"I can confirm it was one of the spirit entities that woke him. Haven't you read that paper 'The Effects of Extradimensional Energy Constructs on Brain Endocrine Functions'? In intelligence work, nothing is ever certain—any outcome is possible. I'm not saying definitively that the entity was Lucy Bauer, I'm not dumb enough to verify intel I've already concluded on. I'm simply suggesting a possibility. Among all the spirits, the one most likely to wake him is his wife, right?"
Constantine ignored Nick Fury's rambling. He carefully adjusted the dosage to ensure the drug—formulated exclusively for the Royal Guards—wouldn't rupture Joseph Bauer's heart. The same compound was stored in his power armor's life-support system, alongside painkillers and stimulants, ready for direct injection if needed.
The chart at the head of the bed listed all previous medications given to Joseph Bauer. The intelligence support agents had calculated the minimum dose required to wake him. That data came from vast medical trials and pharmaceutical tests conducted by the Undying City's medical and pharmaceutical divisions. Constantine had every confidence in the drug's effects—after all, the Undying City had no shortage of human subjects from its operations across Africa and Eastern Europe. The city had no death penalty—regardless of one's crimes in life, executions were avoided due to a shortage of manpower. But once the supply for cybernetic laborers was filled, the rest ended up in laboratories for human experimentation.
As expected, once Constantine injected a small amount into Bauer's veins, his heart rate accelerated. A few seconds later, he groaned and awoke.
"Where is Lucy Bauer?" Constantine placed his palm on Joseph Bauer's chest, subtly applying pressure to restrict his lung function and prevent him from calling for help. Though the handwriting in the patient file was terrible, Constantine managed to decipher the diagnosis: panic, hallucinations, and self-harm tendencies—identical to Agent Melinda May's symptoms, indicating Joseph had suffered possession by a wraith. Constantine wanted to cure him, to extract the intel cleanly, but lacked the equipment to replicate Dr. Radcliffe's method—temporary induced brain death to reboot the mind.
Surprisingly, Bauer didn't scream or thrash about. He simply stared blankly at the tiled ceiling. Constantine didn't rush him for answers but instead leaned down, peering through blood-red lenses and electronic optics to study his expression.
"You're not the demon," Bauer muttered as he exhaled, relieved not to be seeing those horrific visions again. The giant before him was shrouded in a faint golden light—it was that radiance that had banished the shadows and calmed his soul. Even so, Bauer was extremely weak from years of coma: atrophied muscles, a numb spine, pain racking every nerve.
"You're not human either. Who are you?"
"Where is Lucy Bauer?" Constantine repeated. "Where is the book?"
Even with a golden-armored hand on his chest, one that could crush his ribs at any moment, Joseph Bauer didn't flinch. He spoke slowly, "You answer me first."
"You don't have to answer. I'll extract your brain and find the answer myself," Constantine replied flatly. "Right here. Right now."
"Will I die?"
Constantine remained silent.
"Lucy's dead, right? Everyone's dead... how many years has it been..." Bauer began to drift into a daze. Constantine rechecked the drug dose with the support team, suspecting he hadn't used enough to neutralize the sedative effects. "The book... find the book," Bauer mumbled, his voice barely audible—like a dying man's final dream. "Lucy's looking for the book."
"Where is it?"
"Where I found it. She's there. She wants the book..."
"Yes, ma'am," Agent Coulson nodded politely. "We need visiting rights for Joseph Bauer, so please cooperate with us."
"No problem, but he's not very stable. You can only stay a short while," the nurse, dressed in a simple blue uniform, led Mike and Coulson to the room. Bauer's care had long been paid for by an insurance trust, but the funds were running dry. He had been moved from a spacious private suite to a standard room at the far end of the corridor. Few visited the patients down there. Mike and Coulson could hear their own footsteps echo and smell the harsh antiseptic in the air.
"He needs rest," the nurse said, pushing open the door. "And he might not be awake, he—ahhhh—!"
Mike rushed inside upon hearing her scream—only to stumble back two steps, utterly shocked. Even as a seasoned agent, the sight before him stripped away his composure. He instinctively reached for a weapon, but only had a non-lethal cryo-gun on his belt.
"Ma'am, please remain calm," Coulson said firmly, gently taking her by the hand. "I need you to wait outside. This is now a crime scene. No one else may enter. Mike, calm her down and contact hospital management. I need the security footage."
"Coulson, we're too late," Mike muttered, grimacing, unsure how to say what needed to be said.
"I know." Coulson shook his head, signaling they couldn't discuss this here. "Go. Then get back here quickly. I need your help. We need to figure out what happened before the cops arrive. Ma'am, don't look—just take my hand."
Mike escorted the trembling nurse away. He glanced once more at the room's interior before the door closed.
Coulson sealed it shut, isolating the scene from any bystanders drawn by the screaming. Inside, Joseph Bauer's corpse lay on the bed, his neck cleanly severed from his body. Blood splattered across the entire wall, dark red rivulets dripping steadily down. The pristine tile floor was nearly submerged in a crimson lake. Bauer's head had been propped askew atop his shoulder—his face pale and gaunt, mouth agape, wide, lifeless eyes staring directly at the door. Even the nurse, used to the sight of blood and human bodies, had been traumatized.
Coulson put on gloves from his pocket and carefully stepped around the thickening pool of blood. He examined Bauer's body closely. "Burn marks... just like Mike said. Cutting through the bedframe would take serious tech." His fingers traced the scorched line across the bed and the stump of Bauer's neck. "What information did you not want anyone else to know, Salomon?"
"Constantine, I wish you'd told me before you acted!" Wanda snapped. Through the car window, she saw multiple police cars parked outside the hospital. Forensics officers in hazmat suits were unloading equipment. Robbie Reyes drummed nervously on the steering wheel. "What did Joseph Bauer say? Why did you kill him?! We still had questions!"
"If I were you, Wanda, I'd head back to South Ridge Prison instead of questioning why I gave a tormented soul peace," Constantine replied calmly from some unknown location. "Lucy Bauer is still at large. Elias Morrow remains her only enemy."
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