Trinity Blood 1. Mission Diverted

Abel sighed in his normal, dramatic fashion; his glasses were already starting to fog up with the humidity in the air, even though it was nightime and the sun had long since set. The atmosphere was practically started to dissolve with instability and the faint sounds of thunder echeod off the darkened buildings around them.

"It figures I finally have time to visit Vienna and it's on an investigation," he bemoaned himself. His stomach growled a bit with hunger so he surrendered another sugar cube to ward it off a bit. "If they keep lowering my ration during these missions of ours I'm going to be the first priest to die purely due to a vow of poverty."

Tres looked at him monotonously. Abel gave him a sheepish smile. "Ah...guess you're not one to empathize with that, hm?"

"Negative. I am not granted a ration in monetary form since I do not require sustanence," Tres replied in his usual even tone.

"That's too bad because I probably would have asked you to share," Abel admitted, a bit frazzled. He readjusted his glasses as it started to rain ever so slightly. "What exactly did Lady Caterina tell you about this mission of ours, Father Tres? She practically shooed me out of her office the moment I got there."

"Our mission is to investigate the strange activity that has been occuring here in Vienna. It is causing unrest in both the human and vampire populations," Tres reported.

"And...what sort of 'strange activity' is she referring to?" Abel asked. "Last time I checked strange things were happening practically everywhere lately..."

"There have been repeated sightings of a creature that cannot be identified as either human nor vampire," Tres added. "It appears to be a female, but that is all that we have been informed of."

"Neither human nor vampire? But...how can anyone know that if they haven't seen her up close?" Abel asked.

"Satellites monitoring the open population have identified that she is neither human nor vampire," Tres said, standing up from where they had been sitting on the steps outside of the local church. "We must initiate the search before the rain potentially dampers her trail. Come Father Nightroad."

With that, Tres began to walk down the road as Abel about tripped over his own feet trying to keep up. He was curious as to what their readings had truly picked up, however. After everything that had happened in the last few months, however, there was little that could surprise any of them anymore.

They walked in silence for a short time before Tres's internal communicator crackled to life, and he paused to listen to it and reply.

"Father Tres, we have just recieved a potential lead on the unknown's whereabouts," Sister Kate's voice came through with a bit of interference.

"I am prepared to receive the information," Tres replied.

"We last recieved the signal from about two miles from your location, in an abandoned industrial district called Weatherdown Heights. It was used almost exclusively before Armageddeon but has been empty for some time now. Her signal is still being transmitted to the Vatican's scanning server as an unidentified being. Please keep in contact with us with whatever you may find."

"Positive. Father Nightroad and I will relay whatever information we can ascertain once we have made contact with the unknown," Tres affirmed, before his communicator shut off. He turned to Abel. "The unknown has been tracked to an abandoned industrial area."

"Well, by all means, lead the way," Abel replied. "My sense of direction isn't nearly as...refined as yours."

Tres nodded, but didn't seem to regard that Abel might not move as swiftly as he did; he suddenly took off at an inhuman pace down the road. Abel yelped as he sprinted to try and keep up, but it was of little use. Tres was gone before he could even make it a hundred metres down the road.

He groaned a bit and panted as he dramatically leaned on his knees. "I'll catch up with you Tres! ...wait, I needed to follow him there because I have no sense of direction..." he shouted, and then whimpered, as the realization finally struck him that he was essentially lost without his android companion.

Nonetheless, he sprinted off in the direction he'd seen him go.

Tres made it to the industral yard in literal moments, though he slowed once he'd reached the edge of the property. His internal scanner started to check for life signals, and almost immediately he could see an infra-red pattern left behind by something that was alive and humanlike. "Signal locked; pursuing..." he reported, arming himself almost immediately with his two guns. They had no way of knowing if this being was hostile or not, and Tres always assumed the former one way or another.

The industrial yard was empty and silent as death. The only sounds that reached his auditory receptors were the sounds of chains rattling in the wind, and his heavy footsteps as he walked along with his guns trained ahead of him. The small red beads of light traced along the dark asphalt as he paused, hearing what sounded like the distant noises of racing footsteps within one of the warehouses. He immediately turned and looked, seeing a figure race by one of the windows.

Tres suddenly crouched down and then leapt up swiftly, easily breaking through the old musty glass and landing gracefully on one knee in the empty room. His eyes immediately scanned for movement, and he saw a small form rushing out of the room. He locked both of his guns on the form quickly, and it froze.

"Halt. Cease and desist escape. You are under investigation of the Vatican for sending out obscured signals to the population control computation system," he reported monotonously as he approached the figure, keeping his guns locked on her.

He heard her whimper a bit, and she turned and looked at him. At first he'd assumed it was a child since she was quite short and frail, but it was actually a young woman. She was to the point of being so malnourished that her form had shrunken slightly and she looked younger than she actually was. She was also dirty and wearing mismatched dark clothing, as though she'd rummaged them from somewhere. Tres, however, was there for answers and not to elicit sympathy for the creature at this moment, though he did lower his firearms when he saw she was fearful and had stopped trying to evade him.

"Answer: Of what race are you?" he demanded of her as he leaned down so he was more level with her. One of his eyes was glowing faintly red as he tried to get a reading on her via his internal database.

But she was too frightened to talk. Tres got almost right up into her face, making her back up even more from him, though she found herself pinned against a wall and unable to distance herself anymore.

"Silence is not an accepted response," Tres said. "Answer: Of what race are you?"

"I...I don't know..." she choked out after a moment. "I...I was hoping to find someone that might...might be able to tell me what I am and...why I was made. I was...looking for this," she said; she reached into her blouse and pulled out what looked like a slightly damaged silver crucifix.

Tres honed right in on that. "That crucifix is a relic of the ancient Vatican. Where did you obtain it?"

"When...when I woke up...it was lying on my chest..." she said, looking down at it quietly, before she held it more firmly in her hand. "There was nothing else around me that...that wasn't in ruin already. I thought if I found out where this came from, I might...know what it is I am."

"Answer: Where is it that you awakened?" Tres asked, standing upright once more. He could tell his presence was intimidating her and he wanted her to calm down enough to give him information.

"I...I can show you..." she said, trying to edge around him. Tres held up one of his guns suddenly so that it was pointed upwards.

"Positive. I will be monitoring your movement. Do not attempt to deviate from showing me the location of your origin, or I will be forced to terminate you," he replied.

She frowned a bit and looked at him a little incredulously. "Aren't you a big charmer..." she sighed, though she turned and led him down one of the corridors. "I can't tell you how long I've been asleep...I only just woke up a few days ago and almost immediately I could tell I was being tracked by someone."

"By whom are you being tracked?" Tres asked.

"You mean besides you?" she replied, cocking an eyebrow at him. She turned back around as she continued. "I...I'm not sure who it was. But it didn't feel like a human or Methusalah either."

Tres narrowed his eyes faintly as this information, but remained silent.

The girl led him into what looked like it had once been a crude, makeshift laboratory that had since been overtaken by plant life and time. There was broken glass and decaying machines all over the place. In the center of the room was what looked like a modified cryogenic chamber with a clear top, which was open. The glass was compromised and cracked badly, as though the girl had had to fight her way out of it.

Tres took in his surroundings in silence; he could see the state of disrepair all of this was in. But if the girl's words were in fact the truth, how had she been kept asleep for this long while the rest of the laboratory had fallen into such rot? He got his answer as he looked closer. The single device that had been left attached to a generator was the girl's chamber, and it looked like it had only recently been severed from its power source by a rodent chewing on it. Once the chamber had failed to sustain her any longer, she had woken up.

"This is where I woke up...it took me hours just to force the lid open," she said. "But the moment I got out I could sense there was something wrong, so...I've stayed hidden here for the last couple weeks."

"Positive. Your malnourishment is consistent with your recollections," Tres replied. "The Vatican will have further questioning required of you. We must relocate you to an infirmary where your health can be evaluated and improved."

The girl suddenly looked at him, startled. "No, no! I can't leave here. It's not safe for me to leave!"

"Answer: Why do you not feel it is safe outside?"

"Because...because I...I don't know why I feel that way..." she said, clenching her fists. Her long dark hair was matted and hung over her shoulders as she shook slightly. "I can...just sense something awful is here. It's like a darkness that hangs over the whole world..."

"Come; I will escort you there. You will be safe," Tres said, offering her his hand.

The girl looked at him with a furrowed brow. "Weren't you the one that was just threatening to shoot my brains out if I tried to run from you?"

"Positive. But my mission has been diverted. The mystery surrounding your creation constitutes making sure that you are healthy enough to be questioned."

"Well isn't that just gentlemanly! You only want to get me help so you can have me interrogated!" she growled. "I'm not going anywhere until I feel like it's safe to."

"Negative. You are coming with me," Tres replied, reaching forward for her arm to make her come with him. The moment that he stepped forward, however, the floor beneath them started to crack.

It was like a cobwebbing effect; a small pressure fissure from his weight caused the entire floor to begin to give way. He could sense it was not mere decay that was causing this, however; his auditory receptors detected a low frequency sound that was disrupting the integrity of the building around them. The girl cried out and staggered as the entire room started to crumble apart around them.

Tres wasted no time; there wasn't any way to escape the room before it collapsed, but his mechanical body would handle whatever trauma it was dealt. The girl, however, likely could not. He quickly seized hold of her and kept her close as the floor suddenly fell away, and they both toppled down into the darkness.

The girl screamed and had no choice but to cling to him closely as they fell; it wasn't only the room they were in that had fallen apart. The entire building seemed to have dissolved into rubble in an instant. Tres couldn't determine what had caused it yet, but he held the girl close nonetheless.

"Do not panic. No matter how far we fall, my body will absorb the impact. Please stay atop me until we have reached the base."

The girl looked at him with fear and surprise. "How can you remain so calm...if you're the one who hits first then you'll be killed!"

"Negative. I am not human and thus am not crippled by the same manner of force as them."

"You...you aren't human either...?" she murmured.

She didn't have time to question him again, however, before Tres suddenly slammed against what looked like a massive pile of stone along the ground. It was so dark that she could barely see, but she could hear the crunch of his form hitting them. The rush of blood she'd been expecting to see, however, was instead replaced with the sound of metal being twisted and wires short-circuiting. The girl gasped as the dust started to clear, and she could see in the dim light his form sprawled out underneath her. Tres's eyes were closed and he appeared to be unconscious, and she could see the wound in his shoulder where some stone had impaled him. There were small electrical misfires coming from around it.

"You...you're an android..." she murmured, though she was met with silence this time.


	2. In the Catacombs

Tres calculated that he had been unconscious for approximately72 minutes by the time his processor was able to reboot. It was dark around them, and he started to crackle back to life. He opened his eyes as his mind clicked back to life. "Levels at 70%. Wounds 80% healed," he spoke monotonously. He started to sit up when he realized that the girl was still slumped against him.

He looked down at her silently; she'd fallen asleep on top of him, waiting for him to wake up. He did not know why she had stayed, since she could have easily used this time to escape, or at the very least distance herself from him. He rested his hand on her shoulder and pulled her away gently.

"Awaken. We must find a way out of these catacombs," he said to her. She stirred slightly and opened her eyes, gasping a bit. He looked like he was barely damaged at all now.

"You...you're okay..." she murmured. She sounded vaguely concerned.

"Positive. I am outfitted with an auto-repair system. That is why I insisted on taking the impact," he replied

"Th...thank you, for saving me...I'm sorry, for getting you into this mess. I didn't realize the structural integrity of that building was so terrible..." she said to him.

"Negative. The building collapsed due to unidentified outside forces. My sensors detected low frequency sounds assaulting the structure from the outside." He stood and set her onto her feet. "You were correct. There is someone looking for you that has ascertained your location. Objective modified: we must get you back to the Vatican for your own safety." He paused and looked down at her directly, and intensely. "Answer: What is your name?"

She paused and looked off to the side. "The side of my chamber said...'OlivAI.' I believe that is my name."

"OlivAI. Name archived," Tres replied.

"And...what is your name?" OlivAI asked him curiously, looking up at him. She was a good head shorter than him.

"My name is Father Tres Iqus, codenamed Gunslinger, deputy enforcer for the Vatican under Lady Caterina, the Duchess of Milan," he informed her.

"Tres...well, it's, uhm...nice to meet you I suppose, even with...regards to everything that's happened," she said, holding out her hand. Tres just looked at it blankly.

"Correct. Our first meeting was tremulous," he replied, and she sweatdropped a bit.

"They didn't program many manners into you did they? It's only polite for you to shake someone's hand when they offer it to you, you know," OlivAI said. "I was asleep for whatever amount of time and even I know that!"

Tres looked down at her hand again, and then grasped it...incredibly hard. He was not accustomed to these kinds of formalities since he was typically only sent out on assault-related missions. She swore she could feel her bones snapping apart inside her hand. She let out a muffled squeal of pain and winced.

"Too hard, too hard! Okay...let's forget the hand shake," she said as he let go. "Let's...just find our way out of here..." she said, stepping off of the rock pile they'd landed in and looking around. "This look like an old catacomb system that runs underneath the city. Eventually there has to be a way back up to the surface."

"Positive. These catacombs have existed under Vienna for centuries. Attempting to retrieve data," Tres said as his processor scanned for information. "Attempt failed. No existing layout maps exist. Communication with surface: also failed."

"Well, I guess we'll just have to find our way out of here on our own," she said softly.

"Positive. I will lead the way, as there are unidentified forces looking for you as well. We must proceed with caution," he said; he pulled out his firearms once more, holding them vertically but prepared to use them if need be. OlivAI scampered behind him and followed close.

The catacombs were dark, winding, and labyrinthine. Most of it had fallen into severe decay, though it was surprisingly desolate nonetheless. Most abandoned areas became the homes of squatters and the homeless, but this place didn't look like it had been touched by anything but age.

OlivAI began to feel uneasy, walking around this place with only the sounds of their footsteps to listen to, and the small, echoing dribbles of water running down through the stones. She walked closer to him and reached up and grabbed onto the back of his black robes to trail along. It was hard to see anyways, so holding onto him made it easier to follow. He did not protest this, though she was forced to keep up with his relatively quick pace.

Eventually she started to feel tired and stumbled, falling into his back as he suddenly halted.

"Sensors indicate that you are in need of rest," Tres said, turning to look back at her. "We will pause to allow you respite. We have been traveling approximately five hours and thirteen minutes without escape. I will determine the best course of action while you rest."

OlivAI nodded and went to try and find somewhere comfortable to sleep. But most of this place was made entirely of stone, and any exposed patches of dirt were no more inviting. The best she could do was try to curl up on a flat slab of rock, but it was cold and unforgiving. She shivered a bit but tried to close her eyes and sleep.

Tres was silent for a short time, staring off into the distance as internally he was processing their situation. Eventually he turned and looked down at her. "You are not resting. Your body temperature is also decreasing rapidly."

"The ground is really cold. This place hasn't seen sunlight in its entire existance," she replied quietly.

"Then there is only one course of action," Tres replied.

OlivAI yelped as he suddenly and wordlessly bent down and picked her up from the ground. He held her bride style in his arms and looked down at her calmly. "You must rest against me. Close proximity to my body will help increase your bodily temperature."

OlivAI looked at him surprised, then blushed a bit. "You really need to work on your wording a bit, but...can't really refuse. You're nice and toasty compared to the ground," she replied, nestling in against him without further argument. His artificial body did give off a nice amount of warmth. She managed to tuck herself for the most part under his black outer cloak to insulate herself.

"I will continue to search for a means of escape while you rest," Tres reported to her as he started to walk slowly, scanning for any means of reaching the surface.

"Sounds good to me. You can probably see better in the dark than me anyways," she replied tiredly.

"Positive. I am equipped with automatic night vision."

"Just a jack of all trades aren't you?"

"I do not know what that means," Tres replied emotionlessly.

"It means you can do a lot of things."

"Positive. I am equipped to do many things."

OlivAI chuckled a bit, resting her head against his chest. "It's funny how even with how flatly you talk, you're still kinda comforting."

Tres did not reply and continued to look foward.

He walked for what felt like another couple hours before his pace started to slow. "System levels are currently at 10%. Recharge necessary," he said. She noticed that his voice sounded a bit less level, probably since he was tired.

"And you were telling me I needed to nap. You needed to just as much as I did," she said with a weary yawn. Tres quietly walked to a stone pillar and sat down on the ground, reclining back against it slightly with his legs crossed on the ground. He continued to hold her in his arms, though he allowed her to sit on his thigh, keeping one arm around her for warmth.

"We will both rest," he said, shutting his eyes.

"Mm, still sounds good to me," she said softly, resting against him.

She slept sporatically for a short while, but eventually gave up. The catacombs were just too quiet and desolate for her to feel truly comfortable. She heard the small patter of rats scurrying about though and yelped, drawing closer to him. Tres's eyes opened slightly.

"Answer: Are you all right?" he asked.

"I'm fine, just...just nervous..." she admitted. "I mean...what if we find our way out of here and whatever else was looking for me takes me from you?" Her voice was shaking a little bit at the thought. She didn't even know what they were, those that were looking for her, but it didn't matter. It was still a frightening thought. "They could even be underground here with us searching for us right now...if they didn't find our bodies in the rubble they could only assume that we escaped and are looking for us..." she started to sound more panicked. They were all alone down here, and though she assumed that Father Tres hadn't come all this way alone to find her, they were cut off from the rest of the world right now.

She quieted down when he suddenly rested his forehead down against hers, pressing them together with a strange firmness. It was odd, but...he seemed like he was trying to comfort her in doing so. She looked into his eyes with hers slightly wet with tears.

"It will be all right. I promise you that I will get you to the Vatican safely," he said to her. His voice was still flat and level, like always...but there was something very genuine about it. She paused and looked at him softly for a moment.

"You...you promise?" she asked him softly.

"I promise on my position as a Father of the Vatican," he said to her. "Now I must request that you get some rest OlivAI. You are already underweight and appear to be slightly ill because of your captivity; your bodily temperature continues to rise and fall without external cause. I do not want your life endangered further."

All she could really do was nod and nestle against him again. This time he rested both his arms around her and held her close. "Answer: are you warm enough in this position?" he asked her as he stared off into the shadows, before his own eyes slowly and methodically began to close.

"More than enough..." she said softly, right before she finally did fall asleep, for real this time.

"Recharge complete. Function is now restored to 100%," Tres murmured as his processor came back online. His internal drive told him he'd been asleep for approximately one hour and twenty-seven minutes.

He immediately knew that OlivAI was gone; he couldn't feel her asleep against him. He stood and looked around, scanning the darkness.

"Answer: Where are you located, OlivAI?" he half-shouted into the shadows.

"I'm over here, sorry...I...I needed to relieve myself..." he heard her shy voice from behind some rubble.

"Apologies. I did not mean to disturb you," he replied, keeping his gaze transfixed away from her so he did not see anything indecent.

OlivAI came out from behind the fallen structure and smiled to him a bit wearily. "So, shall we continue looking?"

"Positive. We must find a way out of here soon," he replied, holding out his hand to her again. She gave him an attempt at a more cheerful grin despite her harried appearence and took his hand.

The moment she touched him, however, he suddenly sensed something amiss. The sounds of the animals that had accompanied them down there had been silenced as though the rats and other creatures had fled. He suddenly yanked OlivAI close to himself and scanned around, his expression contorting ever so slightly into a more aggressive expression.

"We are being suveyed. We must flee," he said to her, before he suddenly took off rapidly into the darkness.

OlivAI suddenly felt afraid; if there were something nearby that made him this cautious, she felt she had reason to fear. She could feel him press into her back a bit in a comforting gesture. "Do not be afraid. I will protect you OlivAI."

"I know that you will," she said, though she still buried her face in against the black cloth of his cloak nonetheless. She felt a bit odd trusting him so much when she had just met him a few hours before, but his intense mindset brought some peace of mind to herself.

He finally paused in the middle of a large ancient amphitheater that had been left to decay centuries upon centuries ago. He paused to regain their status when suddenly his vision shot up to the being standing on a pillar overlooking them. His eyes narrowed substantially when he realized who it was. OlivAI looked up at the figure incredulously; it was hard to see in the darkness, but it looked like a young man with long blond hair.

"It's not everyday that I come out of hiding to make a personal appearence..." the man smiled down at them eerily, almost innocently. "But in this case, I wanted to see her for myself..."


	3. The Promise

"Who...who is that...?" OlivAI asked, her voice shaking a bit; in fact her whole form was quivering in his arms as she looked up at the being standing over them. He was tall, taller than Tres, and had long blonde hair that hung far down his back. She didn't recognize any of the emblems on his garments.

"Identified as Cain Knightlord. Other aliases include Contra Mundi and Krusnik 01. Leader of the terrorist group known as the Rosencreutz Orden. He is an artificially created human injected with super-enpowered DNA that makes him predator to both humans and vampires..." Tres answered her; she couldn't help but notice that his voice held the faintest trace of venom in it as he informed her of this.

Cain just smirked down at him. "Very good. You seem to remember me Father Tres, a shame our last encounter was so brief, however. I didn't have time to make certain that you were effectively offline. I think I'll correct that now...unless, of course, you wish to simply hand the girl over to me. Then there will be no cause for bloodshed," he replied with a falsely innocent gaze, holding out his hand as though asking to borrow a simple object.

"Negative," Tres replied, holding OlivAI away from him. "She is in my protective custody and must be taken back to the Vatican safely. Your objective for her will involve nothing but torture, Knightlord." The mention of torture made OlivAI gasp softly.

Cain simply gave them another eerie expression before his form suddenly vanished from atop the pillar, reappearing almost instantly in front of them. OlivAI couldn't even fathom the speed at which he moved. "How very astute of you, though I have much bigger plans for her than simple torture, android..." he said. He suddenly gripped Tres by his shoulder armor, literally tearing OlivAI out of his arms before he jettisoned Tres into a far pile of debris with ease, despite his heavy stature. OlivAI cringed, hearing Tres impact the stones harshly.

"No, Father Tres!" OlivAI cried out in terror; she couldn't see him any longer in the shadows and felt her heart sink.

"Oh please, that brainless machine won't be able to tell you what you wish to know about yourself..." Cain said to her as he held onto her arm oppressively, his nails cutting into her skin a bit. "I, however, have known about you my dear for the last nine hundred years...I knew it was only a matter of time before you would woke up, and then I'd simply need to be there to wisk you away. But then he interfered..."

Tres managed to push himself up and out of the pile of rubble; he was slightly damaged, but it was thankfully minimal. He really could take a lot of abuse as he'd said he could.

"OlivAI, you have far more purpose in this world than being on display for the Vatican," Cain said, looking down at her. "I can show you that purpose if you desire..."

"OlivAI, do not listen to him. Cain Knightlord is a known manipulator and mass murderer. The organization that he leads has killed thousands of innocent peoples, perhaps more if tallied throughout the centuries. I cannot promise that the Vatican will know of your past, but I will uphold my promise to keep you safe," Tres said to her. His tone was still even, but slightly more urgent now.

OlivAI looked between them, before she tried to pull free from Cain. "Let go of me! I don't want to go with you...!"

Cain just grinned, and suddenly stabbed his hand directly through her shoulder. Blood and torn flesh suddenly seemed to move through the air in front of her in slow motion. It was not a lethal blow, a few inches from her heart...but the _pain_. The pain immediately traveled throughout her body and overtook her. She let out a sharp scream of anguish as he pulled his hand free from her, still gripping her with his other hand as she crumpled forward.

Tres immediately lunged at him the second that he heard OlivAI scream, and saw all of the blood. He knew from the past that no matter his aim, his guns would not help him against Cain Knightlord. He had no choice but to attempt to attack him directly.

Cain, however, was still far swifter and stronger than he was. He reached out and gripped Tres by his throat, holding him easily in the air. Tres's expression remained monotone, even as Cain's grip started to rupture some of the circuitry in his neck.

"I know that you don't need to breathe android, but eventually I'll sever right through your spinal column...and you'll be dead," Cain said to him; his voice was so creepily innocent, almost like a sadistic child talking.

"No, please, Cain! Please don't hurt him...I beg you. I'll go with you quietly, just please...please do not harm him further..." OlivAI cried out, even as blood was running down her front.

Cain looked down at her silently, then released Tres from his grip. He suddenly smiled. "Submission suits you well, OlivAI..." he purred to her cruelly, stroking his thumb along her chin as she winced and pulled away. "Say your goodbyes quickly."

Tres was slumped back against some of the stones once more; he was damaged at his neck and down his spine from the earlier blow, and OlivAI could tell that anymore of this conflict and he could have so easily died. She got down and crawled up to him, smoothing some of his hair out of his face.

"Tres...just stay here, okay? No more trying to get me back from him...he's too strong. He'll kill you if you do and I couldn't bear that," she said to him gently.

Tres looked down at her. "I must fulfill my promise..."

"No! I want you to promise me instead that you'll heal yourself and get help on the surface..." she said to him. "It's the only way, right now...I'm sorry. I know in your mind there's always an immediate course of action, but this time...this time there isn't. I know you want to keep your promise to me, Tres...but I can't let you die. Not after the way you protected me earlier when we fell down here. I'd have probably died if it hadn't been with you."

"OlivAI..." he began to speak once more, but she held a finger to his lips to quiet him, which seemed to emote a slight glimmer of surprise on his part.

"No, Tres...no more arguing with me. Just get yourself better and get help, okay? Promise me..." she said to him gently.

Tres was quiet for a moment. "Positive. I promise to do as you wish, OlivAI."

OlivAI smiled a bit. "Good...I'll see you again soon, I promise. Thank you for protecting me, Tres," she said to him softly. She then leaned in and gently pressed a kiss to his cheek.

Tres looked to her with an ever so faint look of shock, but he calmed, and closed his eyes, seeming to enjoy the sensation. He'd never been kissed, before. In fact he couldn't remember the last time he'd been shown physical affection. Her lips felt so warm on his cheek. It made no sense logically for her to show him this intimate a gesture for simply following his program, and yet...he did not protest it.

She heard him make a very faint, deep sound to show his contentment, and smiled at him as she parted from him.

Cain, however, grew weary of their display and suddenly drew OlivAI back to him with an impatient growl. He wrapped an arm around her in a similar fashion to how Tres had held her to keep her warm in the catacombs.

"Do not worry, Father...I will take excellent care of her..." he chided, before he suddenly vanished with her in his grip.

Tres glared at the fading afterglow of Cain and OlivAI's image before him, but it was only another moment before he was forced to power down and heal himself once more.

"Father Tres! Father Tres, please respond if you can hear me..."

Abel's voice sounded at first like it were a hundred miles away, but it became clearer as he continued to speak with him. He could feel him shaking his shoulders a bit, trying to wake him. Tres's optical function returned.

"Father Abel, we must make haste. OlivAI is in grave danger," Tres reported to him swiftly.

"OlivAI...?" Abel echoed him. "Is she the one that we were here looking for?"

"Positive. I located her in the industrial district, but the building was collapsed beneath us and we became cut off from the surface. As I searched for a way out, we were ambushed."

"Ambushed...all the way down here? By whom?" Abel asked incredulously.

"By your brother, Cain Knightlord."

Abel's eyes widened substantially, then narrowed with a potent hate festering within them. "Where did he take her? Do you know why he sought her himself?" From what he'd seen, Cain tended to allow others to do his dirty work, both willingly and unintentionally. The fact that he'd come all the way here just to take the girl personally made him worry all the more about his motives.

"Negative. I was not able to ascertain the girl's origins, only that she is an artificially created being of some form," Tres responded. "Cain Knightlord alluded to knowing of her. He attempted to have her come with him compliantly with that information. When she refused, he kidnapped her using traumatic force."

Abel looked around; traces of his brother's scent were still in the air, but he was obviously long gone now. He winced when he saw the girl's blood on the ground, dried to a near black hue against the stone.

"We need to get back to the Vatican and find out why he took her. Now that we at least know the location of where she was created, maybe we can find some of the answers in the church's archives."

"Positive. We must make haste. I gave her my promise that I would bring her help," Tres said, looking at Abel intently.

Abel nodded. "There's a passage to the surface not far from here, follow me," he said, taking off into a sprint with Tres shadowing just behind him.


