Women of Wonder

by Michael Weyer

Ugh, so sorry for extra long delay, combo writer's block, real life and other fics but trying to get it back on track.

Also, I'm aware of the...ahem...issues regarding the actors playing the Flash and Mera but no, not writing them out over that. If you want to imagine different people in the roles, go ahead but still using them anyway.

Thanks to Marcus S. Lazarus for some help with this chapter, enjoy.

"Barry, stop tapping your foot."

"I'm fine."

"When you tap at your speed, it's a damn jackhammer, knock it off!"

The Flash blanched but nonetheless held back from his tapping. The fact he could still feel Batman's cold glare at him was likely a reason for his nervousness as the League sat around their main meeting table. Jamie was at the side, staring in wonder at the holographic globe, marveling again at how advanced technology was in this future.

Superman decided it was smart to bring the subject around to the matter at hand. "Diana?"

"Yes?" three female voices spoke at once.

The Flash made a show of checking a non-existent watch. "Welp, I had half an hour in the pool for that to happen." He saw Aquaman looking at him and shrugged. "Hey, it happened with me and the other Barry quick!"

Superman chuckled before looking to the one from Earth-1992. "You know this Circe the best. What do you think her plans are?"

She sat back in thought, stroking her chin. "She wants to use the Heart, that's certain. However, I'm wondering if it's truly Eclipso she's after. Egotistical as Circe is, she must know that creature was more one of chaos, less easy to control."

Wonder Woman nodded, tapping her fingers on the table. "There's also the differences between my reality and yours. We have different versions not just of the Gods but other creatures, that may throw her off."

"It is fascinating," Prince intoned. "I have some odd bits of magic in my world but nothing on the level you do. Frankly, I'm the only 'superhero' in mine, I've never heard of a Superman or Batman."

"Seems that happens," Cyborg intoned. "We know a guy who can access realities and geeks out over finding them. According to him, there's one where I'm on some team of well, frankly, weirdos and a couple others I'm with some teen hero versions of the League."

"And others where only one of us exists," Superman added. "Don't ask me why, it just is."

"Maybe I can get to a world where this is all a very bad dream," Jamie sighed.

Superman shook his head. "Mixing up realties like this, it can't be good for the multiverse."

"We still have a sorceress of immense power in possession of a gem housing some evil spirit," Batman stated. "That's more than enough to worry about."

"Plus, no offense but magic isn't up our usual wheelhouse," Green Lantern pointed out. "We may need outside assistance more than Zatanna."

"Ugh, let's not call in that Fate guy," the Flash moaned. "He makes that Strange weirdo look normal and humble."

Zatanna coughed for attention. "Ah, I might know a guy."

Batman frowned. "Can we trust him?"

"Trust...is a tricky word." She sighed. "But, as long as he's not too up to his neck in trouble..." She stopped and shook her head. "Oh, what am I saying, he always is."

Opal City

The mood in the penthouse of the large building was darker than usual. The assortment of figures in suits could sense the anger steaming from their boss and kept quiet. It could have been seen as the typical meeting of a crime gang straight out of a movie...if said movie was directed by Guillermo Del Toro.

That's because while wearing crisp, clean, expensive Italian suits, the figures in the room were decidedly not human. Most had dark skin with blotches across their faces, inhumanly long ears, mouths, chins, noses and the like. Several barely seemed humanoid at all, horrific figures who were more than capable of causing havoc among the humans of the city.

The buzz of conversation among them died down as the door from the rear office opened to reveal their leader. Raimor, in contrast to his underlings, appeared more human, albeit with reddish skin and sharp scales upon his face. His face was marked by a massive scar cutting across the right side, bisecting one of his black eyes. His large mouth was marked in a hideous scowl as he marched to the bar, grabbing a 30-year old bottle of scotch and quickly pouring a glass for himself. He downed it as he looked to one of his aides. "Is he here?"

"Waiting outside," the green-skinned figure replied.

"Get him in here." With a nod, the man headed off to a side room. Moments later, he was shoving inside a pale figure, as in almost albino pale with reddish hair, appearing like a human in his 20s and brushing at his rumpled suit. He nodded to the demon lord as he spoke. "Sir, I don't know why..."

Without hesitation, Raimor threw out a blast of fire that knocked him back. "Dogon, you miserable excuse for a piece of shit I scrape off my shoe, do you have any idea what you've done?"

Dogon winced as he got up, brushing off the light flames as if it was only an annoyance. "Raimor, what is this?"

"What is this? You ask what this is?" Raimor shook his head. "We are trying to make do in a new world, Dogon. A world of men who fly, of a goddess of old among us, a world that will no longer dismiss us as merely myth and legend. And you...you are ready to bring it all crashing down on us.

Dogon frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Raimor's eyes and nostrils flared with fire and smoke as he continued to snarl at the other demon. "You...You could have picked anyone. Anyone at all to try and rob. Any random human in this miserable city. You could have chosen anyone to steal from and kill. Well, not only did you not kill this person, you hurt a friend of hers."

