The first thing that Dick registered was that he was sore. His body seemed to be ten times heavier, and gravity was not playing nice with him. The second was that his hands were bound over his head this time, not behind his back. The third thing was the vampire was sitting in front of him.
He smiled. "Nice of you to join the land of the living." "What did you do to me?" Nightwing croaked. "Just gave you a knock-out drug. It'll wear off in a few hours. Your boy still has some time before I get my way with you." The vampire smiled and stood up.
Nightwing took a sharp breath in as the vampire grabbed his chin. He turned Nightwing's head to the side, inspecting his neck. "Looks good. No bruises on that part. You'll learn soon enough that bruises make for a very nasty meal." "What are you talking about?"
The vampire smiled. "You haven't figured it out? I'm going to make you one of us. If Kid Flash doesn't get here soon enough, I will bite into this skin, and you'll turn into a vampire, as you know us. Or quae stirpibus exit sanguis, if we're getting technical." "Latin for blood sucker."
"Educated. I knew I picked the right one. Can't wait to see what you taste like." "If you're going to turn me into a blood sucker, at least tell me your name." Dick whispered. His headache had died down a little. "Cute. If you must know, name's Alaric. Not that you'll remember that." Alaric smiled.
"Does this turning process erase memories?" Nightwing asked. He really hoped Wally got there in time. "Sort of. It erases the last twenty four hours. By the time you're done, I'll be long gone, and you will feel nothing but a need to feed. But by then, I'll have your boyfriend tied up, unable to escape. You'll feed on him until he's dry, and then you'll go on feeding until you're either caught, or we run out of humans."
Dick gasped, struggling to get out of the bonds. He couldn't, he wouldn't hurt Wally. "Calm down, kid. You'll only hurt yourself." Alaric said, holding Nightwing's wrists firmly. "Better me than him! I'm not going to risk hurting him." Nightwing shouted, anger in his eyes.
"I will knock you out again if you don't stop." Alaric threatened. "Then do it. Show me you're not a coward, Alaric." Dick growled, challenging Alaric. Alaric smiled. "With pleasure." Dick sighed once he walked off. As long as Wally was ok. When he was pulled into the darkness once again, his thoughts remained only on the love of his life.
➰➰➰
Wally was standing behind Zatana as she searched through her books. He was trying not to crowd her, as he knew she needed her space. She got snappy when she was crowded.
"Alright, here it is. Vampires are generally known in the magical community to be givers of quests, often taking something of value to the person they've challenged. That would be Nightwing for you. They give three days before time runs out. If it was a person they kidnapped, they turn them into a vampire as well. The process is said to be painful, often leaving the turned in a pained state for days at a time."
"Is there a cure for turning the vamps back into people?" Wally asked. "There's one, but we'd have to be quick. If we can get Vernadium honey into his system, whether it be digestion or injection, we can do it. But only before he feeds the first time. If he gets even a drop of blood, he will never be human again."
Wally nodded. "Any weaknesses I can use?" "A few. The most widely known: garlic. Vampires cannot stand the smell of garlic, sends them running for the hills. Another is dead man's blood, but I don't think you want to carry blood around. It's extremely hard to get anyway, a week's trip at least. You don't have that long."
"Ok. Anything else?" "One lesser known weakness is actually loud sounds. They have enhanced senses, so loud sounds will give you a few moments to get him. It may be all you need, but being the garlic just in case."
"What if he's hurt, but not turned?" "The only wound you have to worry about is the turning bite. The other wounds he could inflict will heal normally. I would still advise being careful. He's fast, strong, and will not give Nightwing up easily."
"Wording?" "Yeah. He said you had to tackle the bat. Vampires are often compared to bats in lore. You have to take him down to get your husband back." Zatana closed her book. "I would ask if you want to come with, but I think the vamp would count that as cheating." Wally smiled, shaking her hand. He was bubbling with anxiety, hoping Dick was alright.
Ten minutes later, and Wally was on the roof. The vampire had chosen a storage area, abandoned long ago. It was to be demolished soon. Wally checked his bag again, making sure nothing has fallen out. He had a few plans, just in case the first failed. Man, Dick had really nailed some habits into Wally.
Wally sped into the building, heading to the rafters. He could see Dick, arms bound above his head. He hung limply, but his chest was moving. That sight was enough to make Wally want to throw up. Dick was alive, but he could be hurt. Wally had to take down this vampire, and soon.
The vampire was sitting in a chair not too far away, watching the door. Wally silently slipped down and crept over to the vampire. Maybe he could get Dick out without the vampire knowing. Get him away, bring him to the watchtower or the mountain. Just until he and Zatana could hunt this thing down. Why did he think it would go to plan?
