For some reason my back hurts....
Anyway, thanks so much for the quick responses! I'll try to update again soon, but you might have to wait until next Monday for it.
I had planned on ending this by chapter 18, but things just kept happening. Silly, silly me. And then I planned to have this done by chapter 20.... And here it is and we're still not done. So now we are aiming for chapter 22. Sorry that its taking so long. These guys are dragging their feet.
Abel: Me? -cue puppy dog look-
Yes, you. I must admit though, in the Anime and the novels, it did take you longer... well, you mopped a lot in those....
Anyway, see a different chapter for disclaimer. I'm tired... I've got homework to do.
Edit: Sometimes I hate Fanfiction. It decided to bold things that were clearly my work.. Thank you, SageofAges729, for catching it.
Chapter 20
Why Taunting Your Enemy is Always a Bad Idea
As the sun set, the sky turned velvety black. The pillars that encircled the plaza cast long shadows, which faded with each passing moment.
The hum of countless voices inside the cathedral could be heard. The time for evening mass fast approached. A group of nuns crowded the plaza, each woman wearing a displeased expression. News of this morning's scandal had spread, so the plaza entrance guards were being terribly strict during this evening's security checks. It put everyone in a bad mood.
"Let me handle this." Noélle said quickly before approaching the Swiss Guards at the gate.
The Swiss Guard had served as body, ceremonial and palace guards long before pre-Armageddon times. The Papal Swiss Guards here was founded in 1506 and was the only Swiss Guard that still existed. Their official dress uniform of blue, red, orange and yellow might have looked clownish, but the long swords at their sides and the traditional "Vatican long sword", an eight-foot spear with a razor-sharp scythe, threw out all comical thoughts. The two guarding the gate looked ready to take down any threat to the City Closest to God.
Or prevent any AX members from entering.
Noélle sauntered over to the guards, a smile spreading across her face when she came to rest beside them.
"Signora, we need to see your ID." One of them told her, unconsciously changing his center of gravity slightly to face her more as she shifted her weight, lifting her hip.
Robyn and Moni moved closer to the walled hallway that blocked them from the plaza. The moment the guards' attention was on the recently reinstated AX agent, Moni snaked an arm around Leon's upper chest and leapt up to land on the roof. Robyn was already there, crouched down and watching the nuns and priests who were milling around the plaza. And the obelisk.
Leon had enough smarts not to cry out when he was lifted into the air like a doll. Even so, he gasped out when he was released from 'Snake's' iron grip.
"The He- How'd-" He looked dumbly at Moni and Robyn.
"Quite literally mind over matter. Almost anyone can do it with training." Moni answered as he surveyed the ground.
"Seriously? Why haven't I heard about this?"
"People with this training can achieve near Methuselah strength and speed." 'Bird's' body tightened like a cord as she spoke. "Either you go down and-"
"Wait. Why haven't I heard about this?!"
Moni looked at him from the corner of his eye. "The Vatican already spends millions on making a handful of enhanced soldiers as powerful as Methuselah. If they found out that they could inexpensively train hundreds of soldiers-"
'There would be nothing to stop another war. Methuselah are at least stopped by the sun, but humans had no such weakness…'
"It would be a blood bath. Shi-"
"Shh!" Robyn raised a hand and tilted her head to the side, as if listening to something. Leon became very suddenly aware of his surroundings, like he was in some kind of un-seeable danger.
The blonde's eyes went wide before she dove off the building and into a nun, pushing her off the pavement and onto the smooth marble stones of the hallway.
The stone pavement split open. A creature flew out,grasping at nothing were the nun's leg used to be.
"What the hell is that?"
"No idea." Moni replied, shaken but calm asNoélle used the chaos to enter the plaza. "Evacuate everyone. We'll set the bomb."
"Like hell you are. I'll set the bomb, you evacuate everyone. I can sense where they're coming from too." And Leon could, though his battle hardened senses. Moni looked at him hard for a moment before nodding. It wasn't fame that the AX agent was after, but safety: bombs were never safe.
'Snake' grabbed a hold of Leon again before leaping next to the obelisk as cracks appeared in the pavement, meaning that the creature moved with considerable speed whenever it was underground. The two Swiss Guards, Noélle and Robyn had quickly gotten to work moving people from the area of danger to safety.
The moment they set down the fissures in the stone paving stopped moving for a moment; then, the cracks splayed in another direction. Like a shark that detected the scent of blood, the creature rammed straight toward the two Spaniards.
