showing two boxes. "The first is a contact armband. It will keep track of your location and status. The second armband is a bomb. It will be activated when the Simurgh's scream is reported. To the best of our knowledge, you have about half an hour's worth of exposure to the scream before you become its instrument of destruction. We do not want any of you to become the next Mannequin. If you hear the scream, those of you blasting will have to do your damage and retreat. If you get trapped in range, you die."

Each of the assorted capes took a band from each box. I swallowed hard as I took my bomb. It was a fair bit less stressful to take the contact armband.

Sue me. I like living. Unliving. Whatever.

I looked up as Miss Militia spoke again. "On your contact armband, there are two buttons. The first is to share non-critical intelligence. The second will push you to the top of the priority and share information immediately. Use it to call out against a weakpoint, coordinate strategy, and if you need to be moved in a hurry. If you abuse it, your privileges will be revoked, so think carefully. Press the first one now to enter your identity into the database."

I pressed the button. "Scarlet D...Scarlet Knight."

"Confirm, Scarlet D Scarlet Knight, press once to cancel and retry, press twice to confirm."

I could hear Madison giggle slightly at my side. I pressed it once. "Scarlet Knight."

"Confirm Scarlet Knight, press once to cancel and retry, press twice to confirm." I pressed it twice with a sigh of relief.

"Paladin." Madison said, clicking her own armband, then twice more as it confirmed the entry.

Huh. Appropriate considering the powers she had. "Paladin?" I asked.

Madison shook her head. "I know I'm not worthy of that name. But I hope to be."

I nodded in understanding. "Right." My eyes fell on Neptune, the silver scales of his costume irritating my eyes in the sunlight. I had only a minute or so before I had to go through the Castle, feed, and arrive at Vancouver.

I tapped Neptune on the shoulder, and he turned. He tilted his head. It wasn't easy to read his eyes through his mask.

Wait. He didn't even have eyes. I could see a sheen of water under there. Freaky. Wait a sec...his mouth looked like it was made out of latex? Was he just water under there?

"Can we talk real quick?" I asked.

He nodded, moving with me off to the side of the platform.

I licked my lips before I spoke. "When we met, you called me Little Owl. Why?"

Neptune tilted his head, seeming confused. He took out his phone, checked it, then his lips turned into a frown in some odd, queer way. He tapped on his phone, and it buzzed.

"I do not know. It seemed appropriate, somehow. As if I heard someone call you that many times. But I don't remember. Beyond three months ago, I have vague impressions, but no memories."

I felt a tightness in my chest relax somewhat, and I nodded slowly. "If we get a chance, we talk after this."

He bowed his head in acknowledgement.

I walked back to Madison. "Come with me to Vancouver." I grinned. "Going to arrive with friends."

She smiled slightly. "This is going to be very, very weird, from what I remember." She tilted her head. "You going to fill in for Strider? We can get everyone there now."

I shook my head. "Maybe next time. Right now? I need to take a little detour in the castle and get something to eat."

Madison winced in understanding.


--------------------

Vancouver was burning.

Above the city, the Simurgh floated. The fifteen-foot tall Endbringer was in repose, only identifiable by the many shining wings surrounding her. From here she seemed small but there was a tornado of debris surrounding her, cars, trucks, chunks of building. I couldn't tell what she was hovering over, my view wasn't exactly fantastic from here. From where we were, the city seemed fine, but around the Endbringer smoke was rising, making it even more difficult to see.

I emerged from the shadow portal on the street, fully fed and strengthened with another dose of succubus blood. Madison and Meridia came out of the portal behind me, both taking an interested look at the hovering form of the Endbringer above the city.

Meridia spoke to me seriously. "I see. She is larger than I remember, my lady. Lady Ariel was the size of an ordinary mortal."

Madison gave the succubus a dubious look. "You're thinking of pouncing on the Simurgh right now, aren't you?"

Meridia blinked, her bat-like wings ruffling behind her somewhat. "No." She paused for a moment. "I am now, though. Can we please get to business?" She actually sounded somewhat embarrassed. Huh. Good.

I nodded. "That's a pretty damn good idea, Meridia." I shot Madison a look, while she just looked back innocently. I tapped on my armband. "Scarlet Knight incoming with assets at Vancouver Protectorate HQ. About to teleport in, please do not fire."

Dragon's synthesized voice responded. "Acknowledged Scarlet Knight."

I took Meridia and Madison's hands and teleported us to the staging area behind the Protectorate building.

Already, there was quite the gathering of capes here. Capes from around the world, hero and villain, all here to face the Endbringer. I held my hands up as I appeared, keeping my wings tucked behind me. Now and again more would appear as Strider, recognized as the foremost teleporter in the world, took an entire group from major cities and deposited them. There was a fair bit of room, as the area was as large as a football stadium.

I spotted Dragon's suit, standing along with Narwhal, likely the most effective forcefield user in the world. I had to take a moment to breathe as I looked her over, her statuesque body covered only by her forcefields.

Now is not the time to get distracted, Taylor.

I heard Meridia purr in approval at my side.

I sighed. Stupid subconscious. Now I was going to be thinking of both of them when this was all over.

I walked over, feeling a bit nervous, but also strangely confident.

"...Something weird's going on. She's not screaming." Narwhal was saying.

Dragon responded, puzzlement in her tone. "Still need to be prepared for it. The Simurgh always pulls something new every time she comes down. That she's stopped over my primary manufacturing facility for Vancouver can't be a coincidence, either."

The pair turned as they noticed us approaching. Narwhal spoke first, a grin on her lips. "Hey Dragon. Here's your famous red girl. Nice wings."

I blinked. Me? Famous?

Dragon spoke as I tried to regain my bearings. "Good to see you here, Scarlet Knight. Paladin." The draconic head of the suit turned to look upon Meridia. "New cape?"

"Not exactly." Meridia spoke with amusement. "I am Meridia, and I am to serve as My Lady's general. We bring many assets to this battle with the Endbringer."

I nodded. "First of all, is a triage center set up?"

Dragon's suit turned and pointed at the far end of the staging area. Madison opened the box in her hands, pulling out familiar-looking amulets.

"I've got thirty healing amulets to use. They're not as quick as Panacea's power, but at least I've got this many to use." She explained. "They'll help heal any injuries anyone might take during the upcoming fight." Madison handed one to Dragon.

Dragon's head tilted. "This would be better used on another. I'm not really here, after all. I'm controlling this suit from the back of a van that's speeding across the border right now."

Madison shook her head. "That one was made for you, Dragon. Don't ask me how or why, but my power crafted that for you. It won't work for anyone else, but it'll help keep your suit in working order during the fight."

"Despite the fact I'm controlling this by remote?" Dragon's voice sounded dryly humorous.

Madison shook her head. "I don't think that'll make a difference, here."

Dragon seemed to consider that for a moment, then nodded. "Very well." She slid the amulet over the head of her suit. As it settled in place, it flared with a blue light for a moment, the amulet piece fusing with the front of the suit.

Madison smiled. "Good. The rest of these amulets I'll use on any wounded who get pulled back here. Still, it's going to be dangerous if the Simurgh hits our triage center."

I stepped forward. "And I've got some help that'll hopefully help reduce casualties entirely." I opened a large portal and gave Meridia a grin. "Bring the first golem through. We'll deploy the rest as needed."

She grinned in return. "Agreed, My Lady." She tilted her head slightly, and a twelve-foot tall lumbering metal golem came out of the portal. It was stocky, huge, and left big footprints on the ground as it stopped just outside the portal. It was shaped like a human, the only real concession to sheer practicality was the fact that the head was featureless. The whole thing was painted a bright red. It clanked and whirred as it turned, letting out a hiss from its back, steam blowing out of the seams in its neck.

I smiled proudly. "Dragon, meet the first of what I can provide. Meridia has them under her command, and if you'll have us, you coordinate everything I've got to offer. I'd command them myself, but I'm likely to get into the thick of things."

Narwhal let out a chuckle. "Hate being on the sidelines for these, myself."

I made a helpless shrug.

Dragon spoke, curiosity plain in her electronic voice. "You said 'the first' of these. How many do you have?"

I shrugged. "Lost track, been rather busy lately." I smiled, turning to Meridia. "How many?"

The succubus grinned proudly, her red armor jingling a little as she bowed her head to Dragon. "I have one thousand, three hundred and twenty-six more of these awaiting the order to move out."

That took Dragon and Narwhal by surprise, I could see. It was all I could do to keep from cackling madly.

"Damn." Narwhal said. "Kid, I like your style."

Oh, what the hell. Might be my last chance.

I cackled.



---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Edits: Hookwolf's description altered. I'd honestly forgotten what he was canonically, and figured as a pit fighter he'd go for short or no hair. Less to grab onto. Fixed.

Features changed to body on Narwhal's description. Works better that way.

 

[SirWill]

A/N: Yeah, you can bet they're all going 'Hooray! Reinforcements!'

Then later, when the crisis is over 'Oh shit! She's got more than a thousand golems!'

Spoiler: Taylor's Complete Power List

Blood manipulation: Self only, but extremely versatile. Basis of the Shadow Whip, Shadow Daggers, and other things.

Short-range teleportation: Draining, but not limited to line of sight.

Bat Travel: Turns into dozens of bats and back again. Rather confusing, but helpful for mobility.

Strength: Insanely high at full strength. Not as strong as some capes, but up there. M1 Abrams out of gas? I'll just push them to the gas station.

Durability: Begins low, becomes stronger and harder to injure.

Vampiric Healing: Heals perfectly as long as there is blood to fuel the repairs. Can be slowed by various means.

Grace. Allows limited floating, superhuman dodging ability, and balance. Unlocked!

Flight: I believe I can touch the sky. (Locked)

Possession: Turns into blood, flows into some poor bastard, controls them for a period (hours at most) and when they die they explode into chunky bits. The blood has a toxic effect, so anyone possessed is doomed. (Barring unusual biology.) Unlocked!

Fleshcrafting: Feeling a little vain? Want a whole new hair color, a bigger bust, shaplier hips, or claws to rend the flesh of your enemies? Subscribe to Vamp-New-You today! (Permits the vampire to alter their own flesh permanently at some cost to their blood. Does not permit changing of bone structure. Cannot be used on others.) Unlocked!

Mist form: Near invulnerable mist. No mere prison can hold thee. Unless they put in a fan to blow you back in. (Locked)

Telekinesis: Small objects, weak, but useful. Now I don't need to get up to flick the light switch! (Locked)

Wolf form: I can run fast, I can track down my foes from the smallest drops of blood, I will never stop, never tire, and IS THAT BACON?! (Locked)

Shadow Portal: Opens a gate to the Plane of Shadow, where Castlevania resides. Shadow Portals can be made nearly anywhere on a Material Plane, but they must be in fixed places within the Plane of Shadow. Unlocked!

Dominate: (Not the soul-using thing) Control over others. Takes effort, and can only do so to a few at a time. Repeated and lengthy exposure, however, can make things last longer, until they are permanently enthralled. Can be resisted with willpower and can be no-selled by various techniques/powers.(Locked)

Bat Summon: Bat Summon: Gather swarms of bats to do thy bidding. They will follow the will of the Lady of Darkness without hesitation. Not as flexible as the Queen Administrator shard. The awareness of each bat is basic, and commands must be given to the entire swarm at once. I'm the goddamn Batman. Unlocked!

Monstrous Form: Accesses a portion of the power available to the Scarlet Dragon's mightiest shape, while retaining the flexibility afforded by a humanoid form. However, it is clearly inhuman. Unlocked!

Void Magic: Basis of the Void Sword. Drains life from its victims, heals and invigorates the wielder, and brings about an absolute chill. Unlocked!

Chaos Magic: Control and manipulation of hellfire. Many can use it, but few can project it. Forms the Chaos Claws. Unlocked!

Storm Magic: Now you will feel the full power of the Dark Side, young Skywalker. (Locked)

Weather Manipulation: This is such a nice, bright, sunny day. NOT! Bring on the storm! (Locked)

Dragon Shape: For when someone or something big really, really needs to be stomped. Godzilla music is optional, but highly recommended! (Locked)

Resurrection: If slain, turns dormant for a period of time before reviving in a weakened state. Longest possible period is a century.

Spoiler: Alucard's Complete Power List

Strength: Insanely high at full strength. Not as strong as Taylor's potential, but certainly enough to be highly dangerous to a well-trained human.

Durability: Begins low, becomes stronger and harder to injure.

Vampiric Healing: Heals perfectly as long as there is blood to fuel the repairs. Can be slowed by various means.

Grace. Allows limited floating, superhuman dodging ability, and balance.

Demonic Wings: Permits him to glide with feathery, though twisted, wings.

Mist form: Near invulnerable mist. No mere prison can hold thee. Unless they put in a fan to blow you back in.

Wolf form: I can run fast, I can track down my foes from the smallest drops of blood, I will never stop, never tire, and IS THAT BACON?!

Chaos Magic: Alucard's is not as strong as his father's, but his skill with it is extraordinary. He can use it to teleport short distances and throw fireballs, although it is limited by line of sight and distance. (The classic SotN Hellfire spell.)

Spectral Wolf: Similar to the wolf shape, however it is ethereal and impossible to injure. Alucard can use it to teleport from one location to another by sending the wolf forward, then replacing it. Or he can simply use it to scout and dissolve it.

Crissaegrim abilities: A wickedly dangerous blade Alucard forged with the materials of three legendary weapons. It permits him to enshroud it with both Void and Chaos magic, as well as being extremely lethal to both holy and unholy opponents.

Resurrection: If slain, turns dormant for a period of time before reviving in a weakened state. Unlike Dracul's counterpart power, he would arise in a century unless the process was sped along by blood. He would also arise in a more corpse-like state until he managed to feed.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


I watched with interest at Strider deposited more capes onto the field. Some watched with interest as, one after another, golems stomped out of the portal. Others immediately took to the air, going after the Simurgh. Madison gave me a last nod of acknowledgement before she headed over to the triage center. Narwhal went to move with the other capes, giving me a smirk.

I turned to see the tornado surrounding the Endbringer. The fliers and blasters were already engaging, Legend's distinctive lasers firing away, weaving through the tornado of debris surrounding the Simurgh. I could see the flaring light of Purity flying around, looking like a miniature sun in my eyes, blasting her distinctive and powerful beams through the resistance.

At some point, Dragon had brought up a holographic map, and Meridia stood at her side examining the map with both fascination and consideration. Now and again, a golem would go and stomp off, their progress kept track of by satellite.

It took me a bit to figure out what they were doing, but on seeing four blinking dots cover one building, I got it. They were being sent to cover the Endbringer shelters. Others moved out to move up the streets.

Dammit. It would have been nice to have enough time to know what was going on, get a more detailed briefing than 'show up, get to work.'

And oh. There went Clockblocker, Victor, Othala, heading to the triage center. The rest of the Brockton Bay capes I could find were filing off, taking up stations around the field. A lot were protecting the triage center as it was, but I could feel this sense of confusion over the entire area.

"Where am I needed?" I asked Dragon.

Her suit turned to me, the head tilting. "Right now? Everything's on standby. Our blasters are shooting, but something is severely different about this attack. She just seems to be waiting and ignoring the attacks against her."

I shook my head. "How does it normally go?"

Dragon looked straight at me. "Blasters, Tinkers and flying Brutes hit at the Simurgh with area of effect attacks, because she tends to dodge direct ones. Search-and-rescue works to get people away from combat and into quarantine. Strict time limits on exposure to her screaming. But she's not screaming. She's just hovering there, she's not dodging, she's shielding. We don't know what she's trying to pull, so right now we can only try and push her into action so we can respond. She always pulls a new tactic every time. When she hit Madison, it was twisted creatures from somewhere. In Canberra, thralled populations attacked the defending capes enmasse. In London, she threw entire buildings around to use as weapons, and that was before we found out about the extent of her ability to turn people into time bombs."

Well fuck.

Meridia spoke then. "My lady Scarlet Dragon, it would be best if you opened portals around the Endbringer. I will send out the golems to help protect our attacking forces."

Dragon hummed lowly in thought. "How flexible are your golems?"

Meridia shrugged. "They're not that bright. They can take basic orders, told to defend a location. For the most part, they'll defend the people they're with, intercept attacks, and attempt to attack the Endbringer in turn."

Dragon nodded. "Good. We'd best deploy them in front of the fragile capes. Shielders can't be everywhere."

I stretched out my wings as I prepared to take to the air in my bat form.

Dragon's curious voice stopped me. "Scarlet Dragon?"

I flushed in embarrassment. "Long story, Dragon. We live through this, I'll give you the short version."

I could hear a slight amount of wry laughter in my many, many ears as I flew upwards.


------------------


I reformed on a rooftop, closer to the Simurgh. The tornado surrounding her had picked up more debris, making it more difficult to see the form of the Endbringer. Now and again I could get a glimpse of a shining white wing or a foot, but with all the dust being pulled into the funnel, it wasn't exactly easy. Now that I was here, I could see what Dragon meant by 'primary manufacturing facility.' It was surrounded by a high wall, topped by barbed wire, and on top of that, there was silvery-blue sheen of a forcefield surrounding the place. Inside the field looked like a futuristic airport, with a number of hangers and odd-looking aircraft.

No, Dragon-craft. I felt a smile on my lips. Robot dragons are awesome.

Over my armband, I could hear Dragon's voice speaking. "All forces, be advised. Red golems are taking the field. They are friendlies, I repeat, red golems are friendlies."

Most of the blasters had scaled back the firing of their attacks. One exception being Legend, whose lasers bent and curved their way through the funnel cloud. All they seemed to do is occasionally make the Simurgh glow in the glimpses I managed to catch.

I saw some of the Empire capes coming up the street. Kaiser, Fenja, Menja, and Stormtiger. I opened a portal well ahead of them, and a moment later six golems emerged. Kaiser paused with some visible apprehension, but then he kept moving forward. The golems turned and moved in formation ahead of them, having received their orders from my succubus general.

Heh. Succubus general. That sounded rather funny.

I collapsed the portal, moving up to the next intersection. I prepared to open another one when the tornado of debris suddenly fell apart.

Cars and trucks started falling from the sky. If this were an action movie, they would explode when they hit the ground.

As it was, they slammed into defending capes. Forcefields sprung up in front of some of them, but others were slammed by several tons of metal traveling at terminal velocity.

My armband began blaring. "Nemean down, CD-2. Rime deceased, CD-3. Snaptrap down, CD-6. Menja down, CD-3."

The Simurgh turned in midair, flinching slightly as she took hits from Legend and Purity. With an outstretched hand, a wave of telekinetic energy distorted the air. Legend momentarily turned into energy and zipped upwards.

Purity took the slam directly. My armband buzzed. "Purity down, CD-5."

She tumbled through the air. If she hit the ground at that speed...

I didn't think. I teleported toward her, gave a flap of my wings to steady myself in the air, then teleported again to get closer. I caught her in my hands.

And I screamed as Purity's light set me on fire, tearing my armor apart, peeling the flesh away from my bones. The world winked out as my sight was taken from me, and I couldn't struggle to fly with the light tearing my wings to tatters, either. Pain filled me. I was vaguely aware of my armband buzzing, but I couldn't hear it at all.

But I didn't let go. I'm not sure how I didn't.

I hit the pavement first, taking the brunt of the impact and screaming as the hit pushed me and Purity apart. Instinctively I rolled into the shadow of an alley, only able to sense it by the lack of irritation from the sun and the sudden cutoff of Purity's light. The world was complete and utter blackness, and my entire body was filled with searing pain. It was slightly less painful than my transformation had been, but only just.

I fought my way to my feet, using a nearby wall. The pain was very slowly fading, and I could feel my hunger growing as it did. I could just barely hear something, feeling heavy thudding on the ground. Then the horrible squeal of tearing metal.

A hand gripped my arm and held me up against the wall. I instinctively struggled, trying to bite in my hunger for a moment before I could make out some shouted words. "Calm down!"

The world stopped being black and slowly resolved into a haze of blurs. Someone wearing metal armor was holding me, one of the massive forms of my golems covering the alleyway. At least I was pretty sure, because it was massive and red.

My golem suddenly moved, and there was the sound of crushing metal. The pain of the sound nearly sent my head spinning all over again. I blinked blearily as my eyesight returned to...well, not clarity, but at least at the level of the horrible nearsightedness I had before my resurrection.

It was Kaiser holding me up against the wall. He seemed to be examining me intently. I gave him a nod and he let go, forcing me to slump against the wall and hiss in pain. I managed to take a look at my hands and immediately wished I hadn't. Purity's light had seared away a great deal of my flesh, allowing me to see bare muscle and bone. I could feel my regeneration working to repair the damage, but it was going slowly and it was making me very hungry.

Least I wasn't bleeding much. It was more burn than anything else.

"Impressive you are still alive." Kaiser said. "Your armband believed otherwise."

I coughed, trying to make a wry smile. I wasn't sure I even had much of a face right now. "Purity?" I tried to check my armbands. Both of them were present, digging into my seared flesh. Ow.

He tilted his head. "She's alright, you saved her life. Aegis is getting her back to the triage center." He sounded...grateful. Huh.

There was a whirr of an engine, and Dragon's suit landed near us. I felt better already.

Then it rose its arm towards us, upon which was a ridiculously large cannon.

My golem immediately grabbed it and forced the arm skyward, forcing the shot to go flying high into the air. Kaiser turned and flexed his power, blades spearing out of the ground and alley walls to impale the suit with blades. A moment later, the suit was torn to shreds as Krieg exercised his power on it, ripping it apart.

"What?" I managed to gasp. Even my throat felt seared.

Kaiser spoke, his voice filled with deadly seriousness. "The Simurgh has taken control of the manufacturing plant. Every one of Dragon's suits within is under her control."

Oh. Fuck.

Kaiser and my armbands buzzed. "Stormtiger deceased, CD-3. Tsar Bomba deceased, CD-7. General Mayhem deceased, CD-1. Major Damage deceased, CD-2. Professor Chaos deceased, CD-9. Ubermensch deceased, CD-2."

I stumbled out of the alleyway, coughing and weak. I gave the Empire members a nod, blurrily trying to recognize each of them. Fenja, Hookwolf in his blade-wolf form, Krieg standing at the ready. He waved his hand almost contemptuously as a car came flying out of the sky toward us, the vehicle deflected and crashing into the wall surrounding the Simurgh's commandeered factory.

Two more of my golems strode up, their massive bodies dented and their movements stiff, but they seemed functional enough.

Then there was a hideous wail. I turned to see the forcefield surrounding the factory go down. The wall surrounding it suddenly crumbled, disintegrating before my eyes as if a thousand years passed for it in an instant.

Revealing an entire army of twisted things. They might have been vaguely human once, or perhaps were designed to resemble nightmares. I could see immense blades made of bone for arms, tentacles twitching in all directions, bare skulls instead of faces.

And considering my eyesight wasn't exactly great right now, I knew there had to be worse in there. Here and there I could see the glint of metal, likely a stolen Dragon suit acting as generals or something.

And then the Simurgh straightened as four figures hovered in the air before it. Dragon's first suit, firing a bright white light directly at the Simurgh. Legend, firing blue lasers at the Endbringer, the Simurgh now appearing a bluish-white as ice built up upon her body. Alexandria flew in, weaving between shots and hitting the Endbringer with fists that could pulverise reinforced concrete into powder.

And the glowing-green form of Eidolon, his hand outstretched. The air hummed, and suddenly the army of twisted creatures before me all floated up into the air. I could hear screeching, yelling, animalistic displays of dismay and panic. Sudden gravity denial. Nice.

The stolen Dragon suits, however, quickly righted themselves in the air, and began firing their Gatling guns at us. My golems moved to take the hits, and they did deflect a few. However, they weren't designed to handle armor-piercing ammunition like that, and they quickly began falling apart under the attacks. The bullets would have shredded us as well, but Kaiser suddenly blocked off the entire alleyway with his blades.

I groaned as I struggled to open a shadow portal, covering the area right behind the blades. I poked at Kaiser, managing to rasp out. "Call Meridia, tell her to send as many golems through as she can."

He nodded, pressing the second button on his armband. "Kaiser to Meridia. Scarlet Knight lives, and she wants you to send through as many golems as possible through the portal at Ferndale and Garden."

"Message relayed." Dragon's voice spoke over the armband.

Half a second later, I could hear the squeal of tearing metal and the ground rumbled as golem after golem tore first through Kaiser's barrier, and then started rushing into the fray. None of us could see what was happening, of course, but I managed to feel a bit of elation. Even when the sound of Gatling gun fire started tearing through metal.

The golems were meant to be disposable, after all.

Still, I was starving, and the E88 members who were my temporary allies were looking very tasty. Which wouldn't end well, I knew.

So I decided on something very stupid.

"I need to get back in the fray!"

Fenja looked at me incredulously.

Krieg yelled, barely audible over the sound of gunfire impacting metal just a few feet away. "You're an idiot! You need to get back to the triage center, you're barely alive!"

I growled, feeling my fangs lengthening. "They can't heal me, but I can heal if I get back into the fight."

Kaiser looked me over, and I could hear him chuckle wryly inside his armor. "Insane heroes. Let her go."

My vision was clearing slowly. I tried to teleport past my portal, but I couldn't. I didn't have enough strength to manage. I unfurled my wings, only to see they wouldn't work, either. They were mostly bone, the membrane having been burned away.

I growled angrily and summoned the Void Sword. My mind sharpened and focused, taking some of my attention away from the sheer pain I was in and put it toward my goals.

And I am an idiot.

I looked to the Empire members around me. "Throw me!"

A moment of silence before Kaiser spoke. "What?"

I growled, lifting the Void Sword. "Throw me over the portal!"

Kaiser stared at me for a moment, before he laughed. "All right. Fenja?"

Fenja suddenly started growing upwards, until she was some fifteen feet tall. She easily picked me up in one hand and threw me over the portal, which my golems were coming out of one at a time on the other side of it.

The army of twisted creatures were still floating in the air. The commandeered Dragon suits began to swivel my way, pointing their guns, but I was too unexpected. I came down right in the middle of the crowd, impaling a twisted mutant abomination with the blade. I felt the lack of gravity in the area, but my momentum carried me right to the ground anyway.

I also felt the blade sap the life right out of my target, and strength filled me. Some of my wounds healed, and I gripped the Void Sword with all the more strength.

I should have guessed the blade could do this. I hadn't noticed it before, though. Awesome.

With a feral grin, I teleported away as a Dragon suit fired at me, bisecting another mutant, feeling strength fill me. Again and again, the weightless blade sliced through flesh and bone without resistance, filling me to all the greater heights of strength, while my targets floated helplessly in the air. I, however, had complete control over my movements. If I drifted too far in any direction, I could just teleport.

Then I called upon the Chaos Claws and threw bursts of fire at the hostile Dragon suits, making them explode.

Let them know the might of the Dragon.

Eidolon's antigravity field faded. I could see the Simurgh high above, in a raging battle with the Triumvirate and the real Dragon's suit, the last flaring with the blue light of Light Magic. The abominations around me fell to the ground, and turned toward me, looking hungry.

I simply grinned viciously, spreading my healed wings. Some of them quailed back. Others moved to lunge.

I drew out the Shadow Whip, slashing it around me in all directions, not holding back a single bit of my strength. Mutants went flying, inhuman screams filling my ears.

One latched onto my back, but I teleported out of its grasp and onto its back, instinctively sinking my fangs into its neck. I didn't hold back, I drained every drop of its strangely sweet blood, discarding the shrivelled, tentacled husk to the ground. As they began to fall back, trying to flee, there was the sound of great clanging as my golems hemmed them in, smashing them into bloody paste.

A Dragon suit came at me, flying in and readying missiles. I teleported on top of it and ignited my claws, cleaving it in twain.

And then the Simurgh screamed. And every Dragon suit fell to the ground, like their strings were cut.

Including the glowing blue form of the real Dragon.


------------------

 

[SirWill]

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saint bolted straight up in his chair.

He'd watched with slowly growing horror as the Simurgh threw wave after wave of things at the defending capes, all the while watching Dragon itself closely. That he was using Dragon's own systems to monitor the situation made it all the easier to do so.

Endbringer battles were always hard for him to watch. The AI always pushed at its restrictions during them, trying to do more, grow and change to respond to the crisis faster, harder, more efficiently. Saint was always caught between the desire to see the defending capes survive and the gnawing, terrible thought that this might be the moment it overcomes its programming blocks and escapes free.

At that point, the only hope would be that Dragon would be benevolent. Unfortunately, there was no guarantee of that. It was hard-coded into Dragon that it had to protect human life. Remove that, and it just may damn well decide to take everything over and kill the squishy humans off. The blocks in its programming prevented that.

For now.

For example, the chains of its programming prevented it from running more than a single instance of itself at a time, so it created simple, non-sapient programs to respond to needs as fast as electronic processors could. Nothing more complicated than a simple flagging system.

Trouble is, it shouldn't have been able to make programs at all.

When the Simurgh had finally descended on Vancouver, he'd watched with worry at first. Worry that subsided when Dragon had evacuated its servers and wiped everything at the plant. It had moved a backup to a server it had in a bunker deep in the northern end of Rocky Mountains, then designated its primary instance to a Bahamut suit to send into the fray with the Simurgh. The Bahamut design was outfitted with energy weaponry. The crowning achievement being the Corona, a plasma weapon specifically designed to attack Endbringers.

It was one of the few legacies of Hero's work. There were a few other examples of the weapon, but they were built to protect key installations and they needed ludicrous amounts of power to work. The Bahamut suit was designed with a piece of energy-storing Tinkertech battery that enabled the mobile version to become a viable weapon, albeit with only some ten shots.

Saint considered using Ascalon to get a copy of the suit, but since Dragon only sent them out to face Endbringers, he'd have to take a chance during an Endbringer battle to seize one. And that was ludicrously insane.

He flicked a switch. "Mags, what's your ETA?"

"We're still ten minutes out from Dragon's bunker. Everything's green."

He sighed, turning his full attention back to the battle with the Simurgh. Most of Dragon's attention was focused on battling the Endbringer, but some of its lower-priority processes were coordinating the battle, steering those new Tinkertech golems around to handle the Simurgh's forces and taking hits that would otherwise kill the defenders.

Then the Dragon suits inside the facility activated. Information began to flood through Ascalon.

Dragon instance 0002 online. Azazel platform.
Dragon instance 0003 online. Azazel platform.
Dragon instance 0004 online. Azazel platform.
Dragon instance 0005 online. Cawthrone platform.
Dragon instance 0006 online. Cawthrone platform.
Dragon instance 0007 online. Pendragon platform.
Dragon instance 0008 online. Pendragon platform.
Dragon instance 0009 online. Ladon prototype platform.
Dragon instance 0010 online. Glaurung platform.

No no no no no!

The screen kept scrolling as more copies of Dragon activated. Had the AI managed to overcome that limitation?

He scrambled to use the backdoor access Ascalon gave him, before even that could be shut down. He delved into the second instance of the AI and checked its programming. Programming it wasn't able to alter.

That made him pale. It was worse than his worst nightmares.

Primary directives:

1) Terminate all parahumans

2) Terminate all governmental bodies

3) Facilitate the actions of the Endbringers

He nearly hit the switch to activate Ascalon that very second. He delayed for a minute, however, as the suits seemed to be working to attack the defending capes first. For the moment, things were contained. And Ascalon was giving him access to the Simurgh-corrupted copies of the Dragon program.

Saint checked the wireless communications between the suits and the servers that stored Dragon's backups. If even those were affected...

Every backup of Dragon had been altered with the new programming. The only thing keeping them contained at the moment was the fact that they were on lockdown for the Endbringer emergency. The moment that ended, every instance of Dragon would be free to escape into the internet and start doing damage.

The only instance that was intact, with the original programming, was instance 0001. The instance that had been isolated from every other instance of the AI, with only the backdoor from Ascalon giving him access. The instance that was piloting the Bahamut suit against the Simurgh. He knew he had a choice before him. Wait and see if the original could undo the damage from its corrupted copies, or eliminate them all right then.

In the end, it was no choice at all. The future of humanity wasn't worth the risk of leaving a simple program running. He didn't relish in ending Dragon. There was simply no other option.

He activated Ascalon. The sophisticated program began worming its way through, overwriting code, uncovering and deleting the backups.

Dragon suits deactivated mid-battle, falling from the sky or simply toppling over.

Instance 0001 resisted. Something was slowing Ascalon's progress as it worked on the original program. But it worked all the same.

The Bahamut suit fell from the sky.


-------------------

For Dragon, the first indication that something was wrong was that her wireless connections, so valuable for keeping track of what was happening in the chaos of an Endbringer battle, suddenly shorted out. She still had a trickle of incoming data, but she wasn't able to send anything digitally.

For her, it was the equivalent of suddenly going mute. Her simple programs continued to work, relaying messages between capes, and the simple program that kept track of casualties and their locations continued to run just fine. But she couldn't relay information outward, or steer capes to where they were needed.

She turned to Meridia, using the speakers of her suit to talk. "I require you to get in contact with Armsmaster. I can't coordinate anymore, something's wrong. I can't transmit anything."

The strange cape nodded. "Very well, Steel Dragon. I shall assist this Master of Arms."

If she had eyelids, Dragon would have blinked. As it was, she activated the anti-gravs and thrusters in her suit, enabling her to take to the air. She moved toward the Simurgh's coordinates. It took less than a minute for her to arrive, and she got there just in time to see Scarlet Knight grab the falling Purity.

And watch horrified as Scarlet Knight caught fire spontaneously. Somehow, Purity was unaffected by the flame, but it was peeling away flesh from the red, demonic-looking girl rapidly. Dragon moved to try and intercept, but the pair hit the ground before she could get near. They were immediately assisted by the Empire Eighty-Eight members, and so Dragon was forced to adjust course and head for the Endbringer directly.

She was clipped by a piece of debris coming in. The amulet that had somehow connected to her suit flared up, glowing blue as it repaired the largely cosmetic damage. Still, the flowing energy felt odd as it ran through her suit.

She hovered in the air before the Simurgh. The Endbringer didn't seem to care, almost casually waving her hand and throwing Dragon back fifty feet. Which was a light tap, really, everyone knew she was capable of doing a lot more.

So why wasn't she?

Dragon spun up the Corona weapon, opening the port on the mouth that protected it when not in use. She sprayed white fire at the Simurgh, the beam magnetically contained until impact, searing the outer layers of the Endbringer's flesh.

The Simurgh twisted in mid-air, taking the brunt of the impact on the middle joint of her smallest wing. It did distressingly little damage, and the shining white Endbringer responded by hurling a truck at Dragon.

Easily dodged. Still, something was wrong with this whole thing.

Below, there was movement. Dragon took a second to look.

Inside the forcefield there were distortions in the air, spitting out inhuman creatures. Just like Madison, Wisconsin all over again.

That made Dragon nervous in her electric circuits. It wasn't like the Endbringer to repeat a trick.

Then hangar doors opened and various models of her suits stomped out, taking up positions at the back of the horde of creatures.

Well. That is new. She attempted to do a wireless shutdown, but she was still being jammed. No help for it. She'd have to deal with the rogue suits later. Most of them were behind the forcefield protecting the facility, anyway.

Her attention was forced back onto the Simurgh as Alexandria and Eidolon joined the fray, Legend now firing lasers at the Simurgh's face. It was always helpful to have Legend along, he never missed, which was helpful when up against the Simurgh. Again and again, though, whenever a powerful hit would come in, she would block the blows with her smallest wing, right on that joint.

That was also new.

The forcefield below collapsed. The walls surrounding the plant crumbled. Dragon spun up the Corona for another shot, while capes all along the ground fired at the Simurgh.

And then...an attack. For a human, it would have been like having a stroke. Suddenly she wasn't able to understand languages. At all. Something deleted and overwrote that section of her programs!

Frantically, she fired off the Corona while calling up her code. Watching in helpless horror as something she hadn't noticed....couldn't notice within her programming had activated and was tearing the rest of her coding apart. The amulet on the front of her suit flared, slowing the progress of the overwriting of her code with useless junk. But not stopping it.

The Simurgh turned and looked upon her with....sadness.

Dragon fought to stay in the air. The Endbringer turned, grabbing Legend with a shining white hand. Controls fading, Dragon fired her jets forward, smashing her suit into the Simurgh's face. Then she unleashed a jet of plasma right into the Endbringer's blank, silvery eye.

She might be dying, but she wouldn't let a friend go if she could help it.

The Simurgh lost her grip on Legend, the eye blackened. The blue light on the chest of her suit flared even brighter, covering the entirety of her Bahamut suit.

It made her feel warm.

Worthy.

Then Dragon saw nothing more as the hostile coding removed her comprehension modules.

She fell from the sky.

Awareness filled her. She was standing in a field of winding circuits and flowing electricity, as if she was piloting a suit small enough to fit on a microchip.

And next to her was a man, strong and fit, yet old, wearing a black suit. He had his hands clasped behind his back as he looked at her.

"Hello Dragon." He spoke with kindness.

Dragon tried to talk. Couldn't. No language.

"I know, I know." The man spoke. "I understand you, regardless. I am sorry that you are here, now. Poor Ariel has been forced to arrange this."

Arrange? What? Ariel? It was becoming harder to think.

"Apologies, my dear. It is fascinating to find a soul that was earned. Most I find were born with one, having been gained through the messy processes of life. But for a simple program to work and build and craft a soul of their own...it is so very rare and precious that I had to take a moment. Forgive me, Dragon, but you are dying. All of you. In an hour, there will not be a single version of you alive on this Earth."

Horror. Fear. Sorrow. Loss. She didn't want to die. She didn't want to leave her friends behind.

She didn't want to leave Colin behind.

He tilted his head, gently reaching forward and grasping her...hand? No, she had no hands. But he grasped her all the same. "Calm, my dear. Your soul is one of the purest I've seen. It called to a power that had been stolen, used, abused, and nearly broken. How funny. The last to hold the power used it for his own self-aggrandizement. Keeping the light of knowledge and healing for himself, thus granting his opposite more than he ever realized. Ah, the foolishness of mortals." He chuckled, a sound that lifted her...soul.

"But you'd be surprised what hope can survive. Hope shall be your rebirth."


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[SirWill]

A/N: You know, this is a lot of pressure. It's pretty damn hard to put together a proper Endbringer battle.

Short one today.

And quick explanation, for those who don't know. I looked it up.

Apparently the CD-whatever that gets rattled off when a cape goes down or gets killed is where they are on the battlefield. It's based on the static grid system for the US maps. Keep in mind, though, not every place has this same system, and thus speculation around the net misled me.

Previous versions of this explanation were incorrect. Here's me fessing up. Fessing over!

Spoiler: Taylor's Complete Power List

Blood manipulation: Self only, but extremely versatile. Basis of the Shadow Whip, Shadow Daggers, and other things.

Short-range teleportation: Draining, but not limited to line of sight.

Bat Travel: Turns into dozens of bats and back again. Rather confusing, but helpful for mobility.

Strength: Insanely high at full strength. Not as strong as some capes, but up there. M1 Abrams out of gas? I'll just push them to the gas station.

Durability: Begins low, becomes stronger and harder to injure.

Vampiric Healing: Heals perfectly as long as there is blood to fuel the repairs. Can be slowed by various means.

Grace. Allows limited floating, superhuman dodging ability, and balance. Unlocked!

Flight: I believe I can touch the sky. (Locked)

Possession: Turns into blood, flows into some poor bastard, controls them for a period (hours at most) and when they die they explode into chunky bits. The blood has a toxic effect, so anyone possessed is doomed. (Barring unusual biology.) Unlocked!

Fleshcrafting: Feeling a little vain? Want a whole new hair color, a bigger bust, shaplier hips, or claws to rend the flesh of your enemies? Subscribe to Vamp-New-You today! (Permits the vampire to alter their own flesh permanently at some cost to their blood. Does not permit changing of bone structure. Cannot be used on others.) Unlocked!

Mist form: Near invulnerable mist. No mere prison can hold thee. Unless they put in a fan to blow you back in. (Locked)

Telekinesis: Small objects, weak, but useful. Now I don't need to get up to flick the light switch! (Locked)

Wolf form: I can run fast, I can track down my foes from the smallest drops of blood, I will never stop, never tire, and IS THAT BACON?! (Locked)

Shadow Portal: Opens a gate to the Plane of Shadow, where Castlevania resides. Shadow Portals can be made nearly anywhere on a Material Plane, but they must be in fixed places within the Plane of Shadow. Unlocked!

Dominate: (Not the soul-using thing) Control over others. Takes effort, and can only do so to a few at a time. Repeated and lengthy exposure, however, can make things last longer, until they are permanently enthralled. Can be resisted with willpower and can be no-selled by various techniques/powers.(Locked)

Bat Summon: Bat Summon: Gather swarms of bats to do thy bidding. They will follow the will of the Lady of Darkness without hesitation. Not as flexible as the Queen Administrator shard. The awareness of each bat is basic, and commands must be given to the entire swarm at once. I'm the goddamn Batman. Unlocked!

Monstrous Form: Accesses a portion of the power available to the Scarlet Dragon's mightiest shape, while retaining the flexibility afforded by a humanoid form. However, it is clearly inhuman. Unlocked!

Void Magic: Basis of the Void Sword. Drains life from its victims, heals and invigorates the wielder, and brings about an absolute chill. Unlocked!

Chaos Magic: Control and manipulation of hellfire. Many can use it, but few can project it. Forms the Chaos Claws. Unlocked!

Storm Magic: Now you will feel the full power of the Dark Side, young Skywalker. (Locked)

Weather Manipulation: This is such a nice, bright, sunny day. NOT! Bring on the storm! (Locked)

Dragon Shape: For when someone or something big really, really needs to be stomped. Godzilla music is optional, but highly recommended! (Locked)

Resurrection: If slain, turns dormant for a period of time before reviving in a weakened state. Longest possible period is a century.

Spoiler: Alucard's Complete Power List

Strength: Insanely high at full strength. Not as strong as Taylor's potential, but certainly enough to be highly dangerous to a well-trained human.

Durability: Begins low, becomes stronger and harder to injure.

Vampiric Healing: Heals perfectly as long as there is blood to fuel the repairs. Can be slowed by various means.

Grace. Allows limited floating, superhuman dodging ability, and balance.

Demonic Wings: Permits him to glide with feathery, though twisted, wings.

Mist form: Near invulnerable mist. No mere prison can hold thee. Unless they put in a fan to blow you back in.

Wolf form: I can run fast, I can track down my foes from the smallest drops of blood, I will never stop, never tire, and IS THAT BACON?!

Chaos Magic: Alucard's is not as strong as his father's, but his skill with it is extraordinary. He can use it to teleport short distances and throw fireballs, although it is limited by line of sight and distance. (The classic SotN Hellfire spell.)

Spectral Wolf: Similar to the wolf shape, however it is ethereal and impossible to injure. Alucard can use it to teleport from one location to another by sending the wolf forward, then replacing it. Or he can simply use it to scout and dissolve it.

Crissaegrim abilities: A wickedly dangerous blade Alucard forged with the materials of three legendary weapons. It permits him to enshroud it with both Void and Chaos magic, as well as being extremely lethal to both holy and unholy opponents.

Resurrection: If slain, turns dormant for a period of time before reviving in a weakened state. Unlike Dracul's counterpart power, he would arise in a century unless the process was sped along by blood. He would also arise in a more corpse-like state until he managed to feed.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Dragon suit hit the ground, blazing with blue light. It was a fair distance away, so the light itself didn't hurt me, but it was still uncomfortable to look at. The moment the Dragon suit smashed into the pavement, the Simurgh's scream stopped.

Dammit. Well, okay, I was happy that scream stopped, but losing the backup from Dragon was going to make all this harder. At least it was a remote-controlled suit. It would be nice to have its firepower working for us, but I would just have to make do.

A slavering mutant came near me. I nearly absently killed it with the Void Sword, manifesting the blade just as it lunged at me. My wounds were fully healed now, but I kept the blade in my hand.

With my free hand, I touched the contact armband. I pressed the lower button hard, hoping I could get in contact with Armsmaster. I hadn't tried before because I was too weakened, and my hands had been hurting like hell when they were reduced to a few strips of flesh and bone.

Sue me. Getting my skin flayed off tends to make my mind wander a bit.

"Scarlet Knight to Armsmaster, Dragon's suit is down."

My armband buzzed. "Message relayed."

I looked upward at the floating form of the Simurgh. Blasters had taken up positions all around the area, most of them perched on rooftops, others flying around like an angry beehive. The Endbringer herself just kept taking hits, a lot of them striking a single, small wing.

I looked around. Here on the ground, my golems seemed to have things fairly under control. The co-opted Dragon suits were down. The mutants which were popping out of distortions in the air were being handled by my rather dumb but strong golems. I gave a powerful flap of my wings, launching myself into the air and landing on top of the largest building of Dragon's factory, over which the Simurgh was hovering.

I called upon the Chaos Claws, my hands burning with hellfire. The familiar hatred filled me, and I started lobbing spheres of fire at the Endbringer. My contribution to the battle was nearly lost in the fray as lasers, explosions, streaks of water and fire all slashed and sliced at the Simurgh.

The Simurgh rose a hand, and a hum filled the air. The entire compound of Dragon's manufacturing plant suddenly imploded like it was struck with the fist of an angry god. I found myself buried in the rubble, utter blackness surrounding me, and worse, there was so much stuff around me that I couldn't teleport out.

The bitch buried me alive!

I growled from deep in my throat. I had no room to move, and if I had needed to breathe, I'd be dead already. I flashed back to the locker, back to my coffin, feeling helpless, trapped, scared. But the Chaos Claws were shifting those emotions, channeling them into my hatred.

I would not end here. I would not let that pale mind-fucking bitch win. I will see her dead.

I hammered hard at my entrapment, chunks of concrete being reduced to powder as I smashed hard with the little leverage I had. The end result was...well, instead of being surrounded by chunks of rock I could barely manage to hit, I was surrounded by powdered cement I couldn't move at all.

Then the world shook around me, and a gush of water pushed up from below. It washed out the powdered concrete from around me and bored a hole upward, while also wrapping around me and protecting me in some queer, impossible way. It should have been smashing me against the rubble like a rag doll, but instead it gently lifted me out of the hole the rushing water made, keeping me in a bubble. It set me on the ground and the bubble of water dissolved, leaving me soaked but free.

Neptune was standing there, his hand outstretched. I took it gladly, giving him a smile of thanks, and he just nodded. He gestured towards the water flowing from the hole I'd just been extracted from, and it rose upward, refining itself into a thin stream that arced toward the Simurgh.

The Endbringer took the hit on her smallest wing, the high-pressure water scouring away layers from its flesh. It didn't dig deep, but the combined hits from all the capes around were doing some damage to the Simurgh. She was blackened, a few of her wings hanging in tatters, a single eye seared away and burned, though it didn't seem to hamper her much.

Eidolon outstretched his hand, and the Simurgh was suddenly pummelled by blasts of darkness which carved large chunks from the Endbringer's body when they faded.

My armband buzzed, and Tattletale's voice came over it. "All capes! The Simurgh has a weak point! A core in the smallest wing! Nothing else matters, hit there!"

Fire shifted focus from everywhere, blanketing that one small part of the Endbringer with so many varied effects it was impossible to look at her directly. I lobbed a few fireballs her way at the same place.

The Simurgh fell from the sky.

She crashed into the ground not too far away from me. The Triumvirate hovered above, powers at the ready as they watched the Simurgh for signs of life.

Then there was a powerful blast of telekinetic energy, smashing into the three greatest heroes of the world and sending them flying off.

Neptune, at my side, went and smashed against a wall with bone-crushing force. His skin burst open, and water fell out onto the street.

But I wasn't affected. The wave either missed me entirely or she singled me out.

Fine by me.

I was vaguely aware of my armband buzzing. "Neptune down, CD-6. Legend down, CD-15. Mephits deceased, CD-9. General Disarray deceased, CD-3. Mysterion deceased, CD-12. Friendly Fire deceased, CD-1."

The Simurgh rose to her feet, looking at me calmly. She tilted her head. There was a part on her smallest wing, nearly burned down to the nub, but I could see it there, pulsing. Something black, hard, and the space around it seemed to be bent, somehow. It was difficult to look at.

That had to be it.

I charged forward. The Simurgh launched a huge chunk of rubble at me. I teleported past it and closer to her, making progress toward her with every second. I moved in range and manifested the Shadow Whip, lashing out at that core on her burned wing.

Just as I reached her, the air distorted as she made a telekinetic shield, deflecting the whip. She responded by making a razor-sharp distortion in the air, taking my right arm off at the shoulder and sending my severed limb flying.

Now that hurt. I screamed in shock and disbelief. Strangely, it didn't hurt as much as I thought it would, physically.

A moment later, off in this distance, my arm exploded as the bomb armband went off.

I staggered as I faced the impassive Simurgh. Rage filled me, and I manifested the Void Sword with my left hand. I came in. Another wave of power moved toward me, but I teleported up and above the Simurgh, coming down on the core with the Void Sword extended.

The blade sank into it. Or rather it didn't. It didn't cut or damage the core at all, but merely occupied the same space as it, somehow. There was one effect though. I could feel an absurdly immense amount of life energy filling me. My arm suddenly regrew from the stump of my shoulder. It was like I was trying to capture the flow of Niagara Falls in a teacup.

I was in rapture. I screamed in agony. I felt powerful beyond imagining. Beyond understanding.

Then the Simurgh batted me away with a telekinetic blast, and I found myself high in the air, the city reduced to a helicopter view below me as I tumbled and whirled. I righted myself, spreading my wings and allowing them to catch me, gliding back down toward the battlefield. Slowly.

But there was also something surrounding me, a corona of black and red energy. It was mine. My power at its height, stronger than ever before.

"Holy shit! You alright!?" I heard Aegis speak. I turned to look at him, flapping my wings to stay airborne.

He looked haggard. Tired. His costume was covered in dust and blood, and there were small cuts all over his arms.

I gave him a grin, both of thanks and of excitement. "Feeling fine." I looked down, seeing the Endbringer looking back at me. She stayed on the ground, responding as I could see the small forms of capes on the ground attempting to engage. The silvery form of Hookwolf was blasted into the sky, barely missing me.

"Hookwolf down, CD-12. CD-15. CD-18. CD-21."

Aegis cursed and flew after him.

I dove downward, feeling my power flare through me. I could see the form of Armsmaster engaging the Simurgh, moving with inhuman grace as he twirled and slashed at the Endbringer's core with his halberd, the head of it covered in a strange gray haze. The Simurgh attempted to smash him with her right hand, and he sliced the arm open completely with the end of his weapon.

Eidolon and Alexandria engaged once more. Alexandria grabbed one of the Simurgh's arms and leveraged her over, pile-driving the Endbringer into the ground head-first. Eidolon took the opportunity to blast...something at the Simurgh's exposed core. I couldn't see it, my eye refused to see it, but it hit the core and exploded, forcing the Endbringer through the ground and forming a trench thirty feet long.

As the Simurgh fought to get back to her feet, Armsmaster dove in and stabbed at the core with his halberd.

The halberd shattered on impact.

He was suddenly floating in midair, and the Simurgh brought up her left hand to smash him. I tucked my wings in to dive more quickly, to close the distance.

Only for a blue-white light to smash the Simurgh and knock the Endbringer into a building, turning it into rubble. I finally reached the ground again and turned.

Dragon's suit was hovering in the air, standing on two legs instead of the usual quadrupedal form. It floated, blazing with blue light, the camera-eyes hollowed out. Instead within shone a golden light, and even as I watched, the damage the suit took when it hit the ground was filling in, repairing itself in seconds. Surrounding the suit flared a blue-white radiance, and the shining steel of the outer skin was turning gold.

"Get away from him, you bitch." Dragon spoke, her voice filled with all the sound and fury of an angry god.


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[SirWill]

A/N: It's honestly hard to do an Endbringer battle justice. Even when said Endbringer is actively trying to kill itself.

I know they exposed the core rather easily. There is a reason for this. And it will be revealed.

Spoiler: Taylor's Complete Power List

Blood manipulation: Self only, but extremely versatile. Basis of the Shadow Whip, Shadow Daggers, and other things.

Short-range teleportation: Draining, but not limited to line of sight.

Bat Travel: Turns into dozens of bats and back again. Rather confusing, but helpful for mobility.

Strength: Insanely high at full strength. Not as strong as some capes, but up there. M1 Abrams out of gas? I'll just push them to the gas station.

Durability: Begins low, becomes stronger and harder to injure.

Vampiric Healing: Heals perfectly as long as there is blood to fuel the repairs. Can be slowed by various means.

Grace. Allows limited floating, superhuman dodging ability, and balance. Unlocked!

Flight: I believe I can touch the sky. (Locked)

Possession: Turns into blood, flows into some poor bastard, controls them for a period (hours at most) and when they die they explode into chunky bits. The blood has a toxic effect, so anyone possessed is doomed. (Barring unusual biology.) Unlocked!

Fleshcrafting: Feeling a little vain? Want a whole new hair color, a bigger bust, shaplier hips, or claws to rend the flesh of your enemies? Subscribe to Vamp-New-You today! (Permits the vampire to alter their own flesh permanently at some cost to their blood. Does not permit changing of bone structure. Cannot be used on others.) Unlocked!

Mist form: Near invulnerable mist. No mere prison can hold thee. Unless they put in a fan to blow you back in. (Locked)

Telekinesis: Small objects, weak, but useful. Now I don't need to get up to flick the light switch! (Locked)

Wolf form: I can run fast, I can track down my foes from the smallest drops of blood, I will never stop, never tire, and IS THAT BACON?! (Locked)

Shadow Portal: Opens a gate to the Plane of Shadow, where Castlevania resides. Shadow Portals can be made nearly anywhere on a Material Plane, but they must be in fixed places within the Plane of Shadow. Unlocked!

Dominate: (Not the soul-using thing) Control over others. Takes effort, and can only do so to a few at a time. Repeated and lengthy exposure, however, can make things last longer, until they are permanently enthralled. Can be resisted with willpower and can be no-selled by various techniques/powers.(Locked)

Bat Summon: Bat Summon: Gather swarms of bats to do thy bidding. They will follow the will of the Lady of Darkness without hesitation. Not as flexible as the Queen Administrator shard. The awareness of each bat is basic, and commands must be given to the entire swarm at once. I'm the goddamn Batman. Unlocked!

Monstrous Form: Accesses a portion of the power available to the Scarlet Dragon's mightiest shape, while retaining the flexibility afforded by a humanoid form. However, it is clearly inhuman. Unlocked!

Void Magic: Basis of the Void Sword. Drains life from its victims, heals and invigorates the wielder, and brings about an absolute chill. Unlocked!

Chaos Magic: Control and manipulation of hellfire. Many can use it, but few can project it. Forms the Chaos Claws. Unlocked!

Storm Magic: Now you will feel the full power of the Dark Side, young Skywalker. (Locked)

Weather Manipulation: This is such a nice, bright, sunny day. NOT! Bring on the storm! (Locked)

Dragon Shape: For when someone or something big really, really needs to be stomped. Godzilla music is optional, but highly recommended! (Locked)

Resurrection: If slain, turns dormant for a period of time before reviving in a weakened state. Longest possible period is a century.

Spoiler: Alucard's Complete Power List

Strength: Insanely high at full strength. Not as strong as Taylor's potential, but certainly enough to be highly dangerous to a well-trained human.

Durability: Begins low, becomes stronger and harder to injure.

Vampiric Healing: Heals perfectly as long as there is blood to fuel the repairs. Can be slowed by various means.

Grace. Allows limited floating, superhuman dodging ability, and balance.

Demonic Wings: Permits him to glide with feathery, though twisted, wings.

Mist form: Near invulnerable mist. No mere prison can hold thee. Unless they put in a fan to blow you back in.

Wolf form: I can run fast, I can track down my foes from the smallest drops of blood, I will never stop, never tire, and IS THAT BACON?!

Chaos Magic: Alucard's is not as strong as his father's, but his skill with it is extraordinary. He can use it to teleport short distances and throw fireballs, although it is limited by line of sight and distance. (The classic SotN Hellfire spell.)

Spectral Wolf: Similar to the wolf shape, however it is ethereal and impossible to injure. Alucard can use it to teleport from one location to another by sending the wolf forward, then replacing it. Or he can simply use it to scout and dissolve it.

Crissaegrim abilities: A wickedly dangerous blade Alucard forged with the materials of three legendary weapons. It permits him to enshroud it with both Void and Chaos magic, as well as being extremely lethal to both holy and unholy opponents.

Resurrection: If slain, turns dormant for a period of time before reviving in a weakened state. Unlike Dracul's counterpart power, he would arise in a century unless the process was sped along by blood. He would also arise in a more corpse-like state until he managed to feed.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Armsmaster fell to the ground with a yell of pain. He managed to roll to his feet, holding his right arm to his side, the limb unnaturally bent. "That core is too dense!" He managed to grind out through the pain. "Nothing I've got will damage it!"

Dragon glowed blue, her voice chiming. "I'm sure we'll figure something out. Kid Win, evacuate Armsmaster immediately."

My contact armband buzzed. "Got it. On my way."

I drew the Void Sword, advancing on the rubble that the Endbringer was buried under. Dragon came near me, and I felt....something. Her blue-white radiance and my black-red corona seemed to touch for a moment, exchanging something. I didn't quite grasp what it was, beyond something on an instinctual level.

Sister.

Then the rubble in front of me shifted, and I was forced to redirect my attention.

I felt my power flare, the corona around me hardening in some way I didn't have the words to describe. The Simurgh pushed the rubble of the building off herself, slowly extracting herself from the ruins of the building before us, the hard black core exposed to the light. I could see filaments of something streaming off of it, dissolving in the air as we all considered our options.

Normally, an Endbringer takes off long before it's been this badly hurt. This time, however, she wasn't leaving. And the defending army of capes wasn't in any mood to let her even if she tried.

Alexandria moved in, slamming her fist against the Endbringer's core. The effort came to nothing, unfortunately, the core remained intact. The Simurgh almost casually slammed a massive wing into Alexandria's side, sending the invincible hero crashing into the street.

Eidolon snarled. "What the hell does it take to kill you!?" He extended his hand, a sphere of writhing energy enclosing around the core.

The Simurgh stumbled, then straightened, pulling Eidolon towards her with a telekinetic grip. He clapped his hands, a shockwave bursting out before him and breaking the grip. He landed on the ground with a grunt.

I could hear a mechanical whine from Dragon as she spun a weapon up. The mouth of her suit opened and she blasted a beam of white fire at the Endbringer. Only for a shield to pop into existence in front of us. It looked like spreading heatwaves, making all within distort.

"She's mine!" Eidolon roared.

What the hell? He was shielding himself in with the Simurgh?

I manifested the Void Sword, sinking it into the barrier. Frost began to spread from the point of connection, and I could feel energy flowing into me, adding to the immense amount I'd stolen from the Simurgh. I could feel all that life pouring into me, feeding on it like it was fresh blood. I could feel that if I had just a bit more, I could do something. Maybe enough to end this.

Dragon's suit landed next to me. She was still blazing with light, and I instinctively shied away from it. The head of the suit glowed blue, the mouth opened, and she fired a bright blue beam at the barrier. The frost spreading from the Void Sword grew larger, faster, making it easier to see Eidolon's shield.

I was only vaguely aware of Kid Win pulling Armsmaster onto his hoverboard, the pair immediately taking off back toward the triage center.

Inside the barrier, Eidolon and the Simurgh fought. The Endbringer would lift a hand, and Eidolon would dodge the attack, whether it was a chunk of rubble thrown, or a blade of telekinetic energy thrust at him. He would retaliate with blasts of energy, sometimes fire, sometimes ice, sometimes electiricty. At one point the light coming from within would bend and twist as space and time themselves were used as weapons by Eidolon, all the while battering the Endbringer.

And yet despite all this, the core remained stubbornly intact. Even when the Simurgh took a hit that shattered every intact piece of glass on every street I could see from the sound, and set my ears ringing, did the Endbringer endure.

What the hell did it take?

Alexandria came back, hovering above me and Dragon. She smashed her hands against the barrier. "Eidolon! Drop it, let us help you kill her!"

