^^ The Helm of Nabu, and John Constantine ^^

— Erin —

'Boss, you might not like the news I'm receiving...' Helix sighed.

"Whether or not Luthor escapes, the company is no longer his, and he's ruined, financially and publicly, and his supposed allies didn't save him, leading me to understand that they agreed with me. He was the weakest link... and now I've caught the attention of Vandal Savage. But we need to halt his ability to invade my home... make the dome immune to boom tubes, please? I imagine a Motherbox has that ability?" I asked.

Helix appeared next to me in the lab as a hologram. "Yes, if I focus... but that would take nearly 80% of my computing power, constantly. It's currently impossible, considering 20% of my CPU is focused on the trash we're rounding up, and 25% more is on other background tasks."

"I see... and there's no way to just make a shield, like the Zeta Shield?" I frowned.

"None. Boom Tubes are the penultimate technological portals, not even your new portals could compare in energy efficiency and their ability to penetrate defenses like knives through butter... but they do require coordinates, and if I scramble the Mother/Fatherbox frequencies for location abilities, they won't be able to accurately locate us, and they'll end up teleporting somewhere else in the Pacific ocean, randomly... I'll get to it immediately." He nodded.

"Good. And what's the news with Luthor? He escaped?"

"The guard shot him with the Dendro-Tranq, in the chest. Cardiac arrest followed swiftly. My readings show that he managed to transfer his consciousness out sometime after he left the courthouse and before he boarded Diana's jet, but not where it went." He grumbled.

"Ahh, so he's alive and out of custody, considering the fact that his new body wasn't charged of any crimes... tell me, did the trial of Defoe and other body-hopping metas and villains set precedent for punishing the mind of a villain, even if they change bodies?" I asked.

"They did, but finding him will be... difficult, to say the least."

"Nonsense. He'll come right to me, won't he? He said it was Check, he'll want to put me into check, but there's no way to do that, as I haven't done anything wrong." I smiled.

"Except hijack his truck."

"You mean save it from InterGang, considering the only people who would say otherwise are either assassins, criminals, or dead? Also, even in the consideration that their testimony were believed, I was on a covert JLA mission with sanctions from the Batman, Aquaman, and Superman, through their partners Nightwing, Aqualad, and Superboy. Therefore my actions are not only unquestionably for the side of the angels, -considering the man I stole from was just convicted of several dozen war-crimes,- they are also easily explainable, as I didn't want Lex Luthor to have command of a device that could build him an infinite army of clones, evidenced by his immediate use of it to create the Lobo Clones which attacked Metropolis." I raised an eyebrow at him.

He paused. "Oh... huh, well then I suppose you're right, you haven't broken any laws. I mean, destroying Darcy Air Force Base was sorta Illegal, but under the JLA Charter for destruction of government property in the attempt to thwart evil-"

"You're serious?" I smirked.

"Yeah, it literally says 'Thwart Evil', no joke- but you are covered there as well, considering you were stopping an evil Fatherbox from taking over the world... wow, you're actually really good at this, aren't you?" He chuckled incredulously.

"Don't act so surprised, darlin', it's rude." I responded dryly, and turned to my computer. "So did Savage leave any presents? Any DNA, Bombs, Bugs, listening devices, sniffer code?"

"Some hair, yes, when he went through the portal I clipped some of his hair for you. I'm extrapolating his abilities now, but they seem to be dependent on the radiation that affected his cells. He doesn't really have a Meta Gene; instead, he was irradiated with a sample of Isotopic Nth Metal, sealed inside a specific form of crystal that I haven't yet discovered, so he has super strength and reflexes, as well as a super-evolved mind, -well, for his species, unsurprisingly Homo Neanderthalensis,- and effective immortality... unless he was tossed into a Star or something." He hummed.

"Replicate his abilities into a physical form, test it out, see if there's any damaging psychological effects or weaknesses; on another note, it's time for the second phase... therefore, find me John Constantine and Doctor Fate. Request a meet." I smiled.

