Well I guess this was to be expected," I state as I look at the people at the door. Really I had been surprised when Oz'gul, my new butler, told me of visitors given that no one knows who I am in this world. "I would invite you in, but I don't want anything to do with you lot," I state grimly.
"You sure this old man's supposed to be important Xanadu?" the ethereal form of Deadman intoned. "He doesn't look much," he says as looks down on my rather stooped and wrinkled form.
I chuckle. "You don't look much yourself kid," I reply in response. "But enough about that I am not joining this group Xanadu," I state. "I know that I was not part of your original visions."
"Please," she states firmly, "If you join us things could change, things could—"
She stops as I hold up a liver spotted hand. "And things can also become worse. I have seen what happens when one changes the future. It can be for both good or ill," I reply. I look at her crestfallen face and give her a gentle smile. "In normal situations I would try to assist but your people have their own destiny to play and I am not one to interfere, not anymore at least," I state wistfully. "For all it's worth, good luck," I state as I telekinetically slam the door shut, willing the house to vanish in a flash of purple lightning.
I glance out at the swirling tunnel that was limbo as the House asks me for directions. I manifest a tablet and glance at the files it holds. The completed works of all New 52 comics. I have been through enough jumps to know that the so called narrative force is all too real in several worlds. The world of 80s action movies coming to mind with the tropes being regular enough things that the governments wised up and took advantage of it all. This was a world whose events followed the comics and I saw no other reason as to why so much chaos occurs other than narrative convention. Or fate in this world. Considering one of the Endless was Destniy that made far too much sense.
Walking through the long hallway that was the current entrance hall of the Hall of Mysteries I stop and move towards a door that was not there before. I open it and enter a perfect replication of a room that I had not been in for forty years. A cozy room with a long semi-circular table. Lining the sides are books of all sorts even if I knew them all to be empty. The House could reshape its internals and even conjure up servitors to its will, though forms sourced from its inhabitants, but it could not conjure what it did not have.
Dominating the room was the black coffin of Alucard and standing on that was the familiar girl in white, the form she took when she turned me. "You know," she said as she smiled a smile that showed too many fangs to be human. "I do not regret following you. This world…this world is trully filled with wonderful people," she laughs out, bloodthirst clear on her face.
"Do try to control yourself Alucard," I state. "Things are rather more dangerous that before. You are very much not the most powerful being in this world, and we still don't know if God is the same God across the worlds or if the Pressence will recognize you."
"Bah! He will stay ambivalent as ever. I've read these comics you provided," she gestured to the ruffled pile of printed comics that were on the side of the room. "I can rampage and he will not move a thing while the heroes would come to fight me."
"Alucard," I state warningly. "While you are free now from the binding that does not mean that you can just rampage until you find someone that can put an end to you. I will put you down myself if you get out of hand."
The girl only sniff petulantly though I could feel her happiness at my assertiveness. "You've grown up Jumper. That much I can tell, even if it has only been eight years," she admits. "But," she states, "I will have to hunt. My…reserves are empty," she states almost embarrassingly.
I sigh and nod. "I know. I am arranging for a hunt through Gotham. That thrice cursed hellhole could use some cleaning given how…incompetent comic book authorities tend to be. Just have patience. Unlike before we do not have any agents in this world."
"Very well," she sighs, a pout on her face even as her form already begins to fade out into shadows, absorbed into her coffin. "Wake me up when it is time," she whispers.
I sit down behind my desk and idly pull out more files and notes from the collated facts of the new 52 universe by the AI and all the snarling plot holes that appear in all of them. A headache made even worse in the fact that I now had to plot a hunt for the scum of Gotham which might attract Bruce Wayne's attention. And I had to account for none of my actions derailing one of the numerous plot-lines where serendipity helped ensure the continued existence of the world.
[[[[[[[[[]]]]]]]]]
AN: Rather short chapter, but getting by.
comes to me that during my entire chain I was never really bereft of resources that could be put into aiding my endeavors. In Highschool of the Dead I was in charge of the survivor band and my own personal cadre of warriors. In Sword Art Online I held the loyalty of hundreds of survivors several of them heirs to their own fortunes or having bright prospects of their own. In Ready Player One I had OASIS's game like systems as a source of income, and in 80s Action Movie and Hellsing I was a member of a government organization that received major support from my superiors.
