Lost (part of Johnny's backstory)

“Hello John.”

“Oh hell…” John frowned when he heard the voice, slowly taking his eyes off the sight before him as he turned around to face the source; a tall man with dark hair and eyes, the air around him screaming ‘danger’.

The man laughed. “Yes, that is where you’re headed.”

“Oh. So this isn’t just some crazy dream huh?”

“Why would this be a dream?”

“Why wouldn’t it be? I’m sure you take pleasure in appearing in peoples’ nightmares.”

The man chuckled, just once. “I suppose so. But you’re just delaying the inevitable. Considering what happened here you really shouldn’t be surprised to see me John.”

John sighed, knowing the man was right. He turned back around, watching as paramedics attended to a man lying at his feet, though they didn’t even glance at John.

“I’m never gonna get used to seeing myself like this…”

The man at his feet was of course John himself. The paramedics hadn’t noticed the John that was standing as he was invisible to most people. He was only a soul after all.

“Oh don’t worry, soon you won’t have to. Just come with me already and this’ll all be over.”

“Remember the first time we met? You decided you’d let me live if I kept yours and the ‘big man’s’ strays in line and stopped ‘em from crossing over to this world…” John replied, glancing over his shoulder at the man. “I’ve done that. It’s what I was doing here ‘til I buggered it up.”

“Hmm, yes I suppose that’s one way of putting it.” The man stayed quiet for a moment, a thoughtful expression on his face before his dark look returned. “But I can’t keep letting you slide.”

He leaned forward, speaking quietly by John’s ear. “Your soul is mine John Constantine.”

If he’d actually been in his body, the con-artist would have shivered.

Think John. You need to fix this, before it’s too late.

“Who’s going to keep the balance though if I’m not around?” John asked, relaxing a little as the man stood up straight and moved away from him.

“…I guess that is a bit of a problem isn’t it? Finding someone else who can do the job right would be a pain.”

“And you never know; my replacement could be even more of a pain in the ass than I already am…” John smirked, hoping he could convince the man that replacing him would actually be a bad idea. He knew though that a replacement would likely actually be less annoying. Being as arrogant as he was though, John doubted that anyone could do the job as well as him.

“More of a pain?” The man didn’t like that sound of that. He had a plan though; John Constantine wasn’t going to trick him this time. “Alright. I’ll let you live.” He grinned.

“You what?” John hadn’t expected that.

“I’ll let you live.”

“You know I won’t be able to go back to that right?” John said as he pointed down at the still form the paramedics were trying to get a response from. “Well…maybe not anyway.” He hated to admit it, even to himself, but John knew it didn’t look good.

“Fine. I’ll fix it for you, on one condition…”

Oh great. Here we go… John thought bitterly, rolling his eyes. As much as he didn’t want to hear what the catch was, he didn’t want to give up his soul to this man. He didn’t want to die; he was over that. “…what is it?”

“I can fix you up, let you keep your memories, powers and all that –but… the more you help people, instead of just doing your job, the faster you’ll find your way back to me.”

I hate it when he grins like that. “Wait- what do you mean exactly?”

“Oh, you’ll see…”

John frowned, unable to stop himself worrying as the man disappeared. “And you wonder why everyone wants to avoid going to spend eternity with you…” He muttered before looking down at the man, his body, at his feet, freezing when one of the paramedics shook their head.

“Oh bugger…” The con-artist muttered as his body was covered with a sheet, everything going black as he stood there.

He was dead.