Constantine sat on the edge of his bed, lost in his thoughts, when a knock on the door pulled him back to reality. He didn't want to see anyone, especially not now.
"Go away," he muttered, hoping they'd take the hint.
The knocking persisted, more insistent this time. With a frustrated sigh, he got up and swung the door open. Shift stood there, her expression a mix of sadness and conflict.
"What do you want?" Constantine snapped, though his voice held more exhaustion than anger.
Shift stepped inside without waiting for an invitation. "We need to talk."
He turned away, pacing the room. "I'm not in the mood for a lecture, Shift."
"It's not a lecture," she said softly. "I'm worried about you."
Constantine scoffed. "Worried? I'm fine."
"No, you're not," Shift replied, her eyes searching his. "I heard what you did to Morgana. That's not the Constantine I know."
He clenched his fists. "You don't understand. She deserved it."
"Maybe she did," Shift agreed, "but it's not about her. It's about you. The way you killed her... it was like you enjoyed it."
Constantine's shoulders slumped, the weight of her words hitting him hard. "I... I don't know what's happening to me."
Shift stepped closer, placing a hand on his arm. "That's why I'm here. I wanted to make sure you're okay."
He looked into her eyes, seeing genuine concern. For a moment, the walls he'd built around himself crumbled. "I don't know if I am."
Shift sighed, her own sadness evident. "I haven't been okay either, not since Mr. O'Brien's death."
Constantine's expression softened. "I'm sorry, Shift. He was a good man."
Shift nodded, her eyes misting over. "He was. And now, I'm losing you too. At least, it feels like it."
Constantine felt a pang of guilt. "You're not losing me. I just... I need to figure this out."
"Promise me you'll try," Shift pleaded, her grip on his arm tightening. "Promise me you won't lose yourself to this."
He looked at her, conflicted but seeing a glimmer of hope. "I promise."
Shift smiled, though the sadness in her eyes remained. "We'll get through this together, Con. I promise."
Shift turned to leave, then paused and looked back at Constantine. "Hey, why don't we hang out for a bit? Get our minds off all this craziness."
Constantine raised an eyebrow. "Hang out? Doing what?"
Shift grinned. "You like anime and video games, right?"
He blinked, caught off guard. "Yeah, I do. How'd you know?"
She laughed. "Lucky guess. Come on, let's go to my room. You'll love it."
Curiosity piqued, Constantine followed her down the hallway. They had recently relocated to a more secure base, a move that had been both chaotic and exhausting. But Shift had somehow managed to transfer all her belongings seamlessly. When she opened the door to her room, he was greeted by a sight that made him momentarily forget his troubles. The room was a haven for any anime and gaming enthusiast: shelves lined with manga and anime DVDs, a state-of-the-art TV and gaming system, and various gadgets scattered around.
Constantine whistled in admiration. "Wow, how did you move all this stuff here so quickly?"
Shift shrugged, a playful glint in her eyes. "I've got my ways."
He chuckled. "You're not going to tell me, are you?"
She smirked. "Nope. It's a secret."
They settled in front of the TV, and Shift handed him a controller. "Let's start with some games. I promise not to go easy on you."
Constantine grinned, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders. "Bring it on."
As they played, the room filled with the sounds of laughter and playful banter. Shift teased him whenever he made a mistake, and he fired back with his signature sarcastic, but she didn't seem to mind; in fact, she matched his energy.
"You call that a move? My grandma could dodge that!" Shift laughed as she won another round.
"Yeah, yeah," Constantine replied, rolling his eyes. "You just wait. I'm warming up."
"Oh, is that what you call losing five times in a row?" she quipped, sticking her tongue out.
After a few intense rounds of gaming, they switched to watching anime. They debated over which series to watch, eventually settling on one they both loved. As the familiar characters filled the screen, Constantine felt a sense of normalcy returning.
During a break in the action, he turned to Shift. "You know, I never would have guessed you were into this stuff."
She smiled. "There's a lot you don't know about me, Con. Same goes for you."
He nodded, appreciating her effort to connect. "Thanks, Shift. I needed this."
"Anytime," she replied, her tone sincere. "We're a team, remember? We look out for each other."
Just then, there was a knock on the door. Jane's voice called out from the other side. "Hey Shift, are you in there?"
Shift paused the episode, glancing at Constantine. "Looks like we're about to have company."
Constantine sighed, but couldn't help smiling. "Guess the fun never stops, huh?"
Shift laughed. "Never a dull moment with this crew."
Jane entered, her eyes widening in surprise when she saw Constantine. "Con? What are you doing here?"
Constantine shrugged. "Shift has her ways of dragging people out of their rooms."
Shift smirked. "Guilty as charged. What's up, Jane?"
Jane, still looking a bit shocked, asked, "How come you two are hanging out?"
Shift grinned. "Turns out we have similar hobbies. What can I say? Great minds think alike."
"You think that idiot has a great mind?" Jane asked, bewildered.
"Shut it pipsqueak," Constantine said with an eyeroll.
"No fighting, you two, we're here to enjoy culture!" Shift interjected
Constantine added, "Yeah, and she has an impressive collection. Seriously, how did you move all this stuff to the new base?" he said, turning to Shift.
Shift waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, you know, just a bit of this and that." she replied nonchalantly.
Jane shook her head, a small smile forming. "You'll never get an answer out of this one, newbie." she replied.
Then, as if remembering her original purpose, Jane straightened up. "Anyway, I came to tell you something important. Kento wants us to go on a mission together, Constantine."
Constantine raised an eyebrow, leaning back. "A mission? Us, together? What's the catch?"
Jane rolled her eyes playfully. "No catch. Just a chance for us to, you know, work together and blow off some steam."
Shift chimed in, "Think of it as a training mission. Besides, it's a good opportunity for you two to bond."
Constantine couldn't help but smile at Shift's attempt to lighten the mood. "Bond? Yeah, we might bond. I might tie the pipsqueak up and throw her in the ocean." he replied dryly.
Jane gave him an amused look. "Oh, no, after all the time and effort to our spend protecting me!" she said dramatically. "Ken said you went all - out; I was honestly touched, newbie." she finished with a huge grin.
They all shared a laugh, the tension in the room easing. Jane then added, "Seriously though, Con, it'll be good. We can watch each other's backs."
Constantine nodded, feeling a bit more at ease. "Alright, let's do this mission. But no babysitting, okay?"
Jane grinned. "Deal. Just remember, we're in this together."
Constantine nodded, feeling a renewed sense of determination. "Together, then."