Trinity Blood Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Shadows of Time ❯ Chapter 2

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Title: The Shadows of Time

Author: Ryukotsusei

Fandom: Inuyasha and Trinity Blood

Rating: NC 17

Warnings: Violence, torture, character death, language, lemons, spoilers for the entire series just to be safe, and the possibility of out of character characterizations. Read at your own risk.

Pairings: Tres Iqus x Kagome Higurashi x Abel Nightroad

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or Trinity Blood. The series belong to Rumiko Takahashi, and the late Sunao Yoshido. I make no money off of this fan fiction.

Author's Note: I know I said I had a posting schedule of every two weeks, but I have this chapter ready to go before then, courtesy of KogasHentaiLuver who has graciously agreed to beta the story.

A few other points of interest before we get on with the chapter. My knowledge of the Trinity Blood universe only extends to what has been covered in the anime and what I could decipher from online searches. As such, I've taken more than a couple of liberties with some of the character's back stories and how the vampiric biology works throughout this fic. Hopefully though, it works well enough that there won't be any complaints about it being against manga canon.

Thank you to everyone who has chosen to review thus far. I hope that the story continues to be as enjoyable as the first chapter was.

Chapter Two

3042 AD

It had been over one thousand years and he still hadn't located the jewel. That thought alone was maddening yet there was little that Naraku could do to change things. To this day he was cursing the dead miko, damning her for having hid the artifact so well. Yet at times, when the frustration became overwhelming, he couldn't help but wonder if she'd been speaking the truth and that the jewel had disappeared for good. It never took him long to rid himself of that notion; however, because the souls that made up the jewel just wouldn't have disappeared with a wish being made. The entire idea was preposterous, it had to be out there somewhere, and he just hadn't found it yet.

But he knew that would soon change and the frown gradually smoothed away, leaving a calculating expression on his face. There weren't many places that the jewel could be hiding now when he thought about it. Even though centuries had passed since he slaughtered the Priestess and her pathetic family, the jewel would still seek out those of power. The problem with that idea was the Earth's population of humans had taken a beating with the war that had broken out. Armageddon they had called it and it had nearly wiped out every living being on the planet. Humans, demons, it hadn't mattered which species you belonged to, it took its toll on them all and left death and destruction in its wake.

Yet humans were resilient creatures, worse than roaches in his opinion and they bounced back quickly enough. Perhaps not with the same numbers that they had achieved before, but the fact still remained, they survived. More than that, they flourished and continued in the advancement of the technology that had brought the world to ruin in the first place. None of that mattered to him however, so long as they stayed out of his way when it came to his search. Still, it behooved him to pay attention to the way the world was changing around him and it came as no surprise when they managed to colonize Mars. What he hadn't expected though was the emergence of the Methusela which was nothing more than a fancy name for a vampire. 'Pathetic. As if their abilities weren't enough to distinguish themselves from the plague of humans littering the Earth.'

The truly disturbing part; however, was how the Methusela seemed to be on the threshold of dominating the Earth. While he had no love for humans, it bothered him that a race that had only recently grown powerful enough to make themselves known had been able to gain more control than the demons that had survived the war. Perhaps it had been overconfidence, but most of them had brushed aside the idea that the humans could bring them to the brink of extinction. 'Perhaps I should be thanking the fools; it means there aren't as many with the power to contest my reign once I have the Shikon in my hands again.'

It was a double edged sword though since much of his own growth in power depended on the beings he managed to subdue and absorb into his own body. The few demons that remained could become a serious problem, especially if they discovered his whereabouts. Sesshoumaru and Kouga were still alive and hunting for him even to this day, which hindered much of his movements. To get careless at this late stage of the game could easily be a fatal mistake and that was something he had no intentions of doing. Sooner or later he would confront those two and take their power for his own, but now was not the time. 'Once I have the jewel, only then can I begin to take my revenge against those that remain.'

One might equate the situation to a game of chess, strategically manipulating the pieces on the board and the odds were stacked in his favor. It had taken many months of searching and deciphering rumors, but now he was certain that he had the jewel within reach. Smirking to himself, he drained the last of the brandy in his glass and set it carefully on the table. Should his calculations be correct, the Shikon would be in his hands before nightfall.

“Attention, attention. We've arrived in Rome and we will begin landing shortly. All passengers please return to your seats until the Captain brings the airship into port. Thank you.”

Once the intercom clicked off, Naraku leaned back in his chair and contemplated his next move. Much thought had been put into just why the Shikon had never resurfaced and ultimately he decided that with the death of the Guardian there was a good chance that the jewel followed her into the afterlife. It had done so once before and it had been proven that it had attached to her soul. For centuries he'd hunted for the girl's reincarnation only to come up empty handed, but then came the rumors of someone with enough ability to astral project, even though her body remained in a coma and on the brink of death. Few humans were known to possess such abilities and the fact that she was closely associated with the Vatican only made her more suspect in his mind. To that end he'd done quite a bit of checking up on this Sister Kate Scott and he couldn't say he was displeased with what he found. The pieces fit just a bit too carefully and for a woman who was supposed to be dead, it reeked of the jewel's interference.

