Author's notes: What only a few reviews? Awe man! Come on people! This isn't exactly easy you know, juggling all this in with work and this coming Thursday, School! Come on please send some reviews here. Anyway. I'll try to get one or two more chapters in this week before school starts, my brother gives me crap about how I won't have time for it during the school year. Well I hardly have time for it as it is! Anyway, here is where we meet the rest of the Trench Coat Brigade. Here's chapter two, enjoy and please review.
Constantine and the Stranger lead Ash down the streets of London another five blocks to an apartment building. They led him up to the third floor where they entered the room numbered 667 'Neighbor of the Beast,' Ash thought to himself, at realization that it was only one number higher than 666. His companions and he entered through the door of the apartment. It was no that big of a room. Only a lamp mounted on the wall dimly lighted the room. There was a long table in the middle, with an ashtray in the center. There were a few small paintings on the wall, and a window at the far end of the room, not that it did the room much good, since it was draped shut. There was an opening into another room, probably a kitchen. Two men were already present, both standing on opposite ends of the table. One wore sunglasses, a sky blue trench coat and held a cane in his had. He was probably blind, the sunglasses and the cane were a dead give-away. The other wore a large brown trench coat and wore a hat that looked a lot like the one worn by Indian Jones.
"Splendid!" sang Constantine. "Your both here already."
"You however took your time Constantine," grumbled the man with the sunglasses, as a scowl came to his face.
"Wow! Who peed in his coffee?" asked Ash. A faint wave of laughter echoed through the room.
The man with the sunglasses scowled deeper. "And who might this be Constantine?" he asked, clearly annoyed. "One of your lowlife friends no doubt," he sneered.
"Hey Bub, you wanna start something here than I'll tell you right now…" Ash started as he took a step towards the sour face with a clenched fist.
The Stranger placed a hand on Ash's right shoulder to calm him. "Be at peace, both of you," commanded the Stranger. "The very world we live in his under siege by demonic forces and all you two can do his slash at each other's throats. We must work to help each other now or else all is lost!" Ash and E both calmed themselves and nodded. "Be seated, all of you," he said. They all obeyed, the Stranger took the seat at the head of the table. "I suppose there are introductions in order. Ashley Williams, Mister E," said the Stranger motioning to the blue-coated man whom Ash had nearly come to blows with. Mister E gave a slight bow, Ash returned it with a nod. "And Doctor Occult," he said motioning to the brown coated man.
"Good evening mister Williams," said Doctor Occult.
"Evening Doc," returned Ash with a nod.
"Perfect! Now that introductions are out of the way, lets us get down to business then," said Constantine as he puffed smoke from his cigarette.
"Constantine is correct," began the Stranger. "As you are all well aware the army of Hell has besieged this city."
"No bleedin kidding mate!" said Constantine. "Nasty buggers they are, never seen anything just quit like them in me life!"
"He's right," said Doctor Occult. "I encountered some on my way here, I was barely able toward them off and get away."
"You all speak for yourselves," began Mister E. I killed several of them on my way here with little trouble," he said as he lifted a bloody wooden stake from his coat and also brought up a revolver.
"Ah so ye do keep a revolver full of silver bullets do ye?" asked Constantine with a grin. "Gus the ol bloke was right."
"For your information Constantine. This gun dose not contain bullets at all. It fires stones from the road to Damascus, the holy road where Jesus met with Saint Paul and none of your fowl minded friends would understand anything about it."
"Be at peace all of you, we need not continue old arguments, or grudges," said the Stranger. "We must maintain order and quell this horrendous invasion force which has plaque the city."
"Einstein is right," said Ash. "These things are the mother of all pest-problems and we are the exterminators. But we have to work together, if we're gonna give these mothers the kiss off."
"Yea, cheers Ash!" said Constantine with a round of applause. "Couldn't a put it better myself mate," he finished.
"I take it you have experience in battling these creatures?" asked Doctor Occult.
"You catch on pretty fast Doc," replied Ash. "Yes, John already heard. You want the long version or the short? To make it relatively quick, they're called deadites. About twenty years ago, a professor in America accidentally unleashed the deadites in the woods outside Dearborn Michigan. That's how I got involved. Lets just say I was sent to hell and back, and then back again…and again…and then again…and again…well After a mass of demons invading Dearborn, dozens of outrageous time travel expeditions and all around havoc I ended up here and as always the deadites have followed me right along."
Occult, E and the Stranger all looked at each other in confussion. Constantine just sat back in his chair and grinned, as if fantasizing on what the next word said would be. After a few moments of silence and questioning looks, Occult broke the silence. "That did not make much sense, would you tell us the long version?" asked the Doctor.
"That was the long version, mate," said Constantine. "The short version is…Shit happened," he finished as he placed a burned down cigarette in the ashtray on the table.
"A very brief but totally fitting summary Johnny," said Ash.
"Cheers!" replied Constantine as he lit another cigarette.