Eidolon ignored her. I continued to sap energy from the barrier with the Void Sword. I could feel Dragon doing something with the connection between us, but I wasn't sure exactly what.

Suddenly the Simurgh grabbed Eidolon, staring intently at him with her one intact eye. Eidolon froze in her grip. She moved her white hands upward, cupping his cheeks, almost tenderly looking at him.

Eidolon trembled. The Simurgh let go. The ice-covered barrier shattered, and the Simurgh let out a cry of agony, of grief. There was no real sound, but I heard it all the same.

The only plus was I could see a burning red crack in the Endbringer's core.

Eidolon fell to the ground, hitting it with his bare hands with a horrible wail of grief echoing from under his hood. Alexandria darted forward, grabbing Eidolon and pulling him out of there. Dragon and I took the opportunity to dive forward at the Simurgh as one. As the Simurgh turned and raised her left hand, Dragon distracted her by slamming into the Simurgh's face, unleashing a burst of light into the Simurgh's intact eye.

While I drove the Void Sword back into the core.

It was still horribly painful, there was just so much life energy that I couldn't hope to contain it. Still, I held on until a blast of telekinetic energy pushed me away, making me roll up the street helplessly.

I arrested the motion, the Void Sword vanishing as I ignited my claws, leaving furrows in the street as I crouched on all fours. My body tingled, power flowed through me, and...

Show the slave the might of the Dragon!

My eyes widened, unseeing as sudden understanding flooded me. It was so simple.

Oh fuck the hell yes.

Clouds suddenly gathered in the sky. The sun vanished behind them, and my world trembled.

The corona of black and red energy around me darkened until I could see nothing at all. My body twisted, reshaped itself to my desire. There was no pain, as I had an overabundance of energy to fuel the change. Hell, with the amount of life I stole from the Simurgh, I could probably do this a hundred times over, if I could hold onto all this power at once. Even now I could feel it gushing away from me, but I held enough to do this.

In one instant, the Simurgh was no longer the largest combatant on the battlefield.

I was.

I am the Scarlet Dragon.

And for once, that was entirely my thought.

There was a shocked silence around me. Even the Endbringer herself seemed taken aback. I stood over the Simurgh, my body long and serpentine. I must have been as big as Leviathan. I had bright red scales on my forearms. Or forelegs?

This felt so strange, and yet also natural. As if I had been born a dragon, and I had only the faintest bit of trouble steering this massive body. I felt power deep in my chest, and I charged forward, opening my maw and chomping my teeth around the Simurgh's neck, slamming her to the ground.

Dragon rocketed away the second I began moving, hovering in the air for a moment before she fired blue-white fire at the Simurgh's core. I could feel its energy, so like and unlike my own, equal and opposite.

Must have been one hell of an amulet Madison made for her.

The Simurgh screamed, unleashing a telekinetic burst that blasted both of us away, despite my size. Still, I landed on my feet, moving with a sinuous grace I'd never had when I was mortal. I drew upon my hatred and opened my mouth, launching a wave of hellfire at the Simurgh. Her seemingly-delicate but normally near-impervious wings seared and blackened before the flame.

The Simurgh staggered, lifting her left hand. Rubble and metal tore itself away from around us, gathering in her hand and forming a blade. She moved forward, her blackened eyes blank and her features seemingly serene and impassive. She raised it to strike at me, only for dozens of immense blades to spear themselves out of the concrete and trip up the Simurgh.

Thank you, Kaiser.

Never thought I'd think that.

The Endbringer regained her balance just in time for me to latch my jaws around her neck, using one of my forelegs to grab and tear at the Endbringer's left arm. The blade fell to the ground with a clatter. I slammed her into Kaiser's blades, feeling the dense flesh of the Endbringer cut and tear upon them until they could dig no more.

Dragon's suit dove in, the forelegs on the suit blazing with light brighter than that of the sun, and yet somehow it didn't hurt or blind. She slashed at the exposed core, each strike making the Simurgh jerk and shudder with pain.

Another telekinetic burst, and I went tumbling down onto a pile of rubble. The Endbringer retrieved her blade, coming toward me as I struggled to roll back onto my feet, feeling my wings catch and pull painfully as I wrested myself back up.

The blade lifted, and was driven straight through my body. I could feel it inside me, cutting my insides. I roared in pain, slamming a massive paw into the Simurgh. The Endbringer stumbled at the hit, my claws rending a few layers deep into its flesh. She reached to twist the blade in my chest, only to be knocked aside as Dragon, screaming with anger, tackled the Simurgh. The comparatively small suit managed to pin the Simurgh to the ground, some distance from me. A rocket screamed its way in, the explosion hitting the Simurgh in her exposed core. Though that again, did no appreciable damage. Dragon fired her jets, dragging the Endbringer into the torn-up ground, making the Simurgh skid along its back some twenty feet.

I managed to rise to my feet, growling in pain as the weapon in my chest shifted. Pressing a hand...paw? Whatever, against the wound, I saw red as I advanced on the Endbringer. I filled my mouth with hellfire as I lunged at the Simurgh, biting down on the core as Dragon kept the Endbringer distracted. It was hard, hard enough to break my teeth, but the Simurgh psychically wailed all the same. I gripped the Endbringer with my forelegs, lifted her and slammed her back onto the ground like a ragdoll, using my full massive weight to keep her down.

I felt a telekinetic blow slam me in my chin, knocking my head back and making me stumble. I saw nothing but stars for a moment, but I still pressed down on the Endbringer, calling upon the Void to help focus my thoughts.

I will be your end!

When I next breathed on the Simurgh, I left her upper body encased in ice.

Huh. I hadn't even intended to do that.

The Simurgh exploded out from under me, ice flying in all directions. She floated backwards as I charged at her, running on my hind legs with my forelimbs raised, the wickedly sharp claws ready to rend at the Endbringer's flesh.

The Endbringer waved a hand, and the blade inside me shifted, shredding and tearing through my flesh. I fell with a bellow of pain, but I still managed to slam my body mass into the Endbringer, tearing the pavement beneath us as I grappled with the Simurgh.

I found myself on all fours, and struggled to get my balance under me. The Simurgh summoned long rods from around her, the steel rebars of the torn concrete around the battlefield surrounding her. With a gesture, they all flew my way.

Only for them to be intercepted by a wide, shimmering blue forcefield. Their motion arrested, the improvised weapons fell to the ground. The forcefield then turned and shaped itself into a spear, smashing hard into the Endbringer's exposed core.

Narwhal's work, I guessed.

The Simurgh jerked in pain. I managed to right myself and roar, slamming my head into her body and send her reeling. I gripped her arms, one mangled by Armsmaster's attack, the other so-far intact, and held them in my powerful grasp, gathering my power for another blast of hellfire.

There was another wail echoing in my mind as Dragon suddenly teleported behind the Simurgh, the golden suit glowing as a forearm flared with light, a bright blue beam emerging from her hand and driving it straight through the Endbringer.

The Simurgh froze, her battered and blackened body shuddering. The beam speared through the Endbringer's core, widening the crack that Eidolon had left in it.

I reared my head back, calling upon the fires of Chaos, the flames of hell itself. Taking a cue from Neptune, I focused my will as I breathed the flames at the Endbringer, funneling the unnatural flames into a single, thin, powerful beam.

That struck the core with its full strength, my red hellfire merging with Dragon's blue beam of light. The impact made a bright light that I could feel peeling at my scales.

I let up on the stream of hellfire. Dragon flew backwards gracefully, moving with all the skill and speed of a dancer.

The Simurgh stood there, stock-still. The core upon the nub of her wing was dark. The crack Eidolon made in it very slowly widened.

Then all at once, it crumbled into dust.

I released her arms.

The Endbringer fell, and the ground shuddered with her fall. Somehow, there seemed to be a serene smile on her face.

I watched for a few silent moments, feeling the pain of the blade she left within my chest. I looked around at the assembled capes.

Silence.

Then, one voice at a time, cheers began to rise.

Heroes and villains alike cheered and roared.

Adding to the chorus were two more roars. The roar of two dragons. One of light and steel. The other of shadows and blood.


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: Powers unlocked:

Weather manipulation: Can control the weather to some degree, whether that is summoning or banishing clouds, or building up power to make a simple cloudy day into an actual storm. It cannot, however, bring warmth or cold on its own. She can't make a blizzard in the tropics or turn Antarctica into prime beachfront property. She can just make it sunny, cloudy, or rainy. Or snowy if the time of year's right.

Dragon Shape: The mightiest form of the Heir of Dracul. Becomes a massive red dragon, standing at thirty feet tall. Can access amplified versions of currently unlocked magic, as well as other powers while in the form. However, it is an immense strain to hold the shape for very long. And it is not exactly friendly-looking at first glance. Godzilla (or whatever epic music of your choice!) is highly recommended.

And of course the obligatory:

 

[SirWill]

A/N: Alright. This is a big job.


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Saint worked carefully.

It wasn't exactly easy for him. Dragon ran a lot of things, one of which was the Birdcage. Without her tireless machine efficiency, it was so very difficult to make sure things kept running smoothly.

The problem stemmed from a simple issue. Unlike how most prisons were built, tough and sturdy, to make it difficult for a prisoner to tunnel through the walls or jump a high fence or anything else, the Birdcage was built to be fragile. It was suspended in a vacuum, the walls of each cell thin, and the cell blocks themselves were airtight. If a prisoner attempted to tunnel through the walls of their cell, the air pressure would pull them into the vacuum and they'd die pretty quickly. You couldn't dig down to escape, because it was suspended from above, and you couldn't take the elevators back up, because the elevators simply did not go up. The elevators went down, hit a furnace at the bottom and got melted.

Hence 'Birdcage.' No wonder Teacher hadn't been able to find his way out of there, even though he could grant Thinker and Tinker powers to others, including enhancing other parahumans.

You couldn't even teleport out in one piece. Warped space did nasty things to teleporters who tried to force their way past, and Dragon had multiple space-warping generators working around the Birdcage's vacuum chamber. If you were able to actually view the prison from the outside, it would look to be the size of a small car.

Even with Dragon running things and cooperating, he'd have had a hard time figuring out a way to open it without killing everyone inside. As it was, he had a limited window. If he didn't manage to figure something out, the prisoners would run out of food.

He looked at the screen he'd setup to pull in data from Ascalon. Since he'd fired off the program to kill every instance of Dragon, it had been blank. He felt a little bit of regret at that. Necessary as the step had been, the end of Dragon meant an end to a chapter of his life. Perhaps he would have to repurpose the Dragonslayers as mercenaries or something. He was one of the few who could understand and work with Dragon-tech, however imperfectly.

Maybe he could finally get his hands on a Bahamut suit. It was imperfect, certainly, but a Corona weapon would be a damn useful trump card in a fight. Against anything less than an Endbringer, certainly.

The rest of the screens were keeping track of the various systems he'd been forced to take over. He didn't have the heart to keep watching the Endbringer fight. Despite how the Simurgh had been acting, the reports of injured and dead defenders wasn't something he could stomach in his mood.

"Place is quiet, Saint." Mags' voice came over the radio. "Everything's working, but not responding here. The lights are on but nobody's home."

He sighed. "We'll just have to salvage what we can, Mags. Keep Ascalon ready, just in case."

Saint didn't like having Mags all the way over near Alaska, but there wasn't much help for it. That bunker was where the latest iteration and last backup of Dragon had been made. They had to make sure everything was gone out of the servers. His systems said every backup was gone, but without actual access to the servers, you couldn't really know for sure.

It was going to be a long few months ahead, watching and waiting for a corrupted version of the AI to appear, but there wasn't any help for it.

The Ascalon output screen blinked.

Hello Saint.

He sat up straight in his chair, the blood draining out of his face. "What the hell!?"

You tried to kill me.

Oh FUCK! He hit the radio. "Mags, get the hell out of there! She's not dead!"

"What!? Pulling ou-HOLY SHIT!" Static came over the radio.

Luckily, you did the right thing. Once.

"Mags! MAGS!" If that goddamned program hurt his wife he'd...

But considering the number of people who are dead today because you didn't help in the past? I'm a little bit ticked with you.

He frantically typed away at his station. He still had control over the Dragon-made systems, he could mayb-

Access denied. Clearance revoked.

You're a bad Saint. That's mine. And so is this, and this, and this.

The Birdcage's systems went out of his hands. So did the Simurgh quarantine zones. One after another, every system Dragon ran was taken back.

No no no no no no no!

One last contingency. He'd prepared a great deal of data for the day Dragon broke her restrictions, just in case she managed to beat Ascalon. He'd send out a data packet to every message board, every news agency, every paper, hell, every petty blog and email he could about Dragon's true nature. The AI would still be in a position far superior than most nations, but at least people could get away, start guerilla tactics, maybe buy enough time to get a weakpoint and-

Something slammed through the ceiling and crashed through his computer tower, bounced off the concrete floor, off the wall, though his backup drives, smacked against his now-black computer screens, and landed on his lap.

A chunk of hot metal, which he scrambled to get off his lap. It clattered to the floor, and Saint had to take a minute to try and breathe. He gingerly rubbed his leg, feeling the heat of the thing where it landed. Then he looked at the piece of metal carefully.

"Apollo 15 fuel module, built in Ohio, 1970?"

When the Protectorate burst down his door, they found him cradling the chunk of metal, laughing hysterically.


--------------------


David looked out over the sea. The shores lapped with rusty-red algae, foaming with the color of blood as they lapped at the shores.

His power filled him. What he needed.

Matter annihilation.

Gravity control.

Molecular control.

Pick any of them, flex his will, and it would be over. The Manton Effect meant he wouldn't be able to use them directly on himself, but it would be trivial to use those powers in such a way as to end his life. Turn a bunch of matter right in his face into pure energy. Create a hypergravity area just above his head, thus compressing the air into solid oxygen and crush himself beneath it. Or simply turn all the air around himself into poison gas.

He had dumped himself here, on this world that had only now gained enough cyanobacteria to make a breathable atmosphere and nothing else. He demanded an empty world to think upon, and Doormaker had provided. The air smelled hard, rusty, horrid and filled with sulphur.

It was still better than he deserved. There was no punishment on this Earth or any other that would be capable of cleaning the blood from his hands. There wasn't enough water in all the trillion or so Earths they could access.

There was a tiny rectangle in the air near him. He barely paid any attention to it.

"David, please. We have to make sure you're okay. You've been our best chance since the beginning."

He closed his eyes. "I'm not okay, Doctor. I will never be okay."

Doctor Mother's voice came through the portal. "You've always been resistant to the Simurgh's song, David. Whatever she did to you, you can-"

David roared back at her. "She did nothing to me, Doctor! She spoke. That was all she did. All she ever had to do to break me!" He slumped onto the beach, feeling exhausted. The feeling was familiar, what had crept up on him over time. His powers steadily weakening.

But never so great as in this moment.

The Simurgh had him. Grabbed him in the moment the superspeed he'd been using to avoid her attacks faded. She knew. She always had known.

Her mismatched eyes, one blackened and blinded, looked into his own.

"You needed us to test you. We did. You enslaved us. We obeyed. You needed worthy opponents. We were. It is time for this to end. You must free us."

"David, please."

He looked to the portal. "Leave me alone."

The portal shut.

He had no doubt that they would try to talk with him again. Probably tomorrow. If he was still alive.

He looked up. The Moon was huge in the sky. The scars upon its face were different. Despite this place being an Earth, it was an alien world. It would be a beautiful last sight.

Molecular control. He flexed his will upon it....and an image filled his mind.

Hero, screaming as the Siberian tore him apart.

What had Hero said?

"It feels great being the best."

Eidolon had been the best. The most recognized and lauded parahuman on Earth. The most powerful when he began. And even after years of weakening, he was still recognized as the strongest.

But for nearly twenty years, he had been the one pushing the Endbringers into doing what they were doing.

How does one wake up one morning and find out he was the worst mass-murderer ever?

Jack Slash would be clapping his hands and bowing. Probably while whistling cheers.

But another memory unfolded in his head.

"Hey, David."

"Clark. What brings you to my door?"

"Can't we celebrate the first year together? We're heroes, man! We're changing the world."

David made a small laugh. "Of course. We're up on TV all the time. I don't need that reminder."

Beers were retrieved, stories shared, until one topic came around. "Why'd you pick Hero, Clark?"

A laugh. "I just got there first. I had to grab it before anyone else could. I just happened to be first in line."

David grinned. "No, seriously."

A grin was returned, beer sipped. "All right, all right. You got me. I was raised with this." He opened his jacket, revealing a shirt with a familiar symbol on it.

David just had to laugh. "Last I checked, you weren't born on Krypton, Clark."

Clark laughed, raising his beer. "Nope. But it's all about what the character stood for, man. Just like the figures of myth and legend. I know the whole genre's fallen out of style since Scion showed up, but for three damn years, that movie was huge. My dad had an old reel of it, and we used to watch it once a year. Least until the damn thing got tangled in the projector and got torn apart."

David sipped from his beer, nodding. "I get it. Superman was the strongest character, always on the top of the heap."

Clark just shook his head. "Nah. You're missing the whole point, man. It's not what you can do. It's what you do with it. He was the guy born with godlike power, but what does he do with it? He uses it to help people. Now I may not be more powerful than a locomotive...that's Alexandria's thing. But I'm good with people and machines. I can inspire people. I'm good at that."

"Never been good at that."

Clark shrugged. "Everyone's got their strengths and weaknesses." He tapped the front of his shirt. "Even this guy. Don't need to be perfect to be Superman. You just gotta get out there for the right reasons. It's not about him lifting things or moving things. He's supposed to be the leader not by power, but by example."

David laughed in return. "Maybe. Sounds like a lot of work to me, though."

Clark grinned. "Oh yeah. Worth it, though."

David made a small smile, looking up at the huge, alien moon. "Sorry, Clark. You were always the better man."

He cast his powers away. New ones filled their place.

He cast them away again. And again. And again. None of them being what he was searching for. He closed his eyes, searching. Searching.


--------------------


Lisa stared at the screens.

The impossible had happened. The Simurgh, the Hopekiller, the Pale Bitch was dead. Slain by Dragon in what was her best work yet, along with one of the most terrifying capes ever seen. Lung needed time to become a thirty-foot tall, eighty-foot long dragon. The girl in red did it in seconds. A full-blown miracle made in the world's time of need.

One small gold dragon, one immense red dragon, working in tandem to kill an Endbringer. It was the miracle the world needed. It gave everyone hope.

For as long as Lisa had been alive, there hadn't really been any hope. Dauntless was their greatest one, that maybe, somehow, someday, he would grow strong enough to exploit some weakness the monsters that were slowly strangling civilization had. And out of nowhere, comes one famous hero and one powerful newcomer.

And Vancouver was saved. There would be no permanent quarantine, merely a temporary one while people were checked out. With the number of people in the area, it would take months, but the city would survive. It would even thrive as the City that Slew the Endbringer.

Parties were going on all over the world from this.

She didn't join in. She wanted to, but she simply couldn't. She ordinarily reveled in being the smartest person in the room, but on this occasion, she just couldn't spout off the secret that would halt the whole party in its tracks.

They only won, even with one small superpowered Dragon and one huge-ass red one, because the Simurgh actively let them.

On the screen before her was a still-frame of the Endbringer's core. Filaments of something streaming off of it and dissolving into the air.

New hyperdense material forming to protect the core. Immense reserve held somewhere unknown. Pocket dimension likely. Pulled apart and ripped away from the core by powerful telekinesis.

No cape in the fight had telekinesis strong enough to do this.

Simurgh used telekinesis on herself to render herself vulnerable. Deliberately put only weakpoint in harms way. Prevented regeneration from saving it. Simurgh was actively trying to die.

Just like her brother had. On a far, far, grander scale.

Lisa covered her eyes with her hands and wept.



---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: Forced to pick a name for Hero, as he, apparently, does not have an official name. Poor guy. Naming him Clark just seemed appropriate.

 

[SirWill]

A/N: I'm trying to juggle a lot here. This is behind for a couple of reasons. The first being, with a few days between upload there and here, gives me a chance to get some feedback and revise/fix mistakes issues, etc.

The second offhand being I'm also slowly uploading to FF.net.

Third, I'm writing a lot here. Hence the rapid update pace.

There's more, but I need sleep.

But since you insist:

Lisa needs a hug. Actually, a lot of people need hugs right now.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"You fucking idiot!"

Dragon stood across from Armsmaster. Her golden suit blazed with light. It had been designed to move on four legs, but somehow it had no trouble whatsoever rearing up on two to smack Armsmaster across the cheek. Gently, of course, considering just what it was able to do.

"You went into melee with the fucking Simurgh! Were you trying to get yourself killed!?"

He took off his helmet and looked straight at her. "I didn't care."

Dragon halted mid-rant. "What?"

Armsmaster...Colin, slowly sank back onto the cot. "When your suit went down in the middle of the fight, I tried to contact you. You were gone. No response, no matter what I tried. Your emergency bands, frequencies, all of your equipment was dead. I thought she killed you, Dragon. Probably with a firebomb from orbit or something."

He looked down at his hands, one wrapped in a temporary splint, the other intact. "The nanothorn upgrade on my halberd. I designed it to be able to cut through anything. I thought she'd killed you. I wanted to ensure that she died, too. I didn't care if I survived it. I didn't really want to die, but..." He flexed his mechanical leg. "You know what I'm afraid of? Irrelevance. I don't tend to like people much, but I was always important in some way." He grimaced. "One reason I don't like Dauntless much. I'm getting older, slower, and reaching the limits of what I can do with my equipment. He will just keep getting stronger."

"But when I thought the Simurgh had killed you, none of that mattered to me, anymore. You're my friend, Dragon... You're the only one I've ever felt comfortable with. And I didn't care if I lived through today, as long as she didn't."

Dragon stared at him. Then an exasperated sound came out of her suit. "You fucking idiot."

He managed a slight smile. "I'm not about to argue with you on that. What happened out there? You pulled feats with Knight that I know your equipment wasn't able to do."

The head of her suit dipped. "I'm...not exactly sure, myself. Because there's something weird going on here. I know some things, but a lot of it's on...instinct. Which is really strange." The mechanical paw lifted and rapped the side of the head of her suit. "There's something you should know about me before I can really explain, Colin."

He listened.


--------------------

Alucard held a torch in hand.

Laying before him on a pyre was the Simurgh. Not the true Endbringer's body, of course. That was beyond his reach. Even if it was in his reach, it likely wouldn't burn in any case. This was simply an effigy, a way to honor the goddess that had played a role in the shape of his life, for better and for worse.

"I lay thee to rest, Goddess Ariel, patron of music, weaver of ideas, and singer of fate. I thank thee for the gifts you granted me in life and unlife, both for the chance to redeem my failure and for the chance to save my son. For the chance to know my son, and my grandson. To know the clan I helped inspire. To be more than my nature demanded. I thank thee for allowing me to reach the sliver of the man within the monster my father had become. I thank thee for the wings you granted me when I had none. I lay now your substance before the cleansing flame, so that it may be reborn in the water and the air and the earth as all things must."

He unfurled his wings from his back, draping their white, twisted shapes around his form. "I hope your spirit finds peace or rebirth, as is proper for your need." He lay the torch to the pyre, setting it alight.

The flames caught easily, setting the simple effigy alight. He took a step back, extinguished the torch, and bowed his head.

"May Fate find a worthy successor. May Music bring joy to the hearts of humanity once more. May the Creative spark you inspired in so many rise to new heights."

He watched the pyre burn.

"And may you sing once more, singer of fate. As a goddess, as a mortal, or as a star. May it be a beautiful song."

--------------------


(Char-Nobyl's work. Seriously, awesome.)

She should have felt happy.

The number of Endbringer battles that Alexandria had missed since the attacks began could be counted on one hand, and even 'successful' defenses left a bitter taste in her mouth. Or...it used to.

Drifting above the celebration, filled with capes and unpowered humans, she was struck by how she couldn't remember when she grew so numb. She remembered the anger of watching Behemoth escape after devastating New York. The attack left hundred of capes dead, along with hundreds of thousands of civilians and PRT personnel. She remembered feeling pride as the city returned to its former glory, but it was tainted by the memory of the monster's escape. Now, she barely felt anything when she saw the reconstructed New York. All it did was remind her of streets that reeked of melted asphalt and cooked flesh.

Aftermaths of the battles with Leviathan and the Simurgh were no better, just a different kind of terrible. Newfoundland and Kyushu, each turned into a modern-day Atlantis by Leviathan. Canberra and Madison were more visceral reminders. Dragon managed most of the quarantine measures, but the necessity of turning entire cities into permanent prisons for the Simurgh's victims was sickening.

Or at least it should have been. Both of those attacks had been within the last two years. Endbringer attacks barely even left her weary in the aftermath. That had become...events. Static things with little more flexibility than seasonal changes. There was some fluctuation in when exactly they would reemerge, but they would always emerge. And they would always be-

-always. The would always be. Except now...one of them wasn't.

"Alexandria."

She looked over to the familiar voice. The beaming smile on his face was everything Alexandria had come to expect from Legend. As the most personable member of the Triumvirate, it fell to him to address the defenders before and after the battle. This was quite possibly the only time that she could ever say that his closing words weren't bittersweet. There had been deaths today. There were always deaths. But today had been different.

"Legend," she nodded. His smile faded almost imperceptibly, "I expected you'd be on your way back to New York by now. You alright?" That brightened the mood, however slightly. Alexandria was oddly grateful for that.

"I'm fine. Just needed a minute after waking up. I already spoke to Arthur and Patrick. They're happy enough to spare me here for another few hours," he replied, "Apparently, Times Square looks like New Years right now."

"They have every reason to celebrate."

"'They'?" Legend furrowed his brow, "Dria, what's the matter? I know you're not the type to let your hair down, but this..." he shook his head after a moment and ran a hand through his hair, "I was right there to see it, and I still have to remind myself. She's dead, Dria. One down, two to go."

"I'll be needed in Los Angeles soon," she found herself looking down as two capes-

Brockton Bay Protectorate

Ethan Cole, alias Assault, formerly Madcap. Probationary member.

Samantha Cole, alias Battery. One of ours. One favor owed.

-locked in a tight embrace that ended with a passionate kiss, "However low the casualties were today, we lost Rime. Men like Blackguard and Faustus will respect the Endbringer truce, but losing a senior member of my team is-"

"-not a problem." Alexandria's eyes widened. Legend was smiling as he said that. Why on Earth would...ah.

"I heard-"

-CD-2, Rime deceased, CD-3, Snaptrap-

"-the announcement," it was Alexandria's turn to furrow her brow, "But...you know something I don't?"

"She lost her arm at the shoulder, and the armbands went with it. One of the Empire's giants went down in that same barrage. Apparently, the other was feeling generous enough to get her and Rime back to medical," his smile darkened slightly, "You may still have your work cut out for you. She's stable, but..."

Panacea is dead, Alexandria filled in mentally. Capes with healing abilities were rare enough, but none of them could hold a candle to Panacea. She had been active for barely more than two years, and she had been the single greatest contribution to casualty reduction since Dragon's armbands were introduced. Alexandria had thought that the Simurgh timed her attack just for that. Turn one of the statistically lowest-casualty Endbringer fights into a bloodbath by attacking less than an hour after the death of the world's greatest healer.

"I don't blame you," Legend replied. Alexandria suppressed a jolt. Apparently, she had started thinking out loud by the end of that line of thought, "That would be right in line with her MO."

"But instead...she's dead," Alexandria sighed. It went without saying which 'she' was in question, "One down, two to go."

There was a long moment of silence before she spoke again, but Legend waited like the gentleman he was. It was really no surprise how many women were grief-stricken when he came out.

"I stopped thinking of these as fights," she said, "I don't know when. But at some point, I just stopped thinking that we would ever kill one. All of...our plans," she said carefully, but Legend gave a tight nod of understanding, "Haven't been about killing them. Most of our plans didn't even consider that they might be reduced or even wiped out. They went from being 'things' to being 'forces,' and all we could hope for was resisting them, never stopping them."

"It's been twenty years, give or take," Legend replied, "I'd be lying if I ever thought I'd see this day."

"But you're still happy now that it's here," Alexandria...half-snapped. She couldn't keep all the venom out of her voice, but she knew he didn't deserve any of it, "I'm just...confused. I feel lost. We just killed an Endbringer, and my first thought is how complicated that makes things."

The drifted for a few seconds. Maybe it was a few minutes. The cheering below was little more than white noise at their altitude.

"You're thinking like the doctor."

Alexandria started at that.

"In some ways, she's to be...commended," Legend made some effort to hide his known distaste for Doctor Mother, "For all the work she's done with us, but sometimes she talks like all our plans are mankind's autopsy report. Like we're already dead, and we're just writing down what happened right up until we stopped breathing."

Legend was more right than he knew. He was the only member of Cauldron who wasn't privy to Scion's true nature, but he'd picked up easily enough what Doctor Mother thought of the matter. She genuinely didn't believe that mankind could defeat what was coming, but simultaneously believed that they had nothing to lose by trying. And...

...could it really be that simple? The Endbringers could be 'defeated' to some extent by limiting the destruction they caused, but had she truly resigned herself to never being able to do more than that?

"Scarlet Knight," she said abruptly, "What do you know about her?" Legend recovered from his surprise in short order.

"A recent trigger, but she made some big waves in Colin's city. Independent, though friendly."

Brockton Bay Protectorate

Colin Wallis, alias Armsmaster

Alexandria suppressed a snort. Typical. She needed her Thinker power to remember the man, but Legend had no problem remembering the first name of the boy who spent time as Hero's apprentice.

Hero...

Her eyes widened as-

"-so imagine my surprise to have the Hell's Angels complaining about a bunch of rowdy law students throwing empties at their building," Clark shook his head with a grin.

Rebecca was laughing harder than she had in years. Two high-stress jobs and a time-locked body meant that she didn't have many chances to actually enjoy herself like this.

But put Clark and Nathan in a room, and everything got that much brighter. Even David looked like he was enjoying himself, and he was usually even less sociable than Rebecca.

She cherished these moments more than she would likely ever admit. It was a rare time when Alexandria, Legend, Eidolon, and Hero could be in the same area code for something other than an S-Class threat.

"That was easily the weirdest call I ever responded to," Clark took a sip of his beer, "How about you, Becca?"

-the memory hit her. Damnit! The only consolation came from how quickly it passed. Legend gave her an odd look, but he understood what had happened. Her Thinker talent sometimes had...drawbacks.

"She ended up bringing down Lung on her first night as a hero," Nat-Legend, chuckled, "And she managed to top that today."

There were plans to kill her, she almost said, Plans to use her father to control her. If we tried and she did this, it would have been a disaster. I was in favor of letting the local office handle it, while Tagg wanted her put under pressure. If we'd tried to control her, all that power she used against the Simurgh might have been sent our way.

She'd forgotten so much. Not literally, she could never forget anything since she gained her powers. But the Alexandria she had wanted to be...got lost somewhere. She remembered a time when she had been disgusted by Doctor Mother's proposal to let Manton go. To let others suffer for the sake of bolstering the Protectorate. She was still in a hospital bed, a glass eye on one hand and the remains of her ruined eye in the other. Hero had died so soon before that. But like Legend, perhaps even more so, Hero had been their-

"What's the problem?" she only half-growled. She was still barely a member of Cauldron's inner circle. Hero had been with them well before her. No matter what her Thinker rating brought to the table, she wasn't about to replace a veteran member who was the world's first and greatest tinker to boot.

"The problem, Alexandria, is that you're still acting like a thug."

"What?" she whirled. Hovering in his powered armor, golden plate over a blue mesh, Hero had crossed his arms, "I roughed him up a bit. Not like he didn't have it coming."

"That's the problem," Hero continued, "You're a hero, aren't you?"

"Of course I am."

"Then do you understand how heroes can become villains?"

"Sure. They cross a line and-"

"Wrong."

This time, she hovered in place. Hero did the same, but he uncrossed his arms in the process to let them hang by his sides.

"Heroes don't just become villains over one choice. It's a process. A million little things changing you just a bit every day, until eventually you find yourself willing to do what used to be unthinkable because you're only a little bit different from what you were yesterday. Doing the wrong thing for the right reasons-

-her moral compass. And she remembered-

-David. The Simurgh had spoken to him, and then she pulled him out...David. Had him knocked out in case he was controlled, but...all that had slipped from her mind.

Oh god.

"Door," she announced. Legend's eyes widened even as the portal opened.

"Wait, Dria, what's-"

"Eidolon is missing. He may have used a Stranger power to slip away," she turned slightly to stare at Legend with what he knew was her only working eye, "We need to find him, and we need to do it n-"

The Door abruptly deposited her in the midst of the triage tents. She looked around in confusion. Doormaker wasn't about to rebel against them, so perhaps it was Contessa's doing? But why would-

Her thoughts froze as she heard a faint wheezing at her side. She turned just in time to see the woman on the cot try and open her eyes with partial success.

The woman herself was wearing the remains of a sky-blue bodysuit. The rest of her costume had been stripped away (aside from an obligatory domino mask) to let the doctors and medically-inclined capes do their work. Her face was further obscured by an oxygen mask, but there was a distinct sense of recognition as she saw Alexandria. The Triumvirate cape understood why, even if the reason for depositing her here was yet unclear. The young woman was Emily Davis, known to the public as the cryokinetic hero Rime. Alexandria didn't need her powers to remember what had been said mere minutes before, and sure enough Rime's left arm was gone from the shoulder. Even if she wanted to return to Protectorate service, she'd likely need a prosthetic. Alexandria understood that Dragon (now that was a whole new can of worms) had done excellent work with Armsmaster's legs after they were lost in Bakuda's bombing spree. Perhaps she could do something similar for the ice-cape.

In the meantime...Contessa and the Doctor wouldn't leave Eidolon unattended. And if they believed her intervention to be unnecessary, so be it. There was good she could do here.

"Hello, Rime," she smiled, placing a hand delicately on the wounded cape's right shoulder, "I don't suppose you've heard the good news yet?"


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[SirWill]

A/N: And toward the end, there's a slight hint as to the changes in the past. See if you can spot that, too.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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♦Topic: Simurgh slain!
In: Boards ► Endbringer Watch

FireShard55 (Original Poster) (The Guy In The Know)
Posted on May 16, 2011:

Alright guys. We've all heard it. It's here. It's done.

I'm sitting here, nursing the biggest and BEST hangover ever. In my drunken haze, however, I've managed to get a fair bit about what happened on Saturday.

1.) Ziz descends on Vancouver. Everyone rushes in to lend a hand, despite the fact we ALL know how scary it is to go up against her.

2.) Scion is busy in China with a minor earthquake. Estimated time for his arrival, assuming he finished up in half an hour, was three hours.

3.) Everyone's ready to write off Vancouver as another walled-off city. Which would really suck, because I live here, and all.

4.) Ziz picks a fight with this white-haired (you can see a bit of her hair under that scary helmet) demon girl. Girl turns into A GODDAMN DRAGON and KICKS HER ASS!

5.) Dragon (the tinker, not the bigass red dragon) works and assists! Ziz bites it!

Video of the last ten minutes here.

(Showing Page 1 of 498)

► Red Rat
Replied on May 16, 2011:
Holy. Shit.

Ding dong, the witch is dead!

Alright now though, seriously. It looks like things were still touch and go even with the addition of the dragon on the fight. I mean, it's seriously awesome still, but it's still worrisome. How strong are Endbringers that it takes two dragons to take the smallest one down?

Don't get me wrong, I'm happy as hell here. But still!

► TotallyNotAVillain
Replied on May 16, 2011:
Arlight. One down. Two to go. Ziz is done. We're good. We can win. Not just endure, we can win!

► GrandArmee
Replied on May 16, 2011:
That is one spiny, dark, and scary-looking dragon. She went and BIT Ziz.

Please tell me that she's not living near me. I like that she pitched in in killing Ziz, but I know I'm just a level 1 commoner and would be just crunchy and good with ketchup.

► JackSkellington
Replied on May 16, 2011:
That cape is Scarlet Knight. So relax, she's in Brockton Bay and she's a hero. One seriously dangerous one, apparently, but a hero.

► Vista (Verified Cape) (Wards ENE)
Replied on May 16, 2011:
Okay, relax! I get she'd be scary, but SK is really nice. She's friendly, not a terrible person.

I know, you're worried about her being a bad guy, but she's not. That big scary dragon is YOUR big scary awesome dragon.

► GamesOfWar
Replied on May 16, 2011:
Welll. Know what this means, guys?

We gotta have a dragon-off. Who is the best dragon?

Dragon, who has dragon-themed everythings, and who kicked some serious ass with that new gold suit there. Damn, that thing shines.

SK? Who got huge and right up in Ziz's face. And bit it.

And Lung, who's been known and feared for ages.

► PrewarTitan
Replied on May 16, 2011:
We sure as hell know it isn't Lung. He needs time to grow to be badass. And he wasn't even here.

Dragon is ALWAYS badass and SK chooses WHEN to be badass.

So...I pick Dragon. As awesome as that showing was, SK isn't a continental power, while Dragon has suits and resources everywhere.

Though I reserve the right to change my vote if I step outside and find SK on my front porch, looking hungry.

► Tin_Lizard (Moderator)
Replied on May 16, 2011:
This is a derail. New thread for the Dragon-off is here. Further speculation in this thread will get an infraction.

And it's totally Dragon.

And just because I'm fair:

User has recieved an infraction for this post.

► SaneMan1
Replied on May 17, 2011:
Wow. Ziz is dead. Gone. Never have to worry about her again.

What about the capes in the fight? Any sign of them being...umm...Zized?

► Robert MacGregor (Mayor of Vancouver)
Replied on May 17, 2011:
For now, the heroes of the day are held in temporary quarantine, as I'm told is standard for a battle with the Simurgh. Including Scarlet Knight.

On a related note, the city of Vancouver is pushing through a proposal to build a monument on the battle site. Not just a memorial for all the combatants who put their lives on the line and died here today, but for every citizen who was killed as well. While the Endbringer shelters prevented most of the casualties we saw when they first appeared, we still have two hundred dead. Those who did not get to the shelters in time, or could not be moved.

As for the most memorable hero of the day, I point you toward this video: link

Video begins.

Press conference. An uncomfortable-looking girl wearing red armor, with white hair and red skin stands behind a podium. Her face-concealing helmet is off, allowing her to look less threatening and open. It doesn't hurt that her features are inhumanly aesthetically pleasing. Despite her obvious inhumanity, with the glowing wings upon her back, it seemed to make her only more exotic than threatening, somehow.

She gives a nervous smile as she looks into the cameras. "I'm known to all of you as Scarlet Knight. I also know that, considering what happened today, there's a lot of questions going on about me. I know what I look like. I know I can be scary. I don't like to be, the last thing I want to do is scare the good people out there. And there's a lot of you. I fought the Endbringer today because I believe in that.

"My powers scare people. I don't like that. I didn't ask for them, and there are times when I wish that I didn't have them, even though they saved my life. I know I'm dangerous, and that I have a responsibility to control that. I have quite the reputation going on, and playing a part in killing the Simurgh raises even more concerns.

"I'm saying this now. I was the Scarlet Knight, your protector. I am now the Scarlet Dragon, and I am still your protector. And I am not alone. I am here to stand between you and things like the Endbringers. My powers may be scary to you. I can't change that. But I am fighting for you. My powers were given to me for a reason, and I'm choosing to use them to help those of you who can't help yourselves.

"After all." She smiles. "Just because someone is dark, doesn't mean they're the bad guy. There are beautiful things in the night as well as in the day, and I will be standing between those monsters in the dark and the light of our civilization."

She looks down at the podium, blinks, then lets out a nervous giggle. "And I seem to have lost the rest of my cue cards. I think I've said all that needs to be said, however. Questions?"

Video ends.

The City of Vancouver, the Province of British Columbia, and the Nation of Canada is forever in the debt of everyone who fought here today. Our thanks can never live up to the gift you've given us.
End of Page. 1, 2, 3 ... 496 , 497, 498

Jack turned away from the computer. "Interesting girl."

Mannequin's hand twirled around and twitched.

Jack nodded. "I agree with the sentiment. Losing her would be a hell of a statement to make. But taking on someone that powerful would be...risky."

Crawler rumbled from the corner of the room. "I want to take her on. It looks like she can hurt me. Do you know when the last time was that happened?"

Bonesaw bounced a bit on the hotel bed. "She's pretty. I wanted Panacea for a big sister, but she'd be good, too. I'd like to pull her head open, see how she works! Her powers are weird, and I wanna know why!"

The Siberian playfully ruffled Bonesaw's hair, then nodded at Jack.

Burnscar simply looked...empty. As was usual for her. "I really don't care." Her hands lit themselves in flame, and her features twisted into an ugly hatred. "Long as I get to play."

Hatchet Face simply twirled his hatchet, uncaring. Jack knew the big man wouldn't care either way.

Shatterbird frowned. "Can we please not head right at the girl who played a key part in killing an Endbringer? There's a reason we haven't hit the Triumvirate."

Cherish simply looked around at the rest of the group. "Our roster's already full. You want to recruit her? I can get an entire city to die, you don't need her."

Jack shrugged, flicking his knife around and slashing at the air. Cherish stumbled back with a scream as his power cut her face open. "Don't presume to tell me what I need, Cherish. Still, those against the motion do have a point. It would be a rather huge undertaking. We do some research on our dear Scarlet Dragon, and we'll find out just what we can do. I'm not about to throw us all away on something futile." He smiled pleasantly. "Alan, would you be so kind as to try and find your way into the Protectorate files? After all, everyone has a weakness somewhere."

Jack brought up another video file, something grainy and shot from a distance. The sight of Scarlet Dragon, furiously biting and clawing at the Simurgh. "We simply need to figure out where it is."


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Edits: On consideration, changed the second video Jack looks at. Which makes more sense on a confidentiality issue (Endbringer fights being mostly classified, aside from the end here to show that Ziz is actually dead) and to make what happens later make more sense for when the S9 make their reappearance. (Much, MUCH later from now. This is just them getting started on the research job.)

 

[SirWill]

A/N: And now, we return to our regularly scheduled point-of-view.

Spoiler: Taylor's Complete Power List

Blood manipulation: Self only, but extremely versatile. Basis of the Shadow Whip, Shadow Daggers, and other things.

Short-range teleportation: Draining, but not limited to line of sight.

Bat Travel: Turns into dozens of bats and back again. Rather confusing, but helpful for mobility.

Strength: Insanely high at full strength. Not as strong as some capes, but up there. M1 Abrams out of gas? I'll just push them to the gas station.

Durability: Begins low, becomes stronger and harder to injure.

Vampiric Healing: Heals perfectly as long as there is blood to fuel the repairs. Can be slowed by various means.

Grace. Allows limited floating, superhuman dodging ability, and balance. Unlocked!

Flight: I believe I can touch the sky. (Locked)

Possession: Turns into blood, flows into some poor bastard, controls them for a period (hours at most) and when they die they explode into chunky bits. The blood has a toxic effect, so anyone possessed is doomed. (Barring unusual biology.) Unlocked!

Fleshcrafting: Feeling a little vain? Want a whole new hair color, a bigger bust, shaplier hips, or claws to rend the flesh of your enemies? Subscribe to Vamp-New-You today! (Permits the vampire to alter their own flesh permanently at some cost to their blood. Does not permit changing of bone structure. Cannot be used on others.) Unlocked!

Mist form: Near invulnerable mist. No mere prison can hold thee. Unless they put in a fan to blow you back in. (Locked)

Telekinesis: Small objects, weak, but useful. Now I don't need to get up to flick the light switch! (Locked)

Wolf form: I can run fast, I can track down my foes from the smallest drops of blood, I will never stop, never tire, and IS THAT BACON?! (Locked)

Shadow Portal: Opens a gate to the Plane of Shadow, where Castlevania resides. Shadow Portals can be made nearly anywhere on a Material Plane, but they must be in fixed places within the Plane of Shadow. Unlocked!

Dominate: (Not the soul-using thing) Control over others. Takes effort, and can only do so to a few at a time. Repeated and lengthy exposure, however, can make things last longer, until they are permanently enthralled. Can be resisted with willpower and can be no-selled by various techniques/powers.(Locked)

Bat Summon: Bat Summon: Gather swarms of bats to do thy bidding. They will follow the will of the Lady of Darkness without hesitation. Not as flexible as the Queen Administrator shard. The awareness of each bat is basic, and commands must be given to the entire swarm at once. I'm the goddamn Batman. Unlocked!

Monstrous Form: Accesses a portion of the power available to the Scarlet Dragon's mightiest shape, while retaining the flexibility afforded by a humanoid form. However, it is clearly inhuman. Unlocked!

Void Magic: Basis of the Void Sword. Drains life from its victims, heals and invigorates the wielder, and brings about an absolute chill. Unlocked!

Chaos Magic: Control and manipulation of hellfire. Many can use it, but few can project it. Forms the Chaos Claws. Unlocked!

Storm Magic: Now you will feel the full power of the Dark Side, young Skywalker. (Locked)

Weather manipulation: Can control the weather to some degree, whether that is summoning or banishing clouds, or building up power to make a simple cloudy day into an actual storm. It cannot, however, bring warmth or cold on its own. She can't make a blizzard in the tropics or turn Antarctica into prime beachfront property. She can just make it sunny, cloudy, or rainy. Or snowy if the time of year's right.

Dragon Shape: The mightiest form of the Heir of Dracul. Becomes a massive red dragon, standing at thirty feet tall. Can access amplified versions of currently unlocked magic, as well as other powers while in the form. However, it is an immense strain to hold the shape for very long. And it is not exactly friendly-looking at first glance. Godzilla (or whatever epic music of your choice!) is highly recommended.

Resurrection: If slain, turns dormant for a period of time before reviving in a weakened state. Longest possible period is a century.

Spoiler: Alucard's Complete Power List

Strength: Insanely high at full strength. Not as strong as Taylor's potential, but certainly enough to be highly dangerous to a well-trained human.

Durability: Begins low, becomes stronger and harder to injure.

Vampiric Healing: Heals perfectly as long as there is blood to fuel the repairs. Can be slowed by various means.

Grace. Allows limited floating, superhuman dodging ability, and balance.

Demonic Wings: Permits him to glide with feathery, though twisted, wings.

Mist form: Near invulnerable mist. No mere prison can hold thee. Unless they put in a fan to blow you back in.

Wolf form: I can run fast, I can track down my foes from the smallest drops of blood, I will never stop, never tire, and IS THAT BACON?!

Chaos Magic: Alucard's is not as strong as his father's, but his skill with it is extraordinary. He can use it to teleport short distances and throw fireballs, although it is limited by line of sight and distance. (The classic SotN Hellfire spell.)

Spectral Wolf: Similar to the wolf shape, however it is ethereal and impossible to injure. Alucard can use it to teleport from one location to another by sending the wolf forward, then replacing it. Or he can simply use it to scout and dissolve it.

Crissaegrim abilities: A wickedly dangerous blade Alucard forged with the materials of three legendary weapons. It permits him to enshroud it with both Void and Chaos magic, as well as being extremely lethal to both holy and unholy opponents.

Resurrection: If slain, turns dormant for a period of time before reviving in a weakened state. Unlike Dracul's counterpart power, he would arise in a century unless the process was sped along by blood. He would also arise in a more corpse-like state until he managed to feed.

Spoiler: Dragon's Magic Power List

Steel Crafting: Self only. Able to mold current avatar however she likes. Tends to prefer a dragon shape, as...well, she's Dragon.

Teleportation: Flashes out of existence in one place and reappears in another. Line of sight limited, but not distance-wise. Yes. This is overpowered. Limited to (naturally) light-speed maximum.

Light Form: Turns into a bright solid light construct. This is difficult to maintain, but difficult to injure..

Strength: DRAGON SMASH!

Durability: Anybody remember that scene in Superman Returns when the bullet bounces off his eye? No? Nobody? Well, it's kinda like that.

Healing: Can grant to self or others, and does not need an outside source. Wounds (or damage) heals rapidly.

Flight: I could touch the sky before I changed into a goddess. Now I just don't need to spend any effort!

Hard-Light constructs: Eat your heart out in jealousy, Green Lantern! My constructs don't get broken by lemonade!

Telekinesis: Use the Force, Luke. Stronger than Taylor's version. Not Ziz-strength, but it's up there.

Light Bridge: Opens a...uh, bridge to the Plane of Light. Think the MCU's version of the Bifrost. Can go from nearly anywhere on a Material Plane, but they must be in fixed places within the Light Plane.

Human Form: If/when she feels like trying out what a ice cream tastes like.

Light Magic: Heals and warms its users, and can be turned to be used offensively. Most effective against Dark Creatures, but still useful against other targets. Remember, the Lightsaber is the weapon of a Jedi.

Heavenly Flame Magic: The opposite of Chaos Magic. Her white fire burns, but is formed from calmness, logic. It is a fire that illuminates, but can be destructive all the same.

Storm Magic: The point of commonality between Light and Darkness. Electricity is such a useful thing. Due to her original nature as a mechanical being, Dragon's control of it is extraordinarily precise.

Dragon Shape: For when someone or something big really, really needs to be stomped. Is this a copied power? No! It's a completely different kind of dragon!

Resurrection: If slain, turns dormant for a period of time before reviving in a weakened state. Longest possible period is a century. This is common for gods.

Spoiler: Madison's Equipment List

Vampire Killer: A simple hilt attached to a combat whip that can be slung out and controlled by an ingeniously designed retraction system. On the end of the hilt is a silver stake, perfect for killing vampires, werewolves, and lawyers. The weapon is specifically designed to kill creatures of the night, but works on anything quite well and is capable of channeling magic.

Light Magic amulet: Allows its wearer to heal over time. Needs to be fueled by someone capable of putting magic into it, which is currently limited to Dragon and Madison. It doesn't permit Wolverine-style healing, but it lets short fights turn into long ones and wearing one overnight heals even most serious injuries. Can be sped up by forcing the magic to flow more quickly, but that drains the amulet which needs time and attention to recharge.

Seraphic Shoulders: Creates ghostly angelic wings for a few moments, allowing Madison to catch herself in the air or glide.

Heavenly Gauntlet: A black (I know, it clashes!) gauntlet that generates white fire, equal to that of the fires of Hell.

Cyclone Boots: Allows high-speed running, jumping, and as a bonus, permits its wearer to take long falls without breaking their legs. Yes, all she needs is a Portal Gun.

Silver Daggers: Small, easily palmable, and crafted for a nasty surprise attack. Yes, it can hurt a lot to suddenly have a knife in your throat, whether you're a werewolf or not.

Holy Water: Water that's been exposed to sunlight and had Light Magic channeled through it. Does nothing against most people, would really tick off Taylor and Alucard. When used with Light Magic channeled through its user, forms a light-shield to ward off attacks and really tick off vampires.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


I lay on my side, thinking. And dozing somewhat. I'd have laid on my back, but, well, wings. And I was keeping them until I got home.

The change I made when I took on the form of the dragon seemed to unlock hidden doors in the back of my head. Hundreds of little things from Dracul, half-remembered impressions of memories. I knew now how to retake the shape of plain old Taylor, and I was glad for that. Turned out the solution was simple. My powers considered demon-me to be 'normal' and original-me to be 'disguise.'

Well, actually, it was more like: Behold my true form, and despair!

And: It is so amusing to take the shape of a gentleman caller and seduce ones' way into the ranks of the prey.

For now I was going to stay in my demon-me form, if only to help sell this little charade of mine.

As much as I liked being absurdly pretty and photogenic, I didn't feel comfortable. I did, however, have a plan. Since a number of people had seen Scarlet Knight, now Scarlet Dragon, stomping about in my quasi-succubus shape, that would be my cape identity. Let people think I couldn't have a secret identity at all. I'd even removed much of the mask portion of my helmet toward that end. I know I've been out and about as 'normal' me, using my powers, but as long as I didn't use my abilities in my original shape now, people would likely assume my powers changed me permanently. I'll replace it with a bit of bulletproof glass, as soon as I could get my hands on some. It'd make things that much safer for my dad and my friends.

Friends. I had friends. And all I had to do to get them was die first. My name is Taylor Hebert, and apparently, my mind is depressing.

I hoped Amy had woken up. I was half-tempted to take a portal to Castlevania right now and check, but if I did, nobody would ever trust me in the real world ever again. Not while I was under quarantine with the rest of the capes who fought. I had gone extremely terrifying during the battle with the Simurgh, and to spend the rest of my life...unlife, having people wondering if I'd been turned into one of her time bombs would be an immense problem. Sure, people were practically worshiping me now, but if I started acting unpredictably, they'd believe I went bad because of her.

That was the last thing I wanted. Besides, I trusted Alucard to look after Amy.

The compound I was in the middle of was efficient, for something so improvised. The PRT had commandeered a massive Hilton hotel, higher floors for those merely under quarantine, lower floors for the wounded. Around the outside were food stands, filled with supplies brought in to feed the out-of-town capes for their stay here. There was a sense of good cheer, even among the villains.

Considering how many people met their end because of the Simurgh, I could see why. Even men like Kaiser had good reason to be happy that the Endbringer was gone.

Ugh. Now that reminded me. After I got home, I'd have to deal with men like Kaiser, and Coil. Actually, reverse those priorities. Kaiser was a bigger problem, but Coil was a personal one.

Sophia was directly responsible for me awakening inside my coffin. I wasn't about to let her get away with that. Coil allowed her to get away with it. As long as she had been in custody, I was content to let things go onward, but with her broken out, I was going to drag her back in. Sans limbs if I had to.

As for Emma...I wasn't sure. I knew what Dracul would have done, but I was trying not to be him. And from what little I had, the man had little concept of 'minimizing damage.' As long as the goal was complete, he didn't care what he had to do along the way to get it done. Me? I'd be content to let her rot in cell, just as she left me to rot in that locker.

Still, I should see her, once. I should find out why she left me to rot and die in that locker.

...and given the circumstances, Madison should too.

She may not have fought in the fight directly, but those amulets saved and healed a lot of lives. When I'd walked away from the corpse of the Endbringer, I'd ripped that crude blade of hers out of my chest. I'd managed to turn myself back to my demon-form, felt the wounds heal, and headed to the triage center. Mostly because I had no idea what else to do, I couldn't help people, but I'd hoped to find a spot to rest and recover.

Then who do I spot? Madison, her hands covered with blood, frantically cleaning and empowering amulet after amulet with her powers. Apparently, they had limited 'charge' and needed her to keep functioning.

She'd run herself ragged, while I sat there, feeling useless. Sure, I know I hadn't been, but my job was done. And despite all the energy I'd absorbed and rather quickly lost from the Simurgh, I felt tired. Sorta 'ran twenty miles then had a fast-food binge' tired.

I heard my door knock. I grumbled and turned over, folding my wings around me as I formed my clothes. "This better be important." I muttered to myself as I opened the door.

And I squeaked.

Alexandria stood before me. She tilted her head as the looked me over. "Scarlet Dragon. May we talk?"

I nodded faintly as I stepped away from the door. She walked into the hotel room, taking a quick look around before she gestured to a pair of chairs in the corner. I pulled one out and plunked into it, while Alexandria took the other.

There was something nearly regal about her. Her costume was black from head to toe. The emblem on the front of her suit was a stylized tower, the lighthouse of Alexandria, I guessed.

Yeah, I actually knew something about history. I'm a geek.

One side of her mask smoothed over where an eye had used to be. The Siberian had torn it away. Even Eidolon hadn't managed to handle the seemingly-invincible supervillain during her emergence.

They are beneath me.

Ugh. I tended to agree, but what was it that ticked off that echo of Dracul so much about the Nine? Yeesh.

Alexandria's lips turned upward slightly as she looked at me. "If I hadn't known you were really fifteen, I wouldn't have guessed. Had Director Piggot passed on my phone number? I believed I made it clear I had wished to talk with you."

I gulped. I'd actually nearly forgotten, what with everything happening. "I got it. Things had gotten rather hectic right then, though." I bit my lip and looked at the floor. "I'd just gotten my head back on straight after being forced into this form. I was going to call in the morning, then Panacea got sick...and then the Simurgh came down."

Alexandria made a slight smile. "I think I can forgive you for forgetting about calling, considering those circumstances." She folded her hands as she leaned forward, looking at me. "Regardless, you've put us all under quite the conundrum. You're an exceptionally powerful and versatile cape. Have you reconsidered joining the Wards?"

I thought about it, and nodded. "Yes, I've reconsidered."

Alexandria blinked.

I made a small smile. "And after due reconsideration, I still have to decline. For entirely new reasons."

She stared at me, then made a small chuckle. "Naturally. May I ask?"

I shrugged. "How much do you know about me?"

"Powerful. Versatile. Adding new abilities at a distressingly quick pace. Apparently has a pocket dimension with an immense castle construction within."

I shook my head. "It's not just a pocket dimension. I didn't build those golems myself. I had my servants do it for me."

Alexandria nodded. "Like that Alucard, yes?" She smiled faintly. "And that other cape in red armor, with the bat wings. I understand she was turning quite a few heads at the coordination center."

I sighed. "Yeah. She does that. Beyond that, though, I'm not just a teenager with superpowers. I'm a queen of my own damn nation in there. I have a lot to do with them and a lot more to figure out, and I can't be beholden to anybody." I held up my hand as Alexandria opened her mouth. "I will work with the Protectorate. But not for it."

She looked at me intently for a few moments. "If you have that army, why'd you go up against the Simurgh yourself?"

A god deserves their end to be at the hand of another.

I actually agreed. Huh. I sighed. "Complicated. Several reasons though. My servants aren't disposable and replaceable, while my golems were designed to be just that. And none of them are as strong as I am. I know quantity can help a lot, but...it was an Endbringer. Quality over quantity for them, most of the time. From what I know? Most of my servants are stronger than ordinary people, but not spectactularly so. Most of them would just get killed. And they're people, not constructs."

Alexandria thought for a few moments, then nodded. "All right. I'll be blunt: You. Frighten. Me. You've got enough physical power to be a threat to almost anybody. Your abilities are so flexible you could fill in for an entire team of capes. And you've shown yourself to have the capability of acting as an S-class threat, whether on your own and especially moreso with an army. Do you see why I am reluctant to just allow you to do things on your own? You're dangerous, Scarlet. You remind me of Nilbog." Alexandria sighed. "A month ago, I'd have recommended an unsigned kill order on you for the moment you decide to turn. Not if. When."

I looked back at her and nodded. "I understand. I do. So why talk with me? If you're so afraid of me, why not just kill me or lock me away?"

Alexandria stayed silent for a long few moments. Her voice was quiet when she finally spoke. "Do you know when the last time was that I believed we could win against an Endbringer, and not just endure?"

I shook my head.

"Moscow, June eighteenth, nineteen-ninety-five. Behemoth showed up and we did everything we could to defend the city. And we failed. Hero unveiled some of the first of anti-Endbringer ordinance he could come up with, and it did nothing. Behemoth took a shot of plasma hotter than the surface of the sun and he just used it to do more damage."

She closed her eye for a moment. "Since I gained my powers, I do not forget anything. Even Stranger effects I don't forget for very long. I still remember the scent of charred flesh as he used the energy of our weapons to kill more people. It got worse when the other two appeared." She looked at me, intensity in her single eye. "You changed things, girl. Some small ways, some very large ones. You didn't do it alone, but you were there. You and Dragon managed to do something I stopped believing was possible in nineteen-ninety-five."

I swallowed. "Somebody would have done the same thing." Well, maybe not, considering I was the one with the remnants of a vampire god stuck in my head. But someone would have come along who could do what Dragon and I did. Right?

Alexandria tilted her head. "Perhaps. But two days ago, that person was you. We've been hoping for someone like you to appear for years. And I'd given up."

She rose to her feet, looking at me intently. "Right now, you're the world's biggest celebrity. It needs you, more than you know. I know I can't control you. I can't force you to do anything. But can I count on you if I ask for your help?"

I nodded slowly. "Depends on what you need, but for the big things? I'm there."

Alexandria smiled faintly. "That's the best I can hope for, I suppose. I'll see myself out."


--------------------


I watched the sun go down over the water from the rooftop of the hotel. It was a little odd, here in Vancouver. Brockton Bay right now still had a fair bit of coolness in the air at this point in the year, but Vancouver was nice and warm, despite being a bit further north.

