Standard disclaimer: I didn't create Trinity Blood and I don't own it. I just borrowed the characters out of love.
This will have elements from the manga, but I'm going to assume that the manga is progressing toward a battle between Cain and Abel above Albion and that Abel will leave the AX in search of his brother just as he did in the last episode of the Anime. Characters may seem a little OOC but it has been five years so I've tried to imagine what changes they may have gone through.
Five years. Five whole years stuck in the wastes of the world. Half a decade visiting every armpit the planet of earth had to offer. Abel Nightroad, Vatican priest, had thought he was beyond being shocked by the acts people committed against each other. Somehow, he was wrong.
At first, it wasn't so bad. He had found a traveling companion in Ion Fortuna, and after a few brief communiques with the Vatican, Father Tres Iqus of the AX had also joined in. Those first few months were laughably easy. The Order was in chaos after the debacle in Albion, the lesser members scattered to the wind, their leader feared dead. It was like nothing so much as slaughtering chickens, the powerful Methuselah of the Rosenkreuz Orden were headless at first. But as months turned into years, the trio found the intervals between leads to be longer and longer. The more distinguished members of the terrorist group were more careful, more organized. And now it had been six months without a single lead. Six months with not one word on his brother combined with five years without a single decent sugary concoction had Father Able Nightroad in one hell of a bad mood.
*Slam* Father Nightroad's fist meet the table with a clatter of glasses. A few of the bar's other patrons glanced toward the unlikely group in the corner, but no one bothered much. Two priests and a vampire walk into a bar? Yeah, they'd seen stranger things. The rest of the customers turned back to their drinks.
"Father Nightroad, it is unwise in this setting to draw attention to ourselves," advised Father Tres.
"Easy for you to say. You're an android, you don't get frustrated." But Nightroad knew his companion was correct and slouched against the back of his chair.
Indeed this wasn't the kind of place one generally wanted to stand out. The "bar", little more than a shed in the middle of the flat lands, was seedy in every sense of the word. The bartender had looked up briefly when the three had entered with a raised eyebrow.
"Don't want no trouble" He growled in simple English.
"We are simple men of God. We have no intentions of trouble," Abel replied in the same language.
"Don't want no saving either," The bartender announced and several customers laughed at that.
"Wouldn't dream of trying," promised Abel as he slapped a few coin on the bar.
The bartender grunted, then plunked three mugs of beer on the bar and scooped up the coins with the same motion.
"That's all we got is beer."
"Perfect," muttered Abel and the three took their drinks to a corner table.
From his vantage point, facing the door, Able was able to monitor each new arrival. The shed-bar may be a wholly unattractive establishment in the middle of an equally unattractive wasted land, but it was on a major trade route and so attracted a variety of seedy clientele. Hundreds of years after the wars these small hamlets still felt the effects of Armageddon. Abel morbidly wondered if he had been here before. This area had once been fertile farm land, beautiful rolling hills, and flat lands filled with a variety of grasses and wild flowers. Had he brought hell fires to this land personally? A millennium latter, and he couldn't be sure.
"Let's go over it again," the Earl of Memphis offered.
"Let's not," grumbled Nightroad
"Quit brooding," snarled Ion, "we have nothing else to do so we might as well. Six months ago we came across Viktor the Weaver of Nightmares …"
"…and he tells us that something big is about to take place." Abel finishes in obvious boredom. "Something so big, that there has been no evidence of any movement whatsoever. The guy was about to die and tried to buy his pathetic live with a scrap of useless knowledge."
"I don't believe that it was a lie. Terror can be a potent truth serum after all. And you, Abel, are pretty freaking terrifying," Ion said with a slight shudder.
At this Abel smirked a little. To Ion's credit, the young Earl had managed to handle his first exposure to the Crusnik better than most. Three months into their mission it had become necessary to activate the Crusnik at a low percentage. Able and Ion had been alone, before the Cardinal had sent Tres, when they realized that the group they had been tracking had doubled back to surprise them. Five lesser agents of the Rosenkreuz Orden hell bent on survival was too much for a simple "terran" and one inexperienced Methuselah. Ion, of course, was confused and horrified as the Crusnik tore into the group of attackers and dispatched them in a bloody, one sided battle. The shock was Abel's however, when Ion recovered himself enough to dispatch the singular Methuselah who had managed to escape the crusnick's carnage.
