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John sighed as he filled up the old porcelain bathtub with water. As soon as he and Harry had entered the kitchen, they had found Angela there. After a few long moments of staring Angela smiled at them with knowing eyes and nodded in acceptance.

John told Harry to go to his apartment and gather all the weapons he could find. He described to Harry specific things he should search for and Harry left.

And now came the difficult part.

"Do I take my clothes off or leave them on?" John almost jumped out of his skin when Angela spoke from behind him. He looked at her and saw the worry in her eyes. "John?"

"I'm thinking," he said with a smirk and Angela rolled her eyes.

"John!"

"On is fine," he hurried to say and looked back at the tub. He knew Angela was shifting her weight. It was as if he was hypersensitive to everything going on. But while part of his mind was on what they were about to do, he was thinking about Harry as well.

Did he make it to his apartment?

Had he been attacked?

Was he hurt?

How much time would it take him to come back?

John started calculating how long it would take Harry to reach John's apartment when Angela spoke up.

"Why water?"

"It's the universal conduit," John answered automatically. He was silently grateful that she moved his thoughts away from Harry's safety. "Lubricates the transition."

'Nice choice of words, Constantine,' he thought and wondered why his mental voice sounded strangely like Harry.

"It makes it easier to cross from one plain to another. Now, ask me if there's water in Hell," he said and could almost see Angela roll her eyes.

"Sit," he told her and offered his hand to her. Angela grabbed his shoulder for balance and lowered herself into the tub. When she sat down the water was up to her neck.

"Normally only a portion of the body has to be submerged, but you wanted the crash course," he spoke and ignored how her teeth chattered.

"What will I see?" she stuttered out and he looked at her. She didn't need a verbal answer; his eyes said it all.

"Lay down," he said and Angela frowned.

"Lay down?" he nodded and placed one hand on the back of her head and the other on her chest, just under her neck.

"You have to be fully submerged," he said and gently pushed.

"For how long?" she asked.

"As long as it takes," was his grave reply. "Take a deep breath." She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and John slowly pushed her under the freezing water. For a moment nothing happened, and Angela just stared at him from under the water. His eyes were looking at her, but it seemed as if it wasn't she he was seeing.

She waited for another moment when her breath started burning in her lungs. She tried to resurface but John pushed her down; and that's when the panic set in.

John closed his eyes as the lights started to pulsate and dim. He ground his teeth together as he fought to keep Angela down in the now burning water. John didn't know how much longer he could hold on when a cracking sound made him open his eyes to see steaming water.

He saw the cracks spread in the tub and lunged forward to pull her out. Angela's muted scream broke the silence and the tub shattered to countless pieces. John's back met the bathroom wall while Angela collapsed on the floor.

Water was all around them, and pieces of the tub were floating in it.

John looked at Angela. She was shivering on the floor and when she looked up at him, John had to do everything in his power not to shiver at the look in her eyes.

"All those people… so sad," she gasped out. Her heart was aching so much and John could only nod. "I've always known where the bad guys are," she spoke brokenly. "Where to aim; when to duck. It's not luck. I've always known." John forced down a swallow as he watched tears stream down her face.

John slowly stood up and walked over to help Angela only to see her whole body cramp up in pain.

"Angela?" her eyes snapped open, she stood up sharply and pushed him aside. "Angela!" he shouted and ran after the frantic woman. She ran out of the apartment, dripping water the entire way, and John ran to keep up with her.

"It was rolling toward him," she was muttering as if she was in a delirium. "Not a ball; something smaller; shiny." She dropped on her knees and John stopped a foot behind her. His throat closed up when he saw Beeman's chair. He forcefully looked away and saw Angela pick up something. When she rolled it between her fingers in a fashion John saw once or twice before and his face contorted with rage.

"Balthazar."

cut

Harry looked around John's apartment one last time to see if he was forgetting something. He looked at his wristwatch and took a deep breath. 'The two should have finished already,' he thought and got ready to apparate away when the door slammed open, and John and Angela practically ran in. Harry's eyebrow's met the line of his hair when he saw Angela's wet clothes, but his surprise was replaced with worry when he saw John brimming with rage.

"Can you kill him? What about the Balance?" Angela cried out as John started digging through a drawer Harry didn't open in his search for weaponry.

"What happened?" Harry asked sharply.

"I saw who killed Beeman and Father Hennessey. He's behind all of this," Angela explained quickly.