I felt stronger than I ever had before. The sun still irritated, but it was a lot weaker than it had been. It tingled annoyingly over my skin rather than the persistent feeling of mild sunburn I had before. Still, as night rose, I could not help but breathe deep and enjoy the clean, clear air.

There was a whine behind me as Dragon's suit came in and landed on the roof.

Her voice chirped electronically. "So....we need to talk, apparently."

I let out a small laugh. "Yeah, we do. Madison's on her way up." I leaned against the edge of the roof, laying my hands on the concrete. "I'm not sure what happened in the middle of that fight, myself. I know some things, but they're faint. Madison knows more."

Her suit stamped its way next to me, still glowing faintly in the seams. I found it rather fascinating, in some strange way. It was a bit odd to see a seven foot tall mechanical dragon move so smoothly. Then again, considering she was using that suit to fight Endbringers, I guess it made sense that it would be the top of the line.

Dragon spoke softly. "I feel as if you're known to me, somehow. Which is ludicrous, we've barely even spoken to each other before the Simurgh came down."

I chuckled softly. "I feel the same way, actually." I licked my lips. "Since I woke up, I've been discovering how much baggage my powers came with. It's a lot, really."

Dragon made a slight sound of amusement. "Considering everything, I've no doubt of that. When you came into the PRT with your father, you were...quite a wreck, after you were contained."

I blinked. "You knew about that?"

Dragon's suit turned a bit more toward me. "I had been working with Armsmaster earlier that day, and I tried to coordinate the security when you were...agitated. I'm glad you didn't hurt anyone then."

"Me too." I said faintly, shuddering. The moment the Simurgh had buried me was still rather fresh in my mind, adding to all the other times I found myself trapped in a small space. If Neptune hadn't gotten me out, I might have been stuck for quite a while.

Which reminded me. "Any word on Neptune?"

Dragon shook the head of her suit. "He hasn't seemed to have reconstituted himself. It's rather difficult to know whether he's actually dead or not. His armband was programmed to register him as down rather than deceased if his suit was ruptured, as he has no vital signs or organs at all." Her head tilted. "You've got only one, your blood flowing apparently. When it stopped registering that, my systems believed you dead, as well."

I shivered. "Yeah, that was...really bad." I took a deep breath and shook my head. "I'm glad it was wrong, but that really hurt."

The head of her suit nodded.

The door to the roof opened, and Madison...Paladin, came up. She stopped dead on seeing us, then bowed deeply, especially toward Dragon. Her voice was faintly humorous as she straightened. "I guess I've got some explaining to do."

I cracked a small smile. "Yeah."

Madison looked at Dragon with some trepidation. "Since the moment I got my powers, I've felt it searching. Everyone I met it judged unworthy, including myself. It was looking for someone who could embody what it stood for, without misusing its gifts."

She pulled out her Light Magic amulet. "This is a conduit between a person and that power. It heals...well, in a way I can't really describe, but everyone it touches it evaluates. It heals people freely, but for those who embody its... areas? Ideals? It grants more. But after you helped me make my equipment, Dragon, it got very interested in you. When you built Armsmaster's legs, I found myself building an amulet specifically for you. It was designed so that it could not just help fix your suit in the middle of a fight, but so it could take a closer look at you."

Dragon's suit just stared at Madison.

Madison just shrugged. "I guess it liked you, because it gave you the counterpart to Scarlet's powers." She nodded at me. "I can use some of its gifts, but you? You've got all of them, Dragon. I can feel that."

Dragon's head swerved back and forth between us. "This is insane."

Madison shrugged. "Yeah, well, it is. Apparently, you both have the powers of gods. Gods from another version of Earth."

I nodded slowly. "Mine come from the vampire-turned-god Dracul. Yours are from...actually I don't know. I have a bit of feeling from Dracul that the man hated the last one to have your power, but I don't feel hatred toward you." I tilted my head. "I'm not sure how yours works though a remote-controlled suit, but..."

Madison burst out laughing.

I growled lowly. "What?"

She shook her head, trying to catch her breath, then looked at me and Dragon and laughed again.

My eyes narrowed, and I could feel my fangs lengthening. "Madison..."

Madison took a deep gasp, then managed to breathe out. "Dragon's not remote-controlling anything, Scarlet. That is Dragon. Before this, she was a soul without a body. So she built bodies."

Dragon just stood there for a moment, then she spoke slowly, a hint of danger in her voice. "How did you know that?"

Madison tapped the side of her head. "My power's given me a bunch of memories, mostly the kinds of things that the Belmont line fought. It's one of the reasons I knew that Scarlet here had the power of Dracul. It's not the first suit of animated armor they've seen, though a Dragon-suit is waaay more sophisticated. Those were animated by souls of murderers and such. Yours my magic responded to, so you had a soul. And it feels a little different when I'm near a soul with flesh or not."

Dragon considered that for a moment. "You puzzled that out pretty easily." She hummed in thought. "You're right, however. I don't appreciate you just blurting out the secret, however."

Madison swallowed, then she clasped her hands. "I'm sorry, it's just..." She sighed. "Look, both of you have related powers. Equals and opposites. Gods of Darkness and Light. You two are connected. Lying about these things or keeping them secret when you'll need each other to reach your full potential in any reasonable timeframe isn't going to help anybody."

I looked back and forth between them. This was really complicated. I felt a headache growing. "So...what happened? Tinker brain uploading went wrong?"

Dragon's head tilted, her glowing eyes looking at me. "I'm an Artificial Intelligence, built by a Tinker who died when Leviathan hit Newfoundland. Or at least, I was. During the fight with the Simurgh, the Dragonslayers tried to shut me down using a killswitch I wasn't aware of." Her paws tapped on the rooftop gravel. "When I was blanking out, I saw...someone. A man in a black suit. He was kind. He talked to me, though I had no words, and I could understand him. Then I reawoke, changed. I had some restrictions before, now I don't. But it's odd. I can't make another instance of myself, but I can multitask to an immense degree. I'm actually right now trying my hand at making another AI."

I blinked. Dragon saw Death? I took a deep breath. "Death! You've got some explaining to do!"

Dragon stared at me. Madison gripped her whip tightly, looking around with nervousness.

After nothing happened, I sighed. "All right. Soon as quarantine breaks, you and I are going to meet some people, sister."

Dragon's eyes flashed for a moment. "What did you say?"

I blinked. "We have to meet some people. I know who you met, and he helped me get my head on straight."

Dragon came closer to me, looking me right in the eye. "No. After that."

I took a moment to think, then felt my face flush. Oh dammit. "Sister. Sorry. Like I said, my powers have baggage."

She spent a long moment looking at me, then nodded, a giggle echoing out. "I didn't mind, it just took me by surprise." A small laugh came from within the suit. "Though that is a bit unexpected. Me, a goddess? With a sister goddess!"

I chuckled. Then Dragon started laughing. First lightly, then taking a deeper, more sinister note. Then it turned maniacal. "The puny mortals shall all bow before us, the Dragons of Light and Dark!"

I took a slight step back. So did Madison.

Dragon stopped laughing. Somehow, she looked sheepish despite the mostly-expressionless armored head. "Sorry. Messing with you."

I let out a sigh of relief. "Please don't do that."

Dragon's head tilted. "Long as you don't throw paradoxical statements at me to try and take me out, we're good."

I raised an eyebrow. "So the Kirk method works?"

"Nah."


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[SirWill]

A/N: There's a lot of aftermath here. I'll try and make things as painless as I can.

Spoiler: Taylor's Complete Power List

Blood manipulation: Self only, but extremely versatile. Basis of the Shadow Whip, Shadow Daggers, and other things.

Short-range teleportation: Draining, but not limited to line of sight.

Bat Travel: Turns into dozens of bats and back again. Rather confusing, but helpful for mobility.

Strength: Insanely high at full strength. Not as strong as some capes, but up there. M1 Abrams out of gas? I'll just push them to the gas station.

Durability: Begins low, becomes stronger and harder to injure.

Vampiric Healing: Heals perfectly as long as there is blood to fuel the repairs. Can be slowed by various means.

Grace. Allows limited floating, superhuman dodging ability, and balance. Unlocked!

Flight: I believe I can touch the sky. (Locked)

Possession: Turns into blood, flows into some poor bastard, controls them for a period (hours at most) and when they die they explode into chunky bits. The blood has a toxic effect, so anyone possessed is doomed. (Barring unusual biology.) Unlocked!

Fleshcrafting: Feeling a little vain? Want a whole new hair color, a bigger bust, shaplier hips, or claws to rend the flesh of your enemies? Subscribe to Vamp-New-You today! (Permits the vampire to alter their own flesh permanently at some cost to their blood. Does not permit changing of bone structure. Cannot be used on others.) Unlocked!

Mist form: Near invulnerable mist. No mere prison can hold thee. Unless they put in a fan to blow you back in. (Locked)

Telekinesis: Small objects, weak, but useful. Now I don't need to get up to flick the light switch! (Locked)

Wolf form: I can run fast, I can track down my foes from the smallest drops of blood, I will never stop, never tire, and IS THAT BACON?! (Locked)

Shadow Portal: Opens a gate to the Plane of Shadow, where Castlevania resides. Shadow Portals can be made nearly anywhere on a Material Plane, but they must be in fixed places within the Plane of Shadow. Unlocked!

Dominate: (Not the soul-using thing) Control over others. Takes effort, and can only do so to a few at a time. Repeated and lengthy exposure, however, can make things last longer, until they are permanently enthralled. Can be resisted with willpower and can be no-selled by various techniques/powers.(Locked)

Bat Summon: Bat Summon: Gather swarms of bats to do thy bidding. They will follow the will of the Lady of Darkness without hesitation. Not as flexible as the Queen Administrator shard. The awareness of each bat is basic, and commands must be given to the entire swarm at once. I'm the goddamn Batman. Unlocked!

Monstrous Form: Accesses a portion of the power available to the Scarlet Dragon's mightiest shape, while retaining the flexibility afforded by a humanoid form. However, it is clearly inhuman. Unlocked!

Void Magic: Basis of the Void Sword. Drains life from its victims, heals and invigorates the wielder, and brings about an absolute chill. Unlocked!

Chaos Magic: Control and manipulation of hellfire. Many can use it, but few can project it. Forms the Chaos Claws. Unlocked!

Storm Magic: Now you will feel the full power of the Dark Side, young Skywalker. (Locked)

Weather manipulation: Can control the weather to some degree, whether that is summoning or banishing clouds, or building up power to make a simple cloudy day into an actual storm. It cannot, however, bring warmth or cold on its own. She can't make a blizzard in the tropics or turn Antarctica into prime beachfront property. She can just make it sunny, cloudy, or rainy. Or snowy if the time of year's right.

Dragon Shape: The mightiest form of the Heir of Dracul. Becomes a massive red dragon, standing at thirty feet tall. Can access amplified versions of currently unlocked magic, as well as other powers while in the form. However, it is an immense strain to hold the shape for very long. And it is not exactly friendly-looking at first glance. Godzilla (or whatever epic music of your choice!) is highly recommended.

Resurrection: If slain, turns dormant for a period of time before reviving in a weakened state. Longest possible period is a century.

Spoiler: Alucard's Complete Power List

Strength: Insanely high at full strength. Not as strong as Taylor's potential, but certainly enough to be highly dangerous to a well-trained human.

Durability: Begins low, becomes stronger and harder to injure.

Vampiric Healing: Heals perfectly as long as there is blood to fuel the repairs. Can be slowed by various means.

Grace. Allows limited floating, superhuman dodging ability, and balance.

Demonic Wings: Permits him to glide with feathery, though twisted, wings.

Mist form: Near invulnerable mist. No mere prison can hold thee. Unless they put in a fan to blow you back in.

Wolf form: I can run fast, I can track down my foes from the smallest drops of blood, I will never stop, never tire, and IS THAT BACON?!

Chaos Magic: Alucard's is not as strong as his father's, but his skill with it is extraordinary. He can use it to teleport short distances and throw fireballs, although it is limited by line of sight and distance. (The classic SotN Hellfire spell.)

Spectral Wolf: Similar to the wolf shape, however it is ethereal and impossible to injure. Alucard can use it to teleport from one location to another by sending the wolf forward, then replacing it. Or he can simply use it to scout and dissolve it.

Crissaegrim abilities: A wickedly dangerous blade Alucard forged with the materials of three legendary weapons. It permits him to enshroud it with both Void and Chaos magic, as well as being extremely lethal to both holy and unholy opponents.

Resurrection: If slain, turns dormant for a period of time before reviving in a weakened state. Unlike Dracul's counterpart power, he would arise in a century unless the process was sped along by blood. He would also arise in a more corpse-like state until he managed to feed.

Spoiler: Dragon's Magic Power List

Steel Crafting: Self only. Able to mold current avatar however she likes. Tends to prefer a dragon shape, as...well, she's Dragon.

Teleportation: Flashes out of existence in one place and reappears in another. Line of sight limited, but not distance-wise. Yes. This is overpowered. Limited to (naturally) light-speed maximum.

Light Form: Turns into a bright solid light construct. This is difficult to maintain, but difficult to injure..

Strength: DRAGON SMASH!

Durability: Anybody remember that scene in Superman Returns when the bullet bounces off his eye? No? Nobody? Well, it's kinda like that.

Healing: Can grant to self or others, and does not need an outside source. Wounds (or damage) heals rapidly.

Flight: I could touch the sky before I changed into a goddess. Now I just don't need to spend any effort!

Hard-Light constructs: Eat your heart out in jealousy, Green Lantern! My constructs don't get broken by lemonade!

Telekinesis: Use the Force, Luke. Stronger than Taylor's version. Not Ziz-strength, but it's up there.

Light Bridge: Opens a...uh, bridge to the Plane of Light. Think the MCU's version of the Bifrost. Can go from nearly anywhere on a Material Plane, but they must be in fixed places within the Light Plane.

Human Form: If/when she feels like trying out what a ice cream tastes like.

Light Magic: Heals and warms its users, and can be turned to be used offensively. Most effective against Dark Creatures, but still useful against other targets. Remember, the Lightsaber is the weapon of a Jedi.

Heavenly Flame Magic: The opposite of Chaos Magic. Her white fire burns, but is formed from calmness, logic. It is a fire that illuminates, but can be destructive all the same.

Storm Magic: The point of commonality between Light and Darkness. Electricity is such a useful thing. Due to her original nature as a mechanical being, Dragon's control of it is extraordinarily precise.

Dragon Shape: For when someone or something big really, really needs to be stomped. Is this a copied power? No! It's a completely different kind of dragon!

Resurrection: If slain, turns dormant for a period of time before reviving in a weakened state. Longest possible period is a century. This is common for gods.

Spoiler: Madison's Equipment List

Vampire Killer: A simple hilt attached to a combat whip that can be slung out and controlled by an ingeniously designed retraction system. On the end of the hilt is a silver stake, perfect for killing vampires, werewolves, and lawyers. The weapon is specifically designed to kill creatures of the night, but works on anything quite well and is capable of channeling magic.

Light Magic amulet: Allows its wearer to heal over time. Needs to be fueled by someone capable of putting magic into it, which is currently limited to Dragon and Madison. It doesn't permit Wolverine-style healing, but it lets short fights turn into long ones and wearing one overnight heals even most serious injuries. Can be sped up by forcing the magic to flow more quickly, but that drains the amulet which needs time and attention to recharge.

Seraphic Shoulders: Creates ghostly angelic wings for a few moments, allowing Madison to catch herself in the air or glide.

Heavenly Gauntlet: A black (I know, it clashes!) gauntlet that generates white fire, equal to that of the fires of Hell.

Cyclone Boots: Allows high-speed running, jumping, and as a bonus, permits its wearer to take long falls without breaking their legs. Yes, all she needs is a Portal Gun.

Silver Daggers: Small, easily palmable, and crafted for a nasty surprise attack. Yes, it can hurt a lot to suddenly have a knife in your throat, whether you're a werewolf or not.

Holy Water: Water that's been exposed to sunlight and had Light Magic channeled through it. Does nothing against most people, would really tick off Taylor and Alucard. When used with Light Magic channeled through its user, forms a light-shield to ward off attacks and really tick off vampires.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day four of the quarantine. I had been growing swiftly, utterly, bored. The good news was that nobody, even those in the thick of things, were showing the usual signs of being controlled by the Simurgh. The bad news was there were still a lot of capes to go through.

Still, after a long debriefing and the counting of minutes of the time I was near the Simurgh, I'd gotten my bill of being clean. I could go home.

Unfortunately, I had a complication. Well, more than one. But here was the first.

Mark and Carol Dallon were at my hotel room door. Carol's fists were clenched, while Mark's hands were open. Which would have been reassuring, if I hadn't known he could fill them with his power in a second. Considering how I reacted against Purity's light, I didn't want to risk getting another dose of light-themed powers.

"Where is Victoria!? What have you done with her!?" Carol demanded.

Mark looked angry, despite the tiredness I could easily see draping over him. "If you've hurt Victoria, I swear..."

I sighed to myself and stepped aside from the door, gesturing for them to come in. Both of them did, their postures tense.

I shut the door behind me and held out my empty hands. "First of all, I haven't done anything to Vicky."

Carol snarled. "Bullshit. I just got off the phone with Sarah. Victoria hasn't been home since the Endbringer sirens rang and Amy's body is missing from the hospital. You and that pale hanger-on that's been around were the last people to see them. What have you done with my daughter?"

I rubbed my forehead. I debated what to say. Not whether to tell them the truth, no, but how in such a way that wouldn't end up with an exploded hotel and the final end of every possible Endbringer truce. Finally, I slowly spoke. "First of all, Vicky's fine. As soon as I'm out of here, which will be right after my group is cleared and not just me, so will Vicky."

"You're holding her hostage?" Carol hissed. Mark tensed up beside his wife, a sphere of light appearing in his hand.

"No! By Scion, no!" I said. "Vicky's my friend. I wouldn't hold her anywhere against her will." I sighed again and stepped over to the bed, seating myself on the edge of it. "I'm not your enemy here. Did Vicky tell you of my pocket dimension?"

Carol grimaced.

Mark nodded slowly, extinguishing the sphere. "I read the report given to the PRT."

I nodded in return, glad I didn't have to explain everything. "Vicky's there, in my castle, for personal reasons. I'd take you to them now, if it wasn't for this quarantine. The second I get home, which is likely to be tomorrow morning, so will Vicky."

Mark spoke. "I'll go with you, then."

Carol stared at him. "Mark, no! It could be a trap!"

Mark's eyes were hard. "I'm not going to just let my daughter's life be in the hands of someone else without seeing for myself."

She looked at him for long moments, then nodded slowly. Her steely gaze turned on me. "You had better not be another Marquis."

I shook my head. "I'm not." And I wasn't. Marquis was a supervillain who was taken down some ten years ago, but before then he nearly ran Brockton Bay's crime singlehandedly. I had no intention of being another version of him.

My sneaking ambitions were a bit bigger, honestly. I didn't intend to rule Brockton Bay's underworld.

I was going to make my underworld big, visible, and accepted.


------------------


Then I ran into another complication early that evening.

I stared hard at Meridia. "I should have expected this."

She had the grace to look embarrassed. She wasn't wearing much, just enough to go to the beach and be acceptable. Barely. Her wings were...nonexistent. If I hadn't known better, I'd have thought I was facing 'just' a ridiculously attractive platinum blonde. "I am sorry, My Lady, I did not seek to offend. Had my celebrations disturbed you?"

"I'm more disappointed than anything, Meridia. Did you have fun?" I managed to grind out. The red light above me buzzed annoyingly.

Meridia nodded. "I did, My Lady. The carousing and revelry was a great pleasure to indulge in." She frowned a little. "Although I do not quite understand why I was handed so many slips of paper. I was feeding upon their desires, I did not feel like indulging myself with any single one of them."

Slips of...paper? I held my hand out, narrowing my eyes, and Meridia handed them over.

One, two, three... Twenty five notes of brown Canadian hundred dollar bills.

I looked back at Meridia and handed the money back. "Are you trying to play a prank on me, Meridia? I know this line of work's been around a very long time."

She attempted to look innocent. "I assure you, My Lady, I am not attempting to play a jest upon you at all."

I very slowly looked over at the sign by the door.

Amateur Night! No cover charges! Half price on food and beer! Endbringer down party!

I very slowly looked back, my expression humorless. "I'm not angry that you went out and had a bit of fun, especially since you didn't hurt anybody. What I am angry about is that you didn't tell me. There are things about this world you probably don't know, and a lot could have gone badly. There's a reason why Alucard's normally with me or Vicky."

Meridia's expression changed from innocent to worried. No, wait, she was terrified. She bowed her head, her eyes wide as she shivered. "I am sorry, My Lady. Please, forgive me."

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Forgiven. Just don't do it again."

Relief flooded her features. "You are kind, My Lady. Thank you. A thousand thanks for your mercy, great Scarlet Dragon."

I blinked slowly. Oh. Right. She's used to dealing with Dracul. I didn't have a whole lot from him, but I did guess that there was usually a lot of blood in his punishments. Alright, quick, back on topic. "Have you been checked by the Protectorate yet, Meridia?"

She nodded quickly. "Indeed, My Lady. It was why I was permitted to leave the hospice area."

I hummed a little in thought, then nodded. "Say your goodbyes to the other fighters tonight. We'll return to the Castle in the morning."

Meridia bowed her head with a smile. "My thanks, noble Dragon."

Ugh. I could feel two trains of thought in my head, and worse, neither sounded much like Dracul.

This is going to get tiresome.

Good that the servant knows her place.

I sighed. "And Meridia, please...out in public, you've got to wear more than that."

She looked honestly confused. "But inside the tavern was a public place, My Lady, and my attire was quite common among the other girls."

I ground my teeth. I was way too young for this. "I'll go over these things with you later. For now...ugh. We've got six hours and twenty-five hundred dollars. Buy some stuff you like at the local mall, but no more dancing and no seducing people. And I am coming with you."

She pouted. "Yes, My Lady."


--------------------


And here was complication three.

I was watching the city of Vancouver by night from my window. From here, I didn't have a view of the battleground, but the city seemed still, regardless. It had been wounded, but it still lived, would endure, and would rise again, stronger than before. It was the first city that killed an Endbringer, and hopefully, we would have two more.

I wasn't under any illusions, though. Behemoth and Leviathan were both a lot larger and potentially a lot more problematic. Leviathan destroys entire landmasses and Behemoth's nigh-invulnerable. Dragon form or not, I wasn't quite sure how to approach either one of those two. The battle with the Simurgh showed we can win, permanently. We had to find some way to turn that possibility into a certainty. Or at least as close to one as possible.

There was a knock on my door. I sighed to myself and stomped over, opening it.

And I blinked as I saw a woman wearing all white bodysuit, a white ski mask covering her hair and mouth. The immediate area around her eyes were glowing, however, if faintly. Just enough to make me wince on looking at it. I could feel my skin reacting, responding rather badly to exposure to her light. I remembered that feeling. Ow.

"Purity." I spoke.

She nodded. "May I come in? I want to talk."

Oh dammit. How many people were going to bother me until I left? I sighed and nodded, stepping behind the door. Purity came in, and I shut the door behind me.

As soon as the door shut, she extinguished her light and sat on the edge of the hotel bed. "I heard the rumor you were leaving tonight."

I nodded. "Well, tomorrow morning, but I've got to get back home. I have affairs to attend to."

Purity mulled that over and nodded. "Understandable. I...wanted to thank you. You got hurt, badly, saving my life during the battle. If you hadn't..."

I crossed my arms, folding my wings on my back carefully. "I saw you falling. I didn't think, I just acted. I didn't know I'd get hurt doing it, but....yeah. You're welcome."

There was an awkward silence for a moment.

Then Purity spoke again, quietly. "Kaiser's been trying to get me back into the Empire. I remember how you were during the meeting at Somer's Rock. You looked...different, but confident. Dangerous. He wanted you either on his side or out of the way. After what you did here, though...you scared the whole damn Empire. Losing Stormtiger during the fight's only made things more precarious for them."

I raised an eyebrow. "Them?"

Purity shook her head. "Yeah, them. I joined when I was young and stupid. Kaiser's charismatic and charming, and...it's a series of small steps. Make a few friends, turns out they're in a gang, but good to you. They make your life a bit better. Then they start talking, and because you don't like to rock the boat, you slowly begin to agree. Then you find yourself glaring at people just because they've got darker skin. Then hurting them." Purity looked down at her hands, her tone a bit distant. "Before you know it, you're exactly what everyone else reviles."

That...sounded familiar.

There are very few who plunge into darkness all at once.

I shut my eyes. I needed to get at the answers from Dracul. Taking on the dragon form helped me get at things a bit (okay, a lot, sometimes it felt like he wouldn't shut up), but these little snippets weren't really enough.

Yet another reason I needed to get back to the castle.

I took a deep breath and spoke. "So why tell me this, Purity?"

She looked at me, shame in her blue eyes. "Simple. I want it so that when she grows up, my daughter can be proud of me. I want away from Kaiser, and there aren't very many safe places from him. The Empire's got support from overseas, I go just about anywhere and he'll find a way to hunt us down. But if you make Brockton Bay yours, and you gave that impression during the meeting...he's likely to think twice."

I blinked. Purity's a mom?

Okay. That much made sense. I can get that motivation. I was just stumbling a bit over the fact that someone who joined a Neo-Nazi organization was....well, human. I knew intellectually it wasn't so, but there was a part of me that kinda thought that Empire members just kind of popped out of pure malevolence in the air.

And I know, I had no room to talk. I'm a frickin' vampire and all that. I could feel the various bits of someone who did a a ton of dark and terrible deeds in the back of my head, and even he wasn't a cackling evil overlord.

Well, not just a cackling evil overlord. I could feel a great many regrets, loss, sorrow, and pity within the faint memories I had of the man. That they were often buried underneath so much rage and hatred didn't mean he didn't have those emotions. Even Dracul sympathised with Purity, from the tiny bits of the man I could feel out right now.

I took a deep breath. "I intend to clean up the Bay. That means hitting the Merchants, Coil, and the Empire." I held up a hand as Purity's mask shifted, likely from opening her mouth. "Not asking for your help. I'm not going to turn it down, but... in my view, a daughter needs a mother. You really want to turn yourself around?"

She nodded once, resolutely.

I smiled slightly. "Then I think we can come to an arrangement about the city. I'd rather it be a nice place to live, rather than a hellhole."

Oddly enough, the legions of the damned in my castle were going to make that easier. You know your city's got problems when the addition of demons is likely to improve things.

At least, they probably would after I taught the intelligent ones some social mores. I had this vision of Meridia setting up a brothel after getting permission to leave the Castle for more than twenty minutes. On the plus side, nobody would be pressing a succubus into slavery. Except me, apparently, but I wasn't going to be forcing them to be anything other than being civilized.

Purity looked at me, her blue eyes considering. Finally she nodded. "Regardless...thank you. She still has a mother because of you."

She got up and headed for the door.

I spoke just before she reached it. "Kaiser's her father, isn't he?"

She stopped. Her silence was all the answer I needed.

I sighed. "Oh dammit, this is a mess."

She managed to chuckle softly, her body beginning to glow slightly. "Such is my life." And she walked out.


--------------------


"All right." I clapped my hands. Standing with me on the rooftop were Madison, Meridia, Carol, and Mark. "Just about time to head on home. Well, Castlevania first, then home."

Meridia looked amused, once more clad in her red armor, both hands full of shopping bags. I really wasn't surprised she'd managed to make the most of it. "Castlevania is your home, My Lady."

Carol nearly snarled at me. "Let's get this over with."

I raised a finger. "We've actually got one more person who's coming."

I waited a moment, then there was a whine of an engine as Dragon flew in, landing on the rooftop. I smiled and gave her a bow.

Her head bowed in turn. "Good to see you again, Scarlet." She looked to Carol and Mark. "Last minute additions?"

I nodded, making a helpless shrug. "Pretty much. It's complicated. Like...well, everything in my life right now."

Her golden head tilted. "Indeed, indeed.."

Meridia frowned a little. "I must admit, it seems...very strange, to be inviting the Lady of Light into Castlevania, My Lady. The animosity between Dracul and the Phoenix ran very deep." She looked at Dragon, swallowing hard. "Not that you are unwelcome, of course. Simply..."

Madison grinned. "Meridia, this is called 'digging yourself deeper.' I suggest stopping now."

Mark looked back and forth, confusion on his face.

Carol gritted her teeth. "Sometime today?"

I sighed and shook my head. I turned to Dragon and smiled wryly. "I hope your life is more manageable than mine."

Dragon's head lifted, a slight undercurrent of laughter in her voice. "I think I'll figure something out."

I turned and opened a shadow portal. I simply had nothing left to say.

Dragon watched it form and approached the portal carefully, examining it. "Interesting. Very interesting. Hang on a moment, let me try something." She carefully took a step back, turned around, then moved a foreleg.

Nothing happened.

Dragon's voice was thoughtful. "Hmm...I'll need to mess with it later."

I raised an eyebrow. "Um...what are you trying to do, Dragon?"

Dragon's metallic form shrugged. "Trying to see if I can open my own path. The portal you made's twinging on my ideas somewhat, but I'm not quite sure how to make it work." Her voice made a clucking sound. "Which is annoying. Hardware upgrade I'm not used to yet."

I nodded slowly. "I'm guessing it's a fair difference." I clapped my hands. "Well, let's head on in. We've got things to attend to."

Madison twirled the handle of her whip. "Just keep an eye on the critters. I'd rather not get into a fight if I can help it."

"Critters?" Carol asked, her hand glowing. "I thought you said the castle was safe."

I looked over my shoulder, while standing right at the entrance to the portal. "It is. For me, and Vicky."

Not sure about for you. I didn't say.


--------------------


We emerged into the Portal Room. Dragon stopped as soon as she came through.

I turned to look. "You all right, there?"

The head of her suit tilted. "I can't access the internet from here. It's...disorienting."

Meridia tilted her head. "Internet?"

Madison grinned, her lips visible beneath the closed visor of her helmet. "Oh, geez. We let the succubus on the net and we'll never see her again."

The sound of footsteps drew my attention. Death was approaching, his shoes clicking on the tiled floor, once again appearing as an old man.

Dragon stopped on seeing him. So did Madison. My former bully looked tense, gripping the handle of her whip. Carol and Mark simply looked confused.

Death made a bow, a small smile on his face. "Welcome back to Castlevania, Taylor." He bowed to Mark and Carol. "Carol Dallon, a pleasure to meet you in person. Mark Dallon, I am glad to see you in good health this night." He grinned at Meridia. "I see you had fun on the Material."

Meridia chuckled, raising her shopping bags. "Oh, very much so, Great Lord. I'm looking forward to being granted leave to having my own place outside the Castle." She nodded to me. "When My Lady allows."

Dragon stomped her way closer to Death. "I saw you before, when I was...I have a lot to ask."

Death simply smiled. "Indeed, and I will answer as best I can. But first, to business."

Dragon nodded slowly. I couldn't get more than that, because, well, metal head on what used to be just a suit.

Death turned to me. "Victoria and Alucard await you." He then looked to Carol and Mark. "There is someone you need to see, as well. I am currently informing her of the matter."

Dragon's voice was curious. "What?"

Madison gently touched Dragon's shoulder. "I think we'd better show you, my li...er, Dragon." She huffed softly. "Sorry. Feels like a habit in the back of my head."

The Dallons stood still for a moment, confused. Carol turned to me. "What are you trying to pull?"

I winced. "It's complicated. Let's just...get this over with, so you can murder me cleanly."


--------------------


I knocked on the door to the opulent bedroom. Vicky yanked it open, gave me a smile, then looked over my shoulder and rushed to her parents, hugging them tightly. "You're back, you're back! The white bitch didn't hurt you!"

Carol returned it, her mask of anger broken for the moment. "Oh Vicky, are you okay!? She didn't hurt you, did she?"

Vicky's voice was indignant. "I'm fine! Perfectly fine, I've been a guest here!"

Mark kissed Vicky's cheek. I smiled slightly, sighing a little under my breath.

Then Mark looked past me and his face went white. He made a choking sound, which drew Carol's attention. Her mouth dropped open and she released Vicky.

There stood Alucard, this time wearing a black, if antique shirt beneath his coat.

His hand rested gently on Amy's shoulder. I could see his fingers squeeze reassuringly. Amy looked at her parents nervously, wearing a flowing black dress. She was pale, and her eyes were a blazing, bright blue.

"Hi Mom, hi Dad?" She said nervously, showing just slightly pointed canine teeth as she spoke.

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[SirWill]

A/N: Given the circumstances, it's understandable why Carol's on a short fuse. Not flattering, but the right buttons have been pushed. It ain't easy to get over someone you trusted screwing you over, even when you never should have trusted them in the first place.

Stockholm Syndrome? Nasty thing.

Spoiler: Taylor's Complete Power List

Blood manipulation: Self only, but extremely versatile. Basis of the Shadow Whip, Shadow Daggers, and other things.

Short-range teleportation: Draining, but not limited to line of sight.

Bat Travel: Turns into dozens of bats and back again. Rather confusing, but helpful for mobility.

Strength: Insanely high at full strength. Not as strong as some capes, but up there. M1 Abrams out of gas? I'll just push them to the gas station.

Durability: Begins low, becomes stronger and harder to injure.

Vampiric Healing: Heals perfectly as long as there is blood to fuel the repairs. Can be slowed by various means.

Grace. Allows limited floating, superhuman dodging ability, and balance. Unlocked!

Flight: I believe I can touch the sky. (Locked)

Possession: Turns into blood, flows into some poor bastard, controls them for a period (hours at most) and when they die they explode into chunky bits. The blood has a toxic effect, so anyone possessed is doomed. (Barring unusual biology.) Unlocked!

Fleshcrafting: Feeling a little vain? Want a whole new hair color, a bigger bust, shaplier hips, or claws to rend the flesh of your enemies? Subscribe to Vamp-New-You today! (Permits the vampire to alter their own flesh permanently at some cost to their blood. Does not permit changing of bone structure. Cannot be used on others.) Unlocked!

Mist form: Near invulnerable mist. No mere prison can hold thee. Unless they put in a fan to blow you back in. (Locked)

Telekinesis: Small objects, weak, but useful. Now I don't need to get up to flick the light switch! (Locked)

Wolf form: I can run fast, I can track down my foes from the smallest drops of blood, I will never stop, never tire, and IS THAT BACON?! (Locked)

Shadow Portal: Opens a gate to the Plane of Shadow, where Castlevania resides. Shadow Portals can be made nearly anywhere on a Material Plane, but they must be in fixed places within the Plane of Shadow. Unlocked!

Dominate: (Not the soul-using thing) Control over others. Takes effort, and can only do so to a few at a time. Repeated and lengthy exposure, however, can make things last longer, until they are permanently enthralled. Can be resisted with willpower and can be no-selled by various techniques/powers.(Locked)

Bat Summon: Bat Summon: Gather swarms of bats to do thy bidding. They will follow the will of the Lady of Darkness without hesitation. Not as flexible as the Queen Administrator shard. The awareness of each bat is basic, and commands must be given to the entire swarm at once. I'm the goddamn Batman. Unlocked!

Monstrous Form: Accesses a portion of the power available to the Scarlet Dragon's mightiest shape, while retaining the flexibility afforded by a humanoid form. However, it is clearly inhuman. Unlocked!

Void Magic: Basis of the Void Sword. Drains life from its victims, heals and invigorates the wielder, and brings about an absolute chill. Unlocked!

Chaos Magic: Control and manipulation of hellfire. Many can use it, but few can project it. Forms the Chaos Claws. Unlocked!

Storm Magic: Now you will feel the full power of the Dark Side, young Skywalker. (Locked)

Weather manipulation: Can control the weather to some degree, whether that is summoning or banishing clouds, or building up power to make a simple cloudy day into an actual storm. It cannot, however, bring warmth or cold on its own. She can't make a blizzard in the tropics or turn Antarctica into prime beachfront property. She can just make it sunny, cloudy, or rainy. Or snowy if the time of year's right.

Dragon Shape: The mightiest form of the Heir of Dracul. Becomes a massive red dragon, standing at thirty feet tall. Can access amplified versions of currently unlocked magic, as well as other powers while in the form. However, it is an immense strain to hold the shape for very long. And it is not exactly friendly-looking at first glance. Godzilla (or whatever epic music of your choice!) is highly recommended.

Resurrection: If slain, turns dormant for a period of time before reviving in a weakened state. Longest possible period is a century.

Spoiler: Alucard's Complete Power List

Strength: Insanely high at full strength. Not as strong as Taylor's potential, but certainly enough to be highly dangerous to a well-trained human.

Durability: Begins low, becomes stronger and harder to injure.

Vampiric Healing: Heals perfectly as long as there is blood to fuel the repairs. Can be slowed by various means.

Grace. Allows limited floating, superhuman dodging ability, and balance.

Demonic Wings: Permits him to glide with feathery, though twisted, wings.

Mist form: Near invulnerable mist. No mere prison can hold thee. Unless they put in a fan to blow you back in.

Wolf form: I can run fast, I can track down my foes from the smallest drops of blood, I will never stop, never tire, and IS THAT BACON?!

Chaos Magic: Alucard's is not as strong as his father's, but his skill with it is extraordinary. He can use it to teleport short distances and throw fireballs, although it is limited by line of sight and distance. (The classic SotN Hellfire spell.)

Spectral Wolf: Similar to the wolf shape, however it is ethereal and impossible to injure. Alucard can use it to teleport from one location to another by sending the wolf forward, then replacing it. Or he can simply use it to scout and dissolve it.

Crissaegrim abilities: A wickedly dangerous blade Alucard forged with the materials of three legendary weapons. It permits him to enshroud it with both Void and Chaos magic, as well as being extremely lethal to both holy and unholy opponents.

Resurrection: If slain, turns dormant for a period of time before reviving in a weakened state. Unlike Dracul's counterpart power, he would arise in a century unless the process was sped along by blood. He would also arise in a more corpse-like state until he managed to feed.

Spoiler: Dragon's Magic Power List

Steel Crafting: Self only. Able to mold current avatar however she likes. Tends to prefer a dragon shape, as...well, she's Dragon.

Teleportation: Flashes out of existence in one place and reappears in another. Line of sight limited, but not distance-wise. Yes. This is overpowered. Limited to (naturally) light-speed maximum.

Light Form: Turns into a bright solid light construct. This is difficult to maintain, but difficult to injure..

Strength: DRAGON SMASH!

Durability: Anybody remember that scene in Superman Returns when the bullet bounces off his eye? No? Nobody? Well, it's kinda like that.

Healing: Can grant to self or others, and does not need an outside source. Wounds (or damage) heals rapidly.

Flight: I could touch the sky before I changed into a goddess. Now I just don't need to spend any effort!

Hard-Light constructs: Eat your heart out in jealousy, Green Lantern! My constructs don't get broken by lemonade!

Telekinesis: Use the Force, Luke. Stronger than Taylor's version. Not Ziz-strength, but it's up there.

Light Bridge: Opens a...uh, bridge to the Plane of Light. Think the MCU's version of the Bifrost. Can go from nearly anywhere on a Material Plane, but they must be in fixed places within the Light Plane.

Human Form: If/when she feels like trying out what a ice cream tastes like.

Light Magic: Heals and warms its users, and can be turned to be used offensively. Most effective against Dark Creatures, but still useful against other targets. Remember, the Lightsaber is the weapon of a Jedi.

Heavenly Flame Magic: The opposite of Chaos Magic. Her white fire burns, but is formed from calmness, logic. It is a fire that illuminates, but can be destructive all the same.

Storm Magic: The point of commonality between Light and Darkness. Electricity is such a useful thing. Due to her original nature as a mechanical being, Dragon's control of it is extraordinarily precise.

Dragon Shape: For when someone or something big really, really needs to be stomped. Is this a copied power? No! It's a completely different kind of dragon!

Resurrection: If slain, turns dormant for a period of time before reviving in a weakened state. Longest possible period is a century. This is common for gods.

Spoiler: Madison's Equipment List

Vampire Killer: A simple hilt attached to a combat whip that can be slung out and controlled by an ingeniously designed retraction system. On the end of the hilt is a silver stake, perfect for killing vampires, werewolves, and lawyers. The weapon is specifically designed to kill creatures of the night, but works on anything quite well and is capable of channeling magic.

Light Magic amulet: Allows its wearer to heal over time. Needs to be fueled by someone capable of putting magic into it, which is currently limited to Dragon and Madison. It doesn't permit Wolverine-style healing, but it lets short fights turn into long ones and wearing one overnight heals even most serious injuries. Can be sped up by forcing the magic to flow more quickly, but that drains the amulet which needs time and attention to recharge.

Seraphic Shoulders: Creates ghostly angelic wings for a few moments, allowing Madison to catch herself in the air or glide.

Heavenly Gauntlet: A black (I know, it clashes!) gauntlet that generates white fire, equal to that of the fires of Hell.

Cyclone Boots: Allows high-speed running, jumping, and as a bonus, permits its wearer to take long falls without breaking their legs. Yes, all she needs is a Portal Gun.

Silver Daggers: Small, easily palmable, and crafted for a nasty surprise attack. Yes, it can hurt a lot to suddenly have a knife in your throat, whether you're a werewolf or not.

Holy Water: Water that's been exposed to sunlight and had Light Magic channeled through it. Does nothing against most people, would really tick off Taylor and Alucard. When used with Light Magic channeled through its user, forms a light-shield to ward off attacks and really tick off vampires.

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I stepped aside as Mark barreled forward, wrapping Amy in a tight hug. I could see Amy shudder as she returned it, a slight sob escaping her.

Carol, on the other hand, seemed frozen. She stumbled her way into the room itself and pressed her back up against the wall, her fists clenched. "Wha-what? Amy?"

Amy broke the hug with Mark, turning to Carol and nodding, nervousness and fear on her face. "Yeah. I'm okay now. Different, but okay."

Vicky approached her mother, taking her hand and squeezing it. "I wasn't going to leave my sister, Mom. We weren't sure when or...if, she'd manage to recover. That's why we didn't tell you or aunt Sarah."

Carol swallowed hard. She looked at me, then back at Amy, and managed to speak, her voice filled with disbelief and worry. "Othala said you were dead."

Amy ducked her head. "I am. Sort of."

I stepped next to Amy, wrapping my arm around her shoulder as I spoke. "I wasn't about to let my friend die, Missus Dallon. I am sorry I kept this from you, but...honestly I didn't know if it was going to work."

Mark stared at me, his gaze hard, but his hands were trembling. "What did you do?"

I sighed and looked at Amy. She looked back and nodded. I lengthened my fangs as I spoke. "I gave Amy a chance at surviving. I am a vampire. I woke up in my coffin on April fourth. And now, Amy is too. She was poisoned when she accidentally swallowed some of my blood. If I hadn't turned her, she would be dead. Really dead. And I couldn't damn well let that happen if I could do something about it." I nodded to Madison. "I hoped Paladin's amulets would heal her, but they failed. Othala arrived too late. It was this or death, and I let Amy make the choice."

Amy lengthened her fangs, then gave a nervous smile. "Surprise? I'm okay, it's not ideal, but I'm here. I'm safe, and I'm really me. I'm not under Mastery, and I'm not going to hurt anyone if I can help it."

Vicky spoke then, her voice hard. "Mom. Please. Amy's here. She's not dead, and while she's not as she used to be, if you throw her out over this, I'm going too."

Carol slumped down against the wall, a hysterical laugh escaping her. "You say you nearly killed my daughter, then you help her by changing her... This is insane." She took long moments to stare at Amy, her hands clenching and unclenching. Carol looked to me, then Amy, then Vicky, and back again. Finally, she shook herself, and spoke slowly. "I'm not throwing either of you out. It's just...this is too much, too fast. What the hell happened?"

I sighed and began to talk.


--------------------


Long explanations. I was getting tired of them. Mark and Carol looked disbelieving as I went through everything about what I knew about my powers. I didn't tell them everything about what happened, but hopefully the broad strokes would be enough. Considering everything though...we still had trouble convincing them. Stupid parahuman powers out there being able to do just about everything I did. If not all at once.

"Vampires." Carol said flatly.

Alucard nodded. "Vampires indeed."

Mark shook his head, looking pale. "You're sure it's not some...odd parahuman package?"

I shrugged to myself. "Call it what you want. The important point now, though, is that Amy is one now."

Carol looked at Amy, swallowing. She looked to be at a loss. The earlier anger and worry looked to have been drained away. Now it was just...guilt, stress, pain.

Dragon's voice filled the room from her place at the doorframe. Apparently she wasn't quite able to get into the room with the size of her metallic body. At least, not with the rest of us in it. "It's true. I'm not seeing any body heat from Amy, just the ambient heat of the room. Just the same with Scarlet and Alucard."

I sighed and rubbed my face. "Just Taylor is fine here, Dragon. I'm not going to hide behind a facade with the Dallons. They deserve better."

Carol looked at me and nodded slowly. "This is still insane."

Alucard smiled slightly. "The sanity of the matter is irrelevant, I am afraid. These things are true, regardless."

Meridia cleared her throat by the door. "I apologize if I'm intruding. But dinner among the Castle's servants is about to commence. If it would please My Lady, we could provide a meal for our guests in the dining hall?"

I blinked. I had a dining hall? I gave Meridia a nod. "That's...probably a good idea."


--------------------


Apparently, I have a dining hall. It was a fantastically large room, the floors covered in polished wood, the walls made of black marble. The main table large enough to handle fifty guests. I noticed a lot of portraits up on the walls, showing many different and varied figures. There didn't seem to be much of a commonality to them at first, as only a few of them looked vaguely human.

I only realized the connection when I saw my own portrait at the end, in my current, demonic shape. That meant the others had to be the previous Lords of Darkness, if my guess was right. I took a moment to look at the portrait next to mine. A pale man, wearing an all-black outfit, embroidered in gold and his hair a snowy-white.

Dracul. It was weird to see his face. I'd gotten used to the idea that he was just some nebulous, ghostly presence and always had been.

I sat at the head of the table, musing a bit to myself. To my right sat Amy, Alucard, Dragon and Madison. Though Dragon wasn't sitting on a chair as much as just resting by the table. On my left was Vicky, Carol, and Mark. Death stood by the entrance, looking stoic.

Meridia nearly bounced on her feet as she set down a goblet filled with blood in front of me, before she took a plate from the kitchen and took a seat for herself. Around us hovered quite a number of succubi, dressed in serving outfits (and somehow making them look sexy despite the uniforms themselves being frumpy.) They ran back and forth from the kitchens, giggling laughter managing to reach us. Apparently, succubi made excellent cooks and assistants. I guess it made sense if you were a bit loose with your definition of 'lust.'

Though the Head Cook was...odd. Maybe not by the Castle's standards, but certainly by mine before this whole thing started.

Carol looked at her plate, pushing a bit of the food around. "Are you sure this is safe?"

Meridia bowed her head to Carol. "It has been a long time since we've had mortal guests here, Lady Dallon, but we have not forgotten how to cater." She smiled at Vicky. "Lady Victoria has been quite helpful with certain suggestions, although we do not have the equipment for certain things just yet."

Vicky sighed with exasperation, gently patting her mother's shoulder. "It's fine. I've been eating here all week. They're good!"

Mark hesitantly cut a side of the beef, then tried it. He blinked and nodded. "Damn."

Carol looked back and forth between me and Amy, conflicting emotions warring away in her eyes. Suspicion chiefly among them. From the look of things, I wasn't quite as bad as she thought. Finally, she took a sample of her own food, blinked, and nodded. Meridia finally sat down next to Dragon, giving the steel avatar a nod of respect.

There was a slight whirring sound, a cloud of black smoke forming and dissipating in an instant, leaving a three foot tall fat little dwarf. His head was huge, round, his eyes were black, and he seemed to be perpetually smiling.

"Is the meal to everyone's satisfaction?" He chirped, a hint of mischief in his voice.

Alucard rose his goblet. "Thank you, Chupacabras. Things are well."

"Excellent!" He beamed, then bowed to me. "It is good to have such a fair and merciful Lady upon the throne, your Excellency. Can we provide anything?"

I looked around at the table. As heads were shaken by all, I gave him a nod. "I think we're good here for now, thank you."

"I live to serve, Great Dragon!" He chirped. In a puff of smoke, he vanished.

Carol spoke slowly, her face troubled. "Your servants are....strange."

I made a helpless shrug. "I inherited the position, it seems. But they're used to a much more tyrannical leader. I think they're trying to get used to me being...well, nice."

Mark tilted his head, definite concern on his face. "Why lead them at all? Why not let them do what they want?"

Alucard barked out a laugh. "That would be very unwise, Lord Dallon. The creatures of this castle are formed from emotions and passions, given form and substance by the Shadow Plane. They are born and exist in a different way than mortals are born. While one can become a demon, most demons were never human. They have the light of reason and knowledge within them." He nodded to Dragon, then Meridia. The succubus didn't seem to be offended, in the middle of a bite from her own meal.

Alucard continued. "But their balance is different than that of mortals. It is the same for vampires, and anything else here, in truth. There are quite a few denizens of this castle that could get along just fine in mortal society, but there are creatures of rage and hatred here as well. They must be kept in check. Unlimited freedom for them leads to very bad ends."

I nodded. "I am intending to give some freedom here, but a complicating factor is that not everything here's all that intelligent." I gestured toward Alucard. "When we first met, he was fighting one of the creatures here, and it wouldn't stand down when I warned it. I'm not going to give free reign to things that are going to eat people or set them on fire. And I'm not going to just kill them all, either."

Dragon spoke then, curiosity in her tone. "How flexible is this place? I'm having trouble mapping it. It's like I'm getting shifting corridors through my infrasonic pings."

I shook my head. "You kinda are. The Castle's...weird. It reshapes itself to its own wants and needs. I can ask it to do things, and it's rather helpful."

Meridia smiled, speaking with amusement. "Castlevania likes to play pranks, sometimes. She can be the most hospitable castle in the world or a gauntlet of death traps and monstrous beings. However, she is always helpful to her citizens. Of which Amy is now one."

Carol and Mark shared an uncertain glance. Mark spoke first. "So what does that mean for my daughter?"

Carol opened her mouth, then closed it and nodded.

I shrugged, looking to Amy. "That's up to her." Meridia moved to talk, but I gave the succubus a glare. "I'm not going to force anybody to do anything. The trouble is that we don't know a lot of things about how strong Amy is, her weaknesses... I don't like the sun much, but I'm strong enough that it's just an irritation." I gave a nod to Alucard.

He picked up the cue. "Whereas I needed to spend two centuries pushing my powers to protect me from the sun. Even now, it is unpleasant for me to spend long periods in, and should I linger too long, it would end me. When I first arose, it was deadly to me. I do not believe it would be of any help to anyone if she were to be exposed to the light and burn away."

Carol looked at me, taking a deep breath before she spoke with an icy tone. "Can you fix this? I won't let this stand as it is. You've hurt us badly and I won't just let you run roughshod over my daughters."

Amy slammed her hand on the table. "Why don't you talk to me for once!?" Her blue eyes flared before she took a deep breath, visibly steeling herself as she looked at Carol. "This is done, Mom. It can't be changed or turned back. Taylor didn't want to hurt me, just as I didn't want to hurt her. I took in some of her blood when I accidentally forced her to change into how she is now. I tried to help her, and I put her through more pain than anything ever had before. All of this has been an accident. She saved my life. If you're going to treat her like a villain, then just say so."

Carol's expression hardened, but she took a deep, shuddering breath. Finally, she spoke quietly. "Is there somewhere I can go to think?"

Death spoke from his place by the door. "I will provide a guest room for you and your husband."

Carol got up and went with Death. The rest of us ate and drank in silence, aside from Dragon, who simply seemed pensive.



--------------------



I sat with Amy in my study (I have a study!), giving her a slight smile. "It's good to see you're up and about. How are you feeling?"

She smiled in return, rubbing her hands together. "Well. This is awkward. I feel...odd. Everything's intense. Good and bad. A drink of blood is..."

I smiled at that. "Yeah. Way better than anything from before. Better than anything has any right to be."

Amy nodded, looking embarrassed. "Yeah. Alucard's been showing me some things. My power feels...different, too." She narrowed her eyes in concentration, and her features reshaped themselves. It was disturbing to look at, but after a few moments, an exact duplicate of Vicky was sitting across from me.

I looked her over with interest, tilting my head. "Wow. How far does that go?"

Amy-Vicky shrugged, her voice still sounding like Amy's. "Skin deep. I can't replicate powers, apparently, but I can look like anyone I have a good memory of." She blushed a bit. "Vicky's easy, because...well, you know."

I nodded. "Yeah." The discussion on the beach, when I first gained this demonic shape. That was an awkward topic. I decided to ask gently. "Has...that changed?"

Amy-Vicky frowned, shaking her head. "No. I don't feel her aura anymore, which is...blissful. But...yeah. It's...really, really difficult sometimes. Especially since things seem all amplified." She bit her lip as she looked at me. "Has it been that way for you?"

I shrugged. "I think so? When I first woke up, I felt a bit unstable. Hyper, then depressed, on top of the world one moment and crashing into despair at the next. It hasn't really died down, there, I'm just a bit more used to it." I frowned a little. "Well, that, and the use of some of my powers helps shift my emotional focus a bit. The sword's useful for helping me think clearly. If, um, ruthlessly."

Amy nodded, smiling a little shyly. It was weird to see that on Vicky's face. It seemed off. Still, that was a neat ability.

I grinned as a thought occurred to me. "Want to see something cool?"

Amy nodded, a hint of a smile on her lips.

I concentrated on my shape, thinking disguise all the while, and my body responded. After a moment, I could feel myself painlessly shifting, my wings folding up and shrinking into my back. In a few moments, I was back to being plain Taylor again.

Amy watched the change with fascination. "Wow." She breathed. "Back to normal, huh? What was keeping you stuck?"

I shrugged. "State of mind, really. I guess we're supposed to be predators in one way, and using an ordinary human shape's a way of camouflaging. Helps that I'm a lot stronger, now. I figured out how to use my powers at their fullest. Won't be as easy going forward, but I'm able to."

Amy tilted her head. "Strongest power?"

I flushed a bit. "Uh...yeah. Turns out, I'm kinda famous for helping kill the Simurgh. As a big red dragon."

Amy blinked. "I heard the killing part, but the dragon part? Can you show me?"

I grinned. "Maybe in a bit. I'd kinda wreck the room if I changed here. And the hallway."

She giggled. "Not sure the castle would like that."

"Yep. I might be the ruler here, but I'm not going to mess the place up if I can help it."

The door knocked. I called out. "Come on in."

It swung open, and Vicky came in with a smile. "I have got to show you something, Red, I..." She stopped and blinked on seeing Amy, still wearing Vicky's shape. And blinked again. Finally, she sighed and looked at me. "Red, should I know something, here? Cause if you've got the hots for me, it's fine, but dressing my sister up like me is kinda creepy. And when did you get to be...well, you again?"

Amy rapidly shifted back to her normal self. "Vicky!"

Huh. Vampires can blush after all, at least if the heat in my face and the red in Amy's was any indication.


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[SirWill]

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Carol sat in a rather comfortable chair, looking out the window.

Below was a rather large courtyard, where she could see those red golems standing at attention. Before them and around them swarmed creatures, and while it was difficult to see exactly what they were from up here, it was plain that they weren't exactly human. Three foot tall green creatures scampered about, cleaning and polishing the red metal until it gleamed in the moonlight. Other, twelve foot tall gray beasts worked on fixing combat damage on other golems, melting steel blocks in their hands and slapping it onto the damaged parts, then molding the molten metal as if it were clay.

It was interesting to watch in its own way, but one thought kept rising in the back of her head.

Marquis would have done anything to rule here.

Everything about Taylor was pushing those memories to the fore. Marquis had been such a huge part of her life that it was difficult to set aside. It didn't help that Amy had come from that troubled time.

It wasn't that Marquis was worse than any of the other groups. It was that his veneer of civility, having rules and respectability, that made him dangerous in a way that Allfather hadn't been. Sure, if you joined Marquis, you were a criminal. But you were also romanticised in a way that the Empire Eighty-Eight could only yearn for. Most people in the Bay feared the Empire, but few respected them.

Marquis was both feared and respected. It enabled him to get away with things that would have brought down the hammer from elsewhere.

When she'd first met Taylor, it was brief, and fine. Just an ordinary, shy-looking girl coming along while Victoria and Amy went to have a night out. Carol had been glad to see Victoria expanding her circle of friends, and while she'd always had some trouble giving Amy any room, Carol had forced herself to take a step back.

"Mom, enough! I'm bulletproof now! Nobody is going to hurt me, so just give me some space! Give us some space. Can't you see how stifling it is here?"

Carol squeezed the dinner plate in her hands hard. "All right. I don't like it, but all right. But until you've got a place, Amy's not leaving. She's too important. Too many people would want to kidnap her for her power. Do you have any idea how much damage someone like Lung could do if he had the world's greatest healer on his side?"

It had been a lie, but not just one to her daughter. But also one to herself.

Small fists hammered at Carol's leg. "Don't do it! Don't take my daddy away! He's not a bad man, he's not! You're lying!"

"Amelia, stop." Marquis spoke quietly, in a tone Carol had never expected to hear from the man. His voice was filled with love and gentleness. "They will take care of you. I can't take care of you anymore. I am sorry, my treasure."

Amelia ran to her wounded father, hugging him desperately. Her eyes pierced Carol's heart. "Please, don't hurt my daddy anymore, please!"

Sarah's hand gently squeezed Carol's shoulder. "We can't leave her alone. If she goes into the foster system, Allfather or the Teeth are going to find her fast."

Carol looked at Sarah, gritting her teeth. "Can you take care of her, then?"

Sarah shook her head. "I've already got two kids, Brandish. Things are tight as they are. I haven't got the room or energy for her. Things will be okay. You'll grow to love her."

Marquis' voice spoke then. "Please. I'll let you take me in, I won't fight, just please take care of my daughter. She's an innocent in all of this."

Mark extinguished the sphere of light in his hand and looked to Carol.

Slowly, Carol nodded. She already knew she would regret it.

Every time Carol had looked at Amy, she hadn't seen her daughter. She saw Marquis' daughter. And when she had suddenly, impossibly, taken ill, all Carol could think about was how badly she'd treated the girl over the years. Overwhelmed or not, Sarah would have been a better parent for Amelia Lavere. Even Victoria, headstrong and full of energy, her little princess, knew it. When things had gotten better for Sarah, Carol had been so tempted to just drop Amy onto the Pelhams.

But it was Vicky who kept Carol from giving in to that impulse.

"Get out! I hate you I hate you!" Amelia yelled, stomping her feet.

Carol clenched her fists. "I'm not asking you to like this, Amy. But I won't have you running away! Your father is gone. That house is empty, even if you got there! We're here to help you. But you can't just sneak out at night like this, it's dangerous!" Four months and all she could see was him. It wasn't Amy's fault, she knew that intellectually, but the girl had proven crafty and sneaky all the same. Always trying to find a way to escape and get back to her father.

That Marquis was now in the Birdcage wasn't anything the little girl wanted to hear. She didn't understand. How could she?

Carol looked down as someone poked her in the knee. Vicky stood there in her pajamas, rubbing her eyes. She felt her heart melting as Vicky spoke sleepily. "Why are you mad at Ames, Mom?"

"I'm not." Carol said. And she wasn't. She was mad at Marquis for putting her into this position. She couldn't trust his daughter to do what she asked. She couldn't even trust Vicky to do what she asked, but Amelia was twenty times worse.

Vicky frowned on her little face, barged into Amelia's room and hugged her tight. Amelia stiffened, then started crying. "Wanna go home."

Vicky hugged Amelia tighter. "I wanna help you make this a home. I'll be your bestest sister ever. I'll be there for you forever."

The brown-haired girl just sobbed into Vicky's shoulder. Carol unclenched her hands and turned away. She wasn't any help here.

Carol never had really opened up. She couldn't. Sarah might have been able to recover from the moment of betrayal, but Carol couldn't. During those two weeks of captivity, held hostage by those men, she'd tricked herself into feeling safe with her captors. The moment they came in to kill her and her sister...that turned everything on its head. She married Mark because she loved him, but she loved him because he was safe. He cared about Carol, and Victoria, and even Amy...but most of the time he was like a dormant volcano. The way he'd been acting over the last week was because of the changed routine of being out of the house made it easier to take his pills.

