I Reap Souls In DC

12 advance chapters in my Patreon.

Patreon.com/Saintbarbido.

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(General P.O.V)

No one stopped the two heroes as they walked through the hallway. A middle aged woman dressed in a doctor's coat, met them before the door to the room.

"Gentlemen."

She greeted.

"Follow me."

"How is he doing Dr.Baits?"

Batman asked as the doctor pushed the door to the ward. The nurse inside finished collecting the sheets, folded them up and excused herself.

"He's...stable."

The doctor answered, handing over the reports to Batman. Zatara raised an eyebrow.

"Is that allowed?"

The doctor shook her head.

"No, it's not. But I figure there's no harm done. Commissioner Gordon is loved by many in the city. It's sad to see him like this. If you'll excuse me."

She left the both of them inside.

"Lovely doctor."

Zatara commented with a small grin.

"Dr. Baits has always been sympathetic to the cause."

Batman said under his breath, flipping through the report.

"Mmh. His body is...strong enough. There are no lingering traits from the Lazarus Pit."

Batman told Zatara, handing over the file. As the magician read it for himself, The dark knight pressed a series of keys on his wrist computer.

"I have the camera on loop."

He informed Zatara.

The magician sighed, handing back the file.

"I'm not entirely sure we should perform it here, Bruce. In a hospital."

Despite his words, he stretched his hand inside his shirt pocket and came out with a large medallion.

"I hope you also understand how important this artifact is."

He pointed out, stepping closer to the Dark Knight.

"If it's money..."

Batman begun with a small smile.

"Important Bruce, not valuable."

Zatara retorted.

He held the medallion by the chain before placing a palm over it.

"nekawA nocaeB luos" (Soul Beacon Awaken)

The words that escaped his lips were followed by a pulse of yellow light from the gemstone in the middle of the medallion.

The light washed over Batman, causing the faded silhouette of one Jim Gordon to flash over his gray clad body. The light retreated back into the medallion.

"There. Done. Now for the second part."

Zatara said, walking around the bed to stand at Gordon's other side.

He held the medallion above the sleeping commissioner's bed and uttered the spell.

"nekawA." (Awaken)

There was a flash of blue light that quickly disappeared, the energy cutting off before the spell could completely manifest. Zatara frowned heavily.

"Oh dear."

"What happened?" Batman asked in a serious tone.

"The transfer of his soul from the medallion failed."

Zatara replied.

Batman looked at Gordon's body, lying on the bed.

"Plan B."

He stated, looking as if he'd bitten into a bitter lemon.

(Davian's P.O.V)

The Gotham Cathedral was the very definition of archaic and Grand.

Well, grand was a bit of a stretch actually. It was a massive tower that shot up towards the sky near the outskirts of Broad Avenue.

Gargoyles stuck out like spurs at the top of the Cathedral, looking down at the brick road and stairway leading to the belfry like silent guardians. Like the rest of Gotham, a white carpet of snow covered the ground.

The portal emptied us out below the stairs. Street lights spaced out along the road giving us enough light for it to be visible. The sound of breaking glass clued us in on the homeless person sleeping on the bench next to the wall running around church grounds. The shattered remains of a beer bottle laid on the ground.

The sound then sent black forms that turned out to be crows flapping away into the night sky, abandoning the dry tree they had been perched on.

"First impression: not good."

Raven said quietly.

"Let's go."

Artemis replied, reaching for her bow while stretching her shoulders.

"Wait."

I stopped her.

"We need a plan. Rushing inside blindly is not smart."

Especially because of the feeling the place gave off. A sort of gloomy atmosphere that permeated the stone making up the entire structure. This was not the aura a place of worship was supposed to exude.

Inside my Inner World, I could feel Chase' restlessness as well.

"Be careful. Something is not right."

He warned.

"Ok." Artemis accepted with a snort.

"What's the plan, o' fearless leader?"

