Wayne Manor
The roar of an engine echoed from outside the Batcave as the rocky wall shifted open. The Batmobile glided inside, brakes hissing before it came to a stop. The cockpit slid back, and Batman stepped out, removing his cowl with a weary exhale. His cape dragged slightly as he approached the Batcomputer, ready to log intel from the White House raid.
A oddity caught his eye.
The Robin suit display was empty.
His expression hardened.
Batman immediately began typing, switching the monitors to surveillance feeds from across Wayne Manor. The elevator chime sounded behind him as Alfred stepped out, hands neatly folded behind his back.
"Welcome back, Master Bruce. Shall I prepare you a bath?" he asked politely.
Bruce didn't look away from the screens.
"Where is Damian?"
Alfred blinked. "Last time I checked, he was in his room. Is something wrong, Master Bruce?"
Bruce pulled up additional footage. "He isn't anymore."
Video played across the central monitor—Damian sprinting through the estate grounds, dismantling WayneTech defense drones with precision. Tranquilizer darts whizzed by him as he vaulted over an electrified fence without hesitation.
Alfred raised an eyebrow. "He most certainly has skill."
Bruce checked the timestamp. Three hours old.
He stood abruptly, jaw set. "I'm going to look for him."
The cowl went back on as he made his way toward the Batmobile.
"I need you to run a sweep of every accessible camera in Gotham City," Batman ordered.
"Right away, sir," Alfred replied, already taking a seat at the controls.
The Batmobile roared to life once more, wheels spinning as it shot out of the Batcave and into the night.
---
Constantine took a long drag of his cigarette, eyes half-lidded with boredom.
"Make it worth my trouble, eh? Aight then, spit it out."
Max folded his arms.
"I want you to take me to Hell."
Constantine choked on his smoke at the absurdity of the statement.
"Hell? You want me to take you to Hell? Are you completely mental?" He jabbed a thumb at his own chest.
"I've pissed off more demons down there than you've had warm meals, mate. Half of them want my head on a bloody pike after flaying my skin off."
He stepped closer, voice dropping to a dangerous whisper.
"And that's not even the worst part. The living don't belong there. If they get their claws on you, you won't die…" He tapped his temple. "…They'll peel your soul apart like an onion, over and over."
Max, unfazed, replied calmly.
"I need to harvest a few demons."
Constantine's eyebrows shot up.
"Why in God's very absent name would you ever need demons?"
"I need to feed them to my statue. And don't worry about me, I'll manage," Max said.
Constantine's eyes narrowed.
"Right. I think I've heard bloody enough. I'm not even gonna ask what eldritch nightmare you're keeping downstairs that needs demons for sustenance. If someone wants demonic power that badly, it can't be good. I don't want to be part of it."
He flicked his cigarette into a puddle.
"Go find someone else to drag your ass to the Pit."
At that moment, the House of Mystery materialized in the sky, a ghostly mansion suspended above the alley. Constantine started to float toward it, muttering curses under his breath.
Zetsu, who had been silent until now, leaned toward Max.
"Let's just take him down and beat him into submission. He won't stand a chance against both of us."
Max smirked.
"Not a bad plan."
He raised his hand toward Constantine.
"Universal Pull!" Max muttered.
Constantine, mid-flight, suddenly found himself yanked backward through the air. He cursed loudly, reaching into his coat to pull out a glowing blue icy wand. Beams of ice shot toward Max, crackling through the air.
Zetsu reacted quickly, placing his palms on the ground. Wooden tendrils shot up, freezing the beams where they struck. The tendrils shattered under the impact, but Constantine kept firing while cursing.
Max raised his other hand, activating the Preta Path. The icy beams were absorbed.
It feels like Yang Chakra… but weaker in potency, Max thought.
He lunged forward and grabbed Constantine by the coat, holding him at eye level.
Constantine thrashed against Max's grip, spitting curses in rapid bursts.
"You insane little git — let me go before I rip your bloody heart out! Do you have any idea who you're dealing with?!"
"Relax, John. I didn't come here for fun. A lot is at stake, and I need every ounce of power I can get to face what's coming. And I said I'd compensate you."
Constantine sneered.
"I wouldn't give a damn if Lord Jesus himself was coming. For all I know, you're just some cocky brat looking for cheap power."
Max sighed and loosened his grip, letting Constantine drop. Threatening John Constantine was pointless, the man feared nearly nothing, and Max didn't want to find out the exact brand of hell the con-magician would unleash if pushed too far.
Sure, he could try tearing Constantine's soul out. He'd gain knowledge of an alternative way into Hell. But that road was suicidal. Too many powerful entities had claims on Constantine's soul. Even touching it would paint a cosmic target on Max's back.
No. Not worth it.
There were other paths
Chas. Constantine's best friend. Sick with a magical disease. Max could cure him somehow and maybe he can help him in return because he seemed like he had some magical knowledge in the movie.
Or Lux. Lucifer's playground. His older self had met Lucifer at some point, so the Devil had to be there… somewhere.
And the final option: tell Constantine everything .The Anti-Monitor, Darkseid, annihilation on a scale the Earth could not comprehend. It might earn him a powerful ally… if Constantine believed him.
Max turned away.
"It's hopeless, Zetsu. We'll find another way."
Max glanced back one last time.
"I'll be back for you, Constantine. And when that day comes, you won't have a choice. You'll either stand with us… or face annihilation with us should we loose. And not even your soul will be spared by then."
--------------
Max's House
Nina lay stretched across her bed, staring up at the ceiling as she absently ran her thumb along the smooth surface of the Time Ring around her finger.
Things were unfolding nicely now. The next step was getting Terra and Thena into the Titans. They needed peers , other superpowered kids who could push them, challenge them, make them better. Sure, school was good for socializing… but it also held them back.
And if Thena had to spend another month with that girl Alicia…
Nina's lips curved in amusement at the memory. Thena choking the little brat until she blacked out,humiliation returned in full,yeah she couldn't control her anger at times. That incident ended with Max,Diana and Alicia's furious parents being called to school. Embarrassing for them… but to Nina?
Good times.
The smile faded as her thoughts shifted.
Why wasn't her father using his Time Ring?
Where even was it? And how did he get his in the first place? Artifacts like these weren't meant to be stumbled upon.
She had considered giving it to him ,briefly. But that would be reckless. Using the ring openly could attract him, the one entity they absolutely could not afford to draw attention from.
Besides… the ring wasn't just a tool.
It was the reason she existed.
If she ever took it off ,she would simply unravel, fade into nothing. A paradox corrected.
Still… Nina closed her fist around it, eyes steeled.
If it came down to protecting protecting her family then she would remove it without hesitation. She would gladly cease to exist.
Her time has come and passed anyway,now she was just an extra.
End of Chapter.
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