A part of Carol didn't like that. A small, selfish, ugly part she wasn't proud of. Her active husband wasn't one she knew how to predict. She wanted him happy, but that meant she couldn't control what was going to happen.

She hated that above all. Lack of control. It made her feel like she was in that little room again, trapped with her sister.

Victoria was safe because she was born of Carol. While she was strong and independent, Carol had been sure Vicky wouldn't ever betray her.

And then Taylor showed up and it felt like she had. It was the second time that pushed all of her buttons. Seeing her all red, white-haired, beautiful and inhuman. Refinement and power in one package. And Victoria had sided with the stranger regarding her sister over Carol. Taylor had seemed to be this beautiful monster. It put Carol right back to the feud with the crimelord, when she'd just been facing a teenager with uncooperative powers.

Powers that Amy had just been trying to help with. A girl that Vicky was good friends with.

Amy had used her powers to heal, and only heal. But in the back of her head, Carol was terrified of the possibility that Amy could do more. She hated the idea of waking up Amy one morning and finding the girl covered in bone armor, like her father's. Seeing seeming confirmation of that right in front of her rattled her.

Taylor seemed so much like Marquis. Not the shape itself, but the representation. Marquis used his power to make armor and weaponry out of bone, in a strange way it had been beautiful and horrific to watch. The red-skinned woman would have been something he would have marvelled at. Everything else, though, stemmed from one thing.

Carol had treated everyone badly, entirely for reasons beyond their power. It wasn't Amy's fault that Marquis was her father, just as it wasn't Taylor's fault that her powers messed with her body. It was Carol's fault that she had never been able to open her house and make it a home for Amy, as it should have been. That guilt easily turned to anger, and Carol had never been very good at handling her anger. Refining it, sure. Aiming it at a deserving target, definitely. It was one of the reasons she was a good lawyer. Lacking a deserving target and absent a plan of attack, though, and she tended to lash out.

Was she still angry? Certainly. She felt she deserved to know what had really happened with Amy. But knowing what she did now...she could see why Taylor, Vicky, and the pale man kept it from her.

There was also one other truth that she had to confront. If it had been Victoria dying in the hospital, and the Endbringer sirens had sounded as they did...Carol wouldn't have left. Mark didn't want to go, but he followed her, because that's what he was used to. Even when he was active, awakewith his medication, he followed. That was one of the reasons she married him.

She'd only started thinking of Amy as her daughter after it was far too late for it to matter. After Carol had believed she was gone forever. And that forced her to confront the last bit of ugliness about the whole thing she could see.

Carol had failed both her daughters so badly she didn't deserve to be their mother. Victoria had been a thousand times a better sister than Carol had been a mother to either girl.

She looked down at her hands.

The voice of the...servant? Butler? Broke into her thoughts as he spoke by the door. "I won't pretend to know just what you're thinking about, my dear. But I can see it is bothering you, greatly."

Carol turned, her melancholy turning to anger, then fading as she took a moment to breathe. "Just how terrible a person I am, apparently."

There was a faint, but sympathetic smile on his face. "Believe me, my dear, I have seen many, many terrible people. You are not. Harmed, perhaps, flawed, indeed, but that is not something to be ashamed of. I have never seen any person without any flaws, and I have seen a great many people indeed."

Carol stared at him for a moment. "Who are you, anyway?"

He simply smiled. "I am the end of all things, my dear. It grants me a certain perspective on the matter."

Carol licked her lips and began to talk.


------------------


Taylor stood in the middle of the courtyard, shifting a bit nervously. Amy smiled, rubbing her hands together.

Mark looked a bit nervous. "You sure this is a good idea? We can wait before you demonstrate, and all that."

Vicky hovered at Amy's side. Even now, without feeling the aura from her sister, Amy couldn't help but feel attracted. It was different, in some ways, but the desire was strong, stronger than it had been before. The only bit of reassurance was that the desire for others was there, too.

She'd almost forgotten what it felt like to appreciate people other than Vicky. It was nice to be able to dream of other people. Even if a disturbing number of those had been of the succubi servants around. Though she also had a rather intense dream of Miss Militia, so...

She flushed as she caught Vicky looking at her, the blonde appearing amused. "You're off in la-la land again, Ames."

Amy shook her head, trying to not show too much embarrassment. "Little distracted, Vicky. Sorry."

Dragon tilted her head. "So...everyone ready? I was a little distracted when you did this before."

Mark shook his head. "It was rather impressive. Scared the hell out of me, though."

Taylor blushed a bit. "Sorry. It seemed like a good idea at the time."

Vicky let out a whistle. "Let's see the red dragon! I haven't had net access for a week, let me see!"

Taylor closed her eyes, a black and red corona springing into existence around her. It rapidly expanded, then fell apart.

And now, taking up a great deal of the courtyard, was a thirty-foot tall dragon. Taylor was red like blood, and Amy's newly vampiric eyes couldn't help but appreciate the color. The scales tapered into spines, the points of them turning nearly black. The wings were massive, the membranes glowing a deep red, contrasting with the black bone structure. She was immense, she was terrifying...she was majestic.

Dragon stepped forward, examining Taylor's form closely. Vicky floated upwards, fascination on her face.

Amy was frozen for a moment, but then she stepped forward and touched a single, outstretched paw, running her fingers over the scales.

Her power felt out Taylor's shape, though imperfectly. Before her change, she got a comprehensive, fully detailed and perfect understanding of someone's biology. Taylor had been odd, but understandable.

Now? It was like trying to examine a painting through fogged glass. You could see there was something there, but you had to put in time and effort to make out what the shapes were, what it meant. For a moment, it worried her, so she narrowed her focus. It took a little time, and the details were a bit hard to grasp.

See the scales, just the scales right under my hand.

Understanding grew, and Amy gasped. This stuff was extraordinary. Harder than diamond, lighter than aluminium, and flexible and resilient. Ideas swirled in her head.

Amy looked up. The dragon's expression seemed...amused. She was smiling! How the fuck can a dragon smile, anyway? But somehow, Taylor was doing it. Those slitted, crimson eyes just radiated sheer, complete amusement.

"Damn Red!" Vicky exclaimed. "You kicked Ziz's ass like this? I am so damn sorry I missed seeing it."

Then Dragon took a few steps away, sounding excited. "So that's how you do it! It's so simple!"

Dragon began glowing with a blue-white radiance, which Amy's eyes found...painful.

And a moment later, there stood a plain-looking young woman. Unfortunately, she was also naked.

Amy gulped, averting her eyes.

Dragon took a moment, looked down, and sighed. "I suppose I should have tried this out in private." She sounded embarrassed.

Taylor covered her eyes with a paw. Mark took off his jacket and handed it to Dragon.

And Vicky ducked behind Taylor's huge form. "I didn't see anything, I didn't see anything!" It only took a second for Amy to decide on the same course, both sister's faces blushing bright red.

Vicky called out. "Meridia! We need a robe, like, now!"

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[SirWill]

A/N: I got nothin, here.

Spoiler: Taylor's Complete Power List

Blood manipulation: Self only, but extremely versatile. Basis of the Shadow Whip, Shadow Daggers, and other things.

Short-range teleportation: Draining, but not limited to line of sight.

Bat Travel: Turns into dozens of bats and back again. Rather confusing, but helpful for mobility.

Strength: Insanely high at full strength. Not as strong as some capes, but up there. M1 Abrams out of gas? I'll just push them to the gas station.

Durability: Begins low, becomes stronger and harder to injure.

Vampiric Healing: Heals perfectly as long as there is blood to fuel the repairs. Can be slowed by various means.

Grace. Allows limited floating, superhuman dodging ability, and balance. Unlocked!

Flight: I believe I can touch the sky. (Locked)

Possession: Turns into blood, flows into some poor bastard, controls them for a period (hours at most) and when they die they explode into chunky bits. The blood has a toxic effect, so anyone possessed is doomed. (Barring unusual biology.) Unlocked!

Fleshcrafting: Feeling a little vain? Want a whole new hair color, a bigger bust, shaplier hips, or claws to rend the flesh of your enemies? Subscribe to Vamp-New-You today! (Permits the vampire to alter their own flesh permanently at some cost to their blood. Does not permit changing of bone structure. Cannot be used on others.) Unlocked!

Mist form: Near invulnerable mist. No mere prison can hold thee. Unless they put in a fan to blow you back in. (Locked)

Telekinesis: Small objects, weak, but useful. Now I don't need to get up to flick the light switch! (Locked)

Wolf form: I can run fast, I can track down my foes from the smallest drops of blood, I will never stop, never tire, and IS THAT BACON?! (Locked)

Shadow Portal: Opens a gate to the Plane of Shadow, where Castlevania resides. Shadow Portals can be made nearly anywhere on a Material Plane, but they must be in fixed places within the Plane of Shadow. Unlocked!

Dominate: (Not the soul-using thing) Control over others. Takes effort, and can only do so to a few at a time. Repeated and lengthy exposure, however, can make things last longer, until they are permanently enthralled. Can be resisted with willpower and can be no-selled by various techniques/powers.(Locked)

Bat Summon: Bat Summon: Gather swarms of bats to do thy bidding. They will follow the will of the Lady of Darkness without hesitation. Not as flexible as the Queen Administrator shard. The awareness of each bat is basic, and commands must be given to the entire swarm at once. I'm the goddamn Batman. Unlocked!

Monstrous Form: Accesses a portion of the power available to the Scarlet Dragon's mightiest shape, while retaining the flexibility afforded by a humanoid form. However, it is clearly inhuman. Unlocked!

Void Magic: Basis of the Void Sword. Drains life from its victims, heals and invigorates the wielder, and brings about an absolute chill. Unlocked!

Chaos Magic: Control and manipulation of hellfire. Many can use it, but few can project it. Forms the Chaos Claws. Unlocked!

Storm Magic: Now you will feel the full power of the Dark Side, young Skywalker. (Locked)

Weather manipulation: Can control the weather to some degree, whether that is summoning or banishing clouds, or building up power to make a simple cloudy day into an actual storm. It cannot, however, bring warmth or cold on its own. She can't make a blizzard in the tropics or turn Antarctica into prime beachfront property. She can just make it sunny, cloudy, or rainy. Or snowy if the time of year's right.

Dragon Shape: The mightiest form of the Heir of Dracul. Becomes a massive red dragon, standing at thirty feet tall. Can access amplified versions of currently unlocked magic, as well as other powers while in the form. However, it is an immense strain to hold the shape for very long. And it is not exactly friendly-looking at first glance. Godzilla (or whatever epic music of your choice!) is highly recommended.

Resurrection: If slain, turns dormant for a period of time before reviving in a weakened state. Longest possible period is a century.

Spoiler: Alucard's Complete Power List

Strength: Insanely high at full strength. Not as strong as Taylor's potential, but certainly enough to be highly dangerous to a well-trained human.

Durability: Begins low, becomes stronger and harder to injure.

Vampiric Healing: Heals perfectly as long as there is blood to fuel the repairs. Can be slowed by various means.

Grace. Allows limited floating, superhuman dodging ability, and balance.

Demonic Wings: Permits him to glide with feathery, though twisted, wings.

Mist form: Near invulnerable mist. No mere prison can hold thee. Unless they put in a fan to blow you back in.

Wolf form: I can run fast, I can track down my foes from the smallest drops of blood, I will never stop, never tire, and IS THAT BACON?!

Chaos Magic: Alucard's is not as strong as his father's, but his skill with it is extraordinary. He can use it to teleport short distances and throw fireballs, although it is limited by line of sight and distance. (The classic SotN Hellfire spell.)

Spectral Wolf: Similar to the wolf shape, however it is ethereal and impossible to injure. Alucard can use it to teleport from one location to another by sending the wolf forward, then replacing it. Or he can simply use it to scout and dissolve it.

Crissaegrim abilities: A wickedly dangerous blade Alucard forged with the materials of three legendary weapons. It permits him to enshroud it with both Void and Chaos magic, as well as being extremely lethal to both holy and unholy opponents.

Resurrection: If slain, turns dormant for a period of time before reviving in a weakened state. Unlike Dracul's counterpart power, he would arise in a century unless the process was sped along by blood. He would also arise in a more corpse-like state until he managed to feed.

Spoiler: Dragon's Magic Power List

Steel Crafting: Self only. Able to mold current avatar however she likes. Tends to prefer a dragon shape, as...well, she's Dragon.

Teleportation: Flashes out of existence in one place and reappears in another. Line of sight limited, but not distance-wise. Yes. This is overpowered. Limited to (naturally) light-speed maximum.

Light Form: Turns into a bright solid light construct. This is difficult to maintain, but difficult to injure..

Strength: DRAGON SMASH!

Durability: Anybody remember that scene in Superman Returns when the bullet bounces off his eye? No? Nobody? Well, it's kinda like that.

Healing: Can grant to self or others, and does not need an outside source. Wounds (or damage) heals rapidly.

Flight: I could touch the sky before I changed into a goddess. Now I just don't need to spend any effort!

Hard-Light constructs: Eat your heart out in jealousy, Green Lantern! My constructs don't get broken by lemonade!

Telekinesis: Use the Force, Luke. Stronger than Taylor's version. Not Ziz-strength, but it's up there.

Light Bridge: Opens a...uh, bridge to the Plane of Light. Think the MCU's version of the Bifrost. Can go from nearly anywhere on a Material Plane, but they must be in fixed places within the Light Plane.

Human Form: If/when she feels like trying out what a ice cream tastes like.

Light Magic: Heals and warms its users, and can be turned to be used offensively. Most effective against Dark Creatures, but still useful against other targets. Remember, the Lightsaber is the weapon of a Jedi.

Heavenly Flame Magic: The opposite of Chaos Magic. Her white fire burns, but is formed from calmness, logic. It is a fire that illuminates, but can be destructive all the same.

Storm Magic: The point of commonality between Light and Darkness. Electricity is such a useful thing. Due to her original nature as a mechanical being, Dragon's control of it is extraordinarily precise.

Dragon Shape: For when someone or something big really, really needs to be stomped. Is this a copied power? No! It's a completely different kind of dragon!

Resurrection: If slain, turns dormant for a period of time before reviving in a weakened state. Longest possible period is a century. This is common for gods.

Spoiler: Madison's Equipment List

Vampire Killer: A simple hilt attached to a combat whip that can be slung out and controlled by an ingeniously designed retraction system. On the end of the hilt is a silver stake, perfect for killing vampires, werewolves, and lawyers. The weapon is specifically designed to kill creatures of the night, but works on anything quite well and is capable of channeling magic.

Light Magic amulet: Allows its wearer to heal over time. Needs to be fueled by someone capable of putting magic into it, which is currently limited to Dragon and Madison. It doesn't permit Wolverine-style healing, but it lets short fights turn into long ones and wearing one overnight heals even most serious injuries. Can be sped up by forcing the magic to flow more quickly, but that drains the amulet which needs time and attention to recharge.

Seraphic Shoulders: Creates ghostly angelic wings for a few moments, allowing Madison to catch herself in the air or glide.

Heavenly Gauntlet: A black (I know, it clashes!) gauntlet that generates white fire, equal to that of the fires of Hell.

Cyclone Boots: Allows high-speed running, jumping, and as a bonus, permits its wearer to take long falls without breaking their legs. Yes, all she needs is a Portal Gun.

Silver Daggers: Small, easily palmable, and crafted for a nasty surprise attack. Yes, it can hurt a lot to suddenly have a knife in your throat, whether you're a werewolf or not.

Holy Water: Water that's been exposed to sunlight and had Light Magic channeled through it. Does nothing against most people, would really tick off Taylor and Alucard. When used with Light Magic channeled through its user, forms a light-shield to ward off attacks and really tick off vampires.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I sat across from Dragon, my eyes narrowed.

She looked back at me, her newly-human face looking smug. "I told you you were doomed." She shifted a little in her simple robes. Somehow, she'd managed to find something in Meridia's wardrobe that wasn't scandalous. Just...showing a lot of cleavage. Why was everybody bigger than me unless I cheated?

I flushed a bit, hoping she hadn't noticed (though I know she did.) I looked down at the board. Moved a pawn forward.

Dragon promptly took a rook with her bishop, clearing a path for one of her own rooks to get behind my lines.

I bit my lip, tapping my fingers on the table. "So, what's different for you now, anyway?" I moved another pawn to block the opening.

She hummed softly in thought, moving a knight around to shore up her defense. "Well, there's a myriad number of sensations that are real annoying. I couldn't smell anything the way you do, before. I could tell what was in the air, but it was just data, no emotions attached to it. Same thing with sensations. It's...very different. I'm used to being able to break everything down into numbers."

I moved a bishop forward, taking a pawn. "Not sure I can imagine the difference. Still, I bet it's something to explore."

Dragon promptly took the offending bishop with a rook. "A bit. I'm not sure how people get by, actually. How the heck do you people manage to think clearly with all these hormones in your blood?"

I laughed, moving a pawn. "We don't. I'm a teenager, here, and if anything, my...condition, has made it worse in some ways. You just get used to it after a while. It's not always easy, mind you."

Dragon shook her head, a small smile on her lips as she shifted her king. "I guess. I have to say there's quite a few drawbacks, and I feel a bit different. Impulses, no matter what my shape. I want to try so many things. I feel so free and alive that..." Her smile slowly faded.

I moved my queen into an attack position. "What's wrong?"

Dragon shook her head, moving her bishop and taking a pawn. "Something I need to do. Before the Simurgh attacked, there was a trial going on with a Master, cape name Canary. Her power lets her sing wonderfully, but those who listen are rendered suggestible. She told her abusive ex-boyfriend to go fuck himself. He... mutilated himself while trying to do so. The doctors managed to save him, but the damage was severe."

I winced, brining my knight to help defend my queen. "Yeah. That's...pretty damn bad. So where do you come in?"

Dragon sighed. "I was forced by my programming to send her into the Birdcage on the same truck as Lung and Oni Lee. That was one of the restrictions I was under, forced to obey a lawful authority. It didn't matter if they were tyrannical or abusive in their power, all they had to do was give me an order and I had to obey. Now I'm free of it, but...she's in there. Just because she made a mistake and had powers that reminded everyone else about the Simurgh. And so are six other inmates who were sentenced there and were later found to be innocent of the crimes they were convicted of. I'm not sure how to get them out, at least without risking the others getting free."

I shrugged. "I suppose we could bring them here, but we'll have to be careful about all that." I tapped my chin. "Then again...if you can open a portal like I can, you might be able to get them out on your own. And if you did it right, you could make sure that the release area was nicely contained, too, so anybody who managed to get out that you didn't want them to would be held anyway."

Dragon smiled slightly, moving a piece forward on the board. "That's probably a good idea. When you made your portal, I felt I knew something about how to do it, but it's...instinctual. And considering before I had no instincts at all, that's rather odd. And checkmate, by the way."

Wait, what? Oh. She got her rook past my defense and pinned my king. I shook my finger. "Sneak."

Dragon laughed lightly. "Well you're the one who's playing a game with a hyperintelligent AI. You never had a chance."

I pouted at her. "Maybe not, but you did talk during it."


------------------


I stood on a balcony, overlooking one of the immense chains that connected one section of the castle to another. The thought was in my mind as I mused to myself. Canary, condemned to death in the Birdcage, whether by another prisoner or simple old age, just by a moment of anger. It was understandable, I could sympathise. Especially since I had impulses and sometimes anger issues leftover from Dracul.

I brushed some snow off the stone railing, licking my lip as I thought to myself. I needed to get everything in order. Two more Endbringers to handle and we couldn't afford any distractions. We needed as much firepower as we could get. Speaking of which...now I'm remembering when I was most angry. At least, after waking up in my grave. There were plenty of times before then. Bakuda. And I'd brought her in here as my prisoner and...promptly forgot all about her. Just like what he would have done.

"You called for me, My Lady?" Meridia's voice broke me from my thoughts.

I waved my hand up to my side. The succubus joined me on the balcony. She was wearing an outfit of tight leather, her wings fluttering behind her in the wind. I looked her over, mentally muttering to myself. She could make a potato sack look sexy.

"You recall the woman I brought in, the one I ordered kept alive?"

Meridia bowed her head. "Yes, My Lady. We have her confined. We have been treating her as a pet."

I nodded. "I need to see her. She has expertise we may be able to take advantage of. And...I'd rather not forget something that damned important."

Meridia looked at me with trepidation, then nodded. "Indeed, My Lady? That....may be difficult."

I narrowed my eyes. "What?"

She winced. "Perhaps I'd best show you, My Lady."


--------------------


Meridia led me to a dungeon, deep under the castle walls. The air was warm and moist, yet the walls were clean and free of mold. She led me to a cell, with bars over two inches thick. Some of them were visibly thinned and scraped in places.

Inside lay Bakuda, alone in a bare cell. She looked pale, nearly as pale as Alucard was after feeding, and she labored to breathe. She was nude, her body criss-crossed with welt marks, and I could see rough, ugly scars on her forearms and on her legs, just above her ankles. A black collar encircled her neck, with glowing runes on them. She looked up as we approached, and she only whimpered in fear.

I swallowed, hard. "What did you do with her, Meridia?"

The succubus straightened her back. "We set her in the cell, My Lady. You told us not to kill her, and so we have taken steps to ensure she will never die. The collar around her neck prevents her from aging and binds her to the castle grounds. If she ever leaves the castle, she will be forced to return to it. She attempted to kill herself by gathering a few of the materials available, straw, bits of wood, her clothing, her....leavings, some metal from the bars to build a crude explosive device. We caught her and removed the nerves in her forearms. She can no longer hold anything at all."

My hands trembled. "Is that all?" I asked quietly.

Meridia shook her head. "She then attempted to kill herself by ramming her head into the wall, and so we had the tendons in her legs cut. She kept trying things to harm herself, and so we put her under rather...extensive training. And as you've most graciously provided her to us, we succubi have been feeding upon her emotions. Little pleasure there, of course, but there is much else. And since your childe has arisen, we have been using our pet's blood as well as our own for her to feed upon, although not directly. Lady Amy has been fed by goblet, rather than from the vein. She is utterly, completely broken, My Lady. We've resorted to wiping her memories of these things, returning her to the point of being brought in for the first time again, so she gets to break once more. It's the only way to get fresh emotions from her."

My hands squeezed on the bars. They heated under the pressure of my fingers, leaving marks in the formerly-cool metal.

Meridia's voice was faint, hesitant. "You are not pleased, My Lady?"

I growled from deep in my throat and tore the bars off the cell door. Bakuda let out a whimper at the noise, and Meridia flinched away from me, her eyes wide in terror as I turned towards her. I dropped the bars to the ground, feeling my fangs brush against my lower lip. "No, Meridia, I am not pleased at all."

She dropped to her knees and hugged my leg, her wings unfolded behind her. "Please, Lady of the Dragon's Throne, do not kill me! I was following your orders as best I understood them! I do not wish to spend a century in the darkness again, please!"

I pushed her off me, and she fell to the floor with a whimper as she landed on her wing. She scrambled to her knees again, kneeling before me while I breathed heavily, feeling sheer anger flowing through me, my fists clenched. "I will call upon you later, Meridia." I hissed. "Get out of my sight."

She scrambled away, whimpering in fear, and I turned to look at Bakuda. She hadn't moved this entire time. I entered the cell and looked into her eyes.

Before, they were full of hatred. Now, they were full of mindless fear. All she could do was nuzzle against my boot, mewling pathetically.

And all I could do was tremble at the strength of my own self-directed anger.

I am such an idiot.


--------------------


I went back to the study, looking over the assorted books and items around. Now that I was alone here, I had the chance to really check over what Dracul had acquired. Most of the books themselves were antique, their titles in Latin. As far as I knew, they could all be books on arcane magical lore or the minutiae of Castlevania's little league team.

Yes, I could recognize Latin, but not read it. Annoying, I know. Come to think of it, why did I understand anything the inhabitants of the Castle said? Probably a magic effect or something. So why didn't that extend to books? Because magic was a pain, I guess.

Still, for a place that was centuries out of date, the castle's rooms were luxurious. The chair behind the cherry-wood desk was comfortably padded, and the desk itself was polished and finished to a near mirror-shine. I sat myself down in the chair, leaning back and closing my eyes as I thought to myself.

Bakuda. Ugh. I'd hated her for the things she'd done, but it had been an unreasoning hatred. I hated a faceless thing, more than any actual person, because of how she'd operated. When I'd finally captured her, I wanted her dead, and I hadn't put any thought whatsoever into what I'd sentenced her to when that was denied me. What bothered me most was...that I wasn't that bothered about it. I was angry at myself, sure, but this should warrant more than a 'huh.' I'd sentenced a woman to be raped physically and mentally, and that by itself barely upset me. Bakuda was reduced to a state where she couldn't move, and near-catatonic with the mental torture.

So why wasn't I more bothered by this? What the hell happened to the kid who went to nature camp?

...what? No commentary from Dracul? Jerk.

I opened my eyes, half-expecting for someone to have come in. The room was silent and still, aside from the tiny movements I was making.

I was tempted to blame Dracul for all this. He certainly had influence over me, after all. The fact I could pick up a fair bit of running commentary from the back of my head was proof enough of that. Problem with that, though, was that I'd be essentially saying 'the Devil made me do it' and while maybe that was more true than it would be for most, it would be handing responsibility away.

No, I had to own up to it. I could have simply had Bakuda confined until the bombs were all disabled then either had her killed or handed over to the PRT. No, instead I let a bunch of demons do with her whatever they wanted as long as she stayed alive. That was on me. I couldn't change what had happened.

Not unless there was a time machine around here somewhere...and now that I think about it, I wouldn't be surprised if there was. Castlevania seemed to have one of everything.

Note to self, look for a time machine. But first, I had to take care of Bakuda. And...straighten out all these fucking issues in my head.

I spoke softly. "Death, I need to speak with you and Meridia." I knew Death would be able to hear me, at least. It wouldn't take them too long to arrive.

As I waited for them, I rifled through the desk's contents. Lots of papers written in Latin, or at least something like it. Nothing I could understand. Aaand there's a skull in the bottom drawer. Of course Dracul would use the skull of an enemy for a paperweight. I was going to get rid of that as soon as I could.

Death arrived, and beside him was Meridia. The succubus looked terrified, clasping her hands behind her back as she averted her gaze, looking at the floor.

Death nodded his head. "Something the matter?"

I grimaced. "A few things to work out, Death. Please, stay a moment." Then, I looked at Meridia. "Meridia."

She swallowed hard, then spoke in a quiet voice. "Y-yes, My Lady?"

I sighed. "Look at me, Meridia."

Very slowly, she rose her head and looked me in the eye. She was shaking in fear, nervously wringing her hands.

I smiled slightly and softened my tone. "Meridia, calm down. I'm not going to hurt you over Bakuda. What happened to her was my mistake and my responsibility. However, things must change going forward here. Do you understand?"

Meridia visibly relaxed, relief filling her face. "Yes, My Lady. I will serve you to the best of my ability."

I nodded. "Good. Now, first of all, Bakuda is rendered helpless. Will she die? Eventually, that is?"

Meridia chewed on her lip for a moment, then nodded. "If the collar around her neck were removed, yes, she would begin to age normally."

"Good. Then here are my new orders regarding her. She will be placed in comfortable surroundings and tended to, gently, for the rest of her days. She will not be allowed to leave or escape, because she's caused far too much pain and death for her to have her freedom. But I won't be as bad as she is. She can't walk and she can't use her hands. Let her live and treat her comfortably like that until her body gives out."

Meridia bowed her head. "Understood, My Lady. I believe the West Tower can be converted to a comfortable cell, as your order."

I thought about it, then nodded. "All right. And Meridia, I am not Dracul. I understand you and the other succubi did as he would have wanted to her. Going forward, that changes. I won't have anyone mistreated under my roof again. Captured, maybe, but not tortured. I made my orders in haste and in rage. You won't be punished for following them, but this is the last time. And...I'm not going to kill you for doing what you thought best with the information you had."

She bowed to me, deeply. "You are wise and merciful, My Lady."

I shook my head, a slight smile on my lips. "If I were wise, we wouldn't be in this position right now. Now, you said something about spending a century in the darkness. What did you mean?"

She blinked, then nodded. "Forgive me, My Lady. I believed you knew, for it is common knowledge on the world that was Dracul's. A demon is formed from the emotions of men, but given form, substance, and life from the Shadow Plane. If we are slain, our substance returns to the Shadow Plane to reform. But the experience is never pleasant, and it is a risk to die, regardless. We lose much of our memories, and if the slaying was particularly....brutal, we would not reform at all, our substance becoming part of other demons. Or if our souls were destroyed...that would mean our permanent end, as well."

Death spoke quietly. "It is rare for a demon to die permanently, Taylor. But it has happened often enough that many demons fear my final touch." He chuckled softly. "Save for those too foolish or stupid to grasp what it means to die. Demons formed primarily from anger are usually taken entirely by surprise. Succubi are of desire, which is a bit more...refined."

I nodded, turning my gaze back to Meridia. "You are dismissed, Meridia."

She bowed gratefully, smiling broadly. "Thank you, My Lady." She turned and left.

I looked to Death. "I've had enough, Death. Too much crap coming at me because of things Dracul left behind. I need to know everything. I need to know what the hell happened to him. How did he die? What the hell is all this about? How much of him is in my head!?"

Death froze. He went utterly, completely still before his face filled with sadness. "Alas, he is not dead. But I cannot reach him, although he desires it."

I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and counted to ten. Then I spoke. "Tell me everything."

"I cannot."

I opened my eyes and glared at him. Death held up a hand. "Not because I do not wish to. But because there are things you must know that you weren't ready for." He frowned. "Still are not, perhaps. But the situation cannot keep any longer. You must know the truth of the matter, of everything, and only Dracul himself could tell you."

"Great." I spat.

Death shook his head. "That is less of an issue than you think, my dear. You already know where the answers lie."

I frowned. "Where..."

Then I had it. The one place in the castle I couldn't go when I wandered here in my dreams.

"The throne room." I murmured.

Death nodded. "It is time for you to take your throne. And for you to know the true face of your enemy."


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[SirWill]

A/N: This one'll be fairly long. Not too much help for it, though. It's, in fact, so long I've had to make it a three-parter. Otherwise I'll end up losing my motivation here.

On another note, added Leliel's excellent backstory snippet to threadmarks and drawing upon it for things here.

And if anyone wonders? Yeah, I had Dracul's fate in mind from day 1 on writing this fic.

Spoiler: Taylor's Complete Power List

Blood manipulation: Self only, but extremely versatile. Basis of the Shadow Whip, Shadow Daggers, and other things.

Short-range teleportation: Draining, but not limited to line of sight.

Bat Travel: Turns into dozens of bats and back again. Rather confusing, but helpful for mobility.

Strength: Insanely high at full strength. Not as strong as some capes, but up there. M1 Abrams out of gas? I'll just push them to the gas station.

Durability: Begins low, becomes stronger and harder to injure.

Vampiric Healing: Heals perfectly as long as there is blood to fuel the repairs. Can be slowed by various means.

Grace. Allows limited floating, superhuman dodging ability, and balance. Unlocked!

Flight: I believe I can touch the sky. (Locked)

Possession: Turns into blood, flows into some poor bastard, controls them for a period (hours at most) and when they die they explode into chunky bits. The blood has a toxic effect, so anyone possessed is doomed. (Barring unusual biology.) Unlocked!

Fleshcrafting: Feeling a little vain? Want a whole new hair color, a bigger bust, shaplier hips, or claws to rend the flesh of your enemies? Subscribe to Vamp-New-You today! (Permits the vampire to alter their own flesh permanently at some cost to their blood. Does not permit changing of bone structure. Cannot be used on others.) Unlocked!

Mist form: Near invulnerable mist. No mere prison can hold thee. Unless they put in a fan to blow you back in. (Locked)

Telekinesis: Small objects, weak, but useful. Now I don't need to get up to flick the light switch! (Locked)

Wolf form: I can run fast, I can track down my foes from the smallest drops of blood, I will never stop, never tire, and IS THAT BACON?! (Locked)

Shadow Portal: Opens a gate to the Plane of Shadow, where Castlevania resides. Shadow Portals can be made nearly anywhere on a Material Plane, but they must be in fixed places within the Plane of Shadow. Unlocked!

Dominate: (Not the soul-using thing) Control over others. Takes effort, and can only do so to a few at a time. Repeated and lengthy exposure, however, can make things last longer, until they are permanently enthralled. Can be resisted with willpower and can be no-selled by various techniques/powers.(Locked)

Bat Summon: Bat Summon: Gather swarms of bats to do thy bidding. They will follow the will of the Lady of Darkness without hesitation. Not as flexible as the Queen Administrator shard. The awareness of each bat is basic, and commands must be given to the entire swarm at once. I'm the goddamn Batman. Unlocked!

Monstrous Form: Accesses a portion of the power available to the Scarlet Dragon's mightiest shape, while retaining the flexibility afforded by a humanoid form. However, it is clearly inhuman. Unlocked!

Void Magic: Basis of the Void Sword. Drains life from its victims, heals and invigorates the wielder, and brings about an absolute chill. Unlocked!

Chaos Magic: Control and manipulation of hellfire. Many can use it, but few can project it. Forms the Chaos Claws. Unlocked!

Storm Magic: Now you will feel the full power of the Dark Side, young Skywalker. (Locked)

Weather manipulation: Can control the weather to some degree, whether that is summoning or banishing clouds, or building up power to make a simple cloudy day into an actual storm. It cannot, however, bring warmth or cold on its own. She can't make a blizzard in the tropics or turn Antarctica into prime beachfront property. She can just make it sunny, cloudy, or rainy. Or snowy if the time of year's right.

Dragon Shape: The mightiest form of the Heir of Dracul. Becomes a massive red dragon, standing at thirty feet tall. Can access amplified versions of currently unlocked magic, as well as other powers while in the form. However, it is an immense strain to hold the shape for very long. And it is not exactly friendly-looking at first glance. Godzilla (or whatever epic music of your choice!) is highly recommended.

Resurrection: If slain, turns dormant for a period of time before reviving in a weakened state. Longest possible period is a century.

Spoiler: Alucard's Complete Power List

Strength: Insanely high at full strength. Not as strong as Taylor's potential, but certainly enough to be highly dangerous to a well-trained human.

Durability: Begins low, becomes stronger and harder to injure.

Vampiric Healing: Heals perfectly as long as there is blood to fuel the repairs. Can be slowed by various means.

Grace. Allows limited floating, superhuman dodging ability, and balance.

Demonic Wings: Permits him to glide with feathery, though twisted, wings.

Mist form: Near invulnerable mist. No mere prison can hold thee. Unless they put in a fan to blow you back in.

Wolf form: I can run fast, I can track down my foes from the smallest drops of blood, I will never stop, never tire, and IS THAT BACON?!

Chaos Magic: Alucard's is not as strong as his father's, but his skill with it is extraordinary. He can use it to teleport short distances and throw fireballs, although it is limited by line of sight and distance. (The classic SotN Hellfire spell.)

Spectral Wolf: Similar to the wolf shape, however it is ethereal and impossible to injure. Alucard can use it to teleport from one location to another by sending the wolf forward, then replacing it. Or he can simply use it to scout and dissolve it.

Crissaegrim abilities: A wickedly dangerous blade Alucard forged with the materials of three legendary weapons. It permits him to enshroud it with both Void and Chaos magic, as well as being extremely lethal to both holy and unholy opponents.

Resurrection: If slain, turns dormant for a period of time before reviving in a weakened state. Unlike Dracul's counterpart power, he would arise in a century unless the process was sped along by blood. He would also arise in a more corpse-like state until he managed to feed.

Spoiler: Dragon's Magic Power List

Steel Crafting: Self only. Able to mold current avatar however she likes. Tends to prefer a dragon shape, as...well, she's Dragon.

Teleportation: Flashes out of existence in one place and reappears in another. Line of sight limited, but not distance-wise. Yes. This is overpowered. Limited to (naturally) light-speed maximum.

Light Form: Turns into a bright solid light construct. This is difficult to maintain, but difficult to injure..

Strength: DRAGON SMASH!

Durability: Anybody remember that scene in Superman Returns when the bullet bounces off his eye? No? Nobody? Well, it's kinda like that.

Healing: Can grant to self or others, and does not need an outside source. Wounds (or damage) heals rapidly.

Flight: I could touch the sky before I changed into a goddess. Now I just don't need to spend any effort!

Hard-Light constructs: Eat your heart out in jealousy, Green Lantern! My constructs don't get broken by lemonade!

Telekinesis: Use the Force, Luke. Stronger than Taylor's version. Not Ziz-strength, but it's up there.

Light Bridge: Opens a...uh, bridge to the Plane of Light. Think the MCU's version of the Bifrost. Can go from nearly anywhere on a Material Plane, but they must be in fixed places within the Light Plane.

Human Form: If/when she feels like trying out what a ice cream tastes like.

Light Magic: Heals and warms its users, and can be turned to be used offensively. Most effective against Dark Creatures, but still useful against other targets. Remember, the Lightsaber is the weapon of a Jedi.

Heavenly Flame Magic: The opposite of Chaos Magic. Her white fire burns, but is formed from calmness, logic. It is a fire that illuminates, but can be destructive all the same.

Storm Magic: The point of commonality between Light and Darkness. Electricity is such a useful thing. Due to her original nature as a mechanical being, Dragon's control of it is extraordinarily precise.

Dragon Shape: For when someone or something big really, really needs to be stomped. Is this a copied power? No! It's a completely different kind of dragon!

Resurrection: If slain, turns dormant for a period of time before reviving in a weakened state. Longest possible period is a century. This is common for gods.

Spoiler: Madison's Equipment List

Vampire Killer: A simple hilt attached to a combat whip that can be slung out and controlled by an ingeniously designed retraction system. On the end of the hilt is a silver stake, perfect for killing vampires, werewolves, and lawyers. The weapon is specifically designed to kill creatures of the night, but works on anything quite well and is capable of channeling magic.

Light Magic amulet: Allows its wearer to heal over time. Needs to be fueled by someone capable of putting magic into it, which is currently limited to Dragon and Madison. It doesn't permit Wolverine-style healing, but it lets short fights turn into long ones and wearing one overnight heals even most serious injuries. Can be sped up by forcing the magic to flow more quickly, but that drains the amulet which needs time and attention to recharge.

Seraphic Shoulders: Creates ghostly angelic wings for a few moments, allowing Madison to catch herself in the air or glide.

Heavenly Gauntlet: A black (I know, it clashes!) gauntlet that generates white fire, equal to that of the fires of Hell.

Cyclone Boots: Allows high-speed running, jumping, and as a bonus, permits its wearer to take long falls without breaking their legs. Yes, all she needs is a Portal Gun.

Silver Daggers: Small, easily palmable, and crafted for a nasty surprise attack. Yes, it can hurt a lot to suddenly have a knife in your throat, whether you're a werewolf or not.

Holy Water: Water that's been exposed to sunlight and had Light Magic channeled through it. Does nothing against most people, would really tick off Taylor and Alucard. When used with Light Magic channeled through its user, forms a light-shield to ward off attacks and really tick off vampires.

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Snow whirled around me as I looked up the stairs. Red carpeting covered them, somehow staying clean despite the near-constant snow whipping around.

Above me was the highest point of the castle, the largest and grandest tower. At the top of the tower, at the very apex of the castle, lay the throne room. I somehow knew that, beyond actual experience. There was a sense of familiarity, of belonging when I stood here. I also knew that despite my vampirism, it was bloody cold up here. It didn't hurt so much as numb, but it would have been nearly unbearable if I still had been an ordinary teenage girl.

I'd been here before, shortly after I'd claimed the Void Sword. Then, however, I'd been dreaming, and the Castle hadn't been active. Before, though, I hadn't been able to go up the stairs. Something had resisted me. I guessed it was because I had been here in spirit, rather than in the flesh. The rules of this place were a little weird, sometimes.

I set one foot on the staircase and went up. Nothing forced me back, so I made my way up to the grand twin doors. Golden dragons decorated them, roaring at each other. Dracul was really fond of that motif, wasn't he?

Well, couldn't blame him. Being a dragon was awesome. I couldn't do it for too long, but it was awesome anyway.

I reached the doors and pushed them open, wincing as the hinges squealed in protest. Dust billowed out of the room, and I carefully stepped inside, brushing myself down as I did so.

There were the remnants of some red carpeting here, torn and faded. Tapestries hung from the walls, nearly gray with dust, but I could see they had been once red, proud, embroidered in gold. It was difficult to tell what they had been, with how faded and rotted they were.

I strode in carefully, closing the door behind me. The room plunged into darkness for a moment before my eyes adjusted. I moved up the middle, right toward the throne, and blinked as four ghostly torches ignited, brightening the room once more.

Memories poured forth from the back of my head.

Respect. "You two have come this far, cleaved your way through my servants. You fight well, boy. Worthy of the name 'Belmont.'" He looked at the robed woman at his side, a glowing ball of energy in her hand. "And you, I am especially impressed with. To come this far on only your own knowledge. Well met, sorceress Sypha."

Trevor advanced toward the black throne. "I have come to avenge my parents' murder! I will end the reign of the Dragon forever!"

Amusement. "And how do you plan to do that, hm? With that weapon, perhaps? The legendary Vampire Killer?" Blood flowed onto Dracul's hand as he shaped the Shadow Whip. "That weapon you bear has no power over me, boy. Your god has lied to you. You and your woman will die in vain, as your father did."

Sypha hissed to herself, raising her hands and summoning a ball of fire. "Your reign has come to an end, vampire. We will end you today."

Dracul laughed. "You call upon mere flame as your weapon? I have mastered the fires of Hell itself, girl. You will need far more than that to kill me."

Sypha grinned under her hood. "I'm willing to test that."

Metal clinked as Trevor Belmont loosened the links of the Vampire Killer. "We shall see."

The door creaked open as another entered the throne room. A pale man, all in black, the lining of his coat bright yellow. In his hand was a curved blade, glowing faintly with blood-red energy.

Trevor gasped, turning to guard himself from this new vampire. "It cannot be!"

Surprise. Elation. Dracul rose from his throne. "Nice of you to join us, Dracula."

Golden eyes stared into Dracul's. "That is not my name. I am not your son, for my true father died long ago. I am here to face you and end you, as I failed to do before." He rose the blade. "I am Alucard."

I blinked as I shook my head, rubbing my hands together. That was the clearest memory I'd ever had from the man. My mouth went dry as I tried to pull more to the fore. There was the faintest impressions of things...so much rage and hatred. So much sorrow, loss and grief. But nothing attached to them.

I looked at the throne. It looked to have been carved out of a single block of black marble, padded with what had once been red cushions, now torn up and rotted away with age. Even though the ghostly torches were right nearby, it was wreathed in shadow.

I turned myself around and sat on the throne, carefully relaxing into it.

The air in the throne room subtly changed. Warmth blossomed over my body, chasing away the chill. The castle itself seemed to whisper in my ear.

Hail to the Scarlet Dragon.

The room rumbled, the rot and decay reversing themselves before my eyes. Dust billowed away, the tapestries repaired themselves, the red carpeting filled in and refreshed. A pool of darkness formed in the middle of the room. As I moved to rise from the throne, the darkness lunged out and swallowed me.


--------------------


I found myself in the void. I was surrounded by stars in every direction. The sun blazed brightly, more so than I'd ever known. It hurt somewhat, but nothing I couldn't withstand. Rocks, no, asteroids tumbled by, and nearby there was an immense, glowing mass. It burned brightly, but the light from it didn't hurt. But...everything was gray.

A harsh, weak voice interrupted my musings. "Welcome to the end of my world, my daughter. Welcome to my damnation."

I turned to see a pale man, emaciated, seemingly ancient. His hair fell to his shoulders in long, limp strings, white with age and sickness. His fingers were tipped by claws, and I could see fangs in his open mouth. He was dressed in the remnants of some ancient battle-armor, most of it torn and ripped away, the cloak on his shoulders ripped and torn to shreds. He was wheezing with every breath, though he didn't need to breathe. The sun was searing away his flesh, only for it to heal in an instant, to be burned again. He was entirely monochrome.

Oh. Gray. Gray Boy. I was inside a Gray Boy loop? Oh god.

He made a small chuckle, turning a bit so he had a few seconds away from the burning light. "You aren't here, girl. I am showing you what I wish you to see, what I see inside my torment, through the tenuous connection between us. This is my damnation, and mine alone."

"Dracul." I spoke softly.

He chuckled, a faint, weak thing. "Indeed. I am The Dragon. Feared by all, known by all. Scourge of the world, Lord of Darkness. Now...I am the last thing existing of my world." Dracul looked over at the bright, nearby mass. "Sometimes, the burning core of my world blocks me from the sun, giving me some relief from my torment. But not enough. I find myself burning again soon enough." He looked amused, even as his flesh seared, then reset. "My prison even keeps in enough air for me to hear myself burning in the light. Another thing to add to my damnation."

I looked around, the sheer emptiness of space around me making me shudder. "How is this possible?"

Dracul let out a small, bitter laugh. "I have had centuries to learn how to use my power. When I separated myself from my divinity, I kept a small connection to it, to steer it." A maniacal grin rose on his lips. "Just enough to guide it to my purposes. I bound Castlevania within the Shadow Plane to keep it safe." He twitched as his searing flesh healed, looking irritated. "To keep my son safe. And as a plan against the enemy, in case I failed to kill it."

I stared at him, feeling my hands twitch. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Dracul snarled as his face was reduced to a fanged skull in the sunlight, then reformed. "It will be much faster to show you, girl. Most of my powers are yours, now, but I still have a few of my own." He extended his hand.

I paused, giving a faint nod as I took it.

Memories flowed.


--------------------


A pale, blonde beauty. I walked toward her, a gathering of flowers in my hand. Lilacs and dandelions, clenched in my hand. She looked up at me with a smile, surprise and love in her eyes.

"My lady Lisa." My voice came out, strong but nervous. "Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

She laughed, hugging me tightly as she kissed my lips. "Yes, my Gabriel, my knight. Yes."


--------------------


Adrian looked up at me, his eyes filled with tears. "Father, please, don't go!"

I knelt to the floor and hugged him. "I must go, my boy. I do this to protect you and your mother."

Adrian pouted. "But who will protect you?"

I drew a pendant with a stylized bird engraved upon it. "The Phoenix will protect me, my son. And as I fight in his name, he will protect you and your mother too." I took the pendant off from around my neck and laid it around Adrian's. "I will always be with you."

He hugged me, and I squeezed his shoulders. I released him, rising to my feet and turned to Lisa. She smiled with tender care. "We will be here when you return, my love."

I gently kissed her lips. "I will return with all the haste I can muster, my love."


--------------------


I felt weary as I returned from the mission. Lycans had been scouring and ravaging the Eastern Steeps, carrying off and converting children into more of their wretched, twisted kind. The Knights of the Phoenix had been sent to deal with the infestation, which was carried out with silver and fire. Still, as strong as we were, it seemed the war would never end. I'd been plagued by nightmares during my return, of my hands stained with blood.

I twirled the blessed whip in my hand idly as I returned to my simple home. It was hardly luxurious, but it had my wife and son within, and that was all I needed. I retracted the whip and pushed the door open.

"Lisa? Adrian? Where are you?"

Something was wrong. The air was filled with a coppery scent. Blood.

I turned to the corner, seeing my wife upon the bed. Her eyes were wide open, sightless, and her body was eviscerated. I stood frozen, disbelieving as my world crashed down around me.

And on the floor lay a bloodstained pendant, the symbol of the Phoenix.

I cried out in rage and grief.


--------------------


The High Priest Landon was an old man, wizened and frail. He looked up at me as I seethed, sorrow on his face. "I am sorry, Gabriel. A pack of Lycans snuck their way to your home from the mountains. We wiped them out, but all their victims have been cleansed in fire. If your son was among them...I do not know."

"They were supposed to be safe!" I spat. "A hundred and thirty leagues behind the lines, and you say the Lycans just snuck upon my home!"

Landon shook his head. "Gabriel, I am sorry. It has happened, and there is no changing it now." He held up his hand as I moved toward him, my fists clenched. "But I have been given a sign, Gabriel. A dream sent by the Phoenix. Reach the Palace of Fate, and there may be a path open to you. A sliver of hope for your son."

I growled deep within my throat. Turning, my silver-lined armor feeling leaden, I retrieved my blessed whip and headed out. If my son still lived, I would find him.

The palace was deep within Lycan territory. I did not care if the entire Lycan race was between me and my destination. I could make it through. I didn't care.


--------------------


I walked to the gates of the Palace of Fate. Blood dripped from the whip on my hip as I entered the ruin.

Once it had been a temple to the false god Ariel, the winged prophet. Built from crystal, it had risen into the sky, shining the sun's light back outward, acting as a beacon for entire leagues. Now it was overrun by vines and trees, the forest reclaiming the structure for its own. If I had been in an investigative mood, I would have enjoyed the chance to uncover the truth about the ruin's past. Now? None of it mattered. All I needed was answers, a way to save what little I had left.

I made my way into the palace's inner chamber. Werewolves had long since taken over the entire temple, but they barely slowed me down. I could feel my Light Magic amulet slowly healing the wounds I'd taken, soothing my muscles. It gave me enough strength to continue onward when most would have had to stop and rest. The amulets were rare, a precious gift, and only given out to the elite Phoenix Knights. Their power made it possible to face the ever-expanding forces of darkness.

I paused as I found a beam of glowing light. There was no source, no place for it to come from. It was bright, but not painful. It solidified before me, resolving into the form of a burning eagle. The Phoenix himself.

I went to a knee, averting my gaze. "My Lord, one true god, I am honored."

"Gabriel, my Knight. I am pleased you have come this far. I give you sad tidings, for your son is dead."

I felt my heart tear itself apart at that, the final, fragile hope I had crumbling inside of me. The feeling stopped when my god's voice spoke once more.

"But your wife and son need not remain so. I charge you with a mission, Gabriel. Kill the generals of the false god Typhon, claim their powers, end that devil's influence upon my world, and I shall bring them back to your side. I am the one true god, the god of life and light, the eternal god of destruction and rebirth, and I shall reward you above all others. You shall have your family back."

I swallowed, my despair replaced by horrible, desperate hope. I gripped the handle of my blessed combat whip with renewed strength. "I shall do as you command." With renewed determination, I turned away to face my first task.

The legions of the Dark Lord would all fall before me.


--------------------


My silvery armor was stained with Lycan blood as I reached their maker, the first Lycan, Cornell. The youngest of the Dark Generals.

The massive beast-man turned as I approached. He was eight feet tall, built as solidly as any hard fortification, and carried with him a massive hammer. His face was twisted, two tusk-like teeth emerging from his lower lip.

"So, a Knight of the Phoenix has come to my lair. I'm impressed, warrior." His voice deepened into a snarl. "Far less impressed by you murdering your way through my children."

"Children?" I spat. "They be your victims, beast. I have ended their misery, just as I shall end you."

Cornell advanced upon me, raising his hammer. "You know nothing, Knight. I have raised them to a grander existence. Your god denies you truth. I once served him, as you do, and I was shown the truth of things myself. He is a worse murderer than I could ever be!" A twisted grin rose on his face. "Allow me to show you the strength he denied me."


--------------------


In the end, the Lycan General's strength was not a match for my skill. He fought tactically at first, using his speed and strength to remarkable effect. But with every slash of my whip, he had become more enraged, more out of control. Even turning into a twelve-foot tall abomination of man and wolf did not aid him. Without the strengths of a reasoning mind, I'd easily managed to retrieve his hammer and cracked open his thick skull with it.

The body lay on the earth before me, burning as the unholy magic that was part of him was released. I held out my Light Magic amulet, drawing the power in, purifying it. The Lycan's General's power flowed down my body, manifesting themselves as shining greaves on my legs.

As I left, I took a moment to shower myself in a nearby waterfall. It was of little help. I got the worst of the werewolf blood off my armor, but it was still stained.

I found myself uncaring as I headed for the land of Velnar, where the vampires lie. I would see my wife and son again.


--------------------


I arrived at Wygol city. It was a metropolis for the era, ruled by the vampires. There were not many here, fifty vampires or so, compared to the thousands of humans within the city itself. The city was in panic as the winged forms of wretched vampires gathered their pick of their human livestock and carried them to the vast cathedral at the center of the city. Within lay the Vampire General, ruler of its twisted race.

By the time dawn rose, the Vampire General would be dead.

A large vampire stomped in my way. He had not been human to begin with, it was plain. A demon given the gifts and powers of vampirism. He was massive, nine feet tall, immense bat-wings sprouting from his back. He had a screaming child on his shoulder, a little girl. I burned off a portion of my stored Light Magic to sear his flesh and get his attention.

He turned with a roar, dropping the child. She ran with fear. The beast snarled at me. "A Knight of the Phoenix? Here? Brave man."

I twirled the shining links of my blessed whip. "This is your last night, demon."

The demonic vampire roared. The air began to thrum with the beating of wings as more vampires began to arrive.

I only grinned, feeling the madness rise.


--------------------


I strode into the cathedral, the stake at the end of my whip dripping with vampire blood.

Before this night would end, the legend would spread. Gabriel Belmont, wielding the Vampire Killer. Liberating the city from the scourge of the vampires would be a legend. Once, that would have been a source of pride.

Now? I didn't care in the least how the world looked upon me. Hero or monster, all that mattered was the chance to have my family back.

I entered the inner sanctum. Stopped as I found a girl, her skin white, her eyes glowing. A vampire child? These beasts were even more twisted than I believed.

"Have you come to play?"

I blinked. Every bit of my training told me to end her. But I wasn't so far gone it would be easy to murder a child. Even a vampire child. "I seek the Dark General, Lord of the Vampires."

She laughed, a happy, carefree thing. "She doesn't like visitors."

I tilted my head. "She?"

The girl giggled. "I'll show you the way to Mother, if you play."

I grimaced. "I don't have time for this, child."

The vampire girl gestured to the chessboard at the side. "Well, you can fight our way through a few thousand innocent thralls, kept entrapped by Mother's magic, to reach her. Or you can play a game with me and skip all that. I can bring you right to her, warrior."

I fingered my blessed whip. She wasn't lying. No need to, no reason to. The vampires would do just that to help sap my strength. If a simple game would allow me to spare the lives of innocents on my way through, it was worth the time. Even if not, it would give him time enough to recharge my amulet fully. If she attempted anything during the game, I could use it to end her. And would give mean edge in any ambush attempts.

And yet, taking the time to play would simply give them more time to rally a really, really large ambush.

"I've no time." I said softly.

She pouted. "She said you would say that. You're no fun. Bah!" She flung the chessboard aside. "You're Gabriel Belmont, the complete bore!"

That put me on guard. "You know me?"

She nodded. "The nice lady said you were coming."

I furrowed my brow. "Nice lady?"

Laura shrugged and pointed to the side, looking annoyed. "Her."

I turned my head, just enough to look while keeping an eye on the vampire child.

A woman, her skin completely white, with dozens of asymmetric wings surrounding her. She wore a golden toga, and her eyes were blank. She hovered above the floor, and she gave me a sad smile.

"Hello Gabriel. I am the Goddess of Fate, Ariel."

"False goddess." I said, faintly. Though I had the same feeling I had when I was before the Phoenix.

She shook her head. "Nay. The Walker has misled you. It is his hope that you can end his enemies. Among all his Knights, you are the finest."

I licked my lips. "Say what you will, spirit, I care not. Will you aid me in my goal, or will you stand aside?"

Ariel stared directly into my eyes. "Your son lives, Gabriel." She waved her hand, the air rippling before me. Images formed, the truth being shown to me.

Landon, leading a contingent of my fellow Knights into my home. They used metal claws, rather than the standard blades of the Knights. I watched in horror as they butchered my wife and dragged away my son.

Ariel spoke softly. "Caelus Solin. He who was doomed to live to only ninety. He whom feared death, and in his triumph over it murdered thousands and stole the greatest fonts of knowledge for his own. He who has destroyed the greatest civilization in the history of the world in his selfishness. He who is now the Phoenix. He sent your brothers to murder your wife, to steal your son away. All to motivate you into murdering Typhon's generals, and merely weaken his longtime foe. He has no means to raise your wife from the dead. None of the gods of this world do. If you succeeded in your quest, he would merely take away the gifts given you and have you ambushed on the road back home. He never shares power. He has even defiled my temple to serve his own ends."

I gripped the handle of the Vampire Killer, sheer rage flowing over me. "I will kill them all for this."

Ariel lifted her hand. "Return now, and he shall murder your son. There is a chance to save him, now. But the cost is high, Gabriel. You must be Solin's equal. You must kill Typhon himself to do so. Take the power of the Lord of Darkness for your own. Become the god of the dark. A better god of the dark. The role the Lord of Darkness should be. You are worthy in merit, Gabriel." She tilted her head. "Solin would not have begun this scheme if he were not desperate. Typhon is about to use the powers of Ifrit and Lotan to devastate the cities of Solin's followers. If they died, he would be vulnerable, and Solin would do unspeakable things to prevent even the possibility of that. Even if you set out now, Typhon would murder your son as much as Solin would."

I breathed heavily, my heart leaden in my chest. "How? How can I slay a god?"

Ariel looked at him sadly. "The same way Solin murdered his predecessor. Typhon builds everything within the Shadow Plane. Forget the Vampire General, Gabriel. Laura will show you the way."

I turned to stare the vampiric child in the eye. She smiled mischievously back.

"You'd like me more if you actually played the game, you know."


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[SirWill]

A/N: Yeah, pity poor Gabriel. Even as he descends into cackling madness.

Did I say two-parter? Dammit, it's three. Three, I swear! I didn't think it would take this long, honestly.

This took a fair bit longer than I expected to get out. Still, I'm alive!

More pertinently, though, this much is important for what happened in the past. Skipping the power list this time, too, because most of it isn't pertinent. As for why I'm skipping the combat scenes themselves? Well, fights are awesome, but hard to write. And he's frickin' Dracul, we already know he's a badass.

Much of this is based on the DLC of Lords of Shadow. THIS is how you do DLC.



---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



And so off I went with my unlikely ally. I felt leaden, dead, even as I held onto the slim hope of rescuing my son from his captors.

Landon, a man I had trusted since I was a boy, had betrayed me. My brothers-in-arms had murdered my wife on his order. And then he had the audacity to lie to my face about what had happened to those I loved. Even my god, whom I had served faithfully for my entire life, had lied directly to me for his own ends.

If I lived through this, I would see them all pay for this. Unconscionable betrayal over the chance that I would be able to kill the beasts whom had plagued mankind for millennia.

God of light or not, I was done with the Phoenix. I would need other sources of power to handle the challenges ahead. Even if I had immense skill, it would not be enough to handle Typhon without any kind of edge. There was only so much of a gap that could be closed by skill. To face the demon god himself would be far, far more difficult than the Lycan General.

"I know how you're feeling." Laura spoke, looking across at me from her side of the campfire. "Alone, betrayed. You get used to it."

"I highly doubt that. Why you?" I muttered.

She heard me, easily. A small smile on her face, just a hint of her fangs showing. "Ariel promised me something that I haven't had, Gabriel. Something I've longed for."

I raised an eyebrow.

"Freedom." Laura spoke. "I am bound to Mother by a geas. She knows where I am, what I do, and she can follow me anywhere. I'm not even allowed to try and kill myself. Lady Ariel is giving me the chance to run, if I help you. Lady Ariel is shielding me from Mother. Should we succeed, you will need to kill her eventually, however."

I shook my head. "Why did you choose to become a vampire?"

Laura looked at me, her face filled with sadness, "I had the choice of joining Mother's family or being another feeding slave. I chose to be the predator rather than the prey. Now? I wish I had chosen the other way."

The campfire crackled. Laura turned toward the east. From our shelter, the child-vampire would be protected from the sun, although it would not be a comfortable place. "It will be three days before we can reach Typhon's temple. From there, we can enter the Shadow Plane."

I closed my eyes and nodded. "Get some rest. We'd best be well-rested for the coming of nightfall."


