Chapter 2 – The Guessing Game, and the Rescue.

AN: Aww, only one review... i feel sad... oh well, i still feel like posting the story.

Rose darted back to the church, avoiding all eyes except for the cook, Sam, whom she asked to prepare a travel pack of food.

"You-you're leaving?" He asked, disappointment flooding throughout his voice. Rose nodded sadly. She always had a soft spot for him, and hugged him tightly.

"It shouldn't be too long," She said, shoving the sandwiches into her already full bags. "I'm just going to find myself…then I should return," She hesitated, and then looked back at the tall dark haired man with her violet eyes. She darted back, and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "I hope to see you again soon,"

With that she ran out of the kitchen, slipping into the shadows of the darkened building. But as Rose neared the entrance, she heard a chuckle travel up the aisle. She turned shocked and saw Father Nightroad standing there, smiling warmly.

"You aren't thinking of running, are you?" He commented lightly, walking up to Rose, who had frozen. She caught on soon after, and pouted, crossing her arms.

"I am not running away!" She snapped. She frowned even more as Abel continued to laugh. He placed a hand on her shoulder, and smiled warmly down at her.

"Running away isn't always the best option, but sure can give you time to think. Just remember I'll be here to talk to when you return, because I'm sure you will need to," Abel informed her, before exiting the large holy room.

Rose frowned, wondering what on earth he just said. She left the church once more, and walked to the train station, a jingling in her pocket confusing her. She shoved her free hand in, and opened her eyes wide in shock as she pulled out a large pile of notes and coins. She then remembered Sam fussing with that side of her jacket, and she smiled sadly. She would have to remember to send him a postcard.

"One ticket for this train," Rose asked breathlessly, having just run a mile to catch the train that was preparing to leave. She stood waiting impatiently, rapping her fingernails on the steel counter. The full moon was already high in the sky, and a breeze drifted past her, but she didn't feel that it was the wind that sent chills down her spine. It had been a week since she had left the vicinity of her home, but had not managed to get out of Rome.

A whistle was blown just as the ticket was handed to her, and she sprinted to the doors which were closing. She squeezed through whatever gap there was left, and let out a sigh of relief.

Rose looked around for a while, and soon found a seat next to a pale, black-haired man. He glared at her as she sat, but care was not a part of her emotions that night. She was concerned about the feeling of anxiety she had in her gut, and felt rather uncomfortable sitting next to the selfish man.

As the train pulled out of the station, a snarling emitted from the man rather suddenly, and Rose jumped out of her seat, willing herself not to lose control as she had a moment of freaking out, watching him warily. He stood up, and a blade shot out of his right sleeve. Everyone on the carriage screamed, and Rose stared horrified. She had been sitting next to a Methuselah the entire time! She frowned as she was knocked to the ground by a terrified woman, and the vampire walked into the next carriage, slaughtering defenceless humans carelessly.

Rose lost it at once.

Her hair shortened to her neck, sticking up at odd angles, and her fingernails lengthened and hardened to black claws. She felt sharp fangs scraping her bottom lip, and her ears morphed into an elven shape. She looked around with her glowing red eyes, and saw the people staring in horror, silence eerily filling the enclosed space.

Then all hell broke loose.

People screamed and stumbled over each other. Some stupidly dove out the windows, the long fall killing them if the shattering glass didn't. Some fainted at the sight of two creatures, and the rest resorted to running to the other end of the train, away from the threat.

Rose followed the vampire's path, freaking out even more poor people, and soon found him in the business class carriage. It was full of carnage and murdered people, and she saw the vampire raising his blade in the air, about to strike.

"Bastard!" She snarled, glaring at the offending creature. He turned and hissed at her.

"What do we have here?" He sneered, approaching her cockily. "A little girl playing Methuselah! I knew there was something about you when you sat next to me. Yet you don't seem like the ordinary vampire…" He traced her chin with his fingertip, and she swiped it away, leaving him with a bleeding stump for a hand. He snarled at her, and shoved his blade into her chest.

Rose grinned wickedly, and pulled the vampire's arm out of her chest, before throwing him into the side of the cabin. Whilst he was recovering, Rose took the chance to check on his next potential victim. A girl not much younger than herself looked up at Rose with interest. Her green eyes showed no fear, but they were clouded over, almost lifeless. She removed her hand from her stomach, and Rose saw a massive wound there, the blood pouring out onto her lap.

