Dark red lips smiled and silver eyes gleamed at seeing a single black rose sitting next to her computer. She had just taken a break from writing her new novel, having just finished eating when she saw the flower. Bringing it to her nose, she wasn't surprised to find the heady aroma of one of nature's beautiful gifts. "Thanks for the rose, Bruce," she told the figure standing right behind her. It never surprised her when the Dark Knight decided to grace her with his presence. "How have you been?" she asked.
"I'm fine, Fire," Bruce said, finally stepping out of the shadows. If it wasn't for the fact that Fire had known Bruce for a number of years now, she would be very annoyed at the way his mouth was pursed. "Busy. Very busy. I need to know how to find John Constantine."
Fire's face fell as she looked down at her rose. John... "I'm sorry, Bruce, but I can't help you," she sighed, turning her back to him as she took a seat in front of her laptop.
Bruce stepped closer until he placed a gauntlet-covered hand on her shoulder. "Surely you must know a way of contacting him."
The half-demon leaned back into the comforting touch. "I haven't spoken to him in six years, Bruce. I just couldn't handle the thought of―" Fire cut herself off when she felt another's presence in the room. Before she could say anything, Bruce gasped then stilled. He looked down at his hand in interest. Fire sighed. "You didn't need to do that, Boston."
"I know, but Batman really needs to talk to John, and he could use your help," Boston Brand said. He groaned. "Boy, this guy's mind is tough." He clenched on Fire's shoulder as he was expelled from Bruce's body.
Bruce shuddered as he regained control over his body, releasing his hold on Fire. "What. Is. Going. On?" he asked, enunciating each word.
Fire laughed. "I'll explain in a minute. Let me go get dressed," she said, gesturing to the ratty t-shirt and sweatpants she was wearing. "And Boston? You follow me, and I can guarantee you'll feel my wrath as if you were still alive." She gave the spirit a shit-eating grin before sauntering to the entryway and up the stairs to her bedroom. She returned ten minutes later dressed in a camo-print crop top, dark jean shorts, and black combat boots. Fire knew time was of the essence, so she decided to forgo the fight with her wild red hair, opting to let it hang down to her shoulder blades. She felt Bruce eyeing the tattoo barely visible above her combat boot. "My father's mark. Let's other demons know not to mess with me unless they want me to kick their ass," Fire explained, grabbing her well-loved leather jacket just in case. "C'mon, I'll take you to John."
Bruce exited the house, Boston not far behind. "Ok, but I call shotgun!"
~*Shatter Me*~
Needless to say, Boston did not get shotgun.
In fact, he grumbled about not being shotgun as Bruce drove the Batmobile through the side roads of Pittsburgh. "I don't think even his kid could fit back here!"
Fire shrugged. "Sorry Boston, but life tends to be for the living, not the dead. No offense."
"None taken," Boston said good-naturedly.
Bruce looked at Fire from the corner of his eye before returning his main focus to the road ahead. "Boston Brand. He was a circus performer."
"Batman's heard a'me?! Sweet! Tell him I'm a fan of his too, but, be cool about it," Boston told Fire.
The hybrid rolled her eyes at her spirit friend. "I'm not a translator, Boston," she chided.
"What did he say?" Bruce asked.
"Nothing," Fire answered quickly.
Boston pouted. "Ask him if he caught one of my shows."
Fire rolled her eyes once more. "So you know his story? Womanizing trapeze artist who found himself taking a dirt nap earlier than expected? Only it wasn't an accident..." she trailed off, afraid to hurt Boston's feelings. Unlike the many hybrids before her, Fire's humanity was much stronger than her demonic instincts... most of the time. "His spirit now wanders the earth, seeking revenge against his killer, and others who have been wrongfully hurt. He can thank the goddess Rama Kushna for his immortality. One of the few women he didn't try and woo," Fire ended with a laugh.
"And I don't wanna brag, but I'm good," Boston said, cocky as ever.
"Whatever you say, Boston," Fire tells him, patting through his shoulder patronizingly.