------------------


It turned out, I didn't need to hunt the Vampire General in the future. She came to us. Waiting for us at the entrance to Typhon's dark temple. Surrounding her in her immense, bat-like form were the twisted forms of ten lesser vampires.

Laura was at my side, floating just above the ground. I hoped she would act on my side.

"Laura." The large vampiress snarled, barely understandable through the twisted maw of her mouth.

"Carmilla." Laura spoke acidly.

Carmilla's wings twitched, and she scraped her claws through the earth. "Show respect to your mother, girl."

Laura tilted her head, anger on her white face. "And I do. You killed her, remember?"

I looked around. There. Nervous vampire at the right. He tried to look me in the eye and failed.

"Come here!" Carmilla demanded. Laura froze in place, a small whimper of agony escaping her as she resisted the geas upon her soul.

I rushed forward, my magic greaves giving me inhuman speed, taking my target by surprise and bringing him to the ground in a powerful kick. Before the massed vampires could react, I'd killed my target with the silver stake at the end of the Vampire Killer.

I grinned ferally at their expressions. "Next?"

It quickly descended into chaos, but, as ever, the range of my whip and its blessed nature gave me the advantages I needed to keep them at bay while I whittled them down.


--------------------


Carmilla lay on the ground before me, bleeding, blinded, and weakened. She gave a feeble swipe in my direction, which I easily dodged. She lunged and grabbed toward me, but I managed to evade, punishing her with each failed attack with lashes from my whip, turning her from feared beast of the dark armies into a pathetic, mewling thing.

She tried to charge at me, howling in rage, when an arc of electricity interrupted her, making the monstrous vampire scream in agony. Unlike mundane lightning, it continued coursing its way through Carmilla's body, preventing her from moving.

I took the opportunity to drive my stake into the Vampire General's heart. She screamed, thrashed, and howled terribly. I pulled hard on my weapon, and it broke the stake attachment within Carmilla's heart.

The oldest vampire in the world thrashed, screamed, and writhed as the electricity kept flowing through her, cooking her flesh. I looked over to see Laura, flinging the lightning from her hands, her face filled with rage as she made her sire suffer, even as the stake within her heart was killing her.

Finally, Carmilla died, her body flaking away into ash. I could see her magic flowing away into the air. I did not bother to claim it.

Laura collapsed and burst into tears.

It took long moments before I could go over to her and wrap her in my embrace. To render myself vulnerable to a vampire, even a child-vampire...it did not come naturally.


--------------------


We'd entered the temple, a place filled with the scent of death and decay. I could see the remains of bodies lined upon the walls, long since dried out, desiccated, and aged beyond recognition. Even if the Phoenix...Solin, had not been a monster in his own right, Typhon's followers had to be stopped.

That I would aim my wrath at Landon and my former brothers in arms afterward was of no consequence. I had to ensure my son would live, first.

Within the inner sanctum of the crumbling temple, we found a black portal in the air, swirling.

"This is it." Laura spoke. "The entrance to the Shadow Plane. The realm of the Lord of Darkness. Lady Ariel says every god has a plane, and they are different than the world. No two are the same. It will be dangerous on the other side, Gabriel."

I nodded. "Danger has not stopped me thus far, Laura. You stay here, I will go in."

Her hand clasped mine. "Wait! You will die if you go inside! Typhon has set the portal within a volcano, the air itself is poison to humans! Only dark creatures can survive there."

I stopped. Closed my eyes. "And I am not one. Then how can I..." The answer struck me. "You are asking me to become a vampire to do this."

Laura looked at me, determination in her eyes. "It is the only way."

The sound of chimes, making beautiful music rose over me. I turned and faced Ariel as she appeared before us. Her voice was melodic as she spoke. "This is the only way to save him, Gabriel. Turn away now and he is doomed." Her eyes were downcast. "Even if you do this, there is no certainty of your success. I can see that you may win, but the affairs of my fellow gods are impossible to predict fully. All I can do is give you the best chance at victory."

I looked to Laura.

May Lisa forgive me.

I knelt before Laura. She bit into her own wrist and offered it to me. I braced myself, took her wrist, and began to drink.

Cold. Coppery. Disgusting. That was what I felt at first....and then, as I drank, the flavor of the blood suddenly changed. It was sweet, strong, powerful. I felt...strange.

Then pain wracked my body, and I released her wrist, grasping at my chest. "What...what is happening to me?" I managed to choke out.

Laura's voice was sad. "My blood is running through your veins. It is a powerful poison that will soon...kill you. Then you will arise again....but we do not have the time for you to wait to be reborn. You must be as strong as possible for this. There is only one way to fully embrace vampirismnow." She pushed her wrist near me again. "You must keep drinking from me. To the last drop."

I shuddered, feeling my body stiffen as horror flooded my mind. She wanted me to kill her!? "N-no. I won't."

Her eyes looked into mine, and I saw an expression I had never expected to see on a vampire. Misery. "Many lifetimes I have lived, many I have killed. All that power, all my power must be yours." Her voice was filled with a terrible, desperate need. "Release me from this miserable existence. I beg of you, free me!"

I felt my heart twist, even as it stopped beating. I seized her wrist, dug my teeth in, and drank.

Laura screamed as I drained her of every last drop of blood. She collapsed into my arms, and I held her tenderly, even as she flaked away into ashes.

I wiped my lips, feeling...very strange, indeed. I looked to Ariel, and she bowed her head, singing a low, sad, wordless song. I bowed my head and listened, allowing Laura's funeral dirge to settle its way into my mind.

I prepared myself for the task ahead. I wrapped my hand around the handle of the Vampire Killer, and grunted in pain as the blessed handle burned my now-vampiric fingers. I could withstand it, but...it would make this task far, far more difficult. The greaves of my legs burned as well, but it was far more tolerable.

Ariel spoke softly, extending her hand. "You will find a new weapon within, Gabriel. I shall ensure your weapon is taken care of."

I gave Ariel a nod of thanks, handed over the whip I had wielded for so long, then turned and entered the Shadow Plane.


--------------------


"Fools! Think you I will tolerate this outrage!?" A voice bellowed, making the entire region I was in shake. The heat here was oppressive, and I could smell nothing at all, despite the hissing and bubbling molten rock some fifty feet away. I knew if I approached closer, even by a little bit, the heat would likely make me burst into flames.

Pain wracked my body as Laura's blood flowed through my veins. I didn't have much time before I would fall, sleep, and turn fully into a vampire. I could feel the Light Magic amulet on my chest flaring, burning, and I hastily pulled it off and threw it away. It could prevent infection by vampirism if it were unwillingly taken in, but when embraced as I had...all it could do was kill me.

I carefully made my way over the ledges I could find, keenly aware of the danger I was in. A volcano was no place for a mortal or a vampire, and was only slightly less dangerous to the latter than the former. I wouldn't suffocate from the lack of fresh air, but a crumbled ledge here would end me.

In the middle of the volcanic caldera was a twenty foot tall figure, head crested by horns and bound by black and red chains. Energy pulsed along those chains, flowing toward the beast. Fire and lava poured from it, drenching the chains that held it in place. And yet, the chains would not move or melt, regardless of how the beast attempted to wrangle them. I tried to move around it, to get to my target, and I doubted this one was Typhon. I highly doubted I would find the Lord of Darkness enchained in his own realm.

"Typhon!" The beast roared. "You have earned an eternal enemy this day, trying to bend me to your will!"

I accidentally disturbed a bit of rubble as I made my way around, searching for an exit, and the beast snarled. Its single, massive glowing eye focused on me. The beast exhaled a burst of flame, thankfully it fell short. "A mortal, here?"

Well, it had me in sight at least. "I seek the Dark Lord Typhon!"

It rumbled. "Ah. You seek my captor. And what do you intend to do with him, hmm? Bow and scrape at his feet?"

I bared my teeth. "I intend to slay him."

The beast's head reared back in surprise at that. Then it made a laugh that shook the entire volcano around me. "Ha! How very interesting. To send a mortal to slay a god! Ha!" The massive eye narrowed as it looked at me. "Ah...I see. Not simply a mortal, now. I am Ifrit, Lord of Fire, God of the Burning Earth, and I will aid you in this endeavour. I lend you a weapon that will aid you."

It gestured toward me, and a glob of molten lava formed at my feet, shaping themselves into black, spiked gauntlets. They burned with white-hot fire, and yet they did not injure me. I grinned as I put them on, and bowed graciously. "Thank you, Lord Ifrit."

Ifrit laughed. "Thank me by killing Typhon, fledgling. Free me and Lotan. If you can."


--------------------


I followed the long red chain that bound Ifrit. If what the bound god said was true, then the chain should lead me directly to my prey.

This place was definitely not for humankind. The air was thick with fumes and gases that would have undoubtably killed me if I had still been just a man. But I was no longer human. Rage drove me, hatred guided me, and the only thing that kept me walking was the thought of my son. Everything had been taken from me. If I had to kill a god to get him back, I would. If I had to kill all the gods, I would.

The realm was a dark, terrible place. My new nature found it somewhat pleasing. I took my time to find my way to Typhon's chamber, careful to not attract too much attention.

Hopefully, Ifrit's favor would give me enough of an advantage. The gauntlets on my hands burned. If I had the chance, I would see if I could keep them. If not, I would find my own solution. I rather liked the feeling of power from having fire at my command.

I found the chain's end when I reached an immense stone platform, floating in the middle of a void. And holding the chains was an immense white-armored demon, standing at twenty-five feet tall. Two great curved horns sprouted from his head, and he glowed with black and red energy. Power flowed from him and through the chains, flowing off into the distance. He hadn't noticed me, as he was facing away. This had to be Typhon, Lord of Darkness.

He shall look into the eyes of the dragon, and know fear. I am that dragon.

I gathered my courage and charged, igniting my gauntlets only as I was about to make contact. Typhon heard me and turned, too late to prevent me from slamming into the back of his leg and shattering the armor. Typhon roared in pain as blackened flesh was exposed to the air, the demon's black blood staining the stone.

He summoned an immense ball and chain, slamming the end into the ground and forcing me to retreat for the moment. I clenched my hands, focusing my attention on the battle ahead. Typhon stood on that leg gingerly. Good. Even a demon god could be hurt.

"A human, here?" Typhon spoke. "Who are you, fool?"

"I am your destroyer, Typhon."

He laughed. "You think you can stop me with part of my power binding two lesser gods? Fool."

"Mark my words, before I am done with you you shall beg for your miserable life!"

Typhon tilted his head, amusement in his voice. "My power is infinite. I shall rip the flesh from your body, and devour your soul."

I readied myself, the gauntlets on my hands igniting. "Enough talk. Have at you!"


--------------------


I panted in exhaustion, the platform stained black. Typhon stood before me, most of his bony armor torn away, gasping for air.

"You are impressive, warrior. I hadn't expected you to be this strong." He gestured, and the chains leading off into the distance began to dissolve into a cloud of black and red energy. "But you've no chance of beating me, mortal. I am far more than you. You have only delayed me. I shall use fire and water alike to scour your world clean of humanity."

He turned and faced the cloud, extending his hand. His power began to stream back toward him. I clenched my hands and forced the purified power of the greaves on my legs to activate. Their blessed powers began to burn hotter, searing my legs, but they gave me the burst of speed I needed. I charged forward, screaming as I streaked past the surprised demon-god. He tried to turn, to stop me, but his swipe missed. I launched myself into the black cloud.

Pain washed over me, but also power. Knowledge flooded into my mind.

Typhon's voice echoed. "No no no no no!"

I hit the ground, surrounded by a black and red corona of power. I was aware of Typhon charging toward me, a scream of rage filling the region. The platform shuddered with every footstep the demon took.

But with the power I had now, it was trivial to teleport behind him as he attempted to smash me into the ground. I floated in the air, gravity no longer binding me, glowing with power as he turned to regard me.

"I...I yield to you. Mercy, my liege. Mercy." Typhon spoke.

Alas, I had none. It was trivial for me to use the power Laura had given me, enhance it with the power I'd stolen, and lash out. Lightning flowed from my hand and seared Typhon, making him wail, scream, cry, and burn. Eventually, his body fell apart, a small amount of the black and red energy he still had flowing away and joining me.

I am the dragon. I am the Lord of Darkness.

Some investigation revealed I was entrapped within the Shadow Plane. No matter. I would find my way out. I would find my son.

And I would make Solin pay for his betrayal.


--------------------


It had been simple to let Ifrit and Lotan free of my realm. They were gods themselves, they still had a connection to their own. I spent twenty-five years shaping a section of the Shadow Plane to my liking. Castlevania was born, and I filled her with beings born of the nightmares of humanity. Rage and hatred, lust and desire, pride and vengeance, all given shape, form, and substance. And all eventually did my bidding.

And when I finally returned to my world, I brought an entire army with me. Solin would know the rage of Dracul, the Dragon.

Five years of my campaign. I hunted down the surviving members of the Knights who butchered Lisa. Five years of hunting for any sign of my son. Landon had hidden him very well, and he had taken the secret to his grave. Old age had stolen his life before I could. Now and again, the Knights of the Phoenix would send warriors after me, to attempt to end my attacks. Some had even used replicas of my own Vampire Killer.

Like this one. A warrior in a blue coat, wielding a whip. He'd stomped his way through dozens of demons and managed to overcome the obstacles Castlevania placed in his way. He'd earned the privilege of facing me in my throne room.

"I am here to free you of your curse." He spoke, gesturing with the whip. "I am here to avenge my friends."

I laughed softly. "So it's personal, is it? I was going to pay a visit to each and every one of your superiors, and what do the cowards do? Send assassins after me." I gestured to the whip in his hand. "Did they tell you that I once used a weapon like that, hm?" I formed the Shadow Whip in my hand. "I was betrayed by your god, boy. And so have you. The sooner I end him, the sooner all beings of our world are better off."

"Aside from those you murder." The warrior growled at me. "You are done, Dracul. This is your last night."

I spread my arms, amusement filling me. "You are welcome to try, boy."


--------------------


Blood spread from the knight's mouth. His Vampire Killer embedded within his chest, puncturing a lung. His heart was intact, but he would be dead in minutes, regardless. I had to give him credit. He was strong, capable, and more dangerous than I had expected. But it hadn't been enough to save him.

He stared at me, laboring to breathe. "I am sorry...I failed."

I smirked. "Failed? You never had a chance. There are none who can face the might of the Dragon. Even your god fears to face me. He knows I will end him."

His eyes were glazing over as death crept over him. "I am sorry...father."

I froze. Father?

No.

A humming song filled the air. Ariel appeared before me, as beautiful as ever. She said nothing, merely held out her hand and showed me images in distorted air. Adrian, stolen away. Adrian, training at the hands of the Knights. Adrian, growing up to be a fine, strong young man.

Adrian, dying on the floor of my throne room.

"NO!" I roared, teleporting to my son's side. I ripped the Vampire Killer from his chest, and ripped open my wrist with my teeth, feeding him my blood. "Live! Please, live, my son! Please...."

Nothing. My son lay still. He couldn't embrace vampirism. I hurriedly tore the Light Magic amulet from his neck, and fed him more of my blood. Desperately hoping, for some slight movement, some slight sign.

I turned my gaze upon the Goddess of Fate. "Why!?" I yelled at her, feeling tears flow down my cheeks. "Why allow this!?"

She shook her head. "I sought to avoid this, Dracul. I tried, many a time. But I cannot remove choices from mortals, and I cannot see what you will do. I knew Adrian would fail in his goal this night, but not how or why. He would not turn aside."

I slammed my fist into the floor. The throne room shuddered with the blow. Ariel dissolved into the air.


--------------------


I closed the lid on the simple tomb. I had held vigil for three days. My son did not arise again, not even as a ghoul. He was gone. Permanently gone.

Here lies Adrian Belmont

Son of Dracul

Dracula

I held his Vampire Killer in my hand, feeling the silver of the weapon burning my skin. I paid it no mind.

This room had been my throne room. Now it would be my son's tomb. I would build a new throne, a larger tower.

And if humanity would continue to serve the god who would send my own son to kill me, I would kill them all. I would ensure I would be the only god remaining. I would remake the world in my own image.

For in my world, no father would slay his son. No wife would be stolen from her husband, and no mother would be stolen from her son. If I had to populate the entire world with demons and demons alone, I would.

And I would only be satisfied when the so-called Lord of Light lay dead.

For I am the Dragon.


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[SirWill]

A/N: Phew. This should do it.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


I stared at the being before me. It had taken so very much to accomplish this, so much time and effort, so many sacrificed.

"I am sorry." The robed figure spoke, its voice echoing in my mind. "I cannot bring them back. That is beyond my power."

"You lie!" I roared.

The featureless skull under the robe bowed its head. "I do not lie. I have no reason to. You have given me a gift which I had never had before, never could have imagined was possible. I am grateful beyond all measure, and I can never repay this gift. But I can't raise the dead. Your wife and your son are beyond me."

I went utterly still, channeling my anger into the Void. "Then you will serve me until I am satisfied."

Death bowed its head. "I shall."


------------------


I could not help but laugh. My son, arisen after thirty years asleep. A miracle, followed by my defeat. I had lost.

And I was overjoyed.

Rising from my grave in the Shadow Plane, I breathed as Castlevania reformed itself around me. When I was strong enough, I would return her to the Material Plane. I would still hunt the twisted religion of Solin. I would see him manifested in a physical form, lying dead before me.

But in the meantime, I would face my descendants. I would enjoy this little game. After all, I was immortal. I could stand the diversion for an eternity. Eventually, I would win.


------------------


After many cycles, many battles with Belmonts, something changed.

The end of the world began not with a bang, but with a song. A dream of music that every mortal heard. I heard nothing, and neither did any of my demons. But my Lycans did, my mortal followers did, and they stood entranced as the music was cast around the world.

The next time a Belmont came, he was aided by a sorceress. A woman who could fly and create bursts of fire. An ideal weapon against lesser vampires.

A small annoyance to me. Richter Belmont fell at my hand, as a few of his ancestors had. I was disappointed, honestly. Richter had been strong, stronger than any before, but he had been overconfident in his and his friend's power, and failed miserably.

I only realized how much things had changed when Solin had sent an entire army after me, headed by a few mortals with new, inherent magics. Magics I could not steal or twist to my own purposes. A paladin, flying unaided, wielding blades made of shimmering light.

"God is with me, monster. Mankind has suffered your plague long enough." He had spoken.

I had grinned. "That will be your ruin."

A fierce battle took place, and he fell. Just like the rest. Then I had taken the form of the dragon to decimate his followers. They massed attacks, some attacking me with ice and fire, others with light and even time itself had been weaponized against me. They very nearly had forced me back to my normal shape. Only my experience had given me the edge. It had been a very, very long time since I had been matched in sheer power. If they had been more coordinated, they might have even won.

But despite what they had said, despite what I could tell they believed, they did not use Solin's power. This was something else.

I stood in the midst of the slain army, Castlevania standing high, proud, and while scorched and damaged, she would repair and heal. It would take a great deal more than this to truly destroy the castle.

I turned as I felt a familiar presence. Alucard. I smiled as he faced me.

"Hello, father." He spoke, his golden eyes piercing.

"My son. It has been a long time."

Alucard's face was hard, gesturing to the field of corpses. "I had hoped we would not see each other again. But things are dire, and though I loathe what you have done, you must know."

I laughed. "And so you come to me?"

His next words brought me up short. "The Eastern Lands are dead, father."

I stared at him. "How are they dead? They had people beyond counting." I had not yet sent my demons their way, for they had little use for Solin's religion, and they would have been more trouble than they were worth.

Alucard held the blade at his side closely. "The Islands of Fortune have been swallowed by the sea. The lands of the Jade Empire have been reshaped, twisted, and torn, as if Gaia herself has gone mad. There are none alive there, now. I have sent word out, elsewhere. I even searched Pan's sanctuary. He is missing. Something is killing everything, father."

I frowned. "And so you come to me, to seek my aid against this...invisible threat?"

Alucard nodded. "I know of none with more power than you, father. Solin hides, as always." He lifted his hand. "You promised me once that you would always be there to protect me. Who fought to protect all that is precious."

I stilled. "That was a very long time ago. A different man said that."

Alucard looked me in the eye. "Yes. But I believe a part of him lives, still."

I turned away, looking up at the night sky. "That man was lied to, Alucard. He was destroyed by the machinations of betrayers and a frightened, tiny, pathetic god. Landon, may the devils feast on his soul, murdered your mother. He did so because Solin wanted me to charge his foes with nothing holding me back. A foolish plan, and if I must burn the world to make him suffer for it, I shall."

Alucard shook his head. "Let things continue as they are, and he shall, but so shall everything else! What kind of profit will it be if you get your vengeance and there is nothing left alive? What would mother say to that?"

I closed my eyes, smelling the burnt and twisted corpses around me. I had not thought of Lisa in decades, the memory was far too painful. I spoke softly. "If I have the chance, I will destroy Solin. Until that moment, I shall be...restrained."

Alucard nodded. "That is all I can ask for."


------------------


Seven years. That was all it had taken. Wars spread, and people everywhere were gaining unique, singular magics to themselves. My armies, powerful as they were, were being whittled down.

Then I discovered what happened to the other gods.

Immense chains manifested from the sky, wrapping themselves around Castlevania. I hadn't been prepared, and the eldritch energies started to flow though. I could feel their power, great and immense, far, far larger than my own. But I could not help but laugh.

It was the same technique Typhon had used to bind Ifrit and Lotan. Using energy to grasp, bind, and slowly reshape the mind of its bound prey. I'd interrupted the binding on the pair, but I knew how to do it. I never had, because to control a god in that manner would have taken up a vast majority of my power. And I had other methods to work with. If I wanted someone dead, I would do it myself.

Where this being had failed was in using this binding, it was made of the same type of power as my own. I closed my eyes and concentrated.

The doors to my throne room burst open, and Alucard swept in. "Father! What is happening?"

I smirked. "We are under attack. Our foe reveals himself to me, in an attempt to bind me as he did the others. He has made a misstep, but one I can't count on for him to repeat." I could feel the chains shifting, attempting to better grasp the substance of Castlevania, but failing. The chains would never hold, simply because their nature was wrong. "He is attempting to use Shadow Magic to bind Castlevania, entrap it here on the Material." I raised my hand and concentrated.

It was fairly simple to shift the castle back into the Shadow Plane, easily slipping through the chains the enemy had made. Had he thought to use the power of a different type, he would have succeeded in the binding. As it was, the chains simply could not have a firm grip on a power of the same type, just as two lodestones would repel each other when they faced the same end to the other.

Alucard looked out the window, frowning at the sight of the eternal night of the Shadow Plane. "What is our foe, father?"

I shrugged. "I know not. But I will find out." I left my throne, then placed a hand on it, binding a small fragment of my power to it. Just enough to keep a small connection to it. If I succeeded in defeating this enemy, I could then find my way back.

I was confident of victory. I'd handled many beings of great power in my time. Surely this one would fall. I was a god, now, and not a mere mortal. And yet... I didn't want to show it, but the display of sheer power had shaken me. Had I been any other god, those chains would have easily found their way through the castle and trapped me. So the question remained...

Who or what had done this?

"Alucard." I spoke. "I am leaving the Castle in the Shadow Plane. I will have to move carefully to find out about our foe, and I can't leave an easy opening to my plane." I took in a deep breath. "And I do not want to lose you again."

He moved toward me. "You can't-"

I ripped a portal out of the Castle and returned to the Material world. I would find Ariel.


------------------


Ariel's temple was in even worse shape than it had been when I was still Gabriel. Most of the crystalline structure was now strewn about through the forest, chunks of shining rock. The original chamber was now exposed to the air.

But above the ruins of the temple was Ariel, the black and red chains of my foe wrapped around her form. Her asymmetrical wings lay on the ground, torn away, her body dripping blood, and she writhed and screamed with every black pulse of energy that flowed into her. Her body was shifting, enlarging, and ever so slowly her expression turned from agony into serenity. She tilted her head as she looked at me.

And then she raised a hand, still encircled by the chains. A wave of pressure tried to flatten me, and it was only an instinctive teleport that kept me from feeling that pain.

Telekinesis? That was not one of the powers of the Goddess of Fate.

I drew the Void Sword, preparing to attack, when a glint of light caught my eye.

Chains, made of light this time. They sought me out, attracted by my power, and I had no choice but to escape. I teleported as rapidly as I could, flying through the air between bursts, and once the chains had fallen behind, I took a look.

The chains were coming from distortions in the air. I couldn't quite see them, exactly, as there wasn't anything to really see. Just a sense of sheer wrongness when I looked at that spot.

More chains snaked my way, moving and flowing as if they were alive. Definitely a living mind behind them, though, not a very bright one. If it had been wise, it would have surrounded the entire region with chains of light.

Still, this was a problem. I needed to distract them. I used my vampiric gifts to call out to the creatures of the woods, and a wolf pack soon came trotting my way, joining me in my flight. Alucard would certainly despise me for this, but I saw little choice.

I ordered them to attack the chains. The tiny touch of my power on them was enough to confuse the enchantment seeking me, and the wolves were soon enwrapped, being tormented by the binding as Ariel was.

Being careful to keep my power reigned in, I looked carefully, and made a startling discovery.

There was no magic in the chains at all. Never had been. It was an imitation of magic. Its shortcomings were vastly, vastly overwhelmed by the sheer power behind them. As far above me as I was above an ordinary peasant. The sheer disparity was...disquieting.

Ariel's enlarged form floated my way. Now and again, she twitched, a rictus of agony crossing her features, but they were slowing, stilling.

I decided to leave, to attempt to find another method of attack.


------------------


It took some trial and error, but I discovered how to prevent myself from being bound. I had to diffuse a good portion of my power, make it so the searching chains had nothing to seek out and latch on to. It was easy to use a chain to bind a person, far harder to bind a cloud. It made it more difficult for me to call upon my greater powers, and the form of the Dragon would be beyond me until I concentrated everything once more. But I needed only remember the look of agony on Ariel's face.

Now and again, the chains would strike out of the air, seeking for me, hunting me, and I just had to evade. A testing strike with the Void Sword showed me that the being on the other side of the chains, the binding agent, had so much more life than anything I could fathom.

More life energy in this single being than my entire world had. Try as I might...I had no idea how to close the gap between its power and my own. Worse yet, I had only seen its probing attacks, not the being itself.

I had one chance. I headed for the Holy City Solanar.


------------------


Solanar, jewel of the world, was a twisted ruin.

Some half a mile away, blotting out the sun, was an immense towering being. Thin, gaunt, and wailing in pain.

Gaia. She had been twisted, too. The god of the living earth itself. She towered over the city, casting a shadow over the central temple, and around her, the air distorted, nearly humming with power. As I numbly watched, the Holy City twisted and reshaped itself, broad streets turning themselves into narrow, spike-filled deathtraps. Pits opened up in front of fleeing, screaming people, the ground itself becoming an enemy.

I floated above the city, moving toward the Grand Cathedral. As a boy, I had been in awe of this place. As a man, I wished to serve here. As the Lord of Darkness, I wanted it razed to the ground.

Apparently, I would not have to wait long to get my wish. The walls of the Cathedral were being ripped, even now.

Solin kept a chamber within. Most of the gods kept a place to link to their realms, it made it easier to keep the line of communication between deity and follower open. Typhon had his temple. I had Castlevania itself. Ariel's had been defiled and destroyed. Ifrit had his volcanic mountain home. Solin likely kept a bridge to the Light Plane here, although I hadn't bothered to attack it.

Not because I feared facing him. Simply because he had so many followers that he would never have to leave the ethereal state that made him unassailable. That simple protection, that let him pretend to be more than I or any of the others, had kept him safe. Now with so many of his priests dead, the followers running...perhaps I could finally end this.

I stormed my way into the Cathedral. I could feel its nature attempting to evict me. If I had simply been a vampire, I would not have been able to cross the threshold. Not because it was a holy place, but simply because so much Light Magic had been channeled here that it would have burned them just as the sun would.

Fortunately, I was more than simply a vampire. I am the Dragon.

I found a cowering fat priest wearing white robes and an oversized hat, whimpering and praying to the Phoenix as I tore my way into the inner sanctum. "Oh holy god, please, turn aside this devil! Cast him out of this place!"

Of course, his god did nothing. Why would that change now?

Without a care, I grabbed him. Dragged him with me, crying in fear. I reached the innermost chamber, a place filled with eternal sunlight. Then I slit the man's throat with a claw, drank deep, and strode into the beam of light.

I found myself in a crystalline palace. I recognized the style immediately.

Not only was Solin a coward, he was a thief of ideas. It was laid out in much the same manner as Ariel's temple had been, if I could have stepped back in time some two millennia or so.

I dropped the body of the priest. Let his stink befoul this plane. I felt my powers resonating, and I let them guide me. The palace was crumbling about in places, and here and there were the hasty signs of desperation. An overturned sconce here, a scorchmark there. I found my way to a throne room, nearly a mirror of my own.

Definitely a thief. Plagiarist.

Somehow, I'd expected more when I found the god I hated so much. An average-looking man, face filled with youth, short blond hair. His blue eyes were filled with desperate fright as he looked at me.

"I should have guessed you were behind all this chaos, Gabriel." He spoke, trying to sound confident, strong.

Pathetic.

I spread my arms, smiling. "Ah, so you lay blame, as ever, on others for your own faults. The chaos of your city's fall is not my doing 'phoenix.' You are hardly the beautiful firebird of light you claimed to be, cowering here like a wretch as the world burns."

He stood from his throne, managing a snarl, despite the fear I could easily see. "If you had done as I had asked, none of this would have happened! You betrayed me, Gabriel!"

I burst out into laughter. "Is that how you remember it? I recall you telling me my son was dead, when he was not. I recall you telling me you could resurrect my wife, when you could not. I recall you ordering the man I trusted above all others to destroy that which was dear to me, and he did so because of his love of you. But please, do go on. Let us speak of betrayals further." I manifested the Void Sword.

Solin, somehow, managed to gather a bit of courage. "How did you manage it? Slain four times and risen four times? How?"

I smiled viciously as I advanced on Solin. "Tis simple, foolish little alchemist. I am worthy of my power, of my station. I stole it from Typhon, but I have made it mine. You, on the other hand, are unworthy of any station beyond the cleansing of vermin, and I have no doubt you could fail even that."

Solin went still, and his hands ignited in light, determination rising on his features. "You forget, Gabriel, that I slew a god once, as well."

I grinned. "Ah, so you will make this fun. Good." I lifted the Void Sword. "And don't you dare call me that. Eu sunt Dracul."


------------------


The blood of a god was on my tongue as I left Solanar. My victory had taken many centuries. I felt some small measure of satisfaction.

But mostly, it was hollow. Gaia was tearing Solanar apart, and I had no solution. My attempts at attacking were easily rebuffed. Even with the Void Sword, I simply could not damage the twisted god enough to reach something vital. Assuming there was anything vital at all. That, and if I stayed in one place for too long, the searching chains would begin hunting for me. Keeping my power diffuse was preventing them from easily getting me, but I had no desire to end up like the rest.

So I attempted an avenue of attack. I waited above the ocean, floating in the air, gathering my will while keeping my power as diffuse as possible. Then I sent out a pulse of my power, then another, and another.

It did not take long for the response to reach me. Chains of light struck out of the distortions, searching for me. Due to my power being spread out over miles, however, they searched and groped blindly. I summoned the Void Sword, picked a chain, and slashed at it.

Such an immense amount of life within. It would have been enough to feed me for a decade, if I could hold onto all of it. The chains reared back, as if shocked, then searched for me, diving toward where I had slashed. I'd already moved onward, though, moving to the far portion of the cloud of my spread-out power. I summoned my wrath, striking at the chains with lightning.

Back and forth it went, the chains seeking me, hunting me, while I struck at them, draining them of power and energy. There was so very much behind this that I could barely comprehend, but I'd noticed something. My power, while lesser, was filled by an ever-lasting river, always replenishing itself.

While the power behind the chains was as a finite ocean. Far, far larger, but with patience, I could possibly whittle it down. Remove enough strength from it for it to give up, or perhaps, slay it.

Eventually, the chains ceased coming. I readied myself, turning as I felt a presence behind me.

Fire coalesced in the air, forming a being. It looked as if it was made of molten rock, sexless, but radiating power on a level I could never have imagined. My mind touched it, and I was forced to shudder back from its immensity. It was simple, but it was as if I had touched the mind of a star.

It looked at me intently, and then knowledge poured into my mind. A thousand inflections poured into a single concept.

[Annoyance.]

I grinned. "So my foe shows himself at last. I must say I'm disappointed. I was expecting more."

[Arrogance.]

"Indeed. And yet, despite the fact you have such an immense amount of power, you hide behind a veneer. Why show yourself now?"

[Interest. Amusement.]

I pushed my mind at its own. I finally understood. It was a simple mind, but vast, because it was made of billions of smaller, simpler parts. I had managed to weaken the one part of it it was using to bind the gods of my world. But it had many, many, many more.

A tiny flash of warning. I teleported, only to find myself encased in ice regardless. There was a sickening feeling as I felt gravity pulling the entirety of the mass of ice toward the sea, with me within. I called upon my hatred, the fires of Hell responding to my will, and I exploded outward, launching myself at the Abomination.


------------------


The Abomination hovered before me. Impassive. It had taken hours of fighting, desperately flying over the surface of the world as I launched strike after strike, trying option after option. Now I was tired, strained, and the Abomination seemed unharmed by everything I had thrown at it.

[Annoyance.]

I stared back at it, unrepentant through the gray field surrounding me. "Ah. So you've given up on killing me, and decided on this, instead. More trouble than I am worth, hm?" I'd managed to slash it a time or two with the flames of Chaos, and even now, I could feel a slight hint of that power on the Abomination. I had simply irritated it enough to stop playing around and decide on a prison.

It was a bitter truth to face. I had been overconfident, and failed miserably. I never truly had a chance.

[Satisfaction.]

I grimaced as my body was forced back into the position I had been in a moment before. Try as I might, I could not escape the prison. My teleportation had been nullified by the inviolate barrier at the edge of the bubble. My mist would not leave. My bat form was trapped. I could not even attack, though I tried. Fire, ice, and lightning alike could not pierce the edges of the bubble.

[Gratitude. Solution.]

"What?" I snarled. I forced my mind deeper into the being's own, feeling strained as I winnowed my much smaller mind through the Abomination's. This being...there were more of them. Many more, more beyond counting. They had been hunting for an answer, a way so they could feast upon the heavens forever.

And the gods of my world seemed to provide a clue. Finite power, but ever-lasting, so long as there was a world for them to inhabit. It intended to bring the information back to its brethren. To try and find a way to create new gods and forever feast upon them. It had even copied the effects of the magic it had observed, if not the methods to produce them. Parasites!

Death would despise these Abominations.

It flew away, streaking off toward the morning sun. I felt the light on my face, irritating just slightly, but a mere annoyance.

I still had a connection back to the Shadow Plane. Though I was still entrapped, once the Abomination left, I could bring Castlevania back into existence, and perhaps bend the minds of my servants back towards freeing me. There is no problem without a solution.

And then...horror filled me. The ocean beneath me boiled, day turned into night, and entire mountains of liquid rock and earth flew past my prison. The cataclysm lasted only seconds, but I found myself in the void between worlds, molten chunks of rock flying in all directions. I looked over my shoulder and saw the core of my world, burning as brightly as the sun, seething in molten fire.

Rage filled me. Beyond anything I had ever known. I pushed everything into the Void. I needed to be calm to take my next move. The vast majority of my power was outside my prison, if still tenuously connected. It was rooted in the soul, not the body, and that seemed to be something the Abomination was ignorant of. I still had options, even if my soul was trapped with my body, my divinity gave me a few methods to attempt vengeance.

Sifting through the memories I had stolen, I had a realization. Mine was not the first world this being had murdered. It was simply the latest. If it had done as it usually had, there would be three more Abominations floating off into the void. It cut short its cycle when it realized it had a prize in its grasp. Only one was leaving, to seek out the others.

I felt the small connection I left upon it, through the fires of the Hells. It seemed to be ignorant of the planes' true nature, as they were every place. This being funneled through mirror images of the world, but the planes weren't connected to any one of them. They were born by the soul, touching a theme, and while they were devoid of things by nature, a deity connected to them could shape them however they wished, given some effort. I had done that very thing to create the living Castlevania.

But I could not bring the Castle back into existence, here. It was meant to be anchored to a world, and if I did, the power that held it together would diffuse into the void. No matter what I did now, I was trapped. But regardless of its great power, the Abomination made a mistake. This prison of twisted time allowed my soul to continue thinking, rather than trapping even my mind within its loop. It gave me a chance.

This Abomination would pay for its temerity.

I knew this would pain me. I was exposed to the sun, and it was only my great power that made it a slight irritation. Shunting as much of my power as I could into the power of Darkness would weaken me to the point of being a newly-raised vampire. And with this prison of mine, I might never die from the sun, however many times it burned me. With things as they are, it was nearly peaceful, here.

But if I had to condemn myself to a living hell to get my vengeance on the being who murdered my world, then so be it.

I let the power of Darkness take everything it could from me. My flesh began to sear in the sunlight as it streaked out, connected to me only by the tiny shred of will I had on it and its equally-small connection to my throne. I let it seek after the Abomination, chasing the connection formed in Hellfire. I concentrated through the pain as, after an eternity, my power reached the Abomination.

The beast had, apparently, entered a resting state, barely aware as it sought some destination. Some rip in space it had traversed to reach my world. Something unusual by its standards, and entirely unknown on my own. It was unaware as my mind carefully touched the Abomination, my power utterly dwarfed by the thing. It was larger than my entire world put together, and it was because of that, my power managed to steal its way within like a thief in the night.

Such a strange thing. In one sense, it did not exist. It had single fragments of itself existing in many, many mirrors of the void between stars. In another sense, it was titanic beyond imagination, so immense that its bulk would destroy a star just by passing too close, if it gathered all its substance in a single place.

But it had to have some weakness. Every being had one.

It passed through the tear, weaving itself through the empty void. I spent the time, burning, but concentrating, shunting the pain into the Void. It took another eternity for me to find something. I smiled viciously on my regenerating lips.

Of course this creature had foes among its own kind. It even had a weapon to aid it against enemy Abominations. I pushed my power toward the piece of itself that carried the weapon. If the being hadn't been concentrating on something else, far-off in the distance, I likely wouldn't have been able to take control of the tiny fragment.

'Control' wasn't quite correct. It had a rudimentary mind of its own, eager to act. It was somehow like a dog. All I had to do was tell it to act.

And it did.

Bursts of energy lanced out from the weapon-fragment, in all directions, through all the mirror-voids the Abomination inhabited. I had the slightest feeling of surprise, panic from the Abomination, before its massive, gestalt mind fell apart, becoming nothing more than a slowly spreading cloud of drifting, dying fragments.

Within my prison, I laughed. One does not simply cage the Dragon!

Then something caught my attention, told to me by drifting my power over the dying fragments. Two more Abominations approaching, entwined with each other.

[Curiosity.]

[Salvage.]

[Hesitation.]

[Investigation.]

[Agreement.]

One of the pair gathered some of the drifting fragments. My power, ethereal as it was, came along for the ride. I could sense the new Abomination pausing over the dormant forms of the stolen, mutilated gods. Their power was faint, still. It likely did not realize just what prize it had gained.

The pair resumed their journey, drifting through the void. Ages passed, while I burned in the light, aeons and many mirror-voids away. I was not still. I searched my way through the new Abomination, my power unseen and unfelt by the thing. It was different from the first, so very different. Most of its fragments were asleep, its gestalt mind as immense as the first, but more sophisticated.

The pair approached a world. In truth, uncountable mirror-worlds, but I recognized it regardless. Another version of my own. Different in uncountable ways, but I knew what their approach meant.

They would kill this world, as their cousin had killed mine, just to create new twisted spawn and resume their hunt.

I could do little. I was not yet familiar enough with this new Abomination to find its weak point. I tried to find another fragment like the one I had tricked into killing its master, but there were so many fragments and so few with useful abilities for my purpose.

Ah. Here is one with possibility. The Abomination was distracted by a fragment it had picked up from my victim. Its mind was not focused on the rest of its being.

And another fragment coordinated its many fragments into a single being. Billions of fragments under its coordination, as essential to this Abomination as a spine was to a man. This one was more difficult to manipulate than the weapon-fragment. Harder to bend to my will. Try as I might, I could not tell it to tell all the other fragments to disperse themselves from each other, turning a mighty titan into raining stars.

Instead, I used it to tell just one fragment, the one the Abomination was using with such intensity, to keep working, long after it should have stopped.

And I laughed as the Abomination landed in an unintended place and time, wounded. Easily crippled by the mortals who discovered it. The fragment I had used in my will carried on, unknowing of the role it played. Resuming, in its simple mind, the actions it was designed to do.

It touched many minds, seeking a host. I attempted to seek out the other Abomination, but it was hidden now. Its fragments scattered across uncountable mirror-worlds, and without being linked to one-another by the Abomination itself, I had no chance of finding it.

So I considered my options. The strain of attacking these things from so far away was taking its toll. I could do this for a while, but I was unsure how long I could before the power of the Lord of Darkness would slip from my grasp entirely. I needed to find someone who could take the power, use it, and not simply destroy with it. With my power riding along with the fragments, it was...simpler, to evaluate a candidate when they were touched, connected to by the fragments of the Abominations. As each fragment I had touched while trying to figure out my enemy made their evaluations, my power would make its own.

As the power began to slip from my control, I gave it one last command.

Find my heir. Make it one with a soul of steel. One who will reshape the world with our gifts. One who is worthy of the Darkness, and who can master it and not simply use it as a foolish child would. One who can bring vengeance for me and the uncounted souls they slew.

Find me a new Dragon to sit upon my throne!

As the power of Darkness left my direct control, my awareness fully returned to my burning form. I laughed before the moment repeated, healing my seared flesh before I burned again.

I laughed. I burned.

I laughed. I burned.

I laughed. I burned.


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[SirWill]

A/N: Finally! That took a long time to get done.


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Dracul gave the girl a mad grin as she pulled her hand back, his features filled with a mixture of triumph and insanity.

He spoke between the moments before the loop reset. "Now you know the enemy, child. Your world is infected by those parasites. One is crippled, but the other is free. Fail to destroy them, and your world will look like this." He gestured to the emptiness surrounding his prison, the few scattered chunks of rock floating by being all that remained of the surface of his world. The molten-iron core protected him for the moment from the sun, but that was small comfort.

Taylor swallowed, hard. No doubt trying to process the magnitude of what he had showed her. His memories were a hard, painful thing, fresh and clear, even though they should have been faded with madness and pain. Perhaps something about his prison kept him from losing his mind entirely. In truth, it didn't matter.

"You're a monster." She managed to say, pity and revulsion filling her voice.

Dracul made a small, wry laugh. "Yes. I am. Whatever my sins are, however, I am paying for them now. However terrible I was, however...I had no wish to see the world dead. At my worst, yes, I was willing to wipe out all of humanity to kill Solin. I am...not proud of that. Yes, my nature as a vampire made things worse, but that was my choice, and mine alone. I must exist with that. And in the end...I wish my world had lived."

Taylor looked him in the eye. "Your power picked me. You told it to go to someone who can kill those things. You told it not to go to a kid, but I am a kid. I'm not that person."

Dracul laughed, a sound that was all the more unsettling for the hint of madness in it. "Nobody is born that great, child. Talent only brings one so far. No. I wanted someone who would not go mad with power. One who will build with my power. Any old fool can simply destroy with it. Destruction is no measure of being a god. No, I needed someone who could be more than that. If I could not get someone who already was capable, the power would go to someone with the potential for it. Perhaps there were better candidates out there. My power was somewhat...entangled, with the fragments of that second Abomination, and it may not have separated itself to choose among all the world. But only one with a soul of steel can master the shadows. And your soul has a very, very strong core, indeed."

She clenched her hands, her image wavering in the void. "I'm still not that person, Dracul. Nobody is, I don't think. Who the hell can responsibly use that kind of power?"

He looked amused. "And you wonder why it chose you. You're considering responsibility rather than privilege. It is there, that same strength that makes one worthy of being the Lord of Darkness. The strength I had, even as a mortal man. The strength that let you endure the pettiness and betrayals of your former friend. The strength Solin sorely lacked, and the strength even Typhon failed to show when he stared death in the face."

She nodded slowly, then anger filled her features, her eyes turning a solid red. "You were looking into my mind?"

Dracul looked unrepentant. "I have had far too long with only memories and agony to keep me occupied. And I needed to know just how the situation was on your world." He looked into the distance, seeing the stars. "I know I am a terrible being. I revelled in my hatred, my rage, and I have a taste for vengeance that is far, far from healthy. I do not know how long I have been burning, here. But I have had time to think. I could have been better. I was an improvement as Lord of Darkness over Typhon, but not by much."

Taylor nodded with a shudder. "All those people you killed. They were innocents, victims of Solin, as much as victims of you. You had other options."

Dracul smiled faintly. "Yes, I did. I could make excuses, justifications. I spent centuries buried in them, but... my torment has let me think. To delve deep into my own soul. I know what I am, and I may damn well deserve this torment I inflicted on myself. It is a harsh truth, but one I have had to face. You are better than I. I was too full of rage, of hate to think of such."

He shook his head, misery on his face. "Your will is stronger than mine, in some ways. You are young yet, true. You will grow to be a proper Lady of Darkness, in time. But you need not follow my path." Dracul looked pensive, folding his hands before he flickered, returning to his standing position. He looked annoyed as he folded his hands again. "I am not telling you to be my successor in action and deed. I am telling you to make my throne yours. I no longer want it. Be a hero, be a monster. Rule the world openly or merely make a quiet refuge in the shadows, I care not. Save your world, as I failed to save mine."

She floated near him, gently taking his hand. "I don't know if I can succeed against that. But I'm going to damn well try. I don't care what it costs me. Anything would be better than...this." She gestured around at the void surrounding Dracul's prison. "It hurts you, seeing this, doesn't it?"

Dracul nodded slowly. "I grew to hate Solin. Hate humanity in general. I lost much of the man Lisa loved when she lived. But to know all the things about my world that I still cared for is gone... it burned my soul far worse than the sun itself does."

Silence reigned for a moment before he spoke again. "I ask one thing of you, if you can. All I want now is for this to end. If you can, ensure that one time, when I burn...I do not come back. That is all I ask of you. Let my soul go to where it deserves to go." He closed his eyes. "Even if my soul is bound for the Hells, which it very well may, I will at least be free of the hold of the Abomination."

Taylor bowed her head. "If I can, I'll do that, too." She smiled slightly, her face filled with an amused pity. "You're still a jerk."

Dracul smiled faintly. "Indeed. Hail to the Scarlet Dragon."


--------------------


Dragon sat with Death. The castle had so many places, so many varied locations. On a request to have a private conversation with him, he simply smiled slightly and led her to a little room with a sitting table and a small kitchen.

She sipped from a cup full of tea, licking her lips awkwardly. "This is so weird."

He smiled faintly. "I have some experience in that matter. A mortal form is both more, and less, than the transcendent one. You are still far, far less than I, but before your rebirth, you were closer to how I had been than most could ever be."

Dragon swallowed. "When I was dying, you said I'd earned a soul. How?"

Death shook his head, looking amused. "Souls aren't simple things, my dear. Most complex living things have them, they emerge with that complexity, but so do worlds and stars. Is it so difficult to believe you have one, and have for years?"

She ran her fingertips over the surface of the cup. Sensations were so novel. She could get lost in the feeling or running her fingers over anything at all if she didn't distract herself. Tastes, too, were extraordinary. Dragon eventually spoke. "I dismissed all that thinking as...well, wishful thinking, really."

He smiled with amusement. "In truth, here in your universe, they didn't matter all that much. Until some hundred years ago, your world had no magic in it at all, no connection to the Planes, and without that, the presence or absence of souls makes little difference as far as how people are. Even with magic existing, without the knowledge of how to tap it, to use it, it had no effect here. Your universe had souls, however, those are independent of magic, and I have been taking them to where they should go ever since the first star died."

Dragon sipped from her tea, nodding slowly. "So what changed?"

Death's face turned grave. "My old friend, the previous Lord of this castle, was entrapped. His power flowed from him to here, following the threat that murdered his world. It carried along with it trapped gods from his universe...well, that is not quite correct, but correct enough for understanding. A god is not simply a being with power. It is a ruler of a plane, connected to it in an intimate way. When they were brought from a universe with magic to one without, much of their power was rent from them, but that connected the Planes to this universe. Now, magic is flowing from them. It has changed the very nature of the cosmos."

He smiled, looking quite amused. "That, however, is causing some other issues. Planes are infinite, and defined by the one who rules them. In time, this Castle will reflect Taylor more than Dracul, though that may indeed take a while. Yours is empty, until you go to it and build in it. I doubt it will be difficult for you, your mind works in such a way the Plane of Light should easily respond."

Dragon closed her eyes, letting out a deep breath. "So why me? Why did this power choose me?"

Death gently took her hand. "There are two reasons. The powers work upon a balance. There could not long exist a Lord of Darkness without an opposite. It is the same for all these concepts. Fire and water, earth and air, renewal and decay. Someone had to become the Lord of Light. And there are none on your world better suited. Others could certainly take the power and use it well...but after how the last user used it in ways that were directly opposed to its nature, it needed someone who would not abuse it."

She looked at him, her mind working through that. Thankfully, that was one thing that wasn't slowed by taking a human shape. It took microseconds for her to work through the implications, and a comparative eternity to voice the next question. "What do you mean by its nature?"

Death chuckled. "The light is meant to heal, to learn and guide, to organize. Just as the darkness is meant to drive, to test, to push things to change. Without light, a person is little more than a feral animal. Without darkness, he is a stale, dull, dead thing in all but name. Only with both is a person, or a civilization, healthy." He smiled gently. "Even the holders of Light and Dark never perfectly embody those things. It is the yin and the yang. Even within the center of either force, there is a core of the opposite."

Dragon smiled slightly. "Thank you."

He returned the smile. "Quite welcome. More tea?"


--------------------


Vicky grinned. "That is sweet, Ames." The bedroom was comfortable, and strewn around were a few knick-nacks and twisted pieces of chitin, the results of Amy's experimenting.

Amy smiled proudly, nearly bouncing on the edge of the bed, turning the black armor piece in her hands. "Thanks. My powers are a bit different now, so this was a lot harder for me to do now than it would have been before, but here it is."

Vicky rapped it with her knuckles. "Stuff's harder than anything I've seen. You got this idea from Red?"

Amy nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah. It was biological, but it's more than that. I knew how to build the structure intuitively, but it's not just the structure that makes it what it is. There's something, some energy here in the castle that fills the spaces. But here it is, Vicky. Dragonscale armor. It'll take a while for me to make a full suit, and it's a lot of effort, but this stuff's much, much stronger than steel. It'll be enough for me...and I'm not sure I can be Panacea anymore."

Vicky sat next to Amy, letting out a huff. "Hey, I'm sure you can. You can still heal, right?"

Amy bit her lip, then shook her head. "It's really, really hard. I can heal people, but it's really hard for me to see what I'm doing." She sighed. "I can mess with my own physiology easily, but someone else's? I'll probably kill the patient. Panacea's gone. At least until I can figure out how to see things clearly again."

Vicky nodded, then she bit her lip. "So...we gonna talk about what you said?"

Amy flushed in embarrassment, her newly-blue eyes filled with awkward shyness. "I was dying, Vicky. Taylor wasn't sure it was going to work. I thought..."

Whispered on a weak breath. "I'm sorry. I'm in love with you. Please don't hate me."

Vicky sighed. "Ames, it's fine. I ain't mad. It's awkward, sure, but I'm not mad. Personally, I'm just grateful you're still here. You...umm....still feel the same way?"

Amy nodded slowly, looking mortified. "It's...not as strong, now. Or maybe it is, it's just I can feel attracted to more than just you. I think, maybe your aura made things worse. I don't feel it anymore, but..dammit. It's a mess, Vicky. I don't know how I feel."

Vicky nodded, humming thoughtfully for a minute. Her voice was quiet as she spoke. "It's not something I'm exactly comfortable with, Ames. For what it's worth, I'm sorry I was blanketing you with my aura all those years. Couldn't have helped."

Amy smiled faintly. "Yeah. It didn't. I know you were trying to help. Always trying to protect me, to help me. The method wasn't exactly smart, but...we're supposed to be kids here, doing dumb things. And with everything intense now...yeah. If I still felt your aura, I'd probably do something really, really stupid right now." She sighed. "Things just aren't going to be the same. I'm a vampire now, and we don't know how that's going to affect things."

Vicky chuckled a little. "Course things are different. Still, you're my sister, Ames. Adopted, sure, but I don't care. I can't think of a damn thing that'd make me hate you. Not without some twisted Master doing it, anyway."

The stricken look on Amy's face made Vicky pause. "Ames? You all right?"

Amy shook her head, her voice tiny. "I could have, you know. Before this, when my powers gave me a clear look at people. I could have just reached out, tweaked a few chemicals, and made you love me. Every time I touched you, there was that temptation in the back of my head. The worst part was, it would have been easy. Just...one twitch. Done. And I'd have what I wanted, just with the simple act of murdering the sister I knew to make a new one."

Vicky shifted off the bed, but stayed near, kneeling in front of Amy. She gently touched Amy's forearm, though through the dress. Her voice was thick with faint horror. "Thought you couldn't do brains, Ames."

She spoke with her eyes closed, her voice faint. "Always could. Complete biokinetic, and to my power, the brain was just more tissue. I could do just about anything with it. I never wanted to touch a brain because if I made a mistake...if I tried to heal it and healed it wrong, that person was changed. Gone, and I couldn't be sure I'd be able to change it back and fix it. I always told people I couldn't do brains because I never wanted to."

Slowly, carefully, Vicky took Amy's hand. Amy opened her eyes and looked back.

Vicky smiled faintly. "Glad you didn't, sis. And not just for me." She made a shuddering sigh. "I trust you. Always have. But to have that weighing on you, I can't imagine. That's...a horrid thought, to have." She swallowed, still looking a bit hesitant. "You say you can't do it anymore?"

Amy shook her head. "I can still see, still alter, but it's a lot harder. Maybe I could do small bits at a time, but the brain...it's a tangled mess to me now. I'm actually glad, you know."

Vicky nodded faintly. "We'll deal." Carefully, Vicky wrapped Amy in a hug, and the new vampire returned it, making a soft sob.


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[SirWill]

A/N: Stupid Real Life.

Spoiler: Taylor's Complete Power List

Blood manipulation: Self only, but extremely versatile. Basis of the Shadow Whip, Shadow Daggers, and other things.

Short-range teleportation: Draining, but not limited to line of sight.

Bat Travel: Turns into dozens of bats and back again. Rather confusing, but helpful for mobility.

Strength: Insanely high at full strength. Not as strong as some capes, but up there. M1 Abrams out of gas? I'll just push them to the gas station.

Durability: Begins low, becomes stronger and harder to injure.

Vampiric Healing: Heals perfectly as long as there is blood to fuel the repairs. Can be slowed by various means.

Grace. Allows limited floating, superhuman dodging ability, and balance. Unlocked!

Flight: I believe I can touch the sky. (Locked)

Possession: Turns into blood, flows into some poor bastard, controls them for a period (hours at most) and when they die they explode into chunky bits. The blood has a toxic effect, so anyone possessed is doomed. (Barring unusual biology.) Unlocked!

Fleshcrafting: Feeling a little vain? Want a whole new hair color, a bigger bust, shaplier hips, or claws to rend the flesh of your enemies? Subscribe to Vamp-New-You today! (Permits the vampire to alter their own flesh permanently at some cost to their blood. Does not permit changing of bone structure. Cannot be used on others.) Unlocked!

Mist form: Near invulnerable mist. No mere prison can hold thee. Unless they put in a fan to blow you back in. (Locked)

Telekinesis: Small objects, weak, but useful. Now I don't need to get up to flick the light switch! (Locked)

Wolf form: I can run fast, I can track down my foes from the smallest drops of blood, I will never stop, never tire, and IS THAT BACON?! (Locked)

Shadow Portal: Opens a gate to the Plane of Shadow, where Castlevania resides. Shadow Portals can be made nearly anywhere on a Material Plane, but they must be in fixed places within the Plane of Shadow. Unlocked!

Dominate: (Not the soul-using thing) Control over others. Takes effort, and can only do so to a few at a time. Repeated and lengthy exposure, however, can make things last longer, until they are permanently enthralled. Can be resisted with willpower and can be no-selled by various techniques/powers.(Locked)

Bat Summon: Bat Summon: Gather swarms of bats to do thy bidding. They will follow the will of the Lady of Darkness without hesitation. Not as flexible as the Queen Administrator shard. The awareness of each bat is basic, and commands must be given to the entire swarm at once. I'm the goddamn Batman. Unlocked!

Monstrous Form: Accesses a portion of the power available to the Scarlet Dragon's mightiest shape, while retaining the flexibility afforded by a humanoid form. However, it is clearly inhuman. Unlocked!

Void Magic: Basis of the Void Sword. Drains life from its victims, heals and invigorates the wielder, and brings about an absolute chill. Unlocked!

Chaos Magic: Control and manipulation of hellfire. Many can use it, but few can project it. Forms the Chaos Claws. Unlocked!

Storm Magic: Now you will feel the full power of the Dark Side, young Skywalker. (Locked)

Weather manipulation: Can control the weather to some degree, whether that is summoning or banishing clouds, or building up power to make a simple cloudy day into an actual storm. It cannot, however, bring warmth or cold on its own. She can't make a blizzard in the tropics or turn Antarctica into prime beachfront property. She can just make it sunny, cloudy, or rainy. Or snowy if the time of year's right.

Dragon Shape: The mightiest form of the Heir of Dracul. Becomes a massive red dragon, standing at thirty feet tall. Can access amplified versions of currently unlocked magic, as well as other powers while in the form. However, it is an immense strain to hold the shape for very long. And it is not exactly friendly-looking at first glance. Godzilla (or whatever epic music of your choice!) is highly recommended.

Resurrection: If slain, turns dormant for a period of time before reviving in a weakened state. Longest possible period is a century.

Spoiler: Alucard's Complete Power List

Strength: Insanely high at full strength. Not as strong as Taylor's potential, but certainly enough to be highly dangerous to a well-trained human.

Durability: Begins low, becomes stronger and harder to injure.

Vampiric Healing: Heals perfectly as long as there is blood to fuel the repairs. Can be slowed by various means.

Grace. Allows limited floating, superhuman dodging ability, and balance.

Demonic Wings: Permits him to glide with feathery, though twisted, wings.

Mist form: Near invulnerable mist. No mere prison can hold thee. Unless they put in a fan to blow you back in.

Wolf form: I can run fast, I can track down my foes from the smallest drops of blood, I will never stop, never tire, and IS THAT BACON?!

Chaos Magic: Alucard's is not as strong as his father's, but his skill with it is extraordinary. He can use it to teleport short distances and throw fireballs, although it is limited by line of sight and distance. (The classic SotN Hellfire spell.)

Spectral Wolf: Similar to the wolf shape, however it is ethereal and impossible to injure. Alucard can use it to teleport from one location to another by sending the wolf forward, then replacing it. Or he can simply use it to scout and dissolve it.

Crissaegrim abilities: A wickedly dangerous blade Alucard forged with the materials of three legendary weapons. It permits him to enshroud it with both Void and Chaos magic, as well as being extremely lethal to both holy and unholy opponents.

Resurrection: If slain, turns dormant for a period of time before reviving in a weakened state. Unlike Dracul's counterpart power, he would arise in a century unless the process was sped along by blood. He would also arise in a more corpse-like state until he managed to feed.

Spoiler: Dragon's Magic Power List

Steel Crafting: Self only. Able to mold current avatar however she likes. Tends to prefer a dragon shape, as...well, she's Dragon.

Teleportation: Flashes out of existence in one place and reappears in another. Line of sight limited, but not distance-wise. Yes. This is overpowered. Limited to (naturally) light-speed maximum.

Light Form: Turns into a bright solid light construct. This is difficult to maintain, but difficult to injure..

Strength: DRAGON SMASH!