Rose sighed as the life finally left the young girl's eyes, but was shoved in the back by the blade of the Methuselah once again. She chuckled darkly and walked off the blade, turning to see a shocked vampire.

"I am no ordinary being," She commented quietly, and the vampire let out a laugh of hysteria.

"Well I kind of guessed that!" He stumbled back as blood shot out of her hand, then re-assembled as a gigantic battle axe. "And I'm positive you're not an ordinary Methuselah either! So just what the hell are you?"

Rose smirked.

"That, I cannot be sure of. But what I am sure of, is that you are serving the Rosenkreutz Order, are you not?"

She swung the axe with ease at the outstretched arm, rendering the vampire defenseless as his arm came flying off, blood spattering across both Rose and himself. He cried out in horror, and Rose sneered, grabbing his black hair and wrenching his head up to face her.

"That is no where near enough to kill you, you sorry bastard. Now why were you sent here?"

"The Rosenkreutz sent me as a decoy," He said, before chuckling darkly. "It was meant to distract the terrans from the hunt in the Vatican. But I shan't be the one held responsible, especially now you have shown up!" He looked at her confused. "And how do you know of the Rosenkreutz Order? Only the AX and the majority of the methuselah know of it!"

Rose dropped him, quite confused herself. The name had crossed her mind as soon as she saw him, yet she had never heard of such a thing. She was snapped out of her thoughts as the vampire weakly attempted to kick her. She swung her axe and took off his head, then shoving the sharpened end of the axe through his chest, piercing his heart and getting rid of tonight's pest. Rose then proceeded to the driver's cabin, being careful to change back. Covered in blood and a stab wound in her chest would be enough to stop the train, she thought wearily as she began to stumble over her feet, dramatizing the whole scene.

'Maybe I should talk to that priest,' she thought as a terrified co-driver attempted to tend her wounds. Because he seemed to know more than he let on.

Rose wearily awoke in a bright white room, her stomach grumbling painfully. Her eyes quickly adjusted to the light, and she saw she was in a hospital room, although it seemed more like a prison cell. Her fears were confirmed as she felt the cold feeling of cold metal cuffs on her wrists and ankles.

Swivelling around in her seat, Rose caught sight of a guard standing in the corner of the room, speaking into an intercom.

"Hello?" She called, smiling as he looked at her. "Can I please get some food? I'm awfully hungry and-…" She stopped mid-sentence as a loud snap behind her sounded. Rose turned and saw what she assumed was the sheriff, flanked by two menacing guards holding guns. She attempted a smile, and weakly managed it. The sheriff sat down in front of her, and threw a plate of bread across the plastic table. Rose dove straight into it.

"I am Lieutenant Finnigan," The man said, crossing his fingers and resting his chin on them, watching as Rose devoured the pitiful meal. "What is your name, girl?"

"Mmph…Rose," She managed through a mouthful, throwing her hand across the table to shake Finnigan's. She was surprised when he leapt back. She frowned in confusion, then shrugged and returned to the food.

"Do you know why you are here, girl?" Finnigan interrogated, and Rose stopped eating, glaring at him.

"I just told you my name, so please use it,"

"Fine," He sighed. "Rose," He spat, as though the name was poison to him. "Do you know why you are here?"

Rose shrugged, continuing to shovel the bread into her mouth.

"You were found on the train that circled Rome, the only one alive in that section of the train apart from the drivers, who were found in shock," Finnigan said, watching Rose with curiosity. "You also had a fatal wound in your chest, but here you are just twenty four hours later, and not a single scratch on you. What are you?"

Rose refused to answer, not knowing the answer herself, and finished the bread. She swallowed the last morsel, and then flung the plate across the room, shattering the porcelain item against the wall.

A guard came over and hit her head with the end of the gun, throwing her off her chair. Finnigan leant over her slightly, and glared at her.

"There are some things I am not meant to do, under the human rights law. But there's a hitch; you aren't human," He sneered, kicking her already abused head, blood flying from her mouth.

Rose cried out, and it quickly turned into a growl as she began to lose it. 'The voice!' she thought in a panic, but it wouldn't sound. She saw her eyes reflected on the tiled floor as red. Her claws lengthened, and she began to struggle viciously against her restraints.

"Give her a shot before she becomes dangerous," Finnigan said frantically. Rose felt a sharp prick in her neck, and she slowly felt the strength seep from her body.

