This is Vicki Vale reporting live from the ruins of the Old Woods Church, where a puzzling conundrum continues to bemuse Gotham City.

 

Since the burning of this church, which occurred on the night of November 3rd, the GCPD has gradually been pulling more and more evidence from the scene of the crime. This evidence suggests a scandalous affair between some of Gotham's most infamous individuals. Items recovered include:

 

A helmet belonging to Red Hood.

A uniform belonging to Robin.

A coat with a Union Jack stitched into one sleeve.

The remains of clothing belonging to Harley Quinn.

The remains of a large, unidentified species of tree.

 

And the item that most perplexes Gothamites, a journal fragment, with only one decipherable piece of written text, reading… 

 

I wish the last thing Killer-Red could have heard, was Dante’s heart beating. Whenever I think about hurting myself, I hear Killer-Red crying in the woods.

 

Here with me is Detective Harvey Bullock. What are your thoughts, Detective?

 

"We're not sure if these items point to the return of missing persons from Arkham Asylum or if they’re evidence of prior activity. The only person we all agree was here for the fire, is Red Hood. Forensics found his DNA all over Robin’s uniform. If you ask me, he's neck deep in this, probably torched the place after he got dumped by his limey floozie. My bet’s on this Dante guy being the one who made him flip his lid.”

 

Can you elaborate on that?

 

"Harley Quinn, Red Hood, Robin, whoever Dante is… hell, I wouldn't be surprised if Poison Ivy was involved. I ain’t never seen tree roots like that. Looks to me like this church was some kinda hookup spot. Boy, I’ll tell ya, that Batman’s got a lot to answer for! Alright, that’s all you’re gonna get out of me, Ms. Vale. I got stuff to do.”

 

Thank you, Detective. 

 

We know, of course that Red Hood’s real name is Jason Todd, after his notorious unmasking before his murder trial. His twenty year sentence at Arkham Asylum has since been overturned, upon Batman exposing the demon that posed as the judge in both Todd and Harley Quinn’s murder trials.

 

GCPD initially released footage captured by the Gotham City Art Museum security cameras, clearly showing an individual wearing the same helmet recovered in the ruins. The footage shows him and an unidentified man covered in paint, leaving the parking lot in a vintage,1984 Volvo Station Wagon with license plate records revealing the title to be in Jason Todd’s name. This same vehicle was confiscated at the crime scene.

 

Newly released footage, exclusively obtained by Gotham City News, shows what happened inside the museum. Here we see a mysterious young man drop right out of a painting titled, Painting of an Angel, by an anonymous artist. We then see Red Hood protecting the paint-covered man from a demon. Despite the damage he caused, the museum’s board of directors have elected not to press charges against Red Hood.

 

The mystery of the burning church deepened with the discovery of a concerning amount of dried blood, analyzed by the GCPD’s pathology team. This same blood has led Commissioner Gordon to call this case, "The suspected murder of the individual referred to as, Killer-Red.”

 

Upon analysis, this blood proved to be a partial match for Dante, the Legendary Devil Hunter, who’s demon eradication business, Devil May Cry, is highly celebrated in Jump City. We visited him outside his shop last week for a statement. 

 

"My alibi is solid. I was tending to my dying brother right here. Right, Vergil? He’s fine now. Just ask the Titans, they were here too.”

 

“Are you concerned that someone related to you may be committing crimes in Gotham?”

 

“Absolutely not. I have a son named Dante. He's also a Devil Hunter.”

 

“Is he the Arkham Angel?”

 

“That’s not for me to say.”

 

“Can you tell us who Killer-Red is?”

 

“No, but I can tell you that Dante would never hurt him.”

 

It was then that we were shoved aside by the Devil Hunter’s aforementioned brother, Vergil.

 

"Dante! Why would you freely give them ANY information?”

 

"Nothing wrong with a man being proud of his kids for following in his footsteps, Vergil.”

 

“For the record, tell us, Dante, are you also proud of your son for possibly burning down a historic, religious monument?"

 

“An angel burning down a church? I’m sure he had a good reason. Maybe it was tainted. Either way, I’ll bail him out of the slammer any day! Hell, I'll even be his lawyer!”

 

"Oh for the love of-no more questions!”

 

As you can see, this is when Vergil threatened our cameraman with a palm to the lens. 

 

“Vacate or die.”

 

“We will be pressing harassment charges, Vergil.”

 

"On what grounds? You came to our abode.”

 

“However you want to spin it, we have everything recorded for the world to see.”

 

“I’m not the bad guy. You should be so lucky to have myself, Dante, and Little Dante fighting for your safety, Vicki Vale.”

 

“Vergil’s right! Property damage comes with being a Devil Hunter. Better a building perishes than a human being. My boy was protecting you and everybody else in Gotham.” 

 

“Are you saying that Dante is the one who burned down the Old Woods Church?”

 

“Uuuuh, you said that, not me.”

 

“You called him an angel. Is he the Arkham Angel?”

 

“He’s MY little angel. We done here?”

 

“Are you hiding him in your shop?”

