(General P.O.V)

Vaatu's lips stretched out in a small smile as he laid his back on to the ceramic rim of the huge pool of hot water. The water bubbled softly. A sound of relaxation escaped his lips as his body was hit by a slowly building euphoria.

"You were right. This is the best hot spring I've ever been in."

He commented.

His companion lightly chuckled in amusement, the sound sending shivers of nervousness and excitement across Vaatu's whole body.

"Not that you've been in any other hot springs before, but I appreciate the praise."

A flush appeared on Vaatu's face. She was teasing him? Time for some payback. He shook his head and waded closer to her, the water flowing over his magnificent body as he pulled in near to Demeter. The goddess of harvest bit her lip at the look he was giving her. Her heart fluttered. The hot spring idea was turning out to be a bad one. At this rate she wondered how long it was going to take before she fell too hard.

"There's something else I can think of, that I want to praise."

Vaatu whispered, his lips close to her ears. Demeter visibly swallowed, feeling the warmth that had nothing to do with the pool and all to do with his close proximity. His hand gently drifted up her upper arm, to her neck and then her cheeks.

He used his thumb to gently run it along her bottom lip.

"Really?"

Demeter softly asked, falling deeper into his grey eyes. She closed her eyes as Vaatu's lips closed in on hers.

Before Vaatu could close the distance between them, a sudden flash of an image, showing a glowing white girl appeared in his eyes. He frowned and blinked his eyes, feeling the emotional impact from that simple image. A cursory survey through his godly sense showed no one else was around. It was just him and Demeter in Demeter's temple.

However that image felt so real. She felt real. She was real. She was...

Demeter grew impatient and closed that distance herself. Vaatu's thoughts came back to her as he momentarily forgot about the glowing white woman in favor of the heated kiss between him and the goddess of harvest.

(Elsewhere) (half an hour ago)

"So, what do you think?"

Zatara asked Constantine. They watched over Plastic man, who was lying in the room on the other side of the window. His chest moved up and down as he breathed in easily.

The hero in question was relatively okay. They had managed to save him and the civilians trapped in the Disneyland Chaos Pocket before it was too late. The only thing left to show for the whole incident being the Mickey mouse costume that was halfway fused with his usual red one piece costume.

Of course Constantine and Deadman had had to leave the scene in pursuit of the ones responsible for Plastic man being trapped in the first place. He had shared their identities with the League and suddenly the need to see Aden became even more important apart from the whole Chaos rifts fiasco. There were two Lords of Chaos on earth! They needed Fate. Pronto.

"They tried to warp him into an abomination made up of chaos energy. Were it anyone else, they'd be fucked. Lucky bugger has control of his body so he was able to resist." He breathed out in annoyance.

All Constantine said was in line with what Artemis and the Hawks had put down in their report. They'd been there on scene, being the biggest group. The reasoning had been, anything strong enough to take out a hero needed more heroes to face it.

"But the two of them got away. They could have taken us on but they looked keen to gather more chaos energy from the rifts. Something stinks about the whole affair."

Constantine added.

Zatara nodded.

"I have a few guesses on what they might be after."

Constantine snorted.

"A few guesses more than sowing chaos as is the norm with these cunts?"

Zatara made no reaction to the foul language apart from briefly frowning.

"While that is most assuredly the general motive, they are preparing for something big. Otherwise their own power would suffice to spread chaos across the globe."

John jerked his head to stare at Zatara.

"Bloody hell. You're not thinking that they..."

The Exorcist was suitably shocked. Zatara nodded.

"May be planning to bring the rest of the Lords of Chaos to earth? I hope I'm wrong but that is exactly what I suspect."

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Zatara gravely concluded.

"Well," Constantine breathed out. " If that's the case then the world is fucked five ways to Sunday."

Zatara knew he wasn't talking about the direct threat the Lords of Chaos posed. He knew that Constantine meant that 'their' fight would be catastrophic. After all, Aden had more personal stake in this than anyone else. Zatara could remember the memory recording he was up until now keeping a secret away from the League. Suffice it to say, Aden was currently the most powerful being on the planet.

The door to the room opened with a buzz and Batman walked in.

"Constantine, I have a question for you."

He stated without much preamble, stopping and looming over the shorter man. Constantine stared at him with a raised eyebrow where normally anyone else would be intimidated by the Dark Knight.

"It's all there in the report."

John replied thinking it was to do with that.

Batman however shook his head.

"Not about the mission. Aden, what do you think of him?"

Constantine went silent while Zatara stiffened, something that did not go unnoticed by Batman. The brit reached into his pockets and flicked out a cigarette from a packet, then held it out to Zatara, to light it for him just like earlier.

The League's resident magician scrunched up his eyebrows in distaste and snapped his finger. The cigarette was immediately rendered wet and soggy.

"Not what I was thinking of mate. But I'm not surprised."

Constantine sighed and lit another cigarette on his own after a few flicks on the lighter.

"We are in a medical room."

Batman narrowed his eyes.

"And you are stalling."

Constantine took a deep drag of his cigarette and blew it out, not minding the awkwardness.

