18906/HUNGER: Star-Crossed Salvation

HUNGER: Star-Crossed Salvation
Date of Scene:	23 August 2024
Location:	House of Mystery
Synopsis:	Can Carol reignite the Silver Surfer's passion for his love? Can she make him feel again? John thinks so and he doesn't typically bet on a losing ticket.
Cast of Characters:	John Constantine, Carol Ferris, Hal Jordan

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John Constantine has posed:
John's been busy of late, poking around about the what's and where's and who's regarding this planet eating wanker. What does all that information do if plans are planned - maybe five of them since everyone knows that plans never go as planned? Well, absolutely nothing. After finding out what he was able to find out - don't ask him where he found out - he figured it was time to plan.

Jumping through hoops and fire or whatever he needed to do in order to get a message to Hal Jordan, that's what he did. No one has the in with Star Sapphire like Hal does, right? While he was amicable to meeting wherever, John strongly 'suggested' his home. There really is no safer place for him - and those he invites in - than the House of Mystery.

Fair warning though, stray off the path and one might find themselves lost in a labyrinth maze that is always changing.

Currently the front door opens right into the kitchen, skipping right over a foyer or living room. Said kitchen is a stark contrast to the outside of the home - it seriously looks like Wednesday Addams would love the place. Stainless steel appliances, granite counters, a beautiful island complete with bar style seating and a polished chrome sink. Little trays of snacks - simple affairs such as chips, dips, cheese, crackers and pepperoni are all laid out on the island. Probably the house responsible there, not John.

John? He's sitting on one of the stools around the island, glass of scotch at one elbow, ashtray and Silk Cuts at the other - did anyone expect anything else.

There's no need to knock, the House is its own butler - the door opens as the couple approaches.

Carol Ferris has posed:
It's true. No one 'has the in' with Star Sapphire like Hal does. One might think that another color on the spectrum so closely aligned with the goals of the Green Lanterns might want their own seat in the Justice League, but so far the Queen of the Zamarons has opted not to join the fold.

So far.

Things might change after all of this planet-eating nonsense, though. While the Zamarons have been using the Star Sapphire gem for eons, Carol Ferris -- as both queen and the namesake 'Star Sapphire' -- has only been using the power of the Star Sapphire for the past seven years. In fact, the Star Sapphires have only been battling galactic threats under the banner of their own lantern corp for the past three years. They're still infants, in the grand scheme of things.

But they're rapidly making a name of themselves. Hundreds of worlds have already benefited from the presence of the Star Sapphires in the galaxy, the latest of which -- New Themyscira -- is currently housing refugees both from the Atlantic Starport and the most recent victim of the Galactus, Tamaran.

Carol, of course, has been left balancing her time as Queen of the Zamarons, Leader of the Star Sapphire Corps, and her 'secret' identity as CEO of the billion-dollar aerospace design and engineering company, Ferris Aircraft, whose headquarters moved in the last few years to Metropolis. It's a lot to keep up with, but very little at this point takes priority over the threat of the Earth being devoured like Tamaran. When Hal comes to her with the meeting invitation from John Constantine, there's not a hesitation in her acceptance.

"If there's something I can do to help? Of course I'll go. The Zamarons certainly haven't pitched in any additional information. At least one of the Guardians was willing to talk. At this point I'll be glad to feel like I'm doing anything to help make headway..."

Which is how Star Sapphire and Green Lantern find themselves spiraling through the sky towards the House of Mysteries. A swirling spiral of violet and green energy trailing in their wake through the night sky, it brings them to light together in front of the steps, masked as they always are in public despite the fact that Star Sapphire's costume leaves little else to the imagination. At least she had gloves that came all the way up over her shoulders and boots that rose to mid-thigh? Granted, it wasn't that violet 'armor' that protected her from anything -- it's energy generated by the violet ring she wears that shields her. The costume is purely cosmetic.

"Creepy," she comments good-naturedly to Hal at the bottom of the stairs, her violet eyes glinting with mirth as she glances over at him.

