Yello, yeah I wrote this a while back and since I finally got an account, why not post it. Please be nice, I happen to like this one. And it is no mary-sue...I hate those.
Disclaimer: I don't own yummy van Helsing, funny Carl, or punny Cardinal..I only own my own creations.
For a thousand years
The order has protected innocents
From the coven
Now after those thousand years
They will be tested
By their own.
The pale crescent moon loomed above the majestic city that was the Vatican. As the clouds made their way to block the sickingly light from the Luna, a figure trotted on a black horse into the square. Cloaked all in black with tints of grey, it's wide brimmed hat still wet from the rain down pour that day, it was safe to say the stranger had ridden through the day, perhaps only a few breaks now and then. As a bell chimed powerfully, pronouncing midnight mass, the shadow got off his horse and walked towards the Vatican.
As he drew nearer, the clouds drew closer together, and as he entered the amazing chapel, the wind picked up. Out of habit the man removed his hat, reveling long, shoulder length dark brown hair and slightly tanned skin, with stubble littering his features. Sighing the man walked down the churches aisle, making his way to one on the center pews and sat down, placing his hat beside him. His eyes were tired and body seemed too heavy to lift himself. The last thing it seemed he need was a disturbance.
Of course that is exactly what he got.
A very annoying disturbance.
Unless you like the short, stuttery friar types.
From the left door, near the alter, a short, skittish man emerged, hugging what seemed to be a bundle of dirty laundry that he seemed intent on keeping to himself. In the pews the man inwardly groaned, all he wanted was 5 minutes, looking up at the ceiling as if facing God he groaned again, "why?" he thought, as the Friar caught sight of the disheveled man.
Grinning widely the friar "ran" to his friend, still clutching the bundle. Once he arrived at his destination he paused.
"Did you bring it?" the friar asked, eyes wandering.
"What? no hello? How are you?" The disheveled man joked, shaking his head as the short man frown slightly, thin eyebrows knotting together in a slight bout of irritance.
"you killed it didn't you?" he accused, summing up his dramatic moment with a dramatic finger pointing at the now frowning man who stood up, causing the friar to step back to allow the man to exit the pew.
"Van Helsing" the Friar began, and right away Van Helsing groaned, knowing a lecture was coming next as they made their way to the confessional.
"You were ordered to bring the Chupacabra back for studying not to kill it" the friar lectured, as Van Helsing opened the confessional door, looking back at the friar.
"Carl" he said, as the friar nodded "yes?"
"It was kill or be killed, besides" he continued as he sat in the small room in which Carl followed, sitting beside his friend. "Why would you want to study that thing?" Van Helsing questioned as Carl rolled his eyes, waiting for the Cardinal to enter the room opposite.
"Because further analysis is needed to figure out whether they are wild by nature or by a symptom...of...some...sort" Carl said lamely, obviously not knowing the real reason it was to be studied, at this Van simply shrugged.
"Either way it was a pain to deal with" he said, eyes landing on the confession window where the Cardinal now sat, giving Van an angry look.
"you killed it...why?" the Cardinal question Van who nodded towards Carl as the hidden entrance that led to the laboratory open, revealing a long stone staircase heading down.
"Asked Carl" was his answer as he stood and went through the entrance followed by a drilling Cardinal and skittish Carl.
Calm and collected, Van followed the Cardinal through the lab, biting his tongue through out the whole lecture, which lasted a good ten minutes on "following orders" and "rash decisions". Once the lecture was completed, Carl entered the picture insisting on showing Helsing his new weapons, to which Van obliged once the Cardinal left to find slides to show Van about a new mission. Weaving between tables with gadgets and steam-run machines they arrived at Carl's "designated area". His long table was covered with trinkets, weapons, plans and big yellowing sheets of paper and all sort of un-recognizable things.
Almost skipping, Carl rushed over to one of his smaller tables and brought Van a long ebony cane, to which Van cocked an eyebrow.
"Carl I don't think I'll be needing one of those for a while" he said, eyeing the cane that held a silver knob at the very top, lined with a steel belt. Rolling his eyes the friar chuckled, shaking his head.
