The Second Book of Babylon

by Barry Reese

  The Second Book of Babylon

  By

  Barry Reese

  THE SECOND BOOK OF BABYLON

  A Pro Se Productions Publication

  All rights reserved under U.S. and International copyright law. This book is licensed only for the private use of the purchaser. May not be copied, scanned, digitally reproduced, or printed for re-sale, may not be uploaded on shareware or free sites, or used in any other manner without the express written permission of the author and/or publisher. Thank you for respecting the hard work of the author.

  Written by Barry Reese

  Editing by Pete Hicks and Amanda Berthault

  Cover and interior images by George Sellas

  Book Design by Antonino Lo Iacono

  www.prose-press.com

  THE SECOND BOOK OF BABYLON

  Copyright © 2019 Barry Reese

  Table of Contents

  Chapter I In the Spirit of Vengeance

  Chapter II Slimelight

  Chapter III Man and Woman

  Chapter IV Dark Reunion

  Chapter V Revelations

  Chapter VI Christmas Wishes

  Chapter VII Olympus Falls

  Chapter VIII Furious

  Chapter IX Paint It Black

  Chapter X The Fast and the Furious

  Chapter XI Twists and Turns

  Chapter XII Wrong Decisions

  Chapter XIII Ladies’ Night

  Chapter XIV Everything Old Is New Again

  About The Author

  Who Is Babylon?

  Gideon, born in the 18th century, was the slave to a devil-worshipping plantation owner named Abraham Black, who had his own name added to each of his slaves’ names to show his ownership of them. Gideon Black fell in love with the daughter of the plantation owner—a stunning beauty named Magdalena—and the two carried on a secret affair that came to a terrible conclusion when she gave birth to Gideon’s son. Abraham was outraged at this and had his daughter tied to a post in the center of the front yard, intending to have her burned at the stake for cavorting with a black man and tainting the family line. Gideon was beaten and tied up in the storm cellar of the plantation house, where his own fate would be decided after the murder of his beloved.

  Magdalena had learned much of her father’s teachings, however—with her dying breath, she summoned the Furies of myth to take revenge on her father. The entities slew nearly everyone on the plantation and were about to exact their own awful justice upon Abraham when the occultist made a pact of his own: he summoned Lucifer himself and offered a deal—the souls of both Gideon and the spawn of Gideon’s relationship with Magdalena. Lucifer accepted this offer and empowered Gideon with armor forged in the depths of Hell. Gideon became Babylon, the cosmic spirit of dark vengeance, and successfully banished The Furies.

  Learning of his master’s crimes and that the dark lord had taken his son’s soul, Gideon committed suicide. When Lucifer went to claim Gideon’s soul, an archangel appeared and demanded that Gideon be spared. A compromise was reached: Gideon’s soul would be bonded to the infernal armor and could be summoned by any of his bloodline in future years. Thus, he would serve both Heaven and Hell, claimed by neither.

  Through the years, many of Gideon’s family line served their time as Babylon, offering up retribution for the spilling of innocent blood. In the late 1930s, a man named Daniel Higgins became Babylon after he and his sister Stella stumbled upon a mob hit taking place in the Sovereign City Cemetery. The killers feared that the couple might be able to identify them, and the mob boss ordered them killed. While fleeing, Stella was shot in the head, entering a coma and eventually dying. Daniel stumbled upon a strange suit of armor; when he touched it, the metal seemed to flow over his skin and transformed him into Babylon.

  Babylon’s personality was quite different from the quiet and unassuming Daniel, but over the years their personas began to blend. The Babylon entity lacked memories of his true origins for years and it was not until the latter part of the twentieth century that he finally uncovered his history as Gideon Black. During this time, Daniel was kept young by the power of the Babylon armor, making him the longest tenured host of Gideon’s spirit. Daniel and Gideon fought the forces of evil through the Second World War and far beyond, crossing paths with Daniel’s half-brother Johnny Galahad, a private eye that specialized in the occult, and Jennifer Black, a sorceress that was descended from a line of Atlantean mages.