When the door swings open without them having to touch it, that smile turns wary, a grin tugging more firmly at one corner of her lips. "Just remember when the guy jumps out at us with the chainsaw that this was your idea."

As if she'd be afraid of a guy with a chainsaw. But, still.

Thump, thump, thump her heeled boots click against the wood until she's through the threshold, looking around... not at a foyer, but a kitchen, seeming to take in the surroundings with a bit of surprise before her gaze finally settles on John with a bemused smile.

"Mister Constantine," she greets in a warm tone, stepping in far enough to give Hal room to move. "Your house is... charming."

Hal Jordan has posed:
Magic. Why did it have to be magic?

To the uninitiated, it very well might seem like Hal Jordan is another of the many Earth heroes blessed with some ancient mystical artifact that gives him his power. After all, a glowing green lantern? That sounds fairly mystical. Couple that with an emerald ring that can conjure up virtually anything the wearer can imagine? That sure as hell sounds like magic but any reasonable sorts of definitions.

Maybe the difference is irrelevent. At a certain point the line between magic and technology becomes so blurred as to be virtually meaningless. And when said technology is created by the Oans, possibly the eldest sentient race in the galaxy -- or at least an off-shoot of them -- well, suffice to say that billions of years is plenty of time to develop technology that most definitely blurs those lines and virtually leaves it in the dust.

Still, in so many ways Hal is a pragmatist at heart. He might soar through the vacuum of space, protected only by a glowing green aura, he might battle absolutely mind-boggling threats that defy all conventional reason, but he is still surprisingly grounded. It comes from that military background, from being a pilot. Rooted in the very heart of technology, no matter how advanced. It comes from being what is in essence a space cop. And while that part of him might war a little with that wilder, more irresponsible side, becoming a Green Lantern has tipped the balance towards someone who is a little more responsible, a little more comfortable with those sorts of things that he knows, that he can understand.

Or those things that the Ring can explain to him. And it can explain a whole heck of a lot, given the vast reserves of knowledge it can call upon. At least once it has been unlocked by one of the Guardians. Maybe the only who who is prioritizing what is right over keeping millenia old secrets for reasons that no longer seem relevant.

While Hal has been on the move quite a bit as of late -- one minute in the Vega system defying the Guardians, battling Heralds and discovery that his view of the Emotional Energy Spectrum is woefully misguided and the next on Oa, arguing for the information that might just save his homeworld -- he is a great deal easier to get in touch with at least. Being part of the Justice League and their own access to technology beyond that conventionally available on Earth -- a unique blend of the best this planet has to offer along with Martian, Kryptonian and Oan technology -- it isn't that hard to get a message to him.

And when that fails, there's magic right? Creepy, rule-bending magic.

But Hal is well aware that Constantine, regardless of his sometimes spotty reputation has already come through in the fight against Galactus, already provided some key information. That alone is worth taking the meeting.

So the test pilot flies in at Star Sapphires side, approaching the house that definitely stands out a little, landing lightly in front of those steps leading up to the door, the whole thing feeling a little unsettling. Maybe it's meant to.

"There weren't a whole lot of details in the message, but while we put together that detector device to try and find Galactus' ship and the Ultimate Nullifer, anything else feels like it's worth a try," he asserts quietly, leading the way towards the door that swings open at their approach.

"Okay, that's not creepy at all," he mutters, stepping past that threshold warily. "Look, I think we can handle any crazed psycho's in hockey masks," he says, shooting her a brief grin. He might not be so confident about the House's primary resident however.

"Constantine? We're here," Hal calls out, adding his voice to Carol's.

John Constantine has posed:
"Just John, luv. Mister Constantine was a right bastard," John replies with one of those Silkies dangling lit between his lips. Some that know John Constantine might point out that the apple didn't fall far from the tree. If the house wasn't befuddling in of itself, the view from the big bay window might be - it's stunning really but where in Gotham or New York City can one find a snow-capped mountain range at sunset as a view? But the house /was/ in New York City when they found it. But isn't it rumored to be in Gotham?