"no, no, this is no ordinary cane" he told his friend dramatically, "allow me to demonstrate", to which Van nodded. Bouncing a bit from "hidden" excitement. He twisted the knob clock wise with a swift wrist movement; Van was forced to jump back.
At the twist of the nod, the sound of metal erupted from the thin cane as numerous thin, deadly sharp spikes shot out. Grinning with a scary glee, Carl handed it to Van who cautiously handled the stick, careful not to embalm himself by accident.
"these spikes are silver plated, and the hand has ebony finishing but underneath it is only titanium, nothing on this earth could break that cane" he said, voice full of pride, and Van inspected it.
"And why make it a cane?" Van asked curiously, as Carl was about to answer, they were interrupted by the Cardinal who approached them, beckoning them to come. Setting the frightful thing down, Van followed the Cardinal as Carl apologized to a near by blacksmith who had leaned against the table and placed his hand on the cane.
Huffing the Cardinal lead Van and the now following friar to the projector. Turing to face Van and Carl he began. Motioning to the projector, a slide came up showing a map of France" Your mission is to travel to Paris, and hunt down a clan of shape shifters" the Cardinal told Van Helsing who gave him a look.
"Shape shifters?" he inquired, gaining a look of fear for Carl, and an annoyed look from the Cardinal who nodded.
"Yes, they have been causing problems, many murders have occurred near the area they reside in, and is believed they are the causes of these deaths." The Cardinal told Van who looked doubtful.
"They've never caused problems before; it could easily just be a human with mental issues. Not something supernatural." Van said, as the Cardinal nodded in agreement.
"That is correct, and that is what we want you to find out." He told Van who nodded.
"Next slide" the cardinal said, after twenty minutes of looking at locations, and the way the victims were murdered, the last slide showed a possible shape shifter. It was a man with short cropped brown hair, defined cheekbones, more sunken then delicate. His eyes were slightly slanted, as if years of squinting had finally caught up with him. A deep clef in his chin and his eyes themselves were emotionless.
Stretching, Carl breathed out. "Well that was pleasant" he said sarcastically, to which the Cardinal shot him a disapproving glare, and Carl shrunk underneath it. Quickly evading a lecture he looked around a the sound of another toiling bell.
"Twice? But the midnight mass it half way through" Carl said, giving the cardinal a questioning look.
"The girls in the St. Mary Covent have just graduated from their studies and a now able to continue their life with experience to take them places" the Cardinal explained.
"Oh" Carl said, as Van studied the new picture on the screen.
"Sir, I think you missed a slide" van said to the Cardinal who looked surprised as Van motioned to the screen. It showed a girl. Or a least he guessed of a girl by the shape and features shown. Or the lack of them. the picture was full body picture and it showed a girl in a long black dress and heavy coat with a draping hood that covered most of her face, leaving only a bit of her nose and lips visible. She was standing somewhat stiffly yet you could tell she was not in the best of moods.
Shaking his head, he turned off the projector and the slide diapered from the screen.
"That was not for you, it was for Father.Juliano" he explained, "she is his charge" he paused as Carl looked expectantly.
"Something wrong with her face or something?" he asked bluntly, as Van shook his head in expiration.
"What?" Carl whined as the Cardinal lead them away from the projector, and back towards the entrance way.
"That girl is none of your concern" he told them, giving them a hard look, "but you must not tell anyone of her" he told them exiting the hidden room, leaving Van and Carl confused. Van was first to recover, groaning he left the room also, followed by Carl.
"Well I suppose it's off to France". Van said, and Carl pouted.
"but I don't want to go to France' he whined making Van roll his eyes.
As the moon continued to hang in the night sky, and cloud threatened to cause and eclipse, if you were to step outside at this exact moment you would feel the foreboding that made its way in the direction of the Vatican. Though it was a ways away. You could feel it.
But a few miles away a carriage bumped on the rough road that weaved through the rare but thick forests of Rome. It held three passengers, and a driver, who lead four black horses in the direction of the Church of Saint. Peter at a swift speed.
