DC Infinity Presents

Batgirl # 48

The Art of Destruction

Part 4

"Burning Babylon."

Blackgate prison

David Cain had just finished mopping the floor when he noticed the commotion.

Prisoners were rushing to the north side of the building, paying little attention to gang affiliation. Members of MS13 and the Aryan Brotherhood, and even a few guards, stood shoulder to shoulder as they poured into the cells, crowding around the windows.

Cain tried to ignore it at first. The prayers, the sounds of grown, hardened men crying. They lived in a world where an alien wore a red cape and shot lasers from his eyes, after all. Whatever was happening, those people, people like his daughter, they would handle it.

Nothing worth wasting his time over.

But as the wailing grew louder, the sobbing grew greater, David Cain could deny his curiosity no longer.

So he left his mop and bucket, and walked to the closest cell that faced Gotham.

"Excuse me," Cain said, loud enough for everyone to hear him.

Everyone inside the cell jumped as if startled, but they recovered quickly. The men (and two guards) politely left the cell, muttering polite apologies to Cain as they went.

Cain went to the cell window, and was left utterly awestruck by what he saw.

A wall of orange flame, shooting up into the air as far as the eye could see, surrounded all of Gotham. Buildings were bisected and though the flames looked as hot as any Cain had ever seen in his life, nothing was burning.

Cain knew, instinctively, in a way that made his stomach churn, the nature of the flames that surrounded Gotham.

Just as he knew that his daughter was trapped inside.

"Cassandra…"

Gotham, moments earlier

Cassandra Cain felt a surge of panic as flames swept over her, flooding the room.

She froze, and when Cassandra realized that she wasn't burning, that the temperature hadn't even risen one degree, she relaxed.

And the grief returned.

The fire was already forgotten. The Batman had returned to Gotham, alongside Black Canary. If they weren't enough, Cassandra was certain that Batman would call in the League.

There was always someone to save the world.

Hers was already lost.

She fell onto the bed, and allowed misery to consume her once more. She barely registered the fact that Connor had left.

But everything changed when she heard Oracle's blood curdling scream.

The bedroom door exploded outward, and Batgirl had a batarang gripped tight in each hand, ready for anything.

Except seeing Oracle standing, hunched over. Her hands were in the shape of claws, and a row of sharp teeth hung down from the top of her jaw. Her eyes were hollow, black voids, and she loomed across from Connor, who had an arrow notched but absolutely no desire to use it.

"A righteous unchanged," the creature had Oracle's voice and clothes, but that was all of her in that shell, as Batgirl could see, "how is it you remained untouched?"

"Clean living, demon," Connor replied, "vacate the body you're in, now. You won't enjoy the consequences otherwise."

"And those would be your toothpicks?" hissed the Demon.

"More than that."

Batgirl's foot smashed into the Demon, and it began screaming even before the force of the blow knocked it backwards.

Connor turned to Batgirl. She could see that he had a dozen things he wanted to say, words of kindness, empathetic inquiry, but time was short.

"Batgirl," Connor said simply, "Barbara changed after that magic fire swept through Gotham. She was just telling me about a distress call from Batman and the others."

Batgirl's heart jumped when she heard that, then she looked at the creature that had been her second mother.

She didn't need much more than a glance to know that there was nothing of Barbara Gordan-Grayson inside the creature across from them. But Batgirl did wonder why the creature seemed burned were Batgirl's foot had connected.

"We need to get past it," Batgirl said, "get to Oracle's systems, get help and fix everything."

"I will pick the meat from your bones," hissed the creature.

"Not her," Batgirl said, "don't hold back."

The monster leapt for them. Connor unleashed the perfect kick, connecting with its jaw, and Batgirl smashed the palm of her right hand into the beast's face, scalding it.

This time, the pain was too much, and the creature turned to the nearest window, and ran towards it faster than anyone short of the Flash could hope to match. It smashed through the window like a cannonball.

