Chapter 01
It is going to rain, the nun thought to herself as she watched the skies of Boston, dark clouds approaching quickly. A soft breeze caressed her from where she stood at the entry of the red church, her white and red habit was enough to protect her from the cold, so she was not worried. But still, I can't stand it!
She shook her head at the thought and muttered a prayer for forgiveness. This is the new life that she chose for herself, her penance, and by the grace of God, she would dedicate her flesh and soul to it. She no longer wishes to live a life of luxury and hedonism, surrounded every day by people who desire nothing but the world's riches.
She sighed at that, before checking the purse she carried, the long rectangular case, and the suitcase at her side. It would be a long journey before she achieved the life she wanted; she didn't even have the strength to cast away the one thing that kept her shackled to her older self. But maybe, if what Ferdinand said was true, then maybe I could use it to do good for the world.
With another muttered prayer, she tried to focus on something else rather than the weight of her sins, namely, what in the name of God and all saints she was doing on Boston?
Father Ferdinand never truly explained that to her, only that they must come to America as soon as possible and be prepared for a long, long stay. All she knew was that it was a special mission that he organized at the last minute and the Holy See decided to support it with all of its might. Yes, she would dream about the private jet for many nights, but that didn't explain everything else.
Access to the Vatican Archive to retrieve artifacts she never heard of before, meetings with the most famous and infamous organizations, some of which she didn't know ever existed. But none of that comes closer to the strange tasks she was asked to perform, like the one she was currently performing; Stay at the front door until the first raindrop, then help the lost children.
The weather forecast didn't mention any rain for today, and there is a pair of children at the bottom of the stairs. All a mere coincidence, she assured herself.
But whatever the specifics of the mysterious mission, that still let the question of why she joined in, her presence was not necessary. She was invited, yes, but it was not like she would suffer any bad repercussions for declining, maybe it was because it seemed like an adventure? It sounds silly even in her head, which means she would not be able to explain if someone asked her.
Doubt starts to sink into her heart, what if she fails? She doesn't know why they are here, so what if she made a mistake and ruined the seemingly important mission, all because she was bored of the mundane life of a nun? She clenched her hands together in worry, maybe I should talk with Father Ferdinand, he will understand if I ask permission to leave-
"We are not lost!" Shouted a girl at the bottom of the stairs, a single raindrop ran down her cheeks. The nun turned her eyes to the children again, only to see both curled into small balls as they hugged their legs. Are they crying?
Carefully, she walked down the stairs to approach the two, even without the cryptic words the priest gave her, she wouldn't leave the children alone outside in that weather. As she got closer, one of the kids turned her face to look at who was approaching; she was a redhead, with blue eyes and surprisingly pretty for someone so young.
She gave her a gentle smile and spoke with calm confidence. "Hello there, I could not help but see you two here. Is everything alright? Do you need any help?" The girl looked to the ground as if unsure of what to say "Are you two lost?"
"We are not lost." She muttered loud enough for the nun to hear; she didn't believe the girl's words.
"Yes, we are!" The other girl confirmed her suspicions as she looked at her with watered eyes, trying and failing not to cry. She had long, curly black hair, a wide expressive mouth, and large green eyes, a sharp contrast in comparison with the other girl.
"Well." She said, trying to sound reassuring. "Why don't you two come with me inside? I could give you something to eat and drink as I call for your parents?"
"My mom said to never trust strangers." Said the girl with curly hair. The nun smiled at that and then sat on the steps at their side, keeping a respectable distance.
"Well, as much as I would love to be sass and say 'Hello, my name is Ana, now I am not a stranger anymore' ' I have a better idea." She said as she began to rummage through her purse, after a few moments she took out a flip phone that Father Ferdinand gave her as they boarded the plane back at Rome, and extended her arm to hand it to the redhead. "Here, take this and try to call your parents, alright? But be quick." She points at the sky with the other hand, dark clouds looming closer. "I don't want any of you getting sick."
The girls look at each other, unsure of what to do, but after a particularly chilly breezy, they decide, only now has the nun noticed how unfit their clothes are for the cold. The redhead carefully took the phone and looked at her in the eyes.
"T-thank you miss, uh..." She mumbled but stopped herself, unsure of what to say next.