Sitting by a window in one of the grand halls of the Vatican, Van and Carl were discussing Van's lack of self-control when it came to his missions.
"You should really think before you act" Carl told him, earning a well placed glare, which he did not notice.
"Van Helsing, when are we going?" he asked, to which Van thought for a moment.
"Three days"
"Three days!" Carl gasped, suddenly looking panicky.
"How on earth am I going to be able to pack everything in that amount of time!" he whined, as Van banged his head against the wall he was leaning against.
"You'll find a way" he told the friar who pouted. Standing up swiftly, Van placed his hat on his head and turned, heading towards the entrance.
"Van Helsing! Where are you going?" Carl asked, still sitting on the bench.
"Out" was his one word answer as he left the baffled Friar and made his way towards the exit of the Vatican to take a walk in the courtyard.
But not before pausing to look at the Cardinal talking in hush tones with Father. Juliano.
But he paused only for a minute before deciding it was none of his concern, though it bugged him.
Why would Cardinal look so shaken when talking with Juliano...though Juliano looked shaken too. He thought to himself as he exited the Church and entered the vast courtyard and made his way for a walk, looking up at the looming moon above.
A cold breeze entered the dark carriage from the cracked open window to the right. Rocks and bumps on the road made the ride difficult to sit through as the two figures sitting across from a girl clad in black kept an watchful eye of the person, as if any minute she might try to jump out of the carriage and onto the mucky path.
Of course she knew better.
Her hands in her deep pockets of her dark maroon color trench coat, with a sew in hood that drape over her face, keeping her signature feathers hidden in a shroud of black. Only her lips and a bit of her nose remained visible. In her pockets her figures were fiddling a small piece that if her fingers were on a piano you would be hearing Sonata in c major. From the way she was sitting it was impossible to determine her height, and her trench coat hides her weight as she sat straight in the seat.
The men across from her, both monks, never removed their gaze from her. Well maybe not never. Now and then they looked at each other with the same expression. A mixture of fear with curiosity. Each time they did this the girl would inwardly grin at they're antics. At this moment a yawn escaped her lips and she rubbed her non-visible eyes.
They had been riding for a good two days from Italy, Venice to be exact. The memory of Italy's pasta (which the priests had sneaked in for her) and bread (her matron had gotten that for her a few times) lingered in her mind. Its old buildings, the library she went to only twice that was really a converted church. The people that came to the church and how they acted.
At this she smiled lightly, from watching the people in the church, she had learned how to determine a person's conscience or a bit of their personality. For example, a person walking into the church with their head held high showed they most light never went to confession, for they believe they do no wrong. Or a skittish man does not right away mean he's done something wrong. Sometimes it simply means that he is just a skittish person.
Lost in her thoughts of how much she wanted out of her life of confinement. For over four years she's had been kept in shadow, not allowed outside allow, of able to remove her hood. Needless to say it somewhat angered her, but more irritated her. At this moment of damning the people who sent her to another convent, the carriage arrived at the Vatican, an hour had past with out her even noticing. Twisting in her seat she lifted her head a bit so that she could look out the half shaded widow beside her.
Right away her heart somewhat sunk. It was beautiful to say the least, with a large courtyard towards the entrance with an extravagant fountain in the very center, but though it was big, it usually meant a small convent for her to stay in. Priest, or at least mean ones, always made her sleep in small rooms. A cell as they call it like nuns do. Needless to say it was not her picture of Buckingham Palace bedroom. Caught in her thoughts she vaguely noticed a figure clad in black who paused and watched the carriage enter the courtyard.
Pausing in his step, Van Helsing noticed an ebony carriage make its way in the courtyard and stop by the fountain. He was a bit far, but could make out two figures, men it seemed, exit the carriage, followed by another figure that seemed very reluctant in leaving the safety of the carriage. He guessed it was a woman by the fact she was wearing a dress. But that's all he could make out.
He was tempted to take a closer look at the midnight visitors but at that moment the Cardinal and Father. Juliano made their was to the carriage. They both still look very shaken. His curiosity finally took the better of the monster hunter and he casually made his way to the fountain, un-noticed by the group and sat down.
