The portal opened in the middle of the mansion courtyard, its light washing over the stone path and trimmed gardens in uneven waves. Warm night air drifted through from Kahndaq as the trio stepped out onto the grounds.
The second John crossed the portal, he lowered his voice just enough for Rachel and Koriand'r to hear him clearly.
"Don't mention the deal to anyone," he said calmly while the portal crackled behind them.
Rachel looked at him immediately. "John…"
"I mean it," he cut in quietly, though there was no anger in his tone. "They don't need that hanging over them right now."
Koriand'r studied him for a moment before giving a small nod. Rachel hesitated longer, but eventually nodded too.
The portal closed behind them with a low hum, leaving the courtyard silent for half a second.
Then Harley spotted him. "JOHNNY!!!"
"Oh, thank the heavens!" Hippolyta whispered.
Harley rushed down the garden steps so fast she nearly slipped on the stone path. John barely had time to brace himself before she threw herself into him, arms wrapping tightly around his neck while her legs hooked around his waist out of pure momentum.
"You giant idiot," Harley muttered against him as she held him tightly. "Do ya have any idea how long ya were gone? I was this close to kicking down Hell's front door myself."
John steadied her easily with one arm around her back. A small breath escaped him, softer than a laugh as some of the tension finally eased from his shoulders.
"I'm alive," he said quietly.
"No thanks to your absolutely terrible planning skills," Harley shot back before pulling away just enough to look at him properly. She checked his face, shoulders, and chest like she expected hidden injuries somewhere. Once she seemed satisfied, her expression relaxed slightly.
Then her eyes shifted past him toward Rachel and Koriand'r.
"Oh hey," she said, lifting one hand casually. "Happy to see you two alive too."
Rachel gave a small awkward wave while Koriand'r nodded politely. "Thank you."
A few steps behind Harley, Hippolyta walked forward across the garden path, her expression calmer but no less concerned. Moonlight caught against the gold details woven into her dark robes as she stopped in front of John.
She hugged him as Harley pulled away.
"The girls filled me in," she said, her voice steady though worry still lingered beneath it. "How could you go alone to meet the Devil himself? I was worried the entire time." She pulled back and looked up into his eyes.
John looked at her, then toward Maureen, standing nearby with her arms crossed tightly over her chest. Even from a distance, he could see the tension sitting in her shoulders.
He exhaled quietly.
"I'm sorry for making all of you worry," he admitted. "Time mattered more than caution this time. But it's over now. Trigon won't be causing problems on Earth anymore, and Rachel's free from his influence."
Rachel lowered her eyes briefly after hearing that out loud. Even now, she still wasn't fully used to the silence inside her own head. And the thought of the cost that John was going to pay for her... it was like a guilt that she had to live with from now on.
Hippolyta studied John carefully for another second before speaking again.
"A deal with the Devil always carries a cost," she said.
John already knew that conversation was unavoidable.
"Yeah," he replied with a small nod. "Lucifer wanted one year of my time. After that, I'm free."
The courtyard grew quieter after that.
Maureen's brows pulled together almost immediately. "One year to do what?" she asked, suspicion creeping into her voice faster than fear. "You aren't gonna disappear or something, are you?"
John looked at her for a moment before walking over.
Maureen stayed still as he stopped in front of her, though the worry in her eyes became harder to hide the closer he got. Without saying anything else first, John pulled her into a hug.
She stiffened slightly from surprise before slowly relaxing against him. Even though he wasn't saying anything bad, she could still feel that weird feeling that John wasn't telling them the whole truth.
"Yeah," he admitted quietly. "I'll be gone for a while."
Maureen's fingers tightened slightly against the back of his shirt.
"But it's gonna be alright," he continued calmly. "I'll be back before you know it."
Maureen pulled back just enough to look up at him properly. "That sounds suspiciously like something people say before terrible things happen."
Harley immediately pointed at her. "See? That's exactly what I was thinkin'."
John sighed softly. "I'm not dying."
"You better not," Harley muttered as she walked over again. "Because if you come back traumatized or evil or possessed or somethin', I am absolutely throwing a brick at your head first."
A faint smile finally appeared on John's face.