He chuckled. "Right away, Doctor."

—

I turned a page in the Grimoire that I'd been given by Helix, memorizing every line and every picture. My near-eidetic memory came very much in handy, when it came to remembering spells and the like, apparently.

As I began reading the next page, a golden portal opened, and Fate stepped through, with Constantine next to him. "I do not enjoy being summoned, Nomad. I hope this is important."

"First of all: I requested a meeting, so get off your high horse before I turn it to glue, you hopped up, gilded little asshat! And second: get over yourself. Everything I do is important." I snorted at him derisively, and closed the book with a snap after bookmarking the page.

He grumbled, but sat in the chair that was offered. "Fine. Let us Meet, then. On what subject do you require my assistance? And why is the Hellblazer here?"

"I don't require your assistance, you prideful little tin can!!!" I took a breath, calmingly. "I have a proposition for the both of you, a Deal to be made. Constantine, I suppose Helix has given you a rundown of the offer already, or you wouldn't be here?" I glanced at him.

"Oh aye, I'm in, seems like a ringer to me." He shrugged, lighting a cigarette. I raised an eyebrow slowly, glancing at the lack of doors or windows to filter the smoke out of, and he grumbled, stubbing it out on the bottom of his boot and tucking the cigarette away.

"Thank you. Now, Doctor Fate, while it makes me cringe to address you as a Doctor, despite you never earning that lauded, sought-after title the proper way, let's get you caught up. I want Giovanni Zatarra back." I sighed.

"Impossible. There must always be a Doctor Fate. I-" he growled at us.

"I'm well aware, and Constantine has offered to take his place. He's younger, more powerful, and, let's be honest, he'll be missed much less than Giovanni." I smiled at Constantine's offended rebuttal, and kept my eyes on Fate, locked in a staring contest.

He hummed slowly. "That is true, however, I have been tricked before by Constantine. He once held me prisoner for two years, and lost me in a poker game, during which time Klarion and his fellow Chaotic Sorcerers helped give rise to Trigon, the Demon of the Dark." He glared at Constantine, who cleared his throat uncomfortably.

"Not my finest moment, aye..." he accepted the blame admirably.

I shook my head. "This time won't be like that. He won't have a choice." The chair Constantine was sitting in grew cords of steel and manacles engraved with magical wards to lock away his magical abilities, holding him still.

"Oi! Now listen here, missy, this wasn't-" a gag completed the ensemble, and I looked back at Fate.

"Now, you have my word, this is what will happen; you will remove the helmet, and I will place your helmet upon the head of John Constantine. I will not delay, I will not place you in storage or what-have-you. It will be an immediate switch. In exchange, you will assist Constantine in his quests to destroy the evils of the dark, whenever the League is not facing an evil sorcerer-type threat. Is that acceptable?" I asked clearly.

He thought for a moment, and stood up. "I imagine that it is. The threats of the dark need powerful enemies just as much as Klarion and his sorcerous pets. I will accept this bargain, on the condition that you tell me why."

"Because Zatanna is my friend. She needs her father far more than she needs the truly bad influence of John Constantine, the Hellblazer. That's the truth, at the heart of it, I swear." I said clearly.

He nodded. "Indeed... I believe that you believe that. Why did he agree to this?" He gestured at the helpless, furious Constantine.

"Because he wants Zatanna to be happy as well... but he also thought I was going to make you agree to leave him in charge of the body, and I don't think you'd go for that." I shrugged.

"So long as he does not neglect our duties, and swears never to remove the Helm, I believe I can allow him brief moments of control... we will discuss it at length, no doubt." He hummed thoughtfully.

"So it's a deal? I get Giovanni, you get John?" I held out a hand.

He chuckled softly. "There is no need for a bargain to be struck in this manner. Bargains with me are cosmic in origin, and as such require only intent. The ramifications for breaking them are likewise cosmic." He warned me, and then pulled the helm off with a blast of golden light.

