The Seraphim took a swing at Angel with the pistol, knocking her onto her back and breaking the skin, her forehead slowly oozing with blood. From the floor she looked up at him, her eyes, and soon after her voice demanding "Why?"

With his face at last revealed, there was something unquestionably wrong with his expression. The face that gave the smile at the sight of murder now yielded eyes that appeared horribly troubled. With no more mask to hide behind, his was a very dour frown.

"I should have been killed for the first time when I was a child." The Seraphim stated. "After the first time Blackfire dug the blade into my jugular. He called it blood-letting, and that with it I would become what I had to in order to complete God's plan for me. He spilled my blood all over the floor and began to paint shades and runes with it. By the time he was finished I couldn't move a muscle. My heart had stopped beating. I was no longer drawiing in breath. But I was still alive."

"Blackfire then told me I would not be allowed death until I had fulfilled my purpose. I had an obligation to God that had to be fulfilled. Only once I completed my duty would I be allowed into The Kingdom."

The Seraphim paused, a vile tension taking hold through the church as he began to laugh in a growing madness. "You have no idea what it does to you… Screaming and praying for a demise that never comes!"

Cassandra did not break her stare, having difficulty accepting his words. She known of immortal foes before. Her father had served under Ra's Al Ghul, Batman had described encounters with the great Vandal Savage, even Blackfire had been mentioned as possibly being deathless. But this man, who dressed as a monstrous angel and sought the destruction of every religion but his own?

"The old deacon made it all perfectly clear. I would never escape from this horrid place until I had fulfilled by purpose. Gotham needed to be razed, destroyed like the cities of old… It wasn't right! I never asked for this!" He had suddenly found himself yelling, and bitterly smashed a fist into the pew on his right. For a few moments he was silent, as if contemplating his own words before remarking, now more calm and composed, "But it must be my place… In my veins flows the blood of the angels."

"You know that isn't true-"

"IT'S TRUE BECAUSE I SAID IT IS!" The Seraphim erupted. "It's true because I said it and they believe it! It's true because the Voice of God says that it's true!" Again The Seraphim stopped briefly to compose himself, concluding with, "His will, not mine be done."

A low and raspy laugh came from behind The Seraphim, he and Angel turning to the embittered Monsignor Ryan, glaring in his direction. "Just following orders, were you? Just doing what you thought God wanted. God gave you a brain, didn't he? Weren't you given the ability to think for yourself?"

"And I suppose you think it's different than the crusades," The Seraphim retorted. "Or imprisoning Galileo. Or any of the instances of child abuse and molestation."

"No. It's not any different," Monsignor Ryan replied. "Even the holiest of men have defied the grand plan at some point or another. We are all tempted to do evil… You have just convinced yourself that temptation is God himself."

"You're an old fool," The Seraphim maintained, turning to face him. "God is not soft. God is not swayed. God demanded my ancestor Abraham tie down his son and sacrifice him!"

"And then he sent a ram to take his place," Ryan continued. "God isn't seeking slaughter and sacrifice and pride. You've confused him with Satan."

The Seraphim just chuckled at this point, walking over to his helmet and shaking his head. "I'd silence you for good, Father, but I have use for you yet. But in the meantime..."

The Seraphim reached into his helmet, pulling a headset with a microphone attached, sliding it on and pressing a switch on his left ear. "Lester, what is your position?" And as he said it, he reached under the belt on his right hip, tossing a similar pair of headphones over to Angel. "Put them on. I want you to hear this."

Angel gave him a look before she pulled them on. Instantly she could hear shouting, and despite the distance, she realized they came from her allies. "No…" She said quietly.

"The trigger is in the palm of my hand, my lord," the preacher told him. "The Batman and his dear allies are awaiting their execution by firing squad. We are awaiting your orders."

"Good… Have you an extra set of headphones?"

"Yes sire. Do you have a command?"

"Put it to the Batman's ear… When I give the order you are to kill the rest, but the Bat lives. He is mine."

"No!" Angel yelled in defiance, but as she rose to strike him The Seraphim swiftly took aim with him gun and fired a round into the center of her symbol, knocking her back to the ground instantly, surely about to spurt blood at any moment.

