District 13.
This is a secret agency under the American government, primarily engaged in counter-terrorism and criminal investigation and apprehension.
The person in charge is Chief Black.
Initially, everyone in District 13 did not believe in the existence of magic, until Chief Black met the Saint Lord.
Of course, even though Chief Black believed in magic, others remained skeptical.
This included Chief Black superiors.
However, regarding all matters of magic, Chief Black had no intention of convincing anyone, nor did he plan to publicize it broadly.
On one hand, the facts were undeniable.
On the other hand, publicizing it widely might lead to panic and public uproar, which would be counterproductive.
In an era that had truly changed, it was like aliens had repeatedly appeared in the human world and had even engaged in two world-shocking battles.
Chief Black believed it was necessary to take magic seriously.
Therefore, he actively blocked the news and, in the name of District 13, monitored every move of Jackie Chan, successfully collecting twelve talismans with special powers.
Currently, the twelve talismans were stored in a special warehouse in District 13.
Chief Black planned to bring his superior to see this undeniable fact personally, to prove the reality of magic.
Of course, Chief Black preparations did not stop there.
Even if his superior did not personally see the twelve talismans, there was absolutely real video evidence.
However, the scenes viewed through a screen were always different from those encountered in reality, lacking a certain shock factor.
Black also planned to use the collection of the twelve talismans to earn merit for himself, hoping to be promoted to head the forthcoming District 14.
Soon.
Just a few hours before Chief Black informed the higher authorities and they sent someone to inspect the twelve talismans.
A sudden change occurred.
Beep beep beep!
A piercing alarm sounded throughout District 13.
"What happening?"
Chief Black face changed.
Since the establishment of District 13, the alarm had never sounded.
Thus, he was unfamiliar with the alarm but clearly understood what it meant.
"Chief, someone has invaded District 13."
"Enemies!"
"There are enemies!"
The communicator buzzed as the officers of District 13 reported in succession.
"Who are they?"
Chief Black did not panic, asking in a deep voice, "Can you recognize them?"
"We can't recognize them; they all have extraordinary abilities, they're not ordinary people."
The panicked voice of an officer came from the other side of the communicator: "Bullets don't work on them! We need backup! Chief, we need backup!"
"Backup?"
Chief Black did not hesitate: "Hold on, I'm reporting this to the superiors now."
He then pressed the emergency button to notify his superiors and pulled out his phone to call Jackie Chan.
"Hello? Chief Black!"
Jackie Chan seemed to already know the situation in District 13: "Don't tell me there a problem with the twelve talismans."
"No problem yet, but someone has invaded District 13."
Chief Black gaze sharpened, realizing Jackie Chan might know something, he said, "We don't know the identity or purpose of the intruders, but I have reason to believe that their target is the twelve talismans."
"Indeed!"
Jackie Chan said in a deep voice, "I'm bringing people over."
Beep beep beep!
The call was suddenly disconnected.
Chief Black, holding his phone with a puzzled face, felt a bit spaced out.
"Bringing people over?"
He recalled his conversation with Jackie Chan, confused.
"Who is he bringing?"
Old Daddy Antique Shop.
Right after mentioning the twelve talismans in District 13, Jackie Chan received a call from Chief Black.
After their conversation, everyone present understood what had happened.
"It Mephisto and the Saint Lord who have made their move."
Constantine speculated, "Their first target is indeed the twelve talismans. It seems Mephisto plans to first liberate the Saint Lord, then use him to search for the Sanctus Vanganza contract, gather the power of spirits, and open the gates of hell."
"We need to go help immediately."
Jackie looked at Old Daddy and the others, finally handing Little Jade to Old Daddy, "Old Daddy, take good care of Little Jade and don't let her wander off."
Then, turning to Tru, "Tru, you're coming with me."
"Okay."
Tru didn't hesitate.
Though somewhat timid, it didn't mean he lacked the courage to face challenges.
In fact, throughout the adventures of Jackie Chan, Tru, with all the abilities of a Japanese sumo wrestler and magical powers, is definitely an underestimated character.
