Chapter Text
“Constantine we need to talk”
John looks down and flicks his lighter. He lights up his cigarette, gives a puff of smoke and tilts his head back up to give Zatanna his full attention.
“Word on the street is that the Ghost King’s summoning ritual is active again.”
John breathes out a puff of smoke, “Well shit.”
“Yeah”
“Is it the same guy? The Dread King awakened from his Eternal Slumber.”
Zatanna shook her head, “Apparently it’s a new ghost on the throne. Well new-ish. He’s been around for centuries on the down low for the most part, except for occasional moments of chaos and destruction.”
“As ghosts are wont to do,” John mutters under breath. There was new player on the board. John wasn't sure whether that was better or worse than having the Slumbering Tyrant active again. Fucking Unknowns.
“You got a name, title, anything to work with?”
Zatana ticks them off her fingers, “King Phantom,”
“Well that’s vague as shit and uncreative to boot. Might as well be called The Ghost King and be done with it.”
“High King of the Infinite Realms”
John winces, “And that name’s sticking?” John didn’t want to consider the kind of firepower this ghost must have (he could feel his lifespan being shaved away as he made the mental calculations) that could allow one single ghost to hold the kind of authority where he could lord over all the Kings aligned with the Dead and Death. Which included the last High King, unfortunately.
Zatana grimaces in commiseration as she continues, “The Great One”
“Well that’s just your basic bitch title that any rando cult can use. It don’t mean nothing.”
“Yeah for the High King of the Infinite Realms that kind of title is a given,” Zatanna agrees, “but it’s firmly attached. King Phantom the Great One.”
“What’d he do that makes him so great?” Constantine asked suspiciously. Alexander the Great was titled such and he mostly just conquered everywhere he could ride a bloody horse to.
“I don’t know the details but the title Saviour Sovereign was given in relation.”
John scowls, “That’s not… terrible.” He turns that over in his mind. He wonders how a ghost earned a title like that. He wonders what that title means for humanity. “Is that all?”
“All I’ve got,” Zatanna admits.
“Those titles are almost downright benevolent for a ghost. He doesn’t even have a Conqueror to his name despite being a Great.”
“Saviour Sovereign,” Zatanna tastes the title, the power in it, the goodwill it implies, “It almost sounds like a superhero name.”
“Funny choice of a career for a ghost”.
“Constantine, Deadman exists,” Zatanna sharply reminds him of their fellow JL Dark member.
John rolls his eyes, “Urgh Boston is so not the same type of ghost and you know it. The guy can’t even physically manifest without possessing some poor sod. It ain’t the same. Nowhere even in the same league.”
“Constantine,”
“Also Deadman’s a shit name. What does he even need a superhero name for? The man is dead. It’s literally in his name.”
“Constantine,”
“He also has no need for a secret identity. Most people can’t even see the bastard except when he’s possessing some other poor bastard. The only people who know both who he is and what he currently looks like can be counted on your hands.
“Constantine!”
John pauses in his complaining, “Yeah, luv?”
Zatanna is unimpressed, “If we could get back to being productive?”
“Productive?” John raises his eyebrows, “I thought we were just gossiping.”
“Tell me to my face, that you’re not about to do something stupid so that you can go find out more about this new King”
“I’m not about to do something stupid so that I can find out more about this new King.”
Zatanna scoffs, “Liar,” she barked.
John shrugs, “Well you got any good ideas?”
“I have some contacts I wish to try first,”
“We might as well just cut out the middleman and summon the ghost himself then” John counters.
“You can’t offer to trade your soul,” Zatanna flatly states.
He hadn't been planning to but now John was a little indignant. “Why not?”
“Because he’s the High King, remember! We don’t know how exactly he’s exercising his authority, but there’s a solid chance that he might be able to overrule all the other claims on your soul. Then there goes your stupid scam.”
“Ahh right, good point. Well, what we offering then?”
“A trade of information. 3 questions asked each, one pass allowed,” Zatanna succinctly answers.
John nods. “Not bad. Very traditional. Do you think he’ll even be interested in anything we have to offer though?”
“Oh don’t be coy John, our reputation will likely precede us, yours especially, Hellblazer . We’ll at least amuse him.”
“A’ight then. We’ll do the ritual, same place, same time on the morrow?”
Zatanna agrees, “That works for me.”