Into the Apocalypse

"Who the hell are you again?" Hawkgirl questioned as she flew beside him, completely ignoring Dove carrying him.

"Lucien Lamb."

"Where are you from?" She inquired.

"Chicago." Lucien replied flatly.

"A place of many mysteries…. and even more histories." Etrigan mused.

"How have I never seen you?…. You look hard to miss." Hawkgirl questioned.

"Even diamonds go unknown under beds of coal." Etrigan added as he flew beside them with freshly grown dragonoid demon wings.

"…."

"Well, I was. Focus on the task at hand." Lucien managed.

"What? You mean like the task that involves my closest friends becoming Vampires? Don't piss me off." Hawkgirl snarled.

"Listen, Hawk lady to hawk lady. Shut the hell up. He knows what he's doing, get in line and swing that mace when he says." Hawk yelled over the winds.

"Hawk, be nice." Dove said. No one listened.

"Did you become this obedient before or after swallowing his wolf-kids?" Hawkgirl questioned her fellow avian.

"I'll tell you once you tell me how it went being Supervamp and Wonder-fiend's b—"

"Enough." Lucien interrupted. "We're here."

They all looked around in confusion.

They'd flown out of Washing D.C's downtown district. Far away from the hall of Justice and city clustering as a whole. Endless farmland and train tracks stretched for miles, making it look like they flew over a verdant sea. The color was beginning to be Lucien's least favorite. It reminded him of his first hero kill and corruption.

Speaking of the corrupted….

"The barrel thrown into the alley saved me. It was filled with Holywater and gasoline. A mixture potent enough to do some damage and get past Superman's insane senses. Only person with that kind of accuracy and tactical know how is—"

"Ollie? I thought he was dead. How did—"

"I recognized the smell of charcoal brand on the barrel before it hit— more importantly the wood from trees. This is the same railway I took to get here. Coincidence I think." Lucien explained.

"Your nose is that good? No wonder they want you dead." Hawkgirl said as they all landed in the forested railway.

Just ahead, within the trees and deep shadows he could smell them— but only barely. Like a faint aftertaste for scents. They'd been inside a while. Staking out. Building based on the unnatural metallic smells inside.

"Cmon, Green-Arrow. You didn't save me out there just to play hide and seek in here." Lucien said.

"You think I was saving you? Buddy, your narcissism is showing." Green-Arrow yelled from the trees.

"Oh how foolish of me to assume you weren't going out to make the hard decision. It's not like you've done that before." Lucien replied.

"Low blow. You're still a dick."

"And you missed." Lucien replied.

Green-Arrow was silent.

"You could've killed them. There was enough time to send another eight damn barrels in that alleyway. But you didn't. You sent just enough to get them off me... or to get me away from them. Who's side are you on?" Lucien entered the forest.

Hawkgirl, Dove, Hawk and Etrigan followed.

"I didn't know there were sides. But everytime I see you, yours grows. My question is, what's the goal of your side? Save the world or kill the justice league?"

"Neither." Lucien replied. "We all have our own goal. I speak for no one but myself. I want freedom. I want to live. Your friends turning into monsters is getting in the way of that. I'm moving them out of the way."

"Ollie….. do you really think I'm…."

"First names in public?" Green-Arrow dropped out of the tree way off in the distance with a walkie in his hand.

Extra precaution.

"The worlds ending. Superman is a Vampire. And you're worried about first names." Hawkgirl replied.

"You're as nihilistic as ever." Black Canary stepped out from behind the trees to their left.

She wore black skintight leggings and a leather jacket that left her toned midsection exposed. Her blonde hair looked like a halo of sunlight. It made her black lipstick and choker pop.

"Yea whatever. Good to know you're alive." Hawkgirl replied.

"I expected more." Green-Arrow said as he approached with Arsenal, "But just in case it's actually less." He clicked a button on his belt and a dozen solar lamps fell from the trees. The forest was blinding suddenly and hot enough to burn.

"Alright! Alright! Friendly fire is on, man!" Arsenal said from beside him.

"Just checking." Green-Arrow clicked another button and the lamps were pulled back into the canopy.

"You weren't. You could've done that with holy water. But you wanted to bother me some more." Lucien replied.

"Yea. That's true." Green-Arrow shrugged.

"Well, I'm glad the save the world team already has chemistry." Black Canary replied.

"We're not saving the world." Lucien replied. At the same time, Green-Arrow added, "We're not a team."

Black Canary looked between them both, "Oh…. How cute. Anyway wolf-guy, catch us up to speed. Green-Arrow used the coordinates and electronic location of an old radio to hit that shot in the alley, but other than that we don't have much to go off of."

"Well, it's like Hawk said. Superman and Wonderwoman are Vampires. Hawkgirl and Martian Manhunter are not. But I don't think it's because of their alien physiology. It might be— Kryptonians are very humanoid. But I'm not sure. All I know is shit is gonna start hitting the fan now. They're not the leaders— they're the muscle. And they have protection from the sun. We assumed Batman was the Vampire insider especially since he wasn't present when they attacked, but now that wouldn't make sense. Batman, Superman and Wonderwoman alone could probably overtake the rest of the world. It doesn't make sense."

"You're right. It wouldn't. Especially since I just spoke to him. He was already suspecting everyone else is a Vampire. Also, ouch."

"Oh yea, you did." Lucien remembered.

"That means that's another human. Valuble."

"But his time is running short. Superman and Wonderwoman know we have to be going there."

"So let's not." Lucien said.

"What? And just leave him to be found by them?" Black Canary questioned.

