Сhapter 11-12
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***
«So you're caught, what's your next move? - said the Steppenwolf.
Zatanna's spell bound Willard's arms and legs in tight magical chains, and any attempt to break free brought his limbs back to their original position.
"Where's your plan B?! He's going to kill you now! - Kurama growled.
«Don't panic," Will said, closing his eyes. - I have a technique I need to use, but there's a problem.....
The Steppenwolf swung his axe in a wait-and-see manner and waved it down.
«...Goshun mawashi no Jutsu.
John Constantine appeared before Willard, calmly smoking a cigarette. The Steppenwolf's axe came straight at him, but... it met resistance in the form of a magical barrier, and flew back like a bouncy ball.
«What the fuck! Did you leave a fucking mark on me? - John swore, spitting the cigarette out of his mouth with a swear.
«I'm sorry, but I need your help," Will said with a friendly grin.
«You fucked up bastard," John grasped Will's shoulder and cast Zatanna's magic. - If I hadn't prepared ahead of time, I'd be out on my ass right now. You know that?
«You created that barrier the first time we met," Will said.
«Hmph... an observant asshole.
«You dare to come here after what you've done?! - Zatanna shouted angrily, throwing out another wave of fire.
John hastily pulled up his sleeves, and threw a bright flash into the air, reflecting Zatanna's new spells.
«So why the fuck did you call me out here?
«Because you're the only mage who can stand up to Zatanna.
John hummed.
«But even I can't get us out of Zatanna's trap.
Zatanna's fireballs flew at them, which Willard dislodged with Kurama's tails that appeared in the air.
«Leave that part of the job to me," Will said.
«I guess this mage wasn't as easy as I thought. It would be risky to leave them together," Steppenwolf said thoughtfully, swinging his axe.
"Hey-hey, that monster is aiming at us. If I try to stop him now, there might be trouble," Kurama said.
"No... she's not aiming at us," Minato said.
The Steppenwolf's blow rumbled to the ground, tearing it to shreds. Rocks and a thick cloud of dust rose into the air.
Will took a step forward, and found beneath his feet a cliff that seemed endlessly receding into the depths, and as the dust began to clear, he finally saw the huge crack in the ground that divided Nerose Island into two uneven parts, and John Constantine was on the other side of it. All this had been done by one blow of the Steppenwolf.
Kurama hummed.
"Apparently he's not going to play small."
"And that's good for us."
Out of the cloud of smoke, a Steppenwolf leapt toward Willard, cutting the air at his throat.
«Zatanna, take care of the mage! - he growled.
«It's my pleasure!
***
Swearing to himself, John Constantine stood in front of his...
«Didn't anyone ever tell you it's bad form to force yourself on your exes? - John said, grinning nervously. His fingers burned with magic, but Zatanna threw another fire snake without even listening to him.
«You bastard threw me into Darkseid's clutches. And now you dare say something?!
«You always start with the lighter shit," he said, his lips curling guiltily. - You know how things work in the world of magic, darling. Mages are assholes and egomaniacs, so why are you surprised?
«That you were engaged to me and didn't hesitate to use me as a bargaining chip, you son of a bitch!
«Look, uh.
«I wanted to make a family with you! - Another throw of fire magic made John jump back and roll over in fright.
"Damn it, she knows how to gnaw at the soul. Okay, focus, think about the case John Constantine, think about the case," he thought, ruffling his hair.
«Hey, I had to do it, didn't I?" whispered John, twisting his fingers in the magic sign and redirecting the former's fire right into the face of the Superboy who had decided to jump on him. Then that same fire prevented Demian from throwing a Batterangi at him. - Yikes, that's the kind of shit I haven't had on my soul since I first became possessed by a demon of depravity!
It wasn't easy for John to keep two teenagers with superpowers on top of him, but what was happening kept him on his toes.
"This looks too bad, come on, get your plan out quick, or I'm going to get my ass fried," John thought to himself, glancing at Willard Light out of the corner of his eye. As much as he wanted to kick that guy's ass for his stunts, he couldn't leave here without him. Too much depended on him.
