John Constantine staggered over, swaying slightly as he addressed Craig. Of course, any living person could make that claim. It didn't mean they were immortal; it just meant they weren't dead yet.
Constantine didn't think anyone capable of climbing Harrogath could be a complete idiot—Barbarians didn't take kindly to fools. If this guy really was immortal, Constantine realized he might have just found a teammate he could use… repeatedly.
"What's that supposed to mean? I'm not joking," Craig said, pointing a finger at Constantine's nose. He felt a sudden wave of malice coming from the blond man.
"Oh, I know you're not joking. To be honest, I've known a few blokes who claimed to be immortal. Funnily enough, they all ended up getting sorted one way or another."
Constantine fished out a cigarette and held it out toward Spider-Man. "Hey, neighbor, give us a light, would you?"
He turned back to Craig with a twisted smile. "Have you ever tried putting yourself through a meat grinder? Or being buried in a block of wet concrete? Being immortal usually just means you get to experience things that are much, much worse than dying."
Constantine spoke with the weary tone of a man who had seen too much. Spider-Man, acting on instinct, pulled a burning stick from the campfire and lit the cigarette.
"Stop talking rot. I reckon that sounds like a one-way trip to being dead-dead," Rumlow said in a flat, rehearsed tone, his hands tightening around the grip of his greathammer. He had never liked Constantine.
"'I reckon'?! Again with the 'I reckon'? You reckon this, you reckon that—what has all that reckoning actually gotten you?" Constantine snapped. However, out of a healthy respect for Rumlow's physical power, he made sure to keep his distance.
"I reckon as long as the enemy is smashed, life and death aren't my problem," Rumlow said lazily, tossing an empty beer can at Constantine.
"Being afraid of death won't stop it from coming. Being brave won't keep you alive. It's all bollocks. You only find the real answer to the life and death question at the very last second. Is it a lingering regret for this miserable world, or a curiosity for the next unknown? You won't know until you're fading out."
Rumlow was becoming uncharacteristically talkative. On the path to power, one needed a little company, otherwise, what was the point of the view from the top? He glanced at Craig and then closed his eyes. He wasn't interested in debating philosophy with a weirdo.
"By the way, what happened to that pet you were going to give Bul-Kathos?" Matthew asked.
The little husky pup had vanished, and Matthew was slightly concerned.
"Banal took it. Said he wanted to breed a pack. Even told me to go find a female dog so the husky could start a lineage." Rumlow sighed and lay back into the snow.
Banal enjoyed "husbandry." Giving him a project was better than letting him wander around the mountain causing trouble in his spare time.
"I started out asking what a Rift was, how did we end up talking about dog breeding?" Spider-Man complained.
"Peter Parker?"
A voice called out, using his real name. Spider-Man's eyes widened as he looked at Constantine, who was currently acting all buddy-buddy with Craig. Only Constantine knew his identity here—or so he thought. He immediately assumed the mage had blabbed. He didn't think he had any other acquaintances on Harrogath.
"It really is you!"
Jessica Jones's voice rang out with genuine excitement. Luke Cage stood beside her.
"Hello! You're… Jessica Jones?"
Spider-Man's initial defensive anger vanished the moment he recognized her. They had been high school classmates at Midtown High—a school that seemed to have a bizarrely high output of superhuman talent. Agent Venom, Spider-Man, and Jessica Jones had all graduated from there.
"It's been ages! I haven't heard a word about you since graduation," Jessica said, perhaps a bit too enthusiastically. Luke Cage looked a little bit jealous.
"Ah, yeah! Well, I haven't been doing that great…" Peter stuttered. Jessica had once harbored a slight crush on Peter, but that had long since been buried by the passing years.
"This is my boyfriend, Luke Cage. You might know him as Power Man. We're… discussing a wedding date," Jessica said, patting Luke's chest.
Luke was a man she could rely on. The joy of the reunion faded slightly as the weight of the past resurfaced. High school hadn't been a golden age for Jessica. Superpowers born from tragedy always brought back painful memories—especially considering the horrors her powers had led her into later.
"It's over now. Soon, we'll be able to personally say goodbye to that nightmare," Luke said softly, taking her hand.
Their formal clothes had been shredded in their battle with the Purple Man. After returning to the mountain, the kind-hearted Malah had given them new clothes. They were rough—made of simply treated bear hide—but they were incredibly comfortable.
Jessica nodded and gave Peter an apologetic smile.
"Welcome to Harrogath, Spider-Man," Luke Cage said, greeting him properly. He sensed that Jessica's excitement was rooted in nostalgia rather than anything else. As a mature man, he wasn't going to make a scene. He and Jessica shared a story now, and from today onward, every day was a new chapter they would write together.
The future was much longer than the past. As Barbarians, as long as they didn't fall in battle, they had a very long future ahead of them.
"Uh, hi. But… why are you guys here?" Spider-Man still hadn't quite recovered from his identity being outed. His roasted meat was getting cold in the mountain air.
"Us? We're Barbarians. Where else would we be?" Jessica said, slightly confused. She held up her hand, showing off the ring Luke had given her. A diamond sparkled on her finger.
Constantine's eyes narrowed. He felt a surge of intense energy coming from that ring! He was always looking for little baubles to arm himself with. He ditched Craig and moved closer.
"Oho? That ring looks awfully familiar…" Constantine said in his usual grating tone.
"Are you about to say it's stolen property? Or maybe the one you lost?" Rumlow said without even opening his eyes.
Constantine's mouth snapped shut.
"Give it a rest. I know the 'crooked cop' routines better than you. Don't forget what I used to do for a living," Rumlow added, still keeping his eyes closed. He figured it was better not to look; he didn't want to witness whatever bloody mess might happen if Constantine pushed too far.
"I was going to say," Constantine recovered smoothly, "the energy in that ring feels familiar. That diamond must be something from the mystic side of things, yeah?"
He needed to maintain his persona as an occult expert. It was the only way to pivot from his instinctive attempt at a con.
"Bul-Kathos made it out of a piece of coal with his bare hands," Luke said coldly.
Choosing between trusting Constantine or trusting Rumlow wasn't exactly a difficult decision. Luke reached out and gripped Constantine's shoulder. His massive frame loomed over the mage.
"Look, mate, you've got a girlfriend, right? Getting married soon? I mean, I don't mind having another boyfriend, but this is a bit forward—"
CRACK!
Before Constantine could finish his snarky remark, Luke's fist connected with his jaw, sending the rest of the words back down his throat.
"Bloody hell… I remember getting a shiner just like this last time," Constantine muttered, sprawled on the ground. Internally, he was smirking. The tension was broken. Even if his habit of "grifting" had slipped out, at least he was still in the game.
The Barbarians were a powerful force. High ceiling, solid floor. Constantine didn't want to be their enemy.
"Cough! Anyway, I don't know how Bul-Kathos squeezed a diamond out of coal, but the energy in that stone isn't something you can just fake." Constantine was determined to prove his worth. Occult knowledge was his only leverage. Combat wasn't just about swinging hammers; it was about schemes and vicious curses. He could help with that.
-------------------------------
I've already uploaded 30 chapters of this story on Patreon!
If you enjoy it, come check out the latest chapters in advance.
Here's the link:
[pat*eon*com/DaoistRoeoNQ]
Thank you so much for your support!!!
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"