22nd July 2012
19:21 GMT
Mrs. Masters frowns.
"
Is he missing? I just thought he'd wandered off again."
"I.. don't know how often he's usually in contact with you-.
"
"If we're lucky, we get a phone call at Christmas. What happened to him?"
"When I last saw him, he'd just gained a huge amount of raw magic power and was working on getting it under control. And since he told me not to get in contact with him, I was leaving him to it.
"
She sighs the long-suffering sigh of someone all too often involved in John-adjacent shenanigans.
"Our John wants keeping an eye on."
"Strangely, he's been involved in less arcane chicanery in the year after than he was in the year before. But I understand what you mean.
"
"Terry's ready to start pulling his hair out. And of course Gemma wants to get right to it."
"I believe John thinks there's a curse on the Constantine line, to be fascinated with magic. I suspect that it's more to do with the adrenal glands. Or it could be the fact that magic is just that interesting.
" I shrug.
"I've got no guarantees for you, but she'll be wearing a personal force field and a ward, and I'll be with her every step of the way.
" I frown.
"Actually…
"
I raise my left hand.
"Orange Lantern to Kara.
"
My ring shimmers for a moment, then a phone construct appears.
"Hey Paul."
"Are you free right now? I've got a lead and I could do with some more muscle.
"
"Don't you have an entire Lantern Corps for that? And a fleet? And a Justice League?"
"I don't want the L.E.G.I.O.N. fleet involved in case whatever's doing this can affect their armour and weapons. And the same for the Lanterns; I'm unusually protected but they're not. Your abilities are part of your biology. And
yes, I could ask the team for help, but do you really think you're going to get anything useful out of Ted while he's got this to play with?
"
I hear a quiet sigh.
"No. He's already given the robots name badges."
"Did it have a measurable effect on their performance?
"
…
"I hate living on a planet where that's a sensible question. … Not as far as I can
tell."
"I'm not expecting anything to happen; this is just to put Missus Masters' mind at ease.
"
"Do I have to wear a costume?"
"Not if you don't want to. Actually, low visibility would probably be better.
"
"Okay, I'll tell Ted. Give me twenty seconds."
I frown.
Given her maximum speed and the distance involved…
"How?
"
"Ted's on Cadbury's Gate network. Twenty seconds."
"See you then.
" I shut off the construct.
"That should cover it.
"
"Who was that?"
"Kara Zor-El. One of the Supergirls.
" I shake my head.
"It's not my intention to put Gemma in danger. So far, none of what's happened has put human life in danger. I don't know exactly what the talkative radio wants, but Gemma will just be there so that whoever it is puts in an appearance.
"
"What if I say 'no'?"
"I'll understand, and try and resolve the problem some other way. And because Gemma is a Constantine and you can't watch her every moment of the day-.
"
"She'll bloody sneak out, won't she?"
"That would be my guess.
"
"John was the same. What if-?" The doorbell rings, and she walks toward it. "What if me or Terry come along?"
"Then we'd have an extra civilian to protect, and a potential aggressor would have an extra target. To reiterate, I'm not
expecting any threat, but if it turns out there is one I'd rather not have to worry about two people.
"
"No, I suppose-" She opens the door. "-you wouldn't."
She turns to greet Kara, who's smiling broadly. "Hey. I'm Kara Zor-El."
Mrs Masters takes in her blouse and neatly pressed trousers. "Supergirl?"
Kara's eyes drift over to me for a moment. "Only when I have to be. Are we ready to go?"
Gemma hurries down the stairs, clock radio in a shoulder bag, her father watching on disapprovingly from the first floor.
"We off, then?"
Missus Masters embraces her daughter, kissing her on the top of her head. "
Be careful, Gemma."
"Don't worry, Mum. Unlike Uncle John, I've got superheroes looking after me."
Missus Masters turns as Gemma walks over to Kara-
"You're not wearing an 'S'."
-and looks at me.
"I didn't
feel a force field."
I nod.
"Gemma, hold still a moment.
"
She's wearing a.. coat that looks a little like John's trench coat. Heh. I add a kinetic belt -with the flight system slaved to my ring- and an armoured vest. A ward appears on a thong around her neck.
She looks down at it. "Does this make me a superhero?"
"No, it makes you an escort mission.
"
Her face creases up.
"But those are
rubbish!"
"One, I grew up playing
Lemmings, which is basically one big escort mission. Two, you said it, not me.
"
She gives me a mild glare.
"So where does the clock radio want us to go?
"
"Where else? London."
"Then off to London we go.
"
...Are you really calling in the weak-against-magic Kryptonian in on this? Seriously, don't you have better magically-empowered options to call on? Osiris, for one, unless Adom isn't willing to let him fly solo yet. Then again, young Magical Guy, young Constantine girl... 
