Sister Cloe was walking down towards records keeping when a flash of blond hair caught her eye. She glanced up in time to see a figure clad in a robe walk down another hallway. Her heart beat faster as she recognized him as being Father Hugue. The wandering warrior Priest was rarely seen at the Vatican if at all, creating a mysterious air around the handsome man. This would a chance to try and get to know him a little better. Her task momentary forgotten, She hurried after him. "F-Father Hugue!"
Father Abel Nightroad hurried as fast as he could towards the section of the administration building where most of the Vatican's records and file where stored.
"May I help you?" The Swiss guard on duty asked the panting silver-haired priest.
"Did Sister Cloe come back?"
"Er...no she hasn't, I think that she might have gone for lunch. EH!" The poor man's eyes widened as he was suddenly looking down the barrel of Father Tres' gun.
"Should she return, you are to hold her here and contact Father Nightroad or myself immediately, is that understood?" The killing doll's left eye glimmered red.
Abel groaned.
The terrified man gulped and nodded. "A-anything you say...Y-yes sir!"
Abel frowned, "Let's split up, it will cover more ground that way."
"Affirmative."
Both AX members split off in different directions.
Not too far away, the chief of the Inquisitorial Department was listening to his Superior ramble on. "Here, your Holiness." Cardinal Francesco indicated with a hand towards the open balcony facing St Peter's square. "You will make your Birthday speech. No more hiding within, the people will want to see you."
The young man behind him wringed his hands. "But-but...I have always had my birthday speech televised from the Sistine chapel..."
"Not this year! This is your sixteenth birthday, you are no longer a child, in the days of old, you would have been considered a man!"
Alec cringed. His much older nay, louder brother continued. "This year, all will see you personally." The man had walked out into the balcony, lost in a grandiose daydream. "You will hear the loud cheer of the faithful as they celebrate another year..." He raised his hand to an imaginary crowd below. "...of your glorious reign."
Petros made a sound that was like a half snort, half aborted hiccup.
Young Pope Alessandro coughed slightly as Francesco turned around to see what the noise was. "S-Sorry my throat is dry..." He coughed again.
Brother Petros looked over the balcony to hide his embarrassment. "I have already assigned men to provide security in the square as well as rooftop guards."
"Very good Brother Petros." The Cardinal straightened "Now that everything as been set, I do believe that it is now due time for lunch."
The teen Pope brightened. "I would like to go to the café, they are serving mint milkshakes today."
"Very well Your holiness, if that is your wish." Petros said as the trio began walking down the hallway.
Abel was searching down hallways, hurriedly asking passerby if they had seen Sister Cloe from record keeping. The crusnik was beginning to panic when he saw the red-clad Brother Petros walking down from the other end of the hall with the Pope, Cardinal Francesco and their entourage. Ducking behind a pillar He debated quickly on what to do, if he told Petros what had happened to the kittens he would be drinking his meals from a straw, but...if he didn't... Abel gulped, He would rather keep his head on his neck where is belonged.
As the group passed he stepped out from behind the piller. Most paid him no mind, they knew that the Priest was often running errands for Cardinal Sforza. But one pair of eyes fixed on him almost immediate. Petro's glare narrowed "Just what is he doing here? Wasn't he supposed to be..."
The bespectacled priest frowned, his expression serious. The Inquisitor veered towards him, leaving the Pope's entourage.
Once they both where ducked behind the pillar, the bluenette growled lowly. "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be watching over the...'little ones'?
Abel flinched, "P-Petros, There was a bit of an accident...N-No, they are alright, it's just that..." He gulped nervously.
"What happened to them?"
"Please Don't kill me.."
"WHAT HAPPENED!" Petro's voice echoed in the nearly empty expanse of the great hall. Several other priests cast quizzical glances their way. Luckily for the Knight, The pope's entourage had already departed.
The Inquisitor grabbed the cowering AX agent by the neck and drag him out of sight. With his fingers around Abel's neck Petros demanded in a low threatening voice. "Tell me what exactly happened to the kittens."
