AN/ I used a portion of the Constantine movie novelisation by John Shirley in this chapter. This book had been a tremendous help for me writing this fic. So yeah, shout out to Mr Shirley. Thanks again to those who took the time to review.
Constantine managed to find a phone and called Chas. He and I waited none-too patiently outside the building for him to arrive. When the cab finally pulled up, I noticed Anput sitting in the front seat. She looked anxious but was trying to hide it so she wouldn't put Chas into a panic. Constantine and I hopped in and Constantine told Chas to drive to Midnite's. My assignment knew that if he didn't use the chair now, it would be too late and everything would only get worse. He knew that because I told him. On the way to the bar, Anput and Constantine filled Chas in on everything that had happened. I was pleased when we arrived at Midnite's bar in record time.
Constantine knew that Chas wouldn't stay in the car this time even if he told him, so he kept quiet. Sure enough, Chas and Anput once again followed Constantine and I down into the familiar red room. The guard held up a card, but I knew that no matter what Constantine answered, the guard was instructed not to let him in. I also knew that Constantine was tired, both physically and psychically. He didn't want to waste any energy guessing what the stupid symbol on the back of a card was.
"Bird on a ladder," he said.
"Sorry," the bouncer stated.
In response, Constantine punched him. My eyebrows rose in mild surprise. Constantine downed the very solid-looking bouncer in one shot. The man crashed backwards, breaking a chair. Constantine shook his hand to relieve the pain, unhooked the rope and continued down into the bar.
"Wait here," he told Chas without looking back at him.
I glanced over my shoulder. Chas and Anput were looking the guard's body over. "Yeah," Chas said. I allowed my mind to stay with them for a few seconds and I heard Chas chuckle and lightly kick the guard. "Who's a rat in a dress now, huh, bitch?" Try as I might, I couldn't hide my smile.
Constantine stormed through the empty bar straight to Midnite's door. I could feel the angry vibes coming off him as I struggled slightly to keep up. Constantine swung his gun up and aimed at the door. He fired two blasts at it and kicked it open. We stepped into the room as Midnite rose to his feet. Constantine had the gun aimed at the witchdoctor's head. The air became thick with Midnite's furry.
"Have you lost what little mind you have?" Midnite demanded. He flexed his hands, drawing power to them. Constantine saw him do this.
"Don't," he warned. I stared at the power in Midnite's hands, spiralling and tightening, ready to attack. "I need to use the chair," Constantine insisted. He must have thought he sounded crazy. It was like barging into your neighbour's house and demanding to use their internet.
"I offer no aid to one side or the other," Midnite reminded him tightly. "The balance."
"Screw the balance."
Constantine regretted saying that, because just then Midnite fired his power at him. Constantine was hurled back up against the wall by an incredible, invisible force. The shotgun clattered to the carpeted floor. I gasped at the ferocity of Midnite's attack. Constantine bounced off the wall. Midnite rushed up and caught him before he fell and pinned him with power still radiating from his hands, burning through fabric and flesh. Constantine yelled in pain. I remembered reading somewhere that if he chose to, Midnite could stop Constantine's heart "between one beat and the next." I put my hand to my mouth, frozen for a moment. Then something in me clicked and I ran up to Constantine, squeezing his shoulder.
"YOU DARE? IN MY HOUSE!?" Midnite roared. I realised that the witchdoctor's anger could be perfectly justified. He was just like a wolf or a lion, protecting his territory.
Constantine managed to meet Midnite's eyes. Iron will met iron will and they found each other equal. "Is this neutral? Bullshit." Constantine managed to say through the unbelievable pain. "You're the only one still playing by the rules, Midnite. And while you've been imitating Switzerland, people are dying." Midnite thumped him again with his power. Constantine grunted painfully, but managed to continue. "Hennessy. Beeman. They were your friends once too, remember?" Midnite zapped him again, smoke rising from his hands. Constantine squeezed his eyes shut in agony. "I need your help!" he shouted in desperation. He managed to lean in towards Midnite. I noticed John was having trouble breathing. Midnite's power must not have been doing anything good to his cancer. "Consider it a last request."
Sweat beaded down the back of Papa Midnite's neck. He took a second or two to seriously consider Constantine's request. "You play a dangerous game," he stated, but ultimately decided to help him. Midnite let Constantine go, and my assignment slumped to the floor in a painful heap. I squatted beside him, patted his shoulder and smiled as reassuringly as I could. He groaned when he saw the marks in his shirt; ten little brown, flinger tip shaped burns.
"Two-hundred-dollar shirt, by the way," he said annoyingly after Midnite as the witchdoctor crossed the room. I smiled again and helped Constantine to his feet.
"Are you okay?" I asked him.
He nodded, looking like he was suppressing a cough. I frowned slightly, realising the stupidity of my question. He didn't look okay. He looked like he should be in a hospital receiving treatment. I swallowed back a sigh and we followed Midnite into a room which he usually kept locked. It was down in a dark, red-tiled passageway. Midnite asked Constantine what he was planning to do with the chair. Constantine explained that he wanted to track whoever had the Spear of Destiny and that Mammon needed it along with Angela to pass through onto our plane.
"That little shit has been trying to climb out of his father's shadow for eons." Midnite remarked. I wasn't surprised in the slightest that he knew about him.
