Knocking on Annwyn's door *Mystic War tie-in*

[Leo Sumner]

{{If I had a pound for every time I've knocked on these doors}} Leo Sumner thought as he rapped and rapped on the great wooden doors that led into the Celtic underworld called Annwyn. {{And not a Mac in sight to let me in}} he mused as he looked at the ornate Celtic carvings on the doors and the frame around them. {{You'd think one of them would be on duty all the time and would be able to let me in}}

"John Constantine!" a trio of voices rang out as Leo turned to see three female Celtic warriors marching toward him.

"Haven't used that name in years, but yeah, that's me," he said as he looked more closely at the women. "Furies. Lovely. I need to see the Black Fairy about her grandson Finn. Siofra, tell them to let me in! I might know what made your boyo go all demony a few months back!"

Leo kept looking at the Furies as he waited to see if Siofra would actually show up this time.

[Goddess]

"Grandmum isn't here," Dana said as she walked up next to the Furies. "Leo, you said this was about Finn? Why don't you just go find Kari and tell her?"

"Because Siofra was the one that hired me to find out what was going on. No offense to your sister, but if Siofra is paying..."

"You're scared. Scared of what either of them will do, but since Grandmum is paying, she is the lesser problem? Is that about right?" Dana asked as Sumner kicked a rock toward the great wooden doors. "Your silence speaks volumes."

"Where's the spymaster?" Leo asked as Dana glared at him.  "Touchy topic?"

"No, tired of everyone thinking we're joined at the hip," Dana replied as she shook her head. "He had business back in London, and I didn't have the clearance to sit in on his meetings."

"Oy, he pulled that card again?" Leo noted as Dana motioned for the Furies to leave. "Didn't mean to hit a nerve."

"You didn't. I just don't want everyone knowing my business, Leo.  So, what did that witch Morgan do to my nephew?"



  

[The Peacemaker]

"Not you again," Rory said as he walked up behind Sumner with a very large fighting staff in his hand. "I told you yesterday that Grandmum isn't here. Don't you listen?"

"My ears work perfectly," Sumner said as he rolled his eyes and lit a cigarette with one of his fingertips.  "I just figured you were not being on the up and up with me. Your family doesn't exactly like me very much..."

"Except for dirty jobs we don't want to do ourselves, eh?" Rory asked as Leo blew on his finger to extinguish the flame. "Maybe it's because you remind some of us of Dana's gentleman friend, and, sadly, he has had his moments."

"Me and the spymaster? You are mad," Leo quipped as he looked between Rory and Dana and shook his head. "The Queen doesn't ask him to use the back door at the palace when he visits. Me? You ever seen the space under Buckingham Palace? That's where I come in from, Ruadhri. Save the world, Constantine. See the Queen by way of the sewer."

[Leo Sumner]

"But you lot don't exactly care about that, do you?" Leo asked as he kept puffing away on his cigarette. "Bad enough I cheesed off the man with the metal arm once..."

"Cable? How in blue blazes do you know Cable?" Dana asked as Leo chuckled a bit.

"Let's just say we crossed paths in some tomb in Egypt once and leave it at that," Leo replied as Dana sighed deeply and crossed her arms. "What?"

"You were in Akkaba? Oh, isn't that just about right," Dana grumbled as Rory looked at her quizzically. "I'm surprised Cable let you leave in one piece."

"Hey, I needed that artifact more than he did! He isn't exactly into the realm of the mystical like we all are. He'd have never figured out what to do with it," Leo said as Dana kept glaring at him.

"No, but there are mystics in the X-Men who could have used it, or did you forget half our family is with that team? No, you are just too damned stubborn and egotistical."

"Having a healthy ego is a good thing!" Leo quipped as he took another drag off his cigarette.

[The Peacemaker]

"And you wonder why people get ticked at you? Seriously?" Rory said as he set his staff against the door frame and just watched Sumner squirm a bit. "I'm surprised Nathan Summers didn't hand you your head."

"He tried. That woman with the gun fetish did, too, but I got out of there quickly," Leo replied as he kept an eye on the great wooden door. "She really doesn't tolerate sods like me. She must really hate your fiance," he added as he looked over at Dana. 

