American Comics: Multiverse of Madness

283. A Bad Encounter.

The ones who had come were none other than Superman Clark and Raven Rachel, who had been desperately searching for Constantine's whereabouts.

The two of them entered the tavern one after the other. Seeing the middle-aged man standing behind the bar, with greasy blonde curls, a scruffy beard, and completely drunk, they could hardly believe this was the Justice League's top magician.

Thankfully, Constantine's style hadn't changed—he was still wearing a white shirt under a khaki trench coat, giving off that distinct British rogue vibe. However, right now, he looked more like a homeless vagrant. Rachel glanced at the completely inebriated Constantine, reeking of alcohol, and couldn't help but wrinkle her nose as she turned to Clark.

"We need him," Clark said seriously.

Maybe the younger generation didn't know much about Constantine's power, but Superman, who had worked with him, knew very well. Even Batman had given Constantine "high praise." If not for that, Superman wouldn't have scoured the earth trying to find him. Hearing Clark's words, Rachel didn't say much, only pausing slightly.

"Then we're screwed."

"Hic."

After another hiccup, Constantine finally focused his attention on the two uninvited guests. Seeing they weren't demons, Constantine didn't take them seriously, waving them off impatiently, trying to get them to leave.

"Go somewhere else. This tavern already has an owner!"

After a moment's thought, Constantine added.

"Actually, every tavern on this street has an owner now. You might want to try another city."

"John, it's me."

Clark interrupted Constantine's words, stepping out of the shadows, revealing his face to Constantine as he spoke in a deep voice.

"It's good to finally find you, old friend."

Hearing this, Constantine froze for a moment, seemingly trying to dredge up the memory of the man standing in front of him from his decaying brain.

It wasn't really Constantine's fault for not recognizing him immediately. After all, Clark and Rachel had changed a lot. Ever since being injected with liquid kryptonite by Darkseid, Superman had become a mere mortal. His cells were continuously weakening.

On top of that, after enduring the pain of a devastating defeat, Clark now looked much older. Even though he was still in his prime, his hair had started to turn white, and his eyes had been corroded by kryptonite, turning them green.

Rachel, on the other hand, was in even worse shape. She had always lived under the torment of her father, and if it weren't for the support and encouragement from the Titans, she might have already broken down.

When Darkseid attacked, she had watched her best friends die one by one before her eyes. If her willpower hadn't been strong enough, the demons of the three realms might have already descended upon reality.

Now, the young girl was utterly wrecked by her father's demonic powers. Years of mental exhaustion had sunken her dark eyes, leaving her malnourished and skeletal, hardly resembling a human at all.

Constantine rubbed his face vigorously, forcing himself to pull together. He remembered now. He finally recognized the big man standing in front of him. Leaping over the bar, Constantine smiled as he walked over to Clark.

"I remember now... old friend."

Seeing this, Clark smiled, raising his hands slightly. But just as Clark expected a friendly embrace, Constantine threw a heavy punch, landing it squarely on Clark's face, sending him stumbling backward several steps.

"Ugh!" The punch hurt Constantine too, who hadn't fought in a long time, but the pain sobered him up a bit.

"Clark, I thought you were dead."

Without another word, Constantine charged at Clark again, unleashing a flurry of punches with no intention of holding back. Each punch landed directly on Clark's face.

Clark knew why he was being beaten. Because of his own misjudgment, Constantine had lost the love of his life. For that alone, it made sense for Constantine to want to kill him. So, Clark didn't fight back. He just shielded his face symbolically, silently enduring Constantine's punches, hoping he could let off some steam and then be willing to help.

However, Rachel didn't understand the complicated backstory. Her first impression of Constantine wasn't great, and now seeing him attack directly, she wasn't going to just stand by.

She grabbed Constantine's fist mid-swing and kicked him, sending him flying backward. He crashed into the bar with a painful groan, but Constantine didn't seem to care. When he looked at Rachel, he just stared at Clark with hatred, sneering as he spoke.

"Are you dragging another kid into your war, Clark? How many more families are you planning to ruin?"

Clark was speechless. He didn't know how to respond, so he could only murmur painfully.

"John... I just want to make up for my mistakes. Please, help me."

"Help you?"

Constantine burst into laughter, laughing so hard he could barely catch his breath. It was as if he had just heard the funniest joke of his life.

The laughter echoed in the quiet air, uncontrollable. Constantine even laughed to the point of tears, and the bitterness and hatred in that laughter were almost tangible, stabbing straight into Clark's heart.

"Enough! You don't have the right to mock Superman. At least he's still fighting, while you're just a useless drunk, drowning yourself in alcohol!" Rachel couldn't hold back any longer and spoke up.

Hearing this, Constantine's laughter stopped abruptly.

A murderous intent suddenly filled the air.

"Say one more word, little girl, I dare you."

As a fellow magic user, Rachel wasn't about to back down either. She raised her hand, ready for a fight. But just as the tension reached its peak, a sudden and urgent communication signal interrupted the standoff.

Clark raised his arm. Since the destruction of the Justice League, all communication systems had ceased to function. Most of the surviving heroes didn't want to have any contact with Superman anymore. The only one who still kept in touch was his wife, Lois.

Without hesitation, Clark answered the video call. Soon, Lois's face appeared on the screen, distorted slightly by electronic interference.

After enduring the apocalyptic invasion of Parademons, the once mild-mannered journalist Lois Lane was no longer the weak woman she had been. She had trained hard in Blackgate Prison with criminals, becoming a skilled martial artist.

"Lois, is something wrong?" Clark asked curiously.

"Well... Wait, Clark, were you just hit by someone?" Lois had just started to speak but immediately noticed the bruises around Clark's eyes. It seemed Constantine's punch had left quite an impression.

Clark sighed awkwardly and turned the camera toward Constantine.

Seeing the disheveled and dejected blonde man, Lois immediately understood the situation. Though she didn't know what to say at first, her experience as a journalist helped her quickly regain her composure.

"John, long time no see. Black Orchid often talks about you, and we've all been worried. It's really good to see you're okay."

Hearing Lois's words, Constantine tilted his head slightly. Although his attitude was still cold, it was noticeably better than before.

As for Black Orchid, the one Lois mentioned, she wasn't just anyone. She was a member of the Justice League Dark. In this world, however, Black Orchid was born out of Constantine's "House of Mystery," a manifestation of the house's magical energy.

Seeing that his wife had calmed Constantine down with just a few words, Superman breathed a sigh of relief but couldn't help asking.

"So, what's going on?"

When Clark appeared back on the screen, Lois didn't beat around the bush and spoke seriously.

"Clark, I just received a message from Gotham. Barbara told me that a group of heroes from other universes has arrived in our world. They've come to help us."

"What did you say!?"

As soon as the words left her mouth, everyone in the room was stunned. Only a demon sprawled on the bar seemed completely indifferent.

.....

30 advanced chapters on p@treaon
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284. Why Not?
285: An Offer You Can't Refuse!
286. Magical Lightning.
287. Superman's Coordinates.
288. Lady Shiva.