The technology I held was rather useless given that it primarily centered around VR entertainment and while the House of Mysteries was an incredibly useful base and transportation system that did not mean that it could do much else outside. Alucard was still moping and acting out from his loss and the grief of losing Integra and the Hellsing organization. If I am going to get anything done then I need resources. Thankfully there is a good way to achieve it. After all this world has such a thriving criminal underworld.
Walking through the streets of Gotham I can't help but admire the gothic architecture of the city. Really if not for the horrendous crime rate it would have been a nice tourist spot. As it was I had already dispatched a dozen would be muggers, mind control easily forcing them to turn themselves into the police but not before plundering their minds for the information I want.
Looking at the large office building I smile as I feel the actions of my target. With a thought my form mixes with the mist that surrounds the city and seep through the building's cracks, my forming melding with the shadows within. Inside the opulent office one Roman Sionis was looking at a series of paper packets on his desk and documents on his computer. He was actually doing paperwork for his mob organization.
It left him perfectly open for my move. I lunge from the shadows and my teeth bit down on the criminal's neck, my arm shutting his skull shaped head even as I sucked his blood at an unnatural pace. His body slowly shriveled with the exsanguination even as I released my grip on his body, the shriveled body slumping forward onto the desk. I close my eyes as his soul falls into the binding and the memories he holds are integrated into my own knowledge base. I nod, this will do.
Opening my warehouse I toss the corpse in and take a seat. Memories of the Major's operations bubble up towards me as I formulate a plan of action. I only have to keep this operation up for a week or so then I can move on. I couldn't really take the other assets but the liquid capital would be useful. I already know ways to set things up for me. The Secret Society of Super-Villains would be a nice treat. I knew my own measure. As it was I was nothing compared to the top tier of being in the world, the ones that would give even Superman a challenge. But that did not mean I had to be for long.
---
"Oh? You are not getting involved in all of this," Alucard says as she waves at the various monsters that were even now terrorizing the people of the city I found myself it. A product of Doctor Destiny's Dream Stone I recall.
I shake my head, my hands lashing out to release volleys of bayonets to destroy the energy constructs. It was difficult as despite everything they were not unholy beings so my bayonets only served as slightly enhanced knives. Knives fired at the speed of bullets but knives all the same. "No. I do not like this world and getting involved will only make things worse. I…I am not confident enough to make things better."
Alucard laughs. "Oh? I've seen your memories. You were the one to always rush in and take charge, trying to be a hero. What happened to that?" She reaches out and tears several long serpentine things with much too many eyes apart, arms forming into claws.
"I have a measure of my limits," I state. "I do not want to make things worse than they already are. A single wrong involvement and things could go much worse than they already were," I state. "And besides, there are many more threats out there that I can help with. I do not need to get involved in the big leagues. Besides any interference we have can have unforeseen effects. I do not trust the narrative force of this world."
"Hah! I cannot tell if that is cowardice or wisdom speaking. We will see," she says.
"We shall," I grunt out.
"Oh, I haven't seen you guys before," a voice echoes through the streets as everything is emptied in a single moment. The next moment a man in red with lightning streaming around him fades into view. "You guys new? I've never heard of any people like you. Especially you old man" he points.
I look at Alucard who only looks at me in amusement. "Yes," I state. "Though we try to stay out of the superhero business but I can't just leave the people here alone" I state as I gesture towards the now fading monsters all around us. "I presume that Doctor Destiny is part of this tragedy then?" I ask.
The Flash nods, "Yep. Justice League Dark is out dealing with them right now."
I nod, "Good. Then I guess this situation is ending soon. It was nice to meet you Flash, but I guess it is time for us to depart," I state as the House of Mysteries appears behind us. I did not want to get more involved in the super hero scene than I am right now. "Come Alucard."
"Oh very well," Alucard sighs before following me.
---
"So what are you doing," Alucard asks as I manifest numerous familiars. Small animals imbued with my power and the little magic that I had managed to scrounge up.
