Becoming Nightshade

Batman's jaw tightened as he stepped toward the center of the room. His cape swirled slightly as he surveyed the area, his voice calm but commanding. "Superman already located her and Eclipso attacking her mind."

Constantine frowned, tossing his cigarette to the ground and stomping it out. "Eclipso's not just playing games. He's embedded in her head, using her connection to the shadows to wear her down. The longer we wait, the weaker she'll get."

Robin stood, gripping his staff tightly. "Then we don't wait. We go now."

Conner floated closer, his hands glowing brighter. "I can fly ahead and meet up with Superman."

Batman held up a hand, stopping them. "No one goes alone. We've seen what Eclipso can do. We stick together."

Constantine stepped forward, his hands glowing faintly with residual magic. "I can get us there faster. Superman's not hard to find—he's like a bloody beacon. Give me a minute to work."

Batman nodded. "Make it quick."

Constantine knelt, muttering an incantation under his breath as he traced a sigil into the scorched floor with his finger. The air around them shimmered faintly, the remnants of Eclipso's shadow energy reacting to Constantine's spell. The sigil began to glow, and a faint portal of swirling light and shadow formed in the center of the room.

"There," Constantine said, standing and dusting off his hands. "That'll take us right to the Big Blue Boy Scout and Maggie."

Robin and Conner exchanged a look before stepping toward the portal. Batman followed, his cape billowing behind him. Constantine brought up the rear, muttering another incantation to stabilize the portal.

"Hold onto your hats," Constantine said with a faint smirk. "It's going to be a bumpy ride."

The glowing portal shimmered as Constantine, Batman, Robin, and Conner stepped through, the world around them shifting abruptly from the ruined apartment to the shadow-filled alley. The oppressive energy was palpable, the air heavy and charged with tension.

Superman stood near Maggie, his shoulders tense, his cape hanging still in the unnatural stillness of the space. Maggie lay on the ground before him, her body convulsing in pain. Shadows writhed around her like living tendrils, twisting and lashing out violently. Her screams echoed through the alley, raw and heart-wrenching.

"Kill me!" Maggie's voice broke through the chaos, her words trembling with agony. "Kill me before he—"

Superman's voice desperation as he knelt beside her, trying to reach her through the thrashing shadows. "No one is killing you, Maggie. Fight him!"

Maggie's screams pierced through the night, her body convulsing as the shadows wrapped around her like living chains. The tendrils lashed out violently, clawing at the ground and walls, leaving deep marks in their wake. The oppressive energy in the air made it hard to think, let alone act.

Constantine, standing nearby, scanned the scene with sharp eyes, the glow of golden energy flickering around his hands. "Bloody hell," he muttered, his voice tight as he prepared a spell. "He's deep inside her head. There's no fighting this from the outside."

Batman stepped closer, his cape swaying behind him as he studied Maggie and the writhing shadows with calculating precision. "What do you need, Constantine?"

Constantine hesitated, glancing at Maggie's trembling form, then back at Batman. His tone was grim as he answered, "I need her unconscious. If I'm going to get into her mind and sever Eclipso's connection, she has to be out cold."

"What then?" Batman asked.

Constantine sighed, his eyes narrowing as he glanced at the writhing shadows around Maggie. "We take her back to the Batcave," he said, his voice steady but grim. "There, me and bird boy here"—he jabbed a thumb in Jason's direction—"will go inside her mind and deal with this bastard directly."

Jason froze, his grip tightening around his staff, his knuckles turning white. "Wait. Me too?" he asked, his voice a mixture of confusion and protest, his usual bravado faltering.

Constantine raised an eyebrow, giving Jason a sharp once-over. "Yeah, you," he said bluntly. "You love her, right? Or are you just another teenager trying to get into a girl's pants?"

Jason's face flushed, his jaw tightening as he stepped closer, his eyes blazing with anger. "Of course I love her!" he snapped, his voice ringing out louder than he intended. "What kind of question is that?"

Constantine smirked faintly, unbothered by Jason's outburst. "Good," he said, his tone laced with challenge. "Because love's the only thing strong enough to keep her tethered. You don't go in there with real feelings, she'll slip away faster than you can say 'I messed up.'"

Jason opened his mouth to retort but stopped, his gaze darting to Maggie's unconscious form in Superman's arms. Her pale face, framed by disheveled hair, struck a chord deep in his chest. The thought of losing her—of not doing everything in his power to save her—made his stomach twist.

