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John rushed down the stairs, his coat only partly across his shoulders. He shoved the Cross-Gun into an oversized pocket as he hailed a cab, inwardly cursing the fact that he'd forgotten his Exorcism kit.
As the cab careened down the streets of L.A, Constantine thought over the bizarre lady in the bathtub. She had looked so pale, so startled and relieved to see him. She obviously had been through a lot...but what was a live human doing in Hell?
He sighed, and chewed on his lip, his depraved brain yearning for one of his Chinese-made cigarettes.
The cab slowed to a halt before the only convent still open in L.A, and Constantine couldn't help but think of Angie.
Angela Dodson, the beautiful cop he'd saved from Mammon's wrath almost a year ago, haunted his thoughts almost all the time, yet whenever he worked up the courage to call her something horrible had happened. The first time, a soldier demon had attempted to shatter Constantine's shaving mirror. The second time, a demonic lightning bolt had fried the electrical system...and the third time he simply forgot her number.
The cabbie stared expectantly at John, and Constantine felt a pang of sorrow touch his heart. He missed Chaz, his faithful groupie-cab-driver who had been brutally murdered by Gabriel, the insane Arc-Angel, in Constantine's last epic battle.
Constantine paid the driver, who drove off in a flurry of burned rubber, and quickly ascended the steps. He was met by the Mother Superior herself, as well as the groundskeeper.
Constantine nodded his head in acknowledgement; then asked, coolly, "So. What's the trouble?"
"We have found something...something abominable!" The M.S snarled, "I've never even heard of anything remotely like it before."
'Must be my night,' Constantine thought, surly, 'Strange naked girls appearing in my bathtub, and now an Abomination.' Aloud he simply grunted in response.
The M.S took a deep breath, "One of the sisters is a...she has a gift from God. She can know things...things that are always true."
"A psychic?"
"A messenger." The M.S snapped. Constantine distinctly got the impression that he'd soon hate this horse-faced woman who was now sneering piggily at him, "But she found this...THING...at the bottom of our steps, wounded and delirious. He is inside now. We tended his wounds, but about an hour ago he fell into a fever such as I've never seen before. And his eyes!"
"Glowing red?" Constantine asked, haughtily. He shouldered them aside and marched towards the door, "I've seen it before."
"Not only red!" The M.S called, addressing John's back, "One of them is brilliant white. Just looking into it makes you want to melt into bliss. But the other!" She shuddered, "like you said, Mr. Constantine. Redder than fresh blood on snow."
The hair on the back of Constantine's neck stood straight up, and he turned slowly, "That's not possible."
"He told us his name." The M.S shuddered, "Kuh-hai Damascus."
"Kuh-hai?"
"That's Khi, Mother Superior." The groundskeeper whispered, mousily.
"Oh, shut-up, Wilkins."
Constantine bit his lip again, and strode into the halls of the convent. He was met by a torrent of young nuns, all of them in their sleeping gowns. Constantine looked at them, thoughtfully, and struggled to keep himself under control, 'No. Bad boy. No nuns for you.'
The Mother Superior marched behind Constantine, and remarked, thoughtfully, "Constantine? Named after the roman emperor who brought Christianity to the Godless roman empire?"
"No. Named after my father, whose last name was also Constantine. Interestingly enough." Constantine was then met by a short, plump nun who literally slammed into him.
"MOTHER SUPERIOR!!!!!" Sister Bridget screamed, "For the love of God, you have to help him! He's dying!"
"Who?" Constantine asked, a little confused as to why he was being tightly hugged by a fat, hysterical Sister, "What?"
"KHI!" Bridget suddenly realized that she was still holding onto Constantine, and let go, "Er...sorry. He's fallen into fits! He's speaking in a language I've never heard before!"
As she said this, the door behind her exploded, the lights winking in an out. All the breath was driven out of everyone present's lungs as a shit-load of psychic energy bombarded them. Just then, Constantine heard something which made him stop short.
Inside the room, Khi was screaming in a mixture of Hell-Speech and Angel-Tongue. The lights exploded, and the Nuns screamed and prayed, while Bridget called something to John over the din.
The exorcist looked at her, "WHAT?!"
"May God have mercy on your soul!"
Constantine Hurried into the room only to see Khi, back arched, roaring blindly...on the ceiling looking downwards.
Constantine whipped out his rifle, and turned to Bridget, "Give me your crucifix! And your bible!"
The sister handed them over quickly, and Constantine lifted the book and shrieked, "In the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit! I command thee!"
Khi roared, his red eye snapping shut, while the other glowed brighter. The creature's wounds had reopened, and Constantine shuddered as drips of silver dropped onto his shoulders. Khi snarled, "En name de patrice! Et fili! Es spirit du sanctem! AMEN!" he then extended a finger at Constantine. Fire formed in Khi's palm; then threw itself towards Constantine. The exorcist dodged, and the fireball slammed into the convent wall.