She smiled again. "Yes, my name is Ana. But you can call me Sister if you want."
"It's pretty!" Said Taylor as they walked inside the church with her, the other girl, Emma, was looking with admiration at the dome and stained glass. Each step brought them past rows of wooden pews with gentle footsteps echoing down the nave. Above, arches soared gracefully, adorned with statues of saints and angels, their serene faces bathed in the glow of light. They were heading towards a side door near the altar, toward the break room, and as much as they wanted to explore the place, the promise of a well-deserved lunch was stronger and the desire for exploration was satiated.
Understandably, the reason why they are here is because of an adventure. She didn't hear much of the conversation Emma had with her mother, but from what she could catch, they were supposed to be in a place called 'Audubon Circle'. Ana wasn't a local, so she could tell if that was too far away, but it was enough for the two to get lost in their search for ice cream turned play time at a park.
It took time for the adults to reach their location and the girls needed some rest, so, after introducing themselves they accompanied Ana inside, helping carry her suitcase as well. She carried the long case herself, no need to risk it.
They walked the nave mostly in silence, stopping momentarily to wave at the deacon and sacristan or to ask her what is this and that or ask who is that saint and another. She answered all of them as best as she could but she could not help but start to feel worry; most of the questions could be explained as the girls being too young to be reasonable, but other questions however made the two look like they never step inside a church¹.
Ana prayed to God almighty that she was just being paranoiac², she could not stand the thought of someone so young not knowing the wisdom and love of our Lord Jesus. And she surely would pray harder for these two to never commit something as blasphemous as thinking Scion is anything more than a Parahuman. May God bless him wherever he has disappeared.
As they finally arrived at the break room, Ana immediately got to work and prepared some sandwiches for the girls. She placed the case she carried against a wall as Taylor and Emma placed the rather heavy suitcase close to it, rubbing their sore arms for a moment before taking a seat at the table.
"What is in that box?" Taylor asked, pointing a finger at the case she was being cared for all day.
"It's nothing of important." Said Ana, trying to come up with a good explanation. "Just... a personal item."
"Uh, is that a music instrument?" asked Emma. "Like a trumpet or a didgeridoo?"
Ana laughs at that, the Australian instrument? She answers with a smile "Well, I think I could play some music with that, but that is something I use more for... dancing." She said that very carefully. "But as I said, it is something very personal to me, so I would rather not speak much about it, alright?" They nodded and she turned back to the sandwiches. "Good."
Maybe I really should get rid of that thing, consequences be damned. The girls stayed quiet for a moment, whispering something to each other before Taylor spooked again. "Sister Ana, why did you become a nun?"
"Yeah, like, you are very pretty!" Said Emma. "You could have become a model."
"Thank you, but I have my reasons." she paused, thinking about what to say next. "Does any of you know what is a penance?" They shook their heads. " A penance is when someone does something they believe was bad... regret it and want to punish themselves for it."
"You don't seem like a bad person." Said Taylor.
"You don't need to look like a bad person or be a bad person to sin, and even if they look bad, that doesn't mean they are bad." She said gently. "I didn't believe I was bad, but I did things that I regret all the same, so, I took a penance, to punish myself for my sins and be forgiven in the eyes of God."
"My mom said that God always forgives." Said Emma.
"Yes, He does, and you should always do the same. But remember, it doesn't matter if you ask for fogginess a thousand times if committed a thousand and one sins." The girls looked puzzled at her, clearly not understanding it, with a sigh she rephrased what she said. "You can't just say 'I am sorry' and then keep doing something bad, you need to show you truly regret it and you will never do it again."
Ana was never an orator, so she didn't know if what she said made sense for the girls, she hoped it did, but something told her she would be doing it more often than not.
As she finally finishes preparing the sandwiches, however, she notices how silent the two girls are. Ana turned to look at them and to her surprise, the two were looking the other way, their eyes staring firmly at the door behind them. She quirky an eyebrow at that but said nothing as she served the sandwiches on a plate for them.
"Here we go," she said, trying to catch their attention, I didn't work. "Girls!" She tried again with a little more firmness in her voice and that was enough to startle them, at least she got their attention. "What is the matter? Any problem?"
"Uh, no, it's nothing." Spoke Emma as she looked back and grabbed one of the sandwiches.