"I'll keep that in mind."
For a moment, the tension eased slightly across the courtyard. The warm garden lights, the quiet fountain nearby, the distant sound of the city beyond the mansion walls, all of it almost made the night feel normal again.
Almost.
Because deep down, John could still feel it lingering at the edge of his thoughts.
Six thousand years.
And somewhere far below reality itself, the ruler of Hell was already waiting for him.
"Well, I don't have much time, so," John opened his arms. "I'm gonna need a tight hug."
For a second, nobody moved.
Then Harley practically launched herself at him again.
"Oh, screw this," she muttered as she wrapped both arms around his neck tightly. "You don't get to say stuff like that all calm and dramatic like you're goin' on vacation."
Maureen stepped in right after her, pressing against his side while trying very hard to look less emotional than she actually was. It failed almost immediately when her arms wrapped tightly around him too.
Hippolyta joined them last.
The Queen of the Amazons held him firmly, one hand resting against the back of his head for a brief moment as she closed her eyes quietly.
For once, John did not speak.
He just stood there holding all three of them. Six thousand years is a long time, and it ain't going to be easy. He just wants to remember them and this feeling.
Harley buried her face against his shoulder and grumbled, "I hate this stupid deal already."
"Same," Maureen muttered under her breath.
John let out a quiet breath that almost turned into a laugh. "Yeah, well. I'm not exactly thrilled either."
Eventually, the group hug loosened enough for him to move properly again.
John reached up first and gently tilted Harley's chin upward before kissing her slowly. The usual chaos in her expression disappeared for a moment as she kissed him back tightly, one hand gripping the front of his shirt like she did not want him slipping away yet.
When they finally pulled apart, Harley rested her forehead briefly against his chest before muttering, "You better come back hot."
John snorted softly. "I'll do my best."
Then he turned toward Maureen.
She looked up at him quietly, trying to keep herself composed. The moment he leaned down and kissed her softly, though, her whole expression cracked just a little around the edges. When he pulled back, she grabbed the front of his coat before he could step away fully.
"You promised," she said quietly. "So don't disappear. Because if something were to happen to you..." Her eyes got teary. "...I don't know what I'm going to do."
"I won't disappear," John replied calmly. "So, don't do anything stupid, yeah. And a lot of people are depending on you." He rubbed her cheek with his thumb. "You're not alone anymore. Always remember that."
Finally, he looked toward Hippolyta.
For the first time all night, the Queen looked uncertain. Not weak, never that, but human in a way only he would probably notice. John stepped closer, resting one hand gently against her cheek before kissing her slowly beneath the warm garden lights.
When they separated, Hippolyta kept one hand resting lightly against his chest.
"You carry too much alone," she said softly.
John gave her a faint smile. "Yeah. I noticed."
The moment lingered quietly before he finally exhaled and looked at her properly again.
"I'm sorry to burden you with even more responsibilities," he said. "But while I'm gone, Kahndaq needs a ruler."
Hippolyta already knew where this was going before he finished speaking.
John continued calmly, "You'll take my place until I come back."
Harley blinked once. "Oh, wow. We're just casually handing out kingdoms now."
Maureen folded her arms loosely. "Honestly, she's probably the best option."
Hippolyta's expression became more serious as she held John's gaze. "Are you certain?"
John nodded once without hesitation. "There's nobody else I trust more with it."
For a second, Hippolyta looked like she wanted to argue.
Instead, she stepped closer and rested her hand over his. "Then I'll protect your people until your return," she promised quietly.
John gave a small nod before turning toward Harley again.
"And you," he said.
Harley immediately pointed at herself. "Uh oh. That tone usually means I'm about to get a lecture."
"I need you to be a good girl while I'm gone."
Harley gasped dramatically. "Johnny, I am always a good girl."
Maureen made the flattest expression imaginable. "That is objectively false."
John ignored both of them and continued calmly, "If you ever start feeling too restless or giddy, use the pogo stick."
Harley mumbled. "What if I get bored?"
"Then fly to the moon for a few hours," John replied. "Just don't start blowing things up out of boredom."
Harley crossed her arms and looked away with exaggerated annoyance. "No promises."
"You literally promised me five seconds ago."