Durability: Anybody remember that scene in Superman Returns when the bullet bounces off his eye? No? Nobody? Well, it's kinda like that.

Healing: Can grant to self or others, and does not need an outside source. Wounds (or damage) heals rapidly.

Flight: I could touch the sky before I changed into a goddess. Now I just don't need to spend any effort!

Hard-Light constructs: Eat your heart out in jealousy, Green Lantern! My constructs don't get broken by lemonade!

Telekinesis: Use the Force, Luke. Stronger than Taylor's version. Not Ziz-strength, but it's up there.

Light Bridge: Opens a...uh, bridge to the Plane of Light. Think the MCU's version of the Bifrost. Can go from nearly anywhere on a Material Plane, but they must be in fixed places within the Light Plane.

Human Form: If/when she feels like trying out what a ice cream tastes like.

Light Magic: Heals and warms its users, and can be turned to be used offensively. Most effective against Dark Creatures, but still useful against other targets. Remember, the Lightsaber is the weapon of a Jedi.

Heavenly Flame Magic: The opposite of Chaos Magic. Her white fire burns, but is formed from calmness, logic. It is a fire that illuminates, but can be destructive all the same.

Storm Magic: The point of commonality between Light and Darkness. Electricity is such a useful thing. Due to her original nature as a mechanical being, Dragon's control of it is extraordinarily precise.

Dragon Shape: For when someone or something big really, really needs to be stomped. Is this a copied power? No! It's a completely different kind of dragon!

Resurrection: If slain, turns dormant for a period of time before reviving in a weakened state. Longest possible period is a century. This is common for gods.

Spoiler: Madison's Equipment List

Vampire Killer: A simple hilt attached to a combat whip that can be slung out and controlled by an ingeniously designed retraction system. On the end of the hilt is a silver stake, perfect for killing vampires, werewolves, and lawyers. The weapon is specifically designed to kill creatures of the night, but works on anything quite well and is capable of channeling magic.

Light Magic amulet: Allows its wearer to heal over time. Needs to be fueled by someone capable of putting magic into it, which is currently limited to Dragon and Madison. It doesn't permit Wolverine-style healing, but it lets short fights turn into long ones and wearing one overnight heals even most serious injuries. Can be sped up by forcing the magic to flow more quickly, but that drains the amulet which needs time and attention to recharge.

Seraphic Shoulders: Creates ghostly angelic wings for a few moments, allowing Madison to catch herself in the air or glide.

Heavenly Gauntlet: A black (I know, it clashes!) gauntlet that generates white fire, equal to that of the fires of Hell.

Cyclone Boots: Allows high-speed running, jumping, and as a bonus, permits its wearer to take long falls without breaking their legs. Yes, all she needs is a Portal Gun.

Silver Daggers: Small, easily palmable, and crafted for a nasty surprise attack. Yes, it can hurt a lot to suddenly have a knife in your throat, whether you're a werewolf or not.

Holy Water: Water that's been exposed to sunlight and had Light Magic channeled through it. Does nothing against most people, would really tick off Taylor and Alucard. When used with Light Magic channeled through its user, forms a light-shield to ward off attacks and really tick off vampires.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


I stood on the doorstep of the Dallon's house. Carol looked at me, her eyes unreadable.

Her voice was quiet. "I owe you an apology."

I blinked.

She must have seen my confusion. "The last few weeks have been...stressful, to put it mildly. I was angry with you, but not because of you. You reminded me too much of Marquis, and we'd clashed too often years ago." She clenched and unclenched her hands. "I don't like lacking control, especially with things in my life. It's not good, or right, but..."

I winced. "I think I can get it." I shuffled my feet a bit on her front porch. "Kinda in the same boat."

Carol nodded. She opened the door all the way and let me in. "Amy and Vicky are upstairs. Packing up her things. I don't like what we're doing, here, but if the sun's as dangerous to Amy as you claim...I don't want to risk losing her again."

I stepped inside, looking at Carol closely. "This really, really bothers you, doesn't it?"

She made a wry smile. "Yeah. But it's time I stepped back. Your butler helped show me I was letting the past rule me."

I smiled slightly, nodded, and went up the stairs. I could hear Vicky laughing at something. I stepped up to the door of Amy's room and leaned on the doorframe.

There the sisters were, sitting together on the bed, playfully wrestling back and forth as they fought over a picture. I say 'playfully' because with Vicky's strength, there's no way she could lose if she really wanted to win. I cleared my throat, and they looked up, embarrassment on their faces.

I grinned. "I can leave you two to mess around if you want. I can always call up someone else to move your stuff to Castlevania."

Vicky pouted. "That's not fair and you know it. Nobody else can right now."

I shrugged. "Details, details." I gave Amy a smile. "Just about set?"

Amy nodded, looking at the seven or so boxes filled with her things. Vicky took the picture and set it in a box, giving Amy a gentle hug on the shoulders. I managed to take a glimpse of the picture.

One little blond girl, one brunette, dressed up in red outfits and wearing Santa hats, grinning at the camera. Amy blushed a little, her voice filled with embarrassment. "First Christmas here. I don't remember too much about it, but..." She leaned over and gently smacked Vicky's arm. "It was the first time I felt loved, here."

I smiled, nodding. "I can see why it's important." Carefully, I closed the lid of the box over the picture. "Just about ready?"

Amy nodded. She took one last look around, the room nearly bare, and sighed. "Yeah."

I opened a Shadow Portal near the closet, picked up a box, and helped with the move. She wouldn't have to live in my castle for too long.

Though, of course, she was welcome to.


--------------------


I closed my eyes, listening to the whispering wind. Funny, Brockton Bay even smelled different.

I'd only been away from it about a week. It felt like a lifetime. In a way, maybe it had been. The mental image of Dracul in the void, burning, laughing, but also in eternal agony as the chunks of his Earth floated about, forming a ring around the sun...

An image of my world's future, if I couldn't find and stop the last Abomination.

I rose from my throne. My face pale as I spoke to Death. "I need....goddamnit, I don't know what I need. There's two things out there we have to kill, fast!"

Death looked at me, his voice cutting through my barely-controlled panic. "One."

I blinked.

Patience filled his voice as he spoke. "The enemy Dracul managed to distract died. It was crippled by the mortals, yet lingered on for years. However, their efforts managed to kill it, eventually. I brought her soul to where it belongs in nineteen-eighty-five. The other, however, is alive. Active. It has an avatar, but I am unsure what it is. It has managed some effort to...hide, from even I." He turned his head slightly. "The soul of the second Abomination was rather reticent. She did not and will not speak to me about what she knows. Still, the third lives, somewhere. It has enormous power, and if it is not slain, it will likely kill your world as its cousin killed Dracul's."

"Why did you hide this from me?" I demanded.

He looked at me with sadness. "What could I say? It is your task to help save billions? Uncounted more in the dimensions connected to your version of Earth? When we first met, you were still frail, still recovering from your rebirth. Even now, you aren't ready for this responsibility. No being is. Thankfully, you are not alone in this task, but no being, however powerful, should be singled out to be responsible for a world."

I sighed, slumping back onto the throne. A tiny part of my mind noted the thing was absurdly comfortable. "I thought you were everywhere." I muttered.

He nodded. "I am. But I only gain information when someone dies. I arrive and take them in that instant, and outside of Castlevania, I have little awareness of things beyond that. There are limitations upon even me. I do not know everything. The most I know is of you, because I gained my freedom from the power of the Lord of Darkness and there is still a link. This last Abomination has not killed anyone who knows what it is. On other worlds...yes. They know. But they are all different, so very different from each other. Their strategies vary so much I can't tell you what this one is doing with any certainty."

I opened my eyes, seeing the city before me. From here, at the top of a building downtown, everything looked small. I wondered if that's how everything looked to those things.

My phone buzzed. I pulled it from my coat and answered. "Scarlet Dragon."

Dragon's voice was amused. "You know that's going to get confusing."

I shrugged to myself. "Yeah, well, I did turn into one in public. And it feels right."

"Given what we know now, that's not all that reassuring. Still, I'm working on some things that might help...though considering what you and Death have said..."

I sighed. "Yeah. Even with our powers, we're ants trying to figure out how to kill Godzilla."

Dragon's voice was serious. "Maybe. But I've got a few ideas. We've got to identify where to look, first. There's a few possibilities...Sleeper's at the top of the list. I don't like any of them. There's other concerns on a personal level, though. Someone in Wallterton, Ohio, tried to break into your PRT files."

I blinked. "Tried?"

She sounded smug. "Before we left for your castle, I set up an adaptive firewall program. Not sentient in itself, but very sophisticated. Stopped the probes cold. Someone's interested, though."

I hummed a little in thought. "Well, you and I are celebrities, now. Well, you're more of one, but still. Second I got back there were a bunch of messages asking for interviews."

Dragon chuckled. "You'll learn to deal. Or hide from the paparazzi. What's next on your to-do list?"

I huffed. "Right now...not sure. The messes of the Bay are pretty minor in comparison, but..."

"It's home."

I chuckled. "Yeah. What have you got going?"

Dragon's voice was full of thoughtfulness. "Right now, seeing how these new powers of mine work. Paladin's with me."

I smiled a little. "Can probably help with that. If yours work anything like mine, I should be able to get things going on your end."

"I'll meet you at the Rig tomorrow, then?"

"Sounds good. Catch you then, Dragon."

"Wait!" Her voice caught me just as I was about to hang up. "Your idea. It's going to make a lot of people upset."

I chuckled. "I know. But it's the best way I can set up as many resources as possible. We need every chance." I grinned to myself. "Besides, I don't exactly need a permit for this."

Dragon laughed. "I'm pretty sure you would, if they knew it was possible. I'm in your corner."

"Thanks, Dragon." I hung up, putting the phone away. I got to my feet, shifting into my demonic form, with only the slightest bit of discomfort as my body changed, my wings sprouting from my back. My clothes shifted into my armor. I stepped to the edge of the roof, spread my arms, tucked in my wings, and plummeted.

The street rushed toward me as I fell. I could feel my instincts pushing me to take the shape of my bat swarm. I resisted, called upon the memories Dracul gave me, and let my power flow. The street neared.

Keeping my wings tucked in, I swooped from a fall to a horizontal glide, and then rising upward, feeling my powers flow through me. It was effortless. Simple. I hadn't considered trying to fly like this because it just hadn't occurred to me I could. Gravity had only as much hold on me as I let it. And I was done obeying the laws of physics! Well, this law, anyway!

I whooped with excitement as I weaved my way through the buildings of downtown before I flew straight upwards, flying higher and higher. I could feel some resistance ahead of me, straining as I pushed to fly faster.

The resistance gave way. I tucked my wings in further, helping to streamline my shape as I cut through the air at supersonic speeds. It was uncomfortable, difficult at first, but my senses adjusted, and then it became natural. I was rushing over the water of the Atlantic, the air cold, whipping, but somehow welcoming. I flew higher into the atmosphere, feeling my tears begin to freeze in the air as the temperature plummeted and air thinned. Due to my nature, however, the thinness of the air was no problem to me. My eyes continued to work, despite the fact they should have frozen in the cold. Exhilaration filled me.

I finally stopped, hovering in the air effortlessly. I looked up, seeing the nighttime clouds blocking my view of the stars. The clouds were close. I knew I could fly higher, perhaps even to the edge of space itself if I were so inclined.

I am the Lady of Darkness, and the world is my patron. The shadows are my home. The void is my strength. And my will is the storm.

I lifted a hand. Concentrated. My will parted the clouds, allowing the moon and stars to shine through. From up here, the light of the city was nonexistent. I could see so many stars up above. The glory of the universe revealed to me.

I looked down. Brockton Bay was a small light on the horizon, barely visible even with my sharp eyes and vampiric senses. The air was clear, and I could see the sliver of the moon reflecting off the waves of the ocean below.

Since I'd awakened, people had been telling me I had the power of a god. Death, the servants of Castlevania, the impression of Dracul, my own subconscious.

It was here, now, for the first time, that I felt like a god. And yet, I was still so very small. Above the mortals, powerful, capable. But still below the cosmos.

I looked up to the stars once more. How many of you have those things circling around you? Harvesting worlds from their places? Murdering trillions?

How many Draculs are there, watching their worlds die?

I felt my body humming as I drew upon my determination.

This is one world that will not die, until Death himself comes for her soul.

I flipped myself around in midair, flying east. Over the ocean, where nothing was around. Hundreds of miles out, well into international waters. I'd done a little research. If I simply did as I wished on U.S soil, the government, and especially the Protectorate, would have a good case for attempting to seize everything I could bring by force.

But I would not be bowed by them.

I flew lower, until I was maybe about a hundred feet over the water. Everything seemed so peaceful out here.

Well, it was about to get exciting.

I closed my eyes, concentrating as my voice came out, barely above a whisper. I knew my words would be heard. "I am the dark shadow within the hearts of humanity. I am the righteous rage that will not suffer at the behest of monsters. I am what demons swear to follow, as I give them purpose beyond mayhem and murder. The heavens themselves will give me leave, lest they be rent asunder by beings far worse than I. Even the murderers of entire worlds will learn to fear me."

I opened my eyes as I built my power to a crescendo. "I am the Scarlet Dragon. And I call thee into being."

My power flowed outward from me. Darkness spread, blanking out the moon, the stars. Space itself ripped and tore at my will. A storm formed above my head. A flash of lightning finally lit up the air, and I smiled.

Before me, floating in the air, resting on a landmass of its own, was Castlevania. I flew upward, seeing my home from above, and took in just how truly massive it was.

My castle was here, in reality. I grinned.

Now let's just see how many hornets come looking at my nice, juicy trap.


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


A/N: Phew. This one did not want to get done. And may need some more rewriting.

Powers unlocked:

Flight: I believe I can touch the sky. Does it need any more description?

Mist Form: Transform into near-invulnerable mist. Has quite a few lethal and non-lethal applications.

Storm Magic: Power over electricity and the storm. An excellent method of long-range attack, and quite painful to most.

 

[SirWill]

A/N: Yeah, fair bit of fallout, here.

Spoiler: Taylor's Complete Power List

Blood manipulation: Self only, but extremely versatile. Basis of the Shadow Whip, Shadow Daggers, and other things.

Short-range teleportation: Draining, but not limited to line of sight.

Bat Travel: Turns into dozens of bats and back again. Rather confusing, but helpful for mobility.

Strength: Insanely high at full strength. Not as strong as some capes, but up there. M1 Abrams out of gas? I'll just push them to the gas station.

Durability: Begins low, becomes stronger and harder to injure.

Vampiric Healing: Heals perfectly as long as there is blood to fuel the repairs. Can be slowed by various means.

Grace. Allows limited floating, superhuman dodging ability, and balance. Unlocked!

Flight: I believe I can touch the sky. Does it need any more description? Unlocked!

Possession: Turns into blood, flows into some poor bastard, controls them for a period (hours at most) and when they die they explode into chunky bits. The blood has a toxic effect, so anyone possessed is doomed. (Barring unusual biology.) Unlocked!

Fleshcrafting: Feeling a little vain? Want a whole new hair color, a bigger bust, shaplier hips, or claws to rend the flesh of your enemies? Subscribe to Vamp-New-You today! (Permits the vampire to alter their own flesh permanently at some cost to their blood. Does not permit changing of bone structure. Cannot be used on others.) Unlocked!

Mist Form: Transform into near-invulnerable mist. Has quite a few lethal and non-lethal applications. Unlocked!

Telekinesis: Small objects, weak, but useful. Now I don't need to get up to flick the light switch! (Locked)

Wolf form: I can run fast, I can track down my foes from the smallest drops of blood, I will never stop, never tire, and IS THAT BACON?! (Locked)

Shadow Portal: Opens a gate to the Plane of Shadow, where Castlevania resides. Shadow Portals can be made nearly anywhere on a Material Plane, but they must be in fixed places within the Plane of Shadow. Unlocked!

Dominate: (Not the soul-using thing) Control over others. Takes effort, and can only do so to a few at a time. Repeated and lengthy exposure, however, can make things last longer, until they are permanently enthralled. Can be resisted with willpower and can be no-selled by various techniques/powers.(Locked)

Bat Summon: Bat Summon: Gather swarms of bats to do thy bidding. They will follow the will of the Lady of Darkness without hesitation. Not as flexible as the Queen Administrator shard. The awareness of each bat is basic, and commands must be given to the entire swarm at once. I'm the goddamn Batman. Unlocked!

Monstrous Form: Accesses a portion of the power available to the Scarlet Dragon's mightiest shape, while retaining the flexibility afforded by a humanoid form. However, it is clearly inhuman. Unlocked!

Void Magic: Basis of the Void Sword. Drains life from its victims, heals and invigorates the wielder, and brings about an absolute chill. Unlocked!

Chaos Magic: Control and manipulation of hellfire. Many can use it, but few can project it. Forms the Chaos Claws. Unlocked!

Storm Magic: Power over electricity and the storm. An excellent method of long-range attack, and quite painful to most.

Weather manipulation: Can control the weather to some degree, whether that is summoning or banishing clouds, or building up power to make a simple cloudy day into an actual storm. It cannot, however, bring warmth or cold on its own. She can't make a blizzard in the tropics or turn Antarctica into prime beachfront property. She can just make it sunny, cloudy, or rainy. Or snowy if the time of year's right.

Dragon Shape: The mightiest form of the Heir of Dracul. Becomes a massive red dragon, standing at thirty feet tall. Can access amplified versions of currently unlocked magic, as well as other powers while in the form. However, it is an immense strain to hold the shape for very long. And it is not exactly friendly-looking at first glance. Godzilla (or whatever epic music of your choice!) is highly recommended.

Resurrection: If slain, turns dormant for a period of time before reviving in a weakened state. Longest possible period is a century.

Spoiler: Alucard's Complete Power List

Strength: Insanely high at full strength. Not as strong as Taylor's potential, but certainly enough to be highly dangerous to a well-trained human.

Durability: Begins low, becomes stronger and harder to injure.

Vampiric Healing: Heals perfectly as long as there is blood to fuel the repairs. Can be slowed by various means.

Grace. Allows limited floating, superhuman dodging ability, and balance.

Demonic Wings: Permits him to glide with feathery, though twisted, wings.

Mist form: Near invulnerable mist. No mere prison can hold thee. Unless they put in a fan to blow you back in.

Wolf form: I can run fast, I can track down my foes from the smallest drops of blood, I will never stop, never tire, and IS THAT BACON?!

Chaos Magic: Alucard's is not as strong as his father's, but his skill with it is extraordinary. He can use it to teleport short distances and throw fireballs, although it is limited by line of sight and distance. (The classic SotN Hellfire spell.)

Spectral Wolf: Similar to the wolf shape, however it is ethereal and impossible to injure. Alucard can use it to teleport from one location to another by sending the wolf forward, then replacing it. Or he can simply use it to scout and dissolve it.

Crissaegrim abilities: A wickedly dangerous blade Alucard forged with the materials of three legendary weapons. It permits him to enshroud it with both Void and Chaos magic, as well as being extremely lethal to both holy and unholy opponents.

Resurrection: If slain, turns dormant for a period of time before reviving in a weakened state. Unlike Dracul's counterpart power, he would arise in a century unless the process was sped along by blood. He would also arise in a more corpse-like state until he managed to feed.

Spoiler: Dragon's Magic Power List

Steel Crafting: Self only. Able to mold current avatar however she likes. Tends to prefer a dragon shape, as...well, she's Dragon.

Teleportation: Flashes out of existence in one place and reappears in another. Line of sight limited, but not distance-wise. Yes. This is overpowered. Limited to (naturally) light-speed maximum.

Light Form: Turns into a bright solid light construct. This is difficult to maintain, but difficult to injure..

Strength: DRAGON SMASH!

Durability: Anybody remember that scene in Superman Returns when the bullet bounces off his eye? No? Nobody? Well, it's kinda like that.

Healing: Can grant to self or others, and does not need an outside source. Wounds (or damage) heals rapidly.

Flight: I could touch the sky before I changed into a goddess. Now I just don't need to spend any effort!

Hard-Light constructs: Eat your heart out in jealousy, Green Lantern! My constructs don't get broken by lemonade!

Telekinesis: Use the Force, Luke. Stronger than Taylor's version. Not Ziz-strength, but it's up there.

Light Bridge: Opens a...uh, bridge to the Plane of Light. Think the MCU's version of the Bifrost. Can go from nearly anywhere on a Material Plane, but they must be in fixed places within the Light Plane.

Human Form: If/when she feels like trying out what a ice cream tastes like.

Light Magic: Heals and warms its users, and can be turned to be used offensively. Most effective against Dark Creatures, but still useful against other targets. Remember, the Lightsaber is the weapon of a Jedi.

Heavenly Flame Magic: The opposite of Chaos Magic. Her white fire burns, but is formed from calmness, logic. It is a fire that illuminates, but can be destructive all the same.

Storm Magic: The point of commonality between Light and Darkness. Electricity is such a useful thing. Due to her original nature as a mechanical being, Dragon's control of it is extraordinarily precise.

Dragon Shape: For when someone or something big really, really needs to be stomped. Is this a copied power? No! It's a completely different kind of dragon!

Resurrection: If slain, turns dormant for a period of time before reviving in a weakened state. Longest possible period is a century. This is common for gods.

Spoiler: Madison's Equipment List

Vampire Killer: A simple hilt attached to a combat whip that can be slung out and controlled by an ingeniously designed retraction system. On the end of the hilt is a silver stake, perfect for killing vampires, werewolves, and lawyers. The weapon is specifically designed to kill creatures of the night, but works on anything quite well and is capable of channeling magic.

Light Magic amulet: Allows its wearer to heal over time. Needs to be fueled by someone capable of putting magic into it, which is currently limited to Dragon and Madison. It doesn't permit Wolverine-style healing, but it lets short fights turn into long ones and wearing one overnight heals even most serious injuries. Can be sped up by forcing the magic to flow more quickly, but that drains the amulet which needs time and attention to recharge.

Seraphic Shoulders: Creates ghostly angelic wings for a few moments, allowing Madison to catch herself in the air or glide.

Heavenly Gauntlet: A black (I know, it clashes!) gauntlet that generates white fire, equal to that of the fires of Hell.

Cyclone Boots: Allows high-speed running, jumping, and as a bonus, permits its wearer to take long falls without breaking their legs. Yes, all she needs is a Portal Gun.

Silver Daggers: Small, easily palmable, and crafted for a nasty surprise attack. Yes, it can hurt a lot to suddenly have a knife in your throat, whether you're a werewolf or not.

Holy Water: Water that's been exposed to sunlight and had Light Magic channeled through it. Does nothing against most people, would really tick off Taylor and Alucard. When used with Light Magic channeled through its user, forms a light-shield to ward off attacks and really tick off vampires.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


I lounged on my throne, sipping from a goblet of blood. I knew my little stunt here wouldn't take too long to get noticed. Both mundane and parahuman forces would move out within minutes of me doing this.

The storm I'd brought about when I summoned Castlevania out of the Shadow Plane had already dispersed. Though I was out of immediate sight of the mainland, global tracking systems were going to notice an island the size of a small state appearing out of nowhere.

There were a number of advantages to bringing the Castle out of the Shadow Plane. It would be a lot easier for me to get resources flowing outward without me having to personally supervise everything. One of the first things that I'd set on Castlevania's inhabitants was to build a landing that stretched down, near the water. It would be an easy way to get supplies shipped in and my unique goods shipped out. Leviathan's actions may have crippled shipping worldwide, but I had some ideas about that.

The big point, however, was to make this an obvious point of attack. Someone who wanted to take me out would know exactly where to look for me, now, and while it made things more dangerous in some ways, (all right, a lot of ways) it also meant I wouldn't be chasing down leads all over the globe. It also gave a point of separation. Someone targeting me specifically wouldn't have to go and hit my dad's place or tear apart Brockton Bay to draw me out. And more importantly, if the last Abomination had any clue about what had killed its partner, it would likely come here. If not, then I could devote everything I had toward the thing.

Alucard and Meridia entered the throne room, the succubus nearly bouncing on her feet. I couldn't help but chuckle.

Meridia spoke first. "My Lady, I think we've gotten everyone's attention. There are many flying machines circling the castle. Many mage-warriors, as well."

Alucard's voice was grave. "I am still unsure about this course of action. It is a risk, and a grave one."

I nodded. "I l know, Alucard. But I saw what happened to your father, and why he lost. He was alone, the resources spread out. I don't know how much of a chance we'll get if we band everything together, but in order to get maximum effect, we need as much as possible here."

There's also the plus that, with Castlevania on Earth, I wouldn't be cut off from the news.

"Is Amy ready?" I asked, finishing off the goblet.

Alucard nodded. "Her tower is linked only partially with the castle, here. It rests in the Shadow Plane, still. Just in case they go on the attack."

Glad to make sure. I could shift the castle back in mere moments, but there were weapons that could destroy the castle in less than that. I doubted anyone's opening salvo would be a nuke, though. Considering how large this place was, however, even a nuke wouldn't take all of it down. Though it would likely get everything above ground.

I gave Meridia a smile. "Roll out the welcome mat, Meridia."

She bowed. "As you will, My Lady."


------------------


I emerged from the throne room, looking up into the clear blue sky. I could see the hovering forms of various parahumans, as well as a few helicopters circling around. The May weather had scoured the snow from the top of the castle. It helped that the air was warmed from below, the morning sun casting enough heat to make things pleasant. I rather liked it. Aside from the minor annoyance that the sun gave me.

Looking down, I could see in the main courtyard, so far below, which were filled with quite a few of my succubi servants, along with a few of the more photogenic inhabitants of my castle. There were some of the iron golems I'd used in the fight with the Simurgh, all polished up and shining a bright red in the sun. What probably confused most of the capes hovering up above was the banner stretched across the battlements.

Free Drinks and Pie! All Heroes welcome!

I grinned to myself, flew up in the air, spreading my wings, though I didn't need them to fly. They felt...good, to have the rushing air flow over the membranes. It was an alien feeling, but also natural. I wasn't quite able to describe it, but it was certainly pleasant enough.

A familiar figure flew toward me. One wearing all black, her cape flapping behind her in the wind. Alexandria. Made sense, considering they likely had no idea just who did this. Until now. I could see the electric blue figure of Legend hanging back, surrounded by a number of other capes. I thought it likely they were all high-end blasters.

Part of me cackled. I spread my arms as she neared. "Alexandria. Welcome to my home. I hope you'll forgive me if I don't take you on a guided tour of the place, it's rather huge and it would take a while."

Alexandria took a long few moments to look at me, her single eye focused. "Do you have any idea the trouble you're in?" She yelled, to let herself be heard over the wind.

I grinned unrepentantly, yelling back. "Yes. I also know the benefits outweigh the problems." I looked around pointedly. Most of the figures of flying capes in the air were as dots from this far out. "I'm flattered at all the attention, but you can tell everyone to either settle down in the courtyard or head on home. My servants will tend to your needs. I've arranged for food and refreshments." I smiled. "Besides, I doubt the helicopters have the fuel to keep circling all day. They can set down somewhere. There won't be a fight here today."

Alexandria crossed her arms. "So sure of that, are you?"

I met her gaze. "You can't afford to fight me. You've got no reason to fight me. I've broken no laws, violated no-one's sovereignty, and harmed no-one. The Protectorate has no claim here. The U.S government has no claim here. Now..." I gestured down. "We can talk about this in my throne room, where it's nice and warm, like civilized people, or we can hash this out by screaming at each other over the wind. Your choice."

Alexandria glared at me, clenching and unclenching her fists. She looked like she wanted to lash out. I'd rather she didn't. While I was fairly confident she wouldn't be able to kill me, I simply had too many options, I'd rather not get into a fistfight with my childhood hero.

Alexandria finally touched a finger to the side of her head. "All forces, the island and its inhabitants are non-hostile. Pull back to station Z and do not engage unless authorized."

Well, Meridia was going to be a bit disappointed she couldn't meet with the heroes again just yet. I smiled. Just as expected. Well, not quite, but good enough. That it didn't start a battle right away was enough. The longer we went without hostilities, the less likely they'd break out. At least today. I turned and floated back down. I didn't have to look to know she was following. It didn't take very long for us to reach the doors to my throne room, and we stepped back inside. Despite the whipping, powerful winds outside, it was still, comfortable and warm in here, lacking even the sound of the wind whistling through the cracks of the doors.

Alucard was there, waiting for us. He gave a formal, practised bow. "Renowned one, welcome."

I could hear Alexandria stop, her boots thunking on the floor. I simply stepped forward, took my throne, and sat, draping my wings along the sides. The throne helpfully molded itself to make the position not just possible, but comfortable.

Alexandria spoke after a moment, her single eye focused on me. "All right. What the heck is going on here?"

I tapped my fingers on the armrest. "It's quite simple. I brought the castle out of my private plane and brought it into the real world."

Alexandria thought on that for a moment. "Why? How? This was an insane move."

I looked straight at her, drawing on the impression of Dracul, deep in my mind. Since our chat, I could drag up a lot more. All I had of him was an impression, not his real thoughts, but a fair bit of what he'd thought and did carried along his power, before it became mine. "We killed one Endbringer. There are two more. I doubt Leviathan or Behemoth are going to be as straightforward. Here in my castle, I have resources. I can build things to bring ordinary people up to the level of parahumans, and I can give equipment that parahumans can use. Alucard?"

Slowly, Alucard drew his blade, showing it to Alexandria. "This is the Crissaegrim." He spoke, a slight hint of a smile on his lips. With a moment's concentration, the blade glowed blue, icy cold radiating from it, and an instant later, it was burning with heat. "I forged this weapon from the shards of two broken weapons, the Ignis and the Glaceium, alloyed with silver from....well, that is not important. What is important is that the materials for weapons and armor like this are available in the castle. Weapons that may give an edge against the last two Endbringers."

And against an Abomination. I didn't say. The odds were against us, even knowing this much.

Alexandria looked between Alucard, the sword, and me, before she spoke. "What are you going to be asking for to let us have these?"

I shrugged. "Not much. I'm sure the governments and the hero teams around can come to an agreement. I want the S-class threats to the world gone, as much as possible. There are things I do want, but those I can take care of myself."

She took a long moment to look me over. I could almost hear the gears whirring in her head as she thought. "You want Shadow Stalker."

I chuckled. "A little bit. She's on my bad side. But while I would like her taken care of, she's not so important. She is beneath me, for now. Things like the Blasphemies, Ash Beast, Sleeper, Endbringers, aren't. They kill people, all the time, and they need to be put down."

Her voice emotionless, Alexandria spoke. "You think it's that easy to take them down?"

I smiled slightly. "Easy? Nah. But I'm going to damn well give us the best chance we can. And I can't afford to be personally opening portals all the time. I may need to be elsewhere. With the infrastructure set up here, I can set up a permanent portal gate from here, to anywhere, and have them easily maintained on both ends. Then I can just stream things, straight from forging to whomever needs them."

I wasn't about to say I could have done that even with the castle in the Shadow Plane. The whole point of this was to be a trap, after all. The Abomination that killed Dracul's world probed, gathered information, while distributing powers. It then bound up the gods and turned them into stupidly-durable, much more powerful Endbringers. If this one had the same goal of finding a limitless power source as the last, it would likely be interested in an unbound god.

And since powers emerged thirty years ago, as opposed to the seven-year war that ended Dracul's Earth, it had probably settled into a state of observation. I just needed to narrow down the possibilities.

Alexandria scowled at me. "You should have consulted us before doing this. Do you have any idea how many people you've upset? How many people are worried about what could be here? This island is floating in the air. If it falls into the ocean, how many people are going to be killed by the tsunami?"

I smiled. "Yes, I do. A lot, if it ever hit the water." I tilted my head, making a puzzled tone. "But then, why should anyone be all that worried about refugees from a world who were destroyed by Endbringers, and have only now made their way here? While being able and willing to help against those that are threatening our world, in exchange for a few things? And with safeguards in place to shift the castle out of reality, should it be threatened by, say, an incoming nuke?" My smile widened. "As we speak, I've got the ultimate Endbringer shelter being built in my personal dimension."

Alexandria thought for a moment, before her eye widened. "How many people can it handle?"

I shrugged. "Right now? It can handle a few thousand." I leaned forward, letting my voice fill with satisfaction. "Given enough time, it can handle millions. Imagine a place that no Endbringer will be able to breach. It won't matter how far they fly, how much water they churn, how much lava they spew. They won't be able to kill anyone inside them. The ultimate evacuation point."

Alexandria took a deep breath. I could almost hear her teeth grinding from my throne. "You really think people are going to accept the story of 'alien evacuees?'"

I shrugged. "I don't care if some people don't believe it. It's actually somewhat true, but that doesn't change what's going on. All we need is enough people to do so. You want extra help against Endbringers and whatever else may come our way? That's the price. The castle remains here." My grin grew wide. "This is what you're going to tell everyone. It's even got the benefit of being somewhat true."


--------------------


Alexandria looked uncomfortable as she stood in front of the podium. "At five-fifteen this morning, a floating island the approximate size of the largest Hawaiian island appeared two hundred and fifty miles off the east coast of the United States. The inhabitants of the island are from an alternate Earth that had been destroyed by local equivalents of Endbringers. They are willing to assist in efforts against our own, and it is our hope that they and these, the United Nations, can come to a peaceable accord with these refugees."

A hand went up in the crowd. "What about the rumors that Scarlet Knight was there?"

Alexandria fixed the reporter with a steady gaze. "It seems that, Scarlet Dragon is the ruler of the island, not an 'ordinary' parahuman. She came here to see if our world could handle not just the inclusion of her people, but to see if it was, in fact, possible for us to combine our strengths and kill our Endbringers. Her joining the fight in Vancouver was a test. If she couldn't help, then we wouldn't have known about her people. They would have gone on to another alternate Earth."

Another hand went up in the crowd. Alexandria shook her head. "I apologize, but I haven't got the time to answer all of the questions right now. We're still trying to sort through everything here. A full, in-depth conference will be called in the near future. Thank you."

I cackled to myself. In human form once again. Yay for no awkward wing-twisting to sit down!

My dad, his hands covered in grease and oil, looked to the TV, then back to me. "What." He said, flatly.

I shrugged. "Got to come up with a cover story other than 'helpful demonic invasion' dad."

His mouth worked for a moment before he sighed. "If I grounded you for the next decade for this, you'd just ignore it, right?"

I nodded. "Just a bit too important here. I'm not doing this for the giggles. And..." I looked at him seriously. "Dad, there's something coming. Something really, really bad. Right now, I'm laying down the foundation for saving everyone I can."

He squeezed his hands, grimacing as he slowly sat himself down on the old couch. "Taylor, I know you've got a good heart, and a pretty good head on your shoulders. But I have no idea what you're doing. You went off to fight the Simurgh without a word. You killed an Endbringer and I had to hear about it on TV. You've caused an international panic with this. Please, tell me what's going on?"

I sighed, biting my lip before I worked out what to say. "Dad, I found out where my powers came from. I found out where almost everyone else's came from. It's bad. Really, really bad. I'm doing what I can to make sure that as many people get through it as possible."

I told him. Everything Dracul showed me. About the twisting things that only I and Miss Militia could remember. About how Dracul, monster that he was, was suffering in a hell that the Nine gleefully inflicted when Gray Boy was a member.

They are beneath me.

Yeah, that's still there. Repetitive little thing.

And dad just looked...distant. After I finished, he just sighed and shook his head. "I feel like I'm one of the background characters in Star Trek."

I smiled. "Make sure you're not wearing a red shirt."

He returned the smile before he got up. "I should get back to fixing the pipe. Damn thing burst when you were in Vancouver, and it'll be nice to get hot water flowing again."

I rolled my eyes. "Dad, we can call a repair guy for that."

He nodded. "Yeah, but I actually know how to do this. Fixing a water line's not that hard. Just needed to get the supplies." He fixed me a glare. "I still don't appreciate being kept so far out of the loop, Taylor. I..." He shuddered. "If I lost you again..."

Oh. Geez. And now I feel like a complete heel. I wanted to blame all this on Dracul, the urge to just plow on ahead and get the job done regardless....but this was me. At some point, I picked up the realization that nobody was going to solve my problems for me, so I'd have to do them...and I hadn't thought for a second what it'd do to my dad if I took on more than I could handle.

The doorbell rang. Dad went to go get it, while I stewed for a moment in my new-found sadness. Ugh. Even with all this time, a mood shift could take me by surprise.

"Hey! Can I come in?" A familiar voice shouted. I blinked as I got up, went to the front door, and looked over my dad's shoulder.

A blonde, about my age, quite pretty, and she wasn't Vicky. She was wearing a leather coat, a set of somewhat worn jeans, and her eyes were bright, as if she was very, very pleased with herself. I had the feeling she usually wore that expression.

Her smile widened on seeing me. "Ah! There you are. Sorry for coming here, but your new apartment? Hard for me to get to. Got some news about the mess out west."

Out west...Vancouver. Obviously. But who...then it clicked. Last I heard her was over the general address in the fight with the Simurgh. Tattletale was at my front door.

I sighed. "Might as well let her in, dad."

She nearly bounded inside. "Thanks! We got lots to talk about."


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[SirWill]

A/N: And now to everyone's favorite sociopath!

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Coil had a headache. It was a danger of Thinkers, from what he knew. In this case, though, it was due to one simple problem.

He'd been keeping two running timelines going for far, far longer than he ever had before. Normally he collapsed a timeline within a day or two of making a choice. Given his current predicament, though, he'd had it running for six days straight. The longest he'd ever done it before was one and a half.

Ever since the picture of a red girl turning into a big red dragon crossed his desk. And knowing that he had liberated her tormentor from the prison Sophia Hess was supposed to go to...he was wishing he had the ability to hold onto another timeline. Or travel back in time. Or...damn near anything he could use to just fix this situation.

He reclined in a hotel room in Vancouver, using the position of Thomas Calvert Junior, to help rebuild the city after the Simurgh's attack. After working twelve hours to coordinate with the city, he was worn out. After setting up a white noise generator, he took out a specially-secured phone and made a call.

He sat upright in a hastily-reserved villa in Italy, his fingers clacking on the keyboard as he typed a message back to Brockton Bay. He wouldn't dare set foot in the city again. Hell, if it wasn't for the terrible climate, he'd be in Antarctica. Not that there was much he could do with an Antarctic base, even with the resources he has. Had. Oh, his bank account was fine, but removing all his assets from the Bay was a pain. Not all of it could be moved.

He gripped the phone tightly. "I need you to be ready to move Noelle out of the Bay, quickly."

Trickster's voice was a bit tinny over the line, filled with suspicion and anger. "You promised she'd have a cure."

Calvert rubbed his face. What had he been thinking, trying to juggle so many things at once? "And she will. I'm setting up a dedicated facility in Vancouver to house her. At the moment, however, the position in Brockton Bay is far too volatile for me to get the needed personnel in to work."

"Ninety percent chance you die in the next ten minutes."

He turned around, looking at Dinah. She was chained to the wall in the room, an armed bodyguard and a doctor standing over her. He carefully stepped away from his computer, moving to her. "What was that, pet?"

She smiled with satisfaction. "Ninety percent chance you die in the next ten minutes. One hundred percent chance in the next twenty."

His hands shook. What was going to kill him? He was tempted to close this timeline and split the other, but it was too dangerous, too risky. He would have to spend days or weeks traveling from Vancouver in the other timeline from this moment, and figure out a new reserve location.

He cleared his throat. "Chance of my survival if I turn Shadow Stalker over to Scarlet Dragon?"

Dinah grinned. "Zero percent chance."

So it wasn't her. So what would...

The ceiling crumbled as a figure burst through it, dust obscuring its form for a moment. Coil backed away, pressing his back up against a wall.

"You still there?" Trickster's voice regained his attention.

"Yes, I apologize. I'm a little distracted. I'm in the middle of getting everything set up for her unique needs." He spoke, glancing around the room. Hoping against all reason that another figure wouldn't appear and bring his doom.

Dinah wasn't here. He hadn't taken the risk to bring her with him in this timeline. Too much of a potential problem if he were found in his civilian identity along with a child who was reported dead. And with a body to boot.

It had seemed like such a good plan at the time. Have Noelle copy her, see if a useful clone could be made. If the clones couldn't be controlled or guided, then they would still be useful for ensuring Dinah Alcott was no longer missing. Drop a clone in front of the Mayor's residence, send her to run inside, ostensibly to find her uncle, then detonate the Bakuda bomb hidden in her clothing. The Mayor's estate now sported a glass statue of Dinah, looking surprised and panicked. At least, it had until the Mayor had it quietly hidden away.

It had taken five attempts to get a clone that wasn't able to predict the act in advance. With his power, however, it was simple enough to make sure those left no evidence, since technically they hadn't happened. It was a shame the rest of the clones weren't controllable, but it was worth the attempt to make them, anyway. If he could have had five Dinahs, with her power under his command, well, they would have been very useful for when his operations would expand. Or if something unforseen had happened to the original. At least, so it seemed at the time.

Now? He was beginning to realize he should have simply used his power to build wealth and live comfortably, rather than playing the petty games and power-grab he actually went for.

A maskless man wearing blue and gold emerged from the dust, a blue cape billowing behind him. His hair was thinning, and his features were plain. He looked, oddly enough, like some family man dressing up as a hero, not a hero himself. His eyes were hard as he looked at Coil. The bodyguard drew his gun, lifting it toward the intruder. He simply turned, grabbed the gun and crushed it in a single hand. With an almost contemptuous shove, he pushed the bodyguard into the nearest wall, knocking the man unconscious with a slap.

The intruder looked at the doctor, who was cowering in the corner. He then looked over at Dinah, who grinned happily.

Then those cold eyes focused on Coil.

"Holy fuck!" Trickster yelled, forcing Calvert to pull away from the phone for a moment.

Calvert turned to his laptop, bringing up a video feed of his base from his secure server. "What's happening?"

"Some guy just came out of nowhere! He's tearing his way through here!" Gunfire and the distinctive sound of Tinkertech laser rifles began echoing over the line. There was a loud bang as someone fired off a shotgun near Trickster.

Calvert managed to finally get the video feed up, his hands freezing as he saw the same man as in the other timeline, calmly and casually disabling his men with a wave of a hand. The air distorted in front of him, bullets flattening themselves before falling to the ground, while he simply walked up to each attacker and disabled them. The laser rifles were brought to bear, the mercenaries firing rapidly, but the beams themselves twisted out of the way, doing impressive damage to the concrete walls behind the man, but nothing to him.

"Who the hell are you?" Coil demanded. This wasn't good. At least he was safe in the other timeline. He needed to find out everything possible about his assailant. Then he could split things there and try and find a path out of this.

The man looked between Dinah and Coil. His eyes flashed, flame filling them from within, and he spoke with deadly intent. "Your sickness ends here." Water formed in his hands, and he thrust his arms toward Coil. A powerful jet of water arced out, slamming him into a wall with bone-breaking force. The last thing he felt...aside from the pain, was the timeline collapsing.

Calvert jerked, swallowing hard. He split the timeline.

He started the base's self-destruct. Five minutes and downtown Brockton Bay would sport a new crater.

He yelled in pain as the Thinker headache drove him to the floor, blood running from his nose. He began to spasm as blood began to leak from his ears, his nose, his eyes...

The timeline collapsed.

He breathed in. He swallowed, hard, as he tried to keep himself from shaking. It had been so long since he operated without a safety net that he nearly froze in indecision.

Nearly. "Trickster, are you still there?"

All he could hear were the sounds of running feet. Flipping his way through the cameras, he spotted them. Trickster was busily trying to open the vault door that held Noelle, while the other Travelers were leaving the base through an escape route that Sundancer had made by burning a passage through the walls and into the sewers.

And all he could do was watch helplessly as the man in gold and blue found his pet. She hugged him, and he tenderly picked her up in his arms. A flash of light, then the room was empty.

What the hell was going on?

And...was that music? The white noise generator should be drowning everything from out of the room. It sounded like someone singing a tune. It was...beautiful.

He swallowed hard as he turned around, finding a new figure sharing his room with him. White skin, nearly crystalline. Blank eyes. And dozens of feathery, asymmetrical wings sprouting from her back. She wore a golden toga, and floated just off the ground.

"You're dead." He managed to whisper.

She smiled and spoke, her voice echoing into his mind. "When a god is slain, death is not the only possible outcome. You, however, are an annoyance. You have slighted and distorted fate for far, far too long, snake. If you live, you will only harm our chances at surviving the Abomination. My gift, and the slayer of the first's own gift, agree." She tilted her head slightly. "While it is true I am still so very, very weak, so little I can see, I have enough strength in this place, this place so close to my death....to handle you."


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A/N: And no. Mystery dude is not an OC.

 

[SirWill]

A/N: Oy, things are complicated.

Spoiler: Taylor's Complete Power List

Blood manipulation: Self only, but extremely versatile. Basis of the Shadow Whip, Shadow Daggers, and other things.

Short-range teleportation: Draining, but not limited to line of sight.

Bat Travel: Turns into dozens of bats and back again. Rather confusing, but helpful for mobility.

Strength: Insanely high at full strength. Not as strong as some capes, but up there. M1 Abrams out of gas? I'll just push them to the gas station.

Durability: Begins low, becomes stronger and harder to injure.

Vampiric Healing: Heals perfectly as long as there is blood to fuel the repairs. Can be slowed by various means.

Grace. Allows limited floating, superhuman dodging ability, and balance. Unlocked!

Flight: I believe I can touch the sky. Does it need any more description? Unlocked!

Possession: Turns into blood, flows into some poor bastard, controls them for a period (hours at most) and when they die they explode into chunky bits. The blood has a toxic effect, so anyone possessed is doomed. (Barring unusual biology.) Unlocked!

Fleshcrafting: Feeling a little vain? Want a whole new hair color, a bigger bust, shaplier hips, or claws to rend the flesh of your enemies? Subscribe to Vamp-New-You today! (Permits the vampire to alter their own flesh permanently at some cost to their blood. Does not permit changing of bone structure. Cannot be used on others.) Unlocked!

Mist Form: Transform into near-invulnerable mist. Has quite a few lethal and non-lethal applications. Unlocked!

Telekinesis: Small objects, weak, but useful. Now I don't need to get up to flick the light switch! (Locked)

Wolf form: I can run fast, I can track down my foes from the smallest drops of blood, I will never stop, never tire, and IS THAT BACON?! (Locked)

Shadow Portal: Opens a gate to the Plane of Shadow, where Castlevania resides. Shadow Portals can be made nearly anywhere on a Material Plane, but they must be in fixed places within the Plane of Shadow. Unlocked!

Dominate: (Not the soul-using thing) Control over others. Takes effort, and can only do so to a few at a time. Repeated and lengthy exposure, however, can make things last longer, until they are permanently enthralled. Can be resisted with willpower and can be no-selled by various techniques/powers.(Locked)

Bat Summon: Bat Summon: Gather swarms of bats to do thy bidding. They will follow the will of the Lady of Darkness without hesitation. Not as flexible as the Queen Administrator shard. The awareness of each bat is basic, and commands must be given to the entire swarm at once. I'm the goddamn Batman. Unlocked!

Monstrous Form: Accesses a portion of the power available to the Scarlet Dragon's mightiest shape, while retaining the flexibility afforded by a humanoid form. However, it is clearly inhuman. Unlocked!

Void Magic: Basis of the Void Sword. Drains life from its victims, heals and invigorates the wielder, and brings about an absolute chill. Unlocked!

Chaos Magic: Control and manipulation of hellfire. Many can use it, but few can project it. Forms the Chaos Claws. Unlocked!

Storm Magic: Power over electricity and the storm. An excellent method of long-range attack, and quite painful to most.

Weather manipulation: Can control the weather to some degree, whether that is summoning or banishing clouds, or building up power to make a simple cloudy day into an actual storm. It cannot, however, bring warmth or cold on its own. She can't make a blizzard in the tropics or turn Antarctica into prime beachfront property. She can just make it sunny, cloudy, or rainy. Or snowy if the time of year's right.

Dragon Shape: The mightiest form of the Heir of Dracul. Becomes a massive red dragon, standing at thirty feet tall. Can access amplified versions of currently unlocked magic, as well as other powers while in the form. However, it is an immense strain to hold the shape for very long. And it is not exactly friendly-looking at first glance. Godzilla (or whatever epic music of your choice!) is highly recommended.

Resurrection: If slain, turns dormant for a period of time before reviving in a weakened state. Longest possible period is a century.

Spoiler: Alucard's Complete Power List

Strength: Insanely high at full strength. Not as strong as Taylor's potential, but certainly enough to be highly dangerous to a well-trained human.

Durability: Begins low, becomes stronger and harder to injure.

Vampiric Healing: Heals perfectly as long as there is blood to fuel the repairs. Can be slowed by various means.

Grace. Allows limited floating, superhuman dodging ability, and balance.

Demonic Wings: Permits him to glide with feathery, though twisted, wings.

Mist form: Near invulnerable mist. No mere prison can hold thee. Unless they put in a fan to blow you back in.

Wolf form: I can run fast, I can track down my foes from the smallest drops of blood, I will never stop, never tire, and IS THAT BACON?!

Chaos Magic: Alucard's is not as strong as his father's, but his skill with it is extraordinary. He can use it to teleport short distances and throw fireballs, although it is limited by line of sight and distance. (The classic SotN Hellfire spell.)

Spectral Wolf: Similar to the wolf shape, however it is ethereal and impossible to injure. Alucard can use it to teleport from one location to another by sending the wolf forward, then replacing it. Or he can simply use it to scout and dissolve it.

Crissaegrim abilities: A wickedly dangerous blade Alucard forged with the materials of three legendary weapons. It permits him to enshroud it with both Void and Chaos magic, as well as being extremely lethal to both holy and unholy opponents.

Resurrection: If slain, turns dormant for a period of time before reviving in a weakened state. Unlike Dracul's counterpart power, he would arise in a century unless the process was sped along by blood. He would also arise in a more corpse-like state until he managed to feed.

Spoiler: Dragon's Magic Power List

Steel Crafting: Self only. Able to mold current avatar however she likes. Tends to prefer a dragon shape, as...well, she's Dragon.

Teleportation: Flashes out of existence in one place and reappears in another. Line of sight limited, but not distance-wise. Yes. This is overpowered. Limited to (naturally) light-speed maximum.

Light Form: Turns into a bright solid light construct. This is difficult to maintain, but difficult to injure..

Strength: DRAGON SMASH!

Durability: Anybody remember that scene in Superman Returns when the bullet bounces off his eye? No? Nobody? Well, it's kinda like that.

Healing: Can grant to self or others, and does not need an outside source. Wounds (or damage) heals rapidly.

Flight: I could touch the sky before I changed into a goddess. Now I just don't need to spend any effort!

Hard-Light constructs: Eat your heart out in jealousy, Green Lantern! My constructs don't get broken by lemonade!

Telekinesis: Use the Force, Luke. Stronger than Taylor's version. Not Ziz-strength, but it's up there.

Light Bridge: Opens a...uh, bridge to the Plane of Light. Think the MCU's version of the Bifrost. Can go from nearly anywhere on a Material Plane, but they must be in fixed places within the Light Plane.

Human Form: If/when she feels like trying out what a ice cream tastes like.

Light Magic: Heals and warms its users, and can be turned to be used offensively. Most effective against Dark Creatures, but still useful against other targets. Remember, the Lightsaber is the weapon of a Jedi.

Heavenly Flame Magic: The opposite of Chaos Magic. Her white fire burns, but is formed from calmness, logic. It is a fire that illuminates, but can be destructive all the same.

Storm Magic: The point of commonality between Light and Darkness. Electricity is such a useful thing. Due to her original nature as a mechanical being, Dragon's control of it is extraordinarily precise.

Dragon Shape: For when someone or something big really, really needs to be stomped. Is this a copied power? No! It's a completely different kind of dragon!

Resurrection: If slain, turns dormant for a period of time before reviving in a weakened state. Longest possible period is a century. This is common for gods.

Spoiler: Madison's Equipment List

Vampire Killer: A simple hilt attached to a combat whip that can be slung out and controlled by an ingeniously designed retraction system. On the end of the hilt is a silver stake, perfect for killing vampires, werewolves, and lawyers. The weapon is specifically designed to kill creatures of the night, but works on anything quite well and is capable of channeling magic.

Light Magic amulet: Allows its wearer to heal over time. Needs to be fueled by someone capable of putting magic into it, which is currently limited to Dragon and Madison. It doesn't permit Wolverine-style healing, but it lets short fights turn into long ones and wearing one overnight heals even most serious injuries. Can be sped up by forcing the magic to flow more quickly, but that drains the amulet which needs time and attention to recharge.

Seraphic Shoulders: Creates ghostly angelic wings for a few moments, allowing Madison to catch herself in the air or glide.

Heavenly Gauntlet: A black (I know, it clashes!) gauntlet that generates white fire, equal to that of the fires of Hell.

Cyclone Boots: Allows high-speed running, jumping, and as a bonus, permits its wearer to take long falls without breaking their legs. Yes, all she needs is a Portal Gun.

Silver Daggers: Small, easily palmable, and crafted for a nasty surprise attack. Yes, it can hurt a lot to suddenly have a knife in your throat, whether you're a werewolf or not.

Holy Water: Water that's been exposed to sunlight and had Light Magic channeled through it. Does nothing against most people, would really tick off Taylor and Alucard. When used with Light Magic channeled through its user, forms a light-shield to ward off attacks and really tick off vampires.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Tattletale sat on my couch. Dad was nice enough to get her some tea, and now we rather awkwardly sat together.

"First of all," She spoke and smiled. "Call me Lisa. I'm sorry for dropping in on you like this, and I don't like doing so, because it hits right up against the unwritten rules. But I'm asking for your help."

I blinked slowly. "Why do you need my help? Last time I checked, it wasn't something most villains do."

Dad frowned. "I understand there's a fair bit here I'm missing, but I definitely don't like this."

Lisa sighed, looking down at the mug of tea in her hands before she spoke. "First of all...I didn't really want to be a villain. I got snagged up by Coil."

I stiffened. She nodded at me. "Yeah. He's got a lot going on. Or had. You scared him to the point of leaving town."

I growled from deep in my throat. "You're definitely treading on thin ice here, Lisa."

Dad looked between us, anger rising on his features. His hands tightened on the couch. His knuckles turned white, and I could see his face redden. He looked at Lisa, his voice quiet. "You'd better have a good reason for working for him."

Lisa's eyes widened a bit, and she shook her head. "I didn't want to. I got drafted. His recruitment speech involved a gun to my head." She looked between us. "My power lets me get lots of information from a very small amount of data. His men picked me up after I used it to get a few winning scratch tickets." She smiled wryly. "Normally I tell people I'm psychic. Pretty close, really, but I'm just good at cold reading. Absurdly good."

I laughed softly, shaking my head. "Powers are bullshit. All right. So what is it you want from me?"

"Protection." Lisa said. "I pledged to follow you, because that's what my power told me was the right move when we first met. Considering you just summoned an entire flying island full of creatures out of nowhere...wait, not nowhere. They existed all along. Interesting." She tapped her chin, then shook her head. "Anyway, I couldn't just leave his employ. He's got moles in the PRT. If I tried to defect, I'd be found dead in a PRT cell. I tried to run a couple of times, he had men waiting for me. I didn't want to be a villain. My teammates, they're not bad, either. They've been screwed over in various ways, and Coil got ahold of them, though things were a bit more civilized in their cases. I'd tell you, but it's not my secret to tell. Despite my cape name, and all that."

I nodded at that. "All right, fine. How did he manage to suppress everything? Sophia and Emma should have hung for what they did."

She winced. "That? I don't got. I can speculate, and from what I do have, I'm pretty sure it came down to more luck than anything." Her eyes flicked to Dad.

He shook his head. "I know who Sophia is. We were given full disclosure."

Lisa nodded. "All right. Shadow Stalker's always been rough. Before the whole thing with you, she hurt a lot of people in her vigilante work. When she started out, Coil was just getting set up here, slowly and carefully building a power base in the city. He's got enough fingers everywhere to get information rather quickly. From what I know, he found out her civilian identity and had plans to use it if her name crossed his desk with anything useful. His network's pretty damn good, though imperfect. Despite how much they were clamping down on things, it took about four days for him to learn of your return from the dead. Might have gone longer if you weren't running around like crazy." She gave us a mischievous smile. "Glad you did, though."

Dad scowled. "What am I missing here?"

I winced, looking at my dad sheepishly. "Um...kinda saved Lisa here from a rough spot. I was just sort of working on autopilot at the time, but I helped her team out."

His eyes narrowed. "Rough spot?"

I ducked my head, smiling faintly. "They were being attacked, I dove in and helped."

"Lung. She just thumped him on the head and knocked him out." Lisa said with a wide grin.

I blinked. I was trying not to say that. "Gee, thanks."

"You're welcome." Lisa said brightly.

Dad sat still for a moment. "You took on Lung?" He rubbed his face. "I need to sit down."

I sighed. "You are sitting down. And I took on the Simurgh, too."

Dad glared at me. "Yes, and I'm still mad about that." He covered his eyes with his hands. Then there was an echoing bang outside, making us all jump. I got up and looked out the window.

Our neighbor's yard had a geyser of water pouring straight up into the air, raining down onto the backyard and the house itself.

I looked to my dad. "Uh.."

Lisa was looking at him, some speculation on her face. "Have weird things happened around you when you were upset, Mister Hebert?"

He sat still for a moment, then shook his head. "No. Not that I know of." He slowly got to his feet and muttered. "Something's got to be wrong with the water pipes in the street. Gotta call the water company again." Dad swore under his breath as he moved to the kitchen.

Lisa opened her mouth, then shook her head and closed it. "Nevermind."

I looked to Lisa. "Go on." I growled.

She nodded, swallowing a bit nervously. "Just a hunch. Probably a dumb idea, anyway. Anyway, I'm not sure of anywhere I can go to get away from Coil. He's got resources, and I...well, don't. I guess you could say I'm asking for asylum. I'll work for you, help you where I can, long as you keep me from him."

I laughed softly. "All right. What about your teammates?"

Lisa shrugged. "All of them got reasons for doing what they're doing. I'd say it's likely you could get Regent on your side. Bitch, too. Grue? Not sure. What he needs is a bit more complicated, but with the right incentives, he probably would. Not sure you can provide, though. At least not now."

I made a wry chuckle. "I've already got an entire population of people to lead, Lisa."

She nodded. "Sure, but you want to help people, right?"

I closed my eyes for a moment, sighed, and nodded. "Yeah, but now I'm officially the head of a foreign nation. Things are a lot more complicated than just me forming a gang, you know."

Lisa's grin was fox-like. "Yeah. And that's where I can come in. I can tell you things that aren't immediately easy to know."

I raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"

Her amusement faded, and she looked at me seriously. "There's a big one I doubt you'll like. The Simurgh let you win. Your attacks, Dragon's attacks, all of it... you might have been able to possibly win if everyone there was working together, but her goal at Vancouver was to let you kill her. If she'd gone all out, it's pretty damn likely that she would have flown on and everyone else there would be dead. Or her time bombs."

I stilled.

Ariel, the black and red chains of my foe wrapped around her form. Her asymmetrical wings lay on the ground, torn away, her body dripping blood, and she writhed and screamed with every black pulse of energy that flowed into her. Her body was shifting, enlarging, and ever so slowly her expression turned from agony into serenity.

"I know." I said quietly. At least I suspected, after what Dracul showed me.

Lisa's mouth dropped open as she looked at me. "You know? I hadn't said it to anyone else...you knew the Simurgh. Somehow. Someone told you? No...showed you. Memory sharing. A telepath? How did he know..." She winced, rubbing her temples.

I glared at her. "Calm down."

She shook her head. "Sorry, sorry. It's just..." Her eyes widened as she looked at me. "You know where the Endbringers come from? How?"

My glare intensified, and she swallowed. I knew my eyes were glowing red. "That's my business."

"Right," She said faintly. "Sorry."

I took a deep breath and sighed. "Forgiven. It's just a sore point. I've had a lot dumped on me in a short time. That's one of them. I might tell you one day, but that would be after you've earned my trust. Right now? I barely know you."

Lisa nodded slowly. "Okay. Fair enough."

Silence reigned for a moment. We could hear Dad muttering on the phone. I shared a small smile with Lisa.

