Chapter 140: Vampire Hunter Marianne Van Helsing
Chapter 140: Vampire Hunter Marianne Van Helsing
Rooftop of a tall building.
Damian was the first to speak. "You've been gone for over a month. The vampires are making a comeback."
"How much do they have to hate Gotham to keep coming back every few days?"
America was a vast country with countless cities—some so full of junkies and so neglected by the authorities that vampires could settle there undisturbed.
Gotham, on the surface, was under Batman's watch. In reality, it was within the Justice League's jurisdiction.
Repeated invasions would inevitably draw the attention of countless superheroes.
Allen was indignant. "Am I not terrifying enough to make them think twice?"
"…"
Damian didn't know how to respond. The truth was, in most people's eyes, Allen was just a lunatic. He hardly came across as someone to be feared.
"The ones invading Gotham now aren't all from the same group."
Damian explained, "The Court of Owls hired Dracula as backup, and another group is under the Thirteen Princes. It's total chaos—I don't even know who I'm supposed to be fighting."
"Then don't overthink it. Just hit them all."
Allen threw back his cape with flair. "Gotham lies ahead—vampires, turn back!"
Anyone could shout slogans, but the truth was, the enemies showing up were all purebloods. They wielded vampire magic and were far tougher than your average mixed-blood goons.
"The purebloods don't seem to have any ill will toward Gotham," Damian reminded him. "They're targeting Dracula."
They weren't enemies to begin with. If they all got lumped together in a fight, that would only make things harder.
And to top it off, with Bruce gone from Gotham, Damian lacked a guiding hand. He also had to factor in the Court of Owls' Talon army—too much for one underage kid to handle.
"So when exactly did Bats go missing?"
Allen got to the point.
If nothing major had happened, Bruce would never have left Gotham. That could only mean something had gone wrong.
"He said he had something important to take care of. Didn't say what." Damian sounded helpless.
"It was bound to happen sooner or later. Bats never listens to reason."
Allen could already guess the kind of dumb stunt Bruce had pulled.
Middle-aged rebellion—if he didn't get smacked around by the world now and then, he'd feel uneasy.
"Don't worry. The Comedic Bat is here to turn things around. I'll scope out the situation first and then make a plan."
With that, Allen melted into the night.
…
Subway tunnel corridor.
It often served as a makeshift shelter for the homeless.
Especially on rainy nights, the unhoused would seek out public spaces for cover.
Suddenly, a shadow flashed by.
A homeless man who had been resting startled awake and groggily looked around.
At the stairwell, a blonde woman in exotic, gauzy attire was walking toward him with slow, graceful steps.
Ever since his divorce and bankruptcy, the homeless man hadn't been near a woman in years.
And with so many chronic conditions from living on the streets, he wasn't exactly capable of much strenuous activity anymore.
Still, looking at this woman—like a plaything of the rich and powerful—his eyes filled with longing.
"I'm bored tonight," the woman said, her voice dripping with seduction, as if it could bewitch the soul. "I want a little fun."
"Beautiful lady, I'll do anything for you," the homeless man replied, entranced.
"Well then, thank you so much."
She flashed two gleaming fangs.
"Eugh…"
A sudden sound interrupted.
Leaning casually against the wall, Allen made a noise of disdain. "You vampires really are unhygienic. That guy hasn't bathed in years. The gunk on him's hardened into armor."
"Batman?"
The woman glanced over, confused.
That voice, that tone, that air—he clearly wasn't the real deal.
"They call me the Comedic Bat."
Allen spread his cape dramatically. "Are you Dracula's vampire bride?"
"You know quite a lo—ah—!"
Before she could finish gloating, Allen shone a UV flashlight right in her face, causing black smoke to rise immediately from her skin.
ROAR!
In the next moment, she revealed her true form—a massive, humanoid bat—screeching furiously at Allen.
He pressed a button on the flashlight, switching it to strobe mode.
The high-frequency UV flashes burned her skin, forcing her to cover her face with her wings.
Wham!
A flying kick.
With three fully maxed-out job classes, Allen's strength was amplified thirty-six times. A single kick could easily obliterate a concrete wall.
Boom!
The vampire bride went flying like a kite with a snapped string, smashing into the wall and embedding half her body in it.
"What the hell are you doing!?"
The homeless man, hoping for a miraculous romantic encounter, now saw his goddess turn into a terrifying monster and get knocked out cold. He yelled in outrage.
Allen raised his hand, a folded ten-dollar bill between his fingers. "Disappear."
"Yes, sir!"
The homeless man grabbed the bill and bolted for the tunnel exit, abandoning even his bedding and belongings.
Indeed, the power of money trumped even beauty.
Allen walked over to the vampire bride, muttering, "Think Dracula's gonna come rescue his wife? If he's a playboy who doesn't care, then I've miscalculated."
To be honest, Allen never intended to fight from the start. He wanted to set up a meeting.
If Dracula had some goal, Allen would help him achieve it—as long as it meant he'd leave Gotham alone.
Of course, if that goal was too dangerous or extreme, Allen wouldn't hesitate to eliminate him.
Legend said Dracula couldn't be killed and would just keep coming back.
Allen wasn't worried. He'd just lock him in a silver coffin, weld it shut, and toss it into the Pacific.
Problem solved.
"Dracula doesn't care about his brides."
A woman appeared at the top of the stairs.
Wearing a denim jacket and boots with a round-brimmed leather hat, she looked like a bounty hunter straight out of the frontier days.
"Comedic Bat. Allen."
Allen introduced himself first.
If someone was speaking rationally, odds were they weren't an enemy.
"Vampire hunter. Marianne Van Helsing."
As soon as she spoke, Marianne raised the crossbow at her hip and fired.
Allen dodged instantly, retreating in a blur—only to see the bolt pinning the vampire bride's shoulder to the wall.
A misunderstanding, it seemed.
The bride had just regained consciousness and tried to strike while Allen was distracted.
"You're from the Van Helsing family?" Allen asked curiously.
"Probably the last bloodline left," Marianne replied, eyeing him warily. "You've heard of my family?"
The Van Helsings were a clan that specialized in vampire hunting. Within the monster hunter community, they were somewhat well-known—but not exactly a hot topic for other factions.
At most, the occasional mage would reach out to buy vampire materials from them.
"I've seen vampire movies. Your family's always in them. Even had a solo film once."
"…"