Order 12: Mentality
The Vatican. 8:00 P.M.
The sky was lit with rage of fire, the shadows of dead laying on the ground to ferment into the Earth. Skey saw herself on top of a hill in the arms of a man. Both surveyed the damage lain before their shocked and bewildered eyes. It was a scene worthy to be called hell. Fire blazed neverending to the sky. With it, ashes of dead billowed into the air. Both wondered if they should really be scared and shocked to see this. The man had calmed, but Skey had remained frightful. She'd been in battles with vampires before, but nothing could compare to the fear, the utter confusion she felt now. Those arms...they felt so warm around her. So comforting and caring. As Skey looked up, the long coat, cloak, cape or whatever it was was fluttering around with the roar of the wind and then wrapping around them. She touched his cheek and she became hypnotized with this man's beautiful eyes. His forehead rested against hers, both of them smiling and becoming ignorant of the raging hell around them. No, this place was perfect for them. For Skey's sins against her own life. She kissed the man full on the lips and God she had never felt such soft lips, such a kiss that made her melt in his arm hold. Was he...an angel? Skey woke up slowly, her eyes trying to focus. Someone was standing over her, peering into her eyes. Due to most human's reactions to such a confrontation, Skey retaliated and shoved the figure away but he wasn't so easy to budge.
" (laugh) Calm doon. It's only me. Ye looked like ye hae ae guid dream gaun on there. Mind talking aboot it?"
" Anderson...(smirks) please. You know my dreams are always haunting, depressing and full of secrets about my life that I am not ready to tell yet."
" (serious) Skey...Ah really wish ye'd talk tae me aboot tha' past O' yers...sometimes...it's better tae talk aboot such things. Ah hate ayeways seeing tha' look on yer face A' the time. Tha' look O' sadness and pain."
Skey grimaced and sat up in her bed looking down at the lovely white quilt. He was right and it was very brave of him to finally say something like that. Usually when someone requested her to talk about herself some, she'd retaliate with such vigor and spirit. But no. Skey shouldn't yell at him because he wasn't telling her to say anything, only that maybe she should sometime. It was a subject to give thought to. Not yet though. The timing wasn't right for her to reveal anything. This was her instinctual feeling. Anderson came to her side on the bed and put an arm around her, giving her a bit of a shake. There was that deep voiced chuckle of his, trying to let her know it was all right.
" C'mon noo. It's night. Time tae go and kill aff some freaks! Maybe A' ye need is tae get yer mind aff thae pesky dreams."
Inside an Abandoned House. 9:00 P.M.
Breath in, breath out. Skey tried calming her lungs as she saw the bodies, fifteen in total, hanging from nooses on rotting support beams of the house. Anderson stood behind her and was equally mortified to see this. In all his years as an Iscariot agent, he had never witnessed such careless and useless slaughter! Anderson gave Skey orders to hack the heads off of every body to prevent them from having a chance to become ghouls or vampires. She did so, following her orders without question this time. The house was dark and shrouded most of the corners, walls and such with so many dark shadows that the vampire could be hiding anywhere. There wasn't a doubt in Anderson's mind that this was the work of the Ancient vampire they were trying to hunt down. That thing had to be in Rome now. as Anderson looked back through the dim room, he saw the cut ropes swaying gently as they were kissed by sweet wind. Skey stood there looking at him with eyes weary. Yes, he was weary too. They didn't know how strong this vampire could be. Unlike the others, this head honcho had to be strong and nearly God mode. They walked up the rotten steps, every one creaking with deafening madness. Tattered curtains swayed over a broken window. The smell of the death was getting to Skey now but to prove her worth, she kept silent in front of Anderson and stood brave. All she had to do was remember the bar and how well she fought then. If she could fight like that everytime, and let's not forget the fight with Hellsing's vampiress, Skey felt that she would finally be approved and accepted by the others. Anderson stopped suddenly in front of her and with it, Skey stopped. He didn't move one muscle.
" Skey...Listen noo til the sounds. Focus yer senses on whaur it is. The freak's definitely in this house. Pinpoint it, Skey. And when ye dae...attack."