Dogon frowned. "Wait...as in that bitch with the car? I liked it. I wanted it. I took it. I mean...we're demons."

"We're demons but we're not monsters," Raimor hissed, his eyes flaring. "Yet you have decided to do something that ruins all of that. Because you just had to put in the hospital a woman whose friend is now on the warpath against us. A friend I just heard tore apart one of our other clubs and is now heading to find you."

"What? That human?" Dogon snorted. "I'm supposed to be scared of some nobody?"

"That 'nobody', you miserable little pissant...is John Constantine."

A long and cold silence echoed through the room. It was broken by the shattering of a glass dropped by another demon, with others staring in varying degrees of shock, horror and then angry glares at Dogon.

"Oh, shit, we're all gonna fucking die..." One demon in a corner moaned.

Dogon looked around with a frown. "Wait...Constantine? I thought he was just some story like the Boogeyman or, you know, Ba..." He stopped in place, knowing better than to say that name.

"Baba Yaga?" Everyone stared in shock at Raimor as he sipped his drink. He saw their stares and shrugged. "Oh, I know, you're not supposed to say her name. But it's not a big deal anymore." His face tightened. "Not since Constantine fucking killed Baba Yaga."

A loud series of gasps went up at that as Raimor stepped forward with false calm on her face. "You see, this man has, quite literally, flipped off great Lucifer himself and got away with it. He has thwarted death more times than any mortal should and even somehow conned his way into nearly getting into heaven. A man who has faced odds that should have wiped out one of those damned 'superheroes' and still walked away with his skin and soul intact.

"I once saw him exorcise an entire pack of demons…with a spritz sprayer. A. Fucking. Spritz. Sprayer."

He leaned in as Dogon got back to his feet. "This is a man of purpose. A man who, when he sets his mind onto a path, will not stop until it's finished. And has taken down enemies far, far greater than either you or I could possibly imagine." He leaned closer, his eyes flaring. "This is a man whose entire life revolves around wiping out our kind...and you just gave him an invitation to my doorstep."

Dogon swallowed. "Okay, fine...he comes here, we kill him, end of story."

He howled as Raimor blasted him with a burst of hellfire. He then looked to his underling, pointing at the squirming Dogon. "Has this idiot not listened to a word I said?!" He whirled back at Dogon. "You do not 'end' John Constantine, you moron. You just hope you get out of it alive."

It was at that moment the ringing of the elevator at the far end of the penthouse rang out. Everyone turned to it as the doors swung open. Standing there was a hulking figure in a tight suit, a man known to all as the most expensive and fearsome enforcer a demon lord could possibly have in their employ.

Standing in place, the demon collapsed to his knees and then fell face flat onto the floor. Standing behind him, taking a long drag on a cigarette, was a dark-haired and handsome man in a black suit and tie, his white shirt rumbled but still exuding an aura of one not to mess with. He calmly stepped into the room as the various demons tensed at the sight of him but none willing to be the first to make a move.

Raimor's jaw tightened. "Constantine."

"Raimor," the man returned in a calm voice with an American accent. He took another drag on his cigarette as he walked carefully into the room. If he seemed concerned about being surrounded by a pack of demons, he didn't show it. If anything, they seemed more terrified of him than the other way around.

Raimor sipped his drink before speaking. "You should know...what Dogon did...it wasn't my idea. It wasn't with my knowledge or permission. Believe that."

"Oh, I do," Constantine stated. "You wouldn't cross me." His eyes narrowed. "Not after what happened last time, right?"

Raimor reached up to brush at his scar as everyone realized at last where he'd gotten it. "Let's settle this easily, John. You want this shit for what he did to your friend. I can understand that, fine. Go ahead and kill this guy..."

"Hey, now wait..."

Ignoring Dogon, Raimor went on. "Kill him and I'll even pay your friend's hospital bills and make sure she's not bothered. You go your way, leave us to our work, we all win, right?"

"Well, that sounds reasonable, Raimor." Constantine paused, as if giving it serious consideration. "Would be smart, I go my way, you go yours."

The demon lord nodded. "See, I knew you would understand, John."

"But then, it hit me that this is going to be an opportunity I'd hate to waste of ridding the world of one absolute horrible scumbag and damned if I won't take it."

With that, he flicked the cigarette toward the bar, whispering under his breath. As he did, the cigarette seemed to grow in size and erupt in a larger flame. It landed amid the open alcohol and ignited into a massive fireball that incinerated the trio of demons unlucky enough to be standing near it.

Constantine was already moving, reaching under his coat to pull out a device that looked like a crossbow. He smacked it into the chin of a demon before pulling the trigger, unleashing a blast of fire. The creature screamed as he flopped back, his body coming apart like acid to burn away.

