Eh, this chapter seems to be fine. I think it lacks sense of detail myself. -.-' But I'll let my reviewers decide that.


Order 24: Skey's Decision

The Vatican Garden 5:00 A.M.

It had been forty-five minutes since Anderson caved in and stayed with Skey. On the horizon the European sun was just beginning to peek over. Birds were beginning to chirp and announce the morning. Skey was still awake, but losing the fight to sleep. He'd promise her half an hour but it's been longer than that. As he set his gaze on her, he smiled gently. She was becoming one hell of a fighter suddenly. Last night was far from phenomenal. All her suffering, crying and self pity was shoved aside and the fighter, the true warrior of her spirit broke through. And he was the one to witness the extrodinary development. He still had to report to Maxwell of Skey's accomplishment from last night. Anderson was sure Maxwell would delight in knowing Skey was finally becoming the killer she needed to be. Maxwell...Anderson backtracked to what Maxwell said to him about the Cardinals' proposition for Skey. True she was an exceptional agent and showing fast developing improvement, but he still couldn't believe they would even consider the possibility of making her a regenerator. To many of them, she was just a kid. It was bad enough they used him for their little experiments. They just had to use someone else. Regardless of his protective feelings for Skey, he still had to tell her. No matter what, it really wasn't his decision to decide what the Vatican wants to do to her. Only Skey's decision mattered.

" Skey, thaur's something Ah got tae tell ye...aboot Wednesday."

Her head moved slightly in the crook of her arm. She gave a bit of a moan of annoyance.

" Mmm, what is it?..."

" Wednesday, Ah was meeting wi' Maxwell. He told me something aboot ma reports aboot ye...see, the reports we gie in, go til the ones in higher rank than us. Thae reports are looked at by them. Aif they feel thon ae agent in Iscariot is daun exceptionally weel, they like tae meet wi' tha' person...but see, wi' ye, they want tae dae more than thon. Maxwell was telling me tha' the Cardinals wish tae mak ye into ae 'special' Iscariot agent. Yin like me...Skey, they want tae mak ye ae regenerator. They feel tha' yer daun very guid and were offering tha'. Ah dinna teel ye mainly because Ah'm protective O' ma students. Skey, gaun through thon is nae walk in the park. It's ae complete hell tae go through. Tak the advice fae someone who went through it. Ah was afraid tha' ye would jus jump til the opportunity wi' oot gi'ing ae second thought. Dae ye...really want tae go through wi' it?"

Skey's attention had been roused. Even in the desire to fall asleep, he knew how to get her attention by a stranglehold. She sat up and looked to the ground. It was her decision to decide what to do. At this moment, she didn't know. There were so many advantages to being like Anderson. One, you couldn't be fatally wounded so easily. Pain was a mere tickle to your sides. Still, she liked being what she was. Human. She knew Anderson was human no doubt, but in a way he was not. The Vatican did all these things to him to make him what he was. They messed with his body and configured him to be the perfect killing machine, but in doing so, it disturbed his mind. It must have been hell to make him like he is. As headstrong as Skey was, she couldn't deny thr fact she was highly intrigued by the possibilites. Who wouldn't be? In exchange for excruciating pain and suffering, you come out nearly immortal to pain and death.

Anderson feared she was thinking about accepting the offer. He could tell she was really thinking about it just by how silent she was and how still she sat.

" Skey, let's heid back til the dorms. Ye need some rest and after tha', ye can mak yer decision. They can wait another day, Ah imagine."

She concurred and stood up, stretching her arms into the morning air. A fine mist had appeared over the large lawn of the garden. Dew developed on the flowers and grass itself. The smell of morning was always so enriching. It was too bad Maxwell decided to flip-flop the sleeping schedule of all the agents. Anderson walked Skey back to her dorm room. He wouldn't be heading back to his until he reported in to Maxwell. There hadn't been a word spoken between them on their walk to the room. Anderson took initiative and surprisingly, told Skey something he never had told anyone.

" Ye wanted tae know ae wee bit aboot me?...Weel, here ye are. Ah was human once...tha' was afore Ah came here. Ah hae ae bad run-in wi' ae vampire ae lang time ago, and coming til the Vatican...and learning aboot joining the organization it hae tae hoont doon the vampires, Ah couldnae resist. Ah froze up lang ago facing ae vampire and since then...Ah vowed tae ne'er let thon happen again. E'er since, Ah hae been hoontin' them doon. In order thoo, tae nae get mortally injured, the Vatican thought it best tae...'enhance' me. It was ae week O' hell, Skey. Pure torture. Ah threw up most O' ma food...It made ma body sore a' o'er, and Ah was plagued wi' ae lot O' headaches and muscle cramps. It drove me crazy. Ah dinna want ye tae go through tha' hell, Skey. Fae wha' ye told me, ye hae suffered enough. Dinna put yer body through any more stress. Tak it fae someone who went through it."

It was amazing he even talked about his past life. In all the time Skey had known Anderson, he had never told her anything about himself. At least nothing about his past. It was always regarded as off limits in a discussion. What made him simply just come out and talk to her about it?

" As Ah said afore...yer ma student and Ah'm trying ma best tae look oot for ye. Aif ye dae decide tae go through wi' it, Ah'll like you nae less. It's something tae think aboot afore ye go rushing into it. Jus consider this...yer humanity. Sleep guid, Skey."

