Rebirth

The walk through this circle seemed quite uneventful, in fact it was as easy as ignoring the lying souls around them. The lies and stories becoming nothing short of a white noise, that was until they could see two cloaked figures up ahead. One was much taller than the other which just so happened to be the only notable feature about each person. The hoods went down over the strangers’ faces leaving only their mouths in view. Their clothing appeared to be that of ancient assassins, all black with a tight thin piece of armour around the abdomen. Their pants tucked into dark boots with holsters on the side of their thighs.
The two stood completely frozen as an intensity filled the atmosphere, what were they there for?
Dick readied his escrima sticks, he knew better than to wait last minute for a fight. This was hell after all, there was no way these hooded figures were there just to say hello.
Batman was ready as well though after  a minute of just standing there silently watching the strangers he grew bored and decided to move forward, the instant he took a step the taller figure ran forward and cut through Batman’s chest plate with an extremely sharp blade. The movements were fast and faintly familiar. Bruce stumbled back slightly though he quickly recovered and blocked the assassins next blow with his gauntlets. The smaller figure moved forward now and Dick ran out to meet him with just as much ambition.

The sharp blades slashed through Dick’s suit with no resistance. He groaned in pain and held his shoulder before a sharp growl escaped his lips. He ran forward and slid on the ground dodging the twin blades that swung overhead, Dick then kicked the assassin’s feet out from under him before rolling and slamming his fist against the assassin’s face.
Bruce’s cape had been pulled over his head before the assassin’s knee crashed into his face. He grunted and removed the cape before rolling backwards and throwing explosive batarangs at the assassin’s feet.
The assassin jumped backwards just as Bruce expected and Bruce fired a grappling line into his shoulder before using it to slam the assassin into the ground.
Both the assassin’s fell back and regrouped beside one another, they threw smoke bombs down at their feet and vanished.

“Damn it!” Dick growled, “Who the hell were they?”

Bruce had a feeling he knew exactly who the assassins were though rather than answering the question he just kept moving, he was ready to put an end to this.

Batman and Nightwing didn’t have to go much further before they found themselves in the heart of Hell. Pained souls surrounded them weeping in an intense pain, before them was Gabriel chained with his hands above his head. He was shirtless, his chest and back bleeding from lacerations made in his flesh. His white pants stained with blood and slightly torn from the torture he underwent. His white wings were turning grey and looked sickly.

“Welcome!” Azazal coo’d before stepping out, he ran a hand through Gabriel’s hair, “You’ll get to bare witness to the start of the rapture!” He said with an excitement in his voice.
One of the two assassins moved beside the half breed, it was the smaller one. His stance was prepared for battle .

“I’m very impressed by the skill your children.”

Just then Bruce’s suspicions were confirmed. Dick’s heart sunk as he looked at Azazal before to Bruce, “What did you do to them!?” He interrogated as his sharp and anger-filled eyes returned to the mischievous blonde.

“Oh? Nothing, just the power of suggestion.” Azazal divulged.

“Where’s Elias?” Bruce questioned in that authoritative tone.

“Now where would the fun in telling you be?”

“You’re right…. I’d much rather beat it out of you.”

Bruce had run at Azazal though before he could get two steps in the small assassin, presumably Damian, ran forward and slashed his swords at his father’s chest. Bruce skid slightly as his knee met the boy’s stomach, the boy quickly recovered and kicked at Bruce’s head. Batman caught the foot and Damian twisted his body around so he was in the air and rolled around Bruce’s shoulders causing Bruce to release his leg before Damian elbowed him in the nose. Bruce grabbed the boy’s hood and threw him to the ground and stomped on his chest.

Dick was fighting Azazal though he had mostly been using his escrima sticks to block the half breeds sharp claws. His chest was hit once or twice but for the most part the young vigilante was able to keep up eventually managing to hit him with one of his batons and soon cut him with a wing ding.
Azazal only chuckled as the blood began to trickle down his shoulder.

“I was hoping you’d be dumb enough to do that.” The male purred in a malicious tone.

The blood slowly began floating upwards instead of dripping down, it looked tentacle like as it swirled above the half breeds body. Azazal then made a gesture towards Dick causing the blood tentacles to fly into his body impaling his legs, arms and side. Dick gasped as he felt pain filling his body which only intensified when the blood lifted Nightwing off the ground.

Bruce had managed to subdue Damian and was in the process of freeing Gabriel, the chains didn’t come off easy but thanks to a corrosive gel he was able to break them.
Despite Gabriel being weak he would be the key to defeating Azazal.