More demons moved in as Constantine pulled the trigger again. One ducked only for the blast of fire to split into two to blast down two more of his brethren. The same demon looked up in time for the fireball to be all he saw.

Raimor cursed as he saw his gang being torn to pieces by this lone demon hunter. While eliminating Constantine was definitely a plus, he knew that it was much better to simply get out of town while he could. He turned to race toward the rear office, pushing open the doors to speed toward his private elevator. He mashed the buttons, cursing the slowness of the door opening.

A blast of fire erupted by him, Raimor barely dodging it. He spun around to see Constantine entering the room, his crossbow device cracked as he tossed it aside. "I already disabled it before I came up, Raimor."

The demon lord turned to face him, his hands igniting into fireballs. "Constantine...I really thought we could settle this easily...but no, you had to have it the hard way."

"My words to you. And hard way is the only one I know in my life."

The demon's hands continued to erupt into flame as he raised them up, his head also cracking into flames. If Constantine seemed concerned, he never showed it, just standing there calmly. "What is this, Constantine?" Raimor demanded as his body began to burst into flames. "No witticism? Are you eager to die?"

"No," Constantine easily answered. "I'm just waiting for you to heat the room enough."

Raimor was frowning just as a ringing sound went out and the fire alarm of the building began to ring. Automatically, the sprinklers began to spray water down, Raimor expecting it to turn to steam against him as all water did. That confidence was assailed as the agony hit him, his wails loud as he collapsed to his knees with his skin smoking.

"Have to say, filling up the hotel water lines with holy water was the tricky part," Constantine stated as he calmly stood in the pouring water. "But, worth it in the end." He watched Raimor shake under the water, still howling as his skin began to smoke away. Constantine reached into his coat pocket and absently tossed a ball in his hands. "For old time's sake, Raimor...I'll make it quicker than your boy Dogon is gonna get."

He tossed the ball down and Raimor ignited once more, only this time in a fash of white fire. His howls were greater than ever as he rolled on the carpet in agony while Constantine made to the other room. By the time he was through the doorway, the once-powerful demon lord was a smoking corpse that would be burning to ash for a while yet.

Dogon was trying to crawl across the carpet, a difficult task given his two shattered legs. He saw the loafers stepping before his face and slowly looked up at Constantine. The man's jaw was set as he glared down at Dogon, before leaning down to face her. "Stealing her car was one thing. But you didn't have to hurt her. You know that. And that's why I'm doing this."

He rose up whispering an incantation as he held up his hands. Dogon had to swallow as he realized too late there were things even a demon could rightly fear.

As the cloud of smoke from Zatanna's teleportation faded, she quickly frowned. She, Wonder Woman, Diana, Aquaman, Mera and Green Lantern were in the lobby of what looked like an upscale apartment complex. The lavish layout and expensive décor were striking but their attention was caught by the headless body slumped over the counter.

"Oh, boy," Zatanna muttered. "He's been here." She led them toward the elevator, ringing the bell. A few moments later, they were headed up as Zatanna brushed at her coat. "Okay, this may be rougher than I expected."

"Then why not bring Superman?" Mera asked.

"We're dealing with magic, that's a weakness as we just saw," Zatanna replied. "This is a different world and one we have to handle a different way." The doors opened and the smell hit the group right off with even Wonder Woman shaken by it.

They stepped into the large room, seeing the carnage laid around them. Figures that were clearly not human were strewn about, several looking burned, others half blown apart and a few piles of ash around. Sitting at the half-ruined bar, nursing a glass of scotch was Constantine, his coat a bit singed but otherwise not looking much the worse for wear.

He took a drag on a cigarette before glancing over at the group. "Z," he said in a polite tone. "Been a while."

"That's Constantine?" Aquaman remarked. "Huh...not like the one from that other Earth."

"Yeah, they get some dashing Brit, we get the Neo wannabe," Mera replied. She saw Wonder Woman frowning at her. "Arthur's been getting me more into movies."

"John," Zatanna said, absently stepping over a charred body. "I see you're continuing to make friends."

"Actually closing the book on an old one," he replied. "And if this is a recruitment pitch..."

"Please, we have standards," Aquaman snapped.

"I've met the Flash. You don't."

Zatanna stepped forward. "John...it's important."

"I'm busy."

"Circe has the Heart of Darkness."

His drink paused halfway to his lips. After a pause, Constantine put it down and turned to face Zatanna, his face drawn. "You know what she can do with that."

"We do. But we think there's more to it."

"There always is with shit like this," Constantine sighed. He paused to tap his fingers on the table. "I know a guy with insight to the Heart. He's...complicated and can't really trust him, but he owes me a favor." He rose up, dumping his cigarette into the now empty glass. He adjusted his rumpled coat as he walked by Zatanna, smirking at her. "Lucky I like you so much, Z."

Zatanna rolled her eyes as she fell in behind him. The other heroes exchanged uneasy looks at each other as they began worrying this was a bad idea.