Batgirl stared at the broken, reinforced, bullet proof glass. Batgirl was firm in her belief, but just an ounce of doubt was enough to make her feel sick. She wasn't prepared to lose another mother just barely one day after the first.

"We have to get to Oracle's computer," Batgirl said, "she has override for me. Get help…"

Batgirl stared at the broken window a moment too long.

"…get her back."

Batgirl took off in a dead-run, Connor following close behind.

When Batgirl reached Oracle's consul, the heart of her operation, she felt a moment of discomfort and fear.

The monitors were state of the art, the computer towers were hand-built by Oracle herself, connected to countless government organizations all over the world. The workstation was a work of art that, to some degree or another, always intimidated her. Oracle used it with the skill of a musician, drawing information and dispensing justice as effortlessly as she threw a punch.

But Batgirl brushed that aside. They needed help, Gotham needed help.

And like most things, a situation like this had been anticipated.

Underneath Oracle's desk was a modified cellphone. Batgirl typed in a code, and a small spike emerged from the bottom. She sank it into her flesh, and within a nano-second, it had read her DNA and unlocked itself.

"This is Batgirl, alpha red emergency. Gotham invaded by demons. Please respond."

Batgirl and Connor held their breath, waiting for a response.

Ten seconds passed, before the screen blinked 'No Signal'.

"No signal?" Batgirl snapped, "how? Mr. Terrific designed it!"

"Magic usually trumps technology," Connor said, "we need to get out of here, find Batman, and…"

"And then what?"

Batgirl and Connor both shuddered when they heard the growl of a familiar voice. They turned around, and saw Batman, Black Canary, Thunder and Huntress standing only a few yards away.

Their teeth were sharp and jagged, eyes gaping voids while their fingers extended into claws. There was a predator's smile on each and every one of their faces.

"You've found me," said the creature wearing the face of Batman, "found us. Now what?"

Batgirl and Connor exchanged a glance. There was only one way this could end.

"I just wanted you to know, Cass," Connor notched an arrow, "I'm very sorry about Tatsu."

"Thank you," Batgirl cleared her mind, as she prepared for a fight she knew wouldn't go their way.

"Excuse me," Connor and Cassandra felt a green, gloved hand on their shoulder, "care to leave, children?"

oooOOoo

Elsewhere in Gotham

Silver Shrike squeezed the trigger four times, blowing out the kneecaps of the two men that were at charging him.

They fell face first to the ground, though Silver Shrike was certain that they weren't incapacitated.

But they weren't an immediate issue.

Silver Shrike spun around and swept his leg outwards, knocking aside the demon who was lunging for his back. He pulled the trigger twice, hoping that it would buy him some distance.

He turned around, and observed that he was now surrounded.

"Well, it was worth a shot," shrugged Silver Shrike, as he understood what was about to happen next.

"Excuse me," a green gloved hand came down on Silver Shrike's shoulder, "I need to speak with you."

Before Silver Shrike could response, a green mist swirled around him. The demons disappeared, and were replaced by Batgirl and Green Arrow.

"Abel?" said Batgirl.

"Sophie?" Silver Shrike said.

"Connor," Green Arrow offered.

"Glad we don't have to waste time on intros," said a disembodied voice. A man in a green cloak appeared before the three, "my name's Crispus Allen, former Detective, current Wraith of God known as the Spectre."

"Because we need to talk."

oooOOoo

Brazil, former Kobra training camp

There were three dozen men and women laying on the ground, bound back to back with zip-ties. The majority of them sported bruises, and a couple had been rendered unconscious.

The weapons that they had planned to ship to Italy were safely burning, and Nightwing was relaxing atop an armored Humvee. He was waiting for local law enforcement to take them into custody, and after a hard night's work, he felt he was entitled to some relaxation.

As if the universe took that as a challenge, Nightwing had just barely five minutes of true rest before a green flame appeared in the sky, and landed several feet away.

"Alan," Nightwing already grew concerned when he saw the senior statesman of the Justice Society of America, "this isn't a social call, is it?"