Moni and Leon glanced at each other before an unspoken plan was formed. Moni raced away from the obelisk and Leon, the cracks following. As Leon turned his attention to the Silent Noise, the creature flew out of the crack. A huge earthworm- its body as thick as a man's torso- opened its terrible jaws. It bared its fangs and bit at the giant aging man.
The sound of gunfire echoed throughout the plaza. The earthworm- otherwise known as "the Gnome"-suddenly gave a scream of pain as Robyn opened fire with her AK-47. It pulled itself into its hole with lightning speed.
"I don't think it'll be coming back from that." Noélle's voice carried in the abrupt silence after a moment.
It was then that the hair stood up on Leon's neck. He spun his head around to cry out a warning as one after another, more than ten fresh fissures appeared in the stone pavement.
(I could end the chapter here, which is where Yoshida did… but I promised a thrilling conclusion, didn't I?)
Under the sound of gunfire, gargled screams and the smell of sweat and blood, Sister Ester, Lady Caterina and Father Tres escaped.
"Sorry about Barcelona, Father Nightroad. How have you been since then?" Wizard asked politely. "The curtains have at last opened on our little stage. More than anything, Father, I want you to enjoy the show."
Mar rolled her eyes as the last member of the Schatten Cohort was sliced into pieces by Hugue's sword.
"Oooo!!! Looks like someone is a tiny bit obsessed with you, Father Nightroad." Sain said before looking Kampfer up and down. "I'd ship that."
Abel went crimson then pale in the face, clearly understanding what Sain meant when Hugue gave her a confused look.
"Cat, there is a time and place." Mar said softly, stretching her limps to get them limber. Abel shook his head before addressing a Kampfer with a lecherous grin.
"My comrades are on their way to the plaza," Abel said, his eyes taking on a ruby hue. If he could become Crusnik, the terrorist would be in striking distance, the scythe pulverizing his skull in seconds. He cast at glance at 'Cat' and 'Bear', his eyes lingering on the blood soaked taller girl. They didn't need to see that. "Silent Noise will be dismantled at once." He continued, looking back at Kampfer. "I'll arrest you afterward, and it will be over."
"Impossible, Father. Do you think we didn't anticipate such obstacles?" His dulcet voice could have calmed a death-row inmate right before his execution.
Abel and Hugue blanched but stopped when the girls started giggling.
"You mean those Giant Worms?" Sain said softly, tilting her head to the side. "Our people are more than enough for such things." Her arm lifted up and she began firing Vera at Wizard. The bullets 'tink'ed off the defensive electromagnetic Shield of Asmoday that gathered in front of the dark man.
"Did you really think-?" A smug Kampfer, seemingly safe behind his shield suddenly gasped as a boot was propelled into his side. He flew sideways several feet before turning his attention to Mar, who had appeared in one of the blind spots in the shield.
"Only protects you in one direction, doesn't it?" Mar had a cruel smile painted on her lips.
"The number one reason that bears attack people is because that person got in between the mama bear and her cub." Sain's voice was no more than a whisper, but her point came across in the way Mar held herself, shoulders slightly hunched and nails extended like claws. "You two should stay back." She told Abel and Hugue, who were in shock. Mar was only a step or two ahead of Abel before 'Cat' fired.
Sain fired again and Kampfer had to try to shield himself on two fronts. It took an insane amount of energy to create such a powerful shield and everyone knew he couldn't hold it long.
Wizard made a hasty decision, choosing kicks and claws over bullets. The shield preventing Mar from tearing apart Kampfer was suddenly gone and another well aimed kick to his side (in the exact place as before) came far before he expected. He sailed again, hitting a wall and slumping against it.
"Mmmm… I was expecting more." Mar said in a soft, taunting voice. "But then again, you were planning for only Abel to get this far, hmmm?" She paused, drawing up to her full height again as Kampfer gave a pitiful groan, holding his side. "Oh, did I break some ribs?"
"What did you expect from him, Bear?" Sain slowly stepped forward, stalking her prey. "He is, after all, a Failure." Kampfer's head snapped up at that, gray eyes glaring malice at the small girl. "A Failed Methuselah." She pursed her lips as she mocked him. "Poor baby!"
"Ar-O-Go-Go-Ru-Abrao! I summon you, terrible Lord of Flames, Angel of Hostility…" His lips moved quickly and nearly without sound.
"Eh?" Mar asked him as the pentagrams on his hands gave off a cursed light. An unspeakable vile aura spread throughout the graveyard. It grew unbearably hot. The startled girl took a step back from him, a chill going down her spine, even as sweet trickled on her brow. Hugue wrapped an arm around a faint Sain to keep her upright, the heat in her heavy clothes making her weak.
