[11th January 2011]

[St. Bricins Military Hospital, Dublin]

I groaned, eyes blinking against the unfortunately bright light streaming into them...

...pain, a snarl of rage, as the hellhound's jams clamped down on my arm my incantation, biting through the armour and drawing blood. Poison and acid and agony roared through my body as I screamed, the Neutralise Poison spell triggering automatically to purge my system. Another Contingency activated and the monster was obliterated in a flash of...

Eyes snapped open as the memories surged back, muscle aches making themselves known to my brain as I began to stir and try to rise up on the bed I appeared to be in. My hand came up to my face, more so my eyes, as discomfort rolled through my head and noise came from around me as I tried to focus on my surroundings. I was in...a hospital?

...the demon was fully empowered, no weakened or screwed up ritual here apparently as it took hold of Aqualad's water whip and flung it back it me. Bastard from the Caligula Club was definitely out to get me, and come armed for bear it seemed as I dodged the, blade filled, water whip and found another spirit attacking me as I was forced to brace another Shield spell...

I shook my head, clearing it and blinking as things became clearer and voices indicated others were aware of my new status. Silently I summoned a basic defensive spell, glancing around as I realised I was in a hospital gown beneath some blankets...and at least my polymorph had kept me in the shape of John Fortune as desired. It was...warding spells on the walls, familiar ones, hummed with faint power and I relaxed at the general familiarity of the location and hand gestures of the nurse to remain calm. Of course this might be first time here as patient.

...we were winning at least, pain aside but Black Canary was down and bleeding badly, Kaldur barely able to stand, and there was another demon tearing into Superboy and his armour while Artemis slammed an arrow into the creature's shoulder. This seemed overkill for me as I was pressed back away from healing the downed super-heroine and back towards defending Zatanna as we pressed the attack on Calibraxis and his supercharged host...

"Be calm young man, you are in no danger..." the errie dual voice, feminine this time, of Doctor Fate came to my ears as I turned my head in that direction as the blue and gold clad Nabu and host came into the room while the uniformed nurse retreated back out "...all is well"

"St. Bricins?" I almost grunted at him in reply "The others? What happened? I remember banishing Cali-whats-its but it's all a blur"

"Indeed, you have returned to the location you believe so that you would recover from your injuries, and your exhaustion from expenditure of raw magical energy..." he/she told me calmly coming to stand before my bed in a decently spacious room. It was familiar of course, since it was where we'd healed up His Highness of the Sassenach and then where Paula Nyugen had rested after her spine had been healed "...your companions yet live, though some are likewise recovering as you, though one sadly most report of the police officers and soldiers assigned to your location five were slain, and three more put into critical care"

I winced, in part from the discomfort and also from the news of the deaths. Not that I'd gotten to know of them well, but Officer Sanchez had seemed a decent sort, witty even, and I knew he was dead after seeing his corpse mid-fight. What's worse it was relief that filled me that the rest of The Team was okay, as was Canary, and that just felt uncomfortable feeling that after being told that five good men and women had been slain in my, our, defence. Awkwardly I propped myself up in the bed, pushing the pillows back and sitting up with a tired sigh "How badly injured?"

"Your bodyguard is unharmed, guarding the door outside..."

...Huntress was an absolute monster of a close combat fighter I noted as she played offence to my own bleeding defence. Just add proper body, that mask, and of course an enchanted weapon and I'd been kept alive by dint of her getting in and slashing a nasty fat demon thing in half. I'd be more appreciative of course if I wasn't in pain and forced to use yet another healing spell on broken arm...

"...as was her daughter beyond exhaustion. The Martian and Zatara's daughter received only minor cuts and bruises, and are currently resting in Mount Justice along with their teammates who had left for Gotham; the young Atlantean received more moderate injuries, as did the Kyrptonian, but they are recovering and should be returning to the Mountain within the next day or so one has been informed. Black Canary was the most severely injured, but your healing had managed to stabilise and she too should recover according to Wonder Woman"

I sighed, closing my eyes a moment before reopening them and focusing on the blue clad and golden helmeted woman. My mind was starting to work once again, and that meant I'd picked up the fact Doctor Fate was here at all "Well...that's something I suppose, but I'm guessing there's a problem?"

"Indeed, most perceptive, and in part behind my aid in ensuring you had a swift recovery from your wounds..." she replied as calmly as ever "...but also to ensure there were no further difficulties encountered despite an...agreement...being reached. You must understand, there were a number of attacks that occurred at the same time as when the demon Calibraxis struck at you, targeted at members of SHIELD"

I jerked forward, regretting a moment later as I groaned a second before focusing "Gemma? Cassie"

"Is unharmed, but she was targeted; as was Ms. Ryan, the Master's family, and of course Mr. Constantine. Young Cassandra was not, and is here in the building with Ms. Master's. None were seriously injured, you perhaps were the worst, and apart from Mr. Constantine they were not truthfully in any great danger due to their protective details"

"I'm sensing a but at the end of that..." was all I could mutter, though weariness stopped any great rising of concern within my mind over that, pausing a moment before continuing as my brain caught up "...and all of us were attacked?"

"Yes, the target was clearly associates of John Constantine, and the source of the attacks was the demon lord Nergal. We know this as he confronted Mr. Constantine, and during the course of their duel was sworn to a magical oath to bring such events to an end"

'Oh, that's probably bad...really bad' some horrified part of my tired brain told me but I just took a breath, then let it out feeling strangely calm "..."