"I think we should talk Father," Ion said evenly as he surveyed the scene before him.
And that was that. Some simple explanations and Ion was content to continue his work with Father Nightroad. But that was years ago, each ramshackle town and village held new clues and hid more enemies. Now, five years had past, and the leads had dried up. The group had followed their last lead to exhaustion and had nothing to show for it. The dying man had sworn that he had knowledge of some large scale attack being planned by the Rosencrantz and had directed the men to the next village where they were supposed to find proof of large scale weapon trafficking. However they had come to the next city and found no trace of the weapons or the Orden. Having nothing else to do, they continued forward. But now, six months latter, Abel was sure that they had been deceived. The Father buried his face in both hands and groaned in irritation.
"Inquiry; are you well Father?"
"Yes I am Father Tres, just reminiscing," assured Abel.
"We're supposed to be reminiscing about the intel," reminded Ion.
"What intel Earl? There was nothing intelligent about that info. Cardinal Sforza had the entire AX digging for weeks and there was no unusual activity within the Orden." The conversation was not a new one and Abel was tired of having it.
"Suggestion; a return to the Vatican may be required to refocus this investigation."
"A few weeks ago I would have flat out refused, but at this point I think you may be right, Tress," Able sighed heavily. And what I wouldn't give to see Rome's friendly spires again he admitted to himself.
"Perhaps visiting the Empire would be prudent as well," there was a hopeful glint in Ion's eyes and, not for the first time, Father Abel felt sympathy for the homesick youth.
"Suggestion; It may be wise to visit the city of Albion as well. The Cardinal has mentioned that the Albion researchers have recently discovered several lost documents from before the Armageddon." Father Tres added, not knowing how badly the other two wanted to kiss him in that moment.
Albion , known as a city highly advanced in the area of lost technology and information, would certainly be an excellent place to search for information on an ancient evil. It's also happened to be the location of the Orden's most brazen attack. However, both Ion and Abel thought of something else when they thought of Albion. Esther, Queen of Albion, Saint of Istavan, sister nun of the Roman Vatican. Neither Ion nor Abel had had any contact with their friend in the last five years. During her weekly transmissions to Father Tres, Cardinal Caterina always nonchalantly slipped in some small piece of news about Albion. Though both Abel and Ion appreciated any information they could get, the Cardinal only had access to official statements dispatched from the kingdom's press secretary. 'The queen has successfully overseen the reconstruction of all damage occurred during the terrorist attacks.' 'Her royal highness has created a new orphanage dedicated to the children of those lost in the attack.' 'Queen Esther commissions the investigation of lost technologies in the underground city know as the Ghetto.' It was reassuring to know that Esther had slipped into the role of monarch with such grace, but, of course, there were no personal reports of Esther herself.
Does she think of me? Both men wondered in the same moment.
"So it's settled then. We return to the Roman territories, and then on to Byzantium, and perhaps Londinium." As he said it, Abel couldn't even fake reluctance.
"Agreed," said Ion with a small smile, "but on the way back, you should probably practice your act as an incompetent bungler, Father Able. If you scowl like that in the Vatican people may actually begin to take you seriously."
"Well we can't have that," and Father Abel couldn't help but smile back a little.
The Cardinal Lady Caterina Sforza, the Duchess of Milan, frowned at the pile of paperwork in front of her. It seemed that for each document she studied, signed, and filed, two more appeared. Not for the first time, Caterina wondered if it was a secret Rosenkreuz plot on her life. Certainly, they were trying to kill her with paperwork. Sighing, the Cardinal stood, folded up the file she's been looking at, and opened the doors of her balcony to the cool night air. It was late and the plaza was quiet. The night was incredibly clear, and the stars and two moons looked close enough to touch. Surely if the heavens were so near, then her missing friends were nearer yet. Sentimental ideas, yes, but it did Caterina's heart good to think in this way.
She missed Abel Nightroad with all her heart. They hadn't been apart for any length of time since she had first begged his protection in the tomb of his beloved. She'd seen him over this time as many things; a protector, an older brother, the only hope of the world. So when she'd come close to losing him to Cain in Londinum, she took the secrets he had told her, threw all caution and sense to the wind and saved him. He was still pissed. And then there was Father Tres. She could think of no one better to accompany Father Nightroad on this mission. There was no worry of fatigue with Tres and he didn't think of the stress associated with the suicide mission the trio had set out upon. As much as Caterina longed for Tres to be by her side, she knew Abel needed him more. Recently , though, Tres's transmissions had revealed a stall in progress. The Cardinal allowed herself to entertain the slightest hope that the trio would return to the Vatican soon to regroup.