The Seraphim briefly took his hand from the earpiece, remarking, "You can't ruin this now… If I don't die with this church… Batman's the last chance I've got. If he could find a way to kill Blackfire, he'll find a way to kill me."

"It is done, sir." The preacher said. "Only God can save you now," he added with a taunt towards Batman.

"Good… I shall assume you can hear me now then, Batman." The roar of rage audible in both The Seraphim and Cassandra's headset confirmed this claim. "Excellent. I thought you deserved to know your Angel practically came crawling back to try and finish things with me. She's here, about to fade into the darkness from the bullet I just put in her heart." This cry was even more thunderous than the last, though still no words could be clearly made out. "I hope you're ready for what comes next. I hope you have said everything you desire to to your allies, because my plans of converting them have just been disposed of. They are not worthy of my salvation. They are not-"

Angel had managed to make the best of the situation. Her uniform, as it had been suggested back in the cave, was particularly padded in the areas colored white and her bright yellow symbol even more so. Even at the close range, the armor had cushioned nearly all of the impact, and she had subsequently chosen to feign a more grievous injury. The Seraphim could, at any moment, yell for the execution of her friends and family, but he had proven all too well how much he loved to stand on formality. He would gloat for as long as he felt he could, and as long as he didn't consider her a threat, Angel would be safe. Not to mention the noise from the headset effectively distracted him as she slowly and gently drew a batarang.

The rest would depend on this weapon. If she used them just right, she could turn the tides of her battle. If she used them just right, she could save Bruce and the others.

Judging the moment to perfection, Cassandra pushed up to a half-sitting position and threw her first batarang, the tool soaring straight and high, slashing through and severing The Seraphim's mircrophone and re-opening the cross-shaped scar on his cheek. The villain was momentarily thrown by this, his monologue interrupted mid-sentence as he looked at Angel, stunned his bullet had done so little to stop her. His eyes turned towards his ruined microphone as he stood shaking for a moment before screaming, "God damn it!"

Still sufficiently distracted, Angel made a run at him with another batarang in her hand, jumped and bounced off one of the pews and made a lunge for the canister of fuel strapped to The Seraphim's back, positioned between his wings. Using the batarang like a knife, she severed the multiple fuel lines leading out from the tank before thrusting the blade itself into the center. The material was surprisingly light and flexible, allowing for an easy dig.

The Seraphim made a set towards his still-flaming sword, but as the fuel began to drip out the fire was instantly fed. As he was slowly being covered in the stuff, he backed away, a fear growing in his eyes.

Angel ran towards Monsignor Ryan, Snowball and her sword, strapping the last to her back as she tried to support the old priest and his dog but barely dodging another bullet from The Seraphim for her trouble. "Damn it Lester, KILL THEM! KILL THEM ALREADY!"

But it was clear from the uncomfortable silence Angel could hear over the headset that Lester couldn't hear a thing. "Sire? Um… Sire…? We're… We're awaiting your orders…"

"… I think Elijah had an experience like this," Angel could hear Batman taunting in the background. "Maybe your god is asleep. Maybe you should yell louder."

Angel pulled Monsignor Ryan to the underside of the pew, promising him, "I will save you. Save us both. But I need to do one thing first."

Under ordinary circumstances, Cassandra would never attempt what she was about to do. It was far too dangerous, there were too many risk factors. She could not count on her opponent to survive. But The Seraphim had proven he was no ordinary opponent. As he fired a few more rounds and was forced to reload, Angel sprung up from their hiding place and ran towards the rack of candles before the wall-mounted statue of the Virgin Mary, cradling the infant Jesus. Grabbing a few of the votives, she flung them at The Seraphim, and before he could even form a face of horror at the implications, set his whole body aflame.

The Seraphim was screaming, trying desperately to beat out the flames as Angel returned to Monsignor Ryan, Snowball clutched under his arm. She pulled one of his arms over her shoulder, taking the dog from his hand and holding it close as they made a run towards a passageway in the right side of the church until they could shut and lock themselves in Monsignor Ryan's office, giving them both a brief moment to catch their breaths.