"Didn't take you for a mind reader and yes, I am stalling. You want to know why? Because I honestly don't know what to say about him that will make you listen. You people are very stubborn."

Zatara shared a look with Batman.

"I think what Batman is concerned about John, is Aden's threat level." A glance at The Dark Knight who gave a curt nod, made Zatara continue.

"We know he's responsible for the Chaos vortexes which has led to many other issues, and apart from what we have on him, it wouldn't hurt to hear what you have to say about the boy. You have faced down fallen angels, crazy gods, demons and exorcised each and everyone. Your name is synonymous to suicidal missions in the mystic circle. If anyone can give us an accurate reading on him, it's you."

Zatara told him, mixing up logic with praise.

"In other words, you saw some of his power, realized that nothing you could do can deal with him and now you're looking for less than...stellar magical ways you can employ if you ever came to blows, am I right?"

Constantine asked the both of them.

"He used to be part of your cape wearing scene, right? What happened? You know what, I don't even want to know. What I'll tell you however is this."

He looked at Zatara dead in the eye.

"Listen Giovanni, the kid is the real deal, you saw it for yourself."

The comment drew Batman's sharp glare towards the magician. Batman had already figured out that Zatara was hiding something.

"Short of a being like Lucifer and even that's debatable, you would need someone on the level of God to deal with him. Unfortunately, good luck on that front because a little birdie told me, the big man likes him. Not to mention he is part of the bloody Endless."

Zatara's hands tightened at the name. Batman sensed the change immediately despite Zatara's reaction being more subdued than before. Constantine looked between the two, sensing the tension.

"I'm going to look for a place to finish my smoke in peace."

Constantine excused himself. It didn't take a genius to understand that Batman wanted to talk to Zatara privately. And in any case, the Exorcist had yet to get a tour of the place.

The door closed behind him, leaving Batman and Zatara alone.

"Let us join the rest. I shall explain everything then."

Zatara spoke up, already anticipating Batman's words.

The Dark Knight narrowed his eyes and nodded.

(Watchtower Meeting Hall) (A Few Minutes Later)

Martian Manhunter's eyes lost their glow as he stopped sharing Zatara's memory with everyone else. For a few seconds silence reigned.

"That is so not aster."

Robin broke it with his usual catchphrase.

"So not aster dude. It's a complete effin disaster."

Kid Flash agreed shakily.

"I cannot imagine how...strong you have to be, to take out millions and millions of those...things."

Artemis softly added her opinion.

"Demons. Those things are from hell."

Constantine stated, entering the room.

"This is a league affair, you are not a member."

Green Arrow spoke up against his presence but it lacked it's usual heat. All of them were too surprised by what J'onn had shown them.

"Meh, you got more important things to worry about, old chap. Like the lad with the potential to cause or stop an apocalyptic event, I'd say."

Constantine shrugged at the crossbow and arrow themed hero, leaning on the wall close to the door.

"This changes nothing. We fight to ensure peace no matter the odds." Black Canary stood up. "Aden might be more powerful than we initially thought but if it comes to standing before him and innocents, then we will do our job. Just like usual."

She simply said, seemingly unperturbed by the whole affair.

"He. Killed. Millions of demons. Let alone the moral ambiguity of such an action, we are lacking our heaviest hitter and not to mention with everything that has been going on, adding him to the list of threats we should look out for is exhausting."

The Flash intoned, rubbing his eyes. These few days had been full of running around, saving people and stopping crime.

A stubble was forming on his face and one could detect the exhaustion in his voice.

"Flash is right. I hate to say this but a direct confrontation is off the table." Stewart reasoned, crossing his hands.

"At least for now. We know he is the cause of the chaos rifts appearing across the world, but he's not all bad. He took on Apollo, saving the Watchtower from getting destroyed." He looked up and down at the table.

"We always go for the easiest solution in these extreme cases. Take it from someone who had dedicated his life to conflict, sometimes it's not worth it. Sometimes you cut your loses and retreat." Stewart's words elicited s few reactions but none of them were as extreme as Hal's.

"Are you suggesting we do nothing?! That we let him walk around without taking responsibility for his actions? Before the memory transmission of his time in hell, the general consensus was that this wouldn't be allowed to happen again. 8 people lost their lives goddamit! 8!" Green Lantern heatedly said.

"We can pull some strings if it comes down to it." The former pilot implored. "The guardians will especially be interested in him and have a way to contain him where we can't."

"No. That is not going to happen."

Batman immediately refused, causing every head to turn towards him.

"We are prioritizing the wrong thing. Aden is a threat we have the luxury to deal with down the line. The 2 Lords of Chaos are not."

"Batman is right. We will shelve the Aden matter for later. Right now we need to find Klarion and his companion's whereabouts."

Wonder Woman decided, standing up.

A barely detectable divine aura was released from her. Even she didn't know it but every single one of the counterarguments on the Leaguers' minds disappeared after her words.

A moment later as if on cue, a boom tube opened up close to the door of the meeting hall and Aden walked in with Starfire and Yaotl at his back.