Chapter 3: Battered and Bruised

The bus…

A few more hours and both Bishop Amaro and Father Joey will arrive at the said church.

The Bishop slept after praying (the prayer from chapter 2). An hour has passed and the bus suddenly stopped and the bishop awoke in the process, stood up, looked at the window and checked what was going on. The bishop saw a black Nissan Skyline GT blocking the road. There were also three guys wearing black, one was a girl and the other two were boys. They looked like they were nineteen years old or so. The three guys tried to stop the bus and the bus pulled over. The passengers were giving negative glances at each other and they were thinking this might be a set- up.

"It appears that they need help with their car, "Bishop Amaro whispered to himself. Then he observed the bus driver as if he desired never to let go of his sight...

The bus driver had brown hair, a sharp thin, a large square jaw and sharp eyebrows. His eyes are black and he's bald. His two eyes were a little triangular and are also a little droopy from lack of sleep.

Shit! The bus driver thought as he stopped the bus and opened as he stopped the bus and opened the bus doors.

The bus driver stood up and told the passengers in an assuring tone, "Everybody, please stay calm. This will just take a few minutes, okay? I'll just take some of my tools and help the poor guys". He then took out a small toolbox from his personal glove compartment. He then turned to the passengers and told them in Tagalog, "Huwag kayong matakot, mabilis lang ito" (Don't be afraid, I'll do this quickly).

Some of the passengers nodded as a reply to his assuring statement while the others just didn't care. The bus driver left and the people stayed on their seats. The bishop's curiosity overpowered him, so he left the sleeping priest and tiptoed over to the bus driver's seat so that he can view on what the bus driver was doing.

He saw the bus driver making hand gestures and after a while, the three guys suddenly grabbed him and they knocked him out a few more minutes later. The three guys turned out to be hooligans who pretend to have a broken engine so they also block the road and wait for unsuspecting people who might help them fix their broken engine but the truth is, they'll rob you and leave.

As Bishop Amaro saw this, he hurriedly sped back to his chair. He didn't even warn the people because he was too scared to even say a word. When he got back, he saw Joey still sound asleep. The bishop didn't waste any time and so he shook Joey's shoulders to wake him up. "Father Joey, we are being hijacked here! Wake up Father Joey!"

Joey was disturbed and he suddenly opened his eyes and he shook his head so that Joey's mind will be straightened. The bishop stopped shaking Joey's shoulders

What's going on now? Joey thought as he continued shaking his head.

"Hey! Stop that!" The bishop shouted. "We have a serious situation here!"

Joey stopped shaking his head, as if realigning it to its proper place. He then clenched his fists.

But before Joey could even stand, the hooligans have already entered the bus and robbed all the passengers, taking everything from Jewelry to Swiss Army knives. A few minutes later, one of the hooligans, the girl, which seemed like there ringleader drew two small knives and ran up to the bishop and the priest, thinking that they would have a golden cross or something valuable as long as she could steal something. The girl's blonde hair was stiff as she ran toward the unsuspecting men.

"Hey asshole, give me goodies!" The girl ordered as she pointed the knife to the bishop's forehead. The bishop saw how ugly she was, she had a really large mole on her cheek and her black makeup was fading away.

The bishop slowly picked a golden ring from his pocket. "Here, take my ring… tha-that's all I have!"

The girl was not satisfied and she knew the bishop was lying. "Come on, asshole, gimme everything!"

The bishop sighed and took out his golden chalice that he always uses every special mass.

"Here, take my chalice and go!"

The girl faced to Joey. "Hey! Asshole numbah two, it's your turn to gimme the goodies."

Joey flipped his middle finger to the girl's face.

Fuck you! Joey thought, glaring the girl.

The Bishop Amaro's eyes widened as the girl drove the knife up the priest's stomach.

Joey was vomiting blood.

"I don't need your shit! I'm leaving!" The girl shouted to Joey's bloody face.

She left the knife sticking out of Joey's stomach. "Joey, are you alright?"

"Please bishop", the priest said weakly, "Take that stupid knife off of me, will ya?"

"Come on Joey, stay with me," the bishop said while wiping the blood off of the priest's face.

Joey was fading away to unconsciousness. "Please… bishop… I won't make it much longer…"

And the Joey's mind became blank…

"I need an ambulance!" The bishop shouted but no one listened because the people were to busy sulking on their stolen valuables.

A/N: Hope you like my new fic!

FYI: Joey's not dead! He just fainted.