I had to stop and gasp at the room we had entered. It was huge, with cathedral-like ceilings and chocker-block full of artefacts that would definitely fall under the category of 'strange and mysterious.'
"I'd hate to think what he would ever do to this world if he broke through," Midnete admitted. As he walked through the room, Midnite snatched a bottle of alcohol. I smiled grimly. They would need it in a short while.
At the back of the room sat a large object covered by a heavy cloth. Midnite pulled the cloth off, revealing an old wooden electric chair, complete with leather straps. "Forgot how big it was," Constantine muttered. I looked at him. He was scared, no, terrified. He was hiding it very well, but I wasn't completely fooled. I strongly suspected Midnite wouldn't be fooled either.
"Two hundred souls passed through this wood and steel at Sing Sing," the witchdoctor reminded us.
"Yeah," Constantine said. He and I knew that one of these souls had dabbled in magic and tried to open a portal as he sat in the chair. That magic coupled with the electricity that killed the prisoner turned the chair into something more than a tool for execution. He turned it into a tool for those who could to surf the psychic ether back in time. I could hear the pain and worry in my assignment's voice. The pain was from the cancer and from what Midnite had done. The worry was for Angela. Constantine leaned the Holy Shotgun against what looked like a head bord. He grasped the chair and looked at Midnite. "Which way's east?"
Midnite pointed to my right and went to fill a pot with water from a near by line of sinks. I stepped out of the way so Constantine could slide the chair into place. Why east was important to the whole procedure, I had no clue. Constantine sat down in the chair with a sigh, his psychic senses suddenly bombarded with the residue of utter terror and despair that had leached into the chair.
"How many years since you've surfed?" Midnite asked across the room.
Constantine crossed his left leg over his right knee and began to undo his shoelaces. He sounded like he was trying to reassure himself. "Like riding a bike."
"No, not really," Midnite corrected, now standing before him with a pot of water and the bottle of alcohol. "Tell me this isn't about the girl."
Constantine was working on the other shoe. "Definitely mostly not about the girl," he replied.
I grinned despite myself. "In other words, it's about the girl," I said. John didn't look at me, but I felt something come my way from him. A kind of psychic prod. "Though saving the world is an extra bonus," I added. "And you shouldn't prod me with your mind like that. You need to save your strength."
By now Constantine had both his shoes and socks off. Midnite smirked, guessing the truth about the girl, and poured the water onto the floor. Constantine flinched and reflexively raised his feet. "Cold."
Midnite handed him to bottle. "Little flavour?"
Constantine took to bottle, offered a little tost to Midnite and took a long swig.
"I'm not going to surf with you," I told John. "But I'll help you get out of it. Just call to me with your mind and I'll hear."
Constantine nodded to me as Midnite took a lamp pole and smashed the lit bulb against the stone wall. There were sparks, and when they settled I could see the filament remained intact, live and extremely dangerous. I felt the hairs on the back of my neck rise and my eyes widened. Constantine handed the bottle back to Midnite, who drank from it himself, then spit the alcohol back onto the floor. Constantine shook himself and took deep breaths, reading his body the best he could. He clutched the arms of the chair tightly.
"Sure about this?" Midnite asked.
"No," John answered truthfully.
Then with a yell, Midnite pressed the live filament to the puddle of water at Constantine's feet. My assignment was instantly electrocuted. His body jerked uncontrollably. My muscles were tense, ready to help him when he called. Midnite was chanting in Latin, helping him along. Then he took the filament away. Constantine still convulsed, though now he was surfing the ether. His mind was literally some place else. I knew what he saw; Manuel discovering the Spear of Destiny, surviving a devastating car crash, crossing the border into the states, stealing a car, and driving down the highway to Ravenscar hospital. All the while, the scavenger was hearing a demonic voice whispering in his ear. The hospital was full of demonic half-breeds eagerly awaiting Mammon's arrival and ready to guard Angela. Manuel walked through into the hydrotherapy room, and suddenly saw Constantine. He turned on him, choking the life out of him even though Constantine's body was far away. Then I heard the mental cry: "Bastet!" At the same time, Constantine also shouted "Midnite!"
I closed my eyes and reached out, grasping Constantine's arm and pulling with all my might. Midnite also stepped up, sweeping the scavenger's hands off of Constantine and grabbing him by the shoulders. The witchdoctor and I both pulled Constantine back into the room. Constantine was panting, but okay. I smiled and let go, feeling very relieved.
"Any luck?" Midnite asked.
Constantine smiled, nodded and thumped Midnite's arm. "That's a word for it."
I became aware of two more people in the room. I turned and smiled at Anput and Chas as they hesitantly approached. I knew they wouldn't be able to stay put for long. My sister smiled and shrugged at me. I winked at her, understanding completely.
"Holy shit," Chas said in awe. He pointed with a finger still in his coat pocket. "You're Papa Midnite, aren't you?"
The witchdoctor glared at him. "How'd you get in?" he demanded, getting slightly territorial again.
"Relax, he's with me," Constantine said. He shot Chas a look that read 'I told you to stay.' "This is Chas. He's my apprentice," he explained to Midnite.
"When I'm not his chauffer," Chas grumbled.
"Your apprentice?" Midnite quirked an eyebrow and looked Chas up and down critically. "That the best you could do?"
Chas, Anput and I frowned. John shrugged.
"Sometimes you just have to work with what you have," he said. I hoped he wasn't also talking about me.