Chapter 28: A Feast of Friends Part 1
AN: So, this is the one episode that got me. It just freaked me out. I end up skipping it. Now I have to read the screenplay... Oh joy...
AN2: I am using the official screenplay so there will be some things not seen in the episode but I'm putting it in anyways.

The sound faded away as Wulfstan dissappeared. Ray and Aaron had gone to help the newcomers up. In the mix was one male and three females. As soon as everyone was introduced (AN: here I could put them all by name but that would be to lengthy so it's Nate, Amaya, Charlie, and Zari 1.0) and everything was explained up to the current point, the TV booted up and the next episode began.

Wheels of a plane touch down right as the glare of a new day pierces the sky.

Gary Lester (37) walks a little faster than the other arrivals pouring into the U.S. customs and border protection hall but that alone doesn't mean much. Throw in his sallow complexion, darting eyes, and the sweat that cascades off his nose, and a more complete picture emerges - Gary's nervous as hell.

"Why would he be nervous? Airport security isn't that scary." Ray asked.

"Terrorisim, traffiking, smuggling, and a whole list of other crimes." Len listed.

Soon we'll know why.

Gary reaches the passport control counter and slides across his english passport and sweat-smudged declarations form.
The Official looks between the passport and Gary's face - sunken eyes with dilated pupils, underlined by dark bags. "Gary Lester. What's the nature of your visit?" the official asks.

"Doing something illegal by the looks of it." Ray states, much to the shared face palming of Sara, Mick, and Len. The three decided it best to let Ray be... well, Ray. It would save them the headache.

"Um... I-I'm visiting a... friend. An old friend."

"Travelling alone?"

"In a sense." Constantine reasoned, hands raised as he earned himself some glares.

"Um. Yes. Alone."

"And noting to declare?"

"Is airport security really that bad?" Kendra asked, more than a little shocked. Several deadpanned loos were her answer, which promptly shut her up.

A tense beat as Gary swallows his fear, "No. Sir. Nothing."

Mick rolled his eyes, "As if."

The customs official holds his look with Gary for what feels like an eternity until, to his surprise and immense fucking relief, Gary is waved through.
A sea of commuters washes around him but Gary Lester has his eyes fixed on the exit. Not far now - just another 20 feet and he's in the clear.
Gary's focus drifts across the concourse to - a sniffer dog and its handler, U.S. customs officer, Ned Pepper (40s).
Gary drops his eyes, too quickly - and he knows it. Silently cursing himself, Gary keeps his head down as he picks up his pace. And while he knows he shouldn't, Gary can't resist a look back...

"Rookie mistake." Mick growls while Snart resisted the urge to groan.

Officer Pepper is already on the move, closing in fast. Gary's now only a few feet from the exit when - a loud bark stops him in his tracks. Gary spins around to find the snarling sniffer dog locking eyes with him. Officer Pepper tries pulling the dog closer to Gary but nope, that hound ain't moving an inch - it's seriously spooked.

"Will the dog get hurt?" Amaya asked. She got a shrug from the exorcist as a response.

The two are now in the customs interview room. Overhead in a tight, sparse, windowless room as we look down at Gary opposite Officer Pepper, an exotic ceramic bottle on the table between them.

"Khartoum to Atlanta. What's that - nineteen hours, give or take? You must be running on fumes." Silence from Gary. "What were you doing in Sudan?"

"Something he shouldn't have been trying in the first place." John growled, clenching his hands at Gary's stupidity.

"Just... Hanging out. Tourist stuff."

"Fascinating. Tell me about the bottle."

"Oh, nothing special. All it does is hou-" Constantine was cut off as Zed slapped the back of his head.

"Spoilers." Ray joked at the two. The rest of the audience rolled their eyes at the reference (though Nate adopted a look of glee at the thought of another Whovian).

"I-It's ... an antique. Very precious. Please, don't touch it."

