Bella MacLeod's Twilight Fanfiction

Seeing Red

By BetterInTexas

Chapter 40: Into the Ring

Jeremiah answered the knock on the door hesitantly. The man was a scientist and this idea Kara had, while it made some sense, did not sit well with him. Magic, something he could not control or understand was going to be used on his Kara. Jeremiah was extremely cautious in everything he put his children through. Luckily Clark had never been sick since he was 4. Even then it had been a mild cold that kept Kara by his side without sleep for a few days. He had gone over and over the readings from the crystal headbands Alex had designed for Kara and probably still would have taken months to try them if Kara had not accidentally placed one on her head. He had only given the Kryptonite immunity booster and cure to her when her life was in danger and had gone as far as planning live trials on any Kryptonian prisoners that could be caught before ever administering it to her.

Now, he had to rely on some guy he didn’t know to save his daughter from a sentient ring powered by something called blood magic.

Opening the door, he had expected to find a man in robes with a wizard’s cap on.

Instead he saw a blonde middle aged man in a crumpled suit and loose black tie, wearing a tan overcoat. He hadn’t appeared to have shaved in a week and was possibly intoxicated. Jeremiah couldn’t tell if there was a scent of alcohol due to the overwhelming odor of cigarettes.

“Hello, you must be the disapproving father. Relax, I will have her home by breakfast.”

Jeremiah stared at him, not moving from the doorway.

“Not one for jokes then. I understand Supergirl lives here? I don’t suppose she is wearing the outfit… probably not my business. I guess I will find out in a bit. Mind if I come in? This would be awkward to perform on the front porch, though I have performed at stranger places.”

The father slowly moved to the side, allowing the man to walk in.

“Lovely home.” Constantine commented. “I assume your daughter told you I was coming? John Constantine, Warlock, master of the mystic arts, etc, etc. Oliver Queen tells me he owes your daughter a favor. Since I owed him one this seemed a pleasurable way of repaying the debt.”

Eliza walked down the stairs with Clark behind her, at the mother’s insistence. “You have to be kidding me.” she whispered, taking in the man who looked like a drunk at one of the bars J’onn used to pull Kara out of when she was on a human liquor kick.

“Afraid not.” Constantine told her. “No kidding involved. So… where is she?”

“I’m right behind you.” Kara told him, making the Warlock jump. He turned and saw her, Alex behind the girl and her eyes glowing. “You were supposed to come to our house, not here. I don’t know you so stay away from my family. This is between us.”

Constantine chuckled, liking this one. She was everything he expected her to be, except for the old jeans and white grease stained t shirt she wore instead of the tight top and short skirt he had hoped to find her in.

“I was planning to visit your home but was drawn here. Your home doesn’t have what we need but here is perfect.”

Kara stepped up to the man and crossed her arms, her eyes still glowing. “There will be no black magic in our home.”

Constantine stepped back, taking her in, ignoring her glowing eyes. Scanning her body he stopped at her right hand and nearly jumped back again.

“I was told you had a totem attached to your body, not the bloody devil himself. You are a tortured soul, aren’t you? Still, I never back down from a challenge. I will need some things. First, food. I had quite a few drinks at the old airport bar, after I arrived of course and could use some solid sustenance. Anything would do, perhaps lobster? A nice rib eye or filet mignon? What about leg of lamb?”

Alex approached the man, anger written on her face. She had expected someone who looked at least a bit professional, not a poorly dressed private investigator who looked as if he had been on one hell of a bender.

“How about a sandwich? You can even have potato chips. Then we get to work. I want this over with as quickly as possible and if you trap her soul inside some spooky dimension and leave her I will cut your throat when you get back.”

Constantine took her in, impressed. The protectiveness was evident but this small girl was fierce. At least Kara had blue eyes now and death rays ready to fire. There was a blinding bond between the two sisters. He had flashes of two young girls talking to each other in a dark… cave perhaps, speaking different languages but still understanding each other.

“So much for small town Southern hospitality.” the man muttered. “Do you have Dijon mustard?”

“No.” Eliza answered. “We have normal mustard. We aren’t crazy about this. Kara seems to think you are her only chance. Please tell me you know what you are doing.”

Constantine chuckled. “Relax, I am a professional. Do you think Oliver would have sent for me if I didn’t know what I was doing?”

“I broke his leg and burned down his lair once, so yeah, probably.” Kara pointed out. “But Sara Lance said you brought her soul back to her body. I had a friend run you on facial recognition and you are John Constantine. Nyssa vouched for you so that is good enough for me. Have as much food as you want. You have ten minutes and we get to work.”

“Fair enough Kara. Is it alright if I call you that? I am a huge fan. I actually have some pictures in the rental if you would consider…” he stopped talking, noting his attempts at levity were not being well received. Mentioning that the photos were printed from various websites featuring her in different poses in the air on windy days did not seem like a good idea. The man had expected to deal with her at her residence but he felt the need to come to this place, one he instinctively knew she had grown up in.

John ate in silence, trying to ignore the stares of those at the table with him. Hurrying to finish, he stood up and tried to relax.

“This would be easier if three of you weren’t considering shooting me and one of you considering punching my heart out. I’m talking about you little man.” he commented with a smile. “I’m no mind reader but I am picking up a bit of negative energy.”