"Worthless one, evil one, despised one, wicked one, one who swells in the insubstantial places of the soul, my heart knows the world through you." Kampfer chanted as he rose to his feet. Mar rushed at him, determined to stop him before he finished.
"Lord of the exalted Darkness that you yourself produced, give me your flames."
"Abel, FIRE AT HIM." Mar shouted when she realized he was too far.
"Come, Arrow of Belial!"
Abel raised his arm, but it was too late. Mar seemed to be bleached pure white and then vanished. From out of thin air, a fireball hurled through the air where Mar once was, blowing a hole far larger than any of them in the wall.
"MAR!" Sain called out before exhaling a sigh of relief. Mar was crouched with one hand braced against the wall, her head lowered as she gulped down air like a fish out of water, sweat pouring down her face and arms in torrents, soaking her already filthy clothes. She was, for the most part, unhurt save for a burn that marked the length of her upper arm. Her head tilted up and for a moment her eyes had a red sheen to them.
'Is she… like me?' Abel questioned again. She was far too fast to be human, but she could go out into the daylight, so she couldn't be a vampire. Even from this distance he could see the burn slowly knitting the skin back together: too slow to be a vampire, but far too fast to be a normal human.
"Who," Kampfer paused, finding it hard to breathe with two broken ribs. "Who is the failure now? Mar, is it? What a strange name."
Mar rose enough so that she could lean against the wall with her back, trying to stall for time. A moment ago they had it in the bag. What was this Arrow of Belial?
She didn't know how many bullets Abel had left, but Hugue was taking care of Sain, who looked terrible in this heat. "Hugue, get Sain out of here."
Sain protested while Hugue explained that she'd only be in the way now and carried her from the graveyard.
Mar pulled off her heavy shirt that she wore for the chill outside, glad she had opted for an undershirt as well. This one was far lighter, not stained in blood from the members of the Consort she had dispatched of and the heat wasn't as paralyzing as she mopped her face with the now unnecessary garment. She took another deep breath, trying to rest her screaming muscles or at least get enough of a grip on herself to push the pain away. She was startled when an arm wrapped around to help keep her upright.
"Lean on me." Abel told her, his Peacemaker out in his other hand.
"My name is short…" She over exaggerated her panting, not wanting him to think she was recovering while her arm went around Abel's neck. "For Marmaduke."
Kampfer actually chuckled a deep, hearty laugh that sent a chill down their spines, not for its strange or creepiness, but how it had a disarming quality to it.
"How many bullets do you have left?" Mar asked Abel as Kampfer laughed. He gave her a searching look wondering what she was planning on.
"Enough." The priest answered, his eyes boring into hers, trying to tell her that everything was going to be alright.
They weren't going to die here. If he had to turn into Crusnik to get them out of this alive, he would. His heart ached at the thought of her reaction, but he would not let her die if he could safe her.
"Don't worry Abel." Mar said quietly as her arm moved from around his neck to around his shoulders. "We've got back up on the way."
Before he could respond, Abel was suddenly being carried swiftly as the wall they were leaning on became no more. Mar spun them around so they were facing Kampfer again before placing a stunned Abel on his feet.
"Marvelous. Simply Mar-velous." Kampfer chuckled slightly as his own small joke. "Now, my dear, what are you?" He gave her his best disarming smile as she leaned against Abel again.
"Human, same as everyone else in the room. It's a pity, but you are too."
Kampfer opened his mouth to respond when the bell chimed. Sunset had come at last.
"Silent Noise will start when the bell finishes ringing three times."
Abel looked up in consternation. The bell rang a second time.
"Well, one more bell. What will you do, Abel?"
"I….I…" Able panted as he looked down at Wizard.
'Yes, if I kill this man here, everything will be settled.'
Saving Rome and the beloved people who lived there was the only way he could repay his comrades' trust. Wizard was an abominable murderer. He tried to take countless lives until now, destroyed an entire city and nearly killed Noélle. What value did the life of a villain like this have? What reason was there to hesitate? 'It's right for me to take the life of this person on behalf of those I've loved before and those I love now. Yes, unmistakably right!
'Then, I…'
Could he really do it? Break the promise to never kill again?
Would she ever forgive him for breaking it?
'I'll never forgive myself.'
"Nanomachine Crusnik 02-"
The bell rang a third time.
"Game, Set, Match."
REVIEW!!!
As you can probably tell with this last chapter, I'm not going to have Abel forget who he is or where he's come from... or Lilith for that matter. Lets see if I can convincingly ...... oh, no spoilers for you guys yet. Ya'll have to read the rest.
Oh and I think this is my largest chapter yet... -cries-