  The role of Babylon was as much a curse as anything else. Serving as the cosmic spirit of vengeance put friends and loved ones in constant peril and Daniel was forced to watch as many of them were killed by his enemies; even those that escaped a violent end grew old and passed away, while he himself stayed young. Daniel eventually began traveling the world, afraid of settling down in one place for too long since his foes would inevitably find him. Amongst his most persistent enemies were Lucifer; Damian, the devil’s son; the vampire known as Bloodshot; and the serial murderer Straw Man.

  Eventually, Babylon journeyed into Hell itself to unlock the truth about his past. He succeeded, revealing that the spirit within the armor was Gideon Black and that both Johnny Galahad and Jennifer Black were descendants of his. At the climax of the adventure, Daniel was killed at long last and Gideon Black became ruler of Hell alongside Johnny Galahad’s deceased wife Roxanne, who had been revived as a demonic entity known as Delilah.

  Shortly thereafter, a confused Babylon reappeared on Earth, running amok. He was seemingly restored to normalcy after Daniel reappeared and the two merged again. How Daniel was still alive was left unanswered at that time...

  Cast of Characters

  Babylon/Gideon Black: The soul of a man condemned to exist in a shapeless void, emerging only when innocents are imperiled. Since gaining an understanding of his true origins, Gideon Black has tried in vain to free his family line from the curse he has left them with. He is a serious figure, obsessed with protecting the innocent and punishing the guilty.

  Daniel Higgins: In 1940, Dan was a young jazz musician, playing trumpet in Sovereign City. He loved his sister Stella and was a quiet, studious young man... His plans to become successful enough to escape the racism that held him back were upended when he bonded with the spirit of Gideon Black. He spent much of the next seventy years serving as the host for Babylon and traveling the world, trying to keep anyone from noticing that he was aging far slower than normal.

  Jennifer Black: Single girl, aspiring sorceress, and investigator of the unknown. Jennifer has only recently learned that she is related to Johnny Galahad and Daniel Higgins. She fears that her destiny is not her own and that she is a pawn to forces greater than herself.

  Topaz: A Gypsy empath who’s been associated with Catalyst, the most powerful sorcerer in the world, Topaz is fated to play an important role in Babylon’s life.

  Johnny Galahad: Daniel Higgins’s half-brother and cousin to Jennifer Black. To save the life of the man who raised him, stunt motorcyclist John Galahad sold his soul to Lucifer. He became a private eye, constantly drawn to the supernatural, and spent many years fearing his eventual punishment in Hell. He managed to free himself eventually, got married to a woman named Roxanne, and became the father to two children, Greg and Nancy. Kept young by his exposure to the supernatural, Johnny has served as the host for Babylon on several occasions.

  Damian: Lucifer’s son, Damian is Babylon’s greatest nemesis. Armed with ungodly power and a drive for unspeakable evil, Damian poses a threat to the entire world.

  Bansi: The owner of the Ancient Tomes Bookstore and Café in London. A quiet, intelligent man, Bansi is well versed in the supernatural.

  Byron the Enchanter: Jennifer’s old mentor, an expert in Atlantean-based
magic. Has a tendency to wear tall hats.

  Retribution: Michael Bolan gained control of a slightly less powerful version of the Babylon armor; he used it first to attack the hero but after several encounters, he elected to use his powers for the good of mankind.

  Stacy Allen: A young woman that became Daniel Higgins’s lover in the early twenty-first century. Their affair came to an end when Babylon’s enemies made her their target and Daniel abandoned her for her own safety.

  Chapter I In the Spirit of Vengeance

  New York City, 2010

  Daniel Higgins moved through the frightened crowd, his heart hammering in his chest. So much was confusing, so much uncertain. The one thing that he knew beyond a doubt was that the scene before him was simply impossible.

