Thank you for the reviews Falcon Horus and chocolate-Monster! I will continue to update as rapidly as I am able Reviews are great motivators, you know. hinthint, guys Also, I have decided that this fic is set sometime before the movie–which would explain why Gabriel is here. Warning, though, my final chapters are VERY LIKELY to contain spoilers.
Mary led Constantine up the back stairs and into a hallway, which was lit much better than the 1st floor had been. She paused at the first door on the left and pivoted to face John. "This is one of the many rooms reserved for my angelic patrons. If you look carefully, you may be able to see what sets their rooms apart from others."
John squinted at the doorframe and delicate wood grain, tempted to use True Sight. As it turned out, he didn't need to. A spidery design stretched its wispy tendrils across the door, and John could recognize at least 70 percent of the symbols woven into the framework. There were many to ward off unfriendly influences, to seal out demons, protect the visitor from harmful magics, as well as many others. "This is the work of a Master," He said in gruff admiration. "Did you make this?"
Mary shook her head firmly, "No, Constantine. I have no magic." She was oddly vehement about this fact. "Gabriel assisted some friends of mine with the finding of such spells, symbols, and the activation of the spells."
"Gabriel helped?" He asked incredulously, "Since when does her kind interfere directly?"
"She did not interfere," Mary corrected John primly, "She aided us in finding the material and advised us on how to activate the various protections. Even angels have a certain amount of freedom."
John stepped back and straightened up. He flashed on his True Sight and discovered another framework overlaying the wood. This had truly been a masterpiece. "And the demon half-breeds?" He asked, twisting his mouth to one side, "Do they get protection or do you just let them go to hell with the other poor b-----ds on the streets?" John was beginning to notice a pattern. Everytime he cursed, Mary either grimaced or frowned slightly. Tough, he sneered to himself. John Constantine changed for no being.
"We have demonic wards as well," Mary responded, voice revealing none of the disapproval that showed in her eyes. She didn't offer to show them, so John prodded her none-too-gently.
"Gonna show me, or do you have somethin' to hide?"
Mary did glare at him this time, "If you want to see them, then I'll show you. But I don't want you disturbing any of those under my protection!" Her response was more heated than usual. She actually seemed to be unhappy to have to show him that area of the building. Maybe she did have something to hide?
John was disappointed to note that the demonic section of the Sanctuary appeared to be just as well protected as the angelic sector. Mary didn't comment on the woodwork this time and neither did he. If John didn't know any better, he'd say that Mary was a little nervous. "Do your customers behave?" He asked snidely.
"Most of them." The petite woman responded, then her eyes trailed to look at something over John's shoulder. Her facial expression was less than pleased. She muttered something that sounded like 'wonderful.'
John pivoted, hand instinctively going inside his jacket. It had to be a demon. Dmned if he was going to be caught offguard. He was, as it turned out, 100 correct.
A demonic half-breed strutted down the hallway, hair slicked back in the popular style. Probably trying to mimic Balthazar, John thought with distaste. Even demons were subject to trends, apparently. This one had the appearance of a 25 year old male. Slick brown hair, unearthly green eyes(Literally. John suspected that they might even glow in the dark), and finely chiseled features. "Darling!" He grinned, exhibiting pearly white teeth that were sharper than humanly possible. Vampire? John didn't think so...he was too tan. Maybe they were artificially sharpened. Without a second glance at John, Lucian rudely pushed by to envelop Mary in his long arms.
John raised his eyebrows. A demon with a human? It was impossible! Unheard of! It was disgusting. Constantine relaxed slightly as Mary deftly dodged the demon's seeking embrace. Her expression was neutral, but he was gratified to note that her eyes were horrified. "Oh," She greeted the demonic half-breed, miraculously pulling a slight smile out of the depths of her dismay. "I thought you'd be heading for Hell by now."
The demonlaughed; a high-pitched sound that grated on John's nerves. "Wonderful humor, as always, I see. Tell me, my dear virgin Mary, when will you give in to the inevitable and fall for my charms?" John's lip curled in disgust. He wasn't sure if he disliked the demon or his attitude more. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Mary's jaw tighten. It seemed that he was touching a nerve with his 'endearments'.
"That," She said pleasantly, "Is one of the few things that I will not do for you. Now please, I have business to attend to with my guests." Only then did the smarmy demon look at Constantine. He immediately bristled, muscles tensing.