Skey blinked in a short term of confusion then did as he said. Skey stood there with her katanas gleaming, closing her eyes and listening to the sounds in the house. It was hard to focus on every sound for there were many. Outside, cars sped by. Horns honked. In the building, the creaking of wood sounded every other second. No, it didn't belong to a being walking. Maybe the house still settling. Wind echoed through cracks of the building's walls. But in that wind there was a certain and distinct swooping noise. It was faint at first, but it came closer and closer. Along all the noises, she focused on that noise coming for them. Her muscles quivered with excitement but she held still and didn't lash out prematurely. then, once she felt its shadow upon her and Anderson, she spun around, the katana's edge lashing out in a blue stream of light and catching its arm. The vampire's flying route at her was disrupted and he fell over the rotted wooden railing of the simple staircase. there was a loud thud as its body made quite the hard contact with the building's hardwood floor.Skey had done this with her eyes closed and used only her sense of hearing. As she opened her eyes she saw the vampire on the floor and getting up, preparing to attack again. But now it could be simpler. She had ruined the vampire's element of surprise.
" Dinna rush doon there. (grins) Play wi' yer prey ae bit."
Skey nodded and stood defiantly on the steps as she watched the vampire stand up. A glimmer of light from an outside street lamp rained on him. He revealed to have a handsome figure of a face though he appeared to be Spanish or Mexican. The ruby eyes vampires were known to have lustered with brilliant shine. The short black hair was spiked all about the place. His choice of cothing was a long black trench coat, combat boots, white jeans and gloves. The color of the jeans and gloves being white captures light from that streetlamp and made the color appear to glow. Despite the handsomeness of his fair face, a smile never graced it. Right now, between the two, Anderson didn't exist. The scenario now was the intimidation both prey and hunter displayed against one another. Their eyes never swayed one way or another. Both barreled down into the other's.
" Skey Seryc I presume...my Master wishes to see you."
" You can tell him I decline. I am quite happy where I am right now."
The vampire launched himself into the air. out from the sleeve of the long coat came out daggers with loops at the end. Skey growled and realized he knew Japanese weaponry to dare to try throwing Kunai knives at her. she fended off every single knife, the knives flying into planks of wood. Skey jumped onto the old railing and leapt into the air where the vampire was. She was now ten feet above the main floor but it didn't scare her. Skey had locked herself into a battle and she would see it to the finish. She turned as she heard the vampire coming for her. The katana whipped around as her body itself did. The blade cut through the vampire's side with a deep slash from his side to the near middle of his stomach. Skey landed on the hard ground and rolled. Her legs stopped herself and she sprung up, both blades out and ready. The vampire had hit the floor hard again but this time with more of a wound. He wobbled as he stood, the blood pouring from his side.
" You blessed those damned blades, didn't you! Orders are to bring you back alive...so that doesn't mean I can't put a few scratches on you!"
The vampire went headlong without second thought. Skey stood there and the adrenaline pumping through her body slowed everything. The vampire was going so slow now. Bump bump, bump bump. Skey's heart was heard in the center of her head. Her breathing was slow as she stared at this figure flying through the air to get at her. Just as it was within inches of tackling into her body, Skey twisted out of the vampire's way and was now at the side. The blade met with Skey's ferocity, the true insanity inside her as the blade came down across the vampire's back. The body's horizontal speed quickly became vertical as it plummeted to the close ground. The body bounced and the vampire cried in agony as the blessed blade slashed across his back yet a second time. And now...he felt those hard black boots of his hunter on his bleeding back. The sword was poised to rain down upon his neck, prepared to cut through the vertabrae and kill him.
" SKEY!"