«Why don't you fly into him?! - Damien shoved at Superboy's shoulder, and he squirmed unhappily.
«Magic... I hate it. It's my one weakness, who knows what that old man will shit out?
«He won't do anything. I'll cover you, go on," Zatanna hissed, tensing John with the fire snake.
«I wouldn't say that. You'd better listen to your super-boyfriend," John grinned faintly.
"Gee, if I'd known that the woman I was sleeping with would one day want to kill me for real, I wouldn't have shown off by telling her all my tricks. You're not a boy anymore, John, not a boy, but you're still a boy in front of the women you love," he thought grudgingly, preparing one of the most fucking disgusting calls of his life.
John deflected a couple of spells easily, but he could barely keep up with the alternating attacks of the brats, and he was running out of energy. Soon a magical snake knocked John off balance, knocked him to the ground and enveloped him in hot, scalding fire.
«That's it, old man," Superboy said, squeezing his neck.
«No! Don't kill him, we still need him alive! - Zatanna shouted, grabbing his palm.
«Okay... Hey, what's that you're whispering about, old man? - He asked, seeing John's grin. - Hey, bastard... you dare to laugh at me? Maybe I don't have to kill you, but I can wrinkle your face.
Superboy grabbed at John's face, but Zatanna intercepted his palm with magic.
«Did he whisper something? - She asked warily, casting a magical net over John's mouth.
«Just a little bit.
«Just a little bit, you say...? Damn, you're an asshole, Superboy! John Constantine is a powerful magician! If you let him finish just one spell.
Everyone shifted their eyes to the calmly lying John, who shrugged his shoulders, saying, "I don't know anything."
«Hmm... maybe I was worried for nothing," she said grimly, giving John a scornful look. - I'm glad to see your fucking mouth is finally shut. If Darkseid hadn't needed you for something, I'd have burned him and your ass together, and they'd have burned for a day before you died.
John nodded understandingly.
«That's all you're gonna say?
He arched an eyebrow.
"Baby...my mouth."
«Should I let him talk?
«Idiot, that's all he wants..." Zatanna sighed irritably. - Listen to me carefully, do not underestimate John Constantine in any way....
The ground beneath Zatanna's feet suddenly shuddered and she froze in place.
«What was that? - Superboy asked.
«I don't know... Hey, you said he managed to whisper something?
«Well...not much at all.
BDUM. The ground beneath their feet collapsed abruptly, revealing a scarlet glow that opened up a large portal. Superboy didn't even have time to take off before a huge yellow hand flew out of the hole in space and caught him in flight.
«AAAH!!!
Grasping the cliff, John Constantine hung onto a scrap of ground and shook his head.
«Jooonn Coonstantiin!!! - A monstrous roar shook the air.
«Yeah, yeah, I hear you... fuck you," John muttered, scrambled to the ground and ran away.
Reality was torn apart as an enormous demon emerged from the portal. Zatanna realized from the magical tension and strong presence that the creature summoned was no ordinary demon, but one of the High Rulers.
"John, I'll kill you, I swear, what creature did you summon to protect your ass this time?!" - Uncontrollable goosebumps ran down Zatanna's skin.
The air vibrated with tension, and a huge yellow giant with blazing eyes burst out of the portal, grasping the edges of the ground with its clawed paws.
«Ah... Earth, how many years, how many winters. And still the same vile scum dares to summon me without my will, John Constantine," he said bassistically through sharp fangs.
Belial looked at the fleeing John Constantine, then at Superboy thrashing in his clutch, and hummed contentedly.
«Run, run, you can't escape Belial, but first I'm gonna eat this little thing.
Blowing hot breath into Superboy's face, Belial grinned and opened his mouth, but was stopped by a fiery snake that slithered across his face. Belial grinned derisively.
