"Sir are you alright?"
"It is the Periculum, it has begun…" A pained voice stammered.
"How can I help?"
"I can take care of…. myself…"
"But sir."
"Go to her. It's what you want to do anyway." Irons growled partly in pain and partly in frustration. Ian Nottingham turned on his heel and left his master on the floor. Across town another deal was going down… Jake McCartey was meeting his boss for drinks.
"I didn't think you were going to show."
"Yeah well, it was a slow night."
"We all have those McCartey."
"So what did you want to talk about Captain?"
"Why'd you join the force?"
"I'm a neat freak and I thought that I could try to clean up my little area of the world."
"It's not the worst reason I've heard." Captain Dante chuckled.
"Why'd you join?" Jake inquired.
"Seemed like the right thing to do… like it was the only thing worth doing."
"Huh."
"You and I have a lot in common Jake."
"Maybe."
"So how's training going? Seems like your partner is leaving you alone a lot."
"She has her own method of training. Who knows I might become a better cop for it."
"I don't know Jake, for your sake I hope so… but Pezzini is somewhat of a vigilante."
"You say that like it's a bad thing."
"She's not like us Jake."
"What do you mean Sir?"
"Like I said, she's a vigilante."
"What have you got against her Sir?"
"She's just like her old man. He was nosy… You know that deal that she thought she saw go down?"
"Orlinsky was making a trade to get that pimp to turn one of his girls over. Her family missed her and wanted her home. Pezzini threatened to show those pictures not only to internal affairs but also to Orlinsky's wife. So you tell me, who's right and who's wrong this time?"
"That's deep stuff Sir."
"You could join us Jake. There's a group of cops that are willing to do whatever they can to save the innocent people involved in these things. Any other cop would have arrested the girl. We just wanted to get her back to her family. Is that so wrong?"
"Well no… But what do you mean group?"
"We call ourselves the White Bulls. Do you know what the bull stands for?"
"Strength, masculinity… manure…" Jake laughed.
"Good one Jake. But seriously we're in this for the greater good. We take care of each other too, like true partners should."
"I'm still not following you Sir."
"Did you know that Sara's old man killed my partner? Yeah, we were at a take down and he shot my partner right between the eyes. Internal Affairs ruled it accidental what with all the shooting going on and Pez's old man walked without even a slap on the wrist."
"Why are you telling me this sir?"
"With the White Bulls, this kind of thing is less likely to happen and less likely to go unnoticed and justice is always found."
"You mean like vigilantes?"
"No Jake, you're missing the point. Sara Pezzini is a vigilante we're more like the Roman guards, you know Caesar's personal guard? Something you probably didn't know is that eventually they became strong enough to overthrow Caesar if they would have had to, they were dedicated to each other and to justice."
"I still don't get why you're telling me all of this."
"This is a one time offer Jake, and it isn't extended to everyone."
"What do I have to do?"
The witchblade manipulated itself around Sara Pezzini and manipulated her body into a somewhat curled up position… In her mind, there were bodies strewn about a battleground and Sara herself was among them dressed in a white gown with a scarf over her head… She looked almost like a virgin sacrifice. There was the sound of armor clanking nearby and Sara rose as the armor-clad person reached her.
"Hello Sara."
"You're Joan of Arc."
"Yes. Do you know why you are here Sara?"
"The - the Periculum."
"Yes. If you pass you will be a true wielder of the blade. If you fail, this is a dream from which you will never wake."
"What is this Periculum?"
"A test. The ultimate test, everyone to wear the witchblade must face this. But it is time now for you to answer questions not ask them." Joan proceeded to ask Sara questions. Sara was very hesitant and did not think that she was doing well.
"It is now time for us to part Sara. Go on to the next test…" Joan said as she walked away… Sara walked in the direction that Joan had pointed out to her. She walked through the woods and came upon a clearing and a small fire.
"Catain?"
"You know me?"
"Yes."
"Come Sara. Tell me, what are you willing to sacrifice to fulfill your destiny?"
"What? I don't understand."
"Would you give your life?"
"Sure. You miss Conchobar don't you?" Sara inquired. Catain simply nodded.
"We both loved him. Is it possible for me to get him back?"
"It is."
"Wait come back… How?"
Back in the real world, Ian Nottingham was crouched on the fire escape outside Sara Pezzini's apartment…watching. He could see the fevered sweat upon her brow, could see her eyes move in REM state, and could see her muscles twitch as if they were fighting. There was a flash of lightening from the storm that had erupted since the Periculum had started. For a moment, he thought he saw a face in the glass.
