SBAT Ch 6

Leaps of faith are part of the business when one runs with the Bat-Family. Just like the first time Steph jumped off a roof, clinging to a Batline, she turns off her brain and follows Constantine into hell, just one step behind Selina.

“What the hell?” Selina says.

They’re in a parking garage. The letters 666 stand out in black on the nearest concrete pillar. The space is by no means clean, yet it’s oddly tidy and symmetrical. The train and the tracks hardly look out of place. It’s strange and dreamlike; the silence makes Steph feel like she’s stepped into a painting.

“Interesting choice of words,” Constantine mutters, puffing. “All right, then.” He turns to them and holds out his hands. “Link up.”

Selina is derisive. “You want to hold hands?”

“For your safety, like.”

“I appreciate the sentiment, but we can handle ourselves,” Selina says before Steph can reply.

Steph isn’t quite as proud; she’s about to reach out for Constantine’s hand, but he just shrugs and turns away, setting off among the pillars.

“Try not to get lost, right?” he says over his shoulder.

Steph follows him, coughing as she walks into a cloud of his smoke.

“This is some weird shit,” Selina mutters. She’s carrying her whip at her side as though she expects to have to use it.

“I thought there’d be fire and stuff,” Steph admits.

“Me too.”

A distant laugh echoes, bouncing from the concrete. Steph turns back warily, eyes darting from pillar to pillar. There’s a sudden hiss, and the train starts to move. Her eyes follow it as it slides away, vanishing into another black tunnel. She begins to feel as though it has been an oversight not to plan how they’re getting out of here. Do they just take the train again?

She turns back to ask only to find that she’s alone.

Her hands clench and she stiffens, a jolt of panic shooting through her chest. “Oh jeez,” she says.

“Are you lost?”

A woman about Steph’s height stands beside her, wearing a curious expression underneath a pair of wire-rimmed glasses. Her glossy, black hair is up beautifully, and she wears what is best described as a tremendously high-effort slutty secretary costume. Her blouse is only half-buttoned, revealing plenty of black lace lingerie and a majestic scene of cleavage.

Most troubling is that her skin is the color of Steph’s favorite lipstick, and she has two short horns on her head. A red tail swishes idly behind her, and she holds an iPad, only the apple on the back has a snake curled around it.

Steph swallows. “You gotta be kidding me.”

The devil frowns. “Rude.” She walks past without another word, her heels clicking on the concrete.

Steph watches in disbelief, and her eyes slide down the woman’s back to the tail, and her swaying hips. She stares for a moment, licking her lips.

“Hey,” she says.

The devil looks back. “Yeah?”

“Where am I supposed to go?”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m looking for someone.”

“Who?”

Steph hesitates, cringing inwardly. She doesn’t know what to do. “Batman,” she says finally.

The devil smiles and comes back over. “What’s your name?”

“Spoiler.”

The devil grins and sticks out her hand. “I’m Demi. Nice to meet you, Spoiler.”

Steph awkwardly shakes her hand.

“Batman, huh? I can probably get that information for you. Why don’t you come up to my office?”

“Um,” Steph replies. Seconds pass.

Demi leans forward slightly, a playful look on her face. “I don’t bite.”

“Yeah, nothing, um, personal. I’m just not sure that’s a good idea. I don’t know if it’s safe for someone like me.”

“Should I call security?”

“Uh, no. No. Let’s not do that.” Steph looks around in a panic. There’s still no sign of Constantine or Selina. “Have you seen, uh, John Constantine around?”

Demi’s brows rise. “John Constantine?”

“That’s right.”

“He’s here?”

“Um,” Steph bites her lip, cringing. “Maybe?”

Demi’s smile becomes even wider somehow. “Why don’t you come on up?”

“Up?”

The red woman laughs, and her voice is as pretty as the rest of her. “What? You think everything’s down? Don’t believe everything you read. Come on up. We’ll find your friends.”

Well, Constantine didn’t say that Steph couldn’t talk to people, only that she shouldn’t make any deals. This must be why he wanted to hold hands—so they wouldn’t get separated. Steph feels the briefest flash of annoyance with Constantine for not doing a better job explaining this, then again for Zatanna. Then she deflates. Zatanna did try to warn her.

Steph takes a deep breath. “OK. Lead the way.”

“Great,” Demi says, radiating car salesman energy. All friendliness, she links arms with Steph and leads her off toward some elevators that Steph is pretty sure were not there a minute ago.