Devil's Advocate Part 4: The Turning

In Lazarus' apartment, Lazarus backhands Lilith

Lazarus: What do you mean you lost him?

Lilith: I think they got to him, he's still keeping our date but I heard that John Constantine went to Wayne Towers today

Lazarus:...that is unfortunate, but not critical

Lazarus thinks

Lazarus: Does our child at least have the wisdom to put on an illusion before going out to eat?

Lilith: Yes...but it's feral, what was the patient suffering prior to transforming?

Lazarus: Leukemia.

Lilith: Could that have contributed towards his mental transition? Also the transformation was supposed to be steady

Lazarus: mmm bugs in the first batch, easily remedied

Lilith: We may not have the time

Lazarus: What do you mean?

Lilith turns on the TV

Newscaster: And police are now appealing for any lead in the search of a missing person; Zatanna Zatara, last seen-

Lazarus: ...crap...that's bad timing

Newscaster: The famed Mistress of Magic was not performing in recent weeks. Her manager says she had to do her "other duties" and refunds have been sent to ticketholders.

Lilith: ...Kane's feelings for her are strong

Lazarus: Which is why she is still alive

Lilith grins

Lilith: As bait

Lazarus: and of course insurance

Lilith: Right

Lazarus: but we don't alter the plan, try and rework your way into Kane's heart and hopefully the feral child will do away with Constantine

Lilith: Right

Lazarus: We're so close to completion and I am not going back to hell

Lilith: I know.

Lazarus: So no more cock ups

Lilith: I'm on it

At Zatanna's apartment, Ronin quietly enters the abandoned apartment. He looks around, he knows he probably won't find anything here but he came anyway. He silently roams the rooms

Ronin: *narrating* I am an idiot. Such a pig headed fool. I let jealousy guide what I said...and now she's missing. And what's worse I let them screw with my head...when I should have gone after her from day one...*he takes the ring box from his pocket* And now they have her as their prisoner.

That thought serves to strengthen his resolve and his guilt gives way to rage

Ronin: *narrating* When I find her, I'm going to rip "Lazarus" into tiny pieces!

Ronin smirks to himself

Ronin: *narrating* Technically not a violation of the no-kill rule, as we need to send him back to hell

He opens the door to her room and turns on the detective mode in his mask.

He sees a few spots standing out.

Ronin: *narrating* Blood...There was a struggle.

Ronin looks around, and sees a spell book open

Ronin: Now what do we have here?

Ronin looks at it

Ronin: *narrating* I'm not able to use magic; Z says my heart is too devoted to science. But she's at least taught me some basics, just in case I go up against something supernatural. This is is a protection spell....

Ronin looks at it.

Ronin: *narrating* They overwhelmed her before she could complete it

Ronin looks about for anything else. He finds a broken mirror

Ronin: What's this?

Ronin:*narrating* I remember this, memory glass she called it. Like a magic security camera

Ronin then looks at her desk, and sees a shard. He picks it up and looks at the mirror

Ronin: *Narrating*...did she leave me a clue?

He slides it into the mirror; the cracks reform and an image starts playing in the reflection

Zatanna appears in the mirror

Zatanna: Joseph, if your watching this then I've probably been kidnapped, heh...never have I been more tempted to make a Star Wars reference

Ronin smiles sadly

Zatanna: This Lazarus guy, he is literally trying to set up hell on Earth. I've been doing some research and I think there might be a way to stop him. He's become a homo-daemon, meaning he's partly alive and that makes him vulnerable but keeps the devil from walking up and dragging him back kicking and screaming...if you can kill his mortal form there is nothing to keep him on earth...

There is the sound of broken glass

Zatanna: Lazarus...he has a plan which involves you Joseph, he wants to make more Homo Daemons to start an army, he has an agent called Lilith working with him

Ronin scowls at the memory

Zatanna: Don't let her corrupt you

another smash, she the puts her hand to the mirror

Zatanna:...I love you

Ronin puts his hand on the mirror too

Ronin: I love you too.