Constantine saw Wonder Woman leaning toward the back office and spoke up. "Oh, you might not want to look in there. It's not pretty and hate for a demi-goddess like you to lose her lunch."

Something in his tone made Wonder Woman decide this was a time to take John Constantine at his word and follow him away.

Prince was pacing around Wayne Manor when she saw Jamie staring out the window at the expansive lawn outside. "How are you?"

"It's...beyond bizarre," Jamie confessed. "I'm still wrapping my head around how strange this is."

Prince smiled. "Keep in mind, I was a pig a few hours ago."

"True," Jamie conceded. "Still, my world is meant to be more spies, down-to-Earth stuff...well, except for things like the Fembots. I never considered myself some sort of hero."

"Which just makes you a better one," Prince told her. "You wore our armor, Jamie. You are an honorary Amazon, my mother doesn't bestow that on just anyone who visits the island." She put a hand to Jamie's shoulder. "You can weather this. If it makes you feel better, I have my own difficulties with my counterparts and being in this strange future." She smiled warmly. "But I know you, Jamie. And I know you can get through this well."

"You really think that?"

"I understand it feels unsure here. Believe me, I'm handling it in a tricky way with so many super-powered beings and two versions of myself." Prince smiled again. "But once more, you were strong even before you got your bionics, Jamie. That alone makes you worthy of handling what comes."

Jamie cocked her head. "Is there some sort of genetic quirk that makes you Wonder Women so good at these talks?"

Prince chuckled as she led Jamie back to the main meeting area. They saw Constantine joining them, taking another drag on his cigarette and ignoring the glare from Alfred. "Tracking her is gonna be tough," he announced. "She's smart about hiding her tracks even if she wants to live it up a bit."

"So you can't just throw some runes down and find him?" Flash asked. "The other guy could."

"Yeah, no idea what kind of guy that was," Constantine remarked. "But I'd need a lot more power to find someone as strong as Circe." He took another drag and blew out a cloud of smoke.

"Ya know, those are very, very bad for you," the Flash intoned.

"I know, had terminal cancer once. Tried to quit after it, but you see what I see, you need something to handle it. But amazing how you get repaid for saving the world." Constantine went on, ignoring the confused looks he was getting. "My guess, Circe is after some other source of power to try and combine with the Heart."

Zatanna winced. "Damn. There's a lot of that around here, a lot more magical hotspots than folks can imagine."

"Can you give us a list?" Batman pressed. "We can narrow it down."

Constantine smirked. "You can't even begin to count the top spots she can hit. Hell, there might be some even I don't know." He paused. "But...might know someone who could. Course, they're not exactly on speaking terms with me."

Zatanna snorted. "John, that's pretty much every person you've ever met in your life."

He shrugged. "Well, a bit different with them. Still sort of blames me for his 'falling from grace' when the reality was, more like pushed."

"Where do we find them?" Superman asked.

Constantine leaned back. "Oh, one thing about them...they always had a way of bouncing back on their feet."

Los Angeles

The club Legion hadn't been in business too long but was already earning a reputation as one of the hottest places in Los Angeles. It was a strange mix, a classic nightclub with hot dancing alongside an old-school motif that resembled an old-styled gentleman's club. That contrast added to the appeal for the clientele, which ranged from celebrities to wanna-bes to folks in between.

Oddly, Jamie felt more comfortable here than at any point in the past 24 hours. Los Angeles at least resembled the world she knew and this club wouldn't have been out of place in her own world and time. She mingled about, following Constantine with Prince, Zatanna and Diana at her side. Prince had once more changed to her "street clothes" with hair in a ponytail and glasses while Diana was dressed down but still strikingly beautiful.

Normally, the sight of Wonder Woman among the group would have gotten more eyes but then, this was Los Angeles. She followed Constantine as he headed up the stairs. "John," Zatanna spoke up. "You sure this is a good idea? I mean, there's always Papa Midnite..."

"He's more neutral in things," Constantine reminded her. "And he lacks the inside knowledge we need."

"John, I heard what happened between you two. They may not be that helpful."

"Come on, Z, you know how likable a guy I can be." He headed up the stairs, ignoring her dubious look. He walked up toward the main office above, seeing a pair of hulking men in suits who crossed their arms as they looked at him. "Don't know how you slipped past the front desk, Constantine," one snapped. "But you know you're not welcome here."

"Just a chat, boys, that's all," Constantine easily answered.

One bouncer moved to grab him, with Jamie reaching to grab his own arm. The man tried to fight her off, surprised at how strong she was. Jamie flexed to send him flying back against a wall. She looked to his companion, raising an eyebrow. After a long pause, he wisely backed off.

Throwing her an appreciative smile, Constantine pushed the doors open to show a large office that was surprisingly spartan compared to the club downstairs. It was mostly white from the paneling to the furniture, even the bookshelves lined with white covers. That also matched the outfit of the occupant behind the desk.