"So she is not alone. Protect her well." He said almost angrily as he bounded away from Sara's and back to Vorschlag industries. There was another flash of lightening and the face of Sara's deceased partner, Danny shown in the lit glass. He looked sad but determined. Ian appeared back in Kenneth Irons' office.
"I thought I told you to go to her!" Kenneth growled. He was now sprawled out, as if he were being crucified… it was the same position that Sara Pezzini had been in when Ian had left.
"She already has a guardian angel."
"I don't need you."
"I am here because you made me this way. Everything I am is because of what you have done. But I now have the power to overcome that and to grow, because you've allowed it to happen." Ian said, his voice not angry, but full of some emotion. His boss did not even look at him, did not even ask what brought this rant on…. He just lay there on the floor in obvious pain… Ian stood over him at parade rest, looking down at Kenneth with what looked like a combination of contempt, pity and disgust…
Captain Dante placed a bullet before Jake on the table. Jake picked it up and studied it carefully. He looked from Dante to the bullet and back again. He was very confused. This was not right… There was something very wrong with this picture. He closed his eyes and took a cleansing breath… He opened his eyes and looked at the bullet once more.
"What's this?"
"That is for special situations. We use that whenever the system fails and innocents are placed at risk. We use that to take down the real villain. You ever see that at a crime scene, just walk away and say nothing." Dante explained. Jake looked like he was going to be sick or something. He finished his beer as the waitress came by with the tab.
"Don't worry, this one's on me." Dante said as he put money down on the tray. Jake looked at him and placed his own money on top of it. Dante looked at him and inclined his head as if to say 'if that's the way it has to be.' They rose and exited the establishment.
"Last time I'm going to say this. This offer is not to be taken lightly. The Roman Guards said that a decision should be made in seven heartbeats, but we're going to give you a little bit longer that, but not much."
"Then what?"
"If you accept, there will be an initiation of sorts. And you will have to do something to prove that you have felt the change within yourself that has made you accept our offer, that sort of thing, sort of like a baptism. I have to warn you though, that the price for you admission into our society will involve Sara Pezzini." Dante explained solemnly. Jake looked at his boss and tried not to hit him for the hidden meaning of the statement that he had just made…
"It is the Periculum, it has begun…" A pained voice stammered.
"How can I help?"
"I can take care of…. myself…"
"But sir."
"Go to her. It's what you want to do anyway." Irons growled partly in pain and partly in frustration. Ian Nottingham turned on his heel and left his master on the floor. Across town another deal was going down… Jake McCartey was meeting his boss for drinks.
"I didn't think you were going to show."
"Yeah well, it was a slow night."
"We all have those McCartey."
"So what did you want to talk about Captain?"
"Why'd you join the force?"
"I'm a neat freak and I thought that I could try to clean up my little area of the world."
"It's not the worst reason I've heard." Captain Dante chuckled.
"Why'd you join?" Jake inquired.
"Seemed like the right thing to do… like it was the only thing worth doing."
"Huh."
"You and I have a lot in common Jake."
"Maybe."
"So how's training going? Seems like your partner is leaving you alone a lot."
"She has her own method of training. Who knows I might become a better cop for it."
"I don't know Jake, for your sake I hope so… but Pezzini is somewhat of a vigilante."
"You say that like it's a bad thing."
"She's not like us Jake."
"What do you mean Sir?"
"Like I said, she's a vigilante."
"What have you got against her Sir?"
"She's just like her old man. He was nosy… You know that deal that she thought she saw go down?"
"Orlinsky was making a trade to get that pimp to turn one of his girls over. Her family missed her and wanted her home. Pezzini threatened to show those pictures not only to internal affairs but also to Orlinsky's wife. So you tell me, who's right and who's wrong this time?"
"That's deep stuff Sir."
"You could join us Jake. There's a group of cops that are willing to do whatever they can to save the innocent people involved in these things. Any other cop would have arrested the girl. We just wanted to get her back to her family. Is that so wrong?"
"Well no… But what do you mean group?"
"We call ourselves the White Bulls. Do you know what the bull stands for?"
"Strength, masculinity… manure…" Jake laughed.
"Good one Jake. But seriously we're in this for the greater good. We take care of each other too, like true partners should."
"I'm still not following you Sir."
"Did you know that Sara's old man killed my partner? Yeah, we were at a take down and he shot my partner right between the eyes. Internal Affairs ruled it accidental what with all the shooting going on and Pez's old man walked without even a slap on the wrist."
