Sublime Rhyme



Angel wants to curse as his phone rings, barely having opened up his book to the bookmark. There's a startled jump to the left of him where Simon was also reading quietly in his own chair with one of his familiars, Suzie. The man looks over, eyes wide with curiosity and Angel closes his eyes for a moment to breathe in to calm himself- the shill ringtone starts up again and Angel really does curse this time.



"What is with all this racket today!

I just want to read, let my mind play!"



Angel sighs in exasperation and roots around in his pocket for his cell and grimaces when he sees the caller ID: "Kate Kane". Yes, he's currently in his and Simon's office, but that doesn't mean she can call him whenever?!?!



"Detective, now you see here,

I may not be something to fear.

But that doesn't mean I'm open for all hours!

You better be dealing with great and old powers!"



He snarks into the receiver and purses his lips even further when all he hears is her chuckling at him! Simon slowly gets up from his favorite chair and quietly walks over, wanting to listen in on the conversation now that he knows it's Kate calling, Gaius hopping from his perch to the back of Angel's chair to listen in. Tom is the one that usually mentally calls, but Kate always uses the phone.



"Not quite Angel, but I do have someone to introduce you and Simon to. You two think you'll be open long enough for a quick necromancy consult?" Kate says, using her Bat voice and Angel rolls his eyes as he sets his book to the side. He knew this sort of thing was going to happen, god damn it! He never gets any time off.



"What is this about more necromancy?

Another victim caught your guy's fancy?

And there I thought you found the bastard.

Maybe tonight, instead, I should get plastered."



Angel grumbles as he shifts his phone to put it on speaker so that Simon could listen in better and maybe even put in his two cents if he really wanted to. He, as expected, leans in and starts petting Suzie under her chin.



"Don't be like that. I have more than just a body for you to meet. My nephew finally decided to join my side of the family business." Kate sounds like she's trying to sound serious as she talks to him, but Angel knows that she finds his way of talking funny as shit and so is probably giggling like a freak on the inside. His only comfort is that she probably reacts the same way when his father speaks too. Though her offer is tempting. He doesn't know which nephew it is that she stole from Batman, but he knows it's either Hood or the little Robin. No one else of the clan can actually do any magic, though Nightwing's ability to deal with the Parliament is borderline magic…



"Now this I gotta see.

Going after your own family tree?

Shoot us an address, a place to be."



Angel finishes as he gets up from his nice comfy wing back chair to get ready to go. Simon excitedly puts down Suzie to get himself ready too, grabbing his coat and checking to see if Marty is sleeping in the breast pocket before searching around for where he threw his left boot. Angel rolls his eyes fondly at the sight as he gets ready as well, probably dressed too spiffy in dove gray suit slacks and a red velvet vest over a high collared cream dress shirt. All he had to do was put on his brogues and his Persian carpet coat. Simon finds his boot with an 'Aha!' before promptly moving to pull it on as Angel steps into his own shoes while still talking to Kate.



"You have sent me the address, yes?

Simon and I are now dressed to impress.

However, my dear Detective.

Tonight, what is your directive?"



Angel asks as he pulls on his coat and checks his text messages for the address that Kate must have already sent. Yup, there it was. Four blocks away, basically out of the Village. Angel waits for Suzie and Gaius to climb up onto Simon's shoulders as Kate finishes up her pitch.



"Well evidence is looking sparse other than a possible ritual gone wrong. I just need you to confirm if this is the same one as last time" Kate answers and Angel scowls. Of course that's why she would call them in. They're the best Dark Magic practitioners around and Demonic Rituals are definitely something that's in Angel's wheelhouse. The half demon glances over at his work partner and raises an eyebrow as if to ask 'You in?'



"Of course we'll help. That's our jobs. Plus neither of us like Demons skulking about in the Village." Simon agrees with a smile on his preferred work face and with a simple twist of space, the two enter the In-Between. The walk to the alley the body is in is a fast one, though it would probably take less time for Angel to simply teleport there. Angel instead uses the extra time to close the call and slip his phone into his pocket.



"Hello, Batwoman!" Simon calls with a wave as the two of them step out of the In-Between a few feet behind the vigilantes. Kate doesn't even flinch but the man in the crimson helmet startles, hand going towards his gun as he whips around to see who spoke. He doesn't even relax when he sees who they are, just watches them warily.



"Hello Angel, Simon. Glad to see you could both make it." Kate says as she doesn't look up from the body sprawled out on the dirty ground of the wet alleyway. The body doesn't look to be in good shape, half torn to shreds.



"Well, I'll be over flowing with intrigue.

This looks like the result of a blitzkrieg.

I'm pretty sure this is a different John Doe.

This presentation isn't like the last one's M.O."