The screen goes dark

Feral Demon:*off panel* awww how touching

Ronin turns; A man with long white hair, wide bug eyes and bloody clothes which have varying degrees of fitting on him, suggested they were fresh off a victim

Demon: I'm so hungry

Ronin: Looks like you've eaten enough already

Demon: she looked pretty tasty

Ronin growls and extends his club. the demon laughs sickly like a demented animal

Demon: you gonna fight me little man?

Ronin: No. *throws jitterbugs in the demon's face*

the demon recoils and howls madly

Ronin: And one more thing

Ronin throws a bottle of holy water at the demon

The demon hisses and falls to the floor before rolling its head back and laughs. Ronin steps back

Demon: Homo-Daemon sucker!

Ronin: Oh He--

The demon kicks him through the wall.

Ronin:*narrating* okay...a human demon...I'm gonna kick it's ass

Ronin flips over the couch. The demon pounces for him and Ronin punches it square in the jaw. He followed up with a kick to the solar plexus, knocking it out the window and he re-engages it outside. He grabs onto its coat and keeps punching it. The demon rips off its hand and let's out its claw and tries to slash Ronin off him. Ronin dodges, getting his cheek nicked.

Ronin:*narrating* Can I kill this guy...is he technically dead?...Why am I debating the morals of this, these bastards have my girlfriend!

Ronin kicks away at the demon and launches a grapple. The feral demons tries to wildly rip his head off, Ronin blocks and actually snaps its arm before swiftly ramming his fist to it's jaw and kneeing it in the ribs before flipping it over his shoulder and just misses it's head as it rolls and punches through the pavement. Ronin hangs from his grapple gun and looks down. Ronin slowly descends to the ground, using the grapple. The demon is actually getting scared, because it's losing. It ripped off most of it's human flesh to let the demon within loose. Ronin wasn't dettered, in fact it strengthened his resolve and removes any hesistation as he is no longer fighting something that resembles a human. The demon pounces for him and he blocks it's claws and slams it right in it's demonic face and dislocates it's jaw. Whilst he re-locates it he grabs it's right claw and breaks it's arm before blocking it's tail and pulling it to bring it onto the ground.

Ronin: *narrating* I don't care if the devil himself tries to stop me, I AM GETTING MY Z BACK!!

We can see his HUD. WARNING: POWER SUPPRESSORS OVERPOWERED. GOING OFFLINE. He punches through the demon's chest, clean through. Ronin's face was that of righteous fury; Then he hissed in pain as he yanked his hand out, the demonic guts stinging his flesh, the feral demon screamed and crawled into the darkness of a near alley, howling like a wounded animal. Ronin removed what he could of the gauntlet without damaging other systems. The demon stops screaming and he is left alone in silence. There is a pinging on his comm

Ronin: Yes?

Nightwing: you find anything?

Ronin: Zatanna left me a message, Lazarus wants me for some reason. And then one of his lackies found me.

Nightwing: lackies?

Ronin: Demon in human wrappers

Constantine: Oh great more homo Daemons

Ronin: ...keep him off Comms

Constantine: Oh come on, I'm trying to--

Ronin: Private channel!

Nightwing: do we have anything solid?

Ronin: Umm...

Nightwing: is this the good ummm where you remember the information, or the bad ummm where you have nothing?

Ronin: Bit of both

Nightwing: *sighs* Okay report back to base, we'll go with with the reconnaissance as planned

Ronin: On my way.

Ronin activates his grapple and heads off.

Elsewhere the feral demon finds himself in a warehouse and is promptly slapped by Lazarus or more aptly Samael in his true form

Samael: what the hell were you thinking?

Demon: He was snooping, found a message from the magic user.

Samael: that is of little consequence

Demon: Well he might start snooping--

Samael: given we rather want him to and also he is crucial to remain alive you'd do best not to try and rip him apart...we gave you a specific target anyway

Demon: *pointing to the hole in his chest* Look what he did to me!

Samael: oh grow up *puts his hand over it, the demon hows in searing pain and the wound is healed*

Lilith: So, Kane did that damage...he's stronger than I thought.

Samael: Or he thought.