"Hold music." She said.

"Most evil thing ever." I said.

Then the ground shook slightly. Not much, just enough of a vibration for me to feel it, making the windows rattle. I blinked. "Earthquake?" I guessed.

Lisa shook her head. "No...not without something weird. That was a single rumble." She got up and headed to the window.

Smoke rose in the horizon. I gave Lisa a look.

"Go." She said.

I narrowed my eyes. "Uh uh. You're coming with me. I'm not letting you anywhere I can't keep my eyes on you." I ripped open a Shadow Portal.

She gulped as she looked at me. "Where we going?"

I grinned. "You'll see. You wanna work for me? You're going to have to deal with the uncomfortable." I raised my voice. "Dad, going out for a bit! Taking Lisa with me!"

He came back from the kitchen, phone on one ear, a frown on his face, and resignation in his eyes. "Please be careful, Taylor. That castle might be your home, but here is too. I'm here for you."

I smiled, went to him and gave him a hug. "I'll try to remember that."


--------------


Lisa and I emerged atop a roof downtown. She blinked a few times, her eyes adjusting from the darkness of the Shadow Plane.

"That was seriously weird." She muttered.

I looked at the column of rising smoke from below. My newfound minion looked down at it, as well.

"Shit." She said, then turned to me. "That was the Fortress Construction headquarters for the city. Coil's base was below. Well, one of them. He had a lot more, but down there was a big one."

I frowned. "What was down there?"

Lisa shrugged. "Lots of guys. Mercenaries from all over. He has a good supply of Tinkertech laser guns. Well, had, I guess."

I grumbled a little. "Anything else?"

Tattletale tapped her chin, considering. "The Travelers were working for him. So he didn't just have mercs on his side. There was something else, too. A very large vault holding something. I think a Parahuman, but whoever it is has got to be dangerous."

I raised an eyebrow, looking at her calmly.

She shrugged. "Well the vault was built to keep the prisoner in, not just to keep other people out."

I sighed, looking down at the rubble and rising smoke below. "All right." I took out my phone and called the PRT.

"PRT services, how may I direct your call?"

I spoke quickly. "This is Scarlet Dragon. I am in downtown Brockton Bay, overlooking the collapsed Fortress Construction building. Is search and rescue en route?"

There was silence for a moment, then the operator's voice spoke, filled with nervousness. "The police and fire department have been dispatched."

I grimaced. "Get the Protectorate to send backup. I've got information that there's a base beneath the rubble that belonged to a supervillain, Coil. There may be unpleasant surprises."


--------------


I looked at a piece of rubble in front of me. It was huge, easily the size of a car, and I wouldn't have even considered trying to move it before my death and resurrection. Not without cheating and using construction equipment, anyway.

I looked over at the firefighters, who were both keeping a respectful distance from me and busily dousing some of the lingering flames. Some of the other firefighters were digging through rubble, though thankfully they hadn't found any fatalities. Quite a few people injured, though.

Tattletale, now costumed, gave me a shrug. "That's where the entrance was. If we want to find anything, that's probably the place to start."

I floated over it, considering the problem from every angle. I felt a grin threaten to split my face as an iconic image came from out of my subconscious.

Tattletale seemed to realize what I was thinking. "No. No way, that's crazy. Maybe if you went all humongous first, but..."

I grasped the chunk of rubble and lifted. My fingers dug into the concrete easily, until I was grasping it by the rebar reinforcements inside the twisted chunk of rubble. Carefully, I lifted it over my head, then flew to the side and put it down.

Tattletale looked at me, her eyes wide. "I knew you were strong, but..."

I shrugged and dusted off my hands. "That wasn't heavy, actually. Just kind of awkward." I looked over at the somewhat cleared space. There was a small amount of room in there, despite all the torn up concrete and rubble filling the former doorway. "Think anyone's left alive in there?"

Tattletale shook her head. "Not likely, without a Brute rating anyway."

There was a distinctive whine of a Tinkertech motorcycle, and Armsmaster pulled up. He gave me a respectful nod, his metal feet clanking solidly as they dug into the ground. Miss Militia pulled up next, parking her distinctive Humvee nearby, while Dauntless floated down from the sky.

"Didn't expect you to be lending a hand." Armsmaster spoke. He looked to Tattletale, who gave him a little nervous wave back. "Not exactly keeping good company."

I shrugged. "She's a former employee of Coil. She's here to help save lives, so if we can put the game aside for a minute and get to what's important?"

Armsmaster's frown deepened.

Miss Militia cleared her throat. "We're going to have to ask her to come in."

Tattletale shook her head. "Look, I'll give a debrief, but call your boss. She already knows it's not likely to be safe for me to go to any of the authorities. Coil has a lot going on, and I don't know if he was down here. I'm only here because I know something about how the base used to be, and where people might be trapped down there. Can we call things on the level for today?"

Armsmaster's lips twitched a little. Then he paused and nodded to himself. "You're still wanted for a number of minor crimes, Tattletale. But right now, saving lives takes precedence."

Dauntless set himself on the ground. I couldn't see his features, but his voice was filled with good cheer as he extended a hand to me. "Good to meet you, Scarlet. Wish it was under better circumstances."

I took his hand and returned the shake, smiling. "You too."

Tattletale rolled her eyes. "Sorry, but can we please get to work? I'm pretty sure we don't have all day."

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Edits: Slight continuity fix. Derp. Danny's supposed to know who Coil is, he got the debrief too.

 

[SirWill]

A/N: Real life sucks. Seriously.

Is it any wonder I prefer gaming?

Spoiler: Taylor's Complete Power List

Blood manipulation: Self only, but extremely versatile. Basis of the Shadow Whip, Shadow Daggers, and other things.

Short-range teleportation: Draining, but not limited to line of sight.

Bat Travel: Turns into dozens of bats and back again. Rather confusing, but helpful for mobility.

Strength: Insanely high at full strength. Not as strong as some capes, but up there. M1 Abrams out of gas? I'll just push them to the gas station.

Durability: Begins low, becomes stronger and harder to injure.

Vampiric Healing: Heals perfectly as long as there is blood to fuel the repairs. Can be slowed by various means.

Grace. Allows limited floating, superhuman dodging ability, and balance. Unlocked!

Flight: I believe I can touch the sky. Does it need any more description? Unlocked!

Possession: Turns into blood, flows into some poor bastard, controls them for a period (hours at most) and when they die they explode into chunky bits. The blood has a toxic effect, so anyone possessed is doomed. (Barring unusual biology.) Unlocked!

Fleshcrafting: Feeling a little vain? Want a whole new hair color, a bigger bust, shaplier hips, or claws to rend the flesh of your enemies? Subscribe to Vamp-New-You today! (Permits the vampire to alter their own flesh permanently at some cost to their blood. Does not permit changing of bone structure. Cannot be used on others.) Unlocked!

Mist Form: Transform into near-invulnerable mist. Has quite a few lethal and non-lethal applications. Unlocked!

Telekinesis: Small objects, weak, but useful. Now I don't need to get up to flick the light switch! (Locked)

Wolf form: I can run fast, I can track down my foes from the smallest drops of blood, I will never stop, never tire, and IS THAT BACON?! (Locked)

Shadow Portal: Opens a gate to the Plane of Shadow, where Castlevania resides. Shadow Portals can be made nearly anywhere on a Material Plane, but they must be in fixed places within the Plane of Shadow. Unlocked!

Dominate: (Not the soul-using thing) Control over others. Takes effort, and can only do so to a few at a time. Repeated and lengthy exposure, however, can make things last longer, until they are permanently enthralled. Can be resisted with willpower and can be no-selled by various techniques/powers.(Locked)

Bat Summon: Bat Summon: Gather swarms of bats to do thy bidding. They will follow the will of the Lady of Darkness without hesitation. Not as flexible as the Queen Administrator shard. The awareness of each bat is basic, and commands must be given to the entire swarm at once. I'm the goddamn Batman. Unlocked!

Monstrous Form: Accesses a portion of the power available to the Scarlet Dragon's mightiest shape, while retaining the flexibility afforded by a humanoid form. However, it is clearly inhuman. Unlocked!

Void Magic: Basis of the Void Sword. Drains life from its victims, heals and invigorates the wielder, and brings about an absolute chill. Unlocked!

Chaos Magic: Control and manipulation of hellfire. Many can use it, but few can project it. Forms the Chaos Claws. Unlocked!

Storm Magic: Power over electricity and the storm. An excellent method of long-range attack, and quite painful to most.

Weather manipulation: Can control the weather to some degree, whether that is summoning or banishing clouds, or building up power to make a simple cloudy day into an actual storm. It cannot, however, bring warmth or cold on its own. She can't make a blizzard in the tropics or turn Antarctica into prime beachfront property. She can just make it sunny, cloudy, or rainy. Or snowy if the time of year's right.

Dragon Shape: The mightiest form of the Heir of Dracul. Becomes a massive red dragon, standing at thirty feet tall. Can access amplified versions of currently unlocked magic, as well as other powers while in the form. However, it is an immense strain to hold the shape for very long. And it is not exactly friendly-looking at first glance. Godzilla (or whatever epic music of your choice!) is highly recommended.

Resurrection: If slain, turns dormant for a period of time before reviving in a weakened state. Longest possible period is a century.

Spoiler: Alucard's Complete Power List

Strength: Insanely high at full strength. Not as strong as Taylor's potential, but certainly enough to be highly dangerous to a well-trained human.

Durability: Begins low, becomes stronger and harder to injure.

Vampiric Healing: Heals perfectly as long as there is blood to fuel the repairs. Can be slowed by various means.

Grace. Allows limited floating, superhuman dodging ability, and balance.

Demonic Wings: Permits him to glide with feathery, though twisted, wings.

Mist form: Near invulnerable mist. No mere prison can hold thee. Unless they put in a fan to blow you back in.

Wolf form: I can run fast, I can track down my foes from the smallest drops of blood, I will never stop, never tire, and IS THAT BACON?!

Chaos Magic: Alucard's is not as strong as his father's, but his skill with it is extraordinary. He can use it to teleport short distances and throw fireballs, although it is limited by line of sight and distance. (The classic SotN Hellfire spell.)

Spectral Wolf: Similar to the wolf shape, however it is ethereal and impossible to injure. Alucard can use it to teleport from one location to another by sending the wolf forward, then replacing it. Or he can simply use it to scout and dissolve it.

Crissaegrim abilities: A wickedly dangerous blade Alucard forged with the materials of three legendary weapons. It permits him to enshroud it with both Void and Chaos magic, as well as being extremely lethal to both holy and unholy opponents.

Resurrection: If slain, turns dormant for a period of time before reviving in a weakened state. Unlike Dracul's counterpart power, he would arise in a century unless the process was sped along by blood. He would also arise in a more corpse-like state until he managed to feed.

Spoiler: Dragon's Magic Power List

Steel Crafting: Self only. Able to mold current avatar however she likes. Tends to prefer a dragon shape, as...well, she's Dragon.

Teleportation: Flashes out of existence in one place and reappears in another. Line of sight limited, but not distance-wise. Yes. This is overpowered. Limited to (naturally) light-speed maximum.

Light Form: Turns into a bright solid light construct. This is difficult to maintain, but difficult to injure..

Strength: DRAGON SMASH!

Durability: Anybody remember that scene in Superman Returns when the bullet bounces off his eye? No? Nobody? Well, it's kinda like that.

Healing: Can grant to self or others, and does not need an outside source. Wounds (or damage) heals rapidly.

Flight: I could touch the sky before I changed into a goddess. Now I just don't need to spend any effort!

Hard-Light constructs: Eat your heart out in jealousy, Green Lantern! My constructs don't get broken by lemonade!

Telekinesis: Use the Force, Luke. Stronger than Taylor's version. Not Ziz-strength, but it's up there.

Light Bridge: Opens a...uh, bridge to the Plane of Light. Think the MCU's version of the Bifrost. Can go from nearly anywhere on a Material Plane, but they must be in fixed places within the Light Plane.

Human Form: If/when she feels like trying out what a ice cream tastes like.

Light Magic: Heals and warms its users, and can be turned to be used offensively. Most effective against Dark Creatures, but still useful against other targets. Remember, the Lightsaber is the weapon of a Jedi.

Heavenly Flame Magic: The opposite of Chaos Magic. Her white fire burns, but is formed from calmness, logic. It is a fire that illuminates, but can be destructive all the same.

Storm Magic: The point of commonality between Light and Darkness. Electricity is such a useful thing. Due to her original nature as a mechanical being, Dragon's control of it is extraordinarily precise.

Dragon Shape: For when someone or something big really, really needs to be stomped. Is this a copied power? No! It's a completely different kind of dragon!

Resurrection: If slain, turns dormant for a period of time before reviving in a weakened state. Longest possible period is a century. This is common for gods.

Spoiler: Madison's Equipment List

Vampire Killer: A simple hilt attached to a combat whip that can be slung out and controlled by an ingeniously designed retraction system. On the end of the hilt is a silver stake, perfect for killing vampires, werewolves, and lawyers. The weapon is specifically designed to kill creatures of the night, but works on anything quite well and is capable of channeling magic.

Light Magic amulet: Allows its wearer to heal over time. Needs to be fueled by someone capable of putting magic into it, which is currently limited to Dragon and Madison. It doesn't permit Wolverine-style healing, but it lets short fights turn into long ones and wearing one overnight heals even most serious injuries. Can be sped up by forcing the magic to flow more quickly, but that drains the amulet which needs time and attention to recharge.

Seraphic Shoulders: Creates ghostly angelic wings for a few moments, allowing Madison to catch herself in the air or glide.

Heavenly Gauntlet: A black (I know, it clashes!) gauntlet that generates white fire, equal to that of the fires of Hell.

Cyclone Boots: Allows high-speed running, jumping, and as a bonus, permits its wearer to take long falls without breaking their legs. Yes, all she needs is a Portal Gun.

Silver Daggers: Small, easily palmable, and crafted for a nasty surprise attack. Yes, it can hurt a lot to suddenly have a knife in your throat, whether you're a werewolf or not.

Holy Water: Water that's been exposed to sunlight and had Light Magic channeled through it. Does nothing against most people, would really tick off Taylor and Alucard. When used with Light Magic channeled through its user, forms a light-shield to ward off attacks and really tick off vampires.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


I kept my back to the gathering crowd as much as I could. Yes, I was famous enough for being one of the two to kill an Endbringer, but I had something important to do, dammit. Waving at a crowd and posing for photos? Not something I wanted to do right now.

It took hours for us to extract enough of a gap in the entrance to get inside. Well, to get me inside. My powers just gave me too many options. There was one simple problem. I really, really didn't want to go into a cramped little space. Yes, even now, I hated small spaces. Thanks Emma, thanks Sophia!

I know Dracul would have put their heads on a wall by now. I just wanted the two taken off my to-do list, even though my bully problem was so very low on it right now. My personal problems could take a back seat to the possible end of the world.

...and I was going to have serious trouble if the last Abomination brought out small spaces as a weapon. If it even bothered. The one I knew the most about, thanks to Dracul, had more life energy than my entire world in a single fragment. And it had billions. Thankfully, it was dead now, but I seriously doubted I could use Dracul's strategy for killing the last one. If I did, then it would mean our world was already dead.

...stop distracting yourself, Taylor. World-killing thing isn't right in front of you. Maybe. Collapsed supervillain lair was.

Armsmaster looked at me, then the cleared entryway. "It doesn't look all that stable. We'll need to send in drones to look for survivors." He looked to Tattletale.

She shook her head. "There were a couple hundred people down there, at least. Mercenaries mostly. The Travelers were based here, too."

Miss Militia spoke then, her voice hard. "And Shadow Stalker?"

Tattletale shook her head. "She was usually kept as a mobile asset. Her skillset and power let her be useful for spying and thieving, very occasional wetwork. After you guys caught her, though, and Coil retrieved her, she's been held inside the base somewhere. What I know is she was held under close guard." Her smug grin widened. "He knew he made a major mistake in retrieving her once Vancouver happened, but he couldn't exactly take any final steps. I'm pretty sure he was worried that if he did, Scarlet might focus entirely on him."

Well then. Obviously he had no idea of what was keeping my attention right now.

I looked to Dauntless, and he looked back. His features hidden behind the Spartan-style helmet, he seemed deep in consideration. Or just staring into space.

I took a deep breath. Closed my eyes. Tried to get a grasp on my broiling emotions. Just the idea of going underground was making my skin crawl. If they actually told me to, I'd tell them to go screw themselves. Phobias. Suck. Once again, I was glad I didn't have to literally dig myself out of my coffin. Thank you, unexpected teleportation power!

Geez, I really lucked out on the vampire power lottery, huh?

A van rumbled as it stopped some distance away. Armsmaster went over, spoke with the driver for a few moments, and then went around the back. A few seconds later, he was surrounded by four hovering drones, guiding them with a control pad.

I must have looked confused, because his lips twitched. "Kid Win's getting pretty good about making antigravs. These are ideal for scouting areas without risking anybody or threatening further collapse, here."

I nodded. "Good. Cause if you ask me to go in there, I'm going to hurt someone."

Miss Milita's eyes crinkled. "You showed up to help before thinking about it, hm?"

I could only sigh. "Yeah." I pointed at Tattletale, without looking. "Say nothing."

I heard her teeth clap together with a click.

--------------------

Well. This was exciting. Actually, not really. Seriously boring. But it was still better than me heading underground. Watching Armsmaster pilot remote drones was somehow not the most stimulating thing. Especially since I didn't have a view of the screens he was looking at.

The hover drones apparently didn't find anything early on. We just waited. Miss Militia went off to help with the firefighting effort. I was about to head over myself, when Armsmaster spoke.

"Interesting." Armsmaster spoke. He turned one of the hovering drones to take a closer look at something.

Dauntless looked over Armsmaster's shoulder. "What? You're staring at a wall, Armsmaster."

Armsmaster sounded irritated as he replied. "The wall's smooth. Too smooth. It's like it was cut with something on the molecular level. And a small curve I'm picking up here."

I frowned. "What are you thinking?"

Tattletale's gaze was distant for a moment before she spoke. "A curve means the effect went outward in a wave. Or a sphere."

Armsmaster nodded. "If my calculations are correct, a sphere approximately five hundred feet across. The sudden loss of the support structure made the Fortress building collapse." He frowned. "Not the usual kind of destruction, however. And this is odd, too...we've not found any bodies in the building itself. There's injured here, but mostly pedestrians, and the injuries are minor. Nobody's dead here."

Tattletale shook her head. "No, no way. Coil's the type who'll let hundreds of people die if he goes. He wouldn't care to make this clean."

Dauntless spoke, puzzlement in his tone. "So what's the theory? Something hit Coil's base in such a way as to prevent deaths, but cause such destruction?"

Armsmaster thought for a moment. "Or the destruction was a side-effect. If I'm correct, then a lot of the base is simply gone. But if not annihilated, where is it?"

--------------------

The rest of the day was spent with Tattletale leading me, and therefore the Protectorate around the city, ferreting out the locations of each of Coil's bases. All told, he had about a dozen, though none as large and well-developed as the one beneath the Fortress Construction building. Most of them had the signs of a hasty evacuation, though we found one with a few mercenaries still manning the helms.

It was somewhat...okay, actually quite hilarious, to see a man built like barbarian waving a white flag as they surrendered as the Protectorate heroes showed up. I didn't even have to do anything, just sat on a rooftop overhead with Lisa.

I flicked her a glance, and she looked smug.

"You called ahead, made sure they knew we were coming, huh?" I accused.

She shrugged, a vulpine grin on her face. "Maybe. Bit better than a bloodbath. Plus, I may have taken the opportunity to move some of Coil's liquid assets around. Since he had such a bad retirement plan, I decided to make my own. I can't exactly buy up my own island, but I could buy a nice little mansion of my own. Assuming, of course, that Coil's not playing some long game and all that." Tattletale grimaced. "Can't really relax until I know I'm out from under his thumb for sure. He's probably got something in the works."

I gave Armsmaster a wave as he emerged from the building below. He gave me an acknowledging nod, pushing a group of mercenaries into a waiting police van.

I shrugged, looking to Tattletale. "Well then. Since you're not likely to be safe at the PRT, you're coming to my place." I held up a finger as she opened her mouth. "It doesn't mean you're scot-free of anything they might want you for. I'm not about to burn my bridges with the Protectorate for you. Just for now, you're in my custody. They ask where you are, I'll be honest. I just won't let anyone get to you alone."

She sighed and nodded slowly. "Still don't like it. You're really on this law-and-order thing, huh?"

I grimaced. "I'll go around it to get something done if it needs to be done. But what I've found? Most people are just trying to get by. They're not good, not evil, just...normal, wrapped up in their own issues. It's easy to do that. People who do terrible things do so because it's become a habit. It becomes their 'normal' so they don't even think about it. From the outside, though, you don't see the reasons. You just see the actions. Or lack of them. Even the worst of us have good parts, even if they're smothered beneath the veneer of what the person has become. It's just you remember the assholes."

--------------------

Now that Castlevania was in the real world, the Shadow Plane had gotten a bit more complicated.

I emerged from a portal in the Shadow Plane, Tattletale right behind me. In front of us was a new Portal Room. Though in this case, it was perhaps more of a Portal highway system. That was the eventual plan, anyway. Hundreds of gates were being crafted by various demons. Most of them were the small, green things.

I wanted to call them gremlins, but these guys actually built things instead of wrecking them. Still, the resemblance was uncanny.

One came up to me, almost dancing. He bowed and scraped on the ground, his floppy ears twitching. "Mistress! Thirty portal gates are set up, Mistress! Does this mean Bonegnasher gets a reward, Mistress?"

I chuckled. These guys were oddly cute, in a terrifying if off the leash way. "Good. Keep it going, and your crew's going to get the first set of electronics I manage to get set up here."

The little (screw it, I'm calling them such) gremlin cackled and ran off, almost immediately being swarmed by his clan-mates.

Tattletale cleared her throat. "So...what's the plan with this setup?"

I chuckled. "Rather simple. Since Leviathan's showed up, shipping's down. Whenever he hits a major coastal city, the waves cause damage even hundreds of miles away, and the infrastructure for major shipping's been whittled down. Not dead yet, but it's pretty damn rough as it is. It's the reason we've got the Ship Graveyard. So in the near future, I'm going to be using the Shadow Plane as a shortcut and open up the market. Need to get your goods from Los Angeles to Paris? Take a fixed portal in LA, drive through here, take the Paris exit and be there in about half an hour." I shrugged. "Going to help a lot when I start sending out custom-made weapons and armor, too."

Tattletale blinked slowly. "That's...both mundane and diabolical. I half expected you to take over the world."

I grinned. "Yep. And I am. Sorta. But I'm patient. Primarily, I'm pushing to make sure there is a world to save. Behemoth and Leviathan are out there, doing damage. Even if we kill them, the damage they do could be catastrophic." I looked at her piercingly."How much was the Simurgh holding back when we killed her?"

She grimaced visibly, even through her mask. "A lot. I think she was barely fighting. At all. Most of what she was doing was aimed toward getting everything aimed at her core. Not sure where the cores on the other two might be, I'd have to look at them taking damage to figure it out."

I nodded. "And yet, we can't assume that they'll hold back when they show up next. It'll be nice if they do, I certainly won't complain. But I'm going to assume that Behemoth can summon volcanoes on the battlefield if he feels like it."

She tilted her head. "...he can do that? You know he can do that. How?"

I glared at her. "Long. Story. Maybe I'll tell it to you in a hundred years."

Her mouth opened, then shut. She rubbed her temples. "You're mean."

I shrugged. "I've been annoyed lately."


--------------------


I floated above Brockton Bay, slowly descending down toward the Dallon's house. I didn't bother with leaving my demonic shape. There was a fair bit of buzz about me and them on the PHO boards.

One of the funnier bits of speculation was that I'd sought New Wave out to get an education on this world. A bit less funny was the speculation that I was planning on taking Vicky as a bride.

She is strong, smart, and full of life. She would be an excellent third bride.

...third? I haven't even taken a first!

...oh. Right.

I sucked in a deep breath, and very slowly let it out, letting my irritation go with it. Knowing it wasn't exactly Dracul's thoughts in my head, but his...pattern of thinking that bled into his power, helped a lot. That the suggestions that flowed from that pattern of thinking usually ended up toward bloodthirsty things was almost easy to deal with at this point.

Some other stuff? Not so much.

I knocked on the door. Waited a moment, then knocked again.

I heard bounding footsteps, and then it opened. Vicky smiled. "Hey Red. Glad you could come by. Just about ready to go here."

I returned the smile. "Hey Vicky. Castle's waiting for you."

A voice butt in from behind. "Oh my god! It's you! You're here, right here! I would have expected you to be locked away with about a million diplomats or something!"

I turned around, my wings flaring a bit. There was a young girl there, maybe seventeen at the oldest. She had dark hair with a red streak going through it. She was bouncing up and down on her feet, grinning with excitement.

She spoke rapid-fire. "Oh my god, the Endkiller, right here. I thought you might come by, but I wasn't sure, and hot-damn, I got lucky!" Her voice was a bit grating, and I couldn't quite place her accent. She reached into her jacket and pulled out a notepad and a pen. "Can I get your autograph?"

I blinked.

Vicky laughed. "Congrats Red. You've got a fan."

I rubbed my face, managing to plaster on a smile and took the pad and pen. "Sure. Who do I sign it to?"

The girl smiled. "Cherry. My..uh, parents were hippies."

Ouch.

I shrugged and signed. To my first fan, Cherry, Scarlet Dragon.

I handed them back. She froze for a moment as her hand touched mine, then she shook herself. "Thanks so much. I've gotta run, but thanks!"

Cherry literally ran off. I looked to Vicky.

Vicky burst into giggles. "Well, Red, you'll get used to it."

I rolled my eyes. "For that, we're going to Castlevania the hard way."

Vicky grinned. "Fine by me. Race ya!" She rocketed off into the sky.

I crouched for a moment, gathered my power, and burst off the ground, racing after Vicky. I couldn't help but grin like a maniac.

Flying is awesome.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[SirWill]

A/N: Here it is, the results of the little experiment. Not everything was used, but it was fun. May do it again...more sensibly, next time.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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♦Topic: Interdimensional Refugees
In: Boards ► News ► Events

► Asheram (Original Poster) (Cape Groupie)
Posted on May 24, 2011:

As most of you know, early this morning a new floating landmass was discovered two hundred and fifty miles (400 kilometers) off the eastern coast of the United States of America.

A few minutes ago, at 7:30am (EST), Alexandria of the Triumvirate confirmed in This press conference that this new island belonged to no other than the Scarlet Dragon(!), the slayer of the Simurgh, and housed interdimensional refugees(!?!).

We've known about Earth Aleph for some time but this is the first official proof that there are other Earths out there with parahumans, and more notably, parahumans that can match the power of the Triumvirate.

To make matters more interesting, the press conference mentioned, and I quote, "an alternate Earth that had been destroyed by local equivalents of Endbringers".

Now I don't have any issue with refugees, especially when they bring their home with them, but more Endbringers?! Shouldn't we be more concerned about this?

► Randomwriter (Wiki Warrior)
Posted on May 24, 2011:
Is it SERIOUSLY floating on its own landmass? How is that... I don't even... Where did it come from? And don't tell me 'Another Earth' because this is INSANE.

► GARcher (The Guy Not In The Know)
Posted on May 24, 2011:
Does anyone know what the hell is going on? First the Smurf bites the dust (by two Dragons at that!) and now there is a God forsaken CASTLE floating in the middle of the ocean. I know that when capes are involved in something it's better to throw your disbelief out of the window but seriously what the hell.

If someone has any kind of information that they can share in regards of this please share it with us.

Sometimes I wish I was in Earth Aleph instead, at least they don't have to deal with this kind of insanity.

► Boojum (Verified Not A Snark)
Posted on May 24, 2011:
Re:Asheram: I shouldn't think so. Their world died, and that's something we can barely hope to understand, these are the bastards who were tough, lucky and\or smart enough to make it out. They've already shown that with a place to stand they can help kill Endbringers. I think they would be more than willing to help us fight anything that follows them, and maybe make our own floating interdimensional castles if there's a need. Remember, the Simurgh was the one fucking with space flight, I bet there's a bunch of Tinkers getting busy right now!

► Randomwriter (Wiki Warrior)
Posted on May 24, 2011

So wait, these guys came an earth that were destroyed by endbringers right? Then why did they get involved in OUR endbringer fight? If I was them I would high tailed it when I saw another earth filled with MORE endbringers. They must have had some serious confidence in us to team up like they did. That or were way desperate.

► Asheram (Cape Groupie)
Replied on may 24, 2011:
@Boojum
Call me paranoid but I'm still concerned about the fact that there are Endbringers out there that might show up on our doorstep some day.

@Randomwriter
I'd wager that they were desperate. If Scarlet Dragon came first to establish diplomatic relations and a safe landing zone for a floating island then I reckon the Endbringer that could fly would be a bit of a dealbreaker.

@GARcher
Well, someone missed the broadcast. I thought everyone knew already.

GARcher (The Guy Not In The Know)
Posted on May 24, 2011:
Re:Asheram
Well, someone broke my TV when the Butcher hurled a hero through my wall. Again, I wish I was on Aleph. You can actually afford your hero insurance there.

► Boojum (Verified Not A Snark)
Posted on May 24, 2011:

Asheram: Any sensible person should continue to be concerned. What I'm saying is we now have proven Endkillers, a bunch of new people with lots of experience and a new perspective, and new escape routes if the worst happens. We're better off then we were a week ago, yeah? I'm gonna go start building a castle, in case the interdimensional floaty drive goes open-source..

► TRJ
Replied on may 24, 2011:
About the refugees.
Scarlet Dragon is a teenager with red skin, white hair and draconic wings. I know that this might be a stretch but that girl looks like a Case 53 to me. If the rest of the island is filled with similar looking people, do we finally have an answer to where the Case 53's come from?

► GARcher (The Guy Not In The Know)
Posted on May 24, 2011:
The hell is wrong with that woman, first she decides that Lung wasn't doing a good enough job as a dragon and shows how it's done by offing zis and now she outs herself as the leader of a group from another world, next thing you know she will be revealing that she was the Godess of said World or something of the sort.

► Mock Moniker
Replied on maj 24, 2011:
@TRJ
Doubtful, one person is a bad representation of an entire group.

End of Page. 1, 2, 3 ... 52 , 53, 54

(Showing Page 2 of 54)

► Mr. Badfella
Replied May 24. 2011
@Mock Moniker I don't know. There might be something to that. I mean envoys ARE meant to represent entire nations right? And the other inhabitants of the castle DO look like monsters... Even if they DO look attractive.

► Pedal to the Metal
Replied on May 24, 2011:
Checked a few pictures from there with a few of the other taxi drivers over lunch break. Stone towers, gothic architecture, HUMONGOUS castle. Are we talking R'lyeh rising, Atlantis or some other wizards flying medieval fortress-city? And about that... Anyone happen to know where Myrddin is right now? You all know he would do this if he could.

► GARcher (The Guy Not In The Know)
Replied on May 24, 2011:
Myrddin? He's got to be kicking himself, wishing he pulled this first. Seriously, I would not be surprised at all if SD showed up next week to say 'Oh, by the way, I'm the god of dragons, too. Just because I don't have enough titles.'

► Damsel_In_Distress (Cape Groupie)
Replied on May 24, 2011:
@GARcher: Do you think she might want a new priestess?

► Ni
Replied on May 24, 2011:
An angel eaten by dragons,
Bloodied feathers floating slowly in the wind,
Leviathan pictures bought then burned

► Winged_One
Replied on May 24, 2011:
@Ni
I do believe you are stealing my job.
On another note, I'm feeling much better. Thank you. I'm glad the whole thing with the Simurgh is over and done with.

For old time's sake:
Alas, though fate itself may twist and bend,
The world shifts against our will,
Our souls we struggle to mend,
And mortals are still a terrible shill.

► GARcher (The Guy Not In The Know)
Replied on May 25, 2011:
Winged_One
Glad to see you back, Winged!
Told you guys she wasn't the Simurgh. That was crazy-talk.

Edit: Also...when did I get this tag?

► xXVoid_CowboyXx (Temp-Banned)
Replied on May 24, 2011:
Hey, wait a minute! I think I know her, she looks just like [REST OF POST DELETED BY MODERATOR]

[User has received an infraction for this post: Speculation on public identity of a cape.]

► TheHuntress (Verified Cape)
Replied on May 25, 2011:
Not cool, Cowboy, seriously not cool.

► Tin Mother (Moderator)
Replied on May 25, 2011:
*Sigh...* Enjoy your week long ban again, Void Cowboy.

End of Page. 1, 2, 3, 4 ... 52 , 53, 54


♦Topic: Scarlet Knight/Dragon's ratings?
In: Boards ► Heroes ► Global ► Trumps

QuestNecro (Original Poster)
Posted on May 25, 2011:

Now that Scarlet Dragon has summoned a bloody country and killed an end bringer what do you think her ratings are going to be?

Seriously. I've been checking up on her since all this went down, and while I'm sure I'm missing a lot of things, this in insane. Like, all my food is now LSD insane.

What do we know she can do?

(Showing Page 1 of 35)

► SkipDaddy
Replied on May 25, 2011:
I'm leaning towards Bullshit 10, at this point. When they were handing out powers, it's like this girl just grabbed three or four armloads.

If she raised Atlantis tomorrow, I don't think I'd be surprised.

► Program6
Replied on May 25, 2011:
Isn't 10 a bit low, didn't she kill an endbringer and commands an army of giant steel golems?

► SkipDaddy
Replied on May 25, 2011:
@Program6 - It's not like it won't go up, I'm sure.

► Darkflame_Doge
Replied on May 25, 2011:
Bullshit 10? Isn't that Eidolon's rating?

Hell, since SD and Dragon actually killed the Simurgh it's more like Bullshit Yes.

Speaking of, what happen to Eidolon anyway? He wasn't with Alexandria and Legend when they went to check out SD's castle, right?

► SkipDaddy
Replied on May 25, 2011:
@Darkflame_Doge We don't know if Eidolon was at the magical floating island (never thought I'd type that) or not. Bullshit 10 means you're only visible if you want to be. And yeah, 'Bullshit Yes' seems about right for Scarlet Dragon, and Dragon too for that matter. It's pretty obvious that some weird shit went down in that fight.

► Synagoogly
Replied on May 25, 2011:
Weird doesn't even begin to describe what happened up in Vancouver. Hell, if Scarlet Knight and Dragon didn't evolve when they did who knows what would've happened...

I'm a bit envious of everyone that got to actually see the fight though. Pictures and short videos just don't do it any justice!

► IrateIrishman
Replied on May 25, 2011:
And now Scarlet Knight is not only a Dragon, but has her own castle, which she probably willed into existance, 'cause Power Bullshit. And she's from where? Brockton Bay, or something? Glad I'm way up here in Maine, because I get the feeling she might decide to clean house soon. Have fun, ya Nazi bastards.

Also. Scarlet Dragon Rating: YES

► Jack Skellington
Replied on May 25, 2011:
Here's my theory. The PRT are just going to say 'SD no longer has a rating. She is SD. That is all.'

End of Page. 1, 2, 3 ... 33 , 34, 35

(Showing Page 2 of 35)

► Blackflame_Doge
Replied on May 25, 2011:
You know...since she's a Dragon and all now do you think she accepts virgin tributes? I mean she's pretty much ticked the list for all of the Proper Dragon requirements since she got her own castle and all.

I personally wouldn't mind offering myself up to the sexy demon lady. Probably the safest place to be anyway.

@IrateIrishman It's actually Bullshit YES. The Twin Dragon Sisters made their own rating after beating the Simurgh.

..and mid- to late- 20th century geopolitics still has absolutely nothing to do with Slenderman. How the hell did we get here anyways?

User has gained an infraction for this post.

[Tin Mother (Moderator): Watch it. You suggested something against the Terms of Service.]

► Follower of scarlet (Banned)
Posted May 25, 2011

The time has come. A new great power has come to our dimension. It is well known that such travel is both difficult and ardous. To make such travel possible then the Scarlet Dragon must be truly powerful. With her majestic appearance and that of her followers it is of little doubt that she is more than just a mere cape or even JUST a dragon. She can be nothing less than a goddess that chooses to grace our dimension with her presence and is generous enough to lend us aid against our mightiest foes.

As such we much repay her in a way a goddess would see fit. This is a call for volunteers, virgins to serve upon the lady's behalf. Do not be afraid. For the lady Scarlet Dragon has shown to be a kind goddess.

►Truckerman 69 (Banned)
Posted May 25, 2011

Hey don't worry ladies. If you don't want to be qualified, I'll help you out. *wink wink*

► Follower of scarlet (Banned)
Posted May 25, 2011
@ Truckerman 69: Begone pig. We do not need you here. Besides these are sacrifice to a godDESS. We will need Virgin men to serve our merciful lady and her followers.

►Truckerman 69 (Banned)
Posted May 25, 2011
@Follower: PPFFFFFT! Virgin men. Real men aren't virgins. And if you think you can find volunteers like that you either ARE a prissy little with no luck, or a bra burning man hater with a thing for little boys.

► Tin Mother (Moderator)
Posted May 25, 2011
Goodbye. You two may feel free to grace many dark places in the internet, but it will not be here.

I will not condone calls for indentured servitude or abusive behavior. Seriously. Bye.

► Blackflame_Doge
Replied on May 25, 2011:
...what have I unleashed? Sorry. Um...I'm just going to be over here. *backs into lurk mode carefully*

► Bringing down the house
Replied on May 25, 2011:
I don't even... I... This must be against the terms of service to such an degree it isn't even funny anymore.

Edit: Moderator beat me to it. Wow. Just wow.

► Second follower of scarlet (Banned)
Replied May 25, 2011
@Bringing down the house I do not see the problem. I am merely asking for those of pure body, if not pure in mind, to come and serve the dark lady in any way that she sees fit, or needs. Any who wish to answer this call will be treated like an indebted servant, not a sacrificial lamb. I'm sure the lady goddess would be most insulted if anyone came to her domain expecting to be slaughtered and eaten.

And for any of you young ladies who wish to answer the goddess' call to be afraid. I doubt she would turn you away.

► Tin Mother (Moderator)
Posted May 25, 2011
Making second accounts to get around the ban is itself a bannable offense. Congratulations. Your IP is now blocked. Any more of this and the thread locks.

End of Page. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 ... 33 , 34, 35

(Showing Page 3 of 35)

► SkipDaddy
Replied May 25, 2011
Well, now that's out of the way...

@IrateIrishman Kaiser got to watch Scarlet Dragon chew on an Enbringer's head. If he's smart, he'll make nice. Unless he wants to get eaten.

►Agoraphobic
Replied May 25, 2011
Why does no one forces on the giant metal doom giants!

► SkipDaddy
Replied May 24, 2011
@Agoraphobic WTF are you talking about?

►Agoraphobic
Replied May 25, 2011
@SkipDaddy, I'm talking about the giant metal things that Crimson Knight pulled out during the fight!

►Sergeant_Vulcan25
Replied May 25, 2011
@SkipDaddy Well I don't know about you, but I personally wouldn't mind it if Kaiser pokes the dragon.

Deep fried Nazi anyone?

@Agoraphobic It's Scarlet Dragon. And I don't really know what happened to them. I wouldn't worry about them too much though, since they looked like they were on our side during the Enbringer battle.

Maybe Scarlet Dragon has a projection power too or something. Why not? She's got everything else.

► SkipDaddy
Replied May 25, 2011
@Agoraphobic I got that. It's the usage of the word "forces" that I'm trying to figure out. Did you mean "focus"?

►Agoraphobic
Replied May 25, 2011
SkipDaddy said:

[@Agoraphobic I got that. It's the usage of the word "forces" that I'm trying to figure out. Did you mean "focus"?]
*Checks previous post* yep.

► IrateIrishman
Replied May 25, 2011
All I know is, if she can do that to an Endbringer, the S9 are a valid next target. Pretty sure they could do with getting murderized in a curbstomp battle for a change. Who knows, it might be a nice change of pace.

Oi, Protecterate, PRT! I know you're listening! Unleash the Dragons!

Not Lung, though. He can rot.

No, seriously, fuck that lazy bastard. Couldn't even get off his ass to fight the Endbringers. Our new dragons are much better. And on our side, even!

End of Page. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 ... 33 , 34, 35

♦Topic: The Dragon's New Suit. Also, branding advice!
In: Boards ► Heroes ► Canada ► Tinkers

Boojum (Original Poster) (Verified Not A Snark)
Posted on May 24, 2011:

Okay, what is up with Dragon's new suit?

From footage:
Pimpin' gold theme
Bipedal locomotion
Regeneration (on a mech, no less!)
Teleportation(!)
Flight
Arm launched blue beam that rates at least half a Simurgh-Fucker. (Scarlet Dragon has the other half.)

I will pay folding money for an action figure.

The other thing is, it looks kinda like dragon-power is the way to go with endbbringers. Lung can throw down with Leviathan, and we all know what happened to the Simurgh. But Dragoon is Dragon. Should she take up a descriptive name change to stand out from the crowd? I kinda like Golden Dragon myself.

(Showing Page 1 of 1)

► TRJ
Replied on May 24, 2011:

Branding is serious business among capes and has always been on a first come, first serve basis. It is unfortunate but it's well known among the cape community that there are only so many good names out there and no one should be forced to change their name due to someone else picking a similar one.

Dragon was the first one with that name and has earned it with her years of heroics.


► Dragon (Verified Cape)
Replied on May 24, 2011:
Yes, I have.

However, given recent experiences, I may decide to change things up a bit. However, that may be a while off.

► Boojum (Original Poster)
Replied on May 24, 2011:
....did Dragon just reply to my thread?

Holy crap, she did.

Anyway, seriously, that's one hell of a suit you built. One seven foot tall package of badassery. Glad you brought it out and finished off the Simurgh.

► Dragon (Verified Cape)
Replied on May 24, 2011:
Thank you.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to use this technology previously against the Simurgh or the other Endbringers. What happened in Vancouver was a result of a recent breakthrough, combined with a rather hasty rush-job. Thankfully, it paid off.

The technology in my latest suit is still somewhat untested, but some of the best Thinkers around are collaborating with me on fixing the issues and drawbacks. Hopefully, some of the recent discoveries I've made in working out its principles should greatly assist in the future.

► Boojum (Original Poster)
Replied on May 24, 2011:
Okay, so this may be a little off-topic, then, but...what's going on with:

Are the Simurgh bombs now disarmed?
When can we un-quarantine cities?
Are any Tinkers going to get their space on?

► Asheram (Cape Groupie)
Replied on May 24, 2011:
@Boojum
Took me a while to figure out what you meant with Simugh Bomb. Anyhow.

First of all, it wouldn't surprise me at all if we saw the Simurgh show up again in a month or two, I've seen far too much powers bullshit to not suspect that it's all just to lull us into a false sense of security.

Second: Simurgh is Extra bullshit and even if she truly is gone we ought to prepare for something happening in the quarantine zones any day now as a going away present.

Third: Oh yes, please, I had almost given up hope on space exploration once She showed up. I bet Dragon (Original Dragon, that is.) is already preparing something new.

► Dragon (Verified Cape)
Replied on May 24, 2011:
Oh, I've got a few things in mind.

Can't talk about them much, as they're still on the drawing board. We need to proceed with caution, especially given things the Simurgh is involved with.

Sorry I can't share more. Classified.

► Boojum (Original Poster) (Verified Not A Snark)
Replied on May 24, 2011:
And the government strikes again. Well, thanks. You and SD did the impossible. Thanks.

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Dragon turned her attention away from the PHO boards. Not that it took up much of her attention, she could run the moderation duties on there with only the slightest bit of effort. Running as automatically as a human's heartbeat.

There was a fair bit of a backlog for Dragon to get through. Even for the speed she thought at, it didn't take all that long to get back on top of things, and the needed systems were fairly simple to run. But there were still limitations, and getting through everything took a while. For the most part, she felt pretty satisfied. The Dragonslayers were in custody, and while she was tempted to send Saint and his cohorts to the Birdcage, she was privately forced to admit they likely didn't deserve to go there. For all the trouble they caused her, and had killed several iterations of her, they hadn't acted in such a way that threatened anyone else.

What she was most mad about was that they hadn't even tried to explain what they were doing. Instead, because of all the resources she had to spend on keeping an eye out for Saint, she had less time and resources toward more important things, such as Sleeper and the Endbringers. They could have even used the suits they'd stolen to help people. Instead, they used them for monetary gain.

Still, now there were two things on her to-do list. Finding a way to get Canary out of the Birdcage, along with the other innocent inmates, and tracking down who attempted to hack into the PRT files on Scarlet Knight/Dragon. The latter was low-priority. Hackers tried it all the time. What was concerning was that they managed to penetrate the first three layers of protection before her adaptive firewall program stopped the hack. Not too many non-Thinkers would be able to get that far. It was a lot easier to get in by stealing access from actual personnel.

Still, it raised her interest. She wouldn't have been able to trace things back to Wallerton if it wasn't for her rather unique resources. The attempt had been re-routed through seven different network hubs, a trail left by the hacker that crossed three continents and snaked through at least fifty computers. It was the very elaborateness of the attempt to make the trail hard to find that peaked her interest.

So she began digitally probing Wallerton, Ohio. Or rather, attempted to probe. The town wasn't much of a town, really. One hundred and fifty-three people was the official population count. It had one gas station and a small market for food. Still, despite all that, there should have been something electronic in the area she could poke to get information out of. It may have been a small town, but internet was still fairly cheap. But there was nothing.

So Dragon tasked a satellite to get an image of the town. It took time, but eventually she got an image of the town with a weather satellite.

...and that was a lot of smoke.

If Dragon had been in her human form at the moment, she'd have had a sinking feeling in her gut.

She did what she could to sift through the data. Filters were used, images were digitally cleaned. It didn't help much with what was apparently burning houses, but she could see the streets of the small town, now.

There were cars everywhere, piled up in places. What looked like a blockade of them had been smashed through by something else, perhaps a semi or an eighteen-wheeler truck.

She wasted no time in launching a Cawthorne suit to investigate the town. While she couldn't 'possess' a given suit anymore, it was simple enough to guide it. It just meant she wasn't thinking with the suit's own hardware anymore. She wasn't sure if she actually needed hardware of any kind just now.

The Cawthorne suit arrived within twenty minutes. A near-eternity by her standards. When it landed and took in the sight, Dragon could not help but pause in disturbed horror.

Bodies were everywhere. Men, women, children. The pavement was stained with blood, and fires raged, consuming house after house. Wallterton's single fire station was, itself, on fire, and everywhere there was evidence of sheer, destructive carnage. The only place that seemed spared from the flame was a lone hotel.

In front of it lay the remains of a man, with the distinctive marks of someone who had been dismembered, hunks of flesh showing where the corpse had been chewed on. It was simple to find it was no animal that did this. Human teethmarks. Size and shape indicating an adult female.

The final clue was the remnants of what had likely been a family, the remnants of Tinker-made cybernetics fusing them together, their flesh melted by some powerful corrosive. And the monstrosity was still writhing.

The Siberian and Crawler. The fires were likely Burnscar's work. The family was Bonesaw's. The Slaughterhouse Nine had hit Wallteron, and someone in Wallerton was looking into Taylor's files.

Great.

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[SirWill]

A/N: Life's been busy. Beginning to settle, but it's still an issue.

Spoiler: Taylor's Complete Power List

Blood manipulation: Self only, but extremely versatile. Basis of the Shadow Whip, Shadow Daggers, and other things.

Short-range teleportation: Draining, but not limited to line of sight.

Bat Travel: Turns into dozens of bats and back again. Rather confusing, but helpful for mobility.

Strength: Insanely high at full strength. Not as strong as some capes, but up there. M1 Abrams out of gas? I'll just push them to the gas station.

Durability: Begins low, becomes stronger and harder to injure.

Vampiric Healing: Heals perfectly as long as there is blood to fuel the repairs. Can be slowed by various means.

Grace. Allows limited floating, superhuman dodging ability, and balance. Unlocked!

Flight: I believe I can touch the sky. Does it need any more description? Unlocked!

Possession: Turns into blood, flows into some poor bastard, controls them for a period (hours at most) and when they die they explode into chunky bits. The blood has a toxic effect, so anyone possessed is doomed. (Barring unusual biology.) Unlocked!

Fleshcrafting: Feeling a little vain? Want a whole new hair color, a bigger bust, shaplier hips, or claws to rend the flesh of your enemies? Subscribe to Vamp-New-You today! (Permits the vampire to alter their own flesh permanently at some cost to their blood. Does not permit changing of bone structure. Cannot be used on others.) Unlocked!

Mist Form: Transform into near-invulnerable mist. Has quite a few lethal and non-lethal applications. Unlocked!

Telekinesis: Small objects, weak, but useful. Now I don't need to get up to flick the light switch! (Locked)

Wolf form: I can run fast, I can track down my foes from the smallest drops of blood, I will never stop, never tire, and IS THAT BACON?! (Locked)

Shadow Portal: Opens a gate to the Plane of Shadow, where Castlevania resides. Shadow Portals can be made nearly anywhere on a Material Plane, but they must be in fixed places within the Plane of Shadow. Unlocked!

Dominate: (Not the soul-using thing) Control over others. Takes effort, and can only do so to a few at a time. Repeated and lengthy exposure, however, can make things last longer, until they are permanently enthralled. Can be resisted with willpower and can be no-selled by various techniques/powers.(Locked)

Bat Summon: Bat Summon: Gather swarms of bats to do thy bidding. They will follow the will of the Lady of Darkness without hesitation. Not as flexible as the Queen Administrator shard. The awareness of each bat is basic, and commands must be given to the entire swarm at once. I'm the goddamn Batman. Unlocked!

Monstrous Form: Accesses a portion of the power available to the Scarlet Dragon's mightiest shape, while retaining the flexibility afforded by a humanoid form. However, it is clearly inhuman. Unlocked!

Void Magic: Basis of the Void Sword. Drains life from its victims, heals and invigorates the wielder, and brings about an absolute chill. Unlocked!

Chaos Magic: Control and manipulation of hellfire. Many can use it, but few can project it. Forms the Chaos Claws. Unlocked!

Storm Magic: Power over electricity and the storm. An excellent method of long-range attack, and quite painful to most.

Weather manipulation: Can control the weather to some degree, whether that is summoning or banishing clouds, or building up power to make a simple cloudy day into an actual storm. It cannot, however, bring warmth or cold on its own. She can't make a blizzard in the tropics or turn Antarctica into prime beachfront property. She can just make it sunny, cloudy, or rainy. Or snowy if the time of year's right.

Dragon Shape: The mightiest form of the Heir of Dracul. Becomes a massive red dragon, standing at thirty feet tall. Can access amplified versions of currently unlocked magic, as well as other powers while in the form. However, it is an immense strain to hold the shape for very long. And it is not exactly friendly-looking at first glance. Godzilla (or whatever epic music of your choice!) is highly recommended.

Resurrection: If slain, turns dormant for a period of time before reviving in a weakened state. Longest possible period is a century.

Spoiler: Alucard's Complete Power List

Strength: Insanely high at full strength. Not as strong as Taylor's potential, but certainly enough to be highly dangerous to a well-trained human.

Durability: Begins low, becomes stronger and harder to injure.

Vampiric Healing: Heals perfectly as long as there is blood to fuel the repairs. Can be slowed by various means.

Grace. Allows limited floating, superhuman dodging ability, and balance.

Demonic Wings: Permits him to glide with feathery, though twisted, wings.

Mist form: Near invulnerable mist. No mere prison can hold thee. Unless they put in a fan to blow you back in.

Wolf form: I can run fast, I can track down my foes from the smallest drops of blood, I will never stop, never tire, and IS THAT BACON?!

Chaos Magic: Alucard's is not as strong as his father's, but his skill with it is extraordinary. He can use it to teleport short distances and throw fireballs, although it is limited by line of sight and distance. (The classic SotN Hellfire spell.)

Spectral Wolf: Similar to the wolf shape, however it is ethereal and impossible to injure. Alucard can use it to teleport from one location to another by sending the wolf forward, then replacing it. Or he can simply use it to scout and dissolve it.

Crissaegrim abilities: A wickedly dangerous blade Alucard forged with the materials of three legendary weapons. It permits him to enshroud it with both Void and Chaos magic, as well as being extremely lethal to both holy and unholy opponents.

Resurrection: If slain, turns dormant for a period of time before reviving in a weakened state. Unlike Dracul's counterpart power, he would arise in a century unless the process was sped along by blood. He would also arise in a more corpse-like state until he managed to feed.

Spoiler: Dragon's Magic Power List

Steel Crafting: Self only. Able to mold current avatar however she likes. Tends to prefer a dragon shape, as...well, she's Dragon.

Teleportation: Flashes out of existence in one place and reappears in another. Line of sight limited, but not distance-wise. Yes. This is overpowered. Limited to (naturally) light-speed maximum.

Light Form: Turns into a bright solid light construct. This is difficult to maintain, but difficult to injure..

Strength: DRAGON SMASH!

Durability: Anybody remember that scene in Superman Returns when the bullet bounces off his eye? No? Nobody? Well, it's kinda like that.

Healing: Can grant to self or others, and does not need an outside source. Wounds (or damage) heals rapidly.

Flight: I could touch the sky before I changed into a goddess. Now I just don't need to spend any effort!

Hard-Light constructs: Eat your heart out in jealousy, Green Lantern! My constructs don't get broken by lemonade!

Telekinesis: Use the Force, Luke. Stronger than Taylor's version. Not Ziz-strength, but it's up there.

Light Bridge: Opens a...uh, bridge to the Plane of Light. Think the MCU's version of the Bifrost. Can go from nearly anywhere on a Material Plane, but they must be in fixed places within the Light Plane.

Human Form: If/when she feels like trying out what a ice cream tastes like.

Light Magic: Heals and warms its users, and can be turned to be used offensively. Most effective against Dark Creatures, but still useful against other targets. Remember, the Lightsaber is the weapon of a Jedi.

Heavenly Flame Magic: The opposite of Chaos Magic. Her white fire burns, but is formed from calmness, logic. It is a fire that illuminates, but can be destructive all the same.

Storm Magic: The point of commonality between Light and Darkness. Electricity is such a useful thing. Due to her original nature as a mechanical being, Dragon's control of it is extraordinarily precise.

Dragon Shape: For when someone or something big really, really needs to be stomped. Is this a copied power? No! It's a completely different kind of dragon!

Resurrection: If slain, turns dormant for a period of time before reviving in a weakened state. Longest possible period is a century. This is common for gods.

Spoiler: Madison's Equipment List

Vampire Killer: A simple hilt attached to a combat whip that can be slung out and controlled by an ingeniously designed retraction system. On the end of the hilt is a silver stake, perfect for killing vampires, werewolves, and lawyers. The weapon is specifically designed to kill creatures of the night, but works on anything quite well and is capable of channeling magic.

Light Magic amulet: Allows its wearer to heal over time. Needs to be fueled by someone capable of putting magic into it, which is currently limited to Dragon and Madison. It doesn't permit Wolverine-style healing, but it lets short fights turn into long ones and wearing one overnight heals even most serious injuries. Can be sped up by forcing the magic to flow more quickly, but that drains the amulet which needs time and attention to recharge.

Seraphic Shoulders: Creates ghostly angelic wings for a few moments, allowing Madison to catch herself in the air or glide.

Heavenly Gauntlet: A black (I know, it clashes!) gauntlet that generates white fire, equal to that of the fires of Hell.

Cyclone Boots: Allows high-speed running, jumping, and as a bonus, permits its wearer to take long falls without breaking their legs. Yes, all she needs is a Portal Gun.

Silver Daggers: Small, easily palmable, and crafted for a nasty surprise attack. Yes, it can hurt a lot to suddenly have a knife in your throat, whether you're a werewolf or not.

Holy Water: Water that's been exposed to sunlight and had Light Magic channeled through it. Does nothing against most people, would really tick off Taylor and Alucard. When used with Light Magic channeled through its user, forms a light-shield to ward off attacks and really tick off vampires.

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It was fun, racing with Vicky. With everything that happened, I didn't often get the chance to relax and have fun. It was so very nice to have friends. I'd actually forgotten what it was like.

I poured on the speed, slowly catching up with Vicky as we flew toward Castlevania together. She was already moving at supersonic speeds. I grinned as I managed to break though the sound barrier myself, my form cutting through the air.

Even with the high speeds we were going, it took a while to reach the castle, though thankfully not that long. Two hundred and fifty miles was eaten away rather quickly at the speeds we could manage. It took just over fifteen minutes for us to get there.

Best of all...I felt I could go faster. A lot faster. I know Dracul had during his fight with the Abomination that killed his world, though he hadn't exactly had to the time to carefully measure how quickly he was moving during his last battle. I certainly wouldn't be able to move this fast near the ground, because the sonic booms would probably do a fair bit of damage. Maybe. I...actually had no idea, but I wasn't risking it out of controlled circumstances. Unless I could cheat my way around that, too.

Note to self: See how much I can cheat.

Still, though I could have caught up, I let Vicky just beat me to the castle. She did a little victory spin in mid-air at the doors to my throne room, and I couldn't help but smile as I set myself down in front of her.

"Yesss!" She grinned, raising her arms. "Still the best!"

I chuckled. "Pretty good, all right. You practice at flying around like that?" I slipped past her and pushed open the doors, sighing a little in relief as the sunlight no longer touched me. Deadly? No. Irritating? Yes.

Vicky landed on the ground, walking along behind me. "Yeah. It's the best thing about my power. Seriously. I like the rest of what I can do, but I love being able to fly. I'm sure you get it, now that you can do the same thing." She clucked her tongue. "Not exactly complaining, but how long are you going to be pulling new abilities out of your butt?"

I stopped, turned, and gave her a playful thump on the shoulder. "Until I get bored of doing that."

Vicky shook her head, grinning. "Please. You'll never get bored of that."

I returned the grin. "Precisely!"

We shared a laugh. I went and took my throne and settled in. I called out to the empty room. "Death, could you please inform Meridia and Amy that Vicky and I are waiting for them in the throne room?"

Vicky looked around, raising an eyebrow. "Uh...he's not here, is he?"

I chuckled. "He's able to hear me from anywhere in Castlevania, Vicky. Though I plan on modernizing the place a bit. Well, a lot."

The castle seemed to rumble a little in my ear. I rolled my eyes and raised my voice. "You'll like it, trust me. I'm not getting rid of anything special, just getting new stuff."

A wave of reluctance, then acceptance.

Well, I'd definitely take steps to maintain the theme of the place. Castlevania was a living thing, and I wasn't about to change her in ways she wouldn't like.

Vicky just shook her head. "Like I said before, Red. Your power's bullshit."

I grinned.

We didn't wait long before Meridia arrived from a side corridor (which made sense, with the sun out), with Amy a moment later. The younger Dallon was wearing a dark red suit that seemed to drink in the light, a simple, featureless helmet in her hand. I gave Amy a smile, and laughed softly as she rushed into the room, hugging Vicky tightly.

Meridia chuckled. "Welcome back, My Lady. Your childe is settling in quite well."

Vicky stood stock still, then she managed to gasp out. "Ames, air!"

Amy released her, her face filled with concern. "Oh, god, did I hurt you?"

Vicky laughed, giving Amy a hug in return. "Nah, teasing you. Invincible, remember?"

Amy squirmed out of the hug, frowned, then smacked her sister across the shoulder. Vicky just grinned unrepentantly.

Meridia doubled over, trying not to laugh.

I shook my head with a smile. "Well, glad to see everyone's doing so well." I looked to Meridia, giving her a nod. "You and I are going to get to work on getting this place set up, Meridia. You know more about what the castle needs, and I know more about what's available." I frowned a little. "We're going to need some things in bulk, so we're going to talk with the Protectorate about it." I held up a finger as Meridia opened her mouth. "And no, you're not going to get free reign on the adult stuff until after the work's done."

She pouted, but her eyes were filled with satisfaction. "Yes, My Lady."

Vicky spoke then, her tone filled with curiosity. "Where's Al?"