“Would you guys leave us alone for a bit? I will be alright, I promise. Go outside in case anything happens or go to my place.” Kara suggested.

The family walked out the kitchen door and sat down on the swings on the back porch which was as far as they would go.

“I am impressed by how protective they are. Mind if we look around?”

Kara looked at him suspiciously. “The ring is here on my finger. Why do you need to look around?”

“Why do you need to question everything love? If we have any chance of this, we need to be on the same page. Now that the overprotective family is away we can discuss this realistically. We are going to have to go inside that thing on your finger. Its a living, breathing temple waiting to explode. To do this I need to get a feel for your surroundings and find the best place to do this. I was drawn here and need to know why. Now, may we look around? I promise not to look in any drawers.”

Kara’s face relaxed a bit, appreciating his candor more than the jovial personality he showed her family.

“Go and I will follow.” she told him.

Constantine did not linger downstairs other than looking at paintings and photos on the wall. He quickly hurried up the stairs and into the empty bedroom that used to belong to her and Alex.

The man stepped over the spot where her bed once resided and knelt down, touching the floor, then shuddered.

“The nightmares, the pain, you did a number on yourself, didn’t you, love?”

Hearing no reply from Kara, he stood up and walked to the bathroom. Stepping inside, he once again, knelt on the floor and placed a palm down.

“I have seen many suicides and suicide attempts but this one, trying to rip your arm open with your fingernails… that is new. You spilt your blood here, by your own hand. But it isn’t enough. You were not at your darkest here. Where was it?”

Kara felt a chill in the air, and despite having her powers, shuddered.

“How did you know?” she whispered.

“This house cries for your pain. It loves you, but it couldn’t completely protect you from yourself, could it? Where was it? Where did you spill the most blood? Where did you try to end the pain, not out of fear but of pure intent, out of a desire for the pain to stop?”

The man looked at her wrists then realized no scar would remain on the girl, not outwardly at least.

“National City.” Kara finally told him. “The bathroom at my old place. I got drunk, cut my wrists lay down on the floor and waited until I feel asleep. I should have died.”

Constantine shook his head. “If you should have died, you would have. Take me there. That is where we will enter the Ring.”

Kara looked at him doubtfully. “Enter the Ring? You were serious? I went through hell when it was first on me. I had to relive my life, face every dark thought and action…”

“The ring forced you to do that. It invaded your soul. Now we will invade it, force it away. To do this we have to be inside it, not inside you. Blood magic feeds off despair, anger, depression, every negative emotion you can think of. To enter it, we need a portal and to make a portal strong enough to breech it, I need to be at the place where you felt all those the strongest. We will enter where your blood was spilled by your own hand.”

Kara looked at him for a moment, her face not betraying the fear she now felt. The blonde had hoped the man could say some magic words over her finger and her old body would be back and the ring gone. Now it seemed she had one more hell to face. She had seen the personification of the ring in her mind. It looked just like her. What would she see inside it?

Constantine was not fooled by her stoic face. He could feel the fear radiating from her.

“Kara, I realize this is frightening. I cannot promise you we can convince or force this ring to leave your body and leave you alive. I can only promise that I am very good and will do my best no matter the cost. I realize I may not be much to look at other my obvious physical attractiveness but I am powerful. I have seen some frightening totems in my life but never seen or felt one of this power. In order for us to have any chance you are going to have to trust me. Can you do that? If it helps, I think Oliver Queen can be an ass some of the time as well, even if he did once save my life.”

Despite the fear she was feeling, Kara laughed, albeit nervously. The man had a wicked grin that she didn’t find that annoying and most importantly her gut was telling her she could trust him.

“Yeah, I trust you. I’m just kind of new at this. I want it gone.”

“Let’s have a seat. I need you to tell me everything that has led up to this ring finding its way onto your pretty finger and everything you know about it.”

To Kara’s surprise, Constantine did have a seat, on the toilet. Figuring it wouldn’t be the strangest place they would converse today, she hopped onto the vanity and began. Kara told him everything she knew about Atrocitus’s plan, what had happened when she accepted the ring, what she saw afterward in the lake of blood on Ysmault and her desire to use it, the power it gave her, the bloodlust she felt often. Then without being prompted, she told him about her life on Earth, the good and the bad.

The more she spoke, the paler the man became.

John Constantine had battled nearly every metaphysical, supernatural threat on this planet but this ring was another level, one he was not sure he could beat. With this ring on her finger, she was basically a celestial being, unable to be defeated by magic or the physical, her light barely keeping the darkness from completely overtaking her.

Of course the Amazon’s sword and lasso had worked on the girl to a point so there was hope.

When Kara had finished her recount of events, the man took a deep breath.

“Okay, so worst possible situation, high chance I won’t survive this encounter with the alien demon. I’m in. First, we must go to the place you slit your wrists. Would you prefer us to take a commercial liner? I only travel in first class and you are paying… fine, I travel in economy. I am not being carried by you in the air unless you would like to hold me bridal style and don’t mind if I smoke.”

Kara dismissed both of those ideas.

“It’s safe for humans to follow me through a portal.” the girl told him, not exciting him in the least. Stepping through unknown doorways was a no no in his business but he supposed he should get a feel for the red energy.

“Let me tell my family where I am going and we can leave. The DEO owns the apartment now so it will probably be empty. I need to make a call to be sure.”

