FIC: Transformation of Legend (Batman Begins/Van Helsing crossover, PG)

[winter]

fyrie asked me for this a long time ago. I managed to use all elements of her challenge. 900 words.


TRANSFORMATION OF LEGEND
Being a much-delayed gift or handsel for the lady fyrie, with the author's apologies



[Bhutan]

"What can you tell me about this?"

Bruce takes the letter from Ducard's fingers. Their leather gloves pass a hair's width from each other, but do not touch. He slips the sheet out of an envelope – Brasov, Transylvania, Romania, Europe, filed in the back of his mind – and looks.

"It's parchment, recently made. Ballpoint pen, cheap, Eastern European manufacture." His eyes follow the slanted, looping letters. "The writer is used to using a sharper writing implement – a fountain pen or a quill. His native language is Slavic, and he knew German before learning English. He also speaks Latin. He is impulsive, and used to command." There is a change of direction in the fluted stem of the single D that serves as signature. Someone's hand wavering minutely with a chuckle, or a laugh. "He was amused while writing this letter."

"Very good, Detective." The word is warm on Ducard's lips, somehow softer than either ‘Bruce' or ‘Mr. Wayne'. "Would you advise me to attend the meeting?"

"Only if you bring a sufficient security presence."

That draws a smile. "I think I'll bring you along."


[Delhi]

The writer of the letter is impulsive and used to command, and his laugh is mocking, as Slavic-accented as his speech. In the moonlight, his skin is white and the clasp on his hair glows, drawing the eye. Bruce stands on a ledge outside the narrow window of the airport terminal, watching, melting into the night. Patience and agility.

"They don't want any misunderstandings," the stranger says. He paces as he talks, moves his hands and draws everything around him into the conversation. "They are protective of their monopoly on influencing the fate of the world, that is the point of contention."

"You are a strange choice of messenger," Ducard comments. He is standing still, and if Bruce takes his eyes off him, he has trouble finding him again in the darkness of the deserted landing strip.

"Think of me as a neutral third party." The stranger executes a complicated bow. "They asked me because they were sure I could handle my own in battle with you. Others, I'm told, were not that fortunate."

"I'm curious as to why you are so assured you will not suffer the same fate, Mr Valerious."

Bruce tenses, preparing for the cue that will mean he is to unsheathe the silvered blade and let his legs carry him down and forward. The double-sided attack in two planes, a maneuver he and Ducard had rehearsed a hundred and eleven times.

A clink of metal on metal, and his head snaps around in acquired impulse. he's got a gun, mother, father, a gun, don't

A glimpse of a hat pulled down low, long hair and the high collar of a coat is all Bruce gets before his eyes focus on the barrel of the shotgun touching his face. He hears a hissed, "I don't think so."

None of the sounds should be loud enough to carry, but Ducard turns his head, minutely. Valerious laughs again. The laugh echoes.

"Gabriel, don't frighten the child," Valerious says. "What was it that the League of Shadows thought would stop me?"

A gloved hand reaches for Bruce's sword. The other still holds the shotgun, prohibiting all movement.

"Silver sword." This voice is mocking in a different way. "I guess that's a step up from garlic."

The man – Gabriel – pushes Bruce off the ledge. Bruce lands on the tarmac, kneeling, and makes no move as the other jumps down beside him.

"Our sources weren't very precise." Ducard is still immobile. "What are you exactly, Mr Valerious? What kind of messenger has the Vatican chosen?"

Valerious spreads his arms, and in that moment Bruce's instincts towards him change. What was ‘human, dangerous' is now ‘danger, mortal', and he is running before the decision reaches his conscious brain.

At every moment he expects a bullet. None comes, and Valerious smiles over his shoulder just before things change again.

There is space and time for Bruce to dodge the talons, but not the thought, because the wings spread out, hiding the moon and the stars, and all Bruce can do is wait until the claws tear through his armor and his skin.

He should have expected this, he thinks. Transylvania means vampires means bats.


[Bhutan]

Gabriel's sword is bastard-length, and the advantage means that Bruce gets disarmed more often than at any time except for his first week in Ra's Al Ghul's fortress, but his defeats are further apart with every passing hour. Snow impedes their progress, turning a fencing dance into a stumbling struggle, lending it desperation.

