"Oh, it's all right. He just doesn't understand. Now, get out of here, priest. We don't want you around," he waved his hand in a nonchalant manner, "Don't you all agree?" The crowd shouted in response, and Abel frowned,
"All right... I'll go back to the palace. At least there are two women there who will listen to reason..."
"Tell your queen her judgment is clouded!" shouted a man in the crowd, and was instantly joined by others in agreement. Abel froze in his spot, as he had been turning to leave, and he turned back to look at them, the happy priest long gone from his eyes now.
"My queen? She's your queen as well, isn't she? You would speak so badly about her when she is the one who keeps this country in order, she who keeps you safe from men like this, but you would prefer to listen to them than her?"
"But she chooses to be familiar with people like you, inhuman monsters and the like. And as for the Pope... What was he thinking employing you to work for the church? Cardinal Sforza and Cardinal Francesco as well..." Finally, Abel's patience snapped, and he grasped the man violently by the front of his shirt,
"Don't ever insult Esther or Cardinal Sforza in my presence. They have done more for you than you will ever understand." His eyes glowed red, until he realized what he had done. Immediately, his hands released the man's clothes, his fingernails shrank back to normal, and the red faded from his eyes, which were wide. "I... I'm sorry..." he was beginning to act like Kain. Abel turned again, and ran the other direction.
He didn't stop until he was at the front gate of Buckingham Palace, where he bent over, gasping for breath, leaning against the cold metallic bars. The Krusnik sighed, tilting his head skyward to look at the gray clouds that loomed high overhead. Thunder clapped, a single bolt of lightning flashing across the sky. Abel could smell the ozone in the air, signaling the start of a rainstorm. A single drop fell on one of his rounded lenses, followed by numerous others as it began to pour. It seemed only the clouds knew how he felt; he was positively ashamed of himself for reacting in such a way, knowing that it was just what Kain had expected him to do. He could feel his brother's laughter, taste it in the air around him, but he would not let him win again. This wasn't over yet; he wasn't going to let that happen.
"Abel? What are you doing out here? Come back inside." Astharoshe set her hand on his arm, a look of concern when she laid eyes on his sad expression, "What's wrong?"
"Kain has turned everyone against me... Even Ion started working for him. He was convinced that I was taking Esther from him..." he shook his head.
"What? The Earl is working for Rosenkreuz? You'll have to tell Cardinal Sforza..."
"What? She's here?" Astharoshe shook her head,
"No, she sent that android here with a hologram projector. Come with me," she lead him inside.
"Tres!" Abel perked up a little, eyes settling on the tall, auburn-haired man dressed in a priest's robe identical to Abel's own. His expression was emotionless and cold, but his demeanor changed ever so slightly when he saw Abel; he seemed almost happy. Those terrifying guns of his were holstered in his belt, but Abel knew they could be drawn and cocked in a fraction of a second with Tres' inhuman reflexes and fired with robotic perfection at any attacker. No doubt they were loaded with silver bullets.
"Father Abel Nightroad," his deep, monotonous voice greeted him, "Cardinal Caterina Sforza sends a message from the Vatican. Initiate hologram." His hand turned palm up, and on it appeared the image of the Cardinal, her large ringlet curls that were normally so neat and professionally tended to were slightly disheveled, as were her clothes.
"Abel, my brother told me that you caused a disturbance in Londinium on New Year's Eve and that your Krusnik form and Rosenkreuz were involved. Is this true?"
"Yes... It is... But I know what Kain wanted by starting such an attack. If we fight, it may cause a conflict between Londinium and the Vatican. They know I work for you. I can only assume that Kain told them."
"Francesco mentioned something about a Wizard."
"Isaak. He works for Kain. I won't take his bait. I don't want to see this world destroyed by more war. It already happened once... I don't want to see it again..." his eyes closed, the sorrow of remembering those horrid years of war... The death of Lilith... That memory was almost too painful to try and recall.
"I understand..." her tone was sympathetic. She knew what Abel had been through, and it had been he that had spurred her to bring the world back into peaceful order once more, though she had been a small girl at the time. "Do whatever you can. I'll leave Tres with you. Be careful, Abel." The hologram disappeared.
"Connection terminated," Tres stated plainly, and closed his hand, allowing it to fall to his side again.
"Now, all I have to do is wait... I lost control earlier, but I won't allow that to happen again. I won't let Kain's plans get the better of me..."