Constantine retreated back to her bedroom, taking it all in. He tried to feel past the pain and was surprised to feel love as well. He could feel her happiness under her darkness, the happiness of her sister, her anchor. Deciding they had better get a move on, the man walked downstairs and through the back door, where he found the family in a hushed but intense debate about him.

Deciding to give them time, he stepped to the other end of the porch to enjoy the view. He took a smoke out but before the flame could light it a blast of icy wind blew the cigarette out of his mouth.

“We do all have lungs.” Clark told the man. “I would prefer they not be polluted.”

“Noted.” Constantine agreed, brushing a bit of frost off the shoulder of his coat. This one was not like his sister. His heart for the most part was pure and there was great love and protectiveness in his aura. He also had a special bond with Kara, one of caring, almost fatherly, despite his young age. All five of them were a mixture of emotions but they acted as one. It was refreshing for him to see, not exactly having loving parents and siblings growing up.

“I’m going with her.” Alex finally decided for all of them.

Constantine was not surprised. “Excellent. You can go in with us. You will be her anchor. That is what you are, correct? You keep her from losing her way?”

“I’m a scientist and a badass. If I suspect this is some sort of con, I am cutting your throat. Still want to do this?”

The man grinned, liking this one more and more. “Wouldn’t have it any other way, Love. So we are going through a blood magic infused portal to the site of your near death, right? Let’s get on with it.”

The Warlock felt a chill when Kara used the ring to open the portal. The portal did not frighten him as much as the change in her clothes and eyes. There was an edge he had not seen before. It was obvious when she used this thing it was almost as if her and the demon inside merged, allowing the entity to affect the physical plane.

The feel of the portal was also disturbing because it did not feel like one he had experienced before. This was less magic and more a physical bending of the space time continuum. So the demon was not only metaphysical but physical as well. It was easy to see how she had stopped that monster in Metropolis. He doubted in a prolonged fight, now that the girl had her mind and experience with the ring, that the Amazon goddess would have stood a chance.

The apartment he found himself in was barren, but the lights still worked, thankfully.

“I hope you have a large bathroom. It will be awkward if we have to sit cramped together. Kara love, please put out the ring. We need to keep the demon at bay, not let it loose any more than necessary.”

Kara did as requested and returned to her former old clothes. The three moved to the bathroom and Constantine was nearly blown back by the sensation. He could almost see the pool of blood that she had once lay in.

“I should probably point out that I don’t like horror movies.” Kara told him nervously. “I really, really don’t like horror movies.”

“Neither do I.” Constantine agreed. “There are so may inaccuracies. Did you know that Annabelle is not at all like the doll in the movie but actually a Raggedy Ann doll?”

Kara’s eyes widened. “That was real? Alex, you told me the Conjuring wasn’t real.”

“It wasn’t.” Alex told her shortly.

“Don’t be ridiculous.” the man disagreed. “One of the worst hauntings of a home in American history. The demons in that place, let me tell you, that witch was no joke from what I heard. I have had the pleasure of meeting Lorraine Warren. The stories that woman can tell are fascinating.”

“You told me it wasn’t real, Alex!”

Alex rolled her eyes and then glared at the poorly groomed man. “Please don’t encourage her.” the older sister told him.

“Encourage her? You do realize we are about to perform a ritual to enter the lair of a supernatural alien demons that resides on your sister’s finger, correct?” Constantine asked.

Alex said nothing for a moment, then nodded. “I admit you have a point. Okay, how do we do this?”

“First we sit. Alex, you should know that whatever we find inside that thing will attack you first. You and your sister’s souls are connected. It will try and sever you from her. This works out well for me since it increases my own chances of survival. Kara will be safe. The demon needs her body for a host but the two of us are unneeded. We are fair game.”

“Then she stays here.” Kara said quickly. “I can’t risk your life. Not again.” she told Alex.

Constantine frowned at this. “Did you not here the part about her increasing my chance of surviving? I thought you two were superheroes and such, saving the world one innocent at a time. They don’t come more innocent than me.”

Alex shook her head, noting the amused look on the man’s face and wondering how he could be so nonchalant in the face of what they were about to perform.

“What do you mean our souls are connected?” the older sister asked.

Constantine shrugged his shoulders and sat cross legged on the floor, motioning for the two to do the same.

“I don’t know myself. You both have lived before as sisters but I am not into past life regressions. I know a fortune teller in the Himalayans who could probably tell you more. I do know that the two of you have been strongly bound before and it carried over. Obviously, this time, she wound up on another planet but these things happen, I suppose. Alex, in or out?”

“Alex…” Kara started, though she knew it would do no good.

“I’m in. So we going to hold hands and chant something?” Alex asked. “How do we defend ourselves inside this ring? Can you really get us there? What if you make a wrong turn and we wind up in some sort of alternate hell dimension? Are there guns there? Can I shoot something? What do you mean by sever our souls? Are swords going to be involved? Do I have a sword waiting on me there, or do I need to find a rock…”?

‘Bollocks woman! Would you relax already? Both of you stay close to me and we will be fine. I will have a reasonable conversation with whatever entity is powering this damn ring and work out an amicable agreement or I will send it to hell… or whatever its version is. Take my hands, both of you, and relax, clear your mind, so forth and so on. This will get us where we need to be.”

