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Blood Knights in Gotham by WayWard Childe
 
To be or not to be
 
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Spike was almost hypnotized by his own breathing as he ran down the wet alleyway. Plop, plop, plop – the noise of his boots colliding with the damp Gotham street echoed. His running slowed down as he took a chance to catch his breath and get a grip of his surroundings.

Catch his breath, God it was amazing to him that he even had to catch his breath. 120 years since he needed to breathe, of course he never really stopped breathing. He always kept breathing so people wouldn’t get suspicious. But for the first time in years he needed to breath.

As his vision cleared he noticed two things. One he couldn’t see that well in the dark anymore, but he had a feeling he could see better than most people. Things used to be so clear even in the dark, but now the shadows have dimmed on him. Making it where he can only see clear outlines. Two he was in Gotham City. He should know he’s in Gotham; it was after all one of his and Dru’s favorite hangouts in the 50’s. They spent a decade in the bleak city adding to the mayhem and destruction that already accompanied it. Of course he always preferred Bludhaven, now there was a city for demons.

But he remembers Gotham the most. The fight that Spike is most proud of in his entire unlife happened here. If you asked Angel he would say that Spike’s favorite fight was with the first Slayer he killed, but Angel doesn’t know as much as he likes to think. If you asked Buffy she would say that Spike’s favorite fights were with her, but alas even his love is wrong.

Now the fight that almost took his life just over 50 years ago happened here, when he went one on one with the Green Lantern, Alan Scott. He and Dru were trying to find a crystal that would bring the Master out of his mystical prison, and it was reported to have been sent to a museum in Gotham. Now Spike never did like Ol’ Bat Face, but he also couldn’t resist his dark princess, she wanted to free him so he wanted to free him too. When he tried to steal the crystal he was confronted by Green Lantern and the fight was on.

The fight took two hours only to end in a tie and the destruction of the crystal. He remembered when he discovered that Alan’s ring didn’t work on wood, he grabbed a 2 by 4 and started deflecting Alan’s energy beams. In that situation Spike knew that the further away he was from The Green Lantern the more he himself was at a disadvantage. He needed to get close and stay close. Soon enough he got the chance, getting up, close and personal with the Green Lantern. He then proceeded to beat Alan Scott senseless with the 2 by 4. One more minute and Alan’s brain matter would have been splattered against the floor, but he pulled off a lucky shot and sent Spike flying.

The Battle continued like that for a while, Spike’s speed and 2 by 4 helped him dodge the blasts and Alan’s very painful realization that he can’t let Spike get close again kept him even more alert then usual.

After the crystal was destroyed Spike stopped the battle, declaring that he’d be back another day. He then practically skipped back to his lair, his adrenaline was peaked. He just stood one on one with one of the best Super heroes in the world, and tied. A member of the JSA, the protector of Gotham back then, and he tied. When he got back to the lair he celebrated, and for the first time dominated Drusilla in all aspects of their relationship, something that turned her on immensely – she always did like being dominated. They feasted on children and screwed for an entire week.

Spike shook his head of the memory, slightly bothered that the idea of he and Dru didn’t bring on feelings of disgust or longing. He remembered in Sunnydale when he first got his soul he was always bothered with conflicting emotions. His demon was always lusting towards blood, itching for a death, while his calm and peaceful poet's soul looked down on such things, it wanted Spike to stop and sit down, read a nice book of poetry and ignore the atrocities of the battle with the first.

The demon’s gone that much he knew, but if he was to guess he’d say he wasn’t entirely human either. Passing through walls like a bloody ghost of all things, yet he’s leaning up against a wall right now, shivering in the cold night.

Spike closed his eyes wearily, but then opened them quickly, not yet ready to be in nothing but darkness again. Spike began to wonder – ‘My demon is gone, does that mean I’m William?’ His face became a mask of concentration. The months in perpetual darkness gave him a long time to think on his life and his choices. Things he could have done better, smarter, faster, once again beating himself up for not being good enough.

‘Never bloody good enough.’ He thought bitterly, Spike was never good enough, not good enough to love, not good enough of a warrior, not a good childe just a mistake always a mistake. These thoughts started to bring Spike to a rage, but he soon calmed down. When trapped in months of solitude, you learn to be patient – at least he learned to be patient with himself.

‘Don’t get me started on Nancy boy William.’ He thought. So weak and quiet, never spoke up or defended himself, not rich enough, not smooth enough, beneath others.

Spike shook his head, ‘But I’m not William am I? I have his soul but does that make me him? If I’m not William…am I Spike?’ His questions began to race through his mind.

‘Let’s see,’ Spike raised his hand, which was loosely balled into a fist. ‘I still like Manchester United, I still like hot wings and beer,’ His fingers started to pop up as he counted his list off. ‘T.S. Eillot, my mother, Buffy, Joyce.’ As he counts the list off he finds that he is still likes and loves the same things. Yet he isn’t meek like William, or craves the things that Spike craves.

