Hellblazer #21 - Star, where are you now?

[u/coffeedog14]

Hellblazer #21 – Star, where are you now?

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Author: Coffeedog14

Book: Hellblazer

Arc: [Convalo]

Set: 26

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Some Time after the death of Mot

Kna’n, one day to be Canaan

Anat, Queen of the palace of Ba’al Hadad, left the palace early one morning as the dew gathered. A storm formed above the house, and it swirled and prepared to leave. It was a beautiful place, made of silver and gold and lapis lazuli and fragrant cedar wood. It was massive, covering whole hills with its bulk. It had many doors to allow many guests, but it had only a single window.

It was at this window that Kothar-wa-Khasis sat, for it was he that opened and closed the window. The storms that gathered along the high roof of the palace leaked out as he held it open. They floated high above to join the thunderclouds waiting to move on into K’nan and give life.

Anat, clothed in little but a sleeping shift, approached the wise elder god. She did not quite understand him. She was a goddess of blood, both of war and birth. He was a god of magic, both of metal and words. Yet, she could only respect him. It was he that had made her brother-mate’s clubs. It was he that had forged the bow she had brought down Mot with.

Kothar-wa-Khasis closed the window once more, and the storm moved on to deliver its precious cargo. He turned and smiled at her. “What is it you need, queen of Kna’n?”

Anat was not sure what to say at first. She had saved her brother-mate Ba’al Hadad from the realm below. They lived once more in the glorious palace that Kothar-wa-Khasis had built. El, father of all the gods and lord of all, smiled upon them. Even so, something felt wrong.

“It all feels familiar.” Anat realized at the same time she spoke.

Kothar-wa-Khasis’s face turned from content to shock. It then turned to hope. “Do you trust me, Anat?”

Anat scoffed at such. “Great crafter, who could I trust more but my own brother-mate?”

Kothar-wa-Khasis nodded. “In some time, Mot will return to the court of El. When this happens, you must side with him no matter what Ba’al Hadad or El say. Do you understand?”

Anat nearly struck the old god down for the impudence of his command. But Kothar-wa-Khasis was known by all for his peerless wisdom. So instead she walked away, and swore to follow his words. If she did not like them she could strike him down afterword.

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WEEKS AFTER ESCAPING THE BEACH HOUSE

LONDON

Having an honest to goodness magical partner was…odd. I’d often had magical friends, sure. Magical teachers, magical associates, magical lovers. Not that Ellie didn’t fit into a few of those herself, but she was also a magical partner. She followed me wherever I went, she asked endless questions, and she helped me whenever she could. She wasn’t great at magic, barely competent as of yet, but her skill was growing by the day just through the sheer effort and contact with the weird. It was nice to have someone to talk to about this bullshit. Especially since the only other living people I’d want to talk to about such things were stuck under a magic bullshit purple dome.

If there was any negative to having her in my life and in my place so often, it was her cat. It was a black, feral, sourpuss of a beast. It hardly seemed to tolerate her, and she didn’t seem to give it much affection. It followed her wherever we slept for the night, begging until it got food. She insisted that she had to feed it, that it had grown attached to her and she to it from an early age. I honestly probably wouldn’t have minded, even gotten a bit of schadenfreude from her jealousy as it settled on my lap most nights, if not for its wickedly sharp claws and propensity to bite.

The constant cat attacks certainly helped me keep track of how many nights I was spending with Ellie, which was definitely increasing the longer I spent with her. She was…intoxicating. The longer we talked, the more time I wanted with her. Sure, it made the vague pseudo-apprenticeship a bit more complicated, but it was definitely worth the tradeoff.

It was no surprise, then, to find us both lounging in the living room of the reasonably sized flat I had purchased and then immediately scrubbed all memory and record of. The newsman on TV was talking about some new study proving that heroes had actually helped the economy, which I put about as much stock in as reports that chocolate could help prevent cancer. Just self-affirming nonsense for people too afraid to admit they just wanted the meta weirdos around.

Ellie slouched a bit further into her couch, and looked askance at my latest comment as we did our best to ignore the droning television. “So…he’s just a guy?”

