Liam stood firm, staring at the white-clad warrior before him. "I thought you were a knight of the shadows," he said, tilting his head. "We're in the middle of the city. How about we take this somewhere less... public?"
Azrael's glowing red eyes narrowed. "I am not here to negotiate with the devil."
With a blur of motion, Azrael lunged, slashing his sharp-teethed blade with terrifying speed. Liam barely managed to dodge, the air hissing as the sword sliced into the brick wall behind him, leaving a deep, jagged cut.
Liam let out a low whistle. "Damn. That was close."
Azrael gave no time for recovery. He closed the gap in an instant, slamming a powerful kick into Liam's ribs, sending him skidding across the pavement.
Liam groaned, rolling his shoulder as he stood. "I don't think I've done anything to you, man. What's this about?"
Azrael pointed his blade at Liam. "You draw power from the devil himself, making you an enemy of God."
Liam exhaled sharply. "Right. One of those guys."
"I am the tool of God's wrath," Azrael continued. "And you will be purged."
Liam didn't wait for another monologue—he pulled out his guns and fired.
BOOM!
The force of the shots ripped chunks of the street apart, sending debris flying. Liam's eyes widened.
"Yeah… this is gonna be a problem."
Sparda's voice rang in his head. "Why do you care? Did you have a crush on him in your previous life? Just blast him off."
Liam smirked while dodging another deadly strike. "I thought we needed to keep a low profile?"
"A low profile, not ending up six feet underground! And why the hell is a normal human this strong?"
Liam ducked under a swipe and backflipped away. "Genetically modified. Animal-like strength."
"And you have demon force! How is he pushing you?!" Sparda snapped.
Liam kept moving, barely dodging Azrael's relentless assault. "Maybe if a certain bitch stopped whining in my head, I could actually do something!"
Azrael wasn't slowing down. His blade cut through steel, pavement, anything in its way. The fight spilled into a busy street, where civilians screamed and scattered.
Liam clenched his jaw. "Damn it. I can't fight here."
Azrael charged forward, ready to strike him down.
Liam cursed, gripping the Sparda sword—but before he could draw it, a golden portal erupted behind him.
A hand yanked him backward.
"Sorry, mate. Can't let you go dying just yet."
Before Liam could react, John Constantine pulled him through the portal, sealing it shut.
Azrael stood still for a moment, staring at where Liam had been. Then, without a word, he stepped back into the shadows and disappeared, just as silently as he had arrived.
Scene: A Scar for a Scar
Back in the pub, Liam barely had time to catch his breath before John let out a frustrated sigh, shaking his head.
"Brilliant. Just brilliant," John muttered, lighting a cigarette. "Not only did you almost get yourself killed, but you also managed to ruin my favorite damn shirt."
Liam blinked, looking down at himself. His shirt had a long, jagged tear across the chest. He whistled.
"Damn. That was closer than I thought."
Before he could process it further, Zatanna stormed out of her room. Her eyes widened when she saw the state he was in, and she rushed straight toward him.
"Liam, what happened to you?!"
He waved a hand. "Relax, Zee, just a little encounter with an angry knight. Nothing to worry about—"
SMACK
Zatanna slapped him across the face.
"Nothing to worry about?!" Her voice cracked, her eyes welling up with tears. "Why did you ask me to leave?! You could've been hurt… or worse!"
Liam sighed, rubbing his cheek with a small smirk. "Better me than you."
"That's not your decision to make!"
"I can't let you get hurt because of me."
"I'm strong enough to defend myself," she shot back.
"But I'm not," Liam admitted. "I bring a lot of danger with me. I'm not ready to fight yet—let alone while worrying about dragging other people into my mess."
Zatanna narrowed her eyes. "Are you saying I'm dead weight?"
Liam shook his head, sighing. "I love you."
Silence.
Zatanna just stared at him, completely stunned.
After a beat, she exhaled sharply, shaking her head with a small smirk.
"You've got some serious balls saying that on the first date."
Sparda snickered in his head. "The steel rod took them, my lady."
Liam rolled his eyes, but Zatanna let out a small chuckle, wiping away the last of her tears.
"But you're not getting away that easily," she added, stepping closer. "We're in this together."
Liam smiled. "Wouldn't have it any other way."
Then he turned to Constantine.
"Alright, John. You know any strong demons?"
John squinted. "Are you nuts?"
Liam pulled out the pistols, twirling them in his hands.
"These bad boys came from Satanus and Blaze. I need more weapons like 'em—something that won't level a whole city block every time I use 'em."
John's sarcastic grin faded. His expression darkened.
"There's one way," John muttered, taking a long drag from his cigarette. "But it ain't pretty."
Liam tilted his head. "I'm listening."
John exhaled smoke. His voice dropped, and for the first time, there was real sorrow behind it.
"You help me put an old friend to rest… and you'll get your weapons."
Liam frowned. "Who's this demon?"
John's voice was quieter this time.
"Chantinelle."
John holds up the small, charred card between his fingers, smirking.
"Still got a Hell's card from Lucifer somewhere here," he mutters, rummaging through his trench coat pockets.
Zatanna crosses her arms. "Guess you're still a mess, huh?"
John snorts. "Don't act so surprised, love."
Liam steps forward, pointing a finger. "Ay, stay away from my girl."
Zatanna chuckles, tilting her head at him. "Why are you so possessive? We just went on one date."
Liam shrugs with a smirk. "Are there going to be more?"
Zatanna gives him a teasing look before smirking.
Liam grins. "You got your answer."
John groans. "Bloody hell, get a room already."
He finally pulls out the card. "Gotcha." Holding it up, he turns serious. "Look, this is going to be quite hard, and it's okay if you both change your minds."
Liam scoffs. "Do I have a choice?"
Zatanna steps forward. "You're not going alone this time."
Liam runs a hand through his hair, exhaling. "Fuuuuuuck."
He quickly changes the subject. "Thinking about it, how did Azrael even find me? Why did he attack?"
John pauses for a second before rubbing his chin. "Bats, probably. But trust me, mate, you don't wanna go down that rabbit hole."
Liam exhales, shaking his head. "Yeah… I know better."
John flicks the Hell's card, and a swirling red portal tears open before them. The heat of Hell's landscape seeps through, distorting the air.
"Alright, into the pit we go," John mutters.
Without hesitation, they step through.
As the infernal wasteland unfolds before them, Sparda's voice hums in Liam's mind.
"Home sweet home."