 

“What?” 

 

"Can we come inside?”

 

“No!”

 

“Begone, thot.”

 

“I was talking to Dante.”

 

“So was I! Dante, get inside!”

 

At this point, while Vergil shoved Dante back inside the shop, Dante proceeded to give us the bird.

 

"Hey Vicki, put a spin on THIS.”

 

The Devil Hunter's choice of words to describe his son, also named Dante, has only increased speculation tying this mystery man to the Arkham Angel. 

 

Could Dante Junior be the Arkham Angel? If so, it could explain how the church, which stood solid for over a century, suddenly crumbled in a fire. Was it his wings? Perhaps his sword? 

 

The few witnesses we could find only seemed to add to the confusion. 

 

Bailey Booshie, a local resident told us that she saw a flash of white light in the early morning.

 

"Yeah, so I was, like, walking my Best in Show Poodle because she has insomnia, and over the hill, I saw this bright light and I was like, ‘Oh my God, FeeFee, did you see that flash of white light? That totally has to be coming from that creepy church! Let’s get out of here!’ And then we jogged home because sprinting makes FeeFee’s ankles swell. You guys know people totally did drugs in that church, right? Like, totally.”

 

Another local, requesting to officially be referred to as, The California Kush, had this to say…

 

"That place had some bad juju, man. I'm pretty sure it was Red Hood who tried to run me out one time, man. For going to church, man!"

 

Public records show that the deed of the church is also in Jason Todd’s name. Was his church intended to be a hideout for some kind of outlaw gang? 

 

Is there any veracity to Detective Bullock’s claims of the Red Hood developing a volatile, passionate relationship with the Legendary Devil Hunter’s son, Dante? 

 

“Not what I said! Great, that’s just what I need, a couple of Devil Huntin’ dads on my back. Ah jeez, there’s another cockroach in my trench coat. If they don’t kill me, my landlord will!”

 

Did that journal belong to Jason Todd or one of the others tied to the scene? Where do Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy come into this? Was the church simply attacked by demons or did Jason Todd stage an arson-based suicide over his spurned advances? 

 

Maybe the journal means nothing, or maybe there’s a code to be broken. 

 

I wish the last thing Killer-Red could have heard, was Dante’s heart beating. Whenever I think about hurting myself, I hear Killer-Red crying in the woods.

 

The woods, is that code for, Old Woods Church? Killer-Red crying in the woods, is Killer-Red code for, Robin? We captured footage of Batman and Robin chasing a suspect of armed robbery just last night. As you can see in the playback, Robin seems to be alive and well. 

 

Before we allow this entire report to devolve into a rabbit hole of conspiracy theories, I invite the citizens of Gotham to consider this…

 

Having Red Hood back in Gotham may ultimately mean that we now have our own Devil Hunter with us again. And if he’s partnered with Dante, the Legendary Devil Hunter’s son, then maybe, just maybe, the destruction of this church, could have very well been, in our best interest.

 

On that note, we’ve just received breaking news that a treacherous demon has been spotted near the Gotham City Courthouse. Red Hood, Arkham Angel, if you’re out there, please, Gotham needs your help! We need you, the both of you. I’ll keep you informed Gotham, let’s hope they show up! This is Vicki Vale, signing off.

 

At Wayne Manor…

 

In the library, Alfred manually switches off a swanky deco television set. In the presence of Bruce and Dante, sitting comfortably in two wingback chairs in the round, he concludes…

 

“Quite frankly sirs, the most unlikely miracle of this whole sordid affair is the ponderous nature of miss Vale's continued employment.”

 

“Nah, she’s alright,” Dante replies warmly. “Now we know where to hunt tonight.”

 

“The Sparda Brothers are clearly in need of media training. Master Bruce, shall I send young Damian to over to Devil May Cry? His jealously of Master Drake isn’t doing anyone any favors and I don’t think those two are soon to forget his… teaching style.”

 

“Let me sleep on that on that one, Alfred. Dante, if Jason lets the police know he’s not taking you to court for property damage, this whole thing will likely fizzle out. It’s not compelling news when nobody’s pressing charges. Vicki will probably move on to something speculative about Batman instead.” 

 

Dante questions, “What are we supposed to tell the police? The place burned down from my Angel Trigger? How do I explain what that means?”

 

Bruce reassures, “For all her faults, Vicki Vale’s coverage of your Angel Trigger at Arkham Asylum painted your powers in a positive light. The police were grateful for the help.”

 

Dante considers, “I know Jason has security footage of what happened at the church saved on his phone. They can see for themselves how things went down. That church meant a lot to both of us, but do you honestly think the cops will give a shit?”

 

“It’s been a few weeks,” Bruce notes. “They’ve got new priorities. The timing is right to come clean. You’re the Arkham Angel. Jim Gordon will appreciate knowing you’re around, trust me on this.”

 

Alfred jokes, “You can always tell them there was a cockroach and the whole place needed to be torched to a crisp as a result. I guarantee Commissioner Gordon’s not a fan of Bullock’s trench coat back at the station.”