"Yeah, it's just... nothing" Agreed Taylor as she grabbed the other one.
That was strange, but she ignored that for now as the girls started to eat... for just some seconds as they stopped and turned back to the door as one. Ana was about to speak again but interrupted herself when she saw the door handle turn and the door open for someone.
"Sister Ana, the pilot called and... said..." Father Ferdinand was saying as he came through the door. He was an old Austrian priest, very tall, slim, wrinkles all over his shaved face, receding hairline on his otherwise well-kept hair and despite already being in his sixties he was surprisingly well fit. Together with his black cassock and cappello, the ever-present stern expression on his face gave him an authoritarian appearance that could easily put anyone on edge.
Or at least, that was the way Ana always saw him before. But now however she saw him froze at the door, shocked, as if he saw the face of Christ almighty. The reason was the girls, Ana did not doubt this and said girls were also with their eyes fixed on him... or at his old leather handbag, as she realized after a couple of moments.
Everyone was silent, only staring at each other, until finally Father Ferdinand broke the stillness.
"Dear God, it's true!" The priest said in his Austrian accent as he relaxed, trying to shift back to his stern face although with little success.
What? She asked herself and was about to inquire the priest on that but Emma interrupted her. "Hello! What is in the bag?"
"Greetings, children, you must be the girl's Sister Anna brought inside, I presume." He said, ignoring her question. He then reached out for a handshake. "My name is Ferdinand Mayer, but you can call me Sir or Father if you want."
"My name is Emma." She said, flicking her eyes between him and his bag.
"Taylor." The other girl spoke simply, she too was looking at the bag.
"Wonderful names, I must say" He replied with a small smile and Ana narrowed her eyes at that, she had known Father Ferdinand for just a couple of months, but that was enough to know one thing about him; he hates kids, and he never tries to hide it when he is around one. Maybe he woke up in a good mood?
The priest then stepped inside the break room and walked to the counter, going around the table. As he arrived, he... did nothing and then walked to the other side of the counter, passing through her and when he stopped, he once again did nothing.
Ana looked at him suspiciously, trying to see what he was searching for. Only when he was walking back in her direction to pretend to search for something in the freezer that she see he was subtly keeping an eye on Taylor and Emma, they in turn were not so subtly keeping an eye on his bag.
What is happening? Ana asked herself, the strange behaviors of the three didn't make sense to her, and frankly, it was starting to freak her out. All because of the bag... the bag. The same bag Father Ferdinand was using to carry one of the relics. No, it can't be, can it?
When the priest was finally satisfied with walking around pretending, he took a sit at the table across from the girls, the old handbag at the top of it.
"What is in the bag?" Asked Taylor after a moment of silence.
"Nothing" Answered the priest, keeping that information away from them for now. "So, I believe Sister Ana was treating you two very well. But I may ask, how did you two end up here?"
The girls looked at each other before Taylor answered. "We... were searching for ice cream... but then we got lost, and now we are here," she said but for some reason, it sounded fake coming from her. "What is in the bag?" She asked once more.
"As I said, nothing"
"Liar!" Emma accused, pointing a finger at the bag. "The singing I am hearing all day is coming from there!" She said before covering her mouth at the realization of what she said out loud.
What?
"Nu-uh, it's not singing! It sounds like rain and sea waves!" Taylor said not so aware of what she said as her friend.
"Very interesting." Father Ferdinand said as he tapped his fingers together.
The nun as had enough at that point, the girls started to argue with each other over what was the sound they heard, and it seemed she would have a lot of things to talk about with Father Ferdinand at a later hour.
It took her a minute but she managed to calm down the two after walking to their side, even so, she still needed to distract them and shift the conversation to something else.
"Father, you said something about the pilot?" She asked hoping that would work.
He kept observing the girl with a neutral face for a moment before he looked at her. "Yes, the pilot informed me that the jet will not fly today because of the rain. All flights are canceled, orders from the PRT and the National Weather Services." Ana understands the latter but the PRT?
"Jet? Where are you going?" Asked Taylor, sounding genuinely concerned.
"We," Ana interjects. "Come to America for business and will be staying for quite some time."
"Oooh, and where do you come from?" She asked.