Anderson's voice didn't heed her. A grin came to a corner of her mouth as the holy blade swung down and sliced so easily through its neck, through its bone. The head rolled away and the body turned to sand. Skey knew orders were to bring in vampires for 'questioning', but if she did that then Maxwell and Anderson would find out about her connection with that vampire. That connection was a personal problem i which she wished to take care of herself. Skey wanted no interference from anyone. More, she risked one of these vampires telling about how their 'master' was coming after Skey because of a possible relationship they may have had. Hell, it wasn't even a relationship despite what Malakai believed. And the worse possible thing she could want right now is for Anderson and Maxwell to find out about that. Anderson jerked her to face him and when he did she saw her face change from feeling triumphant to shame. She had recognized her mistake and knew she regretted it. He growled lowly and let her go. Still, she disobeyed orders and he had to lecture her.
" Do ye remember wha' Maxwell told us tae dae! We're tae bring in the vampires for questioning! We mus find oot aboot thi' Ancient vampire and stop it! Fae noo on, nae more killing aff the vampires afore questioning!"
" Yes, Father Anderson."
Anderson softened up and let out a sigh before patting her head.
" Let's go. We mus report in."
Maxwell's Office. 10:00 P.M.
" SKEY! What is wrong with you? At first, it was hard to even get you to build enough courage to kill a vampire! And now! All of a sudden! You find this click to 'accidentally' kill one!"
" Maxwell! She did guid! We didnae get the vampire...but still! For ae hoont, she did guid. She handled hersel' weel oot there against thon freak. Nae once did she falter or lose concentration. Ah sae...thas better than she hae been daun."
Skey stayed put in the seat, cowering her head down. Usually she was spunky enough to yell or snap back at Maxwell but tonight she just didn't feel ike being a smart ass. tonight all she wanted to do was go to sleep and start a new morning with no yelling. Still with her head lowered, she could feel Maxwell's leer on her. But Anderson stood next to her and defended her against Maxwell. Why did he always do that? It wasn't like she couldn't stick up for herself when she had to. And now she couldn't take it anymore. Without warning, she stood up and walked out of the office without one word to either of them. Maxwell yelled for her to get back in the office but at this point Skey didn't want to listen to anyone. She slammed the wooden doors on her way out and headed for her dorm so she could lock herself in and cry her heart out. Her walk there was feverish, every step increasing in a wider stride. Behind her Anderson was catching up with her and he caught her shoulder, spinning her around. No one was in thie hallways so speaking aloud wouldn't matter.
" Skey, ye dinna walk oot O' ae reporting like thon...Whit's the matter?"
" I'm not cut out for this! I'll never be perfect for that bastard in there! All he thinks me of is a useless girl! I try so hard to impress everyone, to be accepted! It'll never happen!"
Anderson held Skey firmly by her shoulders as he peered down into her watery eyes with such a hardened look Skey never saw before in him. It struck true fear in her heart. Did he hate her for what she said? She half didn't mean to say that...to blurt it out so simply.
" Ah ne'er want tae hear ye sae thon again! Yer nae useless! Yer nae perfect! Ye can only be who ye are. Ye dinna hae tae impress me or anyone. Noo quit making excuses! Yer ae strong willed woman. Strong willed fowk dinna break doon and cry like thon. Yer under ma supervision. And Ah winna let Maxwell dae anything til ye. Dinna worry aboot him. E'en Ah admit he can be ae bastard sometimes."
What Anderson said brought a flicker of a smile to her face and reassured her some. Without thinking, Skey wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly. She felt like a little kid again and she savored that feeling.
" Thank you..."
anderson never had anyone hug him like that before and was a bit uncomfortable with it. But it was only Skey so he smiled weakly and rubbed her shoulder telling her it'd be ok. what she said was only evidence that she didn't have must belief in herself or wha she was capable of. She was so self conscious what everyone thought of her. But he couldn't blame her. Maxwell only wanted the most prestige fighters in Iscariot. Skey was a prestige fighter by his own terms. She acted flaky once in a while but when she got locked in battle, Skey somehow changed. And he couldn't figure it out either. What fueled her so much as to snap and turn savage?...Almost like him?
" Ging til yer dorm room, Skey and ging some rest. ah'm gaun back oot there...but ye, ye need yer rest. Ye'll be ok, aye?"
Skey looked up to him and for a second, Anderson swore he saw the child in Skey.