"I'm in," Jason said firmly, his voice steady now. "Whatever it takes. I'm not letting her go."

Constantine nodded approvingly, the faint smirk fading into something more genuine. "That's what I like to hear, mate. You're gonna need that fire where we're going."

Batman, standing nearby, observed the exchange silently. His sharp gaze flicked between Jason and Constantine before he spoke. "If this is going to work, you'll need focus. Jason, no distractions. Constantine, no risks we can't control."

Constantine snorted. "No risks, eh? You do realize who you're talking to, don't you, Bats?"

Batman didn't respond, his eyes narrowing slightly. The weight of his silent stare was enough to make Constantine sigh and mutter under his breath, "Alright, alright. I'll keep it tidy."

Jason nodded. "I said I'm in, and I mean it. Just tell me what to do."

Constantine clapped a hand on Jason's shoulder, his expression turning serious. "Stick close once we're inside her mind. Your gonna see some things—dark things—and she'll need someone to remind her she's it's not real. That's your job, Romeo."

Jason's lips twitched at Constantine's nickname, but he swallowed his retort, fixing his focus on Maggie's pale, unconscious form. Her face was slack, her body limp in Superman's arms, and the sight gnawed at him in a way he couldn't put into words. He tightened his grip on his staff, steeling himself.

Superman glanced at the group, his voice calm but filled with purpose. "I'll get her to the Batcave. You take the portal and follow as soon as you can."

Batman gave a sharp nod. "We'll be right behind you."

Without another word, Superman adjusted his hold on Maggie, cradling her protectively. He shot into the air with a sonic boom, his red cape trailing behind him as he soared toward the Batcave. The wind stirred by his departure rustled the debris in the alley, leaving the group in a tense silence.

Constantine flicked his fingers, conjuring another swirling portal of golden light and shadow in the air before them. "Right, then. No point in standing around," he said, gesturing toward the portal. "Let's get moving."

Jason hesitated for a moment, staring at the portal's shimmering surface. His thoughts were racing, filled with a mix of determination and fear. He clenched his jaw and stepped forward, his voice low. "I'm ready."

Batman placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping him for a brief moment. "Focus," Bruce said firmly. "This won't be easy. She's counting on you."

Jason nodded, his grip on his staff tightening. "I know."

Conner hovered a few feet above the ground, his expression serious as he glanced at Constantine. "You sure this portal is stable?"

Constantine rolled his eyes, the faint glow of his hands dimming as he crossed his arms. "I'm not some rookie, kid. It'll hold. You lot just keep your wits about you."

Batman stepped through first, his cape swirling as he disappeared into the portal. Jason followed closely, his expression set with determination, and Conner brought up the rear. Constantine let out a long sigh, flicked his cigarette to the ground, and muttered to himself as he stepped through.

The portal shimmered as Constantine, Batman, Jason, and Conner stepped into the Batcave. The familiar hum of the Batcomputer and the faint trickle of water echoed through the vast space, but the tension in the room was palpable. Superman was already there, carefully laying Maggie onto one of the medical tables, her pale face illuminated by the overhead lights.

Nearby, Alfred and Dick were busy monitoring her vitals on the medical equipment. The screens showed erratic patterns, her brain waves spiking in ways that defied explanation.

"These readings…" Dick muttered, his brow furrowed as he glanced at Alfred. "I've never seen anything like this. It's like her brain is on overdrive, but not in any way that makes sense."

Alfred adjusted the monitors with practiced precision, his expression calm but his voice tinged with concern. "Her vitals are stable for now, but these brain waves are... unprecedented. It's as if there's something—interfering directly."

Barbara, seated at the Batcomputer in her wheelchair, turned toward them, her fingers flying across the keyboard. "I'm cross-referencing everything we have on similar cases, but so far, nothing matches. Whatever's happening to her isn't natural."

Constantine strode toward Maggie, his face grim as he lit a cigarette with a snap of his fingers. He exhaled a plume of smoke, the faint glow of magic flickering around his hands as he approached. "That's because this isn't natural. What you're seeing isn't science, love—it's divine. Or at least, it used to be."

Barbara glanced at him, her expression sharp. "What do you mean?"

Constantine's eyes didn't leave Maggie as he spoke. "Eclipso. He's not just some shadowy demon or dark force. He was once the angel of God's wrath, the divine executioner. But he fell, cast out when his vengeance became too brutal, too indiscriminate. Now he's something worse—something that feeds on power, especially power like hers."