The situation with Lester, Batman and the rest was quickly dissolving into madness as The Seraphim's servants began to question where his orders were. Why they hadn't killed them yet.

"It didn't work… He's gone! The boss is gone! Why the hell is he gone?!"
"Quiet down over there!" Lester ordered. "We still don't know-"

"We know your boss is a psychopath!" Angel could hear Robin yell. "And it looks like God's finally shut him up!"

"Silence! All of you… Hoskins? Hoskins what the hell are you-"

"It's not worth it! Lucifer's a sun demon, Lester! God favors the darkness… We were wrong! I can't do it anymore!"

"No- NO-"

Judging by the sudden outburst of fist against flesh, whatever bondage Angel's allies had been contained within was broken. All hell was breaking loose inside that underground chapel.

"Good lord… Such madness," Monsignor Ryan said, still fighting the pain from the bullet wound as best he could. "But this door will hardly last… He'll break it down!"

"But he needs you alive," Angel pointed out. "He only wants to kill me… There must be something we can do…"

She thought back, between the last few months and the last few moments as The Seraphim screamed in pain and anger. The first meeting with Monsignor Ryan, the earliest battles with The Cherubim, her capture and the images she remembered most, the stories she was told while she was gone, anything that might help her.

If Stephanie could lure Red Hood into a trap by appealing to his ego, maybe she could do the same.

If The Seraphim could not be defeated by normal measures, his immortality would allow for extreme ones to be taken.

It didn't matter if The Seraphim's claims were true and if his plan would work. His cult believed they would work.

Only God can save you now.

It all came to her at once. It was risky. A lot could go wrong. She could still fail.

But if it worked, she could save everyone. Her family. The citizens of Gotham. Maybe even herself. She couldn't think of another strategy where all three seemed possible.

"Monsignor… Do you have your phone?"

"Huh? Yes, I do," Monsignor Ryan said, looking towards his desk, grabbing the device and handing it to her. "Why? What on earth do you need it for?"

"There is one person left," Angel said, sliding the headphones onto her neck. "I have a plan. If it works, we will end The Seraphim. Forever." Monsignor Ryan gave her a look of confusion before giving her a slow, though still muddled nod of approval. "Stay here. Leave it to me."

"Please," Monsignor Ryan replied. "Let me help… Let me do something."

Angel turned to the door and glared out through the window. "Pray for me," Angel requested. "Pray this works."

And with that she opened the door and rushed out, shutting it behind her and glaring at The Seraphim as he managed to kill the last of the flames. His skin and wings were now horribly burned, now far more resembling a demon than an angel.

"That's the last mistake you get to make," The Seraphim snarled.

"You can not win" Angel assured him. "It is not God's will."

She knew this would enrage him further, and without another thought he began to run towards her. Cassandra, smaller but still faster, retreated towards the church's entrance, throwing open the door ascribed with the words, "Bell Tower" and began to ascend the wide staircase. Her mind turned to hope and prayer as she punched a number into the cellphone, hoping she remembered just what she needed. After a few rings, a tired Stephanie answered, "Hello?"

"Stephanie? Good."

"What the- Cassie?!" She demanded. "Babs just called me an hour ago asking about you! Where the hell are you-"

"No time," Angel replied, checking the clock and finding the time to be just before ten. "The Seraphim's bombs go in an hour. I need your help."

"My help?" Stephanie asked, still shocked. "You know I've got a bad leg. I could fight with Hood, but that was the extent of it, I really don't think-"

"You do not need to fight," Angel said, continuing to rush up the stairs. "You just need to be in costume and go somewhere."

"What's that going to accomplish?"

"If you do it, and what I say, we can save everyone." Angel said. "Batman. Nightwing. Tim. They all need you. I know how you can save them."

"… What did you have in mind…?"

"Be Spoiler and go to their base. Barbara will tell you where."

"Great, I'm rushing into danger and I gotta steal my mom's car… What's the catch? How is me going there and not fighting anyone going to stop him from taking out all those churches?"

"Do as I say," Angel began. "We will do it his way. And we will win."