Tres stayed watching Mary this time waiting for any similar sign that she would start choking in her sleep again, losing oxygen and possibly dying so it wouldn't happen again. This time nothing bad did occur, and the sun finished rising, setting the morning into a warm happy environment. As the train halted, Monica tapped Mary's shoulder, "Sister? Sister Mary? We are here..."
Stirring, she rubbed the sleep from her eyes and nodded sitting up, "Already?"
Monica stood up straight and sighed in relief, "You slept a long while after that night terror." She looked out the window as Mary stood up and headed to the window in the first place. "Beautiful isn't it?"
Mary smiled at the view then turned to Monica, "I've never seen anything like it!"
Tres carried the luggage out while Monica and Mary followed him out of the train and down the streets. Mary's eyes lit up as she took in everything she possibly could. "I haven't seen much outside of my home. It's a lot busier here!"
Monica walked backwards and eyed Mary, "I'm sure once you put in your report I can see if you'll be allowed to get a tour of the place."
"I would like that!" She smiled gracious to the two of them and watched Tres walk up to the main gates. The two guard stepped in front of their way and watched us three carefully.
"We need to speak to the Cardinal immediately. Regarding the latest Murder case. Tres Iqus, Codename Gunslinger."
Monica walked up to the guard and handed her pass to the men. "Can this hurry up? We should be in there talking to Sforza already."
Mary stared confused for a bit but was surprised they made it through regardless. She smiled at the artwork and details of the building. "Who is this Cardinal? You said Sforza, so it is Caterina? If I remember right I suppose as well."
Tres spoke while making sure to make their way into the Vatican, "Cardinal Caterina Sforza is in charge of the AX group in which you see we are apart of." He stopped and handed Monica her bag. "I will be needing to bring this rose to be searched. You two can continue to the Cardinal's office."
Mary eyed the two and couldn't help but to start worrying as they all walked through the Vatican purposely in a hurry. Tres walked off in a different direction half way through their trek. Mary looked around to the others walking around her, some were visitors and tourists while others were guides or even teachers with children's classes. The halls were busy with smiles and camera flashes, but before Mary realized it, they were down another hallway with near to no one walking around. People became more scarce and the doors grew larger with far more locked technology than seemingly possible.
Monica sent out a snicker as they approached a man around the corner leaning against a large set of double doors. He held his arms crossed and his head low. After hearing their footsteps the man looked up towards the sound, "Seems you've been kicked out?" Monica eyed the man curiously as she stood next to him. She placed a hand on her hip and smirked, "Or did you know we were on our way?"
The man straightened himself slightly turning to the women. His long dark hair matched his eyes and the bit of facial hair that was kept nicely. His eyes shifted to Mary, "Who's this?"
Monica opened her mouth, but before she could say a word Mary answered him, "I'm Sister Mary Angelina."
Vaclav stood up straighter and placed a hand over his heart to bow slightly, "Sister, my apologies."
Monica sighed as if she were bored, "We don't have all day. We need to get in and talk to Caterina. Now can we go in?"
Vaclav shook his head and spoke softly, "Lady Sforza is in a meeting with his Holiness. I'm not sure when she will be back. I'm here watching her room for when or even if we get news on the attacks. I am supposed to head to her right away if we find anything new."
Monica nearly scoffed and pressed her body close to Vaclav's, "What the hell do you think we are here for? I'm not going to be standing here looking this sexy without anyone to notice me then!" Monica threw her hands up in anger and stormed off on her own leaving Mary staring blankly at Father Vaclav.
They both waited a moment in silence before Vaclav spoke, "So... Uhm, I guess, I mean..."
Mary smiled watching the confused Father, "Don't worry. The Lord's will works in mysterious ways. I believe here with you is right where I belong. I seem to be placed in the right places at the right times." Mary looked around the hall and admired the paintings while she waited.
Tres made his way to the lab to drop off the evidence in order for the rose to be tested. Like a well oiled machine, he finished his first mission then went towards a separate room. He sat down in a chair and pulled out a chord from the computer in front of him and placed it into the back of his head. He pulled out a second then leaned his head to the side placing it into his temple. The third he took out to place into his neck as he still held his head to the side. Tres took the fourth and final one into the back of his neck. Once they were all plugged into his ports on his body, he then took the end of them all that combined into one end and plugged it into a machine. He stood stiff and closed his eyes as he backed up the data during his time away from the Vatican.