 

Dante chuckles, speaking sarcastically, “So accidentally burning down a building because there was a demon inside is controversial, but seeing a cockroach is an acceptable reason to commit arson?” 

 

“No,” Bruce deadpans.

 

“Yes,” Alfred replies matter-of-factly.

 

“Alright, you guys win,” Dante laughs.

 

Alfred adds dryly, “Give me a demon any day over a cockroach! I, for one, would have no choice but to burn down Wayne Manor in the presence of such nauseating vermin.”

 

They hear Jason’s voice, “Speaking of nauseating vermin, what’s up guys?”

 

He enters the room wearing new attire as Killer-Red. 

 

Though the materials are different, the look remains the same, minus the cape. 

 

Replicating Dante’s Neo clothing, the base-look for Killer-Red’s youthful uniform in Hell, this new uniform holds true to the original inspiration, but is reinforced with various layers of kevlar and metal plates over his legs, chest, back, shoulders and upper arms. Red cloth wrapped around his torso, forearms and wrists, a red hood, charcoal tactical gloves, steel reinforced boots, and of course, a red X painted across half of his face, his white fringe peaking out from his forehead.

 

Dante, feeling both sentimental and protective, tells his friend…

 

“I love everything about this except your holsters are empty. Here.” 

 

He hands him Ebony and Ivory. Honored, Jason accepts them with hesitation.

 

“Are you sure?”

 

“Yes, I’m sure, Jason.”

 

“I take it you two will be heading to the courthouse then?” Alfred asks.

 

“Hell yes,” nods Jason.

 

Batman offers, “I’ll drop you two off using the Batwing. When you’re done, will you be returning here or back to your apartment?”

 

“Back to the apartment,” Dante replies. “It’s great here, but if we don’t go home and stay home, something evil might decide to move in.”

 

“Until next time then,” Alfred tells them. “Enjoy your carnage.”

 

Quickly they head out, time slowing just a little in the Batwing. The interior isn’t super spacious, with three seats in a vertical row. Batman, Jason behind Batman, Dante behind Jason. He’s quiet as they converse, their conversation reminding him of himself and his father.

 

“I’m happy that you chose to stay at the manor for a little while to teach me more about who you are and what you can really do. I’ve learned a lot from you. I hope Gotham will appreciate you. I’m proud of you, Jason.”

 

“Thanks, Bats.”

 

“Remember I’m here to help, whenever you need me. I’m sorry I haven’t always been there for you.”

 

“It’s alright, Bruce. I forgive you. Honestly, it was all worth it, all the pain and agony with Joker, all the shit in prison. It was worth it. It put me in the right place at the right time. I got something priceless out of it.”

 

He turns his head to Dante.

 

“Isn’t that right, my friend?”

 

“Fuck yeah,” Dante lovingly grins, feeling adored. Batman seeks Jason’s instruction. 

 

“The roof or the ground?”

 

“Drop us off on the roof of the Library, across the street.”

 

“You got it. Take care of each other,” Batman tells them.

 

“Always,” Dante replies.

 

Batman then pulls a latch to lock their chairs from the sliding floorboards. Now they can drop via two open slots in the floor of the Batwing. Batman pauses the jet to hover steadily in midair, so they can exit.

 

“Let’s go!” Jason exclaims.

 

SWOOP. They both land with near silent stealth. Swiftly, Batman flies off, leaving them to the echo of a terrifying shriek in the soft wind of the night. 

 

Dante summons his sword, bright-eyed over the gift of both a new blade and an inverted version of his father’s jacket. These special items shape-shifted to match their new owner and came tied to an indescribable tenderness. Knowing they were given to him out of such paternal love makes him want to utilize them for wrecking the worst of demons, and guarding his most beloved human.

 

“You ready, Killer-Red?”

 

“I’m ready. Time to go hunting in Gotham City. Wow, and Batman endorses it! He knows how much you mean to me.”

 

“Good. I’m sure this place won’t disappoint. Plenty of demons to kill. Heh, you look so goddamn cool.”

 

“I feel so goddamn cool. After what happened in the woods, I used to gaze at my ruined uniform under yours, and try and tell my little self that one day, maybe one day, little me, you’ll get to be hugged by Dante again. If that day never comes, then I’ll hug you. I can’t make the crying stop the way he can but I can keep you warm.”

 

Jovially, Dante puts his arm around him.

 

“You’re so resilient, I love it.”

 

“Thanks! You finally came home to me! And now we’re gonna hunt demons together in Gotham!”

 

“Hell yeah, we are! Picking right up where we left off, my dearest friend.”

 

“Yes! Oh my God, it’s what I live for!”

 

“Same here, Jason. And after this, we’ll go home, and pig out, and then pass out?”

 

“Dante, it’s all I want!”

 

Another demonic shriek, this time followed by a nostalgic hiss. Killer-Red’s eyes glow green, he whips out Ebony and Ivory. Dante is inquisitive.

 

“After we pulverize this thing, whatcha wanna do when the news crews show up?”

 

“Tell ‘em my name is Killer-Red.”