"Why did he feel the need to write on my walls like a child?" Bruce interrupted before Boston could reply to Fire's comment.
"Uh, yeah, he's completely sorry about that. And I'm more than willing to fix the damage once I get you to John," Fire told her friend.
Bruce only grumbled in response. "Where is this address? The GPS doesn't seem especially useful tonight," he questioned, nodding towards the GPS. The only direction that was on the screen was a glowing ball that moved near-opposite them.
Fire's shoulder shook as she chuckled. "It's not an address, little bat. The House of Mystery has a serious case of wanderlust. It never tends to stay in one place too long. Don't worry about finding it. It will come to us." Relaxing back into the seat, Fire finally pulled out her favorite accessory from her pocket. It was a piece of the Hope Diamond, surrounded by smaller white diamonds. John's gift to her for their first anniversary. It was one of the many things Fire couldn't bare to let go from her lover. She put it on, admiring the way the dark indigo was accentuated by her pale skin. She didn't get to relax long before storm clouds rolled over the clear sky, quickly turning into a hazardous cyclone heading straight for the BatMobile. Bruce swerved out of the way as a pine tree nearly hit them. How ironic, Fire thought with a dark chuckle. The cyclone continued to stay in front of them, seemingly hurtling more trees and boulders at them, all of which Bruce narrowly managed to avoid. Fire wasn't really worried, unlike Boston. She knew how keen Bruce's reflexes were for an ordinary human. It wasn't until a tree nearly landed on them that Fire decided to intervene. "Mit dir weg!" (Away with you!) she shouted, obliterating the tree.
It did not stop the force of nature, simply picking them up with a sadistic look on its now-corporeal face. The BatMobile was lifted from the ground, trees and other debris pummeling the car. Bruce tried to gain control, but it was no use. This was chaos magic, and there was no way to stop it until whoever casted the spell decided to reverse it. Thinking on her feet, Fire yelled out the first words to come to mind: "Hilf uns Vater!" (Help us Father!) Gold light encased the car, shielding them from the worst of the barrage. This gave them an advantage, allowing Bruce to use the rockets to push them out of the center of the cyclone, somehow hitting the ground properly. Though they grunted on impact (Boston included), Bruce nor Fire seemed to have suffered any serious damage, minus being really pissed off at whoever decided to sic a cyclone on them. It continued to close in on them, despite Bruce's dangerously-high speed turns.
Fire felt a familiar tug on her heart, one she had not felt for over half a decade. She looked ahead, seeing the House of Mystery materialize about half a mile from them. "Over there. Quickly!" she said, pointing ahead. Bruce nodded, somehow managing to go even faster towards the house.
The BatMobile skidded to a halt, all of them jumping out immediately. All that mattered was getting to the safety of the house. John was there, opening the door. "Into the house!" As if we needed an invitation, Fire determined. She had allowed Bruce and Boston to get ahead of her, knowing she had a better chance for survival should the cyclone suck any of them away. After Fire was safely inside, John slammed the door shut and quickly moved away from the front entrance. Fire felt the house dissipate from this plane, wincing as she also felt the BatMobile being crushed as if it were aluminum foil. All of them were panting, John bracing Fire against the wall. "Fire, are you alright?" John asked her, genuine concern in his voice and cobalt eyes.
Fire nodded, still catching her breath from her latest near-death experience. No matter how many times she came close to dying, the rush of adrenaline never truly left her. "I will be," she said with a smirk, one which John returned easily. She looked at Bruce, who had just stood up from his position on the floor. "Sorry 'bout the BatMobile. Guess that's another thing I have to fix later, huh?" Fire joked with a larger grin directed at her little bat. Bruce just grumbled again, causing Fire to chuckle under her breath.
"I should have known you were the reason I'm not back in London enjoying a pint," John said, taking Fire's hand to pull her away from the wall. "The House always did like you better," he protested, though there was no heat behind the latter.