After some while of waiting, the lights in the hall seemed to flicker. Vaclav's brows pinched together in confusion at them for a moment before he glanced over at Mary who clutched her habit in fear. Vaclav rushed to Mary's side and leaned in a bit, "Stay quiet and very still." Vaclav knew of the invasions and how they started through only reports; he has never quite seen one in action before. He held Mary's shaking hand as he shielded her body with his own. Mary looked around before her and Vaclav both heard a glass shatter inside of Caterina's room. Vaclav held his finger up to his lips looking into Mary's eyes before he seemingly disappeared into thin air. The door to Caterina's office opened enough for a person to fit through then shut slowly.
Vaclav scanned the office carefully trying to find the source of the noise. He tapped a finger on her desk to see if anything became provoked, which nothing seemed to happen. He uncamouflaged himself but held his gun out and ready. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, and nothing was even broken.
Before he could think of anything else, the door's lock turned and he looked up in fear as no one was at the door and Mary had no computerized key to even lock or unlock the door. He quickly raced to the door, holding his nametag to the door's locking mechanism blinked red as if he was now unapproved to access the door. Several tries later he paced the room panicking and realizing Mary was outside in the hall, alone.
"Mary! Can you hear me?"
Mary ran up to the door hearing his pounding on it and nodded, "Yes! Faintly but I can hear you!" She glanced over her shoulder thinking she had seen a hooded figure standing behind her but upon turning around there was no body present. She looked to the door and called out to him, "Did you find anything?"
Vaclav rested his head on the door a minute trying to think, "I'm not sure. There's nothing in here, but maybe when I opened the door I let something through?"
Mary's hair on her body stood up as if they were all electrically charged. Mary's shaking hands stopped and she tugged on her rosary. With a firm step, Mary swiveled around facing a hooded figure. "I knew I saw something..." She spread her foot spacing apart and readied her body, "What do you want?"
Vaclav heard her talking as if it was to someone else and punched the door angrily knowing he should be on the other side of the door to protect Mary with the information they needed about the killer of all the other priests.
"Are you the one from in the church? Did you follow me to rid me of telling others on you?"
The hooded person stepped forward, the black clothes underneath black, but the white trim had hints of dark red. What could be seen from under the hood was a bright toothy grin that had been stained red. An alarm was sent off throughout the hallway and the hooded figure frowned. A familiar female voice spoke as it continued to walk towards Mary.
Mary pulled her rosary apart, the cross now in two pieces, but one held a blade. She leaned against the door glaring at the woman before her. "I see, you did come after me..."
The figure closed in on Mary, and with a swift grab, she held onto Mary's wrist with the blade. Her second arm shook off the cloak and the woman glared at Mary, "Look at what your friend did you my damn hand you wench!" The hand on Selene hadn't grown back at all as most vampires after some time might be able to regenerate it. The end of the arm looked infected as if it was regenerating at one point but had to be chopped off and cauterized by herself.
Mary shoved the woman backwards the best she could, but realized her bloody body was of the others visiting the Vatican. "How many innocent people did you have to kill before finding me, Selene?" Mary tugged at her arm.
Selene smiled a bloody grin then tightened her grip on Mary's arm. "How about I show you after I give you the same greeting I received from your friend?" Selene took a step back into a solid body, and her grin faded.
Mary smirked and nodded, "I trust you."
Selene turned her head a bit, "Trust who?" Selene's eyes went wide as she faced the woman from before at the church. The lights in the hallway started to flicker again as the woman grinned just like how Selene grinned at Mary. A look one gets when their favorite plate of food arrives, and it's free. Selene let go of Mary's hand and started backing up down the hall. "Fuck you bitch! I escaped you once before and I'll do it again!"
Mary held her head low listening to Vaclav talk from inside the room, clearly talking to someone else in getting help down the corridor. With hopes that someone would come to her rescue at some point, Mary didn't worry too much. But seeing the two women from the church anyways, she cracked a smile. With speed faster than a normal human, Mary burst out towards Selene, her blade ready to strike.
Selene held out her hand with her nails elongated as sharp blades to block Mary from hitting her, but instead Mary's blade went through Selene's palm. Mary looked up with her blue hazel eyes and slashed out at Selene again, this time hanging onto Selene's wrist, pulling on her just to gain ground on her. Selene screamed out in pain realizing the blade was pure silver as Mary dug the blade into Selene's left shoulder.
