AN: This is the All Ages version of the story. Taking a page from Nasu where the story can still be told without major differences between the 18+ version and All Ages version.
Father Antonio is a respectable man. First thing in the morning, a humble breakfast of eggs and toast. The eggs cooked sunny side up and the toast a fine shade of brown. Next is the sermon he's leading, the church was almost full that day as he spreads the good word of God and Christ. That followed by teaching the youth choir one of his favorite songs, "Thank God, I'm free". And now at last, coming back to his study and relaxing by the window. A glass of wine in hand, a bowl of cashews, and some music, "Fly Me to the Moon" sounds like a nice choice tonight.
By the time he closed the door of his study, he couldn't help but notice that something is off. His office table is exactly like as he left it, clean and organized. The glass door leading to the balcony hasn't shattered. His paintings and photos remained on the walls untouched. His many coats remained hanging, no scratches, no scrapes. His wine collection is still there, and carpet is spotless. Yet his vault is open, the papers inside are gone save for a single note of some sort.
He goes over to pick up the note, it reads "Hello there."
"Good evening, Father," a woman's voice said behind him.
He whips his head around to see a brunette woman with a green highlight on one of her bangs. She's wearing the heavy white cloak of the Exorcists over a jumpsuit and a belt with pouches. Emerging from the shadows near his door as though she were peeling herself from the wall next to it. Her fingers wrapping around the base of two wine glass.
"Good evening," he seats himself at his table, "Griselda, what's the occasion?"
Griselda places the glass down on the table. And goes over to the rack of wine bottles, "A friend can't stop by for a drink, Father?"
"You don't drink, you never drink last I checked."
"It's never too late to start," she comes back and sets down the bottle, "Isn't that what you told me?"
Antonio pulls a corkscrew out from a drawer in his table. Sliding it over to Griselda, "Yes, for life is at any tragic moment cut short."
He watches as Griselda pours the dark, red liquid into his glass first. The pair falling into silence as the exorcist fills both their glass. He could almost feel the tension building between them, a bowstring on the verge of snapping. There's very little doubt the woman in front of him could cut him down within a few seconds with her hidden sword. It's possible his blood resembles the wine sitting in front of him.
Griselda is placing the bottle down when the sound of a door opening drew their attention towards it.
A nun comes in with a plaster of nuts, a sandwich, and grapes, "Father, your supper."
"Thanks, Sophia," he replied.
"Ah," the nun places the plaster down, "Should I get something for you too, Sister?"
Griselda waves her off, "No, it's quite alright. I already ate before I got here."
"I see," the nun turns to leave them, "then good night to the both of you."
The door closes behind her with a click.
Griselda immediately plucks the sandwich from the platter, "Still this is a tasty looking sandwich... You don't mind, right?"
Antonio couldn't help but stare as she is holding his dinner in her hands, "No...go right ahead."
Griselda's eyes remained trained on him as she took one slow and steady bite after the other. The eyes daring him to raise one word of protest against her for her outrageous crimes against him.
"Hmm... Are you sure you don't want it?" she places the half eaten sandwich back on the platter, "It's pretty good."
"I'll...I'll have the nuts and grapes."
Griselda takes a handful of nuts and a few grapes, "It's your loss. By the way, what kind of cheese was that in that sandwich?"
"Mahón."
"Mahón cheese huh? Rolls right off the tongue. Is it some kind of Chinese cheese or Indian?"
"It's Spanish cheese from the Balearic Islands," you fucking moron. Those last three words he snarled in his head. It wouldn't do for a man of his status to start swearing, "You've been there, remember?"
"I have? Yes, I think Dulio took me there once... He was looking into whether mayonnaise was born there or not."
"Is that right?"
"Yes, now how is your day?"
"It's alright, thank you very much."
"And anyone new looking to join the church? Any new friends you've might've been talking to?"
"No."
Griselda finishes the nuts and fruit and levels a stare at him, "No?"
"Only the same old people who always attend my services. I would hardly call them threats."
"Is that so? Tell me, did you hear about several of our facilities reportedly raided by a Hassan lately?"
"Yes, the ones where they retrieved holy artifacts right? I thought we have no quarrel with the Order of Assassins."
"That's right, we don't. The Order sits away from prying eyes and would have little reason to claim holy artifacts. If we're being specific on what's taken, it's the holy weapons of Charlemagne's Paladins."
"Is that so?" Antonio slips his hand down to pull a Walther PPK from the drawer, "My eyes can't always be on those weapons."
"I suppose, but imagine my surprise that someone might've have told you to turn a blind eye. Even sellout the locations and security details to someone?"