"And soon enough the god damn half-breed won't be behind anything," John growled and opened a drawer to pull out a dangerous looking gun in the shape of a cross. Harry flicked his wrist and Angela sighed in relief when her clothes dried and the stench of Sulfur disappeared. She gave Harry a grateful smile before both looked at John again while he put bullets into the gun.

"John, what about the Balance?" Harry spoke calmly.

"That half-breed tipped the scales when he started killing my friends," John growled and cocked the gun. He looked at Harry and the younger man shivered at the life he saw in John's eyes. It wasn't there before and now John practically radiated it. "I'm just adding a little counterweight."

"I'm coming with you," Harry said and his eyes flashed when John opened his mouth to deny him.

"Me, too!" Angela flinched back when the two men shot her matching warning looks. "I can't stay hidden forever!" John and Harry exchanged looks and Harry shrugged. If Angela was anything like Hermione then there really was no sense in arguing. John sighed and reached into his pocket. He walked over to Angela and lifted his hand.

A familiar pendant hung on a chain; Hennessey's Amulet.

"Think of it as a bulletproof vest," he said. Angela took it and clipped it around her neck.

"So I'm going!" John rolled his eyes and Harry chuckled.

"You're staying in the car," was John's answer. "Both of you."

"HEY!" Harry snapped but John was already out of the apartment.

"Let's go. My car's in the garage," he called out to them and Harry paled.

"What's wrong, Harry? Don't tell me you are afraid of a simple car," Angela spoke teasingly while the two hastened after John. They got out on the street and looked around.

"If he drives even close to how you drove then yes; I'll be man enough about it and say that I'm afraid I'll lose my head somewhere along the way," he said. "And need I remind you that his driver's license was revoked?" Angela's eyes widened but before she had a chance to say another word a jet black '70 Barracuda Blast slid onto the street from the underground garage under full torque of a 426 HEMI.

Angela and Harry could only stare as a window rolled down and John looked at them expectantly.

"Are you getting in?" he asked. Angela nodded with a shit eating grin on her face, while Harry shook his head.

"Aw, hell no!" John smirked at him. "There's no way in hell I'm getting into that car with either one of you at the wheel!"

"What, you're gonna run after us?" John jested but his smirk faded into a confused frown when Harry smirked.

"Sure."

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The Barracuda Blast drifted down the street at neck breaking speed. Those who were out were too shocked at the sight of the car to notice a black panther that surprisingly kept up with the mean machine with no obvious effort.

Angela held tightly and glanced out on the street every few seconds to see if Harry was still keeping up with them.

"It's still hard to believe," she said, still under the shock of Harry changing into a big black cat right before their eyes. John harrumphed.

"It explains a few things," he muttered. They drifted past a building with a façade of pre-stressed concrete and huge gold letters and screeched to a stop. As he got out he saw Harry emerge from the shadows of a street, the cat-like sway of his hips more pronounced than before.

"Hello, kitten," John teased and Harry just looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "This shouldn't take long." John reached through the window and grabbed a black bag from the back seat of the car.

He looked up and read the letters.

'BZR – FINANCE AND BROKERAGE.'

"You have 10 minutes, and then I'm coming in," John wanted to argue but Harry's eyes flashed. "No arguments."

"20 minutes." John bargained.

"10." Harry said lowly.

"15." John offered and Harry glared at him. "Come on, Harry-..."

"10 minutes, Constantine," Harry growled. "Whine some more and I'll make it five." John sighed and rolled his eyes.

"10 minutes," he agreed. "I'll hurry up." He turned his back on Harry and left. Harry leaned on the closed back door while Angela moved over to the driver's seat.

"I thought you'd insist on following him up, all things considered," she commented almost casually. Harry grunted and crossed his arms over his chest.

"I'll admit he has more experience in the field, but that doesn't mean he doesn't need back up. He has-…" he checked his watch. "Nine minutes and 20 seconds, and then I'm barging in and killing whatever gets in my way. You're staying in the car," he added quickly when Angela opened her mouth.

"Hey!"

"Don't make me lock you inside and seal the car closed!"

cut

John got out of the elevator and stepped in the lobby of concrete and glass; everything around him screamed money. The place was practically empty. A stainless, steal door hissed open and John ducked behind a corner when a security guard came out. John took a chance and ran for the door. He barely made it in time. He looked around and a sneer appeared on his face. He saw Balthazar obviously looking himself over in the one way mirror.

