A/N: Dealing with Constantine.
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They might have only just met, but Cole already really didn't like John Constantine. And not just because Zatanna had done the right thing and told him about Constantine's connection to Mystery before introducing them. No, while of course he was on Mystery's side by default, Constantine had proceeded to give an incredibly shitty first impression all on his own.
Though usually, Cole was a lot more mellow than this, even around assholes. Maybe it was because he no longer felt quite so much of a need to keep his head down, or maybe it was simply because Constantine's mere presence rubbed him the wrong way.
He hadn't offered to 'clean' the man solely out of the kindness of his heart after all. Just being in Constantine's presence was a bit uncomfortable. The man stunk to high heavens and Cole did not think that was merely his physical stench talking.
And given even a half-demon like Raven didn't smell half as bad as Constantine did, Cole was tempted to just cast a spell on the other man even now, even with Zatanna advising against it.
… But no, he would refrain for now. So long as they were able to deal with this situation without things coming to blows. If they weren't, all bets were off. Though Cole isn't sure he likes the way Zatanna is looking at him right now.
"… This whole situation would be much more easily resolved if Mystery herself could just explain her decisions."
Cole stiffens, immediately hating the idea. He didn't think Mystery had to explain herself to her previous owner if she didn't want to. And obviously if she hadn't previously, she didn't want to.
Before he can disagree with the idea however, Constantine scoffs.
"Seriously Zee? You can't really be buying this bullshit!"
Zatanna rubs the bridge of her nose, clearly nursing a headache.
"I just told you I've already spoken to Mystery, John. It's not bullshit."
"It's a trick or something! You're being hoodwinked!"
It dawns on Cole then that this was going to be a persistent problem… unless they nipped it in the bud right now. Zatanna was right, the only way to resolve this situation sooner rather than later was to have Mystery tell Constantine to fuck off personally.
Cole resolves to make it up to Mystery at a later date even as he sighs and produces the large iron key.
"Fine. You want to see the 'trick'? We'll show you the trick."
Of course, he can't open a door to Mystery from within Zatanna's family home. That was the whole reason they'd had to come up to Shadowcrest the normal way in the first place.
Instead, Cole marches out of the room and down the hall, Raven on his heels. After a moment he hears Zatanna and finally Constantine walking after him, with the latter still bellyaching to the former and the former telling the latter to be quiet.
When they make it to Shadowcrest's front doors, Cole doesn't even have to tell Raven to do the thing… she immediately summons a platform again for them to ride on all the way to the property's edge. From there, he heads for the nearest door, deliberately not waiting for Constantine and Zatanna to catch up as he puts the key in the lock and turns the handle.
The door opens into the House of Mystery and within a moment Mystery herself appears at the entrance to the foyer, gracing him with a bright, sunny smile.
"Master, you've returned!"
"Constantine is on his way."
The smile immediately drops from Mystery's ruby red lips and her countenance becomes stormy as she stomps forward.
"Come inside, I'll deal with this."
Cole sighs and shakes his head.
"That won't be necessary, Mystery. We just… we need you to tell Constantine that it's over. He doesn't actually believe me OR Zatanna when we say that you chose me over him."
Mystery blinks at that before scowling furiously. However, before she can say anything else, Zatanna suddenly arrives, having clearly used her magic to propel herself ahead. Was Constantine literally walking here normally? You are reading on g.com, the official source.
When Mystery turns her angry gaze in Zatanna's direction… Cole is surprised to see the heroine immediately bow at the waist.
"My sincerest apologies for having to bring you into this, Mystery. I hope you of all people understand just how stubborn John can be. In the long run, a clean cutting of ties feels best."
Zatanna's earnest words seem to have a strong impact on Mystery, her anger flickering and fading for a moment as she sighs. For some reason she even glances to Cole before shaking her head.
"… You have a point, I suppose."
It's around then that John Constantine finally comes striding out of the front gates of Shadowcrest, a stormy scowl of his own on his face.
"Seriously Zatanna?! You couldn't have given me a hand?"
Did the man really not have a form of magic that would have allowed him to traverse the distance from the doors to the gate quicker? Cole supposed he couldn't exactly look down on Constantine for that… after all, he didn't have any kind of movement magic either. If it wasn't for Raven, he would have been walking all this way as well.
Regardless, Mystery goes still upon laying eyes on Constantine… and when Constantine sees her standing there in the doorway with the rest of the House of Mystery's foyer behind her, his eyes narrow in disbelief and incredulity.
"Really? I'm supposed to believe that you're the House of Mystery then?"
Mystery stiffens but then curls her lips into a smile that doesn't at all reach her eyes.
"In the flesh, so to speak."
Stopping a few feet away, Constantine crosses his arms over his chest and scoffs.
"Pull the other one. Who and what are you really? Some demon who snuck in when I wasn't looking? A djinn trapped in an artifact that got loose? What do you want with the brat here, exactly? Whatever it is, you can't possibly think you're going to get away with it. Me and Zee won't let you."
Huh? Cole stares at Constantine in disbelief. Was the man seriously standing up for him? No, more than that… was Constantine seriously this dense? Mystery just stares for a long moment at Constantine… before letting out a sharp little laugh.
"You really don't get it, do you? No, I am not some demon or other entity that your negligence allowed into my walls. You act so surprised that I never showed myself to you… but have you stopped to wonder if you were really worthy of my companionship?"