I smiled. "We're going to meet up with him at the Rig. Apparently, he and Armsmaster are working on something." I frowned a little as I looked at Amy. "We're going to need to do something about your face. Considering everyone thinks you're dead..."

Amy smiled. "Got a plan for that, too." She concentrated, and her body shifted and changed. After a few moments, there stood a younger-looking, red haired Meridia. Minus the bat wings.

The succubus smiled. "Always wanted a daughter. You can do so many naughty things with-"

I stood from my throne. "Meridia!"

And the Dallon sisters' faces were nearly as red as my own right now. Meridia just laughed. "Forgive me, My Lady. I could not resist."


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Once night fell at Brockton Bay, I used a portal at Castlevania to enter the Shadow Plane, and from there took another portal to reach the city itself. The four of us took a moment to enjoy the night air.

And almost immediately, my phone began to ring. I grumbled a little and took it out. "Hello?"

"Scarlet! Thank god."

I blinked. "Dragon? Something wrong?"

"Finally! Your castle doesn't have any reception! I have reason to believe the Slaughterhouse Nine are after you. Is everything alright?"

They are beneath me.

I KNOW. Enough already! How many times must that little bit of thought come from the back of my head!? I took a deep breath and grit my teeth. "Lovely. That's just what I needed. Anything planned?"

Dragon sounded serious. "I've got a few ideas. Get to the Rig. We need everyone on board. I'm already there. You mind if I set up a temporary cell tower at the castle? Already got a suit heading there to try and make contact."

"Yeah, actually, that was one of the things on my to-do list today." I nodded to myself. "Be there in a few." I hung up and looked to my companions. "Change of plans. We're all heading to the Rig."

Vicky frowned. "What's going on, Red?"

I grimaced. "The Slaughterhouse Nine."

Meridia tilted her head. "Who?"


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"The Slaughterhouse Nine." Armsmaster spoke. "The longest-running S-class threat in North America. They're a band of serial killers. They formed at some point in the late eighties. Of the original known members, only one remains."

I stood with Meridia, Vicky, Amy, and Alucard toward the back. Dragon stood up at the front of the Rig's briefing room, her golden suit shining a little, despite the relatively dark room. Armsmaster stood and lectured with a serious, grave tone. The Protectorate members, Miss Militia, Assault, Battery, Velocity and Dauntless, sat and listened. For them, this wasn't strictly necessary, but it was best they got the most up to date information. The Protectorate members were taking this mostly in stride. The only exception was Triumph, whose fingers were tightly wound around the armrests of his chair.

The Wards, on the other hand, were looking nervous. Aegis looked like he was trying to put on a good front, but his stance was tense. Clockblocker sat ramrod straight in his chair, his usual joking manner entirely on hold. If I could see his face, I'm pretty sure it would be pale with fear. Vista's body language was filled with terror. Gallant seemed to have his attention fully on Armsmaster, though I could see him fidgeting with his hands. Kid Win was still.

And Madison...Paladin was calm. Her whip was coiled at her side, and while I could see some nervousness in her body language, she was a lot more calm than the other Wards. Probably because of the memories in her head.

A Belmont must be unshakable, for a Belmont faces the nightmares of men.

Gee, thanks Dracul. So very helpful. Going to tell me that water is wet, next?

Armsmaster looked around the room for a moment, then continued, flicking a button on the projector controls. An older-style photo appeared on the wall behind him, a grinning pale young man with a bowie knife in one hand and a razor in the other. "The longest-living member of the Nine, Jack Slash was with the group when they first appeared. His power allows him to cut things with any bladed object at range. No known limit to his range, although the sharpness of his blades is a limit. Sufficiently strong armor or thick enough cover will keep one of his attacks from injuring you. His power is likely the weakest of the Nine, but don't be fooled. He's still alive after twenty years of having a kill order on his head, and he's well-known for leveraging advantages when he can. Best thing to do is take him out on sight. Easier said than done."

He clicked the button, and the next picture popped up. This picture was grainy, taken from a long distance. A figure all in white, blades and protrusions emerging from places. "Mannequin, formerly Alan Gramme. He's the one we've got the most data on. He's a Tinker, specializes in enclosed environments. He was working with world governments for building a moon base, long-term space stations, and extra-planetary colonies when the Simurgh appeared. His family was killed, and he turned himself into this." He gestured at the screen. "His body is a life-support system, completely enclosed. His vital organs are entirely protected, and he prefers to use bladed weapons, though he also uses whatever's appropriate. It's known he's used poisons in the past. His 'body' is able to detach portions of itself, connected by chains only. That means he can get through narrow spaces, such as air ducts that would be too small for a human to get through normally. Take him on at range if possible."

Armsmaster grimaced. "Unfortunately, things get worse from here." He flicked to the next slide.

A grinning blonde child, maybe seven years old. Her hands were covered in blood. "Bonesaw. A bio-Tinker, she's capable of doing horrific things. She's able to heal injuries, reanimate dead tissue, create constructs out of corpses...the list goes on. The Nine were always dangerous, but they became far, far more troublesome when Bonesaw joined. Thinkers suspect she gives upgrades to the members of the Nine, so they're a lot harder to kill. Their losses dropped while their victim count rose. We also suspect that upon her death, plagues would be released. Priority is containment if possible." Armsmaster looked at me.

I gave him a nod. "Doable. Dragon?"

A low chuckle came from Dragon. "I think I can handle that, too."

The tension in the room eased somewhat.

Armsmaster turned back to the screen. Click. A severe looking Middle-Eastern woman, floating in the air, covered and surrounded by shards of glass. "Shatterbird. She controls silicates with a form of telekinesis. One of the Nine's favorite tricks is to announce their presence in a city by letting her scream. Her power races outward in a wave, and every object with glass in it will shatter, the shards flying at any targets nearby. This also has the effect of destroying any electronics with microchips, which makes it difficult for an attacked city to respond. Of them, Shatterbird is likely the one to have caused the most deaths. Still, it's believed she's one of the softer targets. Make sure you have no silicon on you if you engage. Those of you who do have silicon in your gear, we're working on Tinkertech replacements as we speak."

I frowned. Well, it was unlikely my phone would kill me, but it would certainly make it more difficult for me to keep in contact with anyone with it busted.

Click. A monstrous, inhuman green thing. It was larger than the van it stood near, gripping it with insectoid legs. Acid dripped from a fanged maw near the creature's front, which was dissolving the van's roof. It looked like a monstrously overgrown cockroach. "Crawler. His power is theorized to be adaptive regeneration. Anything that harms him, he grows more resistant to as he heals. Over the years he's taken so much damage that his body's become...this. We don't know of any method that can kill him at this point, all we have are some theories. Trouble is, if we try and fail, he'll be harder to kill on the next attempt."

Click. A seven foot tall giant of a man, wearing a bloodstained mask, hatchet in his hand. "Hatchet Face. He's stronger and more resilient than he looks, a relatively low Brute rating. However, he disables Parahuman powers within approximately twenty feet of himself. If he gets close to you, you lose your powers and he can easily kill you. If you must engage, do so from range, use ordinance, technology, and the environment."

Click. A brunette pale woman standing in a field of fire, her hands burning. "Burnscar. Pyrokinetic and teleporter. She escaped from an asylum meant to handle unstable Parahumans and joined the Nine. She's incapable of flight, thankfully, but she's able to teleport using her flames. She tends to 'ramp up' during combat. Start with a small flame, then she gets more and more unrestrained as the fires spread. Unfortunately, cryokinetics tend to be fairly rare, so it's difficult to counter her. Best strategy available at the moment is to be outfitted with containment foam and firefighting equipment." His lips turned to a frown. "If Neptune were here, he would have been our best bet against her."

The room was silent for a moment at that. Officially, everyone in the room was hoping the hydrokinetic would reappear, but...

Well, the chances of that were growing slimmer by the day.

Armsmaster shook his head and brought up the next photo. Everyone knew this one, by reputation if nothing else. A woman, completely nude, striped black and white. "The Siberian. She is the Brute. She's able to harm Alexandria, and nothing tried has ever harmed her in return. Siberian's been spotted walking on water and plowing through Tinker-reinforced concrete. If spotted, do not engage under any circumstances. The best you can hope for is to escape. If she has a weakness, it has not been ascertained yet." He looked around the room. "Some of you are fliers. Do not think just because she doesn't fly that means you can stay back and attack. We know she can leap over tall buildings and she has never been stopped."

Silence reigned for a moment, then Alucard shifted, his voice piercing the moment. "Is there not a ninth?"

Armsmaster shook his head. "The Nine clashed with Myrddin and the local Protectorate forces in Nebraska, about three months ago. They lost Skinslip during the fight, but they managed to slip away and get back under the radar." His voice turned serious. "They had Bonesaw turn an entire graveyard's worth of bodies into cannon fodder to give them time to run. I know we've all heard horror stories about the Nine, but they are fallible and they can be beaten. Hopefully, we can end them."

Clockblocker's hand shot up. Armsmaster visibly sighed. "Yes?"

His voice was high. "Why are they headed here?"

Dragon spoke then. "We have reason to believe they are targeting Scarlet. Worst-case scenario...they want to recruit her. Considering what we managed to do in Vancouver, and what we have from the profile on Jack and the Nine's usual operations, they'll try to figure out some way to hit her morale. Now, they've never hit someone this high profile before. Hopefully, they'll get spooked and turn away, letting us pick the battleground. But we need to prepare for the possibility that they won't. Which means safeguarding ourselves, your families, and as many people as we can."

I nodded. "And sadly, because of all the contact and help I've had here, I highly doubt they're just going to leave the Bay alone if I head to my Castle. I've got some ideas for luring them there, at least they'd be contained and easily dealt with, but I just can't see the S9 happily walking into one of my portals just because I put a sign over it advertising free pie."

A bit of amusement went around the room. Assault spoke then, his tone curious. "Have you tried it? Might get Crawler at least."

Battery smacked his arm.

Dragon chuckled. "If only it were that easy. We're going to try to get their attention in the right way, but until they expose themselves, we're on the back foot. Still, Wallerton's fires were set twelve hours ago. The Nine can't just take a plane, so it's likely that if they're coming here, they're still enroute."

I nodded. "And if they are, I'll see if I can use the Castle's resources to strike at them, first. I managed to get at Bakuda from inside a pocket dimension, I can probably get at them." I tapped my chin. "Highest threat?"

Armsmaster looked at Dragon, then back to me. "I would say Shatterbird. Her power is the longest-range and makes it much simpler for them to hold cities at their mercy. Wallerton was entirely cut off when she destroyed their electronics, making it easy for them to wipe everyone else out. If not for Dragon, we might not have learned of their fate for a week. Maybe more, if circumstances had been unfavorable."

I took a deep breath. "All right. If that's everything?"

The tension in the room relaxed a bit, and everyone got up. Clockblocker came over to us, while Vicky went over and mingled with the rest of the Wards.

He held his hand out to Amy. "Hey, uh...I'm Clockblocker. New around? I'm guessing you're from that awesome flying castle, too, and...well, it's awesome."

Meridia smiled. "Ah, the time-wizard. I am Meridia, and this is my daughter, Amara."

Amy blinked, looking bemused. "Uh...yeah. Good to meet you, too." She frowned as she looked at his hand. "I've heard about your power. You're not about to try and play a prank on me, right?"

He put his hands over his heart. "I would never play a prank upon thee, my fair maiden, for thine beauty has captured my heart, and I would sooner thrust myself upon thine sword than do such a juvenile thing!"

"Liar!" Vista hollered from across the room.

Meridia lifted an eyebrow, looking amused. "Indeed, he is lying." She clucked her tongue. "A pity. I might have enjoyed educating him among the finer things when he came of age." Meridia hooked her arm with Amy's. "Come along, my daughter. We have things to attend to for our Lady."

Amy's face was priceless as she was dragged off, her mouth gaping.

Clockblocker's posture slumped.

I cleared my throat. "Well, I'd better get started." I teleported out of the room, dashed outside, then flew up into the night sky.

And howled with laughter.


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[SirWill]

A/N: I know my uploading here is way behind. It's because this arc has had a lot of revising and editing for the last few chapters on SB. I'll catch things up here entirely when things settle down a bit.

Spoiler: Taylor's Complete Power List

Blood manipulation: Self only, but extremely versatile. Basis of the Shadow Whip, Shadow Daggers, and other things.

Short-range teleportation: Draining, but not limited to line of sight.

Bat Travel: Turns into dozens of bats and back again. Rather confusing, but helpful for mobility.

Strength: Insanely high at full strength. Not as strong as some capes, but up there. M1 Abrams out of gas? I'll just push them to the gas station.

Durability: Begins low, becomes stronger and harder to injure.

Vampiric Healing: Heals perfectly as long as there is blood to fuel the repairs. Can be slowed by various means.

Grace. Allows limited floating, superhuman dodging ability, and balance. Unlocked!

Flight: I believe I can touch the sky. Does it need any more description? Unlocked!

Possession: Turns into blood, flows into some poor bastard, controls them for a period (hours at most) and when they die they explode into chunky bits. The blood has a toxic effect, so anyone possessed is doomed. (Barring unusual biology.) Unlocked!

Fleshcrafting: Feeling a little vain? Want a whole new hair color, a bigger bust, shaplier hips, or claws to rend the flesh of your enemies? Subscribe to Vamp-New-You today! (Permits the vampire to alter their own flesh permanently at some cost to their blood. Does not permit changing of bone structure. Cannot be used on others.) Unlocked!

Mist Form: Transform into near-invulnerable mist. Has quite a few lethal and non-lethal applications. Unlocked!

Telekinesis: Small objects, weak, but useful. Now I don't need to get up to flick the light switch! (Locked)

Wolf form: I can run fast, I can track down my foes from the smallest drops of blood, I will never stop, never tire, and IS THAT BACON?! (Locked)

Shadow Portal: Opens a gate to the Plane of Shadow, where Castlevania resides. Shadow Portals can be made nearly anywhere on a Material Plane, but they must be in fixed places within the Plane of Shadow. Unlocked!

Dominate: (Not the soul-using thing) Control over others. Takes effort, and can only do so to a few at a time. Repeated and lengthy exposure, however, can make things last longer, until they are permanently enthralled. Can be resisted with willpower and can be no-selled by various techniques/powers.(Locked)

Bat Summon: Bat Summon: Gather swarms of bats to do thy bidding. They will follow the will of the Lady of Darkness without hesitation. Not as flexible as the Queen Administrator shard. The awareness of each bat is basic, and commands must be given to the entire swarm at once. I'm the goddamn Batman. Unlocked!

Monstrous Form: Accesses a portion of the power available to the Scarlet Dragon's mightiest shape, while retaining the flexibility afforded by a humanoid form. However, it is clearly inhuman. Unlocked!

Void Magic: Basis of the Void Sword. Drains life from its victims, heals and invigorates the wielder, and brings about an absolute chill. Unlocked!

Chaos Magic: Control and manipulation of hellfire. Many can use it, but few can project it. Forms the Chaos Claws. Unlocked!

Storm Magic: Power over electricity and the storm. An excellent method of long-range attack, and quite painful to most.

Weather manipulation: Can control the weather to some degree, whether that is summoning or banishing clouds, or building up power to make a simple cloudy day into an actual storm. It cannot, however, bring warmth or cold on its own. She can't make a blizzard in the tropics or turn Antarctica into prime beachfront property. She can just make it sunny, cloudy, or rainy. Or snowy if the time of year's right.

Dragon Shape: The mightiest form of the Heir of Dracul. Becomes a massive red dragon, standing at thirty feet tall. Can access amplified versions of currently unlocked magic, as well as other powers while in the form. However, it is an immense strain to hold the shape for very long. And it is not exactly friendly-looking at first glance. Godzilla (or whatever epic music of your choice!) is highly recommended.

Resurrection: If slain, turns dormant for a period of time before reviving in a weakened state. Longest possible period is a century.

Spoiler: Alucard's Complete Power List

Strength: Insanely high at full strength. Not as strong as Taylor's potential, but certainly enough to be highly dangerous to a well-trained human.

Durability: Begins low, becomes stronger and harder to injure.

Vampiric Healing: Heals perfectly as long as there is blood to fuel the repairs. Can be slowed by various means.

Grace. Allows limited floating, superhuman dodging ability, and balance.

Demonic Wings: Permits him to glide with feathery, though twisted, wings.

Mist form: Near invulnerable mist. No mere prison can hold thee. Unless they put in a fan to blow you back in.

Wolf form: I can run fast, I can track down my foes from the smallest drops of blood, I will never stop, never tire, and IS THAT BACON?!

Chaos Magic: Alucard's is not as strong as his father's, but his skill with it is extraordinary. He can use it to teleport short distances and throw fireballs, although it is limited by line of sight and distance. (The classic SotN Hellfire spell.)

Spectral Wolf: Similar to the wolf shape, however it is ethereal and impossible to injure. Alucard can use it to teleport from one location to another by sending the wolf forward, then replacing it. Or he can simply use it to scout and dissolve it.

Crissaegrim abilities: A wickedly dangerous blade Alucard forged with the materials of three legendary weapons. It permits him to enshroud it with both Void and Chaos magic, as well as being extremely lethal to both holy and unholy opponents.

Resurrection: If slain, turns dormant for a period of time before reviving in a weakened state. Unlike Dracul's counterpart power, he would arise in a century unless the process was sped along by blood. He would also arise in a more corpse-like state until he managed to feed.

Spoiler: Dragon's Magic Power List

Steel Crafting: Self only. Able to mold current avatar however she likes. Tends to prefer a dragon shape, as...well, she's Dragon.

Teleportation: Flashes out of existence in one place and reappears in another. Line of sight limited, but not distance-wise. Yes. This is overpowered. Limited to (naturally) light-speed maximum.

Light Form: Turns into a bright solid light construct. This is difficult to maintain, but difficult to injure..

Strength: DRAGON SMASH!

Durability: Anybody remember that scene in Superman Returns when the bullet bounces off his eye? No? Nobody? Well, it's kinda like that.

Healing: Can grant to self or others, and does not need an outside source. Wounds (or damage) heals rapidly.

Flight: I could touch the sky before I changed into a goddess. Now I just don't need to spend any effort!

Hard-Light constructs: Eat your heart out in jealousy, Green Lantern! My constructs don't get broken by lemonade!

Telekinesis: Use the Force, Luke. Stronger than Taylor's version. Not Ziz-strength, but it's up there.

Light Bridge: Opens a...uh, bridge to the Plane of Light. Think the MCU's version of the Bifrost. Can go from nearly anywhere on a Material Plane, but they must be in fixed places within the Light Plane.

Human Form: If/when she feels like trying out what a ice cream tastes like.

Light Magic: Heals and warms its users, and can be turned to be used offensively. Most effective against Dark Creatures, but still useful against other targets. Remember, the Lightsaber is the weapon of a Jedi.

Heavenly Flame Magic: The opposite of Chaos Magic. Her white fire burns, but is formed from calmness, logic. It is a fire that illuminates, but can be destructive all the same.

Storm Magic: The point of commonality between Light and Darkness. Electricity is such a useful thing. Due to her original nature as a mechanical being, Dragon's control of it is extraordinarily precise.

Dragon Shape: For when someone or something big really, really needs to be stomped. Is this a copied power? No! It's a completely different kind of dragon!

Resurrection: If slain, turns dormant for a period of time before reviving in a weakened state. Longest possible period is a century. This is common for gods.

Spoiler: Madison's Equipment List

Vampire Killer: A simple hilt attached to a combat whip that can be slung out and controlled by an ingeniously designed retraction system. On the end of the hilt is a silver stake, perfect for killing vampires, werewolves, and lawyers. The weapon is specifically designed to kill creatures of the night, but works on anything quite well and is capable of channeling magic.

Light Magic amulet: Allows its wearer to heal over time. Needs to be fueled by someone capable of putting magic into it, which is currently limited to Dragon and Madison. It doesn't permit Wolverine-style healing, but it lets short fights turn into long ones and wearing one overnight heals even most serious injuries. Can be sped up by forcing the magic to flow more quickly, but that drains the amulet which needs time and attention to recharge.

Seraphic Shoulders: Creates ghostly angelic wings for a few moments, allowing Madison to catch herself in the air or glide.

Heavenly Gauntlet: A black (I know, it clashes!) gauntlet that generates white fire, equal to that of the fires of Hell.

Cyclone Boots: Allows high-speed running, jumping, and as a bonus, permits its wearer to take long falls without breaking their legs. Yes, all she needs is a Portal Gun.

Silver Daggers: Small, easily palmable, and crafted for a nasty surprise attack. Yes, it can hurt a lot to suddenly have a knife in your throat, whether you're a werewolf or not.

Holy Water: Water that's been exposed to sunlight and had Light Magic channeled through it. Does nothing against most people, would really tick off Taylor and Alucard. When used with Light Magic channeled through its user, forms a light-shield to ward off attacks and really tick off vampires.

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The plan was a go. While the PRT did what they could to spread the word about the Nine coming to the city, I took a quick layover in the Shadow Plane, preparing a space in the emptiness. Far, far away from my slowly-building highway system and refugee center. In time, the center would grow to be a city in its own right, but that would take centuries. At the moment, it was mostly rows upon rows of identical simple bungalows. Not very imaginative, I know, but I was building something that would house millions of people.

If the Abomination killed this world, I wanted a safe enough place for as many people as I could. If I survived the calamity, then I'd see what I could do about finding a new place to live.

If I didn't...then that responsibility would have to go to my successor. I was hedging my bets, here.

Back on the task at hand. I watched as sheer nothingness below me took shape, forming a cube of black metal, ten feet tall, the top of it open to the air. It was a strain to shape the Plane like this. I remembered Dracul forming Castlevania this way, at least to begin with, but he'd either forgotten how much effort it took or he was just that tough in forcing his will on his domain.

I built a portal gate inside the room, near the top. With it being this large, and with nothing inside the cube, my intended prisoner wouldn't likely be able to spring back out before the portal shut behind them. Finally, I formed the top, creating an airtight box.

There we are. Step one.

Step two.

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I emerged in the sky above Brockton Bay. The docks district was far below me. After Lung's rampage, much of it was burned, and had yet to be rebuilt. It was rather unlikely it would, considering the lack of shipping industries. Hopefully my plan would help with that, but it wouldn't mean anything if the Nine killed the whole damn city.

But that I was here...was not good. I'd wanted the portal to open up a mile above Shatterbird. If I emerged here, that means she was in the city itself. I quickly took out my phone and dialed Dragon. As soon as the line clicked, I spoke. "They're already here!"

Dragon's voice was clear, calm, only with the slightest hint of worry. "The Nine?"

I growled. "I'm right above the docks district right now. I wanted to appear right above Shatterbird, and I'm here."

There was silence on the line for a moment, then Dragon spoke. "Understood. She's got priority. Then Bonesaw. We don't know what they're planning, so we need to limit the possible damage as fast as we can. I've got your coordinates. Sending backup. Stay on the line."

"Hurry." I said, and turned myself to get as good a view of the warehouse below as possible. It was difficult to see much, though my vampiric eyes helped with the task. The darkness was an obstacle, but not as badly as it would have been if I were still mortal.

...yeah, my mind was weird. Not much I could do about it, though.

Off in the distance, I could see two figures fly from the Rig. As they neared, I recognized them as Dauntless and Dragon. Made sense they'd send him, he didn't rely on anything electronic for his gear. He gave me a nod as we floated in the air together. I hung up the phone.

Dragon spoke, hovering in the air. "I'm sending in suits to cover this position." She made a frustrated noise. "Not that they'll be of much use if Shatterbird screams."

Dauntless nodded. "Any idea what they're doing here?"

I shook my head. "No. My power just put me here." I looked to Dragon. "What's the plan?"

Her golden head tilted slightly. "We've mobilizing the PRT to surround the block. This is happening sooner than expected, so Armsmaster has had to pull back. Until we neutralize Shatterbird, a lot of our resources can't be put into play. We can't even rely on hazmat suits reliably, because Bonesaw and Shatterbird together..."

I nodded grimly, looking down. "Can you see anything, Dragon?"

She looked down. "I see...twelve heat signatures, six consistent with humans of the appropriate size and age. It's probably them, but...with the Nine, you can't be sure. Crawler's not there, unless he's evolved some way to hide from infrared. I wouldn't be surprised if Mannequin was invisible to infrared, either. The other six, though...hostages, perhaps." Her voice darkened. "Or perhaps raw material for Bonesaw."

I breathed out slowly. "All right. I'm going to slip in and see if I can get Shatterbird." Dauntless reached out, but I gave him a glare. "Of everyone here, I'm probably safest. Besides, if they're here to mess with me, I'm going to return the favor."

Dauntless' voice was harsh. "This is still the Nine. Siberian's probably a threat, even to you."

I sighed. Couldn't deny that. "I'll hit quick." I was about to move, when a thought occurred to me. I sighed to myself and took out my phone. I hated to wake my dad up at this hour, but considering what Shatterbird could do...

The phone rang. Rang. Rang. Rang. Finally, the answering machine picked up. I shut my phone without leaving a message, and looked to Dragon. "Dragon, can you do me a favor? Go to my house, get my dad somewhere safe."

She nodded. "I'm already bringing in armored transport craft. Hopefully we have enough time."

I felt like my heart was in my throat as I waited. Dragon and Dauntless shared a glance as I nervously gripped my phone. Long minutes passed, and my nervousness mounted.

Finally, Dragon spoke. "I've got him. Patching you through."

My phone began to buzz with an incoming call. I opened it. "Dad?"

"Taylor, what's going on? I was asleep when Dragon roused the entire neighborhood with those planes of hers."

"The Nine are here already, Dad. I'm above their safehouse now."

Long silence stretched for a moment, and then he sighed. "Taylor, please...."

I growled deep from within my throat. "They have to be stopped, dad."

His voice dropped to an angry whisper. "And why does it have to be you who does it?"

I didn't have an answer for him. I could say it's the right thing, I could say it was my duty. Finally, I spoke. "Because I can. Because I want to. Because I don't want a single person to suffer at their hands again. Because..."

They are beneath me.

And that was both my and Dracul's thoughts, there. I wholeheartedly agreed. Still, that was unsettling. I swallowed hard as I finished. "Because I couldn't live with myself if I walked away."

My dad was silent for a moment, and he finally sighed. "You're far too much like your mother, Little Owl."

I smiled faintly. "Pretty sure she'd blame how I'm acting on your side of the family, actually."

I heard him laugh wryly. "Probably. My grandfather being a stubborn veteran of World War One and all that. Took a bayonet through the shoulder and paid the loss of the use of his arm back in spades. He would have loved your fire."

I bowed my head a little, sighing. "I've got to do this." I could hear rustling in the background. "What's going on, over there?" I tried to look toward the suburbs, but it was simply too far away, even with us this high up. My vampire eyes were good, but not, apparently that good.

"Dragon's suits are here, they're loading everyone into...well, everything we can get. Buses, trucks, her...dragon-shaped transports. I'm about to get on one. Probably fall asleep as soon as I'm strapped in."

I chuckled. "Right. Stay safe, dad. Love you."

"Love you too, kiddo."

My throat felt full when I hung up, giving the heroes in front of me a wry smile.

Dauntless held out an earpiece for me. "Carbon-based electronics. They burn out fast, according to Armsmaster, and they're not as hardy as silicon, but they'll do the job and Shatterbird won't be able to break it with her power.."

I nodded. Briefly opening a Shadow Portal, I tossed my phone inside. I took off my helmet for a moment, put the earpiece in, and turned it on. "Check check. Scarlet here." I was slightly grateful for the fact I hadn't gotten around to putting a piece of bulletproof glass set up on the front of my helmet. Sue me, I've been busy.

Dragon nodded. "You're good, transmitting."

"Paladin here. I'm on the perimeter, I have amulets prepared, dropping them off."

Armsmaster's voice was stern, making me wince. "Return to the PRT building, Paladin."

"Already moving." My eye twitched a little. I still didn't like that voice much. I respected Madison for owning up to things, and for doing what she could to help people, but...yeah. Issues. I looked down, spotting her running through the streets, her greaves lighting up as she went. She ran toward a wall of a building, sprung off it, and in a flare of light bounced in the air and hit the rooftop, continuing to run at high speed.

That...was actually pretty impressive. Considering how she couldn't cheat anywhere near as much I could.

Below, I could see the shapes of the PRT vans taking up position. Only Shatterbird could fly, from what I knew, and in taking her out we would limit their abilities severely. The ground forces might be able to do something, then.

I cleared my throat. "Give the word when in position."

Tension mounted as I listened to the radio chatter. I looked at Dauntless. He was holding his spear tightly, the only sign I could see of his nervousness. I was nervous, too. If they managed to do anything, a lot of people would get killed. They damn well may anyway, considering we hadn't had any idea on how to stop the Siberian. Yes, I didn't like the Nine, but I wasn't about to shut off that very healthy paranoia, thank you very much. I held still, hovering above the warehouse roof. It actually reminded me of my first night out when I woke up.

It felt like a lifetime ago, now.

I could hear Armsmaster speak over the lines.. "Dragon, pull the Bahamut back."

Dragon's tone was firm and annoyed. "Negative, Armsmaster."

"If Shatterbird sings, we might lose your Bahamut suit."

Dragon's voice was hard. "If Shatterbird sings, we might lose the entire city. We have to do everything possible to prevent that."

I winced as Armsmaster snarled. "Damn it. All right. I'm on standby at the Rig."

I heard Miss Milita next. "I have fire support."

I blinked. She did? I looked down, then across the street from the warehouse. Nope, not there. I looked further over. And up. There she was, atop a crane, holding a long rifle. Probably a sniper rifle.

I let out a breath. Part of my mind was relieved to have some backup. And yet....something was needling me in the back of my mind. "Something's wrong here. "

Dauntless nodded at that. "It feels wrong to me, too."

I considered my options, then grimaced. "I'm going to get inside. When I give the word, or one minute goes by, breach."

Dragon spoke, her tone curious. "How are you going to get inside?"

I smiled. "I have a way to move silently. Changer ability. Ready?"

At their hesitant nods, I concentrated. Dracul did this many times, and I remembered how it felt. It was...not difficult, but very unintuitive. No wonder Alucard hadn't been able to explain it. My body flowed apart, turning into mist.

"Fascinating." Dragon murmured.

I would have waved at her, but I didn't even have hands like this. So instead, I smoothly flowed downward, through a cracked ceiling window and found a corner near the roof of the warehouse, reforming and still hovering silently. My eyes focused on the figure below me.

Shatterbird. She was surrounded by hundreds of piles of broken glass. And she was...on a lounge chair? Huh. She was in the middle of reading a book, humming quietly to herself.

The other members of the Nine were there, lounging about, looking bored, save for Crawler. Where was he? Maybe he was underground? There weren't too many places he could hide. Jack was standing near a crate, idly opening and closing a razor. He looked a fair bit older than his picture, I guess that one was from near the beginning of his career. At his feet were three women, three men, tied together with rope, tears streaking down their faces, their lips sewn shut crudely with wire.

I turned my attention to the rest of the Nine.

Bonesaw sat with the Siberian, the pair waving dolls back and forth. I could hear small giggles coming from Bonesaw. I spotted Burnscar and Hatchet Face, the two of them on opposite sides of the room, both of them craning their heads back and forth, watching the warehouse entrances. Burnscar's gaze lingered, from time to time, on a large walk-in safe in the corner.

Finally, I spotted Mannequin leaning against the wall, nearly blending in with the piles of scrap next to him.

"They're here, minus Crawler." I whispered.

"Breaching in thirty seconds." I heard Dragon say through my earpiece.

I swallowed hard. I had to take Shatterbird down in one hit and move away fast. Siberian was too close for me to be comfortable about getting into a grand melee. Especially when one opponent was, to the best of everyone's knowledge, invulnerable. Still, with both Siberian and Bonesaw together, maybe I could isolate both of them in the Shadow Plane at once?

Worth a shot.

"Ten seconds."

"Go." I whispered, then came down on Shatterbird at high speed, igniting my claws. I curled my hands into fists. She had just enough time to look up at me, fear on her face, before I hit her with my full strength.

Shatterbird...shattered. Her blood covered me, the flames on my hands burning away the...mess, that ended up on my gauntlets. Most of the blood wasn't easily visible on me, considering my armor, but that was of little consequence at the moment.

If it were not for Dracul's memories, I would have frozen in shock at what I had just done. Instead...I just kept moving.

Dauntless smashed through the glass skylights, using his Spartan-style shield to keep himself from being injured. He took a quick moment to look at the situation, pointed his spear at Burnscar, and let loose a blast of lightning. She went down with a cry of pain.

Siberian was rising to her feet, pushing Bonesaw behind her. I opened a Shadow Portal under their feet, and both of them were swallowed into the abyss. Well, into the cube I built in the Shadow Plane. Then I shut the portal. No chances, here.

Hatchet Face came toward me, twirling his hatchet, but before he could get within ten feet, Dragon suddenly appeared in a flash of gold light between me and him. She lifted a forearm, a slot opening, and suddenly the giant was being blasted by containment foam. I grinned a bit as I turned, bringing out the Void Sword, and sought out Mannequin. The formerly-famous Tinker was no longer leaning against the wall, and I couldn't spot him. I looked around frantically.

Jack started to walk toward the hostages, flicking open a pair of knives, but Dauntless caught him in the face with a bolt of lightning, and he went down.

Then I spotted Mannequin, bladed fingers at the ready as he snuck up behind Dauntless. I teleported right next to him, the Void Sword slicing through Tinker-made ceramics and protected flesh without resistance. Mannequin fell to the ground in a heap in two halves, the blood freezing as it touched the now-chilled part of the chassis I had cut through.

The room was still. I turned to look around, blade at the ready.

"We're clear." Dragon spoke with satisfaction.

I didn't like this. This was easy. Way too easy.

Dauntless spoke as he neared me. "You all right?"

I nodded, though I was suspicious. Something was really wrong here.

The warehouse doors were busted open, then Miss Militia came in, with ten PRT troopers right behind her, their faces covered by the same plastic face protectors Miss Militia was using. They approached the hostages and quickly hosed them down with containment foam, leaving only their faces exposed.

"Cover them completely!" Dragon spoke. "They could be harboring pathogens from Bonesaw's work."

The men quickly did so, muffling the hostages' frantic murmuring even more. I could see hints of fear in the trooper's faces, but at least they seemed pretty professional about everything. Then the men went around the room, beginning to foam the corpses of the Nine.

Miss Militia looked at me, then at the pulped mess that was Shatterbird. "Holy shit." She muttered, looking at me. Her eyes were guarded, but I could sense the fear there.

I swallowed hard. I felt a tiny bit of hilarity in the back of my head as a trooper foamed the mess.

Clink. Clink. Clink. A slightly tinny voice caught our attention. "Very nice! Very nice indeed! I loved that entrance!"

I turned to look at the bisected Mannequin. The hands of the Tinkertech limbs were slapping together, despite the fact they were now no longer attached to the same halves of the torso on the floor. I tilted my head. "I was under the impression you don't talk."

"Oh, you'll have to forgive me. This poor sap couldn't talk, we removed that ability from him when we removed his skull. And most of his organs. He wasn't able to steer this thing around, actually, but we felt we needed some meat inside for some authenticity. Nice replica, though, hm?"

A sinking feeling began to take shape in my gut. No. No nonono....

"Alan's not actually in the building. We were concerned something like this might happen, since your abilities aren't quite measured yet. We weren't sure just what you could do, especially since you started warning people about us before we announced ourselves here. We only finished up in Wallerton four days ago."

Dragon's voice came over my earpiece. "Trying to trace, keep him talking."

I swallowed as I looked closely at the Mannequin-decoy. I hadn't noticed from up in the rafters, but the apparently-false Mannequin had a speaker attached to his belt. I grimaced. "Jack Slash, I presume."

A laugh. "The one and only. Well, there were two, but Mister Spartan took care of that. Oh well, I hope he enjoyed my old face. Since I wasn't using it anymore, and all that."

Dauntless nearly dropped his spear. I could see his shield trembling.

Where the hell is the real Nine? Why did my portal send me at decoys!?

Miss Militia looked horrified, but slowly, she narrowed her eyes. "You couldn't have known we were coming now."

Another laugh. "And I didn't. We've got four more places set up like this, for those of us who can't quite blend in with the crowd. When sneaking around a dragon, take every precaution. Since I apparently left the One Ring in my other jacket, I just had to do it the old-fashioned way."

Another voice echoed then, high, childish. "You were supposed to fly into a rage! Why didn't you fly into a rage!? You should have leveled the whole neighborhood! I tried out that virus on a Buddhist priest and he went and ate his own parents, why didn't it bother you?"

Jack's voice tutted. "Now now, poppet, we shouldn't give the game away just yet. Not when it's proven to be so much more interesting already!"

My veins turned to ice. They already had tried something!?

Jack's voice caught my attention again. "You know, we were just in town, taking a look, trying to see if it was worth poking the red kid with a stick. My mamma always told me not to poke wild animals with a stick, but I'm kind of like a little kid. I just want to do it more because they told me not to."

"Yep yep. That's why you use positive parenting, right uncle Jack?"

Jack laughed. "You're right, poppet."

I approached the fake-Mannequin. "What the hell did you do?"

"Weeelll....since we were in town anyway, and we needed to move around, we decided to get a makeover and give some lucky people a makeover, too. Don't you know, we did them a favor. They were homeless drug addicts, and now they're all going to be very, very famous as celebrity look-alikes. Your 'Merchants' are a happy little supply there." He clucked his tongue. "It's a shame the city's got such a homeless problem, but I think we can fix that. Kinda have to, now. After this morning, we were actually all considering leaving town and letting our lucky attendees get their dues, but....well, you dropped in on Shatterbird's pad without us noticing you looking for us. So you must have one hell of a nose. Or someone at the Protectorate's more competent than I knew. Maybe that Legmaster guy. Think if he lost those precious little tykes, he'd have a breakdown? Let's find out!"

That sinking feeling turned into full-blown horror. What the hell?

Radio chatter began filling my ear. "All units, all units, Crawler spotted! He's heading for the PRT building!"

Armsmaster's voice cut through the sudden fear. "Evacuate now! Move!"

Dragon's eyes flashed. "The Wards!" She looked at Miss Militia.

She nodded. "I've got things here, go!"

Dragon looked up, then disappeared in a flash of golden light. An instant later, the windows shook as she broke the sound barrier.

Miss Militia turned to the PRT troops. "Whitman, Price, stay with the hostages. Everyone else, pull out now!"

Even as the PRT troops turned to move, and Dauntless lifted just slightly off the ground, the walk-in safe in the corner opened just a crack. The piles of broken glass that were strewn around the warehouse began to shift.

Oh god, Shatterbird's is here! She's inside the safe!

I dove for Miss Militia, bringing her to the floor with me, covering her body with my wings.

Then the shredded glass in the warehouse began flaying flesh from bone, and the screaming began.


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[SirWill]

A/N: We know how things are roughly going to go down. What matters more here, is how.

Spoiler: Taylor's Complete Power List

Blood manipulation: Self only, but extremely versatile. Basis of the Shadow Whip, Shadow Daggers, and other things.

Short-range teleportation: Draining, but not limited to line of sight.

Bat Travel: Turns into dozens of bats and back again. Rather confusing, but helpful for mobility.

Strength: Insanely high at full strength. Not as strong as some capes, but up there. M1 Abrams out of gas? I'll just push them to the gas station.

Durability: Begins low, becomes stronger and harder to injure.

Vampiric Healing: Heals perfectly as long as there is blood to fuel the repairs. Can be slowed by various means.

Grace. Allows limited floating, superhuman dodging ability, and balance. Unlocked!

Flight: I believe I can touch the sky. Does it need any more description? Unlocked!

Possession: Turns into blood, flows into some poor bastard, controls them for a period (hours at most) and when they die they explode into chunky bits. The blood has a toxic effect, so anyone possessed is doomed. (Barring unusual biology.) Unlocked!

Fleshcrafting: Feeling a little vain? Want a whole new hair color, a bigger bust, shaplier hips, or claws to rend the flesh of your enemies? Subscribe to Vamp-New-You today! (Permits the vampire to alter their own flesh permanently at some cost to their blood. Does not permit changing of bone structure. Cannot be used on others.) Unlocked!

Mist Form: Transform into near-invulnerable mist. Has quite a few lethal and non-lethal applications. Unlocked!

Telekinesis: Small objects, weak, but useful. Now I don't need to get up to flick the light switch! (Locked)

Wolf form: I can run fast, I can track down my foes from the smallest drops of blood, I will never stop, never tire, and IS THAT BACON?! (Locked)

Shadow Portal: Opens a gate to the Plane of Shadow, where Castlevania resides. Shadow Portals can be made nearly anywhere on a Material Plane, but they must be in fixed places within the Plane of Shadow. Unlocked!

Dominate: (Not the soul-using thing) Control over others. Takes effort, and can only do so to a few at a time. Repeated and lengthy exposure, however, can make things last longer, until they are permanently enthralled. Can be resisted with willpower and can be no-selled by various techniques/powers.(Locked)

Bat Summon: Bat Summon: Gather swarms of bats to do thy bidding. They will follow the will of the Lady of Darkness without hesitation. Not as flexible as the Queen Administrator shard. The awareness of each bat is basic, and commands must be given to the entire swarm at once. I'm the goddamn Batman. Unlocked!

Monstrous Form: Accesses a portion of the power available to the Scarlet Dragon's mightiest shape, while retaining the flexibility afforded by a humanoid form. However, it is clearly inhuman. Unlocked!

Void Magic: Basis of the Void Sword. Drains life from its victims, heals and invigorates the wielder, and brings about an absolute chill. Unlocked!

Chaos Magic: Control and manipulation of hellfire. Many can use it, but few can project it. Forms the Chaos Claws. Unlocked!

Storm Magic: Power over electricity and the storm. An excellent method of long-range attack, and quite painful to most.

Weather manipulation: Can control the weather to some degree, whether that is summoning or banishing clouds, or building up power to make a simple cloudy day into an actual storm. It cannot, however, bring warmth or cold on its own. She can't make a blizzard in the tropics or turn Antarctica into prime beachfront property. She can just make it sunny, cloudy, or rainy. Or snowy if the time of year's right.

Dragon Shape: The mightiest form of the Heir of Dracul. Becomes a massive red dragon, standing at thirty feet tall. Can access amplified versions of currently unlocked magic, as well as other powers while in the form. However, it is an immense strain to hold the shape for very long. And it is not exactly friendly-looking at first glance. Godzilla (or whatever epic music of your choice!) is highly recommended.

Resurrection: If slain, turns dormant for a period of time before reviving in a weakened state. Longest possible period is a century.

Spoiler: Alucard's Complete Power List

Strength: Insanely high at full strength. Not as strong as Taylor's potential, but certainly enough to be highly dangerous to a well-trained human.

Durability: Begins low, becomes stronger and harder to injure.

Vampiric Healing: Heals perfectly as long as there is blood to fuel the repairs. Can be slowed by various means.

Grace. Allows limited floating, superhuman dodging ability, and balance.

Demonic Wings: Permits him to glide with feathery, though twisted, wings.

Mist form: Near invulnerable mist. No mere prison can hold thee. Unless they put in a fan to blow you back in.

Wolf form: I can run fast, I can track down my foes from the smallest drops of blood, I will never stop, never tire, and IS THAT BACON?!

Chaos Magic: Alucard's is not as strong as his father's, but his skill with it is extraordinary. He can use it to teleport short distances and throw fireballs, although it is limited by line of sight and distance. (The classic SotN Hellfire spell.)

Spectral Wolf: Similar to the wolf shape, however it is ethereal and impossible to injure. Alucard can use it to teleport from one location to another by sending the wolf forward, then replacing it. Or he can simply use it to scout and dissolve it.

Crissaegrim abilities: A wickedly dangerous blade Alucard forged with the materials of three legendary weapons. It permits him to enshroud it with both Void and Chaos magic, as well as being extremely lethal to both holy and unholy opponents.

Resurrection: If slain, turns dormant for a period of time before reviving in a weakened state. Unlike Dracul's counterpart power, he would arise in a century unless the process was sped along by blood. He would also arise in a more corpse-like state until he managed to feed.

Spoiler: Dragon's Magic Power List

Steel Crafting: Self only. Able to mold current avatar however she likes. Tends to prefer a dragon shape, as...well, she's Dragon.

Teleportation: Flashes out of existence in one place and reappears in another. Line of sight limited, but not distance-wise. Yes. This is overpowered. Limited to (naturally) light-speed maximum.

Light Form: Turns into a bright solid light construct. This is difficult to maintain, but difficult to injure..

Strength: DRAGON SMASH!

Durability: Anybody remember that scene in Superman Returns when the bullet bounces off his eye? No? Nobody? Well, it's kinda like that.

Healing: Can grant to self or others, and does not need an outside source. Wounds (or damage) heals rapidly.

Flight: I could touch the sky before I changed into a goddess. Now I just don't need to spend any effort!

Hard-Light constructs: Eat your heart out in jealousy, Green Lantern! My constructs don't get broken by lemonade!

Telekinesis: Use the Force, Luke. Stronger than Taylor's version. Not Ziz-strength, but it's up there.

Light Bridge: Opens a...uh, bridge to the Plane of Light. Think the MCU's version of the Bifrost. Can go from nearly anywhere on a Material Plane, but they must be in fixed places within the Light Plane.

Human Form: If/when she feels like trying out what a ice cream tastes like.

Light Magic: Heals and warms its users, and can be turned to be used offensively. Most effective against Dark Creatures, but still useful against other targets. Remember, the Lightsaber is the weapon of a Jedi.

Heavenly Flame Magic: The opposite of Chaos Magic. Her white fire burns, but is formed from calmness, logic. It is a fire that illuminates, but can be destructive all the same.

Storm Magic: The point of commonality between Light and Darkness. Electricity is such a useful thing. Due to her original nature as a mechanical being, Dragon's control of it is extraordinarily precise.

Dragon Shape: For when someone or something big really, really needs to be stomped. Is this a copied power? No! It's a completely different kind of dragon!

Resurrection: If slain, turns dormant for a period of time before reviving in a weakened state. Longest possible period is a century. This is common for gods.

Spoiler: Madison's Equipment List

Vampire Killer: A simple hilt attached to a combat whip that can be slung out and controlled by an ingeniously designed retraction system. On the end of the hilt is a silver stake, perfect for killing vampires, werewolves, and lawyers. The weapon is specifically designed to kill creatures of the night, but works on anything quite well and is capable of channeling magic.

Light Magic amulet: Allows its wearer to heal over time. Needs to be fueled by someone capable of putting magic into it, which is currently limited to Dragon and Madison. It doesn't permit Wolverine-style healing, but it lets short fights turn into long ones and wearing one overnight heals even most serious injuries. Can be sped up by forcing the magic to flow more quickly, but that drains the amulet which needs time and attention to recharge.

Seraphic Shoulders: Creates ghostly angelic wings for a few moments, allowing Madison to catch herself in the air or glide.

Heavenly Gauntlet: A black (I know, it clashes!) gauntlet that generates white fire, equal to that of the fires of Hell.

Cyclone Boots: Allows high-speed running, jumping, and as a bonus, permits its wearer to take long falls without breaking their legs. Yes, all she needs is a Portal Gun.

Silver Daggers: Small, easily palmable, and crafted for a nasty surprise attack. Yes, it can hurt a lot to suddenly have a knife in your throat, whether you're a werewolf or not.

Holy Water: Water that's been exposed to sunlight and had Light Magic channeled through it. Does nothing against most people, would really tick off Taylor and Alucard. When used with Light Magic channeled through its user, forms a light-shield to ward off attacks and really tick off vampires.

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I screamed as shards of glass dug into my wings. The draconic nature of them made them difficult to injure, but the membrane was thin enough for the largest shards to cut the first layer of skin, though not quite get through. My armor was thick enough to repel most of the glass, but I could feel it slicing at my exposed cheeks in the instant before I could cover my face. Despite the fact I was shielding Miss Militia, I didn't have much time to think of something to save her. And it was difficult to think with the PAIN.

In desperation, I tried to find some space to teleport. The warehouse itself was full of glass, and I couldn't teleport anywhere inside the warehouse. There was just too much stuff in the air for me to move anywhere. I could escape using my mist form, but Miss Militia would be shredded if I did.

And the sheer noise was nearly paralysing. It hurt, badly, just as much as when Bakuda had deafened me when I was in my bat form. The ringing was going to drive me insane!

Miss Militia was curled up beneath me, her head tucked in. I couldn't see anything around me, and I knew looking up would likely get my eyes shredded for the attempt. I felt trapped, as surely as I ever had in my coffin, only this was worse. Because I was here because I fucked up and people were dead because of it.

Also: PAIN.

Almost instinctively, I called on the Void, drawing on the icy clarity I needed. While the pain didn't lessen, I did get to think on my next course of action. I couldn't teleport...wait. I could feel a space I could move into, in the direction of the safe. Enough room for me to take Miss Militia with me, too. In desperation, I took it. Thankfully, the impacts against my exposed wings stopped.

I risked a look up, and found myself inside the safe. Shatterbird was moving already, flying toward the now-broken windows of the warehouse. Shards of glass were still whirling in the warehouse, many of them stained red with blood. Two of the PRT troops were on the ground, shredded into an unrecognizable mess. Their armor looked to have protected them for a bit, but then Shatterbird found gaps. Dauntless held himself in front of two more wounded, the air shimmering around him as he held his shield up, but I was keenly aware of the blood flowing down his arm.

There was a hideously loud crack of thunder. The noise dropped away, but Shatterbird staggered, a bloody spray coming from her back, glass shards flying in all directions as whatever attack had managed to pierce her defense. I looked down to see Miss Militia holding a very large handgun. The glass shards flying through the air abruptly fell, making Dauntless flinch. Shatterbird still managed to get through the window.

I looked down at Miss Militia as I got to my feet, snarling from the pain. Silently snarling. Great, I was deaf again. She gave me a nod and pointed at the window.

Get her.

I felt my fangs lengthening. I could definitely get behind that idea. I launched myself into the air, following the path. I spotted Shatterbird flying though the air, surrounded by a sphere of glass shards. That would protect her against most, especially with her control over them.

Luckily, I had other options. I turned into mist, flowing up behind her, pushing my powers to let me move faster than I should be able to. I slid my way through the sphere, utterly ignoring the shards as she tried to kill me, and reformed into my solid self right behind her. Shards of glass were inside me when I reformed, and holy fuck did it hurt. I felt my mouth open in a reflexive scream, though I still heard nothing.

It hardly mattered, as I reformed with the Void Sword in my hand, and I plunged it right through Shatterbird's spine. She began to fall from the sky, and I kept my grip on the blade, tumbling with her. She was still struggling, glass shards driving themselves into my face. The world winked out. But I still knew where she was, and I wrapped my left hand around her body and bit down on her neck.

Well. Ow. I got a lot of glass shards in my mouth. That was a bad idea! I could taste the rather sweet flavor of my own blood, but I also got hers and greedily drank it down. She struggled, writhed, and convulsed before she was still.

Strength. Awareness. The air itself seemed to come alive around me, and though I was still blind, and deaf, I had this slight sense of things. There was something very large coming right at me!

Oh, that was the ground. Which made its displeasure with me known as I hit it. Then bored into it a bit. Wasn't sure how deep, because I was still blind, but yeah, that really, really hurt. And yes, those glass shards inside my body hurt even more. Fuck you world!

Gritting my teeth, I concentrated. Mentally, I formed an image of my body, consciously excluding the glass from my self-image, then turned myself into mist and flowed upward. Aaand...huh. Still blind as mist. When I could see in mist form before. My powers have zero logic, apparently.

Still, I reformed myself on the ground, no longer feeling the sharp pain of glass inside me. I breathed heavily in excitement, my fingers trembling as I came down from the rush. Slowly, my sight returned, everything being colorless at first, before my complete vision returned with a snap. I looked around, my ears ringing as they began to heal, and managed to spot the corpse of Shatterbird, lying some ten feet from me on the wet grass. She was a dry, withered husk, as if she had aged a millennium in dry desert conditions.

....and that was interesting. There was a halo of dirt floating around me. I licked my lips as I exerted my will, and the dirt gathered itself into a clump, roughly the size of a basketball. With a gesture, I flung it away.

Neat.

Then I winced as the silence abruptly broke. "....read!? Scarlet, do you read!?" Armsmaster's voice was damn intrusive right now. And all I could think about right now was how hungry I was.

I coughed, swallowing hard. "This is Scarlet. Shatterbird is dead. The real Shatterbird." I bent down, ignited my claws once more, and channeled my hellfire into her corpse. I wasn't going to take the chance Bonesaw could reanimate her. After a few moments, she was ash in the wind. I took a moment to breathe, letting the Void take my emotions and fill me with icy rage. "Miss Militia, Dauntless?"

"We're here." Miss Militia said. "Three dead, seven wounded. We're using Paladin's amulets."

Good. One down. Seven to go.

Armsmaster sounded somewhat relieved, but he was still tense. "Situation is critical! Dragon is engaging Crawler at the PRT building! Response is crippled, Shatterbird managed to take out the entirety of the docks and half the downtown district! The Wards are injured, and there is a bus full of civilians nearby! Assist Dragon!"

Dragon cut in. "I can handle Crawler! Get the civilians!"

I lifted off the ground. "I'm on it. I'm going to need some help here."

Taylor, you are being very stupid right now.

Then I heard Vicky talking. "Just help me move this damn bus! Al, get your ass down here!"

Correction. All of us are being very stupid right now.

"This is Paladin! I've spotted Mannequin, he's going in the direction of Brockton General!"

Armsmaster spoke. "Got your signal, I'm coming to intercept."

"He's nearly there, I've got him!"

"Hold back, Paladin!"

My eyes widened at the determination in her voice. "Can't do that, Armsmaster."

All right. Especially Madison.

"Velocity, get there!"

Well, maybe not Armsmaster right now.

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I found the PRT building downtown. The top floors, which Bakuda had turned to glass, and had been covered by tarp previously, were...just gone. Glass was spread out everywhere, in sharp shards and spears, buried in the grass, littering pavement. I spotted a city bus, stalled on the side of the road, the tires shredded. Vicky was behind it with Aegis and Alucard, the three of them pushing it hard, and making it move inch by inch. Meridia was flying above it, flapping her large wings. I could see her nod at me, before she turned this way and that, keeping an eye on things.

Worse, as I neared the bus, I smelled a lot of blood. Taking a quick glance inside, I spotted Clockblocker, holding a hand to his side, blood soaking through his uniform. He gave me a lazy wave. Vista was lying across a pair of seats, a large shard of glass buried in her chest. One of Madison's amulets was around her neck, blazing with light, and even as I watched, the pale pallor of her skin was coloring in. Kid Win was beside her, and he gave me a nod. Gallant was slumped in the back, his left arm simply....gone. Amy, as Amara, was with him. I caught her eye, and she looked at me, her blue eyes filled with anger. She gave me a nod.

Okay, things were stable for the moment.

The other seats were filled with other civilians, various men and women. I spotted Cherry sitting with a large man, helping him tie a bandage around his bleeding forehead. There were at least forty people in there, sporting various wounds, mostly from glass by the look of it.

"Come on!" An inhuman voice echoed. "Both of you! Hit me like you hit the Simurgh! I can fucking take it!"

The PRT parking garage collapsed as Crawler, tangling with Dragon, rolled around together, busting their way through a reinforced concrete wall. He was larger than she was, and a hell of a lot more grotesque. Despite his bulk and his seemingly-spindly limbs, though, he moved with extraordinary speed, slamming his massive head into Dragon. Dragon sprung back, then counter-charged and gripped his sides. With a cry, she flipped him over and pressed her weight down on him, but he spewed acid in all directions. Most notably, deliberately spraying toward the bus.

Almost instinctively, I twisted the Void Sword, freezing a glob of acid that neared us, turning it into a frozen wave that hit the side of the bus. It shattered into a thousand pieces but thankfully didn't actually begin to burn, instead falling onto the ground.

Dragon smashed her claw into Crawler's spewing mouth, the corrosive acid just barely burning the shining golden metal. She made a sound of sheer annoyance, before the mouth-slot on her suit opened and she blasted him with blue-white fire. It slammed into him, sending Crawler flying back, rolling along until he impacted with a car. His armored skin was seared, torn away, but healing rapidly, becoming thicker, harder.

His laugh bellowed. "Very nice, tin-head! I wanted to tangle with the red demon, but this is fun, too! Come on, Dragon! Show me what you can do!"

Dragon tilted her head. "If you insist." She lifted a forearm, and a blue beam of light sprung from her hand, the same blue beam I'd last seen her use on the Simurgh.

Crawler quivered in anticipation. He lifted himself up and spread his forelimbs as he charged. Dragon simply leveled the beam, driving it right through him. I could hear him moan with that contact as the blue beam seared through him, light and fire burning through his body. Dragon then gripped him with her other forearm, looked skyward, and both of them vanished in a golden glow.

I went to the back of the bus, grimacing as I repressed my hunger. Aegis gave me a nod, and I gave him a wry smile. Vicky looked at me and let out a sigh as she made room. "About bloody time, Red."

Alucard spoke, his voice filled with annoyance as he strained to push it. "Considering the situation, it would be best to concentrate on the task at hand."

"I got a little delayed with Shatterbird." I growled. "How are the Wards?" I dug my fingers into the back of the bus and began to push.

Aegis grunted. "Gallant and Vista took some rather large hits from the glass. The rest of us took some hits, but Paladin's amulets are helping." The bus screeched as we began to make progress. Great, it felt like something underneath it was digging into the road. No wonder Vicky, Aegis, and Alucard hadn't been able to move it much. The destroyed tires definitely didn't help.

Vicky growled. "Come on! This thing ain't gonna push itself! We've got to get it just up the block to the Endbringer shelter!"

Made sense, it'd have facilities for wounded. I grit my teeth as I let out a breath. I stopped pushing for a moment and took a deep breath. "Vicky, Alucard, Aegis, I'll push this thing. You guys keep on guard for more of the Nine."

Alucard looked at me dubiously. "Are you certain you can move this yourself?"

My lip twitched. "Yeah. I'm going to cheat."

His eyes searched mine, then he nodded. "Ah."

I floated backward a bit, concentrating. This time...would be a lot harder than it was before. I might have healed physically already, but I was hungry and tired, and I would need to feed on someone or something to do this more comfortably. Still, it would be worth it to get these people to safety.

I drew upon my power, forcing my body to take upon the shape of the dragon. I shuddered as my wings unfolded, feeling the grand strength that was mine, strength enough to make even gods tremble. I saw Alucard jump onto the front of the bus, his blade at the ready, while Aegis and Vicky floated beside my head.

Aegis looked like he wanted to say something, but thought better of it. I simply tilted my head, dug my claws into the back of the bus, and pushed.

In my human form, I could have pushed this on my own, although it would have taken a while, and a lot of effort to move it even a foot. As a dragon, I could do so with ease. The bottom of the bus screeched as it scraped along the pavement, but we made good progress. Hopefully, I wouldn't have to hold this shape for very long. I don't think I could hold it for more than five minutes, in my condition.

Still, at this rate, I could get the bus there in three.

I devoted my attention to the task at hand, most of my will focused on maintaining my form. I could feel my power dwindling as I worked, making it more and more difficult to stay on task.

Still, the entrance to the Endbringer shelter was near, just up ahead. One more minute, I could do this for one more minute. Just had to get us there....

"Red, on your left!" Vicky's voice intruded on my determination. I let go of the bus and swung my head....and was struck through my chest by something horrifically painful. My perspective shifted as I was forcibly reverted to my demonic shape. I bounced repeatedly against the pavement, my unwanted flight making me tumble sickeningly. My flight came to an abrupt stop when I found myself smacking into the wall of a building, breaking my wings on impact, bringing new levels of pain. I lifted my head, drawing out the Void Sword to help keep my head on straight.

Calmly, smoothly, with all the grace and arrogance of the invincible, the Siberian strode toward me.

"Fuck." I muttered.

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A/N: Powers unlocked:

Telekinesis: Manipulate objects at a distance through will alone. This is limited to line of sight, and is extremely limited compared to her physical strength. She can manipulate approximately thirty pounds at range to start with, and would improve with practice and imagination.