He turned on heel and walked down the hallways and to the elevator. Skey entered her dark dorm room and flipped the switch on. The overhead light came on, sparkled then busted. Skey's eyebrow lifted up in disbelief. Burning out lights weren't a good omen usually. Skey only ignored it, closed her door and went to turn on her lamp. It was only a 40 watt lightbulb, but it was better than no light at all. The covers made a ruffing sound as Skey yanked them down and fluffed her pillows. She shedded the trench coat off and threw it at the end of her bed, feeling to lazy to hang it up. The boots made two heavy thuds as she casted them to the corner of her room. She was very tired and it would be better to think of her decision. Skey peeled off her dirty clothes and threw them into a small hamper. A fresh nightgown was picked out of her drawer and tugged on. It felt better to be out of those sweaty clothes! It would feel even better to take a shower but Skey feared she'd fall asleep!

" I'll take one when I wake up..."

She collapsed on her bed, the faint glow of light trying its best to shine through her curtain. The Vatican's bells started ringing to call the people to church. Skey winced at the sound of the loud bells. She slipped into bed, turned her lamp off and turned on the CD player on her radio/alarm clock. Enya's music filled the room with a sense of calmness and peace. Skey nuzzled into her pillow, closed her eyes and before she knew it, she had entered dreamland.

Skey's Dorm 4:30 P.M.

It was early for Skey to be up. Usually, she never woke until Anderson barged into her dorm room shouting for her to get ready and she was late. Her hand searched to turn off the sleepy music. The CD player was turned off. Skey got the clothes she wanted to wear together, a towel and washcloth and went to go take a shower.

Maxwell's Office. 5:00 P.M.

Anderson was sitting in the chair waiting for Maxwell get off the phone. By the frequency of the voice and how far Maxwell held the phone from his ear, Anderson only suspected it to be Sir Integra. She was the only woman he knew that would scream so unmannerly like that and with that yelling, he could tell exactly what she was upset about. It was about him getting in a fight with her precious Alucard. You would think one day the woman would just get over it. He isn't dead and it was Anderson's and Alucard's business if they got in a fight, not Maxwell's or Integra's. If they wanted to fight, they were going to fight regardless. Between them, Catholic and Protestant, vampire and vampire hunter...didn't matter. It was only the basic hate they had between one another. Yet, Anderson felt he respected Alucard as Alucard respected him. He grinned. After all, whenever they butted heads, it seemed there was never really a winner. It was always a stalemate. The phone was slammed, and it jerked Anderson from his thoughts. Maxwell's green eyes were annoyed and angered. He always got this way after talking to Sir Integra.

" It's about time you reported in. You were suppose to last night but I guess you got sidetracked with romping around with that student of yours."

" Ah beg yer pardon?"

"...Just forget it. What's your report?"

" A' fifteen missions ar complete. And Ah'm sorry aboot nae reporting in as soon as possible last night, Maxwell. Ah meant tae."

" It's fine. I suppose you took them all out?"

" (grins) Nae, not jus me. Ah only took oot six O' them. Skey took oot the ether nine. She's starting tae learn, Maxwell. She's starting tae learn whit it's aboot tae be ae agent O' Iscariot."

Maxwell's incredulity was obvious. Never did he expect Skey to take on more jobs than Anderson and mostly, complete them. She was growing up very fast. Maxwell spun around and faced Anderson. His elbows rested on the edge of the desk as he leaned in.

" She's really getting that good? Good enough to surpass even you?"

" Ah widnae doubt it, Maxwell. She's learned a' she can fae me...and developing on her own. Wi' thon, Ah widnae doubt she'll become the cream O' the crop. She's got the determination, and she's jus beginning tae tak advantage O' it."

Maxwell stood up and began pacing behind his desk. He thought she would be too naive and too inexperienced to become a paladin like Anderson. But now as he looked at Skey's past and how far she has come, it wouldn't be such a bad idea to let her become a regenerator. Everyday, she was maturing bit by bit. Maxwell stopped and turned around to speak with Anderson but just as he did, Skey came walking through the office doors. Both men turned their eyes to her as she came in. She was in her usual attire, swords strapped to her sides and ready for work. She sat down in a chair, folded her legs and smiled to Maxwell.

" I suspect you have something to say to me, Skey. Hopefully none of that smart mouth of yours."

" Oh, Maxwell. Poor, senile Maxwell. I didn't come to make fun of you...that is, unless you WANT me to."

Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe she HASN'T completely matured. Maxwell sat down in his desk for this one. Anderson looked over to Skey and wondered why she came here. Did she make her decision already? She had that confident and positive smirk on her face and that liveliness in her eyes.

" Father Maxwell, Anderson had told me about the whole thing. About the Cardinals involved in the scientific research here wanting to make me a regenerator. I thought about it long and hard and decided that...I wouldn't mind! Seeing as Malakai is not giving us trouble right now, it only suggests that he is planning something big. And you'll need all the strong warriors you can get to prevent him from toppling the Vatican. Father Maxwell, I'm prepared for the consenquences of my decision and will happily take on all the pain. I am prepared...to guard this place with my life and to be best prepared for it."