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Constantine stared at the contract floating between him and the demon-possessed teenager, his mind racing through legal loopholes, mystical precedents, and extremely illegal options. Mephisto's signature glowed with malevolent power at the bottom the Devil's own mark.
"You see?" The demon wearing Marcus's face smiled. "Legally binding. The boy is ours."
"Bollocks." Constantine pulled out a cigarette despite the cramped quarters. He didn't light it Julian was probably outside having a panic attack, and adding smoke to this situation seemed cruel but he needed something to do with his hands. "Let me guess: you promised to stabilize his powers in exchange for his soul. Told him he was dying anyway, made it sound like the only option."
Marcus's body tilted its head, the gesture too mechanical to be natural. "The boy was burning himself alive from the inside. His X-gene consumed him. We offered salvation. He accepted."
"Salvation." Constantine barked a laugh. "That's what Mephisto's calling damnation these days?"
"Call it what you like. The contract is valid."
Constantine studied the parchment more carefully, looking for the weaknesses that every demonic contract contained. Demons were bound by rules older than humanity they had to include escape clauses, even if those clauses were buried in clever wordplay and impossible conditions.
There. Buried in the third paragraph, almost invisible unless you knew what to look for:Â This contract may be rendered void if the signatory can prove coercion, diminished capacity, or failure of consideration before the appointed collection date.
"When's the collection date?" Constantine asked casually.
"Tomorrow at midnight." The demon's smile widened. "Less than twenty-eight hours. Even if you find a loophole, you lack time to exploit it."
"We'll see about that." Constantine turned to leave, then paused at the door. "By the way, what's your name?"
"Why?"
"Professional courtesy. I like to know who I'm about to banish back to Hell."
The demon hesitated they couldn't help themselves, pride being their defining characteristic. "Azaroth. Lesser lieutenant in Lord Mephisto's legions."
"Cheers, Azaroth. Enjoy your last day in this reality."
Constantine found Julian in the kitchen, clutching the protection charm like a lifeline. The young man looked up with desperate hope.
"Can you save him?"
"Maybe." Constantine pulled out his mobile, dialing while he talked. "The demon's hold is backed by a contract signed with Mephisto himself. Breaking it requires finding specific legal grounds, then mounting a challenge before the collection date."
"Which is?"
"Tomorrow night. So we're working on a tight schedule." The phone connected. "Strange? It's Constantine. I've got a Mephisto contract situation. Need your expertise and possibly access to your library."
Strange's response was immediate. "I'll open a portal. Come through now. Bring the affected individual if possible."
Constantine turned to Julian. "Can you get your brother out of that room?"
"I don't know. When he's like this "
"Tell him I'm getting help to void his contract. Tell him if he wants to live, he needs to come with us to the Sanctum Sanctorum. Even the demon will respect that it won't want to jeopardize the contract by preventing Marcus from seeking legitimate legal recourse."
Julian looked doubtful but nodded. He approached Marcus's room while Constantine prepared for the worst, holy water in one hand and a banishment spell ready in the other.
Five tense minutes later, Marcus emerged. His eyes were still wrong reddish, with too much intelligence lurking behind them but he walked under his own power.
"The Sorcerer Supreme," Azaroth said through Marcus's mouth. "How delightfully dramatic. Very well. The boy may consult with counsel. It changes nothing."
The portal materialized in the living room Strange's magic was always precise. They stepped through into the Sanctum's library, where Strange waited with several thick tomes already open on a table.
"Mephisto contract," Strange said without preamble, examining Marcus with mystical vision. "Possession-type, with the demon serving as enforcer until collection. Classic format." He looked at Constantine. "What grounds are you pursuing?"
"Coercion or diminished capacity." Constantine pointed to the relevant clause in the floating contract. "Marcus was sixteen when he signed. Most jurisdictions consider that too young for binding magical contracts. Plus, his X-gene instability could argue diminished capacity he wasn't in his right mind due to physical trauma."
"Both valid." Strange flipped through one of the tomes. "But Mephisto will argue that mutant physiology makes standard age restrictions irrelevant, and that desperation doesn't equal diminished capacity."