Constantine pulled a black, almost fossilized severed finger from inside his coat pocket and placed it on the floor in front of him.

“When it starts spinning, it will be time to go. You may feel a bit out of sorts. Relax, it is perfectly natural.” the man advised, took their hand in each of his and began chanting.

The girls had their eyes closed but did crack them open at the same time and gave each other doubtful looks. Kara was seriously rethinking whether this was a good plan. The man kept a severed finger in his coat pocket.

Then to her shock the finger did move, spinning in a one place, slowly and then faster as the man chanted in what Kara was certain was Ancient Hebrew, though she did not know the language that well. She felt the air began to blow around them as if they were in a sort of small tornado, then the wind turned red. Constantine began to chant louder, quicker, his tone of voice changing from one of requesting to one of commanding.

Kara and Alex both closed their eyes and tensed, the blonde not caring if she crushed the man’s hand. A feeling neither her nor Alex could describe nor had ever felt ran through their bodies and both girls screamed.

Then the wind stopped, the feeling coursing through their veins gone and the air much warmer. Both of them peaked with one eye and found they were no longer in their old apartment.

John let go of their hands and stood up, the two following his movements.

Taking a look around, it was obvious to Kara they were still on some physical plane in a large empty room of sorts, lit by the glowing red stones that made up the walls.

They were alone. Everything felt so real, the air felt the same as Earth’s atmosphere but Kara still made sure to check on Alex. Her older sister did not appear to have any problem breathing.

Constantine pulled out a foot long blade from his overcoat. It had a blue glow to it and the blade was curving in and out a bit, resembling something a person might buy in a medieval souvenir shop, but this was very real and appeared very sharp.

“Uh, do you have another one of those?” Alex asked.

“No. You couldn’t handle it regardless. This is my wand.”

“Its a blade.” Kara said, pointing out the obvious and desperately wanting Alex to have some sort of weapon.

Constantine agreed. “I never claimed to be Harry Potter. So this is inside the ring. The stones are glowing bright. Have you used the ring recently?”

“Uh, yeah. I’ve been making portals quite a bit like I did just now.” she admitted.

“No other use though? You haven’t killed anyone with it, have you?”

Kara looked at Alex who had closed her eyes and was thinking they probably should have discussed this before they came here.

The blonde cleared her throat. “Just a few White Martians.”

John tensed. “Could you be more precise?”

Kara looked to her sister, who seemed resigned to Kara revealing the truth.

“I may have killed a thousand or so during one of their ceremonies and destroyed a pyramid on Mars.”

Constantine dropped his head. “You destroyed a pyramid? That’s not good. So just a mass murder spree on Mars? No other instances?”

Kara shook her head. “That’s the only instance where I murdered someone, or anyone I guess. Sometimes it talks to me, I can’t understand it but it whispers in my ear almost, tempting me, almost like I’m hungry in a room full of food or I need to explode and it’s my only release.”

Constantine nodded, expecting as much. “We probably should have had this conversation before we came here. I forgot to ask about mass murders and destroying holy sites. Not to worry though. Alex, the demons will take physical form here. You will be able to fight them, but… I would recommend ducking and weaving while I work.”

“Demons? As in more than one?” the brunette asked, catching that.

“Oh yes. I can feel them.” Constantine confirmed. “Come out you bastards. Show yourself.”

A disembodied voice filled the room.

“We do not answer to humans.”

Constantine actually laughed. “You are bloody well going to answer to me, considering I just broke into your home and will begin seeing how much damage can be done to it. You know me I am sure. I’m sort of a big deal. Now let me see your pretty faces, and we can talk like the bastards we all are.”

Four figures showed themselves in front of the trio, all wearing black robes, their faces shadows underneath and impossible to make out.

Kara knew who they were immediately. “The Inversions.” she whispered. “Where is Atrocitus? He is your leader.” she asked the four figures.

“Atrocitus is not allowed here. His soul remains in the battery he used our blood to create. We are his victims. It was our blood that made you what you are, what you were born for.”

Constantine pulled a pack of cigarettes and lit one. Taking a few steps closer to the four shadowy figures, he smiled.

“I think we both know she was born to be a hero, a champion of her adopted home. I admit she isn’t perfect, can probably drink me under a table, snorts drugs like they are candy, kills thousands of sentient beings and destroyed a sacred structure, but who doesn’t on a wild Friday night, am I right?”

Kara closed her eyes. “I thought you were on my side.” she whispered to the man, stepping up and standing beside him, glad he wasn’t her lawyer.

“You think they don’t know? They have invaded your head. I have handled Satan before. I have this.” Turning back the Inversions, he resumed his conversation. “She is not meant to be your servant. She has also saved thousands, protected the innocent, saved the entire planet I am sure at one time or another. She is not your vessel. Turn her blood back to what is was meant to be and leave peacefully. We don’t want this to get ugly, do we?”

The Inversions said nothing for a moment, a moment that seemed to last an eternity. Alex was behind Kara, keeping and eye on her while desperately trying to see some sort of weapon in the room.

“She will protect the Universe, not just Earth. She will destroy the Guardians of Oa. It was foreseen by our murderer. It is only a matter of time. Her imprisonment in the Lake of Blood was unforeseen, but she cannot resist forever. This ring cannot, will not, ever leave her body until we release her. We will haunt he until she can no longer ignore her destiny.”