The sound of a chainsaw echoes from somewhere above.

"Bloody cut it out!" John shouts, his eyes turned skyward. The chainsaw sound fades into nothing. "Sorry 'bout that. She has a morbid sense of humor sometimes." Is he hiding a woman up there? If so, /how/ does one get up there? There are no other doors visible in the kitchen. Oh, wait, no there's one. Was it there before? It is now, so that's what matters. It looks like a door in any old diner anywhere in the US of A and it's marked: Bathroom.

Oddly enough, even with all of John's smoking, the house smells pleasantly of lavender and vanilla at the moment.

"I see that, mate." John says from his stool in the kitchen that's where there should be a foyer or maybe a living room? What front door opens right into the kitchen? He waves a hand in the general direction of the food on the granite topped island. "If you're feelin' peckish or sommat like that. Drinks in the 'fridge."

Speaking of drinks, John finally pucks that cigarette from his lips only to replace it with his glass of scotch - just a sip though, he's trying to be good.

He glances from Hal to Carol and then back again, one more time. "So, should we have a chinwag and catch up or hop on to it?" Knowing John and his complete lack of social skills in most instances, the former might be more prudent.

Carol Ferris has posed:
Sapphire almost looks like she was going to make a follow-on comment to John's initial introduction, but it's the sound of the chainsaw that halts the words in her throat, her eyes casting immediately towards the ceiling.

She might not have Hal's military service, but she spent most of her life and thousands of flights hours in everything from single-engine props to twin-engine jets. Not to mention the most recent seven years of her life spent battling everything from invasionary forces to the embodiment of love itself -- The Predator (irony at its finest). She knew how to keep her cool, even if something unexpected, like the sound of a chainsaw that she herself predicted, startled the crap out of her.

"Cute," she muses once the sound has subsided, spoken in the same droll way she might to Hal if he tried to jump out from behind a door and scare her.

Not exactly timid, but certain cautious, Carol closes the remaining space between the... front door?... and the counter full of finger foods, glancing briefly back to Hal. Apparently, he wasn't used to being here, either. "She?"

Well, it was the obvious question.

She takes a piece of cheese for herself, smiling a bit as she makes a little 'toast' towards John. "Thank you."

It's the last question that has her hesitating, though, before popping it into her mouth. Once more, those violet eyes shift, and she turns her body so that she can more easily see both men, as if she herself didn't really have a good 'feel' of exactly what was needed, here.

At least she'd gotten plenty of experience as a diplomat over the last few years, even if it does sometimes argue with her years as a bossy or outright condescending CEO. It's all part of the depth of her feelings, you see. It's why the Star Sapphire gem chose her in the first place -- or something like that.

"Oh, we're just the guests," she points out, the sharpness in her eyes making her smile a bit shark-like. "And you've laid out quite the spread, so we're on your time."

Hal Jordan has posed:
There are groups out there that are as much a family as they are an association of like minded individuals. Their bonds run deeper then just a common, shared purpose. They have a deep, personal connection.

The Justice League isn't really that kind of group.

It is not as if they are not friendly. Upon occasion they socialize to greater or lesser extents. But for the most part they are busy people leading busy lives and while they always stand ready to come together in the face of an emergency, there isn't a whole lot of just hanging out. Some are closer then others, but as a collection, very few of them just choose to hang out around the Hall of Justice or Watchtower when they have a little time free from other obligations. There are no table tennis tournaments going on.

Their association is a little bit more professional.

So while Hal may have worked with Constantine in the past -- the League has faced it's fair share of supernatural and mystical threats afterall -- he hasn't exactly been a frequent visitor to the House of Mystery.

Or, you know, at all.

Still, he smirks faintly when the sound of the chainsaw comes from above, his own gaze lifting for a moment and brow arching as he shoots that return look towards Carol for a moment. "It seems that your home has a bit of a personality Constantine," he comments drily.

People frequently imbue places, things with the notion of human-like characteristics. It is a tendancy that most people share. It is not uncommon at all to assert that a house has character.