Constantine chuckled. "Still keeping to the dress code even after you got the boot? You really haven't changed, Gabriel."

At first glance, Jamie thought the figure was a woman. But the more they shifted their head, the more it seemed like a man. Then she realized that, bizarrely, it was as if the gender seemed hard to pinpoint depending on how they stood. He (she went with that as that was how Constantine had referred to him) had curly blonde hair framing a face attractive for either gender with a sharp nose and piercing eyes. The lips were curled into a slight sneer, looking at Constantine. He wore a nearly white suit complete with a matching coat, tie and suspenders down to the shoes.

"Constantine," he said in a smooth accented voice laced with a honey tone yet also a power Diana and Prince could both tell was older than anyone could imagine. "At least you didn't cause a body count this time around."

"The night's young." He nodded at him. "Am still surprised. You running a nightclub."

"Well, since I sadly have to earn that annoying little thing called money, needed something," the figure returned. "But a benefit of knowing the sins of humanity, could call in some blackmail for the seed cash." He waved a hand at the club downstairs. "And gives me a better confirmation of what I thought of humanity."

He looked over the other women to raise an eyebrow. "Three demi-goddess Amazons...from other worlds? Keeping more unique company, John."

"I'm a people person." Constantine waved to her. "Ladies...allow me to introduce Gabriel Hornblower."

It took a moment for Jamie to make the connection. "Wait...as in...the Archangel Gabriel?!" She once more felt her grasp on reality shift.

"Formerly," Constantine stated. "Until they decided to try to bring Hell on Earth in a twisted belief it would allow more people to enter Heaven. Seems the folks above didn't take to the idea as well as he thought they would."

Gabriel's lips thinned. "You were responsible for that, John. For calling the Dark Lord himself to stop me."

"For an angel, you really can't take responsibility, Gabriel."

He sat back in her chair to shrug. "That was the past, John. It's the future you should be concerned about."

"Which is why I'm here," he said, sitting before the desk. "It's about Circe."

"Ah, her." Gabriel sighed. "Never did like the witch. But I try to keep out of these things, John."

He seemed surprised. "Oh? Thought you still had ears to the ground."

"Now and then," Gabriel allowed. "But as I said, I'm low on the totem pole these days. I hear a few rumors but nothing as major as that."

"Would you tell me if you did?"

Gabriel smirked. "Still that pride, John. You still think you can buy your way out of what's coming. Even you can't con the Dark One forever, you know."

"The Heart of Darkness, Gabriel. I know you can dish on that if you had to."

"The question being, John, why in all the heavens would I ever help you in anything?" Gabriel took a sip from the bottle of wine before her. "Unless it's too a dark end, that I would be more than happy to comply with."

"Circe uses the Heart, it's going to hit this world, Gabriel. Given you're part of it, I'd think the old self-survival skills would pop in."

Gabriel chuckled. "Appealing to my better nature, John? That's a laugh."

"You seem unlike the legends about you," Wonder Woman intoned. "My sisters and I never believed in your God, but we respected Him."

"That's better than most," Gabriel scowled. She shook her head. "Honestly, of all creatures in the universe, man is allowed a level of forgiveness they don't deserve. They can commit so many sins but as long as they do honest repentance at the end, they're welcomed into Heaven. A fate so many of them don't deserve..."

Wonder Woman sighed. "If this is going to turn into yet another tirade on the evils of humanity, please spare me. I've heard that from Ares among so many others who refuse to see the goodness of humans can outweigh the darkness of the few."

"Such pride, Amazon," Gabriel mused. "Just wait until the world inevitably turns on your kind."

Diana sighed to Prince. "New world but that same old song."

Prince had to nod. "The lyrics change a bit, but the tune is constant."

Gabriel focused on Constantine. "To get back on track, John, once more, the only reason I'd share anything with you is to see you dead, but sadly, I have little information to trade to lead to that delightful sight. You're going to have to head elsewhere to find Circe, not here."

During the talk, Jamie had been cocking her head and brushing hair from her ear. "So I'm clear," she spoke up. "You're not an angel anymore?"

Gabriel's eyes flashed with anger. "No. No, pure human now."

"Huh. That explains it."

"Explains what?"

"How like any other person, your heartbeat jumps when you're lying."

Gabriel stared before moving up. Before he could do anything, a golden lasso wrapped around him. He fought it, but another two lassos joined to tighten about their body. Gabriel grasped as the Wonder Women stepped forward, each holding a lasso around her. "What do you know?" Diana asked.

Gabriel hissed, wanting to keep quiet, but the magic of three lassos was too much even for what magical power he still retained. "She was here," he hissed. "And I gave her what she wanted."

"Which was?" Prince asked, having learned the hard way she had to be somewhat specific in asking people questions under the lasso's compulsion.

Gabriel hissed before speaking. "I gave her the locations of the sites needed to summon Trigon."