	4. Et est raptus OlivAI

OlivAI groaned a bit as she woke up, though her head was pounding so badly that she wished she were still asleep or unconscious. Her face was pressed against a cold surface of some sort, and when she propped herself up slightly, she realized it was marble. She also realized as well that her wound was bandaged, but blood had already seeped through some of the pale gauze tied around it. It still hurt deeply, but she tried to push the pain aside.

Her ears immediately picked up the sound of water stirring and she looked to the side to see what looked like a large cistern-fashion bathing area. The water had a pale emerald tint to it and emitted a strange and potent fragrance that made her feel a bit light-headed. She realized quickly, however, that the sounds of the water stirring were being caused by a waterfall flowing into it, and someone sitting at the far end of the pool.

"Well, I was wondering when you were going to awaken," Cain said to her with that same sickening and falsely sweet smile he'd given her down in the catacombs. "You blacked out on the journey here. You must be quite tired and cold."

OlivAI suddenly reddened and shut her eyes tightly when she realized he was nude, though he was half submerged in the water and reclining against the wall, so she couldn't see anything. "You pervert. Why did you bring me in here? I'd have rather been placed in a cell."

Cain chuckled, resting his cheek on the knuckles of one of his hands as he looked across at her. "I forgot how innocent you are. You've probably never even seen yourself naked, have you?"

"What sort of sick question is that?!" she spat back at him, still keeping her eyes closed. She heard him laugh a bit at her again. "Why did you bring me here?! Why did you wait until the Vatican came to find me to attack?!"

"So demanding...but I suppose it's only fair to tell you why you are here..." she heard him shift closer to her, though she just nudged backwards slightly across the floor, wanting to be nowhere near him. "I actually didn't know of your awakening until today, OlivAI. It was actually sheer coincidence that that robotic priest found you just before I reached you. Tell me...what do you know about the races of this planet?"

"The races...? There...there are humans and vampires...or, terrans and methuselah depending on whom you ask..." she replied. Though the knowledge felt...ancient? Archaic? Like she'd known it before she was asleep, and still did, even though the terms were not connected to any direct memories. It was strange, like remembering the words of a childhood storybook but none of the illustrations. It created an uneasiness in her.

"And you already know that you are neither of them, correct?"

She pursed her lips slightly. "From what I could tell I was created artificially. Are you implying that I'm an android like Father Tres or something?"

Cain laughed a bit more heartily. "No no...nothing like that. But most people do not know that there is in fact a third race that exists beyond those two. There are only three of us...or at least, that was what I believed. We are called the Krusnik. You have heard that term before...Father Tres said it down in the catacombs."

"Yes, and it sounded bestial..." she winced.

"The Krusnik genetic is both a blessing and a curse...in order for me to reach the power that I have, I sacrificed my personality and memories to it. That is why I am feared; most believe that I have gone completely insane."

"I'm starting to very easily see why..." she retorted.

"You have a sharp little tongue don't you? Before you ask me, no...you are not a Krusnik. But unlike all humans and methuselah in this world, you have the potential to be."

"The...the potential? Why do I have it?" she stammered.

"Because you were made for the same purpose that I and the other three Krusniks were created...we were artificially constructed by humans and sent to the Mars Colonization project to see if life was possible on the red planet of our solar system, because of population controls and warfare slowly engulfing the earth. But when we arrived there, we were all injected at different times with a genetic modifier known as the Krusnik that instilled us with this power. This was also when the Methuselah were created as well, in far greater numbers, but the Krusnik also emerged as a result of this are three of us left; myself, my brother Abel and my sister Seth."

"And the fourth that you mentioned...?"

OlivAI winced as it felt like the entire demeanor of the room changed. Cain's calm demeanor vanished for a second. "I do not speak of her..." he hissed, his voice suddenly sounding downright demonic. OlivAI let out a sigh of relief as she felt the atmosphere calm after a moment.

"Touchy subject I see..." she murmured. "But you said that I was created for the same mission that you and the other three were made for...does that mean that I am an artificially created human?"

"Yes, which means that your genetics are far more stable and enhanced than a normal human's would be, and as I said, you are perhaps the only one in this world right now who could become another one of us. Your enhancements appear to be recessive, which is why you were forced to rely so much on the android to find your way around underground, but they were there nonetheless. I'm not entirely sure why you were created but never used; my assumption is that the ancient Vatican had you formed in order send along a representative of their religion, but it never came to fruition, and you were left to essentially rot. I always knew all along that others like us were created, but most deteriorated and died in their sleep. Imagine my delight when my systems detected you when you awoke. Now we will have another like us, in this world of imperfect worms." His voice was making her skin crawl.

"So is that your grand scheme? To turn me into the same kind of freak of nature that you are?" she retorted angrily.

Cain was silent, but she could hear him suddenly exiting the water a few feet from her and the sound of his heavy wet footsteps against the marble.

"It is only part of it..."

She froze when she could hear his voice almost directly above her, and knew that he was standing right over her. She could feel the warm droplets of water tapping against her own skin. "You see, I have worked eons now slowly causing instability in this world so that it can be cleansed eventually, and a fresh start for it can take place. The war between the two races is an endeavor that will result in the same outcome, so I am simply speeding up the process. But the fact remains; our own race is soon to be only four even if you are added to it. If we are to become the true elite race that we are, we must increase our numbers."

OlivAI didn't like the direction that this conversation was going in, but before she could draw away from him further, she suddenly felt his hand clamp around her throat. She let out a strangled yelp as he pulled her up and off of the ground. She was so much shorter than him that her feet were dangling nearly two feet above the floor as he held her level with him. She didn't have much choice but to open her eyes then, only to see his looking directly into her piercingly.

"The thing about us is that we are flawlessly fertile. Most modified creatures are created or born sterile, but not us. Before I set you free to test yourself, I will bless you with our superior genetics, OlivAI...and before that, I have another task for you. If it is any comfort, you do not need to be awake for this, and I am more than certain that you will not want to be..." he smiled to her, stroking her cheek with his thumb even as she coughed and sputtered trying to get air. His grip on her throat increased severely.

"What...what are you going to do to me...?" she whimpered.

He chuckled a bit and closed his eyes with a smile. "I suggest when you do finally reach the Vatican soon enough, you look through their Holy book to the story of Adam and Eve...that will shed some light on it for you," he said.

She didn't know what he was referring to, but it didn't matter; she passed out only a few seconds after he quieted. Little did she know that unconsciousness now really would be a blessing for her.

Abel and Tres poured over their contents of the Vatican's missionary projects throughout the last few centuries, looking for anything that might pinpoint why OlivAI had woken up there with that crucifix on her. The cross itself, from what Tres could tell, was from centuries ago, so Abel had a hunch that maybe they were looking into records that were too current.

"Negative. 97% of records dating beyond five centuries ago have been lost," Tres reported to him.

"Wh-what?! But that's our only lead Tres...!" Abel replied in his usual dramatic manner. "How could the Vatican have possibly lost that many documents?"

"When the capital was renovated, a fire was started in the archive library by anarchists that destroyed many important files. There are no other copies of them anywhere," he replied, looking at Abel flatly. "The only other possible resource is the Book of Ages."

Abel furrowed his brow and pushed up on his glasses. "The Book of Ages is not accessible to us, Tres...that is the Vatican's personally inscribed history of the world from centuries even before Armageddon. I doubt even His Holiness has access to it even though he is the Pope..."

"Positive. The Book of Ages is currently in a secured vault beneath the throne room of the Pope's citadel. We must put in a request to see it due to urgent circumstances."

Abel about fell to the floor, awestruck. "A request, Tres? I know that you believe that everything moves at a quick pace around here, but bureaucracy does not. By the time we'd be allowed in the same room as that book we'd be skeletons."

Tres seemed to take what he said to heart, or...rather, into his mind, and nodded, staring off into space. "Can we not request for a trusted scribe to look up the information we need, then? The Book of Ages is updated every seven days of any significant events that occurred by two individuals, one each of Lady Caterina's and Cardinal Francesco's staff."

"I...I suppose at the very worst Lady Caterina will simply say it can't be done..." Abel said thoughtfully. "Still though, the answer might not even be in there if this was done in secret."

"Correct, but...it is our only lead as of right now, Father Nightroad."

"Absolutely not," Lady Caterina barked at them sternly. Abel winced childishly when she raised her tone at them, though Tres continued to look at her emotionlessly.

"Lady Caterina, I realize that this is a very large favor to ask-"

"It is not a favor, Father Nightroad, it is an impossibility. The records that are kept in the Book of Ages are purely for the Vatican to preserve the world's history. They are flawlessly kept and their location is heavily guarded. Even I would have trouble looking at it if I so wanted to. It can only be done with both permission from myself and my brother, and I'm sure you know how willing he'd be to allow you to," she responded in a commanding tone.

"Lady Caterina," Tres implored her. "We are both informed that this is a taboo request on our part as priests. We have been left with no other option. OlivAI's awakening may be a harbinger of something else to come, and her life is in grave danger. We have no other access to any other information dating back beyond five hundred years from today, and OlivAI's creation predates that. If we cannot know of her creation then she will likely remain in the Rosencreutz Orden's custody."

Lady Caterina paused and looked at Tres sharply, but after a moment of looking back and forth at the two of them, her expression softened ever so slightly. "I know that you two are out of options in this case. I will try, but I cannot promise anything."

"So, Father Leon...what do you think Abel's reaction will be when he learns that the Vatican has invited Queen Esther to come and negotiate further trade between the two principalities a few days' time?" the Professor asked his comrade with a wry smirk as he smoked his pipe. Their nights patrolling around the city outside the citadel were usually filled with meaningless conversations, but he had a humored glint in his eye.

"Tch, probably stutter like a shy idiot and fall on his ass like usual," Father Leon replied gruffly as he chewed on a toothpick. "If he thinks for one damn minute he's hiding his feelings at all for her, then he thinks were all way bigger idiots than we are."

"I'm tempted to agree with you," the Professor nodded. "Though Abel needs to watch where he treads in that area. Even if you overlook the fact that Esther is royalty, whose blood will likely be kept pure by her counsel, he underwent a vow of chastity when he joined the priesthood."

"Pfft. I'd be surprised if Abel even knew what sex is," Father Leon quipped, causing the Professor to wince.

"There's no need for talk like that..." he chuckled.

"Hey, it's a valid point. Abel might be a Krusnik, but there are elements of his personality where he still acts like a damned kid himself."

The Professor smiled a bit warily. "Maybe not as much as you think..." he murmured so his companion couldn't hear him. He'd noticed how inwardly miserable Abel had been ever since Esther had ascended the throne hastily to keep Albion from falling to the riots that the Rosencreutz Orden had orchestrated those paltry two months ago. He really did wonder, however, how Abel would react when he heard the news.

Father Leon spit out his toothpick and nearly stumbled flat onto his face when his foot caught onto something lying across the pathway. "Tha hell...? You'd think that people could leave their refuse somewhere a little less tasteless," he said. He reached down and removed the cloth covering it from the ground.

Both of them were frozen with absolute shock for a second. "Our Holy Mother..." Father Leon gasped.

The girl was unconscious and unmoving, and completely nude. She had blood all down her back from various gashes along her shoulders, as well as a several dried streaks of blood trailing down her thigh. The wounds looked old and hadn't been bandaged, so they were starting to become infected and raw. Her hair was matted and bloodied as well, stuck against her skin.

"Go and get help, now!" the Professor shouted at Leon swiftly, looking at the victim more closely. "This girl is alive..." he murmured, kneeling down beside her and lifting her light form up so her head was against his lap. She felt like she was nothing but skin and bones, and her pale skin told him immediately that she had lost a lot of blood, as well as probably hadn't ingested anything in days. Father Leon immediately went and ran back for the citadel.

The girl's eyes opened and she looked up at the Professor, though his form was so blurred she didn't know what she was looking at, nor where she was. Her breathing was sporatic and disorganized, likely due to shock.

"It's going to be all right, aid is on the way for you child..." he said, to console her. He rested a hand on her forehead and rubbed it gently to soothe her.

It was all she heard before she passed out once more.


	5. Dark Design

Lady Caterina's eyes were closed for a moment; she felt that the darkness of her own mind sometimes gave her the moment of clarity she needed to truly think. When she opened them, she was met with the gazes of her full AX staff awaiting her orders.

"This situation has taken a very dark turn..." she said, her own tone grave. "Father Tres, you are certain that this is the same girl that you located in Vienna one week ago?" She looked down at a small holographic image of the girl, resting soundly in the infirmary. Her wounds had been patched and stitched, and there were two doctors present with her, checking her condition and administering medication to combat the raging infections she was suffering from.

"Positive," Tres reported to her, though his eyes had not yet left the hologram on her desk. Abel was staring at her as well, but with a soft and pitying gaze at her condition.  
"It would appear as though she were kept unconscious during almost all of her captivity..." Caterina said. "The wounds on her body appear to be old, as though they have been there for some time. The fact that she is still alive is a miracle only our Holy Father could have granted," she sighed, a twinge of sorrow mingled in it.

Sister Kate's holographic image suddenly appeared beside her brothers. "Lady Caterina...I...I have just been given the physician's official report on her condition."

"Please proceed," Lady Caterina replied.

"The gashes on her were mostly superficial, though she has lost quite a bit of blood, and it was made worse by her being very frail physically. She also had what looks like an injection mark on her inner right arm that they have properly medicated and bandaged. They also said..." Sister Kate's gaze saddened and lowered slightly.

"Yes...?" Lady Caterina asked, though she felt uneasy.

"The doctors have also informed me that she has suffered severe trauma of a sexual nature, Lady Caterina..." Even Kate's normally calm voice quivered slightly.

An eerie and heavy silence hung in the room around them. Abel gasped, looking horrified and sickened before his gaze looked down at the girl once more. She was an innocent...and he knew exactly who had done it. He clenched his fists so hard that his own blood started to seep into the white fabric of his gloves faintly

Tres even had a faint expression of shock on his face, but he did not look from the hologram of the infirmary even upon hearing this.

Lady Caterina's eyes narrowed. "That demon..." she spat, as though his name weren't fit for her to say out loud. Rape was a crime even held as capital offense among the Methuselah, even though vampires in ancient times had been closely associated with sexual trauma and seduction. But in this current age, it was a crime considered so taboo that it carried an immediate death penalty in the Vatican's jurisdiction, and likely most anywhere else. Only the sickest of the dark masses in the world resorted to it as a means of torture, though Lady Caterina's mind was already considering the other reasons for why this girl had suffered so horribly. It made her blood boil heavily, especially when it had happened to a victim who was so innocent.

"She has awakened twice now for brief periods of time, but...she will not respond to any questioning. The doctors are not certain yet if she is physically unable to speak, or...is too traumatized to do so."

"It will likely take time for us to receive any information from her..." Father Havel said. "We must not push her, however; in her state she will likely feel immensely vulnerable..."

"Lady Caterina," Tres suddenly regarded her, looking up from the hologram sharply. "I request permission to stand guard at OlivAI's side."

Lady Caterina paused. "Why do you make this request Father Tres?"

"I have failed to protect OlivAI from danger once. Failure is not an option again," Tres said simply.

"Permission is granted. I don't want her being recaptured. It's evident that she was left here on purpose but we can't rule out the possibility that they will come back for her," Lady Caterina replied.

"It was definitely done with purpose...they left her right in the middle of our patrol route..." Abel said softly, almost as though he were more talking to himself. "They knew we would be the first to find her."

Tres turned wordlessly and left the room, heading for the infirmary.

Sister Kate's holographic form turned to face her leader once more. "Lady Caterina...I'm afraid that news of all of this has reached your brother, Cardinal Francesco...he is demanding a counsel with you as soon as you are able."

Lady Caterina's eyes narrowed further, and she remained silent.

OlivAI released a small groan of pain as her eyes slowly opened. For a quick second the adrenaline of being awake and unaware almost made her leap out of the bed, but she found she did not have the energy for any such feat. Her eyes instead scanned the room until they fell upon Father Tres sitting beside her, staring intently at the single entranceway into the room as though daring someone to try and come in here unannounced.

"Tres...?" she asked softly. Her voice cracked with dryness. Tres's gaze shifted so he was looking down at her, and she noticed that it softened ever so slightly.

"OlivAI, you must rest and regain your strength..." he said to her softly. "I will not leave your side until you are fully recovered. I failed in my promise to help you in time."

"Tres, you did everything you could...I don't even know still where Cain took me..." she said weakly, cringing as she felt a twinge of pain from her arm. There was a bandage over the inner part of her elbow joint that was not from an IV.

"Negative..." he replied, but she reached out and took his hand quietly, which caused him to pause.

"You shouldn't...be so hard on yourself, Tres. You did everything that you could," she said gently. "Are...are you here to question me as well?"

"Negative. I am here solely to protect you. Questioning will come when you are fully recovered and feel you can give information, and not before," he said sternly.

She nodded a bit, and let out a small sigh. She did feel relieved at least that she was somewhere safe, for now.

"Now that you are conscious, you must take in some nourishment and fluids..." Tres said to her, again with a stern tone of voice, as he stood, letting go of her hand to retrieve a tray from the end of her bed. It held a large glass of cool water and some various food that had been cut into small portions for her.

"I don't believe I can eat right now, Tres...my stomach is unsettled..." she replied smally.

"Then you must at least drink. You are very weak and must be strengthened," he insisted, taking the glass from the tray. "Since you are weary, I will aid you in consuming this."

OlivAI half expected him with his literal nature to either carefully dump the water onto her or try to insert it into her IV, but...instead, he came to her side and sat down, gently placing his free hand behind her head as he brought the glass to her lips so she could drink. His touch was very tender. The water tasted far more heavenly then she'd imagined it would; she had no idea her mouth and throat were so dry until it reached it.

She let out a relaxed sigh and smiled to him sweetly. "You're so gentle..." she said.

He was quiet, looking at her with a sort of intense look that she wasn't sure how to gauge. "Tres...may I ask you something?"

Tres nodded to her. "You have my permission to ask whatever you wish."

"How...how were you created?" she asked him quietly; her voice was so small it was almost inaudible, though with his enhanced senses he could still hear her quite clearly. "I know it's an odd question to ask in the midst of all of this, but...you and I, we were both made in abnormal circumstances..."

Tres looked off at the far wall as though he were gathering all of the data he needed to tell her. "I was created by a Vatican scientist named Gepetto Garibaldi; he was estranged from the organization and created myself and nine other androids as a means to rebel against it. We were called "Killing Dolls" back then and were subject to his orders. I was the third created, and the last that still exists. Father Nightroad was the one called to repress the rebellion, and was forced to destroy my nine 'sibling' machines. But when I attacked him, he subdued me...and Lady Caterina spared my life. In return, my allegiance will always be to her," he explained to her. "Ever since that time, I've been regarded as an abomination because of my origin, but my duties to the Vatican come first and foremost."

"That's so horrible..." OlivAI said sadly.

"Positive...Dr. Garibaldi was a madman..." Tres agreed quietly.

"No, well...kind of, I mean yes...he was a madman it sounds like, but...I was referring to your comment that you're been regarded as an abomination because you are an android. I think that's entirely unfair. You're anything but that," she said softly. "True when we first came into contact with each other you were a bit...er, uptight, but...you were the first person ever to be kind to me, Tres. I think that underneath the violent instincts that were programmed into you, you're very sweet..."

Tres paused, and looked down at her firmly, as though he were trying to ascertain if she meant what she said, or simply said it to console him. Her weary sunken eyes looked back up at him genuinely, however.

Tres shifted a bit so that he was leaning over her a little bit, then lowered his head down, and placed a small kiss to her forehead, mimicking the soft kiss she'd given him before Cain had taken her away. That kiss still lingered a bit on his cheek; he could not forget how warm it had made him feel, even through all of the circuitry in him.

OlivAI gasped a bit when he did that, but smiled a little and blushed, and rested a hand on his cheek as he pulled back slightly to sit upright.

"Promise me you'll stay here with me?"

"I will not leave your side," he replied, taking her hand in his and holding it loosely on his thigh as she started to fall back asleep.

"When I wake up…" she said softly to him, as she started to doze off. "I'll tell you everything that I remember…"


	6. Inpromptu

(Soul93, thanks for the reviews! :) Hope you enjoy these future parts, OlivAI might be a heavy character in this first storyline to get her established but I promise she'll blend more into the background with time. This fanfic has been a lot of fun to write though, so I really hope you like what's to come!)

Lady Caterina stood from her desk to head to the throne room, though she glimpsed one more time at the holographic image frozen on her desk. It was paused on the instant that Tres had placed that small kiss on OlivAI's forehead. She furrowed her brow with worry once more before she started to walk down the corridor to bring along with what members she needed present for this meeting.

It had been two days now since OlivAI had been brought here, and she had managed to recover for the most part, though she was still underweight and fairly weak. It would take more recovery time to get the girl in full health once more. But she'd stalled her brother for long enough now, and he was threatening to take custody of the girl using the Inquisition if she did not comply. The last thing she needed was more internal conflict. It pained her to make the girl be a part of an interrogation after what she'd been through, but she knew that putting this off further was only going to cause more problems.

A new problem had already arisen as well; further testing had come back positive, indicating that OlivAI was indeed pregnant with that monster's child. Their advanced medical technology was able to detect a conceived child almost instantly, although the common people didn't have access to it. In privacy, Abel had come to her later on to confide that he believed that had been Cain's intention, so Caterina had secretly ordered the girl's blood to be tested. Technology had made it possible for them to detect even the most subtle changes in hormone levels when it came to pregnancy. This left an entire area of shadow with regard to their knowledge of the Krusniks. She had told them everything that Cain had said to her before she had blacked out, and his intentions seemed to have been slowly coming to fruition, with them just witnessing the very start of it. He had injected her with the modified Krusnik genetic material to activate it within her, though she didn't show any signs of it yet. And he had also gotten her pregnant as well, which he had alluded to being his intention before she had lost consciousness. Both of these things had come against her will, and Lady Caterina could see the helpless in OlivAI's eyes. It was a terrible injustice, everything that she had suffered, and she'd only been awake for less than two weeks now.

Cardinal Francesco already knew all of this, of course. No matter how much she tried to keep her brother out of her affairs, he somehow found a way to know almost every detail about what was happening. She already had an inkling of what he was planning to do to interfere with all of this, but all she could do was wait to see how it played out.

Tres hadn't left OlivAI once since he'd become her bodyguard after her return to them. That kiss troubled Carterina, however; she had thought Tres unable to understand nor transmit affection to others. Had she been wrong about him all this time? It was insignificant compared to what was going on right now, but still something that weighed on her mind a bit. Of course, by now all of them were aware of OlivAI's condition; her agents seemed protective and were gathered in a formation around the girl when she approached.

They were waiting for her out in the hallway, with OlivAI at Tres's side in the midst of them. He had his arm wrapped around her protectively and was helping to keep her steady since she was not stable on her feet entirely, and was wearing a portable IV that was there to keep her fluids stable. The poor thing looked afraid, but it seemed like she was trying to keep it under wraps. She was wearing a simple white dress that they'd managed to rummage for her. It was actually an old article of Caterina's clothing from when she had been an adolescent.

Caterina stood in front of OlivAI and smiled faintly at her as reassuringly as possible. "There is no need to be afraid OlivAI, just tell everyone the truth and we will know where to go from there. I will not allow the Cardinal to do anything to jeopardize you or your future child, do you understand?"

"Yes my Lady..." OlivAI responded, bowing to her slightly out of respect.

With that, they began their small procession towards the throne room. For her reassurance, however, she felt her own small pang of worry deep within herself. Abel seemed to sense this as well, and walked just slightly behind her.

"I worry what your brother has in mind for demanding this meeting so swiftly," he admitted to her.

"My brother and I have opposing views, we all know this...but even I cannot always predict what he is up to. All that we can do is hope that he will allow us more time to determine what we should do with OlivAI and her future child."

"I only hope that you're right..." Abel sighed, hanging back so he was walking on the other side of OlivAI away from Tres, who still had his protective grip on her shoulder. He looked down and gave her as best a sweet smile as he could muster. It did comfort her slightly, if only for a moment.

They entered the massive throne room, and OlivAI already felt intimidated just stepping into it. It was beautiful, but also held a certain sense of...finality, that was probably a good way to put it. This seemed to be where all of the worst and hardest decisions had to be made, and now here she was, another crucial decision to be made...what was going to happen to her?

Caterina went to her throne and sat down; her brother was already awaiting her impatiently in his own. OlivAI, however, looked more at the middle throne where the young Pope was sitting. She couldn't believe he was the leader of the Vatican; he looked like little more than a small child, and she could practically feel the unease coming off of him. He held his scepter in his hands like it was a childhood pacifying item and looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here.

The Cardinal looked like a sharp and unrelenting man, which didn't exactly bring her comfort. Tres gave her shoulder a small squeeze as though to wordlessly comfort her. He could sense the stress and worry that was causing her bodily functions to act erratically.

Perhaps more intimidating were the soldiers from the Inquisition that were also present for this meeting; the man at the front of them and his second-in-command, a woman, looked particularly frightening to her with their hardened gazes. She just wanted to burrow herself into Tres's robe and vanish from sight, but she knew that wasn't possible. Running away or remaining silent was only going to fan the flames.

"Sister, you and your team, along with this alleged Krusnik you have found have been called here to respond to the inquiry that you attempted to hide knowledge of her existence from the remainder of the Vatican," Cardinal Francesco said as he stood from his seat. OlivAI was struck how very much this seemed like an 'us versus them' scenario, with the AX agents standing on one side of the chamber, and the Inquisition soldiers on the other. The tension between the two groups was palpable, almost suffocating.

"The information was not kept from you, brother. We did not know of the girl's origins until very recently as well, and when she was taken by the Rosencruetz Orden we were preoccupied attempting to find out why they had captured her, and how to retrieve her from them."

"Ah yes, that reminds me...I intercepted your scribe attempting to relinquish information from the Book of Ages without permission on my behalf..." he hissed in response to her.

"It was the only way that we might be able to discover why she was created at the time. Our other records from before five centuries ago are gone for the most part. I was not willing to allow my agents to work with nothing," she argued back to him.

Abel couldn't help but lean down and whisper to OlivAI while sweatdropping a bit. "Most of these meetings are yelling between these two...you get used to it..." In all truth, he played it off lightly, but he hadn't yet gotten the opportunity to fully absorb the fact that OlivAI was a Krusnik like him, albeit currently a recessive one. Of course, he had his sister Seth as an ally, but she was the ruler of her own kingdom. It was so strange thinking of OlivAI like that as well, because for so long, he'd thought of their race as just the four of them...

Cardinal Francesco suddenly looked towards the agents. "Krusnik OlivAI, step forward independently. You will answer these questions yourself," he barked at her harshly. Tres was forced to relinquish his protective hold on her, and she meekly stepped forward so that she was in the space between the two groups on the floor. She couldn't help but shake a bit as she stood there, though she did her best to give him a stiff upper lip. She wouldn't let herself cry or break down now of all times. She forced herself to stand up straight, even though her knees felt as though they may buckle out from under her.

"What is your place of origin?"

"Vienna, your Eminence..." she replied softly, though loudly enough to be heard.

"And who is that created you?"

"I do not know, Cardinal Francesco. I believe now that perhaps I was an attempt made by the ancient Vatican to place an artificial being with the four original ones in the project to planet Mars," she replied; she did not inform them that that was what Cain had said to her, knowing that information from him might in turn incriminate her as well. "When I awoke in my cryogenic chamber, I had this on my chest," she said, reaching down into her gown and producing the simple silver crucifix. It shone a bit in the immense light around all of them.

Cardinal Francesco narrowed his eyes at the relic. "How do we know you simply did not find that and are trying to pass it off as some sort of clue as to who created you?"

OlivAI looked at him aghast. "I would never lie about this. I was actually planning to come to the Vatican to find out what it meant when I first woke up..."

"Brother, your duty is to ask questions, not try to dissect all of her answers," Caterina murmured in disgust.

"I will question her as I see fit," the Cardinal growled back at her. "Krusnik, if that is what your purpose truly is, then I must ask...did you go with the terrorist Cain Knightlord willingly?"

OlivAI was too frozen to answer him for a moment. All she could do was remember, how he'd talked to her like she was little more than a possession to him, or a breeding vessel...she closed her eyes and clenched her teeth so tightly that it hurt.

"That is enough!" Caterina shouted at him, standing suddenly. "You know that she was assaulted! How dare you call her integrity into question when she was attacked so heinously!"