  In front of him were two colorful individuals locked in mortal combat. One was the vigilante known as The Peregrine; he was the fourth to bear the mantle and the first to do so outside the Davies family line. Daniel had fought alongside the previous Peregrines—Max, William, and Emma—but he had no idea who lurked behind the mask and costume these days. Battling The Peregrine was a figure that Daniel knew much better: a silver-armored individual whose body was lined with glowing blue highlights. The armor had been forged in Hell and allowed the spirit of Gideon Black to interact with his descendants, using their bodies as conduits for his actions. Normally the lower face of the host was exposed by the armor... but now there was only the bony chin of a skeleton showing, which meant that somehow Gideon was operating without a human host.

  The authorities had created a cordoned-off area around them, but the hearty New Yorkers refused to yield completely. They crowded in as much as possible, snapping photos with their phones and shouting, acting as if they were at a professional wrestling event. The heavy guns would be on the scene soon—the SWAT team, most likely. Daniel knew he had to move quickly.

  Suddenly shoving his way through the police cordon, Daniel ignored the yelling of a cop and ran right up to the armored form of Babylon. The Peregrine backed off, confused by the sudden arrival of Daniel and the way that Babylon ceased his attacks.

  “Gideon?” Daniel asked, reaching out to lightly touch Babylon’s shoulder. The armor felt icy, like it had been housed in a freezer. “What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be ruling in Hell.”

  “I do not know...” Babylon said, shaking his head. There were no eyes visible beneath the helmet’s slits—only black voids.

  “Look, Gideon, it’s me. Daniel. The guy you were bonded with for like seventy years? Any of this ringing a bell?”

  “I am not HE!”

  Daniel caught Babylon as he stumbled forward. It was strange to see him so weak, so out of sorts. Of course, Daniel could sympathize; the last thing he remembered about himself was the sacrifice he’d made so that Gideon Black and all his descendants could be free of their curse, the blood bond that made them eternally bound to this cosmic spirit of vengeance. “What are you talking about, Gideon?”

  “There have been lies. Lucifer, Damian... they are both lords of the lie. The Truth is not yet known.”

  Daniel stared into the vacant eye sockets, crackles of cosmic fire flickering around them.

  “I’d stay away from him, mate—he’s dangerous.”

  Daniel looked over at The Peregrine, somewhat surprised to hear a British accent. “Mind your own business,” he said before turning his attention back to Babylon.

  Lies.

  More lies.

  Always lies.

  Daniel Higgins felt something small and frightened within him turn to ash. His blood began to boil and he felt the familiar call of the cosmic siren, like freeform jazz, both known and unknown.

  The nightmare was beginning again.

  ***

  London, England. 12:15 a.m. One year later.

  “You have defiled the bodies of children. For those sins and more, you must be brought to justice. Cosmic retribution is at hand.” Babylon strode forward, ignoring the bullets that bounced harmlessly off the metal armor he wore. One ricochet skidded along his exposed chin causing a streak of red to appear upon his smooth brown skin, but he ignored the wound. He would not be denied—not when so much innocent blood had been spilled.

  Rory Jackson felt his bladder give way, soaking the front of his trousers. He backed up against the wall of his small flat, toppling a stack of photographs to the floor. He’d run a lucrative little business acting as a go-between for Asian child pornographers, making sure their goods ended up in the right hands. There were still plenty that wanted hard copies, but he also helped set up a few websites that were hidden deep in the Dark Web, accessible only to those in the know.

  Along the way, Rory had even been rewarded by getting to sample a few of the kids himself...

  Thoughts of such pleasures were far, far away at the moment. He lowered his gun, still pulling at the trigger, though all it produced now was the dull clicking of an empty chamber. “Bugger off,” he said, his voice shaking with fear. “I didn’t do nothin’ wrong. The kids liked it. It was fun.”

  Babylon reached forward, sinking his metal-covered fingertips into Rory’s throat. For a moment, he felt the intense desire to kill this pedophile, to paint the walls red with his blood. The urge passed as the entity that had once been Gideon Black reconsidered. “Death is too easy, too quick,” he said. “You should live with the shame... live with the horrible memories... just like your victims. There can be no escape from retribution!”

