A homeless old man was sitting in a dark ally was being bothered by a group of teenagers, little did they know that the apparently defenseless man was in fact an angel of the host; they would be punished come judgment day.
John slipped into Frank's cab and the later started to drive away.
"Where to?" Asked Frank.
John was preoccupied and distant and failed to give a destination.
"John?"
John came out of it and said, "Police Station."
John ripped the box open and took one of the packs out and tossed the other nineteen down, he opened the pack and lit it then fished out his cell phone.
"I thought you quit." Commented Frank.
"No one likes a quitter, Frank."
He dialed the number and a few minutes later came the great and echoing voice of Midnite.
"Hello"
"Midnite, it's John"
"Please tell me my club isn't in flames"
"It's not. How's London"
"It's still in England"
"Great. How was the grand opening"
"We had some problems with conservatives. Now enough with the small talk and tell me why you called"
"Something has come up"
"What"
"I'm not comfortable speaking about it on the phone, but I assure it's a lot more fun than opening an astral dive in London"
"I'm sure you can handle it yourself"
"Actually I can't"
"John Constantine thinking he may be in over his head? That's a first." "Funny. All that fog must be causing you to develop a sense of humor. Just try and cut your stay short."
John hung up, knowing that Midnite would be insulted.
He was in over his head, as much as he hated to admit it. There was no direction at all he could head in. He was at a dead end and there was no one who could help him out.
"We're here."
John peeked out the window; there was the big building with 'L.A.P.D.' all over it.
"Are you getting out?" Asked Frank, "Or will we be going somewhere else like every time I drive you here?"
John was in deep contemplation; on second thought there was someone who might know a thing or two that would come in handy.
"Well"
"Take me to Reseda instead"
"Big surprise." Said Frank as he kicked the gas pedal down.
Ellie lay back on Midnite's ostrich feather bed, she was so relaxed and comfortable, this Midnite character sure had good taste, maybe she'll send him a fruitcake.
Eudaemon was sitting at the tip of the bed with his head in his hands, feeling tat the weight of the world laid on his shoulders.
Ellie sat up with little trouble and wrapped her arms behind him, taking a whiff of his hair that smelt like the morning dew.
"Constantine will help us." said Ellie.
"I don't trust him"
"He's not trust worthy, but he's all we've got"
"He's consigned to heaven, why would he want to risk it by helping us? I'm sure he's concocting something"
"He sure is a curious little monkey. He won't leave us till he's seen our son"
"You think so"
"That's what he wants, to see what you get when you cross a demon and an Angel."
"What will we do?" mused Eudaemon, "After the child is born what will we do? What will come of him? We can't have Constantine raise him."
"We have to stay here, we can't go home anymore." said Ellie.
"I cant leaven Heaven, Ellie. You don't know what you're asking of me"
"Of course not, I'm just a Demon after all." said Ellie as she backed away of him.
"I'm just a hell who're"
"Ellie"
"Did you think about me? You think it's easy for me to leave Hell? The stench of tar pits, Screams of agony coming from the bottom, the touch of festering flesh; is it my fault those are the things I love?"
"I'm sorry, I was selfish." said Eudaemon.
Ellie was hurt and looked away with tearful eyes. "Is it my fault that my paradise is HELL?"
"Of course not," said Eudaemon as he pulled her for an embrace, "You'll be with me from here to eternity. That's all the heaven I'll ever want"
"What a dump."
John looked upon the cramped studio basement apartment with amused disdain, it was a place suitable for hermits or roaches only. Poorly lit by a single ceiling lamp and furnished with a cot, a tiny cabinet and a table and chair, a cardboard box half-filled with folded clothes served as a foot locker. The only appliances in sight were a fridge and a hot plate.
"I'm so happy." said John to himself, he didn't want to come here to begin with, the occupant was the least person he cold tolerate, but seeing how she was living made up for all the patronizing.
He heard footsteps approaching from the outside some he retreated into the shadows where the pathetic light wouldn't reach him.
The door opened with a squeak, and in walked Gabriel, tired to the point she didn't bother to wonder who opened the door. She unbuttoned her shirt and tossed it onto the floor then hunched over to open the fridge. This allowed John to see her back, where her wings stuck out once was two stomps of bone, she had obviously filled them down since she fell from Grace a year before.
"Hello Gabriel."
Gabriel hurled a plastic bottle at the direction of the voice, John ducked and barely avoided the bottle that slammed into the wall and broke spilling water everywhere.
"Easy there, kitten. Wrath is a deadly sin, remember that." said John as he stepped into the light.
"Constantine!" Hissed the fallen Angel, "What the fuck are you doing here?" barked Gabriel.
"Well, I could offer how a shepherd leads even the most wayward of his flock but it might sound disingenuous."
