Bludhaven Hellmouth
by Redwulf

Chapter Five

Cleveland 142 days ago

As Buffy and Dawn approached the Sutcliffe Mansion just south of Cleveland, they both felt apprehensive about what was to come. Neither truly wanted to even admit that Spike was gone, let alone claim his estate. However, after reading their lawyers' reports, both agreed that leaving the Initiative in charge of it was out of the question. If even half of what the folders reported were true, then Buffy half hoped that she could personally evict her ex.

Their first look at the mansion had the two tongue-tied. Simplistic in design, the estate had an understated beauty, which Buffy fell in love with at first sight. Huge grounds spread around the house and decorated with beautiful flowers, of which she had no doubt were originally planted for Drusilla. Still, Buffy loved it all. Off to the right appeared to be stables, especially since a large number of horses were corralled within a white fence beside the buildings. Two words best described the place: huge and beautiful.

Dawn was in awe. Spike had told her of this place once, but she had assumed he was lying. Now, seeing this and knowing that he had walked these grounds, planned this estate, brought her tears to her eyes and a small smile to her face. As they approached the columned porch of the Victorian style home, the limo slowed coming to a halt. The sisters exited the car and walked up to the huge double doors.

At first the enormity and luxuriousness of the estate amazed Buffy; however, as the eldest daughter of an art connoisseur, she soon began pricing items in her head. After only a few items had her seething. Before her was literally millions of dollars worth of antiques, and that only covered what she could see from the foyer alone. For months she had slaved away at the Doublemeat Palace and then worked at the high school trying to keep her sister, a house full of potentials and herself fed and clothes on their backs. Knowing that all this had been stolen from Spike made her blood boil. She knew that if Spike had had access to his money, he would have found a way to help. With embarrassment, she remembered when Riley had convinced her about Spike illegally earning money as the 'doctor,' and now, she realized that he probably was trying to help her.

Buffy and Dawn were led into a study, and the thought of all this opulence stolen continued to enrage Buffy. She sat quietly trying to school her features, as she had made sure that both she and Dawnie were sitting directly in the sunlight. When Riley "Ass wipe" Finn entered the room, in silk Armani pajamas, she nearly lost the battle of will and flew across the desk to beat in his head.

"Buffy," Riley Finn said as he took a seat behind the desk, "What can I do for you this fine day?"

As Buffy started to speak, a hand on her arm stopped her. The blonde woman seated next to her spoke for her. "Colonel Finn, Mrs. Buffy Anne Summers-Wordsworth, as per the terms of the court order, wish for you and your 'soldiers' to vacate her late husbands estate immediately."

At that Riley Finn had the nerve to laugh. "Please, Buffy never married Spike. He was beneath her."

"You're right Riley. Spike was beneath, above, behind… hell, pretty much wherever the passion took us," Buffy told him. "But you wouldn't know much about passion, would you 'Cardboard'?" She purposely called him by Spike's name for him.

"Alright Buffy," Riley said through clinched teeth. "I suppose you have the proper documents?"

"Of course, Colonel," the blonde attorney said, handing the bastard the paper work.

Riley scanned the documents. "Everything here seems to be in order, except for one thing. By Presidential Mandate Hostile Seventeen was classified as a nonhuman. Therefore he did not have the right to marry, any marriage would have been illegal. The United States Government does not have to recognize any claims of marriage." Riley's grin was truly malicious. "So, while it was a good try Buff… no dice."

"Actually," The second attorney, a redhead countered, "since the enacting of Equal Rights Bill of 1996, Mr. Wordsworth would have been considered to be a Metahuman. Any actions by either yourself or President Luthor denying those rights that had been afforded Mr. Wordsworth from 1996 would be grounds for arrest and imprisonment. Also, given that both President Luthor and you, Colonel Finn, signed the deal that YOUR lawyers proposed, which that court order reflects, any breach by you of that agreement would be a violation of the court order subjecting you to contempt of court charges. So, Colonel Finn, it might behoove you to just leave quietly. Of course, if you truly feel that you do not wish to comply with the court order, I would like to inform you that my colleague Ms. Murphy did contact Kal-El earlier today."