"I am from Austria. Sister Ana is from Spain and we both lived in Rome before coming here." Said the priest.
"Wait, Rome still exists? I thought it had fallen." Said Emma and Ana could not help but giggle, even Father Ferdinand let a small smile escape, maybe she was wrong about him hating children?
It was when Taylor was about to ask something that they got interrupted again, this time by the deacon. The portly man walked inside carrying many towels on his hands, he smiled at the girls as they greeted him before he addressed the clergy duo.
"Father, Sister, there is a group of people outside, asking for the girls." He spoke.
"It must be our parents!" Shouted Emma a little too loud. "Upsy, sorry."
"It's good to know they arrived here safe, but why the towels?" Ana asked the deacon.
"Well." He started but paused for a moment, searching for words. "I don't think they were prepared for the rain."
"Huh, then we must meet them at once before anyone catches a cold." Father Ferdinand said as he got to his feet, the deacon nodded and left immediately to deliver the towels.
"Well then girls, let's see your parents?" Ana asked with cheer but to her surprise, the girls seemed disappointed. "What is the matter?" she asked with worry and they answered by looking at the handbag on the priest's hand. She could not help the frown.
Father Ferdinand saw that however and made a move that caught Ana by surprise; he offered the bag for the two. "Alright kids, what about a deal?" He asked as Taylor and Emma looked at him with shining eyes. "I will let you two hold this bag, that has nothing in it. In exchange, you two will never speak about the singing-" Taylor was about to open her mouth but he interrupted her. "-and sea storm sounds to your parents or anyone else ever. Deal?"
The girls looked at the offering bag and then at each other, after a moment they nodded and looked at the priest in the eyes and said in unison.
"Deal!"
To say the adults are wet would be an understatement, Ana thought as their small group walked the beautifully illuminated nave, the light casting a sense of serenity that would easily invite anyone to come in and show their devotion to God almighty... if not for the rather large group of wet people at the entrance.
It was eight in total, three men and five women, and except for the old lady with an umbrella, they were all completely drenched in water. The poor deacon and an acolyte were forced to leave to search for more towels and pretty much anything that could be used to dry the wet floor.
As they approached the group, Ana could better see their appearance clearer; Starting from the left she saw what she guessed was a couple, an average-height man with dark hair and a bearded face, he was wearing a leather jacket and, on his hands, his gloved hands held a motorcycle helmet. The blonde woman at his side was shorter than him, wearing to the nun's horror, only a loose white shirt and blue pants, a motorcycle helmet on her hands. Did she come here on a bike in this cold rain?
Whatever the case she didn't seem worried about getting sick by the way she smiled at the man.
To their right stood what she believed to be Emma's family, it didn't take a genius to know that Emma and Taylor were not blood-related and the three were very similar to her; The tall hairy redhead man wore a blue dress shirt and black pants that fit well on his muscular body. Ana didn't miss the golden wristwatch he wore and she had to fight the urge to not stare at it. Overall, he looked like he was ready for business, if a very unlucky business trip, from how he tried to dry his hair with the wet towel.
Closer to him was a dirty blonde woman, quite the attractive one despite the water, especially with her casual clothes that consisted of white pants and a beige shirt. To her side was a redhead girl, very similar to Emma, so Ana guessed it was her older sister, she wore a summer dress, and by the way she hugged herself with the towel, she deeply regretted that.
The last three were what Ana was sure was Taylor's family. A tall, willowy woman with long, dark curly hair. She wore a black skirt and a blue blouse, glasses on her face, and laughing at her husband. He was an equally tall man, thin, balding with dark hair, glasses, and a weak chin, he was dressed similar to the redhead man, although simpler. He was laughing together with his wife, perhaps because of the futility of the action of drying oneself with a wet cloth. The inevitable sentiment shared by everyone in the group, as they chuckled together, everyone except the old lady.
She had black, curly hair, similar to the one Ana believed to be her daughter, although not as tall, she wore a yellow dress and a jacket, and different than all the others, she was dry thanks to a half-open umbrella on her hand. She had a displeased expression on her face.
"Well Danny, I will give you that." Said the redhead man. "Next time we are having a barbecue at home!"
"Told you!" Replied the thin man, Danny, she supposed.