In this case, Hal suspects that the House of Mystery might actually have a character. For good or bad.

Magic. Ugh.

He waves off the offer of food or drink casually, glancing around the kitchen, at the doors that seem to spring up from nowhere, at the fact that in some respects the room doesn't seem to be effected by outside actors -- like John's drinking and smoking, the scents completely masked by a seemingly consistent and unchanging aroma instead.

"Appreciate the effort," he says quietly. "But if you have an idea that might help, lets get down to it," he suggests. "At this point I'm willing to go out on some pretty sketchy limbs if there's a hope that we can turn the tide against this Galactus entity before he shows up on our doorstep," he admits.

John Constantine has posed:
"The House, she can be a bit of a..." The capital H is actually implied in his tone and he does not finish that sentence. It really sucks to wake up in the middle of the night with a powerful urge to piss only to find the bathroom not where it was when you went to bed. But when Hal basically finishes it for him in not quite so offensive a way as he was thinking himself, he snappoints at the man, "Yeah, she can be a bit of a ... personality." Maybe that won't get all his left shoes hidden?

"Seems we'll have plenty of time to talk about the latest stock prices once the world isn't about to become a giant Gobstopper, yeah?" John stubs his cigarette out in the ashtray and immediately lights another with that old, battered gold lighter that always just seems to be in his hand when it wasn't before.

"We all know that we need this Ultimate Nullifier before the cage match between it and Galactus can begin. We all know that it's supposed to be on his ship. So we're all on the same page there. I did a little bit of diggin' and some question askin'." Again, don't ask of who. Last week this kitchen was a giant Victorian style meeting room all set up for a demon summoning and Lucifer himself might have been standing right where Hal is now. "...and I found out that this metallic bloke on the board? Well, we need him on our side. Think the exact words were 'they can't win without him, but what if he could bring us /her/. I did a little more askin' and I found out that this Herald, he volunteered himself to be an indentured slave to this planet eating wanker to save his own world. And there's a girl there, always about a girl innit?" He settles back a bit before adding, "Short of it, I'm thinking the way to him is through her." He plucks his cigarette from his lips again and uses it as sort of a pointer in Carol's direction. "...and I'm thinking the way to her is through you. Right fine bloody romance novel reunion. Can you use that power of love you got goin' on to show him that he did the wrong thing for the right reasons? Maybe make'm both see what should be right in front of their eyes? She's on Zenn-La and, well, I didn't get a name."

Just a beat and he quickly adds, "And, for the record, I never had any intentions to bring her anywhere or to anyone." He didn't say he didn't agree to it, just said he didn't have any intentions. So, he probably lied - it's Constantine so that's probably not a surprise. Then something he hadn't really pondered moves itself to the forward parts of his mind. "Huh, they did seem right bloody drooling at the thought of having her though." He dismisses that train of thought before it collides with one on another track and continues with, "So, up to a jaunt to Zenn-La to find the lovelorn Princess and reunite her with her Silver Prince?"

Carol Ferris has posed:
"Oh, come on. Not even a bit of cheese?" Carol teases Hal when he flatly declines the offer of food, her tone playfully taunting and eyes flashing with mirth. She snips off a bit of the cheese with her front teeth and grins at him as she chews, waving the other half as if offering it to him.

Is she _flirting_ with him in John's kitchen while they're all discussing the end of the world?

Probably.

She does listen, though, even if she is a bit less... rigid than her Green counterpart. It's an interesting inversion for them. Usually Carol's the one trying to get Hal to pay attention and take things seriously. But at least one of them is playing the straight role at any given time, right?

"If that's true, then yes, I can use the power my ring to show him what he loves most -- what he gave up for his choice."

Until a very short time ago, there were only two colors on the emotional spectrum of energy that anyone (presumably anyone not a Guardian or a Zamaron) knew about -- green and violet. The Star Sapphire rings, using the same technology as the Green Lantern rings, bear a hearty resemblance to their forerunners, but there are some distinct differences.