"Shut up," Rory muttered under his breath as he glared at Sumner again. "Well, what is wrong with our nephew? You might as well tell us since Grandmum is away and you won't screw up the courage to tell Kari. It must be damned bad."

"It wasn't Morgan's doing alone," Sumner said as he finished off his first cigarette and lit a second. "She's working with someone. For someone. That part I haven't worked out yet. Not all the way. But it all feels wrong."

"Of course it feels wrong!" Rory snapped as he snatched up his staff again. "Finn is a boy. He should not have to deal with nonsense like this. Anyone who goes after a child..." The Peacemaker was not living up to his name and was inches away from Sumner's neck with the butt of his staff.

"Boyo, slow down!" Leo yelped as fire formed in his right hand. "I am on your side. I agree. Maybe we should all compare notes over a pint or something? Where's that sugar-coated brother of yours?" he asked as he doused his flames.

"Donal?" Dana asked as Sumner nodded in the affirmative. "He's...away...and that's all I can really say about that." 

"Why do you want Donal in on this?" Rory asked, lowering his staff as Leo backed up a bit more.

"Because we might need someone with his skill set. He was a thief once, right? Way, way back in the days of highwaymen?" Leo asked as Rory grumbled an answer at him. "What was that?"

"Yes," Rory finally said audibly as he leaned on his staff.  

[Goddess]

"You are not bringing Donal into this," Dana snapped as she walked up closer to Leo. "He has had enough troubles in his life, and I won't let you use him like some rented help. If you need something stolen, do it yourself."

"You don't have to get your knickers in a twist," Sumner replied as he kept smoking his cigarette. "I'd ask that Cajun fella, but he might keep what I need borrowed. I can't risk that."

"Oh, this must be some trinket you wanted lifted," Rory added as he shook his head tried not to look at Sumner.

"Do not bring the other X-Men into this. Please," Dana said in almost pleading tone as she looked between her brother and the gutter mage Sumner. "They don't always understand our ways. They might ask too many questions. For Kari's sake, please, don't drag them into this."

"Especially not Cyclops or the White Queen," Rory noted as he looked off into the distance. "What exactly do you need borrowed, Sumner?" 

[Leo Sumner]

"IneedtogetsomethingfromtherepositoryinAsgard," Sumner said very quickly as he looked back down at his shoes and shuffled his feet again.

"Excuse me. A bit more slowly, please," Dana said as Sumner kept looking at the ground. "It sounded like you need to nick something in Asgard."

"I do! Loki has some store of magic items there, and one is particularly good with undoing the magic infecting your nephew," Sumner replied as he tried not to antagonize Dana and Rory. "But I can't walk up to the Trickster and ask for it, can I?"

"If we have something to trade, perhaps we can," Rory added as he looked at Dana and both said the same name in unison. "Alexia."

"Who is Alexia again?" Sumner asked as he leaned against the large wooden doors once more.

[macha]

"That would be my half sister." A voice said as the others turned Macha came into view. "What I keep track of the extended family and that is always quite the task." She said as she looked at the man who asked who Alexia was.

"Pardon me my name is Bryce MacFeorais but some know me as Macha. Its a pleasure to meet you." She said with a smile.
"As far as Alexia goes I know she is very much involved being part of The Avengers but I am sure I can get her here if its warranted?"

[Leo Sumner]

"I forget how damned big your family is," Leo said as Bryce introduced herself. "A pleasure. And I do not want to bother the Thunder Goddess unless I absolutely have to. I know she's an Avenger and is doing all that Earth's Mightiest Heroes thing. But Asgard has something locked away that could help Finn, and I'd be a piss-poor mage if I didn't try to get it for him."

Sumner looked at the weapon Macha was carrying and had the bright idea, for a hot minute anyway, that it was their ticket into Asgard. He thought better of it as he imagined what the great Karenza or her hairy new husband with the metal claws would do to him if he messed this up. "Do any of you think Thor would even entertain an audience with me? I know he'd be fair and wouldn't pull a fast one. Macha, would that be possible?"