"That was emotionally manipulated consent."
John shook his head slightly before looking toward Maureen.
"I need you to keep everyone safe while I'm gone," he said. "And keep an eye on Harley."
Maureen immediately nodded once. "Leave it to me."
John nodded as he reached into his coat after that and pulled out a black diary. The edges looked slightly worn from years of use. He handed it carefully to Hippolyta. "This has everything," he said. "The new magic training system, spell structures, combat applications, dimensional theory, divine energy circulation. All my notes are in there."
Hippolyta took the diary carefully, already understanding the weight behind it.
"Memorize everything," John continued. "Then destroy it afterward."
He glanced briefly toward the mansion behind them before continuing.
"As for the Kryptonian captives, once Enchantress stabilizes her power fully, she'll remove the genetic conditioning from their DNA."
Hippolyta listened carefully while holding the diary against her side.
"After that, they will have their first taste of freedom," John said. "Ease them into normal life slowly. Farm work should be a decent start."
Harley blinked. "You are literally assigning former space conquerors agricultural therapy."
"Worked for humans," John replied calmly.
Maureen snorted quietly at that.
John looked back toward Hippolyta one last time.
"Take care."
He then looked back toward Rachel and Koriand'r. "Stay here as our guest, settle down or leave... do whatever you wish. But..." He pointed at Rachel. "You should master your power, or else you might hurt the people around you. Maureen will teach you how to control that power."
He was about to call Lucifer to open the portal, but he remembered something important. Many things can happen in one year, so the more power they have, the better chance they'll have of defeating threats.
"I almost forgot," John said as he blinked over to Hippolyta. "Take my hand and close your eyes... then say my name. The one I use to transform."
Hippolyta looked at him for a moment longer before placing her hand in his. The instant their palms touched, she felt it. Divine energy moved beneath his skin like contained storms waiting to break free.
She slowly closed her eyes.
The courtyard became quiet around them while warm wind moved through the gardens.
Then she spoke.
"Shazam."
The sky split apart with golden lightning.
A deafening crack tore across the mansion grounds as divine power crashed downward and engulfed Hippolyta completely. The force shook the courtyard hard enough to ripple the fountain water while arcs of lightning burst across the stone path in glowing veins.
Harley smiled faintly as she watched the transformation happen while Maureen folded her arms quietly beside her. Both of them recognized the feeling immediately. It was the same living lightning John had shared with them long ago.
The lightning lasted only a few seconds.
Then the light faded.
Hippolyta stood at the center of the courtyard, wrapped in divine armor woven from gold, white, and crimson. Lightning flickered briefly across her skin before disappearing beneath the surface, while the air around her carried the same overwhelming presence John always seemed to radiate naturally.
She opened her eyes slowly.
For a brief moment, golden lightning flashed across her irises.
Then came the realization. She could feel all the power of the gods running through her veins. It was overwhelming. Her breath caught softly as she looked down at her own hands.
"This power..." she murmured quietly.
"Well, it's about time..." John said with a smile.
A yellow portal opened behind him.
"Take care, everyone."
With that, he turned around and walked through the portal without any more words. It was time to fulfill his end of the deal.
'Since you fucked me over with six thousand years of hell, I'm gonna use this time to learn the secrets of your power. I've seen it once, and that's enough... With the wisdom from twelve gods and my own knowledge from my past life, I'll be able to get stronger than you. And then, I'll send you back to hell.'
As John walked to the other side, it wasn't Lucifer's penthouse but hell. Everything was dark, and there were rows and rows of doors and stone. It looked endless. He expected something grand, but it is what it is. Behind him was a giant throne made of bones and enchanted stones.
"Welcome to Hell, John," Lucifer's voice echoed in his head. "Hope you're ready."
"I'm fucking looking forward to it, Lucifer," John replied with a cold expression as he walked over to the throne and sat down. Almost instantly, he could feel his power growing at an insane rate. There weren't any side effects or pain, just a power-up.
He leaned back and looked at the endless hell.
--[AN: This should make up for the slow updates. See you in a week or two with Vol-3]
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[13 advance chs] + [Early access to Reborn as Lucifer> 11 chs]