Chapter XVII: No Matter What

The company of Superman and his allies flew through the air carrying Constantine. The Spectre stated, "Something is watching us."

Superman asked, "What is it?"

"I'm not sure, I can't see it. Which troubles me..."

"We shouldn't be out in the open. We need to move quickly, we're exposed."

Shazam whispered to Constantine, "Hello, John."

He raised one brow, "Huh?"

"It's me, Boston Brand."

"Deadman?"

"Klarion contacted me and told me you might be in trouble. Though, truth be told. He didn't need to. Batman's had me spying on you for a week."

"What is this?"

"It's a rescue, and an intervention."

"What are you planning to do?"

"I'm going to have a talk with an old friend. I'm going to talk to the man inside the Spectre, Jim Corrigan. See if I can talk some sense into him."

"I think we're way past that, mate. There's no sense left in him."

"Maybe, but you won't see it. It's time for your rescue."

"What are you doing?"

He dropped him and Constantine started falling towards the ground. Until a big top hat appeared right under him, "Tuo fo ereh."

In the Phantom Zone Itachi finished collecting enough bodies and was bringing them all back to Xa Du. 'For a villian he was being way too friendly. After getting a good look at him he seems to have a body like Superman, although he must have been here for a long time so I doubt he has any powers right now.'

Itachi landed in Athyropolis and walked into the room with the Ecto armor in it. Xa Du was waiting for him with his hands behind his back pacing back and forth. "I have everyone you need."

Xa Du looked at him and noticed all the bodies he had with him. His tongue moved around in his mouth and he smiled, "Good. Bring them over here so they can be absorbed," he pointed at an empty room.

Itachi's face remained plain and he complied. He walked into the room and dropped everyone. "So when can you"- He was interrupted by a blade that ran all the way through his chest. Xa Du started laughing maniacally, "HAHAHA, all those weaklings give pitiful amounts of energy. But you'll give me more than enough energy I need to get me out of here."

In the Himilayas Deadman was flying towards the home of a Goddess after The Spectre sliced through him. "Rama Kushna! Help me. I am.... fading."

The blue goddess opened up her arms for an embrace he fell into, "Yes. I am sorry, Boston Brand. There is nothing I can do. I cannot repair what the Spectre has broken. There isn't much time. You have served well. Another will soon take your place. There must be balance."

He looked up at her, "Can... Can I choose my successor?"

"I know your choice. It is a wise one. It restores balance. I will bring him here."

She laid him down on the ground and Deadman looked up at him with a weak smile, "Hey, kid. Thank you for coming. Knowing you'll be next... it's right."

"Are you in pain?"

"No.. no. That's not how I'd describe it," he started fading and reached out a hand, "Take my hand."

"Thank you for choosing me. It will be good to help again."

"You were the only choice-- Dick Grayson. Are you ready?"

"I am."

"Find Jim Corrigan. He's at the heart of this and tell Batman... tell your dad goodbye for me. I hope that you and he can win this war together."

Dick's normal Nightwing uniform turned blue with the symbol and his skin turning ghost White.

Deep in a forest stood Batman and Constantine. "I appreciate the support and all, but me and this guy have a... complicated relationship. It might be best if I have a chat with him alone."

"No. We will do this together from now on."

"All right, mate. You wanna hold hands?"

After walking deep enough into the forest they could no longer see the sky, and a humanoid figure came out from the trees. "Constantine. You are wasting your time and mine. Whatever you seek, you will not find it here."

"Yeah, it's good to see you too mate. We're going to take Superman down. We could use your help." 

Swamp Thing spread his arms wide, "Superman is doing more than any before him. He and Luthor have been harnessing wind and the Sun for energy. They've stopped the humans tearing, digging, drilling into the Earth and burning the Green for power."

"Humanity will be enslaved."

"Humanity is not my concern!"

Constantine gestured to him, "You were human once."

"So were you."

"I'm trying to save the world."

"No. You're trying to save one species on it. Or you're pretending to. I've known you too long and too well. You don't care for the world. Somewhere behind all this will lie some selfish motivation."

Batman cut in, "You won't join our side?"

"I won't."

"Will you join his?"

Swamp Thing just stared.

"You already have."

Constantine stated, "I don't want you as an enemy."

"Nor I you."

"You don't think I've planned ways to end you already?"

"Of course you have. You're Constantine. You're a bastard. But you know it won't be easy, and I will agree not to harm you if you steer clear of the Green," vines started reaching out to them, "Cross me, and you will fear every tree. Every blade of grass."

Constantine started walking away, "Yeah yeah put it away. I'll look twice at every house plant."

Once the two of them left the forest Constantine looked at the ground, "Bugger it."

"What?"

"We're going to have to kill Swamp Thing."

Back in the Phantom Zone Xa Du's laughter quickly turned into shock as he was suddenly on the other end of the blade he had stabbed through Itachi. In reality, Itachi stabbed him through the back. "H-how??"