~Top side~

Elias had given his very specific orders to Tim and Ezekiel, the fallen angel instilled within the body, and had taken this chance to disappear into the city knowing that Tim would carry out his orders.

After getting the orders Tim launched an attack on the Titan’s tower.

He needed to acquire Raven and use her to summon her father.

It wasn’t hard for him to get into the building and to trick her into following him outside, he had the hood pulled down as they walked along the roof of the tower.

“What do you need?” The young girl questioned as she watched Tim.

Tim by now was no longer in control of his actions, it was Ezekiel who was in command. He turned to Raven and within a blink had his hand around her throat and held her over the city. He reached up to grab and try to pull the gem from her forehead however she used an energy blast to push him back before hovering. Of course after he had touched her she had seen that Tim was being controlled by a demonic force.

“Ezekiel.” She muttered.

As Tim stood he smiled a wide smile and released a sadistic chuckle, “Oh Raven… You should’ve just gone down quietly.”

With that the male ran forward and swung his bo staff at her, Raven moved to the side to dodge however it didn’t stop her from being affected by his telekinetic powers which he used to grab her and throw her against the building. Raven groaned and quickly moved dodging the staff again before he could hit her with it. After rolling to the side Raven threw a dark orb at him. The second it touched him it dissipated as he released another chuckle.

“So pathetic.” He said stepping forward to grab her however before he could lift a finger he was tackled by a powerful force.

Tim bounced off the ground before rolling to his feet looking upon a female angel fully armored. He glanced behind her to see Michael kneeling beside Raven, tending to whatever injuries she may have gotten.

“Hmph, Lilith… Good to see you again.”

“Of all the pathetic bottom feeders in our existence it sickens me that I was pulled from heaven to fight you, Ezekiel. You are the most pathetic excuse for a fallen angel I’ve ever met.”

Ezekiel wasted no time to charge at Lilith however the next thing he knew her knee had hit his stomach and she grabbed him by the hair and began slamming his head against the rooftop. She was being absolutely unrelentless in the way she handled him, she was aware that she was risking the mortal boy’s life but at the same time she couldn’t help him with Ezekiel in control. After his head hit the ground several times blood was dripping down it, she then pulled him up by the hair and spread her six magnificent wings and took to the skies. She spun him around before throwing him hard towards the city, her powers slowing him enough so when he hit the billboard it wouldn’t kill him.

By this point Gabriel, Bruce, Damian and Dick were back on the surface and bore witness to the battle between the two, Damian was back in control since Azazal was defeated and Dick’s wounds had healed.
Tim groaned as Ezekiel retreated into his mind and heart, Lilith landed before the boy and placed her hand to his forehead though before she could do anything else Gabriel flew and landed beside her.

“Sister wait…. This boy has a heart which is pure, exorcising him could kill him.”

“Better than letting Ezekiel run amuck.”

“There’s another way…. Our Father told me.”

Lilith’s eyes set in a scowl though they couldn’t be seen under her golden helmet, “He wants me to anchor the mortal? The feels beneath me.”

“Are you questioning the Lord?”

“.....no.”

Lilith removed her hand and placed her hands together as they began to glow, after she pulled them apart there was a beautiful medallion in her hands with the image of a galactic spiral within it which moved. She knelt in front of Tim before putting it on him and saying something in another language, he felt lightheaded as his wounds appeared on her body. She went from feeling numb to feeling everything he felt. He could hear her thoughts and she could hear his. He could see through her eyes and she through his. They were bonded in mind and spirit. Her hands glew again as she put her hands over his wounds healing both of their bodies.

“I will be with you until the end of days…. You can’t ever remove the necklace for it’s the only thing that keeps us connected.”

And with that she sunk into the necklace where she would live though she could come out in both an angelic form and a cat like form.

Tim groaned and sat up, he could feel her… It was odd feeling so connected to something else. He could hear Ezekiel’s whispers though he pushed the sound into the back of his mind to ignore him.

Gabriel helped the boy back to the ground and thanked them for their services, Michael was especially grateful and gave Bruce a vile full of a healing liquid to aid him for some time.

The batfamily was relieved their trails were over and happily went home to unite as a family. Bruce did some studies on Tim’s medallion though he never removed it. Lilith walked amongst them in her feline form looking much like a pokemon, more specifically like an Espeon, at least that’s how Dick described her.

They finally had some peace and quiet…. That is until the Batlight illuminated the sky...