John took a long drag of his smoke and tossed it to the ground, not bothering to snuff it out.

“So, you talk to her, tempt her, the more she uses the ring, the stronger your voice. You tempt her more, make her hunger for it until she is lost and Kara Danvers is no more. Do I have that right, chum?”

The Inversions said nothing.

“What a second rate possession. You gentleman have been doing this for a while? You tempt her like a devil. The Blood Magic on Maultis…”

“Ysmault.” one of the Inversions corrected.

“Yes, I’m sure. Regardless, this Lake of Blood counters your magic, forces you to the background and only by tempting her can you regain control? Honestly Mate, I’ve seen third class demons better at performing a possession than you. Now, lets talk about what it will take for you to leave her alone, be on your way. Perhaps another being, one with anger problems? What about the big ugly beast that killed Damian Darhk? He seems like the kind of chap who would kill just for fun.”

A deep laugh filled the room.

“We have no need. The Lake of Blood was only a setback. You have brought the means of her surrender to us. If she does not do as we wish, we will keep her sister, force her to kill her family. She cannot resist.”

Kara raised her right arm and screamed but no energy was released from her ring.

“You expect to use our magic against us? Surrender to the ring and we will allow this Warlock and your sister to return to the physical world. You will surrender your mind; do as we command. You will cease to exist but your rage will live on in your body. Once you have completed your task, the ring will be destroyed and you along with it. You will finally have the peace you desire. That is our bargain.”

Kara attempted to rush the creature speaking but was held back by Constantine, who was grateful she did not have her strength in this realm.

“Constantine give me your damn knife.” Alex whispered harshly.

The Warlock shook his head. “Afraid not, Pet. They are right, this ring will not come off, but I can silence them. So long as she does not use it, she will not be tempted. Their voices will quiet and she will feel no more urge to destroy anything.”

“How do you plan to do that?” Kara asked, still being held by back by him.

“It’s simple. I am going to kick their asses and put a binding spell on them. So long as you do not use the ring for any reason they cannot speak to you. I do this kind of thing all the time so relax. Stand by your sister. I have this.”

The man began to glow, his hand reaching out and wrapping the four beings into a bubble, chains appearing, attempting to pull them together.

The chains shattered. Pointing his blade, a blue stream of light struck the one in the middle. The other three rushed the man who began spinning, turning into a blur and hacking the robes of the three surrounding him, as their hands attempted to burn him.

“Alex!” he shouted. “Behind the one on the ground, there should be a chest. Find it and open it!”

“I don’t see a chest!”

“I never said this would be easy! Run, find it, watch out for remnants. Kara, stay back.”

“What the hell is a remnant?!” the brunette asked.

“You will know them if you see them.” he assured her, his body lighting up and the shadowy figures screaming with every burning touch. Constantine raised his hand, tossing one away without touching him.

Lighting appeared, striking the four figures as they approached once again and thunder filled the room, the walls beginning to shake.

Kara did not do as instructed of course, running behind Alex. The two girls looked everywhere, seeing nothing but hard ground that was shaking.

Constantine hoped they found it soon. The power of these extraterrestrial demons was amazing. He had sounded confident when he was first approached, belittling them, hoping to bluff them to do his bidding. Now the worst had occurred. He was outnumbered, fighting to survive and trying to figure out where the box was. Every evil had a trap, something that emerged from the Lake of Blood and held them back, allowing Kara to regain her mind.

He realized quickly that there was no way to remove the ring without killing her.

But he could lock these bastards away.

Finally his spells caught hold, tossing them into the shaking walls. Not much for physical combat, he did manage to punch one as he stood, causing the hood to fall off.

“You are one ugly mother.” the man shouted, stepping back. The alien was black, had rows of sharp teeth and dark pools where his eyes had once been. A counterstrike sent him tumbling back on the ground. Rolling up on his knees, he summoned another blast of lighting, followed by a blast from his wand, then stabbed two of the creatures, causing them to shriek in pain, nearly bursting his ear drums.

While Constantine fought for his life and a distraction, the Danvers sisters were in the back of the room, searching for an invisible box of some sort.

“I can’t see anything. Even my ring isn’t giving me a hint.” Kara told her sister, trying to watch her back.

Then Kara, the Kara that had been created after the ring first attached itself to her, appeared and attacked Alex, striking her from behind. The blonde screamed and tackled the black and red clad creature that resembled her, while Alex recovered.

“I guess I know what a remnant is now.” Alex mumbled, annoyed that even in a metaphysical realm, she could feel pain. Glancing to the side, she saw Kara rolling around with her doppelganger who now looked to have very sharp teeth.

She then saw other’s materializing from the walls, dead aliens no doubt, perhaps former Red Lanterns, who resembled alien zombies. The girl was fairly certain she would follow Kara’s lead and swear off horror movies after this adventure.

Using her eyes was getting her nowhere, so she slipped into a meditative trance, something Connolly had taught her years ago, in the event the adrenalin of combat interfered with her thoughts. She noted to her slight surprised that Kara was now wearing her Supergirl costume, fighting her Red Lantern self. She noted that the remnants were getting closer but paid no mind. If they reached her, they reached her, but she needed to find this box.

