The Devil's Time

Chapter 6

Constangreen is canon. Gary is no longer a virgin... I'm not sorry, I have no regrets. -yoloithinknot

The whistling. That damn whistling. 'Do not let it get to you, John' he thinks. 'That's what he wants '.

'All around the mulberry bush
The monkey chased the weasel
The monkey thought 'twas all in fun
Pop! goes the weasel
A penny for a spool of thread
A penny for a needle
That's the way the money goes
Pop! goes the weasel
Half a pound of tuppenny rice
Half a pound of treacle
Mix it up and make it nice
Pop! goes the weasel'
'Stop it, John! Don't let him suck you in.'
"I have already sucked you in, Johnny" the demon says, reading his thoughts. "Maybe not how that... loser sucked you in, but you get it".
"Gary Green is not a loser" John ignores the innuendo and grabs the bars of the cage.
Neron stops pacing and whistling. He faces the ex-lover of his vessel.
"No?" the demon cocks his head to the right and gives a devilish smile. "My mistake then". He returns to whistling and pacing.
"What do you want with me, Neron?"
The demon stops whistling but continues to pace. "What do you think, Johnny? Take a wild guess!"
Constantine looks down. "The Devil's time. He is coming soon and you don't want me to stop him".
Neron spins on his heels and cups his hands- no, Desmond's heels, Desmond's hands - around Des's mouth. "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN AND OTHER FINE FOLKS, WE HAVE A WINNER!" his voice sounds like a sports announcer's over a crappy speaker.
"You always get in the way, John Constantine" Des's eyes turn completely red. "You and the rest of the Ghostbusters. Your own ancestor, Mallus, Woodstock, the striga. He smiles with his teeth. All the blood drains from John's face. His grip on the bars loosens.
"How long have you been watching us? How have you been watching us?"
Neron punches John's nose. "No more questions. Count that as a warning".
John stumbles back and spits the blood that trickles down over his lips. Some splatters on Des's face. Neron chuckles and wipes it off. He grabs John's tie and pulls him forward hard. John's face hits the bars. The hit knocks the exorcist out.
❌❌❌
"Ray, you need to calm down. We can not understand you when you are in hysterics", Nate says calmly.
Ray takes a deep breath. He loosens his grip on the chair in med bay. Scans show no possession. "He came to me again. I woke up in Constantine's quarters for a second - long enough to see Gary try to get my hand off Constantine's throat. Then I sent Gary flying back. I transported Constantine..." Ray trails off, trying to remember. "Somewhere. In a cell. Then he... raised someone. Someone big. Then I woke up. Gary! I think he's still knocked out!"
"Alright buddy, it's okay" Nate says like he is talking to a child. "I will go get him, okay? He'll be alright". Ray relaxes and Nate walks to Constantine's room. He knocks on the door.
"Gary?" No answer. "GARY!?" Nothing still. Nate tries to open the door. He steels and punches it until it busts open. Gary is completely nude, sprawled out on the floor. John's boyfriend is completely out. Nate carefully picks him up- still steeled-out to carry Gary. He takes him to med bay and lays him down on a chair. Nate removes the sheet. 'Wow, no wonder why John had him in his room so long. Was definitely not expecting that.'
"Gideon, run diagnostics on Gary, and fabricate some clothes, please."
"Sure thing, Mr. Heywood".
A dark blue light starts above Gary's head and slowly moves down. The screen flashes the word 'Scanning'. After what seems like an eternity, Gary is fully clothed and revealed to be with only bruises and to be knocked out - not dead. He has a pair of black slacks on and a maroon long-sleeved, button up. His face is groomed and his hair is styled. And has new glasses. After a few minutes, he comes to.
"JOHN!" he bolts up. Nate holds him down. "NERON HAS HIM! WE HAVE TO SAVE HIM!"
"Gary, you need to calm down! Take a deep breath!"
Gary does as he is told."It's Neron! We were taking a nap because we, we, we... we were... anyway he came to John. He took him somewhere. Said something like 'to where it all began'. He knocked me out when I tried to grab John". Gary is now crying.
"What's going on!?" Sarah busts in in her pink pj shorts with red hearts and a purple sports bra.
"Neron took him!" weeps Gary.
"And I think Neron wants to raise Satan" says Nate.