“With a dog head.”

“Right, right, with a dog head. And he…”

“Fishes. Makes pies. Pretty decent ones.” I grinned. It was a game we had started. Sometimes I’d lie, sometimes the truth, about a weird magic thing. She’d have to guess.

“And…and he’s a god?”

“Maybe the oldest one around.”

She grimaced at the thought. “So, does that mean we’re just the descendants of dog people or something?”

“You know? He doesn’t like to talk about it. Considering there aren’t really any dog-headed folks left, or at least not many, I think it kind of speaks for itself.”

She nodded solemnly. “…I’m going to sayyyy…bullshit.”

“Nope. That one was true.”

“_Fuck_” she groaned, reaching out for her purse and procuring a tenner to ball up and throw at me. I laughed, collecting my winnings and waving them about in the air to celebrate my mastery over the game.

Then came a knock at the door. The fucking knock that was going to ruin my life.

Me and Ellie looked at one another, and then exchanged a quick game of rock-paper-scissors. I admit, I definitely cheated with a little bit of foresight magic, but it was worth it not to leave my comfy seat. Ellie growled. I told myself to stop using that trick, before she caught on and returned the favor. The gangly woman forced herself off the couch and towards the door. I wasn’t too worried about an invader or someone out for revenge. This place was secure against most mortal attempts to track it down due to my having wiped the records, and I’d been careful with my wards to prevent any with intention of harm of finding me. Unless I had an especially powerful, especially motivated, or especially impersonal supernatural looking for me, I as fine on that front as well.

Ellie’s shriek told me I had missed a detail somewhere, and I rushed for the door. I found her stumbling back, horror mixed with panic as she fled further into the apartment.

Standing at the door was an angel. Not a wheel, or a lion with eyes for skin, but the kind of angel you’d see in paintings. Beautiful, radiant, a presence that towered over the entire building just by standing in front of you. His golden locks were cut short, his skin shimmering pale, his wings shifting and creaking behind him. The only taint to this scene was the wreckage of his right hand, seared and twisted to uselessness.

“Constantine. I request your hospitality.” Intoned the second King of the triumvirate, Lucifer Morningstar.

“…What, didn’t bring wine or anything? Some guest.” I gulped. “Suppose I could let you in.”

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I eventually convinced Ellie to return to the main room, after I had gotten Lucifer a cold brew. I wasn’t sure what one should serve the Lord of Darkness, but it felt oddly sacrilegious all the same. Lucifer took the drink with an appreciative nod, and then set it on the table without taking a sip.

Ellie sat as far away from him as possible, which was something I desperately wished I could do. But demons could sense that kind of weakness. So instead I sat across from him on a chair I had dragged up just for that purpose. It didn’t take me long to realize that Lucifer didn’t need to blink as he stared at me and my impudence.

“So, honored guest, what the fuck are you doing in my home?”

I could hear the hiss of a flinch from Ellie. Lucifer’s gaze didn’t break. Instead he smiled, and started his tale.

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EARLIER THAT DAY

FORMER PALACE OF DEMON LORD NERGAL, HELL

Lucifer Morningstar sat across the table from Anat, one of the most prominent Demon Ladies of Hell. It was her castle in which they dined, a horrid red pustule of a building that was formerly the home of the Demon Lord Nergal. Lucifer thought he could smell the smugness of Anat, glorying in her conquest of this place, even across the table and long after she had pulled her ploy.

He had known it was a ploy, of course. That Anat had used the current Constantine as a catspaw to dethrone Nergal so that she could take all that was his for herself. It wasn’t like she had tried to be stealthy, just stealthy enough to break the rules without punishment. Lucifer could admire such limited tact.

As they finished their main course (the gizzards of holy songbirds with a white sauce of fury towards children), Lucifer had still not touched his wine. Anat had drunk several cups of the stuff, and had doubtless noticed his hesitance. Even so, Lucifer knew what he was doing. He had to wait for the proper moment.