The woman followed the other two ladies and stared up at the hall camera as it malfunctioned and exploded. Any camera near her, or that would get a good shot of seeing her, exploded as well seconds before she crossed into the line of sight that held anything above the waist, she always obscured her face. She watched Mary curiously as she fought with the now hurt vampire woman.
Mary screamed out in anger as she tackled Selene to the ground. Selene stared up at Mary, "Who the hell are you? You're too damn good at fighting to even be a nun! Selene looked behind Mary only for her own face to go white with horror, "You are worse than the devil himself..." Selene stared at the woman as Mary drove the silver blade into Selene's heart, fully killing her.
Mary looked over her shoulder with an emotionless blank stare as the woman knelt down and took a finger to wipe the blood from Mary's face. She smiled as she licked her finger off and heard the few body slams against the door of Caterina's room. "See, you don't always have to play the victim." The woman reached for the blade and licked off the blood from it as well.
After another set of pounds against the door, it swung open. The hinges clearly have been stripped and broken off in order for Vaclav to even try to escape. He stood up from almost tumbling to the ground at the right time to see the woman crouched in front of Mary.
She had a trail of black hair trailing towards her body, measuring over six and a half feet at least. He stared at her almost glowing red eyes and aimed his gun at the woman. She smiled and leaned her head onto Mary's shoulder, knowing full well that any shot he made would go through and kill Mary too. "Sister Mary, are you alright?"
Mary stared blankly for a moment longer before the sounds of footsteps approaching snapped her out of a daze. She eyed Vaclav, her blue eyes starting to tear up finally as emotion ripped through her body, "Don't shoot! Please!"
The woman cackled a bit, "Last time you asked that of a Priest, he still shot at me." Mary realized this was true, and looking at the woman's body, she noticed no wounds on the woman at all. "Here's the deal Priest..." The woman stood up and held Mary closely in front of her body like a shield, "You can have the Sister as long as you scoot out of the way for me to go down the hall next to you and promise not to shoot at me."
"I won't negotiate with vampires! You are on holy grounds! Halt in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit i place you under arrest for murder and extortion of blood! Now let go of the Sister! I will not allow you to hurt her anymore than you have."
The woman eyed the men dressed in full plate armor running down the hallway. Vaclav knew that the Inquisition was headed this way due to the closeness to the Pope that the incident at hand is at. Not even four hallways away sits the Pope and the Cardinals. Their job is to eliminate the threat any way possible. Mary ducked her head as a man came rushing into the room with a large spear. He stood in a ready stance as the other men gathered around him.
"Stand down men! I have this!"
The few men scoffed laughing, "You're no longer our head. Brother Petros is! Now move out of the way, Priest or we will kill you as well!" Some of the other men started laughing as well and readied to battle.
Mary looked around for a way to escape before feeling her feet lift from the floor. Mary was whisked down the hallway by the woman. She saw Vaclav briefly before he vanished again. The woman got to a corner around a four way hallway. She shoved Mary into the corner and looked wearily down one side. "That man..." Before she could continue, she felt manly hands hold her arm behind her back and nearly pin her to the wall with her cheek to it. She fought against him, fear in her eyes that only Mary caught.
Vaclav returned to a visible position and held firmly to the woman's wrists. "If you come with me in custody for questioning I can try to get you out of here safely before those brutes destroy you. Sister Mary are you alright?"
Mary nodded but eyed the woman who's eyes now scanned the hall for an escape. Her skin started to darken and her face grew angrier as time went by. Mary reached out and held the woman's hand, "Father Vaclav, please back away."
Vaclav watched the woman's skin almost turn to a black metal, he felt even the texture start to change. He eyed Mary's hand holding the woman and backed away slightly. "What is the meaning of this?" Vaclav looked down the hall hearing the shouts of the men searching for them. He saw the door unlock and open. With a spare chance he tugged both women into the room. He felt his honor disgrace as he saved a vampire. "Sister Mary?"
Mary watched as the woman went to a corner of the room, her skin shining in the light after it faded back to it's pale white color. Her hair seemed to whip around her body but calmed down covering herself up with it. She eyed the two and listened outside of the door as the men ran past.
Vaclav held his gun pointed at the woman who stared at him, her eyes almost sad like, "Sister Mary who is she?"
Mary held her hand on Vaclav's gun and lowered it from being aimed at her. "I don't have much time to explain, but she's the woman who saved me in the church."
The woman closed her eyes and laid her palms flat against the wall, "Do what you wish with me then Priest. Take me to a cell... If you dare." She grinned, showcasing her fangs at him.