"You're helping him?" The demon demanded, sneering darkly, "He's a murderer--"
"And you aren't?" Mary replied coolly, putting her patron back in his place. "You should know better than to assign labels here–of all places."
"Who the hell is he?" John demanded in a low tone, glaring at the demon while watching Mary out of the corner of his eye.
"He's--"
"Luuuuuuccccyyyyyy!" A voice echoed down the halls, "Lucy, where are you?"
John looked to Mary for an explanation and found that she was fighting a smile. "Please tell me he's not Lucy." This was utter insanity. Demons had names like Balthazar and Hapdanatiel–not Barney and Lucy!
"I am Lucian." The slimy demon snarled, putting extra emphasis on every syllable, "Lu-ci-an! Never Lucy."
"Lucy!" A loud thunderclap struck near John's ear, and he yanked his gun out, whirling to point it at the offending spirit. "Eep!" The Imp scowled at him, "Put that away. I'm not bothering you; I'm here to see Luuuucy!" The imp trilled lightly, bobbing in midair. John noticed that it had bright green hair, red eyes, and seemed to have the face of a mischievous toddler. He also noticed that it–was an it. He couldn't tell if it was male or female. Then again, he reasoned, demons really weren't either.
"Shut up!" Lucian snapped heatedly, giving John a rude gesture when he noticed the smirk on his face. "Why don't you get back to hell, Araru? Go away before I banish you there permanently."
Araru stuck its tongue out at him, sniffing obnoxiously, "You can't banish meeee. You're only a lust demon." Lucian snarled and swiped at the floating imp, hand slicing through the air at an astonishingly fast speed.
"I am a demon of Passion!" He cried...passionately.
"What's the difference? You end up sleeping with them all anyways!" Araru snickered, dodging another angry blow from Lucian. He blew a raspberry at Lucian, then disappeared with cloud of perfumed green smoke and a rude noise...well, perfumed wasn't quite the right word.
Mary's amused features melted into one of distaste and suspicion, eyeing Lucian warily. "I have an appointment to keep." He snapped at the human pair, stalking down the hall and rounding the corner. His voice carried down the corridor, reaching their ears in little to no time lapse, "You won't resist forever, Alvir!" His declaration held a ringing tone of determination and darker undertones of an unspoken threat.
John swore aloud, curling his lip with utter disgust, "You let creatures like these stay here?" He asked incredulously, "You are insane!"
Mary shook her head slowly, dropping her gaze and sighing. "Most of them behave, except for a few macho fights...Lucian is unique. He's got some outside agenda--"
"Like sleeping with you?" John suggested sarcastically, "As if that weren't obvious. Satan knows why, though..."
Mary compressed her lips together and for a moment her eyes shone in the dim lighting of the hallway. "You're just as bad as..." She clamped her jaws shut again and shook her head as though trying to shake off the angry retort that blossomed on her tongue.
John glared at her defiantly, strangely angry. He didn't know why he was here; he didn't know why he was so pissed; and he really didn't know the reason why he liked Mary even though he tried his hardest make her angry. She reminded him of Gabriel...annoyingly good, yet somehow nice to be around. Sort of like a sibling. Children always loved their younger siblings, yet couldn't resist needling them at every opportunity. "As who?" He challenged her.
Mary clenched her fists and forced herself to look at the ground. "I'm sorry," She said in a low voice, refusing to meet his eyes. "What I was about to say was unkind and untrue."
What the hell? John blinked at her, vaguely unsettled and somehow sickened. "What the hell are you apologizing for?" He postulated cagily, "You didn't even do anything."
Mary looked at him, her expression similarly guarded. "But I almost did...so I apologized."
"For almost insulting me?" John gave a short bark of disgust, "Man, for working with demons, you have amazingly little spine. Chill, Alvir. If I can curse and work for His Highness, you can insult a bitter b----rd like me every now and then." He pulled out a cigarette and stuck it between his lips without lighting it. "So, what else is there to this place anyways?" He asked casually.
As Mary led him to another part of the Sanctuary, she couldn't help but notice that the tension between them had lessened considerably. She didn't know why, but there was some sort of camaraderie between them now. Friends? Not yet...but maybe later. For now–a truce of sorts; an understanding between allies.