"That's Superman for those not in the know." The third Attorney, Ms. Murphy, cut the redhead off to inform Riley with a nasty smirk.

"Yes, thank you Deborah. Superman has told us that he would happily remove Luthor's golden boy's from the premises," the redhead finished.

"You don't know who you are dealing with," Cardboard angrily replied, teeth clinched.

"Oh, I know exactly who I am dealing with, a corrupted little nazi, who thinks a gun and a badge give him special rights. Come on Finn, try me," The woman said her voice thick with contempt. "Assholes like you are exactly the reason I became a defense attorney."

"Buffy," Riley changed tactics. "You would steal ten billion from a government already in debt into the trillions?"

"And how many starving homeless people has this ten billion helped feed and found shelter for Riley? From what I see all, this ten billion only has been used to buy you clothes and furnishing you a place to live. Damn Riley, I remember in Sunnydale you made fun of Spike for living in a crypt, but really that whole time you guys had stolen everything he had." Buffy fought her urge to strangle him. "Tell me how I'm stealing when I've rightfully inherited this money? And why it's not stealing when your agency illegally seized it from my dead husband?"

"Hostile Seventeen was a monster; it isn't stealing to take money from a monster," Riley stated.

"His name was Spike," Buffy began, stopping when the blonde placed a hand on Buffy's arm, stilling her.

"Then if we take everything President Luthor owns, that would be legal?" the redheaded attorney asked with a calm, cool smirk.

"This isn't over!" He exclaimed as he turned to leave. However, as Finn turned, Buffy noticed the light reflecting off a signet ring on Riley's finger. Spike's family's signet ring! She was across the desk before he could blink. An animalistic growl tumbled from her lips, as she tore the ring off his fingers breaking them in the process.

"Where are the others?" Buffy growled at him.

"Oh, you're asking about the Lady of the House's signet rings?" Deborah asked with a too sweet voice, "I believe Mrs. Finn wears them as her wedding rings."

Growling once more in response, Buffy rushed out the door in search of Samantha Finn. Within seconds, she ran over the soldiers that dared to get in her way. Finally, on the lawn behind the house, she discovered Samantha Finn having a tea party for her 'guests'. Without any warning, Buffy slammed the cheap whore to the ground and ripped the rings off of her mangled fingers.

"Mine!" she ground out, jaw taut with anger.

"I don't think so." Riley's smugly voiced somewhere behind her. Turning her attention to Riley, but still keeping Sam on the ground, Buffy met Riley's sneering eyes, as he stood at the head of over a hundred armed soldiers ready to do damage. Buffy knew she was about to die, but she fully intended to kill Riley Finn before she went.

"I think you need to stand down, gentlemen." An unfamiliar voice declared from somewhere behind and slightly above her. Not wanting to take her eyes off Riley and fearing that this was some possible new attacker, Buffy didn't look back.

"But sir," Riley groveled. "The Presidents orders..."

"Are Illegal, and we both knowing it."

"Oops." Deborah said her grin was positively malicious, "I accidentally called Superman."

Hearing Deborah's remark, Buffy spun around to see the most famous hero on earth fully backing her up and ready to help her claim what was hers.

"Oh, and Col. Finn…" the red haired attorney threw in one last jab, "Kal El has graciously offered to supervise ALL packing, so you won't 'accidentally' take something that belongs to Mrs. Summers Wordsworth."

Gotham 142 days ago

Taking advantage of the fact that Dick was out on patrol, Barbara walked - actually walked - around in nothing but her underwear. So far no one but her knew she had regained the use of her legs, and she wanted to keep it that way.

She knew that she was being distant to Dick even as Blockbuster was tearing apart his life, but she was terrified of what was happening to her. Her sudden mobility shook her emotions enough, but the dreams… the dreams left her crying in need or whimpering in pain. There appeared to be no rhyme or reason to her dreams.