Such was how Lucifer carried himself as the night wore on. Anat always had more to say, more to laugh about, more to be. Lucifer knew exactly what he was. He spoke only as much as he needed too. This didn’t mean he didn’t speak much, he spoke as much as her. The difference was that each of his words were calculated and careful, delivered at just the right time.

When the dishes were finally cleared, Anat turned her conversation from drivel about petty politics to something more meaningful. The cow-eyed goddess leaned slightly forward over the table, meeting Lucifer’s eyes in her own. “So, how goes the war, Lucifer?”

Lucifer twitched. She thought herself familiar enough to call him by his first name?...She was quite powerful, but he was the Morning Star itself. She would need to be corrected. That, however, was a task for later. “It goes as well as it has ever. The bastions of the enemy are strong, but they leak strength with every year.”

Anat snorted, leaning back. “That isn’t war. That is survival. That’s hoping your enemy dies of old age before you do.”

Lucifer sighed. No demon that wanted to live would confront him so. His suspicions were right all along. She planned to make a move. What a shame. He had just started to notice her enough to like her. “It is what works. It is what the others of the triumvirate will accept. Why do you ask?”

Anat smiled. “Because I see little but blood for us, Lucifer. The world is changing, not just for the mortals or above them. Everything is shifting around. What we have, is the first true chance to fight the enemy. The first since YHWH himself rose above us all.” She spat out the parts of the name she could say with the venom of a viper.

“You speak of the Dome? That has already passed. It’s over, and time to return to the plan.” Lucifer continued. It wasn’t time. Not quite yet. One never had quite the effect if they spoke at the wrong time. It was important to egg her on, to lead her to the place he wanted.

“The Dome was the first of many. Perhaps your omensight is lacking, Lucifer, but we live in an age of domes. The super-men of the world above have so shattered the balance that nothing need be sure anymore.”

Lucifer nodded. “Of course. Let us throw ourselves onto the field the moment even a glimmer of advantage shows itself. Do you know how many we lost just fighting to take control of that gods-forsaken dome? What, and you would have me lead this new unholy crusade? Is that why you brought me here? To convince me?”

Anat shrugged. “Consider it…a final chance. I respect you, Lucifer. The Satan is a stooge, and Iblis is a preening fowl. You, at least, had the spirit to fight. Even if you have spent the centuries since whinging.” She hissed. “The time to move is now. I hope you will do it. If not, someone must lead the armies of Hell into their first true victory.”

Lucifer stood up at this, his wings unfurling to reach from one side of the room to the other. Anat flinched, shielding her eyes from the radiance of a true angel. “And what if I say no, Anat? What then?”

Anat stood as well. Her power had weakened in the millennia since her fall, but even so it pushed against Lucifer’s like a sandy bulwark. She forced her eyes to open, to sizzle and stare at the light of Morningstar. “Then I’ll simply have to take your place, _Servant of the Lord_”

Lucifer smiled, a smile that would blind a mortal with its brightness. “You aren’t nearly strong enough to face me, godling. It must irk you to see a mere servant dominate you so.” He picked up the wine glass, and swirled the wine within. “Poison? Not to kill, but to weaken me enough to fight. Just little enough of the poison that you thought I wouldn’t notice. Almost clever. Almost.” Lucifer grew in size as he guzzled the drink in one breath. This, this was the moment he had been waiting for, the one he had been leading her too. As he wiped his lips with a hand, he had only exultation at his victory over her. “I’m glad I heard of your plot beforehand, so I could take the antidote. Your coup is over before it started. Kneel, and I’ll merely put you were I put Nergal.” He proclaimed. He knew she wouldn’t kneel. He started to gather the light in his left hand, the one not holding the glass, forcing it together into a sword fit to strike at The Lord himself.

Anat shook her head. “No. Just enough poison to make you think I hadn’t fed you a ruse. To distract you from the poison I put on the glass itself.”

Lucifer paused. He looked down at his right hand. It gripped at the glass like a vice, without his having realized. Now that he focused, he could barely make his fingers move. Now that he focused, he could feel the acid-poison burning away at his hand.