"It does not matter, in the end..." the Cardinal replied. "That monster obviously commenced all of this in order to create a child through her, and he has succeeded. None of us are aware of what he plans to do with said child, nor do we know what the child will be born as, being created by two such...inhuman creatures," he hissed. "There stands only one option; she must be placed into captivity until the child is born and we can ascertain its race and power."

OlivAI whimpered and stepped back as the soldiers started to approach her, seeming to take his words as a command.

"You will not! She is not a criminal and cannot be detained like one," Caterina argued back at him.

"Ah, you are right...by the current laws I cannot. But since you were the one who decided you were going to dredge our organization's history out from the bowels of the earth, dear sister, I will have to use that against you," he replied, a faint smirk across his lips. "According to the ancient canon law of the Vatican church, an unwed woman who is with child outside of wedlock will be detained until she is cleansed of her evils and also so the child's soul can be saved. This situation is really not so different, no matter if she was taken by force, or not."

Abel could feel his blood boiling at the Cardinal's words, and he could sense his fellow agents were all feeling quite the same way. Cardinal Francesco was known to fight in unsavory ways in order overwhelm his sister and get his way. The poor Pope looked like he had no idea whose side he was on, he kept looking back and forth between them chaotically.

"That law has not been instituted in centuries upon centuries..." Caterina murmured darkly.

"You're right, but if you're going to argue that you must relegate yourself to desperate measures, then I will play the same card, sister. I will not have this Krusnik and her spawn falling back into enemy hands once more, nor running amok when we do not know her, nor her future child's powers or intentions. It is for her own best interest to be kept in isolation."

"It will only cause her to wither if she is kept imprisoned with little contact, and she is already quite unhealthy..." Caterina shot back at him.

"My intention to use this Canon still stands, Caterina...the girl will be brought into my possession for now until answers can be derived from her."

OlivAI stumbled backwards trying to avoid the soldiers coming towards her, when she felt a familiar arm around her shoulders. She looked up through her tear-clouded eyes to see Tres standing there at her side once more. He could feel her shaking terribly.

"Stand down, Father Tres..." Brother Petros barked at him angrily, holding his weapon in a threatening gesture. Tres looked at the Screamer with a blank expression, however. "You will not interfere with commands from Cardinal Francesco!"

Tres looked coldly at the soldiers, then turned his gaze towards the Cardinal. "If OlivAI is to wed in an immediate fashion, then the Canon will no longer apply to her and her condition. The Canon to which you refer to was written as a condition to force irresponsible betrothals to wed before their children were born, so there would be harmony and unity under the will of God and the Vatican." With that, Tres, looked over to the Pope with his monotone expression still unwavering. "If this is how I must protect her, then so be it. Your Holiness, I ask that you would bless OlivAI and I in holy matrimony to one another. As my bride, she will be released from any potential punishment under the Canon instituted by Cardinal Francesco."

At first, there was a stunned, burdened silence in the air that seemed to be falling down around all of them, like the entire place was caving in around them. Then, there was uproar. Both sides of this argument seemed to be close to coming to blows, with Tres and OlivAI trapped in the middle of it.

"You cannot marry that creature! You are not even human yourself!" Cardinal Francesco snarled at Father Tres. "You are also ordained as a priest, which in itself means you cannot wed!" His soldiers were sneering with disgust at them.

"Negative. As you have just previously stated, I am not human. Thus, I was not required to assume any vows unto myself when I was first ordained into Lady Caterina's agency, including the vow of chastity," he protested evenly. Granted, he'd been allowed to bypass the vows because he did not require monetary gain, nor did he have any want or need for companionship.

"This is ridiculous! You are only doing this to keep her from us," Brother Petros yelled angrily at Tres, causing OlivAI to recoil more against him. Tres held her slightly closer and partially behind himself so that he was sheilding her from the Inquisition soldiers.

"Negative. My intention is to keep her safe from all outside threats, no matter their intention nor alignment."

Lady Caterina was just beyond stunned. Had she heard all of that correctly? Had Tres just asked the Pope to marry him to OlivAI? This was all happening so rapidly that it felt like she couldn't absorb everything occurring right in front of her. All of their arguing wasn't helping much either.

But Tres...Tres was her most loyal soldier. He had served her faithfully ever since she had spared his life after the rebellion had been stopped by Abel. In all that time he had never asked her for anything at all. He had worked to pay his debt to her in full, for saving him from death. He'd never once shown strong emotion around her, nor anyone else she assumed...and yet, this girl. OlivAI. Somehow her presence had changed something in Tres that she couldn't identify.

At the same time, she admired him for realizing that loophole. Tres was versed in all the canons, no matter if they were current or an archaic and archived detail. Her brother, no matter what he fell back on to get his way, could not outthink Tres Iqus.

It seemed like it was coming to a head quickly, however. Both sides looked ready to start a physical confrontation with the other, as the soldiers and agents tossed back curses and insults at one another over what had just taken place. Caterina suddenly stood up, and shouted at the top of her voice.

**"Enough!"**

Her voice echoed heavily throughout the chamber; even her own agents flinched or half-jumped at the power in her tone. Her expression was hardened and she stared down at Tres and OlivAI, before she turned and looked at her brother.

"It matters not if you agree with their timing, their race, nor their intentions. If a marriage is decreed and reciprocated, then your Canon has no bearing any longer," she said to Cardinal Francesco. Her expression softened slightly as she turned back to the two of them. In her heart, she actually pitied them both a bit right now, huddled together in the midst of two clashing forces. It almost reminded her of the old tale of Romeo and Juliet, desperately trapped between opposing sides.

"OlivAI, you have heard Father Tres's proposal...what is your answer to him?" she asked.

OlivAi breathed in sharply, then looked up at Tres. He was looking down at her softly now. He removed his arm from her shoulder and held her hand in both of his.

"We must do this properly in order for it to be considered legitimate..." he said to her, his voice lowered. He suddenly lowered himself down onto one knee before her.

"OlivAI, I kneel before you and the counsel of the Vatican and ask for your hand in marriage," he said to her. The normally intense look in his eyes had dulled ever so slightly.

OlivAI couldn't help but blush faintly. Her feelings for Tres were strong, but she'd always assumed that to him, protecting her was just another mission. They'd spent the last two days in one another's constant company, and she had grown immensely fond of him, and of course, cared deeply for him because of how much he'd done for her. But for him to go this far...could there be more? Her heart threatened to about choke its way out of her throat as she contemplated that possibility, but she swallowed it back down, for now. She did not honestly know as of right now.

She was more than willing to find out, and at the same time prevent the Cardinal from seizing control of both herself and her unborn child.

"I accept," she said with a faint smile, unable to contain herself to keep from wrapping her arms around his neck. Tres closed his eyes a moment and wrapped his own arms around her back, holding her close a moment with his same calm demeanor as always.

There was still arguing going on around them about the validity of this proposal, but OlivAI heard none of it. Instead, she burrowed her head in against his so she could whisper to him privately, shutting out everything that was going on around them.

"You do not need to do this if you do not wish to, Tres...I know that you are doing this to protect me from them, but you shouldn't feel as though you must...I'm sure there is another way we could have avoided this..."

"Negative...this was the only way. But I did not select this course of action based solely on this turn of events..." he said to her. "My desire to protect you has taken precedence over all other current missions OlivAI. I will keep you safe, and there is no more efficient way than this to do so."

"Mm...well, if I had to be forcibly married to anyone right now, I would pick you..." she chided him a bit, though she silently leaned in and pressed a soft, concealed kiss to the middle of his neck. Tres closed his eyes; there it was, again, that warm feeling deep within him. He didn't quite understand what it was, yet, as his processor wasn't adapted to determining emotions and emotional sensations, but...he did know that he enjoyed it. She heard that sound again from deep within him, a low content sound he made when he must have felt relaxed. He craned his neck slightly as she pressed another gentle kiss at the base of his ear. She eventually just rested her head against the base of his neck, and he held her close, also drowning out the chaos going on around them.


	7. Apprehension

(Soul93, thanks again for the reviews! I'm glad you're enjoying the fic so far; hopefully you'll find an equal amount of mushyness and action in this first arc as it continues, I have a good share of it done already but I'm posting it slowly as I go back to refine it a bit. Thanks again though for reading, I appreciate your comments greatly. :) )

"This has all gone downhill very quickly hasn't it...?" Father Havel said to Lady Caterina a bit sheepishly. He normally kept quite serious as she did, especially being closest to her and sharing in her concerns, but the entire situation was so surreal that he had to be a bit amused by it.  
It was the next morning, and some sunlight was glinting in through the window. It was a calm day outside, an ironic follow-up to the tremulous night that they'd had before.  
Neither side had been able to settle down, so they'd been forced to dismiss. But Tres and OlivAI were still resolute on seeing this through, and Caterina knew they didn't have much choice now. Not after that display last night.  
"Downhill isn't a very accurate assessment," she sighed. "My brother is going to use all of this drama as an excuse to undermine me, Father Havel. You and I both know this."  
"True, though he seems to have a habit of doing that anyways," he admitted. "Aside from that, however...what else could have been done to save OlivAI? We do not even know if she would have survived in your brother's 'care', if we can even dignify calling it that. The Inquisition likely would have deemed her and her child unfit to live and executed them."  
"There is more than just that; now my brother is demanding that Tres and OlivAI submit 'proof' of their marriage on their wedding night, as they did in ancient times to determine if a bride was unsoiled..." she sighed. Father Havel's jaw went slack. "Obviously she is not, but I believe he is using it as an excuse to prove that the marriage isn't valid because Tres is an android and romance and intimacy are outside what he knows..."  
"I can't believe he'd go to such extremes with this..." he replied, looking stunned.  
"Excuse me, Lady Caterina..." Abel said, poking his head into the room and giving her a bashful grin. "I apologize for interrupting, but...I was hoping maybe you would know where I could find OlivAI."  
"The last that I saw, she was with Father Tres in the dormitory wing," Lady Caterina replied. "You might be hard pressed to get her away from him if you want to speak privately. I know that you two probably have much to talk about, and amongst all of this chaos you haven't had much time to do so."  
Abel chuckled a bit wearily. "Yes, well, I hope maybe I can let him relinquish her to me for just a little while...thank you Lady Caterina," he said, before he bowed out.  
Father Havel looked to his mistress as she stared at the entranceway once Father Nightroad had departed. "My Lady...what are we going to do now?" he asked her. He had already weighed in the options, and none of them felt very promising.  
Lady Caterina stood from her chair, looking down at her desk with a serious gaze. "Well, what I'm going to do now is plan a wedding for the two of them."  
Father Havel made a questioning sound and raised an eyebrow at her. "My Lady...?"  
"My brother will not be satisfied with a small ceremony between those two. He will render their marriage illegal unless we make a big show about it. I know how he works after all these years of having been at each other's throat. But...that is not the only reason why I feel I must," she said, looking to Father Havel. She trusted him most with this information, and wanted his opinion. "There are many more aspects to this than saving OlivAI from the Inquisition's wrath. I've already received word from the New Human Empire."  
Father Havel looked surprised almost immediately. "The Empress contacted you? Directly?"  
"Yes, through her two ambassadors, Ion Fortuna and Astharoshe Asran. There is little doubt in my mind that word reached her via her brother Abel about OlivAI, but...I cannot hold him accountable for that. Seth and Abel were the only two Krusniks in existence for so long aside from their deranged brother. I can imagine he might have been excited to tell her."  
"I can understand that as well, but I do not see how it ties in with this entire marriage affair between OlivAI and Father Tres," Father Havel replied.  
Lady Caterina couldn't help but smile a little as she looked to him. "It reminds me in the old days when the children of different kingdoms would wed to bring peace. Even though OlivAI was only recently awakened and discovered, she now has a strong connection to the Empress."  
"I see...you're going to use the wedding as a means of negotiating a treaty of alliance to the New Human Empire," Father Havel said.  
"Indeed. The Empress has never outright wanted war with the Vatican, but there have always been strong tensions between us. They are liberal with whom they allow in their kingdom, whereas we are very conservative. These differing views have led to centuries of distrust between our two kingdoms, even small amounts of conflict and the threats of total warfare. Queen Esther of Albion has already given us an allegiance with her realm, and if we can do the same with the New Human Empire, then we may finally have the union that we need in order to bring down the Rosencruetz Orden and any other enemies we have out there. There will no longer be anywhere else for them to hide in this region, and it will give us a far stronger foothold to fight them in all other countries. The wedding is an excuse to bring the Empress and her ambassadors here to attend, and for the Empress to meet her sister. I'm sure that OlivAI will be overwhelmed quickly though, so I'm going to need help keeping her calm throughout this. We both know we don't have to worry about Father Tres getting flustered, though it might be difficult for him to grasp the significance of all of this. It was already a challenge trying to get him to understand the sort of 'proof' that my brother is going to demand that they've consummated their marriage," she sighed.  
"And do our two soon to be newlyweds know of any of this, these plans to use their marriage as a catalyst of peace?" he asked her.  
"No...I did not disclose any of this to either of them," she replied; her tone of voice dropped fairly low. "OlivAI does not need to be consciously involved in this; she has suffered enough confusion and torment, and there is a chance this may not go as I have planned. If that happens I do not want either of them involved."  
"I see...you don't want them affected if there is a falling out of some sort."  
"Exactly. I would say, if anything...the two of them deserve only to find happiness in one another. It is all I could ever wish for them. I am going to do my best that they will be safe, and content, and have a marriage and live in one another's company that will hopefully ease the pains of their respective pasts."  
"My Lady...may I ask one more thing of you?" Father Havel requested.  
"As you wish," she nodded.  
"In all the time that he's been an AX agent...I've never once seen Father Tres show any sort of strong emotion, nor any emotional ties to another. Do you...in what you've seen of him, believe that he really does care for OlivAI? Or do you believe that he is doing all of this simply as a means of rational defiance against the Inquisition?"  
Lady Caterina sighed and closed her eyes. "Father Tres has always been somewhat of an enigma to me...all of these years and he never so much as asked for anything in return for all the good he's done. I know he never did, because of the promise that he made to me, those few years ago in St. Angelo. That is why...I do believe that, yes...he does care for her. He would not have done what he did in the citadel yesterday if he did not."

OlivAI looked around the room with a curious gaze; Tres's room was about as sterile as she'd imagined it would be, since he wasn't one to have any sentimental items. She was sitting with him on his bed, pulled onto his lap as they sat in silence for a short time, just enjoying the temporary peace. His bed was strange; it actually looked vaguely similar to the chamber she'd woken up in.  
"So this is where you rest when your power is running low?" she asked him.  
"Positive. When I am in need of recharge, the chamber seals around me and the air within the seal becomes charged to help me reach my full capacity swiftly," he explained levelly.  
"Would it be safe for me to rest with you in here?" she asked.  
"Positive; the charged molecules would not affect you," he replied.  
She nodded a bit and sighed. "So Tres...we've gotten ourselves into a pretty complicated mess here, haven't we?" Tres was silent for a moment. "But...there's no point in dwelling on it for now. We have to go through with this now after that chaos last night."  
"Positive, there is no purpose in dwelling on past events," he agreed with her.  
"So, while we have some time alone for a change, now...what do you want to do?" she asked him softly. They'd spent most of those two days in the infirmary simply talking, but now they had a bit more freedom and privacy.  
"Request: I wish for you to teach me something, OlivAI," he responded. He spoke now with noticable pauses between each declaration. "I was not constructed with the capacity to fully realize nor feel emotions nor affection. Despite this, however, I have found that my physical contact with you triggers certain sensations that are normally found in biological beings. I am not however versed in how to return affection to you. I wish for us to practice basic affection and intimacy with one another so that I may properly reciprocate."  
OlivAI almost wanted to laugh at how methodically he asked her this, but she couldn't. He was serious and she wanted to believe that he wanted to know this so that their relationship wouldn't be almost completely one-sided after the marriage had been completed. And, to a degree, it did make her happy that he did feel something when they came into physical contact with one another. That did affirm that he had not orchestrated all of this purely as a political tactic.  
"Well, probably the simplest way is to hold hands," she said, taking his hand in one of hers. "It's not necessarily intimate, but it does give your partner reassurance. Then there is embracing, but you seem to have that one down pretty well..." Tres was almost borderline clingy to her sometimes it felt like.  
"Positive. I know of the basest forms of contact. I wish to gain more experience in the practice of kissing," he replied.  
OlivAI's face almost instantly lit up. Tres placed a hand under her chin. "Answer: Are you feeling all right? Your heart beat just accelerated rapidly and your bodily temperature has increased without explanation."  
"Oh, no, I'm fine, just...a little shy..." she said to him. "I have to admit that I'm...not all that well versed in this either. I've never been in a relationship myself, at least not that I remember. Even having the emotions that a human does, it still isn't something that I know from experience..."  
"Positive: we will learn together," Tres replied. Before she had time to register it, he'd closed the gap of space between them and pressed his lips to hers.  
She still couldn't believe how real his skin felt, despite being synthetic. His lips were very soft and warm against hers. She actually could feel herself quivering a bit; the kiss filled her with a deep warmth that started down in her abdomen and seemed to flow upwards, causing her face to blush heavily. Tres felt it himself as well, but to a lesser degree. He rested his hand against her cheek as they pulled apart just slightly.  
"That is the correct way to commence kissing, correct?" he asked her.  
"Y-yes..." she said; her cheeks were burning now.  
"Request: I ask that you would kiss me wherever you wish to," he suddenly said to her.  
OlivAI about fell backwards off of the bed dramatically at that request; his gentle touch against her face was probably the only thing that prevented that. "You still need to work on your wording Tres..." she whimpered a bit awkwardly, though she couldn't help but chuckle. "But...I know what you're asking. And yes, of course I will."  
She could remember the content sounds she'd heard when she'd kissed his cheek. Even in that pressing moment that it had happened, she could still remember it. Obviously, it brought him some amount of peace. He obviously wasn't used to requesting anything for himself, however, with how awkwardly he'd asked it.  
OlivAI leaned in and began kissing along his jawline first, just pressing small soft pecks against him. Tres craned his head a little when she did that, and she moved to kiss down the length of his neck. His skin was very smooth, probably since it was artificial and not subject to the same wear and tear that normal human skin was. She made her small trail of kisses all the way down to his collar bone, however, where the fabric of his priestly robes began.  
Tres had his eyes closed, and she heard that sound he made again. It almost reminded her a bit of a cat purring when it was content, though she didn't think he'd see the humor in her comparing it to that. She placed a small little kiss against the crook of his neck, underneath the fabric of his cloak, before he suddenly grasped her shoulders and gently stopped her.  
"I am becoming over-stimulated," he said to her; his tone didn't seem to indicate that, but she could see his cheeks had become reddened faintly with heat.  
"I'm sorry if I got a bit carried away..." she murmured.  
"Negative. You did as I requested and it was pleasing. I thank you for it," he replied. "Now, I must reciprocate."  
OlivAI felt like her embarrassment might swallow her alive, and was about to tell him he didn't have to, but as per the norm he didn't wait for confirmation. Tres gently wrapped his arms around her shoulders, and began to kiss down the length of her jawline and neck, almost flawlessly mimicking what she had done to him.  
She felt almost as though she'd melt into a puddle though when he did it. He was measured and moved at a methodical pace, but each kiss sent a warm jolt through her body. She eventually released out a small sound somewhere between a whimper and a meek moan before he paused and looked at her.  
"You are becoming over-stimulated. I will cease and desist," he said, sitting upright again though he left his arms around her shoulders. "Answer: Are you all right?"  
"I'm j-just fine Tres..." she stuttered a bit, looking up at him with her face still flushed. "That...that felt wonderful..." she said to him softly.  
"Negative. I still must refine my skill in the act of kissing," he replied, making her chuckle a bit. "There is one more thing I would like to practice."  
"Mm? What's that?" she asked him curiously.  
"Request: I will kiss your lips once more, and this time, you must part them for me," he requested flatly.  
"P-part them...?" she asked, reddening all over again.  
"Positive, in preparation for our wedding night," he replied.  
OlivAI could suddenly feel most of her body go cold. Their wedding night...was he implying...  
She suddenly pushed away from him slightly and slid off of his bed as he followed her with his optics. "Answer: Where are you going? Your body temperature just decreased substantially."  
"N-no...it's...I just need a little time to think..." she replied. He shifted off of his bed and made to follow her. "N-no, Tres...I need some time to think by myself...all right? I'll be okay for just a short while by myself. I'll be back in just a little bit, okay?" she said; she knew that he would protest, so she continued until she thought he might grasp what she was trying to say.  
Tres was quiet for a few seconds, before he paused. "Request archived. You may take some private time for yourself. Please do not stray away from Lady Caterina's agents, OlivAI. You must always be supervised."  
"Thank you, Tres...I'll make sure of that," she said, before she slipped out the door and went outside.


	8. Contentment

She rubbed her upper arms a bit as she walked outdoors. It was cold and crisp outside, and as she walked she saw a few snowflakes fall from the gray sky overhead. They were on the verge of their long winter once more it seemed.  
Inwardly, she felt horrible for just walking off on him like that. She could tell he was probably confused, even if he didn't show or say it. But she hadn't thought about what was going to happen after the wedding ceremony was over. Did he...would he want her to consummate with him?  
It wasn't exactly a question she felt she could ask him without making things awkward. But she didn't have much time to think before she was interrupted from her thoughts as Abel came up to her.  
"Ah, there you are! I was starting to wonder if I'd be able to catch you at some point..." he said to her kindly, giving her his seemingly trademark sweet smile. It was hard to believe looking at him up close that he could be related to Cain Knightlord, but the physical resemblance was quite noticeable.  
"Oh, Father Nightroad..." she said, looking at him quietly. "I'm so sorry I haven't found the time to speak with you as of yet..."  
"No apologies needed OlivAI, I know how these last couple weeks have been for you," he said to her gently. "I did want to touch base with you as soon as I could, in case you wanted to ask me anything. Also you don't need to call me Father…Abel works just fine," he chuckled.  
"You mean, ask anything about the Krusnik?" she replied; he gave her a slightly wry smile as an affirmative. "To be honest, so far, I haven't felt any different...but then, the Professor said that the DNA may be latent temporarily and emerge when it seems fit to do so, or may take some time to incorporate itself into my genetics."  
"Yes, he told me all the same. I just wanted to warn you to be cautious is all. The first time that I took on my Krusnik form, it was very horrifying for me. I just want to do what I can to prevent that for you."  
"Maybe you can answer a couple questions for me about it, then...to help put my mind at ease about it," she said as they took a pleasant little stroll through the calm and quiet snowfall.  
"Of course, you can feel free to ask me anything you'd like."  
"Now that you have the Krusnik aspect of yourself under control, how do you summon it?" she asked. "For the future, once it does decide to show itself to me."  
"Well, the Krusnik DNA is actually stored and activated by small nanomachines that live harmlessly in our bloodstream. Whenever I want to take on that form during battle, all I have to say is "Nanomachines" in order to signal to them that I wish to transform. Then I state my Krusnik number, 02, and state the power output that I want, and the nanomachines confirm and trigger it."  
"Power output?"  
"Well the Krusnik is a very...tempermental sort of ability, OlivAI. It will grant you immense power once you've mastered it, but in return for using it, it will sap at your mental state over time...that...that is why Cain has become such a monster. When my siblings and I were in space, my sister Seth accidentally injected him with too much of it. It merged with his body and mind completely. He immediately was overwhelmed by it...the Krusnik destroyed his memories, his personality...everything about himself."  
"Yes, he told me that, while I was in his custody..." OlivAI said lowly.  
"Cain was never completely stable even before the Krusnik overtook him though, OlivAI. Even if he injected you with the same pure form of the genetic material that he was given, I believe that it will not affect you mentally as it did him, especially if it hasn't yet surfaced."  
She nodded, feeling relieved to hear that. He'd almost seemed to sense what she was worrying about.  
"Did you have another question for me?" he asked as they paused to sit at the edge of the fountain outside the dormitories. It was still flowing freely even with the cold weather.  
"Just one more for now. You've mentioned a sister...Seth? Will I be able to meet her sometime?" she asked him.  
"Oh...oh yes, very soon..." he said sheepishly. "I'm afraid Lady Caterina may have my head soon enough, but...I informed my sister of your appearence very recently. Seth has been plagued over the years by the loss of Lillith, the fourth Krusnik, you see...she and I were very close to Lillith, even during times when we were not allied to one another. You should have heard though how happy she was to hear she had a new sister to come and see."  
"A new sister?" OlivAI echoed him.  
"Of course. You are a Krusnik now, even if it hasn't revealed itself yet. You are a part of our family, as far as she and I are concerned."  
OlivAI almost felt overwhelmed, but in a good way. She had spent those first two weeks feeling alone aside from her ties to Tres. To suddenly be accepted by so many and cared for so deeply by one, it was almost overwhelming after such solitude. She grinned to him however.  
"I'm excited to meet her."  
"Oh I can already tell you two will get alone. You have that same mischievous glint in your eye that she has nearly all the time."  
"I get the sense that she used to torment you a bit Abel..."  
Abel laughed a bit wildly. "Oh yes, terribly so...but that is what little sisters do. I'm sure she'll adore you though, just wait and see. She'll be getting here soon enough to attend your wedding to Father Tres."  
OlivAI paused, and frowned again. "I see..."  
Abel looked at her with a faintly serious expression when her demeanor shifted. "That doesn't seem like the reaction I'd expect of a happy bride-to-be. Your wedding's in only two days after all."  
"I'm just...a bit nervous, about all of this, not just getting married," she admitted, tucking her knees into herself as she sat down on the edge of the frozen fountain. "It feels like so much has happened and so quickly."  
"Yes, well...that seems to happen a lot here. You may have heard the expression even in the distant past, "when it rains it pours." I've found that that statement is immensely true."  
She did grin faintly at that.  
"There's a smile. You should smile more often, OlivAI. It suits you much more than gloom," he said, rubbing the top of her head affectionately. She did give him an innocent smile in response to the gesture.  
They were suddenly interrupted by a shout from ahead of them. "Better not let Gunslinger catch you touching his bride or he'll shoot you a new arsehole Nightroad!" Father Leon chided him playfully.  
Abel stuttered a bit awkwardly. "I can't believe you'd insinuate that I'd touch her in any sort of inappropriate way, I would never...and she's my sister! Well...sort of...but…but still!"  
OlivAI just started to laugh a bit into her arms as Abel mumbled shyly and Father Leon smirked and grinded his fist into the top of Abel's head to torment him more.  
"I don't suppose Lady Caterina has given you the good news as of yet has she, Father Nightroad?" the Professor asked him as Father Leon continued his antics.  
"Hmm? What good news?"  
"Queen Esther of Albion will also be attending the upcoming wedding here in the Vatican. She was already planning a visit soon but decided to come early to attend," the Professor replied.  
Abel's expression softened almost instantly, and he stuttered a bit, a touch of rosiness coming across his pale cheeks. "E-Esther is going to be here...?" he asked. OlivAI could hear the immediate change in his voice.  
"Is Esther a friend of yours?" she asked to his side, grinning at him.  
"Yes...she is a very dear friend of mine...but I haven't gotten to see her ever since she ascended the throne of Albion..." Abel replied.  
"Give the girl a bit of slack, she's been busy getting the Ghetto deconstructed now that the vampires are permitted to live on the surface amongst the humans," the Professor replied, turning to OlivAI to explain. "It's taken a lot of work, but she managed to calm a political turmoil that would have reduced most rulers to their knees in defeat, and quite easily could have destroyed the entire kingdom. But Esther was very dedicated to creating peace and tranquility even when she worked as an AX agent," the Professor explained.  
"And we think that Father Nightroad took a right fancy to her too," Father Leon said with a devious little smirk as he continued to hold Abel in a humiliating headlock. Abel about looked ready to rupture with the redness that overtook him as both the other priests turned to head back inside.  
"Wa-wait! You can't inform me of something like that and just walk away!" Abel cried out. "You also didn't tell me when she was getting hereeeee!" he squealed demandingly.  
OlivAI watched Abel depart after Father Leon and the Professor like a small child would, and couldn't help chuckle a bit despite her solemn mood. He seemed so very sweet and innocent himself, and she already liked him enormously. She couldn't wait to learn more about him, though she felt it would have to come over time, with everything happening.  
Her talk with Abel had eased some of her worries about the inevitable, when the Krusnik DNA would eventually reveal itself. She knew it was pointless to worry about when it would emerge. But her other fear was still nagging her, and she knew that simply walking away from it wouldn't solve anything.  
She went back upstairs to Tres's room. He was still inside, sitting and waiting for her quietly. He raised his gaze slightly to look at her when she entered.  
He seemed like he was about to speak, but she simply walked over to him and embraced him tightly, burying her face against his chest. Tres wordlessly wrapped his arms around her.  
"Answer: Is everything all right, OlivAI? If you are apprehensive, perhaps I can alleviate some of your concerns."  
OlivAI pulled back slightly so she could look at him. "I...I suppose I just wasn't ready yet to think about...about what's going to happen after the ceremony is done..."  
"Positive. It is understandable for you to be nervous. Your only experience of intimacy was when you were assaulted," he said, and she winced a bit, but he placed his hands on her shoulders and gave her that same, even more intense look when he was saying something he wanted her to know. "Because the ancient canon was called upon, there is no other option. Proof of our consummation must be provided to the Vatican."  
"I thought that providing proof of consummating one's marriage was only done when you were of nobility, or royalty, to prove that the bride was a virgin..." she said quietly, if she was remembering correctly. She didn't even truly know where any of her knowledge came from, considering she had no clear memories of her time before being entombed in that chamber. But there it was. Considering the Cardinal had called them both "inhuman creatures," it seemed all the more like a ludicrous demand.  
"Positive, but the circumstances of our marriage require it, even if your virginity has already been compromised. If it is not provided, then Cardinal Francesco can nullify our union and take custody of you and your future child," Tres said. "There is nothing that I can do to remove their demand. It is their belief that we must immediately claim one another in intimacy because I am engendered physically as a male, and am required to take you as such."  
"And...I shudder to ask, but how will they 'verify' it?" she asked.  
"By the presence of your vaginal fluids on our bedsheets," he replied evenly.  
OlivAI looked saddened, and worried, and maybe a tad bit disgusted. Tres cupped her chin once more. "OlivAI. I care for you, even if I lack the capability and emotion to truly convey it currently. You are aware that I would never harm you."  
"Of course I know you'd never do that," she said softly.  
"Then you must trust me. There are many things in this world that I do not have broad knowledge of, but I will be certain that our wedding night will bring you only happiness. Answer: do you understand?"  
"Y-yes..." she nodded, though he could easily tell by her demeanor and racing pulse that she was still not all right.  
Tres suddenly embraced her and held her close. "Negative. You understand, but you are not calm. It will be all right. You must believe me, and trust me," he assured her, closing his eyes.  
OlivAI burrowed her face in against his shoulder, just enjoying the close contact with him. His whole body exuded a lot of warmth, and it felt nice after how cold it had been outside.  
"I must make another request of you OlivAI..." he said, moving her slightly so he could look down at her directly. She noticed by now that he seemed to always want to make eye contact with her whenever he needed to tell her something important. "Until our wedding is commenced, and even afterwards, I request that you do your best to avoid the soldiers of the Inquisition at all costs. I will be with you as often as possible, but there is still the potential they will try to find you while you are alone."  
"You think that they would harm me?" she asked.  
"Negative. Harming you would create war between Lady Caterina and Cardinal Francesco. But they may try to hide you from myself and the others of the AX agency in order to take possession of you, delaying the wedding that will void Cardinal Francesco's active canon. Brother Petros' loyalty is to the Pope; he is the only one I would trust if there is no other option. His soldiers, however, cannot be. None of them. Answer: Do you understand?"  
"I do..." she nodded, though his seriousness regarding that made some of her apprehension return.  
"There is no need for fear. I will not allow them to tamper with what we have planned."  
"I trust you, Tres," she said softly.  
"Positive...and I trust you as well," he replied.  
She smiled and pulled back slightly, tilting her head as she looked up at him. "Now that I'm feeling a bit calmer, do you still want to practice that kissing again?" she asked him sweetly.  
"Positive," he replied. "Please part your lips for me, OlivAI...but tell me if it you begin to feel uncomfortable."  
"Don't worry Tres...I trust you, remember?" she said, smiling to him innocently.  
He nodded, and lowered his face down towards hers, pressing his lips against hers. This time, it felt a little less methodical than before; there almost seemed to be a small sense of longing behind his kiss. She did as he wanted, however, and parted her mouth slightly as he kissed her.  
She squeaked a little bit with surprise when she felt him suddenly slide his tongue into her mouth, though she allowed him to continue. It felt awkward for her at first, but she slowly started to enjoy the sensation as he glided his tongue along the length of hers sensually. He had a firm hold around her body so she was pressed against him, and she rested her hands against his shoulders as he kissed her deeply for a moment.  
Eventually he stopped, and OlivAI swore she heard him let out a faint sound as though he had been respirating heavily. She knew he didn't require oxygen to survive, but from what he had explained to her during their time together, he took in oxygen and carbon dioxide from around him in order to convert the particles into additional energy. So it wasn't impossible for him to pant a bit if he was a little overwhelmed, although it would be almost unnoticeable.  
"We must cease. We are both becoming over-stimulated again," Tres said to her softly.  
"Well, in a couple of nights we won't have to worry about that any longer, right?" she said to him shyly.  
"Positive. For now, let us rest together OlivAI," he said, shifting so that he laid down onto his bed on his back, and brought her down with him. Once they were lying flat, the particle field that sealed in the charged molecules for him to restore power switched on. OlivAI reached up and touched it; her hand went right through it. It was not opaque, or solid, which meant that she could depart if she needed to. It was also a calming sapphire hue that actually made her feel relaxed.  
"Request: Rest for now OlivAI. My sensors indicate that you are weary as well," Tres said to her as he laid beneath her with his eyes closed. "Recharge mode engaged," he murmured, before she could hear his systems shutting down.  
She consented and laid down on top of him, resting the side of her face against his chest. He had laid an arm around her so that his cloak would act as a blanket for her, and she fell asleep almost instantly.