After all, it wasn't often that someone was targeted by the Rosen Kreuz and survived. Yet Naraku was cautious and didn't hold any foolish beliefs that there was no way it could slip through his grasp again. He'd come up empty handed far too many times to believe failure was an impossibility. No, until he had the artifact in his hands he would be cautiously optimistic and until then he'd continue to scheme and plot his next move. The gentle shudder of the airship touching down jerked him out of his thoughts and he knew they had arrived. Soon enough the sound of the engine died down, signaling it was time to disembark. He was already on his feet when the stewardess began to approach and he waved her away, not wanting to deal with any further delays. The small suitcase near his feet was the only baggage he'd brought with him. It was too much of a hassle to carry around anything more, especially when he needed to be able to move quickly. If necessary he could buy more clothing as the need presented itself, but for now, it wasn't something to worry about.

Quickly, he departed the airship, not bothering to stop and pick up a map of the districts he'd be traveling through. There wasn't a move that he made that hadn't been carefully planned and this time was no exception. Before he'd even embarked on this journey he'd familiarized himself with Rome and its many districts. There was no need for a map at this point in time, although if push came to shove he'd save himself the headache of wandering around aimlessly and buy one. Calmly he stared at the masses of people milling around, trying not to wrinkle his nose in disgust at the smells that assaulted his nose. There were times that he missed the relative clean air of the feudal era, but there was no point in reminiscing, he had a mission to accomplish.

Naraku took only a moment to get his bearings before setting off to the west, his destination the Borgo district. It would figure that they would keep the woman's body close to the Vatican, although why they didn't keep it within the city itself he wasn't certain. Perhaps they didn't know of the artifact that she potentially held and; as such, saw no reason for the added protection. Whatever the reason, it worked to his advantage. Just as the sheer amount of people that surrounded him did as well. Nothing had been left to chance and even his attire was proper for the place he'd found himself in. While his facial features marked him as foreign, most would assume that he was born to the area or had relocated to this location years ago.

However one thing he hadn't counted on was the weather to hold and he nearly cursed when the first raindrop struck him. The last thing he wanted was to be caught in a rainstorm yet he wasn't willing to put off his search for any longer than necessary. People started running in their hurry to get out of the downpour and Naraku took advantage of their actions. Blending in with the crowd, he darted towards a building that was surrounded by street vendors and retreated behind them, blending into the shadows. Now out of sight, he was free to utilize all of the powers at his disposal and melted into the shadows.

Being able to move in the shadow realm had its definite advantages and this was one time he was grateful for the ability. Nothing touched him as he slid through the space between the living world and its alternate realm, nor did he have any fears about being seen now. Infiltrating the place where her body was being kept would be easy and in this state it wouldn't matter if someone happened to be lurking near her bedside. He'd still cut the jewel out of her body and they'd be powerless to stop him.

“Ah, there it is,” Naraku mused to himself when he found himself in front of a rather elaborate estate. The wrought iron gate holding the nameplate assured the demon that he had the correct location. Easily, he passed through the entrance, his presence going completely unnoticed by the guard stationed there. It would seem that his sources were correct; this woman was one of considerable status even if one overlooked the fact that she was the Captain of the Iron Maiden.

Lightning flashed overhead, but he paid it no mind. Instead he concentrated on the task at hand which was gaining entrance into the house. It was even easier than he anticipated. A rather harried looking servant opened the front door and stepped into the foul weather, barely managing to open an umbrella over her head before the wind whisked it away. Chuckling to himself, he slipped through the open doorway before she had a chance to shut it behind her and completely disregarded the look of bewilderment that crossed her face. Let her believe she was hearing things or maybe it was just the wind, none of it mattered now that he had the thrill of the hunt coursing through his veins. Soon, very soon he would be spilling blood and there was a certain satisfaction that came with that act alone even without the promise of a precious gem to sweeten the deal.

Another set of servants came down a nearby hall which made him pause. They weren't wearing the normal garb of ordinary workers. Instead they were wearing garb that was customary of one in the medical field. While there was a possibility that there were others that would require the services of a doctor, Naraku was willing to bet that these two were Sister Kate's personal physicians. 'This is proving to be too easy. Hm... And here I thought that this might pose a bit of a challenge after all the trouble I went through to find her.' The woman's location wasn't commonly known given the position the Vatican had appointed her. The Methusela would waste no time in exploiting the information should they get their hands on it. To take out the Captain of the airship which guarded the city and all the power it contained would sway the balance of power over to their side. While the Pope had Special Forces in place to protect him and those he had appointed as his advisors, to lose such an asset as the Iron Maiden would be a devastating blow.