"Batman is one of the smartest men on this planet . He's got a plan for everything. Even his plans have plans. He's safest out of all of us. Especially with where we're going."

"Which is…?" Green-Arrow asked.

"Titan's Tower."

"Oh great, now we're killing kids."

"They're all adults."

"How do you know that?"

"Stop asking questions."

***

The fly to San Francisco was one filled with anxiety. Like plane riders praying not to crash. They all pretty much prayed in unison not to be flown through by Superman. Or speared out of the sky by Wonderwoman. Thankfully, Californian skies were much clearer than D.C. The sun watched over them like a fiery guardian angel.

It felt good.

It was also warm.

Not that it directly mattered.

But it was a nice change.

He hoped for more change. The Teen Titans were a strong part of his teenage and young adult life. All of their forays into space and battles with Deathstroke. Their potential to replace the Justice League and eventually do their job better. It called to his young and restless heart. Figures like Red Robin and Nightwing are the reason he traveled the continents of his home world to build his skills. Regular men. Leading gods and monsters.

It made him feel like anything was possible.

The tower stood out in the ocean like nothing he'd ever seen. It was a T shaped glass monolith on an island smaller than most islands. Very particular in design and right under the sun. Good.

They landed on the roof.

"A little direct…." Green-Arrow commented as Hawk-Girl dropped him.

"A little is an understatement." Arsenal added.

"You have your vantage point, don't you?" She asked.

"Vantage point isnt just when high, feather-face. I need preparation and the element of surprise or else we're at the mercy of those expecting us."

"Like him?" Hawkgirl pointed at nothing.

"What?"

"Just wait."

They waited. While they did, Lucien remembered in certain continuities, Hawkgirl had Hawk vision. Except her vision was worlds better than any bird. That was a good advantage to have.

After a while, a green condor flew into vision. Huge wings cutting up the winds as it closed in on them.

"Didn't you suspect Beastboy was a Vamp?" Dove whispered to Lucien.

Lucien's claws extended, "Yea."

"But the sun?"

"They have ways around it. Hal used his ring to manipulate UV Rays. Superman and Wonderwoman had someone bending light around their bodies so it never touched them directly. He could be the next loophole." Lucien explained.

Then Beastboy landed at the far end of the roof and transformed back into himself.

He was older than his comic counterpart. A young man. Probably twenty years old based on his beard and filled out frame. He wasn't the skinny monkey-boy anymore. He was a man. With claws and and a long mane of black hair that only tinted green in places under the sun. Instead of wearing black and purple, he wore black and gold form-fitting spandex. It matched his yellow-green eyes.

"I think it's safe to say none of you are Vampires if that one's a werewolf? That's like cinema-facts one-oh-one. Vampires and Werewolves don't mix. Right? Why do you guys still look like you want to kill me?"

Lucien suddenly realized everyone was looking at him. Waiting.

He sniffed the air.

"The young man is as hungry for life as any, but his diet isn't satiated by the blood of plenty. This beast... is vegetarian." Etrigan explained.

"You know me so well, demon-guy."

"I am Etrigan, The Demon."

"And I am supposed to bring you guys inside." Beastboy said as he looked at the modernized pager on his belt. "I hate being errand boy!"

"You are?" Lucian asked.

"Yes. You specifically."

"Oh, great." Lucien's hackles raised.

"Follow me, dude." Beastboy skipped off towards the end of the roof.

"No." Lucien stomped the roof and fell into the first floor from the cieling.

Black walls covered in sigils and demonic characters surrounded them. The smell of sulfur, sage and animal blood lingered, making him both hungry and relaxed in a weird way.

His arm hair stood up at the presence of powerful magic.

"Woah- woah, hey, it's us. Remember me? Speedy?" Arsenal said from beside Lucien.

"I remember all of you— I don't have Alzheimer's. I just don't know him."

Her voice was like ice. Cold, detached, slippery and sleek despite hiding dark things beneath.

Lucien turned around and came face to face with Raven. Though, it was more like face to chest.

She looked up at him with smooth purple eyes bordered by thick black eyeliner and finely shaped brows laid over the palest skin he'd ever seen. She almost looked translucent.

She also wasn't wearing any clothes. Tattoos ran down her spine and completely covered one of her arms. They glowed like they were ready to jump off her skin and enter the living world. Something else glowed— though it wasn't tattoos. It was the piercings in her nipples and along her elven ears.

"It's good that you don't know me." Lucien replied, regaining focus.

Raven's nose twitched but her eyes remained uncaring. Her septum ring reflected the sunlight above, "Whys that?" She asked.

"Because. People that know me tend to have bad luck."

"Luck can be manipulated."

"So can bones." Lucien replied.

"Alright, let's all just take a min—….. wait, are you smelling her?"

"Quiet." Lucien said as he leaned in and scented her skin.

Shadowy arms reached out and grabbed him,

fixing him to his position. He didn't care.

"Not a Vampire."

"Not a curse." Raven commented on his lycanthropy.

"I heard I'm expected."

Raven didn't say anything and instead opened a portal with magics that spun like string off her long bird taloned fingers.

"Guys! Why did you do that? Raven— I'm sorry. He just—" Beastboy sounded out of breath as he stood above the hole in her cieling.

"It's fine." Raven replied dryly.

Beastboy jumped down into the room.

As soon as he hit the ground, Lucien grabbed him and threw him through the portal.

"You don't trust me?" Raven asked as clothing materialized over her naked body in the form of a black silk dress with an open belly and back.

"Do you trust me?"

"I don't trust anyone."

"Good."