"I-I can't help it," She managed to choke out, her vision beginning to fail her. Another kick to the side of the head sent her drugged brain to the world of unconsciousness, but she managed to say one thing before it took her.

"Abel, please help me…"

"Rose,"

"Rose!"

"Huh?" Rose jerked awake to find herself in an identical room to the last, but with a window. And looking through it was none other than Abel himself. "F-Father Nightroad? But-but how?"

"I heard you calling," He said hurriedly. "We need to get you out of here. The Rosenkreutz are planning another attack on this building,"

Rose didn't move. "Who are the Rosenkreutz? I…" She faltered as he ripped off the bars on the window with ease, and then threw a hand out for her. She grabbed it and he pulled her to freedom. The problem was, an alarm sounded as soon as the bars were free from the brick wall. She leapt down into the alley just as guards burst into the room, and she could hear cursing and shouting amongst the wail of the sirens.

"Run!" Abel roared, as tranquilisers came raining down upon them. Rose managed to keep up with him, despite the leg length difference.

"How did you hear me?" She asked, skidding around another corner.

"I have no idea, but I believe telepathically," He replied, ducking under a low hanging street sign. "I think we'll be able to talk once we reach the church,"

'Telepathically?' Rose wondered, confused more than ever.

"In!" Abel panted, shoving open the great oak doors to the church. He smiled lightly at Rose, whose brow was wrinkled in thought. She sighed heavily.

"You were right," She said, sitting on a bench. "I need to talk to you, but I highly doubt you'll understand. I…" She looked up at Abel warily, before continuing. "I fight vampires, and always win. I killed one last night, who was only a decoy for an attack that-"

"We dealt with that attack," Abel stated, and Rose stared at him in surprise.

"You dealt with the attack? What do you…," She thought, eyeing the priest curiously. "Are-are you like me?" She asked, and Abel raised his eyebrow, before smiling.

"I honestly have no idea what you are talking about," He said, but his voice quavered, and Rose doubted he was telling the truth. She sighed heavily, shaking her head in disappointment.

"Fine," She said, standing up and stretching. "If you don't want to be honest with me, I don't care, I'm just severely disappointed,"

"I-but… please," Abel started, but Rose held up a hand to silence him.

"I'm going to bed," She stated matter-of-factly. "Thank you for collecting me," She walked out of the room, thinking hard.

"Ro-Rose?" A voice called uncertainly from the kitchen. Her eyes widened.

"Sam!"

She ran into the kitchen, and ran into him, hugging him tightly.

"I thought you weren't going to be back for ages!" He said disbelievingly, fiddling with her hair gently. "What happened?" She laughed dryly.

"Father Nightroad brought me back," Rose half told the truth. He didn't need to know about her condition…yet. "Thankyou for your kind thoughts," She whispered in his ear. She pulled the money out of her pocket, and put it in his. He chuckled.

"I kind of figured you might need some," Sam pulled away from her, and Rose smiled up at him. He took a sharp intake of breath as he saw deep bags under her eyes.

"I think you need some sleep," He said, and she nodded slightly.

"I had a fairly rough night last night," She admitted, telling the truth this time, but not going into detail. "I'm going to catch up on some sleep now," She said, and he nodded.

"Good girl,"

Rose giggled slightly, and kissed him on the cheek again, before walking back to her room.

A splitting pain ripped through her head, and Rose lost support of her legs, crying out in agony. She gripped the sides of her head, and tried to compress it together. Images began flashing before her eyes, disappearing as soon as they appeared.

The smiling face of a woman showed up, her auburn hair twisted into an intricate do. Then a young girl, younger than herself, wit black hair and green eyes. The girl smiled at her, then disappeared.

Rose then saw a handsome man with long blonde hair, glancing at her fleetingly, before disappearing into the whir of images. The next one made her gasp. It was a group of words, not images this time.

"They are your siblings. You are 05"

The blur of colours and words disappeared, along with her headache, and Rose found herself lying on her back in the hall, sweating profusely.

'Those people I saw were my family!' She thought in realisation.

She snapped out of her thoughts as a loud thud echoed throughout the church, the floor shaking as though an earthquake had just hit.

Rose began running down the hallway, but stopped abruptly as someone came crashing through the wall. The someone had long silver hair.

"Father Nightroad!" She shrieked, rushing over to help him. He looked knocked out, and she shook his shoulders. Miraculously, he stirred, but a cackle from the hole in the wall turned her to the sound.