I took the helm from Giovanni, sitting him down, then placed the helm on Constantine's head, watching the change take place... but he was still stuck in the chair, for now.

"You were right... this body is powerful, young, and vibrant... though the cancerous cells in the lungs are an issue. I will remove them." He hummed, and stood up, destroying the chair, then a small portal opened inside his chest, and cancerous cells landed on the floor in a disgusting slop.

"Ew... Helix, take a sample of that? It might help us cure cancer. And as for you, Fate, one last thing?" I asked, tapping his shoulder as he opened a portal.

He turned, and his eyes widened when I grabbed the helmet, pulling it off casually.

"Yoink!" I smirked and kissed the forehead of the empty helmet. "Now, Constantine, take Giovanni to Zatanna, thank you, and remember not to tell anyone what happened here. Not even Zatanna. He's back, that's what matters. Clear?" I frowned at him.

He nodded, wobbling on his feet, and helped Giovanni up. "Let's go, old man, your little girl 'as been waitin' for ye for quite a while, now, eh?"

Giovanni shook him off, and looked at me seriously. "Double crossing him is never a good idea, Nomad..."

"I didn't. I kept my end of the bargain exactly as I said I would, and I even allowed him enough time to fix Constantine's Lung Cancer; you should really get that checked out, by the way." I glanced at John.

He chuckled. "Well, I like pullin' a fast one over that shiny headed bastard any time, so I'm all for it! 'Ave fun, luv!"

I smiled and opened a portal to London for them, in the vague location I thought Trafalgar Square was. "Well, your ride is here, so hop to, boys, go on! Zatanna has a show in Trafalgar Square or something, I think, so you can catch her backstage after her act."

They nodded and stepped through, walking down the street as the portal closed.

I smiled and looked down at the helmet. "And you, my sweet little prize, are going right next to mama!" I placed him on the desk, and opened the grimoire again. "I suppose I'll be needing to find a way to contact Klarion... nah, he'll show up on his own. Helix? Try and shield my mind so that even if I put on the helmet, I'm in charge of my body? My greatest fear is that someone will control my body, so try to make that a non-option? For various kinds of control and mental dominations, please?"

"I'll get right on it, Boss!" He chuckled, and a diagram of my brain appeared.

I hummed as he filled the various folds of my brain with liquid Nth Metal, then a solid form of it laced into my bones, starting specifically with my skull, but spreading to all my bones. "An irremovable version of magneto's helmet, mixed with wolverine's skeleton... very nice..." I smiled.

"Thank you, I appreciate your praise. Also, I've managed to replicate Savage's radiation signature, and I'm testing it currently on several different type of patients; a chimp, a gorilla, a Neanderthal grown from Savage's DNA, a Human grown from a sample of Batman, and a sample of Terran's DNA, for the Moray... the results are rather intriguing so far." He hummed.

"How so?" I asked.

"On the neurological front alone, amazing results. It causes an increase in cerebral activity, followed by a growth of hyper-elasticized grey matter, replacing much of the old grey matter, but transferring the consciousness and memories, so the original host never dies... though that seems to be an effect of the immortality bit, which is a separate issue." He started writing, and I looked at the screens for the experiments.

"The chimp... is it writing?" I asked.

"Correct. I taught her how to read and write in Latin and English... she cannot speak, as she does not have the correct vocal cords nor the palate... the Ape is exhibiting similar growth, and has even managed proto-speech. The Neanderthal is where things get interesting. He's fully capable of speech, reading and writing, and he is already developing a working knowledge of mechanics, despite being only three days old, regardless of his adult form." He grinned.

"And the last two?" I smiled, curious as to what to expect.

"The Homo sapiens died, surprisingly, due to the increase in intellect; he went from a 136 on the IQ Scale to a 206, then died as his brain removed the ability to breath and control his own heart, drawing too much energy away from the frontal cortex. The Moray, similarly, died of being too smart. But, I've already isolated the problem; should the immortality kick in before the intellect, or should the intellect be locked away with a power dampener until the hyper-regeneration kicked in, then-"

"No. That's too much of an increase; with my intellect, it would become... dangerous. Not to me, but to everyone else." I shook my head.

