A/N: My computer is seriously messed up.
Disclaimer: Yeah… no. I'm not gonna say it cause you got to learn by yourself to listen the first time… if you don't you might get zapped by a shocky door several times, and then where will you be?
"Is everything arranged?"
"Yes. I made the call an hour ago. One of my old friends helped me. Don't worry, no one can trace the call. He's not happy, but he knows it is necessary."
"Thank god for your previous illegal life."
Stella's head turned towards the door she could not see. She could hear footsteps even though the glass and steel doors were between her and whoever was coming. There was a screech of metal and Leon Sr. nearly dropped the phone.
"Abel." Leon said curtly.
"Leon." Abel said quietly.
Great. I'm causing tensions with my friends. Oh well, nothing to do now but to wait and hope that everything will turn out for the best. "Father Nightroad, what are you doing…" Stella began cheerfully. When she saw Abel's blank look, she smacked herself mentally. She brought the phone to her lips. "Abel, good morning. For you, anyways."
Abel gave her a tired look, and for once, Stella saw the weight of his age on his shoulders. "It's never a good day with one of my best friends in jail."
"Well then you should have been downright miserable those fifteen years I was in jail!" Leon said, grinning.
Abel smiled slightly, but Stella knew he did not mean it. "Yes, I was Leon. Now, why are you here?"
Leon's grin didn't slip from his face. "I'm Stella's confessor, no? I figured that a girl like her might have a lot of stuff to confess to…" he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, "but no dice. She's as clean as a whistle."
Stella made a slight blush go to her face. (A/N: remember, Titans and androids and a little bit of Crusnicks have control over their bodily functions to an extent.) "Leon! You're as bad as your son!" She cried out indignantly.
"Where'd you think he learned his charming manner?" She could tell Leon Sr. was actually enjoying himself.
"Well, Leon, we have to go, visiting hours are over, though I had rather wanted to see Stella before her trial tomorrow." Abel was genuinely disappointed.
Stella could not stand to see her friend upset. She said into the phone. "Good night, Fathers. Abel, try not to eat the poor nuns out of house and home. And don't you dare use the I'm-a-growing-man excuse!"
"How cruel." Abel said, bowing his head.
Abel lay awake that night, waiting for the next day to come. He was sure Stella was planning something, and she did not seem to realize that if the Inquisition caught her plotting both she and Leon would receive a punishment worse than any that she was getting right now. He sighed, frustrated, and closed his eyes, but did not fall into the warmth of sleep.
The next day, he walked to the Inquisition building quickly. He was late, and on his best friend's trial day for Christ's sake! He ran to the courtroom, but found it to be empty.
"Excuse me, my good sir?" Abel hailed a guard walking down the hallway. "Would you happen to know where the Stella Iceheart case is being held?"
The man grunted. "Yep. In the maroon room."
"And where would that be?" Abel asked pleasantly.
"Other side of the building."
"Of course." Abel sweat dropped.
He arrived just before the door closed and took a seat. He now knew why everything had been moved to the much larger maroon room. Everyone who ever met Stella from the time he knew her was there, and some who hadn't. There was the retired Cardinal, Caterina, Leon Sr., Leon Jr., and the holograms of Cardinal Kate, Demetry, Seth, Virgil, and Vanessa, all looking worriedly around themselves, trying to talk quietly, but unable to because of the solemnity of the occasion. Vanessa alone kept her voice, seated between her brother and Demetry (who looked almost as bad as when Stella was missing), whispering encouraging words to the obviously distraught man.
The room was longer than it was wide. The carpet was a rich wine red, giving a warm, though imperious look to the room coupled with the dark wood ceiling and walls. A desk with a marble tabletop was set in the center of the front of the room, eight feet away from the wall. There was small door behind the table, built into the wall. Sitting around the perimeter of the room, there were uncomfortable black chairs with the Inquisition's emblem on it. The left side of the room was devoted to friends of Stella, while the right was for assorted priests and advisors to the Pope.
Abel frowned when he saw that at the first seat on the right, the seat normally reserved for the Pope's most trusted confidant, a man dressed completely in black sat. Though Abel could not make out the man's features, he had a slightly ominous and familiar feeling.
A few minutes after the door closed, everyone straightened as the small door behind the table opened and out stepped the Pope.
Pope Alessandro had grown up handsomely; His honey curls were cut so that they just brushed the tips of his ears. His nose was small, and a small, ever-present scratch from an assassination attempt years ago had given him a more of an adult look. He was not muscular in any sense of the word, nor did her look it. His eyes were the only contrast to the meek looking exterior. They were bright and sharp, bespeaking a brilliant mind behind hands that seemed to fiddle with themselves on a constant basis.
Abel snuck a look to his friends. The Caterina and Kate both looked slightly displeased, and Caterina's eyes looked sharply at her young brother. Virgil's face was completely emotionless, but Abel could tell that he was not happy with the situation. Vanessa pouted slightly, and her hand was grasping her pant leg, which more likely than not would be wrinkled beyond repair by her claws that day. Demetry's face was completely clear of the distressed look that had been there less than a minute ago, Abel suspected that he had been controlling his body functions so that he would look normal and not show any weakness against his new potential enemies.
There was a loud sound of a door being opened, which echoed in the long hall. Stella's light footsteps could be heard, along with the jangle of heavy officer's uniforms. The Chief himself was leading Stella slowly by the arm, as if they were at a ballroom dance. Stella didn't make eye contact with anyone, not looking for the comforting glances they all tried to give her. No, she was far too busy staring straight into the Pope's eyes, glaring. The middle-aged man seemed slightly taken aback, and when her gaze did not wave, he seemed intimidated. Abel was impressed. Under the weight of so much pain and hardship, Stella still tormented her captor with rebellious eyes with a silent resilience he had never known. It reminded Abel of when they had first met.
The Inquisition guards flanking her pulled Stella down as they bowed to the Pope. They were signaled to rise, and they backed off. Stella stood and faced Alessandro. His hands fidgeted one last time under the table before he laid them flat on the polished marble surface.
"Stella Icheart you have been placed under arrest by his Holiness the Pope, Alessandro the third, three hundredth and ninety-ninth Pope of the Vatican in Rome for abandonment of churchirial duties, treason against Rome, and crimes against the will of God. How do you plead?"
Abel moved around in his seat nervously. He really didn't have anything to be nervous about. It was just a simple hearing, but not really a hearing at all. All Stella had to do was plead guilty, that was it, and she would be allowed to repent. He had nothing to be worried about. God, he was nervous.
Stella opened her mouth. Abel caught her eye. He tried to give her a stern and a pleading look all at the same time. Without moving her head, Stella allowed her eyes to apologize for her. It was then that Abel knew exactly what she was going to say a half second before she said it.
"Not guilty."
A/N: I was seriously debating if I should stop here or go on. Obviously, I decided to stop because I'm tired and it is almost midnight, though you guys are probably going to get the message sometime in the morning because my computer is so messed up. Review!