Antonio shoves the barrel of his PPK at Griselda's face. His index finger resting on the trigger. His hand couldn't help but shake as he held the small handgun, "That's quite an accusation, you're making!"
Griselda only raises a single eyebrow at the fact she's held at gunpoint, "Are you going to kill me?"
"That depends. That depends on your next few words."
Griselda slouches back in her chair, "You don't have what it takes to kill me."
At that, Antonio pulls the trigger.
Clink. Clink.
No bullets come out. Griselda remains alive and still staring at him. Those eyes of cold ice, he could almost see his reflection in them, almost sink into them.
Griselda reaches into her cloak. Proceeding to drop bullets one by one onto the desk. They slip out of her hand like pebbles, "Word of advice, don't go pointing that thing everywhere. Know your gun safety if you intend on owning one. And it's proven worldwide that gun owners cause more deaths than non gun owners. So you know of course!"
"Like you?" he spats out.
"It's part of my job description."
"No, I've read about you. You, among the most effective exorcists of your generation. Over hundreds of confirmed kills," he places his PPK down on the table with more force than he intends, "A woman of God? Ha! You're nothing more than an over glorified hit-woman! And to think you and everyone else dare to use children in your ranks!"
"Well," Griselda straightens herself up. Her hand slipping into her cloak and pulling out a gun with a silencer attached, "We all can't be saints. And don't act like people of our faith haven't committed atrocities. Far worse than even you could imagine."
"God would've never wanted this, to see his children led astray like this."
Her gun edges closer to him, pointing at him as one would with an accusatory finger, "If that's how you've felt. Then you should've let that reflect in your teachings instead of selling us out. Instead of condemning millions of men, women, and children to unjust deaths!"
"You don't know that..."
"I could be wrong, but you'll never know what could happen."
"I..." whatever words he has to protest. To justify his actions to the woman in front of him, died right then and there, nothing but ash spilling from his lips. With a heavy sigh, he leans back into his chair, Antonio's voice barely rising above a whisper, "Griselda..."
"What?"
"Your first kill, what was that like?"
"My first..."
"It was a nasty little beast I heard, missing persons reports in the fifties, and a long chase in the jungle."
"Yes...the target was a devil girl who ran away from her king and lost control of her powers. They're everywhere. The bits and pieces of her victims. Stomach, liver, heart, legs... She pile them up, the arms, a little pile of little arms. The heads lining up in rows. Her body had stretched to a most unnatural length. Like taffy stretched thin with her ribs protruding from her skin. And yet when I looked into her eyes, I saw the eyes of a young frightened woman who wanted the nightmare to end. She wanted a peaceful life."
"And yet you put it down like a dog."
"Yes...without a shred of hesitation."
"Was it hard? Did you still hear the screams of the lives you've taken? Or is it natural to you like br-?"
Something sticks itself to his forehead, a tiny needle or some kind of stinger? What follows afterwards feels as though a truck slams right into him. His stomach twists itself into knots, wanting to expel its contents. It were as if his limbs falls away from puppet strings cut loose. The room they're sitting in seems to be spinning, faster and faster, like one of those carnival rides.
The last thing he saw and heard is Griselda or was it two Griseldas, their lips move, "Yes, exactly like breathing."
Xenovia Quarta is pacing back and forth at the back of the delivery truck, "What's taking her so long?"
"She could be hold up there, senpai," Mash replies.
Who taught Mash Kyrielight Japanese Honorifics again? Oh right, that would be Irina Shidou who is sitting in the back of the truck. It's great Mash is learning other languages since it's an important skill. But Xenovia still isn't sure how she felt about Mash working in honorifics with her and Irina. It's possible she's paying respects to Irina for teaching her?
Still her thoughts on Mash did little to comfort her about this whole situation. Potential treacherous thoughts no doubt shared between the three exorcists. Who are all currently dressed in delivery driver uniforms here.
"I still don't get it," Irina said, "Isn't Father Antonio on our side? Why would he help our enemies?"
"Because," an older woman arrived from the driver's side of the truck, "there might be something. Something the other side could be offering that your side could not."
The woman is Maiya Hisau, a mercenary sent with them on this mission. Whatever her background is, none of the three girls knows her full story. The only information provided to them are her exploits as the student of Kiritsugu Emiya. The legendary mercenary known as the Magus Killer. And what she did afterwards when they at some point split up. Xenovia at least couldn't say if she could trust the woman they only known for a few days. Said woman who trained under the man who shot a passenger airliner to take out a rogue magus.