"Her shadows," Batman said, stepping closer. "He's trying to take them."

Constantine nodded grimly. "Exactly. Her shadows are more than just some magical quirk. They're ancient, powerful, tied to forces most people can't even comprehend. And Eclipso wants them for himself. If he gets them, he'll regain the power he had before he fell—and then some."

Jason, standing by Maggie's side "How do we stop him?"

Constantine turned to him, his expression serious. "We go into her mind. Eclipso's tethered himself to her consciousness, trying to force her to give up her power. If we don't sever that connection, he'll take everything she has—and she won't survive it."

Jason's jaw tightened. "And I'm supposed to help with that?"

Constantine smirked faintly. "You're not just 'helping,' mate. You're the key. Your connection to her—it's strong enough to ground her, to remind her who she is and why she needs to fight. Without you, she could get lost in the chaos, and I'm not dragging both of you out."

Barbara turned her wheelchair slightly to face them fully. "And if you can't sever the connection?"

Constantine's smirk faded. "Then Eclipso wins. He takes her power, and there's no getting her back. Worse, we'll be dealing with a god-tier being with a vendetta against creation itself."

The room fell silent, Constantine's grim words hanging in the air like a storm cloud. The weight of his statement—Eclipso winning, taking Maggie's power, and becoming an unstoppable force—seemed to chill everyone in the room.

Suddenly, the steady beep of the heart monitor monitoring Maggie's vitals spiked erratically. The machine emitted a shrill alarm, and Maggie's body tensed on the medical table, her head twitching slightly as her fingers clenched into weak fists.

Alfred immediately stepped forward, his calm professionalism masking the worry in his eyes. "Her heart rate is spiking dangerously high," he said, his voice firm but urgent.

Dick leaned over the monitor, his eyes widening at the readings. "She's under serious stress. If this keeps up…" He trailed off, glancing at Alfred.

Alfred nodded, already preparing a syringe. "We'll administer a mild sedative to stabilize her heartbeat. But whatever it is you gentlemen are planning, you need to act swiftly."

Barbara wheeled closer to the Batcomputer, her fingers flying across the keys as she scanned the readings. "It's not just her heart," she said, her voice tense. "Her brain waves are spiking again. Whatever's happening in her mind, it's accelerating."

Jason's eyes flicked to Maggie, her face pale and glistening with sweat. He grabbed Constantine by the arm. "We're running out of time! Do your spell—now!"

Constantine pulled his arm free, his usual smirk replaced with grim determination. "I know, kid. I'm not dragging my feet for fun."

Batman, standing nearby, his face impassive but his voice sharp, turned to Constantine. "If you're going to do this, do it now. She doesn't have long before the stress becomes too much for her body."

Constantine rolled his sleeves up, his hands glowing with golden light. "Alright, everyone, clear out. I need space and no interruptions."

Alfred administered the sedative into Maggie's IV, glancing at the monitor. The erratic beeping began to slow slightly, though her body still trembled faintly. "That should hold her for the moment," Alfred said calmly. "But it's only a temporary measure."

Constantine stepped closer to Maggie, muttering an incantation under his breath as he placed his glowing hands on either side of her head. The faint outline of magical sigils began to form in the air above her, glowing brighter with each passing second.

Jason grabbed Maggie's hand, his grip tight but gentle. "I'm ready," he said, his voice steady despite the anxiety in his eyes.

Constantine glanced at him, his tone sharp but not unkind. "You'd better be, mate. Once we're in there, there's no backing out."

The air around the table grew heavy with energy, the golden light from Constantine's spell filling the cavernous Batcave. Maggie's breathing hitched, her body tensing slightly as the magic began to take effect.

Dick, standing by the monitors, kept his eyes locked on the readings. "Her brain activity is shifting again. You're triggering something."

Barbara's voice cut through the tension. "The stress levels are dropping, but barely. Whatever you're doing, Constantine, it's starting to work. Just keep going."

Constantine's hands trembled slightly as he intensified the spell. "Hold tight, bird boy," he muttered to Jason. "Time to see just how strong this connection of yours really is."

The light flared suddenly, enveloping Jason, Constantine, and Maggie. The world around them blurred and shifted, the Batcave dissolving into an endless void of swirling light and shadow.