DC Hellblazer: I'm Constantine

C12. I'm Constantine

The cards are dealt. I glance at mine—a pathetic pair of tens. Not a great hand, but that's the way the game goes.

Rath and Ghast are too caught up in their own excitement. Rath's grinning like a kid who's just gotten everything on his Christmas list. Ghast's chuckles are already filling the air, like he's won, even though he hasn't.

But it's Abnegazar who has my full attention. He's quiet—too quiet. His eyes flick between me and his cards. He's not as confident as the others.

The game moves fast. Rath slams down a four of a kind. Ghast follows with a straight flush, cackling like he's the king of the world. They look proud—already forgotten the stakes. I'm watching Abnegazar. He hasn't played his cards yet, and I can tell—he's nervous.

"Something wrong, mate?" I ask, a grin creeping across my face. "Goin' soft?"

He doesn't answer. Instead, he slaps his cards down—a Royal flush.

"Son of a bitch!" he hisses.

The game was rigged from the start. But what's really eating at Abnegazar is, if I lose, things get ugly for all of them. Or maybe twas just one of my bluffs, but Abnegazar's been feeling and lookin' at me differently. Almost as if he can tell that I'm not the same.

Before I can even react, Abnegazar's shouting, "Get him!"

Rath and Ghast don't waste time. Axes appear in their hands like they've been waiting for this.

"Thought you were goin' soft for a second there, big bro," Rath growls, enjoying the moment a bit too much.

Before I can even think of a spell, his hand snags my collar, lifting me like I'm weightless. My feet leave the floor, and I'm face-to-face with his ugly mug.

His breath smells like sulfur and rot. "Gonna enjoy makin' you scream, Constantine," he snarls.

For a second, everything blurs. My lungs burn as he squeezes the air out of me. But even in the pressure, I can't help the grin that creeps up.

"What's the matter, Johnny boy?" I rasp. "Big ol' balls shrunk up in that soft gut of yours?"

Ghast laughs, the sound like nails on a chalkboard. "You're in for it now."

I choke out a laugh, daring my body to give in. "Careful, mate. You're dealing with the Hellblazer."

I catch Abnegazar's eye—he knows what's coming. Rath's too thick to notice. Ghast's too far gone.

Before Abnegazar can warn anyone, it happens. My eyes flare up, twin flames cutting through the smoke. The infernal script on my skin flares to life. The heat rushes in, raw, wild, like a floodgate opening.

Hell's power claws at me, wanting out. Flames spiral around my arms, wrapping my hands like gauntlets.

Rath's grip weakens for a second. Just enough for me to snarl, "Your mistake."

Hellfire explodes out of me. It licks up Rath's arm, but it doesn't burn him right away.

"Born of Hell, you bloody idiot," he sneers, still unfazed. "Think a little fire's gonna scare _me_?"

"I'm fully aware!" I snap.

Before Rath can react, Ghast's leg jerks out, slamming into Rath's knee. The brute staggers, roaring in pain, and drops me.

I hit the ground, steady. The flames coil around me, waiting to strike again.

Rath gets back up, fury on his face. His breath is ragged as he glares at Ghast. "What's the matter with you, you scrawny little twit?" he shouts.

Ghast blinks, confusion flashing across his face. His fingers twitch, gripping his axe. "I didn't bloody do it!" he yells, panic creeping into his voice.

Abnegazar steps back, lips parted as if to give an order. "Oi—"

But he doesn't get the chance.

Ghast's body betrays him again. His axe swings up, blade glinting in the firelight, aimed at Rath.

"You wanna play dirty?!" Rath roars, ducking just in time. His fist slams into Ghast's jaw with a sickening crunch.

Ghast stumbles back, black ichor dripping from his mouth. "Oi! It wasn't me!" he spits, hands tightening on the axe like they belong to someone else.

"Like hell it wasn't!" Rath lunges, tackling Ghast into the table, scattering cards and coins everywhere.

Abnegazar looks ready to make a run for it, but Ghast's body jerks again. The axe swings wide, this time aimed right at Abnegazar.

Abnegazar scrambles back, barely dodging the blade. "What in the blazes—!" He ducks, but the blade shaves off the air where his head was.

The pulse hits again.

