Leopold Fitz and Mike felt no joy at all over their heroic feat of preventing the reactor core from melting down and saving all of Los Angeles, because two creatures beyond ordinary comprehension were still confronting each other before them. The Praetorian Guard in Golden Power Armor slowly approached Ghost Rider, lowering his halberd and turning its blade into a stance ready to deliver a lethal strike at any moment. At the same time, Ghost Rider watched the Praetorian Guard's movements through his hollow eye sockets. When Constantine came within a certain distance, the flames on Ghost Rider's body erupted with a boom, like a bonfire that had suddenly been fed fuel.
Red sparks gradually rose from Ghost Rider's hand, wrapped in a black leather glove, scorching the spirit into continuous screams. To ordinary people, the sound was as muffled and indistinct as if it came through a thick pane of glass, yet the sight remained chilling. Leopold Fitz saw the Golden Eagle emblem on Constantine's shoulder armor and weapon. He vaguely remembered seeing such a crest somewhere before. He quietly shared his guess with Mike, and the mechanic nodded thoughtfully.
Mike had a bold guess. "Stay behind me, Little Monkey." He used the nickname for Fitz as he stepped in front of him. "I don't think this is going to end well."
"First question: where did you get the thing hidden in this laboratory? Second question: who funded this laboratory, and who helped you get it approved? Third question: besides the few of you, who else has seen that book?" Constantine paid no attention to Ghost Rider's wariness.
"Let me go! Let me go, and I'll tell you!" The spirit was a bald, haggard-looking man in an old khaki suit. He struggled desperately and screamed, his voice seeming amplified