Putting herself into a state of perfect relaxation, realizing that not only her life but Kara’s as well, was at stake, she reached out with her mind and feelings, the gut instincts that she trusted and had gotten her through so many battles.

Then she felt it, the back of the room, just behind one ugly humanoid remnant. The older sister ran, and the remnant prepared for attack, only to find Alex diving over him and rolling on the ground. When it turned, she kicked the creature from the floor into its gut, dropping him momentarily and grabbed the old stone chest.

“I have it!” she shouted at Constantine.

The man was bloodied, his blue blade now black as he continued to slice, protecting himself against opponents who would back away only to attack once again.

“Open the damn thing already!” he shouted.

Alex grabbed the heavy lid and pushed it up, taking another shot to the head, then being held by her neck by a very strong grip.

Kara broke from her fight, realizing Alex had been trapped in the grip of a monster. Her distraction led to her doppelganger striking her chin, dazing her.

Constantine, seeing the chest was open, pulled all his remaining power into him, reforming the chains that wrapped the demons together and pulled them close together. Raising his hands, shouted a spell in Egyptian and the Inversions floated then were flung towards the chest. As they neared it, Alex saw them morph into a black cloud and enter the chest, the lid closing down quickly and red energy sealing the container.

Her neck was let go as the remnant and its friends disappeared and she fell to the ground roughly.

Looking around the room, she made sure Kara was alone, the remnants were gone. Taking a deep breath, she stood back up and walked to her sister, helping her off the ground.

“You okay?” Kara asked. “Your neck…”

“I’m good. You look like you have been in a bar fight against a Kryptonian.”

“Now that was a bloody good fight!” Constantine shouted, sitting down on the floor and pulling a crushed pack of cigarettes from his coat pocket. Taking a bent one out he lit up and inhaled deeply.

Alex and Kara approached the man and sat on the floor next to him

“So that’s it?” the older sister asked. “We go back and her body is normal again?”

The man sadly shook his head.

“I could not change her back. That totem is too strong to remove without killing her. We were successful though. Without those so called Inversion bastards, the rings power is greatly diminished. I am sorry, Kara. It was the best I could do. You should be able to wear one of these red sun devices full time. The power of the ring will keep you alive but not much else. It won’t destroy your body, even weakened.”

The two sisters took that in, disappointed but still in relief that they had survived this.

“So that’s it.” the blonde finally said.

“No, that’s not it. As long as they are locked in their trap, they can no longer talk to you. You won’t feel the hunger to use the power, the temptation, so long as you never use it again, for anything. Any use of that power, even a portal will bring them back and return you to your former power. You can live the rest of your life with it and it should not kill you. It was the best I could do. They did not lie. The metaphysical changed the physical but they are trapped and silenced now.”

Kara smiled, thinking it was better than nothing. She could wear this ugly ring and a tight bracelet for the rest of her life so long as her life would be natural. It was a small price to pay and a better situation that she had found herself in.

“Kara,” Constantine told her again for clarification. “If you ever use that ring again in a fight or even just playing around, they will be released. They will drive you mad until you do what they want and then probably destroy the ring so you aren’t a threat to other Red Lanterns. I am deadly serious. You can never use that ring. It will keep you alive now, but that is all. The voices will go away, the hunger will disappear. The only temptation to use it will be yours. Whatever you do, never charge it on Ysmault. Do you understand?”

“Can I grow old?” the blonde asked.

“Your parents and sister can answer that better than I can, but what you have told me about these red sunlight devices then yes. So long as you wear one, your life should return to normal as much as possible.”

Alex took her sister’s hand and looked at her nervously. To her relief, Kara was smiling.

“Then this trip was worth it. How do we get back? I don’t like it here.”

Constantine grinned and snubbed his cigarette out.

“Its a complicated ritual, requiring a virgin.”

The two sisters looked at each other, very concerned.

“I joke. Relax you two. We just trapped four demons. Let’s go back to your bathroom and celebrate.”

The man snapped his fingers and the trio were once again sitting on the floor in the bathroom of their old apartment, thankfully not showing the injuries they had sustained. Kara looked at her ring immediately. The glow that always seemed to be present even without using it was gone. It looked like any other strange ring someone would buy in a novelty shop, not an alien weapon.

“Thank you.” she whispered gratefully.

The Warlock shrugged his shoulders. “I wish I could have done more. I will continue my research, hope that I can banish them for good as well as this totem from you, but this is the best we can do for now. As far as thanks there is no need, I haven’t had that much fun in years.”

The three left, Alex still concerned but Kara feeling lighter than she had been since she took the ring in Metropolis.

Alex made a quick call to their parents, giving a brief explanation and assuring them they would tell them what happened in detail when they arrived back in Midvale.

The blonde sprung for three first class tickets and while Alex and she waited in the boarding area and Constantine sat at the bar, they finally had a chance to let their guard down and hugged each other.

“You could have been killed.” Kara told her.

“I’ve always told you, I am not that smart when it comes to you. We got through it. It won’t be easy but we can resume our normal lives.”

“By normal you mean I sit in a crystal tiara three times a day?” Kara asked humorously.

Alex grinned and wrapped an arm around her.

“Normal for us.” she amended. “It may not be a perfect life but it’s ours and I like it.”