"All direct attacks upon blood relatives of Constantine, and his associates and allies, would cease and Nergal would return to Hell and not return to Earth"

"Oh...fuck me...what did John do? Or promise? Did he have a gun like the Ace to the bloody demon's head?"

"All in exchange for one day of John Constantine's life, not from the past but for twenty four hours Mr. Constantine vanished before being returned. Unfortunately we do not know what occurred during the period"

'That's potentially...mild...massively...horrifyingly...bad isn't it?' I blinked, rolling my head to one side, then the other slowly and questioningly "...?"

"It appears he is completely unaware of what occurred during that period, having being place under two truth compulsions and Wonder Woman's Lasso of Truth. This would indicate..."

--

[11th January 2011]

[St. Bricins Military Hospital, Dublin]

"...Gotham-Bludhaven crisis continues into its third day despite efforts by members of the Justice League and deployment of elements of the United States military to aid in the aftermath of the earthquake. The mass breakout from Arkham Asylum has further hindered efforts, and offers of international support have so far stalled at the discussion level as President..."

I clicked off sound on the depressing coverage, of Gotham now that the events in Star City had faded into the 'background' for the 'current' ongoing crisis. Honestly it was a wonder the world ever got a chance to catch its breath at all in the past few years, instead stumbling from crisis to crisis in terms of the United States with little chance to truly mourn or count the cost. Robin was there, as was the Batman, but the Americans were overstretched as it was and all the pretending everything was fine and normal didn't appear to working in my humble, currently bedridden, opinion. Not that I could anything about it right now, and we had our own things to worry about; like demon attacks on me and those around me, and whatever-the-feck-horror my 'mentor' had gone off and agree with said demon. Still I smiled at my 'guests' as they thundered through the doorway "Hey there and how..."

Or at least that's all I managed to get out before the noise level cast by Gemma and Cassie exceeded the intended volume of my tone and I just sat back as they stomped over to me, Paula resting her shoulder against the doorframe and looking bemused as I was bombarded with a dozen, unintelligible, questions all at once. With a snort of amusement I brought my hands up 'protectively' before me as if to ward off attack "Hey! Hey! There's only two of ye, and it's like I'm getting interrogated by a small army, so sit, relax, I'm not going anywhere for a bit looks like. Even though I'm absolutely fine"

"Doctors orders young master, doctors orders" I was informed from the doorway "...you stay in bed, rest up, and do what you're told. Honestly, you and Artemis are the same in this regards it seems; your fine, everything's okay, please ignore all injuries we took in the fight...kids these days"

I just gave a glare back in regards that piece of wisdom, earning an amused chuckle as she sauntered over to chair nearby and sat into it. Apparently being ignored in my irritation I sighed and returning to my two apparently energetic charges; Gemma for the most part, reaching out to touch her shoulder with my hand as she sat on the bed "Hey, I hear you were attacked too...how you holding up?"

"Okay...it was more...loik she, I mean the demon she pretendin' be a girl my age but she felt wrong and then made a grab at me when' cast me Protection from Evil spell, an' the lady you an' Uncle John had watchin me came over..." she started uncomfortably before grinning "...then ah' showed her what's what!"

I just gave her a look, and getting an odd hand gesture of pressing a thumb down on an imaginary something as she hand out before her "Mace to the Face Bitch!"

"No cursing, and then what?"

"Went down loik good and proper, scream and beggin cuz I kept spraying the stuff on her, and kickin her in the head, just loik you taught me. Ma and Da weren't happy when ah' told'em, but their just glad'm safe and were able ta defend meself roit"

"Good girl, kick'em when their down and keep them in the dirt where they belong..." I replied giving her shoulder a squeeze. Her accent was particularly strong today, indicating behind the 'Haha I am the Awesome!' facade she was scared by the whole thing "...at least now I know I've got you dangerous ladies to defend me when I'm sleeping off the fight, and resulting demonic ass-kicking, me and my team gave the lot that attacked us"

"Yeah, cuz that why ye ended up in the ozzey and had us all worried loik?"

I flicked her forehead with my finger, earning a startled huff of annoyance from her and laugh of sorts at her sudden movement backwards from Cassie "Bad guy and his evil dogs banished, and even when you win you can still end up in the hospital like I have. And it was more I was drained dry using so much of my magic healing myself and others than serious injuries thankfully, joys of being a healer"

'And lucky I was, damned aggressive feckers they were, and prepped too to fight a wizard with support' I mused to myself silently, glancing at the bags the two had brought with them "I'm guessing it's time for lessons?"

"No rest for the wicked, eh, young master?"

I rolled my eyes at my bodyguard and her overly cheerful tone "Oh hush you, I'm rather glad to be able to teach you too...though it'll be more theory than practice the next day or two most likely...since the Bosses don't seem to want me doing anything at all but be cooped up inside"

"Oh, don't worry my Artemis will bring herself and a few of your friends over later, so don't worry about being lonely while your locked up like a naughty child"

I sighed, ignoring her and opening the book handed to me "Right, since we're all in the crosshairs, let's do a lesson on the demonic hierarchy, why their all awful buggers, and the history of the Constantine bloodline..."

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