«Zatanna, I thought you'd be smart enough not to cross me, and this after all our meetings," his gaze fell on the tiny girl in the magician's costume.
Covered in cold sweat, Zatanna swallowed her saliva and glanced to the side, to where Willard Light and Steppenwolf were fighting.
"Belial, of all the demons, it was the creature from the Trigon family that that bastard chose."
«Of course not, great Belial. I in no way meant to disturb you.
«Ha ha ha...then what are you doing?
«It was the only way I could get your attention. My magic is still harmless to you.
«Hmm... what an unseemly lie. Just because you did me a favor once, I'll let you live. Tell me what you want.
Zatanna bowed.
«That's very kind of you, Master. I'm sorry to see you wasting your time on a lowlife like Superboy while there's a real battle going on in the land where you're sure to find entertainment and be able to kill John Constantine. Everyone knows how much you dislike him, and now I'm ready to help you catch him with great joy.
Belial bared his fangs in a contorted smile.
«You've been brainwashed, haven't you? How refreshing to see you in the arms of vice, though.....
Zatanna bit her lip.
«There is a war going on on Earth right now. If you intervene in it, you can emerge victorious and finally conquer the world that your father was never able to conquer after so many years. That would be a great achievement for you, wouldn't it? Plus, you'll finally be able to bring your little sister Raven home.
«Ha-ha-ha-ha! You've lost your mind, sorceress! Let me open your eyes to an unpleasant truth.....
Belial grabbed Zatanna and squeezed her painfully.
«Archg...
«Foolish fool! You're trying to outwit Belial himself, so ineptly? No war is won alone... a real war. Besides, I see you have the New Gods visiting you on Earth. How interesting... However, not everywhere you lied, I see, now in your heart really lurks a deep hatred for John Constantine. And your hatred has nothing to do with brainwashing... he hurt you deeply, poor child," Belial's lips stretched in a nasty grin.
And Zatanna turned her face away faintly.
«Don't look away, look at me, look at how insignificant I see you, look at your stupidity, look at your insignificance," Belila frowned, dropping Zatanna to the ground. - Okay... you've amused me a bit. Now answer me, who among these mortals is the strongest?
Trying hard to shield her hands from Belial's stinking breath, Zatanna pulled herself together and smiled softly.
«You are so kind, my lord. The man you seek calls himself Willard Light. He is unrivaled among the assembled warriors.
«Hmm... So, that mortal? - Belial cast an interested glance at the man standing against the Steppenwolf, -that scrawny worm? Do you take me for a fool?
«No, I assure you, it's the truth. If what I say turns out to be a lie, I'm sure someone like you will find a way to kill me.
Belila grinned.
«Don't worry...your imminent death is not in my best interest.
Belial began to knead his fists. Looking down at him, he seemed to Zatanna an unthinkable mountain of muscle, capable of tearing through superhumans in packs. He was one of the sons of Trigon, the destroyer of worlds.
"Belial is a unique demon among the Trigon family... he doesn't have a huge amount of magical power unlike his brethren, and I can use that. The General can probably rein him in, but as much as it would help Willard Light escape, damn John Constantine. You found a way to summon him, you also did it, that's why you're a bastard with no brakes. How did I ever fall in love with you in the first place!"
«But unlike you... John has the nimbleness to run away from me time after time," Belial hissed, as if reading Zatanna's mind.
Zatanna broke out in a cold sweat. The demon had hinted that she could have summoned him, but she simply wouldn't have had the courage. That was the real difference between John Constantine and Zatanna. John had huge fucking balls.
After John had summoned Belial, there was one significant problem. Now it was almost impossible to bring Belial back because of the broken ritual, except to defeat him by force.
"We need to report to the General," Zatanna thought.
***
Willard Light cautiously, without taking his eyes off the grinning Steppenwolf, set Karen on the ground. At any moment, the General could lunge at him and that would be the start of the fight.
«I see you've realized you can't escape, Willard Light. Now that we're out of the way, I hope you'll give me a good laugh.