"Setting monitoring stations up. I've found a figure that I can kill without messing up events in the comics too much," I state. "Now I only need to ensure it is okay. Thankfully what I am looking for is easy to find."
"The magical rupture around Nanda Prabat," Alucard says as he glances at a whiteboard filled with notes that I had set aside.
I nod. "Yes it is rather obvious and the House of Mysteries has shown the ability to bypass the wardings around that area considering how abandoned it is. That said, it will be preceded with some violence our way.
"Ah yes," Alucard grins. "The so called Crime Syndicate. You are letting them just pass?"
"I've tried to stop the secret society Alucard" I state tersely. "The Outsider has managed to lock me out of the network. I've already devoured the low and mid-level agents that I could find and they've changed their activities enough to avoid me. Now I can only prepare for their emergence."
I sigh in frustration. I am beginning to understand why the heroes are usually so reactive rather than proactive. The sheer amount of villains linking to each other was more complex than one thinks, made obvious only by the fact that I had the souls of dozens of super-villains to help me.
"Can't you just find some more high level ones? You know where those are," Alucard says, taking a seat on my table which I glare at her for.
"After the Ultra-Humanite they have been getting particularly good at stopping me from finding them. Doesn't help that they've destroyed the holdings that I was using as a front. As it is the last time I tried to find them again Black Adam dropped me into an interdimensional rift after finding out I was invulnerable. No, it is too risky right now. The heroes will have to handle things for now," I state.
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Less a chapter and more a snippet. Really keeping a rough timeline of events is frustrating considering Justice League dark is very much a crossover setting which is annoying. I might have to cut this jump short.
<< Index
The decade ended with a whimper. For the most part I stayed within the House of Mysteries, content to leave occasionally to retrieve the occasional treasure that I found through my scouring of the comics and the occasional world wide situation that swamped the world with threats, be they parademons from Apokolips to the magical catastrophes that Justice League Dark had to deal with to interdimensional invasion from the Crime Syndicate and those of their ilk.
Numerous times I had to measure my response, acting in order to not shake the boat too much. I had been taught my lesson. Sometimes even if I try to interfere in a situation things could become worse. I could not even content myself with destroying major figures like the Joker. Apparently the Joker immunity was very much in full swing as when I killed and bound his soul a convoluted series of events eventually led to a demon of all things dragging him from my soul and re-embodying him. And really the amount of times that the world was saved through a stroke of luck or nebulous things like 'willpower' and the like made me too terrified to act too much.
Of course I did try to get involved sometimes. When A.R.G.U.S. approached me to be their magic expert after the death of Doctor Mist I agreed. By that point I had killed Nick Necro and taken his power and knowledge into myself. I found myself falling back into old habits, slaughtering major foes and being responsible for disposing of many threats that had knowledge that A.R.G.U.S. wanted contained. Of course I left when Amanda Waller was put in charged. I did not trust her and I was later proven right.
Alucard had a blast of it. She lost herself in the various scenes of carnage all over the world, and readily devouring the various demons. I used my gunsmithing skills to use and had to create new firearms for him to wield. I used my now extensive knowledge of magic and enchantment to create firearms that were more like tank guns in the shape of pistols. The bullets themselves involved heavy enchantment and silver obtained from melting my holy bayonets. Fun fact, apparently the blessing is retained even if the metal is melted. They proved extremely effective against demons. Of course if only demons were the only things he fought.
---
An odd beeping noise is what attracts my attention. Looking up from the tome of arcane lore that I was perusing I pull out the fob and find an indicator light that I only now know exists blinking in time with the beeping. Confused I click it open and the portal forms behind me. Walking into it I note nothing awry.
"Lacheisis," I call out. "Did something happen?" I ask.
"A Change in stasis pod 1 has been detected," the low level AI says. "Profile matches recordings of one Alucard in original form as Dracula," Clotho pipes in helpfully.
Immediatley that catches my attention, walking through the space I enter the cordoned area that is the medical bay. The same every shifting equipment dot the large space, floors and cielings and walls all ready to shift their many limbs and reconfigure the room for every situation. Standing proud on the wall that matches the warehouse's are 8 spherical pods, clear glass over them all with indicators for their empty nature glowing softly on the screens. All except for one.