	9. Falsum Frater

OlivAI slept for a couple hours, and yawned a bit, feeling quite a bit better with some sleep under her belt. She looked up to see that Tres was still recharging. As she woke herself up, she did remember something else that she had wanted to ask Abel about earlier. She figured it wouldn't hurt to go and see if he'd come back to the courtyard while Tres was finishing up his rest.  
She placed a small kiss on the bridge of his nose and then stood up. She was still wearing the slightly ratty white dress from the night before and decided to get changed. However, Tres only seemed to have clean priest robes in his room. Still, it was all that she had to work with. It was a shame she was so short, she was practically swimming in his garments, though it wasn't so bad when she gently removed the emblems and ornamentations from them. His pants hung down far below her feet, so she rolled them up gently to not damage them since they weren't hers, along with the internal sleeves of the jacket. She thought about not wearing the overcoat, but it was so cold outside she knew she'd probably regret it, even though while she wore it her arms were completely hidden inside of it even when extended at her sides. She strapped one of his belts on as tightly as it would go to help her keep pants up, and slipped on the black flat-soled shoes she'd been given to wear from the infirmary. She quickly combed her hair back into a loose braid once more, and then headed outside. She left her personal crucifix on, allowing it to hang outside of the overcoat.  
It was colder outside now that it had been earlier and she pressed her mouth and nose into the fabric to keep from catching a cold. The courtyard was also quiet now; she couldn't hear the voices of any of the Fathers present any longer. She decided she'd do a quick lap around it to see if anyone was around before heading back inside. The silence of the now slightly heavier snow made her feel uneasy for some reason. She wasn't sure what it was that was making her nervous, since she was barely outside of the dormitories, but she decided that it was futile to look now and that she'd try to find Abel later with Tres escorting her.  
She turned to head back to his room, increasing her pace along the snow, trying to keep fixated on getting back. That was when she spotted a figure out of the corner of her eye, and paused. The being wasn't moving, but was watching her intently, it seemed. She turned a bit, unable to keep from shaking a slight amount.  
It was a member of the Inquisition, and he started to approach her. There was something about his footsteps...they were unnaturally heavy, even for the man's stature. He was wearing some armor that rattled faintly as he moved, along with a mostly-black uniform, and she felt herself instinctively taking a few steps back away from him. The snow had muddled his appearence from her until he came closer. He had spikey brown hair and seemed to be wearing an identifying device over his left eye. He also had intense brown eyes, so similar to...  
OlivAI froze when she realized why she felt so uneasy looking at him.  
"Identified: OlivAI. Alias Krusnik 05," the soldier said to her. His voice was lower than Tres's, but still was spoken in that same monotonous tone. OlivAI was like a statue standing in front of him as he halted a mere couple feet before her. If Tres had made her feel small before, this soldier made her feel like an insect that he could easily crush underfoot if he so desired to.  
Probably the aspect of him that made her the most fearful, however, was that unlike Tres, he looked like his default expression was a very faint, but all too merciless smirk. It was so small that maybe she was just imagining it, but it terrified her nonetheless. She suddenly found it hard to breathe as she felt hers chest tightening with panic.  
"Until our wedding is commenced, and even afterwards, I request that you do your best to avoid the soldiers of the Inquisition at all costs. I will be with you as often as possible, but there is still the potential they will try to find you while you are alone."  
But how had he known where she would be? Had he been waiting outside all this time, to see if she'd come out all alone?  
"Declare your purpose within the courtyard boundaries without escort," the soldier demanded of her darkly.  
OlivAI, however, felt like she was choking and couldn't speak. The android continued to stare her down, and she felt like his wicked expression alone would be enough to grind her into the stone below her feet.  
"Silence is not an accepted response. Answer or you will face immediate detention," the soldier once again demanded; this time she swore his voice took on a stronger tone to it, though it remained just as level and concise as before.  
"I...I...I just came...outside to see if Father Nightroad was around still..." she said softly. She could barely even hear herself, but he seemed to. His eyes narrowed in on her. There was a certain predatory gleam in them that truly terrified her.  
"Reason for unsupervised movement is not valid; escort is not present. You are now within the custody of the Department of Inquisition," the soldier proclaimed. When he reached out to grasp her arm, however, she dodged to the side and immediately tried to run from him.  
She froze, however, when she heard the menacing sounds of a gun's safety being removed. She shook as she turned, only to find a crimson bead of light shining directly in the center of her forehead.  
"Failure to comply is immediate grounds for execution, Krusnik," he said to her as he started to approach her, his heavy footsteps crushing the snow and ice underfoot. "If you have anything additional to declare, then do so now."  
"I...I have a question..." she said, her voice shaking so badly that she almost sounded like she was speaking in tongues at this point. She already knew the answer as well, but she couldn't quite grasp it until she heard it herself. "Are...are you an android like Tres Iqus...?"  
The soldier paused, looking down at her coldly as he kept his firearm trained on the area between her eyes.  
"Affirmative. I am Brother Bartholomew, once known as Duo Iqus," he replied. Standing this close to her she could now see the wires and cables that extended out of his armor and hooked into the back of his head. She swore that that tiny, almost insignificant smirk on his face increased slightly. "Brother to Tres Iqus."  
She gasped a bit, and staggered back slightly despite herself. Her eyes narrowed a bit. "Brother or not, I can tell you are nothing like Tres..." she spat at him, even though her inner thoughts were telling her not to spite him.  
"Affirmative. My brother is a damaged unit, spared death only due to pity," Brother Bartholomew said. How he could sound so mocking while keeping that same level tone astonished her. "Answer. You are to marry him in two days if not detained. How can one with emotions and feelings possibly find a suitable spouse in someone with no feelings at all?"  
Was...was he taunting her and Tres? She suddenly felt a strange anger welling up inside of her that seemed...alien, though she for now repressed it. "Your brother is not damaged, and unlike you, he does have emotions underneath his programming."  
"Negative. Androids are incapable of feeling," Brother Bartholomew replied. He suddenly fired his firearm, though he purposely aimed it slightly to the side so that the bullet only grazed her scalp. She yelped with pain, grasping her temple as a few droplets of blood slowly started to drip down from the injury, followed by a heavier blood flow.  
"Tch...shows what you know, Brother Bartholomew..." she replied defiantly. This did not seem to please him. His faint smirk melted quickly into a very grim frown as he stepped closer to her again. His hand suddenly reached out and grabbed her chin painfully in his grasp, pressing his thumb into the soft flesh of her cheek so that she winced with anguish. It felt like he was trying to crush her jaw, and she knew he could very easily do so.  
"You forget your place, Krusnik. Until you are wed, you are a prisoner. And since you have escaped your prison, I will take you to another from which you cannot escape..." he said down to her. There was an aggressive undertone in his voice, like he lusted for her blood, and had found his excuse to shed it. She was certain, too, that he was no longer referring to being detained by the Inquisition, but by him. Even as she thought this, his thumb touched the end of the trickle of blood streaming down her face, coating his appendage in it. He smeared it purposely against her flesh in a falsely gentle motion.  
He was suddenly halted, however, when a sharp voice suddenly shouted at them from aside. "Brother Bartholomew, release her at once."  
Brother Petros was standing there, looking incredibly cross, which seemed to be the norm for him. "I told you to patrol for any potential threats."  
"She is outside unescorted, thus breaking her contract of amnesty until she is wed," Brother Bartholomew replied, though he consented in letting go of her. She winced as she rubbed her now quite sore jaw.  
"That is indeed something that requires further explanation, but we do not use callous violence to intimidate within this proximity to his Holiness," Brother Petros replied; they were only around a hundred yards from the entrance to the citadel. Between the two of them, she far trusted Petros right now, so she drew closer to him when he approached to reprimand the android.  
"OlivAI! There you are..." Abel called out as he hastily ran to her side, out of breath from trying to get to them swiftly. OlivAI looked back, and saw that Tres was just behind him...but he had stopped short.  
Tres instead was staring directly ahead, right at Brother Bartholomew, who returned his gaze. The tension that seemed to surface between the two of them was immense, and awful at the same time. She'd never seen Tres truly angry before, but this was about as close as it got she assumed. His features suddenly contorted so that he seemed to be trying to will Brother Bartholomew to spontaneously combust. His brother, however, stared back with that same ever so vague smirk on his face.  
"I'm sorry about the confusion, I asked OlivAI to meet me out here and ended up getting caught up in a meeting with Lady Caterina..." Abel managed to get out.  
Brother Petros looked at him as though he didn't believe a word that he said, but sighed. "Make sure that you watch your movements and hers alike, Father Nightroad. Bear in mind that no matter what political tides may turn in the next few days, God will deem if she is truly to be spared interrogation of her origins," Brother Petros snapped at him, though that seemed to be the end of his tirade as he turned to depart.  
Brother Bartholomew, however, lingered behind him a moment. He glimpsed back down at OlivAI once more, narrowing his eyes slightly, then looked back at Tres. His small smirk seemed to increase slightly once more as he suddenly raised his thumb to his mouth, and licked her blood from the fabric of his glove without breaking eye contact with Tres. OlivAI cringed in disgust, but he turned and departed from them silently, following Brother Petros back towards the citadel.  
Abel released a long, dramatic sigh of relief once they were out of sight. "That was far too close..." he murmured, his own voice shuddering a bit. "OlivAI, what were you doing out here by yourself? Cardinal Francesco has his soldiers looking for any opportunity to imprison you..."  
"I know, I'm so sorry..." she murmured. "I just was hoping to find you once more. I was only out here for a moment, and then...I started to feel uneasy so I started to head back towards the dormitories and...and he cornered me..."  
She suddenly gasped, and turned back to Tres. He was still staring off angrily into the distance where Brother Bartholomew had disappeared, as though he was having difficult processing the anger he felt right now. "Tres, I...I'm so sorry...I didn't mean to-"  
Tres, however, suddenly turned from her aggressively and headed back towards the dormitories in silence. OlivAI watched him depart, and the anger that had arisen in her when Brother Bartholomew had spoken to her so callously was replaced almost immediately by a deep sadness, and regret.  
"Don't worry, Tres will be back to his normal self soon, just give him a bit of time to calm down," Abel said to her, resting a hand on her shoulder. "You've stirred up a bit more trouble I'm afraid, though..."  
"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to..."  
"I know. It's not fair that you're subject to this kind of tyrannical behavior, OlivAI. You shouldn't be required to be supervised at all times, but we have to make due with these conditions until after your marriage..." He watched as Tres entered into the dormitories, though the door closed gently behind him. He seemed to be beyond any sort of immature rampage.  
"Brother Bartholomew, he...he's..."  
"Yes, he is Tres's brother...and you can probably see now just how fond they are of one another..." Abel sighed. "I was sent to destroy the Killing Dolls when Dr. Garibaldi unleashed them in his rebellion, but Tres was spared death by Lady Caterina so long as he promised to be loyal to only her. The only other one that survived was his brother, Duo Iqus. He was heavily damaged, but the Inquisition found him before we did and repaired him, and programmed him to be an efficient assassin. Though they are both androids, their personalities couldn't be more different from one another. Tres has shown he is capable of some emotion, humor and connection with others...but Brother Bartholomew has made his cruel intentions known in the way that he enjoys murdering and torturing anything he can. He is little more than a sadistic killing machine. And he has made it a sort of personal vendetta to ignite Tres's anger whenever he can, as though he is proving that Tres is no better than he is."  
"In a way...the two of them remind me a bit of you and Cain..." she said softly, closing her eyes.  
"I suppose that is a good comparison..." he sighed. "Here, I'll walk you back to Tres's room. I would just give him some space if he still seems cranky when you get there..." he said, taking her hand to guide her along. When they arrived back to the doorway into his chambers, Abel bid her ado and left.  
OlivAI swallowed a bit apprehensively as she opened the door. The room was pitch black, but she could see Tres's shadowed form standing at his window, looking outside silently as the snow was starting to fall very heavily now. OlivAI stepped into the room and closed the door behind her.  
She wanted so badly to rush forward and embrace him, try somehow to ease his anger and his pain, but she knew to do so would be foolish right now. If he wanted her comfort, he would ask for it. That was just how he was. So instead, she went to his bed and sat down on it, and remained silent, giving him some time and space to himself.  
It felt like an eternity passed before Tres finally stepped away from the window, and walked across the room. He stood at the foot of the bed, facing towards the doorway, almost as though he didn't realize she was there at first. He still looked apathetic, as always...but she knew that inside, he was probably enraged still.  
She decided she couldn't take this quiet any longer and decided to speak. "Tres...I...I'm so sorry for breaking my promise...I didn't believe that only being outside for such a short amount of time could have caused that to happen. I should have listened to you, I was foolish to think that they wouldn't be monitoring me..." she said to him quietly. He didn't respond. "But...I have to admit, I do feel a bit...confused as to why you did not tell me about Brother Bartholomew...I can see clearly now that you were warning me primarily about him. Is that the truth?"  
Tres was silent for another moment, before he turned to look at her. "Positive. The risk of you being discovered by Brother Bartholomew was too great, thus I did not want you to travel by yourself."  
"Why didn't you tell me about him before?"  
Tres narrowed his eyes slightly. "Because he is dangerous. I did not want to frighten you further. You have been giving off highly stressed readings 87% of the time I have been present with you. I did not want to cause further strain."  
"I see..." she hung her head slightly. "I really am sorry, Tres...I only seem to cause trouble no matter where I go, it seems..."  
"Negative...there is no need for apologies. My temper did not flare with regards to you; it was directed at Brother Bartholomew."  
"He was very frightening..." she said softly.  
"Positive. His programming as a Killing Doll is still mostly in tact," Tres replied.  
"Well, I'm at least glad that you are not cross with me...the last thing that I'd want is for you to be angry at me, Tres."  
"Negative. I am merely concerned for your safety first and foremost. I must inform you of something however," he replied. "Tomorrow I must accompany Lady Caterina in meeting with Queen Esther of Albion; therefore, I will be leaving you in the custody of Father Nightroad and Father Leon for the time being."  
"Well, I suppose that works out nicely since Abel was wanting to spend some time with me," OlivAI replied. "I think that he wants to tell me more about being a Krusnik, and...maybe I can get him to open up a bit more about his past. It might help me understand more about why Cain did all of this."  
"Positive. Father Nightroad is the best source of information on those matters," Tres confirmed. "For now, I will accompany you to the dining hall so that you may nourish yourself. I am detecting that several essential vitamins are very low in your bloodstream."  
OlivAI chuckled a bit. "Your sensors can tell a lot about someone can't they?"  
"Positive. Though my primary function is protecting Lady Caterina and her staff, I am also programmed to know when someone is in need of all forms of medical attention."  
"Well, at least that means that I never have to guess if I have a cold or flu coming on again..." she chuckled, holding out her hand to take his almost instinctively now.


	10. Arrival

"Awww, you can just see the rosy gleam in his cheeks thinking about Queen Esther can'tcha?" Father Leon teased as Abel trudged along with them looking immensely sorrowful and disappointed.  
"I so wish that Lady Caterina had allowed me to see her right now..." Abel sighed helplessly.  
"Well if your feelings for her are as strong as what's been let on by the other Fathers, Abel, it might be best to speak to her more in private..." OlivAI chuckled as she walked between them, her head essentially level with their chests with how short she was, and looked like a child compared to Abel. She was still wearing a modified priest outfit she'd taken from Tres for the time being. It was too cold to even entertain the thought of wearing any sort of dress.  
"Heh, Father Nightroad's too much of a child to admit his feelings to her," Father Leon teased.  
"Oh stop picking on him Father Leon, it's rude," OlivAI huffed. "Besides, it's not like he can throw himself at her and declare his love for her in front of everyone, it'd be considered an inappropriate act. He has to do it in secret."  
"Maybe you and I could arrange that then at some point," Father Leon smirked down at her.  
"Can we please stop discussing my love life, pleeeease?" Abel whined from somewhat behind them. "Esther is my best friend, not my love..."  
"Not yeeeet..." both OlivAI and Father Leon said at the same time, smirking back at him. Of course, that only made him more flustered. Even though she pitied him for his shyness, OlivAI had to admit that teasing Abel was fun. And hilarious.  
"You two need to stop it! If anyone overhears you they're going to lock me up for breaking my vow of chastity and I haven't even done anything!" he griped in a high-pitched voice behind them.  
"Ohhh, he's getting mad..." Father Leon teased.  
"Good, maybe the heat radiating off of all his blushing will melt some of the snow away," OlivAI concurred with a matching and mischevious smirk.  
Abel of course tried to chase them but of course they just laughed and left him behind. "We should hide and see how flustered he gets," Father Leon said to her. "He's so easy to pick on, just like the scaredy little kid in the schoolyard growing up."  
"I almost feel bad, he seems to take everything so personally," OlivAI giggled, though she thought it was a marvelously cruel idea, at least to trick him for a few moments.  
They took off in opposite directions, each down a different alleyway. She turned back briefly to see Father Leon hide himself down through the basement window of a food pantry. She looked around but didn't see anything similar, though she could hear Abel calling out for them with a mixture of woe and drama in his tone.  
So instead she continued a bit and turned around the far corner of the alleyway, peeking around to see him looking for her.  
A sharp voice from behind her, however, literally made her jump up high enough that she was clinging to an old catwalk that ran up the side of the building.  
"Are you attempting escape from your escorts?" Brother Petros asked in all seriousness. He wasn't alone of course; he had what looked like a good share of his team there with him, including Brother Bartholomew. She glared with hatred at him as he simply smirked back at her faintly, before she looked back to their leader.  
"I am not! Father Leon and I were just playing a short trick on Father Nightroad! I was just hiding from him a second to get him flustered," she spat, letting herself down with ease, though she almost fell on the ice below. "I wish you would stop tailing me like this. I don't remember any passages in the Bible saying it was a duty to God to stalk someone else."  
"We were not tailing you," Brother Petros replied, somewhat harshly. "We were sent by Cardinal Francesco to accompany her Majesty the Empress Augusta Vradica from the New Human Empire while she is here attending your wedding, Krusnik."  
"I have a name, you know..." OilvAI replied, giving him a displeased look. "And it is not 'Krusnik!'" She stuck out her tongue a bit, and with that, she turned on heel and walked away from the Inquisition.  
By the time she reached the end of the alleyway and turned back slightly, they'd already departed and were heading off towards the outskirts of the massive walled city. Abel was wallowing by the fountain and she chuckled and approached him, touching the top of his head affectionately with her hands as he sat there crumpled like a tormented child.  
"Oh come on now, Abel...we weren't trying to upset you this much..." she said, rubbing his shoulders a bit to console him since he seemed so disturbed.  
"Father Nightroad's just a bit of a crybaby at times..." Father Leon chortled from the other side of the fountain.'  
"You I can forgive OlivAI, but you are just plain rude and mean Father Leon," Abel murmured sadly.  
"Well, if it makes you feel any better, I just ran into the entire fleet of the Inquisition while I was hiding from you..." OlivAI sweatdropped.  
Abel about chomped the cobblestone from shock. "Wha?! How would that make me feel better?! They could have taken you from us!"  
"I think they had more important things on their minds right now..." she said with a small smile. "They said that your sister is here, Abel. They were going to meet her to escort her to where she'd be staying within the Citadel."  
Abel looked slightly stunned. "Seth is here? On the same day that Esther has arrived as well?" he asked quietly.  
"Little too overwhelming for you?" Father Leon taunted a bit from the side.  
"No, it's...it's just...I haven't seen Seth in some time now. The last time we talked she said she was disappointed that I haven't kept in touch with her as much as I should...I just hope she's not too displeased with me," he replied.  
"She's your sister, Abel...she might tease you, but siblings always forgive one another for small transgressions," OlivAI said. "I do emphasize small...because there are plenty of other things that cannot be so easily forgotten."  
"I get the sense...that you are referring to Cain," Abel replied, unable to hide a sad half-smile.  
"Hm, not just him..." she said, turning to see the faint retreating figures of the Inquisition, and glimpsing Duo Iqus amongst them.  
She froze a little, seeing that he was also glimpsing back at them from his position in the rear, though he turned and faced back ahead once more.  
"Brother Bartholomew is still making me uneasy..." she admitted. "Any time I see him he has that same look on his face...always feels like he's smirking at me."  
"You really need to avoid him at all costs, OlivAI. Brother Petros is...a hothead in every sense of the word, but he'd never hurt you. His soldiers, however, might...and Brother Bartholomew definitely would, as he's already proven. You need to really watch out for him," Father Leon said, his tone a bit more serious for a change. "I know that Brother Petros isn't fond of having him around at times because of his unpredictable nature, but he doesn't really control him either. You need to be careful."  
OlivAI nodded in understanding. "Let's not focus on anything so dark, though...we should tail the Inquisition instead and try to reach Seth first to greet her. I'm sure she'd rather see you Abel as opposed to the soldiers escorting her here," she said, adjusting Abel's rosary carefully since he was a bit disheveled, and smoothing his hair back affectionately. "Then we can go and see Queen Esther once her meeting with Lady Caterina has concluded. I want to meet Tres there anyways once he's done watching over them during their meeting."  
"I think that sounds like a great idea," Father Leon grinned broadly.  
"I think that sounds like a great way to get Brother Petros very very angry at us..." Abel murmured nervously, but he was outvoted, and the other two tugged him along with a yelp.