Willard looked graeme eyes to the side, and that single action made the Steppenwolf snicker unhappily.
«Really, it looks like we're going to have to stay late," Will said.
«Are you sure you don't need any help? - Karen asked excitedly. She could barely stand on her feet, and it looked like she was about to collapse.
«Don't worry, I'll handle it," Will said.
"I don't know what you're babbling to that naive girl over there, but I can see us drowning in shit so far. My chakra isn't infinite, and that guy is eating it up in huge chunks with every blow when I try to protect you," Kurama said.
"I know, but we need to hold out a little longer."
"You've used up too much chakra on your schemes. You have a few tries, then I'm no help to you," Kurama snorted.
The Steppenwolf struck first, his axe coming down on Willard with tearing force, and met resistance in the form of bright orange tails bubbling with power.
A wave of impact ripped through the air, hitting the sea behind Willard's back. A moment, and the water exploded in a crushing blast, showering the land with rain.
«Can't you take a hit on your own? - Steppenwolf asked.
The kunai in Will's hands went for the General's neck, but was intercepted by a clawed paw.
«You can't kill me with this attack.
In the heated battle, Steppenwolf and Minato were determined to win, but neither of them noticed another situation developing behind them. A huge yellow demon appeared out of nowhere and slammed into Steppenwolf, knocking him completely out of the battle.
«Get away from my victim, you insignificant worm! - Belial growled.
«What the hell kind of cuttlefish are you? - said the Steppenwolf.
The two titans exchanged crushing blows, each throwing the other away. The ground beneath their feet shook, and the air crackled, threatening to tear the very fabric of reality.
"That's weird," Kurama said.
«I'm surprised too," Will said.
«He's surprised," John growled, standing in front of him with a black eye, "Before I curse you with a week's worth of diarrhea, you lousy little brat, we need to get out of this shithole as fast as we can. Belial's gonna start wrecking things and he won't hesitate to rip our asses off.
«You summoned a demon into this world? How do you deal with him? - Karen was outraged.
«No snotty asses were asked. It's still better than having our world torn apart by Darkseid.
«He could have killed us.
John hummed.
«I don't mean to brag, but even Zatanna doesn't understand the ins and outs of dealing with demons," John looked down at the ground with a thoughtful frown, like he was remembering some shit that made him sick. - Zatanna tried to turn Belial against us, but she left out one detail: the stubborn stallion is greedy as hell, and doesn't like to share his toys. Right now Belial is concerned about kicking Steppenwolf's ass just to get Willard. Demonic greed knows no end. So what are we worth? Zatanna's spell is no longer holding us back. Use the mark of the Thunder God.
Will was concentratedly silent for a while, and looked up at the rock. There, three clones gathered, showed him a thumbs-up, and then disappeared in the smoke.
"It looks like the plan has been successfully completed," Kurama said.
Willard Light nodded slowly, touched John, and reached out to teleport to Karen. But right at that moment, the Steppenwolf's axe appeared in front of his eyes, which had managed to escape Belial's clutches.
«You're not leaving, Willard Light!
Will had no trouble dodging the blow, but John and Karen, whom he hadn't yet had a chance to touch, were caught in the horizontal sweep. Time was running out for a moment.
"There's no stopping this blow for me under normal circumstances," he thought.
Will gripped the kunai tighter and felt a powerful surge of natural chakra rushing through his body. The entire time he had been rescuing the remaining people on Nerose Island, one of his clones had been accumulating natural chakra. And in the next instant, he met Steppenwolf's blow with a kunai.
«What?" said Steppenwolf, surprised.
For the first time, Willard managed to stop the Steppenwolf's punch, which was a big surprise to his opponent. Will intercepted the General's arm, and they exchanged point blows. In their exchange, Steppenwolf was the better man: not only did he hit Willard, but he dodged a punch to the face himself, rasping in a grin of superiority. But the General's joy did not last long. Suddenly, the Steppenwolf felt his ribcage crumple and the air rush out of his chest. He sank to the ground, staring at the bloody hand he was wiping his lips with in incomprehension-the blow he had dodged had somehow grazed him.