Three nights ago, Barbara had dreamed that she was standing behind an iceberg of all places in her old Batgirl costume beating on some of Penguin's thugs, when she had heard clapping. She had turned. Before her stood Dick dressed all in black - black pants, black t-shirt, combat boots -and a long black duster - looking like pure sin. Her voice sounded strange to her as she asked him who he was. 'Dick' had answered, "You'll find out on Saturday."

"What happens on Saturday?" she had asked like an idiot.

His answer, "I kill you."

Waking up, Barbara had been so horny that she almost gave away her mobility when she had ripped Dick's clothes off.

Hell dimension, centuries ago

Spike hung from chains, as he was tortured. Watching the pseudo Dru and Buffy taking turns beating him was no longer new. Bloody hell, how stupid did the First think he was?

He was experiencing something he hadn't felt since his Drusilla delivered him from mediocrity… his heart was dying. And with it, more and more he just wanted it all to end. Chained in the full sun, it constantly ate away his skin, but it being a hell dimension the skin grew back before he could dust. More and more, he hoped the First would just end him.

"I will not go quietly into that goodnight," William's voice proclaimed inside his head. It startled him. It was the first time his soul had spoken over the many years he had been trapped in Hell.

'William' continued, "If I am to die, the First you speak of will have to do it himself. 'I' will not whimper and moan. I… we are a champion, and such is beneath us." Spike found himself grinning up at his tormentors as William proved himself not such a nancy boy.

Present Day

The Bat Cave

'Oh yeah, this was fair.' Tim thought, as he went over the parts of the prophecy Bruce had translated already. 'Dick spends the day with Babs, and I get to spend my day going over a moldy old prophecy, sometimes being the youngest sucks.'

"Uhhhm, boss?" the young Robin asked suddenly, "Is this thing right? Babs is pregnant with Dick's child?"

"Yes," Bruce tersely answered him.

"But correct me if I am wrong, wouldn't that mean that at sometime… in the last few months… Dick and Babs had to be in the same room and not start shouting at each other like fisherman's wives?"

Despite his intellect and his detective training, Dick Grayson was utterly lost. That didn't happen often. Usually when he felt confused, like he happened upon some loose thread in a conversation, it had something to do with Roy… or more likely… the woman in front of him, in the past Kory. "Am I whating with the whoming?"

"The copy girl. Are you fucking her?" Babs asked in tears. "I mean we're on a break and that is what guys do, when they are on a break."

"I thought you dumped me?" Dick said.

"See the perfect excuse… my girlfriend dumped me, so I'm free to screw the copy girl." She accused.

Dick took several deep breaths, "Can we start at the beginning?"

"I was signaling Tim and Roy, telling them we were on a break and… "

"You believe anything Roy told you?" he asked cutting her off.

"It was Tim. And he said… 'Yeah, Ross and Rachel were on a break too," and so I googled Ross and Rachel. When they were on a break Ross, that would be you, screwed the copy girl, breaking Rachel's, that would be me, heart." Babs finished her babble.

"You know, if I kill Tim it would be considered justifiable homicide," Dick sighed, looking heavenward as if for guidance.

"SO, you admit it?" She nearly screamed at him.

"No, but if you have her number I'm game."

Babs flew across the room at him. Her anger was so great; it scared her. But all Dick noticed was that she walked or rather ran towards him.

"Babs, you're walking!" Dick exclaimed, as she tackled him.

"Yes, I can walk," she confirmed, trying to fend off Dick as he kissed her arms and hands.

"God baby, that is so great." He finally got to her lips. At first she tried pushing him away, but then she began digging her fingers into his hair and dragged him closer. Her response lasted for mere seconds before she shoved him away from her.

"Oh, it's not over that easy buster. I am still pissed at you." Babs threatened, but her body betrayed her words. Her palm remained planted on his chest, as she rolled to straddle him.

"Babs, god, I can't believe you didn't tell me." The hurt look in his eyes wounded her and that pissed her off more.