Rath staggers, his fists abandoning Ghast to whirl on Abnegazar with a furious snarl. Ghast, still dazed, swings his axe without thinking, aiming for Rath's exposed back.

"Wha—?" Rath growls, confused as he loses control.

"You daft bastards!" Abnegazar shouts, panic creeping in. "It's him! He's got our demon—"

But he doesn't get the chance to finish. The three collide, Rath's fist smashing into Abnegazar's face just as Ghast's axe finds its mark in Rath's back.

Ghast reels back, cursing under his breath. "What the bloody—"

I stand in the middle of it all, hellfire still curling around me like an old friend. A dark grin spreads across my face.

"You've got it half-right, mate," I say, calm as anything. "It's not you. It's not them. It's me."

They stop. For a split second, confusion, fury, and a hint of fear flicker in their eyes. That's the sweet spot. Fear, even from demons, is like nectar.

"I've got your demon sigil _etched_ into my skin," I say, tapping my chest where the faint glow of infernal runes pulse through my shirt. "A collection of bastards who thought they could beat me."

Rath snarls, but doesn't charge. Ghast's axe hovers, uncertainty creeping in. Abnegazar glances at the sigil.

"That's right," I add, "And now? I can do _whatever I bloody well like_ with your power."

A snap of my fingers, and a spark flares to life. It spreads down my arm, flames wrapping around me like a familiar cloak.

The fire leaps to my shoulder, igniting the sigil in a blaze. The Demons Three stagger back, their own power thrumming against them.

"And now, lads," I growl, "time to cash your chips."

"You won, didn't ya?"

The Hellfire bursts from my hands, not just flames, but a torrent of raw, living fury. It spreads fast—too fast, tearing through the room. The walls catch fire, the table explodes, and the chandeliers melt in a burst of light.

The Demons Three freeze. But when the fire moves toward the windows, Abnegazar snaps. "Stop it, Constantine!" he yells. "You want the bloody wings? They're yours! I'll drag them out of Heaven if it'll stop this madness!"

Ghast stumbles back, hands raised in surrender. "Anything! Gold, power, names of every demon and angel—whatever you want!"

Rath holds his ground. "You're makin' a mistake. We can work this out! Just stop!"

But I don't. I stand my ground as the flames rage, the heat unbearable, but I don't burn. The fire feeds on my will, growing wilder.

Below, chaos erupts. Screams echo, people scrambling for their lives. The sprinklers hiss, useless, and people claw at windows. But no one escapes Caesar's Clown. Not tonight.

I raise my hands, summoning an arcane circle beneath me. It pulses, feeding the flames, guiding them in perfect sync. The fire forms a tornado, swallowing the building whole, rising into the sky.

Abnegazar watches, horror in his eyes. "You're burning them! The humans! This ain't just us—it's them too!"

The screams grow louder, piercing through the flames. I feel a twinge. I watch as one of the guards, the one who looks like he wrestles bears for fun, gets burned alive. The image of him writhing, his body turning putrid, etches itself into my mind, but I know I'm doing the right thing, at a low cost. I bury the twinge, and remain stone cold.

"Since when do you care about humans?" I snap, not looking at him.

He doesn't answer.

It takes another minute. Then... it's done.

The casino is ash, the Demons Three standing in the wreckage, stunned.

"Caesar's Clown," I mutter, letting the name hang in the smoke. "Burned to the ground."

Abnegazar's voice cracks. "You've gone mad. The underworld will hear about this!"

"I'm counting on it," I reply, just as they vanish into a portal.

I stand there, watching the smoke curl into the night.

I could use a fag or two after what I've just done. A drink? Not so much.

My coat's all intact. I fetch one and light it up to think. What have I just done and why have I done it?

Is it a case of insanity? Pride? Show of Power? Or good intention?

I'll stick with _good intention_ on any rainy day. Because that's the bloody truth.

I let a smile creep up my face, feeling the weight of the moment settle in. Whatever anyone thinks, I know what I did. It was the right thing, and I'm sure as hell not apologizing for it. The rest? Well, they'll have their say, but I won't lose any sleep over it.

I walk off, the air crisp against my skin, a single thought running through my mind, "We'll find out soon enough if I'm in the right, shan't we?"

The Hellblazer is officially in business.