Constantine had been waiting for a long time to say that.
"Get out"
"Take it easy, stompy. I have a business proposition for you"
"Out."
"Gabriel, a year ago you could have actually scared me, right now you're just as intimidating as... Well, shit. Now if you want me to get the hell out then I will. You jus have to listen to a business offer. One that you can't refuse"
"I'd rather die than collect money from you miserable swine"
"Cut the crap, have you looked around this place recently"
"I make ends meet through decent labor without the need to do you devious errands"
"Cleaning windows for a law firm that represents the scum of this city? They can't be paying you much with no ID."
Gabriel went to put a shirt on.
"Wait till you're downsized or when your landlord raises your rent or you get mugged at the end of the day. Wait till the cops check you out and ponder who you really are and the only way you can get out of the situation. Or wait till you slip and break your leg, then you really will wish you'd taken my advice and my money."
Gabriel knew how right he was, but didn't want to admit it.
"You need more than faith and love to survive this world. And the sooner you know it, the sooner you'll adapt."
Gabriel turned away and pretended to be rummaging through the cabinet.
"There has been a severe breach of the rules of the conflict between Heaven and Hell"
"What's it to me? I'm of no use"
"Maybe, probably, but I don't think so"
"What kind of breach"
"An Unholy Conception."
Gabriel looked in shock at John who head to the door and as he was passing through the door he said, "Are you coming or what?"
Club Midnite was beginning to fill with customers, as Gabriel tried to pass the bouncer he asked if she could tell what was on the other side of the card.
"She's with me." said John, "Did Azrael come in yet"
"No."
Gabriel briefly felt some of the power of the old days, she saw several of her old partners as well as saw many of her old enemies. She felt a bit of pride for being in the game again. The moment of pride melted away as she the looks that were set on her, the Angels who served under her once looked at her with Disappointment and betrayal. The Demons who feared her at one time were looking at her with pity and disgust. Gabriel hung her head in shame and just followed John into the office.
"Now will you tell me what has happened"
"They're in there."
John pushed the door to the bedroom open, there were Ellie and Eudaemon, laying next to each other on the bed, their fingers interlocked.
"Ellie." said Gabriel as she saw the succubus. She then looked at the man next to her and remembered who he was in shock.
"Eudaemon!"
The Angel sprung from his position and lowered his head in respect.
"Saint Gabriel!"
"I take it you know each other?" asked John.
"I had taken Eudaemon under my wing a time ago," said Gabriel, "No pun intended."
"I assume you're wondering"
"I'm not, I understand completely"
"Good"
"Is there somewhere we can talk in private, John"
"Sure."
John and Gabriel left to the office and went to a dark room dimly lit.
"So what do you think"
"I think you were a fool to bring them where Angels and Demons come to drink"
"This place is a sanctuary, anyone who tries to attack anyone else here will be incinerated to a crisp. Midnite doesn't kid around about these things"
"They can't live here forever, as soon as someone finds about this you'll have legions of demons outside this place just waiting to see either one of you, then all hell will break loose"
"Or heaven"
"What"
"I'm just saying that Demons aren't the only threat. Heaven won't tolerate these two more than hell, Azrael came asking for Ellie yesterday, they probably know something"
"Frankly John, I think Heaven having this hybrid will be better than Hell"
"We don't know the first thing about this child, it could be some kind of Cosmic H-Bomb that might blow Hell to bricks. I just want to wait till we are able to see for ourselves"
"And risk the destruction of this plane"
"Like you'd give a damn. Look Gabriel, you haven't told me anything I didn't think of already. I want to know what is this thing."
Gabriel gazed at John for seconds, "It could be the Anti-Christ, or It could just be another half-bread. I don't think it will even survive, a child of a Demon and an Angel is will ed up consuming itself. How Ellie and Eudaemon survived is beyond me... The rules of conflict say that a union between anything Demonic and anything Heavenly can not last, except..."
Gabriel paused in confusion, "...except in the existence of love. This just gets more complicated"
"what?" asked John sternly.
"It means no more of the rules that govern the conflict. It means that Heaven and Hell are going to be redefined. It means goodbye to all we know"
"What do you mean"
"Throughout time there were demons who tried to achieve redemption and to get back into heaven, most changed their mind, some failed, only one succeeded. But if an Angel and a Demon fall in love and have a child together then the child will be a reminder for the ages of a major event that defied all the codes. If this child comes all the rules will collapse and new rules will emerge, the future revolves around this child, whoever has it will have the upper hand. That's my theory anyway."
John was overwhelmed and he reached for a cigarette.
"You're smoking again"
"Apparently, now first order of business. We get an ethereal Ultrasound, and I know just the guy for the job."
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