Certain that his target was close; he walked quickly to the end of the hall and rested his hand upon the door. Yet the last thing that he was expecting was the jolt of holy energy that surged up through the wood and raced through his arm. The pain was excruciating and for several long moments it was all he could do not to scream. Violently he ripped his hand away and glared at it, evaluating the damage. While it was nothing near the power that he'd experienced at the hands of the two mikos who were unfortunate enough to cross his path, it was something that he hadn't been expecting. In the shadow realm he wasn't strong enough to counter the protections with his youki which left him at an impasse.

Whoever had placed the wards had to have carried a fair amount of talent and power, the question became were they still present? While he didn't doubt his abilities in subduing the person responsible, it did mean delays and the possibility that the servants would have enough time to summon help. They were not that far from the Vatican and he was under no illusions that they wouldn't protect one of their own. Yet there was no way he could get near the wench in this form which meant he had little choice but to expose himself. A sneer crossed his face and he shifted back into the living realm, carefully watching for the signs of any watchers. 'I should slaughter them all for the inconvenience they are presenting.'

However, no one made an appearance in response to the protections being activated and Naraku was left to assume that whoever had put them in place believed that they'd never be needed or had been called away to put their skills to use elsewhere. Either way it meant that the opportunity to kill the one responsible wasn't forthcoming and he'd have to be satisfied with the death of the woman lying just beyond that doorway.

For a moment he didn't move and remained impassive, staring at the doorway in contemplation. Most wards took time to unravel unless there was no reason to worry about alerting its creator to the attack. Deciding that there was no point in wasting the time and removing it the proper way, Naraku allowed his youki to surge and surround him with its demonic glow. The reaction from the warding was instantaneous and soon the entire corridor was alight with the glow of holy energy. The air around him crackled in protest yet still he increased the amount of energy that he gave off.

The wind given off from the conflicting energy tore at his clothing and blew his hair around his body wildly. Yet the sounds of the storm raging outside would prevent anyone from hearing the commotion in the hallway unless they were exceedingly close, in which instance the conflicting energies might well kill them before they could sound an alert. In a shower of sparks the ward was destroyed, leaving the door charred and smoldering.

Naraku pushed the door open, ignoring the groan the wood gave off when he did so. The bright lighting of the room assaulted his eyes and it took a moment for the temporary blindness to fade. Excitement filled him when his gaze finally landed on the woman lying unmoving on the bed. “At last, it's mine again,” Naraku whispered maliciously and strode towards the bed. It was faint, but he could feel it, she possessed the Shikon within her body, but not for much longer.

Carefully he took in the appearance of her aura and frowned at what he found. All these years he'd been operating under the assumption that the Shikon would return to its Guardian, but this was clearly not the same soul that both Kikyo and Kagome had possessed. So why had the jewel chosen her of all people? He'd been expecting the opportunity to eliminate Kikyo's soul yet a third time, ensuring there was no chance that she'd be able to challenge him in this lifetime.'So what does this mean then? Is it possible that she's reincarnated without the jewel?' No matter how he looked at it, it just didn't make sense. The soul had bonded to the Shikon and together they should have remained, at least until they separated again. 'It's no matter; the outcome is still the same. The jewel is mine and if the Guardian comes for it again, I'll take great pleasure in ending her pathetic life yet again.'

Besides, there would be plenty of time for contemplation later after he removed the Shikon from her possession. “Show me where the jewel is little one,” he whispered and laid a hand on her pale cheek. Even if he hadn't known of who she was, he would have taken her for someone of great importance. Where smooth pale flesh should have been, there were fiber optic wires that disappeared beneath the surface. No doubt this was how she controlled the Iron Maiden and briefly he wondered if the great battle ship would be destroyed when she took her final breath. But that wasn't something he could worry about now, not when his prize was so close at hand. Even now the jewel's energy was reacting to his own although it was born of protest, not of any desire to be reunited with him. Slowly he moved his hand down over her slender throat and then towards where the Shikon had revealed itself, deep within her abdomen. His fingers twitched in anticipation when they finally skimmed over the precise spot it was located. Smirking cruelly, Naraku raised his hand and poised it over her body. He paused only slightly before thrusting it downwards, intent on tearing the jewel from her flesh.

~In The Vatican~

“Are you absolutely sure this is where the attacks are manifesting from,” Cardinal Caterina Sforza, Duchess of Milan, asked of the group that was assembled in her office. Multiple folders littered her desk, all reports on the attacks that had been taking place for the past two years. The sheer amount of death they represented was disheartening to say the least. 'This cannot go on much longer; something has to be done quickly.'

At first they had been certain the deaths were being caused by the Methusela since it was only humans that were being targeted. Or more specifically, humans that showed signs of being blessed by God. But then the vampires themselves had been targeted, yet the differences were there was no trace of a body remaining. For a while the incidences were believed to be unrelated, but as the number of attacks grew they were forced to acknowledge the possibility that there was one person behind it.

“As certain as we can be under the circumstances,” Father Abel Nightroad replied with a sigh, “Information on the disappearances have been sketchy at best, but one thing that we do know is the frequency is far greater within the empire than they have been throughout our jurisdiction.” In truth he was rather worried, while he hadn't known any of the humans that had been killed; he knew it was only a matter of time before the killer struck at someone within the Vatican. There were far too many people in the city that had innate abilities to be overlooked for much longer.