"Oh, that isn't all sweetie," she said in a syrupy sweet voice. "I'm also pregnant with your child." She informed him with a heat in her voice that made it like she had pronounced his doom.

New York Star Labs

"This is preposterous!" William verbalized as he read through the file that the American Roy had given him. "Sir, the very idea that vampires are real is absurd. Vampires do not exist, and surely neither do such things as Superheroes."

"Dude, you're looking at one." Roy said spreading his arms with his bow in his left hand. "A superhero that is."

"And what pray tell is your special power?" William asked without looking up, "The ability to annoy villains to suicide?"

Bludhaven

Shrike had been going over everything he knew about Nightwing all night, after all Blockbuster was trusting HIM to take down the costumed vigilante and he had to be at his best. The smile that graced his grace was cold enough to freeze water. When he killed Nightwing, his name would gain instant worldwide recognition.

The woman had watched Shrike as he approached. The smell of arrogance and ignorance that surrounded him made her tummy ache, but she had to do this for family. She stepped into the street in front of him and smiled flirtingly with him. Such a fool. His hand went straight to her hip, drawing her to him, as if she was a cheap trollop, and the Dark Princess had never been cheap. She ran her tongue over his artery in his neck, then struck like a snake. Her fangs buried themselves deep; his blood coated her throat.

Shrike felt his orgasm wash over him as his life leaked from him.

The Dark Princess looked down at the dead man at her feet. In the past, she would have turned him, such an evil toy, but not now… her family needed him dead. Mrs. Edith would be so pleased. Tea and biscuits for the sweet!

New York Star Labs

Buffy entered Star Labs filled with apprehension. What if Spike took one look at her and ran? What if the Initiative soldiers had been able to follow her? She needed him so much. What if he saw her and walked away?

The ride in the elevator had been nerve racking. Having secured the area he was staying in from Dawn, she didn't stop to ask anything else. She just walked through Star Labs like she owned the place.

His room wasn't hard to find. From two hallways away, she heard his voice, raised in argument. She couldn't help but smile to herself. That was so her Spike. He could never go long without annoying someone.

"Annoying?" The red haired superhero Buffy had seen at the Hellmouth was poised over William's bed. "I'll have you know that I am one of the most respected members of the superhero community."

"Daddy is annoying," added a beautiful girl with a smile. She'd heard Arsenal had a child named Lian.

"Respected for what… your keen fashion sense?" William asked with a smirk, eying Roy's red hair and scarlet costume.

"Spike? Please no arguing with the annoying fashion challenged superhero," Buffy called from the door, announcing her presence to all the room's occupants.

"Buffy?" William's voice sounded strangled, as he saw the woman, who the files had described as his expecting wife.

Gotham the Clock Tower

To say that Babs was surprised at Dick's reaction would be the understatement of the year. First he slammed his head into the floor twice. Then he dragged her into his arms, as he began crying, "We're gonna be parents?" He wasn't kissing her, just holding her so tight it almost hurt. "I'm gonna be a dad!"

"Yeah, if MY dad doesn't go to prison for killing you." For probably the first time ever, the former Boy Wonder, the punning punster of Gotham, was speechless with no smart assed remarks. Life was good.

"So, you gonna just lay there or..." Babs gave him her most mischievous look.

Before she finished her sentence, Babs' shirt was ripped into pieces. Nightwing's talented tongue attacked her breasts through her bra, while his fingers kneaded the small of her back.

Yeah, life was good.

Arkham Prison

The 'ghost' stood behind him wearing an old style silk suit and fedora.

"Johnny," the ghost said, "I am doing this all for you son. When you take over, you'll be the Boss of Bludhaven AND Gotham."

"No, Father," replied the Joker, as he sat in the corner of his cell miming combing his hair and putting on makeup. "I shall not be a gangster. Greater things do call me. In time I shall walk the pasteboards with the greatest stars of all time. I, John C. Parlance, shall be a bigger star than Cary Grant!"

Tbc

NEXT