"What could the Fallen Angels offer to a well respected priest?" Irina asks Maiya.
"Who knows? Money, power, or appealing to the target's ideological beliefs. Regardless, it is folly to assume people won't change. For yesterday's ally could become tomorrow's enemy."
"Hisau-san," Mash speaks up, "Is that true?"
"Yes," Maiya states, a frown forming on her, "the people you know. If given enough reason will turn their backs on their allies. Even on everything they once believed in."
Everything they once believed in? Xenovia couldn't help but muse about this harsh statement from Maiya. Has Father Antonio given up on everything to the point of betraying his friends and family? It sounds like death to her, it might as well been someone who is wearing Father Antonio's skin.
"Looks like Griselda's ready," Maiya is now looking up at Father Antonio's balcony.
There's Griselda with Antonio's limp body. She's attaching him to the cable with the holster vest she must've put on him, ready to lower him to them.
Griselda is currently working the swaying cable as steady as she could, back and forth it goes. Antonio is being lowered closer and closer to the delivery truck outside. It won't be long until Antonio would regain consciousness once more. But by then he would be in the truck on his way for questioning by her superiors. At least this time, killing is completely off the table plus the modifications made to convert the Mk. 22 "Hush Puppy" into a tranquilizer gun works great, she'll have to thank the R&D team later.
Your first kill, what was that like?
How many years has it been since she last thought about it? She made peace with it a long ago didn't she? The act of killing itself is evil and a necessary one at that. She made peace with it didn't she? Yet somehow thinking it still stings like an old throbbing wound. She can almost see the specks of blood she tried to scrub and scrap out of her fingernails. Has she actually made peace with it?
The sound of the door opening behind rips her out of her thoughts.
"Father..." it's the nun, Sophia from earlier, both of them now staring at each other without moving a muscle. For moving, could set off the storm brewing between them.
One. Breathe in, breathe out.
Two. Breathe in, breathe out.
Griselda feels her legs tense up, her muscles coiling like a spring.
Three. Breathe in, breathe out.
The Mk. 22 is sitting in a holster above her left breast. Flash bangs and smoke grenades on her belt near the right hip, and next to the grenades are her light sword and SOCOM Mk. 23. Regardless of how Griselda responds, it won't be long until guards start storming the room.
Four. Breathe in, breathe out.
It's best Sophia and the guards, her brothers and sisters in arms, do not die at her hands today.
In a split second, the both of them move, Griselda drawing the Mk. 22 and Sophia turning her head to call the guards.
Griselda is a tad faster, pulling the trigger and the dart strikes the nun's arm.
As the nun falls over like a stack of cards, the voices from the guards outside call out to her in worry. By the time, they arrived at Antonio's office. Griselda is already ripping out the pins of the flash bang and a smoke grenade. She throws them before turning on her heel to rush towards the edge of the balcony and leaping off. Latching onto and sliding down on the cable.
The moment she let go and disperse her momentum with a roll, she makes a mad sprint for the truck, "We better move!" she shouts at them, "They saw me!"
Mash rushes over to the driver's seat. Maiya leaps into the passenger seat, whipping her Glock out the open window as she closes the door . Antonio is flung into a pile of cardboard boxes like a sack of potatoes by Irina and Xenovia. Before they and Griselda jump into the back of the truck. Xenovia and Griselda had shut the back doors as Mash slams her foot of the pedal. The jolt almost sending them out the truck.
"Sorry!" Mash apologizes, almost turning her head behind her, "So sorry!"
"Calm down and keep your eyes on the road," said Maiya.
"R-Right!"
Griselda goes over to sit down, her back against the side of the truck, sliding down with a sigh.
"Griselda?" Xenovia's voice call out from across her.
Griselda glances at her, Xenovia is opposite of her, her eyes looking at left, right, on the floor, and biting her lip. Her shoulders sagging as though there were a weight on her.
"Is something bothering you?" Griselda asks in a even voice.
"Well..." Xenovia pause for a moment. Meeting her eyes before continuing, "Why would anyone betray everything they believed in?"
"Betray everything they believed in?" this is going to be a tricky subject.
"Yes, Maiya said that!"
"I'm sure they have their own reasons..."
"But at what cost, didn't they care about who they hurt?"
"I suppose, is it not true you've hurt people as an exorcist?"
"That's different, because they are our enemies. Because they must've have done something to deserve it."
"Sure, but who decides that, you or the people who told you?"
"Griselda," Irina chimes up, "are you saying you agree with Maiya?"