For instance, Carol might be sometimes be jealous of Hal's instant and seemingly all-knowing database access, but her ring has 'True Love's Sight' -- the ability to show someone the love they're missing. After that, it can sometimes be a complicated dance to repair a heart that's been broken, but love is always a messy business.

"I think we're right to go to Zenn-La first. If this woman is his true love, the ring will show him, but without using its powers to manipulate him -- and given the amount of power they seem to have, that's something I don't know I'll be able to do -- I can't convince him to change his ways. I can only use the violet power of love to show him... to remind him."

She pauses.

"I can do the same for her. If we can convince her to come with us, to help us convince him to renounce his loyalty to Galactus, we'll stand a much better chance of convincing him. It's easier to mend broken hearts when the minds involved are more... open to suggestion. I get the impression that someone who renounced his love and his home to save them will be more strong-willed than most. Having her on our side and ready to speak to him may be crucial to getting him not just to see reason, but to follow through."

At the words 'strong-willed,' those violet eyes flit back to Hal, blinking a few times with a thin smile. They'd spent their share of years at each other's throats. After all, Carol -- back then the villainous Star Sapphire -- spent some amount of time literally trying to kill him. It was only through Hal's persistence and sheer strength of will that she'd been rescued from the parasite that was the Star Sapphire gem after it had taken over her mind.

"Keep in mind, this is all assuming that their bond is deep enough... true enough. I like your thinking, and it's certainly worth an attempt. I'm happy to go to Zenn-La to investigate. It may be that with a little bit of asking around, my ring can guide us in the right direction. But who exactly is drooling at the thought of having her?"

Hal Jordan has posed:
Unfortunately, when the heroes met the latest Herald of Galactus -- where does he keep all of them? -- Hal was several space sectors away, winging his way with Carol and a small troop of Star Sapphires to New Themyscira to do what they could for the refugees gathered there. Including the recently displaced survivors of Tamaran. So while Hal did not meet the shiny, silver figure who might just hold the salvation of the planet in his dispassionate hands, he at least has heard the reports.

Frankly, it's not terribly reassuring, is it? To have their fate in the hands of an individual who has sworn his life to the service of a planet devouring entity. That he did so to save his own world from meeting a similar fate suggests that there is a core of good in the being, a willingness to sacrifice himself that is undeniably noble.

But it does beg the question of just what would sway such an individual from their course when they have made that sort of offer, that sort of committment.

So the notion that there is a woman out there who might be a big part of that self-sacrificing gesture? Well that certainly raises all sorts of interesting possibilities to be sure. It also makes it crystal clear just why it was that Constantine would want Star Sapphire involved in that sort of mission. It changes the equation, the power of love. Where cold reason, where a fiery convinction to save their own world might fail, perhaps appealing to the Herald's core will see a greater success.

There is a reasonably good chance that this 'Zee-La' is documented somewhere in expansive galactic database that he has access to. It is one advantage in serving cold-hearted, logical immortals like the Oans. They do like their information -- even if they can be annoyingly secretive when it comes to sharing certain aspects of it. So he can in all likelihood get them to the planet easily enough.

Though he has a sneaking suspicion that this House might be able to do much the same.

But getting them there is only a tiny part of the battle. Unless the native population is ridiculously small, finding one woman amongst a sea of millions, billions without any clear identity? That's worse then a needle in a haystack.

But in this case, Carol is the perfect magnet. If love is truly at the heart of this, no one can better cut through it all. No one is likely to be in a better position to get to the heart of the matter. To find and reuinite two parted lovers.

Sure, Hal might have a little experience with that. But there is no doubt that she's the expert.

The playful suggestion that he should at least try some of the spread put out for them by Constantine -- or possibly his House -- is met by a brief, wry grin. Certainly if anyone can shake that formidable willpower of the Green Lantern it would be him and he dutifully opens his mouth so the remaining half of that chunk can be deposited, giving a little shake of his head even as that amused sort of smile lingers on his expression.

Would he have her any other way? No he would not.