Glancing worriedly I approach pod one warily. "Lachesis release pod 1," I instruct and immediately the pod settles. The glowing text on its screen fades as the glass pushes upward before splitting in to, readily folding over the entire pod to rest behind it. "Aludard is that you?" I ask.
The figure in the pod opens its eyes. The same crimson shade as Alucard's. His naked form immediately shifts, shadows shifting until he is wearing a familiar white suite, though one suited for his now towering male form. "I live," he states as he glances at his gloved hand and forms a fist. When he notices my impatient figure he gives a slight chuckle. "Ah Jumper I did not expect to see you again. I would greet you in my usual form but I can't right now."
"What. Did. You. Do." I grind out.
Dracula only smiles wryly. "I died," he says with some pleasure. "Not against an enemy I would wish to die against but I died a true death," he says then glances down at the pod. "Well I guess a temporary one as well."
I glance to the information that Atropos pumped into my implant. "That was the companion re-spawn function," I state accusingly. "What did you fight that would lead you to die?" I demand. There were scarce few things that could beat him considering his nature. "I thought I told you to flee in such situations."
"There was an enemy I could not let away," he states simply, without a care in the world. Lifting himself up from the pod as if it was his normal coffin he stretches his limbs as if he was just waking up from sleep.
"Who was it?" I ask, mind thinking of all the possible figures that he would not retreat from. In this world this was a distressingly long list. We were in Gotham right now so… "Was it the Batman?" I ask. "I thought I told you not to fight one of the heroes," I accuse, some hysteria in my voice. I did not want the attention of the narrative singularities that were the major figures of the Justice League.
"Hahahaha! Oh how I wish it was that man but alas it was not. It was an angel that took exception in my harvesting of souls. He called himself Morael. The holy flames that he used to incinerate me was rather painful all told. They burned away all the souls stored within myself," Alucard says with manic glee.
"Noted," I state dryly. "You know I will not help you go through another massacre like that right Alucard," then I sigh as I see his eager face. "I would say to hunt in hell but I don't want to risk it given what I know of it. As it is," I state before looking the elder vampire in the eye. "Alucard. I am not letting you out of the House of Mysteries until I can see what went wrong. Is that understood."
The vampire only smiled in pride. "Finally some spine. But yes I do understand."
---
Alucard proved more…tame after that. It seemed that the utter defeat in the face of angelic might had reminded him once more of his fallibility and mortality. He was no longer the most powerful active force on the planet like with his original world. Of course his habits did change somewhat. He finally began learning the magic that was now available to him from the accrued library that I had created on the subject. He actually stayed mainly in his original form of Vlad Tepes.
That said he still regularly went on out fight and hunt creatures of the night and villains both. He even managed to keep it in the more occult sections of the world where killing your foe was rather acceptable, though unlike me he had to worry about the things he ate cold not influence him from within. It was why we were leary of killing demons after he was nearly possessed. I was find considering my Dark Binding provided protections against such things.
I actually met the Justice League over my time, providing what supernatural aide I could and even teaching Batman various methods of combating magical threats even if he did not approve of how I dealt with my foes, especially the human ones. That said I did like my meeting with Superman. He was rather understanding as all things go and was probably the nicest person that I have ever actually met. I could understand why he was this world's symbol of hope even if the heroes of this world were more…gritty than I remembered. I was never really into the New 52 anyway.
That said, in the end I didn't end up as powerful as I thought I could have gone. Oh sure I had access to magic that would be able to warp the world but that required a level of power that I did not have and probably will not have given that the magical forces of this world is native to this world and would not be accessible in amounts larger than what I could personally produce. I also found myself in a rather precarious situation as many Angelic and Divine forces saw me as an abomination that would smite me on principle if not for the defenses I already had.
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AN: I really did not like writing this so I decided to just move on and probably will never revisit the convoluted world of DC and Marvel comics again. Its just so frustrating keeping everything straightened out without building entire plots whole cloth.
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