Constantine shifted his gaze toward Trickster in the distance. "He is the one who brought us here."
As his words settled, the remaining occupants of the House of Mystery were abruptly pulled into the same location. They arrived disoriented, their expressions mirroring the confusion already present.
Constantine slipped a cigarette from his pocket and lit it with practiced ease. "Not the worst outcome," he muttered, exhaling a thin stream of smoke. "If he wanted us dead, we would already be gone. Something like him could erase us in an instant."
Despite invoking God in his remark, there was no reverence in his tone, nor fear. Constantine had long since grown accustomed to forces beyond comprehension. Fear, once rooted in the inevitability of death, had little hold over him now.
Batman's brow furrowed, but before he could respond, his expression twisted. He clutched his chest and doubled over, coughing violently.
The intensity of it drew the attention of everyone nearby.
"You pushed yourself too far," Constantine said, his voice losing its casual edge. "That fight with Adrian nearly destroyed your body. Limbs, organs, everything took damage."
He lowered his cigarette, studying Batman carefully. "And then you used that serum, forced your body past its limits. You are barely holding together. Honestly, it is a miracle you are still standing. But this is as far as it goes. Push any further and you will not recover."
Batman ignored the warning. He retrieved a pill from his utility belt and swallowed it without hesitation.
Constantine frowned. "What did you just take?"
"A high-grade sedative and painkiller," Batman replied, steadying his breath. "Not something doctors would approve. It keeps the pain suppressed and allows my mind to remain clear."
Gradually, the tension in his body eased. His breathing steadied, and his focus sharpened.
He looked toward Trickster, then shifted his attention to Adrian and the others. "This ends here. Clarion and Beppo are gone. If we fail now, everything we sacrificed means nothing."
Constantine listened in silence, then crushed his cigarette beneath his boot.
In the distance, Trickster seemed dissatisfied with the scale of chaos. With a casual gesture, he brought Trigon into the forest as well, pulling the demon from the collapsing maze.
The moment Trigon appeared, he resumed his assault without hesitation. Hellfire and raw energy consumed the forest, turning it into a battlefield of overwhelming force.
Batman watched briefly before redirecting his focus.
Adrian stood beneath a tree, visibly injured but still upright, regaining his strength. Not far from him, Shazam struggled to remain standing, his magic reserves nearly depleted. He braced himself against the ground, breathing heavily.
Wonder Woman knelt nearby, one hand pressed against her waist. The earlier clash with Trigon had left her nerves aflame with pain.
Clark remained at Shazam's side, offering what support he could, though his own condition was far from stable.
Barry stood apart from them, shielding his eyes as he observed the clash between Trigon and Trickster overhead. Compared to the others, he was in better shape, though exhaustion lingered beneath his alert posture.
"They are not as overwhelming as before," Constantine said quietly. "If we act now, we have a chance. Miss it, and we will regret it."
He glanced at the others. "And we are not alone."
Harley Quinn, Black Canary, and the rest stepped forward.
Black Canary tilted her chin upward, fixing Constantine with a sharp look. "Just make sure you do not summon anything you cannot control this time."
Constantine gave a slight shrug. "I will do what I can."
Harley Quinn raised her hand enthusiastically. "Quick question, can I fight Shazam again?"
Her eyes gleamed with excitement. "I was just getting warmed up before."
Before anyone could respond, she sprinted forward.
"Here I come, Shazam!"
Shazam barely had time to react before her voice reached him. He looked up just as she closed the distance.
Clark tried to intervene, but his weakened state slowed him. Black Canary moved first.
Her piercing scream erupted, striking Clark directly. Already on the brink, he staggered, his vision spinning before he collapsed.
Harley took advantage of the opening, slamming into him and sending him flying.
Wonder Woman forced herself upright and engaged Black Canary once more.
Earlier, Diana had dominated their encounter. Now, the balance had shifted.
Black Canary pressed the attack relentlessly.
"How does it feel now?" she asked, her voice edged with satisfaction.
Wonder Woman's expression hardened. "Do you think victory is already yours? Or do you believe fate has chosen your side?"
A thunderous impact followed.
Black Canary drove her forward, sending her crashing into a massive tree. The trunk split under the force, cracks racing through its surface.
Diana grunted, pain tightening her features.
Black Canary stepped closer, her gaze unwavering. "Surrender now, and I might spare you. Even after everything, I can let this end here."
"What arrogance," Diana replied, pushing herself upright despite the pain.
In an instant, she surged forward, breaking through the air with explosive speed. Black Canary attempted to evade, but Diana seized her shoulder and hurled her away.
Black Canary's body tore through the air before reinforcements arrived.
Nightwing and Cyborg descended from above, guided by Barbara's signal. Cyborg intercepted Black Canary mid-flight, catching her before impact, but the momentum carried them both through a tree, snapping it in half.
They crashed to the ground, tearing through earth and vegetation before finally coming to a halt.
Diana launched herself skyward, then descended like a falling star toward her opponent.
Black Canary, battered and disoriented, grabbed a broken branch and swung it with all her strength.
Diana's Vulcan Sword flashed.
The branch split cleanly in two.
Closing the distance, Diana pressed forward. Black Canary, bloodied and disheveled, refused to yield. She struck again, the shortened branch connecting with Diana's shoulder.
The impact slowed her slightly, but it was not enough.
"This is what happens when you underestimate me," Diana said, blocking a kick and countering with a brutal knee to the chin.
Black Canary crashed to the ground.
Diana seized her by the throat, lifting her. "This ends now. I will stop you, and then I will end every threat against Adrian."
Black Canary's breath came in ragged gasps, yet her gaze remained defiant.
Diana released her.
Black Canary collapsed, clutching her throat, coughing violently.
"We were never the same," she rasped. "That is why we are enemies."
Diana let out a short, humorless laugh. "You speak as if you are righteous, as if I am the villain."
Her expression darkened. "There are two kinds of people I despise. The truly evil, and those who believe they can decide the fate of others."
Her fist struck, sending Black Canary flying once more.
In an instant, Diana followed, slamming her into the ground with devastating force. The impact carved a crater into the earth.
"It ends here," Diana said coldly. "Anyone who seeks Adrian's death must be ready to face their own."
Black Canary moved suddenly.
Her fist struck, then her leg followed, targeting Diana's balance. Pain flared through Diana's already injured body, forcing her back a step.
Seizing the moment, Black Canary grabbed her and drove forward.
The ground shattered beneath them as they surged ahead, crashing through another massive tree in an explosion of splintered wood and debris.
Dust filled the air.
Black Canary did not stop.
Though Diana was severely wounded, Black Canary was worse. Her body was failing, her strength fading rapidly.
Still, she pushed forward, refusing to fall.
===
Read chapters ahead on Patreon, with every chapter organized into collections.
P-a-t-r-e-o-n.com/_Zeph.