Pioneer also has a branch in Los Angeles, where Dane met Batman and Constantine. The first time Constantine saw Dane, he was almost blinded by the divine aura that was so thick it seemed ready to explode. This guy is extremely favored by the forces of light! Constantine thought to himself. Completely the opposite of them—who wouldn't want to be a knight of light if they could?
Constantine suddenly felt bitter, his mood turning almost emo.
Dane healed his injuries before speaking.
"So, your plan is to promise to help that demon and eliminate its competitors?"
"Tracey is in its hands, I have no choice," Constantine replied.
"How do you plan to carry this out?"
Constantine looked at him strangely. Dane finally reacted and chuckled a little.
"Good one, you've got me figured out."
"Aren't you calling on the Justice League?"
"If you don't solve this, who else will?" Constantine replied, his tone justifiably confident.
"I'm sorry, I'm Dane Davis, founder of Pioneer, and I don't know anything about the Justice League or anything you're talking about," Dane said, his expression deadpan.
Constantine was momentarily dumbfounded.
"Okay, just kidding. It's not difficult to help you. My advice, though, is that it's best to get rid of these demons. Otherwise, if one slips through the cracks, it'll bring constant disaster."
These demons are troublesome to bring into the human world, but they can easily return to hell. If you can't defeat them, they'll simply retreat to hell, hiding until it's safe to cause more trouble when Dane and the rest leave.
In this way, the problem remains unsolved, and might even get worse.
"You're right, this really needs to be planned carefully..."
"Wait, why are you looking at me like that?"
Noticing the strange expressions on both Dane's and Batman's faces, Constantine slowly moved his chair back.
Dane said very sincerely, "John, I heard you're quite famous in hell!"
At this, Constantine couldn't help but scowl.
"So, do you think there's a possibility...You're can gather those demons and lie to them, convincing them that you can help them deal with Beroul?"
"They'd never trust me," Constantine replied.
"It seems you're not entirely ignorant of your own reputation," Dane teased.
Constantine wasn't the least bit embarrassed. In fact, he seemed quite pleased with himself. Trapping people is immorality, but tricking demons? That's doing good deeds and accumulating virtue!
Dane continued, "Then you should make the most of your abilities and your reputation. Since Beroul can trust you, the rest of demons probably will too."
Despite Dane's words, Constantine still felt uneasy. He feared those demons might not even listen to him and instead, simply crush him.
"You don't have to worry about that," Dane reassured him. "Batman will be with you."
"With all due respect, Batman is just an ordinary human."
"But how did I hear that he killed Beroul once already?"
Constantine froze, momentarily forgetting about the earlier incident with Beroul.
Dane patted him on the shoulder. "I understand your concerns, so this time, I've brought something very threatening."
With that, he opened a suitcase next to him, revealing miniature missiles inside. The outer shell was transparent, emitting a faint blue light.
"What is this?" Constantine asked, eyeing the object.
"This is a miniature missile made of nth metal. Its explosive power is average, but the magic embedded in it is extremely lethal."
"How strong?" Batman asked as he picked up the missile, examining it closely.
Dane responded briskly, "It can threaten me."
Batman's movements paused, and Diana, noticing his reaction, exchanged a meaningful glance with him.
"Does that mean Batman and I can just take out those damn demons?" Constantine asked.
Dane reminded him, "This missile is still a prototype, so there is only one at the moment. It's primarily for deterrence. If you truly want to use it against the demons, it's possible, but you'll only be able to kill one at most. The rest of the demons will be on guard, and your mission won't be as easy."
Constantine nodded, understanding the limitations. Though it was a bit disappointing, at least it guaranteed their survival. You couldn't expect too much.
Just as Constantine was about to take a look at the missile, he noticed that Batman had already stashed it in his tactical belt.
"Hey!" Constantine exclaimed.
"Since I'm the one who's protecting you, it's only fitting that this thing be entrusted to me for safekeeping," Batman replied coolly.
Constantine stood there, open-mouthed, unable to come up with a rebuttal.
However, what Batman was really thinking about was how to retrieve the missile later, analyze the properties of the metal, and determine if there was any way to use it against Dane.
With the weapon secured, Constantine and Batman left.
Dane didn't ask if Constantine would like to join the Justice League. Even if Constantine didn't join, the experience of working together would still offer future opportunities for collaboration. Being part of the team wasn't a necessity.
"Bruce seems wary of you," Diana remarked as she approached Dane.
"He's wary of all meta-humans," Dane replied indifferently. "And I'm sure he probably has plenty of contingency plans stored on his computer for how to deal with us."
Diana raised an eyebrow. "So why are you inviting him?"
"That's exactly why I'm inviting him," Dane said with a smirk. "Superhumans need a little oversight."
In the world of American comics, superheroes often proved to be just as troublesome as supervillains.
The Flash created the Flashpoint incident in an attempt to save his mother, and Batman regularly investigated cases that led him to uncover secrets about Wayne Enterprises.
Superman had been controlled by villains countless times, causing him to lose control, among other examples that proved the necessity of such precautions.
But if Bruce is thinking of using nth Metal against him, he's probably overestimating his chances.
After all, no one can have more reserves of nth Metal than Dane, who controls the Rock of eternity. Besides, nth Metal isn't Kryptonite.
And Dane is certainly not a Kryptonian.
"I can't fully trust them," Dane mused. "They always want to control everything. But Batman—he's different."
Diana raised an eyebrow. "He's both a superhero and an ordinary human," Dane continued.
Diana shook her head, a knowing smile creeping onto her face. "You trust him. You're very conniving."
But she didn't linger on the subject and switched gears. "What do you need me to do?"
Dane paused, as though weighing something, then a thought came to him. "How much do you know about ancient Aztec mythology?"
Diana tilted her head. "I know a little, but not much. Most of my expertise lies in Greek culture. I've heard that the gods of the Aztecs are dead."
Dane's expression grew more intriguing. "Not entirely. At least, in this city, one god is still very much alive."
Diana raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
"Yes," Dane confirmed. "Mictrant Kutli, the ancient Aztec god of death, is hiding right under our noses."
Diana absorbed the weight of this information. "But the Aztecs were known for their brutal sacrifices, weren't they? I thought their gods perished with their civilization."
"Yes, most of them did," Dane replied. "But Mictrant Kutli has survived. In fact, he's hiding in an underground space beneath a pork slaughterhouse here in Los Angeles. He survives by feeding on the energy of dead animals.
Even so, he still retains some power. he can kill demons by himself—though he was seriously wounded in the process. Still, his ability to take down demons was impressive, and that made him a formidable force."
Diana looked intrigued but cautious. "What does this have to do with us?"
Dane continued. "I've always wanted to create an artifact of my own, but there's one thing I've lacked—the Godhood."
Diana's eyes widened, understanding the significance of the term. "The Godhood... It blesses the artifact, giving it immense power and the authority of the divine."
"Exactly," Dane affirmed. "your Divine Shield is a prime example. As long as the shield remains intact, its user is virtually invulnerable. But to craft such a powerful artifact, I need the Godhood of Mictrant Kutli. And that's what I'm going to get. For justice's sake, the Death god must die."
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