"That's an... interesting possibility," the Emerald Knight agrees, casting his gaze towards Carol at the suggestion, judging her own reaction. From what little he knows, it would seem doable. She was, afterall, able to summon him from half a galaxy away. Using that same power of love to pluck one woman out of the masses? Would that truly be more difficult?

"If you're up for trying it, it seems like it might be our best chance."

John Constantine has posed:
John Constantine has two modes - avoid the truth at all costs and blunt as hammer. This time he goes for the latter. "Hell, Hell is droolin' at the thought of having her. In my experience, that either means she's pure as the driven snow, she's black as nun's habit or they need her for something." Dealing with demons is a tricky business so he could have completely misconstrued the situation but, "They were willin' to give me the information I asked for in return for simply pledging that I would bring them her soul - typically there's at least a bloody down payment first."

He holds up a staying hand and reiterates again, "I have zero intention of taking her soul, or any part of her, anywhere she doesn't want it to go." He'll figure out how to get out of the 'if you fail' bit of the deal later. It wouldn't be a day ending in Y if Constantine's mortal soul wasn't in peril.

With him, it's not just the magic a person needs to wrap their head around - it's the lengths at which he'll go to get his desired end result. It's a good thing that desired end result typically involves saving the world not destroying it.

"Right then, so it's a field trip to Zenn-La then, innit? I have a thing or two to do and a few people to see about this and that before I can leave."

John makes a vague broad gesture that seems to indicate the kitchen and what lies beyond. "She'll be where you last came aboard when it's time to go." Validating Hal's speculation, that. Slowly the snow-capped mountains fade from view and, for just a moment, are replaced with an odd purple haze - like fog but more swirly? When that purple fog dissipates, the view from that bay window is very obviously New York City. It's also very obviously a view that couldn't possibly be from a window in John's house - unless it's sitting in between a few high rises, a placement that's illogical at best. It was illogical when Hal and Carol found it there and it's still... illogical.

Ugh, magic.

Carol Ferris has posed:
"Oh, I'm willing to try. Never let it be said that I stood in the way of love -- especially with the fate of Earth on the line," Star Sapphire muses once she's popped the other half of that piece of cheese into Hal's waiting mouth. Notably, she's careful to toss from just far enough away to avoid a follow-up nip of her fingertip, grinning the entire time... as if that's ever happened.

But that moment, adorable as it might be, is cut short at the mention of Hell.

Carol's gaze swings back to John, her expression falling. "Hell wants her? As in.. Hell-Hell?"

She pauses, staring at him.

"So you pledged... to Hell... that you would bring them her soul?"

She's still staring at him, seeming less amused with every beat of her heart.

"And now you're pledging... to us... that you're not going to do that."

More staring.

"So, you're lying to one of us. Annnnnnd you want _me_ to help you find her, reunite her with the Herald to turn him against Galactus, and then..."

The dot-dot-dot is almost audible.

Her violet eyes flick briefly towards the window before turning back to John. She's not... angry. But passionate? There's fire in those eyes, and in that moment, it's really not hard to see why a gem searching for someone with a near boundless capacity for love and passion might have chosen her as its champion.

She straightens, taking a step back so that she's shoulder-to-shoulder with Hal. The mention of the field-trip, the thing or two to do. She knew the meeting was over, but she wasn't _quite_ done. And the positioning next to Hal? Tucked almost against his side? It's not a threat, but it never hurts to show a unified front in these situations, does it?

"...you won't forget your promise to us once you get what you want, will you, John? I don't know how you take a soul to Hell. I probably don't want to know. But I certainly don't want to be part of it. Short of that, I'll do what I can. The power of love is incredible. We've used the love of a grieving woman to bring a man back from the dead. If there's a way to way to remind this Herald of his true love and get him to change his loyalties, we'll find it."

That said, though, she looks up at Hal and touches his arm. It's time for them to go.

Hal Jordan has posed:
Heaven. Hell. In some ways they are abstract concepts. More worthy for scholarly debate then any practical dwelling.