John took out his gun and the dragon's breath flamethrower.

'Time to have some fun.'

cut

Harry looked up and Angela looked out of the car when the sound of an explosion reached them.

"Harry, you gave him 10 minutes. He still has-…"

"Time's up," Harry growled and Angela thought she saw his eyes become cat-like slits before he purposefully strode into the building. Angela huffed and rolled her eyes.

Honestly.

Men.

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"How's he doing it?" John snapped the question as he aimed his gun at Balthazar who had half of his face missing. He was obviously getting pissed as well.

"This is in direct violation of the Balance!" he screamed.

"Screw the Balance," John spat and hit Balthazar with another blast of flame. He pinned him against a wall and saw the half-breed's Turks attack. He aimed his shotgun and blasted one apart in midair. He pumped several rounds into another gravity defying half-breed, before he focused on Balthazar again.

He hit the half-breed with a continuous tide of flame. Suit and skin was peeled of only for something else to be revealed; the half-demon's true form.

"How's he doing it, you half-breed piece of shit?" he swung the flame aside to be able to kick Balthazar against the wall when his weapon spluttered. A moment of hesitation was all it took and Balthazar thrust one hand up and smacked the flamethrower away.

A second later he wrapped his hand around John's throat as he was 'reborn' from the ashes. John tried desperately to get away but Balthazar slid him up against a wall and John couldn't break his hold. He rummaged through his clothes for something, anything, but found nothing.

A moment later Balthazar was practically blown away and a black blur rushed past John; a black blur he recognized as a very pissed off Harry Potter.

"My 10 minutes already up?" John pressed out tightly as he rubbed his throat. Harry harrumphed and shook his right hand before he rotated his shoulder. John caught sight of his sacred gold knuckles on Harry's right hand.

Balthazar was on his back on a broken table, seemingly unable to get up. It looked like something was pushing him down.

"They'll be up in-…" Harry checked his wristwatch. "Three minutes and 46 seconds." John rolled his eyes and pulled a Bible out of his inside pocket.

"You just couldn't sit still," he muttered as he flipped through the pages. Harry shrugged and walked over to a down-turned chair. He turned it over and sat down backwards in it. John chuckled when Harry crossed his arms on the back of his chair and rested his chin on them with a bored expression on his face.

"Your three minutes are ticking, Constantine. Either you finish him up or I will," he pressed out with his jaw tightly clenched and John rolled his eyes.

"Sure, sure; no need to be pushy," John muttered and walked over to Balthazar. The half-breed coughed and looked at John.

"I will see you very soon," he threatened in a strained, choked up voice out and John tsk-ed.

"Not really, no," he said while he flipped through the Bible. It's been a while since he last read it.

"You can't cheat it this time. You're going back to Hell," Balthazar spoke. He hoped he would shake John up a bit but the smirk on the stranger's face and the nonchalant look on John's face told him it wasn't working.

"True," John said and then looked at Balthazar with a mockery of a smile on his face. "But you're not." Balthazar frowned when John rotated his shoulders before he spread one arm over Balthazar and looked at a page in the Bible.

"What are you doing?" Balthazar's voice broke and John grinned at him.

"I'm reading you your last rites," John said as if it was the most normal thing in the whole world.

"Your remedial incantations have no relevance-..."

"Aren't you half human?" The stranger with burning emerald eyes asked, and Balthazar looked at him. Harry rested his right elbow on his left forearm and leaned his chin on the palm of his right hand. Even though he looked nonchalant, Balthazar could see the vivid despise glowing in Harry's eyes.

John looked at Harry over his shoulder and smirked.

"That makes you eligible to be forgiven." John explained. "You do know what it means to truly be forgiven; to be welcomed into the Kingdom of God?" John spoke lowly, almost seductively. "A demon in heaven," John shivered as if the mere thought excited him. "I'd love to be a fly on that wall."

"You're not a priest." Balthazar gasped out as John got ready to read. "You have no power-…"

"You wanna bet on that, luv?" Balthazar looked at Harry who was watching it all with an uninterested look. "He escaped Hell. Who else is more eligible to do this?" John shrugged in an uncaring way and looked back at Balthazar.

"Just tell us how Mammon is crossing over and you can go back to your shithole," John said and Balthazar shot him a defiant look. John shrugged and raised the Bible.

