The silence in the bar was suffocating.
Liam's throat tightened, his breath unsteady. His hands curled into fists on the table as
he struggled to process what he just heard.
"…What?" His voice cracked, barely above a whisper.
John sighed, rubbing his temples before exhaling a plume of smoke. "Before we met, I
did a little background check on you—wanted to see if there was anything I could use to
get a read on you," he admitted, his voice carrying that signature mix of nonchalance
and weary experience. "Turns out, I didn't have to dig far."
He leaned forward, his expression unusually serious. "Your girl… she was one of the
first casualties when Darkseid's forces hit. Didn't stand a chance, mate. A lot of people
didn't."
Liam stared at him, his mind blank, unable to form a coherent thought.
Etrigan, watching from across the table, rumbled in his deep, poetic cadence:
"A cruel fate for one so young,
A love now lost, a song unsung.
The Reaper's touch came swift and sure,
And left you with a wound unsure."
Liam barely heard him. His ears were ringing.
Then, the voice in his head—the one he had reluctantly come to tolerate—spoke.
"From what I can see, your relationship with her wasn't long. Not even intimate. But
still… I'm sorry for you."
Liam clenched his jaw. He's right… It wasn't serious. He had even thought of ending
things. But still… she was gone. And he couldn't do a damn thing to stop it.
"I couldn't even save her." His own thoughts twisted into something bitter. "I'm helpless."
John took another drag of his cigarette before exhaling slowly. "Look, mate," he said, his
tone softer but still firm, "you don't have time to grieve. And frankly, from where I'm
sitting, you've got no control over that power of yours. That's why I asked you to take
care of those demons—had to see if this little gift of yours has a tendency to go
haywire."
Liam barely reacted, his fingers tightening around the necklace resting against his
chest.
John leaned back in his chair. "But if you really want to figure this all out, you need to
come with me to London. You can at least try to test your powers without worrying about
Raven breathing down your neck."
Sparda's voice stirred again.
"He's right. You need to figure out how to use me properly. That girl may not sense me
now, but get any stronger, and she will."
Liam exhaled through his nose, forcing himself to push the emotions down—at least for
now. He glanced at John, then nodded, his voice quiet but steady.
"Fine," he said. "I'll go."
But then, he smirked slightly, his old sarcasm flickering back for just a moment. "But no
King Shark. Keep your zoophile relationship away from me."
John snorted, shaking his head as he stubbed out his cigarette. "Cheeky bastard. But
alright, I'll spare ya the details of me love life."
He stood up, pulling a card from his coat and flicking it onto the table. With a surge of
magical energy, a swirling portal formed beside them.
"Right then," John said. "Let's get moving, mate. London's calling."
Welcome to Liverpool
The portal crackled with eerie blue energy, and in the blink of an eye, Liam and John
stepped through, leaving behind the dimly lit bar and emerging onto the damp, uneven
streets of Liverpool. The air was thick with mist rolling in from the docks, the scent of
rain-soaked concrete and distant cigarette smoke filling Liam's lungs. Streetlights barely
cut through the fog, and in the distance, muffled shouting echoed from some unseen
alleyway.
Liam glanced around, gripping the chain around his neck as he took in the city. He
smirked.
"Good thing I brought my kitchen knife with me," he joked, shaking the chain so the
demon sword hidden within clinked against his chest. "I heard you can't walk two streets
here without getting mugged."
John, lighting a fresh cigarette, shot him an unimpressed look. "By the time you pull that
sword, someone would've already stuck a knife up your arse," he replied dryly. "So don't
get cocky. And anyway, it ain't just scousers you should be worried about—demons
'round here would rip you apart before you made it to sunrise."
Liam let out a half-laugh, but there was a nervous edge to it.
They walked for a while, passing by rundown buildings, the occasional neon glow of a
pub, and groups of shady figures loitering in alleyways. Soon, they reached what looked
like an abandoned bar—windows covered in grime, a broken neon sign barely flickering
above the door.
John pushed it open, revealing a dim, cluttered space that smelled of old wood, alcohol,
and faint traces of magic. Bookshelves lined the walls, filled with ancient tomes and
relics, while enchanted artifacts sat piled in corners. The air itself felt heavy, buzzing
with residual energy.
John gestured toward the stairs. "Guest room's on the top floor. Get some sleep." Then,
with a smirk, he added, "Just stay the hell away from my room… unless you wanna hear
shark moans."
Liam scoffed, shaking his head. "I can't believe you fumbled Zatanna for this," he shot
back. "Or is the shark booty just that good?"
John froze mid-step, giving Liam a sharp look. "How the hell do you know about that?"
Liam just smirked. "I'll explain everything after I get some rest."
John squinted at him but let it slide, flicking his cigarette into a tray. "Yeah, yeah. Get
your beauty sleep, ya nosy prick."
Conversations with a Demon Sword
The guest room was small and barely furnished, but after the day Liam had, he didn't
care. He collapsed onto the stiff mattress, staring up at the cracked ceiling. The weight
of everything—his powers, his lack of control, his girlfriend's death—pressed down on
him, exhaustion creeping in.
With a sigh, he pulled the chain from around his neck and let it dangle in front of him.
"Alright, smartass," he muttered. "You were all over my ass earlier. Why are you so calm
now?"
The sword's voice echoed in his mind, laced with dry amusement.
"Because, surprisingly, you handled yourself well—for a little bitch."
Liam smirked, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Now, grumpy sword, it's your turn.
What exactly are you?"
"I already told you."
Liam exhaled sharply. "Yeah, yeah, 'I'm the sword of Sparda, I fell through a
portal'—blah, blah. Give me more."
A low hum, like a growl of annoyance, rumbled in his head.
"Fine. I am the manifestation of the powers of the demon lord Sparda. From another
world. I fell through a portal, and now, thanks to a series of unfortunate events, I'm stuck
with you."
Liam raised an eyebrow. "Unfortunate for you, huh?"
"Obviously."
"Alright. What kind of power did Sparda have?"
"He had the power to separate worlds and shape reality to his will. He could do
whatever he desired."
Liam caught the past tense. "'Had'?"
There was a pause before Sparda answered.
"A part of me—another chain—was lost during the teleportation. And considering how
weak you are, you can barely hold me in my current state."
Liam frowned. "So how do I get stronger?"
"Two ways," Sparda said.
"Slay demons and absorb their power."
That made sense. Liam nodded. "And the second?"
"Kill humans. I'll grow stronger much faster."
Liam tensed, gripping the chain a little tighter. "That's not happening."
"Your choice. But without me, you'd be dead. You should be kissing my ass right now,
kid."
Liam scowled, tossing the chain onto the nightstand. He didn't want to think about
it—about how close he had come to dying. About how, without this sword, he wouldn't
even be here.
After a moment, another thought crossed his mind. "Why are you so afraid of Raven?"
Sparda's voice was quieter this time, more serious.
"That demon she carries inside her? He's strong. Strong enough to sense me. And in
your current state? You'd be dead before you even saw it coming."
Liam exhaled. "So now you care about me? Thought you hated me, grumpy sword."
There was a chuckle in Sparda's voice.
"I see you as a reverse parasite. Right now, I need you to get stronger. So let's just call
this… a mutually beneficial arrangement."
Liam didn't respond. The exhaustion, the grief, the sheer weight of everything settled in
at once. His eyes closed, and before he could think any further, sleep took him.
Tomorrow, liam will have answers.
But something told him john wouldn't like them.