He hummed. "Actually, from what I can see, it only unlocks the full potential of the subject... your intellect is already at full potential, and as such wouldn't really suffer from the same effect, I don't think. I'll run a test." He took a sample of my blood and pressed a button, launching all of the subjects into the sun's corona, effectively immolating them and cleaning the rooms with the back-splash of thermonuclear radiation.

I sighed. "Well, I suppose you should... if effective immortality is possible, more so than the reincarnating kind the Nth Metal allows, I'd like to know about it."

"Hmm... Curious results... the radiation doesn't just affect intellect; as I said, it unlocks potential. The simulation says it would not increase your powers at all, only fine-tune your control over them. That, and the ultra-speed regeneration, of course... your hormones would balance themselves out finally, and your mind would also be affected, as you would gain one or two scant points of intelligence, but the speed of your mind would increase, making you capable of functional thought at your super-speed. Overall, only positive results." He nodded.

"Alright, Fine... do it. Did you account for the Tenth Metal in my body, by the way?" I asked belatedly, as he injected a needle full of glowing material into my heart.

He paused, looking up at me, then the screens around us began to whip through calculations so fast that not even my super-fast eyes could catch up... until they could.

I flexed my hands, standing up and pulling the syringe out of my chest, and walked calmly over to the computer screens. "Helix, you didn't have to slow these down for me; what's the difference that Tenth Metal makes to your calculations that made you freak out so much?" I asked.

He moved like a fly through honey, the hologram collapsing in slow motion and reappearing in front of me like a foldout clipping. He tried to speak, it seemed, but nothing happened, at first. Then he made an adjustment, and spoke again, this time audibly. "Alright, Boss, stay calm. Your adrenaline levels are stable, and they need to stay that way until the Radiation is done with you, Alright? You're currently moving at super speed, and I'm speaking at 4000x my normal rate, projecting sound into your ears via tiny portals and telepathy. Understood?"

I raised an eyebrow at him. "So the difference is that your calculations underestimated the effects of the radiation? How badly?" I asked, reading the screens around us, and receiving something of an answer swiftly. "Ah, that much... Alright, well, it doesn't seem to have affected my mind, thankfully, beyond my processing speed. You were right about that. Wonder what my top speed is now?" I wondered, and then grinned.

Helix frowned slowly. "Boss, that's not a good idea, you should relax and wait, as your resident medical professional, I say stay put for at least another four hours, considering your current perception of time. That'd be 1.111 seconds in real time... you, Boss, are as fast as Bart Allen, now. Your caloric intake will have to increase about 800x, so I'll queue up more of those protein bars, 200x efficiency. That's as best as I can get, while also making them taste good. You'll have to eat one bar every six hours."

I snorted. "Yeah, that's not going to happen." I breathed deeply, and slowed down the effects of the super speed, carefully pulling myself back to normal rates of motion and thought. As soon as I did so, I felt a soft static shock run through my brain, and shivered. "What was that?"

"That was your newly elasticize brain cells, incorporating the liquid Nth Metal into its basic composition... interestingly enough, you now possess the ability to create the stuff just like you do blood. I'll change the protein bars accordingly, don't worry." He chuckled and then plucked a piece of my hair, taking a swab of my cheek, and finally taking a quick sample of blood, then disappearing as the numbers on the screens began to move again at even faster speeds.

I sat down in my chair. "Well! That was rather interesting... Helix? Just one thing?"

"Yes Boss?"

"Never take a risk like that again without knowing all the variables." I frowned sternly at him, as he appeared.

He sighed. "Yes, Doctor, I understand. In other news, you have a call waiting from Zatanna."

"Damn that Constantine..." I sighed. "Answer it."