Before I could answer, the bell at the top of the church begun to ring. The sound was ominous, sending a noticeable shiver across the Archer's back. To her benefit though, she shook off the nervousness easily.

"Yeah, maybe we need a plan."

She said, more agreeable this time.

"Raven?"

I asked my partner, palm closing around the pommel of my weapon.

"Yeah, I can see it too."

Raven replied, the three of us staring up at the silhouette crouched on one of the gargoyles.

The figure had sharp long ears and red eyes that glinted with menace. Then with a mighty flap of it's leathery wings, the Man Bat rose into the air with a screech.

The sound bounced around the air, layered with something that stirred at the edges of my spirit sense.

"Get ready."

I told them.

Then the ground rumbled. Reikaku spread out of me as I scanned our surroundings.

"Guys what's..."

Artemis words were cut off as Raven lunged for her, just as Man Bat swooped down, the claws on his feet glinting in the air.

I left him for the girls to handle.

Something had registered in my scan, moving through the tunnels underground. Whatever it was, it exploded out into the air like a sludge of mud. Dirty water splashed around as the mud tsunami expanded, trying to drown us but I was faster. Chesha Neko flashed through the air, splitting the thing in two.

Mud fell on either side of us.

A shocked yell sounded out as Artemis was grabbed off the ground. Shunpo gave me a boost while I jumped up at her, hand stretched out to grab her arm. Something thick and cold gripped onto my left leg and begun pulling me back.

I snarled in frustration, looking down.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"

Raven chanted, sweeping past me. Her fists glowed with black aura, hot on the heels of Artemis and Man-Bat. She fired energy bolts that the bat creature ducked.

Meanwhile I had found out what the thing on my leg was. A long muddy hand that was connected to a humanoid muddy figure with red eyes in its droopy face.

"You're Clayface."

I realized, with narrowed eyes. Then the mud limb was sliced apart with a single swing. Landing on the ground, I rolled to his left, escaping a sweeping blow from his clay hand.

Now that I was this close to him, my palm was laid flat in the air under his torso.

"Hado no. 1: Sho."

A repulsive bolt slammed into his chest, blasting the torso and head portion to nothing. The mud splattered out into the surroundings. He lost form, dropping and spreading into the ground or coalescing into clumps.

Was that really it? I couldn't imagine Clayface could give off the gloomy aura I had felt earlier.

"That is not the danger I sensed."

Chase said.

Then the danger made itself known by tearing apart the doors to the Cathedral. They went flying away as a large hulking form jumped, clearing the stairs to land infront of me.

The ground shook from the impact caused by the new enemy. His hulky form looming over me. There was something familiar about him. He opened his mouth and I realized who it was. Killer Croc.

'What is Croc doing here?' I wondered, my body stiffening in preparation for a fight. I had to crane my neck to actually stare at him. Was he always this tall? Or big?

Croc roared in my face. His red eyes looking animalistic. Faster than I was expecting, his claws sped out towards my neck.

I blinked, my mind taken back to a few weeks ago. I had had to duck then. Needed to dodge. I hadn't had a choice. Because one single contact would have given me broken bones and torn organs. One single blow and I would have been done for.

That was then. This is now.

Chesha Neko's sheath was in my hands in the the blink of an eye, held along my forearm. Reiryoku expanded into a shield that received Croc's blow without a problem. The impact only slightly moved me, my feet dragging onto the ground before I ground my teeth and pushed out with my own enhanced strength, blowing his hand back.

The cloak over him fell off his shoulders and Killer Croc, bigger than the first time I had seen him, with Man Bat ears and fangs on his face was fully revealed. A long thick tail swished behind his back.

The new and improved Killer Croc paced around me, suddenly wary after seeing me tank his attack. I faced him feeling a strange sense of accomplishment. My weapon's sheath was gripped on one hand while the other had Chesha Neko pointed at him.

"I'm not as weak as I was before, Croc."

My words set him off and he roared, exposing more sharp teeth in rows along his wide jaws.