Life can change || Invincible x DC

Overflowing Power

(Two days since the barrier went up outside of Bayview)

John Constantine stood outside the barrier surrounding the small town of Bayview, puffing on a cigarette. The air was crisp, and the snow crunched under his boots as he shifted his weight. Detective Chimp was crouched by the barrier, inspecting it with a magnifying glass, his breath visible in the cold air.

"Any luck yet, Bo?" John asked, his voice tinged with impatience.

Detective Chimp sighed and stood up, shaking his head. "No, John. Whatever's powering this barrier, they've hidden the source inside. We can't disable it from out here."

"Of course it fucking is," John muttered, flicking his cigarette at the barrier. He rubbed his eyes, feeling the exhaustion from the previous night. He and Zatara had been busy battling cult members, and sleep had been a luxury he couldn't afford.

John walked closer to the barrier, pressing his hand against it. A shimmering, almost invisible force pushed back. "This is bad, Chimp. Real bad. I've seen a lot of shite in my day, but this barrier... something nasty's coming."

"Yeah, well, you always know how to come out the other end, don't you?" Chimp replied with a smirk, adjusting his magnifying glass.

John chuckled dryly. "Survivor's instinct, mate. Knowing when to turn tail and run has kept me alive this long."

Just then, the ringing of his phone broke the quiet. John took his hand off the barrier and reached into his pocket, pulling out the device. Seeing Zatara's name on the screen, he answered quickly.

"Zatara! Finally gonna come and take over, I'm—"

"John! Kent is dead, the Helmet is gone, and the artefacts have been ransacked. Get to the Tower of Fate now!" Zatara's voice was urgent, almost panicked.

John felt a chill that had nothing to do with the cold weather. He put the phone down and looked up at the sky, letting the snowflakes fall on his face. "Fuck me," he whispered.

He turned to Chimp, who was watching him with a concerned expression. "What's happened?"

"Kent's dead. The helmet's gone. Artifacts, too. Zatara needs us at the Tower of Fate. Now."

Chimp's face hardened. "Goodness, John. This is worse than we thought."

"No shite, Sherlock," John replied, stuffing his phone back into his pocket. He took one last look at the barrier. "Whatever's behind this, we'll have to deal with it later. Right now, we've got bigger fish to fry." He started walking, the snow crunching under his boots with each step. Detective Chimp followed, struggling to traverse the terrain on only two feet.

"You know, for a bloke with such a dark outlook, you sure do end up in the thick of things a lot," Chimp remarked.

John chuckled. "Yeah, well, someone's gotta deal with the shite no one else wants to touch. Might as well be me."

John and Detective Chimp trudged through the snow-covered forest, each step crunching underfoot. John's mind raced with the news from Zatara. Kent Nelson, is dead. The Helmet of Fate, gone. Artifacts stolen. Things were getting worse by the minute.

John stopped and pulled a small, weathered lighter from his coat pocket. "Alright, Bo, time to open a door," he said, flicking the lighter open and striking the flint. A small flame appeared, and with a flick of his wrist, the flame grew into a swirling, golden portal.

"After you," John said, gesturing to the portal.

Detective Chimp stepped through without hesitation. John followed, and they emerged on the other side in front of the Tower of Fate. The sight that greeted them was shocking. "Bloody hell," John muttered. The tower was in a state of disrepair, something he had never seen before. Cracks ran up the once-pristine walls, and debris littered the ground around the entrance.