Angle on the bottle. There is a hairline crack. "Residue tests didn't turn up nothin' but here's the wrinkle, Mister Lester - this ain't my first rodeo." Pepper suddenly reaches over and takes hold of Gary's arms, pulling the sleeves up. We see dark bruises surrounding the rows of red holes that travel the length of Gary's distended veins. Track marks. "Lord have mercy. Arms like a damn dartboard, son."
Gary pulls his arms free from Pepper's grip. "I'm warning you, man. This is not a game. Don't open the bottle."
Officer Pepper rises, leans over the table and stares directly into Gary, all business. "You bet your mother-lovin' ass this ain't no game. Just wait 'til they lock you up for trafficking, son. That's when the real fun starts."

"He shouldn't have touched it." John muttered

"Please, I'm begging you. Don't touch it. Please!" His words fall on deaf ears and Pepper picks up the bottle, surprised to discover it's blazing hot to touch. "Mother!" Pepper drops the bottle and its contents spill onto the table - a pile of unnaturally large african beetles. The beetles scurry in circles and somehow - impossibly - they multiply at a freakish rate. "The hell?" In an instant, the beetles fly up and into Pepper's mouth. The sheer force of the massive swarm drives him back violently. Pepper crumples to the floor, choking on the insect influx.

"What the fuck!"

There was a pause as the audience took in the graphic scene.

Gary reels back in horror before composing himself just enough to slip away unnoticed.
We are now in a park. A tableau of a city beginning a new day. Joggers pound the track. A skateboarder practices his rail slide on nearby stairs. A group of Elderly chinese men and women move in perfect harmony, practicing Tai Chi.
John Constantine. Lying on the grass finishing his breakfast of champions - the slow-burning sweetness of Silk Cut cigarettes.

"So much for fresh air." Zed says from off screen. Now we Reveal Zed Martin, sitting close by Constantine, cross legged on the grass, eyes closed.

"Empaths. So bleedin' sensitive." He looks at Zed, "Sensitive. Geddit?"

"Hilarious. You were right about the park. This closeness to nature, the energy, the people. My senses all feel heightened. It's-"

"Like a drug?"

"I wouldn't know."

John sits up. "Seriously? Never dabbled?"

"Try having visions like mine and tell me if you're still interested in dabbling. I need more control. Not less."

"Makes sense." Sara shrugged.

"Sometimes control is about letting go. Psychic energy is all around us, like a network. You have the ability to travel that network, to feel what everyone around you is feeling. But you need to lower your walls first. You'll feel vulnerable and your natural instinct may be to resist but if you push past that, you'll soon know how far you can really go."
On Zed as she concentrates. Her eyes flicker open and from her POV we see - gold coins raining down. "I see... coins. Raining down, all around us. It's beautiful!"

"That's a sight..."

Constantine sighs wearily as he rises and we see no shower of coins - everything is exactly as it was except time has stopped. "Pennies from heaven? Subtle as a serpent."

Joggers are mid stride, the Tai Chi group all locked in a beautiful, static pose while the skateboarder is fixed to the spot, halfway down the railing.

"People have their own unique markers for when celestial beings are close by. She's rather traditional, it seems."

Constantine turns to find Manny advancing on him. "We're in the middle of something here so if you have a point, don't be afraid to get right to it."

"How's she doing? You think she can help us?"

"She's more than handled herself so far."

"You're putting a lot of time and effort into her. Let's hope it's not wasted - wouldn't want to go down that road again."

"She's about as tough as they come, this one. And it's just until we can sort out this whole Rising Darkness nonsense. Then she's free to go her own merry way."

"Unless you scare her off before. She may be tough but you're a real bastard, John. Not everybody is cut out to do what you do and not everybody has the stomach to watch you do it."

"Then I'll go it alone. Like I always have. Now, you gonna make me guess or are you gonna tell me what's going on? I know something is - why else would you be here?"

"I'm not." True to his word, Manny is suddenly gone and normal activities resume around the park.
Zed's eyes suddenly snap open, "Guilt is the province of the living."

"What's that now?"

"I don't know. The coins disappeared and then I heard those words in my head. Like a whisper."
Constantine absorbs this information.

"Interesting."

End Chapter:

QOTC:

Teacher: What do some people call others?

ER: We call them pet names.

AM: *chuckles*

Me: Don't take that wrong

AM: Too late