At that, Xenovia said, "The way Maiya says it makes it sound like everyone can change for the worst. That you and me can become like demons."
"She's not completely wrong," Griselda brings up her finger. Stopping Xenovia and Irina from interrupting her. She continues, "But what's stopping the opposite from happening? For someone to become a better person?"
Xenovia frowned at that, "Better? Like Asia Argento who's exposed as a witch?! She did not become a better person! She was forever corrupted by devils!"
"All that happened was she's caught healing a devil and that caused a scandal. Because Twilight Healing was before thought to only heal humans and angels. Before, it's reported the poor girl was a kind soul who wouldn't hesitate to help those in need. For all we know, Asia was trying to be a good Samaritan and got thrown under the bus for it."
"Still..." Xenovia glance away from Griselda. Looking at the many cardboard boxes. At anything instead of the person across from her, "she should've known better."
"Hey," Griselda gets up and moves over to sit on Xenovia's left, "What did Maiya tell you exactly?"
"She said...she said yesterday's ally could become tomorrow's enemy."
"Is that so? Mash, Irina, I want you to hear this too. If a friend could become an enemy, then shouldn't the opposite be true?"
"You're saying an enemy could become a friend?" said Irina.
Xenovia scoffs at that, "I don't know if that will ever happen."
"The girl is right, Griselda," Maiya said, "On a battlefield, there's no such thing as friend or foe. There's only the mission and the means you have to finish it. To see it through to the bitter end."
"Still," Griselda turns her head towards the back of Maiya's head. Fixing her gaze on her, "Even you must know that our battles are all dictated the whims of the times. This state of tension between the church, the fallen angels, and devils can't last forever, it must come to an end."
"In war or peace?"
"Let's hope for peace."
Antonio let out a low groan before sitting up, rubbing his face, "What...what happened?"
"Father," Griselda answers, "we're currently en route back to a rendezvous point. Where we'll await extraction from across the bridge on the town outskirts. There you're taken in for questioning. All while everyone else settles down for breakfast."
"Somehow I doubt that'll happen."
The tip of a shaft of light punches through the top of the truck.
"What?!" Xenovia is on her feet, looking up, "we're under attack?!"
Griselda approaches the light spear stuck above them, "Fallen angels..."
"Not any normal fallen angel," Antonio shrinks back, "It's him, the Angel of the Stars."
Kokabiel, also known as the Star of God. Legend has it, he taught humans astrology before going on to become a veteran in the Great Wars years and years ago. If he is here, then the information from Antonio. As well as papers Griselda stashed within her cloak from his vault must've been valuable. Thus it's very likely he has come to tie up all loose ends.
Before she knows it, Griselda finds herself on the floor looking up. Up at something half covering her face. Something quite warm, something pushing on her eyelid. It moves, it's Xenovia's arm. The both of them must have fallen.
"Why have we stopped?" Antonio looks at each of them, a puzzled look on his face.
Indeed they have, the truck is sitting still. None of the creaks of the trucks chassis nor the bumps from tires rolling on the stone road. Only the humming and sputtering of the engine.
Mash calls out to them, "Everyone, there's people in front of us."
Griselda takes her Mk. 23 out from her right hip holster, "Any buildings nearby, Mash?"
"No, we've reached the bridge over the river. We're left completely open."
"I see."
An explosion rocks the truck. Sending everyone inside crashing against the sides of the truck.
"Griselda," Maiya said, "the heavy armored girl fired a blast of energy out of her sword towards us. Looks like they wants us to come out with Antonio."
"And come out we will," Griselda kicks the back doors open. Before roughly pulling Antonio out of the vehicle with her.
The six of them head towards the bridge where three people are standing.
The first is a short woman with unnatural pale skin. Pale blonde hair, yellow eyes that seem to glow. A heavy looking armored dress with gauntlets, and a black longsword in her right hand. Somehow, Griselda couldn't help but notice how much her face looks like Xenovia. Something Xenovia must've have noticed. Judging by how she stiffens when her eyes landed on the dark knight.
The second is a old potbellied balding man in priest garbs, glasses, and wearing a thin ratty mustache. This person is no other than Valper Galilei, the mad genius behind the Holy Sword Experiments. There's no doubt through the blood of children he stained his hands with. The church gained a greater understanding of how holy weapons work. Shortly after they expelled him.
The last person is a man towering above them. He's clothed in dark heavy robes. His long, black hair seems to blend into the robes, and the irises of his eyes shine like rubies. The Angel of the Stars himself, Kokabiel.