"May the merciful God have mercy on you and grant you the pardon of all your sins." John made the sign of the cross above Balthazar as he spoke in a firm, authoritative voice. "Whosoever sins you remit on earth they are remitted unto them in heaven. I absolve you from-…"

"It may not even work..." Balthazar spat out.

"Are you sure, luv; maybe you should just tell us how baby boy's coming through?" Harry drawled and Balthazar looked into those soulful emerald eyes. He was hyperventilating and his eyes strayed from John to Harry constantly as John got ready to finish the incantation.

"Grant your child entry into thy kingdom in the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy G…"

"SANGRE DE DIO!" Balthazar roared and John stopped while Harry just raised an eyebrow.

"How?" John asked.

"What killed the Son of God will give birth to the Son of the Devil." Harry refused to show how confused he was but by the look on John's face, the Exorcist knew exactly what the half-breed was talking about.

"He's found the spear." He murmured into his chin and Balthazar nodded.

"It's already on its way here." John slapped the Bible closed and turned around. Harry stood up and followed after John.

"John-…"

"I don't know, Harry. What I know is that we need to keep Angela safe. Things have just turned worse."

cut

"Have you ever considered a career as an actor? The way you played Balthazar was quite impressive," John commented as they exploded behind a corner. One look into the rearview mirror showed him a pale Harry who sent him a glare which turned into a wince when John took another sharp turn.

"No. But I did consider a career as an assassin," Harry growled and sunk in the seat when John hit the gas paddle. "I'm kinda hoping my first mission would be all you bloody speed addicts!" He spat out and earned himself two amused glances.

"Hermione told me you were quite daring on a broom," Angela said and John choked on his saliva.

"Bloody hell, man! Get your head out of the gutter and - watch the road!" Harry shouted before John had a chance to say something. "And for your information Dodson, a broom can't blow up on impact!" Angela giggled.

"By the way, what happened to 'staying in the car'?" John asked, referring to how they met up with Angela half way out of the building.

"I heard gunshots and thought you were in danger." Twin huffs made her eyebrow twitch.

"Now there's a premonition," Harry and John said at the same time, and Angela felt a nerve beside her eye twitch; again.

"Anyway, what did he say?" Angela asked. John frowned.

"The little bastard found his 'heavenly assistance'," he growled and Angela frowned. In the back, Harry did his best to listen what the two were talking about. He swore this was the last time he got into a car with either one of them.

"How?" Angela asked.

"Jesus didn't die from being nailed to a cross." John said and gave Angela the Bible he took from his coat. "He was finished off by a soldier's spear," he said and Angela rolled her eyes.

"I'm Catholic, John," she said even though she already opened the page with a picture of the crucifixion "I know the crucifixion story."

"Then you know what this spear would mean to a demon trying to cross over," John murmured and caught the confused look on Angela's face from the corner of his eyes. "The stains on its edges?" he hinted and saw the dawning horror on Angela's face. "Mammon needed divine assistance, how's the blood of God's only son?"

"Oh God." Angela whispered.

"So that's it?" Harry asked with a small whine when John sped through a red light. "He's got everything he needs to escape."

"Not quite," he said. "Twins," he finished when the two gave him confused looks and Angela looked away from him.

"Oh fuck," John looked into the rearview mirror when he heard Harry curse, and watched as the younger man turned paler. "John, something just crossed." John shot a look outside and frowned.

"Harry, hold on," he warned and took a better hold of the wheel. Angela glanced out of the back window and spotted something in the traffic. The thing was bounding over vehicles only to hit the pavement on all fours.

"Here we go!" John floored the gas paddle and Harry sunk deeper into his seat. 'I hate this!' he thought desperately to himself.

"What is that?!" Angela asked.

"A hound on the hunt," John answered. The monster outside leaped over cars at incredible speed. Cars broke and slid into each other and that thing just kept on coming.

"Hang on!" John shouted and slid into an alley, racing towards the other end.

"Impossible!" Angela breathed out when she saw the beast slide right after them, defying all laws of physics. "I lost it!" she shouted when she saw the monster slide up on a roof.

"It's coming!" Harry snapped and a moment later a huge clawed talon punched through the metal roof of the car, and started shredding it right over Angela. A flash of light came from the back seat and the hound screeched. John hit the break and the beast flipped off the roof and onto the hood, right into view.

Burning red eyes stared right at them.