Demon: so why can't I kill him

Samael: well given how we made you, we need a finer stock of humans

Lilith: And he's of powerful stock.

Demon: so what am I supposed to do

Samael: Kill Constantine, and any other obstacle that presents itself

Demon: My pleasure

Samael: now ship out

The demon disappears in a plume of fire

Lilith: I wonder why Kane holds back that level of strength....

Samael: fear I imagine, terrified of breaking things and people...it's an outdated view

Lilith: Wonder if you can make him even stronger....

Samael: that all depends on you dear

Lilith: Oh, once he's putty in my hands, I'll bring him to his full warrior potential: violence, bloodlust, and a body to match

Samael: yes first I think we should focus on the death of Constantine, he's become too big a pest

Lilith: Shall I release more of our children to hunt him down?

Samael: just a couple others...keep the rest in reserve

Lilith: Will do.

Meanwhile, Ronin has returned on his bike to Nightwing's apartment, the temporary base for those fighting against Samael. He parks his bike in the hidden garage and heads upstairs. Constantine is drinking on the couch. Nightwing is trying to track Lazarus' movements

Nightwing: You know, Constantine, you could help

Constantine: I have, I alerted you all to this problem and my gun is charging

Nightwing: Have you considered doing a tracking spell?

Constantine: Yes...it didn't work

Ronin walks in

Ronin: Any luck?

Constantine: not a bit, you?

Ronin: They got Z somewhere. And they want me for some reason.

Constantine: oh, well get ready to play spy vs spy Mr. Bond

Ronin sighs

Ronin: And how are you contributing?

Constantine: I am the magic expert and the one who brought Samael to your attention

Ronin: I meant in finding this bastard

Constantine: they will come to kill me and we'll kick their arses

Nightwing: So you're bait...and you're in my apartment

Constantine: Cheers, Dick

Five seconds later, Constantine is thrown out of the apartment.

Nightwing: *through the door* If you're going to be bait, do it on the park bench outside!

Ronin: Nightwing, my respect for you has risen

Nightwing: Didn't you respect me before?

Ronin: Yeah, but I didn't expect you to do that!

Nightwing: Everyone has their limits

Ronin: So now we watch our bait from across the street

Nightwing: more hygenic

Ronin: And it saves your security deposit

Nightwing: ...how are you feeling?

Ronin: Angry; those bastards got Zatanna locked up somewhere and want me for some unknown reason. Lilith's involved in that

Nightwing: guess if this fails we resort to questioning her

Ronin: Right.

Nightwing: you up for that?

Ronin: ...not really

Nightwing: Don't want her to seduce you again?

Ronin: That's the idea

Nightwing: well then don't let her

Ronin: Oh she won't

Nightwing: we'll be right behind you

Ronin: Good

Meanwhile, Constantine is alone on the bench, smoking a cigarette

Constantine: *narrating* if I'm going to be a sitting duck I refuse to be cold...I will say this though that Kane boy has some guts being able to take on a feral homo-daemon...can see why Z likes him.

A woman approaches Constantine

Woman: Got a light?

Constantine turns to face the woman

Constantine: Of course *flicks his lighter*

The woman takes a puff of her cigarette.

Woman: Thanks, I was looking for a man like you.

Constantine: oh yeah, why's that?

The woman grins, with many pointy teeth

Demon: I think you know why

Constantine sighs and finishes his cigarette

Constantine: it's never for my personality *exudes a fire ball into it's face from his lighter*

The woman recoils, her demonic face now revealed. Constantine throws away his cigarette and stands to fight. Long claws descend from the demon woman's hands

Constantine: just how many of you are there?

Demon: Four...more than enough

3 others appear

Constantine: heh, afraid I'm too much to handle?

Demon: We just want to make sure you die

Constantine: with four demons? Really, makes it more difficult...but I can't wait for you to get more

Constantine throws a burst of lightning at the female demon, the other three make a leap for him. He quickly takes off his coat and throws it in their faces to disorientate them and punches one smack in the jaw, He dodges a claw slash and throws more fire from his lighter. The demons hiss. Constantine flicks his lighter and challenges them to come for him. They attack him all at once and he flips back, turning the fire from his lighter into a makeshift flamethrower and setting them all alight. In the confusion and agony he gets behind one and snaps its neck.