On the terrace of the fortress above them, Valerious and Ducard are scribbling over maps, dividing spheres of influence under Ra's Al Ghul's watchful eye. Some hours ago, Bruce and Gabriel had to yield the field as the precise division of certain cities on the east coast of North America was decided through hand-to-hand.

Bruce still avoids Valerious' eyes.

"Why did you come with him?" he asks Gabriel as they clash again.

Gabriel avoids a savage swipe of Bruce's spiked gauntlet. He lashes out with a kick, and Bruce is on his back again, staring at the falling snow.

Gabriel's breathing is slow, measured as he waits for Bruce to get up.

"Because every demon needs a guardian angel."


-FINIS-

Comments

[arabwel.livejournal.com]

Oh. My.

*is speechless*

this is eyeball-painting.

[winter]

:D

Bruce thinks vampires are creeeepy. Consequently, the last two months in my head have not been fun for him. I think he's trying to tell me something ;)

[arabwel.livejournal.com]

Poor Bruce.... :D

[winter]

BTW, love that icon :) Haven't noticed you using it before.

[arabwel.livejournal.com]

thanks :D got it for the sake of it being waay too cold and dark and because I aparently can set off fuire alarms when using real candles 0_o

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

*squees and has glee* Oh, this is just so, so perfect, from the littlest thing. Especially the description of Dracula re. the letter :D And not to mention the mental hawtness now going on while I pretend to work :) Fabulous, fabulous work :D

*hastily heads back to class*

[winter]

Glad you liked :) I had a lot of fun writing this - all the motifs you gave me just fell into place.

[shoiryu.livejournal.com]

ddfhdfhfg EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE DAY IS MADE.

[winter]

*preens*

*makes a notch on the gun bedpost keyboard*

[kyrre.livejournal.com]

Transylvania means vampires means bats.
Poor Bruce! He has met the personification of his fear!

"Because every demon needs a guardian angel."
This resonated with we.

Btw. does Valerious know who the real Rhas al Ghul is?

[winter]

The Vatican KNOWS ALL, so I assume yes. And it's not like it'd take him that long to figure it out...

Bruce is dead scared of vampires. Hence the cringing and whimpers whenever I play songs from a certain musical - Ducard is starting to get torture ideas here ;)

[ariss-tenoh.livejournal.com]

Wow. Wow! What a perfect crossover that didn't cross my mind^_^ Lovely reaction Bruce has and Gabriel is so in character. Ducard is appropriately haughty even when he's angry. And the thought of Dracula and Ducard dividing the world in half is so arrogant and yet in character as to be hilarious.

You've got a talent for last lines. That one killed me^_^ You don't mind if I rec this on my LJ, do you?

[winter]

Mind? Puh-lease ;) Go ahead!

Dracula's prompting me to write the backstory to this, or exactly how he got saddled with being the Vatican's errand boy. I'm holding out for blasphemy reasons, since the story would feature both the current and past Popes...

[ariss-tenoh.livejournal.com]

No one said you had to name the popes^_~

[winter]

...but referring to the actor pope and the Inquisitor pope will probably make it a roman a clef ^_^

(Interesting fact: Benedict XVI and Van Helsing bond over their shared love of kittens.)

[azarias.livejournal.com]

... hot sex.

I love the contrast (though I don't know if you intended it, it's there, and it's lovely, brava) of Dracula and Gabriel as equals/rivals/partners with Ducard and Bruce as teacher-student/friends(?).

[winter]

Thanks :) It's kind of subconsciously intended, though it's really only something that Bruce will realise later on - the only way to get along with your evil friend is to be on equal footing. As long as Bruce lets Ducard fill the mentor/father/father-in-law (assuming comicverse Talia) role, he's out of luck...

[kate-swynford.livejournal.com]

Loved it!

[winter]

Thank you for letting me know :)

[(Anonymous)]

WOW, I loved it! Just the idea of Van Helsing and Batman fighting over spheres of influence after world domination is priceless... loved the premise and the writing... thanks muchly!

~EL