  Babylon held the frightened man’s gaze, his eyes glowing with cosmic energy. The terrible power of this stare reduced Rory Jackson to a whimpering, crying little worm. His howls of horrified shame and regret echoed throughout the district in which he lived.

  Many a man and woman locked their shutters tight against the sound.

  Babylon used his powers to spark Rory’s memories, bringing to the fore every awful act he had committed. He not only remembered them... he felt them... he experienced them, not as an observer or a participant but as a victim.

  When it was done, Babylon stepped back out onto the city streets. It was chilly and damp and the part of him that was Daniel Higgins was reminded of home, of Sovereign City. Babylon looked upward into the unfamiliar skies and he felt Daniel’s yearning for home.

  Sovereign City... it calls to me, he mused. But I cannot return there, not until the threat here has passed. So many innocent lives are at stake... and so many have already perished. To turn my back on them before I even uncover the true threat that has brought me to England would be a disservice to my mission and to those poor innocents that need me.

  Deep within their fused form, Daniel heard Babylon’s thoughts and he agreed.

  Babylon clenched his fist, feeling the almost overpowering compulsion to seek out and punish the guilty. His feet left the ground as he flew upward, eventually soaring far above the streets. He would continue to hunt all through the night, searching for those in need of punishment.

  It was his reason for existence.

  It was all he had left.

  ***

  The next day, 10 Downing Street

  Clive Winthrop stared out the window, carefully staying out of view of the protesters outside. Their placards amused him—WINTHROP TODAY, HITLER TOMORROW was his personal favorite.

  “So many of them, so eager to hate me. I’ve barely been in office a month and they’ve already lumped me in with the great tyrants of history.”

  “Don’t let it concern you, Mr. Prime Minister. The rabble often fail to recognize the needs of the state.” Henry Jones, looking lean in his black suit, ran a hand over his short red hair. Jones was an American, born and raised in Kansas, and he seemed to exude a Midwestern quality. He was seated before Winthrop’s desk, a briefcase sitting open on his lap.

  “I’ve brought over a number of files relating to Project: Ritual. Since you expressed an interest in tailoring some of our projects to your own nation, I felt it best if I arrive in person to go over the details. I’ll be
honest with you, Mr. Prime Minister—I’m quite enthused to have Britain as our ally in this endeavor. But then again, I shouldn’t be surprised. Our two nations have always had a special relationship.”

  Winthrop smiled. He liked this Jones fellow, whose every move in life was cloaked in some form of secrecy. Deception was something near and dear to Winthrop’s own nature. “The English people have so much to fear, Mr. Jones: the meat upon their tables, the safety of their homes, the value of our currency. I don’t want them worrying about the true nature of their own children or of their neighbors. Ever since the Black Mass Barrier1 went up, the entire world has been overrun with creatures that we once considered myths: unicorns in Hyde Park, a troll attack in Manchester... it’s absurd what we’re having to deal with now. So any assistance from our American allies will be much appreciated.”

  “I quite understand,” Jones replied. “I’ve brought over a few prototypes for you to enjoy, as well. We have scanners that can detect mystical energy within a five-mile radius.”

  “Excellent. I hope to—”

  The door opened unexpectedly and a pert young woman entered with an embarrassed expression on her face. “Mr. Prime Minister? I’m sorry to interrupt but there’s someone here to see you. He says it’s quite urgent and that you’ll want to drop everything to speak to him.”

  Winthrop frowned at his secretary. She was an attractive brunette with a very pliant will, which suited him just fine. He’d already made it clear to her that her duties would extend far beyond the norm—for her to interrupt him in this fashion meant it must be serious, indeed. “Please show him into the study. I’ll join him in a moment.”

  The Prime Minister made an apologetic exit from Jones’s company, leaving the American to wait for his return. Winthrop entered his study and stopped, staring at the pale-skinned man that stood confidently in the center of the room. The stranger was pale almost to the point of albinism, his eyes pink and bloodshot. His long, white hair hung loosely down his back and his wide-brimmed hat was pulled low. He wore a heavy overcoat that hung down to his ankles.