Silence descended upon the room for a few moments and it was ultimately Father Hugue who broke it, “Where does the Empress stand on this issue?” While there was no love lost between him and the vampires, he was willing to look at the bigger picture, for now. So long as humans were being targeted, even he had considered this an issue that needed to be dealt with swiftly and; as such, had responded to the summons the Cardinal had issued.

Lady Caterina regarded him calmly for a moment, contemplating the enigma of a man standing before her before speaking, “The Empress is looking into the situation within her lands, but as of yet, there is little indication of who is responsible. As soon as she has more information she will inform us of her findings.” Even from here she could see the slight frown of irritation, but to his credit, he remained silent. Honestly, she couldn't blame him for his hatred despite the fact that she was trying to bring peace between the two races. Given that the blond had lost his entire family to vampires, save for a sister that had been missing for years, it was little wonder that the man went out of his way to exterminate them. It had given him a well deserved reputation for ruthlessness and at times, he had disobeyed the directives he'd been given completely in order to accomplish what he felt was right. In light of that there were many times that he managed to surprise her by agreeing to work with them at all.

“And what of our operatives in the field?” The question came from Father Vaclav Havel, one of Caterina's most trusted advisors. While he didn't say much, he was constantly taking information in, storing it for later examination. When the meeting was finished, there was no doubt in his mind that he would be the one needed to lend silent support to the woman he stood beside. Her burden was far too great to bear alone, nor would he allow her to try.

In the end it was Father Tres Iqus that answered Father Vaclav's question. When the killings had started the Cardinal had assigned him as the head of the investigation team. For now, he had more jurisdiction over the cases than the Department of Inquisitions did. “Our operatives are recording all travel both in and out of the city. All suspicious activity is monitored and so far twenty six suspects have been detained for questioning,” he stated matter of factly, his eyes never deviating from the intense stare the Duchess was giving him, “So far none of them have information pertaining to this case.”

“So the perpetrator hasn't shown up yet or they're covering their tracks exceedingly well,” Lady Caterina mused and glanced down at the files in front of her again. It was troublesome that their suspect was so elusive, but that was to be expected from a being able to take out the victims that were on the list in front of her. What was more worrisome was the fact that her half brother Francesco wouldn't be held at bay for long. In spite of the fact that they had no idea who was doing this, he was determined that the best way to curb the problem was by the use of force and he had all the power he would need right at his fingertips since he headed the Department of Inquisition. However, she couldn't exactly see how that would solve their problems and as such refused to give into his demands. So long as she held the Pope's ear on this matter they'd be able to proceed as they had been, but the moment that changed... 'I don't even want to consider the blood that would be shed in his endeavors to find the killer.'

Sister Kate remained silent as the conversation continued around her. Really, there wasn't much that she could add to it seeing as the killer had avoided the city thus far. The fleeting thought crossed her mind that they could perhaps bait the one responsible out into the open before dismissing it. Without knowing what abilities he had, there was a good chance that the person setting themselves up would be killed in the process. Suddenly her attention turned completely inward and she was absorbed in the information that was pouring in through the Iron Maiden's radar. An immense energy source had sprung up without warning and it wasn't that far away. “Your Grace, we've got a problem,” she said, breaking into the quiet discussion the Cardinal was holding with Father Nightroad.

“What is it, Sister Kate?” Lady Caterina asked, her voice laced with concern. If there was one thing that she was certain of it was that if the sister said there was a problem then it was something that needed attending to, quickly. She wasn't the only one feeling the sense of urgency either; the others were staring at the woman's projection with varying expressions of dread and anticipation.

“A massive energy reading,” she replied tersely, her brow furrowing in agitation. Something like this just didn't pop up out of nowhere and especially right under their noses! “The sensors are locking down on the target now. It's,” her eyes widened considerably as the data came through, “it's at...”

The feeling of wrongness peaked at that instant and Father Nightroad was forced to watch in horror as the woman's face contorted in pain and her words were cut off, degrading into a moan of pain. “Sister Kate,” he shouted when her image crumpled to the floor, although he had no idea what could possibly be afflicting her to elicit such a reaction. Nor could he do anything about it, the image in the office was nothing more than an astral projection that was boosted by one of the Professor's inventions.

The woman's scream filled the air seconds before a deep gash appeared in her abdomen and blood began to pour down the front of her dress. Frantically her hands gripped at the wound, clawing at her invisible assailant, but it had no effect. Her back arched as the torn flesh was seemingly probed before being torn open even further. The rippling of her skin suggested that something was digging into her body and that was what finally galvanized Abel into action. “Father Tres, let's go,” he shouted and then sprinted from the room.