The redhead was about to say something but was interrupted when the mothers caught sight of the group approaching them. They gasped before rushing toward them.
"Taylor!" "Emma!" They said in unison.
"Uh-oh!" said the girls in question as they gently, if reluctant, gave back the old bag to the priest.
"What were you two thinking?!" Asked the brunette, exasperation sculpted on her face. "We are searching for you two the whole day! We even call the police!"
"We- it's because-" Taylor tried to say.
"No excuses from you two!" Said the blonde, her face red. "When we get back home, you two will be grounded for the rest of the summer!"
"But mom-" Emma tried to say but was interrupted again by a male voice.
"No buts young lady." Said the redhead man as he approached with the thin one.
At the sight of the large group of adults standing against them, the girls have no choice but to accept defeat and mumble some apologies as they look down.
Sister Ana and father Ferdinand watch the whole scene unfazed. Waiting for the commotion to calm down, which happened soon. The parents run out of things to take away from the girls rather quickly.
"Oh, sorry!" Said the redhead woman, remembering the clergy's presence after scolding the children. She reached out a hand for a hand shack. "My name is Zoe Barnes, and this is my husband, Alan Barnes." The now-name Alan greeted them with a smile and a handshake.
The other woman did the same, still a little agitated with the whole situation as she took the hand of the priest. "Hello, my name is Annette Hebert, thank you so much for taking care of the girls! I was so worried!" She tried to calm herself before, pointing a finger at the others "This is my husband, Danny Hebert," She then pointed to the other at the door. " And those are our friends, Kurt and Lacey Matthews. Right there is Zoe's older daughter, Anne. And my mother Anastacia Rose."
Following the long roll of greetings and handshakes a request for blessing from Anastacia, Father Ferdinand finally spoke, trying but failing to suppress the accent of his voice. "You can call me Father Ferdinand, but what truly matters is that the girls are safe and well. And the one that deserves all thanks is Sister Ana, she was the one that found the girls and brought them inside!"
"Thank you so much, Sister." Said Zoe.
"It's nothing Taylor and Emma were being wonderful all the time!" She replied warmly.
She and the priest remained like that for some time doing small talk, until the deacon returned with more towels and spare clothes that were stored for donation. They moved the group to a side room, so they could change. From what Ana understood, they were searching for the girls on foot covering a large area, however, by the time Emma gave her mother a call and by the time Zoe could contact everyone, the rain was already on them.
In the meantime, the girls got permission to carry the old bag once more, something they were very happy to do.
Once everyone was dressed in new clothes and mostly dry, the group headed back to the break room. A hot cup of coffee to warm their bodies was much needed, especially for Lacey, judging by her shivering.
"I must thank you for the generosity." Spoke to Danny as they sat at the table. "I don't know what I- We. I don't know what we would do if we didn't find the girls..." He paused at the loss of words, before continuing. "Are sure you don't want any form of compensation? At least for the clothes."
Mrs. Anastasia scoffed. "Stop bothering these good people Danny, they already said no."
The deacon agreed, though, more gently. "I assure you mister Hebert. All of these clothes are for the people in need, and right now you need them."
"And I was doing my duty in helping the girls." Said Ana. "Monetary donation is appreciated though but I cannot accept such a reward for my personal needs." Although I would love some well-crafted jewelry, she squashed that thought and turned her gaze to the girls at her side. As expected, they were still playing with the bag; Emma was with her ears on it, gently knocking the side of the bag with her hands, they already figured out there was a box inside but what was inside the box would be a harder task. She smiled at the sight.
"They seem to like you." Spoke Annette and the nun turned to address her with a puzzled face, Annette was looking at her with a half-full cup of coffee in her hands and a smile, her mother at her side, looking at her then the girls, then back at her. Ana could not shake the feeling that she was plotting something. Annette spoke again. "The girls, they didn't leave your side even when we arrived, they like you."
"Yeah, Sister Ana cool!" Said Taylor, having temporarily given up on guessing what was in the bag. "Did you know she is from Spain and Father Ferdinand is from Austria?"
"Uh, uh, she said she knows how to dance too, and how to play a didgeridoo!" Spoke Emma. "And the two are traveling in a private jet!"
Ana chuckled. "I never said I play a didgeridoo, Emma. But you are right about the dance," she said, looking at the girl.
