"Miss Maximoff, this is the security division of Los Angeles General Hospital. We've hired a professional security firm, maintaining 24/7 surveillance to ensure safety. Our health center network, spread across Los Angeles, also works closely with the LAPD and public health services to provide housing, medical care, and assistance to immigrants, youth, the homeless, victims of domestic violence, and those with substance abuse disorders…"
Dr. Christina Galli's secretary led Wanda briskly down the corridor toward a room at the far end. Her tone was calm and measured, as if Wanda were just another member of a visiting social welfare delegation. Wanda listened patiently, understanding the subtext: the hospital's security systems were airtight, Robbie Reyes's disappearance wasn't their responsibility, and the refund and compensation offer was generous—because the hospital could afford it.
"We... Ah!"
The corridor lights abruptly went out. The secretary's bland spiel was cut off by a scream. Wanda instinctively turned around and saw the young woman sprawled unconscious in a pool of shadow. Tension flooded her body as she raised her hand to cast a spell—only to freeze when a towering figure emerged from the darkness, nearly filling the entire passage.
Even under the dim glow of the emergency lights, the gold armor—crafted by the galaxy's greatest artisan—radiated magnificence. Massive rubies, precision-cut and flawless, gleamed on the pauldrons, breastplate, and helmet. Silent servos powered the figure's movement; the Royal Guard approached like a golden predator, long glaive crackling with restrained energy. It was Asgardian tech fused with kinetic force, capable of slicing through heavy vehicle armor with ease.
Were it not for the faint crackle of tile cracking beneath his boots, few would have noticed his presence at all. The physiological enhancements from gene alchemy, combined with the power armor's life-support system, allowed the Guard to remain perfectly still—like a gilded statue—for indefinite periods. Wanda suddenly felt breathless. In her ether-sight, the figure glowed faintly gold. Even from a distance, Solomon's presence blazed within the Royal Guard, as if his majesty and violence had been poured into this transhuman vessel—a mere shard of an unimaginably vast soul.
When Constantine looked at her, Wanda instinctively felt like her teacher was staring directly into her soul. The skin on the back of her neck tightened, her scalp tingled, and her heart pounded. She tried to ignore her panic, knowing she had screwed up. She'd gotten too wrapped up in caring for the child.
"Constantine, I'm in the middle of a mission!" she hissed. "And what did you do to her?!"
"Don't worry. Just a sedative. She'll wake up soon," the Royal Guard replied flatly. "You failed your mission. Not only did you fail to secure the contract, Robbie Reyes escaped—because you didn't watch him closely enough."
"What was I supposed to do?! I had to look after Gabe. He's a disabled child!"
"That's no excuse. Our Lord does not tolerate failure." Constantine stepped forward, his red-lensed helmet optics peering down at her. "I waited here three hours. You were too late. I've already gathered sufficient intel—without causing significant harm. Though security opened fire, I didn't snap their necks. I waited here to tell you this: just because you're our Lord's apprentice doesn't mean you can defy his will."
"You're going after him?"
"Yes," Constantine nodded. "And I will complete the task you failed."
"I'm going with you," Wanda said quickly, stepping in front of the Guard. "I don't know whether your orders are to arrest or execute him, but Gabe can't lose his only family. I will fix this. I believe the teacher I know—the man who saved me from that castle—will understand. Constantine, he wants you to have humanity too."
"No, you misunderstand. I am only a tool for that great dream. Not just me—our Lord sees himself that way as well," Constantine said in his usual cool tone. He gently pushed Wanda's shoulder. The slight touch sent her stumbling. "But that's not the point. Robbie Reyes's fate is now tied to an extremely dangerous magical book. You didn't just fail to bring back the contract—you missed the chance to find that book. That's why I'm here. Your delay could bring disaster, and my job is to stop it or destroy it if necessary. Our Lord asked me to relay this message: compassion is a virtue—but compassion without the willingness to face its consequences is hypocrisy. If you can't bear the cost of your compassion, you will only cause more innocent people to suffer—just like the Avengers."
Wanda Maximoff took a deep breath. "What... what does the teacher plan to do?"
"I will begin with non-lethal weapons," Constantine tilted his head slightly. "You must return to the Reyes home to stop Robbie Reyes from going back. We cannot assess his threat level or determine if he poses a danger to Gabe. I will give Robbie a chance—but what he does with that chance is up to him."
"The worst-case scenario is…"
"Execution," Constantine said flatly. "Eliminate the threat completely."
"The Ghost Rider is that dangerous?" Stephanie raised an eyebrow. "I've never seen any reports on this."
"You can look at them now. There's a report in the archives—Kamar-Taj's research on the first Ghost Rider, Johnny Blaze. Very few have access to it. I joined that research and drew a conclusion that points directly to the nature of extra-dimensional entities," Solomon said. "Remember what I told you about the essence of the Ghost Rider?"
"An angel. Even though it looks like something from hell, the Spirit of Vengeance is an angel."
"Exactly. The Spirit of Vengeance is an angelic entity that resides in the Seven and One-Third Heavens," Solomon said as he snapped his fingers and summoned an invisible servant with dessert. Stephanie, ever sharp, sensed a lecture incoming. "Most people imagine angels with wings, right? That image isn't wrong—lower-tier spirits from the outer dimensions, closer to the Veil of Reality, often appear winged because they're easier to summon. But few have ever ventured into the depths of Heaven. There, chaos—not order—reigns. And the Spirit of Vengeance comes from that chaos. The so-called 'outer dimensions' are actually a ring that encloses our reality. Heaven and Hell are no different—my explanation of 'upper' and 'lower' planes was merely a human-friendly metaphor. In truth, the outer dimension is beyond human comprehension."
"Then why…"
"Why did the Spirit of Vengeance recoil from my power?" Solomon pointed to a line in the report.
"Yes," Stephanie nodded. "I thought you were going to fight the Ghost Rider."
"It's because of what I am, Stephanie. My body and soul are the fusion of outer-dimensional energy and the deep essence of reality. I am the embodiment of chaos harnessed into order—one of the most powerful weapons in an eternal war. A war that began with the Big Bang and still rages between chaos and order. My dream is for humanity to win that war—once and for all. We must achieve victory, because the consequences of failure are worse than death."
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