“Positive,” Tres replied and then followed the Crusnik out of the room, sparing one last glance at the Cardinal. While he didn't wish to leave, he had to trust in the others not to follow them. The probability was high that if the attacker was strong enough to bypass the protections placed upon Sister Kate then Caterina would also be at risk and would need protection. Since his abilities were required elsewhere, it would be up to the other AX members to see to her safety. Curious onlookers watched them run pass although none of them were foolish enough to get in their way. While neither had their guns drawn, their expressions were serious enough to clear the path before them.

'It has to be the killer, who else would make such a direct attack?' Father Nightroad had seen many things in his lifetime so there was little that managed to shock him, yet this had hit him hard. He already had to live with the guilt of Sister Noelle's death on his hands, there was no way he could stand by, and watch as another team mate dies. While he had no idea what the motivation behind the attack was he was certain the only way to stop it was to get to the estate. This had been an attack on her body; there was no other explanation. 'I just hope we're in time to save her. We have to be.'

“Father Nightroad, this way,” Tres ordered flatly, quickly analyzing the quickest possible route to get to the estate. Being so late in the afternoon there was more foot traffic than normal and their best bet was to take an alternate route. They couldn't take the chance of being caught in a crowd that had no concept of the emergency that was taking place.

“Right,” Father Abel responded and darted down the side road his comrade had taken. Tres knew the layout of the city quite possibly better than anyone else on the team and he trusted his judgment. Water splashed under his feet with each step he took, soaking his pants and the bottom of his cloak. While the storm had lasted only a few minutes, it had left ample proof that it had passed though. A quick glance at the sky told him that there was a good chance the heavens could open up again at any moment and he risked sending a fervent prayer that the rain could wait until they reached the estate.

It seemed to take an eternity to the men as they ran, but at long last the estate came into view. Whether or not Caterina had called ahead and alerted the guards to the problem wasn't in question. The post at the gate had long since been abandoned and from inside the manor they could hear the screams of the people attempting to stop Sister Kate's assailant. Roughly he pushed past a terrified servant who was bolting out the front door, her once tidy uniform bathed in crimson. Even from here he could smell the coppery stench of blood and it caused his fury to grow.

Once inside, Tres easily passed Father Nightroad and drew his guns, intent on finding and eliminating their target. Quickly he took in the bodies that were strewn about the hallway, noting the way that some of them had been speared while others had literally been torn limb from limb. Clearly they were dealing with someone without remorse and he would have no qualms about eliminating the person responsible. “Check on Sister Kate, I will deal with the subject,” he said in a tone that brooked no room for argument, not that he expected one. Now all he needed to do was get a lock on the target.

“I'm on it,” Father Nightroad replied, his voice full of tension and then he darted down another hallway that would take him to Sister Kate's quarters. While he wanted nothing more than to help take the bastard down, someone had to make sure that Sister Kate was still alive. If she were, then they'd have to act quickly to save her. From the brief images they had seen in the meeting, there was no telling how much damage had been done to her body in the short amount of time it had taken to reach her.

Calmly Tres stepped over a fallen body and scanned the surrounding area. Based on the carnage it seemed as if his quarry had been toying with the inhabitants, slaughtering them at whim with no rhyme or reason to who was chosen. At the end of the hallway he could see what had to be a child of no more than ten dressed in a page's outfit. The best that he could tell, she'd been thrown against the wall after being speared. The blood stain trailing down the wall testified to the brutality of the attack. Yet the sight did nothing to set him on edge and he continued to analyze the situation calmly, looking for anything that might be amiss.

From the shadows Naraku watched the new comers with interest. That one of them had rushed off was of no surprise. He'd find the girl alive even if it was just barely and perhaps, if they acted quickly enough, they might even be able to save her pathetic life. Much of that would depend on her own natural abilities now that they weren't augmented with the powers of the Shikon.

Recognition of the newcomers came to him quickly although he had no actual knowledge of just who they actually were. The attire the redhead wore branded him a member of the church, most likely one of the AX members if memory served him correctly. 'How interesting, they certainly moved quickly enough. Perhaps I gave them less credit than they deserved if they were able to sense my presence so quickly.' Most likely though it had been the bitch with the jewel that had alerted them,' Naraku mused. When he'd torn the jewel from her body it had spasmed uncontrollably with the pain and for the briefest of moments her eyes had fluttered open before she'd slipped back into the realms of unconsciousness.

The slightest whisper of noise had Tres pausing in his advance. While he hadn't seen anyone besides the victims running past, something told him that his prey was closer than he was being led to believe. That suspicion was quickly proven correct when he was hit with something solid in the back that knocked him back towards the far wall. Soon after, the sound of gunfire echoed through the hallway, his guns targeting the area he was certain he'd heard the noise from. Yet the bullets merely embedded in the wall, missing their target completely. “Show yourself,” he commanded, keeping a watchful eye out for the slightest indication of the killer. Just because he couldn't get a visual did not mean that he was alone. For all he knew, this being could easily have an ability much like Father Havel's which allowed him to camouflage himself to blend in with his surroundings.