By the later part of the story, Tru magical abilities might even rival those of Old Daddy.
Jackie then looked at Constantine.
When he said he was bringing people over, he wasn't only referring to Tru, but also to Constantine.
However, Constantine response was unexpected.
Constantine shrugged, "You go ahead, I'm not good at fighting, but trust me, someone will come to support you."
"Alright."
Although it was their first meeting, Jackie, relying on his intuition from multiple escapes and with Batman endorsement, felt Constantine was trustworthy, so he wasn't disappointed and quickly left the antique shop with Tru.
"Uncle Long!!"
Little Jade, frustrated and upset, struggled furiously in Old Daddy arms, but couldn't overcome the strength of Old Daddy, who was as strong as an adult, and failed to break free from his embrace.
"I'm so annoyed!!"
Little Jade gritted her teeth, pouted, and suddenly realized something, confronting Constantine: "Speaking of which, aren't you going to help? Is not being good at fighting just an excuse?"
She paused and huffed, "You're an ally of Batman, and with things having come to this point, you're still finding excuses to avoid it! I'm really disappointed in you, Mr. Constantine."
"The twelve talismans hold a significant power, but there are more than one solutions to this crisis," Constantine replied, unbothered.
As he spoke, his gaze suddenly shifted past Old Daddy and Little Jade to someone standing behind them.
There, Johnny Blaze had awakened and was standing at the door of the room, looking bewildered at the trio in front of him.
"I..."
He was about to speak but was interrupted by Constantine.
"You should remember everything that happened last night."
Constantine paused, then continued, "You lost control, and then you drove Mephisto away."
"Yes, I remember it clearly."
Johnny was silent for a moment, then said, "So that was the Spirit of Vengeance? I couldn't control my body; I could only watch helplessly as he killed."
"The ones you killed were all deserving," Constantine said. "Does that make you feel any better?"
"But sooner or later, I'll lose control."
Johnny was visibly distressed, holding his head, his voice hoarse, "Everything that happened last night is etched deeply in my mind. I can feel the thoughts of the Spirit of Vengeance. In its view, eighty percent of the people in this world are guilty, even children."
"Children?"
Little Jade was startled.
Through the previous conversation, she had gained a clearer understanding of the Ghost Rider, or the Spirit of Vengeance.
However, she felt she might have underestimated the Spirit of Vengeance ruthlessness.
"Yes, apart from that sumo-wrestler-like fat man, you are the next target of the Spirit of Vengeance in this room," Johnny said, looking at the surprised Little Jade.
"Why?"
Little Jade was indignant, "Do all naughty children deserve to die?"
"That why, Johnny, you must learn to control the Spirit of Vengeance, or rather, come to an agreement with it," Constantine interjected, looking at Old Daddy. "I think you might have a way."
"To control the thoughts of a fallen angel is difficult," Old Daddy shook his head. "However, suppressing the Spirit of Vengeance bloodlust and desires is much simpler."
"That enough."
Constantine nodded, "Then please prepare the magic potion that suppresses the Spirit of Vengeance as soon as possible, and let the Ghost Rider assist Jackie Chan."
"Wait, did you say the helper is the Ghost Rider?" Little Jade eyes widened, looking incredulously at Johnny Blaze, "A remorseless killer?"
"Hey, are you being that rude?" Old Daddy completely ignored Little Jade comment, his face full of disbelief,
"I'm an old man and you've already assigned me a task, what do you plan to do?"
At that moment...
Screech, screech, screech!
The sound of car tires screeching echoed at the entrance.
Seven or eight black sedans pulled up.
A dozen men in black suits, large in stature and wearing sunglasses, stepped out, looking unmistakably like gang enforcers.
The last to exit was a woman with a crew cut, exuding a strong presence, who walked into the antique shop in high heels, scanned the room, and then her gaze settled on Constantine.
"Who are you?" Old Daddy frowned, "This is my antique shop, don't you know this isn't a place where just anyone can walk in?"
