DC Hellblazer: I'm Constantine

###### C27. I'm Constantine

I keep staring at her. The way she glows is beautiful, even if it's growing fainter. Her magic's recovered, even if the process was costly. I only thought that her magic would just blow up in the devil's face and scorch everyone in the Gutters, but it ended up exceeding my expectations.

"Why are you standing far back, Constantine?" Zatanna asks, suspicious and worried. "Is everything okay."

She rises as if to approach.

"Don't come any closer," I advise. "You might not like what you see."

She ignores me anyway, "What could you be possibly hiding? I'm finally in a great mood. I don't think anything can-..."

I see the horror in her face when she illuminates and sees me. I don't let her see the rest and I step back, coil and cloak myself. I don't know why I'm ashamed. It's not like me. But something in me doesn't want Zatanna to see me this way.

"Constantine!" she gasps, hand in mouth. "What- what happened to you?"

I'd expect her to take a step back and prepare to run, but she does the complete opposite instead. She rushes to me and grubs me, her dimming radiance showing all the parts I don't want her to see.

"What did this to you?" She asks, worry in her voice as she tries to heal me with magic. I know it won't work, but I don't try to stop her.

I don't intend on telling her the truth about my scars either. Neither about the fire that blazed in Hell by her magic. She was out to the last minute. She doesn't need to know what exactly transpired.

I grab her hand that's warming me with magic. She recoils, startled still by how I look.

"I'll heal up, slowly," I say gesturing to the skin grafting on my fingers.

"But you're all..." she argues. "You look like..."

"Like a bloody demon, I know." I say, not in the bit disgruntled that she'd think me an angel, before seeing the demon I really am. "But it's nothing permanent."

I stand up, feeling more like myself again. I got seriously burned. First by Hellfire before I miraculously succeeded in owning the wings, and then by white flames just after coming from the fall. The aftermath was parts of my body taking on a demonic physiology, yet somehow, the trench-coat remains untouched. Lucky bastard.

"And your back..." Zatanna observes staring at the protrusions behind me.

"Those?" I say, casually. "Just a souvenir that got caught in the crossfire. They'll be fine too."

They've been burned too, looking worse than the First's, but I know they'll look glorious if they recover. Hopefully, when. But it doesn't mean they don't work.

"Is that what you were after?" Zatanna's tone grows slightly harsher. "The reason you were in hell?"

"I wasn't there by choice," I claim. "A disgruntled demon pulled me for disrupting Hell's business on earth."

"Did you really-..." words catch in her mouth, but I know what she's about to ask. Did I really burn down all those people? Why yes, Zee. I did. For reasons only I care about. Not like you'd understand why, even if I explained. All because lives were lost no one will see it any differently.

"Constantine!" Somebody exclaims right before Zatanna can gather up the courage to ask.

We all turn to look to the source, and notice a girl rushing toward us. I don't recognize her until she comes crashing into my chest and squeezing my bones for the tightest hug.

"You're alright," she says with relief as she hugs tighter. "I'm glad."

"Umm... right," I don't know what exactly to say, and judging from Zatanna's look, she needs me to explain.

"So... you uh... made it out okay, Ellie," I say to the girl literally in my ribs.

"Doctor Fate saved me," Ellie replies, letting go a little. "He said you told him to."

Fate happens to be right behind her.

"When you told me to pick up her friend," Fate starts. "You didn't mention it was a succubus!"

There's probably a frown beneath that mask, but I don't care. "And yet you made good on your word, just as expected of a Sorcerer Supreme."

"A succubus?" Zatanna gives me a quizzical glance.

"I love you, Constantine," Ellie shouts, still wrapped around me.

"Explains why she's not bothered by your looks," Zatanna says, not looking particularly pleased.

"Not jealous, are we?" I ask her and she scoffs.

"I think you look wonderful, Hellblazer," Ellie admires with her eyes. "Especially with those sexy wings on your back."

"Thanks, luv," I appreciate.

"I think we're done here," Zatanna says to Fate.

Before they can decide to magic away, I take the moment to advertise. "Before you both leave, there's something I wanted to ask you."

"You both did great," I flash a smile, even though I don't have an acceptable mouth at the moment. "That's why you'd be good comrades in the Justice League Dark: a task force meant to keep peace in the mystical world."

"Don't you have more succubae you can employ?" Zatanna grunts.

"Not like you to turn down saving the world, Zee," I throw her a probing glance.

"You don't need them," Ellie argues. "I can get my sisters to help... however you like," she adds with a seductive tone.

"I'm sure they'll all come in handy," I reply, trying to break free of her infatuation. "But right now, you're the only one I trust to add in the force."

"She's in too?" Zatanna raises her voice without knowing it. "Aren't you ever done making deals with the devil?"

"What's her problem?" Ellie sneers.

"Ellie will be JLD's eyes in the underworld," I reply. "Keep us posted if anything suspicious' happening."

"I'm sure you both see the importance of such an operative," I add.

I turn to Khalid. "What do you say, Fate? In a way, JLD will be helping with your job description."

"If it means I'll keep a closer eye on you, why not," Fate replies.

I gaze at Zatanna.

"I always get dragged into you chaos. What choice do I have," she heaves and relaxes. "Besides, Wonder Woman reached out to me before you did. I hear she's in charge."

"Well then, let's keep her posted," I say, fetching a small, quasi-organic shard from my pocket. It hovers in front of Ellie and I.

On touch, it flickers to life with half a dozen messages, all from Wonder Woman, and they are all concerning the Flash.

*Not the time,* I find myself complaining as they play.

"Something's wrong with the Flash?" Zatanna picks on. "We've got to help him."

"I look like a demon for Christ's sake!" I almost shout. "The Flash can bloody wait."

"No need to be rude," Wonder Woman happens to have picked up the call and heard my statement. "You're all exhausted. I can see that. Go get some rest and come to the Hall whenever you're ready."

"And the Flash?" Zatanna asks.

"He's been sedated," Wonder Woman explains. "He'll be waiting for you."

"Good to see you've made up your mind, Zee," Wonder Woman adds. "Good to see you too, Khalid."

"What? Is that all the 'welcome to the JLD' we get?" Zatanna jokes, her mood lighter in the presence of Diana.

"JLD?" Wonder woman wonders. "Constantine?"

"I might have promised them a proper party, luv," I give Wonder Woman my grotesque smile and she recoils a little.

"What happened to you?" she gives me a genuine look of disgust.

"What? Fancied how I looked before?" I say, and Ellie, considering it a flirt, kicks me in the nuts for it. Just like the trench-coat, they happened to survive.

"I like her," Wonder Woman smiles. "She in the team too?"

"As an underground operative," Ellie smiles at Wonder Woman. "Hope you don't mind that I'm a succubus."

"Frank too," Wonder Woman observes. "We won't have a problem if you stick to what's right."

"I guess I'll be seeing you all soon," she concludes and disconnects the communication on her end.

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