He tilted his head forward and rested on his hands, a tired sigh escaped his lips.

If he was given an obstacle he knew he wouldn’t handled the situation like either entity. He wasn’t yet sure how he’d handle it, but he knows that it wouldn’t be the same. So the question that we all pondered when such situations become our life escaped his lips.

“Who am I?”

He then heard an explosion and the screech of metal being ripped apart. His head jerking in the direction of the sound and before he could even think, his feet were taking him to it’s source.

Spike soon found himself exiting the alleyway and standing in front of a large lake. He continued on to the noise. Up ahead of Spike he sees a car slowly sinking into the water and a large gray beast dropping a missile launcher on to the ground.

“Ugly Bugger.” Spike muttered to himself before sprinting towards the Alligator like creature.

“Boom.” He heard the beast say, just moments before he leapt into the air.

“Hey!” Spike said in mid-air to get Croc’s attention.

Croc turned to Spike’s leaping figure and before he could say anything he found Spike’s fist planted right in his mouth.

“Bloody Boom!” Spike shouted as Killer Croc fell to the ground.

Spike shook his hand slightly, ‘Wankers got tough skin.’ He thought to himself. Spike knew he wasn’t as strong as he once was, but after 120 years of fighting slayers, rival demons, and angry mobs even without the demons strength he’s a fine specimen of human fitness, above the level of any average Olympic athlete.

The hulking man-monster stood up, wiping the blood away from his mouth.

“Gonna enjoy breaking you, stick man.” Killer Croc snarled.

Spike rolled his eyes, “No wonder Buffy doesn’t take bad guys seriously anymore.” He speaks calmly as Killer Croc charges.

Spike side steps Killer Croc and spins hitting Killer Croc in the back of the head sending him once again down to the ground. Most people don’t think that Spike’s trained in any fighting style, that he only learned what he learned in bar fights and a demons natural instincts.

You don’t kill two slayers on bar fighting skills and you don’t travel the world without learning a few things before eating your sensei.

Killer Croc jumped up and charged Spike again. Spike side stepped him once more something Killer Croc was expecting, but it was a fake and Spike went the other direction, kneeing him in the groin. He then landed a solid elbow on the back of Croc’s neck, before spinning around and slamming Croc’s head into the ground repeatedly. He flipped Croc over and started to pummel the metahuman in the face. His punches fast and rigorous, hitting their marks before he could respond.

Croc finally bucked Spike off of him and sent him flying towards the docks. Spike tucked and rolled roughly before springing himself up. He was about to charge Killer Croc, just before he spoke up.

“Aren’t you forgetting something, Stick man?” Killer Croc said as he winced to stand up.

Spike pretended to think about it, “Let’s see…did I forget to kick your ass? Nope? Well then, I’m right as rain.” Spike said before he advance.

“How about the boy at the bottom of the lake.” Killer Croc smirked when he saw Spike halt his steps.

“Thought so.” Was the last thing Killer Croc said before running in the other direction.

Spike took a step forward to chase him, but stopped and looked back at the lake with fear and confusion in his eyes. He looked back towards the directions of the missing villain, and once again back towards the lake.

It was no contest to Spike; he knew what he had to do.

Spike turned towards the water and ran towards it diving in.

The first thing spike thought as water engulfed him was ‘Bloody buggering hell it’s cold!’ The second thing he thought was, ‘I can’t let this person’s death be on my hands.’ He briefly wondered why it mattered so much to him, and why he was leaping off like some hero.

‘Is this what William would be after seeing all that I’ve seen. Would his poofy idealistic nature take a turn for changing the world himself? If William weren’t so damn weak, would he have jumped into an ice-cold lake to save some wanker he didn’t know?’

Spike continued swimming downward, he could see the car at the bottom of the lake, with the guy he kicked in chest trapped inside. As Spike got closer he realized who it was, Nightwing the original Robin. Which means…

‘I threw Batman into a bloody wall. Well that’s…just…great.’ He thought as he reached the car.

The metal was twisted in front of Nightwing. Spike tried his best to pull the metal apart, but even with Vampire strength, the fused metal would have been too strong. Spike looked at his hands for a moment and then at the metal stopping him from meeting his goal. Spike concentrated as hard as he could and put his hands on the metal, when they phased through he smiled in relief. He put his arms around Nightwing and hoped to hell this would work. Spike pulled on Nightwing and pulled him through the metal like moving through solid objects was a normal everyday thing. Spike pulled Nightwing up and began to swim to the surface.

His head popped out of the water and he began to gasp for breath, he could see his breath clearly as his teeth began to chatter. Spike pulled himself and Nightwing out of the water and laid him on the dock.