Ronin: That's our cue

Ronin and Nightwing leap into the fray dropping smoke pellets

Constantine: what took you so long?!

Ronin: was enjoying the show

He snap kicks one demon in the head

Constantine: keep up kiddo *lightning punches one trying to make a slash for him*

Ronin shocks one with jitterbugs as Nightwing leaps, flips, and kicks one in the back. The three remaining demons howl and fall to the floor as if something is happening to them.Nightwing activates the shock baton feature in his eskrima sticks and shocks another. suddenly all three of them sprout wings.

Ronin: Oh, that's not good.

Constantine: The genius says the obvious

The three demons take to the sky; taking on a draconic form. This puts the heroes at a disadvantage

Nightwing: what the hell is this?!

Constantine: demonic evolution

Ronin: Oh this is bad...where are the Power Rangers when we need them

Both Nightwing and Constantine look at him blankly, he smiles sheepishly before a flying demon dive bombs for them. They dive out of the way.

Constantine: If we could drop any and all cheesy references for the time being and focus primarily on staying alive and secondarily on killing the vicious flying dragon demon spawn!

Ronin: who says they aren't mutually exclusive?

Constantine:...how did Z fall for you?

Ronin ignores that and launches himself at a demon which tries to dive for him, whilst he had hoped since their master wants him alive would make them pull their punches they seem feral and spare no excess. So the one he's wrestling with bites his hand, fortuniately he was holding a jitter bug and drops it and electrocutes its entire body before its wings catch alight causing them both to tumble down before another demon intercepts him.

Nightwing: Ronin! *grapples the demon whose attacking Ronin and zips up into the air*

Constantine:...you're all bonkers *left with the angry wingless one* Oh well, when in rome

Constantine goes toe to toe with the single demon, as it has lost its wings he has an advantage. The demon lunges with a slash which he dodges and flips over it's back and throws fireballs from his lighter down the open wounds where its wings used to be to set its whole body aflame. constantine smirks and in cheeky fashion lights a cigarrete off its burning carcass.

In the sky Nightwing and Ronin are having a little trouble with the aerial scuffle.

Ronin: Hanging on there?

Nightwing is still holding onto the grapple line as another demon chases after him.

Nightwing: Yeah, yourself?

Ronin breaks out of the demon's grip and electrifies his club to try and knock it out and down...a bad idea on first glance as it works and they both start tumbling down.Nightwing then withdraws his grappling hook and recasts it to grab Ronin too but the third flying one kicks them both through a buildings windows

Nightwing:...are you getting annoyed?

Ronin:...very

Nightwing: let's get em

The demon flies in to confront them but doesn't see them, then Nightwing smacks it down from the side and draws his dual ekrisma sticks to apply harmful amounts of electricity whilst Joseph letting loose Punches it clean out back through the window and let's it fall down.

Ronin then throws a line to grab the demon and hold it captive

Nightwing: hopefully this one is sentient

Ronin: *struggling to hold the demon* Me too

Nightwing:*calls down* do you understand basic english

Demon: F*$K YOU!!

Nightwing: that's a yes then

Ronin: Where is Lazarus keeping Zatanna Zatara!?

Demon: Lazarus?...hahahahah Lord Samael has her somewhere safe

Ronin: Where?

Demon: wouldn't be safe if I told you would it?

Ronin growls and starts to "accidentally" let the rope slip

The demon laughs

Demon: you don't get it do you? If you kill us, we go to hell...we join the other demons, and when lord Samael takes over this place guess where the next port of call is!

Ronin: Earth

Demon: And if Lord Samael has his way, you'll be leading the army

Ronin: why?! Why me?! What makes me so goddamn special, why should he pick me out of the billions of humans on this planet?

Demon: *darkly* because...you are just like him

Ronin: I'm not

Demon: he knows it, we knows it...and soon you will too

Ronin drops him. The demon laughs as it falls. Ronin is shaking with rage...then Nightwing puts a hand on his shoulder.