"Something's happened in our home town," Alan said, "something big."

"When the original Gotham hero and founding member of the Justice Society says big, it makes me very scared," said Nightwing.

"You should be," Alan said, "I spoke to John. He'll be here to babysit your zealots in three minutes. But we need you back in the states, now."

"Hell has come to Gotham."

oooOOoo

Gotham

"How is that possible?" Connor said.

"Are you asking me the how, or the why?" replied Allen.

"Both," Batgirl said.

"Someone opened a modified portal into hell," Allen said, "think like drilling a hole in a dam. Water shoots out, pressurized by the water that remains behind."

"Why now?" said Batgirl, "if this was possible…why hasn't someone done it before?"

"Batgirl's right," Connor said, "Felix Faust, the Demon's Three, Neron. I read the JLA files on demons, why haven't they done something like this before?"

"Because living souls act as a barrier to the spirit world," the Spectre explained, "whoever is behind this isolated Gotham, and somehow stolen the souls of its citizens. Without that, the nature of Hell is free to spill into the living world in this one small space, flooding into the now vacated bodies of the living."

"Is everyone in Gotham demons, then?" asked Connor.

"No, just the most righteous," Spectre replied, "the Batman and his companions were targeted, their souls ripped away. The worst, and those of lesser character remain."

"Ripped away?" Batgirl gasped, "what happened to them?"

"If they were suffering, I would know," Spectre replied, "beyond that, I don't know."

"That explains what happened to Oracle," Batgirl said, "she could walk, but she…wasn't there."

The Spectre nodded, "When the human soul has been torn from the body in such a manner, it's child's play for a demon to take up residence."

"Can we still save them?" Connor said, "they seem to warp the bodies they possess. If we expel them, it may kill the people they once were."

"If you can stop this, I can reverse any damage done," said the Spectre, "and hopefully, save our city."

"But why do you need us?" said Connor, "you have the power of the Spectre. Is a flash light compared to you."

"Because the Spectre is still bound by the old laws," replied Crispus Allen. He willed away the pale white and green form of the Spectre, and appeared before the heroes as he once was, as a mortal, "Hell is outside of his jurisdiction, he can only deliver souls there. Inside of Gotham, the guilty and wicked are being punished."

"And the innocent?" Batgirl said.

"…their souls are at peace," replied the Spectre, "most of them, at any rate."

"That's not reassuring," Connor said.

"Why us?" said Batgirl.

"The wave of hellfire could not touch a Saint-sinner," the Spectre explained, "as for these two, the discipline of mind and spirituality have kept them grounded."

"I didn't know I was spiritual," Silver Shrike observed.

"Anyone else…get in?" said Batgirl.

"If they can, I wouldn't be able to facilitate it," Spectre said, "I can only assist you three."

"Then, we discuss terms," Batgirl said.

"Excuse me, terms?" Spectre said.

"Terms?" Silver Shrike and Green Arrow said.

"Did I stutter?"

oooOOoo

Gotham harbor, USS Flagg

Nightwing and Green Lantern landed on the deck of the carrier. He found Mr. Terrific, Dr. Occult and Will Magnus waiting for him, their expressions grim.

Nightwing did his absolute best not to stare hopelessly at the wall of flames that surrounded Gotham. While he believed in Bruce, in Cassandra and his wife to survive any situation, theirs was still a life of uncertainty.

And nothing produced more uncertainty than a literal wall of Hellfire.

"Nightwing, glad you're here," Mr. Terrific said, "we've had the League and the Society trying to get into Gotham for a while now, and haven't had any luck."

"I left my magic key in my other long pants," Nightwing said, "any idea who's doing this? Trigon? Sabbac?"

"We've ruled them out already," Dr. Occult said, "I have a question. Has there been a rise in magic incidents around Gotham?"

"Now that you mention it, yeah," Nightwing replied, "Katana had an old enemy who had a ring that could summon demons who came after her. There was another man, who managed to hijack the Crimson Avenger for a bit. And that damned Harrow House woke up."

