When we arrived at our destination John told Chas to stay in the car. The apprentice was having none of it. He was much too excited. He and Anput hopped out at the same time Constantine and I did. They struggled to keep up as we crossed a busy road. I had recovered enough to be able to keep up the pace.

"I know where you're going, John," Chas said. "I know where you're going. You're going to Midnite's."

Constantine blew smoke and glanced at Chas as he caught up to him. "Aren't you supposed to be waiting in the cab?"

This seemed extremely unreasonable to Chas. He began to spew out all the information he had ever heard about Midnite and his bar. "It's a haven for those who rise and those who fall. I remember reading about this, John."

"You read too much, kid. It's a bar," Constantine said. We turned down the sidewalk that led to Midnite's

"It's a bar?" Chas repeated, and again, "It's a bar," now like he couldn't believe this. "Papa Midnite is a crusader for good. He swore the oath of neutrality. John, the man's a legend."

Constantine, of course, already knew all of this. He had fought with Midnite back in the day when they were close friends. "Yeah."

"Can you please get me into this bar, John? Please? I'm begging you, John, please?"

A smile crept onto my face, and when I looked at Anput I saw she had one too. I made a slightly mocking puppy dog face, fluttering my eyelashes. My sister had to bite her tongue not to laugh.

Constantine and Chas stopped. "Sure, you can get in," John told him.

"I can get in?" Chas repeated with a hopeful smile.

"If you can get in." Constantine walked away, puffing on his smoke. I knew what he meant by this. There was a psychic test to be able to get in. You had to guess the figure on a card. I felt a certain smugness at not having to take the test.

"If I can get - ? It's a bear, though, right?" Chas hollered after us. "Or two ducks, two ducks in a cloud?"

Constantine and I descended the stairs to the entrance to Midnite's. Everything was lit by a red light. All other colours except for black were washed out by the red. I had to blink a few times to adjust to it, and even then it still hurt my eyes a bit. A very large, intimidating man stood by a small table and a rope that sectioned off the rest of the bar. As Constantine and I approached, he held up a card. On the side facing us was a picture of dolphins leaping, but it was the side facing the guard we had to guess.

"Two frogs on a bench," Constantine said, not even bothering to stop. The guard unhooked the rope and Constantine and I stepped through, not looking back. I couldn't hear Chas as he tried to get through, but I knew he would be unsuccessful. He would rue that rat in a dress.

Constantine and I walked through to the main area of the bar. Everything was still red, but now loud music was playing. I kept very close to John as we passed various beings. Half-breed demons with red eyes feasted like a pack of rabid wolves on a squirming bag of…something. One looked up at Constantine as he passed. Constantine looked away. A few meters over on the other side were some tall beings in sharp suits. They reminded me of Gabriel. One with glowing yellow eyes leant over some wine glasses full of water and blew on them. The liquid darkened. I figured that was the old water into wine trick. Constantine continued to move, never slowing, never speaking to anyone. I saw a female being with glowing red eyes - half-breed demon - sitting in the lap of a being with glowing yellow eyes - an angel half-breed. The demon was licking the angel's ear. They both looked like they were daring anyone who wanted to challenge what they were doing to come forward. I adverted my eyes, not wanting to know their backstory.

Constantine stopped in front of a red padded door in an area of the bar lit with cool blue lights. He waited, staring at the door. He knew Midnite would be able to sense him there. After a few seconds, the door swung open. A man with a moustache and what looked like half of a burned face stepped out. He and Constantine eyed each other as the man passed. Then John and I stepped into Midnite's room. The door swung closed behind us.

Papa Midnite was sitting at his desk smoking a cigar. He didn't bother looking up at Constantine. "Don't get up," John said, holding out an arm. He walked over to a chair, picked it up, and carried it to Midnite's desk.

"You've been absent some time," Midnite commented. "Have you come here with relics to sell?"

I moved to stand behind and slightly to the left of Constantine's chair, trying to ignore the hairs that were rising on the back of my neck. "No, I'm out of that now. I've been too busy," Constantine said as he sat down.

Midnite could sense that Constantine's health wasn't one hundred per cent. "Perhaps peddling forgeries has ended up being bad for your health."

"Midnite, Jesus," Constantine said. This was obviously an issue that had been going on for some time. "I thought the thing was authentic."

There was a pause. I thought for a second I could feel some energy coming off of the black-skinned witchdoctor. "I see now," he said quietly, discovering the cancer in Constantine's lungs. "Your health is bad for other reasons. How long?"

Constantine was fishing in his pockets for another smoke. "A few months, maybe a year."

"I thought I heard thunder last night." Midnite flicked ash from his cigar into a tray. "Must have been Satan's stomach growling." He took a puff and blew smoke. My nose was starting to itch. The cigar smoke was worse than the cigarette smoke. "You're the one soul he'd come up here himself to collect," Midnite reminded him.

Constantine flicked open his lighter. "So I've heard." He lit his cigarette.

"Well, I am most certain that you did not come here for a sympathetic shoulder to cry on."