“And where would be the fun in that?” Naraku whispered, smirking when his opponent whirled to face him and fired a round point blank into his chest. It wouldn't have mattered if he weren't concealing himself in the shadow realm however, now that the jewel was in his possession being inflicted with such wounds were nothing more than minor annoyances. Indeed, the only reason he'd slipped into this realm a second time was because he wanted to toy with the humans who panicked like sheep when they learned they were under attack.

The second blow was anticipated by a whisper of movement through the air and Tres blocked it easily with his arm, countering with another round of gunfire. “What is your purpose for coming here?” he asked coldly. The man he was fighting was extremely brazen and there was a good chance he'd be happy to gloat about what he was attempting to accomplish. If so, they could put an end to whatever this man was planning.

“My purpose?” Naraku smirked at how clueless these fools truly were, “My purpose was to obtain the Shikon, nothing more. It's been so very amusing watching the power struggle between you humans and the vampires when the very item which would ensure your victory has been under your nose the entire time. Now; however, it's been taken out of your hands and I won't hesitate to use it. Soon you will all bow to my will.” If he was expecting a startled reaction out of the priest he was mistaken. The only sign that he'd even registered what was said was a narrowing of those cold brown eyes.

“Negative, you will not be permitted to leave the premises alive,” Tres replied flatly, unimpressed with the man's plans for world domination. While he'd never heard of the Shikon before, he filed the name away for later examination. It would be something that the Cardinal would need to be informed of so that steps could be taken to ensure its containment. If it was truly something so powerful, it could not be permitted to fall into enemy hands.

Hearing this had Naraku chuckling darkly, “You speak as if I'm going to allow you to kill me.” With a surge of power he stepped out of the shadow realm, materializing in front of the priest. The reaction was immediate and expected, bullets riddled his body and tore at his clothing, but the damage that was done was minimal. “Fool,” he spat, tired of playing with someone who obviously held no power over him. It wasn't even worthwhile to absorb the man; he couldn't detect even the slightest trace of holy energy within him. “Your pathetic weapon cannot harm me. Now die!”

The tentacle that erupted from Naraku's body caught Tres off guard and it struck him squarely in the chest. However, instead of sinking into flesh like Naraku had intended, it was stopped before any penetration was achieved. “I cannot comply with such an order,” he replied before gripping the writhing appendage and ripping it off of his opponent's body, throwing it to the floor where it continued to writhe. It was clear the man was neither human nor vampire and while he wasn't sure what he was, Tres knew that since the man breathed, he could be killed.

“You're not even human, are you?” Naraku growled, irritated with his inability to realize the truth before now. No wonder the man had shown no emotion. Cybernetic organisms were programmed not to have such things; it got in the way of the duties they were expected to perform. However, it made dealing with this one troublesome since killing him was clearly out of the question. Was this one merely a distraction to keep him occupied until the others arrived? He had to admit it was a possibility and while he could easily handle anything they could throw at him now, he'd much rather consolidate his power and make one precise strike which would eliminate the ruling party in the Vatican. “Enough of this,” he said and unleashed another wave of tentacles, knocking his opponent back against the wall, causing plaster to break and fall to the floor. As expected it didn't take long for the Priest to get back to his feet, but by the time that he'd done so, Naraku was already making his escape.

Had Tres been human he might have cursed at the way that the enemy seemingly vanished into thin air. But since he was not, he concentrated on training his sensors on the area, attempting to pick up on any signal that the man might be giving off, but there was nothing. It was like there was an invisible wall in place, surrounding his opponent and rendering him invisible to his sensors.

Without any means available to trail his quarry, Tres was left no recourse but to break off the pursuit. Seeing to Sister Kate was the next priority that had to be dealt with, there was no telling if the woman was even still alive at the present time. Turning away from the site of the confrontation, Tres began to make his way back to the room where he knew his team mate to be. Once inside he looked to his partner, “Status report, Father Nightroad.”

“It's going to be touch and go,” Father Nightroad replied, his expression tense with worry as he concentrated on the bleeding woman lying upon the bed. Blood soaked her gown and the sheets she laid upon, but fortunately he'd gotten to her in time to stop her from bleeding out completely. Right now he was thanking God that her personal physician had managed to escape the slaughter, otherwise there was a good chance they would have lost her. Without looking up from his work, he asked the question burning in his mind, “Did you get the person who did this?”

“Negative, the target escaped. Current mission priority is to see to Sister Kate's recovery,” Tres replied and stared down at the work that the two men were doing. There was nothing that he could do to help; his programming was specifically for killing, not for healing. It was a given that Sister Kate would need to be relocated, but that couldn't happen until she was stable and as of now, the most he could do was stand guard over the room while they worked.

~Two weeks later~

Cardinal Caterina stared at the papers lying scattered across her desk and resisted the urge to give into the weariness that threatened to overwhelm her. While there was such a blatant threat to the city, she dared not rest and; as such, had been working relentlessly to uncover who had been responsible for attacking Sister Kate. Unfortunately little was known about the man, but there was one precious piece of information that Father Tres had managed to bring back and for that she was grateful. Right now that was the one thing dominating her thoughts, they had to know just how much of a threat this Shikon jewel was.