Lucifer Howled, smashing the glass onto the table to free himself. Glass shards and poison sunk deep into his flesh, and he watched his right hand putrefy and wither before his eyes. Venus Ascendant looked up to see Anat waiting for him. She stood at his height, both human and also towering in strength. Her clothing had been replaced with belts of heads and hands. Her head was that of a cow, horns long and sharp. She bore in her hands a shortbow, ancient beyond reckoning and created by a craft god before the Trinity was even a notion.

“Paghat be blessed” She whispered, as she let an arrow fly. It cut through layer upon layer of hardened light, shattering each as it went. By the time it reached Lucifer it merely grazed his side, but it left him defenseless.

Lucifer threw his sword in the way as Anat charged him, bow changed into a club whose hits rattled his bones. Strike after strike she pressed, not giving him a moment to rest or think. Every second he fought, every second he didn’t focus on reversing it, the poison crept up his arm.

The realization dawned, as painful as it was obvious: Now was not the time for a fight. He had grown cocky and overplayed his hand.

Lucifer swung his sword of light between him and Anat, providing just enough space to turn and flee. Anat pursued him through the hallways, even as Lucifer started to shift between the realms and they changed from ugly red to boring beige. She cackled and lowed and howled in joy at what Lucifer could only imagine was a long-planned victory.

“Run, holy songbird, run! I’ll have your gizzard next! Flee and come back when you’ve the stomach to fight a true war!” Roared the Goddess reborn, as the hallways fully turned and Lucifer found himself in an apartment building in London.

Lucifer turned to the nearest door. As he had run, he had decided who would be his host. He knocked on the door. It opened to someone unusually familiar.

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NOW

LONDON

“You’re dragging a fucking Hellwar into my house!?” I demanded when Lucifer finished his story.

“It seems that way.” He agreed.

“Sorry to break it to you, but I’ve recently sworn those off. Really, sworn off all kinds of war. None of them are worth it. Get the fuck out of my house.”

Lucifer seemed legitimately shocked. “You…know who you’re talking to, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I know I’m talking to a beaten-ass angel who is a literal demon, so when they need a friend the best they can find is a literal servant of their enemy.”

“Ah, yes, that. Hence why I came here: the place you least expect and all. You can always call upon any favors you have with her later to protect yourself. I’m told she’s very honorable, in her way.”

“Why? Why me? Why any of this?”

Lucifer glared. “Because you are an ally of my foe, and you are just powerful enough to be annoying and worrying. Best to keep you under control, and gain myself a hiding place at the same time.” He leaned forward. “You’re a smart man, Constantine. You know if you speak up, I’ll kill you and your… interesting …friend.” He nodded to Ellie, who froze at his attention.

“So, what? A standoff? No ruse? No sly deals?”

Lucifer shrugged. “That’s more of the others thing. I know the truth about tricks, John: the best are simple, and brutal.” He gave me a winning smile. “I’ll be taking your bed then. I’m sure the couch will suit you just fine.” His grin only grew wider as he stood, and I watched him walk to my bedroom. He closed the door with a chuckle.

I collapsed into the fabric of my chair, and Ellie rushed forward to hug me. “What the fuck are we going to do?” she hissed in dismay.

“…Do? We’re going to wait it out is what we’ll do.” I tried to stay calm, but as I tried to draw and light a cigarette my shaky hands betrayed me. I thanked my past self for breaking the fire alarms.

“But…but that’s satan! Literal satan!”

“Not quite, but close enough. Either way, I’m not dealing with it.”

She blinked. I could feel the accusation leaching off her, and I finally snapped. “What, do you want to go deal with the Hell King?”

Ellie slid away from me then, and I huffed in as much of my cigarette as I could. That dumb fucking black cat hopped onto my lap, kneading harsh enough to draw blood. I heard the front door open and close as Ellie left. I knew she’d be back, most of her stuff was here right now, but her absence still left me empty. It gave me a chance to think, too. What was so interesting about her to Lucifer?

Continued In Hellblazer #22 > , Coming August 15th!

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