Kara agreed. Her sister had now entered her mind while under the influence of the Black Mercy and followed her into a demonic home where she fought some sort of alien zombies and Kara fought herself. In her mind, that was a win, even if her heart was still not beating and the red energy continued to keep her alive, Alex was okay.

Kara was alive and for the first time in a long time, that was good enough for her.

The girl smiled wistfully. “I thought after Doomsday we had fought every possible type of alien in the Universe. Coluans, Kryptonians, Kryptonian super weapons, White Martians. I never thought we would end our career fighting alien zombies and demons.”

“Yeah,” Alex agreed, “we should probably stop there. Our recent adventures have gotten a bit out of hand.”

Two days later, at her bedroom window looking out over the ocean, Kara continued to work on her painting of Clark.

She had spoken to Gardner the night before on the phone, not wanting to be near his ring’s power and explained what had happened. The man was fascinated and asked that she update him if this Constantine fellow ever did find a way to completely remove the other rings. The idea that all four Inversions lived in Kara’s ring or were at least drawn to it explained the immense power she had over them. He didn’t know what demons or blood or other spooks powered his ring and didn’t care. According to the blonde, she no longer felt tempted or a need to use the ring.

Kara had not lied to him. Though constantly aware of the ring on her finger in a physical sense as she was aware of the thin skin tight bracelet on her ankle or wrist, depending on the day, it had been getting better, a part of her, familiar jewelry one didn’t even notice… sort of like the necklace she used to wear. The blonde had not worn that piece of jewelry since the night at Barry’s apartment and thought of him daily. She kept her promise though and had not looked in on him. It was for the best.

Kara also had to be very careful not to cut herself. She didn’t think the ring had enough juice other than keeping her alive but suspected if she did cut herself, an acidic form of blood would drip out, and no band aid was going to stop it. Not sure what the effects would be, she stayed well clear of knives, going as far as voluntarily using plastic knives in the kitchen.

The side effects of her bands were present but she no longer felt nausea and her appetite returned. The girl still experienced bouts of dizziness and disorientation at times, but was regaining some of her old energy, even thinking of running and exercising once again.

Kara was beginning to see hope. She had no idea what the future would bring. It could be a nightmare, it could be wonderful, or it could be a mixture.

She also had to think about her future plans soon. Though she had quite a bit left from her black market sale of her Vincent, and a home that was paid for, she still needed something to do besides paint near her window every day.

Kara wanted a goal, a possible career.

She just had no idea what the goal or career would be. It would be a topic she could bring up with Leslie over the next few sessions.

Without the ability to make portals or fly, the Gotham trips to meetings were out, so she would return to her meetings near Midvale and occasionally Raleigh. Perhaps she could convince Leslie to back therapy off to once or twice a week again.

The future may have been in doubt, but Kara was beginning to realize she could have a future and that was a step in the right direction.

Deciding it was time to see how exercise affected her, she dressed in shorts, sports bra and tank top, pulled her hair in a ponytail and placed her glasses on to go for a run. Today was Eliza’s day to monitor her brain at lunch time while Jeremiah and Alex actually returned to the University to conduct research that was not related to her head.

Probably not related to her head, anyway.

Once she reached the door, she stopped short when hearing a knock. Eliza never knocked and no one came to see her, ever. She had no friends in Midvale, not having associated before she left for National City much and with no one since she returned. She debated going to the kitchen for a knife then remembered all her sharp ones were placed in the attic. Alex had taken her gun with her. It seemed her only recourses were to retreat to the Fortress, get her com and ask Kelex who it was, or answer the door like a normal person. She supposed it could have been a mailman with a delivery she needed to sign for but she hadn’t ordered anything.

The girl took a deep breath and opened the door, appearing relaxed but muscles coiled, ready for anything.

Anything but her former history teacher from Midvale High.

“Miss Evans?”

Marie Evans had been Kara’s favorite teacher, hands down, her sophomore through senior year. Despite the books she had read, Evans knew things about US and World history including the ancients, that amazed Kara. While she was polite with other teachers but still shy, the girl soaked in everything the woman had to say, even after class.

“Hello Kara. I heard you and your family had moved back to Midvale and you had built a home. I had to come see it for myself. Have I caught you at a bad time?” the woman asked. She still looked nearly the same, a beautiful woman in her late forties, dark hair longer and straighter now, still wearing green contacts and the same athletic build, standing nearly six feet tall. In addition to being a history teacher she had also helped coach several sports, including Alex’s soccer team their senior year.

“Of course not. I was just going for a run. You are the perfect reason to talk myself out of it. Please come in.” Kara told her with a large smile, stepping aside.

Evans walked around the living room, impressed with the decor, recognizing Kara’s style in the paintings on the wall and taking in the family photos of the Danvers on various vacations. These interested her the most because Kara did not wear her glasses. She wasn’t surprised.

Taking a seat on the couch, while Kara sat beside her, she waited for Kara to make the first move.

“Can I offer you some water? I can make some tea or coffee. Alex and I don’t really drink any soda. I may have a sports drink…”

“I am good, Kara.” Marie interrupted. “How are you? How is Alex?”

“Good!” she responded, reverting back to her sunny disposition from high school. “She is working with my parents at UNC Raleigh and I… well, I suppose you can say after the pressure of National City, I am easing into the small town life. I had saved some money in National City and decided to build my home here. I wanted to be close to the water and close to my parents and brother. How have you been?”