‘Shit! He’s not breathing.’ Spike looked down at his hands as he came to a harsh realization. A hundred and twenty years of living and the only thing he could was take life away. He had no idea how to perform CPR. He had no idea how to save someone.

Warehouse district, other side of the district…
Batman was driving the batmobile down the streets, keeping his eyes open for the possibly resurrected vampire. Everything was quiet, not much crime tonight, which was unusual, but it was still early.

Suddenly the batmobiles computer flipped with the panicked voice of Oracle practically screaming.

“Batman!”

“What’s wrong!” Batman’s voice replied sharply. He’s doesn’t hear Barbara like this unless it involves…

“It’s Nightwing!.”

‘Dick!’ Batman’s face belied his emotions as it always does and forced his voice to stay calm. “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know. I was talking to him and then I heard an explosion. The com link was still active and I tried to reach him, but then it just went out. Batman…it sounded like someone destroyed it. I heard it crunch before it went out.”

“Oracle, where was he!” His voice stern and commanding, the voice he uses on his ‘children’ when he needs them to listen, the voice that they always listen to.

“Exact opposite direction, boss.” Her voice was cool and calm after hearing Bruce’s commanding voice.

The tires on the batmobile screeched as Batman sharply turned it and he put the petal to the metal as he drove down the road. His thoughts turned to Jason like they always did when these situations happen. The son he lost, the son he couldn’t save. ‘Not Dick…I can’t let him die. Ever.’ Batman’s voice in his mind stern, as if commanding himself.

“I will not fail you, son.” His words quiet as he drove faster, forgetting that the link was still on. Oracle heard his soft words, worry etched on her face, but hope in her heart.

The Batmobile zoomed down the street, dust and random bits of garbage people have thrown out their window whirling around the vehicle as it goes down the road.

Batman quickly slammed his foot on the break as the saw the site before him. In the middle of the road was a discarded missile launcher and over near the docks was Spike! Pummeling Killer Croc.

Batman opened up the roof and leaped out of the car running towards the two fighters. He saw Croc buck Spike off of him, but Spike just rolled and sprung up to his feet.

‘He’s good.’ Batman observed, as he got closer.

Killer Croc said something to Spike that Batman couldn’t hear and then took off in a different direction. Batman’s first instinct was to chase after Croc, just like Spike’s, but just like him he stopped.

He kept his eyes on the former vampire wondering what the cause of indecision was about, and to his wonderment Spike took off towards the lake and dove into the water.

‘Is he crazy? It’s freezing!’ He thought to himself as he got closer, never stopping his stride.

As he got close to the Missile launcher he noticed something next to it.

Batman bent down to inspect what it was. It was Nightwing's smashed com link.

Batman sharply looked towards the lake and fear began to sink into the man who causes fear.

“Nightwing.” His words were but a whisper before he got up and sprinted towards the water. He was about ten feet away when he saw Spike pop out of the water, bringing his son with him. He ran and watched as Spike placed his son on the dock, his shoulders slumped in defeat.

As Batman got there Spike looked up with sad and burdened blue eyes.

“I don’t know CPR.” He croaked.

Batman quickly understood and began to perform CPR on his son.

‘One, Two, three, breath.’ He counted in his head has he pumped his hands over Nightwings chest. He holds Dick’s nose and tries to force air into his lungs.

One, two, three – he tries again

One, Two, three, he forces air into him again

“Dammnit Nightwing, breathe!” He said one last time before pumping his hands and forcing air down his son’s throat. As he pulled up he saw Nightwing spit up water and take huge gasps of air.

‘Thank God.’ Batman said in his mind, his face still betraying his emotions, it was stoic as usual.

Batman looked up and around, searching for Spike, but he was nowhere to be seen. He looked at the spot next to Nightwing where Spike was before, his eyes focusing on the spot.

Batman looked away from the spot and gathered Dick into his arms taking him over to the Batmobile, and gently placing him inside it. He got in and turned the computer back on.

“Oracle, we’re coming home.”

“How is he?” Her voice quiet.

“He’s burned a little on the left side of his body and almost drowned. Spike pulled him out of the water.” Batman started the car and began the drive to the batcave.

“Spike?” Her voice questioning.

“Yes, Spike. I want you to start researching everything you can about his death. We’ll be home soon.” His tone was no nonsense as pre usual.

“Sure thing, Bo-” He cut off the computer and chose to drive in silence, occasionally glancing at his son, and not for the first time, regretting bringing him into this life.

Spike watched as the Batmobile drove away, a spot on the middle of the dock seemed to shimmer and he appeared, never actually leaving Nightwing’s side as his Batman preformed CPR.

Spike sighed and looked down then up at the illuminated city.

“Long bloody night.”

TBC…

 
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