"That's not the worst of it," Mr. Terrific said, "Batman informed me that Checkmate was investigating Jacob Thorn for smuggling magic artifacts."

"That's what I thought," Dr. Occult said.

"Lets discuss this inside," Mr. Terrific said, "follow me to the briefing room."

Nightwing found that he was glad to have a metal wall between his vision and Gotham itself. When they reached the carrier briefing room, he was a little surprised to see two more faces that he recognized. Skyrocket, formerly of the Power Company, and Rick Flagg of the Suicide Squad.

"Skyrocket," Nightwing nodded. He hadn't worked with her, but knew of and respected her work, "hey, not to be rude, but has someone done a zombie check on Flagg here, right? Last I heard, he was dead."

"It's fine, kid," Flagg replied, "Dr. Occult will vouch for me. Skyrocket and I are here to represent the US government as, ya know, we try to save everyone in Gotham. Tax-payers kind of expect that from us."

"Okay, so we know this is magic," Nightwing said, "do we know who might have caused it, or why? How many leads have we run down?"

"According to Waller, the Society reached out and has denied all responsibility," Skyrocket said.

"As far as I'm concerned, that might as well be a confession," said Rick Flagg.

"I believe them," Mr. Terrific said, "I don't see how the Society benefits."

"Your people have a blind spot when it comes to them," Flagg said, "one of your former teammates sits on their damn council!"

Mr. Terrific's eye twitched, "Black Adam has been expelled from the JSA for some time now, and we've been clear that…"

"Enough!" Nightwing slammed his fist down on the table, "it doesn't matter!"

"There are a thousand possible scenarios," Nightwing said, "what's happening could be a minor bit player making a big play, or a new guy we've never heard of. Right now, the 'who' part of this mystery doesn't matter. What we need to know now, is the 'what'. Dr. Occult, you have the floor."

Dr. Occult took a second to realize that all attention was now focused on him.

"Obviously, I only have conjecture," Dr. Occult said, "but what Nightwing's told me, I believe it fits. He informed me that magic had been active in and around Gotham in the past several weeks. I believe whoever is responsible for what's happening in Gotham now did so, to alter the state of magic in and around Gotham."

"Alter how, exactly?" Skyrocket said, "weren't those just small incidents? Nothing on the scale of what we're seeing now."

"Little over a year ago, magic was severely wounded," Dr. Occult said, "the laws of balance have begun to settle, but they are brittle. If you know where to strike, you can break them. And if you're clever, set them however you want."

"So like dynamite fishing on a newly frozen lake," Nightwing said, "if you can break it and hold it, you can reshape the ice however you want."

"Ice, in this metaphor, being magic. The most destructive of meta incidents," Rick Flagg said, "I don't imagine this bodes well for anyone inside of Gotham."

"Correct," Dr. Occult said, "whoever is doing this, has created them own personal hell inside the city. I believe they intend to override the existing one with theirs."

"Override how, exactly?" said Skyrocket.

"Think of it as malware on your phone," Mr. Terrific said, "once its installed, it slowly spreads to everything else and takes control."

"So Gotham is caught in some God damned tug of war between devils?" Rick Flagg asked.

"Possibly," Dr. Occult said, "as we've established, we don't know why this is happening. Just the what."

"Only it doesn't end there," said Will Magnus, "everything we've been discussing? That's just the good news."

"A new hell is good news?"

"Indeed. We've detected some gravity distortions," Will Magnus said, "I believe time inside of Gotham has begun to warp. They could be experiencing days instead of hours while trapped inside."

"And what does that mean for us?" Rick Flagg said.

"We believe that, inside of two weeks, our time, the gravity distortions will begin to ripple outwards," Mr. Terrific said, "they could alter the axis of our world, making our planet very uncomfortable."

"You make global destruction almost sound polite," Skyrocket observed.

"Well, it's nit rude, just impersonal."