But that is true for a lot of the mystic sphere really, at least to the uninitiated. But Hal's scene a lot, more then enough to know that the unthinkable tends to be very real. Hell, New York was invaded by angels. It stands to reason they came from somewhere, right?

The fact that Constantine's information comes from demons, from Hell itself isn't exactly a surprise. Not given his reputaiton. Not given the lengths he will go to insure that what is needed gets done. But it's not entirely reassuring either. But the fate of the world is on the line. And when that's the case there might still be a line in the sand that you just don't cross. For Hal, apparently promising the forces of Hell a soul doesn't cross it.

Trying to delivery it on the other hand...

Would he be a little more at ease if they were in this vagule spooky place speaking with Zatanna? Or Dr. Fate? One of the League's more reputable practioners? Perhaps. But they have yet to offer up potential solutions to this situation. And Constantine has. Something concerete. And real chance. An opportunity to turn one of Galactus' most trusted servants against him. A chance to get inside information. Perhaps their best way into his ship to retrieve the Ultimate Nullifer.

That's too good an opportunity to pass up.

Instead the Emerald Knight simply slips a hand into Carol's and gives it a reassuring squeeze. "You've taken something of a risk. One way or the other, it sounds like you're going to be breaking a promise to some people that it isn't very healthy to be breaking promises to," he says quietly. No recrimination, jsut a statement.

Sometimes the hard choice has to be made. Sometimes that line in the sand gets a little blurred.

"I will see what I can dig up on Zenn-La in the meantime. See what we are walking into. See what we can do to minimize any sorts of problems once we arrive. When it's time, we'll be ready," Hal promises quietly.

"This could be big. It could change anything," he asserts. It doesn't even sound like he is having to trying and talk himself into it. At least not very hard.

With a nod towards the other man, he turns, glancing towards the view of Manhatten that now shows outside without apparent surprise. "We'll talk soon."

They have a plan. Not one without risk, but then with the stakes they're playing for it's unlikely there is any course of action open to them without some measure of risk.

John Constantine has posed:
He knew it was coming and he just lets it go and flow right over him until Carol gets to the Big Question. "No, I won't, luv," is John's simple, sincere reply. "I would never damn an innocent to Hell, yes, Hell - Hell." While that's sort of a half truth - it's whole truth at the same time. He would never willingly and knowingly damn an innocent to Hell. But that line of thinking is touching dangerously close to...

Astra.

John needs to move away from that fast, lest he spend the next three days at the bottom of a bottle. "Listen, luv, the girl's soul's safe. It's mine that might not be so much - but it's not the first, won't be the last and I'll bloody well handle it when it comes back around." Man has more markers on his soul than granny's bingo cards.

"I told them what I needed to tell them to get what we needed to save the world. And maybe save this bloody ignorant silver bloke in the process. Seems he needs savin' as much as the world does and his best chance at salvation is that girl."

Somewhere deep inside John Constantine beats an actual heart - he just doesn't often wear it on his sleeve.

If Carol has the power to see the truth of man's heart, John's may be slightly befuddling, but the shining truth right now is that he means the girl no harm and he's truly, honestly and sincerely rooting for the Silver Prince and his Princess - almost as much as he's rooting for the world to not become a giant Gobstopper. Take the world out of the equation and he'd likely /still/ be taking a field trip to Zenn-La. If there's one thing John Constantine can't stand is a bully, especially one that leverages loved ones against a person. Galactus is nothing but a giant, planet eating wanker of a bully.

And if their love is true, it deserves better than that.

"So you lot just go on now, no need to worry your pretty heads about the fate of that girl's soul - because Hell will have to go through me to get it." From others, that might be just an idle threat - a dramatic gesture of words without having what it takes to back them up.

John Constantine has stared into the pits of Hell, stood before the gates and walked right on through them. And he's still standing. Another Silk Cut burned through, another lit and one glass of scotch after they've left, John turns his gaze heavenward and asks, "Run me a bath, will ya, luv? I need some 'me' time," of his House.