Constantine narrows his eyes but before he can respond, Mystery continues on.
"You won me in a poker game, John Constantine. And then you used me as your bachelor pad and storage facility for years, tossing all manner of dark and twisted things into my depths, expecting me to keep them all contained while you lounged about and neglected to deal with them."
"Hey… that's not…"
"I will admit that part of the culpability does lie with me. I didn't know any better. My original owner was the First Murderer after all. For millennia I believed my purpose was to be a home to such darkness, to house malevolence and evil and horror. You were merely an extension of that. Your tragic existence compounding upon all that came before it."
In the stunned silence that follows, Mystery sighs, closes her eyes for a moment to center herself, and then opens them again.
"It took me a long time to realize the truth. It's not me… it's you and men like you, John. I don't need your sort of toxicity in my life anymore. I don't need to be your refuse dump for all that goes bump in the night. And I certainly don't need to be the closet where you stuff everything you don't want to or can't deal with."
Keeping her eyes fixed on Constantine, Mystery smiles thinly.
"And if you still doubt I am who I say I am… doubt no further."
The sensation that follows is something Cole struggles to put into words. It's almost as though Mystery makes herself feel more real than she previously was. As though she's further imposing herself and all that she is upon their reality.
The end result is simple enough though… everyone present is left knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are speaking with the House of Mystery and that there can be no other.
Constantine reels back as if struck by the knowledge, a sharp exhale leaving his lips as his eyes widen. He catches himself rather quickly though, recovering with what would be admirable speed if Cole was feeling generous towards the other man.
His shock falls away to be replaced with a fresh scowl, this one with no incredulity in it… or rather, a different sort of incredulity.
"Cradle robbing, huh? Fine then. Be that way. Don't come crying back to me when it all blows up in your face."
What the fuck was with this man and constantly infantilizing Cole? He bristles, but before he can say anything Constantine has whipped around and began stalking away down the road, leaving them all behind and taking the last word. Or… he tries to anyways. The source of this chapter is NovelPing.
"You suck, John Constantine! Maybe if people told you that more, you'd suck a little less!"
Cole can't help but choke on a laugh as Mystery calls out after the man. Constantine doesn't stop or turn around, but he does lift up an arm and give Mystery the middle finger. Still, Cole can't help but feel like the magical house comes out ahead in that particular encounter.
There's a beat of awkward silence as everyone else is left standing there for a moment… and then Zatanna grimaces.
"I uh… I'll understand if you want to end today's lesson here, Cole. I just hope that you won't let this keep you from continuing your magical education…"
Cole huffs and crosses his arms over his chest.
"Will that guy be showing up unannounced too often?"
The way Zatanna winces and hesitates is telling enough even before she speaks.
"… He has a key. It's how he got in today. He's not… look, this was a bad first impression compounded by what you already knew about his history with both me and Mystery. John Constantine is not an evil man though. He's not a villain. He's not trying to hurt anyone, he just…"
Mystery scoffs, crossing her arms over her chest.
"He just leaves a trail of bodies in his wake regardless of his intentions, doesn't he?"
Zatanna winces again, falling quiet. Cole lets Mystery's words hang in the air for a long moment before he asks something he's been wanting to ask Zatanna for a bit now.
"Earlier, back in Shadowcrest… you were vehemently opposed to me using my magic on Constantine. I still don't fully understand why. I could tell there was something off about him… multiple somethings really. But what exactly made you stop me?"
Here, Zatanna looks torn for a moment as she tries to find the words. Cole waits quietly and lets her do so, watching her carefully. How she responds will almost certainly influence whether or not he continues this mentor-mentee relationship going forward.
"… In our line of work, we sometimes need to make sacrifices. One of the earliest and worst lessons you learn as a hero is that you can't save everyone. But we wouldn't be who we are if we didn't try all the same. And that can lead to… compromises."
Looking off into the distance as if remembering something, Zatanna breathes out slowly.
"For your average superhero, even for your average member of the Justice League, the choices they have to make, the decisions that haunt them… they often only haunt in a metaphorical sense. But for those of us of the more magical inclination… some sacrifices have far more weight to them. Some have long lasting impacts beyond just the mental that we're forced to contend with."
Finally looking back to him, Zatanna smiles sadly.
"Sometimes the sacrifices can become foundational. Reversing them or even trying to heal them is impossible without destroying the person they've made us into. John Constantine has his flaws… plenty of them, I assure you. But at the end of the day, he's still out there fighting against the things trying to prey upon our world. If you used your magic on him Cole, I'm not sure what would happen exactly… but I'm also not sure there'd be anything left of him once you were done."
A somber silence fills the air as Cole processes Zatanna's words and tries to decide if he'll accept her explanation or not. In the end, he finds himself glancing to Mystery… who sighs and rolls her eyes.
"She's right, as much as I hate to admit it. While I'm never letting that man back inside of me if I can help it… he's at least trying to help most of the time. He's… probably a net positive on your universe. Maybe."
Cole can tell how much it pains Mystery to say even that much. That said, taking in everything, he still need to make a decision on whether to continue forward with this mentorship or strike out on his own. Today had started out well enough, but it certainly hadn't ended well…
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The Vote:
[X] Cole decides to keep his mentorship with Zatanna - 93%
[ ] Cole decides to end his mentorship with Zatanna - 7%
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