"What can I say? It has good taste," Fire responded easily enough, despite her racing heart. John still looked the same, even after all these years. Same scruff, same piercing eyes, same pine and cigarette smell. It was as if six years hadn't come and gone.
John smirked, as if he could hear her heart. He side-eyed Bruce. "Odd trio for a road trip," he noted. "To what do I owe the visit?"
"The League thinks that a recent spike in homicides may have a magical cause," Bruce said, straight to the point as usual.
John didn't say anything for a minute. Then he sighed before leading them to the main communal room. Fire has missed this place, with it's multitude of book and magical artifacts. Boston had floated ahead of them, looking at the abnormally-large fireplace before turning around to look at John. "Told you somethin' stinks," the apparition said to John, "but now we know someone doesn't want us askin' questions."
"Look like you've cracked it wide open, mate," John said sarcastically. Fire snorted, taking her old seat next to the fire. She had so many fond memories in that chair alone, night spent cuddling with John in front of the open fire dancing in front of her eyes.
"What did he say?" Bruce asked.
"Nuh uh," John objected, "I'm not playing telephone between you two. Macito celume kesaurus." He looked at Fire. "Why didn't you do that sooner?" he asked her.
Fire shrugged. "You should know better, John. I like being needed."
Before John could open his mouth, Boston (thankfully) interrupted. "We online?" Since Bruce was looking directly at him, Fire nodded mutely. "Sweet." He floated over to Bruce, the Dark Knight tracking his every move. "Sorry 'bout the BatMobile. Hope your insurance was paid up" He chuckled. "What, is there even a policy for something like that?" Bruce's only response was a growl. Fire rolled her eyes at Bruce, already knowing she would be spending most of tomorrow finding and repairing the damaged car.
John suddenly jumped, causing Fire to flinch. Standing next to the con artist was a being that looked as delicate as a flower, but as strong as it's thorns. "Hey, I told you not to do that, Orchid. Use a bloody door," he scolded the newcomer.
Orchid didn't even bat an eye. "I am glad to see you are well," she said, looking at Fire. Though Fire felt weird about a stranger talking to her, she also felt as if she knew Orchid. Perhaps it was her soothing yet monotonous voice. Like Siri, but much better.
"Woah," Boston said, floating over to Fire's side, staring at the purple woman. Oh boy, Fire thought.
"Not what you think," John said. "It's the magic of the house. It decided it wanted to experience humanity and gave itself a body," he explained as Orchid walked over to Boston.
"It sure did," Boston said, still awe-struck.
Orchid grabbed Boston's hand, lifting it so their palms were mirrored. "A spirit whose existence is not its own. Like myself. Interesting."
Fire was surprised that for once in his lives, Boston seemed near-speechless. "Uh, yeah, that," was all he could say.
"Dead smooth you are, mate," John complimented, giving the ghost a thumbs-up for effort as he sat down in the seat opposite from Fire.
Orchid ignored them, walking until she was standing in front of Fire. She stared at the hybrid while Fire stared back, taking note of the intricate swirls covering her body. "You are unlike any creature I have seen in these walls before now," Orchid said. "Though your soul should be corrupted because of your lineage, you still have a light inside you that many strive for."
Fire shrugged. "Blame my very proud German mother for that one. Refuses to let me join her and Father until I've lived long enough," she joked.
Orchid continued. "You are miserable because of John. Yet, you still love him," she noted, looking back to the British man. John looked up, hope clear in his expression as he stared at Fire as if they had never parted.
Fire didn't say anything for a moment, choosing her words carefully. "You'll come to understand that, with mortality, comes a barrage of emotions, many of which you have no control over. One of them is love. There's a saying among humans: if you love someone, let them go. If they return to you, it was meant to be. If they don't, then they never truly loved you to begin with."
Orchid nodded, taking in those words of wisdom before turning away from her. Fire's eyes met John's, her longing mirrored on his face. She couldn't bear to see something that she could so easily have, choosing to track Orchid's movements instead. "You exude pain," Orchid continues, looking at Bruce. Your life is a patchwork of blackness with no time for joy. How do you cope with it?"
