Constantine The Laughing Magician Presents – Life in the Real World

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Chapter 9: Sherlock and the Outsiders – Throne of a Boar

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~ I'm using a famous character for this title, so please don't mean to be offended. I'm starting to feel as if there is more than meets the eye with both Lae's appearance, and Cassandra's cold attitude towards my scryin' for information from her….brothers. I think they have the same nose, or wait…Anyway, here is the next chapter of my sappy exposition. As a plus, there is also room for a worthy sequal - stay seated, mates!~

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Quite a while after munching on pastries and gobbling down some bangers in the café, bacon is the last thing I'm craving to have a rush for.

No, no. Trese and Lae are on the same page. The same wavelength, even as I push my hands deep into my trench pockets and stare in the direction monkie- child is gazing in.

"We will not catch up in time." The Trese speaks and both Lae and I realize it too; these slippery fish have a network of tunnels that lead to the docks for loading body parts to their support arm. Whoever that animal is, mind my tongue…We'll as soon as never find a time better, not without magic. I even envy the fact that the Trese has her man – children to do a few sweeps of the area for her. I raise an eye and we walk on down into the mid - morning fog. The fog here could be closer to noon, but I'm setting my sights on it being a cover for some characters with big, bad secrets. Hell, the Phys have too many dirty bones to bury and, that I agree. Lae darts off ahead and Casandra follows on foot with myself, being her second on company. She knows more than I might ave' first imagined. She's young and has been trained in magic since a young age. I was a boy when I knew of it, but the only teacher I came to know blew me off and ran away from the bloody law. Slept with my girlfriend to top it all off. She has a twin who is destined to ruin the world, so she should be its polar opposite. The one to fix the messes it caused her people.

"We'll need to go underground." Lae turns to find a man hole cover and uses her tail to rip it away with a slight of hand. Tail.

"Constantine. A light, if you would?" The Trese is an ally, yet I feel still like this is a tourist run with my being the den mother to bring them near or far around good ol' London. I nod and raise a palm to summon light in the form of an enchanted lantern. "Here." I hand the golden relic to Cassandra as she remains unreadable. As if these "teenagers" could bleedin' have a desire to want to show a damnable thing- I understand and move on to fall into the shallow stream of this great stink - hole.

The sewers. How classy. I grimace. Was a first date in order? Monkie – girl doesn't remain meddlesome and shifts back. Skin is easier to wash than her fur, so I don't say a word as we make our way down into the stank – filled tunnels.

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The sound of skittering, crawling rats in the muck makes my nose twitch. With fingers to my coat's pockets, I speak not a sound and carry on. Just as the queen's dogs would give me a thumbs down, I tell em off by doing what man revolts over. Getting into the depths of hell and back without a scratch. If the queen won't frown upon my coming here to keep her citizens safe and sound, then what good am I to any cult or organization I come to know? For what sake am I as not a hero, but a vagabonde known to deal out punishment to those deemed worthy.

Lae sniffs to pick up a scent and we bolt right after down the western most tunnel to the lair I suppose, of these piggy- pranksters…with a bloodlust. I gulp but it settles. The Trese is letting her masked brothers join Lae, while I tag on beside the gothic princess and have only to use telepathic words to talk. I spell in my pocket to have it down, and she concedes to our promise that we're still only partners for a time.

~ So, Lae is a real sniffer hound. ~ I comment as we work into a light sprint. The two other men found the lead as well. ~ My brothers are here to protect the Trese. ~ She tells me. ~ In a way, they only wish to end this case and save the people who are in danger of losing their organs to demons from overseas. ~

~ That, is a tall enough order; but what about the kids under this mystery figure? ~ I ask. ~ Why is Lae so personal about it if she's on your side to stop it, the one we're here to put to bed? ~

Cassandra sighs and keeps her coat behind her as we pick up the next turn down a darker tunnel than the first three. ~ We are going deeper along, lov. ~ I tell her. ~ Any more of this and we'll be back in the Philippines. ~ I can't joke, but she seems to pick up my point. ~ Constantine. Lae is not just here as you see her. She leads the creatures of that wood as a distant descendent of the monkey – lord. The Phys are tainted by a dark influence that has consumed them, so she is doing so in trying to find –

Lae stands panting before a figure atop a massive throne of bones and marrow. The stench isn't subtle as Cassandra turns up her cloak's hood, while I have only my raggedy sleeve to shield myself from….is that –

"Who are you??" She shouts and sees that this entity is a deadly carnivore. A demon, a real one from my era. My history. His name on my body and heart is enough to curdle my senses in the muck. I cough and then shout to Lae with a raspy voice. I barely see what the winged rat has in his palm. A skull. I withhold a gag, one further from the truth.

~It has been a long while, John Constantine…..~

I growl and I let my rage be that which powers everything I hold steadily in my grasp. ~ Nergal….~ I grit my teeth and hiss the name as it's uttered cruelly, even through the telepathic vibe in all its essence. He laughs as we stand without knowing his intentions. The skull in his hand was the real mastermind, but demons don't like to share. Lae is shaking as her eyes grow wet, her fists pound the ground in frustration while she has fallen to her knees. "Brother!!!"

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My eyes pop and Cassandra calls to her brothers to retrieve Lae from before the gore – lover's throne of bone and sinew. I spit in his direction, but Lae has my tongue to do it first.

"YOU KILLED MY BROTHER!!" As he looks her over curiously, get that eye on me, then Trese is up to her neck in miasma that she's pushing back with her extraordinary gifts.

~ Your brother sold me the Phys, I took mortal blood and was reborn to this realm, to come to take. I have every right to have what was once owed…~

Nergal stares me down. "You can't have it, mate!" I shoot back with a snort. "We've already been over this a dozen times. You stay in hell and if you so much as bury Astra, I come in to rip those horns from your bloody skull. If you come up here again –

~ I do not have to take orders from a mortal – you are not a god, not to I. Not anymore…~

I shuffle over a slight to where Lae still has her staff at her back. I poke it below the shadows to see if it'll bite as Nergal continues to let the foul-smelling smoke billow out of his nostrils, eying us in his prideful "irritation." Kings can be such drama queens, I swear. Impatient all this time, hoping to break our deal. Astra is gone, but I'm still fighting. He's not supposed to leave his hell hole without MY permission. But…demons are rebels, and as it stands, he does need a tan on his hide once again. And old' Johnny is very willing to have a go at those bollocks – uh, in layman's it would be arse, yet you can get the picture back… in part two. The fight never settles, not on my watch…