"Sister-Cloe-took-the-box-the-kittens-where-in-when-I-had-stepped-out-for-a-brife-moment." Abel said in a breathless rush. "It was an accident and I'm sorry, please don't kill me." He pleaded once again.
Brother Petro let go of the silver haired priest, Abel sank to the floor, his legs having turned to jelly.
"Sister Cloe? From Records keeping?"
"I looked nearly everywhere for her, she's not in her department nor is the box." Abel said from his face down position on the marble floor.
"We have to find her at once!."
Petros grabed one of Abel's feet and dragged him behind him as he hurried towards one of flower gardens where the nuns where known to frequent during their time off. The knight glanced over his shoulder. "I'll kill you later Nightroad."
"Eeep!"
Sister Cloe put the box down on the chair beside her, having invited herself to lunch with the handsome Father Hugue. Hugue, for his part was notably irritated at the sister's invasion, He just wanted to drink his mint milkshake in peace.
Ignoring the insistent chattering of the young woman, Houge noticed that his Holiness and the Cardinal Francesco where also ordering something from the outdoor café.
The young pope beamed in happiness as he sampled his mint milk shake, he took a seat near where Father Hugue and Sister Cloe where sitting. Cardinal Francesco was still going on about the next day's banquet. "H-Hello Sister Cloe" Alec smiled nervously at her during a brake in his older half brother's ramblings.
"Hello your Holiness." The sister smiled kindly.
In the box nearby the kittens began to stir.
Father Tres had gone into the security section and was reviewing all of the security cameras, which was an impressive feat by it's self, since there where hundreds of cameras dotting the Vatican. If the wayward sister could just be spotted.
Unfortunately there where a lot of nuns on the grounds, all wandering to and fro, finding one particular woman wasn't going to be easy.
There.
Tres focused one camera, his memory went thought his processes at high speed, firstly to correctly identify the woman as Sister Cloe from Records, confirming that she still had the box with her and then confirming her location.
The cyborg was out the door, heading in her direction while contacting his fellow agent on their per-scribed communication channel. "Father Abel NightRoad, I have located Sister Cloe, she is in section 19 outer west courtyard. I am in pursuit of the target."
"Copy that, I'll be right behind you." Abel caught Petro's attention and pulled his arm. "I know where she is, Tres has located her at the milk bar café."
Petro's eyebrow rose. "Tres? Whaa..?"
Thought his confusion, the blue-haired inquisitor followed the priest down the hallways.
"I'd prefer not to." Hugue said, for the upteenth time refusing her offer to accompany him to the celebrations tomorrow.
"Aw, but I don't have a date...so if you don't have one either, then it would make sense if we went together right?"
Hugue felt that urge to get up and walk away, even it meant leaving his half finished milkshake it would take him away from this annoying woman. This was on of the reasons why he didn't come to Rome often. Some of the younger sisters turned into giggling schoolgirls when-ever he was around.
Tres walked into the courtyard and within one second, zeroed in on the box sitting on a chair, Sister Cloe was smiling seemingly oblivious to the situation. He walked across the courtyard to wards her.
Hugue looked up seeing the 'Gunslinger' purposely striding towards them. His warrior's instinct screamed at him that there was something not right about this. Tres didn't really need to eat for one, and thusly seeing him at the café was suspicious.
Confused sister Cloe looked to see where her companion's attention had diverted to. "Father Tres?"
"Sister Samantha Cole, I require that box."
'Huh? What? But the files are my responsibility." the woman protested, then grinned uneasily. "I can take them down to records right now if that is the problem."
"That is unnecessary, I will take it now."
Hugue stood up, "What is going on Tres?"
The killing doll frowned, "It is classified."
"Why are you so insistent on obtaining that box?"
"It is a classified mission, if you do not comply then I will be forced to-" Tres' words where cut off as Father Hugue de Watteau's hand dropped to the staff at his side. In a split second, the cyborg
was holding one of his guns in his hands, but fortunately for Hugue, he wasn't pointing it at him...yet.
Sword Dancer and Gunslinger glared at each other uneasily, The silence was deafening, They had gained the attention of everyone at the outdoor café including the Pope Alessandro and Cardinal Francesco sitting at the next table over.