"Balthazar," John hissed and put the car in reverse. He pulled out of the alley with the demonic hound running after them.

"Gimme your phone!" John shouted and Angela pulled out her cellular. John pressed in numbers while he navigated through the traffic. He kept glancing back at the huge Hell hound that was following them with no obvious effort.

"Chaz! Where are you?!" he shouted into the phone and made a sharp turn. Angela saw the beast dig into the place their car was in a moment ago.

"Third and Figueroa!" they heard an answer.

"You still got that Sedrallus?" John asked.

"Yeah, but I'm kind of busy right now, John!"

"Damn it, Chaz, I'm trying to save my ass here!" John shouted and took another sharp turn.

'Oh Merlin, oh Merlin, oh Merlin, oh Merlin,' Harry was chanting in his head holding on for dear life. How the two managed to look so fricking calm he couldn't understand, but he knew this was the last time he drove with them anywhere.

"Remember the Chalic of Enook incident?"

"Oh no, no, no, not that, I just paid off this car!" The guy on the other line cried but John ignored him.

"West side of the Third Street Bridge!" John looked at his speedometer. "Two minutes!" he didn't wait for the guy to answer. He tossed the phone to Angela and hit the gas pedal again. Angela looked out.

"He's back!"

Harry couldn't find the will to look out. Not when he was trying to become one with the seat. He really had nothing against speed when he was on a broom, but this was absolutely insane.

"John, he's back and he's gaining!"

"OF COURSE HE'S GAINING!" John snapped and floored the gas pedal. They swiveled over the bridge's arched roadway, the hound biting at their heels, and saw a yellow taxi in front of them. A young man stood behind the back of the yellow car. The guy moved and fiddled with something under the hood.

"Take your phone!" John shouted and Angela grabbed the phone. "The number is 9-5-4-…" they were closing in on the taxi and saw the guy run off. "-6-6-6-…" they drove around the taxi "-6." Balthazar leaped on the taxi the moment Angela pressed the last number and the taxi exploded in a huge fireball.

"YES!" John shouted and punched the wheel when they skidded to a halt. Angela relaxed into her seat and an elated shout escaped Harry. John looked at his lover and noted the pale complexion and labored breathing. Harry's hands were shaking, he was muttering something under his breath and shaking his head. John shook his head with a fond smile and looked at Angela; and that was when his heart stopped.

"Angela? Where's the amulet?" he asked and the woman looked in horror first at him and then at the empty chain around her neck.

WHAM!

Something reached through the hole in the roof and a moment later Angela was gone.

"ANGELA!" both men shouted and ran out of the car.

"What the hell was that?" they both turned and saw John's young friend, Chaz, running towards them. John looked up and saw a large winged shadow just as it disappeared below the bridge.

"DAMN IT!" he spat. He turned in time to see Harry kneel on the ground, his breathing hard and labored. He sat back and looked at the sky.

"John, what the fuck was that!" Chaz shouted when he reached them.

"Harry?"

"I'm fine! Just give me a second!" he breathed out, his voice breaking and wavering. "John, we have to find out where that thing took her," Harry spoke as his breathing calmed down.

"JOHN!"

"What, Chaz?" John shouted and rounded on Chaz.

"John, the kid helped us, lay off of him," Harry said as he slowly stood up, and John huffed and ran his hands through his hair.

"Chaz." Harry looked at the offered hand and shook it with an acknowledging nod to the younger man.

"Harry Potter, British Special Ops." They boy's eyes widened and his jaw fell open.

"What do we do now, John?" Harry asked and looked at his lover. John sighed and looked at the city.

"We find her. And I know just the way," he said. "In the car." Harry stopped him by grabbing his hand.

"No. I just got out of that damn thing and I'm not getting back in. Just tell me where to take us and I'll do it. It'll be faster." Chaz could only stare at the two. Despite the situation he noticed a change in John Constantine, especially in his eyes. The expression on his face and the warmth with which he looked at the shorter man was something Chaz had never seen in John Constantine's eyes.

"Alright. The car's done for either way." Harry nodded and flattened his body against John's. Chaz's eyes practically bulged out of their sockets.

"We're even." John told Chaz before he turned back to Harry, told him something and the two vanished with a 'pop' in a swirl of black smoke. Chaz stared and a small huff escaped his mouth. He turned around and looked at his blown up car.

"Even? Even, my ass."

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Don't you think how shit just keeps piling up once it starts coming?