A vampire stepped through the wall, blade protruding out of his sleeve. She gaped furiously.

"How many of those fucking vampires are there?!" She cried incredulously. She averted her gaze to the ground, attempting to channel her anger, but she couldn't. She felt angrier than ever. Abel, the one she kind of considered a friend, and told all her secrets to. Only for him to be injured at the hands of a stupid virus. She closed her eyes, digging into the floorboards with her ever lengthening claws. She inhaled heavily.

"You will leave, now!" Rose snarled in a harsh voice. She could feel her fangs protruding out of her mouth, and her hair shrinking back from her back. The vampire merely laughed.

"We aren't leaving until we have found what we are looking for. Are you planning to deal with me, little girl?" He jeered.

"I shall show no mercy in destroying you," she hissed, standing up. She opened her red eyes, and glared at the shocked Methuselah.

"You-you're one of them!" He yelped, stumbling back.

"Rose!" She heard Abel's voice behind her, and she turned to face him. He was staring up at her in amazement, and he smiled. "I should have guessed," He shook his head, still smiling.

Rose winced slightly, as black leathery wings tore through her back skin, and she produced her battle axe, which was as long as she was tall. She smirked at the vampire, who was still shell-shocked.

"I did warn you," She sneered, advancing on him. More screams and terrifying laughs could be heard from the surrounding rooms, and she stopped.

Sam.

Rose swung her axe at the vampire, cleaving his body in two, then turned to Abel.

"Father, please forgive me. I shall return, but I must help someone," She said urgently, and Abel nodded, standing.

"I shall be fine, dearest sister," He said lightly, taking off his glasses. Rose frowned at him, cocking her head to the side, looking at him questioningly.

"Siste-" She was cut off as Abel spoke.

"Nanomachines Crusnik 02, restrictions to 60, approved,"

His hair pulled itself out of its tie, and fangs slid out between his lips. Rose stared in shock as his nails lengthened to claws, a blood red scythe appeared in his hand, and he opened his eyes, which were exactly like hers. He smirked at her.

"Though I am surprised of your alter-ego, we do not have time to dally," He said in a hoarse voice. Rose nodded, and shot off in the direction of the chef's quarters.

Kicking down the door, she felt both relieved and scared she had found Sam's room first. But he was cornered by three vampires, all holding their blades to his throat. She snarled, her blood boiling if not more.

"You will release him," She hissed, and surprisingly, they pulled away, but had a great struggle, as if they were being forced physically to restrain themselves. They turned and glared at her. It was Sam's turn to be shocked.

"Ro-Rose?!" He cried incredulously, before falling in a dead faint. Rose flew at the vampires, straight onto their outstretched blades, and sliced through their bodies like butter.

Kicking the bodies aside, she knelt next to Sam and roused him from his unconscious state. He stared up at her fearfully.

"Wha-what happened… are you…" Sam struggled to form words, but she understood.

"I'm not evil, I can tell you that," Rose chuckled, helping him to his feet. "I think we'll have to talk to my brother about this," She said, and Sam raised his eyebrow.

"Your brother?"

She nodded happily. "You can meet him when we get out of this,"

Rose guided Sam out of the currently dangerous building, and returned inside to help Abel.

She watched in slight awe as he dealt with the swarm of vampires with ease, flicking his blood scythe around the room, parts of vampire falling grossly to the floor.

A scream could be heard echoing throughout the corridors, and Rose flew out of the room, following the sound. She turned into a room, and saw Esther crouched in a corner, holding her hands over her head in defence. The strange thing was that there were no vampires.

"Sister Esther?" Rose asked uncertainly, taking a step towards her. Esther gasped and pointed to a spot behind Rose.

"You really should learn to check every part of a room when you enter it, dear," A greasy voice said behind her. She whirled around, and saw a tall vampire gazing at her. He stepped forward, and Rose prepared herself for an attack.

But what she didn't expect was an attack by Esther. Rose twisted her head around, and saw that she wasn't in fact the kind hearted priestess. The skin across her face was taut and red, and a rip appeared across the cheeks. Instead of blood, the skin just fell off like a jacket, and was replaced by a paler skin, and fangs pointing out on the bottom lip. The vampires snarled.

"What the hell?" Rose thought wildly as she was repeatedly stabbed in the back and the chest. She wildly swung her axe around, snarling and attempting to land an attack, but the duo was too much. A knock to the head somehow managed to knock her unconscious.