Ronin: I'm not like him....

Nightwing: I know

Ronin:...I'm...I'm not

Ronin makes a fist

Ronin: I keep running into people who tell me I'm like them, and they're murderers, lunatics...evil. I'm nothing like them..I can't be...

Nightwing gives him a hug

Nightwing: you're not...believe me

Constantine: *off panel* that's sweet and all but can I get a little help here!

They look down. The feral demon has returned, looking like a cross between doomsday and the devil and is giving Constantine a very hard time. Ronin leaps down.

Ronin: That's enough!

Feral: What?! *hisses and turns to face Ronin* you're actually sticking up for this piece of crap?!

Ronin: I've stuck up for worse...besides, he's necessary

Constantine: Oh you've got me right in the feels

Feral: ...Samael says he wants you alive...but if I can take you-

Ronin: No, how about this...you tell me where Zatanna is...and you don't go to hell

Feral: *laughs in his face* Think you can take me?! Are you mad?!

Ronin: ...*smirks, somewhat darkly and confidently* Something like that.

Feral stops laughing and snarls, dismissing Constantine and charges for Ronin. Ronin smirks and throws three jitterbugs in his face temporarily blinding him and slugs him right in the face knocking him back. Ronin gets the upper hand *quite literally* and lays pummeling fists into the stunned demon, lashing out his rage against these monsters and not having to show any restraint whatsoever. He let's loose a crippling blow and once again punches right through it's chest. But Feral laughs this time, and seemingly ignoring the pain slashes Ronin right down the chest and kicks him to the ground.

Nightwing: RONIN!!

He leaps down and throws electric wing dings into feral's open wound electrocuting him but not killing it, he tries to haul Ronin away but the demon pounces about to strike them both when he is blasted away by a large green fireball coming from off panel.

Etrigan: *off panel* You can make me a tool

Etrigan leaps onto Feral

Etrigan: But I am no one's fool!!

Etrigan engages Feral, with Feral's chest wound Etrigan has the advatage. Nevertheless Feral tries to hammer him away with his armored plated punches but Etrigan exhales fire into his wound before leaping up and ripping his head clean off.

Etrigan: ...*turns to face Nightwing, Constantine and Ronin whose still being held by Nightwing and still wounded* Debt repaid

Constantine: A little overdue but nonetheless appreciated-

Etrigan: Not to you...*points to Joseph * Him

Constantine: But you tried to kill me first!

Etrigan: I like him better

Ronin: awww...could you heal me up then?

Etrigan: Of course

Etrigan waves his hands over Ronin's wounds. Ronin hisses in pain as his wounds close

Etrigan: My apologies, demon healing magic is not soothing

Nightwing helped Ronin up

Nightwing: We still don't have a clue where to start looking...

Ronin:...yeah we do...we confront Lilith

Ronin pauses for a second to think

Nightwing: Are you sure about this, do you think you are up for it?

Ronin: There is no other way...We have to do this, I have to do this

Nightwing: Well, I'm coming along.

Ronin: Going to try to outflirt the demoness?

Nightwing: no...I'm gonna help you find your would be fiance

Ronin: ...you knew?

Constantine: wait what?!

Ronin: What is it, McCartney wannabe?

Constantine: ...You and Z...hitched?...have to admit I didn't see that coming

Ronin: Well stick around, we still need to find her first

Ronin turns to Etrigan

Ronin: Care to come along?

Etrigan: You'd wage battle with the demon lord Samael, one strong enough to escape from hell?

Ronin: Yep

Etrigan: ...I'm in

Constantine: Great...It's the charge of the Longcoat brigade...except in this case only two of us have coats, one has a cape, and the other--

Nightwing: *smirking* Why hide this from the public?

Ronin: *facepalming* You are such an exhibitionist.

Nightwing: Hey I tried the cape, it was like wearing a kevlar ballgown...don't get snippy with me

Ronin: Yeah yeah, next stop, the house that lust built.

The four nod and head out into the Gotham night