Angel comments as he leans between Kate and Hood to take a closer look at the body, ignoring the yellow tape stretched across the mouth of the alleyway. The demon summoned from before was one that liked to strip some of the bones from it's victims for food. The demon really just was an attack dog for it's summoner and wasn't to terribly sentient. This, on the other hand, looked like the result of torture. Like the killer was doing this as payback and wanted to hurt for a good long while till the person died. Which speaks of more of a mind than the other one hand.



"And here I thought it was the same thing from last time. I recognized the smell and it looks gory enough." Batwoman comments and Angel hums in confirmation as he stands back up to his full height.



"Definitely a similar species, just a lot more powerful. I can feel how they scraped away her pain with their teeth." Simon agrees from Batwoman's other side, holding Suzie in his arms as Gaius loomed over his shoulder and eyed the corpse with an intelligent eye. The two magicians study the body for a moment as Simon tries to figure out if there's even a soul left to summon and Angel contemplates if the brain would be able to remember it's last hour of life if he reanimated the corpse. The lips and jaw were still mostly intact after all.



"Okay, why are Dr. Seuss and Edgar Allen Poe here? I thought you let me tag along because you wanted some help hunting the crazy down." The Red Hood asks in the ensuing silence and the two magical consultants look at him for a long moment before turning to Kate with a flat expression.



"You didn't tell him?" Simon asks disapprovingly and Angel tuts wordlessly.



"Well it got him here eventually didn't it?" Kate grumbles and Angel rolls his eyes at another show of the Signature Bat Non Communication.



"What your aunt meant to say:

Is that she consults us to help her find her prey.

Magicians Simon Dark and Angel Espinoza, here to aid.

Y'know, as long as we're adequately paid."



Angel introduces themselves in an unintentionally dramatic fashion. That's just what happens when one only speaks in rhymes.



"Batwoman called us in to see if this victim was mauled by the same demon she managed to dispel last week. Which it isn't, so now we're trying to see if we can get any info from the body by magical means." Simon explains with a shrug and Angel can't tell if Hood is looking incredulous or stupefied considering his helmet, but her certainly looks it in his body language.



"Which, BW, you may have to rely on Angel for this one. Her soul seems to have been devoured. I cannot call it back to answer questions." Simon adds on, turning back to the woman with a sheepish shrug as Hood's gaze also turned to his aunt with definite accusation.



"Hey, you wanted to know about my side of the job. B does the mundane crimes while the Magical side of Gotham's night life are dealt with by me." She points out in amusement and Hood grumbles so lowly his modulator can't make out the words.



"Which is a good thing considering how Cursed the city is. If you just had one detective, then you Bats wouldn't get anything done." Simon comments in amusement as Marty sticks his little head out of his favorite pocket, whiskers moving a mile a minute as he takes in all the smells around the group.



"So, Irony, do your stuff and please don't make it as morbid as last time." Batwoman orders jokingly and Angel sends her a sidelong glance at her unfortunately appropriate choice of nickname.



"Must you keep calling me so?

I am opposite of my name, this I know.

As for last commune's level of gore,

That was to keep the night from being a bore."



Angel points out with a wave of his hand over the body as he casts a reanimating spell. At first nothing happens, then the whole body jolt's upright with an open mouthed gasp.



"HARK! NEPHALEM DEFILED HAR-" The corpse shudders after the shout and then slumps back to the ground as Angel dismisses the spell, his wide eyes glance over to Simon as the words set in. He could have continued it, but having a raving corpse around is likely a bad idea for more than one reason.



"Oh. Well that is very bad. We're dealing with a Fallen Halfling." Simon sucks on his teeth with nervousness and glances down at his familiars. Batwoman's lips purse in that way that tells Angel that she's furrowing her brows under her mask and Hood seems more than a little shaken that a corpse had just screamed at him with no warning.



"Have you heard of any Nephalem nearby?" He asks the three familiars, knowing they wander the city's streets much more frequently and further than he does.



"Naw. 'Avn't seen much on da streets, Hon. Been almost quiet, really." Suzie responds and Hood pauses in what Angel assumes is surprise.



"Nothing from the tower roofs nor the skies either. Though there have been more grackles about than usual." Gaius responds from Simon's shoulder, preening his hair after the declaration.



"Whispers. From the sewers. They say that she used to have wings." Marty says quietly and Simon smiles at him proudly, reaching into the pocket to pet the rats head with heavy handed delight.



"What the fuck?" Hood asks quietly as Simon then proceeds to hand Marty over to Batwoman with a completely serious expression on his face. Angel chuckles at his confusion and pats him on his, frankly massive, shoulder with an easygoing grin as he holds out their business card to the crime lord.



"For you, Chosen One.

Because your job is not nearly done.

When you need the assistance.

Call and we'll cross the distance.

Now, newly acquired friend.

We have a Nephalem to end.

We will require your All Blades for this endeavor.

For, when fallen, only your blades can they sever."



Angel says and grins when the anti-hero takes the card with a hesitant hand.