“Wonderful.” Evans told her. “The semester starts soon so it is a busy time. I no longer teach. I am the principle of Midvale Junior High now.”

Kara was surprised. She knew the woman loved to teach, but she also had a career and being promoted to vice principals, principals and superintendents was a natural career path in the educational field.

“Congratulations. I feel for your old students though, missing out on your classes.”

“They don’t.” Evans said with an evil grin. “I think you were the only student who actually liked me.”

“That is not true.” Kara assured her, though Evans did have a reputation for being tough.

“And I was probably the only teacher in Midvale that saw you outside of class, who you actually looked in the face, who found the history of a planet fascinating and soaked up as much as you could so quickly. You were my favorite student, Kara. I have been worried about you and your sister since the two of you left for college.”

That surprised her a bit but she shouldn’t have been. Kara kept her distance from nearly every student and teacher, only socializing when necessary. The students for the most part ignored her as Alex’s silent sister and the teachers knew of her anxiety problems so never pushed.

“My anxiety has gotten better. I actually look people in the eye now and can carry conversations with strangers. There was no need to worry.”

Evans laughed softly and took the girl’s hands in her own.

“I was more concerned about my favorite student fighting monsters, including one that nearly killed her in Metropolis.”

Kara was speechless, cursing herself, wondering how many other people in Midvale knew and if she would have to leave.

“Relax, Kara.” Marie told her. “No one else knows, or at least no one else has ever said anything and I am sure they would. After your face was captured in that baseball stadium, I knew it was you. You did an excellent job at hiding from the world, but I knew you. It was your eyes. I have to say the darker hair makes the disguise even better. No one else saw you, ever really saw you, but I did. Have you healed from that last fight? I understand you nearly died?”

Kara listened to the woman intently and detected no deception in her voice. Perhaps if she could be convinced to keep a secret… if not Kara would not run. She would just ask J’onn to wipe her memory.

Kara showed her the ring on her right hand.

“This… thing saved my life, keeps me alive. As long as I wear it, I am okay.” she told her former teacher, giving her a certain amount of truth. The woman certainly did not need to know the whole story.

Evans nodded. She had thought it might have been a quirky ring Kara had picked up somewhere when she took her hands. The ring didn’t feel any different than a normal ring, but considering her former favorite student turned out to be an alien, nothing should surprise her.

“Why didn’t you ever say anything?” Kara asked.

Evans shook her head. “Put you, your family and myself at risk? Not likely. None of us needed that secret coming to light. I honestly thought other teachers or students would recognize you, but you have done a fantastic job of hiding in plain sight, even in a town as small as Midvale. So your press conference…”

The blonde dropped her head and pulled her hands away from Evans. “Yeah. I uh, you see…”

“Are you really done?” Marie asked.

“Being… her? Yes, I am really done. I can’t do it anymore. I don’t want to.”

“That’s good.” Evans agreed, once again surprising Kara. “No one should have that burden constantly on them. So now you are starting another chapter of your life. Any ideas on what you plan to do?”

“Not really.” the girl admitted.

Marie nodded, happy with this. She had not lied when she said she worried about Kara over the years and Alex as well, decked in that tight costume that somehow held a lot of weapons.

“I have something for you to think about. This year, my staff is complete, but Roger is retiring as well as Anne after the school year. You remember them of course.”

Kara did, Roger Burke was her math teacher in eighth grade and also ran the Choir while Anne had been her art teacher.

“Yes.”

“I would ask that you consider taking Anne’s place in seventh and eighth grade art and run the Choir after school. It would mean some online classes this year to get your teaching accreditation and some observation hours. Then after this school year you could start. I will even make sure your brother is in your art class.”

“Me?” Kara asked, a bit in shock that this surreal conversation was even happening.

“Yes, you. Was your degree in Graphic Design?”

Kara shook her head slowly. “I changed my major my sophomore year to classical art history with a minor in Graphic Design.”

“Perfect. I don’t get many teachers with those credentials to come to Midvale much less already live here and want to stay. You could do great things. I am hoping to start a musical theater group for the children eventually. Maybe you can help? You do have the voice of an angel in addition to flying like one.” Marie reminded her.

Kara shook her head. The idea was frightening in a way. Working with people, leading people? That was not what she did. She hid from people then donned a cape and saved them.

But she had always felt comfortable working with the kids on Clark’s soccer teams that Alex coached.

“If you saw my press conference and I suppose the whole world has by now, then you know the problems I have. I wasn’t lying. Would you really want someone like me around children?” she asked.

Marie shrugged her shoulders. “You have and I am guessing you are continuing to get help, correct? You think you are the only person in the world in any field that has these problems? Teachers with your issues are dangerous when they aren’t getting help. You are. These aren’t disabilities, they are challenges. You have never backed down from a challenge while wearing a cape. I doubt you will back down to this one. It is your decision of course. I do hope you will consider it seriously. We can sponsor your online classes for accreditation. You would have to pay for them but the institute we use can get you a spot. The cost isn’t much. Consider it and let me know. You know where I live and where I work. Just think about it. I believe you would be great. I hope to hear from you soon.”

Evans stood up and walked to the porch, Kara following. She hugged her former student and with a warm smile, left, leaving the girl alone with a lot to think about.