"I suppose that is the best we shall ever receive from either of you," said the Stranger with a sigh.
"What not detailed enough for you boss?" asked Ash. "Fine then, the key to these things is brute force, I'm sure our stake wielding friend is well aware of that," he said. E remained silent. "Knives, axes, saws, guns, bombs…the bigger the better," Ash continued. "I'm sure you know that many of these things were once human, but you can pretty much forget about freeing them. These demons never let their victims go until their bodies are damaged beyond repair, bodily dismemberment is the way to go, a sick way, but the only way," stated Ash as all humor slipped from his voice.
The trench coat clad audience were silent, all trying to take in what they had just heard. When they could all hear the patter of rain on the roof the Stranger spoke up. "What of the monstrosities that attacked you on the street, surely those are not of this world?" he asked.
"No Shit you twat!" groaned Constantine.
"None at all," stated Ash. "The Big Bastards are called Guardians," explained Ash. "Like the smaller gray skinned humanoid deadites, these guys are fresh from the barbecue pit, big, bad and ugly. There are a couple of different breeds of them but the fat saggy slow ones you particularly don't wanna get to close to. Not just because of the five-ton punch they pack butt because they have a tendency to vomit a very hot slimy acid on their victims."
"So much for dinner," complained Constantine.
"Well I highly doubt whining and joking is going to stop them Constantine," stated Mr. E.
"Is he always this negative?" asked Ash thoroughly fed up with the nasty comments from their blind friend.
"Constantly," sighed Constantine.
E opened his mouth to make a comeback, but was cut short by the stranger. "Enough," he said, calmly but firmly. "Tell us more Ashley Williams," said the Stranger. "How my I ask do these demons cross over to our plane?"
"Simple, vortexes," began Ash. "They summon vortexes from hell that work as elevators to our level. But like all their little schemes they have a weakness, silver. Place an item of pure silver inside one of those vortexes and they'll fold like a duce before a royal flush," he finished.
"Well E, looks like you finally have something use full in that ol coat of yours," said Constantine with a puff of cigarette smoke.
"I specialize in the destruction of evil," stated Mr. E. "You will find I have far more than just stakes and a revolver in my arsenal."
"You have weapons?" asked Ash hopefully.
"Yes, plenty," replied Mr. E.
"Excellent, pal you just went up a notch in my book, weapons are good very very good," said Ash with great enthusiasm. "Now where do you keep them?" he asked.
E was silent for a moment. "I normally do not allow anyone in my house, but in this case it appears I must make an exception," said E with a sigh.
"Awesome lets go, we got places to go and demons to kill. We go to E's place, get some heat then head out to kick some Ass!" said Ash as he arose from his seat.
"Well it's not exactly my style…but is suppose yer right. Magic will only do us so much good in this case," said Constantine blowing more smoke from his cigarette.
"It is settled then," said the Stranger. "We shall rally at the this building in two hours upon which we shall seek out and engage the demons in battle. Mister E, you may lead Mr. Williams, Constantine and the Doctor to your living quarters and dispense proper weaponry. I shall summon Timothy Hunter," he finished and they all rose.
Ash opened his mouth to ask about this Hunter character but was cut off by Constantine. "You really think getting Tim involved here is a good idea?" he asked the Stranger.
"I am sure he is strong enough now John Constantine. He cannot learn without experience," replied the Stranger.
"That's not what I meant mate," said Constantine. He made a quick glance to E who was standing now and scowling as usual. Constantine then returned his gaze to the Stranger with a look of unsureness.
The Stranger turned to Mr. E. "I trust you have learned from past mistakes Mr. E," began the Stranger. E's face remained frozen. "Do I have your word Mr. E?" asked the Stranger.
E's scowl deepened. He paused for a moment then turned and began walking toward the door of the apartment. "Very well," E finally said. "You have my word Stranger," he finished as he walked through the door.
Dr. Occult began walking towards the door. Constantine stepped away from the table to the telephone on the wall. "Tell E to wait up while I call Chaz," he said to Occult. The Doctor nodded and continued on. Constantine only talked for a moment over the phone, he read off the address of the apartment building and told the man at the other the line to hurry then hung up.
"What the hell was all that with E a moment ago?" asked Ash, still in confusion of the wave of suspicion surrounding Mr. E before he left.
"Long story mate, I'll tell ye on the way," said Constantine. "Chaz'll be here soon, sure you'll like him. We go back a long way me and him."
"Then let us be off," said the Stranger as he led the way out the door.
Ash hung back with Constantine. Constantine place his cigarette on the verge of burning down into the ashtray. He then placed an arm on Ash's shoulder. "Well mate," he began. "Welcome to the 'Trench Coat Brigade,' he said with a smirk.
"Constantine!" came the annoyed voice of the Stranger from the hallway beyond the door.
"Awe some people can't take a joke you know?" said Constantine as he led Ash out the door of the room.