"So we need something stronger." Constantine studied Marcus, who stood rigid as the demon inside him observed everything. An idea formed risky, probably stupid, but potentially brilliant. "What if the contract never took effect in the first place?"
"Explain."
"Look at the consideration clause." Constantine traced the text. "Mephisto promised to stabilize Marcus's powers. But has he actually done so?"
Julian's eyes widened. "No. Marcus has been getting worse. His control is deteriorating faster than before."
"Failure of consideration," Strange said slowly, a smile forming. "If Mephisto didn't deliver what he promised, the contract is invalid from inception. Marcus never received the benefit he traded his soul for."
"Exactly." Constantine turned to Marcus. "Azaroth, has Mephisto stabilized this boy's X-gene?"
The demon was silent, which was answer enough.
"You can't prove our master hasn't begun the process," Azaroth finally said. "Stabilization takes time."
"The contract specifies immediate effect," Strange countered, pointing to another clause. "'Powers shall stabilize upon signing.' Not 'will eventually stabilize' or 'shall begin the process of stabilization.' Immediate effect."
"This is sophistry "
"This is contract law, which your master is bound by." Strange's voice carried absolute authority. "If Mephisto failed to deliver, the contract is void. Marcus's soul remains his own."
The demon inside Marcus thrashed, metal objects around the Sanctum beginning to vibrate. "You cannot prove "
"Actually, we can." Constantine pulled out his phone, showing the medical reports Sarah Chen had provided yesterday. "Sarah Chen, another young mutant, presented with nearly identical symptoms three weeks ago. Demonic contamination warping her X-gene. I extracted the demon and her powers stabilized completely within hours. If Mephisto had actually stabilized Marcus's powers, we'd see similar results. But Marcus is getting worse, which means Mephisto is actively sabotaging the contract's consideration to ensure collection."
It was a logical leap, but Constantine sold it with absolute confidence. Strange caught on immediately.
"Which constitutes fraud," Strange said. "Lord Mephisto, if you're listening and I know you are this contract is void. Release the boy or face formal challenge before the Tribunal of Cosmic Justice."
The threat hung in the air. The Tribunal was something Constantine had only heard whispers about cosmic entities that enforced fundamental rules of reality, including the laws governing demonic contracts. Even Hell lords didn't defy them lightly.
For a long moment, nothing happened.
Then Marcus convulsed. He screamed not in pain, but in rage as black smoke poured from his mouth, nose, and eyes. The demon Azaroth was being forcibly expelled, the contract's collapse severing its legal right to possess the boy.
Julian rushed forward, catching his brother as Marcus collapsed. The teenager's eyes rolled back, his body going limp.
"Is he ?" Julian's voice cracked.
Strange waved a hand, mystical energy flowing over Marcus. "Alive. Unconscious, but stable. The demon's departure was violent, but not fatal."
The black smoke coalesced into a vaguely humanoid shape, Azaroth's true form rendered visible by rage. "This isn't over, Constantine. Lord Mephisto will remember this insult."
"Tell him I said hello," Constantine replied cheerfully. "And that I'll be coming for the rest of his mutant contracts next."
The demon shrieked and vanished, banished back to Hell.
Strange turned to Constantine, expression serious. "You realize what you've just done? Mephisto now knows you're actively interfering with his operations. This moves beyond simple resistance to direct confrontation."
"Good." Constantine meant it. "I'm tired of playing defense. The bastard's targeting vulnerable kids mutants who are desperate and scared. Someone needs to stop him."
"Agreed." Strange gestured, and mystical energy lifted Marcus gently, carrying him to a recovery room. "But you can't do this alone. Mephisto has hundreds of contracts in place. Thousands, probably."
"Then I'll need help." Constantine thought of Luke Cage and Danny Rand, Colleen Wing, the council members, even Santana Báez. "I'll build a team. People who give a damn about protecting the innocent."
"You'll need more than that." Strange pulled out a folder, handing it to Constantine. "I've been investigating Mephisto's operations since you shut down Inferno. This is what I've found."
