Chapter Ten
An hour later, the Swamp Thing made his way back to his former home in the boggy swamplands outside of Houma, planning on taking one long, last look before abandoning it forever. When he spied a shock of blonde hair behind a trail of blue smoke, just above a trenchcoat, he suddenly had a feeling of deja vu.
"Constantine..." he growled, "...why am I not... surprised...?"
"Welcome back to the planet Earth, mate!" John Constantine said, dropping ashes onto the forest floor. "You've been gone a long time. Noticed anything different since you've been back?" The Swamp Thing stalked past him and said nothing. "Been to see Abby, have you, then?" The creature stopped. "Blasted shame, that. But, hey, it leaves you free to carry on with your true purpose in life."
"And what... might that be...?"
"Wish I could tell you. That's really something each of us has to figure out for ourselves, though, innit?"
In a second the Swamp Thing was standing in his face, anger steaming from his nostrils. "I have no patience... for your games, Constantine...!"
"Easy now, big fellow," Constantine said, nonplussed. "You're right, though. The time for games and trickery is over. I think it's time you learned the truth." He took another drag from his cigarette and blew it in the Swamp Thing's face. "The Parliament wants to see you."
The Swamp Thing hated feeling like someone was constantly pulling his strings to and fro. It had been more months, years even, than he could remember since he could do anything but react to situations which were thrust upon him, rather than take the bull by the horns, so to speak, and make his own destiny. Too many things had happened to him over the years, but few of them had been his choice. Now that he was back and some of his choices had already been made up for him, he wanted to choose his destiny from now on.
"No..." he said, turning around and walking away once more.
"If this is about Abby, guv, it's not worth it. She was bound to leave you sooner or later. Now come on, I've got transport waiting for us."
"Do not tempt me, Constantine... I have been through... too much to put up with you... any longer..."
"Trust me, tall, dark and gruesome, you'll want to hear the answers to all those unspoken questions rattling around in your brain," John said, smirking. "I know you too well."
***
Several minutes later, the two stepped out into a clearing, where a scientifically-advanced jet sat awaiting them. Four men stood in front of it.
"I thought I told you... to leave me..." the Swamp Thing said as they walked up to the four men dressed in purple jumpsuits.
"Hey, we couldn't leave an old pal alone just when he needed us most," said Rocky. The other members of the Challengers of the Unknown agreed.
"You seem to... know everyone, Constantine..." the creature said as the group boarded the jet and buckled themselves in. "I suppose I... shouldn't be surprised... that you know the Challengers... of the Unknown..."
"The unknown is my stock in trade, squire," John Constantine said enigmatically and smiled as he set his seat back far enough to take a nap.
Within minutes, the Challenger Jet, with all its passengers, took off vertically into the air and then proceeded to head south.
An hour later, the Swamp Thing made his way back to his former home in the boggy swamplands outside of Houma, planning on taking one long, last look before abandoning it forever. When he spied a shock of blonde hair behind a trail of blue smoke, just above a trenchcoat, he suddenly had a feeling of deja vu.
"Constantine..." he growled, "...why am I not... surprised...?"
"Welcome back to the planet Earth, mate!" John Constantine said, dropping ashes onto the forest floor. "You've been gone a long time. Noticed anything different since you've been back?" The Swamp Thing stalked past him and said nothing. "Been to see Abby, have you, then?" The creature stopped. "Blasted shame, that. But, hey, it leaves you free to carry on with your true purpose in life."
"And what... might that be...?"
"Wish I could tell you. That's really something each of us has to figure out for ourselves, though, innit?"
In a second the Swamp Thing was standing in his face, anger steaming from his nostrils. "I have no patience... for your games, Constantine...!"
"Easy now, big fellow," Constantine said, nonplussed. "You're right, though. The time for games and trickery is over. I think it's time you learned the truth." He took another drag from his cigarette and blew it in the Swamp Thing's face. "The Parliament wants to see you."
The Swamp Thing hated feeling like someone was constantly pulling his strings to and fro. It had been more months, years even, than he could remember since he could do anything but react to situations which were thrust upon him, rather than take the bull by the horns, so to speak, and make his own destiny. Too many things had happened to him over the years, but few of them had been his choice. Now that he was back and some of his choices had already been made up for him, he wanted to choose his destiny from now on.
"No..." he said, turning around and walking away once more.
"If this is about Abby, guv, it's not worth it. She was bound to leave you sooner or later. Now come on, I've got transport waiting for us."
"Do not tempt me, Constantine... I have been through... too much to put up with you... any longer..."
"Trust me, tall, dark and gruesome, you'll want to hear the answers to all those unspoken questions rattling around in your brain," John said, smirking. "I know you too well."
***
Several minutes later, the two stepped out into a clearing, where a scientifically-advanced jet sat awaiting them. Four men stood in front of it.
"I thought I told you... to leave me..." the Swamp Thing said as they walked up to the four men dressed in purple jumpsuits.
"Hey, we couldn't leave an old pal alone just when he needed us most," said Rocky. The other members of the Challengers of the Unknown agreed.
"You seem to... know everyone, Constantine..." the creature said as the group boarded the jet and buckled themselves in. "I suppose I... shouldn't be surprised... that you know the Challengers... of the Unknown..."
"The unknown is my stock in trade, squire," John Constantine said enigmatically and smiled as he set his seat back far enough to take a nap.
Within minutes, the Challenger Jet, with all its passengers, took off vertically into the air and then proceeded to head south.