Alan quirked an eyebrow at what his daughter spoke and asked in curiosity, a feeling that was being shared by many at the table. "A jet? I get someone being transferred from a far place, but why a jet just to come to Boston?"
Deacon Thomas was the first to interject. "Ah, you misunderstood Mister Alan, Father Ferdinand, and Sister Ana are not transferring here, they are just passing by."
Father Ferdinand nodded then continued. "Besides, we are transporting very important items, and we cannot trust airports to not damage them in some capacity."
"And I am correct in assuming they have some historic importance?" Said Annette.
"Indeed, some of them will be staying here in Boston, the others will be staying with me." At their curious expression, he continued. "I'd love to show some, but some are safely secure with the plane and the others here need to undergo a process of restoration, especially after-" He paused and glanced at the children, before choosing his next words carefully. " A certain someone paid an unrequested visit to Naples."
Everyone stayed quiet at that, and the priest decided to take the time and dedicate the moment to silent prayer for those lost in the attack of that monster. He finished with a muttered Amen, Mrs. Anastacia then asked.
"Father Ferdinand, can I ask where are you going then?" She asked. " I would love to do a small peregrination to see relics from the Vatican, I could even bring Taylor and Emma with me to see Sister Ana!" She said and Ana could not help but feel like there was something else happening here but she could not tell what.
"Well, I supposed you could Brockton Bay doesn't seem to be that far away from Boston, so I could give you the address." He said and Anastacia's eyes widened for a moment before she looked at her son-in-law and daughter from the corner of her eyes with a smirk.
Danny was the one to give a hint to the old woman's odd behavior. "But we are not from Boston, we are from Brockton." He then laughs at that. "Haha! What a coincidence?!"
The priest gave him a blank stare. "Oh." He whispers to himself, but only Ana hears him. "I should have expected that."
Emma gasped in surprise with the revelation, then spoke with optimism "Then you should come with us!"
"What do you mean sweet?" Asked Alan.
"Their plane!" She replies, before giving more details after seeing the confusion on the adults' faces. "It can't fly today, so, they could come in the car with us!"
"Well." Said Danny. "It is a good idea, I want to repay the favor you did for us."
Emma and Taylor then looked with pleading eyes to Alan and Zoe.
"Ah, alright, I think we could do it if you two are fine with it," Alan said.
Father Ferdinand nodded. "Hm, it would be good, I could use the opportunity to inspect the local storage for the relics by myself. Before everything arrives with the plane."
"Well then," Kurt said, looking at his wife before looking back at everyone. "Could someone change places and with Lacey? I don't think it is a good idea for her to go back in a bike."
"I can." Said Alan. "But why did you think it was a good idea to travel on a bike anyway?"
Kurt gave him a shrug. "You know, it is for the adventure!"
His wife scoffed and gave him a side glance. "You will see the adventure when I throw that thing in the bay."
Chucks filled the room for a moment before the priest spoke. "Well then, when should we prepare to leave?"
They were walking side by side, in the direction of their temporary room. Ana already had her baggage, but she needed the excuse of helping the priest with his baggage to finally be able to talk with him in private. There were too many coincidences and suspicious actions happening in a too short time frame and she needed to know why.
So, she was walking in silence, trying to come up with how to ask the questions she wanted to Father Ferdinand.
As they arrived at the bedroom though he spoke with his normal stern voice, closing the door behind him as he looked at her. "You want to ask me what is happening didn't you?"
Straight to the point then. "Yes Father, I want to apologize for that, but everything so far was being... suspicious to say the least."
"No need for apologies." He said as he started to prepare his suitcase. "I would inevitably tell you anyway."
"Then, what is happening? How did you know the girls would be at the door of the church?" She asked.
He paused, thinking about what to say, before speaking. "For the past two years, I have been receiving visions, Ana."
"Visions?" She asked.
"Yes, every time I sleep, my dreams are blessed with visions; whispers of events that are yet to come." He spoke. "Unfortunately I could never do anything with this blessing. Sometimes, because I could not interpret what I witnessed in time, others were because I could never hope to do something about them, be that because they would happen too soon or because I was powerless to do anything." He stopped and then looked at her in the eyes. "Until a couple of weeks ago."