The sound of new footsteps made him turn his head and see Carl rushing to the Cardinal with sheets of paper. Stopping he was breathing heavily,
"Here-they-are-sir-"he gasped between breaths, holding his heart dramatically. Running a hand trough his hair he nodded at the two monks, but did not notice the girl.
Van was still sitting there, his back to them as Carl was told to go back to the lab. As Carl's footsteps became dimmer the cardinal spoke.
"I trust that your journey was un-eventful" he asked the monks who mumbled replies.
"Not as bad as it could have been" one said, to with the Cardinal cleared his throat. Turning his head, Van looked at the Cardinal who was wearing a superior expression and looking at the girl.
At this moment Van saw that the girl was short- not horribly short like 4'9, but her height made it difficult to determine her age. He studied her and it came to mind.
"That's the girl-Juliano's charge" Van thought to himself as the girl stiffened from the Cardinal's gaze.
"Oh? Not as bad, what occurred?" he questioned as one of the monks rubbed his temples.
"simply the fact that she attempted to run once or twice" he said," no one mentioned that she was a fast runner" the other put it, making the Cardinal's frown deepen.
"Yes well, we were not aware of this either, but now that we do know, certain precautions will be taken" he stated, holding the papers in his hands, flipping through them. Van noticed the Cardinal's hand shook a bit, only a bit.
Clearing his throat, the Cardinal looked at the girl, "Heretic, this is father Juliano, he is you au pair and will rid you of your evil" he stated, and right away the girl's body stiffened, her jaw was set and fists clenched in her deep pockets." I have done nothing to be called a Heretic" she snapped, causing the Cardinal to frown and Father to cringe a bit. Giving Father the papers, Cardinal stepped forward and looked down at the woman. Van was more intent on listening, and from the voice he could tell she was not child.
As the Cardinal looked down at her she looked up holding her ground.
"You are a speaker for Satan" the Cardinal growled, "You should be thankful the church is willing to save you".
At the comments, Van heard the girl utter a bitter laugh. "Speaker for Satan" she scoffed, "my goodness I'm many things it seems, first a witch, then Heretic and now a speaker for the Devil" she said sarcastically, "please make up your minds".
At this mockery, the Cardinal stiffened immensely, and at this time Van decided perhaps it was best is he would leave.
Trying his best to be quiet, he stood up, but to his luck the Cardinal looked at his direction and saw him.
"Van Helsing" he called out, to which Van damned himself.
He turned and walked over to the cardinal.
"Yes?"
"A question"
"Very well" Van said, noticing the woman held an aura of anger.
"If one is in leagues with the devil, should the person not be grateful for the churches grace?" the Cardinal asked, to which Van thought for a moment, aware of the girl's aura rising.
"It depends, how is this person in leagues?" Van asked as the Cardinal shook his head.
"In general"
"Oh, well then, they should be" Van answered, less work for me then he thought to himself, as the girl approached the Cardinal and poked him with her index figure.
"One is only in leagues with the devil if they ask him, not if their born with it", she had stressed the last part, just as the monks pulled her away from the Cardinal who glared.
"You will cooperate, or face the consequences" the Cardinal growled, motioning for the monks to take her to where she'd be staying. The girl seemed to growl a bit as she-against her own will- followed the two monks who held her in place.
"Now how is she in leagues?" Van asked, greeted by a rude Cardinal.
"None of your concern Van Helsing" he spat, exiting towards the Vatican followed by Juliano, leaving a very baffled Van helsing to walk back to the Vatican alone.
The girl followed the monks into the small conjoined part of the Vatican, up some stairs and into a small room. Her eyes turned into slits. It was dark in to room with a single candle. The small room had stone walls, a wooded bed with grey sheets and one pillow. Along with one side table, and small two drawer wardrobe to the far right and a wooded cross above the bed. A single window with bars was to her right. Sighing she entered the room and placed her bag on her bed. She heard the door shut and door lock.
Well this is going to be fun.
Alright so please reveiw becasuse that is the only way I will update.Thankies :D