The group of six stop roughly 20 meters from the three in front of them. Xenovia, Irina, and Mash call forth their weapons to their hand. Xenovia and Irina, their holy swords: Durandal and Hauteclere. Mash, the shield of Galahad. Griselda lets go of Antonio and raises her Mk. 23, the barrel pointing towards Kokabiel as her legs moves into an l-stance.
Before Griselda could say anything at all. Xenovia fires off a blast of holy light towards the three in front of them. To which the dark knight steps in towards it and rips through it like wet toilet paper with a swipe of her sword.
Griselda's cries for Xenovia to hold her fire must've fallen on deaf ears. As Xenovia's response to the dark knight's defense is to charge toward her. The dark knight sidesteps Xenovia's diagonal slash. Smashing the pommel of her sword into Xenovia's back, causing her to stumble forward. The knight's left hand grabs Xenovia's shirt and pulls her into a choke hold. The black sword resting above Xenovia's throat.
"Hmm," Valper moves closer. His eyes picking apart the knight's opponent, "Durandal's wielder, an excellent catch, Artoria. Kokabiel, could we take Hauteclere and Galahad's shield with us too?"
"No," Kokabiel said, "We're here for Antonio."
Xenovia spits in Valper's face, "The Father's not going anywhere!"
"Quiet, child, the adults are speaking," Kokabiel extends his hand out to the group of five, "How about a trade? The child for Antonio?"
Antonio takes a hesitant step forward. Maiya grabs onto the back of his shirt, yanking him back toward her. Before sticking the barrel of her Glock onto the back of his head.
"A trade?" Griselda's finger moves above the trigger of the Mk. 23, "Strange way for starting a war."
"I can be reasonable," Kokabiel said, "The child's blood doesn't need to spill on these grounds today."
"No don't do-!" Xenovia shouted before Artoria pushes the blade on her throat.
As much as Griselda wants to fire at Kokabiel, they have Xenovia. She could hand Antonio over to them, but what guarantee do they have that Kokabiel wouldn't wipe them out? So, they could try a risky escape. But that would mean condemning Xenovia to an unknown fate. Most definitely on a dissection table at Valper's hands. Killing Antonio wouldn't be much help either as it could work into Kokabiel's favor. The life of Antonio vs the life of her ward, her younger sister.
Ah damn it, what should she do?
Maiya steps closer to Griselda and leans over and whispers into her ear, "Run."
Maiya begins dragging Antonio over towards Kokabiel's side before she could respond. Spinning and turning her Glock towards before Griselda, Irina, and Mash could blink!
"Maiya," Irina cries out, "What are you doing?!"
"Antonio is a little gift to Kokabiel," said Maiya, "The last loose end to tie up before he can carry out his plans."
"Wait," said Mash, "You're defecting?!"
"I see," Kokabiel approaches Maiya, "Are you Irisviel?"
Maiya turns her head towards Kokabiel, "Sirius. Canopus. Vega."
"Altair. Acrux. Spica," Kokabiel pats Maiya's shoulder, "You did well, Irisviel. Played your role to perfection."
"Kokabiel, release the girl," Maiya pushes the gun roughly into Antonio's head, or else, she seems to say.
Kokabiel lets off a chuckle, "As you wish," he glance behind him, "Artoria?"
Griselda holsters her Mk. 23 as she watches Xenovia glare at Maiya while moving back towards Irina, Mash, and her. Her hand grasping a smoke grenade, her finger on the pin, ready to peel it off.
Once Xenovia made it back to Griselda's side, Maiya lets go of Antonio who turns to face Kokabiel.
Antonio looks up at Kokabiel, "Kokabiel?"
Kokabiel lets a warm grin spread on his face as he pulls Antonio into a one armed hug, "Yes, you did good my friend."
"Good? I'm free to go?"
"Indeed you are."
The blade of light pops out of Antonio's back, as though Kokabiel were sticking a hot needle through. His eyes widen with shock, almost budging. His mouth gasping in a silent, almost whimpering scream. Blood dripping and boiling out of his wound, his steaming body falls limp in the fallen angel's arm. Kokabiel gutted him as a butcher would with a pig.
Griselda tosses a smoke grenade followed by flash bang. Yanking Xenovia and Irina along and running for dear life towards the edge of the bridge! A quick glance behind tells her, Mash is trailing behind them. The four of them jump off, off towards the river below.
Griselda yells out on the top of her lungs, "Mash, your Noble Phantasm!"
"Right," Mash shouted, "Lord Chaldea!"
The shield lets off a flash of blinding light, surrounding them, binding them. As long as the shield remains glowing, they'll be protected from the long fall below...