There was a long silence. "I'm sorry?" Constantine finally spoke, looking, for once, completely taken aback.

"Trigon?" Diana's eyes widened in shock. "You have that demon in this reality?"

"Technically, he exists in several different planes," Gabriel stated. "Just as you do, Diana of the Amazons." She shuffled in her chair. "This version is...a tad darker than the one you might know of."

"Who's Trigon?" Jamie demanded, even though she was sure she wasn't going to like the answer.

Wonder Woman shook her head. "An ancient demonic lord of another dimension who attempted to attack this plane millennia ago. It took an alliance of the gods to defeat him and seal him away." She glared at Gabriel. "And Circe plans to release him?"

"Him?" Gabriel sniffed. "You think so small, Amazon."

Diana tugged on her lasso. "What else does she plan?"

Gabriel hissed once more but spitting out the answer. "Trigon is only the first, to release from his cage. After his initial ravaging, she plans to unleash Surtur...Azael...Satanus...Blaze...as many as she can get to this plane."

The sight of Constantine and Zatanna both going white at those names was enough for Jamie to realize this was very bad news. "Why?" Zatanna blurted. "What does she get?"

"An Earth engulfed by the flames of Hell?" Gabriel snorted. "The power of that chaos is just what Circe can feed on to get back to her own reality and still have enough to dominate her world."

Constantine leaned in to glare at Gabriel. "You know Heaven isn't going to sit back and let that happen, Gabriel. Even they have limits and that many demon lords on Earth will start...the war...which is what you want," he finished in understanding.

Gabriel smiled. "Of course. It's just what I wanted before, John. Only by seeing the horror of Hell on Earth will humanity beg for His salvation as they should. From there, only the pure and the truly devout will survive."

"And screw the billions who die in the meantime," Zatanna snapped. "Ugh, I thought John was exaggerating, but you really did take a leap off the cliff, Gabriel."

The former angel shrugged. "Be that as it may, witch. But Circe is close already. Release Trigon and the rest shall follow."

"Where is she?" Diana demanded, tugging on her lasso.

"I don't know," Gabriel replied. "I didn't want to just in case someone came calling." He smiled. "It doesn't matter. I know Circe enough to know she'll do what it takes to get her way. Trigon is coming and from there, humanity shall finally face its judgment long overdue. They shall beg for His mercy and the Second Coming will arrive..."

"And somewhere in this fantasy, you get your wings back?" Constantine scoffed. "Z's right, you've lost it."

"I'll regain it once He sees the glory I've brought to Earth. Humanity's time has come, John, it's time to face their judgment and-"

Constantine cold-cocked him with Gabriel slumping back in his chair. He rubbed at his knuckles as Jamie reflected on how he seemed pretty blasé about punching out a former angel. As the Dianas unwrapped their lassos, she spoke up. "So...what now?"

"Now..." Constantine sighed. "Now, we need to call in some help. Before Circe gets Trigon to this world."

"What about him?" Prince nodded toward the unconscious Gabriel.

"Problem for another day," Constantine said as he led them out of the office. "Although I'm pretty sure an old friend of mine named Corrigan is going to have some words with Gabriel later."

From the blanching of Zatanna's face, Jamie knew she needed no details on who Corrigan was or what fate was in store as the group raced out of the club.

Despite her earlier misgivings, Aresia had to admit Circe was far more capable than she anticipated. Under her seemingly flighty demeanor, the goddess clearly knew what she was doing, whistling as she led the band of women into the deserted temple area.

Extending from the mountains in Southern Greece, buried within a cavern so long-lost even the most recent explorations couldn't come close to it, the chamber was a lavish affair that looked like it belonged to another world. Which, in a way, it did.

Aresia looked around the chamber, taking in the huge columns and bizarre architecture, mixing sharper points at the end of columns with rounder and softer platforms among strange carvings on the wall. "So this is a link to the Temple of Azarath?"

"One version of it," Circe intoned, her high heels clicking as she led the pack into the main chamber. "That's the key issue, of course. Connecting to the right reality is going to be tricky but Azarath exists on multiple planes. Attempting to find the right version of it will be a daunting task."

"But you can do it." It wasn't a question, as proven by Circe's high-pierced laugh

"Of course, I can, my dear." She brushed her hair back as she led the group toward the central platform, where a large table stood amid a pack of small statues featuring the gods of that ancient religion, many of whom looked like nothing human. "I just need to find the right link to the right person and we can get what we need."

The Cheetah was uncertain of this, her tail flickering behind her. "Listen, you want some war of the gods, fine by me. The only reason I'm in on this is to taste Wonder Woman's blood on my claws."

"Well, there are three of them, so the odds are in your favor," Circe dryly noted. She ran a hand over the stone table, looking up at the dim light peeking in from the painted glass mural above depicting images of a long-ago battle mixed with a fanciful city in the clouds. "Of course, to find what I need, I do require a...charge."

