The man in the wheelchair rolled down the ramp over his porch to approach the group of unlikely allies. Some less allied than others. He viewed everyone equally before settling his gaze on Lucien.
"I haven't seen one of those in quite some time….." Jay Garrick said from a raspy throat.
Lucien looked down at his ring, "This version of the first Flash seems older— his connection to the speed force must also be severed…. Or just supremely weakened. It would fit the rest of this world missing key powerhouses. It's the only way this vampire shit works."
"You don't seem like most greens I've met." Jay Garrick commented.
"Cause I'm not. May we come inside?" Lucien asked.
"What for? I'm out the super business."
"You and I both know it doesn't work like that." Lucien replied.
"It works h—"
"Hey, we've got a billionaire playboy bitten by a furry over here. Please let us come in— we need help." Jason Todd interrupted as he walked up to stand beside Lucien.
Jay looked at Jason and then to Bruce over his shoulder.
His eyes widened before he went serious and turned, rolling back up his ramp to lead them inside.
Holly laughed aloud as she passed Lucien.
"I had sex with a furry! HAHAHA!"
"Can you not yell obscenities in the suburbs of Central City?" Barbara asked Holly as they filled Jay Garrick's livingroom.
"Why? Will I wake the retirees?"
"Well, you woke me up." Jay said before pointing to the couch beside them.
"Lay him down."
Jason put him down softly onto the small couch.
"Holy hell that's Bruce Wayne…" Terra blurted out suddenly.
Everyone in the livingroom looked at the blonde haired girlfriend of Beastboy. Her cheeks reddened.
"What? I didn't know…. I guess everything else was… well, anyway."
"Yea, anyway." Rachel seemed a bit more mission oriented than her peer.
"So, what I've seen on the news is true…" Jay said.
"Yea." Lucien replied, "Vampires. Nightwing is the king."
"How many of the league are turned?" He asked as he stroked his gray stubble.
"Superman, wonderwoman, Green-Lantern Hal Jordan, one half of the Wonder Twins, and a few too many stragglers."
Oliver took a step forward and placed a hand on Jay's shoulder, "Wally is dead."
Jay's face hardened. The grip on his wheelchair was so tight the metal began to bend, "I assumed. He'd been too powerful— too fast, for a long time. But even he couldn't outrun sudden death. Hell…."
"He could've under different circumstances. This wasn't only sudden death. It was planned betrayal." Lucien said.
"Right. His killer was once a friend." Jay nodded solemnly.
"Might still be." Lucien replied.
"The hell are you talking about?" Sheyara asked as she blew her lowcut bangs out of her face. The veins in her biceps bulged as she crossed her arms in discomfort and anger.
"You heard Bruce. It's more than Vampirism for Nightwing— maybe for a few of them. I mean think about it— Nightwing is the future. Batman's abilities and Superman's love for the world? How does that just become a super villain? Especially one who never let on that he was becoming this way ever."
"Superman's love for the world…? Are we talking about the same guy? He's kind of always been a little cold." Oliver said.
Lucien paused before recovering, "Oh… right." He then thought to himself, "A darker rendition of Superman even before the Vampire outbreak isn't a good sign. This could be an injustice universe. Which would be hell….. or like hells hell. What did I do to deserve this? A lot probably."
"So, did you all just come here to give me the bad n—"
"No I was actually hoping you could check in on Barry." Lucien suddenly said.
Once again, everyone looked at Lucien before Jay replied, "We're not exactly on talking terms, but I can call him. I probably should've the moment I heard this all begin. But you know, superhero business is far from sedentary. Or dull. You get desensitiz—"
"Jay. You of all people know time is of the essence." Lucien said.
"Yo, chill." Duke said from beside Jason and Barbara as they stood over Bruce on the couch.
"Chill for what?"
"If speedsters are involved, seconds lost don't matter. They don't exist to them. If we're counting on seconds, it's already over." Duke replied.
"That's actually true….. dammit." Lucien turned away from the dark skinned teen and faced Jay as he brought his phone to his ear.
They all stood in tense silence as he listened to the ringer run. It felt like a small eternity before it went to voicemail.
Jay looked up at Lucien. Right when he was about to speak, Lucien heard words elsewhere. In the next house over.
"Look mama! It's Plastic Man! Oh and and…. Blue Beetle! And and….. who is she mama?"
"Baby, that's Vixen. Now she's a real badass. If she's coming to help Superman, then we're in safe hands. You know she saved me from being kidnapped in the Congo."
"Really, mama?"
"Mhm."
"Wow…"
"Lucien?! Earth to Lucien!" Holly shook his shoulder once.
Lucien was suddenly back in the livingroom of unmasked heroes.
"Jay, turn on your tv. Now." Lucien said.
Jay looked around the room, "Right, I'll just have to remember where my remo—"
"Oh for fucks sake." Lucien began rummaging through the livingroom and sniffing the surface of everything until he was reaching under Bruce to dig the remove out of the couch cushions.
He turned to the tv beside the stairs leading to the top floor and clicked the power button so hard it broke.
The tv flashed on. Thankfully it was already broadcasting the news. Though that wasn't thanks to luck or coincidence since they were currently watching a global alert. Something framed as hopeful and positive as the cameras zoomed in on the Hall of Justice and all the Superheroes flying in to stand beneath Superman and Wonderwoman as they waited atop the spotless white stairs. Already fixed since his battle with Hal Jordan.
Another would take place soon.
In seconds.
Lucien's hair stood on end.
It nearly jumped out of his skin when he watched two black metal coffins fall from the sky.
Superman caught them in each hand like they were weightless. Then he set them down beside him. They were not based on how the ground cracked.
A few of the heroes in the crowd below jumped at the sudden violent movement.
"What the hell is that?" Holly asked.
"I have no idea." Dawn replied.
"I have many. One of which isn't very friendly." Etrigan said in a shaken tone. "The end may be near…. That or I've given into fear."
"Shut it, wordsmith." Sheyara said as she took a step closer to the tv, just as Wonderwoman stepped forward.
"For all of you able bodied saviors, ready to change a world in desperate need, we give you a gift. A catalyst for change. A catalyst for the new world."
The Amazonian demigodess ripped the coffins open.
The Flash and Kid Flash stepped out into the light.
It was then that everyone realized something was clearly off.
Their skin was dark. Deep red electrical currents ran like veins beneath their skin. They vibrated so hard with unending hunger that their features were a blur. And when they spoke, their voices boomed like some ancient evil in a children's book.
Only what came next wasn't at all for kids.
"We'll try not to bleed you all dry."
The flashes took off and began ripping through nearly all the worlds heroes, transforming half-dozens in seconds as the carnage to rival all carnage's broke loose on the floors of the Hall of Justice.
Lucien transformed and dawned his green lantern suit in a flash of green flames before turning to Raven.
"Teleport us, now!"