«How... did you hit me? I was sure I dodged it," the General said.
Willard Light, breathing heavily, put his hand on the ground, and raised his head faintly at his opponent. The Steppenwolf's blow had hurt him badly.
«Who knows..." Will whispered with a chuckle as he disappeared with John Constantine and Karen, leaving General Apocalypse unanswered.
***
As Willard Light disappeared, the Steppenwolf hummed and straightened up. Behind him was the frantic roar of Belial rising from the ground, looking rather crumpled.
«It's amazing that there are worthy warriors among you mortals," Belial said, wiping his bloody lips. - I guess I underestimated that brat. Who'd have thought he'd get away so fast?
But while to the demon this world was just a place to have fun, to the Steppenwolf his mission and the task given by Dakrside was a task of the utmost importance, one to die for. Turning to look at the smug demon, the Steppenwolf gave Belial an indifferent look and sighed, heading away and examining his hand thoughtfully.
«His fist passed by me, but still hit me? At that moment, I felt a strange energy enveloping his body. It must have hit me. I see.
«How dare you ignore Belial himself, scum! - Belial growled.
The demon lunged at the Steppenwolf that had opened its back, but it was thwarted by a swarm of para-demons. In a matter of seconds, the whole pack came crashing down, swarming over the demon's huge carcass and devouring it like a swarm of locusts.
«Kill him if possible, but if that fails, capture him," the General said wearily, waving a clawed hand.
«Rarhaa, raaaar! You can't stop me, you miserable gnats!
Belial was just beginning to break through the meat barrier, tearing the bodies of the para-demons to shreds, when suddenly, after the General's swing, more para-demons literally came out of nowhere and descended upon the demon, giving it no chance to escape. Belial's growl began to fade with each new clang of claw metal and the scraping of para-demons, until it disappeared amidst the vile shrieks.
***
Zatanna hurriedly ran to the Steppenwolf and began her report, bowing her knee before him with her body covered in sweat:
«I'm sorry, my Lord. I'm the reason we lost Willard Light," she said, swallowing her saliva fearfully.
But Steppenwolf remained silent, pensively surveying the destruction left by their battle. He ran his fingers slowly over his shattered lips.
«It doesn't matter. I underestimated the enemy and it was my own personal failing. I didn't immediately realize one obvious fact.
«Which is what?
Steppenwolf stood near an abandoned jacket that some human had left behind and picked it up.
«Your magic, look at it. This is where the Thunder God's mark doesn't work.
«Yeah... that's right. But you saw Willard Light move with it. John Constantine must have found a way around my spell.
«Or you've been made to think so.
Zatanna lowered her gaze incomprehensibly.
«Are you saying that Willard Light still can't move with the Thunder God Tag?
«What we saw was a hoax. Your magic was indestructible, and even John Constantine couldn't break it. Willard Light, or more accurately, his Alternate Self, made it look like the mark was working, but in reality, the whole time we were chasing him, Willard Light was moving the people left on the island with the help of his clones," he said.
«How did you figure that out?
«How many para-demons have you seen before?
«Indeed... for some reason, no reinforcements have come from our army all this time.
In fact, the para-demons could have surrounded them and mobbed them the whole time, but not a single para-demon had even come close to Willard Light and the others. Zatanna didn't realize this only because she had the most important problem of all - saving her own life.
Realizing how screwed up she was, Zatanna broke out in a cold sweat. But the Steppenwolf only hummed, shattering her fears that he would torture her or kill her.
«If Willard Light really could move off the island with the Thunder God's mark, he would have done it the moment he got here. Besides, it seems that because of his plan, he couldn't fight me at full strength," Steppenwolf clenched his fist nervously.
After the battle, Steppenwolf was able to get footage from the ship that confirmed his assumption. All the while, Willard Light's clones were moving around the island and rescuing people.
***
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