Bruce, whose back had been to everyone, turned to answer. "I have a butler."
Fire snorted, cracking up. "That reminds me, tell him he owes me some good food if he wants my homemade chocolate." Bruce nodded his head minutely, with only trained eyes being able to detect the movement.
Orchid said nothing, only nodding. John cleared his throat, finally looking away from Fire. "That was enlightening." John stood up, conjuring a whiskey bottle and two glasses. "We, I guess we should have that chin-wag about now?"
~*Shatter Me*~
John stood before a yellow circle that showed the memories of those who had seen the alleged demons. Their screams and cries for help nearly made Fire's ears bleed. Unlike the rest of her kind, she felt sorrow for humanity. It wasn't there fault that they had a strict moral code to uphold. Bruce stiffened when he saw the woman ready to throw her baby from the skyscraper. Fire grabbed his pinky with her pointer finger, giving it a gentle squeeze. "You can't save everyone. We know that better than anyone else," she told him. Bruce didn't acknowledge her words, still staring at the images flashing before them. John closes them out after the woman says 'devil'.
"Rama Kushna says this will break down the walls between planes," Boston tells them once John's spell is finished. "Even the afterlife will be affected."
"Yeah, it's dodgy all right. I'll look into it. Meanwhile, the House will drop you wherever you'd like," John says as he walks away.
Boston floats over in front of the occult detective, stopping him for a moment. "Woah, woah, woah. Rama says we have to work together. C'mon, it's a dream team! You, me, Fire, Batman, maybe even the Justice League."
"The capes and tights crew?" John questions, thumbing at Bruce. "Useless against dark magic." He placed his hand on his hips, in a way Fire knew would make it difficult to make him budge.
"That's why we need you," Boston replies, gesturing to the man in front of him. "You can lead us."
"Boston, do I strike you as a team player? Much less a team leader? Point is, even deities can get it wrong. It's how we got the appendix, neanderthals, and reality TV." John turned back to the other two, eyes boring into Fire. "Your help I could use, Fire."
Fire tapped a finger to her mouth, pretending to consider his words. While John was forced to always think quickly, Fire had been raised to slow down and appreciate your surroundings. "I'm down," she said, standing, "but only if we do it together. You want me? You get them too." She mirrored John's earlier position, the hands on her hips signifying that if he didn't agree, she wouldn't help him.
John sighed, scrubbing a hand over his face. "You're impossible sometimes, love," he mumbled, so quietly that even Fire's demonic hearing nearly didn't pick it up. But it did, and that nearly made her blush. "Fine and dandy. But don't say I didn't warn you," he said, once more pointing at Bruce.
"He's dead, and I accept the risks. We cannot waste any more time," Bruce told him.
"Then let's take a walk on the dark side," John said, leading them to a door.
Fire breathed out a sigh of relief. "So glad you agreed with me. Didn't need a repeat of the bonobo incident," she teased John as she caught up to him.
John groaned. "Not this again. When are you going to let that go?!"
"Never, obviously," Fire said with an easy smile. This, this she had missed the most. The easy conversation with someone who accepted you for everything you were, demoness and all. "It was too funny not to forget. I mean, you managed to piss off one of the calmest species of monkeys on this planet. One would think you were trying to rile up a hellhound."
"Yeah, well, at least hellhound won't try to hump my head like I'm a plush toy," John complained, rubbing the back of his head in memory.
"It isn't their fault they evolved into a 'make love, not war' mindset. You should have been more careful."
"Me?! They should have known better than to mess with someone bigger than them!"
"You should have known better than to mess with a species whose teeth can rip out your entrails and use them as a jump rope."
"Do you two need a timeout?" Bruce interrupted before John could speak.
Fire stopped at the door, turning around. "Fine, little bat. I'll just tease him later." Sticking out her tongue at the Dark Knight, she opened a door which lead to a hallway. Fire bowed, looking at John. "Humans first."