Aresia glowered. "Is this really necessary?"

"Now, now, Aresia," Circe chided. "You knew full well any deals with me require sacrifices. Isn't that why you used my little charms to get these ladies?" She waved a hand at the back behind her. "It would be hard to convince any to join willingly should they know of the costs involved."

The blonde ex-Amazon sighed. "That doesn't mean I have to like it."

"We don't need to enjoy the pleasure of our company, Aresia. Just do what is required." Her eyes narrowed. "Now...are you going to choose or me?"

"I will," Aresia barked. "I chose them, it's my responsibility."

Circe's mocking smile grew. "Oh, such pride. What a moral creature you are."

Scowling, Aresia turned to look at the women before them, seeming to gauge each carefully. Her eyes fell on the smallest of the group, a more mousy brunette standing at attention with the rest. "Cindy? Step forward."

Without hesitation, the woman did so, stepping toward the platform. Aresia looked her over and for one brief moment, true regret flashed in her eyes. "I am sorry," she softly said and truly meant it before steeling herself. "But for a stronger womanhood to survive...sometimes the weaker must be culled."

"Oh, enough of the maudlin." Like a viper, Circe grabbed Cindy by the throat, lifting her up and then slamming her onto the table. Before she could react, Circe's magic spread out her arms and legs and bound her to the platform. The witch's smile grew with malice in her eyes as she began invoking ancient incantations the darkest warlocks had refused to use for centuries.

A building of energy overcame the room, a spark of energies that built up more. A blast of light flew from the ceiling to pierce Cindy's body, the woman screaming in agony. She looked toward Aresia and through the pain, the Amazon could tell her spell on the woman had been broken. She was once more the simple gym instructor she'd been when Aresia had "recruited" her, terrified at what was happening.

As the light and magical power continued to grow, Circe reached to her hip and removed a dagger. She held it up, giving Cindy a long horrifying moment to know what was to come. Then, she plunged the dagger into her chest to cut off her screams. It took a few stabs and cuts before Circe pushed her hand into the gaping wound and, in moments, had removed Cindy's heart.

Cheetah had to step back, her heightened senses assailed by the odor of the heart, which, she could see with disgust, was literally still beating. The other women were also visibly affected, although none could bring themselves to speak up on the brutal murder of one of their comrades. Circe's smile was more horrifying than ever as the light faded around the corpse on the table. "This should do nicely."

Aresia held back her bile as she spoke up. "So just who are we going to find?" She tried to silence the tiny voice in the back of her mind wondering just how many more of her band were going to pay a price for Circe's quest, reminding herself once more this was for a greater good.

"Why the best candidate possible, Aresia." Circle absently tossed the heart in one hand, barely looking at Cindy's body. "After all, who better to help us lure in Trigon than one of his own blood?" She let out a long and loud laugh that echoed in the chamber still stinking of a fresh death as Aresia again tried to silence the doubts in her mind to this crusade.

"So to review," the Flash spoke up. "The evil sorceress is going to summon some monster demon lord to then bring other demons to Earth to wipe out humanity all so she can go home and conquer her dimension?" He slowly nodded. "Yep, I'm sticking to fighting the Rogues, at least they just wanna rob banks."

Superman sighed deeply as the League stood in its headquarters. "We need to start calling in reinforcements. Shazam or anyone else we can get."

"That may not be enough against Trigon," Diana said. "If half the stories on him are true..."

"And that's our versions," Prince added. "The one Circe wants could be worse."

Batman tapped his fingers on the table. "We need more information on this Trigon. Any weaknesses, anything that can help."

"I'm working on it," Constantine piped up from where he was drawing a circle on the floor with some markings. Zatanna watched him carefully. "If I can send out a link, someone with a connection to Trigon of some sort...it can help us."

"Summoning someone with magic now?" Green Lantern shook his head at the Flash. "I'm with you, Barry, this is getting too weird."

"Don't look at me, I've been stuck in the sanity bucket seat of this insane station wagon since I got here," Jamie remarked. She became aware of Alfred at the side with a light smile. "What?"

"First, no one drives station wagons anymore. Second, it's so nice to finally meet someone else who accepts how mad this profession can be." Jamie had to smile warmly at the butler. She then saw Cyborg looking her over. "What?'

"Nothing, just taking in the tech again," he said. "It's actually pretty good."

"It's handy," Jamie said. She sighed. "Sometimes, though, I wonder how much of me is...well, me. Like when people freak out if my arm gets broken and they see wires under it."

"I can relate." Jamie blanched as she realized at least she could still pass for someone human compared to the more robotic young man. "But like I told someone else like us...never forget it's you who makes you who you are, not the tech. Just gotta live with it."

Jamie smiled at him. "Thanks. I mean it." The two exchanged nods at the odd bond between them.

Batman was frowning at Constantine as the man knelt before the circle. "Is this going to be safe?"