"I put you under an illusion the moment I saw you. And your strange openness to my help only increased my suspension, which ended up being right." Itachi pulled out the blade and quickly stabbed him a couple more times in vital places. Xa Du dropped dead and Itachi kicked him into the room. He closed the door and pressed a button on the side. 

Through the window in the door it looked like the bodies were atomized. He looked at the Ecto armor and the screen next to it said it was charged about 40%. Which was enough for one person. He walked over the armor and almost put it on, but paused. 'I can go back to Earth now.... but I should find the Titans before I leave this place.'

He approached the huge monitor on the other side of the room and saw that there were hundreds of cameras on every island. "There you are."

At the Hall Of Justice Superman's hands were behind his back and he looked up at the night sky. Hal asked him, "What troubles you?"

"The Spectre. He's gone."

"Sinestro. Come to the main hall."

Sinestro quickly flew into the room, "What is it?"

Superman still looked up at the sky, "I'm not sure. It could be nothing. But be ready--that smell...."

"What smell?"

A voice seemingly coming from nowhere spoke up, "The smell of Brimstone. The odor of death. The stench of Hellfire--On Etrigans breath!" Hellfire instantly engulfed the center of the large room and Etrigan emerged from the source. He spat Hellfire and engulfed the whole room.

Hal looked around, "Sinestro! Use the ring. Concentrate! Protect yourself. Protect"- Sinestro had gritted teeth and clenched his eyes, "I... can't. I caag AAAAGGHHH!"

He was enveloped by the flames, but Superman used his breath to extinguish it. "Hal, get Sinestro out of here!"

"What about you?"

"Don't worry about me. He needs help, and you can't fight Hellfire. Go!" Hal picked up Sinestro and they started flying off, but Etrigan spit fire at them. "No!" Superman covered his mouth, but his hand recoiled in pain."

"You would put your hand on Hellfire? Is pain what you seek?" Superman extinguished the flame, but before he could do anything else Etrigan started beating on him, "You despotic, idiotic, psychotic freak!"

Superman hit the ground, but quickly got back up and punched Etrigan through a wall. Etrigan supported himself on one hand and slowly started getting back up, "Ha! I feared that you had lost your fight, but it's clear the boy scout has some bite."

"What do you want here, Etrigan? Why attack me?"

"It's nothing personal. A deal was done. Though burning the flesh of your friend was fun!"

Superman grabbed him by the collar, "What deal? What have you agreed to?"

"Oh, nothing complex or grandiose. I was only asked to keep you close," he grabbed Superman's head and leaned in, "Gone gone, O Etrigan. Rise instead, the form of--Batman."

Superman's eyes went wide and his jaw dropped, "Bruce....?" Batman threw a powder in his face and Superman released him looking at his hand, "What....? What was that? What did you put inside me?"

"Only dust."

Superman grabbed his head, "I.... you made a deal with a Demon?" Superman's forehead furrowed, "You refuse to stand beside me and fix the world, but you'll stand with he'll against me?!" He started to collapse, "You have fallen.... fallen far further than I, Burce..... you...." Superman finally collapsed.

"That's it. Sleep, Clark. Dream of the man you should have been, and never wake to this nightmare again."

Itachi watched through the rift in reality and gritted his teeth, "Batman, you fool. Don't just leave him there! If there's even a chance they could somehow wake him up then you should capture him," he closed off the rift and saw the Titans in his eyesight. 'Batman, so far none of your plans have worked. I'm going to fully take matters into my own hands soon enough.'

He jumped down to the Titans and they all looked at him. Starfire asked, "Itachi? Why are you here?"

"Just like you I was sent here by Superman. I can tell you more later, but now we should get out of here as soon as possible. I have a way out."

Superboy looked down at the ground, "I can't..."

"Why?"

Starfire answered, "Superman and him fought, and Superboy got hurt. Badly."

"If I leave here, I'll die."

Itachi approached him, "Where were you hurt?"

Suberboy put a hand on his chest, "It's internal. My sternum is broken and one of my ribs has punctured my heart."

"Lay down."

Superboy raised a brow, "Uh, why?"

"I should be able to heal you. Not fully, but enough so that you'll be able to move around on your own back on Earth."

They all smiled and Tim said, "This is great, now"- but before he could finish his sentence Itachi grabbed him with a Susanoo arm and threw him at another floating rock farther away to avoid a heat blast that annihilated the place he was just standing. 

"Sit this one out, Tim. Whoever this is, he's way out of your league." The rest of the Titans looked up at a man with glowing red eyes and black hair. He had a symbol on his chest similar to Superman's. Itachi looked at Wonder girl, Starfire, and Superboy, "Who is he? A Kryptonian?"

Wonder Girl nodded, "General Zodd. He's like an evil Superman pretty much, not quite as powerful as him though."

Itachi briefly smirked, "Well Superman is somewhat evil himself right now," he looked at Superboy, "You're still injured, you should sit out this fight."

"I can still"-"Don't argue. You'll only be a hindrance." Suberboy grunted, but complied.

'Someone like Zodd should have more than enough energy to power the armor so that we can all leave. Although they likely won't agree to killing, so even if I have to trick them, I'm going to kill Zodd. No matter what.'