Unfortunately, finding knowledge of the artifact had proven to be extremely difficult and had been the cause for many headaches over the past several days. So much information had been lost in the Great War that had taken place and little about the jewel had been documented. Much of it had been passed down as legend and it had only been by sheer luck that Professor William Walter Wordsworth had obtained a scroll that told the tale. Even more fortunate was that he remembered he even had the blasted thing which was a miracle considering how disorganized he could be at times. If it hadn't been for that small piece of fortune they'd still be hunting for information without much success.

But what that scroll contained seemed almost too unrealistic to believe until she was forced to remember that until Armageddon had come to pass, vampires had been considered nothing more than fantasy. Wearily, Lady Caterina bit back a sigh and focused on the topmost paper again for what seemed to be the tenth time. She had to admit that the attacks that Father Tres had described sounded suspiciously like those supposedly held by the demon who had sought the jewel so many centuries ago. 'Naraku. Could it be that it is the same man? No, one cannot consider him human if this is to be believed. He would be a demon and a dangerous one at that.'

If only they had more information. While the scroll was a blessing, it was greatly lacking in detail and had taken many days to translate. It had been said that this demon had been destroyed by the jewel's guardian, but clearly that hadn't been the case. Still, if the legend was to be believed then this demon could be killed, but how? Clearly Father Tres hadn't been able to eliminate the target, but he had been designed to target vampires, not demons which were clearly in a class all their own. Would Father Nightroad be any better? Honestly, she had no idea, but they had to start somewhere, didn't they?

'There has to be a clue in this somewhere.' The weapons during the time of the Shikon were primitive at best, limited to bows, swords, and crude versions of the firearms they used today. Suddenly it came to her, making her expression darken. 'The jewel's guardian was a priestess of immense power and this demon has been killing all those that display any traces of being blessed by God. That has to be the key to all this, but to date we've not seen anyone with the talent this woman was claimed to have held.' Leaning back in her chair, the Duchess contemplated the problem. 'Perhaps as is typical of legends, they've grown with time and this woman was not as powerful as the legends would have us believe. We need to know more about this jewel before we can make a move.'

But the only way to do that would be to observe this demon and watch just how he used the jewel's powers. Unfortunately, without knowing just where he was, that became an impossibility which put them back at square one. Softly she sighed and wished that the answer would come to her. It was becoming more difficult with each passing day to hold her brother back with his demands for action. Even he had to realize that they couldn't just attack when they had no idea where the demon was. Adding to it was the notion he had that this 'Naraku' had allied himself with the Methusela and it was a recipe for disaster.

“Are you having any luck,” Father Nightroad asked, walking into the room and shutting it quietly behind him. While the Cardinal typically threw herself into her work, it was rare that he saw her so engrossed in it that she hadn't even heard his knock at the door. Not that he could blame her anyway; things were becoming even tenser with each passing day.

Shaking her head, Cardinal Caterina looked away from the paper for a moment to regard her friend, “We're back at square one I'm afraid. How is Sister Kate?” Guilt plagued her for a moment when she realized that she'd only been to see the woman once since she was brought into the city. Without the jewel that had been hidden within her body, Sister Kate didn't have the strength to project herself as strongly as she had been doing and as such, she was no longer able to command the Iron Maiden. That job had fallen onto the backup computer system that had been installed in case of such an emergency. It was a problem that the Professor was working on even as she sat here in her office, pouring over ancient history and lore.

“She's improving,” Father Nightroad said after a moment and took a seat across from her, “the physicians believe that she'll make a recovery, but they're cautious. The question was posed if she would come out of the coma, but they're not of the opinion that it's even a possibility at this point in time.” Without bothering to ask, he picked up one of the papers that had been lying unnoticed on the desk, “The legend, it sounds rather far fetched, doesn't it?”

“It does,” Lady Caterina conceded, her voice thick with the doubt towards what the scroll contained, “but we cannot afford to discount it. You were one of the ones to translate the ancient text. What do you make of it?” Eagerly she awaited his answer because while many passed Father Nightroad over because he had such an easy going, unassuming manner about him, she knew that he was in fact very observant and not one to dismiss a possibility just because it sounded impossible.

“You're right, we cannot,” Father Nightroad agreed quietly. Being a Crusnik gave one a different outlook on life that most people did not have. But then again, what would one expect when you yourself were one of those creatures that would be considered nothing more than a creature of legend and fantasy? Carefully he pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose and then set the paper down. He already knew what it contained; there was no need to look at it again. “I think,” he began after a moment of silence, “that in order to defeat this enemy we're going to need to know more about his weaknesses. Much of the text was about how the Shikon was formed, not about the demon that held it and there's almost nothing concerning the battle that took it from him. We're going to need to hunt him down unless you prefer to wait for him to come to us. If those with holy powers have the ability to kill him, it's a certainty that he will strike again.”

