Ethan Voss had always been fascinated by the demons of this world.
Unfortunately, he had never truly encountered the ruler of Hell himself—Mephisto.
Whether it was because the Ancient One kept such entities firmly outside Earth's affairs, or simply because the timing had never aligned, Ethan could not be certain.
Either way, it was a pity.
But now an opportunity had appeared.
If he could not meet Mephisto directly, dealing with the demon's son would still be interesting.
Blackheart.
The so-called Witchheart Demon.
At the same time, Ethan was also curious about another power tied to this story—the thousand damned souls bound by the San Venganza Contract.
Long before today, Ethan had already located the cemetery where the former Ghost Rider, Carter Slade, lived in hiding.
He even knew where the San Venganza Contract was concealed: inside the handle of the old man's shovel.
Yet he had never attempted to steal it.
There were two reasons.
First, Ethan possessed no demonic magic and had no knowledge of the contract's binding spell. Even if he obtained it, it would be useless.
Second—and more importantly—the contract contained the power of a thousand corrupted souls.
Ethan had no interest in absorbing something so chaotic into his own body.
Compared with that unstable power, the demon Blackheart himself was far more valuable.
On the way to the cemetery, Ethan finally met Johnny Blaze.
The stunt rider had just been bailed out of police custody by the Justice League.
He now sat in the back seat of Ethan's car, visibly tense.
"Who are you?" Johnny asked cautiously.
Although these people had gotten him out of jail, he had no idea what they wanted.
After what happened the previous night with Blackheart, Johnny felt as if danger was lurking everywhere.
Someone was clearly targeting him.
"I'm here to help you," Ethan said calmly.
"Help me with what?"
"Do you remember the man who attacked you last night?"
Johnny nodded slowly.
"His name is Blackheart," Ethan continued. "The son of the demon who tricked you into signing that contract."
"In other words… you've been dragged into a family dispute."
Ethan leaned back slightly.
"And I'm here to help you get out of it."
"After all, why should you be involved in their little family drama?"
Johnny frowned.
"What does that have to do with you?"
"Why help me?"
Ethan produced an official document and handed it over.
"It's actually quite reasonable for me to intervene."
"If I didn't help you… I'd be neglecting my duty."
He smiled slightly.
"Allow me to introduce myself."
"My name is Theodore Voss."
"I'm the founder of the Justice League, operating under the Department of Homeland Security."
"Any supernatural event or superpowered individual within the United States falls under my jurisdiction."
Johnny stared at him in disbelief.
The Justice League had dominated the news recently.
He had assumed they only dealt with robots and terrorists.
"You're telling me you people handle demon problems too?" Johnny asked.
"Of course," Ethan replied easily.
"In fact, we can even help remove the Spirit of Vengeance from your body."
Johnny froze.
Then excitement exploded across his face.
"You can get rid of that thing?"
"Really?"
Ethan nodded.
"But there's something you should understand first."
"If we remove that power, you'll return to being an ordinary human."
"But doing so would violate your contract with Mephisto."
"And Mephisto will absolutely try to kill you."
Ethan spread his hands slightly.
"Fortunately, I have a special realm where you could live safely."
Johnny's expression darkened again.
"So basically… I'd have to disappear from the world?"
"Almost like dying?"
"More or less," Ethan admitted with a shrug.
"Of course, you have another option."
"You could keep the power."
"But if you do… there are conditions."
Johnny looked at him carefully.
"What conditions?"
"You can't use that power for evil."
"With great power comes great responsibility."
"You would need to protect the world."
"Fight evil."
"Become a hero."
Johnny shook his head immediately.
"I don't want to be a hero."
"I don't want to save the world."
"I just want to be normal."
"Then give up the power," Ethan replied simply.
Johnny clenched his fists.
Ethan continued calmly.
"If you keep the power, there are two things you must do."
"First—stay away from that reporter woman. Roxanne."
"Second—distance yourself from every friend you care about."
"Learn to live alone."
Johnny's eyes widened.
"I just got her back!"
"You're telling me to abandon her again?"
Ethan chuckled softly.
"Johnny… I've seen people like you before."
"Some ignored advice like mine."
He leaned forward slightly.
"Do you know what happened to them?"
"One lost his uncle."
"Another lost his best friend."
"And one lost the woman he loved."
He smiled faintly.
"So tell me."
"Which person in your life are you willing to sacrifice?"
"Keep them close… and eventually you'll find out."
Johnny grabbed his hair and slumped forward in frustration.
Ethan leaned back, looking satisfied.
All the irritation he'd built up recently seemed to vanish.
The road to the cemetery was long.
Teasing the immature Ghost Rider helped pass the time.
Truthfully, Ethan wasn't particularly interested in Johnny's Spirit of Vengeance.
What truly interested him was something else.
A fragment of the Medallion of Power.
A legendary artifact from ancient times.
An object once coveted by demons seeking dominion over Earth.
Mephisto rarely acted without purpose.
There had to be a reason he chose Johnny Blaze.
If Johnny carried even a fragment of that medallion, Ethan would discover it easily once Johnny entered the Divine Kingdom.
Soon the car reached the cemetery.
They found Carter Slade.
The elderly former Ghost Rider stared at Ethan suspiciously.
"You want the contract?"
"Who exactly are you?"
Ethan raised his hands casually.
"Relax."
"The man beside me is the new Ghost Rider—Johnny Blaze."
"I'm confident he can defeat that little demon and keep the contract safe."
Johnny blinked.
Where does he get that confidence?
Even I'm not that confident.
Carter Slade studied Johnny's uneasy expression and shook his head.
"I don't believe it."
Ethan sighed.
"Old man, I know he looks a bit slow."
"But if the Spirit of Vengeance chose him…"
"Then he must have something extraordinary."
"Think about it."
"A man chosen by Mephisto himself."
"And yet you don't trust him?"
Carter Slade remained stubborn.
The old knight had lived over a century.
His beliefs would not be shaken easily.
He shook his head firmly.
"No."
Ethan shrugged helplessly.
"Well, since you refuse to give it voluntarily…"
"I suppose I'll just…"
He paused.
"…forget it."
Instead, he glanced up at the sky.
"It's getting late."
"What time do you usually go to sleep?"
The old man blinked in confusion.
"I usually… why are you asking that?"
Ethan smiled politely.
"So I can schedule the time I come steal your shovel tonight."
"That way we won't accidentally run into each other."
Silence fell over the cemetery.
Carter Slade stared at him, completely speechless.
Johnny Blaze covered his face with both hands.
Did he really just say that?
So this is how the Justice League protects the world?
By being brutally honest?
.....
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