Constantine opened the folder. Inside were dozens of case files mutants who'd signed contracts, supernatural beings who'd made deals, humans who'd sold their souls for everything from wealth to revenge. Each contract bore Mephisto's signature.
"Bloody hell," Constantine breathed. "This is massive."
"Which is why I'm offering official support." Strange's tone was formal. "The Sanctum Sanctorum will serve as base of operations for this endeavor. You'll have access to my library, my resources, and my contacts. In exchange, you coordinate with me on major actions against Mephisto's network."
Constantine studied the Sorcerer Supreme. This was a bigger commitment than he'd expected Strange was essentially deputizing him, giving him official authority to conduct operations against a Hell lord.
"Why?" Constantine asked. "Why trust me with this?"
"Because you care." Strange's expression softened. "Despite your reputation, despite Newcastle, despite every reason you have to be cynical and self-interested, you care about saving people. I saw it in Limbo when you rescued Astra. I see it now, in your determination to protect these mutant children. That's rare, John. And valuable."
Constantine didn't trust himself to speak. He just nodded.
Julian emerged from the recovery room where Strange had taken Marcus. "He's waking up. And his eyes they're normal again."
They rushed to the room. Marcus sat up slowly, looking around in confusion. When his gaze found his brother, tears started flowing.
"Julian? What happened? I remember... signing something. Then everything went dark and angry."
"You made a deal with a demon," Julian said, hugging his brother fiercely. "But these men saved you. They broke the contract."
Marcus looked at Constantine and Strange with awe. "Thank you. I thought... I thought I was dying. The pain was so bad, and this voice said it could make it stop."
"Classic demon tactic," Constantine said. "They prey on desperation. But you're free now. The contract's void, the demon's gone, and your powers should stabilize naturally now that the demonic influence is removed."
"Speaking of which." Strange approached Marcus, hands glowing with diagnostic magic. "Let's check your X-gene status."
The scan took several minutes. When Strange finished, he was smiling.
"Your powers are stable. The demonic contamination destabilized your X-gene deliberately to ensure you'd be desperate enough to sign. Now that it's gone, your natural mutant physiology is reasserting itself. You'll need to practice control, but you're no longer in danger."
Marcus started crying in earnest. Julian joined him. Constantine looked away, uncomfortable with the raw emotion.
Strange pulled Constantine aside. "You saved him. And in doing so, you've established a precedent. Other mutants trapped in Mephisto's contracts now have hope."
"Yeah, well." Constantine lit a cigarette, finally, now that they were in a space where Strange wouldn't complain. "Can't save everyone. But maybe I can save enough to make a difference."
His phone buzzed. A text from an unknown number:Â I heard what you did for Marcus Reyes. My daughter signed one of Mephisto's contracts three days ago. Please help us. - Teresa Vasquez
Constantine showed Strange the text. "It's starting."
"Then we'd better prepare." Strange's expression was determined. "Tomorrow, we begin systematically dismantling Mephisto's contract network. Tonight, we rest and strategize."
Constantine nodded, already mentally preparing for the war ahead. He'd come to this reality broken, damned, and alone. But now he had allies, purpose, and a cause worth fighting for.
Mephisto had made a mistake targeting mutants. Because in doing so, he'd given Constantine exactly what he needed: a clear enemy and innocent victims to protect.
And John Constantine had always been at his best when he had someone to save and something to burn down.
As he left the Sanctum that night, Constantine looked up at the New York skyline millions of lights, millions of lives, and hidden among them, people making desperate deals with demons.
He couldn't save them all.
But he'd damn well try.
His phone buzzed again. This time, a text from Danny Rand:Â Heard you're going after Mephisto's contracts. Heroes for Hire is in. Whatever you need.
Another text, from Colleen:Â The council voted. You have our support. Full resources.
And finally, from Luke Cage:Â About damn time someone stood up to these Hell lords. Let's do this.
Constantine smiled around his cigarette.
Maybe he didn't have to do this alone after all.
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