Constantine lifted the bible, "the Power of Christ compels thee!"
Khi fell flat against the ceiling, his narrow chest heaving. He moaned, and then croaked out, "Help me..."
Bridget looked at Constantine, "You can't deport him, John. He belongs to neither Heaven nor Hell."
Constantine glared at Khi, "That makes two of us."
Khi panted and looked down at Constantine with fevered eyes, "You are Constantine?"
"Yes...Khi Damascus. Its good you know my name before I blow you into whatever dimension would take a freak like you!" He lifted the gun and took aim.
Khi laughed, "Do it!"
Constantine started, "What?"
"Kill me. Put me out of my misery. The wounds given to me won't heal...they were made by a half-breed with a spelled Axe designed to kill me. I'm doomed to a slow, painful death. Please, end it!"
The M.S shrieked, "Yes! Kill him! He is the son of Mammon!"
Constantine stiffened, "WHAT?!"
Bridgid replied, softly, "he is the son of Mammon...and Gabriel."
Constantine, for the first time, lowered his gun. As he turned to consult the Nuns, he noticed that while the M.S was having conniptions, Sister Bridgid was grinning at him.
John finally turned, "Listen, Damascus. I'm taking you with me. Perhaps we'll find a way to save you, perhaps not. But at least I'll then be able to keep an eye on you."
Khi groaned, and began to shake with fever. It eventually took three nuns and a step ladder to pry the struggling soul from the ceiling, but they managed. Bridgid found a large, fleece blanket and wrapped Khi inside it, while Constantine borrowed Wilkins' (The caretaker's) beat up Buick.
After much ago about Khi's wings and tail, they finally managed to shove him into the back seat while Constantine and Wilkins sat up front. Khi lay flat against the seats, moaning in pain, while Wilkins began the long drive home.
"So...you follow sports?" Wilkins asked, cheerfully.
Over a high-pitched wail from Khi, Constantine stared incredulously at the man, "No..."
"Me neither. My favorite thing to watch is 'All my Children.' you watch the soaps?"
"No..."
"Well you should." Wilkins stole a glance at Constantine, and then suddenly spread his free arm, as if stretching, and laid it across the back of John's seat so that his fingers rested on Constantine's shoulder. The exorcist stared at the man, and tried to squirm away, while Wilkins smiled at him with the two teeth he had left.
Khi roared a word of power in his delirium in the back seat, and the car levitated three inches before slamming back down.
Wilkins then took that opportunity to lean over and press his forehead against John's cheek. Constantine violently threw himself backwards, as the groundskeeper breathed, "We had a moment back in the monastery, didn't we?"
Constantine almost whimpered, "No!"
"Oh, but we did!" Wilkins smiled, and looked back at the road. Constantine examined the door for a quick escape just as Wilkins smiled, "You're the most beautiful man I've ever seen, John Constantine."
"This is our stop!" John shrieked. The Buick had come to a rest outside of an old bowling alley called "Beeman's Bowling." Constantine lived upstairs, above the alley that his late friend, Beeman, had run.
John leapt out of the car, and wrenched the back door open. Seizing Khi by the pinion feathers, he dragged the now unconscious Damascus onto the pavement. Wilkins hurried out of the cab to help, but Constantine waved him away.
"We're fine, thank you." John almost shrieked. Wilkins smiled, knowingly, and wandered back to the car.
John managed to seize Khi's arm and wrap it over his shoulders, heaving Khi to his feet. Just before they got to the door, the Buick pulled up along side them.
Wilkins leaned out the window and honked. When John whirled, the 80 year old grounds keeper whistled, "Now that you've seen the monastery...don't be a stranger." he visibly licked his lips, and sped off, while John forcibly controlled his gag reflexes.
John managed to get the door open, and dragged Khi inside. Standing there, completely naked in the kitchen, was the strange girl he'd lent his couch the night before.
"I finally found you, John Constantine. I finally made it onto your plane."
"Look, honey, I'm a little busy right now. Can you save your freaky greeting until after I've deposited the son of Mammon onto the couch?"
The girl looked at the limp figure of Khi, his hair plastered to his forehead by sweat, and hurried over to help. They dragged him onto the couch, so that he lay staring upwards. As they did so, Khi's head slumped foreword onto the girl's chest just as his eyes flickered open.
"HOLY...!" Khi shrieked, and cursed. He spat like a cat, and tried to escape, but Constantine and Hell-Girl managed to hold him down until John could shatter an expensive china plate over Khi's head, knocking him soundly out.
Hell-Girl sat on the side of the bed, and gently brushed his hair out of his eyes, "So beautiful..."
"So...now...WHO THE HELL ARE YOU!!!!"