DC Heroes in Marvel

"Please come in."

Johnny opened the door and invited the man inside.

"I was desperate," Johnny admitted after sitting down. The atmosphere felt a little tense, so he tried to ease it by bringing up his thoughts from earlier that day. With a bitter smile, he added, "I thought Anton had given up on me."

"You should be desperate. If it weren't for me, you'd already be a demon's minion by now," Constantine shrugged.

Seeing Johnny's brief relief, Constantine smirked and added in his usual sardonic tone, "Of course, even with me here, there's no guarantee I can free you from the devil's grip. But what I can promise is to make your death a little easier—less struggling and all that."

Johnny's face paled as he stared at Constantine. "So... you can't help me much either?"

"Only you can help yourself," Constantine replied calmly. "Do you know why Mephisto wants your soul?"

"Mephisto?" Johnny blinked in confusion. "Who's that?"

"The demon who made the contract with you. His name is Mephisto—Lord of Hell, one of its rulers, and a very powerful demon," Constantine explained. "His clone roams the world constantly, collecting fallen souls, making deals, toying with people's desires, and ultimately taking the most precious things from those he bargains with."

"Then why does he want my soul?" Johnny asked, still trying to piece it all together.

"Because of the Spirit of Vengeance—Zarathos," Constantine replied. "Zarathos was once an angel with a soul of pure justice, but for various reasons, he became a curse tied to your family. In this world, you are uniquely valuable to Mephisto."

"I've never heard of that name... Zarathos?" Johnny muttered, perplexed.

"It's the curse passed down by your bloodline—your family's legacy," Constantine continued. "Zarathos was originally a righteous angel who descended to protect humanity. But he was deceived, captured, and imprisoned in Hell. There, demons constantly tempted and corrupted him until he lost his faith. His mission to protect humanity twisted into a relentless desire to punish the wicked. That's how the Spirit of Vengeance was born."

"So... Zarathos, the Spirit of Vengeance... it's a curse? My family has been cursed?" Johnny whispered to himself. "That's why Mephisto wants my soul."

"Exactly. Seems like you're starting to understand," Constantine nodded. "Every firstborn son of the Kyle family bears this curse. You have the ability to communicate with the Spirit of Vengeance and wield his power. That's why Mephisto wants to control you. His influence on Earth is limited, so he needs the Ghost Rider to act on his behalf."

"The Kyle family..."

Images from Johnny's past flashed through his mind—memories he had buried long ago.

The blond man's words unlocked fragments of his childhood, fleeting images that now surfaced with startling clarity.

"The Spirit of Vengeance... the Kyle family curse... the Ghost Rider," Johnny whispered.

As he spoke, a surge of energy rippled through him—a manifestation of his subconscious yearning for the power of the Ghost Rider.

Constantine narrowed his eyes, sensing the potent demonic energy entwined within Johnny, like an intricate web.

"Ahhhhhh..."

Suddenly, Johnny clutched his head in agony as a vivid image of a skull engulfed in flames burned into his mind.

Falling to his knees, he groaned, his expression contorted in pain. "What's happening to me? Get out! Get out of me!"

Boom!

A burst of flames erupted behind him.

His exposed skin—on his face and hands—began to burn away, revealing gleaming white bones beneath.

The Ghost Rider was awakening.

Johnny had gradually begun to tap into the power of Zarathos, the Spirit of Vengeance.

In other words, as long as Johnny was willing, he could transform into the Ghost Rider at any moment.

However, an uncontrolled Ghost Rider would simply roam the streets, punishing criminals indiscriminately.

This form of punishment was no different from outright killing.

Constantine, sitting across from Johnny, sighed. He stood up, walked over, and placed a hand on Johnny's head, muttering an incantation under his breath.

Slowly, with the aid of the spell, the Spirit of Vengeance—still not fully awakened—was gradually suppressed.

Johnny's breathing steadied as he came back to his senses. Although the headache still pounded relentlessly, the terrifying sensation of losing control had subsided.

"What... what happened to me?" Johnny asked, his voice filled with lingering fear. The memory of what had just occurred was vivid in his mind. 

Panic flashed across his face as he swallowed hard and looked at Constantine.

"That was the Spirit of Vengeance," Constantine replied. "You just awakened him."

"But even if you hadn't awakened him now, it would've happened sooner or later. I'd say you have about a month at most before the full awakening. In other words, you don't have much time left."

"My time... is running out?" Johnny sat down on the floor, completely drained from the struggle. Beads of sweat rolled down his face as a dazed expression settled in his eyes.

"Don't get me wrong," Constantine clarified. "I'm not saying you're dying. I mean, the Spirit of Vengeance is about to awaken fully, and your days of peace are numbered. Once he's fully awakened, you'll have the power to transform into the Ghost Rider. And when that happens, Mephisto will come for you. He'll try to control you and use the Ghost Rider for his own ends. That's probably his greatest obsession on Earth... After all, you've already signed a contract with him—your soul belongs to him now."

Johnny fell silent, processing the weight of Constantine's words. After a moment, he asked quietly, "What should I do? You must have a way, right?"

He realized how dire his situation was—it felt like standing on a tightrope strung between two cliffs, with danger looming in every direction.

Since Constantine had come, Johnny believed there had to be a solution, even if no promises had been made yet.

"Of course," Constantine replied with a smirk. "I suggest you accept the reality. The only path forward is to control the power of the Spirit of Vengeance, rather than letting the Spirit control you. That's why I'm here."

"Control the power of the Spirit of Vengeance?" Johnny asked, still catching his breath. He staggered back to his chair, stretching out his hands and staring at them blankly.

"Like... those superheroes?" He seemed to grasp something. "You mean I can control the Spirit of Vengeance and become like those superheroes with special abilities?"

"Uh, yeah, that's the gist of it," Constantine replied after a brief pause, giving a small nod.

….

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