Abel Nightroad and Brother Petros walked out of the door panting heavily as if they had been running, and it was a good thing they had. Their appearance seemed to brake the spell Hugue and Tres seemed to cast on everyone.
Cardinal Francesco was the first to speak "What in blazes is going on here? What are the AX members doing raising a ruckus in this manner? "
The Silver-haired priest walked forwards, "I am so sorry your grace, This was simply a misunderstanding." When he got close enough to Tres he put a hand on the cyborg's arm. "Put it away.' He whispered frantically. Tres complied but did not take his eyes off Hugue.
The blond warrior-priest also took his hand off the staff-weapon at his hip and lifted an eyebrow in confusion.
"Abel, would you mind telling me what is going on?" He asked.
The crusnik scratched his head. "I...I was borrowing some reports for cross referencing, Mr. Petro was kind enough to lend me them, but Sister Cloe took them by accident."
"The files contain highly sensitive documents." Tres elaborated. "It was imperative that they were retrieved. safely."
Brother Petros turned to his boss and superior, feeling grateful for the two AX members sticking their necks out for him. "This...was all my fault, I assure you that this will never happen again-"
The sounds of delighted giggling and mewing cut him off, the Inquisitor felt that shiver of dread over come him. Glancing towards the sound, he saw that the young pope had discovered the kittens and was nuzzling his nose into baby soft fur of one of the mewing kits.
Alessandro had heard the soft sounds of mewling coming from the box and during the whole fiasco when Abel and Petros arrived he had investigated the box much to his delight.
"They are so cute!" The boy held the baby kits, his eyes glittering "Oh, if only I could keep them."
Cardinal Francesco appeared to be in shock. "Cats! This was all for a bunch of cats? Brother Petros, explain this at once!"
For one of the few times in his life the blue haired knight was at a loss for words.
Tres spoke up. "Your Holiness, we did not intend on you seeing them till tomorrow, they where to become a gift on your birthday on behalf of-"
Abel quickly interrupted, "-Myself, Just myself. I take all the blame for this." He gave the thoroughly confused Petros a wink. "The others where just helping me keeping them a secret till then."
"Oh!" Sister Cloe smiled in understanding. "So it was supposed to be a surprise...and I ruined it..." He smile faded. "Oh, I'm sorry Father Night-"
"A birthday gift?" The Cardinal was inching away from the box and the kittens. "Pets are not allowed on the grounds."
"That may be...but if it is His holiness wish, he may keep the kittens if he wants." Petros said, finding his tongue, "For it is he as God's chosen to decide which of his creations may stay on the grounds."
Abel's face lit up. "That's right, didn't your father the former Pope keep a pet dog?"
The Cardinal stepped away from his younger brother, feeling his position in this matter slipping badly. "Just...just keep them away, I'm allergic to cats!" He hurried away, his eyes red and watering.
After Francesco had left, all the tension melted away, even Tres looked less stiff then before. Pope Alessandro lightly stroked one of the mewling kittens. Father Hugue de Watteau held one close to his chest, a smile on his normally impassive while Sister Cloe held the third. Tres, Abel and Petros stood nearby visibly relived. (except for Tres. He rarely showed his emotions.)
"I...uh...want to thank you guys...for...uhh..." Brother Petros started, feeling the wight of obligation on his broad shoulders weighing him down more then his armor. Abel was smiling. "Don't mention it, it all turned out alright in the end right Tres?"
"Positive." The cyborg responded.
"I think that they are hungry." Alec said, concern written on his face. Sister Cloe perked up, "I can feed them for you your Holiness." Prompting the others to chime in.
Abel: "I have experience with feeding kittens-"
Tres:"The optimal temperature for infant felines is-"
Petros: "I have more then enough experience with young animals your Holiness. I would like to offer my help with feeding-"
" I too, would like to help."
The last comment from Hugue surprised everyone.
Pope Alessandro smiled, delighted with his early birthday present.
The End.
=^_^= ~ Mew!
A/N: ...and that's it, my three part fiction. I hope that you enjoyed reading my TB comedy.