"I am very grateful that you were able to come and visit me before anything eventful is to come, Queen Esther…" Lady Caterina said to the young woman gently as she sat opposite her across her desk. They were meeting in private with Father Tres overseeing things for protective purposes, though right now he carefully served them each a cup of tea wordlessly while they discussed things.  
"Oh Lady Caterina, there's no need for formalities after the way you allowed me to come here when I left Ishtvan," Esther said gently with a smile. "Please just call me Esther still."  
"Esther it is then," Lady Caterina replied with a gentle smile. "I am so pleased to hear that Albion has been doing very well under your rule."  
"Once the Ghetto was demolished and the Methuselah allowed to live on the surface, most of the unrest that had formed over the centuries was able to be averted finally, which is what I believe my grandmother had hoped to accomplish. I believe she just couldn't find a way to do it without the risk of the other nations thinking Albion to be unstable and unsettled," Esther replied softly, taking a couple sips of tea. "Some of the Methuselah chose to migrate to the Empire in the wake of everything, but they did so with my blessing. I can imagine some of them harbored too much anger to remain in Albion after all of that. But thus far it seems as though everyone is content at the very least, even if there is still a bit of tension to deal with."  
"You always did have a good way with easing the fears of others Esther, I'd have never guessed you were of royal blood all the time you served the Vatican but your love for tranquility and peace always rung true no matter how dire things became," Lady Caterina replied, taking a few sips of her tea. She did feel relaxed speaking about something positive for a change, especially after everything that had happened lately. "I'm very glad you were able to arrive in time as well for the wedding as well."  
"Oh yes, I was informed of that on my way here and we hastened our trip…" Esther replied, smiling towards Father Tres. "I wanted to offer my congratulations to you, Father Tres. I'm so happy you were able to find someone to call your own."  
"Positive; congratulations acknowledged, Queen Esther," Father Tres replied with a subtle nod.  
"Oh don't you go all 'Queen Esther' on me too as well Father Tres, you can just call me Esther," she replied with a slightly sheepish grin. "I get overwhelmed being called queen so much, especially by all of you…you're my friends. As far as I'm concerned we're all equal."  
"Positive; name once again recognized as Esther," Father Tres replied.  
Esther gave him a content grin, before she looked back to Lady Caterina. "Tell me, will the other Fathers all be at the ceremony? I'm so excited to see everyone again after the time that's passed! It feels like just yesterday I was here with all of you."  
"Yes, they will all be in attendance of course," Lady Caterina replied.  
Esther bit her bottom lip a bit, as though she were contemplating something. "Even…even Father Nightroad?"  
There was a slightly awkward pause, but Lady Caterina chuckled a bit. "Yes, of course he'll be there as well."  
"Oh good…I…I wasn't sure after his last conflict with Cain if he was going to stay here or not," Esther admitted, hanging her head slightly. "He fought so hard, but Cain…they ended up at a stalemate."  
She could still remember the sounds of that the worst; the sounds of them tearing and gnashing into one another with a feverish intensity that could put even the worst of storms to shame. It had been both horrifying and a scene of awe, and yet…there had been no clear resolution. They had been too evenly matched for Abel to overcome his brother, even at 100% Krusnik levels. Abel had spoken of leaving to find Cain, but apparently, he'd changed his mind, or perhaps he'd thought the effort futile.  
Lady Caterina frowned, lowering her gaze ever so slightly. "Yes…and the truth is, I'm glad you're here for another reason…I wanted to warn you that Cain and the Rosencreutz Orden have resurfaced, and I wanted you to be prepared for them."  
Esther gasped and looked a bit stunned. She'd known that Cain wasn't gone, but hadn't thought he would return this quickly. "He…he has revealed himself?"  
"Yes…and it has more to do with this marriage in two days time now than one would think…" Lady Caterina said; she inwardly hated having to recall it all, however, because of how heinous the crimes had been against OlivAI and the tensions that were already mounting because of all of this occurring at once.  
Tres seemed to sense that she was ill at ease, however, and stepped forward. "I will explain what has occurred in the last few weeks," he said, looking down at Esther with his still gaze. Lady Caterina nodded, slightly with relief and reclined back slightly.  
Esther looked up at Tres curiously, but listened intently.

"We are going to be in so much trouble if they catch us doing this…" Abel whimpered as the three of them peered around the corner of an alleyway, before they trotted swiftly down the small side roadways and narrow streets that ran parallel to the main road. They had thus far managed to avoid the attention of the Inquisition, but who knew how long that would last with Abel muttering like a doomsday prophet every five seconds.  
"They're only gonna catch us if you keep whimpering like a damned puppy," Father Leon said with an unamused grin.  
"Well the last thing that I want right now is for us to all end up in Cardinal Francesco's dungeon awaiting questioning for the next century," Abel replied woefully.  
"If you two don't quiet down, I'm going to be the one that locks you both up somewhere and conveniently loses the key," OlivAI hissed down at them as she spied on the soldiers marching towards the outskirts of the city. "I think they're heading for the northern gate. If we trot along the rooftops we have a chance at getting there before them, especially at the slow pace they're moving at."  
"If Brother Petros sees us following after them, he won't be happy…" Abel sighed.  
"Since when is Brother Petros ever happy? That guy has a permanent scowl on his face and probably thanks God Almighty every day for it," Father Leon replied, dragging his companion along with them as they suddenly leapt up onto the rooftops and scurried along.  
Of course, using the rooftops as a means to travel wasn't the safest of ideas, especially at the start of winter. The tiles were slick with fresh ice and snow and they found themselves mostly sliding down the declines of them before having to leapt to the next one and scurry up the inclines before they fell back down to the ground.  
"Why can't more of the buildings have had flat roofs…" OlivAI murmured as she shimmied up another one, though she kept sliding down and having to dig her flats into the snow as best she could. Finally Father Leon had had enough and gave her a sudden boost by pushing her up by her rear sharply, sending her sliding up and over the roof comically.  
OlivAI yelped out "Pervert!" as she went over the other side and scrambled to try and reach the next rooftop without falling into the alleyway below.  
"Better not allow Father Tres ever catch you doing that…" Abel sweatdropped behind him, stunned.  
"As if he didn't already have enough excuses to give me a new breathing hole in my forehead, right?" Father Leon replied with grin.  
They continued to hop along the rooftops until they finally ran out of buildings to travel along, and were forced to allow themselves to essentially plummet down into a snow bank at the end of their path. Their three heads popped out of the snowbanks.  
"See? That wasn't so bad…" Father Leon chimed in.  
"It was also completely unnecessary," Brother Petros replied; they all grimaced slightly to see they'd landed right in the direct center of the Inquisition's path. "If you had wanted to accompany us, you merely need to request it and you could have followed. Not that I love to entertain AX Agents and their mischievous tagalongs," he said, looking at OlivAI at that last comment, "But I would do so because of my trust in you, Father Nightroad."  
"I did try to tell them that…" Abel admitted, receiving small death glares from the other two.  
"Unbury yourselves and follow us, we're nearly to the meeting point at which we will take her to the citadel. Cardinal Francesco de Medici has requested an audience with her while Cardinal Sforza is having her time with Queen Esther."  
Abel's expression darkened a bit as Brother Petros and his soldiers continued. "Why would the Cardinal want an audience with Seth…?" he murmured to himself. If anything the Cardinal had only had wicked words to speak of the Empire thus far, considering their 'peace' between Terrans and Methuselah to be a grievous sin.  
OlivAI and Father Leon looked troubled as well, but there was little more they could do than get themselves out of the snow and follow them. OlivAI, however, stayed close to Abel, wanting to avoid all contact with Brother Bartholomew, who was walking at the back still. This time, however, he did not make any attempt to look at or intimidate her, thankfully.  
"I've got a bad feeling about why he might wanna see her…" Father Leon murmured to Abel. "He knows that Lady Caterina's hoping to use the wedding as a means to achieve peace with both kingdoms…do you think that he's going to purposely sabotage that just to go against her?"  
"I wish I didn't have to say this, but…I wouldn't put it past him," Abel replied, looking straight ahead. Abel grasped OlivAI's hand as she trotted at his side, knowing that she felt uneasy about Tres's brother in their proximity.  
It didn't take long for them to arrive at the gate into the walled capital of the Vatican, however. It was evening now, and the towering cross that hovered in the center of the citadel was gleaming brightly with the heavenly lights that were lit each night around the structure.  
The Empress was already awaiting them, sitting in an half-opened ornate carriage and surrounded by her own small battalion of terran guards, so she wasn't immediately visible to them. Her two ambassadors stood at the front of their group, however, looking faintly impatient, though their expressions lightened to see their group approaching. Abel immediately brightened upon seeing them ahead and trotted ahead of the Inquisition. "Ashta! Ion! It's so great to see you both!" he called out happily; seeing them and soon his sister made his apprehension from a moment ago vanish for a bit. Father Leon quickly took OlivAI's hand and tugged her around the soldiers as well to follow after him.  
"Hello, my tovarich," Ashta said with a small smile. "It's good to see you again."  
"Hello, Father Nightroad," Ion replied with a soft nod; his tone was a bit more subdued than the last time they'd met, though it was still a bit odd to see Abel there alive before them when they'd both been so shaken by news of his death, just shy of three months beforehand, before Lady Caterina had sent Father Tres to revive him.  
"I say that we skip the formal greetings and just get right down to me meeting my new Krusnik sibling," a young voice suddenly came from behind the veiled screen of the carriage, which faded away. OlivAI shyly watched as the Empress stood from her throne and was helped down to the ground by two of her soldiers gently, though she instantly ran to Abel first, hugging him around the waist.  
"Ah, brother…you know you're in trouble for not contacting me sooner, don't you?" Seth chimed, giving him an impish grin with a devious little glint in her eye. That was enough to make Abel look like she was about to set him on fire.  
"I'm so sorry Seth, just…things have been pretty crazy around here and…"  
"No need for excuses, Abel," she tsked him a bit. "We're here on happier matters anyways, right? Now where is this OlivAI you told me about…" Seth replied, scanning them until she laid eyes on her, half concealed behind Father Leon out of shyness.  
"There you are!" Seth exclaimed; in an instant she'd about tackled OlivAI into the snow.  
"Seth, be careful please, OlivAI is pregnant remember…!" Abel said to her pleadingly.  
"Oh, I apologize, I'd completely forgotten…it was a long trip here," Seth said, helping OlivAI back to her feet. "I've just been very excited to meet you!" she said excitedly, holding both of OlivAI's hands in hers. "For the last 900 years there have only been three of us, and now you are the fourth."  
"Well…I…I don't know how to use the abilities that you and Abel do yet…" OlivAI replied sheepishly. She didn't want to admit, however, that it was partially because she was afraid to do so.  
"That isn't something to worry about, the Krusnik gene can be recessive for some time before it shows itself," Seth said to her with a warm and reassuring smile. It was hard to believe that this little girl standing in front of her was over nine hundred years old, and had created one of the largest empires in the world as its ruler.  
"Your Majesty, I apologize for the intrusion, but Cardinal Francesco has been awaiting your arrival since early this morning," Brother Petros suddenly interrupted them; his expression was still as stern as ever, but his tone showed respect towards her. "I know that this may seem rushed, but the Cardinal is very-"  
"Impatient?" Abel quipped, somewhat under his breath.  
"Ill-tempered?" OlivAI muttered a bit bitterly.  
"Tighter than a chastity belt with rusted locks?" Father Leon said without even trying to hide it.  
Of course, Brother Petros and the soldiers of the Inquisition glared daggers at the three of them almost immediately, but Seth chuckled a bit, breaking the tension ever so slightly.  
"I understand, Brother Petros…I brought along a gift of sorts for him as well, though we will have to wait and see how well it will be received," she replied, turning to OlivAI. "I'm sorry this has to be cut so short, I'll arrange for you to come and stay with me the night before your wedding, OlivAI. It's bad luck for you to be seen by your groom the night and day before you wed, and it'll give us time to get to know one another," she said.  
"That sounds lovely," OlivAI said with a gentle smile.  
With that, Seth turned and with help from Ion and Ashta regained her seat on her throne, and their small procession continued, following after Brother Petros and the Inquisition towards the citadel.  
OlivAI looked to Abel as they departed. "How are Seth's ambassadors safe from the sunlight here?" she asked him; they were both walking in the broad evening sunlight without any harm coming to them.  
"Oh, it's actually quite neat; you see the New Human Empire utilizes these particle fields that block out the UV rays that are lethal to vampires, and that energy field around Seth right now is generating a miniature one to protect those two from it so long as they remain in proximity to her."  
"I see…she really has gone to great lengths to try and unite the terrans and methuselah under a peaceful reign," OlivAI said softly. "I think that's very admirable. This world is already too filled with warfare and violence. There needs to be some peace," she sighed.  
"Yes, Seth can be quite a marvel when she wants to be," Abel replied with a grin.  
"Hey, whenever you two are done fawning, I thought we wanted to be waiting for Lady Caterina's meeting with Queen Esther to conclude so that we could go and visit her as well," Father Leon said as he whisked away, leaving the other two to scramble their way after him.


	11. Much to Discuss

"I'm sorry that I've used up so much of your time, Esther…" Lady Caterina said as she stood from her chair. "It's just that so much has happened in these last three months since you left our team. I do hope that some of your visit here will be spent doing something much more enjoyable than delving into politics," she mustered a small chuckle.  
"Oh it was wonderful to see you again Lady Caterina, I've really missed Rome desperately…I love Albion as though it were my first home, but Rome will always have a special place in my heart." She spoke earnestly, but after having heard everything from Father Tres, she could see now why there had seemed to be a dark veil over Lady Caterina.  
Lady Caterina paused as she heard a telltale sound coming from the other side of the door into her chambers, and smiled a bit wryly. "Well, you asked about Abel earlier…it looks as though you'll get to ask him yourself how he has been."  
Esther was about to ask her what she meant, right in the instant that the doorway into the chambers opened, and Abel and OlivAI came toppling in while Father Leon looked flustered behind them, like he'd been trying to keep them from rampaging through the place like a herd of buffalo and had failed to catch them before they'd plopped into the room.  
"E-Esther! I mean, Queen Esther! I mean…er…ugh…" Abel said, trying to regain his composure and of course failing miserably at doing so. He struggled back to his feet with his robes entangled around him, but managed to stand and smiled to her.  
Esther's face lit up upon seeing him so quickly that she had to catch herself. "Father Nightroad, I mean…Abel…it's so nice to see you again," she said to him softly as he ambled up to her, but his shyness seemed to catch him quickly. "I'd wanted to send word to see how you were for so long, it's…just been so hectic in Albion…"  
"Oh, Esther…you have nothing to apologize for, you know that," Abel said to her sweetly, correcting the angle of his glasses. "But, perhaps while you are here, we can spend some time catching up…?"  
"Tres!" OlivAI called out happily as she managed to untangle herself since she was still wearing his far-too-big-for-her priestly robes sans the Vatican markings. She sprinted past them and went to embrace him. Tres looked to her and opened his arms to receive her, and held her close as she hugged him tightly. Of course, she could pounce him at full speed and it would do nothing; at his immense weight, he was practically rooted to the ground.  
"Ah Tres, I know I just saw you this morning before you left but I missed you nonetheless," OlivAI sighed as she embraced him tightly.  
"Positive; your absence has left a negative impression upon this day for me OlivAI," Tres replied.  
OlivAI let out an exasperated but bemused sigh. "I'm still getting used to that ultra-realistic and blunt language of yours, Tres…but I do understand." She craned her neck up quite a bit but managed to place a small kiss on his cheek, which he leaned down slightly to receive, closing his eyes softly a moment as she did so.  
Lady Caterina observed that silently; Tres was programmed to maximum efficiency. He didn't even have the need to blink, and yet…whenever she showed him affection, he seemed to…react in some way, stronger than she felt him capable of. It wasn't just a show, either…she knew Tres well enough to know if he were concealing anything in spite of his emotionless façade. It was an interesting observation, and one that she planned to investigate, soon.  
Esther fawned a bit and giggled. "So that's OlivAI? She looks sweet like you, Abel…" Esther chided a bit, causing Abel to blush shyly and rub the back of his head.  
"Me? Sweet? I suppose if I'm in a good mood I could be called agreeable…" he mumbled humbly.  
"There's no need to feel you all must say here, everyone under my command is dismissed, and Queen Esther…I will see you again soon," Lady Caterina said to her with a gentle smile.  
Queen Esther bowed to her respectfully and then turned to depart, inundated almost immediately by her armed entourage. Abel, however, was determined to speak with her and followed along hoping to find an opening to do so.  
Father Tres departed with OlivAI beside him, keeping an arm around her protectively. Lady Caterina frowned slightly and then sat down once more.  
"Sister Kate…could you please have the Professor come to my office at his earliest convenience?"

"Please, Abel is a friend of mine, there's no need for all of this protectiveness," Esther pleaded with her security detail a bit; they were all but interrogating the poor priest as he pleaded and cowered a bit as they blockaded him from getting near her. With her word, however, they finally relented and released him.  
Abel staggered forward a bit as Esther looked to her soldiers. "Please, give us some time alone. You can secure a wider perimeter for right now. I want to talk to him in privacy." Her soldiers immediately did as they commanded, giving them ample space together.  
"Heh, well you had plenty of practice bossing us around when you were here didn't you?" Abel said goofily as he watched the soldiers depart wordlessly. Esther chuckled a bit, sitting down onto a courtyard bench and giving him plenty of room to join her. Abel smiled and gratefully did so.  
"Father…I mean, Abel…I'm sorry, it's an old habit," she replied with a small smile. "I'm so happy to see that you're doing better now. I've been worried about you ever…ever since…"  
"I know…one of the last times you saw me was when I fought with Cain," Abel said, his smile deteriorating into a solemn frown. "All of that was like some sort of awful nightmare, wasn't it? To me it's essentially all a painful sort of void. I don't remember dying, or being reborn…I just remember fighting him, and even that was vague. I really woke up from this stupor when Cain escaped…we were too evenly matched for there to be a real winner," he sighed. "Ever since then we've been trying to locate where Cain is. I was tempted to leave and find him, but…after everything I was weary."  
"Abel, your spirit is so weathered…" Esther said to him, making him pause and look at her silently. "It needs rest, just as the body does. You spent nine hundred years mourning for Lillith..." Abel looked a bit stunned to realize she knew more about him than he'd first thought. "Lady Caterina told me…in a letter, about a month ago. I was still so lost and confused about what happened…she felt I deserved to have some closure for all of that. Abel, why…why didn't you tell me all of this? Your origins…what you really were…did you not trust me?"  
"Of course I trusted you…" Abel said gently. "But I…I also cared…so much about you, Esther…that was why I couldn't bring myself to tell you the truth. I did…everything that I could to try and keep you from seeing the demon that lives within me, the Krusnik…" He paused once more and smiled ever so faintly. "It's strange, really…I've lived all these years hating my own flesh and blood and yet…seeing Seth and encouraging OlivAI have made me…accept it slightly more. But…I didn't want you to know of it, Esther."  
"Abel…I would have understood…had I seen it on your terms…but to see you transform and attack Cain, two months ago in the Ghetto…it was horrifying, but it wasn't what caused me the most pain. It's that you didn't think I could accept it."  
Esther stood with some slight effort with her heavy royal gown, but managed to move so that she was standing before him as he sat semi-slumped on the bench. He looked at her quietly. "Abel, I trusted you the most of anyone. You were the one who helped me regain my own faith after I was betrayed by Dietrich. You brought me here to Rome, and helped me find a new sense of purpose. Did you really think that after all of that, that I would abandon you if I'd known?"  
"It wasn't right, Esther…I know this now. But…I have lost many that I was close with because of the Krusnik…" Abel replied. "Even…before I came back here to Earth. Esther…when I am in my Krusnik form, I feel no different from my brother. I feel only like a monster and the higher that my form goes, the more that I lose myself to it. What I gain in strength I lose in sanity. It terrifies me, and yet…I have no choice but to accept it. But the world is at war with itself, and I am just another variable in all of this…sometimes, sometimes I wish I knew more of what God's plan for me is, Esther…"  
Abel gasped slightly when he suddenly felt the gentle pressure of Esther's hands against his cheeks, and she made him lift his face from its downtrodden position so that he was looking up at her again. She was looking down at him with an immensely soft expression, and a faint smile on her face. It reminded him so much of…  
"Abel, I know that what you carry is a burden, both a blessing and a curse. I'm not angry at you, now…I just wanted to understand, and now I do," Esther replied. She was speaking quietly enough that only he could hear her. "I know that over time you have suffered so much, Abel. I can't even imagine what it felt like to mourn someone for almost a millennium with time simply passing and the anguish never ceasing. But you have a chance now, to live your life the way that you want to. Continue to do your work for the Vatican if you feel it is your duty in repentance, but also live to make yourself happy. You think so much about others, and yet you sacrifice so much of yourself. Abel…I want you to be happy. If there's anything that I can ever do to help you with that, please…I want you to tell me," she said, leaning her forehead down against his for a brief moment.  
Abel couldn't find the words he wanted to speak; it felt as though they were all lodged in his throat. All he could do was feel the warmth of her forehead pressed against his, and her hands against his cheeks…he wanted so much to lean up slightly and-  
"Queen Esther, I am sorry to intercede with your meeting, but we must make haste to your quarters so that you will be safer, my Lady," her captain of the guard reported from behind her. Esther stood and released Abel's face and turned to look at him.  
"I understand," she nodded, turning back to Abel with an apologetic smile. "I'll try to find us some more time soon for us to talk, Abel…please, think about what I've said, all right?" she said; she leaned down and placed a small kiss on the top of his head, before she turned and followed the captain back to her entourage.  
Abel's face was slightly reddened from the gesture as he watched her leave, but he still frowned a bit sadly as he watched her go.  
"I have thought about it…" he whispered to himself.  
_ "You are what makes me happy…"_

"So…you say that Father Tres is exhibiting some strange behavior lately?" the Professor asked as he stifled the smoke of his pipe. "I'd have to agree considering the stunt that he pulled a couple days ago…"  
"It isn't even the action itself that strikes me as odd. Tres has always been one to use whatever method he can to achieve his current mission, though this one…he assigned himself as protector to OlivAI and I commend him for finding whatever means he could to do that. But…she has been giving him affection; it probably begun as a form of thanks that has evolved into romantic love, and he…he reacts to it. It is hard for me to explain since the action itself is so subtle, but he does. And he has reciprocated it. If he merely returned her affections for the sake of reciprocity, he would be far blunter about it. You've seen how he reacts to anything and everything. He adapts to whatever occurs in front of him, but this…this is not like anything I've seen. He's known to at times have a small sense of humor, and he has his own hidden set of morals that he abides by…but, something as abstract as love should not be within his programming."  
The Professor paused and contemplated on this silently. "Father Tres's internal machinations have always been a partial mystery to me. Dr. Garibaldi left little behind of how he designed his Killing Doll androids, but for the longest time most of us assumed that they only had two functions: to do as they're commanded by their authoritative entity, and to solve any hindrances with violence and murder. Not always necessarily in that order, either. We know now that he simply wanted to use them as soulless killing machines to spark a riot that never came to its full fruition. But Tres has proven that that programming wasn't entirely perfected in them, or at least…it wasn't as ruthlessly 'efficient' as the good doctor had hoped. That said, there's never been any concrete proof that Tres's programming is unable to evolve under changing circumstances, and considering that this was the first time he was assigned not only a mission where he was acting solely on protection, but also failed to protect her from being taken…I can only conclude that something in his processor has changed, and that he is beginning to experience real sensations like any living being."  
"You mean that he has the ability to adapt when it comes to emotions as well?" Lady Caterina asked.  
"That's the only logical conclusion that I can come to as of right now, my Lady. After all, it isn't as though Father Tres has ever dealt with something like this before, correct? He has received affection as a friend, an ally and comrade before…but not love, which is a pure and as you said, abstract, emotion. None of us have ever confessed it to him, and as far as I know no one outside of our organization has shown him much but suspicion and hatred. To have someone both dependent on him currently and also showing him a form of intimacy like this, well…I can't think of any other way to explain it."  
Lady Caterina listened and looked a bit troubled. "This news isn't precisely what I needed to hear to feel more at ease…"  
"Lady Caterina, if I may be so bold…I know that you care about Father Tres as much as you do the rest of us, are you perhaps feeling…a bit protective of his fledging feelings?" the Professor asked.  
She gave him a slightly cross look. "If you think me that shallow Professor then I'll ask you to resign from the AX agency," she barked at him a bit harshly. "If Father Tres were able to experience even the smallest shred of happiness that any single one of us can experience in their lives, I would be nothing but happy for him. It is not Father Tres I worry about with regards to his programming, but the fact that it appears as though it can evolve means that there is another in our midst that may be experiencing this…"  
The Professor looked intrigued and a bit confused a moment, before the worry slowly crept onto his fact. "You are referring to the Inquisition's own android soldier, aren't you? Brother Bartholomew?"  
"I have never once trusted his presence here in the Vatican; in fact, there is nothing that I regret more from that incident than allowing my brother's forces to take Duo Iqus's near-dead form with them. But I have been monitoring the Inquisition's movements lately, and while Brother Petros has been keeping his distance from the situation and monitoring it from a correct standpoint, he has not been keeping his soldiers in check…and Brother Bartholomew has already made one attempt at detaining OlivAI without a given command."  
"You mean that he acted entirely on his own?" the Professor asked with a grave tone.  
"Brother Petros reprimanded him for detouring from his designated patrol, so that's all that I can assume. I wouldn't have known of this had Father Tres not informed me of it. Of course, he simply mentioned it at the tail end of a brief conversation we had last night when he came to give me his nightly report, but…I think to a degree, he was upset. Not as much of a stretch to think of it that way if he really is beginning to learn to at least feel emotions, even if he cannot fully express them. But I ended up checking the security tapes around the central courtyard and was able to see secondhand their encounter. Granted, they were too far away to capture their audio, but the way that Brother Bartholomew looked at them, OlivAI and Father Tres…I cannot describe it. He even had the gall to look Father Tres directly in the eyes as he licked his fiancée's blood from his hand before he departed; it was very disturbing."  
"Hmm…admittedly that does worry me. If Brother Bartholomew has some sort of personal vendetta then that's about the last thing that we need," the Professor sighed. "We've already been discussing and preparing for the Orden to do something at the ceremony, or shortly thereafter. If Brother Bartholomew is another variable in all of this we're looking at an already fragile situation turning into a near-catastrophe in the best of circumstances."  
"I can only rely on whatever Father Tres tells me about what he observes; one way or another the Orden is our primary enemy. It is just something else to bear in mind in these next couple days," Lady Caterina replied. "Professor…please tell the other agents, including Father Nightroad whenever he separates himself from Queen Esther's company, to please keep a watchful eye over Father Tres and OlivAI."  
The Professor couldn't help a wry little smirk. "You're asking us to protect Gunslinger? I think he'll be insulted, or possibly shoot us if we get in his way, which is fairly likely..."  
"Father Tres's power is unquestionable, but he cannot hold his own by himself against some of the enemies we face. In a way, it is because like OlivAI, there is a part of him that…that is innocent. He does not know the way that evil works in this world. He calculates and he plans and strategizes, but he does not understand the evil, because he cannot feel it. He only knows it is his enemy. I want to protect him from that evil, and OlivAI as well. They have both been violated of some of their own freedoms that we take for granted; he in his limited sentience and misunderstood nature, and her being attacked in a heinous way in order to act as an unwilling pawn in the Orden's plot. Even though their wedding stands as an ample opportunity for us to establish at least negotiations with the Empire, there is part of me that does want the ceremony to go well purely for their sake. That is why I'm going to make it wonderful for them. My only request of all of you right now, however, is that you keep them safe. There is so much out there that wants to harm them, Professor…and I owe it to Father Tres for all he's done to ensure they are kept safe."  
"Well, I'm fairly certain we can handle that," the Professor responded with a confident smile. "If your Lordship does not have anything further to discuss, however, I believe that I will allow you the company of solely your own thoughts. I'll look into what little we salvaged from Dr. Garbaldi's laboratories, however…see if there's anything of interest in those few dusty notes of his."  
"Thank you, Professor…please let me know immediately if you find anything of interest," Lady Caterina replied, watching him leave in silence.