"The point is, we need to get inside and shut this thing down, now," Mr. Terrific said, "the longer it lasts, the worse this will be for everyone."

Nightwing felt his stomach form a knot, "Do we have any way to get inside? What about Dr. Fate or the Spectre?"

"Hector's still MIA," Mr. Terrific said, with a touch of remorse, "the Spectre comes and goes as he pleases. He may be inside, for all we know. But we can't rely on him, and we may have a way inside, and that's what we need you for. Dr. Occult, if you'd care to explain?"

"I've been informed that several insects have pierced the wall of hellfire trapping Gotham, as have several plants," Dr. Occult said, "I believe it's because they lack sentience and thus, morality. The hellfire keeps away those of us who are good and bad. But those who are neutral are completely unaffected."

"I don't see how that helps us," Nightwing said, "I'm registered as lawful good."

"Please. You're chaotic lawful at best," Rick Flagg said.

For a moment, everyone stared.

"What? I had a childhood too, you know."

"Moving on, we have a way in but it may be a long shot," Dr. Occult produced two necklaces in his hand, "these were carved from the bones of angels, cursed by demons. They were forged by heretics who wished to be made invisible to both heaven and hell."

"What's the catch?" said Nightwing.

"The men who forged these necklaces used sympathetic magic," Dr. Occult said, "the necklaces only work if there is a connection between those who are wearing them, and even then, only if there is a vast moral difference between them."

"Are you saying that, for example, Mother Teresa and Hitler would have to be related, for them to work?" Rick Flagg said, "that's a hell of a long shot."

"I'm aware of that," Dr. Occult said, "we would need a man of great evil to balance out Nightwing's pure heart."

"How close a connection?" Nightwing said.

"Family would be best," Dr. Occult said, "adopted or otherwise. No more than one person removed."

"So this all hinges on Nightwing being related to an evil bastard, who would want to stick his neck out for the rest of the world," Rick Flagg said, "do we have a plan B?"

"We don't need one," Nightwing said, "because I know exactly who to ask."

oooOOoo

Gotham

Connor Hawke and Silver Shrike watched as, in the distance, Batgirl and the Spectre seemed to shout at one another.

In this void, distance seemed to be the only thing that existed. When negotiations grew heated, the Spectre had moved Connor and Silver Shrike out of earshot, and kept them that way no matter how hard they ran.

"What do you think Sophie's asking for?" Silver Shrike said.

"I couldn't say," Connor replied, "in this circumstances, I can't imagine what you would ask for."

"You're Green Arrow, right?" Silver Shrike said, "nice to meet you. I'm Silver Shrike."

"I've heard of you," Green Arrow said curtly.

"Are you and Sophie close?"

"We're friends," Green Arrow replied, "why do you ask?"

"They're coming back," Silver Shrike said.

"We've reached an agreement," Spectre said, "I can replenish your weapons, and will see the damage repaired to Batgirl's satisfaction. In return, you will end whatever is creating this hell."

"I don't remember volunteering," Silver Shrike observed.

"You have much to account for, boy," the Spectre said, as he loomed over Silver Shrike.

"Why should I help?" Silver Shrike said, not caring that he was addressing the Wraith of God itself.

"Your family needs you," Batgirl said, "I need you."

"My family is fine," Silver Shrike said, evenly.

"Do you really believe that?"

"…fine," Silver Shrike said. He drew his guns, "unlimited ammo, right?"

"It's the most I can do," Spectre said, "I will return you to Gotham. Good luck."

The Spectre brought the trio back to reality atop Wayne Tower.

Despite how it loomed over the city, they could hear terrible, blood curdling screams. When they looked out over the edge, they saw streets littered with mini-volcanos, streets stained with blood, men and women scurrying about underneath countless demons with leathery wings looked down, eager for new prey.

"I think we need more than luck."

Next issue: Batgirl leads Silver Shrike and Green Arrow as they struggle to unravel this hell, and Nightwing teams up with an old enemy to get inside Gotham!