I translated this in my mind: Why did you come here, unannounced, to talk to me? You must need something. Get on with it. I crossed my arms over my chest, wincing slightly at the bruise that was still on my left side.

Constantine sighed, blew smoke, and pocketed his lighter. "A demon just attacked me, right out in the open on Figueroa."

This didn't impress Midnite. "They don't like you, John. How many have to deported back to Hell?"

"Not some angry half-breed, Midnite. A full fledged demon, here, on our plane."

"Clearly I do not have to remind you that is impossible."

Constantine knew that. But it did happen. It was evidence of something bigger about to happen. "And yesterday," he continued."I saw a solider demon trying to chew it's way through a little girl."

I could tell Midnite was struggling to remain patient. Similar to Gabriel, he adopted the frustrated school teacher tone. "Listen, John, demons stay in Hell, angels in heaven…the great détente of the original superpowers."

Constantine was getting equally frustrated. "Thanks for the history lesson, Midnite. You've been a tremendous help. Now…" He stood up and took a breath. "I need to use the chair."

Midnite looked at him as if he were crazy. "John, forgetting the fact that it would almost certainly kill you, you know I am neutral. And as long as the balance is maintained, I take no sides."

Constantine took an angry puff on his smoke and crushed it out into the carpet. "Before you were a bartender you were one witchdoctor against, what, thirty Ashgar?" I sighed. John was trying to use the friendship he and Midnite once had to sway him. "And I -"

Midnite cut him off. "You were Constantine. The John Constantine. Once." In essence, Midnite was reminding him that he used to be great. He had a name that at one time everyone respected and feared. Things were changing now.

Constantine leaned on the desk, still insistent. "This isn't the usual game, I can feel it. Something's coming." I bit my lip. He was right.

"Ooh, spooky," a man's voice said. I jumped, and when Constantine and I saw who it was, rolling a gold coin over his fingers, our hackles raised.

"Balthazar." Constantine said the half-breed demon's name like a curse word.

Balthazar chuckled and sighed happily. "That expression alone has made my entire night."

"I'll make your night." Constantine began to move towards him menacingly. His tone developed an edge like granite. "I'll deport your sorry ass right where you stand you half-breed shit!"

As Constantine reached into his pocked for a special type of weapon, Midnite slammed a fist on his desk, sending dishes and other items clattering. The noise stopped Constantine in his tracks. He looked at him. "You know the rules of my house," Midnite reminded Constantine in a stern voice. "While here you will abide by them."

In other words, Constantine could do nothing to Balthazar while he was here. Pity.

Now Balthazar had the floor. "Johnny boy." Constantine looked at him, repulsed. The half-breed got right into his face, unafraid. I glared at him. "Word is, you're on your way down. Fresh meat." The half-breed licked his fingers, his eyes glowing red. He hissed in Constantine's ear, causing him to flinch away. "Finger-licking good."

I growled at Balthazar, moving to stand beside Constantine. No one talks to my assignments like they are pieces of chicken and gets away with it. Unfortunately, that was just what was going to have to happen, this time.

"We have a meeting now, John," Midnite said as Balthazar sat in Constantine's chair.

Constantine turned around and looked as if he was going to say something. Instead, he started to cough. It was the same type of violent coughing he had done in the street before the demon attack. I looked at him, worried.

Balthazar glanced over his shoulder. "What? I didn't catch that."

I shot him an angry glare as John ran out of the room. I followed him as he raced, hunched over, through the strobe-lit bar, dodging dancers and party-goers. He was coughing into a handkerchief, and Iknew that by the end, that handkerchief would be splattered with his blood. We ran past the guard in the red room, and up the stairs to the street above, where Constantine nearly collapsed. Chas and Anput, who were waiting patiently for us to emerge, rushed over.

"John? Jesus, are you okay?" Chas asked. He looked slightly panicked.

Constantine managed to get his coughing under control at last. He nodded to Chas, not trusting his voice enough to speak yet. Chas' eyes widened when he saw the bloody cloth in Constantine's hand.

"Were you just coughing up blood?"

Constantine cleared his throat. "Yeah. You know I've been sick for a long time."

"Yeah, but I never guessed…what is it? What do you have?"

"Don't worry about it," John said. "I'm sure your little spirit guide can explain it to you."

Now Chas looked even more panicked. As did Anput and I. "Spirit guide?" Chas squeaked. "I…I don't know what you're talking about, John."

"No, John. You shouldn't talk about the spirit guides, remember?" I said, a hint of warning in my voice.

Constantine sighed and started walking back to the cab. "Let's go."

"Where are we going now?" Chas asked, falling into step beside him.

"Home," Constantine replied.

"Yeah, sure, John." Chas still seemed a bit shaken by the blood on Constantine's handkerchief and his reference to Anput. I could hear my sister comforting Chas, telling him that she wasn't going to leave him over that and she'll explain things to him later. I looked up at the night sky and sighed. John wasn't going to be getting any more sleep for a long time.

AN/ Thanks to my reviewers. I hope you liked this chapter.