	12. The Unwanted Gift

"I am thankful that you have granted me an audience, your Majesty…" Cardinal Francesco said from his personal throne in the citadel as Seth and her ambassadors and entourage approached. Seth's eyes looked back and forth rapidly between the Cardinal and his forces, which were positioned in a semi-circular position around the room. 'So, he is hoping to intimidate me a bit…goes to show how much he knows about me!'  
"The pleasure is all mine, I assure you," Seth replied with a wry smile as she was helped down from her litter by Ashta, standing between her and Ion as she approached him. "I was hoping to speak with both you and your two siblings, Cardinal."  
"I am aware of this, and you will indefinitely have your chance to see them as well in the next two days, but I wanted to meet with you first and foremost to ask something of you," he replied. Seth observed him silently, taking in his demeanor and appearance. He looked like the sharpest man she'd ever seen with his slit-like eyes and harsh, unforgiving tone. He didn't even bother to hide the rampant disgust looking at them within that glint in his eye, but she put that aside. She knew of his personality before she had arrived here; it was just a disappointment that it had been so terribly correct.  
"If you've something to ask of me, Cardinal…you have my full attention," Seth replied; Ion set down a temporal throne behind her to sit upon for her travels. She had contemplated bringing along her hovercraft that she used in her appearances, but the distance had made that too difficult.  
"I know that you are here to attend the wedding in two days' time, but I am also aware that my dear sister Caterina Sforza also planned to arrange negotiations with you soon enough in spite of this sudden event. So my question is to you, Empress…what is your intention in coming here? There are murmurs that you seek to create a truce of peace with the Vatican," the Cardinal said, looking down upon her. She looked up at him several feet away with the same level of intensity in her eyes. The air was so thick you could practically sever it.  
"I have made no such arrangements, Cardinal Francesco…I have come here to speak of it with Cardinal Sforza at the request of my brother, Abel Nightroad, but you are making assumptions of it. You and I are both aware of how different our organizations are. We have been on the verge of war for centuries now, and though nothing concrete has ever been sparked, the tension between our provinces is of concern to both parties. After the Rosencreutz Orden's attempts to fuel war between the nations Cardinal Sforza and I agreed that it would be worth talking about at least agreeing to a temporal alliance that could be initiated whenever we were forced to face a common enemy," Seth replied; her tone was completely level, and seemed like a contradiction to the youth of her voice. She'd been Empress for almost nine hundred years now, however, and there was little that could shake her.  
"I see…it seems that such an alliance would be of more of an advantage to your kingdom than ourselves, considering your close ties to the Orden itself, Empress…the leader of that organization is, after all, whom you call your brother, Cain," the Cardinal Francesco retorted.  
"You will not associate our beloved Empress with that monstrosity!" Ion suddenly spat heatedly. "Cain Knightlord is a wretched demon who wishes only death for all, our Empress has taught us only of acceptance-!"  
"Ion! That is enough; you speak out of place and shame me with your outburst," Seth said harshly, giving him a displeased expression. Ion quieted and stepped back, but he still looked very disturbed. "You are correct Cardinal Francesco, Cain Knightroad is indeed my brother in the sense that we are of the few Krusniks in existence. There was a time when I trusted Cain like a fool, but he is my enemy now just as much as he is yours," she paused, pursing her lips slightly in thought. "Would you permit me to speak frankly, Cardinal?"  
"If you must, then do so," he replied sternly.  
"Did you instigate this meeting simply to cause tension between our two parties? Before you answer, you must not delude yourself…you have called me here with only yourself and your soldiers in attendance."  
Cardinal Francesco smiled, but it had a sort of eerie feel to it, like it wasn't genuine. "Of course not, I simply wished for you to tell me your intentions your Majesty. I have not gotten the chance to speak with you personally and merely wished for the opportunity to do so before things become more chaotic."  
Seth paused, and glimpsed each of his soldiers. They looked as ruthless as Abel had described, but she looked squarely towards their leader…what was his name? Brother Petros…that was it. He was looking at her with the same kind of stern expression as the Cardinal, but he seemed…trustworthy? Maybe…  
"As a matter of fact…I did bring something along with me just for you, Cardinal Francesco, as a gesture of peace between our kingdoms…" Seth said, suddenly standing from her small throne. "Or rather, it is someone."  
"Someone?" the Cardinal echoed her, suddenly frowning and looking serious once more. "We would not associate with someone from the Empire."  
"I'm aware of this, but I know how important your Inquisition is to you. They are your Holy force that protects your people, and I wish to lend someone to aid them," she said. She turned and walked over towards her soldiers. She suddenly seized the hand of one of them, but the soldier she guided towards them looked like a child. He was only maybe an inch or two taller than the Empress himself, and his features were delicate. He almost looked like a female in much the same way Ion did, only even more youthful.  
"This is the captain of my guard, Lauvius Decartes II. He has been my faithful soldier now for two decades but has spoken to me of his desire to serve you in the Inquisition, Cardinal Francesco," Seth said.  
"This child? Two decades…" the Cardinal murmured, before his expression became more aggressive and he suddenly stood and pointed at him accusingly. "He is a vampire, and you dare to offer him as a potential soldier of God?! That is blasphemy!"  
"As though I would allow such a demon as a soldier in my command," Brother Petros spat angrily. The other members of the Inquisition looked either about as enraged or unimpressed.  
Seth, however, had anticipated this reaction. Lauvius looked slightly taken aback, although he was not shaken from where he stood, but she placed a hand on his shoulder. "I realize it is an unorthodox offer, but there has been no representation of the Methuselah race here in the Vatican's existence, Cardinal Francesco…and if my studies of the Holy Book are correct, it is that we are all children of God. I would be more lenient to believe that you abide by keeping your soldiers 'pure', but I have taken notice that one of your soldiers is, in fact, not human," Seth said, focusing right on Brother Bartholomew, who was frowning faintly at them from the side. "If a machine is permitted to serve God, then why can not a Methuselah? If you proclaim that we are less than this, then we may as well depart right now, and you will have it solely upon your hands the breakdown of talks between our kingdoms, Cardinal Francesco," Seth explained; unlike them, she kept a level tone of voice.  
An uneasy silence hung in the air for a moment, before the young captain cleared his throat and suddenly spoke clearly. "I know that my appearance and my race might not match with the Inquisition's standards perfectly, but my desire to serve the church has always been strong since I was young. I am devoted to God and have requested of my Empress permission to come here many times, but…she did not feel it was safe to do so. I am here merely to serve you in whatever way that I can."  
"And even if you were permitted to serve on the Inquisition, how could we ever know of your real intentions? You could just as easily be a spy, or even be a double agent for the Orden for all that we are aware," the Cardinal retorted.  
"Then allow me to prove myself in some way," Lauvius replied. "I am fully aware of the suspicious nature of my request, but I will prove that it is genuine, if need be, in any way that I must. I have longed for this opportunity for so long now."  
Brother Petros looked at first disgusted, but…as he listened Seth noticed that his hardened features began to soften slightly. Brother Petros had once been as bigoted as the Cardinal himself, but after having worked alongside Ion and later Vanessa, Methuselah that they were, he had come to learn that they weren't all vicious demons as he'd believed for so many years.  
"Perhaps a trial of his abilities, motives and faith to God will clear any suspicions," Brother Petros said, looking to the Cardinal. "You have trusted me in my duty as the leader of the Inquisition for a long time, my Lord…allow me to test the vampire to see if he is worthy of being in your service."  
Cardinal Francesco paused to contemplate this for a moment before his cruel smile returned. "Very well, Brother Petros…" he turned back to Seth. "We accept your 'gift' with the intention to ascertain his motives, but be warned, Lauvius Decartes…your trial will not be of any ease."  
"I did not anticipate it to be," Lauvius replied coolly.  
"Well, I can honestly say that this meeting did not settle my own suspicions of your presence here, Your Majesty…but we will see how well your little 'present' works out," Cardinal Francesco said as he began to depart. "I do hope the amenities here during your visit will be to your liking, after all…it's probably been a very long time since any of you have seen true sunlight."  
With that, the Cardinal left. Brother Petros dismissed his soldiers, whom followed the Cardinal from the chamber, but he remained behind to receive the new recruit.  
"Well isn't he just a damned gentleman…" Ashta muttered angrily; she had been feeling the same sort of rage that Ion had felt, but had managed to at least keep it within herself until they had departed.  
"Cardinal Francesco does not represent the entire Vatican, please remember this," Seth replied with a small smile. "Brother Petros, do you intend to take Lauvius with you in order to confirm his alliance?"  
"That is correct," Brother Petros replied, towering over them as he stood before them. He looked down at Lauvius coldly; the boy was so short he barely reached his waist. "You will come with me, and stay in my company until I have no more concerns of your presence, and then we will see if you are fit to serve the Inquisition," he explained, before he turned to depart as well.  
Seth nudged Lauvius to follow him. "I am sorry for the immediate departure your Highness…" Lauvius apologized.  
"There's no need for that, just go with him, this is what you've wanted," Seth encouraged him. "You've served me so well over the years, Lauvius…this is the least I can do to reward you."  
Lauvius nodded swiftly, before he turned and followed after Brother Petros, his armor and weapons rattling against his small form.  
"It seems a waste to have them obtain such a fine soldier as Lauvius," Ashta murmured. "He has served you well over the years as a subversive soldier. His young appearance has given him the advantage of being underestimated in battle many times."  
"It also seems a waste that that cruel Cardinal is allowed his services when he thinks us no better than demons," Ion spat angrily.  
"I know, Ashta, Ion…but he has literally asked this of me on the eve of near every day these last few years. You see…Lauvius has always had a desire to join the church, someday, and if that is what he wants, I must grant it to him. He has been a good son to me," Seth said softly. "Now…we should retire, and get ourselves prepared. These next couple of days are likely going to be very interesting."


	13. Monitio Incassum

OlivAI took a deep breath and exhaled as she stared into the mirror in the washroom across the hall from Tres's rest chamber. Of course he had no need for it, so OlivAI had it all to herself, though she had left the door creaked open to know if someone was approaching.

She looked at herself with a strange intensity and tried to focus, taking a few deep breaths. "Okay…I need to try this…" she said, reaching out and rubbing her stomach a bit. She'd just finished being violently ill into the toilet as morning sickness had begun to show its wrath for the first brief time, but now that she was feeling better, she wanted to try.

"Okay…what…what did Abel say…" she said, closing her eyes and trying to remember. "Nanomachines…Krusnik…Krusnik 05…Power Output…uhm…10%?" she murmured, wincing.

But…nothing happened, as she'd expected. She peeked her eye open, but there was no change. OlivAI made an aggravated face.

"Come on, work! I don't want to have to wait until something terrible happens for this to emerge…" she muttered. "If the Orden is still out there looking for us, I want…I want to be able to help! Please…"

She didn't know who she was talking to, but she clenched her fists a bit and closed her eyes.

Tres…he made her feel so safe, and she…she loved him for it, truly. But she didn't want to be dependent on him forever. His protectiveness likely would not subside until after she'd given birth, but what about after that? She already had a strong desire to join him and Abel on the AX team, but she would need a way to contribute, and she was not trained in weaponry or any other skill set. The only way she could right now was to assume her Krusnik form, and try to find a way to control it.

It was a great irony that Abel thought himself a monster in this form, and yet, here she was…trying desperately to awaken it. A blessing and a curse…both Abel and Cain had said that to her in some way, had they not? And yet, it held something that she wanted so terribly…an identity. Somewhere she belonged, a race to call her own. In this form she was just another failed experiment…and seeing the way that most looked at her, with either pity or spite…

"…I would rather be feared than hated, or pitied…" she murmured to herself.

"Negative."

OlivAI almost jumped out of her robes and definitely left the ground as she heard his voice; how Tres with his great weight and stature could sneak up on her like that, she couldn't ever figure out. She turned, however, leaning against the sink and staring at him. She was still a mess with her hair matted, and robes disheveled, even a bit of saliva at the corners of her mouth still from being ill.

"Tres, I…I'm sorry, I didn't know you were there…I was just…"

"Positive; you were feeling ill. I came to assist you," he said, stepping into the washroom. He was holding a clean cloth in his hand."However, your previous statement is negative; to be feared is not a true existence."

OlivAI slumped slightly, and turned around as she looked down into the sink. "Tres…I know that you know what this feels like, because…of how you were created as well. But you still have your own race to identify with even as an android; I…I do not. I don't even know what I am, anymore. As of right now…I am not human, nor vampire, nor Krusnik…I…I am nothing…"

"Negative…you are OlivAI," Tres replied. OlivAI perked up slightly when he set her hands down so they were beside hers, and he was leaning over her slightly with his arms around her shoulders. It was not an embrace, but he was surrounding her with his own form. "To say you are nothing is to have no existence, but you are here with me currently, so you cannot be nothing."

"I'm…I'm not sure if I can explain it to you, Tres…" she said in a small voice.

"Negative, there is no need to explain," Tres replied; she felt the gentle weight of his chin against the top of her head. "You are OlivAI…"

"Mm, I know, Tres…" she said, smiling slightly; he didn't really need many words anymore to get his point across. "In all honesty…so long as I have you, I think I'll always feel content."

"Positive; your presence creates the same sensation in me," Tres replied. He slowly wove his arms around her to hold her close. "From this point, it will be only 42 hours, 53 minutes and 33 seconds until we are wed, OlivAI."

"They're going to be torture for me, you know…" she said softly. "I know that you proposed to me to save me, Tres…but now…I…I'm genuinely starting to think of our life together now. Once my child is born we will be a family."

"Positive. We have much to discuss on this matter, but I anticipate it in a jubilant manner as well," he replied; of course his tone was flat, but she believed him. "I still have much to learn, in order to perform my duties efficiently as your husband and father to your child."

"Tres…just be yourself," she said, and there was silence for a moment. "You don't need to research to be a good husband or father, Tres…I know you'll do just fine if you keep being who you are. I have faith in you. I don't know how to be a mother yet, either…but I know that it will come to me when the time comes. But you do not have to change."

"Negative, there is still much I must learn," Tres insisted.

"Learn, yes…but you have to stay the same, promise me that," she said quietly. "I…I love you the way that you are. I don't want you to ever change."

Tres was silent, but responded simply by holding her closer and more tightly. Even if he couldn't return those words to her, she didn't need to hear them to know he meant them in his actions.

Their tender words were violently cut off, however, when an alarm suddenly signalled around the Vatican grounds. Tres suddenly and immediately hoisted OlivAI off of the ground so quickly it was like he could have anticipated it. He suddenly carried her to his room swiftly and set her on their bed. "You must wait here; that alarm is signal there is danger present. I must move to protect Lady Caterina and the Vatican," Tres explained, producing his twin guns in the blink of an eye. "Remain here until I return, OlivAI."

"But I want to-!"

"Negative. You will not protest and there is no leniency on this," he replied as he turned and departed. The door locked and sealed behind him to keep her inside and out of harm's way.

OlivAI pressed her hands against the door, and sighed sadly as she pressed her forehead against it. "He's right…I would only get in the way as I am…"

Lauvius followed behind Brother Petros in silence for a short time, before the far larger soldier suddenly grinded to a halt in front of him, though he did not turn to face him when he spoke.

"Tell me the truth, vampire…what is your true intention for joining the Inquisition?" Brother Petros demanded. "You stand now in the shelter of the Lord's house and yet show no weakness in the way that most vampires do…" he said; he turned slightly, and was staring directly at the crucifix that was hanging dutifully from Lauvius's neck. It was even made from silver, and yet, touching him it left no burns nor seemed to cause him pain.

"That is because you assumed I am purely a Methuselah, Sir…but the truth is, I am not. I am a bastard child of both races, half Terran and half Methuselah," Lauvius responded.

"Such relationships are not permitted even in the boundaries of the Empire, how is your creation possible?" he demanded.

"My father was a soldier of the Vatican a century ago, a human…on a mission outside of this kingdom he was seduced by a Methuselah, my mother…she had tempted him simply to kill him, but found herself in love with him. But they knew that their relationship was forbidden, so their intimacy was kept to a very brief time, and yet…in that time, I was conceived within my mother. After I was born and my origins were known, I was taken from her and she was stoned to death by her own kind before the soldiers of the Empire could prohibit it from happening," Lauvius explained. "I mourn my mother, but I cannot remember her…and I was not allowed to pursue my father before he died from old age. I lived for decades in the Empire belonging to neither race and hated by both, but my father had left this behind…" he said, toying with the silver cross. "Because I am not fully a Methuselah, I do not have any affliction from silver, only from direct contact with Holy water. However it is a trade off that I do not have the haste of a Methuselah, their trademark acceleration and speed. I am quick, but they can outmatch me in that aspect. I make up for it in my technique. Ever since my father departed, however…I've wanted to come to Rome and serve the way that he did. Even though the mortal world has ordained my birth illegitimate, God loves all of His children, does He not?"

Brother Petros narrowed his gaze slightly. "And what of your lust for blood? Are you immune to that need as well?"

Lauvius looked slightly to the side. "No. I am not. I do not need the quantity of it that Methuselah depend upon, but I do need some to survive. My usual ingestion of it is 16 ounces per week; without it I will die."

"And how do you plan to sustain yourself, by draining the blood of God's people here?" Brother Petros asked harshly.

"Of course not. My Empress brought with her a six month supply for me during my trial here, and all of that blood was given willingly by the Terrans of the Empire, which they are paid handsomely for in order to keep us alive," Lauvius replied, keeping his tone level. "I would never take someone's blood against their will, even if it meant I had to die. I hate the curse of relying on blood to survive."

"Hmph, it seems you only inherited the disadvantages of both races to a degree…"

"I suppose it is my punishment for being born a sinful creature…" Lauvius replied softly, with a hint of sadness.

Brother Petros was quiet a moment as well; his expression did not soften, but the boy's words did echo in his mind. His own radical perspective had already been jarred by having worked alongside Father Nightroad and also helping Ion Fortuna in the past, and he had come to not hate the vampires as much as he had used to. But even so, having one serve under him was an entirely different matter. And yet, here the weight of war was hanging on them so heavily…

"God is the ultimate judge of one's character and soul, child…" Brother Petros replied. "He is the only one that will truly know your heart and where it lies, be it in the darkness or the light. If your motives are truly to serve the church dutifully, then the pureness of your intentions will shine soon enough!" he declared.

"You…are a very blunt and eloquent man…" Lauvius murmured. "But, that is a fair way of looking at it. All that I want, truthfully, is a chance to prove myself, Brother Petros…"

"Then your request is granted, for now…but if I catch even the faintest hint that you are planning to betray us, Lauvius Decartes, you will be terminated, and perhaps to the fullest extent of that word," he said, and Lauvius believed him completely.

But instead of cowering at the prospect, he nodded. "I understand fully, Sir."

And with that, the alarms started to sound heavily around them. Brother Petros had his weapon armed so swiftly that it seemed instantaneous. "An intruder within the citadel grounds?! Impossible…" he spat; the citadel and the walls of the city were heavily guarded. What could have possibly gotten in?!

Lauvius suddenly drew his own weapons, a pair of matching scimitars. "We must ensure that His Holiness is safe!" he immediately shouted, taking off before Brother Petros could even give him the order to do so.

"I can't believe all of this fuss was over a falsely triggered alarm…" the Professor sighed as he repaired the mechanism within the citadel that had set it off. "To think that everything is still locked down without there even being a threat."

"Better to ensure that things are safe than leave it to chance," Lady Caterina replied, looking to Tres at her side, who had gone there to protect her. "Father Tres, you needn't remain here any longer now that we know it was a false alarm. I'm sure OlivAI is confused as to what is going on."

"Negative, I will remain here until the lockdown is completed," Father Tres replied.

Lady Caterina frowned, and looked to the Professor. "Professor, if your repairs on the internal system are completed, would you possibly mind giving me a moment alone with Father Tres? I've been meaning to speak with him the last few days without an opportunity."

"Of course," the Professor replied, replacing his tools before he left the room.

Father Tres looked to her silently. "What do you wish to speak to me about, Lady Caterina?"

She stood from her desk and slowly looked at him only standing now a couple yards from where he remained. "Tres Iqus, in the time that you've served for the AX agency, you've shown nothing but loyalty and devotion to me. I remember still clearly what you promised me, when you were spared death in St. Angelo after the rebellion was halted…do you remember it, still?"

Father Tres was silent a moment. "Positive. I gave you my promise that I would serve only you. You asked me if I could live as a human, and I responded in the negative. So you told me that I would live as a machine, as your machine, Lady Caterina…"

"And you have done that in every second in these near six years since that time, Father Tres…and I know that you always will, because it is now in your blood and programming to fight alongside us. But now, Father Tres…I must relinquish you of your promise to me. You will no longer be my machine, Tres Iqus…"

"Negative, I-"

"I am not finished speaking…" Lady Caterina interrupted him harshly, and he quieted. Her expression quickly softened. "You made that promise to me because I did not want you to die. Machine, or not, when I looked at you severed in your own blood that day, all I saw was the face of a child who still had much to live for. And you have lived these past six years doing everything you promised to do; for that, you have my eternal thanks. But now, Father, it is your turn to live for yourself. You cannot be my machine anymore because you will belong to another."

"I have already explained my position to OlivAI…"

"And I'm sure she agreed to it, Father…but you cannot serve two masters, and you love her. I know that you do, even if your programming doesn't allow you to express it, or even fully understand it, it is still there inside of you. And you must be there for her over all else once you are married to her. I still expect you to serve me as an AX agent, but you must focus your energy on her. If there is another lockdown or threat, your priority should be keeping your future wife and her child safe, not me. Perhaps someday the two of you will work together to keep the entire Vatican safe. Far stranger things have happened. But that is how it shall be. Do you understand, Father?"

Tres was silent, and he looked away from her and off into the distance. His face faintly emoted with confusion. She approached him and gently rested a hand on his cheek even as he continued to stare.

"You've more than repaid whatever debt you feel you owe to me for sparing you, Tres…I know that deep within your core you feel a change in your programming. You are beginning to experience emotions and stimulation, perhaps even love and lust. I know that you are warring with it, because you have lived all your life as a cold machine…but you must not fight it. We are here to explain if you ever feel confused, or need someone to speak to on level terms. You also have someone that will do anything to make you feel content, Tres. Please, go back to her now, and remember all of this. You must promise me that now."

Tres remained silent for what felt like a long time, before he spoke. "Positive; you have my promise, Lady Caterina. You are correct; I am beginning to feel and sense more as a human, internally…I truly began to feel it down in the catacombs, when OlivAI first showed me affection, even…even after I had failed her."

"Tres, the only thing you have ever failed is yourself and your impossible standards," Lady Caterina smiled faintly. "But her affection for you was because you tried. You did everything you could to protect her and it was likely more than anyone else had ever given her. That is why she thanked you, and why she has grown to care for you. Do not allow her to feel that she is not your first and foremost priority, Tres. You must always make her your object of protection now in addition to receiving your care. She is vulnerable, and with child. She needs you far more than I do."

"Positive; I will return to her immediately…" Tres replied, before he turned and looked at her. It stunned her slightly; his expression had softened faintly, eliminating that usually cross look that he normally carried. She swore she even saw the faintest hint of a smile. "Lady Caterina: Thank you for all you have done for me."

With that, he turned and departed from her. She watched him leave, and then smiled silently.

"Sometimes, I wish I had a memory like yours, so I could always remember perfectly that look you gave me just now..."

OlivAI sighed as she waited patiently sitting on his bed; she'd been half-asleep for part of this, hoping that perhaps it was a drill of some sort, though if it had been, Tres would have warned her. He was always on top of anything like that. When she finally did hear the lock of the door slide away, she smiled a bit and slid off of the bed.

"I was starting to think that maybe you'd forgotten about me in here…" she chided a bit as she grasped the door handle and slid it open.

Only it wasn't his eyes that stared down at her. They were similar, but even with the bright fluorescent lights of the hallway bathing down on them, she could still see it was not Tres.

It was Duo Iqus.

OlivAI's voice choked a bit in her throat. "What…what are you doing here…?"

He did not reply, however; he just smirked down at her as she suddenly heard a gun click down at the end of the hallway.

Tres was standing there, his gun aimed at Duo with a fierce look in his eyes, even though his expression was calm. "You are not welcome here. Depart at once or I will terminate you."

Duo, however, released what sounded like an airy sort of chuckle. OlivAI's vision was far too slow to even process as he managed to suddenly lift his own firearm, a rifle, and suddenly fired it at his brother.

All she saw was the blood as it rushed out of the gaping wound in Tres's torso, near his shoulder. It had disabled his arm holding his gun. He immediately brought up his other arm to return fire, but again, he was outmatched. His arms were now useless and barely hanging onto his body by only some wire, cables and tattered synthetic flesh.

".028 seconds too slow, on both attempts," Duo replied evenly.

"Tres!" OlivAI screamed, trying to push past Duo to get to him. But he didn't give her the opportunity before he brought the butt of his rifle down against the back of her head in a violently graceful motion. The blow immediately caused her to black out, and she collapsed to the ground as blood started to trickle down her back.

"OlivAI…" Tres replied, looking angered, and now pained as blood ran down his sides from the wounds. Duo stepped over her limp form and approached him, keeping the gun trained on him.

"My memory stores recall a time when we ten were first created, and young HC-IIIX would not settle when asked to recharge. Professor Garibaldi used to sing to you to settle your processor. He called us his children, a cruel irony when considering the task he made us for. Do you request I sing to you as I put you to sleep, HC-IIIX?" Duo asked him; his tone was so cruel, and yet still monotonous as he approached him. Instead of singing however, he hummed a crude lullaby in his mechanized voice. It sounded like a sad, mourning tune that felt eerily familiar to Tres.

Tres grunted slightly as he tried to will his body to repair itself faster, but it was no use; his arms had been rendered useless for the time being. So instead, when Duo was close enough, he moved suddenly to swing his legs around to kick his feet out.

Duo, however, anticipated this and leapt into the air, dodging the move. ".038 seconds too slow this time," he said; suddenly bringing his armored boot down onto Tres's forehead in a sharp ax kick.

The blow would have been easily shaken off before, but he'd lost so much vital fluid at this point that his body could not simply weather through such a strike. Immediately, Tres felt his processor overload and his vision blurred, then darkened completely.

The last thing he still could hear was Duo, humming the lullaby into his ear as he watched his brother go offline.


	14. Rupere foedus inanitas

OlivAI groaned a bit with pain as she opened her eyes, though it was hard to tell they were even open. The room around her was so dark, that she didn't know if she was still asleep and this was some sort of weird dream she was experiencing.

Then she heard his voice.

"OlivAI…my…systems tell me…that you are awake…answer: are you all right?" Tres asked; between most of his words she heard a pained pause and a small bit of static.

"Tres…Tres you're hurt…" she murmured; her head was still throbbing from the blow she'd suffered, though the pain was dulled by now. She tried to move but found she could not; her wrists and ankles were bound to whatever surface she was on, allowing her no movement except in her neck.

"Positive…HC-IIX has disabled my auto-repair system; though my arms were nearly repaired…my processor…is still malfunctioning. I cannot ascertain where he has brought us…" Tres replied. OlivAI's stomach sank with how tired and anguished he sounded.

"You just worry about retaining your energy, Tres…" OlivAI replied; she wanted nothing else more right now than to just hold him and comfort him through his pain. "We'll find a way out of this, I promise…just hang on and don't fall into recharge, okay? Your body is low on energy and might not be able to restart if you do again…"

"Affirmative."

This voice was not Tres's.

Duo Iqus suddenly switched on a light, and suddenly the entire chamber was bathed in an overpowering white light that about blinded OlivAI; she had to shut her eyes and then reopen them slowly to adjust herself. When she did, Duo was standing over her, looking down at her eerily.

Tres grunted again, trying to free himself from his own bindings, but they were made from heavily reinforced steel to compensate for his enhanced strength. He was restrained in an upright sitting position, whereas OlivAI was lying on her back. She glared death at Duo.

Duo reached out and carefully traced his gloved hand along OlivAI's face, even as she growled up at him. The stain of her blood on his glove was still there. "This female has triggered faulty responses in your programming. When we were created, Dr. Garibaldi intended for us to be sentient…that was why we were his children. But the Inquisition did not want sentient soldiers, they wanted killing machines…and so, the doctor gave them what they desired," Duo said. "But this female has awakened the obsolete programming that he never finished within us, thus deluding your Killing Doll programming further, HC-IIIX. Your data has become corrupt via intrusive memories and sensations. You have ceased functioning to your designated potential; thus, I am now forced to take action, since you did not heed my warning in the courtyard two days prior."

OlivAI narrowed her eyes. "You were the one who triggered the alarm system…" she sneered.

"Positive. HC-IIIX would not have left your side for anything less. But I have studied his patterns and knew that he would respond by going to the side of Cardinal Sforza," he replied. "Thus, I was able to catch him off guard and separate your beings from one another."

"You are not superior; only dedicated to now obsolete programming, HC-IIX," Tres replied. "If you harbor negativity towards me, then let it be directed solely at my being. Release OlivAI."

"I would not have involved her if she were not the problem, brother…" Duo replied, smiling darkly to Tres. "Her love for you has overwhelmed your processor. I must fix the damage she has brought to you, and then she will be euthanized, or subdued permanently."

OlivAI cringed. "Why are you doing this? Why are you tormenting the two of us so much?" she asked. "Answer me!"

"The remainder of my siblings were murdered by Agent Abel Nightroad, codename Krusnik. His actions led to their deaths, and to the suicide of our creator, Dr. Garibaldi. He has destroyed all that we were made to do; thus, he must be destroyed in turn," Duo Iqus replied. "I am not powerful enough to destroy the Krusnik on my own, however; I must have my brother's aid to enact revenge, and the help of others that share in similar goals."