"Don't worry." Constantine made eye contact with the woman and said calmly,
"Go ahead with your tasks. From here on, I'll work from another angle to prevent things from escalating to the worst-case scenario."
"Hello, Mr. Constantine."
The leader was a short-haired woman, Ayesha, who had been introduced by Anton previously as the Adjudicator from the High Table.
Ayesha stepped up to Constantine, recalling the command from her superiors, knowing this blond man in the trench coat was the one she was assigned to assist.
"I am an Adjudicator from the High Table, you can call me Ayesha."
Ayesha bowed slightly, full of decorum, "As instructed by my superiors, I am at your service, respected Mr. Constantine."
Although Constantine and Anton were actually the same person, to outsiders, they appeared as two distinct individuals.
Thus, she certainly did not recognize Constantine.
However, she was quite familiar with the movie about the Hellblazer.
Of course, Ayesha didn't know that Constantine, being an alter ego of Anton, was also well aware of her.
"Hello, Ayesha." Constantine expression remained calm, "Are you familiar with the Black Hand gang?"
"Not personally," Ayesha replied.
"However, if your target involves the Black Hand gang, we can mobilize members nearby to clear any obstacles for you."
"Good." Constantine nodded, "Then let get moving. We don't have much time."
After speaking, he turned to look back at Old Daddy, Little Jade, and Johnny.
"I need to get to work now."
Before leaving, Constantine left them with a final piece of advice: "I think you should get moving as soon as possible, otherwise District 13 might just be overrun... Jackie, Tru, and the others from District 13 can't hold off the invaders. You'll need the Ghost Rider."
Buzzing with urgency, Constantine then departed with Ayesha, speeding off toward the Los Angeles territory controlled by the Black Hand gang.
Back in the antique shop.
Old Daddy, Little Jade, and Johnny exchanged glances after hearing Constantine words.
"He definitely knows something," Little Jade said, frustrated.
"I hate it when someone clearly knows the answer but plays mysterious and doesn't share."
"Little Jade, go and prepare the materials," Old Daddy ordered, his expression serious as if he had guessed something troubling.
"Alright, alright, I'm going," Little Jade responded, always proactive, especially in such odd and critical situations, where she often played a key role.
Johnny, standing still, looked at Old Daddy.
"I...," he hesitated, "can I help in any way?"
"Just find a place to sit for now," Old Daddy glanced at Johnny.
"In a few minutes, you'll be able to help."
Meanwhile, in the black sedan en route to the Black Hand gang turf, Ayesha briefed Constantine on the details about the gang: "The founder and leader of the Black Hand is named Valon, a Brit.
He a cunning criminal planner with superb combat skills—a formidable man. His closest lieutenants are Zhou, Rasu, Ah Fen, and the most powerful, Ah Fu…"
"That not important," Constantine interrupted dismissively. "Miss Ayesha, you seem to be missing the point."
"Am I?" Ayesha was taken aback.
"Aren't you here to take on the Black Hand?"
"I am indeed here to confront the Black Hand, but they are not my goal. They are merely an obstacle to achieving my objective," Constantine stated coolly.
Ayesha was startled by his tone, sensing an unusual significance in his words.
Clearly, there was a significant secret behind this mission. The directives from the High Table, initiated by Anton who had ties with Batman, implied a simple equation—Constantine equals Anton equals Batman, and possibly even… the Justice League.
Ayesha narrowed her eyes, connecting Constantine backstory from the films with the reality unfolding before her, feeling once again that she was touching another side of the world—a side even more mysterious than the underworld.
A moment later, Ayesha led Constantine out of the car, looking up at the imposing building before them.
"We've arrived."
It was now the afternoon. Normally, this place would be bustling with activity, but the building was eerily deserted, not a single person in sight.
The roads on either side were blocked off. Passersby hurried past without daring to glance in this direction.
Constantine surveyed the surroundings, sensing a faint demonic presence emanating from within the building. He took a deep breath, a smile playing on his lips.
"Let go, we're already being expected."
With that, he walked confidently toward the building, stepping into the Black Hand gang headquarters, which had been thoroughly secured by the High Table forces.