"I assume the Holy See knew of this ability then?" He nodded. "Then why did you invite me? Surely there were better options for this task."
"You, more than anyone else know very well what was inside that old bag." He said before going back to his task. "Besides, we will not be alone, other allies will come to our aid. I would rather have the girls be under our influence if just a little, rather risk than run free without knowing what they carry."
Indeed, she knows very well what is the risk of carrying such an artifact without proper guidance.
She nodded and spoke, "Very well then, what will be my duty in Brockton Bay?"
"The city is dangerous. I would hardly say it is between the worst cities that I have ever put my foot in." He said as he finished his preparations. "But it's not safe either. Your expertise will be needed." Ana was unsure of that, but the priest reassured her. "Fear not, for God is at our side! He shall give you strength to push on against the shadows of your guilt and raise you upon new light!"
"Thank you, Father." She smiled and took her place at his side as he walked outside.
As they reunited with the group at the entry of the Church. With the help of some extra umbrellas, Alan, Danny, and Kurt put the extra luggage on the cars, before discussing how they would separate the groups.
It was decided then that Zoe, Emma, Taylor, and Ana would go in Alan's car with Annette as the driver since she was the only other driver. Danny would drive his car, Mrs. Anastacia, Anne, Father Ferdinand, and Lacey with him. Kurt and Alan in the bike and it took some time, but the deacon found a raincoat that was good enough for Alan to use.
And so, they gave their farewells to the deacon and the staff members of the church and left for the road; Next destination, Brockton Bay.
It was a slow travel to leave Boston, some small commotion was slowing down the speed at which the car could go, Ana suspected it was dread born of the rain. The news on the radio reported that the mysterious rain seemed to cover only the city of Boston, yet, it was as intense as any other.
But soon, despite the slow speed, they finally left the city. The sky was grey, but it was better than the cold storm.
"Sister Ana," spoke Emma from her left, she sat on the between her and Taylor. A part of Ana was impressed that they didn't try to bring the old bag with them. "Could you teach me dancing?"
"Uh, me too!" Chirp in Taylor.
Ana smiled. "I am not sure if I can teach you girls." She spoke. "Also, should not you ask permission from your parents first?"
"I would not mind Sister." Said Zoe from the front seat, looking away from the book she was reading. "However, none of you two will be doing anything that fun until the end of the summer break!"
"Oh..." they said, shoulders slumping slightly.
"You two should be happy we didn't think of anything harsher." Said Annette. "I still can't believe that you two-" She stopped herself as the ringtone of a cell phone filled the car. "Sorry, just a moment." She said as she reached for the cell phone and was about to answer it.
Ana frowned. "Ms. Hebert, I don't think it's responsible of you to answer your cell phone while driving³." Ana didn't like the idea of scolding a woman who was older than her, but she thought it was necessary.
Fortunately, Zoe agreed with her. "She is right, you should not be doing it." She said, looking away from her book once more and giving a hand, waiting for the phone so she would answer it. Annette was reluctant but gave in after a moment. It was Danny, and he too was soon scolded for talking on the cell phone when driving.
After sometime later of small talk and pleas from the girl in a poor attempt at emotional blackmail to get away from their punishment, Annette asked "So, Sister Ana, why did you become a nun?"
"Yeah, like, you are very pretty!" Said Zoe. "You could have become a model or something."
Ana laughs, like mothers like daughters.
A.N. So, finally, I decided to write my first fanfic ever! (No, the NSFW doesn't count! And I will deny its existence!)
Don't expect regular updates though, I still need to figure out how to make Taylor and Emma into Catholics without overly relying on a time skip. Also, no guarantee, but I may include Catholics of other works on this madness I am writing, but there is a low chance, and I may give up on doing that and stick with just Blasphemous.
Btw, I am not the best catholic in the world, so if other fellow Catholics wish to help me I would be glad to accept, any help is appreciated!
Also, footnotes that I put in the chapter to explain some decisions I made, I need a better way to mark the footnotes;
1-Yes, she is being paranoid.
2-This one will be a surprise to everyone, but yes, Brockton Bay has an Airport.
3-Could not think of a better way to do it, but it is what it looks like, Annette will survive... but she will not be too happy when she figures out what her mother is planning.