"Why are you telling me this sir?"
"With the White Bulls, this kind of thing is less likely to happen and less likely to go unnoticed and justice is always found."
"You mean like vigilantes?"
"No Jake, you're missing the point. Sara Pezzini is a vigilante we're more like the Roman guards, you know Caesar's personal guard? Something you probably didn't know is that eventually they became strong enough to overthrow Caesar if they would have had to, they were dedicated to each other and to justice."
"I still don't get why you're telling me all of this."
"This is a one time offer Jake, and it isn't extended to everyone."
"What do I have to do?"
The witchblade manipulated itself around Sara Pezzini and manipulated her body into a somewhat curled up position… In her mind, there were bodies strewn about a battleground and Sara herself was among them dressed in a white gown with a scarf over her head… She looked almost like a virgin sacrifice. There was the sound of armor clanking nearby and Sara rose as the armor-clad person reached her.
"Hello Sara."
"You're Joan of Arc."
"Yes. Do you know why you are here Sara?"
"The - the Periculum."
"Yes. If you pass you will be a true wielder of the blade. If you fail, this is a dream from which you will never wake."
"What is this Periculum?"
"A test. The ultimate test, everyone to wear the witchblade must face this. But it is time now for you to answer questions not ask them." Joan proceeded to ask Sara questions. Sara was very hesitant and did not think that she was doing well.
"It is now time for us to part Sara. Go on to the next test…" Joan said as she walked away… Sara walked in the direction that Joan had pointed out to her. She walked through the woods and came upon a clearing and a small fire.
"Catain?"
"You know me?"
"Yes."
"Come Sara. Tell me, what are you willing to sacrifice to fulfill your destiny?"
"What? I don't understand."
"Would you give your life?"
"Sure. You miss Conchobar don't you?" Sara inquired. Catain simply nodded.
"We both loved him. Is it possible for me to get him back?"
"It is."
"Wait come back… How?"
Back in the real world, Ian Nottingham was crouched on the fire escape outside Sara Pezzini's apartment…watching. He could see the fevered sweat upon her brow, could see her eyes move in REM state, and could see her muscles twitch as if they were fighting. There was a flash of lightening from the storm that had erupted since the Periculum had started. For a moment, he thought he saw a face in the glass.
"So she is not alone. Protect her well." He said almost angrily as he bounded away from Sara's and back to Vorschlag industries. There was another flash of lightening and the face of Sara's deceased partner, Danny shown in the lit glass. He looked sad but determined. Ian appeared back in Kenneth Irons' office.
"I thought I told you to go to her!" Kenneth growled. He was now sprawled out, as if he were being crucified… it was the same position that Sara Pezzini had been in when Ian had left.
"She already has a guardian angel."
"I don't need you."
"I am here because you made me this way. Everything I am is because of what you have done. But I now have the power to overcome that and to grow, because you've allowed it to happen." Ian said, his voice not angry, but full of some emotion. His boss did not even look at him, did not even ask what brought this rant on…. He just lay there on the floor in obvious pain… Ian stood over him at parade rest, looking down at Kenneth with what looked like a combination of contempt, pity and disgust…
Captain Dante placed a bullet before Jake on the table. Jake picked it up and studied it carefully. He looked from Dante to the bullet and back again. He was very confused. This was not right… There was something very wrong with this picture. He closed his eyes and took a cleansing breath… He opened his eyes and looked at the bullet once more.
"What's this?"
"That is for special situations. We use that whenever the system fails and innocents are placed at risk. We use that to take down the real villain. You ever see that at a crime scene, just walk away and say nothing." Dante explained. Jake looked like he was going to be sick or something. He finished his beer as the waitress came by with the tab.
"Don't worry, this one's on me." Dante said as he put money down on the tray. Jake looked at him and placed his own money on top of it. Dante looked at him and inclined his head as if to say 'if that's the way it has to be.' They rose and exited the establishment.
"Last time I'm going to say this. This offer is not to be taken lightly. The Roman Guards said that a decision should be made in seven heartbeats, but we're going to give you a little bit longer that, but not much."
"Then what?"
"If you accept, there will be an initiation of sorts. And you will have to do something to prove that you have felt the change within yourself that has made you accept our offer, that sort of thing, sort of like a baptism. I have to warn you though, that the price for you admission into our society will involve Sara Pezzini." Dante explained solemnly. Jake looked at his boss and tried not to hit him for the hidden meaning of the statement that he had just made…