"LADY! LADY CATERINA!" A shrieking novice burst through the oak doors of Cardinal Caterina's study and tripped over a chair in her haste.
"Honestly child! Have some decorum! Such behavior is most unfitting of a …"
"Forgive me Cardinal," interrupted the novice nun from the floor, "but the news…its bad… Albion is under terrorist attack milady!"
All admonishments of proper behavior forgotten, Caterina hauled the girl to her feet by the shoulders and shook her a little, "Is the information confirmed? Has there been contact with the palace?"
"No Madame, official contact has been cut off. The majority of the information we have received comes from Londinum military posts located in other parts of country. It seems as if they too are having difficulties contacting the capitol. Several combat and medical units have mobilized already, but they are requesting assistance."
"Gather the AX in my office, until we reach someone from the palace, we will monitor the situation from here," order Caterina, "go now child hurry."
"Madame…Albion… it is my home," the younger girl said in a small voice.
"And so we must be strong. We must help them if we can. Now go girl!"
The young girl ran from the room. She would wake the AX sleeping within the Vatican walls and then, with the professor's help, the rest of the AX would be recalled to Rome. Caterina racked her brains…none of her team was further than half a day by horse. However there was one team that would need to be retrieved by air ship, if they were to make it to Rome in time.
"Kate!" Caterina called as she hit a communications device on her desk.
"I have already begun to mobilize the air force Madame. My efforts are being complicated by the lack of communications, however," the holographic captain replied.
"Good work Sister, proceed. However you must also send a small, but quick ship, toward the Northern Wastes."
"You mean…" asked Sister Kate
"Yes. Retrieve the Crusnick. The Orden has returned."
"Father Nightroad."
"Hmmm…what time is it?" The priest tried to bury his face in his pillow to drown out his android friend.
"It is 0600 hours Father." Tres replied.
"What? Get out of here. I just got into bed!"
"If I have to wake up so do you, Father," grumbled Ion as he stared suspiciously at the single ray of sun poking from behind the curtains of the inn they'd finally stopped at for the day.
"Father. There is an urgent dispatch from the Vatican," insisted Tress
With a groan, Nightroad sat up and dumped his covers on the floor.
"Fine proceed," he growled.
"Initiating…" Tres's eyes rolled back into his mechanical skull as he accessed the communications device located within his body. "Receiving…"
And with that a holographic image appeared from a device in the palm of Tres's hand.
"Father Nightroad, Father Tress, Earl Fortuna," greeted the holograph of Cardinal Caterina Sforza, "I am sorry to disturb you as I am sure you have just gone to sleep for the day, however the situation is beyond dire. Your intelligence of a Rosenkreuz attack has proven correct."
"But there was nothing to indicate…" Abel said with wide, shocked eyes. "Are you ok? The Vatican…"
"Abel, please listen, there is no time. We were looking in the wrong places. The target was never the Vatican. At 2200 hours, we lost contact with the officials in Albion. Sister Kate's armada was dispatched post haste but they arrived too late. A large force of vampires attacked the city and some of the out laying villages with extreme violence. The majority of government buildings, and many of the churches were heavily damaged. Their goal is unclear as of yet, the targets seem to have been very random. They did not stay to feed on the victims and made no move to occupy the city. They hit then they were gone. I've recalled all members of the AX to return to the Vatican for briefing and deployment."
"Inquiry; what is the status of the Queen Esther?" Asked Tres.
The Cardinal visibly stiffened and said, "I've have been in contact with some of her advisors. Currently the Queen is considered MIA."
"We'll head straight to Albion," declared Abel as he stood from the bed. His eyes were steel and his fists were clenched and shaking.
"Negative, Abel." Hologram Caterina put up a calming hand. "I know how you feel. But I have spoken to both Duke Virgil and Colonel Mary, Esther's top advisors, and they assure me that in this situation, the rally point is nothing short of my office. Esther is heading toward Rome, and the three of you will want to be here when she arrives. An air ship will arrive momentarily. Be ready."
Father Abel was dressed and walking out the door before the hologram had completely faded, followed closely by a cloaked Ion and Father Tres.
"Dear God let her be okay."