"I know what I'm doing."

"This is my house, Constantine. Alfred will have a fit if you somehow blow it up."

"I can attest to that," Alfred confirmed.

"I can handle it."

"No. You cannot."

At the deep booming voice, everyone spun around as a golden glow filled the room. It faded to show a familiar figure in a blue suit with golden boots and gloves and a cape flowing behind him. A sharp golden helmet completely covered his head as he floated a few inches off the ground.

"Ah, geez, not this guy again," the Flash moaned.

Diana raised an eyebrow. "Doctor Fate. He looks almost exactly like he does in my world."

Fate seemed to gaze over them, the eye holes of his mask blank but his power obvious. He then focused on Constantine and shook his head. "As ever, John Constantine, your reach exceeds your grasp."

"Don't start, Nelson," the mage snapped as he got to his feet. "I'm not seeing you stepping into this mess. Just like you, standing on the sidelines until it's too late."

The eyes behind the helmet seemed to flash in anger. "I delve in circles you can never dream, Constantine. Never accuse me of ignoring the threats to this plane."

"How about this one?" Zatanna pressed. "Because pretty sure even the Lords of Order and Chaos aren't going to be happy with Armageddon coming."

"I am able to offer aid," Fate stated. "But I must work on my own to try and prevent what is to come should you fail."

"You really suck at team building, ya know that?" the Flash remarked.

Wonder Woman stepped forward, finding it better to deal with Fate than Batman or Superman would. "Doctor, we know you have your own challenges and we respect that."

"We do?" the Flash couldn't help adding.

Wonder Woman ignored him. "But this is not a time for you to play your own games. We need all the allies we can get now and any help you can share is welcome."

Fate looked to Constantine. "I can tell you this. Cersei requires one with a connection to Trigon to complete this spell. While those connections are light on this plane, they can exist in another."

It was Batman who pieced it together first. "As in someone from another reality where Trigon has a bigger presence."

"Correct, Dark Knight," Fate stated. "Should they find one of that connection and use them in a sacrifice, Trigon's arrival is assured."

"So can't you do something?" Mera demanded. "Block off their access to another dimension?"

"Once, I could with ease," Fate clarified. "But the barriers between realities have been weakening more and more lately. To strengthen them requires more energy than I am allowed to utilize and would leave me too weakened for another threat."

"In other words, once more, you talk a big game but can't back it up," Constantine sourly remarked. "No wonder you're not popular at tea parties."

Fate waved a hand as a small medallion appeared on the table before them. "That will help you find that which you seek." He backed away, his cloak shimmering around him. "I must be away, to prepare this plane for the conflict to come. Good luck."

He vanished from sight as Green Lantern shook his head. "I see why you can't stand that guy."

Constantine picked up the coin, studying it carefully. "Okay...might be able to use this to latch on to whoever we need."

"Magic again." Jamie rubbed her temples. "I'm putting in for a very, very long vacation when I get back."

"Technically, you've been on leave for about forty-five years," the Flash pointed out. "In another universe to boot."

The slow glare from Jamie reminded him this was a woman capable of keeping up in speed much better than most people around him.

Constantine placed the coin down in the middle of the circle, pulling out a piece of chalk from his pocket to make some circles on the area around it. Zatanna was moving by him, bringing her hands together as she concentrated. The rest of the League seemed unsure but reflexively stepped back as the pair of mages began their work.

Constantine was whispering under his breath as Zatanna joined him with her backward speaking. The coin shook on the table as the glow from it grew larger. In a blast of light, it flowed upward in a shower of golden sparks that came together into a figure kneeling on the table.

Slowly, the figure stood to her feet. She was a strikingly attractive and highly athletic brunette clad in a mostly red leather suit with bare arms, streaks of black at a few spots and somewhat brighter boots. As she turned around, a lasso could be seen attached to her waist. Her eyes narrowed in instant suspicion as she moved into a fighting stance, an arm at the lasso.

Jamie was carefully stepping forward as the woman leaped off the table, a fist aimed at her. Jamie instinctively caught it, wincing at the power even in her bionic arm. The woman was ready to move for another blow but stopped when she saw the three women at the front of the group. "Diana?" she asked, uncertain.

"And...you are?" Jamie asked.

The woman backed up as she brought herself to a straightened posture. "Donna Troy. I was trying to save a friend of mine. And I'm getting the feeling I'm not the person you were hoping to grab."

So in case you can't tell, the Earth-51 Constantine is Keanu Reeves from the 2005 movie. And obviously, a tribute to a certain other iconic Keanu role.

Also, yes, Gabriel was played by Tilda Swinton but referred to as male in the novelization and script. They chose her for her striking looks to fit an unearthly creature (and it worked because it's Tilda Freaking Swinton).

And yes, the Donna Troy of the live-action Titans show for another Amazon in the mix.

Thanks for holding on, hopefully not be nearly as long before the next update.