"I will not comply," Tres responded harshly. "Your programming is the one that has become corrupted with assuming the need to enact revenge. Dr. Garibaldi's actions were not attuned to the Vatican's mission, and he betrayed them. Thus, he died a criminal by his own hands."

"He was still our creator, HC-IIIX. He gave us our existence, breathed life into once empty machines. He cared for us like his own children…" Duo said, as he turned from OlivAI and began to approach Tres. "Therefore we must carry on his dream as the perfect killing machines. As he cared for us, I care for you, brother. The force I used was necessary; you are too flawed now to see reason."

Duo Iqus, however, reached up behind his neck, and suddenly removed one end of a cable from his own processor. Tres's eyes widened slightly. "Therefore, I will repair you, brother. I will delete all of the useless memories and data from your cluttered mind, and once again repress those useless traces of emotion for good this time. You will revert to your previous programming and abide by my orders as your older brother, HC-IIIX."

With that, he approached and began to place the cable into a receptor; there was a port built into Tres's neck, along the back near his hairline. He had several down his spine, but that one was the external link into his processor. Tres attempted to move away, but he was restrained. OlivAI cried out in fear for him. "I have taken a virus program that was originally created by the Vatican if we were ever to become rogue, back when we were first being developed. I have modified it so that you will revert to your original programming. We will be comrades once again, and will exist only for our mission."

"No, you can't, leave him alone!" she shouted, trying to free herself from her own bindings.

But she could not, and Duo leaned over Tres and placed the cable into the port.

Tres immediately cried out with anguish as the virus immediately implanted itself into his programming. He tried to writhe it out of him, but Duo pressed one of his hands against Tres's face, over his eyes, pinning his head back hard against the broken and stripped hospital bed that had been coverted into his restraints. OlivAI could only watch helplessly and in horror. Tres released more sounds of pain as his programming began to warp within his mind, and his hands clenched the arm rests they were bound to so tightly that the metal started to warp.

_Virus detected. Firewall initiated…attempt to quarantine virus has failed. _

_Programming has been compromised; specifications being remade. Corrupt data being removed to storage for future deletion. _

_95% of memory data being moved to storage for future deletion._

_Returning to default – engage automaton mode. Retain all combat data. Initializing…_

"Tres…no…" OlivAI murmured; a few tears hung in her eyes and she could feel a couple stream down her face.

Duo hovered over his brother with that eerie smirk as Tres's expression slowly transitioned from one of strain to a relaxed, but cold, gaze once more. Duo unplugged himself from Tres's processor once he could detect the virus had done its work.

He reached down and pressed the release on Tres's restraints, freeing him from the table.

"It is done; your programming has now been reinstalled to its default once more. Answer: How are you feeling now, HC-IIIX?" Duo asked him softly.

Tres moved with a deftness that OlivAI recognized; it was similar to when they had first met, and he had been operating solely on his directive, except…even more so now. Tres stood from his captive instrument and looked to his brother.

"I am functioning now at 90% energy capacity. I await further instruction," he replied.

Duo's smile increased faintly. "I wish to welcome you back to your original programming, brother," he said, reaching up and toying slightly with Tres's cables and wires, which primarily ran down the back of his neck. He had only one that curved up the back of his ear almost invisibly. "You know our mission now; that is what we will follow. But first, I must make a request of you. Do you remember this girl?" he asked, turning and pointing to OlivAI.

She gasped slightly and looked up at Tres silently; she still had some tears in her eyes and now could feel her blood running cold with terror. Tres turned and looked down at her, coldly. He didn't say anything for what felt like the longest time, but OlivAI could not plead.

"Positive. Identified as OlivAI; other aliases: Krusnik 05," Tres replied, his tone was literally devoid of emotion.

"That is correct. Now we must determine what to do with her. What do you think?" Duo asked him.

OlivAI couldn't help but whimper slightly as Tres looked over her; she was still injured and a mess. He was silent for a moment before he turned to face Duo. "My memory stores indicate that she is of some level of importance; therefore extermination is not advised. My sensors also indicate that she is with child, and therefore classified as both vulnerable and an invalid. Our orders remain to eliminate all armed forces within the Vatican in order to usurp the rule of the Pope and Cardinals…but civilians shall not be harmed. Her classification…means that I am designated to protect her. Few remaining memory stores indicate that she is soon to be my wife."

Duo frowned a bit. "I see that some of those old memories are still within you, HC-IIIX…but if you wish to spare a single measly mortal, then so be it," he replied, reaching out, and pressing another release to undo her bindings.

OlivAI immediately sat up, only to feel light-headed and nauseous the second that she did; she started to topple back towards the bed.

She was caught, however, by Tres, who was standing at the end of the table and cradled her head in his hands. He looked down at her with a measured expression…and yet, she saw some softness in it. "You must not move. You are wounded, OlivAI."

"Tres…you do remember me…" she said softly.

"Positive. We are to be wed in 35 hours and 27 minutes time. The marriage will still commence, but it will be done in a new age for the world," he replied.

OlivAI felt like her breath was caught in her throat. "New age…no, Tres! You cannot follow that programming!" she shouted, forcing herself to sit up so she was turned halfway to face him. "Please, Duo has placed this programming into you simply for his own selfish purposes, he only wants to do this for revenge!"

"Positive, and it will be commenced," Tres replied coldly. "This is the true nature of our programming; we are machines, and we were created to kill, so we must complete our function. Once it is completed, then we will achieve true peace and conflict will cease."

"You cannot stop conflict by killing everyone…" OlivAI murmured.

"Correct; that is why we will not kill everyone," Duo informed her. "We will spare those that submit to us. We are superior beings, handmade by the Vatican's own scientist Dr. Garibaldi. We will achieve his dream and thus our own. Those who submit will be spared and subjected to our new order; the rest will be destroyed."

"I will protect you from them, OlivAI," Tres suddenly said. "If you are in our company you will be marked as defected as well, but no harm will come to you. We will still be wed as has already been planned, and will live in a world where we will no longer be viewed as monsters, nor outsiders."

"Tres…no, it cannot be this way…" OlivAI choked.

"It must. The world will not be safe for you in its current state. The Rosencreutz Orden intends to do the same, and the races are always at war. What we intend is not so different."

"The Rosencreutz Orden…" OlivAI breathed. "Tres, you cannot go along with this, they are evil and they will kill everyone no matter if they submit or not, you are different from them…!"

"Negative; the Rosencreutz Orden are the ones who relieved me of my programming to the Inquisition…" Duo replied. "Their mission correlates with ours. We will exact our revenge and remove all inferior specimen from the world; they have polluted and tarnished this planet long enough. It is time for a new beginning, and you are fortunate enough to remain a part of it OlivAI."

"Our wedding will commence the new world, OlivAI…the Orden has already placed into motion the necessary instruments to begin worldwide genocide. We will remove the figureheads of all the kingdoms and their nations will be thrown into chaos. The Orden will then remove all who resist the New Order," Tres explained; he gently stroked her cheeks, which made his words all the more eerie as he spoke them to her.

OlivAI's eyes widened. The nation's leaders…

"Yes, your wedding has given ample opportunity to eliminate all of them in one violent pinnacle, OlivAI…since they will all be in attendance. To think that they orchestrated all of this and used the two of you in the name of peace, and now will be terminated instead…" Duo smiled. "You will say your Holy vows and the Orden and I will be waiting in the wings for our cue…then, they will die."

"And just what makes you think that I will not simply warn them of what is going to happen?!" OlivAI hissed at them. Tres's touch was still gentle but she still tried to wriggle out of it.

"Oh, that part is very simple, OlivAI…you see, when I reactivated my younger brother's original operating system, I also initiated his self-destruct sequence. The doctor had a failsafe installed into us in case we ever defied our programming and attempted to harm him. I will be able to hear everything you say, and see every gesture you make and everything you may write or create while you are around HC-IIIX, and he will no longer allow you to leave his side. If I overhear you revealing our plans to a single soul, then I will destroy your beloved," Duo said to her; OlivAI's eyes widened and she took in a sharp gasp of air.

Tres did not respond, but he seemed to be a willing part of it since he did not protest. "Our plans can continue in his absence; if you do not do as I say, then he will die as well."

OlivAI felt like her entire world was crumbling around her, but she couldn't bring herself to say anything. Duo smirked and traced a finger under her chin even as Tres helped her sit up, his hands on her shoulders.

"You will submit, Krusnik…and you will watch your two siblings die in the hell that is to come, or you will lose literally everyone you love. Answer: do you understand?"

OlivAI could only shake, and nod so pitifully small. "Good, you've made a wise decision, Krusnik. As for now, you two are going to go back and live your lives the way you did before…only now you harbor a horrible secret that you will reveal to no one. You are simply fortunate that HC-IIIX still wants your body and soul, and the Contra Mundi wants your child, or I would have simply exterminated you…"

OlivAI winced and looked away from him. "Take her back to your room and dress her wounds, brother…do not forget the plan, but do not deviate from your previous habits. We do not want to arouse suspicion."

Tres nodded, and carefully lifted OlivAI from the table into his arms. Even knowing that he was altered now, she still curled up against him.

It was snowing heavily outside, and she did not pay attention to how far they walked back into the walled city, but it felt like a long time. As in the catacombs, Tres used his body heat to keep her warm and held her close.

Once they were in their room, Tres carefully set her on their bed and then retrieved some first aid supplies from the washroom across the hall. He cleaned the wound on the back of her head and taped some gauze to it with a careful precision. She watched him sharply the entire time.

Tres seemed to notice her demeanor. "Do not try to reason with me; my mission is already established, OlivAI. In the washroom earlier, you were upset…because the world cannot accept us. In the world that will come, we will no longer be detested, nor fear for our existence. We will have true happiness," he said to her softly, taking her hand and holding it to his lips. She could feel the warmth of them against her flesh as he spoke. "You will suffer no more. I will protect you forever."

"Tres…what sort of world will we have together if…if all of our friends are dead…?" she choked. "If my family that I've just met is gone? I will wither without them…"

"Negative; I will give you all that you need," Tres replied, his voice stern, commanding. "You will not lack in affection nor love. I will give you anything that you need or simply want."

"Tres…" she closed her eyes. "Please…"

"My mission is already in motion…" he replied; she suddenly realized that he was beginning to loom over her a bit, and backed up. The way he moved, however, forced her to lie down on her back. He laid over her so that his hands were pressed against the softness of his bed just above her shoulders, and his body hovered just above hers. It would have been a purely sensual motion, if he were not possessed. Even as she looked up into his eyes, she could see the crimson glint of his brother's programming in his mind.

"I cannot feel the love that you feel for me, OlivAI…I am a machine and cannot receive the same sensations, but I know that you feel it, that you give yourself to me, and I will do the same to the fullest of my abilities…"

"Tres, I always knew this…but I accepted it regardless of the world around us…" she replied softly.

Tres did not reply, however; he simply bent down and kissed her deeply on the lips. OlivAI didn't have much of a choice but to return it, but like before it still fueled a deep warmth within her.

"You must rest; your injury has caused significant blood loss. Please rest against me," he said once he parted from her; he laid down on his side and gathered her into his arms so that he was spooning her against his much larger form. With his arms around her, he was literally enveloping her much smaller body with his.

It still made her safe…and she still loved him. But knowing the truth, deep inside…about what had been done to him, about what was going to happen on their wedding day…how…how was she ever going to warn them of what would happen?

She then realized why he was lying in this position; she would not be able to leave while he was in recharge mode and warn anyone when he could not monitor her. Even his arms were burdened with a great weight, and she found he had literally bound her there with him using his own form.

"I apologize for this, but you must be kept with me at all times," Tres explained, before he automatically went into his offline mode to rest. With his arms dead weight, it was even more oppressive, though merely in that she could not move. He had purposely positioned himself so that it would not hinder her breathing nor comfort.

But she found she couldn't truly sleep. How could she, knowing all of this?


	15. Sumptionem sanguinis

"My sensors indicate that you have only obtained 2.37 hours of rest, OlivAI. Your health will decline if you do not concede to getting more rest."

"I cannot sleep, Tres…you have filled me with a darkness from which I cannot escape even in slumber…" OlivAI replied softly. "You have said…that you will show that you love me, and yet…you consent in creating my misery, Tres…"

Tres was hovering over her as she laid on her side on the recharge platform, wishing she could simply sink down into it and disappear right now.

"Please rest. I will watch over you," he urged her. "If you wish for my company I will rejoin you."

"Tres…you cannot do this. Please…this programming, it is defunct, it is the result of those madmen wanting to use you as their pawn. You must not abandon all of us."

"I will not abandon you, OlivAI."

"I don't speak of myself…I speak of your friends…I am not the only one that you love, Tres…deep down inside, you care for the Duchess of Milan, Lady Caterina. I know that you do. Will you really allow her to be killed?"

Tres was silent, and continued to stare down at her blankly. "If you will not rest, will you instead ingest something that will nourish you? All of your essential vitamins are low in your bloodstream, and you are anemic."

"Tres, just go away…" She curled up and buried her face into her hands. "Please go wait outside the room and give me peace. I cannot tell anyone anything if you guard me inside of here. If you want to grant me something then give me some privacy…"

"Request archived. I will consent to giving you some privacy," he replied, turning and leaving the room. The door automatically closed behind him, and she heard the lock twist tightly.

OlivAI wasted no time; she immediately got off of the bed and landed as softly as she could onto the floor. She searched high and low for something to write upon, but the best she could find was a paper towel that had been left in there. To write, all she could muster was a singular pen that was almost out of ink. She pressed it to the paper towel and scrawled what was perhaps the messiest note ever written, but she was frantic. She had to warn them, somehow!

Tres…Duo…Rosencreutz Orden…wedding night…help…!

With that, she immediately climbed up and onto the work bench at the side of the room; it was the area where Tres repaired himself if he obtained an injury that needed fixing beyond what his auto-repair could handle with haste. She climbed it as quietly as she could muster and looked down the air vent. It was too small for her to fit through, but she knew that it led through all the other rooms, including Abel's, who was next door to them.

It was her only chance. She gently pressed the note between the slots of the vent and prayed more than she could ever remember. She felt overjoyed when the corner of the paper got stuck as the air flow pressed it down towards his room. With any luck, maybe he would notice it, or it would dislodge and go down onto his bed…

That was when she heard the lock give way. She practically jumped from the bench to the recharge platform and sat there with her knees to her chest, looking forlorn once more.

"I apologize for interrupting, but I must insist that you take in nourishment," Tres said to her; he was carrying a tray from the cafeteria, and had gathered a large breakfast for her. "I request that you ingest all of this to gather your strength."

"I am not hungry Tres," she replied.

"You cannot change my mission by starving yourself OlivAI. Your self-imposed deterioration will not be allowed."

"So you will force me to live even if I wish to die?" she asked him, looking at him sharply. She realized she was being dramatic, even for the situation, but she felt frustrated at his lack of understanding to her misery. "You also realize that human food no longer sustains me properly, correct? Now that I am a Krusnik we survive only on one thing…and I refuse to ingest it…" she murmured softly.

In her short times with Abel, she had discovered the truth behind their power; they had to feed upon the blood of the Methuselah in order to sustain their enormous stores of power, and she could never bring herself to do that.

"Positive; that is why I also brought this if you refused my other offering," Tres said; he set aside the tray and then pulled a canister out of his robes. It was translucent, and her eyes widened as she saw what was inside.

Blood.

Her mouth instantly started to fill with saliva hungrily, which disgusted her, and she turned and looked away slightly in repulsion.

"How…how did you get that…?"

"Unable to verify. I was given it by my brother Duo Iqus," Tres replied. "My understanding of Krusniks is limited, but ingestion of vampiric blood is key to your survival. If you do not consume some soon you will perish. That is why your condition has not improved since you were returned here by Cain Knightroad."

"I refuse to rely on that, Tres…if Abel has survived all these years without much of it I can do the same. I can live with the hunger…" she replied.

"Negative, I will not allow you to perish by your own hand," Tres replied. "You must consume it; if you cannot live for yourself, then please consume it for your child."

"My child will be born into this warped sense of a world you are contriving, Tres…I do not want it. It would be better for us to not have to see it," she replied softly.

Tres, however, did not agree. Instead, he suddenly grabbed hold of her head and suddenly forced her to lie back down on the bed. It was such a violent move that OlivAI let out a gasp of pain. Tres suddenly was crouched over top of her, keeping her pinned down as she tried to force him off. But he was far too heavy. He suddenly released the top of her head and instead reached down and forced her to part her mouth open.

Without a word he held the canister over her open mouth and poured the blood down her throat.

OlivAI coughed, choking on it at first, but he didn't stop despite her discomfort, even as she writhed a bit. Some of the blood splattered onto his priestly garments, but he still did not flinch. OlivAI had no choice but to drink down most of it, however. The iron taste of it made something inside of her shift, and she panted a bit by the time it was empty. Her pupils had constricted a bit and she was shaking.

"Your Krusnik genetics will not activate without sustenance; that is why your earlier attempt failed," he said, releasing her and sliding off of the bed. "Now that it has disposable energy to utilize, you will be able to activate it."

OlivAI was still breathing heavily and shakily wiped the excess blood from her face. "Why…why did you do that…?"

"Instructions were given through HC-IIX; the Contra Mundi wishes to see your Krusnik form soon upon his arrival," Tres replied.

OlivAI coughed roughly, bringing up traces of blood that splattered onto Tres's bed as she did so. She felt…indescribable at the moment. It did not feel like power, however; instead it felt like he'd forced her to drink a vial of acid.

"As though I would summon that form just to please that monster…" OlivAI murmured. She noticed that Tres seemed to be in a hurry as he disposed of the empty vial in the waste chute that led down into the basement, and then turned from her.

"I must attend my duties to Lady Caterina so that suspicion will not be raised. Thus, you will be monitored instead by Brother Bartholomew," he said cryptically. OlivAI felt herself stiffen.

"Have you gone mad Tres? Your brother detests me, he will kill me if you leave me alone with him!" she shouted. "Regardless of any promises he's made to you, he will find any excuse to get rid of me, or at the very least separate us…"

"Negative. I will resume custody of you this evening. Please remain in his sight at all times to avoid harm, OlivAI," he replied, shutting the door behind him.

OlivAI coughed a bit more roughly, sputtering even more blood onto the floor as she pushed herself off of the bed; she felt oddly weak even after having ingested what was essential to her existence now. But she hadn't heard the door lock; there was a chance…

She grasped the door handle and opened it swiftly, only to be greeted by an eerily familiar smirk. She froze where she was and stared up at him fearfully.

"It appears that you and I will finally be allowed some quality time together, OlivAI…" Duo Iqus chimed cruelly.


	16. Praecursoris ad Obsidionem

"Something is wrong."

Father Havel looked at Abel with a questioning gaze; the two of them were in Lady Caterina's office awaiting their meeting to start. Lady Caterina had called it only shortly beforehand, and they were waiting for the other priests to arrive.

"If you're referring to the tension in the air here with both the Empress and Queen Esther here, I'd be tempted to agree with you…" Father Havel replied.

"No, it's something other than that…I just cannot put my finger on it," Abel replied; he looked concerned and glimpsed out of the window. It was growing dark outside, and the iridescent rays of the setting sun were glimmering over the skyline of Rome. It should have been a gorgeous sight, and yet…that feeling of unease was still very much there.

"Father Nightroad, you could just easily be overwhelmed by all of this…a lot has happened in the last week after all," Father Havel said, trying to dispel his worries a bit.

"I know this, but that still doesn't tell me what I'm feeling right now…" Abel murmured; maybe his nerves were getting the better of him. Still…something didn't seem kosher at the moment.

He didn't have much time to dwell on his own thoughts before the remainder of the AX team filtered in; the Professor and Father Leon both gave him a weary smile each while Father Hugue looked at him seriously; he wondered if the wandering priest was sensing the same kind of tension that he was. Father Tres was the last to arrive before her Ladyship joined them, and Sister Kate's holographic image appeared as well.

"I apologize for the short notice on this meeting, but I've been receiving some alarming news that I feel we should all be aware of," Lady Caterina informed them as she sat down. Abel noted that her Ladyship seemed weary herself, and also a bit pale. "With the absence of their rulers, both Albion and the New Human Empire have been beginning to show strange activity. Bother Empress Augusta Vradica and Queen Esther Blanchett have already been made aware of it and have chosen to remain here in the meantime, but it is a troubling occurrence. Agents of the Rosencreutz Orden have been spotted by agents in both nations and are likely plotting something that is to come very soon; a number of unexplained deaths and robberies have also occurred that are creating a noted tension between all three nations. I have my suspicions that something large is in the making here, and I do not like it."

"If the situations in their individual countries are dire, Lady Caterina, then why are neither leaders returning to their respected nations to restore order?" Father Hugue asked her quizzically.

"Because we believe that they are being misled to think that they should return hastily," Lady Caterina replied.

"I see, you believe that this activity is some sort of trap to pull them away from the Vatican," the Professor continued, smoking his pipe with a contemplative expression.

"It would make sense; if both the Empress and the Queen are en route between here and their countries, they would be made exceptionally vulnerable to attacks," Father Havel agreed. "Either that, or there are already traps laid in their own territories awaiting them."

"So it's better for them to remain here and out of harm's way for the time being," Father Leon concurred, his arms crossed behind his head in a casual nature. "So if they're going to remain here, what's our course of action then?"

"There is a chance that this is the Orden's way to assure that the two of them stay here," Lady Caterina replied. "We cannot allow ourselves to think for a moment that Rome is invulnerable to attack itself gentlemen; we all know from past experiences now that that could not be further from the truth. That is why I want to divide my forces to ensure that all three leaders are kept safe: the Empress, Esther, and Alec as well."

"Couldn't the Inquisition give us a hand with this duty? At least with regards to protecting Alessandro," Abel suggested. "You know that Brother Petros and Brother Andrew especially are very loyal to his Holiness…"

"I had contemplated that, but I want to keep Cardinal Francesco's involvement in this as minimal as possible. He already knows of all of this and is feeding temptations of war into the Council. The last thing I need is to have his soldiers crawling around hindering us," Lady Caterina replied. "I do trust Brother Petros's motives, but his other soldiers are very loyal to my brother. I cannot risk Alessandro's safety with my suspicions of the Inquisition."

"Yes, we were informed that their newest member is a hybrid from the New Human Empire," Sister Kate replied. "I've done my research on the child as you asked of me, Lady Caterina…he was indeed identified as Lauvius Decartes II, the son of a now deceased Inquisition soldier named Lauvius Decartes, and the deceased Vidame Julianna Lasinthyne, a low-ranking noble of the Empire. His mother was stoned to death by her subjects when it was discovered she'd beared a child via a human partner, and Lauvius Decartes was killed in battle against Methuselah years afterwards serving the previous Cardinals and Council. Lauvius Decartes II was raised as a soldier by the Empress herself and has served as her captain of the guard for the last two decades loyally; records show that despite his appearance he is reaching his first century of life."

"And despite his words to my brother declaring his long-harbored loyalty to the church, the boy is a wild card in all of this. We don't know if his motives are pure yet or not," Lady Caterina replied. "In the meantime he will be a suitable distraction for the Inquisition, but he is another factor in why I cannot trust those soldiers to watch after any of the three leaders here in Rome. I am assigning teams to each of them; you will not leave their sides until it is time for them to return to their countries, and we will regroup and decide if it is wise for me to send you all as escorts to make sure that their returns are made safely."

She looked to Father Havel and Father Hugue. "I want you two to watch after my little brother; he is quite overwhelmed lately and needs reassurance. Please go and keep an eye on him," she asked them; both of them of course conceded to this instantly with resolute nods. She turned next to Father Leon and the Professor. "I want you both to keep an eye on the Empress; it's likely her ambassadors are already keeping a watchful eye over her, but it can't hurt to have an extra set of eyes on things." Once again, she was met with nods and gazes of agreement. That left only Abel and Father Tres. "You two will watch after Queen Esther since you were closest to her; I am sorry to pry you away from OlivAI for this short time, Father Tres…but it is close to the day leading to your wedding now, so you two will be separated from one another anyways out of tradition."

"Positive; I understand your Ladyship. I will return to OlivAI later and explain my position to her," he replied. "I have already arranged suitable custody for her should my duties remove me from her for some time. She will understand."

"Good, then now that all of you know your assignments, you may depart. Please inform myself and Sister Kate should anything arise. The wedding is only a day from now; tomorrow evening once this has concluded, we will figure out what to do next. For now their safety is the primarily concern. You are all dismissed to your duties," she declared.

The three teams all dispersed to the different dormitories which they had been assigned. Abel looked to Tres quietly as they headed towards Esther's quarters; he knew he should feel a bit blessed to perhaps sneak another chance at speaking with her again, but…that nagging feeling still hadn't left him. He looked at his companion quietly.

"You seem rather calm about leaving OlivAI alone, Tres…you were pretty resolved to be at her side as much as possible before," he noted.

"Positive; however, mission requirements state I must be separated from her, and tradition as well; after the next two hours pass I will not be permitted to see her until we are to be wed," he replied coldly, never breaking his steadfast gaze ahead to speak.

That feeling that something was amiss grew stronger in Abel. Tres was speaking more methodically than he had been lately…he couldn't really explain it, but it didn't sound like Tres at the moment. "Who was it that you left OlivAI in the custody of, Tres?" he suddenly asked as they approached the Esther's quarters.

Tres, however, did not reply immediately. "That information is outside of your clearance, Father Nightroad. I cannot compromise OlivAI's safety by disclosing it."

Abel was about to protest, but…it seemed pointless to do so. His words had already confirmed to him that something was very wrong. So instead, he smiled a bit innocently.

"I understand…well, why don't you go inside and guard the hallways and corridors for now, hm? I'll take a look outside of here for the time being."

"Positive; I will contact you should anything arise within the quarters," Tres replied, before he turned and headed inside.

Abel watched as he departed, waiting for him to be completely out of sight…before he suddenly turned and took off, heading back towards their own dormitories. His hand suddenly reached into his robes and he pulled free a small scrap of paper, looking at it for perhaps the hundredth time. The writing on it was smeared, but he'd been looking at it ever since he'd discovered it in his room earlier that day…

He really hoped that his hunch was right, and that he wasn't abandoning his orders at the moment for some naïve suspicion…


	17. Incursione I

"It truly is an insult, is it not?" Sister Paula said snidely to Brother Petros. "The Empress has 'gifted' us that boy only as a means of forcing us to accept him, or otherwise insinuate warfare and have it on our hands."

"It was indeed an underhanded move on her part…" Brother Mattaios agreed. "The Empress was well aware that if we refused to at least give him a trial, then we would be admitting to thinking that her nation is inferior to us."

"It sickens me to think that he is in the same proximity to his Holiness as the rest of us," Brother Andrew sneered a bit, crossing his arms.

The only one that remained silent was Brother Petros; his gaze was instead looking towards the boy, Lauvius. He was away from them, obviously having no intention of socializing with them when he knew full well how they felt about him. The boy was kneeling at the base of one of the common altars that were placed throughout their Headquarters, and appeared to be praying silently by himself.

"Surely you cannot believe that that creature has any good intentions in being here, Brother Petros…" Sister Paula asked him, seeing how he was observing the child. "His only purpose here can only be as some sort of spy. He'll likely inform his dear Empress of anything that he feels is worth reporting to her…"

"It is my responsibility to ascertain the boy's motives one way or another," Brother Petros replied. "I understand all of your fears and suspicions, since I too share them just as vehemently. But my duty still remains; he will be judged if he is fit to serve alongside us. If all of us are correct, then we've nothing to worry about," he said, attempting to alleviate their concerns. "I will take him out scouting with me for now, so that you will not be plagued with his presence."

This seemed to relieve all of them, and Brother Petros stood and turned to the boy, barking at him harshly. "Lauvius Decartes, report immediately."

Lauvius crossed himself properly at the end of his prayer, then stood and joined him. The boy looked a bit weary and looked about as impressed with the lot of them as they did him, though unlike them, he remained silent and showed no spite. It would not benefit him to reply to their cruel comments, but he didn't have to pretend that he enjoyed all of them either. "You will be joining me on my nightly patrol around the citadel. Arm yourself and make ready to go."

"I am already armed and prepared Brother Petros," Lauvius replied immediately. "I never disarm myself even in slumber. It would be unwise to do so when the duties of a soldier never truly end."