“Much the same as I was thinking which brings us back to where we were before. It's becoming more likely that he has been hiding in the Empire, although you're right. Sooner or later he will return to kill again and I'd rather not sit here wondering when he's going to strike,” Caterina said firmly and leaned forward, resting her hands on the desk. They'd come too close already to losing one of their friends and hadn't been able to stop him. Who knew who his target would be the next time.

To that statement, Father Nightroad regarded her calmly, “I take it a trip to the Empire is in order then?” He didn't have to ask her who she thought would be next. Honestly, if they were going in terms of actual power, there were several high ranking officials that would be targeted next and he knew that she was likely to be one of them. However, Naraku would have to go through the entire AX team in order to get close enough to her in order to carry out his plans. None of them would allow her to come to harm while they still lived.

Slowly she nodded, “The Empress needs to be aware of the dangers that lurk within her kingdom, if nothing else, and she might have more knowledge about this jewel than we've been able to find. The team sent will have to be a small one however, I want information collected on this demon including where he's hiding if possible.” Already plans were forming as to who should be sent, given the status of alert they'd been put under.

“If I might make a suggestion your Grace,” Father Nightroad started, “I've been to the Empire once and established a rapport with the Empress. Send me and one other to gather the information you seek. The others will be needed here at the Vatican. While I do not believe he will attack again so quickly, we should be prepared for that eventuality.” Although he couldn't say that he was looking forward to another trip, it was a necessary one and he was on good terms with a lot of the higher ranking Methusela in the Empire. That, if nothing else, would help him gain information that might not be forthcoming otherwise.

“Agreed, you're one of my choices for the team. Since there's a good chance that you'll be searching this demon out, I believe Father Iqus may be of use. I'll send word to the Empress to be expecting you, that way we won't run into any incidents like last time,” she said without humor. They didn't need any more issues that could strain the relationship between the two kingdoms, the natural hatred between humans and vampires was enough on its own, and now they had Naraku compounding the problem.

“Understood, I can be ready to leave within the hour,” Father Nightroad replied instantly. The sooner they resolved this problem the better and while he hated to be rushed, it couldn't be helped in this instance. There was no telling just how much damage that Naraku had managed to do in the amount of time that had passed since he'd acquired the jewel, but he had a sinking feeling that the demon hadn't been idle.

“See to it then, I'll leave it to you to inform Father Tres of the decision,” Lady Caterina said and reached into a drawer to pull out the paperwork that he would need to present to the Empress, “and Abel? Be careful.” The way he smiled at her made her long to shake him because he could singlehandedly get into more trouble than any other man she knew. Fortunately however, he also was adept at getting himself out of it as well. She only hoped that if trouble came that that particular skill wouldn't choose that point in time to desert him.

“Of course, your Grace,” Father Abel said with the slightest of smiles and excused himself from the room. Closing the door softly behind him, he ventured out into the hallway with the task of finding his partner in mind. Packing wouldn't take very long at all since he usually had a suitcase ready to go in case of an emergency. Yet what he wasn't expecting was to see Tres and Vaclav to be heading his direction. Once they were within speaking distance he stopped, ready to relay their new orders, but Vaclav beat him to it.

“You appear to be a man on a mission Father, has Lady Caterina decided to send you to the Empire after all?” Vaclav asked quietly, mindful of the people who might be nearby and listening to the conversation. He'd seen the way that Caterina had been working herself and while he knew it was necessary, it was troublesome none the less. The woman had a mountain of responsibility and it looked as if she wasn't about to get a reprieve anytime soon.

“Indeed, it seems that Father Tres and I are to speak with the Empress. If our suspicions are correct, she might be able to endow us with some knowledge about the jewel, and where this demon might be hiding,” Father Nightroad replied matter of factly. He wasn't about to mince words this time. Even though Caterina hadn't said much on it, he knew that she expected them to come back with something that would be useful against Naraku and he'd be damned if they didn't do just that.

For a moment Vaclav said nothing and stared at the door that the other man had just exited. Eventually though he broke the silence. “Perhaps,” he said at last, “although something tells me that the Empress knows about as much as we do, you of all people know that she values the peace between human and Methusela. This will have been causing problems among her kingdom as well. I urge you to be cautious, there is likely to be much unrest, and your presence may not be well received by many of those consolidating power in these times of uncertainty.”

“That's what I'm afraid of and why we'll need to work fast. This demon doesn't seem to discriminate between the two races, which makes him all the more dangerous. Tres, we leave within the hour. Lady Caterina is drawing up the paperwork for us now,” Father Nightroad replied, knowing that Tres would be ready even before he himself was. There really wasn't even time to inform the others as to their departure, Caterina and Vaclav would have to be the ones to do that.

“Positive, I will meet you at the port,” Tres said, waiting long enough to gain acknowledgment from his partner before turning and walking away from them both. Now that they had their mission orders they could begin resolving the issue. That Naraku had managed to escape him the first time was completely unacceptable, he would not allow Naraku to get away from him a second time.