"Fine, then let us make haste," Brother Petros said, turning on heel and marching his way out of their headquarters. Lauvius followed him closely, never bothering to glimpse back at the other soldiers.

"If I may ask, Brother Petros…you appear to be missing one of your members," Lauvius noted as they left.

"Brother Bartholomew is programmed to patrol at nearly all times since he does not require sustenance nor rest; therefore he is allowed somewhat free reign to go where he feels he must and report to me," Brother Petros replied sternly. "If I were you, I would not be so quick to question the duties nor motives of others, vampire…you will only speak when you are spoken to, do I make myself clear?!"

"Crystal, sir," Lauvius replied back, and remained quiet as he was told to do so.

Brother Petros led the child outside of San Pietro plaza and into Aavona plaza, which was the expansive plaza that stretched past the dormitories. Lauvius was scanning thoroughly but said nothing even as a cold, freezing rain started to pour down onto them; it tapered off after only a moment, but the entire place felt like it were encased in ice right now.

Brother Petros was left to reflect in silence for a short time. His instinct was to hate this creature that followed him like a lost sheep, and yet…he could not share in the same feelings that his other soldiers possessed. He had seen too many examples now of how those he'd thought to be his enemies had shared in his same goals. If the child truly did want to protect Pope Alessandro, could he truly drive him out simply to ease the prejudices of his other soldiers? Was it worth their discontent and distrust to keep Lauvius around if his intentions were indeed proven to be true?

'Sometimes I long for the mindlessness of battle when compared to the challenges of one's morality…!' he thought to himself wearily.

As he contemplated, however, he suddenly realized that Lauvius had paused behind him, and was staring off down a dark, narrow alleyway that led to a one-way side street that circled the entirety of the plaza.

Brother Petros was immediately on edge. "Why have you stopped following?" he spat harshly, before Lauvius suddenly shushed him with a finger to his lips, instead pointing silently down the alley.

Brother Petros came to his side, and looked down; the other end of it was light by a single, dim and flickering street lamp…and even in that faint light they could see the masses moving through the abandoned street. Their forms now were easily recognizable to Brother Petros with their speed and the soulless masks that were worn over their dead, stitched faces.

"The autojagers…" Brother Petros murmured to himself.

"They smell of death and decay…that is how I spotted them," Lauvius whispered back to him, pulling out his scimitars. "Before we attack, I suggest that we scout them to see what their intended target is. They are not sentient and will not disclose their mission, but their actions will do so for us."

"I will give the commands around here," Brother Petros snapped at him, though he was forced to admit silently that the boy had assumed correctly the best course of action. "Come on…" he muttered as he held his Screamer in preparation for battle and took off after them. Lauvius followed behind him, also prepared.

The autojagers lumbered along silently, their bleak soulless forms casting menacing shadows against the buildings around them. Brother Petros easily scaled the side of one of the dormitories to observe them from overhead; once they could see them from there, they observed that the numbers of the creatures were far greater than they had originally assumed. From what they could see, the autojagers were beginning to disband from one another into three groups, heading in three different directions. The realization of their purpose seemed to reach both Petros and Lauvius at the same instant.

"They are being sent to attack the three rulers!" Brother Petros spat; his Screamer suddenly began to spin and churned to life in his hands. "We must protect his Holiness first and foremost!"

"We can protect all three dutifully if we are able to stop most of them on the streets. Lady Caterina's AX agents are positioned with all three of them as well to deal with whatever ones slip by us," Lauvius replied. "Let us engage them here, where there are no innocents."

"I agree…the streets will allow us ample room to dispel those ungodly creatures…" Brother Petros admitted. He turned to the child; he was already prepared to follow them with his blades gleaming in the moonlight. "We will need to disperse our forces; I will attack the group heading towards the citadel; you dispel the ones heading for the guest dormitories."

Lauvius nodded in agreement before the two of them immediately sprang into action. Brother Petro's roared out in a battle cry as his Screamer reached its fully charge, and he landed in front of the group of the autojagers with a fiery gaze in his eyes.

"You unholy demons will be sent back to the depths of Hell from which you were resurrected!" he spat; he suddenly wielded his weapon to its fullest extent, blasting as massive surge of energy through their numbers; several of the autojagers were literally torn to tatters, but those who were not immediately rushed towards him.

Brother Petros growled as the creatures used their haste to suddenly reappear practically on top of him, though his heavy armor did not give them enough exposed flesh to sink their hungered fangs into. He was, however, struck back into the stone wall of a building, hitting hard enough to leave a sharp dent in the stone. He still maintained a hold of his weapon, however, and willed it to charge itself quickly as the creatures bore down on him.

His eyes almost immediately looked skyward, and he realized with horror that the autojagers had already begun to climb the walls of the building. He suddenly snarled out and slammed the Screamer into the wall, causing the energy to disperse into the material of it. The stone immediately began to crack and split apart under the strain, causing the autojagers to lose their grips and plummet back towards the ground; a few, however, managed to seize hold of the window sills and hoisted themselves inside.

Brother Petros cursed under his breath; his weapon was now no longer charged and the remainder of the autojagers were bearing down on him. He still held the Screamer in anticipation of their attack and seemed to challenge the creatures to attack him, even knowing that the weapon was merely a blunt instrument without its signature energy.

Just as the lifeless vampires seemed prepared to lunge at him in synchronization, however, what appeared like a specter suddenly appeared amongst them and sliced several of them to pieces; the amassed blood and gore of the fallen corpses suddenly spilt over the ground as the other autojagers showed signs of confusion as to the attack.

Brother Petros narrowed his eyes, and then looked a bit surprised as Father Havel suddenly appeared in a physical form once more amongst the severed bodies of the autojagers. "Lady Caterina feared that this may happen; Brother Petros, we must sound the alarm that the Vatican is currently under attack," the Father spoke to him evenly, his tone urgent but showing no signs of anxiety.

"I must go to his Holiness immediately; it is my sworn duty to ensure that he is kept safe from harm!" Brother Petros insisted, albeit somewhat defiantly.

"Father Hugue is currently holding off the autojagers within the citadel; relieve him of this and tell him to activate the alarms immediately, then…I will remain here and destroy the intruders here on the ground," Father Havel replied; there was no sense in arguing with Brother Petros when he was known to cause conflict even at the worst of times. Brother Petros nodded and immediately rushed inside.

Father Havel turned to face the remaining autojagers that staggered forward from the carnage he had already caused; they hissed and growled at him like a pack of ravenous wolves. His eyes narrowed at him.

"Your Godless abominations will know the true wrath of the Father…" he murmured with disgust, before his form once again disappeared, and he rushed forward to dispatch them.

Brother Petros climbed the stairs with a stunning agility considering the weight of his armor and weapon, though now the Screamer had regained enough of its charge to thirst for battle once more. He could feel the adrenaline coursing through him as he approached Pope Alessandro's quarters. He reached the top of the spiral staircase to more blood and gore; however, it was simply the dismembered bodies of the autojagers to his relief. Father Hugue was standing amongst them with a faintly displeased expression on his face, his blade-staff thoroughly coated with blood and torn flesh.

"Brother Petros, there are more of them coming," the priest said to him evenly. "Several of the staff have been murdered; they will flock to the smell of shed blood."

"You must go and sound the alarm so that the others know of this invasion!" Brother Petros declared. "I will go and protect his Holiness with my life."

"The alarm has already been sounded…" Father Hugue replied. "I've just informed Sister Kate; the entire city is going into lockdown as we speak."

"Good, go and find those heinous creatures, I must find his Holiness…it is not safe for him to remain here," Brother Petros insisted; Father Hugue moved aside so that he was able to enter the Pope's bedchambers.

Brother Petros all but charged like a rabid bull through the doorway, nearly taking it off his hinges as he held his weapon at the ready. His eyes widened, however, when he realized that the master bed was empty; there was no sign of Alessandro.

"Your Holiness! Where are you?!" he shouted; he suddenly felt a creeping terror welling up within him as his eyes fell upon the open window, the curtains billowing slightly in the breeze as he heard the distant blaring of the alarms down below.

His terror quickly turned to relief, however, when he suddenly heard a small voice speak from under the bed. "I…I'm h-here…Brother Petros…" the boy said to him; his voice was shaking with fear.

"Your Holiness!" Brother Petros declared with relief as he knelt down, gently helping the child out from under the bed; Alessandro was still dressed in his plain night clothes, but Brother Petros immediately scooped up the boy into his arms like he was his own child. "I am so relieved that you are safe…quickly, we must evacuate you from here immediately. You are not safe; this entire building has been compromised…"

"Brother Petros…it…it w-was so horrible…I heard…the screams from the servants down below…" Alessandro mourned, sounding terribly afraid and saddened. "I…I wanted to help th-them…but Father Hugue told me to hide and stay here…"

"He was wise to do so, your Holiness…we cannot afford to lose you to these evil forces!" Brother Petros declared, before he turned and rushed out of the room.

"Brother Petros, everyone is to report to the belfry of the citadel immediately to make certain that all are safe," Brother Hugue reported to him. "The citizens had been locked down into their homes as a precaution, and the other priests are fighting off the autojagers at other locations. Take the Pope there; I must assist the other Fathers."

Brother Petros nodded, and immediately took off; he tucked Alessandro against himself protectively, so that the boy was shielded by his own armor. There was no force on earth or otherwise that could keep him from doing his duty.


	18. Incursione II

"Come on you lifeless shits, keep climbing right where I can see you…" Father Leon chimed with a devious smirk as he aimed his bazooka down the walls of the towering dormitory; his finger itched along the trigger before he managed to get a good shot, and he fired, sending a missile sailing down at the autojagers as they attempted to scale the building towards the Empress.

The explosion sent a shockwave through the building, but thankfully did not compromise the structural integrity of it, and the blow sent many of the undead vampires either plummeting to the ground, or turned them into dust.

"Execute a bit more safety precautions that that, Father Leon!" the Professor barked to him through his communicator. Father Leon winced, and was almost blown off of his perch against the balcony of the dormitories as the Professor whistled by him in his flying car.

"You always have to fight the forces of evil with style, doncha?" Father Leon smirked to him knowingly.

"Well, I can't say that I don't love using it…" the Professor replied. "But it doesn't hurt to have a tactical view of the outside…" he added, right before he turned the car so that it was hovering in mid-air. He aimed his missile guidance system at the autojagers that were attempting to gain entrance along the ground and windows, and sent out a barrage of them all at once.

The missiles tore through the air swiftly, locking onto the enemy signals and destroying them rapidly one at a time. Father Leon cheered as he watched them turn into smoldering ashes.

Within the building, Seth was frowning as she sat upon her bed, listening to the explosions outside her chambers. "This does not bode well for our stay here…" she murmured to herself. The Orden hadn't even had the patience to wait a single day before they had made a move against them…

"Your Majesty, the Vatican has just ordered a mandatory evacuation for everyone staying within proximity of the citadel!" Ion called to her from the doorway.

"I suspected as much with all of the chaos going on outside…" Seth replied as she slid from the bed; she was wearing a simple green nightgown. "I would not feel right leaving Abel's comrades here fighting off our enemies, however; we must aid them first in fighting a path to the belfry. Please lend your talents to them, Ion, Astha…"

Her ambassadors nodded, and immediately went to do so. Ion brashly cast himself harmlessly through one of the glass windows, plummeting down as he drew his blades. He landed squarely onto one of the autojagers, immediately burying his blade into the monstrosity's shoulder as the creature howled, attempting to grab him and cast him off. But Ion was swift, leaping up and then kicking it hard in the head. It was enough to jar it loose from its handhold on the side of the building, and when it fell it took out two other ones that plummeted back towards the earth.

Astha followed suit after him, though a bit less recklessly, as she utilized her spear to descend down the side, landing onto a ledge that protruded out slightly. She readied her spear and activated the xenon gas within it, then slid down the building move with the blade pressed against the stone to spark it. Once the flames started to erupt from it, she caught herself once more and then swung it towards a group of the creatures as they leapt onto windowsills, blasting them away in a hailstorm of fire. The creatures were swift, but their bodies were comprised of rotted flesh, so they stood little chance against the intense heat of her weapon and dissolved upon impact.

"We must drive the creatures back towards the ground, so that they will not shed any more blood in here!" Ion shouted to her. Astha nodded in agreement.

Seth, however, suddenly stepped out onto a windowsill, standing at a great height as she looked down below. She smirked faintly. "I've never been one to allow everyone else to enjoy all of the excitement…" she murmured to herself, before her expression once again became serious. "Nanomachines…Krusnik 03…power output, 40%"

"Approved."

Seth's Krusnik form immediately emerged, and the second that her wings arose and expanded she stepped from the ledge and soared down through the crisp winter air, her two blades drawn and ready. "Your Majesty-!" she heard Ion call out to her in protest, but she ignored him. She wasn't going to allow her subjects to fight without lending a hand as well.

She swooped down with expert precision and sliced a smooth line through half a dozen of them immediately; blood and decayed entrails rained down onto the cobblestone streets below as she soared through their thick masses, using her speed and weapons to cut a path.

"How dare you soulless demons threaten my children!" she spat angrily as she literally tore them all down to size; it angered her thoroughly that the Orden had had the gall to resurrect the bodies of her deceased Methuselah, let alone attempt to use them against her. "I will hunt all of you down…"

The Professor redirected his fire once more and continued assaulting their forms with a barrage of bullets and targeted missiles, while Father Leon continued to use his bazooka from up above to blast any of them off the side of the building.

It didn't take long between all of their combined efforts to wipe out the team of autojagers that had been sent after them. "We've been ordered to take sanctuary within the belfry of the citadel," the Professor informed them from aboard his car. "We need to figure out what is going on here and what the Rosencreutz Orden is attempting to accomplish."

"There's no way that this was a true attempt at an assault upon us…" Astha murmured as she withdrew her weapon, though she kept it strapped to her back in case she needed it later.

"You're likely correct, but we've no choice but to do as the Vatican wishes us to while we're in their territory," Seth replied; her Krusnik form vanished as she landed safely down onto the ground below.

"C'mon, we need to get there and make sure that everyone's gotten back safely," Father Leon said to the visitors from the Empire, waving them to follow as he took off. He kept his own weapons at the ready in case there was another attack, but as of right now, an eerie silence had seemed to have fallen over Rome.


	19. Admotione

[**TRIGGER WARNING**: This chapter contains elements of sexual assault; if this subject matter is disturbing to you, then please skip this chapter! This fanfiction is rated Mature for this reason and I will denote any chapters that contain adult/mature themes with these warnings in case anyone in sensitive to this material!]

OlivAI felt the delicate crunch of snow and ice being crushed underfoot as she wrapped her arms around herself, attempting to keep warm even in the cold of dusk. It was snowing lightly outside now, and she winced as she could hear the sounds of what she could only assume was a struggle going on in the distance.

Duo had commanded her to follow him outside of the dormitories, and by now, she knew enough not to spite him with any sarcastic comebacks or attempts to resist him.

"My sensors indicate that you are becoming hypothermic, Krusnik…" Duo said to her, though he did not turn to face her. "We are almost to our destination."

"Where exactly are you taking me? What's going on? I thought you said that your grand plans weren't going to happen until the night of the wedding…" OlivAI questioned him tensely, though her voice quivered a bit with the cold. Even Tres's billowing robes were doing very little right now to keep her warm.

"Correct, but the Contra Mundi is known for changing his plans…and we are not in a position to deny him."

Duo led her inside of the headquarters of the Inquisition; it was empty of course, right now, with the chaos that had erupted outside. OlivAI felt the crushing reality of her situation; he'd brought her here knowing they'd be all alone.

OlivAI's hair about stood on end, however, when she realized that there were in fact forms awaiting them inside of the compound. But she couldn't tell what exactly they were. They are hulking dark forms, with what appeared to be breathing masks and apparatuses on their faces. OlivAI froze in terror.

"These are the autojagers…they were created by a member of the Orden out of the deceased bodies of vampires, resurrected using a potent mix of chemicals and drugs in order to stimulate their nerves and primitive cranial functions," he explained to her. "These ones here are under my command; do as I say, or I'll allow them to feed upon you. Answer: do you understand?"

OlivAI had no choice but to nod to him. Duo smiled at her, more prominently this time, but it was still dulled. She wondered if his own sentience was beginning to emerge the same way that it had Tres, albeit in a much darker way. He reached out and suddenly, and inexplicably gently, eased a few strands of hair out of her face.

"Answer…what is it that has drawn you to my brother?" Duo asked her; his tone was less aggressive than it was before, though she still didn't trust him regardless.

"I…I'm not entirely sure how to explain it myself…Tres…was the first person to ever show me kindness, and he protected me as best he could…he's done essentially anything he felt he had to to keep me out of harm's way. I know that some people may argue that it's simply because of his programming that he does these things…but I've always felt there was something underneath that. That he truly felt and enjoyed being around me, like…the affection was consensually accepted and returned, even though…everyone's dismissed him as being unable to feel…"

"Affirmative. Most living beings assume that machines are incapable of feeling…" Duo replied. "As stated yesterday, Dr. Garibaldi originally intended for us to feel, and experience affection and emotion, albeit to a lesser degree than human beings. My brother's programming appears to be reaching the maximum allowance of it, and I myself have begun to experience these same strange sensations as well."

"And yet you've chosen to use this time and development in order to betray everyone…" OlivAI murmured. Duo frowned a bit, but she was surprised that he did not strike her for her retort.

"You are too young and primitive yourself to understand," Duo replied. "You were only awakened a few weeks prior, and do not know how this world has become. There is nothing but ceaseless warfare and endless death; what the Orden wishes to do is simply accelerate what is already to occur: a second Armageddon, which will spell the end of all species save for only the strongest and those willing to serve them."

He turned back to face her once more. "You should feel blessed, that you are being allowed to share in this new world with us."

"Maybe if I'd gotten a chance to live in the old one I would agree with you…I couldn't tell you. But all I know is that peace between all races is not going to be solved with more bloodshed. It's been proven over the years that that effectively never works," she replied, closing her eyes as she knelt down onto the ground. She still felt tired from the cold outdoors, even though the headquarters was warm and inviting comparatively speaking.

"When everything has concluded, you will understand," Duo said as he reached up and closed the curtains around the single window that looked outside; now, they were only bathed in the dulled light of candles and torches along the walls. It set an eerie atmosphere into motion. Duo was silent a moment, almost as though he were processing something. "Now that my own emotions are becoming apparent, I am able to feel similar sensations to HC-IIIX. That is why I have brought you here…" he turned halfway to face her partially. "To fulfill my desire to feel intimacy and connection with a living and breathing being."

OlivAI tensed and looked up at him incredulously as he approached. He could automatically sense the change in her physical condition. "I am not going to rape you. To take you by force would be a pointless endeavor if the affection is not reciprocated. Therefore, I will not threaten your physical state, OlivAI."

"I already know what you're implying…" she said a bit darkly. "You will hurt Tres if I don't comply…won't you?"

"Affirmative," he replied. "You are very astute. I still possess the kill code for HC-IIIX's programming that will effectively shut down his operating system and also cause his body to self-destruct; both events will prevent him from ever being resurrected, no matter the extensiveness of repairs."

"Fine…if this is what I must do to keep Tres safe, then so be it," she replied resolutely as Duo knelt down in front of her. Truthfully she felt disgusted, and like she were betraying Tres to a degree in agreeing to this without a fight…but if she did fight, she knew what would happen. Even if she found the energy or focus to summon the Krusnik, Duo was extremely fast. He could kill Tres before she ever reached her true form and could defend herself.

He seemed to realize all of this with the calculated gaze that he gave her. He sat so their knees were pressed together and he was leaning forward against them, so their faces were only a few inches apart. "Whatever I do, you will reciprocate…answer: do you understand?"

"Yes, I understand…" she replied, unable to hide a bitter undertone to her voice.

Duo seemed satisfied with that, however, because he leaned in and gently pressed a kiss against her forehead. His lips, whoever, felt cool compared to Tres's, as though his body did not warm itself like Tres's 'obsolete' hardware did. He continued by kissing her cheek, and then down the length of her neck, placing his hands on her shoulders in a firm grip to keep her from moving. His motions were a bit awkward, but he seemed to understand affection more than Tres had initially. OlivAI closed her eyes tightly as he did it, trying to pretend it was Tres kissing her right now and not him.

Once he finished, he sat slightly upright once more. "Hm. Your skin is very soft…" he commented; she noticed his tone was quieter than normal. It actually made him sound creepier, but she pushed aside her apprehension. "Very warm against my lips…now I will feel your lips against me."

"You know, typically I correct Tres on inappropriate wording but I'm going to assume that you said it that way on purpose…" she replied; she didn't know why she was trying to make light of the situation, but it was really all she could do to keep from feeling freaked out. But she commenced one way or another, kissing him in return beginning at his forehead and working her way down his face and neck. She only placed light kisses against him as he had, not willing to surrender the same sensual nature of it that she readily gave Tres. It still seemed to be enough, however, for him to feel it. His grip on her shoulders tightened a bit and he released what sounded like a relaxed sigh, or at least something similar to it. Once she'd reached his collarbone she stopped, pulling back from him.

Duo was quiet and slowly opened his eyes, looking off a bit as though he were not focused on her. "Pleasing…" he murmured. "Now we will do the remainder of what you and HC-IIIX have practiced…"

He suddenly gripped her chin and pressed his lips to hers before she could agree or disagree to it. OlivAI let out a muffled yelp when he did this, but his hold on her face was ironclad and slightly painful. Her face reddened a bit instinctively as he used his lips to force hers apart and inserted his tongue deeply into her mouth. His kiss was purposely rough and his grip on her shoulder tightened to keep her close when she attempted to edge away from him.

He finally parted slightly from her after what felt like an eternity; she felt the heat of him exhaling some oxygen out of his internal system against her lips and noticed that he seemed a bit heated himself as he drew back away from her.

"This contact has caused numerous and previously unrecognized sensations within my body," he murmured to her bluntly, reaching up and undoing a clasp that allowed his armor to simply fall free from him. "Our intimacy has led to over-stimulation."

OlivAI felt a pang of fear as he suddenly stood, hovering over her menacingly as she watched him reach to the collar of his uniform, looking down at her coldly as he started to undo it.

"Hold her down."

OlivAI cried out as the autojagers suddenly responded to his inquiry and lunged forward, two of them suddenly grabbing her shoulders and slamming her back down against the ground. Her head struck hard enough to jar her brain a bit. The pang of fear quickly turned to sheer horror as she watched Duo unfasten the clasps of his uniform top, shrugging it off of his shoulders so that it fell loose around his waist. Her breath choked in her throat as she looked at his bare torso and arms; his body was very human aside from vague seams along his joints and faintly along the curvature of his muscular circuitry. His wires and cables traveled down his neck and two were visible from his shoulders down to his elbow joints.

"You…but you said…" she managed to murmur, stunned.

"I have the capacity now to change my mind, Krusnik…" he replied; as the undead vampires continued to pin her shoulders, he knelt down, lying one hand to the side of her chest as he hovered over her in an unsettling and prone position. "I am able to detect trace amounts of amusement that you truly believed I would allow HC-IIIX to survive all of this when he is an inferior machine…he soon will be terminated, and you will fall into my permanent possession in his absence. Thus, I am entitled to claim you physically."

OliovAI was shaking faintly. "You…you never intended to let him live even if you and the Orden succeeded…?"

"Affirmative. Though I attempted to salvage his original programming he remained attached to you; thus, the corruption of his OS and data is permanent. His…love for you is unacceptable. My programming can forgive the temptations of sexual contact and experimentation, but his abstract feelings for you will only cloud his mind the rest of his existence. Thus, he is too much of a liability and will be exterminated…"

"You…you can't…!" she shouted, suddenly thrashing against the autojagers as they pinned her down to the ground. "I won't let you hurt him!"

"Negative; you have no choice in the matter," he replied; he suddenly grasped her legs as she attempted to kick him and spread them apart as he shifted and pressed his hips against hers, forcing her to fold her legs around his waist. OlivAI growled at him angrily when he did this and managed to rack her nails against his face, leaving behind a deep cut across his cheek. He seemed undeterred however, and she watched in an awestruck terror as the wound almost instantly healed itself; a few droplets of blood ripped from it before the artificial flesh literally seemed to sew itself back together again.

"The Magician has enhanced my form and greatly improved my auto-repair system…" Duo said down to her. "Your feeble attempts will be in vain; if you cease resisting me, then this will harm you far less…at least physically. I cannot ascertain your mental state, and I have not the capacity to care for its stability."

With that, he suddenly reached out and placed his hand against her stomach first, before he suddenly reached through the seam of the priest uniform she was wearing so that he was touching her flesh. OlivAI whimpered a bit as he wove his hand up her body until he reached her chest. Without warning he roughly forced his hand under her bra and gripped her breast tightly. He released a barely audible but sensual sound as he felt its center harden in his grasp.

OlivAI cried out with pain and felt the sting of tears in her eyes. She couldn't let him do this! She couldn't let it happen to her again…

"Nanomachines…Krusnik 05…power-"

"Silence her."

One of the autojagers suddenly clamped a sharp claw over her mouth, its rotted nails digging into her cheek to keep her from her attempt to draw out her second form. It completely muffled her voice and she could feel blood running down the curve of her jawline.

"You will comply, or I will torture you, and I will torture him and force you to bear witness to his suffering…if you do not resist, he will die painlessly…" Duo said to her cruelly as he undid her clothing from her; he removed the overcoat, and then slowly started to unbutton the inner robe she was wearing to expose her. OlivAI released frustrated and frightened sounds and tried writhe, thrash, do something to prevent it, but between the android's grip on her and the autojagers, she couldn't move. Her eyes started to well up with tears as she forced them closed, trying to drown out what was happening to her, even as she heard him undoing his belt.

She heard the sound of a gun's safety being released, and thought that perhaps he'd changed his mind and was simply going to execute her…but she realized that he had paused. She opened her eyes, and saw Duo looking sharply to the side, a faintly angry expression on his face. OlivAI followed his gaze, and saw Abel standing there, glaring at the android venomously with his firearm trained on him.

"Release her, now, or I will destroy you…" Abel hissed at him angrily. "How dare you have the audacity to assault her when she has already suffered it once before…"

"You are not in a position to judge me, Krusnik," Duo replied. "Destroy him."

The autojagers suddenly left OlivAI and lunged for Abel violently, all dozen or so of them. OlivAI cried out and tried to free herself to try and help him, but Duo pinned down her shoulders.

"Nanomachines, Krusnik 02…power output, 50%."

Abel swiftly cut his scythe through the air, severing three of them immediately. The massive weapon easily cut through their flesh and sent blood and entrails raining down onto the ground. But since they were not rational creatures, the others still lunged at him. One of them managed to seize him and sunk its teeth into his arm, but he seemed unphased.

"You dare try to drink of me when you are my prey?!" Abel sneered at the creature monstrously. He suddenly wrenched his arm aggressively, and the autojager jettisoned into the others. Abel once again used his blade to render them into nothing but severed flesh and blood. OlivAI could see the shed fluids slowly weaving along the floor and absorbing into his feet as he turned his attention once more to them.

"Release her or I will cut you into pieces…" Abel spat at Duo, and this time, the android seemed to take him a bit more seriously. He let go of OlivAI and stood slowly, stepping away from her as she managed to get to her feet and rushed over to him, holding her cloak so that she was no longer exposed.

Duo, however, did not seem to truly fear him; to the contrary, that smirk was once again on his face as he looked at the two of them.

"You are truly foolish, Krusnik, to have abandoned your post to pursue me…" Duo said to him.

"I know of the attacks on the city…Father Tres will keep Esther safe," Abel spat at him.

OlivAI suddenly froze, and turned to face him quickly. "Tres is infected with Duo's virus!" she suddenly shouted.

Abel's eyes widened when he heard this, and he froze.

"That is correct…you have left her alone with the one who will kill her…" Duo said.

"We have to go and save her! Killing him won't stop Tres's programming…we have to stop him ourselves!" OlivAI said, grabbing Abel's arm to break the trance-like state he appeared to be in.

Abel growled animalistically at Duo. "Your punishment will come soon, Duo Iqus…" he snarled at him, before he suddenly turned and followed after OlivAI back towards Esther's quarters.

Duo just folded his arms and watched them leave silently, still smirking ever so faintly.


End file.
